Dtn 2 2 16

Again, Obasanjo tackles NASS, slams governors Remi Oladoye

ÎÎÎThe fireworks between

former President Olusegun Obasanjo and federal legislators continued on

Monday with the former president asking the National Assembly to open its budget to public scrutiny in a way to ensure accountability, transparency and

good government in this era of change.

Obasanjo, who chaired the inauguration conference organised by the Ibadan School of Govern-

ment and Public Policy (ISGPP) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, declared that those who have asked Nigerians to live frugally must not live in luxury.

The former President also accused state governors of behaving like sole administrators, and rendering pubContinued on page 12

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 36

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 1st February 2016.

NESTLE

708.85

739.99

31.14%

CADBURY

17.54

19

1.46%

DANGCEM

129.4

128.91 -0.49%

CAVERTON

1.95

1.86

-0.09%

SEPLAT

185

194.25

9.25%

GUINNESS

110

115.5

5.5%

UPL

6

5.7

FBNH

4

3.93

-0.07%

-0.3%

FG opens talks for $3.5b loans to finance deficit Ï Approaches World Bank, AfDB Ï Foreign borrowing will be tied to capital projects –Finance Minister Opeoluwani Akintayo

ÎÎÎThe

Federal Government has opened talks with the World Bank and

African Development Bank for $3.5 billion in loans to partly finance the deficit in the 2016 budget which is currently being

considered by the National Assembly.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who confirmed this

on Monday in a statement, however said Nigeria was not seeking ‘emergency loans’, as reported by some foreign media or-

ganisations.

Mrs. Adeosun, in the statement issued in Abuja by her Special Adviser on Media Matters, Mr. Fes-

tus Akanbi, also revealed government’s strategy for using the foreign loans to fund the 2016 budget.

Continued on page 6

Terror war: Jonathan g 12 govt bought substandard weapons –FG

I’m g 13 Ojukwu’s only legal wife, Bianca tells court

$2.1b Armsgate: No link with indicted g 8 companies –Obanikoro’s son

Ruth Kadiri President Muhammadu Buhari (right) in handshake with the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule on arrival at the Presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on his way to Ogun State… on Monday. With them are Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (left), Ogun State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (3rd left), Chief Bisi Akande (4th right) and National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (2nd right).

Ï Buhari’s comment on judiciary, an affront on its independence, says PDP g 6

The challenges I faced, helped me become the person I am today g L1

2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Page Three Æ s

3

Editorial Why Nigeria should prepare for Zika virus

N

ot until its outbreak in May last year in Brazil did the world come to appreciate the danger that Zika virus poses to humanity. According to health experts, the Zika virus (ZIKV), is an insect borne virus spread by Aedes(Yellow fever) mosquitoes mostly found in humid and temperate climates of the world. They posit that Zika virus causes mild illness and has been occurring since the 1950s within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. Reports say it was first isolated from a rhesus monkey in Uganda in 1947, and caused sporadic human infections in some African and Asian countries, with usually mild symptoms of fever, rash, and arthralgia.

The American Centre for Disease Control has revealed that 1 in 5 people infected with the virus become ill that lasts from few days to weeks. We are concerned at the outbreak of Zika virus and the consequence of it arriving and spreading in Nigeria. That is why the country’s health authorities must urgently put in place adequate preventive measures to monitor and check spread of the virus.

Our concern is borne by the fact that the World Health Organisation(WHO) has announced that Zika virus “is now spreading explosively” in the Americas, with estimated 3 and 4 million infections over a 12 month period. According to the organisation’s Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, “the level of concern is high, as is the level of uncertainty”. Unfortunately, the world is yet to come up with any known cure for the virus, even as the mosquitoes that spread it can be found almost everywhere in the Americas.

Given the humid nature of the tropics which is a natural breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes, and coupled with the ever increasing movement of peoples all over the world, probability is that travellers with the virus and even carrier mosquitoes may sooner than later arrive in the country. Such scenario gives room for concern given that half a million people from all over the world are expected to flock into Rio de Janeiro for the summer Olympic Games in August.

Another reason the international community is alarmed, is the danger posed to pregnant women by the Zika virus. Such concern informed the advice by some Latin American governments for women to delay pregnancy in order to prevent birth defects. Recently, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported a twentyfold annual increase in cases of newborn babies with microcephaly,even as other congenital neurological anomalies and an increased frequency of ‘Guillain-Barré syndrome’ has also been linked to the virus. One reason the Nigerian authorities must is be on the alert is that Zika virus is hard to detect unlike the Ebola epidemic that was eradicated before it caused wide scale harm.

Given that an outbreak anywhere is potentially a threat everywhere, now is the time to step up all efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to Zika virus. In the meantime, the best defence is an attempt to eradicate the diseasebearing mosquitoes from around human settlements. We are conscious of the fact that it will be slow, unglamorous and not entirely effective, but it is entirely necessary. Heroic medicine makes better copy, but in the end it is public health which saves more lives.

Daily/ Online Editor Biodun Durojaiye Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏLately, the utterances

of some officials of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration have heightened fears that the administration may be on a mission, though undeclared, to distabilse and weaken critical national institutions, and enthrone the rule of one man, a clear route to authoritarianism.

One of such utterances was made by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Malami at the launch of ‘Go and sin no more’, a report of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP),

Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714 Head Finance/Shared services Simpa Ajayi

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threat and others like it are attacks on the judiciary and aimed at browbeating the judiciary to do the bidding of the incumbent administration, which is to convict persons brought before it by the government, willy-nilly.

This is certainly the wrong way to go as it will end up returning Nigeria to dictatorship, the rule of one man and his party.

So, Malami and other officials of the Buhari administration should refrain from statements which clearly are threats to the judiciary, a constitutionally provided and independent arm of government.

They should realise that judges are not their house boys. They are constitutionally mandated to deliver justice to all persons at all times without being dictated to by anyone, officials of the executive arm of government inclusive.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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in Lagos recently, threatened that the current administration would ensure that judicial officials who abuse their offices are sent to jail.

The AGF, who was represented at the event by Abiodun Aikomo, one of his senior special assistants, said: “Corrupt judges will go to jail as the government of President Muhammadu Buhari will actively promote and ensure that corrupt judges are prosecuted and their illegally acquired assets are returned to the state.”

Ordinarily, Malami’s statement should be welcomed by all who desire a corrupt-free judiciary in the country.

However, the manner the statement was couched shows that it was a veiled threat to judges.

Clearly, the AGF’s

Words On Marble :

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike Managing Editor Yinka Olujimi

Malami’s veiled threat to Judges

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Wole Soyinka “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”

Ibrahim Mantu “The world is not a bed of roses; there are times you laugh and sometimes you cry.”

Chinua Achebe “When old people speak, it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

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WHO: Zika, a health emergency ÏÏÏThe World Health Or-

ganization declared the Zika virus an international public health emergency on Monday, a rare move prompted by growing concern that it could cause birth defects.

An outbreak of the Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, was detected in Brazil last May and has since moved into more than 20 countries in Latin America. The main worry is over the virus’s possible link to microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with brain damage and unusually small heads. Reported cases of microcephaly are rising sharply in Brazil, ground zero for the disease, though researchers have yet to establish a direct link.

At a news conference in Geneva, Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of the W.H.O, said that clusters of microcephaly in regions with Zika cases “constitute an extraordinary event and a public health threat to other parts of the world.”

She added that “international reponse is needed to minimize the threat in infected countries and reduce risk of international spread.” Dr. Chan said case control studies on the connection between Zika and microcephaly will start in the next two weeks.

The official “emergency” designation can trigger action and funding from governments and nonprofits around the world.

It elevates the W.H.O. to the position of global coordinator, and gives its decisions the force of international law. The agency is trying to cast itself as a global leader to revive its reputation after a faltering response during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

“Can you imagine if we do not do all this work now and wait until all these scientific evidence to come out, people will say why didn’t you take action?”

Dr. Chan said.

The current outbreak of Zika has taken the world by surprise. It was first

identified in 1947 in Uganda, and for years lived mostly in monkeys. But last May in Brazil, cases began increasing drastically. The W.H.O. has estimated that four million people could be infected by the end of the year. It is spreading fast in the Americas because people there have not developed immunity.

The W.H.O. declared a public health emergency three times since 2007, when it first established the procedure — for the influenza panademic in 2009; in 2014 when polio seemed resurgent; and in August 2014 for Ebola. Some experts applauded the decision to add Zika to the list.

“This should be a global wake up call,” said Lawrence O. Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. But he added: “The main question on my mind is whether they will back up their words with decisive action.”

Osoba, Daniel, Rasaki snub Ogun commemorative Special Exco Meeting ÏÏÏThree

former governors of Ogun State stayed away from the special State Executive Council meeting held on Monday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the creation of the state.

They are Chief Olusegun Osoba, Gen. Raji Rasaki (retd.) and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the predecessor of the incumbent Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

The special exco meeting held at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, had in attendance, former military governors Seidu Adeolu Balogun, General Oladipo Diya (retd), Oladayo Popoola, Oladehinde Joseph, Daniel Akintonde, Sam Ewang and Kayode Olofinmoyin.

A minute silence was observed in honour of the departed ex-governors, Brigadier Harris Egbagha; the

first civilian governor of the state, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo and Navy Captain Mohammed Lawal.

The special session, which was aired live on both OGTV and OGBC, had each of the past administrators sharing their experiences with the present executive council members on how they fared as governors of the state.

They all commended the present administration in the state led by Senator Ibikunle Amosun for the giant strides in moving the state forward.

The past administrators spoke one after the other and identified areas where the state needed to work upon to improve its fortune.

In his remark, Governor Amosun thanked them for honouring the state and pledged his administration’s commitment to continue to work for the progress of the

state.

The governor acknowledged the selfless service rendered by the past leaders and assured that the foundation laid by them would not be destroyed.

He however decorated his predecessors with state’s crest and gave them plaques.

Apart from former governors, also at the special session were: Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, Senators representing Ogun Central and West Senatorial districts, Prince Lanre Tejuoso and Prince Gbolahan Dada. The Senator representing Ogun East, Prince Buruji Kashamu, was absent.

Ogun state was created out of the defunct Western Region on 3 February, 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed administration shortly after which he was assassinated in a coup on 13 February same year.

5 News

NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL SCIENCE Established by Act No.26 of 2007 No. 1, 45 Road, off 4th Avenue Gwarimpa11, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Tel No. +234704560883, E-mail: nias.nigeria2013@gmail.com, Website: www.nias.org.ng

ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF REGISTRAR The Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) in accordance with its Act No 26 of 2007 as amended 2015 hereby invite suitably qualified candidates for the position of the Registrar of the Institute.

THE POSITION The Position of the Registrar is a tenured appointment. The Registrar is the Chief Executive Officer and the Secretary to the Council and is also responsible to Council for the day-to-day administration of the Institute.

THE CANDIDATE The candidate for the post of Registrar of the Institute shall be a Registered Animal Scientist with a Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Animal Science from a recognised University with a minimum of 15 years (for Ph.D. degree holder) and 20 years (for Master’s degree holder) good Post-qualification experience in Public Service or Industry matters.

Such Candidates must be in good standing in the Profession as evidenced by: i.

Annual Practising Licence with evidence of payment as and when due in the last five (5) years (2011 to 2015). ii.

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Evidence of participation at the Annual General Meetings of the Institute in the last five (5) years (2011-2015) In addition, being a Fellow of the Institute will be an added advantage. The candidate must have a clear vision for the continued growth and development of the Institute, demonstrate team building skill, entrepreneurial skill and ability to attract and mobilise other resources for the development of the Institute.

Also the Registrar must be able to command the respect of the national and international professional communities and must enjoy excellent physical and mental health.

TERMS AND CONDITION OF SERVICE APPLICABLE TO THE POST • The Registrar shall hold office for four (4) years in the f irst instance renewable for another but final term of four (4) years subject to good performance.

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MODE OF APPLICATION I. Each application must be made in ten (10) copies and must be accompanied by the Curriculum Vitae duly signed and dated. ii. Each application should include the names and addresses of three (3) referees who must be Fellows of the Institute. The Referees must be contacted to forward in properly sealed envelope, a confidential report on the applicant to the President of NIAS. iii. Each application must be accompanied by photocopies of relevant certificates and ten (10) copies of the candidate’s vision for the growth and development of the Institute. The vision statement must not be more than 250 words. iv. All applications must be submitted under confidential cover, marked ‘’application for the Post of Registrar’’ at the upper right hand corner and addressed to: The President Nigerian Institute of Animal Science House 1, 45 Road, off 4th Avenue Federal Housing Estate Gwarimpa, Abuja, Nigeria. v.

The sealed envelope containing the application must reach the President not later that six (6) weeks from the date of publication of this advert.

CANDIDATES SHOULD PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY THOSE SHORTLISTED WILL BE CONTACTED FURTHER.

Signed Signed

Prof IsraelFolorunso Folorunso AduAdu RAS,RAS, FAS,FAS, FNSAP, FNIAS, FASAN, FCASN, Prof Israel FNSAP, FNIAS, FASAN, FCASN,JP JP President, NIAS President, NIAS

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

FG opens talks for $3.5b loans to finance deficit Continued from page 1 The Minister disclosed that one of the options the federal government will explore will be to get credit from multi-lateral agencies like the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB).

“These Multilateral agencies provide loans on concessional terms, which include low interest, moratorium before repayment and long tenor.

“The second funding option being explored

includes Export Credit Agencies such as China Exim Bank. These funds are also concessional and are tied to specific capital projects,” the statement said.

The statement indicated that the balance of foreign borrowing required will be raised in the Eurobond market at commercial rates of interest.

By blending these different sources of funding, the Minister explained that the overall cost of funds will be maintained

at the lowest possible level, adding that “as far as possible, our foreign borrowing will be tied to specific capital projects. A number of these projects are revenue generating which will be used to fund the loan repayments.”

These capital projects include power, transport, road and housing..

The strategy of pursuing increased foreign borrowing is designed to ensure that the Federal Government does not “crowd out” the private

sector in the domestic market.

Mrs Adeosun had told the Financial Times on Sunday that the loans were not an “emergency” measure but rather the “cheapest way possible” to fund a “deficit budget”.

“I’m getting sub 3 per cent blended costs from the multilaterals and export credit banks. It’s my strategy for borrowing for capital projects. If the World Bank is offering me sub 3 [per cent] to do the power, transport, road

projects we need, why would I go to the Eurobond market to find that?” she said.

It could be recalled than on January 21, the Minister had enunciated the economic strategy of the Buhari administration, even as she explained that the 2016 Budget deficit may be increased from the current N2.2 trillion in the draft document before the National Assembly, to N3 trillion, should the price of crude oil continue to fall.

The Minister, in an es-

say sent to the media, said even if the prices of oil fall further, the federal government will not reduce spending on infrastructure i.e. Transport, Roads, Housing and Power.

In the essay, entitled “Nigeria’s economy: The road to recovery”, the Minister said: “Our deficit will expand by N0.8trn to N3trn, which will be 3per cent of GDP. This is still within the comfort zone for the international rating agencies.”

Senate queries N10b rise in personnel vote of Education Ministry Olufemi Samuel, Abuja

ÎÎÎ

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (left) in handshake with his classmate, Alhaji Musa Mammawa, when Abubakar visited him in his house in Song, Song Local Government Area of Adamawa State… on Monday.

The Senate on Monday queried the sudden rise in the personnel cost of parastatals in the Ministry of Education to the tune of N10 billion as officials of the Ministry met with the Senate Committee on Education on budget defence.

Officials of the Ministry led by the Minister of State, Anthony Onwuka during the budget defence told the Senate Committee on Education that its total allocation in the 2016 budget totaled N483.6 billion, a marginal increase compared with the sum of N483.1 billion allo-

cated to it in 2015.

However, a member of the Committee, Professor Sola Adeyeye noted that while the Ministry’s vote for personnel rose to N98, 181,570,237 in 2016, the amount voted for it in 2015 was 88,199,311,758.

Adeyeye expressed suspicion that the personnel vote for the Ministry of Education had risen at the expense of votes for Tertiary Institutions which according to him, remained static in some cases, while votes got reduced in others.

The Minister of State could however, not produce an immediate response to Continued on page 12

Buhari’s comment on judiciary, an affront on its independence, says PDP Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, expressed shock at the Sunday’s declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that the judiciary is the major headache of his administration.

The opposition PDP categorically described the statement as a direct affront on the statutorily guaranteed independence of the judiciary.

The acting National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, said this during the inauguration of the Imo State PDP Caretaker Committee.

Secondus specifically pointed out that more wor-

...Inaugurates caretaker committee for Imo

risome is the fact that a President of a country had to tie back already settled judgments of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, in cases involving him, as a benchmark of his assessment of the institution of the judiciary at the moment.

The embattled acting National Chairman of PDP however urged the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, to continue to assert its independence and not allow itself to be deterred from upholding justice and the rule of law, no matter the pressure.

Secondus said: “The Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) urges the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, to continue to assert its independence and not allow itself to be deterred from upholding justice and the rule of law, no matter the pressure.

“The judicial community and in fact, all discerning Nigerians were shocked by the release by the Presidency on Sunday wherein President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted to have described the judiciary as the ‘major headache’ of his administration.

“This statement is a direct affront on the statutorily guaranteed independence of the judiciary and more worrisome is the fact

that a President of a country had to tie back already settled judgments of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, in cases involving him, as a benchmark of his assessment of the institution of the judiciary at the moment.

“While we express worry at the attacks on the judicial arm of government, we are aware that they are intended to blackmail and stampede the judiciary to deliver judgments against the PDP in various pending cases involving our party and some of our leaders in the courts.

“While we urge the judiciary to ensure that it adequately guards its

flanks from all external influences, we also caution the executive to focus on governance, while respecting the constitutionally guaranteed principle of separation of powers by allowing the judiciary and the legislature indeed, all statutory arms of government to freely operate within the bounds provided by our laws.

“Finally, the PDP wishes to call on critical stakeholders to appreciate the fact that the Judiciary, in its nature as an arbiter, cannot join issues with the other arms, and such needs to be defended from the brazen blackmail by the APC-led Government”, he said.

Secondus charged the committee to be fair, just

and balanced, accommodate every interest and restore Imo State PDP to winning ways, especially as APC government in the state has failed woefully.

The PDP Imo Caretaker Committee has Hon. Vitalis Okafor as Chairman and Sir Martin Ejiogu, Deputy Chairman.

Its members included Chief Innocent Ikpemezie, Chief Fabian Ogbonna, Chidi Onuoha, Chief Peter Ezenwa Orji, Chief Isaac Anyim, Chief Henry Onwukwe, Chief Eze Ugochukwu, Rt. Hon Okechukwu Dike, Sir Roy Iwualamember, Hon. Emma Dike, Sir Bon Unachukwu, Chief (Mrs.) Josephine Nnoaham with Chief (Mrs.) Vivian Echeruo as member/Secretary.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Lagos threatens to shut down illegal abattoirs Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏThe

Lagos State Government has given all operators of unauthorised abattoirs two weeks to close down operations. It however said that the two-week ultimatum had been given to the operators of illegal abattoirs located within Military Cantonments and Barracks in the State, where Veterinary Officers were denied access, stressing that it, no longer, could tolerate such illegal practice.

According to the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Toyin Suarau, this ultimatum became necessary in order to guarantee wholesomeness in the process of meat which Lagosians consume, and curb the spread of unwholesome processed meat and meat products.

7 News

Police Officers disagree over Share/Tsaragi bloody clash Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏTwo Divisional Police Offi-

cers (DPO), who were in charge of Share and Tsaragi during the December 2015 clash between the two communities, on Monday, disagreed in their narration of the cause of the crisis.

Area Commander of Bode Saadu, Mr. Abdulazeez Obasa, while testifying said six policemen were seriously injured while attempting to stop the exchange of gunfire between the two communities.

He said that the police had to withdraw tactically from the scene, because they had been

given orders not to shoot. “I wouldn’t know whether the firing came from Share or Tsaragi but the two were armed”, he said.

But while the DPO for Share, Simon Ayinoko, told the judicial commission of inquiry that youths from Share were only cutting down nim trees surrounding LGEA Primary School in the area, his counterpart from Tsaragi, Isaac Baba, claimed that men from Share actually destroyed some economic trees on a disputed portion of land.

Baba, who was the third witness taken by the commission at its resumed sitting, on Monday, presented photographs indicat-

ing an attack allegedly by Share youths whom he claimed refused to yield to pleas by the DPO Share to stop cutting the trees in the interest of peace.

The police officer also tendered his trousers which was cut allegedly with a saw by a man from Share as he tried to stop the man. He also tendered two pictures of the unit commander, Police Mobile Force 15, Ilorin, Mr. Umar Sandah, as well as those of three other mobile policemen, who were shot during the crisis.

Although the counsel to Ifelodun local government area, Mr. Kamaldeen Gambari objected to admitting the photographs and trousers in evidence, the com-

mission under Justice Suleiman Akanbi, dismissed the objection on grounds that the commission was out to do substantial justice and would not allow itself to be bogged down by legal technicalities.

He also told the commission that people suspected to be from Share attacked the convoy of the Emir of Tsaragi, on December 19, 2015, in front of the palace of Olupako of Share, and that the development further worsened the situation.

He said the two communities engaged in cross-fire throughout the crisis but that there was an order directing them not to shoot at anyone.

Abia Governorship election: Don’t stain my name – Sen. Orji cautions APGA ÏÏÏThe immediate past Gover-

nor of Abia State and the Senator representing Abia Central in the State, Chief Theodore Orji, has cautioned the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), against dragging his name in the mud in the on-going tussle as regards the last governorship election.

He debunked the claims by the governorship candidate of APGA in the election, Dr. Alex Otti that he helped to rig the election in favour of the incumbent governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Reacting to a documentary allegedly aired by Abia State APGA governorship candidate

Fight against malaria gets N1.5 boost Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏThe Carter Centre, in Nige-

ria, on Monday, said that it had committed N1.5 billion as part of its 2016 intervention in the on-going fight against malaria and other neglected tropical diseases in nine states of the country.

Country Representative for the Carter Centre, Dr. Emmanuel Mir,i who made this known during the Centre’s annual programme review, said that this would be used to fight diseases such as river blindness (Onchocerciasis) and elephantiasis (Lymphatic filariasis) in the south-east and malar-

for 2015 election, Orji purported that Otti and his allies concertedly dragged his name into his misadventure.

Speaking through a statement issued in Lagos by his Media Adviser, Mr. Don Norman Obinna, Orji said that he would have disregarded the documentary meant to manipulate the psyche of some Nigerians to accept as factual Otti’s fictitious and contemptible allegation of intimidation and massive rigging in favour of the governor as declared by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), but said APGA had refused to desist from campaign of calumny against his personality. ia, schistomiasis (Bilharzia) and stomach warms in Plateau and Nasarawa states.

He said that river blindness had been interrupted in five local government areas of Plateau State and seven in Nasarawa, adding that “we have to invite the World Health Organisation (WHO) for a number of years, thereafter they will come and certify and give us certificate but when we do the survey right now you will find out that the disease is no more in Plateau and Nasarawa states.”

The country representative said tht, “We have also eradicated elephantiasis in Plateau and Nasarawa states. For three years, now, we don’t have the disease in the states.

We have controlled trachoma (diseases of the eye) and it is no longer of any public health importance, which means that our younger children will not have that disease anymore,” he said.

L-R: Corp Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi; Minister of Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fasola and Representative of Director General/ Chief Executive, Nigerian Institute of Transport Technnology, Engr. Remi Adewumi during the Public Hearing by House of Representatives Committee on Road Safety in Abuja… on Monday.

MSSN Lagos decries human right abuse against Muslim females ÏÏÏThe Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit (MSSN Lagos) has expressed displeasure over the increasing human right abuses, especially against Muslim females wearing Hijab in Nigeria.

The Amirah (female head) of the MSSN Lagos, Hajia Hafsoh Badru, said this during a campaign organized, on Monday, to mark 2016 edition of the World Hijab Day (WHD) which is themed, “Beautiful, Confident and Empowered”. The World Hijab Day is a globally marked annual event on February 1.

During the campaign, Muslim females trooped out in their hundreds, displaying placards that read: “My hijab, my pride, choice

and religion”; “Hijab signifies superiority and not inferiority”; “I love the Hijab”; “Hijab by heart”; “If beret is for Christains, Hijab is for Muslims”; and “No matter the murmuring, Hijab till I die”.

Other inscription aimed at sentising the public on Hijab usage were: “Just do it, wear Hijab for a day”; “I am happy I wear the Hijab”; and “Don’t let the grave be the first time you will use the Hijab”, amongst others.

Badru said that despite awareness about the importance of Hijab, some Nigerians still harass Muslim females wearing it and veil under the guise of being security conscious.

She asked Nigerians to stop the deceit that the Hijab was forced on

Muslim females, saying the current fight against corruption should include avoidance of breach on rights of Muslim females.

She also described as superficial and misguided the argument that Hijab or veil should be banned for security reasons.

She added, “The avalanche of agony stories and revelations of monumental intimidation/harassment of Muslim females putting on the Hijab, in recent times, is condemnable and an act against the laws of Allah (God) and even that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We consider it as a corrupt act against humanity and a coup against the fundamental Human Right of Nigerian citizens, who are Muslim females.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Politics

Æs

Ondo 2016: Agunloye, again Joins guber race, defects to SDP ‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

Dr. Olu Agunloye, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would today (Tuesday) defect to the Social Democratic

Party (SDP) in his ongoingpolitical aspiration to become the next governor of Ondo State.

Agunloye, a former Minister of Power and Steel, and close ally of Governor ‎Olusegun Mimiko, was

also a former member of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) when he contested the Ondo North Senatorial District in 2011.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Mimiko

$2.1B ARMSGATE:

No link with indicted companies

—Obanikoro’s son

Obanikoro

How would you respond to the allegations that you are a director of the company Sylvan McNamara Ltd and signatory to the Diamond account which

Magu

allegedly received the sum of N4.75B from the National Security Adviser?

I am not and was never a director of this company and neither am I a signatory to its

account or any other account related to the entity. My involvement with this company ended as far back as 2013 before all these incidents and before my father was even ap-

pointed as a Minister, so any dealings that transpired after that is of absolutely no concern or business of mine. The bank is available to confirm who the signatories to the account are, and the CAC is also available to confirm who the directors of the company are.

I am positive the authorities if at all they are investigating this matter will discover this.

The online news platform Sahara Reporters, reported in story that you bought a home in 2014 as soon as the funds were transferred to Sylvan McNamara?

What a coincidence right?

And this home according to Sahara also is a hide out. It’s just silly. I bought a home in the United Kingdom in 2008.

I built my home in Nigeria in 2010, and I opted to buy a town home in the United States in 2014 during which period my wife had our 3rd child. My focus for almost a decade has always been on business and the private sector and not politics. I have been working hard and fortunate to run a CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Agunloye

Rivers Supreme Court victory: PDP set to welcome APC decampees Following last week’s judgment of the Supreme Court which approved the election of Mr. Nyesom Wike as Governor of Rivers State, many members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be heading back to the PDP. Towards this end, the Chairman of PDP in Rivers State, Felix Obuah is said to be planning to receive some prominent leaders and members of the APC, across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, who have accepted to join the PDP following hands of fellowship extended to them by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

The PDP Chairman maintained that Governor Wike never minced words when he called on the APC to join him in building the State, adding that the Supreme Court victory was not just victory for the PDP, but for all Rivers people, irrespective of party affiliations.

Obuah in a statement signed CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Wike

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

9 Politics

No link with indicted companies —Obanikoro’s son CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

successful business. So it is definitely not out of place for me, and it is most certainly not a crime to buy a house. I’m truly grateful to Almighty Allah for all he has bestowed on me and my family.

The same online news platform alleged that the funds transferred to the account were used towards the rigging of the Ekiti State Gubernatorial Elections which the current governor Ayodele Fayose was victorious. How do you respond?

It seems Sahara Reporters is the only news platform doing the reporting doesn’t it? Look its simple, MO and Sahara reporters have their own thing going on. He sued Sahara reporters both in New York and Nigeria in 2014 and since then I guess he’s had his axe to grind with him, and they’ve been going back and forth since then. Their scuffle has been in the public space for a while now. MO is a politi-

Magu

Obanikoro

cian, and in politics all this is fair game. I’ve been roped into it as you can see, my brother also, I wonder who’s next? Unfortunately, at this time in our country, defamatory and libelous reporting or journalism

isn’t restricted and anyone can wake up and say anything without proof or facts without any severe repercussion. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality and that is what the likes of Sahara are taking advantage of.

According to the daily newspapers, the EFCC has begun its investigations, and unanimous sources within link you as signatories to the account?

Like I said earlier, my involvement with this company ceased way back in 2013, and I challenge anyone to come forth with any evidence contrary to that. But let me say this; Justice is not served if authorities are taunting any information discovered during the course of their investigation to achieve a predetermined outcome. I think government must thread within the confines of the law.

What are your thoughts on the Presidents anti corruption crusade?

I have no problems with it at all. I believe it’s every Nigerian’s desire for corruption to be eradicated or at least significantly reduced. Steps have been taking in the past, steps will be taken now, and further steps will be taken even after President Buhari’s administration. Policies like the Cash less system, the BVN etc were all measures taken to

tackle this problem prior to the President. He has now introduced additional measures and gradually as our institutions grow, the better grip we’ll have on this problem.

Have these revelations impacted you and your family in any way?

Of course! I am a young man with an adorable wife and three beautiful children, so there is a lot at stake for me. Furthermore, as a young business man these types of unguarded allegations and press reports have undesirable implications on one’s business. But then again, it is not surprising especially for a family like ours. The Obanikoro name is the envy of many from political opponents of my father and brother to personal adversaries. But that’s ok. We are a God fearing Muslim family and a family deeply united with profound love and admiration for one another. We have individually and collectively accomplished a lot and as far as I am concerned the best is yet to come for the Obanikoro’s. Insha Allah.

Ondo 2016: Agunloye, again joins guber race, defects to SDP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

But he lost the election to the incumbent Senator Ajayi Broffice who was the then candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state.

Korede Duyile, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo State, who disclosed this in Akure, said the former Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps had been discussing his governorship ambition with the leadership of the party in the last few months.

Duyile confirmed that the Akoko born politician would formally join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and be giving a membership card of the party at its Secretariat, in Akure.

The Daily Times gathered that the governorship aspirants had already attended and participated in the state congress of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), held at the weekend.

Agunloye, at the congress, publicly declared his readiness and aspiration to contest the

guber poll under the platform of the party noting that he would formally join the SDP after leaving the PDP camp.

He said the action of President Muhammadu Buhariled federal government in waging war against corruption in the country is in total order.

Dr. Agunloye, who addressed journalists at a public function, during the weekend in Akure, the Ondo state capital, added that President Buhari had no other choice than to help the country kill and roots out corruption in every sector of its economy.

The former Minister, who argued that the menace had become canker worm, thereby, eaten deep into the socioeconomic system of the country, said that government at various levels needed to join hands to fight corruption before it destroyed the country, He maintained that the fight against corruption must not be selective nor targeted at political enemies noting that anybody found

Mimiko

Agunloye

culpable of stealing public funds should be investigated properly to face the law.

“The action of the present administration in waging war against corruption is in order.

Buhari has no choice than to kill corruption before it is allowed to kill Nigeria”, Agun-

loye said.

The governorship aspirant also said President Buhari led federal government needs to revised the approach and method used in fighting corruption in order to avoid playing to gallery.

According to him, while

the presidency is trying to retrieve the country’s looted fund from past government and public officers, it should also beamed its search light on serving governors and public holders. ”Buhari should also focus on the people who are currently in power; like the governors, ministers, lawmakers, and board chairmen serving in various capacity of the country’s economy sphere.

“Doing this, would help the country retrieved any stolen fund kept in secret or private accounts before they leave the office or such positions.

“The issue of immunity should not come in place, the president should go after serving governors to surrender money they have stolen from the confers of the state, thereby, improvishing the people”, he said.

He, however, revealed that governance should not only be about ruling the state or nation but serving the people noting that anybody wanting to serve in government must be a man of honor and integrity.

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Ekiti Guber Election Rigging Saga: An afterthought episode —Rights Group A human rights group, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has described the weekend revelation of former Secretary of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Temitope Aluko the that June 21, 2014 governorship election in the State, was rigged in favour of the incumbent Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose, as an afterthought.

According to it, the episode could not stand the test of time in a democracy era, as the action of Aluko was illegal,undem ocratic,unconstitutional,unlawf ul, anathema, anti-masses,antijudiciary,an aberration and uncalled for.

It said it was only Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that was charged with the responsibility of conducting the election and returning the winner of the election, which should be held responsible for any election mal-practices, saying it was surprised that in Nigeria when the electoral umpire would be exonerated of any election misconduct but the Nigeria Army that was an aberration in the conduct of the election would be held responsible for election malpractices.

The group also called on the

Fayose well meaning Nigerians at home and abroad to disregard the illegal and unlawful revelation of Mr. Aluko which it said was tantamount to emotional allegation of highest order, and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the former PDP scribe (Temitope Aluko) for committing crime against God and hu-

Tope Aluko manity over the revelation on Ekiti election saga.

In a statement by CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman in Lagos it said Aluko was one of the witnesses that testified in favour of incumbent Governor Fayose at the 2014 Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, that

the June 21, 2014 governorship election was free, fair and credible with an affidavit on oath.

Comrade Sulaiman regretted that the caliber of Mr. Aluko could be emotionally used for this dastard revelation after the election in question had undergone legal clinical/medical treatment from Tribunal

Lalong signs three bills into law Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau State on Monday signed three bills into law.

The laws are to establish Bureau for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Plateau State Micro-finance Agency and Plateau State Bureau of Public Procurement.

Lalong said: “the new laws give credence to my administration’s resolve to ensure institutional structure, policy direction and provision of laws to define government’s operations”.

He added that the law on peace would address security challenges bedeviling the state and create the enabling environment for economic emancipation of Plateau people.

“Our government has repeatedly assured the people that we

Gov. Lalong

will not rest on oars in ensuring that we address the chal-

lenges of security and peace building.

“It is also to do the needful in ensuring that we provide the enabling environment for the economic emancipation of our people.

“We are today taking the second concrete step in consolidating the peace building efforts we have made in the past eight months with the enactment of the law establishing peace building agency’’, he said.

The governor said Plateau State Bureau of Public Procurement would help in strengthening the state institutional approach to ensuring probity and accountability in public procurement.

He said that it would serve as tool through which govern-

ment would ensure that its anti-corruption war and fiscal responsibility was given much projection.

Lalong said the law for the establishment of Plateau State Micro-finance Agency would serve as the vehicle through which micro-finance funding would be provided for the people and boost the development of medium and small scale enterprises in the state.

“We will use the instrumentality of the agency to access funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria medium and small enterprises development fund”, he said.

He commended the Plateau State House of Assembly for the speedy passage of the Bills to aid delivery of good governance to the people. (NAN)

to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, saying that if the election was truly rigged in favour of Mr. Fayose and Aluko conspired to mislead the Court of competent jurisdiction as Aluko claimed in the affidavit before the Court, by now, Aluko was not supposed to be moving freely on the streets of the country again.

Consequently, the CHRSJ boss urged the law enforcement agents to arrest Mr. Aluko without further delay and begin his prosecution in the Court of Competent jurisdiction for lying, insisting that the International and local Election Observers had adjudged that election as free, fair, transparency and credible and there was nothing to do on it again because upturning such election would an aberration of highest order and civilian coup.

It maintained that the outcome of 2015 State and National elections in the State had confirmed that the June 21st, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State was not rigged as being claimed by the former PDP scribe because he was not appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Fayose when the cabinet was constituted.

“The June 21st, 2014 governorship election has come and gone and all political stakeholders in Ekiti State should go back to drawing board and prepare for 2018 Governorship election.

Reverse is the case in Nigeria where Military not Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that is charged with the conduct of election, which is an aberration during the conduct of election, will be blamed for election mal-practices. All the Mr. Temitope Aluko’s revelations on 2014 Ekiti governorship election is a ruse and afterthought which it cannot be taken serious and stand the test of time. Aluko had an opportunity to say this truth before the Election Petition Tribunal but he did otherwise, who is now to be blamed?

“If we are in sane country, Mr. Temitope Aluko is supposed to be rotting in prison for misleading the Court of competent jurisdiction and the public. Mr. Aluko should stop all these ongoing emotional revelation about 2014 Ekiti guber election. It was because he was not made Chief of Staff to Governor Peter Fayose”, it stressed.

11 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Seize any money in my name in Dubai, Akpabio tells FG Wike

Amaechi

Rivers Supreme Court victory: PDP set to welcome APC decampees

Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has called on the Federal Government to seize any money found in his alleged foreign account in Dubai saying it does not belong to him.

He also denied in Abuja denied reports in the social media alleging he made an attempt to withdraw money from his foreign accounts.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State said he did not own any foreign account contrary to reports that he tried to withdraw $7.2 billion from his foreign accounts in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

The statement said: “The attention of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio has been drawn to a report circulated in the internet linking him with ownership of houses/mansions in Dubai.

“We state categorically that Senator Akpabio does not own any foreign account in any

Akpabio part of the world.

“If such account is found, the Federal Government of Nigeria should seize the money and investigate the origin of such account, and prosecute the owner.

“In addition, he does not own any property in Dubai or in any foreign country.

“Akpabio served his people diligently for eight years as the governor and the transformation of the State within

this period, which has gained world acclaim, is there for all to see.”

The statement said two foreign groups, Wikileaks and The Global Peace Movement Group, UK, had in 2010 cleared Akpabio of having any foreign account, while he was governor.

It accused the opposition in Akwa Ibom of masterminding the reports of quest to withdraw money from his foreign account.

It added: “That some people out of political mischief should publish a purported attempt by the senator to withdraw through a CBN source a phantom sum of 7.2 billion dollars is ridiculous.

“It is the height of character assassination. We challenge these purveyors of falsehood to publish the full details of the purported $7.2 billion account.

“We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to seize such sum and prosecute the owner if it does exist.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam reaffirmed that the party’s umbrella is very large enough to accommodate everyone, including those who left the PDP at the eleventh hour for fear that the judgment of the Supreme Court would not favour Governor Nyesom Wike.

He gave assurance that like the father of the Prodigal Son, the PDP would still receive all returnees with affection, saying that what is uppermost in the mind of Governor Wike is to continue with his developmental agenda and take the State to the next level.

Bro. Obuah called on members of the APC still worried over their loss at the Supreme Court to see Governor Wike’s invitation as the best option, adding that the development of Rivers State and not party affiliation should be paramount in their hearts.

Describing the mass defection of APC members into the PDP in less than five days after the Supreme Court judgment them that the PDP would not only give them a befitting reception, but would also carry them along in the scheme of things.

Re-run polls: Peterside leads APC’s campaign in Rivers

Peterside

Mahmud

Dr Dakuku Peterside, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, has pledged to lead the party`s campaign for the re-run legislative elections in the state coming up at the weekend.

The Independent National

Electoral Commission said it had tentatively fixed February 6 for the elections.

Elections will be held in the three Senatorial Districts, 11 House of Representatives Seats and 22 of the 32 state assembly seats.

Peterside disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting of the party in Port Harcourt at the weekend.

“I will be in every local government and villages to campaign for our candidates. I want to assure you that we shall not lose one seat.

“All you need to do as stakeholders and supporters is to do your part. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised to provide a level playing ground for all parties,’’ he said.

Peterside said the APC would prove to the world that it was the popular party that the people want in the state.

He urged leaders and members of the APC to put behind the loss of the governorship case at the Supreme Court and work for the party’s victory.

Sen. Magnus Abe, APC candidate for Rivers South-East Senatorial District, said the Supreme Court took its decision on the law and as democrats and Nigerians,

the party was bound by it.

Abe said the court was the apex court in the land and members of APC were bound to accept its decision as democrats and progressives that believe in the rule of law.

“If we will not submit to the jurisdiction of the courts, we will not have filed the case. We give God glory and we accept the judgment of the court.

“The Supreme Court decided the case on the law, it was a legal decision, it is not necessarily the decision of Rivers people but we are bound by that decision,’’ Abe remarked.

The former lawmaker thanked God that same judicial process had given Rivers people the opportunity to make their own decision.

Before the Supreme Court decision which gave the governorship election verdict to Nyesom Wike, Peterside had been preparing for the rerun following the decision of the Appeal Court and the election petition tribunal.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Terror war: Jonathan govt bought substandard weapons –FG ÎÎÎThe

Federal Government on Monday said whatever weapons that were procured by the Jonathan Administration for the military to prosecute the war against terrorism were substandard and could not have been responsible for the string of successes recorded by the military in recent times.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described as unfortunate and unsubstantiated the statement credited to former President Goodluck Jonathan attribut-

ing the recent successes in the war to the weapons allegedly bought by his administration that were delivered after he had left office.

He said the present administration owes it a duty to put the record straight, especially because the issues raised by the former President are of public interest and borders on national security. ‘’The weapons, munitions and equipment which the former President said he bought were refurbished and lacked the basic components and spare parts. Additionally, the ammunition bought for both high calibre and small weapons have mostly expired, incompatible with

weapons and grossly inadequate. ‘’It is pertinent to state that the ammunition he was referring to were back loaded because they explode within the barrel when fired, thus leading to deaths and injuries among soldiers,’’ Alhaji Mohammed said.

He explained that the troops also lacked the muchneeded lift and operational vehicles and other equipment which they needed for an effective prosecution of the war, until the present Administration ameliorated the situation. ‘’The situation was so pathetic that soldiers were often transported in Civil-

ian JTF vehicles, civilian vehicles, trailers and water tankers when going to the theatres of operation. The revelations on the sorry state of things in the past, which have emanated from the investigative panel so far, point clearly to the kind of legacy bequeathed to this administration by the past government. ‘’That explains why troops remained largely static and were unable to effectively deploy to completely rout the Boko Haram terrorists in all their known enclaves.

The high level of casualties sustained by our gallant soldiers was most unprecedented and cannot be compared

to any known military operations in recent times, all because of the terrible state of affairs suffered by the military under the Jonathan Administration,’’ the Minister said.

He said apparently because former President Jonathan could not understand how credible and dedicated leadership could impact positively on the morale and performance of troops, he has chosen to denigrate the system for the unprecedented feat that was achieved within the first six months of the Buhari Administration something that he could not achieve in all of six years! ‘’It is also clear, as has been

shown so far by the outcome of the panel probing past arms deals, that the purchase of substandard weapons apparently resulted from the massive corruption that enveloped the deals, the kind of horrifying graft that saw the purchase of refurbished choppers that lacked rotors, or fighter jets that could not be deployed to the theatre of war because they were not up to par. ‘’The needless loss of lives of many of our gallant troops, resulting from the lack of standard weaponry and low morale in the past, is not a matter to be trivialized under any circumstance,’’ the Minister said.

Senate queries N10b rise in personnel vote of Education Ministry Continued from page 6

L-R: Baba Aladura Hezekiah Amusan; Supreme Head of Cherubim & Seraphine Unification Church of Nigeria, His Most Eminence Solomon Alao; Special Apostle Timothy Odedele and Chairman, National Executive Council of the Church, Special Apostle Olusesi Sowande, during the press conference that heralded the 2016 Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Church, held at Mushin, Lagos…on Monday.

the query from Professor Adeyeye and hence called on the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Folasade Yemi Esan to offer explanation.

In her response, the Permanent secretary attributed the variance to the short fall in the number of staff as recorded in the tertiary institutions, noting that some of the staff had left while they were not replaced.

She said the discrepancy in the budget was not the making of the Ministry’s officials but came from the budgets submitted by different departments and tertiary institutions.

Again, Obasanjo tackles NASS, slams governors Continued from page 1

lic institutions irrelevant and useless.

Speaking on the conference theme, “Getting Government To Work For Development And Democracy In Nigeria: Agenda for Change,” the former president re-launched his attack on leaders of the country including the National Assembly, governors and others who have led the country one way or the other for misplacing priorities.

He urged members of the National Assembly to live by what they preach, just as he decried diversion of Local Government Council funds by the governors across the country.

Obasanjo informed the gathering that Nigerian

leaders must find way of tacking rising rate of unemployment in the country.

“The National Assembly must open its budget to public scrutiny. Those who asked Nigerians to be patient must not live in luxury.

“The school must focus on how to tackle problems confronting the country and we must find way of tacking unemployment among the youths in the country,” the former president said.

He also said that, “Nigeria is a country where some governors have become sole administrators, acting like emperors. These governors have rendered public institutions irrelevant and useless.

“Is there development

work going on in the 774 constitutionally recognised local government councils, which have been merely appropriated as private estates of some governors?

“Some governors have hijacked the resources of the local governments and this has crippled the developments of the local government councils in the country. The National Assembly must also open its budgets to public scrutiny.”

In his contribution while delivering a keynote address, a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, called for total restructuring of the system of governance to meet the present challenges.

He declared that the high cost of governance has con-

tinued to have negative effects on the system which has make many states of the federation financially handicapped.

Anyaoku gave a practical example declaring that many states are owing workers and many are finding it difficult to pay salaries even the agreed N18,000 minimum wage.

The former Commonwealth scribe declared that the misplace of priorities where little money is used to finance capital projects while large percentage is used for recurrent is not only condemnable but inimical for the growth and progress of the country.

He urged the leaders to embrace the type of federalism that worked for countries like Canada, Australia

and United States of America (USA) where unity is surely for diversity.

The Guest Speaker, Professor Richard Joseph of John Evans School of International History and Politics, while speaking on the topic “State and Democratic Development in Africa: The Nigerian Challenge”, urged Nigerian leaders to ensure of provision of basic amenities for the citizens in a bid to promote good governance.

The Chairman, Board of Governors, ISGPP, Professor Akin Mabogunje, in his opening remarks, declared that the school was formed to serve as a network for debate among governments, NGOs, academia, business and individuals.

Not pleased, Adeyeye further queried the failure of the Ministry to respond to staff shortage in the tertiary institutions by replacing those who either retired or resigned.

He expressed surprise on reason the Ministry kept placing more emphasis on increasing personnel vote, while tertiary institutions continue to get underfunded.

However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko had intervened by urging the officials of the ministry to take time to find convincing explanation for the discrepancy in the budget and to properly brief the Committee on its findings at a later date.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian University Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okogie lamented that the total amount of votes for education was still low contrary to the general demand.

He said the issue of education in Nigeria goes beyond the capacity of the Ministry as according to him, such demanded the need for stakeholders to sit on a round table to find a lasting solution.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Education had listed the challenges of the Ministry on budget implementation, chief of which he attributed to late release of approved funds.

He also alluded to the problem of non-cash backing of approved funds for some projects embarked upon by the Ministry which he said has accounted for late implementation of projects and programmes.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Fayose to Buhari: Allow judiciary to do its job Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏEkiti

State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on Monday, advised President Muhammadu Buhari to respect the democratic principles of separation of powers by allowing the judiciary to do its job in proper prosecution of people accused of corruption.

Fayose urged the President to stop castigating the judiciary and making the arm of government to appear as the stumbling block in his fight against corruption.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New

Media, Lere Olayinka, Gov. Fayose also urged President Buhari to tell Nigerians the truth about the Boko Haram insurgency, saying, “They keep telling us that they have defeated Boko Haram technically while Nigerians are still being killed daily by Boko Haram, with over 100 people killed in Dalori, less than 12km to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, at the weekend.

“Isn’t it now necessary for the President to fulfill his promise of leading from the front and getting his Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, to go and hold a press briefing in Sambisa forest unguarded by military men so as to show to Nigerians that

indeed, they have defeated Boko Haram technically?”

Fayose said President Buhari should have simply told the whole world that he hated the Nigeria Judiciary because he lost the petitions that he filed against his electoral defeats in 2003, 2007 and 2011, instead of hiding under the fight against corruption to ventilate his anger.

The governor, who said there was nothing wrong with the legal system in Nigeria, added that “in recent times, politicians like President Buhari are the ones responsible for the rot in the judiciary because of their desperation to use the courts to foist one party state on Nigerians

Amnesty condemns FG’s reinstatement of general accused of war crimes

Executive President, African Ministers’ Council on water (AMCOW) , Mr. Amadou Faye; Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, and Executive Secretary of AMCOW, Mr. Bai Mass Taal, during their courtesy visit to the Minister of Water Resources in Abuja ... on Monday

ÏÏÏAmnesty International has

criticised the reinstatement of a Major General in the Nigerian Army who it alleged committed war crimes in the fight against Boko Haram.

The campaign group named Maj Gen Ahmadu Mohammed and eight other officers in a report last year, accusing the military of killing more than 8,000 detainees.

“It is unthinkable” to recall the officer, who was sacked in 2014, before an inquiry had even begun, it said.

The military is investigating the allegations, a spokesman told the BBC. “These are just allegations - until proven, no-one should be punished unnecessarily,” military spokesman General Rabe Abubakar said, confirming that Gen Mohammed had been reinstated.

President Buhari

with conflicting judgments from election tribunals.”

He said making noise in the media about discovery of fraud was different from being able to prove allegations of fraud in the court, adding: “The President and his men should stop the media trial and playing with bogus figures. This is because as it is today, President Buhari is not fighting any corruption.

Rather, he is engaging in political persecution in his bid to weaken opposition both in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and within his own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

I’m Ojukwu’s only legal wife, Bianca tells court Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏTrial in the ongoing legal

tussle between the widow of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Bianca, and his brothers over the family estate began on Monday before a Lagos High Court, Igbosere.

Led in her evidence in chief before Justice Abdulfattah Lawal, Mrs. Ojukwu admitted that neither her nor her children are shareholders or directors in Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL).

She also admitted that Ojukwu has eight children which includes the claimants Afamefuna and Nwachukwu, adding that she is the only one that was legally married

amongst Ojukwu’s wives, as she did court, Church and traditional marriage.

Bianca who was speaking under cross examination also told the court that the suit that was filed before the court is only for the right of her children and not other children of Ojukwu.

The witness further informed the court that some of the OTL properties in question had been in the possession of her late husband before his demise, adding that the rent of those properties were being collected by her husband.

Mrs. Ojukwu had on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants) dragged Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) and seven others before a Lagos

State High Court sitting in Igbosere over an alleged move by the family to eject her sons from the company’s properties located in Lagos.

She had asked the court to declare that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of one of the properties known as No 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi Lagos until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of the first defendant (OTL).

The defendants in the suit are; Prof Joseph Ojukwu, Engr.

Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr Patrick Ojukwu, Arc Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).

13 News Buhari, Italian PM hold talks in Abuja .Visits Awujale amidst tight security Egena Egena, Abuja

ÏÏÏPresident

Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja for a bilateral meeting.

Also, President Buhari on Monday paid a courtesy visit to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as part of activities marking the 40 years anniversary of the state.

The talks between Buhari and the Italian Prime Minister centered on how both leaders could find common ground for improved economic and security partnerships.

In a joint press briefing after the meeting held behind closeddoors, President Buhari thanked his guest for prioritising matters that concern Nigeria and promised to cooperate fully with Italy on all topics of importance.

He said: “We discussed majorly in terms of development of petroleum resources and supporting us with training and equipping our security forces to check illegal immigration.”

According to Buhari, their bilateral discussion also touched on the need to prioritise agriculture in the face of falling prices of crude oil which is Nigeria’s economic and export backbone.

“We discussed about agriculture which is one of the areas we identify that will be a priority in face of dwindling oil prices,” Buhari said.

The Italian Prime Minister, in his remarks, said he was in Nigeria to highlight the common ideas and values that the two countries shared, adding that his government had identified Nigeria as a key ally in the war on terror and illegal migration.

Renzi, 41, also promised to ensure improved cooperation with Nigeria in areas of security, energy, agriculture and small and medium scale ventures.

Also, President Buhari on Monday paid a courtesy visit to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as part of activities marking the 40 years anniversary of the state.

The president, who arrived at exactly 6:20 p.m. amidst tight security, was welcomed Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the Awujale and other notable indigenes of Ogun State.

Buhari, who was in Ogun State to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the state’s creation, is also expected to inaugurate 40 landmark projects embarked upon by Amosun.

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Adamawa govt decries injustice in Federal appointments Tom Garba, Yola

ÎÎÎThe

Adamawa State Government has expressed concern over injustice in appointments in the Federal Civil Service.

Governor Jibrilla Bindow made this known, on Monday, while receiving members of the Adamawa State Investment and Inter-governmental Affairs

Lassa fever: FETHI to sanction non-committal medical personnel

Committee at Government House Yola.

He said that his administration would work hard with a view to correcting the injustice.

He noted that the state did not meet up its statutory quarter in the federal civil service, expressing hope that the APC-led federal government would, henceforth, ensure fairness in appointments.

“I will pursue this injustice meted out on our state, especially in the area of appointments in the Federal Civil Service. I will draw the attention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to

correct the anomalies.

“I strongly believe that the APC-led federal government will be fair to Adamawa in subsequent appointments in the federal service,” Bindow said.

Earlier, Sen. Jonathan Zwingina, Chairman of the Committee said that the state only filled 1.5 per cent of its statutory vacancies in the Federal Civil Service.

According to him, the status prescribed for each state to be allocated at least 2.5 percent of the Federal Civil Service.

He noted that while some states had filled 30 per cent, Adamawa had filled less than one per cent.

The former Senate Leader said that the committee had recommended an Adamawa Investment and Promotion Forum in its report.

He explained that the forum would produce a blue print for an investment drive in the state.

Zwingina said that the forum would assemble sons and daughters of the state who were successful in their business endeavours.

On investment opportunities for the state, he said that the committee had reached out to various business organisations and individuals, who were already indicating interest in

investing in the state.

Zwingina, who said the reports of the committee would be ready soon, said that it had already identified Adamawa State-owned assets, which were moribund outside the state.

He explained that most of them could generate funds for the state.

The committee at the inception of the present administration.

Its terms of reference included finding out the position of the state in the Federal Civil Service, finding out the state’s assets lying fallow outside the state, and finding out areas of investment for the state.

Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

ÎÎÎAs the Management

of the Federal Teaching Hospital, (FETHI) Ido Ekiti, celebrates the discharge of a student of the School of Nursing, who contracted Lassa fever, the hospital management has rewarded the medical personnel and other staff, who volunteered treatment to the patient.

It has presented a certificate of excellence to an outstanding nurse, Mrs. Adejoke Awotona, and other members of the team.

Apart from this, the management also pleaded with the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to reward the experts and designate the centre as a nationallyrecognised diagnosis and management centre, in view of the achievement recorded there in saving the life of the Lassa fever patient.

At a press conference, in Ido Ekiti, on Monday, marking the celebration of the medical breakthrough, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, declared that the medical personnel, who allegedly dodged their responsibility to be part of the team to treat the patient, would be sanctioned for professional misconduct.

Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona (left) and Ooni of Ife, Oba Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi during a courtesy visit of Ogunwusi to Adetona in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State… at the weekend.

Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI.

Anglican Knights raise the alarm over upsurge of immorality ÎÎÎKnights

and Ladies of St. Christopher of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) have raised the alarm over the growing immorality across the globe, lamenting that the scourge had superseded what transpired during the inglorious days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The President of the Knights and Ladies of St. Christopher (Diocese of Owerri), Sir Gabriel Oduah (JP), raised the alarm during the 2016 council meeting, held at the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of

Our Lord (CATOL), Owerri, on Sunday.

Speaking on the theme, “That I may know Christ in times like this”, he expressed regret that the quest for materialism and love of money were, today, pursued mindlessly, adding that sexual immorality and adultery were practised rascality in the country even among married men and women in the church without qualms, describing this as “satanic”.

“Also in Nigeria today, the ruling class has bastardised democracy, which many well-meaning Nige-

rians have re-baptised democracy, described as government of a few people, by a few people for their few people”, he stated.

At the meeting presided over by the bishop of the diocese, the Most Rev. Dr. Cyril Okorocha, Oduah equally denounced the upsurge of poverty in the country, regretting that the majority of the citizenry now wallow in abject poverty, unable to have one square meal a day, just as provision of the basic amenities of life had become a mirage, despite heavy taxes being paid.

He queried: “How else

can we explain the obvious fact that while a few people are affluent, basking in unimaginable luxury, the majority of Nigerians are wallowing in poverty, unable to have one square meal a day?”

Is this not the kind of slavery the Israelites suffered in the hands of Egyptians and under Pharaoh, in our God-given Nigeria with fertile agricultural land, flowing with oil and solid minerals”.

In spite of these, Oduah noted with regret that it is all scarcity, chaos, murder, kidnapping, rape and terror (Boko Haram).

Arase

Police officer defiles a 7-yr-old girl in Ebonyi Jacob Ogodo, Abakaliki

ÎÎÎThe Ebonyi State Police

Command has detained a policeman, Ndubuisi Ewerem, at the Central Police Station, for allegedly defiling a 7-year-old girl, Chiamaka Nwankwo, who resides near Nibo Street, in Abakaliki.

Investigation revealed that the suspect lured the victim by telling her to buy onion for him and that as Chiamaka came into his apartment to deliver the said item, he used the opportunity to defiled her.

While residents within the neighborhood alleged that the victim was raped by the policeman others condemned the suspect of being in the practice of sexually abusing teenagers.

Commissioner of Police, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah confirmed the ugly incident, and insisted that whether the victim was raped or defiled in another way, the act perpetuated by the policeman was a crime punishable under the law.

Ondo 2016: Agunloye, again joins guber race, defects to SDP ’Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

ÎÎÎA former member of the

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olu Agunloye, would today (Tuesday) defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his political aspiration to become the next governor of Ondo State.

A former Minister for Power and Steel, and a close ally of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Agunloye was also a former member of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), when he contested the Ondo North Senatorial District in 2011, which he lost to the incumbent Senator Ajayi Broffice, who was then the candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

15 Opinion

Five lessons from the crude crunch

I Simeon Kolawole

n 2008, oil prices fell from $147/barrel to $36. That was $111 shaved off every barrel of the black gold.

It was as if the world was going to end. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua battled to get a realistic benchmark for the 2009 budget. The more he adjusted downwards, the more oil prices went south. There and then, all kinds of promises were made. Political office holders were asked to take pay cuts. Governors promised to develop agriculture. We were told our dependence on oil would soon end. Until, of course, another boom came and normal service resumed.

As soon as oil prices recovered, I knew we had lost the plot yet again when President Goodluck Jonathan, then acting president, announced a new minimum wage of N18, 000 at the 2010 May Day rally, a few days before Yar’Adua died and Jonathan became the substantive president. It was purely a political decision.

I have tried to capture the Nigerian way of doing things. When we are down to nothing, we claim to be sober and wiser. However, as soon as there is a semblance of

prosperity and a hint of abundance, we relax and relapse into our prodigal paradise.

All my life, I have been hearing about diversification of our economy “from oil” to agriculture”. I started hearing that from primary school, when the then head of state, Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, launched Operation Feed the Nation. Three decades after, we are still singing the same song.

So we really have to ask ourselves: are we learning any lessons? Something keeps telling me that we are pretending to be holy now because crude oil price is $30. We are even regretting not having enough savings for the “rainy day”. Moreover, why am I thinking that as soon as oil price climbs higher, normal service would resume yet again?

Personally, I have learnt a lot from our current agony. I will pick just five lessons for our discussion. Lesson No 1: we still harbour what I call “commodity mentality”. I have heard top government officials and governors talk about diversifying our economy from oil. They say we should diversify into solid minerals and agriculture so that we can export cocoa, sesame seeds, rubber, gypsum and limestone.

However, we keep missing the

point. We cannot build our economy on commodity exports. The commodity market is unstable and unreliable.

Export chocolate, jam and marmalade, not cocoa. Export tyres and shoes, not rubber. The real wealth, evident in value added and job creation, comes from manufacturing not from mining.

Lesson No. 2: we still do not understand why we need refineries badly. Between 2002 and 2006, I wrote relentlessly asking President Olusegun Obasanjo to build refineries. I was told to shut up, that government has no business with business, that the private sector would build all the refineries. I did argue that since the licensees were refusing to build refineries, the government should seize the bull by the horns by building, leasing out the management and selling its shares to a core investor.

Nobody listened.

Today, our forex situation proves that I was not out of my mind 12 years ago. In these difficult times, the CBN is selling over 40% of its forex to marketers for fuel import. If we had built refineries then, at least this 40% would be off the demand list. In fact, we could be earning extra forex from fuel export.

Meanwhile,do we know how much we have wasted in the last 15 years paying

demurrage on imported fuel?

Lesson No. 3: we do not even have to concentrate too much on export for now. Rather, our short- and mediumterm ambition should be import-substitution to reduce the pressure on forex. Let us improve the standards of Nigerian airlines on international routes so that they can compete. Their ticket proceeds will remain largely in Nigeria. They will not need to apply to CBN for $3 billion to “remit” ticket sales to their “home” countries.

Lesson No. 4: we must become very strict with savings. Savings must become a law. We must never finance wage increases and purchase of cars from oil savings. We can make it a law that the savings be spent on roads, education and health, as Botswana does with its diamond wealth.

Lesson No. 5: Unfortunately, we do not learn any lessons. Some states are still planning to build airports when their roads are not motorable and schools are in a mess. Communities are still drinking water from streams and contracting cholera. Yet, airports are still featuring on the priority list.

Some governors are still appointing dozens of aides. That sums up our discussion today: the more things seem to change, the more they remain the same.

To devalue, or not to devalue (1)

T

Waziri Adio

The debate about the appropriate value of the Naira featured prominently in the public domain last week.

This prominence was driven by three developments: the refusal of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to further devalue the Naira, despite loud clamour and expectations from many financial analysts and business players; the statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari in Kenya that he remains unconvinced that devaluation will help Nigeria, his third public pronouncement on the issue within eight months; and an editorial and a report in the Economist magazine urging Nigeria to devalue its currency.

The devaluation debate, has calcified into two extremes: devaluation will kill the Naira, and by extension, the economy; not devaluing will kill the economy. Given that two extremes are now projected as capable of achieving the same result, it is clear that this debate needs some nuance. I think it is important to take the discussion beyond this atomised version, for us to move beyond seeing devaluation as a cure-all or a kill-all.

Before going into the competing positions, it is important to state a

few things. One, our problem is not the value of the Naira. Our problem is the economy, which is in a bad place partly because of the plunge in oil prices and mostly because of our bad decisions in the remote and immediate past. These bad decisions/behaviours have left us badly exposed at a time we need serious cover. The exchange rate problem is thus only a symptom, not our underlining condition.

Two, the contending positions on devaluation have ideological/interest bases, which is not necessarily bad. Three, while it is inconceivable that an elected president will be disinterested in the value of the national currency under his watch and while not making a fetish of the independence of the CBN, I think it is unhelpful for the president to continue to venture opinion publicly on monetary policy. And four, it is important to realise that there are no quick fixes, magic bullets or painless prescriptions.

Now to the two positions. The prodevaluation camp believes that the Naira is over-valued, that it reflect the change in the purchasing power of the country and be determined by the forces of supply and demand, that the N100 or 50% difference between official exchange and black market rates has created opportunity for arbitrage and corruption, that the foreign exchange control is

a barrier to trade; that not devaluing amounts to robbing the three tiers of government of needed extra income while wastefully dashing away N100 subsidy on each dollar to those who can access forex officially, that the wide disparity in the rates is further constraining supply of foreign exchange from other sources and putting more pressure on the Naira.

These are sound arguments and concerns. To be sure, the exchange rate, should be determined by the interaction of demand and supply.

What has happened in Nigeria, due to the fall in oil prices and huge appetite for imports, is that the demand for dollar is significantly higher than its supply. With this, the dollar should cost more Naira than before, not same. Pegging the Naira at N199 to the dollar thus amounts to setting the exchange rate below the market price. And when the price of a product is fixed below the equilibrium price, what results is not just scarcity because demand will outstrip supply but inevitably a price higher than the actual market price, causing distortion and imposing a higher burden on the people and the economy.

Forex supply from autonomous sources will dry up as it will be stupid for economic agents to sell dollars at 50% discount. In addition, rationing forex will create

a perverse incentive for roundtripping from those lucky to get it officially, will drive up demand both because dollar is sold cheaper than it should be and the natural inclination to game the system by inflating demand, and will not be a guarantee against the dreaded inflation as everyone. In addition, a combination of lower production, reduced investments, job losses, higher prices, reduced purchasing power etc., will slow down growth and put the economy at the risk of recession.

All these valid points notwithstanding, I see four problems with the pro-devaluation argument. One is that devaluation will impose a certain pain on the poor and the middle class because it will certainly lead to higher prices, reduction in the standard of living, fall in purchasing power which combined with higher production costs could also lead to job losses. Two is that the arbitrage claim while real is overstated: if those getting dollars at official rates are diverting to black market in huge numbers that would have increased supply and lowered price in the black market. Three is the validity of the assumption that those pulling out or holding on to their investments will return or now invest because of devaluation.

To be continued

16 News

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Lawyer writes INEC, seeks release of COR to Chris Uba, Emeka, others Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏAn Abuja based Law-

yer, Chief Chris Uche, (SAN), has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) demanding the release of Certificates of Returns (COR) to Chief Chris Uba, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Senator John Emeka and 41 others.

Chief Uche’s letter is sequel to the last week’s judgment of the Supreme Court which resolved the leader-

ship crisis in the Anambra State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the favour of the Ejike Oguebego faction which conducted primaries for the affected persons.

The Supreme Court had, in a unanimous judgment by a five-man bench, upheld the Ejike Oguebegoled executive committee of the PDP against the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

Chief Uche (SAN) was the counsel to the Oguebego faction at the court.

In his letter addressed

to INEC Chairman, Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu, titled “Compliance with judgment of Supreme Court Anambara State PDP National Assembly Candidates SC/37/2015-Ejike Oguebego and Anor vs Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)” dated 29th January 2016, Uche stated that the effect of the Supreme Court judgment is that those who were not part of the list of candidates produced by the congress/primary election under the watch of Oguebego and his executive committee ought and must

vacate the positions they presently occupy on the ground that they were not validly nominated.

There is confusion already over the fate of the present members of the National Assembly on the list of the other faction of the party.

The names of Chris Ubah, Annie Okonkwo and 42 others were replaced following the Appeal Court judgment of February 6, 2015, prior to the 2015 general elections.

Chief Uche, SAN, who is the counsel to affected can-

didates on the list of Oguebego, in his letter to INEC, pointed out that now that the apex court has finally settled the matter, it was the responsibility of INEC to enforce and comply with the said judgment.

Copies of the letter by Chief Uche, SAN, were sent to; the Chairman, Legal Services Committee, INEC Headquarters, Abuja; Ibrahim Bawa, (SAN), Director, Legal services department INEC and Hassan Liman, SAN, INEC Lead Counsel.

The Lawyer maintained that there was no other pri-

mary election conducted

by PDP to produce any candidates other than the one that produced his clients.

The letter reads in part: “The effect of the Supreme Court judgment consequently is that all those who were not part of the list of candidates produced by the congress/primary elections that the Ejike Oguebego and his executive committee participated in, and monitored by INEC ought and must vacate the positions they presently occupy having not been validly nominated.

Gov. Shettima sets up Task Force on IDPs feeding ÏÏÏBorno

State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, on Monday, set up an Independent Task Force to ensure regular supply of foodstuff to all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state.

Malam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication, said this in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

“Following recent developments, Gov. Kashim Shettima has constituted an Independent Task Force with the mandate of monitoring and evaluating feeding, supply and distribution of foodstuff

in all internally displaced persons camps numbering about 30, established by the Government in Maiduguri, “Gusau said.

He said the task force had also been mandated to reassess the exact number of IDPs being fed, keep track of quality, reasonable quantity and regularity of meals.

The governor’s spokesman said the body was also charged with the responsibility of strengthening stock keeping and transparency in all supplies, distribution and utilisation of foodstuff meant for the IDPs.

Fashola proposes community service as penalty for traffic offenders ÏÏÏMinister

of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, in Abuja proposed community service as a penalty for traffic offenders in the country.

Fashola made the proposal at the House of Representatives’ public hearing on a Bill to Amend the Federal Road Safety Commission Act 2004.

The minister decried the behaviour of some road users who violate road traffic rules, thereby endangering the safety of other road users.

He urged the legislature to be more innovative in the penalties to be enacted into law in order to effectively reduce accidents on the roads. ``The penalties proposed in the bill seem to focus on custodian and peculiar to the extent that they have existed for quite a while without seeing an appreciable reduction in the incidents. ``Perhaps, parliament can be a little more daring and a little more innovative in some of the kinds of penalties it wants to consider,’’ he added.

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (right) with the traditional ruler of Obimo Community, Chief Spencer Ugwoke (middle) and the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Prof. Mrs. Rose Onah (left) during an Inspection visit to road projects in Nsukka… on Monday.

Buhari off to France, Britain on week-long visit Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏPresident

Muhammadu Buhari will begin a week-long official visit to France and Britain on Tuesday, February 2 (today).

The President who had barely touched down in Nigeria on Monday after similar visits to Kenya and Uganda is expected to continue his push for global unity against terrorism in the two countries during the visits.

He would be due back in

Buhari

the country at the weekend.

A statement by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said at his first stop in Strasbourg,

France, President Buhari would on Wednesday, February 3, address a special session of the European Union Parliament to be attended by members of the executive and legislative arms of the Union.

The President’s address, the statement indicated, “is expected to focus on terrorism, violent extremism, corruption, Nigeria and Africa’s current security, economic and developmental challenges, as well as the need for greater support from the European Union

and advanced nations for their rapid resolution.”

President Buhari would also hold talks with the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Martin Schulz and the President of the European Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, on the same issues before leaving Strasbourg for London to join other world leaders at the Supporting Syria and The Region Conference scheduled to open in the British capital on Thursday, February 4, 2016, the statement noted.

Nigerian youngster Eyoma signs Arsenal pro deal

A Eyoma

aron Eyoma, whose parents are Nigerian, has signed his first professional contract with Arsenal.

Arsenal announced on Monday that the 18-year-old midfielder has penned his first pro deal.

He is described as a fast and direct oldfashioned winger. He has been assigned shirt

No 68. Last season, Eyoma shone with the Arsenal U-21s.

Nigerian-born youngsters Alex Iwobi, Chuba Akpom are also on the books of the London Gunners, while Golden Eaglets stars Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze are also close to agreeing transfers to The Emirates.

Milan release

De Jong

Page 17

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

N Man City register Iheanacho

for UCL

Iheanacho

igeria youth prodigy Kelechi Iheanacho has been rewarded with a place in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) squad by Manchester City following his impressive performances for the EPL club.

Iheanacho, who netted a treble weekend in a cup game against Aston Villa at the Villa Park, has replaced recuperating Samir Nasri in a 25-man squad submitted by Manuel Pellegrini.

“Yes, Iheanacho will be in the squad,” said Pellegrini on Kelechi’s inclusion in the Champions League squad.

“I have decided that. I told Samir Nasri I will take him out from the Champions League list because he needs two more months to be fit.

“We need Kelechi, because with Wilfried Bony injured, we cannot afford any risks if Kun [Sergio Aguero] is injured.

“So, we need Kelechi in the squad.

“It was not a difficult decision, but it’s always difficult to tell a player he will not continue in the selections.

“But I think Samir understood. He has already been injured for three months and he understands.”

Nasri has been out of action with a hamstring injury for three months.

CHAN 2016:

Mali, Ivory Coast battle for final berth W est African rivals Mali and Ivory Coast will meet in the second semifinal of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) at Stade Regional Nyamirambo in Kigali on Thursday afternoon.

The Eagles earned their place in the final four with a hardfought 2-1 win over Tunisia in their quarterfinal in Kigali on Sunday. They came from a goal down to secure the victory, with Aliou Dieng and Abdoulaye Diarra finding the back of the net.

It represents Mali’s best performance in a CHAN tournament, beating their showing in 2014 when they were eliminated in the quarters by Zimbabwe.

Their opponents will be the Elephants of Ivory Coast, who

g2019

produced arguably the best performance of the tournament so far to beat Cameroon 3-0 (after extra time) in their quarterfinal in Butare on Saturday.

The match was goalless after 90 minutes, but Michel Dussuyer’s men proved their class and stamina by banging in three goals in the extra half hour – Koffi Boua, Atcho Djobo and Yao N’Guessan were the men who put their names on the score sheet.

“We showed some good things in the first half, but failed to convert our chances. At this level, the difference is always down to small details,” Dussuyer said after the match.

“We had studied their game well, but we had to produce a good display. My players delivered a great performance.

Côte d’Ivoire are gathering momentum, but we still need to fight to push back our limits.”

The teams have met 23 times in official matches according to FIFA statistics, and it’s not good reading if you are a Mali fan: they have just one win

(compared to 15 for the Ivory Coast) in the rivalry and have been outscored 44 goals to 15.

The sides last met in January last year and played to a 1-1 draw in their Group D clash in Malabo in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ivory Coast players celebrate after qualifying for the quarterfinal following their victory over Cameroun.

Lagos Marathon: GSK announces Lucozade Sport as official drink ANDREW EKEJIUBA

G

laxoSmithKline, maker of Lucozade Sport, the No.1 sport and fitness drink, has announced the brand as the official drink sponsor for the first ever full marathon to hold in Lagos, Nigeria. The 42-kilometre run is scheduled to hold, after a 30-year wait, on Saturday, February 6.

The company’s Group Product Manager, Drinks (Lucozade & Ribena), Ms. Aigbeme Momoh made the announcement recently in a press statement.

According to her, the decision of the company to support the Marathon with one of its leading brands, Lucozade Sport, is in a bid to encourage a healthy lifestyle among its consumers in Nigeria as well as energise the numerous athletes and participants who will be coming from nationwide and various parts of the world for the race.

“Lucozade Sport is recognised globally as the ideal drink for participants of the road races as it has the unique formulation that replaces electrolytes lost in sweat. The product is an isotonic performance fuel that gives you what you need to go on...FASTER, STRONGER, FOR LONGER. It is this reason that makes the partnership with the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon a perfect fit.

“The Marathon race is a unique asset and we are proud to be associated with it. It shows our continuous determination to reach our valued consumers wherever they are and provide them with an unforgettable experience as they would witness during the marathon come February. Our support is to further drive home the brand proposition as the no.1 sport and fitness drink for those who are physically active and for those who aspire to be physically active. Whenever the consumer is going to sweat out some calories, they must get refreshed with Lucozade Sport,” she said.

A member of the project consultant team for the marathon, ‘Debowale Sangosanya while explaining the rationale for adopting Lucozade Sport as the official sport drink for the marathon, said the objective of the marathon parallels with the brand purpose of Lucozade Sport as an enabler for people from all works of life who desire a healthy and active lifestyle.

“The much awaited full marathon is committed to promoting sports, tourism, fitness, competitiveness and healthy living. On the other hand, Lucozade Sport is also known for refreshing and invigorating athletes and those who take active interest in healthy lifestyle,” she said.

18

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

EXTRATIME

Bilic excited by

Neymar:

Legal battle taking its toll on me!

B

Emenike’s potential

W

est Ham boss Slaven Bilic is excited to unleash Emmanuel Emenike on the Premier League after monitoring the Nigerian forward for some time.

Emenike completed a loan move from Fenerbahce until the end of the season on Sunday, with West Ham having the option to make the deal permanent should he impress.

Emenike

Bilic has come up against the 28-year-old at former clubs Lokomotiv Moscow and Besiktas and is now looking forward to seeing him in action for the Hammers.

“Emenike has been on our radar for a while,” he told reporters. “I have known him for a long time, he is a great player and I hope he’s going to do a great job for us.

“He’s big, not that tall, he’s strong, he’s

extremely quick and he’s very direct.

“He is a good goal scorer and works for the team, running in the channels. He’s a really good player.”

Bilic added: “We wanted Emenike because Mauro Zarate left to Fiorentina and there is a possibility Nikica Jelavic will go.

“So with a couple of strikers still injured we just needed a player who can play in three positions up front.”

Banned athletics officials appeal to CAS

T

he three athletics officials banned for life from the sport over an alleged doping cover-up have appealed to the Court

Papa Massata Diack is a former consultant to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Papa Massata Diack, son of ex-world athletics chief Lamine Diack, and Russians Valentin Balakhnichev and Alexei Melnikov want the bans annulled.

They were charged in December with multiple breaches of anti-doping rules relating to Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova.

An IAAF ethics commission accused the trio of blackmail and bribery.

CAS said the three men had

filed their appeals but it would not comment any further at this time.

Papa Massata Diack is a former consultant to athletics’ governing body.

In a 170-page report, the independent IAAF ethics commission panel ruled he, Balakhnichev and Melnikov conspired to “blackmail” Shobukhova to cover up her doping violations by paying them “bribes” of about £435,000.

Diack and Balakhnichev, a former president of the Russian

athletics federation and IAAF treasurer, were fined £17,000 while Russian coach Melnikov was fined £10,000.

In December, Diack told reporters that he “totally rejects” the blackmail allegations, saying: “There was no extortion of funds from any athlete.”

Last month, France issued an international wanted notice via Interpol for the former IAAF marketing consultant, who Senegal refused to extradite.

arcelona star Neymar admits he has been affected by the ongoing legal battle surrounding his transfer to the Liga champions.

The 23-year-old is due in court today to testify in a case brought forward by Brazilian Neymar investment company DIS, who claim they suffered financial damage when Barca allegedly withheld the true value of the player’s transfer in 2013.

Neymar’s parents are also due to give evidence, along with former Barca president Sandro Rosell and successor Josep Maria Bartomeu. All of them deny any wrongdoing.

The forward has confessed that the long-running legal investigations have made it difficult for him to focus entirely on football, tell: “When this started to affect my family, it affected me a little. It bothers you.

“But I’m someone God has given the power to be focused on what I like to do, which is to play football.

I’m only concentrating on what I have to do.

“My father only wants me to commit to playing and to focus on the ball. When you see that someone you love is being attacked, is suffering, when things are said that aren’t true... it hurts you.

“Before speaking without any knowledge, telling lies, you have to present evidence. “We’re going to clarify this issue in a definitive way. I wanted the courts to resolve it, but we’re tired and I want to clarify everything as soon as possible.

“There’s nothing against us. The judge summoned us to know how the transfer of Neymar happened. If we have made a mistake, there’s no problem, but to accuse us of tax evasion I think has crossed the red lines.”

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

EXTRATIME

19

EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS… EURO TRANSFERS

Barca’s Montoya

Drmic leaves Gladbach for Hamburg

heads to Betis

H

amburg have completed the signing of Josip Drmic from Borussia Monchengladbach on loan until the end of the season.

The Switzerland striker joined Gladbach from Bayer Leverkusen at the start of the 2015-16 campaign, but failed to make an impact at Borussia-Park.

The 23-year-old had therefore set his sights on a temporary move in order to get regular first-team action elsewhere and will now continue his career at HSV. “I am happy that the move has gone through,” Drmic told reporters.

“I am hugely motivated and ready for the challenge ahead at HSV. It’s nothing new that Hamburg were keen to sign me.

“This is a new challenge for me. I did not play much at Leverkusen and my time at Gladbach was not what I had been hoping for either.

“I will get a fair chance at Hamburg. I just want to play again and make an impact.”

Drmic scored just once in 13 Bundesliga appearances for BMG in the first half of the season.

He has a contract with Gladbach until June 2019.

B

arcelona have confirmed Martin Montoya will spend the rest of the 2015-16 campaign with Real Betis after his loan spell at Inter was terminated early.

Montoya moved to Serie A at the start of the season in an attempt to get regular firstteam football after becoming

Montoya

A

C Milan have agreed to terminate midfielder Nigel de Jong’s contract with the club.

Chief executive Adriano Galliani had previously confirmed that the Netherlands international, 31, was in talks with MLS side LA Galaxy, and the Serie A club’s move clears the way for that switch to take place.

De Jong joined Milan from Manchester City in August 2012 and made a total of 79 league appearances.

He had only signed a new threeyear contract with the club in June 2015, but played just five times in Serie A this season under new boss Sinisa Mihajlovic.

“AC Milan announces that Nigel De Jong’s contract with the club has been mutually terminated,” read the San Siro side’s statement.

“AC Milan would like thank the Dutchman for his determination, commitment and professionalism with which he has played for the club during his days with the red and black colours.

“We wish him all the success possible and all the very best for the next stage of his career.”

frustrated behind Dani Alves at Camp Nou. The right-back struggled to break into Roberto Mancini’s side, though, and only made four appearances in all competitions for Inter.

He will hope for more first-

BRIEFS

Bayern sign Tasci on loan

B

De Jong

Milan release

De Jong

Dortmund to return for

Merino at end of season

B

orussia Dortmund chief executive officer HansJoachim Watzke says the Bundesliga side will make another attempt to sign Osasuna youngster Mikel Merino at the end of the season after failing to secure his services in this transfer window.

Dortmund were keen to bring the 19-year-old to Germany in order to add some depth to their midfield for the second half of the 2015-16 campaign.

However, the transfer collapsed as Osasuna refused to let go of the Spain Under-19 international halfway through the season unless a

team action at Betis after signing a loan deal with Juan Merino’s side.

“I come with great ambition and great desire to play again and feel like a footballer,” the 24-year-old said.

“I am very pleased to come to a great club like Real Betis.”

ayern Munich h a v e announced the capture of Serdar Tasci from Spartak Moscow on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent come June.

Eder agrees Lille loan switch

S

wansea City striker Eder will spend the remainder of the 2015-16 season on loan at Lille after failing to score in 15 appearances. The 28-yearold only arrived at the Liberty Stadium in June, but has struggled to settle into life in the Premier League. With only four starts in all competitions and the arrival of Alberto Paloschi, Eder has been allowed to leave the strugglers and get more first-team football in Ligue 1.

Quagliarella completes Sampdoria return

S Merino substantial offer came in.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc stressed his club had no intention of breaking the bank for the holding midfielder.

“We will not pay over the odds and match the player’s release clause in order to get him,” he said.

Watzke has revealed Dortmund are not giving up hopes of getting their man altogether, though, and is keen to re-open talks come June.

“We will give it another try with Merino at the end of the season,” Watzke said.

Merino has a contract with Osasuna until June 2018.

ampdoria have completed the loan signing of Fabio Quagliarella from Torino with an obligation to make the 33-year-old’s move permanent.

Quagliarella returns to Luigi Ferraris nine seasons after leaving the club in 2007, the striker having fallen out of favour at Torino despite five goals in 16 starts. His last goal came in January against his hometown club Napoli, when he earned the ire of Torino’s supporters for apologising to opposition fans after finding the back of the net.

20

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

EXTRATIME

p p o l K welcomes ‘new signings’ F our Liverpool players will return to training this week, and Jurgen Klopp is calling them “our new signings”.

Philippe Coutinho, Martin Skrtel and Divock Origi are all ready to step up their comebacks from injury, while Daniel Sturridge is also due to participate at Melwood.

Klopp also confirmed there are unlikely to be any new arrivals at the club before the transfer window closes.

Skrtel has missed five weeks with a hamstring

TRANSFER BRIEFS

Man City loan out Roberts

C

Martin Skrtel (left) has not played since a defeat at Watford before Christmas.

injury, while Coutinho suffered a similar problem at Stoke on January 5.

Hamstring and knee problems have sidelined Origi since Boxing Day while fellow striker Sturridge has been unable to train consistently and has started just four times this season.

Klopp said:”Skrtel needs two or three days more before returning to training. Sturridge should return to training on Wednesday, Origi and Coutinho on Thursday. These are our new signings.”

Liverpool held talks with Shakhtar Donetsk this month about a move for Alex Teixeira, but a fee could not be agreed and a third bid is unlikely before the deadline.

Klopp confirmed as much at his press conference ahead of today’s trip to Leicester, saying: “I don’t think something will happen in terms of incomings.”

Wenger

rules out Terry offer, warns Chelsea A rsene Wenger has ruled out making any attempt to sign John Terry and has warned Chelsea of the dangers of losing one of their dressing-room leaders.

The former England captain announced on Sunday that he is set to leave Stamford Bridge when his contract expires at the end of the season, though the club later stressed they could yet negotiate a new deal.

Wenger says Terry’s leadership qualities have impressed him throughout the 35-year-old’s career and, while he will not attempt to bring him to the Emirates Stadium, he has suggested his departure could destabilise the Premier League champions’ squad.

Asked if he would try to sign Terry, Wenger told the media: “No. He’s at the end of his career. If he

wants to play for longer I’m sure he’d play for Chelsea.”

H e continued: “ T h e Wenger problem for the players is that it stops very early in your life. You lose that passion and you have to refocus on something, and it’s nearly impossible.

“I’m confronted with many generations of players who have that problem after that career.

“I believe he was not only a great player,

12 times in 63 appearances in all competitions.

“It’s a special day for me, a big day for me,” Perez told reporters.

“The truth is I’m really happy here, so it’s a good thing for me - and I hope it’s the same for the

Everton loan McGeady to Sheffield Wednesday

E

verton have loaned Republic of Ireland winger Aiden McGeady to Sheffield Wednesday for the remainder of the season.

Roberto Martinez has been keen to offer the 29-year-old the chance for regular first-team football prior to Euro 2016 and he confirmed on Sunday that agreements had been reached with two Championship clubs. McGeady has opted to join Wednesday on a temporary deal as they look to continue their push for promotion to the Premier League.

Cahill holds Hiddink talks

G

certainly still is, but was a great coach on the pitch as well. A real leader. A see a coaching career in the future.

“He’s had a great career, and that’s never a coincidence. The guys who last a long time have something special. He was a symbol of cohesion inside Chelsea.”

Perez signs new Newcastleaaa United deal A yoze Perez has signed a new five-and-ahalf-year deal with Newcastle United, the Premier League club have confirmed.

The 22-year-old has impressed at St James’ Park since arriving from Tenerife in June 2014, scoring

eltic have completed the signing of Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts on an 18-month loan. The Premier League team brought in the 18-year-old from Fulham for a reported £12million last July, but he has made just three substitute appearances this season. Roberts will now have the opportunity to gain more regular action at Celtic, who also took Jason Denayer – now at Galatasaray – on loan from City last season and signed Dedryck Boyata from them last June.

Geordie family.

“Newcastle gave me everything and I’m really pleased to sign this new contract.”

Manager Steve McClaren is confident Perez can form part of an encouraging future for Newcastle, adding: “I am delighted that Ayoze has signed a new deal.

“He is a very good player with huge potential and someone we believe has a very big future at Newcastle United.

“We are building this club for the long-term and Ayoze is a very important part of that.”

News of Perez’s new deal came after Newcastle announced they had signed striker Seydou Doumbia on loan from Roma until the end of the season.

ary Cahill has held talks with interim Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink after reiterating his desire to play firstteam football.

Cahill signed a new four-year deal on December 2 but has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following the sacking of Jose Mourinho and Hiddink’s arrival.

His sole Premier League start under the Dutchman came in the 2-2 draw against Watford on Boxing Day and Cahill is eager to get more playing time with one eye on his England place ahead of the European Championship in France.

The 30-year-old told several national newspapers: “It’s all about me playing for Chelsea.

“The bottom line is that I am very happy here, and I extended my contract for those reasons. My family and everything is settled here, I’ve had loads of success.

Cahill

21 21

Daily Times Nigeria

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

22

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Catholic Church: Why we transferred Mbaka ÏÏÏThe Catholic Church

Hon. Jerry Alagboso; Hon. Solomon Maren and Hon. Abubakar Yunus, at a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to amend Federal Road Safety Commission Act, in Abuja… on Monday.

Tompolo asks court to set aside warrant of arrest Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏTwo

weeks after a Federal High Court, Lagos ordered his arrest, Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) has filed an application before Justice Ibrahim Buba, to challenge the warrant of arrest that was issued to compel his appearance in court.

The Federal Government had instituted a 40-count charge against Tompolo and others over alleged fraud of about $108.7 million and N2.1 billion.

Other accused persons/ applicants include: Patrick Akpobolokemi, former Director General of NIMASA, Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd, Odimiri Electricals Ltd, Kime Engozu, Boloboere Property and Estate Ltd, Rex Elem, Destre Consult Ltd, Gregory Mbonu SUNDAY DANIEL EGBOO

and Captain Warredi Enisuoh.

In the application, Chief Ekpemupolo is claiming that the EFCC did not follow due process of law in applying for an order of substituted service of the criminal charge against him and that no service of the charge was effected as directed by the court before the EFCC applied for a warrant of arrest against him.

He claims further that up till now, he has not been served with the criminal charge or indeed any warrant of arrest.

Whereas he is prepared to appear in court and answer to any charge against him, he maintains that due process of law must be followed and his rights under the law be guaranteed, especially the right to be notified and served with the

Tompolo

charges against him.

The application is on notice to the Inspector-General of Police, to the Chief of Army Staff and indeed the Navy, so that overzealous persons do not take advantage of the court process to attempt to trample on his legal rights.

In a motion on notice brought pursuant pursuant

to section 36(1) of the constitution, section 130 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the accused person/applicant asked the court for an order setting aside the order made by the court on January 12, 2016 for the issuance of summons to compel the appearance of the 1st accused person and for substituted service of the processes in this proceedings on the said applicant.

An order setting aside the purported service of summons to compel appearance of the 1st accused person and charge No:FHC/L/553C/15 on the 1st accused person which service was said to have been carried out by the plaintiff by affixing the processes on No1, Chief Agbanu DDPA extension, Warrior, Delta state.

ADEMOLA OMAMULI ADENIPEKUN

I formerly known and addressed as UCHE DANIEL CHIBUIKE now wish to be known and addressed as SUNDAY DANIEL EGBOO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

OGU HOPE ADAOBI OGU HOPE CHINELO IS THE SAME PERSON AS OGU HOPE ADAOBI. THAT ALL DOCUMENTS BEARING THE TWO NAMES ARE VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

I, formerly known. ADENIPEKUN ADEMOLA DOTTIE now wish to be known and addressed as ADEMOLA OMAMULI ADENIPEKUN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

NKIRUKA ANTHONY- ALIFA I, formerly known. MISS EVELYN NKIRUKA OLUGBUE Now wish to be know as now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EVELYN NKIRUKA ANTHONY- ALIFA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

OLAIYA OLAYINKA TINUKE

PETER UJAHSOI IDOKO

This is to notify that OYEKOLA YINKA LATIFAT is the same person as OYEKOLA OLAYINKA TINUKE now wish to be known and addressed as OLAIYA OLAYINKA TINUKE. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as PETER UJASOI now wish to be known and addressed as PETER UJAHSOI IDOKO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AGU INNOCENT I formerly known and addressed as AGU SUNDAY now wish to be known and addressed as AGU INNOCENT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AJAYI TEMITOPE ABOSEDE I formerly known and addressed as Miss. DAWODU TEMITOPE ABOSEDE now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. AJAYI TEMITOPE ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

has clarified the recent transfer of Father Ejike Mbaka, saying the controversial priest was merely being sent to where he would be more useful to the church.

In its first reaction since the controversy over the transfer broke, the church in a statement on Monday said the posting was not meant to be punitive.

Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Ralph Madu said the transfer of priests within the Catholic Church is a “normal church procedure.”

“Mbaka’s own is not an exception,” Mr. Madu said.

“The Bishop has the right to post any priest wherever he feels his service would be more useful to the church.”

There had been widespread criticism of the Enugu Diocese’s recent decision to transfer Mr. Mbaka out of Christ the King Parish, GRA, where he had served for over a decade and had established a popular prayer ministry, the Adoration Prayer Ministry.

Mr. Mbaka is to resume immediately at his new post at the Our Lady Parish, Emene.

The priest, who is as fiery as he is controversial, had described his re-posting by the church as a “calculated move” to make him suffer.

“I know we are going to suffer within now and few months to come,” the priest said. I am going to suffer and suffer; I know that. I’m going to suffer because I have no place to put my head. I am going to suffer because I have no place

Mbaka

to keep the Adoration Ministry’s assets. I know I’m going to suffer.”

On Sunday, the SouthEast zone of the All Progressives Congress alleged that Bishop Callistus Onaga was manipulated by external forces into effecting Mr. Mbaka’s transfer.

“As a party, we have watched with concern and trepidation the criticism, the attack, assault and unpleasant comments hurled against Fr. Mbaka since he providentially prophesied that President Buhari would win the 2015 elections,” the APC said in a statement by Osita Okechukwu, Spokesperson of its South-East caucus.

“Even the church did not spare him; he was called unprintable names, yet his prophecy came true.”

In the run-up to last year’s presidential election, Mr. Mbaka had told a gathering of thousands of catholic faithfuls at his Adoration Prayer Ground ministry to vote out then president, Goodluck Jonathan.

The priest, renowned for his blunt sermons, has a huge followership in South East Nigeria, where thousands of Catholics throng to his prayer ground for healing and miracles.

DAMILARE WURAOLA WILLIAMS

SALAKO HELEN IYABO

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS WURAOLA DAMILARE PRECIOUS now wish to be known and addressed as MRS DAMILARE WURAOLA WILLIAMS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OJO HELEN IYABO now wish to be known and addressed as SALAKO HELEN IYABO. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

ODERE TITILAYO OPEYEMI

ADELAJA OMOBOLAJOKO JANET I , formerly known and addressed as Miss. OREFUYI OMOBOLAJOKO JANET now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. ADELAJA OMOBOLAJOKO JANET. All former documents remain valid.

LASG and general public take note.

My name is known and addressed as MISS. ODERE TITILOPE OPEYEMI not MISS. ODERE TITILAYO OPEYEMI. All documents remain valid. The general public and Zenith Bank PLC please take note.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Radio repairer electrocuted in Osun

ÏÏÏA

middle-aged artisan, Kareem Teslim, was, at the weekend, electrocuted at a sub-station of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), located behind Ataoja’s palace, Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

The incident came barely two months after a similar one was recorded behind Ilesa Motor Park, Osogbo , when a middle-aged refrigerator repairer and father of five, identified as Moshood Majoko, was electrocuted, while trying to fix a faulty electricity cable.

Eyewitnesses said that the deceased, a radio repairer with a shop around Iso Isu area of Osogbo, Osun state capital, was burnt to ashes by electricity, after falling on a transformer.

23

FG urged to create special Another fire outbreak burns Abakaliki market courts to try looters Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

Segun Adio

ÏÏÏThe

Federal Government has been urged to create special courts to try specific cases of theft and looting of the nation’s treasury. This, it is believed, would avoid endless adjournments and delay in justice.

The call was given in Lagos, on Monday, by the Supreme Head of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, Prophet Dr. Solomon Alao, during a press conference heralding the 2016 annual general conference with the theme: “90 years after : Whither the C& S Church.”

The cleric, who frowned at critics of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government’s war

Buhari

against corruption, however, urged the president to remain undaunted in his crusade to rid the nation of thieves and treasury looters.

He also stated that more effective measures, other than the option of sending suspected looters to jail, should be put in place, in order to recover looted public funds.

Alao also called on religious, traditional and political leaders to join the present administration in its campaign against corruption, by rebuking their subjects through every available means.

He, however, advised that political coloration should be avoided by the Buhari administration in its fight against corruption, and appealed that trial of suspected looters should be handled with a human face.

“By this I mean I don’t want them to treat these suspected looters like hardened criminals. While in incarceration, they should be given proper treatment .

They should not be convicted verbally or otherwise before they are convicted in court.

ÏÏÏBarely

twenty four hours after eight people from a family were burnt to death by fire at the weekend, in Ebonyi State, another fire outbreak, on Monday morning, gutted 19 shops at the electronics line of the Abakaliki main market and parking shops located at the back.

The inferno occurred at about 3 a.m., a week after a section of the same market was gutted by fire.

One of the victims was a journalist, Chief Aaron Onuorah, of the National Light newspapers.

The items destroyed included computers, television sets, refrigerators, home theatre sets, ceiling

Absenteeism: Ondo suspends four teachers Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe

L-R: Regional Coordinator, United Kingdom National Crime Agency (UKNCA), Mr. James Collins; Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase and leader, UKNCA delegation, Mr. John Branney, during a training for Nigeria Police on anti-kidnap, in Abuja… on Monday.

and standing fans, radio sets, electricity generating sets, stabilisers, bundles of curtains, curtain rods, roll carpets, ray, wheel barrows filled with various items for petty traders among other items.

During the disaster, hoodlums who disguised themselves as sympathisers looted some of the items.

Speaking to our correspondent Miss Oluchukwu Onuorah, a daughter of the journalist, whose shops were among those gutted by the fire put items lost to the inferno at N8 million.

“We would like government to assist us because the damage is enormous.

Everything my father got in life is here and it has been razed by fire”, she lamented.

Ondo State government, on Monday, ordered the immediate suspension of four public secondary school teachers, who were absent from their duty posts.

Chairman, Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Prof. Francis Igbasan, who gave the instruction, also issued a query to a school principal and stopped their salaries and allowances.

Igbasan was on a school monitoring and inspection tour at Ala Elefosan Community in Idanre Local Government Area, when he took

the disciplinary measures.

He bemoaned the rampant cases and complains of public schools teachers being absent from duty, and noted that as at 9:35a.m., no teacher was seen in any of the five classes he visited.

“And going through this school’s register, Fridays seem to be declared public holidays. The tone of the school is poor with everything in shamble even the school head is yet to be seen.

“As a result of these anomalies, four teachers who are frequently caught in the web of absenteeism are hereby suspended with the school principal summoned for query and all these teachers’ salaries being stopped,” Igbasan said.

Osun to focus on cocoa for alternative revenue Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏGovernor

of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said that revenues from cocoa and other prominent farms produce in which it had comparative advantages had great capacities to turn around the economy and fortunes of the state, if pursued

with renewed vigour.

He gave an assurance that his administration would leave no stone unturned to make the state great again, via the recent investment and research into cocoa production and the focus on other areas of agriculture.

The governor stated that for the state to start on a good footing at producing “Cocoa Omoluabi”, the

state had enumerated and identified sixty million active cocoa trees in the state.

Aregbesola, while meeting with Cocoa Produce Merchants in the state at the Government House Banquet Hall in Osogbo, stated that with new cocoa development initiatives, there would be a new cash inflow making the economy of the state prosperous.

He stated that the state had also gone further in her bid to boost cocoa production and agriculture with the signing of memorandum of understanding with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on the development of agriculture and massive food production as alternatives to reliance on oil sector.

The agreement, accord-

ing to Aregbesola, involved releasing of 204.39 hectares of land in Ago Owu Farm Settlement to the IITA for the purposes of conducting research and setting up demonstration farms for best farming practices.

The IITA will also carry out cassava, plantain and other crops multiplication – including cocoa, as well as train the youths in the state in modern, commer-

cial and profitable farming.

Aregbesola emphasised that the state, in its bid to increase internally generated revenue, would establish a commodity board that would be supervised directly by the Office of the Governor to ensure that Osun ranked among the best cocoa producers in Nigeria within the next two years.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

APC urges Justice Minister to prosecute Ekiti election riggers

Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

ÎÎÎAgainst the backdrop of

the revelations contained in a confessional televised statement by the embattled Ekiti State Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Tope Aluko, on Channels Television, on Sunday, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, has urged the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to prosecute all indicted people in the election rigging scandal.

The party said it had, on two occasions, petitioned the

Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on the same matter, stressing that the latest revelations by Aluko had made it imperative that the nation’s chief law officer must act now.

Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, noted in a statement, on Monday, that the election fraud crisis had refused to go despite all shenanigans

by Governor Ayodele Fayose, whom, he said, was the biggest beneficiary of the election fraud that had blighted Nigeria’s international image.

He said that even though there was nothing new in Alujko’s revelations, he noted,

however, that it had become pertinent to prosecute the suspects as the revelations were again emanating from an insider who participated fully in what is now known as Ekitigate.

“By Aluko’s revelations, we are justified in our claim that our candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, never lost that election, but was criminally toppled by a coup d’etat orchestrated by Fayose in league with President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that illegally deployed money and the military to ensure victory for Fayose.

“It is interesting that more

names are coming up in the biggest election scam ever witnessed in Nigeria with the alleged participation of Ifeanyi Ubah of the infamous Transformation Agenda for Nigeria (TAN), a shadowy campaign group for former President Jonathan in the fraud. No wonder Ubah was compensated with an honorary Fellow

by Fayose at the Ekiti State College of Education for a job well done.

“It is in the light of this that we are calling on the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute all the suspects in the election fraud for treasonable

Airport limousine operators raise the alarm over travellers’ safety felony to preserve the integrity of the Nigerian Constitution,” Olatunbosun said.

The APC said that President Muhammadu Buhari should use the Ekiti election fraud case to convince Nigerians that official impunity and fraud would not have a place in Nigeria under his watch.

“We have seen the Army already tackling the military aspect of the Army Probe Panel report. We expect the police and the Attorney-General of the Federation to also toe the same line in coming out with the civilian component of the probe report and act accordingly.

Anambra students protest against govt’s neglect Nkiru Nwagbo, Awka

ÎÎÎStudents of

tertiary institutions, under the aegis of National Union of Anambra State Students (NUASS), have said that they were suffering neglect from the state government.

In a communiqué sent out to journalists after a meeting of stakeholders, held in Awka, on Monday, the students said that the state government had not given their body and members enough recognition by way of payment of bursary, scholarships and appointment into government offices.

The communiqué was signed by the immediate past president of the association, Comrade Israel Anozie, the president of the association, Comrade Toochukwu Atuanya and four zonal presidents from Enugu, Imo, South West, South South and Northern zones.

The group said neighbours to the state including Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo states, all pay bursary to their colleagues in tertiary institutions, including award of scholarships to deserving students, but the reverse had been the case in Anambra.

“In Anambra State, we lack a lot of things, we are not paid bursary, we do not get scholarships from state government, we do not have a functional secretariat and we are also in need of a bus.

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÎÎÎAirport limousine opera-

tors in Lagos have expressed concern over safety of travellers on airport roads.

The Secretary of the Airport Limousine Bus Operators, Lookmon Oladipupo, said that illegal cab operators had taken over the airport routes, duping and robbing unsuspecting travellers of their valuables.

He explained that military men and some police officers were involved in the act of using unpainted cabs to operate on the airport roads.

According to Oladipupo, members of the limousine task force were beaten up in an attempt to stop the illegal operators from plying the route.

He said the activities of these illegal operators had battered the image of the limousine operators at the airport, adding that these operators were fast becoming security threat to the registered operators.

Oladipupo explained that the illegal cab operators posed as genuine operators to rob unsuspecting passengers and that 15 unpainted cab operators were apprehended January by the union.

Abia APC chieftain hails Buhari’s corruption fight Ifeanyi Onwuneme

ÎÎÎThe A peaceful rally in commemoration of World Hijab day by Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit held in Lagos.

PHOTO: OLAWALE ROTIMI.

Ambode attends US-Africa business forum in Addis Ababa Benjamin Omoike

ÎÎÎThe Governor of

Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Monday, Februaury 1, 2016, joined other world leaders, for the Corporate Council on Africa’s 10th Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit, hosted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from Monday, February 1 to Thursday, February 4. This is in line with his administration’s campaign for direct foreign investment (FDI).

This year’s forum will focus on key opportunities and challenges in agri-business, energy, health, infrastructure, security, trade facilitation, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and finance to increase trade and

investment.

The gathering bring together 1,000 private sector and government officials – including heads of state, entrepreneurs and investors from Africa, United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, on Monday, Ambode said he would “use this opportunity to position Lagos, not just as an investment destination, but also as an emerging economic hub in Africa”.

Ambode will be participate in an interactive session on “Doing Business in Nigeria” to discuss investment opportunities in Lagos.

“The Governor’s participa-

tion in this forum will underscore his commitment to promoting economic growth and addressing the most pressing challenges, including building modern infrastructure, creating jobs and opportunities for the youths and expanding access to health and education for Lagosians through investments and partnerships”, the statement said.

Ambode led a team that included, amongst others, Prof.

Ademola Abass, his Special Adviser on Overseas Affairs and Investment.

“This emphasises that his administration is committed to ease doing business in Lagos.

“With the establishment of the Office of Overseas Af-

fairs and Investment (Lagos Global), the administration has made efforts to eliminate bottlenecks that face potential investors into the state. Lagos Global is a one-stop shop for all investors in Lagos,” the statement said.

Gov. Ambode

anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as the only way to refurbish Nigeria’s battered image among the congress of nations.

A stalwart of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abia State, Dr. Ephraim Iroakazi, who made this assertion in Umuahia, dismissed the insinuation that the war was targeted against particular persons.

According to him, “The war will cut across the rail system, aviation, ports authority, and health institutions”, adding that “all the other indices of development revolve round the anti-corruption crusade”.

Iroakazi, who did not exclude the energy sector, which according to him, would further alleviate the sufferings of the masses, maintained that, “If the fight against corruption was all that the present administration could give to Nigerians, then much would have been achieved”.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

25 Opinion

Thumbs up for Kaduna varsity management

Yinka Olujimi ÏÏÏ The Vice Chancellor of the Kaduna State University has amply demonstrated what it is to be in office, and power – in this era of no-nonsense governance, any employee who exceeds his bounds must face dire consequences.

To prove that you are in charge, you must not brook nonsense from any quarter in the name of academic freedom.

Haters know what to do – they should go hug a transformer!

That, surely, is the message from the Vice Chancellor who is reported to have placed a bile-chewing lecturer in the university, Dr. John Danfulani, on suspension.

Danfulani has, mercifully, also been arraigned in court for hate-speech, a grave offence for which the Magistrate in his Solomonic wisdom has denied bail.

All those who had been under the false impression that they are protected by a nebulous notion of academic freedom will henceforth watch their utterances.

Citizen Danfulani had reportedly posted on his Facebook page words criticizing the supporters

of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari and the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

That effrontery must be punished immediately, and in full measure!

He is reported to have posted the following words on Facebook: “APC SIMPLETONS OF NORTHERN NIGERIA: To them, APC is a religious party. Northern leaders under the party are demigods and crusaders of their ways of life.

These people living in dusty villages of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa are quick in calling you ‘Arne or Kafiri’ (Meaning Pagan) once you express your view on anything their God PMB and his brigade of small Angels are doing. Attack the attacker, and lets the skies fall”.

The lecturer had apparently been teaching what he was not paid to teach – doesn’t that phrase ring a bell, reminding you, dear readers, of our glorious past in which all was well with Nigeria? The only sector of the society that enjoyed trouble-making then – and of course now, with this Danfulani man – was the academia.

That is why we must all support the Vice Chancellor for the wisdom in the decision that will help rid the university of undesirable elements one of whom Danfulani surely is.

If in doubt that his hate speeches could turn one community against the other, and set the country on fire, read more of what he was said to have written: “With their harmattan ravaged faces, rough legs, and brown teeth, they behave like a hard (herd)

Buhari

of sheep. ..Who amongst them is strong enough to seal my lips on fuel scarcity and hardship we are experiencing? If PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) is your God and support for him an act of worship, go ahead but don’t think you can force that on me. I want to travel abroad, I can’t buy dollars in official quarter and can’t use my ATM abroad. Is it their father’s money”? Am I a thief ?”

Dear readers, is it in doubt that no Vice Chancellor worth his salt will allow the utterer of such hatred to stay a day longer in his university?

We need peace in this country, sepulchral peace if possible. There is no need to interrogate the points being made. And, there is no room for anybody to sit on the fence – you are either for us or against us.

W E A T H E R ABUJA

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The Magistrate has also done well by denying that kind of suspect bail. If care is not taken, he will soon be talking about soaking dogs and baboon in blood. Such words are permissible for only a class of Nigerian citizens.

Obasanjo’s wise counsel…

Hate him or love him, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is a man you ignore to your peril. The former President may be doubly guilty of an offence he accuses you of, but attacking the messenger while ignoring the message is a recipe for disaster. If in doubt, ask former President Goodluck Jonathan and his band of spokespersons who fired verbal missiles at the man we all fondly call Baba when he wrote a damning letter to the immediate past federal administration.

Today, Obasanjo’s letter

and the reaction of the then President Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are a part of Nigeria’s chequered history.

To say that Obasanjo introduced corruption to the National Assembly, as Senator Dino Melaye and some pubic commentators have done, is ad hominem; attacking the messenger, leaving out the message.

The germane questions are: Has the National Assembly been opaque in the management of public funds allocated to it or not? Have the accounts of the National Assembly been subjected to external audit these past 16 years of the country’s return to civilian rule? Who performs oversight functions on the National Assembly? And, why should our representatives choose a life of luxury at a time they are telling the citizens to tighten their belts because of a sharp drop in income?

These are the concerns of the former President.

They deserve to be looked into in a dispassionate manner.

Pencil revolution …

Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, was at the weekend reported to have disclosed that all is set to make Nigeria a giant nation in the production of – wait for it – pencils!

By 2018, the Minister told Daily Trust newspaper, the country will put an end to the shame of inability to manufacture an item that is as simple as pencil.

The minister was quoted as saying: “When PRODA (Project Development Agency) is through with its job, it is the

private sector that will come in to do the production and we will see the benefits. When production of pencils begins, Nigerians will be amazed at the multiplier effects.

It will create a minimum of 400,00 jobs. There will be the small-scale entrepreneurs that will do the beneficiation of the graphite, that is, prepare it for pencil production; there will be small-scale entrepreneurs that will prepare the rubber to be used as an eraser for pencils; and there will also be small-scale entrepreneurs that will also prepare the wood for the appropriate use. Can we imagine creating jobs for 100,000 people? The results will be amazing!”

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy told a special joint session of the United States Congress of his administration’s ambitious plan – for an American to land safely on the moon before the end of that decade.

Guided by that target, officials of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had to make it happen.

They just had to. The presidential vision must not fail. All stops must be pulled.

Work on the target gave birth to Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. On July 20, 1969, one year before the end of the decade as envisioned by Kennedy, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon’s surface.

Fifty five years after such a dream, Nigeria’s Science and Technology Minister has unveiled his.

I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

Well, there are dreams, and there are dreams…

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Law Æ s

NBA President, Alegeh urges lawyers to invest in law business “ The profession requires a lot of reforms. We have some senior advocate who will represent one client, go to another state represent another client against his client. Some lawyers will represent INEC in a matter, go to another matter and represent PDP in the opposite side. If you say something is black in the morning, it must be black in the afternoon and evening, not changing colours.”

L-R; President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the celebrant, Biodun Owonikoko (SAN), and Mike Igbokwe (SAN), at the official commissioning of The Juweirat Law Resource Centre in Lekki, Lagos.

Peter Fowoyo President of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) Augustine Alegeh (SAN) has advised members of the association to invest in their busineses for future sake.

He said it is by doing this that the business will grow.

Alegeh spoke in Lagos at the official commissioning of The Juweirat Law Resource Centre, owned by law firm of Synergy Attornies with a Lagos lawyer, Abiodun Jelili Owonikoko (SAN) as its Principal Partner, “I congratulate Owonikoko for this project and I challenge other lawyers who have not done this to emulate him.

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mohammadu Lawal Uwais GCON , who was represented by his son,Tijani Uwais, a legal practitoner ,officially commissoined the center named after Jelili’s mother, Mrs. Juweirat Owonikoko Also in a goodwill message by the Deputy Chairman, Oyo

State Council of Obas and Chiefs , HRM, Oba Dr. Abdulganiy Adekunle Salau, Oloogunebi-Ajinase 1, The Aseyin of Iseyin Land delivered by Ogboye of Iseyin, Chief Collineius Odusola,” Barrister Abiodun Jelili Owonikoko (SAN) is not just a worthy son of Iseyin land because of the enviable achievements he had recorded as a frontline legal practitioner, nor because of his new achievement of building a standard legal chamber of international status but my association with him is based on a countless and highly commendable contributions which he had made to his immediate professional constituency (legal profession), Iseyin community and humanity in general despite his youthful age”.

Conducting guests which included former Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, former NBA President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Mrs Uju Ifejika, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Brittania-U Nigeria Ltd., immediate past Managing

Director of Diamond Bank, Alex Otti, Rickey Tarfa(SAN), Alhaji H.A.B Fasinro, Prince Olayiwola Kusamotu, and Chief(Mrs) Rita Lori Ogbebor,the host showed the guests Hon. Justice M.L Uwais Library, Alao Aka Bashorun Seminar /Arbitration Hall and Alhaji M.D.Yusufu Lecture Theatre.

Mr. Owonikoko thanked those who came to the ceremony noting,” We are particularly indebted to a number of leading lights in the legal profession and other walks of life, whose legacy we take pride in, four of them have been specifically deservingly identified for honour in this building we commissioned today.”

Other guests included: Professor Bamidele Kasunmu(SAN), Funke Aboyade(SAN), former General Secretary, NBA, Mr. Dele Adesina(SAN), Edo State, Commisioner for Works, Osarodion Ogie, Olori of Aseyin, Fatima Salaudeen Ajinrse, National Publicity Secretary, NBA, Gbolahan Gbadamosi, former Ogun State Commissioner for Education and Information Technology, John

Olusegun Odubela, Edo State Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary , Wole Iyamu among several members of Inner Bar. Mr. Mike Igbokwe SAN while congratulating Mr. Owonikoko whom he described as hard working and intelligent lawyer said he should not rest on his oars because this is just the beginning of the success story.

Chief Akinniyi Akintola another senior advocate, said Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko whom he described as humility personified deserves all the accolades, all the praises because he is a good manager of men. He also said he is a consultant to many senior lawyers.

Dr. Alex Otti said that although his relationship with the celebrant is very short, it has however been a robust one noting that consistence and trust must be a watchword for any legal practitioner who want to succeed in plying the trade.

His words:”I find him extremely brilliant and hardworking. Although we are still in the tribunal, he becomes a lot of positive value to the team I put together such that if he is not in the meeting, it will not hold. We forced him to attend our conference yesterday (Friday) when the former Attorney-General, Akin Olujimi called me to prevail on him to come to Abuja and true to his character, he told me he was going to be there and he came. If he cannot do it, he will tell you but will not leave you afloat, he will profer solution to the problem.

“In this profession, there are things you need to imbibe if you want to prosper, you must be con-

sistent, you need to be trusted and the other one he has in abundance is his humility. The other one is relationship, you can call him anytime of the day and he will answer you. “ The profession requires a lot of reforms. We have some senior advocate who will represent one client, go to another state represent another client against his client. Some lawyers will represent INEC in a matter, go to another matter and represent PDP in the opposite side. If you say something is black in the morning, it must be black in the afternoon and evening, not changing colours.”

Mr. Wole Iyamu said he was privileged to know lawyer Owonikoko in two capacity. First, at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University where he grew as a Marxist although he has acquired some other traits which might not be Marxist. Secondly, at Edo state where Adams Oshiomhole managed to become the governor through the efforts of lawyers in which he was one of them. The name Owonikoko is recognised in Edo state because it is unprecedented that a sitting governor can be removed through the election tribunal and another put in place.

Mrs. Uju Ifejika said she is the only client who can harass Mr. Owonikoko whom she described as the power house whenever she wants anything done. She commended him for his vision and urged him never to rest on his oars as this is just the beginning of his success story.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Deacon Dele Adeshina, a Senior Advocate and former National Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in this interview with PETER FOWOYO, said there is need to reform the Electoral Act to accomodate the use of card reader so as to stop the inconsistencies in the judgments emanating from the Court of Appeal. Besides, he spoke on the inauguration of the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, and other issues.

How do you view the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the election of Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike?

Well, i received it just as one of the judgments coming out of our courts, I am not one of the counsel in the matter so I can not say I have all the facts about it, I believe the judgment was delivered based on issues of laws and issues of facts that were presented before the Supreme Court. Because all judgments must flow from the facts and law presented in the matter. It is not a question of two plus two equal four, no. The facts and the law are the roots from which the judgment is derived.

That is much I can say about any judgment.

Many have argued about the issue of card readers and the issue of inconsistency in the judgments emanating from the Court of Appeal? Would you suggest an amendment to our electoral law to accommodate it?

Let me start by saying that the inconsistency is unfortunate in the sense that it has rendered our law to be likely uncertain and in a situation like that lawyers even find it difficult to operate, to give legal opinion. Speaking specifically on the card reader, it is my view that based on the law as it stands, the electoral act gave INEC powers to issue regulations, issue guidelines, to issue manuals for purposes of conducting election under the act and for me, one of the regulations and guidelines in the issue, was the use of a card reader and that power is derived from section 153 of the electoral act, I do not agree to the arguments that the use of the card reader is illegal and for those who have proffered that argument, the danger in their argument is that you cannot have a process that is partially legal and partially illegal. If you carry that arguments too far and our courts buy the arguments that the use of the card reader was illegal then the entire process of the 2015 election was illegal including the products of that election. From the State to the Federal, to the best of my knowledge, it was only in the presidential election that the use was made rather optional

27 Law

Use of card reader in 2015 elections not illegal— Adeshina ‘‘Let me start by saying that the inconsistency is unfortunate in the sense that it has rendered our law to be likely uncertain and in a situation like that lawyers even find it difficult to operate, to give legal opinion.’’

Adeshina

at the last minute so, if the law or the courts are a little bit flexible, I will buy that but, where, directives came from the organizers, the midwife of election that look, the use of the card reader was compulsory and they went further to say that where the thing developed problem that could not be solved immediately the election should be postponed till the following day. I believe the directives was categorical and if there was anything that gave international recognition and acceptability and enhance the integrity of that process of 2015, it was the use of the card reader.

For me, I have found it a little difficult to understands the Yes and the Nos that are coming from our courts as regard this issue.

Law itself is very dynamic, democracy is a process, not a destination and the initiative brought about by INEC on the card reader was a worthy initiative that needed to be encouraged. I pitched my tent with those who argued and that is my position that the use of the card reader was not illegal, secondly, the card reader was complementary with the electoral act and helped INEC to achieve the duties and responsibilities they are to performed under the electoral act. Therefore, any of the elections that did not conform to the proper use of the card reader and where the card reader did not function well, you are supposed to fill what is called incident form before proceeding on the manual, all these are processes, they are

the first stages of the entire process, there are different stages of the process. However, in view of the inconsistencies that we have seen so far, I will encourage and suggest that as a matter of urgency, before the build up to 2019 elections, the electoral act should be amended to formerly incorporate the use of the card reader. We cannot go back to the days of manual accreditations where somebody will sit in the comfort of his room ticking 500 names, manipulating the processes, of all the conflicting judgments we have been having, I pitched my tent with the decision of the Court of Appeal, Lagos in Agbaje vs APC, even though that court recognized that the card reader was not a product of the electoral act but, it can be use to support or to prove any allegation, any ground for challenging any election. That in itself recognizes even though to a limited level. I believe the use of the card reader in subsequent election must not be discourage, the judgments we have seen so far, are discouraging.

There have been arguments among senior lawyers saying the President of the Court of Appeal should not be allowed to single handedly pick election petition tribunal panels and the Court of Appeal Justices that would sit. What is your take?

I don’ t have any objection against anybody setting up the panels that we have, most of the panels were composed of five

Justices, I do not want to ascribe any subjective inadequacies to the office of the President of the Court of Appeal, for somebody to rise to that level or to CJN level, you must accept that that person is worthy of the post both in learning and in character, I give that to the President of the Court of Appeal, she has nothing more to do once she has put together the panel, she doesn’t interfere, she doesn’t dictate to them, I practice before all the courts including the Court of Appeal, I appeared before some as regards the election tribunals processes that are now winding down, I don’t think whether you put together a committee of selection or the President of the Court of Appeal continues, a lot depends on the person of the justice who is sitting either as a member or as a presiding justice at the Court of Appeal, they don’t take dictations and if anybody will take dictations whether from the selection from committee or from individual, they will take dictation anyway.

I think it is the duty of everybody including the press to creatively think how we can get our Judges and our Justices more insulated and be independent not only by the provisions of the law but even in their minds exercise this independence. It is the system that drives a nation, not individual. It doesn’t matter whether it is the person of the Court of Appeal President or the selection of committee, we are

not likely to have different thing.

You cannot continue to do the same thing in the same way and expect a different result, we must fortify our system and ensure it works.

How do you see the inauguration of Yahaya Bello last week without a deputy. Does the constitution recognizes a governor without a deputy?

I am a counsel before the tribunal and if I speak one may be said to have argued his case on pages of the newspaper but, you have asked a constitutional question and my answer is categorically no, you cannot, unless, of course, if your deputy dies in office or resigns for whatever reason then a replacement can be made subject to the confirmation by the House of Assembly but, for a new governor or a governorship candidate to run an election without a running mate to be sworn in without a deputy, I have my very strong doubt, if it is constitutional or legal. The constitution is the barometer for testing the validity of any act in this country and it says, even your nomination, it began from the word nomination, your nomination is not valid without a running mate. I wouldn’t want to say more than this because I told you I’m involved in the matter.

Many have argued that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, ironically,the common man cannot attain justice due to the cost, what is responsible for this?

My position is that the judiciary is the hope of every man whether common man, expensive or uncommon man. Because there is no alternative to judiciary except anarchy and you and I don’t like anarchy anyway. As to the fact that it is getting expensive, well, I would say everything in the country today is getting expensive but, our government will have to do more to make justice accessible to the lower cadre in the society who incidentally are in the majority. Make the judges comfortable, make the judiciary well funded.

Somebody said many years ago that the investment you have in the rule of law or stabilising the judiciary or funding the judiciary is much more important in a democracy than building the bridges and constructing roads.

A military dictatorship can construct roads so the difference between dictatorship and democracy is the attention that is focused on the rule of law.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Tech Times Æ s Are humans necessary anymore?

Robots to the rescue!

Opeoluwani Akintayo The world has hurriedly grown into a global village with more technologies springing up, and very soon, you, yes YOU, may no longer be needed to do some jobs anymore.

As shocking as this can be to

we Africans, the West is rapidly coming up with robots to replace humans- robots who would not complain of tiredness, pregnancy symptoms, who would not call in sick, who can be more positive and productive, including those who can replace your SPOUSES! Ooops!

So, a time will come when you and me may become worried about our jobs as employees, as we peep through our side eyes to see robots strutting around our offices and asking our bosses “what CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

NITDA, ONC, Rack Centre rekindles hope for data hosting in Nigeria

By Tony Nwakaegho National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the parent Agency for the Office for Nigerian Content Development in ICT (ONC) in partnership with Rack Centre, a state of the art, tier III design certified datacentre in Nigeria, have rekindled hope to deepen data hosting industry in the country.

Speaking at the First Annual Summit on Data Localisation in Nigeria, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, acting director general, NITDA said that ONC’s role in achieving government’s quest for the localisation of data hosting has become imperative now that data is the current used among the internet community.

Olatunji said that the journey to establishing ONC dates back in 2013 when the then ministry of Communication Technology tapped NITDA and the NCC to find lasting solutions to the prevailing data hosting abroad.

According to him, ONC is the vehicle to achieving local content in the quest for ICT to account for at least 20% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2020.

He said that adherence to local content related aspects of the NITDA acts demands that companies hosting government data must adopt local data centres, which will lead to growth in the industry.

Olatunji said the present administration wants to “ensure compliance with

L-R: Inye Kemabonta, national coordinator of ONC; Vincent Olatunji, acting director general, NITDA; Prof. Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications Technology ; Tunde Coker, managing director of Rack Centre and Mallam Yusuf Kazaure, director general of Galaxy Backbone, during ONC/NITDA First Annual Summit on Data Localisation in Nigeria sponsored by Rack Centre, held in Abuja, recently.

Section 14.1.2 of the Guidelines, which addresses data and information management and mandates data and information management firms to Host government data locally.

“A breach of the Guidelines is a crime under sections 17 (4) and 18 of the NITDA Act of 2007.

“Why we are emphasising on localisation of data hosting are due to the huge benefits. If we are going to create jobs in the country, enable wealth creation, play better in the internet space and ensure secured processes, especially now e-government, e-health, e-education, e-commerce, etc., are picking up, it is absolutely important that we follow the laws of the land.

“On Monday, I chaired ONC’s

board of directors’ meeting where issues like encouraging Nigerians to patronise locally developed products and services, we’re discussed. The time is now; now that oil prices are fluctuating, we have to diversify the economy using ICT,” the Acting DG said.

Mr. Tunde Coker, managing director of Rack Centre, said that they offer carrierneutral colocation services and provides over 6,000sqm (65,000sqft) of energy efficient and secure data centre space, manned by qualified personnel.

Specifically, Coker said that the ability of the IT/ICT industry to generate about 20,000 jobs annually and contribute up to 20% to the Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) lies mainly on leveraging local content, hosting same in the country in a secured environment like theirs.

“There are several reasons individuals and organisations were hosting their data abroad, but today, Rack Centre has made investments that provide clients guaranteed levels of uptime, power and service availability,” he said.

According to him, collocating within Rack Centre allows companies to avoid fixed infrastructure investments and to leave the growing complexities of managing power and environmental issues to specialities.

Earlier, Mr. Inye Kemabonta, national coordinator of ONC

said that, ONC is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established as a sustainable institutional framework to enforce compliance with the regulatory Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT under the NITDA Act of 2007, adding that it is strategically placed to help develop a truly indigenous ICT industry for wealth creation in the local economy through the implementation of the Guidelines.

Kemabonta said, “Data is the currency of an information society and a knowledge economy. This is in fact an understatement.

Data is actually the life-blood of any nation in the 21st century. It is that important. It is a mega industry on its own.”

He said that it would assume a huge disservice to posterity and a colossal national mistake today if the industry fails to take action to develop the indigenous data hosting ecosystem.

“This is the single most important reason for this Summit. We know that there are challenges which make oversea hosting attractive but we intend to develop an indigenous industry that is competitive and has attractive economies of scale in the future,” Kemabonta added.

The ONC National Coordinator also hinted that their purpose in growing the data hosting ecosystem is to create jobs, to create wealth and to ensure that Nigeria has exportable capacity in data hosting.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

29 Tech Times

Are humans necessary anymore?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

else can I do for you sir” even after long straight hours of work. Interesting right?

Women will be the most grateful for this new inventory because of course, no more chores- so we can simply cross our legs all day, have our finger nails in manicure forever, and go have fun. We can do with a little help with pregnancycarrying robot too!

The takeaway is clear: Technology is doing a lot of the things we used to hire people to do. And that trend is going to accelerate.

Let’s look at just three examples.

“In the US, the automobile industry is one of the leaders in automation; every assembly line features some form of robotic assistance. The shift has led to significant cost savings. An automated spot welding machine can be operated for $8 per hour, compared with $25 per hour for a human worker. By some estimates, robots will be performing 30 to 40 percent of tasks in the auto industry by 2025”, a report by PC Magazine reveals.

Judging from a number of responses we got, this new technology may be a bit harder to accept in Africa though.

The acceptance rests largely on our cultures and the value we place on the importance of human beings.

However, an American international mobile ride request company, transformed the cab industry in just six years. In 2012, Uber had a handful of drivers mostly in San Francisco. Now it has more than 160,000 across the globe.

Ironically, Uber is actively working to replace almost all of them with self-driving cars.

“We don’t want to be like the taxi guys who came before us—we embrace the future,” explained Uber CEO Travis Kalanick at a conference last year.

“There’s an insane amount of good that comes out of this [technology], which is why so many companies are working on this,” he said.

Perhaps you think some jobs could never be automated.

My job, for example? Just

Robert family

imagine a robot having to storm the streets of Lagos and offices conducting interviews, covering events, investigating stories, including visiting Boko Haram ravaged communities for updates, Niger Delta inclusive!

A firm called Narrative Science uses an artificial intelligence engine to analyze groups of facts and then create compelling narratives from them. Those facts could be a company earnings report or the stats from last night’s football game. The company claims that the stories are indistinguishable from stories written by humans.

Today, technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, and nanotechnology are not only steadily advancing, but the data clearly shows that their rate of advancement is increasing.

That’s my job on the run!

So, since the coming of the robots are inevitable, I suggest we find a way of making peace with them. As in, we become pals.

This transition will take some time. In November of 2015, the McKinsey Global Institute published a report saying that 95 percent of jobs will not be jeopardized in the next five years. But even those who keep their jobs will find them fundamentally changed. The report found that across 800 occupations, 45 percent of work activities could be automated. Even at the chief executive level, and estimated 20 percent of tasks can be automated.

Imagine the numbers of bank teller jobs already lost through the introduction of ATMs. But, can workers work harder to retrain their jobs in other parts of the economy that are still in need of human labour?

Because in theory, according to John Maynard Keynes, an Economist, a time is coming when technology will evolve so quickly that human workers are no longer able to adapt fast enough.

Today, technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, and nanotechnology are not only

steadily advancing, but the data clearly shows that their rate of advancement is increasing.

Furthermore, as the technologies develop independently, they will hasten the development of other segments (for example, artificial intelligence might program 3D printers to create the next generation of robots, which in turn will build even better 3D printers). It’s what futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil has described as the Law of Accelerating Returns: Everything is getting faster— faster.

Take music evolution for example: Analog discs were the most important medium for more than 60 years before they were supplanted by CDs and cassettes in the 1980s, only to be taken over two decades later by MP3s, which are now rapidly being replaced by streaming audio.

This is the type of acceleration that permeates modernity.

According to PC, no one disagrees that technology will continue to achieve once-unthinkable feats, but the idea that mass technical unemployment is an inevitable result of these advancements remains controversial. Many economists maintain an unshakable faith in The Market and its ability to provide jobs regardless of what robots and other assorted futuristic machines happen to be zooming around.

There is, however, one part of the economy where technology has, beyond the shadow of any doubt, pushed humanity aside: manufacturing.

What should humans do now?

We need to promote awareness of a landscape that is going to change quickly.”

In addition to helping students learn to adapt—in other words, learn to learn—Lauren Paer encourages schools to place more emphasis on cultivating the soft skills in which “humans have a natural competitive advantage over machines,” she says. “Things like asking questions, planning, creative problem solving, and empathy— those skills are very important for sales, it’s very important for marketing, not to mention in areas that are already exploding, like eldercare.”

Telecos tasks FG to review policies as panacea for further investment

By Tony Nwakaegho Telecommunications operators in the country has tasked the Federal Government to change its policy in obtaining ‘right of way’ and assurances to protection of telecom infrastructure as a panacea for the operators to invest resources in the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure required to improve quality of service provisioning as well as for increased broadband penetration.

Engr.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the umbrella body of operators in the telecom sector, said that operators’ expectations in terms of policy thrust, to ensure increased broadband penetration this 2016 and beyond rest on protection of telecom infrastructure.

“If we do not have to spend so much on network rebuild it will help us to increase broadband deployment. Government must also remove all impediments agents for network roll out. This includes the very cumbersome way of obtaining right of way, the cost of ‘right of way’ procurement as well as other interference by local and state governments’ agencies on multiple taxation. These policies must be seen to protect the industry and also align with the overall industry capacity to deploy more capacity,” Adebayo said. According to the ALTON Chairman the granting of multiple operational license to operators to provide metro and national fibre infrastructure CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Adebayo, chairman, ALTON

Tech Times 30

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Etisalat tasks government to prioritize sustainable development goals

By Tony Nwakaegho Nigeria’s most innovative telecoms operator, Etisalat, has tasked Governments at all levels in the country to prioritize actualizing the critical development needs of the nation in their renewed quest at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda of the United Nations.

Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, vice president, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, made the call in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja, recently while speaking at the seventh edition of the thought leadership breakfast series, Sustainable Conversations, organised by Thistle Praxis Consulting in partnership with Etisalat

Nigeria.

Dikko extolled the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals agenda, but noted that a country like Nigeria has to evaluate and prioritize which goals constitute its most critical needs and go for such without taking its eyes off the others in the UN-backed 17-goals agenda block.

“The SDGs are lofty and ambitious targets. I think the way around this is for countries to look for what is the most critical for them. Each country has its own priorities. For a country like ours that has a very young, up and coming population, our primary concern for now should be to focus on education, health, security, peace and justice, access to facilities, etc. That is not to say we should ignore the other goals and just focus on

these. We should prioritize and start with what is achievable now given the resources at our disposal,” Dikko said.

Dikko assured the audience of Etisalat’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with governments and their agencies towards achieving the development goals, adding that the company is leading a quiet revolution in providing telecommunications-focused education with training of students and lecturers in that field.

“When we started operations in 2008, we realised that in our Universities, there were only such programmes like petroleum, electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering, but there was no telecommunications engineering.

In this 21st

century, there is no way we can go forward and build capacity if we did not try and address that.

So we started a partnership with ABU, Zaria to sponsor students to Masters’ Degree programmes in telecommunications engineering in partnership with Plymouth University, UK and the Etisalat Academy, UAE. We are also training some lecturers at PhD level so there can be capacity for knowledge sharing,” he explained.

The discussants at the oneday thought leadership series on sustainable development have brainstormed and called on various implementation organs of government to adopt an allinclusive approach towards achieving the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

On his part, Dr. Hussaini

Abdu, country director, PLAN International, affirmed that there are great prospects inherent in the goals, stressing that the attainment of the goals can be made possible with the active involvement of the organised private sector and other relevant segments of the Nigerian society.

Abdu said: “Nigeria has done relatively well on MDGs, but it could do more to be able to achieve the targets of the SDGs. The call now is for Nigeria to set up a clear strategy plan and get the different segments of the country to key in and drive it.

The SDGs should not be driven only as a government or an NGO initiative, but should be driven largely as a Nigerian project and it is when every segment of the country keys into it that we can achieve the goals.”

L-R: Dr. Hussaini Abdu, country director, PLAN International; Soromidayo George, corporate affairs director, Unilever Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria; , Ini Onuk, lead consultant, Thistle Praxis and MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure at the Sustainable Conversations thought leadership series sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria in Abuja recently.

Telecos tasks FG to review policies as panacea for further investment CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

does not guarantee investment in that regard, but implementation of well-articulated policies that will encourage operators to invest their money.

He disclosed that operators that secured licenses to roll out broadband services with big money are yet to invest in provision of infrastructure

because of inept process of securing ‘right of way’ from various government agencies.

He explained that unless these barriers are addressed it may be knotty for operators to invest in infrastructure that will enable provision of broadband.

Speaking on the same issue, Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian

Communications Commission (NCC), said that the commission has presented the issue of ‘right of way’ to National Economic Council (NEC) to help resolve for the interest of telecom infrastructure deployment in the country.

Danbatta revealed that the Commission has also made moves for a bill to protect

telecom infrastructure at the National Assembly, adding that “This is aimed at guiding against vandalization of telecommunications infrastructure in the country.”

On his part, Mohammed Rudman, managing director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, (IXPN) said that availability of distributive

channels of internet and making it available to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is essential for the country to witness a broadband revolution.

“Without moving internet capacity from Lagos to other parts of the country, we may witness a lopsided broadband revolution, only in Lagos and its environs,” Rudman said.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

31 Tech Times

CWG, CIT Vericash partner to launch mobile financial services hub Stories Tony Nwakaegho Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc said it has launched a mobile financial services platform in partnership with CIT Vericash in CWG Plc’s data centre in Lagos.

The hub which is launched in furtherance of CWG’s pursuit to become Africa’s number one IT platform service provider will allow it to provide banks and Telcos, across Africa, with a platform that will enable them deliver improved mobile financial services to both banked and unbanked population.

Speaking on the significance of the innovation, Mr. James Agada, chief executive officer, CWG Plc, explained that the CWG Vericash Hub is designed to enable financial institutions offer quality services to their customers at a reduced cost.

“Any Bank, Telco or mobile money operator can take advantage of the CWG Vericash Hub to launch advanced mobile financial services without making extensive investment in hardware or software. The hub supports various deployment

Agada, CEO, CWG

models - white labelling, cobranding and even onsite deployment. As we speak, it powers the U-mobile, a trail blazing mobile banking product recently launched by the United Bank for Africa,” Agada said.

Highlighting the unique features of the hub, he said: “CWG Vericash Hub supports wallet services, agency services,

integration with payment cards (credit, debit, prepaid), bill payment, shopping services via mobile channels App, SMS and USSD. It also features a sophisticated transaction processing engine that is able to orchestrate transaction flow between multiple service providers, a feature that will enable banks to offer a large

number of non-traditional services from insurance to ticketing.

“In addition to these, the CWG Hub also benefits by being connected to the Vericash Network bringing additional cross border services in remittances and bill payment.”

This innovation comes as an aftermath of so many widely acclaimed solutions that has positioned the company as a leading provider of technology solutions that enable business growth in Africa.

It will be recalled that CWG powers the Diamond Yello Account to provide access to Diamond bank services to millions of MTN subscribers in Nigeria, using their mobile phones.

She also launched http:\\ openmall.ng, an ecommerce platform that allows SMEs own their own virtual stores online and improve their sales.

Another is http:\\smerp.ng, an accounting and business management solution that aims at empowering SMEs keep accurate records and generate important data.

Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Celebrates 115th Anniversary Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) has unveiled the activities to mark its 115th anniversary at a special anniversary launch ceremony attended by over 120 member country representatives, diplomats, industry executives and journalists.

The CTO’s origins dates back to 1901 with the creation of the Pacific Cable Board (PCB) established to operate the first transPacific sub-marine telegraphic cable linking Canada to Australia.

With the advent of radio communications and the expansion of the cable system to other regions forming a global submarine cable network, PCB would undergo several changes, including the creation of Cable & Wireless and, shortly after, the Commonwealth Communications Council, one of the bodies created to oversee access to the cable system and which will be later merged to form the CTO in its present form.

In her congratulatory message to the CTO’s Secretary-

General Shola Taylor, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said that she was interested to learn that “the anniversary launch event will look to a future of new technologies, as well as reflect of the role of telecommunications over the last century.”

After giving a brief historical account of the history of the CTO to delegates, guests at the recent anniversary launch ceremony held in London, Secretary-General Shola Taylor remarked: “The ICT landscape is changing fast and the theme of our celebrations aptly captures the developments that are taking place. The challenges of building infrastructure to provide for the four billion people currently not connected in the world stares us in the face.

“Governments have to adopt the right policies. Regulators have to ensure that they provide an enabling regulatory environment to attract the high capital investments required for infrastructure expansion. Operators and service providers must also deliver the much needed in-

frastructure to spur economic growth.” Taylor said.

Celebrated under the theme “From Subsea to Cyberspace”, the anniversary year will include the holding of the Commonwealth ICT Awards for achievements by members in a range of areas including universal access, capacity building, policy and regulatory environments, cybersecurity, and youth empowerment, as well as the Commonwealth Youth ICT Applications Competition aimed at youths in Commonwealth countries, with entry categories for 2016 to include e-commerce, e-education, e-agriculture, and e-health.

Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice-chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and current Chairman of the CTO Council highlighted one of the key present-day challenges: “In many ways, the current and central issue of universal access to safe, reliable and affordable communication technologies is a race against time, because

those who are deprived from accessing modern communication technologies are left further behind by the day.” he said.

Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth secretary-general who also addressed the audience at the launch ceremony highlighted the CTO’s “truly exemplary” role in establishing the infrastructure to connect the Commonwealth, from its earliest days when telegraph cables were first being run under the world’s oceans.

Taylor, Sec. Gen. CTO

ITU adopts ICT strategies to reduce impact of natural disasters International Telecommunications Union (ITU’s) 2nd Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications: Saving Lives held in Kuwait City, has ended with over 500 participants from 70 countries attending, who underscored the importance of ICTs in disaster early warning and response through the launch of two important new global initiatives, the ITU Network of Volunteers for Emergency Telecommunications and the Global Emergency Fund for Rapid Response.

The GET2016 forum held at Kuwait City’s Regency Hotel, discussed trends and emerging technological innovations, financing mechanisms, country case studies, challenges in deploying ICTs in disaster zones, climate change issues and the role of the private sector and other non-state stakeholders.

It also featured a series of exhibits featuring solutions for the most effective use of ICT in emergencies.

ICTs play a critical role in disaster risk reduction. Paragraph 33 of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction emphasizes the importance of investing in, developing, maintaining and strengthening early warning systems, disaster risk and emergency communications, social technologies and hazard-monitoring telecommunication systems. It also stresses the importance of promoting the resilience of new ICT infrastructure.

“This was a very successful event. Nearly every day, a disaster strikes somewhere in the world. The high number of participants reflects the common will to join forces to help reduce the impact of disasters,” ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said.

The adopted outcomes of GET-2016 provide strategic guidance to the national and international community and will result in increased knowledge of the role different entities could play in giving telecommunications/ICT a central role in disaster mitigation and management.

“At this Forum, we have adopted practical strategies to strengthen the world’s response in emergencies,” said the GET2016 Chairman, Salim Alozainah, Chairman and CEO of the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) during his presentation of the final report of the forum.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.36

Wenger rules out Terry offer, warns Chelsea g

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Price: N150

Bilic excited by Emenike’s potential

Barca’s Montoya heads to Betis g

g17

19

At last!

a l o i d r Gua s e c a l p e r i n i r g e l l Pe y t i C n a at M M

anchester City have announced Pep Guardiola will take over as their new manager at the end of the season after Manuel Pellegrini confirmed he will leave the club in June.

Guardiola had already revealed he would depart Bayern Munich at the conclusion of the 2015-16 campaign and City have now confirmed the Etihad Stadium will be his next destination.

The Premier League club’s statement read: “Manchester City can confirm that in recent weeks it has commenced and finalized contractual negotiations with Pep Guardiola to become MCFC Head Coach for the 2016-17 EPL season onwards.

“The contract is for three years. These negotiations were a re-commencement of discussions that were curtailed in 2012.

“Out of respect for Manuel Pellegrini and the players, the club wishes to make its decision public to remove the unnecessary burden of speculation.

“Manuel, who is fully supportive of the decision to make this communication, is entirely focused on achieving his targets for the season ahead and retains the respect

and commitment of all involved with the leadership of the club.”

Pellegrini signed a oneyear extension last August to tie him to the club until 2017 but will now go when his previous deal was due to expire.

He told a news conference: “I talked with the club and told them I will finish my contract on the original date of June 30.

“I could have extended my contract for one more year, but decided not to.

There has been a lot of speculation, but they are not doing anything behind me.

“I don’t think it is good for this room to be speculating about me so that is why I have told the press and the players. I spoke with the club two weeks ago.”

Guardiola announced in December that he would be leaving Bayern and targeting a move to England’s top flight.

The former Barcelona boss heads to City having won back-to-back Bundesliga

Guardiola titles, while his side are firmly on course to defend their crown this season as they hold an eight-point lead at the top of the table after 19 matches.

Pellegrini has won the Premier League and League Cup since succeeding Roberto Mancini at City in June 2013, but a trophyless campaign in 201415 and a disappointing record in the

Champions League prompted speculation last year that City chiefs were exploring the prospect of a replacement.

Guardiola took charge of Bayern after Jupp Heynckes won the treble in 201213 and Pellegrini could yet deliver an unprecedented quadruple of league, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League to the Etihad prior to his exit in June.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

Forex policies: Nigerians now ready to take up challenge of domestic production-CBN Page B4

Seplat Page B6 takes over operatorship of OMLs 53, 55

Elumelu invests $3b to deliver 2,000mw of electricity Page B3

NCS issues warning to ship owners

Financial Mismanagement: International forensic firm to audit Aero contractors

Babajide Okeowo Following intelligence reports reaching the headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service on the illegal berthing of ships and vessels outside Customs ports, Comptroller- General (CG) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Retired Col. Hameed Ali has issued a stern warning that henceforth strict compliance will be enforced.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Acting Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro (left) presenting a souvenir to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani during oversight visit of the committee to the Agency in Lagos while Sen. Kabiru Gaya (right) and Sen. Isiaka Adeleke looks on... on Monday.

DPR to impose N10m fine on erring depots Opeoluwani Akintayo Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has issued a fine of N10 million on erring depot found to be hoarding products or selling fuel above the stipulated ex-depot price of N76.50.

In a statement released by the group yesterday, Monday, Director of DPR Mr. Mordecai Ladan added that any depot found guilty would have its facility suspended for a three month period.

Ladan charged all DPR field

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

and zonal operations controllers in the country, to ensure that depot owners sell PMS to marketers at N76.50k and to subsequently uphold the new pump price of N86.50k (N86.00k for NNPC stations) at retail outlets.

This was clearly in line with a ministerial directive conveyed from the office of the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, DR. Ibe Kachukwu in the wake of the Federal Government’s announcement of new petrol prices in the country.

In furtherance of the new sanctions regime, DPR is now

extracting a one million naira (N1 Million) fine on any retail outlet owner for an unauthorised removal of a DPR seal from their pumps or facility, this infraction would in addition attract a six months suspension or outright revocation of the operating license.

Ladan also directed all operations controllers to encourage the public to report suspected illegal outlets to the DPR or law enforcement agencies for possible criminal prosecution.

According to him, incidents of pump price manipulation

Kachukwu

by a retail outlet would attract a one hundred thousand naira (N100,000.00) fine per pump.

While a two hundred naira (N200.00) fine would be imposed per litre of the diverted quantity of regulated product.

Following the near state of insolvency and recent alarm raised by labour unions in the aviation industry over the financial state of Aero Contractors, the Asset Management Company of Nigeria AMCON, has engaged the services of an international firm to audit the finances of the airline.

Investigation by Daily Times revealed that the decision to audit the finances of the airline was reached after a meeting between members of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ATSSSAN, National Union of Air Transport Employees NUATE and AMCON in Abuja in which series of allegations were raised against the management of Aero Contractors.

AMCON, it was gathered appealed to members of the union to maintain peace and remain calm as they were on part of truth and justice while they investigate all the allegations raised by the unions.

It was also learned that the audit firm is a forensic one that will audit all the planes that Aero Contractors management claimed to have bought.

In an earlier statement by the two unions, they declared.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Guinness reports 66% fall in net profit half-year Ï ^ Ɔ ƏƄ ƄƉƉ ƕƐƆƃƄ Ǝ ƃƉƆƄ Ǝ Azubike Nnadozie Guinness Nigeria Plc has reported a profit after tax of N1.172 billion on a turnover of N49.83 billion for the half-year ended December 31, 2015 compared with a profit after tax of N3.399 billion

on a turnover of N55.267 billion for the corresponding period of 2014.

The result represents 66 percent drop in net profit and 9.83 percent fall in turnover.

Fundamental analysis showed that earnings per share (EPS) stood at 0.78 kobo in December 2015 as against N2.26 in December 2014, translating to a drop of 66 percent while profit margin was 2.35 percent in December

2015 compared with 6.15 percent, representing a drop of 61.75 percent.

In the same vein, return on asset (ROA) was 0.87 percent in December 2015 compared with 2.50 percent in 2014 while return on equity was 2.62 percent as against 7.79 percent in 2014, representing a drop of 65.02 percent in ROA and 66.32 percent in ROE. Based on this result CPB Research, an arm of Capital Ban-

corp Plc, a dealing member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has issued a sell advice to its clients.

“We downgrade our recommendation on Guinness Nigeria to a SELL position with regard to its latest Q2’16 result released to the Public on the 29th of January 2016. Guinness Nigeria Q2’16 numbers showed a significant drop in revenue, suggesting its inability to drive sales. Going for-

ward, we are bearish on the company’s ability to turn this current position to improved profitability in the next two quarters of the remaining financial year and the medium term, thus prompting our revaluation and forecast on the company’s earnings. The company’s current score card came as a massive surprise as we expected its fairly new product lines to keep sales revenue,” the research unit said.

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

NiMet gets 7-day strike notice over failed labour agreement

NCS issues warning to ship owners CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Joy Ekeke The management of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET has been given seven days to comply with the agreement it reached with its workers last year or face a strike action.

Operating on the platform of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, labour said the ultimatum was contained in a letter sent to the Director General of the agency in Abuja, last Friday.

President of the union, Solomon Adelegan, said the ultimatum was sequel to the inability of the NIMET’s management to respect and implement the agreement reached with the union at a meeting in December last year.

According to him, some of the critical issues raised, discussed and agreement reached at the meeting include,” Commencement of full implementation of the recently approved Condition of Service/ Addendum for NIMET workers: Effective date of 2013 Promotion: Mandatory Training for would be Retirees: Staff Quarters occupied by officers who have retired from NIMET and Payment of 2015 ExGratia.”

Anuforom

Oshiomhole

Edo state pensioners receive N2b in gratuities Joy Ekeke Pensioners in Edo State have received a total N2 billion being gratuity for 539 pensioners from the 2010, 2011 batch.

The payment of the pensioners’ gratuity is in fulfilment of the promise of Governor Adams Oshiomhole to defray the pension liability to the retired workers.

It will be recalled that Governor Adams Oshiomhole had told pensioners in the state that Government is doing everything possible to fast-track the process, assuring that “this gratuity will not be paid piecemeal, not that they will give you 40 percent, 50 percent and then you come back another day, no. this present gratuity will be paid in full at once.”

He added: “one other decision I took on assumption of office was that I directed the Accountant-General to ensure that those who have been cleared to receive their pension are paid the same day those who are working are paid, the day I receive my pay, that must be the same day those pensioners are paid.”

The State Head of Service,

Mrs. Gladys Idahor who announced the payment of the N2 billion gratuity said those who got their payment alerts were those already screened and have done their biometrics.

She said those who have errors in their account details, some who didn’t turn up for screening and others whose records were incomplete are yet to get their payment alerts.

She explained that the next of kin of deceased staff are also yet to be paid, noting that another date will soon be announced for the screening of those who didn’t turn up in the first exercise and the next of kin of deceased staff who have the requisite letters of administration.

According to Mrs. Idahor, one hundred and seventy five pensioners from the 2010 batch and three hundred and sixty four from the 2011 batch who were successfully verified have been paid their gratuities.

“The verification exercise and payment of gratuities will be a continuous exercise and a date will be announced soon for pensioners who retired in 2012 to come for their verification and immediate payments,” she said.

This was contained in a directive issued to ship owners by Ms. Grace Adeyemo, a Deputy Comptroller-General on behalf of the CG stating that there would be strict enforcement and compliance of all relevant provisions of the extant laws of NCS on ships and vessels that berth illegally outside Customs ports.

It explained that the directive followed intelligence reports which indicated some form of compromise by NCS officers. ``Intelligence reports reaching headquarters indicate some form of compromise by officers where deliberate acts of impunity are perpetuated through illegal berthing of ships/vessels and mid-stream discharge of cargo other than officially designated Customs Ports despite existing circulars.

``In effect, I am directed to reiterate and convey the Comptroller-General of Customs directive on strict enforcement of the Extant Laws and Circulars in that regard. ``That on no circumstance should any ship/ vessel coming in from a foreign country berth at any other place other than the conventional ports first. ``Where any of such ship/vessel is Free Zone-bound or designate, it shall set sail thereafter under official escort of the Enforcement Unit of the Command for further official processes. ``You are further directed to enforce strictly all relevant provisions of the Extant laws including Section 26 of customs and excise management act (CEMA) upon any encountered violation in that regard,’’ the circular said.

Financial mismanagement: International forensic firm to audit Aero contractors CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

,” These people who were majority AMCON senior management staff seconded to the board of Aero with Aero management devised various ways of siphoning money from AMCON in the name of Aero. Those management staff in Aero who did not cooperate with their plan were either sacked or advised to resign. Some of the ways they orchestrated to siphon tax payers monies out of AMCON in the name aero are listed below.”

“N266M (Two Hundred and Sixty Two Million Naira) was paid in the name Austen Peters & Co and the monies transferred to one Alpine Gates Com-

Kuru

pany for alleged Negotiated settlements fee to AMCON as consultancy fee. On further investigation it was discovered that this money were just being siphoned from aero in the name of consultancy fees and passed back to a beneficiaries in AMCON.” “$250.000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars) was paid twice in favour of Bayo – Negotiation &Finalization of restructuring with AMCON and was also reflected on our invoices as general vendor for consultancy fees. These monies were taken away by AMCON staff even while the company was undergoing serious cash crunch.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

B3 Business News

Elumelu invests $3b to deliver 2,000mw of electricity ÏPrivate sector invests $43 billion in African power sector Charles Okonji The Chairman of Heirs Holdings and founder Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu has through Transcorp Power Limited committed, $2.5 billion to deliver 2,000 megawatts of electricity under the Power Africa Initiative as Transcorp Power is currently generating about 19 per cent of the country’s power need with a target to increasing capacity to 25 per cent.

Tony Elumelu, who said this in Washington DC recently, during “Power Africa Summit” called on the United States Congress to pass the ‘Electrify Africa Act’ stating that the passage of the bill in to law would make a world of difference in Africa.

He said; “ The bill which would preserve and expand President Barack Obama’s Power Africa Initiative by codifying access to electricity as a U.S. foreign policy

L-R: Awardee, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu; Representative of A-Z Petroleum, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwo; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Rev. Ugochukwu Chime during ECCIMA’S KEYMAN Award in Enugu ... recently.

priority for Africa has already been passed by the U.S. Senate and is expected be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives next week.”

He commended President Obama for working through the Power Africa Initiative to mobilize the private sector to invest

$43 billion in the African power sector.

“Power cuts across and has impact on healthcare delivery, job creation, education, food security communications and all other sectors of the economy. It is unacceptable that 600 million Africans lack access to energy in the 21st

NEMSA boss orders immediate relocation of residents in high tension cable areas Ï Ƅ Ɖ ƅƅ ƆƉƉƄ Ɖ pole coy in Ibadan Augustine okezie Abuja Managing Director and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, NEMSA, Mr. Peter Ewesor has ordered residents of Ibadan who built structures under high tension wires to relocate immediately and avoid the risk of being electrocuted.

Mr. Ewesor who gave the order during the national monitoring tour of the power installations under the control of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBDEC further mentioned areas where residents had built such structures to include; Tomavide, Ifesowapo/ Academy, Ring Road, Podo/OdoOna Kekere, and Apete areas as well as the Interchange around

the Toll gate end of Lagos/ Ibadan expressway with trailer parks and restaurant operated under the high tension cables.

He said,”We just thank God no disaster has happened.

When you have within the locality, people generating their own local power supply that are fed into the grid, What that means is that if for any reason NEPA is on and their own is on too and somebody has not taken the proper precaution definitely there will be an explosion because there are two forces on the same network.’’

Mr. Ewesor further explained that it was sheer ignorance and flagrant disregard for the town planning rules and regulations that made people to erect structures and undertake businesses under 33/KVA and 11/ KVA transmission lines and therefore directed the Ibadan DISCO to act urgently to avert the inherent danger associated with high voltage power installations.

The NEMSA Managing Director was further quoted as saying “we cannot see everything at a go. So with the recommendations and observations of this exercise, we are directing them to use them as a guide on all other areas because the networks are similar, the incidents are also similar, and we are saying that anyone which is lifethreatening situation should be corrected without further delay.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Ewesor has ordered the closure of Standard Concrete and Poles limited, Ibadan where the owner of the factory, Mr. Raphael Odugbenro was allegedly operating without license.

The chief executive officer of Standard Concrete and poles, Mr. Raphael Odugbenro, who reacted to the closure, asked for more time to regularize documents for the registration of his company with NEMSA for safety checks and standardization.

century.”

“The call in Washington DC follows the joint letter to the U.S. Congress from Elumelu and President of Dangote Group, Mr. Aliko Dangote, on behalf of the African Energy Leaders Group (AELG), which they co-founded with other leaders in January

Tony Nwakaegho Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Precise Financial Systems (PFS), Mr. Yele Okeremi has called on President Mohammadu Buhari to establish an Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) General for the Federation to oversee the spending of the federal government as well as the strategic planning of all federal IT investments.

Okeremi who was twice chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of DEMO Africa, which Nigeria hosted in 2014 and 2015, made this call at the just concluded maiden edition of ICT retreat held in Ibadan, adding that the CIO’s office should be charged with establishing a government-wide enterprise architecture that would ensure system interoperability, informationsharing and maintain effective information security and privacy controls across the federal government.

He tasked the Ministry of Communications to focus on development, implementation and evaluation of the relevant IT policies for the country and also to strengthen the Office of ICT In-

2015. The letter, similarly urged members of the U.S. House of Representatives to act swiftly and pass this critical piece of legislation to scale up U.S. efforts to help provide Africans with access to electricity.”

He noted that Africa does not need another trade agreement or preferential program calling for a new trade paradigm in the trade and investment relationship with Africa as it is time to move beyond the unequal exchange of cheap raw materials for expensive finished goods that disadvantages Africa, to one that ensures technology transfer and sustainable economic development, huge economic returns for investors and creates new jobs for both sides.

“Applying the principles of Africapitalism; focus on identifying and enabling specific value chains and promoting entrepreneurship. “Africapitalism can help shape the new trade paradigm because it requires governments, donors and the private sector to work together in “Shared Purpose” to ensure the creation of national plans and supporting policies around specific sectors and related targets, so the private sector can step in with capital and expertise geared to achieve those targets, be they tons of grain produced, megawatts of electricity generated or industrial parks created,” Elumelu stated.

FG urged to establish office of CIO of the federation novations and Entrepreneurship (OIIE).

He explained that the Ministry’s policy would enable the OIIE to access the required resources and power to support incubation centres and hubs while facilitating partnership between the incubation centres and hubs with industry practitioners, particularly the software houses.

OIIE was established to nurture, cultivate and expand ICT innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria in line with NITDA Act 2007 and the National ICT Policy.

According to him, Nigeria must prioritise ICT local content and innovation on agriculture, petroleum, finance, communication, educations and entertainment if the ICT industry is needed to generate the needed employment opportunities and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

Money Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Forex policies: Nigerians now ready to take up challenge of domestic production-CBN

Stories by Motolani Oseni

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that Nigerians were now ready to take up challenge of domestic production, which invariably implied that the forex demand management policies that have been introduced by the apex bank, have started yielding results.

Deputy Governor on Financial System Stability, Mr. Okwu Nnanna, stated this while delivering a keynote address at a round table session on “Economic Outlook 2016: Implications for Business In Nigeria” organized by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos recently, noted that businesses in Nigeria are now bracing up to take up the challenge of domestic production of hitherto imported commodities, reducing the demand pressure on the forex market.

He explained that with appropriate pricing of petroleum products underway, opportuni-

FBN, GTB, UBA, others make global top 500 banking brands NIBOR as @ Feb. 1, 2016 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

0.98

0.10 ?

1M

7.6319

-0.30 ?

3M

9.0312

-0.11 ?

6M

10.472

0.05 ?

ties for local refining of crude oil are brighter than ever and this will provide investment opportunities in the down and upstream segments of the oil value sector chain.

Nnanna, however pointed that apex bank expected Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria to rediscover the agricultural sector, ‘as lending to this sector will free the economy from the strangle

hold which the oil and gas sector has long had on the economy.

He maintained that despite the economic challenges in the country, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of banks stood at 17.66 per-

cent, as at December, 2015.

According to him, this is well above the prudential requirement of 10 percent. Non-performing loans stood at 4.88 percent representing a 2 percentage point increase, but remains below the prudential requirement of 5 percent during the review period.

“These suggest the ability of the Nigeria financial system to withstand current economic challenges going forward,” Nnanna noted.

The CBN boss noted that in spite the challenging domestic and external macroeconomic environment which Nigerians currently face, he is convinced that it offers the country the much needed opportunity for introspection.

Meanwhile, the president and chairman of the CIBN, Otunba (Mrs.) ’Debola Osibogun, however, charges the federal government to provide the enabling environment to channel investments for real development in the critical sectors of the economy.

Five tier -one Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria have made the top 500 global banking brand ranking, with First Bank of Nigeria Limited retaining the number one banking brand ranking in Nigeria for the fifth consecutive year in the 2016 The Banker and Brand Finance Top 500 Banking Brands in the world.

According to the 2016 Top 500 banking brands ranking published in the February edition of The Banker magazine, Financial Times Group in conjunction with Brand Finance, London, United Kingdom, First Bank moved up the scale in 16 places. The bank moves from 336 positions in 2015 to 320 this year.

In a statement from the Country Representative of The

Banker magazine in Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ogedengbe, added that three other Nigerian banks also made the ranking - Guaranty Trust Bank which moved to 389 in the world from 417 in 2015, Zenith Bank that dropped from 388 in 2015 to 392 in 2016, and United Bank for Africa that returned to the ranking in 447.

Access Bank that made the ranking at 496 in 2015 dropped from the 2016 ranking.

First Bank’s brand value, which is the licensing rate that a third-party would need to pay to use the bank’s brand increased to $322 million in 2016 from $300 million in 2015 while that of Guaranty Trust Bank also increased to $243 million from $213 million.

The 2016 brand value of Zenith Bank increased to $238 million from $235 in 2015 while

United Bank for Africa that made a return to the ranking since 2012 has a brand value of $198 million. UBA’s brand value in 2012 was $121 million.

For the ranking’s methodology, Brand Finance obtained brand-specific financial and revenue data; modeled the market to identify market demand and the position of individual banks in the context of all other market competitors; established the royalty rate for each bank; calculated the discount rate specific to each bank, taking account of its size, geographical presence, reputation, gearing and brand rating and discounted future royalty stream (explicit forecast and perpetuity periods) to a net present value which is the brand value.

This approach is used for two reasons. These are that it is fa-

voured by tax authorities and the courts because it calculates brand values by reference to documented third-party transactions which can be arrived at through publicly available financial information.

Of the five countries in Africa that made the ranking, Nigeria has the highest brand value increase of $249 million. Egypt moved up by $239 million; Togo gained $134 million while South Africa and Morocco lost $878 million and $213 million respectively.

Globally, Wells Fargo of the United States of America retains the number one banking brand in the world for the fourth consecutive year and was followed by banks in China and United Kingdom in the first ten. Wells Fargo’s brand value for 2016 is $44.1 from $34.9 billion in 2015.

L-R: Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affiars, Senator Bukar Mustapha; Chairman of the Committee, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed during the committee’s familiarization and oversight visit to the Ministry in Abuja ... on Monday.

External Reserves Date

Gross

Liquid

Blocked

1/28/16

28,189,682,767

27,496,581,140

693,101,627

2.46% 1/27/16

28,213,125,960

27,519,579,719

693,546,241

28,241,834,225

27,547,759,912

694,074,313

28,272,167,847

27,577,553,320

694,614,527

2.46% 1/26/16 2.46% 1/25/16 2.46%

%

Ecobank begins agency banking services in Nigeria Ecobank Nigeria has commenced agency banking services, enabling its appointed agent partners carry out banking services on its behalf, so as to offer basic banking services to the underbanked by providing extended hours for available banking services in the customers’ neighborhood.

Agency banking services is

designed to increases the bank’s retail distribution network allowing it provide basic banking services to its customers as well as offer payment services such as bank transfers, bill payments and airtime top-up to the general public.

Announcing the commencement of the Ecobank Agency Banking service in Lagos, Head,

Cards and e-Banking, Ayotunde Kuponiyi said it is part of the bank’s distribution strategy to take banking service to the doorstep of the customer. “This is extending our banking services to consumers’ neighborhood to offer even greater convenience and accessible financial services in a cost effective and secure manner,” he said.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

B5 Labour

AUTOBATE urges Buhari to avert collapse of real sector Automobile Boatyards Transport Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association, (AUTOBATE) has urged President Muhammad Buhari to without delay implement an economic policy that would rein in the country’s real sector from the brinks of collapse.

The union said the President should take urgent steps to cushion the effect of the austerity measure on the poor working populace.

AUTOBATE holding its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, at Labour House, Ikeja Lagos recently, deliberated extensively on issues affecting Nigerian workers, stressing that most of them now faced the risk of losing their jobs.

In a communique signed by its National President Comrade Julius David and Secretary General Comrade Sola

Buhari

Olorunfemi, the NEC called on the Federal Government to intervene quickly to save the real sector from total collapse, as many companies are retrenching workers by the day due to inaccessibility of forex through the banks. It noted the effects on both domestics and international trade as industries are operating far below capacity.

AUTOBATE also urged the Federal Government to be consistent and display utmost sincerity about its industrialization drive in the auto industry by encouraging National Automotive Design and Development Council to achieve its objectives of job creation, industrialization and technology transfer.

The NEC-in-session lamented the alarming rate with which Nigerian workers have been turned into sacrificial lambs who atone for the sins of the bosses who loot the treasury

dry. It called on the Presidency to look inward by creating something out of nothing.

The Congress stressed that lives should not be made unbearable for the impoverished masses who are surrounded by many dependants, urging the Federal Government to rather tax the super-rich who embezzle subsidy funds.

The AUTOBATE Council also frowned at the upsurge of foreign companies operating in Nigeria with disrespect to labour laws guiding their operations, noting that flagrant refusal of unionizing, outsourcing employment and casualisation of Nigerians were the order of the day which is not obtainable in international labour standard.

The NEC also called on the Lagos State Government to intervene on the traffic system and security situation as promised in the 2016 budget as many industries operate in Lagos and contribute to the commonwealth of the nation.

NLC advises FG to retain fuel subsidy without corruption Stories by Joy Ekeke The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal government not to do away with the fuel subsidy scheme, but rather to rid it of any inherent traces of corruption even as the congress vowed to sustain its fight against economic enslavement of the masses.

Rising from a stakeholders meeting held in Lagos recently, the organized labour, expressed their determination to resist fuel subsidy removal and urged Federal Government to deal with corruption subsidy rather than fuel subsidy removal, if truly it is set to tackle corruption.

The labour union leaders who made this assertion during the stakeholders meeting on fuel subsidy removal, they stressed that the same few individuals that have constituted themselves into set of cabals that have been holding the country into ran-

Group to empower undergraduate entrepreneurs

som would try to arm-twist the government of the day through blackmail as they did in years past, as a result, the price of fuel which was reviewed downward would eventually rise above N97, a move Nigerians should be prepared to fight against.

“As removal of subsidy among other things would further impoverish the masses since this is the only thing they are benefiting from the country’s rich crude oil endowment, subsidy removal, without appropriate investment of the savings will result in increased national poverty levels and an abrupt increase in general price levels which will result in overall decline in living standards. Increased cost of fuel will adversely affect all aspects of life with the harshest impact on the poor, commerce will be negatively affected by the increase in transportation cost and the final cost of goods and services. A general increase in the cost of doing

As part of efforts to tackle unemployment in the country, Shun Unemployment Campus Tour, an initiative supported by Majaa Global Communications and Charmuz.com will be creating an empowerment platform and radio show through a holistic youth entrepreneurship-empowerment.

According to the initiative convener, Mayowa Ajibodu, the initiative aims at reducing

business will be inevitable; cost of goods produced in Nigeria will be much higher than imported goods.”

In his welcome address, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba explained that the meeting was convened as way to sensitise Nigerians on the need to reject fuel subsidy removal since the only thing government has been subsidizing is corruption.

“Why we are against fuel subsidy removal is because the same set of people that are behind the clamour for the removal are the same cabals that are behind continued importation of petroleum products as they are gaining immensely from importation and they are doing everything possible to frustrate restoration of refineries in the country. If India is still using the same refinery set up in 1901, then Nigeria should be able through proper maintenance make all our refineries functional.”

chronic youth unemployment in Nigeria by creating a campus empowerment platform and a radio show, through a holistic youth entrepreneurshipempowerment model consisting of three integrated ideas: train, empower and nurture.

Ajibodu added that: “We are set out to reach out to undergraduates, youths and entrepreneurs in Nigeria. There is need to empower the youth mentally

Wabba

through our four modules such as start up skills, entrepreneur skills, communication and negotiation skill and self-discovery.”

“Nigerians are gifted, talented and endowed with creativity but with little or no effort to enhance them. The truth be told, money is an essential value here and everywhere, with money, ideas can be nurtured and make reality.

“I believe we can empower graduates to be able to stand alone while the white collar job is not coming in. I believe we can discover the gifted and talented ones and turn their idea into workable business, all this I believe will create more jobs, reduce poverty, reduce unemployment, robbery, and boost the Nigeria economy and more importantly, great leaders will emerge.” he said.

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Stock market report

Stock index plummets by 0.37% Stories by Azubike Nnadozie

The equities market started the month of February on a bearish note with the NSE All Share Index (NSEASI) shedding 0.37 per cent to close at 23,826.76 points. The market breadth (0.68x) swayed in favour of the laggards, as 19 stocks advanced against 28 decliners. Volume traded and market turnover surged by 8.70 per cent and 154.43 per cent respectively.

Zenith Bank and Honey Well Flour Mill topped the gainers chart, having appreciated by 8.56 percent and 5.48 per cent respectively. The counters were trailed by UAC-Property, International Breweries,CCNN and Seplat, all advanced by five per cent apiece.

Conversely, Con Oil led the losers, having nosedived by 9.70 Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Umar-Masari (left) and Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Sen. Enyinanya Abaribe at a news conference on the forthcoming 3rd Made-in-Aba Trade fair, in Abuja ...on Monday.

Seplat takes over operatorship of OMLs 53, 55 Opeoluwani Akintayo Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc on Monday announced that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has delivered a judgement in favour of the company and Chevron Nigeria Limited (“CNL”) in a litigation brought against both parties

by Brittania.

The litigation had prevented the full transfer of a 40 percent working interest in OML 53 and effective 22.5 percent working interest in OML 55 that Seplat had acquired from CNL in February 2015.

In a report sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Seplat stated that the court judgement proves the company’s innocence in the case filed against it.

“We are naturally pleased with today’s ruling, not least because it means we are free to deploy our proven operating expertise and realise the significant reserve, production and value potential these blocks hold. To give an idea of scale, we estimate these blocks to hold recoverable volumes of around 200 million barrels of oil equivalent net to Seplat, a material volume by any standard and one

which has now been unlocked for us,” said Austin Avuru, Seplat’s Chief Executive Officer. “OML 53 fits neatly within our strategy of securing, commercialising and monetising natural gas in the Niger Delta to supply the rapidly growing domestic market and will further reinforce our position as a preeminent supplier of gas in Nigeria. OML 55 provides us with a number of attractive opportunities to boost oil and gas output, and is consistent with our strategy of prioritising those that offer near-term production growth, cash-flow and reserve replacement potential in the onshore and shallow water offshore areas of Nigeria,” he added.

On 5 February 2015 the Company announced that it had acquired a 40 percent working interest in OML 53, onshore north eastern Niger Delta, from CNL. Simultaneously the Company also announced that it had concluded negotiations to purchase 56.25 percent of the share capital of Belemaoil Producing Limited (“Belemaoil”), a Nigerian special purpose vehicle that had completed the acquisition of a 40 percent interest in the producing OML 55, located in the swamp to coastal zone of south eastern Ni-

ger Delta, also from CNL. Seplat’s effective working interest in OML 55 as a result of the acquisition is 22.50 percent.

NNPC holds the remaining 60.00% interest in both OML 53 and OML 55 and, pursuant to the Joint Operating Model, Seplat was designated operator of OML 53 and OML 55(together the “Assets.”)

However, the full completion and transfer of these assets and operatorship was hindered by a litigation brought against CNL and Seplat by Brittania-U, one of the counter bidders that also sought to acquire the assets from CNL and contested the outcome of the sales process.

The litigation reached the Supreme Court, the apex court in Nigeria, following an appeal brought

by Brittania-U against the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria. The Court of Appeal decision delivered on 20th June 2014 set aside the ruling of the lower court which had extended an exparte order of interim injunction obtained by Brittania-U at the commencement of the action.

This ruling allows CNL to conclude the full transfer and operatorship of the Assets to Seplat with immediate effect.

percent to NGN22.34. It was followed by 7UP, Port Panit , Total and Forte Oil respectively declining by five percent.

Considering performances of NSE sector indices in the day, the NSEOILG5 index pared the most (-2.43 percent), trailed by the NSEFBT10 (-0.74 percent) and NSEIND (-0.65 percent) indices. The NSEBNK10 (+2.10 percent) and NSEINS10 (+0.05 percent) indices were the only advancers.

Analysts with Meristem Securities Limited opine that market performance in the day was in line with investor’s perception of earnings releases thus far, vis-à-vis their expectations on financial scorecards yet to be released. They advise investors to balance their optimism with caution as we anticipate more FY2015 results.

Summary of activities on NSE ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

23,916.15 3,270.00 241,371,591.00 2,002,531,236.15 8,225,210,629,382.94

StanbicIBTC advises investors to diversify portfolios As investors streamline their investment portfolios to take advantage of expected opportunities in the market in 2016 and enhance their returns, Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Bunmi Dayo-Olagunju, has called on investors to take advantage of mutual funds to hedge their risks.

Dayo-Olagunju made the call in Lagos on Tuesday in her office.

She said considering the volatility in the equities and commodity markets, it is imperative for investors to diversify their portfolios by investing in mutual funds and other investment vehicles.

According to her, the attractiveness of mutual funds or collective schemes is the number of advantages it offers over other investment vehicles, such as flexibility, which makes it possible to either invest a lump sum or make regular instalments every month; liquidity, which means the funds can be accessed at any time by the investor who may require money for a variety of purposes

such as healthcare, education, vacation and housing. Others include steady returns, professional management, and risk reduction, among others.

“Mutual funds offer investors the advantages of portfolio diversification and professional management at low cost. These advantages are particularly important because diversification and professional management ensure steady returns when compared to other investment instruments.

Mutual funds offer an opportunity for steady growth in assets while reducing the attendant risk associated with investing in individual securities,” said DayoOlagunju.

She said Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited is particularly committed to ensuring that investors are availed the opportunity of viable investment vehicles so that they can spread their risks, which is why the company continues to develop an array of products targeted at the needs of Nigerians.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 01-02-2016

Energy B8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Local Content: UK subsea engineering firm forms JV in Nigeria

Oil rig

Stories by Opeoluwani Akintayo Nigeria’s local content law, at the weekend received a major boost as a UK Sub-sea Engineering and Manufacturing firm (MSCM) signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with a Nigerian firm, Padua Petroleum Nigeria Limited, PPNL. The JV agreement which was disclosed during the 2016 Offshore West Africa Conference, OWA held in Lagos recently gives rise to MSCM-PPNL Subsea Solutions Nigeria Limited.

Managing Director of PPNL, Engr. Paul Ajisafe informed industry stakeholders present that the formation of MSCM and PPNL Joint Venture was to demonstrate sincere commitment to their presence in Nigeria, noting that MSCM holds 49 percent share while PPNL holds 51 percent share in the agreement.

He explained that MSCM’s presence in Nigeria is a major boost in fulfilling the Nigerian Content Policy in the oil and gas industry noting that operational activities will commence in six

months’ time.

Through the JV Company, Engr. Ajisafe said they would bring about the much-needed transfer of technology and expertise in Nigeria especially in the highly specialized subsea sector which is the future of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

He added that MSCM’s in-road into Africa made Nigeria the hub of its activities, noting that Nigeria plays a strategic position in the energy industry.

“For so long Nigeria has been short changed and there is need for a paradigm shift whereby foreign companies can come into the country and establish themselves here. “MSCM has been doing business in Nigeria and there is no way they can continue to take away resources from this country without giving back to the country. That is the basis for our collaboration,” Ajisafe said.

Commenting on services of the JV, Ajisafe said: “We are going to offer technical support services in terms of maintenance of existing subsea facilities where our Subsea Products and Equipment’s are utilized in Nigeria to ensure minimal downtime in operations and optimal production of these critical offshore assets.

“We are going to provide stocking of critical spares frequently requested by our existing clients for their offshore facilities in-country instead of importing them into the country at short notice.

Amaya Capital to construct $876m 450MW power plant in Edo State Amaya Capital Ltd and Azura Power Holdings Ltd have announced that they have reached financial close for Amaya Capital’s Flagship West Africa power investment, the 450MW Azura-Edo Independent Power Project (“Azura-Edo IPP”) in Edo State, Nigeria.

The $876 million transaction is the first of a new wave of project-financed greenfield IPPs currently being developed in Nigeria.

The financing of the AzuraEdo IPP involves $190 million of equity and $686 million of debt from a consortium of local and international financiers.

Azura is majorly owned by Amaya Capital, the founder and lead sponsor of the project and American Capital Energy

& Infrastructure. Other equity investors in the Azura-Edo project include funds managed

by African Infrastructure Investment Managers (“AIIM”), Aldwych Azura Ltd and the ARM-Harith Infrastructure Fund.

The completion of financing for Azura represents the second major infrastructure investment by Amaya Capital, the first being Seven Energy, the gas infrastructure company. Through its investments in Seven Energy and Azura, Amaya Capital has been the lead sponsor and active investor in two companies responsible for the deployment of over $3 billion of capital in the gas and power segments of the energy sector

in Nigeria.

These early stage investments have contributed to the development of a commercially viable market in gas and electricity in Nigeria, two fundamentally important market segments for Nigeria’s evolving energy sector, but where private sector investment had been hitherto limited.

The Azura-Edo IPP is the first Nigerian power project to benefit from the World Bank’s ‘Partial Risk Guarantee’ structure, specifically created to meet the developing needs of emerging markets world-wide, and political risk insurance for equity and commercial debt from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, also part of the World Bank group.

NIPCO inaugurates new storage facility Nipco Plc, an integrated oil and gas operator has inaugurated new product storage facility to boost the company’s efforts at meeting the growing demands of its esteemed customers.

The new facility consisting of three tanks with a total storage capacity of about 35million litres of white products was commissioned by the company’s Managing Director, Venkataraman Venkatapathy in company of top management staff and scores of the firm employees.

Speaking about the project, Mr Venkatapathy said the additional tank farms said a vindication of the company’s belief in the resilience of the Nigerian economy stressing ”even though this is about the most challenging times for the country as a whole and the economy in particular, there is still a lot of hope for better days ahead.

According to him, concerted efforts will be made to ensure that we surmount the tough op-

erating environment with the active support of the workforce and other stakeholders. He implored the safety department to re double their efforts to ensure that these additional storage platforms are safe in terms of human and material resource in the area adding that greater adherence to all safety rules and efficiency.

The Managing Director who dedicated the facility dubbed” Buffer Tank Farm” to employees in the company urged everyone to make good use of the new storage in the best interest of the stakeholders .

Earlier in his remark GM Terminal operations, Suresh Kumar said the new facility is a fall-out of the re-strategizing efforts of management for optimum growth of the company.

He noted that that the facility was put in place to address the need for additional storage by way of expansion of the existing ones.

Venkatapathy

Nigeria’s weekly energy watch #

JAN.17-23,2016 (Avg)

JAN.24-30 2016 (Avg)

*

Energy Generated (MWh)

98

100

*

Energy Sent Out (MWh)

96

98

*

Peak (MW)

4

4

*

Off-Peak (MW)

3

3

*

Spinning Reserve (MW)

50

44

*

Constrained (MW)

2

1

*

Units (Available)

71

66

*

Units (On Bars)

49

49

EVENT DATE: Sunday, January 24th 2016 Courtesy: Nigerian Electricity Commission, NERC

OPEC

daily basket price

OPEC daily basket price stood at $28.28 a barrel Thursday, 28 January 2016.

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Ruth

Kadiri

The challenges I faced, helped me become the person I am today L P

2

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

Constantly being in the public glare doesn’t leave room to be daring fashion-wise – Ruth Kadiri Ruth Kadiri is one of the fast rising actresses in Nigeria and a fantastic script writer of repute whose presence in the movie industry is very much visible. The Edo State-born actress who made her first debut in the industry in the movie ‘Sincerity’ is not leaving any stone unturned as she storms one location to another. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, Ruth Kadiri speaks on her passion as an actress, style and other issues. Enjoy…

Life&

T E A M

Thinking back, how would you describe your childhood?

I grew up like every normal kid though far from being born with a silver spoon. While growing up, my greatest asset was hope. I learnt things the hard way as a child, having great and early experiences, given clearer understanding of the struggles one had to go through as a child and hoping to become someone in life. I had a lot of obstacles, discriminations and rejections, but shouldered high responsibilities but I thank God for what I am today and what the future hold. All challenges I faced, helped me become the person I am today.

In the cause of building your career, what were some of the hurdles you crossed?

Like every other profession, starting up always has its challenges. However, I was determined and focused. For me, it was simply about making it in life and being successful. So I had to cross every obstacle that came my way with my head high. Thank God I got passed through all the challenges and I proved to myself that I deserve to be successful.

Has it always been your dream to become an actress?

My passion for acting started in the church, and that is why I see my career as an obligation to God. I started writing in my secondary school days before I began to attend auditions for movie roles. I can still remember my first audition, it was at the Wale Adenuga Studios where I later met a friend, Victor Eze, who had a writing school. I attended his school and graduated. I wrote my first script, Wild and Dirty, and after that, I continued to write some more till I started getting roles in movies that adapted my own scripts and that was how acting started for me. I had my first major breakthrough when I starred in ‘Boy’s Cot’, which featured acts like Jim Iyke, Nonso Diobi, Mike Ezerouye, and Uche Jombo among others. It was a very great start for me and since then, I have never looked back.

Has your career influence your style?

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Adebambo Segun

Definitely, I would say yes. My career to a large extent has influenced my style. Although my present style has always been what I rock but being a role model definitely also has a part to play in it. I cannot attempt to try some certain styles because I consider what people would think of me as a role model. Constantly being in the public glare does not leave room to be daring when it comes to fashion.

When stepping out for an event, what are the things you consider?

My overall look, my hair, make-up, dress, bag and shoes. I would consider everything that makes me look glamorous for the event.

Do you think fashion is about dressing alone?

No it is not. Dressing is just an aspect of fashion. To be fashionable, you have to also consider things like your footwear, accessories, makeup, body piercing and tattoos. Fashion is a very broad concept that cannot be limited to dressing alone.

Do you prefer looking natural or you feel incomplete without make-up on?

As I said earlier, fashion involves everything including your make-up, every woman feels incompletely without make up, light or heavy.

What project are you currently working on?

I’m working on a whole lot presently aside movie production and I have a movie project coming up soon, everything will be revealed in no time.

When it comes to your body, which do you see as assets?

Every part of my body make up for who I am, they are all my assets. My body in its entirety is my asset.

What kind of clothes do you feel very comfortable wearing?

I’m comfortable in a lot of clothes but what I wear depends on the occasion and environment.

As long as my appearance suits the occasion, I will be comfortable wearing the cloth.

Do you have tattoos and what is your opinion about them?

I don’t have any tattoo or tattoos but I have nothing against it. Besides the pain, I feel that my body is too much of a premium brand to be inscribing anything on it but that is just my personal opinion.

How often do you patronise Nigerian designers?

I wear more of Nigerian designs than foreign brands, so I will say I patronise them very often.

I am not really a great fan of foreign or local designs, I don’t wear clothes based on the designer, I wear what looks good on me.

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

L3 Music & Movie Charts

Abdullahi Zaheenab

Top 10 music chart

Top 10 movie chart

Foreign

International

1. The Game “Do It To You” (ft. Trey Songs) 2. Sia – “Making The Most Of The Night” 3. Adele – ‘#IMISSYOU (Bling Remix) 4. Fabolous – “Milly Rock” (Remix) 5. T.I. – “Out My Face” Ft. Shad Da God, Young Thug & London Jae 6. Tinashe – “Secret” 7. Tyga – “Gone Too Far” 8. Chris Brown ft Future – U Did It 9. Pusha T ft Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, the Dream – M.P.A. 10. J Cole – Folgers Crystals

1. The Revenant (2015) 2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3. Ride Along 2 4. Dirty Grandpa 5. 13Hours: The secret soldiers of Benghazi 6. The 5th Wave 7. The Boy 8. Daddy’s Home 9. The Big Short 10. Norm of the North

Top 10 movie chart

English

Top 10 music chart

1. Fifty 2. Autumn leaves 3. Taxi Driver 4. Victims 5. LAPD 6. Beast of the nation 7. Dry 8. Road to Yesterday 9. The Visit 10. First Lady

Nigeria

1. 9ice – Abefe 2. SQ Ayinde – Alujo 3. Olamide – Don’t stop 4. Fine Face Ft. Viruz Zamora, Jaido P & Chinko Ekun – Aunty Risika 5. Reminisce – Angelina (Prod. By Krisbeats) 6. Orezi – Yagolono (Prod. By Kiddominant) 7. Joe El – Gbemisoke 8. Olamide – I love Lagos 9. Phyno – Ezege (Wickedest) 10. Tiwa Savage ft. Olamide – Standing Ovation

Top 10 movie chart

Yoruba

1. Idakeji 2. Ipa 3. Ase 4. Asiri 5. Siki Alako 6. Iya Oko 7. Kuru Kuru Prt. 3 8. Olu 9. Imotara Enikan 10. AAA

L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

Eyola

eyola@aol.com

The Best of Paris Fashion Week Spring 2016 Ready-To-Wear 1ne The central theme for the Paris Spring 2016 shows can be summarized as “relaxed tailoring mixed with a feminine flair and over-the-top embellishments” (feathers, embroidery, beadwork etc). Regardless of the uniformity, the collections were individual and characteristic of each designer’s house codes and hallmarks, all honouring France’s haute couture roots with artisinal craftsmanship and couture-like handiwork.

Below are some of the memorable highlights that took the Parisian stage by storm.

2wo Wet behind the ears. Kenzo (and fellow luxury fashion house DSquared2) have given women a reason to jump straight out of the shower and out the door, by making wet-hair fashion the IT-hairstyle for spring. However, mimicking this style is not as easy as it seems, requiring a generous amount of quality extra hold hair gel to keep the look watered throughout the day.

2wo Blue-eyed girl. Chanel and Missoni have given fashionistas the green light to experiment with blue eyeshadow. For the more fashion-forward fashionistas out there, go all out with blue eyeshadow wide across the eyes, over the arch of the nose and high up to the eyebrows à la Chanel’s runway makeup. Dare to experiment with a more outrageous look? Then give Alexis Mabille’s cyan-yellow combination eyeshadow a trial run.

3hree Let’s twist again. Perhaps experiment mixing spring’s wet-look hairstyle with partially braided hair like the models on Kenzo’s runway. Celine also gave a fashionable nod to this popular African hairstyle with a braided single plait ponytail. Plaits took different forms, not just in Paris but also making grand appearances at the other fashion capitals, notably: New York’s Herve Leger & Proenza Schouler and London’s Kristian Aadnevik. Paris gave its approval on this spring trend: Valentino’s cornrow twists and Esteban Cortazar’s modern take on braids. Traditional African cornrows and French plaits took the runway by storm and have inspired designers who have made spring the “braids and locks season”. Take cues from the fashion runways and rework and restyle the classic braids and plaits.

lour palette and loose-fitting trouser suits, cape dresses and sun hats were well-received by the Parisian audience. French label Hermès also adopted a similar design aesthetic. Classically tailored separates (leather skirts, tank tops, coats, mini and mxi dresses) came in neutral whites, nudes and a pop of red and hints of midnight blue, which dominated capes and dresses in block colours, geometric prints and stripes.

Each look was stylishly paired with a matching pair of sneakers, adding more momentum to the growing trend of athleisure - sportswear worn stylishly for daywear.

5ive On the double. Two-tone blueberry lipstick was the order of the day at Miu Miu. How refreshing to have a runway makeup look that can be instantly tried, tested and reinvented while also being everyday-friendly. Try something new this spring by lining the outside of the lip in one colour and then colour the lips with another complimentary colour.

6ix Africa rising. African themed collections continued to inspire the spring collections. From the jewelry, accessories to the clothes, Italian design duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli kept Africa alive and kicking on the fashion runway for Valentino’s spring collection. Models paraded the catwalk with sandy hued tulle dresses, African exotic wildlife prints - from elephants to giraffes and tie-dye printed dresses, trousers and jackets. Support local talent and craftsmen and shop for traditional accessories and fashion in Lagos, while keeping on cue to fashion’s latest trend.

7even Party animal. Party dresses were the stars of the season. Sonia Rykiel’s party girl wears a feminine one-shoulder floral print mini dress and disco-diva sequined evening silhouettes.

The Saint Laurent girl is the life of the party and is undoubtedly ready to get down and dirty on the dance floor, with a more relaxed effortless style. Previously known as Yves Saint Laurent, the French label’s party girl’s wardrobe consists of sequins, denim, cheetah-print, leather, army prints and camouflage decorating loose-fitting jackets, slip dresses, sweaters and blazers; all styled with tiaras and wellington boots or sandals.

4our

8ight

An American in Paris. The Row moved to Paris from New York. The American fashion house took their signature tailored-minimalism silhouettes out of their natural habitat of New York and into a 17th century Parisian property, Chateau de Courances. Ambitious American sweetheart child actors to bona fide international two-time award-winners of the CDFA’s Womenswear Designer award, twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen did what they do best: sharp tailoring and minimalism. The design duo’s design hallmarks of simplicity and pure lines alongside their signature neutral co-

Golden opportunity. One of the highlights of Paris Fashion Week was the handiwork of ‘the most influential makeup artist’, according to Vogue. Pat McGrath, of British-Jamaican heritage, took it upon herself to do something one could describe as ‘charitable style’ and as a result made fashion sociable and interactive. She took to Paris’ Tuileries garden, with her team, to lend her expertise to the public decorating and painting women’s faces with metallic gold makeup.

Photo credit: Harpersbazzar

L5

Y Teen World L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

Agboola Oluwarantimi

elling at your teen

harmful

e r o m e may b

than you think For many parents, yelling at their adolescent child is a normal event. Although most parents who yell at their teen would not dream of physically harming their teen, shouting or cursing or using insult may be detrimental to the long term wellbeing of the adolescence. Researchers found out that adolescents who had experienced harsh verbal discipline suffered from increased levels of depressive symptoms, and were more likely to demonstrate behavioural problems such as vandalism or anti-social and aggressive behaviour.

“Parental warmth”—i.e., the degree of love, emotional support, and affection between parents and adolescents—did not lessen the effects of the verbal discipline. The sense that parents are yelling at the child “out of love,” or “for their own good, does not mitigate the damage inflicted. Neither does the strength of the parent-child bond .Even lapsing only occasionally into the use of harsh verbal discipline, can still be harmful,” the research posited.

When parents aggressively yell at their teenagers, the teens feel rejected and that their parents dislike them. When parents act hostilely towards their children, the teens tend to become angrier, more irritable and more belligerent. Rather than feeling nurtured, the teen frequently becomes suspicious of his or her angry parents and feels the need to defend himor herself. This often leads to bad behaviour.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep your cool but less yelling means better communication.

So why is it so important to be firm—without raising your voice?

Upping the ante, losing the message: Yelling often fails to get the point across because emotions can overcome the message.

They will also likely escalate the situation and

their children’s aggression, be it verbal or physical.

Heard it all before: If parents yell all the time, “kids may either shut down or ignore it because it’s nothing new, they feel that if they are wrong all you do is yell at them, it makes them even worse.

Hard on self-esteem: We know that yelling and harsh parenting are associated with lower self-esteem for kids, and can affect their performance in school. Kids who are the object of verbal aggression are at risk for aggressive or disruptive behavior, when parents yell too much the child may feel the parent doesn’t “love them or even like them” and can only criticize.

Missing out on the positive: When yelling is the chronic mode of communication, both children and parents are missing out on the chance to form positive, affectionate bonds.

And for kids predisposed to anxiety and depression, internalizing these negative interactions may be the tipping point.

You feel bad, too: Meanwhile, blowouts can leave parents feeling guilty, frustrated and demoralized. Adults who express anger in negative ways increase their chronic stress, which contributes to health problems.

Addressing inappropriate behavior calmly enables you to focus on teaching the child what’s problematic about his behavior, and following through with effective consequences.

Modeling behaviour is major: When parents practice healthy self-regulation, it helps kids learn how to self-regulate themselves.

Kids feel safer: The best style of parenting features “a high degree of nurturing, firm but kind. As much as children and teens may act like they want control, what really makes them feel safe are calm, consistent, fair authority fig-

ures.

If you work on specific strategies that help yourself feel calmer, you can help your children learn to regulate better. Below are tips parents can use: Identify problem interactions: Pinpoint the recurring problems that frequently set you and your kids off. If getting out the door for school in the morning is a chronic issue, solutions might include laying out their clothes and showering the night before, or everyone waking up a bit earlier. Try to break it down into steps you can tackle calmly.

Create consistency: With younger kids, it helps to create a set routine with simple, onestep directions that could include visual aids, not to mention plenty of labeled praise and rewards.

Consider triggers: Being aware of the context of the behavior allows for calmer responses. If we recognize when a child is cranky because he missed his snack or is overtired, it can be easier to temper our own frayed feelings.

Understanding = patience: It’s also important for parents to know and understand their children’s capabilities, since this can help them become more patient. You can become calmer, she says, when you “accept kids as they are, love them as they are, and recognize that half the problem is how you react.”

Time management: Trying to do too much causes stress. Parents trying to multi-task increases the risk of kids misbehaving. “Just be there with your kids; it’s less likely they’ll throw their breakfast on the floor.

Count to 10: All the parents interviewed had one key piece of advice: Take a break and breathe. It’s important to recognise when you’re about to lose control so you can step away from

the situation.

Disengage: Actively ignoring problem behaviors is another strategy that helps stop parents from yelling. If you disengage from the situation until you regain your composure, you won’t be feeding the fire. (This cannot be done when a child is being aggressive or destructive.) Instead, by responding positively to only desire behavior, parents reinforce what they want vs. what they don’t want. Plus, by allowing kids to practice “slowing their engines down” on their own, without parental prompts, they’re learning how to handle frustration.

Learn to let go and when to laugh it off: Along with ignoring comes learning to loosen up. “If the snack ends up on the floor, instead of getting mad at the kids, just say, ‘Oh no, you made a mess, let’s clean it up together.’

Do what you have to do to make it easier on yourself.

Seek support: It also helps to have a safety net of friends and relatives for those extremely bad days when you don’t feel you can calm yourself down and need to call in reinforcements. Blogs, support groups, other parents and clinicians can all help by assuring parents they aren’t alone.

Own up to your feelings: Depending on the age and developmental level of the child, parents may, after things have calmed down, model for their kids how to talk about feelings. “You can tell them you’re not feeling respected or you’re feeling ignored. You should make them understand the yelling—it’s not because they’re bad kids; it’s because I lost my temper. ‘I’m sorry I lost my temper—that was kind of rough, and I shouldn’t yell at you. But do you understand why I got little frustrated?’ And then we have a brief conversation about the situation.”

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

L7 Relationship

Mutiat Alli

Why should he be blamed?

I woke up one morning hoping to have a wonderful moment with my so-called boyfriend, but to my surprise, all that was supposed to be nice became sour with the kind of attitude I put up just for the reason been that I saw a guy that I considered better than him. I realised I should have taken my time before taking that decision that brought a stigma to me. I never meant what I did, only that I was blind folded by lust not love. That decision I made changed everything about me and would love people to learn from that.

When I meant Oluwadamilare back in 2002, things were going smoothly because the chemistry between us was so strong that my colleagues in school had several feelings that it might lead to a blissful marriage.

My first meeting with Oluwadamilare was at the school library where I had gone to read in preparation for my fourth coming examination, he starred at me in the library. Later that same day, he came running after me and all he said was friendship.

At first, I refused but later I gradually caved in to his advances.

Things went on smoothly in the first six month of our friendship, but as time went on, I had no choice than to give in to his proposals because then, I was already in love with him. All I was

even thinking before he made his moves was praying that he ask me out first since most of our course mate wants him too.

Although Oluwadamilare gave all that a lady desired but I just don’t know what went along the line, I told him I wanted a break for some while. Not that we had a misunderstanding, but I just felt the chemistry wasn’t working out any longer. Even before I told him my intention of quitting our 2years old relationship, the sweet memories of the days shared together would continue to linger in my mind as the most remarkable one was the celebration of our one year relationship where we both had a nice treat at the popular Kuramo Beach before heading to Eko Hotel and Suites where we had a memorable day together. One thing led into another as he demanded sex from me which I bluntly refused, at first, I thought he would be angry about that, but to my believe all he said was that; don’t worry my baby, I was only pulling your legs, I reserve that till when I get you married fully.

Instantly, I had mixed feelings that it was just a normal saying by guys of nowadays so I was not confused about him getting married to me, I thought it was one those lies used by men to flatter girls.

The day my world came crushing was when we had gone to attend a birthday party of his friend, Nifemi

at the Nu-Grotto club on the Island.

He inquired that we dance together while Oluwadamilare was still busy drinking his beers. We danced for some while before my baby boy joined us on the dance floor. I was impressed by the dance move of Nifemi as I monitored his moves while still holding Damilare closely.

All through the party, my eyes were closely focused on Nifemi, I was carried away by is handsomeness, he sexy lips and his bold smiles, I couldn’t take my eyes off him as all I was thinking was the possibility of him holding me close to his heart.

After the whole day partying with the birthday boy, it was time for us to leave but I made way by confusing Damilare for us to stay a little longer which he obliged as he continue to remind me of the fact that I was the apple of his eyes.

Before our discussion ended, I had already gotten his number at the time; Damilare stepped out to use the toilet. He promised to give me a call which he did as promised. All through the night even while sleeping close to my boyfriend, all I was thinking was the nice peck Nifemi gave me at the party.

It took me two months and half to set my eyes on him again as Damilare would not allow me follow him whenever he goes visiting. It got to a stage that I would sneak out of the house to see Nifemi on several oc-

casions.

Nifemi promised all I assume Damilare should tell me, he promises to make me his wife only if I am ready to quit my relationship with Damilare. I told him to give me some time to think over the issue, after some time, I gave a call to him telling him that I have accepted his proposal.

I made all things possible towards finding a fault in Damilare as I started doing things that would up set him and eventually I got the better part of him as he slapped me after an argument erupt between the two of us. I saw that as an opportunity to tell him that I was already sick and tired of the relationship. Damilare felt remorse about his reactions, he pleaded but I gave a deafen ear to him since that was one of the opportunity I was seeking.

Few weeks later, I started a relationship with Nifemi; I must confess that the first nine months of the relationship was splendid as we had sizzling moments together ranging from the visitation to various places and much more the beach side experience.

Things worked out the way I thought as I had the dream of getting married to Nifemi as soon as possible, thus, the first visit to his parents was so nice as I was highly welcomed by his parent who later gave advices on things that would make our relationship last longer.

We made way for the preparation of our said wedding, all the arrangements were made so well, but the only disappointing aspect of it was when Nifemi told me that Damilare’s brother was to be his best man for the occasion. I had mixed feeling immediately that if it were to be a planned game. Nifemi gave me more courage that such would never happen as he never invited Damilare in the first place.

On the very day of our wedding, I was happy and at the same time sad at the other end as my heart told me something weird was going to occur. When the officiating pastor called for the exchange of vows, I was still not balanced; all I was hoping was that the programme comes to an end so soon. The pastor later asked for whoever, will want to the wedding to take place, then Damilare was just coming in into the church, my mind was beating so fast and the top it all, I was already sweating abnormally. All I saw at the end was that he went to have his sit, at this time; my senses were just working as expected.

Later after the church and reception programme, he came congratulating us but later whispered into my ears that he was going to get me back at all cost after hugging me.

I kept on pondering on the word but never allowed Nifemi to know about it, soon after our blissful wedding, Nifemi demanded sex from me which I told him I was not ready due to the stress I had early experienced before and after the

wedding; he never gave a listening ears as he used to, but rather all he did was to pounce on me and worst part of it was that I was beaten blue black by him as he even dare to show me more if I refuse to give in to him. Life later became much more miserable for me; as all I thought of was to have a wonderful marriage with Nifemi which later turned out to be soar.

Everything about the marriage was now unbearable for me, I can no longer cope in line with the behaviors of Nifemi, I kept regretting my walking out from my sweet relationship.

Things later got so bad that Nifemi never bordered about what goes on in the family as he barely ask if there was still food stuff at home and things like that, all I notice was that the little moves I take in preparing the meals, all he said was that he had taken enough on his way from the office.

He hardly eat my food, not to talk of sleeping on the same bed with me, I could no longer play along the whole situation, so I rather kept calm of the whole issue.

Things got so bad one day as I have gone to the nearest market to get some food stuffs for the family, only to return and find another lady in my kitchen ditching out food for my husband. I was shocked as I find my husband sitting so close to the lady, cuddling each other as they eat. I asked Nifemi who the lady was only to be shocked by what he responded with.

“You see this lady here is the new woman in my life as the marriage contract between us has expired and the only thing I can tell you now is to pack your things out of my house since you are now irritating me” he said.

I couldn’t believe my ears as I had to shout back on the lady to leave my husband alone, Nifemi only replied in place of the lady by giving a dirty slap.

It was at that point that I realised by presence was no longer needed in the house, so I had to pack out of the house to continue with me life.

My life struggle continues and after about a year and half, I met Damilare again; on sighting him, I thought of running but was hold back by him as he asked after my family. As I turned to explain to me, tears dropped from by eyes.

One thing led into another again as he asked if we could continue our relationship and if possible seals it. He gave me courage to forget everything about my past.

The problem I have now is that I have promised to reconcile with him, but he gave me time to think about it. Therefore I am still contemplating if I should go back to him or rather go into another relationship with another person entirely.

Send feedback/comment to Mutiat.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 07035429758 (SMS ONLY)

L8 TV guide

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday February 2, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies ACTION+ Channel 106

Movies Comedy Channel 104

11:20

18:00 Tue, 2 Feb| PG

Tue, 2 Feb| PG 13

Gru, the world’s most lovable villian, and his minions are back in this Oscar-nominated adventure.

This time Gru is recruited to help bring down a bad guy. Benjamin Bratt, Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand, Steve Carell. (2013) Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud.

Andrew Garfield returns for a second round of web-slinging action. Dangerous new enemies and family secrets weigh heavily on young Peter Parker as he struggles with his destiny. Jamie Foxx, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone.(2014) Marc Webb

101 M-Net West

23:30 Chicago PD 00:30 The Real Housewives Of Atlanta 01:30 The Longest Week 03:00 Other Plans 04:25 Away And Back 06:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 07:00 MasterChef Australia 08:00 The Big Bang Theory 08:30 The Last Ship 09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 Begin Again 12:30 The Middle 13:00 MasterChef Australia 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:00 Code Black 16:00 Blue Bloods 17:00 Made In Hollywood 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Mom 19:30 MasterChef Australia 20:30 Chicago Med 21:30 Chicago Fire 22:30 Chicago PD

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Broken Angel 02:10 Broken Angel 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 Broken Angel 17:50 Broken Angel 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 Broken Angel 22:00 Broken Angel 22:50 Husband For Hire

152 AfricaMagic Epic

23:17 Mary And Martha 01:01 Behind The Scenes: The Place

01:10 Royal Guard 03:13 Forest King 05:10 Twins Of The Rainforest 05:38 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 06:03 Secret Adventure 08:43 Behind The Scenes: October 1st

09:11 Behind The Scenes: The Place

120 BBC Brit Entertainment

118 Telemundo

09:20 Igbotic Love 11:19 Igbotic Love 13:13 Healthy Snacking 13:25 Implication 15:29 Above Implication 17:50 Behind The Scenes: Next Dean 18:00 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes 19:00 The King Is Coming 21:21 The King Is Coming

23:22 Moone Boy

11:10 Would I Lie To You?

23:47 Moone Boy

11:45 QI

00:12 An Idiot Abroad

12:15 The Cube

00:58 The Cube

13:05 Top Gear

01:46 Police Interceptors

14:15 Police Interceptors

02:33 Ben And James Versus The Arabian...

15:05 Undercover Boss USA

03:25 Undercover Boss USA

16:30 QI

04:12 Pointless

17:05 Pointless

05:00 The Cube

18:00 Top Gear

05:45 Would I Lie To You?

19:00 Youngers

06:20 QI

19:30 QI

06:55 Police Interceptors 07:40 Top Gear

20:00 Travel ManThe Graham Norton Show

08:45 Pointless

21:05 Top Gear

09:35 Undercover Boss USA

22:05 Very British Problems

15:55 Would I Lie To You?

10:25 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

155 AfricaMagicWorld 23:15 Music On Africa Magic 00:15 Behind The Scenes: The Place 01:15 Good Morning Africa 02:15 53 Extra 02:45 Star Gist 03:15 Star Gist 03:45 Jara 04:20 Jara 05:00 Goodmorning Africa 06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 07:00 53 Extra 07:30 Star Gist 08:00 Jara 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 Lies That Bind

10:28 Lies That Bind 10:53 Lies That Bind

11:20 Lies That Bind 11:41 Behind The Scenes: Broken 12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 13:00 Music On Africa Magic 14:05 Music On Africa Magic 15:00 Music On Africa Magic 16:00 Star Gist 16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa 17:25 53 Extra 18:00 Jara 18:30 Tinsel 19:00 Lies That Bind 19:30 Lies That Bind 20:00 Princess Tyra 18:00 Star Gist

128 SONY MAX

23:00 Most Shocking 23:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 00:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:25 Enemy Territory 02:55 Sexy Car Wash 03:20 Sexy Car Wash 03:45 Video Zonkers 04:10 South Beach Tow 04:35 South Beach Tow 05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 07:25 Video Zonkers 07:50 South Beach Tow 08:15 South Beach Tow 08:40 Most Shocking 09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos 11:30 Baywatch 12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 13:30 South Beach Tow 14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 16:00 Most Shocking 17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Extreme Reality Clips 20:30 Rude Tube 21:00 Rude Tube 21:30 Freakshow 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Sexy Car Wash