Dtn 27 11 15

Senate issues Buhari two-week ultimatum to end fuel scarcity Olufemi Samuel, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Senate on Thursday served

President Muhammadu Buhari a two-week ultimatum to address the

lingering problem of fuel scarcity across Nigeria.

Buhari is the Minister of Petroleum, but the Senate served him the notice through officials of the Minis-

try of Petroleum Resources at a meet- leum products across Nigeria which ing with the Committee on Petroleum it reasoned has been causing dam(Downstream) in Abuja. ages to the national economy.

The Senate had earlier in the week raised issue on the scarcity of petroContinued on page 6

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015 VOL. 1. NO. 240

GAINERS

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 25th November 2015.

DANGCEM

158

159.99

1.99 %

NB

115.72

116.7

0.98%

MOBIL

GUARANTY

21

21.99

0.99%

CAVERTON

2.37

2.59

0.22%

GUINNESS 122

138.99

N150

132.05 -6.94%

JBERGER

39.5

37.53

-1.97%

120

INTBREW

16.5

16

-0.5%

-2%

Kogi poll crisis: PDP, APC’s Faleke claim victory “…with the death of its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has legally crashed out of the governorship race as no known law or constitutional provision allows the substituting of candidates, once the ballot process has commenced… leaving INEC with no other lawful option than to declare the PDP candidate, Capt. Idris Wada as the winner of the election”

Ï #ƆƅƋ ƏƆ z Ɨ Ɠƈ ƆƏè ^#^ ƐƆƋƋ 9M& Ï 9ôƌ 1 ƒƆƏ ƏéƆƋƆƅƐè ƕ ƑƗƑô ƏƑ ƈ ƌ ƐƆ Ï G ƓƕƆƏ ƇƈƋƆ ƑƈƐ ƆƆƊƈ ƅ ƗƑƅƐ Ƈ ƇƏƆ ƆƋƆƅƐƈ ÎÎÎThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on

Thursday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its candidate in the Nov. 21 Governorship

election in Kogi , Capt . Idris Wada (rtd), the winner of the election, just as Hon. James Faleke, the running mate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, late Prince

Abubakar Audu wrote the electoral body to declare him ‘governor-elect’.

Continued on page 6

01 Ɛ ƆƐ up $25bn infrastructure fund g17 – Adeosun

Ondo LG g8 funds: US lawyer petitions Buhari, EFCC Return g6 of looted funds: Buhari lied, says Fayose President Muhammadu Buhari (middle) in a handshake with National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu during a dinner organised by the President for Senators at the Villa in Abuja… on Wednesday. With them is Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

ƑƏƐ ƒƆƏƏƑƋƆ 01 # ƑƊƈô ƍƏƆ Ɔ ƅƆ ƈ ƅ ƑƏƐ g12

Hon. gL1 Motunrayo Oladapo: Succeeding despite odds

2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Deplorable state of our roads

I

f there is anything that daily bothers all Nigerians, it is the deplorable state of the country’s roads. A lot has been written and said about the sad state of our roads, yet the authorities seem not to be in any hurry to remedy the situation. From the East to the West and from the North to the South, the pathetic tales of collapsing roads and highways are becoming daily staple news. We join other concerned Nigerians in calling for immediate and urgent measures to rehabilitate our roads to save not only the economy but also reduce the daily loss of lives and properties. It is a fact that Nigeria has the highest road fatality rates in Africa and one of the highest rates of road deaths in the world.

In addition, commuting in Lagos and other big cities has become a gruesome ordeal as well as a heartrending lifetime experience.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the deplorable state our roads has certainly become a national embarrassment as there is hardly any part of the country that can boast of more good roads than bad ones, be those roads federal, state or local government. With a largely non-functional railway system, roads are the only means of moving people and goods around the country, which means that the nation’s economy is grounded with such bad roads as Nigeria has.

Travelling on our roads has become a hellish experience aslo, as vehicles frequently break down, often leaving their passengers stranded. Incidentally, the bulk of Nigeria’s roads are under the jurisdiction of the federal government, yet they had deteriorated over the

years thereby cutting off many states and communities. One could hardly find a major highway in the country without it being largely in a state of disrepair.

Unfortunately, it is not too difficult to decipher how we got to this sorry pass. Instead of maintaining the bad spots on the roads as they develop, the authorities would wait until the roads go completely bad and provide opportunity to award contracts at heavily inflated rate.

Attempts in the past by the state governments to fix deplorable federal roads and get refunds have not really worked. As a result, some states that could have maintained the roads are hesitant. Until those who are given responsibility imbibe the culture of road maintenance and do them at record time, the circle of bad and deplorable roads will continue to be with us.

In all, the authorities are responsible for the constant collapse of our roads. For example, the building of concrete roads with cement, especially in the southern states with incidence of gully erosion has been canvassed for long, yet corruption is preventing those responsible from heeding this call.

Experts posit that using concrete roads will result in less fuel consumption and less emissions, even as small percentage reduction will have significantly positive implications on sustainable development.

Moreover, concrete roads are durable and safe. It now the responsibility of the Buhari administration to deal with the challenges posed by the dilapidated roads, even in the face of dwindling resources.

No matter the circumstance, all Nigerians want is well-maintained motorable roads.

Beninese gendarmes on Nigerian soil?

Segun Adio

ÎÎÎThere

came a rather disturbing news from Kwara State recently that some suspected Beninese gendarmes launched an attack on 16 Nigerian villages. The news had it that the attackers struck in Okuta village, in Baruten Local Government Area of the state.

The report claimed that shortly after the villages were sacked, offices for the gendarmerie began to spring up while the national flag of the neighbouring country was also hoisted in the communities.

The report also had it that teachers, Nigerian dispensary workers and

Immigration officials in the affected communities were also sent packing from the area by Benin Republic officials.

This tale had better not been true because encroaching on Nigerian soil by a brotherly neighbour cannot be more than an affront, and total disrespect. Recall that there was a boundary delimitation agreement in 1914 between Britain and France which the two countries had respected until now.

Except discussions on the embarrassing situation are being held behind closed doors between officials of the two countries, there has been no official statement, nay action, from the Nigerian authorities on the matter.

The disturbing report from Okuta calls for

Words On Marble :

urgent Federal Government attention. Nigeria is too bogged down with the troubles of Boko Haram insurgents than to open a new frontier with marauding gendarmes. Needless to mention the rising agitation for statehood by sectional groups.

This is an immediate task for new Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Dan Ali. There is urgent need to reassure fleeing Nigerians in that community that their government still cares for them and would always do.

To the marauding gendarmes, Abuja needs urgent dialogue with their leaders so that peace return to the affected area and the cordial relationship between the countries is not dragged in the mud.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike Editor Biodun Durojaiye Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714 Group Head Accounts & Control Samson Abiodun

Technical Adviser To Publisher Innocent Nwankwo 08033072614 Ag Head Operations Segun Bamigboye Adverts/Partnerships/ Corporate Subscription Ifeanyi Emefu 08086296714 Konnie Agu 09033765031

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Tony Uranta

Akinwumi Ambode

Olusegun Obasanjo

“The Federal Government should, henceforth, exhibit a more sensitive and equity-driven awareness of the fact that Nigeria is not any one man’s (or group of men’s) fiefdom”.

“We owe it to the people to ensure Lagos works for all.

Tackling traffic is a good place to start; a good place to begin the significant change that our people expect from us”.

“All of us who have had experience in our service to the nation and to humanity must not put it under the bushel”.

4 4

Daily Times Nigeria Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015 Friday, November 13, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

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News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Kogi poll crisis: PDP, APC’s Faleke claim victory Continued from page 1 Also on Thursday, leaders of the APC in Kogi East Senatorial District of Kogi state nominated 43-year old Mohammed, the first son of late Prince Abubakar Audu, to replace him as the party’ s governorship candidate in the supplementary election scheduled by INEC for December 5.

The leaders, stakeholders and delegates made this known in Lokoja after a marathon meeting, just as Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Lagos-based human rights crusader and lawyer, on Thursday filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking conduct of

fresh elections in Kogi.

Adegboruwa, in his suit, is praying the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh governorship elections in the state.

Joined as respondents in the suit by the lawyer were the Attorney-General of the Federation, INEC, the PDP and the APC. The PDP National caucus arrived at the position that the party’s candidate should be declared the winner at a crucial meeting in Abuja where it thoroughly considered the developments arising from the conduct of the inconclusive governorship election in Kogi

The party equally said that as a critical stakeholder, it will immediately challenge the unlawful and unconstitutional decision by INEC to allow tha APC substitute late Prince Abubakar Audu as its candidate in the election) in the court “in order to save the nation’s democracy from imminent collapse”.

The PDP National Caucus, in a communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by its National Publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, Insisted that with the death of its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has legally crashed out of the governorship race “as

no known law or constitutional provision allows the substituting of candidates, once the ballot process has commenced”.

The party further insisted that with the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has no valid candidate in the election, leaving INEC with no other lawful option than to declare the PDP candidate, Capt. Idris Wada as the winner of the election.

The communique reads, “the National Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 in Abuja wherein it thoroughly considered the developments arising from the conduct of

the inconclusive governorship election in Kogi state and resolved as follows; “Completely rejects the decision of INEC in yielding to the unlawful prompting of a clearly partisan Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami, to allow APC to substitute a candidate in the middle of an election, even when such has no place in the Constitution and the Electoral Act. “Insists that with the death of its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has legally crashed out of the governorship race as no known law or constitutional provision allows the substituting of candidates, once the ballot process has commenced.

“Insists that with the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has no valid candidate in

the election, leaving INEC with no other lawful option than to declare the PDP candidate, Capt. Idris Wada as the winner of the election.

“Notes that the combine reading of the provisions of the constitution and Electoral Act does not in any war whatsoever support the substitution of candidates for election in the middle of the ballot process.

“Notes that if APC is allowed to substitute its original candidate, then the party would have fielded two separate candidates in the same election, a scenario that is completely alien to our electoral laws and to any known democratic norms and practice worldover.

“Caucus observes that the APC, fully aware that it has no case before the law is now Continued on page 12

Return of looted funds:

Buhari lied – Fayose Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÎÎÎEkiti State Governor,

L-R: Principal Consultant, Adstrat, Mr. Charles O’Tudor; Managing Director, Mediacom Nigeria, Dr. Ken Ikpe; Managing Partner, Brandzone, Chizor Malize; Chief Executive Officer, NECCI and Organiser, Nkechi Ali-Balogun; President, WhiteHouse Synergy, Mr. Ken Egbas and Chief Executive Officer, CMC Connect Burson Marsteller, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya during the 15th NECCI PR Roundtable held at Four Points Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos… on Thursday.

Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

Mr. Ayo Fayose, has carpeted President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that many of those who looted the nation’s public treasury in the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jona-

Senate issues Buhari two-week ultimatum to end fuel scarcity Continued from page 1 The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife (PDP Anambra Central) issued the ultimatum during a meeting of members of the Committee with representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The Managing Director, Pipeline Products Marketing Company, PPMC, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, had told the Senate Committee that Nigeria lost 531 million litres of fuel worth N50 billion in the last 10 months

to petroleum pipelines vandalisation in some parts of the country.

However, Ekwunife said the Petroleum Minister with the cooperation of the permanent secretary and heads of agencies under the ministry must ensure an end to the scarcity within the stipulated time.

She also said it was mandatory for the officials of the ministry to ensure that petroleum products are sold to the public at the government’s controlled price of N87 per litre.

She said: “We are mandating the Minister of

Petroleum Resources, the Permanent Secretary and heads of agencies to stop this fuel scarcity in two weeks.

“We are giving a target now, we don’t want to know how you would achieve it, but it must be stopped. This is a critical period, in the next few weeks, there will be Christmas, Nigerians want to see an end to this scarcity and be able to buy petrol at N87 per litre”, she said.

The PPMC boss disclosed that apart from the huge losses Nigeria had made to pipeline vandalisation, the

issue of sharp practices at the fuel depots, including illegal charges and diversion of the products by marketers have been the major causes of scarcity of products in Nigeria.

She said the practices amounted to economic sabotage, adding that the PPMC had gone into collaboration with the Department of State Security, DSS, and the Police to tackle the hoarding and diversion of petroleum products in the country.

However, the Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investment of NNPC,

Dr. Victor Babatunde Adeniran, said payment of fuel subsidy as at when due would help oil marketers to play their roles effectively.

He also advocated the repair of petroleum pipelines vandalised by criminals across the country as part of measures for ending the problems of fuel supply across the country.

Speaking in the same vein, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Jamila Soara, stressed the need for strategic back-ups for fuel reserves in various locations across the country.

than had started returning the stolen funds to the government, saying the President should rather stay at home to govern the country instead of junketing around the globe and acting like a saint before the international community.

The governor challenged President Buhari to tell Nigerians how much was returned and the looters who returned the stolen funds, adding that “since the purported looted funds belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it ought to have been paid into the Federation Account and shared by the Federal, State and Local Government.”

Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, advised Buhari to tackle the collapsed economy of the country headlong instead of going from one country to another, casting aspersion on Nigerians with his Continued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

7 News

Igbo group wants FG to cancel PPP agreement on 2nd Niger Bridge Nkiru Nwagbo Awka

ÏÏÏFollowing

the abandonment of the 2nd Niger Bridge by the former President Goodluck Jonathan, Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), has urged the Federal Government to cancel the arrangement of Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the construction of the bridge.

Also, the forum on Thursday in Awka, called on the

federal government to declare state of emergency on the federal roads in the South East.

These were contained in a statement signed by NUF president, Augustine Chukwudum and made available to reporters.

The forum regretted that the region had allegedly received not less than N16 trillion between 1999 and now from the federation account without any tangible devel-

opment to show in the zone.

According to the statement, “we demand that the South East governors marshal out a plan that will lead to economic development of the region.

“We demand that the federal government assists the South East region in creating special trade zones across Igbo land.”

Furthermore, the group said that canceling the arrangement of PPP by the

federal government on the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge, would give the South East sense of belonging by funding the project hundred percent.

The group berated the former administration for abandoning the project after the media hype, adding that even the so called up grading of Enugu Airport and Owerri international cargo airport had become “the more you look, the less you see.”

Ndigbo forum chided South East governors for high rate of youth unemployment as a result of what it called unfavourable economic condition created by the governors.

However, NUF mentioned some of the roads in the South East that had become impassable like Oba-Okigwe road, Onitsha –Enugu Express way, AbaPort Harcourt and AbaEnugu Express ways.

Ugwuanyi, Oshiomole, others for Enugu Science forum Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÏÏÏGovernor

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will today lead experts in space and astronomy and other patriotic Nigerians to inaugurate the Centre for Basic Space Science (CBSS), Nsukka, as the Regional Nod for West Africa Astronomy.

The Director of CBSS, Prof. Fidelix Opara, who disclosed this to newsmen in Enugu added that the inauguration of the centre will make CBSS become the hub of the study and research of Astronomy in West Africa.

“The Director, Office of Astronomical Development, (OAD) South Africa, Dr. Kelvin Cavender and the Secretary General, International Astronomical Union (IAU), Prof. Piero will be on hand to perform the inauguration” Opera disclosed.

He said member countries from the West Africa will attend the inauguration.

“Our member countries that will be attending the inauguration include Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Togo, Gambia and other countries.

He stated that there would be forum where experts of Space Science and Astronomy will deliberate on achievements, challenges and road maps in inventions.

L-R: Non-Executive Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Bismarck Rewane; Company Secretary, Sesan Sobowale; Chairman, Babatunde Savage and MD/ CEO, Peter Ndegwa, during the 65th Annual General Meeting of Guinness Nigeria Plc in Abuja… on Thursday.

Why we suspended oil marketers from supplying Jet A1 –NCAA Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it suspended the five oil marketing companies because it had to ensure compliance to safety standard especially as their ban is linked to complaints from airlines about adulterated Jet A1, leaving residue on their aircraft.

NCAA, on Thursday evening, directed five oil marketing companies, Jushad Oil and Gas Limited, Lubcon Limited, Ascon Oil Company Limited, Acon Petroleum Limited and Star Orient Aviation Limited to stop supplying aviation fuel to airlines due to lack of depot facilities.

The spokesman of the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, who explained the situation said the complaints of adulterated aviation fuel increased and led the regulatory body to swing into action.

“The genesis was on account of complaints from Jet A1 end users about adulterated fuel. We moved in by carrying out an audit. We then called in the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to carry out further audit that led to the current decision. This is in the interest of safe operations by all the operators both local and foreign”, Adurogboye said.

The regulatory body in a circular referenced:

NCAA/DAW/AD. 1104/ AOL052/VOL.1, dated November 9, 2015 and addressed to Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) with the title, “Notice of Suspension of Some Companies from Providing Aviation Fuel Supply Services to Airlines at Airports in Nigeria”, explained that the reason for the suspension was that the said companies did not have depots and therefore should not be engaged in the distribution of aviation fuel at the airports.

The letter said, “This is to notify you that the authority is in receipt of a letter from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) that the under listed compa-

nies have no depot facilities and should not be engaged in aviation fuel distribution at the airport.”

The letter further asserted that the integrity and competences of these companies cannot be ascertained by the DPR and advised the Authority that these companies be disallowed from further supply of aviation fuel to airlines located in Nigeria.

The circular also said NCAA had required the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to deny the aforementioned companies access into airports in Nigeria, including their aviation fuelling vehicles and personnel till further notice.

Saraki mourns Tor Tiv, Inuwa Wada ÏÏÏPresident of

the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described as touching the death of the Chairman, Benue State Traditional Council and paramount ruler of the Tiv Kingdom, the Tor Tiv, Alfred Akawe Torkula.

In a similar development, Dr. Saraki also expressed sadness over the demise of a former Minister of Defence in the first Republic and the Magaji Garin Kano, Alhaji Muhammed Inuwa Wada.

Saraki commiserated with the Royal family, Benue State Traditional Council and the governments and people of Benue and Kano States over the passage of the distinguished Nigerians.

The Senate President, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that the fourth Tor Tiv, installed over two decades ago, lived for peace and would be remembered for his frank disposition and love for his subjects.

Madam Ikuepanikan for burial

ÏÏÏPresident of the Sen-

ate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described as touching the death of the Chairman, Benue State Traditional Council and paramount ruler of the Tiv Kingdom, the Tor Tiv, Alfred Akawe Torkula.

In a similar development, Dr. Saraki also expressed sadness over the demise of a former Minister of Defence in the first Republic and the Magaji Garin Kano, Alhaji Muhammed Inuwa Wada.

Saraki commiserated with the Royal family, Benue State Traditional Council and the governments and people of Benue and Kano States over the passage of the distinguished Nigerians.

The late Madam Ikuepanikan

8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Politics

Æs

Emir of Kano: Oshiomhole, a constant Star Sanusi

Amidst bashings from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of non-performance, the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Lamido Sanusi II has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, saying the Governor is doing well.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Governor at Government House, Benin, the Emir said “I am happy to see that the governor is doing well.”

According to him: “I have been following some of your re-

cent comments on the minimum wage”, adding that the Governor has remained consistent to the ideals for which he is known.

He said: “I am here this time on the occasion of the honour done to me by the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria in appointing me the Chancellor of the great University of Benin.

“Your Excellency, for me, it is a matter of deep pride to be associated with this city and this state and this particular university and I can assure you that we

Ondo LG funds: US lawyer petitions Buhari, EFCC

will do our very best to ensure that we bring as much development as we can and to further strengthen the excellent relationship between the people of Kano and the people of Edo”, he stressed.

In his response, Governor Oshiomhole said he was greatly honoured to receive the Emir at the Government House.

“As the Governor of this state, I still have very fond memories of your last visit to Edo State then as the Governor of Central CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Bindow: Six months on the saddle Tom Garba Yola

As a former senator with vast experience in lawmaking, one of the brilliant things he did on coming aboard as Governor of Adamawa State is bringing out the best brains in the state to work with him.

He followed the due process by sending the list of 22 commissioners to the State House of Assembly where they were scrutinised and approved.

Jibrilla became duty bound to both the Executive, Legislature and even the Judiciary by making sure a strong synergy of understanding exists among them, an idea he feels will make them perform better for the good people of the state.

A born-businessman turnedpolitician, he had began his political career as an ardent supporter of the then ruling party Peoples Democratic Party Magu A US-based lawyer, Barrister Mayowa Ojo has alleged that Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has been dipping his hands into the allocations of local government councils in the state since he came to power in 2009.

Consequently, Barrister Ojo has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to block Governor Mimiko from taking allocations meant for the state Local Governments for use.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Mimiko The attorney, in a petition, dated 21 November, 2015, urged President Buhari to investigate how Dr. Mimiko has been spending the Local Government funds since 2009.

Recall that Mimiko had refused to conduct local government election in the state since he became governor in 2009.

He is alleged to have endlessly extended tenures of caretaker committees he appointed and has packed his cronies as care-

taker head of LGs which he replaces every six months.

According to reports, Gov. Mimiko appointed new LG caretaker chairmen a few days ago, an act the people of the state are now describing as a deliberate act of getting access to the LG funds.

The petition titled ‘The need for President Buhari to stop Ondo LG allocation fund’, also implored the Federal Government to extend its anti-corrup-

tion crusade campaign to Ondo State, where he alleged Mimiko to have squandered the state resources.

The petition states in part that: “I am urging the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, as a matter of urgency stop the LG allocations given to Ondo State.

“From my investigation, it shows that Dr. Olusegun Mimiko CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Bindow

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

9 Politics

Sunset for Inuwa Wada The sunset early last Wednesday for one of the few remaining political icons of Nigeria’s First Republic, Alhaji Muhammed Inuwa Wada, the Magajin Gari of Kano.

Aged 100, Wada passed on at his Durbin Iya residence in Kano metropolis after a protracted illness.

Wada is survived by one wife, many children and grandchildren.

He was a member of the House of Representatives during the First Republic.

Wada was a parliamentarian and minister of Works and Survey under the administration of Tafawa Balewa. Towards the end of the Nigerian first republic, he was given the Defence portfolio in 1965 after the death of Muhammadu Ribadu. He was first elected in 1951 as a member of the Northern House of Assembly on the platform of the Northern Peoples Congress, (NPC). He was subsequently nominated to the Federal House of Representatives and was a member and later minister from 1951-1966. Inuwa Wada was reputed by many as a quiet figure in contrast to the hectic demands of his ministerial portfolio in the Works department which was going through a period of increased focus on major developmental projects as part of a six-year plan during the early 1960s.

Wada Born in 1917 to a respected family in Kano, his grandfather was Chief Alkali during the early 20th century and his father worked as a surveyor for the Kano Native Authority before his death in 1924. Inuwa Wada attended Shuhuci Elementary School and in 1938, he graduated from the Kano Middle School.

He then went on to train as a teacher at the Katsina Higher College from 1933-1938 and later became a teacher in Kano where

How Mimiko bled LGs dry,

by US lawyer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

has not conducted the local government election since he was sworn-in as executive governor of the state.

“I am urging President Buhari to question Mimiko on how he has been spending the LG funds since inception without the executive chairmen elected into office.

“I have series of evidences of corruption against Mimiko on my table from indigenes of the state in the Diaspora. This is share waste of LG funds and there is need to urgently put an end to it”, he stressed.

It was unclear as at press time whether copies of the petition had been sent to the anti-corruption agencies- the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent

Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Tribunal (ICPC).

All efforts to speak with the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade proved abortive as calls and text messages sent to his phone were not acknowledged or replied.

Mimiko

he taught History, English and Geography and also edited a paper, ‘Yadda Yake Yau’. After putting nine years in teaching, he left the profession for the offices of the Kano Native Authority and worked there as a clerk, Chief Scribe and Information Officer.

He began politics in 1945 and was a founding member of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC). While in the NPC, he was the party’s secretary and

Awunah Pius Terwase Recently, I was going through a newspaper and saw a certain story on how and why Benue’s Elders disowned Alhaji Abubakar Tsav. My response was: Who are these Benue’s Elders?

For those who don’t know Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, he is the former Lagos State Commissioner of police and currently, a commissioner, Public Complaints Commission.

Tsav is one of the few persons in Benue State and Nigeria at large that can speak the truth fearlessly even when his life is at stake. Tsav’s constant attacks on political office holders through his speeches or rather comments on their dishonest actions towards the poor citizens of this country, Nigeria, has been minimizing the hostile and unsympathetic decisions of our leaders upon the masses.

Therefore, for some persons calling themselves Benue’s Elders to disown him just because he criticized Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his policies, must mean these persons must be look-

national organizer. In the 1950s, he served on the board of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, the Nigerian Coal Corporation and the Nigerian Groundnut Marketing Board. In the 1964 election, he had to contend with a Young NEPU candidate and future governor of Kano, Abubakar Rimi but he was to out duel his opponent. Inuwa Wada is an uncle of the late Murtala Mohammed, former Head of State. He ran a fairly successful transport business after the 1966 coup that abolished the first republic. He also remained an influential conservative figure in the Northern region after the coup.

In the 1959 parliamentary election, the results for Sumaila, Kano State show Inuwa Wada NPC - 26,149 Mohammed Achimolo Garba NEPU - 2,231 Sule Baba AG – 456.

The First Republic is reputed to be peopled by more principled and honest politicians who had the interest of Nigeria at heart that the crop of later day politicians who are noted more for their own interest. It is generally believed that had the military not intervened in the 1966 coup, which sent the civilians packing, the country would have developed its own model of democracy which would have made the nation more stable by now.

Why Benue elders should let Abubakar Tsav be ing for recognition in Ortom’s administration.

These are the same elders who sought for recognition from the former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam, and they were acknowledged by Suswam, used and finally dumped. I am aware that these same elders were given millions of naira by the former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam, to help him actualize his ambition of becoming a senator in 2015 and installing Terhemen Tarzoo as the governor of the state. The so called elders were aware of Suswam’s inability to pay the salaries and allowances of the workers in the state but still went ahead and collected the money and today, the present governor of the state; Samuel Ortom is battling with debts left behind by former governor Suswam. What kind of elders are they?

Emir of Kano: Oshiomhole, a constant Star CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Bank of Nigeria and some of your products, your resourcefulness, some of your initiatives in the area of empowerment of rural people, providing microcredits, supporting small scale and promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship at small and medium scale level are products that we are still trying to benefit from and each time people benefit from each of those products, we cannot but remember the very laudable legacies that your highness left behind as the CBN Governor.

“I want to thank you for your support, thank you for your kind words and thank you for your prayers. We also want to congratulate your highness on your richly deserved appointment as the Chancellor of the University of Benin which we are all proud to describe as UNIBEST and I am sure under your leadership, it would witness even more growth and development and Edo as a community will continue to benefit from the activities of the university.

“I thank the President for his wise judgment in identifying you as the next Chancellor of the university. I know that everybody in the University of Benin is excited about your appointment for several reasons.

“Sir you are a Royal Father with an outstanding difference and when you speak, Nigerians listen and you have inspired many of us to find courage and CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Oshiomhole

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Young African leaders seek partnership with Buhari

Ambassadors of the Young African Leaders Initiative program at the Nigeria High Commission, Ghana, with Mr Fonma T. Usoro, the Counsellor on Economy, Trade and Investment.

Ambassadors of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme of the U.S Government currently in Ghana have called for an Action Plan from the Nigerian government. Besides, the young leaders have also called for an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of a partnership with his government.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) was launched

by President of the United States, Barack Obama in 2010 as a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders and in July 2014, he established the four regional leadership centers in Africa.

President Obama thereafter

invited them in August 2015 to the Presidential Summit for Young African Leaders Initiative in Washington DC. Speaking at the Summit, he said: “I saw the talent of young people all across the continent.

And as President, I want to make sure that even as we’re working with governments, we’re also helping to empower young Africans like all of you. And that’s why I launched YALI - Young African Leaders Initiative; to help you access the resources and the training and the networks that you need to become the next generation of leaders in all areas (in civil society, in business, and in government)”.

Today, 36 outstanding Nigeri-

an Youths (from various sectors) are at the Regional Learning Centre of YALI in Accra, Ghana proudly representing Nigeria with other 69 brilliant youth from other seven West African countries for a five-week intensive training on leadership.

According to them, “we were selected out of more than 9000 applicants. The program will equip selected youth in three different tracks namely Business and Entrepreneurship, Civil Leadership and Public policy and Management, to be fully prepared to be agents of change by promoting good governance, eradicating poverty and ensuring a corrupt free societal-system.

In a request sent to President Buhari, they said: “After the second week of our representation here in Ghana (from Nov. 1 to 13, 2015), we collectively deemed it fit to revert our position back home in anticipation of our vision to support our government.

“We anticipate partnering with our government, we are committed to developing our economy, we are passionate of enhancing our social value, and we envision transforming our continent Africa.

“In view of this, we seek His Excellency’s gracious consideration of the following; 1.

Formal Introduction of us, the 36 Nigerian youth at the YALI Cohort 2 programme to

His Excellency, The President of Federal Republic of Nigeria; President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) on our mission here in Ghana and our vision and policy recommendations for Reforming our Dear country, Nigeria.

2. We also pray to pay a courtesy visit to Mr. President on our arrival back in Nigeria (on 5th December, 2015) to present our communiqué on the said visions and our proposed solutions.

3. We pray to seek the support of the Nigerian Government to grant us an opportunity to help the needy, reshape our value, strengthen our economy and reposition our country Nigeria as the Giant of Africa.

Kogi: APC youths nominate Audu’s son As the crisis over the inconclusive election in Kogi State continues to deepen, leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC), in Kogi East Senatorial District have nominated Mr Mohammed, 43, first son of Late Prince Abubakar Audu, to replace him as the party’ s governorship candidate.

The leaders, stakeholders and delegates who made this known in Lokoja on Thursday after a marathon meeting, said they ar-

rived at the decision after due consultations.

Their spokesman, Mr Daniel Isah, the Vice Chairman of APC in Kogi East, said they have resolved and are determined to back Mohammed to replace his father if the National Working Committee orders fresh primaries.

Isah thanked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the national leadership of the party for the oppor-

tunity given to them to find a replacement for Audu who died on Nov. 23 at Ogbonicha, Ofu Local Government after the election was declared inconclusive.

He appealed to the national leadership of the party to give their decision utmost consideration and approval in the overall interest of the party and the state.

Present at the meeting were Alhaji Lincho Ocheje, Hon. Hassan Omale, Hon. Benjamin Ikhani,

and Sen. Emmanuel Dangana, among others.

It would be recalled that Audu was already leading the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Saturday’s election, Governor Idris Wada by over 40,000 votes before the INEC declared the poll inconclusive.

The INEC has ordered fresh elections in 91 units across the state which will hold on December 5 and asked APC to field a fresh candidate to replace Audu.

Audu

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

11 Politics

Bindow: Six months on the saddle (PDP). And on seeing his level of commitment, he was immediately called to contest the senatorial seat of the Northern zone of the state.

As fate and destiny were in tandem agreement to fulfill God’s desires on Bindow, the child of necessity, until he left the senate, history has it that he turned Northern Senatorial zone around for good, serving them well with all humility.

Meekness and humility are wheels or virtue that takes one to high level of greatness. This is certainly what has catapulted this humble and noble man of the land of beauty to his exalted position today.

This is the true nature of Senator Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, the gallant Chief Security man of Adamawa State. He emerged from a family of a rich business tycoon and exposed to all sorts of business concepts and experienced what wealth creation is all about through local and international trips. Despite being born with a silver spoon, his life of humility marked him out to live a contemporary life without any difference from others and is always heard saying: “all men are equal before God”. Besides, he is always willing to fight the cause of the down trodden and desiring at all times to help and support all those that cross his path.

Knowing the heavy task ahead to rebuild the battered economy, he carefully considered technocrats with wealth of experience to help him pilot the affairs of the state. Apart from the 22 commissioners, he also appointed 35 advisers to assist him.

Jibrilla is a man who believes the executive and lawmakers should not be cats and dogs or have a relationship that can be best described to be of “Tom and Jerry”. To him, the three arms especially the executive and the

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Emir of Kano: Oshiomhole, a constant Star

Lawmakers should have a romantic relationship that will be geared towards bringing development and growth in any given state.

With the kind of Governor now in the Adamawa State, the House of Assembly is always operating as a separate entity without any interference from the executive and as such, people are smelling a good omen to the people of the state, where peace and harmony will exist between the two arms of Government that will bring meaningful development to the state.

All the lawmakers are in total support with Bindow’s kind of administration as recently, they approved a bill that will allow him procure a loan for the state to carter for the need of all civil servants.

In this few months, Bills are being processed to become laws.

Notable of mention is a Bill sponsored by Hon. Hassan M. Barguma to ensure the revival of the ravaged communities in the seven local governments attacked by Boko Haram in the state. According to him there is nothing more important in the areas destroyed by Boko Haram than making sure they revive their means of livelihood.

With hundreds of bills being sponsored by different lawmakers, the present administration seems to have a balanced stand point in reviving the state’s economy.

THE CIVIL SERVANTS Just of recent and out of the back log of myriads of problems created by the past government in failing to settle salaries, arrears, pension, gratuity and even allowances. The civil servants-friendly Governor directed the Ministry of Finance to pay all outstanding monies owed by the state Government from 2013-2015 in the state.

According to him, civil ser-

not to allow the seeming comfort of our privileged positions to weaken our commitment to speak truth to power even if power is deaf and that truth can stand on its own, popular or not popular and that even privileged people should be ready to damn the consequences if that is what it will take to tell the truth so that our country survives.

“Each time you make those extremely informed commentaries on the state of the economy, not because you can’t afford to be quiet, many of us are encour-

Bindow vants in the state are the ones reviving the economy and he went the extra mile to procure a bailout loan from the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that amounted to N9.5 Billion.

With the approval of the legislature, a N1.5 billion loan was also acquired for the payment of the 21 LGAs salaries, arrears, pension and gratuity.

This proved a lasting solution to the salaries problems in the Local councils and Development areas which have suffered lack of funding by the past Government.

MEETING THE NEED OF

aged to key in and to play our part and to encourage everyone to play his part in ensuring that we have an active citizenry that will ensure that government is accountable and that policies are informed by public welfare and to know the difference between when we should take hard decisions and when we should soften, provided that the ultimate objective is to ensure that the interest of the ordinary Nigerian is protected and that our national economy is the better for it”, he added.

THE MASSES Part of his agenda is to see every body in the state with a smile. He then drew up a plan that will see to the social need of all and sundry in Education, Health, Agriculture, Commerce and industries, roads, infrastructure and reviving the state’s economy for the benefit of the general masses. He vowed and ensured that the plan will be well structured and efficiently implemented.

In order to put smiles on the lips of farmers in the state who are mostly peasants and to also boost the agricultural sector, a N3Billion worth of fertilizer was been procured by Bindow’s to enhance both rainy and dry seasons farming.

Unarguably, the few months in office of Governor Bindow are months characterised by steady progress of achievements to the entire people of the state.

Since the inception of this humble but great leader, the state has been experiencing progress in policy making, projects, infrastructure progress and efforts at sustaining peace that will transcend to the entire part of the state.

In an effort to bring a workable solution to the myriads of economic and security problems

facing the state and an almost permanent economic disabilities, Bindow in his own leadership wisdom sought the support of lawmakers, who approved a loan of N8.7 Billion in order to redeem the state from economic collapse.

The loan will enable the administration channel roads to both urban and rural settlements will also be directed at rehabilitating Hospitals and other developmental projects.

Many of these roads projects which have been flagged off in the state capital with some almost completed or forty percent completion included the Waure Jebbe road, Farro water/Adamawa sunshine motor pack junction that will link to the main motor pack; the dilapidated road of Karewa ring road to Army Barracks is also nearing completion and a 23 km road that will bisect the community of Bajabure up to Borrong in Girei and Demsa LGAs was also awarded. The creation of a new road as a bye pass from FGGC to hinterland communities of Malkohi to Yola town is another bye pass that will boost serious economic activities in the state.

Yola Bye pass received Bindow’s attention to expand and rehabilitate it to ensure free flow of traffic.

The people of Adamawa have equally discovered the able leadership of good governance in Bindow while some groups in the state have seen him as a corruption fighter who supports the ongoing anti corruption crusade

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recently the coalition of Adamawa students across the county marched to the Government House chanting songs of solidarity for ensuring a corrupt free society and affirming a strong support to the leadership of the governor and urged the assembly to join in the fight. He assured them of a dogged fight against corruption.

Known to be with a listening ear, an attribute that earned him confidence from different categories of people, a group under the auspices of Inter- Party Advisory council (IPAC) Adamawa State chapter during a courtesy visit praised him for adhering to their demands of making the LGAs received full autonomy.

The days of Jibrilla are certainly days pregnant with good omen, which sooner or later will deliver dividends of his style of good leadership in this era of change Mantra of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Court overrules FG on Dasuki’s presence in court

Ï _Ƒ Ɔ ƅ Ə Ɔ ƈ Ɛ ƆƔé1 ƒ dƕƋƒ è Ɛ ƆƏ Ï 01 Ɗ ƍƍƆ Ƌ ƑƏƐ Ɛ ƏƆƐƏƈƆƒƆ # ƑƊƈ 9 ƐôƋ ƍ ƍ ƏƐ Andrew Orolua, ƄƑƉ

ÎÎÎThe Federal High Court

in Abuja on Thursday overruled the Federal Government’s position that the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) must appear in court any time his criminal trial is mentioned.

Also, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday dismissed the 50-counts charge of corruption and money laundering filed against former Governor of Bayelsa State and the Governorship candidate of the All

Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva and three others.

The ruling came even as the Federal Government announced it had filed an appeal at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal against the decision of the Federal High Court releasing Dasuki’s International Passport.

Federal Government in the appeal filed on November 14 asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the decision of Justice Adeniyi Ademola and retrieve Dasuki International Passport on the ground that the judge was in error.

Mohammed Diri, the Di-

rector of Public Prosecution (DPP), on Monday, in an oral application queried the accused absence in court when his trial over illegal possession of firearms and money laundering is in progress.

But ruling on Thursday on Dasuki’s appearance in court, the trial judge, Justice Ademola said that wording of section 266 (b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 Is clear and unambiguous that defendant shall be present in court unless on the hearing of interlocutory application.

He noted that Dasuki’s trial was adjourned to 26

and 27 November 2015 in the instance of the Federal Government who should call her witnesses. Beside the oral application, the Federal Government also brought an interlocutory application to revoke Dasuki’s bail.

As envisaged by the ACJA, the accused (Dasuki) ought not to be present in court when the government applications which are interlocutory in nature is being heard, Justice Ademola ruled.

Consequently, Justice Ademola adjourned to December 3 for the hearing of all pending applications.

Meanwhile, the DPP has

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Return of looted funds: Buhari lied – Fayose Continued from page 6 sing-song of fighting corruption.

He said the President’s attitude was yet to change from that of 1984 when he was military Head of State, adding that: “Buhari’s statement in Tehran, Iran that it was easier for him as a military Head of State in 1984 to arrest corrupt individuals and put them in protective custody was a pointer to the fact that he has not changed from the dictator that he was then.

“The truth is that Buhari did not fight corruption in 1984. Rather, he persecuted great Nigerians, especially the likes Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Ambrose Ali, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Bola Ige, who served the people meritoriously.

“Is Buhari justifying the imprisonment of Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who was only the Vice President or All Progressives Congress (APC) leader like Chief Bisi Akande, who only served as a Deputy Gover-

nor?”

While urging the President to stop acting like the sole-administrator of Nigeria and the only honest man among Nigerians, Fayose said: “Nigerians are desirous of concrete developments, not rhetoric about fight against corruption that is only being used to persecute perceived political enemies of the President both in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and within the APC. “As at today, Nigerians are faced with serious hardship occasioned by

prolonged fuel scarcity that the Federal Government does not have any solution to. Multi-national companies are laying-off thousands of workers while contractors working for the Federal Government have left their sites.

Yet, what we get to hear from the President is noise in foreign lands about non-existing fight against corruption.

“Honestly, this President should get to work and stop lying to Nigerians and the international community.”

filed a counter affidavit opposing the preliminary objection raised by Dasuki to the effect that the government had disobeyed court order and prevented him from travelling abroad for medical care.

While denying the allegation, the DPP said that the action of the Department of State Services (DSS) is pursuant to the defendant flagrant refusal to honour an invi-

tation by an investigating agency.

In another development, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday dismissed the 50-counts charge of corruption and money laundering filed against former Governor of Bayelsa State and the Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, Chief Timipre Sylva and three others.

Kogi poll crisis: ^#^è ^ ô 0 ƋƆƊƆ ƅƋ ƈƌ ƒƈƅƐ Əƕ Continued from page 6 orchestrating confusion in the polity with a view to diverting attention from its glaring incompetence and failure of governance.

“Observes that the leadership of INEC as presently constituted under the Chairmanship of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has demonstrated that it is incapable of neutrality and as such cannot be vested with the conduct of the Kogi governorship supplementary election as well as the December 5, 2015 Bayelsa governorship election.

“As a result, caucus demands the immediate resignation of the chairman and all national commissioners of INEC to pave the way for a new non-partisan commission to conduct the forth-coming elections.

“Caucus also demands the immediate resignation of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami for deliberately misleading INEC into arriving at the unconstitutional decision of allowing APC to substitute its candidate in the inconclusive election.

“Notes that in order to save the nation’s democracy from imminent collapse, the PDP as a critical stakeholder will immediately challenge this unlawful and unconstitutional decision

by INEC in the court.

“Caucus also alerts that the AGF, INEC and APC are creating a scenario where a loser in a primary will patiently wait for the winning candidate to finish election and then have him either poisoned or assassinated

before the final collation of results.

“Caucus calls on the international community to prevail on the APC government to stop this ceaseless assault on our democracy”, it said.

However, the running mate to late Prince Abubakar Audu, Hon. James Faleke, in a November 26 letter to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, insisted that under Section 187 of the 1999 Constitution, he was duly elected as deputy governor of Kogi State.

While expressing sadness over the demise of his principal, Abubakar Audu, the deputy governorship candidate said INEC had no right under the law to declare the election inconclusive.

He accused INEC of deliberately creating what he called “legal conundrum” and urged the APC not to be a party to the action.

“In law and logic, no new candidate can inherit or be a beneficiary of the votes already cast, counted and declared by INEC before that candidate was nominated and purportedly sponsored,” Mr. Faleke wrote through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun.

“Assuming without conceding that INEC is even right to order a supplementary election, the votes already cast, counted and declared on Saturday, 25th November 2015, were votes for the joint constitutional ticket of Prince Abubakar Audu and our client.

“Therefore, no new or ‘supplementary’ candidate can hijack, aggregate, appropriate or inherit the said votes.”

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

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News14

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Group wants minister probed over red beret, military fatigue

Fire guts Community Market in Jos

ÏÏÏA non-governmental organisation – Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has said that the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Solomon Danlong, should be probed for wearing a red beret and dress that either depicted him as a suspected member of one of the banned confraternities/secret cults in the country’s tertiary institutions.

The group said it was worried that if appropriate clarifications were not immediately provided and Danlong asked to desist from dressing comically on the national stage, it could be construed that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government had officially en-

Jos

dorsed the particular secret body that was identified by adorning red beret and dresses that looked like military fatigue. The group said the minister’s style of dressing violated extant national dress code in a purely democratic government and must be checked forthwith.

HURIWA has also asked the military authorities to question Danlong for adorning dresses that bear semblance to military uniform.

In a statement signed by the National Co-ordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA called on Buhari to call Danlong to order and compel him to dress properly

and decently so as not to give the impression that he belonged to any of the bodies notorious for causing disturbances on university campuses.

HURIWA said it had no compelling evidence to link the Danlong, who is a lawyer, to any of the campus cults, but expressed strong reservations that his choice of dressings in symbolism and tangible costumes closely related to what some of these dreaded groups wear was disturbing. “If the minister strongly feels like wearing a distinctive clothes, then he can as well adorn himself with the validly permitted legal regalia or alternatively he can take a chieftain title that

will guarantee him a unique dress mode that won’t attract suspicion,” HURIWA said.

HURIWA said: “We have watched with trepidation and considerable consternation, the unfathomable dress sense and style of the Youth and Sports minister which convey the impression of a person marketing the dressing style of suspected banned secret confraternity in the Nigerian school system. Enough is enough. The Sport Minister should stop creating doubts in the minds of Nigerians. He should wear any of the national dresses known to everyone and stop appearing as a performer on a drama or circus stage.

I’ve political will to tackle traffic gridlock - Ambode ÏÏÏLagos

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, Ben Langat; Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed; Director, NBC, Laolu Akinkugbe and another Director, NBC, Alhaji Ahmed Mantey during a courtesy visit to Ahmed by the NBC delegation on Wednesday.

Police need N4billion to rebuild facilities destroyed in N’East – IGP Henry Omunu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Inspector-General of Po-

lice, Mr. Solomon Arase, on Thursday, said that N4billion would be required to rebuild police stations, facilities and installations destroyed by insurgents in the northeast.

Arase, who disclosed this during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, said that since the emergence of the Boko Haram insurgents in the country, no fewer than 56 police stations had been destroyed in the northeast region.

“The present situation has

greatly impaired the police as it constitutes a major challenge to the capacity of the police within the formations. The total replacement value of the affected structures becomes about N4billion for us to put those things back to shape,” Arase said.

He pointed out that the destruction of the facilities had affected the communication process crucial in the fight against insurgency in the area, adding that police officers were highly de-motivated in the discharge of their duties.

“Our Mobile Police personnel are currently fighting side-by- side the military in the North- East and that is never mentioned when people are talking about police contri-

butions to the fight against insurgency. And because they are doing well, we intend to push in more men into those areas,” he added.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Rep. Haliru Jika (APC-Bauchi), said that the National Assembly was committed to quality legislation that would guarantee effective policing in the country.

According to Jika, the Committee would synergise with the Nigeria Police in their determination to nip the security challenges plaguing the nation in the bud.

“As parliamentarians, our focus will be the provision of adequate legislative impetus for the actualisation of the policies of government in Nigeria Police,” he added.

Jika, however, urged Nigerians to contribute in the fight against terrorism, saying that it required a collective approach to overcome it.

State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday, assured the people of the state of his strong political will to take tough decisions and implement effective strategies to bring about a robust traffic management system in the State. Ambode, who stated this at the Traffic Management and Transportation Summit, organised by the State Government, said as a government, his administration was keenly committed to make Lagos work for all, and that effective traffic management, for him, was a good place to start.

He observed that with the realities on ground, there was a need for practical and innovative solutions to address the traffic challenges confronting the state to deliver immediate dividends and future aspirations.

He said: “Lagos, in many ways, is a victim of its own success as many people leave other states and travel to Lagos seeking better opportunities. More Nigerians want to reside in Lagos and this obviously comes with some challenges.

“As one of the leading commercial centres and an emerging citystate, we need to go back to the drawing board and agree on how our transportation sector can be effectively and efficiently operated to support the kind of trade and investment we want to continually attract.

Ambode

Chijioke Kingsley

ÏÏÏProperty worth millions of

naira were, in the early hours of Thursday, destroyed by fire that gutted down many shops at Gada Biu market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that the fire which broke out around 4 a.m. was caused by power surge from the transformer in the market, which was further compounded by gas cylinders used for operating the engines in the market.

No life was lost in the incident, but one woman, whose name was not given slumped as a result of the damage she suffered as a result of the fire.

Items destroyed included grinding engines of various categories, grains, ground-nut and palm oil stored in jerry cans, among others.

Some youths were at the scene trying to assist in putting out the fire. One man, called Moses Bitrus, and another identified as Emma, blamed fire service men for laxity in fighting the fire.

Electoral stakeholders task media on ethical reportage Akam James

Yenagoa As part of efforts to promote the course of peace in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, in Bayelsa, stakeholders, on Thursday, advised journalists in the state to always exhibit professionalism in discharging their duties, in order to avoid heating the polity.

The speakers at the Bayelsa Media Peace Day Press Conference, held at the Earnest Sei-sei Ikoli Press Centre, Yenagoa, noted that news reportage should be devoid of bias; it should be objective, because the people depend on the media for accurate information.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Barito Kpagha, said that the media had a critical role to play in ensuring peace before, during and after elections, adding that the kind of news disseminated by journalist determined peace or war in the society.

“The truth of the matter is that a single inaccurate news item can bring down a state. Journalists, in general, are working in a very difficult and challenging environment, but their work is important because without them, people will not have the information that they have.

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

15 Opinion

Saraki: Free speech and politics of contempt

I

Kolawole Olaniyan

t’s not often that a decision by the Supreme Court of Nigeria generates so much interest among Nigerians.

But the court’s decision in Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) v Dr Bukola Saraki, which allowed a stay of proceedings before the CCT despite the provisions of sections 306 and 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJ), 2015, has caused something of a storm.

Saraki, who is the Senate President, is facing 13 counts of false assets declaration before the CCT. The wide media coverage the case has received has focused public attention on legal questions usually covered in the courtroom or the classroom rather than by the newsroom.

The general consensus, as championed by renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN, seems to be that the decision represents a significant setback for the effective and fair administration of justice in the country, and President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s approach to the ‘campaign against corruption.’

Falana and other senior lawyers with whom I agree, have contended that the ACJ Act has (by virtue of sections 306 and 396) abolished stay of proceedings and interlocutory appeals by merging all preliminary objections with the substantive case in any criminal case instituted in a federal court in the country; that the revolutionary intervention of the law was occasioned by the unending trial of politically exposed persons in corruption cases; that as a creation of the law, the Supreme Court is bound by the law; and that the Supreme Court should take advantage of the substantive appeal in the Saraki’s case to review its position given the potential impact on the administration of justice in the country.

The purpose of the ACJ Act can best be determined from section 1: “The purpose of this Act is to ensure that the system of administration of criminal justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime…” Likewise, section 2 provides that all courts “shall ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act for the realisation of its purposes.” The use of “all courts” here clearly includes the Supreme Court.

The combined effect of sections 306 and 396 is to carry out the purpose of the Act. However, J.B. Daudu, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and counsel to Saraki has threatened contempt proceedings against Falana and other senior lawyers for allegedly ‘scandalising the court’. Mr Daudu is basically saying that criticising the Supreme Court’s decision is contemptuous, scandalous

Saraki

Mohammed

and subversive.

This suggestion, coming from a former president of the NBA and Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, is deeply disturbing for the legal profession, as it is one of the few objectively useful roles of lawyers to exact intellectual accountability from the Supreme Court and to probe and comment on its decisions.

Mr Daudu’s view implies that once the Supreme Court has delivered a decision, all are bound not merely to accept it as constituting an authoritative statement of the law of the land, but also immediately to accord it intellectual obeisance, and to undertake not to dissent publicly from that decision no matter how implausible or even improper it may seem.

Yet, lawyers, as recent history has shown, have an important role to play in exposing corruption, in beaming the light of publicity into the dark corners of society, in showing up the inadequacies of the law, and so on.

There is a clear case of public interest in the due administration of justice, and no one would plausibly question that the proper administration of justice requires a transparent and accountable justice system.

Contempt of court is not aimed at upholding the dignity of a court or a judge, but at enabling the administration of justice to operate without undue obstruction or interference.

It’s therefore difficult to see how by Falana and other senior lawyers simply making a case for an effective implementation of the ACJ Act, they would be obstructing the administration of justice by.

Lord Atkin’s famous opinion in Ambard v. Attorney-General for Trinidad and Tobago [1936] AC 322, is apposite: “But whether the authority

and position of an individual judge, or the due administration of justice, is concerned, No wrong is committed by any member of the public who exercises the ordinary right of criticising, in good faith, in private or public, the public act done in the seat of justice. The path of criticism is a public way: the wrong headed are permitted to err therein…Justice is not a cloistered virtue: she must be allowed to suffer the scrutiny and respect, even though outspoken, the comments of ordinary men.”

Lord Atkin’s statement has been echoed in many cases.

Indeed, if a lawyer, a member of the public, or even a politician genuinely believes that the Supreme Court has strayed from the path of constitutional and legal rectitude, then not only is it the right of that person publicly to say so, but it becomes their solemn duty so to do, particularly if one is a lawyer pledged to uphold the law.

Contrary to what we have been told, what Falana and other senior lawyers have done is not a breach of some standard of professional ethics: it is the highest discharge of one’s professional duty. CCT v Saraki is a matter of undisputed public concern and interest, and comments

by Falana and other senior lawyers amount to honest criticism on a matter of public importance. Nowhere have they imputed improper motive to the Supreme Court and have not in any way acted maliciously.

Nigerian lawyers, particularly senior lawyers, shouldn’t have to adapt themselves enthusiastically to whatever the Supreme Court might come to say, even if that which is said today is precisely the opposite of what was said yesterday.

And Supreme Court’s decisions shouldn’t be considered only in the

most flattering of terms, or accepted as uncritically as if they had been handed down graven on tablets of stone at Mount Sinai.

It’s normal for lawyers and others to ask questions whether the Supreme Court’s decisions follow a legal pattern: that is, do the Court’s decisions conform to legal precedent, ordinary norms of legal reasoning, and established constitutional and legal principles.

Such frank debate about the Supreme Court’s decisions not only acts as a check on our courts, but also contributes to informed and vocal public scrutiny, which in turn can promote accessibility and effectiveness of the judiciary.

Even judges have been known to comment upon the decisions by their colleagues. For example, in delivering his dissenting judgment in Canadian case of R. v. Wray [1971] S.C.R. 272, 304, Spence J. suggested that the decision reached by the majority would bring the administration of justice into disrepute. The majority judgment of Ritchie J. in another Canadian case, Lavell [1974] S.C.R. 1349, (1974) 38 D.L.R. (3d) 481 was criticised for being “incomprehensible and, therefore, utterly unpersuasive.”

Therefore, lawyers shouldn’t be reluctant to offer public criticism of the judiciary, as informed, sustained criticism rooted firmly in Nigerian reality, can contribute to judicial accountability.

As famous British Judge Lord Denning MR once eloquently put it in R v Commissioner of Police (1968) 2 OB 150: “Let me say at once that we will never use this jurisdiction and power of contempt as a means to uphold our own dignity. That must rest on surer foundations. Nor will we use it to suppress those who speak against us. We do not fear criticism, nor do we resent it. For there is something far more important at stake. It is no less than freedom of speech itself. It is the right of every man, in Parliament or out of it, in the Press or over the broadcast, to make fair comment, even outspoken comment, on matters of public interest. Those who comment can deal faithfully with all that is done in a court of justice. They can say that we are mistaken, and our decisions erroneous, whether they are subject to appeal or not. Silence is not an option when things are ill done.”

It is to be hoped that senior lawyers would learn one or two things from Lord Denning’s wisdom, and that Mr Daudu, on this basis, will withdraw his threat of contempt proceedings against Falana and other senior lawyers.

Olaniyan is Legal Adviser at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat, London, and author of ‘Corruption and Human Rights Law in Africa.’

16

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

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Business Times Æ s

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

17

STOCK MARKET REPORT

Stocks resume downward trend after one day break Adesola Akindele The equities market segment of the Nigerian Stock Market (NSE) has continued on a downward trend after Wednesday’s appreciation of 0.53 per cent as lead market indicators depreciated by 0.17 percent yesterday.

Specifically, the NSE AllShare index dropped 46.80 points to close at 27,697 points against 147.11 points gained on Wednesday to close at 27,743.92 points, while market capitalization which opened at N9.538 trillion lost N16.1 billion to close at N9.523 trillion.

At the close of trading market breadth turned out positive as Guinness led 24 gainers against 20 losers topped by Tigerbrands.

Guinness Plc added 5.00 per cent or N6.00 to close at N126 per share, followed by Eterna Plc which gained 4.97 per cent or 8 kobo to close at N1.69 per share while Cutix Plc appreciated 4.67 per cent or 7 kobo to close at N1.57 per share.

Honeywell Flourmills Plc increased 4.52 per cent or 9 kobo to close at N2.08 per share while FCMB Plc grew 4.30 per cent or 8 kobo to close at N1.94 per share.

On the other hand Tigerbrands topped the losers chart with a loss of 9.41 per cent or 16 kobo to close at N1.54 per share, trailed by Fidson Healthcare Plc which dropped 5.00 per cent or 15 kobo to close at N2.85 per share while Vono Products Plc dipped 4.65 per cent or 4 kobo to close at 82 kobo per share.

Unity Bank Plc was down by 4.63 per cent or 5 kobo to close at N1.03 per share, while Learn Africa Plc shed 4.62 per cent or 3 kobo to close at 62 kobo per share.

In 2,056 deals, investors of the Nigerian Stock Exchange traded a total of 118.5 million shares

L-R: Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Mr Mounir Gwarzo, Executive Commissioner, Legal and Enforcement, SEC, Mrs Sa’adatu Bello, Executive Commisioner, Corporate Services, SEC, Rt. Hon. Zakawanu Garuba and the CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr Oscar Onyema at the launching of the National Investor Protection Fund (NIPF) in Lagos on Thursday.

FG to set up $25bn infrastructure fund — Adeosun Friday Atufe The Federal Government has said it would set up a $25 billion fund wholly dedicated to infrastructure investments.

Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun stated this during the inauguration of the Capital Market Master Plan Implementation Council (CAMMIC), National Investor Protection Fund (NIPF), and the launch of the Corporate Governance Scorecard for quoted companies by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Lagos yesterday.

The minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse observed that in the current environment of significant revenue squeeze and other budgetary constraints, these investments would clearly not come from government coffers alone.

“We believe this is where the capital market can really make itself relevant by stepping in to close the funding gap. Government is already looking to set up a $25 billion fund wholly dedicated to infrastructure investments.

A crucial assignment we have for the capital market community is to come up with other innovative ways of mobilizing the capital needed to address Nigeria’s infrastructure challenge,” she said.

The Minister said an efficient and vibrant capital markets are an indispensable feature of any modern economy supplying affordable medium-to-long term capital needed for growth as they facilitate mobilization of savings, accelerate capital formation, provide investment avenues and enhance efficient allocation of capital to growth sectors as no country has been able to develop without a thriving capital market.

“Nigeria needs and deserves a capital market that is characterized by high levels of liquidity, depth, breadth and sophistication to enable rapid socio-economic development.

Going through the Master Plan, it is heartwarming to note that this is the type of capital market you envision for our country and indeed we desperately need such a market to emerge in order to tackle Nigeria’s biggest challenges of huge infrastructure deficit and unacceptable level of unemployment. As you all know, to grow our economy, we require significant funds to modernize our critical infrastructure,” she said.

She expressed worry that currently less than three percent of Nigerians invest in the capital market and even more worrisome, only 0.2 percent of Nigerians invest in mutual funds.

“Imagine the kind of savings

to be mobilized, the liquidity to be injected and the sophistication to be developed if we improve these numbers by bringing millions more Nigerians to invest in the capital market. For Nigerians of faith and people who prefer ethical investments, we must deepen the non-interest product space so they can be involved in wealth creation opportunities the capital market offers. “ For a country and economy of our size, there is no reason why we should not be able to actualize the targets and aspirations we have set for ourselves within the Master Plan. Indeed, with diligent implementation, we shall emerge as “Africa’s most modern, efficient and internationally competitive capital market that catalyzes Nigeria’s emergence as a top 20 global economy “ With a detailed master plan we get to reap the benefits of strategic thinking, policy consistency, greater coordination, and hopefully better results. As we inaugurate the Council who will lead advocacy for the Capital Market Master Plan, I urge everyone here to see this as the important National assignment it represents, “she said.

She assured that as the Minister in charge of supervising the capital market, she would support the SEC Nigeria to ensure

that this project is successful and where necessary is willing to add the weight of her voice to facilitate achievement of key initiatives within the Master Plan.

Speaking earlier, Director General of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo said the SEC’s enabling law, Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2007, in foresight requires the SEC to set up a national investor compensation scheme.

Specifically, Section 13(k) of the Investment and Securities Act 2007, enjoins the Commission to act in the public interest having regard to the protection of investors and the maintenance of fair and orderly markets, and to this end establish a nationwide trust scheme to compensate investors whose losses are not covered under the Investors Protection Funds administered by Securities Exchanges and Capital Trade Points”.

Gwarzo said the 10-year Nigerian capital market Master Plan, which has become SEC’s guiding document, considers the investor protection fund as a critical ingredient for restoring and sustaining investor confidence. It therefore firmly recommended the urgent establishment of the fund. Since the new Management at SEC assumed duty, the NIPF and other capital market initiatives have received priority attention.

Business News 18

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Finance Minister urges African countries to boost earnings with taxation Opeoluwani Akintayo Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has urged African countries to diversify their economies by boosting their national earnings through new taxation initiatives.

The minister stated this at the ninth General Council meeting of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Adeosun was represented at the meeting

by Mrs. Larai Shuaibu, Director, Technical Services, Federal Ministry of Finance.

She said that global economic crisis had exposed the risk African economies faced by depending on debt financing, development assistance and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The meeting has as its theme: ``Extractive and telecommunications industry taxation: Country experiences and best practices.’’

Adeosun said the ensuing crisis had shifted attention to the need for domestic resources mobilisation on the African continent.

She said that Sub-Saharan African countries still mobilised less than 17 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in tax revenue.

According to her, the low taxes to GDP mobilisation of African countries can be attributed to several factors.

She said such factors include improper pricing of goods and services by Trans National Corporations (TNC), general tax incentives and low government share of revenues from extractive industries.

Taxation remains a veritable source of revenue. A large source of missed tax revenue for African countries comes from transfer pricing, as a result of Trans National Corporations (TNC).

She said the second important

tax gap in African countries could be related to tax incentives.

Government from low income countries offered various tax exemptions with the aim of attracting investors and fostering economic growth; evidence shows that tax incentive is not an important driver of foreign investment. `` By providing tax incentives, governments in low-income countries forego substantial revenue that can be used to foster the elements that drive foreign investment, notable infrastructure and education. ``It is estimated that the losses of revenue by the developing countries from tax exemptions for investors are around 20 per cent of actual revenue collections,” Adeosun said.

She said the third cause of tax revenue losses could be related to revenues generated in extractive industries.

According to her, the IMF estimated that governments are generally able to retain only about 30 per cent of the revenue in the mining sector.

She said that arrangements in the extractive sector were often ad hoc and not very transparent.

The minister said it was crucial to design fiscal regimes and rent sharing agreement to ensure fair amount of revenue for the producing country.

She said apart from the three main sources of missed tax revenues, African countries faced a number of constraints of political, administrative and economic nature.

Earlier, Mr Tunde Fowler, the Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), said Nigeria in particular had experienced a downward drop in revenue from crude oil.

Fowler said Nigeria now depended increasingly on tax revenue to meet the shortfall of all tiers of governments’ obligations.

Manager, Government and business relations, Exxonmobil, Mr Nigel Cookey-Gam (right), Speaking At The Company’s Energy Outlook Presentation On Thursday. With him is the General Manager, Deep Water Operations and Joint Interest, Mr Oladotun Isiaka.

NIS generates N19.4bn from January to October The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Martins Abeshi, has said the service generated N19. 4 billion between January and October 2015 as part of its renewed revenue drive.

Abeshi disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, visited the NIS as part of his familiarisation tour of parastatals under his ministry.

According to him, a total of N9, 788, 969,705 was generated from passports/operations, while N9, 676, 474, 587 was generated from the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien’s Card (CERPAC) within the period.

He said that apart from the passport processing offices in the country, the CERPAC production centres had been increased

Nigerian Breweries, UNIDO partner on water resources Joy Ekeke Nigeria Breweries Plc, in partnership with United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have organised a 3-day Stakeholder Workshop on water stewardship in Nigeria.

The workshop which is designed to engage with relevant stakeholders on issues of protecting water resources as well as developing ways to achieve water balance in Nigeria.

Mr. Nicolas Vervelde, the Man-

aging Director, CEO of Nigeria Breweries Plc said, ”Nigeria breweries Plc has been driven by a desire to create excellent shared value and contribution towards the development of the society and environment. This is currently evidenced in our long term sustainability strategy tagged Brewing a better World.

This Brewing a Better World strategy is centered on six focus areas which are protecting water resources, reducing carbon emission, sourcing sustainable, advo-

cating responsible consumption, ensuring the health and safety and growth with communities.”

“In the area of protecting water resources, we have set our ambitious targets in our operations. Our aim is that by 2020, we would have reduced our water consumption to 3.5 hectolitres per hectolitres to beer produced in all our breweries except breweries in water stressed areas that have a more stringent target of 3.3 hectolitres per hectolitres of beer.

to cover all states of the federation and the Onne Free Trade Zone in Rivers.

Abeshi said that about 24.6 million dollars was also generated from the service’s passports/ visa operations abroad during the period under review.

He said in spite of the revenue generated, the Service was facing a lot of challenges which included poor funding, especially in the area of funding its capital projects. ``Over the years, the NIS has been contending with poor funding, especially for capital projects for construction of border control plazas/automation of control posts. ``Lack of modern communication equipment and security gadgets such as sensors and alarm systems and surveillance cameras to cover the flanks through which irregular migra-

tion occurs, is also a major challenge,’’ he said.

He said the expansive and unstructured nature of Nigeria’s border made border management an herculean task, but pledged the commitment of NIS officers to redouble their efforts in line with Federal Government’s change agenda.

On the botched recruitment where some applicants lost their lives, the Comptroller-General said that the NIS was ready to conduct and absorb new officers as soon as it got directive from the Federal Government.

He also said that the Service needed about 5,000 personnel annually for the next five years to meet its manpower capacity.

The Immigration boss pledged to ensure professionalism in the service in line with international best practice and the federal government’s Change Agenda.

NUPENG urges FG to get economy back on track Joy Ekeke Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is urging the Federal Executive Council (FEC) consisting of Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari and the Ministers recently sworn in to quickly hit the ground running in order to put the nation’s economy back on track.

The Union believed that a lot of time has been wasted to constitute the cabinet which is supposed

to implement the programmes of the government.

NUPENG appealed to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to meet regularly to proffer solutions to the needs of the teeming Nigerians they promised to end their sufferings.

The Union stated that expectations are high and they should therefore put up concrete policies to hit the ground running by arresting the incessant fuel shortages presently experienced all over the country.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

19 Real Sector Digest

Enterprise Strokes

Note for Buhari (1) Siaka Momoh

We have had series of policies in the past that got shortcircuited. Policy inconsistencies have been responsible for the de-industrialisation of Nigeria.

If anything, Nigeria has become popular for policy somersaults.

The nation has become so guilty of this sin that each time the nation’s minders come up with one, many are not moved and so will not clap for them.

Arguments Shuaibu Idris, a financial expert and former deputy managing director of Dangote Sugar Plc said our problem is not lack of policy but the non-existent of the political will to execute policies.

He argued: “By the way, is Nigeria ever short of policy documents on anything? What happened to vision 2010 document? Was there no Industrialisation Policy in it?

What happened to the NEEDS document? What happened to the Vision 2020 document? Can we stop deceiving ourselves and get cracking? What we sincerely and urgently need is to create conducive environment to attract investments. Basic infrastructure is not available! How can any policy

Buhari

Cassava and vision 2025: The challenge of sustainability (2) Agbor Ndoma Agbor The Buhari-led government of change must therefore establish a body similar to the Brazilian EMBRAPA and EMERTA, Thailand TTDI and TTSA whose mandate should be on the research, development, production, processing, marketing, utilization and exportation of cassava and cassava derivatives.

The corn industry has failed the world; the wheat market is now threatening the industrial world utilization. The world is now in search of other grade starch products to satisfy man and animals energy requirement. The solution to this search is definitely in Nigeria. A country endowed with cassava, yam, potatoes, cocoyam etc, veritable sources of energy needs for man and animals. While the world is waiting for Nigeria to take the move and save the over 7 billion world population of carb-deficiency, we are wasting in the delusion of an oil-rich country that has been cut to size by dwindling

oil prices. What a shame.

The point here is that no nation becomes great by depending on other nations for survival. Certainly, Nigeria’s ambition to be one of the 20 economies in the world by the year 2025 will be a colossal joke unless she is willing and ready to take her destiny in her own hands. She must use her people and use her homegrown product to pursue economic stability and sustainability.

For effectiveness, Nigeria has got to use what she has to get to what she needs, just like India, Brazil, China have successfully done. It was Pundit Nehru, India’s first prime minister, who

said in 1948 that if India could not produce enough textiles to clothe its teaming population, she should go naked. India textiles mills roared to action. That was the beginning of the revolution in India textiles. He also said if India could not feed herself, it was more honourable to die than to be dependent on other nations before India could eat. That also began the Indian grand Agricultural industries.

Agriculture and indeed cassava, is the sure pillar on which Nigerian’s vision 2025 can be built and must be built. A cassava-driven economic development programme is the best possible path

attract or expand our manufacturing base? What is wrong with our tax incentive regime? What is wrong with the pioneer status scheme? What is wrong with our export expansion scheme? And what is wrong with our capital allowance scheme? How effective are these policies? Why are they not effective if we are not achieving the desired results?”

Akin Olusuyi, CEO, Cocoa Products (Ileluji) Limited spoke in the same vein like Shuaibu Idris did. He said: “This, as usual, is a well -articulated policy document. We do well in this area; the challenge has always been policy sustainability and the answer to this is simple: build institutions to drive policies rather than weaving our policies around individuals.

If this is done and the infrastructure environment is created we can be rest assured that this plan will bring the desired transformation.”

And for Horace Cambell, professor of African American Studies and Political Science at Syracuse University in New York and professor of International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, it is always important to develop a plan for industrialization.

to true national wealth creation and economic re-positioning on the long term, for there can be no greatness as a nation without putting your citizenry to productive work.

The Goodluck Jonathan-led government tried its best through the sector minister, to awaken the Obasanjo groundbreaking initiative to the transformation mantras of the last regime which was without structures, system, processes and products.

It is therefore, absolutely imperative for the President Buhari – change government to uphold the enthronement of an enabling environment for the development in Nigeria. Cassava development can therefore leap-frog the economic processes for Nigeria to take a giant leap in a determined effort for economic development.

China brooks no nonsense from anybody, group or cartel in their march toward industrialization, no matter how highly placed.

Only a few years ago, the Head of her Drug Control Organisation took a bribe of about $200,000 (N24 million then) to approve substandard drug for export. He was not just jailed but was summarily executed. That is the spirit behind the National economic development in China.

“We need industrialization in Africa and Nigeria will be a driving force for the unification and political independence of Africa. However, we have to strategically learn from other societies, strategize in relation to the changing dynamics in the places that can support the industrialization that we want and build a political constituency for this industrialization. The plan cannot be an economic plan only.

It will have to be economic, social and political. From what we have seen of the Chinese industrialization over the past 40 years, there must be the political will to carry this through.”

For him, one of the many questions that we have to ask is what will be the nature of the kind of industrial transformation that can propel the transformation of African economies, in this case the Nigerian economy. He said: “Nigeria has one major asset and that is a young, dynamic work force. Hence transformation and industrialization must dynamize this demographic asset. This will begin with the skills and knowledge of the resources that will change the society in the 21st century - biotechnology and third generation industrialization.”

Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals The Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL) is a major partner in realizing the national industrial plan, according to Dr Jossy Nkwocha, head of Corporate Communications and special adviser to the managing director of the company. The company, he said, is committed to its goal of building the largest petrochemicals hub of Africa in Nigeria by 2017. “This goal is in line with the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) which indeed has mentioned Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited as a major partner in realizing the national plan.

“We are greatly involved in the petrochemicals’ sector for which our products, polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, etc are servicing over 200 plastics companies in the country. We are also building a world-class fertilizer plant at the cost of US1.2 billion, with capacity for 1.4 million metric tons of fertilizers which will boost the agricultural sector with high quality fertilizers, improve crop yields and enhance food security in the country.

Real Sector Digest with Siaka Momoh

Industry 20

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

MAN decries adverse effects of new CBN forex policy Stories by Charles Okonji Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to revisit the new Foreign Exchange Policy (Forex) as some essential raw materials were included on the list of 41 items that were excluded from foreign exchange by the apex bank.

Prince Oba Okojie, Charman, MAN, Ikeja Branch, stated this at the association’s 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, in Lagos with the theme “Serious Constraint to the Sustainability of the Real Sector.”

He said; “CBN subsequently announced a number of policy measures intended to mitigate the effect of the forex drawdown

in the economy. A list of items not valid for forex market was published. The irony here is that the list included essential raw materials germane to some of our members operations.”

He said; “The issue was raised with President Muhammadu Buhari in the presence of CBN Governor. Other issues raised policy inconsistency and the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) amongst others.”

“For us to understand the enormity of our electricity problem, allow me to quote President Muhammadu Buhari in his inaugural speech of May 29, 2015, of the Nigerian economy viaa-vis its power problem. “No single cause can be identified as Nigeria’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national

L – R: Mr Peter Folikwe, Managing Director Berger Paints Nigeria Plc and Mr Ganiyu Koledoye, President and Chairman Governing Council, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), on the Investiture of the MD/CEO of Berger Paints Nigeria Plc as a Fellow of NIMN in Lagos recently.

shame that an economy of over 180 million people generates only 4,000 MW and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structure of power supply and distribution have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians.”

In his address, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs stated that there is the need for the association to have a regular engagement and interaction with the Lagos State government as the country is undergoing great financial challenges, adding that the unem-

ployment figure is soaring.

He noted; “The synergy is necessary in order to engender inclusive and sustainable growth, and to achieve the much desired diversification of the economy.

In the face of dwindling economic resources within the territories to create wealth, generate employment, and generally provide for the well-being of the citizens. It has been established that the manufacturing sector more that any sector, has the greatest capacity to create wealth, generate employment and facilitate skill acquisition.”

“Given the challenges manufacturers are experiencing currently, i believe it is important to highlight the need for manufacturers to pay greater attention to local sourcing of raw materials and to tune-up to the government agenda of backward integration. As you are aware, the recent CBN circular on the use of foreign exchange adversely affected the capacity of our members to source their foreign inputs. This is a fall-out of the drastic reduction in the income of the country from our major export, which is crude oil.”

Participants throng Dangote pavilion at Kano Fair ÏE 9L Ɖ Əƕ # ƎƄ 1ƍ ƏƋ

Dangote

Charles Okonji

Customers and visitors to the Kano International Trade Fair on Tuesday displayed excitement at the on-going Mega Million Dangote Cement promo as the management announced to the visitors that one million Naira would be won daily while the promo lasts.

The President of the Kano State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) Umar Farouk Rabiu Dansuleka described the Dangote Group as a worthy partner and major sponsor of the Trade Fair.

He stated that Dangote Group has contributed to the development of businesses in the country through the sponsorship of business activities like the Trade Fair.

However, most customers who visited the Group’s pavilion said they were thrilled with the promo and would like to participate at the company’s promo that seeks to create new millionaires as the

marketing team of Dangote Cement explained the process of participating in the promo.

In a related development, the Director-General of KACCIMA, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Mustafa commended the Dangote Group for the sponsorship and for supporting the growth of businesses in Kano State. “Dangote Group is our major sponsor. We want to commend Alhaji Aliko Dangote for helping businesses to grow in Kano State and by extension the whole of Nigeria,” he said.

Alhaji Mustafa expressed optimism that this year’s trade fair, with the Theme: Improving Products Quality and Packaging to Competitiveness for the Attainment of Sustainable Economic Growth, is seeing a higher patronage.

Moreover, companies from the Dangote Group that are on ground at the fair include Dangote Sugar Refinery, NASCON Allied Industries Plc (Dangote Salt), Dangote Cement Plc, and Dansa Foods Limited among others.

Some of the products being displayed at the fair include Dangote sugar, Dangote Cement, Dangote salt, DanQ seasoning, tomato paste, various ranges of fruit juice products and bottled water from Dansa Foods.

Dangote Sugar will be offering customers different sizes of granulated sugar packs at the fair.

A statement from Corporate Communications Department of the Dangote Group said the fair has become a veritable avenue for the display of innovative products of the Dangote products and that visitors to the group pavilion will have the opportunity of buying the products at discounted prices. Speaking earlier at the opening ceremony, the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce Rabiu Bako said the state government and KACCIMA are working together to encourage private sector participation to ensure the planned economic development of the state.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Edugenius Global Education Organisation

21 Public Notice

THE GLORIFIEDHOUSE INT’L MINISTRY

THE EMITTER CHARITY ORGANIZATION

This is to inform the general public that above-named Church has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters of Act 1990.

This is to notify the General public that the above named has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act,

This is to inform the general public that the above named foundation has applied for registration eith the corporate affairs commission abuja under part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Chukwuemeka C Okonkwo…..President. 2.Engr Princewill Onyia.

3.Dr Jude Ugwu.

4.Barr Eniola .A.oladepo.

5.Mr Chijioke Okonkwo.

6.Barr Chibuyor Udolisa.

TRUSTEES. 1.Duduyemi Olufemi -General Overseer.

2.Duduyemi Daramola.

3.Pastor Yahaya Dingamaji.

4.Pastor Vicory Ajayi.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Shomade Faosat Ibironke -President.

2.Tawakalitu Moyosore -Secretary.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE To crusade the true definition of education.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE : To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Aims & Objectives: 1. To Provide Food For The Hungry.

2. To Provide Clothes For The Naked 3.To Provide Home For The Homeles.

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

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

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar general Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420 Tigris crescent off Aguyi Ironsi street Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication

ALAKEYE SINCERE POVERTY ALLEVATION FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named foundation has applied for registration to the corporate affairs commission under “c” of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1 Isaac Alakeye Alagbile - Chairman 2. Oluwayemisi Florence Adeyemo 3. Oluwatosin Grace Akinwumi 4. Anuoluwapo Oluwanife Alagbile.

5. Mrs Bose Funmi Alagbile :

PALACE OF HEALING GLOBAL OUTREACH The general public is hereby notified that the above named BODY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

TRUSTEES 1.prophet Sunday Ademola Ajayi .

3.Rev’d Samuel olubayo Adeleye 5.Mr Adenowo Sherif Adekunle 7.Engineer Taiwo Ajayi.

2.prophetess Ruth olufunmilayo Ajayi 4.prince olusegun Tinuoye 6.Deacon Akinbayo ojebode

Aim And Objective : Assisting Rural Dwellers With Financial Empowerment :

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To help people discover their God’s given purpose 2.To raise God’s people through healing and deliverance ministration 3.To make people enjoy the benefits of God’s kingdom.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general corporate affairs commission plot h 20, tigris crescent,off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama p.M.B 198, garki abuja Within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-general Corporate Affairs Commission plot h 20, Tigris Crescent,off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama P.M.B 198, Garki Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

Signed By The Chairman YAH – HANNANU ISLAMIC FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under PART C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act,1990 TRUSTEES; 1. Al- Khalifah – Ahmod Opeloyeru - Imam 2. Mr Uthman – Animashaun Gafar - President 3. Mr Amisu Saheed – Secretary 4. Alhaji Ismail Muraina Epemolu - Patron 5. H.R.H Oba Yunus Alao Akinmade – Grand Patron AIMS; 1. To help the less priviledge Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420, Tigris Crescent,off AguiyiIronsi street Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

LAGOON RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Shomoye .A. Nojeem- Chairman 2. Oyewo, Suliat Oyeperu-Secretary 3. Alawaye Shehu Ola--Member 4. Akinwatimi Akinsanmi--Member 5. Uthman Mahmood Adekunle--Member.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. To help the less privilege in the grassroot 2. To provide required humanitarian and healthcare support in rural areas.

3.To promte qualitative education in the rural area among primary and secondary schools.

4. Ensure good environmental sanitation and enhancing good healthy living among people.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission plot 420 tigris crescent of aguiyi ironsi street maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

LIBERTY MASTERY FOUNDATION. This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under PART C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act,1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.Mrs Abohi Bolanle-President 2.Miss Olayinka-Bello Oluwafisayo-General secretary.

3. Mr Conde Adeyinka-Financial secretary 4.Mr Olayinka-Bello Ayotunde Danie-PRO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.To operate a training centre for economic,social and academic enlightenment 2.To provide resources and opportunities for academic pursuits and vocational training to the less privileged of all age brackets in the society.

3.To increase participation in practical environmental activities.

Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420, Tigris Crescent,offAguiyiIronsi street Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

IMEH ETUKUDOH FOUNDATION

AIM AND OBJECTIVE 1. Missions and humanitarian services Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Apostle Emmanuel Olufemi Taiwo - President 2. Pastor (Mrs) Victoria Oluyemi Taiwo.

3. Pastor Adebowale Kolawole Olaide.

4. Mrs Funmilola Oluwaseun Taiwo 5. Mrs Oluwakemi Osinuga 6. Mrs Kudirat Adejoke Hassan 7. Mrs Abimbola Oluwafunke Adesanya 8. Mrs Ganiyat Afolashade Adeyemi 9. Mr Oluwagbemiga Funsho Adebanjo Aims & Objectives are a. To Preach and propagate the Gospel of our Lord. b. To WIN SOULS for Christ c. To assist the less privileged in our Society Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: Pastor John Akinbode

ODU’A INVESTMENT STAFF TRUST FUND The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Part ‘’C’’ Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mrs Abimbola Olawuyi - President 2. Mrs Adeola Sam-Aliu - Secretary 3. Mr Adewale Oluwaseyi Shodunke 4. Mr Abiodun Olufemi Agboola 5. Mrs Abiola Ajayi AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To cater for the welfare of members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission plot 420 Tigris crescent of AguiyiIronsi street Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication

PROFESSIONAL GARMENT PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

GLOBAL APOSTOLIC NETWORK ENUGU

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies & Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies & Allied Matters Act 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1.James Dims Ogbu-Chairman 2.Enyiazu Orji Jerry -Vice Chairman 3.Nwabueze Kingsley Eleke -Treasuer 4. Mary Uzoamaka Ogbonna -Sec 5.Pastor Elisha Nnanna Ala. AIMS: 1.To carter for the welfare of the members 2.To promote peace and unity among the members.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1.Bishop Dr Umeayo Ikechukwu Reigns-Chairman , 2. Umeayo Favour Catherine 3.Uche Ama Roseline Chiegeonu

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Area II, Garki, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Area II, Garki, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

AIMS 1.To bring the work of god to the grassroot 2.To help widows,widowers and the needy.

SIGNED: CHAIRMAN

CHAMPION SHAREHOLDER ASSOCIATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named BODY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Part ‘’C’’ Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

TRUSTEES 1. Rasheed Adekunle Murital 2. Akinade Ademuyiwa Taofeek 3. Adegbulugbe Bose Comfort 4. Odewusi Abiodun Dada 5. Adebowale Aderibigbe kehinde.

TRUSTEES 1. ImehEtukudoh 2. EkaeteEtukudoh 3. Amadi Giles

God Word Is Power Convenant Mission The general public is hereby notified that the above named BODY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

Signed: OLUWATUYI OLUWAKEMI IDOWU (BARR)

SIGNED BY ONAFOWOKAN ANIFAT-- SOLICITOR.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named BODY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Part ‘’C’’ Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

Signed: Secretary

SIGNED: SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To cater for interests and welfare of members Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED. BARR KEHINDE

ASSOCIATION OF IJESHA MUSLIM COMMUNITY ILESHA OSUN STATE This is to inform the General Public that the above Named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 Trustees 1. Alhaji Abdulrahman Akinniyi 2. Alhaji Abdulfatai Olanlege 3. Alhaji Razaq Ayinla Ayeni 4. Alhaji Azeez Issa Adesiji 5. Alhaji Idris Muhammad Jaamiu 6. Ajayi Rafiu Olabode 7. Sanni Abdullahi Sikirullahi Alade 8. Adeyanju Amusat Amuda AIMS & OBJECTIVES 1. To profess the oneness of allah 2. To foster unity among all muslims in the community Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Auiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED BARR TOPE AYUBA-BULUS (MRS) 0805158192

Public Notice 22 CHARITY HEALTHY HEALTH FOUNDATION This is to inform the General Public that the above Named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

TRUSTESS 1. Chief Dr. Forte Chinaemeze Ezekwesiri. (Chairman Of Bot).

2. Barr. Jideofor Nwosu. (Secretary).

3. Fidelis Chukwudi Ezeoke . 4. Blessing Ijeoma Kelvin.

5. Gervase Chimereze Ezekwesiri.

6. Basil Igwe Omemgbeoji.

7. Cyril Okoye Ejimadu.

8. Cletus Nwokolo.

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

SIGNED. JIDEOFOR NWOSU.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

LOSS OF DOCUMENT This is to inform the general public of the loss of Saraha Receipt No. 6914 issued to one Mrs. Chikaodi Angela Alloh, Letter from Saraha Homes to Chikaodi Angela Alloh (Authority to proceed to site) dated 27th September, 2011, Letter from saraha Homes to Chikaodi Angela Alloh (Authority to proceed to site/indemnity on site dated 27th September, 2011 and Trust construction Ventures receipt NO. 0101 issued to Chikaodi Angela Alloh dated 14/01/11.

If found, call: 08021262346/08073049839 SIGNED:DAMIGHO ALLOH

CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH GOSHEN LAND GBONGON GBOGUNMI

AJASQO QUARRY & SAND SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

This is to inform the general public that above-named Church has applied for registration with Corporate Affairs Commission under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Prophet Fadairo Adefemi Joshua 2. Lady Evang. Fadairo Oluwafunmilayo Ruth 3. Evang. Adebayo Benjamin Oludare 4. Mrs Lawal Yemisi 5. Lady Evang. Salami Omolola 6. Barr. Adimula Biola 7. Deaconess Omolewa Ahmed 8. Olayemi Akinwale Isaac AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the Gospel of Lord Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of this registration.

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

TRUSTEES ARE 1, Fayose Oladapo Ebenezer 2, Ojo Ayodele Samson 3, Akinsunmoye Raphael Akinwale 4,Omole Muyiwa Oriade 5, Fagoroyo Olabanji Emmanuel 6, Falohun Marvelous Sanya Aims and objective To contribute to the development of members wellbeing economically and socially.

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

DE GREAT DOMINION CLUB.

TRUSTEES: 1, Emezute Benjamin Chukwujekwe 2, Obih Keneth Uzor 3, Umenwa Chinedu 4, Onyeka Oliver Ugwumba 5, Anagara Remigus Anayo.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE Sustainable development and social changes , gender equality , status of women watch reporting child care watch Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B. 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED TRUSTEES.

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

Signed trustees.

MRS TANIMOJO OLUREMI KUDIRAT

HOLO AKINSELOYIN OLUWASEUN

I, formerly known and addressed

I, formerly known and addressed as Sarat Abike Adeosun now wish to be known and addressed as Sarat Abike Adenrele Salau.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS KAZEEM OLUREMI KUDIRAT now wish to be known and addressed as MRS TANIMOJO OLUREMI KUDIRAT . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ENIOLUWAFE OLUWASEUN KELECHI now wish to be known and addressed as HOLO AKINSELOYIN OLUWASEUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

General public take note.

TRUSTEES ARE 1,Olugbenga Arinkoluwa 2, Dr Yomi Akinfemi 3, Dr Abbas Innocent 4, Mr Abel Oyeyemi 5, Wemisola Mabel Arinkoluwa 6, Dr Ibukun Olusa 7, Pastor Ajayi Olugbenga .

FIT FOR A PRINCESS EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION.

SARAT ABIKE ADENRELE SALAU

former documents remain valid.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Part ‘’C’’ Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

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

MRS LADIDI EYIME COLE

asMrs Ladidi Eyime Cole. All

HOUSE OF JACOBS INTERNATIONAL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE .

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE To assist the needy

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

SIGNED BY: SECRETARY

wish to be known and addressed

OCHUWA AKHIGBE-OGIONWO

TRUSTEES ARE 1. Adeola Egbeyemi 2. Tasilimat Kashimawo Yaro.

AIMS & OBJECTIVE: 1, To seek peace and progress of members 2, To give humanitarin services.

as Miss Ladidi Eyime Onoja now

DOTIMIYE OGIONWO

SIGNED TRUSTEES

SIGNED: DADA JOHN MAYOKUN (ESQ)

This is to inform the general public that the above named association has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and AlliedMatters Act of 1990

WINDING UP!WINGING UP!!

RERWOD TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES LIMITED 11, OnikepoAkande Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos RC: 89835 THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2004 PRIVATE COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES SPECIAL RESOLUTION OF RERWOD TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES LIMITED MEMBERS VOLUNTARY WINDING UP PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 457(b) OF CAMA, 200 AT THE EXTRA ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF THE ABOVE NAMED COMPANY HELD AT 11 ONIKEPO AKANDE STREET, LEKKI PHASE 1, LAGOS, NIGERIA, ON 2ND NOVEMBER 2015, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS. 1.

THAT THE COMPANY BE WOUND UP Pursuant to section 457(b) of the Companied and Allied Matters Act. 2.

THAT MR. FEMI WRIGHT OF IC INYANG CRESCENT, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS BE AND IS HEREBY APPOINTED AS THE LIQUIDATOR FOR THE PURPOSES OF WINDING UP THE AFFAIR OF THE COMPANY DATED THIS 2ND NOVEMBER, 2015

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

MR. HALILU LAWAL

ADEYEMI AFOLABI ALABI

CAVEAT EMPTOR:

ADOLPHUS THOMAS ALUFAH

OGUNDEJI RACHAEL OLUWAFUNMILOLA

I, formally known as ALILU LAWAL now wish to be known as MR. HALILU LAWAL. All former documents remain valid.

All government organizations, banks and general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as RASHEED OLOWOLAGBA ALABI now wish to be known and addressed ADEYEMI AFOLABI ALABI .

All former documents remain valid. General public and GT

This is to inform the general public that the property known and described as No. 10, Afikpo Street, Aladinma Housing Estate, Owerri, Imo State, a bungalow behind Aladinma Motor Park, Owerri is not for sale. Prospective buyers beware.

Barrister Emeka Ukachi.

This is to state that ADOLPHUS TOM BEST VENTURES is the same person as ADOLPHUS THOMAS ALUFAH, hence should be recognize by the general public. All for document remain valid

I, formerly known and addressed as Olaojo Racheal Oluwafunmilola now wish to be known and addressed as Ogundeji Rachael Oluwafunmilola. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME/DATE OF BIRTH

OLALEKAN BUSAYO SAIDAT

Paul Grace Amarachi

CHIOMA MILY EMELLE

ODEY SUNDAY JOHN

LAWAL OMEIZA ABDULLAHI

This is to confirm that NNAMANI FAVOUR NKECHI, NNAMANI FAVOUR FLORENCE and NNAMANI FLORENCE ESTHER are the same person. And my correct date of birth is 27th May 1987. Former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Balogun Busayo Saidat now wish to be known and addressed as OLALEKAN BUSAYO SAIDAT All former documents remain valid. UBA Bank Plc and general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed

I, formerly known and addressed as : Chioma Mily Maduakolam now wish to be known and addressed as Chioma mily Emelle. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed

I, formerly known and addressed as Taiye Hussein Abdulrahim now wish to be known and addressed as Lawal Omeiza Abdullahi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

as Paul Peace Ezinne, now wish to be addressed as Paul

Grace

Amarachi.

Access Bank, Skye Bank and General Public take note.

as Odey Christopher

now wish

to be known and addressed as Odey

Sunday John All former

documents remain valid. General public take note.

MISS COMFORT IJEOMA CHUKWUJIEZE

MRS BUKOLA AROGUNDADE

MRS ODUNJO OLUBUNMI CAROLINE

BABATUNDE OLAMITOYOSI TITILOLA

MRS SLYVIA OKOROCHA

SAHEED HAMZAT IDOWU

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS COMFORT IJEOMA CHUKWU now wished to be known and addressed as MISS COMFORT IJEOMA CHUKWUJIEZE. All former documents remain valid. FIRST BANK OWERRI and the general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Bukola Balogunnow wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Bukola Arogundade.

All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss .Omotoyinbo Olubunmi Caroline now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Odunjo Olubunmi Caroline. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oni Olamitoyosi Titilola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Babatunde Olamitoyosi Titilola . All former documents remain valid. General public and GT bank take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Decency Obih now wish to be known and addressed Mrs Slyvia Okorocha.

All former documents remain valid. General public and GT bank take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Saka Akorede now wish to be known and addressed Saheed Hamzat Idowu.

All former documents remain valid. General public and GT bank take note.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

FG to create self-reliant youth population, says Minister Akor Ejumene

Abuja ÏÏÏIn its determination to tackle unemployment situation in the country, the federal government has inaugurated an Information and Communication Technology Centre(ICT) built by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia State.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who inaugurated the project on behalf of government, described vocational training and skill acquisition as ranking high in President Muhammadu Bu-

hari administration’s quest to develop a self-reliant low and middle level manpower base, intended as an engine of growth, in waging a successful battle against unemployment.

“The centre will provide qualitative skill acquisition, create veritable workshop for self-reliant productivity, as well as contribute to poverty reduction programme of this administration.

“It has a capacity to train over 150 persons in various ICT driven skills at a session, especially in areas of computer and GSM phone repairs. Our administration is pursuing a paradigm shift

from a dependent youth population to that which is not only self-reliant, as a result of vocation and skill, but one that can also employ others. We wish to stimulate an all-round creativity and through that, productivity.

The aggregate of these multiple private endeavours is the live wire of a buoyant economy,” Ngige said.

He urged the people of the area and neighboring states to take advantage of the centre, adding that the NDE was replicating same in other parts of the country.

The Governor of Abia State, Hon. Okezie Ikpeazu, promised, on the occasion,

to provide incentive to the trainees of the centre, as well ensure adequate security for facility.

He commended the Federal Government for its thoughtfulness in ensuring that the challenges of unemployment were drastically dealt with to check the growing youth restiveness.

Buhari

23 News

Akor Ejumene Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Minister of Science and Technology, Hon. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said that with science and technology, tailored to the needs of the nation, she would be producing equipment required to fight insurgency bedevilling her country, especially in the north-eastern part of the country.

Onu, who stated this when he received the Executive Secretary, African Union Scientific and Research Commission, Ahmad Handy, in his office, in Abuja, recalled that the myriad of problems facing the country could be solved by using innovations developed by scientists and ex-

Akure

ÏÏÏNo fewer than 350 com-

Enugu govt partners accountants on transparency Moses Oyediran

Enugu ÏÏÏThe Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has affirmed the readiness of his administration to partner the Association of Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to entrench openness and transparency in the financial administration of the state.

He told members of the Enugu State chapter of the association, who paid him a courtesy visit, that 95% of the professional accountants in the civil and public service of the state were their colleagues.

Ugwuanyi enumerated some of their members in the state service as the

Accountant- General, the Auditor-General of the State Local Governments and a number of Permanent Secretaries and Directors of Finance in the state.

According to the governor, with such a strong presence in the bureaucratic structure of the state, members of the association had a key role to play in the effective implementation of the fiscal and other policies of government designed to improve upon the lot of the people.

In his words, “I wish to assure you of the readiness of my administration to partner with the association towards the achievement of its objectives, especially

those of that would be of benefit to the people of Enugu State.”

The State Chairman of the association, Princess Roseline Egbo, informed Ugwuanyi that their members constitute over 90% of Public Sector Professional Accountants in Nigeria and in Enugu State. She affirmed the readiness of the association to identify with the Ugwuanyi administration, since ANAN had been following the his aggressive infrastructural development of the state within so short a time.

“We wish to be identified with your government by working closely with you and by offering our

services as professional accountants, having been part of the team that has been responsible for the prompt rendition of annual final accounts of the state.” She noted that the association upholds transparency, accountability and prudence in accounting processes and procedures which the state was noted for. Egbo said ANAN provided a platform for training and re-training of accountants for capacitybuilding and development of members like any other professional body.

The association requested the governor’s assistance for the provision of office accommodation by approving allocation of plot of land.

perts using local technologies.

Onu said there was a need for a policy to encourage innovation in the country towards the realisation of a sustainable development, adding that Nigeria would continue to collaborate with other African countries in ensuring that science, technology, as well as innovation, became the bedrock of national and continental development. Handy pledged the support and collaboration of the African Union on science and technology research and innovation in Nigeria.

We’ve responded to 350 complaints in Ondo – PCC

’Tosin Ajuwon

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle); Special Adviser, Transportation, Prince Anofiu Elegushi; Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Dayo Mobereola; Director, State Security Service, Mr. Adekunle Ajanaku and Assistant Corps Marshal, Nsebong Akpabio during the Traffic Management & Transportation Summit organised by the Ministry of Transportation, held at Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos… on Thursday.

Science, Tech can fight insurgency – Onu

plaints have been treated in Ondo State, since the beginning of this year, the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has said.

The Federal Commissioner in charge of Ondo State Directorate Office of the Commission, Ms. Catherine Odu, said this, on Thursday, in Akure, the state capital.

Odu, who disclosed that the complaints were the ones treated from April to November, noted that the commission did a thorough job treating the cases which covered all spheres of the polity.

“Since April till date, we have addressed over 350 complaints and these were

the complaints that covered all areas, knowing full well that we are not restricted.”

According to her, the agency, which serves as a mediatory and reconciliatory platform for peaceful co-existence was a good alternative to law courts.

“At the end of any complaint treated, bitterness tends to melt, unlike in court cases,” she said.

She explained that the PCC rendered free services to all complainants, adding that its officers primarily employed persuasion and persistence in achieving aims of settling disputes without rancor.

Odu said: “The beauty of this is that our services are free and no PCC official is expected to collect money from any complainant.”

Ambode woos FDIs to Lagos Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏLagos

State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has, in a bid to improve the economic atmosphere of the cosmopolitan city, stepped up his campaign for direct foreign investment (FDI) in Lagos.

At the Commonwealth Business Forum, in Malta – an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea – Ambode advised investors to take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities that abound in the state.

The Commonwealth Business Forum, which was held from November 24 to 26, attracted over 1,200 business

leaders from 80 countries.

It would be recalled that Lagos commanded the attention of many investors, as the Special Session hosted by the State Government had prospective investors from several countries in attendance.

Ambode, who was accompanied to the event by a strong contingent consisting of members of his administration, intimated investors with various investment opportunities in Lagos.

According to him, “The strong team I have here with me is indicative of our commitment to facilitating business in Lagos for investors.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Grandma drags DSS, Akanmode to court over car seizure Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏA

grandmother, one Mrs. A. M. Balogun has dragged the Department of State Security Service (SSS) and the former Deputy Chief of Staff in the Presidency, Prince Olushola Akanmode before the Federal High Court in Abuja, for illegally seizing her Honda Civic saloon car since July 19, 2014.

Also joined in the suit is the Director General State Security Service whose department allegedly towed L-R: Balogun of Okun Ilashe Kingdom, High Chief Emmanuel Julius; Head, Personal and Business Banking, Standard Bank West Africa, Lincoln Mali; Representative of Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1, Lagos State House of Assembly, Dipo Olorunrinu and Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Obinnia Abajue, at the Commissioning of the Satellite Town, Lagos, branch of the bank on Thursday.

Oyo lawmakers begin indefinite strike Remi Oladoye Ibadan

ÏÏÏLawmakers in the Oyo

State House of Assembly, on Thursday, embarked on an indefinite strike to press home demand for their unpaid allowances.

The legislators, who are being owed furniture and car allowances as well as two months running cost

for the Assembly, said they received their salaries last in August.

As a result of the strike, the sitting that was to take place yesterday was postponed for as long as it will take Governor Abiola Ajimobi to pay all outstanding allowances.

Daily Times gathered that one of the lawmakers who pleaded anonymity, ex-

plained that they took the ‘no allowance, no sitting’ decision after all entreaties to have the matter resolved amicably failed.

The lawmakers wondered while the legislature was sidelined while all benefits and allowances of the governor were being paid, adding that only Oyo lawmakers were being owed.

Recall that 20 of the 32

Oyo lawmakers had last week boycotted sitting to protest lack of concern for their welfare, arguing that without the running cost, the Assembly cannot function.

It was gathered that the unanimous decision to embark on the strike was discussed at a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House.

Why US empowers girls, counters gender-based violence - Consul Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏVice

Consul, U.S. Consulate General, Lagos, Claire Ruffing, stated the reason why U.S. has dedicated so much time and energy in empowering girls and countering gender-based violence, because they (women) have the ability to impact the world in big ways.

Just as she said that most of the world’s development challenges are hinged on investing in girls and women.

Ruffing told the over 200 hundred women at the conference which include pilots, engineers, airport managers and other aviation professionals that this would happen only if women raise their collective voices, loudly enough.

Women, she said have a responsibility to each other and to their families, com-

munities and societies to support one another as they try to make the world a better place.

She spoke at the 2015 Women in International (WAI), Nigeria chapter and annual conference with the theme, “Connect, Engage and Inspire the Next Generation” in Lagos.

She posited that armed with facts and with a sense of solidarity, women make some of the most important contributions to societies generally, and particularly in developing countries.

“Firstly, coming from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, I should begin by saying we share your goals in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls. That’s a priority for the United States Government” she said.

The diplomat stated that under the leadership of President Obama, the United States was working to combat discrimination, eliminate violence against women and girls at home and abroad, expand access to women’s health care, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, support women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, and encourage women’s economic and political leadership.

She said that from creating the White House Council on Women and Girls, the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women and an Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues, to appointing two women to the Supreme Court and a strong team of women leaders to his cabinet and White House staff, President

Obama has taken concrete steps to ensure that women of diverse backgrounds are involved in shaping policy at every level of our government and that their voices are heard throughout American society and all around the world.

She stated that in August 2012, the President issued the first-ever U.S. Strategy on Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence Globally and a related Executive Order to address gender-based violence through its foreign policy, diplomatic and programming efforts.Ruffing informed that in more than 40 countries worldwide, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has reached more than five million survivors of gender-based violence.

Mathew Dadiya

Abuja ÏÏÏIn line with the current administration’s resolve to institute reform policies that will ensure effective management of the nation’s economy and reduce cost of governance, President Buhari has approved the establishment of an Efficiency Unit (E-UNIT) in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

According to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Efficiency Unit will undertake programmed reviews of all government overhead expenditure with a view to reducing wastage, promoting efficiency and ensuring quantifiable savings for the country. Specifically, the Efficiency Unit will work across all MDAs to identify and eliminate wasteful spending, duplication and other inefficien-

Mrs Balogun's car from the spot where it was parked after the car tyres were deflated on instruction of Akanmode.

In the writ of summon, Mrs. Balogun asked the court to award N5, 000,000 general damages for pains, psychological trauma, unlawful seizure and deprival of the use of the car, as well as an order for the payment of the sum of N1, 850,000.00 being the replacement cost of the vehicle and N6, 000 per day being cost of commercial taxi she hired since July 19, 2014.

FG to establish Efficiency Unit cies; identify best practices in procurement and financial management and share such knowledge to ensure its adoption.

Mrs Adeosun, in a statement signed by the Director of Press, Mr. Marshall Gundu, said the principal objective of the Efficiency Unit is to ensure that all government expenditure is necessary and represents the best possible value for money.

Adeosun

Lagos accounts for 70% of Nigeria's transport network- FRSC boss Benjamin Omoike

ÏÏÏCorps

Marshal and Chief Executive of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi has said that Lagos State accounts for about 70 percent of the country's transportation network and over 30 percent of vehicular density in Nigeria. This, he said, is largely due to its strategic importance to Nigeria's economy.

Oyeyemi, who stated this at the Traffic Management and Transportation Summit organised by the state government on Thursday, at the Civic Centre,

Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, said though there were notable improvements in the areas of traffic situations in the state, a lot still needed to be done.

While calling for synergy among the enforcement agencies, Oyeyemi also urged the state government to establish Mobile Traffic Courts in a bid to further boost and compliment traffic enforcement.

He added that there are about 40 petroleum tank farms in Lagos, and that the best way to tackle traffic gridlock is embracing full enforcement of Lagos traffic laws and regulations.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Features

Æs

Biafra will emerge without bombs and guns –Igwe Ralph Ekpeh His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ralph Obumnemeh Ekpeh (Okpalanakana-Ukabia Nri IV), Eze Enugwu-Ukwu na Igwe Umunri is the sitting Eze and ministering Priest/Head of Umunri Clan. In this exclusive interview held in his posh palace at Enugwu-Ukwu recently, the monarch took GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR through the colonial administration, our independence and the intrigues that led to the civil war to this democratic dispensation. His report.

The reasons for seccession like injustice, maginalisation, bad governance, etc have even worsened than it was then. In fact, events of that period were better than what we have now.

Everything now is on tribal lines, and that’s why nobody can apply for a job he or she is well qualified and gets it on merit.

The situation today is worse than it was before the army struck in 1966 His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ralph Obumnemeh Ekpeh (Okpalanakana-Ukabia Nri IV), Eze Enugwu-Ukwu na Igwe Umunri is a retired investor, publisher and accomplished businessman; he ascended the throne after his retirement four years ago.

For starters, the monarch threw some light on his peculiar ancestry: “The core Nri people is made up of four clans; in order of seniority, they are Enugwu-Ukwu, Nawfia, Enugwu Agidi, and Akamkpisi/Agukwu,” he began.

“Our forefathers were medicine men, evangelists and missionaries which made Umu Nri proliferate to over 150 towns and

Bello

villages in Nigeria, especially in Igbo land and parts of Delta, Kogi and other states.

“As priests ministering to the people, our forefathers travelled wide, doing the work of cleansing, absolving and delivering people who have committed abomination and taboos, an office similar to what the Church is doing today.”

It is noteworthy that the popular commercial towns and cities in the Southeast, like Onitsha, Awka, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, and

Azikiwe

Abakaliki are actually names of siblings of the first and eldest son (Okpalanakana Ukabia) of Nri, the royal progenitor of the ancestral home of Ndigbo people.

Reviewing the Nigerian story in retrospect, Igwe Ralph said he saw it all. “I lived through it all: the colonial administration, our independence and injustices, tribal sentiments and man’s inhumanity to man and processes that led to the civil war. But before the war came,

the nation was gliding towards a precipice. Even at that, I can also say that time was better than the situation we are now and I will tell you why: “When the army saw that Nigeria was not progressing, the push that brought about the civil war, set in. I dare say the army acted patriotically when they moved to remove those who were at the helm of affairs.

“Unfortunately, they didn’t quite achieve what they had desired in the beginning because

while the original plan was that everybody should execute their parts successfully so the goal could be achieved, one or two of them did not carry out their assignments to the letter.”

He commended the unity of the army at the time, and noted with nostalgia the position of the Igbo people in the force.

“At the time, real officers that commanded the army were mainly Igbos although they had other tribes from the geo-axis of CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

27 Features

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

the country; but at the officer level, the Igbos dominated the force.

“Now, when some did not achieve the desired purpose, there was a failure to effect the final execution, and that led to what became a coup d’état and the mantle of leadership fell on an Igbo man, the late General J.T.U. Agwuiyi Ironsi.”

Igwe Ralph recalled the genesis of the crisis between Northern and Eastern indigenes that continued till today.

In the spirit of Igbo man, Aguiyi acted wisely by saying that everybody should be accommodated, and in the spirit of the army then, he thought they were united; but unknown to him, some elements were nursing some grievances against the Igbos because some people who were like semi-gods to the Northerners, like the Saduana of Sokoto, Abubakar, Ahmadu Bello and some others were killed in the fallout of the coup, the Northerners were not happy, so Ironsi was murdered.

“They were not even satisfied with that; a plot was hatched to eliminate Igbos and other people of the South. Anyone who was not a Northerner then, particularly if you were from the South like Calabar, Urhobo, Yoruba etc, was regarded as Igbo, and that started the blood bath that led to cessation.”

Though the necessity for cessation was justified then, but now Ojukwu has come and gone, the monarch is unhappy that issues that necessitated the civil war have not only remained unaddressed, they have escalated over the years.

“The reasons for cessation, like injustice, maginalisation, bad governance, etc have even worsened than it was then. In fact, events of that period were better than what we have now.

Everything now is on tribal lines, and that’s why nobody can apply for a job he or she is well qualified and gets it on merit; they will ask for your state of origin, national character, etc, so the situation today is worse than it was before the army struck in 1966.”

Placed side by side with democracy as we are saddled with now, would he counsel a military intervention?

“If we want a solution, then we should check and see whether we can find that solution in the massive corruption we have today; or under Boko Haram insurgency. Is there solution where you have an army of graduates who cannot get a job for what they have read, or solution in uncared for universities and some secondary schools that are not fit for a place you rear chickens? So if there is anything that will change governance towards sanity, I support it. I am not advocating any military intervention, but whatever will bring sanity into

Ekpeh

Uwazurike

‘Let civilians rise up to change the course of their destiny’ governance so that politicians will think of Nigerians instead of themselves alone, I will support it.’

In preference to military intervention, Igwe Ikpeh considered a civil uprising.

“What I will advocate is civil insurrection as witnessed during the French revolution; like the changes that happened in Egypt and Libya recently. Let civilians rise up to change the course of their destiny.’

The possibility of a second armed conflict by the Igbo nation did not seem likely to the royal father. He gave reasons and touched on the fate of the Igbo man in the current dispensation.

“The fate of the Igbo man as I see it is that the Ibo man will not be the first to take up arms a second time, because when we first did, every part of Nigeria betrayed us: they teamed up against us. If it is thought that the Igbo man is a coward now and cannot secure his own life and property, it is not true.

What is happening is that the Igbo people are more matured in their reasoning and are stomaching the injustices meted out to us; but we will support any legitimate organisation that decides to take up arms to fight injustice; not to take up arms for leadership purposes, but to correct the many injustices prac-

ticed in this country.”

On the precarious security situation, Igwe Ekpeh points to failure of governance. “Call for a dialogue today and let government tell us their programme for employment: there is none, and graduates are turned out every year. This is why we have Boko Haram, kidnappings, armed robberies and confusion in the society.

“Tell me one office today you can enter and get what you want quickly as we had before the war. This is why I said the situation is worse today and my contention is for civil uprising to overthrow the corrupt regime we are in now. If it happens, I will give my support.”

He also pointed to the epileptic power problems that have so far defeated every regime because of corruption.

“Where are the industries to sustain our people? Now this is supposed to be the palace of the people of Umu Nri: twice you

have been here in two days, and there is no light, and we are talking about industrialisation.

“The roads are all bad and solar energy which cannot provide all that we require cannot even be considered. So for me, the previous governments were inept, they were not interested in the people. So even the civil war period was two million times better than what we have today. I pity the young ones of today and this is why young men who are the strength of Nigeria tomorrow are running away to other countries; and when they get to China, Japan and so on, they become labourers and dish washers.

“We have petrochemicals which should help us to build industries so this nation will not lack; we have things to build us roads: this nation has no cause to be poor by any standard because God has blessed us abundantly; but the corruption now has eroded all these blessings.”

Jonathan’s Controversial Amnesty “Fortunately, the people rejected it, but I wonder how he thought terrorists should receive amnesty. If that happens, others will take a cue and begin to intimidate people, and after a while, they ask for amnesty and expect to be settled. That is why granting amnesty to Boko Haram would have been a kind of eclipse hanging over Nigeria. I am even afraid that if it succeeds, before you realise it, Boko Haram people will be all over the place, even here in my backyard, harassing people, and their dream of taking over Nigeria will be faster for them.

“So I advised Jonathan when he was President not to leap before he looks; just because he granted amnesty to people in the Niger Delta who have a genuine cause to protest and they had the support of everybody succeeded in bringing about peace in that region, the same is not the case with Boko Haram; if they had accepted Jonathan’s amnesty, he would have simply handed Nigeria over to terrorists.”

Democracy not working in NiCONTINUED ON PAGE 28

The Igbo will not be the first to take up arms a second time because when we first did, every part of Nigeria betrayed and teamed up against us. If it is thought that the Igbo is a coward now and cannot secure his own life and property, it is not true. What is happening is that the Igbo people are more matured in their reasoning and are stomaching the injustices meted out to us

Features 28

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Map ofBiafra

Map of Nigeria

Democracy is to reap benefits of what belongs to the people –Igwe Ralph Ekpeh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

geria So as far as Nigerian citizens are concerned, Igwe Ekpeh concludes democracy is not working in their favour.

“Democracy is not working for us. Where is democracy?

Does democracy mean rigging elections? As far as can be seen, democracy is only mouthed in this country. Democracy is to reap the benefits of what the people own; democracy is for government to establish meaningful opportunities for people; create an egalitarian society where anybody can reach any height; not a question of divide and rule.

“Democracy in a Federation means that every federating unit is autonomous; there are many things belonging to individual states that are reserved for indigenes of the state, and they must be in a concurrent list, not an exclusive one; and if there was going to be democracy; tell me what federal government has to do with primary education, primary health care and local roads.

“I think FG should concern itself with monetary system or tertiary institutions, foreign affairs, etc.”

The trouble with the Nigerian structure “The Federal Government at the center has been made to be too powerful. Recently, some money was shared and the FG took sixty percent of it, and that s the genesis of our problems. In a Federal system, you will make the center as weak as ever, so that there is not this mad rush to go the center cap in hand.

“Our leaders like to imitate American life style but we do not maintain their honesty, integrity and their kind of democracy.

Tell me an American president

Awolowo

or a legislator who will have the kind of cars and houses our legislators have today.

“Why must our legislators be provided accommodation and when they leave office they go with it while people in the villages don’t have anything: is that democracy? And when they go to Abuja, the first thing they talk about is their welfare, furniture allowance that runs into millions of Naira; they are not interested in the people they are supposed to represent.”

Constitutional Amendment This would have been where people in the rural areas will express their minds; traditional rulers, market women, youths and everyone will make an input; then at the end, they collate all these and give us a new constitution.

“But people at the National Assembly refused because they are the sole beneficiaries; they monopolise everything and that does not qualify them to amend the constitution.”

State policing “I am one of those who support regional police because

Kanu

the pattern paid us before the war; then we don’t know who is the commissioner of police who will be afraid to offend his people. There should be a Police Commission at the center.”

Calls for genuine National Conference “We elected them, but their performance is zero and selfish. The true way out of this is a genuine sovereign national conference; a place where we all will meet and bare our minds without being limited by any government.

“If any component wants freedom, give it to them. That the FG has been avoiding and ignoring that call is still the albatross on them; it is a sum of debacles and I advise they better heed that call now. If it takes two years to fashion this thing right, let it be done because it is one sure thing that will save this nation.

“But continuing to deceive the people that there is democracy, there is one Nigeria, I don’t believe in it. There is one Nigeria, but there are many Nigerians.

If my son cannot compete fairly

with children of the ruling class and win on his merit, then we are not one Nigeria.”

Can Nigeria continue as one sovereign nation?

“Only if there will be a genuine Sovereign National Conference where the debate will go on; then if any component desires to be outside the Nigerian entity, let that component go and develop and expand.

“Or let there be an arrangement where the center will function in an advisory capacity, to counsel and direct people, etc. But what we have now is a Federal Government that is acting like Father Christmas, an overlord which is not good for Nigeria.”

Rephrasing the question specifically, our correspondent asked: Can the North and the South continue as one entity?

“Under the present arrangement and the way governance is being handled, I don’t see its possibility in the near future; but if there is sincerity from the legislators and the government generally, then of course it is possible.”

Is there solution where you have an army of graduates who cannot get a job for what they have read, or solution in uncared for universities and some secondary schools that are not fit for a place you rear chickens? So if there is anything that will change governance towards sanity, I support it. I am not advocating any military intervention, but whatever will bring sanity into governance so that politicians will think of Nigerians instead of themselves alone, I will support it Biafra: A member of Enugwu-Ukwu Traditional Council and lecturer at the Madona University and Federal Polytechnic, Okija (Ihiala LGA) and Oko (Orumba North LGA) of the State respectively, who was a guest of the royal father during this interview interjected that, to discuss Biafra now with open mind may amount to a charge of treason.

He went further: “The state of emergency once clamped on three states at the height of the insurgency was a pointer that sooner than you think, Biafra will emerge without firing one gunshot; but to think that the Igbo man will raise a rifle again, it will not happen because we had our time.

“But be rest assured that, with all this terrorism, kidnappings and corruption in unimaginable proportions, the nation called Biafra will emerge on a platter of gold, but only God can say when.”

The royal father, Igwe Ikpeh concluded the interview with this diplomatic response to the Biafra dream: “When we discuss Biafra today, we are aware that we cannot regain the Biafra of Ojukwu’s dream. Biafra to us now means freedom. We can get that freedom to govern ourselves as a people without interference; and the Biafra to come is a Sovereign nation that is exclusive to the Igbos alone and will not include Akwa Ibom and the Calabar people, and it shall emerge without bombs and without guns.

“Mark my words,” he concluded.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Art Review

29

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Dr. Olaokun Soyinka with Imanni da Silva during the transgender panel discussion at the festival.

At Ake 2015, writers push literature in new ways For five-days, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital was a beehive of activities as writers brotherhood came together to participate in this year’s edition of Ake Book and Arts Festival.

AGOZINO AGOZINO, who was at the brainstorming sessions, appraises the event The clement weather in the Rock City of Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital was so enticing that one could take an afternoon nap, but, that was not to be because writers brotherhood from different parts of the world had converged on the capital for the third edition of the Ake Arts and Book Festival organised by the Book Buzz, a non-governmental organisation founded by Mrs. Lola Shoneyin.

The five-day literary feast which is in its third season was held at the ultra-modern June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta from November 17 to 21.

Avid followers of events in

the country’s literary landscape couldn’t agree more that it came at an appropriate time considering the need to boost the poor reading culture of people, especially, the youth.

It was also the consensus of opinion of the participants that they have never had a single event so loaded and that the country’s literary sector is in the upswing.

Comments such as “I have never been part of an exciting literary event like this”, “This is just wonderful...”; “ I enjoyed myself thoroughly...” were testimonies to the fact that there was hope for literature in Nigeria.

As some of the writers agreed, the nation’s literary world never had it so good with the more than three years of consistent hosting of the festival that, this time, featured interviews, mini art exhibition, musical and poetry performances, panel discussions and more.

With an opening address to set the tone for the festival by Shoneyin, it was apparent that the focus of the festival was to provide an opportunity for writers to discuss critical issues affecting African literature and offer opportunity to the reading public to interact with writers and others in the book industry.

But beyond that, it was obvious that there is hope for Nigerian literature with the emergence of more Nigerian writers who are getting recognition and awards at home and abroad.

Those that added colour to the event with their presence included world-renowned intellectuals like Prof. Niyi Osundare, a poet, dramatist, crtic and essayist, who came all the way from the University of New Orleans, United States of America; Prof. Kole Omotosho; Chris Abani, Helon Habila, E.C Osondu, Igoni Barret, Adeeko Ibukun, Ayo Sogunro and Ayodele Morocco-Clark.

Others included Chigozie Fred

Nwonwu, Chijioke Amu Nnadi, Dami Ajayi, Diekoye Oyeyinka, Dilman Dila, Efe Paul Azino, Freedom Onuoha, Nnedi Okorafor, Jumoke Verissimo, Molara Wood and Prof. Remi Raji.

Also present were veteran American journalist Prof. Howard French, Inua Ellams, Kate Hainess, Kinna Likimani, Maza Mengiste, Mehul Gohil, Mona Eltahawy, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Pierre Cherruau, Kagayi Peter, Taiye Selasi, Tendai Huchu, Vamba Sherif and Veronique Tadjo and a host of others too numerous to mention. A particiCONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Art Review 30

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Farafina to publish Okojie’s Butterfly Fish

Writing a good book is no jamboree -Habila

what would be your advice for young Nigerian who want to take to writing?

First, they must be prepared to work very hard. It is not going to be easy. Writing good book is not a jamboree business or for lazy people. They should have their goal and targets clearly defined.

Ask yourself five years from now, what do I want to achieve. They should not think anybody can do it for them or that they can wake up one morning and write a book that would make them super star.

They should always be realistic about life and about what they want to achieve. So planning is very essential and hard work is

A United Kingdom based publishing house Jacaranda books, is set to sell the Nigerian rights of Irenosen Okojie’s novel Butterfly Fish to Farafina publishers. According to Okojie who recently attended Ake Arts and Books Festival at Abeokuta, the Chief operating officer of Farafina, Eghosa Imasuen has been talking to her agent on behalf of Farafina regarding the Nigerian rights.

The book which took Okojie five years to complete is a debut novel set in eighteen century Benin.

According to Okojie , ‘it started off as a short story which I submitted for a mentorship scheme in London.

I just couldn’t get away from the characters. When I had a first draft, I started thinking of publishing. So, I left my job to polish the second draft.

It took me a year. I sent it out, and I had three agents who wanted to represent me. So, it’s been a long process, but it’s great to get it to where it is now.’

The novel which is about the struggle of mental illness in the society tells the story about Ancient Benin Kingdom. For Okojie the process of writing Butterfly Fish involved long trips back home to Nigeria, Reading text about Ancient Benin at the British Library and online.

Butterfly Fish was published last year in London.

ging Africa’s book, was another discussion, while The Man who Mends Women, a documentary film of Doctor Mukwege, winner of the 2014 Sakharov Prize was on screen. Mukwege is an internationally known as the man who mended thousands of women who were raped during the 20 years of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Another panel discussion featured poet, Maxim Uzoatu, writer, Molara Wood, and others.

Minding the Business of Africa, another panel discussion featured Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and American veteran journalist, Prof Howard French.

Meanwhile, the big masquerade was when The News Magazine Editor, Kunle Ajibade interviewd Prof. Niyi Osundare. The award-winning literary scholar whose works have appeared in journals, anthologies and online

publications was remarkable.

He read some of his poems that have attracted attention in literary circles. During the Question and Answer time, Osundare was taken on by the audience on his stories that not only painted pictures of Nigeria in its diverse forms, but, including how he got to where he is today. He explained that he belongs to the realist school of thought, which posits that a writer should use his medium to bring issues across ‘the way they are’.

The event ended with a poetry night that had the audience going home with free books, courtesy of the organisers. In his remarks, the immediate past President of Association of Nigerian Authors, Prof. Remi Raji, noted that the festival would continue to engage in intervention programmes that would positively change the nation’s reading culture.

The Ake Arts and Book Festival

Helon Habila, former Arts Editor of the Vanguard Newspapers shot to prominence in 2001 when his short story, Love Poems, won the Cain Prize for American fiction. Many years since then, he has published many other novels including, Waiting for an Angel, which won the Commonwealth Writers prize for Best First Book, African region, Measuring Time, Oil and Water, Dreams, Miracle and The Granta Book of the African Short Story. In this interview with AGOZINO AGOZINO, the US-based writer speaks about what inspired him, his journalism days and how young writers can make it You were once the Art Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, where you worked closely with people like Obi Nwakanma.

Would you say that being a journalist helped your career?

Yes of-course. I owe a lot of my writing today to my background as a journalist. Journalism helps you to develop discipline. You read every day. It helps you to be punctual and always read one thing or another. Your sentences structures are more direct when you are a journalist. You are always inquisitive, looking for story ideas or asking question. Journalism also helps you to have an investigative mind because of your training. And like you know, the opportunity of being with fellow writers likes Obi Nwakanma and others helps to make you a good writer. I believe that journalism is the first place to start for any aspiring writer.

As one of the popular Nigerian writer, are you satisfied reaching where you are today?

First, I thank God for my career. But like in every other thing about life, one is never satisfied.

That is how life works. You keep pushing. It is like an artist, he keep on trying to find new forms and ways and also trying to discover new subject matters. So because of that I am also doing a lot of other things. I teach, i am a father and I daily practiced my writing. There are so many other things I do just like any other Nigerians. And that is how it works.

I also try to learn from those who are before me especially those better than me.

What are the challenges writers faced in trying to write a good book?

There are so many of them.

Every writer will tell you they are uncountable. For me, it is

Habila

sometimes trying to get the time to write. Sometimes, it is trying to make ends meet. Some other times, it just finishing a copy of book you are working. Writing a good book or other materials is not an easy job or a jamboree, because you must have an inspiration and the story you want to tell clearly. So there are many challenges. They confront not only writer but other creative person who wants to come out with something new. You keep discovering the challenges daily. But one is thankful that he is healthy.

As a writer who once lived in United Kingdom, but currently living in the United States,

Ake book festival ends in colour CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

pant could not hide his excitement when he sited Abani and quipped: “I am very happy to see Chris Abani here. This is a man I have been longing to see in Nigeria for a long time”.

The festival kicked off with Margins and Marginalisation, a photo exhibition by Andrew Esiebo. There was also an exhibition that featured the 20th commemoration of the killing of the late Ogoni environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa, which witnessed a large turnout of enthusiasts.

The event was equally marked by a School Environmental Awareness Day, which took the organisers to some selected primary schools in Ogun State.

On the second day, there was a workshop on fiction writing for 20 budding writers and it was moderated by Taiye Selasi, a Nigerian photographer based in

L-R: Prof. French, Kadaria Ahmed and Gov. El-Rufai at the event.

Rome.

The discussion on Writing, Our Way: Social and Inequality in Africa, which featured Chris Abani and E.C. Osondu, was moderated

by Toni Kan Onwordi, an award winning writer and author of Ballad of Rage. To underscore his vast knowledge of Nigeria, Abani, a Nigerian, based in the US, was as electric on stage as he was passionate about his literature. The audience could not stop applauding his argument

because of his good grasp of Nigerian literature.

Another presentation, entitled: Nowhere to run: Nigeria’s Environmental Crisis, a documentary panel discussion on environmental crisis, featured Ayodele Morocco-Clarke, Dilma Dila and Mehul Gohil, while that on Anglophone and Francophone literature featured Emmanuel Iduma, Likimani, Pierre Cherruau and Veronique Tadjo.

Also , Reliable Narrators: Blog-

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

31 Opinion

The search for fuel, water, light and the stories in between

ÏÏÏMy generator set sput-

tered to a slow death as it ran out of fuel. The way it sputtered, the GREE-GREE, GREEEE... GREEEE sound made me think it was either close to that final moment of seizure or it was struggling to muster strength to survive the state it found itself, having sent a whizzing message to every appliance in my home and each appliance responding as if someone had thrust them into the middle of the Siberian winter. The appliances danced KOKOMA before dying out.

The sputter of the generator set sounded more like a plea or a plain wish to be revived before death beckoned. I had no single drop of fuel that the generator set badly needed, so I made no attempt to revive it. They say water is the sustainer of life. I had it stored aplenty. Amid the darkness I thought about turning water into fuel to return the generator set back to life the way Christ turned water into wine at the Wedding at Cana, but it was just a thought, a mere thought anyway, a strange way of hoping that the necessity of that moment only served as the dotting mother of the new invention I was so eager to create, at least in my head. I thought

about those school girls who made the news not long ago now by powering a generator set with urine. “Don’t be stupid”, I constantly heard my heart tell my head. To invent a way out of a dire situation by producing thoughts that are founded in science isn’t stupidity. There are countless folks, like me, who wish they can power their generator sets with water, or with urine, and forget those endless days and sleepless nights of waiting at petrol stations.

While my thoughts converge with the thoughts of my compatriots, the idea that great countries, known for their countless scientific and technological discoveries and inventions that have progressed all humanity, are searching for new forms of life in outer planets beyond the reaches of ordinary folks, strikes at the heart of the belief that there are many problems that need to be addressed before embarking on the mission to the outer planets. If one adds the problems of perennial fuel scarcity, lack of clean and potable water to the list of challenges, my argument here would be appreciated. “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do”, Goethe once asserted.

Buhari

Was I, or those other folks, really stupid to have pondered the possibility of turning water into fuel to power my sputtering generator set? At least, wanting to go beyond the sense of willingness, desiring to apply intelligence, no matter how agricultural or native it is to my circumstance necessitates the desire to apply and or to innovate. It is thus safe to suggest that my thoughts are not stupid after all, even safer to say that it is those who deny the science of knowing, of wanting to apply, of willing and desiring to doto turn water into fuel, or to invent generators powered by urine- that are stupid. The genius of science makes every impossible phenomena very possible and it is from this genius that humanity finds happiness and bliss, progress and growth, and embraces with passion that which inspires it in science and nature. To achieve progress, to attain

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the state of happiness or to proffer solutions to problems like fuel scarcity, requires capacity for creative and innovative insights. We need scientists, like those folks at Audi who earlier in the year turned water and air into diesel, who can convert gases extracted from water into liquid hydrocarbon fuels and make them fuels for common use, so we can point our ten fingers of WAKA-SHEGE at those failing public servants who inflict perennial pain on us. Those folks in Lagos hit by water shortages will ask, “how about us?”. Don’t worry folks, the Lagoon never dries, water won’t be a problem.

The search for fuel in the time of scarcity is like the search for the needle in the haystack; it is like thirsting for the sparkling water of the lake on the sunny road- the elusive mirage that appears and disappears into the thin air. This is my experi-

ence last Thursday, call it ‘the diary of a citizen in search of fuel’: the generator died on Wednesday night.

Thursday morning I had only a car with a half-filledtank to take me in search of fuel. The first choice was to load empty storages and the generator set into the trunk of the car; but there was the bigger problem of fitting the generator set inside the car, so I abandoned it. “Where on earth do I find fuel”, I asked myself. I thought about Hafiz, my mechanic, who has excellent knowledge of almost everything connected to automobiles. I rang him.

“Eku alaisi epo, daddy”, he greeted me in Yoruba the moment he answered the phone call. I smiled. “How can lack of fuel become a form of greeting?”, I asked him. “Daddy, na change we dey o”, he answered and directed me to a petrol station thirty kilometers from Abuja. “But na two hundred naira dem dey sell a liter for there”, he asserted. Having established the fact that fuel was available somewhere in the outskirts of Abuja, I had to make a choice between the rock and the hard place: to travel that distance on a half-filled-tank meant I would return almost with an empty tank if I didn’t find fuel to buy. Or not embarking on the search would invariably confine me to days and nights without light, without power to pump water from the borehole. If Lady luck smiled on the search, I would return home happy like the Three Wise Men. Lady luck didn’t smile on the search; in fact, the Lady was nowhere near the sun-beaten shoulder of the road, three kilometers to

the petrol station, where my car and I were marooned for ten hours as we queued for fuel, for Luck to make sense of my pain. I returned home with an empty tank, like the broken Argonaut who turned up late for the California Gold Rush.

So much for the hardship, the pain my compatriots suffer, the ills we have been summoned to cure by grassing those who lock up their petrol stations and refuse to sell.

All I can only say here is that those who call on citizens to become policemen and women, or watchmen and women at petrol stations, are victims of their own ineptitude, blindness that suggests that they grope for idiocy, but not for knowing or for grasping the truth that though our country is in the big league of oil producers of the world, it cannot refine crude oil for domestic consumption.

But there is something very original about Nigerians who, in their moments of pain, escape their conditions by rendering sadness into joy, disasters into casual jokes.

The capacity for mimicry and rendering, the genius of creativity, the desire to make light of things that sink the heart, is what makes Nigerians happy according to a recent Gallup poll. Oh, my God, consider this: folks who pray that God should not make their enemies the inheritors of their victories, in apparent reference to late Abubakar Audu who was set to become the Governor of Kogi state.

“Baba Goddey, make my destiny no be like dat of Naija wey dey make petrol but no even get CHINGIRI for im pipole”, a taxi driver prayed two days ago.

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fRidaY, noVEmBER 27, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.240

Price: n150

s ’ o u Omer

s e g a t s r e a dv i s y e n r u o t g scoutin in Abuja

By Mike Otanwa

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dviser to Super Eagles star, Kenneth Omeruo, Chika Akujobi, will stage a two-day talent scouting tournament in Abuja from Sunday with representatives of several Portuguese clubs in attendance.

Tagged ‘EuroSoccer Vision’, the tournament will be staged under the auspices of

Akujobi’s company JobiSports Consult Africa Limited and will be another platform for talented youngsters to impress European clubs.

“We have brought down scouts from several top Portuguese clubs like FC Porto and Gil Vicente to run the rule on players who hitherto would not have got such an opportunity,” said Holland-based Akujobi, who facilitated Omeruo’s move to Europe.

“We have many such

tournaments now in Nigeria, but ours will be professionally run with full video coverage as well as data capturing of all the players who feature in the competition.”

A total of six clubs including Nationwide Division 2 side FC Hearts of Abuja and FC Sports are expected to feature in the competition, which will be played at the Area 3 Sports Ground in Abuja.

Kick-off time on Sunday will be 8am.

Life &

TIMES Friday, November 27, 2015

Hon. Motunrayo

Oladapo Succeeding despite odds

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

‘I hawked bread, garri before attaining present height’ Hon. Motunrayo Oladapo Honourable Motunrayo Adeleye-Oladapo, a politician cum socialite represented Ifo Constituency in the Ogun State House of Assembly twice before losing out in her bid to move to the House of Representatives in the last general elections. In this interview, she shares her grass-to-grace story, her political career and the success of her marriage. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about your sojourn into politics? before coming into politics because I came into politics very early. I was very young when I joined what could be called main stream politics. For record purpose, I am Moturayo Hadijat AdeleyeOladapo. I was born almost 40 years ago; I had my primary school at Methodist Primary School, from there to Lagos Baptist Secondary School and then Iju Grammar School. At a point, I had to leave home and fend for myself. I was on the street there fending for myself and getting something out of my life. Though I love education, but I was in secondary school when I got pregnant and eventually had the child and had to drop out of school. I had the child when I was in SSS1. I eventually went back to school but it was not easy going to school and taking care of a child but unfortunately, the child even died at one and half years. When such mistakes happen, some

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for me, I made up my mind that I needed to forge ahead and make something out of my life. That was when I left home and to God be the glory; I made something out of my life. I worked in many places. I was once a receptionist and a daily contribution collector at Mile 12 where I met my husband whom I eventually married. Before then, I

had gone back to school, University of Lagos, where I got a Diploma in Yoruba Linguistics. I was offered an admission earlier but I could not pay before I went in 1998. It was not an easy thing because I could remember I used to trek from Yaba to UNILAG but my determination to make something out of my life kept pushing me despite all the odds.

After that, I enrolled for NIPR, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations but I could not really concentrate, I enrolled for Business examination council. I wrote the exams but I did not pass but eventually I did ICMA, Institute of Chattered Management Accountant and I am an associate.

Did you now join politics as a way of making ends meet spinning thing?

No. I started politics while I was in secondary school. I did not plan to go in politics at that time. I could remember I actually went to represent my father at one of the political meetings and that was how I got hooked. What they were discussing there was of interest to me because it was what was in my blood so, I joined. I joined politics when I was still wearing uniform.

You know there are many levels in politics. I mean federal level, state to zonal level so, I actually acted as zonal secretary, and zonal treasurer and I equally acted as ward women leader where I was

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli

a leader to women who were old enough to be my mother or older than my mother. I could say I had my mission back then so when they were sharing money, I never got out of it, I would ask them to share it for other people or some people scrambled for it. I contributed my own quota to the party and it paid eventually. I was given a political appointment. Although, it was the smallest position in the council but it was out of my contribution

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

that some people had fought for my consideration because I was not even around. I was appointed as consultant to the chairman on community development matters.

That was where I cut my teeth.

The tenure was supposed to end by 2007 but in 2006 I stood up that I wanted to contest for the House of Assembly and people

one took me seriously, but I stuck to my aspiration and I eventually won at the primaries with a simple majority. Some made case that I did not have two/third but the party ruled against them and I went ahead to win the election.

you had gathered on the street that aided your aspiration to the

stuff? Among the aspirants, I had

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

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House since there were more qualified people?

I have this special thing about me but I can’t place my hand on it and secondly, I know I could be nice to a fault. I must also say my experience when I was pregnant back in the school propelled me because I used to keep to myself while I was pregnant. I equally sold bread by the road side, I hawked bread, I hawked Garri because my mum sells food stuffs so, I really interacted with people. A scenario happened when I was still doing daily contribution. It was at our head office. It was time for me to go collect the money and I saw a guy I had known way back at the place where I was going to collect money, I felt uneasy because of how the guy might see me but I put up courage and went. The guy did not greet me the way I wanted so when I got to the office I was still looking at the place and when the guy got up, I discovered something had happened to him that his legs had become bad. I learnt a big lesson that day that my situation was temporary but his had become permanent and my determination to make it in life became stronger.

What was your disposition towards men after having a child for a man who did not marry you?

(Smiles) For solid 10 years, I bore a very strong bitterness towards the man. Yes, I did not get married to him but that was not even it. He denied the pregnancy at that point and I think it happened to about three of us at the same time. I bore a very strong bitterness towards him but 10 years after, I ran into him and it was that day I let go of everything. I now discovered the bitterness I was holding against him was equally holding me down.

What comes to your mind when you remember all you have been through in the past?

Life is a school and you learn every day. While I was in school, I was brilliant and I was one of the best…that was while I was in primary school and my first secondary school but my concentration was affected when I changed school after I had a child.

But the fact is that when I see some of my classmates, It would like, saying thank God for what happened to me. And that takes me to the fact that the path of man is already charted by God. I cannot encourage people to get into what I got myself into because it was a mistake because when I look at myself, I realize it’s only God that knows how he does his things. For instance, if I did not get pregnant in school, I don’t think I would have joined politics and if I didn’t join politics, I may not be where I am today. I know a classmate who came out with a First Class in higher institution and up till last year, there was no job. I am not

Hon. Oladapo

‘Only a very understanding man will stay married to a female politician’ making jest here but thanking God. Its only God who knew why he allowed what happened then to happen and he alone knew how he did everything because a lot of people went through the same thing and they were never able to pick the pieces of their lives. For ever and ever, I will continue to be grateful to God. No matter the condition I find myself, no matter what happens to me….for where he has brought me and for where I am today, I will eternally be grateful unto God. With ability to fend for yourself and street knowledge, how were you able to cope with your

husband because some say it’s difficult for such women to be submissive?

Probably you might be right but it’s the fear of God in you that will help you. Then, your upbringing.

My upbringing has actually helped me a lot. It is not usually easy.

This is not just about women who were already on their own making something; female politicians have the same challenge. You see some of them separated, divorced and all that. It is not an easy thing. African men have this ego, macho ego that I am the head of the home and the woman that is going out there to work, most especially, when you are making

more than what your husband is making, that tendency that after all, I am the one making more money, pride. The tendencies will always be there. It is now left for you as a woman who has been trained properly and brought up properly to know where the boundary should be. I have seen series of publication that Honourable Hadija is not married, she’s divorced, they don’t see my husband. So, it takes a very understanding man to take a female political office holder to remain married while you retain the office. But I am pleased to inform you that I am happily married with two great daughters.

In your own case, what has kept your marriage going?

If I give myself 20 percent, I will give my husband 80 percent. An average African man, Nigerian man wants her wife to be at home, prepare the food and the rest but in a situation she is not at home, always on the road…I think where my husband is coming from equally helped me. My husband was on his own while he was in U.S so, he’s used to cooking his meals, doing something on his own but even at that, he could still say sit down there or something and if he does that I would have been forced to either remain in the marriage or be on my own. But I can tell you I married the most liberal and the most understanding man on the planet earth.

Aside your determination, were you convinced of success?

I have always known I would turn out a success. How? I never knew but the strong will has always been there. I always tell people that politics or no politics, I was going to be a success. I am an optimist, but I also have it at the back of my mind that there are times you push and they don’t work out the way you wish. I believe in God so, when I go after something and it does not work out, I take it as God’s plan for me. When I contested for the House, I was not the best, I was the youngest and there were better people but God did it. God has done certain things in my life….if he could bring me after I had fallen, took me from there, put me where he did, I was in the House for eight years, I was a local government consultant for two and half years ….I know if I have a downfall now, it’s just temporal. I know where he’s taking me is a glorious place.

You crossed from PDP to ACN in 2011 and still made it back to House but going back to PDP this time to contest did not work. Some believe you over stretched your luck and overrated yourself?

When you do something and it works for you, people call you a genius and when it’s the opposite, they call you a failure. Life is not like that, you don’t win all the time.

Well, I had a reason to leave PDP back then because of what we all know and this time, I had a reason to leave ACN. I belong to the ACN of Chief Segun Osoba and we know what transpired between himself and Governor Amosun. I left ACN that was part of APC merger, not because I wanted to leave but I left for two reasons. I left because of my loyalty to Chief Osoba.

But you did not go to the SDP with him?

Yes, for a reason. The time SDP was brought up; I knew it cannot fly. If we had come up with it earlier, I am sure some of PDP people would have come into the party. A lot of people were ready to work with Oga but he knew the best. I did not want him to feel I went back to the governor because I would Continued on

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Society Gists L4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Isaac Oguntoye

Ayo Animashaun, Otunba Sesan Rufai, others supports ailing Alariwo For the past few weeks now, friends, colleagues and other showbiz stakeholders have been tasking themselves to make sure the ailing Alariwo of Africa, one of the entertainers in the Nigerian scene, and his wife who are currently facing serious health challenges which has crippled his finances make sure they are back on their feet.

Alariwo of Africa was reportedly diagnosed with a disease known as Varicocele, which is described in medical terms as an enlargement of veins inside the scrotum. The one time rave of the moment need to choose from India, Germany, Israel, England or America for his surgery, though, he has been taking some drugs to slow down the pain until he’s ready to undergo surgery.

Aside his own predicament, his wife has been in the hospital for over one month. She has been down with acute pulmonary embolism. The doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) said only a few people could survive the ailment and his wife is one of them. A lot of people were kind enough to provide support during the crisis. People like Ayo Animashaun, Otunba Sesan Rufai, Julius Agwu who gave him $35,000 and many others.

Toyin Aimakhu and Seun Egbegbe

Between Socialite, Seun My foray into politics in early Egbegbe and years was well utilised Toyin Aimakhu – Hon Olayiwola Olawale

It is no longer news that, Toyin Aimakhu left her marriage after she claimed her estranged husband, Adeniyi Johnson was not faithful to her. Before anyone could say Jack Robinson, the sultry actress had packed her loads and decided to sail on another love boat. This time around, she found a love sailor in a known socialite, Seun Egbegbe.

Interestingly, the talented actress met her waterloo when fans and rumour mongers started approaching her to confirm if truly she’s dating Seun. But you know their ways, she denied him publicly. Before anyone could ask the question why, it was all over the social media that the actress was battered

by Seun. Now, the story has moved from insult to injury. It was gathered that Seun recently stormed a movie location in Surulere, Lagos, where Toyin was working on the set of an

actress simply known as Sophie Ejigha. There and then, the lanky socialite publicly asked Toyin to return the Range Rover SUV he ‘dashed’ her in the heat of the moment of their romance or hell will be let loose. Though, the owners of the property where the shooting was taking place prevented Egbegbe from gaining access into the building, but he made sure many people heard so many unprintable things about his erstwhile lover, Toyin, spicing it up with a threat to beat her around the town should she fail to return the vehicle. The question on the lips of people is: why will she accept to go into relationship with a man you’re not proud of? Some people said she deserved what is happening to her while some advised her to go back to her marriage and settle things with Mr. Johnson.

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Alariwo

Hon. Olayiwola Olawale fondly known as Omititi has endeared himself into the minds of many in Mushin area of Lagos State. Presently representing Mushin Constituency 11 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, the former Special Adviser to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated in an interview that what actually worked for him during the last general election was that: “My foray into politics in the early years was well utilised. This was during the time I was a Personal Assistant to Former Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Muiz Banire and later Special Assistant to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That shows the experience was there. I reached out to the people of my constituency in terms of empowerment and employment. I even gave some computers to empower them. The Political will I took to that primaries really worked for me. My political name, Omititi, has been registered in their minds and I have always made myself available anytime they need me. I grew up and reside in Mushin, I know their problems and plights, so they were not hesitant in giving the mandate to me because they believed I know them more than any other contestant in the race”, he concluded.

PDP top shot, Deji Doherty diversifies, floats radio station If information available to us is anything to go by; we can tell you authoritatively that one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirants in Lagos State, Engr. Adedeji Doherty is going into broadcasting business. The businessman cum politician

who sits atop event center, Ten Degrees amongst other ventures, is said to be putting everything together to make it a reality. According to sources, Doherty is not quitting politics but he is said to be thinking of expanding his business frontier by diversifying into this esoteric

world of broadcasting. We learnt that the radio station would be aired in Lagos and Ogun States. It was also said that, Engr. Doherty is reported to have gotten the license to operate a radio station during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.

Doherty

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

L5 Society Gists

Isaac Oguntoye

Bishop Tom Samson plans week-long 50th birthday bash All is now set for the week-long Bishop (Dr.) Tom Samson’s 50th Birthday anniversary which kicks off on Sunday, December 6-13. Organisers of the event led by Deacon Iyke Kanu have promised to shake Lagos and Ogun states to its foundation with the array of activities lined up to celebrate their father in the Lord. The epoch-making celebration opens on Sunday with Birthday Lecture by Hon. (Barr.)

Segun Odubela. He will speak on “The Role of the Church in NationBuilding” at Oranmiyan Hall, Airport Hotel, Ikeja. On Monday 7th, Bishop Tom will visit Ijamido Orphanage Home, Sango Otta, while on the 8th, he will visit Little Saint Orphanage, Egbeda. On Wednesday 9th December, all road leads to 100 Hectares Royal City, Iyesin Otta for Camp Meeting while Thursday 10th will be a date for novelty match between Royal Men and Women at Royal City stadium, Iyesin Otta at 4pm. Friday 11th is slated for Music Fest by 4pm at Monarch Hall. On Saturday, it will be birthday proper and official commissioning of Monarch University Faculty of Humanity and Library.

The chairman of the organizing committee for the birthday said: “Because it’s the 50th birthday of our great Bishop, we have put in

Diezani Alison-Madueke

Bishop Tom Samson and his wife place several committees to work effectively to make the day a glorious one. The plan is to have a carnival-like birthday party that will continue to reverberate even so many years after because we will be using the occasion to reveal the body of Christ, to let the world know what Christ can do, using the celebrant as a case study.

“Bishop Tom Samson came to Lagos as a nobody but held onto Christ but today, the world is celebrating him. His life has been one

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have disappointed him more by that but at the same time I could not go to SDP because it came too late. Okay, since you don’t want me to remain in APC with Amosun and I felt SDP was not the best for me, the only option available was PDP and I went. It was not a case of overrating one’s self. Let me also say this that every individual who won into the legislative arm did not win because they were the best, they rode on the back of the change mantra. They rode on the back of the fact that people were fed up of with the government of Goodluck Jonathan. And you know Nigerians, they don’t want to know the kind of change they are asking for when they are fed up, all they want is change. And that was what gave some of them the leverage to win the election, not because they were better than those of us who lost election. Basically, I lost because God wanted it. If God had wanted me to win, I would have won irrespective of the party through which I contest. Some people contested under APC and

amazing inspirational tale that will definitely give hope and we are leaving no stone unturned in making it a good avenue to touch lives and showcase God’s wonder.

Bishop Tom Samson is founder of Christ Royal Family Church, the founder and visitor of Royal City College of Education and Chancellor, Monarch University, alongside his wife, Apostle Lanre Samson, they will be joining the golden club of 50 on Saturday, December 12, 2015.

Ex-Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke needs prayers?

Cancer is a deadly disease that has claimed several lives all over the world. Many great icons within the country have lost their lives to this deadly decease. The likes of Oronto Douglas, Gani Fawehinmi, Dora Akunyili and host of other top shots ended up not surviving this same ailment. At the moment, the present situation of the former Nigeria Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke has been giving Nigerians sleepless night espe-

cially when her picture surfaced on the internet. Though, there is still a tag of being an highly corrupt officer on her neck, but many who have seen the picture are however full of sympathy for the one time strong woman of Nigeria economy. It will interest you to know that many people have started organising special prayers for the one time radiant woman who is undergoing chemotherapy for her cancer.

For me, style is total package – Hon. Oladapo

they still lost, even in Lagos State where APC is believed to be strong.

Anyway, that is gone now. Future is what is most important now. That was just a coma and not full stop.

Now that I am on sabbatical, I have done self-appraisal; I have lined up things to do. I’m not doing anything but now, by the time OOU will commence its Master’s program, I hope to be there to do my Master’s.

There are other parts of Hadija many do not know and they will be revealed gradually.

You were on the throat of Gbenga Daniel in the days of G-15. What is your relationship with him now?

If I see him, I will greet him. We met at one of City People awards, I

greeted him. We both find ourselves back in PDP….unfortunately, we did not get to see most of the time, we met a few times and I greeted him. Then, he was the governor and I was representing my people and wanted to take something back to them. It was not personal.

Although, this last election, he did some funny things like trying to remove my name but I believe it was politics. But personally, I will greet him if I see him, he was a governor of a state, he’s a leader so I will give him his due respects.

How stylish would you say you are?

How stylish? I cannot say that.

It’s an outsider that can say that.

But for me, style is a total package.

It’s not about the dress you put on, the hair you have on. Style evolves poise, your carriage.

The way you talk, wear your clothes, the way you gesticulate, what you are known for. It’s what describes you. For me, I like to be simple but cute. I am more comfortable in my jeans and T shirt, because when somebody is driving me and there is traffic, I want to get down and jump on a bike. That is the kind of person I am. I want to be comfortable and not put myself through stress, all in the name of style or glamour. I just want to be presentable and simple and not do the eye pencil thing and all that. But sure, when there is need to be glamorous or something, I surely do.

Society Gists L6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

Isaac Oguntoye

Lai Mohammed, Oyedepo, Pasuma set for Igbomina day Sunday this weekend will witness the coming together of Igbomina sons and daughters based in Lagos as they celebrate Igbomina Day 2015 with the performance of Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, one of their own.

Amongst distinguished sons of the land that are expected to grace the occasion are; Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Executive Governor of Kwara State, Abdul-fatah Ahmed, Bishop (Dr) David Oyedepo of Living Faith Ministries (Winners), Sheik Abd. Malik Rabiu Adebayo; Prophet Samson Ayorinde and other dignitaries that are indigenes of Igbomina land.

In a statement signed by the President of Omo Ibile Igbomina in Lagos, Alhaji Rasheed Afolayan, he said, “We are out to celebrate our people. Igbomina land has successful sons and daughters that have contributed immensely to the development of our dear land, Nigeria and the world at large. Our people are everywhere. This event is to bring our people together to foster unity and think alike for the development of our dear land”.

Top on the theme of the occasion is

Lai Mohammed the fund raising of a N100 million naira and “Merit award presentation for our sons and daughters that have in one way or the other contributed to the developmental goals of our land.”

Pasuma, an indigene of Oro in Kwara State, one of Igbomina speaking towns will be at the bandstand with other side attractions while the occasion comes up at Yaba LCDA, Adekunle, Lagos, at 10a.m. prompt.

OPC launches online radio, magazine LEADER of the Oodua People’s Congress, (OPC), Otunba Gani Ige Adams, has announced the launch of an Oodua Radio/ Magazine, in honour of the matriarch of the Awolowo dynasty, late Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo who was buried last Wednesday in a blaze of glory.

Adams who said the launch took place in London earlier in the week, explained that the media will serve to project, enhance and showcase the Yoruba cultural heritage and tradition of the Yoruba to the world at large.

He said that there was an urgent need to resuscitate the Yoruba culture and tradition which he regretted were going extinct. Ad-

Gani Adams ams said the radio station would propagate the cultural beliefs of the Yoruba through what he described as effective communication channels.

According to him, “establishing the Oodua Radio and Magazine is a deliberate attempt to showcase Yoruba culture and ethics globally.

SYNAGOGUE: LABOUR VISITS CHURCH, RALLIES SUPPORT FOR T.B. JOSHUA A delegation of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the government to as a matter of urgency unravel the truth behind the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations Building. According to the group led by its chairman who went on a solidarity visit to The SCOAN headquarters in Ikotun, Lagos, the way government has handled the issue suggests that there is some foul play. It in-

sisted that government should dig deep into the mystery aircraft that hovered over the building moments before it collapsed.

Praising the man of God, Prophet T.B. Joshua for being a detribalised Nigerian who should be respected for his humanitarian efforts, the group observed that there is a need to employ foreign experts towards unraveling the real cause of the collapse which claimed 116 lives.

Socialite, Otunba Onakoya praises Fashola, Amosun, Adeosun The performance of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola shown like a thousand stars after his meritorious service as Governor of Lagos State for eight years.

But to some notable businessmen in the social circle who had engaged him even before his foray into politics, well over a decade ago, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria has always distinguished himself as a practising lawyer. Prominent Politician in Ogun-State and Socialite, Otunba Babatunde Onakoya at a recent event told some of his friends that when the Late Kafaru Tinubu, elder brother of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced Mr. Fashola to him in respect of a case he had in Court many years back, the former governor did not only handle the job diligently, he never collected any professional fee on it.

US Consulate hosts exclusive reception for Future Awards Africa nominees The United States Consulate on November 24, 2015, hosted The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) nominees to an invitationonly reception at the Consular-General’s residence in Lagos, Nigeria. This follows the unveiling of 56 nominees spread across 11 categories including the Ford Foundation Price for Youth Employment on EbonyLife TV and Channels TV last Sunday. As it counts down to the 10th anniversary of the Awards, TFAA has also released its official TVC

Kwara, Diamond Bank, Slot top nomination at 4th Nigeria Impact Awards The government of Kwara State, Uzoma Dozie-led Diamond Bank and innovatively ran telecom retailing chain of stores, Slot Systems Ltd, we can exclusively report lead the pack of nominations for the 4th Nigeria Impact Awards with three nominations each.

As the planning for the December 6th slated award hots up, we reliably gathered from a member of the International Organising Committee that the trio of Kwara State Government, Diamond Bank Plc and Slot Systems will be shining at the event ‘if at nomination stage they could bank with three solid and prominent nominations’.

Diamond Bank Plc, ran by young Uzoma Dozie was nominated along United Bank of Africa, Zenith Bank Plc and GT Bank as ‘Costumer Friendly Bank of the Year’ with the bank’s CEO, Uzoma also making the nomination as ‘Most Innovative Bank CEO of the Year’ while its Head of Media relations, Mike Ikechukwu Omeife tops nomination as ‘Corporate Spokesperson of the Year’.

As for Kwara State Government,

highlighting the inspiring journey of young Africans bringing socio-economic change to their communities through innovation, creativity, and enterprise.

With over 1,000 nominees and 120 winners since inception, TFAA has taken nominations across the continent identifying young people with a track record of accomplishments within their community and/or globally in the last one year. The 10th anniversary event holds on December 6, 2015 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Abdulfatah Ahmed

the Abdulfatah Ahmed-led government made the nomination alongside Lagos State Government, Ogun State Government and Kano State Government as ‘Most Innovative State Government Award’. Kwara State also made the the nomination of ‘Most Transparent State Government Award’ with the likes of Bayelsa State Government, Sokoto State Government and Rivers State Government.

The Chief Press Secretary to Kwara Governor, Alhaji Wahab Oba also made the ‘Government Spokesperson of the Year’ category with the likes of Imam Imam of Sokoto State, Habib Aruna of Lagos and Christian Ita of Cross Rivers.

Slot Limited and its CEO, Ezeigbo Nnamdi made the following categories; Most Innovative Business of the Year, Most Innovative Businessman of the Year and IT/ Telecom retailer of the Year.

The Nigeria Impact Awards will hold at DeRenaissance Hotels, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos on Sunday, December 6, 2015. Chief Host is Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos while the event will be hosted by popular comedian, MC Ajele and Nollywood diva, Biodun Okeowo.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

L7 When & Where

Patience Ekanem

What: -The Experience Countdown When: -4th December, 2015 Where: - Tafawa Balewa Square

e r e h W ‘N’ hen W What: -Miss Karis Nigeria When: -28th November, 2015 Where: - De Geo-Gold Hotels, Akwa, Anambra

What: -Unofficial Christmas Party When: -11th December, 2015 Where: - The landmark Centre, Water Corporation Road, Lekki, Peninsula

What: - Blackout Party When: -27th November, 2015 Where: -Liberty Theater, Times Square, New York

What: -Karis Media Award When: -28th November, 2015 Where: -De GeoGold Hotels, Akwa, Anambra

What: - St. Steve West Africa Show When: -28th-29th November, 2015 Where: -Mercedes Benz Showroom, Lekki, Lagos

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, November 27, 2015

L8 TV guide

Showing on

Showing on

166 Z WORLD Channel

127 SONY Channel

01:00

02:10

Fri, 27 Nov | PG

Fri, 27 Nov | 16

‘S1/E13 - 1/13’. Daljeet’s mother and Sahiba get off on the wrong foot. He then takes the opportunity to tell his Mother what Sahiba means to him. Ranveer finally finds a way to reach out to Sahiba.

101 M-Net West

01:30 I, Frankenstein 03:05 The Calling 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 Modern Family 06:30 Blue Bloods 07:30 The Fixer 08:30 Gambit 10:00 Entertainment Now! 10:30 2 Broke Girls 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Nashville 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 The Voice 18:30 Grey’s Anatomy 19:30 Mysteries Of Laura 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 The Frozen Ground 23:00 Strike Back

154 Africa Magic Family

00:00 The Patient 01:10 Rovieno 02:25 53 Extra 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:10 Coco Bill 04:30 Perfect Imperfection 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Rovieno 08:40 Living With Trisha

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

00:30 The Impostor 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 The Impostor 03:00 The Impostor 03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love 23:05 Would I Lie To You? 23:35 QI

09:30 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 14:00 Prem 14:30 Goge Africa 15:00 Family Ties 15:30 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 Meet The Adebanjos 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 19:55 Rovieno 21:10 Family Ties 21:40 53 Extra 22:05 Living With Trisha 23:40 Music Block

‘S1/E7 - Blazing Fury’. Nikki McPhatter had just begun a torrid romance with a man she met online. But Nikki’s love life took a horrifying turn when she suddenly went missing.

155 AfricaMagic World

00:35 Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung 02:05 Most Shocking 10:30 The Cube 00:05 New Tricks

11:20 New Tricks

01:00 The Cube

12:20 Top Gear

01:45 Come Dine With Me

13:10 Come Dine With Me

02:35 Downton Abbey

14:05 Total Wipeout UK

03:30 EastEnders

15:05 The Weakest Link

04:00 EastEnders

16:00 EastEnders

04:30 EastEnders

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

05:00 Spy

17:10 The Cube

05:25 QI

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

06:00 Fool Britannia

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

06:25 EastEnders

20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

07:55 The Weakest Link

21:50 The Graham Norton Show

08:45 The Chase

22:40 Would I Lie To You?

09:30 Total Wipeout UK

23:45 Tanked

161 Mzanzi Magic

00:40 Good Morning Africa 01:40 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 My Good Will 09:10 Good Morning Africa 10:10 So Wrong So Wright 10:35 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Jara

12:30 Jara 13:00 Music Block 14:00 53 Extra 14:30 53 Extra 15:00 Kakibe Ki 15:30 Noose Of Gold 16:00 Foot Print 16:30 Lies That Bind 17:00 Lies That Bind 17:30 Star Gist 18:00 Star Gist 18:30 Star Gist 19:00 Prem 19:30 So Wrong So Wright 20:05 Revelation 21:30 Jara 22:00 Music Block 23:30 Looking In, Looking Out

03:00 Most Shocking 04:00 Exposed 04:30 Exposed 05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak 05:25 Exposed 05:50 Exposed 06:15 Video Zonkers 06:40 Repo Games 07:10 World’s Wildest Police Videos 08:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:10 South Beach Tow 09:40 Most Shocking 10:40 Most Shocking 11:40 Video Zonkers 12:10 Repo Games 12:40 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:40 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:40 South Beach Tow 15:10 Exposed 15:40 Criss Angel Mindfreak 16:10 1000 Ways To Die 16:40 Video Zonkers 17:05 Repo Games 17:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 CB4 21:25 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 21:55 Sexy Car Wash 22:25 Most Shocking 23:10 Martin Lawrence 1st Amendment Standup 23:30 The Real

Champions league, highlight of my career

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MICHAEL ERIC

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Friday, November 27, 20, 2015

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Fury vows to g X7 russia accepts ‘expose’‘old iaaF ban man’Klitschko g X6

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Friday, November 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

Lobi goalkeeper looks beyond cup loss

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obi Stars goalkeeper, Terkaa Melai has said he has put behind him the failure of the Makurdi club to win the 2015 Federation Cup. Lobi were upset by fellow Nigeria premier league side Akwa United 2-1 in the Federation Cup final on Sunday in Lagos to draw the curtains on the country’s football season.

A disappointed Melai has now set a new target for

next season after Lobi also battled to stay up in the Nigeria top-flight league.

“It is painful that we lost the Federation Cup to Akwa United, that’s in the past now as I am thinking of future.

I have picked up myself up from defeat to spend time with my family so as to come back refreshed for next season,” said the penaltyscoring shot stopper.

“I am praying and hoping for a better season next term.”

UzoenlyioinqNuaitirsa multi-mil contract Stories by Mike Otanwa

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x-Enugu Rangers winger, Ejike Uzoenyi is expected to soon quit South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, where he is reportedly on 5m Rands (about 100 million Naira) a year.

Former Nigeria international Uzoenyi has not been registered for this season’s Premier Soccer League after injuries caused him to fall down the pecking order at ‘The Brazilians’.

Uzoenyi’s agent Mohammed Lawal said he hopes to agree with Sundowns to release the player in

Uzoenyi January.

“He will certainly be playing somewhere else in January,” said the Johannesburg-based agent, who claims there are interests in South Africa and overseas for the player.

Uzoenyi was recently in Nigeria to celebrate the birth of his child.

I am not a bad man- Blatter

S

Blatter

epp Blatter said Wednesday that he was the target of “an inquisition” by FIFA’s ethics committee, which has suspended him for 90 days and called for further sanctions over corruption charges.

Blatter, who led for FIFA for 17 years until his suspension in October, appeared in several Swiss media on Wednesday, defending himself

against a range of allegations that have sparked widespread calls for reform at the top of world football.

Speaking to the Zurich-based Sportinformation news service, Blatter invoked his faith and portrayed himself as the victim of an attack.

“As a good Christian, I have to say that what the ethics commission is

doing with me, it’s like an inquisition,” the sanctioned FIFA boss said.

Those comments followed an interview aired on the SF DRS television station in which Blatter insisted the burden of proof was on his accusers.

“It’s not me who has to prove my innocence,” the Swiss national said.

He claimed he deserved an

honourable exit from FIFA, because, he said, “I am not a bad man.”

Blatter is the target of a criminal investigation by Swiss prosecutors over possible mismanagement at FIFA and a $2m payment made in 2011 to his would-be successor, UEFA boss Michel Platini.

Raji

Friday, November 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

Super Eagles don’t fear Egypt – Igboun Stories by Mike Otanwa

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igeria midfielder, Sylvester Igboun is adamant that the Super Eagles can out-gun Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nigeria will host the North Africans between March 23 and 26, before travelling to Cairo for the return game, scheduled between March 26 and 29.

The Pharaohs are leading Group G of the AFCON qualifiers

with six points from two games, while t5he West Africans have four points from their two matches.

“I am not trying to disrespect Egypt, but if we put our acts together as team, I don’t see us losing to them,” Igboun was quoted as saying.

“The more we play together, the better we become as a team and with the calibre of players that we have in the team, it will be difficult to lose to any team especially Egypt.”

Igboun believes the Super Eagles are currently on an upward trend

Copa T Lagos set to bubble again

he much anticipated beach soccer event ‘Copa Lagos’ will take place between Friday, December 18 to Sunday, December 2015 according to Kinetic Sports, who are the organisers of the event.

In a ceremony held at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, the organiser say this year’s event-the fifth in the series will hold on the dates at Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Kinetic Sports also announced the participants of the 2015 edition which

English, Italian clubs want

Nwakali

T Igboun

under coach Sunday Oliseh.

“Game by game we are getting better as a team,” he added.

“Despite the antics of Swaziland [a 2-0 win in a World cup qualifier] to frustrate us, we were resolute to get the victory which we did.

“Same thing will apply to the game against Egypt next year and I am sure we are going to show them the real Super Eagles.

“We have a wonderful set of players and good technical crew which I am sure can qualify Nigeria for the Nations’ Cup next year.”

will include FC Barcelona Beach Soccer Team, Kano Pillars the Pepsi Beach Soccer team and others to be named.

The England Beach Soccer squad is also expected alongside other countries to be announced on a later date.

CEO of Kinetic Sports, Samson Adamu, while speaking at the event said this year’s edition will be fun filled as the tournament has become a lifestyle and not a traditional event.

he captain of Nigeria’s FIFA U-17 World Cup champions, Kelechi Nwakali has pulled interest from both English and Italian clubs.

According to report the agent of the Nigerian midfielder Nwakali has revealed that he’s in talks over a move to Arsenal even though Chelsea FC and Udinese are said to want the Nigerian youngster ahead of the January window.

Nwakali whose performances at the just concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile helped Nigeria to lift the trophy for the fifth time and earned

V

a deal with Tottenham shortly after the tournament, but his agent claims only Arsenal have shown any concrete interest in him.

“We have not seen offers from the other clubs and our partners have been talking to them but only Arsenal have shown interest and even Pinnick (NFF President) talked to them,” Yusuf claimed.

Speaking further, Yusuf admitted the player is generating interest from several clubs especially from

the English Premier League, but insists only Arsenal have shown any concrete interest.

“Of all the clubs that want him in the English Premier League, it is only Arsenal that has shown any (real) interest.”

The gangling striker first shot to prominence during the CAF U-17 championship in Niger Republic earlier in the year, where he scored 4 goals, before going on to score 10 at the U-17 World Cup.

him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament had earlier admitted that he would love to play for Arsenal.

“We have been in touch with Arsenal. There has been no feedback or a bid as yet though,” explained.

Just like Kelechi Iheanacho who pulled interest from a host of European clubs after helping Nigeria to lift the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup but now stars for English club, Manchester City; Nwakali may as well sign for yet another English club.

Nwakali

CAF U-23: We will make history

-Coach Gama

Osimhen’s agent S claims Arsenal interest

ictor Osimhen’s agent, Shira Yusuf, has claimed English Premier League giants, Arsenal have shown concrete interest in signing the 16-year old.

The lanky striker finished as top scorer at the last FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile and is also now the highest goal scorer in the history of the competition with ten goals, and has been linked with several top European sides ever since.

He was reported to have agreed

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outh Africa U-23 coach Owen Da Gama says his team will be inspired to make history as they go to the CAF U-23 Eight Nations tournament.

ODG was speaking ahead of the tournament saying the players are aware that should things go their way, they will become the second South African U-23 side to reach the Olympics.

The tournament, also dubbed as the U-23 African Cup of Nations, is set to run from November 28 until December 12.

“It is history for us and the players know it. Should things go our way then the players they will go down in history as the second South African team to have qualified for the Olympic Games,” said

ODG. “The fact that we have reached a tournament of the best on the continent already means a lot and is something to smile about. We are carrying the national flag and we have to do it for the 52 million South Africans, and these players are proud to be doing that for the nation.”

Speaking about their preparations, the coach adds that mental strength will form part of their theme and have done their homework.

“In our last camp the theme was about mental strength. We have prepared them for the worst possible scenario in Senegal,” claims the mentor.

Temple (2008–2012) 2012 / Undrafted

Panelefsiniakos 2014 (Greece) 2014–2015 Enel Brindisi (Italy) Texas Legends Present 2015– (D-League CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AND AWARDS NBA D-League All-Rookie Second Team (2013)

Pro career 2012–present CAREER HISTORY 2012–2013 Canton Charge (D-League) 2013–2014 Texas Legends (D-League)

College NBA draft

Lagos, Nigeria Place of birth Nigerian Nationality NBA Development League League Power forward / Center Position No. 50 – Texas Legends Number 6 ft. 11 in (2.11 m) Listed height 240 lb (109 kg) Listed weight CAREER INFORMATION High school Caesar Rodney (Camden, Delaware) Church Farm School

PERSONAL INFORMATION Michael Eric Name: June 24, 1988 Date of birth

PERSONAL INFORMATION

MICHAEL Eric Michael Eric is a Nigerian professional basketball player who currently plays for Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He played college basketball for Temple. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Eric did not play basketball as a youth as his dad was a soccer coach and he liked to focus on his education. Despite basketball being a popular sport in Nigeria, he dismissed the sport until he grew five inches in a span of two years.

He traveled to Delaware in 2004 to visit his brother, Stephen, who wouldn’t let him return to Nigeria. Stephen knew with his younger brother’s height – he was 6-foot-8 at the time – he could make a future for himself in basketball.

Newly arrived in the United States, Eric enrolled at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, Delaware where he spent his sophomore year before transferring to Church Farm School in Exton, Pennsylvania for his junior year.

High school career Eric played two seasons at Church Farm as he earned first-team all-league and all-area as a junior and senior. As a junior in 2005–06, he averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks per game.

In November 2006, Eric signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Temple University.

As a senior in 2006–07, Eric averaged 19 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks per game while leading Church Farm to the KASC regular season championship.

College career To Eric’s disappointment, he was ruled ineligible to compete in 2007–08 due to NCAA initial eligibility guidelines, forcing him to redshirt the season. He went on to join the Temple Owls in 2008–09 where he averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 27 games.

As a sophomore in 2009–10, Eric played in 31 games, starting 29, as he finished fifth on the team in scoring with 5.9 points per game.

In addition, his 20 blocks and .516 field goal percentage ranked second on the team. He also averaged 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in just 15.7 minutes per game.

As a junior in 2010–11, Eric was named the team co-captain. He started the first 24 games of season before fracturing his right patella in

ABOUT

X4 Friday, November 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

ERIC

Michael

practice which sidelined him for remainder of season. he averaged 7.1 points and 1.6 blocks, as well as ranking second on team with 5.9 rebounds per game and third with .490 field goal percentage.

As a senior in 2011–12, Eric again missed significant time with another right patella fracture, sitting out all of December and most of January with the injury. He played in 19 games, starting 15 times, as he was first on the team in rebounding (8.8 rpg) and fifth on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg). He tied his career-high with 19 points and a game-high 15 rebounds against UMass on February 29, 2012.

Professional career After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft, Eric joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2012 NBA Summer League. On August 10, 2012, he signed with the Cavaliers but was later waived on October 27, 2012. In November 2012, he was acquired by the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player.

In July 2013, Eric joined the Philadelphia 76ers for the Orlando Summer League and the Golden State Warriors for the Las Vegas Summer League. On November 1, 2013, he was reacquired by the Canton Charge. Three days later, he was traded to the Texas Legends.

On January 15, 2014, he was waived by the Legends due to a season-ending injury.

On September 27, 2014, Eric signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.[9] However, he was later waived by the Bucks on October 27, 2014. On December 4, 2014, he signed with Panelefsiniakos of the Greek Basket League and made his debut for the team on December 13. However, the next day, he signed with Enel Brindisi of Italy for the rest of the 2014–15 season, replacing Cedric Simmons in the lineup after the forward suffered a season-ending knee injury.

In July 2015, Eric joined the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2015 NBA Summer League.

On October 31, 2015, Eric returned to the Texas Legends. He was waived by the Legends on November 11, and reacquired on November 20.

EXTRATIME

Friday, November 27, 2015

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Friday, November 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

Weekend Fixtures Sat. Nov. 28 EPL Bournemouth C. Palace Man City Sunderland Aston Villa Leicester City

Ligue 1

PSG Angers Nantes G. Ajaccio Reims Toulouse

Bundesliga

Bayern München Werder Bremen Hannover 96 Hoffenheim Mainz 05

Serie A Torino Milan

Eredivisie Heerenveen Excelsior Twente

La Liga

Barcelona A. Madrid Málaga Las Palmas Celta de Vigo

v v v v v v

Everton Newcastle Southampton Stoke City Watford Man United

16: 00 16: 00 16: 00 16: 00 18: 30 18: 30

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Troyes Lille Bastia Lorient Rennes Nice

17: 00 20: 00 20: 00 20: 00 20: 00 20: 00

v v v v v

Hertha BSC 15: 30 Hamburger SV 15: 30 Ingolstadt 15: 30 Borussia M’gla… 15: 30 Eintracht Fran… 15: 30

v Bologna v Sampdoria

18: 00 20:45

v Roda JC v Feyenoord v Willem II

18: 30 19: 45 20: 45

v v v v v

16: 00 18: 15 20: 30 22: 00 22: 05

Sunday Nov. 29 EPL Tottenham West Ham Norwich City Liverpool

Ligue 1

Saint-Étienne Bordeaux O. Mars…

Bundesliga Borussia D. Bayer L. Augsburg

Serie A

Chievo Frosinone Genoa Roma Empoli Palermo

Eredivisie Vitesse PEC Zwolle Groningen Utrecht PSV

La Liga

Getafe Eibar Rayo Vallecano Sevilla

v v v v

Real Sociedad Espanyol Granada Deportivo La C… Sporting Gijón

Chelsea West Brom Arsenal Swansea City

13: 00 15:00 17: 15 17: 15

v Guingamp v Caen v Monaco

14: 00 17:00 21: 00

v Stuttgart v Schalke 04 v Wolfsburg

15: 30 17: 30 17: 30

v v v v v v

Udinese Hellas Verona Carpi Atalanta Lazio Juventus

15: 00 15: 00 15: 00 15: 00 18: 00 20: 45

v v v v v

NEC Ajax ADO Den Haag Heracles AZ

12: 30 14: 30 14: 30 14: 30 16: 45

v v v v

Villarreal Real Madrid Athletic Club Valencia

12: 00 16: 00 18: 15 20: 30

Martinez wants Bayern renewal

Barca Legends to Market Uganda’s Tourism

U

ganda Tourism Board said on Monday it would capitalize on next month’s visit of FC Barcelona legends to market the country abroad.

Between December 8 and 12, Uganda will host stars such as Patrick Kluivert, Louis Garcia, Simao Sabrosa, Carles Puyol, Edgar Davids, Gaizka Mendieta and Gianluca Zambrotta, all of whom once played for Barcelona, one of the world’s biggest football clubs.

And UTB hopes to profit

Kluivert

from the publicity as these stars attract massive media and global attention internationally. The Barcelona legends will also visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Murchison Falls national parks as well as the Source of the Nile. They will then play an exhibition match against a selected Uganda Cranes team at Nam- boole stadium.

“Imagine such icons tweeting and facebooking about goril-

las in Bwindi, pictures while at the Source of the Nile,” said UTB chief executive officer Stephen Asiimwe.

According to UTB, the projected earnings of $2bn (about Shs 5.3 trillion) per annum in the next few years from tourism are about a third of the 2015-16 annual budget, a figure which highlights the immense contribution the sector will have in the future, surpassing almost any sector, even before oil production begins.

o rinl sh Mos u Arsena uffer hope UCL elimination

C

helsea manager Jose Mourinho would like to see Olympiacos progress to the last 16 of the Champions League at Arsenal’s expense.

The two sides are set for a thrilling Group F finale on December 9, with the Gunners needing to beat Olympiacos by two goals - or a one-goal win, scoring more than three times themselves - if they are to progress.

Mourinho has a close relationship with the Greek side’s Portuguese coach Marco Silva and is eager to see them win the battle to progress as a result.

He told reporters: “I would al-

ways like English teams to qualify, first.

“They [Arsenal] are in a group where a kid friend of mine is the manager of Olympiacos and it would be fantastic for the kid’s career to

go through.

“So I have to be honest and say that I would like the kid and Olympiacos to go on and we know that Bayern go through for sure.”

Russia accepts IAAF ban

R

ussia vowed on Thursday to work ‘’very actively’’ with track and field’s governing body to eradicate the doping culture that led to its blanket ban from international competition, possibly including next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The decision by Russia’s athletics federation not to contest the ban and its additional promise to work ‘’very hard’’ to tackle doping represented

Mourinho

a modest victory for Sebastian Coe, the embattled president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The move suggests that Coe’s hardline stance against Russia is producing early results. It was Coe who first pushed the IAAF council to sanction Russia for systematic, state-sponsored doping identified by a World Anti-Doping Agency investigation.

The council then voted 22-1 on Nov. 13 to provisionally suspend ARAF, the Russian athletics federation, barring it from international competition.

To be reinstated, Russia will now have to clear numerous hurdles, not only sanctioning athletes and others who doped or were complicit in cheating and cover-ups but also carrying out a series of reforms. It will have to satisfy an IAAF inspection commission

martinez

J

avi Martinez is happy with life at Bayern Munich and is ready to commit his longterm future to the Allianz Arena outfit.

Javi Martinez has no intention of leaving Bayern Munich any time soon and is keen to sign a contract renewal with the Bundesliga champions.

The 27-year-old joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in 2012 and has since made close to 100 appearances in all competitions for the club.

His deal with the Allianz Arena outfit expires in 2017, but he is ready to commit his future to the club.

“I would love to sign a new contract with Bayern if the people in charge are interested in keeping me here,” the Spain international told Sport Bild.

“I am feeling very well at the club Bayern and in the city of Munich.

“I’d say that there is not a better place in the world for a footballer t h a n Bayern Munich.”

J a v i Martinez h a s made 11 appearances in all competitions for Bayern this campaign after overcoming a knee injury that kept him out of action for the majority of 2014-15.

that it has ticked all the boxes required to be allowed back into the fold. An IAAF council meeting on Thursday in Monaco was fleshing out details of what those boxes will be, exactly.

By accepting the IAAF suspension and waiving its right to a hearing, Russia signaled that it wants the process that could lead to its reinstatement to move forward quickly. In a letter to the IAAF, the general secretary of ARAF, Mikhail Butov, said: ‘’We are working very hard now in Russia to change a lot.’’ ‘’We will cooperate with (the) nominated commission very actively,’’ Butov said. ‘’I hope for a positive result after (a) certain time and (a) full comeback to the IAAF family.’’

Friday, November 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

FORMULA ONE

L

ewis Hamilton will be looking to prevent team mate Nico Rosberg from making it three on a trot this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and wrap up his championship year with one last win.

Dominant performances in Mexico and Brazil by Rosberg now put the ball resolutely on Lewis Hamilton’s side of the Mercedes garage but the newly crowned triple World Champion will have his work cut out to reclaim victory from his rival as the curtain falls on 2015.

Last year, Hamilton clinched the title at the ultimate round, but with everything now sealed and stamped, prestige and a race win will be the only rewards on tap for the season’s finale.

“The Yas Marina really is a stunning place to hold the seasonending Grand Prix,” Hamilton said.

“The organisers clearly spent a lot of time and effort on

Hamilton out to reclaim victory

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designing the most spectacular venue imaginable and the track is one I really enjoy driving.

“It’s actually a really challenging circuit. There are a couple of high speed corners but it’s mostly medium to low speed, so despite the long straights you need to set the car up with a downforce level tuned for low speed grip.

“It’s also a twilight race, starting late afternoon and running into the night, which is quite unusual and I imagine must be pretty cool to watch on TV. “Last year, this place brought probably the most intense weekend of my life.

I didn’t sleep much through nerves and not knowing what was ahead. But this time around there’s no pressure, so I’ll be wellrested and aiming to go out on a high.

Hamilton

Boxing

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hallenger Tyson Fury has vowed to ‘expose’ undisputed champion Wladimir Klitschko in Saturday’s world heavyweight title bout and has labelled the Ukrainian giant an ‘old man’.

Klitschko, 39, will defend his IBF, WBA and IBO titles against Britain’s Fury, 27, in Duesseldorf having last tasted defeat more than a decade ago.

This is the second time the fight has been scheduled to take place after the original date in October was cancelled due to

Fury vows to ‘expose’

Klitschko Klitschko’s calf injury.

Fury has won all of his 24 fights to date with 18 knockouts and has vowed to not only usurp Klitschko, but also highlight the champion’s weaknesses.

“I think this might be one of my easiest fights,” boasted

Manchester-born Fury in a press conference.

“I know that sounds crazy, because he’s a Super champion, but I see so many chinks in his armour.

“There is nothing he does which makes me think I won’t

Paintings

Tennis

Fetch £41,000 For WRU Charity

, c i v o Djok d a e h l a d Na to Doha

N

ovak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will both open their 2016 ATP World Tour season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

World number one Djokovic suffer his only pre-final loss of 2015 at the event when he was beaten by Ivo Karlovic.

The tournament, which takes place from January 4-10, will be Djokovic’s first outing of 2016, but

Klitschko

beat him.

“I can expose what he doesn’t do very well and you’ll see what I’m talking about on Saturday night.

“I’m not going to say too much today as I don’t want to scare him off.

“I’m coming very fast for you, Wlad. Old guy, young guy.

Old champion, new champion.

Enough said. Amen,” added Fury ahead of the bout at Duesseldorf’s Esprit Arena with 42,000 tickets sold.

Nadal will play in the days prior to it at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in neighbouring Abu Dhabi.

Defending champion David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet are other members of the world’s top 10 who will compete in Qatar.

Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka will headline at the Aircel Chennai Open in the same week.

T

Djokovic

The defending champion is joined by nine top-50 players, including Kevin Anderson and British number two Aljaz Bedene, who started this year by reaching the final of the Indian tournament.

The field for the Brisbane International, the third openingweek event of the ATP season, was announced on Wednesday with Roger Federer the star act.

wo paintings by Sir Kyffin Williams, Wales’s greatest artist of the 20th century, have raised £41,000 for the charity which supports injured rugby players throughout the country.

The WRU therefore decided that they should be sold - with the proceeds divided between the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and their new Welsh Rugby archive and heritage project at the Millennium Stadium.

The paintings, which were originally gifted to the Welsh Rugby Union by the local architects (Osborne V Webb) who re-development the National Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park in 1967 had been in storage at the Millennium Stadium.

The WRU therefore decided that they should be sold - with the proceeds divided between the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and their new Welsh Rugby archive and heritage project at the Millennium Stadium.

The value of Kyffin Williams paintings has drastically increased in the past 30 years, especially following his death at the age of 88 in 2006. He was awarded the OBE for his services to the arts in 1982 and knighted in 1999.

Williams’ works are held in many public collections, including the Government Art Collection, the Arts Council Collection and the National Museum of Wales.

Rugby

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Friday, November 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

INTERVIEW

D

idier Drogba has talked about his illustrious career, including his time at Chelsea, life in the MLS, the best managers and teams he has played against, and his most memorable day in football.

Drogba won every major trophy during his two spells at Stamford Bridge and has also played for a number of other bigname clubs throughout the world, such as Marseille, Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasaray and - currently - the Montreal Impact.

The 37-year old - who was speaking to promote his autobiography ‘Commitment’ and who will appear as a special guest on this week’s Goals on Sunday - also has his say on what’s gone wrong at Stamford Bridge this season, how manager Jose Mourinho will fix it and who will succeed his former club as champions.

manager and the players. You know when you won the league the season before and you find yourselves in the last three or four teams in the table after four or five games, it is kind of a shock.

But I know the players and the managers have the ability to change this. They have won two consecutive games in the last days, so I think it is kind of a new start.

How can Diego Costa turn around his current struggles at Chelsea?

I think the best way to turn it around is you adapt. It is difficult for me to tell him what to do.

During my time there I had some difficulties, so I always tried to think and find a way for me to change this as I had to make sure my supporters were happy with me and my performances.

What represent

f o r Chelsea this season?

To get into the top four would be a great achievement, knowing the way the team started this season it would be a fantastic achievement, and it is possible.

Champions League,

highlight of my career

-Drogba What is your best day in football?

Winning the Champions League final was the best day of my career, because I had been dreaming of this since I was kid. Watching the games, Ronaldo playing, Zidane, Raul, Ronald Koeman, all these players. And then to see this trophy.

As a player you either want to win the World Cup or the Champions League - the league is not the same level.

Winning the Champions League was the highlight of my football career.

What can you tell us about your relationship with Jose Mourinho?

It is a special relationship. Everybody knows that he was the one who signed me and even when it was difficult he believed in me and we have kept a very good relationship since then.

When he came back here he wanted me back and it was an honour for me to play for him again and win the league again with him.

Is there much difference between the Mourinho of 2004 and today?

Yes, there is a difference. Now the players in the team are younger than when I first arrived at the club, I think Frank Lampard was 24, 25, Makelele was much older, all these guys, so there was more maturity in this team.

So the message was sometimes easy to catch and also he could push us to the limit sometimes because he knew he

would success

would get the answer. But now with the new generation it is a bit more difficult, you have to handle them in a different way, to be a bit more calm, you have to adapt to them a bit more than before when you could push a bit more to get results.

So that is the difference and change - he has to adapt to a new way of dealing with young players.

Why do you think it has it not gone right for Chelsea this season?

I do not know, I am not there so it is difficult for me to talk about it. But it is a different situation for the club and the

Who are your favourites for this season’s Premier League?

I think Manchester City will be strong as always in the last few years. But unfortunately Chelsea are too far, so I will go for my friend Petr Cech at Arsenal.

Is Jamie Vardy currently among the best strikers in the Premier League?

He is one of the most efficient at the moment.

Scoring goals in a team like Leicester is one thing - but you have to go to the next level and score. What he is doing right now is unbelievable, fantastic, though.

You have played for and against some of the best managers of your generation, but who would you pick out as the best of all time?

Is there a player you wished you had played with? here is a lot. Ronaldinho, Obviously Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, I have a big list! I have played against some really fantastic players.

I would say Barcelona and Inter Milan in 2010.

How do you look back at your first spell in the MLS? It is a fantastic experience. For me to go there and see how many people are interested in football, it is amazing the effect of the Premier League, and all the leagues in the world, in America.

Wayne Rooney admits Manchester United must rediscover their killer instinct quickly if they are to avoid an embarrassing early exit from the Champions League.

United’s place in Europe’s top club competition was put in doubt following a disappointing 0-0 draw against PSV Eindhoven at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Rooney, Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Morgan Schneiderlin all missed good chances as United dropped to second in Group B with one match left.

We need to score more goals as a team,” Rooney said. “I feel we showed a lack of composure which put ourselves under pressure a lot of times. It’s a learning curve for us, but we can’t keep on saying it’s a learning curve. We have to start turning these games into victories.”