Daily Times of Nigeria Newspaper - Friday, 27th of February 2015

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.55

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I’ll lead war on terror, curb waste, graft–Buhari Ï 6Ɔ Ƌ ƒƆ Ɗ 6 Ə ƌè ƅ ôƐ Ƈƈ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔƌè ƕ ^#^ Ï 1&Cè 1L Ƒƍƍ ƏƐƆƏ ƆƐ G Ɨ ƐƏƆƆƐ Ƌ Ɠ

Ngozi Okafor G Ɨ

ÏÏÏAN apparently fit Ma-

jor General Muhammadu Buhari addressed the Chatham House in London pledging to personally lead a war on Boko Haram insurgents, curb wastes as well as corruption if elected president.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

INSIDE UCL:

X2 Wenger furious over Gunners’ loss

Poster!

EMMANUEL EMENIKE X4,5 Friday, February 27, 2015

INTERVIEW

IBE

GETS ENGLAND

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Jonathan visits recaptured towns 6

INVITATION

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Explosions at UNIJOS, Biu, 34 killed

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RAMIRES

key to Blues, says Parlour

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X8

MESSI IS THE SPECIAL ONE – HENRY X6

X2

WOLVES EMBARK ON WARNING X7 STRIKE

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2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Politics Page Three

3

s

Editorial Solving Nigeria’s power challenge

T

he power sector is the heart of any nation’s development. Without electricity, there can be no real economic and technological progress. And in the case of Nigeria, it means that all those grand visions of becoming one of the world’s leading economies by 2020 will always remain a pipe dream. For several decades now, the country has been unable to add any substantial and sustainable capacity to its power generation.

Each successive government has come up with great plans to upgrade the power sector, but unfortunately they have remained empty rhetoric.

All the money spent so far on the provision of electricity has gone down the drain. For example, the Mambilla power project has been in the pipeline for more than three decades, yet it remains a work in progress. The harm caused by the continued lack of power in Nigeria is incalculable.

More than 54 years after independence, all the country has to show for its power generation capacity is a measly 4,500 megawatts. And that is for a population of 170 million. Matters are not helped by the fact that Nigeria boasts abundant hydro, coal, solar, wind and fossil energy sources to generate abundant electricity for the citizens. For now, the country has become the proverbial land full of water, yet none to drink.

While the Federal Government has taken a first step to unbundle the power sector to allow for private sector participation, it is yet to encour-

age competent investors with the requisite technical competence into the industry. Moreover, we do not see why the power sector has transited from a monopoly to an oligopoly.

We believe that, in the true spirit of free market, the country must encourage different levels of power generation and distribution –large-scale, medium-scale and small-scale independent operators such that several companies can service states, and even local governments rather than the present massive and inefficient oligopolies that are compounding the power situation.

In truth, the country still operates a power monopoly that allows the Federal Government to remain the biggest investor.

Allowing more players into the industry would not only engender competition, but also attract those with the technical competencies to explore the energy mix to generate and supply electricity. The more investors, the better for the country.

Interestingly, many developed and developing countries have privatised their power industries with the attendant benefits to suppliers and consumers. What is lacking is the political will on the part of policy makers to solve once and for all the lingering power conundrum in the country.

The nation’s electricity consumption for the next 30 years should be anticipated and a sort of Marshall Plan put in place towards achieving it. The only way to doing this is by complete privatisation of electricity generation and supply in the country.

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Will the Okrika probe be any different?

Sam Nzeh ÏÏÏCommendable

as the order by Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, for a full-scale investigation into the violence that rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Okrika, Rivers State recently is, not a few Nigerians are waiting to see if the police will, this time round, prove them wrong by making public its outcome and punishing the culprits.

It would be recalled that a policeman was killed and many sustained various degrees of injuries when yet-to-be identified gunmen shot sporadically to disrupt the APC rally at the home town of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on Tuesday, February 17, 2015.

The worry over the Okrika violence probe stems from the fact that this is not the first time the police will be probing such incidents, yet nothing was heard afterwards. Even where the outcomes of such probes were made public, the culprits were either not pros-

Words On Marble :

dailytimesng

ecuted or allowed to walk away free.

So when the IGP ordered full investigation of the Okrika violence, not many were upbeat. If anything, Nigerians and residents of Rivers State in particular wait with bathed breathe, trusting that this time, the police will make them happy.

This will only come if the outcome of the probe is made public and culprits punished. Doing this will go a long way in firming up people’s confidence in the police as well as serve as a deterrent to instigators of violence across the country.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Chief Commercial Officer

Deputy Editors

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Group Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Tunji Okegbola

Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Celestine Okafor

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Editorial Page Editor

Business Editor

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Adetayo Adelaja Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

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

Nelson mandela

Chris Olukolade

Winston Churchill

Teach the children that Africans are not one iota inferior to Europeans

The mission is on. There is no allowing terrorists anywhere. As many times as they come, it will only give us the opportunity to decimate them

A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. And to have the ability, afterward, to explain why it did not happen.

4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

5 News

ISIS recruiting Nigerian students overseas - FG Mathew Dadiya Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Coordinator of the National Information Centre on the War Against Terrorism and Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri in a press briefing on Thursday raised the alarm that the dreaded Islamic sect, ISIS has been recruiting mostly young

Nigerians schooling outside the shores of the country via social media.

Omeri at the National Briefing Centre Abuja, said that intelligence reports indicated that young Nigerians are being radicalise by the Islamic terrorist group through the social media and a variety of other sources.

According to him, those youths who are mostly children of the

rich and affluent were being recruited into ISIS advising that “parents and guardians, especially those whose wards are schooling abroad, should closely monitor the activities of these students who may be susceptible to the antics of the promoters of the ISIS ideology”.

On the fight against terrorism in the north east, he noted that since February 18, 2015 some

remarkable success has been recorded by the Nigerian military forces in the on-going war.

Omeri called on Nigerians to be patriotic and appreciate the effort and sacrifice of the military and security personnel for the selfless manner in which they are prosecuting the anti-terror war.

“We also call on our citizens to shun the trend of cynicism among some unpatriotic Nigerians who

have chosen to ascribe the recent success in the anti-terror war to external efforts, instead of the untiring efforts of Nigerian troops, he added.

This success the Coordinator stated, includes the stiff resistance against insurgent incursion into the country at several locations and the recapture of several towns and settlements which had Boko Haram presence earlier.

US tasks FG, INEC on free, fair polls Joy Ekeke

ÏÏÏThe

A cross section of Buhari’s supporters in London… on Thursday

Nigerians in UK back Jonathan’s re-election bid

ÏÏÏSome

group of Nigerians living in the United Kingdom Thursday staged a rally in support of the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

From the early hours of Thursday morning, organisers drove through the streets of Saint James Square using loud hailers to alert residents about the planned solidarity protest.

Hundreds of supporters massed outside the city’s Chatham House to praise President Jonathan’s administration.

The supporters carried placards with inscriptions like “We want Jonathan’’, “No to Buhari’’, “Buhari belongs to our past’’ and “Diaspora says no to a tyrant’’, “Nigerians in the UK say no to the return of a tyrant,” among others.

They came to number 10, Saint James Square, venue of an event organized by the Chatham House in which the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, was one of the key speakers.

The event was Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s first public appearance since arriving London over a week ago, fueling speculations that he was undergoing medical treatment at a London facility in some quarters.

Buhari, disappointed his followers when he failed to appear at an interactive meeting Tuesday arranged for him by the APC in London at the Old Kent Road.

At the Tuesday’s political gathering, the trio of Chief John Oyegun, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Kaduna State gubernatorial candidate Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,

Jonathan

assured the gathering that Buhari was hale and hearty.

The London Metropolitan Police faced a hectic time trying to control the crowd as hours after the Jonathan supporters started their rally, the APC party London branch also appeared praising Buhari and the APC national leaders.

United State Government has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections in the country.

This was made known by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda ThomasGreenfield, during an online teleconferencing with journalists in Lagos. Thomas-Greenfield said the outcome of next month’s election should be acceptable to all Nigerians. She maintained that Washington was ready to partner with the election umpire to have credible polls in the country.

Her words, “In 2015 to 2016

Remi Oladoye

ÏÏÏVarious

speakers at the post-National Summit on Thursday, in Ibadan, have called on Nigerians, particularly, the Yoruba race, to consider the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan and his plan to implement the report of the National Conference as a factor to give him another term.

The chief convener and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, in his welcome address said the 2014 National Conference was, indeed, a historic assignment that “we are proud of and as a people, we must do everything possible to ensure that the Confab recommendations get implemented.

“The Report, when implemented, will create room for each State to have its own constitution, its own police force, its own prison service, can create its own local governments,

there are over dozens of election on the continent of Africa and we are working closely with every single countries that wants to hold general election to ensure that this elections are peaceful, free, fair and they are transparent and they represent the will of the people in the countries that are going to the polling station to vote.”

“The upcoming election in Nigeria will provide a great support to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), and I spoke with the INEC Chairman prof.

Attahiru Muhammed Jega to encourage him in giving peaceful election and we will be there in any country to support peaceful and transparent election.”

Yoruba leaders explain support for Jonathan can build its own Airports, Seaports and Railways”, he added.

The meeting, which was held at the Banquet Hall of the Premier Hotel, Ibadan, was attended by personalities including, Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; General Adeyinka Adebayo; Chief Richard Akinjide; Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Chief Olu Falae; Sen. Femi Okurounmu; Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Otunba Gani Adams; Mr. Peter Obi and Chief Tony Uranta, among others.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

‘I’ll lead war on terror, curb waste, graft’ Continued from page 1 However, the presidential campaign organization of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pooh-poohed the pledges, linking the retired Army boss to the Boko Haram crisis that he is promising to tackle.

Buhari, whose health status had been cause for worry because he was not seen in public since arriving in the United Kingdom last

week, told the packed audience at the Chatham House how he laughed off rumours that he was ill, and how a woman reportedly burst into tears in Maiduguri, Borno State, when told that he was dead.

The former military ruler, who is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was accompanied by leaders of the party, including the national leader, Asiwaju Bola

Ahmed Tinubu; Rivers State governor, Rotimi Ameachi; and his Edo State counterpart, Adams Oshiomhole.

Buhari who stood for much of the time the session lasted, declared: “The corrupt will not be appointed to my government.”

On the reasons he is in the race to be president for the fourth time, Buhari said: “I’m running to lead Nigeria to prosperity, not adversity.”

L-R: Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammdu Buhari; former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown; APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi , during Buhari’s Chatham House address in London…on Thursday.

But while the APC presidential candidate was wooing hearts and answering questions from the audience, supporters of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and those of his APC were locked in a solidarity contest outside the venue.

With various imposing and colourful banners, songs and taunts that nearly got out of hand, about 150 loyalists of both parties matched each other ‘s zeal and tactics and also kept passersby and observers captivated for almost two hours, even when Buhari and his team had gone out through the back door.

On fears about his background as a former military dictator, Buhari said: “As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible.

It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.”

Buhari expressed concern that the Boko Haram is wreaking Continued on page 12

I’ve nothing personal against Buhari – Fayose Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏEkiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo

Fayose, has said he has nothing personal against the All Progressives Congress ( APC) presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor said this yesterday, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in AdoEkiti, the state capital.

The declaration was not unconnected with the barrage of criticisms that have been trailing his mode of campaign for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Fayose, who said he owed nobody any apology for exposing the hypocrisy of APC leaders, accused them of placing personal interests far above that of the nation.

He said the APC had not only packaged lies and tried to foist Continued on page 12

Boko Haram attacks UNIJOS, Biu Jonathan visits recaptured

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territories, lauds military

Chijioke Kingsley Jos

Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏDespite the gallant efforts of

the Nigerian military, the orgy of violence in the guise of religiosity seems to be dying hard.

A string of explosions rattled Bauchi Road, Jos, on Thursday as suspected Boko Haram insurgents went berserk throwing bombs from a speeding vehicle.

And at a motor park in Biu, Borno State, 17 persons were sent to their early graves by a young suicide bomber.

The Jos attackers struck as students of the University of Jos, located on Bauchi Road, were trooping out of the campus after an exam. But though one of the bombs exploded at the university’s main gate, none of students was injured.

The story was however different at the Bauchi Motor Park where another of the bombs exploded killing persons about 11and injuring four.

A final year student of Psychology at the university, who spoke to Daily Times correspondent in Jos said the bombs were not planted but were thrown out from a moving vehicle.

When Daily Times contacted the Plateau State Police Commissioner, Nasiru Oki, who visited the scenes of the bombing, he said investigation was ongoing.

According to him, 11 persons were killed at the motor park while four were injured. This is the second time in three months that explosions have rocked the city of Jos after the explosion that occurred at the popular Terminus Market in December 2014.

Also yesterday, a suicide bomber at a bus station in Biu, Borno State, killed at least 17 people on a military source and a local vigilante said.

A second bomber who attempted to detonate his explosives in the same bus station was stopped by the crowd and beaten to death, vigilante Ibrahim Jaton, said.

“A young man came to Tashan Gandu Motor Park and our boys stopped him for search at the check point but he refused to stop. The next thing we heard was a loud sound,” Jaton said.

Suicide bombers struck two bus stations in different parts of the North on Tuesday, killing at least 34 people in attacks which President Goodluck Jonathan blamed on Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group he said would soon be defeated.

ÏÏÏPresident

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Thursday visited Mubi and Baga in Adamawa and Borno states respectively, lauding Nigerian troops for proving their mettle once again through the rapid recapture of territories formerly held by insurgents in the North-Eastern states of the country.

Addressing officers and men of the Army in both towns, which were recently recaptured from Boko Haram insurgents, President Jonathan declared that all Nigerians were very proud of the bravery, competence and patriotism with which they were now undertaking operations to repel the insurgents from all parts of

the affected states, including Yobe.

The President said that with their recent successes, which had overwhelmingly turned the tide against Boko Haram, the Nigerian military has proved beyond any doubts that it remains fully capable of defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

The military’s recent victories against Boko Haram, President Jonathan told the troops, have also proved conclusively that all those, within and outside the country, who had cast aspersions on Nigerian soldiers and questioned their ability and willingness to overcome the insurgents were misinformed and wrong.

President Jonathan, who was accompanied on the trip by the National Security Adviser, Col. Continued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Ondo APC, PDP differ on Mimiko’s tenure ÏÏÏThe All Progressives Con-

gress, (APC), in Ondo State has assessed the administration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, in the past six years, and scored it low.

APC state Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya disclosed this in Akure, while addressing journalists on the state of Ondo.

But, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), quickly replied that the APC is “day-dreaming” and needed to go round the state to assess all the meaningful projects executed by the incumbent administration.

Adesanya noted that since the beginning of the second term of Mimiko, he had abandoned all

meaningful projects that could engender development in the state.

He alleged that during his first term in office, Mimiko recorded only “cosmetic projects”, adding that Mimiko and the state PDP had no reason to celebrate since the people were not happy.

“Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and PDP members have no reason to celebrate the six years of no visible achievement. The six years were characterised by pain, antimasses policies, with suffering boldly written on the faces of the people.

“It is six years of unemployment, forced tax, unwarranted retrenchment, infrastructural decay, economic depression and

backwardness.

“Where is the six-lane roads Mimiko promised the Akure people? Where is the small London he promised to turn the state capital into? Why did he abandon all projects that the (Dr. Olusegun) Agagu administration could not complete?

“Projects like the Owena Water Dam, on which the Agagu administration spent billions of naira; the Olokola Free-Trade Zone; OKLNG Plant; uncompleted Akure Township Stadium at Araromi and the refinery he promised during the campaign for his second term, to mention but a few”, he added.

He added that “the six years of

Mimiko

Governor Mimiko have brought no tangible development into the state. Almost, all roads in Akoko land are in a state of disrepair; our local government area headquarters has been reduced to mere looting centres.

NGO advises politicians on health issues Akor Ejumene

L-R: Wife of Aret Adams, Mrs. Izarene Adams; former Managing Director, Shell, Engr. Basil Omiyi; Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, Aret Adams, Engr. Charles Osezua, during the 12th Aret Adams Annual Lecture Series, held at MUSON, Onikan, Lagos ...on Thursday.

Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Court strikes out suit against National Conference Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏA Federal High Court, sitting

in Abuja, on Thursday, struck out the suit challenging the constitutionality of the recently concluded National Conference.

The suit was instituted by a constitutional lawyer, Dr. Tunji Abayomi.

Presiding judge, Justice Abdul Kafarati, said that the plaintiff, who is also a legal activist, lacked

the locus standi to bring the action.

Besides, the judge held that the legal action was an academic exercise, as it had been overtaken by events.

The plaintiff filed the legal action after the National Conference was inaugurated.

Justice Kafarati said that the academic nature of the suit made it incompetent as it robbed the court of its jurisdiction.

He also held that there was no

documentary evidence before the court to show that the plaintiff had personal interest in the matter more than any other member of the public.

Abayomi had filed the action in March, 2014, against President Goodluck Jonathan, AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN); Senate President, Senator David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

Abuja ÏÏÏA non-governmental organisation, Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH), has advised political party candidates to ensure that health issues are given priority in their public discourse before, during and after the elections.

The NGO made the call at a press briefing on the State of Maternal, New Born and Child Health (MNCH) in Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday, saying that political office seekers were not focusing attention on the health of the people, rather they were dwelling on providing infrastructural amenities.

The Routine Immunisation Sector Lead Project Director, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, said there was an urgent need for a paradigm shift by politicians who focus on building hospitals and clinics, without setting up or strengthening necessary systems for providing affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare services.

He said that as the country approached the end of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it was imperative that “it takes stock as a nation and review how it will reach these goals, especially, the health-related MDGs and chart a course for the post-2015 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

7 News Anambra community tackles EEDC Eche Nwaobasi

Nnewi ÏÏÏOkpoko Community Residents Landlords Association (OCRLA), in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, have cried out to both the state and Federal Government to save them from the high estimated electricity bills being imposed on them, despite the non-availability of power by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

Chairman of the association, Brother Felix Onunkwo, speaking on Thursday at a community event, said the community had been meeting with the EEDC authorities in Onitsha and Enugu, but, regretted that, despite several entreaties, the company refused to review downward, the high bills.

Stating that the community had suffered enough, Onunkwo said the residents were ready to confront the company and ask it to disconnect the area from the power grid.

He commended the effort of the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, for flagging off the construction of vital roads in the area namely Ogbuagu, to Amazu oil axis and further appealled to him to remember other roads like Muobike, Moganmbo, Orumba, Nwawulu, Ukachi and Umuobom.

NCPC to flag off 2015 Easter pilgrimage Augustine Aminu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), will soon flag off the 2015 Easter pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece on March 1, 2015.

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Opara, disclosed this in Abuja, while briefing officials of the commission on Thursday.

He said that the flag-off would hold at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, with Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano being the Special Guest of Honour.

Five states, Anambra, Bauchi, Niger, Yobe and Lagos, would be participating in this year’s Easter Pilgrimage, which holds between March and April, 2015”, he said.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Politics NWOKOCHA

APGA wants to eliminate me

Darlington Nwokocha

s Darlington Nwokocha is representing Isiala Ngwa South in the Abia State House of Assembly. Recently, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and government in the state alleged that the Honourable member was shot by an opposition party in the state, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA) led by Dr. Alex Otti who is APGA’s governorship candidate. Few days ago, SUNDAY NWAKANMA ran into the youthful lawmaker who is also a House of Assem-

bly hopeful in the forthcoming polls. His appearance looked fresh, devoid of any sign of any wound, thus prompting the interview though he alleged that the shooting came from APGA. Excerpts: How is politics in Abia State now?

We have what we call this type of politics in Abiathis time because of the kind of people that entered into politics. People who never knew that they will find themselves in politics and

never had any political plans.

They just came in thinking they would just hijack the process of politicking. Banking and politics are two poles apart. Politics is a process not just an event.

Not something you just engage and think it is something you can come into it and have it all the same day. No. It is a process because you have the desires of the people at heart. Popularity is not what you pick from the ground. It is something you get CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

OGIEMWONYI

Politicians should leave mundane things for serious issues Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi was the Group Executive Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a former Minister of State for Works between 2010 and 2011 in the administration of Late President Umaru Yar’adua.

He recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ) in Edo State. In this interview with TITUS AKHIGBE, he spoke on a number of issues affecting the polity, including the general elections, hitherto billed for February 14th and 28th.

“The issues we are having now of money not remitted directly to CBN crude account were things that never happened during our time. Then cash flow from crude oil marketing went straight into the respective CBN accounts”

Sir, what would you consider as the highpoint of your over 30 years service to the nation in the oil industry?

The highpoint, I remember now is probably when I was made the Group General Manager of NAPIMS in 2001. That period was very fruitful. It was a period that I ensured probity, transparency and accountability in the IOCs businesses. All the oil companies that were reporting through me to the

Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) I was able to instill discipline and equally ensured the participation of Nigerians. At that period, people call me ‘Mr. Local Content’. That was one of my best times. Probably, when I moved to Warri as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), I saw another opportunity to work assiduously in delivering gas to customers. During my pe-

Nyako

2015 polls: Abdul Azizi Nyako dares PDP

riod, the number of customers increased sharply when we then had to supply gas to customers like Obajana Cement Company; Falcon, a new franchise zone in Ikorodu area, Ewekoro Cement Company etc.

What would you say about the recent cry of looting in the NNPC? I had spoken earlier about the NNPC system becoming a little porous in terms of the accounting. The system is becoming a little porous as regards oil and gas accounting. Having said that, there are extant laws, there are processes of doing things.

Since I left there about six years ago, I have not been there. The issues we are having now of money not remitted directly to CBN crude account were things that never happened during our time. Then cash flow from crude oil marketing went straight into the respective CBN accounts.

But these days we’re hearing something a little bit different.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Wale Akintunde,Yola The Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Adamawa Central zone, Abdul Azizi Nyako has declared that his party will not be cowed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its

Ogiemwonyi

mission to salvage the nation from bad leaders.

Azizi, son of former governor of the state, Admiral Murtala Nyako, detained for three days by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and later released vowed that nothing would deter the APC

from its mission to liberate the country.

He made the declaration in Yola during a brief reception organised for him by party supporters saying his party is poised to wrest power from the ruling PDP in next month polls.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

9 Politics

‘Political ambition not worth shedding blood’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

over time.

It seems this is the first time Abia is witnessing real politicking?

Real politics or opposition is relative. This is not real politicking. There is nothing real in being aggressive. The thing there is paramount interest. When you talk about interest, today you may find yourself at this side of opposition or find yourself in the same line with your opposition.

When you now put aggression into it, it is not politicking at all.

Interest superceeds everything and interest could be either way.

If your interest is not here today, it could be there and marry alongside other persons’ interests.

“This is not real politicking. There is nothing real in being aggressive.

The thing there is paramount interest” (PDP) wanted a reprisal.

You were shot, has the police arrested anybody?

I couldn’t identify any person but considering the fact that we do not have any political rancour within our political fold and our party. All the people who contested with me during the primaries, all of us are working together. So I am quite sure that this particular attack came from the other side. APGA people structured it.

Maybe they wanted to eliminate me or maybe eliminate the PDP, but I want to tell you PDP is a big family. I read in newspaper that Alex Otti said that this didn’t come from him and that it was just something that was cooked up to have a reprisal attack.

When you talk about reprisal, that means there was an action before you now expect a reprisal.

This is something the security agencies should look into to find out what really led him to say we

It created a situation that you were so badly injured and was hospitalised. One is now confused seeing you looking so healthy?

Nothing was overblown. We are talking about life. Let me say it.

My President has said it over time that there is no amount of interest that should warrant dropping a single blood. I want to tell you as a senior citizen of this country, if you waste somebody like me just for an interest, no matter if it is presidential race or whatever, no matter what you are looking for to become the United Nations President, it is not good wasting somebody like me because I have a whole lot to offer this country.

That is the truth. So it wasn’t blown out of proportion. The only thing was that it happened, I hit my chest on the steering and I had to veer into the bush. They thought I was inside the car but I took off into the bush immediately. So within that time frame and when I was taken to the hospital, anything could happen. You could have internal bleeding and anything like that. So the incident

Otti

“Maybe they wanted to eliminate me or maybe eliminate the PDP, but I want to tell you, PDP is a big family. I read in newspaper that Alex Otti said that this didn’t come from him and that it was just something that was cooked up to have a reprisal attack.”

Darlington Nwokocha is representing Isiala Ngwa South in the Abia State House of Assembly

“We are talking about life. Let me say it. My President has said it over time that there is no amount of interest that should warrant dropping a single blood.”

President Goodluck Jonathan

Politics 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

So, I think what must have gone wrong is worth studying.

Talking about oil theft.

What do you suggest as solution?

Oil theft is one issue, another issue is vandalism of oil and gas pipelines. I recall with pain early February 2006, when I was the Managing Director of the Nigeria Gas Company in Warri. I was surprised that early morning when my friend, Engr.

Makanju, then Managing Director of NEPA, called me to say there was no gas at Egbin Plant as a result of low pressure. We checked at our station in Warri, it was almost about 20 bars. We were all surprised about what happened. We asked our men to go down the line so as to check what happened. They, then discovered that there was massive vandalism using dynamites to destroy the pipelines. That was a major challenge.

It was actually the Niger Delta Militants that blew the lines.

Subsequently, we have to wait for nine months, we were flaring almost 180mmscf/day. Now we hear of crude theft. These are new evolutions, very new.

What was fashionable when we were around was – I remember a couple of times, I and the MD of Shell flew around in a plane looking down at people taking oil into barges-that time it was curtailed to may be 100 barrels missing. But the magnitude we hear today 400,000 barrels etc.

Where you have the JTF, the Navy, and Air-force, etc. I suspect some foul play. That is my conclusion. There must be some collusion the worst scenario is to bomb this ship. Let there be a stop to it. Let people know that some people are concerned; at

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

‘Let police provide security for election’ “Let us talk about security, the economy, the dearth of infrastructure not talking about certificate at this time... We should be talking about how competent is the man? The level of integrity? Let us be serious.”

Ogiemwonyi least the federal government is concerned. Otherwise, when you hear this on a daily basis that we’re losing this huge volume not by pipeline but through huge tankers, I again say we suspect some foul play.

You must have had some kind of interaction with the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari when he was the Minister of

Petroleum. Can you give us an insight of his kind of personality?

To be sincere, if I say I worked directly with him it would be an overstatement.

I was very low in the system then. I think I was a grade two engineer when he was Minister of Petroleum. What was at the top was cascaded down in terms of discipline. The overall ambient of the place

Nyako: We will silence PDP in Adamawa CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Azizi had been arrested by the EFCC over allegation of money laundering during the days of his father as the governor of the state.

“Our party cannot be intimidated, our intention is to win the presidential election and win all seats in Adamawa in-

cluding governorship, three senatorial seats, 18 House of Representatives and 25 State Assembly seats”, he said.

He called on party supporters to work hard and ensure the success of candidates to enable the party lifts Nigerians out of social and economic problems noting that there was need to vote for the party at all levels,

saying the party’s programmes were people oriented and geared towards salvaging the country.

APC chairman in Adamawa Central Zone, Comrade Dimas Ezra described Azizi as a founding member of the party who contributed a lot to its development, saying no intimidation can stop him from winning the election.

was that the man at the top is a man that wants things done properly. The atmosphere was conducive. There was general discipline and the man equally has the courage to do what was right. That was what we felt about him. And when he is coming in the morning, you see everybody well dressed and serious with his or her duty.

He was a man that everybody at that time respected.

From your assessment of him, do you subscribe to the argument being put up by the PDP that his educational qualification will work against him?

The question that people should ask is that this is not the first time he is coming out for the presidency. This issue of paper qualification never came up from the first to the third time. For goodness sake, why now during his fourth attempt that this issue is coming up? Let me tell you one thing, to be a general, like Senator David Mark said the other day when he was equating a sergeant to a graduate, what do you equate a general to? So, when we talk about some of these mundane issues, I’ll say please let us face real issues at this state of our politics. Let us talk about security, the economy, the dearth of infrastructure not talking about certificate at this time.

Whether an old time general has school certificate or not. These are not the issues. We should be talking about how competent is the man? The level of integrity?

Let us be serious.

There is also a strong rumour that General Buhari is planning to Islamise Nigeria.

What is your take on this?

Again, I want people to be serious. Buhari is not just aspiring to be president the first time.

This is a man who went through CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

“Our party cannot be intimidated, our intention is to win the presidential election and win all seats in Adamawa state” Nyako

International Politics 11

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

An emerging nuclear deal with Iran Iran and the six major powers may be within reach of an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program.

After months of little apparent progress, the quickening pace of talks suggests that negotiators in Geneva might be able to complete a framework by the end of March, with a final accord reached at the end of June. This isn’t certain, but it offers hope that the protracted nuclear threat from Iran can be resolved peacefully.

If it comes together, any agreement would have to establish verifiable limits on the nuclear program and ensure that Iran cannot quickly produce enough weapons-usable material for a bomb. A pact would not end Iran’s nuclear program outright, which it says it needs for power generation and medical purposes, or erase the nuclear know-how Iran and its scientists have acquired over the nearly 60 years since an agreement between President Eisenhower and Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi for the United States to provide Iran with nuclear technology.

Critics of any deal — including those in Congress, such as Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican of Illinois, and Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat of New Jersey; and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel — demand complete dismantlement of Iran’s program given the country’s history of lying about its efforts to produce nuclear fuel and pursue other weapons-related activities.

But their desired outcome simply cannot be achieved.

President George W. Bush wasn’t able to secure that goal in 2003 when Iran had only a few dozen centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium

“If the deal is not perfect, the greater risk could well be walking away and allowing Iran to continue its nuclear activities unfettered” for nuclear fuel. Now, 12 years later, Iran has an estimated 19,000 centrifuges, not to mention scores of other facilities, including some that have been hardened to withstand a military attack.

Bombing Iran might delay the nuclear program for a couple of years but it wouldn’t eradicate it, and the blowback — provoking Iran to speed up production of a nuclear weapon, fueling regional tensions — would be severe.

The United States and its partners (Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany) have properly focused in the negotiations on curbing Iran’s activities, especially uranium enrichment for weapon purposes.

They are trying to structure the agreement so they would know at least a year in advance if Iran moved to speed up its program to build a nuclear bomb. That would allow plenty of time to re-impose sanctions, interrupt the program through cyberwarfare or take military action.

During talks in Geneva this week, progress was reportedly

Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani made on the time frame of a deal. The idea is to establish a 10-year period in which Iran’s ability to produce nuclear fuel would be strictly limited, with restrictions eased gradually in the following five years.

The lure for the Iranians is that reaching a deal would result in an easing of crippling economic sanctions that have been imposed by the United Nations and Western nations,

and that after the deal runs its course they would be able to pursue nuclear enrichment for energy and medical purposes without constraints. Some Iranians had wanted to restrict the deal to seven years, while some Americans had wanted 15 years or longer.

The central factor in any deal is how to limit Iran’s ability to enrich weapons-grade uranium, which means barring it

from enriching uranium above the 5 percent grade for normal power reactors, reducing the number of operating centrifuges from 10,200, limiting the number of advanced centrifuges, and cutting the amount of low-enriched uranium stockpiled in Iran.

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Iran’s major nuclear installations are already monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency and watched by the United States. But any agreement would also have to require Iran’s ratification of the international agency’s additional protocol, an agreement that allows for even more aggressive inspections to ensure materials are not diverted to a covert nuclear weapons program.

The nuclear threat has dominated Iran’s relations with the United States for more than a decade. If this can be resolved, the two countries may be able to tackle other differences, including Iran’s missile program and its growing involvement in regional conflicts. It won’t be easy, but it could open up space for cooperation.

Mr. Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address Congress next week, has already denounced the deal. The agreement must be judged on the complete package, not on any single provision. Even if the deal is not perfect, the greater risk could well be walking away and allowing Iran to continue its nuclear activities unfettered.

‘There is conspiracy in oil theft’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

all the various strata-GOC, Minister of Petroleum, Head of State etc. as head of state, he had all the powers to have done all he wishes to that time without the national assembly.

When he was the head of state he was completely in charge, there was no legislative arm of government to put him under check. If he had wanted to but he never did. How come that when we now have indepen-

dent judiciary, executive arm the legislative also independent that we’re saying he wants to Islamise the country?

INEC has rescheduled the election as a result of security situation, what danger does this decision portends?

We were all prepared for the polls but the INEC has advised that it should be shifted to March 28th and April 11th based on the advice from the security chiefs that they could

not guarantee security of lives and properties. If I were Jega, I would have equally caved in like he did because he does not have the wherewithal to conduct this election without the provision of security to an area. It is the police that should really provide security for the election.

There have been threats from some young men of Niger Delta extraction that if President Goodluck Jonathan does not win the polls,

they’ll make the country ungovernable?

I am happy you talk about young men. They didn’t see what we saw during the war. I won’t want people to beat war drum. War is not good. And as a nation that has survived a previous war, we don’t pray for another one. The good Lord is so good that he’ll ensure that nothing bad happens after the election. The Nigerian people have a right to choose the kind of leader that they want.

Ogiemwonyi

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

My fears over Buhari, by Fayose Continued from page 6 such on Nigerians, but had compromised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the election if it had held on February 14.

Said he, “I remember then as the ad hoc chairman of the PDP committee to shop for the presidential candidate to replace former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a crop of suitable, brilliant, healthy and competent northern politicians in the PDP were shortlisted by me for Obasanjo to pick from, but he overruled the list and asked me to contact the late Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua because he preferred him.

“In fairness to the late president, he objected to the offer on health ground, but Obasanjo in-

“There is nothing bad in allowing President Jonathan from the South to complete the two terms he is allowed constitutionally and in 2019, a real candidate from the North, not one manipulated by the South-West APC, will emerge to take over. “These APC leaders operate in deceit, the well being of this country is secondary to them. This is the party that ruled Ekiti for just only four years and grounded the state with huge Fayose

Buhari

sisted that he must be the President. “ I am not against the North, rather if Obasanjo had picked from the list of names submitted by my committee to him, certainly, a northerner, replacing

Obasanjo would have ruled this country till 2015.

“As an insider who saw everything and who again have noticed the repeat of the episode of 2006, I must talk.

L-R: Director, Programmed Management Tax, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Bolaga Oshiga; representative of FIRS Chairman, Mr. Achilis Amahwe and Director, Middium Tax Department, Mr. Peter Olayemi during one day Sensitization Workshop for Tax Consultants, Taxpayers and Bank, held Eko Hotels and Suites Victoria Island Lagos...on Thursday.

Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

debts.

“That 2006 scenario is again being re-enacted with Obasanjo and APC leaders branding General Buhari to be the president of this country.

“I am not wishing General Buhari dead, but the fact remains that he is too old to govern a complex country like Nigeria and we don’t want a president that will govern by proxy,” Governor Fayose said.

Jonathan visits recaptured towns, lauds troops Continued from page 6 Sambo Dasuki and all the Service Chiefs, assured the troops that the Federal Government would ensure that they received all the equipment and logistics they required to complete the ongoing mission to reassert government’s effective control over all areas formerly held by Boko Haram.

The President promised the soldiers that all issues pertaining to their welfare would be properly and expeditiously addressed.

He assured them that they would be duly rewarded for their bravery and patriotic service to the nation at the successful conclusion of ongoing operations against Boko Haram.

Families of soldiers who died in battles against Boko Haram will also be well provided for, the President further assured the troops.

The soldiers responded to the President’s address with chants of “Never Again” and assured him that insurgents and terror-

ists would not be allowed to take and hold any Nigerian territory.

While in Mubi, President Jonathan, accompanied by the Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Ngilari and the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Bonnie Haruna, paid a courtesy call on the Emir, Alhaji Isa Ahmadu.

He assured the Emir that the Federal Government would do all within its powers to ensure that normalcy is speedily returned to Mubi and other towns and settlements recently recaptured from Boko Haram to enable displaced persons return to their homes in the shortest possible time.

President Jonathan also undertook an aerial inspection of other towns and areas recently recaptured from Boko Haram including Monguno.

Before returning to Abuja, the President met and conferred with the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima in Maiduguri, a statement by Presidential Spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, issued in Abuja after the visit, said.

I’ll lead war on terror, curb waste, graft, Buhari pledges Continued from page 6 havoc on the country. He noted that the sect “has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium.”

Buhari added: “What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable,

well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country.”

The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, faulted the posturing of Buhari at Chatham House.

Fani-Kayode, in a press statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the campaign organization declared: “It is amazing that a man that refuses to participate in a debate in his own country is so ready to go to a foreign country to sell his

message in a desperate attempt to curry favor with the people of that country.

“We wonder whether General Buhari told his foreign audience whilst he was in London how much he loves Boko Haram. We wonder whether he told them that he once said that he believes that ‘’an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the north’’ and that the Boko Haram terrorists should be appeased, pampered, resettled and paid allowances.

“We wonder if he told them that he was once nominated by Boko Haram to be their spokesman and

representative during proposed negotiations with the Federal Government.

“We wonder if he told them that he was the one that ordered and organised the violent injecting, crating and disgraceful kidnapping of a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the name of Alhaji Umaru Dikko from the streets of London 31 years ago when he was in power.

“We shall state our views about General Buhari’s stage-managed show of shame at Chatham House at a later date; and, at that time, we shall go into far more detail.

“For now, all we can say is that it is truly pitiful that a former Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria believes that it is more important to win the hearts and minds of the British than it is to win the hearts and minds of the Nigerian people.

“General Buhari can run to any foreign country in the world to say anything that he likes but at the end of the day the decision as to who will lead Nigeria as from May 29th this year will be determined by no one else but the Nigerian people. The game is on here and not in London.”

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

13

International 14

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

South Korea legalises adultery, demand for condom soars ÏÏÏSouth

Korea’s highest court struck down a decades-old law banning adultery, a statute that critics said is anachronistic and infringes on personal freedom, sending shares in the country’s biggest condom maker surging.

The law had been enacted in 1953 to protect women in a male-dominated society where divorce was rare and had made marital infidelity punishable by jail.

“The law is unconstitutional as it infringes people’s right to make their own decisions on sex and secrecy and freedom of their private life, violating the principle banning excessive enforcement under the constitution,” said Seo Ki-seok, a Constitutional Court justice, read-

ing an opinion representing five justices.

Seven members of the ninejudge panel deemed the law to be unconstitutional.

Shares in Unidus corporation, which makes latex products including condoms, soared to the 15% daily limit gain after the ruling.

Critics have said the law against adultery is outdated in a society where rapid modernisation has frequently clashed with traditionally conservative values. In 2008, the court had upheld the law, citing the society’s legal perception that adultery is damaging to social order. Several thousand spouses file criminal adultery complaints each year in South Korea, although it is rare for someone to be jailed.

Critics say the state should not be involved in people’s private lives

Plot to assassinate Zuma exposed

ÏÏÏThe

African Union said Thursday it is aware of a leaked South African intelligence report about a 2012 plot to assassinate AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The report was part of a batch of cables leaked to Al Jazeera and The Guardian Newspaper. Each began publishing some of the documents this week. A series of the intelligence reports described a plot to kill Dlamini-Zuma in Ad-

US accuses Russia of land grab ÏÏÏA

UN-backed ceasefire showed signs of finally taking hold in Ukraine on Wednesday, even as the United States accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of destabilising the country through land grabs.

Wednesday was the first day since the truce took effect 10 days ago that no deaths were reported on the front, but the relative peace was met by fresh diplomatic sparring between Washington and Moscow.

Addressing US lawmakers, Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia and pro-Moscow rebels had failed to meet the terms

dis Ababa just after she began serving as the AU’s first female chairperson.

“The AU Commission is assuring the public that the Chairperson is safe and sound,” the commission said in a statement. It also commended the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) of AU headquarters host Ethiopia for their security efforts.

Intelligence reports released by Al Jazeera on Wednesday say the

NISS increased Dlamini-Zuma’s security after a request based on “an eminent threat to her.” The reports say South African intelligence received alerts that assassins arrived in Addis Ababa three days before Dlamini-Zuma took office with a target date to act 12 days later, but “could carry out the assignment at any time.”

There has not been any public indication any attempted attack ever took place.

South African State Security Minister David Mahlobo condemned the intelligence leaks Wednesday, saying the disclosures dangerously undermine security efforts.“A full investigation has been launched into the purported leakage,” Mahlobo said in a statement. “Its veracity and verification will be handled in terms of the protocols governing the management of classified information.”

of the ceasefire.

Putin had put in place policies that “violate all the international norms with respect to territory and behaviour”, Kerry told the House foreign affairs committee.

“He has empowered, encouraged, and facilitated directly land grabs in order to try to destabilise Ukraine itself.”

“To date, neither Russia nor the forces it is supporting have come close to complying with their commitments,” he said, renewing warnings that Moscow would face further sanctions.

Top US officials have lashed Putin and his ministers in recent days, with Kerry on Tuesday directly accusing Russian leaders of lying “to my face” over the conflict.

Washington has repeatedly rejected Moscow’s denials about giving military backing to the separatists in east Ukraine.

Russia has in turn warned it could cut off gas supplies to Ukraine within days and, by extension, to parts of the European Union.

National Security Advisor Susan Rice echoed Kerry’s concerns in an interview with PBS television.

Asked if she believed Putin’s assertions that he wanted peace in Ukraine, the former US envoy to the United Nations said: “How dumb do I look?”

“One cannot accept Vladimir Putin at his word because his actions have belied his words repeatedly, particularly in the context of Ukraine.”

Nato’s top commander for Europe, Philip Breedlove, meanwhile accused Putin of making significant deployments of heavy weaponry in eastern Ukraine.

“Over a thousand combat vehicles, Russian combat forces,

some of their most sophisticated air defence, battalions of artillery, Mr Putin has already set the bar, very high,” he said.

The tensions between the old Cold War foes overshadowed a lull in fighting that produced the first day without fatalities since the ceasefire came into effect on 15 February.

Putin

Jewish leader warns against wearing kippa in Muslim areas ÏÏÏGermany’s top Jewish leader

has suggested that Jews shouldn’t wear the traditional skullcap, or kippa, in areas with large Muslim populations.

Josef Schuster, the head of the Central Council of Jews, told rbb Inforadio Thursday that Jews in Germany generally feel safe, though security measures need to be evaluated frequently.

Schuster says that “hiding is not the right way” of dealing with worries about anti-Semitism.

But he says it’s right to ask whether, in areas with high Muslim populations in Berlin and elsewhere, “it really makes sense to identify oneself as a Jew by wearing a kippa, for example, or whether it’s better to wear different headgear there.”

Security worries among European Jews have been stoked by recent attacks in Paris and Copenhagen.

Hope for jailed Sudan opposition members ÏÏÏSudanese

President Omar al-Bashir has said that two opposition figures detained after they signed an agreement to form an anti-government alliance could be freed if they apologise.

“The release of Farouk Abu Issa and Amin Makki Madani depends on them apologising for the violations of the criminal law they committed,” Bashir said, quoted by the official SUNA news agency.

Abu Issa and Madani were detained on 6 December after signing the agreement aimed at uniting opposition groups.

Bashir gave no further details in his comments to SUNA. A counter-terror court started hearings into the case on Monday, with a prosecutor seeking six charges against Abu Issa and Madani, five of which can incur the death penalty.

The counts include founding and running a terrorist organisation as well as inciting war against the state.

The next hearing takes place next Monday and the judge will decide whether to charge them after hearing the prosecutor’s case.

Bashir made the comment to SUNA as he returned from a trip to the United Arab Emirates a day later than planned.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

15 Opinion

Prospects for democratic consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s transition CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

Muhammadu Buhari

stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition.

Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria.

But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy.

On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure.

Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country.

You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue.

Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms

and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world.

Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade.

But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?

The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery.

Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty.

That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9%

of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world.

With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted.

In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example.

On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand.

Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration.

First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process.

Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference.

But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I’m running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.

In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly.

As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to

unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sectorled economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths.

In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change.

I believe the people will choose wisely.

In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead, and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves.

Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch.

I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future.

So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.

You may ask: why is he doing this?

This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Features EZENRI ONYESOH

I was taken through rigorous coronations beyond the process everyone knows

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In this continuation of the Daily Times’ encounter with the monarch of Nri community, the ancestral home of the Igbo in Anambra State, which was begun on Wednesday, His Majesty Obidiegwu Onyesoh speaks on what makes the people tick.

Onyesoh who appears too young for a monarch over two decades on the throne went down memory lane: ‘Well I was young, full of life and aiming high. I was already a mechanical engineer pursuing my PhD in the city with my eyes on a Masters degree; I was working, lecturing and hus-

tling just like any young man with a vision when the call came that I should come home and of course I refused.’

His experience confirmed the old belief that if you refuse a divine call, whether from God or from your ancestors everything will turn against you.

‘When I ignored the call, everything fell apart before my naked eyes; things happened that I cannot distinguish my left from my right. So in 1976 I had no choice but to come home and that was when the gods got me to rule over the ancient kingdom of Nri; and when I answered the call I was taken through rigorous coronations beyond the process everyone knows.’

Sensing this may hold the key to the controversy he has been reigning with as Eze-Nri, our cor-

respondent probed deeper into ‘the process no one knows ‘.

‘Well, the kingmakers took me through the entire commonwealth or hegemony of Umu-Nri which is a community of about 150 clans scattered everywhere in settlements that Nri reigns over, so that the people will know of the emergence of a new Eze-Nri chosen by the gods.’

Odd traditions still in practice While everyone is trying to

Kalakuta with names like Akufor, Achakpong, etc and so on were renamed by Fela when they came to Kalakuta.”

Today, the bad-boy whose reign of terror in Fela’s Kalakuta Republic left many miserable is the Head Pastor of Tabernacle Christian Ministry, and House of Joy, a rehabilitation centre for people wallowing in drugs funded by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

In this no-holds-barred interview with Daily Times at the rehab centre at Ikpoh Street, off Olatilewa Street, Ikate, Lawanson in Surulere, Lagos, Keji, who once had his future in his hands when he gained admission to study Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan in 1981, relives memories of how he abandoned his studies after spending one session to pursue another

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Keji blowing the saxophone

From Kalakuta, drugs and crime to the pulpit (I) Keji Hamilton, saxophonist of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti tells of his journey from the streets to the House of God

Hamilton on air

He was born Suleiman Shuaibu, from Nsegha Village after Urhomi in Ishan axis of Edo State. Keji is the last of six children of a Chief Imam, but when he took up residence in the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Kalakuta Republic, he adopted the name Keji Hamilton.

“I chose that name because I had been warned that Fela will rename me if he hears I am Suleiman Shuaibu. Most people in

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

‘I was introduced into drugs by a lady in Area’ “I was introduced to hemp-smoking by a lady who used to be a backup singer for Fela. I was a virgin then and never smoked a thing. When I took it the first time, I lost control for almost 24 hours.”

Keji CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

dream.

How he missed it He had fancied being a medical doctor and did gain admission into the University of Ibadan to read medicine, but ended up reading pharmacy and did not complete 100 levels because of a freak encounter with Blackism.

“Towards the end of the first year, a course mate gave me one book titled “Axioms of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah”; it was a collection of quotes in a small black book. The contents mesmerized me. The core message of the book was that Western education does not profit a black man.

Right then I called home and told them I was no longer interested in education.”

His father, expectedly angry, called him and asked, what was that you said over the phone?

“I repeated that I was no longer interested in education.” He asked, what are you going to do now? “I told him I wanted to play music. Reason was that my elder brother was a great fan of Fela

and I had been listening to Fela’s music at his house when I stayed briefly with him.

“My dad said I can’t be a musician and asked me: can’t you see what music has done to that man called Fela?” In my mind I said, who’s this man talking? Does he want to compare himself with Fela? And right there as I stood before my father, I made up my mind I was going to go to Fela even though I didn’t know how it was going to happen.

“When everybody had left home two days later, I dropped a note saying I am going to search for my life, that nobody should bother to look for me. I will find my way back in seven years, and I took off, but it didn’t happen like that.”

In Kalakuta Republic As luck would have it, the first boy I saw in Kalakuta I spoke to turned out to be Femi, Fela’s son.

After we talked, he introduced me to Fela who asked me my name. I said Morounkeji Hamilton and he was comfortable with that.

“Femi gave me one room up-

stairs with one Dele Shotimu. In keeping to my promise I did not see my father until after my salvation ten years later.”

Once inside the Kalakuta Republic, Keji soon began romance with a life that would see him travel through 43 cities in the US and almost all the countries in Europe.

However, he equally picked up a lifestyle that saw him at the brink of death.

Nri agents are found in all Igbo communities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

manage the storm with wisdom and calculated caution so the land is not thrown into ethnotribal conflict, natives of the six geo-ethnic villages still observe odd customs and traditions some of which made the dwarf an indispensable feature in the reign of every Eze-Nri. The king went into a treatise of myths ending with the Catholic myth of the Trinity in one God which, he says, cannot be discussed further before addressing the question: Of dwarf and multiple birth ‘In our own customary and traditional administration the dwarf is never a myth because the subject is a human being.

Medically it is a malfunction of formation as a child in the mother’s womb which makes some of them to be barely two feet in height; and because of the kind of community and education we have, we call the dwarf nwa alu which means ‘child of abomination’ because it is so considered to have a child whose growth is dwarfed and the people reacted by throwing the child away in those days. But Nri who is in charge of the hegemony worked through his agents to stop this act.

Initiation into drugs “I was introduced to hemp smoking by a lady who used to be a backup singer for Fela. I was a virgin then and never smoked a thing. When I took it the first time, I lost control for almost 24 hours.”

But Keji soon mastered the art of hemp smoking and shortly after, pressure of the environment forced him to graduate into cocaine and heroin. Soon he became a junkie who could not do without the drug, a lifestyle he later found too expensive to maintain.

“One Igbo guy everybody called ‘Solution’ because anytime he came around he used to spray money; I found out later he was a drug baron.

“Initially, I got the drugs free.

Soon, I started buying with my own money. I spent an average of N25, 000 a day.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

19 Features

Oblidiegwu

Drawing a line between peace and violence in the ancestral home of his people, Eze Onyesoh paints a graphic picture of a thorough and working native administration: ‘Nri has a theocracy of peace, and a theocracy of violence. The theocracy of violence rests with Arochukwu while the theocracy of peace is that of Nri. ‘In those days, Nri agents are found dwelling in all the Igbo communities to check such evil; because if he is not present and someone commits abortion for example, which we call abomination, the people must call an Nri agent to come and abrogate and perform a cleansing of the community.

‘So if a dwarf is born and thrown away the people will report to the nearest agent who will go and pick up the child, and the child becomes the child of Eze-Nri. If it’s a boy the child becomes Aka-Nri, if a girl she becomes Ada-Nri. Aka in Igbo language means, hand; so the male dwarf grows up to be the hand of Nri.’ Does that make the dwarf a prince or priest of Nri in a ministering sense?

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

‘In Nri, dwarfs are immune to charms’

An ancient Nri monarch CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

‘Well, when Nri has that kind of person in those days, he will try to inculcate something in the dwarf that human beings will see and marvel and believe; and Nri will use that creature to get what the people don’t have so the dwarf will go round the people and bless them because he has extraordinary powers.’

Is that why it is said that dwarfs in Nri kingdom are immune to charms and amulets?

‘Exactly, because they are nurtured and grounded in the mysteries of the kingdom, dwarfs go before the king in times of emergency and no matter the evil

HRM Obidiegwu with dignitaries

charms of the opposition, AkaNri (the ministering name of the dwarf) absorbs them all and nothing happens to him; and he also carries on him dangerous defence and attack esoteric missiles for Eze-Nri but uses them only in times of emergency.’

Regrettably the traditional ruler said the phenomenon is no longer as it was in the days of old. ‘It is not so anymore because people have come to understand that the malformation is not an abomination, that the malformed child is not an evil child so they don’t throw them away anymore. But

‘‘Of course in this age of medical feats in many things we don’t see dwarfs born anymore’’ Set of dwarfs

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Hamilton: When Fela was in jail, there was no money, everything was tight CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

How did he fund his drug habit?

“I actually became a robber; I became a member of a gang; that was where money was coming from. We snatched cars and sold them for cash; broke into houses; just robbery, and this went on for some years until I got a phone call when we were in Canada that I shouldn’t come back to Nigeria, that the authorities had arrested other members of my

gang and they told the cops I was the head of the gang which was not true. Unfortunately, none of them is alive today as we speak.

The authorities wasted them all.

“But I came in spite of the warning; I told the caller I can’t live abroad; my drug habit was even more dangerous than the robbery. I became dangerous; ruthless, always fighting and America or Canada was not safe for me.

They will just waste me too be-

cause I already had several fracases with authorities in America because I was selling drugs and dodging the police and Fela did not know.”

A rebel within “I was actually doing drug trafficking with some of his instruments but he didn’t know, and I was doing it intentionally because we were underpaid which everybody knows. You can’t be paying me ten dollars per week while you lodged me in a hotel of

45 dollars per week and paying for it; while he lodged in a hotel with his wives where he was paying 100 dollars, and you’re preaching human rights; and I am your student reading in your library, so I became a rebel within. And one of my major habits was giving out the cocaine, and that became a major issue than selling.

“The next phase was that I became a junkie, a drug addict, and why not? This time Fela was in

jail; there was no money, everything was tight.

“Meanwhile, the other guys went and told Fela that Keji was taking cocaine and have become unruly, which was really an understatement because I had become a terror.

“I was living in the shrine along with Mama Seun and most of Fela’s wives when we heard Fela has been released from jail and he was staying at Beko’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

21 Features

‘I fought Bash Ali on the street punch-to -punch’

shrine; I seized the money from Anigboro (one of Fela’s henchmen); I also forcefully took money from the ticket man; of course Fela was told and he called all the boys, poured schnapps on the ground and made them swear that when they see me, they should kill me.

“When I finished spending the money I returned to the shrine; two of my boys met me at the entrance of the street where the shrine was and said ‘Baba, don’t go to shrine o; this is what Fela has made us swear o. We knew you will come, that is why we have been hanging out here for two weeks to tell you.’

“But I went to shrine; all my boys, when they saw me, they faded out. But unknown to him, they went to mobilize and came

after him. I was still ordering the igbo I will smoke, when I turned back, it was a heavy plant they slammed on my face. They gangfought me to standstill. We fought and fought out of the shrine; we fought all the way down Pepple street junction with Olamikan.

I miscalculated and stepped into the gutter and they took advantage of that and started bashing my head in the gutter. It was some policemen who were passing that saved me because they would have killed me. The policemen fired gun in the air and the boys fled. I had no place to stay after that so I squatted with a call girl at the Lord’s Hotel around Apena Street, Ojuelegba.”

The turning point “It was in that hotel room that I had my own encounter and this was what happened: “I was staying in a room at the Lord’s hotel, still smoking.

On May 7, 1994, I had three girls sleeping with me there. One of them, Ifesinachi was hustling in Ayilara Street; the other two, Chika and Peace, all Ibo girls, were hustling on Fantasy Road, Ikoyi.

“I escorted them to Ojuelegba and after they had left, I stopped over at Texas (a notorious hard

drug joint) and bought 2 grams of gbana and one gram of cocain and returned to the hotel room. I brought out all the instruments I use for my drugs and cooked and mixed them and was ready to take when I heard a voice say, if you don’t stop this life you’re living, you’re going to die this year.

“I paused for a moment, then shrugged it off. Shebi Fela told us that fear is not for man. I just took the lighter and took the shot and, old boy, as I drew in the smoke, I threw up immediately and what I vomited was blood.

My brother, I became scared stiff because people have died at joints that vomited blood like that.”

Nri kingdom.

‘Why we don’t accept birth of twins in those days is that it is not a normal thing for human beings to deliver two children at once.

From the time of old it is goats and cattle or pigs that deliver many offspring in one birth; human beings have always been one pregnancy, one baby!

‘That is why our forefathers de-

cided that twins or triplets must be an abomination and should not be allowed in our land.’

Now in his 70s, Chief Obidigbo and his generation still feel uncomfortable with multiple births.

‘Well, with a lot of reservation I don’t quite feel so anymore, but frankly I’m not comfortable with twins. Why should a woman deliver many babies at once? One is

enough!’

Eze Onyesoh confirms Obidigbo’s strange perception but attributed the tradition to ignorance of the people of old. Said he: ‘It was seen in those days as a strange thing for one to have two children at once; they couldn’t understand it so they concluded that two children instead of one is an abomination’.

Keji (left) in his first appearance on stage with the late Fela CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

house at Anthony village.

“When I got to Anthony, Fela called me, ‘Keji, Keji, I wish you were my son’, and I said ‘well, I can’t be your son.’ He motioned for me to sit by him, and said: ‘Keji, I hear say you don dey smoke one thing like that,’ and I said, ‘Is it not cocaine and heroin? Yes, I smoke them,’ and Fela exclaimed, ‘Ha, Keji! That thing is not good o, especially the heroin.’ I asked why? And Fela said ‘The thing kill prick o’. I told him I liked it and he said well, if you fit control am sha. And that was that.”

But Keji became more rebellious and the drugs pushed him to do things in the extreme. Hear him:

In Nri, twins, triplets were were a taboo

“I was becoming more and more rebellious and dangerous.

The fear people had for me in the shrine was terrible because when Fela wanted to do something unexpected, some action, it was Keji he would call.

“One of the nights I fought Bash Ali on the street punchto-punch; I commanded boys to break all his wind screens and headlights; the two mopol that came with him took to their heels when I started with Bash Ali. The fear of Keji Hamilton was the beginning of wisdom then.

“I trained and toughened all the boys around Fela; and those boys continued with Femi and Yeni at the new shrine.

“There was a day somebody came to spray money in the

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

of course in this age of medical feats in many things we don’t see dwarfs born anymore. The few around are from the olden days.’

Birth of twins: A red-cap chief, Emmanuel Obidigbo in Ekwenanyika village first told our correspondent why they don’t accept twin births in

Next on Friday: Daily Times concludes the phenomenal encounter that transformed the dreaded Keji Hamilton into a pastor and head of a drug rehab institution, taking away drugs and Indian hemp from junkies, transforming, turning bad boys from the streets and proclaiming the God of the Bad Boys to junkies, criminals and prostitutes.

It is a must read.

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Today in History Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

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Cartoons from our Archives

1922 Supreme Court defends women’s voting rights 1922 Supreme Court defends women’s voting rights In Washington, D.C., the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for female suffrage, was unanimously declared constitutional by the eight members of the U.S. Supreme Court. The 19th Amendment, which stated that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex,” was the product of over seven decades of meetings, petitions, and protests by women suffragists and their supporters.

In 1916, the Democratic and Republican parties endorsed female enfranchisement, and on June 4, 1919, the 19th Amendment was passed by Congress

1827

On this day in 1827, a group of masked and costumed students danced through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of the city’s famous Mardi Gras celebrations.

The celebration of Carnival-or the weeks between Twelfth Night on January 6 and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Christian period of Lent--spread from Rome across Europe and later to the Americas. Nowhere in the United States is Carnival celebrated as grandly as in New Orleans, famous for its over-thetop parades and parties for Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season.

Though early French settlers brought the tradition of Mardi Gras to Louisiana at the end of the 17th century, Spanish governors of the province later banned the celebrations. After Louisiana became part of the United States in 1803, New Orleanians managed to convince the city council to lift the ban on wearing masks and party-

and sent to the states for ratification. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the required three-fourths majority of state ratification, and on August 26 the 19th Amendment officially took effect.

1962 Diem survives coup attempt South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem survived another coup attempt when Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots Lieutenants Pham Phu Quoc and Nguyen Van Cu try to kill him and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu by bombing and strafing the presidential palace.

Lieutenant Quoc was arrested after his fighter-bomber crashlanded near Saigon.

Daily Times February 27, 1961

New Orleanians take to the streets for Mardi Gras ing in the streets. The city’s new Mardi Gras tradition began in 1827 when the group of students, inspired by their experiences studying in Paris, donned masks and jester costumes and staged their own Fat Tuesday festivities.

The parties grew more and more popular, and in 1833 a rich plantation owner named Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration.

After rowdy revellers began to get violent during the 1850s, a secret society called the Mistick Krewe of Comus staged the first large-scale, well-organized Mardi Gras parade in 1857.

Over time, hundreds of krewes formed, building elaborate and colourful floats for parades held over the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday. Riders on the floats are usually local citizens

who toss “throws” at passersby, including metal coins, stuffed toys or those now-infamous strands of beads. Though many tourists mistakenly believe Bourbon Street and the historic French Quarter are the heart of Mardi Gras festivities, none of the major parades have been allowed to enter the area since 1979 because of its narrow streets.

In February 2006, New Orleans held its Mardi Gras celebrations despite the fact that Hurricane Katrina had devastated much of the city with massive flooding the previous August. Attendance was at only 60-70 percent of the 300,000-400,000 visitors who usually attend Mardi Gras, but the celebration marked an important step in the recovery of the city, which counts on hospitality and tourism as its single largest industry.

1916

After completing their conquest of Serbia and Montenegro, the Austro-Hungarian army turned its attentions toward Albania, occupying the coastal city of Durazzo on the Adriatic Sea on February 27, 1916.

Durazzo, also known as Durres, had served as an important port in the region since the 5th century, when it was part of the Roman empire. After an invasion by the Ottomans at the end of the 14th century, many Albanians immigrated to Italy; a majority of those who stayed behind converted to Islam. The end of the 19th century saw an explosion of nationalist fervour in Albania and a number of revolts against Ottoman rule.

The country’s neighbours, Serbia and Greece, were poised to divide up Albania between them after the withdrawal of the Turks. Not wanting this to

Austrians occupy Durazzo in Albaniav happen, the Great Powers of Europe—Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary and Russia—appointed a special commission to set the boundaries of post-Ottoman Albania, in the process stripping the country of 40 percent of its population and more than half its territory, including Kosovo (which became part of Serbia) and Cameria (which went to Greece).

Despite having previously recognized Albanian independence, the Great Powers also appointed a German prince, Wilhelm of Wied, as the country’s ruler. Just months after Prince Wilhelm’s arrival, in March 1914, World War I broke out in Europe, and the prince was forced to flee Albania in the face of strong local opposition.

Albania soon became a battleground for the Allies and Central Powers in the Great War.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

23 News

Four persons arrested in gift to Ohaneze Benin over sale of PVCs

APC alleges N6.2bn Ndigbo to endorse Jonathan Doris Nnabuenyi Awka

ÏÏÏ The All Progressives

Congress (APC), in Anambra State, has asked the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, to return the N6.2billion collected for endorsing President Goodluck Jonathan or face the wrath of the people.

In a statement issued

by APC on Thursday in Awka, signed by the party’s publicity secretary, Okelo Madukaife and made available to reporters in Awka,

the party alleged that the money given to the Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership by the Presidency for endorsement, came in two batches of N1.2 billion and N5 billion respectively.

The latest amount, APC alleged, was shared by the leadership in one of the hotels in Enugu.

The statement said, “This singular event is responsible for the intractable crisis in the leadership of Ohaneze today which has made the body unable to agree on any presidential candidate”.

The party said it was unfortunate that instead of the Igbo group looking for how to settle those displaced in the North East and the people collecting their permanent voter cards (PVCs), the leadership was busy tearing itself apart because of pecuniary interest.

“We however, seize this opportunity to ask the clique in Ohaneze, who collected billions of naira and shared same in Enugu to gather the money back from everyone who got a share in it and return to the source.

Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Police authorities

Jonathan

“Tell the source that Ndigbo are not for sale and apologise to Ndigbo for allowing their hands to be caught in the soup pot”, APC wrote.

in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Thursday arrested four persons believed to be agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over sales of Permanent Voters Card. The suspects were arrested in the popular New Benin Market by plainclothes policemen attached to the New Benin Police Station after a distress call from a citizen.

Daily Times however learnt that the suspects, who were dressed in PDP apron, were caught on the

Reps order probe of rice imports, waivers

Henry Omunu & Augustine Aminu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe House of

Representatives, on Thursday, ordered an investigation into the violation of rice import quotas by the Stallion Group and other companies granted rice import waivers under the new federal government’s rice policy.

The investigation followed a resolution of the House, after it adopted a motion moved under matters of urgent public importance by Hon. L-R: Director General, Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Deputy National President, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Alhaji Musa Ayuba during stakeholders forum and inauguration of PTAD Call Center in Abuja … on Thursday Photo: Temitope Balogun

FEDERAL FEDERALGOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTGIRLS GIRLSCOLLEGE COLLEGE ABULOMA CLASS OF 95 FORUM. ABULOMA CLASS OF 95 FORUM.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has The general is hereby notified that thefor above named has applied to the public Corporate Affairs Commission registration under applied thecompanies Corporate and Affairs Commission for1990. registration under part ‘C’ oftothe Allied Matters Act part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees 1.Trustees Chioma Dibor. - President.

Chioma Dibor. - Chizube President.

2.1.Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu. - Secretary.

Onyinyechukwu Chizube Mbeledogu. - Secretary.

3.2.Faith Ehimare Obanua.

Faith Ehimare Obanua.

4.3.Oladunni.

Oyenuga.

4.

Oladunni.

Oyenuga.

5. Owate Amanda Olu. 5. Owate Amanda Olu. Aim and objective. anda objective.

ToAim create forum for the harmonization of class of 95 of F. G. G. C. To create a forum for the harmonization of class of 95 of F. G. G. C. Abuloma.

Abuloma.

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

Signed; BASIL AGUNWA. 08073874898.

Signed; BASIL AGUNWA. 08073874898.

GOD GODISISREAL REALCHRISTIAN CHRISTIANCHURCH CHURCH The general public is hereby notified that the above named body has The general public is herebyCommission, notified thatAbuja the above named bodyunder has applied to Corporate Affairs for registration applied Corporate Affairs Abuja part “c” oftothe Companies AndCommission, Allied Matters Act,for No.registration 1 of 1990. under part “c” of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, No. 1 of 1990.

The Trustees Are: Trustees Are: Moses Orji 1.The Pastor Okechukwu PastorChijiubam Okechukwu Moses Orji 2.1.Pastor John Benson PastorChinwendu ChijiubamAugustine John Benson 3.2.Pastor Enyioma Pastor Chinwendu Augustine Enyioma 4.3.Dr. Kelechukwu Nwogu Dr. Kelechukwu Nwogu 5.4.Otiali Chukwumela Otiali Chukwumela 6.5.Mrs. Chinonye Jane Orji 6. Mrs. Chinonye Jane Orji Aims and Objectives and Objectives 1.Aims To preach and propagate the gospel of Christ preachbelievers and propagate the of gospel 2.1.ToToprepare for work God of Christ 2. To prepare believers for work of God Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar Any objection to this registration should be 420 forwarded to the registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot Tigris Crescent, Off general, Corporate Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Offof Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Affairs Maitama, P.M.B 198, Garki Abuja within 28 days Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B 198, Garki Abuja within 28 days of this publication. this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY SIGNED: SECRETARY

spot soliciting for information from some market women concerning their PVC in return for cash.

Though journalists were barred from interviewing the suspects at the station, it was learnt that the police got information from an APC agent, one Martins, that one lady wearing a PDP apron was giving out a thousand naira each to some market women while their PVC’s were been retrieved from them.

As at the time of filing in this report, the suspects were still been detained at the station for further investigation.

Simon Arabo. The House investigation is to among other things, determine the approved quota granted each of the concerned companies to import rice into the country, whether the affected companies had exceeded their import quota and how much the companies owed the federal government.

In addition, the investigation is expected to recommend appropriate sanctions against any firm that exceeds its import quota, and recover monies owed the federal government.

Adamawa gov under attack over sack threat of LG chairmen Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏFollowing

his pronouncement that he will sack elected Local Government Chairmen in the state, the governor of Adamawa State, Bala James Nggilari, is now facing

ADIGUN ADERONKE MATINA ADIGUN ADERONKE MATINA I formerly known and addressed as I formerly and addressed as Miss Akinolaknown Aderonke Matina, now MisstoAkinola Aderonke Matina,asnow wish be known and addressed wish to be known and Matina. addressed Mrs. Adigun Aderonke Allas Mrs. Adigun Aderonke Matina. former documents remain valid. All formerpublic documents valid.

General pleaseremain take note.

General public please take note.

strong condemnation by some members of the opposition parties in Yola, the Adamawa state capital.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the candidate, representing the people of Michika/Madagali Federal House of Representatives, in Adamawa State, Dr Umar Duhu, said that apart from the fact that the governor was indulging in excesses, he lacks the constitutional power to sack the Local Government Chairmen.

PUBLIC NOTICE 24 EDIMERO MOTHERLESS HOME The general public is hereby notified that the above named bodyhas applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1). Mrs Temitola Olaoluwayinka Olorunnisomo (2). Rev. Isaac Olorunnisomo (3). Mr. Jooda,Michael Duro (4). Mrs. Rita Okeke (5). Engr. Rotimi Aina (6). Engr. Akin Ishola Akintomide (7). Mrs Leora Olorunnisomo .

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To cater for motherless children.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B. 198, Maitama, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration as a foundation under Part C of the Companions and Allied Matters Act 1990 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

TRUSTEES: 1.Mrs Adebisi Adeneye-President 2.Mrs Ilevbare Mofoluwaso Afolakemi-Vice President 3.Mrs Boluwajoko Oluwatomisola Adebambo-Secretary 4.Mr Ilevbare Joshua Oisedebame-Treasure AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To promote wellness (spirit, soul and body) in women through inspirational events, seminars, workshops and coaching to create the life they truly want even when challenged by seemingly insurmountable challenges Any objections to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

ALL COMMUNITIES AWARENESS ON CLEAN ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE The general public is hereby notified that the above named boby has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Rev. Adewale Paul Olaitan 2. Pst (Mrs). Omowunmi Aduramigba Olaitan 3. Pst. Olugbenga Joseph Olaitan

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) Kingsley. C. Okezie - Senior Pastor.

(2) Felicia Okere - Assistant Senior Pastor (3) Samuel Okafor - Pastor (4) Cajethan Okere - Member (5) Fortune Okere - Secretary.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To organize people of different categories for voluntary cleaning exercise of the community.

2. To educate and sensitize members of the community on the need to maintain a clean environment.

3. To participate actively during all organized environmental sanitation days and events.

4. To promote cleanliness in our communities through recognitions and awards.

5. To relate and cooperate with other organizations or agencies with similar goals.

6. To cater for the welfare of its members Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

AGBENU OTORKPA FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Otorkpa Angela.

2. Oche Joseph Otorkpa.

3. Chinenye Oche Otorkpa.

Aim and objective.

1. To promote and engage in agricultural development programs/ projects.

2. To promote/engage rural development/poverty eradication programs.

3. To promote/engage in medical outreach programs and HIV/AIDS prevention/care programs.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B. 198, Maitama, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Mrs Boluwajoko Oluwatomisola Adebambo-Secretary.

ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTS OF FEDERAL CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY QUARTER SITE 1 GARKI 2 ABUJA 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; 1. Shehu Isa Abubakar.

2. Madaki Barnabas.

3. Priscilla Ikparen.

Aim and objectives.

1. To protect and maintain a conducive environment within the estate for the benefit of all residents.

2. To facilitate and promote peaceful co existence between all the residents of estate.

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

Signed: PAUL ATAYI (ESQ).

Plot ZRD, Kade Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse 11 Abuja FCT. Tel 08039724343. 08026262354

NEW CRUSE MISSION CENTER

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES (1) To spread the gospel 2 all mankind (2) To win souls for Christ (3) To engage in such Activities as the constitution may permit.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B. 198, Maitama, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

GOLDEN SOUND MUSICAL RENTALS ASSOCIATION. 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.

1. Adedayo Alakija - President 2. Akapo Joshua Ogundele - vice president 3. Ganthonu Dele - secretary 4. Damilare Oloyede - Financial secretary 5. Emmanuel Ajose - Treasurer.

Aim and objective.

To promote peace and unity among member Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B. 198, Maitama, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

GREATER GLORY CAMPUS FELLOWSHIP.

Signed: Secretary

DEBORAH INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN DEVELOPMENT.

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 and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Rev. Dr. Obiora Ezekiel. - Chairman 2. Rev Dr. Mercy Ezekiel.

- (Deputy Chairman).

3. Mercy Ogechi Ezekiel. - Secretary.

4. Samuel Olowolayemo.

5. Ifeanyi Ezekiel.

Trustees.

1. Adedotun Arifalo.

2. Ayodeji Kurunmi.

3. Adebola Kurunmi.

4. Alexia Horsfall.

Aim and objection.

To propagate the gospel of our lord, Jesus Christ

Aim and objective.

To promote welfare support, capacity building and development of a strong network for women.

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

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

Signed: Biola sodiya Solicitor.

GOSPEL IMPACT CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

The general public is hereby notified that the above named mission has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY. has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustee: 1. Muyiwa Abayomi Erege.

2. Omolewa Muyiwa - Erege.

3. Racheal Jumoke Owolabi.

Trustees; (1) Bishop Wilfred Ebikedoumene Agamah (2) Rev. Mrs. Gladys Agamah; (3) Mr. Carol Lucky Teme-ebi Agamah; (4) Elder Stephen Opuware.

(5) Pastor. Abraham Amaebi Febau.

Aim and objectives 1. To reach the un reached and raise kingdom model.

2. To propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Aim and objective.

1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 To cater for the interest of the needy and the less privileged.

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

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

Signed: BUKOLA A. DANIELS. (ESQ)

PENTECOSTAL- REFORMERS INT’L CHRISTIAN CENTER

Signed: P. I. OYEWOLE. (ESQ).

MCIARB (U. K)

Signed: Trustees

ADENIJI ENIOLA EMMANUEL ADEGBOYEGA I, formerly known and addressed as Idowu Sheriff Adeniji now wishes to be known as Adeniji Eniola Emmanuel Adegboyega.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Chukwuemeka Juliet Ngozi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Basil Morba Juliet Ngozi.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

ADENIJI OMOTAYO BUKOLA

AMAKA FATIMA TONGO

I, formerly known and addressed as Komolafe Omotayo Bukola now wishes to be known as Adeniji Omotayo Bukola. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Amaka Fatima Nwaka, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Amaka Fatima Tongo. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

BASIL MORBA JULIET NGOZI

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to inform the general public that the original certificate of occupancy (C OF O) belonging to HARRY O. OBE. Covering the Plot No 826. Cadastral Zone. B 11 of Kaura with the file No. BN 396. Issued by the federal capital Territory is missing. All effort the trace the missing document proved abortive, if found kindly returns to nearest police station.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Alake’s wife, 300,000 others yet to collect PVCs in Ogun Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

Ă?Ă?Ă?The Alake and Para-

mount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Thursday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to disenfranchise his wife, Olori Tokunbo Gbadebo, in the forthcoming general election.

Oba Gbadebo disclosed this while receiving in his Palace at Ake, Abeokuta, a delegation of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Timothy Ibitoye, led by the Administrative Secretary, Atiba Dickson, among others from the state headquarters.

The monarch noted that apart from his wife, about 300,000 other registered voters in Egbaland are yet to get their PVCs. Alake also told the delegation that Egbaland deserves more local governments than the existing six, saying more political delineation is needed to enable the area have more representation at the National Assembly. “When I registered with my Olori, my card is here and her card is not here.

We don’t want it to be like the biblical story of ‘we will take one and leave the other’. “In Egbaland, our people are still almost 300,000 that have no PVCs, people are going to their various centres and are not seeing their cards. “In Egba Traditional Council area (Ogun Central), we are over 45 percent of Ogun State’s population.

We don’t have the number

of local governments that befit us. Those that are not as populated like us are more represented at the National Assembly. So, we have this problem to look into,� the Alake lamented.

Earlier, the INEC REC

said they were in Alake’s Palace in continuation of the commission’s advocacy visit to solicit the monarch’s blessing for a successful March general election.

Ibitoye noted that the

electoral body is facing many challenges with regards to distribution of PVCs to registered voters in the state but said the problems are not the making of the state headquarters of INEC in Abeokuta.

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FIRS launches new product in Lagos Eberechi Obinagwam

Ă?Ă?Ă?In a bid to make tax

payments easy for the populace, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has introduced a new product.

The new scheme, called ‘eTaxpay’, was launched

in Lagos on Thursday in collaboration with Nigeria Inter–Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc. Product Manager, FIRS, Mr. Efe Omorodian, said that the new scheme was meant to facilitate tax collections through self-service channels like the internet, mobile phone and

bank branches. He maintained that collection of taxes and other revenue areas of the Federal Government through bank branches, on-line internet facilities, mobile applications, would be made easier through the scheme.

Speaking also at the occasion, Managing Di-

rector, NIBSS, Adebisi Shonubi, represented by Business Development Manager, Christabel Onyejekwe, said there was a synergy between the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement, FIRS and some banks, to develop a platform that would make it easy to pay tax across the country.

25 News

PVCs’ll expose PDP, says Oshiomhole Titus Akhigbe Benin

Ă?Ă?Ă?Governor

Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is afraid of the use of the Permanent Voters’ Card in the forthcoming election, because the PVC would expose their rigging methods and stop electoral fraud.

Speaking while receiving over 2000 PDP members, led

by Chief Sunny Omokaro, chairman, Edo State Butchers Association, and Chief Peter Osagie, Afesoba of Benin Kingdom, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Government House on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the use of the PVC would ensure clean and credible polls.

He said: “You can see they are running away from card readers, like armed robbers running away from police detectives. They hate the card reader. They must do the election and the card readers must be used. Electoral fraud must come to an end. “The Nigerian people must be the master of their own game, using the oneman, one-vote power. Those who have lived on electoral fraud are now being retrenched by the new technology. But let me ask you to watch out because, right now, they take advantage of the very people they have impoverished to buy their cards. They can do everything, but they cannot stop their defeat. “Today the APC is stronger, better organized, more united, more focused, and bonded together like a broom, determined to sweep PDP from power. “PDP is making trouble everywhere. They plan to hit; they are buying weapons everywhere, planning to print stickers; planning to buy rubber bands to iden-

Oshiomhole

tify their thugs, and they are working in unholy alliance with all manner of people. But they cannot escape defeat. “Our foreign reserves is going down. Interest rate is going up. The banking system is nervous. Billionaires are being reduced to paupers. I was reading a newspaper story where a rich man was said to have lost about $8 billion. So, if the system is destroying investors, where are the young ones going to work? So, it is about our economy, our education, our health sector; it is about electricity,� he affirmed.

According to the Governor, “things are getting worse and Nigerians will no longer vote on the basis of sentiments. I appeal to you to take the gospel to the villages because right now money is changing hands‌ a lot of money is changing hands. “In Edo State, we know better. Our problem is not about Islam or Christianity, it is about what works and what does not work. Yesterday I awarded contract to distribute transformers to some communities within Benin City, using Edo State Government money. And private people will go and collect electricity bills at the end of the month, for the transformers bought by the state government,â€? he revealed.

Chief Peter Osagie, who gave reasons why the PDP leaders defected with their teeming supporters, said there was something in the governor that should be studied.

He said: “Some people left the APC, and you were happy and when they came to us in PDP; we were dancing and happy. I told them, let us find out why the Comrade and his deputy were dancing and happy when these people were leaving.

News 26

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Health workers demand N150m deductions from Osun govt Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏThe

Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Ladoke Akintola Uuniversity Teaching Hospital chapter, Osogbo, Osun State, has asked the state government to refund the deductions from members of the associations and co-operatives in the institution running into N150 million.

The health workers stated this in a letter tagged, ‘SaveOur-Soul’, signed by the Chairman and General Secretary, Dr.

Kazeem Adebayo and Tikunbo Olajumoke, respectively.

The workers also appealed to Osun State Government to pay their four months salaries.

It would be recalled that health workers in the hospital, had on Tuesday, embarked on indefinite strike action which thus, paralysed medical activities in the hospital.

Hundreds of health workers, are demanding for payment of their outstanding salary arrears, deductions and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), for health workers

among others.

It was gathered that the health workers, despite their strike, are still doing skeletal work.

The association said medical consultants as well as most senior medical workers were committed to the smooth running of the hospital.

It said, “It beats anyone’s imagination that despite the important nature of health care delivery, health-care providers are now finding it difficult to cater for their needs. In essence, while we consider that the current strike embarked upon by some

cadres of healthcare providers in the hospital as avoidable, it is pertinent to note that members of staff have experienced untold hardship and was probably left with no other option.

“The patriotisms being demonstrated by medical consultants, is unprecedented and rare by the fact that this is the only association who has never gone on strike in the institution. However, this patriotism, needs to be reciprocated by the management of the hospital and the government of the State of Osun.”

Aregbesola

Our support for Jonathan is unchangeable- Bayelsa SDP Akam James Yenagoa

ÏÏÏLeaders of the Social Dem-

Governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabi’u Kwankwaso commiserating with victims of Tuesday’s bomb blast at Murtala Muhammed Hospital… on Wednesday

ocratic Party (SDP), in Bayelsa State on Thursday, explained the position of the leadership of the party, on the decision to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan, for re-election in 2015, saying the decision is a collective and unchangeable.

The party, through its flag bearer for the Southern Ijaw Constituency 1, in the State House of Assembly election, Hon. Clinton Talent, said the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan, was based on the noticeable achievements and infrastructural development in the six geo-political regions of the country.

Clinton Talent, in a statement issued on Thursday, in Yenagoa, said the present administration of Goodluck Jonathan, has done well in the area of women and youths development including the approval of the sum of N70billion for youth’s development in the 2015 budgetary provisions.

According to Talent, “the decision by the national leadership is total and collective by all progressives in the country. We want to say that the noticeable achievements of the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has endeared him to the party and led to his endorsement. The youths of the SDP congratulate him on his unflinching support to the youths and women of the country.

Niger to name varsity after late author

Group backs Jonathan

Saka Bolaji

Nduka Uzuakpundu

Minna

ÏÏÏThe burial rite of late Nigeri-

an author and technocrat, Alhaji Abubakar Gimba, has been performed according to Islamic tenet in Minna, on Thursday, amidst grief, even as Niger State Government promised to immortalise the late author.

Top dignitaries, including former Military President Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), former Head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), Senate President, David Mark and the acting Gov-

ernor of Niger State and Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Barrister Adamu Usman, led dignitaries at the burial.

All the dignitaries spoke about the dedication of the late author to the development of literary works in Nigeria and his commitment to service throughout his active years when alive.

General Babangida, in an interview said that the death of Alhaji Gimba was not only a loss to those close to him but to the entire nation and would be remembered for his contribution to writing in the country.

According to IBB, he was a real patriot who would be missed by all Nigerians and therefore prayed that Allah grants the family the fortitude to bear the loss and for his soul rest in peace.

Also, General Abdulsalami Abubakar said his death was a great loss to Nigeria and writers in the world adding that “certainly we are going to miss him”. The Senate President recalled that his relationship with late Alhaji Gimba, dated back to the 80s, when he was posted to the state as military governor and he had since then discovered his brilliance.

ÏÏÏA Non-Governmental Organ-

isation, has voiced support for the second-term bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

At the end of a conference, in Lagos, the organisation, Media Women Support Group (MWSG), noted that the enormous achievements of the Jonathan administration, in the past four years, had laid a promising foundation for the socio-economic development of the country.

The National coordinator of the body, Dr. Grace Ekpoanwan Achum, Esther Omame, Vice-Na-

tional Co-ordinator and one of its patrons, Mr. Nelson Asi George, lauded Jonathan for his transformation strides that were having positive effects among Nigerians.

They said that such transformational strides included the removal of more than 60,000 ghost workers from the civil service, the restoration of public confidence in the affairs of oil block monopolies via the removal of undesirable individuals in that sector of the economy, stemming of misuse and unnecessary profiteering in the process of fertiliser distribution to farmers in the agricultural sector.

Business Times

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

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27

Radical reforms needed to mitigate effects of sliding oil prices - Oladele Nduka Uzuakpundu The President and Chairman, Governing Council of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Rotimi Oladele, has called on public and private stakeholders to embrace radical reforms to mitigate the effects of sliding oil prices swaying the nation’s economy.

Oladele made the call at a recent conference with the theme: “Sustaining the Non-Oil Economy for Nigeria: The Stake of Public Relations”, which took place at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

He stated at the conference that on account of the current harsh economic milieu, it was no longer business as usual, stressing that it was time for creative thinking and the implementation of forward-looking economic strategies.

Said he: “Nigerians need to think out of the box and consolidate on otherwise neglected sectors of the economy. To boost development, government must re-tool its development kit and make entrepreneurs, small- and medium-scale businesses, science and technology innovation and tourism its central point.

Such a reform would be instru-

mental to the diversification of Nigeria’s economy and reduce the country’s dependence on fluctuating oil prices.”

Oladele said that the conference’s theme, which was part of the NIPR National Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2015, was based on a careful study of the current slide in the price of crude oil in the global market and the need, in Nigeria’s specific case, for a substitute.

At the conference, which was chaired by the Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Colonel Shehu Ibrahim (rtd), the participants agreed that not only was there a need for a faster pace in the diversification of the country’s economy, but, as well, a compelling role for the NIPR in selling government’s efforts to that effect to both municipal and foreign investors.

Executive Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Waheed Olagunju, who spoke on the topic: “Sustaining the Non–Oil Economy of Nigeria: The Stake of Public Relations”, noted that adequate funding, entrepreneurial skill and behaviour, such as fiscal prudence, effective human

resource management and public relations, in the conduct of business, amongst others, would be quite vital, in making the new crop of proud skippers of a diversified Nigerian economy an influential voice and force to reckon with.

Besides, Oladele pointed out how some advanced countries had developed their economy, by focusing on research and development (R & D), and called on the Federal Government to be a lot more serious with developing the SME business sectors.

Nigeria, he said, would do well by taking a cue from some countries that were migrating from the status of developing countries to new emerging economies, because of their active utilisation of science and technology, entrepreneurship markets etc., as tools for development. Such countries include South Korea, Brazil, Malaysia, India and China.

Oladele chronicled the Nigerian situation and offered that she should take advantage of the obvious appeal of industrial development by investing a generous percentage of her gross domestic product (GDP) in research and development.

Oladele, NIPR president

‘Dial 4 Home’ boosts property search options FIIRO, Germany, others to improve agric innovations across Africa Online property marketplace in Nigeria, Lamudi, has launched a new real estate offline call centre service called “Dial4Home” that will enhance the chances of prospectors seeking to buy or rent properties.

“Dial4Home would enhance the provision, location and acquisition of a home or property anywhere in Nigeria with just a phone call”, Lamudi Managing Director, Mr. Obi Ejimofor, stated at the launch of the service held at the Yaba e-centre in Lagos.

Ejimofor explained that Dial4home is designed to target the increasing population of Nigerians, with little or no internet access, seeking easier and cheaper means to get a home or office space through the convenience of their mobile devices.

“All a home seeker needs to do is place a phone call to Lamudi’s non-toll free hotlines 0700-526834 to state a preferred area of choice and budget, after which available options and contact of estate agents, who have the required specification would be sent via SMS,” he said.

Obi further stated that ‘‘to prevent any fraudulent intention, the firm will not engage in any financial transaction online.”

He advised prospective clients to endeavour to see and verify properties that are being offered to them by agents before making financial commitments, as interactions or interference between the clients and the agents seizes, once connections through Lamudi have been made.

Mrs Gloria Elemo, DG FIIRO

Charles Okonji The Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) is partnering the German government and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) on an initiative to raise

the stakes in agricultural innovations in Africa.

Dr. (Mrs.) Gloria Elemo, DG/ CEO FIIRO, who stated this in Nairobi, Kenya, during a highlevel planning meeting on “Scaling Agricultural Innovations in Africa” held recently, noted that the objective of the initiative is to scale up agricultural innovations through Agricultural Innovation Centres.

“Agricultural Innovation Centres is one of the intervention models of a broader initiative known as ‘One World, No Hunger’, a key feature of the recent move by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, to step up its development support to Africa,” she said.

Elemo stated that the summit was organised by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), whose Executive Director is an erudite Nigerian Scientist, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo.

Elemo stated: “FIIRO was invited to the meeting as one of the institutions amongst the beneficiary countries as having supranational mandate that would support the design and implementation of the Agricultural Innovation Centres due to its core competency in development of agro-processing technologies, with high potential for commercialisation to produce shelf stable products, in a manner that could make them available to the bottom of the pyramid.”

Auto 28

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

A look at 2015 best car models

The 2015 best car models

Niyi Omo-Okiri Midsize sedans can be unexciting, but “the Legacy exceeds those drab, rental-car expectations, providing a quiet, comfortable, and roomy package that also has the best ride among its peers.”

The Consumer Reports’ 2015 Top Picks list highlights choices for the standout models in 10 popular car categories. These vehicles are the best of the best, and all of them are considered to be smart buys.

The 2015 picks include models from six automakers and seven brands. Subaru has the strongest showing this year, with three models making the cut. This accomplishment is impressive, given the small product portfolio.

Best overall: Tesla Model S For all of the impressive new vehicles released in 2014, none was able to eclipse the innovation, magnificence, and sheer technological arrogance of the Tesla. That’s why it’s the best overall pick for the second con-

secutive year. Through the course of their life cycles, cars become obsolete quickly as newer models appear with updated gizmos. But with Tesla’s over-the-air software updates, a Model S that came offthe line in 2013 has many of the same new features as one built today. Despite the Tesla’s teething problems at launch, subscriber reports showed average reliability. The Model S is a technological tour de force, a high-performance electric vehicle with usable realworld range, wrapped in a luxury package.

Compact car: Subaru Impreza The Impreza’s interior packaging is outstanding, especially when you put friends (whom you want to remain your friends) in the backseat. Recent improvements have made it quieter inside. The ride is more comfortable than in some pricier cars. It drinks more fuel than its peers, but you’re getting all-wheel drive as a benefit. Subaru has finally embraced the need for a contemporary infotainment system. The

Impreza is among the pricier compact sedans, but it’s a strong value. A great starter car.

Midsized sedan: Subaru Legacy Most sedans are excellent appliances—they do their job, but few people wake up excited to drive them. The Legacy exceeds those drab, rental-car expectations, providing a quiet, comfortable, and roomy package that also has the best ride among its peers. Its 26 mpg might seem lackluster, but that’s with the reassurance of allwheel drive. If you need a wagon for its cargo space, the Legacy’s Outback sibling is an excellent choice as well.

Large car: Chevrolet Impala For decades, the Impala nameplate was synonymous with the image of a bad rental car. Make no mistake, this Impala humbles the Toyota Avalon and even the Lexus ES 350. Large and roomy, the Impala has comfortable seats and rides like a true luxury car.

The suspension is supple yet responsive, without the body roll that plagues many big cars. For

the older demographic this car hopes to attract, the controls are big, intuitive, and easily understood. The only drawback is limited visibility due to its high rear deck and deep parcel shelf. Only the V6 version meets our reliability standards.

Green car: Toyota Prius The purity of the Prius’ functional excellence dictates that– although almost at the end of its model cycle–it remains atop our list as the best green car. Sure, there are other hybrids, and even plug-ins, but nothing can touch the sweet-spot combination of the Prius’ a-ffordability, stellar fuel economy, smart packaging, and blue-chip reliability. That’s why it has been a Top Pick for 12 years in a row. Sure, its ride comfort is merely OK, the cornering is lackluster, and interior bits feel cheap to the touch, but the Prius has transformed an early-adopter technology into a mainstream player. It’s the perfect economical transportation solution.

Luxury car: Audi A6 Quick, nimble, and effortless,

the A6 pampers you with extravagant surroundings and a plush ride. But at its heart, this Audi remains a driver-focused machine faithful to its core value of crisp handling on a curvy road. The seats are bolstered for hard cornering yet are comfortable on that 6-hour whisper-quiet cruise— with a trunk that will store your year’s supply of Riesling. The interior’s styling and layout display functional elegance without showy glitz. All functions are within a finger’s reach of an infotainment system that becomes logical with some practice. Fuel economy is commendable when combined with the security of the Quattro all-wheel drive.

Sports sedan: Buick Regal Surprisingly agile, the Regal defies Buick’s brand stereotype.

Because it’s an Opel underneath, it has that Teutonic ride control that provides a Europhile driving experience. Close your eyes, and you’ll think you’re driving an Audi—a very good Audi at that.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

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

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Features s Business Features EZENRI ONYESOH

News

In this continuation of the Daily Times’ encounter with the monarch of Nri community, the ancestral home of the Igbo in Anambra State, which was begun on Wednesday, His Majesty Obidiegwu Onyesoh speaks on what makes the people tick.

‘When I ignored the call, every- respondent probed deeper into thing fell apart before my naked ‘the process no one knows ‘. eyes; things happened that I can‘Well, the kingmakers took not distinguish my left from my me through the entire commonDaily Times right. So in 1976 I had no choice wealthNigeria or hegemony of Umu-Nri Daily Times Nigeria but to come home and that was is 27, a community of about Friday, which February 2015 Friday, February 27, 2015 tling just like any young man when the gods got me to rule over 150 clans scattered everywhere in with a vision when the call came the ancient kingdom of Nri; and settlements that Nri reigns over, that I should come home and of when I answered the call I was so that the people will know of course I refused.’ taken through rigorous corona- the emergence of a new Eze-Nri His experience confirmed the tions beyond the process every- chosen by the gods.’ old belief that if you refuse a di- one knows.’

Odd traditions still in pracvine call, whether from God or Sensing this may hold the key tice from your ancestors everything to the controversy he has been While everyone is trying to will turn against you. reigning with as Eze-Nri, our cor-

8 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 27, 2015

Politics

I was taken APGA wants to From Kalakuta, Radical reforms South Korea through rigorous International 2714 coronations eliminate me to legalises drugs and crime needed Business beyond the Times s P14 –NWOKOCHA leader mitigateKorea effectslegalises adultery, processpulpit (I) to the South adultery, Jewish warns against everyone knows P8 wearing kippa in of sliding oil demand for P18 Radical reforms needed to mitigate Muslim areas demand for condom soars prices Oladele condom soars effects of sliding oil prices - Oladele P27 Onyesoh who appears too young for a monarch over two decades on the throne went down memory lane: ‘Well I was young, full of life and aiming high. I was already a mechanical engineer pursuing my PhD in the city with my eyes on a Masters degree; I was working, lecturing and hus-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

ÏÏÏ

South Korea’s highest court struck down a decades-old law banning adultery, a statute

Nduka Uzuakpundu

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015

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The President and Chairman, Governing Council of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Rotimi Oladele, has called on public and private stakeholders to embrace radical reforms to mitigate the effects of sliding oil prices swaying the nation’s economy.

Oladele made the call at a recent conference with the theme: “Sustaining the Non-Oil Economy for Nigeria: The Stake of Public Relations”, which took place at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

He stated at the conference that on account of the current harsh economic milieu, it was no longer business as usual, stressing that it was time for creative thinking and the implementation of forward-looking economic strategies.

Said he: “Nigerians need to think out of the box and consolidate on otherwise neglected sectors of the economy. To boost development, government must re-tool its development kit and make entrepreneurs, small- and medium-scale businesses, science and technology innovation and tourism its central point.

Such a reform would be instru-

Keji blowing the saxophone

mental to the diversification of Nigeria’s economy and reduce the country’s dependence on fluctuating oil prices.”

Oladele said that the conference’s theme, which was part of the NIPR National Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2015, was based on a careful study of the current slide in the price of crude oil in the global market and the need, in Nigeria’s specific case, for a substitute.

At the conference, which was chaired by the Chairman, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Colonel Shehu Ibrahim (rtd), the participants agreed that not only was there a need for a faster pace in the diversification of the country’s economy, but, as well, a compelling role for the NIPR in selling government’s efforts to that effect to both municipal and foreign investors.

Executive Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Waheed Olagunju, who spoke on the topic: “Sustaining the Non–Oil Economy of Nigeria: The Stake of Public Relations”, noted that adequate funding, entrepreneurial skill and behaviour, such as fiscal prudence, effective human

resource management and that pub- critics said is anachronislic relations, in the conduct ticof and infringes on personal business, amongst others, would freedom, sending shares in the be quite vital, in making the country’s biggest condom maknew crop of proud skippers of er surging. a diversified Nigerian economy an influential voice and force to The law had been enacted reckon with. in 1953 to protect women in a Besides, Oladele pointed out male-dominated society where how some advanced countries had developed their economy , by divorce was rare and had made focusing on research and develmarital infidelity punishable by opment (R & D), and called on jail. the Federal Government to be a “The law is unconstitutional lot more serious with developing the SME business sectors. as it infringes people’s right to Nigeria, he said, wouldmake do their own decisions on well by taking a cue from some sex and secrecy and freedom countries that were migratof their private life, violating ing from the status of developing countries to new emerging the principle banning excessive economies, because of their acenforcement under the constitutive utilisation of science and tion,” said Seo Ki-seok, a Contechnology, entrepreneurship stitutional Court justice, readmarkets etc., as tools for development. Such countries include South Korea, Brazil, Malaysia, India and China.

Oladele chronicled the Nigerian situation and offered that she should take advantage of the obvious appeal of industrial development by investing a generous percentage of her gross domesThe African Union said tic product (GDP) in research Thursday it is aware of a leaked and development.

ing an opinion representing five justices.

Seven members of the ninejudge panel deemed the law to be unconstitutional.

Shares in Unidus corporation, which makes latex products including condoms, soared to the 15% daily limit gain after the ruling.

Critics have said the law against adultery is outdated in a society where rapid modernisation has frequently clashed with traditionally conservative values. In 2008, the court had upheld the law, citing the society’s legal perception that adultery is damaging to social order. Several thousand spouses file criminal adultery complaints each year in South Korea, although it is rare for someone to be jailed.

ÏÏÏGermany’s top Jewish leader

has suggested that Jews shouldn’t wear the traditional skullcap, or kippa, in areas with large Muslim populations.

Josef Schuster, the head of the Central Council of Jews, told rbb Inforadio Thursday that Jews in Germany generally feel safe, though security measures need to be evaluated frequently.

Schuster says that “hiding is not the right way” of dealing with worries about anti-Semitism.

But he says it’s right to ask whether, in areas with high Muslim populations in Berlin and elsewhere, “it really makes sense to identify oneself as a Jew by wearing a kippa, for example, or whether it’s better to wear different headgear there.”

Security worries among European Jews have been stoked by recent attacks in Paris and Copenhagen.

Critics say the state should not be involved in people’s private lives

Plot to assassinate Zuma exposed

ÏÏÏ

dis Ababa just after she began serving as the AU’s first female NIPR intelligence president South Oladele, African report chairperson. about a 2012 plot to assassinate AU “The AU Commission is assurCommission Chairperson Nkosa- ing the public that the Chairperzana Dlamini-Zuma. son is safe and sound,” the comothers to improve agric innovations across Africa The report was part of a batch mission said in a statement. It Al Jazeera and also of cables leaked National Inthe stakes in to agricultural innovaElemocommended stated that thethe summit tions in Africa. organised by theSecurity Forum for Services The Guardian Newspaper. Each was telligence and Dr. (Mrs.) Gloria Elemo, in Africa began publishing some of DG/ the Agricultural (NISS) ofResearch AU headquarters host CEO FIIRO, who stated this in (FARA), whose Executive Direcdocuments this week. A series of for Nigerian their security Nairobi, Kenya, during a high- torEthiopia is an erudite Scien- efforts. the intelligence reports Intelligence reports released by level planning meetingdescribed on “Scal- tist, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo. ingkill Agricultural Innovations in Elemo stated:on “FIIRO was in- say the a plot to Dlamini-Zuma in AdAl Jazeera Wednesday

NISS increased Dlamini-Zuma’s security after a request based on “an eminent threat to her.” The reports say South African intelligence received alerts that assassins arrived in Addis Ababa three days before Dlamini-Zuma took office with a target date to act 12 days later, but “could carry out the assignment at any time.”

There has not been any public indication any attempted attack ever took place.

NWO

wa elim

Darlington Nwokocha

South African State Security Minister David Mahlobo condemned the intelligence leaks Wednesday, saying the disclosures dangerously undermine security efforts.“A full investigation has been launched into the purported leakage,” Mahlobo said in a statement. “Its veracity and verification will be handled in terms of the protocols governing the management of classified information.”

Hope for jailed Sudan opposition members ÏÏÏSudanese

President Omar al-Bashir has said that two opposition figures detained after they signed an agreement to form an anti-government alliance could be freed if they apologise.

“The release of Farouk Abu Issa and Amin Makki Madani depends on them apologising for the violations of the criminal law they committed,” Bashir said, quoted by the official SUNA news agency.

Abu Issa and Madani were detained on 6 December after signing the agreement aimed at uniting opposition groups.

Bashir gave no further details in his comments to SUNA. A counter-terror court started hearings into the case on Monday, with a prosecutor seeking six charges against Abu Issa and Madani, five of which can incur the death penalty.

The counts include founding and running a terrorist organisation as well as inciting war against the state.

The next hearing takes place next Monday and the judge will decide whether to charge them after hearing the prosecutor’s case.

Bashir made the comment to SUNA as he returned from a trip to the United Arab Emirates a day later than planned.

Prospects for democratic consolidation Politician things for in Africa: Nigeria’s transition From Kalakuta, drugs and crime to the pulpit (I)

‘Dial 4 Home’ boosts property search options FIIRO, Germany, Online property marketplace in Nigeria, Lamudi, has launched a new real estate offline call centre service called “Dial4Home” that will enhance the chances of prospectors seeking to buy or rent properties.

“Dial4Home would enhance the provision, location and acquisition of a home or property anywhere in Nigeria with just a phone call”, Lamudi Managing Director, Mr. Obi Ejimofor, stated at the launch of the service held at the Yaba e-centre in Lagos.

Ejimofor explained that Dial4home is designed to target the increasing population of Nigerians, with little or no internet access, seeking easier and cheaper means to get a home or office space through the convenience of their mobile devices.

“All a home seeker needs to do is place a phone call to Lamudi’s non-toll free hotlines 0700-526834 to state a preferred area of choice and budget, after which available options and contact of estate agents, who have the required specification would be sent via SMS,” he said.

Obi further stated that ‘‘to prevent any fraudulent intention, the firm will not engage in any financial transaction online.”

He advised prospective clients to endeavour to see and verify properties that are being offered to them by agents before making financial commitments, as interactions or interference between the clients and the agents seizes, once connections through Lamudi have been made.

Africa” held recently, noted that vited to the meeting as one of the the objective of the initiative is to institutions amongst the benefiscale up agricultural innovations ciary countries as having supraHamiltonthrough on air Agricultural Innovation national mandate that would of thethe ceasefire.

Russia has in turn warned some of their most sophisticatCentres. support design and impleMrs Gloria Elemo, DG FIIRO Putinofhad in place poli- it could cut off gas supplies to ed air defence, battalions of ar“Agricultural Innovation Cen- mentation the put Agricultural tres is one of the intervention Innovation cies that “violate the inter- Ukraine within days and, by tillery, Mr Putin has already set Centres due all to its Charles Okonji models a broader initiative He was ofborn Suleiman Sh-core Kalakuta with names liketoAkuIn this no-holds-barred competency in development national norms with respect extension, to parts of the Euro- interthe bar, very high,” he said. known as ‘One World, NoVillage Hun- of agro-processing uaibu, from Nsegha for, Achakpong, etc and so on with Daily Times at the territory and technologies, behaviour”, Kerry peanview Union.

The tensions between the old The Federal Institute of Ina key feature of the recent with high potential for commerdustrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) afterger’, Urhomi in Ishan axis of told were renamed Fela when rehab centre at Ikpoh Street,Cold off War foes overshadowed a the House by foreign affairsthey National Security Advisor is partnering the German gov- move by the Government of the cialisation to produce shelf stable Edo State. Keji is the last of six committee. came to Kalakuta.”

Olatilewa Street, Ikate, Susan Rice echoed Kerry’s con- Lawalull in fighting that produced the ernment and the Forum for Agri- Federal Republic of Germany, to products, in a manner that could up a its Chief development support has empowered, encourcerns in anininterview with PBS Keji, first day without fatalities since them available to the bot-whose Imam, butmake“He Today , the bad-boy reign nson Surulere, Lagos, cultural Research in children Africa stepof to Africa,” she said. tom of the pyramid.”

(FARA) on an initiative to raise aged, and facilitated directly television. the ceasefire came into effect on

Keji Hamilton, saxophonist of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti tells of his journey from the streets to the House of God

Muhammadu Buhari

ÎÎÎPermit me to start by

thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists.

But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them.

The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country.

This is understandable.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders

of my dear country.

So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. It convinced me that change can be brought

about without firing a single shot.

As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.

In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa con-

US accuses Russia of land grab

when he took up residence in the ÏÏÏFela A UN-backed ceasefire late Anikulapo-Kuti’s Kashowed signs of finally taking lakuta Republic, he adopted the hold in Ukraine on Wednesday, name Keji Hamilton. even as the United States ac“I chose that President name because cused Russian Vladi- I had been warned that Fela the will mir Putin of destabilising rename if he land hears I am Sucountryme through grabs. leiman Shuaibu. people Wednesday wasMost the first dayin since the truce took effect 10 days ago that no deaths were reported on the front, but the relative peace was met by fresh diplomatic sparring between Washington and Moscow.

Addressing US lawmakers, Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia and pro-Moscow rebels had failed to meet the terms

ducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002.

The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003.

Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation.

But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of “free” increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo.

We can choose to look at

of terror in Fela’s Kalakuta Re-

who once had his future in his

land grabsleft in order try to de- is Asked if she believed Putin’sadmis15 February. public manytomiserable hands when he gained stabilise Ukraine itself.” assertions that he wanted peace at the the Head Pastor of Tabernacle sion to study Pharmacy “To date, neither Russia nor in Ukraine, the former US envoy Christian Ministry, and House University of Ibadan in 1981, rethe forces it is supporting have to the United Nations said: “How of Joy, a rehabilitation centre for lives memories of how he abancome close to complying with dumb do I look?” people wallowing in fund- “One doned his studies after spending their commitments,” he drugs said, recannot accept Vladimir ed by warnings the Redeemed Christian one pursuehis another newing that Moscow Putin at session his wordtobecause Church God. sanctions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 would faceoffurther actions have belied his words Top US officials have lashed repeatedly, particularly in the Putin and his ministers in re- context of Ukraine.” cent days, with Kerry on TuesNato’s top commander for day directly accusing Russian Europe, Philip Breedlove, meanleaders of lying “to my face” while accused Putin of makover the conflict. ing significant deployments Washington has repeatedly of heavy weaponry in eastern rejected Moscow’s denials about Ukraine. giving military backing to the “Over a thousand combat veseparatists in east Ukraine. hicles, Russian combat forces, Putin

the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty.

While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey.

And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation - that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.

With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties.

It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver

OGIEMWONYI

Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi was the Group Executive Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a former Minister of State for Works between 2010 and 2011 in the administration of Late President Umaru Yar’adua.

He recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC ) in Edo State. In this interview with TITUS AKHIGBE, he spoke on a number of issues affecting the polity, including the general elections, hitherto billed for February 14th and 28th.

on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded thewould concept of Sir,in what you consider,asthe the highpoint of your democracy promise of over 30 years service to the thethe oil industry? a betternation life in for generalThe highpoint, I remember ity of the notI denow people, is probablyis when was the Group General Manlivered made in the breach. ager of NAPIMS in 2001. That was quickly very fruitful. turn It was Now, period let me a period that I ensured probity, to Nigeria.

As you all know, transparency and accountability in the IOCs businesses. All Nigeria’s fourth republic the oil companies that were throughand me tothis the is in itsreporting 16th year general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended Nyako after four years and two months and the third republic was a stillbirth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election.

The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its Speech delivered by Gen. Buhari at the Chatham House, London on Thursday

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

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

“The issues having now not remitte to CBN crud were thing happened d time. Then from crude went straig respective

Nigeria Nat Corporation ( to instill disci ensured the p gerians. At th call me ‘Mr. Lo was one of my ably, when I m the Managing Nigerian Gas I saw anothe work assiduo gas to custom

201 Abd Nyako

Life&

TIMES Friday February 27, 2015

Joke Silva:

There were times L8 I felt like quitting Toyin Kolade

P

declares war on L3 Saheed Osupa

P

L4-7

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All the buzz about Social Media Week

Society L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

Stories by: Isaac Oguntoye and Nkarenyi Ukonu

Dr. Erastus Akingbola’s Albatross That all is not well with Dr. Erastus Akingbola, would be simply stating the obvious. the former Managing Director of defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc. hasn’t had any form of respite from the long arms of the law due to years of bad management and various forms of dubious financial practices while he was the head honcho of the bank. Recently, the N5 billion corruption charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been upheld by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal. The EFCC was said to have approached the appellate court, urging it to dismiss

What is the next move for Rotimi

Ajanaku?

the judgment of Justice Archibong, who has since been retired from the Bench by the National Judicial Council, NJC, for gross misconduct.

After listening to the submissions by both parties in the case, the appeal court, in its lead judgement delivered last Friday by Justice Yargata Nimpar on behalf of Justice Amina Aguie (presiding), held that the judgment of the trial court was a nullity and also directed that the case be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, and re-assign it to another judge for retrial on merit and for speedy hearing.

It is no longer news that Lagos socialite turned politician, Rotimi Ajanaku has lost the primary election for his bid to represent the people of Ibadan North in the House of Representative, under the banner of All progressive congress, to Saheed Fijabi, an Ibadanbased politician. The question on the lips of some of his loyalists is what his next line of action will be, especially as he is still counting his lose. There are speculations that he may have been promised a juicy appointment after the general election by his party.

Rotimi Ajanaku

Dr Erastus Akingbola

About Ifeanyi Ubah’s Capital Oil

Murtala Nyako

Is Murtala Nyako on the run?

What goes around they say comes around. This saying best describes what has been happening to Murtala Nyako, former Governor of Adamawa state lately. The ex-naval chief is presently on the run over a fraud related crime while his son Abdul Aziz Murtala Nyako has since been arrested by the EFCC. The impeached state governor is allegedly involved with a case of criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering has on several ocassions failed to honour invitations by the Commission.

Senator Ita Giwa @ 69

The very dynamic, industrious and ever-radiant Senator Florence Ita-Giwa fondly referred to as Mama Bakassi has added another year. In her characteristic manner, the proudly 69-year-old staged a private party to that effect and expectedly, socialites, captains of industries and celebrities turned up to honour the woman of many parts.

Some of those who made it to the party were entertainment couple, Tuface and Annie Idibia, Nkiru Anumudu among several others.

Ita Giwa

Oil magnet, Ifeanyi Ubah has every reason to thank God after regaining ownership of his cash cow, Capital Oil from AMCON. Ifeanyi who is one of those at the fore front of ensuring that President Goodluck Jonathan returns to office has been restructuring his oil and gas business after two years of mismanagement following a controversial loan deal involving Access Bank and Coscharis Group. AMCON, in a statement announcing the return of Capital Oil to Ubah and signed by its spokesman, Kayode Lambo, said it has reached an amicable settlement with him for all pending legal disputes between the parties. Despite his involvement in the presidential campaign through Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria, (TAN), we gathered that, he has also Gbenga Islander been pumping money into his oil business and is expected to resume fully there after the election.

Is Lola Abiola-Edewor’s Gbenga Strategic plan Islander Broke?

Ifeanyi Ubah

Omolola Abiola-Edewor, the first daughter of late business mogul and the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola is presently staging a comeback to political arena. The lady who has been on political exile after losing out in her bid to represent Ogun Central Senatorial District in 2011 has been trying to score some political points by making appearances at very high profile gatherings, obviously to position herself for a juicy political appointment.

Edewor who is currently one of the Directors at NDIC headquarters.

Lola Abiola-Edewor

If what people are saying about man about town, Gbenga Akinbobola a.k.a Islander is anything to consider, then the handsome dude is no doubt broke.

For sometimes now, little or nothing has been heard about the CEO of Islander Hotel which is situated around Opebi axis. The socialite now seem to be choosy of the events he attends, quite unlike before where he was a regular at most parties. Also, his spending money has reduced to the barest minimum,

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

Stories by: Isaac Oguntoye and Nkarenyi Ukonu

Socialite, Princes Toyin Kolade furious with Fuji musician, Saheed Osupa

About Halima Fernandez -The Baroness of Dudley The Kano born beauty who is married to billionaire businessman, Deinde Fernandez unknown to many is a Baroness, a Baroness of Dudley precisely and has been a respected one at that for over 10 years. In a recent response to a piece written about her, the stylish woman was quick to correct some of the wrong impressions written about her, one of which was about her Baroness title. On her face book page, she responded to the writer, “Thanks for this piece, but just to clarify, I have been the Baroness of Dudley for 10years. If you check on the certificate I was conferred with the title in the 53 years of the reign of her most highest Britannic majesty, the date

Halima and Deinde Fernandez

written on it indicates that the 20th of this month, February will make it exactly 10 years that I have been a Baroness. To further clarify, a Baroness may be the wife of a Baron or she may have been made a Baroness in her own right in order to join the House of Lords. Also both wives of barons and women appointed Baroness may be called ‘Baroness’ or ‘Lady’.

Sally Mbanefo

may be axed out of NTDC

From the look of things, there is every likelihood that the Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Sally Mbanefo Corporation (NTDC), may be asked t o step down from the post according to sources within the sector. Information has it that, the commission is suffering from professionally lethargic under the DG, Sally Mbanefo, a former banker and the only thing people get to hear about the commission these days are tales of corruption, fraudulent practices and everything negative, a situation which has adversely affected the sector even in international circles. Already, several bulletins have been circulating within the media stating some of the challenges facing the sector ever since the Sally who is of mixed race, assumed office.

God, City of David parish, Victoria Island and reception held at Landmark Village, Oniru. The first grandchild was from her first daughter, Tobi Keeney who got married to her American husband, Mr Keeney, a few years ago. To this end, the Quincy who has since incorporated skin therapy to her slimming business has travelled to America to visit the new mother and child and plans to be away for a month. So if you plan on visiting her at her corporate headquarters in Opebi, Lagos, you are most likely to meet her first daughter, Tobi tending to her mother’s business. The past few months has seen Quincy being groomed to take over her mother’s business in the nearest future

Socialite and business woman, Princess Toyin Kolade is no push over when it comes to clearing and forwarding business in Nigeria. A strong force to reckon with in the industry, she owns one of the biggest shopping complex in Apapa, Fisolak Global Resources where she operates from. Aside her freight business, she is one of the largest importers of top of the range household items and furniture. Well known as a woman with a large heart, her philanthropic lifestyle and benevolence is one thing that has endeared her to many people from all walks of life including entertainers.

Unfortunately, one of those who have decided to take her generosity for granted is Fuji Musician, Saheed Osupa who is said to be owing her close to three million naira. His reluctance Princes Toyin Kolade to pay his debt has naturally created a friction between them prompting the woman to vow to get him arrested should he fail to pay up at a stipulated time.

Beatrice Abebe Beatrice Abebe There was a time when she reigned supreme on the social circuit. Her popularity was at its peak when her late sister-in-law, Stella Obasanjo was the first lady. It was a time she was either gracing very high octane soirees or seen accompanying her late in-law on some of her trips and special engagements. Even though she beat a hasty retreat from the social scene shortly after her in-law’s death and generally becoming inaccessible to friends and acquaintances, she was however on the verge of staging a comeback when tragedy struck again last year. She lost her husband, Henry, a former Director-General of the

Quincy Ayodele becomes grandmother for the second time Herbal slimmers expert, Dr (Mrs) Quincy Sumbo Ayodele no doubt is one woman whose contributions to herbal medicine development in Nigeria cannot be overlooked. With over 16 years of herbal practice, she works assiduously to ensure that she leaves her legacy in the sands of time. Quincy who still has a youthful look that belies her age is not only a mother of two grown up daughters, she is also a grandmother. She recently welcomed another grandchild from her second daughter, Marita who got married to Prince Adekunle Olaiya in a lavish wedding ceremony last year. Their traditional wedding was held at the bride’s parents home in Ikoyi while their church wedding was at the Redeemed Christian Church of

L3 Society

Quincy Ayodele

gets her groove back Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency. His tragic death threw the social circuit into deep grief and no less his wife. The handsome socialite had been battling liver cirrhosis for years and had a medical history of being diabetic.

Naturally, Beatrice was quite devastated and subsequently retreated into her shell, shunning every form of social outing. So it was understandably astounding when she made a rare appearance at a recently held event looking very cheery and dressed casually. To say that she had fun in her attempt to get re-integrated to the social scene would be an understatement.

Wole Arisekola

Wole Arisekola bags new media appointment It came as a surprise when about two years ago, journalist, socialite, politician and businessman, Wole Arisekola, publisher of Street journal magazine which later transformed into an online tabloid, resigned his position as the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Europe Chapter. Many had thought his resignation meant a final goodbye to anything remotely connected to journalism especially as he had stated that he was resigning to pay closer attention to his numerous businesses spread across the country which spans oil and gas, hospitality, real estate, transportation, to name a few. Even though he maintained his online presence, many had thought that it was only a matter of time before he made his real intention known. Well the Ibadan, Oyo State indigene has proved many wrong as he has just been made the chairman of the association of online media practitioners. A former investigative reporter, Wole who was once a running-mate to a governorship aspirant in Oyo State has as his core mandate, bringing sanity to news reportage while reducing plagiarism to its barest minimum.

Events L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

Social Media Week 2015

Upwardly Mobile, the rise of a connected Africa Stories by: Mutiat Alli and Tayo Adelaja

Even though the world wide phenomenon called Social Media Week, which takes place in 11 cities simultaneously had been in existence for five years, it only got introduced to Nigerians, Lagos specifically, in 2013 and successfully ran from February 18 through till February 22, the weeklong event seeks to explore the social, cultural and economic impact of social media. The conference’s mission is to help people and organizations connect through collaborations and the sharing of ideas and information.

With a mixture of keynote speakers, panelists, workshops, networking events and mixers, majority of the sessions scheduled were open to the general public. Taking place in multiple venues throughout Lagos, SMW Lagos, is guided by the global theme of “Open and Connected,” and focuses locally on several themes including how social media facilitates open government, impacts businesses, media and entertainment, how it can be used as a tool for social good and how it empowers the public and promotes local art and culture.

The platform for this year’s event was divided into the experience, Pencom innovators, master class suites and UBA executive VIP suites, to suit the different learning aims of

Entertainment session

The demise of touring in the Nigerian music industry Foremost Nigerian musician and CEO Naija Ninja, Sound Sultan was joined by entertainment experts which included Eddie Lawani, Efe Omoregbe, DJ Obi and Liz Hausle, the executive Vice President, Marketing, All Def Digital as panelists for the session that dissected one of the major issues affecting the music business in Nigeria The theme for this session was “Touring, the live music business” which was sponsored by Beat FM. Sound Sultan made it clear that touring is virtually nonexistent in the Nigerian music industry while veteran music manager, Eddie Lawani recalled how touring was part of a musical artiste itinery in the early days of the Nigerian music industry but somehow disappeared.

In his words, he said, “Back in the day, the only way artistes connected with audiences was via radio and they therefore had no choice but to include touring major cities of the country to properly connect with audiences. Unfortunately, television came, followed by the Internet and now nobody thinks about touring anymore.”

“Since the music bands collapsed, and individual artists rose, who could now make music digitally, touring dwindled,” he added.

Efe Omoregbe, a music artiste manager blamed the unavailability of touring circuits like Live Nation in Nigeria, as the main reason why Nigerian artistes do not go on tours. The panelists further suggested ways to bring back the touring culture to the Nigerian music industry.

Eddie Lawani reiterated the need to create a dynamic template that suits the Nigerian music industry and the environment while Sound Sultan enjoined artistes to master the art of performing live, instead of just miming to a CD. “If you, as an artist are on stage miming your record, you’re shortchanging your audience. You could be charged for fraud” the singer said.

Lynxx and participant

Edi Lawani speaking while musicians, Sound Sultan (2nd from right), Efe Omoriegbe(7th from right) and others listen

Lynxx and Yetunde Alabi

Right, Yinka Adegoke, Quartz editor and participant

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

L5

Events

Social Media Week 2015 Travel session

Travel Africa: Defying space and time Bayo Omoboriowo, Andrew Esiebo, Chris Nwobu amongst others are social media enthusiasts who use the platform to re-imagine the African continent for themselves and the world. Social media platforms have helped to showcase travel to Africa in more ways than going on a Safari or to game parks. In recent years numerous homegrown websites and agencies have sprung up to encourage a new breed of traveler -from inside the continent and abroad- to re-discover Africa and all it has to offer for business and leisure travelers alike. The travel Africa day explored how tourism boards, airlines, hotel agencies and others work hard to harness the power of digital media to the delight of destination seekers. The panelists at this session also revealed how social media can help advertise products and service to people across the world which will inspire them to travel and build memories far from home, and in the process, put Africa in the spotlight for foreign investment.

Attendees at the event who were business executives, events planners, tour managers, and individuals who were interested in getting a firsthand look at how a world class travel brand is currently championing true connectivity for a more “Upwardly Mobile” Africa, by providing a much needed link to a variety of destinations across Nigeria, West Africa, Central Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. The session took place at the UBA Executive Suite at the Social Media Week Lagos Campus. Participants also learnt how Arik Air’s innovative marketing strategy has revolutionized the industry making it easier than ever for travelers from across various Nigerian states like Owerri, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Kano to make business and leisure trips abroad to hotspots like London, Dubai , New York, Dakar, Douala, Abidjan and Luanda. As part of ways to promote travel experience across Africa, Nigeria’s leading airline, Arik Air, the host for this session, put smiles on the faces of some of the participants at the social media week programme after the long interactive session with a raffle draw.

Arik Air official calling out the winning name from the raffle draw

Cross section of particpants

One of the winners of the raffle draw

One of the winners of the raffle draw

Participants

Arik Air official

Events L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

Social Media Week 2015 Beauty session

Beauty beyond blogging The theme for the session on beauty was “Exploring the art of creating successful beauty blogs and Vlogs” The exclusive master class event brought together active beauty bloggers, make up artists and beauty professionals to discuss the dynamics of creating and running a successful Beauty or Video Log. A few of the issues that were raised and discussed were Ï z Ɔ Ƅ ƏƎƓ Ɖ Ƅƍî Ï z Ǝ Ɔ Ǝ Ƅ ƕƆƅƅƄƍƄ ƃƄ ƂƄƎƑƄƄ Ƅ ƏƎƓ ÷ yƆƕƄ G Ɔ î Ï LƏ Ǝ Ɗ ƈƄƏƋ ƍƎƆ Ǝ ƍ ƂƄ ƏƎƓ Ƌƍ ƅƄ Ɔ Ɖ Ƒ Ɖ î Ï z Ǝ ƕ Ƅ ƆƎ Ǝ ƈƄ Ǝ Ǝ ƍƎè ƍ Ƒ ƕ Ə Ǝ Ɔ ƏƃƃƄ ƅƏƉ Ƅ ƏƎƓƁyƆƕƄ G î Ï 6 Ƒ ƕ Ƅ Ƒ Ɔ Ɖ æyéG ç ƄƉƋ ƂƄ ƏƎƓ ƂƏ Ɔ Ƅ î Ï j Ƅ ƍƎ ƅ Ɗ ƄƎƆƔ ƎƆ

Participants and panelists at the SMW

Ezinne Alfa of Beauty in Lagos and a participant

2nd left, Chris Nwobu and Bayo Omoboriowo, panelists at the SMW

Lounging experience

About the Ciroc Nigeria Life Lounge Fast growing spirit drink, Ciroc Nigeria took part at this year’s edition of the social media week which held at the Beachfront Lounge, Landmark event center every day of the social media week. Attendees who had the executives VIP badge were hosted by the spirit company at a cocktail party which served as a networking platform for participant of the event. The Ciroc party corner everyday at the social media week events. Life ÷jƆƊƄ ƃ ƋƎƏƍƄƕ ƊƄ ƄƒƃƆƎƆ Ɗ ƊƄ Ǝ ƅ Ǝ Ƅ ƄƐƄ Ǝê

A section of the CIROC lounge

Cocktail attendants

VIP participants at the lounge

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

L7 Events

Social Media Week 2015 Other sessions Other sessions which were dissected at the Social Media Week were: Ï j Ƅ ƂƉ Ƅƍè Ǝ Ƅ Ɖ Ƒ ƕ Ǝ Ƅ Ƃƍ ƕ Ï 6 Ƒ Ǝ Ə Ƅ ƃƆ Ɖ ƊƄƕƆ ƄƅƅƄƃƎƆƐƄƉƓê j Ɔ Ƅ Ɔ Ƒ ƕƉƄƕ ƂƓ nd 9# Ï GƆƐƆ Ƅ ƉƎ Ɠ ƕ ƉƆƐƆ ƃƆ Ɖ

Nkiru Asika, Edi Lawani and Derek Baum, Executive producer, Trade Wind Films

Obi Asika, Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to President Goodluck Jonathan

Gbenga Sesan of Paradigm Initiative, one of the speakers

Akinyemi, Osagie Alonge, Lara and Frank Ozekhome, speakers at the brand, the law and the bloggers session

From left, Thomas Sule, Tomi Davids, Rolake and Demola Ogunbanjo, all panelists at the SMW

Joll Moss of USAID, Nigeria Participants registering for SMW

A cross section of participants Participants and speakers at the SMW

Photos: Olawale Rotimi

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 27, 2015

L8 Interview

5Joke Silva

other facts about

Ï Joke was born on the 29th of September, 1961 Ï She has two children Ï She has starred in over 100 movies Ï She has been the academy principal from the inception of MTN project fame reality programme. Ï She was conferred with a National Honour by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

wonderful thing that ever happened to me.

My acting journey has been gracious

Joke Silva

Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva

Mutiat Alli

secret, God is my secret.

She is one of the most respected actresses in the movie industry, having spent almost three decades in the industry and has also contributed immensely to the growth of the movie industry. A graduate of English from the University of Lagos, she is also a graduate of the prestigious Weber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. An international actress of repute, the screen goddess who has featured in several stage productions both at home and abroad and has played various characters in several movies lets life and times into her world.

What are your success tips for people who want to succeed in life like you?

The most important thing is to make Christ the bedrock of what you do. That way, you’ll have a permanent guide in your choice of profession. Secondly, you’ll get the values that are important to succeed so that you can achieve all the things that have been laid down in your heart to achieve with as little stress as possible because you are working with the Lord.

At your age you still look very young and attractive, what is the secret?

The only secret I have in my entire life is God and for anything I achieve, He is the one that is helping me. So if there is any

How would you assess your journey as an actress so far?

The journey has been gracious. It has been interesting because of the kind of beginning I had. I was so lucky with my start off because I started with core professionals, the best hands in the movie industry. I am talking about the likes of Jide

Ogungbade, John Chukwu, Segun Bankole, Bode Osanyin to mention a few. I went through professional training with these people. So you discover that with all these professionals as my trainers, I could have nothing but the best. I was very lucky. They helped me to achieve professionalism.

I remember that I started out at the University of Lagos Cultural Group with Bode Osanyin, Stella Monye and others.

Was there any time you felt like quitting?

There were so many times I wanted to quit the profession but I kept persevering.

So many years ago, there was a time my husband and I had a play. We got people to invest in the play and they invested a lot into it. We were trying to make theatre sustainable by making it a business. We had very few people coming but there was a day we had only two people as our audience. Just two people in a theatre that sits about three hundred people. It was quite discouraging but we performed our hearts out. I remember that the two people that came went round and got us an audience for our next performance.

Recently you were appointed for the second time as Managing Director of Malete Film Village in Kwara state. How do you feel about the appointment?

Believe me sincerely, the appointment came as a shocker to me because I never expected it will come my way at that very moment. I believe this is not the first time am heading something like this but for the Nollywood movie studio named Malete Film Village owned by the Kwara state University, you should definitely expect the best from me.

How have you been able to have a successful marriage with your husband, Olu Jacobs, a fellow thespian?

If God is the foundation of anything you do, the only result you can get is success.

So if you or anybody thinks that we have achieved a lot, God is the secret. No wonder the Bible says; ‘Except the Lord builds the house, the laborers labour in vain’. God has been our foundation from the beginning so I think we have been lucky. I must also add that we have had our difficult times, moments we thought the marriage would be torn apart but because He is always

with us, He restored it. Marriage is one institution that is unstable. You will have situations that you are not prepared for.

What you have today may not be the situation tomorrow. Life will definitely throw all sorts of things at you and it would then depend on how you handle it.

Marriage is definitely not what we see on the surface.

How did it all start?

I met him at the National Theatre while we were rehearsing for Brother Jero’s Metamorphosis by Professor Wole Soyinka in 1981. I was to play Sister Rubeka and he was playing the role of Prophet Jero and, at the same time codirecting the play. That was where we met.

What happened when you met him?

People had been talking about him before I arrived the country because he was based in the UK at that time, specially Miss Ene, the then Artistic Director of the National Theatre and Dr. Ashiwaju. They had met in England and I guess he would have been the Chiwetel Ejiofor of that time.

Just as what Chiwetel is to this present generation, so he was then. He was one of the top African actors in England at that time, whether on stage or on screen. He was the talk of the town. So, I was looking forward to meeting him. When I finally saw him, he was quite a handsome man. Our first meeting, if I could remember vividly, I went to call Miss Ene to come and watch our rehearsal. They were in a production meeting, and, when I entered the office, the first thing he uttered was, “This is the woman I am going to marry.” When I left the office, I said to myself, `how can anybody say it just like that?’ He always insisted that I eyed him every now and then. We started out as very good friends.

Four years later we got married. We met in 1981 and married in 1985.

But we don’t get to see you use the name Jacobs as part of your name?

Well that is our agreement and we both respect that a lot; it does not really change anything about me. Even with or without the name, we are both good to go.

What kind of man is Olu Jacobs?

He is my other half. He is my backbone.

He is very understanding and matured too, but more importantly, he is my friend, father and brother. He is the most

How do you unwind, do you party?

I read a lot and anything. I’m currently reading books on the history of Africa, just to know how we got to where we are. I want to understand how one of the wealthiest continents on earth is so subjugated and I’m getting answers. I also love watching television and going out to lunch with friends.

What does style means to you?

Style to me is elegance and comfort.

These must come first before any other thing. Sometimes I don’t always get it but I always like to be appropriately dressed for each occasion. My favorite look is to be elegant and stylish. I like the ethnic look especially the long skirt and blouse (or what they call the up and down) and buba and iro. I also like gowns and trousers as well. Style is been comfortable with whatever I wear.

What is that beauty item that you cannot do away with?

That will be eyeliner; brown for my eye brow and black for my eye. I don’t think I have any other thing I can’t do without, may be my earring and ring. I really don’t have anything else. May be because of my job, I leave myself open for any eventuality.

Then I love perfumes too. I don’t have any specific one but any one that smells good on me.

Life& T

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Life&

TIMES

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427

Thursday February

26, 2015

Love like a movie returns for Easter L5 P

The dynamics of music and L6 marij uana

Tonto Dike P

Controversial Akintayo Opeoluwani but passionate o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784

Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378 Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893 Quadri Olowolagba 08029745478 Graphics a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng

L4

P

UCL:

X2 Wenger furious over Gunners’ loss

Poster!

EMMANUEL EMENIKE X4,5 Friday, February 27, 2015

INTERVIEW

IBE

D N A L G N GETS E

INVITATION RAMIRES

key to Blues, says Parlour

X8

MESSI IS THE SPECIAL ONE – HENRY X6

X2

WOLVES EMBARK ON WARNING X7 STRIKE

X2

Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

Garba

IBE GETS

picks Muhammed, 20 others for AYC

THREE LIONS

INVITATION Mike Otanwa

T

he current move by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to convince talented Nigerians who are eligible to play for the country, may hit a brick wall in Liverpool’s starlet, Jordon Ibe’s case as there are strong indications that an invitation to the Three Lions is likely.

Ibe has an option to choose to play for either England or Nigeria and the recent NFF move has alerted England to fast track Ibe to their senior set-up to prevent him from being snapped up by Nigeria.

According to reports, the 19-yearold players has been considered for an invitation to the Three Lions. Though Wenger Ibe is unlikely

to be invited to the England squad for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania next month and a friendly away to Italy four days later, but he could be included in the England set-up for the friendly trip to face the Republic of Ireland in June and a qualifier against Slovania a week later.

Ibe has already represented England at U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels but he also qualifies to play for Nigeria.

Andrew Ekejiuba Flying Eagles’ Head Coach Manu Garba (OON) has released a list of 21 players who will represent the country at the 19th African Youth Championship in Dakar, Senegal.

Skipper Musa Muhammed, who led the U-17 squad that won for Nigeria a record fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, will lead the pack, supported by fellow U-17 world champions Akinjide Idowu, Izuchukwu Omego, Abdullahi Alpha, Dele Alampasu, Chidera Ezeh and Taiwo Awoniyi.

Ivanovic

UCL:

WENGER

bemoans Gunners’ loss

A

rsenal boss Arsene Wenger accepts his side’s “suicidal” defending has left them with a mountain to climb in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

There was no happy reunion with Monaco, who Wenger guided to the Ligue 1 title in 1988, as the Gunners failed to fire and were punished as Olivier Giroud had a night to forget, missing several good chances.

A 25-yard deflected effort from Geoffrey Kondogbia put Monaco ahead on 38 minutes and, after

Giroud had spurned another two great chances to get his side level, former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov crashed in a second on the break.

Substitute Alex OxladeChamberlain, returning from a groin injury, grabbed Arsenal a lifeline in stoppage-time, but as the Gunners went in search of an equaliser, they were dealt a hammer blow in the break again as Yannick Carrasco slotted past David Ospina, and the boos rang out around the Emirates Stadium at full-time.

Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

QATAR 2022: No compensation to Euro clubs at Mundial

FIFA president, Sepp Blatter.

F

IFA Secretary, General Jerome Valcke, has stated that European clubs will not be compensated during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

A FIFA task force on Wednesday recommended a winter World Cup to take place in November and December, which will see European teams release players for that period.

The official dates will be confirmed at a FIFA Executive Committee Meeting in Zurich in March.

“There will be no compensation.

There are seven years to reorganize.

We are in agreement with the clubs,” said FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

Valcke was also adamant that clubs do not need an apology for the World Cup being staged in the winter and disrupting their domestic campaigns.

“Why should we apologise to the clubs? We have had an agreement with the clubs that they are part of the beneficiaries. It was 40 million (US) dollars in 2010 and 70 million in 2014.

“We are bringing all our people to enjoy the sporting and financial results of the World Cup. “I definitely don’t feel I have to apologise for the decision made to confirm that the World Cup will not be played in the summer.”

Valcke also confirmed that the World Cup will be reduced from 32 days to 28 and that the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will be moved from January to July.

ODOH

fades in S/Africa, eyes Africa

Open Mike Otanwa

N

igeria’s Oche Odoh has missed out in this weekend’s Johannesburg Open after he blew his prequalifying chance with a woeful 82 ten over par.

“I had a hectic schedule from the Di-Data event upper week and arrived Jo’burg early in the morning. We were all fatigued,” he explains why he would not be teeing off this weekend when the final round tees-off at the Kesington Golf Club.

The current Nigeria third ranked player said he jettisoned all the opportunities back home, because he believes featuring in Sunshine Tour hold more promise for him.

“This is a co-sanctioned event with the European Tour and it only means it will be tough to break into, most players here are

Odoh in the world top 100 or thereabout and everyone wants to better their rating,” he added.

Odoh revealed that the pre-qualification on its own it already a tough passage for affiliate players to the Sunshine Tour. And he stated that he has little or no chance to bigger ticket events outside of the prequalifiers for now.

“It’s a tough passage to bigger events, but that is the only opening we have for now”, he added.

Only ten players made it to the finals of the Johannesburg Open out of 108 players that “pre-qued” at the Glendower Golf Club on Tuesday.

The last of the big ticket co-sanctioned event is the Africa Open at the Fish River Sun Country Club at the Eastern Cape on March 3.

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:

Federer

Federer

PILLARS

A

HELL

contemplates retirement fter 17 years as a professional and with his place in the history books already assured, the break Roger Federer took from tennis after his shock defeat at the Australian Open could easily have led to him contemplating retirement.

Spending time with his four children, reflecting on his 17 Grand Slam titles and more than 1,000 victories could have convinced him the time was right to hang up his racket.

Instead the prolonged break merely served to refuel Federer’s desire to win more matches and add to his haul of 83 titles.

“After that loss to Andreas Seppi you don’t start questioning anything.

X3

You just find ways to bounce back as quick as possible and as strong as possible,” said Federer.

“I was going to take a big break regardless of how Australia went because the body needed some healing and the mind needed some refreshing.

“I needed to think about the game plan and the tournament plan I was going to do in the next few months and next year or so. I know everything until the summer of 2016 now.”

Federer certainly showed few signs of rust on Monday when he returned to competitive action with a clinical display against Mikhail Youzhny in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

PROMISE SUDAN’S AL-MALAKIA

IN KANO Mike Otanwa

F

our times Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Kano Pillars, are battle ready for a fight-to-finish to crush South Sudan’s Al-Malakia on Saturday to advance to the first round of the CAF Champions League.

The overall winners of the tie will battle the winners of the clash between Club Olympique de Bamako of Mali and Moghreb Tetouan of Moroc-

Kano Pillars battle-ready for South Sudan’s Al-Malakia on Saturday. co, who lost the first leg 2-0.

About two weeks ago, Pillars defeated two-time South Sudan champions Malakia in Juba 2-0 in a preliminary round first leg match and they are now poised to wrap up their qualification to the next round of the competition in front of their fans.

Pillars will be playing for the first time in 10 months at the renovated Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, which has been a favourite hunting ground for the four-time Nigerian champions.

Pillars forward Ubong Ekpai vowed they are going all out for victory as it is not over yet against the South Sudan team.

“It is going to be a tough game because Malakia will throw everything at us because they know it is their last chance,” Ekpai said.

“We have been training hard and we won’t take them for granted.”

Malakia coach Ramzi Sebit said he believes his team will avenge their home loss in Kano.

EMENIK X4

Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMAT ION

Full name:

Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike Date of birth: May 10, 1987 (age 27) Nationality: Nigerian State of origin: Anamb ra Place of birth: Otuocha, Aguleri, Nigeria Height: 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1/2 in) Playing position: Strike r Current team: Fenerbahçe YOUTH CAREER 2007–2008: Delta Force SENIOR CAREER 2008: MP Black Aces 2008–2009: Cape Town 2009–2011: Karabükspor 2011: Fenerbahçe 2011–2013: Spartak Moscow 2013–present Fenerbahçe NATIONAL TEAM 2011– present: Nigeria

MMA

ANUEL Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

KE About Emmanuel Emenike

ÏÏÏ &ƊƊ ƏƄƉ Ɔ ƄƓƄ &ƊƄ ƆƈƄ æƂ ƍ L Ɠ Ɵƞè ƟÖƢơç Ɔ MƆ ƄƍƆ Ɔ ƎƄƍ ƎƆ Ɖ ƅ ƎƂ ƉƉƄƍ Ƒ ƋƉ Ɠ ƎƍƆƈƄƍ ƅ ƍ jƏƍƈƆ ƎƄ Ɗ 0Ƅ ƄƍƂ ½Ƅê &ƊƄ ƆƈƄ Ǝ ƍƎƄƕ Ɔ ƅ ƎƂ ƉƉ ƃ ƍƄƄƍ ƑƆƎ #ƄƉƎ 0 ƍƃƄê 6Ƅ Ǝƍ ƅƄƍƍƄƕ Ǝ d ƏƎ ƅƍƆƃ M ƎƆ Ɖ 0Ɔƍ Ǝ #ƆƐƆ Ɔ ƎƄ Ɗ LƋƏƊ Ɖ Ɖ ƃƈ ƃƄ Ɔ C Ə ƍƓ ƼƞƞƢ ƕ ƕƄƂƏƎƄƕ Ɔ Ǝ #Ɠ Ɗ 0ê ê 0ƄƂƍƏ ƍƓ Ɵơè ƼƞƞƢê 6Ƅ Ǝ ƈ Ɔ ƃ ƍƄƄƍ ƅƍ Ɗ d ƏƎ ƅƍƆƃ Ǝ è jƏƍƈƄƓè `Ə Ɔ ƕ Ƃ ƃƈ Ǝ jƏƍƈƄƓê ÏÏÏ &ƊƄ ƆƈƄ Ƒ ƃ ƉƉƄƕ ƏƋ Ǝ Ǝ Ƅ MƆ ƄƍƆ ƎƆ Ɖ ƅ ƎƂ ƉƉ ƎƄ Ɗ ƅ ƍ ƅƍƆƄ ƕƉƓ Ɔ Ǝ dƆƄƍƍ GƄ Ƅê 6Ƅ Ƒ ƃ ƉƉƄƕ ƏƋ Ǝ MƆ ƄƍƆ ô ƼƠéƊ ƌƏ ƕ ƅ ƍ Ǝ Ƅ ƅƍƆƃ ƏƋ ƅ M ƎƆ ê R C Ə ƍƓ ƼƟè ƼƞƟƠè Ƅ ƃ ƍƄƕ Ɔ MƆ ƄƍƆ ô ƋƄ Ɔ 0 RM Ɗ Ǝƃ Ɔ Ǝ ƏƍƈƆ 0 Ɔ Ɵ Ɵ ƕƍ Ƒê 6Ƅ Ɖ ƃ ƍƄƕ Ǝ Ƅ ƅƆƍ Ǝ Ɖ Ɔ Ǝ Ƅ ƌƏ ƍƎƄƍ ƅƆ Ɖ Ɗ Ǝƃ to lift a curse? I ƂƄƎƑƄƄ MƆ ƄƍƆ ƕ ¯ƎƄ ƕô9Ɛ ƆƍƄ Ƒ Ɔƃ MƆ ƄƍƆ “What did they mean by ritual am a Christian, I rts. repo h Ƒ Ƽ Ɵê take exception of suc

“

QUOTES

eved in rituals, I a proud Catholic, I never beli lved in such as never do it and I was not invo enike they claim.”–Emmanuel Em

ÏÏÏ R 0ƄƂƍƏ ƍƓ Ơè ƼƞƟƠè &ƊƄ ƆƈƄ ƃ ƍƄƕ Ơƞé Ɠ ƍƕ ƅƍƄƄ ƈƆƃƈ ƆƐƆ MƆ ƄƍƆ Ƽ Ɵ ƑƆ ƐƄƍ ¯ƎƄ ƕô9Ɛ ƆƍƄ Ɔ Ǝ Ƅ ƅƍƆƃ ƏƋ ƅ M ƎƆ ê d ƊƄ ƓƄ ƍè Ƅ ƂƄƃ ƊƄ Ƌ ƍƎ ƅ Ǝ Ƅ Ǝ Ɔƍƕ MƆ ƄƍƆ ƎƄ Ɗ Ǝ ƑƆ Ǝ Ƅ tever name “I don’t believe in juju or wha ƅƍƆƃ ƏƋ ƅ M ƎƆ MƆ ƄƍƆ ô ƅƆƍ Ǝ ƃ ƎƆ Ƅ Ǝ Ɖ panion and com my is ry rosa they call it, my ƐƆƃƎ ƍƓ Ɔ ƃƄ ƟÖÖƽê 6Ɔ ƅ Əƍ Ɖ Ƌƍ ƐƄƕ ƃƍƏƃƆ Ɖ to be fetish. My Ǝ MƆ ƄƍƆ ô Ƌƍ ƍƄ Ǝ ƍ Ə Ǝ Ƅ Ǝ Əƍ ƊƄ Ǝè my parents never taught me behind ƕ Ƅ Ƒ ƊƄƕ Ɔ Ǝ Ƅ ƌƏ ƕ ƅ Ǝ Ƅ ƅƍƆƃ ƏƋ Almighty God will do what those people ” . erve des me ut ƅ M ƎƆ jƄ Ɗ ƅ Ǝ Ƅ j Əƍ ƊƄ Ǝê R RƃƎ ƂƄƍ such fake claim abo e enik ƟƠè ƼƞƟƠè Ɔ Ǝ Ƅ ƅƆƍ ƎéƉƄ ƅ Ɖ Ǝ ƍ Ə ƕ ƅ Ǝ Ƅ Em uel –Emman z ƍƉƕ ƏƋ ƌƏ ƉƆƅƆƄƍ Ɔ Ǝ &Ǝ Ɔ ƋƆ è Ƅ ƃ ƍƄƕ ƎƑƆƃƄ Ǝ ƆƐƄ Ǝ Ƅ dƏƋƄƍ & ƉƄ Ƽ Ɵ ƉƄ ƕ Ɔ on periods “Strikers always have off and Ɔ Ǝ Ǝ Ƅ Ƅƃ ƕéƉƄ ê e had mine, hav I ring. ÏÏÏ 9 C Ə ƍƓ ƼƞƟƽè 1Ɖ Ƃ ƃ Ɗ Ə ƃƄƕ ƆƎ ƊƄƕ &ƊƄ ƆƈƄ Ǝ ƄƆƍ ƄƑ Ƃƍ ƕ ƊƂ ƕ ƍê

when it comes to goal sco d to my best and it is in the past. I have returne uel Emenike man –Em ” nobody can stop me.

X5

X6

Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

INTERVIEW

MESSI

IS SO SPECIAL,

HENRY

Henry After a hugely successful playing career spanning two decades, Thierry Henry decided it was finally time to hang up his boots last December. Having defended the colours of, among others, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls, and won a European and world title with France, the 37-year old now spends his time analysing the game he loves while preparing for a future career in coaching. On his recent visit to Zurich, where he had the honour of presenting Cristiano Ronaldo with the FIFA Ballon d’Or for 2014, the former striker spoke exclusively to FIFA. com about his impressions of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, his time sharing a dressing room with Lionel Messi and the learning curve involved in becoming a coach.Excerpts: Although you won a vast array of trophies and accolades, the Ballon d’Or eluded you, despite being among the ten finalists from 2000 to 2006 and twice being in the top three. How do you feel about that award now?

When you play football, your goal is to win team honours.

You strive for that and only when your team has won and you’ve made an outstanding contribution can individual awards follow. I never won the Ballon d’Or but I picked up

CONFESSES Messi other individual accolades that were very rewarding. However, that was never my objective as I was always thinking about collective honours. That said, I personally value the long career I had at the highest level.

For me, that is like a title.

A good example of the importance of the collective might be the Germany side Joachim Low guided to the world title in Brazil. What strikes you most about that team?

It’s an extraordinary generation of players and one that has left its mark in the history of football. Just the way they defeated Brazil would entitle them to their place in footballing lore, but then they went on to become world champions. It was the culmination of a long process that was founded on past defeats. When they lost the Final at Korea/ Japan 2002, they realised that major changes were needed.

They then reached the World

Cup semis in 2006 and later the final of EURO 2008.

Can you elaborate a bit more on that process?

It’s curious, because with the France national team, we experienced it in reverse. First we had the triumphs, then the bad times. This generation of German players learned more, in the sense that they lost, suffered, lost again but eventually learned. Their success is the reward for all that suffering – for never giving up and for continuing to try until they finally won. That generation of players, with people like Philipp Lahm, who was there right from the start, really deserved it.

What was your impression of the football at Brazil 2014?

I think we definitely saw something new: Manuel Neuer changed what we perceive as the job of a goalkeeper. The role had already evolved when keepers were prohibited from picking up back-passes, but the person who has really revolu-

tionised the position is Neuer.

We’ve seen formations with a lot of people high up the pitch, but we’d never seen a goalkeeper play so far from his goal. Johan Cruyff ’s Ajax side also had keepers who passed the ball a lot but never from level with the defenders. With Neuer, it’s like you always have an extra man.

That change also owes much to the freedom he’s been given by his coach, but Neuer can do it as he’s a truly great goalkeeper. He always stays composed when making his passes – he’s like a genuine libero. That role really emerged in the 80s and 90s but now Neuer is the new libero. That’s what amazed everyone at that World Cup, and now all keepers will start to play like him.

Moving further upfield to a position you know well, would you rather have Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?

Well, I played with Leo, so you can guess my answer (laughs). I have enormous respect for Cristiano who has managed to remain at the highest level for many years – and by that I mean at an extraordinarily high level. It’s one thing to have a single great season, but to maintain it for so many years is something else. I don’t think we fully realise just what these guys are achieving. So,

while huge respect goes to Ronaldo, having played with Messi and shared extraordinary moments with him, both in victory and defeat, it has to be Leo. When you arrived at Barça in 2007, was it already obvious to you that Messi was really special?

It was obvious to everyone, right from the start, and you didn’t have to be an expert to see it. From the very first training session I had with him, what struck me was his desire to head for goal and score. He’d get the ball and that would be his sole focus.

Leo was, and still is, special.

There are no superlatives that haven’t already been used to describe him. We should be happy that we’re able to watch him play. One day he’ll leave it all behind and football will miss him dearly, so we should enjoy him while we can.

Although you’re now working as a football analyst on TV, have you considered going into coaching?

Yes, for sure but I have to go step by step. First I have to get my coaching licence, because it’s one thing knowing about football but something else entirely being able to pass that knowledge to the players and handle their egos. I have a lot to learn but, as an occupation, it would be interesting.

Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

NPFL

With Mike Otanwa

Wolves Warri Wolves

threaten to boycott Cup-tie

P

layers of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Warri Wolves, have begun a warning strike, in protest over their unpaid wages of three months’ and last season’s sign on fees.

According to a source from within the Seasiders’ camp, players of the club decided to boycott the Tuesday evening training session even after they attended that in the morning.

Wolves have failed to pay their players’ salaries for the month of January, and the players’ fear that

could extend to February.

The players also claimed they are still owed 30 percent of their signing-on fees for last season despite an agreement by clubs with the League Management Company (LMC) to abolish such fees and put in place improved salaries.

One of the influential players of the club told supersport.com: “We, the players, are not happy with what they are doing to us. How can we continue to play on empty stomachs? And at the same time we can’t provide for our families when we should. Apart from the

MFON

RETURNS FOR ENYIMBA CRACKER

N

igeria Premier League record goal scorer, Mfon Udoh, is expected to make a return to the Enyimba squad in a CAF Champions League return clash in Benin Republic this weekend.

Mfon was conspicuously missing for Enyimba when ‘The Peoples’ Elephant’ defeated Benin champions Buffles du Borgu 3-0 at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba.

salary and signing-on fees, we haven’t been paid match bonuses for five matches, including four matches from last season’s league,” another player revealed.

“If nothing is done about the money owed us, then we will stay away from the CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday and we will continue to stay away from training afterwards,” warned one of the players.

Wolves take a one-goal lead into Saturday’s game following their 1-0 win in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

Former General Manager of Kaduna United, Garba Lawal.

Power tussle rocks

Kaduna United

D

ismissed General Manager of Kaduna United, Garba Lawal, is currently involved in a power tussle with recently appointed Chairman of the team Honorable Sabo Babayaro.

This was discovered during the team’s training session that the exInternational is yet to handover the club properties in his possession to Babayaro, who was reappointed as Chairman a week ago after the team got relegated under the leadership of Garba Lawal.

The team are currently back in training, but are doing so without balls and kits that belong to them, as Lawal has refused to release the items into the hands of two of his allies; they have made it clear only the former General Manager can

Mfon “Nothing is wrong with Mfon Udoh.

He is in fine shape so the fans should not worry,” declared Enyimba chairman Felix Anyansi-Agwu.

“One thing I do know is that Udoh remains an Enyimba player and all things being equal he would be available for selection in the return leg.”

Enyimba will be guests of Buffles du Borgu in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Saturday.

joins

Abia Warriors

K

ano Pillars head coach, Okey Emordi has said his side will be stupid to defend the two-goal advantage from the first leg in Juba, against South Sudan champions, Al-Malakia in the CAF Champions League first round reverse clash on Saturday in Kano.

The Nigerian champions defeated

Al-Malakia 2-0 in the first fixture clash in Juba, South Sudan.

Emordi said his side will go for outright and convincing victory to prove to all that their first fixture victory in Juba was not a fluke.

“We’re going to engage the South Sudanese side, Al-Malakia in 90 minutes attacking football.

instruct them to hand over the kits.

He has also ordered some coaches and players not to attend the team training sessions, until he gives the go ahead and apparently without the consent or signature of Babayaro, he went and registered the team for the Federation Cup state preliminary elimination series.

The team bus has also been moved from the Ministry of Youths and Sports, to the house of the former Roda JC Kekrade player.

A board meeting which is scheduled for today is expected to bring a solution to the ongoing tussle, which has divided the team and might affect their chances of regaining promotion back to the Nigeria Professional Football League.

F

SAKIN

Sakin

Nadal

Pillars can’t play defensive against Al-Malakia –Emordi

Emordi

X7

“Of course, it’ll be stupid on our part to defend the two-goal advantage from the first leg in Juba, South Sudan.

“I understand that the best form of defence is attack so we’re going all out to attack aimed at achieving even better result than we did in the first leg.”

ormer Dolphins of Port Harcourt forward, Bolaji Sakin has revealed why he couldn’t make a planned trip to Turkey and why he chooses to complete a move to Abia Warriors.

The former Wikki Tourist and Dolphins player had a concrete offer from clubs in Turkey but visa delay hindered his dream move to Europe.

“I felt depressed not to have made the planned trip to Turkey due to visa delay and that didn’t allow me meet up before the transfer window closed, but it’s important that I’ve got to move on because I know there are better days ahead,” Sakin said.

On his recent move to Abia Warriors, the striker who was at the Super Four pre-season tournament in Abuja organized by the League Management Company (LMC) said he brokered the deal during the tournament.

“I chose Abia Warriors ahead of other clubs that showed interest in me because of the way I was approached by the Umuahia-based team.

“Abia Warriors coach, Ladan Bosso and I met during the Super Four in Abuja and we discussed about a likely move that has now been made permanent. I’ll be with Abia Warriors for a season,” Sakin stated.

X8

Friday, February 27, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

CHELSEA

CHELSEA Courtois

COURTOIS ADMITS LACK OF SHOOT-OUT EXPERIENCE

T

hibaut Courtois insists he has never played in a competitive penalty shoot-out ahead of Chelsea’s Capital One Cup final.

Courtois is aiming to lift his first English trophy at Wembley, which would add to an already impressive collection that includes Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Europa League titles.

The 22-year-old, however, will be hoping Chelsea can complete the job in open play as his only spot-kicks experience came in a 2012 pre-season game for Atletico Madrid against Deportivo La Coruna, and ended in defeat.

“No, I don’t think I have been in a penalty shoot-out before,” Courtois said. “There was just one time, which was in a friendly tournament with Atletico.”

FURIOUS WITH NEMANJA’S VERDICT C

helsea will wait for the FA’s written reasons for reducing Nemanja Matic’s ban by just one match before deciding what to do next.

The Blues released a statement on Tuesday evening condemning the decision to enforce a twogame suspension on Matic, who was sent off in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Burnley over the weekend.

The Serbian reacted furiously to a late challenge from Ashley Barnes, getting up after being caught high on the shin and

Nemanja

–Parlour

WARN FANS AHEAD OF TIE

C

Sunday, March 1, 2015 Chelsea v Tottenham 17:00

RAMIRES is vital to F Chelsea

CHELSEA

fans and criminal investigations are still ongoing.

A Chelsea statement said: “For a small minority, this game has historically brought a deeply unpleasant and unwanted level of anti-Semitic abuse.

“Opposition supporters using terms as a form of identity is no excuse for abusive chanting or behaviour. The club asks that all supporters realise such actions cause huge offence to those around them.

“If we receive evidence that supporters have engaged in antiSemitic or any other form of discriminatory chanting or behaviour, we will take the strongest possible action, including supporting criminal prosecution.”

CAPITAL ONE CUP FINAL

shoving the Burnley striker to the ground to be given a straight red card at Stamford Bridge.

While the FA announced that Barnes would face no retrospective disciplinary action for his part in the incident, the governing body’s independent regulatory commission opted to lower Matic’s three-game ban by one match on appeal.

But that was not enough to placate Chelsea, who claimed their 26-year-old midfielder had been “unjustly punished”.

LEAGUE CUP FINAL:

helsea are willing to take strong measures to keep the image of the beautiful game intact. The club have warned their supporters that they face being banned from Stamford Bridge, if they use anti-Semitic language against Tottenham at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday.

Recently few Chelsea fans got involved in a racist incident during their trip to France for last week’s Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain.

Video footage shows that few Chelsea fans have refused to allow a black Paris commuter to board a Metro train, and chanted songs about being a racist. The club have vowed to take strong actions against those

PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES Saturday, February 28, 2015 West Ham v Crystal Palace 13:45 Burnley v Swansea City16:00 Man United v Sunderland16:00 Newcastle v Aston Villa16:00 Stoke City v Hull City16:00 West Brom v Southampton16:00 Sunday, March 1, 2015 Liverpool v Man City 13:00 Arsenal v Everton15:05

Aina

VIVEASH

TIPS AINA FOR GREATNESS

C

helsea U-19 coach, Adi Viveash, has spoken about his admiration for Ola Aina following his five-star performance in the victory over Zenith St Petersburg in the UEFA Youth League. Chelsea conceded after 12 minutes, but their defence was not breached again after the goal, and the manager has thanked Aina for sticking to the Zenith St Petersburg winger like glue. Born in London, Ola Aina has appeared 19 times for the youth teams of England.

Ramires

ormer Arsenal player, Ray Parlour, has named the player who he thinks will be the most vital for Chelsea at the weekend and it’s Ramires.

Chelsea face Tottenham in the Carling Cup final on Sunday and according to Parlour it is Ramires who will be vital for the men in blue.

Chelsea suffered a big blow to their hopes last weekend after Nemanja Mati received a red card which ruled him out of Sunday’s final.

John Obi Mikel would seem the most obvious replacement, but Parlour thinks Ramires is up to the job.

“It’s a blow for them to be missing Matic, but they have cover – I think Ramires is going to be a vital player for them,” said Parlour.

Ramires struggled in the first half of the season through injury but has been in excellent form in the last few weeks.