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NNPC ‘missing’ funds exceed $1.48bn - APC • Diezani: We’ve started repaying •Says ’No plan to flee Nigeria’ Segun Adio, Group News Editor & Egena Egena, Abuja

•••Far

from being over, the controversy over alleged missing oil remittances may have only just begun.

Although the outgoing government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says forensic report has put the figure at $1.48 billion dollars, the incoming party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it has evidence that the sum is pretty

May 29 is handover date, says FG g4

much higher.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Wednesday told State House Correspondents that the $1.48 billion is already being refunded to the Federation Account.

The forensic audit was conducted by an international audit firm, PriceWaterHouse Cooper (PwC), after the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), now Emir of Kano, His Highness MuCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba (right) handing over to his successor, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase at a brief ceremony at the Force Headquarters in Abuja... on Wednesday

Acting IGP, Arase pledges quality leadership Andrew Orolua Abuja

•••The

Acting Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Solomon Arase, on

Army kills top terrorist, invades Sambisa forest

Wednesday, assumed duty with a pledge to provide the highest possible level of professional CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

g4

Litigants withdraw suits against Buhari g 5

2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Ending the malaria scourge in Nigeria

O

n Saturday April 25, the international community will be marking “World Malaria Day.” The day has been set aside to sensitise people, especially those living in tropics on the danger posed by this fatal disease.

Meanwhile, experts including World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders have posited that Nigeria needs to intensify efforts if the battle against the scourge is to be won.

Definitely, we support every initiatives meant to reduce the global impact of malaria, especially in Nigeria and other Third World countries that are always victims of its debilitating effects.

Globally, it is estimated that 3.3 billion people are at risk of malaria. Incidentally, those at risk include children and pregnant women in Africa, Asia, Latin America and a lesser extent in the Middle East.

Carrier of the disease, the female anopheles mosquito, has become resistant to many insecticides used to control its spread. Similarly, plasmodium (the disease-causing parasite that is carried in the gut of the mosquito and transmitted through its saliva when it feeds) has become resistant to many of the drugs used to treat the disease, while P. falciparum, the most severe form of malaria in humans and the cause of most cases in sub-Saharan Africa, is now resistant to chloroquine, the most commonly used anti-malarial drug, in practically all malaria-endemic countries in Africa.

It will be stating the obvious that malaria imposes substantial costs on both individuals and governments. For individuals, they include purchase of drugs

for treatment of malaria, lost days of work, absence from school and even expenses for burial in case of deaths.

On part of the government it entails maintenance, supply and staffing of health facilities, public health interventions, such as insecticides spraying and lost opportunities for joint economic ventures and tourism.

It is therefore time the authorities step up efforts to combat the disease through multidimensional approaches that include promoting preventive interventions such as use of insecticidetreated mosquito nets in homes, adherence to best practices in management of malaria by medical practitioners, vaccine research and the use of insecticide spraying such as DDT on breeding sites. It is also necessary to explore the use of indigenous natural mosquito repellant plant species. Pharmaceutical companies should also study local anti-malarial herbs to determine their efficacy on malaria and effective and safe dosages should be found.

In all, the solution to malaria control still lie within local communities. Culturally, the two most susceptible groups of people, pregnant mothers and infant children, tend to sleep together. Therefore, the mud homes in rural areas should be white washed to avoid attracting mosquitoes. Moreover, cracks and crevices where stagnant water can collect should be sealed. Finally, those oil companies working in the Niger Delta areas, where there are many marshy swamps and a high prevalence of malaria should be required to contribute to a general malaria control fund, while the people must be impressed upon to keep their environment tidy.

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Shekau: Time Magazine’s big goof Sam Nzeh

•••

The listing of Boko Haram sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, as among the 100 most influential persons in the world by Time Magazine, a United States of America top media outfit, has once again exposed the callousness of the West to the plight of Nigerians who in the past six years have been under the yoke of the insurgent group.

Recall that the magazine last week named Shekau alongside the Presidentelect, General Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. Obiagaeli Ezekwesili, former Education minister and, Chimamanda Adichie, a writer, among world’s most influential per-

sons.

Not a few Nigerians wonder what the magazine wants to achieve by listing a man who has brought nothing but sorrow to many families and the nation as an “influential person”. Could it be that because those killed and maimed by Shekau and his sect are not Americans, so they don’t matter to the magazine? Could the Time magazine have named late Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, or the leader of the Islamic State as an influential person as it has now done to Shekau? How can a man who delights in slaughtering people and dances on their graves among other heinous acts be linked with anything that has a connotation of positive values?

There is no justification for the action of the maga-

Words On Marble :

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zine as it sends a dangerous message especially to young persons in the insurgency ravaged parts of northern Nigeria. These young ones, largely uneducated and unemployed, are likely to see the magazine’s naming of Shekau as an endorsement of his actions and may decide to toe his path or even surpass him.

So, unless Time magazine is saying that the blood of Nigerians being spilled

by Shekau and his sect on a daily basis means nothing to them, then it may go ahead eulogizing him and others like him. It only shows that the magazine values American lives more than those of Nigerians and that it is in concert with forces that have vowed to decimate Nigerians, destabilise Nigeria and disintegrate it.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Associate Editors

Tunji Okegbola

Isime Esene Remi Ogunkoya

Chief Commercial Officer

Editorial Director

Group News Editor

Group Managing Editor

Deputy Editors

Editorial Page Editor

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Chude Jideonwo Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Acting Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Lateef Ibrahim

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Online Editor

Adetayo Adelaja

Business Editor

Charles Kettering

Norman Vincent Peale

John F. Kennedy

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress

Change your thoughts and you change your world

Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head Graphics King Ododoru

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

News 4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Army kills ‘NNPC ‘missing’ fund more than $1.48bn’ top terrorist, invades Sambisa Continued from page 1

Andrew Orolua Abuja

•••

A top terrorist commander, Abu Mojahid, was killed on Tuesday morning in an encounter with troops in the outskirts of Alagarno, Borno State.

This is part of the final defeat of the Islamist sect which has also seen the military storming the last known stronghold of the insurgents in Sambisa Forest on Wednesday.

Defence Spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, said in a statement that Abu Mojahid was among terrorists killed in the Alagarno battle.

The terrorists had launched a daring attack on troops who were on patrol of the area.

Some rocket-propelled grenades as well as vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns were either captured or destroyed in the encounter.

Meanwhile, the military operations are continuing in the form of offensive action on identified terrorists locations in the forest. Aggressive patrols, mopping up and cordon and search are also continuing in the other locations.

Improvised explosive devices planted by the terrorists are also being carefully cleared as troops continue to pursue fleeing ones.

The operations, especially in forest locations, are progressing in defiance of all obstacles.

Also yesterday, the military, backed by warplanes, invaded the insurgents’ last known stronghold, the Sambisa Forest, miliyary sources said.

Armies from Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroun have in the past two months launched a concerted push to try to crush the insurgents, who have killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds in their quest to establish an Islamic state.

The Sambisa Forest in northeast Nigeria is about 100 km from Chibok where the Islamic insurgents abducted over 200 secondary school girls a year ago. Intelligence officials had believed that this was where they were being held. However, U.S. reconnaissance drones failed to find them.

The militants controlled a large area at the start of the year, but have since lost much of that ground.

Yet they remain a deadly threat to civilians, as evident on Friday when they slit the throats of 12 people in northeast Nigeria as the army was trying to evacuate the area around the former Boko Haram headquarters of Gwoza.

hammad 11, caused an uproar that about $49 billion had been misappropriated from the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He later brought the figure down to $20 billion at a Senate hearing on the allegation, while the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala put it at $10.8 billion.

But faulting the amount, the APC Presidential Campaign Director, Policy, Research and Strategy, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, told Bloomberg that the NNPC would need to refund more than $1.48 billion.

Fayemi added that the incoming APC administration of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) would publish the full audit report of the NNPC and expects that the corporation will need to repay the government more than previously recommended.

The APC had during the recent election campaign asked the PDP-led Federal Government to publish the full report of the audit report, not the abridged version that was released by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

Fayemi said: “I have a figure that’s more than $1.5 billion that’s been talked about. We’ve seen

credible information that what PwC says is more than that. We will release the report. We’ll make it available to Nigerians as soon as we have full information on this.”

Fayemi disclosed that the APC may also reorganise the NNPC, adding “NNPC will not be in the form or shape it’s currently in.

Some measure of unbundling will happen.”

Daily Times learnt that Fayemi travelled out to the United Kingdom shortly after granting the interview to Bloomberg in Lagos on Tuesday.

Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive

L-R: Former Acting Chairman, APC, Chief Bisi Akande; former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Mr. Dele Alake; President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd); National leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Ogun State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun during a courtesy visit to Buhari in Abuja… on Tuesday

Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Alison-Madueke disclosed that the NNPC had started refunding $1.48bn into the Federation Account as recommended by PwC. She however did not disclose how much had so far been refunded by the corporation.

The Federation Account Allocation Committee had on Monday night constituted a committee to find out the reasons for the delay in the refund of the sum.

According to the AGF, PriceWaterHouse Coopers had in its forensic audit report recommended that the NNPC refund the amount to the Federation Account.

The AGF report had quoted PWC to have stated that while the total gross revenue generated from crude oil lifting was $69.34bn between January 2012 and July 2013 and not $67bn as earlier stated by the Senate Reconciliation Committee, what was remitted to the Federation Account was $50.81bn and not $47bn.

The audit report was credited as revealing that $28.22bn was the value of domestic crude oil allocated to the NNPC, adding that total amount spent on subsidy for Premium Motor Spirit was $5.32bn.

Alison-Madueke however explained that the unremitted fund was owed by NPDC for a block that had been assigned from NNPC to NPDC. She said: “The PriceWaterHouse Coopers forensic audit that was done a few weeks ago, in its recommendation mentioned that Continued on page 6

Jonathan to hand over May 29 Egena Egena Abuja

•••The

Federal Government has clarified the details of the transition programme with regard to the day it will hand over to the incoming administration of Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

Briefing State House Correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki, said the processes of handing notes over will be completed on May 28 while the President will hand over to his successor on May 29.

This is contrary to her earlier briefing last Wednesday where she said power will change hands on May 28, an announcement that has sparked controversy.

The minister, who said yesterday’s meeting centred on the transition programme, denied ever telling reporters that the President would hand over to the President-elect on May 28.

She said, “In the council today, the discussion was still centred on transition.

“I have to make a little clarification because some people thought I said May 28 will be handover date. I never said that.

“I said May 28 will be the last day that we will have our handing over briefs by ministries and parastatals. I said from the 28th of this month to that date has been given to departments and ministries to submit their handover notes.

“I remember somebody asked if there will be no vacuum if

there is handover on May 28 and I replied that there will be no handing over on May 28.

“Handing over and inauguration will hold on May 29. The President is not handing over power on May 28, he is handing over power on May 29.

“We have started the transition and it is ongoing. We are submitting our handover notes to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“The President is still the President until May 29 when Gen. Buhari takes his oath of office and resumes as the President of the Federal Republic.”

Asked to disclose the reason behind the sack of Suleiman Abba as the Inspector-General of Police, Akwashiki said she had nothing to say because the Presi-

Jonathan dent had the right to hire and fire.

“I think it is within the President’s power to appoint and sack and he did what he had to do,” she said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Court strikes out eligibility suits against Buhari Andrew Orolua, Abuja

••• The coast seems clearer for

the President-elect, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to assume office on May 29 without pending litigation about his qualification with the Federal High Court, on Wednesday, stricking out two suits that sought his disqualification.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola struck out the two suits challenging Buhari’s eligibility, after the plaintiff counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), informed the court he was withdrawing the suits.

Ozekhome, who represented one of the plaintiffs Mr. Chukwunweike Okafor, told the court that his client had instructed him to discontinue the suit.

He explained that his client decided to discontinue the suit in order to allow the president-elect concentrate on governance when he assumes office.

Both Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) and Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who represented Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), respectively, did not oppose the application.

Consequently, Justice Ademola struck out the matter.

When the second suit, filed by Max Ozoaka, was called, his lawyer, Dr. Chike Amobi, adduced similar grounds for withdrawing the suit. It was equally struck out

A cross section of members of the Nigeria Labour Congress protesting the killing of Nigerians, at the entrance of South Africa’s Embassy in Abuja...on Wednesday. Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

by the judge.

With the development, the remaining pending eligibility suit against Buhari is the one filed by Ayakeme Whiskey (FHC/ABJ/ CS/68/15). No date has been fixed for hearing in the suit.

The plaintiffs had filed the suits challenging Buhari’s eligibility and asking the court to declare him ineligible to contest in the March 28 election, on the basis of his alleged failure to submit his certificates of academic qualifications, along with his Form CF001 to the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The plaintiffs also had claimed that Buhari’s failure to submit his certificate of academic qualifications contravened provisions of sections 131 and 318 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010.

They had also sought Buhari’s disqualification on the grounds of alleged non-compliance with the Constitutional requirements guiding candidates’ eligibility to contest for the Presidential election.

No regrets supporting Jonathan, says Fayose Nkiru Nwagbo, Awka

•••

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, has declared that he has no regrets supporting the candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan in the recent election.

Fayose, in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being sore losers and of planning to make the state ungovernable from May 29, this year.

Jonathan, the incumbent President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost his re-election bid to Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the APC. Fayose, a member of the PDP, is

battling impeachment threat from the APC dominated out-going Ekiti State House of Assembly.

The statement read: “It has become imperative, once again, to address the media on the constitutional and political crises being foisted on our dear state, Ekiti, by irritants of unbridled ambitions, who are not only devoid of spirit of sportsmanship but implacable, even when all odds are against them and roundly rejected by the good people of the state.

“It is no longer news that I defeated an incumbent governor in all the 16 local government areas of the state and that, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, attempts were made to use the courts to prevent someone who clearly won a governorship election from assuming office.

Ozoaka specifically sought Buhari’s disqualification as the APC Presidential candidate on the ground that the party was not a registered political party in Nigeria.

A copy of the Buhari’s INEC Form FC001 shows that Buhari entered the name of his party as All Progressives Congress Party (APCP) instead of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Buhari won the presidential election on the platform of the APC

Fire averted at Lagos airport road CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO

•••

Fayose

“Since June 21, 2014 that the All Progressives Congress (APC) suffered that humiliating defeat, the party has suffered defeats in the entire local government areas in Ekiti State in four other elections, the latest being the House of Assembly election, in which APC won no single seat out of the 26 seats.

There was panic at the Murtala Muhammed Airport access road on Wednesday, as a truck laden with fuel caught fire, causing traffic snarl for several hours. The incident occurred at about 4 pm.

In the ensuing confusion, many passengers scheduled to travel through the new and old domestic terminals, as well as the international terminal, missed their flights.

According to sources, the tanker, which belongs to a petroleum company, HEIZOL, was reportedly conveying diesel from Apapa to an undisclosed location in Ogba, when it burst into flames.

5 News S’Africa: Senate angry over attacks on Nigerians Sunday Isuwa, Abuja

•••

The Nigerian Senate, on Wednesday, fumed over the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa by South Africans, as senators took turns to criticise the development, calling on the Federal Government to take drastic measures to stem the trend.

The lawmakers further passed a resolution urging the government to immediately recall Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa.

These were some of the fallouts of the five-prayer motion sponsored by Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, and other 106 senators.

Other resolutions, which the lawmakers passed, included that the Federal Government officially file a suit against the Zulu King before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly masterminding the attacks.

Bamaiyi vs Ajudua: Prison officer identifies court registrar as Ajudua’s accomplice

Titilope Joseph

•••

A prison officer, Mallam Abdullahi Garba, on Wednesday, identified former Mrs Rosulu Idowu Oluronke, registrar to Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, as one who assisted a one-time Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, to defraud a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd) to the tune of $330,000.

In his testimony before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, Abdullahi claimed that the defendant (Rosulu) visited General Bamaiyi and Ajudua in prison three times between October and November 2004. Led in evidence by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Seidu Atteh, the witness explained that he, as a prison officer, met the defendant at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison when she came to visit Ajudua, Bamaiyi and Alumile Adedeji a.k.a. Ade Bendel During Monday’s proceedings, Bamaiyi had told the court that when the defendant (Rosulu) visited the prison for the 3rd time, $330,000 (33 bundles of US$100 bills) which was kept in a red ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag, was handed over to her, precisely on November 20, 2004, and Ajudua allegedly sent his boy, Jonathan, to assist in counting and carried the money out of the prison.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

‘NNPC ‘missing’ fund more than $1.48bn’ Continued from page 4 $1.48bn was owed by NPDC for a block that had hitherto been assigned from the NNPC to NPDC which is its subsidiary.

“They felt that the right process would be that NPDC will refund that money to the Federation Account. NPDC has apparently started those refunds and it is also in discussion with NNPC and DPR on same. So the refund has actually begun.”

While saying that the payment was being done under her directives, she insisted that the sum was not missing but transferred by the NNPC to NPDC which is a subsidiary.

In a related development, Ali-

son-Madueke, on Wednesday, denied reports that she was on the run on account of her activities and some actions she had taken while in charge of the Petroleum sector.

Lately, there had been reports that the minister was seeking asylum in several countries over fears that the incoming administration of General Buhari, might probe her activities at the petroleum ministry.

She disclosed this while speaking to with State House Correspondents, adding that there was no need for her to flee Nigeria as she had not committed any offence.

“Let me state it clearly for the records that Nigeria is my country and I am not going anywhere.

I love my country and I do think that I have done the best for my country”, the minister said.

Alison-Madueke explained that she had done the best for the country and attained many firsts in the history of oil and gas industry especially in the reforms that had taken place.

She also denied that she had been meeting with some former Heads of State including General Abdusalami Abubakar to protect and save her name.

The minister noted that Gen. Abdusalami had already addressed the issue when he described the story as unnecessary mischief.

She said: “I have the privilege of meeting with many senior statesmen, during that course of my job

L-R: General Manager, Corporate Services, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Bola Adeeko; Convener, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), Ms. Margaret Adetutu; Chairman, (CECP), Prof. Part Utomi and GMD/CEO, MTI Plc, Dr. Nosike Agokei at the 2015 National Cancer week held in Lagos... on Wednesday.

PHOTO: TAOFEEK BABAJIDE

Arase pledges quality leadership Continued from page 1 quality leadership for the Force.

He said the Force will deploy resources and potent assets to deal firmly and decisively with deviants in the society.

Arase, who took over the police force as the 18th indigenous Inspector General of Police, stated this at a brief handover ceremony from the former IGP, Suleiman Abba, at Louis Edet House, Abuja. He said it is his conviction that the lost glory of the force will be restored.

“It is my firm conviction that if the quality manpower potentials of the force are blended with purposeful and motiva-

tional leadership at strategic level, the lost glory of the force within the internal security architecture of our country can and will be restored” Arase said.

Arase said that the men and officers of the Police force must resolve both individually and collectively to hold their duties sacred, perform their functions with pride and exhibit the highest level of professional excellence in all their official engagements.

He charged them to remain accountable to the citizens and relate with courtesy as true public servants, and with the dictates of rule of law.

Accordingly, he said that

apart from police routine duties which must be delivered, two major national assignments; the conduct of the inconclusive governorship elections in Abia, Imo and Taraba states, and the presidential, governorship and National/State Assembly inauguration ceremonies must be delivered.

Consequently, the new IGP maintained that while the unique assets of the force will be deployed to proactive support, there shall also be massive deployment of men and materials to the affected areas in order to ensure a secured environment and prevent social disorder.

in the Federal Executive Council and I was surprised that he should be singled out in any such form.

“I have not sought such assistance because I am not aware that I have been indicted of any crime that I will need a soft landing.

Over the last four years, I have been severely and unfortunately accused and labelled in so many malicious and vindictive ways.

“I have explained these things and pushed back robustly on these accusations and I have even gone to court on many of them.

Yet, they keep being regurgitated and I think it is unfortunate, particularly when we are moving into a transition period and looking forward to an incoming government which is coming to take over where we have ended.

“For everything that has a beginning there is an end and that is not a surprise. What is the surprise is the sort of malevolence bordering on personal malicious libel to my person during this period of time”.

Alison-Madueke however admitted that she had stepped on many toes in the cause of reforming the oil industry, adding that the cabal in the sector were not happy that she opened up the industry to Nigerians.

According to her, she had been maligned and castigated for her efforts to ensure that the oil in-

dustry is brought back to perform optimally for the interest of the nation and all Nigerians.

Her words: “We have done enough for this industry, we cannot please everybody. Yes, we have stepped on toes but we did that in the best interest of Nigeria and we have opened up the oil and gas industry to all Nigerians, thousands of Nigerians have benefited from our reforms in the system.

“I have said several times that we will open up the industry to all Nigerians and we have, but that is not to the pleasure of a certain cabal and I have been continuously maligned because of this and we have taken millions and in fact billions of dollars out of the hands of non performing multinationals and their subcontractors and put them in the hands of Nigerians through the Nigerian content law.

Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have come into the oil and gas industry because of our reforms.

“I think as unprecedented as it is, it does not please everybody and that cannot be helped but let us remember the unprecedented reforms that have happened in the oil industry during our time such as major gas reforms, the Petroleum Industry Bill, which has been completely revised, reformed and put into the hands of members of the National Assembly where it has languished for two years”.

Buhari hosts envoys of Iran, China, Morocco, others • • • President-elect,Gen.

Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), on Wednesday, received some foreign dignitaries at his temporary residence at the Defence House, Abuja.

Ambassadors of China, Israel, Iran, Morocco and Equatorial Guinea, were among the early callers.

The Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria, Mr. Gu Xiaojie, spoke to reporters after meeting with Buhari.

He said his meeting with the President-elect was, primarily, to convey China’s best wishes and deliver a special message from China’s President and discuss issues of mutual interest between the two countries.

Xiaojie said, “We came to present the best wishes and regards from our President and people of China to the President-elect.

“China and Nigeria are going to further our cooperation. As

part of our desire for collaboration with Nigeria, I discussed with the President-elect some of the potential areas of investment.

“We plan to invest in areas like agriculture, infrastructure and other projects that are tailored to impact positively on the lives of the people of Nigeria.

“I have also come to convey a message from the Chinese government that it is ready to work with the incoming APC administration headed by Buhari, to further improve on the existing strategic partnership between both countries.

“We want to elevate our relations to a new height and develop it in a mutually beneficial manner, based on what we have achieved in the past decades.”

The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Uriel Palti, also expressed Israel’s preparedness to build upon its existing cordial relationship with Nigeria.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

APC tells PDP to brace for opposition roles Segun Adio

•••

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has admonished the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop being a cry baby and come to terms with the cold, hard reality that its fortunes have since plummeted and that it is now in opposition.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the fact that the PDP devoted

a substantial part of the communique, issued after the inaugural meeting of the its National Working Committee and Governors/Senators-elect, to complaining about alleged harassment and intimidation by the APC, when it should be strategising about the daunting task ahead of it, shows that the erstwhile ruling party still does not understand the enormity of the challenges awaiting it as an opposition party.

Said he, ‘’We don’t

blame them as they have neither the capacity nor the commitment to be in opposition. A party that stood for nothing but looting and rent collection will naturally be afraid of being in opposition, where there is nothing to loot or rent to collect.’’

The APC advised the PDP to understand that it is not by repeating obvious lies that an opposition party can be effective, but by being creative, knowledgeable, resourceful and above all credible. It is

not by cheap blackmail, but by being resilient.

Alhaji Muhammed continued, ‘’This is why we wish to extend to the National Working Committee of the PDP a free orientation, just as we have offered the party’s spokesman a free crash course in how to be an opposition party spokesman. The theme of the orientation for the PDP NWC members will be ‘transiting from the ruling party to an opposition party.’

7 News

Fire guts Kwara energy ministry ..Gov orders probe Ola Yekeen, Ilorin

•••

Properties and valuable documents worth millions of Naira were on Tuesday night allegedly destroyed by an inferno which gutted about 17 offices at headquarters of the Kwara Ministry of Energy, llorin.

Eye witness account told our Correspondent in llorin that the fire incident which started at about eight o’clock in the evening of Tuesday lasted till early hours of Wednesday.

It was further gathered that it took the team of fire fighters from the State Fire Service more than five hours before the inferno was put out at about half

past one on Wednesday morning.

The State Commissioner for Energy, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi while speaking with our Correspondent in llorin on Wednesday said power surge from one of the affected offices was suspected to be the cause of the incident.

He disclosed that his office, Permanent Secretary’s and directors’ offices were among the places affected.

Meanwhile the State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has immediate probe into the incident with a view to determining its immediate and remote causes and those responsible for it.

Lagos hotels lost N8b to Ebola- Govt Kehinde Ayinla

•••

L-R: A former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo; Awardee, Dr. David Ogbodo and former Minister of Power, Prof.

Bart Nnaji during the presentation of Doctor of Public Administration to Ogbodo by Enugu State University of Science and Technology (FSUT), held in Enugu... recently.

Dapo Abiodun challenges Kashamu’s victory at Tribunal

••• The All Progressives

Congress (APC) Senatorial candidate in Ogun East in the March 28 National Assembly election, Dapo Abiodun, has filed a petition at the state National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal to challenge the victory of Buruji Kashamu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate, who was declared the winner of the poll.

Kashamu was returned elected and declared winner of the election by the re-

turning officer of the zone, Prof. Babatunde Ikotun after polling 99,540 votes to defeat eight other candidates.

Abiodun was the first runner-up in the election and Adegbenga Kaka of the Social Democratic Party was the second runner-up.

In the petition, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, Abiodun, argued that Kashamu was not qualified to contest the election and that he didn’t score the highest number of lawful votes as required by law.

The petitioner, who said he would rely on form EC8E (1) to prove his case, further alleged that Kashamu, his party, PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, who are joined as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents respectively, failed to comply with the electoral act.

Abiodun added, “The 1st Respondent, Prince Buruji Kahamu, was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the elec-

tion and therefore did not meet the requirements of the law to be returned as the winner of the election.

“The election of the 1st Respondent, Prince Buruji Kashamu, is invalid by reason of substantial noncompliance with the provisions of Electoral Act 2015 (as amended), the Manual for Election Officials 2015, the guidelines issues for the conduct of the election and the law in the conduct of the election.”

The Lagos State Government yesterday revealed that Hotels in the state recorded a loss of over N8 billion within the months of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in 2014.

Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-governmental relations, Mr. Disun Holloway, and the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Films and Video Censors Board, Mr. Dele Balogun, disclosed this at the 2015 ministerial press briefing held in Alausa Secretariat.

According to Holloway, “The impact of Ebola on hotel patronage was sig-

nificant. The patronage fell from 76 percent to 35 percent for a period of four months that the disease lasted. It really affected the turnover of the hotels.”

The commissioner noted that when the impact assessment of the EVD was carried out on the 12 top hotels in the state within the period, “they lost about N8 billion. And in a year, they (12 hotels) make a turnover of about N46 billion.”

Explaining the lost, Holloway says, “The hotels were losing about N2 billion per months. This was only applicable to big hotels out of the over 3, 200 hotels identified in the state.”

Niger Assembly passes finances control Bill Pita Chikwem, Minna

•••

In an effort to instill financial discipline and accountability in the management of public funds in Niger state, the Niger State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed into law, public finances control and management bill 2015.

This followed clause by clause consideration of report of house committee on finance and appropriation that carried out legislative activity on the bill.

In his remarks after the passage of the bill, Speaker Barr. Adamu Usman spoke on the significance of the new law, adding that it was in line with the international best practice in the accounting system.

He explained that accountability and transparency should always be the guiding principle of any democratic governance, saying that the bill was unanimously passed to allow for acceptable accounting system in the state.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Politics 2015 polls: MASSOB appeals to UN for independence

Æs

Politics Editor: Akinjide Akintola Email: akinjide.akintola@dailytimes.com.ng

Aftermath of the 2015 general election, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has appealed to the United Nations (UN) to pass a resolution recognising the South- East Region of Nigeria as Independent State of Biafra.

Nwazuruike

Ojukwu

Danjuma

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

More facts on why PDP lost Akinjide Akintola Politics Editor Apart from a culture of impunity, imposition of candidates, indiscipline and the likes, more facts have emerged on why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded general election.

Sources told Daily Times that chieftains most especially those from the North, engaged in acts that contributed to the loss of the party at the polls.

Some of the allegations were that some of the leaders of the party connived with the opposition APC to ensure that President Jonathan and the party were defeated at the polls.

It was learnt that some of the leaders, for reasons best known to them were united in their determination to ensure that Jonathan did not win the election and that was why it was not surprising that strongholds of the PDP in the North such as Kaduna, Plateau,

Adamawa Deputy Governor in power show

Jonathan

Muazu

Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states that have large Christian population, could fall to the APC. It was much of a gang up against

Jonathan, the source said alleging that it might be due to the fact that the president had allegedly signed an agreement of a one-term presi-

dent with some powerful forces in the north, but which the president CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Wale Akintunde Yola

Bala Ngilari

Saad Tahir

Murtala Nyako

Residents of Kofare community are embroiled in a showdown with the deputy governor of Adamawa state, Alhaji Saad Tahir over the blockage of the only access

Buhari

Group charges Buhari on good governance A group, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has called on President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that good governance becomes the hallmark of his administration which it will ride on for the next four years. In a statement by its director, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, the group condemned the ongoing agitation over who gets what and how?, calling on General Buhari (rtd) not to allow his government to be derailed from its electioneering campaign promises by the caricature and business as usual politicians in his party. The CHRSJ stressed: “General Buhari should know that people are yearning to see the fruitfulness of his electioneering campaign promises within the very short period of time and expectations of Nigeria people are high from his government, anything short CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

road to their homes.

The action of the deputy governor who allegedly ordered the blockage of the road has pitched him against the residents of the area even as tension has started to build up over the issue.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

9 Politics

Power show:

Community rallies against Adamawa Deputy Governor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

The residents who vowed to explore all legal avenues to seek redress over the injustice meted to them by the deputy governor wondered how a man in his exalted position of a deputy governor will deliberately make life difficult for the people who are making use of the access road.

They accused the deputy governor of using his exalted position to short change them having entered into a contract with Governor Nyako’s administration which compensated him over the piece of land three years ago only to come and forcefully take over the land again because he is now deputy governor of the state.

One of the resident’s of the area Musa Kofare noted with dismay how the deputy governor ignored the plight of hundreds of the people of the area to close their only access road stressing that the action is unbecoming of a leader.

The residents noted with dismay that after collecting compensation for the same piece of land from the Nyako administration three years ago to provide access road only for him to now turn around three months after he was appointed the deputy governor to block the same road.

“He is just using his new position as deputy governor to retake the land he already collected compensation for. We have petitioned the Police, SSS

Why PDP lost

Ngilari

Nyako

and Emirate Council to intervene and save us from this injustice”, Musa Kofare added.

Another resident of the area, Maiwada Pullo, berated the deputy governor for promoting his business interest above

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

had always denied.

Already, the source, said since the outcome of the elections, there have been much distrust amongst leaders of the party across the country while a National Executive Committee meeting has been called for Wednesday to assess what really went wrong.

One of the leaders of the party, Senator Ndoma Egba who is the

public interest adding that as a well-to-do member of the society, morals will have made him sacrifice the land even if he is not occupying an elective office.

“It was unfortunate for the dep-

Senate leader and who lost out in the Primaries in his home state of Cross River also spoke about impunity and recklessness on the party of the leaders of the party as being responsible for the party’s loss at the polls.

Ndoma Egba, who was reacting to reports that his supporters have left the PDP in droves for the APC, which is a prelude to his planned defection to the party, said in the past three years, he had been shut

uty governor to stoop so low and shortchanged hundreds of people he was destined to lead instead of him to assist them.

“I have never seen this kind of thing where government would pay someone compensation for

out from the PDP decision making process because the party took a simplistic approach to the dynamics of the developments without recourse to broad based consultations.

“Mental laziness breeds impunity and impunity breeds arrogance and every situation reinforces itself. If you have small impunity today if you don’t do CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Jonathan

a land and the person will later comeback to reclaim the land”, Pullo said.

When contacted, the Ward Head of Kofare, Mallam AbdulCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

2015 polls: MASSOB asks UN to grant independence CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

The movement in a statement said recognising Biafra now was more necessary than ever before in the history of its struggles for independence.

According to it, this would be in conformity with the recognition given the territory in the late 60s by some countries during her struggle for self-determination which led to the civil war and the shortlived republic.

In the statement signed by the National Assistant Director of Information of the movement, Sunday Okereafor, the move-

ment said the outcome of the 2015 general elections in the country was nothing but a repeat of the 1960s in which two of the three major blocs in the country conspired against the South-East, culminating in the civil war that claimed the lives of many Igbo.

He lamented that with the present political marriage between the North and South- West, Ndigbo had no place in the political arrangement of today’s Nigeria, emphasising that in the present circumstance, it would be expedient for the UN to now recognise Biafra as a sovereign state.

It would be recalled that just

last week, the Ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo had a private meeting with MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazurike at Buguma Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Also recently, MASSOB had warned the former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, to desist from making derogatory statements about the late Biafran leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu.

The warning came after a statement by General Danjuma that Ojukwu could have averted the bloodbath in the Biafran war if he had given up following the fall

of Enugu during the Nigerian civil war.

Danjuma, speaking shortly after outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat in the Presidential polls of 28 March which many believed brought back the country from the precipice said if Ojukwu had done the same during the time, kit would have saved a lot of lives in Biafra.

Following the loss of President Jonathan in the March 28 Presidential election, Niger Delta Militants, especially his Ijaw kinsmen had said that they would consult widely in order to decide on their next line of action.

Buhari charged on good governance CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

of that may be doomsday for his administration. Security, corruption, economy should be given priority within the first three months of his administration and to achieve this feat, Buhari must ready to step on toes of corrupt politicians within his party”. While advising General Buhari to appoint men and women of impeccable characters into his government, Sulaiman therefore, urged Buhari to ensure that ‘politics as usual’ should not becloud his sense of judgment in appointing members of his government, insisting that Buhari must work hard to improve the lots of Nigeria people.

Fresh facts on why PDP lost CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Nwazuruike

Danjuma

Ojukwu

Adamawa Deputy Governor in power show CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

lahi Idris, said he was aware of the development and had contacted his superiors on matter.

“I was just told that people were blocking the main access road to the ward. Nobody spoke to me before they started the work and when I contacted

them and they said they were from the deputy governor, I have to contact my superior, Mai Jimilla, who advised that we write a formal complaint on the matter”, Idris said.

Idris explained that the blockage of the road would cause untold hardship not only to the residents but to a major con-

struction company which has heavy equipments.

Efforts to get the reaction of the deputy governor on the development through his media aid, Abubakar Dasin, did not yield any result as the aide who promised to get his boss reaction did not as at the time of writing this report.

Saad Tahir

anything about it, the impunity would grow and if you have small arrogance today and you don’t do anything about it, it would reenforce itself by growing so the PDP is paying a very prize for our own conduct and this is a God sent opportunity for us to wake up and think and I also hope that the APC will learn from what had befallen PDP,” he said.

The senate leader who was obviously bitter with developments in the party said he was not planning to defect to the APC as it is being speculated but that some of his supporters defected to the APC. “I am reacting in relation to the claims that my supporters have defected to another party and I am saying that some other people were also there and not only my supporters”.

Speaking on his plans after the Senate, Ndoma Egba said he has a thriving legal practice which he has put in 38 years and out of those years, he had only put in 12 years into politics and as such has several options after he exits the Senate in a few weeks.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

11 International Politics

Why Hillary Clinton can’t run for US Presidency So she’s pushed her whole campaign into the slow lane.

JACK SHAFER Thousands have run for president, but only one candidate has ever unrun for the office: Hillary Clinton. Ever since she finally announced her entry into the contest a couple of weeks ago, she has been unrunning with ferocity. First she road-tripped a minivan 1,000 miles from New York to Iowa to … listen.

Listening tours (or sessions) are supposed to add a little fabric softener to a politician’s starchy image, buffing their scaly reptilian exteriors down to kid-leather smoothness. The technique worked for Clinton in New York, where booking upstate listening stops helped her win a Senate seat in 2000. Listening is the epitome of unrunning, allowing a candidate to do nothing at all but remain operational. Today, Clinton is listening in New Hampshire, and a full-time physician has been assigned to her care, lest the pure calm of bland political chitchat turn her life signs negative and she unruns herself to death.

Why is Clinton unrunning? If the race for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination were a Little League baseball game, the party would have already recognized Clinton’s insurmountable lead and invoked the mercy rule to give the victory to her. By unrunning, she avoids the intense political debate that would only call attention to her underfunded, unannounced and relatively unknown rivals, Martin O’Malley,

Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee and Joe Biden, all of whom are ununrunning at various paces.

With nine months until the first presidential primary, Clinton can’t afford to actively run for president. Indeed, if she had her druthers, she probably wouldn’t even be unrunning now. She was pressured by the constant press attention about when she was

going to announce and the email controversy. That sort of press attention was positive media attention she couldn’t control, and only by announcing could she dial it down. The email controversy was negative media attention she couldn’t control without the attention-deflecting machinery of a campaign. Indeed, she may be the first politician to announce

for the presidency in order to decrease attention in her candidacy.

She’s succeeded wildly. Her coffees, roundtables, discussions and “spontaneous” meetings with voters have immersed her campaign into a box of dry ice and slowed it to the lowest metabolic levels.

Suspended animation would look vigorous compared to what Clinton is now doing. This is smart.

Steady coverage on the inside of newspapers is exactly what she wants. I buy what Team Clinton stalwart Donna Brazile recently told BuzzFeed’s Ruby Cramer about the campaign’s pacing (“There’s a rhythm. She’s starting off like Beethoven, with melodies and chords that people understand. But she’s got to end up like Beyoncé”) except to my ears early Clinton sounds more like a hobbled version of the Beatles’ “Within You Without You” than Beethoven.

Actively running for president at this point would be too politically damaging for Clinton. By actively running, she would have to declare herself for or against the current administration, something she doesn’t want to do until it presents some advantage.

By unrunning, she can blend passively into the background, where she can be there but not here. Depending on how suggestible the audience that is listening with her, Clinton unrunning looks like a continuation of the Clinton and Obama legacy without explicitly saying so.

Having gotten what they wished for, an official Clinton can-

Cameron

David Cameron says he will create 600,000 extra free childcare places if he is returned to power next month.

The prime minister said Labour had a “brass neck” to claim they were on the side of ordinary working families.

Under the £350m Conservative plans, the amount of statesubsidised childcare for three and four year-olds would be doubled to 30 hours a week.

Labour said it was “another unfunded announcement”, accusing the Conservatives of “desperation”.

The Liberal Democrats said the plans “ignore working families with the youngest chil-

dren”.

BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said Mr Cameron was attempting to switch the focus of the campaign to one of his party’s key announcement after several days dominated by warnings about the SNP and a future Labour government.

The party is likely to face questions about how it would ensure sufficient childcare places are available, she added.

Second earners Currently, all three and fouryear olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare a year, which works out as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year.

Hilary Clinton

Election 2015: Tories pledge new childcare places

didacy, the press must now cover the Clinton 2016 slow lane the best they can. The press already knows almost everything about her, and she’s not going to voluntarily serve any fresh meat, so reporters and editors will have to go to the freezer and the landfills where her past is stored. That’s one reason behind the press excitement over Peter Schweizer’s Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich. Even if there’s nothing damning in the book, reporters can grind out hundreds of column inches on the subject and make it relevant to the campaign. The only alternative until the campaign awakens from dormancy will be profiles of the 24-year-old staff wizards (I’m sure they exist) who are vitalizing the Clinton campaign. I shudder.

What should ordinarily follow unrunning would be running, but that won’t be possible for Clinton.

Until the 2016 campaign boiler room fires up with an identity of its own, she’ll be rerunning her 2008 campaign, necessitating yet another transition in her candidacy. According to POLITICO’s Glenn Thrush, the Clinton campaign plans to spend more time generating calm and less time fighting the press than it did in 2008. We’ve got plenty of time to come up with a snazzy phrase to describe the new, yet-to-be-released Clinton method, but until we come up with a winner, how about “un-rerunning”?

The Conservatives said the 30hour offer from 2017, announced a week ago, would result in more than 600,000 extra 15-hour free childcare places every year.

They said the proposal would be funded by reducing tax relief on pension contributions.

Labour has pledged 25 hours of free childcare a week and the Liberal Democrats 20 hours, although both parties also plan to extend the offer to younger children.

Mr Cameron said his government inherited a “shocking” situation, “where couples were spending as much on childcare as one of them took home in earnings”.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Lagos generates N27b from land transactions Kehinde Ayinla

A cross section of the Committees for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) during a protest over the killing of Nigerians at the South Africa Embassy in Lagos ...on Wednesday

Impeachment: Ondo Assembly asks CJ to raise panel on dep gov ‘Tosin Ajuwon Akure

The Ondo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, directed the state Chief Judge, Olaseinde Kumuyi, to set up a seven-man panel to look into the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi.

Its speaker, Jumoke Akindele, gave the directive after 22 lawmakers had given their consent.

Akindele, who directed the clerk to forward the House’s resolution to Kumuyi, assured of their readiness to follow due process in all its responsibilities on the matter.

The directive of the Assembly came barely a day after Olanusi was served a notice of impeachment for alleged gross misconduct.

The allegations ranged from abuse of office for personal enrichment, diversion of public funds etc.

Imo guber re-run: PDP calls for cancellation of process Val Okara Owerri

Barely 72 hours to the supplementary election on the inconclusive April 11 Governorship and House of Assembly polls in Imo State, the state leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, called for outright cancellation of the entire exercise over alleged electoral frauds.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state had declared the election inconclusive and fixed April 25 for re-run of the polls, as a result of electoral violence and electoral malpractices.

Briefing newsmen at the PDP state headquarters in Owerri, the Chairman of the party, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, alleged that there was massive frauds

orchestrated by INEC officials during the March 28 Presidential and April 11 Gubernatorial elections.

He alleged that the ward Electoral officers, local government Returning officers and some INEC officials were invited to Government House on the eve of the April 11 poll by the All Progressives Congress (APC)led government and offered them between N1 million and N5 milion.

He said that despite the alarm raised by the PDP, the commission went ahead to deploy them to various wards and local government areas to conduct elections.

According to him, there was selective deployment of card reader machines to PDP strongholds, while manual accreditation of voters were carried out in APC dominated areas.

The House’s Majority Leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu, who moved the motion, said the lawmakers’ action was in consonance with Section 188, Sub-section 3 of the 1999 Constitution, and was also supported by Fatai Olotu, representing Akoko North East Constituency.

Meanwhile, the state government has clarified that it would not dabble into the impeachment process of Olanusi.

The State’s Commissioner for

Delta APC to contest Okowa’s victory Monday Osayande Asaba

All Progressive Congress (APC) says it would challenge the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorelect, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, at the tribunal.

One of its chieftains of the party, Chief O. T. Ambanum, has hinted that its governorship candidate, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, was set to seek redress at the tribunal, because the election was characterised by fraud.

Speaking with newsmen at his Emu-Unor residence in Ndokwa West Council, Ambanum, who was Emerhor’s running-mate, lamented the brazen acts of electoral malpractices of officers and voters snatching ballot

Information, Kayode Akinmade, who made the clarification, said the impeachment process was a constitutional matter.

Akinmade, while reacting to claims that Olanusi sought the permission of the Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, to travel out of the country, said: “As far as government is concerned, the deputy governor should be in Ode Irele, on Wednesday, to represent Mr. Governor at a function,” he said.

boxes, as well as massive thumb printing of ballot papers, with the full co-operation of security agents, by persons believed to be PDP agents and proxies.

While regretting the absurdity in the governorship election, which he described as far from free, fair, and credible, Ambanum expressed optimism that the anomalies would be redressed by the tribunal, as “we (APC) have ample evidence to prove our case beyond all reasonable doubts.

Okowa

Lagos State government, on Wednesday, said it generated at least N27 billion from land transactions in 2014, and processed 2,230 Electronic Certificate of Occupancy (E-C of O).

Meanwhile, the state generated N181 million from survey transactions between January and March 2015.

Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and the state SurveyorGeneral/Permanent Secretary, office of the Surveyor General, Mr. Joseph Agbenla, disclosed this at the 2015 Ministerial press briefing, held at the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

Muri-Okunola said that the revenue performance for Year 2014 exceeded the Bureau’s target for the period by 165 percent.

According to him: “The total revenue generated by the bureau as at December 31, 2014 was N27,054,031,674. This performance exceeded what the state generated in the previous year (2013) by about N18.65 billion. In 2013, it was N8.3 billion.”

Niger gov directs commissioners to prepare handover notes Saka Bolaji Minna

The Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has directed commissioners to prepare comprehensive handover notes for the next administration.

He gave the directive on Wednesday in Minna, while inaugurating a 27-man transition committee to midwife the handover next month.

Aliyu urged commissioners and other key government officials to ensure they prepared proper records, in order to aid the incoming government in its duty.

“Allegations from those who do not understand the workings of government are already flying around that I need to account for certain government actions. It is, therefore, imperative for us to present comprehensive records of government activities in various ministries,” Aliyu said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ethiopians protest killings of Christians by ISIS •••

HEARTBROKEN: Ethiopians mourn for relatives and friends held captive in Libya then killed by the Islamic State group, as they gather in streets of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

More than 100, 000 Ethiopians on Wednesday protested the killing of Ethiopian Christians in Libya and their own government's failure to raise living standards of the poor, with poverty fuelling the flow of migrants through dangerous areas.

The government-supported march at Addis Ababa's Meskel Square turned violent, as stonethrowing protesters clashed with the police, who arrested at least 100 people.

The protesters said: "We want revenge for our sons blood", referring to Ethiopians seen being beheaded or shot in a video released on Sunday by the extremist group Islamic State. The Ethiopian victims were widely believed to have been captured in Libya, while trying to reach Europe.

Ahaza Kassaye, the mother of one of the victims identified as Eyasu Yikunoamlak, told The Associated Press during the protest on Wednesday that she was overwhelmed by the massive turnout.

"I'm happy now. I'm very happy. I was just mourning the death

Rival factions clash in Sudan ••• Heavy fighting broke out on Wednesday in South Sudan's war-ravaged northeastern town of Malakal between rival factions of government troops, aid workers and local radio stations said.

An aid worker in the town, who asked not to be named, said they could hear the sound of large explosions beginning shortly after dawn. Independent Radio Tamazuj spoke to citizens in Malakal,

capital of the key oil producing Upper Nile state, who reported "gunfire from all sides."

Juba-based Eye Radio broadcast similar reports from the town, which was left in ruins last year after swapping hands repeatedly between rebels and government troops.

South Sudan's civil war started in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused Riek Machar, who had been sacked

as vice president, of attempting a coup. The two sides have been locked in sporadic and often intense fighting, leaving tens of thousands dead and over half of the country's 12 million people need aid, according to the UN. Clashes on Wednesday were reportedly between rival factions in government forces, between troops loyal to the state governor and those of rogue general Johnson Olony, an ex-rebel who com-

of my son with family members and my neighbours. I never expected this to happen," she said.

Ahaza, who had to seek shelter in a cafe when the protest turned violent, said she hoped the government would react to the killings by closing all illegal border crossings and arresting suspected human traffickers.

Even as the Islamic State killings have roiled many here, some young people in Addis Ababa said they would still attempt the perilous journey to Europe, often via Sudan and then Libya, if they had enough money to cover the smugglers' fees.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that, while poverty was the root cause of the migrations, smugglers were to blame for encouraging poor people to pursue what he called "the death journey".

Ethiopian lawmakers on Tuesday were debating a possible response to the Islamic State killings, but it remains unclear if military action is an option.

The government has announced three days of nation-wide mourning over the killings.

mands a pro-government ethnic Shilluk militia. Olony was last month ordered to report to army headquarters after the United Nations he had abducted perhaps hundreds of child soldiers.

Neither the government nor the army could immediatly provide information on the fighting.

Peace talks in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa collapsed in March, and the impact of over 16 months of war continues to grow.

AU welcomes S’African steps to quell xenophobic violence

•••The African Union (AU) said

it welcomes efforts by South Africa to stem the tide of xenophobic violence that has rocked the country in recent weeks.

But the AU said authorities must do more to protect African and other foreign migrants.

AU Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said the challenges faced by South Africa - poverty and unemployment - are challenges confronting most, if not all countries on the continent. But, she said no circumstances can justify the attacks on foreigners.

AU Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha said the continental body also wants to remind South Africans not to forget the sacrifices many Africans made in the struggle to end apartheid.

“First of all, as (the) African Union, and through the chairperson, we have condemned what has happened in South Africa. We hope that the government can do more particularly to protect the rest of the citizens from Africa and the rest of the world, but also to bring to justice those that perpetrated this heinous crime,” Mwencha said.

He said the AU is hoping that those perpetrating the anti-immigrant violence are in the minority in South Africa. And, he urged South Africans not to forget their immediate history when many African nations sacrificed to end apartheid. “If you look at the liberation of South Africa from apartheid, the rest of the continent stood with the people of South Africa. And, unfortunately, maybe because we don’t stress our history a lot, this is forgotten and what we see is the memory that has elapsed,” Mwencha said.

He commended those African

Zuma

nations whose nationals are experiencing xenophobic attacks in South Africa, but did not retaliate.

Mwencha said Africa is interdependent and must forge integration because that’s the only way the continent emerge stronger.

13 Africa Mali rebels confirm refusal to sign peace deal •••

Mali's Tuareg-led rebellion reaffirmed in a statement on Wednesday its refusal to sign a peace deal agreed by other armed groups and the government, and due to be rubber stamped on May 15. The UN Security Council has urged the main Tuareg rebel alliance, known as the Co-ordination for the Movements of Azawad (CMA), to initial the deal along with the other parties or face sanctions.

But the Co-ordination, which has already stated it could not accept the accord without "amendments", reiterated its position, saying it "shall not commit" to the document in its current form.

The United Nations has described the 1 March peace accord as a "historic opportunity" for Mali following the Islamist takeover in the north in 2012 that brought the country to the brink of collapse.

The Malian government and a coalition of armed groups from the north known as the Platform have signed the document, brokered by Algeria under UN auspices over the past eight months.

Niger shuts schools to stop spread of meningitis •••

Niger's prime minister on Tuesday ordered all schools around the capital, Niamey, closed until Monday and called for children between 2 and 15 to be vaccinated against meningitis, a potentially fatal disease.

More than 900 cases of the disease have been diagnosed since January, resulting in 85 deaths.

Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said the country needed more than 1 million doses of meningitis vaccine but had only about half that many. He appealed to Niger's allies and the World Health Organization to help make up the shortage.

The country's health minister warned people against getting unauthorized vaccines, saying the doses being handed out might be for the wrong strain of the disease.

The meningitis virus attacks the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It could lead to deafness and severe brain damage. About half the cases are fatal.

World 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Mediterranean migrants crisis: 'Europe needs to do more'

•••

A Greek minister has said the "great powers" of Europe need to take more responsibility for the unfolding crisis in the Mediterranean Sea. Deputy Defence Minister Kostas Isichos told the BBC that northern Europe must do more to rescue and shelter migrants.

He said that Greece, Italy and Spain were working on a common position ahead of an emergency EU summit today.

The number of people attempting to flee war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa, particularly Eritreans and Syrians, has spiked in recent months, leading to huge numbers of people drowning in unseaworthy vessels.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says there have been 30 times as many deaths so far in 2015 as in the same period last year and the figure could rise to 30,000.

More than 500 rescued people were brought ashore by Italian Coastguards Italy on Wednesday and medics have been checking how many migrants - particularly young children - required immediate treatment.

A number of those rescued were barefooted and looked exhausted.

Denmark outlaws sex with animals •••

Denmark has outlawed bestiality, putting the small Scandinavian country in line with several European neighbours, including Germany, Sweden and Norway.

In a 91-75 vote, Danish lawmakers approved on Tuesday banning sex with animals. Five abstained.

The law proposal had been introduced in February by Denmark's farming minister Dan Joergensen, who wanted to tighten the law on animal welfare and protection.

In April, he said offenders "must be made aware that we find maltreatment of animals absolutely unacceptable".

Denmark's Animal Ethics Council had opposed the law, saying existing laws which allow bestiality except in cases where the animal can be proved to have suffered, were enough.

As of 1 July, a person found guilty of having had sexual relations with an animal faces fines or shorter imprisonment.

Also on Wednesday, Italy's parliament held a minute's silence for Sunday's disaster, in which more than 800 people died.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi then addressed MPs, saying he wanted asylum applications in Italy to start being processed by a "European team" and that more action was needed in countries where migrants originate in sub-

Saharan Africa.

However, the UN's special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has said wealthy countries should agree to accept one million Syrian refugees over the next five years to help end the series of boat disasters.

"If we don't provide any official mechanism for... [migrants], they will resort to smugglers. The in-

action of Europe is actually what creates the market for smugglers," Francois Crepeau told the Guardian newspaper.

On Monday, the EU set out a package of measures to try to ease the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

They include an increase in the financial resources of Frontex, the border agency which runs the

Storm kills 33 in eastern India

•••

A powerful storm swept through India's eastern Bihar state overnight, leaving at least 33 people dead and destroying crops and properties, officials reported on Wednesday.

The storm lashed several districts across the impoverished state, uprooting trees and toppling power lines, the officials said.

"Thirty three people are confirmed dead and over 80 are injured," Vyasji, principal secretary of Bihar's disaster management department, said.

"Communication and electricity have been disrupted in the storm-hit areas and roads blocked by fallen trees," Vyasji, who uses only one name, told AFP. "The extent of damage will be known only after we are able to reach all the areas."

Bihar's director general of police, P K Thakur, said he feared the death toll could rise, with rescue workers still trying to reach some of the storm-hit areas.

"We are carrying out rescue operations in many areas. The damage is extensive and many areas are cut off," he told AFP.

Chinese, Japanese leaders in rare meeting

Taliban announces spring offensive

22, 2015. In a speech Wednesday, Prime Minister Abe expressed "deep remorse" for Japan's wartime past, but failed to repeat the language used in previous official apologies to the victims of Japan's colonial aggression.

Most notably, the conservative Japanese leader left out a phrase referring to Japan's "heartfelt apology" for its past. He also omitted references to Japan's "colonial rule and aggression."

In the lead-up to the event, the conservative Japanese leader had told local media outlets there was no need for him to reiterate the same landmark apologies made by his predecessors in 1995 and 2005.

Instead, the closely watched speech made only passing reference to Japan's past militarism, noting Tokyo had "feelings of deep remorse over the past war" but insisting its leaders had long ago committed to the principles of peace.

Prime Minister Abe also took a veiled swipe at China, saying the international community should "never allow to go unchecked the use of force by the mightier to

Afghanistan’s Taliban said it will launch its spring offensive on Friday, again demanding immediate withdrawal of remaining foreign forces from the country.

The operations under “the inspirational name of ‘Azm’ (Resolution)” will target “foreign occupiers,” their permanent military bases, their intelligence and diplomatic centers, the insurgent group announced in a statement emailed to VOA. The Taliban said the Afghan intelligence, interior ministry and defense ministry will also be targeted.

It added that the even though foreign forces have announced the termination of their military operations inside Afghanistan, they are still controlling national affairs through the “Basic Security Agreement.”

The militant group was referring to the security pacts Kabul has signed with the United States and NATO to allow a small force of around 12,000 troops to remain in Afghanistan after the bulk of international forces withdrew in December.

More than 500 rescued people were brought ashore to Italy on Wednesday

•••

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks onWednesday at a regional summit in Indonesia, in what was only the second time the two leaders have met since taking power.

The two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit in Jakarta, according to Japanese officials, who did not specify how long the meeting lasted or what topics were discussed.

Earlier, Prime Minister Abe and President Xi exchanged greetings and politely shook hands at a photo session to kick off the conference, which many hoped would serve as a chance for Tokyo and Beijing to mend ties.

Relations between the two powerful Asian nations have been strained over a territorial dispute and what Beijing sees as Tokyo's reluctance to atone for its colonial-era aggression toward China and other Asian neighbors.

A projection screen shows the Japanese prime minister deliver his speech during a plenary session at the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April

twist the weaker around."

China has been accused of using its rising economic and military strength to bully its neighbors into submission and is involved in a worsening dispute with Tokyo over a group of strategic islands in the East China Sea. Another persistent source of irritation is Japanese leaders' insistence on visiting a controversial Tokyo shrine that honors Japan's war dead, including some convicted World War II-era war criminals.

Over 100 Japanese lawmakers paid respects at the Yasukuni Shrine on Wednesday, though the visit's controversy appeared to be lessened because of the absence of any cabinet members.

Jinping

•••

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

15 Opinion

Energy saving bulbs and health effects

A

Fr. Daniel Adayi

ccording to the UK Trade Union Congress, about 5,000 people die annually in Britain of Mesothelioma and asbestos related lung cancer. Add to this about two or three times this number of deaths for victims of asbestosis, pleural thickening and pleural plaques, and you are beginning to imagine the damage that human health has suffered from asbestos manufacture and use in UK. The UK has enacted series of laws (latest in 2012) to raise public awareness and to check work place exposure to asbestos but deaths and cancer cases are expected to continue for many more years to come.

In Nigeria, the situation is different; the rate of asbestos use for roofing work is on the decline but we still drink rainwater collected from asbestos roofs. Many buildings are still cladded in very old asbestos sheets and the owners have no plans to remove them. One can only wonder how much our health as a nation has been affected by the use of asbestos.

While Nigeria is yet to become fully awakened to the fatal health impacts of asbestos, another harbinger of cancer has stormed

the market in the name of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) otherwise known as ‘energy saving bulbs’.

Dealers who sell CFL smile to the banks and the consumers seem to be getting the value for their money.

CFL saves up to 75 percent of energy cost. The Minister of Power eulogises the CFL innovation is these words, “For a hundred watts of regular bulb, if you have a five watts of LED, it will serve you the same purpose, give you the same luminosity so the whole country would benefit and what we are saying is this: If the whole of the country put LED in use, it will free us 1,200 megawatt of power for industry, manufacturing, SME and industrial revolution will further boom.”

He called on all Nigerians to begin the modification that will see all homes and offices LEDified, referring to light-emitting diode, a component of CFL. In effect, the long awaited solution to the lingering power supply problem is in sight. CFL is cheap, energy efficient and available but that is not all. The Minister of Power is obviously not telling all the truth about CFL. Is the Minister, like the marketers who are making millions as profits, presenting to the consumers a ‘Trojan gift’, a commodity that will in due course unleash on the unsuspecting con-

sumers a misery that will snowball through many generations? This write-up will attempt to highlight some of the harmful effects of CFL. CFL emit radiations in the frequency range of 20 – 100 kilohertz (KHz). This can be very dangerous to the human body when the source of light is about a metre or less away. The intensity increases as the distance reduces because the electromagnetic field gets more powerful. Some short-term effects are cluster headaches, migraine, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety and inability to concentrate. The longterm effects are increase in skin diseases and glaucoma. However, it is not only the eyes that are at risk; the skin is too. The UV light burns the skin, damaging its cells, causing it to age and makes it more susceptible to skin cancer. The risk is even greater in situations where the bulbs are faulty!

Energy saving bulbs contains mercury, a toxic substance that is harmful to the humans, animals and plants. Although mercury is only present in very small amounts which is often said not to be harmful and that exposure is only when the lamp breaks, there is not much that can be done to prevent it from getting absorb into all sorts of fabrics when it breaks. The absorbed mercury is later given off as mer-

cury vapour. Children and crawling babies are more at risk because mercury vapour is heavier than air and tend to be more concentrated at the floor levels. Exposure to mercury means higher risks of damage to the cardiovascular, immune and reproductive systems. It means also tremors, insomnia, Alzheimer’s syndrome, cancer and a whole lot of health problems.

Furthermore, improper disposal of CFL can lead to ground water poisoning. In the riverine areas, this can lead to bioaccumulation of mercury, which will eventually find its way into the food chain especially through fish. This can present a particularly harmful situation in a case where a community depends on the contaminated surface ground water for her drinking water.

Admittedly, this write-up has concentrated more on the negative findings and fears of the CFL. The many pluses have been highly publicised but little has been said about the health and safety dimension.

Even though many of the fears are yet to be scientifically substantiated, it is good that adequate precautions be taken. Prevention, they say, is better than cure and a stitch in time saves nine!

•Daniel Adayi, CSSp is a Catholic Priest and an environmental conservationist

Xenophobia: Mirror in the face of Africa

I

E.O. Eke

t has been a difficult time for Africa. In Nigeria, the Oba of Lagos threatened to throw the Igbo into the lagoon, if they do not vote his preferred candidate.

In the north of Nigeria, for six years, Boko Haram waged a war to establish an Islamic state and drive Ndigbo and non muslins from the region to pave the way for homogeneous North that would vote a Muslim in elections. In Central Africa Republic, Christians and Muslins are locked in sectarian violence fuelled by religious and ethnic prejudices. In South Africa, the Zulu king motivated by prejudice and ignorance, directed his people to drive out foreigners from South Africa, scapegoat them for the woes of the country, and unleashed xenophobic violence against Africans from other countries. In the Mediterranean Sea, thousand of Africans are lost at sea in their desperate effort to escape the continent’s poverty, intolerance and injustice. All these, amid the echoes of Rwanda and Nazi genocide The sad tragedy of the African situation is that, it is happening in the richest continent. Its leaders

cannot even tax the profit of the companies that exploit her natural resources. In Europe company tax starts from around 20%, while Zambia set the tax on royalties from her natural resources at 9%.

Any wonder why Africans endanger their lives on rickety boats to Europe to become willing slaves While countries like Norway and Britain have used their oil resources to transform their countries and lives of their citizens, you hear about the curse of oil in African countries like Nigeria and Angola, where greed and corruption have destroyed whatever real gains that would have accrued to the people.

The Niger Delta is an environmental disaster with land air and water polluted and contaminated by oil.

Ethnic and religious prejudices have become the two most serious problems facing Africa. In Nigeria, the Igbo seem to the main target.

In South Africa, the focus is on migrants from other African countries. Instead of the ANC government to work for equal opportunities and wealth distribution, it has enmeshed itself in corruption and failed to empower, give hope and better the lives of the black population.

Africa is in the midst of an existential crisis. Obsessed with religion and tradition, a greater majority of people seem to still have the savage idea that the their fellow human beings, simply by the virtue of the accident of birth in a different geographical location, or believing differently about an unknown God, are their enemies. They are unaware that it is not whether the leader is from their ethnic group or religion but whether their fundamental human rights are protected and defended in a civilised society.

Whether they have the freedom to pursue happiness or are consumed in violence and led by men of corrupt minds and profligate government. No people are free, when their old people have to work or starve and youth cut down in their prime for crimes or must become willing slaves to survive. This is the lot of Africa. There is poverty and deprivation in the midst of plenty.

The continent is passing through an age of barbarism, characterised by ignorance, greed and religious delusions and superstitions, which have enabled the religious leaders and traditional rulers to exploit the people. The people seem oblivious of the fact that hatred of man

against man is usually instigated.

Africa must seek peaceful coexistence in atmosphere of justice and equality. The emphasis on indigenousness must end. It should be possible for a Zambian to become South African, just as a Pole can become British citizen. It must be possible for an Igbo to become Yoruba and an Hausa to become Igbo, just as a Welsh can become an Australian or Romanian or French.

Africans must wedge a war against ethnic prejudice, and religious delusions and intolerance, review their understanding of God, and end the divisive influence of religion and ethnicity. The obsession with God, while the continent is consumed by hate and corruption, is the clearest evidence of her backwardness and ignorance.

Without wedging a war against xenophobia and irrational beliefs about cosmos dualisms, sooner than later, Africa will be consumed in a tit for tat, violence that will destroy whatever remains of her unity and make her even easier to exploit. The future of Africa is bleak, unless the leaders wake up and begin to shun corruption, nepotism, religious intolerance and xenophobia.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Business Times Æ s

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

17

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

Kaduna Trade Fair: Dangote partners KADCCIMA Charles Okonji

Dangote

The Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) has described Dangote Group’s sponsorship of the upcoming 36th Kaduna International Trade Fair as yet another huge contribution to the Nigerian economy by a single business entity.

The fair is coming as the Dangote conglomerate scaled up its business frontiers which also

tallies with the Fair’s theme of: “Promoting Domestic Production for National Sustainable Economic Development.”

Speaking to newsmen, Director General of the Chamber, Usman Saulawa, said the Nigerian economy will be bolstered as, apart from the Dangote conglomerate and a broad spectrum of local business groups, investors and traders from at least nine countries will be represented.

“I want to correct you. The Chamber does not have a good relationship with the Dangote

Group. It has an excellent relationship with the company. The Dangote Group has always supported us right from time,” he said.

He said the Group, as it were, will be one of the biggest partners of the Chamber at the Trade Fair that opens on Friday April 24, 2015 to Sunday May 3, 2015.

Speaking also, President of the Chamber, Dr Abdul Alimi Bello said: “The success history of the Kaduna International Trade Fair will never be completed without mentioning the

contribution of the Dangote Group,” he said.

According to him, this year, the Dangote pavilion and products are expected to add great value as the flagship of the fair this year.

Meanwhile, in a statement signed by the Dangote Group’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, the Group is sponsoring the fair as part of its determination to support the Nigerian economy and make it a hub for trade in Africa.

Heritage Bank pledges to support enterprising youths Tony Nwakaegho Heritage Bank has pledged to use its platform to assist enterprising young people with brilliant business ideas in the country.

The Bank called on the nation’s teeming population of undergraduate and postgraduate students to focus on the global shift towards entrepreneurship as a means of generating employment and wealth, instead of endlessly looking for non-existent employment after graduation.

The Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ifie Sekibo who was represented by Group Head, SME Banking, Bayo Ogunnusi made this remark at the 2014/2015 Orientation programme organised by the University of Lagos for its incoming postgraduate students.

Daily Times gathered that Heritage Bank partnered the Univer-

NEPC tasks CBN to fund SMEs value added exports

sity to organise the edutainment programme which included the orientation talks by both the Bank, the University, and various performances by a host of talented comedians and artists.

Sekibo assured that Heritage Bank would always be there to offer support and partnership for all entrepreneurship ideas aimed at creating, preserving and transferring wealth, especially among youths who are the pivot of the country’s economic and socio-political future.

“Heritage Bank is a brand committed to delivering distinctive financial services, building on the legacy of innovation and partnership to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations. Therefore, the Bank is totally committed to supporting young individuals who would like to start their own small businesses and painstakingly

nurture such.

“As an innovation-driven business, our doors are always open to young people with new ideas, fresh thinking and nuggets of opportunities that need a little push to be developed into economic giants” , he added.

He noted that the growing global rate of youth unemployment has made it crucial for individuals to creatively and proactively seek new skills and other legitimate wealth generation initiatives in order to achieve happiness and personal fulfilment.

“In spite of the global economic challenges, every individual has the potential to be great in life.

However, identifying and developing such potential by searching out and resolutely embarking on a profitable enterprise is the responsibility of such individuals”, he said.

Sekibo

Ugochukwu Onyeocha

the export development fund had affected SMEs operators.

Awolowo said many operators had processed such products like cassava, sesame seeds, hibiscus, soya beans, among others, into finished products, but required export grant to facilitate the trade.

“We have so many new SMEs showing interest in export business, especially in non-oil export.

``But they are handicapped because pre-shipment procedures cost a lot.

“The fund would make postshipment procedure easier for SMEs to operate in.’’

Awolowo urged the CBN to urgently release the fund because most SME operators were no longer willing to export raw materials but finished products to Europe.

The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) on Wednesday tasked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release funding to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for the promotion of value added export.

Mr Segun Awolowo, chief executive officer of the council, said in Lagos that non-release of

He said the council was however, hopeful that the CBN would grant the request soon.

Awolowo assured that the council would continue to train a new crop of exporters on the rudiments of non-oil export business.

He said that the new trend would create more jobs, generate more revenue and ensure food security to the country.

Insurance 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

NAICOM approves 8 firms’ 2014 accounts

Onuora

PenCom releases pension fund investment guideline Stories by Kayode Adelowokan The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has released the Draft Regulation on Investment of Pension Fund Assets to guide Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and other investors who have been agitating for the use of accumulated pension fund assets, now in excess N4.6 trillion, to develop infrastructure across the country.

The Commission in a statement by Emeka Onuora, Head, Communication said, while expecting inputs from stakeholders and other interested parties, it has set the minimum value of individual projects that pension fund assets could be invested in at N5 billion.

It stated that as much as 15 per cent of the total value of pension fund assets under management could be invested in infrastructure through Infrastructure Bonds and another 5 per cent of the total value of pension fund assets could be invested in infrastructure through Infrastructure Funds, making 20 per cent of the total value of accumulated pension asset.

According to the Regulator, pension fund assets could be invested in infrastructure through either Infrastructure Bonds or Infrastructure Funds, saying both outlets must meet the condi-

tions for the investment of pension fund in infrastructure before PFAs could channel pension fund assets into such investments.

The Regulator cited section 5.2.3 of the draft “Regulation on Investment of Pension Fund Assets” saying it provided that pension assets could be invested in infrastructure projects through eligible Bonds, Sukuk subject to two major conditions.

“The infrastructure project shall be not less than N5 billion in value and awarded to a concessionaire with good track record through an open and transparent bidding process in accordance with the due process requirements set out in the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act (ICRC Act) and any regulation made pursuant thereto and certified by the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” PenCom said.

Other conditions for the investment of pension assets on infrastructure include that the projects, whose business plans and financial projections indicate that they are viable as well as economically and financially rewarding for investment by pension funds.

The Bonds or Sukuk issued to finance the infrastructure proj-

ect shall have robust credit enhancements including guarantees by the Federal Government or eligible bank/development finance institution or MDFOs and a maturity date that precedes the expiration of the concession.

It should also have a feasible and enforceable redemption procedure in the event of project suspension, cancellation or, in the case of regulated sectors, when changes in regulatory or policy decisions make the project to differ significantly from its original financial projections.

Where infrastructure projects are financed through Infrastructure Funds, the value of the Infrastructure Fund shall not be less than N5 billion and the Infrastructure Fund must have a well-defined and publicised investment objectives and strategy as well as disclosures of pricing of underlying assets, including any other necessary information.

All annual financial statements of the Fund shall be audited by reputable firms of chartered accountants and the Infrastructure Fund shall have satisfactory predefined liquidity/exit routes such as IPO, sale to other PE Funds, Trade sale, sale to a strategic investor etc. The Funds shall be managed by experienced Fund Managers, versed in infrastructure financing and registered with the SEC as Fund Managers.

Eight insurance firms have so far secured approval of their 2014 financial accounts from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) out of the 19 companies that have submitted their accounts as at April 8, 2015.

The approved firms are: Mansard Insurance Plc; Wapic Life Assurance Limited; Wapic Insurance Plc; Custodian Life Assurance Limited; Custodian and Allied Insurance Limited; Law Union & Rock Insurance Company Plc; FBN Insurance Limited and Oasis Insurance Plc. NAICOM said the accounts of Consolidated a Hallmark Insurance; UBA metropolitan Life; AIICO Insurance Plc; Zenith Life Assurance and Zenith General Insurance Company Limited were queried, while those of Prestige Insurance; Continental Reinsurance; Mutual Benefits General Insurance; Royal Exchange Prudentail Life; ARM Life and NSIA Insurance are being reviewed.

On the negative side, the Commission named Alliance and General Insurance; Alliance and General Life Assurance and Spring Life Assurance Plc as insurance companies that have failed to sub-

mit their 2012 financial accounts as required by law.

According to NAICOM, those that are yet to submitted their 2013 financials are: Goldlink Insurance Plc; NICON Insurance Plc; Unicorn Insurance Plc; Alliance and General Insurance; Alliance and General Life Assurance and Spring Life Assurance Plc. Meanwhile, insurance companies according to the Insurance Act are required to submit their accounts by June 30 every year or be fined N5,000 daily for infractions. But most firms prefer budgeting for the fine in contrary to stipulated law it was learnt.

Fola Daniel, Commissioner for Insurance

PenCom partners UK varsity on capacity building In its determination to improve leadership and managerial skills of its staff, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) has collaborated with the Business School of the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, to train some members of its staff.

The training, which was held in Abuja featured presentations and a case study workshop facilitated by leading international experts on leadership strategy and sustainable development.

Participants were drawn from the managerial cadre in the Commission and were equipped with the necessary skills to translate things learnt during the programme into actions in the workplace while facilitators took turns to answer questions on issues raised by participants.

The programme with the theme, “Executive Education Programme: Sustainability Strategy, Leadership and Management for the Public Sector,” was delivered by the Sustainable Business Initiative (SBI) of Edinburgh University, United Kingdom during which participants were granted access to the institution’s virtual

learning environment.

Participants were taken through some topics including Orchestrating Winning Strategies, Strategic Leadership, Role of Pension Funds in Corporate Governance, Governance of Pension Funds, Regulations of Pension Funds, Sustainability: Overview and Global Trends; Aviation Infrastructure and Africa’s Development and Environmental, Social and Governmental (ESG) Integration across Asset Classes – an Investor’s Perspective.

The Director of the Sustainable Business Initiative (SBI), University of Edinburgh; Dr. Kenneth Amaeshi said participants were given insights from researches on Sustainable Development, Pension Funds Management, and Leveraging Pension Funds for Infrastructure Development, Strategy and Sustainable Leadership.

“We have developed tools and training capabilities to equip managers and decision-makers with the requisite skills to create and implement sustainable strategies, in this way, linking academia with practice,” Amaeshi stated.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Crime

Æs

19

Stories and Photos by ANYIM JOY NDUDI

Welder molded my masterkey for N500 – Robbery suspect

Tokunbo

Some say life starts at 50, but for 50 year old painter, Tokunbo Ojo, who chose to go into robbery as a means of livelihood, life at 50 may well being in prison.

Daily Times gathered that Tokunbo, who specialises in robbery at parties and big ceremonies, uses a master key to open and loot people’s vehicles without their knowledge.

He was however arrested by operatives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command following an intelligence re-

port of his many escapades.

The Ekiti born father of two who operates a one man squad was alleged to have started his criminal act as a local 419 in 2013 before he ventured into full fledge robbery in Lagos.

It was learnt that the suspect had made a whooping sum of N7 million on one of his operations at a campaign rally in Abeokuta where he also made away with other valuables as phones and laptops.

The suspect, who reluctantly spoke with Daily Times, attributed his actions to his addiction to cocaine. “This whole

way of life started two years ago while I was still working as a painter. It was one Mohammed Grima, a customer I worked for that introduced me to cocaine. I became addicted to it and was always in need of money to buy more at every point in time.

“In order to keep up with the demand for more money, I went into local 419 with a gang of four. We had a ring leader who was an herbalist, and acted as having solutions to people’s problems through which we swindled them.

“But the proceeds from this weren’t not enough to sustain my addiction. It was at the joint where we go to buy the cocaine in Oju Inu area that someone told me about using master keys to rob. I contacted a welder who molded the master key at the rate of N500.

“And that was how I started robbing, opening people’s car at parties, weddings, burials, naming ceremonies, generally any place with large turnouts of people.

Usually when I open the vehicle with the

master key, I steal all the valuables inside the car, like laptops, phones and monety, jus anything that I can easily sell off.”

On his most profitable operation where he was alleged to have made 7 million Naria, the suspect denied making such sum and narrated how he spent the monies he made. “On the allegation that I made 7 million naira where I went to rob in a car at a campaign rally in Abeokuta Ogun State, it is not true. I only made N3.

2 million from that operation and that was my and spent the other one million naira on drugs.”

Was his family suspicious of his business?

“It was when I bought the car that my wife became suspicious; she inquired where the money was coming from and I told her I had invested in a very profitable business.”

Detectives at the Special Anti-robbery Squad say they are still investigating to track down as many who are into similar vices in the state.

Epileptic, friend nabbed for murder of cab driver If market competition and inflation had not forced distillers to package dry gin in sachets of N50, perhaps Tunde Odutola would be alive today.

Daily Times gathered that one cheap drink too many at Onipanu bus stop along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, led to an argument between cab driver, Tunde Odutola and one Esther, daughter of a bear parlour operator, on Sunday April 19th, 2015.

And in a bid be their brother’s keeper, Lucky Nnaeto, a commercial motorcycle (okada) operator and his friend, a barber from Edo State, Friday Williams, ended up at the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Panti Street, Yaba, for the murder 39 year old Odutola.

The late Tunde had bought and drank one sachet of dry gin for N50 as appetizer, and proceeded to order a plate of Eba from a food vendor next to

“I am a commercial bike operator. I only threatened to deflate his tires and nothing more. I was working when I saw Friday with blood all over his face and dirty clothes. I asked him if he had suffered his usual epileptic attack. He said no, that he was beaten by a taxi driver” –Nnaeto the drinks vendor, and that was when trouble started.

Friday Williams, one of the duo soon to be charged for murder, narrates the sequence as it happened.

“What actually happened was that I went to the bus stop that morning to buy a sachet of dry gin from a local vendor. I was there when Tunde, the taxi driver, came and he also bought and drank his gin. He was already drunk when he ordered for a plate

of eba; immediately he was served, Tunde asked Esther, daughter of the woman who sells drinks at the bus stop, to vacate her seat so he can sit and eat his breakfast, but she refused.

“Tunde started abusing her till she began to cry. People cautioned him, but he attacked a man on crutches and that was when I intervened. He slapped and rained blows on me; there was blood all over my face and I decided to go home and take care of my

wounds.”

Daily Times learnt that though the barber, Friday William, was epileptic, he managed to contain his condition and headed home to treat his wounds.

“It was on my way home that I met my close friend, Aneto; since he knew I am epileptic, he asked if I’d had the usual epileptic seizure; I told him it was nothing related to my ailment but that I was beaten up by a taxi driver.

Upon my explanation, Nnaeto went to meet Tunde and insisted he gives me money to treat myself. Tunde however gave me N500 to treat myself and I left.”

33 year old father of one, denied having anything to do with the death of Odutola. He claimed he only threatened to deflate his tires and nothing more.

“I am a commercial bike operaCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Crime 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Cab driver’s murder suspects nabbed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 tor. I was working when I saw Friday with blood all over his face and dirty clothes. I asked him if he had suffered his usual epileptic attack. He said no, that he was beaten by a taxi driver.

“He was still explaining the incident when the taxi driver drove into the street possibly to continue with his attack. I quickly approached him and insisted he apologised to Williams and threatened to deflate his car’s tires if he refused to take Friday to the hospital or at least give him money for treatment. He then said he had N500

William and Nnaeto

to part with and I pleaded with Williams to accept it. So I left to continue with my job. But to my surprise when I was returning to our street, I saw the corpse of the taxi driver lying on the roadside.

“Although while I was leaving, I noticed some guys were trying to harass him, but I did not take it seriously.

And I can specifically remember one Tope who lives in the neighborhood was among them. I am innocent. I did

not mobilize anyone to kill him.”

But the story of eye witnesses had it that it was Williams while on his way home, heard what Tunder did to his bosom friend, Nnaeto, and upon his explanation, it was alleged that Aneto and a few others confronted Odutola and lynched him.

The duo were however arrested by the Onipanu police division in connection with the murder and subsequently transferred the case to the

State Criminal Investigation Department Panti Street, Yaba.

Pleading his innocence, Williams said, “It is none of my fault that Tunde was killed, because I did not ask anyone to fight or beat him up on my behalf.”

A source at the state CID told Daily Times that investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspects mobilised the mob that lynched the 39 year old Odutola or not.

Nanny from hell not MFM member – Police

Funmilayo

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, has called on all Lagosians to desist from linking Fumilayo Adeyemi Kazeem (aka Mary Akinloye), the nanny who was responsible for the kidnap of the Orekoya kids as a member of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM).

You may recall that the said nanny was arrested by the police last week over the alleged kidnap of the Orekoya kids in the Surulere area of Lagos.

The police spokes person who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police, stated that although the suspect was spotted wearing a T-shirt with the MFM inscription and logo, she has however disclosed that she is not a member of the Church and has never attended any branch of the ministry.

DSP Kenneth in a press release in this regards said, “The Church (MFM) has published a disclaimer as contained in page 21 of the Saturday Vanguard of April 18, 2015 rightly stating that the notorious nanny is not and has never been her member. We still feel compelled to put the facts in clear perspective.

“The nanny in question, by her personal confession did, state that she is not a member and never in fact worshipped

in any branch of the MFM. She admitted to have been a member of one of the Pentecostal Churches (name withheld) but has converted to a new religion. So for anybody or group of persons to link the suspect with any church or religion on account of this crime is not only mischievous, but uncharitable.

“We say this with every sense of responsibility, knowing what potent fault line religion and lately denominations have come to be in the country. We have been inundated with calls from far and wide, from members and non-members of MFM on account of that picture. It is also important to further stress that the shirt itself is not a restricted item, hence members and non-members of MFM can have access to it and wear same without breaching the law.

“Most branded T-shirts of Churches and non-Churches are daily worn by non members of such Churches and organisations without anybody raising an eyebrow. We therefore plead that this matter be settled on the strength of the above explanation.”

The DSP also used the platform to assure Lagosians that the Command is working tirelessly to rid the society of criminal elements and sort for the co-

DSP Kenneth

operation of all and sundry to make the society crime free. In his words, “We promise to keep cracking crimes of any magnitude to ensure that Lagos remains a safe city for business and leisure to thrive.”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Today in History Æ s Cartoons from our Archives

Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

1564 William Shakespeare born According to tradition, the great English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. It is impossible to be certain the exact day on which he was born, but church records show that he was baptized on April 26, and three days was a customary amount of time to wait before baptizing a newborn. Shakespeare’s date of death is conclusively known, however: it was April 23, 1616.

He was 52 years old and had retired to Stratford three years before.

Although few plays have been performed or analyzed as extensively as the 38 plays ascribed to William Shakespeare, there are few surviving details about the playwright’s life. This dearth of biographical information is due primarily to his station in life; he was not a noble, but the son of John Shakespeare, a leather trader and the town bailiff. The events of William Shakespeare’s

early life can only be gleaned from official records, such as baptism and marriage records.

He probably attended the grammar school in Stratford, where he would have studied Latin and read classical literature. He did not go to university but at age 18 married Anne Hathaway, who was eight years his senior and pregnant at the time of the marriage. Their first daughter, Susanna, was born six months later, and in 1585 William and Anne had twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son, died 11 years later, and Anne Shakespeare outlived her husband, dying in 1623. Nothing is known of the period between the birth of the twins and Shakespeare’s emergence as a playwright in London in the early 1590s, but unfounded stories have him stealing deer, joining a group of travelling players, becoming a schoolteacher, or serving as a soldier in the Low Countries.

1942 Germans

1945 Truman confronts Molotov

begin “Baedeker Raids” on England On this day in 1942, in retaliation for the British raid on Lubeck, German bombers stroke Exeter and later Bath, Norwick, York, and other “medieval-city centres.” Almost 1,000 English civilians were killed in the bombing attacks nicknamed “Baedeker Raids.”

On March 28 of the same year, 234 British bombers struck the German port of Lubeck, an industrial town of only “moderate importance.” The attack was ordered (according to Sir Arthur Harris, head of British Bomber Command) as more of a morale booster for British flyers than anything else, but the destruction wreaked on Lubeck was significant: Two thousand buildings were totalled, 312 German civilians were killed, and 15,000 Germans were left homeless.

As an act of reprisal, the Germans attacked cathedral cities of great historical significance. The 15th-century Guildhall, in York, as an example, was destroyed.

Less than two weeks after taking over as president after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman gave a tongue-lashing to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov. The incident indicated that Truman was determined to take a “tougher” stance with the Soviets than his predecessor had.

When Roosevelt died of a massive stroke on April 12, 1945, Harry S. Truman took over as president.

Truman was overwhelmed by the responsibilities so suddenly thrust upon him and, particularly in terms of foreign policy, the new president was uncertain about his approach. Roosevelt

1067

Daily Times April 23, 1961

had kept his vice-president in the dark about most diplomatic decisions, not even informing Truman about the secret program to develop an atomic bomb. Truman had to learn quickly, however. The approaching end of World War II meant that momentous decisions about the post war world needed to be made quickly. The primary issue Truman faced was how to deal with the Soviet Union. Just weeks before his death, Roosevelt met with Russian leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Yalta to discuss the post war situation. Agreements made during the meeting left the Soviets in de

Soviet cosmonaut is killed

On this day in 1967, Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed when his parachute failed to deploy during his spacecraft’s landing.

Komarov was testing the spacecraft Soyuz I in the midst of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Earlier in 1967, the U.S. space pro-

gram had experienced its own tragedy. Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chafee, NASA astronauts in the Apollo program, were killed in a fire during tests on the ground.

Komarov, a fighter pilot and aeronautical engineer, had made his first space trip in 1964, three years before the doomed 1967 voyage.

facto control of Eastern Europe in exchange for Soviet promises to hold “democratic” elections in Poland. Some officials in the U.S. government were appalled at these decisions, believing that Roosevelt was too “soft” on the Soviets and naive in his belief that Stalin would cooperate with the West after the war. Truman gravitated to this same point of view, partially because of his desire to appear decisive, but also because of his long-standing animosity toward the Soviets.

On April 23, 1945, Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov arrived at the White House for a meeting with the new president. Truman immediately lashed out at Molotov, “in words of one syllable,” as the president later recalled. As

Molotov listened incredulously, Truman charged that the Soviets were breaking their agreements and that Stalin needed to keep his word. At the end of Truman’s tirade, Molotov indignantly declared that he had never been talked to in such a manner. Truman, not to be outdone, replied that if Molotov had kept his promises, he would not need to be talked to like that. Molotov stormed out of the meeting. Truman was delighted with his own performance, telling one friend that he gave the Soviet official “the straight one-two to the jaw.” The president was convinced that a tough stance was the only way to deal with the communists, a policy that came to dominate America’s early Cold War policies toward the Soviets.

After 24 hours and 16 orbits of the earth, Komarov was scheduled to re enter the atmosphere, but ran into difficulty handling the vessel and was unable to fire the rocket brakes. It took two more trips around the earth before the cosmonaut could manage re entry.

When Soyuz I reached an altitude of 23,000 feet, a parachute was supposed to deploy, bringing Komarov safely to earth. However, the lines of the chute had gotten

tangled during the craft’s re-entry difficulties and there was no backup chute. Komarov plunged to the ground and was killed.

There was vast public mourning of Komarov in Moscow and his ashes were buried in the wall of the Kremlin. Sadly, Komarov’s wife had not been told of the Soyuz I launch until after Komarov was already in orbit and did not get to say goodbye to her husband.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

el-Rufai inaugurates transition committee

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, ConsulGeneral at the Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta, Ambassador Geoffrey Teneliabe (both seated), and a group of foreign scholarship beneficiaries under the Presidential Amnesty Programme during Kuku's valedictory visit/meeting with the students in Montgomery, Alabama, yesterday

Sunday Isuwa

•••Kaduna

FG won't terminate amnesty programme – Kuku Ruth Ijere

•••

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Mr. Kingsley Kuku, has assured beneficiaries that the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari would sustain the programme and the peace in the Niger Delta.

He gave the assurance, in the United States, at a meeting with foreign special scholarship beneficiaries, held in Alabama and Washington D.C., as part of his valedictory visit to students in foreign institutions.

He said the amnesty programme was a very sensi-

tive Federal Government initiative, which he believes the new administration would sustain in order not to jeopardise the lives and academic prospects of the young Nigerians that are beneficiaries.

A member of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Sadiq Yar'Adua, who also spoke at the Alabama meeting, affirmed that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government was committed to the continuation of the programme.

No fewer than 238 students are undergoing various undergraduate and post-graduate programmes, in over 20 higher institutions across the United States.

“There have been concerns over the fate of the amnesty programme, following the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari, in the March 28 presidential election. This is a Federal Government programme and I can assure you that it won't be terminated by the new administration as being speculated.

“I believe Gen. Buhari loves education and I do not expect that he would do anything to jeopardise the future of these young and brilliant Nigerians.

So, he will sustain the programme and the peace being enjoyed in the Niger Delta. Over the last few years, the amnesty programme has had a positive bearing on the peace and

security of the region,” Kuku said.

He advised the students not to be distracted by the outcome of the elections back home, but should rather focus on their studies and continue to pray for the incoming government.

“Scholarship is meant for brilliant students. Eschew indiscipline and any act that will tarnish the image of our country. Be focused on your academic work, as that is what guarantees a brighter future for you,” he admonished them.

He said rather than being disillusioned on the outcome of the presidential election, they should be proud about the exceptional statesmanship of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Pro-Fayose women protesters threaten to invoke deities Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

•••The

impeachment saga in Ekiti State has continued to degenerate, as women in Ikere Ekiti, the hometown of Governor Fayose`s Deputy Governor, Dr Olusola Eleka, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest against the plot. A seven-day ultimatum was also issued to the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers to back out, lest they invoke the deities against them.

Similarly, Ekiti elders have promised to summon Fayose and the 19 APC lawmakers to a truce parley, saying that became necessary to avert further violence in the state.

23 News

The women, in their hundreds, started their protest, as early as 5 a.m., at Oke Oja area, and danced round the town, chanting anti-lawmakers songs, warning that any attempt to impeach Fayose would provoke violence.

Briefing newsmen after the protest, the spokeswoman of the group, Mrs Mojisola Ogunjemilua, lamented that the move against Fayose was a direct confrontation against the people of Ikere Ekiti, where Olusola hails from.

“Why is it that trouble will always come when Ikere son is in government?

Former Governor of the old Ondo State, Evang Bamidele Olumilua, was not allowed to complete

his term due to military usurpation.

“When Mr Abiodun Aluko and Bisi Omoyeni were also elected Deputy Governors at different times, in Ekiti under democratic setting, the two were not allowed to complete their terms and now Olusola.

Fayose himself, who is from Afao Ekiti shared historical connection with Ikere Ekiti.

“All we want in Ekiti is peace and we are calling on the lawmakers, particularly the two of them from Ikere constituencies, to back out of the impeachment plot within seven days, failing which we will invite the gods to intervene and this will be disastrous,” she said.

The Regent of Ikere community, Ayooye Adegboye-Oyinlola, while addressing the protesters, applauded them for their peaceful dispositions and urged the lawmakers to accept the olive branch stretched to them by Fayose, so that peace would reign in Ekiti.

A press statement signed by the Chairman of the Ekiti Council of Elders, Prof Tunde Oluwasanmi and presented by the Chairman, Committee for the creation of Ekiti State, Chief Deji Fasuan, begged the feuding groups to refrain from portraying Ekiti State as beleaguered and disallow external forces from intervening in its affairs.

State Governor-elect, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) transition committee ahead of the May 29 hand-over date.

A statement by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, said the committee comprises experienced technocrats, politicians and other professionals.

It has, as its chair Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, a seasoned public servant and El-Rufai's Chief of Staff, when he was Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, from 2003 to 2007.

Aruwan also said that El-Ruf ’ai had replied Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero's congratulatory letter

and further met the governor in the spirit of moving state forward.

El-Rufai was quoted in his reply to Yero as saying: “Permit me to most warmly acknowledge your congratulatory message on the occasion of our victory in the gubernatorial election. I appreciate the grace of your letter and the kind words it contains. I must also put on record that we welcome the spirit behind your phone call that preceded the letter.

"Given the short window that exists between now and the handover, it is our intention to swiftly focus on matters of transition.

The APC has established its own transition committee, chaired by our own Balarabe Abbas Lawal.”

Court orders FG to pay ex-NITEL/MTEL staff 20% of annual salary

•••

The National Industrial Court, Abuja, has ordered the Federal Government to pay the former staff of NITEL/MTEL their final entitlement representing 20 per cent of their annual salary within 30 days.

Justice Peter Lifu (JP), who gave the judgment, however, dismissed three other claims by the claimants.

The claimants had prayed the court to order the payment of three months’ salary in lieu of

notice as their final entitlement.

Furthermore, they had demanded payment for loss of office and redundancy in line with Section 11 sub-section 12 and 13 of Staff Condition of Service and the existing labour law, general damages and cost of suit.

The judge only upheld the demand for repatriation which is the final entitlement and dismissed their claim of N20 billion as general damages and N10 million cost of suit.

JUSUN tasks Buhari on rule of law •••

National President, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Mr Marwan Adamu, has urged the incoming administration to restore respect for the rule of law and respect for the Nigerian constitution.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, on Wednesday, Adamu said that JUSUN expected the new administration to bring to an end the culture of impunity and the lack of respect for the judiciary.

Buhari

"Our expectations are positive because we believe that the President-elect highly respects the rule of law and that is what he is saying even by his past record. ``He was strict in terms of obeying the rule of law and, most especially, the Vice-President-elect is a professor of law,” the union enthused.

News 24 Cleric seeks full implementation of anti- graft laws Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

•••The General Overseer

of Royal Covenant Assembly in Nigeria, Pastor David Bola Paimo, has stressed the need for the Presidentelect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to implement the anti-graft laws to the letter. Paimo, who spoke with

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Wednesday, noted that the anti-graft laws must not be waived for any offender.

The cleric also called for attitudinal change among Nigerians, especially the teaching of moral values in the churches and larger society.

While calling for the full implementation of antigraft laws, Paimo said, "I want to look forward to see full implementation of antigraft laws. I want to see our President, politicians have the political will to execute these laws to the last.”

Group wants indigene as registrar of NECO Pita Chikwem Minna

•••Few weeks after the appointment of Prof. Monday Tommy Joshua as the new Registrar of National Examination Council (NECO), a group, Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Niger State Chapter, on Wednesday, stormed the headquarters of the examination body, demanding the appointment of an indigene as the Chief Executive of the council.

Led by Comrade Mustapha Tijani, the state chairman of the congress, the placard-carrying youths appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to entrust the leadership of the council to any qualified

Professor from the state.

Tijani, who spoke with newsmen, argued that despite a conducive and peaceful working environment, created by the people of the state since the inception of the defunct National Board for Education Measurement that transformed to NECO, the federal government has not considered appointing the chief executive of the council from the state.

"It is sad that with thearray of qualified professors from this state, federal government has not deemed it fit to appoint NECO registrar and chief executive from the state. Prof. Dibu Ojerinde served as pioneer registrar followed by Prof.

Promise Okpala.

Ebonyi varsity dismisses 61 staff, 131 students Jacob Mbam Abakaliki

•••No fewer than 61 members of staff of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, have been dismissed for various offences while 25 had their appointments terminated and 15 demoted.

The vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Fidelis Idika, who made this known in his convocation press briefing at the Law faculty of the university, said that a total of 131 students were expelled and 459 students were suspended.

Prof. Idika stated that the period within which the disciplinary measures

were taken against the staff and students was between 2005 and 2014 and iduring which 42 staff were warned.

He announced that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has selected Ebonyi State University in Nigeria {Africa} alongside Argentina {South America} Pakistan {Asia} and Georgia {Europe} to host an international initiative known as the Health Policy Implementation platform.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that the initiative was a global effort by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to institutionalise health policy and health systems training and re-

search worldwide that will engage in research and research dissemination, postgraduate training in health policy and health systems.

He commended the Federal government for her support to public universities in the country through TETFund intervention programme in which Ebonyi State university had been enjoying robust staff development programme as well as infrastructural development.

Prof. Idika further stated that 70 academic staff of the university were undergoing or have completed Masters or Bench work or PhD programmes under TETFund sponsorship

while 66 were studying or studied overseas.

He also disclosed that from the year 2010, 61 staff of the university, comprising academic, technical and administrative, including clerical officers, drivers and messengers, have equally benefited from TETFund-sponsored participation in international, national and local conferences and workshops.

The forthcoming EBSU convocation would consist of award of Diploma, Bachelors, Masters and PhD’s degrees to students in the following order: Diploma-8, Banchelors-7,316, PGD-122, Masters-341, PhD-169, making a total of 7,956.

Ahmed seeks stiffer penalty for producers of substandard We didn’t work against Jonathan, ACF replies Umeh products The burnt offices of the Ministry of Energy Ilorin, Kwara State… on Wednesday

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

•••The

Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfath Ahmed, has called for stiffer legislation against importation, production and sale of substandard products in Nigeria.

Ahmed

Ahmed also urged the federal government to ensure a more strident control on the influx of such products.

He said substandard products were often produced in connivance with negative elements.

The governor, who stated this during the 21st Mandatory Training workshop in Ilorin, the state capital, on Wednesday, when he opened a two-day workshop organised by the institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Abdul Kayode Issa.

•••The Northern socio-po-

litical organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, said on Wednesday that it did not work against President Goodluck Jonathan, who as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party at the March 28 election.

Though, the ACF had endorsed the All Progressives Congress’s Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), the ACF described as most unfortunate the allegation by the National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, that it sabotaged the

chances of President Jonathan.

It also canvassed support for the President-elect Buhari as President.

According to the group, “ACF urges Nigerian to support and cooperate with the President- elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), and his team to ensure the smooth transition and development of our young democracy and national unity.”

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, on Wednesday in Kaduna, the forum described Umeh’s statement as uncharitable

and unfortunate.

ACF said, “The attention of ACF has been drawn to a publication titled ‘Northern leaders conspired to work against Jonathan’s reelection’, which appeared on-line and in some newspapers on the April 15, 2015, that was credited to the National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh.

“The statement by Chief Umeh that all ‘Northern leaders’ conspired to sabotage the re-election bid of President Jonathan was unfortunate, reckless and divisive in form and delivery.

“In fact, ACF would not

have responded to such unguarded and unwarranted statement by Chief Umeh if he had directed his anger at the President’s political party or his campaign organisation.

“Chief Umeh’s reference to northern leaders in the interview and even his unpalatable statement on Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, one of the most respected Northern leaders was uncharitable and provocative, hence our reaction.”

The group called on the APGA chairman and other politicians to show decorum and civility in their utterances.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

25 News

Adamawa community, dep gov clash over road

Wale Akintunde Yola

•••

Tempers are rising between the residents of Kofare community and the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Sa’ad Tahir, over the alleged blockade of the only access road to the community.

The residents, who vowed to explore all legal means to seek redress over the alleged injustice, accused the Deputy Governor of forcefully taking over the land, despite the fact that the Murtala Nyako administration had compensated him for it,

Bauchi gov-elect urged to liaise with NGOs

three years ago.

One of the affected residents, Musa Kofare, alleged that Tahir, three months after he was appointed the Deputy Governor, blocked the road, without considering the plight of the people.

"He is just using his new position to reclaim the land he had already been compensated. We have petitioned the Police, State Security Services and the Emirate Council to intervene and save us from this injustice", Musa added.

Another resident, Maiwada Pullo, criticised the Deputy Governor for pro-

moting his business interests above public interest, adding that as an elite, giving up ownership of the land for the use of the community should not have been a problem to him, even if he was not occupying a political position.

"It is unfortunate for him to stoop so low to shortchange hundreds of people he was expected to lead and assist in any way to ameliorate their suffering.

"I have never seen this kind of situation, where government would pay compensation on a land to a person and he would lat-

er reclaim the land", Pullo said. When contacted, the ward Head of Kofare, Mallam Abdullahi Idris, said he was aware of the development and had contacted his superiors.

"I was just told that some people were blocking the main access road to the ward. Nobody spoke to me before they started the work and when I contacted them, they claimed to be working on the instruction of the Deputy Governor, I contacted my superior, Mai Jimilla, who advised that we write a formal letter of complaint on the matter", Idris said.

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•••The wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi, has presented educational materials to ten orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) selected from nine local government areas of the state.

Twenty caregivers were also given cash gifts to face challenges arising from catering for the OVCs. Mrs. Elechi said the programme was designed to impact positively in the lives of the OVCs and their caregivers, adding that it was done in partnership with the Initiative for Good Health (IGH) and assured the people that the programme would not die.

She said “the programme, which has been a regular feature, in my efforts at enhancing the living condition of the OVCs, also

aims at encouraging our caregivers in their efforts at promoting the wellbeing of these children”.

“I am, particularly, pleased to note that most of the caregivers to the OVCs have been doing well in terms of giving these children the needed attention and care that would enhance their living conditions.

Medical Director of National Obstetrics Fistula Centre (NOFIC) Abakaliki, Prof. Sunday Adeoye, said that there were over 4,500 OVCs in the state going by a recent survey.

Adeoye, who is also the Coordinator of the Mother and Child Care Initiative (MCCI), the pet project of Mrs. Elechi, appealed to the caregivers to utilise the money given to them.

Josephine

Jacob Mbam

Xenophobia: Kwara students condemn attack on Nigerians

@

Daniel Jolly Bauchi

Ola Yekeen

•••Bauchi

State Governor-elect, Mohammad Abubakar, has been called upon to work closely with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as a way of finding lasting solutions to some problems in governance.

State Coordinator, Evidence for Action (E4A), Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed and that of Christian, Muslim Peace Movement (CMPM), Garba Sidi, stated this on Wednesday, in separate press briefings in Bauchi.

Ahmed explained that most activities of NGOs were to complement government’s efforts, hence, the need for the new government to partner with them.

Sidi, on the activities of his association, disclosed that it “coordinates a network on peace building, through which it reaches out to victims of crisis and displaced persons".

Abakaliki

Ebonyi gov’s wife empowers orphans, others

Ilorin

We edit

Syntactic Errors Inadvertent Tense shifts Redundant Parallelism Misplaced modification Poor Punctuation and spelling Sloveness Malapropism

Obliqueness/Ambiguity Cluttering - Verbosity - Monotony Sloopy Plot Drab Dialogue Weak Imagery Provincial Tongue Interference (Nigerian English)

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•••The National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have condemned the attack on Nigerians living in South Africa.

The students’ bodies made the condemnation through a joint press statement signed by NAKSS National President, Muhammed Lateef and NASS Chairman, Ibrahim Jeje.

They believed that the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other black foreigners in Durban, was contrary to the aims and objectives of the founding fathers of South Africa.

“We, hereby, call on the South African Government to call its citizens to order and stop the unprovoked attack on other Black nationals in South Africa.

“They should see all Africans as brothers and sisters and live in peace with

each other, irrespective of nationality,” the students added.

The students appealed to Nigerians in South Africa to be vigilant and defend themselves against such attacks.

They also called on the Federal Government to evacuate Nigerians living in Durban to a safe place until the xenophobic attacks were checked.

The students called on the management of the various South African companies in Nigeria like MTN, DSTV and Shoprite, to prevail on their home government to stop the attacks.

President Zuma

26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

Health Æ s

Health Editor: Lara Adejoro Email: omolara.adejoro@dailytimes.com.ng

Nigeria, Egypt, others pledge to tackle pollution

Environmental pollution

Stories by Lara Adejoro omolara.adejoro@dailytimes.com. ng Government officials from Egypt, Germany, Nigeria and Norway have pledged to improve people’s health by ending pollution.

Pollution contributes to the preventable deaths of an estimated 9 million people each year — most of them in developing countries. An estimated 7 million people were killed by diseases related to indoor and outdoor air pollution alone in 2012 according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We know what needs to be done. The technology exists. And any action we take will have almost immediate effect. What are we waiting for? Get rid of the smoke and people survive. It is

as simple as that,” said Børge Brende, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day event on the U.S. National Mall, in Washington D.C. last weekend.

Norway, which announced it would invest $12 million over a period of four years for air pollution reduction in developing countries, was the first of several countries to invest in the Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) programme, a new multi-donor Trust Fund administered by the World Bank. The programme, with an initial total allocation of around $45 million, will focus primarily on air quality management in five major urban areas in China, Egypt, India, Nigeria and South Africa.

As such, it could contribute to

improved environmental health conditions for an estimated 150 million people in those cities over the next five years. PMEH will also support other countries and cities of Sub-Saharan Africa, and aim to reduce land and water pollution.

Addressing hundreds of thousands of people in the crowd and online, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Environment, Laurentia Mallam, pledged to improve environmental health in her country by 50 percent by 2020.

“Nigerian citizens deserve air that is clean, water that is drinkable, and land that is safe from contamination,” she said.

Appearing on stage with Nigeria were representatives from Egypt, Germany and the World Bank, as well as musicians from China and the United States who performed an original score to a

multimedia presentation dedicated to ending pollution for healthy lives.

“Today’s event confirms that we are not alone in this fight,” said Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Naglaa El-Ahwany. “We have a huge opportunity to show leadership and find solutions that match the scale of the problem.”

Like Lagos, Egypt’s capital, Cairo, is one of Africa’s largest cities and suffers serious air quality health effects.

Renowned pianist, Chen Sa, prefaced the pollution multimedia piece by urging the audience to take action: “Last year, our Chinese Premier Minister, declared a War on Pollution,” she said.

“Now we, as musicians and citizens from around the world, have come together to make a plea: We must end pollution globally.”

“We cannot separate the health of the planet and human health,” said Jochen Flasbarth, Germany’s State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, also speaking at the event. “By protecting the environment and our natural resources, we will save lives.”

Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day was organized by the Earth Day Network and Global Poverty Project and marked the 45th anniversary of the founding of Earth Day. The event is aimed at educating and energising people to support development and environmental issues and serve as a platform for the launch of the PMEH programme.

WHO urges nations to scale up vaccination delivery

An expert immunising a child

As the world commemorates the World Immunization Week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on nations to accelerate action to increase awareness and demand for immunization by communities, and improve vaccination delivery services.

Immunisation is the process

Quote WHO will continue to provide technical support to the Federal Ministry of Health and related agencies, to strengthen surveillance at community level for early case identification; the associated risk factors and to create awareness to avert similar situations in future------Dr Rui Gama Vaz

NAS calls for disease surveillance system President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Oyewole Tomori, has said there is need for a disease surveillance system in the country for diagnosis, prevention and control of diseases.

According to him, the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria is a lesson on how to strengthen the health system in the country.

“We succeeded in controlling the outbreak through an alert and reliable disease surveillance system.”

Tomori also said there was need for collaboration with a spirit of mutual respect and recognition of the various professionals in the health system.

He said the provision of appropriate funds and resources for efficient operation of healthcare facilities would also strengthen the health system.

The don advocated a form of standard in all institutions for infection control procedures at every level of the healthcare delivery system.

by which an individual’s immune system becomes fortified against an agent and it is widely recognized as one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions.

Immunisation prevents between 2 and 3 million deaths ev-

Continued on page 27

Tomori

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

27 Health

Stakeholder tasks Jonathan on PWDs bill

A parent guiding an autistic child

NGO worries over increased cases of autism Akor Ejumene, Abuja A non-governmental organization, Thoughtful House Autism Foundation, has expressed concern over what it termed as increased incidence of autism spectrum disorders among children globally, including Nigeria.

Autism is a developmental disorder that occurs on a spectrum that affects children and impairs their social, communication and cognitive abilities.

Speaking at a pre-Autism Awareness Walk press conference in Abuja, the co-founder and trustee of the foundation, Omagbitse Barrow, said statistics has put the incidence of autism at 1 in 100 new births, describing the situation as worrisome.

The implication of this, he said, was that more children

will develop autistic signs and will need specialised education, treatment and care if urgent steps are not taken to curb the disorder.

Maintaining that children on the autism spectrum do not manifest any outward physical signs of impairment, and are often known to struggle with a variety of sensitivities as well as intolerance to some substances and environmental factors, Barrow said recent advances in medicine indicated that some of the developmental impairments that children on the autism spectrum suffer can be traced to physiological imbalances-deficiencies in nutrients, vitamins and hormones that are required for the full and proper functioning of their bodies.

The co-founder of the foundation, who hinted that autism disorder has no cure, highlighted the management of the dis-

order to include a combination of interventions, including but not limited to special education, behavioural therapy, dietary, nutritional, medical and as well as occupational interventions.

He recommended that parents seek early intervention-working with doctors and medical professionals who understand autism; and interventionists like the foundation that can provide developmental assessments, behavioural therapy and special education.

The foundation co-founder called on government, civil society groups, religious institutions and employers to work towards supporting families with children on the autism spectrum and create the infrastructure and environment where the children can thrive in the larger society, and their basic rights to life, liberty, religious worship and subsistence can be guaranteed.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr David Anyaele, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the bill into law as it was the surest way of guaranteeing inclusion, participation, access to electoral process among persons living with disability in Nigeria.

Anyaele who spoke at a news conference recently said, the delay in signing the Disability Bill into law by President Jonathan had continued to expose persons with disabilities (PWDs) to institutionalised exclusion.

“All provisions made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the polls were based on charity and minimally adhered to by the adhoc staff managing the polls,” he said.

According to him, the bill provides for prohibition of discrimination against PWDs and awareness about the plight of PWDs by the Federal Ministry of Information.

He also said the bill makes for “accessibility of physical structures, roads, sidewalks for PWDs, and for road transportation vehicle owners to provide facilities for PWDs. “Also, adequate standard of living and social protection for PWDs and participation in politics and public life.”

The director of the NGO said that the organisation, during the just-concluded elections, observed a low turnout of PWDs at the polls.

He said, “This may not be un-

Immunisation: One in five children still missing out Continued from page 26 ery year and now protects children not only against diseases for which vaccines have been available for many years, such as diphtheria, tetanus, polio and measles, but also against diseases such as pneumonia and rotavirus diarrhoea, 2 of the biggest killers of children under five years. Now adolescents and adults can be protected against life-threatening diseases such as influenza, meningitis, and cancers.

However, WHO says 1 in five children are still missing out.

“In 2013, an estimated 21.8 mil-

lion infants did not receive lifesaving vaccines. Inadequate supply of vaccines, lack of access to health services, a shortage of accurate information about immunization and insufficient political and financial support all play a part.”

World Immunization Week 2015 will signal a renewed global, regional, and national effort to accelerate action to increase awareness and demand for immunization by communities, and improve vaccination delivery services.

This year’s campaign focuses

on closing the immunization gap and reaching equity in immunization levels as outlined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP).

The Plan --- endorsed by the 194 member states of the World Health Assembly in May 2012 is a framework to prevent millions of deaths by 2020 through universal access to vaccines for people in all communities.

World Immunization Week is celebrated in the last week of April (24-30) with the aim of promoting the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.

People with disability

connected to their ability to register during voters registration and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC). Most of the voter registration venues were situated in an inaccessible environment to PWDs such as cross drainages, halls with staircases as priority posters were also missing in the units visited. These are some of the factors that may hinder PWDs from participating in the electoral process.”

Anyaele said that the only way PWDs could participate and contribute to social development of the country was to engage policy makers on issues of equal opportunity and inclusive development programmes.

He said, the NGO is implementing a project on access to justice which opens space for policy makers “and the project will enable them to design their programmes and policies in such a way that PWDs will participate on equal basis with others.

“We are also conducting a research on access to social infrastructure that showcases the extent or the level of access to such infrastructure that is pertinent to participation. We intend to use this document to engage the incoming government, ruling party and other policy makers.

“This is to ensure that they appreciate disability issues, as well as take appropriate measures to open space for PWDs to participate. These are some of the things we are doing to ensure that Nigerians with disabilities participate and contribute to the social development of the society.”

KESHI

I’M BACK TO REBUILD EAGLES g 29

Poster!

MARTIN ODEGAARD g X2-3 Wednesday, April 22, 2015

ODEMWINGIE

IS STOKE’S ‘TALISMAN’

– COATES GERRARD RECEIVES TORRES PRAISE g

X4

g

X2

ZIDANE OPENS W IE UP ON ‘MATCH V R E T N AGAINST POVERTY’ I g X30

X2

Thursday, April 23, 2015

EXTRATIME

MARTIN

ODEG

Thursday, April 23, 2015

EXTRATIME

X3

About Martin Odegaard • Martin Odegaard (born December 17, 1998) is a Norwegian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Norway national team.

Personal Information Full name : Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Playing position: C urrent team: Number:

• Odegaard is the son of former footballer Hans Erik Odegaard, who played as a midfielder for Stromsgodset and Sandefjord Fotball and was assistant manager of Mjondalen IF from 2009 to 2015.

Martin O dega ard Dece mber 17, 1998 (age 16) • He was still attending a local lower secondary Drammen, Norway school when he made his professional debut, but in) 2 1⁄ 1.76 m (5 ft 9 has since completed his compulsory education Attac king midfielder in Norway. He is a supporter of English team Real Madrid B 10 Liverpool, whom he has described as his “dream

club”.

YOUTH CAREER 2009: 2009–2014:

Drammen S trong S tromsgodset

SENIOR CAREER 2014–2015: 2015–Pre sent: 2015–Pre sent:

S tromsgodset Real Madrid B Real Madrid

NATIONAL TEAM 2013: 2013: 2014–Pre sent: 2014–Pre sent: 2014–Pre sent:

Norway U-15 Norway U-16 Norway U-17 Norway U-21 Norway

• Odegaard looked up to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, although on joining their rivals Real Madrid he was reported to have deleted tweets in which he had praised Messi.

• He made his debut for Stromsgodset IF on April 13, 2014, becoming the youngest player to feature in the Tippeligaen, and became its youngest goalscorer on May 16. After being a regular part of the team in his first season and training with several foreign clubs, Odegaard was signed by Real Madrid in January 2015. He is currently playing for their reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, but trains mainly with the first team.

• Odegaard made his international debut against the United Arab Emirates on August 27, 2014, becoming the youngest debutant for the senior team at the age of 15 years and 253 days.

•On October 13, 2014, he became the youngest player to feature in a qualifying match for the UEFA European Championship.

GAARD

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

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DYBALA

BRIEFS

GERRARD

RECEIVES TORRES PRAISE

open to JUVE switch J

uventus have been handed a huge boost in their chase of Paulo Dybala after the Palermo striker revealed he would like to move to Turin.

Dybala has caught the attention of top clubs across Europe and is expected to be a big-money mover at the end of the season.

His 13 goals have helped Palermo secure a comfortable mid-table position in Serie A, but he looks set to leave, with Paris SaintGermain, Chelsea and Arsenal all credited with an interest in the 21-year-old from Argentina.

However, Dybala is hoping to

Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres has described Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard as the best player he has played with.

The Spain international played alongside Gerrard at Anfield from 2007-2011 before making a big-money move to Chelsea. Despite having played alongside the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Frank Lampard, Torres said Gerrard was best.

remain in Italy, handing Juve the upper hand in the race for his signature.

“I admit, I’m fond of Italy.

It made me famous and I’d love to stay here in Serie A,” he told reporters. “I don’t speak a word of English or French, but that’s not to rule anything out.

“Playing in Europe’s top competition, the UEFA Champions League, is everyone’s dream. That said, there are also big teams who are not playing in it. But I’d like it, I can’t deny that.”

Gerrard

GUARDIOLA

hails players after Porto rout

FESTA HANDED CAGLIARI TOP JOB

Dybala

C

agliari have named former defender Gianluca Festa as head coach, following Zdenek Zeman’s resignation.

Zeman quit his post at the Serie A strugglers on Tuesday, ending his second spell of the campaign at the Sardinian club, and Festa has assumed control for the closing weeks of the season.

Festa – who started his playing career at Cagliari – will be assisted by David Suazo and Gustavo Aragolaza, Gianfranco Ibba and Giomaria Ruiu as he looks to lift the club out of the bottom three.

With seven games to go, Cagliari are 19th in the league table and nine points from safety.

Festa, 46, is the club’s third different coach of the season, with another former fans’ favourite Gianfranco Zola having endured a torrid 11-game spell at the helm.

ENRIQUE GLAD TO SEE GUARDIOLA INTO SEMI-FINALS

B

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola insists he always had faith his players would turn around their first-leg deficit against Porto in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League.

Trailing 3-1 after a poor performance in Portugal last week, Bayern needed either a

CARRAGHER BACKS

RODGERS

arcelona coach Luis Enrique has declared his happiness at seeing Bayern Munich and former team-mate Pep Guardiola reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Luis Enrique’s men cruised into the last four with a 2-0 quarter-final second-leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, securing a 5-1 aggregate win.

And Barca will be joined by Bayern and ex-boss Guardiola, whose side produced a stunning comeback to turn around a 3-1 first-leg deficit with a 6-1 victory against Porto at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern last met the Catalan club in the semi-finals of the 2012-13 Champions League, when Jupp Heynckes masterminded a 7-0 aggregate demolition of a Barca team coached by the late Tito Vilanova.

But Luis Enrique said: “I’m happy to hear that Pep Guardiola managed to qualify. I’m happy whenever good things happen to my friends.

“Many people thought they Bayern had no chance and they scored six goals despite some important absences.

“He proved once again what he can do as a manager and what Bayern are as a team. So yeah, I’m happy today to hear they made it.”

L

iverpool legend Jamie Carragher insists Brendan Rodgers is the man to take the club forward, despite their FA Cup semi-final loss to Aston Villa.

Rodgers’ men slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Wembley last Sunday, with Villa turning the game around to reach the final after Philippe Coutinho had put Liverpool ahead.

That result ended hopes of outgoing captain Steven Gerrard bidding farewell by lifting the FA Cup in his final appearance before joining LA Galaxy and has upped the pressure on Rodgers, with Liverpool outsiders for a UEFA Champions League spot.

Liverpool are seven points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City, although they do have a game in hand.

Rodgers

2-0 win or victory by three goals or more to progress to the semifinals for the fourth season in succession.

As it transpired, the Bundesliga champions blew their opponents away with five goals in the first half, eventually prevailing 6-1 to seal a 7-4 aggregate success.

28

Thursday, April 23, 2015

EXTRATIME

L

Odemwingie

ODEMWINGIE, key to Stoke’s future –Coates

S

toke City chairman, Peter Coates, insists that Peter Odemwingie still has a role to play, despite spending most of the season out injured.

Odemwingie has been on treatment since suffering cruciate knee ligament damage in the 1-0 win over Manchester City at the end of August.

The Nigeria international only joined the Potters in January last year and started just once this term, but Coates believes he has still got a

lot to give.

Coates admitted that he has heard positive things from the training ground after Odemwingie has recently started to step up his recovery.

“We hope to have him back playing as well as he was before his injury.

“I’ve had some encouraging reports about him from the training ground and I am certainly optimistic for him. He will be an asset for us if we get him back playing for Stoke City, and that is certainly the intention,” Coates said.

iverpool winger Jordon Ibe is looking forward to the Reds’ pre-season tour of Asia this summer, hoping to impress manager Brendan Rodgers and stake a claim for a first team spot next season.

Ibe was sent on loan to Championship outfit Derby County last summer and after impressing in his 20 league appearances for Steve McClaren’s team, he was recalled in January to Anfield.

The youngster has made five Premier League appearances this term, most recently he started Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United in their last league fixture before he was substituted around the hour mark in favour of Fabio Borini.

The 19-year-old has impressed in his limited appearances for the Merseyside giants and he is hoping to make the most of his side’s preseason tour of Asia in an attempt to feature more regularly in the Reds’ first team in the upcoming season.

“It’s really important to get into the gaffer’s mind of who could be in the starting XI for the first Premier League game, and just do well and keep your fitness up”, he said.

“I’m looking forward to it a lot.”

Ibe further added that the fervent support Liverpool enjoy on their pre-season tours makes it an enjoyable experience for the team.

THIAGO:

INJURIES HAVE MADE ME

STRONGER

B Ibe

IBE hopes to impress Rodgers

!

ayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara believes his injury problems in recent years have proven a blessing in disguise, as he is now hungrier than ever before.

The Spain international missed a large part of the 2013-14 season and the first half of the current campaign with two separate knee problems.

The 24-year-old recently made his comeback, though, and played a key role in his side’s progression to the Champions League semi-finals at the expense of Porto, netting Bayern’s only goal in their 3-1 defeat at the Dragao last week and then he scored the opener in Tuesday’s 6-1 triumph in Bavaria.

Thiago is delighted to be back to his best and feels his prolonged absence has only increased his desire to prove his worth and show what he can do.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

EXTRATIME

29

I’m set to rebuild Eagles

– KESHI Mike Otanwa

A

fter being re-appointed as the Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has confirmed he would continue the nation’s policy of trying to attract overseas players with Nigerian roots.

It took the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 282 days to finally reach an agreement with Keshi and announce he would lead the nation towards the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Newcastle forward, Sammy Ameobi, is set to receive a call-up to the Super

Eagles, according to Keshi.

The ‘Big Boss’, as he is fondly called, has endured a tough time in his role at the helm of the Super Eagles after limping out of the Africa Cup of Nations in February.

However, Keshi is looking to shape things up and hopes that Ameobi can be convinced to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Shola, who earned 10 caps.

The 53-year-old admitted that he has been in touch with the Newcastle man and hopes to have him available for when they start the qualification process for AFCON 2017.

Mike Otanwa

T

Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo.

Nigeria Cricket Federation signs N150m deal

he Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement worth N150 million (US$750,000) with Montage Cable Television.

The deal, which is one of the largest ever signed in the history of Nigerian sport, will see the NCF net in around $250,000 a year and will lead to the construction of two new cricket pitches worth N55 million (US$275,000).

Under the terms of the agreement, the Nigerian cable TV company will also sponsor a national club cricket league for the next three years.

Montage has recently acquired an outside broadcast van from Sweden to enable it to show all cricket matches in Nigeria live when the league kicks off in September.

Tammy Danagogo, the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), said: “The NSC has keyed into the private public partnership by ensuring that government and companies unite together to raise the profile of sports in Nigeria for the benefit of the entire citizenry.

“The creation of awareness and the mobilisation for better return on investment as well as corporate social responsibility are the key cardinal reasons why Montage is in this business.

“You have invested wisely and the value of your investment has made you the third largest sponsor in Nigerian sports.”

Lanre Olujitan, Chief Operation Officer, Montage Cable Television, said the company was working towards being a pan-African company.

“We sat down as a company and critically evaluated the whole process before we decided to sponsor cricket and I want to assure the cricket community that we are going to go all the way with you,” he stated.

“I was in touch with Sammy Ameobi, and it sort of died down after I left, but we will rekindle that now. “I will talk to the NFF General Secretary and President to see if we can bring him in for the qualifiers, but he’s not the only one because we have several other overseas-born players we want to give a chance.

“We brought in Steven Ukoh from Switzerland and we still have several others. If they are qualified to play for Nigeria and we think they can give us what we want, surely we’ll bring them in,” Keshi assured.

Keshi

NASIDI THUMBS UP OMIDIJI’S INVITATION TO FALCONETS Andrew Ekejiuba

C

oach Danladi Nasidi has described the invitation of US-based female striker, Sophia Omidiji, to the Falconets as being worthy.

The former Falcons head coach and current U-13/U-15 head coach described Omidiji as a pure striker and, when deployed to the wings, could transform into a terrific winger that can play on either side of the

pitch.

Nasidi who was at Las Vegas, USA, to watch young Omidiji’s training session stated that the advantage of the young prodigy is that “ she has a lethal right foot which she uses to her advantage by cutting inside and having a go for distance.”

He further told Extra Time that at age 17, Omidiji played in the Keele Cup now called the Nottingham Cup with the Stoke City Ladies and led the team to victory in the finals

FORMER EAGLES’ STAR, PETER ANIEKE, DIES AT 68 EUROPA LEAGUE Q/FINAL FIXTURES TODAY’S MATCHES Zenit vs Sevilla 12: 05 Dnipro vs Club Brugge 12: 05 Fiorentina vs Dynamo Kyiv 12: 05 Napoli vs Wolfsburg 12: 05

against Wolverhampton Wanderers women’s team, scoring 8 goals and 3 assists.

Born June 18, 1997, in Las Vegas Nevada, USA, to a Nigerian father, Lateef Omidiji, and an American mother Crystal Omidiji, the young Omidiji played for Sierra Vista High School and Las Vegas Premier Soccer Academy.

She owns the record for most goals, most assists and also featured for the US Olympic development

Late Anieke former Stationary Stores played for the Green Eagles.

He was nicknamed ‘Eusebio of and Green Eagles player, Peter Anieke, is dead. He Africa’ for the countless number died on Monday, April 20, after of goals he scored while playing a prolonged battle with acute professional football.

Anieke played alongside other rheumatism and arthritis. He was Eagles greats like; Teslim ‘Thunder’ 68 years old.

Anieke, known for his great Balogun, Mesembe Otu, Alasari defence skills and goal scoring Dokubo, Godwin Anosike, Titus prowess, started his football career Okere, Etim Henshaw and Edet in 1967, playing in local football Ben. Born on March 2, 1947, Anieke is leagues before moving into the national team in the ’70s where he survived by a wife and six children.

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

EXTRATIME

INTERVIEW Zinedine Zidane was back in action in France on Monday evening, gracing the pitch in the 12th Match Against Poverty, played in Saint-Etienne. Along with Brazilian idol Ronaldo, the former Bleus legend has been a very prominent feature of the annual fixture since 2003, and on this occasion the duo persuaded football superstars such as David Trezeguet, Clarence Seedorf and Jay-Jay Okocha to pull the boots on for a very good cause.

The 2015 match, a fundraiser for the victims of the Ebola epidemic, was a resounding success, attracting a galaxy of footballing talent and a large crowd, while also serving up plenty of exciting action.

Before kick-off, Zidane gave an exclusive interview to FIFA.com and spoke about the importance of the match to him and his new career as a coach, one that currently sees him in charge of Real Madrid’s B team.

Excerpts: You play in the Match Against Poverty every year. Is it becoming more and more of a physical challenge for you?

Yes, definitely. It’s getting tougher on the legs. The main thing, though, is to be there to continue what we started 12 years ago and to support a different cause every time. This year it’s the Ebola virus, which has wreaked havoc in Africa. That’s the hardest thing really.

You have to make sure it’s a celebration and a good football match and also get the message across to all the people watching the match.

You have to think about that and put on a good show. So even though it’s getting more and more demanding physically, it’s always a pleasure to play and share this passion for football.

Can you picture yourself taking part in this event as a coach one day?

I’m in no rush. I want to be on the pitch for as long as I can (laughs). But why not?

Of course I can. We want to keep going and keep playing this match for a long time yet.

It’s been 12 years now and we hope to keep going for at least 12 more years.

How do you prepare for an occasion like this?

People come to see us play and run around a little (laughs). I always look after myself physically. I go running from time to time, but you’re never really ready to play a match. It’s 90 minutes after all. But you’re there to play and to give the fans something to remember. The match is also being played in France, at the Geoffroy Guichard, which is a stadium full of history.

What memories do you have of Le Chaudron (The Cauldron) from your playing days?

Not many great memories, because I didn’t play much here, though I do remember playing right-back once. I was with Cannes at the time and we were playing against Saint-Etienne. We had five at the back with the two full-backs pushing really high up the pitch. I don’t think there are too many people who’ll remember that, but it happened. I did my job, too (laughs).

How has the Match Against Poverty changed since the first one in 2003?

What’s always good is that the players always answer the call. They know that it’s an important cause and that it’s worth it. We’re getting more and more people involved all the time, which is important when it comes to getting fans into the stadium. Even if the players haven’t played for their club, they’re big names who are well known and whom they’ve seen in action. It’s often said that

Zinedine Zidane (left) with Brazilian soccer legend, Ronaldo, at Monday’s ‘Match Against Poverty’ in France.

ZIDANE

opens up on

‘Match Against Poverty’

footballers are egotistical and that they don’t do anything for others, but all I can say is that they’re often there when they’re needed.

There are also some players who are still playing and who’ve pulled out all the stops to be here, like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

During your playing days you had a lot of fun on the pitch. Do you get the same amount of enjoyment in the dugout?

It’s a different kind of enjoyment, but it’s still good. I find it really interesting, even if it is a lot harder. When you’re a player, you only think about yourself, but when you’re a coach you have to think about others (laughs), though I thought a lot about others when I was a player. A coach should think about nothing but getting the players in the right shape. It’s a different job, but it’s interesting all the same.

How do you express your creativity in the dugout?

I was creative on the pitch and I still try to be today, even if it’s in a different way. If things

aren’t working out, you have to try solutions straightaway and change things around to see if they work. When they do, it’s because you’ve taken the right approach.

How would you define your style of play?

I always liked attacking football, while trying to strike a balance with defence because you can’t get by without that now. I always try to have fun playing though. Football should be fun for the people playing it and for those watching it too. I didn’t go into coaching to bore people to death. I want my team to play well, which means playing a fast game and getting to the opposition goal as quickly as possible. All I’m doing is applying my philosophy of the game.

Does being who you are earn you the immediate respect of your players?

I have the same opinion of coaches as every player does. Maybe the fact that I am who I am gives me a little bit extra and ensures people listen to me, but I don’t take advantage of

that. I just try to talk to them and get something across to them.

You’re a living legend at Madrid. Is that a hindrance for you in your job as a coach?

Let’s just say it’s easier for me to express myself as a coach because of my background.

I work with the reserve team and I have my own objectives, which I set with my players at the start of the season. I do have a special status at the club, but I don’t use that.

Is there a player in the game today with the ability to make you dream?

No. That’s not the right word. There are players I keep an eye on and who I like a lot, like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, of course. They’re fantastic players, but I like Eden Hazard a lot too. I enjoy everything he does on the pitch. I like the way he carries himself, that decisive streak in him and the fact that he’s improving every year. He can still get better too, and I think he’s a big reason why Chelsea are on top of the table.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

EXTRATIME

31

TENNIS

GOLF

WARD loses to Ilhan at Barcelona Open

Creamer

CREAMER

calls for women’s Masters

A

merican Paula Creamer has called for a women’s Masters at Augusta National.

The club accepted its first women members in 2012 but chairman Billy Payne has said it is unlikely Augusta could host another tournament.

But Creamer, 28, suggested a women’s version could be played the week after the men’s event in

April.

“I think the patrons and everybody would love to have two weeks there, two tournaments.

Why wouldn’t you?” the 2010 women’s US Open champion said.

There are currently five major tournaments in the women’s game; the US Women’s Open, Women’s PGA Championship, Women’s British Open, ANA Inspiration and the Evian

Championship.

The world number 27 added: “It’s 2015. I think Augusta and the Masters and everybody with that event, they want to grow the game so badly.

“That’s what it is, about growing the game and giving people opportunities. There’s no reason why we can’t do that in women’s golf. We’re just as much a part of growing the game.’’

ATHLETICS

Doping:

Ward

B

ritish number three James Ward could not build on his run through qualifying, as he lost to Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan in the first round of the Barcelona Open.

The Londoner, 28, had won two matches in qualifying on the clay but went down 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-1 against Ilhan, ranked 22 places higher at 84th in the world.

Russian 17-year-old Andrey Rublev, the junior world number one, upset 37th-ranked Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

“I’m really happy to win against

England full-back suffers concussion

GOLF

Russia will not be banned over allegations

H

– IAAF

R Russian heptathlete Tatyana Chernova was banned for two years for doping by the Russian anti-doping agency.

ussia will not be banned from major competitions because of allegations of a systematic doping programme, athletics’ governing body, IAAF, has said.

A German TV documentary alleged last year that as many as 99% of Russian athletes had been guilty of doping.

The International Association of Athletics Federations and the World Anti-Doping Agency are investigating.

But IAAF president Lamine Diack

said suggestions Russia could be excluded from major events were “a joke”.

Diack, who will stand down in August after 16 years in the role, added: “They are in. They are in. It’s a great nation of athletics.”

In January, Russia’s anti-doping agency suspended five athletes who compete in the walk, including three Olympic champions.

The same month, Russian heptathlete Tatyana Chernova was banned for two years for doping by the Russian anti-doping agency.

one of the best players on tour,” said Rublev.

“It’s amazing, I don’t even know what to say - I’m just so happy. I tried not to think and just keep showing my best every point. I had nothing to lose.”

Japanese top seed Kei Nishikori beat Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3 6-4 in his opening match.

Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal, trying to win his ninth Barcelona title, will begin his campaign later in the week against compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

Brown

arlequins’ England fullback Mike Brown might not play again this season because of on-going concussion issues.

Brown, 29, has not played for Quins since returning from international duty last month, and has been stood down for Saturday’s Premiership match at Sale.

He was knocked out during the Six Nations game with Italy in February.

Asked if Brown might not play again this term, Quins boss Conor O’Shea said: “I would be lying if I said that mightn’t be the case.”

“We’ve only got three games, or five if we get into the play-offs for Europe.

Brown - who is suffering from daily headaches - tweeted: “Thank you for all the kind messages. Tough, frustrating time but I’ll be better for it in the future. Hopefully it passes sooner rather than later.”

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Tinubu’s vision and mission Wale Adedayo •••

A number of progressive minded Yoruba have often argued that the South-West does not need to be part of mainstream politics in Nigeria to ensure its development. I have also been part of that argument. With the benefit of hindsight, that argument was just a consolation, because mainstream Yoruba have never been part of victory at the Centre.

Yes, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, developed Western Nigeria without any support whatsoever from the Centre. He had vision. He had commitment. But I am sure Awo himself would have wondered how much more could have been done if he had been part of a friendly Centre. Immortal Awo had only spent one term as Premier of Western Region when he sought to become Nigeria’s national leader.

In the event that this was not going to be possible, he sought a coalition with the leadership of the Eastern Region with an under-the-

table arrangement towards the North for same.

It just did not work out because the old man was not a politician like either Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe or Sir Ahmadu Bello. Awo could not pretend. He was not deceptive. He was too concerned about things eternal, thus his enormous efforts to free the grassroots from the shackles of poverty failed, unlike his contemporaries, who were excellent schemers in things of the present, thus better politicians.

With the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just-concluded general elections, it might be time to let go of a taboo among the Yoruba that the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, should not be compared with any living being, given his vision and enduring legacy. The victorious presidential candidate of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is Fulani. But the political party that gave him victory had its roots in mainstream South-West politics.

And this is the first time such will happen either before or after Nigeria’s independence.

It was Awolowo who put today’s Yoruba on the

global stage through his progressive policies on Education, Healthcare Services, Infrastructure, Industrialisation and Rural Development among other quality initiatives, which saw the old Western Region competing with some European countries in terms of socio-economic development, especially during the First Republic (1960 – 1966).

Today, using the instruments of politics, the architect of a victorious mainstream Yoruba political project in alliance with others is no other than former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

On the national stage, it was Awolowo, using sound management principles, who guided a troubled Nigeria through the civil war years (1967 – 1970). He was always bubbling with ideas about how governance could positively affect a greater number of people, especially the downtrodden. But if the truth must be told, Awolowo did not have the same degree of success in politics when placed side by side with what the old man can achieve within a short period if given any opportunity in public office.

I’ll insist Awolowo was

never a politician in the real sense of the word as he was always at loggerheads with key associates almost all through his active political life. He never understood politicians.

Meanwhile, politicians could see through him.

Awolowo was too religious.

Honesty, arising out of his belief in God was an article of faith for him. He hated cutting corners. Tinubu’s political ascendancy, which has been crowned with the APC defeating the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is very different.

The Jagaban Borgu is a thoroughbred politician in every sense of the word.

And, to date, he remains a successful one at that.

It is to Tinubu’s credit that majority of those who make up the membership of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1999 remain under the umbrella of a progressive political party, APC, to date. He maneuvered his way to safety as his colleagues sank in the political waters of their first term in office. Not only did he survive, Tinubu went ahead to set up structure after structure with which he was able to recover almost all the states lost to the ruling Peoples Demo-

cratic Party (PDP) in 2003.

Today, the APC, a structure Tinubu put in place along with others, has succeeded in chasing the PDP out of Abuja.

Former Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters, Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, may have inadvertently midwifed today’s marriage of convenience between a conservative North-West and progressive South-West during his short sojourn in partisan politics as a leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the aborted Third Republic. Tinubu was one of his disciples in the South-West.

Awo took the Yoruba to the Centre in 1967 on what he believed was the Western Region’s terms. He was deceived by the much more politically minded Northerners around Gowon, and was a sad man when he resigned. This time around, Tinubu has taken the Yoruba Nation to Abuja on their own terms and through a platform of their choice.

And I doubt that Tinubu will suffer Awo’s fate, if a national calamity will not befall Nigeria shortly after.

Like Ahmadu Bello who sent Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to Lagos as Prime

Minister, Vice Presidentelect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is a Tinubu protégé. Tinubu sacrificed personal ambition to maintain a rear-guard position in case things go awry.

What should the Yoruba be looking forward to at the Centre? The Yoruba want a restructured polity to guarantee the development of each component unit at its own pace. One part of the country should not hold the others down. This may not materialize under the current arrangement. The political class in Northern Nigeria prefers the current fiscal and administrative structure in Nigeria. Devolution of power, whether in the area of internal security, approval for major transportation systems (Railways, Seaports, Airports, etc) is another Yoruba area of interest, which the North may not want to talk about. A special status for Lagos as former seat of the Federal Government and Nigeria’s commercial capital might happen, and very quickly too. But window-dressing of needs of the Yoruba is certain to happen through Federal Government’s prompt approval of capital intensive projects for the South-West.

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08169118913, 08075038528

Life&

TIMES Thursday, April 23, 2015

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gale of

deaths in

Nollywood L2,3

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Entertainers in walk against piracy L7 P

Issue L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday April 23, 2015

The sting of death board. Fondly called J.T, he was famous for his ponytail hair style. One of the movies he acted in that will forever stick in the minds of many is State of Emergency, where he played a terrorist. He died as a result of the internal bleeding he sustained in a ghastly motor accident on October 2, 2006. He was in his 40s.

Mutiat Alli

Health is wealth so says a popular saying. The fact that most of our entertainers have a non-challant attitude towards their health makes one to wonder if they ever take any lesson away from the characters they portray in movies. Not a few have been lost to the cold hands of death from preventable illness as a result of over indulgence in alcohol, ‘smokes’ or the general neglect of their state of health. Others have however died from causes that could only have been prevented by fate and destiny. Life &Times ex-rays some of the shocking deaths that has hit the industry so hard that many now begin to wonder about how health conscious some of our Nollywood stars really are. One thing however binds them all, they would forever be remembered for the roles they played, no matter how minute, in the development of the Nigerian movie industry.

Life&

T E A M

Funmi Martins Popular screen actress and longtime mistress to Sir Shina Peters, Funmi Martins, died on the 7th of May 2002 after complaining of dizziness. Her death report read that she died of cardiac arrest. She was known to be an active actress in the industry couple having starred in movies like Eto Mi (My Right), Abeke Alamala and other movies. She was one of the leading actress in her time and her contributions to the growth of the Yoruba movie industries cannot be easily forgotten. She however has a daughter who she unknowingly passed the acting torch to.

Bimpe Adekola Before names like Funke Akindele attracted both Yoruba and non speaking Yoruba people to watch a Yoruba movie, the name Bimpe Adekola was one of those who graced television screens. Her name was virtually on the lips of many, what with an alias like Ireti. She was one of the leading ladies in Yoruba movies back in the 90′s. Her death in 2002 brought tears to the eyes of many.

Yekini Ajileye Known for his production of movies that spun around witch craft, Ajileye’s first major production was on the production of Ide movie where he featured the Osuolale twins and other films like Koto Aye, Eran Iya Osogbo, Omo Orukan, Aye Alaye amongst others. The news of his death broke on October 11, 2006.

He died after a protracted illness that lasted for three months.

Alade Aromire The name, Alade Aromire will surely ring a bell in the Yoruba movie industry and television broadcasting. One of the second generation home video producers of the Yoruba extraction, Alade, as he was popularly called by his fans, was prolific.

Reportedly hit by a trailer along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while returning from the site of his new house, he died on July 6 2008.

Mujidat Ajileye (aka Mama Mi leko) Popular actress and wife to movie producer, Yekini Ajileye became popular with movie lovers with her witchcraft roles in super hit Yoruba television soaps like Koto Aye and Koto Orun amongst others. Her role in her movie, Mama Mi Leko gave her more prominence in the industry.

She died November 3 2003 while constantly vomiting as result of food poisoning.

JT Tom West He was one of leading actors that interpreted the bad boy role before the likes of Hanks Anuku came on

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784

Francis Agu He was one the pioneer Nollywood actors and one of the prominent faces in the soap, Checkmate.

It was reported that he was placed on admission for several weeks before his condition deteriorated and his eventual demise on March 20, 2007 at the LUTH hospital. His illness was undisclosed and he was aged 41.

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378

Iyabo Momoh (Mama Ajasco) This talented actress and former Mama Ajasco in the popular Papa Ajasco and Company series, was reported to have died of a protracted illness as she was said to have complained about pains in her legs which got swollen over time and eventually led to her death on Jan. 30th 2009. Her inability to complete a house she was building in Ikorodu area of Lagos has been identified as the unfulfilled dream of this talented Yoruba actress.

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893

Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478

Monsurat Omidina (Moladun) Actress cum comedian, Moladun Kenkenlewu and wife to Babatunde Omidina otherwise known as Baba Suwe, was one of the most sought after actresses in her days.

The actress who was hypertensive was found dead in her bedroom with blood in her nose and ears on September 1, 2009 at her Ikorodu house. Even in death, Omoladun is still remembered for her contributions to the movie industry.

Toun Oni Toun Oni’s career dates back to the 70s and even though she was not one of the biggest stars financially, she was undoubtedly a respected figure in the Industry. She made her debut in acting in a stage drama written by the late Wale Ogunyemi, titled Be Mighty, Be Mine. An outstanding role model to a lot of upcoming actresses, she featured more in soaps than in movies and her most prominent soap was Fuji House of Commotion, a production of Amaka Igwe.

She was reported to have died of body pains on July 8, 2010.

Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday April 23, 2015

in Nollywood Ahmed Alasari The Abeokuta based producer cum actor was indeed popular among his colleagues considering the nature of his movie productions.

Popularly known as Iroko considering his roles in movies, he was involved in a fatal car accident that claimed his life on March 20, 2011.

It was learnt that Alasari in company of four of his asides were heading for a live program to promote his new movie, Omo Night Club before the ill-fated incident. Some of his movies were Bisola Alanu, Iyanu etc.

Sam Loco He was one of the best artistes Nollywood ever produced. Sam loco unarguably bestrode three generations of Nigerian performing artistes, speaking practically all Nigerian languages. Sam Loco Efe, even in death has become an international brand worthy of celebration. The news of his demise was reported on August 6, 2011.

Ashley Nwosu One of Nollywood’s first generation actors, Ashley Nwosu most often played the role of a husband, a dad, a pimp or a ‘sugar daddy’, bringing to bare his sheer talent on screen.. He has starred in countless number of movies like: Endless Night, Between Two Walls, Power Brokers, Foreign Affairs, Gift from the Grave, Lagos Babes and Ghetto Love. Ashley Nwosu died barely 24 hours after he fell into coma when he was rushed to the Military Hospital Yaba, where he was receiving treatment for severe liver problems. He was reported dead on April 21st 2012.

Pete Eneh Veteran actor Pete Eneh, died after suffering from a protracted illness, which culminated in the amputation of his leg. The actor, who was diabetic, sustained an injury last year, which degenerated to a sore that refused to heal. It was reported that the actor spent three months at the hospital before he was advised to amputate the leg to avoid spread to other parts of his body. The amputation took place on October 24th 2012, after all efforts to save the leg was unsuccessful. It eventually led to his death.

Akin Ogungbe Veteran Yoruba actor, Akin Ogungbe, popularly known in the industry as Ireke Onibudo was reported dead on November 28th 2012 in his Abeokuta residence as a result of old age. The actor was the founder of National Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) and the oldest actor in the Yoruba film industry.

He is survived by 15 widows, over 40 children and numerous grand children.

Enebeli Elebuwa Veteran actor and one of the pioneers of the Nigerian film industry after battling with stroke for two years finally kicked the bucket on December 5th, 2012 at an Indian hospital in New Delhi. It was gathered that the stroke came as a result of uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which also affected his brain. It is pertinent to note that the first movie he featured in was Dinner with the Devil which was produced in 1974 by Sanya Dosunmu. He thereafter featured in another popular rested television series, Village Headmaster. He played prominent roles in countless number of home videos.

L3 Issue

Bisi Komolafe Fast rising actress, Bisi Komolafe passed on hours before the New Year from an unknown circumstance on the December 31st 2012. It was further gathered that she died after she had been admitted at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for two months after she suffered a miscarriage. Friends of the actress have not stopped mourning the passing away of the bright and talented act, who became popular for her role in Igboro Ti Daru and Eja Tutu. She was rumoured to have been married to Canada based Tunde Fatai Ijaduola and she belonged to the Odunfa Caucus of the Yoruba movie industry.

Muna Obiekwe The talented Nollywood actor, passed on, on Sunday, January 18th, 2015, at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, Lagos immediately on arrival, after suffering from kidney related disease. The late actor was one of the three busiest actors in Nollywood, featuring in over 50 movies like Dirty Secret, Great Betrayal, BlackBerry Babes, Zara, Men in Love among others.

Amaka Igwe The very popular Nollywood producer died of asthma attack in Enugu, in April 2014. She was the writer and producer of the most popular television soap ever to be aired in Nigeria, Checkmate. Her sudden demise at age 51 shook Nollywood and the entertainment industry as a whole due to her role in the development of Nollywood and in making stars like Julius Agwu, Bob Manuel Udokwu and so many others.

Justus Esiri Village Headmaster actor, Justus Esiri and father to Mavin artiste, Sydney Esiri also known as Dr. Sid, died on Friday, February 19th, 2013 from diabetes complications. He was a veteran award winning actor generally considered to be one of the pillars of Nollywood with an acting career that goes way back to the 1960s. He was buried on April 12th in Oria-Abraka, Delta State, his home state.

Movie Gists L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday April 23, 2015

Stories by: Mutiat Alli

AMAA 2015 holds in June, screeners get 800 films

...as Peace Anyiam-Osigwe mourns late Oronto Douglas

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe In its 8th edition, the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has confirmed its eminent status as the most esteemed and respected continental and transcontinental motion picture awards in Africa with over 800 films already received for the 2015 edition. The films came from over 60 countries of the world mostly within Africa, South America, United States and North America. According to Mr. Shaibu Hussein, a film critic and the Chairman, College of Screeners, the organizers received a good number of entries from what could be considered new territories for AMAA from countries like Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica. Already the pre-selection screening has set the stage where the entries are

screened in line with entry rules before films that comply with the entry requirements are sent to the College of Screeners where the real job of adjudication starts. AMAA 2015 will hold in June at a date to be announced while the nomination gala night will hold in May before the inauguration of the President-Elect, General Muhammad Buhari on May 29th, 2015. Members of this year’s award jury includes; The chairman, Mr. Keith Shiri, a Zimbabwean, film festival organizer and programmer, Mr. Charles Burnett, an American and Mr. Filippe Savadogo. A former Minister of Culture, Tourism and Communications in Burkina Faso recently joined the current body of Jurors. In the same vein, organizers of the award have expressed shock at the death of late Oronto Douglas, Special Adviser to the President on Research, Strategy and Documentation who died on Thursday April 10th, 2015. According to Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the late Douglas was one of those who supervised the history and start-off of AMAA in Bayelsa state in his days as the Commissioner of Information in Bayelsa State under the Depriye Alameyesiegha led administration.

Iyabo Ojo set for Black Val shoot Actress cum business woman, Iyabo Ojo has hinted that she will be storming location today Thursday, 23rd April for the shoot of her new flick titled Black Val. The actress who runs Fespris, a beauty parlor and boutique, disclosed that the movie is a cinema based project and is expected to come as a blockbuster. However, over the weekend her movie Silence was premiered at the newly opened VIVA cinema in Ibadan and Ilorin respectively.

Iyabo Ojo

Joselyn Dumas signs new management deal Sexy Ghanaian actress, Joselyn Dumas would from now hence forth be represented by Inya Lawal of global agency, Restless Talent, a statement from the media agency reads. The Lekki Wives’ actress signed on Restless Talent to take on the management of her film and television career.

With a career spanning

six years and over 10 flicks to her credit, the multiple awardwinning actress inked the deal with the company to represent her interest after talks between both parties sailed through.

Other celebrities on the Relentless Train agency platform include Nana Mensah, Tunde Aladese, Tosh Gitonga, Kemi Adesoye and CJ Obasi amongst others.

Pa Adebayo Faleti, Baba Sala others honoured at 2015 Nigeria Entertainment (NET) conference Organizers of the third edition of the Nigerian entertainment conference yesterday, Wednesday April 22, 2015, honoured veteran practitioners in the entertainment industry like Adebayo Faleti, Tajudeen Oyewole (Abija), Corporate pictures CEO, Razak Abdullahi, Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala), Lere Paimo, for their recognition and efforts in the promotion and development of the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Chris Ihidero, chairman of NET editorial board describes the NET honours as a small token of appreciation for the im-

Pa Adebayo Faleti Baba Sala mense contributions made by and panel sessions involving the awardees to the evolution prominent Nigerian show busiof Nigerian entertainment as a ness personalities such as Davido, Shizzi, Bez Idakula, Linus business and as a culture.

The third edition of the con- Idahosa, Shina Peller, Tunde ference with the theme “Buying Laoye, Mai Atafo, Yetunde And Selling Nigerian Entertain- Babeko, Ayo Makun, Wunmi ment…And Everything In Be- Obe, Innocent Uba, George tween” will feature addresses Thorpe and Jason Njoku.

Dayo Amusa, Mercy Aigbe, storm TUK unveiling

Celebrities led by Unforgiveable star actress, Dayo Amusa, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry, Mide Martins-Owo, Bimbo Thomas, Iyabo Ojo and others over the weekend, stormed the official launch of Tasere actress, Liz Da Silva’s new store launch in Magodo area of Lagos state.

According to Liz Da Silva, the official launch and unveiling of TUK store is to cater for the need of the people of her immediate environment where they can boast of quality and not quantity.

TUK store deals in all kind of lingerie, children’s clothing, bedroom items and others.

Iyabo Ojo, Dayo Amusa, Mercy Aigbe, Liz Da Silva, Bimbo Thomas and others

Chika Ike begins reality show

Joselyn Dumas

Delectable Nollywood star actress, Chika Ike has announced that movie lovers can now catch a glimpse of her much anticipated reality television series tagged ‘African Diva’ via the Youtube media platform and the premiere of her show on Iroko TV channel on YouTube as well. The actress shared a photo with the caption; “Hi lovelies…. Who is

an African woman????

African diva reality TV show premiers tomorrow on Iroko Tv channel on YouTube . Watch as all the drama unfolds…Tell a friend to tell a friend # africandivarealitytvshow “.

The show will feature 22 contestants between the ages of 18 and 35, living in one mansion and contending for a cash prize of N4million.

Chika Ike

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday April 23, 2015

L5 Music Gists

Stories by: Opeoluwani Akintayo

Between Tee Billz and Emma Nyra denies ever dating Ubi Franklin Joselyn Dumas …as Joselyn Dumas’ management weighs in

Ubi Franklin and Emma Nyra Judging by how the first lady of Triple MG records label, Emma Nyra and her boss at the record label, Ubi Franklin were carrying on, everyone simply assumed that they were both an item. Unfortunately, she has debunked the ‘supposed’ romance tale between her and Ubi. In a video interview with Golden Icon, the songstress made it clear that she never dated Franklin.

“No I never dated him. I get that him and Iyanya gist. No, we never dated. We have a business deal together I never dated any of them. I swear I never dated him. I was dating someone else in the industry, but we’re no longer dating right now” she said

Asked how she feels about Ubi Franklin’s recent engagement to actress, Lilian Esoro, she said “Yes I am happy for him. He is in a happy place. To marry somebody, you have to be in a certain level in your life. I am happy for him”.

On her relationship with Ubi’s fiancee, she said, “I don’t really know her very well. Because when they met, I was doing my own thing so, I don’t really know her very well but I wish them the best really.”

It was common knowledge that Ubi and Emma were in a relationship for about 3 years before they broke up last year.

Lagos gears up for Black Heritage Festival

…as LASG announces new date for Lagos Carnival

The music industry was thrown into panic last week Saturday, April 18, after Tiwa Savage’s husband, Tee Billz, suddenly called out Ghanaian actress and television host, Joselyn Dumas, for refusing to grant his label, 323 Entertainment management, consent to use her name to record a song.

Obviously, Tee Billz wasn’t happy that Dumas’ management, Restless Talent, asked him to withdraw the actress’ name and photo from his artiste, Trafic Babz’s song, which had lyrics that dwelt on the actress’ hot and banging body. To vent his anger, he took to Twitter, to lash out at Dumas and her management. Life & Times reached out to Tee Billz to find out what went wrong but as at the time of writing this report, there was no response from him. However, Nigerian Entertainment reached out to Joselyn Dumas’s management and clarification has been made to the allegation. A representative of Restless Management, Inya Lawal, who handles Joselyn Dumas’s project said they didn’t even know anyone called Tee Billz existed until last week Saturday when he

to come.

Themed ‘The Road To Sambisa’, It promises to be a long week of fun, networking and enjoying the best of Nigeria cultural heritage and display. In the same vein, the Lagos State Government Monday, April 21, announced Saturday, May 2nd 2015, as the new date for the 2015 Lagos Carnival.

According to them, the change from the traditional Easter Monday, was consequent upon the shift in the date of the nation’s general elections which concluded on Saturday, April 11, 2015. A statement signed by the Commissioner for Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. Disun Holloway, quoted the State Government saying that the change of date was approved by the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, following “the alteration in the electoral calendar”.

tweeted at them, saying that he didn’t ask for permission to use Dumas’ picture before the said incident.

“Last week, we noticed that photos of Joselyn were altered and being used to promote a song by TeeBillz. Those photos were used without permission, we didn’t know about it, so we contacted him, wrote him officially to take it down. He had no intentions of taking the photos down until we contacted him. So we said to him, write us properly to ask for permission to use those photos and then send us the song so we know what the song says because he said his artiste was inspired

by Joselyn.

“So we were waiting to hear a song of inspiration, but when he sent the song, the lyrics of

New single alert!

CHARASS - I Don See

As a follow up to the Coco Butter (Remix) featuring Davido and Phyno, Charass serves another sure firecracker in a new track titled I Don See. The track is produced by Young John.

New video alert!

Inspired by the spirit of convergence for which Lagos remains pre-eminent, the Lagos Black Heritage Festival is set to celebrate the African creativity with a traditional carnival.

The week-long event will also feature contemporary dance, music, painting and photo exposition, drama, design and fashion display, alongside an international symposium, film and video fiesta and other artistic and intellectual offerings.

Already on since Saturday, the 18 of April, the seven-day event which ends on the 25thof April, will see cultural displays, during which hundreds of performers will animate the ancient city of Badagry and cosmopolitan Lagos with a passage of the traditional and the modern dance steps. Lagos State will welcome thousands of visitors from both inside and outside the State with a feast to engage the mind, leaving a memory for years

Tee Billz

JAYWON –Tanawole FT. Reminisce Next World Music act, Jaywon has released the visual for the Reminisceassisted street anthem, Tanawole. Directed by Brotha Lee, the visual aptly captures the next level for the now independent singer. This comes on the heels of the video for Madantin (Remix), and a build up to his upcoming album which he is putting finishes touches to.

the song was basically Joselyn’s body and how he’ll give her money and she’ll give him her body, and we said to him that we can’t associate our brand with those kind of useless and silly lyrics. And we told him, we are sorry, we can’t do that and he apologised.

“It’s also our style to announce any new deal we sign one month after the deal. We signed Joselyn one month ago and we just announced it this week, it’s the same thing we’ve done for others like OC Ukeje, Nse Ikpe Etim and others, so I really don’t understand what he’s talking about when he said he’ll teach us about branding.

We never even knew who he was until this whole thing happened.”

Music & Movie Review L6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday April 23, 2015

Mutiat Alli and Opeoluwani Akintayo

Solidstar- Baby Jollof FT. Tiwa Savage

Tiwa savage adds the glamour Who would have thought that Mavin’s first lady, Tiwa Savage could get along with this kind of beat but then, she did! The 3:30 seconds video was published last week Tuesday, April 14 and as at press time, had already garnered almost 50, 000 views. The video was released a few months after the release of the audio. Directed by Clarence Peters under Achievas Entertainment, the video is a flirty flick which involves both Solidstar and Tiwa getting up close and sensual throughout the sequence of the video. Video opens with this well-planned and represented street life scene, nice; boys playing ball, girls skipping, cars parked on the street, newspaper vendor hawking his wares on a bicycle, the coloured umbrellas, Tiwa platting a girl’s hair on the street - all typical a street lifestyle.

One wonders why Solidstar decided to remain shirtless almost through the duration of the video. Maybe he was trying to create the me-in-the-hood feeling but, he should have had a shirt on at some point. just wondering, how was Tiwa able to plait the little girl’s hair and do her laundry with her well-manicured nails? And all that makeup on her face just for being around the neighborhood too? Despite the obvious flaws, Tiwa added the much needed glamour and life to the song with her melodious voice, otherwise, the song wouldn’t have come out that nice. The drama between Solidstar and Tiwa where he was sending love notes to her and she blushing and staring at him across the road, was cool. The body chemistry was on point.

Clean video and moderate choreography by the dancers. The choice of costume was also on point. The lighting was good as well. The video is just another run of the mill video and may probably not be such a hit. However, the video gets thumbs up for its use of props and side attractions despite the not-too catchy beat.

I’ll score it a 7/10.

Artiste: Solidstar Duration: 3:30 seconds.

Director: Clarence Peter

Devil in the details:

When sex, lies, betrayals rule a marriage

Two-time Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) winner, Shirley Frimpong-Manso after making a landmark cinematic achievement with her flick The contract’, is obviously not resting on her oars, as the prolific director isn’t relenting on her skills, what with her assembling of a cast and crew to dish out yet another award winning movie, Devil in the details. Devil in the detail is an emotional movie where a couple enters a world of sex, lies and betrayal and risk everything in a love triangle.

A witty, edgy thriller that takes a simple domestic drama, it is hard to watch Devil in the detail without being in awe of how well the movie turned out. It stands out brilliantly.

Perfect couple as they seem to be, Ben (Adjetey Anang) and Helen (Nse Ikpe- Etim) gave their marriage the greatest shot as they swung from various merry moments and high fantasies, until cracks began to set in. Helen began to get preoccupied with attending to late text messages, late night calls, flowers being delivered at her home by an unknown admirer. Her husband trails her and uncovers a dangerous liaison with a hot-blooded youngster. He was devastated. She must be having an affair. Or so it seems, but is she really?

When Ben could not summon the courage to face his wife, he embarked on an affair with his personal assistant. In a bid to try to pay back his wife in her coins, it turned out that she was planning a surprise birthday party on his behalf. The film addresses the age old issue of unfaithfulness, this time from the perspectives of both sexes and does not resort to find easy, clichéd answers. Sex is a theme that is central to this film and right from the opening scene, there is enough of it to go round. However, the director manages to keep it at a tasteful level.

Kudos should however be given to Ama Ampofo who played her role perfectly and bravely pushes the boundaries. Her dramatic poise is quite commendable but still requires a little professional touch. However, Mr.& Mrs. Star actress, Nse Ikpe-Sule again proved that she was a class act with her acting skills even though her character appearance was not much all through the movie.

Devil in the detail is a nuanced, witty take on the battle of the sexes. It does not trade easy blames but finds that both sexes are equally culpable when it comes to brutalizing the other with matters of the heart. It is quite commendable that the director tried to create a tango between the lines of the movie for audience to fill in the missing gaps. Again Frimpong-Manso displays a high level of professionalism from beginning to the very end of the movie. She kept everyone itching to know what happens next. In all, the film boasts of a good cast, sounds, setting, props, costumes and lightning amongst others scoring a total of 9/10.

Initial release: February 2014 (Georgia) Running time: 94 minutes Screenplay: Shirley Nana Akua Manso

Ama Ampofo and Adjetey Anang on set

Nse Nkpe and Adjetey in bathtub scene

Director: Shirley Fri mpong-Ma nso

Music composed by: Ivan Ayite Cast: Nse Nkpe Sule, Adjetey Anang, Ama Ampofo, Smith Asante, Mawuli Gavor.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday April 23, 2015

L7 Event

Entertainers in solidarity walk against piracy Mutiat Alli On Monday, April 20th, 2015, the entertainment industry practitioners led by veteran filmmaker, Tunde Kelani fondly known as TK, took to the streets of Lagos on a peaceful protest against the menace of pirates. The protest which commenced at exactly 9: 00 am began from Ikeja under-bridge through Obafemi Awolowo way, all the way to the Lagos State House of Assembly and later to the state’s government office in Alausa, Ikeja. The entertainers took time to enlighten the general public on ways to identify original copies of their work from the pirated ones.

Here comes the song coordinator

Finally, Governor Fashola came to their aid

Low turn -out of entertainers Songs chanted all through the protest was well coordinated by broadcaster and actor, Yemi Sodimu, who came to national prominence after his role in Tunde Kelani’s movie, Oleku. Yemi moved the crowd with several songs and gyrations like All we are saying, say no to pirate amongst others.

Tunde Kelani appointed committee chairman

To kick start the war against pirates, Lagos state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola appointed Tunde Kelani as the chairman of the committee that will be set up to discuss possible solutions to end the menace.

Although the protest witnessed a few industry practitioners, the turn-out was generally not good enough considering the large number of entertainers in the movie industry. It was expected that all and sundry should have attended the protest but reverse was the case despite the huge publicity given the protest and several broadcast messages sent out to. Even the Actors Guild of Nigeria president, Ibinabo Fiberesima was conspicuously absent

And AY was missing in action

Despite the fact that Ayo Makun’s 30 days in Atlanta was pirated, he was nowhere to be found at the peaceful protest and people began to wonder why he wasn’t in attendance as his work was part of the subject matter of the walk.

Kunle Afolayan, Adebayo Salami, Tunde Kelani, others share their view

October 1st actor and director, Kunle Afolayan, whose works were also pirated noted that it is was disheartening to see that people pirate works you have spent so much money and sweat to produce. “We need both the public and the government’s support to stop this fight. We cannot take laws into our hands and that is why we are doing this peaceful protest,” he said Veteran Filmmaker, Tunde Kelani in a rather somber tone disclosed that the pirates have taken it all from him as his entire movie collections have been pirated. Kelani is of the view that the government should do more to show support for the cause they are fighting for.

Adebayo Salami in the same vein was of the view that the current punishment for pirates isn’t good enough as the same punishment for severe crimes such as armed robbery, narcotic, kidnappers should be equivalent to them.

Drama at the Lagos State House of Assembly

The protesters When the train of protesters stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly, they were denied entry into the assembly complex as they stood for close to 40 minutes chanting several protest songs. They later sat on the bare floor when no law maker was ready to attend to them. Aremu Afolayan, brother to Kunle Afolayan encouraged everyone to remain seated on the bare floor to hinder movements of anyone into the complex if no one grants them audience. After several minutes of waiting, succor came through as from a Law maker representing Apapa constituency 1, Hon. Egberongbe Muftau. He addressed the aggrieved filmmakers, noting that their matter will be addressed in the house.

Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola saluted the courage of the movie practitioners for standing up to fight piracy which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the society. In his address, the governor encouraged the actors not to relent and to never give-up on the fight as he is sure that they will definitely win the battle even if it takes them time. He pledged his support to join in the fight against piracy and also assured the protesters that their case is on the exclusive list of issues to be dealt with at the State House of assembly just as it will be dealt with at the Federal level.

Present at the protest were Iyabo Ojo, Prince Jide Kosoko, Adeniyi Johnson, Saidi Muhammed (Funky Mallam), Tunji Bamishigbin, Yemi Solade, Kehinde Bankole, Goriola Hassan, Sukanmi Omobolanle, Yomi Fash lanso, Abbey Lanre, Dotun Taylor, Yomi Fabiyi, Buga amongst several others.

Photos: Olowolagba Quadri

L8 Television

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday April 23, 2015

Showing on

Showing on

166 Z WORLD Channel

141 Eva Channel

09:00

22:00

Thu, 23 Apr | PG13

Thu, 23 Apr | PG

‘S1/E24 - 1/24’. Lucia leaves Guillermo’s house after having, as she describes it, the most wonderful night of her life. Gala faces Santiago and asks him why he wasn’t home on time, and tells him she feels he’s avoiding her.

101 M-Net

00:00 For Better Or Worse 01:30 Entertainment Now! 02:00 The Fault In Our Stars 04:05 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Middle 06:30 NCIS: New Orleans 07:30 Chicago Fire 08:30 Vamps 10:30 Mom 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Carte Blanche 14:00 The Blacklist 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 Two And A Half Men 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 Mike & Molly 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 The Fixer 19:30 Mob City 20:30 NCIS: New Orleans 21:30 CSI: Cyber 22:30 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

118 Telemundo

00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Aurora 03:00 Fearless Heart 03:50 Labour Of Love 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Aurora 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 Labour Of Love 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Aurora 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 Labour Of Love 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Aurora 15:20 Fearless Heart 16:10 Labour Of Love 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Aurora 19:30 Fearless Heart 20:20 Labour Of Love 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Aurora 22:50 Aurora

‘S1/E57 - 1/57’. Ranvijay claims something happened between him and Laali on the wedding night.

Oblivious to the occurrences in Nepal, Loha rejoices over Shekhar and Laali’s wedding.

120 BBC Entertainment

00:19 Top Gear

11:00 My Family

01:12 Silent Witness

11:35 Hell’s Kitchen USA

02:05 Come Dine With Me

12:20 Top Gear

02:54 EastEnders

13:15 Come Dine With Me

03:24 The Weakest Link

14:10 Dragons’ Den

04:09 Top Gear

15:10 The Weakest Link

05:00 Fool Britannia

16:00 EastEnders

05:25 QI

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

06:00 Would I Lie To You?

17:15 QI

06:30 EastEnders

17:50 Would I Lie To You?

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

18:25 Hell’s Kitchen USA

08:00 The Weakest Link

19:15 Downton Abbey

08:45 The Cube

20:15 Lee Evans: Different Planet

09:35 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

21:15 Mrs Brown’s Boys

10:20 Deal Or No Deal

21:55 Miranda

155 AfricaMagic World

00:30 Living With Trisha 01:00 Star Gist 01:30 Making Of A Mogul

12:30 Channel O: Volt 13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas

02:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas

14:00 Through The Eyes Of An African

03:00 Good Morning Africa

14:30 53 Extra

04:00 Channel O: Volt

15:00 Making Of A Mogul

04:30 Channel O: Volt

15:30 Coco Bill

05:00 Comedy Club Live In Kampala

15:45 Coco Bill

06:00 Good Morning Africa

16:00 The African Child

02:05 The Convict Killer 03:40 Panic Button Canada 04:30 Unbeatable Banzuke 05:00 The Treasure Hunters 06:45 Video Zonkers 07:10 Video Zonkers 07:35 Panic Button Canada 08:25 Most Shocking

11:50 Video Zonkers 12:20 Most Shocking 13:20 Panic Button Canada

09:00 Comedy Club Live In Kampala

12:00 Channel O: Volt

01:40 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

11:20 Video Zonkers

08:30 Living With Trisha

00:00 Tinsel

01:15 Freakshow

10:20 World’s Wildest Police Videos

07:25 Paul’s Puzzle

11:30 Star Gist

00:50 Unbeatable Banzuke

09:55 Repo Games

07:00 Star Gist

11:00 Tinsel

00:25 Unbeatable Banzuke

09:25 What Went Down

154 AfricaMagic Family

10:00 Good Morning Africa

128 SONY MAX

14:20 What Went Down 00:00 Noose Of Gold

08:30 Lies That Bind

00:30 Good Morning Africa

09:00 Good Morning Africa

01:40 The Dzigbordi Show

10:00 So Wrong So Wright

02:30 Good Morning Africa

10:30 So Wrong So Wright

03:30 Good Morning Africa

11:00 Affections

04:30 Noose Of Gold

11:30 Jara

05:00 Good Morning Africa

12:00 Jara

06:00 Foot Prints

12:30 Katemba Mu Kkooti

06:30 Foot Prints

13:00 Music On Africa Magic

07:00 Star Gist

14:00 Noose Of Gold

07:30 Star Gist

14:30 Noose Of Gold

08:00 Lies That Bind

15:00 Deception

14:50 Exposed 15:15 Time Bomb 16:40 Panic Button Canada 17:40 Video Zonkers 18:05 Video Zonkers 18:30 What Went Down 19:00 Most Shocking 20:00 The Incredible Mr Goodwin 21:00 Freakshow 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Kenny vs Spenny 22:30 Tool Academy 18:30 What Went Down

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, April 23, 2015

N1

NCS Journal Æ s

Dear Reader, May I commend the editorial board of the Daily Times Newspaper (DTN) for giving us this unique opportunity to enlighten our readers and stakeholders on topical issues of relevance in the Maritime Sector.

The Publication will focus on promoting in-depth knowledge of the maritime sector.

There is no doubt that the synergy between the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) and (DTN) will create increased awareness towards the growth and success of the sector.

Briefly, the NCS is approximately 10 years and was established to ensure that the domestic shipping industry expanded to fully participate in all commercial maritime services within Nigeria and beyond.

The Chamber of Shipping is actually considered the umbrella body of the Maritime and Shipping sector. We are involved in promoting policies, advocacy programs and so on. Some of our programmes include exposure to the fundamentals of shipping in courses such as the ABC of Shipping course, The Understanding Cabotage & Local Content in the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry course and our novel PGD and Certificate Programme in Maritime/ Oil & Gas at the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amasoma, Bayelsa State, amongst others.

In this maiden edition we shall take you back to the annals of history, to give you an insight on the evolution of the maritime sector in Nigeria.

The paper titled “SHIPPING IN NIGERIA- EVOLUTION, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS” is written by, Dr. Chris Asoluka an active Governing Council Member, it is a very interesting piece to read.

We encourage you to please feel free to send in comments, intellectual inputs and experience you have had in the sector.

Please have a happy reading!!!

Ify Anazonwu-Akerele Director - General

Shipping in Nigeria: Evolution, challenges and prospects Dr. Chris Chigoziri Asoluka Shipping has remained critical to international trade.

Consequently, shipping has remained at the heart of national trade competitiveness; has become a source of wealth, and a major catalyst of economic development which any state with maritime potential ignores to its own peril. Some countries both from the developed and developing worlds like the USA, Malaysia, and China are historically known to protect their shipping industry and have remained committed to the development of their national tonnage for economic, diplomatic and defence reasons. While some of them have become strong maritime powers, others are still to berth, caught in the throes of shipping backwardness.

In Nigeria, a few of their methods have been tried and tested without much success leading us to wonder why all interventions have not translated to shipping development. What factors account for successful use of national shipping policy as a tool to develop national fleet, improve national share of seaborne cargo and eventual development of maritime manpower and allied activities? Why is shipping potential as a factor not enough to bring about shipping transformation? And how do we determine shipping potentiality of a state?

What are those other factors that have defined the shipping character, and the nature of challenges a nation faces? These are some of the interesting issues, which confront any serious emerging maritime nation, and as such must be of some concern to students

of shipping development. It will, therefore, be the subject of analysis in a three-part article starting with the present write-up.

To be able to contextualise the discourse, our first step will be to trace the evolution of shipping in Nigeria. In the second part, we shall review key policy responses and in particular do an analysis of national shipping policy. In the final instalment, we shall look at the implementation strategies and obstacles encountered together with policy outcome, and recommendation. The burden of the present piece is not to highlight Nigeria’s shipping potential but essentially to interrogate whether Nigeria has had a shipping history, determine what has been the underlying structure and character of its shipping.

Evidence of a maritime culture, or what Stromme Svendsen refers to as “vigorous shipping milieu,” is critical to the prospect of shipping development of nations, especially in the case of the current Nigeria effort, and clamour of Nigerians, to transform this important sector. In addition, we shall examine the shipping situation in the precolonial Nigeria. What has been the nature of this relationship among trading parties over time?

Was there a flourishing shipping industry at that time? In order words, is shipping a new phenomenon, which has neither roots nor culture in terms of defining the ways and means of livelihood and survival of Nigerians?

Trade and “Shipping” in Pre-colonial Nigeria Blessed with over 3000 miles of extensive river networks, in-

land waterways and creek, more than 823 kilometres of coastline, a huge young and vibrant population, and enormous agricultural and mineral resources, Nigeria has all it takes to become a key maritime nation. The story of shipping evolution in Nigeria begins with ample evidence of a thriving local riverine trade in the pre-colonial Nigeria. Elizabeth Isichei in her A History of Nigeria reports that pre-colonial Nigeria was a beehive of trading activities and one that could be described as “a dense network of markets and trade routes”. Sometimes these transactions involved not only high volume of exchange but also linked diverse people, communities and regions separated by long distance, hundreds of miles apart, and rivers such that there was need for efficient transportation to move goods and people. From the Niger Delta region, which produced salt and protein food, essential goods generally in short supply, shipment was directed to the hinterland, while the interior region on the other hand supplied the region with main staple foodstuff. Canoe and boats were mainly used for the riverine and coastal transportation. This mode, Pereira (1937) reports had reached a high level of developments by the beginning of the sixteenth century. For illustration, he describes a system of robust exchange, which had existed for sometime, transported in canoes large enough to “hold eighty men, and they come from a hundred leagues or more up this river bringing yams in large quantities ... they also bring many slaves, cows, goats and sheep, which they exchanged at

Bonny for locally produced salt” (Isichei, 1983).

One significant development was that canoe making (precursor to modern shipyards!) had become an important localised industry. A description of the role of western Ijaw as canoe exporters has been documented by many scholars including Isichei and E.J. Alogoa. Isichei for example narrates the story of a visiting missionary who described activities at the western Ijaw canoe-making centre of Igbobini, in 1873 as follows: There is a regular establishment of shipbuilding as it were on the bank of the river; the canoes are surrounded by large bamboo leaves, which stand upright; having cut out the inside of a tree, they know how to open it gradually by means of the rays of the sun...and by means of fire within the tree. They sell the canoes at Brass.

The underlying truth in all this remains that before the colonial rule significant internal trade had developed among peoples who later were grouped under colonial rule as Nigerians. Not only did they generate large volumes and quantity of commodities which created demand for various modes of transport services, the local shipping industry in the form of canoe had developed to the point that they had created a fleet of “local ships” and had acquired independently a “shipbuilding technology” and some enviable degree of specialisation and market differentiation.

Besides, the industry was robust enough to accommodate allied services and interests.

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Apapa port, Lagos.

Imperialism, colonialism and the Nigerian shipping industry The incorporation of the Nigerian economy into the British imperial orbit ensured that the former was an agricultural centre, exporting palm products, cocoa, groundnuts and cotton. It also exported mineral products mined by expatriate private enterprise. Isichei (1984:396) captures it neatly as she points out that the “basic facts of the Nigerian colonial economy” was that imperialism, as a policy, promoted the monopoly of the external trade of the subordinate nation. The imperial power takes raw materials from the colony and sells it finished goods in return, discouraging the development of any manufacturing, industry, which might compete with its own. Walter Ofonagoro (1979) in his authoritative book, Trade and Imperialism in southern Nigeria, 1881 – 1929, has carefully documented the process that pushed the British into the commanding heights of Nigerian trade and shipping. According to this study, between 1881 and 1916, “the British commercial community succeeded in gaining access to the hinterland of Southern Nigeria under circumstance which made them the masters of all aspects of trade in …raw materials.

To attain this enviable position, they had invited the British Government to interfere in local trade disputes, eliminate all barriers between them and the hinterland producers, provide the infrastructure necessary to the success of the enterprises in the interior, and preside over the harvesting of the estate newly opened for them” (Ofonagoro 1979: 397).

Shipping activity also followed

this rule. The effects of the hazards of the trans-Atlantic trade on Nigeria’s shipping development were now beginning to manifest.

Not only was the indigenous shipping capacity strangled by slave trade; there was also a consolidation of the British imperial and colonial interest Nigeria. The absence of indigenous fleet has been adduced as the reason why the foreign interest provided shipping services ( See Charlotte Leubuscher’s The West African Shipping Trade, 1909 to 1959), yet no attempt was made to encourage or create a local shipping entrepreneurial class. For instance, Sir Alfred Jones before his death in 1909 both controlled the Elder Dempster Shipping Company and presided over the cartel of West African Shipping interests. Attempts by King Jaja (1821 – 1891) to participate in shipping were forcefully thwarted (See Ayodeji Olukoji’s Elder Dempster and the Shipping Trade of Nigeria During the First World War, 1992: 34).

While the volume of trade and consequently shipping activities was on the increase, the benefits accrued to foreign interests.

Another instance was the controversy to “preserve the passenger shipping of colonial Nigeria to Elder Dempster line in the face of intense foreign competition” (Olukoju, 1992). This move was at the risk of imposing greater burden on the colonial finances when they not only conferred carriage rights of colonial officials to Elder Dempster but also imposed new rates, which was an additional ten thousand pounds to the penny-pinching colonial admin-

istration. While the blame for the rates was on Elder Dempster, it was the British Ministry of shipping that took the decision. As Sir Owen Philipps, the Chairman of Elder Dempster confided in Lord Fredrick Lugard, the Governor General, The latest increase in the passage was made at the request of the Ministry of Shipping in order that passenger steamers should not show deficit balances.... freight and passage money now goes to (the) British Government who are always urging us to see that all the vessels are run at a profit’. (Cited in Olukoju, 1992a) If this monopoly and finance drain was tolerated during the WW1, such was not going to happen without a fight after the war.

So when there was depression and a passenger shipping services glut, another attempt to reserve Nigerian official passages to Elder Dempster, there was a big clash.

The Association of European civil servants of Nigeria strongly condemned the move and demanded that the lifting of the prohibition so that the officials “could take advantage of better terms that foreign competition was certain to bring”. In response, the Governor declared “at a time like the present, he was not prepared to see public money paid to non-British steamship companies in the absence of justification therefor” (See Ayodeji Olukoji; 34). Although the prohibition was lifted owing to persistent pressure from colonial officials in April 1923, stringent conditions were attached to the “concession”. Because the conditions were harsh, it still amounted

to the old policy that reserved all British official passages to Elder Dempster. As Olukoju summarised, “the official support given to Elder Dempster was typical of the economic policies of the imperial powers, characterised by close collaboration between government and business in the colonies’ (Olukoju, 1992: 42).

The share of United Kingdom was dominant. In 1913, its trade position with Nigeria was 64 per cent for imports and 50 per cent for export, declining slightly to 44 per cent for import and 56 per cent for export. Another point of interest was the balance of trade position. While in 1913, Nigeria imported goods to the value of 4.05 million pounds, it-exported goods worth 3.55 million pounds, recording a trade deficit. By 1958, Nigeria imported goods worth 72.5 million pounds as it exported cargoes of over 74.42 million pounds, recording a trade surplus position. The freight value for Nigeria at the time was closer to 13 per cent of trade value (Leubuscher, 65). Using this ratio, the freight loss for non-involvement of Nigerian shipping lines stood as follows: 1.742 million pounds in 1913, about 38.7 million pounds in 1958.

It was this situation that led Ofonagoro after analysing the “Costs and Benefits of imperialism and Colonialism in Southern Nigeria”, to conclude that “There was nothing benign about colonialism in Southern Nigeria, nor were the African economic interests given primacy over European economic interests. In point of fact, the entire exercise

was to impose the primacy of British economic interests over African interests; to this end, the European economic and cultural penetration of the country was followed by the imposition of formal European political control of the colony”. (See Walter Ofonagoro; 401).

One consequence suffered by the Nigerian shipping industry over time has been the total surrender of erstwhile local shipping enterprise. As Walter Ofonagoro observes, imperialism is all about economic and cultural penetration to establish and entrench economic domination over a territory. This attack has led to the derailment of the indigenous shipping development as deliberate policies were adopted by the colonial authority to perpetuate, legitimise and enforce the domination. In the circumstance, trade, and by extension shipping, seizes to be free. Ofonagoro provides an apt imagery: where “commercial intercourse deteriorates to the point where one party feels the need to impose control over the other in order to achieve satisfaction in the exchange of goods and services with its partner, the transaction can no longer be dignified by the term “exchange’ or ‘trade.’ ‘Extortion’ seems more appropriate in such situation.”

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Post-Colonial Shipping: Challenges preferences. Those commodities the colonial authority did not consider priority or worthwhile were to be charged higher freights and their shipment could be curtailed.

The sum effect was to constrict or impede free competition, which could bring down freight rates.

The Nigerian shipping front was monopolised by this cartel, which had two members in 1914 and subsequently rose to nine by 1958.

How Nigeria responded will be discussed in the sections that follow.

Queen Elizabeth

The maritime sector was one critical area the colonial administration did not deem necessary to prepare Nigerians for eventual take-over. It neither encouraged nor created indigenous entrepreneurs. Rather, the dynamics in the colonial trade and shipping activities threw up a number of challenges for the emergent post-colonial state. Investigation by this researcher has revealed that the colonial administration was not insensitive to the sector as it provided the channel for trade and transfer of resources from the colonies to Britain.

This was eloquently expressed by Sir Arthur Richards, who later become Lord Milverton, in 1945.

The British government colonial policy in Nigeria, he stated, was to “work with Africans and with ‘big business’ (of course meaning British interests) in a tripartite partnership for the good of the people...within the framework of Government regulation, private enterprise has a great contribution to make to the future welfare of Nigeria (See James Coleman’s Nigeria: Background to Nationalism, 1958,: 33). This was very obvious in the colonial shipping policy as was clearly illustrated from previous sections.

To further assist its shipping companies, it has been reported that “in Britain, both legislation and administration have lent consistent support to the secrecy in which shipping companies like

Sir Richards, later Lord Milverton

to shroud their internal affairs as well as their relations with competitors and customers” (Coleman;10). All this underscored its assessment of shipping as crucial to its trade and economic development. It was therefore no surprise that the colonial office was actively involved to intervene to protect both its trade and shipping relationship against other maritime powers in Nigeria. It never hesitated to stand by the British “big” businesses as it often did, by openly throwing support behind its shipping mongul operating in Nigeria, Elder Dempster Line. Yet within this period, there was no attempt by the same colonial government to prepare Nigerians to participate in whatever form.

It is here pertinent to examine a number of these challenges in brief as they required attention of state. These are defined as barriers to an emergent maritime nation’s successful pursuit to shipping development. They are of economic dimensions, attacking shipping competitiveness of such a new entrant, either from the point of cargo access to the national carrier with consequent freight instability and contrived higher operating cost. In other words, the three pillars of successful shipping comprising cargo assurance, freight stability and financial leverage have been exposed to, and affected by, certain practices and factors, which were rampant in the 1960s through 80’s. These factors have

dominated and influenced the nature and manner developing maritime nations have responded to the quest for shipping development in their respective countries and internationally. They include the Liner Conference, Flag Discrimination, Cargo Preference and National Flag, and UNCTAD resolution questions.

The Conference Lines Although shipping conferences started in 1875 with the United Kingdom – Calcutta trade, the West Africa Conference had some distinctive features, which made its hold on shippers tighter than in most other trades. Nigeria colonial shipping was largely controlled by the conference line, which held a stranglehold on the cargo freight, space and regularity. At independence, therefore, Nigerian shipping was tied around the British colonial interests, and this posed a number of challenges for the young state. Not only did it characterise shipping in Nigeria, Charlotte Leubuscher in her illuminating study of West African Shipping Trade, 1909 – 1959 has reviewed the changes within the period and revealed that, “the changes originated with agencies whose headquarters were outside West Africa”. She also observed that it is “only comparatively recently can economic and political developments in West Africa itself be seen to have exercised an active influence on the organisa-

tion of shipping”, (Leubuscher).

The most obvious changes in shipping during this period were the increase of shipping tonnage, the development of tonnage controlled by the West African Line Conference (WALC) and the total cargo discharged and loaded in the West African ports. While the conference tonnage dropped in 1938, it picked up by 1958 to a total grip where the “United Kingdom – West Africa trade in particular has retained to a high degree its monopolistic character, since the three British lines (which in 195859 operated two-thirds of the Conference’s total tonnage) work in close co-operation, and since nonBritish lines, apart from two African lines, remain excluded from this trade.” (Leubuscher, 1963; 79).

By their monopolistic structure, the West African Liner Conference (WALC) both restricted the entry of other liner shipping services from easily joining the conference and also slammed the tramp ships with higher handling/lighterage charges. Another way the conference put the indigenous shippers to grave disadvantage was its control and manipulation of freight rates and even varying the rates for different cargoes; and the use of cargo space allocation to detriment of shippers’ interests. The later practice was used to guide the structure of exports that were shipped by using differential rates and cargo space in such a way that gave expression to the colonial

Flag Discrimination Apart from its practice of freight fixing, one other major objection to liner conference has been its discriminatory role in the allotment of cargo. In a sense, it affected the equality of flag in a given route. Other manifestation of this inequality includes the treatment of ships at ports including financial burden such as taxes and port dues. We observed earlier that the liner conference used this mechanism in the differential rates over use of lighterage services. In other words, Singh sums up that, “ ..If any distinction is made between flag and flag, ..it amounts to practising what is known in maritime terminology as ‘flag discrimination’” (N Singh, Maritime Flag and International Law, 1978; 62). Two elements of the practice deserve some comments.

They are the treatment of ships at the ports, including financial burden and the allotment of cargoes.

While it seems settled that the doctrine of equality of States, which has given birth to equality of flag, should prevail in treatment of ships at ports, the issue of cargo allocation has become controversial. Singh buttresses this point by observing that while the International Convention on the Regime of Maritime Ports enjoins, “Every Contracting State undertakes to grant the vessels of every other Contracting State equality of treatment with its own vessels”, the same Convention left the matter of cargo allocation “somewhat vague and legally elusive” (Singh, 1979; 76). This issue of cargo allocation, or cargo reservation or better still cargo preference is better understood when discussed within the context of States’ national tonnage.

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Cargo preference and national tonnage By 1959, the battle between efficiency in international shipping and the national interest of States could no longer be ignored. Accordingly, an InterGovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO), the precursor to IMO, had been convened with one of its objectives being: to encourage the removal of discriminatory action and unnecessary restrictions by governments affecting shipping engaged in international trade so as to promote the availability of shipping services to the commerce of the world without discrimination: assistance and encouragement given by a government for the development of its national shipping and for the purpose of security does not in itself constitute discrimination, provided that such assistance and encouragement is not based on measures designed to restrict the freedom of shipping of all flags to take part in international trade (Singh 1978:14).

Reading the provision, Singh has strongly argued that for the adoption of the test of shipping practice and the consideration of reasonableness in matters of government owned or controlled cargoes to national shipping carriers. Applying this test, he justifies the practice on two grounds: 1) On the well-established commercial principle of “shipper’s preference.” The essence of this position is that since such cargoes are generated or controlled by government, it stands to reason that it has power to decide how it is shipped and who carries the cargo; 2) The right of a developing country to acquire a national fleet, given its social and other responsibilities to its people including employment generation. If it requires supporting such a fleet with government cargoes, then it would have no alternative “but to give preference to its national tonnage over foreign tonnage if it was ever to develop its national fleet.” (Singh 1978: 77). However, such a developing State needs to strike a balance by hesitating to take all its cargoes and by exercis-

ing care to avoid discriminating against any particular interests.

This perhaps summarises the sentiment of the developing maritime States, especially after the Second World War, 1939 to 1945, when they realised the importance of shipping. The cases of Nigeria and India are illustrative.

India and Nigeria suffered a great deal from scarcity of shipping tonnage to the extent that their seaborne trade volume shrank.

Besides, the reliance of foreign tonnage with their control of freight and practice of rate differentials externally directed the growth of their economy. Meanwhile in the case of Nigeria, during this period, no step was taken to encourage indigenous entrepreneur or foreign parties to develop Nigerian tonnage.

UNCTAD – The Convention on a Code of Conduct for Liner Conference 1974 The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established as a continuing organisation of the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 with its primary function being to facilitate economic development of the developing countries through the revision of international trade policies. It has been at the centre of seeking resolution to the conflict between the traditional and developing maritime States even after the IMCO attempted seemed quite intractable. It is necessary to refresh on the areas of divergence.

The traditional maritime states argued, on the one hand, that it is in the best interest of all, including the developing countries to encourage free competition among ship-owners as a way of ensuring efficient transport “at the lowest possible cost.” They insisted that cargo reservation, to the contrary, would lead to over-tonnaging, a loss of efficiency, inflexibility in the shipping structure, a general decline in the quality of service and subsequently to higher rates.

For the developing maritime states, the reverse was the truth.

They marvelled at the insincerity and double standard of the traditional maritime states that

condoned, propped up and supported the prevalence, and indeed dominance of liner conferences, which negated the existence of such competition. Besides, the objection to government intervention by the developed countries was inconsistent with their past, having relied on protectionist policy to grow. In the absence of financial muscle to offer subsidy, the only support these developing countries could afford, was cargo reservation for their national lines.

H.M Trivedi in Indian Shipping in Perspective, summarises the objective as follows: “ ...It is the intention of the code to prevent the proliferation of national legislation dealing with liner conferences which could be contradictory and which could lead to confrontation between sovereign states, instead of cooperation.” How Nigerian response took advantage of this provision will be discussed in the next chapter. However, we will first examine the policy priority of the post-colonial Nigeria state from 1959 to 1987.

Port Congestion The wind of decolonisation had begun to be felt in Nigeria in the 50s such that there was the necessity to prepare the ports both in terms of infrastructure and manpower. The pressure was exacerbated at the end of the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970. Thus, there was the need for and the determination of the Federal Government to embark on massive reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure, which raised a number of shipping challenges.

These challenges were further heightened by the sudden inflow of capital, coming from the oil boom of the 1970s. In addition, the generous salary increases grant-

ed by government to workers had improved the demand profile and there was massive increase in importation. The result of these pressures was the phenomena known as both “cargo” and “ship” congestions. Cargo congestion arose from the ensured bottleneck in the evacuation processes of cargo especially from the Lagos Ports, which handled over eighty per cent of ports activities in Nigeria. The introduction of container units, which were unstuffed at the port, resulted in delay, and poor road network contributed to congest the ports.

Other factors included delays in documentation and abuses in the use of transit sheds and failure in paying up dues and demurrage as they accrued. Ship congestion on the other hand was a consequence of the growing potential of Nigeria in international trade against the backdrop of inadequate port infrastructure.

Conclusion We have attempted to trace the evolution of shipping and shipping related issues in Nigeria, from the pre- to the post-colonial era. We have also followed the dynamics and structure of the shipping industry; from a simple canoe-complex stage serving the coastal communities of the Niger Delta region and riverine areas of Nigeria, which was unfortunately truncated and plunged, to post colonialism where imperialism in the Nigerian shipping sector remains an issue.

By the time “slave trade’ was abolished in the early 19th Century, the imperial trade of unequal’s resulted with the prime goal of dominating trade and shipping business for maximum expropriation of the colonies by the metropolis. The subtly but effective

practice by the colonial administration was to use the instrumentalities of government under the cover of “law and order” to support British businesses in Nigeria including the monopolisation of certain trade and the cartelisation of shipping in the form of liner conferences. Leading British shipping interests like Elder Dempster were actively supported by the Home Official in London even against British colonial officials, competitors and local shippers. A true picture and structure of shipping during colonial rule, which always favoured the strong, had emerged by the time Nigeria gained independence in 1960.

Did the post-colonial Nigerian government recognise the potential and economic effect incidental to the development of its shipping industry? How did it respond to the imperative of shippers’ concern for competitive international trade by seeking for stable and fair freight rates? What institutional step did government initiate for the development and Nigerianisation of the maritime industry including its manpower needs? Which areas of the shipping industry attracted early legislative attention and what was the nature of the response? More particularly how has the Nigerian state responded to the urgent task of shipping development and what has been the outcome? These and other issues, particularly analysis of national shipping policy, will be treated in the next instalment.

Dr. Chris Asoluka is a member of the Governing Council of Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS). A versatile and multidisciplinary management/maritime consultant, his doctoral thesis is on Shipping Development Policy.