Dtn 24 12 15

Kudos, knocks trail FG’s 2016 budget Akinjide Akintola, Friday Atufe, Charles Okonji, Joy Ekeke, Opeoluwani Akintayo and Tolani Oseni

ÎÎÎIt

was commendations and condemnations galore yesterday from notable economic and political players

across the country for Federal Government’s N6.08 trillion budget for the 2016 financial year as presented by Presi-

dent Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Many of those who spoke

with the Daily Times on the budget were divided on the Continued on page 6

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015 VOL. 2. NO. 8

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 23rd December 2015.

FO

273

286.65

13.65%

NESTLE

790

800

10%

NB

121.8

115.72

-6.08%

DANGCEM 153

MOBIL

130.2

143

12.8%

WAPCO

94

96.8

2.8%

PZ

28.31

26.9

-1.41%

GUINNESS

123

152.3

-0.7%

122.5

-0.5%

Kanu causes stir in court, stalls fresh trial Ï d ƕ è ó9ôƒƆ ƅ ƇƈƗƆ ƅƆ ƈ Ɛ ƈ ƅ ƑƏƐô Ï CƑƗ Ɔ ƓƈƐ ƗƏ Ɠ ƇƏ ƌ ƅ Ɔ Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÎÎÎAttempt by the Federal Government to arraign the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawui-

si on six-count charge of treasonable felony before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday was stalled amidst a mild drama as Kanu told the judge he has no confidence in his court.

The drama began after the

prosecution counsel who is also the director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Diri and the defence counsel, Vincent Odetta, had announced appearance amidst interruption by Kanu who was trying to raise objection.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed then asked the 1st defendant who unconditionally was released from custody of the Department of State Security Services (DSS)

by Justice Adeniyi Kolawole what his objection was all about.

Responding, Kanu said: “My Lord, I will not receive fair trial in this court. I have no confidence in the court because information available to me indicated that I Continued on page 6

Diaspora Nigerians repatriate $21bn in 2015 gB2 Anti-corruption war: Buhari is fighting PDP in disguise g 8 – BucknorAkerele Kogi: Wada files petition at Tribunal against Bello’s declaration

g12

Leader, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu (middle) after he was arraigned at Federal High Court, Abuja for treasonable felony… on Wednesday.

War against Boko Haram is largely won, says Information Minister g12

2015: gL1 ƐƏ ƒƆƏ ƈƆ that rocked Nigeria’s entertainment industry

2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

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3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Nigeria’s 1m Boko Haram induced out of school children

R

ecently, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) lamented the fate of more than one million children forced out of school by Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria.

According to UNICEF, the number of children missing their education due to the insurgency adds to the estimated 11 million children of primary school age already out of school in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, before the onset of the crisis.

The agency noted that across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, more than 2,000 schools remain closed for more than a year while hundreds have been attacked, looted or set on fire, even as insecurity, fear of violence and attacks are preventing many teachers from resuming classes and discouraging parents from sending their children back to school. So far, more than 600 teachers have lost their lives in Nigeria alone since the Boko Haram insurgency started.

We are really saddened by these revelations, especially as they affect the lives and future of children.

Before now, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) estimated that more than 10.5 million of the country’s children are out of school, thereby ranking Nigeria high among nations where a large population of school children are not in the classrooms.

In fact, the number of out-of-school children would be much higher when both dropouts, who are unable to complete school and others who because of other challenges and disadvantages have been shut out of the school system, are added up. That is why the Federal Government must

come up with answer to the problem of out of school children, if only to save their future and that of the country. While these children are not to blame for their plight, it behooves the authorities to find alternative schools in other safe areas to enable them continue their education.

Incidentally, most schools in the northeast have been converted into temporary shelters for those displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency. Unfortunately, nothing is being done to ameliorate the situation, as the children are left to roam the streets and beg for alms. We are not only concerned at the lack of progress in relocating these children, the fear is that if nothing is done, there is every possibility they may end up joining the already alarming number of Almajiris in that part of the country. It would amount to a monumental tragedy if the future of these children were mortgaged on the altar of expediency and buck passing.

There is no gainsaying the fact that education is the right of every child in Nigeria. The society should therefore provide education to out of school children, to enable them to have a better life as well as ensure that our society breeds productive and positive citizens instead of destructive and negative elements.

Advocates posit that education is the No. 1 guarantor of income, wealth, status and security, even as it also comes with the reduced risk of infant mortality, contracting HIV and being forced into child marriage.

That is why the recent budget of N369.6 billion by President Muhammadu Buhari for education and commitment to train 500,000 teachers is welcome. We hope the allocation would help address the issue of out of school children.

Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏUp

until October 17, 2015 when he returned to Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, never passed as popular. His name never rang bell and many Nigerians did not lose sleep over him. Both the man, his family, associates and other Nigerians carried on with no premonition that things will soon change and that for the worse.

Things indeed changed sooner than expected and Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra, acquired instant celebrity status, no thanks to the actions of the Federal Government who through the Department of State Services (DSS) clamped him into detention, leveling all manner of allegations on him. He has been in detention since then having to be dragged from one

court to the other, something that is popularizing him the more.

At first, the DSS arraigned Kanu before a Wuse Zone 2 Magistrate Court, Abuja on the charges of criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society, and criminal intimidation.

Days after, the Federal Government applied for the transfer of the case to the High Court and the Magistrate, Shuabu Usman, subsequently struck out the case.

Almost immediately, Kanu was taken to Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Justice Adeniyi Ademola, this time on charges of financing terrorism acts against the country.

Justice Ademola, last week Thursday ordered the unconditional release of Kanu, insisting that his continued incarceration was unlawful.

Not done yet, the Federal Government a day after

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the ruling, slammed a fresh six-count charge of treason among others against Kanu and two others.

In all of these, rather than silence Kanu, the otherwise unknown personality has become one of the most talked about individuals in Nigeria today. He is gradually acquiring a cult figure, at least among his peers.

This would not have been if the government had while keeping tab on him avoided hurling him into detention.

Again, if the government had obeyed the ruling of both the Magistrate and High Courts freeing Kanu, he would have taken time to relax, and reintegrate into the society and things will move on.

This disposition by government to popularize individuals, no thanks to what its officials interpret as threat, did not start with the current administration.

It has been the practice of successive regimes in Nigeria. This is unfortunate and needs to stop.

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How government popularises individual

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Pat Utomi

John Odigie-Oyegun

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce

“Nigeria is a country dying to be led and because it is not being led the potential is being lost.”

“A situation where government spends almost a trillion naira yearly on the corruption-tainted subsidy regime is unacceptable and can no longer be sustained.”

“Imagine that government is a relay race, so how can this Federal Government expect to win when it has spent the first part of the race blaming others instead of working?

4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

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5

Shi’ites clash: Kaduna Police arrest 191 suspects, free 83 ÎÎÎThe

Kaduna State Police Command has released 83 suspects that were arrested during the Zaria clash between the Nigerian Army and the Shiites movement.

Among the released detainees are 34 children and 49 women.

A statement by the

spokesman to the state governor, Samuel Aruwan, said about 191 suspects were arrested for various offences, including obstruction of highways, possession of weapons and attacking security agents.

He said the suspects had been remanded in prison custody pending

the conclusion of ongoing investigations, which may lead to charges filed against them at the State High Court.

According to the statement, the Kaduna State Security Council has resolved that adequate security measures would be put in place across the state ahead of Maulud,

Christmas and New Year festivities in the state.

The Council advised citizens to continue to be law abiding and report to security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, any threat to the peace and stability of the state.

It also called on residents of Gyellesu in

Zaria Local Government Area of the state that fled their homes following the incident on the December 12, to return to their homes, as security agencies have been permanently stationed in the community to provide adequate security for people living in the area.

PENGASSAN flays proposed PIB

REAL COMFORT COMES FROM BEING IN CONTROL.

… Rejects sack of workers

ÎÎÎOil workers, under the

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auspices of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have condemned the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), describing it as antilabour.

The workers vowed to resist the plan by the federal government to retrench workers, especially employees of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as a result of the restructuring in the proposed PIB. They argued that the planned sack was not in tandem with the “change” that the government promised Nigerians, especially in the area of job creation.

Reacting to the official release of the proposed draft institutional and legal frameworks for reforms in the oil and gas industry by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who is also Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the PENGASSAN acting General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, said that the provisions in the proposed PIB are not only anti-labour but also not in the national interest.

The PENGASSAN scribe, who commended the renewed effort by the Minister to rejuvenate the reforms after several failed attempts in the past, noted that PENGASSAN has always been in support of the reforms in the oil and gas industry but with a caveat that it must be transparently done to make sure that stakeholders in the oil and gas industry are carried along.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Kudos, knocks trail FG’s 2016 budget Continued from page 1 policy thrust, workability and achievements potential of the financial document.

The President received commendation for allocating more funds for capital expenditure, retention of fuel subsidy for now as well as the oil benchmark for the budget, while criticisms were in the area of high deficit funding and huge borrowing to fund the budget.

To some, it is one thing to go through the annual ritual of budget presentation and another thing to having the

political will to implement it.

For Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) FBN Holdings, Alhaji Bello Maccido, it was kudos for President Buhari for a departure from the practice of successive governments in the country by allocating about 30 percent of the N6.08 trillion budget to capital expenditure.

According to him, the President was moving progressively to changing the pattern of expenditure in the country by focusing more on capital projects.

Maccido also lauded the huge provisions that were

allocated to the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing, Education and Defence as well as the oil benchmark of $38 per barrel, remarking that a barrel of US shale oil is about $35, thereby describing the budget as good and a realistic one.

For Nornah Awoh, a shareholder activist, whatever anybody may be saying about the budget now, especially as it would affect the capital market, might not be accurate because besides the allocations to certain ministries and other disclosures, there are many components that

people are not sure of yet.

He said for instance, the President said about N1 trillion would be borrowed locally to finance the budget, but he did not specify whether that amount would be sourced from the bond market or through the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He said because of the uncertainty around the budget, the stock market which has been rallying for sometimes closed on a negative scale yesterday, adding that it will be better to wait for the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun for the bud-

get breakdown for a fuller picture of the 2016 budget estimates.

Also commenting on the budget, Mr. Sola Oni, Chief Executive Officer of SOFUNIX Investment and Communications Limited said the N6.08 trillion 2016 fiscal budget was apparently proposed to revive the soul of Nigeria’s crumpling economy, adding that expectedly, comments on the budget will depend on the perspective of the analyst.

“The key issue is how do we finance the budget so that it does not end up as a mere political campaign gimmick?

I believe that one fundamental approach is how the Federal Government could leverage on the robust platform provided by the capital market in Nigeria to bridge

infrastructural gaps.

“If we are deviating from over dependent on income from crude oil whose budgetary base price of 38 dollar per barrel has slumped to 36 dollar even before the approval by the National Assembly, it stands to reason that there are many rivers to cross in order to realize the potential benefits embedded in the budget.

“The government’s resolve to expand agriculture for enhanced income is limited to the extent of infrastructural development. Mobilization of fund through the capital market for capital projects has multiplier effects of cheap long term fund for the government and deepenContinued on page 12

Don’t reintroduce toll gates, NLC warns FG Akor Ejumene, Abuja

ÎÎÎNigeria

Who will take these turkeys at Kara Berger, Ogun State home for Christmas?

Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI.

Kanu causes stir in court, stalls fresh trial Continued from page 1 will not get fair trial before the judge.

“I will not sacrifice the due process of the law founded in the principles of natural justice upon the altar of speedy release from detention”.

“In other words, I will rather remain in detention than subjecting myself to a trial that I know amounts to perversion of justice.

“Previous court judgments and rulings have been delivered by competent court of laws in Nigeria in my favour which the Department of the State Security Service failed to

obey or implement.

“On that premise, I am not ready to stand before this court for trial because I am convinced that the outcome will go the way of the previous ones, therefore I have chosen to remain in custody until justice prevails in my matter in the interest of justice”.

In his response, the prosecution counsel, Diri said he understood the objection to mean that suspect objected to the trial of Lordship because he is not going to get fair trial.

Secondly, the trial will amount to perversion of justice and thirdly, that orders by court of competent

jurisdiction in favour of the suspect have not been obeyed as the DSS failed to carry out the orders.

Diri told the court to discountenance the Kanu argument and refuse the informal objection.

He said that the accused must take his plea before objecting to his trial, adding that section 396 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act was explicit on when defendant is to raise an objection.

When the judge asked the counsel to the defendant about his position, Mr. Obetta, said he is in tandem with Kanu because his argument is predicated

on fair trial and belief that justice should be for three parties.

In his brief ruling, Justice Mohammed said: “I am of the view that this defendant has the inalienable right to object to the trial.”

“After all justice is rooted in confidence. Assuming it was the prosecution, would he not have say so?

The section of the ACJA has nothing to do with it, he is not challenging charges but he is objecting to his trial by this court.”

“It is on the above that I remit this case to the chief judge for re-assignment,” he ruled.

Labour Congress ((NLC) has warned the federal government against the reintroduction of toll gates, saying their coming back would have no positive effect on the people.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola had on December 8,at a ministerial press briefing, announced that the Federal Government would be reintroducing highway tolling to raise additional funds to finance road maintenance.

The Congress, in a communiqué issued at the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC) and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, noted with disappointment the plan of government to reintroduce toll gates on the highways and roads.

It recalled the enormous public resources expended in the past on the construction and demolition of toll gates, observing that the proceeds from toll collection were never effectively deployed for the maintenance of roads, but lined the pockets of favoured collectors.

Convinced that proceeds from any new toll collection would suffer the same fate, the CWC disagreed with the planned re-introduction of toll gates, maintaining that it would not benefit the common people.

On electricity tariff increase, the CWC said the 45% upward increase in electricity Tariff at this point in time with the challenges in the economy, which have adversely reduced the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians and slowed down businesses, including manufacturing, is not justifiable.

According to the CWC, the distribution companies have continued to exploit Nigerians by estimated billing systems for the majority of consumers, while deliberately refusing to make pre-paid metres available.

The CWC said it was clear that the 45% tariff increase is an additional heavy burden on consumers and will have a telling effect on business especially manufacturing.

It therefore resolved to reject the Tariff increase, demanding that prepaid metres be made available free to all consumers.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Shi’ites/Army clash: Maharaji Ji carpets Iran’s interference ÏÏÏFounder of the One Love Family and the Living Perfect Master, Satguru Maharaji Ji, on Wednesday, frowned upon Iran’s stance on the Shiites sect and their confrontation with the Nigerian Army.

He said that Iran’s recent direct intervention in a matter that was purely Nigeria’s internal affairs constituted an aggressive affront on Nigeria’s sovereignty and hence, unacceptable and condemnable.

According to him, “It is a coup against the UN’s Charter that forbids sovereign nations from interfering in matters that are ex-

clusively internal to UN member nations.”

“Nigeria as The New Holy Land of the Universe can hardly afford to take such an insult from Tehran, directing Abuja on steps to take, concerning the unfortunate incident arising from the clash between men of the Nigeria armed forces and Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) who are seeking to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, through an Iranian- style revolution.”

“By implication, Iran’s spontaneous reaction and warning suggests that Tehran is a prime suspect and is surreptitiously using

the Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group, headed by Zakzaky to destabilise Nigeria, if not Iran should come out for us to know our next line of action.

“I call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to view this unprovoked and unwanted order from Iran with the seriousness it deserves and take commensurate measure to check her act of brazen diplomatic rascality. Granted that the Nigerian constitution made robust provisions for freedom of worship, such freedom should not be taken for granted, to the extent of trampling on and abusing the right of free movements for Nigerian

citizens; let alone soldiers who are engaged in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities to the nation to the point of threatening the life of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

“The Federal Government should for no reason renegue on her constitutionally-vested power, which mandates her to protect the inalienable rights of law-abiding Nigerians without compromise, by ensuring the safety and peaceful co-existence of Nigerian citizens, at all times and in all circumstances as well as defend her corporate existence and sovereignty. Iran can’t dictate to Nigeria.”

Ikpeazu bans use of fireworks ÏÏÏ

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has banned the use of fireworks, bangers and miniexplosives, in the cities and the villages, throughout the festive period.

He has also directed the police and other law enforcement agents to apprehend offenders.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, Ikpeazu said that it was for the public to enjoy a peaceful and joyous Christmas and New Year celebrations, devoid of any incident of violence or mishap.

“This ban is for the general good as fireworks have resulted in heavy fire incidents in many places in the past and have also been used as decoy by criminals to wreak havoc on innocent citizens at this period of the year.

“Therefore, the general public, especially youths and teenagers, are advised to conduct themselves peaceably and not to engage in activities that will spoil the mood of the festivities,” the statement read.

The Governor also uses the opportunity to extend his good wishes and prayers to all Abians as they mark this year’s Christmas and new year celebrations.

Ikpeazu

7 News

Lassa fever kills two in Kano

By Yakubu Salisu

ÏÏÏHealth officials in Kano have confirmed the death of two persons in the state as a result of Lassa fever.

The Deputy Director of Information, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Alh Aminu Inuwa, said that the two victims (names withheld) were rushed to the hospital, as a result of unusual symptoms they exhibited.

He said that the hospital immediately sent the blood samples of the patients to Lagos for further laboratory tests, but unfortunately, the victims gave up the ghost before the results of the tests were returned. According to Aminu, the state Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health, Centre for the Control of Infectious Diseases and all other relevant agencies teamed up immediately to contain the infection from spreading to other persons, as the people who had had direct contact with the two victims were quarantined.

He further stated that the Centre for the Control of Infectious Diseases had organised a seminar to sensitise the general public on the dangers of the infection, symptoms and ways to avoid it. He called on the public to avoid contact with rats as well as protecting food items in the kitchen from being contaminated by such rodents.

Ipaye fetes constituents at Xmas

Traffic gridlock at Aguda-Ogba, Lagos… on Wednesday. Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI.

Babajide Okeowo

FG reviews waivers granted by past Govt —Amaechi

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏ

Transport Minister, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said that the Federal Government was reviewing all the waivers granted by the immediate past administration to some sectors following massive abuse of the privilege.

He said this at a media briefing at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, shortly after inspecting facilities there.

He explained that the Federal

Government decided to review all the waivers granted some sectors of the economy because of the untidy end to which they were put.

The clarification became necessary following complaints

by Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) that the waiver granted airline operators on imported aircraft spare parts had been withdrawn.

On debt owed aviation agencies by airlines and other concessionaires, Amaechi said that efforts would be made to recover all the debts, adding that there Umar was nothing like bad debts,

as far as he was concerned.

In his words, “Efforts will be made to recover all the debts owed the agencies because there is nothing like bad debt and because we are not banks. There will not be any sacred cows.”

Safety, he said, was not negotiable and that it must be achieved in the aviation industry, even if it means borrowing to that effect.

He urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to engage the public more to allow them to know what the was doing or planning to do.

ÏÏÏIn the spirit of the yuletide season which is the season of love, former Commissioner in the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Dr. Waheed Adeleke Ipaye, has shared various food items ranging from bags of rice, live chickens, amongst others, to members of his constituency to enable them have a merry festive season.

Speaking to newsmen, Ipaye, who is also aspiring to become the head of Ijaiye Ojokoro Local Council Development Area in the forthcoming polls, said the action became necessary as a gesture of love for members of his constituency, while also using it as a form of appreciation for members of the constituency for the overwhelming support given to the party in the last general elections

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Politics

Æs

Bayelsa: Disquiet in the Creeks over supplementary poll Stories by Akinjide Akintola

Prof Yakubu

Arase

Dickson

Ahead of the January 9, 2016 Supplementary Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, there is palpable fear and unease within the camps of the two major gladiators in the race, Governor Seriake Dickson and Chief Timipre Sylva.

Sylva

Dickson who is seeking re-election is contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Sylva, a former governor of the state is flying the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the inconclusive election held last December 5, Dickson was leading in the result of the seven local government areas announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while the announcement

of the eighth local government – Southern Ijaw, believed to be the stronghold of the APC was withheld before being eventually cancelled.

INEC had penultimate Sunday cancelled the rescheduled poll in the restive council area declaring that it was substantially marred by violence, ballot box snatching and kidnapping of electoral officers. The council has 120,827 votCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Anti-corruption war: Buhari is fighting PDP in disguise – Bucknor-Akerele Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, chieftain of the Afenifere is a former deputy governor of Lagos State under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In this interview with ISAAC NGUMAH, she criticised the anti-corruption war of the Buhari administration, saying the president is fighting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in disguise. Excerpts: How do you see the issue of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd)?

Well I am showing concern because it seems we are already having a trial on the pages of newspapers and that is not what should be done. If there is any evidence against him, let them take him to court and adduce the evidence and then we will know whether the man is truly guilty of all the crimes he has been accused of, but to be grandstanding on the pages of newspapers that he gave money to this one, he gave money to that one with some people denying he didn’t give them money and all the rest of it; am sorry, I think it is wrong.

What is your take on arguments for state police?

I believe we should have state police for the simple reason that I cannot imagine bringing for instance, an Hausa man to Police a place like Yoruba area. He doesn’t know the custom, he doesn’t know the language, how can he police a place where he doesn’t have any cultural affiliation?

How do you see the present economic hardship facing the country?

The price of oil dictates whatever happens in our economy and therefore we are bound to face hardship as long as the price of petroleum or crude is high. Because we have a large population to cater for and it seemed that we never saved for rainy days. We never planned how to spend our oil money properly as indeed some other countries like US, Arab Emirates

Buhari

Bucknor-Akerele

and others have done.

What’s your take on the recent supplementary poll in Kogi and Bayelsa states?

This is a complicated issue but

Secondus

personally I believe it is something that you go to court for the court to adjudicate. Since there is nothing in our constitution providing for such a situation

The President is flying from one country to another while the country is faced with the flood gates of crises. What do you see to this?

I believe that the President should stay at home and start the business of governing and start CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

The battle for the oil rich South South states As to be expected, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been moaning the recent loss of two of its states in the South South part of the country to the ruling All Progressives

Congress (APC) at the Appeal Court.

The states are Rivers and Cross River where the Appellate court which confirmed the verdict of the governorship tribunals ordered fresh elections

within 90 days. In Rivers, Governor Nyesom Wike’s election was voided by the court which sat in Abuja while in Calabar, the Court ordered fresh election in CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Wike

Peterside

Ben Ayade

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

9 Politics

The change APC brought is for the worse – Bucknor-Akerele CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

the business of planning how he is going to get us out of economic qualms that we are in right now.

He needs a lot of careful planning, and flying all over the world thinking that people are going to come to our aid, I think it is a mistake.

I believe we should try and solve our problems our self.

How do you see the treasury single accounts policy, will it help to stop corruption?

Yes, I think to a certain extent it will.

Nigerians are buying petrol with pains far above N87 per litre. What is your take?

I don’t know why that should be because throughout last year at least in Lagos here, we were able to buy petrol at the normal price, it was available. But right now, it seems they have not paid the importers and this is what is causing the long queues we are seeing. But I hope that since government has said they are going to pay them, they will speed up the payment so that we will not be having the hassles we are having in order to fill our tanks.

What is your take on the change mantra in the present dispensation?

I don’t know what they mean by change. I think the change has been for the worse and not for the better; everybody is complaining, you go to the average man on the street, all they keep saying is: ‘this is not the change we expected’. We expected the government to come out with concrete plans on how to move the country forward, we have not seen that happen.

The Nigerian Labour Congress has been silent over the sudden increase in fuel price.

What do you say to this?

Well, I am surprised they are silent. However, they have spoken up on the proposed lowering of the minimum wage.

Don’t you think the southeast has been neglected that’s why they are clamouring for the agitation of Biafra?

Well I don’t know whether the southeast has been neglected, but if one looks at the way appointments have been made, you will find out that the southeast has been neglected and therefore, they have every reason to be agitating for something better.

Is PDP experiencing massive roll back on some of their major achievement so far?

Well, I wouldn’t say we are ex-

Bucknor-Akerele

Buhari

periencing massive roll back, I think we are experiencing stagnation. We are seeing stagnation unexpected and I said the country would have been moving forward.

You see, government is a continuous thing, this government thinks that they have to destroy whatever PDP has done in order to be able to succeed whereas they should try and build and improve upon whatever PDP has done. But they are playing politics saying that everything was ruined by PDP and that is why they cannot move. You know the English has a saying: a poor workman always blames his tool. They keep up blaming the PDP, we don’t want this blame

again. We are tired of this blaming game. We want to see them come forward and start building the country, moving the country forward instead of shouting PDP has damaged the economy, that’s why they cannot do anything. If the PDP has damaged the economy, what are they doing to sort it out, they should let us know.

How is the PDP planning to rebrand their party?

PDP is in existence, it is still very much an active party. I don’t think we need to rebrand, I think what we need to do is to re-plan our strategy rather rebrand.

Nigerian is listed among the worst terrorist countries in the

world and President Buhari plans to end insurgency this December?

Well I am not sure whether Buhari can end insurgency this December because we are already in the middle of December. I don’t see how he can, insurgency is still there.

What about the deplorable condition of federal roads that appeared to have been abandoned?

First of all, there are various issues that need to be attended to. We can talk about deplorable state of our roads but what is causing our road to deteriorate to such a deplorable state is because they are over used. You are having petrol tankers, huge trailers on the road. A lot of good and services should be moved by rails that will give less wear and tear on our roads. The roads are deplorable, we have to find the money to repair them, but first of all, let us tackle the problems that is causing our roads to be in a deplorable state which is over used, and we have to tackle that.

I think the Jonathan administration started to in fact rehabilitate the railway system. I think something must be done urgently. A lot of these trucks are overloaded now because we don’t have weigh bridges. Anything goes on the road and there is no way the road

the 18 local government areas in the state where Emmanuel Udom had been declared winner in the April general election.

Consequently, many of the organs of the PDP have been shouting themselves hoarse over allegations that the APC wants to forcefully deprive them of the states The PDP Governors Forum said the nullification of elections of the party’s governors was aimed at taking control of “oil-producing states by all means necessary” by the ruling APC. Reacting to the nullification of the election of Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the forum said the judgments

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Scramble for oil-rich states CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Bayelsa: Unease over supplementary poll CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ers, second only in terms of electoral strength to Yenagoa which has over 130,000 registered voters.

Since the cancellation and announcement of the new dates for the supplementary poll, there have been a lot of restiveness in the area, threatening the peace of the yuletide period.

Besides, other social activities were at a standstill as the two major political parties in the state are positioning themselves and seeking advantage over the other in preparation for the next stage of the political battle early next year.

Since the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw local government area of the

Dickson

Sylva

state there have been restiveness across the state especially within the youths with each camps suspecting every move of the other and interpreting it to suit its own purpose.

Investigation by Daily Times

indicates that the development is gradually taking its toll on the socio economic activities of the people as everything is almost grounding to a halt since January 9 date has been fixed for the conduct of a fresh election in the

predominantly riverine council which was turned into a war zone on December 5.

Before the new date was fixed, the contending forces shifted their battle to the headquarters of INEC, Abuja to push for their own position. While the PDP is in support of the cancellation of the exercise in the troubled council area, its major challenger, the APC is pushing for the validation of the poll and for the commission to announce the result which it claimed was in its favour, a development that would put it in good stead in the final countdown to the polls.

As to be expected, the political uncertainty has affected preparations for Christmas and New CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

The battle for the oil rich South South states CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

were part of the grand plan of the APC to take over the state.

The PDP governors alleged that Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, had canvassed that it was a national security risk for the oil-rich states to be controlled by the opposition party.

The coordinator of the forum, Osaro Onaiwu, in a statement said the judiciary must rise above partisan influence if it must protect not only its sanctity and integrity, but also the country’s democracy and rule of law.

“The nullification of the election of His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel by the Court of Appeal on Friday in Abuja should worry all those who truly desire good for this country.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the APC is bent on foisting a one-party state in Nigeria and to do so, it is ready to compromise the judiciary, destroy every fibre of integrity and sanctity of the judicial process through state compromise of the judiciary.

“For 16 years that the PDP governed, it respected the right to opposition and did not balkanise the judiciary as we have witnessed in the past seven months of the APC regime,” the governors said.

The governors further said the nation’s judiciary is “tele-guided by a puppet master in Lagos”, and that state apparatus “will soon collapse because a people’s will to choose their leaders can never be negotiated or mortgaged out of desperation”.

Wike

Peterside

Ben Ayade

The governors expressed confidence that the people of Akwa Ibom State would resist the “obnoxious decline into fascism as was demonstrated recently in

Bayelsa State, where the people stood firm against state terror and attempted imposition by the APC” Also, leadership of the PDP,

accused the ruling APC, of engaging in political terrorism in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, just as it stressed that the action portends great danger to the na-

tion’s democracy as well as capable of threatening the peace and stability in these states and the South-South.

In a statement by the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP noted that what was going on in the two states and others controlled by the PDP was a script acted in line with the statement of the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that the ruling party would capture all the states in the South-South.

Secondus said: “The recent comments credited to Chief John Oyegun, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), conveying the desperation of his party and the Presidency to forcefully take over PDP states in the SouthCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Bayelsa: Disquiet in the Creeks over supplementary poll CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Year celebrations in the state as the usual decoration of the streets by the state government has been shunned, perhaps due to lack of funds.

Indeed, many civil servants in the state are upbeat as they are not sure of getting their December salaries early enough before the celebrations which is fast approaching. Due to the political impasse, people would have been seeing trailers loaded with bags of rice and other items purchased by

Prof Yakubu

the state government for onward distribution to civil servants, friends and political appointees as witnessed last year.

But this time around, the state machinery has practically moved to Abuja over possible decision by INEC on the cancelled Southern Ijaw election for the way forward.

Supporters of the two leading parties, the PDP and the APC are said to be worried about what the outcome of the Southern Ijaw poll will portend for them, hence the need to spend less.

The usually busy campaign of-

fice of the APC candidate along the Isaac Boro express road has been a shadow of its self as the place is witnessing less traffic for some days now. But the situation was slightly different at the Restoration Campaign office of the PDP candidate at the Biogbolo suburb of Yenagoa as the office was opened and some of the staff were seen discussing in hush tones the political development in the state.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of this, Dickson and Sylva have conCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

APC should stop the blame game and tackle the economy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

will not deteriorate since it is used by over loaded vehicles. So, that has to be tackled before we can move forward. Of course, there is a lot of problems with the federal government; some of the contractors have been abandoned because they have not been paid, some of the contractors have absconded with the money with which they would have been paid; so all these things have to be tackled and tackled immediately.

How do you see President Buhari’s commitment to fighting corruption?

At the moment, he is fighting PDP in the guise of fighting corruption. As I have said, some of

the most corrupt people in this country are in APC. If he really wants us to believe that he is fighting corruption, I think he should start with these people otherwise, it is one sided which has only been used in an effort to try and destroy the PDP. The most corrupt people in this country are in APC, he should fight them, it shouldn’t be one sided, it should be on both sides, then we will feel him.

What is your take on the political development in the country?

We had a National Conference where we came out with solutions to most of the problems facing the country; the so-called agitations by various groups, the insurgency in the North - all these things were

Bucknor-Akerele part of the decision of the conference. If the decision of the conference is implemented, I think a lot

of these problems will be solved.

Boko Haram plot this festive period. What is your take?

I don’t know what their plot is but I believe they are not going to intimidate anybody these festive period especially in the southwest.

We Christians and Muslims usually celebrate Christmas together and certainly as a Christian, am going to celebrate my Christmas.

I am going to go to Church, do all the normal things I used to do at Christmas. I am not going to allow myself to be intimidated by anybody.

What is your take on security and traffic in Lagos State?

The security situation has deteriorated, the traffic situation has deteriorated. Unfortunately,

lots of the traffic is caused by the people who are sent to control the traffic. For instance the LASTMA at the Lekki expressway creates unnecessary slow traffic thinking they are controlling the traffic at various round about while they are not. Once they are off the roads, the traffic flows easily; once they are on the road you find out that there is traffic build up.

So I believe the Governor should look into the role of LASTMA and other agencies like KAI and all sort of proliferation of agencies on the road that stop people asking for all sorts of things. All these things lead to hold up. They should instruct LASTMA to stop causing hold up as a lot of this is caused by them.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

11 Politics

Scramble for oil-rich states CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

South is, to say the least, unfortunate and disappointing.

“Chief Oyegun’s boast, while reacting to the bizarre ruling of the Court of Appeal judgment on Rivers State governorship petition wherein he stated: “I am more confident of winning Akwa-Ibom than any other state in the South-South…we are going to win; that is almost a certainty”, is not only careless but also smacks of impunity and arrogance that have characterized the APC. “This comment also further betrays APC’s dirty underhand deals with unscrupulous electoral and judicial operatives, which gives its National Chairman impetus to make sweeping statements that has no place in electoral reality.

“Perhaps, it is pertinent to ask: ‘How could Chief Oyegun have known for certainty the outcome of the gubernatorial dispute in Akwa-Ibom State, a matter that may end up in the Supreme

Court? Is this not a clear indication so far that Chief Oyegun and the APC are indeed interfering with the judicial processes in their quest to forcefully take over PDP states?

“Having severally alerted Nigerians and the international community of the plans of the APC to decimate the opposition by `taking over’ states controlled by the PDP, especially in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states of the South-South zone by every means possible, we warn of dire consequences of the actions by the APC to disrupt the will of the people of the two states.

“Indeed, let it be known that the PDP warned that this script being played out by Chief Oyegun and his ilk in the APC clearly portends danger to our democratic project and our national stability”, he said.

The PDP Governors Forum also fingered the APC as the brains behind the wave of nullification of elections where PDP candidates were returned as elected.

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It would be recalled that in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the election overturn by the election tribunal in Abuja has been described as part of the wind of change that is blowing across the land under President Buhari’s administration.

In the words of Mohammed, “What has come across from this judgment is that there is no shortcut to free, fair and credible elections. This is part of the wind of change that is blowing across the land and touching all arms of government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Also in Taraba State, the Appeal Court has nullified the election of Governor Darius Ishaku of the PDP and ordered INEC to conduct another election within 90 days. APC candidate, Hajia Aisha Jumai Alhassan had dragged Ishaku to the tribunal and won but Ishaku appealed but the Appellate court upheld the decision of the tribunal.

Bayelsa: Unease over supplementary poll CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

tinued to be at each other’s throat in preparation for the Southern Ijaw poll. They have also been poaching on each other’s members. An elated Dickson said the defection of over 2000 members of the APC to the ruling PDP in the state marks the gradual winding up of the APC in Bayelsa.

But Sylva, through the Director of Media and Publicity of Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, advised its members to be wary of the antics of the PDP to lure them to their fold. Dickson, who alongside chieftains of the PDP received the decampees in Yenagoa said the action of more defectors from the APC to the PDP was an indication of the fact that the machinations of the APC have been exposed as displayed in the governorship election in the state.

The returnees, according to the governor, were deceived by the leadership of the APC, noting that now that they have known the truth, they have retraced their steps to the PDP. Assuring the returnees of the readiness of the leadership of the PDP to give them a sense of belonging, Dickson said the umbrella is big enough to accommodate them.

Dickson

Sylva

On the violence that marred the conduct of the re-scheduled governorship election in Southern Ijaw, he said the APC should be held responsible, noting that, instead of preparing people for the election, the APC was preparing the innocent youths for violence.

His words, “this ceremony of receiving APC defectors is most significant, because it signals the winding up of APC in Bayelsa

State, which is known as ‘operation winding up APC in Bayelsa’.

“I listened to your reasons for being deceived into the APC fold, so you all shall be carried along in the new government and as your fathers, we believe you have not done anything wrong.” Similarly, Dickson said, as the governor of the state, he was prepared to receive everyone, and all political parties, including defectors from

the APC and Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM unconditionally.

He commended youths from Ekowe and Amassoma as well as women for their gallantry in resisting activities of militants in carting away ballot boxes at gun point But the Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, (SICO), advised its members in the state, to be wary of the antics of the PDP, to lure them to their fold. Director of Media and Publicity of SICO, Chief Nathan Egba, in a statement in Yenagoa, said the advice became necessary in view of the “devious plans” of the PDP to entice members of the APC in the state.

Among such plans is the recent acts of inviting unsuspecting APC members through their relations and friends to PDP gatherings.

“Such people are then immediately paraded before television cameras and other means of mass media, as new APC decampees, with a view to making the general public believe that Governor Dickson is gaining popularity, whereas, the reverse is the case. “On several occasions, we have seen these people who were swindled, later come out to renounce or protest against what transpired.

“The most recent case was Monday night when some of

such young people protested around the Government House Banquet Hall, in the Onopa area of Yenagoa, after been used for one of such media displays.

“While we in the Chief Timipre Sylva and Igiri team of the APC know very well that such antics are not enough to return Governor Dickson to Government House, we feel constrained to draw the attention of the general public and particularly our teeming young APC members to these cheap antics.

“The APC hereby advise her members to be wary of people they associate with and places they go to during this critical period, especially when it has to do with events held in Government facilities or houses of well-known PDP members. “This is because APC members have on several occasions complained about been ambushed by Governor Dickson and his top aides while on ordinarily innocuous visits to houses of their friends and relations in the PDP. “We do not want our members or even members of the public who are not PDP members to continue to fall for such cheap tricks which are only designed to make Dickson popular, when indeed he is not”, he said.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

War against Boko Haram is largely won, says Information Minister ÎÎÎThe Minister of

Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Wednesday that the Nigerian military had met the December deadline to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists.

The minister said this during his maiden meeting with editorial heads of media houses in Lagos.

President Mohammadu Buhari had, upon assuming office, issued a December 31 deadline to the military to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists. ``Today, I can report that the war against Boko Haram is largely won. ``I can confidently say this because just recently,

I led a group of 33 journalists from both the local and international media to the hot bed of the insurgency, that is, Maiduguri, Kondugua, Kaoure and Bama. ``Today, I can report to you that the entire 70 plus kilometres stretch from Maiduguri to Bama and all the way to Banki which leads to Cameroun and the Central African Republic are in the hands of our gallant troops.’’

He said the military presence could be felt ‘’every few metres along the road; at a point along that road we were just a kilometre to Sambisa forest. ``They have so degraded

the capacity of Boko Haram that the terrorists can no longer hold on to any territory just as they can no longer carry out any spectacular attack.’’

Mohammed, however, said that though there were still cases of suicide bombings, it was pertinent to note that such was the nature if insurgency globally. ``Unlike a war between two armies, an insurgency never ends with arms victory ``Even in countries like Colombia where insurgency was supposed to have ended decades ago, attacks like this still happen.’’

He said that the insur-

gents had adopted a new style of attacking soft targets like motor parks, schools, entertainment centres, religious centres, killing innocent people mostly women and children.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to support the military in the fight against terrorism in the country, saying that the military had availed itself creditably. ``It is our turn as civilians to give them our support; to realise that the war they are fighting is not their war alone, but our war, hence we must own the war.’’

The minister disclosed that a national security campaign had commenced

L-R: Corps Marshal and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi; Deputy Corps Marshal , Administration and Human Resources, FRSC, Mr. Chidi Nwachukwu and Deputy Corps Marshal, Motor Vehicle Administration FRSC, Mr. Charles Theophilus, after end of the year patrol operation in Abuja... on Wednesday.

Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Kogi: Wada files petition at Tribunal against Bello’s declaration Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja

ÎÎÎKogi

State Governor, Captain Idris Wada (rtd) has filed a petition challenging the return of Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the November 21, and December 5 state governorship election.

The Secretary of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, Mr. Akanji Akinlabi, disclosed this to newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, on Wednes-

day, noting that the petition was filed at about 7:15 pm on Tuesday.

He explained that the petition signed by Chief Chris Uche (SAN) leading two other Senior Advocates of Nigeria among other lawyers, had the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the APC as respondents.

Akinlabi pointed out that it was not in his place to disclose the grounds of the petition and reliefs being sought by the petitioners the public.

Captain Wada was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 21 governorship election declared inconclusive by INEC and later concluded on December 5, after a supplementary election in 91 polling units across the state.

It would be recalled that Hon. James Faleke, running mate to the APC candidate in the election, late Prince Abubakar Audu, filed his petition on Monday filed petition challenging the de-

cision of INEC in declaring the November 21, election inconclusive.

Faleke, who held that INEC erred in through the declaration on the grounds that the election by all standards was concluded, urged the tribunal to so declare and that the APC on the Audu/ Faleke ticket won the election.

The APC flag bearer in the election, Audu, died on November 22, shortly before INEC declared the election inconclusive.

to raise awareness among Nigerians about the war, the sacrifices of our troops, and how to stamp out the remnant of the war. ``Jingles are being played on national radio and television as part of the campaign in order to keep the media better informed about the war, so that they

can also better inform Nigerians,’’ he said.

Mohammed also said that an ad-hoc committee, comprising media representatives as well as intelligence agencies, would be inaugurated to regularly be updated about the war in order to better inform the public.

Kudos, knocks trail FG’s 2016 budget Continued from page 6 ing of our capital market for global competitiveness.

“There is no doubt that government bonds are gilt edge whose risk profile is almost zero. The good thing is that our capital market which now include Over-TheCounter platforms of NASD Plc and FMDQ Plc have capacity to enable the government raise any amount of money. I think the capital market option should be exploited as a veritable strategy to finance the budget and the market is ready”, Mr. Oni said.

For the General Secretary of Trade Union Congress, (TUC), Comrade Musa Lawal, “We are still studying the situation at this moment because our national president has travelled out of the country. “ In his comments, Dr. Titus Okunronmu, former director, budgetary department, CBN said Nigerians were concerned with the exchange rate, and you will agree with me that the country is in a serious problem.

“Our experience in the past is that if the oil bench mark is pegged at $30 per barrel, that is where the case of excess crude account comes in, but the problem is insincerity. Would they be transparent enough to manage the excess crude earnings?

“If we use the $38 oil price bench mark, as you can see that the country is already having problem, this means that the country will keep borrowing, else, the government will not be able to pay

salaries. I feel sorry for the people that have not received salaries for the past three months. If the capital budget is N2 billion and you have N1.8 billion deficit, if revenue falls.

“If they give the proposed N5,000 to jobless youths, they will run into another problem, the Federal Government has already started borrowing to pay salaries, and this 5000 will amount to nothing.

When you calculate N300 per day for the month, you will agree with me that the money would not be useful to them.

“When, you ask the states to compile the list of jobless youths and the unemployed graduates, believe me that the exercise would be marred with fraud, so, it is not necessary.

“You are not expected to borrow for consumption, otherwise it will become difficult to pay, but you can borrow for investment,” Okunronmu said.

The Public Relations Manager of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKDC) Mr. Godwin Idemudia said the President has shown that he has human feeling because the budget has a human feeling. We believed in it and it is a welcome development. Although there is no amount the President would have given to the power sector that would be enough but then, we have to put other sectors of the economy into consideration too. So, we just have to keep our fingers crossed and expect the best, and that the money would be used for the right projects”.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

IPAC backs Buhari on anti-graft war Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), on Wednesday, commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption and urged him to leave no stone unturned in bringing corrupt public officers to book.

This, the IPAC reasoned, will serve as a deterrent to other public office holders who may attempt to loot the national treasury.

The Council, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Ogbuehi Dike in Abuja, said that Nigerians are united in the on-going war against corruption.

It therefore demanded the recovery of all stolen funds for the development

of the nation.

The IPAC also commended the security agents in the fight against Boko Haram and urged them to expedite action to ensure that the nation is free of all insurgencies in tandem with section 14 (2) b of the 1999 constitution (as amended), which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

It also enjoined the Federal Government to embrace dialogue in resolving security challenge posed by various separatist groups.

The statement reads, “The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) felicitates with Christians on the occasion of this year’s Christmas celebra-

tions to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.

“The occasion calls for sober reflection on the virtuous life of Jesus Christ.

“IPAC enjoins Christians to emulate His humility, love and sacrificial life and use the festival to pray for peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.

“IPAC commends President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption and urges him to leave no stone unturned in bringing corrupt public officers to book.

“It will serve as a deterrent to other public office holders who will attempt to loot the national treasury. Nigerians are united in the on-going war against corruption and demand the recovery of all stolen

funds for the development of the nation.

“IPAC also commends security agents in the fight against Boko Haram and urges them to expedite action to ensure that the nation is free of all insurgencies in tandem with section 14 (2) b of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“We also enjoin the federal government to embrace dialogue in resolving security challenge posed by various separatist groups.

“As the umbrella body of all registered political parties, IPAC is strongly committed to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

13 News

War on terror: Ambode drums support for military

Ambode

ÎÎÎLagos

state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday, advocated the need for acknowledgement of the gallant and bravery efforts of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces both in protecting the territorial integrity of the nation and keeping the country united.

Governor Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House, Marina, while launching the

Oil spillage: Imo youths threaten oil installations Val Okara, Owerri

ÎÎÎAnxiety grips oil com-

panies operating in Imo state following the threat by youths from oil producing communities in Oguta Local Government Area of the state to attack oil installations over perceived neglect and marginalisation.

The aggrieved youths, who staged a peaceful protest in Oguta, alleged that the oil companies operating in their areas were insensitivity to the plight of the host communities who have lost their farmlands and other means of livelihood to the recurrent

Flames from a burnt vehicle on Maitama Asokoro Area of Abuja… on Wednesday.

Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

ÎÎÎGovernor

Aminu Masari of Katsina state, on Wednesday, presented an appropriation bill of N111.4 billion before the state House of Assembly for the 2016 financial year.

Masari said it was tagged ‘’Budget of Restoration of Hope’’.

According to the governor, N72.7 billion was for capital

expenditure, which represents 65 per cent of the total amount.

Masari further said that the recurrent expenditure was allocated N38.7 billion representing 35 per cent.

He explained that the recurrent revenue stood at N67.4 billion; N14.2 billion as capital receipts and N9.1 billion for local government contribution and N1.1 bil-

lion as Federal Government intervention funds.

The governor noted that education sector got the lion share of the budget at N22.7 billion, representing 20 per cent.

Masari said that road construction got seven per cent; health sector, six per cent while water supply and agriculture got five per cent each.

The governor said government would use the budget to create job opportunities to people, improve their living condition and execute projects that would assist to move the state forward.

He, therefore, urged the people of the state to continue to support the administration’s policies and programmes to develop the state.

oil spillages occasioned by their operations.

Addressing journalists Wednesday at the Oguta Town Hall, the protesting youths vowed to shut down the operations of the companies until their complaints are addressed.

The spokesman of the youths, Damian Irondi, stated that the youths from the oil producing communities would henceforth hold companies accountable for any further damage of the environment without waiting for the usual bureaucracy that has frustrated previous efforts.

Ogun Assembly canvases shift to non-oil export Abiodun Taiwo, Abeokuta

Katsina govt budgets N111.4bn for 2016

2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem Appeal, also emphasised the need for all citizens to appreciate the gallant fallen heroes through donations for the welfare and upkeep of the families they left behind, especially their widows and children.

According to the governor, such acknowledgement was needed not just in the spirit of showing appreciation for what has been done in the past, but also to assure those that are still in active service that that their efforts and sacrifices would not be in vain.

The governor said that the appreciation was imperative particularly at this period that the nation is faced with the challenges of terrorism and insurgency in parts of the country.

ÎÎÎAs

Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government in Ogun state conclude budget defence, the State House of Assembly has said that a shift from oil to nonoil revenue by the federal government will go a long way in addressing the challenges of dwindling revenue which has hindered budget performance of most states of the federation in the outgoing fiscal year.

The Chairman, State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Akanbi Bankole stated this while rounding off on 2016 budget defence at the Assembly Complex, Oke- Mosan, Abeokuta.

Bankole said that both the federal and Ogun state governments had taken proactive steps in meeting up with revenue targets of their budgets for the execution of programmes and projects for the people.

News 14 Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian Muslims, under the leadership of the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, have felicitated with Christian compatriots on the occasion of the 2015 Christmas. In a statement, on Wednesday, by Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, the Secretary-General NSCIA, the Nuslims expressed delight at the near coincidence of the traditional celebration of the birth of Jesus on Decem-

Archbishop Akinadewo remembered ÏÏÏLife

and times of the founder of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Archbishop Isaiah M. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu), will be celebrated on Saturday in Ondo, Ondo State.

According to a statement by Senior Superintendent Gabriel Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II), the popular prophet died on December 26, 2014 “and we are following his wish to celebrate him a year after his transition”.

The event will hold at Fade-Olu Event Centre, Ondo.

On Sunday, an outing service will be conducted at the international headquarters of the church, St. Adekahunsi Motailatu Cathedral, Oke-Iwosan, Ondo.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

ber 25 and the Muslims marking of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on December 24, this year, being the 12th day of Rabiul Awwal.

They pointed out that the message inherent in this near coincidence appeared to be unity and mutual understanding.

They declared that “The season of our double celebrations is an opportunity for all Nigerians to learn more about the two religious personages (Jesus and Prophet Muhammad) and rededicate themselves to their true teachings.

The statement read: “As you celebrate this impor-

Nigerian Muslims rejoice with Christian at Christmas tant event, the Muslim community in Nigeria wishes you God’s guidance and abundant blessings embedded in the festive season. We have every cause to celebrate and thank the Almighty God for the opportunity of life and the privilege of survival.

“At this time, last year, Nigeria was under a lot of tension with the national

conscience being tormented by the apocalyptic prediction of 2015 being the end of our corporate existence.

“Now that the year is ending and we remain united, it is as if God Himself wants us to learn through the near coincidence of the births of our revered Prophets, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon both).

“The message inherent in this near coincidence appears to be unity and mutual understanding.

“Therefore, the season of our double celebrations is an opportunity for us Nigerians especially to learn more about our two religious personages and rededicate ourselves to their true teachings.

“As millions of our Christian compatriots in

Nigeria celebrate Christmas, we pray that God will continue to grant you more peace, more understanding, more wisdom and more faithfulness to the true teachings of God as preached and lived by Jesus (PBUH).

“Once again, on behalf of the entire Muslim Ummah, accept our hearty felicitations and sincere season’s greetings”, it said.

Adamawa Police command gets new CP Tom Garba, Yola

ÏÏÏThe

Adamawa Police Command has made Mr. Ghazzali Mohammed the new Commissioner of Police.

A statement signed by the command Public Relations Officer, DSP Othman Abubakar, said Mohammed, who replaced Mr. Gabriel Adaji, assumed office on Wednesday.

Until his appointment, Mohammed was in charge of election planning and monitoring at the Force Headquarters Abuja.

“The new Commissioner solicits the cooperation of the general public and calls on them to be law-abiding and confident in the security apparatus of the state in the course of his administration.

“He also wishes members of the public a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year,” the statement said.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), Mr Olukunle A. Iyanda; Member, Board of Governors, ISGPP, Prof. Adigun Agbaje; former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Tunji Olaopa, after a consultative meeting with Obasanjo at the Presidential Hilltop, Abeokuta, Ogun State… on Wednesday.

Christmas: Mass exodus to villages hits Onitsha Dilionye Dilibe, Onitsha

ÏÏÏAll social and econom-

ic activities are gradually shifting to the rural areas in most parts of Anambra State, as the residents of Onitsha and all the surrounding towns are making their last minute shopping in preparation for the Christmas celebration.

In Onitsha, the town is gradually turning into a

grave yard as most residents have left for their respective towns and villages.

Families and other residents had, during the last week of December, besieged most markets in the town to make their Christmas purchases, despite the hard economic situation of the country.

Parents and guardians were not left out as they

joined the queue to buy Christmas wears for their children and wards.

A resident, Mrs. Nkechi Ifediora, told our correspondent that she purchased all her family requirements in readiness for the celebration on December 19 to avoid the traditional last minute rush.

She stated that as a routine she buys all her children’s Christmas and New Year

wears between 15th and 20th of December. Johnson Agulonye, a civil servant at Awka, who resides in Onitsha said that Christians were ready to celebrate the season despite the hard economic situation faced by many homes in Nigeria, adding that Christmas was the only season of rest and opportunity for family re-union among Christian worshipers.

Ugwuanyi presents N85bn budget to Enugu Assembly

Moses Oyediran, Enugu

ÏÏÏGovernor

Late Akinadewo

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has presented a budget proposal for 2016 to the State House of Assembly.

Ugwuanyi presented a budget estimate of Eighty-five billion, One hundred and seventy-nine million, Four hundred and forty-nine thousand naira

(N85, 179,449,000) for the 2016 fiscal year.

The budget, tagged “Budget of Stability and Consolidation”, is lower than the 2015 budget of N96, 735,300,000 by N11, 555,851,000.

Presenting the budget to the law-makers at the State House of Assembly, Ugwuanyi hinted that the budget proposalwas necessitated

by the realities of the times with respect to revenue inflow from Federal Allocation.

He said a total sum of N43,735,931,000 representing 51%, was for recurrent expenditure as against N41,795,319,789 budgeted in 2015.

According to him, N41, 443,518,000 which repre-

sents 49% is for capital expenditure as against N54,939,980,211budgeted for 2015 fiscal year.

He explained that in 2016, government expected a recurrent revenue of N63,097,415,000 as against N85,338,129,700 projected in 2015.

His administration, he said, intended to realise this

amount through aggressive internally generated revenue (IGR) drive, which is estimated to yield N18, 882,415,000 representing 29.93% of total recurrent revenue and a projected share from the Federal Revenue estimated at N44,215,000,000 which accounts for 70.07% of the total projected recurrent revenue.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

15 Opinion

Dasuki: What is criminal and what is not

T Aloy Ejimakor

he purpose of this piece is to go beneath the veneer and separate what is criminal from what is not concerning the Sambo Dasuki arms contract scandal.

Regarding the entirety of the over $2billion presumably spent by Dasuki on arms purchases and whatnot for the Nigerian armed forces, whether that’s criminal or not will depend on the following: If it’s not the legal duty of the NSA to purchase arms for the armed forces, then his doing so potentially constitutes an illegal act under the Procurement Act and the pertinent Appropriation Act. The same is true of all sundry expenditures or contracts the former NSA made that should have been made by the respective arms of the Nigerian armed forces. Unless some arcane law permitted otherwise, most Nigerians – and indeed universal best practices and the conventional wisdom – have the notion that it is beyond the purview of the NSA to purchase arms for the armed forces.

Also, the disbursements to PDP stalwarts. Here, we have Jim Nwobodo (admitted receiving N500m); Peter Odili (admitted receiving N100m);

and Bode George (admitted receiving $30,000). Now, these people have said that they didn’t receive these monies from Sambo Dasuki but from PDP officials. If true, then these disbursements are not criminal or even illegal. A political party – PDP, APC, etc – has the right to disburse monies to apparatchiks for whatever such political party deems fit and proper. Campaigns and related activities are matters legitimately under the expenditure purview of political parties. Case closed. However, it turns criminal/illegal if the patent or latent source of the money is any arm of Nigerian government, including the office of the NSA. What of Dokpesi and his billions.

Now, this one is neither black, nor white. Rather, it is a whole lot of gray plus some smoking mirrors; and here is why: Is there a reasonable nexus between the security mandates of the NSA and some pertinent TV programming? If the answer is yes, then Dokpesi and his AIT are within their rights to be paid to render such services, subject to the dictates of the Procurement Act. Yet, given that many Nigerians are inclined to believe that there is no such nexus or connection, the giver (Dasuki) and receiver (Dokpesi) may have criminal

cases to answer. Further, if it’s true that the payment is not germane to national security (Dasuki’s job) but the PDP presidential campaign (Muazu’s job), a prima facie case can be made that the transaction is potentially criminal; and as the case unfolds, some vicarious liability might thereby be implicated.

Was the over $2B spent by Dasuki voted under the pertinent Appropriation Act(s)? To answer this question, one needs to examine the line-item votes made for the entire armed forces. Assuming that the amount was voted, and the proper person to spend it was the NSA, then his mere spending of it, standing alone, cannot be criminal. What will be clearly criminal are these: That Dasuki inflated/forged the contracts; and/or that he had no authority – under the Appropriation Act – to oversee such spending. In this very later case, Dasuki shall be severally and jointly liable with any of his principals that delegated such powers to him.

Fifth – comprises of the related revelations, so far un-admitted, involving Bafarawa (N4billion plus); Yuguda (various amounts); Metuh (about N450million); and others, few, far and in-between. Now, if Bafarawa

was given the money by Dasuki from the public purse, that’s criminal unless it was for some verifiable/ valuable services rendered to the office of the NSA. If in fact it was for ‘prayers’ as widely alleged, then that is not only criminal but abominable.

On the other hand, if the money came from PDP coffers to Bafarawa, it is not criminal, except to the extent that the sheer quantum of the amount and the hush manner of its disbursement raises credible suspicions of money laundering.

Finally – what about the billions that passed through Emir Sanusi when he was CBN governor? Now, if it is true, as reported, that Sanusi stated that the disbursements were ‘donations’, then criminal culpability will turn on whether such donations are authorised by law. In considering this question, we need to recall other donations the same Sanusi had contemporaneously made to some universities and the Kano State government. If such donations are not authorised by law, then it’s Sanusi (the donor) that will be held culpable, not the donees (Dasuki, the universities and Kano State government), except to the extent that the sums may, in the course of time, become subject to civil forfeiture.

Nigeria: Nation that will be difficult to build

A

Abdullahi Musa

cartoonist of a newspaper years back posted a cartoon that interested me.

He depicted the travails of a commercial motorist by drawing an emaciated cow.The cow was being pulled to the slaughter house.But numerous parties had a rope on the cow, claiming a share:NURTW, VIO, POLICE, TOUTS, LGS, STATE GOVERNMENTS, and so on.

By drawing the cow emaciated, the cartoonist showed none of the claimants had the interest of the cow at heart. Same with Nigeria today and for quite sometime back.

An example: a man who behaves as a beast was quoted as saying he will set Nigeria on fire if PDP loses Bayelsa election. Biafrans call Nigeria Zoo, and they also threaten to burn it down.

Despite our pretensions to the contrary, Nigerians may be the most uneducated people on earth. We may be literate, but definitely uneducated. My understanding of education is the domination of minds by rationality.

This is an easier definition than expecting people to have refined manners. We seem to be genetically bohemian.

Various groups exist within the nation whose avowed mission is to

destroy the nation. Nigeria came into political existence with amalgamation in 1914. However, independence as we all know was from 1960. So some are saying since their aspirations have not been met in 55 years, they are not willing to tarry longer.

America has been in existence for much longer, you read of events there from 1700 or earlier.Black men and women were chattels back then.

They could be killed, lynched or sold, even as they in segregated exclusion.

Today, a person considered genetically black, married to pure black woman, is President, whose residence is WHITE HOUSE. Let us digress a little. Like other countries, Nigerians say they operate democracy. Democracy, like many human innovations is imperfect. It may grow or retard. I heard over a radio station that three Speakers of British Parliament were beheaded in one day, at a certain period of their growth.But here, in Nigeria, we prefer stagnation.We will not learn from our civil war.We will not learn from collapse of First Republic.We will not learn from collapse of Second Republic.

We will not learn from numerous military coups.

In addition, PDP says it will not learn from its 16 years of misrule.

Instead it is trying to say: Buhari is also corrupt.We gave him money and jeeps from Dasukigate! Who but

a Nigerian will go public with such self indictment?

If allegations were to be relied upon, PDP wanted to assassinate Buhari.They wished him dead, God said ‘no’. Moreover, it is the replacement of his burnt vehicles that they are calling corruption. What do PDP PhD holders want?

All atrocities buried. They should be allowed to come back to purchase their way back to power!

The confrontation between Shiites and Army is now the raging topic.

What is the stated goal of Shiites?It is to dethrone the current governance system, and replace it with one sanctioned by Iran.

They have a long history: from Muslim Students Society, (school based and Sunni-denominated) to Shiites ideology and practice, funded

by Iran.

In addition, these are Nigerians, working to destroy their country because they will be made rulers by a foreign power.

Nevertheless, they are not alone.

They have cousins in Syria: funded

by America, Saudis, they have destroyed Syria with hope they will replace Assad as leaders.

Will Donald Trump threaten to burn down America if he loses the coming presidential election?

Would he receive funding from Putin, raise up an army, in order to lord it over Americans?

Therefore, it is only Third World countries and other non-European nations that can be targeted for destruction.

One Nigerian lawyer says: there is nothing indivisible about Nigeria.We have heard.

However, kindly be brave enough to tell CIA, FBI, that there is nothing indivisible about America.The Scottish wanted independence from Britain.

Did they block bridges, run riot, threaten fire and brimstone?

No, there was referendum, pro – independence lost. However, Nigeria is not Britain or Spain demographically.

Division may turn bloody, destructive going by past antecedents. Will good governance rescue Nigeria?

May be, but PDP insists we will not have it in so far as it is alive.

Will exhortations make Nigerians sensible?We pray.

What is very vital, but what many Nigerians refuse to accept is: some nations exist whose preoccupation is bringing down other nations.

They recruit agents within targeted nations who will invite sanctions, UN, ICC, into the internal affairs of the victim nation.

Such recruits are there in religious bodies, in politics, in ethnic organisations, in student bodies, in labour unions, you name it.Whoever wants peace must work for it.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Features

17

Æs

Core investors at Lagos Trade Fair mostly Igbos-Asuzu

The Country President and Chairman, South-East Zone of the United NationsPolac Peace Programme in Nigeria, His Excellency, Prophet (Dr.) Ramas Okoye Asuzu Amb.P., FCON (Isimmili na Nri, Ezeoba Akajiofo Ndigbo)

recently lamented that Igbo people are the architects of their own failures in Nigeria. GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR reports.

Drawing a line from the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief

Continued on page 20

NIGERIANS GROAN THIS CHRISTMAS…

This is not the change we voted for-Alhaja Ayeni

People just window shopping at Katanguwa market

Images and mechanics of the last 357 days have plotted out the kind of Christmas Nigerians are having in the next 24 hours. While situations analysts describe the outgoing 2015 as unarguably intriguing and unexpected, the market women, unemployed youths and adults as well as pressurised housewives expressed dismay at what the year that started with so much promise has turned out to become. JOY EKEKE felt the pulse of the nation and reports.

The year 2015 has been fast and smarting, starting with an apprehensive presidential election the world believed would throw Nigeria out of the world map – then suddenly fizzled into

an oasis of ‘peace like a river.’

But no sooner was the new administration of the President Muhammadu Buhari sworn in than intrigues began to unfold and the picture of the much talked-about ‘change’ exploded in the faces of expectant

How many Northerners own any property in Enugwu, Anambra or other Eastern States for example?

No single Northerner owns anything worth calling a property.

No Yoruba man will invest and own a property in the East; it is only the Igbo man that is nationalistic; wherever he goes he invests and converts it to his own home and moves in with his entire family: no other tribe does that – Dr. Ramas

Nigerians.

Feeling the minds of mothers and fathers who did more window-shopping this December than actual buying what children and family look forward at Christmas, Joy Ekeke observed that this Christmas left little consideration for those traditional gifts under the tree, the lights at the windows, cards in the mail, chicken and turkey dinners with family and friends, and shouts of ‘Merry Christmas’ everywhere.

Continued on page 18

Features 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

CHRISTMAS: I would like to eat chicken and rice on Christmas day – Fatimah Continued from page 17 Is this really Christmas? The worldwide tradition where the observation of Jesus’ humble birth through and by a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem, the events surrounding His birth, like the sign that appeared to shepherds at a field, etc were only heard within the confines of the Church.

For the conservative pious Christians however, Christmas is a time of sorrow; they don’t have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmas when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons.

This time around, chicken dinner may be only a wish and not a reality for some.

A convent teacher and custodian of the Catholic faith, Mother Theresa Chikanmadu in a chat with our correspondent asserted that Christmas is really a season of great joy.

“It is a time of God showing His great love for us. The whole world would have been totally lost without the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Inspite of all the problems we face, Christmas should be seen as a time of healing and renewed strength.

“You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born.

His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.”

Mr. Bolaji Ogunsanya who is a consultant in a law firm responded that Christmas period is a season of joy, happiness, charity and time to be with family and friends, but this time, people don’t really talk about the festive

period because the situation in the country is nothing to write home about.

“Some families barely eat well; they don’t even know what Christmas means: all they know is how to survive and try to be happy since God has kept them alive.

“Most people don’t feel the joy of Christmas; all they feel in their heart is pains, sadness because most of them have lost their friends and families to insurgency or accident or terrible robbery attacks. Christmas comes and go but every day is Christmas to me and family,” Ogunsanya said.

Widow and mother of four children, Mrs. Alice Ichete told Daily Times in Ajegunle that she is grateful to God for providing for her children and keeping them alive. “But to a person like me, Christmas is a time of greater labour and hardship because I have to try harder to give my children something they can hold on and say my mother bought this for me at Christmas time.

“It means longer toiling days and nights, in the sun and in the harmattan I don’t have the extra money to buy presents for

Not every family can eat rice now

Even the price of Tomatoes has gone out of reach

You can see that there is nothing united in this nation at all, except perhaps, the game of football which itself has been politicised and tribalised: now players have to be brought in from all the geo political zones, which is not the spirit of soccer. The fate of this country as one nation is as good as anyone’s guess.

Culturally we are not the same; in religion we are not the same – Lecturer M.C. Nwafor

them because every kobo I can get goes into feeding all of us. I am a widow and only God is my provider.”

A grocer (petty trader on vegetables) at Orile market along Badadry-Oshodi Express way, Mrs. Amaka Matthew sighed and confessed she doesn’t even know how she will celebrate this Christmas.

“I am confused; I can’t even think of what I will get for my five children. I can’t look up to my husband because he has no job since two years, but I trust God that we will manage whatever we have. My neighbours are buying some fine second hand clothes.

I will try to do that but they will manage their old shoes for the

Christmas because I can’t go and steal.”

Further, Amaka she will buy fresh fish and one white paint of rice so she can cook for her household. “The main thing is that we’ll eat the food with Joy in our hearts that we are alive and nobody will know unless we tell them. So am grateful to God.” Chukuemeka Nnamani, who sells female wears at Idumota market in Lagos Island, told Daily Times he’s always sad every December 15th because of the terrible accident that happened to his twin brother.

“I can never get over December 15th 2013 because it gives me pain

Continued on page 19

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Okrika market, Katanguwa, Lagos

19 Features

Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

CHRISTMAS: We are selling at a loss – Okrika trader Continued from page 18 in my heart. My twin brother died in that accident on that day and it was like I died with him.

That is why I stopped travelling anywhere once we enter the month of December.

“We were traveling to the east when we had this terrible accident at Ibadan express way and my twin brother died instantly. That was a black Christmas for my entire family.

To me, Christmas died that day; I have nothing to celebrate in a month that destroyed my twin brother. The only thing that keeps me going are the goods in my shop.”

When features desk visited Kantokowa, the largest secondhand wears market this side of Africa, a man’s voice was shouting above the noisy market, “Buy your Orika top; na just N200! If you wear it this Christmas, nobody will know you again! Na only mumu dey go boutique!”

When our correspondent could catch his attention, the trader, Mr. Chike Ike mourned that this Christmas is dry because there is no money outside.

He was sweating profusely as

he spoke: “As you see all these people going up and down, they don’t really buy anything. They just widow-shop, look–and-drop. Even if they price at all they price your market anyhow - and the economy is not helping matters.

“A bale of this second hand cloth of female blouse and jeans was selling at N80,000 before Christmas; but now it shot up to N150,000. No matter what you say, customers are finding it difficult to buy at our price and when you tell them that the price has gone up, they will start shouting, and before you know, they will leave it and go.”

Has it always been like this in the past?

“Oh no; December used to be our happy month in this business, but this time around, it is totally different: everything has changed; we are selling at a loss. I wonder how we will survive,” he lamented.

Even the beggars are hungry 10-years-old Shola Oluwatosin is a seed of a rapist; he was born and raised on the streets by his own mother who was raped during her youth. Daily Times encountered him on Ajara road, along Badagry Expressway late

Ojukwu warned them that in the end, they will regret all these investments they are pouring into Lagos State because in a matter of time, Lagos State legislators will write off their property.

They will forfeit all their homes and investments they have sunk into Lagos State and go back home and start struggling again in their old age until they die – Dr. Ramas on Tuesday night, begging on the street.

Looking at Shola and other children playing Ajara road off Badagry Expressway, you wonder whether things like Christmas really make sense to them.

Born and growing in the streets in uncomfortable conditions, celebrating Christmas is really not-so-familiar vocabulary to their ears. In fact, to them Christmas holiday is a ‘dark period’ where scarcity and starvation abound.

Fatima Yakubu seated on

a pavement along Orile bus stop with her three–years-old daughter is another of the beggars living off the street.

Although Fatima’s daughter has mastered the art of begging more accurately and cunningly than her mother, her day’s collection is not enough to see them through a ‘dry spell’ like Christmas.

Fatima said Christmas is a memory of the past.

She only remembers celebrating the season during her early child hood; now she has the responsibility to plan how to get what to eat and survive on streets - by begging.

“I would like to eat chicken and rice on Christmas day,” she said, smiling at her daughter, “but it is not possible because it’s like I am day dreaming.”

Like Fatima, 32-years-old physically challenged Akin Ogunlola who operates along Ojudu-Berger bus stop, would wish to have a Merry Christmas.

For the past few years, Ogunlola has woken up every morning to his duty of begging in the hope that he will make enough money and have the luxury of celebrating Christmas with his family back in Ijebu Ode in Ogun

State but that has not come yet in the last three years of begging.

“This year, I have been to save a little money which cannot be enough for my transport back home; so I can’t even dream of buying some meat for the children,” Musa said as he counted on his ‘tesbih’.

The chicken and turkey market at Iyana Ipaja wears the same look as the secondhand clothes. The crowed of women pricing and going away was visibly pronounced. All they could say is blame the economy.

A women who spoke vehemently identified as the deputy market leader, Alhajia Risikat Ayeni said everybody were hopeful in May when the new government came in.

“The politicians came and promised us heaven and earth and we believed them. Now look at the economy; we cannot afford to buy turkey or chicken and sell them for profit. Everybody is complaining. What is next year going to look like?

“Please help us tell government that we are tired. This is not the change we voted for. We need help.”

Features 20 Continued from page 17 Odumegwu Ojukwu who had continually warned Ndigbo to come home and invest in their towns and villages, Prophet (Dr.) Ramas Okoye Asuzu told our correspondent in this exclusive interview of his tears and pains at the colossal losses of Igbo people in Nigeria, especially in the Northern states since independence.

“I was present when the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was invited to the commissioning of the International Trade Fair on Badagry Road in Lagos. The business community and core investors in the complex being mostly Igbo people, they had thought Ojukwu will sing and praise their efforts, but Ikemba cried and told the Igbo people to their faces that he was totally disappointed in them.

“He warned them that in the end, they will regret all these investments they are pouring into Lagos State because in a matter of time, only with a pen through one legislation will Lagos State legislators will write off their property. They will forfeit all their homes and investments they have sunk into Lagos State and they will go back home and start struggling again in their old age until they die. Ojukwu had told them it happened before, and it will happen again.

“Since the past ten years I have been talking to Igbo people in Nigeria and in the Diaspora to look back home, to move their massive investments, industries, commerce, even intellectual properties to their own people, but nobody is listening; the successful Ibo business class think only them know how to reason, that only them have first class brains, but let us borrow a leaf from the former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio.

“Apapa wharf is not the only hob of business in the country; there is also the Warri wharf and the Calabar Wharf where Ibos can go and invest and I tell you, both wharfs can be as good as Lagos tin can. I don’t know what so attract Igbo people that they commit all that they have into Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria without remembering that they have towns and villages lying empty with youths and elderly people languishing in poverty. My people should adhere to the adage says, East or West, Home is the best.’

Ramas pointed to some five star hotels and estates owned by Igbo business men and lamented that the spirit of Lagos has taken everything away from his people.

‘Rock View Hotel in Apapa, Lagos, for example, was built by the owner of Young Shall Grow transport; yet this man is one

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

UN-Polac Chairman, others lament:

Igbos are architects of their failures

of those who made the building of our Anambra State airport impossible till today. All those transporters, according to my personal investigation, are the brains behind infrastructural failures for decades since Anambra became a State, so much that we could not build even an aerodrome where a helicopter or small planes will land in the State.

“Since I was in Lagos in 1980, I heard about Ogbar airport, but till this moment, there is no clearance and no progress; there is another airport they are trying again but nothing has come out of it. Igbo transporters as well as those generator merchants that sabotage power flow in Nigeria believe there is no development coming to Anambra, so they enrich other states and kill their own fatherland.”

The industrialist and traditionalist also frowned at the slow pace of his own state government in grassroots development.

“I left Lagos city and returned home to develop the grassroots; helping my native people and developing my community; helping the widows, people abandoned in hospitals in the state and outside, championing the course of youths and empowering both young and old, yet the state government does not even acknowledge efforts of people like me.

“What is the hope of our future generation if all our labour becomes the prosperity of other states and other nations? Look at all the years Anambra spent in litigation fighting autonomy in our local government areas in our own Nri kingdom; it is only recently government yielded to that demand after some 22 years! Freedom is sweet; freedom is development, like the Local Government for example, because its creation will now usher in development to the grassroots.”

Ramas is not alone in this view; the overview of a unified Ndigbo as a people or Nigeria as a nation as assessed by a member of the highly esteemed Enugwu-Ukwu Traditional Council and lecturer at the Madonna University in Anambra State, Dr. M.C. Nwafor, falls far short of optimism.

“You can see that there nothing

Asuzu

I don’t know what attract Igbo people that they commit all they have into Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria without remembering that they have towns and villages lying empty with youths and elderly people languishing in poverty. My people should adhere to the adage that says, East or West, Home is the best.

united in this nation at all, except perhaps, the game of football which itself has been politicised and tribalised; now players have to be brought in from all the geo political zones, which is not the spirit of soccer. The fate of this country as one nation is as good as anyone’s guess. Culturally we are not the same; in religion we are not the same. Now your son cannot do his youth service in the North.”

Buttressing the pains of Ramas on Igbos in the Diaspora, Nwafor pointed out: “Consider seriously: how many Northerners own any property

in Enugwu, Anambra or other Eastern States for example?

Apart from one they call Baba Enugu, no single Northerner owns anything worth calling a property; no Yoruba man will invest and own a property in the East; it is only the Igbo man that is nationalistic; wherever he goes he invests and converts it to his own home and moves in with his entire family: no other tribe does that.

“From all indications I am not too optimistic about this country continuing as one sovereign nation, except God Almighty intervenes,” Ramas concluded.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

21 News

Ex-FUTA workers protest sack ÏÏÏSacked

workers of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), on Wednesday, embarked on a peaceful protest over their dismissal by the federal government.

The protesters are among the over 2000 workers recently disengaged from the staff schools run by 30 universities owned by the federal government.

They carried placards with different inscriptions such as “Buhari, this is not the change we voted for”, “Save our jobs”, “Daramola, don’t privatize FUTA Staff Primary School”, “Teachers are not second

class citizens” and “Stop maltreating us in FUTA staff primary School”.

SSANU chairman, FUTA branch Chairman, Benedict Chukwudi, said about 45 members of the union had received dismissal letters.

He faulted federal government for going ahead with the sack of the university workers despite that a case challenging the action was still pending in court.

Chukwudi berated management of FUTA, saying it was the only institution among those affected that had issued sacked letters to its workers, adding that the

THE GRACE ARENA INTER PRAYER MINISTRY

management had also gone ahead to advertise the vacant positions in national dailies.

He said: “The plan to disengage some SSANU members in 30 federal universities started during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. But the government failed to achieve its aim before it expired.

“This same circular was also issued again on October 9, this year, by the Deputy Director of Ministry of Education, Mr. E.O Fayemi, directing government to stop the salaries of the affected staff.

“Despite that the matter

is in court, the present government has decided to go ahead with the sack. The sacked workers are staff of FUTA because the primary school where they work is just an organ that cannot employ workers.

“However, the national body of SSANU has given only today to the government to reverse the circular or we embark on a national strike tomorrow (today). I don’t know why the government had decided to bounce on the University staff school workers because the Navy, Police and other staff schools are still being paid by the government.”

THE SERAPHINE OUTREACH

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

This is to notify the general public that the above named church has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1 of 1990.

TRUSTEES; 1. ADEYEMI TAIWO OLASUMBO – PRESIDENT 2. ADEYEMI BEATRICE IYABO – VICE PRESIDENT 3. AKINSANYA BISI GANIYAT – TREASURER 4. IDOWU TEMIDAYO GRACE - SECRETARY

TRUSTEES ARE : 1.

NWOSU SERAPHINE CHIOMA 2.

EZENYI LAWRENCE CHUKWUDI 3.

EZECHUKWU UJU ABIGAIL 4.

CHUKS G. NWOSU

AIMS; TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To Consistently equip and empower African Youth and Women through resourcing,training, mentoring and counselling in order to overcome the millennial challenges and build dependable society worthy of emulation.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication Signed by :- TRUSTEES

CHRIST THE LIVINGSTONE GLOBAL MINISTRY The General Public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Pastor (Mrs) Victoria Funke Oluwole (Chairman) 2. Elder Lawrence Ola Oluwole 3. Deaconess Victoria Kehinde Okubadejo 4. Mr. Faroye Adesanmi (secretary) 5. Mr. Omotosho Joel Alaji THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of truth, peace and deliverance in all parts of Nigeria and around the world 2. To build a people that are heavenly conscious by encouraging its members to know Jesus Christ in all parts of Nigeria and around the world Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

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

SIGNED GENERAL SECRETARY.

COMMUNITY VOCATIONAL SKILL & ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVE

Mallam Adamu Adamu, Education Minister

NDOMA OGAR I formerly known and addressed as OGAR PAUL, now wish to be Known and addressed as NDOMA OGAR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

SANYA ISREAL AYO

AWOSIKA – AKEREMALE OLANREWAJU JOAN

I formerly known and addressed as OWO GBOLAHAN EMMANUEL, now wish to be Known and addressed as SANYA ISREAL AYO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as AWOSIKA OLANREWAJU JOAN, now wish to be Known and addressed as AWOSIKA – AKEREMALE OLANREWAJU JOAN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

BINT- JAHSH CHARITY FOUNDATION

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied for registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part C of the Companies And Allied Matters Act No 1.Of 1990.

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. MR CHRIS IFEANYI ONWUAGHA - PRESIDENT 2. MR CYRIL ANAJEMBA 3. MRS NKECHI J. ONWUAGHA - SECRETARY 4. ENGR. DAVID NWAKAJI

THE NAMES OF THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. ATTA IBRAHIM DAUDA 2. ATTA HALIMA 3. ATTA DAUDA IBRAHIM

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:TO ASSIST COMMUNITY BY TEACHING THEM SKILL ACQUISITION TO BETTER THEIR LIVES Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, p.m.b 198, maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed by :- SECRETARY

Signed by:SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To make positive social changes that will promote the welfare and happiness of less privileged in the society 2.To promote unique character, hard work, self confidence and patriotism 3.To encourage and empower projects that will contribute to the growth and development of the society Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED BY ADUWA VICTOR ESQ.

JOSEPH MFON UMOETTE

METU CHINEDU NELSON

TAIWO AKINYEMI

IGWENAGU EYIUCHE CONSTANCE

BURAIMOH MARIAM YETUNDE

MRS BULOR UMOGBAI

I formerly known and addressed as JOSEPH ETIM ITEK, now wish to be Known and addressed as JOSEPH MFON UMOETTE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS AKPAN FELIX ANTHONY NOW WISH TO BE ADDRESSED AS METU CHINEDU NELSON ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC TAKES NOTE

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS OKEREKE JOY EZINNE NOW WISH TO BE ADDRESSED AS TAIWO AKINYEMI ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID GENERAL PUBLIC TAKES NOTE

I formerly known and addressed as ENWELUM EYIUCHE CONSTANCE, now wish to be Known and addressed as IGWENAGU EYIUCHE CONSTANCEL. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as IBRAHIM MORIAMO YETUNDE, now wish to be Known and addressed as BURAIMOH MARIAM YETUNDE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as MISS BULORGBAMU COCODIA, now wish to be Known and addressed as MRS BULOR UMOGBAI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

MRS GRACE ENEWAN OLUMIDE

UDOJI MMADUABUCHI KIZITO

MRS OMOLABAKE ABOSEDE AKINBOTE

OMAGE OZUANVBOR EVELYN

MESHACH MAKINTA

AGBANE SAINT

I formerly known and addressed as MISS GRACE SYLVANUS AKPAWAN, now wish to be Known and addressed as MRS GRACE ENEWAN OLUMIDE All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as UDOJI KIZITO MERCHANT now wish to be Known and addressed as UDOJI MMADUABUCHI KIZITO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OMOLABAKE ABOSEDE (NEE: EFUNSILE), now wish to be Known and addressed as MRS OMOLABAKE ABOSEDE AKINBOTE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as AGBEBAKU OZUANVBOR EVELYN, now wish to be Known and addressed as OMAGE OZUANVBOR EVELYN. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as ALI MAKINTA, now wish to be Known and addressed as MESHACH MAKINTA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as AGBANE JOHNSON, now wish to be Known and addressed as AGBANE SAINT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

Public Notice 22 FOUNDATION FOR ALTERNATIVE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT Notice is hereby given to the General Public that the above named organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for the registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Acts No. 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. NLEKWUWA OWEN 2. NDUBUISI CLEMENT UWADIEGWU 3. JOY NGWAKWE 4. NLEKWUWA DAVID CHIDUBEM 5. ODIAH FABIAN MICHAEL AIMS & OBJECTIVES 1. Reduce the number of youths that take to criminal activities.

2. Reduce high rate of unemployment amongst youth.

3. Guide and assist the youth to discover their talents and potentials.

4. Increase entrepreneurship and self-employment amongst youth.

5. Restore self-confidence and self-esteem to the youth.

6. Achieve attitudinal and behavioural change amongst youth towards community and national development.

7. Transform young job seekers into employers of labour.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar–General Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Ivory Solicitors Legal Practitioners & Notaries Public 374, Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos 08037122564

HAGNOS EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

KOINONIA FORTHWORTH INITIATIVE

PRACTICAL GOSPEL MINISTRY

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has Applied to the Corporation Affairs Commission Abuja for Registration Under Part “c” of the Companies and Allied Matters Acts, 1990.

This is to inform the General Public that the above Named Organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Change of trustees, replacement of misplaced original certificate and amendment of constitution Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Olubunmi Oluseyi Sonde 2. Adegbemisola Temitope Adekola 3. Adebiodun Olubukola Sonde 4. Adenomo Godwin Momoh

OLD TRUSTEES ARE : 1) Peter Adeyemi Ajala 2) Sunday Adetunji Ajala 3) Gabriel Olalere Akanni 4) Owolabi Josiah.

NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Elder Gabriel Shittu Idowu 2. Pastor Sunday Adetunji Ajala 3. Sister Hannah Adenike Oshuntola 4. Pastor Folorunso Adisa Oladele 5. Bro Sunday Elijah Omone 7.Pastor Gbenga Benjamin Adediran 6.Pastor Adeniyi Amos Adekunle.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE : To help the needy.

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

SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE MUSLIM PIOUS WOMEN ORGANIZATION

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

CO-LABOURERS INTERNATIONAL MISSION

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

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

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1: Okwara Henry Ohaechesi 2: Okwara Amaka Susan.

THE TRUSTEE ARE: 1. YUSUF HAMDALLAT TAIWO 2. ABDULKAREEM FATIMAH BIADE 3. MUHIBAT ABENI ODURINDE OLADOSU 4. LUQMAN OLATOKUNBO OBILEYE 5. PROF. MUDASIRU OLALERE 6. ALHAJI BADMUS ALIU 7. OLAOLU ALI (SAN) 8. PROF. AFUSAT ALABI 9. MR. ADERINTO DAUD.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Adeleke Akanji Samuel - General Overseer 2. Ajegunmo Olubunmi Nelson 3. Adedapo Olukemi Ajegunmo 4. Toluwalase Muyiwa Omotehinse - Secretary

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. Embarking on the delivery of healthcare services in rural areas.

2. Engage in ethical empowerment and human development.

5.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twentyeight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

Daylight Glorious Assembly This is to inform the General Public that the above Named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor/Prophet Akinola Oluwafemi - Chairman 2. Mr Adesanya Francis Abimbola - Vice Chairman 3. Pastor/Mrs Akinola Funmilayo Abiona - Secretary 4. Mr Olagboye Solomon Aderoju - Treasurer 5. Mr Komolafe Victor Olakunle -Financial Secretary 6. Mrs Olatunbosun Opeyemi Yemisi - Assistant Secretary 7. Mr Olaiya Olanipekun Adesoji - Member AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To Preach The Gospel To Mankind 2. To Evangelize 3. To Organize Prayer Meetings.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES.

LIFE OF GOD CONSECRATED CHURCH INTERNATIONAL. This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration of trustees under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended).

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To propagate Islamic religion.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. Church Planting 2. Welfare Of The Members 3. Giving Hope To The Hopeless 4. Raising and Sending Missionaries 5. Providing Education And Health Services

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED BY SECRETARY.

SIGNED BY SANTUS A.OGAR.

AL HASSAN ULTRA MODERN MOSQUE ILISHAN REMO This is to inform the General Public that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Gbadamosi Sulaiman Adebayo - Chairman 2. Nofiu Isiaka Abiodun - Secretary 3. Dauda Kokumo Kadiri - Member 4. Badmus Adewale Al Hassan - Member 5. Gbadamosi Funmilayo Mariam - Member 6. Otelaja Munirudeen Adeniyi - Member 7. Muhammed Sidiqot Oluwafunmike - Member 8. Abdul Ganiyy Muhammed -Member AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To propagate and publicise the cause of Islam 2. To promote the growth and development of the mosque 3. To participate in all Islamic activities that can project the true image of Islam throughout Ogun state and the federation.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication

ADURAGBEMI ITEDO ANU CHERUBIM & SERAPHIM CHURCH ALADURA The general public is hereby noticed that the above named society has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Act 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. AWE KAFILAT OLUWAKEMI 2. AFISUNLU ELIJAH OLUWAGBENGA 3. ISADIRAN TOSIN OPEYEMI 4. ODOGUN FUNMILAYO ZANAB 5. GLOVER OLADELE OLAONIPEKUN AIM AND OBJECTIVE : TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND MADE THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEING KNOWN ON EARTH. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission plot 420 tigris crescent of aguiyi ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE ORATORY OF THE LORD MINISTRY

IGHALO ORPHANAGE HOME

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

TRUSTEES ARE : 1, Atunwa Abiodun Adebayo.

2. Atunwa Abosede Victoria.

3. Kayode Odesola-( chairman) 4.Isaac Segun Ipinlaye.

5.Adetunji Gabriel Oladele(secretary)

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Olori Nihinlola Ibiyemi 2. Mrs R. T Adejumo 3. Pastor Adekoyejo Adesoji Aderemi 4. Pastor James Olusholabomi Akande.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Omorogieva Sonia 2. Nwabueze Chiedozie Phintan.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES .

1. To preach the gospel of Christ.

2. To propagate God’s kingdom on earth.

3. To win souls for Christ.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. To train ministers of God 3. To mentor leaders in the fear of God

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28)days of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication

GODSON C. NWOSU & CO. 2, CATHOLIC MISSION STREET,LAGOS.

SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY ORGANIZATION The General Public is hereby notified that the above named Organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. OGUNMUYIWA JUDITH OMOLARA 2. FAKEYE SAM UEL GBOLAHAN THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To help the less privilege 2. To cater for member of the society morally and financially 3.To undertake programs that will impact peoples lives positively 4.To carry out programs & project that will bring development to the community.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed by:OGUNMUYIWA JUDITH OMOLARA

SIGNED: SECRETARY

BLESSED PEACE REIGNTH CHURCH This is to notify the general public that the above named church has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1 of 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. GODWIN AUGUSTINE UDOFIA - General Overseer 2. PASTOR (DR.) FRIDAY HARRY ETUKUDOH - Adviser 3. BROTHER PAUL GODWIN AUGUSTINE 4. BROTHER JAMES UDOH UDOH 5. ELDER NSE UDOH UDOH - Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To propagate the word of God. 2. To preach salvation and save souls throughout the world.

3. To engage in missionary activities.

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

SIGNED GENERAL SECRETARY

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To Give Humanitarian Services Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES.

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT IN PHYSICAL REHABILITATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named non governmental organization(NGO) has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act,cap 20, LFN 2004 as amended.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mr Oluwayomi Aoko - trustee.

2. Engr. Oluwasegun Olowe - trustee.

3. Mrs Mary Aoko - trustee AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. Developing research, education and easy access to community based physical rehabilitation services.

2. Training specialists and staff managing rehab centers Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission plot 420 tigris crescent of aguiyi ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: MRS TOYIN. ADESIYAN (SEC, ADMIN)

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

23 News

Taraba Speaker ceases to exist, says APC Tom Garba, Yola

ÏÏÏThe Court of Appeal,

sitting in Yola, has ruled that a fresh election be conducted in five polling units of Mbanga Constituency of Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State, where the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Abel Diah, hails from.

The counsel to the All Progressives Congress

(APC) candidate Mr. M.A. John, told newsmen that Hon. Peter Diah had ceased to exist as the sitting member representing Mbamga Constituency and Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, given the courts verdict, and pending the conduct of a new election .

Justice H.J. Sankeh ordered a re-run of the election with immediate effect, having unveiled

some salient and contentious issues in the legal battle, where Diah headed to in Yola to reclaim his mandate after the National and State Assembly Tribunal nullified his election due to alleged irregularities as claimed by the APC. The verdict was to the effect that “all the votes cast in the three polling units should be taken back to their rightful owners in the ward

where there was partial and skeletal accreditation at the last election conducted in the polling units of Mbanga Petel, Vakuden Den, GDSS Mbamga, Mbamba down Mbamba three corner, Limp and Bra. The Chief of Staff to Diah, Mr. Philip Andrew, insisted that he was still the Speaker, as there was a new case instituted against the APC challenging the re-run election of

the five polling units.

“The judgment that was passed, on Wednesday, was one side of the verdict, even if with it, the Speaker succeeded in his case. The party is challenging some irregularities in some polling units that elections were held and the court set aside some number of polling units which they claimed they had won. To some extend the Speaker’s case suc-

Bishop blames past leaders for economic woes

Minister assures FCT residents of safety Idu Jude Abuja

Nkiru Nwagbo, Awka.

ÏÏÏThe

ÏÏÏBishop of

the Catholic diocese of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has blamed the prevailing harsh economic situation in the country on poor management of the nation’s vast resources by past leaders.

Ezeokafor, who stated this while delivering his 2015 Christmas message at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, on Wednesday, said that if Nigerians had used her resources well in the past, the current economic crisis they were into, as a country, wouldn’t have cropped up.

IEDPU offsets fine of three prisons inmates Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏThe

Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), on Wednesday, paid the court fine of three inmates of Oke-Kura Maximum Prisons, Ilorin.

This is to ensure the release of the affected inmates from the prison.

The National President of IEDPU, Alh AbduHamid Adi, announced the gesture when he led members of the union, on a visit to the prisons at Ilorin and Mandala as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of IEDPU’s annual conferences.

The inmates, it was learnt, had completed their jail term, but could not be released because of their inability to offset the fine as prescribed by law.

ceeded – in part,” Philip said.

“Another side of the case that was expected to be heard, on Wednesday, was the one challenging some technical issues that were raised by the PDP in my state.

Now, judgement on the case has been postponed, and until that judgement is passed you can’t with certainty the Speaker has been removed,” he added.

Vice Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Osun State, Prof. Sola Fajana (left), during the decoration of immediate past Commander, Nigeria Army Education Corps, Major General Dapo Adebayo (rtd) with a doctorate degree in entrepreneurship in Osun State… on Wednesday.

Eid-el-Maulud: Ambode urges Muslims to pray for peace ÏÏÏLagos

State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday, called on Muslims in the nation to offer special prayers for greater peace, unity and continuous progress of Nigeria, as they join their counterparts across the world to celebrate Eid-El-Maulud, which is the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, he enjoined Muslims to follow

the exemplary leadership of the Holy Prophet by promoting peaceful co-existence among the various segments of the society.

While imploring Nigerians to shun ethnic, political and religious differences, and work towards building a safer and better Nigeria, Ambode said the celebration of the birth of the Prophet should renew the faith and bond of unity among Nigerians as one people and one nation irrespective of diversity.

“On the occasion of the

commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet, it is imperative to reflect on his teachings and uphold his legacies of unity, integrity, peaceful co-existence and love for one’s neighbour, which are indispensable in our quest for a meaningful development and the profitable management of our diversity,” he said.

Ambode also urged Muslim to internalise the virtues of honesty, selflessness, charity, tolerance, good neighbourliness,

justice, equity and fairness which Prophet Mohammad preached, saying such would go a long way to engender national development.

“I would like to urge all Nigerians to commit and rededicate themselves to making greater effort to imbibe these qualities and values as they celebrate the Prophet’s birthday.

I therefore wish all our Muslim brothers and sisters in Nigeria, and Lagos in particular, a happy Eidel-Maulud”, he said.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has given an assurance that the FCT administration would continue to support the security agencies there to make Abuja safer.

He gave the assurance while receiving the new Commander of the AHQ Garrison, Abuja, MajorGeneral John Seyina Malu, who paid him a working visit in his office, on Tuesday.

Bello remarked that Abuja, as the seat of government of Nigeria, and needed more security attention considering that the city was the window through which the world sees Nigeria.

According to him, Abuja hosts Mr. President, members of the National Assembly, Chief Justice of the Federation, as well as members of the diplomatic community and, therefore, every effort must be made to ensure adequate security of lives and property of the residents.

Musa Bello, FCT Minister

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Christmas: Lalong calls for vigilance Chijioke Kingsley

ÏÏÏPlateau

state governor, Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, has called on the people of the state to be vigilant and law-abiding during the festivities.

He made the call during his Christmas message to

Christians on the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The message was contained in a press statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Affairs, Samuel Emmanuel Nanle and made available to our correspondent.

While admonishing Christians to reflect and imbibe the virtues of Christ, he noted that Christmas is not only the commemoration of the birth of the Saviour of the World, but the bringing of joy to mankind in God’s restoration of humanity to himself. He

advised Christians to emulate this love of God to their fellow human beings, and pursue the godly character of peace, reconciliation and harmonious living with one another.

He reiterated the determination of the APCled administration in the

state to fulfill her promises to the people of the state for a just and egalitarian society anchored on the Five Policy Thrust, of the administration.

Lalong further wished all Christians a memorable celebration and a prosperous New Year.

Maulud: Saraki preaches love, peaceful co-existence

Buhari greets Muslims at Eidel-Maulud Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏPresident Muhamma-

du Buhari on Wednesday, charged Muslims in the country to emulate piety, prayerfulness and service to God and humanity that characterised the life of Prophet Mohammed.

Buhari’s admonition came as Muslims the world over commemorate the birth of the Holy Prophet.

A statement by the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, issued in Abuja quoted the President as advising Muslims in the country to rededicate themselves to upholding the teachings of the Holy Prophet in their public and private lives.

The statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari felicitates with the Islamic community in Nigeria as they celebrate the birthday of Prophet Mohammed.

“The President calls on all Muslims to use the opportunity of his birthday to reflect on the teachings of the Prophet, who lived a life of piety, prayer and service to God and humanity.

ÏÏÏSenate President, Dr.

Officer, Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Adebowale Lawal, on Wednesday, reaffirmed the ban on street carnivals and the use of fireworks during the Yuletide.

It would be recalled that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase,

gerians to have the same equal opportunity.

He said, “Let every Nigerian have equal share of the national cake, it should not be cornered by one section or person for greedy purposes. We should learn to live in peace with one another, as everyone is free to live anywhere he likes. Let us return to that first love where Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa can co-exist without bickering.’’

Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, felicitated with Muslims on this year’s celebration of Eidel-Maulud and enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (SAW) which are anchored on love, peaceful coexistence and harmony.

Saraki, in a goodwill message to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed (SAW), signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, said just like the birth of the Holy Prophet in Mecca ushered in a new dawn for humanity, Nigerians should view the occasion of this year’s Maulud Nabiyyi as an opportunity for a new beginning for the country.

He noted that the country has made tremendous progress in terms of security of lives and property since the last celebration and urged Muslim faithful to use the occasion to further seek the mercy and protection of Allah for all Nigerians.

patrolling the markets to ensure and check the sale of fireworks. ``We have our men everywhere, especially in the markets to ensure that fireworks were totally removed. ``This is because fireworks have the same sound as some of the guns these criminals use and people cannot differentiate them. ``The ban will help us to

secure people during the Christmas and New Year celebrations,’’ he said.

Lawal also commended the media for their enormous contributions and for partnering with the police to curb crime in the zone comprising Ogun and Lagos State.

He added that the media had bridged the gap between the members of the public and the police.

Former Commissioner for Local Government Service, Lagos State, Dr. Adeleke Ipaye (middle) sharing live chickens and food items to members of his constituency in Lagos... on Wednesday

Yuletide: Cleric tasks security agencies, Nigerians on security Augustine Okezie Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

senior pastor in charge of the Abuja division of God’s Chosen Church, Dr. Eni Akugbe, has called on security agencies and all Nigerians to strengthen their vigilance and security watch, particularly on soft targets that are often vulnerable to terrorist attacks Pastor Akugbe who

made the call in Abuja during the Christmas carol and end of year activities hosted by the church, said that terrorists who presently are losing out on the war with the federal government, will certainly resort to terrorising those who troop out to celebrate the Christmas and New Year activities.

He said, ’’the hallmark for the protection of lives and property is eternal vigilance and as we go

about celebrating, we must be vigilant and security conscious since it is only the living that celebrates. Security agencies and indeed all Nigerian must close rank to checkmate the activities of Boko Haram.’’

The clergy also frowned at the activities of political leaders who recycle available vacancies and political appointments to their friends and loved ones instead of allowing every Ni-

Lagos Police ban carnivals, use of fireworks

ÏÏÏThe Public Relations

Gov. Lalong

had banned such activities due to the high rate of robbery and insurgency in the country.

According to Lawal, the ban would also help to avoid unnecessary bloodshed during the Christmas and New Year festivities. ``Following instructions from the Inspector-General of Police, any form of street carnival and the use of fireworks still remain

banned. ``The idea is to prevent undesirable elements from hiding under the guise of celebrating with fireworks to unleash mayhem on innocent members of the public. ``We don’t want anyone to lose his or her life in the cause of celebrating this period. ``The rivalry fights between cult members often

start from some of these street carnivals and we do not want such incidences to happen during this year’s celebration,’’ he said.

Lawal added that for street carnivals to hold, the organisers should appropriately inform the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area.

The PPRO disclosed that policemen were regularly

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

25 Opinion

Nigeria Vision 20-2020 Mirage? (1)

ÏÏÏWikipedia provides an

apt introduction to the topic of our discussion, Nigeria Vision 20-2020 (NV2020): “By 2020 Nigeria will be one of the 20 largest economies in the world, able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena” (Nigerian National Planning Commission (NPC). Nigeria’s economic potential is well recognized: it is the biggest economy in the West African sub region. Given the country’s considerable resource endowment and coastal location there is potential for strong growth. Nigeria has however attained very little of her potential. Previous attempts at planning and visioning were not upheld.

The history of economic stagnation, declining welfare and social instability, has undermined development in the last three decades. However, in recent years, Nigeria has experienced a growth turnaround and conditions seem right for her to launch onto a path of sustained and rapid growth, which justifies her ranking amongst the N11 countries. These are the countries identified by Goldman Sachs to have the potential for attaining global competitiveness based on their economic and demographic settings and the foundation for reforms already laid. The previous administration had

declared the intention to pursue the vision of placing Nigeria among the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020 and the current administration is committed to the attainment of this vision. The Business Support Group is an initiative of the Secretariat of the National Steering Committee of Vision 2020, which is intended to engender Private Sector support for the NV2020 process. The key functions of the Business Support Group are to: generate publicity, public opinion and national buy-in; mobilize resources from the Private Sector, organize fund raising activities to support NV2020; and provide technical and financial support (Wikipedia: Nigeria Vision 2020).

In this series, we shall dwell on key aspects of the success determinants of NV2020. First, we will study Nigeria’s economic potential. Second, we shall seek an understanding of how Nigeria has realised very little of her potential.

Third we shall examine why past planning and visioning were not sustained. Fourth, we will seek an explanation of how the history of economic stagnation, declining welfare and social instability, has undermined development for most of the past 30 years. Fifth, we shall look into the interplay of economic stagnation, declining welfare and social

Buhari

instability. Sixth, we shall test the assertion that in recent years, Nigeria has been experiencing a growth turnaround. Seventh, we shall also test the proposition that conditions seem right for launching Nigeria onto a path of sustained and rapid growth. Eighth, we shall x-ray the idea that the current administration is committed to the attainment of NV2020. Ninth, we shall study the potential and nature of private sector support for the NV2020. Tenth, drawing from the above nine studies, we shall underscore and underpin what critical steps must be taken to turn NV2020 from a mirage to a reality.

Before beginning our analysis, I would like to state where I am now in terms of my own perception of Nigeria’s economic challenge and potential. In doing so, I will essentially be restating the views I had expressed in this column on the occasion of

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Nigeria’s 55th independence anniversary. I engaged the following question: What is the true and fundamental reflection and root cause of the globally notorious Nigerian crisis of underdevelopment and incessant violent conflicts both in the Niger Delta and several other regions of the country, notably ethnic and religious crisis in Northern Nigeria?

I had submitted, shocking as it may sound, that Nigeria’s problem is not corruption.

My position would indeed be amazing to many students of the country. I was however not playing the ostrich. What I meant was that beyond the notorious individual abuse-of-power ‘corruption’ is a deeper institutionalized corruption rooted essentially in the current Nigerian Constitution at Section 44(3) and tangentially in Section 1 of the Petroleum Act and Section 1 of the Land Use Act. I expressed the view that an in-depth understand-

ing of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region’s oil-related conflicts holds the key to understanding the core economic problem of Nigeria. And in that understanding is firmly rooted the critical way out for the country economically, albeit a way out that would require intelligent, visionary and, therefore, courageous leadership, which President Buhari’s team appears to have. I stated that this background understanding juxtaposes with the recollection that Nigeria was once a country that demonstrated great economic potentials, between 1955 and 1975, with vestiges of that rapid development visible up to the 1980s. Understood from that perspective, the way out of Nigeria’s current economic woods would become even clearer: Nigeria had been great before, economically, through creative laws, notably Section 30 and Sections 130 to 139 (titled “Allocation of Revenue”, which make copious rigorously negotiated solid foundations for national economic prosperity and peace; freely agreed, never militarily imposed, by our nation’s founding fathers); specifically Sections 134(1); 134(2); 134(5) and 135 of the original Nigerian Constitution 1960. So we can do it again, we can make Nigeria great again, with very little effort. I went on to state that the genesis of socio-economic and political decline of the federation of Nigeria is that the country, especially through military usurpers of political power, have made laws, notably section 1 of the Petroleum Decree of 1969, section 1 of the Land Use Decree of 1978, section 40(3) of the 1979 Constitution, and section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution. I informed that these

laws expropriate the wealth of mainly minority Niger Delta peoples. The country appropriates this ‘legal’ loot, legal theft from minoritygenerated wealth, to itself.

It then decides what to give to the minority region’s peoples for the fact that they produce this wealth of the nation. At a time it was nothing. Then it became 1.5%. Then it became 3%. It is now 13%. Almost all determined essentially by federal military fiat. This clear theft, legal theft, from the perspective of common law, if not moral justice, this militaryled desecration of the fiscal federalism union Constitutions of 1960 and 1963, this legal theft that majority Nigeria has imposed on its minorities in the Niger Delta in particular and the ordinary Nigerian peoples in general (because it stunts our collective growth), borders on international illegality because it violates the minorities’ economic rights, which are protected by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, a law to which the Federation of Nigeria is not only signatory but which the country has incorporated into its extant laws as a local legislation, making it binding both under domestic as well as international law. Those retrogressive military era laws violate the spirit and the letter of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly Articles 14, 21, 22 and 24 of the Charter, which guarantee peoples’ rights to freedom to dispose of their wealth and natural resources.

Next week, I conclude this outline of current economic perception and begin an indepth analysis of Nigeria’s economic potential. I will start with Nigeria’s agribusiness.

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26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Health Æ s

Life-long learning is a missing link in nursing profession— Prof. John Professor Mildred is a registered nurse, midwife and nurse educator. She was the second Vice President of West African College of Nursing. She has won many awards (professional and social). In this interview with LARA ADEJORO, the don who was at the Nursing Leadership Summit held recently in Abuja explains how the nurses can live up to their tasks in the healthcare delivery system.

What’s your take on the theme of the summit which is, Nursing in Nigeria: Rethinking the missing link?

The missing link is the right education that will make the nurse take up the leadership skills in the healthcare delivery system and that right education should not make us think we are academicians but rather give us the critical thinking skills that will make us serve our patients better.

How can they take up the leadership role in the health sector?

By changing their attitudes and their practise because for now, the nursing profession has suffered a lot and that’s because some nurses are not doing what they are expected to be doing. We are shifting our tasks to the patients’ relatives, junior cadre nurses

TunMicro offers free sickle cell screening to 740 beneficiaries In Oshodi, Modakeke

Amosun

5,000 Ifo indigenes benefit from Sure-P, NACA free medical test

Prof. Mildred John

and because of that, we are doing very low. We seem not to be doing the core nursing activities again; hence, the public has lost faith in us. We have to go back to the basics of practising what we were taught as a nurse, caring for the patients from the heart not just from the head, caring from the patient’s perspectives not from the nurse’s perspectives because some of the patients in the contemporary healthcare now are very knowledgeable. A lot of them read the internet when they have any disease, they know what is wrong with them and

when they come to a nurse and he or she is talking at a lower level, then there’s a problem. Life-long learning is another missing link.

Some of the nurses, once they get trained as registered nurses, they don’t want to go back to school again, even to attend workshops is a problem unless they are sponsored. Whereas, life-long learning will continually help you improve on yourself and improve on your practise. So, you shouldn’t necessarily wait to be sponsored.

No fewer than 740 persons have benefitted from a free sickle cell screening service recently carried out in communities and secondary schools in the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos and Modakeke of Osun states, respectively in Nigeria by TunMicro Sickle Cell Support Group.

The free screening exercise was organized in conjunction with the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area, Lagos.

Speaking at the nine days long free exercise, which took place at the public health centre, Os-

hodi, Mr. Ismaila Olatunji Sule, Initiator and Executive Director of the group said the purpose of the screening is to prevent sickle cell disease that cost Nigeria so many preventable deaths.

Sule, who is a Biomedical Scientist at the Medical Microbiology Department of the South Eastern Health & Care Trust Ulster Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK stressed the need for private and public sectors to support the course of the organization, adding that it would be profitable to humanity if the free medical screening service

You have been in the profession for over 30 years, what

was nursing like then?

Nursing now has progressed than the time I came into profession. When we entered nursing, we were not encouraged to think critically. The doctors would always tell us what to do. Even after taking a patient’s temperature, we would wait for a doctor to tell us what to do. But now, the nurse doesn’t need to wait for the doctor. Once you take a patient’s temperature, you know what to do. That’s the major difference between nursing then and nursing now.

Continued on page 27

continues.

The World Head Organization estimates that Nigeria has the highest prevalence of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the world with 40 million Nigerians carrying the genes.

The biomedical science expert said he believes that the only method of controlling and reducing the sickle cell disorder in Nigeria is by creation of awareness via educating and encouraging adolescents to determine their genotype status

Continued on page 27

No fewer than 5,000 Ifo residents, in Ogun state benefitted from free the medical test organised by the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P) and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

The Prevention Official, NACA in Ogun State Mrs Ojo Olufunmilayo, made this known at the fourday free medical test held in Ifo. The free medical test that started on Dec.14 and ends on Dec.17 with the theme ‘’Known Your Status, Start Health.’

The services available at the free medical test centre includes free qualitative doctor consultation, HIV/AIDS test, blood sugar check and blood pressure tests as well as deworming of all children.

Olufunmilayo said the turnout of residents was commendable, adding that there was the need for more people to willingly come out to know their health status. ‘’Knowing your health status especially when you are HIV positive is not a death sentence, because there are drugs for various diseases,’’ she said.

She also said awareness and public enlightenment was vital to reducing the untimely death in the country.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Amamurhomu Foundation, Mr Omamurhomu Ofurhie said that his firm was part of the SureP working in creating awareness for the people on health implication.

Ofurhie implored the people to always go on regular exercise and take good balance diet to enable them to stay healthy. He said that they were targeting more people in Ifo Local Government area and its environs to come out to known their health status.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

27 Health

Know your blood status, expert urges Nigerians Continued from page 26

Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicholas Vervelde delivering his speech at the symposium

Moderate beer intake is beneficial to health— Experts Authorities in nutrition and food technology have said that moderate intake of beer can positively impact the health and well being of the elderly, protects against infections and it’s beneficial to cardiovascular health.

They stated this at this year’s edition of the Beer and Lifestyle symposium held in Lagos tagged: ‘Beer and Life Style.’

A nutritionist and food technology expert, Mrs. Dolapo Coker explained that a moderate intake of beer can positively impact the health and well being of women.

Coker, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST) said, in the health/lifestyle hierarchy needs, special attention should be given to women because they are classified “as belonging to the risk group where micronutrients shortages are most likely to occur during their different stages of development.

“Although the man is the head of the house, the woman is the captain of the home. She is in

charge of everybody’s healthy living. Even if taken in small amounts, the effect of alcohol on women is more on men. Women are more sensitive to alcohol. Alcohol dehydrogenase is a metabolising enzyme that helps the body to get alcohol out of the system.

Women have less of this enzyme than men, so more of what women drink enters the blood stream as pure alcohol,” she said.

Coker added that beer is an alcoholic beverage but it can be classified as food, because of its nutrient value like carbohydrates, dextrins and polysaccharides; proteins in the form of amino acids; Vitamins B, C, folic acid, minerals like magnesium, potassium, silicon, selenium and it contains fibre like betaglucans.

Coker revealed that Ancient Romans used beer baths to sweat out toxins, exfoliate their skin and infuse the body with vitamins. This, she said, lead to a clearer skin and an improved immune system.

“Beer is also known to have antibacterial properties that protect against infections within your

stomach. It is believed that if it is so good for your inside, surely it can be just as good for your outside.“ Also speaking at the symposium, Dr. Henk Hendricks, a biologist and a project leader in the Institute for Food and Nutrition in the Netherlands said that moderation level of beer consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health.

According to Hendricks, beer has low percentage of alcohol; large quantities of water; antiinflammatory xanthohumoles; helps in rehydration and it’s a good source of minerals; polyphenolic antioxidants and rich in fibers.

Professor Emevwo Biakolo of the Pan Atlantic University Lagos, also said, moderate beer intake in the elderly appears to be associated with significantly longer survival in men aged 60–74 years and in all elderly women.

“There is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with better cognitive function in old age,” he said.

No Registered Nursing Certificate, then you’re not a nurse— Don Continued from page 26 On quackery, how can one identify quacks in the profession and can they be tamed?

It’s difficult to identify quacks but the practise of the person will show you whether the person is a quack. A quack has not got the basic training but a trained nurse has got all the training and it will show in her practise because she has learnt the procedure in the correct way. Registered Nursing Certificate qualifies one to be a professional nurse. If you don’t have that, you have no business calling yourself a nurse.

Do we have enough nurses to care for the number of patients trooping into the hospitals?

No, we don’t. We have a nurse to more than 10 patients whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) stipulates that, it should be a nurse to four patients but we are far from that in Nigeria and it’s even worse in rural areas.

From the last record, the number of trained and registered nurses was 210, 000 and the problem is that, when they are trained, a lot of them look out for greener pastures abroad because those

countries pay well. You can’t compare Lagos to England because the amenities are there. You are able to practise nursing abroad as taught because they have resources in the hospitals and the pay is good.

What do you think can be done to improve the health sector in Nigeria?

With more budgetary allocation to the health, then the sector can be improved. So far, the allocation to the health is below what is supposed to be. The health of the people should be taken with all seriousness.

before their reproductive ages.

“The purpose of the screening is to identify sickle cell carriers. This gives them the best opportunity to consider the implications and to understand the choices they may face before deciding to have a family. TunMicro Sickle Cell Foundation is reaching out to the people of local communities both in Nigeria and in the UK. The purpose is to increase awareness and the importance of Sickle cell screening to prevent the disease and promote better understanding of the disease and to improve the quality life of people affected by this disease.”

According to him, systematic screening for SCD using a simple blood test is not a common practice in communities in Nigeria, and diagnosis is usually made when a severe complication occurs.

“Presently, there is no cure for SCD, and thus, lack of awareness of this disorder will increase the number of people with sickle cell disease and markedly increase morbidity and mortality in infancy and early childhood. The people may not be able to prevent the preventable death of the children,” he added.

Sule also stressed the need for implementation of national sickle-cell disease control programmes to be established in Nigeria for prevention and control of the genetic health problem.

He explained that important areas of work should cover advocacy; prevention and counseling; early detection and treatment; data collection, surveillance and research; and community education and partnerships.

“A multidisciplinary team involving health and social workers, teachers, parents, religious leaders and concerned non-governmental organizations should work on the practical aspects of implementation and monitoring of the programme,” he said.

On partnership, he indicated

TunMicro’s intention to establish between community government of the day, health professionals, parents, patients, teachers, religious leaders, relevant community interest groups and the media, where appropriate.

“Our partnerships with them will facilitate public education, identification of genetic risks in the community by recording family disease histories, genetic counseling, awareness and active participation in prevention and care programmes,” he said.

In his reaction to the development, Hon. Olajobi Daud, Executive Secretary, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government, who showed excitement when he visited TunMicro’s humanitarian service camp.

Also in her reaction, Dr. (Mrs.) Oludolapo Sotunde, Medical Officer of Health, Oshodi/Isolo L.G, who commended the TunMicro initiative, described it as ‘an eye opener’ that informs those who could have fallen victim of the sickle cell crisis.

She said, “Nigeria, being a country known with sickle cell crisis, we should emulate the gesture exhibited by the TunMicro initiator. We are partnering with him because the initiative is a positive one, and we being a responsible local government.”

Dr. Sotunde also noted that it was important to advise all to know their blood status, failure to which usually results to untold hardship and frustrations of parents abandoning their jobs and other misfortune all in a bid to attend to the child’s sickle cell crisis.

A beneficiary of the exercise, Baliqis Eludoyin, 30, an Hair stylist, who has been married for eight years, said she heard about the initiative from a neighbor, and thought initially that it was mere rumor until she later discovered that it was a good initiative, especially knowing that it was an individual group initiative.

“My advice for them is that they should keep it up, and not rest on their oars,” she said.

Some of the beneficiaries and healthcare givers at the TunMicro free sickle cell screening.

Bosso E on the move to

Boso

Page 28

Elkanemi Warriors

lkanemi Warriors are believed to have set their sights on Ladan Bosso with a view to add him to their technical team.

Bosso parted ways with Abia Warriors at the end of the 2014/15 Nigeria Professional Football League season, following his inability to help the club pick a continental ticket.

A source close to the former Wikki Tourists coach has revealed that Elkanemi Warriors could be his

next destination, depending on the talks that are said to have started between the parties.

Officials confirmed they were in talks with the gaffer but said a deal had yet to be reached.

“We will try and speed things up with Bosso in order to reach an agreement before the week runs out,” a top official of the club said.

“The idea is that he will be with us in the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League season.”

My goals was nothing special, says Ighalo

g 29

Thursday, December 24, 2015

I didn’t say

Oliseh

won’t lead Eagles to CHAN - Pascal Mike Otanwa

S

uper Eagles team coordinator, P a s c a l Patrick, has said he did not say coach Sunday Oliseh will not be joining the home based Super Eagles squad for the CHAN tournament in January.

There have been concerns over whether Oliseh would be joining the team, as he is yet to personally take charge of the team in any competitive fixture since his appointment, with reports that his assistant, Salisu Yusuf has been delegated to handle the side.

Speaking from the team’s camp in Abuja, Pascal refuted the reports, insisting that Oliseh will join them when he has been declared fit by his doctors.

“I don’t know where they got the report that the head coach (Oliseh) will not be joining us.

That is not true. He’s the head coach and he will be joining us soon.

“He wasn’t feeling well the last time and his doctors have been taking a look at him and I can tell you that he will join us once he’s declared fit.

Oliseh

Mike Otanwa

D Rio Olympics:

Siasia plays down Mikel, Musa call-up

ream Team coach, Samson Siasia, has played down reports that claimed he intends to include Super Eagles star John Obi Mikel, Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo in his roster for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Per tournament rules, three overage players will be allowed to feature in Rio de Janeiro but the former Nantes striker has stressed that he has not made up his mind about the players to invite. ‘’Right now am away from the country, resting with my family and have not discussed my list with anybody,’’ Siasia said. ‘’Yes those players are good and we’ll need the best over-age we can invite but I have not called Musa, Odion Ighalo or Mikel. ‘’When I return to the country then we’ll start out planning for the Olympic Games, but for now there’s nothing on ground.’’

A representative of John Obi Mikel has informed news24 that the Chelsea midfielder is not interested in playing for the Dream Team at the Olympic Games due to commitment with his European team.”

Samson Siasia is currently holidaying in the United States after leading the Nigeria under 23s to their first Africa U-23 Cup of Nations title earlier in December.

Arokoyo

Arokoyo hopes to get Eagles call-up at the right time

F

ormer Flying Eagles defender, Gbenga Arokoyo, who now plays in the Turkish Super league for Gaziantepspor, has revealed that he’ll focus on his game while hopes to get a Super Eagles call-up at the right time.

A proud Kwara United exdefender, Arokoyo was named in the team of the week due to his impressive performance when his club, Gaziantepspor secured a 2-0 win over Super Eagles defender, Godfrey Oboabona’s Rizespor.

Arokoyo created an assist for Daniel Larsson for the first goal early in the match while country man, John Chibuike also set up Orkan Cinar for the second goal.

Fresh crisis rages in Nigerian Football Mike Otanwa with agency report

N

igerian football may have been thrown into yet another crisis if recent events are anything to go by, as the Chris Giwa board, which was supposedly elected on August 26, 2014, has declared the Amaju Pinnick board, elected on September 30, 2014, as illegal.

Speaking after their board meeting on Tuesday, counsel to Chris Giwa, Habila Hassan said there is a subsisting court order barring the congress of the Nigeria Football Federation from conducting the September 30, 2014 elections, which brought forth the Pinnick led executive committee of the NFF which presently runs Nigerian football.

“The Chris Giwa board was elected on the 26th of August 2014 and were duly

sworn in, but unfortunately, a certain group purported to have been elected on the 30th day of September 2014 to the same office and has been purportedly operating as the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation,” he told Hot FM. “We challenged the conduct of the election that purportedly brought in this purported executive committee of the NFF, which was purportedly elected on the 30th of September last year.

“The federal high court in Jos, granted an order of interim injunction restraining the conduct of that election which held on the 30th of September 2014 but in disobedience of that order, that election held and subsequently, the federal high court nullified the conduct of that election,” he said.

Giwa

Thursday, December 24, 2015

EXTRATIME

Adi opens

MLS title defence with final rematch

N

igerian striker, Fanendo Adi and his Portland Timbers teammates will open their MLS title defence on March 7 against Columbus Crew.

This will be a rematch of the 2015 MLS final which Portland Timbers won to emerge champions for the first time.

Portland Timbers will host Columbus Crew on the opening day of the new MLS season.

Fellow Nigeria star, Obafemi Martins will lead Seattle Sounders attack line against Sporting Kansas City.

Chicago Fires, who parade another Nigerian, Kennedy Igboananike, will host New York City FC. Rasheed Olabiyi’s Houston Dynamo will entertain New England Revolution, while Tesho Akindele will feature for FC Dallas against Philadelphia.

Israeli club move excites

N

igeria international, Odion Ighalo has insisted there was nothing special about his brace for Watford against Liverpool at the weekend.

Ighalo has now fired 12 goals in the EPL, but he maintained there was nothing special about the goals against Liverpool.

“I thank God for giving me the grace to score two goals against Liverpool. I give him the glory. I see nothing special about scoring against Liverpool, it’s the same feeling for scoring goal and it doesn’t matter against which team,” Ighalo said.

The forward’s double against Liverpool left him just three goals behind leader Jamie Vardy in the division’s scoring charts.

It remains to be seen just how many goals he can finish his maiden Premier League campaign with, but the former Granada and Udinese ace is refusing to set himself any targets.

“I give God all the glory for my goals and the victory,” he said.

“Last season I never set a target and this season I haven’t either.

“I will never set myself a target as then I put pressure on myself. I want to keep going game by game.

“When the team wins a game

29

Amutu

N

My goals was nothing special, says

Ighalo

igeria striker, Austin Amutu, has said he is thrilled to join Israeli top-flight team Hapoel Ironi Khiryat Shmona till the end of the season.

The former Kelanta of Malaysia striker put pen to paper for the Israeli team on Monday and will be there till the end of the season.

Amutu said he is delighted with the move as he sees it as a stepping stone to a bigger league and club.

“I have signed for Hapoel Ironi Khiryat. It’s a very good and nice move for me. My deal is till the end of the season, I see this move as stepping stone for a bigger move,” said Amutu.

The ex-Warri Wolves player has been handed jersey number 29 and has already featured in a Toto Cup tie for the team.

Ighalo that is the most important.

In the meantime, Ighalo has credited manager Quique Flores for Watford’s run in the EPL. “He is one of the best coaches I’ve

worked with in terms of game plans and encouraging his players. He is a very intelligent guy and deserves big credit for everything we are going through now,” Ighalo remarked.

Amutu

30

Thursday, December 24, 2015

EXTRATIME

M Nevillee

Ex-United legends under fire over Lingerie League

Ogbonna

heaps praise on Martial

W

est Ham defender, Angelo Ogbonna, has heaped praise on Manchester United star Anthony Martial as he reflected on his first six months in a “crazy” Premier League.

The defender joined Slaven Bilic’s team from Juventus in the closeseason and has made 10 league appearances, with a hamstring injury briefly interrupting his early progress with the club.

Ogbonna played against United in West Ham’s 0-0 draw at Old Trafford earlier this month and he has spoken positively about striker Martial.

Asked who the biggest surprise has been since his move to England, he said: “Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, he has an amazing personality.

“It is not easy to come over here at just 19 years old and put on the shirt of a club like United and break through straight away.

“Wayne Rooney also represents English football, whilst Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain impresses me a lot - he is a complete talent and it surprises me that Arsene Wenger doesn’t use him more.”

Ogbonna, 27, admitted the hectic pace of Premier League football has been the biggest change to get used to after switching from Serie A. He said: “There is a big difference in terms of the pace of the game between the Premier League and Serie A.

Matic

Mourinho’s rift invented by idiots

- Matic Arsenal can deal with injury crisis

-Cech

Cech

Wanyama going nowhere,

Koeman insists

R

C

anchester United legends, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt are under pressure to cancel a Lingerie Football League UK (LFL UK) launch event at their hotel.

Chelsea Ladies founder Tony Farmer has launched a petition against the event at Manchester’s Hotel Football, writing that the former United players “are on the verge of setting women’s football in the UK back at least 25 years.”

LFL UK, a 14-team league in which female players don sports bras, is due to get underway with a match on Dec. 23 but Farmer called for the United stars part of the club’s “Class of ‘92” to cancel the event.

onald Koeman has warned Victor Wanyama’s admirers nobody will be leaving Southampton next month.

Tottenham failed to price the midfielder out of St Mary’s in the summer, and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was this month

helsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has strongly rejected claims he had a poor relationship with Jose Mourinho, saying the rumours were invented by “idiots.”

Several Chelsea players, notably Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, bore the brunt of fans’ anger before and during Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Sunderland, with some suggesting seemingly incorrectly that their poor performances since winning the title last season had been a deliberate ploy to ensure Mourinho’s dismissal.

Matic, who has also suffered a drop in form this season, had been under scrutiny over his commitment to Mourinho but the Serbia international told reporters in Stara Pazova that he had always given his best under the Portuguese.

“I am sorry, as we all are,” Matic said at a ceremoney where he was named the best Serbian player in 2015. “I worked with Mr Mourinho for two wonderful years, so I will always have nice memories of the period.

“I read several times about how I have bad relationship with him. I’ll be a bit blunt. People who wrote that are probably some idiots.

Why did they pick me? I spoke about it with Mourinho and we just laughed at it.

“I tried hard at every training session, at every match and he respected it. That’s why I think the journalist who wrote about me not wanting to play for him is a real idiot.”

A

rsenal is in the middle of an injury crisis with seven players currently on the sidelines but goalkeeper Petr Cech has said he was confident the club can pull through this period.

Even without Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck, the Gunners have won four games on the trot in all competitions.

Arsenal are second in the Premier League table and just two points behind leaders Leicester City, and Cech hopes the injured players can recover quickly to help the Gunners end their 11-year wait for the title.

“We’ve been through the season with plenty of problems.

Everything isn’t going as smoothly as we would like it to,” Cech said.

“We can’t avoid injuries – sometimes you have more, sometimes you have less – but we showed that even with the unlucky injuries at the moment that we manage to win games.

“I believe we will benefit from players coming back into the team, once they are fit.

“The season is long and anything can happen. But if we stay where we are until March or April, then we have the chance to win the league.” Arsenal travels to take on 12thplaced Southampton in the league on Saturday.

forced to deny he is planning a January move.

Southampton host the Gunners on Boxing Day, and ahead of that game Koeman has made it clear any bidders will be wasting their time.

“They can prepare whatever they like to prepare,” he said. “Don’t spend time trying to buy a player from Southampton because it’s impossible.

“They talk about players from Southampton because we have some good players and there is always interest in players. And the ambition of players is about playing Champions League.

“We know what we like to do and how we like to do our business. That means in January nobody will leave Southampton.”

Saints go into Christmas with just one point from their past five games, and Koeman admits his job could be under threat if that run continues despite the club’s seventh-placed finish last season.

“Every manager is under pressure,” he said. “If you sack Jose Mourinho, if you sack Garry Monk from Swansea then we know.

Leicester can be top-four regulars,

King boasts A

ndy King feels Leicester City can consistently finish near the top of the table under Claudio Ranieri.

Leicester City midfielder Andy King cannot see any reason why his side should not become regular top-four finishers in the Premier League.

The pre-season relegation candidates have enjoyed a stunning first half of the season under Claudio Ranieri and sit top of the table at Christmas.

Five of the last six teams to hold the festive top spot have gone on to win the Premier League, with Leicester facing a key clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

While King feels a title bid could be too much to ask for this season, he is confident about Leicester’s chances of being a constant fixture in the Champions League spots during the years ahead and improving from there.

“It is a big couple of years,” he said.

“Challenging for the Premier League title is obviously a big ask, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t get in the top four or six, or even the top eight to start with and then try and build from there. “That is the owners’ vision. That is what they set out when they first took over the club.”

Thursday, December 24, 2015

EXTRATIME

Lazio to be

awarded 1915 League title L

azio President, Claudio Lotito may have accused supporters of a lack of loyalty to their team, but those very same fans may be responsible for the club being awarded a 100-year-old Scudetto title.

The title from 1915 is currently

Barca to appeal flag sanctions to CAS

Ozil

My decision to leave Madrid was right Lazio President Claudio Lotito

held by Genoa, who are Italy’s fourth most successful club in terms of top flight titles won, but the Federal Council of the FIGC are set to launch an investigation into the case after lawyer Gian Luca Mignogna collected a petition which has already received the signature of more than 31,000

Biancocelesti supporters.

Although Genoa were awarded the title for the 1914/15 season, Lazio’s claim relates to the nature of Italian football’s league set-up at the time.

During this era, the Italian league was divided into two groups: one which represented

teams from the north of Italy and another representing teams from the south of the country.

The Rossoblu triumphed in the northern group, while Lazio came out on top in the southern section and the ultimate winner was supposed to be decided by a final match between the two sides.

Gr ujic’s

father cries out over son’s transfer deal

B

arcelona will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after UEFA rejected their case relating to pro-Catalan independence flags and slogans being present during a Champions League game in September.

The flags and slogans were seen and heard at Camp Nou during Barca’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, with the Spanish champions having already been fined for a similar incident during May’s Champions League final in Berlin.

Uefa regulations forbid messages of a “political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature”.

Barca confirmed in a statement that European football’s governing body had rejected their appeal and the club will now take the case to CAS. “Uefa has notified FC Barcelona and the RFEF [Spanish Football Association] of the decision not to consider the appeal filed by the club relating to sanctions for the shouts of independence and esteladas that were exhibited at the Camp Nou in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen,” read the statement.

“As planned, FC Barcelona will immediately present an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

G

oran Grujic believes the Serbian club is trying to force his son out and is adamant the move to Anfield will not be rushed through to ease their financial concerns Marko Grujic’s father has hit out at Crvena Zvezda’s handling of the talented 19-year-old’s future.

The midfielder is expected to pen terms

with Liverpool in the coming days after the two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £5 million.

However, Goran Grujic believes the Serbian club is trying to force his son out, explaining that there is no rush to sign anything with the Premier League side.

“I will not let them [Crvena Zvezda and director Zvezdan Terzic] ruin my child!” he said.

“The people who run the club have all turned their backs, others are penniless and there’s been a downturn in club sales

Messi

wanted to move to Inter -Veron

F Grujic

31

ormer Argentina international Juan Sebastian Veron says that his compatriot Lionel Messi once wanted to play for Internazionale.

The four-time Ballon d’Or winner

has spent his entire career at Barcelona, coming up through the club’s prestigious La Masia youth system.

Despite persistent rumours throughout the 28-year-old’s career linking him with a move away from the Nou Camp, the man many rate as the sport’s greatest ever player has stayed put.

Veron, however, who has played alongside Messi in the Argentinian national team and was on loan at Inter between 2004 and 2006, has claimed that the forward once told him of his wish to move to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

-Ozil

A

rsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil says his decision to leave Real Madrid in 2013 was the right one as his is delighted for life in north London.

The 26-year-old World Cup winner notched his 15th assist of the campaign in the 2-1 win over Manchester City on Monday night and is rapidly closing in on the Premier League record of 20 assists over the course of a season with under half the term played.

When he first joined the Gunners, some members of the press had their reservations about the German. But after helping the club win consecutive FA Cups and helping turn the Emirates Stadium side into genuine title contenders, those critics has been left eating humble pie.

Speaking, Ozil said his only down point in his time in London was when he was injured for three months last season.

“The biggest change started when I was injured last year and I changed my diet and started to look at the small details in my life. For example I started to have physiotherapy on my days off and made sure I had a good sleep. That is crucial over here. It is the fastest league in the world and we often play twice a week with no winter break,” he said.

And he added: “My contract runs until 2018, that is for another two and a half years. There is no need to hurry. There are no talks at the moment but I can only say that I am very happy in London and that my decision to come here from Real Madrid was the right one.”

“It’s been a few years, but one time he told me he would like to play for Inter,” Veron said.

“But let me be clear, this was something that happened in the past.”

Messi

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tHuRSdaY, dEcEmBER 24, 2015

VOL. 2. NO.8

Price: n150

Arsenal can deal with injury crisis

-Cech

g 30

Examining

NFF’s N5.9b budget for 2016

A

nyone who wants to spend $30 million on football must have more than $30 million otherwise it should not be called a budget. Budgeting is making sure you are spending less than you are bringing in and planning for the short and long term.

The Nigeria Football Federation just released a budget proposal of N5.9 billion, which is about $30 million.

I am happy that we have a budget, but unhappy because we do not have revenue numbers. We have revenue sources but no figures as to what they will contribute to us spending this amount.

The named revenue sources are the

federal government, Fifa/Caf, GLO and Guinness.

My University of Texas spends (budget) $25 million a season on its American football programme, but has a revenue base of $103 million, making it the most profitable football program in America.

The University of Alabama has the highest American football budget of any school ($36 million), but has a smaller revenue base than Texas - $83 million.

Hope you get my gist, budgets must correspond to revenues. The NFF is willing to spend $7.5 million on the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

If the Eagles win CHAN, the NFF will receive $1.5 million from CAF. Am I making

sense yet?

The NFF might be double dipping here; the Olympic team is to spend nearly $2 million on preparations for Rio 2016.

Olympic teams are under the Nigeria Olympic Committee (Olympic body) and they will be catered for by the federal government. The NFF should correct that expenditure or correct me. $3.2 million on participation in a private for-profit football beach tournament, COPA Lagos 2016? What am I missing here?

Is beach soccer that important to us as a country, that our NFF will spend five times the money for youth development on sand football?

Remember they are budgeting only $600,000 for youth football development!

A quick glance at the English FA and its last posted financial report saw a revenue base of over 322 million pounds and it spent slightly over 300 million pounds. It also spent about 115 million pounds on grassroots development.

In this same report, the FA lost some government financial support because the FA had not grown grassroots participation numbers in the years in question.

There is a trend in naming budgets; Austerity Budget, Action Budget, Consolidation Budget and even a Stocktaking Budget.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

Diaspora Nigerians repatriate $21b in 2015 Page B2

NSE gains upturned, ASI down 0.17% Page B4

CBN appoint directors for NIRSAL Page B3

Nigeria has enough petrol to last 24 days, says NNPC Nigeria currently has about 977.31 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit(petrol) in its land and marine depots, the National PMS Evacuation Report has stated.

The report, which was released yesterday in Abuja, noted that the reserve would be enough to last the country for 24 days.

The NNPC, in the report, statCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Stakeholders task FG on policies, incentives on rice that will drive self- sufficiency Charles Okonji

L-R: Arc Seyi Oni of Artec Practice Ltd; Mr. Lawrence Ogudu, representing Messrs DQS of Germany; Arc Taofik Popoola, Managing Principal of Artec and Arc Samuel Alonge, also of Artec, during the official presentation of ISO 9001:2008 certificates to Artec by Messrs DQS in Abuja last week.

Minister cancels tender exercise for pre-shipment agents Mathew Dadiya, Abuja Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has ordered the immediate cancellation of the tendering process for the engagement of Pre-Shipment Inspection and Monitoring Agents for oil and gas on grounds of alleged irregularities.

Mrs. Adesousn said in a statement signed by the Director Press, Marshall Gundu and made available to Daily Times yesterday that since the inception of the process, numerous complaints were sent to the Federal Ministry

of Finance, suggesting that the method by which the 65 companies were selected was faulty and lacked transparency.

According to the minister, the decision was necessitated by the receipt of numerous complaints and a petition regarding alleged irregularities in the process.

She noted that in June 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari mandated the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the then Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Anastasia Nwoabia, to commence the process of engaging Pre-Shipment Inspection and Monitoring Agents.

Upon the approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement, a

selective tendering process was initiated under which 65 companies were selected and invited to bid, she stated.

“A formal petition was received by the Bureau of Public Procurement making specific allegations about the process. Under Public Procurement rules, the receipt of a formal petition requires a suspension of the tendering process to allow for an investigation. However, in this instance, the Minister has taken the decision to cancel.”

Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said, “The sheer volume of complaints and the wide range of sources they emanated from had raised sufficient level of concern around the

process to warrant a full cancellation rather than a suspension.”

She stressed that, “This administration stands for transparency and accountability and it is therefore important that all procurement and tendering exercises must be undertaken in accordance with best practices.”

“Pre-Shipment Inspection of Oil and Gas Exports commenced in 2015 and require a Clean Certificate of Inspection to be issued, confirming the volume and the value of all exports. The programme is believed to have enhanced government revenues by preventing misstatement and understatement by exporters.”

PTML boss appeals to Amaechi on auto policy Managing Director, PTML terminal, Ascanio Russo has raised fresh concerns over the diversion of Nigeria bound vessels laden with vehicles to Benin Republic as a result of the federal government’s auto policy.

Russo who expressed his worries over the situation when the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi visited the terminal on during his familiarization tour of the ports in Lagos appealed to the Minister to help

Thursday, December 24, 2015

address the issue.

He said the implementation of the auto policy has been of high concern to the management of the terminal as most vehicles meant for Nigeria are now diverted to Cotonou port and has thus affected the price of imported vehicles.

He advised that all vehicles import to Nigeria should come through the seaport and not through the land borders because of its porous nature.

“We are of the opinion that

vehicles should be allowed to be Customs-released in Nigeria only if they are discharged at Nigerian port and not at the borders. So any importer who wants to clear vehicles for Nigeria should do so at a Customs command in Nigerian port and not at the border,” he said.

Responding, the minister promised that government would look into the issue but noted that that part of the remedy will not be to remove the CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Amaechi

Stakeholders in the rice industry have tasked the new Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, on the implementation of various initiatives and policies aimed at driving the nation’s agricultural sector particularly rice to achieve self-sufficiency of the commodity.

Group Managing Director, Elephant Group, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, who explained that rice stakeholders want government to step up the access to credit for the value chain operators in the rice industry, stated that it was necessary to improve the capacity of the Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural lending (NISRAL) and also build more storage facilities to guard against food insecurity in the country.

Owoeye during a press briefing pointed out the need for government to also increase the provision of processing facilities for all products in the country, stating that the ten rice mills approved by the then administration must come on stream to boost the processing of rice paddy in the country. ”We want government to conCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Stakeholders task FG on policies, incentives on rice that will drive self- sufficiency

Get a befitting headquarters, Amaechi tells FAAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Minister of Transport Mr. Rotimi Amaechi has told the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to get appropriate and befitting headquarters for the agency in view of the huge revenue it generates.

Amaechi, who was not comfortable with what he observed, said this at the agency’s headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, shortly before embarking on tour of airport facilities with his Minister of Aviation (State), Alhaji Hadi Sirika and agency chiefs.

The minister, who said this in a very short comment yesterday, wondered why FAAN despite its huge revenue profile could not build a befitting office for itself all these years.

He stated that safety was not negotiable and that it should not be toyed with ,adding that after safety the next thing that should be discussed is appropriate office for FAAN. According to him, from what I have observed this in not the appropriate office that should house FAAN.” He continued, “Once we have discussed safety, the next thing should be FAAN office.

Amaechi warned that the agencies should not bow to political pressure no matter how powerful the persons are and no matter the pressure it may come from but that they should have the will to withstand pressure.

Sirika

Nigeria has enough petrol to last 24 days, says NNPC

Emefiele

Diaspora Nigerians repatriate $21b in 2015 Friday Atufe with agency report Migration of Remittance Fact book 2015 has said Nigerians in Diaspora remitted about $21billion in 2015, remarking that the development has made the country the sixth largest receiver of remittances in the world during the review period.

The report also showed that Nigeria was also the largest receiver of remittances in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving a total of $34.8 billion this year.

The report, which relied on data gathered from January to December 1, 2015, was compiled by the Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development with support from the World Bank, German, Swedish and Swiss governments.

An analysis of the report showed that the United States and the United Kingdom were the most lucrative destinations for Nigerian migrants. Nigerians at home received a total of $9.4 billion ($5.7 billion from the US and $3.7 billion from the UK) from both countries in 2015.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

ed that 914 truckloads of fuel had been dispatched to petrol stations across the country.

It added that 1,939 trucks, conveying 64.04 million litres of the products, had been evacuated from its coastal depots to inland depots in the country.

Giving a breakdown of its PMS sufficiency, the NNPC report

According to the report, the U.S. is the top remittancesending country in the world.

A total of $56.3 billion was sent out of the US to other parts of the world. The second largest remittance-sending country is Saudi Arabia with $36.9 billion followed by Russia ($32.6 billion), Switzerland ($24.7billion) and Germany ($20.8 billion).

The report also showed that the cost of sending money within Africa is the second most expensive in the world (the most expensive being the cost of sending money between Australia to the South Pacific country of Vanuatu).

For every $200 remitted from South Africa to Zambia, senders were charged 19 per cent. The cost was 17.4 percent to send the same amount from South AfricaBotswana and 17.3 per cent from Tanzania to Uganda.

In comparison, it costs just 0.6 per cent to send the same amount of money from Saudi Arabia to Nepal and 3.1 per cent from the United Arab Emirate to anywhere in the world.

stated that the country had 321.23 million litres of PMS in its land reserves and 656.08 million litres in its marine reserves.

Quoting data received from the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, the report further stated that 13 vessels were currently discharging or awaiting clearance to discharge a combined quantity of 314.454

tinue with what they did in the past to continue working with stakeholders and together we believe 2016 will be a successful year for the country.

We want government to step up the access to credit for the value chain operators, improve the capacity of NISRAL to take on insurance and risks much more to support the teeming value chain operators across all the products, agribusiness must be technologically driven as it is done in the western world,” he said.

In his words, “Ten rice mills where approved but the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the previous administration. We must ensure that those mills come on stream. If we put those ten mills on stream with the capacity of 35,000 metric tonnes per mill, that is about 350,000 metric tonnes added to the nation’s paddy processing. This is going to encourage our farmers, create employment and also bring down the pressure on the foreign exchange. This should not only be done for rice but for all products.”

He however commended the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in its tireless effort in combating the smuggling of rice into the country by ensuring smugglers pay duties rather than go unchallenged, saying that this

move by the current Comptroller General, NCS has helped to reduce the menace.

“We have started engaging the new government to ensure that smuggling is minimised and we are also happy about the appointment of the new Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in his effort to ensure that smuggling is tackled, he got approval to say instead of this smugglers to bring in rice unchallenged, he got them to pay duty, but we have seen that smugglers have taken advantage of that policy by circumventing the policy, but I am happy to tell you that the customs is addressing this challenge and I am sure before the next quarter, we would look back on the progress we have made,” he stressed.

He also stated the need to provide a market outlet for locally produced goods, saying that as a group it is willing and have also expressed its desire to work with the current minister to lend support in creating additional market outlets and marketing companies in order to get sales outlet for the products in the country.

“There is also a need to review the land reforms, because without it we cannot have a sufficient increase in the nation’s scale of production and the need to also develop entrepreneurial capacity to generate more employment and wealth,” he said.

PTML boss appeals to Amaechi on auto policy CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

duty on imported vehicles.

He said government would enhance security and ensure adequate protection of the border posts with the support of the Nigeria Customs Service in order to curtail smuggling of vehicles through the borders.

Amaechi noted that one of the objectives of the auto policy was to conserve the country’s scarce foreign exchange, which according to him is higher than any loss of revenue which must

have resulted from the diversion of vessels to ports of neighbouring countries.

“What you should ask government to do is to protect our borders to ensure that the goods smuggled in through the borders are not allowed. Part of the remedy will not be to remove the duty on imported vehicles but to enhance security of the border posts to ensure that all vehicles coming into the country come through the appropriate channel,” he said.

million litres of PMS. The report stated that five of the vessels were conveying products belonging to the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company while two of the vessels were discharging product belonging to the NNPC. It added that Total, Techno Oil, Folawiyo, Matrix Energy and Rain Oil, each had one vessel.

NNPC tower

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Stories by Motolani Oseni Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday approved the appointments of Mr. Aliyu Abdulhameed as Managing Director and Mr. Babjide Arowosafe as Executive Director for NIRSAL. This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Mu’azu, the Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, and published on the apex bank’s Website.

The statement said that Abdulhameed holds a B.Sc. Degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration with specialisation in public policy. ``He also holds an executive masters certificate in project management from the Project Management College (UK). ``He has over 22 years experience in corporate agribusiness and in the field of agricultural finance and risk management. `` Mr. Abdulhameed is currently an executive team member of NIRSAL Plc,’’ the statement

B3 Money Market

CBN appoint directors for NIRSAL said.

According to the statement Arowosafe has a first degree in agriculture and a master degree in agricultural policy and administration.

It said that Arowosafe had wide-ranging experience in agriculture and micro-enterprises having worked in these fields for both the World Bank and the United Nations. ``Most recently, Mr Arowosafe was the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources in Ekiti state,’’ the statement said.

The statement explained that NIRSAL was an initiative of the CBN, the Bankers Committee (BC) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMA&RD).

It added that in addition to many other functions, the company essentially administers a Risk Sharing Fund.

It noted that the fund was designed to identify, redefine, measure, re-price and evolve strategies to de-risk and catalyse lending to the Nigerian agricul-

L-R: Assistant Director, Centre for Management Development, Wale Olanrewaju; General Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Abimbola Okoya; Director of Education and Social Services, Oluyole LGA, Dr. Alaga Ayo Monsurat; DirectorGeneral, Centre For Management Development, Dr. K. K Usman; and Head of Local Government Administration, Oluyole LGA, Mrs. Kemi Oyedeji, at the closing ceremony of the capacity building for staff of Oluyole LGA on Managing Vocational Skills Centre in Ibadan on Tuesday.

ture value chain.

The statement said that NIRSAL was subsequently incorporated as a Public Limited Liability Company (PLC) and licensed as a Non-Bank Financial Institu-

tion (NBFI).

It said that NIRSAL had the primary mandate of facilitating the flow of credit to agribusiness value chain players and collaborating with stakeholders

to fix broken agricultural value chains in Nigeria. ``From inception in 2012 to date, 454 projects valued N61.161 billion have been guaranteed by NIRSAL.”

Heritage Bank encourages savings culture among children Heritage Bank has continued its crusade of introducing the savings culture to children in a bid to equip and secured them for the future.

The bank used the end-of-year show for children organised at the weekend by Nnenna & Friends, a subsidiary of Wale Adenuga Productions Limited at the Muson Centre, Onikan Lagos, to inculcate the savings culture in them.

The children and their par-

NIBOR as @ Dec. 16, 2015 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

0.9983

0.01 ?

1M

8.3703

-0.53 ?

3M

10.4491

-0.33 ?

6M

12.6325

-0.35 ?

ents were treated to performances from different actors, comedians, dancers and musicians like Bukunmi Preacher, Korede Sax, Desmond Osarobe, Jim Boi, Oshadipe Twins, Dizzy Mbata, 9ice, and Chigul.

Addressing participants at the occasion, Mrs Olayinka Ademo, popularly called Nnenna; said the purpose of the event was to create an avenue for children to come together, celebrate, learn and have fun. “It is no gainsaying the fact that God has been very faithful and merciful to us right from the first day in the year to this very moment,” she said.

She said the event was organised to wrap up the hustles and bustles of the year 2015 with

a view to giving the children a memorable experience that would linger in their memory for a long time.

She thanked Heritage Bank for the magnanimous support Nnenna & Friends has been enjoying from Heritage Bank since the inception of the brand, which she said has assisted in the actualisation of its mission.

According to her, the mission of the group was to provide dedicated commitment to developing the young minds of children through edutainment.

Mr. Patrick Foster, Team Lead, Education and Youth Unit, Heritage Bank, said that the mission of Nnenna & Friends aligns

with the mantra of the bank, which is “… to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.”

Foster said that being leaders of tomorrow, the bank has created specific financial products that children could explore to safeguard their future while cultivating the habit of saving.

He therefore enjoined parents to ensure they open an account for their children so as to take a full benefit of the products.

Hosted by Nnenna, the Nnenna & Friends Live show is organised on special occasions to entertain children and teens. It pro-

vides an avenue for a variety of popular actors, comedians, musicians, dancers and other artistes in the entertainment industry to engage with their young fans.

Inflation Rates (%)

Money Market Indicators (%) -2015

CBN Exchange Rates

Sekibo

Month

January

February

March

Inter-Bank Call Rate

10.21

23.5

12.59

Date

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

12/9/15

US DOLLAR

195.97

196.47

196.97

POUNDS STERLING

295.4444

296.1982

296.952

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR)

EURO

214.058

214.6042

215.1503

Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

13

13

13

SWISS FRANC

197.6102

198.1143

198.6185

Treasury Bill Rate

11.2

10.88

10.77

YEN

1.5982

1.6023

1.6063

Savings Deposit Rate

3.48

3.47

3.76

CFA

0.3057

0.3157

0.3257

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.61

8.47

8.42

WAUA

270.5555

271.2458

271.9361

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.64

9.54

9.02

YUAN/RENMINBI

30.4813

30.5595

30.6377

6 Months Deposit Rate

9.74

9.46

9.88

RIYAL

52.2197

52.3529

52.4861

12 Months Deposit Rate

9.51

9.37

9.52

DANISH KRONA

28.6904

28.7636

28.8368

Prime Lending rate

16.86

16.77

16.9

SDR

272.026

272.72

273.4141

Maximum Lending Rate

25.97

26.33

26.61

2015

Month

January

February

March

All Items (Year on Change)

8.2

8.4

8.5

All Items (12 Months Avg. Change)

8.1

8.1

8.2

Food (Year on Change)/1

9.2

9.4

9.4

Food (12 Months Avg. Change)/1

9.5

9.5

9.5

All Items Less Farm Produce (Year on Change)/2

6.8

7

7.5

All Items Less Farm Produce (12 Months Avg. Change)/2

6.9

6.9

6.9

All Items Less Farm Produce and Energy (Year on Change)/3

7.1

7.1

7.5

All Items Less Farm Produce and Energy (12 Months Avg. Change)/3

7.1

7.1

7.1

Capital Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Stock Market Report

NSE gains upturned, ASI down 0.17% The Nigerian Equities market gains of previous trading session has been reversed as lead indicators shed 0.17 per cent. The All Share Index depreciated 46.98 basis points to close at 26,871.24 points against 189.58 points gained previously to close at 26,918.22 points, while market capitalization lost N16.2 billion to close at N9.24 trillion compared to N65.2 billion previously gained by investors to close at N9.3 trillion.

Leading the sectoral indices again was the Oil & Gas index as it appreciated by 3.3 per cent due to gains sustained by Mobil which added 9.8 per cent and FORTE OIL which gained 5.0 per cent.

On the flip side, the Consumer Goods sector led the day’s sectoral losers with a 2 per cent loss driven by a 5 per cent depreciation recorded in Nigerian Breweries and PZ Cussons Plc. Market breadth however maintained a positive close as 22

gainers were pitched against 14 losers. Top three gainers were Mobil Plc., with an increase of 9.83 per cent or N12.80 to close at N143 per share followed by Unity Bank Plc., which added 9.30 per cent or 8 kobo to close at 94 kobo per share, while Transcorp Plc., gained 9.02 per cent or 12 kobo to close at N1.45 per share.

On the other hand, Nigerian Breweries Plc led the day’s 14 losers with a decline of 4.99 per cent or N6.08 to close at N115.72 per share, trailed by PZ Cussons Plc., which depreciated by 4.98 per cent or N1.41 to close at N26.90 per share, while Tiger Brands Plc., dropped 4.84 per cent or 6 kobo to close at N1.18 per share.

At the end of the day’s transactions, investors on the Nigeria Stock Exchange had in 3,255 deals exchanged a total of 149.9 million shares worth N1.6 billion, compared to 397.3 million shares worth N2.6 billion exchanged in 2,683 deals previously.

L-R: Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, United Bank for Africa ( UBA Plc), Mr. Charles Aigbe, Chairman, UBA Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu, Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications, UBA Africa, Mrs. Bola Atta and GMD/CEO, UBA Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, at the launch of REDTV; a digital television network available on Youtube, in Lagos recently.

Tiger Brands report loss after tax of N13b in 2015 Tiger Brand Consumer Goods has declared a 107.5 percent increase in loss after tax from N6.3 billion recorded in 2014 to N12.7 billion in 2015. Loss before tax also rose 34.3 percent from N9.3 billion in 2014 to N12.5 billion in 2015.

This is contained in the company’s released full year results ended Sept 30 2015. The result showed that revenue rose by 16.4% from N41.3 billion in 2014 to N48 billion in 2015, while Gross Profit increased by 39.15% from

N3.2 billion in 2014 to N4.5 billion in 2015.

Its total assets likewise dropped 10 per cent to N49.4 billion from N54.8 billion recorded in 2014, while Total Liabilities increased 16 per cent from N45.2 billion in 2014 to N52.4 billion in 2015.

The company’s share price at its last trading session dropped 4.84 per cent or 6 kobo to close at N1.18 per share.

Tiger Brands is however on the verge of total divestment following the receipt of an injection of

N10 billion from Dangote Industries.

It will be recalled that on the14th December 2015, Tiger Brands Consumer Goods Plc (TBCG)., revealed that the sum of N10 billion will be injected

by Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) into Tiger Branded Consumer Goods PLC, after which Tiger Brands will divest its 65.7% shareholding in TBCG to DIL for a nominal consideration and write off its shareholder loans to TBCG.

Uwais withdraws resignation from Stanbic Ï Ɠ Ƅƍ 0ƄƕƄƍ Ɖ appointment is Ǝ Ɔ ƕƍ ƃƄ Stories by Adesola Akindele Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has informed the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) of the withdrawal of the letter of resignation of Mrs. Maryam Uwais MFR as a Non-Executive Director on the Board.

On the 9th of December, the bank had written the NSE, in-

forming the exchange of the resignation of Maryam Uwais MFR as an independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of Stanbic IBTC HOLDINGS PLC. This decision has thus been revealed to have been taken on the thought of her recent appointment as Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments precluded her from continuing her role on the Board of the company.

Mrs. Uwais has however received legal advice, which says her appointment as Special Adviser to the President does not preclude her from continuing her role as an Independent NonExecutive Director.

The bank also revealed that her resignation was yet to be accepted since its board was scheduled to meet in February 2016, and is therefore yet to convene to formally accept the resignation.

Consequently, the bank stated that “We write to withdraw our letter of 09 December 2015, notifying the Exchange of the resignation of Mrs. Maryam Uwais MFR as an independent Nonexecutive Director on the Board of our company, Mrs. Uwais will continue to serve as an in independent Non-executive Director until such time as she and the Board formally agree to part company.”

Sola David-Borha

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

B5 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 23-12-2015

Brands & Marketing B6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

L-R: Chief Financial Officer, Goldlink Insurance Plc (GIP), Mr. Adeyinka Olutungase; Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Gbolahan Olutayo; Chairman, Chief James Olatunde Ayo during the 19th Annual General Meeting of GIP held in Lagos on Wednesday.

IFMA Nigeria poised to expand capacity building programmes in 2016

Promasidor receives accolade for safety measures

In its commitment to expand growth and development opportunities to all classes of Nigerians through capacity enhancement, International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Nigeria has disclosed plans to massively expand her capacity training programmes in 2016. The association unveiled this plan recently at her 18th Annual General Meeting held recently in Lagos Speaking at the AGM, President of the Association, Mr. Richard Okesola disclosed that IFMA’s utmost commitment to members and non-members remain unchanged despite various challenges faced in 2015. He reiterated that the Council together with the Educational and Training Committee with effect from February 2016 will begin the delivery of specific/customized training programs for Technicians, Artisans, middle level Managers and the

top Management Executives.

“This will be in addition to our regular certification trainings.

We shall need the contribution of you all in spreading the good news to your colleagues, superiors and the public at large for the success of this program,” he added.

Mr. Okesola further revealed that last year’s experience was very challenging but equally exciting and rewarding. He spoke further: “with your effort and our collective resilience to excel we have restored our corporate brand and brought to the consciousness of the public at large, just as our nation is struggling to embrace and sustain the change mantra, our Council pushed rigorously the need for our people to embrace the culture of facility management in every facet of our lives. It is the only way we can guarantee and sustain a beautiful, comfortable, healthy, safe and secured living standard with lots of economic prosperity.”

The President further added

that, IFMA Nigeria will sustain the new tempo by working harder in the coming year. His words:“No doubt, funding will be required to successfully execute all our plans and galvanize various stakeholders for different collaborative activities as may be organized with other professional bodies and government agencies. I am glad to inform you all that, the benefits of these efforts will begin to get to all our members in due course. Indeed, the association is determined to penetrate into all government agencies and parastatals.”

IFMA Nigeria was established in 1995 by a group of well-meaning professionalswho subscribe to Mobil’s cliché of courageous leadership to achieve premium quality performance in various areas,the aim of these multidisciplined professionalsin Mobil, Chevron was to establish international standard of facility management and quality maintenance ofstructures in Nigeria.

In order promote hygiene and sefety in Nigeria work place, health and Safety professionals has given accorlade to the management of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk for providing hygienic and safe working environment for its members of staff.

The commendation was given by the experts that attended the 2015 Promasidor Safety Day held at the company’s headquarters in Lagos recently.

Dr. Omotola Anthony, Chief Medical Director- CMD, St. Raphael Hospital Limited, who spoke on Industrial Accidents, Ill-Health/Occupational Disease and Prevention; said the safety gadgets installed in strategic locations within the Promasidor premises is an indication that the company holds the issue of sound health in high esteem.

According to him, the Safety Day annually celebrated by the company is another major programme that Promasidor uses to educate its workforce about

Airtel kicks off ‘5 Days of Love’CSR Campaign

One Nigerea’s leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced the commencement of its Christmas charity campaign tagged ‘5 Days of Love,’ to uplift the less privileged in the communities it operates and give them a reason to celebrate during the yuletide season.

The 5-day long programme, which commenced on the 18th of December and run till 23rd of the same month, is part of the CSR

interventions of Airtel Nigeria under its Employee Volunteer Scheme (EVS).

During the period, employees of the organization will embark on series of humanitarian activities including donations of Items such as foodstuff, bedding materials, sanitary materials, clothing, and toys among other items, to identified orphanages and charity homes across the country.

As part of the activities, Airtel

employees in the Western part of Nigeria will host children of Daniel Akintunde Model School for Children with Special Needs, Adigbe, Abeokuta in Ogun State, to a Christmas party. The Airtel team also plans to make donations to the school.

Airtel employees in Lagos willtake the ‘5 Days of Love’ campaign tothe Arrow of God Orphanage at Oke-Ira, Ajah, Lagos to express love tothe orphans by spending quality time and donat-

Stories by Godwin Anyebe

the need to be safety conscious in their workplace.

Dr. Anthony said an industrial accident is a sudden and unforeseen event that happens to somebody and resulting in injury to self and possibly to co-workers.

According to him, falls from heights – ladder, vehicles/trucks are common in manufacturing environment and should be prevented by all workers.

He therefore, advised that any responsibility that requires working at heights should be properly assessed with enough provision made for risk management. His words: “Permanent safe access to heights is required where frequent access to heights is required in the course of our daily responsibility.”

The CMD also advised that the management and workers should eliminate contamination of the floors in the workplace in order to prevent injuries resulting from slips. “There should be effective pedestrian and vehicular segmentation.

ing relevantitems and supplies to enrich the lives of the children.

Also within the week, the North Region is expected to visit the Wuse General Hospital, Zone 3, Wuse, Abuja and the Defence Medical Centre, Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja while Airtel employees in South Region will round off the programme by visiting the Gidan Begge Motherless Home, Markurdi Benue State on Wednesday, 23rd of December.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

B7 Motoring

Hyundai Creta launched in Africa, Middle East Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Hyundai Motor Company has announced the launch of the Creta, its new sub-compact SUV, in Africa and the Middle East.

This addition to the Korean manufacturer’s car line-up marks the brand’s debut in this fast-growing segment and is set to appeal to buyers looking for an affordable SUV in a stylish, high quality package.

The Creta combines a classy ‘Modern Premium’ interior and exterior with a robust body

structure and impressive performance and handling. On the road this dynamic SUV makes a strong visual statement thanks to Hyundai Motor’s acclaimed ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 Design philosophy’.

Jin (James) Kim, Vice-President and Head of Operations for Hyundai Motor Company Africa and Middle East, said: “This is a SUV that has been designed for a new generation of customers who are looking for vehicles which demonstrate forward thinking design and world-class quality at an affordable price.

The Creta is a true expression

Porsche exceeds 200,000 mark of vehicles Delivered A total of 209,894 cars were delivered worldwide from January to November 2015 by Porsche AG. This corresponds to a 24 percent increase in comparison to the same period in 2014. Thus, for the first time in the history of the company, Porsche has handed over to customers more than 200,000 vehicles. Last year, the Stuttgart-based sports car maker set a record with a total of 189,849 deliveries globally. “With more than 200,000 Porsche models deliv-

ered, we have reached a milestone of our strategy 2018 well ahead of schedule”, underscores Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board – Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, thanking the employees: “Porsche employees worldwide have joined forces to contribute to making this success possible. With our future-oriented products, our motivated staff and our powerful sales partners the world over, we are clearly well positioned for the future.”

of the future of our brand and is perfectly equipped to perform strongly within the highly competitive sub-compact SUV segment.” At the front the Creta’s elegant and distinctive character is illustrated by the triple slat chrome front grille, smoothly reased hood, LED- integrated headlamps, stylish skid plate and dual tone front bumper. The vehicle’s dynamic look is accentuated from the side by the rising beltline and sloping roofline while split type tail lamps with chrome edges, a sporty bumper and a stylish shark fin antenna complete the

modern look at the rear.

In line with Hyundai Motor Company’s Modern Premium brand direction, the interior of the Creta delivers class-leading levels of comfort and convenience. With plenty of space for five passengers, the use of high-grade materials is complemented by best-in-class noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance thanks to the combination of enhanced sound absorption materials and advanced engineering design, all ensuring an exceptional travel experience.

Affordable, yet impressively well-equipped, the Creta offers

a number of advanced features more usually found on more expensive cars.

Highlights include a smart key and push button start, a rear parking assist system and a rear view camera linked to the five-inch central display unit. A central cluster ionizer and mood bar is also available. The Creta is driven by a choice of refined, powerful and efficient engines, available depending on market.

The petrol option is a 123ps 1.6 MPI unit while diesel options include a 90ps U2 1.4 CRDi power plant and 128ps 1.6 CRDi VGT offering.

New Honda CR-V achieves highest rating The stylish and versatile Honda CR-V has received a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the top score available in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Earlier, the CR-V earned a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), making it a collision safety leader and standout choice in the SUV market.

“Consumers have made the CR-V America’s best-selling SUV for good reason, and this top government Safety rating just adds one more appealing

and class-leading attribute,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. “Honda is committed to offering vehicles that deliver advanced safety, fun-to-drive performance and connectivity, with t o p

fuel economy ratings. CR-V is that kind of vehicle.” In receiving the 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from NHTSA, the Honda CR-V has also met the requirements of the agency’s three recommended technologies: RVS-Rear Video System (back-up camera), FCW Forward Collision Warning and LDW Lane Departure Warning.

The Honda CR-V utilizes the latest generation of Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure which helps make the CR-V highly effective at absorbing and dispersing the energy of a frontal collision crash.

Agric B8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Agriculture in Nigeria

The need to revisit agriculture Stories by Isaac Agber

Nigeria’s economy took a nosedive when its oil fortunes started dwindling in 2014.

Since then, the resultant effect on the currency (Naira) has been alarming as evidenced in the current exchange rates. The abysmal situation is already leading the entire system to a crash as market forces are obviously unfavorable in both international and local trading.

There is no gainsaying that the situation calls for serious brainstorming on how to revert to agriculture by leveraging on its potential gains to save the nation’s economy vis-à-vis the proposed budget for 2016 and beyond. It requires urgency on the part of the Federal Government to douse the situation through deliberate measures, considering the severity it portends on the citizenry.

First, it is consoling, however, that the President, Muhammadu Buhari, has already said that the 2016 budget will be focused on diversifying the nation’s economy, taking it away from over-dependence on the oil and gas sector.

This is a clear precedence on the path of rebirth and recovery from the prevailing status quo. But to leapfrog the doldrums in earnest requires a complete shift of attention back to the agricultural sector as the only option.

Secondly, the president’s choice for an erudite and well experienced Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, is commendable and indicates that efforts are being initiated in the right direction. In his inaugural speech, Chief Ogbeh acknowledged that: “Oil and gas served Nigerians well. We did not manage the resources well. We can’t blame oil and gas. Now the pressure is on agriculture. How we are going to make it work to ensure yield and harvest is a burden all of us will carry together. We are going to face serious challenges. We have to earn foreign exchange to replace oil. The demand out there is very high if we produce the right quantity and quality.”

Obviously, the man has proven understanding of his job. However, as Nigerians embark on this collective burden-sharing tasks and navigate the serious challeng-

es ahead, government must be reminded that the nation’s economy is being dragged to the mud due to its complacency, utter neglect and disdain for the agricultural as a minor to oil.

Thus, if the government is sincere and determined in diversifying the economy, there should be short, medium and long-term development goals for each and every sector of the economy, giving fillip to the abundance of human and natural resources available to the country.

The minister must engender interest in acquisition of agribusiness skills for young Nigerians to take advantage of. Many graduates can play major roles in providing services in the rural areas by transforming the current subsistence agriculture into an extensive and business oriented one with the food security assured and rural development.

This must be encouraged through provision of zero profit loan facilities and activating the interest and capacities of young entrepreneurs with attractive policies. Government must also ensure that skill acquisition in its

citadels of learning is given priority, not waiting for the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) to do a hasty job.

The N2 billion empowerment loan scheme for Nigerian youths through the Bank of Industry (BoI) would be the right step in the right direction if emphasis is placed on agriculture.

The government at all levels should learn from other climes with larger populations. China’s population, for instance, is currently running close to 1.5 billion, the largest population in the world according to current statistics. It is equivalent to 19.24% of the total world population. The population density in China is 145 people per Km2. Interestingly, China ranks first in worldwide farm output, primarily producing rice, wheat, potatoes, tomato, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton, oilseed and soybeans.

Although accounting for only 10 percent of arable land worldwide, China produces food for 20 percent of the world’s population.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s arable land percentage was last measured at 39.53 in 2011, according to the

World Bank. Yet, the country is handicapped in agricultural produce to sustain her fast growing population, let alone exporting. And before the government banned importation of rice, Nigeria was the highest importer of Chines rice.

In essence, Nigeria’s 42 per cent of arable land area can produce tree and food crops, forestry, livestock and fisheries. Other crops seen to be thriving in exports include: Beans, sesame, cashew nuts, cassava, cocoa beans, ground nuts, gum arable, kolanut, maize, melon, Millet, Palm Kernel, Palm Oil, Plantain, Rice, Rubber, Sorghum, Soya beans and Yams.

Meanwhile, Cocoa, the former leading non-oil foreign exchange earner, is now dropped back by the dominance of small holders and lack of farm labour due to urbanization. For example, in 1999, Nigeria produced 145,000 tons of Cocoa beans but has the potential for over 300,000 per year. If this is actualized, the country can be sure of being on the right path of wealth creation.

In all fairness, the nation had some sort of long-term development aims in the past but there had been a sharp disconnect between goals and means to achieving them. There existed no direction for the implementation of the plan(s) and as such, they died a very natural death.

In essence, it is expedient for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari along with the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources to break away from this culture of cluelessness that has become the order of the day.

It change requires aggressive measures for all intents and purposes. For talk is cheap, it will be meaningless for as long as we are not ready to work the talk.

Agriculture will never be at the centre stage when critical infrastructures are lacking. The government should foster an environment that would pave way for a competitive, diversified and self-reliant economy. Such an economy must have agriculture as its main thrust. There is a need to revise the Land-Use Act to enable easier access to land for agricultural purposes.

1,600 Nigerian farmers benefit from IITA/SARDD-SC wheat project No fewer than 1,600 Nigerian farmers drawn from Kano and Borno states have benefited from the IITA/Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARDSC) wheat initiative programme.

They were among farmers drawn from 11 countries

throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The IITA/SARD-SC Project coordinator, Dr. Chrys Akem, said in a statement in Ibadan recently, that within two years of the inception of the SARDSC project, the wheat component had mobilized a fasttracked seed multiplication

programme, and distributed 58 tonnes of improved seeds that have been grown over 500 hectares of wheat areas in six innovation platform sites across two states in Nigeria (Kano and Borno).

According to him, the SARDSC wheat project provided

two tons of improved seeds of Norman and Attila-Gan-Attila wheat varieties to the Mauritanian team, as part of contributions to the preparation the Regional DRFCA staff were making for planting these and other improved varieties in the nearest future.

Nigerian farmers

Life&

TIMES Thursday, December 24, 2015

2015:

Controversies that rocked Nigeria’s entertainment industry

Issue L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

2015:

As 2015 wrap off in few days, the entertainment industry in Nigeria within the year witnessed quite a lot of controversies from both the music and movie arms of the industry. Although if you must remain in the industry, a times been controversial paid off to some while others were left hanging pulling some unthoughtful stunts. From today, MUTIAT ALLI will bring to you series of activities that made 2015 awesome in the industry. Here are some of the top controversies that made 2015.

Controversies that rocked Nigeria’s entertainment industry Toyin Aimahku and Adeniyi Johnson’s marriage split

2FACE caught kissing baby mama, Pero Adeniyi

Another celebrity marriage sadly bit the dust in 2015. After briefly separating and reuniting in 2014, actors Toyin Aimakhu and Adeniyi Johnson called it quits in 2015. Toyin Aimakhu moved from her matrimonial home after she caught Adeniyi Johnson flirting on phone with one of her workers. Right now it seems both parties have moved on, and an official divorce is looming in 2016.

DENRELE’s Caitlyn Jenner moment

Davido’s baby/NDLEA

Life&

T E A M

Despite starting the year with an endorsement deal, David Adeleke the ‘Omo Baba Olowo’ crooner was enmeshed in several controversies. Earlier in the year, there was a controversy between the Osun State born and a UK based supermodel, Shanielle Haye, over an alleged pregnancy.

Just when fans realised it was a rumour, another one surfaced and this time, true. It was reported that the 23-year-old singer impregnated an Abuja based big

girl, Sophie Momodu, a cousin to acclaimed media guru, Dele Momodu.

In May this year, Davido became a father when he welcomed his baby girl. That’s not all. Sometime in June this year, Davido was reportedly involved with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over his display of white substance in his viral video, ‘Fans mi’ which has American superstar and Nicki Minaj’s boyfriend, Meek Mill.

Movie & Music Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

This was the most read Nigeria celeb story of 2015 online and it sure ranks high in the controversy list also. 2face grabbed headlines in an ugly way when he was pictured kissing one of his baby mamas, Pero Adeniyi, in

a nightclub in Lagos. Someone tipped Annie Idibia about the incident and she stormed the club that night. Thankfully, a fight didn’t ensue but the story tainted 2face’s good hubby image slightly for a while.

Bruce Jenner transforming to Caitlyn Jenner was one of the highlights of 2015. Our very own Denrele Edun who isn’t shy of controversy jumped in on the sex change trend by sharing pictures of him posing very much like a woman. He was topless, wore female denim pants and high heels.

His pictures were controversial and Nigerians did not hold back in blasting the eccentric media celeb.

SKIIBII’s death and resurrection Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Sunday O. Emmanuel

Some will call it the biggest PR stunt in the entertainment industry in 2015. When Skiibii was proclaimed dead by a couple of his label mates, the industry felt sad about the upcoming artiste passing away before his prime. Things turned crazy when some hours later the 5 Star Music act was said to be alive, and recovering in a hospital in Lagos. No one knew what to believe, a true near death experience or a distasteful stunt? Whatever it was, 5 Star Music felt the backlash and had to go on a promo run so as to cool down the incident. Skiibii is presently hale and hearty.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

L3 Issue

Emeka Ike marriage crisis Just when popular Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike, was in a heated court battle with his colleague and Actors Guild of Nigeria’s President, Ibinabo Fiberesima, news of the dark-skinned actor’s marriage crash was made public by the media. It became a wild fire, with many lashing out at the ace actor for folding his hands and watching his home get shattered.

Emeka made news of

Tonto Dike’s love-life/ designer bag Tonto Dike Churchill is no doubt the Nigerian queen of controversies. The star actressturned-singer started 2015 with reports of an alleged pregnancy and her Mr. ‘X’-turned husband.

Mrs. Churchill seems to enjoy getting herself into one stunt or the other. Earlier in the year, Tonto was involved with an unknown

store owner, who took to the social media to cry wolf, claiming Tonto Dikeh owes him money for a designer bag she bought from him. Shortly afterwards, Tonto posted some pictures on her Instagram page. In one, she was burning the alleged designer bag, while shopping for a designer bag in another.

FREEZE accusing ex-wife of domestic violence For anyone who cared to notice, Cool FM on-air-personality was on a bashing spree in 2015.

The veteran radio presenter took his issues with his former wife and mother of children on Instagram. He called her an irre-

sponsible woman, and a violent woman. He then shared photos of bruises and cuts he allegedly suffered from his ex-wife.

He also called her an adulterer which she denied. Now Freeze is currently engaged.

his marriage crash more controversial when he pointed accusing fingers to the light skinned actress, Ibinabo Fiberesima, and popular Lagos pastor cum politician, Reverend Chris Okotie of Household of God Church. He accused them of being responsible for his marital woes. Emeka Ike’s estranged wife filed for divorce over battery and assault.

Oritse Femi vs manager

Toke Makinwa’s marriage In June 2015, Nigeria’s social media was set on fire with the news of Toke Makinwa’s 18-month old marriage to Maje Ayida, packing up. The reports claimed that Toke’s hubby, Maje, allegedly got his exgirlfriend, a Calabar girl named Anita Solomon, pregnant and she’s off to UK to deliver the child. The alleged scandal went viral, making Toke Makinwa the top trending topic on Nigerian social media at that time. While many were throwing jabs at both parties for failing on their promises and duties in their union, none of them came out to refute the claims.

But, Maje, after one month, offered a public apology to his darling wife, Toke. Both were recently spotted at an event in Lagos.

Even though 2015 has been a successful year for former Ajegunle singer, Oriste Femi, June/July weren’t so good for the Afro music star. There was a leak of his BBM private chat with an unknown girl, although, he accused his longtime lover, Blessing, on Instagram, for leaking the private chat. While still recovering from the shock, he was involved in a feud with his former manager, Danku, over alleged unaccounted N50 million business deal. As if that wasn’t enough, weeks later, his estranged manager was reportedly down with mental illness. The father of three with different mothers was fingered for the former manager’s illness.

Burna Boy assaulting driver in Lekki Of course Burna Boy had to be on the list, not for brandishing guns on Instagram or smoking weed on SnapChat but for his encounter with a driver on Lekki. According to reports, Burna Boy’s vehicle hit a car on Lekki expressway. Burna and his guest, AKA, immediately got down and entered another car in his convoy. Burna Boy’s entourage stayed back and assaulted the driver. Controversial as always.

Saheed Balogun debt/ fraud crisis Famous Nollywood actor, Saheed Balogun, who is mostly in the Yoruba genre of movies, had his share of controversies in 2015. Earlier in the year, Balogun allegedly dragged his long time actress wife, Fathia williams, formerly Faithia Balogun, to court over the use of his name.

While his fans were cooling off with the news of him and his embittered wife, another one surfaced -an alleged scam involving an upcoming actress.

It was also rumoured that the president of Golden Movie Ambassadors of Nigeria was said to have gotten a loan facility from a bank and left it unsettled. Saheed Balogun’s name was fingered on the long list of debtors, made available to the public by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

GETAWAY WEEKEND WITH BMW @ EPE RESORT

Offer valid while stock lasts

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

L5

BMW 6 SERIES

www.bmwnigeria.com/6series

Sheer Driving Pleasure

brate this season by buying BMW 6 Series from charis Motors and Enjoy 2 Nights at the prestigious RESORT, Opposite Lagos State Driver’s Institute, Lagos.

ROOM/WORKSHOP: 8, Constitution Road Business District, Abuja.

052421361

A bottle of wine awaits you upon arrival PORT HARCOURT SHOWROOM/WORKSHOP 242, Aba Road, Port Harcourt Rivers State.

Tel: 08035470559

charisgroup.net or www.eperesort.com

UYO SHOWROOM/OFFICE Nwaniba Road Opp. Radio Nigeria, Uyo Akwa Ibom State.

Tel: 08037099026

KANO SHOWROOM/OFFICE: Plot 8, Guda Abdulahi Road Farm Centre, Kano State.

Tel: 08033334003 08036302325.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY

Mixed Grills L6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

Mutiat Alli

9ice releases Abefe ...auditions for Faji Video in Lagos Adegbola ‘9ice’ Adigun has released his new song, titled ‘Abefe’. It is a love song produced by Olumix. It is a Christmas bonus for his fans who have been supporting his musical career since he hit lime light.

“Abefe is a love song. It illustrates how a man loves his wife and telling her not to listen to deceivers who want to snatch her from him. It is a very interesting song that delivers creative character”, Adigun said.

Aside Abefe, the Alapomeji boss is also preparing to shoot video of his new song named ‘Faji’ in Lagos and has started auditioning for dancers who will feature in the video.

Meanwhile, the Gongo Aso fame has released Ogara and Sugar videos making waves on television stations days back. The videos were shot in South Africa and directed by Alexander The Great.

The forthcoming effort is the 5th

OLIC 2: Pasuma, Reminisce to thrill fans As preparation is in top gear towards the second edition of the Olamide Live in Concert (OLIC) billed to hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, December 27, 2015, an insider in the YBNL boot has revealed that popular Fuji act Pa-

suma, K1 the ultimate, Reminisce, Phyno, Davido, Adekunle Gold, Lil Kesh amongst others are expected to thrill fans.

Radio girl Toolz and Do2dtun are expected to co-host the concert alongside comedian, Basketmouth.

9ice single from the ‘Party Rider’ singer who is working on his 7th studio album. He had earlier released songs like ‘Sugar’, ‘Familete’ and

‘Lord’s Prayer’. While ‘Sugar’ and ‘Lord’s Prayer’ were produced by Puffy Tee, ‘Familete’ was produced

by ID Cabasa.

K1 and Olamide

Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Joke Silva, for ’Hear Word!’ this December!

Hear Word, a show based on a collection of true life stories of a poignant, joyous and heartbreaking examination of female self-discovery and challenges facing Nigerian women is back on stage from December 24 – 27, 2015 at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

The play examines the cultural, social behaviour and beliefs that oppress, reject and limit a woman’s potential.

HEAR WORD inspires women to break barriers, realise their full potential and contribute to nation building.

The show produced and

directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa will feature powerful performances from a cast of extraordinary Nigerian actresses which include, TaiwoAjai-Lycett, Joke Silva, Bimbo Akintola, Omonor, ElvinaIbru, Ufuoma McDermott, Zara Udofia, Deborah Ohiri, Rita Edward and Odenike.

New video Alert

Cynthia emerges Next Movie Star winner

Tiwa Savage Ft. Don Jazzy ‘African Waist’

27-year-old Cynthia Shalom has emerged the winner of the 2015 edition of the Next Movie Star. The budding Nigerian actress, model and dance instructor beat 15 other housemates to emerge winner of the coveted crown and is set to smile home with a brand new SUV, management deal, and movie contract for three years and mouthwatering wardrobe allowance.

Speaking on her success, Cynthia said: ‘I’m very happy and excited. It’s a humbling experience emerging winner of Next Movie Star 2015.

The Next Movie Star Reality TV Show has over the years discovered successful stars in the Africa Entertainment industry since it berth in 2005. Those who have passed through the platform also popular as NMS include Tonto Dikeh, Annie Idibia, Kevin Chuwang Pam, PortiaYamahan, Uti Nwachukwu, Lydia Forson, Karen Igho, Tamara Eteimo, Tomiwa Kukoyi, Halimat Aitsegame, Boma Mac Ake, Zerziyia Wilson and others.

Cynthia

Mavin super lady, Tiwa Savage, having been out of the music scene for a while is back shortly after announcing her second album ‘ R.E.D’ is out with African Waist featuring Mavin dynasty boss, Don Jazzy, who doubled as the producer of the song. The vivacious video was shot in South Africa two weeks ago. It portrays Tiwa Savage as the Queen of the carnival. Meanwhile, Don Jazzy brings some humour to the video by playing the role of a fitness instructor.

Tiwa Savage

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

L7 Review

Mutiat Alli

Oxford Garden: Obi Emenlonye takes Nollywood to Hollywood!!!

Mutiat Alli Lost in the thoughts of the several happenings in his life, tried to surpass his lost hopes with redemptions that the future holds a better place-if today was your last day; how will you spend it?

Just like other productions that includes the much talked about Last flight to Abuja, Mirror Boy, Thy will be done to mention but few, Obi Emelonye latest effort, Oxford Garden, sees the producer taking a clue from Hollywood trend and trust that he did justice to the movie where he was able to marry Nollywood and Hollywood together.

Oxford Garden tells the story of Julius, a broken, down-on-his-luck ex-¬boxer, in search of redemption.

Munachi is a pretty, bubbly young girl with a dark secret.

Their chance meeting on a park bench in Oxford Gardens one summer afternoon sets in motion an unlikely friendship and an uplifting journey through their respective fears; and through hope, faith and love; to a stoic acceptance of whatever life throws at them.

The 1hr: 30min movie opened with a perfectly edited scene of Julius Caesar Okosisi played by 2 time Golden Gloves, Heavyweight champion, top model and Hollywood Actor, Ngoli Okafor, sited in deep

thought in a garden reminiscing on his past life’s and how well to cope with challenges ahead having been out of the boxing ring for a while. In the cause of his silent moment at the park comes a lady who helped resurrect his soul, Ngozi Thompson Igwebike (Munachi), who through her own bucket list of life targeted achievement helped solved Julius challenges as well as hers.

Like a stranger to each other, Julius like every other man helped Muna in getting out of her depressed mood having been diagnosed with Cancer and left with few days, decides to leave the hospital without medication; Julius helped with the achievement of all her bucket lists from meeting a stranger (Julius) to problem from height, to getting tattoo, to having to make love again, to notifying her ex reasons why their relationship never worked out amongst list.

However on the part of Munachi, she helped Julius actualise his dream of making up with his daughter and fighting back in the boxing ring having been banned for year in connection to an accident with Annabel.

Even as Obi chose the Hollywood part, there was yet a moment of Nollywood relieve in the movie as played by Munachi’s parent, Mr. & Mrs. Onuoha with Munachi’s mum accusing her husband’s family of

the trace of cancer which in turned affected their daughter.

Like a baby, I shed a bit of tears when Munachi and Julius sat at the park again with Munachi losing hope that she might not survive again; and with Julius singing a touching dirge song. When we thought the movie had ended, Julius finally returned to ring fighting for love, hope, reunion but was defeated and landed in the hospital. Munachi returned sharing her survival story.

What more seals the strange bond between Julius and Munachi but a wonderful wedding with D’Richy Obi-Emelonye’s (Julius Daughter) serving as the ring bearer?

Shot in London and in collaboration with Africa Magic Original Films, Obi happens to be the first African director to shoot a feature film at East End Studios, a studio that is mainly used by UK and US mainstream filmmakers.

It is pertinent to give kudos to the producer for the perfect synchronisation of each matching scenes together and also of high commendation in the movie is the well put together accident scene.

The movie sure makes a proper landing as 2015 wraps off with the scenes enjoying best music by Luciano, perfect lightning, props, cast and above all editing.

Oxford Garden!!!!! Sure you can bank on it.

Mixed Grills Discovery network brings ID XTRA to …as new channel debuts in January DSTV subscribers featuring the best in mystery Emelonye

Discovery Networks have announced changes to its channel portfolio on DStv with the addition of ID Xtra, an all-new, high-quality mystery and suspense channel launching on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 on DStv channel 171.

ID Xtra, which will replace ID: Investigation Discovery when it launches next month, showcases the best in gripping stories and

dramatic reconstructions of everyday people behaving badly, all filmed in a contemporary and stylish format. From desperate, deadly housewives to vengeful, murderous husbands, ID Xtra will depict intriguing and salacious real-life stories of passion, revenge, murder and desire to satisfy the most curious and inquisitive viewer.

“With its glossy reconstructions of real-life mysteries, ID Xtra will have viewers glued to their screens for hours at a time,” said James Gibbons, EVP & Country Manager, Emerging Business, and Discovery Networks CEEMEA. “Mystery and suspense is one of the fastest growing genres within Pay TV and Discovery is in pole position, leading the category with

a channel that has already been a proven success across CEEMEA. We are delighted to offer yet another high-quality channel to DStv’s subscribers,” he added.

This January alone, DStv Premium, Compact Plus and Compact subscribers can look forward to several brand new shows including Do Not Disturb: Hotel Horrors (Saturday 9 January, 9pm),

the intriguing series that goes behind closed doors to uncover the shocking crimes that happened inside hotels; Bad Blood (Sunday 24 January, 9pm) follows families driven apart by heinous crimes as they come together for the first time; and Mansions & Murders (Monday 11 January, 9:50pm) reenacts the terrible crimes involving wealthy mansion dwellers.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 24, 2015

L8 Television Showing on

Showing on

125 FOX Channel

107 M-Net Movie Romance

02:10

02:15

Thur, 24 Dec | 13SL

Thur, 24 Dec | 16SNL

‘S3/E4 - Full Moon Fever’. Bobby falls for Travis’ photography professor, but Travis refuses to introduce them. Laurie falls for a guy she’s never met when she begins a romance via Twitter.

In this introspective film, a young man has everything one could possibly want, but still isn’t happy. When he meets a woman from his past, he wonders if she is the missing piece. Rachael Taylor, Josh Lawson. (2012) Rob Sitch.

101 M-Net West

118 Telemundo

120 BBC Entertainment

128 SONY MAX

00:00 New Worlds 01:00 Time Of Death 02:05 Hours 04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Goldbergs 06:30 Mysteries Of Laura 07:30 Grey’s Anatomy 08:30 Stranded In Paradise 10:30 Mike & Molly 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 NCIS: Los Angeles 14:00 Elementary 15:00 Chicago Fire 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Middle 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Modern Family 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 The Blacklist 20:30 CSI: Cyber 21:30 NCIS: Los Angeles 22:30 Gotham 23:00 Twelve Monkeys

00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love 23:05 QI 23:35 Top Gear

00:20 Most Shocking 01:10 Kenny vs Spenny 11:00 My Family

01:40 Freakshow

00:25 The Weakest Link

11:30 Hell’s Kitchen USA

02:10 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

01:15 Silent Witness

12:20 Top Gear

02:40 Upload With Shaquille O’Neal

02:10 Total Wipeout UK

13:15 Come Dine With Me

03:10 Hip Hop Squares

03:05 EastEnders

14:15 Hell’s Kitchen USA

03:40 Most Shocking

03:35 QI

15:05 The Weakest Link

04:30 South Beach Tow

04:05 Top Gear

16:00 EastEnders

05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak

05:00 Spy

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

05:30 Exposed

05:25 QI

17:10 The Cube

05:55 Exposed

06:00 The Thin Blue Line

18:00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

06:20 Video Zonkers

06:30 EastEnders

19:00 Dragons’ Den

06:45 Repo Games

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

20:05 Top Gear

07:10 World’s Wildest Police Videos

07:55 The Weakest Link

21:05 Hell’s Kitchen USA

08:45 The Cube

08:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol

09:30 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

22:10 Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow

10:20 Deal Or No Deal

23:45 So You Think You’d Survive?

155 AfricaMagic World

154 Africa Magic Family

00:00 Tinsel 00:30 Living With Trisha 01:30 Family Ties 02:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Music Block 05:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Evanescent 08:35 Living With Trisha 09:25 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa

11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 14:00 Prem 14:30 Jara 15:00 Family Ties 15:30 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 Meet The Adebanjos 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 20:00 Airtel Touching Lives 20:35 Evanescent 22:00 Tyme Out With Tee-A 23:35 53 Extra

00:05 Noose Of Gold 00:35 Good Morning Africa 01:40 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 Johnbull And Rosekate 08:35 Prem

09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 So Wrong So Wright 10:30 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Jara 12:30 Jara 13:00 Series TBA 14:00 53 Extra 14:30 53 Extra 15:00 Kakibe Ki 15:30 Noose Of Gold 16:00 Foot Print 16:30 Lies That Bind 17:00 Lies That Bind 17:30 Star Gist 18:00 Star Gist 18:30 Star Gist 19:00 Prem 19:30 So Wrong So Wright 20:00 Market Sellers 22:25 Series TBA 23:30 The Tracker

09:10 South Beach Tow 09:40 Most Shocking 10:40 Most Shocking 11:40 Video Zonkers 12:10 Repo Games 12:40 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:40 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:40 South Beach Tow 15:10 Exposed 15:40 Criss Angel Mindfreak 16:10 1000 Ways To Die 16:40 Video Zonkers 17:05 Repo Games 17:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne 20:30 Impractical Jokers 21:00 Freakshow 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Kenny vs Spenny 22:30 Tool Academy 23:20 The Real