Dtn 28 1 16

Tinubu is most successful politician around today –Gov. Bello

Ibrahim Obansa Lokoja

ÎÎÎGovernor

Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, on Wednesday, eulogised the

unmatched political influence of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, when he described him as “the

singular most successful politician of this democratic dispensation.”

In his inaugural speech at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, during his swear-

ing in ceremony, Governor Bello singled out the former governor of Lagos for praise as well as the late Abubakar Audu. He recongised Tinubu as harbinger

of democratic change in the country today, while assuring that he would remain committed to the ideals of the founding fathers of the party.

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N150

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 33

GAINERS

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 27th January 2016.

MOBIL

138

140.5

2.5%

NASCON

6.38

6.69

0.31%

NB

101.64 96.65

-4.99%

WAPCO

81

78.84

-2.16%

CADBURY

15.92

16.71

0.97%

UAC-PROP

5.08

5.2

0.12%

GUINNESS

112

-3%

DANGCEM

129.38

127.5

-2.33%

109

Bello’s swearing-in as Kogi gov a coup –Faleke Ï Governor echoes Buhari at inauguration, says ‘I belong to everybody, I belong to nobody’ Ï Bello is a ‘shadow-chasing passerby on excursion in govt house,’ says PDP Ï At the appointed time, Bello will be sent out –Faleke Ï Kogi people should accept the will of God –APC National Chairman

Story on page 6

Supreme Court validates Wike’s election g 12 as Rivers Gov Fresh crisis hits PDP as Gulak declares self PDP g6 National Chair FG targets N66.1bn gB 1 revenue from stamp duty in 2016, says CBN boss

Court varies Metuh’s bail g 7 condition

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello (right) taking Oath of Office, before Chief Judge of the State, Justice, Nasiru Ajana in Lokoja, Kogi State during his inauguration… on Wednesday.

Ï Suicide bombers strike in Chibok, kill 10

g 12

2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Page Three Æ s

3

Editorial ILO’s unemployment prediction

O

ne of the scariest predictions this year has come from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which has projected that global unemployment rate would rise in 2016 and 2017. It also predicted that despite falling unemployment in some developed economies, global job crisis will exacerbate in emerging economies, including Nigeria.

According to the ILO estimate, global unemployment in 2015 stood at 197.1 and is likely to rise to 199.4 in 2016. The organisation noted that significant slowdown in emerging economies coupled with increasing decline in commodity prices is having a dramatic effects on the world of work. We are equally alarmed at this prediction and call for concerted actions by the authorities to tame the unemployment monster in the country.

There is no doubt that the level of unemployment in Nigeria is astronomical, especially among the youth population which some estimates put at more than 65 percent. Overall, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put the economically active population or working age, comprising persons within the age range of 15 to 64, at 103.million of the 170 million population.

Several factors are being blamed for the prevalence of unemployment in Nigeria. These include the high population growth rate of 3.5 percent per annum, policy inconsistency and corruption. In addition, deficient school curricula and poor teacher training have contributed to the failure of educational institutions to equip students with the appropriate skills to make them employable.

In addition to these supply factors,

there is insufficiency of vibrant industries to absorb competent graduates, a development caused in part by an infrastructural deficit and debilitating structural adjustment programme (SAP) implemented in the 1980s, leading to the closure of many industries and from which the country is yet to fully recover.

Recently, public policy has encouraged the youth to undertake entrepreneurship, which can make them create employment for themselves and become employers. However, in the end, the industrial sector must also expand to create opportunities for them. For this to happen, industrial expansion must be based on available local resources in agriculture and solid mineral exploitation as well as value chain activities in these two sectors. The development of infrastructure, particularly electricity, will provide the necessary boost to any meaningful approach towards expanding industrial production space and creating employment for millions of job seekers.

It bears repeating that Nigeria needs to do something urgent on the unbearable level of unemployment, particularly for those with lower or no skills, as well as those in the high level skills. A population of 170 million has a potential to add to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), if the highly skilled products of the education sector are employed.

It is generally recognised that a vibrant population that is not productively engaged may be tempted to divert its energy towards criminal and other unsociable activities to the detriment of the society. The reserve army of the unemployed in the economy is too large. It remains a time bomb, and it is in our collective interest not to allow it to explode.

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

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏThe eventual stoppage

of subsidy payment on Kerosene and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has heightened the need for government to do away with other abuse-prone policies.

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, had on December 28, 2015, in its Petroleum Products Pricing template, made public the Buhari administration’s decision to officially stop paying subsidy on petrol.

The administration followed this up with the announcement of stoppage of payment of subsidy on kerosene last week. The commodity which is mostly consumed by low income

earners in the country, according to the government, will now sell for N83 instead of the regulated pump price of N50 per litre.

With the decision, government will no longer spend billions of Naira as subsidy payment on both products every year, thereby reducing the chances of unscrupulous officials and their cronies in the private sector, especially oil marketers, to divert a greater part of the subsidy paid on both products to their pockets.

Clearly, the Buhari administration should be commended for the bold decision, which many including labour unions are yet to come to terms with.

Recall that the immediate past of President Goodluck Jonathan could not summon enough courage to end subsidy payment on petrol even when it was obvious that the policy was abused.

The stoppage of the subsidy payment on both

Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714 Head Finance/Shared services Simpa Ajayi

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kerosene and petrol is an opportunity for the Federal Government to channel the savings therefrom to critical areas of need in the country including infrastructure, education, health, poverty alleviation, water, and transportation among others.

But beyond this, the stoppage of subsidy payment on Kerosene and petrol, should lead the Federal Government to discard other policies prone to abuse. Such abuse-prone policies like the one that sanctions government’s involvement in areas that are best left in the hands of the private sector, that encourage public officials to go about with fleets of cars, and the yet-to-be unveiled school feeding programme of the Buhari administration among others should be evaluated and discarded.

The Federal Government should ensure that going forward, Nigeria does adopt policies that end up enriching unscrupulous officials and the cronies.

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Words On Marble :

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

Now that subsidy on petrol, kerosene is gone

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Wole Soyinka

Ibrahim Mantu

“The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”

“The world is not a bed of roses; there are times you laugh and sometimes you cry.”

Chinua Achebe “When old people speak, it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

5 News Reps uncover N26bn tax liability

by NNPC subsidiary Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe House of Represen-

L-R: Running-mate to late Abubakar Audu, APC Gubernatorial Candidate in Kogi State, James Faleke; late Audu’s son, Mohammed Audu; Deputy Majority Leader, House of Reps. Buba Jibrin and former Minister of Industry, Dr Humphery Abba at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja… on Wednesday.

Boko Haram: Aisha Buhari visits injured soldiers ÎÎÎ Wife of President Mu-

hamadu Buhari, Aisha, on Wednesday, visited injured soldiers in Kaduna where she urged authorities of the Nigerian Army to ensure the prompt payment of entitlements of soldiers who fought and lost their lives in the fight against Boko Haram.

She said the prompt payment of entitlements to family of deceased soldiers would cushion the effects of the loss of their beloved ones.

The President’s wife stated this when she visited the 44 Army Reference

Peter Fowoyo

ÎÎÎRuling

in the appeal filed by the Zamfara State government against the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which ordered it to pay a debt of N3.1billion from the federal allocation accruable to it was, on Wednesday, reserved by the Court of Appeal, Lagos.

Hospital, Kaduna to see soldiers that were wounded while fighting Boko Haram.

She commended the wounded soldiers for their gallantry in the protection of the nation’s territorial integrity, especially in ensuring that peace was restored in the troubled North-east and assured them that their efforts in keeping the country united would not be in vain.

Her words, “I want to urge the Nigerian Army to hasten in paying the benefits of the deceased soldiers as a way of providing

succcur to their families,”.

She also commended the management of the hospital for taking good care of the wounded, saying that with what she saw at the various wards where the soldiers were on admission, “they are being taken care of by the government”.

Many of the soldiers who sustained varying degrees of injuries were receiving medical attention in the hospital.

She was accompanied by the President of the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association and wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Kal-

sum Buratai, and wives of other top military officers.

Journalists were not allowed into wards to ascertain the state of the soldiers and how many of the wounded soldiers were on admission in the hospital.

Mrs. Buhari

tatives Committee investigating the implementation of the government’s oil swap policy, on Wednesday, uncovered a whooping N26 billion tax liability owed the Federal Government by Duke Oil Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

This discovery came to light at the ongoing probe by the House ad hoc committee on the oil swap contracts entered into by the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) on behalf of the NNPC and the federal government.

Testifying before the ad hoc committee, officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) informed committee members that whereas Duke Oil was registered in Panama in 1989 and later incorporated in Nigeria in 2012.

Nigeria’s S’ Africa envoy seeks NASS intervention in killing of Nigerian Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Nigerian ConsulateGeneral to South Africa, based in Johannesburg, Uche AjukuOkeke, on Wednesday, sought the intervention of the National Assembly and the South African parliament to stop the rising spate of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in that country.

Speaking while briefing the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations on the circumstances surrounding the killing of a 34-year-old Nigerian, Daniel Chinedu, by a South African police officer, on January 23, the envoy revealed that Nigerians had become endangered species in South Africa, following the murder of four other Nigerians earlier by the South African police in 2015.

She said that apart from the efforts by the foreign affairs ministry, in line with the Vienna Convention, to address the renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa, a visit by Nigerian law-makers to the South African parliament would go a long way in reducing the number of attacks on innocent and defenceless Nigerians doing legitimate business in that country.

“I do think that my ministry is trying its best within the confines of the Vienna Convention.

The committee could help us by undertaking a parliamentary visit to their peers in Cape Town, showing concern about the race killings, so that their fellow parliamentarians can talk to their constituents to be less xenophobic and intolerant of foreigners”, AjukuOkeke said.

Zamfara’s N3.1b debt: Appeal Court reserves ruling Zamfara state is asking the court to set aside an order attaching the money of the state in all the banks pending the hearing and determination of the substantive appeal.

Justice Abang had in his judgement ordered the Zamfara State government to pay a judgment sum of N3.1 bil-

lion to Ecobank Nigeria Limited, being the outstanding indebtedness to the bank.

The Judge gave the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

Other defendants in the suit are; Zamfara State’s Attorney-General, Zamfara State Ministry of Finance;

Accountant-General of the Federation; Attorney-General of the Federation and Central Bank of Nigeria.

Dissatisfied, Zamfara State appealed against the judgement and urged the appellate court to set it aside.

The appellate court, on Wednesday heard arguments on the appellant’s

application dated October 30, 2015, asking the court to set aside the order made by the lower court pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

Addressing the court, counsel to Zamfara State, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, argued that while the appeal against the judgement of the

lower court was still pending, Ecobank went ahead to secure an order freezing the account of the state in all the banks in Nigeria.

Owonikoko informed the court that because of the freezing order, all activities in the state had been paralysed, adding that the state could no longer pay its staff.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Bello’s swearing-in as Kogi gov a coup –Faleke Ibrahim Obansa Lokoja

ÎÎÎAlhaji Yahaya Bello was

on Wednesday sworn-in as 11th Governor of Kog State at a ceremony held at the Confluence Stadium, in Lokoja, the state capital, without a deputy, just as Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, who was nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as deputy shunned the exercise as he had warned he would, and likened it to a civilian coup d’etat.

Faleke was the deputy to the APC flag bearer for the governorship position in the state, Prince Abubakar Audu who later died on the day the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

declared the substantive election’s results inconclusive.

With INEC’s verdict then, Faleke, declared himself as governor-elect and subsequently rejected a joint ticket with Bello, APC’s choice to replace Audu. He also refused to run with Bello in the supplementary election, and said he would not be available for the inauguration held on Wednesday.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday night, Faleke said, “What is happening in Kogi and in our party is a civilian coup d’etat, I am sure that if it were to be in a military era, those behind it would have faced a firing squad.”

Faleke went on to em-

phatically declare that he was not willing to accept the position of deputy governor of Kogi and expressed his optimism of getting justice in court.

“No, we are already in court. I remain Honourable James Abiodun Faleke and not the Deputy Governor of Kogi State. I am already in court and will only settle out of court if Gov. Yahaya Bello resigns, as this is what the people want. That is the only condition that will favour the people who worked so hard for this victory.”

Lampooning the national chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun of championing anti-people cause in Kogi, Faleke said it is sad that the party did not do the right

thing by allowing the swearing in of Yahaya Bello as the governor of the state.

“If APC has a party had wanted to settle the crisis, they knew what to do, but it seems the party has a game plan. Since they didn’t do the right thing we had no choice but to approach the court, we believe in the rule of law,” he said.

Speaking in Abuja earlier before the television interview, Faleke said that Yahaya Bello would be removed as governor of Kogi State at the appointed time.

Also, few hours after the inauguration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the governor of Kogi State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared that the said swearing in is

L-R: Executive Director, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mohammed Balarabe; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank Nnamdi Okonkwo; Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Alhaji Bashari Gumel, when the Board and Executive Management of bank paid a courtesy visit to the governor ahead of the bank’s SME Regional Conference for the North in Kano... on Wednesday.

akin to chasing shadow.

In a statement by its National Secretary, Professor Adewale Oladipo, the PDP stated that Alhaji Yahaya Bello did not participate in the overall election.

According to the PDP, “The said Yahaya Bello, who cannot claim the overall winning votes in the election is therefore a shadow-chasing passerby on an excursion in Kogi state government house, as the so-called swearing-in ceremony, having no bearing from the votes at election is at best an APC function.

“The people of Kogi are aware that the man being paraded by the APC is not the person they exercised confidence in at the election as he scored a paltry 6,885 vote in the so-called supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Alhaji Idris Wada in the overall election.

“However, as a law abiding party, we hereby urge our members and the people of Kogi state to remain calm and not despair over this slap on democracy as the courts would soon deliver justice with regard to the authentic governor with the mandate of the majority at the election”, the statement said.

However, earlier in the day while delivering his speech during his inauguration, Governor Bello echoed President Buhari’s inaugural speech statement, saying that “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”, and

pledged that his administration would modeled after Buhari’s.

The new governor also paid glowing tribute to Late Prince Abubarka Audu whom he described as an icon whose foresight and doggedness paved the way for the “victory we celebrating today. Continue to rest in peace my leader.”

The new governor said his administration would have zero tolerance for corruption even as he promised to embarked on the development of critical infrastructure.

Alhaji Yahaya Bello equally promised to prioritize education, health, security and heavy investment in solid mineral as well as delivery of other social services to the citizenry Earlier, the national chairman of APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun said Kogi people have no choice than to accept the will of God. According to him, “I want to say with every emphasises that Alhaji Yahaya Bello is a gift to Kogi state.He is a man who has the interest of the state at heart. Though he is young, but deep in his quest to transform the state.”

The APC chairman however appealed to the people of the state to give the governor total support and undiluted co-operation as he faces the avalanches of challenges awaiting him, assuring that the party at the national level would give the governor the required support and assistance to succeed.

Fresh crisis hits PDP as Gulak declares self PDP National Chair Ï He’s an impostor –Party’s NWC

Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎSpecial Adviser on Po-

litical Matters to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, on Wednesday, declared that he has assumed the National Chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sequel to the December 16, 2015 court order, and the court ruling on Wednesday, which struck out the motion for stay of execution filed by defendants/applicants.

The PDP national leadership however reacted by saying that Gulak cannot impose himself on the party.

The party made it clear that there are processes to follow to assume leadership

or become a member of the National Working Committee (NWC).

While Gulak and his supporters were busy addressing journalists and other party members at the PDP National Secretariat, the NWC members were similarly holding a meeting at the Legacy House, PDP presidential campaign office at Wuse II Abuja, for the weekly NWC meeting.

Gulak arrived the National Secretariat at about 1.45 pm and discovered that the office of the National Chairman and other NWC offices were locked.

He however moved to the NWC hall to address

members of his entourage, among them, former Senior Special Assistant to Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

Gulak explained that he decided to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Dr. Adamu Mu’azu on May 20, 2015 because “we cannot continue to leave our party headless.”

According to him, “failure to assume duty as the National Chairman will leave our party organs especially the NWC, the NEC and the National caucus improperly constituted as every meeting of these organs must, in accordance with our constitution, be chaired

by the National Chairman.”

The former presidential Adviser said the struggle was not about himself but about the party, stressing that his assumption of office was “to prepare the ground for the NEC of the party to meet and take the most appropriate decisions for our party.

His words: “It should not be seen as a contention against anybody or group of persons. I crave the indulgence of other NWC members to partner positively with me in our efforts to pick up the pieces and rebuild our party.”

Nigeria, he stated, needs PDP more than ever before

either as a ruling party or viable opposition.

He said: “Our Economy is in for the worse. It is therefore incumbent on all Nigerians to see that democracy survives”.

However, the NWC, which reacted swiftly to the development, said there was no time the court mandated the party to appoint Gulak as National Chairman.

The National Legal Adviser of PDP, Victor Kwon, in a joint press conference with Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, said Gulak cannot declare himself chairman because it was not the judgment of the court.

According to him, what the court ordered was for

the party to appoint someone from the North East to complete Alhaji Mu’azu’s tenure.

He said the party did not receive any hearing notice from the court on the application it filed before it, even as he said the application it filed against the December 2015 judgment is still pending at Court of Appeal.

Kwon added as a law abiding party, PDP will respect the orders of the court and the right of the North East to complete its tenure.

He said: “From what happened, today (Wednesday), it means that Gulak is a fifth columnist recruited to destroy the party. Consultations are going on to arrive at an agreeable for person from the North East.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

7 News

Court varies Metuh’s bail condition ÏÏÏ# ƑƊƈ ƍ ƈƗ MƿƠƠƌ ƈ Ɛ ƈ ƅƅ Ƒ Ɛè zƈƐ Ɔ ƐƆƋƋ ƅ ƑƏƐ Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday varied the bail condition granted the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, on January 19, 2016.

This is even as a witness, Iniobong Effiong, a staff of Diamond Bank and an account officer to Metuh’s company, Destra Investments Limited, told the court that a credit of N400 million was made to the account by the former NSA. With the variation, Metuh has now been allow to provide two

sureties with property valued at N200m in any part of Abuja.

Metuh had through his counsel, Emeka Etiaba (SAN) while arguing the application urged the court to vary the bail condition on ground that the defendant had found it difficult to meet the term.

In his ruling, the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, granted part of Metuh’s application for variation of the bail conditions.

Metuh was earlier required by the bail term to produce two sureties with landed property located strictly in the Maitama area of Abuja.

While the bail sum of N400 million and other attached con-

Metuh

ditions remain, Metuh’s proposed sureties, who the court insisted must be resident in Abuja, could now be owners of property with valid title documents “in any district of the

Federal Capital Territory”.

However, the court refused Metuh’s prayer to remove the bail condition directing the prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, to within 24 hours of being notified, verify the addresses of the proposed sureties and the certificates of occupancy of the property to be presented by them.

The court also refused the second leg of Metuh’s application to discard with the prosecution counsel filing his objection on his findings in respect to the term within 24 hours earlier given him to do so.

Although, the judge upheld Etiaba’s request that Tahir’s

submissions on the issue be expunged from the court’s records, he said, “I think the first defendant (Metuh) is asking for what is not legally permissible.”

Metuh was on January 15 charged for money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m, part of funds allegedly meant for procurement of arms, from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.

He had pleaded not guilty and granted bail but had not being able to fulfil the conditions till date.

Meanwhile, a witness on Wednesday the court that the PDP spokesperson received N400m from former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

Fraud: How accused forged Goodluck Jonathan, David Mark’s signatures Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏAn

accused, John Madu Nze, has admitted before Justice Lawal Akapo of a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, that he forged the signature of former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Senate President, David Mark, in a scam involving a Chinese national.

The accused was said to have deceived a Chinese national, Wu Xinsu by claiming to be a federal government lawyer in charge of contract allocation.

Nze, who was known by his Victim Xinsu with a fake name as Barrister Wilson Amarachi, was said to have scammed him after he (Nze) presented a fake newspaper clipping from the

Sun Newspaper calling for beneficiaries of an FG contract to submit documents.

The accused further admitted to forging the documents he used in convincing Xinsu to pay the money he obtained from him into a domiciliary account.

Nze admitted to collecting the total sum of $5080 from Xinsu To further authenticate his scam, Nze went ahead and authenticated a document from the office of the former President allegedly listed in the official gazette.

When the Chinese national realised that he had been scammed, he petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Nze was arrested.

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Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

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Buhari proposes Bill to strengthen anti-money laundry law

Chijioke Kingsley

Abuja

Jos

ÏÏÏThe six man Committee set

up by the Plateau state government to investigate the alleged “controversial circumstances“ that led to the deferment of 2014 Hajj exercise by some intending pilgrims, has identified about 406 intending pilgrims who fully paid their dues (money), but could not perform the Operation.

The chairman of the committee Hon. Yakubu Gumshar disclosed this during a press conference while briefing newsmen on their findings mid-way into the investigation.

He assured that all those identi-

fied by the committee will receive fair hearing, provided they have relevant papers to show that deposit of funds were made to the Board.

In his words: “The assignment giving to us is to investigate the problems leading to the deferment of 2014 intending Hajj pilgrims and our findings will be related to the government, but we are optimistic that government will give everyone who is affected fair hearing and a level playing ground based on our findings.”

The chairman further explained that “we are not after anybody but, we are only doing what the government asked us to do and we are not thinking of indicting anyone”, he affirmed.

Olufemi Samuel

ÏÏÏPresident Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, laid before the Senate two Bills, The Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) 2016 and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2016 for enactment into law.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, read the communication from Buhari on the Bill to Senators during the plenary for the day.

The Bill on Money Laundering is seeking to repeal the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, to make it more effective.

The Money Laundering Bill

Buhari

2016 is also to expand the scope of money laundering offences while seeking to provide protection for employees of various institutions who may discover money laundering.

It also seeks to enhance cus-

tomer due diligence, provide appropriate penalties and expand the scope of supervisory bodies, while recognising the role of certain self- regulatory organisations to address the challenges faced in the implementation of comprehensive anti-money laundering regime in Nigeria.

Also, the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill 2016, is seeking to facilitate the provision of obtaining by Nigeria international assistance on criminal matters.

Such assistance, according to the President, include the provision and obtaining of evidence, making of arrangements for persons to give evidence or assist in criminal investigations.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Politics

Æs

Nobody can diminish Aregbesola’s feat in good governance —Osun govt Sequel to Tuesday’s protest by a human right’s group at the National Assembly on alleged maladministration of the finances of Osun State by the state governor, Comrade Rauf

Aregbesola, the state’s Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, has lashed out at the group describing it as a band of scoundrels out to destabilise the state.

Members of the Civil Society Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEO) had in Abuja, called on the National Assembly to intervene in the financial mess Osun State found itself

under Governor Aregbesola.

They made the call during a peaceful demonstration held at the premises of the National AsCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

The main objectives of the Buhari administration, by SGF Stories by Akinjide Akintola and Femi Fasipe In apparent response to allegations especially by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the ongoing anti-corruption war of the current administration is selective, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF) Babachir David Lawal has assured that President Muhammadu Buhari, is not on a vengeance mission in his fight against corruption, while also unveiling the major objectives of the administration.

According to him, the government’s anti-graft war is “a sincere battle against corruption and not on a vengeance mission”, he said during a courtesy call on him by the National Executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by its President, Waheed Odusile.

His words, “It is less than one year since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office. In this short period, he has demonstrated his determination to confront the many challenges that our nation face today. The Buhari Administration as you know stands firmly on a tripod. The objectives of the government have been clearly pronounced.

“The number one objective is to secure the nation against both internal and external ag-

Buhari gression. Following closely, is the determination of this administration to fight corruption to a standstill. The third objective, of course, is to restore the economy of Nigeria to a very healthy status so that we may achieve, rapid growth and development that will uplift the living standard of our

Lawal people.

“The successes that our military has recorded in improving security in North-East Nigeria have been applauded both within and outside Nigeria.

Boko Haram insurgents have now been severely degraded.

The territories they once occupied have been fully recovered.

“The fight against corruption is now going on with vigour. For the first time since our return to democracy 16 years ago, top public officials found to have betrayed public trust are being asked to account for their actions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Aregbesola

Group protests Tiv marginalisation A group, the Mutual Union of Tiv people has protested what it termed the marginalisation of the Tiv nation in the scheme of things in Nigeria.

The group, led by Edward Ujege took its protest to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara in Abuja, saying it was being discriminated against in the affairs of the country.

Mr. Ujege lamented that in spite of being the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria, the Tiv people had been facing marginalisation in the polity.

“Unfortunately, decisions are being taken on the economy, security and unity of this country without representation from the Tiv people,” Ujege said.

But Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara commended the people of Benue State especially the Tiv community for voting the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections.

The Speaker said that posterity will be kind to the Tiv people for being at the centre of change in Nigeria’s political history.

“Benue people are special people because they have been at the centre of change in Nigeria; history will be kind to you. When we needed change in this country, you stood firmly for change.

“Even though there were lots of commentators who thought APC victory won’t be possible in Benue State, our party recorded victory because you stood firmly,’’ he said.

The Speaker also condoled with the people and government of Benue State over the demise of Tor Tiv who died in November, 2015.

Also, Brig.-Gen Atom Kpera (rtd) the Chairman, planning committee for the burial of late Tor Tiv Alfred Akawe Torkula said they were also in Abuja to formally invite the Speaker to the monarch’s funeral.

Dogara promised to attend the funeral of the late monarch scheduled for February 4, 2016.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

9 Politics

Objectives of the Buhari administration, by SGF CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

“They are being investigated and prosecuted within the confines of the law. Majority of Nigerians now believe that government is sincere in its battle against corruption.

“The media has a major role to play in ensuring that this government achieves its key objectives. This is because there are powerful forces in our society who will use the media to discredit the government, in order to achieve selfish interests. A major case in point is the fight against corruption, that some have described as selective. Also we have amongst us, economic saboteurs, whose preoccupation is to exploit our prevailing circumstances to wreak havoc on the economy, through illicit activities and wanton destruction.

The only instrument they have at their disposal with which to discredit the government is the media.

“As the fourth estate of the realm, the media, at this time in the history of our nation, must perform its role to the fullest. More than inform the public, the media’s responsibility today must emphasise educating the people and pre-

Buhari senting them with the truth. I enjoin you to go out there and tell Nigerians the truth about the state of our nation. You must remind all of us about the situation with our security when President Buhari took over in May 2015 and what it is today.

Lawal “You must examine the anticorruption war dispassionately and educate Nigerians on whether or not the war is indeed selective and whether innocent citizens are being harassed or not. I also urge you to do a thorough analysis of our economy and educate

Nigerians, about the dismal health of the economy of this nation when the last administration handed-over vis-à-vis this administration’s robust effort at turning it around. You will also do a professional job of your critic of the 2016 budget proposals and give your

verdict on its appropriateness in addressing our present economic challenges.

“This is precisely, my challenge to you at this critical time in our national history.

You must truthfully and consistently, educate the people as we pursue our over arching objective to reinvent Nigeria. This is not a job for government alone. The media should partner with government for us to achieve success.”

Earlier, Odusile said that in carrying out its responsibility of monitoring governance, the media needs access to those in government for free flow of information.

Pointing out that the media is not adversaries or enemy of the government, he said that the media in Nigeria is presently going through difficult time.

He urged the government to assist by lowering the tariffs on newsprints used by print media houses and also look at the higher license fees being paid by broadcast media houses.

The NUJ National President also commended the government on its anti-corruption drive and securing the nation.

‘Nobody can diminish Aregbesola’s feat in good governance’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

sembly by members of the Coalition group consisting of about 20 civil and faith based organizations who converged at the complex as early as 7.30am.

But the Bureau described “the less than 15 hired hands” who carried placards claiming to be protesting against Governor Aregbesola, as no more than shameless individuals who have exhausted all their wits in the evil plot to set the state ablaze.

It said in a statement by its director, Semiu Okanlawon that with the examples of good governance and financial prudence that had been in place in the state, Governor Aregbesola had indeed put in place a template for solving most of Nigeria’s complex problems.

The Bureau said it was not surprised that after several months since the idle group of disgruntled individuals had

been boxed to a corner of irrelevance, they found another avenue to demonstrate their ignorance of public finance and the workings of governance in its entirety because one of their paymasters was summoned to Abuja on Monday over certain allegations.

It asked those who spared time to listen to the allegations by the group to see how they have sounded like a broken record over the same allegations with no substances since they commenced their anti-Aregbesola journey in Osun.

“We have no doubt in our minds that they have become butts of jokes and no one of repute listens to them again.

When they started, they deceived some people into giving them audience but since all they have presented against Aregbesola are no more than the same unsubstantiated hogwash they have been purveying, they have lost the confidence and audi-

Aregbesola ence of reasonable Nigerians.” the Bureau stated.

The Bureau added that but for ignorance, how could anyone accuse Aregbesola’s government of the debt profile this bunch of people parade for Osun?

The statement said a little knowledge of finance and banking is enough to make them know that even 10 banks put together cannot borrow a single entity the ‘humonguous’ amount they keep alleging as Osun’s debt profile.

“At the height of their allegations against Governor Aregbesola, they got a judge in the state to write a petition to the House of Assembly with a litany of spurious allegations. When called upon to substantiate her allegations, she developed cold feet.

“The same petition was abandoned at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) when the anti-graft agency called on her to provide evidence.

“This same hired individuals claimed to have submitted a petition to the EFCC but have failed to provide evidence. Wherever this few individuals turn, they meet rejection because it takes no special skill to detect the fabrications inherent in their alle-

gations,” the statement noted.

The Bureau said it was not surprised that all the group wanted to do was carry placards for few minutes of photo opportunities before disappearing from the scene.

It called on Nigerians to continue to disregard the group noting that what Aregbesola has given Osun in good governance is a template and inspiration for solving many of Nigeria’s complex issues.

But in the petition submitted to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the group asked the National Assembly to safe the state from imminent state of anarchy.

In the petition which was received on behalf of Saraki and Dogara by the Deputy Sergeantat-Arms, A.M Nnaji, the group listed 16 issues bordering on alCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Politics 10 Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Muhammed Musa Bello has pledged that his plan is to ensure the return of Abuja to its idea as conceived by the founding fathers 40 years ago as a symbol of Nigeria’s aspiration for unity and greatness.

According to him, a number of things have gone wrong with the development of the city which have resulted to a legion of problems that today define the perception of the city in the eyes of its average resident or visitor.

He acknowledged that the Federal Capital City has come a long way from the beautiful idea conceived in 1976, to a bustling growing modern city hosting a population of several millions and with an unmatched growth rate of any city in Nigeria, adding, “however, it is also true that a number of things have not gone right with the development of the city, thus the legion of problems that today define the perception of the city in the eyes of its average resident or visitor”.

Consequently, he assured that the target will be to ensure that the administration of the FCT returns to the trajectory conceived by its Founding Fathers, i.e. for Abuja to be a symbol of Nigeria’s aspirations for unity and greatness, pointing out that the overriding objective is to facilitate an administration that promotes a modern and sustainable city as defined by a functional and integrated infrastructure, with viable self-funding and an economy capable of providing employment to the teeming youths.

He disclosed that his initial interactions with relevant officials and stakeholders revealed that some of the most visible challenges facing the FCT are over-

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

How we’ll restore Abuja’s symbol of unity —Musa Bello

Bello stretched infrastructure due to rapid population growth, poor maintenance culture, poorly maintained roads, blocked water and sewer lines, poor waste management practices, and poorly maintained street and traffic lights system as well as transportation, particularly with regards to commuter transport, difficulties with water supply, and a litany of uncompleted projects (including critical major infrastructure as well as Satellite Towns development

projects), adding that the presence of beggars and street hawkers and inadequate or poor condition of available education and health facilities, have equally remained major problems in the FCT. He pledged that the goal is to make the quality of life more meaningful for the residents of the city in line with the social change agenda of Mr. President saying this will best be enabled through a secure, environmentally friendly and responsive service delivery by all agencies of the FCTA. Accordingly, he added that the acute problem of traffic congestion faced by commuters in many locations will receive immediate attention through expedited completion and opening of more feeder roads.

Besides, as part of efforts to make Abuja environmentally friendly and secure, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) will be made to improve the cleanliness of the city, waste management and removal of the illegal and environmentally hazardous structures within the next three months and carry out its statutory duties in a more proactive manner including enforcement of extant sanitation regulations on street hawking and begging, among others.

He said he will not embark on huge new projects that do not have any meaningful multiplier effect but priority will be the completion

of ongoing projects as may be appropriately reviewed, pointing out that projects of immediate attention will include Satellite towns in which will be target of development in affordable mass housing schemes and infrastructure in partnership with the private sector to address the acute shortage of houses for low-income earners.

On security, he said measures to be adopted to ensure sustainable security regime in the FCT will include active and constant engagement with all stakeholders, adequate support to the security agencies, periodic assessment of relevant needs, as well as synergy with security agencies in neighboring states adding that collective security should not be left to the security agencies alone.

He directed all agencies of FCTA to ensure strict compliance with and full legal enforcement of the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan to address instances of violations and abuses such as building on green areas and sewer lines, saying he will not allow the re-emergence of slums and squatter settlements in the City or the conversion of public lands to private use and the rapid degeneration of the city into a disorderly urban market by conversion of residential neighbourhoods to commercial use.

The minister however added that a review of outstanding issues of Resettlement and Compen-

sation Scheme affecting original inhabitants of the FCT will be carried out with the goal of ensuring equitable resolution of legitimate claims.

On the challenges of dwindling finances, he announced immediate measures to harness the revenue potentials of the FCT in a manner friendly to individual residents and corporate entities in the territory with a view to evolving a robust mechanism for raising the necessary sustainable funding needed to give the city the befitting world-class infrastructure it deserves. This would be achieved through the full and effective take off of the FCT Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which the National Assembly enacted in 2015.

On corruption, he said FCTA will be reorganised to ensure a more effective service delivery with zero tolerance for corruption and review of the operations of the Mandate Secretariats with a view to improving their capacity to deliver services to the public and exercise their regulatory responsibilities with respect to other service providers such as schools, hospitals, transport operators etc. while according priority to fighting the menace of corruption through the enforcement of appropriate regulations and work ethics, as well as combating impunity at all levels, including prompt punishment of identified perpetrators.

INEC fixes Feb. 20 for Taraba supplementary polls The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced February. 20, 2016 for holding supplementary elections in one federal and two state constituencies in Taraba State.

INEC’s Administrative Secretary in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Umar who announced the date at a stakeholder’s meeting in Jalingo said elections would hold in Kurmi/Gashaka /Sardauna Federal constituency as well as Ardo Kola and Mbamga state constituencies.

According him, only registered voters with Permanent

Voter Cards would vote at the elections.

Umar, who said the commission had commenced preparations for the elections, disclosed that only the commission’s staff and corps members would be used for the elections.

Alhaji Hassan Ardo, Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, said many potential voters in his local government had been disenfranchised “because their PVCs were handed over to wrong persons”.

Ardo urged INEC to trace and retrieve the PVCs and

hand them over to the rightful owners before the supplementary polls for justice and peace.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Shaba Alkali, said the command was making adequate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the elections.

Alkali warned that anyone caught in the act capable of disturbing the smooth conduct of the process before, during and after the elections would be apprehended.

The Appeal Court in Yola had at various dates in Dec. 2015, annulled the election of Mr Dan-Asabe Hosea

(PDP), as Member representing Kurmi/Gashaka and Sardauna Federal Constituency. The court which ordered supplementary election in 19 polling units also annulled the election of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Abel Diah of the PDP and ordered rerun election in eight polling units.

The court also ordered same in Ardo Kola state constituency, where Mr Emmanuel Dame, also of the PDP, was asked to vacate his seat pending the outcome of the supplementary election in 11 polling units. (NAN)

Mahmud

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

11 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Gani Adams to Yoruba leaders: Don’t allow your selfishness to overwhelm unity of race Remi Oladoye National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Otunba Gani Adams has stressed the need for Yoruba leaders not to allow their political affiliation and self interest overwhelm the unity of Yoruba race.

Addressing the 2nd Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) World Congress in Ile Ife, Osun State, Otunba Adams said: “the overall interest of the race is greater than our different and individual interests”.

His words: “Oselu maa tan alajobi ni yio ku”. Our unity is sacred, it goes beyond political affiliation and politicking.

“Memories of the good old days are still fresh for us to remember, we knew how vibrant the economy of the South West region was in the past and shortly after the Nigerian independence in 1960; the Yoruba leader-

ship of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of the region experienced growth because of the vision of the late sage.

“We also became pacesetters in the country because of our distinctive development vision, culture and values, Yoruba race is blessed with rich cultural and happily we have everything to be proud of whom we are.

Otunba Adams said “OPU is never a political party but a socio- cultural group established mainly to foster unity among the Yoruba in the Diaspora and promote socio-economic interest of the Yoruba across the world.”

“As convener and initiator of this group, I can say it confidently that OPU has created a formidable platform for the Yoruba race and we will continue to set the pace for the unity of Yoruba.

He commended the south-

Ooni

west governors and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11 and Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi for their effort in restoring the unity

Adams

and peace of Yorubaland.

Professor Sophie Oluwole who represented chairman of the occasion, Chief Olu Falae tasked members of the OPU not to limit their

efforts to the Diaspora alone but also make sure people at home benefit from their activities particularly in enhancing and promoting teaching of Yoruba language, culture and traditions in schools.

Some of the traditional rulers who graced the occasion said they are not relenting in their efforts to make Yoruba nation great but politicians and government contributions to the system is downplaying their effort as they disregard policies and advice that would assist in uniting the people and promoting the language.

Guest lecturer, Mr. Kolawole Adio, Chief Executive Officer of International College of Aeronautics, Ghana who spoke on ‘introducing Lean Thinking to OPU charged the association on the need to ensure effective leadership so as to sustain the growth and expansion of the association.

‘Nobody can diminish Aregbesola’s feat in good governance’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

leged financial recklessness of the governor which caused the state to be receiving negative allocations from the Federation Account.

According to the letter signed by its Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman and Assistant Secretary, Comrade Gbenga Oyeleke, the group urged the National Assembly to support the demand of Osun citizens for a thorough and credible investigation of the deliberate and criminal mismanagement of our meager resources by the duo of Aregbesola and Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, the deputy governor which action is “threatening the peace and security of our state.

“We are here to show our grievances with the governance of our state under a dictatorship, grossly corrupt and oppressive rule of Aregbesola who has turned Osun State into a totalitarian state where

Aregbesola citizens have no fundamental rights but only fundamental duties.

“The governance of Osun State in the last five years has been characterised by clueless-

ness, highhandedness, impunity, greed and wanton disregard for time-tested principles of public management and international best practices.

“We were promised banishment of poverty and hunger, peaceful co-existence and allround development and prosperity but what do we have five years after; poverty, hunger and starvation, backwardness, social insecurity, mutual suspicion and religious disharmony, sickness and deaths.

“As it stands today, Osun is a failed state under the watch of Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and his rubber stamped legislators whose failure to perform their oversight functions as representative of the people is grossly responsible for the pitiable and precarious condition we have found ourselves. No matter how maladroit the governor may be, if the House of Assembly had performed its functions as enshrined in the constitution, things would have been different.

“In the light of the following and in the spirit of the anticorruption crusade of the All Progressives Congress(APC) ledgovernment of President Muhammadu Buhari, we are hereby requesting the intervention of your good self and the distinguished members of the Senate to support the demand of Osun citizens for a thorough and credible investigation of the deliberate and criminal mismanagement of our meager resources by the duo of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, governor and deputy governor of Osun State respectively which action is threatening the peace and security of our state.

“We will like you to use your good offices as worthy representatives of the people to compel the EFCC and ICPC to act on our petitions which they duly received but which they have decided to bury. Any attempt to bury them further may portray President Muham-

madu Buhari and his APC-led government as being insincere with their anti-corruption crusade.

“We will like to counsel here that what is good for the goose should also be good for the gander. There should be no sacred cows in the implementation of Mr. President’s anti-corruption campaign as it is well known that charity must begin at home.

“Finally, we will like to inform you that we shall do all that are within the provisions of the amended 1999 Constitution to effect the recall of the unscrupulous rubberstamp legislators of the Osun State House of Assembly by their constituencies.

During the rally, protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Osun people want FG to take Osun from Rauf Aregbesola”, “NASS, Osun Pensioners are dying”, “Aregbesola must go”, “No to Minus-Allocation” and “Aregbe has sold Osun into debt slavery” among others.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Supreme Court restores Gov. Wike’s election Andrew Orolua,

Ï Affirms Umahi as Ebonyi gov.

ÎÎÎThe Supreme Court in

judgment and that of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered on October 24, 2015.

Justice Kekere-Ekun also ordered the restoration of Gov. Wike’s election.

She reserved her reasons for the decision till February 12, 2016.

Other justices on the panel, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Justice Nwali Ngwuta, Justice Kumai Akaahs, Justice John Okoro and Justice Aminu Sanusi agreed with the decision but reserved their reasons till February 12, 2016.

Earlier during the hearing of the appeal on Wednesday, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), the lead counsel for the appellant, had urged the apex court to allow the appeal on the ground that the judgment of the Court of Appeal was perverse.

He said the petitioner did not rely on any voter registers as proof of over voting.

The Counsel also faulted the decision of the lower court on the voter registers from 11 local government councils which he said were not demonstrated before the court.

Lead counsel to Dakuku Peterside, Akin Olujimi (SAN), had prayed the court to dismiss the appeal, insisting the judgment of the Court of Appeal was not perverse.

The Supreme Court also on Wednesday allowed two

Abuja

Abuja on Wednesday restored the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Rivers State won by Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Also, the apex court on Wednesday affirmed the election of Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, as the winner of the Ebonyi State governorship election held on April 11, 2015.

Court of Appeal Abuja Division had on December 16, 2015 upheld the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified Gov. Wike’s election on October 24, 2015 and ordered for a rerun of the governorship election.

In a unanimous decision of seven man panel presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, the apex court said that it had carefully gone through the briefs of counsel to the parties and the records of Court of Appeal and Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and found that Wike’s appeal had merit and allowed it.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice M. O. Kekere – Ekun, noted that the appeal arose from the judgment of Court of Appeal Abuja division delivered on December 16, 2015 in respect of Rivers State Governorship election.

She set aside the said

other appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which also challenged the Court of Appeal judgment.

The Supreme Court which heard about four election appeals in stretch dismissed the appeal filed

by Adegboyega Nasir Isiaka challenging the election of Governor Amosun of Ogun State.

The apex court also on Wednesday affirmed the election of Ebonyi State

Governor, Dave Umahi, as the winner of the Ebonyi State governorship election held on April 11, 2015.

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the April 11, 2015 election, Chief Edward Nkwegu, had challenged the decision of Enugu division of the Court of Appeal of December 11, 2015 that upheld the verdict of the Ebonyi State Governorship Election Tribunal.

A full panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed that heard the appeal on Wednesday unanimously

dismissed Nkwegu’s appeal for lacking in merit.

The justices reserved their reasons for the decision till Friday January 29, 2016.

Delivering the lead judgment some minutes after the appeal was stood down, Justice Chima Centus Nweze said that the preliminary objection raised by Gov. Umahi succeeds in part.

He resolved the two issues on the main appeal against the appellant.

“No merit in this appeal.

Umahi is the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State.

Reasons will be given on

L-R: Executive Commissioner, Technical Standards, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Engr. Ubale Maska; Executive Vice Chairman, (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta and Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Tony Ojobo, during a press conference to unveil 8 point Agenda 20152020 of the NCC, held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos...on Wednesday. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI.

Suicide bombers strike in Chibok, kill 10 ÎÎÎNo fewer than 10 peo-

ple were killed on Wednesday when three suicide bombers blew themselves up in Chikok, the town in Borno state where 276 female students were kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on April 15, 2014.

An elder of Chibok town, Ayuba Chibok, told AFP on Wednesday that the blasts happened at about midday (1100 GMT) as the remote town in Borno state was packed with traders from surrounding villages for the weekly market.

“They were suicide attacks. The first bomber set off his explosives at the

checkpoint where people coming into the town were being searched,” he added.

“A second bomber managed to get into the market and blew himself up. A third bomber was identified and residents pursued him.

“When he realised he was about to be apprehended he detonated his explosives in an area not far from the market.”

Chibok added: “The casualty toll is not conclusive but so far, at least 10 people have been confirmed dead and over 30 injured.”

The blasts bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which has repeatedly hit “soft” civilian targets such

Friday”, he held.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal had upheld the decision of Ebonyi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that the petitioner was unable to prove allegations of corrupt practices and criminalities as contained in the petition.

The Court of Appeal also held that the petitioner could not prove that the election was marred by widespread irregularities.

The court ruled that the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.

as markets, mosques and bus stations as well as military and civilian vigilante checkpoints.

Chibok came to international prominence in April 2014 when Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped the 276 girls, causing global outrage.

Fifty-seven girls managed to escape in the immediate aftermath but 219 are still being held and have not been seen since they appeared in a Boko Haram video in May that year.

Ayuba Chibok described a climate of fear in the town.

“Some people have shut themselves in their homes while others have fled into

the bush for fear of more explosions,” he said.

“The situation is now tense and there’s so much confusion. It will take some time before we can be able to have a clearer picture of the casualties.”

Another resident, health worker Dazzban Buba, said he rushed to help his brother who was injured in the first blast in the Bamzir Road area of the town.

The second blast happened shortly afterwards, fitting a pattern of Boko Haram suicide attacks with multiple bombers setting off their devices almost simultaneously.

But Buba said it was still unclear whether the

third bomber deliberately detonated his explosives or whether the device was triggered when troops opened fire as he fled.

Buba, who volunteered to treat the injured at hospital, confirmed he saw 10 bodies brought in. The 30 injured were mostly suffering from burns and fractures, he added.

“Twenty-one were seriously injured on admission. Nine have been treated and discharged,” he said.

Recent weeks have seen a lull in Boko Haram attacks, with only three recorded in Nigeria this month.

The insurgents raided a village in Yobe state on

Sunday, killing one man, while on January 11, another raid in the Adamawa state town of Madagali left seven dead.

Seven people were killed in a raid and suicide bomb attack in Izgeki village in Borno.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on December 24 declared the rebels were “technically” defeated but at least 66 people were then killed in raids and suicide bombings in the days following.

On Monday, 32 people were killed when at least three suicide bombers blew themselves up at a market in Bodo village in northern Cameroon.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Nigeria partners World Bank to diversify economy Mathew Dadiya Abuja

ÏÏÏIn view of the uncertainties

in the global economy, the Federal Government is repositioning to occupy its place in the comity of nations by focusing on key areas of great importance that will bring relief to Nigerians.

This came on the heels of a courtesy call by the Country Director for Nigeria and Coordinating Director for West African Regional Integration Programme (World Bank), Mr. Rachid Benmessaoud to the Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu in Abuja.

The Minister, while

addressing the Country Director, stated that the Buhariled administration is focusing its attention on diversification of the economy in key sectors.

This he said, is the thrust of the current administration’s agenda for Nigerians, whereby the Gross Domestic Product will greatly improve in areas such as education, security, job creation and governance, which will in turn become boosters of our growing economy.

Onu reiterated government’s efforts in redirecting our monoproduct economy from the oil and gas sector, by getting Nigerians to become more productive on issues that will add value to the exploitation

of the natural resources of our nation, stating that “this is where the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology is redirecting its focus on.”

“Our responsibility in Science and Technology is to ensure that the natural resources of the nation, when effectively and efficiently utilized, will be beneficial to Nigerians. These in turn will be very helpful in diversifying the economy, with areas of focus in agriculture and solid minerals, and that technology innovations will become vital and critical driving force in these key sectors.

“The Ministry is refocusing in adding value to the production process, not only in the urban areas but also in the rural areas

of the country where most Nigerians live.

To achieve these feats, there will be great improvements in the technology process of production that will be put in place across the country. That, the value added is what will ensure that the economy grows astronomically and jobs in turn be created” Onu stated.

He further stated that the Ministry is now linking research institutes with industries, so that the researches that will be done will be dependent on the needs of the nation. According to him, these linkages and researches will be very beneficial to the immediate and future needs of our nation.

Osun to set up Commodity Board for alternative revenues Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏIn

the bid to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state, Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has hinted that the coming Commodity Board would ensure Osun ranks among the best cocoa producers in Nigeria within the next two years.

He also said the board would be under direct supervision of his office.

The governor said this while meeting with Produce merchants in the state at the Government House Banquet Hall, in Osogbo.

He stated that with the new cocoa development initiatives in the state, fresh revenues would be available to the state, thus making the economy of the state prosperous in 2016.

He told the produce merchants that the economic situation of the state has been badly affected with the pillaging of the national treasury by the

Gov. Aregbesola

Chief judge of FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello (right) in handshake with a member of Nigerian Bar Association, Kachi Ibeh during a workshop on Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 in Abuja… on Wednesday. With them is, Justice Tinuade Akomolafe.

SCOAN contractors charged for involuntary manslaughter –DPP Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏLagos

state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, on Wednesday, told a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, that the indicted contractors in the collapsed six-storey building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Oladele Ogundele and Akinbola Fatiregun, are being charged for involuntary manslaughter and not criminal negligence as presumed.

At the resumed hearing of the matter before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, on Wednesday,

Alakija told the court that the 4th and 5th defendants are facing 110 count charge for Involuntary Manslaughter.

“The prosecution had initiated the proceeding against the 4th and 5th defendants via an information dated 11th September, 2015” Alakija stated.

Alakija also argued that they have filed response to the defendants’ applications, dated January 22, 2016. She said that the order of substituted service was brought in compliance of the law and the service was effected properly.

She averred that the option left for the applicants’ respondents

is to file appeal on the order of the court.

Responding to the submissions of the defence’s counsel that Justice Ibrahim Buba of Federal High Court has restrained the Lagos Attorney General from prosecuting the engineers, Alakija argued that the order of Justice Buba cannot stop proceeding of the court.

According to her, the proceeding has commenced in the court before the order sought to restrain AG from prosecuting them was granted by the Justice Buba, adding that the order cannot stop the proceeding.

13 News FG revitalises education sector, initiates capacity devt schemes Augustine Okezie Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Federal Government has initiated various Social Safety Net Initiatives, such as school feeding and safe school project, as part of its Human Capital Development programmes. The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at a 3-day implementation status meeting of 2015 MDGs Projects, stressed the pivotal role education plays in the attainment of economic growth and development.

Adamu stated that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was a broad ideal of the International Community to reduce hunger, poverty, disease, gender inequality and lack of basic infrastructure.

He said, “We all know that education is an essential tool for achieving sustainable economic growth and development.

Indeed, no country can achieve sustainable economic growth without development of human resources,” The Minister, who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Tertiary Education, Mrs. Hindatu Abdullahi, disclosed that Nigerian government, along with other nations of the world recently endorsed the Post 2015 Development Agenda at the 7th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, held in New York, adding that the Ministry is planning to organise a high level sensitisation meeting with critical stakeholders.

Gov. Ahmed mourns ex-IGP Adewusi

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏKwara

state governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has described the death of a former Inspector General of Police, Chief Sunday Adewusi as a national loss of immense proportions.

Governor Ahmed, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, said the late Chief Adewusi was a police officer who not only rose to the pinnacle of his career, but contributed immensely to nation building.

He added that the late Inspector General of Police, who lived in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, for many years was an elder statesman whose vast experience in security matters was of great value to the state and Nigeria at large.

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Budget: Senate shuts down plenary for speedy passage Olufemi Samuel, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Senate, on Wednesday, passed the N6.08 trillion appropriation for Second Reading, just as it suspended its plenaries for two weeks for Ministries, Departments and Agencies

Kano solicits DFID’s support Yakubu Salisu, Kano

of government meet with the Sub Committees of the Senate on budget defence.

The Senate approved the passage after it concluded debates on the general principles of the budget during which every Senators made personal observations and remarks.

As scheduled, the Bill on 2016 budget would be passed finally into law on February 25 for the purpose of fast tracking the implementation.

The Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, while rounding up debate on the budget, de-

scribed debates by Senators as engaging, courageous, unique and uncommon.

Saraki commended the budget on the basis that 77 percent of the revenue projected for the funding is not dependent on oil.

According to him, the budget has laid a great foundation for the economic future of Nigeria, more so with the vote of 30 percent as capital expenditure.

He said different committees that will subsequently work to perfect the budget should take note of the plans by the government for diversification, equi-

table wealth distribution, bench mark, blockage of leakages, and fight against corruption in the current fiscal year.

He emphasised for a through oversight by different committees of the Senate as the surest way of making the budget to record the desired success.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje, while briefing the media, disclosed that the sub-committees of the Appropriation Committee will commence work on the budget beginning from today.

He said the Committees are expected to conclude their tasks and make February 12 and 13 during which time they would submit their reports to his Committee for a final draft on the budget.

He said while the final draft on the Budget will be ready by Wednesday February 24, the final passage would be made on February 25.

Goje said the time frame set for passage of the Budget was to ensure a 10-month implementation by the Federal Government.

ÎÎÎKano state government

has appealed to the UK government’s Department of International Development (DFID), under its Growth and Employment (GEMS 4) programme, in order to assist the state to establish a modern abattoir.

The governor, who made the plea, said doing so would minimise transportation of live cattle to the southern part of the country, thereby enormously maximising income generating activities in the state across the value chains of meat, leather and allied products, while adding that value addition in leather processing would yield more profit for small and medium scale investments in the sector.

In the same vein, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje also urged the programme to provide tomato farmers in the state with technology based solutions that will curb produce wastage, lamenting that a huge percentage of the commodity produced in the state is lost, implying lesser income, due to lack of preservation and storage proficiency.

Ganduje, however promised to release the N130 million state counterpart funds to the GEMS 3 programme soon, to facilitate the Systematic Land Titling & Registration and other projects aimed at improving the well-being of the people.

Ogun State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (middle); Hon. Tola Banjo (right); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Wale Ademolake (2nd right) and others during inspection of Ijebu-Ode roads… on Wednesday.

Photo: DAVID IDOWU.

FG insincere about Chibok girls’ abduction, says Sonaiya Peter Fowoyo

ÎÎÎFormer

presidential candidate, Professor (Mrs).

Remi Sonaiya has expressed disappointment over the failure on the part of the Federal Government to tell the truth surrounding the whereabouts of the Chibok girls.

This is coming, just as the Nigerian Army said it has put in place machinery to establish the true identity of a suspected leader of the Boko Haram sect, Jarasu Shirawho, who was apprehended last week in connec-

tion with the abduction of the school children over one and half years ago in Borno state.

Professor Sonaiya, who contested the 2015 general election under the platform of KOWA party, also took a swipe on those who diverted the funds meant to fight insurgency calling them “betrayal” whose actions amounted to treasonable felony.

She spoke as a guest lecturer at the 17th edition of Pastor S. A. Odunaiya annual memorial lecture, organised by the Young Christian

League of the Christ Apostolic Church, Ebute Meta, Lagos, themed: “The AntiCorruption Crusade: What Role for the Church?”

She asked: “How could it be that under the watch of the last administration (vehemently supported by many of our Christian leaders, as we have said), our soldiers would be sent to fight Boko Haram almost bare armed and barefooted, while the money meant to arm them is shared out to individuals?

“As such, innocent girls who were abducted from

their schools by those heartless insurgents could not be rescued, and up till now, about a year and a half later, they and their parents remain in a state of despair and hopelessness. Personally, I still cannot believe that we have been told the whole truth about the matter of the Chibok girls. Whatever be the case, the Dasukigate saga almost amounts to treason in my own judgment, for treason is defined as “the betrayal of one’s own country by waging war against it or by consciously or purposely acting to aid its enemies.”

Ambode

Lagos goes tough on cultism, criminals ÎÎÎWorried by the rising

cases of cultism resulting in violent clashes in a few areas of the state, Lagos state government has reiterated its determination to deal decisively with anyone found engaged in cultism and criminal activities as it has directed the law enforcement agencies to ensure that such unwholesome practices are dealt with the maximum force it deserves.

A statement on Wednesday, signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, stated that the government would henceforth go tough with any cult member or group, sponsors or collaborators, as well as criminal gangs disturbing the peace as it would not fold its arms and watch innocent citizens suffer unduly in the hands of unscrupulous elements.

Arase, Okiro, eulogise late Adewusi ÎÎÎThe

Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr. Solomon Arase, has described the late Sunday Adewusi as a Nigerian hero who served his nation proudly as a police officer and at retirement.

This is contained in statement issued by the police spokesperson, ACP Olabisi Kolawole in Abuja on Wednesday.

Arase, in the statement, said Adewusi was a transformational leader whose tenure as Inspector-General of Police between1981 and 1983 remained impactful.

The statement noted that throughout his life, he remained a strong member of the police family. ``Adewusi was a beacon of hope to the Nigeria Police Force, just as he remained an advocate of policing throughout his life.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

15 Opinion

Nigerian economy: Blaming Babangida for the rot!

I Pius Adesanmi

woke up to a report in the media that Chief Audu Ogbeh is holding former dictator, Ibrahim Babangida and SAP, responsible for the current poor state of Nigeria’s economy. Babangida introduced SAP and led Nigeria to an over-reliance on oil and that is why we are where we are today. There is nothing wrong with historical illumination. There is everything wrong when it becomes a tired cliché constantly mobilised as alibi when you do not have the answers to setting a new course.

That is the trouble with President Buhari’s ministers. When a few months ago, Lai Mohammed blamed ex-President Jonathan, I urged Nigerians to be glad that he did not blame it on Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The rate at which Buhari’s Ministers are scrambling irresponsibly to blame the past is very alarming. If President Buhari does not rein them in, they will blame Lord Lugard. I am compelled to reproduce an apt excerpt from “Building Rome in One Day”, the inauguration lecture I delivered in Kaduna for Nasir El Rufai

on May 28, 2015. Read on: “The sky is falling! Nigerians, please bear me witness: my predecessor has emptied the treasury o. My predecessor has shackled me with debts o. He has borrowed money that we must pay for the next sixty years o.

Things are so bad. There is nothing to work with. I will probe him; I will not probe him; yes, I will probe him.” As true as these statements are in terms of the actualities they describe, it is also true that they are cliché, repeated ad nauseam by every in-coming administration. Nigerians heard it from Chief Obasanjo and all the governors in the 1999 set; they heard this rhetoric again in 2003; heard it in 2007; heard it in 2011. To hear it in 2015 would be the very definition of continuity because there is nothing in that rhetoric that the people have not heard before.

It is because they are tired of this rhetoric of continuity that they voted massively for people they believe can perform miracles and deliver on miracles. And this is why I do not envy our Governor-elect and General Buhari.

This is why I have only bad news for them. All the realities which led to a rhetorical culture of blaming outgo-

ing administrations are still here with us and have even worsened beyond our wildest imagination under the outgoing administration. Make no mistake about it, Jonathan and the outgoing ministers and governors have exercised no prerogative of mercy on Nigeria. Yet, I must signal solemnly to Mallam Nasir El Rufai and Buhari that we are at a moment in our national history when the corruption and brigandage of an outgoing administration can no longer be mobilised as legitimate points of departure by the administration.

The outgoing administration repeatedly told us to be patient; that transformation and the dividends of democracy could not be delivered with a magic wand; they said that Rome was not built in a day. Then they went ahead to unleash all the goats in Rome on all the yams in Rome and the city of Rome was set on fire in the ensuing commotion. Those who said that Rome was not built in a day then fiddled and danced azonto, even as the city of Rome burned. This is why Mallam Nasir El Rufai does not have the luxury of saying that Rome was not built in a day. I have already heard that rhetoric from Buhari. At the national

level and in Kaduna State, we have elected leaders who we believe can do precisely that: abandon the rhetoric of the old leadership and build Rome in a day. This is what the people expect and it is not up for discussion or negotiation by the new leadership.

For the people, therefore, change begins when the leadership in which they have invested such an overwhelming mandate makes a radical departure from that rhetoric and its associated mental universe and invents a rhetoric bordering on the possibility of miracle. The new leadership must not say that they are not miracle workers because that is precisely what the people voted for: miracle workers. The new leadership must tell the people: “I knew that things were bad, very bad, really bad, before I offered myself for service. Hands-on, proactive approach to delivery will now replace the rhetoric of excuses. No action of the outgoing government, no matter how horrible, will be valid enough an excuse for me not to deliver. We shall punish their corruption. Those who looted shall face the full prosecutorial force of the laws of the land. But we shall not use their crimes as justification of inertia on our part.”

Life or death of Nigeria’s democracy

A

Emmanuel Onwubiko

former parliamentary secretary of state in the German ministry of foreign Affairs and an erstwhile Commissioner of the European Commission RALF DAHRENDORF wrote that _“the life and death of democracy is an unusual and extraordinary magnum opus by a notable scholar and author. It is unusual in tracing the history not just of ideas but democratic institutions, and extraordinary in its range…”

This German scholar was previewing a book by an Australian professor of politics; Professor John Keane titled “THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DEMOCRACY” which was published in 2009.

Like most notable thinkers who have only praises for democracy, Professor Keane’ book eulogised the concept of democracy thus: “The mould of cruel servitude can be shattered, as happened 2,600 years ago, when Greeks living on the SouthEastern fringes of Europe laid claim to an invention that now ranks in historical importance with the wheel, the printing press, the steam engine and the cloning of stem cells.”

For him, democracy was _“born of resistance to tyranny, their (Greek’s) claimed invention at first caused no great stir. Few spotted its novelty. Some condemned it for bringing chaos into the world. No-

body predicted its universal appeal”.

This erudite scholar also expounded that in a democracy those who exercise power should be prevented from bullying others, threatening them with violence, pushing and pulling them into different shapes, as if they are mere clay in the hands of the potters or as (as Aristotle like to say) “ they are mere pawn on the chess board”.

His words: “the prickliness of democracies towards elected and unelected representatives is encouraged by the fact that democracy thrives on separations.

Democracies try hard to take the sting out of imperiousness. Those who wield power are reminded constantly of their (potential) powerlessness.

Last month a lecturer of criminology at Ahmadu Bello University(ABU),Zaria went overboard and sounded like a peasant farmer with no formal education when he told the Nigerian media that he is opposed to the notion of rule of law that would regard alleged offenders as being innocent in the eye of the law. He was angered by the fact that alleged thieves of humongous public fund are being granted bails by the Federal High Court’s in Nigeria. This man was immediately supported by a Lagos based constitutional lawyer. Shortly after, the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami was quoted as literally

bullying high court judges that the executive arm of government will catch up and jail them if they fraternise with suspected thieves of public fund. These statements are unconstitutional because section 36 (5) of the constitution recognise that suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty not in the court of public opinion but in the competent courts of law.

Besides, the constitution provides for clear separation of powers by all the three layers of political administration to avoid fusing absolute power into the hands of a single ruler.

It therefore follows that those holding political offices must be careful not to fall into the temptation of dictatorship and tyranny. The Nigerian constitution recognises tenure limitations for the President and governors and this is to remind them that political power is transient.

The best way to guarantee the life of Nigerian democracy is for officials of government to resist the urge to undermine constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law.

Those urging president Buhari to disregard the time tested and honoured constitutional principles at the altar of opportunistic chase/ pursuit and persecution of perceived political opponents in the guise of fighting corruption are only misleading the administration.

In going about carrying out the

fight against corruption, the ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) must be immune from executive interference. The National Assembly should make laws that would guarantee respect for the rule of law and human rights of all Nigerians.

Both the former and current presidents had in their respective handing over and taking over speeches on May 28 and 29 of last year accepted the indubitable fact that democracy can only survive when the key players play by rules of the game.

However, there is widespread suspicions that Buhari has embarked on scotch earth policy of eliminating political opponents in the guise of fighting corruption.

Even before letting the accused persons have their days in court as prescribed by the constitution, key government officials including President Buhari have demonised those arrested as thieves and the media has made caricature of them.

Independent observers are worried that Nigeria is slowly but surely sliding towards dictatorship. All lovers of democracy must join hands to stop the drift to autocracy irrespective of political or Ethno-Religious affiliations. Augustine of Hippo (354430) stated rightly thus:” if justice be taken away, what are governments but great bands of robbers”.

Nigerians have a choice: to choose between the death or life of democracy.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Features

17

Æs

THE NATIONAL HEALTH LAW:

Jonathan’s controversial legacy still unresolved Trafficking in human parts is a practice backed by law in Nigeria as you read this, courtesy of the controversial National Health Law bequeathed to Nigerians by the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR picks up the drama from where politicians dumped it and the legal battle promised by concerned lawyers. His report.

Ekwuowusi

National Health Bill controversy that raged on for the greater part of 2012 to 2015 has resurfaced in 2016. While politicians were beating the drums of

electoral war and the nation preoccupied with March 2015 election, the Daily Times authoritatively reported that then President of the Federal Republic

of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had hastily signed a scandalous and controversial health bill into law.

Our features desk had been alerted

by Human Rights Lawyer, Sonnie Edwuowusi of the Project for Human Development PHD in Lagos and confirmed by Constitutional Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN).

The concerned lawyers had kicked against the National Health Bill (NHB) passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan on December 14, 2014 - just three months before the presidential election that ousted Jonathan’s-led administration.

The contention It would be recalled that the piece of legislation permits the removal of the tissue, blood or blood products from another living person in Nigeria for (what a doctor may consider) ‘medical investigations’ and treatment in ‘emergency ‘cases - without the patient’s consent.

Commenting on sections 48, 49 and 52 of the health law, Mr. Sonnie Ekwuowusi states:

Rape is allowed in Islam during times of ‘legitimate war’ — Female Islamic scholar A female Islamic scholar from the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, Professor Suad Saleh on Monday announced that Muslim men are allowed by Allah to rape nonMuslim or infidel women to “humiliate them during times of ‘legitimate war’ between Muslims and their enemies.”

The controversial Islamic scholar, who was speaking in an interview on Cairo television, further claimed that “Allah has given Muslim men a ‘legitimate’ way to have sexual relations

Continued on page 18

Prof. Suad Saleh

“The legal implication of Section 48(1) of the Act, which permits the removal of the tissue, blood or blood product from another living person ‘without his informed consent’ for ‘medical investigations’ and ‘treatment in emergency cases’ is a very dangerous piece of legislation which not only infringes on the fundamental human rights of the citizens, but is capable of fuelling the already thriving business of human and organ trafficking in Nigeria.

“Strangely enough, the interpretations of the phrases ‘medical investigation’ and treatment in ‘emergency cases’ are not provided in the Act. “This means that any doctor, even a quack - under pretext of carrying out ‘medical investigations’ or the said ‘treatment in emergency cases’ could get hold of any non-consenting living person and remove his or her tissue or blood or blood product. This obviously could lead to a willful bodily injury or murder of a human being in its true sense.

“Also, Section 48(2) of the Act permits the removal of a tissue of a person who is above 18. The section has no consent clause, meaning that anybody under the guise of medical investigation can remove the tissue of any living person who is above 18 years.

“Section 51 is even more scandalous. It permits the removal of a tissue or an organ of a living person for transplantation in another living person WITHOUT ANY CONSENT CLAUSE. “The only thing it says is that the removal should be carried out at ‘a hospital authorised for that purpose’ or with ‘the written authority of a medical practitioner in charge of the clinical services…’

“The cardinal rule of interpretation of statutes in Nigeria is that where the meaning of the language used in the statutes is clear and simple, the court must give effect to that meaning without inferring any other construction to that meaning. This was the decision of the Nigerian courts in *IBWA LTD V IMANO LIMITED* (1988)3 NWLR Page 633 at 660l *SAVANNAH BANK LTD & ORS V AJILO & ORS* (1987) 2 NWLR at 421. Therefore the meaning of the language of sections 48 and 51 of the National Health Act is clear and unambiguous.”

It would be recalled also that lawyers

Continued on page 18

Features 18 Rape: Muslim captors have the right to own the women — Saleh Continued from page 17 with slave women.

“Slavery already existed even before Islam; all Islam did was to regulate the practice.”

Saleh described slave women as those who have been captured as prisoners of war, adding that their Muslim captors have the right to own them.

“In order to humiliate them, they become the property of the army commander, or of a Muslim, and he can have sex with them just like he has sex with his wives,” Saleh said.

Professor of History at Florida State College, Dr. Andrew Holt, expressed dismay at the Islamic scholar’s alleged comments, saying that Saleh’s statements could be viewed as the Muslim world’s approval of the enslavement and rape of Yazidi women

by ISIS fighters and officials.

“I am surprised that such a detestable crime and human rights violation is sanctioned by a female professor from ‘Sunni Islam’s most prestigious university’ which is more than 1,000 years old,” Holt said.

The anti-Islam Internet group Jihad Watch said Saleh’s statements were based on the Quran. The group said the seizure of infidel girls and their use as sex slaves are all sanctioned in the Muslim holy book.

Jihad Watch cited this Quranic verse as proof: “O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war.”

The Qur’an says that a man may have sex with his wives and also with his slave girls, the group says. It cited this particular verse in the Quran: “The believers must (eventually) win through, those who humble themselves in their prayers; who avoid vain talk; who are active in deeds of charity; who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess, for (in their case) they are free from blame.” (Qur’an 23:1-6).

In May 2011, the Egyptian Sheikh Abu-Ishaq al-Huwayni declared that “we are in the era of jihad,” which means that Muslims could take slaves.

“Jihad is only between Muslims and infidels. Spoils, slaves, and prisoners are only to be taken in war between Muslims and infidels. Muslims in the past conquered, invaded, and took over countries. This is agreed to by all scholars—there is no disagreement on this from any of them, from the smallest to the largest, on the issue of taking spoils and prisoners.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Health Law: National Health Act cannot be implemented in any civilised society —Falana Continued from page 17 had considered the health bill a scandal, especially because stakeholders had protested the inclusion of those clauses at the initial hearing. This is Lawyer Ekwuowusi again: “I participated in the Public Hearing and some of the meetings culminating in the making of the NHB. In those fora, stakeholders specifically raised objections against sections 48, 51 and 52 of the Act. “It is a big scandal that in a country where uncountable Nigerians are dying owing to inaccessibility to basic primary health, some Nigerian legislators are sponsoring a Bill to legalise the exploitation and trafficking in human tissues and human organs. I still don’t know why we can’t put our priorities right in this country.”

When the Daily Times contacted constitutional lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) on the issue, he confirmed the NHB scandal. In a written reaction made available to Daily Times, Falana reviewed the NHB side by side with constitutional provisions.

“Since medical doctors have been empowered to decide when to remove organs from living persons, Section 51 of the Act therefore constitutes an infringement of the rights of citizens to life, dignity of their persons as well as the rights to privacy and freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed by Section 33, 34, 37 and 38 of the Constitution.

“In Medical and Dental Practitioner Disciplinary Tribunal v Okonkwo (2001) WRN 1, the Supreme Court held that a patient has the constitutional right to reject a life-saving treatment on religious ground.

“In the leading judgment of the apex court, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola held inter alia: “The patient’s constitutional right to object to medical treatment or, particularly as in this case, to blood transfusion on religious grounds is founded on fundamental rights protected by the 1979 Constitution. The right to privacy implies a right to protect one’s thought, conscience of religious belief and practice from coercive and unjustified intrusion, and one’s body from unauthorized invasion.

“The right to freedom of thought, conscience or religion, implies a right not to be prevented, without lawful justification, from choosing the course of one’s life, fashioned on what one believes in, and right not to be coerced into acting contrary to religious belief. The limits of these freedoms, as in all cases, are where they impinge on the rights of others or where they put the welfare of society or public health in jeopardy.”

It is pertinent to point out that it is the donor, and not the medical doctor or manager of a hospital who has the power to authorise that an organ be removed from a living Nigerian citizen.

Femi Falana SAN

The definition of ‘organ’ in the law includes kidney, liver, heart, lens, ovarian eggs, and sperm.

The proponents of the law are likely to refer to section 48 thereof which provided for the ‘informed consent’, but such consent ‘may be waived for medical investigations and treatment in emergency cases’.

“As far as the fundamental right of a Nigerian to dignity is concerned,” Falana continued, “there can be no waiver of consent under any medical condition.

Even where a patient is unconscious or incapable to give informed consent, the power is transferred to a next of kin or parent in the case of children.

“Since the consent clause may be waived for ‘medical investigation and treatment in emergency cases’ it does appear that medical practitioners and hospitals have been licensed to remove tissues and organs of living Nigerian

Since the consent clause may be waived for ‘medical investigation and treatment in emergency cases’ it does appear that medical practitioners and hospitals have been licensed to remove tissues and organs of living Nigerian citizens as any medical condition may be considered an emergency.

In other words, Section 51 of the Act constitutes an egregious assault on the humanity of Nigerians – Falana

citizens as any medical condition may be considered an emergency. In other words, Section 51 of the Act constitutes an egregious assault on the humanity of Nigerians. The provision of the law cannot be allowed to be implemented in any civilized society. Therefore, the National Assembly should expunge it from the law without any delay.”

Following the objections and submissions, the sitting Senate Health Committee at the time, led by former Senator Okowa (who is now the Delta state governor) had promised to ‘re-work the said vexed sections.

The NHB is already an Act, a law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, signed by the President in December 2014 as we speak,” Ekwuowusi told Daily Times. “The only solution now is to amend those sections that are offensive, unconstitutional and unacceptable.

“For now, we are asking Nass for those areas of the law to be amended; but if they don’t, we could challenge it in court and we intend to do so soon.”

Fellow Nigerians, the bottom-line now is, for as long as the law makers procrastinate in amending the law as it stands, the ethical crime of trafficking in human parts remains a legal practice in Nigeria – until concerned lawyers take the issue before the law courts.

But Daily Times investigation reveals that the former Okowa-led health committee did make changes before hurrying out of office, but the content of the change, our correspondent discovered, tantamount to another slap on Nigerians.

The concluding part of this study exposes another flaw in the NHB which permits the practice of young unsuspecting women to be exploited for their ovarian eggs to feed Invitro Vitro Fertilisation clinics in Europe and America - for a fee.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Crime

19

Æs 22-yr-old exconvict, two others in police net over attempted robbery

BY JOY ANYIM

e gang d arms from th Some recovere Reverend Owuchukwa (in red right), Chibuike and other members of the gang

Police smash cross country robbery gang

By OGUNTADE ISMAILA Policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja have arrested six armed robbers who specialise in robbing vehicles at Igbede area near Alaba International market, Ojo in Lagos; Onitsha in Anambra State and Ameke Abamyu in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State.

The men were paraded on Monday before the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Fatai Owoseni at the police headquarters in Ikeja.

The following vehicles robbed from various part of the country were recovered from the robbers: Unregistered Toyota 4 Runner Jeep, Toyota Camry No. AAA 391 AA, Toyota Camry No. FKJ 441 DV; 1 Lexus RX300 Jeep No. HAL 100 RF; 1 Lexus RX 300 Jeep No. LSR 520 DA; Toyota Highlander No. LSR492DX and Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep No. SMK484DS. According to

Among the suspects is one Reverend Titus Owuchukwa from Abia State who told Police he heads a Presbyterian Church in Umuahia.

“It was when I came for a programmed in Lagos in November 2015 that I saw a car they placed ‘for sale’ box on it at Alaba. When I priced the car, I was given a number to reach the owner which I did. The man came over and told me it was his personal car but that since I am a reverend minister, he would like to sow the car into my life.

“He asked me what I had to give him; I told him I just had an accident a couple of days ago that I did not have much, that I could offer just N500, 000 for the vehicle. It was a Pajero Mistubishi. He told me to be praying for him that he has just one child and that he wanted more.

“I gave him N350,000 and promised to pay the remaining N150,000 later.

“I never knew it was a stolen

car. It was just recently that I was arrested for the purchase of a stolen car. I saw where they wrote ‘for sale’ and I bought it. When I got to my base in Umuahia, I shared my experience with a friend. My friend then requested I call him to know if he had another vehicle for sale. I did call him and he told me he had a Camry tinny light for N300,000. My friend insisted he would pay N250,000.

“When I bought the vehicle, I was given the complete papers. I even called a soldier to help me verify if the papers were original.

The name on the vehicle document was same name as his, Felix Bright. I even did the change of document.

Another suspect is 31-year-old Ndube Samuel who told police that he bought a Toyota Camry from his brother-in-law, Chibuike Ume for N700,000 in September 2015.

“I was in my shop at Onitsha when he called me to come that he has a message for my sister that

he would want to deliver the message to me and then I can tell his sister (my wife).

“When I got to where he was, I found out he was with some persons who were police officers.

They told me the car I bought from Chibuike was a stolen car. I did not know it was a stolen car.

He just told me it was his personal car and that he just wanted to sell it to buy another one. The car documents given to me all contained his name. I sell drugs in Onitsha. In all, seven cars were recovered from his stand.

“Osas Felix, 32, who sold one of the vehicles, was given to me by a friend to sell since he knows me as a car dealer who sells cars at Berger. I got to know him last year and it is just one car that I got from him.

“He told me it was a stolen car; I bought it for N300,000 and I sold for N500,000. I have only bought two stolen vehicles. Sincerely the CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

For 22-year-old Torhile Philip, it may be a second journey to prison in less than four years. Phillip who was detained in 2011 for snatching a Hummer bus in Lagos and released after three years in June 2015 did not learn his lessons but returned back to his vomit barely seven months after his release.

An indigene of Benue State, Phillip claimed he was diagnosed of diabetes and was asked to pay the sum of N17,500 before the commencement of treatment at a health centre at Oyingbo on Lagos Mainland.

“Well, since I was jobless, I had no means of raising the money, so I resorted to robbery as the way out.”

“But luck however ran out on him and his accomplice, one Salifu Abbey when they tried to rob a taxi driver around Ijora area of Lagos. They were on the verge of perfecting their plan when men from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) rounded them up.

Upon a thorough search, police found a gun with them.

Phillip who is the second of three children of his parents tells his story.

“I was detained in prison in 2011 for snatching a Hummer bus but was awaiting trial before I was freed after three years without trial; that was in June 2015.

“While in prison, I wrote GCE which I passed and then enrolled for the National Open University Programme sponsored by some churches. I was in my second year when I was freed.

“After my freedom, I had no one to go to and I could not return to my village to meet my aged mother who had not seen me for long. I visited several churches in search of assistance but none of them gave me any hope so I went to stay with a friend pending when I can pick up the pieces of my life together.

“Unfortunately I took ill. I had to go to a health centre at Ebute Meta. There the doctor diagnosed me of diabetes. He also prescribed some drugs and treatment and gave me a bill of N17,500.

“I did not have such money so I went to my friend Salifu; he told me he did not have such money CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Crime 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

ROBBERY: Sincerely the Reverend did not know it was a stolen car – Chibuike

EX-CONVICT: I needed money to treat my diabetic condition

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

reverend did not know it was a stolen car.

He was arrested because he called me for a Camry when the police had already arrested me.

“It is just two cars that I have bought as stolen cars. I have been a car dealer for over seven years and I have sold over five hundred cars but not stolen ones.

I buy cars from Benin Republic and other countries. I am a licensed car dealer.”

“Melvin Chibuike is my friend; he gives me the cars to sell. He told me to look for buyers that the cars were from Cotonou in Benin Republic. My job was to find buyers for the vehicle and then they would give me my commission after they sell.

“I have known him for two years and have been in the business for about a year and I have sold more than six vehicles to five different buyers. I used to sell clothes at Alaba market and he usually patronise me, but on one that day while we were discussing, I told him a friend needed a car and he told me he was into the business of bringing in cars.

“I only heard he had been arrested by the police and I came to see him and that was how I was also arrested. I never knew he was selling stolen cars. My commission is always between N100,000 and N50, 000.”

Bola Salami, 29, confessed that he is a mechanic. “It is a friend called Opeyemi that introduced me into the business in December. We robbed vehicles together; I have only robbed and sold one car.”

Opeyemi Aregbsola, 25, said he started as a pick pocket before he graduated into car snatching. He claimed he started robbing just last year and it was a friend named Shame Badoo who introduced me into the business, Speaking to correspondents at the parade, the police said with regards to the incidence of armed robbery, within the period, the Special Squad were able to arrest 31 armed robbery suspects and the police recovered from those arrested, 12 pistols, rifles and a locally made one.

but that if I could give him the gun I had he could help me make some money. So we strategised and chose to rob a taxi. Our intention was not to snatch the vehicle but to just get some physical cash and run.

“We had stopped a taxi at Oyingbo heading to Ijora, but before we could carry out our plan, men of the Rapid Response Squad crossed us and that was how we were arrested.”

Phillip explained how he came about the gun: “The gun is not mine; I actually picked the gun at a bush along railway line. I was walking pass through railway line at Oyingbo when I saw someone hiding something in a bag in the bush. I stood somewhere and waited for him to leave, then I went to the place where he hid the bag and when I searched the content of the bag, I found a gun.

“I just chose to keep the gun not for any criminal intention. I told my friends about it and when I needed money we chose to use it. It was not intentional; I just needed money to stabilise my health and move on with life. If I had found a helper I wouldn’t have ventured into such.”

His accomplice, 23-year-old Salifu from Edo state, told a slightly different story: “It was Suliamon that introduced me to Philip. One day while I and Suliamon were taking a walk, we saw Philip. While they were discussing, he asked Philip of a gun in his possession belonging to a friend who has been arrested and in prison.

“Suliamon said he needed the gun. Philip told him the gun was still with him but had no bullet in it. He requested for the gun but Philip refused so Suliamon said he would use me to get the gun and sell it; that was on January 4th this New Year.

“So one day while I was passing I met Philip along the road, he asked me to help him with N500 but I told him I did not have such amount. He then started narrating his predicament. He told me he was just returning from the hospital where he did a test and was diagnosed

Phillip, Suliamon and Salihu

Phillip

of diabetes and that he needed money to pay for his treatment.

“It was at this point that I suggested he gives the gun to Sunday to sell and fetch him some money. He agreed on the condition that I followed him to rob a taxi driver with the gun first before he hands it over to me to give to Suliamon who will sell it. Well, I agreed.

“He then went to his house, brought the gun and we went in search of a taxi. I even called Suliamon to inform him of the development.

“We stopped a taxi and told the driver we were going to Ijora, he had given me the gun to hold because I was sitting at the back while he sat with the driver in front.

“When we got to the National Theatre area, he stopped the driver and told him to

collect money from me.

“But for me to bring out the gun to threaten the driver, it became difficult since I had never done such before. I then told the driver I had no money on me to pay that he should take us to Ijora, that my girlfriend was there who will give us money to pay him.

“The driver was vexed and a serious argument ensued. While we were arguing with the driver, men of the Rapid Response Squad crossed the taxi. Immediately, I transferred the gun to Philip who hid it under the seat. The officers even thought we were smoking Indian hemp and they searched us for the substance and found none. They then started searching the vehicle and found the gun.

That was how we were arrested.”

But the third of the culprits, 26-yearold Idris Suliamon, claimed he is innocent and had no hand in the operation.

His story: “It was Salifu’s wife who came to inform me that her husband had not returned home since he left in the morning. I tried to call him but he did not pick his call. Later, he called me and told me he was outside my house. I went out to meet him but unfortunately, he was with the police and that was how I was arrested.

“The truth is that I knew they were going to rob and also had a gun with them but I was never involved in the whole plan. I am a cobbler and not a thief.”

Unknown boy drowns in swimming pool at Ilorin There was disquiet in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital last weekend when the management of a hotel - the Royal Shekina, at the Ajase Ipo Road area in Ilorin, fished out the body of an unidentified young man from the hotel’s swimming pool.

Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Yusjib Industrial Medicare, also at Ajase Ipo area in Ilorin, Dr Yusuf Abdulraheem, confirmed the death of a boy in his early twenties after he was reported to have drowned in the swimming pool of Royal Shekina hotel.

The body of an unidentified young man has been fished out dead last weekend from the swimming pool of a hotel in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. State correspondent KEHINDE AKINPELU reports from Ilorin.

Abdulraheem told Daily Times that when the boy was brought to the hospital, he was lifeless.

“We had to record ‘brought in dead’ in our assessment because his body vital signs were not recordable.”

The CMD informed the hotel management staff that upon examination, the boy

identified only as Daniel, was already dead before they arrived the hospital.

Abdulraheem further informed that men and officers of the Nigerian Police Force from the ‘A’ Divison of the Kwara Command later took the corpse to the mortuary at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer of Kwara Police Command, Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the incident told our correspondent that the deceased approached the hotel to swim before he apparently drowned in the process of swimming.

The circumstances leading to his drowning was not clear and the identity of the boy was yet to be clearly defined at the time of filing in this report.

Meanwhile, management of the hotel declined comments on the incident and directed all inquiries to the PPRO at the Kwara State Police Command.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

21

N4.7b vehicles: Obasanjo writes Saraki, Dogara ÏÏÏFormer

President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, appears to have stirred the hornet’s nest with a strongworded letter to the leadership of the National Assembly, accusing the lawmakers of lacking transparency and being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians with the plan to buy cars for themselves.

Besides, he also accused the lawmakers of perpetrating constitutional breaches by not abiding by the emoluments fixed by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

In the letter dated January 13, sent to Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Obasanjo added that governance without transparency will be a mockery of democracy adding that the pool cars would have been sufficient to do the committee work, given all the allowances the lawmakers have already collected since their inauguration in June 2015.

The letter read in part: “While in government, I was threatened with impeachment by the members of the National Assembly for not releasing some money they had appropriated for themselves which were odious and for which there were no incomes to support. The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall into the same category.

Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensitive. A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any Committee Chairman or members for any specific duty. The waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling and these were veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why they were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians”.

He wrote further: “By our Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission is

charged with the responsibility of fixing emoluments of the three arms of government: executive, legislature and judiciary.

The Commission did its job but by different disingenuous ways and devices, the legislature had overturned the recommendation of the Commission and hiked up for themselves that which they are unwilling to spelt out in detail, though they would want to defend it by force of arm if necessary.

What is that?”

Obasanjo charged the lawmakers to be transparent in their finances by publishing its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 recurrent expenditure and opening their books to an external auditor from 1999 till date.

“The present economic situation that the country has found itself in is the climax of the steady erosion of good financial and economic management which grew from bad to worse in the last six years or so. The executive and the legislative arms of government must accept and share responsibility in this regard. And if there will be a redress of the situation as early as possible, the two arms must also bear the responsibility proportionally. The two arms ran the affairs of the country unmindful of the rainy day. The rainy day is now here. It would not work that the two arms should stand side by side with one arm pulling and without the support of the other one for good and efficient management of the economy.

Obasanjo

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, IndexConsulting, Mr. Ike Onyenokwe; Honourable Chairman, Investment and Securities Tribunal, Dr. Ngozi Chianakwalam; Group Managing Director, Sterling Business Network (SBN), Christian N. Junior; Founder/CEO, Benola, Cerebral Palsy Initiative, Air Vice Marshar Femi Gbadebo; Director, Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce, Paulette Van Trier and Chief Executive Officer, SBN, Mr. Raymond McMillan, during the SBN Executtive Business breakfast, held at Victoria Island, Lagos…on Tuesday.

EFCC arraigns ex-Customs officer for N40m fraud

ÏÏÏThe

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 arraigned Chinyere Ekanem, a former Customs Officer and Asuka Ebiye before Justice Maryann E. Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N40 million.

Ekanem, who was in October 2013 declared a deserter by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, had, while in the service, connived with Ebiye to defraud unsuspecting victims interested in buying some containers and cars, which she claimed were being auctioned by the

Service.

One of the victims, Patrick Ovie, alleged that Ekanem claimed that she could use her position as a Customs Officer in the office of the Deputy Comptroller General, Corporate and Support Service Department, to facilitate the auction of the containers and cars “with attractive returns on their monies”.

It, however, turned out that Ekanem and her accomplice, after collecting money from them, presented the victims with fake auction documents.

Efforts by the victims to get back their money were futile.

One of the counts reads: “That you Chinyere Ekanem sometime in 2013 at Abuja

in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Six Million Naira Only (N6,000,000.00) from Amos Boleigha under the false pretence of purchasing auctioned goods

from the Nigeria Customs Service, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”

WUMKO ENLIGHTMENT FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 MRS. OMOWUMI OKEWUNMI 2 MR. SIMILEOLUWA OKEWUNMI 3 MRS. OLUGBESAN KOFO 4 MR. FASAKIN JIBOLA BAMIDELE 5 REV. ISRAEL KRISTILERE 6 MISS. SHOMADE AYODELE OLAYINKA 7 MRS. IGE OLUWATOYIN OBAGBOYE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To provide a socio-political platform for networking among individuals and groups with similar interests and goals 2 To provide voters’ Education, create voters’ awareness on the importance of rights, peace and justice in Nigeria 3 To support and Empower the youth and less privileged in Nigeria 4 To provide training for capacity building.

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

SIGNED: BARR. (MRS) TEMILOLU OGUNDIPE FOR: IWADOLA OGUNDIPE PRACTICE.

JEROME NWACHUKWU

GLORIA OMAMURO UNUAFE

EMMANUEL FAVOUR OGHOGHO

OLASUKANMI AMOPE ADEDEJI

I MR IWU MADUWUBA whose Account Number is 0115088314 will no longer be using this name again in my account details. Henceforth MR JEROME NWACHUKWU and the account number 0176920927 will be used on my account. Guaranty Trust Bank please take note.

I formerly known, called and addressed as UDOH AKPAN UNWANA GLORIA. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. UNWANA GLORIA OMAMURO UNUAFE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note

I formerly known and addressed as MERCY OSAGIE AGHOGHO. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. EMMANUEL FAVOUR OGHOGHO. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note

I formerly known and addressed as MRS OLUSOLA OLASUNKANMI OKENLA ADEDEJI. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS OLASUKANMI AMOPE ADEDEJI. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note

BECKY REBECCA OGUNDIPE I formerly known and addressed as REBECCA OKON AKPAN. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as BECKY REBECCA OGUNDIPE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note

AKINTOLA OLAJUWON JAMES I formerly known and addressed as OMOEKOBA OLUWASEGUN JAMES. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as AKINTOLA OLAJUWON JAMES. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note

GIDEON AHMED OLUWEMIMO

IFEANYI ANTHONY BERNARD

EJEZIE IFUNANYA PEACE

I formerly known and addressed as Dauda Ahmed Oluwemimo Shonowo Now wish to be known, called and addressed as Gideon Ahmed Oluwemimo ShonowoAll documents and certificates bearing my former names remain valid. General public and relevant authorities should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as IFEANYI ANTHONY AGWUNEME A.K.A PRESTIGE Now wish to be known, called and addressed as IFEANYI ANTHONY BERNARD A.K.A PRESTIGE. All documents and certificates bearing my former names remain valid. General public and relevant authorities should please take note.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ODAZIE IFUNANYA PEACE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AS EJEZIE IFUNANYA PEACE. UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA, NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE, ZENITH BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

ISMAHEEL BABATUNDE I formerly known and addressed as ABDULGANIU IBRAHIM TAIWO. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as BAKARE ISMAHEEL BABATUNDE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note

OMOLARA ADEBANJO

I formerly known, called and addressed as MRS ADEREMI AOLAT OMOLARA OJOYE. Now wish to be known, called and addressed as MISS ADEREMI AOLAT OMOLARA ADEBANJO. All documents bearing my former name remain valid, General Public Should Please take note .

FO

A RS

LE

22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Stakeholders oppose electricity tariff increase Henry Omunu Abuja

ÏÏÏStakeholders

in the power industry have opposed the proposed increase in electricity tariff from February 3 by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on electricity tariff and billings has revealed.

Chairman of the committee, Rep. Babajimi Benson disclosed this Tuesday in Abuja, after a meeting of all stakeholders attended by the Nigeria Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network (NECAN), Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) and the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

A short statement issued by the ad hoc committee at the end of the parley, said before agreeing on the suspension of the proposed tariff increase, each group had expressed their respective positions on issues of billings and infrastructure in the power sector.

Rep. Benson said while the NERC as the regulator made a case for tariff

Fashola

increase, the distribution companies made a case for a cost reflective strategy to sustain and enable them expand and improve on their service delivery.

However, he added that the consumer group as represented by NECAN opposed the tariff hike on the premise that such an increase will further reduce the purchasing power of individual

‘No Lassa fever in Kaduna’

L-R: Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Prof.

Suleiman Elias Bogoro; CISCO Regional Corporate Affairs Manager for Africa, Mr. Alfie Hamid and CISCO Manager in Nigeria, Mr. Imoh Akpan, during the presentation of award to Bogoro in Abuja... on Wednesday. Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Victor Jibrin Kaduna

ÏÏÏThe Commissioner for

Health, Kaduna State, Prof.

Andrew Jonathan Nok, on Wednesday, said that there was not a single confirmed case of Lassa fever in the state, despite the spread of the disease in neighbouring ones.

He stated this at a press conference, where he said the state government was

Pita Chikwem

Ondo NSCDC nabs child traffickers, cultists Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe Ondo State Com-

mand of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has nabbed some woman suspected to be traffickers, who specialised in importing teenagers to the state for commercial sex.

The State Commandant of the corps, Adeyinka Ayinla, who disclosed this to journalists, at the Command’s headquarters, also said eight secondary school cultists and one rapist, who

had been on the wanted list of the Command, were arrested.

Ayinla, who paraded the suspects, on Wednesday, in Akure, said that the arrests were made possible due to intelligence information.

He said that two of the traffickers were arrested at a brothel, adding that the arrested rapist and cultists were apprehended at their meeting various meeting point.

He disclosed that the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate authority, while the cultists and

the rapist would be taken to court for prosecution.

He stated that the two traffickers were in business of bringing underaged girls into the state for prostitution, under the pretext of engaging them in legitimate work.

“The two teenagers are 16 and 17 years old. They were brought from Akwa Ibom State last week and locked up in different rooms by these traffickers and allowed various men, who might have paid the alleged criminals, to have sex with them,” he said.

He explained that the Command also arrested three secondary school girls and eight boys, all in their teens, who had been initiated in to a cult group by their ex-senior colleague.

Ayinla added that more investigation was still ongoing to arrest their initiator, who was a student at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. He later gave an account of a 15-year-old minor, who was repeatedly raped by her cousin, Monday Jacob, a commercial motorcyclist, aged 30.

Minna

ÏÏÏIn an effort to reduce

drug abuse in Niger State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 454 suspects with a total of 3,185.310kg of various illicit drugs, mostly cannabis, in the 2014 and 2015.

The State Commander, Mr. Joseph Iweajunwa, while briefing newsmen in Minna, on Wednesday, said that despite the challenges the Command encountered last year, it still did well.

Iweajunwa said that, “in the area of arrests and seizures, the Command, in 2015, recorded a total of 286 suspects and seizure of 1,614.529kg of various

Murder: Trigger-happy cop to face charge Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏAll is now set for the

prosecution to arraign a 28- years-old Police Corporal, Aremu Musefiu, who allegedly killed a mother of four, Mrs. Comfort Sunday

Godwin, at Isheri-Oshun, in Lagos, on September 16, 2015, on a two count-charge of attempted murder and murder before a Lagos High Court.

His prosecution was based on the recommenda-

tions of a legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lagos.

Parts of the DPP’s advice, marked LJP/ HOM/2015/131/10, and signed by Mrs. Taiwo Lam-

bo, an Assistant Chief State Counsel read: “This office has carefully studied the facts available in the duplicate case file and it is of the opinion that a prima facie case of the offence of attempted murder and mur-

der contrary to Sections 228 and 221 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State are revealed against the Page B1‘Aremu Musefiu’.

“In the instant case, it is evidence that B1 ‘Aremu Musefiu’, intentionally

consumers and affect profitability of businesses.

“We are reviewing all the relevant documents provided alongside our engaged consultants and at the same time analysing the proposed tariff review in consultation with NERC, TCN and bulk traders to ascertain the basis of the 2015 tariff model”, the statement said.

fully prepared to tackle the disease whenever and wherever it was detected, stressing that related facilities had been reactivated.

According to him, about five weeks ago, places like Nasarawa, Plateau, Kano, Niger states and the Federal Capital Territory, reported confirmed cases of Lassa fever.

This development, he said, had compelled the state government to be on alert and knowing that “this was a contagious virus. We have to actually activate all those facilities which we have, in case we have persons that have been identified with Lassa fever.”

Niger NDLEA arrests 454 drug suspects drugs against a record of 168 suspects and seizure of 1,570.781kg of various drugs in 2014.”

He also said that out of the suspects, in year 2014 and 2015, 99 had so far been convicted by Federal High Court, Minna.

The Command urged the state, and the nation, in general, to articulate how best “our communities can be healthy without drugs”, and said that “it is the responsibility of all us to help to better society.”

killed and caused grievous harm on the occupants of the tricycle. Aremu Musefiu confessed that he fired his rifle on the tricycle which injured Page A4 on the jaw and killed Mrs. Comfort Sunday Godwin.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Imo: No going back on sacked workers, says Okorocha Val Okara Owerri

ÏÏÏGovernor

Rocha Okorocha of Imo State, on Wednesday, said that he would not reverse the sack over of 4,000 workers from 19 parastatals and health sector, saying that the concession policy was in the best interest of the state.

Okorocha made this known when briefing newsmen at the Government House, Owerri, and noted that the embattled workers were only a ‘drain pipe’ on the economy of

the state.

According to him, the concession policy may be unpopular, but it was to put the economy of the state on the right track.

He stated that workers in the state only constitute two percent of the entire population but consume the entire state monthly allocation through salaries and allowances.

He said, “Not every government policy is popular.

It is in the best interest of the state that the government came up with the concession policy. If we go

Okorocha

by the way of sentiment, we will not make any headway in developing the state.

“Whatever I have done

on the concession, it is in the best interest of the state. If one Imo son loses his job, another Imo son replaces him. The decision was to boost productivity.

“Nobody can frustrate the state government anymore, and no strike can deter the state government from taken any decision to move the state forward.

If any worker leaves from service, another person takes over immediately. I am taken a political risk, which nobody had taken in the past.

23

Okowa advocates skill acquisition for Corpers Monday Osayande Asaba

ÏÏÏThe

Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has canvassed the training of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in different skill acquisition programmes to equip them with broader knowledge for self-employment.

He made the call, on Wednesday, in Asaba, when officials of the scheme, led by the Director-General, BrigadierGeneral Johnson Olawunmi, paid him a courtesy visit.

Okowa, who lauded the objectives behind the scheme, stated that equipping graduates with practical skills, during the service year, would be an advantage, since it would reduce the number of graduates chasing few or non-available civil service jobs.

According to him, “I hope that we will encourage our graduates to acquire skills while they are in camp to enable them engage in agriculture and other self-sustaining skills, because white- collar jobs are not easily available.”

FG establishes virology laboratory in Ebonyi Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

ÏÏÏThe Nigeria Medical

Association (NMA), Ebonyi State branch, has described as timely the federal government’s efforts in establishing a virology laboratory in the state to serve the South-East zone for the control of Lassa fever and other diseases.

Its Chairman, Dr. Ugochukwu Umahi, in a press briefing, said that since the outbreak of the vi-

rus, the federal and state governments had taken various step to control the disease.

He described the plan to establish a Virology Laboratory in the state as a step in the right direction.

He called for an enlightenment campaign on the virus and urged the people to keep their environment clean, avoid food contaminated by rats and take persons with fever to the hospital for medical attention.

Adamawa law-maker alleges threat to his life Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏA member of the Ad-

amawa State House of Assembly, Mr. Abdulrahaman Isa, has alleged that the governor of the state wanted to assassinate him without any cause.

According to him, the Governor has been making him too uncomfortable with constant messages of threats, for which he had been on the run for the past four months.

“The Governor wants to kill me just because I want to tell the masses the truth on many things going wrong with the present Government.

“I always received dead

threats not to come back to Yola. I wants to say that my life is in danger, but this threat will never stop me from telling the truth to the people of Nigeria”, Isa said But he also call on the Governor to sheath his sword, as it had been shown that he had taken the fight directly with him by denying him his legal constituency privileges, which his colleagues were getting.

“The recent distributions of tricycles done by the government through the gesture of President Muhammadu Buhari was clearly shown that he is fighting me and my people, which was why he denied my people the privilege of benefiting the gesture.

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (middle); former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (left) and President, Fatima Charity Foundation (FCF), Alhaja Bintu-Fatima Tinubu during the 2016 Pray for the Nation organized by (FCF), at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos… on Tuesday.

Monday Osayande Asaba

ÏÏÏThe Director-General

of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, has ordered the directors and staff of the agency to declare their assets now or face the wrath of the law.

Olawumi gave the order, onWednesday, while speaking at a three-day 2016 Annual Management Conference holding in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

He hinted that the NYSC management would be consistent in dealing with those who refused to make the periodic asset declaration as required by the

NYSC DG orders staff to declare assets or…

Code of Conduct for public officers.

According to him, a machinery has been put in place for all staffers to adhere strictly to the policy, and so his, “staff will not be left out on the issue that moderate their conducts within the matrix of the larger public service”.

On the increasing Corps population, Olawumi revealed that a proposal has been sent to the federal government to conduct orientation course programme on quarterly ba-

sis from next year to accommodate members that were likely to hit 350, 000 in no distant time.

He appealed to the state governors that had no permanent orientation camps to urgently make provision for one as a way of contributing to human capital and youth development.

Declaring the conference open, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa urged the agency to bring up fresh ideas that would improve on their performances,

create opportunities for the development of modern practices and others that would help in the course of implementing the NYSC policies.

Okowa said that since the establishment of the agency, the social, political, economic and cultural development of the country had improved, adding that in the state communities now had value for education, agriculture, infrastructure, youth empowerment, technology and social services.

News 24 Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

ÎÎÎThe

British High Commission has decried lack of statistical details and poor implementation of the relevant laws, as reasons for high increase of violence against women in the country.

It has also charged the federal government to embark on awareness campaign on the existence of the law , adding that adequate statistics should be provided for it to prepare a legal and final frameworks on how to eradicate the menace.

The Communication Manager and Political Adviser, British Deputy High Commission, Mr. Wale Adebajo, said this, on Wednesday, at a stakeholders’ workshop/training on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015 or-

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

UK laments poor implementation of laws against sexual violence ganised by New Initiative for Social Development.

Adebajo, said it was quite disheartening that most of the Nigerians, in whose interest the law was passed by the National Assembly in 2015, after 13 years of its proposition, were oblivious of its existence, which, he said, had been scuttling intentions to tackle the menace.

“In Nigeria, with special focus in south west, there is no statistical data on sexual violence the government can work with for proper planning, institutions are very weak in rising up to tackle the

issue of sexual violence. The citizens have no access to the law.

“The political will and low capacity of actors are also limiting the progress on actions against this problem.

“Human rights and protection of the rights of women are at the heart of British Government’s foreign policy.

The UK government promotes gender equality and tackles violence against women and girl child as a matter of principle.

“We are campaigning to raise awareness, rally global action promote international coherence and increase the

political will and capacity of states to do more”.

Also, the Acting Southwest Regional Co-ordinator, British Department for International Development, Mrs. Margaret Fagboyo, identified local customs, traditional beliefs and value system as those factors accentuating violence against women in Nigeria.

She expressed happiness that the new law comprehensively addressed medical, psychological, social and legal assistance by accredited service providers and government agencies for the victims, with their identities protected dur-

ing court cases.

Fagboyo appealed to the federal government to see to the implementation of the law, to protect the vulnerable groups.

The Co-ordinator of NISD, Mr. Abiodun Oyeleye, said available statistics showed that the southern states top the list in sexual violence cases, with Ekiti topping the list in the southwest with an average of 6.6%.

Oyeleye called on the police to always take time and investigate all issues reported to them and strive hard to conceal the identities of the victims.

Edo citizens laud Oshiomhole on infrastructure Titus Akhigbe, Benin

ÎÎÎThe

security details of Governor Adams Oshiomhole had a hectic time keeping over-joyed market women, children and other residents of the 2nd East Circular Road, in Benin City, at bay, on Wednesday, as they trooped out in their large numbers singing praises and trying to have a feel of the Governor for the ongoing construction of their road.

Some of the women danced, others waved brooms, while yet others swept the road to appreciate the Governor during an inspection of the ongoing 6-lane dual carriage road, complete with street lights, side drains and walkways.

An elated Oshiomhole, who joined the women in dancing, told them that the construction of the road and other ongoing projects was in fulfillment of his promise to continue to work for the people till the last day of his administration.

Gov. Oshiomhole

NEMA distributes relief materials in Niger Saka Bolaji, Minna

ÎÎÎThe

Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has distributed some relief materials to the victims of last year’s petroleum tanker explosion, at Kagara, in Rafi Local Government and others affected by lead poisoning in the council areas within the same period.

The relief materials included bags of cement, roofing sheets, bags of rice, kegs of palm oil, maize, spaghetti, millets and textiles, among others.

The goods were received on Sunday from the representative of the DirectorGeneral, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mr. Abdulrasak Musa, an Assistant Co-ordinator, Niger State Operations Office of the federal emergency management agency by the Hon. Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Ibrahim Balarabe, on behalf of the Governor of Niger State alongside Hon. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Yabagi Abass and the Director General, NSEMA, Mallam Ibrahim Nga.

Northern govs urged to emulate Okorocha on unity President, National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Muhammad Askira (right) addressing traders at Bodija Market during Lassa Fever Awareness Outreach by National Executive Council of Association of Residence Doctors in Ibadan… on Wednesday.

TETFund spends N100b on ICT in tertiary institutions Augustine Okezie Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Executive Secretary,

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, has disclosed that the agency had, so far, invested over N100 billion in the last two years, as exclusive intervention in information and communication technology (ICT) and the provision of CCT and virtual Libraries in several tertiary institutions in the country Bogoro, who made the disclosure, on Wdenesday, in Abuja, while receiving an award conferred on the agency by CISCO management team, led by its Regional

Manager for Africa, Mr. ALfie Hamid, said the award did not come to him as a surprise considering the degree of intervention the agency had carried out in several tertiary institutions, especially in the area of infrastructural and ICT development, thus reflecting government intentions at deepening research and development activities in the institutions He said that, “We know that your award is not frivolous because CISCO is an international brand. This goes to show what we are moderately deepening intervention in critical areas, and it will strengthen us and we have never hesitated recognising

Cisco label” Bogoro further assured the visiting CISCO team that the agency would continue to partner with it – alongside other regulatory agencies in the education sector, and that TETFund had invested in ICT components more than at any other time to address any identified inadequacy in ICT facilities.

Hamid called for the strengthening of the partnership between the two agencies to keep pace with the unpredictable variations in technology especially in the education sector The CISCO boss who further announced the take-off of the entrepreneurial ICT

scheme for about 5, 000 students selected from eleven tertiary institutions in country, and called for diversification of the educational curriculum by investing in ICT entrepreneurial skill development programmes

Prof. Bogoro

Val Okar, Owerri

ÎÎÎThe

Northern governors have been tasked to reciprocate Governor Rochas Okorocha’s gesture of accommodating non-indigenes, particularly Hausa/Fulani people resident in the state.

The Special Adviser to Okorocha on Hausa Community Affairs/Herdsmen, Mallam Hassan Adamu Sokoto said that the Hausa communities in the state had benefitted immensely from the Imo State Government, especially the free education and youth programmes.

Hassan Sokoto, who gave the advice in Owerri, the Imo State capital while fielding questions from newsmen, disclosed that over 1, 000 people of Hausa-Fulani origin in the state had benefitted from the state government free education programme.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

25 Opinion

Opportunity 2016 ÏÏÏDear readers, kindly

permit me to take a pause on my ongoing analysis of Nigeria Vision 20-2020 to share my hopes for Nigeria in the New Year, 2016. Before sharing my, hopes however, I would like to take a quick look at 2015 to see how we fared. That exercise is also necessary as a backdrop for my vision for 2016 Nigeria.

All these must of course be done within the context of the alarming fall in crude oil price globally. We all know that Nigeria lives on oil. Irresponsible and scandalous but true. The implication with regards to government finance in these days of falling crude oil price is simply that the Nigerian Government is in very challenging times except something drastic is done pretty fast.

And this is the rationale for my writing today’s column – Opportunity 2016. Why ‘opportunity’ instead of moaning the crisis of cash squeeze. It is simply because in times like this, good thinkers in government excel. On the other hand, those who do not think sink.

Challenges are leverages for accessing greater opportunities as well as transforming the opportunities to positive outcomes and realities. I cannot, for example, imagine the incredible prosperity of America without the crash of the 1930s, just as I cannot imagine the great-

ness of Israel and even of modern day Germany and Europe in general without the difficulties of the 1940s.

I will come back to this shortly after taking a look at 2015 as I had mentioned above.

2015 was most notable for Nigeria because of Buhari.

He became Nigeria’s elected president. What is peculiar and special about Buhari?

He is not corrupt. Now, if I were writing for a European or American audience or probably a Chinese or Japanese audience, the significance of my statement that our leader is not corrupt might be lost on them if he were their leader: they have taken integrity of leadership to be a given, it is not a big deal: their leaders live and must live above board, as a rule. In China, death may result from a breach of this code of conduct. While it is true that before the rise of Buhari, corruption was legally criminal, it was not the norm to have the leader of Nigeria epitomize financial integrity and rectitude. Indeed, the world and Nigerians themselves had come to accept corruption as a Nigerian. It was that bad. Here comes strange Buhari. Against all grains and all odds and all probably silently accepted norms, he rose to power on the ticket and platform of financial integrity, solid financial

Buhari

integrity that nothing, absolutely nothing and nobody has been able to tarnish. Is he a Nigerian? Is this Nigeria since Buhari? Yes he is Nigerian Born in Nigeria, raised, trained and groomed in Nigeria. He became a Nigerian leader, at the very top, first in 1984, on the same ‘ticket’/platform of financial integrity, and, of course discipline. Corrupt Nigeria, I mean, of course, elite corrupt Nigeria, was not ready for him. He was kicked out, overthrown. To maintain his integrity and rectitude more than thirty years afterwards is itself a phenomenon; but here we are: Nigeria’s head is clean; Nigeria is clean again. And therein lies the opportunity for Nigeria – Opportunity 2016. If Nigeria leverages its current foundation of leadership morality and

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integrity, it will rise to the economic status of China, Japan, Singapore and the Western World. The question is what the opportunity to be leveraged is and would Nigeria leverage it? In the classic, “Things Fall Apart”, Okonkwo staked the survival of Umuofia, his city-state, on the ability of the nation’s leadership to stand firm at the critical point in time when it had the opportunity, albeit limited, to carve its name in history against relentless European onslaught and colonialization.

Suffice to say that Umuofia’s leadership could not stand and therefore lost its ancient glory; quite apart from losing its illustrious son, Okonkwo, to the forces that came to ravage its soul and its economy. So, the question is, would Nigeria stand? The ascendancy of Buhari has

provided the opportunity.

Will Nigeria leverage it and become great?

What is the opportunity that Buhari represents for Nigeria? It is only one: opportunity to work again, both as individuals, as states and as a nation. This is however easier said than done. Yes, everyone would want to see unemployment eradicated in Nigeria. The question is what does it take to create employment and can the current leadership of Nigeria see this prerequisite for putting Nigeria and Nigerians back to work as close to 100% employment rate as possible and within the shortest time possible?

As we have attempted to show several times in the past, technically and theoretically, Nigeria is NOT poor. It simply stopped thinking many years ago at the level of the critical mass of its elite leadership.

It hit oil and felt that was the end of the world, that the cornered Niger Delta oil would meet all its needs. So, from a vibrant, productive, industrializing and exporting nation, it gradually became a very weak, indolent, parasitic and wholesale importing nation, so bad that it even imports toothpick!

How low can a nation go?

How bankrupt and shameless and suicidal can national elite be? It is with this background in mind that one celebrated the incidence of Buhari. However, celebration time is over, work must begin. And he has indeed begun work in earnest. But there is no time to crawl or walk. Nigeria needs to fly: it is catching up time. And, therefore, Nigeria must now make up by ‘violently’ and aggressively thinking. Since we know what put Nigeria on the path of development

in the past, that is, regional autonomy a.k.a. resource control, it becomes easy to think out what Nigerian must do to return to the path of development: regional autonomy a.k.a. ‘true federalism’. It means ownership of all mineral resources must be returned to the states that house them in their land. As was the practice in the early 1960s, the Federal Government would only act as representative of the regions if need be, to collect rents and royalties and return 50% to the states that own the resource; share 30% to other states proportional to their size etc and retain the balance of 20% for federal purposes e.g. army, customs, presidency, federal legislature and judiciary etc. Once the states take charge of their own resources, a new wave of development will arise that would lead to massive employment due to better management on ground.

However, this step requires courage. But that precisely is what the government of Buhari has. Fortunately, the National Assembly is currently in the process of reviewing the Constitution.

President Buhari should team up with the legislators to amend the Constitution in line with the above submissions. The key areas that need tinkering are Sections 44(3) and 162-168 of the Constitution to bring them in line with the more federal Constitutional provisions in Sections 30 and 130-139 of the 1960 Independence Constitution. Then would the opportunity presented by 2016 been fully utilized for rapid development in all parts of Nigeria.

Next week, we shall return to our analysis of the Nigeria Vision 20-2020.

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26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Health Æ s

This is the season of Lassa fever, Bird flu, Meningitis—Prof. Omilabu Professor Sunday Aremu Omilabu, a virologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, and a professor at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG) was appointed Chairman of the Taskforce on the control of viral hemorrhagic fevers during the Ebola outbreak period he is now, a member of the newly constituted Lassa fever Control Committee. In this interview with LARA ADEJORO, he tells all there is to know on Lassa fever, Meningitis and Bird flu.

On Lassa fever?

Lassa fever outbreak is a seasonal thing. It’s been on for over 40 years, the virus was discovered in 1959 in Lassa village in the present day Borno State and ever since, they had been occurrence of Lassa Fever outbreak during the dry season. Although, many of these were never recorded until way back to 2002 when the diagnosis was made regularly and ever since, we’ve been having seasonal outbreak and it’s usually during the dry season.

This one that is occurring now is another season of Lassa fever. We are aware, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) is aware and we have structures in place. All the states Ministries of Health are also aware that this is the season of Lassa fever. Just like we are aware that this is the season for Meningitis and Bird flu. The reason they are occurring has to do with the fact that, for Lassa fever, we have the vectors here.

We are among those countries in West Africa that harbour the vectors of multimammate rodents. Where you don’t have the rodents, we can never have the virus except if it is imported and people can import Lassa fever to other countries just like Ebola

was imported to our country. For Meningitis, this is the dry season where you have the dust. The agent is in the dust been blown from the north down to us here and then, the flu are in the white birds that flew to the dry area.

They are from the Europe where they are in their winter season.

The birds cannot withstand winter, so they have to come to a dry place. They share the virus where they migrate to. Even though, it kills them too. It’s not unexpected. We are not surprised that we are having them.

As an expert, you are aware and the Ministries of Health are not surprised but with the number of casualty recorded so far, it seems the country is pretty much taken unawares?

We need to step up our level of awareness and it’s not a one time exercise. It has to be continuous because we know that Lassa fever, Meningitis and Bird flu happen during the dry season and we know the factors that drive them.

The vectors for Lassa fever, the rodents are in the bush and during the dry season, the bush will be burnt, they get dry, exposing the hide-outs of the rodents so they will now move into the households to hide. As they hide,

Omilabu

they look for food remnants, they look for where we keep our foodstuff especially garri and the leftovers of cooked rice, bread and yam. They share these foods and contaminate them, that’s why we keep hearing of Lassa fever during the dry season. Not that we don’t have the virus in vectors in the rainy season but because of the rain, the rodents are pushed to the bush and it’s the same thing for Meningitis. It’s the wind that blows the dust from the north down to us. The dust reaching those bacteria agents that are associated with Meningitis and the bird harbouring the influenza virus migrate from the winter area to the dry and warm areas. As long as we are in the dry season,

we will have Lassa fever, Meningitis and Bird flu. The period for Lassa fever is from October to March. By the time we get to March ending, it subsides. By the time we seem to have one or two rainfall, the rodents will go back, so the cases of Lassa fever will go down. These diseases are zoonotics, so transmission from these animals to human will decrease but all the humans that carry the virus now will start transmitting to each other, we now have human-to-human transmission.

How can we get it right?

We need to start hightening the level of awareness and sensitisation. People need to be educated and informed. We should not go to rest. We’re still going to have

Caffeine Doesn’t Give You Heart Palpitations, Study Finds Researchers have said that drinking coffee, tea or chocolate does not appear to cause heart palpitations, heart fluttering and other out-of-sync heartbeat patterns.

The study published on NBCNews.com report challenges a widely held belief that caffeinated drinks cause irregular heart rhythms that can lead to heart failure or dangerous heart rhythm disorders and is another vindication for coffee as a safe drink.

It might be time for doctors to

lighten up on coffee, says Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California San Francisco, who led the study.

“Clinical recommendations advising against the regular consumption of caffeinated products to prevent disturbances of the heart’s cardiac rhythm should be reconsidered, as we may unnecessarily be discouraging consumption of items like chocolate, coffee and tea that might actually have cardiovascular benefits,” Marcus

said in a statement.

“Given our recent work demonstrating that extra heartbeats can be dangerous, this finding is especially relevant.”

It used to be believed that premature cardiac contractions, which usually cause no symptoms or mild symptoms such as heart palpitations, ‘skipped’ beats or fluttering, were harmless. But studies now show they’re associated with heart failure, atrial fibrillation and other dangerous conditions.

Caffeine

the fever again during another dry season but we need to prepare ahead of time. By 2012, when the awareness was very high, we recorded close to 1800 cases of Lassa fever from over 20 states.

So also was it in 2013 and 2014.

In 2015 that we had lots of rainfalls, so the report was very low.

We had 300 cases reported with 7 deaths and with heavy rainfall, the rodents were restricted to the bush. In this season, since we entered into the dry season, no rain and once they come to the house, they’ll eat all the exposed foods.

That’s why we need health education on how to keep our food, environment and how to live hygienic lifestyles just like we

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

27 Health

is one of the most Nutritionists canvass Gari common sources of Lassa fever exclusive breastfeeding Continued from page 26

Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam, Keynote Speaker; Festus Tettey, Head of Marketing, Promasidor; and Andrew Enahoro, Head, Legal/PR, Promasidor; at the one-day workshop on Breastfeeding workshop organised by Promasidor at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Lara Adejoro The President of Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Professor (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam has stated that exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first six months of life is the best and could help in considerably reducing infant mortality rate.

Speaking at a one day breastfeeding symposium tagged “The Nutrition Wisdom of Infant Feeding Choices” organised by Promasidor Nigeria Limited at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Prof Nnam appealed to mothers to breastfeed their babies with only breast milk as it contains all the nutrients the baby needs.

“Breastfeeding alone (exclusive breastfeeding) is a complete nutritional source for infants for the first six months of life because breast milk contains all the essential nutrients, bio-active compounds and anti-infective factors needed by the infant for the first six months of life,” she said She warned that insufficiency of nutrients in babies could have significant effect on the brain of babies; which is rapidly developing during infancy. In her words: “Inadequate supply of the nutrients like iron, iodine, magnesium ,Vitamin B12, folate, fat (LCPUFA) leads to insults in the brain to reduce IQ by 13.5 points. The effect according to her is permanent and irreversible.”

Speaking further, Professor Nnam said Nutrition wisdom is important to ensure adequate sup-

ply of nutrients to support rapid growth and development of the infant; prevent malnutrition that could lead to stunting, wasting, underweight and micronutrient deficiency diseases; as well as to protect the infant from developing chronic diseases in adulthood like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

According to her, the nutrients contained in breast milk are adequate in quantity and quality to promote optimal growth and development of infants. She explained that composition of breast milk has been designed by nature to provide all the nutrient needs of the infant, make for easy digestion and assimilation by infants.

She stated that breast milk is uniquely suited for infants both in nutritional composition and in the non-nutritive bioactive factors that promote survival and health.

“Human milk contains water, fat, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, some hormones, enzymes, growth factors, essential fatty acids and immunological factors that play vital roles for adequate development and growth of the infant”; she said.

Lending his voice to the discussion, Dr. Abieyuwa Emokpae, a Consultant Paediatrician and Medical Doctor at Massey Street Children’s Hospital corroborated Professor Nnam assertion by saying that hhuman milk contains hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation and contribute to immune

maturation, organ development and healthy microbial colonization. Some of the molecules he listed include colostrum, fat, and protein. His words: “Human milk contains a wide variety of proteins that contribute to its unique qualities ranging from growth to antimicrobial effects. It provides adequate amounts of AA to growing infants,” he said Similarly, Dr. Ola-Aroyewun Bisoye, a Matron said studies have shown that breasted infants do better on intelligence and behaviour tests into adulthood than formula-fed babies. She advised that continued breastfeeding until the age of two years or more brings the reproductive cycle full cycle because breastfeeding is the primary means of delaying pregnancy and spacing births.

Her words: “As long as a mother breastfeeds fully or nearly and as long as her periods have not returned, her protection against pregnancy during the first six months is ensured. This family planning method is called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM),” she disclosed.

Meanwhile, Professor Nnam said apart from breastfeeding, mothers could also employ complementary feeding. This, she said, is giving other foods to the infant to complement breast milk.

According to the nutrition guru: “The child continues to receive breast milk as well as complementary foods, before eventually changing to the family food alone”.

did during Ebola. People have already dropped the idea of handwashing or going with hand-sanitizers. Those are the magics that worked for curtailing Ebola. The same thing also holds for Lassa fever. Once we do these, we’ll see that we won’t have more of Lassa fever.

Some have stipulated that we shouldn’t drink garri.

What’s your take on it?

I will not say people should not drink garri as long as they are sure that their garri is protected away from rodent infestation. They have to put their garri in rodent protected containers.

Once they are sure that the garri is good especially those that are well prepared. The irony of it is that, people tend to drink garri more during the dry season. Rodents eat any exposed garri and contaminate it. One problem with rodents is that, as they eat, they urinate and defecate. But with Eba, there is still danger in it because you will use your hand to fetch the garri from the container, the hand you use will still carry virus, the one you put inside hot water will damage the virus but you won’t pour hot water on your hand. For the garri, you have to be very cautious because it’s one of the commonest sources of getting Lassa virus. If you must drink garri at all, you must be sure of the garri you’re drinking.

What are the similarities and differences in Lassa fever, Meningitis and Bird flu?

Lassa fever is carried by rodents. For the ones that are problematic in Meningitis, they are bacteria caused. Though we have viral Meningitis which are different from the bacteria epidemics and many of those viruses are enterovirus, i.e the viruses we mix with in the environment.

Bird flu is caused by a virus which is airborne unlike Lassa fever that is transmitted through eating; though it can now be aerosolized, then it becomes particles which we can inhale but they are not as easily aerosolizable as flu virus and when they come in contact with the respiratory tissue, they first of all grow. Lassa fever will get into the blood which will carry it over into other organs unlike the influenza virus that the air blows through the nostrils and once it gets there, it starts growing and the two are very deadly. If care is not taken, they end up killing the victim.

However, Ribavirin takes care of Lassa fever if diagnosed on time.

We have Tamiflu for Bird flu and

we have vaccines for Meningitis.

You are a member of the newly constituted Lassa fever control committee, what is your advise to Nigerians?

The committee is charged with activities of stemming Lassa fever outbreak and to put structures in place to mitigate future outbreaks. For Bird flu, we need to advise people to stay clear of any farm where it is reported because we don’t want the virus to jump from the bird into human being. We need health education because we know it’s the bird that’s harbouring the virus.

During the Ebola season, the Federal Government approved N1.9billion for Ebola intervention. Don’t you think if money is released now, it will help in the fight against these deadly diseases?

Money is one of the things that will make it easier to control these diseases. The Minister of Health while inaugurating the committe at the Council of Health meeting, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole promised that he will try to look for money to assist the committee carry out their assignment.

Money is very key. We need to carry out diagnosis, surveillance and we need money for people to move around. We have a state where they thought it was a spiritual attack. Most of the cases reported late and there was nothing the drug could do. It’s when you report early that Ribavirin can do wonders.

What lessons can we learn from the defeat of Ebola in the fight against these diseases?

One of the lessons is that we can have any of those deadly viral agents anytime because we are not in the belt of Ebola, yet it was brought into our country; that tells us that we can have any of the emerging or reemerging agents in our environment, we have to b ever ready, we have to improve on our surveillance system. On the part of the populace, we have to be conscious of our environment. We have to cultivate the habit of living in a clean environment and cultivate hygienic practise of hand-washing and washing of our fruits. Then if you notice any unusual fever, don’t stay at home, don’t say it’s a spiritual attack, go to a healthcare centre and let them rule out all they know. And if you kill any rat, we should be careful, it shouldn’t be disposed with our bare hands but rather, our hands must be wrapped, then dig the ground deep down before it’s buried.

Abia Warriors vow to keep Chikatara

N

igeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Abia Warriors have said they will match an offer of 750,000 Naira-amonth (about $3,000) and a car from Kano Pillars for their striker Chisom Chikatara.

Chikatara, who netted four goals at

Chikatara

CHAN 2016, remains a player of the Umuahia club, though he has been bombarded with tempting offers from home and abroad.

Extra Time gathered that Warriors are currently studying a rash of offers from overseas for the highly-promising striker.

g 29 I’m proud of CHAN Eagles, says Oliseh

Page 28

Thursday, January 28, 2016

t CAF s i l a i r T yet to decide on candidate for FIFA presidency

T

he Confederation of African Football (CAF) is yet to decide on which candidate to support for the FIFA presidency during the elections next month.

Junior Binyam, the CAF Media Director revealed in an interview in Rwanda that they have not yet decided.

“Since the CAF executive committee has been taking time to consider their choice putting into consideration the interests of Africa as a continent. But the CAF position will be known soon,” he said.

During the FIFA elections last year CAF supported incumbent Sepp Blatter. However, following financial scandals around FIFA Blatter was forced out because of criminal investigations. CAF President Issa Hayatou is now the Acting President.

Binyam explained that it is always good to consider what any candidate will bring to the development of football in Africa before casting a vote. “CAF will decide on the best candidate for Africa,” he added.

Already five candidates have been cleared to contest for FIFA presidency when the elections take place on February 26, 2016 at the headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

The 39-year old President of the Jordan Football Association, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jerome Champagne (France), Gianni Infantino (Italy), Sheikh Salman bin Ebrarim al-Khalifa (Bahrain) and South Africa’s mining tycoon Tokyo Sexwale are the five candidates vying for the FIFA Presidency.

CAF President, Issa Hayatou.

e k i D r o f s e r o c s

b u l c n a i s s Ru N

igeria striker , Bright Dike, scored a goal for Russian club Amkar Perm on Tuesday in the UAE in a test game which they drew 1-1 with South Korea champions Jeuobuk FC. The former Toronto FC striker scored the equaliser for the Russian Premier League team in the 44th minutes when he pounced on a

rebound to score.

Dike has not been successful signing for another MLS club after redraft recently.

Incidentally, compatriot Izunna Uzochukwu has quit the Russian club to return to Denmark with OB Odense.

Fengor Ogude was benched for the game as he joined the team in training camp late after a kidnapping episode involving his wife back in Nigeria.

CHAN 2016: Missaoui hails Tunisian players T unisia coach, Hatem Missaoui, was full of praise for the home-based Carthage Eagles players after a resounding 5-0 drubbing of Niger in their last Group C game at the Regional Stadium in Kigali on Tuesday evening; a win that took them to top of the group with five points.

A vividly elated Missaoui hailed his players performance calling it 5-star and explosive as he promised that they would continue with their sublime form going into the quarter finals. Missaoui further alluded that his team had been improving in every game and the win over Niger was the icing on the cake as they prepared for an even bigger challenge in the quarter

final.

“I want to thank my players for their superb performance in every department. They worked tirelessly and effectively to demolish Niger. It was not an easy game but we came prepared and worked our way up from game one until our last group game.

“Having managed two draws in our opening matches we were desperate for a win which came in style and acted as a great motivator as we prepare for a tough quarter final stage where you only have 90 minutes to get results and their will be no room for complacency,” Missaoui said.

On his thoughts about Nigeria being knocked out of the tournament by Guinea who beat them 1-0 Missaoui

w a s l o s t f o r wo rd s : “When word came through that Nigeria were out everyone was surprised as they were one of the favorites teams, but you have to respect Guinea as they clearly came to the competition with a purpose that is why they have had positive results in all their matches.

“In football you never know when things can go wrong and I believe for Nigeria maybe their game plan did not work against Guinea, but they were a very formidable side that is why we drew with them 1-1.I feel sorry for them but again that is football.”

Dike

Thursday, January 28, 2016

EXTRATIME

29

CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016

Mali, Zambia advance after goalless draw

I’m proud of CHAN Eagles, says

Oliseh

M

ali and Zambia played to a goalless draw in the final 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group D clash at Stade Regional Nyamirambo in Kigali on Wednesday afternoon.

Zambia’s Chipolopolo went into the game having already booked their place in the knockout stages of the 2016 CHAN. The Eagles of Mali were looking for either a victory or draw in order to advance to the knockout stages of the continental competition.

The first shot at goal went to Eagles full-back Lassana Samake just three minutes into the game, but his effort sailed wide of the target.

Zambia goalkeeper Jacob Banda was called into action eight minutes later when he gathered Diarra Sekou’s attempt from a free-kick.

The first shot on target finally came in the 28th minute when Mali midfielder Aliou Dieng unleashed a powerful shot from range and Banda made a great save.

The Eagles of Mali continued to try their luck from range. In the 36th minute, Lassana Samake’s thunderous low shot from range was parried away by Banda.

A quiet second-half followed as the two teams struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities and they could not maintain possession in the final third.

At last, Mali and Zambia drew 0-0 and the two teams shared the spoils. Both nations advanced to the knockout stages.

Group D winners Zambia will take on Group C runners-up Guinea, while Group D runners-up Mali clash with Group C winners Tunisia in the quarterfinals.

The matches will be played this weekend.

Sserunkuma N denied Zimbabwe victor y Raphael Manuvire (left) of Zimbabwe challenged by Bernard Muwanga (right) of Uganda during their CHAN 2016 match at Rubavu Stadium on January 27, 2016.

A

late strike by Geofrey Sserunkuma ensured Uganda and Zimbabwe played to a 1-1 draw during their final 2015 CAF African Nations Championships Group D encounter on Wednesday afternoon at Umuganda Stadium.

The Cranes of Uganda started the match like a house on fire, exchanging good passes, but their decision making in the final third was poor.

As both sides chased their first wins in the tournament, Ugandan goalkeeper Alitho James was forced to come out of his poles in the 15th minute and clear the danger as the Warriors came knocking for an opener.

After 20 minutes of action, Edmore Chirambadare showed his quality down the left flank but Roderick Mutuma’s shot was off target, however, the

offside flag was already up.

A minute later, Kizito Keziron took a shot but it went off the target following a good exchange of passes by Milutin Sredojevic’s men.

It was 0-0 at half time and upon their return from the dressing room; the Warriors bagged a lead through William Manondo in the 49th minute. He received a through pass and used his pace to beat his marker and unleashed a powerful shot to beat James.

A scramble in the box in the last five minutes saw James spilling the ball in front of Manondo but the keeper was saved by his defence.

However, in injury time, Geofrey Sserunkuma pulled one back for the Cranes with a fine header and ensured both sides settled for a draw.

igeria coach Sunday Oliseh has admitted he is disappointed his team crashed out of CHAN 2016 by the first round, but insisted he remains proud of the players.

On Tuesday, Nigeria fell 1-0 to Guinea in a final group game when they needed at least a draw to go through to the knockout rounds of the tournament reserved for players who feature in their home leagues.

“It’s a big disappointment, but I’m proud of my boys even though we did not go through. They gave a good image of themselves,” said Oliseh.

“Somewhere inside it was difficult for the players.

They have given their best, they needed that lift and they couldn’t find it then.

“We came out to win, but we did not play. My players are human and there is limit to what they can hold. For some morale reasons, they couldn’t fight it.

“My players have children and families. Adult tournaments are not youth tournaments.”

Oliseh has maintained his team have worked under trying conditions.

“We are the most poorly equipped technical crew to manage Nigeria’s Super Eagles since I started playing for the country. The least for what anyone can do is to be grateful for what we are doing,” argued the coach who took over the Eagles in July 2015.

“I’m coaching Nigeria and if I get tired, I will Oliseh leave the work.”

30

Thursday, January 28, 2016

EXTRATIME

a t e r r a z i b u Z r e v o t n e d i f con

BRIEFS

Griezmann hails Simeone’s influence

A

tletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has credited Coach Diego Simeone for taking his game to new heights. Griezmann has 18 goals in 29 appearances for Atletico this season, helping his team to sit level on points with Liga leaders Barcelona. The France international’s haul of 43 in 82 games at Atletico is only nine shy of his goal return at Real Sociedad, which was amassed over 202 appearances.

Pato: Chelsea is my new home!

A

lexandre Pato has expressed his pleasure at a potentially imminent loan move to Chelsea after arriving in London. Pato is expected to join the defending Premier League champions on loan from Corinthians after his previous temporary spell at Sao Paulo ended in December. Chelsea are yet to officially comment on the deal, but the former AC Milan forward called the club his “new home”.

‘Sneijder glad to remain at Galatasaray’

W

esley Sneijder is happy to remain at Galatasaray despite the club facing a possible ban from European competition, according to his agent Guido Albers.

Galatasaray are in danger of incurring UEFA sanctions after their Financial Fair Play case was referred to the governing body’s adjudicatory chamber. Sneijder has subsequently been linked to an exit from the Turkish side, with a big-money move to China touted as a possibility.

s ’ r a m y Ne ure Barca fut

Neymar

N

eymar is completely content at Barcelona and will remain with the club, according to former Camp Nou sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.

A goalkeeper for Barca and Spain during his playing days, Zubizarreta served on Barcelona’s board from July 2010 to January 2015.

Neymar’s controversial move to the Camp Nou came during this period and, while the ramifications of that deal are still being played out in Spanish court rooms, the Brazil captain

V a l d e s hopes to

aid S’Liege title bid V

Sneijder

has dazzled on the field in an irresistible forward trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Speculation has swirled over the 23-year-old’s future as he mulls a fresh contract with the Spanish, Europe an and world club champions.

But Zubizarreta echoed the thoughts of Coach Luis Enrique when he told reporters he could not envisage the forward leaving.

“Neymar is happy at the club,” Zubizarreta said. “Very, very, very

ictor Valdes wants to help Standard Liege mount a challenge for the Pro League title after joining on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season.

Valdes endured a difficult time at United after joining in January 2015, making just two Premier League appearances as he was unable to force himself into Louis van Gaal’s plans.

The former Barcelona goalkeeper’s loan to Standard was confirmed on Sunday, with the club sitting seventh in the Belgian top flight.

Standard have finished in the top three just once in the past four seasons, but that

Moratti

tips Eder to end Inter goal woes

campaign in 20131 4 also ended i n disappointment as they surrendered their regularseason lead to Anderlecht in the championship play-off.

In his first interview with the club’s official website, Valdes spoke of his aim to play a role in securing their first title since 2009.

“I’m here to help my team and my team-mates with a common goal - first of all to get back into the top six to play in the play-offs and to win the cup,” he said.

S

Eder

ampdoria striker Eder is the answer to Inter’s goalscoring problems, according to former club president Massimo Moratti.

Inter’s Serie A title bid has stuttered over recent weeks, with a solitary win since the mid-season break dropping them to fourth in the table.

Roberto Mancini’s side have amassed 41 points, despite scoring only 26 times in 21 league matches this season, and they have been linked with Paris Saint-Germain’s Ezequiel Lavezzi along with Eder as possible options to bolster their forward line.

Moratti, who was replaced as Inter owner

by Erick Thohir in 2013, believes Sampdoria’s

happy at the club “ Zubizarreta oversaw the acquisitions of Neymar and Suarez either side of Barcelona being hit by a player registration ban for breaching FIFA rules on the transfer of youth players.

Suarez arrived during the appeals process before the punishment spanning two full transfer windows took hold – meaning close-season signings Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal were only able to make their Barca debuts earlier this month.

“I came to play in Belgium in the Champions League with Barcelona. I was surprised by the very good atmosphere towards the team.

“Every time a player d o e s something good the supporters applaud and they never rebuke a player for bad play. I find that admirable.

“I think that Standard have f a n t a s t i c Valdes supporters. From the first to the last minute they create an atmosphere like I’ve never seen before. It helps the players a lot.

“I know that Standard are a historic club in Belgium. So it’s important Standard are as high as possible in the standings and get back into the top three in the Belgian league.”

13-goal forward is a better fit than Argentina international Lavezzi.

“I think the problem is there, right there – in scoring goals,” he told reporters. “And so I have the impression that Eder is definitely the right player for us.

“I think Eder’s a player who’s capable of contributing a good amount of goals. More than Lavezzi? I think so, although I haven’t seen Lavezzi as much.

“It’s a purely tactical choice in the end and I think that the Sampdoria player is the right signing.”

Eder is reported to be a transfer target for surprise Premier League leaders Leicester City.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

EXTRATIME

BRIEFS

R

amires has left Chelsea to join Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning on a permanent deal, the reigning Premier League champions have confirmed.

Brazil midfielder Ramires’ transfer concludes a five-and-half-year spell at Stamford Bridge, during which time he won every major domestic and European club honour available.

The terms of the deal were not officially disclosed by Chelsea, although the fee has been widely reported to be in the region of £25million.

Ramires’ first winners’ medals with Chelsea came during a decorated conclusion to the 2011-12 campaign, when Roberto Di Matteo steered them to FA Cup and Champions League glory.

The Europa League arrived in the following season, while he was part of the team Jose Mourinho led to the League Cup and Premier League crowns in 2014-15.

In total Ramires made 251 appearances for Chelsea and scored 34 goals.

Rodgers

Rodgers

rules out Man United job

B

rendan Rodgers has ruled out the possibility of managing Manchester United, suggesting his Liverpool links make such a move unlikely.

Rodgers, who was sacked by Liverpool in October, does not think he would be considered a viable option if under-pressure United coach Louis van Gaal is dismissed, having spent time at the club’s arch-rivals.

The Dutchman has been the subject of increasing scrutiny for a perceived dull brand of football and lack of attacking endeavour, with Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton, in which his side registered just one shot on target, garnering boos from the Old Trafford faithful.

However, Rodgers does not rate his chances of succeeding Van Gaal.

“When you manage Liverpool you know the Manchester United job is gone,” he told reporters.

“I see a lot of the criticism he gets, but there’s no way that Louis van Gaal is sending the players out to have the least amount of shots on target.

“This is a guy who’s been around a long time and he built a team in 1995 at Ajax that everyone talked about for years. Yes, it was possession-based football, but it was a real attacking blend of football.”

Ramierlseeas,

quits Ch joins Chinese club ol Liverepfo mov or Ramires

Matip

L

iverpool have put in an offer for Schalke defender Joel Matip, according to reliable sources.

It was reported in early January that the Reds were interested in a move for the German-born Cameroun international.

It appears Liverpool have taken their interest one step further by

J

Klopp

urgen Klopp has promised Liverpool fans they will win the Capital One Cup final at Wembley - regardless of their opponents.

Simon Mignolet saved two Stoke City penalties in the semi-final as Liverpool won a dramatic shoot-out 6-5 at Anfield to reach Wembley after the tie finished 1-1.

Klopp will return to Wembley for the first time since leading Borussia Dortmund to

tabling a bid for Matip and the player, who has scored three goals in the Bundesliga this season, has told his club he wants to leave.

Matip is out of contract at the end of the season but Schalke want him to sign a new deal.

The 6ft 4in centre-back would be a strong addition to Jurgen Klopp’s defence, which has

Matip

conceded 32 goals in 23 Premier League matches this season, the most of any club in the top 11.

Liverpool may face a battle to secure his services with the Press Association reporting three weeks ago that at least two French clubs were also in the running for the 24-year-old.

ppit:al Klo win Cap We’ll One Cup! the 2013 Champions League final.

The match will take place on Sunday February 28 and Klopp has predicted his team will come out on top.

“Manchester City or Everton, I don’t care, we will win the cup,” Klopp said.

“Liverpool is a wonderful city and they deserve it.

“We have been here for four months now and I can only say the best about Liverpool. It’s great to live here and live in the surroundings to meet people.

31

Hughes

Stoke far better than Liverpool –Hughes

M

ark Hughes believes Stoke City were “by far the better team” in their League Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Stoke levelled the tie at Anfield thanks to a goal from Marko Arnautovic, and created arguably the better chances before the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Joe Allen struck the winning spot-kick after Simon Mignolet had saved Marc Muniesa’s sudden-death effort to send Liverpool into the Wembley final, but Hughes was delighted with his own side’s display - especially given what he considered to be a lack of general belief that they could progress.

Cork: Never write off Swansea!

J

ack Cork says Swansea City are motivated to “prove a point” to those who doubt their quest for Premier League survival.

Several prominent TV pundits have scorned Swansea’s pursuit, with the south-Wales outfit just four points above the drop zone.

However, following the appointment of Francesco Guidolin as manager, Swansea have picked up back-to-back victories to move themselves up to 15th place in the table. Midfielder Cork admitted to have taken notice of the stories surrounding the team’s chances and believes they have been underestimated.

Sunderland await Kone answer

S

am Allardyce is awaiting an answer from Lorient’s Lamine Kone after Sunderland’s on-off pursuit of the defender took a fresh twist. The Sunderland boss has twice ended his interest in the 26-year Ivorian this month, the club initially cooling on a £5m deal before negotiations broke down after a loan move had been proposed.

However, the transfer has been resurrected after Lorient Vice-president Alex Hayes confirmed the club had received a bid they “couldn’t refuse”.

“Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but everyone up until now has been very friendly - they like that I’m here as we don’t have much success.

“If we meet each other then for Liverpool it is a great final and for LFC very important.”

Stoke were 1-0 down from the first leg but levelled the tie when Marko Arnautovic - despite appearing to be in an offside position - netted on the stroke of half-time, which was the only goal of the game and an aggregate score of 1-1 took the tie all the way to penalties.

Joe Allen netted the winning penalty in the shoot-out and Klopp said he was proud of his team.

Published by folio commUNicATioNS lTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948.

GROUP EDITOR: BioDUN DURoJAiYE News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.33

Price: N150

Ramires quits Chelsea, g 31 joins Chinese club

n e h m i s O rejects t h c e l r e d n A offer Y

outh international, Victor Osimhen, has turned his back on top Belgian club Anderlecht after the club tried to lure him with a two-million Euro (about 600 million Naira) offer for his services.

Osimhen and his team are currently in Germany to finalise on a deal with top Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg after he visited the club last year.

Ever since the 17-year-old striker set a new goals record of 10 goals at the FIFA U17 World Cup, he has been bombarded with offers from some of Europe’s top clubs including Juventus.

The proposed Anderlecht offer will be for four-and-half seasons with a guaranteed minimum salary of 100,000 Euros a year.

This could be raised to as much as 350,000 Euros gross should he start up to 30 official matches for the club.

It is broken into three parts. The first part has a cash offer of a million Euros – the club will pay 250,000 Euros when Osimhen signs the contract.

He will get another 250,000 Euros at the start of the 2016/17 season in Belgium, which will be July 1, 2016.

And the big pay day will be on his 18th birthday on December 29, 2016, when he will receive 500,000 Euros.

The second part of the deal is performance based. He will get an additional payment of 100,000 Euros when he has made 10 starts for Anderlecht in either the league, UEFA Champions League or Europa League.

Another 100,000 Euros will follow after 20 starts and subsequently an additional 100,000 Euros when he starts 30 matches for the club.

There will be a bonus of 100,000 Euros should he finish top scorer in the league, Champions League or Europa League.

There will also be 250,000 Euros for him to pick should Anderlecht win the Belgian Jupiler League with him having played 75% of the matches.

Champions League quarterfinal with him having played 75% of the matches in that competition will fetch him an extra 250,000 Euros.

He will equally be paid another 250,000 Euros should he be named the best player in Belgium.

Valcke

n Osimhe

Business Times Thursday, January 28, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Naira falls to N305/$1 at parallel market Page B3

Retention of monetary policies may hurt capital market Page B6

Maritime Union accuses NPA of plot to fire 3000 Page B2 workers

Many manufacturers to close shop in Q1 — MAN

Falling share price: Coalition of capital market operators seek N200b intervention fund

Charles Okonji President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Udemba has said by the end of the first quarter (Q1) of 2016, many manufacturers who make use of raw materials that are included on the list of the 41 items that were banned from foreign exchange allocation would have closed shop.

Udemba who dropped this hint at a media luncheon on CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Friday Atufe

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (right), and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, during the Minister’s Facts finding Mission to Makurdi in Benue... on Tuesday.

FG targets N66b revenue from stamp duty in 2016, says CBN boss Federal Government is targeting an additional N66.1 billion revenue in 2016 from an imposed stamp duty of N50 on bank customers for money received into their accounts.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, gave the indication while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the Monetary Policy Meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

NAN reports that the 2016, 2017, 2018 Medium Term Expenditure

Babajide Okeowo Comptroller-General of Nigeria customs Service, Hameed Ali, has said the service has set a revenue target of one trillion naira for itself in 2016.

He said despite the fact that the service is yet to receive the 2016 revenue target from the Budget Office of the Federation, Ali, however announced that the service has set the target for itself.

“We have not received the 2016 revenue target from the budget office yet but we normally set a target for ourselves and we are looking at one trillion naira for 2016.

Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper as captured in the 2016 Budget under the non-oil revenue section, shows that the Federal Government projects to make N66.1billion in 2017 from stamp duty alone.

It also projects that the revenue would grow to N71.8 billion in 2017 and to N78.5billion in 2018.

Emefiele said that the Federal Government was exploring opportunities in the banking sector as part of efforts to boost its revenue base through taxes and rates

“There are currently various options the government and the economic team are looking at as ways to boost non-oil revenues and stamp duty is one option.

“The numbers are there in the budget about what we expect to generate from stamp duties in 2016.

“We will try as much as possible, working with the banks to ensure that all transactions are captured in a way that ensures that for transactions above N1,000 and above, each of those transac-

tions get debited for N50.

“We have not dimensioned it yet; I believe in due course, Nigerians will begin to know what this will translate into.

“But we believe that it will help the efforts of the government in improving its revenue.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the CBN had recently reintroduced the policy, as contained in the Stamp Duty Act, 2004.

The banks have since been diCONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Coalition of operators in the Nigerian capital market have called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to create an intervention fund of about N200 billion for market makers in the market in a bid to shore the value of stocks in the stock market.

Chairman of Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) Mr. Emeka Madubuike, disclosed this in Lagos yesterday at a press conference organised the coalition made up of ASHON, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN).

Madubuike said each market maker should be availed about N1 billion to N10 billion, adding that in recognition of the importance of the capital market, the federal government should make a pronouncement on the state of the market as comfort to the investing public.

He said market operators were working closely to seek audience with the government for further interaction on the state of the CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

NCS targets N1trn revenue this year “We hope and are working to block all leakages and making sure that our system works perfectly and hopefully the policies of government will also be in our favour. We hope to hit N1 trillion in 2016,” Ali said.

Speaking during the celebration of the International Customs Day (ICD) in Abuja recently, Ali said the deployment of e-customs has boosted revenue collection and its role of providing connectivity in the nation’s borders.

“The deployment of e-customs

has boosted customs’ role of providing connectivity between nations divided by artificial borders.

“Collection of revenue and interception of harmful imports have been made easier with the help of technology.

“In line with the change mantra of the present government, let me remind all operatives and stakeholders alike not to abuse the process and corrupt the system.

“Any act calculated to distort and compromise the integrity of

e-customs will not be tolerated and will be met with appropriate sanctions,” he said.

Ali said that in the area of using technology for collaboration and efficiency, NCS was always playing the leading role.

In his word, ‘the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS), Nigeria Trade Hub and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) are electronic platforms for effective collaborations and ease of doing business in Nigeria.”

Alli

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Many manufacturers to close shop in Q1— MAN

Falling share price: Coalition of capital market operators seek N200b intervention fund

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

market.

The chairman of ASHON also said Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should also consider structuring accrued dividend to shore up the market, adding that the government should support the market by buying and warehousing shares as it is done in advanced markets.

“There should be a policy for banks to operate zero interest rate to stimulate activities in the capital market,” Madubuike said, remarking that stakeholders should also embark on sustained enlightenment campaign to enhance capital market literacy.

He also canvassed that Federal Government should continue with the privatisation programme in order to increase the breadth of the market and government should raise long term funds through the market to finance the 2016 budget.

Earlier, the acting president of the CIS, Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe had observed that the capital market was going through challenges that were not uncommon to other markets, especially the automated markets which operate in a crest and trough pattern in response to variables in the macro economy and within the market itself.

He observed that the current southward direction of the market was determined by three major factors which include: Adverse macro-economic situation largely due to a drastic drop in the price of oil, negative public sentiment which is related to the state of the macro-economy and retreat of foreign portfolio investors which is related to CBN policy on foreign exchange.

Abe said stock market has depreciated by about 21.25 percent since the beginning of the year due to sell pressure and investor apathy.

FG targets N66b revenue from stamp duty in 2016, says CBN boss

Amaechi

Maritime Union accuses NPA of plot to fire 3000 workers Joy Ekeke Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN has accused the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) of being behind the reported approval by Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amechi, for the sack of more than 3,000 dockworkers.

MWUN threatened to shut down the ports operations if the planned sack was effected and called on the Minister to douse the tension generated by the report.

The union lamented that the report almost triggered simultaneous reactions by ports workers across the country, but for personal intervention by the President General of the Union, Mr. Nted Anthony Emmanuel.

MWUN accused the management of Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, of being the brain behind the reports for its known agenda to secure the illegal engagement of cargoes surveyors.

The leadership of the union has already written to the Minister of Transportation on the matter to avert looming industrial unrest in the ports.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

rected to collect the duty from their customers and remit it to the Nigerian Postal Service Account at the CBN. The charge is on all transactions by a bank or financial institution in respect of deposits and transfers worth N1,000 and above.

In a statement by the Secretary General of the Union, Mr. Aham Ubani, the union said it condemned in totality the report that the Minister had given NPA the nod to sack tally clerks, onboard security members of the union, insisting no such decision was made by Minister of Transportation at the stakeholders meeting held on January 20, 2016 at the conference room of the Ministry of Transportation, Abuja.

According to the statement, the news report of the approval which was planted by the Management of NPA to fast track/to hoodwink the Transport Minister into taking hasty anti-workers decision is certainly not in the interest of our country and is indeed a direct assault on the prevailing industrial peace in our Seaports nationwide.

Ubani noted that the Minister promised to report both the labour position and the NPA intension to the President Muhammadu Buhari for final decision/directive over the dockworkers engaged in tallying and onboard security services, which is the primary area of interest of the union.

However, it doesn’t not apply to self to self-transactions whether intra or interbank and it also exempts transfers and withdrawals involving salary accounts and savings accounts, used by majority of low income Nigerians.

Emefiele said that looking at the dwindling revenue from oil, the federal government was now

Wednesday with the members of Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Lagos explained that those manufacturers who make use of five items on the list for their raw materials would no longer be able to produce.

He warned that the closure of these manufacturers would further compound the alarming unemployment rate already existing in the country.

He stated that the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Distribution Companies (DISCOs) could not enforce their new tariffs rates on MAN members, stressing that MAN obtained a court injunction restraining the electricity distribution and regulating bodies from undue exploitation of the manufacturers all in the name of tariffs.

He said, “MAN advocated for the removal of the monthly exorbitant fixed charges collected from electricity users by DISCOs; the non-reflection in MYTO 2.1 and the downward review of electricity bills for SMIs in particular and prorating of electricity charges to consumption.”

Commenting on the ban of sale of foreign exchange to Bureau De Change, the MAN President, admitted the association successfully advocated the

stoppage of allocation of scarce foreign exchange to the Bureau De Change, explaining these dealers compound the woes of manufacturers when saucing foreign exchange for the import of foreign raw materials.

Udemba noted that MPR of 11 per cent was not in the best interest of manufacturers and the national economic development.

He stressed that forex allocation to bureau de change was a scam, adding that it has to be totally eliminated as it would profit the country more if it were being allocated to the real sector.

“The Nigerian Naira has already lost its value, whether we like it or not. A dollar is exchanging for N305, so, we are advocating guided devaluation,” he stressed.

According to Udemba, the banning of 41 terms is seen as a step in the right direction, but we have five major items as raw materials on the list and if CBN should exempt these five items, then it would benefit manufacturers and the country at large.

He also said collaboration with SON has led to the sustenance of the Memorandum of Understanding between MAN and SON on the 25 per cent reduction on all SON administrative charges as well as SONCAP exemption for the importation of spare parts, machineries, raw materials and packaging

Udemba

determined to enforce all financial laws and regulations in order to shore up revenue prevent leakages.

The CBN governor noted that the economy is improving as a result of the 41 items CBN banned from receiving foreign exchange in the Nigerian foreign exchange market.

NAN also recalls that in June

2015, CBN restricted the access of foreign exchange to importers that deal with items such as rice, palm oil, meat, vegetables, poultry, fish, toothpick and textiles and among others.

He noted that since the ban, local production of some of these items had improved, showing that the ban had tremendous impact on local businesses.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

B3 Money Market

Naira falls to N305/$1 at parallel market

our correspondent yesterday in Lagos, Alhaji Garba Ibrahim, said that black market rate had gone to N305 to N306 against the dollar.

He said: “Increased activity is taking place at the parallel market since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stopped sales of dollar to the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment.

Ibrahim urged the federal government to increased surveillance at the airports, in order to

check incessant movement of money outside the country.

However, currency analysts have predicted that the naira will remain weak against the dollar at the parallel market, due to scarcity of the foreign currencies especially the US dollar in the country.

Forex scarcity, which has caused significant decline in the nation’s external reserves, is forcing the CBN to ration dollar supply to the banks, importers, and

the general public.

However, the latest data obtained from the CBN has shown that the nation’s foreign reserves fell by $288 million.

The reserve stood at $28.895 billion on January 8, according to the data. As against the December 31, 2016, the reserves closed at $29.070billion.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has also said that the Consumer prices in Nigeria went

up by 9.55 percent year-on-year in December of 2015, following a 9.4 percent increase in the previous month.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, says the apex bank has no immediate plan to devalue the Naira despite the continued downward slide of the Naira.

Emefiele said this after the meeting of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) recently in Abuja.

“We don’t have any immediate plan to devalue the naira. However, we are already working on different scenarios; the models are being worked on.

“We have them and as much as possible, we will look at scenarios under different crude prices and we will continue to discuss at management and monetary policy committee levels. We will try as much as possible to continue to share our thoughts with the fiscal authorities with the view to harmonising our positions to ensure that notwithstanding the drop in crude prices, that we are able to continue to run government and do business.

“We are very conscious of this and we know that we are at an era where the drop in or low crude price will remain for a long time with us. It is not going to be like in 2008 or 2009 where it was just for about eight months.

Ecobank Nigeria has restated its commitment to continue supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), having recognised the real sector as the engine room of the nation’s’economic growth.

Speaking at a public fora in Lagos recently, Head, SME and Value Chain Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Sunkanmi Olowo, said the various initiatives recently embarked upon by the bank are targeted at increasing funding and support to the SME sub-sector.

Among various initiatives the

bank had embarked on recently include: launching of SME Club, unveiling e-commerce online platform, MyMall, and training and providing financial support to some SMEs under the Ecobank New Venture Initiative’ (ENVI), among others.

The Ecobank SME Club aims to provide preferential business Support and tailored products and services to its teeming customers across the country. The SME Club serves as a platform for adding value to SMEs through information mining, networking and capacity building.

According to Sunkanmi, the benefits of SME Club to customers are numerous. It offers business/capacity development and technical assistance; provides business, accounting, tax, legal and other services and platforms; B2B linkage across Africa; access to market information, economic updates, exchange rate information; international markets and finance; online marketing/sales (24/7); active support from government backed organisations and quarterly working sessions led by experts.

Ecobank MyMall Nigeria is an

online trading platform essentially for SME operators to sell and market their goods and services.

The online marketplace, www. mymall.com.ng according to the bank, is targeted at driving the growth of the SME sub sector in Nigeria.

He explained that MyMall is indicative of the already successful Ecobank SME club which had significantly impacted a number of SMEs by providing expert guidance and tools to properly

establish and succeed at running an SME. Also, Ecobank Nigeria i recently trained and extended financial grants worth millions of naira to five budding SMEs operators in the country.

The ENVI, an innovative business training education programme, is collaboration between Ecobank SME Club and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan Atlantic University.

L-R: Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Mr. Adedeji Ajadi; Past President, Mr. Ariyo Olushekun; Acting President, Mr. Oluwaseyi Abe; and President, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Madubuike, during a press conference on the state of the market in Lagos… on Wednesday.

Stories by Motolani Oseni As scarcity of the United States’ dollar continued on Wednesday, the nation’s currency, naira was steady at N305 against the dollar at the parallel market.

The naira had on Monday closed at N303 against the dollar in the unofficial market, compared to N306 on Sunday.

The trader that confirmed to

Ecobank reiterates commitment to SMEs financing NIBOR as @ Jan. 20,2016 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

2.85

0.48 ?

1M

8.0387

0.36 ?

3M

9.7336

-0.04 ?

6M

11.0787

0.15 ?

CBN Exchange Rates Date

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

1/20/16

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

POUNDS STERLING

277.4772

278.1851

278.8929

EURO

213.8752

214.4208

214.9664

SWISS FRANC

195.4722

195.9709

196.4695

YEN

1.6817

1.686

1.6903

CFA

0.3056

0.3156

0.3256

WAUA

269.9362

270.6248

271.3134

YUAN/RENMINBI

29.7809

29.8573

29.9338

RIYAL

52.2597

52.393

52.5263

DANISH KRONA

28.6495

28.7226

28.7957

SDR

270.97

271.6613

272.352

Kie

Brands & Marketing B4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Lagos to host Access Bank city marathon Stories by Godwin Anyebe Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it had concluded plans to host the maiden edition of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on Feb. 6.

Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, made the assertion at a media parley at the Press Centre in Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos.

Ayorinde said that the ministries involved in the marathon are Health, Information, Environment, Transportation, Lagos State Safety Commission, Lagos Signage and Advertisement Agency.

Others are, the Ministries

of Works, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Special Duties, Local Government and Community Affairs, Nigerian Army, Police and Air force.

He said that security personnel, volunteers, medics would be placed at strategic points, adding that there would also be five marine boats.

“Medics, toilets and volunteers will be available at every 5km. Water station will be at every 2.5km till the finish point to cater for dehydration.

“Nutritional drink station like Lucozade Boost will be at every 5km. We are not going to forget the supporters, there will be stadia for participants and supporters,’’ he said.

Ayorinde said that the state would organise the event yearly, adding that it would become bigger each year.

“It will be yearly, we hope it grows bigger in Nigeria, Africa and the world. We want it to be in the history of the world,’’ he said.

He also said the event would be flagged off by Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State and Sebastian Coe, the President, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Ayodeji Tinubu, Commissioner of Sports and Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the race, expressed optimism that it would be a suc-

cess, saying the state was ready in all aspect.

He said the race hoped to get a label by the IAAF, adding that the elite athletes, medics, volunteers conduct during the race would ensure it gained the label.

He also expressed optimism that a lot of Nigerian athletes would try to emerge victorious.

Yusuf Alli, the General Manager of the race, said the transponders purchased by the organisers would ensure that cheating was curbed.

“This is the first time we will be using transponders. We know that some athletes might want to play smart by cutting corners.

“The transponders will curb cheating because it is 97 per cent effective,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 42km marathon has its prize money as 500, 000 dollars.

The second runner-up of the event will go home with 400,000 dollars, while the third place marathoner gets 300, 000 dollars.

The Nigerian that tops other local participants will receive N1 million, while the second place Nigerian gets N750, 000 and the third N500, 000.

The race will commence by 7 a.m. at the National Stadium, Lagos and end at the Eko Atlantic.

Shoprite procures 76% of products sold locally

L-R: Minister of Labour and Productivity, Sen. Chris Ngige; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information Mrs. Ayo Adesugba and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, Aishat Abubarka during a meeting on social protection team with ministries and agencies at the Presidential villa, Abuja… on Wednesday.

PRCAN unveils new secretariat In an attempt to deliver on its brand promise and also enhance professionalism, the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria PRCAN has unveiled its new secretariat in Lagos. The new secretariat which was unveiled in Lagos recently is meant to grow PR practice in Nigeria.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the president of PRCAN, John Ehigwesi disclosed that; “when we were inaugurated as new executives saddled with the

responsibility of moving this body forward, we had no secretariat of our own, and we made it part of our campaign promise that we will try and get a secretariat for this great association. To the glory of God, today we are unveiling our first secretariat which will no doubt enhance PR practice in Nigeria.”

He however call on other sectorial bodies to join hands with them as this is the best time Nigeria as a whole need the input of the integrated marketing com-

munication to deliver value to its citizens.

Also speaking at the event, the special guest of honour, commissioner of information, Lagos State, Mr. Steve Ayorinde said; “I must commend PRCAN for this mile stone achievement, for me, I think PRCAN has really show case themselves as a professional body.”

The commissioner also called on the members of the association to approach the state government whenever they have good idea

that will help in taking the state to the next level, most especially at a time like this that the state is preparing to celebrate its golden jubilee. On his part, the president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria AAAN, Kelechi Nwosu, congratulate the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria on the development and also asked the body to collaborate with advertising agencies to reposition Nigeria in a way that it can compete favorably with its global counterparts.

Contrary to the belief in some quarters that foreign brands are in Nigeria to enslave citizens and make money to develop their parent’s country instead of countries where they do business, Shoprite Nigeria procures 76% of products sold locally.

The CEO of Batfol Farms, Dr Folashade Disu, recently in Lagos said that, “It’s been a little more than 10 years since Shoprite launched in Nigeria with the opening of its first store in Lagos in December 2005. Today 99.5% of the supermarket chain’s 2 230 employees are Nigerian citizens and 76% of all products sold are procured locally. Shoprite’s commitment to support local enterprise means the supermarket chain has developed relationships with approximately 300 leading Nigerian suppliers and small businesses.

“It is one thing to farm vegetables, but having the right channels in place to reach consumers is equally important.”

“This is where Shoprite plays a major role. As the supermarket chain has been increasing its footprint in Nigeria, so too Batfol Farms have been growing its capacity in order to continue meeting the demand for our produce.”

Mr.Samuel Adedeji, Supervisor for feed mills at Fresh Country Chicken in Kwara, echoes these sentiments. “Thanks to unprecedented growth levels since becoming a Shoprite supplier, Fresh Country Chicken started an out grower programme.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

FG assures of food, social security Stories by Charles Okonji Federal Government has assured that agribusiness in the livestock sector will be improved and expanded to include commercial production of grass for feeding cattle as it would bring to an end the roaming of the cattle rearers and perennial conflicts between the pastoralists and crop farmers all over the nation.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, stated this recently during the flag-off ceremony of the second phase of the agricultural equipment hiring and leasing enterprise programme in Ilorin, He said, “We are taking a radical step and we are beginning now. We are going to grow grass on a very large scale all over this country. I am as rigid as a rock that we are going to grow grass.”

“Some grasses taken from Africa to Brazil and subjected to 16 years of research for use in that country, producing 28 per cent crude protein, will be brought in for use under this programme. By April ending (2016), the first grass supply should be on the way if not already arrived.”

Chief Ogbeh noted, “With the continued existence of cattle

Ogbeh

Dangote, BOA sign N56m MoU tomato production with Kano farmers Dangote farms, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Kano State Water Users Association on tomato production for the consumption of Dansa Tomato Company.

The acting Zonal Director of BOA, Salma Isa, disclosed that N55.8 million has been approved by the bank for the take-off of the project, which comprises 100 registered farmers as beneficiaries on 100 hectares.

She noted that each registered farmers, will get a loan of N558, 000 which will be given out partly in cash and partly in supply of improved seedlings variety, fertilizers and other farming requirements.

She stated, “This is a pilot programme and we wish to extend it to 20,000 farmers in respect to the outcome of the pilot. Each farmer is expected to produce 40 tons of tomato on a hectare which is for

the uptake of the company.”

The managing director of Dansa Tomato farm, Kadawa, Alhaji Abdulkareem Kaita stated that, the company has been meeting with the farmers on issues bordering measures that would improve their tomato productivity.

Kaita explained that the agreement signed entails that the farmers will be given improved variety seeds, cash and other utensils, while the farmers will be required to sell directly to the company and then the company will pay directly into their separate accounts with the BOA.

Tomatoes

Ogun State government has warned that it would not work with any contractor that is not willing to obey the rules and regulations surrounding the contractual engagement of such company within the state.

The Commissioner for Forestry, Hon. Kolawole Lawal who disclosed this on a working visit to some forest reserves in Ijebu North Local Government, made the disclosure during a meeting with some Timber Contractors operating in the area.

He said nothing but total implementation of government policies would be accepted, as the policies are formulated to help boost the economy of the State and also create more jobs for the teeming youths.

Lawal explained that taking unprocessed logs outside the State would only ruin sawmill business, and render many people jobless, adding that it would also affect the revenue generation of the State. ‘’The Ministry will not work with any contractor that is not ready to adhere to the rules of engagement, it is nothing but total

grazing and stock routes, conflicts still continued to grow, with cases of deaths rising along the routes. To reverse the unpleasant trends, cattle roaming have to end.

“We just have to grow grass.

The largest cattle ranch in the world is in Saudi Arabia, with 153,000 cows, and the country sell milk to other gulf states. They buy grass from Sudan and from US, and they are going to buying grass from Ethiopia.”

The Minister stated, “The north is not yet a desert, it is only arid. There are many dams that could be used for irrigation, although irrigation may not be necessary in certain areas, particularly in the south. If certain countries sell grass to Saudi Arabia, there is no reason we cannot grow grass in Nigeria in the south and sell to the north of this country.”

He stated “In another five years, there should be no roaming of cattle. Concerning the issue of cattle rearers from other neighbouring countries coming into Nigeria with cattle and with sophisticated weapons, killing people indiscriminately. This has to be dealt with at the ECOWAS level.”

“In 2050, the world population will be 9 billion people, with 25

Adhere to government policies, Ogun cautions timber contractors adherence to government policies, stop taking our unprocessed logs outside the State because it will only kill our sawmills and render those working there jobless. It will also affect the revenue generation of the Government, as those affected will not be able to pay their taxes’’. Lawal stressed.

He warned the timber contractors aiding illegal activities to desist from such illicit act or be

B5 Agric per cent living in rural areas, while Nigeria’s population will be 500 million, and all this have to be fed. “The school feeding just started in Kaduna, with 1.4 million children. If we are to give them one pint of milk a day per child, where is the money to import such milk? We have to produce locally? We are in desperate need of foreign exchange. We have to have cows feeding and giving us good milk.”

In his speech, the SurveyorGeneral of the federation, Mr. Ebisintei Awudu, noted that his office has mapped the entire Nigeria, adding that satellite image of the entire country 2.5 metre resolution has been done.

He said,“We have surveyors posted to ministries. It is important for your ministry to have one surveyor, to be involved in survey and mapping of soils.”

Surveyor Barde Jatau, a director in the office of the SurveyorGeneral of the federation, lamented the neglect of their office, promising to support and assist the ministry of agriculture.

He said, “We have collaboration with the federal ministry of agriculture on geospatial imagery, which will play a key role for site selection for animal husbandry.”

While assuring that the placement of canals and other infrastructure can be mapped by his office, Jatau appealed to the minister to be a voice for the office of the Surveyor-General, promising to support the ministry with “equipment and manpower.”

Amosun

ready to face the wrath of law, adding that government was prepared to wage war against all acts of illegalities in the State.

The Commissioner however commended the efforts of the forest officers for their commitments and dedication, assuring them of Government unflinching support towards provision of needed tools and creation of enabling environment for more efficiency and productivity.

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Stock Market Report Rates retention: Nigerian stocks drop further by 2.09% The market indicators of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday depreciated further by 2.09 per cent amid profit taking just as predicted by market analysts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the market capitalisation, which opened at N8.196 trillion, shed N172 billion or 2.09 per cent to close at N8.024 trillion.

Also, the All-Share Index lost 498.74 points or 2.09 per cent to close at 23,333.34 compared to 23,832.08 posted on Tuesday.

Market analysts told NAN that the market would record further depreciation with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates retention and stance on foreign exchange policy.

NAN reported that major blue chip equities dropped in value with Nigerian Breweries leading the laggards’ chart with N4.99 to close at N96.65 per share.

It was followed by Guinness with a loss of N3 to close at N109, while Dangote Cement declined

by N2.33 to close at N127.50 per share.

Lafarge Africa dropped N2.16 to close at N78.84, while Zenith Bank depreciated by 92k to close at N11.20 per share.

Conversely, Seplat led the gainers’ table growing by N14.12 to close at N185 per share.

Mobil followed with a gain of N2.50 to close at N140.50, while Cadbury improved by 79k to close at N16.71 per share.

NASCON gained 31k to close at N6.69, while UAC Property appreciated by 12k to close at N5.20 per share.

NAN also reports that the volume of shares traded grew by 82.35 per cent with a total of 260.48 million shares valued N1.70 billion exchanged in 3,465 deals.

This was against a total of 142.85 million shares worth N1.64 billion transacted in 3,298 deals on Tuesday.

UBA drove the activity chart, trading 59.64 million shares worth N163.16 million in 239 deals.

Zenith Bank followed with a turnover of 39.67 million shares valued N443.55 million exchanged in 462 deals, while FBN Holdings sold 29.24 million shares worth N114.45 million in 396 deals.

Investors staked N411.06 million on 27.54 million shares of GT Bank traded in 403 deals and Transcorp exchanged 17.35 million shares valued N20.661 million achieved in 152 deals.

Summary of activities on The Nigerian Stock Exchange ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

23,333.34 3,465.00 260,480,900.00 1,704,762,197.29 8,024,771,253,981.47

Retention of monetary policies may hurt capital market

L-R: Director of Fund, Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Kyari Dikwa; Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and Perm Sec, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mamud Isa Duse during a FAAC meeting in Abuja… on Tuesday. Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.

Nasdaq to provide market surveillance for NSE Nasdaq (NDAQ) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) have announced that the NSE, which services the largest economy in Africa, will acquire Nasdaq’s SMARTS Market Surveillance platform to power their compliance program.

The technology will provide NSE with the surveillance expertise needed to grow and expand the market and equip the exchange with the surveillance tools necessary to monitor for market manipulation, including spoofing and layering.

NSE also uses Nasdaq’s XStream trading platform as its trading engine.Commenting on the implementation, General Counsel and Head of Regulation at the NSE, Tinuade Awe, said

“this development affirms our continuous commitment to protecting investors by creating a fair and orderly market.

As we introduce new asset classes to grow our market, the deployment of a robust, integrated and efficient solution to monitor the increasing complexity of trading activities is imperative.

Regulatory and compliance issues continue to be a primary focus in our quest to become Africa’s foremost securities exchange and we are pleased to be leveraging Nasdaq’s global leadership in the development of capital market surveillance systems.” “We are thrilled to partner with an innovative forward looking exchange such as NSE,”

said Tony Sio, Head of SMARTS Market Surveillance, Nasdaq.

“NSE has a tremendous growth potential and as the volumes and products expand the sophistication and impact of manipulative practices could also increase. By detecting activities such as spoofing and layering as soon as they occur, the exchange is signaling to the market how seriously it is in promoting a fair market.”With over 20 years of experience, SMARTS is the industry benchmark for real-time and T+1 surveillance, supervision and compliance. SMARTS Market Surveillance is currently used by over 52 exchanges and regulators to power market integrity on a global stage.

Stories y Azubike Nnadozie

tion, according to market operators include the retention of the MPR at 11per cent, Leaving the CRR on public and private sector deposits at 20 per cent Liquidity ratio was retained at 30 per cent while net open foreign exchange trading position was retained at 1 per cent. In other words, government control was still left in place.

According to them, markets expected the MPC to provide more clarity on the Nigerian foreign exchange rate markets as well as a clearer outlook picture on the direction of monetary policy. They added that exchange rate is important because it is the price at which the external and domestic sectors of the economy are

aligned, and has immense impact on the budget and cost of doing business.

In a chat with our reporter at the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, a stock broker Mr. David Adonri stated that investors were disappointed by the MPC as it was expected to announce some changes that would make the virtually comatose market grow.

According to him, the trading year was started on a negative note and the best thing would have been for the government to put some deliberate policy measures in place to arrest the slide. “the year started on a negative note with the All Shares Index (ASI) at 22,000, then suddenly rose to 24,000.

Retention of existing monetary policies by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria may hurt the Nigerian capital market.

Prior to the meeting, expectations were very high that among other things, the current state of the market would engender the devaluation of the national currency, the naira, to allow market forces to set in.

This expectation was hinged on economic fundamentals such as slow economic growth, low price of crude oil in the international market, high inflation, falling exchange rate and dwindling external reserves among others.

Some of the issues in conten-

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 27-01-2016

Motoring B8 VW begins recallof 2.4m cars in Germany

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 28, 2016

Authorised Volkswagen garages in Germany are facing a logistical nightmare in the coming weeks as the car maker prepares for its mass recall of diesel cars fitted with emissions-manipulation software.

The first recall letters are expected to reach customers next week, with the actual recalls expected at the end of January.

VW has 2173 partner garages authorised to do the work in Germany.

With 2.4 million cars being recalled, this means an average of 1100 vehicles per garage.

Experts say it will take at least 90 minutes to refit an affected car, including the time it takes to do the paperwork.

Other authorised service garages are to deal with cars made by other VW-owned brands in the form of Audi, Seat and Skoda as well as commercial vehicles.

Nissan

Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Nissan has restyled the Qashqai crossover otherwise known as Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle (CCUV) to exude Nissan’s contemporary design cues in line with the automaker’s tagline – ‘Innovation that excites.’

Coming eight years after the first generation model, Nissan says the new Qashqai builds on the strengths of the original model, offering ample style, space, equipment with better fuel economy and sharper handling.

The original Nissan Qashqai according to the Japanese automaker was one of the first crossover models on the market, com-

bining unique characteristics of a hatchback and SUV. Stallion NMN, the local Nissan Sales Company and member of the Stallion Group shared these views when it acquainted local automobile media with some distinguishing characteristics of the second generation Qashqai at a product presentation recently.

Mr. Amit Sharma, Head, Sales and Marketing at Stallion NMN who spearheaded the product presentation of the new Qashqai described the vehicle as trendsetter in the crossover segment and one of the most practical midsize SUVs to imagine.

He said: Nissan purposefully swank the Qashqai to offer customers better and improved driving values with superior versatility of an SUV at low running

Qashqai

cost and affordable price.

The new Qashqai has indeed excelled in almost every area, offering unassailable space and practicality best suited to family life – thanks to the vehicle’s huge boot and spacious cabin. The car is much more stylish with sharp lines enhanced by chrome trim and strips of LEDs in the headlights.

Economical and classy inside, the Qashqai boasts a refined, hi-tech and solidly built interior with decent amount of equipment that elevates the wellordered and fashionable dashboard layout.

Couple with this is the ergonomically designed panoramic sunroof that stretches from the rear to the front end of the car giving the car a premium feel from a distance.

Mr. Sharma said unlike the previous model, the new Qashqai is enjoyable and reassuring to drive with a Caller ID that allows drivers to check calls without necessarily keeping eyes off the road.

“You can also track your favourite artists and music while driving just as the various Advanced Drive Assist Display screens delivers infographics in real time,” the Stallion NMN marketing helmsman revealed.

Life&

TIMES Thursday, January 28, 2016

Ycee: Etching a brand, inspiring people

L2,3

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

The only way to make

a hit record

is to keep on recording

Ycee

He came into the music industry with his massive single ‘Jagaban’ turning out to be a national anthem among peers. Oludemilade Alejo with stage name ‘Ycee’ is one of Nigeria’s top acts to watch out for in 2016 with more hit songs and top notch collaborations. Not resting on his oars, Ycee dropped yet another club banger song ‘Omo Alhaji’ giving a clear cut definition that he understands the music game so well. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, the 300 level Marine Biology student of University of Lagos speaks about his sojourn into the entertainment industry, his supposed beef with rapper, Vector, winning the Headies Rookie of the year award amongst others. Enjoy…

Life&

T E A M

Congratulation on your award as the Rookie of the year at the Headies award, how does make you feel?

For me, it was really great winning the award. First, I never expected it but as God wanted it, I won the award. In all fairness, even if I did not win the award, but the fact that I was recognised to the point where I got nominated is as good as I won the award already. I am super excited winning the award because that is my first award as a musician.

For the fact that you had other talented contenders in the category, what do you feel made you stand out to the point of winning?

I don’t think I have a special quality per say because in all fairness my other contenders in the category are very talented acts but as a human being, in everything you do, you want to put yourself first.

For instance, even if Nigeria wants to play with Brazil, ev-

eryone will watch the match and hope Nigeria will win. I saw myself as a winner and that didn’t take anything from any other person in the category because every other artiste in that category had one or two hit songs to their credit but as God wanted it, I won.

Let’s talk about your buzzing single ‘Jagaban’?

What I was trying to achieve with that single was that I just wanted to put out a song that will make people identify I was Nigerian because the single I put out before that one, a lot of people said it sounded too foreign, most people didn’t even want to believe am a Nigerian.

I just wanted to do something that was a bit more Nigerian, a bit more local and the rest they say is history. From the first day it dropped, everybody loved it up till this moment and it keeps going every day, it is one of a kind.

Why the choice of YBNL Olamide on the remix?

Olamide was one of the first

Movie and Music Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Nigerian rappers to explore that sound. As soon as that song came out, everybody that listened to it was like I needed to get Olamide or Pyhno on the remix. Olamide listened and he liked it. He went on twitter and tweeted that if I was hoping to do a remix, he is down. I was like this is what everybody has been saying, so let us do it and we did it. He tweeted on the weekend and the next week, I was at his place recording.

What is Ycee currently working on?

I just dropped another single titled ‘Omo Alhaji’ and ever since dropped it, people keep asking I am truly an Omo Alhaji.

So are you truly an Omo Alhaji?

Of course, my late father was a Muslim, a practicing one to core while my mother is a Christian whom I lived and grew up with, so that brought about the name that I am the only Omo Alhaji you can find in church every Sunday. A lot of people actually confuse the theme to be the name of the song. They think the name of the song was who your daddy is but it is me playing around.

Can Ycee still do a song that will surpass the Jagaban anthem?

Definitely because I have learnt that the only way to make a hit record is just to keep on recording because you never know when you will be in spirit to make another hit record. I’m just starting, so Jagaban is definitely not going to be where I’m going to stop.

I’m still going to pull out more songs, massive songs. Jagaban is being heard nationally and I’m hoping on bringing out more songs that will go more internationally and globally. I don’t think Jagaban is going to be the end.

Since the trending of your

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

song, has the real Jagaban (Tinubu) responded to your song?

No, we are still hoping for a response from the real Jagaban himself who is a strong force in Nigeria’s politics and changing the face of politics too. We are hoping to hear from him soon.

What do you expect him to do?

Some sort of recognition.

He can appreciate us. I wish I had pulled out this song during that election period. It would have blown beyond the way it is now, everything happens for a reason. (Jokingly) Baba any call, I am at your service to meet the real Jagaban.

Music for you, how did it all start?

Music started for me when I was young. Music was something I always enjoyed listening to. I was that kid in school that knew every popular song out there and read the lyrics. When I was in secondary school, my senior actually called me to their class to sing for them. Initially that was how I started. As I got older, I started writing my own stuff, recording. When I was done with secondary school, I just had some free time, which I was when I started looking at music as an actual profession and not just a hubby. One of my classmates had an older brother that was looking to start an entertainment outfit, Tinny entertainment. In 2012, Tinny signed me to the record label. I have been at the label from that point to this point where I am now, and I have been putting out music since 2012. I put out my first single in 2012. I got admission to University of Lagos, then I came back in 2015, rebranded, corrected lot of mistakes that I had made earlier.

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Continued on L3

Graphics Adebambo Segun

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

L3 Interview

‘Music is too big for an artiste to nominate himself to one genre’ Continued from L2 How do you juggle school, music, shows, and late night?

It all comes down to my management. If I had to be in school, they always made sure I’m in school at the time I need to be in school.

Luckily, I haven’t been in a position where I had a show and I had to be in school. Hopefully God will not put me in that position because a lot of people always ask me that if Obama calls me for a show today and I have final exam, what will I do? The answer for now is that let the call come in first, you will be shocked by my choice.

Let’s talk about Tinny record; how long are you signed to Tinny entertainment, when will your contract expire?

From 2012 up till now is four years, and that is a confidential information. We have known each other way before I was in secondary school. Tinny used to drop me off in secondary school, it goes way beyond the music. It is not just the business and everything, it is beyond all that. Tinny is not like a business partner, he is like a family member. We have a very good working relationship, we have been together this long and hoping to get more successful.

The music industry before and now that you joined it, what are some the difference you noticed?

Yes definitely, there is a big difference because when you are watching on TV or listening on radio, you will think music is just going to the studio, record a song, shoot a video, perform at shows but there is a whole other things that comes after it. It is not just recording, you have to have a brand of people who can identify with you. You have to be able to relate with other people. Our own industry is based on relationships, so you have to have good relationship, good humility and all that. When I got into the industry, I realised it goes way than just recording. It is actually like a 24/7 job, it takes everything.

Will you say you have finally arrived in the entertainment industry?

I have not even started yet; Jagaban for me just scratched the surface.

Who was the brain behind Jagaban?

It was produced by D-Whale. He is a friend of mine, upcoming producer as well. Jagaban for me compare to the plans I have for my music and all that. I think it just scratched the surface.

Everybody want to reach out high, be as big as you can be, so I don’t think I have started yet.

Internationally we all know that artistes love to be inclined to a particular record label, so if you have the opportunity to be signed for six or seven years, will you take it?

It all comes down to the deal they are offering. The mistake a lot of people make is like maybe you get an international deal and they are offering you maybe $ 500,000. If you as an artiste know your worth, you will know the money is not worth pulling compared to your passion for music. Music itself is priceless. Any international record label that wants to sign me has to be some really big stuff. So, it all comes

down to the deal.

Who are some of the acts you look up to in the industry and want to work with?

I’m looking forward to working with 2face, Wizkid, Asa, MI, Phyno. The list is long, I really can’t mention all. I have done collaborations with couple of others and still willing to do more.

How would you describe your own genre of music, rap, pop, RnB? I’m a rapper. Music is too big to say you just want to nominate yourself to one genre. It gets boring when one day you record rap song and the next day you record another rap song. It is refreshing when you can do rap and RnB and afro beat the other day. It is good to think outside the box and move out of your conference zone.

Should your fans be expecting an EP or Album from Ycee anytime soon?

I have plans to put out an EP. It all depends on how the demand is by that time. If the demand is really high, then I will put out an album, because that is a lot more profitable. Everybody wants to have an album. A lot of people are asking me to pull out an album; it all comes down to my label and management.

We all know that your target audience are the young people, would you ever think do a song for the older generation?

Yes definitely. I have even recorded a couple of songs. It is not just about appealing to the young audience, music is vast, and you can’t just keep on doing the same thing.

You made headlines on blogs regarding a beef between you and rapper, Vector, after the Headies awards, what actually went down between you two?

I have been doing a lot of interviews recently and the question just keep popping out.

The thing about that was sometime last year before I pulled out Jagaban, I posted something on my social media page. It was not like I was dissing Vector. A lot of people greeted that with mixed feelings and thought I was trying to gain cheap publicity. Eventually, I had to take it down. When he received the award that night at the Headies, he said something about the producer of King Kong losing out an award to the guy that produced Jagaban at another award show. A lot of people said he was throwing shade at me, the post from eight month surfaces online that Ycee ditches vector. I think it all comes down to lazy bloggers who are trying to gain cheap attention, and I always tell people that before they say anything, they should always try to make proper research. It didn’t help my image because a lot of people came at me on social media that I’m a hater. In essence, Vector and I are cool personally. The whole Headies thing everybody was just in that mood for beef, nobody wanted to find out if this was what actually happened, and a lot of people didn’t see that the picture behind him was an old picture. Everybody knows I’m a peaceful person.

Let’s talk about the tattoo on your body, it was so obvious and look so cute?

Ever since I was in primary school, I always use marker and stuff to draw on my body.

When I got old enough and I was on my own, I summoned courage to get my own tattoo.

I s your mum not angry about it?

When I got my first tattoo, I was able to hide it for a long time before she finally saw it and by the time she saw it, I had already gotten more tattoo.

How many do you have?

I have like seven to eight from my shoulder, lower arm, my chest and so on.

Do you have plans to have more?

Yes definitely, I’m on break for now.

Take the music from Ycee, who is Ycee?

Ycee is a believer. I tend to see the good in people. You can’t take music away from Ycee.

Even if I wasn’t a musician, music will still be part of me. Even if I wasn’t a performing artiste, I think one way or the other, I would have still found my way into music industry.

Are you in a relationship?

Yes, I’m in a relationship with my music.

What are the qualities you tend to see in a

lady and wife material?

She has to be friendly, beautiful. She has to be very presentable, God fearing, and very understanding because the career I have chosen comes with rough publicity and all the scandals and all that, so she has to be very understanding.

How do you intend to keep off scandal?

I just have to keep to myself, keep my opinion to myself. The best way is to keep to myself. The way you see something is not the way other people see it. I will just keep to myself and be doing my music.

What do you have in stock for this year?

International collaborations, more videos and more hit because everybody is asking after Jagaban, what next? They just want to see the next move I’m going to make, so every release I’m putting out has to be massive.

Music Gists L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

Mutiat Alli

Pepenazi, Adekunle Gold headline Mayflower 60th anniversary gig tomorrow As part of the on-going 60th anniversary celebration of Mayflower School, Ikenne Remo Ogun State, top entertainers that includes Pepenazi, Adekunle Gold, Lil Kesh, Dammy Krane amongst others will be thrilling both students and past ex-Mays of the school at an august event billed to hold tomorrow, Friday January 29, 2016 at the school field.

Hosted by past students of the citadel of learning and top leading Nigerian OAP DoPepenazi 2tun, the event is expected to be top notch as it will bringing together an interaction between the artistes and the students of Mayflower.

Adekunle Gold “I am honoured that I am the host of the event happening live at where it all started for me. As an ex-may and a proud 2000Millienium set, we have done a couple of things in the past like coming back to impact knowledge in the students and teacher, so this time around, we are bringing entertainment to the school and we all expect to have a fabulous celebration,” Do2tun said.

In a chat with Pepenazi, the Illegal crooner, he said: “It feels so good to be performing right in my Alma Mata again after leaving several years ago. I remember so vividly well that everything about music for me started right in Mayflower school when I was appointed the social director and lead several activities in schools that includes the Press club, Literary and debating society to mention but few.

Obesere to hit music stand with new album February

Obesere

A leading Ibadan-born fuji star, Alhaji Akande Abass, popularly known as `Obesere’, said he would hit the music stand with a new album in February. Abass told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday that the new album to be released in February has fifteen tracks, among which are `Ami Ase’ and `Mobinutan’ both titled in Yoruba. He said though he had not featured much in hip hop music, he assured his fans that the new album would also feature many hip hop songs. ``I have done a lot of collaboration with Timaya, Ajasa just to mention a few and I am always ready anytime when it comes to music,’’ he said. He said that the usual supremacy and quality tussle among musicians makes the industry lively and more interesting sometimes, adding that such breeds development and sophistication. Abas said that such tussle was not only in the music industry but also found in other profession

Omawunmi recounts experience with Angelique Kidjo Talented Nigerian Vocalist, Omawunmi Magbele, has revealed in a recent chat with Pulse.ng how it felt working on same set with Angelique Kidjo.

As part of the preparation towards the release of her third studio album, Omawunmi featured Kidjo in one of her singles titled ‘Play by play’, featuring the Grammy winner.

Narrating her experience during the video shoot, Omawunmi disclosed that “She doesn’t have any airs, she’s playful, she’s fun, and she’s very energetic. She’s so good at what she does, and that she can just do it…effortlessly. As she’s singing, she’s dancing and performing. When she was recording, I was just in awe…”.

Omawunmi & Angelique

Onyeka Nwelue’s Blues & Hills Consultancy hosts the Diplomatic Jazz Night

Tee Mac, a guest and Yinka Davies Blues & Hills Consultancy and The High Commission of India in Abuja, through the out-going High Commissioner, His Excellency, Shri AR Ghanasyham, hosted the Diplomatic Jazz Night at the residence of the High Commissioner recently.

The event was well attended by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James F. Entwistle, the Ambassador of Ukraine, Dr. Valerii Aleksandruk, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and many more.

Nigerian-Swiss flutist, Tee Mac Iseli, headlined the concert alongside international soul jazz artiste, Orliam, highlife artiste, Ugo Stevenson, Simon, Asikey, Adeh, Edge and 20-year-old guitarist, John Bethel. There was a special appearance by Yinka Davies.

Blues & Hills Consultancy was founded in 2011 by Nigerian writer, filmmaker and professor, Onyeka Nwelue, to promote African arts and culture in Asia, Europe and America.

The Diplomatic Jazz Night is supported by The Consulate General of Italy in Lagos, The ItalianNigerian Festival of Cultures, The Lagos International Jazz Festival, Smooth FM, FredMartins, Airtel, Invictus Group and La Cave Musik with media partnership of The Trent.

Julius Agwu to stage Mother of All shows in Lagos

Multiple award winning comedian, actor cum singer, Julius Agwu is set to stage a mega music and comedy event tagged ‘Life As I See It’ in February 2016.

Julius Agwu, who is known for his rib-cracking jokes and witty acts, ushered in the mega event with a world press conference well attended by media big wigs which held at VCP Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos recently.

Award winning American vocalist, Tye Tribbett will lead the cast of music performers. He will be performing alongside notable music stars such as ace songstress, Lady Onyeka Onwenu, Timi Dakolo, Banky W, Waje, Efya, Bez, Mimicko, and popular juju act, Yinka Ayefele.

Guests and other fun seekers will be treated to jaw dropping jokes by British comedian, Eddie Kadi, Okey Bakassi, Senator, Dan D Humorous, Seyi Brown, Buchi, Oyinbo Princess, among several others.

Julius Agwu The double-header concert will take place at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, February 7, 2016 while the subsequent event will hold at the plush, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, 2016.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, Julius Agwu who is thankful to God for giving him another shot at life said the event will feature a side of him the public is yet to see. “We all know the story of my successful surgery but this event will tell the story we have never listened to before. I have finalized the necessary details with my team and we are ready to stage a memorable event that will delight every one present.”

The all-in-one event will also feature the launch of the sequel to Julius Agwu’s book, ‘Jokes Apart’.

Aptly titled ‘Life As I See It: The Rebirth”, the new book will capture the experiences of the iconic comedian during his successful battle with brain tumor, life as a superstar, among other pertinent issues. Julius Agwu’s Reel Laif Entertainment imprint will also unveil its first ever artist, Mimicko at the forthcoming event.

‘Life As I See It: The Rebirth’ is supported by Heritage Bank, Zenith Bank, Inters witch, Viacom, Tickets Extra, among several others.

Media support for the event is provided by Mnet Africa, Africa Magic, Daily Times, Hip TV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, BET Africa, CNBC Africa, Erave, Channels, STV, TVC, Rhythm FM, Cool FM, Wazobia FM, among several other media platforms.

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

L5 Movie Gists

Mutiat Alli

Pray for Olumide Bakare, AFRIFF trainee wins 48 hours film challenge in Nigeria sister cries out It’s certainly not a good time for the families of veteran actor, Olumide Bakare, after the actor was rushed to the University College Hospital, UCH, in Ibadan, Oyo State after suffering from cardiac arrest.

The actor’s sister, who identified herself as Shade, confirmed that he was rushed to the intensive care unit of the hospital after suffering a relapse.

Shade however craved the indulgence of colleagues, fans and supporters of the Olumide Brand to support in prayer to revive the act quickly.

It would be recalled that Bakare’s state of health has not been in good state since he was hit with cardiac arrest in early months of 2013.

Olumide Bakare

Fathia Balogun plans ahead of 47th birthday

Nollywood screen Diva and Iya Alalake star, Faithia Balogun has hinted plan to celebrate her coming 47th birthday in Manchester.

The party is billed to hold at CCC New Jerusalem Parish Hall, 63/65, Baring Street M1 2PC, Manchester, England, come February 14, 2016.

The event, which is being packaged by UK top promoter, Buklad Concept, is expected to be a grand one judging by every detail and plan concerning the birthday anniversary.

Music will be supplied by UK based Fuji musician, Jide Akanni aka Fashenco and will be anchored by Otunba Jibola.

Fathia Balogun

Iyabo Ojo to premiere

The much-talked-about Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has become a reference point as a farreaching African film festival and the best to ever come out of Africa.

An alumnus of the just concluded AFRIFF Scriptwriting Class 2015, Xavier Ogheneovo Ighorodje, has won the 48hour Film Challenge in Nigeria.

Xavier, a chemical engineer turned writer, directed and wrote the winning movie titled, ‘The truth about B.A.E’, a psychological drama about a girl who had a unique way of projecting her grief on her closest companions in order to deal with them, becomes key to understanding her condition.

“I had heard about the 48hr film challenge Lagos but I didn’t think it was authentic until I got into the AFRIFF trainee program (Screenwriting) and during one of their sessions on documentary, Xavier at the AFRIFF scriptwriting class the conveyor of the project (Mr. Ike Nnaebue) came to talk to us. Aside the fact that this validated the authenticity of the competition, a huge chunk of the talents featured on the project were AFRIFF 2015 trainee actresses I had met one way or the other during the duration of the just concluded festival. Needless to say, without the safe haven created by AFRIFF for upcoming community of creative to meet and interact and consequently collaborate, this project wouldn’t have been possible,” Ighorodje said.

The 48 Hour Film Challenge inspired by Mark Ruppert and Liz Langston, sponsored by Movie Magic Screenwriter Version 6 and Pond 5 was brought to Nigeria by Ike Nnaebue, a prominent Nigerian filmmaker during The Africa International Film Festival. It is a contest in which teams of filmmakers are required to make a movie - write, shoot, and edit - in just 48 hours. Winners from various countries qualify for the international challenge to screen their films at Filmapalooza- a filmmaking Olympic village as they compete for the international title of Best Film. His team’s winning entry for the 48hrs film challenge won the awards for best writing, best actress, best directing and best film.

‘The truth about B.A.E’ is representing Nigeria at the filmapalooza film festival in Atlanta where other film challenge winners from around the world would gather. The team leader also gets an all-expense paid trip to the festival.

The film would be screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, France.

Victor Olaotan, Ebele Okaro stars in Three Wise men

movie on Val’s day

Top veteran actors that includes Ebele Okaro, Richard Mofe Damijo, Zack Orji, and Victor Olaotan are currently on set of an upcoming movie by Opa Williams titled, ‘Three wise men’.

RMD who plays the character, Mr. Kef, shared a photo with the caption; “3wisemen#opawilliamsmovie# movieonfleek#oldmenfeelingfunk y#greybeardgang.”

Three Wise men movie sees Victor Olaotan, Zack Orji and Richard Mofe-Damijo playing the role of the wise men. The movie is still however in its production stage.

All road leads to the Silverbird Cinema, Ikeja on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2016 as light-skinned actress, Iyabo Ojo, takes her much talked about movie’ Black Val’ to the cinemas.

According to her, Black Val is a movie for all as it is packed with so much intriguing acts.

As directed by actor turned lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, the movie starred Eniola Badmus, Seun Akindele, Belinda Effah, Bukky Wright, and Antar Laniyan amongst others.

Iyabo Ojo

Ebele Okaro and Victor Olaotan on aset

Mixed Grill L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

Mutiat Alli

Lyrics on the go

Artiste: Tiwa Savage Ft Olamide Song title: Standing Ovation Album: RED Year of release: 2016 [Intro] Hey This na brand new dance my people this na new dimension Nor dey dull yoursef you better tune in to the station When the boss dey yarn you gat to pay all your attention Tell everybody say your boo is back from her

vacation If you wan retire make you come collect your pension Cos I dey come with fire you know I dont need to mention Anything wey dem do dem nor fit make me change formation As I bring this gyration omo see standing ovation [Pre Chorus – Tiwa Savage] My oh My oh my Please tell me why oh why They say they want more They can’t get enough

Baba Dee set to embark on five-country European tour Dancehall musician, Dare Fasasi better known as Baba Dee is set for a five-country tour of some European countries.

The Reggae act, who recently dropped a new single featuring Terry G titled ‘Wey The Money’, will be performing some of his songs like Gumbody (Yemasa), Go down, Sodi amongst other tunes.

Speaking with Naija Ninja co-founder on his star-studded movie, he said: “The Head Gone movie has been released on DVD this month and is fast selling out, so it’s only right I get back to the music. My fans can expect a new album and a new movie this year.’

The tour is set to kick off on February 5 and is to end on February 28, 2016.

Baba Dee

Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron premieres on M-Net on Sunday, January 31 at 7pm

This is a blockbuster sequel to the star studded super hero film. This time The Avengers face greatest villain yet, an A.I. they created that is hell bent on destroying the world. You can also catch it on M-Net Movies premiere at 20:30 CAT. The movie features an all-star cast of Robert Downey Jnr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo.

They wanna go crazy like [Chorus – Tiwa Savage] Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) [Verse 2 – Olamide] Ah! wonle oga chairman oh Akpako ehn shey amalo When we put it down oh eni duro oh turn around oh Ko seun loko longe longe fun rora eh ewu Ema lor men wey let them dive you chop esiewu Awon emi sa leko wonti lakosi mu sokoto ah Won kikun awun sakoti wonse jeun something onja azonto ah Oya shakiti bobo ah Kini bolo keji bolo pa molo tu bolo Humble noni [Chorus – Tiwa Savage] Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) [verse 3]

Hey put your hands in the air I tight oh ki odun Shoko yokotor Awon omo lepa shandy lepa awon robotor Them boogie down to the rhythm wonpe re ogodor Tiwa Savage Oga madam oya bere mole [Tiwa Savage] Eshey eshey badoo sneh Ati berekon them dey fear See as people dey feel us sneh spending money like we don’t care oh [Olamide] oluwa lonshey money Na god dey bless us so Are you not entertained Simple yes or no [Pre Chorus – Tiwa Savage] My oh My oh my Please tell me why oh why They say they want more They can’t get enough They wanna go crazy like [Chorus – Tiwa Savage] Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) Ejeka jijo (jijo) Ejeka wajo (wajo) [Outro] Hey

Top Model, Oluchi Orlandi Introduces Lulu Nigeria Lingerie LuLu Lingerie Limited, the creator and marketer of LuLu® has teamed up with top model and fashion icon, Orlandi Orlandi, to launch Nigeria’s first inner wear destination for all shapes and sizes. LuLu provides men, women, and kids quality name brand innerwear in an assortment of sizes and styles to accommodate the full spectrum of body styles and shapes.

Brands include LuLu, Hanes, Bali, Just My Size, L’eggs, Playtex, Wonder bra, Shock Absorber, and Maiden form. LuLu stores sell bras, panties, shape wear, men’s underwear, men’s undershirts, children’s underwear, socks, T-shirts, and other active wears in Nigeria. The company sells more units of intimate apparel than any of its competitors, thus redefining this category of the retail market in Nigeria, the largest economy in West Africa.

According to Oluchi, each LuLu store location is equipped with custom-made fixtures and fittings, spacious dressing rooms, as well as a projection installation featuring exclusive brands. LuLu offers a wide array of customer services, including professional bra fitting and a service that educates customers on unfamiliar brands that offer design elements and fit to which they have not previously been exposed. The depth of brands enables LuLu’s customers to make informed decisions on what works best for them in terms of size, style, fit, design, fabric, and price.

Oluchi

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

L7 Reviews

Mutiat Alli

Concussion:

Will Smith makes an interesting move

When I heard Mr. Smith was going to be portraying a Nigerian doctor in the Peter Landesman-directed movie, Concussion, I promptly went on Youtube to see the trailer. I didn’t miss the promise it held, and so I began the countdown to be wowed. From his days in The Fresh Prince of Bel-air sitcom, to his smashing performances in The Pursuit of Happyness and Focus, to a heart-wrenching delivery in Seven Pounds, Will Smith is known to emote beyond reasonable doubt, many times making you hit the heights of empathy. Throw in some research into a blend of pathology and an Igbo man’s accent and you have an iconic performance in ‘Concussion’ that is ovation-worthy. Will Smith really does bring it.

Concussion is a story of Doctor Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian forensic pathologist residing in the United States. His unconventional methods elicit mixed reactions from a number of his colleagues and at some point in the movie, he is advised by one of them to ‘Go get yourself a girlfriend.’ He finally does, when clerics from his Catholic church ask him to host Prema (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a Nairobian nurse new to the US and having nowhere else to go. He soon makes a wife of her.

In the course of performing an autopsy on a former football legend, Mike Webster, who was generally seen to have lost his mind, he stumbles upon a rare case of brain damage caused by repeated blows to the head which he tags CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), and tries to develop on it to prevent a repeat in other players. This upsets the NFL, and they come hard on him and on those allied to him. Things get worse as more deaths happen yet Bennet remains undeterred, demanding that the NFL admit and take his findings seriously. He loses his job and security, which he highly esteems, and is made to start over from scratch.

Asides from the fact that it is a true life story, Concussion rates highly on originality. This is one storyline with its own uniqueness, pacing and voice. The seemingly little things in this movie are the things that make a masterpiece of it. For example, in the second scene where Dr. Bennet is brought before a court to give autopsy reports on a murder case, he starts out introducing himself for minutes on end, stating all his qualifications to the jury, and leaving a big grin on my face as he mirrors the characteristic bragging that comes with Nigerian-ness.

The accent is highly commendable. The way he pronounces his words is distinctive of a schooled Igbo man, especially the word ‘Doctor’. It’s also noteworthy; the way he corrects someone every time he’s called without his title. Typical! I told you it was the subtle things that mattered, didn’t I? So yes, Concussion isn’t all roses and sunflowers. Certain things don’t add up. We notice that there’s no defined time between when Prema becomes a girlfriend and when she becomes a wife. Things just speed past and leave us wondering. There’s also the stalker scene, the ensuing pursuit, and its relevance to the story. Who was pursuing her? Why? I guess we’ll never really know.

I don’t know if Kenyans have curly hair, but I’ll let that pass and assume some form of back story for why Prema does. And the child Bennet eventually had with her.

For me, it’s a great job and deserves commendation.

Shapeera hits perfect score as Ramar254 exits Tecno Own the Stage The tenth episode of TECNO Own The Stage, commenced with the show’s host, Vimbai Mutinhiri, announcing that the contestants were going to be doing songs originally performed by the judges – Nigerian Rap star, M.I., Yemi Alade and Bien-Aimé Baraza, of Sauti Sol, a Kenyan afro-pop band formed in 2005. This was an interesting curved-ball following through from last week’s epic battles where the contestants were paired in groups and had to square up against each other.

With a star prize of $25,000, a recording deal, and a brand new TECNO Phantom 5 smartphone up for grabs, this Sunday’s show was always going to be a fierce contest amongst the five remaining contestants. And yes, the show did live up to its billing with guest artiste, Falz the Bad Guy, providing a beautiful rendition of his hit single, Karishika. Falz’s electrifying performance helped to lighten the mood in the studio as the contestants geared up for their own performances.

First up was Nandy, the beautiful songstress from Tanzania, who sang Nishike by Sauti Sol, who were 2014 winners of MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act. At the end of her performance, Bien, Sauti Sol’s lead singer, explained the meaning of the song’s Swahili title which, literally translated, meant ‘touch me’. He praised Nandy for her good delivery but faulted her inability to bring to life the song’s sexiness despite the fact that the Tanzanian, in Bien’s words, was “a very sexy girl.”

Ramar254 was next, performing another Sauti Sol single, Money Lover. But he got a stern reprimand from Bien for missing his lines during his performance. Providing a humorous twist, M.I came to the Kenyan’s rescue by heaping all the blame on Bien. He said: “I don’t know who wrote that song. I don’t know what group sang that song but that was a terrible piece of music.”

It was thereafter the turn of Nigeria’s flag-bearer, Shaapera’s to take to the stage with her rendition of Ms Alade’s Johnny. And it was a performance to behold by the Nigerian who, unknown to the audience, had earlier been involved in an accident and was only given the green light hours before the episode was shot. The revelation made her feat all the more spectacular and she expectedly earned the judges’ adoration, with Bien scoring her a perfect 10 from 10.

The charming Kenyan, Sikin was up next to perform another song from Ms Alade’s collection, K.I.S.S.I.N.G. It was a worthy presentation as she earned some commendation from Yemi Alade for her effort. She was also cautioned against flouting the first rule of karaoke: don’t miss your lines. It was Pascal’s turn to perform M.I.’s One Naira. It wasn’t the best the audience had seen of the affable Kenyan but it was enough to earn him some measure of praise from M.I., who nevertheless reminded Pascal that he fluffed his lines on a number of occasions. Bien, apparently still smarting from M.I.’s earlier jibe at him, praised Pascal for his good delivery of a song “he had never heard, and from an artiste he had previously never heard of.”

After that, the judges announced who would be making a departure from the show, which turned out to be Ramar254. It meant that for a third successive episode, a Kenyan had been ejected from the show. But Sikin and Pascal alongside the Tanzanian, Nandy, and the Nigerian, Shaapera are still in the hunt for the competition’s finale.

Judges

Nandy Falz the bad guy

Daily Times Nigeria

Thursday January 28, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies Comedy Channel 104

Movies ACTION Channel 110

22:28

13:00

Thu, 28 Jan|16 SL

Thu, 28 Jan| PG 13V

Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and Danny star in this film about three salesmen who dissect life as they wait for a man who could make or break their sales targets. Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey.(1999)John Swanbeck

Jackie Chan turns on the charm in this action film. A chauffeur is thrust into the world of international espionage when he puts on a suit that gives him extraordinary powers.

Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt. (2002) Kevin Donovan.

101 M-Net

23:35 Behind The Scenes: Unbroken 00:00 Chicago Med 00:50 Behind The Scenes: 1st Project 01:20 Shakesspeare School Year 02:28 Behind The Scenes: Walking On Sunshine 02:40 Behind The Scenes: Annie 03:15 Made In Hollywood

04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 05:59 The Middle 06:29 Sarah Graham's Food Safari 07:30 Chicago Med 08:30 From Rough 10:04 Behind The Scenes: The Theory Of...

10:30 The Goldbergs 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Carte Blanche 14:00 Shades Of Blue 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 Kevin From Work 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:33 My Story

118 Telemundo

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Broken Angel 02:10 Broken Angel 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 Broken Angel 17:50 Broken Angel 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 Broken Angel 22:00 Broken Angel 22:50 Husband For Hire

120 BBC Brit Entertainment

23:14 The Graham Norton Show

11:10 Would I Lie To You?

00:04 An Idiot Abroad

11:40 QI

00:54 The Cube

12:15 The Cube

01:41 Police Interceptors

13:05 Top Gear

02:29 John Bishop's Australia

14:55 Police Interceptors

03:24 Undercover Boss USA

15:45 Undercover Boss USA

04:10 Pointless

15:55 Would I Lie To You?

05:00 The Cube

16:20 QI

05:50 Would I Lie To You?

17:00 Pointless

06:25 QI5

18:00 Top Gear

07:00 Police Interceptors

19:00 Dragons' Den

07:45 Top Gear

20:00 QI

08:40 Pointless

20:30 Youngers

09:35 Undercover Boss USA

21:10 Top Gear

10:20 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

22:05 Top Gear: Special: Best Of British

155 AfricaMagic World

152 AfricaMagic Epic

23:37 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 00:00 Music On Africa Magic

23:00 Most Shocking 23:50 World's Wildest Police Videos 00:40 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:30 Freakshow 01:55 Extreme Reality Clips 02:20 Sexy Car Wash 03:15 Sexy Car Wash 03:45 Video Zonkers 04:10 South Beach Tow 04:35 South Beach Tow 05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 07:25 Video Zonkers

07:50 South Beach Tow 08:15 South Beach Tow

09:00 Good Morning Africa

08:40 Most Shocking

10:00 Lies That Bind

09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos

10:30 Lies That Bind

10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos

11:00 Lies That Bind

11:30 Baywatch

11:30 Lies That Bind

12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

13:00 Music On Africa Magic 14:00 Music On Africa Magic 15:05 Music On Africa Magic

01:00 Good Morning Africa

16:00 Star Gist

00:10 Mystic Mirror

11:10 Maiden Of Destruction

02:05 53 Extra

16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa

01:26 Mirror And Beauty

12:39 Sacred Skull

02:45 Star Gist

17:25 53 Extra

02:25 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes

14:20 Twins Of The Rainforest

03:15 Star Gist

18:00 Jara

14:48 Behind The Scenes: The Place

03:45 Jara

18:30 Tinsel

15:00 Enemy Must Obey

04:25 Jara

19:00 Lies That Bind

17:02 Enemy Must Obey

05:00 Goodmorning Africa

19:30 Lies That Bind

06:01 Only Hope

19:10 The Mastermind

06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

20:00 Jacob's Cross

07:50 Mother's Tears

20:55 Behind The Scenes:Next Dean

07:00 53 Extra

20:55 Jacob's Cross

09:31 Painful Secret

21:05 Royal Desire

07:30 Star Gist

21:55 Jacob's Cross

05:35 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room

128 SONY MAX

08:00 Jara

12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

03:40 Impostor

L8 TV guide

13:30 South Beach Tow

14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 16:00 Most Shocking 17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Extreme Reality Clips 20:30 Rude Tube 21:00 Rude Tube 21:30 Freakshow 22:00 Sexy Car Wash