Dtn 25 1 16

48hrs to inauguration: APC, Bello shop for Faleke’s replacement Ï Search narrowed down to Kogi East ÏGroup, others task governor-elect ÎÎÎForty-eight hours to the inaugu-

Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja

ration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the new governor in Kogi State, the All

Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified search for a replacement for Hon. James Falaeke, former

running mate to late Prince Audu Abubakar, who died shortly after Continued on page 12

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MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 30

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 22th January 2016.

7UP

172.99

186.7

13.71%

CADBURY

12.6

13.89

1.29%

NESTLE

744.15 707.15 -37%

NNFM

8.55

8.13

-0.42%

GUINNESS

97

101.85

4.85%

NB

105.5

108

2.5%

FO

330

INTERBREW

16.3

15.9

-0.4%

313.5

-16.5%

Rampaging herdsmen kill DPO, 30 others Ï Raze down four villages in Adamawa Ï ‘They were aided by Boko Haram terrorists’ Ï They had written to inform us they’ll launch the attack, says community leader Tom Garba, Yola

ÎÎÎA group of Fulani militants in their hundreds overran the villages of Koh,

Ndikajam, Tabongo and Jat of Girei Local government Area of Adamawa state in

the early hours of Sunday, killing over 30 people including a Divisional Police

Officer(DPO), CSP Okozie Okereofor.

Spokesman of Adamawa

State Police Command, DSP Othman Abubakar , conContinued on page 6

Budget will bail us out of economic woes g 8 –Sen. Dariye Arms deal scandal: Falana asks ICC to probe Military, public officials g 6

Gbenga Adeyinka Lending g L1 support to orphanages gL1

Risking their lives for ‘free fuel’. Some Nigerians scooping fuel from a tumbled Forte Oil truck at Catholic U-turn, Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway... at the weekend.

PHOTO: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI.

Ï PPPRA jerks up kerosene price to N83, FG makes N10.72 margin per litre

g 12

Real Life Lessons from Monopoly Board Game continues g L4, L5

2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Page Three Æ s

3

Editorial States and sack of workers

O

ne of the most depressing news of last week was the sacking of more than 3,000 government workers by the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha. Before then, the salaries of the affected workers were stopped with effect from Monday, January 4, 2016. According to sources, the action is closely linked to the recent form which the administration forced the state government workers to sign before collecting their unpaid salaries, even as the administration claimed it was no longer in the public interest to keep running these agencies, parastatals and departments with huge cost on public revenue.

We condemn in all entirety the recent mass sack of government workers by the Okorocha administration and demand that the affected workers be immediately recalled. Our stand is predicated on the fact that the employment of these workers was through due process and therefore disengaging them for whatever reason should be along civil service rules. We wonder why the state government should announce the sacking of thousands of workers through the radio and television stations, even before officially notifying those affected. It is against civil service rules to dismiss workers who did not commit any infraction, or convicted by a law court for a criminal offence.

We recall that this is the second time Governor Okorocha would be sacking civil servants after he had in June 2011 dismissed 10,000 workers recruited by the administration of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim.

Definitely, the plight of these workers calls for immediate intervention by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

This is because the governor had earlier assured the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, at a meeting in Owerri, the

state capital that he would not sack, retire prematurely or cut salaries of workers without due process. Allowing such misnomer to stand would further aggravate the already grave financial situation of those affected and even increase the rate of crimes in the state.

Incidentally, what is happening in Imo is being replicated in some states of the federation. Only recently, the Osun State government terminated the appointment of more than 300 academic and non-academic staff of its four tertiary institutions. The institutions are the state College of Education, Ilesa, College of Education, Ila Orangun, College of Technology and Polytechnic in Ire and Esa Oke respectively. In addition, doctors on its pay rolls were sacked for failure to call off the strike they embarked upon in November 2015, as the medical practitioners were protesting government’s decision to pay them half salary. While the government identified redundancy, inappropriate qualifications, poor academic development, and declining productivity, among others, as responsible for the dismissals, the Academic Staff Union of the affected institutions has debunked the claim and is now spoiling for a showdown.

Ironically, the sack of government employees is coming at a time the Federal Government has pleaded with investors in the private sector against sacking workers at this critical stage, as doing so would have serious negative effects not just on the retrenched employee but on the larger economy.

We are therefore calling on state governments to shelve any plan of sacking their workers. Aside the high level of unemployment this will entail, very many people depend on those working to earn a living. Throwing them out into the streets would consign their dependants to lives of penury and untold hardships.

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

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏThe

unimaginable happened recently when the All Progressives Congress (APC) warned Nigerians in general but the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in particular against insulting President Muhammadu Buhari and officials of his administration.

The warning, the party said, became necessary due to what it called the PDP’s “unprovoked insults and unguarded statements” on President Buhari and other members of the APC. A statement signed by APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, said: “The APC is worried by PDP’s inciting statements.

Respect for the office of the president or heads of government in any clime is not a matter of choice but a civ-

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hopeless and useless leader.”

Other chieftains of APC also rained abuses on Jonathan and his administration.

Fact is that if the APC and its chieftains did not see anything wrong in raining insults on Jonathan and officials of his administration, then the party need not warn the PDP and Nigerians against so-called “unprovoked insults and unguarded statements” on President Muhammadu Buhari and other members of the APC. Whether such insults and unguarded statement come from the PDP or other Nigerians, the APC must learn to live by it, after all, what is good for the geese is good for the gander. The party set the pace in abusing the former President and ridiculing his office while it was in opposition. Now that it has found itself in power, the APC and President Buhari should be mature enough to soak in the insults as the former occupier of the office of the President and his party did.

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ic obligation sanctioned by laws. Being an opposition party or critic is no licence to issue abusive, intemperate and slanderous statements on government officials; most especially the president of the country”.

APC’s warning comes as a rude shock to many Nigerians who have not forgotten how the party and its chieftains while in opposition rained all manner of insults on former President Goodluck Jonathan and then ruling PDP. The party on many occasions denigrated the office and person of former President, depicting him and his administration as clueless and incompetent.

Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, for instance, while in serving as interim Deputy National Secretary of the APC, in a post on his twitter page during the Jonathan administration, described Jonathan as “lazy, docile, incompetent, clueless,

Words On Marble :

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

APC’s warning against ‘insulting’ Buhari

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Alex Ekwueme

Ebun Adegboruwa

John Cardinal Onaiyekan

“History repeats itself and… when history repeats itself, it comes as a tragedy and those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.

“We cannot say because we have idols in government, then we should shift the goal post of justice.”

“Politicians should learn to forgive and stop using their power to hunt their enemies”.

4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Asaba, Birnin Kebbi, Calabar

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Delta Speaker, ALGON clear air on N325m allegation ÎÎÎThe Speaker of the Del-

ta State House of Assembly, Hon Monday Igbuya, has cleared the air on allegation of N325 million remittance as reported by some media, thereby calling of men of the noble profession to be thorough and be armed with accurate facts and figures before going to press.

He also asked them to always project the image of the state in its true perspective to counter the negative picture being presented by some individuals.

Igbuya spoke while receiving the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Award of Excellence, in Legislative Competence and Exceptional Leadership in Asaba, the state capital.

“Those with sinister motives rush to online media to air their frivolous and malicious publication because it

provides cover for litigation.

Saharareporters and The Will should, on their part, check the veracity of news items before publishing.

They need to be mindful that true journalism is not a tool for witch-hunting” he said.

In a tone suggestive of his condemnation for falsehood, Igbuya said that he was disturbed when Trend, a new radio station, aired the purported resignation or threat of resignation of the managing director of DESOPADEC. “There exists a cordial relationship between the agency and the House of Assembly. The agency is being run by a board saddled with the policy formulation of the commission while the managing director and his management staff handle the implementation. The appropriate place to tender

any thought of resignation is the board, not the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly. The pressure over budget, as speculated by the afore-mentioned media houses, is purely speculative. As I speak, the budget of the agency is not before the House. I have not seen DESOPADEC budget,” he said.

He urged journalists to stop engaging in acts inimical to the development of the state and prevent themselves from being used by individuals and organisations that do not mean well.

“You don’t make allegations that are unfounded.

Because of paucity of fund in the state, the allocation to councils has dropped drastically. Some local government areas are in arrears of salaries to their staff. Some of them do not have three mil-

lion as allocation, let alone raising N3million for the House of Assembly. In fact, my local government council got N2.7million as allocation.

So, how can a council that got N2.7million pay N3million?

Where will the chairman get the money? Some got zero allocation. Most local governments are currently indebted to the Federal Government.”

He observed that the relevant agencies or the operators of these agencies particularly the Local Government Chairmen, the Chairman, Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON), Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs or the House Committee Chairmen on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, were not reached to ascertain the veracity of the information.

5 News

Navy repatriates 24 illegal Gabonese immigrants The Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, on Sunday, at the shore line jetty, Calabar, repatriated 24 illegal immigrants from Gabon. The immigrants were among 41 foreigners in a transport vessel, AV Agamba impounded by the Navy during a routine patrol on Thursday.

Also aboard the vessel were no fewer than 200 Nigerians.

Commodore Marcus Bobai, the Commander of Nigeria’s Navy Ship,Victory, told newsmen that the Gabonese immigrants were repatriated for entering Nigerian territory without valid travel-

ling documents. According to him, their repatriation was in line with the Federal Government’s policy to tighten up security at the nation’s borders.

He warned that the Navy would no longer allow foreigners or passengers of vessels without valid travelling documents to enter the country through the ports. Bobai said that following interception of the vessel on January 21, the passengers were handed over to the relevant agencies, which screened them under tight security and discovered that some of them did not possess relevant traveling documents.

Ban Ki-moon appoints Amaechi to UN group Idu Jude, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Honourable Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for the next three years, is to serve as member, Board of Trustee in the United Nation;s Instituite for Training Research.

In statement sent to the Daily Times from the Ministry of Transportation, the appointment, which was signed by the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-moon stated that the former Governor of River State, is to serve for a three-year term,

beginning from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018.

According to the document from the office of the Director of Media and Publicity, Mrs Yetunde Sonike, Ministry of Transportation, UNITAR is an autonomous Institute established within the Framework of the United Nations for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of government in achieving major objectives of the United Nations particularly for the purpose of maintaining Peace, Security and Development in developing Nations like Nigeria.

Lagos private school owners protest multiple taxation Alade Tasma

L-R: Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Denis Isizoh; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and Sen Osita Isunaso at the thanksgiving mass for late Pa Pius Ngige at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Alor, Idemili South LGA, Anambra State… on Sunday

Obiano hails S’ Court verdict on APGA exco ÎÎÎ Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has hailed the recent Supreme Court judgement that upheld the Executive Committee of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), headed by the immediate past National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh.

In a judgment delivered

by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by the Maxi

Okwu-led faction which had sought to be declared as the authentic Executive Committee of the party and affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had on June 18, 2015, declared Umeh as the authentic National Chairman of the party.

Hailing the judgement in a rally held at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia to celebrate the victory at the weekend, Obiano who is also the Chair-

man of the Board of Trustees of the party declared the judgement as a “no-victor, no-vanquished,” kind, and called for immediate reconciliation and healing among all splinter groups that existed within the party.

Obiano noted that, “It is important that we seize this great moment in history and run with the passion it has ignited in our hearts. The first thing we should do with this passion is reconciliation. We

must always remember that the Maxi Okwu faction that took us to court is actually our brothers. We must strive to reabsorb them to the mainstream of the party.”

Describing the event as APGA’s own Pentecost Day, Obiano told party members, “If you look among you, you will see tongues of flame on your heads. These tongues of flame are the flames of ‘be your brother’s and your sister’s keeper.’

ÎÎÎ

Proprietors of private schools, under the aegis of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), have protested against multiple taxation they were being subjected to in Lagos State.

Members of the association, led by the Deputy National President, Chief Yomi Otubela, met with members of the Education Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday, January 21, 2016, and intimated them of how they were being made to pay all kinds of levies by agents of the government.

Otubela urged govern-

Ambode ment to stop penalising private schools with low number of students for examinations and that private schools should not be harassed towards giving gratification to officials of the Ministry of Education as he said, this had led to proliferation of mushroom schools with sub-standard equipment and unqualified teachers.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Herdsmen kill DPO, 30 others in Adamawa Continued from page 1 firmed the killing of Okereofor who was the DPO in charge of Vunokilang Police Station in Girei Local Government Area of the state.

Abubakar said the DPO and his team were attacked while on official duty in the affected villages where he was brutally killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Abubakar added that report at his disposal indicated that the attackers killed, maimed and looted food stuff and livestock of the villagers before setting the villages ablaze.

“The suspected Fulani attackers raided four villages in Girei local Government area on Sunday morning around 5:30 am killing scores including the late DPO,” Abubakar said The DPO, late CSP Okozie Okereofor, who was just two months old in the command was said to have been ambushed when he was leading his men to the disputed area and he eventually lost his life in a shoot out with the attackers.

The corpse of the slain Police Officer and remaining civilians were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola.

A source said prior to the incident, there had been a lingering crisis between some Fulani Herdsmen and farmers in the areas which he believed must have led the

attack.

He said there had been lingering threats by herdsmen who had allegedly written letters to the communities that they were going to launch an attack on them.

Elders of the communities were also said have reported the matter to the security agencies in the state about two weeks ago, so they could do something to avert the attack.

One of the elders of the affected areas , PP Elisha, said if the security agencies had acted swiftly as earlier alerted by them elders, they could have stop the attacked.

However, he said they thank God that the military have sent their men to chase out the herdsmen and their mercenaries, adding that several people have been killed while five villages were burnt down.

Elisha, who visited some injured victims of the attack who were immediately evacuated to Specialist Hospital and Federal Medical Centre in Yola by relations, lamented that many people in the affected villages and adjoining areas have flee their homes for fear of attacks in the near future.

An eyewitness had earlier told our correspondent that it was Boko Haram insurgents who attacked the five villages at 7:30 am of Sunday (today) morning due to the nature of the attack which he alleged wa similar to Boko

Haram’s mode of operations.

The eyewitness claimed that many people were killed and injured in the attack, however he could not give the exert figure of casualty.

He said soldiers sent in for immediate spot assessment were wounded and chased back by the attackers.

The eyewitness also reported that a Hilux van full with cattle and food items looted by the attackers was recaptured by the natives of the area.

Another eyewitness who

simply identified himself as Haruna said he could swear with his life that the attackers were members of Boko Haram, adding that he was sure that the herdsmen may have drafted them to help fight the natives of the affected communities. “l narrowly escaped from the hands of the attackers,” he said.

When asked whether the attackers were herdsmen or Boko Haram, he said “we have been living together with these Fulanies, and we

know them but the people that attacked us were strangers, I believed that the Fulanies in our area drafted some strangers who we believe are members of Boko Haram because we have been having unresolved problems with them which had led to the death of some people in the past,” he said.

The Acting Brigade commander of the 23 Amoured Brigade in Yola, Col ABA Popoola confirmed the attack that resulted in the killing of several people and razing

down of five villages.

He said everything was under control as he had deployed his men to areas to cordon them off.

Popoola said the fight was between the herdsmen and farmers in the affected areas, but did not revealed whether some of his men were wounded.

Checks revealed that the attackers have been repelled by the military and most of them have escaped into a bush some kilometers to Sambisa forest.

L-R: Director, Community and Rural Development, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Toye Abosede; Director, Administration, NDDC, Mr. Nosa Aigbongiasede; Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari and National Chairman, Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals Producing Communities, Eze Akuwueze Ikegwuruka at a consultative meeting in Port Harcourt… on Sunday.

Arms deal scandal: Falana asks ICC to probe Military, public officials ÎÎÎSeniors

Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes committed against Nigerian people by former and serving military, public officials and private persons liable to improper use of $8 billion allocated to purchase equipment for the army to fight insurgency.

In a petition dated January 19, 2016 and sent to Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the ICC, Falana said the probe has become necessary in view of the roles the aforementioned officials played in the death of many soldiers who were

deployed to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

He noted that the soldiers were sacrificed to cover up the criminal negligence of the military authorities.

The petition reads in part: “On account of the deliberate refusal of the former military authorities to equip and motivate the members of the armed forces involved in combat operations, the insurgents have killed about 25,000 soldiers and civilians including children and displaced over 2,000,000 people. Having compromised the security of the people of Nigeria by collaborating with the terrorists, the former military authorities deliberately encouraged the brutal killing

of innocent people including ill-equipped officers and soldiers.”

“During a visit to Borno State in 2014, former President Jonathan revealed to some selected leaders of the community that it was when Alhaji Modu Ali Sheriff caused the extra judicial killing of the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Mohammed Yusuf, that the group declared war on the Nigerian people. Even though President Jonathan knew that Alhaji Sheriff was a major sponsor of the terrorist group, the government did not charge him to court under the Terrorism Act applicable in Nigeria.”

“In order to divert the attention of the Nigerian peo-

ple and the international community from the aforementioned crimes against humanity, scores of soldiers were put on trial before courts-martial for demanding for equipment to fight the well-armed members of the Boko Haram sect. The military courts convicted the soldiers and sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment while 70 were sentenced to death. Over 3,000 others were dismissed from the Nigerian Army in similar circumstances.”

“Having investigated and confirmed that the said soldiers were sacrificed to cover up the criminal negligence of the former military authorities, the cur-

rent Army leadership has ordered the recall and reinstatement of the 3,000 dismissed soldiers and commuted the death sentence of 66 out of 70 convicts on deathrow to 10 years’ imprisonment.”

“The inquiry conducted by the Presidential Panel on arms procurement has established that the bulk of the sum of $2.1 billion and N643 billion ($4 billion) earmarked for the purchase of military hardware to fight terrorism was criminally diverted by the former government through the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). It has also been confirmed that the said Col. Dasuki colluded with

some serving and retired military officers and civilians to divert the sum of $2 billion and N29 billion set aside for the procurement of fighter jets and other equipment for the Nigeria Air Force.”

“As if that was not enough, the sum of $322 million and £5.5 million from the Abacha loot which was illegally transferred to Col. Dasuki by a former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for prosecuting the war on terror has also been criminally diverted. Part of the stolen fund was used to fund the campaign for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

7 News

Tension mounts in Abia communities over autonomy right

Obiano

Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏExcept the intervention of

Abia state government and the state House of Assembly, the oilrich community of Owazza, in Ukwa West Local Government

Area of the state may soon explode into a crisis that might be too tough to control.

Of the four autonomous communities in Owazza, two, Igiriukwu and Isietitioha autonomous communities are alleging attempts by the paramount ruler of Owazza, and now the traditional ruler of a component autonomous community, Ipu West, Eze Young Ogbonna, to meddle into the affairs of the two communities before it leads to their loss of independence and autonomy.

In a meeting by the two communities of Igiriukwu and Isietitioha, held in Igiriukwu under the auspices of HRH Eze

jonathan O. Ezere of igiriukwu and HRH Eze Christian Ikemefule Ukaegbu of isietitioha, the communities pleaded with the state government to urge the traditional ruler of Ipu West, Eze Young Ogbonna to respect the autonomy and independence of their communities and allow them to remain so.

It would be recalled that the then governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu created three more autonomous communities from the Ipu Autonomous community, then under HRH Eze Ogbonna, and the communities are Etitioha, Igiriukwu and Isietitioha autonomous communities, and since then, the two

communities of Igiriukwu and Isietitioha autonomous communities alleged that HRH Young Ogbonna has not relented in making life difficult for them through various forms of tampering with their autonomy and independence, leading to three court cases which the communities won, even at the Appeal Court.

Speaking through their kinsmen, Comrade Obinna Francis, Elder Ralph Nwachi, Pastor Lucky Nwagwu, and the woman leaders of the two communities, Phoebe Wilson and Charity Enyioko, disclosed that their traditional rulers have been dragged before the state House of As-

sembly by Eze Ogbonna where he was also defeated.

They disclosed that all autonomous communities in Owazza has all it takes to be autonomous, stating that the royal father of Ipu West, Eze Ogbonna has been trying to even use a central youth organiszation of Owazza to control and annex the two communities.

According to them, since they were established by an edict of the state government, they are not prepared to lose their autonomy, but will defend it with the last drop of their blood, while advising Eze Ogbonna to keep his activities within his kingdom.

Ambode fumes over state of Ajasa-Command road Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏLagos

L-R: Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanite; his wife, Eleanor; Patron, Government College Old Boys Association (GCOBA), Dr. Olalekan Are at the GCOBA 50th anniversary dinner of class 61-67 in Ibadan… on Saturday.

Pipeline vandalism: FG holds inter-agency forum Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏIn response to presidential

directive over the sudden resurface of pipeline vandalism, an inter-agency stakeholders meeting was held at the Niger Delta Ministry to find a sustainable solution to the menace.

The meeting, which was chaired by the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usama Usama Uguru, has the target of uncovering those involved in the recent pipeline vadalisation at Marimatu kingdom, which has led to break down in gas supply to Kaduna refinery and Warri refin-

ery.

In a press briefing shortly after the meeting with all relevant stakeholders, the Minister, Pastor Uguru, stated that the reason for the emergency meeting is to restrategise in the effort to ensuring possible end of pipeline vandalism.

Stressing that all relevant stakeholders present at the meeting will be able to contribute on areas and find possible ways to bring the effect to a halt.

He said all relevant agencies, including the security agencies are to be put on red alert so as to stop the scourge.

“There has been a wide con-

demnation of this dastardly act, which has cut short the production of oil across the country. As it stands, Kaduna refinery has stopped operation and Warri will soon stop should things continue to be the way they are as of now.

But measures are already on ground to bring it to a stop, but these plans I cannot disclose to you now. But all I can say is that we are working closely with all security agencies to achieve success” Uguru said.

The Minister bemoaned the unpatriotic acts of the dare devils who chose to ridicule all efforts being made by the federal government.

state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has expressed displeasure at the deplorable condition of the AjasaCommand and Abesan roads, saying such was unacceptable in the state.

Governor Ambode, who spoke during an inspection tour of the areas, also assured residents that work would commence on the roads within the next two weeks.

The governor assured that work would commence on the Ajasa-Command axis, after IleIwe junction, where the previous road construction stopped; explaining that the project will

accommodate walkways, street lights and drainage systems.

At the Command Military School, the Deputy Director in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Rasheed Akindele, who briefed the governor on the current state of the road, said the project was undertaken by the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) around 2011/2012, but the Ministry of Works took the project further to the Command Bridge and then to Ipaja axis.

According to him, due to the volume of vehicular movement in the area as residents prefer to link Ipaja and Ayobo through the axis from Alagbado, the road deteriorated due to neglect.

Delta govt empowers young entrepreneurs Monday Osayande Asaba

ÏÏÏDelta state government has

given 322 young entrepreneurs’ starter packs and working capital for various skills.

The enterprises which the gainers have been trained include event management and decoration, hair dressing, barbing, tiling and POP and interlocking/landscape.

Speaking during the distribution of the working tools, Prof. Eric Eboh, the state Chief Job Creation Officer (SCJCO), revealed that a number of measures have been put in place to enable the artisans succeed.

He said gone were the days when such opportunities were abused by

recipients of government gesture as he said the artisans were established to become employers of labour and change the economic landscape of Delta state.

According to him, monitoring and mentoring mechanisms have been put in place to ensure sustainability of the programme and its quality compliance by the recipients. ‘’The mentoring is in collaboration with the Micro Credit and Poverty Alleviation Programme of the state government. We shall then from time to time visit them, know how they cope with the business, advice where necessary in order to avoid the pitfalls of the past,’’ Eboh stated.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Politics

Æs

EDO 2016: Nobody can impose candidate — Oyegun The 2016 governorship elections in Edo State is around the corner, how is your party preparing for it, sir?

I have the ability to vote which I will exercise when the time comes. My role is dual. It does not go beyond that. Secondly, I have the overall responsibility of providing a level playing

John Odigie Oyegun, first Executive Governor of Edo State and National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC speaks to TITUS AKHIGBE on national and other issues. Excerpts: field for all the aspirants; I will not allow myself to be dragged into giving preferential treatment to any candidate. I will try as much as possible to be neu-

tral and treat everybody equally.

It means you are aware of the rumour making the round in the state that some people have been anointed?

Budget will bail us out of economic woes — Senator Dariye Members of the National Assembly have been canvassing divergent opinions on the prospects of the 2016 Budget for Nigeria in the current fiscal year, though along party lines.

However, the Senate Committee Chairman on Solid Minerals, Senator Joshua Chibi Dariye in this interview with OLUFEMI SAMUEL, he expresses strong hope on ability of the budget to bail out Nigeria from its present economic woes. He also wants collective responsibility by Nigerians as a means of making the budget attain desired results. Excerpts:

Buhari Going through the 2016 Budget, what impression do you have?

A budget is a statement of intention expressed in quantifiable terms of naira and kobo. Every country must have a budget; a community must have a budget and even a

Dariye must have a budget. The President through the 2016 budget is on focus most especially on his desire to fulfill his campaign promises. The President came with a ‘change’ agenda and he wants to actualize the agenda. That can only be done through a budget. The budget

is quite big with figure standing at N6.08 trillion and it is deficit financing. Implementation is to be financed through borrowing. And now, we are facing the reality that the good days are over, we must all CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Of course, I hear all manner of things, different people support different people; but that CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Oyegun

Edo 2019: Oshimhole, Oyegun at war over imposition of guber candidate The first executive Governor of Edo State and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and the current state, governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, are poised to clash over the choice of the party’s candidate in forthcoming governorship election in the state.

While the party at the national level wants a level playing ground for all the aspirants gunning for the Osadebey House, the governor is insisting on imposing a candidate of his choice to succeed him in office.

Last week, Oyegun met with all the aspirants from the state to assure them that the party has no anointed candidate but will provide a level playing ground for all the aspirants in the state.

“The party assures of credible primaries for the Edo State governorship race when the time comes and may the best candidate with the right credentials and capacity emerge”, the APC National Chairman said.

However, as if wishing away what the National chairman of the party has said, Oshiomhole at the weekend insisted that he will not succumb to intimidation or blackmail over his decision to support an aspirant to take over from him.

The Governor said this while addressing leaders of Ayogwiri community in Etsako East Local Government Area who paid him a visit in his office.

He said he wants a candidate who will sustain his achievements. His words:“I come from a tradition that neither succumbs to blackmail nor can be frightened away from what I believe is right,” he said.

The governor explained that he had worked with most of the aspirants and reserves the right to share his view on whom he thinks would be more competent to occu-

py his office after he leaves.

Governor Oshiomhole revealed that many aspirants have approached him for direction and support but there are several factors to consider in deciding who he finds most competent to be Edo State’s next governor.

“If 10 aspirants ask for my support, I can only support one and if I’m going to support anybody as a sitting governor, I should have looked at the person, his records and do my own evaluation.

“I’ve worked with people and I know the strengths and weaknesses of all those I have worked with. Even in school a principal will write testimonial for his pupils and in the case of teachers, he will write a report of evaluation of the performance of all the teachers he is working with,” the governor explained.

Oshiomhole

Oyegun

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

9 Politics

Drop in oil price, a blessing in disguise — Dariye CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

tighten our belts. The President is very sincere about what he wants to do to turn the economy around and he has told the public. At the moment we are having crisis with the price of crude oil.

When they were preparing the budget, the price was $38 per barrel and now the price has dropped to $27. It may even go to $10. Already, some people are criticizing the President on his plan to borrow a huge amount to finance the budget; the truth is that we are not borrowing to pay people to eat. We are borrowing to invest most especially on viable projects. You don’t borrow and then invest in social welfare, otherwise you will run into the era of Udoji Commission when people were sharing excess money which eventually put pressure on the economy. My appeal is that the operators of the budget should be weary of overhead, because that is what will constitute a drain on the economy. We should spend money only on the es-

Buhari sentials. So I commend the spirit behind the budget.

The President named it Budget of change. What are the indices that can facilitate the

Dariye change?

We are looking at the nonoil sector as a way out. All the same, a component of the revenue required to finance it

will still come from oil. We are facing social challenges; the militants are bombing our oil facilities, while there are crises everywhere. So the Presi-

dent is trying to reverse the trend and translate it into tangible fortune for Nigeria. He is focusing more attention on a social welfare package for the needy and that is another good aspect of the budget. He needs the cooperation of everybody to succeed. He is the President of Nigeria. The President cannot afford to fail. If he fails, then, Nigeria has become a failed state. If he succeeds, he will be noted as a president who reversed the fortune of the country. When President Obama came into governance, the US economy was very low, but he did not look at the problem created by Bush and others. He quickly launched policies towards improving the economy to transform the corporate America from negative end to a positive end. That is what President Buhari is doing. He needs everybody’s support.

Oil Price has continued to drop consistently...(cuts in) It may even drop further. It is even a blessing in disguise for us to look elsewhere for reCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

EDO 2016: Nobody can impose candidate — Oyegun CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

is of no consequence. You can only anoint when you are the deciding factor, I suppose it is the voting population that will have a say. I am not aware of anybody within the party that has the final say as to who becomes the party’s flag-bearer.

The electorate has the final say.

Not forgetting that all sorts of compromises are possible and our constitution recognize that.

I don’t believe in imposition.

In order words, there will be no imposition of a candidate?

It is only the people that can impose a candidate on the party.

The party leaders lack the power to do so. But however, the various aspirants could decide to negotiate and agree that only four of them should come forward. And when this happens, it makes things easier for the party but if there are over one person aspiring for the governorship position, then the party will accommodate all of them during our party primary.

So, there won’t be imposition

and as far as I am concerned, I don’t know anybody who want to impose a candidate in the party.

So, being the chairman of the ruling party, how has it been since assuming office?

It has been very tough. It is one thing to be in opposition and things are a bit quieter.

People are not ready to take risk. But if your party is in government, the struggles becomes a lot fiercer; for position, for offices; within the party and even in elective offices because they are now see the possibly of winning as very high. So, the contest gets fiercer.

What have been your achievements?

Well, we have achieved a major victory. But a lot of hardworking people in the party are still trying to build a more unified party. So, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to consolidate the party and makes it the kind of governing unit that it ought to be. So, a lot need to

Oyegun be done. The various interest are still strong and we haven’t succeeded yet to get the coalition into one unit. So, we are making steady progress in that regard.

What have been your major challenges as the chairman of the ruling party in Nigeria?

I think it is the continued effort to build a truly unified political party; presently, it is clear that everybody is not united. The APC is an agglomeration of political parties. In the midst of different interests we are working hard to weld everyone into one cohesive form. But we thank God we are making steady progress in that direction.

Could that be the reason why people believe the president is very slow?

No! No!! No!!! It has nothing to do with that. The present government took over a situation that turned out to be much worse than the worst pessimist can imagine; and the president has understood the depth of the problem; you can understand this when he is speaking. It shows, he is really in control. He understands all the critical aspects of the national economy and national life of the people and as a result appointed ministers who will help him deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians. As

you see, the economy is still in a freefall; in a situation like that developing programmes and policies is very difficult.

There are no magic solutions.

The president is not the types that apply plastic solution to issues to deceive the public and get occasional applause from them. What President Buhari is doing now is a concrete contribution to long-term solutions to the problems of the country and the economy. Very soon, the people will begin to feel the desired impacts. It will be gradual, continuous and effective.

Do you think there have been changes in the personality of the President between 1983 and 2015?

President Buhari is a man of very constant habit and strong beliefs, very big and reflective thinking. In terms of major changes, no but I think the change, he may have had is the increased passion to reduce the sufferings of the Nigerian people. He believes strongly that something must be done to develop Nigeria.

Politics 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

sources. We have depended on oil for so long.

Is it not necessary for the government to get more realistic by adjusting the oil benchmark to give the budget a breathing space?

That may not be necessary.

The oil price may drop further and it may even rise to $50 per barrel all of a sudden. But I know that there may be supplementary budget to make necessary adjustments as the implementation progresses. The Ministries, Departments and Agencies will make necessary adjustments through a supplementary budget before the end of the first quarter. Now, suppose the oil price drops to $20 per barrel God forbid, there would be the need for necessary adjustments and that can come through a supplementary budget. In that case, you cut down so many things and then concentrate on the essentials.

Lets look at the social welfare package proposed by the President in the budget. That is, the plan to pay a minimum of N5000 stipends to indigent Nigerians and the plan to create 500, 000 jobs for teachers.

Will the propositions not run into a hitch at the implementation level?

No. It all depends on the managers of the special projects. The President has good intentions about this. All we need to do is to prevent people from frustrating it. When the government created SURE-P, you remember that some people frustrated it. They went to bring people from their villages get contracts. The project was meant to spread over all local governments of Nigeria, but some people carried their relations and use them to get all the contracts. At the end of the day, the reason for creation of a programme like SURE-P was defeated. Now, my suggestion is that the government should create a special Agency to monitor the implementation, state-by-state, zone-by-zone and local government by local government.

What aspect of the budget do you disagree with?

We need to study the budget first and allow the implementation to begin before we start to look at faults. I have read the budget, and I can say that it looks good. But my prayer is that the money voted for education, judiciary, solid minerals and others be spent on them judiciously as budgeted. And at the end if there is a problem, we should not hesitate to go back

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Politics of NUPENG, Lagos N224million alleged debt

Buhari and make necessary adjustments.

Some PDP Senators criticized the President for removing about N7 billion from the vote for purchase of cars for legislators while spreading it over some sub-heads in the overall budget. When will the controversy over cars for legislators come to an end?

There is no controversy. It is the media that are creating what seemed like the controversy. Legislators have the right to ride cars as long as Ministers, heads of agencies and others ride in official cars. In any case, what is a car that a legislator cannot afford? Now tell me, how do we embark on oversight functions if we don’t have facilities. The past Assemblies up till the 7th got official cars to perform their legislative duties, so what is the big deal about getting cars for members of the 8th Assembly.

Sir, the emphasis is on the huge sums voted for car purchase in the budget.

It is not me who will take the money to go and buy the car.

The government buys the cars.

The office of the SGF can do that, so also the Office of the Head of Service. The ultimate thing is to get cars for lawmakers to perform their duties more

Dariye effectively. The President has his official car; Judges ride in their official cars. Why must we be exempted? To me the issues being raised about cars are inconsequential. If we are going on oversight functions, are we going to load ourselves in buses? Now that we say Nigeria is broke, does that means we should not buy Air force 1 jet for Mr. President. In my state, traditional rulers ride in official cars. That is a symbol of authority for each of them. So I don’t see any big deal about it.

Where do you see this budget carrying Nigeria in the next one year?

It will take us far if we collectively resolve to cooperate with the government for effective implementation. Nigerians have started responding. As the Chairman of Solid Mineral Committee, I have started receiving memos and suggestions from different people on what the assistance they can render to promote the sector. If you are the head of the family, you will not indulge in sleeping all the time, once you wake up, you get going. You have to be up and doing to be able to fend for your family. Now we realise that we do not have any other alternative than to diversify. For many years, the US was importing oil.

Kalchukwu But now it has started exporting. That is to tell you that one day, our oil can run dry. Even with oil, we don’t have the market anymore. So all of us must wake up. The media too must come up with suggestions including the NGOs From the beginning of the 8th Assembly, the relationship between the Executive Arm and the Senate, to be specific was not that cordial. How has it been now?

There was not problem whatsoever. The relationship between the two arms has been cordial. Although there was this initial tussle between the PDP and the APC, but everything is over now. There were some people from outside the National Assembly who wanted to create confusion. We never allowed them.

During the budget debate, legislators were towing party lines in their remarks, bothering less about national interest. Why? It is normal. There is nothing new, I mean nothing new. That is just the behaviour of the parliament anywhere in the world.

After taking different positions on issues, you will still see legislators coming together to chat.

The fact is that legislators cannot sit back and rubber stamp.

No body should be angry with the parliament. At the end of the day, it is what the President wants that will sail through. It is also nice for the ruling party or the government to be aware that people must criticise. If that is not happening, you assume all is well and then you go and sleep. No budget is perfect in the whole world. There must be some human elements.

Let us work hard and not assume. Let us make the budget to work. If the budget fails, it is all of use that fail and that will be disastrous. The President at the age of 72 could afford to stay in Daura and not bother about anything. But because he cares, he showed interest in becoming president so he could help Nigeria to change. It is not the President’s wahala, it is our wahala, so we will not abandon him on the task.

How is Plateau?

Plateau is fine. The place is peaceful and we have our first 11 in the Senate. Lalong is also doing his best to fix the state.

We are all trying to support him because he is a young man with ideas. When he came on board, he met a huge liability. The past government created problems and left them unsolved. It is God that will deliver us.

11 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Former Senator Gbenga Aluko, has come under fire by the Action Group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State for casting aspersions on the political relevance of National leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu within the APC. The group’s spokesman, Segun Dipe, described Tinubu as the unshakable pillar of the party in the Southwestern part of Nigeria.

In a speech he made while pleading that he be assimilated into the APC in Ekiti State, Aluko who represented Ekiti South at the upper chamber between 1999 and 2003 said, among other things, that Asiwaju Tinubu was already tired politically and was almost booted out of the APC. But in its reaction to Aluko’s statement, the group said that it was quite unfortunate that somebody who wanted to be assimilated into a party could be coming with such a divisive mindset.

“Imagine someone still begging to join our party

Tinubu, unshakable pillar of APC — Group from dying PDP saying at our party secretariat, of all places, that those party members going to Osogbo and Bourdillion would soon regret doing so. That the man at Bourdillion was already tired and would soon be sent away from the party!

“Making such disparaging statement as he did about the party he aspires to join and its national leader is quite unfortunate, a misadventure, mischievous and a misnomer. We are not in PDP where there is no respect for leaders and elders.

“Aluko wants to come and eat from a cooked food. Yet without Tinubu putting all his political arsenals to use, there would not be an APC for him to start contemplating being assimilated into today.

Aluko

Tinubu

“We know Aluko’s antecedent of moonlighting and po-

litical prostitution. We know he loves to identify himself

Kaze declares interest in Plateau PDP chairmanship seat Mr Bitrus Kaze, a former member of the House of Representatives, has declared interest in contesting the chairmanship seat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau.

Kaze made his intention known in a statement issued on Sunday in Jos by his campaign manager, Emmanuel Macham.

According to the statement, Kaze interest in the seat was driven by the desire to unite all interests in the party.

It stated that the former lawmaker represented Jos-South and Jos-East Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2015, was the only contestant in the best position to bring varying groups in the party to a united front.

The statement expressed Kaze’s dissatisfaction over the inability of the party to produce a Speaker in state House of Assembly even when it had the majority. ``The major problem was the lack of good leadership to mar-

Lalong shal the party’s interest in the House. ``If elected chairman, Kaze will galvanise all members and

Bitrus groups to position the party into a solid opposition ready to reclaim power in subsequent elections.

``He will rebrand the party to win back members that left because of one grouse or the other,’’ the statement read.

with other people’s success.

“For him to have made such a disparaging statement regarding our national leader therefore simply means he does not recognise our structure and cannot fit into our party.

“We are not surprised though that Aluko is making such divisive statements as we saw him doing. Or is he not the same Aluko who was quoted while in the senate as having said that he was not a Yoruba senator and was not in support of any Yoruba Agenda?

“Why then should we expect such a person to respect our culture and appreciate our values?” The group queried while asking Aluko to be reminded of the Yoruba adage that says: ‘a child who boasted that he would have his lunch with the head of the pigeon on attaining maturity would be debarred from growing up by the same pigeon’.

“Now we know why Aluko became a pariah in his PDP. He was once accused of namedropping by his own blood brother and he was always making unguarded statements, throwing missiles from within.

“We don’t want such a person in our party,” the group said while asking Aluko to publicly apologise to the national leadership of the party.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

48hrs to inauguration: APC, Bello shop for Faleke’s replacement Continued from page 1 the governorship election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Recall that Falake whose name was sent to INEC by the APC as running mate to Bello in the supplementary election held on December 5, 2015 not only declined the offer but asked the court to declare him the governorelect. He insisted that is the rightful person to replace late Audu.

He has since said he will not be available at the

swearing-in as deputy to Bello on Wednesday despite pressures from chieftains of the APC. Falake’s refusal to be available for the swearingin has however put the APC in dilemma over his replacement. Several interests groups within the party have continued to make case for their candidate to replace Faleke.

But ahead of Wednesday inauguration of Yahaya Bello as governor of the state, facts emerged on Sunday that the search for Faleke’s replacement may have been narrowed down

to the Kogi East where late Audu hailed from.

A source close to the camp of the Governor-elect told our reporter that the search has been narrowed down to a former deputy speaker of the Koi State House of Assembly, Simon Achuba and one of those who participated in the primary, Tims Nda Diche.

The two leading prospective deputy to the governorelect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, are from late Abubakar Audu’s political camp and worked closely with him during last election.

Diche, who was said to

be one of the three former aspirants who worked with Audu during the period of the electioneering campaign, hails from Bassa Local Government Area and is a successful insurance broker.

A close source to Achuba, who would not want his name in print, said Achuba is in the race for the deputy position, but however said the issue has not been finalised.

“Yes there is that move to make Achuba the deputy governor to Bello. The people from east are comfortable with that option. But

International Commandant-General of United Nigeria Chaplaincy, Prof Judejisos Ejie (left); Emir of Machina, Yobe State, Alhaji Bashir Albashir and former Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Mrs. Sarah Jubril at the 2016 United Nigeria Chaplaincy Peace Conference in Abuja… on Sunday.

How to boost economy –Tinubu ÎÎÎSen. Bola Tinubu, the

National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), says Nigerians need to be creative and innovative to develop the economy.

He told newsmen in Ibadan on Sunday that the diversification of the nation’s economy was always on the drawing board but had never been implemented.

“We keep talking about diversification of the economy. It is always on the drawing board. We never implemented it. “ There are so many ways to create and revitalise this economy; it is not as bad into the future as people make it appear.

“The past is nauseating, terrible. There has never been any principle of good governance in the past. It has been cesspool of corruption,” he said.

The former Lagos State governor said that Nigerians needed to support and encourage the present administration in its campaign against insurgency and kidnapping.

“We face the challenge.

We accept the need for the diversification of the nation’s economy. `` There are a lot of variables in the oil sector which we have to look at critically. “ We are not the only country that is affected by the effect of this oil crisis.

We have to be more creative

in a way that will not hurt the welfare of the people,” he said.

“We need to look inwardly. There are so many ways and we are blessed to really create local demand, improve our disposable income and manage our own economy.

“We have the resources, people and the blessing of both weather and mineral resources but it will take time.

“There is a gestation, rearrangement and reengineering necessary for the economy to be beneficial to the people.

“We must be patient, we must persevere and the leadership must be creative in order to rejuvenate the

economy. Just bear with us,” he added.

Speaking on the influx of defectors into the APC, he said that there was the freedom principle which allows citizens to associate with any organisation or political party they want.

Tinubu said that the builders of APC must be tolerant and understand the need to check intrusion of corruption and injustice into the party.

“You can’t stop that.

You cannot discriminate against that. There is nothing we can do about that.

“We cannot prevent people from coming in, the more the merrier, the better, the competitiveness,” he said.

like I said, it has not been settled,” he said.

It could not be immediately ascertained if Faleke has changed his mind to accept the position as he had earlier declined.

Meanwhile, the Ebira Peoples Association (EPA) has urged the governorelect of Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to be fair in the governance of the state when sworn-in.

The National President of the association, Dr. Musa Adeiza, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the incoming government must reflect the feeling of a wide spectrum of the society to enable it carry out its programmes effectively and for the benefit of the people. Adeiza, who also teaches at the University of Abuja, called on the incoming government to give priority to training and retraining of teachers to ensure improvement in the quality of education.

Also speaking, the Publisher of The Lawmaker Magazine, Alhaji Zubairu Abdulsalami, enjoined the

incoming government to entrench good governance to win the confidence of the people. ‘’What Kogi needs now is government to bring about economic prosperity and social development,’’ he said.

In his contribution, an indigene of the state, Mr. Jamiu Yusuf, called on Bello to evolve pragmatic programmes that would harness the rich economic potentials of the state, particularly in rural areas.

Yusuf said that by supporting the informal sector, the administration would have laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the state. He further stressed the need for the new administration to cooperate with the Federal Government to complete the Ajajokuat Steel Company and reactivate the moribund Itakpe Iron Ore Project. Doing these, he said, would create jobs for the teeming unemployed in the states.

Others, who also spoke in separate interviews, called on the new government to give priority to the welfare of civil servants.

PPPRA jerks up kerosene price to N83, FG makes N10.72 per litre ÎÎÎThe

Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has increased the price of Household Kerosene from N50 to N83.

This is contained in its products pricing template, released on Sunday in Abuja.

It stated that the N83 per litre price applied only to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) outlets.

The template also showed that at N83, the Federal Government will be making a gain of N10.72 on every litre.

It further puts the expected open market price, which is the landing cost plus total margins at N72.28 per litre.

The expected open market price is the prevailing open market rate for the

product in Nigeria, after taking certain costs into consideration.

Giving a breakdown of the price, the PPPRA template puts the landing cost of the product at N57.98 per litre, while the total margin due middlemen was put at N14.30.

The retailers’ margin was put at N5 per litre; transporters at N3.05 per litre while dealers at N1.95 per litre.

It further put the bridging fund at N5.85 per litre; marine transport average at N0.15 and Administrative Charges - N0.15.

It stated that the official ex-depot price, which depot owners would sell to marketers, is N68.70 per litre.

The official ex-depot price for collection is N73 per litre, while ex-coastal price is N68.02 per litre.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 22, 2016

13

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Why FG suspended NITDA boss - Minister Remi Oladoye

ÏÏÏThe Minister of Communi-

cations, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, has allayed the fears of public over the last week suspension of the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Mr. Peter Jack, saying a new leadership had been put in place for the smooth running of the agency.

He made this known, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, while answering questions from journalists on the fate of the agency after the reported sus-

FETHA trains consultants JACOB OGODO ABAKALIKI

ÏÏÏThe

Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), has said it had got accreditations from relevant bodies to train young doctors to attain the status of consultants in three key departments in the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Emeka Ogah, made this known in a chart with journalists in Abakaliki, where he said the Opthalmology Department and its Obstetrics and Gynecology counterparts got full accreditation, while department of internal medicine got partial accreditation.

Pa Akande is dead

ÏÏÏPa Samuel Olatunji Akande

is dead. Aged 88, the pious Christian died on December 8, 2015, at his Omoluabi Estate, Orogun area, Ibadan. Final burial arrangements will kick off with Christian wake at his residence at 5.00 p.m., on Thursday, January 28, 2016.

Funeral service for the repose of the soul of the community leader will hold at 10.00a.m. on Friday, January 29, 2016. Interment will later take place at his residence, while entertainment of guests will come up at Yinbol College, Orogun, Ibadan.

pension of Jack over allegations bordering on illegal recruitment and procurement carried out in direct contravention of laid down rules and procedure concerning civil service administration in Nigeria.

He was in the city for the maiden edition of Nigeria Communications Retreat, organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications, at International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, at the weekend.

He said that, “I don’t think that there is a problem with NITDA. It has a new leadership now, even though in acting capacity.

Lagos Police unveil new outfit for SARS operatives Joy Anyim and Oguntade Ismaila

ÏÏÏThe

Lagos State Police Command has unveiled a new outfit for officers and men of the Special Anti-Robbery (SARS) and a new desktop telephone to be distributed to the 13 area commands and 107 police divisions in the state. The outfit which is an initiative of the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, is aimed at ensuring easy identification of SARS operatives as well as professionalising the unit to meet with international best practices.

The Lagos State Commissioner of police, Mr. Fatia Owoseni, who unveiled the outfit, on Friday, at the Command Headquarters, in Ikeja, said that the development was in line with the

vision of Arase to redefine policing in the country, and ensure that the police was accountable at all time with respect to the rule of law.

He said that, “The IGP has embarked on a reform of one of the unit in the police through which actions and conducts have recorded some negative image and the unit is the Special AntiRobbery Squad. One of the first steps, which the IGP has taken is to professionalise that unit of the Nigerian Police, by dividing the unit into two at the federal level and at the state level, where we have them. The division is to engender effective operation of SARS into two units, striking unit and the investigation unit.

“The reason for the leadership to embark on that is to check the excesses of that unit. The reason

is that if the striking unit has gone out to make arrest, if one way or the other they have done anything wrong, it is the investigation unit that will be able to detect whether whatever they have done is unprofessional.

“In furtherance of the reform of SARS, leadership has introduced a set of uniform with which they want SARS operatives to be identified at different times. Cartoon in the media have often made caricature of the appearances of our personnel who carry out the work of anti-robbery operations when they appear in tattered T-shirts, rubber slippers; we have come up with a decent mode of dressing for them. The IGP introduced that in Abuja. It has been officially launched and it is going round the states. We are using this me-

dium to present the new outfit of the SARS; the outfit in which you will see them when they are in operation.

Fatai said that the new outfit would help the police deal with cases of impersonation, among other benefits. “We want to give the Nigeria Police Force and SARS operatives a decent identity. We want to take them out of just wearing anything that will check cases of impersonation too.

“We wish to inform the members of the public that any operative of the police dressed and displaying just a T-shirt and says he is a SARS operative, is liable to impersonation. This will give us the opportunity of checking the excesses of those policemen who go out to extort money from people and commit a whole lot of atrocities.

INEC wants NASS to amend 2010 Electoral Act

By Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏThe

Pa Akande

L-R: Former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Alao Akala; Widow of late Olubadan, Olori, Moriyike Odulana Odugade and Prof. Femi Odulana Odugade during a condolence visit of Akala to the Odugade’s residence in Ibadan… on Sunday.

Chairman, Committee on Management of Election Petitions, Barr. Kasim Gaidam, on Sunday, in Yola, urged the National Assembly to fasttrack the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010.

In an interview with newsmen, he said that there was a need for the National Assembly to amend the electoral act to enable the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) discharged its responsibility effectively.

Gaidam, who was the former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, recommended that the authorities concern should also review election petitions timelines.

On the prosecution of electoral offences, Gaidam recommended INEC should be empowered to prosecute defaulters.

He also said that there was a need for INEC to intensify train-

ing of its staff, especially legal officers within and outside the country.

He said that the training would enable them to handle some of the court/tribunal cases competently and so reduce cost.

He recommended a ten-year ban of politicians convicted or indicted by the election tribunals or courts.

He pointed out that presently, INEC had about 81 elections nullified and 15 elections over-

turned and complained that the development was a challenge to the commission.

He also observed that the report and recommendations of his committee, if properly implemented, would, surely, reduce election petitions and ensure orderliness in election petitions.

Gaidam noted that among the Committee was interested in ensuring that the standard of credibility of elections in 2015 were not only sustained but surpassed in 2019 and beyond.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

15 Opinion

Jonathan, Soludo and Central Bank of Nigeria

P Jude Ndukwe

rof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and former governorship aspirant in Anambra State, is in the news again for the wrong reason. Recently, he declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan ran the Central Bank of Nigeria in manners akin to that of Uganda’s late dictator, Idi Amin.

Soludo did not fall short of accusing Jonathan of ordering the CBN to ‘print’ N3 trillion, he further described the CBN as ATM under Jonathan.

Such an unsubstantiated grave allegation from a man like Soludo is, indeed, worrisome. That a man of Soludo’s status would condescend so low, is a sign of the decline and amnesia that has gripped the political class in the past eight months.

Apart that such unguarded outburst is false, the timing is instructive.

In the months prior to the appointment of ministers by President Buhari, Soludo was so desperate to be noticed that he suddenly became vocal. His nearly endless tirade against Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Nigeria’s immediate past Minister of Finance and Coordinat-

ing Minister of the Economy, is legendary. Despite all efforts, Buhari settled for someone who by her deportment is timid and easily malleable than a Soludo.

After having missed that opportunity, and with rumour that the job of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is hanging in the balance, Soludo decided to remind Buhari that he is still jobless by criticising Jonathan for just anything.

However, a look at Soludo’s leadership of the CBN between May 29, 2004 and May 29, 2009, leaves much to be desired. Commentators and analysts have described that period as the darkest in the history of Nigeria’s banking sector.

It is no longer a secret that the banking consolidation exercise as “arranged” by Soludo was designed to favour certain big banking executives close to him. The palpable recklessness of these executives were overlooked by Soludo as he allowed them to use depositors’ money to purchase their own shares thereby giving a false impression of the banks’ worth. The resultant effect was the death of these banks and the subsequent crash of the capital market.

Sanusi, the governor that succeeded Soludo in office, in a paper titled “The Nigerian Banking Industry: What Went Wrong and the Way Forward”, which he presented at the convocation

lecture of the Bayero University, Kano, in 2010 had this to say: “A lot of the capital supposedly raised by these so-called ‘mega banks’ was fake capital financed from depositors’ funds. Thirty per cent of the share capital of Intercontinental Bank was purchased with customer deposits. Afribank used depositors’ funds to purchase 80 per cent of its IPO. The CEO of Oceanic Bank controlled over 35 per cent of the bank through SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) borrowing customer deposits. The collapse of the capital market wiped out these customer deposits amounting to hundreds of billions of naira.”

Sanusi spoke plainly in indicting Soludo in all these scams. He accused Soludo of running the CBN in “laissezfaire” fashion, personally setting up board agendas to reflect only his “priorities”.

Some of the banks then engaged in manipulating their books “by colluding with other banks to artificially enhance financial positions and therefore stock prices, adding that practices such as converting non-performing loans into commercial papers and bank acceptances and setting up off-balance sheet special purpose vehicles to hide losses were prevalent”.

Soludo should come clean on how much he made from the fraudulent bank executives, some of whom have been convicted by the courts, for deliberately looking the other way while

these executives circumvented banking rules with reckless abandon right under his watch. Sanusi, in that paper, also revealed how one bank borrowed money and purchased private jets which were later discovered to be registered in the name of the bank CEO’s son.

In his article in Sahara Reporters of March 2010, Comrade Ikenna Osuwa rightly declared that Soludo’s “…exit as CBN helmsman has gathered more opprobrium than the exit of any other public servant in the last ten years”.

Apart from the N256.571bn that was serially borrowed from CBN in the last two months of Soludo’s reign, his tenure left the banks with a whopping N9 trillion toxic debts.

Soludo’s time at the apex bank was characterised by a plethora of industrydamaging practices like non-peforming loans, poor corporate governance practices, weak credit administration processes, absence or non-adherence to the banks’ credit risk management practices, significant capital impairment which were all clear evidence of corruption (apologies to Ikenna Osuwa). The man who supervised corruption of such magnitude is supposed to be penitent and not shamelessly bullish while falsely accusing others.

Soludo’s tenure as CBN governor should be probed so that never again shall we have an Idi Amin as our CBN Governor!

Budget 2016: Buharinomic boom or doom?

T

Taju Tijani

he universal euphoria and political triumphalism of President Buhari is entering its most severe storm as he tries to gain more altitude with the Nigerian public.

Nowhere will his messianic vision and economic wizardry be tested than in the sepulchre of the 2016 budget. Cynics are calling the budget dead on arrival. Budget analysts have disinterred it to the bone and their verdicts are far from flattering. Rather than herald the budget with encomiums, economists see it as a nightmarish mumbo jumbo of phantom figures. Nigeria is on the edge of being held hostage to creditors that may well demand blood in the future and bring misery to millions of Nigerians.

The hope of economic regeneration buried in the 2016 budget could not sustain the kind of economic architecture Nigerians want. The budget attempt to cast in stone parameters for our economic transformation may rather set Nigerians on the lethal path of rebellion as it begins to bite in the months ahead.

Whether Nigerians are prepared to walk the long, arduous, painful journey with Buhari will be known

with time. Voices of both liberal and illiberal commentaries ranging from economic pundits, public affairs analysts are not suppressing the temptation to demonise the 2016 budget as a radical document of Buharinomics too dense to be easily upraised.

For a nation emerging from the shadows of political, social and economic meltdown, Buharinomics, as crafted into the 2016 budget, would have been the sure way out of our imminent slide into a failed state, but oppositions are resisting and fighting hard to dismiss it as arithmetically dubious. The question is, what brought about the 2016 budget with its sub narrative of horror themes? The answer lies in the fact that Nigeria was ravaged by corruption and primordial profligacy in high places.

The 2016 budget voted N1.8 trillion for capital expenditure, representing 30 per cent of the total budget of N6.08 trillion. Giving breakdown, Mr. Buhari said, “This increased capital expenditure commits significant resources to critical sectors such as Works, Power and Housing – N443.4 billion; Transport – N202.0 billion; Special Intervention Programmes – N200.0 billion; Defence – 134.6 billion; and Interior

N53.1 billion. He continued, “These investments in infrastructure and security are to support our reforms in the Agriculture, Solid Minerals and other core job creating sectors”, he added.

At first glance, the breakdown of the 2016 budget seems like a picture of paradise, with its embedded dream and aspirations. However, today, heresy hunters are out to warn the nation of the dangers of running government on a blown economic gasket. It is alleged that Nigeria plans to borrow $5b from multiple sources thus making funding for the budget a challenge.

Federal government has already admitted that local debt servicing gulped a whooping N2.95 trillion in five years. With budget deficit at N2.2 trillion, or 2.16 per cent of GDP based on an estimated benchmark crude oil price of $38 per barrel.

The present realities and dynamics in the global oil markets have called for a rethink.

The Central Bank is proposing to inject the liquidity of commercial banks into the market and a future far-reaching harmonisation of monetary policy. The federal government is benchmarking recovery on heavy taxation. The government will be recruiting and training

500,000 new teachers at a cost of N500 billion. The 2016 budget will be increased by 30 percent based on indiscriminate borrowings. N1.8 trillion to be used to service loans.

Meanwhile, N984 billion is to be borrowed locally and N900 billion to be borrowed externally. For every N1 we make, N37 shall be spent to service debts. The federal government hopes to realise N820 billion from oil that was initially benchmarked at $38 per barrel. As I write, global oil prices have plummeted to about $27.5 and may yet tumble further.

Faced with all these economic demons, the federal government hopes to cushion the pain on some gnomish palliatives. Among which are the plan to fund some of the budget with recovered looted funds; the goodwill of international investors to invest in Nigeria again, the resuscitation of the coal industry, the harness of bitumen in Ondo State, rebooting of agricultural industries and the recalibration of solid minerals as our new black gold. The ongoing public narration of doom and gloom that is trailing the 2016 budget ,may offer a tone of caution, but if the capacity of Buhari’s social and economic engineering is a by product of messianic genius, time will tell.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Features

Æs

Aerial view of the new Uyo airport

AIRPORT CONCESSION IN NIGERIA:

The good, the bad and the ugly sides One of the major factors that has given rise to the recent clamour for the concession of airports is the failure of the federal government to complete the rehabilitation of airport facilities which has been dragging on for some four years now.

The project called ‘airport remodeling’ raised the hopes of not a few Nigerians, but when the project was abandoned, stakeholders and the flying public became frustrated and concluded that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is just another government agency that may never raise our airports to meet with international standards.

This is in consideration of catalogues of demands like good roads, more hospitals, improved electricity and other social needs begging for attention nationwide from government.

The private sector initiative

The agitation for concession of airport facilities in Nigeria is in the news again. Stakeholders and proponents of the concession are already demanding for the critical areas to be privatised. CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO weighs the benefits of the demand and why it may not be a panacea to airport development in Nigeria.

Thinkers in the industry reason that since the private sector is willing to invest in airport development, government has no reason delay anymore. “We know the funds involved would be enormous especially with the state of the economy as it is, so why not hand over the facilities the private sector? Why continue to hold tightly to these airports when you do not have the wherewithal and the sincere commitment to the continuous development of airport infrastructure?” a stakeholder told Daily Times.

A good step forward The proponents of concession were quick to point to the success of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal (MAA2) as a good example of the private sector driven airport facility development.

Commissioned in 2007, the terminal was built by the Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) under a build, operate and transfer agreement. When compared with the airport terminals being managed by FAAN today, MMA2

is relatively better in terms of passenger facilitation, modern facilities and IT equipment.

Stakeholders in the industry suggest that government should develop a policy on airport concession and have administrative and legal frameworks, which will provide the platform for transparent concession agreement that would be fair to both government and the investors. It was thought and rightly too that the 22

Continued on page 19

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

19 Features

Only four out of 22 airports under the management of FAAN were viable – Penninck Continued from page 18 airports under FAAN management are just too much for one organisation to manage effectively.

Concession Models The CEO of BASL, Christophe Penninck said for Nigeria to develop its airport infrastructure, it must have to privatised.

Penninck then offered different models of privatisation that include full privatisation, joint venture and management contract.

“The management contract style must be run like a private sector; electricity must be constant, landing and navigational aids must be upgraded and the fiscal environment must change, as domestic airlines must get some level of protectionism,” Penninck counseled.

Furthermore, he said: “This will give rise to the review of multi designation of foreign airlines to various airports in Nigeria; agricultural goods must be transported by air, which means that cold room facilities must be developed at the cargo terminals.

“Out of 22 airports under the management of FAAN, only about four - Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano are profitable. It would be wise for the federal government Nigeria to consider taking over these airports and hand them to their host states to make them viable and profitable, otherwise they could be closed.”

Penninck also suggested that FAAN should seize to be an authority and gave his reasons: “FAAN could be divided into three organisations and should not be an authority anymore; the agency could be privatised and there would not be any government money needed to do this.

“This will benefit the federal government if FAAN becomes more efficient but as it is now, FAAN cannot present good performance because it is not transparent with its revenue, its tenders and hiring processes.

“Also, the agency cannot prioritise on such essentials like maintenance of current airport terminals, provision of power and upgrade of runways, because FAAN does not seek for new airlines or support stakeholders,” Penninck concluded.

In the same vein, industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe said

Airport runway

Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos

FAAN cannot improve the airport, no matter how long you leave it to manage the airports, but further concession of airport facilities must follow transparent process.

“MMA2 for me was a great idea. It was the first major success of the Obasanjo administration. It was a kind of mental re-orientation of the industry that a Public, Private Partnership (PPP) is possible.

“What was wrong with MMA2 was how they reached the con-

cession agreement. Those who were supposed to be involved, the statutory managers of the airports were not involved in the design of MMA2.

“Airport managers felt that they were bypassed because the owners of MMA2 dealt with the people of the highest authority. So they did not make an agreement that would meet all given legal standards that would make it relevant beyond a favourable government is in power. They forgot that the man

in authority would come and go and then you are left to relate with those who manage the industry,” Aligbe said.

He further said it is possible to concession the airports the way they are, but warned that government must get serious concessionaires who know what is involved. “We are not going to derive more from the onset of the concession; but if you structure your concession properly, looking ahead, you will derive more.

Part of these realities prompted Airport Council International sometime ago to note that Africa remains hindered by a set of circumstances that do not encourage external investment and these include inadequate infrastructure, high passenger fares which are above the global average compounded by the fact that African aviation industry is trailing behind the rest of the world.

“If you don’t have money to develop it, you concession it to the organisation that can develop it but those who are coming for concession should ask that

Continued on page 20

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Government should handover facilities to the private sector — Stakeholders Continued from page 19 the agreement should be justifiable both in Nigeria and outside Nigeria concurrently.

“They will require concurrent jurisdiction because they believe if anything goes wrong, they could take the government to court there. That way they would secure their judgment and be able to secure their money.

“We should be prepared to do that because we have an image of serial breach of agreements in the industry. We need to clean up this image. We need to come out and do it transparently so that we move ahead. The ones we have done before, we did not do it transparently and those who did it didn’t have the full knowledge of what they were doing,” Aligbe concluded.

Demerits of Concession Although concession looks like a panacea to airport funding and development, but there are disadvantages of concession, especially in Africa. Besides the controversy that trailed the concession of the Lagos airport domestic terminal, a lot of issues came up when it became operational.

There was a dogged fight to force all scheduled airlines to operate from the terminal, which two airlines, the then Virgin Nigeria Airways and Arik Air resisted, insisting that the airport had technical limitations and that the apron was not big enough to take in their fleet of all the domestic airlines.

This was an indication that in Nigeria, everything is embroiled in politics. The way the concession was secured and the way some of the airlines resisted operating from the new terminal showed that the law does not always prevail in Nigeria. That notion has not changed.

Government and its agencies are always unwilling to abide by the rules and whenever an individual or organisation finds favour with government it can go overboard, abusing privileges and ripping off the public.

Again, when the terminal became operational, charges management wanted to impose on the airlines were so outrageous that it would have impacted on airfares and knocked out many passengers who would not be able to afford the outrageous fares.

This shows that a concessionaire may be eager to recover his

FAAN MD, Engr Saleh-Dunoma

There was a dogged fight to force all scheduled airlines to operate from the terminal, which two airlines, the then Virgin Nigeria Airways and Arik Air resisted, insisting that the airport had technical limitations and that the apron was not big enough to take in their fleet of all the domestic airlines. This was an indication that in Nigeria, everything is embroiled in politics.

Airport control tower

investment and may not have patience for long wait; so high airport charges would become inevitable. Many industry observers are of the view that if the General Aviation Terminal in Lagos did not provide alternative to MAA2, BASL would have introduced monopoly charges that might stifle the airlines out of existence.

Although MAA2 was a success story, many in the industry believe that if BASL were given about five airports to manage, it might not be able to effectively manage them. A source told our correspondent it was wrong to rate one terminal that is being managed by a company very highly because the company might not be able to effectively manage additional terminals.

The source added that for uniformity and for security, it would be wrong to give out airport terminal to too many investors because it would be difficult to gauge the security system at the airport that would be private sector driven.

Part of these realities prompted Airport Council International sometime ago to note that Africa remains hindered by a set of circumstances, which do not encourage external investment and these include inadequate infra-

structure, high passenger charges, which are above the global average; the habitual failure of airline privatisation in Africa (with notable exceptions of Ethiopian Airlines), and the fact that African aviation industry is lagging behind the rest of the world.

Autonomy While industry observers have given FAAN a red card, others believe that the problem of FAAN is the Ministry of Aviation, noting that if government could give the agency a free hand to operate, it would do better than it is doing now. The best option, they agreed, would be to make the agency autonomous so that it would be insulated from interferences from the Minister, the Presidency and the Ministry.

A senior official in one of the aviation agencies said noted that for security reasons, government cannot freely concession airports.

“Terrorism has heightened worldwide; therefore no government would give out its airports to private investors whose sole aim is to make profits. Such individuals or organisations could close their eyes to activities of terrorists. So it is not advisable at this point in time to concession majority of the

airports in the country,” the official said.

The source said to improve the airports government should set up a management team and give them targets on what should be accomplished at a given time in order to develop the airports.

Also, government should stop interfering with agencies; there should be legislation on national assets and their management which would protect them from everyday interference from government agencies and highly placed government officials.

It is notable that the industry is not doing much on manpower development currently. If you concession these airports they will bring in expatriates to manage them, thus denying Nigerians greatly needed jobs.

Also, these airports are seen as social services but concessionaires see it as profit making facilities, which means that if not prudently controlled, they could over charge airport users and airlines and make fares very exorbitant for average travelers.

Government and industry stakeholders must fashion out best ways to enhance and modernise airports without compromise on safety and security.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Ibrahim Obansa Lokoja

ÏÏÏThe Kogi State Chair-

man of All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Haddy Ametuo Ametuo, has warned party supporters against any act of lawlessness during the inauguration, saying masquerade of any type is not welcome at the venue of the inauguration.

The party chairman, however, assured the people of

21

Kogi APC chair warns rascals, bars masquerades at Bello inauguration the state of a hitch free inauguration of the new governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

In a statement signed by Alhaji Ametuo, a copie of which were made available to journalists in Lokoja, the state capital, Ametuo as-

sured that adequate security arrangements have been put in place to make the inauguration hitch–free and peaceful.

The APC chairman stressing that whoever takes the law into his or her hands on the day of the inauguration

would be made to face the full wrath of the law no matter how high.

Said he, “We don’t expect any masquerade around the venue that day. The celebrations can go on as you all go back to your various locations and this should be

done within the ambit of the law.

“Our governor–elect needs the support and cooperation of all and sundry for him to deliver his divine message to Kogi people” he maintained While calling for sober reflection and evaluation

of the misrule of the People Democratic Party (PDP) which said has governed the state for thirteen years without an appreciable achievement, the APC Chairman said the inauguration day should be reserved for a peaceful transition.

THE FAVOURED FLOURISH MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

ELIEZER TRUST FUND

This is to inform the General Public and Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Loss of the Original acknowledgement document in respect of regularization for land titles documents of the FCT Area Councils issued by the Federal Capital Territory.

Administration, Original Copy of Conveyance of Provisions Approval issued by Abuja Municipal Area Council belonging to Osomor P.A. over and in respect of Plot No. 511A, Gbazango Layout, Abuja.

All efforts to trace the document prove abortive. If found please return to Barr. Promise C. Nwaneri, Suite B43 Abraham Plaza, Utako, Abuja. 08033499152 FCT and AMAC should please take note.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Foundation is seeking for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Part C., 2004.

Trustees: 1. Chief Timothy Folusho Oluwagbemi 2. Mrs. Elizabeth Oriyomi Oluwagbemi 3. Bishop Rufus Olanrewaju Babalola 4. Mrs. Oluwayemi Atinuke Babalola 5. Engr. Olubunmi Olusesan Obembe Aims And Objectives: 1. Create and maintain a credible platform for capacity building in agriculture, thereby providing employment opportunities for young graduates to enable them achieve a better goal.

2. Capacity Building: Provide training for the graduates so that they will see agriculture as a potential profitable skill. Also provide necessary professional and life skills to enable them succeed, even in their local environment.

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B. 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from the date of publication.

Signed: Matemilola Adesina-Salawu Abuja, Nigeria - 0803 333 5973

HERALD WORLD OF GRACE PROPHETIC MINISTRY

HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN MINISTRY

LIFE-RACE GLORIOUS CHURCH

This is to inform the General Public that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for Registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Acts, 1990.

Trustees 1.Prophet Soyinka Zacheaus Olukunle 6 . Ajayi Michael Ayobamidele 2. Prophetess Soyinka Elizabeth Temitope 7.Fadun Deborah Omoyele 3 . Adewusi Johnson Morounmubo 8 . Akinwale Akinyemi Idowu 4 . Oshin Dero Ronke Daisi 9. Omotara Matogun 5. Daramola Olugbenga John 10. Aderibigbe Olabisi Dorcas Aims and objectives 1 , to preach the word of God 2. To promote Christian’s maturity 3. To build people for heavenly race 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: Prophet Soyinka Zacheaus olukunle General overseer

This is to inform the General Public that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for Registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Acts, 1990.

TRUSTEES 1. Pst JOHN E. IGBIGBE – (Gen. Overseer) 2. Pst Mrs ROSE OBEHI EROMOSELE – (Secretary) 3. Bro. OSEMUDIAMHEN DANIEL EROMOSELE – (Member) Aims/objectives: To propagate the gospel of jesus christ.

(2). To worhip & serve God in the beauty of holiness.

(3) The rekindle the fire of holiness in the church.

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 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. THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. Pastor John Onyekuzi Igumbor 2. Deaconess Julie Onyekachukwu Igumbor 3. Victory Emmanuel Onyekuzi 4. Evangelist Paul Chukwuka Ebede 5. Deacon Rapheal Adimuabua Ezeana 6. Oyibo Kelubia 7. Christian Nduka Emefiele AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through every possible means and to encourage Christian living.

2. To establish the brethren in faith through the preaching of the word of faith.

3. To uphold and maintain the truth of God’s word

IKORODU GRAMMAR SCHOOL OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

GREAT ENERGY SOCIAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

MATER PAUPERUM CARE OF THE POOR FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. SAKA KAMOLI ADEWALE 2. SOBOWALE OMOBOLANLE 3. LAWANI DAVID MOROHUNMUBO 4. OLUTOSIN FATAI 5. SANNI AJIBADE KAZEEM AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROPAGATE THE IMAGE OF THE ALMA MATER THROUGH BROTHERHOOD AND EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOUR. 2. TO IMPROVE A FORUM FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES AMONGST THE OLD STUDENTS.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. CHUKWUDUBEM UDELUE 2. ODERA KENECHUKWU 3. HENRY MAKUOCHUKWU AGU – CHAIRMAN 4. CHUKWUMA NWAKWO 5. CELESTINE UMEZURUIKE 6. OKECHUKWU OGBU AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS 2. TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE UPLIFTMENT OF THE UNPRIVILEGED ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: IYKE ADUBA ESQ SOLICITOR

This is to inform the General Public that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for Registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Acts, 1990.

Trustees: 1, Amaefuna Gertrude Obiageli 2, Tokoni Makoju.

Aims & Objective: 1, To provide educational, health and financial support for the poor 2, To provide a medium for skill acquisition.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

GREAT DIAMOND BROTHERS CLUB The general public is hereby notified that the above named club has Applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. ANENE NKEONYENEME 2. MR. SAMSON OGBUZURU 3. MR. IKECHUKWU EJIKE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote peaceful co-existence among the members..

2. To create and enhance programmes for the welfare of the members and their families.

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: JAHWINS UGOKWE Esq.

PUBLIC NOTICE AGYINASARE GOSPEL CRUSADE The general public is hereby notified that the above named organization has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No1 Of 1990 The Trustees are:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

CHARLES AGYINASARE VIVIAN SENA AGYINASARE LEVI OLUKAYODE AFOLAYAN JOHN OLUMIDE OGUNDIPE RICHARD UDOH

-CHAIRMAN

-SECRETARY

The aims and objectives are: 1.

To promote worldwide evangelism by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and propagate the word of God to all corners of the world through systematic but vigorous campaigns (crusades).

2.

To reach the needs of the needy through social welfare action programme.

3.

To establish and maintain schools, welfare institutions, orphanages, old people's homes etc as vehicles of evangelization to the unsaved.

4.

To promote evangelization through the print and electronic media.

5.

To undertake fund raising activities towards the realization of the goals of the Agyinasare Gospel Crusade.

6.

To conduct program seminars and teachings to instill good and sound Christian practices in all converts.

7.

To plant, start or establish a Perez Chapel International where necessary.

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

Signed: BARRISTER OKENNA NNEBEDUM

This is to inform the General Public that the above named organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for Registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Acts, 1990.

Trustees are: 1. Adekunle Adebayo Moses 2. Adekunle Esther Abosede 3. Deborah Fadekemi Adekunle Aims/objectives: 1. To evangelize and establish Christian missions, centres and churches within and outside Nigeria.

2. To train, license, ordain, and engage ministers and missionaries for the furtherance of the work of the ministry in Nigeria and elsewhere.

3. To operate in affiliation with anybody or bodies so much as the aims and objectives of such body or bodies are identical to or complimentary to those of this ministry.

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: S. OYEWALE-FREEMAN, ESQ. (Solicitor) 08023013700; E-mail: info@oyefreeman.com

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Signed: Trustees QUADRI ABIOLA MONSURAT I formerly know and addressed as Miss RAJI ABIOLA MONSURAT, now wish to be known and address as Mrs QUADRI ABIOLA MONSURAT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

ORAH VIVIAN CHIDINMA

I formerly know and addressed as UMEH VIVIAN CHIDINMA , now wish to be known and address as ORAH VIVIAN CHIDINMA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

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I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AROH STELLA IFY, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS IVOKE STELLA IFY. All former documents remain valid.

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News 22

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Ebonyi govt bars communities from engaging investors Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

ÏÏÏThe

Ebonyi State Government has barred communities where mineral deposits are found from engaging investors without clearance from it.

The Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Chief Donatus Njoku, who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen, in Abakaliki, at the weekend, said that the essence was to enable the government know those who were genuine investors coming into the state.

“There are people who we call speculators in the sector. They are people

11 nabbed in Ondo for cultism Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe

anti-cultism squad of the Ondo State Police Command has arrested eleven suspected cult members belonging to the Aye confraternity group.

The suspected cult members were apprehended in Owo Local Government Area, after their initiation in a thick forest off Ifon road.

The Daily Times gathered that the Owo Police Divisional Officer, Eboka Frida, an Assistant Commissioner

who will come, get licenses and claim to be investor, but when given job, that is when they will start looking for another investor.

And there are other people who will come and get license but it will take them 10 to 15 years before they will start doing something and these are the kind of people we don’t want”, he explained.

He said that, “government equally want to be sure that somebody through back door does not get an investor into the state or a situation where an investor after signing agreement will want to lord it into our people.” of Police, led the operation to the arrest of the suspects, who were mostly youths.

Police sources revealed that all the suspects were brought into the area in volkswagen golf cars from Uzebba community, a border town in Edo State.

The State Police spokesman, Femi Joseph, confirmed the arrest and said the suspects, who were currently in custody had confessed being initiated into a cult group.

He disclosed that the suspects were found with blood-stained polythene bag, stressing that this aroused police suspicion to effect their arrest.

He added that the police was still carrying out investigation and would charge the suspects to court after its findings.

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano (right), displaying the Supreme Court Judgement at Governor’s Lodge, Anambra State… at the weekend. With him is, National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Ike Oye.

Tension in Kano as residents demand demolition of Shi’ite shrine Yakubu Salisu Kano

ÏÏÏTension

is brewing in Kano between the Shi’ite group and residence of Kofar Waika, as a result of a petition by the residence against the sect demanding that the state government should as a matter of urgency demolish a shrine belonging to the said sect in the area.

According to the residence of Waika, no one in the entire area is an adherent of the sect and that the activities of the sect in the area was becoming a threat to their community.

They accused the sect of

preaching against constituted authorities, inciting followers to resort to violence, accommodating strangers who were suspected to be carrying unknown items suspected to be dangerous weapons into the shrine, and that there was a very strong indication that the sect was planning rallies that could degenerate into violence in the entire state.

Reacting to the allegations, The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as the Shi’ite group, stated that the allegations were false and unfair, as the said shrine had existed in the area for the past 13 years

Osun airport revised to N11bn not N15bn, says engineer Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏAgainst

the background of criticisms of the MKO Abiola International Airport, Ido Osun, in Osun State, the Consultant Engineer to State Government on the project, Engineer Wemimo Adebajo, has said that the airport had been revised to N11billion and not to N15billion from the initial N7.5billion.

He said this during a tour of the facilities at the

airport with journalists aimed at clarifying allegation by the opposition.

While speaking on the percentage of work done at the airport noted that government, having spent N2.7 billion out of the revised total cost of N11billion for the project, Adebajo said that the work could be said to have reached 25 percent.

He told journalists that the tour of the facilities became germane to allow them to be adequately in-

formed about the magnitude of the work done, in order to situate the criticisms of the opposition in a proper context.

According to him, the runway of the airport waiting to be laid with 500 mm asphalt is 3.5 kilometre in length, 12.3 metres excavation and re-filling with laterite.

He added that both sides of the runway were equipped, ab initio, with water pipes, which would be the first of its kind in

Nigeria.

He explained that with such a feature, the airport would be equipped with facilities that would make emergency fire-fighting readily available near the runway, in case of any emergency landing or fire outbreak.

He pointed out that though the runway had not been completed, the runway, at its present state, could be used by any pilot to land an aircraft, in case of an emergency.

Zazaky

and that never was there a time any form of criminal activity was recorded in the shrine as there was even a police station nearby the shrine, which makes it impossible for anyone to think of committing any form of crime,

as it had never been part of their teachings.

The group further explained that the federal government must not allow rumours circulated by some persons, who wanted to cause a serious sectarian violence in the country to materialise. It said that such allegations levelled against their sect was a clear indication that some persons or group were out to tarnish their image for selfish interests and the government must not allow itself to be used by such persons or group, and always remember that the constitution of the country permitted freedom of worship.

S’Court confirmed death sentence of convicted murderer Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏThe

death sentence passed on one Nonso Okeke by two lower courts for the murder of Chinwe Ofomatu in 2004 has been re-affirmed by the Supreme Court.

In a judgement delivered last Friday, the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence that was passed on Okeke by a Lagos High Court in 2010 for the murder of Ofomatu.

In a statement issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and signed by the

Director, Public Relations, Bola Akingbade, it was said that in the lead judgement delivered by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammed, the apex court held that the appeal of Nonso Okeke lacked merit, thereby, it was dismissed and upheld the decision of the lower courts.

During the proceedings, the Lagos State AttorneyGeneral, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, (DPP) Mrs. Idowu Alakija and Mr. Justin Jacobs, told the Supreme Court to uphold the judgment of the lower courts.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Kano sanitation board gets N1.6b equipment Yakubu Salisu Kano

ÏÏÏThe

Kano State Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB) has disclosed that, soon, the problem of dumping refuse indiscriminately would be a thing of the past. The Managing Director of the Board, Group Captain (rtd) Muhammad Mahmoud, made the disclosure to the Daily Times during an interview at the board’s head office.

He said that the state government had approved the sum of N1.6 billion for the purchase of modern equipment and vehicles needed by the board for smooth operation, some of which were already available, while some vehicles in bad conditions had been repaired and that the board had introduce modern means of collecting refuse, which included designating special centres, where refuse of a particular area would be taken to for collection, placing waste buckets where necessary to prevent people from the traditional method as well as increasing the number of routine by the officers of the board.

Saraki intervenes in NULGE, NUT dispute with Kwara govt ÏÏÏPresident

of the Senate, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, at the weekend, in Ilorin, met with the leaders of labour unions, in Kwara State, on a need to resolve the ongoing teachers’ strike in the state.

During the meeting, Saraki appealed to leaders of the labour unions to call off their strike and return to work in the interest of students, pupils, and the people of the state in general.

He told them that primary education was the foundation of children and all hands must be on deck to ensure it was not

jeopardised.

He further urged the leader of the workers’ union to co-operate with the state government in its efforts to amicably resolve all pending issues.

Saraki also expressed his appreciation to the labour leaders and traditional rulers for their promise to co-operate with the state government in carrying out a comprehensive biometric exercise that would aid adequate planning in the future.

Saraki also praised the royal fathers for their timely intervention aimed at resolving the dispute between the

state government and the workers, while also commending those present at the meeting for honouring his invitation at short notice.

In their response, the labour leaders appreciated Saraki’s style of leadership, his commitment to their welfare and the decision to intervene on their dispute with the state government.

The labour unions also promised to quickly resolve the issues on which they disagreed with the state government and resume work, since the government had promised to pay part of the salary arrears owed the teachers.

I make N300k monthly begging, says drug suspect ÏÏÏA

suspected drug addict arrested by the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command has disclosed that he made over N300, 000 monthly from begging in Ikeja. Kehinde Olatubosun, 56, from Ibadan, Oyo State, was, on Saturday night, arrested along with 18 other drug addicts at Ipodo area of Ikeja.

A team of Rapid Response Squad Decoy Team had on Saturday night traced a stolen phone to where he was arrested, leading to the arrest of a three-man gang of mobile phone thieves, three hard

drug peddlers and 13 drug addicts.

Olatubosun stated that he made over N10, 000 daily begging in Mobolaji Bank Anthony round about, beside Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Toyin Street and Opebi, all in Ikeja.

“Every day I make over N10, 000 daily doing corporate begging. All days of the week, am always in Mobolaji Bank Anthony Roundabout, Toyin Street roundabout and Opebi. At times, I collaborate with beggars. Whatever we make, we share but I get a larger share.

Minister seeks support for anti-graft war Tom Okpe Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

L-R: Senators Kabiru Gaya; Adamu Aliero, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki; Ali Ndume; Danjuma Goje and Ibn-Na’Allah and others when the Senate President led the leadership of the Senate on a condolence visit to Sen. Na’Allah over the death of his father in Zuru, Kebbi State… at the weekend.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has urged On-Air Personalities (OAPs) to support the Federal Government in prosecuting the war against corruption, using their various platforms.

He made the appeal in Lagos, on Saturday, when he met with OAPs from radio and television stations, in continuation of his ongoing consultation with key stakeholders in the information and culture sector.

“President Buhari is leading the war against corruption right from the front, and we implore all Nigerians to support him. We appeal to you to leverage on your important platforms to support this war by ensuring that

Nigerians are well-informed about the evils of corruption,” he said, adding: “This is not Buhari’s war. This is not APC’s war. This is Nigeria’s war and failure is not an option.”

Explaining why Nigeria must fight corruption to a standstill, Mohammed said that it deprived the people the opportunity of reaping the dividends of democracy, in addition to stifling good governance.

“When the money meant to construct roads are embezzled or misappropriated, the end results are that the roads are not built and the people suffer and even die in avoidable road accidents. When the money meant for education is looted, we are unable to provide quality education for our children.

Ekiti govt to elevate 1,280 workers Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏNo

fewer than 1,280 workers in the employ of the Ekiti State Government, at the weekend, sat for the 2014 Public Service Promotion Examination, which is a pre-requisite for their elevation to the subsequent grade level.

Speaking at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, venue of the examination, the State Head of Service,

Dr. Olugbenga Faseluka, stated that the promotion exercise was a demonstration of the commitment of the State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose to develop a virile public service.

He asserted that Fayose has “walked the talk”; that he would neither retrench workers nor reduce the minimum wage paid to workers, in spite of the financial crunch which the country was facing.

Faseluka, who explained

that the promotion examination would protect, preserve and develop the state public service, said that the Fayose administration depended tremendously on the civil service for the actualisation of its policies and programmes.

“The priority of the Governor Ayo Fayose-led government is to preserve, protect and develop the civil service institution in Ekiti State.

You must have listened

to him severally that the welfare of workers in Ekiti State is the priority of his government and this he has demonstrated by walking the talk that there won’t be job-cut in Ekiti State and that there will be no reduction in the minimum wage paid to workers.

This promotion, coming on the heels of those policies, is a further attestation to what he has declared.

The promotion examination, at a very difficult

23

time like this, speaks much about the commitment of the government to develop the capacity and competence of the civil service of Ekiti State”, Faseluka said.

Faseluka, who stated that government provided free transportation for the candidates urged the workers to avail themselves of the Public Service Rules and Regulation as a way of equipping themselves with more knowledge for efficiency.

Fayose

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

N22.7bn fraud: EFCC slams fresh 22-count charges against Tompolo, others Peter Fowoyo

ÎÎÎEight days after Justice

Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, ordered the arrest of ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a fresh 22-count charge against him and 12 others.

The charges, which were filed on Friday at a Federal High Court in Lagos, bordered on stealing, advanced

fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of N22, 765,900,000.

Tompolo’s failure to appear on January 14, 2016 to take his plea on a separate 40-count charge of alleged N34bn fraud earlier filed against him and nine others by the EFCC, made the Judge ordered his arrest.

Among the 12 accused persons to be arraigned alongside Tompolo in the fresh 22 counts is a former DirectorGeneral of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, whose four

brothers - Victor, Nobert, Emmanuel and Clement - are still at large, were said to have aided the suspect to commit the fraud.

Other suspects are Kime Engozu, Josephine Otuaga, Rita Uruakpa and Pondi Kestin.

Joined as defendants in the charges are seven companies - Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd/GTE, Oyeinteke Global Network Ltd, Wabod Global Resources Ltd, Boloboere Properties Estate Ltd, Gokaid Marine Oil and Gas Ltd, Muhaabix Global Servic-

Tompolo es Ltd and Watershed Associated Resources.

The suspects were said to have fraudulently converted

various sums running into over N22.7bn stolen from NIMASA to their personal use between December 12, 2014 and April 10, 2015.

They were also accused of defrauding the Federal Government by making false representations, which they knew to be untrue, in order to obtain money from the government.

The offences are said to be contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under

VC decries sexual harassment in varsities

Osun lawmakers mourn Olubadan

Gbenga Sodeinde Ekiti

Sodiq Adekunle

ÎÎÎThe Vice-Chancellor, Fed-

eral University Oye-Ekiti, Professor Isaac Asuzu, has decried the incessant incidences of sexual harassment and beating being meted out to his female students by unknown hoodlums in the two campuses of Oye and Ikole Ekiti in recent past.

To curb the sordid scenario, Asuzu canvassed for the establishment of a University/ Community Security Committee to ensure continued peace between the university and its host communities.

This is just as his counterpart in the Ekiti State University, Prof. Oye Bandele, has called on the security agencies to beef up security on universities’ campuses, to prevent the activities of hoodlums, who were fond of harassing the students.

Speaking while receiving the Chairman, Oye Local Government Area, Hon. Omotayo Ogundare in his office last weekend, Asuzu disclosed that there had been reports of students being beaten up and even some female students sexually harassed in the two campuses owned by the university.

“At an instance, a major showdown was averted when a female student was about being molested sexually. I called on the local council executive to use his reach and office to facilitate this committee for the good of all” Asuzu said.

section 1 (3)of the same Act. The charge sheet signed by Festus Keyamo also indicated that the suspects violated various sections of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 including its sections 15(3) and 18(a) and were liable to punishment under Section 15(3) of the same Act. The suspects were also said to be liable to punishment under Section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Osogbo

ÎÎÎThe Osun state House of

at least, 96 modern houses which were being built for villagers at Itoku-Elewe along Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway, whose house had been pulled down to give way for the ultra-modern housing estate christened, ‘Three Hills Estate’ will also be commission.

He said the village, which had 46 mud houses, was relocated by the government and villagers were compensated

with 3-bedroom flats.

Taking journalists on tour of the project near completion, however, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Adedayo Adeneye, noted that though the state government counted only 46 rickety mud buildings in the community, Governor Amosun decided to compensate the villagers with modern houses with modern facilities.

Assembly, under the leadership of its Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salaam, has expressed its condolences to the people and government of Oyo state over the demise of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana.

In a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Assembly said though, the monarch was ripe in age, his contribution to Yoruba Nation, impact and positive influence in the country will be greatly missed.

The Assembly acknowledged that the late monarch left indelible marks in various positions he occupied in public service during his heyday, hence the virtuosity he brought to bear during his reign.

The parliament described the late traditional ruler as honest, decent and forthright, stressing that the late Oba Odulana spent his life serving humanity.

tural facilities at Maxwell Khobe Military Cantonment in Jos, revealed that most structures and facilities at the command are dilapidated.

The Acting General Offi-

cer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Mohammed Sani Aliyu, who guided the House Committee members on inspection during their visit,

decried the dilapidated state of medical, accommodation, road network, water system and schools’ facilities, as well as epileptic supply of electricity in the barracks.

Secretary to Ogun State Government (SSG), Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa (middle); Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Adedayo Adeneye (right) and Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr. Leke Adewolu during a press briefing on the forthcoming working visit of President Mohammadu Buhari to the state held in Abeokuta... at the weekend.

PHOTO: DAVID IDOWU.

Buhari to commission projects in Ogun during 40th anniversary Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÎÎÎPresident

Muhammadu Buhari has been scheduled to join eminent sons and daughters of Ogun state, including those that had administered the state at one time or the other to commission at least forty out of the numerous completed projects that adorned the state as part of activities marking 40 years of

the creation of the state.

Addressing a world press conference last weekend at the Press Centre, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, disclosed that the event, tagged Operation 40 at 40, is not meant for celebration, but to harvest some completed projects across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Adeoluwa also said that

Reps move to reposition Army Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÎÎÎThe

Federal House of Representatives Committee on Army, recently embarked

on inspection of facilities at the Army barracks nationwide.

A stop over at the Headquarters, 3 Division Nigeria Army to inspect infrastruc-

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

25 Opinion

All Eyes on Kogi

Yinka Odumakin ÏÏÏ The whole world wait with bated breath to see how the impunity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State will be resolved this week as the state awaits the inauguration of a new governor on Wednesday.

Recall that the governorship election in the state last November was nearing conclusion when the APC governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu, slumped and died.

The electoral laws in Nigeria envisaged a candidate dying before and after elections and made provisions for such. But our draughtsmen never contemplated that a candidate would die in the course of an election.

As at the time of Audu’s death, he was winning the election as all local governments had been counted. The electoral body had the option of declaring him winner in which case his running mate, James Faleke, would have stepped into his shoes as governorelect. The other alternative would have been to declare Idris Wada who

had the highest number of votes winner.

INEC did neither as it declared the election inconclusive because it said the total number of votes in the area where election did not hold or were voided outweighed the gap between Audu and Wada requiring a supplementary polls.

It was later discovered that whereas Audu was leading Wada with 40,000 votes, the total number of PVCs in the areas was about 25,000.

Before anyone could spell Audu, the Attorney General of the Federation came out with an opinion that the APC could pick the next person to the deceased candidate in its primaries to complete the supplementary polls. The electoral body took a cue and asked APC to bring a fresh candidate for the polls. All the laws cited by the AGF had nothing to do with the Kogi situation lest we forget.

Within days, the APC leadership picked Yahaya Bello who came second in the primaries but moved over to the SDP as its new candidate. Some APC youths actually claimed that Bello already picked Olusola Olumoroti as his deputy to run on SDP ticket before eventually stepping down for Wada whom he allegedly worked for in the election.

The APC thereafter asked James Faleke to run with Bello in the supplementary election which the former refused insisting he was the governor-elect.

Faleke

Bello

The APC went ahead to field Bello for the election by inheriting the votes of Audu, a ticket he was not part of. He contested the election without a running mate as the law is very clear that no governorship candidate shall be deemed to be validly in an election if he had no running mate. Bello had only 6885 votes in the supplementary elections which were the only lawful votes to his name in all the election except the electoral body can bring out any law that says a candidate can inherit the votes of a dead man.

We wait to see if this

W E A T H E R ABUJA

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Bello would be inaugurated on Wednesday as governor of Kogi State without a deputy. Will he pick a deputy to be sworn alongside with him?

Would he be sworn-in and thereafter pick a running mate who will have the oath of office administered to him? Neither would be legal. It is clear APC has shot itself in the foot if the rule of law had not been suspended in our clime.

For those who may not understand why the APC is playing impunity in Kogi State, there should be some explanations.

James Faleke is a Yoruba

man in Kogi State and faces a different direction to pray. A Yoruba man in the Assembly of Northern Governors. His third affliction is because he is a protege of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

For the Yoruba elements who want to play politics in an unsettled polity, Kogi must have opened their eyes to the fact that while they are playing politics, the people they are in league with are playing region and religion without any pretense.

The swearing-in of Bello on Wednesday will mark a big milestone in

APC reign of impunity at a time we are supposed to be celebrating “change”.

Awo’s admonition are quite relevant for this type of season that we are in Nigeria: “If we are in the habit of practising the opposite of what we preach, our admonition will not only lose their force and cogency, but also we ourselves will forfeit every claim to credibility. An ounce of example, it has been widely said, is far better than a ton of precepts.”

-Address to the Congregation of the University of Ife (1970): In Voice of Wisdom, 1981.

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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Our Heritage Æ s

Iresi festival ends in style Agozino Agozino

Iresi, a very cultural town, near Osogbo, the Osun State capital recently came alive as it celebrates fifth edition of the Iresi Socio-cultural and economic festival which took place in the rocky community.

The event was graced by culture enthusiasts who came from within and outside the town to rejoice with the organisers of the festival. It was a colourful three days of arts and culture feast. In fact, acrobatic displays, sports activities, processions were part of the activities that marked the event.

Promoter of the festival which is now in its fifth season is the popular human right activist, Comrade Debo Adeniran. The festival which was instituted in 2001, to celebrates the virtues of late Pa Adeniran and Mrs Oyeladun, who the people said lived worthy lives in the community was heralded by a road show and awareness rally meant to create an awareness of the event.

Leading in the road show were members of the Oyeladeniran Foundation officials and some residents of the town, including youths and children. The road show which, took off from Ile- Olowoye, Oke-Isedo passed through Oke-Ode to Ogbon-Oyo

by Ile as well as other major roads of the town.

Other activities that followed were the football match contest between the Oyeladun and Awoniyi Babes. The match took place at NUD elementary school field. The three day event also featured contest in mountainrace , Inter-lineal cultural competition which was won by one Mr. Akinrinade Michael among other competitions.

Also featured at the festival was a mini marathon race that was declared opened by the Sec-

Orobe cultural dance peforming during the festival

retary of the Osun State government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who was represented by Hon. Aborishade Femi, deputy executive secretary of Boluwaduro Local Government.

Commending the efforts of the mini-marathon participants, Hon Femi described them as future stars, adding that opportunity would soon arise at the state level where they might be called upon to represent the State at any of the National mini marathon games. He praised the effort of the organisers for sustaining the yearly festival./ Each of the winners, both male and female were presented with a prize.

History of Iresi, the home town of the promoter of the event, Debo Adeniran, The Daily Times gathered, dates back to

early 19th century. The people of Iresi are culture loving people.

The town is also known for its hospitality. Indigenes of the town said the event which holds yearly has helped to them to appreciate their culture as well as discover many young talents.

One of the highlight of the event was a lecture delivered by a representative of the Aragbiji of Iragbiji land, HRM Oba Abdul Rasheed Ayotunde Olabunmi on the theme “The Roles of Traditional Institution In Harnessing the Potentials of Contemporary Youth.The royal father also used the occasion to call on the youths to embrace Yoruba culture.

Earlier in his address, Debo Adeniran said the essence of the festival is to encourage Iresi youths to appreciate their heri-

tage and live a honest life. He said the event will always be a platform to promote culture and hard work, adding that he embarked on the project having seen the need to educate younger ones on the values of Yoruba cultural heritage.

The festival according to him aims to teach lesson that there is reward in honesty and hard work. He said the festival will continue to promote the relevance of hard work and honesty.

Among the dignitaries presents at the events were; the Aragbiji of Iragbiji land, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adbul Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, Odundun IV, the Oluresi of Iresi, His Royal Majesty, Oba Sikiru Adeseun Ibiloye, the representative of the Osun State Governor Ogbeni Rauf

Aregbesola, Honourable Gbenga Akonwo, and Honourable Lanre Idowu, a former member of the House of Assembly among others.

The three days festival ended in style. At the end, prizes were distributed while certificates to participants of the various events were given to the winners and their runners-up. Also cash prizes in addition to the certificate were given out to participants. The presentation was done

by Honourable Gbenga Akonwo, who represented the Governor Aregbesola.

It was a fun-filled events. The festival activities was not devoid of its own share of ecstasy as the DJ S O was on top of his game and he treated music lovers to melodious tunes.

Group condemns demolition of artiste village

Scene of the demolition

Artistes in Lagos State have lamented what they called the shameful demolition of artiste village last Saturday.

They said the demolition showed government insensitivity to the plight of the artiste who uses the village for genuine creative purposes. The village located at the National Art Theatre was completely demol-

ished last Saturday.

According to Segun Adefila, the founder and lead dancer of Crown Troupe of Africa, the demolition was carried out on the order of the General Manager of National Theatre, Mr Kabiru. “ While idle youths who have found engagement in crime roam the city almost unchecked, the artists village

, the only artistically functional part of the National Theatre- a gigantic edifice is under invasion. Many young artists who have found a creative outlet for their youthful energy have been violently uprooted from this space. Their properties destroyed, savings stolen and all of them rendered idle. These artists shall soon begin to envy their contemporaries, who have taken to crime by wreaking havoc on a sleeping society. Shame, a big shame” Others who spoke to Daily Times condemned the demolition.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Behold Egypt’s global heritage, library of Alexandria

An artist’s impression of the Alexander the Great’s library in Alexandria

Agozino Agozino The library of Alexandria in Egypt is probably the element of the ancient city which is most widely known, and wistfully spoken of as a great loss to humanity today, two millennia later.

The internet, with all its flaws and advancement, is the closest the world has come to recreating Alexander’s most scholarly idea, an accessible library of the world science and literature.

The notion of a world library was dreamed up by the ancient Greek ruler himself, who after seeing the library of Ashurbanipal of Nineveh, decided that his new city of the Nile Delta should include a larger, more extensive library. Alexander intended his librarians to go out and gather all the written works of the various nations he would conquer, translate them into Greek and keep them for scholarly research.

Alexander died before the library was begun, but his general, who is Ptolemy I became the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, began it during his reign. And its peak the various repositories held and estimated 400,000-70,000 scrolls, perhaps as many as 900,000.

Prominent among the documents which were eventually gathered for the collection were some of the private holdings of Aristotle.

The library was more of a collage campus rather than a single building storing documents.

Buildings included rooms storing tens of thou-

sands of scrolls, as well as classrooms, lecture halls and study areas. Although modern construction within the city has all but erased the various buildings, archeologist has managed to identify fragments of some of these structures.

One important piece was the Mouseion Academy, a centre of focus for the city of Alexandria, and part of the palace complex, taking up to a third of the city centre, sometimes called the museum.

Some of the scrolls of the library are dedicated to nine Greeks muses, thus combining both religious and intellectual pursuits. It offered residents scholars free board, lodging, servants, tax exemptions and salaries among the scholars and writers enticed to the library were the geographers Strabo, the playwright, Aristophane the doctor Herophilus, the philosopher Philo and mathematician Eulid and Archimedes.

By the time of Ptolemy III ruled 246-221 BC, a second daughter library was housed in the building called the Serapeum. Some 42,000 scrolls were

Prominent among the documents which were eventually gathered for the collection were some of the private holdings of Aristotle.

kept at the Serapeum, and these were said to have contained literary documents for general use, rather than the scholarly documents held for study by scholars at the Mouseion.

Kom el-Dikka is the name of the complex of small auditorium with banks of seating on three sides. There are about 20 rooms at Kom el-Dikka, each with a teacher’s seat at the head, and they probably represent the classroom of the University of Alexandria era, begun in late 6th , early 7th centuries AD. Kom el Dikka had baths, Early Roman villas and a theatre.

The villas include five richly decorated houses with pseudo peristyle court yard plans and elaborate triclines, the best preserved of these is called the villa of the Birds.

Alexander’s notion was to bring all the manuscripts of the world and set scholars working on them. One example of the result of this was Philo’s investigation of philosophy. At Alexandra’s library he was able to study and compare Greek, Persian and Indian religious manuscripts and identify what he considered truly just and good people throughout the known world.

The library lasted well into the 5th and 6th century AD, but like many universities today, its political, religious and gender equality made it a target of conservative religious elements.

Many of the scholars were killed in the series attacks, and the building burned, so that by the mid-seventh century, there was only one memory of the edifice.

27 Our Heritage

Ameobi ends Bolton loan spell on high g 31 Ameobi scored a goal on his debut for Bolton and igeria striker Shola Ameobi ended Alli his short-term deal with English now in his last game for the team.

Meanwhile, Bolton manager, Neil Lennon has Championship side Bolton Wanderers ‘shocked’ expressed his willingness to retain Shola Ameobi, but with a goal.

Ameobi scored in his last game for the team as said such decision can be taken by Trevor Birch and they beat MK Dons 3-1 on Saturday to complete his ‘The Trotters’ board. by wonder “We’ll have to see what the situation is and have a three-month-deal.

The former Newcastle United forward sealed the chat with the powers that be,” Lennon said. goal “He’s someone we’d like to keep around, but of victory with the third goal in the 90th minute after

N

Ameobi

he was a 79th minute substitute for Gary Madine.

course that all depends on finances.

Page 28

Monday, January 25, 2016

Access Bank

Lagos City Marathon Expo holds in Lagos

Ighalo ed

not bother by transfer speculations

O

dion Ighalo scored his 14th goal of the season on Saturday against Newcastle to end Watford five-game winless streak and afterwards restated he is unconcerned about the various transfer speculations surrounding him.

Nigeria international Ighalo maintained he is not bothering himself about the transfer speculations linking him to

moves away from Watford.

“The news linking me to join Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are all rumours and speculations because no bid that I know of has been tabled by either club,” he said.

“I am not bothering myself about this, but just concentrating on my game to keep doing well for the club to achieve our aim.”

On Saturday, Ighalo scored the opening

Ighalo goal of the game against Newcastle at home in the very first minute of the second half.

Watford’s last victory in an EPL game was a 3-0 spanking of Liverpool on December 20, 2015.

This is the second recent victory of Watford over Newcastle United after Watford won 1-0 in an FA Cup clash.

g n lu Da reconstitutes ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

Dalung

ANDREW EKEJIUBA Sports Editor

‘Hospitality’ House Project Committee

he Nigeria ‘Hospitality’ House Project Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio has been re- constituted by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalung.

The 15-man committee earlier inaugurated by the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Alhassan Yakmut on November 5, 2015 has now been reduced to 7.

The re-constituted committee has Alhaji Mohammed B. Abdullahi as Chairman and Project

Coordinator, while the Nigeria Olympic Committee will be represented by Hon. Bappa A. Missau.

Other members of the committee include Shamma Makpa, a Sports Officer at the National Sports Commission; Okechukwu Nebo, Head of Chancery, Nigerian Embassy in Brazil and three ministerial nominees, Alhaji Bala Usman, Tar Ukoh and Mrs Adeshola Ndu. The Nigeria ‘Hospitality’ House Project Committee which will be inaugurated on Tuesday by the Hon Minister for Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung is to promote and showcase the country’s culture at the Rio Olympic Games in August this year.

T

hough the main act, the 2016 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, will not flag off until February 6, the main lead up activities to the first full international marathon in Nigeria in 30 years, Lagos City Marathon Expo, starts today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

First of its kind in Nigeria, Marathon Expos are integral of big marathon races worldwide with major marathons like New York, Dubai, London, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo, Berlin drawing thousands of vendors and exhibitors annually.

The theme of the Lagos City Marathon is Hospitality, Wellness and Wellbeing. Over the weekend, some of the exhibitors were seen mounting their stands in readiness for the Day One of the Expo.

Corporate organizations and government bodies expected at the Expo include Access Bank the title sponsor of Lagos City Marathon, Gsk, Ladel’s Baby Centre, Airtel, another sponsor of the marathon, Food Clique, Oniru Family, Eko Hotel, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, SuperSport and a host of others.

Tayo Popoola, the Lagos City Marathon head of Events and Ceremony said the aim of the marathon is to bring all the stakeholders in the health, wellness, and wellbeing industry together to promote a healthier Nigeria, “The essence of the Lagos City Marathon is not just about elite athletes, economic benefits, showcasing Lagos to the world and other good benefits that marathon will bring to Lagos and Nigeria, more than these, we also aim to promote the culture of running which scientists have proved to be beneficial to the human body, when you have healthier citizens, you have better workforce and spend less on health and healthcare,” she said.

Popoola also revealed that all the athletes; including elite runners, fun runners and other class of runners will collect their kits at the Expo.

She also revealed that there will be food, music and drinks, while celebrities from media, musicians, actors, traditional rulers and other class very important Nigerians will be guest of the Expo daily.

Hon. Deji Tinubu, the Special Adviser and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission who is also the Chairman of the Organizing Committee Lagos City Marathon will formally declare the Expo open on Thursday. Curtain draws on Expo on February 3.

Monday, January 25, 2016

EXTRATIME

29

CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016

C a m erou confident of sealin n

Elephants, Amavubi

g quarter-finals berth

advance to quarter-finals

C

G

roup A at the 2016 African Nations Championship was wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, with Ivory Coast joining tournament hosts Rwanda in advancing to the quarterfinals after they beat Gabon 4-1.

Amavubi stumbled to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Morocco, but their earlier wins – including one against the Elephants – ensured they finished at the top of the log and will face Group B’s runners-up in Kigali on Saturday.

In Butare, Ivory Coast scored three goals in the second half against a Panthers team which put up a good fight for roughly an hour before being outclassed by Michel

Franck Perrin Obambou (left) of Gabon challenged by Okpekon Marius Yace of Ivory Coast during the 2016 CHAN match between Ivory Coast and Gabon at the Huye Stadium in Butare on Sunday January 24, 2016.

Dussuyer’s men.

The final standings saw Rwanda and Ivory Coats in six points each (with the hosts on top thanks to a superior headto-head record), while Morocco were third on four points and Gabon finished

with one point.

Group B will be wrapped up today with simultaneous games in Butare, where Cameroun will battle DR Congo, and in Kigali, where Ethiopia will take on Angola.

ameroun will take on DR Con go in Butare today in their final 2016 African Nations Championship group stage outing.

Lying second in Group B on four points, two adrift of the ir opponents of the day who hav e already booked their spot in the last eight, the Indomitable Lion s only need a draw to progre ss, knowing that a win will see the m finish top of the group.

And Hugo Nyame and his teammates are approachin g this crucial clash against the Leopards with a good sense of confidence.

“Cameroun are lying second in Group B and are in a goo d position to qualify,” Lions’ coa ch Martin Ndtoungou Mpilé said .

“We will try to keep this mome ntum going against DR Congo today.

“Our team is young. We believe that they are busy improving.

The 23 players are making a lot of efforts and I am convinc ed that we will extend our journey in this competition.”

Meanwhile, DR Congo will be looking to extend their winning run after enjoying back-to-ba ck victories over Ethiopia and Angola.

Already through to the kno ckout stage, the Leopards just need a draw to finish top of the ir group.

Morocco crush hosts Rwanda

F

our goals conceded in the first half by Rwanda saw Morocco cruise to victory in the teams’ final Group A game of the first stage of CHAN 2016, but Rwanda still go through to the knockouts along with Ivory Coast.

As early as the 5th minute, Ernest Sugira made a good run on the right flank but no one picked up his pass, and

Savio Nshuti’s attempt was saved by Bourkadi. Then, five minutes later, Sugira had another scoring chance, but Bourkadi saved it easily as Morocco also forced a good save from Kwizera on the other end.

In the 15th minute Morocco took the lead after Abdelghani Mouaoui picked up a through pass from Achchakir and drove a powerful shot past Olivier Kwizera in goal.

Morocco went into a 2-0 lead after 24 minutes when Aziz netted, but Ngomirakiza pulled one back for Rwanda three minutes later.

Seven minutes before the interval, Morocco went 3-1 ahead as Abdeladim Khadrouf reinstated Morocco’s two-goal cushion. Then, with two minutes to the break, Aziz Mouaoui found the back of the net for the second time to make it 4-1 at half time.

Tafesse Shewamene (left) of Ethiopia tackled by Frank Thierry Boya of Cameroun (right).

30

Monday, January 25, 2016

EXTRATIME

A

ndres Iniesta had a simple explanation as to why Barcelona’s narrow 2-1 victory over Malaga at the Rosaleda was so tough.

The European

BRIEFS Lasagna’s strike denies Mancini victory

K

evin Lasagna came off the bench to earn 10man Carpi a last-gasp 1-1 draw at San Siro and ruin Roberto Mancini’s 200th Serie A match in charge of Inter. Inter had laboured throughout much of Sunday’s contest, but Rodrigo Palacio’s first Serie A goal of the season appeared to have done enough to end their twomatch winless league run. But with the clock winding down and time seemingly up for the struggling visitors, Lasagna cooked up a treat for the away fans with a composed finish past the despairing Samir Handanovic.

Barca’s win over Malaga was tough, says

Iniesta

Valdes Valdes

S

A

Malaga lead race for Atsu

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hristian Atsu could be leaving Chelsea on loan again soon, with interest from at least three La Liga clubs including Malaga. Javi Garcia’s side have leapfrogged Levante and Rayo Vallecano in the race to sign the Ghana international, although media reports in Spain suggest Espanyol are also interested. Malaga’s move to the top of the list is believed to be down to the amount of first-team football they are Wenger offering the 24-year-old.

away in La Liga.

“It’s not easy to win in la Liga; it was a really important game for us to win, those three points keep us at the top,” the Spain playmaker said.

“At the start of the game we got a bit ahead of ourselves with that goal after a minute, and went in at half-time 1-1, probably a bit unfairly to be honest when you look at what they did and what we did.

“Things changed in the second half.”

The league leaders made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes in the first half, which saw the teams enter the break level at 1-1, and the midfielder had difficulty explaining what the root cause of the uncertain first-half was.

Despite the error-riddled performance, Iniesta was happy to retain top spot in the league, but said the challenge of beating title rivals Atletico Madrid in their next league game would be even tougher.

S’ Liege confirm

‘Stones in high demand’

t least six of Europe’s top clubs are interested in buying Everton defender John Stones, according to reliable sources. The 21-year-old, who has been in impressive form for the Toffees this season, remained at the club in the summer despite interest from Premier League champions Chelsea. It is expected that Everton will struggle to keep the England centre-back at the club if Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea or Manchester City come calling, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich also ‘interested’.

champions needed some divine intervention from Lionel Messi - who scored the winner with a sublime volley - to secure the three points from a tough away assignment.

But Iniesta said this was the least you should expect when playing

Iniesta

Griezmann

happy at Atletico Madrid

A

ntoine Griezmann is happy with life at Atletico Madrid amid persistent speculation linking him with a move away from the Vicente Calderon.

The France international has reportedly caught the attention of clubs such as Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, while Atletico coach Diego Simeone stated earlier this month that the Liga title-chasers would not hold Griezmann at the club

Griezmann

against his will.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old is happy to be playing a key role in Atletico’s tilt for the top as they look to beat Barcelona and Real Madrid to the Liga crown for the second time in three years.

“I am feeling very well at Atletico,” Griezmann told reporters.

“This is a big club and I want to achieve great things here. I am ambitious and my goal is to win trophies here.”

Griezmann, who has a contract with Atletico until June 2020, has become a key figure since moving to the Spanish capital from Real Sociedad in July 2014.

However, he feels he still has room for improvement and is not on the same level as superstars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo just yet.

“I have become more mature.

The club and my team-mates rely on me,” he added.”

deal

tandard Liege have announced the loan signing of Victor Valdes, subject to a successful medical.

The Manchester United goalkeeper will spend the rest of the season in Belgium after being completely frozen out under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford.

Valdes’ United deal is up in the summer and he tweeted a goodbye message earlier this week after just two appearances in 12 months.

“Thank you all for your support during these months of hard work for me,” the 34-year-old wrote. “I will never forget!”

United signed former Barcelona ‘keeper Valdes last January, but he was not given a squad number this season after falling out with Van Gaal, who accused him of refusing to play for the reserves.

Valdes took issue with that claim, but he did not feature in another United squad as Van Gaal bought Sergio Romero and used young Sam Johnstone as back-up before David de Gea’s move to Real Madrid fell through.

Bentancur

honoured by Real interest

B

oca Juniors midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur takes pride in reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid.

Bentancur was reported to be close to a €10million move to the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid thought to be stepping up their interest ahead of an impending two-window ban on registering new players.

But, last week, Boca president Daniel Angelici revealed there had been no official contact from the Liga side, a statement supported by the midfielder’s comments.

However, the 18-year-old was elated

with the reported interest from the Spanish capital.

“I found out about the interest through my agent and the press and obviously greatly honoured and proud that Real Madrid are interested in me,” Bentancur said.

“However, to tell the truth, I’ve got to make it clear that there has been no formal offer from Spain. Nothing has been finalised.

“All I know is that I owe Boca 100 per cent. I’ve got two years left on my contract here and until I’m told otherwise, my goal is to fight for this club.”

Monday, January 25, 2016

EXTRATIME

Guidolin

BRIEFS Darmian adds to United injury woes

wins first Swansea game

M

anchester United manager Louis van Gaal may be forced into the transfer market after confirming Matteo Darmian had to be hospitalised following a heavy collision during his team’s 1-0 loss to Southampton at Old Trafford. The Italian full-back smashed into Southampton striker Shane Long and was seen spitting blood following the accident.

Andre Ayew (left) celebrates with team-mates after putting Swansea back in front against Everton on Sunday.

S

wansea recorded their first ever league win over Everton on Sunday as they hung on to record a 2-1 success in Francesco Guidolin’s first game as manager.

The visitors went in front through Gylfi Sigurdsson’s penalty after Tim Howard brought down Andre Ayew following John Stones’ weak backpass.

Gareth Barry’s deflected flick

Chelsea

can’t always win, Zouma confesses

K

urt Zouma has stressed it is impossible for Chelsea to win each game and feels they have been unlucky so far this campaign.

Guus Hiddink’s men had an underwhelming start to the season, but Zouma believes they are on the right path again.

“Mentally when you play football you always want to win but you have to accept that sometimes you can’t,” Zouma told reporters.

“You can be unlucky and I think we have been at times since the beginning of the season even if we haven’t played as well as we did last year.

“The spirit in the group is very good and we are all determined to do better than we did in the first half of the season. We have been playing better for a few weeks now.”

Zouma has been an important first-team member in 2015-16 and the Frenchman is happy with the chances he has had over the past few months.

“We have a big team with big players and big personalities in the dressing room. It helps us young guys when we’re around them,” he added.

“The team is always together and that’s a good thing. I’m proud and happy because I have had a lot of chances to play but like the whole team I have to keep improving.”

made it 1-1 just eight minutes later but Ayew restored the advantage with an effort which looped in over Howard off Stones.

The hosts dominated the second half and a glaring injury-time miss from Seamus Coleman summed up their day as Swansea moved up to 15th in the Premier League table.

As well as a priceless three points for the new head coach, the result gives the team he has inherited

T

ottenham’s goal-scoring hero Dele Alli admitted he “shocked” himself with his sublime goal in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder scored a stunning strike with six minutes to play at Selhurst Park, chipping the ball over a Palace defender before scoring with a volley from outside the area.

Alli, who signed for Spurs from League One side MK Dons last February and spent the rest of the 2014-15 season on loan at the third-tier outfit won his first England cap last year, but admitted even he was surprised by his sixth goal of the season.

“It was a bit of a natural thing.

I didn’t really think about it too much and I sort of shocked myself – I think you could tell from my celebration, I didn’t really know what to do,” he said.

back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Swansea arrived on Merseyside with a win against their opponents in the Capital One Cup last season their only victory in 24 previous meetings.

Roberto Martinez’s team began brightly and Muhamed Besic hit the post with a wellstruck effort from distance in the opening moments.

“You can work on different kinds of finishing with volleys and stuff in training, but you can’t really replicate a game situation.

It’s just the emotions you’re feeling – I like to express myself and I showed that exactly.”

However just as quickly, they lost him to injury as he had to be replaced by Tom Cleverley due to a recurrence of a hamstring problem.

Swansea went ahead - but they did so in somewhat farcical circumstances as Stones and Howard contributed in equal measure to a defensive disaster.

Lallana ‘risked injury’ for winner

A

dam Lallana says Liverpool’s medical staff took a risk letting him on the pitch to score Saturday’s dramatic winner at Norwich. Lallana was a doubt in the days leading up to the game but came off the bench to have the final say in a 5-4 victory.

Newcastle cool Townsend interest

N

Alli

i l l A ‘shocked’

by wonder goal Agent rubbishes Mourinho claim J A report claimed Jose Mourinho (left) wrote to Manchester United about why he should replace Louis van Gaal (right).

31

ewcastle’s interest in Tottenham winger Andros Townsend has cooled, according to sources. The Magpies have had a loan offer and a £10.5m bid for the 24-year-old rejected this month, with Spurs understood

t o want closer to £14m for the England international.

Fulham duo ‘not for sale’

S

lavisa Jokanovic has insisted Fulham do not need to sell their best players, despite suffering under a transfer embargo. Star strikers Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele, who have 24 Championship goals between them, have been the subject of interest from a number of clubs in the current transfer window.

ose Mourinho’s agent has described claims the former Chelsea boss has written to Manchester United in a bid to become their next manager as “absolutely ridiculous and totally absurd”.

A report in the media claimed Mourinho sent a six-page missive outlining why he would be the right man to replace Louis van Gaal as and when he leaves Old Trafford.

Pressure mounted on Van Gaal after United’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Saturday, which left them five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.

United are yet to respond to the story, but Jorge Mendes was unequivocal in his denial in a statement on Sunday

morning.

“It does not occur to anyone that a coach like Jose Mourinho can write letters to clubs offering their services.

“It is absolutely ridiculous and totally absurd.”

Mourinho left Stamford Bridge in December after overseeing a disastrous defence of Chelsea’s Premier League title.

According to the report, Mourinho sets out how he would be prepared to change his style of management to suit the values at Old Trafford and what changes he would make to the squad.

Published by fOliO cOMMUNicAtiONS ltD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948.

GROUP EDITOR: BiODUN DUROJAiYE News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016

g 30

VOL. 2. NO.30

Price: N150

Barca’s win over Malaga was tough, says Iniesta Diego Costa (left) scores the winner against Arsenal on Sunday.

a t s o C n w o d s t o sho

! s r e n n u G s u o i t i amb Andrew Ekejiuba with Agency Reports

D

iego Costa proved to be the scourge of 10-man Arsenal once again by playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s 1-0 Premier League victory at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Spain striker was embroiled in a spat which saw Arsenal’s Gabriel sent off in the champions’ 2-0 win in September, while also clashing with Laurent Koscielny in that game.

The latter of those confrontations earned him a retrospective three-match ban, but Costa had an even more decisive impact in Sunday’s cracker.

In a five-minute period midway through the first half, Costa drew a professional foul from Per Mertesacker that saw the Arsenal defender sent off, before netting the winning goal from Branislav Ivanovic’s excellent delivery.

Even the second-half introduction of Alexis Sanchez - featuring for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in November -

could not spark Arsenal, who lost at home in the league for the first time since the opening weekend of the season.

Victory means Chelsea remain unbeaten since Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho and they have not lost in their last nine league meetings with Arsenal, who are third, three points behind leaders Leicester City.

Both sides had sights of goal in the opening two minutes as Joel Campbell missed his kick from Theo Walcott’s cross before Oscar recalled in place of Pedro - had a shot tipped behind at the near post by Petr Cech.

The former Chelsea goalkeeper was called into action again in the 15th minute as Willian fired straight at him after Arsenal struggled to clear.

And Willian was heavily involved in the sending-off three minutes later as his throughball released Costa, who looked to break away only to be brought down

by Mertesacker, leaving referee Mark Clattenburg little option but to brandish the red card.

That dismissal prompted Arsene Wenger

to send on Gabriel in place of Olivier Giroud, but Arsenal were almost immediately behind as Ivanovic’s superb cross from the right was turned in by Costa from close range at the near post in the 23rd minute.

Costa went close to doubling his tally shortly before half-time only for Cech to save sharply, and from the resulting corner Ivanovic’s header was cleared off the line by Nacho Monreal.

For all Chelsea’s superiority, Arsenal had a chance to level with the final act of the first half but Mathieu Flamini volleyed Aaron Ramsey’s clever pass over the crossbar.

In a quieter second half, Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty shortly before the hour when Koscielny body-checked former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas, but Clattenburg was unmoved.

A frantic scramble in the Chelsea box raised Arsenal hopes of an equaliser, but the hosts could not force the ball in as Hiddink’s side stood firm to claim back-to-back away wins and move above West Brom into 13th place on the log.

CHAN 2016 RESULTS Ivory Coast 4 - 1 Gabon Morocco 4 - 1 Rwanda PREMIERSHIP RESULTS Everton 1 - 2 Swansea City Arsenal 0 - 1 Chelsea SERIE A RESULTS Fiorentina 2 - 0 Torino Hellas Verona 1 - 1 Genoa Inter 1 - 1 Carpi Lazio 4 - 1 ChievoVerona Palermo 4 - 1 Udinese Sampdoria 2 - 4 SSC Napol i Sassuolo 0 - 2 Bologna LA LIGA RESULTS Athletic Bilbao 5 - 2 Eibar Atletico Madrid 0 - 0 Sevilla BUNDESLIGA RESULTS Eintracht Frankfurt 3 - 2 Wo lfsburg Schalke 1 - 3 Werder Bremen LIGUE 1 RESULTS Monaco 4 - 0 Toulouse Reims 1 - 1 Saint-Etienne EREDIVISIE RESULTS AZ Alkmaar 4 - 2 Feyenoord FC Utrecht 1 - 0 PEC Zwolle PSV Eindhoven 4 - 2 FC Twent e ADO Den Haag 2 - 1 Cambuu r INTERNATIONAL CLUB FRIENDLIES Slaven 2 - 0 Altach AC Horsens 2 - 1 OB Hammarby 2 - 0 KuPS Kristiansund BK 1 - 0 Molde IFK Mariehamn 2 - 0 Gefle Rapid Wien 1 - 1 St. Pauli Thun 1 - 3 RasenBallsport Leipzig Ural 2 - 2 Tosno Karlsruher SC 1 - 0 Freiburg Stroemsgodset 2 - 1 Piast Gliw ice Union Berlin 1 - 3 B/Dortmu nd

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

CBN to refund N98b to 2786 licensed BDC operators Page B5

Fashola identifies Nigeria’s non-oil pension fund asPage B3 export hits $612m economy booster in 2015 – NEPC Page B4

Minister uncovers employment fraud, sacks level 17 officials

FG to develop occupational standards for building sector

Joy Ekeke The ministry of information and culture has uncovered an employment fraud being perpetuated by some top officials of the ministry.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this disclosure on Saturday in Lagos, adding that the senior officials’ extorted money from 400 applicants offering them employment illegally.

Mohammed said that the affected officers who had been sacked and handed over to the CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Joy Ekeke

L-R: Managing Director of Bank of Industry (BOI), Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa and the Executive Director of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, at the ‘Good Morning Africa’ programme organized by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) ... on Friday.

Power outage: Discos blame generation companies Opeoluwani Akintayo Following the drop in electricity supply being experienced nationwide, the Discos have partly put the blame on power generation companies, as one of the national power generation companies, Egbin, has also dragged the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN over the low electricity supply.

It will be recalled that recently, the Federal Government announced that due to the vandalisation of the gas plant in the Niger Delta, Nigeria lost 600 megawatts which the FG said would affect power supply.

However, investigation showed that even before the vandalisation of the Escavos plant, there had been massive complaints from customers of the various Discos.

Business Times put a call to Ikeja Disco’s spokesperson, Mr. Akinola Ayeni, who explained that the company has maintained a good relationship with its customers. According to him, the company always make public announcement any time it wants to carry out maintenance work which may affect power supply.

He pointed out that the power outage experienced around Ikeja,

was due to maintenance work being done. “After the maintenance, power will be restored,” he said.

He explained that if any of its environs was experiencing low power supply, such area should make complains to us. We will then send our men to check and repair whatever was faulty.

“You don’t expect us to know everything going on at all Ikeja enviCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

MTN sought for out-of-court settlement over fine Tony Nwakaegho MTN has sought for an outof-court settlement in its suit against the N780 billion fine imposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Wole Olanipekun, a senior advocate of Nigeria who led a team of 10 senior advocates of MTN lawyers told the presiding judge, Mohammed Idris, on Friday at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, that MTN has opted to

Monday, January 25, 2016

settle out of court.

Following the request by MTN, Idris adjourned the matter till March 18, 2016 when the court expects the two parties have reached a decision.

The implications of MTN’s request are yet unclear as the Federal Government had reduced the fine to N780 billion and insisted on payment by December 31, 2015 before the lawsuit was filed.

The Nigerian Communica-

tions Commission (NCC) had in October 2015 issued a landmark fine of N1.04 trillion ($5.2bn) against MTN Nigeria, the largest mobile network operator in the country for failing to disconnect subscribers with unregistered and incomplete subscriber identification modules (SIM) cards within the stipulated time.

After several weeks of negotiations, both parties failed to reach compromise, MTN then took the matter to court.

Moolman

Federal Government has stressed the need to improve on the quality of work delivered by Nigerian artisans and craftsmen as the main reason behind the development of national occupational standards for the building sector.

Nigerian building contractors are known to depend heavily on foreign artisans and technicians for building jobs where quality is desirous, a situation which continues to impact negatively on the availability of employment for indigenous workmen, however the situation is bound to change soon with the federal government’s intention to regulate the building trade.

In a message at the opening ceremony of the stakeholders validation workshop on the national occupational standards (NOS) for the building trades in Nigeria, in Abuja, the permanent secretary (works and housing) federal ministry of power, Engr. Abubakar A. Magaji described as worrisome the current dearth of skilled artisans and craftsmen in the building construction industry in the CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

FG to develop occupational standards for building sector

Minister uncovers employment fraud, sacks level 17 officials

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

police were on Grade Level 17 in one of the parastatals in the ministry of Information and Culture.

He said that the officers had included the names of the applicants in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPIS) before the fraud was discovered.

“The first scandal I met in one of the parastatals when I assumed office was the illegal employment of 400 people.

“This scandal started with very senior officers up to level 17 in that department.

“They sent out letters and text messages asking people to apply for jobs for a fee of N400, 000 each and they were given letters of employment.

“They did not stop there. They invited these people to go and be captured on the IPPIS and they even took cameras to hotels to get them captured. At the end of the day the bubble burst.

“One of the victims told these officials, ‘you cannot take my money and still disengage me. I have a valid letter.’’’

“That is how we got to know that there is a dedicated account these people pay to. Of course, we dismissed these officials and we even handed them over to the Police,” the minister said.

Mohammed said that the incident showed how faulty the IPPIS was and how it had been compromised by unscrupulous elements.

He said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was doing all it could to make the IPPIS tamper-proof and guide it from people who might want to load ghost workers on it.

The minister said the current war against corruption was a war of survival for the nation and urged all Nigerians to give it the necessary support.

Mohammed

country.

He noted that the situation has led to substandard labour output, exorbitant labour costs and the influx of foreign artisans and craftsmen into the country.

Represented by the director, building and quantity surveying department in the ministry, Bldr. Mrs. Salma Yusuf Mohammed, the permanent secretary explained that the development of the national Occupational Standards for the building trade would therefore impact positively in the Nigerian economy by promoting standardisation, specialisation and professionalism in the construction industry.

He stated that the ministry in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is at the moment developing a memorandum on the development of a national skills development policy.

Earlier the chairman, Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Bldr. Prof. Kabir Bala had stressed the need to relieve project sites of unskilled, inefficient and dissatisfied workers engaged in building trades.

Bala noted that the skill gap in the construction sector coupled with poor quality delivery has become a trend in Nigeria construction.

NAGAFF berates NCS over exclusion from Power outage: Discos blame IDPs committee generation companies Babajide Okeowo

Following the constitution of a committee that will oversee the sharing of seized goods to the camp of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has condemned the non-inclusion of freight forwarding associations in the committee.

NCS had last week in response to a directive by President Muhammudu to send seized goods in various warehouses in the country to the camps of IDPs in the country constituted a committee comprising the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Army, Air force, Police, Immigration and other civil society organizations that would coordinate the movement of the seized goods but excluded the freight forwarding associations.

In response, NAGAFF’s legal adviser, Fred Akokhia said it was wrong to have excluded the associations in the committee, describing the decision as clearly against the order of the President.

Akokhia pointed out in a letter addressed to the Customs CG that apart from the associations of freight forwarders, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) was also not included in the committee noting that their noninclusion in the committee may have been as a result of wrong advice, particularly on the rel-

evance or otherwise of CRFFN as a regulator of the freight forwarding practitioners.

Part of the letter reads: “We regret to observe that CRFFN, NAGAFF and ANLCA are not included in the constituted IDP’s committee to give effect to the President’s order on seized goods. It may be an oversight on the part of your administration over time to exclude the most strategic allies to your administration.

“It is on record that within the period under review, your visitation to stakeholders may have tactically excluded CRFFN and any of the two major freight associations like, NAGAFF and ANLCA as strategic partners to Customs responsibilities.

“It is our view and advice that the CGC should realize and recognize the strategic importance of the CRFFN as an agency of the Government to regulate and control freight forwarders in Nigeria. And as such, you may wish to include CRFFN, NAGAFF and ANLCA in your programme of action and activities in the Customs ports and approved gateways and more importantly in the constitution of the IDP’s communities on seized goods.

“We give this very important advice in good faith because we want you to succeed in actualizing your mandate as given to you

by Mr. President at the Nigeria Customs Service. May we again remind and inform you that the corruption rate in Customs matters is seemingly on the increase since your assumption of duty,” he said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

ronment. Our customers have our numbers and email and we expect them to complain. But we discovered that they don’t report yet expect us to know their challenges,” he added.

Also speaking with Eko Disco spokesperson, Mr. Godwin Idemudia, he explained that the reason for the low power supply is the loss of over 600 megawatts from the national grid due to vandalisation of gas supply from Niger Delta.

“We are however doing our best to meet the needs of our customers from what is made available to us,” he said.

When reminded that the drop in power supply had been happening before the vandalisation

Power Plant distribution capacity

he simply said,” then you can ask the generation companies.”

A source at Egbin Plant who craved anonymity, disclosed to Business Times that out of the six machines the company has, five were presently working.

According to him, those five plants produce a total of 1,100 megawatts per day. He said if the six were to be working, they would produce a total of 1120 megawatts per day.

“For us at Egbin, the challenge has always been gas emissions but for some time now, the threat has been reduced drastically. We do our best to supply to TCN. It’s then left to TCN to know how the generated electricity is distributed.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

B3 Business News

Fashola identifies pension fund as economy booster Motolani Oseni&Babajide Okeowo Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has identified immense roles pension fund contribution could play as a panacea to the current dwindling economy of the country.

Speaking at the Nigerian Pension Industry Strategy Implementation Roadmap Retreat held recently in Lagos on the topic: ‘Overcoming the Challenges and Managing the Risks and Constraints that Inhibit the Investment of Private Capital and Funds in Nigeria’s Infrastructure Landscape in Order to Make a Visible Economic Impact,” Fashola stated that in the face of the falling oil price, pension scheme is a way of building infrastructures in the face of the economic meltdown.

According to him, today’s reality is that we are in another cycle of burst, oil prices have crashed from over $100 per barrel and is now hovering around $30 per barrel and there is a real chance that it will fall lower.

“Put very simply, our main source of revenue has taken a big blow. This household has lost its bread winner,” he said.

However, it is not without options. It has assets, it can raise

Labour backs Buhari’s cash transfer programme Organised labour movement in Nigeria on Sunday said that it would support the proposed conditional cash transfer programme by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr Issa Aremu, General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, stated this in Kaduna during the 40th day ``Fidau’’ prayer held for his late wife, Hajia Hamdalat.

Aremu said that the labour would collaborate with the Office of the Vice President as directed by the President. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the proposed conditional cash transfer is a social security program model after of developed nations of the world. ` `The Buhari administration deserves commendation for setting aside N500bn in the 2016 Budget currently undergoing the approv-

money, it has savings such as the private money belonging to pensioners, but it cannot be used like oil money. Whatever is used must be returned.

Highlighting ways that pension scheme could help; Fashola stated that if everyone contributes to the pension fund, the provision of basic amenities will be easy.

His words: “It was difficult to get private capital into critical sectors of our economy like infrastructure. Private capital and fund managers were not going to invest funds entrusted to them in infrastructure if we wanted to use them for free.”

He noted that as a people, we were willing to pay for these services outside our country but demanded that they be provided for free in our country.

Consequently, the new pension fund has shown what can happen if people resolve to contribute and pay their way, adding that health insurance is another area that can open up access to top class health service for even the poor, if people are ready to contribute and save for their wellbeing.

“Insurance will give them a choice and access to the best medical service when they need it.

It will give them a second high-

al of the National Assembly, for direct social transfers. ``The Office of the Vice President as directed by the President, must work with NLC and TUC to realise this objective. ``The conditional, legitimate transfers should serve as the basis for a national comprehensive social security program for Nigerians. ``As a worthy investment in our country’s human infrastructure, not stomach infrastructure, it is as important an investment as physical infrastructure, `` Aremu said.

He praised President Buhari` s gesture in ensuring that those who are living on less than a dollar per day were able to access national resources as a matter of right.

Aremu also commended the school feeding programmes of some states government including Kaduna. NAN reports the remains of Hajia Hamdalat, who died on Dec. 15, 2015, was buried according to Islamic rites. The prayer was attended by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Maj. – Gen. Lawrence Onoja and a former Under-SecretaryGeneral and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General; Maj. - Gen. Zarmani Lekwot.

L-R: Emeka Ndu, coordinator, Networks Business Club; Idowu Iluyomade, regional pastor, RCCG Region 20, City of David; Herbert Wigwe, GMD/CEO, Access Bank Plc; Mutiu Sunmonu, former managing director, SPDC Nigeria; Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC); Akinyemi Asade, commissioner, economic planning and budget, Lagos State; Ernest Ebi, chairman, Networks Business Club, and Bismarck Rewane, CEO, Financial Derivatives Company Ltd, at the 2016 NetWorks Nigeria Economic Outlook in Lagos...recently.

way away from public health service, which even with its best intentions cannot provide every service free,” he said.

Urging Nigerians to embrace a change of attitude, Fashola stated that the time to embrace diversification is now.

He pointed that after three decades of prevaricating about diversification, diversification

has walked into the front door of Nigerians household.

Fashola explained that Nigerians must either embrace it, with a new attitude, or idle in agony and anguish until when hopefully the price of oil will rise again, as it will surely do.

However, the pension funds, which are under the management of pension funds admin-

istrators will not go into roads, rail, housing, hospitals or universities unless we change our attitude.

He said the impact the pension retreat could achieve with pension funds would be phenomenal not only in growth per Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but in creation of jobs through construction.

Experts urge FG to create over 3m jobs in 2016 Charles Okonji Experts have called on the Federal Government to implement policies capable of creating jobs, enhancing the lives of the citizenry positively and in turns boost the revenue generation of the country and generally uplifting the overall standards of living of its citizenry.

According to them, a total of 3, 000, 000 will be created, should the Federal, State and Local Governments respectively implement policies that would enhance job creation.

It will be recalled that the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIPR) was introduced by the FG to create jobs, generate wealth, diversify the economy, substitute imports, boost exports and broaden the country’s tax base.

Judging by the NIRP of 2014, Nigeria is fast becoming a manufacturing hub for Africa, though, the country has over 50 per cent of the installed manufacturing capacity within the ECOWAS re-

gion.

It is no longer strange that manufacturing is the core mover of industrialization in any economy in the world; hence, a focus manufacturing can without doubt guarantee enormous job creation before the end of 2016.

A rapid attention towards skilled man power development, bridging the massive infrastructural deficits, and radical approach to security is will not only be the driving force of the manufacturing industry but will also attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).

According to the Director General, National Automotive Council (NAC) Aminu Jalal, 2,500 components are need to assemble a car, which means that 2,500 would be manufacture by locally by over 2000 local manufacturing companies. The implication is that when such parts are manufactured in Nigeria and promoted online via advert platforms such as Carmudi Nigeria and other related e commerce websites, the produc-

tion and sales of spare parts could provide over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Moreover, the agricultural sector has all it takes to revitalize and turn the nation’s economic fortunes around. Achieving food security, wealth creation and to drive agriculture in Nigeria, plans to increase rice production, sorghum, cocoa, maize, soybean, oil palm, cotton, cassava, livestock, fisheries and horticulture need to be implemented.

However, the country would be in a positive balance of payment when it engages in the export of excess produce of these agricultural products, hence achieving food and nutritional security for the country, generate employment and transforming into a global food market.

First Bank of Nigeria was named “safest banks by country in sub-Sahara Africa 2015” by Global finance, in which the winning methodology was based on long term foreign currency credit ratings.

Business News B4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

NLC urges FG to map out policies for reviving economy

tics of non-oil exports dipped a little in 2015 when compared to the preceding year.

“This can be attributed largely to two major reasons, which are - 2015 being an election year, there were plenty of uncertainties surrounding political activities and that of the insurgents in the northeast.”

However, some marginal impact was made though only statistics of the first three quarters are captured for now. “For the first quarter, we have a gross weight of 516, 428. 63 metric tonnes with export value of 664, 638.

89 dollars.” The second quarter has gross weight of 368, 529.

64 metric tonnes with export value of 391, 602,161. 02, while

for third quarter we have gross weight of 311, 769. 10 metric tonnes with export value of 220, 460, 728 dollars respectively,’’ he said. Awolowo said the council was working on a Zero Oil Plan that would enable it to achieve its objective in the current year.

He said the plan was ``in addition to implementing the National Strategic Export Product (NSEP) targeted at replacing oil and to shore up the country’s foreign exchange earnings. ``The Zero Oil Plan will ensure that the sector emerges as a major contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product. ``When fully implemented, the Zero Oil Plan will assist in achieving our set goals,’’ Awolowo said.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Sunday in Abuja advised the Federal Government to map out policies and programmes that would revive Nigeria’s economy. Mr. Ayuba Wabba, the NLC President, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that well defined policies should be formulated to address the various economic challenges confronting the nation.

“The challenge in the economy is obviously monumental, if you look at all the indices in the economy, you will know that we are actually in for difficult time,” adding that the continuous depreciation of the currency in recent times at the parallel market and the downward trend in the global oil price, call for re-think.

“I think it is time for us to be determined as a people, and I think it is important for our political leaders to look at other options of how to respond to these issues.

“We need very sound economic policies that will address the country’s challenges, and part of it is to diversify our sources of revenue,’’ he said.

Wabba urged the government to fashion out ways of boosting internal revenue, adding that it should include payment of tax for any goods purchased.

“I have said on different occasions that it is only Nigerian workers that are paying the correct taxes to government coffers.

The multinational companies and the political leaders who are making billions of naira are not paying the correct taxes. I think it is time for government to take the issue of taxation seriously, if you have stocked monies in the banks, you need to pay taxes on the monies.

“We need to pay all manner of taxes just like in some other parts of the world, where people are paying tax on everything purchased because it will generate revenue internally,’’ Wabba said.

NDIC remits N15b to consolidated revenue fund

Hadi Birchi, and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

The statement said that NDIC had complied with the payment of 25 per cent of its gross revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Account of the federation. It explained that the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) had commended the corporation on its effort to make the payment, saying this was in accordance with ministerial circular on Internally Generated Revenue. “It is quite commendable that NDIC is one of the few corporations that have fully complied with

FRC regulations. ‘’The FRC reviewed the corporation’s annual approved budget and considered it to be of high standard in terms of process and content. “The accounts were generally of high standard and depict compliance with international best practices. ‘’The corporation’s record keeping is also commendable and the integrity of its financial reporting is enhanced with the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS),” it said. The statement said the FRC also commended NDIC for complying with the submission of its

L-R: Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State for Solid Minerals Development,Mr. Abubakar Bawa and Executive Chairman, ETA-ZUMA GROUP LIMITED, Dr. Innocent Ezuma during a stakeholders meeting with miners in Abuja... at the weekend. Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Nigeria’s non-oil export hits $612m in 2015 – NEPC The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has said Nigeria’s total non-oil export volume in the first three quarters of 2015 was 612.73 million dollars.

The NEPC Executive Director, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Awolowo said the volume of non-oil exports dropped slightly during the year when compared to the preceding year. He attributed the drop to the uncertainties surrounding political activities in the country as well as the activities of insurgents in the northeast region. ``Statis-

Ibrahim

Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has remitted N15.4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. This is contained in a statement issued by the Head of Communication and Public Affairs of the corporation, Mr

He, however, said that there were a lot of loop holes in the process of tax collection in the country, which needed to be corrected. The NLC president said that the importation of unnecessary products into the country had put pressure on the country’s currency.

“This is because we need dollars to import such products and this has put high demand on foreign exchange.

“I think, we need to prioritise what we need to import as a country in the economic policy of government.

“Anything we can produce in Nigeria, there is no need to import it but rather encourage our local manufacturing companies to produce it instead of relying solely on importation. This is going to reduce pressure on the demand for foreign currency, including the issue of the importation of refined oil products. This is because one area that takes the large chunk of our foreign exchange is the continuous importation of refined oil products.’’

Wabba urged the government to accord priority to agriculture as well as exploit solid minerals that were in abundance in the country. He said this would create market opportunities for some of the products to be exported, as well as boost the nation’s economy.

audited financial statements of 2007- 2014 and for prompt payment of operating surplus. It explained that the commendation was contained in a letter to the corporation. ‘’ The FRC report indicates that the corporation is well above average in compliance with sections 21- 23 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007. “It has fully complied with the provisions of the General Reserve Fund into which 20 per cent of its operating surplus is retained in accordance with Section 22 (2) of the FRA 2007,’’ the statement said.

Wabba

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

B5 Money Market

Nigerians react to planned MPC meeting

Mixed reactions have trailed the likely outcome of the forth coming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) scheduled for today and tomorrow.

Expectedly, while some believed there will be no significant changes, others stakeholders suggested areas which CBN should look into, so as to match up with expectations from Nigerians.

Speaking to Daily Times at the weekend, Managing Director/ CEO, Finance &Investment Limited, Mr. Omokehinde Joshua, said that he didn’t expect to see any changes from the outcome of the 255th MPC meeting.

For instance, I think the issue of interest rate will be retained at 11 percent at the end of MPC, because it was long overdue at the 13 percent since 2006 before it was eventually reduced at the end of the last MPC meeting in November, 2015.

He said, the Committee would not want to tamper with both Monetary Policy Rate (MPR ) and the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and would retain them at 11 percent and 20 percent respectively, adding that unless the banks are crying for liquidity, but I don’t think that none of them will be adjusted for now.

Currently, inflation rate is at 9.6 percent and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still 2.84 percent year-on-year growth, plus the fact that the economy is not growing.

If the MPC should reduce the interest rate it would make the banks to be looking for a way of round tripping money back to the forex market.

He explained further that there is a way the banks use to do it, stressing that some of the DMBs have big companies abroad and use it to open letter of credit in Nigeria, obtained currency and then wired it back to abroad.

But if they find it difficult to wire the one they bought from CBN, the ones they buy directly from the oil companies are often used to play in the forex market and make their money.

He noted that the drop of interest rate across market investments was as a result of TSA, because it has provided high liquidity for the federal government.

L-R: Academic Director, Lagos Business School (LBS), Dr. Olayinka David-West; Deputy Director, Financial Services for the Poor Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Kosta Peric and Dean, LBS, Dr. Enase Okonedo during LBS research project Launch in Victoria Island, Lagos…at the weekend.

CBN to refund N98b to 2786 licensed BDC operators Ï9Ɛô ƓƆƋƅ ƌƆ development, and will enable us buy from autonomous sources— ABCON Stories by Motolani Oseni There are indications that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will return N97.5 billion to the 2,786 licensed Bureaux de Change operators (BDCs) who were earlier mandated to deposit N35 million caution fee.

In a circular signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department of CBN, Kelvin Amugo, said that looking

Sterling Bank begins cash reward promo season 2

at the recent development in the operations of BDCs in the economy, the CBN has decided to refund the mandatory caution deposit of N35 million to all BDC operators.

The circular, therefore called on all eligible BDCs who wish to apply for refund of their caution deposits, and attach evidence of payment and bank transfer details.

Confirming this development in an exclusive telephone chat with our correspondent at the weekend, acting Chairman, Association of Burea De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadebe, said the association was aware of the CBN’s intention to refund the 35 million caution deposit to each licensed BDC operators.

According to him, the money is meant for the BDCs to access the CBN window like banks are doing, but now that they have shut the window at the BDCs, it ss necessary for them to return the N35 million to the BDCs. While clarifying the rumor that the CBN was phasing out the BDCs entirely, he said: “It is not true that the CBN is closing the BDCs business entirely but what they advised was that they are going to open the autonomous windows like the banks, oil companies and transporters, so that we can be able to see them and be buying forex from them, so as to enable us sell in the market.

In his words: “The development is a welcome one because our members do not have capital

to do business, since the apex bank stopped sales of forex to us, but now that the money would be returned, it will enable our members to buy from autonomous sources.”

He said that the BDCs licenses with the apex bank were still valid, but explained that one million naira licensing fee was to maintain the existing BDCs license with the CBN and it is non -refundable.

He therefore stressed that registered BDCs licensed by the CBN were still eligible to operate as BDCs in the country.

“If they have closed the official window to the BDCs and did not refund the N35 million caution fee, is just like cripping the business completely,” he explained.

Following the success story of the first edition of its New Sterling Plus Cash Reward scheme and positive feedback from customers, the bank at the weekend disclosed that it has concluded plans to kick off the second season of the scheme.

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

emerged across the country at the weekly, monthly, quarterly draws.

Grand prizes were also given on national holidays declared by the Federal Government.

Giving the breakdown on the first edition of the promo, the Bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola disclosed that 661 winners emerged in 44 draws winning a total prize money of N44 million in different categories. “While five winners won one million naira each, six customers of the Bank who took part in the promo won a

cash prize of N500,000 each”, Mr. Atilola stated.

Mr. Atilola who disclosed that all the draws organised by the bank were witnessed by representatives from the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the National Lottery Regulation Commission (NLRC), the Lagos State Lottery Board and Independent Auditors, Delloite said “ 580 winners won N29 million in 29 draws in the N50,000 categories, seventy winners won N100,000 in seven draws while six people won N500,000 in the quarterly draws.

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

Stock market last week Commercial banks face extraordinary A turnover of 2.177 billion shares worth N10.753 billion in 21,471 deals were traded last week by investors on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in contrast to a total of 1.459 billion shares valued at N14.165 billion that exchanged hands preceding week in 15,164 deals.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.906 billion shares valued at N6.132 billion traded in 13,687 deals; thus contributing 87.57% and 57.03% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The

Conglomerates Industry followed with 97.545 million shares worth N261.502 million in 959 deals.

The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 94.738 million shares worth N3.122 billion in 3,531 deals. Trading in the Top Three Equities namely – Equity Assurance Plc, FCMB Group Plc and Zenith International Bank Plc.(measured by volume) accounted for 1.126 billion shares worth N2.325 billion in 3,544 deals, contributing 51.75% and 21.62% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

risks-Renaissance Capital Motolani Oseni Following scarcity in Foreign exchange market and persisted dwindling oil price, analysts at Renaissance Capital said banks operating in the country are facing unprecedented risks.

The leading investment banking firm in its report titled “Navigating stormy seas” explained that the elongated decline in oil prices was having significant ripple effects on the nation’s economy.

The firm analysts acknowledged investors’ sentiment over banks loan performance in the event of another devaluation of Naira and continued decline in

oil prices. Analysts at Renaissance Capital expressed that a worst-case scenario can occur when banks write-off 50 per cent of their exposures to upstream, services and power, as well as 10 per cent of the remainder of the loan book.

They stated that, “We think the prolonged decline in oil prices leaves the sector facing unprecedented risks, including foreign exchange scarcity (which no bank or the regulator appear to have factored in as a plausible scenario).

“The two sectors the banks have aggressively lent to since 2009 are where we think some of the most significant risks lie – oil and gas upstream and services

and power (four per cent of total loans).

“We therefore explore a worstcase scenario where the banks write-off 50 per cent of their exposures to upstream, services and power, as well as 10 per cent of the remainder of the loan book.

“However, we think that should oil prices continue their steady decline, it could be a matter of who blinks first in provisioning for the extensive loans before the domino effect sets in.

“Nigerian banks have sold off aggressively in 2016, but we think the sector’s investment case remains largely dependent on the trend in oil prices,” the report added.

Onyema

ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

23,826.50 4,229.00 1,005,167,671.00 1,888,347,715.14 8,194,380,481,022.50

L-R: Mall Manager, Port Harcourt Mall, Chioma Okorie; Marketing Head, Artee Group, John Goldsmith; Comedian, Reuben Collins and Business Head, Artee Group, Atanu Mukherjee at the launch of Babyshop, Splash and Lifestyle Stores in Port Harcourt recently.

Bulls return to the market Ï &ƒƋƄƍƎ ƃ ƉƉ ƅ ƍ cautious optimism Stories by Azubike Nnadozie While the price of global stock experienced a nose dive mid last week, price of Nigerian stocks which had been on a virtual free fall since the commencement of the year’s trading experienced a substantial improvement and this was sustained for the remaining three days of trading for the week.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (NSEASI) posted a total of 22,456.32, a 4.5 per cent improvement on the previous

day which continued the declining trend which began on the first day of trading. it traded a volume of 256,439,035.00 valued at 1,973,545,527.37 in 4,731.00 deals.

The market capitalisation was 7,723,148,274,291.62.

For instance, after appreciating for the first two weeks of the year, US stocks declined Wednesday following a renewed selloff, with energy companies sinking further into five year lows in what analysts described as their worst slump since 2008.

However, with the new enthusiasm that the Nigerian market had rebounded, analysts have called for cautious optimism adding that it was not yet Uhuru in the market.

According to Mrs. Kemi Akinde

of Meristem Securities Limited, what is currently going on was that the ridiculous fall in prices since the onset of the trading year had made stocks to become so cheap that strategic investors are capitalising on the low prices to buy, they buy at bargain prices hoping that prices would go up soon. “Even if prices go further down, their loses may be minimal, but if it continues on the upward trend, it means they would make a kill,” she added.

She stated that the factors that kept the market down such as the on-going trend in the global economy such as the fall in global commodities, stocks and currencies and other variables are still very much around.

In his own reaction, a Stock

Broker, Mr David Adonri told the Daily Times that the new trend which commenced with trading on Wednesday was a sign that, like the Nigerian economy, the Stock Market was also resilient and could be said to have a life of its own.

He said the market had gotten to a resistance level and may have no choice than to rebound, adding that the market has more or less bottomed out. “It has set to return from a long bearish run and would have to undergo a period of recovery before a bullish trend would return.

According to him, while the price of Nigeria’s crude oil is currently on the downward trend and the national currency, the naira, had fallen to an all-time low, these

factors ought to greatly affect the stock market, “but you can see that all these macro-economic indices notwithstanding, the market appears set for a rebound, having experienced an improvement in the price of equities for three consecutive days. It appears the recovery period has set in” The recent gains of the past week notwithstanding, Adonri does not rule out a possible relapse into a bearish trend. According to him, “The current turn around may not be sustained if the price of crude oil decline further in the international market and the naira is further devalued, and interest rate regime is raised, the bearish trend would come back, though it could be temporary.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 22-01-2016

Insurance B8

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, January 25 , 2016

NCRIB president blames insurance brokers for delisting of 108 firms

Stories By Kayode Adelowokan

President and Chairman Governing Council of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Kayode Okunoren has blamed insurance brokerage firms for the recent delisting of about 108 of them by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

Okunnoren disclosed this at a media parley in Lagos recently, adding that individual practitioners were responsible for their woes; stating that if returns and other regulatory guidelines were followed, NAICOM would not have come after them.

He noted that 87 of the delisted insurance broking firms were not registered members of NCRIB, stressing that only 21 of the affected brokers are members of the broking fraternity.

In his word, “Individual practitioners are to blame for not doing things that are right, when you are in a regulatory environment, you have obligations and if you don’t meet up with your obligations, you are partly to be blame for the consequences.

“Though we know those that are to be blamed among us and we have addressed that and they have shown remorse. We are now on this basis pleading with NAICOM on their behalf to show hu-

L-R: Mr. Fatai Adegbenro, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB); Mr. Kayode Okunnoren, NCRIB President, and Mrs Funke Adenusi, NCRIB Honorary Treasurer, at the first press conference of the Council held at the Council’s Secretariat, Yaba Lagos.

man kindness and give those brokers soft landing.”

Okunnoren, however said by regulations, the brokers licences were “dead” and that could not be brought back to live but they were pleading for windows of opportunity to show mercy on the defaulted brokers.

According to Daily Times findings, some of the affected brokers had gone to court to challenge NAICOM’s decision to

delist their firms. Meanwhile, efforts to speak with some of them proved abortive as they referred our correspondent to speak with NAICOM on the matter.

Speaking on while it took the Council a long time to make a public statement on the matter, the NCRIB President said the Council chose to stay away from the public but had made frantic efforts to ensure that the affected brokers were giving soft landing

as against the killing of their licences.

“By regulations, the brokers licences are “dead” and that cannot be brought back to live but we are pleading for soft landing, that is, windows of opportunity to show mercy on the defaulted brokers.

“Suffice it to say that the NCRIB is not happy that any Operator in the market will continue to flout regulatory require-

ments as enshrined in the law.

However, the Council on my assumption of office, made a representation to NAICOM on this and sundry issues for which, as usual, we got assurance of support from the Commission.

“Whilst we are still looking at opportunity to assist those with minor infractions by interceding for them in NAICOM, we have equally made this clear to our members that the regulatory environment of today requires more discipline than hitherto and that compliance issues must no longer be treated with levity,” he said.

Okunnoren appealed to NAICOM to always ensure sustenance of effective communication channels with the NCRIB in such a way that its members are notified in good time on any aspect of compliance in which they are on the path of erring, stressing that this could even be done through the Council in the spirit of the existing cordial relationship.

He renewed his pledge to take the broking profession to lofty heights, adding that he will sustain his promise of running an open door policy.

“At my investiture in October, 2015, you will recall that I emphatically noted that in order to give proper direction to my tenure as President, I decided to code name this tenure “A Regime of Consolidation and Progress.”

“This was articulated in a nine-point agenda. God willing; we will pursue these with strong determination.

BPE, ex-director battle over unpaid N27b insurance premium

Osinbajo

Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and a former Director of BPE, Mr. Ibrahim Kashim, are in a battle over non-payment of N27.18 billion as premium for the group life insurance for workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

However, BPE said it had secured the approval for the payment of N27.18 billion as premium for the group life insurance for workers of the defunct PHCN after the firm defaulted in pay-

ing the insurance company.

The Head of Public Communications, BPE, Mr. Alex Okoh, said this in a statement, while responding to an allegation made by Mr. Kashim, that the payment was fraudulent.

Kashim made the allegation in a petition sent to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, where he also alleged that BPE had refused to pay his terminal benefits.

“It was established that there was an insurance policy between GNIP and PHCN. Premi-

ums were outstanding for the year 2011/2012 amounting to N13,607,151,141.10 and renewable for the year 2012/2013 at the sum of N13,581,080,774.10, totalling N27,188,232,208.20, for which payment was outstanding.

“The PHCN had already filed claims with GNIP for 267 (members of) staff that died in active service for compensation to the relations/widows of the deceased. GNIP did not pay the claims because PHCN did not

pay premiums due for 2011/2012 and 2012/2013,” he pointed out.

The statement added that: “The PHCN submitted these claims to the implementation committee set up by the National Council on Privatisation for the processing of entitlements to PHCN staff (members) that then made representations to the then Minister of Power.

“The Minister of Power presented the matter to the then vice president in a memo dated 23/12/2013.

Nigerian insurance sector to benefit from PFI, LeapFrog $350m partnership

Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI) and LeapFrog Investments have announced the launch of a $350 million investment partnership to access high-growth markets in Africa.

PFI is an investor in LeapFrog’s most recent private equity fund, and also a member of the LeapFrog Insurance Innovation Circle, a knowledge-sharing

and innovation initiative that convenes many of the world’s leading insurers and reinsurers.

Managed by LeapFrog, the new investment vehicle will target investments in life insurance companies in Nigeria and other leading economies, including Kenya and Ghana, to be made over a three- to five-year period.

Charles Lowrey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PFI’s International Businesses, said “This investment expands PFI’s footprint into Africa, a continent that we believe offers tremendous potential for growth over the long term.

“We are delighted to partner with LeapFrog Investments,

given their deep experience in Africa, and their impressive record of success as insurance investors focused on emerging consumers.”

Doug Lacey, Partner at LeapFrog Investments, said “The global insurance industry is looking for ways to close the protection gap for millions of people in emerging markets.

Life&

TIMES Monday, January 25, 2016

Gbenga

Adeyinka Lending support to orphanages

L2

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Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

Mutiat Alli

Gbenga Adeyinka, Mike Dada, others support 3k4 Orphans Campaign

Music Act, Iyo Debuts With ‘Pack Up & Go’

In its second edition, top brands and media gurus that include comedian Gbenga Adeyinka, Mike Dada CEO AFRIMA, Daddy Fresh, Akin Fatunke of Exxon Mobil, Emeka Oparah of Airtel Nigeria, Omobolanle Laniyan of Access Bank, Joseph Laniyan of Union Bank amongst others are few of the Nigerians who have lend their voices to support orphans in a programme tagged’ Let’s encourage celebrations at charity homes.

The event is expected to hold on Sunday January 31, 2016, at the Heart of Gold Children Hospices, Surulere, Lagos. It is expected to be first of its kind.

Managing Director, PRMAfrica and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mike Dada, notes that “At a time like this using Prominent Personalities as a force of good to raise awareness for this Initiative. The campaign is also a fantastic opportunity to shed light on the financial challenges orphanage homes face and crowd-funding for entrepreneurial ventures to sustain homes on a monthly basis with less emphasis on Grants & Sponsorship.

3K4Orphans arises from the dire need to assist Orphans. The idea is that if Five Hundred People donates Three Thousand naira each, 3K4Orphans will successfully raise One Million, Five Hundred Thousand naira for Orphans. The funds will go towards the Heart of Gold Hospices (Orphanage) to start an entrepreneurial venture that would help sustain the home on a monthly basis, create jobs and fulfil the SDGs Goal 1 to reduce Poverty.

Burgeoning talent, Iyo has made her foray into the highly dominated music industry following the release of her debut single entitled ‘Pack Up & Go’.

Signed under the Cream Max Music Record imprint, Iyo’s new joint is a pure Afro Pop tune which is poised to top music charts and dominate dance floors in coming weeks.

Laced with an up-tempo beat, the melodious jam is currently enjoying positive reviews among music lovers and critics alike.

Iyo has also released a crisp video for the monstrous single featuring bevy of beauties. The dramatic video which stars popular MTV VJ, Ehiz was shot by award winning cinematographer, Unlimited L.A. The artistic video tells the story of a love-drunk lady (Iyo) whose hubby (Ehiz) is lusting after another woman.

Born Blessing Iyoghama Osazuwa, the sultry singer is one of the finest talents to look out for in the Nigerian music scene.

Steve Harvey to host Life as I See am (The Re-birth) show

Gbenga Adeyinka and Mike Dada

Sheyman ventures into housing business ÏÏÏRƍƆ Ɛ ƐƆ Ƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƏƐ ƐƑƗƈ

Life&

T E A M

Basking in the euphoria of the successes achieved over the years in music mastering and mixing, talented artist cum sound engineer, Sheyman has opened another multi-million naira studio in the serene environment of Lekki, Lagos.

The music studio houses state of the art production and music equipment inclusive of other recording gadgets which is the demand in modern day music making.

Sheyman is also positioned to push the Phatbase brand to another level as the music star has announced plans of venturing into property business. According to Sheyman, the brand name “Phatbase now has a broader scope with inroads into other spheres of life aside entertainment business.”

The ‘Paper’ crooner recently teamed up with private investors to birth the Phatbase Property & Construction Company. A subsidiary of Phatbase International LLC, the construction company deals with the sale of luxury homes and other forms of construction services.

Additionally, as part of plans lined up to usher in the New Year, Sheyman has acquired a brand new Range Rover Vogue 2015 Autobiography. Car experts and other automobile dealers put the cost of the wonder-on-wheels at a whooping sum of £91,550. Crafted to perfection, the multi-million naira SUV displays supreme luxury with high grade interior offering comfort and style.

Signed under Phatbase Entertainment, Sheyman is a multiple award winning artist and sound engineer. His recently released single and video ‘King of My Area’ where he collaborated with talented rapper, eLDee is currently topping music charts across the country.

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Julius Agwu

Steve Harvey

American comedian, television host, Steve Harvey has been announced as the host of ‘Life as I see am’ (the Rebirth) show a brain work of Nigeria’s foremost comedian, Julius Agwu billed to hold February 7, 2016 at the Eko Hotel Convection centre, Victoria Island.

Other artistes billed to perform at the august event includes Seyi Brown, Senator, Buchi, Legendary Onyenka Onwenu, Yinka Ayefele, Banky-W, Bez, Waje, Timi Dakolo and a host other talented American and Africa artistes.

On why Steve Harvey is hosting the event, Julius disclose that as a living testimony to the work of God, Steve had about my stories and decided to be my host having pass through such several challenges too before he was closer to God. ‘I want to do an exceptional show that will interest my audience and that is the more reason why we selected our own kind of cast list’ According to Julius, the show is tagged ‘‘Life as I see am’ (the Rebirth) because I want the industry to see the new beginning of the man Julius and also feel the testimony of God in my life after the several hurdles I went through during my brain tumor crisis.

It is important to note that after the show in Lagos, the train of event will later movie to the Abuja Transcorp Hilton Hotel on February 14, 2016.

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Adebambo Segun

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

L3 Buzz Bytes

Mutiat Alli

ON Set

Movie title: Etan

Movie title: 10/10

Produced by: Azeezat Shorunmu Directed by: Kayode Adebayo Cast: Tayo Sobola, Damola Olatunji, Abdul -Lateef Adedimeji, Azeezat Shorunmi, Tolu Labinjo.

Location: Lagos

Cast: Patience Ozokwor, Nkem Ikeh, Ero Josh, Maureen Okpoko, Pat Attang Produced by: Pat Attang and Arsenal Bruno Directed by: Emmanuel Ayaka Location: Enugu

Sotayo and Damola Olatunji

ON Set

Movie title: Shade Angel

Movie title: Silent Scream

Produced by: Ismaila Rasheed (Mariwo) Directed by: Ismaila Rasheed (Mariwo) Cameraman: Tunde Olorungbe Continuity: Ayeloja Adeola Location: Ipaja, Lagos Cast: Ismaila Rasheed, Lizzy Anjorin, Kunle Adegbite, Bola Owala, Bukola Oluwatosin (Iyawo Paso) amongst others.

Produced by: Bola Aduwo Directed by: Emem Isong Cast: Omoni Oboli, Ini Edo, Patience Ozokwor, Amaechi Munagor, Shawn Faqua, Benjamin Touitou, Makida Moka, Bimbo Peters.

Location: Lagos

Ini Edo and Patience Ozokowor

Bola Aduwo and Emem Isong

Lizzy, Kunle and producer Ismaila Rasheed

Omoni Oboli, Ini Edo and a cast

Lizzy Anjorin and Kunle Adegbitepg

Llizzy Anjorin and Ismaila Rasheed (mariwo)

Cast and crew

Patience Ozokwor and Amaechi Munagor

L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

CONTINUED FROM

8

LEARN ABOUT MONEY MATTERS

should have adequate insurance

wonders what the statistics here

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In many ways asset allocation is synonymous with

PROTECT YOUR ASSETS WITH INSURANCE

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PUT HEALTH INSURANCE IN PLACE

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MAINTAIN YOUR ASSETS

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

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Bestman Games Limited is a leading games company and the producer of an exciting selection of games including customized editions of Monopoly, a Lekki-Ikoyi Link

of Monopoly ever to be commissioned by Hasbro, a leading games producer and the owners of the Monopoly brand.

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

L5

set aside and invest when you are

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PROTECT YOUR FINANCES FROM FRAUDSTERS

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PLAN FOR YOUR RETIREMENT

This is an excerpt from Nimi Akinkugbe’s 16 Resolutions for 2016 (www.moneymatterswithnimi.com)

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“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

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Nutrition L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

Agboola oluwarantimi

Foods to make you feel good inside and out What we eat can have a huge impact on our mood and emotional health. This has been corroborated by findings of a team of researchers. The established a clear link between depression and diet. They found that the more junk food teenagers ate, the more likely they were to be depressed. Regularly consuming heavily processed foods that are high in sugars and saturated fats and low in nutrients such as B vitamins, zinc and magnesium, can have a negative impact on your emotional health.

Eating certain “feel-good” foods, however, as part of a well-balanced, wholesome diet, helps support healthy nerve and brain function as well as promoting the production of moodboosting neurotransmitters.

Below are foods that can make you feel good inside and out.

Egg: Eggs provide high quality protein they’re filling, delicious, and studies have shown that eggs can help you feel full when you include them in your meals versus carbohydrate-rich —like starchy, or sweet — meals.

Eggs contain tryptophan and tyrosine- two amino acids which have great antioxidant properties. Tryptophan is important as it is converted into melatonin in the pineal gland, which benefits sleep.

Chicken soup: chicken soup is the perfect example, it is the universal warm healthy food. People always feel good after eating chicken soup especially when it is prepared with enough pepper, so supercharge your diet with chicken soup.

Berries: Fruit is nature’s candy, like fresh apples and fresh berries. These are two things that people love, because they have a lot of water, stimulate taste buds, and are easily digestible.

Each individual, tasty berry has its own unique nutritional values and functional benefits. Supercharge your diet and maximize berry health benefits by enjoying the entire berry patch.

Hummus: Suggested serving size: four tablespoons.

“Hummus is a great source of protein and fiber, but what are you eating it with? If you’re eating hummus with tons of pita bread, that’s a problem. But try dipping jicama, carrots; it’s a great carrier for veggies.

Tea: A cup of tea is low-calorie and it gives you that comfort and sometimes it’s a speed bump to have high calorie foods. Suggested serving size: 1 cup.

Avocados: Avocado is high in omega-3 fatty acids and other essential vitamins and minerals.

They’re also higher in protein than other fruits. Avocados are really creamy, and the texture is so inviting. A lot of people don’t realize how healthy they are. You can even swap it for butter in some recipes. Or, you can puree avocado and add to salad dressing.

Oats and oatmeals: Oats provide complex carbohydrates that are slowly digested and provide the brain and entire central nervous system with their key source of fuel. Carbohydrates also play a key role in creating serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps regulate mood, appetite and sleep. Suggested serving size: ½ cup to 1 cup cooked, or 1-2 packets instant oatmeal with no sodium added.

Yogurt: Yogurt is often included on healthy food lists... and for good reason. Yogurt is highly nutritious and is an excellent source of protein, calcium and potassium. It provides numerous vitamins and minerals and is relatively low in calories.

Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds are super healthy and most of us aren’t eating enough of them. They are a great natural source of vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, and fiber. There are different varieties of nuts that u can eat to make you feel good such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, Brazil nuts, etc.

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

L7 Wellness

Care to have

Joy Onyeaghala

bigger, tighter, firmer butt

naturally?

Try this

A big butt is sexy, feminine and a major turn-on. Your man will hate to see you go, but he’ll love to watch you leave. A firm, rounded butt is on many female’s wish-list and the good news is, it’s not impossible to achieve. One simple way to speed up the process is to identify your body type and work with what you have, instead of following a generic exercise routine that may not produce the best results for your particular body type.

To determine your body type, all you really have to do is look at the mirror. If you can’t easily identify your body type, another good indicator is where you notice the most weight gain first. If a bag of chips automatically equates to a softer stomach or jiggling thighs, chances are these problem areas are consistent with the kind of body you have.

Ways to acquire that Butt: 1. Heel Raises: Heel raises are excellent for developing a rounder butt. You can use ankle weights or resistance bands to maintain tension for better muscle growth in the gluts and hamstrings. *Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Drive the heel of one foot straight up towards the ceiling, maintaining a 90-degree angle at the knee. At the top of the movement, take a second to flex the glut muscles as you exhale. *Inhale as you slowly bring the knee back down, crossing it over the opposite knee.

Tip: For a more intense workout, do 1 to 2 minutes on one leg, then continue with another 1 to 2 minutes on the same leg, but this time extending your leg straight out. Once these 2 to 4 minutes set is complete, switch legs.

2. Jump Squats: Jump squats are great for gaining strength and burning fat. *To start, slowly lower yourself into a squat

making sure your knees don’t pass your toes.

This is called the safe-squat position. *Next, spring up into a straight jump and land in the same safe-squat position. Repeat this movement continuously for 30 seconds.

3. Single Leg Bridges: Which are great for your body and build sexy VS model legs. *Lie on your back with one foot flat on the ground and one leg straight up in the air. *Exhale as you place your weight into the heel of the foot on the ground and drive your gluts up aiming to make your body straight from shoulder to knee. At the top of the movement, flex your gluts and inhale as you slowly return to start position. Repeat and inhale for 20 repetitions per leg, pulsing at the top for 10 seconds at the end of each set.

4. Do Cardio: by getting your heart and lungs going is the absolute quickest way to burning fat. You don’t just want junk in the trunk, you want toned, rounded goodness.

Foods to eat to get a bigger Butt So after you’ve done some of our super booty blasting exercises, your buttocks is now in a position to grow. At this point, there will be tiny microscopic tears in the gluteal and surrounding muscle (aka your butt).

At this point our buttocks is in the repair cycle. It desperately wants the right amount of calories, the right type of healthy foods, and the right healthy mixture of carbs/fat/proteins to ensure the most growth possible. Your body will let you know when it’s hungry, just be sure to fuel it with the right type of foods.

Big Booty foods by macro-nutrient sources 1. Protein: This is what typically every woman will need to eat more of to help make her butt bigger. I recommend you try and get a protein source in every meal you eat. Around 15-30g of protein per meal and also get a good protein shake to drink after your workouts and possibly in a meal or two.

Some healthy sources of good protein for a bigger butt includes: Eggs, skinless chicken breasts, salmon, Tuna, Tilapia, cottage, Cheese, Turkey, Protein Powder, Steak, Beans&

Legumes(kidney, chick peas), Extra extra lean ground beef, vegetable burger, soya nuts, virtually any fish,(not fried), most lean cut meats.

Carbohydrates: Brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats, weetabix, 100% whole grain bread, low sugar breakfast cereal.

Fat: Excess calories and bad foods make you fat, and more prone to getting fat. Healthy sources of good fats are essential and can help to actually lose weight or achieve better body composition. Such healthy fat sources include: fish fat/oil, (fish oil pills, salmon fat), extra virgin olive oil, nuts (almonds, cashew), peanut butter, almond butter.

Vegetables: Vegetables contain tons of anti oxidants, nutrients and other goodies that are essential for a growing body. You can typically eat as much of these as you want without fear: Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, kale, virtually and dark green vegetable.

So remember simply start adding, replacing or mixing these healthy food sources into your current diet for making your butt bigger. Healthy foods like these are absolutely essential for laying down the materials to help your butt grow after our booty building exercises.

L8 TV guide

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday January 25, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

102 M-Net EDGE Channel

112 Studio Universal

01:00

05:20

Mon, 25 January | 13

Mon, 25 January | 16L

‘S3/E4 - Chapter 30’. Kevin Spacey stars as the ruthless politician Frank Underwood in this multiple Emmy award winning drama.

Claire Underwood struggles to salvage her Mideast peace plan in this episode.

101 M-Net West

A has-been divorcé basketball coach is asked to run the local high school girls basketball team. He finds an unexpected chance to get back on his feet again.

Emma Roberts, Rob Corddry, Sam Rockwell. (2009) James C. Strouse.

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

128 SONY MAX

00:05 New Tricks 01:00 The Cube 01:50 Come Dine With Me 02:40 Downton Abbey 03:30 EastEnders 01:10 The Imposter 03:00 The Double 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 Modern Family 06:30 Blue Bloods 07:30 The Fixer 08:30 Moms’ Night Out 10:30 2 Broke Girls 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Nashville 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Grey’s Anatomy 19:30 Mysteries Of Laura 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 A Good Marriage 23:04 Strike Back 22:30 Mob City 23:00 Strike Back 23:50 Rome

04:00 EastEnders 00:30 The Impostor 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 The Impostor 03:00 The Impostor 03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love 23:05 Would I Lie To You?

04:30 EastEnders 05:00 Spy 05:25 QI 00:45 Perils Of The Sentimental Swordsman

06:00 The Thin Blue Line 06:30 EastEnders 07:00 Antiques Roadshow

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

02:15 Most Shocking

08:00 The Weakest Link

17:10 The Cube

03:10 Most Shocking

08:50 The Chase

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

04:05 Exposed

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak

20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

05:25 Exposed

21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

05:50 Exposed

21:50 The Graham Norton Show

06:15 Video Zonkers

22:45 Would I Lie To You?

06:40 Repo Games

23:45 Tanked

07:10 World’s Wildest Police Videos

09:35 Total Wipeout UK 10:30 The Cube 11:20 New Tricks 12:20 Top Gear 13:10 Come Dine With Me 14:10 Total Wipeout UK 15:10 The Weakest Link 16:00 EastEnders

155 AfricaMagic World

00:05 President For A Day 01:10 Sequence 02:00 Jara 02:30 Jara 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:05 53 Extra

08:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 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

154 AfricaMagic Family 04:50 Perfect Union 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Vanity’s Last Game 08:30 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 Goge Africa 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

04:30 Exposed

13:40 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:40 South Beach Tow 15:10 Exposed 01:00 Series TBA 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 My Good Will 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 19:25 So Wrong So Wright 20:00 Secret Adventure 22:40 Series TBA 22:55 Series TBA 23:45 Why Stop Now? 18:30 So Wrong So Wright

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 Max Knight: Ultra Spy 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Kenny vs Spenny 22:30 Tool Academy