Daily Times of Nigeria

UACN 38.84 1.84 4.74%

SWISS FRANC 216.8648 217.4152 217.9657 GUARANTY 23.2 0.50 2.16% WAPCO

NIGERIA

ABUJA

Low 37 |25 °C High 99 |77 °F

LAGOS

Low 27°C High 34°C

‘‘Shagari was advised that Nasiru Suleiman Sokoto I should be kicked out of ÏÏÏPresident Goodluck Jonathan, the Army, because I was and five former Nigerian leaders, involved in all the coups in on Wednesday attended the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s Second Repubthis country...’’

FEC okays $400m loan for four APC states P.6 https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.54

KANO Low 34 |18 °C High 94 |64 °F

lic president, Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari.

It was an occasion for the incumbent and former leaders to extol the virtues of the celebrant. One

APC, PDP set for showdown at Chatham P.6 House

P/HARCOURT Low 23°C High 32°C

INSIDE Life&

TIMES

Love like a movie returns for Easter L5

P

CAF U-17: AMAJIMBOS DOWN EAGLETS 1-0 X3

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Burkina Faso

rejects Keshi, appoints German as coach

The dynamics of music and L6 marijuana

P

Tonto Dike

Controversial but passionate

P

L4

OPENS UP ON

RODGERS

DROP

MARIA MUTOLA

X4,5

MESSI’S MISS GIVES CITY HOPE –Clichy

UCL:

X2

X2

MIGNOLET

X8

Quadri arrives for ITTF World Tour

X7

“I was one of the luckiest athletes on the circuit, in that I’ve stayed injury free. I ran for almost 20 years and my coach, Margo Jennings, was very careful in how we trained and approached races.”

– Maria Mutola

262.053

“A seventh title is something special. But it was tough, definitely not as I wanted and it was a lot harder than I expected.”

– Maria Mutola

261.3913

“I was the first athlete from Mozambique to win any World Championship or Olympic medal, silver in 1992 and gold in 2000. The people back home supported me and wanted me to run; they were disappointed if I wasn’t there. That motivated me for so long.”

– Maria Mutola

260.7295

“Maria has been my idol since I started to run. She has had a long and super successful career. After Korea I was asking her if she is interested in coaching me. Maria’s answer was positive and I am very happy now. She will be a great teacher for me,”–Caster Semenya

EURO STANBIC

MARIA

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

GAINERS

US DOLLAR 197 197.5 198 SEPLAT 470 10.00 2.13% FO 216.1 -6.90 -3.19%

POUNDS STERLING 319.7507 320.5623 321.3738 JBERGER 44 4.02 9.14% NB 137.74 -1.26 -0.91%

25.07 -0.68 -2.71%

85.41 -0.59 -0.69%

Poster!

Thursday February 26, 2015

MUTOLA

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr Selling(NGN)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Central (NGN)

Name: Maria Mutola Full name: Maria de Lurdes Mutola Nickname: The Maputo Express Born: October 27, 1972 Nationality: Mozambique Place of birth: Maputo Events: Athletics (200m, 400m, 800m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m) Record: She is the only athlete ever to hold Olympic, World, World indoor, Commonwealth, Continental Games and Continental Championships titles in the same event.

WEATHER REPORT Buying(NGN)

MEDAL RECORD Olympic Games Gold: 2000 Sydney 800 m Bronze: 1996 Atlanta 800 m World Championships Gold: 1993 Stuttgart 800 m Gold: 2001 Edmonton 800 m Gold: 2003 Paris 800 m Silver: 1999 Seville 800 m Bronze: 1997 Athens 800 m World Indoor Championships Gold: 1993 Toronto 800 m Gold: 1995 Barcelona 800 m Gold: 1997 Paris 800 m Gold: 2001 Lisbon 800 m Gold: 2003 Birmingham 800 m Gold: 2004 Budapest 800 m Gold: 2006 Moscow 800 m Silver: 1999 Maebashi 800 m Bronze: 2008 Valencia 800 m Commonwealth Games Gold: 1998 Kuala Lumpur 800 m Gold: 2002 Manchester 800 m Bronze: 2006 Melbourne 800 m All Africa Games Gold: 1991 Cairo 800 m Gold: 1995 Harare 800 m Gold: 1999 Johannesburg 800 m African Championships Gold: 1990 Cairo 800 m Gold: 1990 Cairo 1500 m Gold: 1993 Durban 800 m Gold: 1998 Dakar 800 m Gold: 2002 Tunis 800 m Silver: 2006 Bambous 800 m Silver: 2008 Addis Ababa 800 m Personal Best 200 m: 23.86 400 m: 51.37 800 m: 1:55.19 1000 m: 2:29.34 1500 m: 4:01.50 3000 m: 9:27.37 5000 m: 18:15.10

Currency

Mutola’s Achievements

CBN EXCHANGE RATES AS AT 25th February 2015.

Market Capitalisation and All Shares Index Trend for Equities LOSERS

dailytimesng

N150

ENUGU Low 26°C High 36°C

Shagari was warned I was a coupist –IBB

Chief Shonekan, Gen. Babangida, Alh. Shagari, President Jonathan, Gen. Gowon and Gen. Abubakar at the 90th birthday celebration of Shagari in Sokoto... on Wednesday

INSIDE

Thursday, February 26, 2015

2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Politics Page Three

3

s

Editorial The national automotive policy

A

N association of Nigeria’s auto manufacturers recently issued an advertorial opposing the reported declaration of the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Yomi Osinbajo that if his party is voted into power, it would slash tariff on imported vehicles. We align with the position of the manufacturers. Osinbajo had reportedly argued that Nigerians should not find it difficult to purchase cars for their socio-economic activities. “We do not agree that there should be high tariffs on imported cars whether new or old ones because Nigeria is not producing cars for now,” he had reportedly said.

While we do not ascribe any political motive to the statement, we are of the view that any blanket reduction in tariff on imported cars is not wellthought out and will not serve the best interest of the country’s industrialisation policy.

On the contrary, a high import tariff will not only help protect our nascent car manufacturing and assembly plants, but also act as the much-needed boost for investments in the automotive industry.

For long, the country has been losing huge revenue, due to wrong policies on the automotive sector.

Of course, there is nothing wrong in many Nigerians owning private vehicles. But that should not be at the expense of local manufacturers who are finding it difficult to contend with the flood of imported cars into the country.

We expect the Vice Presidential candidate to have dwelt on how to encourage the local manufacturing of vehicles, especially now that some industrialists are taking up the challenge. But this cannot be achieved except the Federal Government protects such enterprises through tax relief and high tariffs on imported brands.

It would be recalled that in October last year; the Federal Government announced a new policy to encourage local production of vehicles. Following this, the Ministry of Finance increased the duty payable on imported vehicles from 20 percent to 70 percent.

Even at that, it is still not enough to go on protecting the local manufacturers without putting in place the requisite technological infrastructure towards making full-scale vehicle manufacturing a reality.

There is no gainsaying the enormous multiplier effects that the manufacture and assembly of vehicles will have on the overall economy.

Besides, many jobs will be created with the low downstream activities (production) and the upstream activities (marketing) in the value chain.

Definitely, what the country needs at this time is constant power supply to bring down high production cost which has become the albatross militating against the country’s manufacturing industry. We believe that Nigeria can be a net exporter of vehicles in no distant time if the government can only muster the will to patiently implement its automotive policy.

More info: www.dailytimes.com.ng https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

Some of the several defaced billboards of a Lagos opposition governorship candidate on the Third Mainland bridge, on Wednesday recently.

Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

Much ado about Policeman Mbu Sam Nzeh ÏÏÏThough

not many persons in Nigeria are his fans, not a few are worried at the brouhaha that has attended recent statement by Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 2 that if any of his men was shot at during the forthcoming general election, no fewer than 20 suspected perpetrators would pay for it.

Since the statement, the Police chief whose jurisdiction is for both Lagos and Ogun states, has come under fire from several quarters,

including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and civil society organisations, with some calling for his dismissal.

A Lagos-based lawyer, Tope Alabi, in a suit FHC/L/ CS/149/15 has asked a Federal High Court to strip Mbu of his rank and declare his office vacant.

Alabi in the suit is seeking a declaration that Mbu has abused his office and is unfit to be a police officer.

As if these were not enough, the House of Representatives on Tuesday joined the fray when it resolved to invite Mbu over the said comments.

While people are free to react to the Police chief ’s statement, it would be good if they put themselves in his shoes.

Words On Marble :

dailytimesng

As the man in-charge of the zone, he has the responsibility to lead and protect officers and men under him. And this includes ensuring that police personnel are not killed by civilians in the course of carrying out their duties.

Again, those vilifying Mbu must consider the caveat to the statement: “if my men are shot,and killed”. This should be the focus of Mbu’s critics. Those calling for his head over the statement must know that nowhere in the world is it acceptable for people to shoot or kill policemen and go scot-free. So, instead of vilifying Mbu over his statement, people should ensure that they desist from actions that may elicit retaliatory actions from the Policeman and his men.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Chief Commercial Officer

Deputy Editors

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Group Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Tunji Okegbola

Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Celestine Okafor

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Editorial Page Editor

Business Editor

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Adetayo Adelaja Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

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

Chinua Achebe

Thomas Hardy

Barack Obama

A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, participatory followership and an educated morally grounded leadership.

The offhand decision of some commonplace mind high in office at a critical moment influences the course of events for a hundred years.

I’m declining to meet with him (Netanyahu) simply because our general policy is, we don’t meet any world leader two weeks before their election.

4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

5 News

Election: Uproar in House over deployment of military Henry Omunu & Augustine Aminu, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

House of Representatives had a stormy session on Wednesday, following disagreements between the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucuses over the deployment of the military for the 2015 general election.

Trouble began after the pre-

sentation of the joint report of three House committees on the constitutionality of deploying the military for election duties by the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Sam Tsokwa.

According to the House committees on Rules and Business, Judiciary and Justice, which looked into the desirability or otherwise of using the military for election, following the motion

by the House Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, the House cannot entertain the motion seeking to prevent the president from deploying the military for election duties because of pending cases in courts.

Tsokwa, in the report, reminded members that the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution vests the president with the powers to deploy the military to maintain public order and security.

He averred that the House cannot, therefore, through a resolution, abrogate the president’s powers to deploy the military when the need arises, adding that doing so would amount to running foul of Section 1(1) and (3) of the constitution.

Also, he said Order 9, rule 57 (5) of the House rules precludes the House from entertaining any matter that is before a competent court of law, saying “the legisla-

ture cannot give with the right hand and take back with the left.

The rules say to do so, the earlier decision has to be rescinded first, and this hasn’t been done.”

Consequently, Tsokwa added that the joint committees of the House are of the opinion that Gbajabiamila’s motion was caught in the web of both the constitution and the House standing orders and, as such, the House must end any debate on the matter.

50 unclaimed corpses litter Asaba FMC Monday Osayande Asaba

ÏÏÏOver 50 unclaimed corpses

littered the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) mortuary in Asaba, Delta State, Daily Times investigation has revealed.

According to the hospital sources, the unclaimed corpses are causing the management sleepless nights, because it may lead to an epidemic.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of FMC, Mr. Ogbogu Nnamdi, confirmed that there were many corpses at the

Man on the run as wife gives birth to baby with deformity Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏWhat could have been a bun-

dle of joy to Mr. Mudashiru Sheriffdeen of Bosun Street, Ifo Local Government area of Ogun State, turned sour on Tuesday when his wife, Taiwo, gave birth to a baby boy with deformity The baby, who was born around 2pm, created lots of skirmishes as people had to rush to Majotal Medical Clinic at Ilogbo area of Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government area to catch a view of the child that weighed 3.25kg at birth.

Speaking with our correspondent, the mother of the baby said that immediately she gave birth, her husband took to his heels on hearing that the baby was born

hospital’s morgue with no identification. He did not give a specific number. ’’The corpses have over stayed and their abandonment constitute nuisance to the hospital. Not that there is no space in the mortuary, but we want to decongest the place the usual way we do it.” ‘’These corpses have not been claimed by their owners within the past one year. Those whose relations have been declared missing are equally advised to visit the hospital mortuary to identify the corpses if their relations are there for collection,” he added. without any arm.

Her words: “This is my first child and I do not know why I had to give birth to this kind of a baby.

Immediately my husband was informed that his son had deformity, he had not come to see me. He is a commercial bus driver and we had been married now for almost two years before God decided to answer our prayers.

“When I was pregnant, we took every step the doctor directed us to, but we did not know why we came about this calamity,” she lamented.

While pleading for assistance from well-meaning Nigerians, Mrs. Sheriffdeen said: “I have been warned by both my husband and our landlord not to bring the child home.

“The hospital authorities has asked us to leave. Now I and this child have nowhere to go. I don’t need this baby, I want government to come and adopt him,” she cried.

All efforts by our correspondent to speak with the father of the baby proved abortive, as his mobile phone had been switched off.

An aerial view of Mosafejo, Oshodi, Lagos Motor Park burnt on Wednesday, during the clash of garage boys.

PHOTO: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Five persons killed as factional groups clash in Oshodi Joy Anyim

ÏÏÏFive

lives were lost and about 30 vehicles burnt by irate youths on Wednesday in a renewed clash between two factional groups of thugs at the Mosafejo Saudi Motor Park in Oshodi.

Daily Times gathered that the irate youths invaded the motor park at about 1.30am, and set buses parked in the motor park ablaze, even the shops of traders in the park were also not speared by the rampaging youths.

A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) who craved anonymity, told Daily Times that there had been serious misunderstandings between the two

factional groups loyal to different chairmen in the motor park.

The source stated that on one occasion, both factions had engaged in a free-for-all fight that led to the burning of about five vehicles, and goods worth thousands of naira looted.

According to the source: “After the incident, the various branch chairmen in the motor park were invited by the state Chairman of the NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, to settle the issue.”

The sources added that the chairmen were made to sign an undertaking that there would not be crisis in both motor parks any longer.

“There was relative peace in the motor park after the inter-

vention of the state chairman.

But I was amazed when I received a phone call that the same thugs who invaded the park last week Thursday, had come to burn and destroy shops and vehicles parked in the garage at mid night.

“The hoodlums were said to be shooting sporadically when they invaded the park. Some traders who sell in the market overnight were mostly affected by the stray bullets from the thugs,” he lamented.

One of the victims, a trader, who simply gave her name as Remilekun, said that on Tuesday evening, when the thugs were returning from a political campaign, they came into the market threatening them that there would be war.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

‘Shagari was warned I was a coupist’ Continued from page 1 of them, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, recalled how Alhaji Shagari ignored a piece of advice that he be kicked out of the military for being a serial coup plotter.

Shagari was on 31 December 1983 sacked by a military junta of which Babangida and a key member. Major General Muhammadu Buhari, who is the

current presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), headed the military government that sacked Shagari.

Babangida became the Chief of Army Staff of the junta and on 27 August 1985 led another military coup that ousted Buhari.

Babangida revealed that he was not only emotional about Shagari but also remained eternally grateful to the former President. According to the former

military ruler, Shagari’s kindness was the reason he attained the position of General in the Army and subsequently becoming Head of State.

He recalled that Shagari rejected a recommendation that he be kicked out of the military while in office.

“In 1979, Alhaji Shehu Shagari was advised that I should be kicked out of the Nigeria Army, the reason being that I was in-

Gé`ë 6 ê ƗƆ Ƌ d Ƌ ƌ ì 6 ê ^ ƋƋƕ 9Əƈ Ɔ Ɨ 6 ê ƌƆ Ɨ 9ƗƏƈ ƗƑƏƈ Ɛ Ɔ ^ƑƄƋƈƅ ƅƅ Ƒ Ɛ ƌƌƈƐƐƆƆ Ƈ 6 Ƒ Ɔ Ƈ `ƆƍƏƆ Ɔ Ɛ ƐƈƒƆ ƍƏƆ ƅ ƇƆƏƆ ƅƆ Ɛ Ɔ 0 ƏƆ ƈƅ ƑƗƈƐ ƏƆƍ ƏƐ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔ M Ɛƈ Ƌ ƆƌƄƋƕ ƄƑƉ Č zƆƗ Ɔ Ɨ ƕ

volved in all the coups in this country, so I shouldn’t be there.

But Alhaji Shehu Shagari said no. Therefore, I want to specially thank him at his 90th birthday for allowing me to rise up to the rank of a General, and to become the Chief of Army staff and subsequently a Military president”.

Also at the event were Chiefs Olusegun Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan as well as Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, all of whom were Nigeria’s leaders at different periods.

In his speech, President Jonathan recalled that he was an undergraduate when Shagari was president, noting that the elder statesman was a role model for all Nigerians.

“It is not easy to endure 90 winters, especially in a country that attaining 50 is not even easy. Even at the age of 90, Alhaji Shehu Shagari is still very, very committed to contributing his quota to the development of Nigeria,” Jonathan observed.

Looking at the faces around the celebrant, President Jonathan admitted that he was happy because of the unity and love for the country among her past leaders.

“I am happy because in Nigeria, former Head of States come together. One of my happiest days was when all the Head of Continued on page 7

Photo: Temitope Balogun

FEC okays $400m loan for four APC states

Č ƍƍƏ ƒƆ ƆƅƈƋƈ 9ƄƏƑ ƒ Ə ƈƐƕè Ɔƈ Ɛ Ɛ ƆƏ Monday Agu, Jnr

ÏÏÏThe Federal Executive Council

has approved a loan of about $400 million for developmental projects in Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Rivers states.

Also approved are nine new universities, eight of which are in the South.

The council also approved the sum of $1.28 billion for the commencement of the proposed Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN).

Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, said FEC ratified the President’s anticipatory approval to obtain $100 million credit from the French Development Agency in support of Lagos Integrated Urban Development Project (Eko-UP).

The facility, with repayment period of 20 years, is meant to improve living conditions of the most vulnerable urban population of metropolitan Lagos; improve management and treatment of solid waste; strengthen the capacity of Lagos state and implement urban development projects in the state.

For Rivers State, the FEC ratified the President’s anticipatory approval of African Development Bank (AfDB) credit facility in the sum of $200 million for the proposed Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation Project and an African Development Fund (ADF) credit of $5million to support Urban Water Sector Reform.

The project objective, according to Yuguda, is to provide sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation to the residents of Port Harcourt; strengthen the Federal Government’s capacity to reform

the Urban Water and Sanitation Sector and improve service delivery across the country.

For Ogun State, the body gave the state approval to obtain $33.174million credit from the French Development Agency in support of the Ogun State Water supply project.

The objectives of the project are to increase the coverage, continuity and quality of service in the state capital, increase the financial viability of existing water utility through increase in revenue collection, providing financing to rehabilitate and build infrastructure needed to increase access to water supply services in the state capital and improve the governance of water sector in the state.

Osun state got the approval to obtain an Islamic Development Bank Loan of $65 million for financing Continued on page 7

Police: Dead R Ə ƅ ƈƆƇ Ɛ ƏƆƋ ƐƆƗ Ɛ 9Ƅ Əƈ Joe Ogbodu z ƏƏƈ

ÏÏÏThe two prominent Oghara

indigenes who dead in a ghastly motor accident along the BeninAsaba expressway on Monday were not related to former governor of Delta State, Police sources told the Daily Times on Wednesday.

The clarification followed a news report (not the Daily Times) which had sent panic that Ibori’s relations were burnt alive in the accident.

The victims were identified as Chief Vincent Majemite and Chief John Akponeme.

Though details of the accident were still sketchy at press time, sources said that the community leaders of Oghareki were on their way to Asaba when the vehicle in which they travelled somersaulted several times.

The source said that efforts by passers-by and sympathizers to rescue the victims could not yield any positive result.

“The most painful aspect of the accident was not that the Jeep they were traveling in was gutted by fire, but that they were burnt beyond recognition,” the source said.

APC, PDP set for showdown as Buhari speaks at Chatham House Ï j ƆƏƆô Ɛ ƈ ƓƏ ƓƈƐ ƈ Ɔ ƋƐ è ƕ RƕƆ Ƒ Ngozi Okafor London

ÏÏÏThe much-anticipated public

appearance of the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate , Gen (rtd) Muhammadu Buhari , takes place at Chatham House today (Thursday ) where the former military Head of State will speak on: Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition.

However, the event outside the venue may overshadow whatever the APC candidate will say during his one-hour oversubscribed speech, as supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and those of the APC are said to be planning to demonstrate outside the South West, London venue, before and during the 10am start

speech.

APC UK , Lagos Chapter vice -chairman , Tunde Doherty told party faithful who gathered at the Everlasting Arms Church venue of APC’s rally on Tuesday night , that they too should get ready and come with their placards to counter whatever the PDP supporters might bring to the table.

Meanwhile , APC trio of the national chairman , Chief John Oyegun; National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Kaduna State governorship flag bearer of the party, Mallam Nasir El- Rufai, were in bullish spirits as they outlined the changes that Nigerians will see under an APC government, if the party is voted into power on March 28.

Continued on page 7

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

7 News

‘Shagari was warned I was a coupist’ Continued from page 6 States attended the council of states meeting,” he said.

While recognizing the uprightness of Alhaji Shagari, General Yakubu Gowon said he brought the Second Republic President into his government to take over from the late Chief

Obafemi Awolowo as Minister of Finance because of his credibility.

“He performed exceptionally well for this country as Minister of Finance in my government”, Gowon affirmed.

Also playing glowing tribute to the celebrant, General Abubakar described Shagari as not

only his mentor but also an adviser and a confidant whose service to the nation would forever to be remembered.

On his part, Chief Shonekan, who said it was heart-warming that Shagari attained the age of 90, expressed confidence that the Second Republic President would continue to contribute his

quota to the development of the country.

Insisting that, Nigeria is a paradox, Obasanjo said to Shagari: “You have seen it all: The good, the bad and the not so good.

When we were in power, we had a lot of people who called themselves friends but we only know true friends when we are out of

power. We thank God for your life, services to the country and the ability to bear it all”.

Responding, former president Shagari who was full of joy, thanked Almighty Allah for his life’s sojourn, and pledged to continue contributing his quota to the development of the country as long as he is alive.

APC, PDP set for showdown in UK Continued from page 6

L-R: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga; Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Mr. Adeola Adetunji; Chief Executive Director and Group Managing Director, Diamond Bank, Mr. Uzoma Dozie and Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) Mr. Peter Bamkole during the launch of (EDC) new building at Pan Atlantic University, Lagos... on Tuesday

“Buhari is the best candidate to rule Nigeria at this present time,” El- Rufai said, noting that for a nation that had gone through economic woes and insecurity under the PDP, history shows that an older candidate is the one that brings healing and change to such countries , such as Nelson Mandela did to South Africa.”

Insisting that “it’s not about the age or qualification,” el-Rufai argued that in the past six years, Nigeria had gone down economically under “two Presidents with Masters degrees and one of them is suspected of even having a PhD”.

Oyegun, in his short remarks, allayed the fears of supporters and critics over the health of the APC presidential flag bearer. He said: “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Buhari’s health, he’s been doing a lot of politicking”.

Continuing, he said of Nigeria: “We’re becoming like a laughing stock, even to Africans.” Nigerians, according to him, “have claimed ownership of change,” and Buhari fits the symbol of change.”

More importantly, he described the party’s presidential hopeful thus: “He’s somebody you know will not deceive you. He will not lie to you, and I mean it even in the literal sense of it.”

Of President Goodluck Jonathan, he said: “Jonathan is in the process of pulling down the nation that has been good to him.”

Mohammed outlined several changes the APC hopes to bring to the country to include amending the Land Use Act to create freeholds and leaseholds, among others, so as to develop the mortgage industry and thereby allowing homeowners raise credit from property.

FEC okays $400m loan for APC states, Ibru varsity Continued from page 6 the water supply and sanitation project in the state.

For the establishment of the Development Bank of Nigeria, he said: “An approval for a multi-donor credits from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development of the World Bank, Africa Development Bank, Germany and French Development Agency in the sums of 500 million US dollars, 450 million US dollars ,200 million US dollars and 130 million US dollars .

This is for the establishment of the proposed Development Bank of Nigeria. The proposed bank is to give lending credit facilities to micro, small and medium enterprises in the country.”

He explained that the World Bank version of the loan, which is 500 million US dollars, has a 21 years maturity period with five years grace period and on 4.25% interest

rate. The ADF version attracts 1% interest rate and 30 years maturity period.

Asked whether the loans approved for the development of four opposition states were not meant to woo people from those areas for support ahead of the March/April general election, Yuguda said President Goodluck Jonathan is the president of the whole country and not only for those states under the control of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said “There is a distinction between governance and politics and Mr President does not bring issues where they are not supposed to be situated. Now, if we are improving the lives of the people of Port Harcourt or Lagos, these are Nigerians. So the President is the leader of Nigeria. He will not trivialise his office by neglecting one part of Nigeria because they don’t belong to PDP.”

He added “There is no way Lagos State or Rivers State or any of these states can get this facility without the support of the Federal Government by the President and then through the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“You can request for this kind of facility but we give the guarantee and after giving the guarantee the money is not going to you. It comes to us, the Federal Government for the purpose of lending to you.

President Jonathan has not in any way stopped us the ministers from executing or facilitating assistance to any state that deserves it.

That on record.”

The FEC has also approved the establishment of nine new private universities in the country.

Briefing State House Correspondents after Wednesday meeting chaired by Vice President, Namadi Sambo, Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, listed the new varsities as

Augustine University, Ilara, Lagos State; Chrisland University, Owode, Ogun State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; Hallmark University, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State; Kings University, Ode Omu, Osun State; Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Orode, Delta State; Mountain Top University, Ogun State; Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and Summit University, Offa, Kwara State.

Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, however said the government had no control over the fees charged by the varsities.

He explained that like private hospitals or nursery schools, owners of private universities are free to charge fees that will give returns on their investments.

According to him, the only concern of government was to ensure that the schools are up to standard in terms of facilities and staffing among others.

He added that the consolation for Nigerians was that all Federal Government-owned universities are tuition-free.

“As far as government is concerned, all Federal Government universities are tuition-free. Whatever the universities are charging are so minimal for some day-to-day activities: games fees, union fees and some other fees.

“Of recent, I had cause to ask the NUC (National University Commission) to regulate the kind of minimum because there is a university that is charging as low as N20,000, N15,000. Some charge N30,000 to N80,000 or so which is a composition of a number of different kinds of fees. But basically, no university owned by government is charging tuition fee…

“The accreditation of any universities or courses has nothing to do with the fees they charge just like the private hospitals…”

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 26, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

9 News

Eko group tasks residents on PVCs ÏÏÏThe

L-R: Member, Senate Committee on Housing, Sen. Aishat Al Hassan; Chairman, Sen. Bukar Abba; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi and Vice Chairman, Committee on Housing, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa, during the budget defence of the ministry at the National Assembly, Abuja…on Tuesday PHOTO: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Alleged Ekiti rigging tape: PDP accuses Soyinka of bias Michael Bamigbola Osogbo

ÏÏÏThe

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has accused Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, of political bias, alleging that the literary giant is sympathetic towards the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Commenting on the recent reaction of Soyinka to the alleged rigging of the Ekiti State governorship election, the Osun State chairman of PDP, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, said the Nobel laureate was, unduly, favourable to the APC in his reaction.

Olaoluwa, in a statement issued in Osogbo on Wednesday, urged Soyinka to also comment on the alleged rigging of the August 9 governorship election in Osun State, which was circulated on the social media.

According to the statement,

“Our attention has been drawn to a story credited to Prof. Wole Soyinka, on the alleged Ekiti rigging tape, which was published in the national dailies yesterday.

“The Nobel laureate was quoted to have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to take charge of the tape for scrutiny. We also want to draw the attention of Prof. Soyinka to the audio and video tape of how Osun election was massively rigged, which has been in circulation for some time now.

“The audio and video tape of how Governor Rauf Aregbesola rigged the August 9 gubernatorial election, through his standing army, codenamed State Boys and entitled Eru Ibo, showed in graphic details, how the Osun election was rigged and some known faces were there for scru-

Remi Oladoye

ÏÏÏA retired Assistant inspec-

Soyinka

tiny by the security agencies.

“We urge Prof. Soyinka, as a statesman, to check the YouTube, under the title Eru Ibo, and he will be shocked by the level of electoral heist perpetrated by the All Progressives Congress in Osun State during the August 9 gubernatorial election.

Arrears: Nigeria Airways pensioners may boycott polls Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏOver 6, 000 pensioners of

the defunct Nigeria Airways, have vowed not to vote in the forthcoming general election over unpaid pension arrears.

Rising from a meeting in Lagos, the pensioners, in their thousands, regretted that all attempts to get their money paid by the Federal Government, after the five years’ arrears paid by the Yar’Adua administration,

met with opposition as the government was not ready to dialogue with them.

Some of the pensioners said that they regrouped as a result of maltreatment and continued neglect by government, adding that over 700 former workers of the airline have died, as a result of incapacitation, which resulted in various ailments.

They lamented that neither the National Assembly nor the executive was ready to listen to them adding that the five years

Eko Volunteer Campaign Group, an arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, has called on all residents of the state, yet to pick their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) to do so without further delay.

Chairman of the group, Alhaji Ganiyu Badmus and Director-General, Akeem Apatira, jointly said this in a chat with newsmen.

The group, which is on a state-wide campaign for all party candidates, at both state and national level, explained that the PVCs were the only weapon the residents have

paid them was not in the interest of the pensioners but money paid to deceased workers.

They stressed that it was for this neglect that they vowed never to participate in all the rescheduled elections. “We have resolved with our families throughout the country not to vote in this election because our people are dying every day. Our children have stopped going to school, our wives have abandoned us and most of us are very ill without shelter.”

tor-General of Police and chairman, Association of Retired Police Officers in Oyo State, Mr. Isaac Bolorunduro, has said that the next general election is not about political party but personality.

While speaking at the meeting of the association in Ibadan, he said the electorate would vote for politicians who have made significant impact and meaningful contributions to their community and the state at large.

He, however, urged Nigerians to be more vigilant with the choice of leaders so as not to vote for people who would mislead the state and throw us into confusion”.

Speaking about the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, who visited the association’s office, Bolorunduro said, “Alao-Akala is a humble

Train services begin in Enugu district Ifeanyi Onwuneme Umuahia

ÏÏÏTrain

services have resumed in Enugu District, which covers from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Enugu, Enugu State.

Jega

to vote in the people of their choice.

It also called on members of the APC in the state to support all the candidates in the state in the forth-coming general election so that the good works of the preceding administrations in the state could be sustained.

Personalities, not parties’ll determine election victory - Ex-AIG and committed member of the association, who never abandoned his constituency, he has been very helpful to this association and he deserves our votes”.

DSP Sulaiman Adele (rtd) and others present, commended Alao-Akala for his responsive and responsible administration while in office.

The LP gubernatorial candidate said he would continue to make them proud. “I am always happy whenever I am in the midst of my people, I am always proud to be an officer and if reincarnation is sure, I want to be an officer again”.

Unlike the coaches of old, with three categories of first, second and third class, the new ones have only first and second class with the first class coaches being fully air-conditioned.

The train runs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday every week.

The goods train would now be conveying petroleum products, fertiliser, as well as cattle and heavy luggage will soon commence contending that when this is introduced, the roads will experience minimized vehicular movement as well as road accidents.

10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Politics Alex Otti

APGA Guber candidate, Abia State.

s OTTI

Abia is a failed State

Dr. Alex Otti, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State says that Abia State is a failed state and virtually all the infrastructure have collapsed under Governor Theodore Orji’s administration.

Otti, the immediate past Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank Plc claimed that there are a lots of rot in Orji’s government saying the state is heavily indebted and in dire need of assistance. In this interview with VAL OKARA and SUNDAY

NWAKANMA, Otti, a 1988 First Class Economics graduate of the University of Port Harcourt urged the people of the state to resist any intimidation from the state government. Excerpts: Why did you leave your plum banking job as the Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc for the murky waters of politics?

The decision was taken in the interest of Abia people. I am sure you will agree with me if you have been to this state for a while that

Abia State needs help in terms of good governance, provision of dividends of democracy, uplifting the standard of living of the people in the state. So this decision was taken to offer service to my people.

It is not the usual decision. It is a divine decision that most people may not take but when I look at it as I have always said, I have never seen where omelette are made without breaking eggs. I thought I should give back to my people. It is my own way of sacrificing for my CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

WAR IN THE CALIPHATE

Tambuwal tackles Abdalla

Nasiru Suleiman Political gladiators in Sokoto State have started making postulations as to where the pendulum will swing, come April 11, 2015, when the people of Sokoto will go to the polls to decide who takes over the affairs of the state from incumbent governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of the All Progressives Congress (APC). By May 29, 2015, he would have completed his two-term tenure as governor of the state.

Obviously the battle has been reduced to a two-horse race between the APC candidate, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abdallah Wali whose emergence almost tore the party apart in the state because many had earlier rooted

Tambuwal

OYO

Ajimobi squares up against Ladoja, Akala

Victor Oluwadamilare Of all the states in the country, where the rescheduled governorship election will be held next April 11, (assuming the date remains sacrosanct) the Oyo State race appears to be the most interesting. All things being equal, five gubernatorial candidates, incum-

bent Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Seyi Makinde of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Labour Party (LP), former Senate Leader, Teslim Kolawole Folarin of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the last, but not the least, another former gov-

for Barrister Muntari Shagari the state Deputy Governor.

It would be recalled that Shagari became the leader of the PDP in the state shortly after the defection of the state governor, Wamakko who was among the PDP-G-5 Governors that dumped the ruling party to join the opposition APC. Though many observers said, the fact that the race is between two in-laws; Tambuwal and Wali, but with the way the electioneering campaign is going, its glaring that the governorship contest in the state, is a battle of supremacy between Wamakko, and the former Governor of the state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa. Analysts opined that left for the two candidates, Tambuwal and Wali, whom Tambuwal married his younger sister, the contest would have been more decent than the way the atmosphere in Sokoto is

ernor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja of Accord are the main contenders, among whom one will carry the day. Though, on the gubernatorial list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was gathered that there were as much as 12 people vying for the post, it is an open secret that the remaining seven are simply in the

headed at the moment.

Bookmakers say BafarawaWamakko’s political rivalry was as old as the inception of the present civil rule in 1999, when Bafarawa was elected governor and Wamakko, his deputy. Analysts said, they had a sour relationship until Wamakko was left with no option than to resign as deputy Governor in 2006. It was then the national leadership of their party then, All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) intervened whose ruling favoured Wamakko and Bafarawa was forced out of the ANPP to form his Democratic Peoples Party, (DPP).

It was learnt that Wamakko used federal might to send Bafarawa into political oblivion in the state, after he, (Wamakko) defected from ANPP where he already had the governorship CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

race because INEC form is free and it will amount to space waste according them any recognition in a serious write-up like this.

The governorship election will be interesting in the state because it is going to be a referendum onwhat have you done before, what CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

11 Politics

‘No internal democracy in Abia PDP’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

people and I am happy that it is being appreciated.

How would you bring your experience in banking to bear if elected governor?

The interesting thing is that bankers who have done banking to the level where I did it have knowledge and the world is ruled by knowledge. We are like consultants and for you to consult for somebody, you must have knowledge. We deal with all the facets of the economy.

We deal with every industry in the economy be it oil and gas, infrastructure, commerce, trading, healthcare, tourism and hospitality among others. I have fortified myself with knowledge both in terms of my training in the banking industry and other training that I have received from school both before I started work and even while I was working. I am properly equipped, more equipped than any other person that I can see that is interested in this race. I have the skills, training and I have the character that is very, very important. I have the knowledge and I have the network because it also requires network and all these things I will bring to bear to find solution to the multi-ferrous problems that my people face today in Abia State.

Why did you dump PDP for APGA? It was a personal decision. I didn’t see internal democracy in PDP in Abia State. On November 1, 2014 the state congresses were supposed to hold in all the 184 wards throughout the state. The leadership of the party including

Theodore Orji

the governor the state executive committee of the party did not conduct election not even in any of the wards as names were just written as delegates. It was clear to me that since the process has been breached it was going to be difficult for those that were hand-picked and written to vote for candidates that did not in any way influence their choice so I thought it was enough breach of the process. Shortly after the botched congress that never held I had to leave and a lot of people who stayed back today are unhappy because what I saw and what I predicted is exactly what happened.

Infrastructural decay in Aba That occupies a prime place in my manifesto. Aba is a major industrial and commercial center in the South East. And, if you know the story of Aba and understand what is happening in Aba today you will agree with me that it was critical for the decision that made me to throw my hat in the ring. Aba used to be the industrial hub in the South East where everything can be produced. You may be under stating the fact that there is virtually no infrastructure left in Aba. The roads are in different state of disrepair and if it starts raining now, you cannot enter into Aba. The major Ariaria International Market, is just international in name. The environmental condition of Aba is in deplorable state such that, a state of emergency actually needs to be declared. I don’t know when last residents of Aba saw pipe borne water. Electricity is also not available, the schools are in

‘Aba used to be the industrial hub in the South East where everything can be produced. You may be under stating the fact that there is virtually no infrastructure left in Aba’

Otti

‘The leadership of the party including the governor the state executive committee of the party did not conduct election not even in any of the wards as names were just written as delegates’.

terrible shape, and the hospitals are gone. It is really a catalogue of woes. I think the first stage in solving a problem is understanding and identifying those problems. We have identified the problems and in my manifesto I have a clear idea and a blue print about how to solve Aba problem. They may look daunting but I believe that we have what it takes to solve those problems.

To produce goods that cannot only be used in Nigeria but, also can be exported. We need to revive the industries that have disappeared or dead. I remember that there used to be a metrological plant in Aba, International Glass Industry. If you take the way to Eke Akpara to Osisioma there used to be littered factories.

We need to get them back and get

our people back to work.

We need to renovate the schools or rebuild them completely so that they can look like the schools some of us attended. We need to attract quality teachers and compensate them properly and ensure that our people are well educated. In short, education is very critical to me because I believed that without education I cannot be standing before you today not to think of governing the state.

I want to give the opportunity that I had to every Abia child and none of them will be left behind. We need to introduce free and compulsory education up to a certain level so that our people can be educated because uneducated mind is like an idle mind which is a devil’s workshop.

‘I have a clear idea and a blue print about how to solve Aba problem.

They may look daunting but I believe that we have what it takes to solve those problems’ Orji Kalu

Politics 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Tambuwal

Wali

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

ticket, to the PDP where he also won the governorship ticket.

He contested and won, but this resulted into a legal tussle which he eventually survived.

Since then, the table has turned against Bafarawa in the state.

Bafarawa was among the founding members of the APC, and in Sokoto, he was the leader of the party until Wamakko came back again and took over the party from him and forced him to defect to the PDP. And this is why analysts believed that Bafarawa is ready to flex muscle with Wamakko, by using federal might, and every other arsenal at his disposal which they said would be employed in this epic battle between Tambuwal and Wali.

With these two candidates, the the state gubernatorial contest cannot be said to be a walkover for any of the two major

Wammako

Bafarawa

SOKOTO GUBER

Tambuwal, Abdalla in fight to the finish political parties as both parties have their advantages and disadvantages. For the APC, the wind of change sweeping across the country, particularly the northern Nigeria where the party (APC) is enjoying massive followership coupled with the incumbency factor of the APC in the state; one could be tempted to say the APC is more plumed to retain the state in the

upcoming gubernatorial contest. But to the PDP, this matters less, because according to them, victory is sure for the party at the poll for the fact that the people of Sokoto are solidly behind the PDP. According to Political observers in the state, Speaker Tambuwal would be riding on the popularity crest of Governor Wamakko of the APC hoping

to win the election. More importantly, they presumed, the Buhari’s factor in the north is also a plus to the Speaker. It has been observed also, that since 2003, when General Muhammadu Buhari started contesting the Presidency, many politicians in the north, have rode on his popularity crest to clinch various political offices. Therefore, analysts conclude that the

Speaker’s case would not be an exception.

Also, analysts say the relative peace in the camp of the APC in the state remains a valuable asset to the party that would work in favour of the Speaker. While they maintained that the PDP in the state is still in disarray as a result of the outcome of the party’s primaries, which is a major blow on their part.

OYO GUBER: It’s three-horse race CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Ajimobi

are you doing now and what are you capable of doing? The five main contenders fall into different categories under the three main posers raised.

While both Ladoja and AlaoAkala will answer the question: ‘what have you done before’, having been opportune to govern the state at different times, the incumbent, Ajimobi will be the one to answer the question: ‘what are you doing now’ while the other

two, Makinde and Folarin, who have not been there before will be requested to tell the people of the state ‘what they are capable of doing’? Since it is difficult to complain that something one has not experienced before has come again, the duo of Makinde and Folarin can only make promises while the citizens of the state wait till when (and if) either of them will get to office and see how faithful he will be to his covenant with the people.

Thus, the trio of Ajimobi, Ladoja and Alao-Akala are on the radar based on the facts on ground as to what is he (Ajimobi) doing now and what did both Ladoja and Alao-Akala did while in office? This is electioneering campaign session and the governorship gladiators are on the field, moving from one place to another dishing out different reasons to justify why they should be returned come 29th May this year. Curiously, the elec-

torate are being bombarded with mountain-heaps of achievements as if the residents are coming from another planet. There is the tendency for the people to have forgotten what happened in the past, especially as both Ladoja and Alao-Akala have been trying to hoodwink the people, painting a picture of eldorado, a state of life abundant while in office as if this is not the same state they governed. It should be noted that CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

13 International Politics

As Cuba shifts toward capitalism, inequality grows The river where Jonas Echevarria fishes cuts through neighborhoods brimming with new fine restaurants, spas and boutiques, springing up in Cuba’s accelerating push toward private enterprise.

Tattered mansions and luxury apartment blocks speak of old wealth and new. A bounty of private restaurants known as paladares serve pork tenderloin, filet mignon and orange duck to tourists, Cuban-Americans visiting relatives and a growing pool of Cuban entrepreneurs with cash to spend.

These were things Mr. Echevarria, with only a few eggs, some plantains and a handful of rolls in his pantry, would not be having for dinner.

In his neighborhood, a shanty town called Little Swamp on the fringe of the Rio Almendares and the margins of society, few people have relatives sending money from abroad, food rations barely last the month, and homes made of corrugated tin, wood scraps and crumbling concrete fail to keep out floodwaters.

Nobody goes to paladares, much less has the money to start one. “Never,” said Mr. Echevarria, whose livelihood depends on the catch of the day.

“I guess I could not even afford the water.”

As Cuba opens the door wider to private enterprise, the gap between the haves and havenots — and between whites and blacks — that the revolution

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

whatever Ajimobi lay claim to as achievements are still very much within the realm of verification, but, in the case of his two predecessors, methinks there’s need to remind our people so that they are not necessarily carried away by the messiahnic posture being brandied about.

One cannot but laugh to scorn at Ladoja being described as the friend of the masses (ore mekunnu)! Till date, some of the workers, civil servants and teachers he vindictively sacked on assumption of office are yet to pick back their pieces of lives scattered by that singular action. Their offence was that they were employed by his

sought to diminish is growing more evident.

That divide is expected to increase now that the United States is raising the amount of money that Cuban-Americans can send to the island to $8,000 a year, up from $2,000, as part of President Obama’s historic thaw with Cuba.

Remittances, estimated at $1 billion to nearly $3 billion a year, are already a big source of the capital behind the new small businesses. The cash infusion has been one of the top drivers of the Cuban economy in recent years, rivaling tourism revenues and mineral, pharmaceutical and sugar exports.

Raising the remittance cap, along with allowing more Americans to visit Cuba and other

steps toward normal diplomatic relations, will help “support the Cuban people,” the Obama administration contends.

But some will enjoy that support more than others. Cuban economists say that whites are 2.5 times more likely than blacks to receive remittances, leaving many in crumbling neighborhoods like Little Swamp nearly invisible in the rise of commerce, especially the restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts

that tourists tend to favor.

“Remittances have produced new forms of inequality, particularly racial inequality,” said Alejandro de la Fuente, director of the Afro-Latin American Research Institute at Harvard University. “Now the remittances are being used to fund or establish private companies, that is, not just to fund consumption, as in the past.”

The Cuban government argues that the shift to more private en-

terprise, a pillar of its strategy to bolster the flaccid economy, will allow it to focus its social programs on the neediest. As a billboard on a busy road in Havana proclaims, “The changes in Cuba are for more socialism.”

But many poorer Cubans are frustrated by what they see as the deteriorating welfare state and the advantage that Cubans with access to cash from outside the country have in the new economy.

‘Remittances have produced new forms of inequality, particularly racial inequality,” said Alejandro de la Fuente, director of the Afro-Latin American Research Institute at Harvard University’ Fidel Castro of Cuba

Ajimobi, Ladoja, Akala flex muscles

predecessor in office, late Alhaji Lam Adesina. Unfortunately, nobody could accuse the late former governor of setting for him a booby trap by the appointments because the process started way back in 2002 before the 2003 election lost by the former governor and what’s more, the same late Adesina employed some workers in 2000, some months after he was sworn-in as the governor. But, our latter day Messiah was so much in a hurry to get rid of the hapless workers that he had to pay them three monthsalary in lieu of notice in showing them the way out. A friend of the masses indeed! Why the case was

so pathetic then and the workers left in the cold was that a lot of those newly employed workers left private jobs to pick the civil service jobs because of job security, thus, one can imagine the trauma such people were thrown into by the ‘friend of the masses’.

The 2,500 teachers he employed in December, 2005 were beneficiaries of blackmail from the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu and could possibly not have been employed but for the feud between him and his estranged god-father, the late Adedibu. The late strong-man of Ibadan politics had accused the then governor of not employing anybody after his sack of those employed by his predecessor.

The heat from Adedibu was so much for him that he had to hurriedly push out the appointment file from his table. The outcome of the interview for the appointment had since been conducted in March of the same year, but, in his usual style, he kept it there.

The urgency to counter Adedibu claim beclouded the government then that the set of teachers employed then had to get paid for doing nothing in the month of December, because the schools were about proceeding on first term holiday by the time they reported in their schools of posting. He was subsequently impeached on 12th January, 2006!

His successor and former deputy, Alao-Akala did not fair better. The now ‘13th month salary’ which was then 50% of the basic salary paid the workers by Ladoja in December 2006 was withdrawn from them by Akala when he took over following his boss’s impeachment and never restored it in his four years. The same Alao-Akala would go down in history as the first and the only governor in the state to have ordered the sack of the entire work-force in 2007 due to agitation for better pay. It took the intervention of notable Nigerians before the obnoxious decision was reversed.

International 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

US, Qatar united in fight against IS, says Obama

President Barack Obama with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Tuesday, in the Oval Office of the White House

ÏÏÏUnited

States President, Barack Obama welcomed Qatar’s emir to the White House on Tuesday, calling the Arab country a strong partner in the battle to degrade and defeat the Islamic State militant group, which has taken large amounts of territory in Iraq and Syria The visit by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - his first to the White House since he assumed power in 2013 - comes just days after Qatar protested Egyptian airstrikes against Islam-

ic State targets in Libya.

Cairo launched the strikes last week after a video emerged showing the militant group murdering 21 Egyptian Christians.

Qatar recalled its ambassador to Egypt to protest what it called unilateral action that could hurt innocent civilians - revealing a fracture in the coalition long touted by the Obama administration.

But on Tuesday, the American president sat alongside Qatar’s emir in the Oval Office and expressed appreciation for the work

37 years after Polanski faces extradiction ÏÏÏ Filmmaker Roman Polans-

ki has appeared in a Polish court in connection with a request to extradite him to the US on charges of sex with a 13-year-old girl.

The Oscar-winning director fled the US in 1978 before he could be sentenced for the crime.

He now lives in France.

His recent stays in Poland triggered the extradition request from the US. A decision is not expected before April.

Polanski’s lawyer says the director wants to clarify his status before he starts filming in Poland this summer.

The hearing at the court in Krakow was taking place behind closed doors.

Judge Dariusz Mazur, quoted

by the AFP news agency, said it was unlikely that a decision on the extradition request would be made on Wednesday.

A further hearing has been scheduled for April. If the court decides to approve the request, the case will be passed to Poland’s justice minister.

Polanski, 81, has said he does not expect to be extradited.

Many in Poland also believe the authorities will be reluctant to agree to the request, according to the BBC’s Adam Easton in Warsaw.

Swiss authorities turned down a US extradition warrant in 2010, after he had been placed under house arrest for nine months.

Qatar has done in coordinating with other members of the coalition in the fight.

Obama said the U.S. and Qatar are committed to defeating Islamic State, supporting the Iraqi people and stabilizing Syria.

The two leaders also discussed the unrest in Yemen and Libya, and the importance of bringing peace to the region.

“I think we had a significant meeting of the minds in our shared belief that the more that we can work with all the coun-

ÏÏÏ Zimbabwean leader Robert

Mugabe says he never wanted to be president, despite the fact that the nonagenarian continues to cling to power, almost 35 years after Zimbabwe attained its independence, according to a report.

Mugabe, who turned 91 on February 21 made the claim during a birthday party - the first of many - hosted by civil servants at his Harare office, New Zimbabwe.com said.

“I never joined the struggle because I wante d one day to be prime minister, no, but I joined the struggle to play my part as prescribed by the party,” Mugabe was quoted by as saying.

Mugabe said he believed - even during the time when he participated in the country’s independence struggle - that a president could only be appointed by the

tries in the region to try to find political solutions to problems, the more that we can reduce sectarian tensions in the regions and isolate violent extremists, the more effective we can be,” Obama said.

The Qatari emir was brief in his remarks, echoing the American president on the strong ties between his country and the U.S. Sheikh Tamim also expressed concern about the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa.

“We are concerned, as well, about the terrorist groups in our region,” he said. “I think we all share the same view, the reason why those terrorist groups are growing in our region.”

The remarks come from the leader of a country that U.S. Treasury officials say for years openly financed Hamas and allegedly supported extremist groups in Syria. Qatari officials have denied such allegations. When asked about Qatar’s alleged financing of extremist groups following Tuesday’s talks, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that the U.S. does not necessarily agree with the Qatari government on every issue, but: “The bottom line is that our interests with Qatar converge somewhat more often than they actually diverge,” he said. “Qatar has been of significant help on a range of regional issues including Afghanistan, Iran. As you know, the Qataris have even agreed to host a regional training site for the moderate Syrian opposition.”

I never wanted to lead Zimbabwe – Mugabe people.

Mugabe over the past years has, however, tightened his grip on power and indicated he doesn’t tolerate talk about his succession.

Mugabe

Bangladeshi court issues arrest warrant for ex-leader ÏÏÏA

Bangladesh court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for ex-prime minister Khaelda Zia in two graft cases after she failed to appear in court for the fourth time.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadder issued the decision in a makeshift court in the nation’s capital, Dhaka, after he refused a bail plea by the defence, which sought more time, saying Zia was sick and concerned over her security because of ongoing political unrest.

It was not clear immediately whether Zia will soon be arrested.

The court order will go to a police station where the cases were registered.

The charges involved an alleged illegal fund used to buy land for a charity named after Zia’s late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.

Zia’s lawyers have rejected allegations that Zia had illegally collected more than $1m in donations for the charity.

Zia says the charges are politically motivated, which authorities deny.

Togo holds presidential election April 15

ÏÏÏTogo has fixed April 15 as

the date for a presidential election, a decree issued late on Tuesday stated, and incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe is expected to seek a third term in office in defiance of opposition calls for him to step aside.

The president’s ruling Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) is due to hold a party convention on Wednesday during which it is expected to nominate Gnassingbe as its candidate for the polls.

The opposition, however, has called upon the government to implement an agreed presidential term limit under which he would not be allowed to stand for re-election.

Gnassingbe has not publicly stated whether he will seek another term in office.

He was installed as president with army support when his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the West African country for 38 years, died in 2005.

Faure Gnassingbe later stepped down under regional pressure, but won an election months later and was re-elected for a second term in 2010.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

15 Opinion

Fraud, cronyism and oil blocks

T

Obinna Akukwe

he richest oil blocks in Nigeria are owned by a few hundreds of persons while half of 160 million Nigerians live below $1 daily. This injustice and wickedness must be corrected by whosoever wins the elections – whether Buhari or Jonathan. Nigeria needs to collect their collective commonwealth from persons who fraudulently took it. It is unfortunate that President Jonathan failed to revoke these illegal licenses to few criminals during his first tenure.

It is not yet late for Jonathan to revisit the disturbing sharing of Nigeria’s oil blocks to a few persons without recourse to transparency.

The process of sharing Nigeria’s oil block is as fraudulent now as when Ibrahim Babangida started the process of discretionary allocation to indigenous firms.

Discretionary allocation of oil blocks entails that a president can reward a mistress with an oil block with capacity for cumulative yield of over $20 billion dollars without recourse to any due process.

Babangida, Abacha, Abdulsalami and Obasanjo awarded discretionary oil blocks to friends, associates, family members, party chieftains, security chiefs and all categories of

bootlickers, without any laid down procedures.

Recipients of such oil blocks will get funds from ever willing offshore financiers and partners to graciously settle the benefactors, the awarders, facilitators and the Commander-in-Chief through fronts. These settlements mostly paid into foreign accounts runs into hundreds of millions of dollars. Sometimes, the awarder sends fronts as part of the directorship and management of the bidding firms without leaving a link to them.

Signature bonuses which are paid when an investor successfully bids, wins and signs agreement with the petroleum ministry, running into tens of millions and sometimes hundreds of millions of naira, is often waived. The nation loses billions of dollars in diverted revenue.

Some of these oil field have the capacity of between 300,000 -500,000 barrels of oil daily. OML 110 OBE given by Sanni Abacha in 1996 to Alhaji Mai Daribe under Cavendish Petroleum had estimated over 500 million barrels of oil.

OPL 246 was awarded to SAPETRO, a company owned by General Theophilus Danjuma, by Sanni Abacha in 1998. Akpo condensate exports about 300,000 barrels of crude daily.

OML 112 and OML 117 were awarded to AMNI International Petroleum Development Company owned by Colonel Sanni Bello in 1999. Sanni Bello is an in-law to Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria. OML 115, OLDWOK Field and EBOK field was awarded to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi from Niger State. Indimi is an inlaw to former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida.

OML 215 is operated by Nor East Petroleum Limited owned by Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo.

OML 108 operated by Express Petroleum Company Limited is owned by Alhaji Aminu Dantata.

Obasanjo , with the help of Andy Uba, awarded OPL 2008 to Tenoil Petroleum & Oil Services owned

by Tony Elumelu and Jim Ovia.

OPL 2009 and 2010 were awarded to Global Energy Group owned

by Chief Suleiman Onabiyi and Joseph Obiago . That is why a lot of major players in the oil industry owe Obasanjo and Andy Uba a lot.

OML II3 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Pet Ltd is owned by Alhaji W.I. Folawiyo. Asuopku/Umuntu ( Egbema marginal oil fields) was awarded to Platform Petroleum in 2003 by Obasanjo. In 2010, Platform Petroleum (owned by Edmund Daukoru,a Bayelsa prince and Lulu Briggs among others) and Seplat ( owned by Prince Nasiru Ado

Bayero, cousin to the Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi) teamed up in landmark partnership to manage the venture.

Intel owned by Atiku, Yar’adua and Ado Bayero has substantial stakes in Nigeria’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Principe and Sao Tome. AMNI owns two oil blocks OML 112 and OML 117 which it runs ,while Afren plc and Vitol have substantial stakes in oil blocks. Afren plc is operating EBOK oil fields in OML 67. Vitol lifts 300,000 barrels of Nigerian oil daily. Rilwanu Lukman, former OPEC Chairman has stakes in all these named three companies.

OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil& Gas Company owned by Sanni Abacha. Dan Etete, Abacha’s oil minister owns Malabu Oil. Etete had earli er rejected Atiku’s demand for substantial stakes in the high yield OPL 245 and it attracted the venom of Ota Majesty who revoked the licence. However, in 2006, Obasanjo had mercy on Dan Etete and gave him back his oil block worth over $20billion dollars.

OPL 289 and OPL 233 was awarded during Obasanjo era to Peter Odili fronts, Cleanwater Consortium, consisting of Cleanwater Refinery and RivGas Petroleum and Gas Company. Odili’s brother -in law, Okey Ezenwa manages the consortium as Vice Chairman.

Use of Nigerian military for elections

C

Michael Nnebe

onstitution is the principles by which a state is organised.

They are mostly written, as is the case in America and Nigeria, but they can also be nonwritten as practiced in the UK. The US Constitution is made up of the original seven articles, ten original amendments under the Bill of Rights, and the subsequent seventeen amendments since the Bill of Rights. Outside of Article II section 2 that confers the power of Commander-in-Chief to the US President, there is nothing in the US constitution that dictates how and where the US army is deployed.

But over the years America have set the precedence of never using their military domestically except in defense of the country, or in national emergencies.

Nigeria is different, our Constitution is far more comprehensive, and spells out the powers of Nigeria’s president as Commander-in-Chief, but also the power of our National Assembly to make laws for the reg-

ulation of the powers exercisable by the President as Commander-inChief. Section 218 (4) (a) of Nigeria Constitution.

It is no longer uncommon to see military checkpoints along our roads in Nigeria with the army collecting the usual twenty or fifty naira from the commercial mini buses that use those roads. There is these days not much difference between the Nigerian police and the Nigerian army, at least when it comes to their ability to collect bribes along our highways. And when these guys are sent off to the Northeast to fight Boko Haram, many cannot handle the intense fire that comes their way, they simply abandon the battlefield, give up their arms and flee, or in some cases join together in mutiny against their commanding officer.

The army is trained to kill, simple. Today in Nigeria, we are now using the army for everything from highway checkpoints, to escorts for big men, and more increasingly for our elections.

Recently, a Federal Court of Appeal rendered a judgment restraining the President from unfettered

use of the military during this forthcoming election. Many in the ruling party have cried foul! My understanding of the judgment is that they be limited in their functions.

Outside of the war zones of the Northeast, we should discourage the use of the military in Nigeria election at all times. Under our Constitution, the police still retains the power to arrest and detain provided that there is probable cause, and we should just keep it that way even for our elections. Our electoral laws forbid armed police from within certain metres of the polling booth for a good reason. For now, it is expedient for the ruling party to use the military in all elections, and as long as the people are not complaining, it is likely to continue for many election cycles to come.

My only worry about all these use of the military is that we are setting a very dangerous precedence. And over time, precedence is bound to become the law. But it should not be. There is so much money in politics, especially during elections, and when we continue to expose our military to these vast amounts of money, we succeed

in devaluing their disciplinary standards. No wonder they no longer perform like regular battlehardened army when confronted by Boko Haram. It is a shame that of late, it took the help of Niger, Chad, and Cameroonian for Nigerian military to finally begin to make significant headway in the Sambisi forest. But what is even more injurious to Nigeria’s Democracy is that if we continue using the military for our elections, I can imagine twenty or thirty years from now when this has become standard practice, and they will come to be expected in every election as part of the electoral arrangement. The sooner we recognise this anomaly and begin to correct it the better.

It is expedient for the Presidency to continue this practice; I therefore do not expect it to voluntarily stop.

It is however upon civil societies, and especially those in the National Assembly to use the powers conferred on them by our Constitution on Section 218 (4) (a) to regulate the powers exercisable by the President and Commander-in-Chief with regards to the deployment of the military for Nigeria’s elections.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

bgl capital | bgl securities limited | bgl asset management | bgl private equity

www.bglgroupng.com

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

17

18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Features

s The virgin market of herbal fruit drinks Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr

Eligible

voters protesting over PVC in Abeokuta

Much ado about PVC distribution in Ogun State “Governor Amosun ruled out the possibility of foul play on the part of INEC, but however indicted INEC for disappointing the people despite the notice it gave on the commencement of the distribution exercise”

Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

The former Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ogun State, Sam Olumekun while flagging off the distribution of Permanent Voters Card in Ogun State last year, had told Journalists that the State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had put all machineries in motion for the distribution of Permanent Voters Card in the State. Olumekun had put the total number of eligible voters then at 1.3 million.

But as the election drew near, it was found that only few PVCs

Amosun

“If you have been following what has been happening since the build up to 2015 general elections, you will notice that the elections has really been postponed for two major reasons: the security situation in the country and for INEC to effectively distribute PVC”

were released to the State, an action which sparked off serious protests across the State and drew the displeasure of the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who described the distribution exercise as a mess.

Governor Amosun who ruled out the possibility of foul play on the part of INEC, however indicted INEC for disappointing the people despite the notice it gave on the commencement of the distribution exercise.

“This is a mess as you can see yourself; people are complaining everywhere.”

Although the six weeks postCONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Amosun

For every fake product, there must be an original, and whatever needs to be sweetened must have a bitter root. The fast moving consumer goods sector in Nigeria today has become vulnerable for fakers and pirates.

The minds of the upper, average and common Nigerian is obsessed with the urge to get rich quick, so the sensibility and credibility of most businessmen have been taken to the cleaners.

In a country where basic and essential things as toothpaste, matches, everyday drugs, soft drinks, clothing, even food seasoners, detergents and music, etc are adulterated and mischievously marketed, what is the future of the health and safety of our generation?

Nigerian has become infaCONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Herbs

“Yes, you will see them quoting that ‘this is the polling unit, this is this, this is that’ but the cards are not our own in Ogun State, which means somebody somewhere does not want about 35 percent of our votes”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

19 Features

Even with the postponement, INEC continues to drag its feet CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

ponement of the election gave respite to those that had not collected their cards, there seems to be no improvement in the distribution as it was revealed that only 40 percent had collected their PVCs in the State.

Worried by the politics behind the distribution in the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun paid a personal visit to the State INEC office at Oke Mosan for an on the spot assessment of the situation.

After a two hours closed door meeting with the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chief Timothy Ibitoye a visibly unimpressed Amosun accused INEC of bringing to Ogun State over six hundred thousand Permanent Voters Cards that belong to other States.

His words, “If you have been following what has been happening since the build up to 2015 general elections, you will notice that the elections has really been postponed for two major reasons: the security situation in the country and for INEC to effectively distribute PVC. ”Reading the papers or watching television news, you will notice that in the entire nation,

Ogun State just managed to collect about 40 percent; it was about 36 percent before.

“I have been interfacing with INEC, we have had cause to write a letter to the Chairman in December. Unfortunately, I have been here since morning and they don’t have a very good story to tell me.”

Apparently unable to arrest a perplexing situation unfolding in his state, said pointedly: “Let me tell you what is happening: somebody somewhere, I don’t know who, didn’t want us to vote in Ogun state, they want to make sure that about 40 percent or even more voters are disenfranchised in the coming elections in Ogun State.

“I will explain what I mean by that,” the Governor continued: “In the last election, we had about 1.8/1.9 million came back as what they claim were double registration. Sighting ‘a lot of anomalies’ they claimed they noticed, the State INEC dropped about 500,000, thereby reducing Ogun State to only 1.3 million.

But even at that, those affected re-registered and, from their own records, the new exercise recorded almost 450,000 voters. Now, if you add the new figure to the 1.3million, it takes us back to about that

Many brands are now extinct

“I have been interfacing with INEC, we have had cause to write a letter to the Chairman in December.

Unfortunately, I have been here since morning and they don’t have a very good story to tell me”

Jega

1.5/1.9 million or there about.

“As we speak today, we have two or three issues: the first one is that the card about 1.1million they brought to us in November, on my honour, about 600,000 of those cards did not belong to Ogun State “Yes, you will see them quoting that ‘this is the polling unit, this is this, this is that’ but the cards are not our own in Ogun State, which means somebody somewhere does not want about 35 percent of our votes; and to compound it the more, over 600,000 cards are not

from this state.

That is the confusion INEC has brought upon us. Our people have been going there daily, I remember when the INEC national Commissioner, Professor Olorode came here, and said they have our cards, I told him those cards are not for people of Ogun State, and we demonstrated it by sending our people to all the polling units; nobody from this state knew the names on those cards.”

Amosun who said he was speaking, not only the mind of his Party, All Progressives Con-

gress, APC, explained that INEC has not given a single Permanent Card to voters in Asasi Ward 11.

“Even with the postponement of the elections, INEC continues to foot drag on the distribution of the PVCs. The APC did not support the postponement of the election, and I have personally written to INEC informing it of the State’s complaint, and as I speak, the electoral body is yet to respond to all these complaints.”

But in a swift reaction to Gover-

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

initially based in Ghana.

The brand became noticeable about six years ago when some Nigerians who travelled to Ghana were bringing the product into the country.

Within a short time, Alomo Bitters brand so gathered momentum that the Ghana based company decided to open a sister company - the Kasapreko Company Nigeria Limited (KCNL) in Lagos and the success story was further elevated by the official approval of the brand by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Through strategic marketing and communication initiatives and increased brand awareness, visibility and market leadership of the bitters category were achieved for Alomo Bitters within a short space of time as

a wider community of brand loyalists among Nigerians embraced the brand that gave them something different from lager beer.

By the year 2011 and 2012, Alomo Bitters reportedly accounted for about 80 percent of the bitters market share and very recently, the Institute for Government Research Leadership Technology awarded Alomo Bitters the Medicinal Herbal Drink of the Year 2014 at its Africa Product Forum, in Abuja.

But the good story has taken a dive as the glory and gains of this celebrated brand appear to be fading away fast as fakers have launched an attack on Alomo Bitters; millions of bottles of the imitation version of the brand have been churned

mous as a nation that produces an imitation, even adulterated version of whatever product that makes an impression in the market within a few weeks in other to get rich quick.

It is on record that many brands have been pushed into extinction and many companies fold to fold up as a result of the operation of this evil syndicate; movie makers and musicians are not spared either. Unfortunately, it appears that brands and copy rights owners have not put up enough fight to stem this tide.

Alomo Bitters A case study of one of the hardest hit brand is the Medicinal Herbal Drink of the Year 2014, Alomo Bitters, a product of Kasapreko Company Limited

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Public health should be the primary concern CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

out and the market is saturated with the brand as you read this.

The evil act has resulted in huge loss of market share and by extension, loss in revenue, but the company is not giving up.

Enter Orijin Now the fruit drinks market sometime last year received a new brand called Origin, from the stable of Guinness Nigeria Limited. Widely publicised and marketed in bottles and in cans, etc, Orijin is said to be a blend of fruits, herbs and alcohol for adventurous drinkers who love to identify with the health and wellness of fruits, and also run with medicinal contents of herbs, without missing out on their alcohol.

One may think Orijin will be impossible for the syndicates to adulterate but such has been attempted before. When Maltex dominated the malt market in Nigeria, it took a long time before the syndicates were found to have hijacked the product and were repackaging the content as blood tonic!

Aggressive campaign In the interest of the consuming public whose health and safety should be the primary concern of the producers of these drinks, it is pertinent to stress that brewers should be more aware of the modus operandi of the fakers of quality products, and more committed especially to the safety of Ni-

Natural herbs on a shelf

Jega

gerian consumers in order to deepen consumer knowledge of the brand, and also to reward their loyalty.

The marketing initiative embarked upon by Alomo Bitters to deepen consumer consciousness about their wellness and safety by encouraging them to make healthier choices in things they eat and drink is commendable and other brand makers and marketers ought to emulate this trend.

Details of the massive campaign include a well-branded activation truck and a team of Brand Ambassadors deployed to strategic touch points in the city of Lagos to educate consumers on the safety features of Alomo Bitters as distinct from the imitated version and other bitter brands in the market.

For days, the ambassadors moved from social events to street carnivals and jams, market areas and neighborhoods across the city of Lagos to drive the brand key message of Alomo Bitters as the ‘‘authentic African herbal bitters.’’

The company also employed the use of flyers, which contain vital product information and was distributed freely to the public. Radio hypes anchored by popular On Air Personalities and a television commercial that has been specifically produced, are also running on select city stations just to ensure the consumers are equipped CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Angry voters carrying placards CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

nor Amosun’s claims, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu said Amosun’s claim may be far from the truth.

“I do not know the details of what he discussed with you, but INEC has no interest in any State or section, we will study his grievances and respond appropriately.”

Idowu advised the governor to always cross check his facts well before addressing the Press.

Also, the Ogun State Chapter of Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation, through its Director, Media and Publicity, Steve Oliyide, condemned the visit of the Governor Amosun to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, describing it as a gross violation of the ‘independence’ of the commission and a subtle way to blackmail and compromise the electoral body.

“Being a candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC) and who also is standing for re-election in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, just like every other candidates standing for elections, has no legal and moral right to visit the INEC office to complain about the distribution of the Permanent Voter’s Cards in the state. This is crass opportunism, and open blackmail, aimed principally to compromise the integrity, neutrality and independence of the election umpire, and we condemn this in totality.

“Just like every other Nige-

rian, candidates, politicians and political parties, there are other windows open and available to vent any perceived, assumed or imagined ‘irregularities’ in the conduct and operations of any independent commissions and or agencies.”

“For instance,” Oliyide stressed further, “Governor Amosun could issue press statement, grant press interviews or even write an official but open letter to the commission to register his protest, especially since he feels strongly about the unpopularity and dwindling political fortunes of his All Progressive Congress (APC) party in the coming elections.

“Descending to such adventurous level of visit to the commission is the height of executive cluelessness and a gross sign of desperation on a dwindling political fortune.”

The director of publicity emphasised, that by letters of the constitution, INEC is an independent commission, and not only must it be seen to be so; the sanctity of this independence must be well preserved.

“The hallmark of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is in the strict compliance to the Rule of Law, and this, many Nigerians have come to appreciate and respect with a resolve to return him by voting for him in the March 28, 2015 elections.”

Also in a swift reaction, the Amosun Campaign Organisation, SIACO, did not mince words in its reply to Steve Oliyide:

“It is true that Governor Amosun is in the run for another term of office, it is also very true that he remains, at the present moment, the Executive Governor of the state, and therefore, the State’s Number One citizen, and by that, also, the Chief Security Officer in the state.

“With reports being bandied about the low percentage collection rate of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in Ogun State - the lowest percentage collection nationwide at 40%, where the national averages are around 70%, it would only be an unresponsive state Chief Executive who would not recognise the security challenges that such massive disenfranchisement could cause within the communities, and rise to the occasion, in both defense and protection of the electorate within his state, regardless of party affiliation.”

“In a matter of such grave concern,” the organisation said, “You don’t write letters, or send statements! Therefore our dear friends should understand that it was in this capacity as State Chief Executive, and indeed, also to the advantage of all political parties in the state that His Excellency embarked on the visit to INEC; and it was in that same capacity that he was trying to protect the interests of all bonafide citizens of the state.”

SIACO added “So, there’s really no point fighting unnecessary batCONTINUED ON PAGE 21

“In a matter of such grave concern, you don’t write letters, or send statements!

Therefore our dear friends should understand that it was in this capacity as state chief executive, and indeed, also to the advantage of all political parties in the state that His Excellency embarked on the visit to INEC”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

21 Features

Much ado about PVC distribution in Ogun State “All whose surname begins with Alphabets ‘R, S,T, W and Y’ had not collected their cards are either those that registered prior to the 2011 general elections, or during the CVRs”

Amosun CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

tles, or dancing when there is no music, unless, perhaps, there are hidden motives, interests, or preplanned agendas that we should know about. Governor Amosun has no hidden intent.”

As a form of Official response from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Ogun State, the Commission denied the allegation of bringing to the State any alien Permanent Voters Cards.

The Administrative Secretary of the Commission in Ogun State, Dickson Atiba, while addressing protesters at the Commission’s headquarters in Magbon, Abeokuta, revealed that about 20 PVCs meant for Edo state which were brought to Ogun were immediately returned.

“All cards in Ogun State were meant for the state but the Governor is not familiar with the names

of the people.

“During the registration exercise in 2011, for example, many students and security officers, many of whom have graduated or have been transferred away from the state, took part in the registration exercise.

“So we don’t have alien PVCs in Ogun State,” Atiba declared.

“You know Ogun State has the largest higher institutions, many of the students registered in 2011 who might have graduated and they have not come back to collect them.

“We still have security personnel posted here that time and they registered, most of them today may have been transferred and their cards are in Ogun State, who would collect for them if they don’t come back to collect?

“This accounted for some of the reason why these cards are still lying there and so, we believe that somehow, somewhere, this

people will come back and collect their cards because they can’t register again since their cards have been produced; by the time they register again where they are, it would amount to double registration which has the implication of deleting their names from the system.

“When the Governor said these cards were alien, maybe he saw some names that he was not familiar with, but I can assure you that these cards are for those that registered in Ogun State in 2010/2011, therefore, we do not have any alien card.”

The protesters Committee for Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, had embarked on the protest to express displeasure over an alleged snail-speed approach on distribution of Permanent Voter Cards in Ogun State by the electoral body.

The protesters, led by its Chairman, Yinka Folarin, were armed with placards with inscriptions

like, ‘INEC, Release Ogun State PVC Now’, ‘Jega Don’t Rig Election’, ‘Our Votes, our rights’, among others.

Folarin alleged that the electoral body was hoarding the Permanent Voters Cards which is the major tool for the 2015 general election, stressing that the people are gradually losing hope and confidence in the Attahiru Jega led INEC due to its failure on salient issues.

The Administrative Secretary who represented the Resident Electoral Commissioner, explained that the total number of registered voter in the state was 1,795,794 and the total number of PVC brought to the state was 1,368,75.

He further said that a total of 795,962 have been distributed which accounts for 56.7 % of registered voters and not 40.6% as being speculated.

He however appealed to all

The virgin market of herbal fruit drinks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

with adequate information they need on Alomo Bitters, thereby safeguarding the public from harmful imitated products in the market.

Marketing initiative is part of steps to empower consumers to have access to genuine products at all times against the backdrop of the criminal faking of the branded products.

Also, brand differentiation and consumer education should be integrated to make more Nigerians informed about the fea-

tures that distinguish original products from imitation versions in the market.

Criminal faking of original products has been a major challenge of pioneer producers of quality goods in Nigeria, and as responsible, health conscious citizens, every effort should be made to secure, protect their products the network of adulterators by investing heavily in awareness campaigns which should be aimed at helping the consumers to know the things to look out for when buying their products.

stakeholders to be patient with the commission as the distribution process is still ongoing.

Contrary to the claim of Dickson Atiba, checks by Daily Times showed that some local governments in the State have distributed less than a thousand of the PVCs. Among the affected LGAs are Ijebu North East, Imeko Afon, Ogun Water side, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South and few others.

A reliable source told Daily Times that all whose surname begins with Alphabets ‘R, S,T, W and Y’ had not collected theirs cards are either those that registered prior to the 2011 general elections, or during the CVRs. The agitation continues to rage on, and the question eligible voters seem to be asking INEC is: why the politics behind the distribution of PVCs in Ogun State?

22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26 , 2015

Today in History Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

s

Cartoons from our Archives

1919 Two national parks preserved, 10 years apart On this day in history, two national parks were established in the United States 10 years apart--the Grand Canyon in 1919 and the Grand Tetons in 1929.

Located in north-western Arizona, the Grand Canyon was the product of millions of years of excavation by the mighty Colorado River. The chasm is exceptionally deep, dropping more than a mile into the earth, and is 15 miles across at its widest point. The canyon is home to more than 1,500 plant species and over 500 animal species, many of them endangered or unique to the area, and it’s steep, multi-colours walls tell the story of 2 billion years of Earth’s history.

In 1540, members of an expedition sent by the Spanish explorer Coronado became the first Europeans to discover the canyon, though because of its remoteness the area was not further explored until 300 years

later. American geologist John Wesley Powell, who popularized the term “Grand Canyon” in the 1870s, became the first person to journey the entire length of the gorge in 1869. The harrowing voyage was made in four rowboats.

In January 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt designated more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon a national monument; it was designated a national park under President Woodrow Wilson on February 26, 1919.

Ten years later to the day, President Calvin Coolidge signed into law a bill passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress establishing the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Home to some of the most stunning alpine scenery in the United States, the territory in and around Grand Teton National Park also has a colourful human history.

1949 From Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, the Lucky Lady II, a B-50 Super fortress, took off on the first nonstop round-the-world flight. Under the command of Captain James Gallagher, and featuring a crew of 14 men, the aircraft averaged 249 miles per hour on its 23,452mile trek. The Lucky Lady II was refuelled four times in the air by B-29 tanker planes and on March 2 returned to the United States after 94 hours in the air.

In December 1986, Voyager, a lightweight propeller plane constructed mainly of plastic, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in Muroc, California, having completed the first global flight without refuelling.

1965 First South Korean troops arrive The first contingent of South Korean troops arrived in Saigon. Although assigned to noncombat duties, they came under fire on April 3. The South Korean contingent was part of

Daily Times February 26, 1961

Lucky Lady’II begins nonstop global flight

the Free World Military Forces, an effort by President Lyndon B. Johnson to enlist allies for the United States and South Vietnam. By securing support from other nations, Johnson hoped to build an international consensus behind his policies in Vietnam. The effort was also known as the “many flags” program.

By the close of 1969, there were over 47,800 Korean soldiers actively involved in combat operations in South Vietnam. Seoul began to withdraw its troops in February 1972.

1968 Mass graves discovered in Hue Allied troops who had recaptured the imperial capital of Hue from the North Vietnamese during the Tet Offensive discovered the first mass graves in Hue. It was discovered that communist troops who had held the city for 25 days had massacred about 2,800 civilians whom they had identified as sympathizers with

the government in Saigon. One authority estimated that communists might have killed as many as 5,700 people in Hue. The Tet Offensive had begun at dawn on the first day of the Tet holiday truce (January 30), when Viet Cong forces, supported by large numbers of North Vietnamese troops, launched the largest and best coordinated offensive of the war. During the attack, they drove into the centre of South Vietnam’s seven largest cities and attacked 30 provincial capitals ranging from the Delta to the DMZ. Among the cities taken during the first four days of the offensive were Hue, Dalat, Kontum, and Quang Tri; in the north, all five provincial capitals were overrun. At the same time, enemy forces shelled numerous allied airfields and bases. By February 10, the offensive was largely crushed, but resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

1993 At 12:18 p.m., a terrorist bomb exploded in a parking garage of the World Trade Centre in New York City, leaving a crater 60 feet wide and causing the collapse of several steel-reinforced concrete floors in the vicinity of the blast.

Although the terrorist bomb failed to critically damage the main structure of the skyscrapers, six people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. The World Trade Centre itself suffered more than $500 million in damage. After the attack, authorities evacuated 50,000 people from the buildings, hundreds of whom were suffering from smoke inhalation. The evacuation lasted the whole afternoon.

City authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undertook a massive manhunt for suspects, and within days several radical Islamic fundamentalists were arrested. In March 1994, Mohammed Salameh, Ahmad Ajaj, Nidal Ayyad, and Mahmoud Abouhalima were convicted by a federal jury for their role in the

World Trade Centre bombed bombing, and each was sentenced to life in prison. Salameh, a Palestinian, was arrested when he went to retrieve the $400 deposit he had left for the Ryder rental van used in the attack. Ajaj and Ayyad, who both played a role in the construction of the bomb, were arrested soon after. Abouhalima, who helped buy and mix the explosives, fled to Saudi Arabia but was caught in Egypt two weeks later.

The mastermind of the attack-Ramzi Ahmed Yousef--remained at large until February 1995, when he was arrested in Pakistan. He had previously been in the Philippines, and in a computer he left there was found terrorist plans that included a plot to kill Pope John Paul II and a plan to bomb 15 American airliners in 48 hours.

On the flight back to the United States, Yousef reportedly admitted to a Secret Service agent that he had directed the Trade Centre attack from the beginning and even claimed to have set the fuse that exploded the 1,200-pound bomb.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Attacks on OBJ, Buhari: Fayose just wants to be noticed – APC ÏÏÏAll Progressive Con-

gress (APC), Osun State chapter, has alleged that Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose’s attacks on APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was to gain recognition.

Osun State Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famoodun, said this while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday in Osogbo.

He also said comments

by Fayose was an indication that the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was afraid of defeat at the polls.

He said those campaigning against the emergence of Buhari because of his age were unaware of how the experience of respected leader like Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa when he was 75 years, aided the development of the country.

He said: “Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, became president at age 75. I don’t know why some people are just making noise about Buhari’s age and health status. Buhari is healthy and competent to rule this country.

“The claims by Governor Fayose that Buhari is not healthy is a ruse.

Fayose is just looking for recognition. He is not a serious person; he is only looking for attention.”

In another development, the APC chairman alleged

that the Federal government frustrated efforts by Osun State government to secure loan from Bank of Infrastructure to Finance Osogbo/Ila-Odo road project.

He added: “Drop in funds accruing to the state from the federation account was the cause of delay in payment of salaries of workers. This irregular payment of salaries may affect

the chances of the party in next month’s polls.”

He commended the patience of workers in the state, saying they would be paid promptly as soon as earnings improves.

House issues one-week ultimatum to FG over NNPC audit Henry Omunu and Augustine Aminu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, on Wednesday, issued a one -week ultimatum to the Federal government to avail the National Assembly with the full audited report carried out

by Price WaterHouse Coopers on the finances of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in respect of the

alleged missing $20 billion oil fund.

The ultimatum, issued by the Chairman of the committee, Olamilekan Adeola Solomon, while addressing journalists in Abuja, directed that the NNPC audit report be forwarded to the National Assembly within the stipulated period by virtue of Section 85 (6) of the 1999 Constitution, adding that the auditor-general of the federation ought not to act on the report without recourse to the National

Assembly.

Solomon declared that it has become necessary for the Public Accounts Committee of the House, which is empowered under Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution to address Nigerians on the curious issues surrounding the report of the forensic audit performed by Price WaterHouse Coopers.

He said the committee was cognizant of the provisions of the constitution and that it was issuing the ultimatum

to receive the controversial report, following the resolution of the House of Representatives. According to him, the report has been unduly delayed and its submission to the legislature had also been side-stepped by the auditor-general, saying: “It is a professional best practice that such reports first come in draft, discussed and fine-tuned before the release of the final report, usually accompanied by the more detailed management letter.”

23 News

PDP to APC: Your manifesto is deceitful, unrealisable

Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday described the manifesto of its main challenger in the forthcoming general election, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as ghostly, deceitful and bogus, saying emphatically that it (the manifesto) is unrealisable.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, pointed out that the APC, since its formation about two years ago, has introduced and sustained political streak of lies, character assassinations, false alarms and wild allegations.

This, the PDP added, was being done by the party in the desperation to deceive and misdirect the judgment of the electorate ahead of the general election.

The APC, Metuh stated, has promised to pay a stipend of N5,000 each to 25 million poor Nigerians monthly, which, according to him, amounted to N125 billion monthly and N1.5 trillion every year.

According to the PDP scribe, “the APC knows fully well that this is not only unrealistic but also impracticable in a nation with an estimated budget of N4.69 trillion, comprising recurrent and capital expenditures. Yet, they continue to dish it out to unsuspecting citizens in a clear bid to mislead.”

Metuh equally made reference to APC’s promise to create 740,000 direct jobs in each of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT within one year, in addition to creating one million jobs for Igbo youths, also within the same period.

He added: “The APC has also promised to provide free education, daily free meals for millions of Nigerian school children, free tertiary education, free health care and free houses to Nigerians.

“The opposition knows too well that this is unrealistic, yet they prefer to brandish falsehood,” he

said.

Metuh maintained that it was pertinent that “the APC should explain to Nigerians how they would fulfill their promises, with the prevailing 40 percent drop in national income and dwindling oil price in the international market.”

Continuing, he said: “These promises are, therefore, either bogus or part of their (APC’s) plot to subject the citizens to a harsh tax regime, ostensibly to finance Bourdillon Drive and other personal interests… the real reason they desperately seek power.

“We, therefore, challenge the party to come forward and admit before Nigerians that these promises are false and merely deceitful.

If not, they should be bold enough to tell Nigerians that they are planning to skyrocket our personal income and company taxes, if they ever get to power,” he posited.

Metuh pointed out that under the PDP-led administration, company tax is a maximum of 30 percent of the profit, whereas personal income tax hovers from one percent for minimum wage earners, to a maximum of 19 percent for Nigerians earning up to N100 million.

Nigerians, he maintained, cannot afford a tax regime of 45 percent company tax and 32 percent personal income tax.

According to him: “Whilst we note the multiple tax regime in APC states like Lagos, we believe that Nigerians are not ready to bear the brunt of party’s harsh tax policy.

“If on the other hand APC decides to deny the planned imposition of a harsh tax regime, then they must accept they are guilty of fake campaign promises and deceitful manifesto.

“Indeed, the APC has constituted itself into a huge embarrassment to our dear nation. It has remained a camp of dishonest lot, whose statements cannot be trusted, having continually displayed its lack of integrity and proclivity for falsehood. A party of one week, one lie,” Metuh indicted.

24

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Health

s Quote Every day, people are getting more addicted and for every delay on the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB), more Nigerians die as a result of tobacco smoking—Director, Corporate Accountability of the Environmental Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FoEN), Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi

Anti-abortion movement founder dies at 89

Insurgency may worsen malnutrition nationwide, experts warn Lara Adejoro

o.adejoro@dailytimes.com.ng

The lingering insurgency in the country has severely impacted on crop production in Nigeria, placing many people at risk of food insecurity, according to an Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer for UNICEF Nigeria, Mr Olusoji Adeniyi.

Nigeria’s food security crisis is expected to worsen, especial-

ly in the North if cogent action is not taken following the displacement of farmers, increasing malnutrition and surging food prices.

Explaining to Daily Times, Adeniyi said, “The core issue relating to food and nutrition is a major problem for Nigeria, not just because of the insurgency but even before the insurgency, the northern part of the country falls in what we call the Sahel region and that region is

food in-secured, which means that the quality of food output from that area does not necessarily meet the nutritional needs of children.

“That is why children born and raised in that area usually have problem of nutritional deficiencies and the insurgency has exacerbated the situation.

Before the insurgency, they were struggling.”

According to him, the malnutrition rate in that area is one of

the highest in the world.

Adeniyi added, “With the insurgency, there is displacement.

Majority of the people in the North-east and in some part of North-west are predominantly farmers, they are the ones that produce the onions, the groundnut, the legumes that they bring even to the South. But due to the insurgency, the farmers are not in the farms and the impli-

Continued on page 27

Dr. John Willke, who established the modern anti-abortion movement and whose idea that rape victims could resist conception was challenged is dead.

The obstetrician died at 89.

Willkie and his wife, Barbara, a nurse, founded Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, Ohio and lobbied against Roe Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion. They supported peaceful protests at abortion clinics and spoke against the use of violence in the name of their cause.

Willke

Health workers begin indefinite strike in Osun Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo Health workers under the aegis of the Joint Negotiation Council, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo Chapter have embarked on an indefinite strike.

The health workers union comprises of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives; Non Academic Staff

Union; Nigerian Union of Allied Health professionals; Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals.

The strike, it was learnt, was necessary after series of peaceful protest failed.

The health workers are demanding the payment of their outstanding salary arrears and National

Health Insurance scheme (NHIS) for health workers among others.

When Daily Times visited the hospital, there was reduced activities of workers as the only workers on duties were medical doctors.

When contacted, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals (SSAUTH), Mr Afolabi Abiodun, disclosed that the health workers at

the hospital were going through hard times due to the non-payment of their four months salaries. Afolabi who lamented lack of pension scheme for the health workers, said the industrial action would go on as long as their demands remained unmet.

He appealed to the general public who would be mostly affected to bear with them in the course of fighting for their rights.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Insurgency worsens malnutrition Continued from page 26 cation of this is not going to be very obvious immediately because we still have some stock of food that have been bought.

But when the harvest time comes and there is no harvest, then we would be in real trouble. “…One of the solutions is to make sure that we increase production in areas that are other than those places where productions are not taking place, and expose the farmers to better farming methods.

“If it was difficult when the farmers were there, you can imagine how much more difficult it will be now that the farmers are being chased away by the insurgency.”

According to the Deputy Director and Head of the Nutrition Division of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Isokpunwu, almost 30 per cent of Nigerian children are underweight, meaning they don’t weigh enough for their ages.

“The percentage of children who are wasted or too thin for their heights has also steadily increased. Over the last decade, it has risen from 11 per cent in 2003 to 18 per cent in 2013; we are indeed faced with a national challenge,” Isokpunwa warned.

He said nearly four out of five Nigerian children do not meet the World Health Organ-

isation (WHO) recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life.

However, Adesoji added, except we do something quickly to make sure that the Sahel region is food- secured, we will be raising children that will be malnourished “and the implication for malnourished children is that they have low cognitive memory and it will be a risk factor that is going to be beyond the insurgency.”

The way out, he said, is for the insurgency to be controlled “and beyond the control of insurgency, the knowledge also of the mother and families in that area need to be improved upon.

“Often, we have some traditional practices in those region, where you don’t give children eggs, meat, you just give them food and food for them means pap. But some of those things can be changed because when we work on them and change the perception of the mothers, the mothers and the family begin to see the children as the future, they begin to see they need to feed the children before feeding the fathers because the fathers can cope but the children cannot wait.

“So, if we do all of that, that will help to put the children in the right direction of better nutrition even while we are fighting insurgency,” Adeniyi said.

UN launches new programme to curb adolescent AIDS In its bid to tackle HIV/ AIDS cases prevalent among 10 to 19-year-olds in Africa, the United Nations has launched a global initiative aimed at providing adolescents with HIV services.

The initiative, called “All In” is to specifically cater for their needs and fast-track progress to improve efforts at ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Anthony Lake, executive direc-

tor for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stressed that young people and children should be the first to benefit from efforts at ending the epidemic, not the last ones.

“We need to reach the adolescents we are missing and engage all young people in the effort to end adolescent AIDS. In fact, we cannot achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation without them,” added Lake.

25 Health

Group scores Nigeria low in maternal, child health MDGs

Baby talk

Akor Ejumene Abuja

Nigeria has gone off track in her efforts at meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets for Maternal, New-born and Child Health (MNCH) for 2015, a non-governmental organisation has said.

The group, Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) placed Nigerian’s 2015 target for MDG4 (Under-5 mortality) at 70 deaths per 1,000 live-birth; while that of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) was put at 250 death per 100,000 live-births.

At a press conference in Abuja, the Routine Immunization Sector Lead Project Director, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, who read the text of the conference however, said the findings of the most recent 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed under-five mortality was 128 per 1,000 live births, while the deaths every year, accounted for about 11 per cent of total global under-five deaths.

According to him, as much as 40 per cent of the deaths resulted from diseases that are vaccinepreventable and can be averted through routine immunisation for children and infants.

The project director said because enough funds and attention were not given to the health sector, Nigeria is already off the track in efforts to meet the health-

related goals targets in 2015.

He therefore used the electioneering period to call on political parties and aspirants to political offices to ensure that priority health issues are brought to the realm of public discourse before, during and after the elections.

Garba said the political office seekers were not focusing attention on the health of the people, but are dwelling on the promises of providing infrastructure.

He said there was urgent need for a paradigm shift by politicians who focus on building hospitals and clinics without setting up or strengthening systems that are necessary for providing affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare services, which are democratic dividends to the masses of Nigerians who voted them to office.

The project director stated that if Nigeria must achieve its goal of being one of the top 20 economies by 2020, the government has to commit to improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians, maintaining that only a healthy Nigerian population can build a wealthy nation.

Garba hinted that the gathering was to draw attention of the political parties and their candidates to the poor Reproductive Maternal, New-born and Child Health (MNCH) indices in Nigeria and to call on them to share with Nigerians what concrete and realistic plans they have made in order to improve the

lives of mothers and children as well as prevent them from dying through preventable causes.

Being a non-partisan and apolitical coalition of CSOs, the project director stated that irrespective of whichever political party wins the general election, the organisation expects governments at federal, state and local government levels to fulfil their policy commitments on improving the state of health of the woman, child and family in Nigeria.

Stating that the conference also aimed at sensitising political party members and indeed Nigerians on the dire status of the health of women and children in Nigeria and the need to draw attention to the inadequate funding of key interventions to save the lives of women and children in the country, the project director said there were huge funding gaps in the provision of key MNCH interventions adding that even where funds are available, there are unnecessary delays in the approval, release and utilization of budgetary allocation to child and family health in Nigeria.

As the country approaches the end of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is imperative that it takes stock as a nation and reviews how it will reach these goals, especially the healthrelated MDGs and chart a course for the post-2015 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday February 26, 2015

At Acorn Petroleum, we remain committed to delivering unrivaled products and services to our customers. Acorn Petroleum Plc., your new energy

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Oshiomhole accuses PDP of destroying Nigeria’s economy Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏ

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government, has destroyed the nation’s economy.

Speaking to a coalition of women from across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, led

by Chief Evelyn Igbafe, who paid him a solidarity visit on Wedesday, Oshiomhole said “PDP has mismanaged the economy. You can all see that you need about N220 now to buy $1. When PDP took over power in 1999, $1 was between N60 and N65.

“They have destroyed the

economy. After 16 years, PDP cannot give light to Edo people, and upon the darkness, they are using their might to collect what they call fixed charges from very poor people and because there is no light, the woman that has to grind pepper, has to buy a generator; because there is no light, the woman that grinds cassava, has to buy a generator; because there is no light, the woman who has to sell articles, at night has to buy a generator.”

Continuing: “I like what the Benin leaders are saying. We cannot say this is what we have gained from the PDP and because we are working, they are very afraid.

When I see the PDP Chairman in the State, wearing multiple

colours, talking and spending all his time abusing Oshiomhole, but fails to spend some minutes to say what the PDP has done in 10 years in Edo State, I laugh.

“When you are going now, pass through the Central Hospital to see the beautiful work that is being done there. This is what is giving the PDP sleepless nights, because all the evil plans they had against that hospital, did not work. Before APC came, PDP asked students to pay school fees.

We have stopped all of that. If you have two or three children in school and you do not pay school fees for any of them, is because there is no extra savings? Under PDP, they were paying for schools that didn’t have roofs and chairs.”

Oshiomhole continued, “So, when they were trying to divert attention from the main issues, you should checkmate them.

Now, over the few weeks, when the PDP is unable to pay salaries in some states, we have started working on Queen Ede Erosion site, we have flagged off construction of 2nd East Circular road, we are working on another erosion site in Ekenhuan road, we are repairing Ihama Road and other roads in the G.R.A. area as well as St Saviour’s Road, Uwasota, Auchi Erosion Site and many others.

“There are still many things to be done because the damages done by PDP in 10 years, cannot be repaired in six years. I want to promise you that we will con-

27 News Niger Pilgrims Board airlifts 557 to Isreal

Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏNiger

State Christian Pilgrims Board on Wednesday, said it will start airlifting of 557 passengers of 2014 Christian pilgrims to the Holy land on the 7th of March 2015.

The Leader of the state delegation, Barrister Abraham Yisa, who spoke to journalists in Minna, said the state was among the eight states whose pilgrims would be going for pilgrimage in March.

Yisa said that the airlift of pilgrims will start on the 1st of March and would continue until Easter after which the process for the 2015 Christian pilgrimage would begin.

He explained that some intervening circumstances were responsible for the spillover of the 2014 pilgrimage into 2015.

S’East APC urges Buhari to repackage Nigeria’s image Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÏÏÏSouth East All Progressives

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (middle); after delivering a lecture in Abia State Polytechnic, Aba… on Wednesday

Disabled Onitsha residents demand payment of entitlements Dilionye Dilibe Onitsha

ÏÏÏDisabled persons numbering

about 50 on Wednesday, stormed the Onitsha South Local Government Headquarters, demanding for the release of all the monies allegedly given on their behalf to the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Alex Achebe.

The group, which at about 9.30 in the morning, protested in the council premises, over the refusal of the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Alex Achebe, to release the monies released to them by the APGA Senatorial candi-

date for Anambra North, Chief Dubem Obaze, and the N25, 000 which was a part of the N50, 000, earlier released to the association by the governor’s wife, Mrs. Ebele Obiano, during APGA’s campaign rally at Godwin Achebe Mini Stadium recently.

The disabled persons, who spoke through their chairman, Mr. Onyekachukwu Ohajiekwe, at Fegge Police Station, after they were arrested on the orders of the Council Chairman, said they were compelled to take the case to the council headquarters after being refused attention by the local government boss when

they returned from a tournament where they had gone to represent the state in a Para-Soccer competition in Abuja recently.

Mr. Ohajiekwe, remarked that other entitlements which the disabled association used to enjoy during the time of the previous Local Government bosses, Mr. Ugochukwu Ezeani and Lady Ann Chukwuneke had been abandoned by the present administration in the Local Government and called on the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to remove Hon. Achebe, as he lacks the temperament to serve as a public officer.

Congress (APC), has called on Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to repackage the image of the country which has nosedived as a result of clueless and corrupt leadership.

Spokesman of the party in the zone, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, while speaking at a town hall meeting in Agbani, in Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State said, “as Buhari steps out to address the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London, tomorrow (today); we are sure that he will correct the foul impression of

Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏ The State of Osun House of

Assembly, at a plenary session on Wednesday, passed the 2015 Appropriation Bill of N201 billion into law.

The motion to pass the budget was moved by the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Honourable Kamil Oyedele.

The budget estimated as N197, 082,191,560, titled, “Budget of Renewed Hope” had been presented to the house on December 23, 2014.

In the course of the review of the budget estimate, the Assembly adjusted it upward to N201,

our fledgling democracy left by Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the National Security Adviser, penultimate week.

Buhari

Osun Assembly passes N201bn 2015 budget 740,360,700, to cater for the omission of the salaries of the Middle School teachers, to the tune of N4, 428,591,350, which was omitted when the estimate was being drafted.

The recurrent expenditure in the past budget is N90, 614,061,690, while the capital expenditure stands at N111, 126,299,010.

The Speaker, Najeem Salaam, threatened that anyone that misappropriate fund would not be made to go scot-free.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Business Times

s

FG improves FDI promotion to fund infrastructure deficit Emmanuel Ogbonnaya The Federal Government will soon begin the implementation of a strategic investment master plan to attract and sustain increased Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), which are expected to address the $2.4 trillion infrastructure funding deficit over the next 30 years.

The Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Mrs. Saratu Umar, disclosed this during a media roundtable organised by the agency as part of its ongoing stakeholders’ sensitisation programme, on Tuesday, in Lagos.

“We are reviewing our strategy with respect to partnerships, image, investment targeting, client servicing, in a co-ordinated fashion that facilitates steady and sustainable growth of FDI in Nigeria.

“We have also set up an Investment Co-ordination Framework to improve upon the business climate, improve on the ease of doing business and ensure policy consistency. This will help to enhance investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy.”

The executive secretary noted that the agency had also stream-

lined its investment promotion drive through the promotion of country specific and sector-specific investment opportunities, and in line with Nigeria’s investment priorities.

“This is in addition to developing a structured and resultdriven investment promotion calendar and certification of private organisations engaging in investment promotion activities,” she stated.

Speaking during the event, the Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, said Nigerians should support the on-going efforts of the NIPC towards promoting the country’s hugely untapped investment opportunities to both local and global investors.

He said: “I am here as a representative of the investors’ community in Nigeria. Our country needs both local and foreign investments to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development.

“The new CEO of NIPC, Mrs. Saratu Umar, is currently doing a good job by repositioning the agency to become a globally competitive investment promotion agency. We need to give her our total support and encouragement,” he said.

Earlier, Umar had explained that Nigeria needs over $2.8tn

L – R: Ms. Megan Foster Counsellor (Political), Canadian High Commissioner’s Office; Mr. Marcello DiFranco, Deputy Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria; Mr. Oscar Onyema, CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr. Perry Calderwood, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria; Mr. Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE and Ms. Sarah Branco, Trade Commissioner, Canadian High Commissioner’s Office during the Canadian High Commissioner’s visit to the Exchange on Tuesday in Lagos.

infrastructure funding over the next 30 years, whereas the estimated budgetary provision will be about $45 billion, which leaves a huge shortfall of about $2.4 trillion.

She added: “In terms of FDI, Nigeria receives an average of

$7.5bn yearly. If this is constant over the next 30 years, we would have brought in only $223bn in FDI. If we compare this to the infrastructure investment requirement, we still have a huge gap.

“Therefore, a massive FDI inflow is required to service the

implementation of the various strategic master plans across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. The implementation of the NIPC’s Investment Promotion Master Plan is being designed to address the sectorspecific funding gaps.”

NAGAFF advocates licensing of individual freight forwarders Funmi Coker The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has again urged the Nigeria Customs Service to synergise with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), in order to help reduce issue of false declaration by fraudulent importers.

Secretary General of the Association, Increase Uche, said unless the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) and

the CRFFN Act are harmonised to allow for both the licensing of individual freight forwarders and corporate bodies by Customs, it would be difficult to curb fraudulent malpractices by dishonest importers.

He said licensing individual freight forwarders would professionalise cargo clearance operation.

“The fraudulent importers are the ones creating this problem and unless government will sit down and listen to what the freight forwarders are saying, it

Aniebonam, NAGAFF founder

will be difficult to reduce cases of false declaration. In the United States today, the major sector in the trade chain that fights to bring the issue of corruption and false declaration to a minimum is the freight forwarders and what we are calling for is professionalism.

“In the US, we have over 13,000 individuals and corporate bodies that are operating as customs brokers, but here they keep on concentrating on corpo-

rate bodies and somebody can always commit crime and hide under that company’s corporate identity and go away, but if it is an individual, they will only block the person’s license code and the person is out of business and there will be sanity in the system.

“It is left for them. If they want professionalism, it is easy to be done. They should give CRFFN the chance to operate, so that the entire system will be sanitised,” he said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

29 Insurance

From Left: Chairman, World Pension summit for Africa, Mrs Grace Usoro; Co-Chairman, World Pension Summit, Mr Harry Smorenberg; acting Director-General of PENCOM, Ms Chinelo Anohu-Amazu; President Goodluck Jonathan; Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; CoChairman, World Pension Summit, Mr Eric Eggink and Chairman, Senate Committee on PENCOM, Sen. Aloysius Etuk, at the World Pension Summit in Abuja. recently.

Pension operators upbeat on sector’s prospects Stories By Kayode Adelowokan Operators in the Psension industry have expressed optimism that the future of the industry is bright.

They foresee a wider acceptance of the new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) by employers of labour as time progresses, believing that pension contribution can be effective in financing of the economy.

To see this materialise, they, however, called for an improved sensitisation of the pension scheme, in a bid to increase its penetration rate, adoption and contribution levels.

If Nigerians are better enlightened on the need to have pension account, it will make them mount pressure on their employers to get them registered in the pension scheme, the Chairman, World Pension Summit, Mr. Har-

Rights Issue: SEC grants Sovereign Trust extension

ry Smorenberg said.

While emphasising on the importance of education to pension growth, Smorenberg said: “If we can educate people, which is where our financial literacy comes in, and have kids in school understand what interest is and the effect of inflation on your savings, which are complex things to understand, then it would be better.”

He equally advocated personal economy, such that people are enlightened right from school till they start working, saying, this will boost pension acceptance and market development.

Speaking on how to incorporate artisans into the pension scheme, he said the pension fund was offering special programmes for self-employed people.

“It is a societal role and an obligation from the government, from the employers of organisa-

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has extended the period granted to Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc to raise more funds through rights issue.

The Rights Issue offer, which opened on Wednesday, February 14, 2015, ought to have closed on February 20, 2015, but has now been extended to March 13, 2015.

According to the official statement made available to the press by the spokesperson for the organisation, Segun Bankole, the exten-

tion and the actors in the social field to ensure that people are saving money for later years,” he stressed. He called on government to make it mandatory.

Also, the Executive Secretary, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), Mrs. Susan Oranye, while speaking on the importance and prospects of the scheme, called on employers of labour to comply with the 2014 Pension Act and also intensify efforts on improving the well-being of their employees saying, only well motivated workforce can guarantee improved productivity.

Oranye noted that the CPS was introduced to eliminate the stress pensioners pass through, whenever they want to access their pension, saying, the new scheme was transparent, fully funded, safe and should be embraced by every worker.

Bankole

sion of the Rights Issue was to allow shareholders ample time to subscribe fully to the offer.

He said such unique opportuni-

According to her: “This is a new dispensation, it is not like the old scheme, where people line up, cry and beg for their money.

The new scheme is really working and focused on workers. It is transparent, fully funded and safe. Hence, every worker should embrace it, as it provides decent living for retirees.”

Noting that the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and pension operators are seriously working to tackle the challenge of non-remittance by some employers of labour, she pointed out that the commission has come up with the names of defaulters and currently pursuing them.

Pension operators, she added, were having a series of interactive sessions with employers of labour to know why they refuse to remit contributions.

ty did not come that often, which was what informed the decision of the Management to request for an extension in the closing date of the Rights Issue offer.

Consequently, the Management enjoined all shareholders of the company to take advantage of the extension in date to fully exercise their rights, as that would definitely guarantee the consolidation of their ownership in one of Nigeria’s very dynamic and forwardlooking underwriting firm.

Standard Alliance trims workforce, improves packages Standard Alliance Insurance Plc said it has right-sized as well as improved upon the salary packages of workers in a bid to motivate them to provide better services to its customers.

Its Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Nelson Egboboh, who disclosed this recently, said that the workers, who could not be accommodated were eased out of the system with their terminal benefits duly paid to them.

While stating that the board of the insurance firm had approved an improved salary structure for the workers, as a way of motivating them, he added that dedicated and deserving employees would equally be promoted.

The initiative is part of the management’s strategic plan to align the company’s operations with prevailing insurance business realities, Egboboh said.

He said:s “The board and management expect that these actions will help to make Standard Alliance Insurance a more competitive company, better positioned to drive innovation in new products and enable it to better utilise its resources in this challenging economic climate, under which businesses have been operating towards delivering super financial performance results to our shareholders, as well as provide much higher level of service to our clients.”

Egboboh

A total of 2,290,585,798, (Two Billion Two Hundred and Ninety Million, Five Hundred and EightyFive Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Eight) units of ordinary shares, at 50 kobo each, have been placed on offer for existing shareholders at 50kobo per share, on the basis of one (1) new ordinary share for every three (3) ordinary shares of 50 kobo, held in the company as at the close of register during the last Annual General Meeting.

Labour 30

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Unionists, INEC urge Nigerians to use PVCs, card readers Stories by Joy Ekeke The National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), in conjunction with the Voters Education and Publicity Department of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), have urged Nigerians to embrace the use of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and the card reader and join hands with INEC in forestalling electoral fraud.

The unionists, however, expressed regrets over the botched elections of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which was marred by irregularities and unacceptable behaviour by some labour unionists.

The stakeholders conveyed their regrets in Lagos at a oneday interactive session.

A statement issued after the workshop, signed by the Na-

tional President of the union, Comrade Dele Hunsu, urged Nigerian workers to put the ugly development behind them and elect progressive leaders, who would work to defend the rights of Nigerian workers.

The statement urged workers to resist the temptation of exchanging their permanent voters card (PVC) for money as some unscrupulous politicians are said to be buying PVC as a way of denying Nigerians their right to vote.

It also urged workers and other prospective voters to make sacrifice and ensure that they comply with the schedule and directive of electoral officers.

“Nigerian workers must ensure that they arrive election venue early as accreditation is expected to commence at 8.00am and close at 1:00pm, whilst voting commences at 1:30pm’’,the communiqué further advised.

L-R. Head South West zonal office, National Pension Commission, Mr. Mohammed Umar; Head Research and Corporate Strategy, National Pension Commission, Dr. Faruk Aminu; President, National Union Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Oladele Hunsu, and its General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu, at a day sensitization workshop on the Contributory Pensions Scheme for self-employed tailors and garment makers. Photo: TAOFEEK BABAJIDE

End forced labour, ILO, TUC tell leaders

Ryder,ILO Director-General

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have called on world leaders to use the occasion of World Day of Social Justice to galvanise action against poverty and social exclusion, as work done in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity is a key to inclusion and a conduit of social justice.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, who vowed that the ILO leadership will leave no stone unturned in the fight against forced labour made the declaration at World Day of Social Justice. He said: “We call on the world leaders to ensure that there is no inevitability, no excuse that forced labour can be stopped as the economic gap continues to widen, with the richest 10 per cent earning 30 to 40 per cent of total income, while the poorest 10 per cent earn between two and seven per cent.”

According to Ryder, in 2013, 939 million workers constituting 26.7 per cent of total employment, were still coping on US$2 a day or less.

“Millions of young people facing a future of unemployment or working poverty are losing hope in promises of economic and social progress. The situation is aggravated by the widespread absence of basic social protection. Millions of people are subjected to unacceptable conditions of work and the denial of fundamental rights,” he said.

Commenting further, he said: “This year, the UN is putting the spotlight on human trafficking and modern slavery – a fundamental right and freedom denied.”

Also, the TUC’s President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, who stated that the global situation gives cause for grave concern, called on world leaders to initiate policies that would minimise forced labour.

Rio Tinto seeks conflict with unions at global meeting Rio Tinto cut short a meeting with global union leaders when the leaders rejected the company’s demand to end their campaign of exposing Rio Tinto’s unsustainable practices.

The meeting was held at Rio Tinto’s office in Zurich, on February 6. It was jointly agreed to by a Rio Tinto Executive Committee member and IndustriALL Global Union, with the backing of a global network of unions at Rio Tinto. The company had agreed, earlier, to a fixed agenda for the meeting.

“Rio Tinto behaved arrogantly from the start of the meeting, issuing ultimatums, threatening legal action and talking over us. I’ve rarely seen that sort of behaviour by management, since the apartheid era ended,” stated National Union of Mineworkers South Africa General Secretary and IndustriALL Vice President Frans Baleni.

“I made the trip from Australia to Switzerland in the hopes of making progress on problems that Rio Tinto’s Australian management has refused to address.

Baleni

These include excessive bullying and alleged sexual harassment at the company’s Hunter Valley Coal operations,” said CFMEU Mining & Energy General Secretary and IndustriALL Mining Chair, Andrew Vickers.

“Instead, Rio Tinto said they were only willing to talk if we accepted their ultimatum to end our campaign. The company publicly claims they are willing to work with key stakeholders like unions, but the message they sent to us was ‘my way or the highway,” he said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

OMD bags most creative agency for 9th consecutive time

Godwin Anyebe For the ninth consecutive time, Omnicom Media Group Agency (OMD worldwide) has been named the world’s most creative media agency by the Gunn Report for Media, maintaining the exclusive lock the agency has held at the top of the rankings since the report was launched in 2004.

The Gunn Report for Media is

31 Brands & Marketing

the industry standard for evaluating media creativity, ranking agencies according to their performance in the top industry awards shows around the world.

Most importantly, it recognizes the vital role media agencies play in today’s highly competitive and fragmented communications landscape.

The rankings reflect a point system based on awards won in more than 50 annual award com-

petitions worldwide. In addition to OMD leading the list with 521 points, the top three- ranked agencies included Starcom Mediavest Group (Publicis) with 467 points; and Omnicom Media Group’s PHD with 357 points.

OMD’s top ranking reflects recognition earned in 2014 by agencies in every region across its network, with stand-out performers including OMD.

Mainardo de Nardis. CEO, OMD Worldwide

PR global rating: Lack of data, research, Nigeria’s albatross - Ehiguese The new president of the Public Relations Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), Mr. John Ehiguese, recently engaged some selected journalists on his plan to rejuvenate the industry. He spoke about lack of data to measure the impact of marketing communication services and the misconception about PR in the Nigeria market. Godwin Anyebe brings excerpts from the interview.

john-ehiguese-june

Given the fact that two senior practitioners had successfully nurtured PRCAN as presidents, what do you intend to do specially?

Essentially, I will be continuing from where my predecessors left off, and building upon their successes. But in terms of what I will be bringing in specifically, I should say: more vigour in running the affairs of the Association, and a more global outlook, in terms of integrating Nigerian PR into the global PR community. I will work hard to see to it that we begin to be recognised and acknowledged as active players in this business globally, both in terms of standards and quality of practice as well as tangible contributions to the growth and advancement of the PR profession world-wide.

Till date, there is still misconception about what public relations is all about. Minds still drift back to a former minister who said he used N55million to do PR. My ques-

tion is; what can you do to earn respect for the industry?

I agree, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about what PR really is, even among some people who you would otherwise expect to be better informed. The solution to this is of course education. As PRCAN engages more in activities and programmes that promote the profession, people will definitely become better aware of what it is exactly that we do. I do get the feeling though that the situation is not quite as bad as it appears.

People generally seem to be able to spot and identify good PR when they see it in terms of results or output; they just can’t put a finger on how it is done.

This is where public education comes in.

Another thing we must do is to begin to project our successful PR practitioners as seriousminded, respectable and successful professionals in their own rights. On a final note, to link PR with bribery is just a mischief.

Nigeria and other African countries have always been excluded when it comes to global rating, giving our current economic status, what will you do to raise the bar for PR practice and the professionals?

The issue of global ratings and rankings is an interesting one.

We tend to be ignored in global rankings because the world does not have data on PR practice in Nigeria. And you cannot generate data if you do not conduct research. Also we do not have a culture of documenting our campaigns in the form of case studies which we can present to global forums for assessment and reviews. Finally, our level of international exposure is still abysmally low. How many of our practitioners attend international PR conferences, for instance?

These are some of the issues I will be addressing during my tenure. I plan to introduce an annual PR industry research, which report will be published for general consumption. Luckily my

predecessor, Chido Nwakanma, had already started something in that direction, albeit on a small scale. I will review it and see how it can not only be improved upon, but also implemented in such a way that it becomes a permanent feature on the annual PR calendar in Nigeria.

I will also encourage our professionals to become more involved and visible at international PR conferences and forums.

Thankfully, the response in this area has improved over the past one year or so, but we hope to do even much more.

Looking back, what can you point out as the major achievements of the professional body?

In terms of major achievements in PRCAN, historically, we have succeeded in no small measure in sensitising Nigerian PR practitioners on the need to become more involved in efforts to sanitise and improve the standards of practice. In the past two years for instance, we have admitted about 15 PR consultancies into membership of PRCAN. This is significant when you consider that the current total membership is 50. We have also begun an advocacy campaign to encourage serious clients to only engage the services of PRCAN member firms.

As we create and provide more tangible value for our members,

we believe that our membership will grow, and then we’ll be able to achieve even much more.

It is believed in some quarters that the establishment of PRCAN was unnecessary in the first place, knowing well that NIPR was in place. Can you give us the justification?

PRCAN was created specifically to serve the interests of the consultancy arm of the PR profession in Nigeria. It has a legal backing of the NIPR Professional Consultancy Practice (Amended) Bye Law No. 3 of 1993. There is no conflict whatsoever in roles.

The NIPR is statutorily empowered to regulate the practice of PR generally in Nigeria. Within this broad framework there is the recognition that certain subgroups can, and indeed should, exist to address certain specific sectorial interests.

PRCAN membership is made up of PR consultancy firms, not individuals. And it might even interest you to know that one of the conditions for admittance into membership of PRCAN is that the Chief Executive of the firm must be at least an Associate member of the NIPR. In any case, both the NIPR and PRCAN have ultimately one common goal: to grow the standard of PR practice in Nigeria.

Our roles are therefore complementary, not competitive or adversarial.

10

Features

Health

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Politics

News

Alex Otti

OTTI Politics Abia APGA Guber candidate, Abia State.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Continued from page 26

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.54

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

cation of this is not going to be very obvious immediately because we still have some stock of food that have been bought.

But when the harvest time comes and there is no harvest, then we would be in real trouble. “…One of the solutions is to make sure that we increase production in areas that are other than those places where productions are not taking place, and expose the farmers to better farming methods.

“If it was difficult when the farmers were there, you can imagine how much more difficult it will be now that the farmers are being chased away by the insurgency.”

According to the Deputy Director and Head of the Nutrition Division of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Isokpunwu, almost 30 per cent of Nigerian children are underweight, meaning they don’t weigh enough for their ages.

“The percentage of children who are wasted or too thin for their heights has also steadily increased. Over the last decade, it has risen from 11 per cent in 2003 to 18 per cent in 2013; we are indeed faced with a national challenge,” Isokpunwa warned.

He said nearly four out of five Nigerian children do not meet the World Health Organ-

isation (WHO) recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life.

However, Adesoji added, except we do something quickly to make sure that the Sahel region is food- secured, we will be raising children that will be malnourished “and the implication for malnourished children is that they have low cognitive memory and it will be a risk factor that is going to be beyond the insurgency.”

The way out, he said, is for the insurgency to be controlled “and beyond the control of insurgency, the knowledge also of the mother and families in that area need to be improved upon.

“Often, we have some traditional practices in those region, where you don’t give children eggs, meat, you just give them food and food for them means pap. But some of those things can be changed because when we work on them and change the perception of the mothers, the mothers and the family begin to see the children as the future, they begin to see they need to feed the children before feeding the fathers because the fathers can cope but the children cannot wait.

“So, if we do all of that, that will help to put the children in the right direction of better nutrition even while we are fighting insurgency,” Adeniyi said.

Bangladeshi court issues arrest warrant for ex-leader

market of herbal fruit drinks

Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr

Baby talk

Akor Ejumene Abuja

Nigeria has gone off track in her efforts at meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets for Maternal, New-born and Child Health (MNCH) for 2015, a non-governmental organisation has said.

The group, Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) placed Nigerian’s 2015 target for MDG4 (Under-5 mortality) at 70 deaths per 1,000 live-birth; while that of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) was put at 250 death per 100,000 live-births.

At a press conference in Abuja, the Routine Immunization Sector Lead Project Director, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, who read the text of the conference however, said the findings of the most recent 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed under-five mortality was 128 per 1,000 live births, while the deaths every year, accounted for about 11 per cent of total global under-five deaths.

According to him, as much as 40 per cent of the deaths resulted from diseases that are vaccinepreventable and can be averted through routine immunisation for children and infants.

The project director said because enough funds and attention were not given to the health sector, Nigeria is already off the track in efforts to meet the health-

related goals targets in 2015.

He therefore used the electioneering period to call on political parties and aspirants to political offices to ensure that priority health issues are brought to the realm of public discourse before, during and after the elections.

Garba said the political office seekers were not focusing attention on the health of the people, but are dwelling on the promises of providing infrastructure.

He said there was urgent need for a paradigm shift by politicians who focus on building hospitals and clinics without setting up or strengthening systems that are necessary for providing affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare services, which are democratic dividends to the masses of Nigerians who voted them to office.

The project director stated that if Nigeria must achieve its goal of being one of the top 20 economies by 2020, the government has to commit to improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians, maintaining that only a healthy Nigerian population can build a wealthy nation.

Garba hinted that the gathering was to draw attention of the political parties and their candidates to the poor Reproductive Maternal, New-born and Child Health (MNCH) indices in Nigeria and to call on them to share with Nigerians what concrete and realistic plans they have made in order to improve the

Eligible

lives of mothers and children as well as prevent them from dying through preventable causes.

Being a non-partisan and apolitical coalition of CSOs, the project director stated that irrespective of whichever political party wins the general election, the organisation expects governments at federal, state and local government levels to fulfil their policy commitments on improving the state of health of the woman, child and family in Nigeria.

Stating that the conference also aimed at sensitising political party members and indeed Nigerians on the dire status of the Abiodun Taiwo health of women and children Abeokuta in Nigeria and the need to draw attention to the inadequate fundThe former Resident Elecing of key interventions to save toralofCommissioner for Ogun the lives women and children State, Sam in the country , theOlumekun project direc-while flagging off were the huge distribution of tor said there funding gaps in theVoters provision of key Permanent Card in Ogun MNCH adding State interventions last year, had told that Journaleven fundsState are available, istswhere that the office of the there are unnecessary delays in Independent National Electoral the approval, release and utilizaCommission (INEC) had to put all tion of budgetary allocation machineries motion for the child and family in health in Nigedistribution of Permanent Voters ria.

As thein country approaches the had Card the State.

Olumekun end the total Millennium Developputof the number of eligible ment Goals (MDGs), it is imperavoters then at 1.3 million. tive that as a nation But itastakes the stock election drew near, and reviews how it will reach it was found that only few PVCs these goals, especially the healthrelated MDGs and chart a course for the post-2015 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

voters protesting over PVC in Abeokuta

For every fake product, there must be an original, and whatever needs to be sweetened must have a bitter root. The fast moving consumer goods sector in Nigeria todayin the Oval Office of the White House President Barack Obama with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Tuesday, has become vulnerable for fakÏÏÏUnited States President, icers State targets in Libya.

Qatar has done in coordinating and pirates.

Barack Obama welcomed Qatar’s Cairo launched the strikes last with other members of the coaliThe minds of the upper, averemir to the White House on Tues- week after a video emerged show- tion in the fight. agethe and common day, calling the Arab country a ing militant group Nigerian murdering is obObama said the U.S. and Qatar sessed with the urge to get rich strong partner in the battle to de- 21 Egyptian Christians. are committed to defeating Isgrade and defeat the Islamic State Qatar recalled ambassador and lamic State, supporting the Iraqi quick, so theits sensibility militant group, which has taken to Egypt to protest whatbusinessmen it called people and stabilizing Syria. credibility of most large amounts of territory in Iraq unilateral action that could hurt The two leaders also discussed have been taken to the cleaners. and Syria innocent civilians - revealing a the unrest in Yemen and Libya, In a in country where basic and The visit by Qatari Emir Sheikh fracture the coalition long toutand the importance of bringing essential things as toothpaste, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - his ed by the Obama administration. peace to the region. first to the White House since he But on Tuesday , the American “I think we had a significant matches, everyday drugs, soft assumed power in 2013 - comes president sat alongside Qatar’s meeting of the minds in our drinks, clothing, even food seajust days after Qatar protested emir in the Oval Office and ex- shared belief that the more that soners, detergents and music, Egyptian airstrikes against Islam- pressed appreciation for the work we can work with all the counetc are adulterated and mischievously marketed, what is the future of the health and safety of ÏÏÏ Zimbabwean leader Robert our generation?

Mugabe says he never wanted Nigerian has become infa-

Much ado about PVC distribution in Ogun State 37 years after Polanski

tries in the region to try to find political solutions to problems, the more that we can reduce sectarian tensions in the regions and isolate violent extremists, the more effective we can be,” Obama said.

The Qatari emir was brief in his remarks, echoing the American president on the strong ties between his country and the U.S. Sheikh Tamim also expressed concern about the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa.

“We are concerned, as well, about the terrorist groups in our region,” he said. “I think we all share the same view, the reason why those terrorist groups are growing in our region.”

The remarks come from the leader of a country that U.S. Treasury officials say for years openly financed Hamas and allegedly supported extremist groups in Syria. Qatari officials have denied such allegations. When asked about Qatar’s alleged financing of extremist groups following Tuesday’s talks, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that the U.S. does not necessarily agree with the Qatari government on every issue, but: “The bottom line is that our interests with Qatar converge somewhat more often than they actually diverge,” he said. “Qatar has been of significant help on a range of regional issues including Afghanistan, Iran. As you know, the Qataris have even agreed to host a regional training site for the modTambuwal erate Syrian opposition.”

Gangs of Aso Rock

Alexander Ezike

UN launches new programme to curb adolescent AIDS

In its bid to tackle HIV/ AIDS cases prevalent among 10 to 19-year-olds in Africa, the United Nations has launched a global initiative aimed at providing adolescents with HIV services.

The initiative, called “All In” is to specifically cater for their needs and fast-track progress to improve efforts at ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Anthony Lake, executive direc-

tor for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stressed that young people and children should be the first to benefit from efforts at ending the epidemic, not the last ones.

“We need to reach the adolescents we are missing and engage all young people in the effort to end adolescent AIDS. In fact, we cannot achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation without them,” added Lake.

“Governor Amosun ruled out the possibility of foul play on the part of INEC, but however indicted INEC for disappointing the people despite the notice it gave on the commencement of the distribution exercise”

Amosun

ÎÎÎThe

I call him ‘‘Number 10’’, did I hear you say why?

The answer is simple; he’s a major striker and a top scorer in the game of politics. And he’s got a ‘‘hat trick’’ to show for it.

great America, the land of the free, the home of the brave, the bedrock of democracy, the ‘‘backbone’’ of the world’s anatomy, the ‘‘police man’’ of the global society, the ‘‘giant’’ of the planet Earth, and the birth place of Hollywood. Admired by all, feared by many, hate it or love it- America is the king of the globe! For the record; I’m a true Hollywood fan, why shouldn’t I? Who wouldn’t be? ‘‘Hollywood where magic lives!’’

Oh yes, we’ve seen Romeo and Juliet make sweet love but died a tragic death by the eldritch taste of poison and the cutting edge of dagger, a Shakespeare masterpiece! Oh yes, we cried when Jack died by the freezing claws of the cold sea as the young naked eyes of Rose poured down salty rain, a Titanic masterpiece! Oh yes, we had our hearts clutched as we shed wild streams of emotional tears when the ‘‘Gangs of New York’’ rained hell, an Asbury masterpiece!

Now sit back, relax and tighten your seat belt as I take you on a long journey from the door post of America to the corridors

country and for INEC to effectively distribute PVC”

They say Politics is a dirty game, but how well do you know the Nigerian politics? Just like in every action movie, there is a hero and a villain. Just like in every fiction, there is a protagonist and an antagonist. The lead actor of this movie is; Goodluck Jonathan, ‘‘Mr. Shy President’’ if you wish. Some call him a puppet; others believe he’s ‘‘toothless’’ even under the ocean of presidential power.

A man whose name says ‘‘Goodluck’’ but it has done pretty much the opposite for the citizens. The increase in fuel price, the series of violent episodes, the kidnapping of young girls, the Boko Haram insurgency, the mass murder of innocent citizens, the rise in poverty and hardship and the continuous ‘‘bang bang’’ in the North. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking then you’ll agree with me when I say that his name should be changed. Now take a good look at the next actor, the villain of this movie. He’s smooth.

If you haven’t heard about Ibrahim Babangida, then it is obvious you don’t know a thing about the root cause of

faces extradiction

were released to the State, an action which sparkedRoman off serious ÏÏÏ Filmmaker Polanski has appeared in a Polish court protests across the State and drew in connection request to the displeasure of with the aState Govextradite him to the US on chargernor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun es of sex with a 13-year-old girl. who described the distribution exThe Oscar-winning director ercisefled as athe mess.

US in 1978 before he could be Amosun sentenced for the crime.

Governor who ruled He now lives in France. out the possibility of foul play His recent stays in Poland trigon thegered part the of INEC, however inextradition request dictedfrom INEC disappointing thefor US. A decision is the not peopleexpected despitebefore the notice April.it gave on Polanski’s lawyer the dithe commencement of says the distrirector wants to clarify his status bution exercise. before he starts filming in Po“This is a mess as you can see land this summer. yourself; people areatcomplaining The hearing the court in Krakow was taking place behind everywhere.” closed doors.

Although the six weeks postJudge Dariusz Mazur, quoted

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

“If you have been following what has been happening since the build up to 2015 general elections, you will notice that the elections has really been postponed for two major reasons: the security situation in the

of Nigeria.

The heart-beat of Africa, the giant of the black continent, the pillar of the black race, the citadel of black wealth and the birth place of Nollywood.

Admired by some, avoided by many, hate it or love itNigeria is the king of Africa! For the record; I’m a true Nollywood fan, why shouldn’t I? Who wouldn’t be? ‘‘Nollywood where magic happens!’’ Oh yes, we’ve seen Okonkwo strike a fatal blow against his own, in a macabre demeanor as the ghostly hand of death leaves its signature on the young soul of Ikemefuna as Things fall apart, an Achebe masterpiece! Oh yes, we’ve seen Baroka, the mighty lion woo the young beautiful Jewel in a breath taking love triangle, a Soyinka masterpiece! But what do you know about the ‘‘Gangs of Aso Rock?’’

Ladies and Gentlemen, grab a bowl of popcorn and a can of Pepsi, if you wish. Sit back and relax for the show is about to begin.

I’m about to play you a movie which I titled: ‘‘Gangs of Aso Rock’’.

Light, Camera, Action!

Why did banking job aging Dir Bank Plc fo of politics?

The decis interest of A you will agr been to this

Daily Times Nigeria

Price: N150

dailytimesng

NWAKANM Class Econo University o the people of intimidation ment. Excer

Thursday, February 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

https://plus.google.com/+DailytimesNgr/posts

Dr. Alex Otti, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State says that Abia State is a failed state and virtually all the infrastructure have collapsed under Governor Theodore Orji’s administration.

Otti, the immediate past Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank Plc claimed that there are a lots of rot in Orji’s government saying the state is heavily indebted and in dire need of assistance. In this interview with VAL OKARA and SUNDAY

Group scores Much ado US, Qatar united WAR IN THEis a 18 failed about PVC in fight against CALIPHATE Nigeria low in State 18 distribution IS, says Obama Tambuwal maternal, child 25 Health International 14 Features in Ogun State WAR IN THE CAL s P14 tackles Abdalla health MDGs Group scores Nigeria low in P 10 US, Qatar united in fight maternal, child health Tambu 25MDGs againstThe IS,virgin says Obama Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, February 26, 2015

Insurgency worsens malnutrition

s

Amosun

to be president, despite the fact

that the nonagenarian continCONTINUED ON PAGE 19

by the AFP news agency, said it was unlikely that a decision on the extradition request would be made on Wednesday.

A further hearing has been scheduled for April. If the court decides to approve the request, the case will be passed to Poland’s justice minister.

Polanski, 81, has said he does not expect to be extradited.

Many in Poland also believe the authorities will be reluctant to agree to the request, according to the BBC’s Adam Easton in Warsaw.

Swiss authorities turned down a US extradition warrant in 2010, after he had been placed under house arrest for nine months.

ues to cling to power, almost 35 years after Zimbabwe attained its independence, according to a report.

Mugabe, who turned 91 on February 21 made the claim during a birthday party - the first of many - hosted by civil servants at his Harare office, New Zimbabwe.com said.

“I never joined the struggle because I wante d one day to be prime minister, no, but I joined the struggle to play my part as prescribed by the party,” Mugabe was quoted by as saying.

Mugabe said he believed - even during the time when he participated in the country’s independence struggle - that a president could only be appointed by the

ÏÏÏA

Bangladesh court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for ex-prime minister Khaelda Zia in two graft cases after she failed to appear in court for the fourth time.

Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadder issued the decision in a makeshift court in the nation’s capital, Dhaka, after he refused a bail plea by the defence, which sought more time, saying Zia was sick and concerned over her security because of ongoing political unrest.

It was not clear immediately whether Zia will soon be arrested.

The court order will go to a police station where the cases were registered.

The charges involved an alleged illegal fund used to buy land for a charity named after Zia’s late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman.

Zia’s lawyers have rejected allegations that Zia had illegally collected more than $1m in donations for the charity.

Zia says the charges are politically motivated, which authorities deny.

Togo holds presidential election April 15

ÏÏÏTogo has fixed April 15 as

the date for a presidential election, a decree issued late on Tuesday stated, and incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe is expected to seek a third term in office in defiance of opposition calls for him to step aside.

Victor Oluwadamilare The president’s ruling Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) is due to hold a party convention Of all the states in the on Wednesday during which it is country , where the rescheduled expected to nominate Gnassingbe as its candidate for the polls. election will be held governorship The opposition, however, next April has 11, (assuming the date called upon the government to remains sacrosanct) the Oyo State implement an agreed presidential term limit race underappears which heto be the most interwould not be allowed to stand for esting.

All things being equal, five re-election. gubernatorial candidates, incumGnassingbe has not publicly stated whether he will seek another term in office.

He was installed as president with army support when his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the West African country for 38 years, died in 2005.

Faure Gnassingbe later stepped down under regional pressure, but won an election months later and was re-elected for a second term in 2010.

OYO

I never wanted to lead Zimbabwe Ajimobi – Mugabe

squares up against Ladoja, Akala

people.

Mugabe over the past years has, however, tightened his grip on power and indicated he doesn’t tolerate talk about his succession.

Mugabe

Herbs

tackles

Nasiru Suleiman Political gladiators in Sokoto State have started making postulations as to where the pendulum will swing, come April 11, 2015, when the people of Sokoto will go to the polls to decide who takes over the affairs of the state from incumbent governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of the All Progressives Congress (APC). By May 29, 2015, he would have completed his two-term tenure as governor of the state.

Obviously the battle has been reduced to a two-horse race between the APC candidate, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abdallah Wali whose emergence almost tore the party apart in the state because many had earlier rooted

bent Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Seyi Makinde of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Labour Party (LP), former Senate Leader, Teslim Kolawole Folarin of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the last, but not the least, another former gov-

“Yes, you will see them quoting that ‘this is the polling unit, this is this, this is that’ but the cards are not our own in Ogun State, which means somebody somewhere does not want about 35 percent of our votes”

Nigeria’s disturbing problems.

He is the ultimate bad guy! Some call him ‘‘Maradona’’ did I hear you say why? The answer is simple, because he knows how to dribble the nation to achieve his selfish and greedy motives. He’s currently sitting comfortably on fat bucks. If the late Michael Jackson thought he was smooth, then he should probably have thought again, because I can bet there is only one ‘‘smooth operator” and he goes by the name Ibrahim Babangida.

He’s bad, he’s crooked and he’s a player, and he goes by the name- Olusegun Obasanjo. I call him ‘‘Number 10’’, did I hear you say why? The answer is simple; he’s a major striker and a top scorer in the game of politics. And he’s got a ‘‘hat trick’’ to show for it, three times the commander in chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Once as a military head of state and twice as a democratically elected president. A bad man to the bone, a political mafia, some call him ‘‘Baba’’ a euphemism for the word ‘‘Don’’. He has

also made billions of cool cash. He’s one of the most dangerous mafia in the Nigerian politics, a man endorsed by the terrorist cult known as Boko Haram.

He’s been accused of being the financial sponsor of the flesh eating, blood sucking and twisted minded cultBoko Haram, in order to achieve his political ambition at the detriment of innocent lives.

(Ladies and Gentlemen) I present to you the one and the only- Muhammadu Buhari.

A one-time military head of state of Nigeria, but was overthrown by the ‘‘smooth criminal’’Ibrahim Babangida.

But he’s back and this time he has his piercing eyes on the presidential throne in Aso Rock, and he has threatened fire and brimstone if he doesn’t get the presidential ticket. And guess what? He is doing a good job on that, he has made the country unstable through his political vehicle known as Boko Haram. These are a few of the many that have made Nigeria a living hell.

They are the ‘‘Gangs of Aso Rock’’.

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08169118913, 08075038528

for Bar the state It wo Shagari the PDP the defe nor, Wa the PD dumped the oppo Thou said, th tween t and Wa election ing, its norship a battle Wamak ernor o hiru Ba that left Tambuw Tambuw sister, t been m the atm

ernor Ra Accord a among w day. Thou al list of al Electo it was ga much as post, it is remainin

Life&

TIMES Thursday February 26, 2015

Love like a movie returns for Easter L5 P

The dynamics of music and L6 marijuana P

Tonto Dike Controversial but passionate

L4

P

L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday February 26, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday February 26, 2015

L3 Movie & Music Review

Video

The Meeting: Another side of Rita Dominic Mutiat Alli The Meeting is basically an attempt to satire the mischief that goes on when citizens attempt to see highlyplaced public office holders in Nigeria. The 132minutes movie is not only hilarious, it unravels the subtle but negative characteristics of the Nigerian civil service system.

The slick finesse with which Rita Dominic plays the role of Clara Ikemba, the Minister’s secretary is one she has never been associated with since her foray into the movie world.

One may wonder if it is either because she didn’t get a role that would enable her push the envelope or that she simply never had the opportunity to work with a good director.

The movie is more or less like a Rita Dominic revival and

it is refreshing to see her quite far away from the character of a spoilt or long suffering girl who always finds a way of falling in love with somebody who will help her out of her situation. Thumbs up to some of the cast members like Nse Ikpe Etim-Sule and Chika Chukwu who were brilliant with the interpretation of their respective roles. in fact I almost became convinced that Nse practices prostitution in real life.

Besides these three, the movie also features Jide Kosoko, Femi Jacobs, Linda Ejiofor, Kate Henshaw, and many more. The movie tells the story of a widower, Makinde Eso, played by Femi Jacobs, who goes to Abuja to honour a business meeting with the Minister in charge of land allocation on behalf of his

company. A trip which was planned to last for less than 24 hours ended up lasting for five days. He finds himself in a race against time. First, with his boss back in Lagos who expected him to have closed the deal as soon as possible and then his daughter, who was graduating from the University of Lagos and who expected him to attend the ceremony.

Determined to see the Minister before their main rivals for the deal, Eso joins a long list of people from different ethnic affiliations and walks of life, equally employing different tactics to achieve their aim of gaining audience with the minister.

As Eso’s stay extends, his bond with Ejira, a Youth Corps member he gave a ride to on his first day in Abuja, deepens.

Rita Dominic

Ejira had just broken up with her boyfriend and spent most of her free hours in the company of Eso. By the time Eso gets his business done at the end of the week, albeit with some element of force, the pair had fallen in

love with each other.

However, the way the storyline unfolds ending with Makinde Eso and Ejira becoming lovers seemed a bit too stage managed. Despite

Music

Wizkid’s Ojuelegba

Life& T

E

A

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu murielukonu@gmail.com 08029030427 Akintayo Opeoluwani a_opeson2@yahoo.com 08126223784

Life&

TIMES ary 26, 2015

Love like a movie returns for Easter L5

Graphics Austine Agbovi

The dynamics of music and L6 mariju ana

Tonto Dike P

Controversia l but passiona te

Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893 Quadri Olowolagba 08029745478

Opeoluwani Akintayo

Thursday Febru

P

Mutiat Alli allimutiat@yahoo.com 08115557378

A chronicle of the Star Boy

M

L4

P

Ojuelegba is the 5th track off Wizkid’s Ayo album. The song was inspired by his experiences and sojourn in and around this part of Lagos, Nigeria. Released on Jan 5th, 2015, as at press time, the video had already garnered a whooping sum of 653,851 views on Youtube.

The 3:43 seconds video directed by formeost music video director, Clarence Peters and produced by Legendary Beatz, opens with a motor park scene, where bus conductors were soliciting for passengers on their way to one of the most popular areas in Lagos State, Ojuelegba, which also happens to be the title of the song. Of course, typical of other activities which usually takes place at motor parks, the video shows traders going about their business, and passersby moving to and fro. The video really captures what truly goes on at all motor parks across Nigeria.

Enter Wizkid. Draped in an all-black ensemble with a pair of red pair of sneakers, he boards

the bus to Ojuelegba and begins to sing about how his hustling journey to stardom began at Ojuelegba. Another nice concept by the video director as viewers were made to see their superstar, Wizkid take a ride in a public bus and were thus able to connect with his grass to grace tale. Children can be seen running around the street and depicting their own motor vehicles with condemned vehicle tyres, wheelbarrow pushers were seen at work, roadside traders busy with their wares and the bus conductor with very prominent Yoruba tribal mark, were all nice props and good side attractions which gave life to the song.

Besides good lighting, the slow and steady Afro beat is infectious making it easy for everyone to grasp at the lyrics. The camera soon pans into the house he grew up in. An exceptional move I must say. His attitude in the video was also on point, like the manner he had his palms clasped together in a thankful manner with his face lifted up, more like expressing how grateful he is to God. Fast forward to who he’s grown to become,

the obvious flaws, The Meeting was a well produced movie and it was obvious that a lot of professional effort went into pre-production, production, and post-production.

O j u e l e g b a

the Wizkid we all know today. In the dark studio with just a grand piano and a pianist stroking away, electrical wires all over the floor, writings on the wall, he lies on a single sofa, singing on like he’s got no more worries in life. The lighting in this scene was just perfect.

And then, from eating an unbalanced diet meal of eba and vegetable soup on wooden benches and tables, he chronicles his present lifestyle where he now eats well balanced meals while sitting on a dining table.

One very noticeable flaw in the video was the ear stud on Wizkid which he could have done away with as the audience aren’t quite sure he had it long before he became Wizkid. Also the tatoos on him increased in number as he climbed the ladder of stardom so, the video director shouldn’t have made them too visible.

In addition, he wore almost the same clothes all through the video. He should have had a change of clothes to further depict the lyrics of the song.

In all, I will score him 7/10.

Movie Gist L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday February 26, 2015

Stories by: Mutiat Alli

Kiki Omeli, OC Ukeje,

others for project RAW

Tonto Dike, Desmond Elliot advocate against rape Nollywood actress Tonto Dike and colleague Desmond Elliot recently lent their voices against the menace of rape in the society. The actors who spoke to public school students of Lagos state at a flag-off sensitization workshop titled College Acquaintance Rape Education (C.A.R.E), a brain child programme of Project Capable led by Esther Ijewere - Kalejaiye held at the AdeyemiPero memorial hall, Alausa, Ikeja, advised students and youths of the need to speak out on any issue of rape. Tonto however added that her foundation is also aimed at educating the society on all forms domestic violence with emphasis on rape and to help reduce the stigma attached to victims of sexual abuse.

Desmond Elliot

Funsho Adeolu set for father’s burial

Nollywood celebrities including O.C. Ukeje, Kiki Omeli, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Bryan Okwara has joined hands with Mr. Nigeria, Emmanuel Ikubese on his project awareness tagged Respect a woman otherwise known as RAW, a domestic violence awareness campaign that advocates for justice for women who are subjected to all forms of violence in the country. According to O.C. Ukeje, Emmanuel’s vision is to see men make a pledge to Respect A Woman especially if they are in relationships. He enjoined women who are in violent relationships to quit for fear of the worse. They believed in his vision which is why they resolved to join and support his purposeful cause.

Nollywood cross-over actor, Funso Adeolu Adegeye who lost his late father after a brief illness on Monday, January 26, 2015 has announced that the burial arrangement for his father is billed to take place between March 11th to March 13th 2015. The event will begin with a lying-in-state ceremony at Gowon Estate, Lagos on March 11, 2015 while the wake keep will hold on March 12, 2015 at Okitipupa in Ondo State. The final phase of the burial ceremony will be a reception for guests which will take place in the Ikale part of Ondo State on Saturday, March 13, 2015. The late Pa Adegeye was a businessman who was a major dealer in sports equipment.

Funsho Adeolu

Tonto Dike

Lilian Esoro, Bovi

Actress Osas Ighodaro on the set of 4-1 clinch endorsement deal love movie

Popular filmmaker, Ikechukwu Onyeka, is currently directing a new film 4-1 Love. The upcoming film is expected to star Kenneth Okonkwo, Lilian Esoro, Alex Ekubo, Anthony Monjaro, comedian Bovi Ugboma, Ebele Okaro, Brycee Bassey amongst others. The movie has Lilian Esoro reuniting with comedian Bovi after their popular TV series ‘Extended Family’.

Grace Amah

Grace Amah not ready for marriage Osas Ighodaro

Former beauty queen turned actress, Osas Ighodaro has signed a mouthwatering endorsement deal running into millions of naira with Polo Avenue, a retail store in the country. The excited actress announced the deal on her social media platform shortly after the retail store made public the announcement on the arrival of the actress on board which read thus: ‘Polo Avenue is proud to present our brand ambassador@officialosas Osas Oghodaro.’

Nollywood actress and single mother, Grace Amah has revealed in a recent interview that she is not ready to tie the nuptial knots anytime soon as she is currently focused on her acting career, her son and other pet projects she is involved in. The actress also noted that she expects her new man to be credible, have integrity and must be caring and ready to tolerate difficulties. Recall that Grace Amah had a child out of wedlock in April 2014 and has kept the identity of her baby’s father secret.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday February 26, 2015

Stories by: Opeoluwani Akintayo

Gbemi Olateru- Olagbegi, SODOKU Tosyn Bucknor, others get KCA nomination

Why Wizkid, Skales are at loggers head Sometimes it is difficult to understand why some celebrities derive joy in tearing each other apart these days. But one thing is for sure, there is usually more to the quarels than meet the eye. The latest duo to join in the fray is Wizkid and Skales, former label mates on EME records label. Wizkid first stoked the fire when on Monday February 23rd he alluded that Skales who has since left EME record label, is a failed artiste. He went on a swear rampage, calling the Kogi born music act unprintable names. There has been unconfirmed rumours that Skales who has since joined baseline record label alleged that he wrote the Wizkid’s hit single when he was just starting out in music, Super Star. In addition, it is also alleged that Skales has been going around saying that he also produced another of Wizkid’s hit single, Azonto. This perhaps was what got Wizkid infuriated and prompted him to go after Skales’ jugular on social media and he didn’t hold back Source close to the warring duo’s camp, revealed to Life & Times that Skales indeed went through discrimination when

Wizkid and Skales he was with Banky W’s Empire Mate Entertainment. It was learnt that Banky W focused more on Wizkid and allegedly abandoned other artistes under his label for years, as he saw him as the golden hen. All the more reason Skales eventually left the

record label. While some argue that Wizkid allegedly became pompous being the only act making the most money for the label, others believe that Skales became jealous of Wizkid’s success which he believed came at his own detriment.

Nigerian On Air Personalities, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Tosyn Bucknor, Mannie and Big Tyme have been announced as this year’s nominees for Favourite On-Air Personality Nigeria at the 28th edition of Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Other African contemporary talents nominated this year include Bonang Matheba, Roger Goode, Darren Simpson and Poppy Ntshongwana competing for Favourite Radio DJ (South Africa). Voting for the 2015 KCAs will span six continents across 19 localized voting sites in addition to Twitter hashtag voting #KCA giving kids practically everywhere the chance to decide who takes home a coveted blimp.

Gbemi Olateru- Olagbegi

Asa takes it to church!

Releases “Satan Be Gone”

Omawunmi flaunts baby bump

Lolo 1

Radio personalities Yaw, Lolo 1 to host Pearl Look 2015

Organizers of Freshly model competition has announced two indigenous radio personalities and comic acts, Steve Onu popularly known as Yaw and Lolo as hosts for its 3rd edition tagged “Pearl Look 2015” . The show which has as producer Doyin Haastrup Olatokunbo, will see thousands of hopefuls audition in five cities in Nigeria for a chance to be the next model and the best run way model will have all 15 contestants going to South Africa on a tour. The show will see each contestant battling it out in styles, attitudes and catwalks for a shot at the

grand prize of a six month salary and a modeling contract with Ice Model Management Yaw in South Africa.

Yaw a versatile and seasoned host and Lolo as co-host will be introducing surprising and competitive twists and guests are sure to be thoroughly entertained.

The much anticipated modeling competition, which made its debut in 2013, has produced winners, which include Julia Otobo & Bukola Anthony.

L5 Music Gist

Popular Nigerian singer Omawumi Megbele is expecting her second child with husband, Tosin Yusuf. The Bottom belle singer shared a photo of herself in a maxi styled ankara dress and captioned it “about to perform with my over load” referring to her baby bump. This is the first time she is showing her baby bump on her Instagram page. Prior to this, she had kept mum about her expectant state.

Omawumi wedded her boyfriend with whom she had her first child, on January 16, 2015. Their daughter, Emmanuella Kamillah is now four years old.

Omawunmi

Paris-based soul singer, Asa has released the much anticipated video to the single Satan be gone off her third album, Bed of Stone. Currently on Asa a concert tour in Europe promoting the album, Asa unveils another facet of her artistry with the new video. Directed by filmmaker Meji Alabi, music and visuals come together to present an atmospheric video reminiscent of the American Deep South, as an intense Asa dances alone in a Church to bring the song’s story to life. The JM-produced track features a reverberating drumbeat and a driving guitar riff that are a perfect foil for Asa’s husky vocals, with lyrics sung in both Yoruba and English. Released in August 2014, the singer performed songs from her third album, “Bed Of Stone” for the first time in Nigeria at the prestigious youth event, The Future Awards Africa (TFAA), for which she received a standing ovation.

She has received international acclaim for the album as well, with reviewer Anna-Bianca Krause calling the album “beautiful, sensual and mature.”

‘Love like a movie’ set for a futuristic 2015 It was jaw-dropping awesome the first time and stunning the second time, now it’s back for a groundbreaking third installment.

Love Like a Movie, one of Nigeria’s most successful musical shows ever is set for a fresh take on the story of Love on Saturday the 4th of April, 2015 at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre in Lagos. The maiden edition in 2013 took Nigeria by storm when it’s red carpet was co-hosted by international socialite, Kim Kardashian. The second edition featured the talents of former Destiny Child’s member Kelly Rowland, Tiwa Savage, Waje, Timi Dakolo, MoEazy and Darey and this particular edition recorded even greater success with sky high ratings and media attention long

after the event, including being crowned as one of “The” Events of 2014 by several entertainment writers. This year’s edition is fixed for Easter due to this year’s original February 14 election date and is set to explore new grounds and take the show into the future with a brand new depiction of Love. To feature various performers from Nigeria and around the world, it is a futuristic fusion of high-energy theatrical circus performances which evoke shades of the legendary Cirque de Soleil and superbly choreographed dance routines.

It will also incorporate dynamic lasers and a symphony of light and sound displays, all of which come together to tell the unique and remarkable story of love.

Darey

Movie & Music Gist L6 Stories by: Mutiat Alli and Opeoluwani Akintayo

Ibadan set for Oganla Fuji show

It will be celebration, music, dance, comedy and glass clinking all the way come Friday, March 6, 2015 courtesy International Breweries Plc as Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, a.k.a Oganla Fuji and other musicians, will converge at Top One Garden, Podo Villgae, Ibadan, to delight their fans with a music concert. According to the show promoter, Mr. Babatunde Agboola, the Alubarika of TASCO Music Promotions Nigeria & Overseas, the show tagged “Honourable celebration 2015 with Oganla Fuji Family”, will also feature the likes of Small Doctor (Akeweje Oganla), Sulaimon Maito (Paso Poly), Hajia Modinatu Akanke (Iya Afin Oganla), Waidi Akano Lanrodo (Omo Moganna), Taiye Cellalar, Ibrahim (Tick Leather) among others. The show is to open the 2015 Entertainment Promotions with Oganla Fuji Family and at the same time, promote indigenous music and culture.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday February 26, 2015

Comic actor AY, is bereaved

Shortly after comedian turned actor AY announced his heart felt pain on the piracy level in the country especially against the backdrop of his recent work, 30Days in Atlanta which was pirated, the actor has again been drenched in sorrow. He recently lost his brother-in-law to the cold hands of death after he was said to have collapsed at a shopping mall in Manchester city. The late brother-in-law who was fondly called Uncle Ebima was buried on Monday 23rd February, 2015 at the Blackley Cemetery and Crematorium, Manchester city.

AY helping with brother-in-law’s casket

Industry Issues

Nigerian

mus c& mar juana Mutiat Alli

Despite the fact that marijuana otherwise known as Ganger endangers life, musicians still find solace in smoking it as they believe that they derive inspiration for their lyrics from it , not minding the health implications of it. Mutiat Alli examines the reason why Nigerians artistes are hell bent on taking this destructive path and the consequences encountered at the end of the day.

Marijuana refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug. The most common form of cannabis used as a drug is the dried herbal form. Hence, it is one of the largest cash crops in the world as in the United State alone it is estimated to rake in a whooping $36 billion. With about 3,000 nicknames and derivatives; Dubby, Mary Jane, Loco, Panama, Gage, Ganja, Gangster, Grass, Hemp, Herb , Jane, Loco Weed , Smoke, Tea, Thai Sticks, Igbo, choko,, Ganger, Hemp, Bush and the most popular one, weed, there are rumours that it has even been smoked and used by presidents and geniuses.

Weed or Cannabis has been present as far back as man, specifically in the third millennium. However, the romance between marijuana and music started in the 20th century at Storyville where the first recorded American use of marijuana occurred in 1909. Earnest Abel, a cannabis historian revealed that “it

was at this time that music provided the background and not the primary focus of attention that marijuana became an important part of the Jazz music era”. There is no gain saying the fact that the drug seems to make the music of one who is under its influence sound more original and differ from others. Since marijuana smoking was associated with wild music and crazy behaviors popular among the Negroes and Mexicans, it wasn’t long before it was banned in New Orleans in 1923 with Louisiana following suit in 1927.

The 70’s however saw the rise of a some new types of drugs namely cocaine a n d heroin liked by rock stars and heavy metal users. But despite this, marijuana seemed t o take a pride of place when the Jamaicans brought it closer as the best drugs for musicians. The chief advocates were music legends, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh who were both members of the reggae group, Wailers. Immediately after the break-up between the duo legends, Marley became a world legend not just because of his music but for his marijuana life style which has since been emulated till date. According to Bob Marley, Cannabis allowed one to trust the fingers and the ears.

W h e n

you use cannabis, ideas and changes come out of your hands as if they are waiting to be played. Your fingers are running over the frets, hitting the right notes, and your soul integrates them into a structure. If you are in a certain mood, that mood is expressed just as if it was waiting to be played in that way.

The 90’s saw rap and hip-hop come into the fore front of music and not surprising, marijuana became the creative force of this brand of music. Barely would you see a rap artiste that is not associated with it.

Music icons like Tu-Pac, Dr. Dre, Lemar, Sly Stone, James Browns, Akon and foremost weed smoker, Snoop Doggy now known as Snoop Lion, have all cuddled the herbs and refer to it as the evident in their lyrics. Songs like Burn it up by Sean Paul, Coolio’s I’m in love with Mary Jane are authentication to the closeness marijuana has with music.

According to Peter Webster, critic of The International Drug Journal, he revealed that “Cannabis intoxication provides a wonderful basis for musical improvisation by expanding time perception, change body image, enhances sensitivity to movement patterns, and evokes auditory and visual cross-modal relationships, heighten association patterns, and vivid imagery”. He went further to say that marijuana opens up a person to something he has merely overlooked.

The Nigerian Music industry would not be over-looked out of the popularity of it’s great legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, one of Nigeria’s best musical export. He was a great user of Marijuana, little wonder he dedicated the shrine, his music palace, to the art of weed smoking and music making. Another great legend of music was late Orlando Owoh who made use of marijuana in his kind of music and this actually made him popular.

Today, the new generations of music makers

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti

are not left out as marijuana has either influenced their lyrics or stage performances.

Sean Tero seem to have found comfort in bringing out weed related theme tracks like Choko. Also Coded Tunes lead singer, 9ice has a popular Ganja man hit track, one of the songs that brought him into the music scene.

Also, fast rising singer cum producer Terry-G is a well supporter of weed by the frequency with which he mentions it in his songs most especially in Free 6Madness.

In the true sense, marijuana is the drive that gives some musicians inspiration for the lyrics of their music. It allows the musicians to have clear thoughts before each performance. It has the ability to fill an artiste with boldness ensuring that he gives that energy driving performance that might be lacking, to his appreciative fans. A close experience at the popular Oniru Private Beach and at the Muson Centre, clearly depicts what most back stages are like during music concerts. They are usually filled with the strong smell of weed.

Irrespective of what smokers of

marijuana think about its positive effects on their creativity, it is imperative to note that research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. Also its addictive potential is second to none.

Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and schizophrenia. In addition, abuser’s risk having a heart attack, an increase in blood pressure and most importantly, affects the lungs far more than smokers of tobacco. this because marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do. Really, the bottom line to this for musicians is always do things in moderation. One cannot emphasize too much on it.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday February 26, 2015

L7 Global Entertainment

Oscar TV Why Kim Kardashian ratings drop missed the Oscar party TV ratings for the Oscars’ US broadcast fell 16 percent from last year, according to figures published Monday, amid lukewarm reviews and criticism for its first-time host Neil Patrick Harris. The show averaged 36.6 million viewers, down from 43.7 million in 2014, according to Nielsen ratings cited by industry journal variety, which noted that the total viewer count was the lowest in six years. Some blamed the relative lack of mass-appeal movies among those nominated, while for others the predictability of the awards races this year didn’t help, almost all of the categories went without surprise.

The Oscars’ hosting job is a notoriously thankless task. Previous low-points of recent years include the wince-inducing duo of James Franco and Anne Hathaway in 2011. Harris also had a tough act to follow. Last year’s host, Ellen DeGeneres

powered the show to a 10-year ratings high. But critics were scathing about Harris’ stewardship of this year’s three-and-a-half hour Academy Awards show, including his stripping to his briefs in a skit about best picture winner Birdman. Most liked is his opening song and dance number, and his first joke about honoring “Hollywood’s best and whitest”, a reference to the lack of non-white among the nominees. In theory, Harris was as qualified as it’s possible to be. He has won four Primetime Emmys for hosting Broadway’s Tony awards. But the Washington Post wrote: “It was bound to happen eventually. Neil Patrick Harris, the man who can host anything, finally stumbled. Even stripped to his skivvies in a Birdman parody ... (Harris) couldn’t deliver quite all the thrills needed to get through the three-hour, 38-minute Oscar folderol without a yawn,” it added.

Neil Harris Patrick

Guiliana Rancic apologises to Zendaya Coleman Kim Kardashian & Kanye West

If you are among those wondering why Kim Kardashian was missing in action at the glamourous Oscar parties then, here comes the answer! The beautiful mother of one, was home taking some piano classes to surprise her husband, Kanye West who was away at the Oscars. Kim tweeted about it, explaining that it was a secret she was keeping away from Kanye, and that she wanted to learn how to play one of his songs on piano so she could play it to him.

She also went further to reveal that Kanye isn’t a social media kind of person, and wouldn’t know what she was planning for him.

Guiliana Rancic & Zendaya Coleman

Rap Star Bobby Shmurda calls out label, Epic Records In the two months that Ackquille Pollard, better known as the Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda, has said that he hasn’t heard what he wants from his label, Epic Records, namely a firm reassurance of its backing and help make his $2 million bail happen. Barely six months ago, Epic, a subsidiary of Sony, wooed Pollard, 20, with a seven-figure, multi-album deal, largely on the strength of one viral hit, known in its censored version as Hot Boy. With the label’s support, that song went on to reach No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. But now, after Pollard’s electric performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and almost 1 million downloads sold, more than 800,000 for Hot Boy alone, Epic has distanced itself, declining, despite pleas from music industry figures like 50 Cent, to help the rapper get out. Older hip-hop stars remember when labels were full service; 50 Cent recalled getting rappers on his Interscope imprint, G Unit, out of jail in a matter of hours; Suge Knight of Death Row

Bobby Shmurda Records infamously paid Tupac Shakur’s bail in exchange for a recording contract. But as rap has become more corporate, that kind of aid is unusual. Matthew Middleton, Pollard’s entertainment lawyer, said that while Epic is not obligated to cover bail or legal fees for Pollard, the artist and his family expected more support, financial and emotional, especially after the label’s spirited pursuit of the rapper made them business partners.

“These companies for years have capitalized

and made millions and millions of dollars from kids in the inner city portraying their plight to the rest of the world,” Middleton said. “To take advantage of that and exploit it from a business standpoint and then turn your back is disingenuous, to say the least.” Epic declined requests to comment on Pollard’s status. But industry sources say they understand the company’s reluctance to get involved, given the seriousness of the charges. Pollard was arrested for what city prosecutors said was his role as the “driving force” and “organizing figure” behind the street gang known as GS9, an offshoot of the Crips. In one incident just a month before he was signed, prosecutors said, Pollard shot at his brother, shattering glass at a Brooklyn barbershop. He faces up to 25 years in prison for conspiracy, reckless endangerment and gun possession. Others charged, including Pollard’s childhood friends, face more serious charges, including second-degree murder. Pollard has denied the charges.

Guiliana Rancic pushed the envelope too far on Fashion Police which aired on Monday, Feb. 23, when she used tone-deaf, arguably racist language to criticize singer and actress Zendaya Coleman’s hairstyle at the 2015 Oscars. During a segment on the 87th Annual Academy Awards, the E! personality sniped of Zandaya’s dreadlocked hair, “I feel like she smells like patchouli oil... or maybe weed.” The Shake It Up actress, who looked gorgeous at the Oscars in a Vivienne Westwood off-theshoulder white gown with Chopard jewelry, did not take Rancic’s comments lightly. The former Disney star, 18, took to Instagram to comment on Rancic’s diss. She posted an image of a long paragraph of text, giving context to the Fashion Police star’s words and voicing her concern over Rancic’s intent, without actually naming her critic. “There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful,” Zendaya wrote. “Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that left me in awe. Not because I was relishing in rave outfit reviews, but because I was hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect.”

“To say that an 18-year-old woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or ‘weed’ is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive,” continued the star, who was, in fact, celebrated by many outlets

for her look and called a “breakout style star” by Vogue for her appearance. “I don’t usually feel the need to respond to negative things but certain remarks cannot go unchecked.”

According to Us Weekly, Zendaya went on to name people she loves and admires who all sport dreadlocks, including her father and brother, celebrated Selma director Ava DuVernay, Waiting to Exhale author Terry McMillan, and Grammy-nominated singer Ledisi.

“Do you want to know what [they all] have in common?” Zendaya explained.

“Locs. None of which smell of marijuana.

There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that loc hair is good enough.

To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion’s mane,” she added.

“I suggest some people should listen to India Arie’s ‘I Am Not My Hair’ and contemplate a little before opening your mouth so quickly to judge.” Though she was not specifically named, Rancic, 40, recognized Zendaya’s words and responded on Twitter. “Dear @Zendaya, I’m sorry I offended you and others,” she wrote in the late hours of Monday evening. “I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had nothing to do with race and never would!”

Lady Gaga is engaged! Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney is the fiance of songstress Lady Gaga and he popped the question with a heart-shaped diamond ring. Gaga who posted the news on her Instagram account with a caption that read: He gave me his heart on Valentine’s Day, and I said Yes! After four years together Kinney and Gaga are ready to take a walk down the aisle.

The couple have tried to keep their love life private, stating in past interviews that they treat each other with a lot of care, and are good to one another. The two live a modest lifestyle.

L8 Television

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday February 26, 2015

Showing on

Showing on

101 M-Net West

135 BET

14:00

12:00

Thu, 26 Feb

Thu, 12 Feb | PG 13 L

‘S12/E106’. Celebrity interviews, musical performers, audienceparticipation games and segments spotlighting real people with extraordinary stories, hosted by comedienne Ellen DeGeneres.

‘S3/E6 - 3/6’. Malaika is shocked to find that she is still pregnant.

While Weki begins to realise his dreams, Tobi and Princess’s newfound love is severely challenged.

101 M-Net

00:00 The Messengers 00:45 Blood Of Redemption 02:15 The Confidant 04:00 Counterpunch 06:00 30,000 Leagues Under The Sea 07:45 The Hard Way 09:45 Gunfight At Yuma 11:30 Echo Drive 12:55 Waterworld 15:10 Edge Of Darkness 17:15 The Last Stand 19:00 Red Dragon 21:00 Lawless 15:30 The Millers 16:00 Suits 17:00 The Fixer 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 About A Boy 19:30 Masterchef Junior USA 20:30 The Fixer 21:30 Blue Bloods 22:30 The Mentalist

118 Telemundo 00:00 Fearless Heart 00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Aurora 03:00 Fearless Heart 03:50 Labour Of Love 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Aurora 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 Labour Of Love 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Aurora 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 Labour Of Love 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Aurora 15:20 Fearless Heart 16:10 Labour Of Love 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Aurora

120 BBC Entertainment

00:00 Cheaters 00:20 Unbeatable Banzuke 00:45 Unbeatable Banzuke

00:00 The Johnsons 00:30 Lies That Bind 01:00 Noose Of Gold 01:30 Katemba Mu Kkooti 02:00 Mary Slessor 02:30 Tinsel 03:00 The Johnsons 03:30 Lies That Bind 04:00 53 Extra 04:30 Tinsel 05:00 Kopa 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 So Wrong So Wright 07:30 Keeping Lucy

01:10 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago

00:00 Live At The Apollo

07:55 The Weakest Link

00:20 Top Gear

08:40 The Cube

01:10 Luther

09:25 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

02:05 Come Dine With Me

10:15 Deal Or No Deal

02:50 EastEnders

10:50 My Family

03:20 The Weakest Link

11:20 Hell's Kitchen USA

04:05 Top Gear

12:05 Top Gear

05:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

13:10 Come Dine With Me

05:25 QI

14:05 Top Gear

05:55 Count Arthur Strong

15:10 The Weakest Link

06:30 EastEnders

16:00 EastEnders

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

01:35 Poorman's Bikini Beach 02:00 Bad Ass 03:15 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's...

04:05 Unbeatable Banzuke 04:30 Unbeatable Banzuke 05:00 The Young Vagabond 06:25 Cheaters 07:10 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's...

07:55 World's Wildest Police Videos 08:50 I Bet You Will 09:15 Most Shocking

253 AIT

154 AfricaMagic Family 08:30 53 Extra 09:00 Meet The Adebanjos 09:30 The Dzigbordi Show 10:30 Kakibe Ki 11:00 Prem 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Trouble Waters 12:30 Channel O: Volt 13:00 Living It 13:30 Tinsel 14:00 Kakibe Ki 15:00 The Dzigbordi Show 16:00 Deception 16:30 Jara 17:00 The Johnsons 17:30 Lies That Bind 18:00 Affections 19:00 Fashion Coast 19:30 Tinsel 20:00 Airtel Touching Lives 20:30 The 5 Brides 21:00 Adam's Apples

128 SONY MAX Television

00:00 AIT Midnight News

09:00 Delta In & Out

15:00 Matters Arising

20:00 AIT News Hour

00:30 Movie:

09:30 Inside Out With Agatha

15:30 INEC Half Hour

21:00 Super Story

16:00 World News

22:00 What Life Took From Me

02:00 Sports Today 02:30 Necter 03:00 Focus Nigeria 04:00 What Life Took From Me

10:00 Focus Nigeria 11:00 The Money Show 12:00 AIT Reports 13:00 Sports Extra

05:00 Oremus

13:30 Desperation

06:00 Kaakaki

14:00 Democracy In Session

16:30 Nickelodeon 17:30 Tax Matters 18:00 Clear View 18:30 One Mic 19:00 Nowhere To Be Found 19:30 Family Ties

20:00 The 5 Brides 20:30 Katemba Mu Kkooti 21:00 Jara 21:30 Tinsel 22:00 The Dzigbordi Show

CAF U-17: AMAJIMBOS DOWN EAGLETS 1-0 X3

Burkina Faso

rejects Keshi, appoints German as coach

OPENS UP ON

S R E G D RO

DROP

MIGNOLET

X8

PERSONAL INFORMATION

X4,5

MESSI’S MISS GIVES CITY HOPE –Clichy

: L UC

X2

X2

Quadri arrives for ITTF World Tour

X7

MUTOLA

MARIA

“Maria has been my idol since I started to run. She has had a long and super successful career. After Korea I was asking her if she is interested in coaching me. Maria’s answer was positive and I am very happy now. She will be a great teacher for me,”–Caster Semenya

“I was the first athlete from Mozambique to win any World Championship or Olympic medal, silver in 1992 and gold in 2000. The people back home supported me and wanted me to run; they were disappointed if I wasn’t there. That motivated me for so long.”

– Maria Mutola

“I was one of the luckiest athletes on the circuit, in that I’ve stayed injury free. I ran for almost 20 years and my coach, Margo Jennings, was very careful in how we trained and approached races.”

– Maria Mutola

“A seventh title is something special. But it was tough, definitely not as I wanted and it was a lot harder than I expected.”

– Maria Mutola

MARIA MUTOLA MEDAL RECORD Olympic Games Gold: 2000 Sydney 800 m Bronze: 1996 Atlanta 800 m World Championships Gold: 1993 Stuttgart 800 m Gold: 2001 Edmonton 800 m Gold: 2003 Paris 800 m Silver: 1999 Seville 800 m Bronze: 1997 Athens 800 m World Indoor Championships Gold: 1993 Toronto 800 m Gold: 1995 Barcelona 800 m Gold: 1997 Paris 800 m Gold: 2001 Lisbon 800 m Gold: 2003 Birmingham 800 m Gold: 2004 Budapest 800 m Gold: 2006 Moscow 800 m Silver: 1999 Maebashi 800 m Bronze: 2008 Valencia 800 m Commonwealth Games Gold: 1998 Kuala Lumpur 800 m Gold: 2002 Manchester 800 m Bronze: 2006 Melbourne 800 m All Africa Games Gold: 1991 Cairo 800 m Gold: 1995 Harare 800 m Gold: 1999 Johannesburg 800 m African Championships Gold: 1990 Cairo 800 m Gold: 1990 Cairo 1500 m Gold: 1993 Durban 800 m Gold: 1998 Dakar 800 m Gold: 2002 Tunis 800 m Silver: 2006 Bambous 800 m Silver: 2008 Addis Ababa 800 m Personal Best 200 m: 23.86 400 m: 51.37 800 m: 1:55.19 1000 m: 2:29.34 1500 m: 4:01.50 3000 m: 9:27.37 5000 m: 18:15.10

Mutola’s Achievements

Maria Mutola Maria de Lurdes Mutola Nickname: The Maputo Express Born: October 27, 1972 Nationality: Mozambique Place of birth: Maputo Events: Athletics (200m, 400m, 800m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m) Record: She is the only athlete ever to hold Olympic, World, World indoor, Commonwealth, Continental Games and Continental Championships titles in the same event.

Name: Full name:

Poster!

Thursday, February 26, 2015

X2

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EXTRATIME

Europa League UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - ROUND OF 32

POCHETTINO focused on Fiorentina tie

Today’s Matches Dinamo Moscow v Anderlecht 17:00 Zenit St P v PSV 17:00

Pochettino

M

auricio Pochettino will approach both Tottenham’s fixtures this week as though they are individual cup finals.

Spurs meet London rivals Chelsea in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday, but face a tricky tie against Fiorentina in Italy today - with the scoreline locked at 1-1 following the opening

leg.

Many eyes may be looking beyond the trip to Florence, but Pochettino insists focus must remain on Europa League progression rather than picking up silverware at the weekend.

“It will be a difficult game,” he said.

“I think this is our first final before Sunday as Fiorentina are only one game from going into the next round.

We know that we need to score, but we are confident.”

Top goalscorer Harry Kane, as well as the likes of Danny Rose and Erik Lamela, sat out of the opening leg at White Hart Lane last Thursday and could be wrapped in cotton wool before Sunday’s meeting with Chelsea.

“We need to decide on the line-up,” Pochettino added.

“We have played two tough games against Fiorentina and West Ham (in the last week) so we need to decide on the best team.”

Despite playing across three competitions in the space of a week, Spurs will be hopeful of progressing in Europe, beating Chelsea in the cup final and keeping up their chase for a top-four spot in the Premier League.

Besiktas v Liverpool 18:00 B/M’gladbach v Sevilla 18:00

UCL:

Dynamo Kiev v Guingamp 18:00 FC Red Bull v Villarreal 18:00 Fiorentina v Tottenham 18:00

Messi’s miss gives City hope, says Clichy

M

anchester City’s Gael Clichy says Joe Hart saving Lionel Messi’s late penalty is a big boost to their hopes of conquering Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

City were beaten at the Etihad in a lively first leg on Tuesday night but they stood firm after Clichy was sent off with Hart keeping the score to 2-1 by shutting out Messi’s spot-kick in injurytime.

Clichy will be suspended for the

Inter Milan v Celtic 18:00 Legia Warsaw v Ajax 18:00 Ath Bilbao v Torino 20:05 Club Brugge v Aalborg 20:05 Everton v Young Boys 20:05 Feyenoord v Roma 20:05 Napoli v Trabzonspor 20:05 Messi

return leg at the Nou Camp but he remains upbeat about his side’s chances of making the quarter-finals.

“It was probably a penalty, but it was still a big decision. But the game is not over” The Frenchman said: “We always say you have to look for positives and I think this save was a massive one.

“I am not talking about the quality of Joe - because he is one of the leaders in the dressing room and on the pitch but this save could be the turning point.”

Olympiakos v Dnipro D. 20:05

Collins warns Celtic fans

J

ohn Collins insists it is “vitally important” that Celtic fans behave during the Europa League clash with Inter Milan at the San Siro tonight. The Parkhead club have been fined 10,000 euros (£7,000) by UEFA following crowd disturbances at their Europa League match with Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia last year.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EXTRATIME

CAF U-17:

BURKINA FASO

Amajimbos stun Eaglets

1-0

rejects Keshi, appoints

A

GERMAN AS COACH T

he 2013 AFCON losing finalists, Burkina Faso has appointed former Gabon coach, Gernot Rohr ahead of Stephen Keshi and Serbian, Milovan Rajevac to manage the Stallions.

The Bukinabe Football Federation (BFF) announced the successor to departed Paul Put, to head the country’s national football team on Wednesday.

Stephen Keshi has been outof-contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) since the end of last year’s World Cup. Failings on the contract talks between Keshi and the NFF may have caused

Nigeria’s absence at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

Ojieva Ehiosun ormer Super Eagles handler Christian Chukwu, has advised Coach Stephen Keshi to quit Eagles now to avoid further humiliation from the board.

“For integrity sake, it is better for Stephen Keshi to quit the national team job following the crisis he has faced and the way and manner his contract case has been handled.

Injured Iheanacho to miss AYC Mike Otanwa

A

ny hope of Flying Eagles star midfielder Kelechi Iheanacho featuring for Nigeria at next month’s Africa Youth Championship is now almost gone, after he got another injury, playing for Manchester City U-19 in the UEFA Youth league.

Keshi

Quit Eagles now, Chukwu tells Keshi

F

Although yet to be granted a work permit, that will enable him play for the club’s main team, the Taiye Academy product is allowed to play for the U-18 in the UEFA youth league as a player on trial.

The competition is opened to European youth clubs and UEFA, for the use of players who are not contractually binded to their clubs.

Nacho like he is fondly

X3

“It is clear that he is not needed and in such situation, it is better for him to quit in a more respectful way rather than face disgrace.

“Right from the time he failed to qualify our boys for the 2015 AFCON, he knows that his days as coach of the Eagles were numbered. In fact he played into NFF hands. If he had resigned after his victory in 2013 AFCON, he would have his name written in gold in the annals of Nigerian

football.

“There are many capable hands that has what it takes to do the job and whoever the NFF decides to give the job will surely have our support,” he said.

The erstwhile Rangers of Enugu manager advised the leadership of the board to shun sentiment in choosing a replacement for Keshi, noting that only the best should be given the job.

majimbos of South Africa marched into Sunday’s final of the 2015 CAF U-17 championships after a 1-0 victory over the Golden Eaglets on Wednesday. Khanyisa Eric Mayo’s low cracker inside the box on 26minutes proved decisive in the exhilarating first semi-final match at the Seyni Kountche, Niger.

Reigning world U-17 champions Nigeria rallied in the second half, hitting the wood-work twice and drawing at least two good saves from South African goalkeeper Mondli Mpoto.

But the Amajimbos held on to reach their first final at this junior level. Reeve Peter Frosler was in excellent form at the back and combining well with skipper Keanu Gregory, kept the menacing Eaglets at bay throughout the match.

Amajimbos now await the winner of today’s semi-final cracker between Mali and Guinea to complete the equation for Sunday’s final to be contested at the Seyni Kountche.

Club Cups: Pillars, Wolves, Ibenegbu in action Dolphins to play on Saturday Sand Eagles’ camp bubbles! ll three Nigerian clubs hosting

A

Iheanacho

called has been tipped to gate crash into the Nigeria team, preparing for next month’s Africa Youth Championship, after making a remarkable recovery from an injury that was expected to keep him out of the tournament.

His participation at the tournament is looking a little doubtful, though there is no report of how long he is expected to be out of action.

continental club matches this weekend will play their games on Saturday.

Kano Pillars, 2-0 winners over Al Malakia FC in Juba penultimate weekend, host the South Sudanese team at the Sani Abacha Stadium in the return leg of their CAF Champions League fixture, starting from 4pm.

Reward for qualification is a second round match-up against the winner of the fixture involving C.O.B of Mali and M.A.T of Morocco.

Nigeria’s other flag-bearer in the CAF Champions League, Enyimba FC will depart Nigeria on Friday for Benin Republic, where they will defend a 3-0 first leg win over Buffles du Borgu in Cotonou. They will face the winner between Al Ahli of Libya and Smouha of Egypt in the second round.

C

oach Audu Adamu Ejo is waiting for only two players in his camp at Aivoji Beach, Badagry as the team has started it training on Tuesday, ahead of the Power Horse Invitational Beach Soccer Tournament in South Africa and the 2015 African Beach Soccer Championship qualifying fixture against Libya, all next month.

“We have started training sessions, but we are expecting two more players.

Bartholomew Ibenegbu and Abu Azeez, both players of Warri Wolves, have been allowed to remain with their clubs until they play their CAF Confederation Cup second leg match this weekend,” Ejo said.

Maria Mutola Maria de Lurdes Mutola Nickname: The Maputo Express Born: October 27, 1972 Nationality: Mozambique Place of birth: Maputo Events: Athletics (200m, 400m, 800m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m) Record: She is the only athlete ever to hold Olympic, World, World indoor, Commonwealth, Continental Games and Continental Championships titles in the

Name: Full name:

PERSONAL INFORMATION

X4

EXTRATIME

Thursday, February 26, 2015

“Maria has been my idol since I started to run. She has had a long and super successful career. After Korea I was asking her if she is interested in coaching me. Maria’s answer was positive and I am very happy now. She will be a great teacher for me,”–Caster Semenya

“I was the first athlete from Mozambique to win any World Championship or Olympic medal, silver in 1992 and gold in 2000. The people back home supported me and wanted me to run; they were disappointed if I wasn’t there. That motivated me for so long.”

– Maria Mutola

“I was one of the luckiest athletes on the circuit, in that I’ve stayed injury free. I ran for almost 20 years and my coach, Margo Jennings, was very careful in how we trained and approached races.”

– Maria Mutola

“A seventh title is something special. But it was tough, definitely not as I wanted and it was a lot harder than I expected.”

– Maria Mutola

MUTOLA

MARIA

MEDAL RECORD Olympic Games Gold: 2000 Sydney 800 m Bronze: 1996 Atlanta 800 m World Championships Gold: 1993 Stuttgart 800 m Gold: 2001 Edmonton 800 m Gold: 2003 Paris 800 m Silver: 1999 Seville 800 m Bronze: 1997 Athens 800 m World Indoor Championships Gold: 1993 Toronto 800 m Gold: 1995 Barcelona 800 m Gold: 1997 Paris 800 m Gold: 2001 Lisbon 800 m Gold: 2003 Birmingham 800 m Gold: 2004 Budapest 800 m Gold: 2006 Moscow 800 m Silver: 1999 Maebashi 800 m Bronze: 2008 Valencia 800 m Commonwealth Games Gold: 1998 Kuala Lumpur 800 m Gold: 2002 Manchester 800 m Bronze: 2006 Melbourne 800 m All Africa Games Gold: 1991 Cairo 800 m Gold: 1995 Harare 800 m Gold: 1999 Johannesburg 800 m African Championships Gold: 1990 Cairo 800 m Gold: 1990 Cairo 1500 m Gold: 1993 Durban 800 m Gold: 1998 Dakar 800 m Gold: 2002 Tunis 800 m Silver: 2006 Bambous 800 m Silver: 2008 Addis Ababa 800 m Personal Best 200 m: 23.86 400 m: 51.37 800 m: 1:55.19 1000 m: 2:29.34 1500 m: 4:01.50 3000 m: 9:27.37 5000 m: 18:15.10

Mutola’s Achievements

same event.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EXTRATIME

X5

X6

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EXTRATIME

STARS OF YESTERYEAR

: S I G N HI

The queen of Swiss tennis!

M

artina Hingis, the queen of Swiss tennis spent a total of 209 weeks as world no. 1. Born on September 30, 1980, she won five Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Opens, one Wimbledon, and one US Open).

She also won nine Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, winning a calendar-year doubles Grand Slam in 1998, and two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

Hingis set a series of “youngestever” records before ligament injuries in both ankles forced her to withdraw temporarily from professional tennis in 2002 at the age of 22. After several surgeries and long recuperations, Hingis returned to the WTA tour in 2006.

She then climbed to world no. 6 and won three singles titles.

In June 2011, she was named one of the “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis: Past, Present and Future” by Time.

In 2013, Hingis was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

In July 2013, Hingis came out of retirement to play a doubles tournament, partnering Daniela Hantuchová in California, and said she might also play singles and doubles tournaments in the future.

She played doubles with Sabine Lisicki, whom she also coached

briefly in 2014, until Wimbledon.

After that, she partnered up with Flavia Pennetta.

CHILDHOOD AND EARLY CAREER Hingis was born in Kosice, Czechoslovakia (now in Slovakia) as Martina Hingisova Molitor, to accomplished tennis players Melanie Molitorova and Karol Hingis.

Molitorová was a professional tennis player who was once ranked tenth among women in Czechoslovakia, and was determined to develop Hingis into a top player as early as possible. Her father was ranked as high as nineteenth in the Czechoslovak tennis rankings.

Martina Hingis spent her early childhood growing up in the town of Roznov (now in Czech Republic).

Hingis’s parents divorced when she was six, and she and her mother defected from Czechoslovakia in 1987 and emigrated to Trubbach in Switzerland when she was seven. Her mother remarried to a Swiss man, Andreas Zogg, a computer technician. Martina Hingis acquired Swiss citizenship through naturalization.

Hingis began playing tennis when she was two years old and entered her first tournament at age four. In 1993, 12-year-old Hingis became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam junior title: the girls’ singles at the French Open. In 1994, she retained her French Open junior

title, won the girls’ singles title at Wimbledon, and reached the final of the US Open.

She made her professional debut in October 1994, two weeks after her 14th birthday. She ended the year ranked World no. 87, and in January 1995, she became the youngest player to win a match at a Grand Slam tournament when she advanced to the second round of the Australian Open.

In 1996, Hingis became the youngest Grand Slam champion of all time, when she teamed with Helena Sukova at Wimbledon to win the women’s doubles title at age 15 years and 9 months. She also won her first professional singles title that year at Filderstadt, Germany.

In 1997, Hingis became the undisputed World No. 1 women’s tennis player. She started the year by winning the warm-up tournament in Sydney. She then became the youngest Grand Slam singles winner in the 20th century by winning the Australian Open at age 16 years and 3 months (beating former champion Mary Pierce in the final).

In March, she became the youngest top ranked player in history. In July, she became the youngest singles champion at Wimbledon since Lottie Dod in 1887 by beating Jana Novotná in the final.

She then defeated another up-and-

Hingis coming player, Venus Williams, in the final of the US Open.

The only Grand Slam singles title that Hingis failed to win in 1997 was the French Open, where she lost in the final to Iva Majoli. She won the Australian Open women’s doubles with Natasha Zvereva.

In 1998, Hingis won all four of the Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, only the fourth in women’s tennis history to do so, (the Australian Open with Mirjana Lučić and the other three events with Novotná), and she became only the third woman to hold the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously. She also retained her Australian Open singles title by beating Conchita Martínez in straight sets in the final.

1999 saw Hingis win her third successive Australian Open singles crown as well as the doubles

title (with Anna Kournikova). She had dropped her former doubles partner Jana Novotná, then 30, calling her “too old and too slow”.

Hingis won a total of seven singles titles that year and reclaimed the No. 1 singles ranking.

She also reached the final of the WTA Tour Championships, where she lost to Lindsay Davenport.

In February 2003, at the age of 22, Hingis announced her retirement from tennis, due to her injuries and being in pain.

During this segment of her tennis career, Hingis won 40 singles titles and 36 doubles events. She held the World No. 1 singles ranking for a total of 209 weeks (fourth m o s t following Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova (after whom she was named), and Chris Evert).

In 2005, Tennis magazine put her in 22nd place in its list of 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis era.

In February 2005, Hingis made an unsuccessful return to competition at an event in Pattaya, Thailand, where she lost to Germany’s Marlene Weingärtner in the first round. After the loss, she claimed that she had no further plans for a comeback.

Hingis, however, resurfaced in July, playing singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in World Team Tennis and notching up singles victories over two top 100 players and shutting out Martina Navratilova in singles on July 7.

PERSONAL LIFE Hingis has dated Swedish tennis player Magnus Norman and Spanish golfer Sergio García.

She was briefly engaged to Czech tennis player Radek Št. pánek, but split up with him in August 2007.

She denied a rumored romantic relationship with Sol Campbell (the rumors arose when they met a few times professionally in a publicity launch of their common sponsor (Adidas), and also in London, due to them being goodwill ambassadors for the UN that time). She has also dated former tennis players Ivo Heuberger and Julian Alonso.

On December 10, 2010, in Paris, Hingis married then-24-year-old Thibault Hutin, a French equestrian show jumper whom she had met at a competition the previous April.

On July 8, 2013, Hingis told a Swiss newspaper the pair had been separated since the beginning of the year. Hutin claimed Hingis had cheated on him several times during their marriage.

Since May 2013, she has been in a relationship with Spaniard David Tosas Ros, who works for the Barcelona branch of her management company Octagon and is the agent of Tommy Robredo.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EXTRATIME

FEDERATION WATCH

With Osaretin Emuze

TENNIS

SCRABBLE

W

orld Table Tennis Player of the Year 2014, Aruna Quadri is expected in the country for the ITTF World Tour billed for March 10—14.

Quadri who plays professional table tennis in Portugal will be hoping to put behind him the disappointment of the ITTF Africa Championship held last month in Egypt to redeem Nigeria’s image at the $46, 0000 price money competition.

The ITTF award winner will compete for honours with stars from Egypt, Russia, Portugal, Iran, Benin Republic, Ghana, Congo DR, Djibouti, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Togo etc.

It could be recalled that Quadri was crowned the best table tennis player in 2014 in Dubai by the world ruling body for his exploits in the ping-pong game in the year under review.

He moved from 200 to 30 in the World Ranking. Only recently, he led his Portuguese team to win Portugal League for the third time in a role.

He is expected to lead Team Nigeria Table Tennis squad to Congo Brazzaville for the All Africa Games, holding in September this year.

X7

Scrabble meet

holds in Port Harcourt

T

he 2rnd edition of the Port Harcourt Scrabble Championships earlier scheduled for February 27-29, will now hold from March 6 - 8.

The Technical Director of the Federation, Federa Faruk Babainna, told Extra Time that the players are expected to arrival on March 6.

Quadr i Quadri

F T T I r o f arrives

r u o T d l r Wo BASKETBALL

AQUATIC

D’Tigers drop in FIBA rankings

N Swimmers in action during the Lagos State Secondary School Sports Festival, tagged “Ibile Games 2015”.

igeria Senior Basketball Team D’Tigers have dropped four points down the ranking, moving from 20th in the World to 24th in the latest Federation of International Basketball (FIBA) Ranking released recently.

Basketball critics in Nigeria saw the downward trend as bad omen following the fallen standard of basketball in in the country. Many blamed it on the poor leadership of

NBBF boss, Tijani Umar. basketball in the country.

However, the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Tijani Umar blamed the recent drop in Ranking to the lack of activities

“The venue of the competition is Total Club, 3 Ogoja Close, Amadi Flats, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

And games will start on Saturday, March 7, by 8:30am, while registration fees for the meet is N3, 000,” he said.

National Senior Coach, Prince Tony Ikolo, revealed that invited players are encouraged to give their consent to the Tournament Director before February 28 by text message or through the reply of the email privately sent to them so as to confirm their participation.

He directed all the invitees to come along with their complete scrabble playing materials of Scrabble Board, Protile, Timer and a set of Rack as players without these items will not be allowed to participate.

“Registration closes at 8pm on Friday, February 6, as Round 1 pairings will be on scan group same day.

“Players deliberately avoiding any of the Scrabble Meet which is a major prerequisite without due approvals stand the chance of not being invited to partake in the WSC qualifying tourney,” he added.

orchestrated by lack of financial backing from the National Sports Commission.

Umar revealed that D’Tigers are not participating in major tournaments across the world due to lack of funds.

“The National Sports Commission (NSC) has been starving us of funds to prosecute and participate in championships. We are working round the clock to secure viable sponsorships to take basketball to the next level,” he enthused.

Meanwhile, Umar has promised that D’Tigers will take its rightful place in the world rankings soonest.

“Right now D’Tigers are in Abuja preparing for AfroBasket qualifiers.

“I am not bordered with what critics are saying because we are focused towards improving the standard of basketball in Nigeria,” he stressed.

Aquatic Federation hosts age grade tourney Dickson Wrestling Championship

N

igeria Aquatic Federation (NAF) is planning big for its swimming programmes for 2015 beginning with the staging of its maiden National Age Group Swimming Competition scheduled to hold between March and April this year.

According to the President of the Federation, Babatunde Fatayi Williams, discussions are in the final stage with sponsors

for the competition designed for the junior and secondary school students.

He said the competition is being put together to fish out talent that will represent Nigeria in future championships.

“The Federation’s target is to organize various age group competitions to select swimmers for training for the future,” he stressed.”

suffers another shift

T

wice-postponed Governor Seriaki Dickson Wrestling Championship earlier billed for April has been shifted indefinitely due to the presidential and governorship elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Segun Oguntade, said the competition has been postponed indefinitely until after the election in April.

“It is only the sponsor, the Governor of Bayela State that can rightly tell the Federation when the

championship will now hold,” he said.

He said the wrestlers will be communicated to when a new date is fixed.

“As soon the new dates are fixed the Federation will reach out to the wrestlers,” Oguntade stated.

X8

Thursday, February 26, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

REDS

MIGNOLET OPENS UP ON

S R E G D O R

DROP

L

iverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has claimed that being dropped from Brendan Rodger’s starting line-up in December was “not easy” for him, but has eventually turned into a positive experience.

After a struggling start to the campaign, the Belgium international started to be under

scrutiny and eventually lost his place in the XI ahead of Brad Jones during a brief period of the current season.

Rodgers dropped him during the 3-0 defeat against Manchester United earlier in December while the keeper also saw the following games against Bournemouth, Arsenal and Burnley from

Mignolet

the bench.

But Jones’s injury during the Boxing Day game against the Clarets handed him a chance to regain his place in the line-up and the keeper has eventually seized the opportunity to get back to his best between the Anfield sticks.

“I look back to it only in a positive way. That’s

COUTINHO can fill

what I did when it happened. I told myself I could do two things; let my head drop or work hard and come back stronger,” Mignolet admitted.

“I am happy with how I reacted in that sense. I am happy I kept my head down and worked hard in training. I didn’t speak to the outside world, I just kept doing what I can do.”

HENDERSON ready

Gerrard’s boots –Crooks for armband stress

F Coutinho

ormer Tottenham striker and BBC pundit Garth Crooks believes Philippe Coutinho has the ability to fill the boots of Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool legend Gerrard is leaving the club at the end of this season and Crooks is confident Coutinho can help in his absence.

“What is interesting - since

the departure of Luis Suarez and the reduction in Steven Gerrard’s first-team appearances pending his exit - is that Philippe Coutinho is starting to look commanding in midfield,” the 56-yearold said. “Coutinho might be the man to fill Gerrard’s boots after all.”

The 22 year old still has a long way to go to equal Gerrard’s achievements but he won’t lack the confidence.

Alonso to play in Gerrard’s tribute match

L

iverpool captain Steven Gerrard has reportedly asked former teammates Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso to play in a charity match at Anfield to mark his 25-year career at the club.

The 34-year-old, who will join MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season, is believed to have set aside March 29, during the international break, to host a special match on Merseyside.

According to report, Gerrard wants

Suarez and Torres, both of whom now play in Spain, and Alonso, who plies his trade at Bayern Munich, to be part of the occasion, which could also include Javier Mascherano and Pepe Reina.

This week, John Arne Riise, who spent seven years of his career playing for Liverpool, confirmed via Instagram that he will play in the match.

He wrote: “Feeling very honored to have been invited to play in Steven Gerrard’s Charity match 29th of March.

Can’t wait to see some great legends of teammates again on the pitch.”

L u i s Garcia is also expected to Gerrard feature.

L

iverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has been captaining the side in recent weeks due to the injury to skipper Steven Gerrard.

Wearing the Liverpool armband brings with it all sorts of complications and stresses – as Henderson found out last week when he ended up in an on-pitch squabble with striker Mario Balotelli over who should take a late penalty against Tu r k i s h s i d e Besiktas in the Europa League last32 first leg tie.

Henderson ultimately showed a cool head and, sensing that keeping the row going any longer wasn’t going to make him, Balotelli or the club look any better, walked away from the situation.

Of course, it turned out that Henderson had been getting plenty of protection in preparation for that sort of

Henderson stressful situation. That’s because he had been handed the starring role in a new commercial for Nivea Men Stress Protect deodorant.

In the ad, Henderson gets a message to his phone telling him that he and teammates Simon Mignolet and Raheem Sterling are late. Thanks to their choice of underarm spray, the trio are able to leg it in the hope of getting to the event they are supposed to be attending sharpish.

Thankfully, Balotelli isn’t involved or he would probably insist on ambling along at his own pace.