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Budget 2016: House of Reps Appropriations committee chair resigns

Ï 9 ƓƈƋƋ ƍƆ Ƒƍ Ɠ Ɛ transpired during the budget process – Jibrin Henry Omunu & Emmanuel Iriogbe, Abuja

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Olufemi Samuel Abuja

ÏÏÏSenate on Wednesday kicked

the House of Rep-

against the failure of the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun to appear before it for briefing on

Continued on page 6

Continued on page 6

ÏÏÏSpeaker of

NIGERIA INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER. EST. 1926 WWW.DAILYTIMES.NG

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State of economy: Senate insists Finance YEARS OF Minister must JOURNALISM appear today

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 156

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Sex scandal: Reps insist on innocence, Ɠ Ɛ ƍƏ Ƈ from US g23

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Impeachment move against Buhari: Anenih urges Makarfi to dissuade PDP g5 caucus

S-South, S-East lawmakers to Buhari:

You can’t tame N’Delta militants, except you g24 dialogue

9 Ɠ ôƐ ƏƆ Ɛ Ƒ ƐƈƋ ƓƆ ƆƐ killers of Agai g 6 –Gov. Lalong

NSE QUICK BITE

GAINERS AS AT 20th July, 2016 SKYEBANK

0.78

0.06

8.33%

PREMBREW

2.95

0.14

4.98%

LOSERS OANDO

5.39

-0.57

-9.56%

LAWUNION

0.51

-0.04

-7.27%

Bailout funds: Probe Kogi gov, others, NLC urges Buhari g12

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

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PHOTO TIMES

Editorial Starving children in Borno State

R

ecently, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) alerted Nigeria of the impending starvation of 50,000 children at the various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Northeast of the country, particularly Borno State.

A report by the international agency stated that unless urgent food and medical supplies reach them, there is every fear that a majority of the children would die.

According to UNICEF, displaced persons in Borno State, which has continued to witness the worst of Boko Haram attacks, including mass kidnappings is not receiving the amount of attention it deserves.

Corroborating this fact, the Genevabased Medicins Sans Frontieres said that six malnourished children die daily in the IDP camp in Bama, Borno State. The situation has spawned a crisis, one in which 188 people died in the one month of June 2016 due to diarrhoea and malnutrition.

Compounding the situation is the fact that Nigeria’s Northeast zone has now been tagged one of the sites of the world’s largest displacement crisis, with more than 1.4 million people forced to abandon their homes. It is unfortunate that the Internally Displaced Persons, having been rescued from the clutches of Boko Haram, are now wallowing in deprivation with images of gaunt and hungry looking children bringing to vivid reality a tragedy of epic proportion about to happen in Borno State.

Sadly, most of the starving children are those whose parents depend on farming for a living. Unfortunately, many of the farms are now destroyed by persistent attacks from insurgents.

However, the malnutrition crisis is being exacerbated by the collapse of government services in those areas

where military operations have been most active. Investigations reveal that 30 percent of health facilities and 70 percent of the state’s water infrastructure have been destroyed.

Matters are not helped by the fact that of the $55.5 million requested by UNICEF for humanitarian aid, only $23million has so far been donated.

Statistics show that there are IDP camps in 207 local government areas across 13 states, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory. It is even sadder that while hunger continues to ravage the majority of refugees in these camps, the distribution of relief materials from international charities and local philanthropists have been ineffective due to alleged corruption and diversion of food.

Such shameful greed and insensitivity was displayed recently when soldiers and policemen engaged in a gun duel in Maiduguri, the Borno capital, in their bid to hijack the food donated to the IDPs. It is therefore not surprising these innocent children are still starving to death.

This human tragedy should provoke a massive response from the authorities. They should mobilise all the resources needed to end this catastrophe.

They can do so by coming out with a programme, and present an iron-cast case to the multilateral global bodies, seeking help in cash and kind, and volunteers to help stem the tide of juvenile deaths. The government should sensitise both national and international philanthropists to commit them to the cause of saving Nigerian children from disease and death.

Children are the hope of tomorrow.

We owe them a better life, including food, health care and education.

The three tiers of government must therefore initiate urgent steps to put things right.

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President Muhammadu Buhari (middle), in handshake with Speaker of House of Assembly, Niger Republic H.E. Ousseini Tinni during a courtesy visit to Buhari at the Presidential villa, Abuja… on Wednesday. With them is, Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

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Ibukun Awosika

Shehu Sani

Chinua Achebe

When you fail, all you need do is review the circumstances of your failure and continue with your journey of life”.

“There are wounds that heal in no time, there are wounds that heal with time, and there are wounds that remain wounds for eternity”.

“Nigeria is what it is because its leaders are not what they should be.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

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5 News

Niger demands 13% derivation from power generated by hydro dams ÏÏÏ For hosting the three Hydro-

Electric Dams in the country, the Shiroro, Jebba and Shiroro dams, Niger State Government is demanding for 13 per cent derivation in the allocation of electricity generated in the nation.

This is in addition to its normal share from the national grid.

The state Governor, Abubakar Bello, who made the demand in Minna, the state capital, at a crucial stakeholders meeting with representatives of communities hosting of the dams, companies in power generation, transmission and distribution, decried the almost three months of blackout suffered by the state that has paralysed both business and domestic activities in the state with no convincing reason offered by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC. The Governor expressing concern at the constant power outage, said if the situation is not urgently addressed, it is capable of threatening the peace and security of the state, hence the decision to hold the meeting in order to identify and proffer solutions to the challenge.

“The situation of power in the state is disturbing, despite being

the hosting to three hydro-power dams supplying electricity to the country, we have been witnessing constant power outages. Hence, the need to demand that certain percentage of the total electricity generated be allocated to the state,” Bello said.

Faulting the equitable sharing of power from the National grid, he said: “The era of equitable sharing of the country’s endowments was, unfortunately, long gone. Hence, something extra should be given to Niger State.

This, is what the host communities and my people are saying.”

“The state government has continued to manage the people’s anger, frustration and protests with the hope that the situation will get better, but as it is, instead, it is getting worse thereby making them feel hopeless.”

Bello further revealed that the state is looking at other alternatives of generating enduring power to its people that would generate 1-10mega watts of electricity.

He then urged the power companies to carry out their corporate social responsibility to their host communities, through provision of job opportunities to youths and improve their human relations with the people.

Nigerians in diaspora remit $21bn in one year- SGF ÏÏÏ

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, on Wednesday, revealed that the sum of $21 billion was remitted to Nigeria by Nigerians in Diaspora in the last one year.

Babachir, while briefing newsmen in commemoration of the 2016 Diaspora Day press briefing for the conference billed to hold between July 24 and 26, 2016, added that the Federal Government is partnering Nigerians in diaspora on meeting the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

The SGF, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of Political Affairs in the office of the SGF, Olakunle Bamgbose, also disclosed that the Federal Government has approved waivers for drugs, roofing sheets, other items being imported by Nigerians in Diaspora to aid IDPs, for youth empowerment and to assist enterprises.

Noting that no commitment was obtained from Nigerians in diaspora by the last administration last year, Lawal said that the

Federal Government will only partner with Nigerians in Diaspora who are coming with solutions and are ready to contribute to national development, and not just reeling out the problems.

He said: “This year’s conference will take a complete departure from our past experiences, when our nationals, come home, only to highlight the challenges that confront our nation.

The government and citizens of Nigeria at home are not ignorant of challenges as a nation.

What our nation requires are solutions to specific problems.

“This year’s conference, in essence, will focus on obtaining firm commitments from Nigerians in the Diaspora, directed at solving some of our national challenges.

This administration is ready to partner with Nigerians in Diaspora on how they can assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East Region; on how through medical interventions they can improve healthcare delivery across the country and on how they can assist government in Youth Empowerment and employment generation.

Impeachment move against Buhari: Anenih urges Makarfi to dissuade PDP caucus Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÏÏÏFormer

Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has urged the Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to dissuade the PDP caucus in the National Assembly from participating in the alleged “ill-advised adventure” of removing President Muhammadu Buhari from office.

Anenih stated that he was persuaded that the time was neither right nor the reasons compelling enough for anybody to contemplate the impeachment of the President.

The former BoT Chairman of the PDP said this in a four-page letter to Makarfi, dated July 15, 2016.

He urged Makarfi to personally lead the process of consultation with PDP members in the National Assembly, with a view to getting them to play a patriotic, rather than partisan role, at this time of national economic and social uncertainty.

He noted that the options of consultation, dialogue and negotiation have not yet been exhausted.

The letter, titled: “THE PDP CAUCUS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE THREAT TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI”, reads: “I am constrained to write this letter by my love for our great country

and my long years of involvement in the pursuit of peace, co-existence and national development.

“I am concerned about the noises coming out of the National Assembly to the effect that some of our distinguished Senators and Honourable members are contemplating a move to impeach the President. “I feel even more disturbed that the PDP Caucus is being rumoured to be actively involved in this plan to ‘go for the jugular’ of the Executive. The rumoured role of the PDP Caucus is, indeed, the main reason I have chosen to write this letter to you.

“I wish to appeal to you to use your noble office as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of our great party to dissuade our party members, in the National Assembly, from embarking on or participating in this ill-advised adventure.

“I am persuaded, sir, that the time is neither right nor the reasons compelling enough to contemplate the impeachment of the President.

“I do not doubt that the National Assembly may have its grouse against the President, but I am sure that the options of consultation, dialogue and negotiation have not yet been exhausted.

“We should all assist in persuading our members to persevere in the pursuit of these options.

“I do not believe an attempt at impeachment, at this time, is in the best interests of the party, or the country.

“Such a move will create tension, instability and even crisis in our body-politic. It will unleash all those fissiparous forces which, in the last few months, have begun to gain momentum.

“Fundamentally, as the main opposition party, I believe the PDP should concern itself with an inward review of why Nigerians lost faith in us and in our party’s vision for Nigeria; our focus should therefore be on trying to figure out how we can once again regain this trust.

“As a party in opposition, what I expect is constructive criticism of the ruling party when it goes wrong. Playing an active role in the internal power struggles between factions of the ruling party is an unnecessary distraction, and an exercise that appears to promote personal agenda rather than the National Interest.

Anenih

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

I won’t rest until we get killers of Agai – Gov. Lalong ÏÏÏGov. Simon Lalong on Wednes-

Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello (left), and Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie (OON), during a visit to Okojie in Abuja… on Wednesday.

Why we want to impeach Zamfara gov – Lawmakers ÏÏÏLawmakers

of the Zamfara State House of Assembly on Wednesday listed six offences committed by Gov. Abdulaziz Yari, citing them as reasons they are pushing for his impeachment.

Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Information, Mannir Gidan-Jaja, in a statement issued in Gusau, the state capital, accused the governor, who is also the current Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) of misappropriating billions of naira from the state coffers.

In the statement, the assembly

listed the money allegedly misappropriated to include N11 billion bailout fund, N1 billion agricultural loan released to the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and “corrupt abuse of local government funds”.

The assembly also accused the governor of failing to remit funds deducted for pensions and gratuities to pension fund administrators as provided by law.

According to the statement, the governor had also ignored a resolution of the assembly not to appoint Murtala Jangebe as Chairman of

the state Universal Basic Education Board.

It said that the assembly had passed a vote of no confidence in Jangebe, after he was allegedly found to have misappropriated over N1 billion belonging to the board in 2014.

The statement accused the governor of frequent foreign trips which have had negative impact on the day-to-day running of government, apart from imposing financial burden on the state.

The lawmakers condemned the arrest of the Speaker, his Deputy,

Majority Whip and supporting staff of the assembly by the Department of States Services, DSS. The lawmakers described the arrest as a clear interference in the functions of the legislature as enshrined in the Constitution.

The statement urged President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the DSS against further interference in the matter.

“We are also demanding the unconditional release of our principal officers who are currently under detention with the DSS in Abuja.”

resentatives, Yakubu Dogara has announced the removal of Abdulmumin Jibrin from Kano state as the House Committee Chairman on Appropriations.

Announcing the sack on Wednesday, Dogara said that the Chairman, House Committee on Housing, Rep. Mustapha Bala Dawaki also from Kano State and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would replace Rep. Jibrin as chairman of the appropriations committee.

Our correspondents recall that the sacked committee chairman had issues with his colleagues

while holding sway as chairman of appropriations committee as he was accused of allegedly inserting constituency projects valued at over N4 billion in the 2016 budget.

This development led to the clamour for his removal by aggrieved lawmakers but Dogara who rewarded him with the plum chairmanship position because of the key role he played in his emergence as speaker was said to have protected him from the hawks seeking his removal.

According to Dogara, “he (Jibrin) came to me and said he cannot do it anymore and that the pressure was on him.”

State of economy: Senate insists Finance Minister must appear today the state of the Nation’s economy and ordered her to appear today unfailingly.

The Minister had failed to turn up to brief the Senate on state of the Nigerian economy as earlier scheduled, as she sent words that her failure was caused by the meeting of the Federal Executive Council which she must attend.

After being invited, the Minister had earlier assured that she would appear before the Senate on Wednesday, a reason the scheduled meeting with her was slotted in the Order paper for the day.

On resumption of Plenary, Senate leader, Ali Ndume , informed the Senate that the Minister based on latest message re-

But addressing reporters after plenary on Wednesday, Rep. Jibrin said his stepping aside as chairman of the appropriations committee was a personal decision he took after due consultations with his family members and denied that he was pressurized to resign by anyone.

While declaring that he bears no animosity towards anybody or the leadership of the House, he said that he did his best as chairman of the appropriations committee.

He added that if anyone had any misgivings about his tenure as committee chairman, he takes full reContinued on page 12

Continued on page 12

Continued from page 1

Budget 2016: House of Reps Appropriations committee chair resigns Continued from page 1

day said he will not rest until those behind the killing of the Saf Ron Kulere, Chief Lazarus Agai, were arrested and prosecuted.

Lalong, who paid a condolence visit to the Bokkos Traditional Council and people of the area, said he would work with security agencies to ensure that the killers were found and brought to justice.

Agai, a first class chief in Bokkos Local Government was killed on Monday alongside his driver, orderly and daughter in-law by unknown persons.

The killing of monarch sparked reprisal attacks among ethnic groups in the area resulting in burning of houses, destruction of properties and displacement of hundreds of persons.

“We will investigate and fish out the culprits.

“I commend security agencies for the way they have so far handled the matter to avoid escalation, it would have been worse than this if not for their prompt intervention”, Lalong said.

The governor assured the people that more security personnel would be deployed to Bokkos and

Abdulmumin Jibrin

Continued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Ex-Enugu CP debunks bias in handling herdsmen-community clashes Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÎÎÎFormer

Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechwukwu has denied the allegation that Nigeria police was biased in the handling of clashes between herdsmen and their host communities.

Ekechukwu disclosed this in Enugu while testifying before the panel of inquiry into the killing of people and destruction of property by suspected herdsmen in Nimbo community in the state.

The commissioner said that available records show that no fewer than five herdsmen that engaged in unlawful activities in the state had previously been arrested.

“We have arrested some herdsmen in the past. Charges were preferred against them but we ran into jurisdictional cob-wed,” he said He said that the Nigeria Police as presently constituted was a totally rebranded one and alive to its responsibilities.

On the Nimbo attack, the commissioner said that it was wrong to have suggested

that police officers deployed to protect the community prior to the attack abdicated their duties.

Ekechukwu, who is now the police commissioner at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Port Harcourt, admitted that they got intelligence information leading to the attack.

“We are not laying claim to perfection, but there was no bias in the handling of the attack that led to the death of 11 residents of the community.

“The information we got suggested various areas of attack and all the officers did

what they were supposed to do under operational guidelines,” he said.

The commissioner said that there were obvious challenges during the intervening time, but full deployments of manpower were made to contain the killing.

“We made deployments in various sectors of that community, but the suspected herdsmen operated at the fringes and our presence prevented them from advancing.

“There is no full security of lives anywhere, but nobody jokes with human life.

That mischief makers suc-

ceeded in derogating human life does not diminish the commitments of the police” he said.

Ekechukwu said that preliminary findings revealed that the suspects used AK 47 riffle during the attack, but failed to fully deploy it in the killing for tactical reasons.

“We have not had information of herdsmen in possession of rifles and other deadly weapons and failed to disarm them.

“If I had not done what I was supposed to do to prevent the killing, I would have resigned on my own” he said.

7 News 2, 000 worshippers cheat death in Delta building collapse Nosa Ogiugo Asaba

ÎÎÎNo

fewer than 2, 000 worshipers of “The Lord Chosen Charismatic Church”, were on Monday in Asaba, Delta State capital, escaped death following the collapse of the church building under construction.

It was reliably gathered that the worshipers, including residents of the area within the expressway on Asaba-Benin road, had assembled for prayers when suddenly the building collapsed. But a senior pastor of the church who did not want his name in the print, however, expressed joy that no life was lost, confirming that four persons working as labourers in the ongoing construction works sustained minor injuries.

Kidnap of monarch shameful, disgraceful – Lagos Speaker Alade Tasma

ÎÎÎSaturday kidnaping of

Students of the Niger Delta University on a peaceful protest demanding re-opening of their institution shut due to non-payment of staff salaries and emolument, in Yenagoa, … on Wednesday.

Senate passes N241bn FCT 2016 budget

ÎÎÎThe Senate on Wednes-

day, passed the harmonised N241 billion budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for 2016.

The passage of the budget followed presentation of report of the Committee on FCT by the Chairman, Sen. Dino Melaye.

Melaye said that from the amount, the sum of N52.9 billion was for personnel cost, N34.4 billion as overhead costs, while balance of N154.1billion was for capital expenditure.

He said that 80 per cent of the capital expenditure figure was for the completion of abandoned projects.

Over 215 persons displaced, hundreds of homes submerged in Plateau flood Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÎÎÎPlateau

State government, on Wednesday, said that over 215 persons were displaced in the state following the submerging of hundreds of residential buildings by flood caused by heavy rainfall in Jos, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Alhaji Alhassan Barde, Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told our correspondent on Wednesday while receiving members

of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Habiba Gazelle Foundation, led by its team leader, Mrs. Habiba Dione, who visited the state to provide relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) taking refuge in the state.

He said, “We have carried out an on the spot assessment of the situation and I can tell you that it is bad.”

He listed Rikkos and Gangere in Jos North Local Government Area of the state as worst hit by the flood He said the state govern-

ment was on top of the situation.

“Houses, Vehicles and farmlands were submerged.

“We went to the Yingi area of Rayfield in Jos South LGA, the destruction too is much.

“A temporary camp has been established for displaced persons at Rikkos Community Primary and Secondary schools.

“The state government is gearing up efforts to provide relief materials to the displaced people” he said.

He advised those residing on flood prone areas to

vacate as quickly as possible.

Barde said flood was caused by human activities and negligence.

“The lack of proper drainage, indiscriminate disposal of waste building on flood prone areas are some of the human activities responsible for flooding” he added.

Leader of the group, Mrs. Habiba Dione, who also spoke at the occasion, vowed to reintegrate and provide relief materials to three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the state.

a Lagos first class monarch, Oba Yishau Goriola Oseni, the Oniba of Iba by armed men has been described as shameful and disgraceful by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.

The Speaker said the efforts of the state government on security should be recognised, saying it is surprising that security of the people cannot be guaranteed despite this.

“The state government spent a lot of money to provide equipment for the state police command yet all these are happening. It means that what we have done is futile.

“It is shameful and disgraceful if a monarch could be kidnapped in his palace. It is so sad that we lose people to kidnapping and killings everyday. People now take to selfhelp on security in the state,” Obasa fumed.

Obasa

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Politics

REMI TINUBU

Æs

Remi Tinubu vs Melaye: Lagos Assembly accuses Senate leadership of silence of conspiracy

Tom Okpe, Abuja Lagos State House of Assembly members have described Senator Oluremi Tinubu as a woman who respect all the political sons and daughters of her husband, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu but does not take nonsense from anyone.

The state lawmakers who took protest to the national secretariat of The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Wednesday against Senator Dino Melaye over

alleged derogatory statement against Senator Oluremi, also accused the leadership of the senate of conspiracy of silence over the matter.

Addressing newsmen after a closed door meeting with the APC national chairman, Chief John Oyegun, the deputy speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Wasiu Eshilokun Sani, called on Senator Oluremi Tinubu not to give in to the “uncouth” behavior of Senator Dino Malaye.

DINO MELAYE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Issuing certificate to Ogah is treasonable — Hon Nkole Hon. Uko Ndukwe Nkole is a vibrant member of the House of Representatives representing Arochukwu/ Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State. In this interview with MATHEW DADIYA, he analysed the unfolding drama in the governorship tussle of Abia State among other issues and advanced Governor Ifeanyi Ikpeazu’s bright chances of retaining his position at the end of the judicial melee. Excerpts:

NKOLE Represents Arochukwu/ Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives.

How do you view the recent development in the political atmosphere of Abia State where a High court ruling directed INEC to issue certificate of return to Dr Uche Ogah against the sitting governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu?

The controversial judgment given by Justice Okon Abang has generated a lot of political brouhaha in Abia State and I think even with the follow up of what

WOLE SOYINKA

“The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.”

Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) did by trying to take over government unlawfully, is treasonable felony. I strongly believe this is a constitutional democracy and if a Judge, and INEC being an electoral umpire do not know what it means to operate within the limits of constitutional democracy, I don’t think they deserve that job they are doing. They are indeed not worthy ambassadors of their respective professions in this great nation of ours especially with this change mantra. So it is very, very inconsistent with present policy of President Muhammadu Buhari. Therefore, I call upon all well-meaning Nigerians including Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President of Court of Appeal and Chief Justice of Federal High Court to treat all of them as coupists because what they did in trying to take over a legitimate government by force is treasonable felony.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

BEN OKRI

“Politics is the art of the possible; creativity is the art of the impossible.”

BINYAVANGA WAINAINA

There is no country in the world with the diversity, confidence and talent and black pride like Nigeria.

OBAFEMI AWOLOWO

“Life itself is, from the cradle to the grave, a series of unbroken risks. Those who know me intimately will testify that I have never, at any time, shrunk from taking my full share of the risks of life.

LAMIDO OF ADAMAWA

If Nigeria breaks, some people in the country would have no where to run to, but for me and my people in Adamawa Kingdom, we will pack our luggage and join our kith and kin in Cameroun.’’

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

9 Politics

Hon Nkole: Why CJN should investigate Justice Abang on Ogah

Ikpeazu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Going by the way INEC has handled the issue, what do you think should have been the government reaction?

Like I have said, every actor or player of any role in the whole treasonable action should be made to face the wrath of the law.

We have the provisions of the constitution. INEC is a creation of the constitution. The Judiciary itself is also a creation of the constitution. So they cannot stand the constitution on its head because the constitution provides sequences of actions. This is a court of first instance and you know whatever judgment they give is subject to

Ogah

being tested further and even INEC themselves know the provisions of the law. If a judgment is given for whatever reason in a court of first instance, I mean, there should not be in a haste to execute judgment until they have exhausted all the necessary proceedings. For INEC, whoever that is in charge I’m not holding brief for anybody but I’m not as well also condemning INEC but whoever that did this should be tried. Like I have said and I’ll continue to say it, what is the haste for when you know the governor still has appellate advantage over the court of first instance. Why is it that when somebody is sentenced to death, he is not executed im-

mediately if it is in a high court?

It is because the constitution provides that as a citizen you should exhaust your chances of appeal.

The framers of the constitution envisage that this situation could occur. So one of these two things have happened here: It’s either the Judge, INEC or the officer that issued the certificate of return is incompetent or has compromised.

They are the two things that could have happened. And if this is the position, they should be tried on the two issues- compromise or incompetence.

The previous question on what you expected government reaction to be is predicated on the legal opinion of Festus

Keyamo that Ogah should be sworn in having been issued with the Certificate of Return but there seems to be strong opposition which holds that Ogah’s claim to victory rest on nothing as he did not win any election and Ikpeazu’s appellate chances has not been exhausted; what is your take on that?

I don’t want to join issues with whatever the legal opinion or view of Barrister Festus Keyamo. He has his own views but I am a lawmaker and I am talking from the perspective of a Lawmaker. The law that I know we made is such that you must exhaust all the processes. And the matter is already on appeal, if he has that appellate advantage, so what are we talking about? And once you have appealed, it then means you stay off execution of whatever thing. So whatever thing he is talking about as much as I know and as far as the law is concerned is irrelevant and immaterial. It holds no water.

Looking at the governor and people of Abia State, you are a close ally and supporter of the governor, what advice do you have for the governor and the people?

I keep saying it everywhere and to everybody, an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are a country that operates constitutional democracy, this is not banana republic. It has never happened and Okezie Ikpeazu can never be used as a test-tubebaby for Justice Abang and his cohort. So for me, I tell him to go home and sleep, there is no problem, there is no issue. Everybody

is watching, it has come to international front. Everybody is interested and everybody is wondering what kind of judgment is this. So as much as I know, I always tell people I come in contact with to go home and rest. That they should not foment trouble, they should act within the ambit of the law and remain calm. I have every implicit confidence in the Judiciary- the appellate courts that are remaining that justice definitely must be done. No more, no less, that is my advice.

You are a strong member of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) at the state and national; having been elected into the National Assembly on that platform. In your opinion what do you think the party should have done to settle this issue being that this problem is between candidates of the same party-PDP? This issue is something that the Judge can even see the error if given a second chance. If you see the judgment the man gave: one, that PDP should make Uche Ogah their candidate, two that the party should send Uche Ogah’s name to INEC and three that INEC should in turn return this man as the governor. All this processes which are sequential have not even been communicated to parties affected and INEC on their own went ahead and issued him a Certificate of Return. You can see a cabal or kangaroo arrangement over the whole issue. The view of the party – both Ogah and Okezie Ikpeazu, they are party men. Uche Ogah ran for the party gubernatorial primaries and came distance second. He had a hundred and something votes to someone who had close to six hundred and something votes. And you are now bringing up a case of tax forgery. Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, you and I know was a civil servant and in civil service in Nigeria, you pay your tax as you earn.

Odigie-Oyegun to attend 2016 US Democratic National Convention The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John OdigieOyegun will attend the 2016 International Leaders Forum (ILF) during the United States Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania scheduled for July 25-28, 2016.

This follows the National Chairman’s acceptance of an invitation by the President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Kenneth Wollack.

Odigie-Oyegun will be accompanied to the Convention by the APC National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni.

The Democratic National Convention is used to nominate the Democratic Party’s candidate for President and Vice President of the United States of America. The Convention is also used to officially adopt the Democratic Party’s platform (manifesto).

NDI on behalf of the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has hosted international visitors at every Democratic National Convention since 1984. In Philadelphia, International Leaders Forum (ILF) will bring together current and former government officials, parliamentarians, diplo-

Oyegun

mats and senior political party leaders from over 100 countries to observe the nomination process of the Democratic Party’s candidate for President and Vice President of the United States.

Throughout the convention week, NDI will hold a series of special events for the international visitors. Participants will attend morning and afternoon seminars on U.S. politics, and domestic and foreign policy issues defining the presidential election. Bi-partisan panel discussions will be led by Democratic and Republican leaders, journalists and opinion makers.

Politics 10 APC Chairman to attend 2016 U.S. democratic national convention Abuja, July 20, 2016 (NAN) The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John OdigieOyegun, will on Monday join current and former world leaders in the U.S. for 2016 Democratic Convention.

This is contained in a statement released to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday by APC’s Assistant Director of Publicity, Mr Edegbe Odemwingie.

According to the statement, parliamentarians, diplomats and senior political party leaders from over 100 countries will observe the nomination process of the Democratic Party’s candidate for President and VicePresident of the U.S. The convention tagged the 2016 International Leaders Forum (ILF) would hold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Monday to Thursday. ‘’This follows the National Chairman’s acceptance of an invitation by the President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Kenneth Wollack. ‘’Odigie-Oyegun will be accompanied to the convention by the APC’s National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Buni. ‘’The Democratic National Convention is used to nominate the Democratic Party’s candidate for President and Vice President of the United States of America. ‘’The Convention is also used to officially adopt the Democratic Party’s platform (manifesto),’’ the statement said.

It stated that the NDI, on behalf of the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC), had hosted international visitors at every Democratic National Convention since 1984.

It added that activities during the convention week, NDI would hold special events for the international visitors. ‘’Participants will attend morning and afternoon seminars on U.S. politics, and domestic and foreign policy issues defining the presidential election. ‘’Bi-partisan panel discussions will be led by Democratic and Republican leaders, journalists and opinion makers,’’ the statement said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Non-payment of workers salaries, closure of schools, invitation to anarchy - Agoro Ï Rƕ M R^dd ƍ Ƌ ƈ Ɔ ƒƆƏ ƐƑƗƆ Ɛ ô ƒƈ ƋƆ Ɛ ƍƏ ƐƆ Ɛ

Ajimobi

Dr. Olapade Agoro National Chairman/former Presidential Candidate National Action Council (NAC) has warned that unless care was taken in the near future, the ongoing crisis in the country that has led to closure of schools and unpaid salaries of workers may result into anarchy.

In a statement, he described as reckless, actions of some state governments denying workers their rights to salary payment as at when due, allowing this to run into months of pillage; allowing children to stay away from schools with denial of duly and properly getting educated and kept busy.

Besides, he also condemned the playing of hopeless and reckless political game with the education policy of our children; Opening and subjecting the critical mass of the people to nerve racking daily information dissemination in the media of public figures stealing to stupendous level of shame.

According to him, Nigeria is fast getting into the stage of socio-economic and political apoapsis and challenges portending disastrous marooning

Aregbesola

of possible no end return.

His words: “The truth must be clearly pointed out hereby that the workers denied their rights to wages payment for months, the children denied their rights to timely education dissemination, the citizens being exposed to lives of horror and hardship, whilst “the leaders are corrupt and living in flamboyance at the expense of the citizens” are only being educated, called upon and being prepared ready tools for political anarchy and upheaval the end to which no one alive today can tell”.

On the fight against corruption he said: “That the anti-corruption of President Muhammadu Buhari is a timely Almighty God sent is a now of settled matter of acceptance at home and abroad.

“However for the peace and guaranteed stability of the nation, and because the ongoing arrest and shame noise making of the corrupt evil ones may not after all provide be needed positive change, therefore for a pungent solution and well timed meaningful address to our current magnitude of stealing from the nation’s treasury by

the animals in human skin that is worse and evil than the January 1966 period of “the leaders at that time were corrupt and living in flamboyance at the expense of the citizens”.

Suggesting a way out, he called for a Conciliatory Settlement Method’ to be extended to the likes of Chief Government Epkemupolo a.k.a Tompolo who is presently becoming totally impossible to catch up with by the law enforcement agencies.

He also suggested that the likes of Governor Rauf Aregbesola should be excellent enough submitting himself to be called to order staying off his intermeddling policy of politics with religion, immediately returning Status Quo Ante schools in Osun State to situations they were in prior to his governmental policy of schools merging.

“Let Osun State allow Christian schools to stay Christian schools run on Christian ideas and Muslim schools be returned back to Muslims, to be run on Islamic ideas. Let there be brought back love and sanity in the education of our children removing embers of hate in the society.

“As well the Governor of Oyo

State, Abiola Ajimobi must be excellent enough to be reminded that he was elected not to rule the people but only to administratively govern the state for peace, progress and stability and therefore must be ready to subject his ego and pride to wish of the people because of the axiom “Fox Populli – Fox Die” i.e. “the Voice of the People is the Voice of God”.

“In the interest of the education and future of our children, he should be ready to bend backwards his decision, UNCONDITIONALLY allowing the children and their teachers back to school. All these to prevent ideal hands becoming ready tools for the devils workshop.

Meanwhile, Oyo State branch of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) has apologised to the state government on behalf of principals, teachers and students of public secondary schools across the state over the June 6 violent disturbances in Ibadan.

A statement by the ANCOPSS State President and Secretary, Pastor Ranti Obafumiso and CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Sani

Remi Tinubu vs Melaye: Lagos Assembly accuses Senate leadership of silence of conspiracy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Hon. Sani, who came in company of Desmond Elliot, Dele Lakoya, Yinka Lado and lots of protesters said: “We are here to pay solidarity visit to Senator Oluremi Tinubu that we condemn the act, she should not be intimidated and she should not yield to verbal assault.”

“Let me say this, Senator Oluremi Tinubu that we know incidentally was the First Lady of Lagos State between 1999 to 2007.

Some of us are like sons or brothers to her husband, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and in Yoruba land, if you are a son to a woman’s husband, you supposed to be her son, she respects us and always address us as Sirs. So she is a woman that is cautious but she does not take nonsense, she does not take shit”, he said.

When asked to justify their protest and the allegation that a sum of N75 million was paid to stage the protest, the lawmaker said “I am the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yinka is here also Hon. Desmond Elliot, we are buoyant enough to sponsor ourselves and we all represent Lagos Central Senatorial District where Oluremi Tinubu is representing, it is on course that we too are convinced that we must fight and thirdly, yesterday we went on recess we are not resuming till August 29th”.

On the allegation that Tinubu’s wife was used to causing trouble in the senate, the deputy speaker said: “for us, these are mere allegations unproven, this is something that senate could deal with on their own in their way and manner. It is not out of place for the committee of Rules and privileges to be told to investigate if they feel strongly about it. That is the issue for the Senate.”

11 Politics

Gana promises total war against vandalism, other criminal activities

Muhammadu

The Commandant General, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Alhaji Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu has promised total war against vandals and other criminal activities in the nation, just as he re-echoes robust welfare package for personnel as he marks his first year in office.

Gana, disclosed this at the prayer session organised in his honour by members of his organisation where he rendered

welfare, infrastructure, health care among other staff-development programmes.

Abdulahi re-echoed his promises on robust welfare packages for personnel of the Corps across board and prompt promotions for deserving members of the Corps.

On Criminal activities, he explained that the Corps, as a creation of government by an Act of Parliament, was saddled with responsibility of protecting the

account of stewardship, plans and programmes for the corps and the nation.

Reiterating his commitment and readiness to move the corps to an enviable height with qualitative leadership, Abdulahi said he will always give back to his organisation as long as the staffers are giving him the needed support and cooperation.

He added that his achievements and kind gestures are multi-faceted ranging from staff

Nations Critical Infrastructure and National Assets, which include petroleum pipelines, gas installations, telecommunication facilities, transport facilities, Gana declared, “I just want to remind the vandals that vandalising critical infrastructures of government is a criminal offence and I want to tell them to desist because defenders are watching them and would not sit down and watch people doing that”.

Non-payment of workers salaries, closure of schools, invitation to anarchy - Agoro CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Agoro

Deacon Mathew Ogunkunle respectively, conveyed the apology in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

The confederation also dissociated its members from any group or association that might have instigated the students to embark on what it called the ugly incident.

It reads, “The ANCOPPS wishes to tender its unreserved apology to the Oyo State Government on behalf of all principals, teachers and students of all public secondary schools in the state on the violent incident that happened on June 6, 2016.

“The incident threatened the peace and security of the state and endangered the lives of the students who participated in the breach of peace and affront on constituted authority.

“ANCOPPS condemn the act and reiterate that it has always been an ambassador and advo-

cate of moral uprightness and good conduct. It therefore dissociates itself from any group or association that might have instigated the students to take part in the ugly incident.”

While pledging its total support and cooperation to the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration, the confederation pleaded with the government to accept its apology.

Students of some public secondary schools in Ibadan had on June 6 embarked on violent protests following an unfounded rumour that the state government had sold off some of its flagship public schools pursuant to an imaginary privatization policy.

During the violence that lasted for few hours public and private property, including the state headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, Remembrance Arcade opposite the Government House and private cars, were damaged.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

I won’t rest until we get killers of Agai – Gov. Lalong Continued from page 6

dƆ ƐƆ ^ƏƆ ƈƗƆ Ɛè #Əê ƄƑƄ Ɗ Ə ƑƊ Ƌ d Ə Ɗƈ æƌƈƗƗƋƆç ƓƈƐ Ɛ ƆƏ dƆ Ɛ Ə ƈ ƍ Ɛ Ɔ ƈ ƓƈƐ #ƈ ƄƋƆ &ƌƈƏ ƐƆ Ƒ ƅƈƋè E Ə ƌ ƉƈƉƈ Ɨ 0 Ƒ Ɨ Ɛƈ Ƈ Ə ^ƆƏ ƓƈƐ #ƈ ƄƈƋƈƐƈƆ ƈ Ɛ Ɔ Mƈ ƆƏ #ƆƋƐ ƗƑƏƈ ƒƈ ƈƐ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔ dƆ ƐƆ ƋƆ ƗƆƏ ƈƍ ƈ ƄƑƉ Č zƆƗ Ɔ Ɨ ƕê

Bailout funds: Probe Kogi gov, others, NLC urges Buhari

Ï 1ƈƒƆ E ƈ ƒƐ Ƈ ƑƏ ƓƆƆƊ Ɛ ƏƆ ƋƒƆ ƅƏƈ ƈ ƆƋ Ɔ Ɠ ƏƊƆƏ Ɠ ƑƋƗ ƅƅƑƍƕ Ɛ ƐƆ

ÏÏÏPresident

of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly (NASS) to probe state governors over bailout funds granted to states by the federal government.

Wabba made this call on Wednesday in Lokoja, Kogi state capital while addressing workers of the state who have been on strike for weeks.

Wabba also called on the state government to dialogue with the organised labour in the state with a view to resolving the lingering crisis between the two parties.

The NLC President further stated that the labour union will not hesitate to mobilise 2 million Nigerian workers to Kogi state

in four weeks if the state government fails to resolve the industrial crisis in the state.

Labour leaders in the state have allegedly abandoned their houses following threats and intimidation from unknown persons since the strike action in the state commenced.

He explained that the situation in Kogi state was different and pathetic, stressing that urgent steps should be taken to salvage it.

“There was the need for the federal government to probe the application of bailout funds to states since it was obvious that some of the states did not adhere to the regulations guiding the disbursement”, he stressed.

The labour leader pointed out that it was wrong for the Kogi state

government to have disbursed the N20 billion bailout fund part payment without the committee expected to draw its membership from the workers, security agencies, the executive and other bodies.

He admonished the president to garner the will and courage to investigate the alleged mismanagement of the bailout funds by some governors in the country.

“Some situations are very terrible but that of Kogi state is pathetic, since bailout is a loan that states will have to pay back, so there is the need for the federal government to set up a high powered committee to probe the application of the fund.”

“If the situation in Kogi continues and are not resolved by gov-

ernment, we will mobilise 2 million Nigerian workers and occupy the entire state, and the organise labour can also declare a national action on Kogi problem.

“It is an ungodly act for one to work for seven months and not be paid, it will amount to act of cruelty for workers to work and not get paid. Workers are fighting a just cause and we will not relent.

“It is worrisome that Kogi bailout is not transparently utilised, we don’t know why it is different in Kogi, it is unacceptable “he said.

Wabba also condemned the decision of the state government to force the workers on its payroll to open salary accounts in only two banks, saying this was against the fundamental human rights of the workers.

State of economy: Senate insists Finance Minister must appear today Continued from page 6 ceived from her, said she may not be able to come for the briefing due to Federal Executive Council ( FEC) holding at the villa then.

On that basis, the Senate had to step down the item on the order paper.

Minority leader, Godwill Akpabio in seconding the motion accused the minister of an act of omission, wondering why she did not remember that the FEC meeting would take place on Wednesday when she assured the Senate on Tuesday of her appearance.

The Senate President agreed

with the remarks by the Minority leader, insisting also that the Minister should find time to honour the invitation by today.

He, therefore, ordered that the Minister must unfailingly appear before the Senate on the state of the Nation’s economy today.

“The Minister must unfailingly appear before us Thursday before we proceed on long recess because the issue at stake centres on monetary and fiscal policies being adopted by the federal government to salvage the current economic situation.

“As remarked by the Minority leader, the Minister shouldn’t

Adeosun

have assured the Senate of her appearance on a day she knows that FEC meetings take place. She must definitely appear tomorrow ( today) , so as to brief us on what and what measures or strategies are being taken to remedy the economic problems at hand”, he said.

The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele had on Tuesday appeared before Senate and in a private session told the legislators that the Nigerian economy is in bad shape and needed urgent attention, just as he solicited the cooperation of the National Assembly in efforts by the government to revive the economy.

Sha, where the paramount ruler was killed.

He said Agai was a man of many attributes and lived his life advocating peace and unity in his domain and would be greatly missed.

He, however, urged the people to remain calm and not take laws into their hands as government would do everything within its powers to address the situation.

Lalong said relief materials would immediately be sent to those that were displaced as a result of the sad incident.

President, Plateau Traditional Council and Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba called for thorough investigation of the heinous killing of their members which he said was becoming a recurring issue.

The Gbong Gwom urged people to always volunteer information to the security agents to enable them to fish out evil doers in the land.

Budget 2016: House of Reps Appropriations committee chair resigns Continued from page 6 sponsibility, asserting further that in due course, he will soon open up on what transpired during the budget process.

According to him, “today, I walked into the chamber; I approached Mr. Speaker that after consulting with my family, I will not be available as chairman of appropriations committee”.

Rep. Jibrin said that he was leaving the committee post with an unblemished record, even though he said there were a lot of issues in the House pertaining to the 2016 budget that he will address in due course.

He said that he had tried to explain internally some of the controversies that surrounded the process of harmonising the 2016 budget and insisted that he committed no offense and as such was ready to stand any scrutiny by any agency of government.

“I wasn’t forced to resign, I resigned on my own volition. I am sure the Speaker himself was surprised but I told him, there is no going back. There is no how an individual can write the budget.

“It’s a process and a cycle and the records are there of inputs in the budget. Insinuations the appropriations committee wrote the budget for the National Assembly are untrue because inputs emanated from the various House committees”, the lawmaker stated.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

13

Opinion 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Theresa May, Melaye and the leader’s wife

H

“

Reuben

Abati

ave you been to Bourdillon? Or rather I should ask when are you going to Bourdillon?”

“What’s hap-

pening?”

“I hear people are paying solidarity visits to the Tinubus to express their dismay over Senator Dino Melaye’s assault on Senator Remi Tinubu, wife of the APC National Leader.”

“Assault?”

“That is precisely what it is. Assault. Sexual harassment. Abuse.

Threat of rape. Definite expression of intent to commit adultery and impregnate another man’s wife.”

“I read that story. I still find it difficult to believe that a distinguished Senator would descend to such level.

If that is the quality of reasoning among Nigerian parliamentarians, then the country is in more serious trouble than anyone could ever imagine.”

“Dino Melaye has not denied the statements he allegedly made. And the Tinubu camp is on an offensive against him. I read a response saying if he carries out his threat, things will happen.”

“Things should not only happen, I think every member of the National Assembly should undergo a psychiatrist test and a drug test.”

“Ha. You can’t conscript the entire National Assembly to undertake tests that are not required by law. And you can’t jump from something one Senator did to cast innuendo on other lawmakers.”

“You call it innuendo? You try.

From the look of things, male members of this National Assembly are convinced that women are sex objects.

Is this not the same National Assembly where male chauvinists resisted a Gender Equality Bill? Is it not in this same parliament that supposedly distinguished men stood up to defend marriage to the girl-child? And now you have a Senator threatening to beat up a female colleague, rape, impregnate her and that nothing will happen.”

“The man practically admitted his love of violence and lack of respect for a colleague. That is too much of an insult to the Madam and her husband.”

“I read on Sahara Reporters that he eventually changed his mind, though” “How?” “Sahara Reporters says he later told Mrs Tinubu, “F…. you.”

“F…. another man’s wife?”

“Yes. But he said worse. He reportedly said he would not even demean himself by impregnating a Bonga fish, and that he would prefer a robust woman like Senator Stella Oduah.”

“What? The scallywag wants to hold so-so-so-me-thing!”

“He has not denied saying so.”

“But are you sure there isn’t a Nollywood wing in that Senate and some of the members are rehearsing a block-buster home video?”

“Which home video? The altercation took place at a closed-door meeting of the Senate. Mrs Tinubu’s offence was that he criticized Senator Melaye’s contribution to a discussion, and the fellow became enraged. He had to be physically restrained from actually beating up the woman, and proceeding there and then to rape and impregnate her with immediate effect” “Chei. I wish I were in Asiwaju Tinubu’s shoes…”

“What will you do? You will invite Melaye to a physical combat? Have you seen the guy’s biceps and how heavily built he is? This is not a matter you settle with muscles.”

“Meaning?”

“There are sub-texts. Dino is probably fighting proxy war. His target may not be the woman but her husband.

Besides, the guy seems to have quite a reputation for beating up women. Ask his first wife. Ask his second wife.”

“Mrs Tinubu should sue him” “He will claim privilege. Every communication on the floor of the Senate is privileged.”

“What privilege? That privilege should not cover anyone threatening violence, rape, assault and adultery.

What if he was not restrained, he would have slapped Mrs. Tinubu or what? I also find the silence of the Senate leadership in this matter terribly offensive. By now, Senator Melaye should be standing before a Disciplinary Committee.”

“But again, is this whole story possible?”

“What will the Tinubus gain from lying against Melaye?”

“You know, for some reason, I sympathize with that fellow, you know.

What he has done, previously and right now, is very much like riding the Tiger. “ “Certain kinds of persons should

not be in the National assembly to start with. Is it not from this same National Assembly that the US Embassy named and shamed some lawmakers who went to the US on a sponsored trip to solicit for sex, with one of them almost raping a hotel attendant? This thing called democracy must be protected from women abusers, rapists and adulterers.”

“If this was in the US or the UK, by now, there will be protesters on the streets calling for Melaye’s head and seat. His constituents would have initiated the process of his recall.”

“Have you also not noticed that other female members of the National assembly have not spoken up. They are dangerously silent.”

“That is stupid. Do they want to be beaten up? Raped? And impregnated by violent colleagues? Are they happy that a male colleague is threatening to rape and impregnate?”.

“To call another man’s wife, Bonga fish. And openly say you prefer that other female Senator as a sex object.

That Melaye needs help, I must say.

Where is he from?”

“Right now, I wonder what Dino Melaye would have called Theresa May, the new Prime Minister of Britain” “Do not go there. He wouldn’t dare.

The kind of nonsense behaviour that is allowed in the name of lawmaking and leadership in this country is impossible in civilized places. Can you ever imagine any parliamentarian in the UK openly abusing a female colleague and threatening to rape and impregnate her?”

“All these our leaders, they love titles but not the responsibility that comes with high office. Just look at how the British have managed a major transition in the life of their nation, it was all done so decently.”

“Impressive. Classically British.

The country is more important than everyone.”

“David Cameron leads the country out of the European Union against his personal wish and to economic

disaster. He takes responsibility and he steps aside.”

“In Nigeria, he would have stayed on. After all, there was no election.

Nobody resigns here. Public office for the average Nigerian is about stomach infrastructure.”

“But in the UK, it is about service.

Did you read Cameron’s valedictory speech? Solid. No malice. No regrets.

The other week, he was down with rotten eggs on his face, but two days ago, he left office with his head held high. The British system works. When things go wrong, there are ways of dealing with them.”

“We shouldn’t compare apples and oranges. We can talk about lessons, but not to expect the same standards.”

“Look at Theresa May, the new PM. The very day she assumed office, she named her cabinet. She is prepared.

She is ready. She is competent. That is how to hit the ground running. Here, State Governors spend a whole year struggling to appoint ordinary commissioners.”

“State Governors? What of…?”

“Meshionu… Alakoba somebody.

It is not from my mouth that you will hear about physical, social psychological and existential violence in high places. But look again at what Theresa May has done. She has appointed into her cabinet, the Brexiteers, the same people who wanted Britain out of the EU. She has put together a cabinet that accommodates her rivals to show that she nurses no malice against anyone. Can you imagine Boris Johnson becoming Foreign Secretary?”

“I don’t support that.”

“Sorry, your opinion does not matter. Ko mata, ko muyo.”

“Boris Johnson is an isolationist.

And he doesn’t like Africans.”

“He loves Britain, his country. That is what matters.”

“I wish the new Prime Minister well, then. History made. She has Mrs Margaret Thatcher’s record to contend with.”

“No. You miss the point. She will not be judged on the grounds of gender.”

“Don’t fool yourself about that very point. Even in the UK, gender is an issue. Nobody talked about Cameron’s shoes or navy suits, for example. But since Theresa May arrived, there has been so much obsession with her clothes and leopard print kitten heels.”

“But she is lucky she doesn’t have a Dino Melaye around her.”

“Impossible.”

“And nobody will ever threaten to beat her up, rape her or impregnate her.”

“Why are you DinoMelaye-ing Theresa May? Can you stop? This is precisely why a Boris Johnson thinks you people should be kept out of Britain, so that in the long run you don’t pollute the decent space the British created over the centuries.”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

15 Opinion

Vandalisation and Power Supply

A Adams Aliyu

programme on Channels TV recently highlighted the awfully negative effect of vandalisation of gas pipelines , nationwide , on the poor state of electricity generation and distribution in Nigeria . While security agencies bosses interviewed on Channels insisted that they were doing their best to protect Nigeria’s vital power assets they admitted that they faced an uphill task in guaranteeing the security and functionality of these very important pipelines .Experts on the TV program were at pains to point out that the pipelines carried gas needed to generate electricity for transmission and distribution to Nigerian electricity consumers and this would just be impossible in the face of such successful and persistent vandalization bordering on economic sabotage with impunity .

Given such a bad situation on generation of power which is bound to affect its transmission and subsequent delivery , one is really taken aback by the insistence of a section of the power industry especially the trade unions to vilify the distribution companies involved in electricity delivery for poor electricity supply and going on to accuse them of exploitation of the Nigerian masses for the new tariffs approved for them sometime ago . Undoubtedly the Labor Unions influenced the Senate in stopping the new tariffs which has led to the regulator of the electricity industry the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission , NERC , taking the Senate to Court .

With the Unions hailing the Senate with which it never sees eye to eye on anything as quite patriotic in illegally stopping the tariff approved legitimately by the body empowered to do so legally in Nigeria .

The Channels program has been an eye opener to many Nigerians who smelt a rat in the ever ready and incessant castigation of the distribution companies called discos . From experience on privatization matters we thought it was just a case of sour grapes stemming from resentment of the new disco owners because of the huge capital they had put into the business . We thought that the unions wanted to show the new owners of the discos that unions have to be recognized as before when the distribution was a public sector affair even though the unions know fully well the owners of discos were hard nosed Nigerian businessmen who had put their

huge investment into the power sector because they believe in the Nigerian economy . No one expected the labor unions ,in full knowledge of the problem of vandalisation nationwide to be leading the fight to call the dog a bad name in order to hang it in the way and manner they have championed the cause of vilifying the discos for poor electricity supply in the face of rampant vandalisation of pipe lines expected to be used to generate electricity in the first instance .

To Nigerians who watched that Channels program the unions have been misleading the Nigerian public in painting the discos as power sharks exploiting Nigerians in the supply of electricity when indeed it is fellow Nigerians vandalizing the gas pipelines nationwide who should be held responsible for a sheer act of sabotage or outright hostility and felony or even high treason .

As patriotic and much respected public institutions in the labor market , the union leaders are enlightened enough to know that without regular electricity Nigeria can never make it in terms of economic development . Without economic development the fate of the Nigerian worker is to suffer and struggle to live always on subsistence level . Yet the objective of trade unions is to promote the progress and economic welfare of the Nigerian worker . The unions will do this better if they join hands with the security agencies in stopping those vandalizing our pipelines and making the generation of electricity an uphill if not impossible task . They can mobilise their millions of workers positively in this regard so that they can keep their jobs in the dwindling numbers of industries and factories with spiraling fixed and running costs of running their generators and standby generators to produce goods and services to keep our economy running . If the gencos and discos work well the electricity tariffs will be more beneficial to workers and the economy and such success will rub off on the trade unions which will be seen as champion of the masses . Which will be a more honest and commendable way to promote the fortune of the Nigerian worker far more productive and patriotic than the present deceit of blaming discos for poor electricity supply when we all know that vandalisation of our gas pipelines by fellow Nigerians is the real culprit .

Aliyu, an engineer, writes from Abuja

Dogara’s sermon on billions in farms

William Bozimo

T

he Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. YakubuDogara, has made a strange claim that Looted funds are now being buried in Farms across the country.

In a startling disclosure over the weekend, Mr. Dogara raised an alarm that looters’ funds were no longer being kept in Banks but are being ware-housed in tomato or rice farms within the Abuja capital territory.

He bemoaned the situation that after one year of anti- corruption fight no one had been convicted.

A strong voice behind President Buhari’s anti- graft war has this to say ‘ If I am just arrested, charged to court and maybe some money recovered from me at the end of the day, nothing happens and a lot of people will not be deterred from engaging

in corrupt practices in the future.’

Speaker Dogara feels that conviction may not necessarily mean going to prison but the stigma of conviction in a court of law will deter prospective politicians with itchy palms.

According to Speaker Dogara, since PDP had been in government for some 15 odd years, most of the funds meant for Arms purchase were being channeled to the PDP, but he, however, said he could not vouch for the APC politicians who were in opposition and whether they also benefitted from looted funds he could not say.

Speaker Dogara’s seeming naivety is rather stunning, as if, the former PDP and Action Congress Governors who now were seen as funders of the new APC tgovernment did not part with funds from their various states.

AshiwajuTinubu and BabatundeFashola did not lay their hands on

the Lagos state treasury funds. Or Governor of Rivers state MrRotimiAmaechi did not donate to President Buhari’s campaign in 2015?

When Speaker Dogara speaks like a nephrite in politics on how money moves from hand to another, especially, during the Presidential primaries of the APC in Lagos TeslimBalogun stadium inSurulere , with bullion Vans strategically placed in the stadium, and like ATM machines Tinubu and co- travellers ensured that money flowed throughout the primaries .

And from IMO and Kano, whose governor were keen contestants in the APC primaries doled out huge sums of money for that exercise.

Speaker Dogara may n ot have been inducted into the money spinning routine in both Houses of the National Asembly when former Presidents were accused of spreading banana peels for sharing among principal officers to allow an over-

bearing former civilian military president to want to extend a two term presidency to a third term.

Speaker Dogara must try to grow up, open his eyes and see things as they were before his term.

Commenting on the powers of the National Assembly to summon Ministers to the Chambers, Dogara agreed, it was the right oif the Chambers to invite erring Ministers to come to the Chambers to explain issues affecting the Chambers and dialogue with law makers.

He said that the National Assembly may approach the Supreme Court to make a categorical ruling on such invitations.

From the laymen perspective the trial of the two principal Senate leaders being dragged to court for what has come to be called Forgery of senate rules in electing its principal officers is more of an abuse o court processes by the Executive arm of government.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Features Æ s

17

Beware of airport robbers, fraudsters in SA, Nigerian travellers warned The Nigerian Consul-General in South Africa, Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke has expressed worry over the rising cases of robbery involving Nigerians who come into South Africa to do legitimate businesses.

“Since the beginning of the year, the Consulate in Johannesburg has received reports from at least 17 Nigerians who had been robbed and dispossessed of cash and valuables, including travel and other important documents, when they arrived at the Oliver Thambo International Airport,” the Ambassador said.

Stating that these armed robbery attacks have put the mission in a lot of problems, AjuluOkeke gave instances when even President Buhari’s aide on NEPAD was robbed.

“President Buhari’s aide on NEPAD arrived in South Africa, boarded a taxi recommended by the NEPAD Secretariat and was robbed at gunpoint, few meters away from the airport.

“Also, a top Nigerian cosmetologist was robbed when she came into South Africa to showcase traditional Nigerian cosmetics and improved local uses of Shea Butter.

“She was robbed at gunpoint with her husband when a car waylaid them in front of their hotel and took away all they had,” she said.

Besides, the consul-general recalled that another Nigerian

South African airline

couple had a similar experience on arrival in South Africa.

“The couple, Smith and Agnes Onakoya, had bitter story to tell when they came to the Consulate to report their case.

“They had boarded a taxi from the airport; just few metres from the airport, they were robbed of everything in their possession.

“When they came to the mission, they could not talk and the wife was very much traumatised. We had to buy them new

clothes; we opened their e-mail and informed the company they came to see that they have lost everything.

“The mission also assisted the couple to inform the organisation organising the meeting they came to attend of what transpired,” she said.

Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), an umbrella body of all Nigerians living in South Africa, said that it has received several reports of such incidents involv-

ing Nigerians on arrival at the airport.

Its President, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, said: “We have received several reports of such robberies; we, therefore, appeal to our people to be cautious, while taking preventive measures.’’

Expressing his worry also, Mr Emeka Ezinteje, NUSA’s Public Relations Officer, recalled how he assisted a stranded Nigerian to return home.

Ezinteje said that he went to

a petrol station on a Sunday to pick some friends who missed their way to his house.

“As I was about driving out with my friends, a young man made for my handsets inside my car and suddenly withdrew.

“The encounter was strange because the young man did not take anything from my car.

“The young man, 26-year-old Mohammed Kadiri, a graduate of Political Science from the UniCONTINUED ON PAGE 18

FOU Ikeja makes N1.2 b seizures in six months Joy Anyim

Part of the seized imported rice

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja Lagos has disclosed that the total seizures made for the first half of the year 2016 has a net value of N1.2 Billion. The disclosure which was contained in a press statement issued by the Comptroller of the Zone, Comptroller Umar Mohammed Dahiru also gave a breakdown of the total seizures

made within the period January - June 2016.

According to the Comptroller, a total of four hundred and ninety four different seizures of prohibited goods were effected by the unit during the period under reference. He however noted that the successes made would not have been achievable without the determination of the unit to completely eradicate the activities of smugglers within the zone.

He said, “this unit is entrusted

with the responsibilities of suppressing smuggling as well as facilitation of legitimate trade in line with global best practices.

This statutory role of the Unit requires strength of character, vision and competence of the operatives. The Unit is not under any illusion of the expectation of the Customs Management, hence the resilience and doggedness which have over the period become the modus operandi.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Features 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Beware of airport robbers, fraudsters in SA, Nigerian travellers warned CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

versity of Lagos, appeared not to be normal.

“When the police came and upon enquiries, it was discovered that Kadiri was a victim of robbery and suspected drugging.

“Kadiri only remembered that on arrival at the airport, he was given a cup of coffee by some people and he later found himself at the petrol station,’’ he said.

Ezinteje later took Kadiri to the Consulate where the mission assisted him with accommodation before sending him back home.

“From investigations, Kadiri appeared to have been drugged, robbed of all his possessions and dumped in the street by some unknown persons,” he said.

However, Miss Blessing Anya Hutchinson, a crisis consultant and psychological trauma counsellor in Durban, KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa, said that Kadiri, and others like him,

Nigerian Ambassador Okeke

ought to undergo effective trauma and post-traumatic stress support and counselling.

“This will help them to manage trauma and prevent posttraumatic stress development,

depression and in severe cases, mental disorder,” she said.

Hutchinson also said that such treatment, particularly the provision of emotional and psychological support, would enable the victims to be free from manifesting trauma-induced habits.

All the same, Ajulu-Okeke urged Nigerians travelling to South Africa to make proper arrangements for people to receive them and be alert for any eventuality.

“Do not enter the local airport taxis because some of the taxis have entered into an unholy alliance with fraudsters to rob unsuspecting persons who come to South Africa for legitimate businesses,” she said.

The envoy noted that there could be several other cases that were not reported to the consulate.

However, she said that several victims had reported cases to the police for them to take action.

“We are working hard here to promote business relations be-

tween our two countries; there are more than 30,000 South Africans living in Nigeria and nothing like this happens to them,” she said.

Ajulu-Okeke urged the South African security agencies to stem the activities of fraudsters who rob people at the international airport.

Furthermore, Anyene appealed to the South African police to monitor airport taxi drivers and arrest those perpetrating such acts.

“The Nigeria Union wants such incidents checked and one way of doing this is for the police to regularly monitor taxi drivers, so as to remove the bad eggs among them.

“Several persons have been traumatised by their experiences in the hands of these fraudsters.

“Some have been rendered destitute after losing everything.

It is important that urgent action is taken to stop this negative trend,” Anyene advised.

FOU Ikeja makes N1.2 b seizures in six months CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

“It is pertinent to also reiterate that smuggling, just like scavenging is a global menace which has been a thorn in the flesh of even the most developed nations.

This is why we have taken up the gauntlet to ensure that no stone is left un-turn as we drive the process as a leading force in antismuggling operations. All these innovative steps have led to the success recorded between January – June, 2016.”

Giving a breakdown of the seizures, the Comptroller said that a total of 22,763 bags of 50kg parboiled rice was intercepted; valued at One Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira Only with a payable duty of Thirty Four Million, One Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand Naira Only and a Duty Paid Value(DPV) of One Hundred and Forty Eight Million, One Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand Naira ONLY. A total of Twenty nine thousand, six hundred and eighty four cartons of poultry products valued at One Hundred and Thirty Three Million, Five Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand Naira

Only, with a payable duty of Twenty Six Million, Seven Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Six Hundred Only and a DPV of One Hundred and Sixty Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand, Six Hundred Naira Only.

On vehicles, the Comptroller confirmed that a total of fifty vehicles was intercepted comprising Thirty eight units of assorted vehicles and twelve cut buses valued at Sixty Eight Million Naira Only, with a payable duty of Twenty Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira Only, and a DPV of Ninety One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira Only.

Vegetable oils were also not left out in the seized items. Comptroller Umar noted that three thousand, one hundred and seventy four jerry cans, two hundred and eighty six cartons, one hundred and twenty pieces of ten liters and one thousand two hundred and fifty empty J/CANS were also intercepted, valued at Twenty One Million, One Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand Naira Only with a payable duty of Seven Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira Only with a DPV

of Twenty Eight Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira Only.

Spray no general merchandise which included new and used textile materials, new and used shoes, insecticide, wine, various types of spaghetti and noodles, soaps and detergents, the value was put at Three Hundred and Sixty Five Million, Three Hundred and Forty Six Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Naira Only with a payable duty of Ninety Four Million, One Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Naira Only with a DPV of Four Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Five Hundred and Forty One Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty Nine Naira Only.

Comptroller Umar also stated that the unit apprehended one hundred and twenty six suspects in connection with the Seizures during the same period Comparing the report of with that of corresponding 2015, the Comptroller said, “during the corresponding period of 2015, we recorded one thousand and thirty different Seizures with a Duty Paid Value of seven hundred and

Umar Mohammed Dahiru

fifty eight million, two hundred and seventy one thousand, nine hundred and sixty nine naira only. Whereas the number of Seizures for 2015 appeared higher, the quality of Seizures between January – June, 2016 obviously accounted for the improved Duty Paid Value.”

He disclosed further that despite the harsh economic realities, the Unit was still able to demonstrate capacity in actualizing the set objectives of the Service, particularly in enforcing the fiscal policies of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Comptroller attributed

the successes made by the unit to the total commitment of officers/men of the Unit. Hear him, “These successes did not come without challenges and some of these challenges range from the hostility and volatility of some areas where we operate, nefarious activities of some fake informants as well as the role of misguided and unpatriotic elements who strongly believe that smuggling is their legitimate right.

However, the Unit remains on top of its statutory functions and is making serious inroads/waves in ensuring seamless operations even in very volatile terrains. “

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

19 Features

BAN ON STREET TRADING:

Ambode, Owoseni ask Lagosians for understanding CP Owoseni

‘Show of force’ along Awolowo Way, Ikeja on Monday

Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr It would appear the Lagos State Government is making good its threat to implement the total ban on street trading in the city of Lagos.

Early on Monday morning, The Daily Times captured a convoy of no less than seven KAI ‘Green Maria’ vehicles parading the Awolowo Way, Ikeja area, with officials in their (now dreaded) green uniforms looking stern and ready to make trouble in what one of the vendors called ‘applied’ intimidation.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Owoseni, had sounded it loud and clear earlier in the week, warning Lagosians against patronising street traders.

According to Owoseni, there

Hawkers

have been instances where criminals hide among street traders to steal from unsuspecting citizens.

The commissioner, who spoke with journalists after a meeting between Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and security chiefs at state house, Alausa, explained that the decision to enforce the total ban on street trading was partly to check the activities of such criminals.

“The law has been there even before the present executive governor came into power, so what we are doing as responsible government and responsible security and law enforcement institutions is to further engage - like the Governor did last time on television, on the evils of street trading,” the state police commissioner said, and advanced further reasons for the implementation:

“It is not just about stopping the street trading; it also has the security elements. The fellows that are on the roads under the guise that they are selling, some of them are also criminals.

“There are criminals hiding within them to commit some havoc and for people that are also patronising them like the Governor has said, everybody is just thinking this is a new law, but it is not.

We know the mood of the society and we also know the modus operandi of the criminals; now we want to balance our enforcement and that is why we are doing a lot of public enlightenment.”

He added that some of the street traders also sell products that are harmful to people, but there is another lethal angle to government’s apprehension: “Some of these guys (street traders), including those beggars also carry weapons under their shirt that they can use to harm people.

“So, these things put together, it is going to be a win-win situation if our people avoid patronising street hawkers.”

A way out for hawkers Instead of daring the law and risking being arrested and imprisoned, CP Owoseni advised the hawkers to form a formidable front, approach the government and ask for the creation of corner shops along the extremely busy streets for them to practice their trade, for several special reasons: “They are on the roads and vehicles can also hit them, so there are lots of dangers involved and that is why we are engaging the people via enlightenment on the dangers involved.

LAMENTATION OF A SUSPECT: It’s my first time, now I am the only one caught Oguntade Ismaila A suspected member of an eight-man robbery gang, Abdullahi Olanrewaju (30), has been arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command over the weekend.

Olanrewaju was nabbed during their operations at Abeje and Onibeju Streets, off Capitol road in Agege Local Govern-

ment area of the state.

The operatives, who were led to te scene of the robbery by Inspector Anthony Inege, told our correspondent that one of the victims, who managed to escape through the window, alerted them that armed men were operating in their building.

The officers followed the complainant to the robbery scene where they met men of the underworld numbering about

eight attempting to enter another building on the street.

It was gathered that while the robbers sighted the police, they opened fire at them.

The swift response from the RRS operatives, led to the arrest one of them while others allegedly made away with two pump action guns, a sum of N549,500 and other valuables.

The suspect, who hails from Ita-Amoju in Kwara State, alleg-

edly confessed to RRS investigators that he was lured to join the gang with a promise that they would buy a commercial bus for him after the operation.

“When I arrived Lagos, I started driving a commercial bus, plying Agege to Oshodi; but the bus developed some faults and the owner had to sell the vehicle off. Since then, things became very difficult for me.”

Abudulahi Olanrewaju

News 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Oshiomhole inspires me, says Ambode Lions’ Club distributes school materials to Ekiti students Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏThe President of Some women protesting against Sen. Dino Melaye on the alleged vulgar assault on Sen. Oluremi Tinubu in Abuja… on Wednesday.

Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏGovernor

Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State said on Tuesday in Benin, that his Edo State counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was a source of inspiration to him.

Ambode who spoke when he visited Oshiomhole at the Government House, said he drew inspiration from Oshiomhole’s style of leadership to bring good governance to the people of the state. He added that his achievements in the last seven years had impacted positively not just on the economy of the state but the country in general.

The Lagos number one citizen, who was recently appointed Chairman of All progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the Edo Governorship Election slated for September 10, 2016, said, “On a personal note, I am very proud of all the things you have done for Edo State and even this coun-

try Nigeria, and I can say the few achievements I have actually attained in Lagos State were driven and inspired by the kind of energy you bring to governance and I am very proud to be associated with you and the government of Edo State.”

He said he was pleased and humbled to be saddled with the task of leading the APC campaign to retain the state, adding that continuity was germane to sustain the path already laid down by the present administration.

“I have come here this afternoon to accept physically the daunting task which has been laid upon me by our national party by appointing me as the chairman of the gubernatorial campaign committee of the gubernatorial election coming up in Edo State.

“I am very pleased and humbled by that appointment. And I have come here, firstly, to apologise for not being around

on Saturday when the committee was inaugurated because of some exigencies, and to show my presence a few days after, and my commitment to ensure that our gubernatorial candidate not only wins the election, but he is able to show his footprints just like what the present governor has done, that the APC and the change mantra is really in totality about what we want governance to be in Nigeria,” he said.

Ambode further added, “I like to also say that what we have ahead of us as a party, that is, APC, is beyond ordinary election. We need to take Nigeria out of its doldrums, and the only party that can do that is APC, of which we are happy to be aligned with your state and other progressive states in the country. And that is why we are here as brothers, we offer ourselves and we will continue to also send the same message across board; across all the progressive states.”

the Ado Metropolitan Lions Club in Ekiti State, and proprietor of De-Jewels Apartments, Lion Asiwaju Oyedeji Olajubu, has advised the pupils and students to imbibe the spirit of giving and sacrificing for one another, saying giving and sharing was the greatest thing in life.

Olajubu who gave the advice in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state capital, on Wednesday, when the Ado Metropolitan Lions’ Club, Region 10, zone 10B, District 404B2, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria visited the Ado Grammar Nursery and Primary School, and the Ado Grammar School to distribute some school materials, added that “love is also essential”, saying without love it would be difficult to share or give out.

The programme was titled: “Back to School Initiative for Youth Empowerment in Ekiti State”, where it gave many notebooks, mathematical sets and other writing materials to aid pupils and students of nursery, primary and secondary schools in the state capital.

Murder of Plateau monarch linked to grazing reserve policy Chijioke Kingsley, Jos

ÏÏÏ The Honorable Member

Representing Bokkos/Mangu Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Solomon Maren, has said that the murder of the Plateau Traditional ruler, Saf Ron Da Lazarus Agai of Bokkos was because of his stance in opposing the grazing reserve bill.

While speaking on the murder of the first class Chief, in a statement that was made available to our correspondent, Hon. Maren stated that, the monarch was killed by those he had spent most of his time struggling to protect.

His words, “from what I have gathered, the Chief was killed because of his stance on the issue of grazing reserves.

“Throughout his reign, he remained a very principled man and would tell you exactly what he feels about an issue. That was just his offence”, Maren, who is from the same town with the slain Chief, said.

He regretted that such killings had become common in the Chiefdom, and recalled that the Village Head of Makayi and the District Head of Manguna were killed in the same circumstances and by unknown gunmen in January.

However, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh Sa’ad Abubakar lll has condemned the killing of the Plateau first class traditional ruler, calling for religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence among the peace loving citizens of Nigeria.

Fashola unveils power sector documents at NACOP Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏDetermined to fast-track the

attainment of incremental power through increase in quantum of electricity supply, Power Minister, Mr. BabatundeFashola, has presented to the 2nd National Council on Power NACOP which was held in Kaduna, four documents for validation and adoption by the Council, insisting that states take their rightful positions in the emerging scenario playing out in the sector.

The documents are National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAP), National Renewable

Energy Action Plans (NREAP), Sustainable Energy for All-Action Agenda (SEALL-AA) and the Nigerian Power Sector Investment, Opportunities and Guidelines.

The development of NREAP, has received tremendous support from European Union (EU), and the German Government funded GIZ through the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), underscored by the believe that inefficient use of energy supply would increase environmental problems, increase cost of goods and services. It could also compound the problem of access by large army of our population as it would be expedient to avoid invest-

ment in power in excess of actual requirement, because of scarcity of resources. Already, there are some initiatives with the private sector, arising from the approval of NREAP, in 2015 which include – Energy Efficient Housing Scheme, the Abuja Green City Initiative on Integrated Renewable Energy Services, Abuja Centenary City, planned by private investors on renewable energy sources and energy efficient mechanism and the Nigerian Clean Energy Access Programme – NCEAP – are all aimed at the reduction of global impact of climate change.

The second document is the National Renewable Energy policy

document which is developed as a key element embedded in the current electricity reform, which hoped to radically increase the use of renewable energy sources in Nigeria.

This is premised on the fact that Nigeria will put into use its abundant resources in both renewable and non-renewable energy sources, as the country looks forward to capitalising on its economic growth potentials. The deregulation of the sector which entails greater need for renewable sources would also be required for Nigeria’s future energy needs, in view of its growing population and concomitant energy demands.

Lalong

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

21

Public Notice 22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Defence Equipment Procurement: Stakeholders slam FG, C’ttee ÎÎÎKey

President Muhammadu Buhari, which they described as selective but expressed surprise at the shallowness of the government with regards to procurement procedures of the Ministry of Defence.

“This action is repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.

The country cannot afford the luxury of being coerced into the repressive mannerisms of selective justice” a statement by Alhaji Adamu Bello said.

They described the accusations against retired

stakeholders in the Nigerian State on Wednesday rejected the progressive dehumanisation of those that contributed to the unity, stability and growth of the country.

They also complained about the unethicalness in the reports of the Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces.

At a meeting of top brass of different ethnic groupings in Kaduna, the stakeholders not only opposed the agenda of MISS MMEZICHUKWU RUTH CHIDIMMA

MRS. CHINYERE ABAZU JEGEDE

I was formerly known and addressed as MRS OKONKWO RUTH CHIDIMMA. Now wish to be known and addressed as MISS MMEZICHUKWU RUTH CHIDIMMA All former documents remain valid.

General public to take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as, MISS. CHINYERE ABAZU, now wish to be known and addressed as, MRS. CHINYERE ABAZU JEGEDE. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

DEEBII TEMPLE

OGUNBIYI DAMILARE DANIEL

I, formerly known and addressed as, TEMPLE ZORBARI DEEBII, now wish to be known and addressed as, DEEBII TEMPLE. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

I, formerly known as BIYI. DANIEL DAMILARE wish to be known and addressed as OGUNBIYI DAMILARE DANIEL. All former document remain valid, general public please take note.

ADEDOYIN ADEBUKOLA ADETAYO

EBURU ABIODUN OMOWUNMI

I, formerly known as ADEDOYIN ADEBUKOLA ADETA wish to be known and addressed as ADEDOYIN ADEBUKOLA ADETAYO. All former document remain valid, general public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as, ADEBESHIN Abiodun Omowunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as, EBURU Abiodun Omowunmi. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

military officers as politically motivated.

The stakeholders accused the government of being selective and refusing to indict key members of the current administration, believed to have played questionable roles in military procurement since 2007.

They also accused the presidency of doctoring the Arms Procurement Probe Report to shield certain individuals.

“These reports must be seen and taken for what they are- distorted images of reality”.

CONFORMATION OF NAME

MRS. ESTHER TERUNGWA AINA I, formerly known and addressed as, MISS. ESTHER TERUNGWA IANGE, now wish to be known and addressed as, MRS. ESTHER TERUNGWA AINA. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME THAT I AM THE SAME PERSON BEARING ADEOLA SAMUEL OKUNADE AND OKUNADE ADEOLU GBENGA DATE OF BIRTH 30/588555999/1978 ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, formally known and addressed as MISS SAFURAT SHITTU now wish to be known and addressed as MRS SAFURAT MUNIRU BADIRU. All former documents remain valid. General Public Note.

MISS MARIAM NONYELUM NWAMADI

MISS NNENDA CHRISTIANA OKOCHA

I, formerly known as MRS MARIAM NONYELUM PARK now wish to be known and addressed as MISS MARIAM NONYELUM NWAMADI All former documents remain valid. general public please take note

I, formerly known and addressed as, MRS NNENDA CHRISTIANA OWHOOSIMINI , now wish to be known and addressed as, MISS NNENDA CHRISTIANA OKOCHA . All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

ABIOLA WOLE SUNDAY

UTHMAN OLWATOYIN TAJUDEEN

I FORMER LY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABIOLA SUNDAY JOSHUA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABIOLA WOLE SUNDAY. DATE OF BIRTH 3/07/1972.

ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE

OSITA OSINACHI OBIOMA

CORRECTION OF NAME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSES AS USMAN OLUWATOYIN TAJUDEEN NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSES AS UTHMAN OLWATOYIN TAJUDEEN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

MRS OSAIGBOVO FELICIA ELUGHAME

I, CHUKWU NATHANIEL, AND SUNDAY NATHANIEL, refer to one and same person but, now wish to be known and addressed as, CHUKWU NATHANIEL. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

I, OSITA OSINACHI OBIOMA, AND OSITA OSITA NJOKU, refer to one and same person but, now wish to be known and addressed as, OSITA OSINACHI OBIOMA. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

I, OKON SOLOMON EKPENYONG, wish to correct my name which was wrongly written as, OKON SOLOMON OKON, instead of, OKON SOLOMON EKPENYONG, in my BVN details. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

CHIDINMA EWUNONU

MRS. BEAUTY PETER ALIEMHE

FESTUS ODIKS AWARA

I, formerly known and addressed as, CELINE NWACHUKWU, CHIDINMA NWACHUKWU, AND CHIDINMA SILVENA CELINE EWUNONU, now wish to be known and addressed as, CHIDINMA EWUNONU. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as, MISS. ALEOGHENA BEAUTY, now wish to be known and addressed as, MRS. BEAUTY PETER ALIEMHE. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as, AWARA ODIKIBELEFAA JOSEPHUS, now wish to be known and addressed as, FESTUS ODIKS AWARA. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

I formerly known as ATINUKE ADEREMI OLADEJO-AKINTOLA now wiches to be known and addressed as ATINUKE ADEREMI OYENUGA. All other documents and bank accounts bearing the former name remains valid.

FLORA GEORGE OTUMA

MRS. MARY AKHIGBEMIDU IBHAREMHAN

KAREEM PERPETUAL AMANOSI

FANIRAN NIMATALLAH OLUWATOYIN I, formerly known and addressed as, IDRIS NIMATALLAH OLUWATOYIN, now wish to be known and addressed as, FANIRAN NIMATALLAH OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as, FLORA SARAH OTUMA, now wish to be known and addressed as, FLORA GEORGE OTUMA. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note.

UNIQUE-LINK CLUB OF PORT HARCOURT

THERE WILL BE AN AUCTION SALES OF MOTOR CYCLES AND HOUSE HOLD ITEMS AT ANTI CULTISM POLICE SQUAD OF THE RIVERS STATE POLICE COMMAND. AFTER 14 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION

This is to inform the general public that the above named Association has applied to the corporate Affairs commission for registration under part’ C’ of the company and Allied Matters Act of 1990 .

UKHOMUNYIO DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

MRS SAFURAT MUNIRU BADIRU

FORMERLY: KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABAYOMI SARAH OLUWABUSAYO, I WANT TO ADD OLUWAYEMISI TO MY NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ABAYOMI SARAH OLUWABUSAYO OLUWAYEMISI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE

MY NAME WAS WRONGLY WRITTEN AS ODITOR IWATRTE VICTOR AND ODITOR UWALTE MY CORRECT NAME IS CORRECT: ODITOR VICTOR IBHATE, ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE

AUCTION SALES

Signed: Police auctioneer Miliha intergrated services 08060382828

ADDITION OF NAME

The Trustees are : 1) ENGR UMOH WILSON INYANG- Chairman 2) MR. EZEKIEL UDO UDOAKA - Secretary 3) MR. EYO OKON EKANEM- Member 4) DEACON UDOH UFOT NOAH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1) TO FOSTER LOVE AND UNITY AMONG MEMBERS 2) TO GIVE MORAL, MATERIAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORTS TO MEMBERS WHO ARE IN DIFFICULTY. Any objections to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi street Maitama Abuja within 28days of this publication.

Signed : Bassey Akpan.

DESTINY RECOVERY GLOBAL CHURCH

I, formerly known and addressed as, MISS. MARY IYOYENBHO AKHIGBEMIDU, now wish to be known and addressed as, MRS. MARY AKHIGBEMIDU IBHAREMHAN. All former documents remains valid.

General public should take note.

I, formerly known & addressed as MISS IGBON FELICIA ELUGHAME , now wish to be known & addressed as MRS OSAIGBOVO FELICIA ELUGHAME . All former documents remains valid, General public, take note.

ATINUKE ADEREMI OYENUGA

I, formerly known as ODIKO PERPETUAL AMANOSI ANNABELLE wish to be known and addressed as KAREEM PERPETUAL AMANOSI All former document remain valid, general public please take note.

AFOLABI ABIDEMI AISHAT

AFOLABI ABIDEMI OLAMI

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSES AS ADENIYI ABIDEMI AYISAT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSES AS AFOLABI ABIDEMI AISHAT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSES AS ONABOYE OLAMILEKAN TAOFEEK NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSES AS AFOLABI ABIDEMI OLAMI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

ODIMAYO MAYO I, formerly known as ODIMAYOMI MAYOWA MODUPE wish to be known and addressed as ODIMAYO MAYO. All former document remain valid, general public please take note.

ABASS WALIU BABATUNDE I, formerly ABASS OLAIYA BABATUNDE now wishes to be known and address as ABASS WALIU BABATUNDE. All former documents remained valid. The general public take note.

TESTIFY CHRIST EVANGELICAL MISSION.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named is applying for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and allied matters Act, 1990

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 Balogun Victor Luke 3 Kelobo Anthony 5 Sado Michael Eshiogiemhe 7 Bisah Ayo Okumialegie 9 Ahmed Haruna

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1 PASTOR HOPE RAPHAEL ETIM---CHAIRMAN; 2 PASTOR OLAWALE OLATUNJI---SECRETARY; 3 MRS. INIMFON ETIM; Member 4 PASTOR EZE O. EZE Member

BOARD OF TRUSTEES (1) OSEGHE, DAVID ONOGHARIGHO - CHAIRMAN (2) OSEGHE, MAUREEN AKPESIRI - TREASURER. (3) RUKEVWE CELIA OYETUNJI- SECRETARY. (4) ONOME OSIFO WHISKEY.

2 Philip Odion Magnus 4 Roland Ediawe 6 Aliu Mutairu - Secretary 8 Engr. Iremia Sunny 10 Abdul Matti - Chairman.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1 To promote peace and unity and development of Ukhomunyio people. .

Any objection to the registration of the above named organisation should be forwarded to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria within 28 days of this publication.

Signed Secretary

Aims and Objectives 1.PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AROUND THE WORLD. 2. PLANT CHURCHES WORLDWIDE. 3. ESTABLISH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AT ALL LEVELS. 4.EMBARK ON PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS THAT WILL ENHANCE THE WELFARE OF HUMANITY. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Trustees

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. (1) TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. (2) TO POPULATE THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARRISTER KINGSLEY EDIALE. 08023279496. 08065538310

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

23 News

Sex scandal: Reps insist on innocence, want proof from US Onyema, Entwistle to appear before c’ttee today Î

Henry Omunu & Emmanuel Iriogbe Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

three House of Representatives members accused of sexual misconduct by the outgoing United States envoy to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, on Wednesday, insisted they were innocent of the allegations against them, just as the lawmakers demanded the envoy produce evidence to substantiate his claims.

Testifying before the joint House committee probing the sexual misconduct allegation, they described the allegations by Entwistle as false and baseless, and threatened legal action

against the ambassador and the US government if they failed to apologise to them or produce evidence to substantiate the allegation in line with global practice.

Rep. Mohammed Gololo in his testimony declared: “I am shocked and dismayed at the content of Amb. Entwistle’s letter which contains totally false and baseless accusations against me. I never grabbed any house keeper because no house keeper or maid came into my room while l was inside for the period l lodged at the hotel.

“I take this issue very seriously and I demand an apology. I insist that the evidence of the allegation against me be produced as was done in

the case of the former managing director of the IMF who had a similar allegations made against him and evidence was produced. So I demand same”.

He added further that it was in the interest of both countries to ensure an in depth investigation into the alleged scandal and that he was ready to return to the US to clear his name.

On his part, Rep. Mark Gbillah, who became emo-

tional during his testimony and broke down in tears, said that the Marriott Hotel in Cleveland where he was alleged to have solicited for a prostitute through a car park attendant had no car park in the front where the said solicitation took place. “l want to state categorically that there is no car park in front of Marriott Hotel in Cleveland but rather the car park is located behind the hotel and l had no business

going to the car park since l didn’t drive throughout my stay.

“I want to confirm unequivocally that at no time did l have an interaction with a car park attendant and l never went to the car park. I never solicited for a prostitute as was alleged”, Gbillah said.

The lawmaker added that the US envoy had failed to avail the accused House members with the identity

of their accusers and the time line when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the third accused, Rep. Samuel Ikon while accusing the US embassy of denying them fair hearing, revealed that the health challenge he experienced during the period when the said incident happened foreclosed him from soliciting for the services of prostitute as alleged by Entwistle.

NHIS delists 17 health mgt organisations Moses Oyediran, Enugu

ÎÎÎThe

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has delisted 17 Health Management Organisations (HMOs).

Speaking with journalists in Enugu, the Co-ordinator of the scheme in the state, Mrs. Ahunna Ochor, said that the affected HMOs could not meet up with the target of ensuring quality health for enrollees.

She said that some of the delisted HMOs collapsed on their own and owed some health care providers several millions of naira.

“About 17 of the HMOs were recently delisted.

Some collapsed on their own and we found out that they owe some health care providers quite a lot of money that runs into millions.

“Some of those owed have written to the Executive Secretary of the scheme through the state office and we await the outcome,” she said.

Ochor said that there was every possibility that the debts would be paid and appealed to the health care providers to route their challenges through the state office.

Minister extols the grandeur of Durbar

ÎÎÎThe Minister of Informa-

tion and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the Durban Festival in Northern Nigeria as one of the most cherished precious stones in the cultural crown of Nigeria.

The Durbar has been with us for a very long, but over the ages it has proved its flexibility and its sensitivity to adaptation to changing circumstances,’’ the Minister said in Paris on Monday at the inauguration of the Exhibition, ‘Durbar in Northern Nigeria’, at the UNESCO headquarters in the French capital. ‘’Today its ancient garments for conflict and might have evolved into fares that please the eye with their splen-

dor, and its celebration has become a feast of union of the people with their leadership, and a demonstration of the skills of valour and beauty,’’ he said.

Alhaji Mohammed welcomed the initiative that led to the Exhibition, saying the coincidence between the aim of the Exhibition and some of the duties incumbent on the Ministry of Information and Culture is by no means an accident ‘’nor is it by chance that we are gathered here for this celebration, in UNESCO, the Organization that is uniquely dedicated to Culture, in all its facets, but most especially as a means of bringing together peoples and nations of the world’’.

Abuja drivers of Urban Mass Transport Company protesting alleged non-payment of their six months’ salary in Abuja… on Wednesday.

PDP vows to wipe away tears of Owan people Titus Akhigbe, Benin City

ÎÎÎA

Peoples Democratic Government (PDP) government in Edo State, come November 12, 2016, would wipe away the tears of Owan people, who have suffered untold neglect despite voting massively for Governor Adams Oshiomhole on two occasions in the past.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu the Edo PDP candidate, who disclosed this, while speaking at Uzebba and Sabobgidda-Ora ,in Owan West Local Government Area, on Wednesday, also said it was obvious that for Governor Oshiomhole, Owan is no longer part of Edo North, hence his decision to concentrate all his efforts on his village, Iyamho.

He described as sheer

wickedness the total neglect of Owan people – politically and economically – by the Oshiomhole administration and promised to focus his attention on proper development of the locality if elected.

At Uzebba, he said, “the Uzebba General Hospital which is bereft of doctors and other health personnel will be upgraded to a modern standard to enable it take care of the mass population in the area”.

“It is a pity that such a general hospital that caters for a large population still uses candles to do surgeries at night and has no water or electricity yet the government claims it spent billions on health care delivery”.

Ize-Iyamu promised that a PDP government will tar

the Uzebba and Okpujie township roads which had been abandoned just as he promised to employ more teachers and pay them well.

Describing Owan West as a very special agricultural area, the PDP candidate promised that agriculture would thrive once again in the area as his government would provide working tools and incentives to the farmers, as well as empower the women to adequately take care of their families.

He then promised to provide gainful employment for youths in the area, as well as give them scholarships and bursary to ensure that they were adequately taken care of in their schools.

Earlier the state PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, asked the APC Gover-

norship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as the Head of Oshiomhole’s Economic team, to tell the Edo people why the industries that were set up by the previous administration like Edo Line, Bendel Brewery, Bendel Insurance were today moribund.

Ize-Iyamu

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

S-South, S-East lawmakers to Buhari: You can’t tame N’Delta militants, except you dialogue

Nosa Ogiugo

ÏÏÏLawmakers

from the South-South and South-East on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with Niger Delta militants in order to end attacks on oil installations in the region, adding that use of force will not tame the militants.

The decision of the lawmakers reached at a resolution of a joint session of States Houses of Assembly in the South-South and South-East, presided over

by Mr. Monday Igbuya, also urged the Federal Government to negotiate with the militants genuinely and drop all efforts to

pursue the grazing bill.

On “insurgence in the Niger Delta region, the lawmakers said the Federal Government should reassess and revisit the performance of the amnesty programme, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), report and hydrocarbon pollution restoration project with a view to strengthening grey areas and improve plantations.

The lawmakers further urged Federal Government to enter into peaceful dialogue with principal stakeholders in the South-South and South-East in resolving the dispute and operate with the rule of engagement (ROE) without incurring collateral damage

as akin to the Odi massacre of November 4, 1999.

They urged the National Assembly to, as a matter of extreme urgency and importance, ensure the accelerated passage of the Petroleum Industry bill (PIB) as it addresses salient issues fanning the embers’ of militancy in the region.

As regards the proposed grazing reserves bill and activities of the herdsmen in the geo-political zones, the lawmakers urged the various Houses of Assembly in the two geo-political zones to pass bills restricting cattle rearing through farmlands thereby causing damages to farmlands,

health hazards and obstruction of vehicular and human traffic and to reject the proposed bill to establish and control grazing routes and reserves before the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

While decrying the low and un-proactive response of the Federal Government in tackling herdsmen insurgence, they urged the presidency to step into action and direct the security agencies in the country to brace up and to be alive to their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property from the hands of the marauding herdsmen.

They urged the state

Bayelsa tribunal: S’ Court orders play of DVD in open court

Biz woman petitions EFCC chair over alleged persecution Titilope Joseph

Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏA

business woman, Mrs. Moji Yakubu has petitioned the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu over an alleged persecution and miscarriage of justice by its officials.

According to the petition dated on July 19, 2016, Mrs. Yakubu, through her lawyer, Mr. Yemi Adesina alleged that some officials of EFCC were acting on the orders of some unknown persons to frame up a charge of stealing of a 10 hectare land located at Sangotedo against his client.

Yakubu was said to have rightfully purchased the 10 hectares of land from its owners, Onibeju Royal Family for N100m and that a deed of assignment was duly executed by both parties.

Adesina also said that: some members of the Onibeju Royal Family had initially petitioned the EFCC over an alleged fraudulent activities of one Miss.

Folashade Ogundare whom the family had withdrawn the power of attorney over the piece of land from.

He also alleged that while investigation was still ongoing over the family’s N4billion fraud allegation against Miss Ogundare, the matter took another twist when the family members who reported the matter to commission also became suspects.

The commission last year was also alleged of slamming an 11-count criminal charge of stealing against Yakubu and nine members of the Onibeju family.

governments in the two geopolitical zones to establish special taskforces drawn from the various security agencies and neighbourhood watches in each local government to checkmate the excesses of herdsmen and prosecute them.

Meanwhile, the Delta State House of Assembly has approved for second reading, the Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority Law 2006 (amendment) Bill, 2016 referring it to the House Committee on Agriculture, headed by the member representing Ethiope East Constituency, Hon. Evance Ivwurie for reports.

ÏÏÏThe

L-R: Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Sulieman Lasun; President, Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Mr. Ayuba Wabba; General Manager, Corporate Services, Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mr. Olasupo Agbaje and Guest Speaker, Mr. Osten Olorunsola, during a technical roundtable on perennial petroleum product scarcity in Abuja... on Monday.

Photo: Temitope Balogun.

Aero Contractors petitions CJ over alleged misconduct of Justice Idris Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏ

F ew days after the National Judicial Council (NJC) compulsorily retired three Judges for judicial misconduct, Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited has petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, over judicial misconduct of Justice Mohammed Idris.

In the petition, Justice Idris was alleged to have granted an ex-parte order of interim injunction without consideration to a pending judgment in a sister suit before his court.

The firm is asking the Chief Judge to immediately transfer the case file from the court of Justice Idris to any other judge who will adjudicate on the mat-

ter without any form of bias against it.

The petition, dated May 4, 2016, signed by the Chairperson, Board of Directors, Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited, Eniye Ambakederemo, was obtained during proceedings on Monday, June 27, 2016 through the Court Registrar who distributed it in open court on the order of Justice Idris. It stated that a mortgage agreement between Aero Contractors and the defunct Oceanic Bank Plc suffered default which formed part of the debt inherited by Asset management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) from the bank upon its liquidation.

Attempts by AMCON to recover the debt led to an institution of a suit No: FHC/C/CS/07/2014

in AMCON vs. Aero and presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos. Later on, the matter was resolved amicably and the terms of settlement was entered as the judgment of the court on February 17, 2015 and pronounced upon by the Judge.

By that judgment, AMCON acquired 60 percent of the shares of Aero while the remaining 40 percent shares were left for the legacy shareholders which comprise the Ibrus who are the original owners. The period for the pay back of the judgment sum was fixed at 10 years commencing from February 17, 2015 date of the judgement where Aero started servicing the judgment sum even though AMCON continued to shortchanged Aero.

Supreme Court, on Wednesday, ordered the recall of a witness Emmanuel Ogunseye, who testified in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal to play the DVD on the cancellation of election in Southern Ijaw in the open court.

The apex court also affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division that the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal was in error by refusing to play the DVD on the postponement of the election in Southern Ijaw Local government Areas on May 10, 2016.

In a unanimous judgment, a full panel of seven Justices of the apex court dismissed the objection of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson that had blocked the watching of the video tapes that were admitted and marked as exhibits by the tribunal.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Chime Centus Nwaeze, held that the foundation for the admission of the said video tape was properly laid by the petitioners in compliance with section 84 of the Evidence Act, the DVD haven being pleaded by the petitioners.

Gov. Dickson

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

25 Foreign

US Republican party nominates Donald Trump for President

ÏÏÏ

Just over a year after launching an improbable bid for the White House, Donald Trump has formally clinched the Republican presidential nomination. In a state by state roll call vote, his son Donald Trump Jr made the announcement that put his father over the required delegate threshold at the National Convention in Ohio.

Trump reacted via video link from New York “A little over one year ago, I announced my candidacy for president and with your vote today, this stage of the presidential process has come

to a close. Together we have achieved historic results with the largest vote total in the history of the Republican party.

This is a movement, but we have to go all the way,” he said.

A day earlier critics failed in efforts to force a vote opposing Trump’s candidacy.

Those behind the billionnaire businessman believe he is the man America needs. Rudy Giuliani the former New York city mayor had this to say.

“We are now disrespected.

We are being pushed around

by Putin. We are being pushed around by the Ayatollah. We are

being killed by Islamic terrorists and we have police officers who are being slaughtered on the streets.

Under Donald Trump that will end on day one.“So, can he deliver a knockout blow in November?

“Why not get somebody who will stop and fight with us and for us? And that is why I support the will of the people and the will of the people have chosen Donald Trump, in spite of the parties and all their diabolical schemes and undermining methods,” said Don King a Boxing Promoter.

Trump

Violence dislocates aid for millions in Mali

ÏÏÏ

A surge in violence in northern Mali and a spike in attacks on aid workers are hindering the delivery of food, water and healthcare to millions of people, aid agencies said on Wednesday.

Violent protests last week in the northern city of Gao raised fears that a peace deal signed last year between rival ethnic groups and the Malian government risks unraveling, threatening to plunge the nation into chaos.

There has been a resurgence of violence against aid agencies in recent months, with 10 attacks recorded in April and May after just three in the first three months of this year, according to data from the United Nations.

While most attacks involve the hijacking of vehicles, which is common in northern Mali, increased violence against aid workers is particularly concerning, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

“Aid agencies are not necessarily being targeted, but criminality prevails in some areas where they are acting,” Anouk Desgroseilliers, public information officer for OCHA, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the capital Bamako.

“This is restricting access and having an impact on the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the region,” she added.

Around three million people in Mali do not have enough to eat, and some 500,000 in conflicthit areas in the north need urgent food aid, according to aid agencies in the region.

Three French soldiers killed in Libya

ÏÏÏ

Three French soldiers have been killed in Libya on Wednesday, according to the French defense ministry. Some media reports indicate that the three died during a helicopter mission.

Spokesperson of the government, Stephane Le Foll, had earlier confirmed that France had special forces operating in the north African country which is currently split between rival governments.

Aside the United Nations backed Government of National Unity (GNA) led by Fayez Al Sarraj, based in Tripoli; General Halifa Haftar also commands a rival government to the east of the country. In between the two are insurgent group, the Islamic State (IS).

IS held the town of Sirte, where forces loyal to the UN backed government say they are close to reclaiming fully after launching an onslaught on the town.

GNA forces, supported by the UN, launched a May 12 offensive to retake the city of Sirte, controlled by IS for more than a year. They entered the city on June 9.

The forces were however hampered by the strong resistance of jihadists who fought back using car suicide bombings.

Coup: Turkish govt purges education sector ÏÏÏ

South Sudanese protesters

South Sudanese protest against AU forces ÏÏÏResidents

in the South Sudanese capital of Juba are protesting against the possible deployment of additional troops to 12,000 United Nations peacekeeping force.

Their action is in response to President Salva Kiir’s call for a peaceful protest in that direction.

The decision to deploy more troops to the country was necessitated by renewed heavy fighting between forces loyal to the president and his First Vice President Riek Machar. The deadly clashes were calmed after both leaders called for ceasefire last Tuesday.

Leaders at the just ended African Union (AU) summit in Kigali, Rwanda, backed the deployment of regional troops

to South Sudan following the recent clashes. Soldiers for the continental force were to come from Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

The protesters displayed placards that largely protested the idea of military intervention in the country.

Some of the placards read, ‘‘NO to military intervention in South Sudan,’‘‘‘Yes to implementation of peace agreement,’‘‘‘UN, AU must go,’‘To Kenyatta, solve your own problems first.’‘ President Salva Kiir was categorical that his government would not accept the additional forces in the world’s youngest nation. “No. We will not accept even a single soldier,” Kiir stressed.

“There are over 12,000 foreign

troops (UN) here in South Sudan, what do you need more forces for? What will they come and do? The UNMISS here has so many foreign troops. So we will not accept even a single soldier. We will not accept that,” Kiir emphasized.

The Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers met in Kenya on Monday and resolved that there was need for extra troops to back the UN mission in the young nation.

Preceding the IGAD, the UN Security Council had requested peacekeepers contributing nations to prepare their troops for possible deployment in South Sudan in order to avert a possible outbreak of violence in the conflict-hit nation.

Turkey has stepped up its purge on thousands on members of the security forces, judiciary, civil service and academia following Friday’s coup attempt.

More than 15,000 education staff have been suspended and deans across the country have been ordered to step down.

Ankara has vowed to root out those who support Fethullah Gulen, a US based cleric it blames for the failed military takeover.

The president pledged any needed assistance to the Turkish government as they conduct and investigation to determine exactly what happened. The president’s expectation is that people from Turkey want to see a full investigation and accountability for those who are complicit”. said Josh Earnest, White house spokesman.

More than fifty thousand soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended or detained since last weekend’s failed coup.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also called on the parliament to consider applying the death penalty for the plotters.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Health Æ s

27

Global AIDS conference: UN calls for scaling up global response Lara Adejoro The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Kimoon has called on nations to advance knowledge about HIV/ AIDS and build innovative partnerships to strengthen global response to the endemic.

Speaking at the opening press conference of the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016), in Durban, South Africa,

Ban said, “To end this epidemic, we must close the gaps that keep people from accessing services and living with dignity. We have to expand resources, science and services,” he added, stressing the need to protect and promote the rights of people living with HIV, gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, people who inject drugs and prisoners.

“When we do this, we can end stigma and discrimination, prevent the spread of HIV, and save lives,” he said.

With this year’s theme on: Access Equity Rights Now, the global AIDS response has since evolved, with the number of people with access to life-saving HIV treatment reaching 15 million by 2015. From 2002 to 2012, expanded access to HIV treatment averted 4.2 million deaths

globally and contributed to a 58 per cent reduction in new HIV infections, according to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS), a co-organizer of the AIDS conference.

However, many of the obstacles that impeded effective HIV prevention and treatment programs in 2000 still exist, with more than 60 per cent of people living with HIV remaining without antiretroviral therapy.

BAN KI-MOON Secretary General of the United Nations

NAFDAC NAFDAC, Dr. Monica Emunjeze; Acting Director General, NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni and Director, Port Inspection Directorate, NAFDAC , Pharm. (Mrs.) Maureen Ebigbeyi, during a press briefing and Paraded of Suspect by NAFDAC on syndicate that smuggled containers of controlled substances from the port, held in Lagos...recently.

TB can be cured – Dr. Efe One-third of the world’s population is thought to be infected with Tuberculosis(TB). New infections occur in about 1 per cent of the population each year. In 2014, there were 9.6 million cases of active TB which resulted in 1.5 million deaths.

More than 95 per cent of deaths occurred in developing countries. The number of new cases each year has decreased since 2000. About 80 per cent of people in many Asian and African countries test positive. In this interview with LARA ADEJORO, Dr. Eseigbe Efe is a public health at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin, says TB can be cured if patients adhere strictly to their medications.

Dr. Efe

What’s Tuberculosis?

TB is a disease condition that a lot of people are aware of. Its spread is worldwide, even though, we are beginning to see the decline in the rate of new cases but it’s common in the developing countries due to poverty, poor environmental hygiene, overcrowding. Primarily, it’s a disease caused by the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). It spreads by droplets from infected people. A lot of people sneeze, cough and eat indiscriminately and these can put a lot of people at risk.

A healthy person may not be affected any the bacterium because his body immune system can handle it appropriately. There was a time TB was almost down

but because of the incidence of HIV which affects the immunity of people, then there was a resurgence. In many instance, we get to see a lot of people presenting with co-infection like TB/HIV and uncontrolled diabetes and these play a role in decreasing the immune system. There are other people like pregnant women, children, the elderly that tend to also have low immune system.

Pathologically, it could be pulmonary (lung) or extra-pulmonary (it happens in the lungs or any other part of the body). TB of the lung is what we know as cough.

There’s TB brain, abdomen, genital organ, bones, spines. A lot of people may have TB spine and

Continued on page 27

Health 28

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

‘Most TB patients don’t present early’ Continued from page 26 think it’s arthritis and choose not to go for proper check-up. A lot of people are aware of pulmonary TB but not many are aware of the extra-pulmonary TB. About 10 per cent of latent infections progress to active disease which, if left untreated, kills about half of those infected. Some of the symptoms patients present with, especially the pulmonary TB is cough. The symptom they produce may contain blood, so anybody coughing for a duration of two weeks and above should go to the hospital for check-up. The symptoms also include fever, night sweat, weightloss, loss of appetite, fatigue.

You just said, there is a decrease in TB incidence in the country, what are the factors aiding this?

With the use of the Directly Observed Treatment ShortCourse (DOTS) is to prevent noncompliance of the drug because one of the things that can lead to increased prevalence of TB is when patients don’t comply with their drugs and they become drug resistant and keep spreading the infection to contacts. DOTS helps

to ensure that patients take their drugs as prescribed and they are given cards, so wherever the patient goes, he can present the card in any health facility and they’ll be able to see how long the patient has taken the medications appropriately.

How is TB diagnosis carried out?

For the diagnosis, they can check the sputum in the laboratory and if it’s positive, then it’s most likely to be TB. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test is often used to screen people at high risk for TB. Those who have been previously immunized may have a false-positive test result. In this particular test, an antibody is injected into the skin and in about 72 hours, the swelling of that part of the body will be measured and if it gets to a particular length, then you’ll know that the person has been exposed to TB. One of the reasons for drug resistance is that a lot of people don’t comply with their medications. Though, the drug is free and readily available but most people still don’t comply. TB can be cured if the patient adhere strictly to taking his medica-

Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

A PATIENT WITH TB tions. Usually, most patients with TB co-infection and they also get treatment for both HIV and TB. What are the challenges doctors face while treating TB patients?

The challenge is that many of the patients don’t present early.

Besides, outside this country,

you can’t purchase any anti-biotic without a prescription but in this country, you can get any drug anywhere even on the street. The federal government and the state government are trying but they still need to invest in TB research and drug. There is need for political will.

Women undergoing IVF not at breast cancer risk Women who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) to boost their odds of having a baby aren’t at increased risk of breast cancer, according to a published report on HealthDay News Dutch researchers studied more than 25,000 women found no “significant increase in the long-term risk of breast cancer among women treated with these IVF regimens.”

A fertility expert believes the findings will ease patients’ concerns.

“As the number of women undergoing IVF continues to increase, it’s reassuring that we do not subject them to an increased risk of breast cancer,” said Dr. Avner Hershlag, chief of the Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. According to the Dutch research team, prior data has hinted that that certain hormones, including estrogens and progestogens, can affect breast cancer risk.

IVF procedures do cause levels of certain of these hormones to drop temporarily, while others may surge. For this reason, experts have speculated that

IVF could affect women’s risk for breast cancer.

To help settle the matter, researchers led by Alexandra van den Belt-Dusebout, of the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, followed more than 19,000 women who underwent IVF between 1983 and 1995.

The women averaged 33 years of age when the study began, and underwent an average of between three and four IVF cycles.

By the time the women had reached age 54, Belt-Dusebout’s team compared their breast cancer rates to that of nearly 6,000 other women of similar age who had not undergone IVF. The risk for breast cancer among the women who had IVF was similar to the risk of women who didn’t have IVF, the team reported July 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The cumulative rate of breast cancer was 3 percent for the IVF group, compared to 2.9 percent for the non-IVF group, the study showed.

The study’s authors also found that the type of fertility drugs the women received had no effect on their risk for breast

Campaign against female mutilation hits Osun

Some African women cancer. Interestingly, women who had seven or more IVF cycles actually had a much lower risk for breast cancer than those underwent just one or two rounds of the treatment.

“Since we now believe that it takes years for a clinically detectable cancer to develop, short exposure [usually about two weeks] to high estrogen levels in IVF should not make a difference in the natural history of breast cancer,” he explained.

Dr. Stephanie Bernik is a breast cancer expert and chief

of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

She said, “The question as to whether or not IVF increases the risk for future breast cancer is often asked, especially as more women are delaying pregnancy and IVF is becoming a very common occurrence.”

While the study results are encouraging, Bernik believes that they “need to be validated with studies designed to look at the relationship of breast cancer risk in women receiving the hormones for IVF.

The growing calls for the abolishing of female genital mutilation have got a boost in Osun State through the partnership of United Nations with two Nigeriabased organisations.

The groups who struck partnership with. the United Nations Population Fund are the Young Men’s Foundation Against Sexual & GenderBased Violence (YMNAGBV) and the Education as a Vaccine (EVA).

The Coordinator of the Nigeria-based group, Mr Ademola Adebisi, made the disclosure to newsmen in Osogbo.

He said the partnership agreement was reached in order to create awareness about the dangers attached to the act.

According to him, the campaign was necessary in Osun because of the increasing rate of circumcision in the state.

“Female Genital Mutilation has become a taboo in our society,ten states in Nigeria including Osun have legislation against FGM and the federal legislation have also signed the Act of violence against person(Prohibition)Act into law in May,2015,” he added.

The sensitization course, which begun with Owode Orolu and Idi-iroko in Orolu local government, has also been taken to Owode-ede and Adejuwon village in Ede north Local Government.

The Adele Bale of Adejuwon community, Chief Oseni Kehinde, lauded the programme, emphasising that cutting the female would not control sexuality.

He, however, said that neighboring countries like Ghana did not indulge in the act and their females were less promiscuous.

One of the residents of the community, Mr Azeez Hassan, also lauded the efforts of the organisation, saying he would make it a point of duty enlightening other people in the community who were yet to be sensitize

Tennis: Cecchinato banned for match-fixing

I

taly’s Marco Cecchinato has been banned for 18 months and fined 40,000 euros (£33,500) for matchfixing, says the Italian tennis federation.

The 23-year-old world number 143 was found guilty of altering the outcome

of his match against Kamil Majchrzak at an ATP Challenger in Morocco in October.

Riccardo Accardi and Antonio Campo have also been banned and fined for their roles in attempts to fix matches.

Accardi was given a 12-month ban

while Campo was suspended for four months.

Cecchinato, who is able to appeal, was found guilty of “several other instances of sports corruption” and suspended until January 2018.

Cecchinato

Page 29

Thursday, JULY 21, 2016

E

x-Nigeria international Sam Sodje has taken a swipe on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over their earlier announcement of Frenchman Paul Le Guen as Super Eagles Technical Adviser without reaching an agreement with him, adding that the action was unprofessional and an embarrassment to the nation.

The former Portsmouth defender said there is no big deal if a coach decided not to take an appointment but announcing such appointment when it was not so was unprofessional.

“It’s not a big deal if a country and a manager can’t agree on terms, then the manager turns down the job, but for NFF to announce him as a Technical Adviser when an agreement has not been reached shows how unprofessional the NFF are,” Sodje said with a tinge of regret.

“It’s so embarrassing.”

He advocated that a core professional and not a mere fan is needed to lead the NFF. “We need professionals at the NFF, if not it will be the same old stories. I know from the day one, that the NFF leadership can’t do nothing,” he fumed.

“An ex-international who has gone through football management can also be good but not among those who have sold their souls to the corrupt system.

“It’s sad NFF will look for ways to pay a foreign coach, but owe local coaches backlog of salaries and allowances. Nigerians can’t be fooled anymore.”

Le Guen

Sodje blasts NFF for embarrassing Le Guen SWAN boss,

Phillips tasks IOC over running blades T

he International Olympic Committee (IOC) will soon “have to step in” over the design of the running blade, according to its inventor, Van Phillips.

South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius was the first amputee sprinter to compete with able-bodied athletes at London 2012.

Pistorius was cleared to race by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and reached the 400m semi-final in London.

Inventor Van Phillips believes blade runners could soon “run faster than we have seen before” as designs improve.

“At some point they are really going to have to define what can be used,” Van Phillips told reporters.

Pistorius was originally banned from competing against able-bodied rivals by athletics governing body the IAAF before later being cleared to run by CAS. “Oscar was first told he had an unfair advan-

tage,” said Phillips. “He went to a group of engineers, some of whom I know, and they showed after tests that he didn’t have an advantage.

“I happen to believe that’s not quite

Phillips

the way it is.”

But German long jumper Markus Rehm will miss the Rio Olympics after failing to prove his prosthetic leg did not give him an advantage.

Sirawoo,assures NFF of support Victor Thompson

N

ewly–elected president of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Honour Sirawoo on Wednesday pledged that the rank and file of the association will give ample support to the present NFF administration to return Nigeria football to glory days.

Speaking during a visit to the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, where he met with NFF President Amaju Pinnick and other members of the NFF Board, Sirawoo assured that his leadership would ensure that sports journalists in the country observe the fine ethics of the profession in their daily practice. “In truth, there are several challenges

facing football, nay sports in our country today. Yet, the times call for constructive criticisms and for putting heads together to come up with workable solutions that can drive us to new heights.

“More good heads are better than a few. As stakeholders of the game, sports journalists have a responsibility to serve as watchdogs and also to make recommendations that will steer the ship of Nigeria sports to better shores,” he said.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick congratulated Sirawoo on his election, and pledged that the present NFF administration will work together with the new SWAN executive council and listen to its advice and suggestions from time to time.

30

Thursday, July 21, 2016

EXTRATIME

TRANSFERS…TRANSFERS…TRANSFERS… TRANSFERS…TRANSFERS…TRANSFERS…

Holding

Juve reject Man United’s Pogba bid Pogba

Digne

M

anchester United have had an £85m bid for Paul Pogba rejected by Juventus, according to sources in Italy.

United had the offer turned down on Tuesday but have reportedly been told by the Italian champions that a world-record

transfer fee in excess of £100m for the France midfielder would be accepted.

It is understood Juventus have now accepted Pogba wants to leave the club, although the cost of the deal has already priced Real Madrid out of the market.

United’s initial offer was made

during a meeting between their executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, and Juventus general manager and CEO Giuseppe Marotta.

Pogba remains on holiday and will not return to Turin until August 6.

New United boss Jose Mourinho recently spoke of four priority targets in the transfer window and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s capture marked their third acquisition following the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and centre-back Eric Bailly.

Liverpool sign Klavan L

Klavan

iverpool have completed the signing of defender Ragnar Klavan for an undisclosed fee from Augsburg.

The experienced Estonia international has been brought in as cover at centre-back as Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez both have injuries while Tiago Ilori, who could have been a fall-back option, is heading to the Olympics with Portugal.

Klavan, who has more than 100

caps for his country and has had four seasons in the Bundesliga said: “I’m really honoured to be part of this amazing club, this amazing team.

“It’s hard to put it into words because it’s been a dream of mine for 22 years to come to the Premier League and be a part of this amazing club, Liverpool.

“The Premier League is the most attractive league in the world and you always have amazing players here.

This is the home of football.”

Jurgen Klopp sees the 30-year-old as the ideal man to offer back-up and leadership in much the same way as Kolo Toure did before his departure this summer.

Klopp has been in the market for a defender with Toure no longer at the club and Sakho set to miss the start of the Premier League season a s he recovers from an Achilles injury.

El Haddadi, Samper sign new Barca deals S

panish duo Munir El Haddadi and Sergi Samper have signed new three-year contracts with La Liga champions Barcelona.

The 20-year-old forward Munir completed his second season with the first team in 2015-16, scoring eight goals in 26 games in all competitions.

A statement from Barcelona read: “FC Barcelona and Munir

El Haddadi have reached an agreement to renew the player’s contract for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2019.

“His buyout clause has been set at 60m euros.”

Munir, who joined Barcelona’s youth academy in 2011 said: “I will have fun, learn and give my best.

“I’ve been working hard, learning from everyone and all that effort

has its reward.”

Samper, a Barcelona-born midfielder, has been promoted to the first team and his buyout clause has been set at 50m euros.

“FC Barcelona and Sergi Samper have reached an agreement to renew the player’s contract until June 30, 2019, with an option to extend the deal for another year,” a Barcelona statement said.

El Haddadi

close to Arsenal move

Rob Holding’s transfer from Bolton Wanderers to Arsenal will be completed in the next few days, according to reliable sources. The 20-year-old defender was left out of the Bolton line-up for their friendly match against Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night. Bournemouth had been reported to have been interested in Holding but it now looks likely that the player will move to Arsenal.

Castro tells Vietto to join Barca

Sevilla president Jose Castro has told transfer target Luciano Vietto to join LaLiga rivals Barcelona if the champions are his favoured club. Reports in Spain suggest the Europa League holders are on the verge of completing a loan deal for the 22-yearold Atletico Madrid striker. While Castro remains hopeful of concluding a deal, he says Vietto should not turn down a move to Luis Enrique’s side if that is his preferred option.

Heaton agrees new

Burnley contract

Burnley captain Tom Heaton has signed a new four-year deal with the Premier League club. The goalkeeper, who had two years remaining on his existing contract, has extended his stay at Turf Moor until the summer of 2020. Heaton, who made his England debut earlier this year against Australia, said he is thrilled to have agreed a new deal following the club’s promotion from the Championship.

Napoli reject

Atletico bid for Higuain Napoli rejected an offer from Atletico Madrid of €60million “plus two or three players” for Gonzalo Higuain, according to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The Argentina international’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, with Atletico, Juventus and Arsenal all heavily linked with an interest.

Juve held talks with their Serie A rivals over the striker this week, though De Laurentiis - who is demanding that any suitors must meet Higuain’s €94m release clause.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

EXTRATIME

31

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Rooney under pressure

to impress W Mourinho Injured

Zouma

optimistic

over recovery

Leicester can deal with Kante’s

departure - Ranieri L

Zouma

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helsea defender Kurt Zouma has voiced his delight with his return to squad training and is optimistic over his recovery, even if he realises he still is some way off returning to match action.

Zouma has been on the sidelines since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Manchester United back in February, but is slowly edging closer to his comeback.

The 21-year-old recently resumed training and he hopes to be 100 per cent again in six to eight weeks.

“I don’t know when I will be available for selection again, I will need to discuss that with the manager and the medical team. I’m not fit enough yet but hopefully in six weeks or a couple of months I will be, we will have to wait and see,” Zouma said.

“It’s been really hard but if you’re strong mentally you can do anything.

Its football, lots of players have had big injuries and been out for a while.

“It’s important to stay positive in your mind and say to yourself: ‘Okay, I’ve been unlucky to get a bad injury but I will come back stronger.’ You have to be determined. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to be negative, I always try to be positive and have a laugh and joke with the guys and my family.

eicester City will be able to deal with the departure of midfielder N’Golo Kante, according to manager Claudio Ranieri.

Chelsea completed the signing of 25-year-old France international Kante on a five-year deal for a reported £32million fee on Saturday.

However, Ranieri believes the defending Premier League champions can deal with his departure, just like they did when Esteban Cambiasso left for Olympiacos before their title-winning season.

“I can wish only the best for him,” Ranieri told reporters. “ I said at the

beginning I wanted to keep all my players, but he pushed and said he wanted to go, I prefer not to keep because there were two or three teams and we couldn’t keep him.

“We tried to keep him but he wanted to go. It is okay for us. Last season Cambiasso went and now it is Kante.”

To combat Kante’s departure, Leicester have signed defensive midfielder Nampalys Mendy from Nice, but Ranieri insists he will not be a direct replacement for his compatriot.

“Mendy is not the same, just plays in the same position,” Ranieri said. “At this moment I am very happy with all the squad.”

Rooney

Bale

ayne Rooney has admitted he is feeling pressure to prove himself to Jose Mourinho following the Portuguese’s arrival at Manchester United.

A mainstay at Old Trafford having spent 12 years at the club after his move from Everton in 2004, Rooney found the net just eight times in the league for United last term - his lowest total in his time at the club - as they missed out on Champions League football.

Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal as manager and United have added to their attacking options in the close-season, bringing in playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

And Rooney told reporters: “I think you always feel pressure when you play for Manchester United.

“It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, clubs in the world and it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to play for United for so long.

“You always feel you have to prove yourself every season, because it’s a dream to play for such a big club.”

United have been unable to challenge for the Premier League title since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, but Rooney is hopeful Mourinho can get them back to the top.

“I think you only have to look at the teams he’s had before, and the success he’s had with them, and we’re hoping he can bring that to us. I’m excited for it. It’s a big season for us,” he added.

“The appointment of Mourinho is a big appointment for us and we’re all excited by it.

We’ve made some fantastic signings too.

“Hopefully we can have a good start to the season and be successful by the end of it.”

Mkhitaryan

eyes titles at Man United

H Mkhitaryan

enrikh Mkhitaryan has pledged to do everything in his power to bring titles to Manchester United.

The 27-year-old arrived at Old Trafford earlier this month from Borussia Dortmund in a £26.3m deal.

Dortmund took a swipe at United by underlining he was

joining the “fifth-place English team last season”, but Mkhitaryan is confident in helping his new club challenge for Premier League glory once more.

“It’s a very good opportunity to play for Manchester after Borussia - Manchester is one of the biggest clubs in the world,” he said ahead of facing his former club in the unusual surroundings

of Shanghai on Friday.

“I am very happy to be here and I am very happy to play for this team.

“I will try to do my best to help the team win the games and for the new season we are going to try to do everything to win titles.

“Of course it will be difficult but let’s hope to have good preparation and then we will see.”

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. email: info@dailytimes.ng Tel: 018447948.

DAILY EDITOR: BIODUN DUROJAIYE

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.156

Price: N150

Sodje blasts NFF for embarrassing Le Guen

P 29

News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotline: 08086296714

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T Yusuf

NFF confirms Yusuf as Eagles’ Chief Coach

he Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday held a meeting at the NFF Secretariat, Abuja, and confirmed the appointment of Mr. Salisu Yusuf as Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, while Mr. Imama Amakapabo will serve as Assistant Coach. Also, Mr. Alloy Agu was approved as Goalkeepers’ Trainer for Super Eagles and Mr. Bitrus Bewarang replaces late Coach Amodu Shuaibu as the new National Technical Director.

The Board further approved the recommendation by the Technical and Development Sub–Committee for Mr. Nduka Ugbade to return to the U-17 National Team as Assistant Coach.

Extra Time gathered from the Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, Chairman, Communique Drafting Committee of NFF that the Technical and Development Sub–Committee were instructed to, within the next seven (7) days, recommend a candidate for the post of Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles.

He stated that the refusal of Mr. Paul Le Guen, earlier recommended by the Sub– Committee, to accept to be given targets as well as unwillingness to live in Nigeria, made his candidature unacceptable to the Board. The Committee frowned at Mr. Le Guen’s desire to come to the job with two assistants, which would make Nigerian coaches redundant and revealed that it was the desire to show transparency that made the Technical and Development Sub–Committee to make public its recommendation in the first place.

Maradonaoffersto Iwobi backsMusa coachArgentinaforfree toexplode inEPL

D

A

rsenal forward Alex Iwobi has backed Leicester City record signing Ahmed Musa to excel in the Premier League in England.

Musa joined Leicester from CSKA Moscow for a club record fee of about £18m.

The 20-year-old knows all about the demands of English football and he believes Musa has all the right attributes to succeed.

“Yeah he is a very good player,” said Iwobi.

“I have played with him and one thing I can tell you for sure is that this guy is fast.

“I think he can do well in England because he is exactly what you want in a winger, he will go past people and can cross the ball well.”

Musa

iego Maradona is desperate to return to coaching and has set his sights on a second spell as Argentina manager, suggesting he would even take the job without getting paid.

The 55-year-old previously coached the national team between 2008 and 2010, with Argentina’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup signalling the end of his spell in charge.

He then had a spell as Al Wasl boss in 2011, but has not worked in a coaching capacity since being sacked in July 2012.

However, Argentina are on the lookout for a new coach after Gerardo Martino resigned the post following the penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Chile in the 2016 Copa America final.

And Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986, is hopeful he will be considered for the job.

“Diego Simeone was not interested in the job for financial reasons. Money is not an issue for me,” Maradona told reporters.

“I would coach the national team for free.

“A lot of people seem to think I am an expensive coach.

But what about Mourinho? And Ancelotti or Simeone? I don’t know how expensive I am compared to these coaches.

Maradona

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

Scarcity of aviation fuel grounds flights at Abuja airport Page B2 EKEDC urges government to promote female participation in engineering

Opeoluwani Akintayo In order to promote women’s Interest in Engineering, Eko Disco Chief, Engr. Oladele Amoda, has urged the government to come up with a well-articulated and sustainable blueprint or policy for the promotion and encouragement of the interest of the girl-child in areas presently considered as exclusive preserve of men.

Amoda made the call in Lagos while speaking at a programme for some female children of employees of the company tagged ‘Bring Your Daughter to Work Day’- a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative jointly sponsored by Eko Disco, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United States Energy Association (USEA).

Aimed at improving gender diversity in the power sector, Engr. Amoda said that the evolvement of a sustainable blueprint for arousing the interest of young girls in the engineering profession was necessary so as to reduce the present dominance of men in the profession.

The Eko Disco Chief added that since women have excelled in other fields of human endeavour, it was high time they explored other areas still being regarded as the exclusive preserve of the men folk.

Speaking further, Engr. Amoda CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

MTN declares first loss in 20 years as NCC fine cuts profit Page B3

Thursday, July 21, 2016

How debt servicing may slow Page B4 2016 budget implementation

Inflation: Don says increase in MPR will slow down stock market A financial expert, Dr Uche Uwaleke, has said that an increase in the benchmark rate (MPR) in response to the spike in inflation would slow down activities at the stock exchange.

Uwaleke spoke with newsmen on Wednesday in

Lagos following the increase in the country’s inflation rate from 15.6 per cent in May to 16.5 per cent in June.

Uwaleke, who is the Head of Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, suggested that the upcoming MPC

DANGOTE

meeting of the CBN should not consider the idea.

He said that should that happen portfolio managers would rebalance their investment.

“If the CBN increases the benchmark rate (MPR) in response to the spike in

inflation, the stock market will take the hit as investment managers revise their portfolio,” Uwaleke stated.

He added that the resultant rise in the cost of capital would affect the bottom line of quoted companies and depress their CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

L-R: Executive Director, Dangote Industries Ltd, Halima Dangote, Presenting the Disributors Category Award to the Managing Director of Femadons Nig. Ent. Mrs . Deborah Idowu, Managing Director of Dangote Flour Mills PLC ,Thabo Mabe, at the Dangote Flour Mills Plc , Lagos State Customer Forum\Distributors Awards Ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday.

Access Bank donates to UNICEF towards children, national devt.

Access Bank Group has donated N10 million to UNICEF towards reaching out to and highlighting the plight of vulnerable children, orphans and internationally displaced persons.

This is part of the bank’s continued support of UNICEF along with 5th Chukker as it hosted the ‘Access Bank Polo Day’ at the Guards Polo Club, Windsor, United Kingdom over the weekend.

The annual polo event is the

climax to the high-profile Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament, which is in its ninth year and was chaired by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II. Emir Sanuai II thanked the bank for its supports for the UNICEF campaign, children, orphans, displaced people and its drive for socio-economic development of the nation.

Based in Kaduna, the event is

the biggest charity polo tournament in Africa and stimulates support for the work of the UNICEF / ACCESS Bank initiative across the African continent. The donation will also aid UNICEF in its campaign against HIV/AIDS among Nigerian children.

Since the UNICEF/ACCESS Bank initiative was started, it has rebuilt two schools in Kaduna and kept more than 8,000 students in continuous education, while at the

same time developing new school blocks and a computer literacy building all in a more secure and friendly school environment. The communities surrounding the schools are being supported with bore-holes for water, and sewing and grinding machines to secure employment and stimulate economic and social development.

Access Bank’s group managing director/CEO and chairman of The Access Bank UK Limited,

Mr. Herbert Wigwe noted that the bank is supporting the Fifth Chukker UNICEF Initiative as a way of aiding the socio-economic development of the country.

Hear him: “We are conscious of our role as a change agent in Nigeria that can help institute socioeconomic development through responsible business practice and environmental considerations.

“In addition, we are continuCONTINUED ON PAGE B3

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Brief

Inflation: Don says increase in MPR will slow down stock market

Private sector operators want NASS to pass consumer protection bill into law

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share price on the nation’s bourse.

“The way forward is not to leave the fight against inflation to monetary policy alone in view of the cost-push nature of the challenge and the limited monetary policy tools available to deal with it,” he said.

He said that economic diversification remained a panacea for taming inflation in the medium to long-term.

Uwaleke said that diversification of the productive base of the nation’s economy would tame inflation.

According to him, government capital spending in agriculture and infrastructure will go a long way in moderating the inflationary pressure in the near term.

He also said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should combine monetary and fiscal policies to address the current inflationary pressure.

“What is, therefore, required is a confluence of monetary and fiscal policies to address the inflationary pressure in a period of declining output and rising unemployment,” Uwaleke stated.

He explained that the key factors responsible for the persistent rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since February 2016 were high cost of electricity, transport, fuel, food and imported items.

According to him, the overall effect of the uptick in inflation on the economy is negative.

He added that the capital market was not spared due to the adverse effect the inflation would have on investors’ real returns.

It could be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistics on July 18 said that CPI measuring inflation had risen to its highest point of 16.5 per cent since 2005.

It said that “inflation rose from 15.6 per cent in May 2016 to 16.5 per cent in June 2016, as energy and food prices weigh in on inflation for the month.”

NSE

L – R: Phillip Isakpa, Editor/Executive Director Publications, BusinessDay Media Limited Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Frank Aigbogun, Publisher/CEO, BusinessDay Media Limited and Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Capital Markets, NSE at the Closing Gong Ceremony in commemoration of 15years in existence at the Exchange Wednesday.

Scarcity of aviation fuel grounds flights at Abuja airport Scarcity of aviation fuel known as Jet A1, has affected the operations of some airlines at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja leading to cancellation of flights.

Several domestic flights have been cancelled since the beginning of the week nationwide as a result of the inability of airlines to get the product.

An official at the airport, who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity, said the situation was getting worse by the day.

He added that the situation had drastically reduced the flow of traffic at the airport in the last few days.

Mr. Abudulahi Saroke, Deputy Station Manager, Azman Airlines, said that the scarcity led to cancellation the airline’s flight to Yola on Wednesday.

Saroke told NAN that the cost of the fuel had skyrocketed to N190 per litre from the official

price of N115, adding that Sahara had been the only supplier of the product since Tuesday.

He said that domestic carriers were the worst hit by the scarcity; as international airlines pay for their fuel ahead of time and also have opportunity to get it from other countries.

Saroke said that some foreign airlines buy aviation fuel from neighbouring Ghana and are not so much affected by the scarcity. ``We have cancelled our flight to Yola for today and many other airlines have also cancelled many flights too. ``This has greatly affected our operations nationwide and we don’t even know if the solution is underway,” he added.

The station manager said that the situation had affected the cost of tickets, as domestic airlines had been forced to hike the price of their tickets to stay afloat during the period of scarcity. ``The least amount you can pay

HadiSirika

for ticket to board Azman flight is N29, 000 for economy class; other airlines charge between N24,000 to N33,000 on busy days like Thursdays and Fridays.

An air traveler, Mr Joshua Idika, lamented that the scarcity was uncalled for considering the fact that the Federal Government had allowed importers to sell their products at deregulated price.

The Organised Private Sector (OPS) on Wednesday urged the National Assembly (NASS) to pass the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill into law.

Mr. Lawal Abdulkadir,Secretary, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), made the call when he led some OPS members on sensitisation rally in Kaduna.

Abdulkadir who addressed newsmen after the rally, said that the bill was sponsored by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Private Sector Coalition on Competition.

He said that the bill had since passed second reading and was currently with the House of Representatives Committee on Commerce.

The MAN official called for prompt passage of the bill into law, to break the chain of monopoly by a few market operators.

According to him, the bill is seeking to address the issue of monopoly and promote competition through local and foreign investments in the country.

The official noted that the bill would support economic growth as well as check over pricing of consumer items among manufacturers.

According to him, the bill when passed into law, will allow consumers to enjoy the right to make choices. ``We call on the National Assembly to pass the bill now to allow for competition which in turn would protect consumers in the country,`` Abdulkadir said.

Members of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) participated in the rally.

EKEDC urges government to promote female participation in engineering CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

said with the invaluable role being played in the socio-economic development of many nations, any nation that neglects the development and capacity building of the girl-child does so at its own risk.

Describing Eko Disco as a model in gender balancing and inclusiveness, he noted four out of the seven topmost positions in the company were occupied by women.

He then expressed the hope that the programme would have a long-lasting positive impact on

participants who were all female children of employees of the company.

According to him, apart from knowing where their parents work and meeting with some of their parents’ colleagues, the children would also understand better the intricacies of electricity

supply process as well as knowing what it takes to pursue a career in electrical and electronic engineering.

While expressing his delight that the company was the first to host such a programme among electricity distribution companies in Nigeria, Engr. Amoda

enjoined other corporate and governmental institutions to take a cue from Eko Disco by developing deeper interest in the capacity building of the girl-child through various programmes that can expose young girls to opportunities and prospects open to them in modern society.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

B3 Business News Jumia makes top 50 Smartest Companies in the World

Access Bank donates to UNICEF towards children, national devt.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B1

ally seeking ways through which more resources can be pooled towards supporting the children.

We are part of the community and as such should support its wellbeing”, he added.

The Access Bank UK Limited which just published its Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2015 has recorded impressive double-digit growth indicators including 31 per cent increase in operating income, 72 per cent increase in profit before tax and 74 per cent increase in post-tax profit.

Commenting on the Bank’s success, chief executive officer and managing director Jamie Simmonds said: “We are now in our second five year plan that embodies our principles of relationshipbased banking, growing our business through the depth and quality of customer relationships, while at the same time maintaining a moderate appetite for risk.

Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos, Ingo Herbert, Delegate, delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria [DGIC], Dr. Marc Lucassen, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry [LCCI] Dr. Mrs Nike Akande, and, Director General LCCI, Muda Yusuf, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the DGIC and the LCCI on a partnership on Fostering and Increasing Nigerian-German Business Relations, in Lagos, on Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has named African Internet Group, which recently re-branded to Jumia, amongst the world’s 50 Smartest Companies for 2016.

MIT editors picked 50 companies worldwide that best combine innovative technology with effective business models, taking into account the results emanating from a set of agenda in their respective sectors over the past 12 months.

Jumia, the only e-commerce company in Africa to have made the list, ranks no.47 amongst other tech giants like Amazon, Huawei, Facebook, Microsoft and more.

Ranked just after social media phenomenon Snapchat, Jumia (formerly Africa Internet Group) is recognized by MIT as a leader in its sector, using technology to redefine multiple industries. Through its 9 services, Jumia provides online solutions to the African consumer in an array of sectors: hospitality, food, general merchandise, electronics, fashion, deals, jobs, cars and houses.

MTN declares first loss in 20 years as NCC fine cuts profit Tony Nwakaegho MTN Group, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator flagged lower first-half profit on Tuesday, attributing it to a hefty fine in Nigeria and sending its shares sliding nearly 4 percent.

Daily Times recalls that after months of talks, MTN said on June 10 it had agreed to pay a heavily reduced fine of 330 billion naira ($1.2 billion), or a third of the initial penalty, in a settlement with Nigeria for missing a deadline to deactivate more than 5 million unregistered SIM cards.

The company, whose headline

Prof.-Danbatta-NCC-EVC

Naira maintains losses against dollar The Naira, on Wednesday, maintained its loss against the dollar at the parallel market.

The Nigerian currency, which lost three points on Tuesday to exchange at N368 from N365 on Monday, also traded at N368 to the dollar on Wednesday afternoon.

The naira also maintained N478 to the Pound Sterling it posted on Tuesday, but weakened further against the Euro as it traded at N402 to a Euro, from N400 it exchanged on Tuesday.

At the Bureau de Change segment of the market, the naira exchange at N370, N485 and N405 against the dollar, Pound

Sterling and the Euro, from N366, N470 and N399 it traded respectively on Tuesday.

Traders at the market said that the fall was as a result of shortage of foreign currency which could not meet up local demand.

They expressed worry that the impact of the flexible forex policy is yet to be felt as the naira continues to depreciate in virtually all segments of the market.

They noted that over 21 billion dollars remittance from the diaspora to the economy at the end of 2015 could not salvage the dollar scarcity.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has expressed its determination to raise the participation of retail investors in the Nigerian Capital market as that is one of the critical ways of deepening the market.

Director General of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo stated this when the Management of the Commission visited the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) on an advocacy visit on the 10 year Capital Market Master Plan.

Gwarzo stressed that the dominance of the market by foreign investors is one of the reasons why the market is not as deep as it ought to be.

He said, “Our intention is to ensure that we raise the level of participation of retail investors in the Market that is the only way we can

earnings per share (EPS) came in at 654 cents in the first half of 2015, did not give a forecast range for this year’s figure. But the company said the penalty was likely to wipe 474 cents off total headline EPS this year, the primary measure of profit in South Africa.

Shares in MTN dropped as much as 3.8 percent shortly after the trading update, before recouping some of the losses to trade 2.5 percent lower at 138.20 rand by 0753 GMT. MTN has said its Nigerian business will pay the fine in local currency. The penalty was worth $1.7 billion when it was announced, but the naira has fallen

sharply since then, cutting the equivalent dollar value by about $500 million.

The company also said its results were affected by underperformance in its home market and in Nigeria, where it had to cut off another 4.5 million SIM cards to comply with the local regulator’s user registration requirement.

In a bid to offset slowing profits from basic telecoms services, MTN is also expanding into mobile banking and e-commerce.

But analyst are of the view that it will throw the company into an unfamiliar sphere of finance with increasing regulatory risks as authorities step up efforts to combat illicit money transfers.

SEC determined to raise market participation - Gwarzo maintain the strength of the market. Dominance of the market by foreign investor is one of the reasons why our market is the way it is. Although it is the pattern of the market, but this dominance is a major factor because they are the ones that come in and come out.

We need to upscale the participation of the retail investors in the market and that is why we are addressing some of their concerns.

Anyone you meet today and tell him to come back, the issue of unclaimed dividends is always a major problem In order to achieve this, the DG disclosed that the Commis-

sion has embarked on various initiatives like recapitalisation, edividend registration, the Direct Cash Settlement as a direct benefit to investors from the e-dividend registration as when they register for e-dividend, anytime their shares are sold, they would get the proceeds directly in their bank accounts among others.

“We are urging Nigerians to go and register to get their dividends electronically. Once we get through with the e-dividend thing, we will be able to deal with other issues in the market. The entire market has commenced Direct Cash Settlement.

Money Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

How debt servicing may slow 2016 budget implementation Stories by Motolani Oseni There are strong indications that the 2016 Federal budget may experience slow implementation due to the huge debt servicing, which has already gulped the whopping total sum of N446 billion this year alone, Debt Management Office (DMO) 2015 annual report has revealed.

The DMO report shows that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bonds debt servicing accounted for 62.41 percent of the total debt service payment, while payments in respect of the Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs) and Treasury Bonds were 31.83 and 5.76 percent respectively.

Whereas, this year’s budget has

suffered implementation delay because of various reasons ranging from political to cash crunch issues, the Federal Ministry of Finance is yet to make any quarterly release on implementing the 2016 budget.

However, trends analysis shows a continuing rise in federal government’s domestic debt service payments from 2011 to 2015, which was attributed to the increase in domestic debt stock, as well as the higher interest rates, leading to the rise in the cost of borrowing in the domestic debt market.

In 2015 alone, the government spent N1.018 trillion to service its local debts, an amount that is N152.32 billion or 17.6 percent

higher than the N865.81 billion it spent on servicing local debts in 2014.

This amount, according to data made available through the recently released 2015 Annual Report of the Debt Management Office (DMO), comprised principal repayment of N25 billion and interest payment of N993.13 billion.

Over the past five years, Nigeria has paid $25.22 billion (an estimated N5 trillion based on the old fixed exchange rate of N197/$) in repayment of loans and service charges from 2011 to 2015.

A breakdown of debt servicing in the last five years indicated that the sum of $3.781 billion was used to service debts in 2011, $4.918 billion in 2012 and $5.520 billion in

2013. For 2014 and last year, the sum of $5.500 billion and $5.499 billion respectively were paid out.

Nigeria’s current public debt, according to the report, stands at N8.837 trillion for the domestic component and $10.718 billion for the foreign stock.

Meanwhile, dealers expect the Nigeria Interbank Offered Rate (NIBOR) to be moderate as inflows – via maturing treasury bills – and expected FAAC disbursements exceed the outflows.

The Central Bank of Nigeria auctioned treasury bills worth N127.96 billion yesterday (July 20), comprising 91-day bills worth N36.78 billion, 182-day bills worth 39.17 billion and 364-day bills worth N52 billion.

ADEOSUN Finance Minister

BoI disburses N426.7m to 253 NYSC members

Oduoza, UBA GMD, to deliver 4th CIBN valedictory lecture

The Bank of Industry (BoI), says it has disbursed N426.7 million to 253 members National Youth Service Corps under its Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) programme.

This is contained in the bank’s statement given to newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.

The statement quoted Mr Waheed Olagunju, Acting Managing Director, BoI, as urging the beneficiaries to utilise the opportunity to lift themselves and other youths out of poverty.

Olagunju gave the advice during the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries of the programme.

He urged the corps members to be good ambassadors of NYSC and BOI. Olagunju said the programme, which was launched on Oct. 5,

Plans are in place by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) to organise the 4th valedictory lecture, which was to acknowledge honour and celebrate the contributions of individuals who have distinguished themselves and reached the pinnacle of their career in banking.

In recognition of his commendable service of Mr Philip Oduoza, GMD/CEO of the United Bank for Africa Plc to the banking industry, the Institute is organising a valedictory lecture in his honour, at which he would be speaking on the topic: “The Emergence of a Nigerian PanAfrican Bank.”

This followed the completion of his tenure as

2015, was done in collaboration with the Directorate, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He said the programme was targeted at encouraging graduates to be entrepreneurs, build capacity, deepen financial inclusion by de-risking them and sustaining their businesses.

Olagunju said the beneficiaries attended 3-day capacity building programme at seven designated training centres across the six geo-political zones of the country.

He added that certificates of participation were issued to the 896 corps members that attended the training under the tutelage of nine entrepreneurship training consultants.

Olagunju said at the end of the programme, 360 candidates submitted loan application worth N695.1 million spanning across

Olagunju

27 out of the 40 product clusters identified by BOI. The areas were mainly agroprocessing; comprising meat processing (cattle and poultry), aquaculture and food processing), quick service restaurants, fashion design, shoe making and cosmetics.

the GMD/CEO of the Bank, an inspiring and enviable career spanning decades of diverse management and operational experience.

Having had an eventful career at United Bank for Africa Plc, Philip Oduoza, is set to retire by the end of July 2016.

The event, which will be chaired by the founder & former Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Pascal Dozie, is scheduled for July 22, 2016, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

CIBN has said that Oduoza is celebrated because he is a respectable personality who has established a reputation for solid performance and sound judgment in UBA and the industry at large.

FX trading goes live through FMDQ by August The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed that all foreign exchange trades (FX) by Authorized Dealers (Banks) and Companies in the Nigerian FX market must be executed through the platform provided by the Financial Market Dealers Quotes (FMDQ)-advised FX trading, with effect from August 1, 2016.

The apex bank, in a recent circular signed by the Director, Trade and Exchange Depart-

ment, Dr. Alvan E. Ikoku, ordered all authorised dealers and corporate institutions operating in the Nigerian FX market to execute all FX trades among themselves and with their clients (i.e. corporate institutions) through the FMDQ-advised FX systems.

“The deployment of the FMDQ-advised FX systems will only be to those Corporates that have been screened and pre-approved

by FMDQ in line with its onboarding eligibility criteria,” the

circular read in part” the circular stated.

Meanwhile, authorised dealers and corporate institutions operating in the Nigerian FX market include: Authorised buyers; Oil companies; Oil service companies; exporters; end-users and any other entity the apex bank may designate from time to time.

But with this onboarding regime, analysts are divided on its implication to the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the FX

mark. While a horde of analysts believe that since CBN has been holding talks with BDC operators to fashion out modalities for their inclusion, this move could give the apex bank some positive direction on how to ‘onboard’ the BDCs. Others are of the opinion that forcing companies in the Nigerian FX market to execute all trades through the platform will make things more difficult for BDCs because some of the

Corporates especially oil companies sometimes secretly sell FX to BDCs(autonomous sources).

Therefore, this directive has put a stop to that window.

To improve the dynamics of the market, CBN introduced FX Primary Dealers (FXPD) who are registered by the CBN to deal directly with the Bank for large trade sizes on a two-way quotes basis. These Primary Dealers operates with other dealers in the Inter-bank market.]

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Nigerian equities extend losses by 0.94% Afolabi Adesola The Nigerian equities market continued southward as lead indicators of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped 0.94 percent compared to 0.85 percent lost in the previous session.

The NSE All Share Index (ASI) lost 267.38 points to close at 28,221 basis points against a decline of 245.34 points recorded previously to close at 28,488.56 basis points, bringing the year to date returns to -1.47 percent.

Market capitalisation also depreciated by N91.8 billion, settling at N9.692 trillion compared to N84.3 billion lost in Tuesday’s session after settling at N9.784 trillion.

Oando Plc, led 27 decliners losers as it dropped 9.56 percent or 57 kobo to close at N5.39 per share, Law Union and Rocks Plc fell by 7.27 percent or 4 kobo to close at 51 kobo per share, while Transcorp Plc lost 7.24 percent or 11 kobo to close at N1.41 per share.

Stanbic Ibtc Plc also depreciated by 4.83 percent or 72 kobo to close at N14.20 per share while Fidson Healthcare Plc dropped 4.72 percent or 10 kobo to close at N2.02 per share.

Conversely, Skye Bank Plc led the day’s eight gainers for the third consecutive day after gaining 8.33 percent or 6 kobo to close at 78 kobo per share, Premium Breweries Plc appreciated by 4.98 percent or 14 kobo to close at N2.95 per share, while Transnationwide Express Plc added 4.95 percent or 5 kobo to close at N1.06 per share.

Dangote Sugar Plc followed with an increase of 2.26 percent or 15 kobo to close at N6.80 per share and NPF Micofinance Bank Plc gathered 1.06 percent or one kobo to close at 95 kobo per share.

At the end of stock trading for the day, investors traded 309.7 million shares worth N2.1 billion in 3,934 deals compared to 242 million shares valued at N1.6 billion exchanged in 3,684 deals previously.

NSE provides Issuers Share Price Information service to Dangote Cement The Nigerian Stock Exchange has announced that it has entered into a contract to provide Dangote Cement Plc its Issuers Share Price Information service.

The Issuers Share Price Information is an offering that enables companies listed on the NSE to display their respective share price on the homepage of their corporate website in Real Time or Delayed interval.

Commenting on the onboarding of Dangote Cement Plc to the service, the Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo, said “we are excited to have Dangote Cement Plc join our growing number of companies who have subscribed to the NSE Market Data products and services, which continues to improve on a daily basis. With this, investors and other stakeholders of Dangote Cement Plc will now be able to see its share price in Real Time and thus be able to make informed decisions.”

Dangote

“The delivery of Market Data and its associated services is an essential building block in the Exchange’s strategy as it seeks to reach a wider audience to improve market transparency and facilitate informed investment decision making. We are committed to bridging the information gap between the Exchange and market participants, knowing that the stock market thrives on information”, he said.

Summary of activities on NSE ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

28,221.18 3,934.00 309,719,602.00 2,083,486,329.70 9,692,547,278,455.08

267.38 POINTS

All Share Index (ASI) lost 267.38 points to close at 28,221 basis points against a decline of 245.34 points recorded previously to close at 28,488.56 basis points

CSCS achieves 98.4 percent dematerialization success rate The Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc has disclosed that 98.4 percent of shares quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange are now available in an electronic format in CSCS depository, leaving only 1.6 percent of share certificates still in physical certificate form.

This disclosure was made recently by Mr. Joe Mekiliuwa, General Manager, Operations at CSCS during an interactive session with the capital market stakeholders in Lagos.

Mr. Mekiliuwa said that CSCS is working assiduously with Registrars to ensure that full dematerialization is achieved before the end of 2016’s third quarter..

His words: “efforts are geared towards assisting the relevant Registrars to ensure that the remaining 1.6 percent although seemingly infinitesimal, is firmly attended to so as to achieve 100 percent success rate before the end of quarter three (Q3)”.

According to him, in order to address various problems associated with share certificates such as delay in issuance, verification, loss, theft, forgeries amongst others, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in partnership with other stakeholders,

Dangote

resolved to eliminate these problems by opting for the full dematerialization of share certificates.

Full dematerialization is the complete elimination of existing physical share certificates in the Nigerian capital market and putting to an end the issuance of new share certificates. The Registrars of companies, who are involved in the implementation process, are required by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to turn in the registers of all companies they manage to CSCS Depository

within a given period of time.

A statement issued by CSCS noted that “In compliance with SEC’s directive, Registrars have turned in 98.4 percent of the registers they manage and the shares are therefore held in the shareholders’ accounts in CSCS Depository in the custody of the respective Registrars. For the shares to be accessed by the shareholders in their accounts under a stockbroking firms, shareholders are required to instruct their registrars, through their brokers, to migrate such shares to their accounts with the stockbroking firms.

“Consequently, shareholders are urged to approach the stockbroking firms of choice, obtain and fill a migration form which will be forwarded to the Registrar to enable them advise CSCS to migrate the shares to the shareholder’s account with the stockbroking firm and the shares are migrated by CSCS as advised.

With reinforced commitment and determination at the commencement of the dematerialization exercise in June 2015, it has yielded significant success as incidences of forgery, theft and loss of share certificates have been eliminated.”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

B7 Brands & Marketing

Briefs

Believers Connect brings hope for Christian singles Owing to the rising number of Christian singles who are due for marriage but cant find a worthy life partner, highly sought after speaker, trainer-consultant and Pastor, Godman Akinlabi and renowned relationship coach and host, Deep Soul, a relationship talk show, Stephen Omojuyigbe have launched Believers Connect, a social networking site for single Christians hopeful of marriage.

Announcing the launch at a press conference recently in Lagos, Godman Akinlabi, the Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church noted that it had become necessary for an immediate intervention in helping Christian singles find a Godly spouse with true and genuine intentions towards marriage and keeping the values of marriage as ordained by God. “Believers Connect was created to ease the stress and sometimes pain some single Christians go through while trying to find a

worthy life partner. There are so many hard working, matured Christian men and women out there that have become limited in their choices as a result of their daily routine, mostly influenced by their job, business or church engagements now desperate for a life partner. This is about to change with Believers Connect” he said. Akinlabi added that the idea was born out of the need to connect Christians with similar desires for a successful marriage irrespective of how long they have been looking for a life partner.”

Also speaking, Stephen Omojuyigbe noted that there is hope for single Christians in finding a life partner with Believers Connect. He said that “The essence of Believers Connect is to bring Christian faithful who are single and committed to finding a spouse together from all parts of the country.

The recently released 2015 report by Mediafacts, a key media resource for marketing professionals in West and Central Africa, shows how companies are increasingly relying on paid advertisement to get their product and services across a wide audience.

The telecommunication sector retained its lead position as the highest paying advertisers in Nigeria in 2015, raking a combined total expenditure of 16.7 billion. This represents 17% of the total 97.9 billion spent within the same year on advertising. The total advertising figure also represents an increase of 4.8% compared to that 93.1 documented in 2014.

According to the report, the 2014/2015 electioneering campaign and the successful change in government may have positively im-

Telcos top highest paying advertisers’ list for 2015 pacted on the advertising spends and occasioned the 4.8% rise.

MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom made the 2015 top 10 advertisers in the communication and telecommunication sector with respective sums of 4.7 billion, 4.1 billion, 3.7 billion and 3.7 billion. Sundry Ad (other inform.

Service) accounted for the highest sum with 13.5 billion. Others are Nigerian Breweries (3.7 billion), The state government (3.1 billion), Sundry Advertisers services (3 billion) Reckit Benkiser Nigeria –(2.7 billion), and Procter and Gamble (2.1 billion).

NWOSU

President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN)

Why Insight lost Gulder account

Stories by Godwin Anyebe

Few months after Publicis Groupe announced an equity partnership with the communications arm of The Troika Group, the first wholly integrated marketing communications service provider in West Africa, including a total of six agencies: Insight Communications, The Thiinkshop, All Seasons Media, Media Perspectives, The Quadrant Company, and Hotsauce. analysts believe that such a partnership will open more business doors to Troika Group, but the opposite seems to be the case now.

Daily Times gathered that the reason for this was the fact that, Insight Communications, the cre-

ative arm of Troika Group has lost one of its major accounts (Gulder) from the stable of Nigerian Breweries to JTW Concepts, a South African company.

While some stakeholders are yet to comprehend the reason for which Nigerian Breweries, one of the giants in the Nigerian beer sector will settle for a South African company for the creative brief of one of its brands (Gulder), others are of the opinion that the said South African company has an affiliation with some advertising companies in Nigeria such as TBW Concepts currently under the leadership of the immediate past president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Mr Kelechi Nwosu.

Meanwhile, Daily Times finding also reveal that Insight communication did not only loss Gulder brief, but also techno creative brief, but this time around to an advertising agency in Nigeria that is not well known.

A prognosis that has become a subject of debate for brands and marketing analysts. Some of these analysts are of the opinion that, the chairman of Troika Group, Biodun Shobanjo is of age and has decided to sell the equity of his company; he is less concern of whatever happen to the business. On the other hand, others believe that the advertising Icon has shifted most of his businesses to the outdoor sector thus, his major concern for now.

Chivita 100% wins award for Most Outstanding Juice Brand in Nigeria It was an evening of celebrating iconic brands, corporate institutions and outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves at the recently held Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Excellence awards recently in Lagos.

The event which was witnessed by industry leaders in Marketing Communication across Nigeria saw Chivita 100% fruit juice recognized as the “Most Outstanding Juice Brand in the Country”.

Chivita 100% fruit juice from the stable of Chi Limited was adjudged the most outstanding

juice brand in the country due to its consistency in the market, creativity and value as well as the top quality packaging of the juice that allows for the best delivery. The fruit juice also won the award because it remains the only 100% fruit juice available in Nigeria shelf and it comes with No Preservatives and No Added Sugar.

Initiated by Marketing Edge, the Award has over the years become recognized as a viable and respected platform in the Brands and marketing communication sector due to its in-depth under-

standing and unbiased role in critical analysis of the sector.

Responding on behalf of Chi Limited, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, expressed gratitude to the organisers of the event for creating an excellent platform to recognise outstanding brands which have remained consistent in satisfying consumers need.

He added that “the award for Chivita 100% as the Outstanding Fruit Juice Brand only reaffirms Chivita 100% fruit juice’s position as the undisputable leader in the fruit juice category in terms

of consumer preference.

The Marketing Edge Award joins a list of recognition the brand has received in recent years. They include the Most Preferred Juice Brand (Generation next survey awards, organised

by Businessday) in 2013 and the Best Quality Juice Brand (African quality achievement awards) in 2014 respectively, for outstanding commitment in the fruit juice category as consumers continue to explore healthy lifestyle habits.

Motoring B8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, July 21, 2016

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo It has been long in coming, but at last, the all-new F-PACE, Jaguars first performance SUV, has officially driven into the sub-Sahara African markets where it is expected to take full advantage of unique technological endowment to defy the competition and ride to the top of its compact segment.

Designed and engineered to offer the agility, responsiveness and refinement that all Jaguars are renowned for, F-PACE combines unrivalled dynamics with everyday versatility. This is where it hopes to draw competitive edge as it dares the likes of Porsche Macan, BMW X4, Audi Q5 and its cousin, the Range Rover Evoque, among others.

At the media launch and testdrive organised last week in Port Elizabeth by Jaguar Land Rover South Africa/sub-Sahara Africa, the Director of Operations, Mr. Nigel Clarke, sounded upbeat about the success of the vehicle in the region even as he enthused over the expansion of Jaguars market frontiers and huge investments in after-sales and training And as a foretaste of a successful trajectory, barely 10 months after going on sale, the F-PACE has been garlanded with a number of honours, including 2016 Auto Express Car of the Year and 2016 Auto Express Compact SUV of the Year. Predictably, it has become Jaguars fastest-selling vehicle as more than 14,000 orders have been placed with all 2,000 First Edition models sold out even as the dealership in Nigeria, Coscharis Motors Limited, is recording increased demand for the special model.

The F-PACE is Jaguars first performance crossover and its lightweight body structure comprises 80 per cent aluminium – a huge advantage in terms of aerodynamics, stability and fuel economy.

The family-friendly crossover

NEW JAGUAR

Designed and engineered to offer the agility, responsiveness and refinement that all Jaguars are renowned for, F-PACE combines unrivalled dynamics with everyday versatility.

All hail F-PACE, Jaguars first performance SUV seats “five occupants in absolute comfort” and allows generous leg room in front, heated, electrically reclining rear seats, and cuttingedge technologies including the InControl Touch Pro infotainment system and 12.3-inch HD virtual instrument cluster.

Rear knee-room is class-leading and the luggage compartment remains large with a full-sized spare wheel as standard With the 280kW supercharged V6 petrol engine from the F-TYPE under its sculpted aluminium bonnet, the all-new F-PACE can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just

5.5 seconds before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.

The bodys high torsional stiffness enables the F-TYPE-derived double wishbone front suspension and sophisticated Integral Link rear suspension to perform even better. Together with Torque Vectoring as standard and an Electric Power Assisted Steering system tuned to give the best possible feel and response, the car sets the benchmark for ride and handling.

The F-PACEs torque on-demand all-wheel drive (AWD)

system is Jaguars most sophisticated yet, and has the highest torque capacity. It features the advanced, in-house control system first developed for F-TYPE AWD: Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD). IDD preserves rear-wheel drive agility and handling character but can seamlessly transfer torque to the front wheels to exploit the performance benefits of extra traction, on all surfaces and in all weathers.

Adaptive Surface Response (ASR), developed from Land Rovers patented, award-winning Terrain Response technol-

ogy, makes the AWD system even more effective in challenging conditions. Integrated into Jaguar Drive Control, ASR identifies the type of surface and optimises the mapping of the powertrain and Dynamic Stability Control system.

Another world-class technology developed for adverse conditions is All Surface Progress Control (ASPC). To make the most of the available grip, ASPC automatically controls the throttle and the brakes, enabling the vehicle to pull away smoothly: the driver just has to steer.

BMW releases its new Sedan picture BMW has released the first picture of its first-ever 1 Series Sedan, which could have been just what BMW needed to give the Audi A3 sedan and Mercedes CLA a run for their money, except that fight is only going to happen in China.

BMW says that its new fourdoor 1 Series was developed exclusively for the Chinese market and at this stage there are no plans to introduce it to any other global markets.

Only one picture of the new four-door has been released thus far.

However, the internet is

awash with rumours that world markets will get a version of the 1 Series sedan - some even speculating that it would be a more coupé-like four-door based on the rear-wheel drive 2 Series Coupé.

On that note, although BMW has not yet revealed the technical details, it is widely believed that the new Sedan is built on BMW’s front-wheel drive platform that also underpins the 2 Series Active Tourer and new X1. Expect it to be powered by the same range of three- and four-cylinder turbo-charged engines.

The 1 Series Sedan is a production version of the BMW Concept Compact Sedan of 2015 and it has been specifically adapted and fine-tuned to suit Chinese customers’ “habits and vehicle use enviro n m e n t , ” B M W states.

New BMW Car

Life &

Times Thursday, July 21, 2016

Yemi Alade, FunnyBone, Reakado Banks others for Fast N Funny 2

L4

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Joselyn Dumas, RMD to host NEA awards L5

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Base One: L2

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Meet Nigeria’s lyrically machine

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday July 21, 2016

I do rap that makes people laugh-Base Sotunde Isaac Ayomipo better known as Base One is Nigeria’s lyrical rap machine as he distinguishes himself from other rappers setting a trend for budding rappers to emulate. He is a specialised indigenous rapper who has shared stage with the big names in the industry and still standing firm in the game he understands better. His stage name Base One makes a clear indication which means ‘Best at street Entertainment’ that he represents the street to the fullest. Signed to Aquila record owned by king of night club, Shina Peller, a house to other talented acts that includes Q-Peller and Tilla Man. Despite his street representation, Base One is a God fearing act who never jokes with his religion. Cornered at Quilox club, Base One in an exclusive chat with MUTIAT ALLI, shared his experience working with Fuji legend, K1 De Ultimate, his love for rap music and dumping Banking and Finance for music. Enjoy…

One Consistency matters and that has got me connected always.

Your lyrics rhyming at all-time are they deliberate or that’s the real Base One vibing?

It’s called rhyming, let’s say rap. When you say a word that has meaning and you end it with another word that has meaning and they both rhyme at the end and it still makes sense that means you are a dope rapper. It’s not deliberate, that’s the real me.

Having been in the industry for quite some time, when should we expect an EP from your end?

When I dropped “Werey Re” people were like it is too hip hop even though I had the likes of Phyno and Olamide on it and people started clamouring for something they can actually dance to. So with this, it is just a danceable version of Werey Re and people are liking it. Currently the video is trending on YouTube and Instagram as people are easy to connect to the dance step.

Like one of my rhyme I said “ I feel my flow is too dope for a mixed tape or an EP and when my album drops, you all gonna thank me like GP “. If you understand the rhymes, you know GP is a kind of strong water tank; So what I’m saying is for me, I think my lyrics are too dope for an EP or mix tapes because people don’t really take it serious, they just take it like a body of work that just need to be tossed out there that shouldn’t be given so much attention.

No, I feel if I’m going to do something, it’s either you do it big or you don’t do it at all. I’d rather do an album, I’d rather be in the studio , have a lot of songs and pick out the best; like my target is to record like fifty songs and pick out like the best twelve or the best thirteen and release it as an album, so I prefer that. I prefer to work that way that for me to just be dropping body of works and wouldn’t even get to its maximum potential.

It doesn’t make any sense to me although people have been disturbing me but I keep turning deaf ears to it.

Your lyrical arrangement is what amazes me; how long does it take you to put up your lyrical content?

A lot of people say rap music is dead in Nigeria, do you also believe in this school of thought?

(Smiles)!! Amazing is always the right word; most time, it does not really take me time to put up my lyrics.

I write my lyrics and a times there are moments when these verses just come like a breeze in your head and all you need do is to head to the studio to drop the lines.

For instance, at a time when I finished recording Werey Re, I had also recorded Skon Skon on the same day.

No, I don’t believe rap is dead, it’s just that everything is evolving, you have to be flexible to whatever comes your way with respect to rap. Like in the 80s, the kind of rap people listened to were boom raps, in the 90’s, it changed, now we are in the 20’s. We have different kinds of rap music, we have the hip hop, afro beat, trap

Your songs titles usually comes with weird names; from Werey Re now it’s Skon Skon?

Actually I am just promoting my alter ego and the mad man in me but it’s not literal, it’s something that is lyrical.

It’s something figurative, that’s what it is, and it is all about madness.

Life&

T E A M

So what is Skon Skon all about?

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Abimbola Obatayo

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Daniel Ekiye

music and hard core.

There are so many genres, so it now depends on which one you want to do. If I’m going to judge from the Nigerian perspective, our kind of rap is the afro beat kind of rap. If you listen to the likes of Olamide and Phyno, they are both rappers but when they are doing songs, they sound as if they are singing; so they tend to do danceable songs and still infusing their rap into it. So if you can do that, it’s not that rap is completely dead, I won’t say that. What I feel that is dead in Nigeria is the hard core kind of rap because people really don’t have time for it, people just want to be happy, people are

Continued on L3

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday July 21, 2016

L3

‘Rap music is not dead in Nigeria’ Continued from L2

just eject it and throw it out of the window. Even though she is not in total support of my music career but you know there’s this natural love that mums always have for their children and she knows that it’s something legit, it’s not something that is illegal and it’s not that I’m causing any trouble or bringing any problem to the household. So she just loves me naturally, she doesn’t have a choice. If you love me, you’re definitely going to love my music.

already sad so they need something that will just make them happy. Once they listen to you, you will just make them happy.

I think that’s what is working. It’s not that rap is completely dead, rap is not dead. If you tell all these people to do hard core rap, it’s not that they can’t do it, they can do it but they know it’s not making money. Even corporate brands are not investing in that, they rather give it to the singers who are doing danceable songs, so why don’t you just imbibe your own kind of talent, like your rap into that kind of thing too so that you can be headlining shows. So for me, I don’t think rap is dead.

A lot of musicians these days start considering movie roles maybe like one or two appearances, do we get to see you too?

Honestly, I suck at acting so much. I don’t know how to act except maybe my real life. You can just put a camera in my real life and let me just be myself and I don’t even know that there’s a camera. You’ll enjoy me acting but provided you put a camera and say action, then there will be a big problem. I could remember back then going to PEFTI owned by Wale Adenuga production for auditioning and I was paired with somebody else.

We were given a script to study and after few minutes, we were called to act and was instructed to present what we have read without the script with us.

Veteran actor, Antar Laniyan was one of the judges and immediately he shouted action, the other guy I was paired with delivered his line smoothly and when it was my turn, my brain switched off. Right there and then, I knew this is not my calling. I just told the man, “I’m very sorry sir, thank you very much” and I went away.

Your stage delivery usually comes with this grieving hard face?

Grieving Ke!! Well, I will say most of my performances comes with the picture that I personally feel my pain from my inner thoughts. I have not started making cash I prayed to earn. Maybe by the time I start earning cool cash like starting off with one million dollars, maybe I can begin to calm down in the deliveries.

What distinguishes Base One from other rappers?

What distinguishes me from other rappers is because I’m versatile and I do rap that makes people laugh. When you listen to my rap, it’s not that I’m bragging or blowing my horns but when you listen to my rap, you have to pause and play. You pause it and you be like “what is this guy saying again’ and that is where the Werey Re title comes from because when people listen to my song, they will be like, ‘it seems this boy is completely mad’ because I think a lot and I use things that makes me laugh, then I try to transform them and put it in form of lyrics so that I can also make you laugh also. That’s what distinguishes me from every other rapper.

So will you say you are enjoying your celebrity status now?

I’m not enjoying it, I don’t have jet, I don’t have Benz, I’m comfortable but I’m not where I want to be. I have not gotten to that peak of my career yet.

Do you have plans working with any Nigerian top female act?

What was the experience like working with Fuji legend, K1 De Ultimate?

I feel blessed working with him and for me that’s like a major one for me and the song is really making buzz across because I infused my rap skills into one of his old songs and made it look fresh. The song title is ‘Better Dey Come’. With me on the song, we were able to create a bridge that connects both the old people and the new school. All the experience gathered during the recording is worth the positive response it’s getting across the country.

Did you actually set out to be a musician?

While growing up, I used to admire the 9 to 5 job most especially the bankers who are usually decked in nice fitted suits, fancy cars and all that; that prompted me to study Banking and Finance in the university hoping that when I graduate, I will also be working in the banking environment but things did not go as planned because I realised that you don’t live life the way it is; I later discovered that most bankers live their lives on loan and I don’t want my life to tow that path too. I equally realised that being a banker, I might never have time for myself as the job requires me to wake up early

For me, the female artiste that I will like to work with in Nigeria is Asa because she’s a legend and a big brand to reckon with.

Base One

and close late and even my weekends are not guaranteed.

I had also envisaged working a good company with good pay but as God wants it, music got me covered now.

How did your parents take it when you told them that you are dropping Banking and Finance for music?

Like in the

80s,

Actually, my mum detests music a lot like she does not support the music at all, so when I told her that I wanted to do music, she was like it’s Ok but the most important thing is that you have to finish school but I did not listen to her. I had to juggle both together because I graduated in 2012 and already I had learnt few tips in the music industry before I became a part of it fully.

For my mum, even if we are in the same car together driving down to church and I play my CD in the car, she will

the kind of rap people listened to were boom raps, in the 90’s, it changed, now we are in the 20’s.

Which international brand do you look forward to working with?

There are so much because they make us appreciate the rap music so well. I have always dreamed of working with the likes of Jay-Z, Drake and the list is endless because they have so many talented people over there.

Are you designer freak?

Yes, I love to look good at all times. In fact, back then in school, I used my school fee to buy designer wears just to appear nice and receive post commendation.

Considering your tight work flow, how then do you un-wind?

It’s very simple. I’m more of the indoor kind of person.

I do three things simultaneously, eat food, and watch film and sleep, all at the same time. This how it works- I break ice, put my drink and then the food and then the movie. After I finish eating, I just doze off. I’m more of an indoor person.

When was the last time you went into the kitchen to cook?

When it comes to pasta and scrambled eggs, come to me, apart from that, you want to eat rubbish.

Music Gist L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday July 21, 2016

Yemi Alade, FunnyBone, Reakado Banks others for

Mutiat Alli

Entries flood in for AFRIMA 3.0

Fast N Funny 2

…..As AFRIMA maintains July 30 deadline for entries submission Going by the enthusiastic response of African music artistes, music professionals and journalists who have flooded the AFRIMA website with entries from across the continent and from Africans in the Diaspora for the 2016 All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA tagged “AFRIMA 3.0”, the International Committee of AFRIMA is appealing to other music professionals yet to submit their works that there will be no extension after the deadline for submission on July 30, 2016.

Explaining further, Project Director, Kemi Ashefon, said: “I must say we are impressed by the level of participation by African artistes, on the continent and in the Diaspora, in the on-going AFRIMA 3.0 entries submission process so far. This is an encouraging success marker for us considering the fact that we have surpassed the 1500 mark before the close of entries in two weeks’ time.”

Speaking further on what to expect after the close of entries in July 30, President and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mike Dada said: “We would not want to distort the calendar for this year’s edition. Sticking to the deadline will enable an early screening on the list of entries submitted for the adjudication process and nominees’ announcement.”

Diamond Platnumz

…as more industry players confirm attendance In what will be tagged the biggest industry players attendance event, comedian Seyi Law’s Fast N Funny comedy show ‘The king & Queen Edition billed to hold this Sunday, July 24, 2016 at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos is already gathering momentum as key players have already confirmed attendance to the second edition of the show.

According to Seyi Law, “guests at the show will get value for their money as maximum fun is guaranteed considering the arrays of talents billed to perform; it’s going to be an evening of comedy madness, music lovers are expected to come along with an extra dancing shoes to rock all through the night”.

On why he has a long list of

Yemi Alade and Seyi Law

entertainers for his show, Seyi disclosed that “for the love of the industry, a lot of them showed interest since the first announcement of the second edition and as I speak, with few days to the show, more artistes are still confirming to be part of the show”.

The King & Queen edition will feature sizzling performances by A-list entertainers that includes YBNL Boss, Olamide, Phyno, Iyanya, Jaywon, Ali Baba, Solidstar, Yemi Alade, Cynthia Morgan, Chidinma, Omawunmi, Tjan, Dremo, Harrysong, Duncan Might, Woli Arole, Kenny Blaq, Senator, Akpororo to mention but few.

Fast N Funny is however supported by Daily Times Newspaper, Naij.com, Peak Milk, Samsung Mobile, LASAA, and Cool FM amongst others.

Don Jazzy hosts lucky fans at Mavin studio On Friday, July 15, 2016, eight fans were treated to an unforgettable experience by MTN Ambassador, Don Jazzy, inside his famous Mavin Records studio.

Mavin Records and their newly signed management, Temple Management Company, selected the fans randomly via twitter and Instagram out of the thousands of entries that flooded the #ILoveMTN social media challenge.

Don Jazzy had the fans flown in from different states including Abuja, Calabar, Enugu, Imo, and Lagos. They are Mary Odere (@ oderemary), Adebayo Ridwan Abidemi (@isbae_u), Bright Eugene (@brytedude), Chisom Madueke (@iamblazealert), Richie Davies (@the_richie), Uche Odinamba (@ucheisclown) and Louis Nwagwu (@baze_10).

One of the fans, Mary Odere,

Subzilla drops club banger ‘Salome’ Shortly after collaborating with Baba Hafusa crooner, Reminisce and Tekno, on the remix of his smashing hit single, ‘Sisi Eko,’ which garnered buzz in top radio stations and not resting on his oars, Lam Records frontline act, Boboye Emmanuel, better known as Subzilla, is out with yet another club banger and this time he calls it ‘Salome’ with both audio and visual ready to hit television stations across the country.

Subzilla is a born singer, songwriter and performing artiste who kicked off his music career professionally in 2012 after dropping his first single ‘Nghelu’ with a video credit to talented director, Unlimited LA. With Salome visual shot by the talking drum pictures (Avalon Okpe), Subzilla is the next big act to watch out for in the entertainment industry.

Don Jazzy flanked by winners at the Mavin studio headquarters described her experience thus, “If I was asked to trade this once-ina-life-time experience for cash, I won’t think twice before rejecting it. I have been a big fan of Don Jazzy and I have never been to a recording studio before. I am so excited to be at the famous Mavin Records mansion with Don Jazzy and this moment will remain with

me forever.”

The lucky ones were each brought to the fans-meet-idol session by a VIP chauffeur service provided by Metro Taxi.

Once there, they were treated to hours of fun inside the same studio where some of Nigeria’s biggest hits have been crafted.

Besides gisting with the record

label owner, Don Jazzy, and Mavin artiste Dr. Sid, the fans were also treated to exclusive listens of yetto-be released tracks by Reekado Banks, a highly impressive new video by D’Prince and other new productions.

They enjoyed a spread provided

by Grind Grill Café and Lasts hot Drinks, but the goodies did not end there. They also got to take home, surprise goody bags packed by MTN Nigeria and The Temple Management Company to each of them.

Don Jazzy, who recently signed a deal with Temple Management Company, expressed his pleasure playing host to the fans. “I always wanted to take time off my busy schedule to meet my young fans and inspire them. I am happy that Temple Management Company with support from MTN is making it happen. Thanks to every organization who supported us to make this happen.”

Patoranking, Orezi, others for ‘One Delta Peace concert’

Subzilla

Preparations are already in top gear towards the successful outcome of the first edition of the One Delta Harrysong Peace Concert’ billed to hold Sunday, July 31, 2016 at Asaba, the state capital. The concert which will attract performance by top Delta State born artistes that includes Dr. SID, Akpororo, Yung6ix, Orezi amongst others.

The event will equally play host to celebrities that includes Kcee, Timaya, YBNL Olamide, Patoranking, Seyi Shay to mention but few.

An initiative of Gala ambassador/Five Star music act, Harrysong, who disclosed that the motive of the concert is to illuminate the minds of the Average Niger Delta youths so as to wake up to the call of creative ingenuity and abhor violence. Speaking on the concert, Harrysong said: “I suspended the release of my album to do this

Harrysong concert because of what is happening in the Niger Delta right now. I plan to use this concert to restore peace to Niger Delta amidst the recent happenings in that part of the country,’’ he said.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday July 21, 2016

L5 Movie Gist

Mutiat Alli

Do not fall victim to scammers, Faithia Balogun warns Nigerians Veteran Nollywood actress, Faithia Balogun cried out to her fans to be wary of imposters using her brand to extort unsuspecting victims in a recent post on social networking platform.

The actress who was recently was added to the list of 2016 most influential Deltans took to her Instagram page to inform her fans about the complaints she had been receiving from victims and announced her official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

In an attempt to prevent future occurrence, Faithia posted a screenshot of her official Facebook page with the caption below: “My dear fans, I’ve received complaints countless times concerning impersonators and scammers using my name and brand to extort unsuspecting individuals on social media platforms. This has been going on for a long time and I’m using this medium to appeal to you; there is only one authentic Facebook account operated by me - the picture is above and that is

‘Faithia Balogun’ (www.facebook.com/ OfficialFaithiaBalogun), which I opened recently. I apologize to my fans who have been duped by these scoundrels. I love you all and don’t want any of you to fall victim anymore. You can also follow my official Instagram; @FaithiaWilliamsBalogun, my Twitter; @FaithiaWBalogun. Love always.

Faithia Balogun was recently nominated in the Best Actress of the Year (Yoruba) & Personality of the year category at the 2016 City People Awards.

Faithia Balogun

Joselyn Dumas, RMD to host NEA awards Curvy Ghanaian actress cum TV host, Joselyn Dumas alongside veteran actor, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD) have been announced as the host of the 11th edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEAs) 2016 billed to hold September 4, 2016 at the prestigious Tribeca Performing Art Center, 199 Chamber street, New York, NY 10007, United States of America.

In its 11th year, the award is not only focused on recognising Nigerian entertainers but also highlight Nigerians who continue to make an impact in our immediate communities in Nigeria or extended communities in the diaspora. This year’s edition will see Omoni Oboli, Faithia Balogun, Adesua Etomi, Genevieve Nnaji, Belinda Effah and Nse Ikpe-Etim slug it out in the lead actress category while IK Ogbonna, Daniel K. Daniel, Femi Jacobs, Ramsey Noah, Joseph Benjamin, and Julius Agwu will battle in the lead actor category.

RMD and Joselyn Dumas

Globacom ‘Professor Johnbull’ Ayanda set for Nigeria premiere drama series debut on TV …..As viewers gives commendation to the series Since its debut on television screens across the country on Tuesday, July, 19, Globacom sponsored new TV comedy drama series titled ‘Professor Johnbull’ has recorded positive remarks from its viewer’s since its debut.

Cast and crew of Johnbull on set

While some praised the roller-cast choice, others are of the opinion that the comedy series is different from others as every distinctive message passed can be related to from the comic point of view.

Professor Johnbull featured talented actors that includes Kanayo O. Kanayo, D’banj, Flavour, Mercy Johnson-Okogie, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Ime Bishop Okon, Queen Nwokoye, Junior Pope, Funky Mallam, Bimbo Akintola, Bidemi Kosoko, Chiwetalu Agu, O.C. Ukeje, Bovi, Mama G, Helen Paul and many others.

The opening montage summarises each character featuring in the sitcom in one word as Professor Johnbull who relishes expressing himself grandiloquently, flips through the pages of one of the piles of books on his coffee table. He describes the characters in the social satire in highfalutin words such as sedulous, gratuitous and philanderer while he simply sees himself as erudite.

Nollywood star, Tayo Sobola dazzles in new Photo-shoot Pretty and stylish Nollywood actress, Tayo Sobola, aka Sotayo, continued to dazzle her fans as she recently released a new set of pictures from her recent photo shoot which oozes out style and glam.

The new photo shoot reveals why she’s a toast of many movie directors and producers. She went traditional this time!

The enchanting Nollywood actress just successfully wrapped up productions on two movies packaged by her firm, Sotee Entertainment. The movies tagged, “Omo Eleso” (Fruits Seller) and “Ise Won”, featured screen stars such as Iyabo Ojo, Doris Simeon, Eniola Badmus, comic star, Tayo Amokade, popularly called Ijebu, Enitan Fashina, Latif Adedimeji and Tayo Sobola herself.

After recording immense success, South African film, Ayanda is ready for its first official Nigerian premiere billed to hold tomorrow, Friday, July 22, 2016.

Ayanda tells the story of a young woman whose dream of running a retro car restoration business is threatened by dark family secrets, the complications of love and the day-to-day challenges of life in the sprawling African metropolis.

Starring OC Ukeje, Thomas Gumede, Fulu Mugovhani, Nthati Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Jafta Mamabolo, Sihle Xaba and Vanessa Cooke, Ayanda opened the night at the 36th Durban Film Festival and has also been screened at the 21 international film festivals. It would be recalled that the movie clinched eight nominations at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards.

Ayanda’s lead actors, Fulu Mugovhani and OC Ukeje

Sotayo

Mixed Grill L6 Mutiat Alli

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday July 21, 2016

Mercy Aigbe-Gentry’s

Victims movie goes on DVD Victims

Months after a successful premiere, delectable screen diva, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry has announced that her much talked about movie ‘ Victims’ will be going on DVD release come Monday, July 25, 2016 from the stable of Adekaz production.

Directed by Lancelot Imaseun,

Victims won the Best achievement awards in editing at the Abuja film festival and equally secured a nomination at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Award in the best indigenous movie category.

Victims follows the tribulations of a woman from her prime to full

blown womanhood.

The movie stars Juliet Ibrahim, ‘Seun Akindele, Funso Adeolu, Mercy Aigbe, Olu Jacobs, Fathia Balogun, and Saidi Balogun among others.

Adekunle Gold releases art work for debut album, ‘GOLD’

Aramide

Aramide features Sir. Dauda in

Funmi lowo

Just as a follow up song to her highly accepted song ‘Love me’ featuring YBNL ladies’ man, Adekunle Gold, Aramide is not relenting in her 2016 music career race as she recently teamed-up with Sir Dauda on a song themed around getting paid their dues.

Fortified with a very unique blend of live instruments, humour and strong vocals, Aramide samples Rihanna’s ‘Bitch Better have my money’.

“I don hustle this music pass Yoghurt and Gala” she sings over a traditional inspired beat produced by Sizzle Pro, mixed and mastered by Tintin.

YBNL act, Adekunle Gold has released the art work for his debut album, Gold. The most anticipated album of the year will be released on July 28 and is already available on iTunes for pre order. It consists 16 tracks with just one feature with songstress, SIMI. Undoubtedly, the singer bares his soul in this album and the cover further expresses this message. Every detail on the cover which was crafted by him creates an irresistible imagery of what to expect from the album. There is something different about this artwork, it goes beyond just a picture but tells a lengthy tale about the artiste, his craft and his belief.

There is a symphony of colours, allusions, inscriptions that reach out to the aesthetic sense of the viewer. It echoes ancestry, royalty and an unshakeable sense of rebirth.

Going on to the inscription of his name and that of the album, again, the picture speaks

volumes. His name is written using diacritical marks specifically to impress accurate pronunciation. Another angle is introduced in the description of this phenomenon; this is the rebirth of not just any royalty but a Yoruba royalty. Ultimately this is a medium that bears on his shoulders the heritage of days past, the ancient songs of the grand patrons of his culture. The crown surmounts the appearance of this excellent depiction. Here is the unveiling of the ancient in a world of hip hop, rap and pop.

This is the emperor of Urban Highlife reborn in the 21st century. The album is however put together by the efforts of Seyikeyz, Oscar, Pheelz, B Banks, Sleekamo and Masterkraft.

Mix and mastering of songs on the album was done by SIMI except track 16 which was done

by VTEX. Photography for art work cover was

by TY Bello.

Adekunle Gold

M-Net Channels’ shows shine at the 68th Emmy® Awards nominations For the past 30 years and counting, M-Net has been bringing only the best television entertainment to viewers in Africa and beyond. With the 68th Emmy® Awards Nomination announcement, there can be no doubt that there’s a touch of magic when it comes to the pristine selection of series across the M-Net Channels.

The 68th Emmy® Awards ceremony will be televised live on the morning of Monday, September 19, on M-Net channel 101 at 1am, and during prime time, the awards show will be broadcast at 19:30 CAT. Nominations for the awards were announced last night and, as expected, most of the acclaimed mentions were shows straight off

New Single Alert: Classic Tunes out with ‘Amin’ 2015 Etisalat sponsored Nigerian Idol finalist, Godson Akuna Goodluck better known as Classic Tunes, is a wellbred and talented producer, guitarist and saxophonist whose love for music is enormous. Classic Tunes recently released yet another mind blowing single titled ‘Amin’ which is currently enjoying massive airplay on radio stations across

the country. Classic Tune’s Amin song is a very refreshing one which he uses the opportunity to thank God in these trying times.

Currently managed by GXEntertainment, Amin is produced by Phantom Beats, an in-house producer for the famous Aquila Records and the song mastered by K9.

Classic Tunes

the M-Net Channels’ catalogue, meaning that these shows are leaders of the pack yet again this year. The nomination ceremony was hosted by Television Academy Chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum, with Emmy nominee Anthony Anderson from the hit comedyBlack-Ish and Golden Globe nominee Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday July 21, 2016

L7 Opinion

Ayeni Adekunle

My favourite websites right now and why you should check them out If I were to invest my dollars in any websites right now, Zikoko and PartyJollof will definitely be getting that call.

It was the New York Times obituary of Elie Wiesel that got me thinking, last week, about the importance of that one final piece of writing that seeks to sum up a person’s entire life and essence.

I read a lot of NYT obituaries (well, I read a lot of NYT!) and was thinking aloud on Twitter, about how one should hope to live long, and accomplish enough, to deserve an NYT obituary, when Tolu Ogunlesi mentions that, actually, only The Economist’s obituaries are ‘to die for’.

So I went and registered on The Economist and began the process of reading myself to stupor.

If you love biographies but rarely find time to read full books, I recommend the obituary sections of NYT and Economist.

One of the best ways to know and learn, I have found, is by taking a glimpse into the lives of thinkers and doers, and finding things you never expected to find.

But I’m not always reading profiles and obituaries.

Take a look at Zikoko.com, the interesting website from Big Cabal media.

Yes, I know a certain OMG is trying to position itself as the Buzzfeed of Africa.

Good PR move. But the only buzz on the ground here, is from Zikoko. If you’ve been complaining about lazy, unimaginative journalism, about plagiarism and anywhere-belle-face reporting, I suggest you open your (Facebook or Twitter) window and ask your neighbours ‘what is

Ayeni

Whatsapp is The Punch, I find most human interest here gross and click-baity, not a website so I’ll not journalism so I generally stay away. But I read the pieces on Newsroom, and I be listing it here? But if see journalism that grips, that seeks to provoke emotions and Zikoko and Newsroom action; that understands me and the challenges of living in 2016 Nigeria; that seeks to and Facebook and help me and my government know and understand Twitter were to know what’s happening, I think of Newsroom and I jump for joy. how much time I spend The only thing that comes close is The Cable. I’ve liked on Whatsapp, they’ll Simon Kolawole’s style since I was a columnist at THISDAY. You likely be setting fire to can see, through the investigative journalism, the profiles, the news the app’s servers. angles and the decency on The Cable Zikoko’?

Y o u ’ r e guaranteed to be converted.

PartyJollof.com, from Red Media, is also going where many failed to go.

Young Nigerians are bored and impatient and excitable. They’re increasingly attracted to platforms like Snapchat and Instagram because they’re fun and easy to use. PJ is using this understanding to deliver the kind of content that’ll make even Buzzfeed.com jealous.

If I were to invest my dollars in any websites right now, Zikoko and PartyJollof will definitely be getting that call.

Add Newsroom.ng to that list.

(Disclosure: Newsroom is a BHM website). I rarely visit Nigerian websites for business or political news. Apart from

that Simon understands what works. You can tell that, unlike other websites I may not be naming today, there’s likely no hidden agenda behind their journalism.

If THISDAY were to even take digital journalism seriously, The Cable would be an amazing teacher.

I hate to admit it. But I spend a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter. I may not say much, but I’m there. Scrolling through news feeds and trying to see the world through the eyes of ‘friends’ I may not speak with for months. Because my life is on-the-go, I find both websites useful for staying informed. Brexit? FB and Twitter told me where to get all the gist. Theresa May and South Sudan and Skye Bank?

I found all my leads on FB and Twitter.

BlackLivesMatter? Twitter and FB. Also importantly, I’m only able to keep in touch

with industry news from PR, advertising, media and entertainment because I have learnt to follow relevant people and set notifications where necessary.

Speaking of PR – the CIPR website is a good place to spend a lot of time. I mean A LOT OF TIME. It’s what Nigeria’s NIPR should be like when she grows up.

IF. And FT.com is what Nigeria’s Business day should and could be. Business Day is one of my favourite newspapers here.

But I struggle with the (now paywalled) website. FT on the other hand, has been giving me orgasm for years. I may cheat regularly with WSJ.com, I may even browse Bloomberg and elsewhere, but it is not for lack of satisfaction from FT. It is I who cannot keep my kini in one place.

Of course you know of QZ and Vice and HBR? Fantastic!

Whatsapp is not a website so I’ll not be listing it here? But if Zikoko and Newsroom and Facebook and Twitter were to know how much time I spend on Whatsapp, they’ll likely be setting fire to the app’s servers. I dumped BBM for What Sapp nearly three years ago and it’s the best relationship decision I’ve taken in a while. I hear there are still many of you on BBM, that’s fine. Please stay there before you come and join those people calling Whatsapp ‘wosup’. Sigh.

Can I say Orin, Sabinews, Thenetng and TNS also belong on this list without anyone accusing me of shameless plug?

I can’t? Oh, I can? Are you saying I can add them? Or the T in your can’t is just silent? What-ever!

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday July 21, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies Comedy Channel 104

Movies ACTION Channel 110

22:28

13:00

Thu, 21 July16 SL

Thu, 21 July | PG 13V

Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and Danny star in this film about three salesmen who dissect life as they wait for a man who could make or break their sales targets. Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey.(1999)John Swanbeck

Jackie Chan turns on the charm in this action film. A chauffeur is thrust into the world of international espionage when he puts on a suit that gives him extraordinary powers.

Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt. (2002) Kevin Donovan.

101 M-Net

23:35 Behind The Scenes: Unbroken 00:00 Chicago Med 00:50 Behind The Scenes: 1st Project 01:20 Shakesspeare School Year 02:28 Behind The Scenes: Walking On Sunshine 02:40 Behind The Scenes: Annie 03:15 Made In Hollywood

04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 05:59 The Middle 06:29 Sarah Graham's Food Safari 07:30 Chicago Med 08:30 From Rough 10:04 Behind The Scenes: The Theory Of...

10:30 The Goldbergs 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Carte Blanche 14:00 Shades Of Blue 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 Kevin From Work 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:33 My Story

118 Telemundo

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

120 BBC Brit Entertainment

23:14 The Graham Norton Show

11:10 Would I Lie To You?

00:04 An Idiot Abroad

11:40 QI

00:54 The Cube

12:15 The Cube

01:41 Police Interceptors

13:05 Top Gear

02:29 John Bishop's Australia

14:55 Police Interceptors

03:24 Undercover Boss USA

15:45 Undercover Boss USA

04:10 Pointless

15:55 Would I Lie To You?

05:00 The Cube

16:20 QI

05:50 Would I Lie To You?

17:00 Pointless

06:25 QI5

18:00 Top Gear

07:00 Police Interceptors

19:00 Dragons' Den

07:45 Top Gear

20:00 QI

08:40 Pointless

20:30 Youngers

09:35 Undercover Boss USA

21:10 Top Gear

10:20 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

22:05 Top Gear: Special: Best Of British

155 AfricaMagic World

152 AfricaMagic Epic

23:37 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 00:00 Music On Africa Magic

23:00 Most Shocking 23:50 World's Wildest Police Videos 00:40 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:30 Freakshow 01:55 Extreme Reality Clips 02:20 Sexy Car Wash 03:15 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

09:00 Good Morning Africa

08:40 Most Shocking

10:00 Lies That Bind

09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos

10:30 Lies That Bind

10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos

11:00 Lies That Bind

11:30 Baywatch

11:30 Lies That Bind

12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

13:00 Music On Africa Magic 14:00 Music On Africa Magic 15:05 Music On Africa Magic

01:00 Good Morning Africa

16:00 Star Gist

00:10 Mystic Mirror

11:10 Maiden Of Destruction

02:05 53 Extra

16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa

01:26 Mirror And Beauty

12:39 Sacred Skull

02:45 Star Gist

17:25 53 Extra

02:25 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes

14:20 Twins Of The Rainforest

03:15 Star Gist

18:00 Jara

14:48 Behind The Scenes: The Place

03:45 Jara

18:30 Tinsel

15:00 Enemy Must Obey

04:25 Jara

19:00 Lies That Bind

17:02 Enemy Must Obey

05:00 Goodmorning Africa

19:30 Lies That Bind

06:01 Only Hope

19:10 The Mastermind

06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

20:00 Jacob's Cross

07:50 Mother's Tears

20:55 Behind The Scenes:Next Dean

07:00 53 Extra

20:55 Jacob's Cross

09:31 Painful Secret

21:05 Royal Desire

07:30 Star Gist

21:55 Jacob's Cross

05:35 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room

128 SONY MAX

08:00 Jara

12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

03:40 Impostor

L8 TV guide

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