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THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.34

Amnesty: Soldiers abandon

civilians to Boko Haram

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Peter Olu Jack

9 j ƆƐ Ɛ ƄƆ Mƈ ƆƏƈ ô Ƅƈ Ɔ Ɛ ƏƆƒƆ ƑƆ Ɔ Ə ƆƏ – NITDA boss Nigerians wait to be registered at a United Nations Refugee Agency camp in Baga Sola, Chad, on Monday, January 26.

INSIDE

Life&

ÏÏÏThe

TIMES Thursday January 29, 2015

Bad press doesn’t bother me -Gloria Ibru L2

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Vector the ‘King-Kong’

L3

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Timi Dakolo @ #LoveAffairs PL2

Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), has accused the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

30 & 31

Buhari plots to smuggle certificate into INEC – PDP Ï ƇƆ ƈƇƆƏƆô Ɔ Ɨ Ə ƆƌƆ Ɛ Ƈ C Ɛ ƌƆ ƈ ƋƆ è ƕ ^

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Broken home: Causes L6 Stomach upset and treatment PL7

Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

PHOTO: AFP

Bird flu spreads to 11 states – FG

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Ronaldo hit with two-match ban

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Advertorial 2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

As FCE Osiele holds 23rd convocation,

T

he Federal College of Education, Abeokuta with the vision of making the College the preferred centre of Academic Excellence among Colleges of Education in Nigeria is missioned to produce highly motivated and skilled teachers for primary and junior secondary schools and ultimately senior secondary schools in Nigeria through all round total quality teaching, research and community service; standard practices and values; deployment of e-Administration.

Established in 1976 as the Federal Advanced Teachers College, in addition to three other similar Colleges that were previously in existence at Okene, Pankshin and Yola. It is the first tertiary institution in Ogun State.

The College started at the then Abeokuta Grammar School, Isale-Igbein, right in the centre of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State. The College at inception shared the site with Abeokuta Grammar School until early January, 1983 when the school moved to its new site. It provides three-year full-time and five year sandwich courses respectively leading to the award of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).

The foundation day of the College is January 27, 1977; the day the first set of eighty-six (86) students were registered after about four months of preparatory activities and assembling staff and equipment to site. This action gave practical effect to the Government plan and provision in the 1976/1977 estimated for the establishment of an Advanced Teachers College at Abeokuta. In 1982, the then President-in-Council approved the autonomy of the College along with others under the name “Federal College of Education”. The legal instrument for this autonomy was effected through Decree 4 (now Act) of March, 1986 and the Federal Colleges of Education (amendment) Decree 6 of January 1, 1993. The College moved to its permanent site in 1983 and presently occupies a land area of 632.95 – Ibadan Road at Osiele, which the Federal Government vested it vide Gazette No. 41 Vol. 64 of 25th August, 1977.

The permanent site of the College is located at Osiele Vil-

New administrative & Provost’s office building lage, which is about ten kilometers from Abeokuta on Abeokuta-Ibadan Road. Plans for acquisition and development for the site were undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Education, with the firm of Vivian Uku and Associates of Benin as Consultant.

Alhaji Gani A Belo was the founding Principal of the Collegee and successfully steered the ship of the College for fifteen years (January 1976 – 1991). This was followed by a brief period of interregnum during which the then Deputy Provost (Chief O.O. Abatan) held forte as the Acting College Provost before the assumption of office of Professor E.O.A Ajayi (Nov. 1991 – 1999) as the second Provost of the College. Professor Ajayi advanced the frontiers of the College and entrenched the academic ethos among the College. Dr. J. O. Akinmoyewa was the third Provost of the College (1999 – 2003) and he also consolidated the gains of the predecessors. Dr. E.O. Filani assumed office on 28th January, 2004 after a brief period of interregnum during which the then Deputy Provost (Dr. E. O. Adeniyi) held forte as

the Acting College Provost. The incumbent, Dr. A. A. Ajayi became the substantive Provost on the 3rd of April, 2012 after serving as Deputy Provost for a while.

Since its inception, the College has had five Governing Councils. The first was between 1990 – 1993 headed by the pa J.A.F. Sokoya (late), the second from 2000 – 2003 headed by Chief Douyi Douglas Naingba, while the third Council headed by Chief (Mrs) Aduke Maina was in office from 2005 to 2007. The fourth Council headed by Hon. Yunusa Ayinla Folorunsho from 2009 – 2013. The current and fifth Council headed by Senator (Sir) Emmanuel Anosike, a political icon from the East Central Zone of the country and collusion in their terrain.

Acclaimed the most peaceful tertiary institution in Ogun State, the College has never lost a session. This reflects the peaceful co-existence of staff, students, Management and Governing of the College. The rate and quality of infrastructural development on the campus have resulted in massive impressive structures. This again, re-

Model college hostel

33-11 KVA transformer to be commissioned today

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

3 Advertorial

it’s the dawn of a glorious era

E-library

Digital & Micro Teaching lab.

Muyiwa Odegbami Entrepreneurship Centre

sults from the commitment and determination of Governing Council and Management of the institution.

The recent contribution of the present Governing Council led by Senator (Sir) Emmanuel Anosike complemented by the effective human and material resources management of the College Management led by Dr. A. A. Ajayi have made the College a preferred destination for Academic and excellent teacher education in Nigeria.

The amazing continuous physical development on the campus is being testified to by the list of projects that are to be commissioned during the 23rd Convocation of the College that is being slated for Thursday 29th January, 2015. During the Convocation, up to 3,900 students of 2011, 2012 and 2013 sets shall be graduated out of the five Schools of the College (School of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Education, School of Languages, School of Sciences and School of Vocational Education).

Also during the Convocation day, the New Administrative and Provost’s Office Building

built at a total project cost of N101m shall be commissioned alongside the Digital MicroTeaching Laboratory midwifed by the Federal Ministry of Education, TETfund and NCCE and the College at the cost of N150m.

In addition, a N30m worth Bursary Complex is due for commissioning alongside the e-learning of 250 work stations.

One important structure, the Muyiwa Odegbami Entrepreneurship Centre is also to be commissioned. This structure is important not only because it has been donated by an indigene of Abeokuta and a business guru but also because this is the first time a structure of such quality and size is being donated to the College. It is a 300 seater Hall with two offices. Another donated building is a multi-purpose hall at the Model Secondary School of the College. The structure is being donated by the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) of the Model Secondary School and shall be commissioned.

Other important projects that are expected to be commissioned are the 33/11 KVA Transformer, Adult and Non-formal

and Adult Education Building as well as Early Childhood and Care Education Building.

What is the impression of people about this development? The President of the Student Union Government, Mr. L. Jeremiah Expressed satisfaction concerning the rate at which the College is expanding “This College is the fastest growing College of Education in Nigeria and with the way it is growing, it shall soon become a University” he said.

Provost of the College in a similar way is of the opinion that if at any time the Federal Government considers the upgrading of Federal Colleges of Education to autonomous degree awarding institution, the Federal College of Education Abeokuta shall surely be one. “We have taken the right step by running degree programme in affiliation with the University of Ibadan and with the quality and quantity of staff we have in the College, there is no doubt that if given the opportunity, the degree programme of the College will be of the required standard” concluded the Provost.

The Chairman of the College Governing Council, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, definitely impressed by the performance of the College Management also assured that the College shall definitely be given the degree awarding status. He said that one of his main objectives and missions of the Chairman of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta Governing Council is to elevate the institution to the degree awarding status.

Considering the fact that this is a College that started with less than 90 students but now boasts of up to 5000 students (including sandwich), a College that started within the compound of secondary school in the 70s, a College that now competes favourably well with some Nigerian Universities in terms of structure and staff, Mrs. F. O. Obijole a pioneer student but now one of the longest serving staff of the College cannot hide her joy when she expressed gratitude to God who has made it possible for her to see Convocation in the annals of the history of the College. “I am very happy and grateful to God who has made it possible for me to see the 23rd Convocation of the College. I pray and hope to be alive when the College shall celebrate 40th year, its next year and till then …..

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Politics Page Four

s

Editorial

Recruitment of kids

by Boko Haram

R

ecent photos showing underage children practising military drills at an undisclosed location in the North East is not only alarming but also horrifying.

The photos released by Al Urwa al Wuthaqa, a media group in close collaboration with Boko Haram, revealed several children being drilled in weapons handling. Incidentally, some of the teenagers appear to be girls.

With this revelation, Boko Haram has joined the widening list of jihadist groups around the world that are recruiting minors for military missions.

Some of the other international terrorist groups include,the Turkistan Islamic Party and Taliban which are known to operate training camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan,China and Syria for the recruitment and training of young boys and girls for suicide missions.

Sadly, those recruited by Boko Haram are forced into the frontline against Nigerian troops through ambushes and suicide bombings. On several occasions, the army has captured armed children on the frontlines who later confessed to fighting for Boko Haram.

It is really worrisome that many of these children were recruited through abductions,kidnapping and monetary inducements, after which they are

forced to undergo brainwashing and combat training.

It would be recalled that after the horrific civil wars in Liberia and Sierra-Leone, the United Nations Organisation(UNO) passed six resolutions against child soldiering anywhere in the world. Unfortunately,the resolution is being observed mostly in the breach by Boko Haram. So far, it has been to difficult knowing the number of child soldiers that have been sent to untimely graves through activities of the insurgents.

This is why we are calling on the international community to rally round and stop to the continuing abuse of minors by Boko Haram.

The example of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is a pointer to the danger posed by such fringe groups, when their activities are left unchecked at the beginning. Even at that, Boko Haram has consistently shown that it has the capability to strike at other neighbouring countries.

Definitely, what Nigeria needs is assistance in the areas of intelligence sharing,counter insurgency operations,forensic analysis and mounting of a de-radicalisation programme. This way, the sect would be defeated and all child soldiers rescued and re-united with their families.

On its part, Nigeria must look within to fix its social,economic and political problems which are the root causes of extremism.

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Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏThe way Nigerians use God as cover for their failings and failures is fast becoming a source of national embarrassment.

When a driver under the influence of alcohol rams his vehicle onto another, kills and maims its occupants, people say it is an ‘act of God’. When public officers divert public funds, enrich themselves at the expense of others, some say

that it is how God wants it.

When a student refuses to study hard and consequently fails examination, they say God ordained it. Some clowns declare such failures as ordained by God or in some extremes by ‘spiritual forces’.

Just on Monday, Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, joined this bandwagon when he asked victims of the Boko Haram attack in Monguno to see the incident as “ordained

by God”. Ask, which God? How can anyone say God ordained the actions of a blood-thirsty sect? How can people drag the Supreme Be-

Words On Marble :

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God as excuse for our failings, failures ing into actions consciously undertaken by a sect whose goal is to railroad all of us into their worldview and return us to the Stone Age? Time has come for us as a people and as individuals to know that we are responsible for our actions and stop using God to cover our failings and failures. We must admit it when we fail and determine to do the right.

We must accept the responsibilities that God and being alive confer on us.

So, before you join the bandwagon of people using God to cover their failings and failures, step back and think.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Deputy Editors Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Abuja Bureau Chief

Head of Operations

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Bisi Abidoye Segun Adio

Editorial Page Editor Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Innocent Nwankwo Adetayo Adelaja

Business Editor

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head, Sales & Marketing Moses Ebong

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

Deputy Head Graphics Afeez Odeseye

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

Olu Falae/Afenifere Restructuring is what will let us out of jail and allow us to develop at our own pace. The man who will do it is the one we are supporting, not the man who will kill it

Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Dr. David Ige. ``..Today, we have an outlay of many fertiliser plants already positioning Nigeria to be the largest producer of fertiliser by 2018 in this continent.”

Godswill Akpabio “We must say no to electoral thuggery… to electoral violence and ensure that our votes count. This can only be achieved through peaceful elections which is the beauty of democracy

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

5 News

FG confirms bird flu outbreak in 11 states ÏÏÏ

THE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, on Wednesday confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in 11 states.

He announced that the Federal Government had approved N145 million to compensate farmers affected by the outbreak of the disease.

He made the disclosure at an emergency meeting on avian influenza with state

Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏ

President, Goodluck Jonathan has admitted that the ongoing crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could mar his re-election and the party’s chances in the forthcoming general election if the warring factions refused to resolve their differences urgently.

Jonathan, who spoke at the Democracy Park, venue of his campaign rally in the Akure on Wednesday, with thousands of supporters present, said that if the party in the state didn’t quickly resolve all lingering issues before the general election, the Opposition would take advantage to take charge of the state.

Two party leaders, Barr.

Jimoh Ibrahim and Governor Olusegun Mimiko have been laying claims to the leadership of the party, a situation that had polarized the party and pitched their supporters in opposing camps. This division had made many party faithful to seek solace in opposition parties.

In an emotion-laden voice, Jonathan noted that the state PDP must become united to work for its progress and not for personal aggrandisement.

“We appreciate that we have issues as a party in Ondo State and we will resolve the issue. Also we have one PDP in the state, not two. If we don’t work together, you will

DPR issues ultimatum to marketers to renew license

commissioners for agriculture in Abuja.

The minister directed that the compensation should be paid to the farmers within 72 hours.

Adesina said the states affected were Kano, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Imo, Oyo and Jigawa states.

He explained that the compensation was for 39 farms across nine states where depopulation was

carried out as a measure to control the outbreak.

The minister said that the affected farmers would get N1.4 million each. ``We want all those who are exposed to report to the Federal Government, and as we just we dealt with the Ebola crisis, we are on top of the situation. ``We are not in a state of an epidemic and will collaborate with states and our development partners to

ensure that there is no room for panic,’’ Adesina said.

According to him, as at January 21, a total of 139, 505 birds had been exposed with 22,173 mortality recorded and as at January 27, 232,385 were exposed and 51,444 mortality recorded.

He said the ministry was working closely with State Governments, the Poultry Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association and the

Animal Science Association of Nigeria to contain the spread of the flu.

The minister said he had directed a nationwide comprehensive surveillance, quarantine, de-population and decontamination of affected poultry farms.

He said that poultry products, if cooked well, were safe for consumption, adding that the main channel of infection was direct contact with infected surfaces or

Jonathan admits factions in Ondo PDP, orders quick resolution be surprised that other parties will exploit it and none of us will be happy.

“The party will work very hard to make sure that Jimoh Ibrahim and the Governor sit together and talk about the interest of Ondo State. They have a cold relationship now, but, we will heat up the relationship and we will work with them.

“I mean Iroko himself, Jimoh Ibrahim and Olusola Oke must sit down and discuss the development of Ondo State. They will not discuss personal things pertaining to individuals. They must work with us to make sure that, collectively, we talk about the development of the state and the nation at large.

“They will serve us better if, collectively, they talk and discuss and do things that will project Ondo State; that will enable the Federal Government to work with them and bring dividends of democracy to the state.

“Those of you that are supporting all of us here, should know that we are together, we cannot play with Ondo State because it has showed leadership in PDP and it will remain a PDP state and we will make sure that they all work together for the interest of our great party”, Jonathan added.

Augustine Okezie Abuja The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has given a- 14 day ultimatum to oil marketers and operators within Abuja and

objects contaminated with faeces of infected birds.

Adesina urged the citizenry to imbibe high level of hygiene, calling on stakeholders to co-operate with government to quickly control the outbreak.

He urged the private sector to cash in on the opportunity to establish veterinary laboratories across the country for easy and faster diagnosis of animal diseases.

Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun acknowledging cheers from the audience during his re-election campaign rally, held at Ifo Town in Ifo Local Government… on Wednesday Photo: DAVID IDOWU

Chase away bad leaders with your voter cards, says Adamawa monarch Wale Akintunde The Lamido of Adamawa Dr. Muhammad Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, has urged the youths across the nation to use their votes to chase out bad leaders in office instead of going violent.

The royal father condemned attack on the nation’s politicians during their campaigning tours in some part of the nation.

He said stoning our leaders with stone and sachet water was wrong, adding

that the youths who engaged in such acts desist from them.

He then urged the youth to use their votes, in place of stones and sachet water, to chase out bad leaders.

The Lamido gave this advice yesterday in his palace while, receiving the special assistant to president Goodluck Jonathan on Youth and Students’ Affairs, Comrade Jude Imagwe, who was in the state to sensitise the youths and students on the need for violence-free election.

He urged the youth to act responsibly and avoid taking laws into their own hands or allow themselves to be used by some selfish politicians, adding that there were a lot of civilised ways to vote out bad leaders.

Barkindo further appealed to politicians to play the game according to the rules and avoid anything capable of setting the country on fire, stressing that power belonged to God, who gives it to whoever he wishes.

Imagwe told the royal

father that he was in the state to seek for his blessing.

He commended the Lamido for his leadership qualities and numerous contributions to the development of the country, as well as various assistance he had been rendering to the Jonathan administration.

He assured the royal father of the Federal Government’s commitment to good governance and give royal fathers their deserving place of honour in the society.

Niger State zones to renew their operational license or face the appropriate sanctions.

The order, which is in compliance with petroleum laws, not only stipulates conditions for granting ap-

proval for the operation of petrol stations but also renewal of permits.

The Zonal Operations Controller of the DPR, Malam Mohammed Usman, handed the notice to marketers in Abuja, on

Wednesday, at an annual marketers meeting.

Usman also hinted that the DPR is planning to raise the fee from the current N30, 000 and would, henceforth, deny license renewal to uncompleted retail out-

lets.

The plan to raise the fees was sequel to complaints raised by marketers for a shift from two to five years, the time frame for license renewal, which Usman discounted.

Yola

ÏÏÏ

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

‘Soldiers abandon civilians to Boko Haram’ Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÏÏÏAmnesty

International on Wednesday accused Nigerian troops of abandoning civilians under Boko Haram attacks in the North East, an allegation that the military described as false, unfair and inciting.

The global human rights watchdog also made a case for the deployment of a regional force in the North East to protect the civilians.

Badeh, CDS

The call came ahead of a meeting on Thursday (today) by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council which is expected to discuss the deployment of a possible regional force against the sect.

The global organization, in a statement by its Africa Director, Netsanet Belay, declared: “If such a force were to be deployed, it is vital that it has a clear mandate to protect civilians and that all parties engaging in military deployment comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”

The organisation said that the federal authorities were not heeding warnings of planned attacks by Boko Haram and were leaving civilians unprotected.

It said that federal authorities were warned about the recent Boko Haram attacks on Monguno village in Borno State, but that the government failed to take adequate action.

Similar alerts were also given to the military authorities on the attacks carried out

by Boko Haram in Baga and its environs, the organisation further alleged.

Belay said: “New evidence shows that the Nigerian military were repeatedly warned of impending Boko Haram attacks on Baga and Monguno which claimed hundreds of lives, and failed to take adequate action to protect civilians.”

Quoting an anonymous senior military source, the organisation said that other evidence gathered indicated that commanders at the military base in Baga regularly informed military headquarters in November and December 2014 of the threat of a Boko Haram attack and repeatedly asked for reinforcements.

Quoting other military sources, the organisation said witnesses told it that the military in Monguno had an advanced warning of the Boko Haram attack on 25 January.

“It is clear from this evidence that Nigeria’s military leadership woefully and repeatedly failed in their duty to protect civilians of Baga and Monguno despite repeated warnings about an impending threat posed by Boko Haram.”

The Amnesty International added: “These attacks are an urgent wake-up call for the Ni-

gerian leadership, the African Union and the international community. It is essential to protect hundreds of thousands of civilians in north east Nigeria from Boko Haram’s continued onslaught.”

The organisation also said that long before the attack on Baga, the Multinational Joint Task Force based in the town informed military headquarters in Abuja about sightings of Boko Haram patrols and build-ups of Boko Haram fighters. They also told headquarters ahead of the attacks, that civilians in surrounding towns and villages were fleeing the area in large numbers.

It stated that on 3 January, Boko Haram members informed locals that their “next target is Monguno,” and that these civilians informed the local military.

According to the global organisation one Monguno resident said everyone was warned about the attack of Wednesday 21 January, as Boko Haram asked the villagers [in nearby Ngurno] to leave because they were coming to attack the barracks.

But the military, in reaction said that the organisation’s allegations were mis-

leading.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General A.C. Olukolade, disclosed that Nigerian troops had continually been operating with the highest form of alertness.

He said further: “Every available information is factored into the intelligence that drives every engagement or encounter in any part of the mission area. This standard has not only been sustained but has been incrementally enhanced in terms of capacity, troop’s deployment, coordination, troop’s mobility and protection as well as logistics.”

Olukolade said that “regular patrols, surveillance, pursuit and actual combat engagement to curtail or forestall terrorists’ activities and threats” were also being conducted, adding that this had substantially succeeded in “preventing, frustrating or minimising the effect of terrorists’ dastardly intentions and actions.”

This, he said further, “accounts for why the main intention of terrorists attack on Maiduguri and other places could not succeed.”

The military said that the Amnesty International was a part of its usual attempt to use “unfortunate activities of terrorists to find fault with the counter terrorism operations,” a development it described as “inaccurate and unfair.”

Olukolade said further: “In actual fact, the protection of civilian population is the essence the entire counter terrorism operation.”

He added: “The misleading conclusions by Amnesty International could have been avoided if they had made meaningful efforts to verify the inciting allegations.

Whatever be the intention, the allegations, at best can only constitute a distractive and misleading commentary or interpretation of the terrorists’ activities, the efforts to curb them and the actual situation on the ground in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian security forces remain willing and capable of discharging the responsibility of defending the country’s territory and people. Every intrigue aimed at undermining the nation’s capacity to handle its security challenges will surely fail.”

PDP alleges plot to smuggle Buhari’s certificate to INEC Continued from page 1 (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, of trying to smuggle a newly-acquired certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through the backdoor.

Meanwhile, the APC has described as “meaningless” the endorsement of the reelection bid of President Goodluck Jonathan by panYoruba socio-political association, the Afenifere.

The PDPPCO maintained that if INEC allows such a thing happen, it will put a serious question mark on its impartiality and credibility.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who addressed a press conference on the issue on Wednesday in Abuja, said if INEC had indeed, received the said certificate of Buhari, it would mean that it

(the commission) has collected his (Buhari’s) newlyacquired certificate 40 days outside the stipulation of the Law. Fani-Kayode, in his address titled, “Certificate Saga: Buhari Sinks Deeper With Lies”, said, “yesterday (Tuesday), General Muhammadu Buhari made a shocking and belated disclosure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has his documents.

“He has not been specific about the documents he is referring to, but it is very clear that this is yet another squalid attempt to give the Nigerian people the impression that INEC has his certificate.

“If this is true, it represents a somersault from his original position which was that INEC has his affidavit and it once again reveals General Buhari for what he is.

“With this latest antic,

General Buhari is obviously trying to smuggle a newly acquired certificate into INEC through the backdoor.

“If this is true and if INEC allows such a thing to happen, it would put a serious question mark on its impartiality and credibility.

“It would mean that it has collected his newly-acquired certificate, 40 days outside the stipulation of the Law. “We say this because Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act says INEC shall within 7 days of the receipt of the receipt of the personal particulars of the candidate; publish same in the constituency...”, he said.

Chief Fani-Kayode therefore declared that INEC “must come clean on this matter; otherwise we will be compelled to pass a no-confidence vote in it”.

Meanwhile, the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation has described

Tuesday’s endorsement of the re-election of President Jonathan by Afenifere as meaningless.

A statement by a member of the Directorate of Media and Publicity, Rotimi Fashakin, read in part: “As a Political campaign organization, our attention in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential campaign has been drawn to the purported endorsement of AFENIFERE for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan.

From the available media reports, the predication of that endorsement was on the President’s convocation of a National confab and, a promise to implement same.

“For us, there can be no greater puerile reason by an organization to give in its inability to rise beyond jejune considerations in holistically appreciating the essence of the current national discourse. The APC stayed

away from the National confab because of its belief that an administration, that had accentuated and exacerbated the ethno-religious cleavages of the Nigerian people in the last five years, is incapable of organizing a meaningful national confab in mitigating the myriads of challenges assailing the Nation State.

Secondly, our party stood on the firm ground against the National Confab because the modalities employed in the selection of preponderant number of the conferees by the PDP-led Federal government could only make the outcome of the conference to be used for serving the despicable political agenda of the current administration. It is incongruous to believe that an exercise that did not get the assent of the Nigerian people can be used as a basis for contemplating a peopleoriented Constitution! Furthermore, our party believes

Buhari that a President, that is a serial promise breaker, cannot be trusted to keep his promise; it therefore beggars belief where the AFENIFERE leaders got their optimism from, except there are other subterranean considerations for this infamous endorsement!

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

7 News

Court lifts NCC’s suspension on APC’s fund-raising platform Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏ

Five telecommunications firms have been restrained by a Federal High Court, Lagos from suspending the campaign fund-raising platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Ibrahim Buba made an order of interim injunction on Wednesday restraining Etisalat, MTN, Glo, Airtel and Visafone from giving effect to a di-

rective by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) which prevented them from running political promotions that would portray them as being partisan.

The court made the ex-parte order following the party’s motion and ordered the firms “to continue to run, operate and/ or restore to its full operative use the SMS Code platform 35350 created for fund-raising for the appli-

cant’s presidential campaign.”

The orders subsist pending the hearing and determination of APC’s originating motion on notice.

The court also granted APC leave to serve the originating motion on notice and other processes on NCC (the first defendant) outside the court’s jurisdiction.

APC said the platform was to operate until February 12 when campaign ac-

tivities for the presidential election would stop, in line with the Electoral Act and the election time-table.

In the originating motion, APC is demanding N25billion damages from the defendants for violating the fundamental rights of the party and its members.

It said since the platform was suspended, it had been unable to disseminate or receive information from its support-

NNPC releases 1,500 trucks of kerosene

L-R: Minister of the Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, inaugurating security offfice at the e-passport office in Abuja on Tuesday.

With him are Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr David Parradang (middle) and permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr Abubakar Magaji

Emma Obi Calabar

ÏÏÏ

Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has released 1,500 trucks of kerosene for distribution to the public.

Mr Ikenna Okpani, Media Officer, Port Harcourt Refinery Petroleum Company Ltd, disclosed this on Wednesday in Calabar at the flag off of the ``kero-correct’’ campaign in Calabar.

Okpani who is the ``Team Lead’’ of the kero-correct campaign in Cross River State, said the campaign was to ensure availability of kerosene at the government regulated price of N50 per litre. ``Approximately, we have released 1,500 trucks (40, 000 litres per truck) of kerosene for the purpose of this campaign which will last for three months. ``These trucks would be distributed to the 37 NNPC mega stations, 12 floating mega stations and 524 NNPC affiliate stations across the country over the period of three months’’, he disclosed According to him, the campaign was an initiative of the Federal Government to get kerosene to consumers at government approved price of N50 per litre. ``We have discovered, over time that many Nigerians are not getting this product at the approved price across the country.

ers via the SMS code 35350.

The party said while the platform was suspended, NCC allowed that of President Goodluck Jonathan to run without a glitch adding that it created a “premium SMS code 35350” through which willing donors could contribute to its presidential campaign fund.

Within hours of its creation, APC claimed it was getting about five messages at N100 each per

Anenih’ll fail again in Edo, says Oshiomhole

Titus Akhigbe Benin

ÏÏÏ

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that Chief Anthony Anenih has a long history of frustrating the will of the people, but will fail with his latest project to secure another term for President Goodluck Jonathan, just as he failed in all the elections in the state since he became governor.

Speaking at a rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekpoma, Edo Central Senatorial district, Oshiomhole said the people of Esan land should ask

Anenih the role he played in the humiliation, rigging and eventual incarceration of the late Governor of the defunct Bendel State, Professor Ambrose Alli.

According to him, the time had come for the Esan people to know who played what role in the development of their land and urged them to be wary of the antics and lies of expired godfathers whose stock in trade “is to mislead and deceive the people”.

Oshiomhole said, “The people must know the truth. Once upon a time, Bendel people from Delta and Edo State, elected one

Oshiomhole of your sons, Prof Ambrose Alli of blessed memory.

He was elected not only by Esan people but by the entire Bendel State.

He established the Ambrose Alli University. You

cannot forget the roads he built in Esan land and beyond. Who removed Ambrose Alli from power? The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and their chieftains in Esan land.

“Chief Anenih came here to say it was General Buhari who jailed Ambrose Alli. You voted for Alli but we all know who removed him. They declared somebody else a winner and declared Alli the loser in an election that he won, exactly what they did to me.

Anenih must be told part of his sins against Esan people for which he will never be forgiven.

minute. “A total of 5,400 messages were received”, it said.

However, NCC, in a January 19, 2015 letter, directed all telecoms service providers “to avoid running political advertisements that will portray them as being partisan”, adding that it would “not hesitate to sanction any service provider that flouts this directive”, consequently, the telecoms firms suspended the platform.

Oyo Muslim community denies endorsing Ajimobi Remi Oladoye

ÏÏÏ

Leaders of the Muslim community in Oyo State, have denied endorsing Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the next governor of the state.

Alhaji Kunle Sanni, chairman of the community disclosed this on Wednesday while hosting Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, governorship candidate of the Labour Party at the Central Mosque, Ibadan.

According to Sanni, “the Muslim community in Oyo State did not endorse any candidate, we invited the governor here just like we are inviting Otunba AlaoAkala today and other gubernatorial candidates in the state for a discussion”.

While commending Alao-Akala for his magnanimity and maturity, i Sanni said, while in office as governor, the candidate balanced his executive council with Muslim and Christian members and responded positively to the request of the Muslim community.

While responding, AlaoAkala said he would govern with the fear of God and assured them of a smooth relationship with the Muslim community if elected.

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8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Ekiti CP warns politicians over rigging Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏEkiti

L-R: Director, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Johnson Olawumi; Chairman, Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega and Assistant Director Protocol INEC, Mrs. Kemi Oyeyemi, during Olawumi’s courtesy visit to INEC Chairman on the forthcoming election held in Abuja… on Wednesday Photo: Temitope Balogun

Gunmen kill eight in Kaduna Sunday Isuwa Kaduna

ÏÏÏEight people were report-

edly killed on Tuesday in Yangal- Fadan Kamanton, a community in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State by gunmen. 12 persons, injured in the attack, are currently receiving medical treatment at St Louis Hospital Zonkwa, residents and local authorities said.

Residents said the gunmen,

suspected to be herdsmen, invaded the communities in the late hours of Tuesday and operated till yesterday morning, shooting sporadically and setting several houses ablaze.

A community youth leader in the area, Monday Joseph told Daily Times that the area had not experienced communal crises before and wondered why the people should be meted with such a calamity.

“Eight people were killed in

the attack and about 12 people were injured and they are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Zonkwa”, Joseph said.

Daily Times further gathered that the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Ambassador Nuhu Audu Bajoga and Interim Chairman, Zangon Kataf LGA, Hon Jonathan Asake, were on their way to the community.

However, the Police Command in Kaduna could not be reached for comments.

Ogun APGA guber candidate pledges radical changes in governance Tunde Atobatele Abeokuta

ÏÏÏOgun

State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. David Bamgbose, has reemphasized his plans to make Agriculture the main focus of his administration, if voted into power in next month election.

The academicic’s turnedpolitician, in a chat with Daily Times, lamented the huge neglect the sector had suffered in the hands of successive governments, thereby resulting in a battered economy and

untold hardship in the land.

His words, “Agriculture, which is our heritage has been largely neglected and forsaken because of the free money the state gets from the federal coffers, and in return, what do we get?, shambles economy, inability to pay workers and the like’.

According to him, his administration will make spirited efforts to revamp the inherited but dead farm settlements in the state, particularly, the Apoje Farm settlement, which had been reputed to have contributed in no small measure to the

financial income of Ogun State in the past.

While discussing further on his plans for the state, Prof Bamgbose said his government shall usher in a new dawn to investors as he will expressly consider lengthy durations of tax moratorium to boost and attract effective Private, Public Partnerships, which he termed as the only tool to moving the state forward. On education, the candidate stated his desire to within the second quarter of his assumption of office, return the mission schools to their original owners.

State Police Command and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have identified manipulation and desperation, as the reasons why conduct of elections had always been a major challenge to the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, during a one-day workshop by the command in conjunction with NBA, the State Police Commissioner, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, said Nigeria could not afford to conduct a highly vitiated elections that could ignite crisis in February.

NBA leadership for its commitment to the development of democracy in Nigeria, added that politicians must put the security of the country at

heart by not engaging in acts that could worsen the present insecurity level. He said: “Election has been a veritable tool for installing democratic system of government all over the world. Conduct of elections, however, has remained a challenge to many countries, including Nigeria, due to its attendant consequences on national security.

“The conduct of election could either mar or strengthen the political stability of a nation.

Perceived injustice, corruption and unfairness in the conduct of elections have led to people’s agitations, violence and wanton destruction of property.”

“This explains, why nothing could be too much to ensure smooth conduct of election to ensure stability in the system”, Lakanu stated.

Fashola to declare open C & S conference ÏÏÏLagos

State Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) will on Thursday February 5, lead other eminent Nigerians to declare open the annual conference of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, holding at St Moses Orimolade Cathedral, Egbe-Ikotun Lagos, the General Headquarters of The Eternal Sacred Order of The Cherubim & Seraphim.

C & S Unification Church of Nigeria is the umbrella body of all the C & S churches in Nigeria and overseas.

A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Church, Superintendent

DSS nabs man over attempt to sell boy Wale Ibrahim Lokoja

ÏÏÏThe

Department of State Security Service has arrested a 21- year- old suspect over alleged abduction of a two year- old boy to be sold in the Republic of Togo for N200, 000. The state Director of SSS, Mr Mike Fubara, who

Apostle (Dr) Michael Adeyemi, noted that the conference with the theme, “I will heal your land”, will afford the delegates to discuss how to move the opportunity forward and take a position on the state of the nation.

Fashola

disclosed this while parading the suspect, Sunday Okafor, at the headquarters of SSS in Lokoja on Wednesday, stated that the suspect and his accomplice who is now at large, had already abducted the two year- old victim.

He explained that the victim, Prince Robert, was very close to his abductor because they live within the same neighbourhood and have shops near each other while adding that the parent did not doubt the friendship with Sunday Okafor.

The SSS boss noted that it was the closeness that led to the kidnap of the boy without the parent having the inkling of danger.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Jonathan’ll carry the day, says Olejeme

Deputy Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Akintunde Adegboye (5th right); former commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kolapo Alimi (4th left); former Commissioner for Justice, Wale Afolabi (4th right); Adebukola Atobatele (left); former senior special adviser to Osun governor on Legal Matters, Ibraheem Lawal (2nd left) and others, during a street procession in support of General Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential bid organised by Osun lawyers at Osogbo… on Wednesday

ÏÏÏ

Stop indiscriminate arrest of our members, PDP youths tell IGP Ibrahim Momohjimoh Lokoja

ÏÏÏ

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Vanguard, Ajaokuta Local Government branch, has decried the alleged indiscriminate arrest of innocent and law-abiding members of the party in the area and called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, and the state Commissioner of Police to halt the trend.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, in Lokoja, the president of the youth organisation, Comrade Irikiti James Irikiti, lamented the indiscriminate

arrest of some members of the PDP in Ajaokuta on the strength of a petition written by a member of the House of Representatives from the area Hon. Mohammed Sadiq over the alleged kidnap of his mother.

He said three members of his body namely: James John, Mohammed Gabriel and Ibrahim Isah, were arrested in their various wards, saying instead of the police to involve themselves in intelligence gathering and thorough investigation they (police) embarked on indiscriminate arrest, which he noted was a gross violation of the fundamental right of the people.

Abba Irikiti, who pointed out that the law-maker contested the House of Representatives primary in November last year and his mother was never kidnapped, asked why anyone would think of kidnapping his mother now that he is

not in any contest with any member of the party.

He added that: “This is not the first time people have been kidnapped in Kogi State. In all the cases, the police and other law enforcement agents were allowed to do their job professionally without any political colouration and the victims were freed.

“The law-maker whose mother was said to have been kidnapped has not visited home since then but stayed in Abuja to be compiling names of people to be arrested. One is constrained to think that some people may be playing pranks with the issue”

Kogi govt, British Council train 630 teachers Ibrahim Momohjimoh Lokoja

ÏÏÏKogi

State Government said on Wednesday that it had trained 630 teachers on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) through partnership with the British Council.

The state governor, Captain Idris Wada, said the training was imperative considering the role teachers played in the training of children.

He added that his administration would not relent in its effort towards invest-

9 News

ing in teachers training to enable them improve in their service delivery, saying teachers, as molders of character, should be equipped to uplift quality teaching in schools.

According to him: “Our government continues to accord priority to education as the cornerstone of our human capital development agenda. We have made massive investments in education, even as we explore every means to make our schools better and sustain the industrial harmony in the education sector.”

The governor noted that his administration has investments in the construction of two hostel blocks at the Kogi State University, Anyigba, and another two hostel blocks at the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, to help the shortage of accommodation in the two tertiary institutions in the state.

He added that St. Charles College Ankpa, Government Secondary School, Dekina, Holy Rosary College, Idah, AbdulAziz Attah Memorial College, Okene, and St. Augustine College, Kabba, had benefited from

the recent rehabilitation of three blocks of classrooms, examination halls and administrative blocks.

Captain Wada declared that his administration had no plan to cancel the payment of West African Examination Council (WAEC) fees for all students in the state, pointing out that what the government needed to do was to take stock of the accurate number of candidates, saying government had discovered disturbing inflation on the number of students over the past two years.

Agbaje: We’ll use education to curb area boys Wale Abiodun

ÏÏÏ

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has promised to use education as a tool to fight the areaboy syndrome.

According to him, with good education, the war against social vices could be won.

Agbaje said the current system of education in the state would have to be reviewed to achieve desired results.

He hinged this on the fact that primary and vocational education in the state were allocated a paltry percentage in the state’s education budget.

The deputy chairman, Finance Committee of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, has urged Nigerians to vote for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, saying a vote for PDP in the February 14, 2015 presidential election is a vote for economic growth, development and unity.

She made this call on Tuesday, when she received prominent political leaders from Delta State in Abuja.

According to her: “Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is a good listener and knows his task of governing the country. He is the only presidential candidate that can lead Nigeria to greater heights. He will make Nigeria a better place and a global economic power.”

Olejeme, who is also chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), assured Nigerians that Jonathan would stick to the policy of transparency and accountability.

In her word: “President Goodluck Jonathan will accelerate economic transformation in his second term through investment in critical infrastructure projects, so as to drive economic growth.

Shippers’ Council seeks stakeholders support on ports Funmi Coker

ÏÏÏ

The Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called for the collaboration of stakeholders to key into its regulatory framework towards making the ports a sub-regional hub and international logistic center.

Executive Secretary of the Council, Barrister Hassan Bello, made the call at a press briefing in Lagos.

Bello said the mandate is to ensure that the Nigerian ports compete

favourably and attract foreign investments.

Said he: “In our capacity as the port economic regulator, our role is to consult, co-ordinate, moderate and harmonise the various processes and procedures with a view to achieving operational efficiency at our ports.”

However, he stressed that there are needs to harness other potential areas of the port sector, especially in the reduction of the cost of doing business and promote efficiency.

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Buhari condoles victims of Konduga, Monguno attacks ÏÏÏPresidential

candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has expressed shock over the mindless attacks by Boko Haram on Maiduguri, Konduga and Monguno in Borno State with over 40,000 more refugees reportedly joining the ranks of the internally displaced.

A statement from the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation and signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, Director of Media & Publicity, quoted Buhari as expressing his condolences, support and prayers to all those including Nigerian soldiers affected by the lat-

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏ

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Asa and Ilorin West local government area of Kwara State, has debunked the rumour that some of their members defected to the All Progressive (APC), shortly after the departure of President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the state.

In a statement signed by the Chairmen of the party in Asa and Ilorin West Local Government Areas respectively, Alhaji Issa Afon and Alhaji Yusuf Olugbon, noted that such is the antics of the APC. In their words: “There is no iota of truth in the APC’s claims that 3,000 PDP members defected from Asa and

est attacks.

Buhari, however, assured that the situation in the affected areas won’t last forever.

“While I commiserate with the latest victims of this despicable orgy of violence in Borno State, I equally implore them to bear in mind that this situation won’t last forever.

“In spite of the incompetent handling of this insurgency by the Federal Government, solution is in sight with the APC and is set to dislodge the PDP administration that has ruinously led this great country for nearly 16 years,” he assured.

lawyers in the country under the aegis of “Lawyers for Change” Wednesday, staged a roadshow in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to drum up support for the candidature of General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) and Professor Yemi Osinbajo of the All Peoples Congress (APC) in next month election.

The rally took off from the Afe Babalola Bar Center, Iyaganku, in Ibadan to Dugbe en route to Sabo area of Ibadan before re-

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏ

The federal task force of the newly established Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Wednesday advised all agencies and public firms to remove their signposts, billboards and other posters from all federal roads in Lagos State.

Failure to heed this advice, which takes immediate effect according to the federal government establishment, will attract serious consequences.

The National Coordinator of the establishment, Alhaji Abdulrazak Rafiu Otto, while making this declaration in an interview, attributed the latest development to the right approval granted the establishment

by President Goodluck

Jonathan to take charge of all revenue collection on all advertisements placed on all federal roads in the state on behalf of the feral government.

Furthermore, Otto hinted that plans had been concluded to deploy task force officials to the affected roads anytime from now.

While speaking at the rally held in Lagos to sensitize Lagosians on the activities of the SURE-P/FERMA

that 2,000 PDP members defected to APC from Ilorin West. We are surprised that APC could descend so low to resorting to cheap blackmail and propaganda in order to have its ways ahead of the forthcoming polls.

“We make bold to state emphatically that none of our members have decamped or willing to join the fraudulent political dealers in mortgaging the good fortunes of the state. PDP is the party and will continue to be the platform to beat”.

turning to the Bar Centre.

Representatives of the group took turns to address traders and passers- by while leaflets on the need for residents to vote for change come February 14, 2015, were freely distributed to them.

They said Buhari and Osinbajo remained the best combination to salvage the nation from the present predicament.

The Coodinator of the group, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, said they could not but add their voice to the clamour for change of leadership in Nigeria.

task force, Otto, who on behalf of the officers, praised President Jonathan for empowering the establishment which had generated employment for over 20, 000 young graduates.

The National Coordinator had earlier joined men of the task force in a road trek throughout Lagos metropolis accompanied by men of the Nigeria Mobile police force from the Lagos Command.

Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF), Comrade Abiodun Aremu (middle) with a group of students protesting alleged victimisation of students and staff of the Lagos State University, Ojo by both the vice-chancellor and Lagos state government … on Wednesday. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Kwara PDP chairmen deny members’ defection to APC

Ibadan lawyers stage roadshow for Buhari ÏÏÏConcerned

Task force orders removal of billboards from Lagos federal roads

Ajimobi assures US of peaceful polls ÏÏÏGovernor

Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has pledged to maintain his pedigree of peace before, during and after next month’s general elections in the state, even as he urged other governorship candidates to eschew violence during the electioneering process.

He said this while hosting the US Consul-General in Nigeria, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins, who led a team of the embassy’s officials on a courtesy visit to the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, on Wednesday, ahead of the coming general elections.

Also on the team were the Political Chief, Mr. Tom Hines and the Political Officer, Miss Erica Chiusano.

Having succeeded in enthroning peace and security in the state in the last three and a half years, the governor said he would

Ajimobi spare no efforts to maintain the peace in the general interest of the people and the development of the state. ``We laboured hard to ensure the enthronement of the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state today. Our administration has received a lot of commendations for this feat and we cannot afford to sit by and allow anybody to truncate the hard-earned peace and tranquility.

``Let me also use this opportunity to make a passionate plea to my fellow contestants, to go about their campaign without violence. They should not unleash violence on the same people we are aspiring to govern, for whatever reason,’’ he said.

The governor commended the United States for helping to nurture the country’s democracy, the latest of which he said was the recent visit to Nigeria by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry on the forthcoming presidential election.

He particularly thanked Hawkins and his team for the periodic visits and support to the state which he said had strengthened the ties between the US and the state culturally, socio-economically and politically.

In his remarks, Hawkins

said he and his team were in the state to discuss issues relating to politics and governance, maintaining that this is a critical period in the history of Nigeria.

He reiterated the position of the US Secretary of State that it was very important for the coming elections to be free, fair and credible. ``It is very important for this election to be peaceful.

The poll should reflect the wishes of Nigerians. We look forward to a great contest where the people would get the leadership they desire. ``My Secretary of State had earlier stressed the need for free, fair and credible polls that would reflect the wishes of Nigerians.

The US will continue to look for ways of helping our Nigerian partners to ensure a successful election,’’ the envoy said.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

L-R: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje; his running mate, Mrs Olayinka Abdulkarim and Federal House of Reps. candidate for Agege Federal Constituency, Niyi Raheem, at the governorship rally at power line, Agege, Lagos… on Wednesday.

Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

APC blamed for overheating polity Ibrahim Momohjimoh Lokoja

ÏÏÏA

non-governmental organisation, Great Transformation Support Initiatives, GTSI, has said that the All Progressive Congress (APC), was using ‘falsehood’ to charge the political atmosphere in its bids to win the presidential election.

The Kogi State chairman of the organization, Surveyor Zacch Jonathan, who stated this yesterday, in Lokoja, said the falsehood would not stop President Goodluck Jonathan from being re-elected in the presidential poll.

Zacch also said the re-election of Goodluck Jonathan would be won due to his unprecedented performance in the last four years. “The APC has charged the political atmosphere with falsehood. The present tempo in the political arena is deceptive

but I must tell you that, that will not prevent the victory of President Jonathan in the February election.

“His re-election is hinged on the fact that he has performed.

Jonathan will win because of the unprecedented development of all the sectors.”

Zacch said his organisation will now engage the electorates in voter education, in order to “sanitize” the already charged atmosphere. “We will now engage the people in door to door campaign; community to community campaign. We will sell the truth, so that people will see and vote according to the truth,” he said.

He however said his organisation decided to mobilise and support President Jonathan because he stood out as the most credible candidate out of the 14 presidential candidates: “Jonathan’s re-election will be of

Group debunks Yuguda’s allegation against minister Daniel Jolly Bauchi

ÏÏÏA

political pressure group known as Bauchi State Youth Control Circle (BYCC), has debunk as false the recent allegation by the state Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda against the Federal Capital Territory minister alleging he was the brain behind the attack on the presidential team in Bauchi.

BYCC describe it as an attempt by the state governor to dent the image of the FCT Minister as he failed in his capacity as the party leader of the state.

ÏÏÏAn aspirant who lost out at

great benefit to Nigeria. Jonathan’s personality stands for unity.

“Look at his effort on road networks. The Lokoja-Abuja dualisation has reduce accident rate drastically. The railway is back to work; look at the effects of SURE-P, YOUWIN, but people are sabotaging his work.”

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Amb. Fidelis Tapgun, has continue to express his displeasure with the way and manner the incumbent hand-picked Senator GNS Pwajok as the party standard bearer of Plateau State PDP. He said a series of letters were written to Mr. President advising him against the choice of Governor Jonah Jang to install Pwajok, pointing out the dangers it might pose to the chances

Joe Ogbodu Warri

ÏÏÏOver 3,000 members of

All Progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) have defected to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ethiope East and Ughelli North local government Area of Delta state respectively during the campaign rally by the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

Among the decampees is the former Director General of Og-

boru Campaign Organisation, Paul Ebiri, who pulled over 1200 members of his National Renaissance supporters to join force with the Okowa’s governorship project.

Addressing supporters in Isiokolo, headquarters of Ethiope East Local Government Area, Okowa said that it was time to work vigorously for the party to capture every part of the state to deliver the votes and not time for quarrel.

“I urge you take the elections seriously. Take the campaign

to the people – from house to house, from market to market – and ensure that we capture every area not yet captured.

He specifically said that his administration would place premium on Abraka, country home of the LP candidate, Great Ogboru and university town, saying that Abraka would be develop and given a face-lift befitting a university town.

Okowa, however, dismissed the ambition of other opposition party governorship candidates in the state, saying that his party structure on the ground is “so large” that the other opposition parties have “no place” in the guber contest.

of the party winning the governorship and the presidential elections in Plateau, but the president gave a deaf ear to all the petitions.

“We even spoke with Mr. President, not to allow Jang have his way, but he did not listen to us.

What you see in Plateau is the same thing that happened in few other PDP states, where you see governors hand picking their successors. PDP is gradually dying in the hands of Mr. President, as aggrieved members are defecting to the Opposition,” Tapgun said.

Clergy petitions police over threat to life Abiodun Taiwo

Ogboru, Emerhor lose 3,000 followers to Okowa, PDP

The group made its view known on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) secretariat in Bauchi state, saying it was deeply concerned with the recent attack.

Minister of Federal Capital Territory and the presidential team during their campaign rally in the state.

The statement sign by the chairman, Abdullahi Kabir and Secretary Nurudden Hassan, further observed that the FCT Minister in his six years in office, had been having a raw from Yuguda.

Plateau PDP aspirant fumes over choice of candidate Chijioke Kingsley

jonathan

11 News

Abeokuta

ÏÏÏA clergy man and a Senior Shepherd of The Celestial Church of God, Olomore Parish, Superior Senior Evangelist Idowu Olugbenga Fabunmi has called on the Nigeria Police command to urgently save his life and that of his wife, Olufunmilayo Idowu, from a series of threat and harassment from politicians that were opposed to his preaching.

In a petition dated January 18, 2015, and addressed to the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, Evang Fabunmi stated that his sermons had always received open condemnation from politicians, who had on different occasions tormented him and his families.

His words: “I have to report to you about a recent attack by unknown gunmen, when I was on my way from the church in company of my assistance pastor and four others, when we were accosted by the gunmen after a meeting at around 9 p.m.”

He said: “I cannot identify the three gunmen. During the scuffle that ensued I managed to escape with some injuries, while the gunmen humiliated my Assistant Pastor, threatening to shoot him and telling him to warn me to stop sermonising against their party’s candidate. He said: “I am inherently opposed to the nefarious and corrupt style of leaders, I have also been encouraging my congregation to vote for the best candidates in the forthcoming elections.

Africa 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

World’s largest Ebola unit incinerated ÏÏÏA potent symbol of the night-

mare enveloping West Africa at the height of the Ebola outbreak, the ELWA-3 treatment centre is being dismantled and incinerated bit by bit as the region emerges from catastrophe.

The largest Ebola unit ever built opened in the Liberian capital Monrovia with 120 beds on August 17, 2014 but was immediately overwhelmed, with staff forced to turn patients away at its gates, despite more than doubling its capacity.

Five months later to the day it

registered no patients at all for the first time, and staff this week marked a drastic retreat of an epidemic which has killed thousands by dismantling and burning the first tent put up at the clinic.

“The number of cases has decreased significantly - we are down to five confirmed cases in Liberia,” said Duncan Bell, the field co-ordinator in Liberia for Medecins san Frontieres (MSF), the medical aid charity at the forefront of treating victims of the outbreak.

“In line with this development

we think it was appropriate to reduce the treatment centre. Today we have 60 beds and at the end of February we hope to go down to 30 beds. This does not mean that we are closing ELWA-3 - we are just reducing the capacity.”

“We still have the capacity to scale up to 120 beds within 24 hours if the need arises,” he added, as staff carried wooden planks and canvas to a large fire nearby.

The worst outbreak of the virus in history has seen Liberia and its neighbours Guinea and Sierra Le-

South Sudan is struggling to contain lawlessness as conflict between the government and the rebels continues

one register almost 9 000 deaths in a year.

Soon after it opened, staff at ELWA-3 were struggling to screen new arrivals, care for admitted patients or safely remove dead bodies and transport them to the crematorium.

By the end of the year the centre had taken in 1 826 patients, 1 225 of whom tested positive for Ebola and 498 of whom survived.

But Liberia and its neighbours Sierra Leone and Guinea have reported huge progress on stemming the spread of Ebola since the summer, when the joint tally was several hundred new infections a week.

Liberian Commerce Minister Axel Addy told reporters in Geneva on Monday the country hoped to get down to zero cases by the end of February.

He said 12 of Liberia’s 15 counties had reported no new cases, adding: “We’ve made a tremendous leap.”

He said the crisis had cost Liberia $93m in lost revenue, with the key mining sector coming “to a grinding halt”.

Bell said the downsizing of ELWA-3’s capacity went hand in hand with a reduction in workers on the ground, noting that MSF staff had performed an “incredible job”.

Fourth student commits suicide in Zimbabwe A fourth student killed himself this week in Zimbabwe, it was reported Wednesday.

The other three young men were university students.

Simba Makumbe, 18, was found hanging from a tree by his father in Magwegwe North, Bulawayo, on Tuesday, the official Chronicle newspaper reported.

He was due to get the results from his Ordinary Level schoolleavers’ exams soon. His father said the teen had been “in a jovial mood”.

Makumbe’s suicide is the fourth reported in Zimbabwe in the past week.

A student from the Midlands State University, near the central city of Gweru, killed himself by drinking poison outside the institution’s administration block, according to local press reports on Tuesday.

He was reportedly angered over the institution’s failure to fully pay him for some chickens he had sold them to raise the money for his fees.

Suicide attack kills five in North Mali ÏÏÏA suicide attack in the dis-

Millitants kill five foreigners, others in Libya hotel attack ÏÏÏMilitants have attacked a ho-

tel in the Libyan capital Tripoli, killing at least nine people including five foreigners, officials say.

Several gunmen stormed the Corinthia Hotel and opened fire in the reception area. A car bomb also exploded nearby.

Unconfirmed reports say some of the assailants have blown themselves up. The officials say the dead include one US and one French citizen.

The security forces say the stand-off has now been brought to an end.

The US state department has confirmed the death of a US citizen, without giving any further details. The dead American is believed to have been a security con-

tractor.

The French national is reported to have been working for Libya’s Buraq Air. There are conflicting reports as to the total number of attackers.

A vehicle belonging to the security forces is pictured near Corinthia hotel (rear) in Tripoli (27 January 2015) The security forces say that the operation against gunmen who attacked the hotel is now over A Twitter account linked to Islamic State said the militant group had carried out the attack.

There has been strong evidence to suggest an IS presence in the eastern Libyan city of Derna since October, with a group there publicly declaring allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

However, the command structure is still a mystery to most foreign observers.

The BBC’s Rana Jawad in Tripoli says that in the past month there has been a string of incidents in western Libya, including abductions and bombings, that have been claimed by IS social media accounts.

Libya president

Somali PM issues new cabinet list after MP’s veto ÏÏÏSomalia’s

new prime minister on Tuesday proposed a new cabinet after parliament rejected his last list of candidates, prompting international concerns political power struggles were stalling progress.

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, appointed last month after a damaging spat between his predecessor and internationally-backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, appealed to lawmakers to pass the latest list.

“The task ahead of us is no easy one and the clock is ticking,” Sharmarke said in a statement released Wednesday.

puted north Malian town of Tabankort killed, at least, five people overnight, according to two Tuareg rebel sources on Wednesday.

A source for the main Tuareg rebel group MNLA said that multiple suicide bombers from a rival, pro-government militia attacked their positions, killing 13 people. A second source said that five separatist fighters had been killed. Fighting between rival armed groups vying to control Tabankort has broken out several times this month, prompting the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA to carry out air strikes on Tuareg rebel forces.

The incident, which separatists called a violation of a ceasefire deal, threatens to derail upcoming peace talks in Algiers over the future of northern Mali.

The weak Bamako government is struggling to restore its authority on northern zones where a medley of armed groups operate as well as al-Qaida-linked Islamists who briefly occupied the region in 2012.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Obama cancels meeting with Netanyahu ÏÏÏPresident

Barack Obama has said that he will not meet with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu in March because his trip to Washington comes too close to Israel’s upcoming elections.

“I’m declining to meet with him simply because our general policy is, we don’t meet with any world leader two weeks before their elec-

tion,” Obama said in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria. “I think that’s inappropriate, and that’s true with some of our closest allies.”

House Speaker John Boehner invited Netanyahu to deliver a speech in front of Congress in March. He’s expected to use that speech to lobby for tough new sanctions against Iran -- putting

him at odds with Obama, who has threatened to veto additional sanctions as he tries to hash out a deal to halt Iran’s nuclear programme.

The President said the United States and Britain had to quickly to put together a trip to Washington for Prime Minister David Cameron this month for the same reason Obama wasn’t meeting

Newly appointed Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, (middle) walks with members of his cabinet outside the presidential palace in Athens

with Netanyahu. Cameron didn’t want to make it closer to his country’s May elections.

“He insisted that if he wants to come -- and it was a very important meeting -- he needs to be far away enough from the election that it doesn’t look like in some ways we’re meddling or putting our thumbs on the scale,” Obama said.

Obama downplayed differences with Israel over his approach to Iran, saying he hasn’t heard “a persuasive rebuttal of my argument that we crafted very effective sanctions against Iran specifically to bring them to the negotiations table.”

Israeli intelligence has confirmed that Iran has rolled back its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, Obama said.

The President said imposing new sanctions now would give Iran a way out of the talks, an outcome no one wants.

“For us to undermine diplomacy at this critical time for no good reason is a mistake and that what we need to do is to finish up this round of negotiations, put the pressure on Iran to say yes to what the international commu-

North Korean leader plans Russia visit

ÏÏÏNorth

Korean leader Kim Jong-un has confirmed he will attend celebrations in Russia in May marking the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said, citing a Kremlin spokesman.

The trip would mark Kim’s first official foreign trip since taking power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il. The celebrations would be attended by a host of world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Yonhap said the Kremlin, responding to an emailed query, said 20 leaders had confirmed their attendance so far.

According to Yonhap, the Kremlin response also noted that the confirmation process was “still ongoing” and a final list of participants had yet to be drawn up.

According to AFP, Russia only confirmed that a North Korean leader would attend the celebrations, but did not specify who yet.

If Kim Jong-un does make Moscow the destination of his

Sri Lanka reinstates Chief Justice

ÏÏÏSri

Lanka’s new president has reinstated the former chief justice two years after she was sacked by his predecessor over corruption claims.

President Maithripala Sirisena’s office called her removal a “procedural” error. She always denied corruption.

However, her return is thought

first foreign trip, it would reflect a desire to reduce his country’s dependence on China, which remains Pyongyang’s main ally, diplomatic protector and economic safeguard. Russia is one of North Korea’s few allies, along with China.

Xi Jinping and Kim have kept their distance since each assumed power and Xi’s first visit as head of state to the Korean peninsula was to the capitalist South last year, rather than the North.

South Korean President Park

Geun-hye has also been invited to the Moscow event, but has yet to announce whether she will attend.

only temporary as reports say she is to retire now her name has been cleared. The former attorney-general who was put in to replace her, Mohan Peiris, has been asked to leave.

“The chief justice was restored and the imposter was asked to go,” said an official quoted by AFP news agency.

Ms Bandaranayake had corruption charges levelled against her by ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa after some of her legal rulings went against his government. She was removed in January 2013 after being impeached on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee dominated by Mr Rajapaksa’s supporters.

Kim Jong-un

13 World Four Vietnamese soldiers dead in chopper crash ÏÏÏA

U.S.-made military helicopter has crashed outside Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, killing four Vietnamese soldiers.

Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of the general staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, told reporters Wednesday that the UH-1 Iroquois, known as a “Huey,” crashed just minutes after takeoff from an air base in Ho Chi Minh City.

“The UH-1 chopper of the Vietnamese air force was doing a training session. It took off at 7:15 am from Tan Son Nhat airport.

Eight minutes after take-off, it lost contact with air traffic control,” he said. “After that, it was confirmed crashed at Pham Van Hai commune, Binh Chanh district in Ho Chi Minh City. The helicopter was completely destroyed and four people died. We are verifying the cause of the crash.”

A number of U.S.-made helicopters are still in Vietnam after use in the Vietnam War ended four decades ago.

Tibetan officials sanctioned for aiding Dalai Lama ÏÏÏA Chinese Communist Party

agency says investigators have found that 15 officials in Tibet provided intelligence to the Dalai Lama and participated in activities deemed harmful to China’s security.

The publicising of party officials supporting Tibetan separatism is highly unusual and suggests continuing unrest in the Himalayan region, which has prompted a heavy security presence since a wave of rioting and protests against Chinese rule in 2008. A statement from the Communist Party Disciplinary Commission of Tibet, on its website, says that the wrongdoing was uncovered last year during an investigation and that the 15 officials received unspecified punishment.

The commission did not specify the groups that the party members joined, intelligence they provided or give any other details.

Opinion 14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Pastors in politics

T

Bayo Arowolaju

he trend has been settled as the word of God in Heaven.

Supposedly ordained pastors have now been moving out of the pulpits and abandoning the pews for the political rostrum, which they see as more glamorous. The question now is not whether they can be both spiritual and temporal? It is whether it’s biblical, rational, and ethical but above all, is it according to the will of God and in consonance to their callings as clergies? Was this the purpose of Jesus Christ in establishing his Church, in such a way that the gate of hell would not prevail?

We are not unaware of the different schools of thought of the proponents and the opponents of the new doctrine of the political pastors. Some will tell you: “We should not leave politics alone for the ungodly and corrupt unbelievers”. Others would say, if we leave politics for the politicians alone they would run and turn the country into hell in which people will continue to suffer.

Yet, others will go Pauline way to rake support for themselves saying: “For all authorities come from God and those in the positions of authorities have been placed there by God……… For one in authority is God’s servant for your good…(Romans 13:1 and 4). But all students of the scripture will agree that even Satan knows and can cite the scriptures.

These, however, call for more questions than answers. Can we say that the pastors are the only believers worthy of being in politics? Are church members who are not pastors, not worthy or “holy” enough to be politicians, and hold political offices?

Another view maybe is that such “ordinary Christians” are not good enough in politics because they don’t carry the same political party cards as their political pastors.

In the final analysis, what makes these political pastors think that they are more holy spirit filled, have more integrity, honesty and more incorruptible than the so much despised “ordinary Church” members?

In my candid view, only pastors who are not worthy of their

callings in the first instance will abandon the pulpit and the pews for political rostrum; campaigning for political offices, however alluring and enticing the spoils of the office may look like. It is those who love money and position more than Jesus; those who love the world more than God and his Kingdom that will trade in the noble humble work of God for politics. It shows that right from the beginning such pastors were worshipping God and Mammon before they finally and eventually quit their double life as pastors and settling for politics.

That was why it could be very easy for them to quickly replace their pastoral robe and respect for the political toga and jump into the dirty murky muddy waters of politics. Simply painfully but conclusively, even while they were on the pulpit they were miserable liars as the respected Pastor Adejare Adeboye rightly stated: “All Politicians are liars”.

A simple dictionary definition of pastor means “an ordained leader of a Christian congregation”. Under Catholicism, the parish priest is the leader or clergy in charge of the congregation. In both cases

special attention should be placed to the pastor being a leader and not just a member of the congregation.

From the same simple conceptual clarification, a politician is described as a seeker or holder of public office who is more concerned with winning favour and retaining power than about maintaining principles. This is very serious. Therefore, the pastor is the head and leader of his church or congregation, who should seek more of the favour of God than those of men like a typical politician.

Pastors should crave less for worldly power, influence and favour but more of the power of the Holy Spirit with his eyes on the eternal life of the Kingdom of God through the Lord Jesus the Christ.

No wonder the apostle Paul says: “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). To be ordained a leader of his Christian congregation or church, the pastor must have been specially and specifically set aside and apart or concentrated for a divine appointment in a career or a life of working in the vine yard of God eternally.

Rivers 2015: Between Peterside and Wike

I

Uche Igwe

t is now more than six weeks since political parties in Rivers State chose their gubernatorial candidates. I did not bother to comment because I took it for granted that a majority of Rivers people know the direction to go if they expect more progress in the state. No one who has followed events in the state in the past seven years will think about anything less than what will sustain, consolidate and improve what has been achieved so far. Both those who admire the personality of Governor Rotimi Amaechi and those who do not, agree to the huge improvements recorded under him in many key sectors like education, health, agriculture, infrastructure etc. Even in implementing vital policy reforms in public procurement, revenue generation and public-private partnership.

Let us momentarily focus on phenomenal achievements on roads within the state. Many remember the rapid transformation, from the previous sore state, of the Olu-Obasanjo Road, Old Aba Road, Trans Amadi-Oginiba-Mini-Okoro Road, G.U. Ake (Airforce-Eliozu) Road and Flyover, Amadi-Ama/

Abuloma Road, Peter Odili Road/ Slaughter Road, Education/Ikwerre Road, Omagwa/Elele/Owerri Federal Road and the AGIP Junction Flyover, the Rufus Ada George Road/Mgbuoba/Choba Road and Obiri-Ikwerre ultra modern interchange project, the internal roads and infrastructure projects of major residential areas like D/ Line, Elekahia Housing estate, AGIP Estate, just to mention but a few. If you drive around the state you cannot but notice all of these excellent transformation. Yet, the state government has broken tradition with that negativity of all projects coming to a halt about a year or so to any general election, clear evidence of the diversion of resources meant for state development to electoral campaigns. If you drive around the State you would still mistake it for a massive construction site even with the elections barely a month away.

When one looks at the array of candidates for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections, it is clear who fits into that description. A majority will settle for Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dr. Peterside’s quiet and calculated mien suggests that he is someone

who is rigorously prepared for public service. If you try to engage him on any issue concerning the state, you will be blown away. The job of a governor in a state as diverse as Rivers State requires someone who is broadminded with a record of performance. Since Dr. Peterside started his state-wide campaign, he has concentrated on the issues that will make life better for everyone who lives in Rivers State and resisted being dragged to provocative utterances.

Although it is clear that Dakuku is the frontline candidate who is miles away from all his opponents I do not envy the Opobo born politician. He has a lot of work ahead of him. The shoes that will be left behind for him will be quite big and I am sure he knows it. That may be why he has prepared a comprehensive manifesto titled Our Roadmap to Prosperity. Everyone who reads the 126 page document will have no doubt that Dr. Peterside is prepared for the business of governance. The four pillars of the roadmap which include rapid improvement in infrastructure, peace and security, sustained investment and economic growth and human capital and social development reflect the realities and diversity of

the state.

His emphasis on stable policies like job creation, inclusiveness, efficiency, public accountability and institutional reforms indicates that his administration will be innovative and people oriented.

On the side of Wike, till date he is yet to tell Rivers people what he plans to do as governor. He has allegedly been threatening non-indigenes in the state which signposts that he is going to make the state environment hostile to them, and inevitably to private sector and foreign investors. Residents and businesses are already bracing themselves for an era reminiscent of Wike’s years as Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

As the elections approach, it is clear that the people are faced with a choice between a man who has an articulate road map for the prosperity of the people and another who has a history of accumulating state resources for himself and his cronies. Between a man who wants to institute policies that will allow small businesses to grow and another one who is preparing to impose illegal taxes on strangers and harass young entrepreneurs with militant revenue collectors.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

15 Opinion

Sambo Dasuki’s dangerous call

T

Adewale Kupoluyi

he call for the postponement of next month’s general elections became louder with the latest comments by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.),He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should postpone the forthcoming general elections so that it can completely distribute the Permanent Voters’ Card to prospective voters. Dasuki gave this advice while speaking at London think-tank Chatham House, reasoning that a postponement within the next three months, as allowed by the law, would ensure that all issues bordering on the distribution of the PVCs as well as fears that elections may not hold in some part of North eastern Nigeria would have been resolved.

While the statement may appear personal, the fact that it came from a very top official in the Presidency should elicit serious attention, especially now that the presidential election is less than three weeks away.

Already, the opposition All Progressives Congress; Conference of

Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP); Arewa Consultative Forum; Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of civil society organisations; Jama’atu Nasril Islam; Afenifere Renewal Group; Borno Elders’ Forum; and a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, have warned against postponing the elections. The APC said “under no circumstance must the elections be scuttled”. The National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in the statement alleged that Dasuki’s position had “exposed the hitherto clandestine plot by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to push for the postponement of the polls, using all sorts of cheap tricks.

Now that we have found the smoking gun, we are urging the international community, to urgently extract a commitment from President Goodluck Jonathan that the elections will hold as scheduled, and that he would respect the outcome,. Before Dasuki’s call, the Christian Association of Nigeria; the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide; the Federation of Middle Belt People; the Ohanaeze Ndigbo; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Olabode George; the founding pastor of the Lat-

ter Rain Assembly and a former vice presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Tunde Bakare; and a non-governmental organisation, Centre for Social Justice, among others, had also called on INEC to postpone the elections if necessary to ensure the polls’ credibility and acceptability.

While the constitution allows for the freedom of expression, the timing of Dasuki’s advice is certainly wrong and suspicious.

With the call, many people are of the opinion that it was a deliberate attempt to prevent the elections from holding because of its perceived declining popularity and soaring sympathy for the opposition party. The chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, has given the assurance that the commission was ready to go ahead with the elections as planned, while assuring that the remaining PVCs would still be issued up till February 13.

However, not a few Nigerians have expressed their reservations with the way INEC has so far carried out its assignment especially, in the handling of the PVC distribution, which seems to have disenfranchised many Nigerians.

For the avoidance of doubt, pos-

session of PVCs is a strict condition for anyone intending to vote in the elections. According to INEC, even though a total of 68,833,476 voters had registered for the polls, only 38,774,391 have collected their PVCs. INEC should ensure that nothing stops it from conducting the polls creditably. Anything short of this could trigger unrest in the country.

Nigerians want the elections to hold irrespective of any obstacle.

Elections should be the legitimate platform for the people to elect leaders that will better their individual lives and the lot of the society. It will be a great disservice to the people if the government fails to make peaceful election exercise possible. Alternatively, to avoid preventing eligible voters from carrying out their civic obligation, INEC should allow those who have yet to collect their PVCs to use the temporary cards after which they can collect the PVCs whenever they are ready in line with the recent resolution passed by the House of Representatives. Shifting the election, as recommended

by Dasuki could set the nation on fire because it would be seen as an avenue to seek tenure elongation through the back door.

Towards the countdown to Feb.14 election

T

Olatomi Soboyejo

he furore over Buhari’s educational certificate is yet unabated.

We are aware that Jonathan holds the highest degree in education; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). A man with education will invest in education and investing in education is the single most effective way of reducing poverty.

Education is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future and is critical to reducing poverty and inequality. Education affects the understanding of the difference between right and wrong. An educated person is well aware of the consequences of wrong/illegal actions and he is less likely to get influenced and do something which is not legally/ morally right.

It is very important to examine the public records of what both candidates did while in office; Buhari was past Head of State while Jonathan is the current President.

History matters because it serves to operate as guides to the future.

Globally it is acknowledged that the most important resource for

a nation is its human capital, its people, their abilities and capabilities and how these capabilities are enhanced through education.

Buhari stopped food subsidies in Nigerian universities and thereby prioritised the introduction of malnutrition as an opportunity cost for other economic decisions.

In contrast, Jonathan built more universities in Northern Nigeria within three years from 2011 to 2013 than any northern leader ever did between 1960 and 2013. The list of these universities include, Federal University Lafia (2011), Federal University Wukari (2011), Federal University Lokoja (2011), Federal University Kashere (2011), Federal University Dutse (2011), Federal University Dutsin-ma (2011), Police Academy Wudil (2012), Federal University Gashua (2013), Federal University Gusau (2013) and the Federal University Birnin-Kebbi (2013).Apart from the overwhelming and unprecedented investment in primary school education, through the universal basic education, vocational schools, and the launching of the special funding of Almajiri education -the very first in the history of northern Nigeria, the Jonathan administration took children

from the streets and gave them new opportunities, whereas some elders of northern Nigeria including Buhari denied them formal western education No building of educational facility or training is associated with Buhari.

Security issue is an important one. National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic power, diplomacy, power projection, and political power. Whereas the threat to the security of Nigerians came from forces external to government in the Jonathan regime, with the Buhari regime, government itself was the source of the greatest threat to the security of Nigerians.

Jonathan declared a state of emergency and changed several Service Chiefs, towards combating the menace of Boko Haram.

The fact is that the well-resourced Boko Haram, like ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as their Salafist comrades in Chechnya, Russia are still holding ground against the Nigerian government and Army. We must remember that religious zealots have periodically caused mayhem in the North generally and the North East

in particular, in other regimes although it has escalated with ferocious impact on Nigerians during Jonathan’s administration. No country has been successful yet in combating terrorism; even USA with all his forces are still fighting terrorism.

Under Buhari’s regime anyone could be detained at his whim using his draconian decrees.

Individual security was so bad under Buhari that when Pa Adekunle Ajasin was acquitted three times by courts that found him not guilty of corruption, the Buhari regime re-arrested and detained him under Decree no. 2.

Buhari detained Tai Solarin and denied him medication even while Tai Solarin was having persistent asthmatic attacks. Professor Wole Soyinka expressed shock that any Nigerian will ever contemplate voting for Buhari as a president thus, “Buhari enslaved the nation.

He gloated and gloried in a masterslave relation to the millions of its inhabitants. It is astonishing to find that the same former slaves, now free of their chains, should clamour to be ruled by one who not only turned their nation into a slave plantation, but forbade them any discussion of their condition”.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Today in History

s

1942 Iran signs Treaty of Alliance with Great Britain and USSR Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola 1942 Iran signs Treaty of Alliance with Great Britain and USSR On this day, Britain and the USSR secured an agreement with Iran that offers the Iran protection while creating a “Persian corridor” for the Allies—a supply route from the West to Russia.

Early in the war, Iran collaborated with Germany by exporting grain to the Axis power in exchange for technicians. But the Allies viewed Iran as a valuable source of oil and conveniently situated as a route for shipping Western war material east to the USSR. On August 25, 1941, both Allied powers invaded Iran (which Prime Minister Winston Churchill preferred to call “Persia,” so there would be no confusion between “Iran” and “Iraq”), the Soviets from the north and the Brits from the south. In four days, the Allies ef-

1936

1936 US Baseball Hall of Fame inducts first members In Cooperstown, New York, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced the election of five charter members: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.

The idea of a Baseball Hall of Fame began gathering steam in 1935, when members of the Clark Foundation in Cooperstown sought to revive business and tourism after the Depression. Claiming that the Army officer Abner Doubleday, a Cooperstown native, had invented baseball in 1839, they lobbied for a new museum dedicated to baseball to be built in Cooperstown. Though the Doubleday story was later discredited, the museum plans went ahead anyway.

fectively controlled Iran.

On September 16, the ruling shah abdicated, and his 23-yearold son, Muhammad, assumed power and pushed through the Iranian parliament the Treaty of Alliance, which allowed the Allies freedom to move supplies through the country and gave them whatever else they needed from Iran to win the war.

The new shah also vowed “not to adopt in his relations with foreign countries an attitude which is inconsistent with the alliance.”

In exchange, Iran was promised wartime protection from Axis invasion—and a guarantee that the Allies would leave Iranian soil within six months of the close of the war.

The alliance started off shakily: the Soviets bought up most of Iran’s grain harvest, which caused a bread shortage and riots in the streets.

US Baseball Hall of Fame inducts first members The five charter Hall of Fame members were elected by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

The ballots revealed that five players had received at least 75 percent of the votes cast, setting a standard for admission to the Hall of Fame that still exists today. Cobb, an astoundingly productive hitter who won nine consecutive American League batting titles from 1907 to 1915, received the most votes, appearing on 222 of the 226 ballots cast.

Tying for second with 215 votes were Ruth, an ace left-handed pitcher who had smashed the league’s home run records, and Wagner, a star shortstop who won eight National League batting titles and retired with more than 3,000 hits. Mathewson, who pitched more winning games than any NL pitcher in history,

received 205 votes, while Johnson, one of the game’s most powerful pitchers and career record holder for most strikeouts at the time of his retirement, received 189.

Four of the “First Five” were on hand for the official induction ceremony, which took place on June 12, 1939, in Cooperstown.

Cobb, Johnson, Ruth and Wagner watched as they took their place in history, along with 21 others who were elected between 1937 and 1939. The only one missing was Mathewson, who had died in October 1925.

Today, selections to the Baseball Hall of Fame are still made by the BBWAA, along with the Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans, established in 1953.

1922 1922 Theatre collapses in Washington, D.C. Accumulated snowfall from a blizzard collapses the Knickerbockers Theatre in Washington, D.C., on this day in 1922.

The blizzard formed in the Carolinas on January 26 and moved into the Washington area the following day. For two days, snow blanketed the nation’s capital, resulting in accumulations of more than two feet. The large amount of snow crippled transportation in Washington and shut down the government.

By Saturday night, things were beginning to return to normal, and some 300 people attended a movie at Knickerbock-

Theatre collapses in Washington, D.C. ers’ Theatre, at the corner of 18th Street and Columbia Road.

In the middle of the film, the accumulated snow on the theatre’s roof collapsed the building and tons of steel and concrete fell down on top of the theatre goers. One hundred and eight people were killed, including five in a single family. Another 133 were hospitalized. Rescuers worked through the night to pull out the injured from beneath the rubble.

President Warren Harding issued his personal condolences to the families of the victims, which included a former congressman. A subsequent investigation by Army engineers blamed poor construction materials for the collapse.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Politics Musibau Taiwo Kolawole

Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly

KOLAWOLE: Jonathan govt’s oil boom gone with the wind

17

s Hon. Musibau Taiwo Kolawole is the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and remains the longest serving lawmaker in the history of the House, having won elections four consecutive times since 1999 and currently contesting the same seat for the fifth time.

The Statistician turn-politician speaks to ALADE TASMA on the mismanagement of the nation’s economy. Excepts: The Federal Government

announced a reduction in the pump price of petroleum from N97 to N87 per litre, do you think it was done with good intent or an electoral gimmick?

To me, it is an exhibition of inefficiency, when you want to do something like this, there must be basis for it; since oil price has reduced worldwide, there should be reduction in pump price. Everybody knows that the oil price dropped from about $100 to $45, and it ought

to be reduced to about N40 per litre. This is not how to run a nation; you cannot even run a company like this, it’s wrong.

You need to come up with analysis to show that the only gain we are able to make from all these fall is N10. That is the transparency we are talking about, and when people say they are corrupt, they would be defending themselves. Nobody is interested in this arbitrary CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Tension in Kaduna as February election sneaks in Victor Jibrin, Kaduna

Yero

Doja Otedola warns against polls violence

Lagos State first lady in the aborted third republic and mother of billionaire oil magnate, Femi Otedola, Mrs. Doja Otedola has warned against violence during the next month’s general election.

Mrs Otedola gave this warning at Epe during a health walk

Despite the celebrated peace accord signed by major contestants in next month’s election, the exercise may witness an uprising reminiscent of the 2011 era. This is in spite of ongoing political and voters education. This follows the ominous signal coming from supporters and admirers of various politicians running, particularly, at Presidential and Governorship levels.

The democratic exercise by INEC is designed to kick-off with presidential and gubernatorial elections taking the first and second laps on 14th and 28 February 2015 respectively. To this end, political parties and their candidates have since oiled their campaign machineries and are now on the move, canvassing for votes.

Campaign is a period when political office seekers move from pillar to post, speaking whatever language they understand, with a

view to sending convincing message to the electorate who, as final arbiters, decides their fates in the pursuit of their dream. True or false, what they say and what they do at the moment does not matter to them. All they care for is their interest. Thus, for the past one month when the whistle was blown, the political parties, especially the major ones like PDP and APC, have been on their toes trying to outdo each other.

As a result, they tongue lash themselves by using derogatory languages and name calling to berate opponents. Likewise, their foot soldiers are mobilised with instruction, to go after their opponents with a view to defaming them out of contest. Such instruction reflects in the destruction of posters among other things to make their opponents less popular.

Prior to the party primaries that churned out candidates who are now going cap-in-hand begging the electorate to consider them for their mandate, the aforemen-

tioned characters, the stock-intrade of every politician, were the order of the day. The intense nature of the development instilled fears into the minds of onlookers whose decision was to relocate to avoid of a repeat of events of the 2011 general elections.

The signing of agreement by Jonathan and Buhari, the major competitors in this dreaded election, is hoped to guarantee peace before and after the elections. Without doubt, Nigerians felt relieved when calls for peace accord came to reality. But barely a week after the accord that was hailed by peace loving Nigerians, the development that marked a political rally in Kaduna recently, appeared to have reduced the peace agreement to mere windowdressing.

Kaduna State, christened centre of learning is the political and administrative headquarters of northern Nigeria. Its unique po-

programme heralding the campaign for the re-election bid of a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Segun Olulade.

Declaring support for Olulade’s second term, Madam Otedola, who was the first lady in the State between 1991 and 1992

when her late husband, Sir Michael Otedola was Governor of the state, disclosed that the Lagos lawmaker was her son.

“He is my son, he has been enjoying my support even when my husband was alive. He has been doing his best for the people of Epe Division”, she said.

“Commenting on the need to have peaceful elections, Otedola cautioned politicians saying: “Politics is not a do or die affair. If you win today, that is how God wants it, if you lose, you will have another opportu-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Politics 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

‘Huge oil revenue wasted’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

reduction as if they are doing us a favour. Unfortunately for us, we are even importing the product. I don’t know why people are celebrating this because there is nothing to celebrate, they are still stealing our money; nobody should steal our money again.

Don’t you think the fall in the price of crude oil would affect the budget of the country?

That is another aspect of their inefficiency, when they took over government, how much was a barrel of crude oil? It was in the neighbourhood of $20 or $30, even then we were talking of a boom. A sensible and reasonable person would know that any closed door would one day open. Any unrealistic price in the modern world of ours would be checked later and that ought to have been the basis of our planning. Even if the oil is going for more than $100, we know that the price was about $30; we supposed to have taken some steps and use the excess for developments that would cushion the effect of the fall because there must be a fall.

That is why we are talking about infrastructure. If they had used the excesses to fix our power sector, we would not feel it because the money would have been able to take care of the effect of the fall. What did they do, they spent the money, they said it was their product.

They spent the money anyhow; we could not even see the effect of it for almost eight years of unprecedented gain. Gain that supposed to turn the lives of Nigerians the other way and take

Jonathan

care of our future, they messed it up. No government of Nigeria has benefited what this government has benefited from oil.

We were not supposed to think the oil price would continue to be like that because there is war in Iraq, there is war in Libya and Saudi Arabia would listen to OPEC to reduce its supply. That is not how we should have planed. Are they not the ones, who said they have grown the Nigerian economy to be the best in Africa not knowing that the oil price could come down? We did not even plan for it, roads we cannot do, there is no single infrastructure that we can point to. They said Lagos State has siphoned the money of the people and that we overbloated the prices of the roads we build. At least, we are building roads, and secondly, we are not building their type of roads.

We are building roads that can last 25 years in Lagos State now and that depends on the level of asphalt that we use and this determines the price of roads.

Ajegunle, an area within your constituency was a notorious jungle but is now fast developing into modern city but still much to be done.

What new development do you have in mind for the community if you are voted into office for the fifth time?

When I took over as the representative of the area, what the area was known for were heaps of refuse and cholera outbreak.

If there is no cholera outbreak in any part of the country, it must be in one area or the other in Ajegunle. But, today, cholera cannot come to us; you cannot see heaps of refuse again.

When we took over, you could

“They spent the money anyhow; we could not even see the effect of it for almost eight years of unprecedented gain”

Kolawole count the number of roads that were tarred. But now, you cannot count the number of good roads in the area, they are so many. The only ones you could count are the ones that were not tarred, that is the opposite of what we met on ground and that is performance. I told them to go to all our schools and tell me one school that does not have a new building in Ajegunle Area, just one out of the lot.

People seem to be advocating for stomach infrastructures now side by side with infrastructural development, what have you been able to do in this area?

There is this saying that ‘teach people how to fish instead of giving them fish.’ A Governor that ought to be teaching people how to have poultry, but who is now giving them chick-

“That is why we are talking about infrastructure. If they had used the excesses to fix our power sector, we would not feel it because the money would have been able to take care of the effect of the fall”

en, then it is terrible. That is not our own way, I am a Yoruba man and we have our own culture, which is very good, we are different from others, we are gifted. In any area of development, study a Yoruba man, we are there. There is never a Yoruba man that is dull, so you are insulting them by giving them chickens, when you supposed to be teaching us how to own poultry. That is what I am doing, I empower our people, I enjoy seeing them working. It is wrong to give them money, I derive joy in helping an indigent student pay school fees because that would make the person a free mind, and it would liberate him/her.

You are the Majority Leader in the last Assembly and now the Deputy Speaker, what would be your focus in the next Assembly if you are re-elected for the fifth time?

I owe everything to God, I know that God has been so kind to me, He has given me the grace.

I am growing in experience and in everything, my coming back would benefit Lagos State more than they can ever imagine. I look at my experience, exposure and the way I talk, it is no more like before like a new guy

“We are not building their type of roads. We are building roads that can last 25 years in Lagos State”

that came into the assembly. I am a mathematician, and I am also a politician. I even prefer to be referred to as a politician and as a legislator. I know I am going to impact more on the society, I have become like a role model, and people now make referrence to me at campaign in their respective local governments. I have developed myself to be a legislator, I love the job, I know virtually everything a legislator should know, I know how to ask questions and I know what to look for, when you are preparing a budget, and that is working for me. I look forward to coming back into the House and I told my people that I would make them proud. They would be happy with my record.

What is your recipe for an improved educational standard in the State and the country as a whole?

We need to re-orientate the parents; some of us also find ourselves in that problem. I don’t think some of these private schools are better than our public schools. For you to be a teacher in a public school, you must have an NCE, and when you hold this certificate, you CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Fashola

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

19 Politics

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

sition therefore, makes people to feel that when the state sneezes, the country catches cold. Be that as it may, organisers of events, good or bad, will always want to use Kaduna as launching pad.

Last Monday, 19th January, the Presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was in Kaduna, the crocodile city, with his campaign team in continuation of his campaign tour of the country to canvass for votes. The famous Murtala Square was the venue.

As early as 7 am, supporters of APC and admirers of the former Head of State started trooping to the campaign venue, even as he was scheduled to arrive at 2 pm.

Though Buhari did not turn up on time, his supporters had remained till late evening when he eventually arrived at about 7 pm, an endurance which explained how much the retired war-lord is loved by his admirers. But what started peacefully earlier, snowballed into wanton destruction of posters and billboards at strategic places as well as various roundabouts in the city by suspected political thugs later in the day.

Posters and billboards belonging to PDP and APC, with pictures of each respective candidate, were touched in areas like Abakpa NEPA, Ali Akilu road, UTC/Government House road. Sir Kashim Ibrahim House is housing the seat of government. The roundabout there was not spared. Others included the New Nigerian Newspapers/NEPA roundabout and the Challenge Bookshop roundabout.

For security reason, the swearing-in ceremony of appointed local government sole administrators, slated for that Monday was abruptly canceled and rearranged for the following day.

Although the development can be seen as a tit-for-tat kind of as private properties were not touched. However, in some areas like Badikko, a suburb in Kaduna South local government, eye witness accounts had it that “people were harassed to identify with APC by saying shai Buhari as a condition for them to move when

‘Lagos has taken education to the next level’

ing at the event, Yero enjoined the PDP supporters and “indeed, all affected residents of Kaduna State” to “remain calm and not to take laws into their own hands, no matter the level of intimidation and harassment”, which he described as unwarranted.

“We all witnessed what happened in Kaduna on Monday, where people hired by the opposition party went about harassing innocent citizens and destroying properties of the PDP. This is a clear attempt at throwing Kaduna into chaos”, and commended the people of the state “for ignoring the agents of destruction.

Rather than canvassing for support peacefully and showcasing their manifesto for people of the state, the APC resorted to hiring people to intimidate innocent people”. With this development, “the people of Kaduna State are now better enlightened on the difference between a truly demo-

El-Rufai

Election fever hits Kaduna accosted”.

A source who pleaded anonymity said “some youths threatened to turn Badikko upside down if Buhari does not win this election” and called on government and security operatives to take note for necessary action. The situation, despite the recent peace accord, has heightened tension in the mind of the people, particularly the non indigenes resident in the state.

As early as 7.30 am, a surveillance helicopter was seen patrolling Kaduna metropolis just as plain clothes security operatives were mobilised to go round and effectively monitor tendencies that could provoke uneasy calm.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

are a teacher. But, most of these private schools would just employ secondary school graduates or even those who did not finish secondary schools as teachers. However, the Lagos State Government has done tremendously well in education; I know where we started from.

I know, when I was the Chair-

This was not unconnected with PDP threats that if APC attacks them, they will retaliate.

For fear of attack, some people that travelled out of the state for Christmas festivity earlier are yet to return as they vowed to remain out there until after the February elections.

Kaduna State government is not unaware of the fears enveloping the people as Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero has assured the people of peaceful exercise in the state. Noting that it is the responsibility of every government to protect the lives and property of its citizen, he said he will continue to do his best to ensure peace in the society.

Speaking at the Kaduna State Ibo community town hall meeting held at Sabon station recently, the Governor called on the fleeing persons to “stop relocating from Kaduna to other places because of election”. And while advising them to feel free to perform their civic responsibility according to the dictate of their instinct, he impressed on them that “every person has the right to vote for a party or candidate of his choice”.

At the swearing in ceremony of sole administrators appointed for the 23 local government areas of the state, Governor Yero sued for peaceful campaigns, just as he condemned violent conduct of APC rally in the state. Speak-

man of the House Committee on Education, we had some intervention funds, we had school rehabilitation projects. When we came into government, there were a lot of dilapidated and collapsed school buildings, but today, you cannot see that because government went into school rehabilitation projects and they are working.

If you go into our schools, you

would see that they are conducive for learning. This particular government has taken a step further with the EKO project, which is building human resources, they are training teachers. That has shown in the performance of the teachers and our students, the project is complementing infrastructure. You cannot just build infrastructure without building the teachers.

“For fear of attack, some people that travelled out of the state for Christmas festivity earlier are yet to return as they vowed to remain out there until after the February elections” cratic party and one that is bent on taking power through violence”, he said.

To this end, the Governor urged security operatives in the state to investigate the Monday’s incident and ensure protection of lives and properties of peace loving people, saying: “some people are desperate on capturing power not by the ballot but by the brutal use of thuggery” with negative consequences.

Kolawole

Politics 20 What just happened? This question, which is still on everybody’s lips after Sunday’s historic rallies, goes beyond the three days of massacres that have shaken France, and also applies to its president. François Hollande has indeed seen an astounding reversal of fortunes. His popularity was stuck at its lowest levels just a week ago, but after these events, the Socialist Party president, though not redeemed yet, has been propelled to the front of an unprecedented political movement he couldn’t have dreamed of. As someone close to him even admitted, “these are terrible events, but for him it’s not so bad.”

The political analysis is clear: It’s been top marks on all fronts. Denounced for his lack of authority and his inability to make clear decisions, he has led the police operations with “composure and determination,” according to an insider.

Often criticized for his failure to embody the presidential function, he looked like he belonged at the center of Sunday’s march with the other world leaders.

Contested even inside his own center-left majority, he placed himself at the fulcrum of an almost perfect consensus, embracing the entire political spectrum — even his fiercest opponent, Nicolas Sarkozy, was for a time relegated to the background of the photo. Only Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front party, tried to play her card, but she was unsuccessful.

The most unpopular president in the history of the Fifth Republic, François Hollande was leading the biggest march since the liberation of the country in 1944. The president’s natural taste for consensus, which until last week was high on the list of criticisms against him, is exactly what is now earning him praise. The paradox is striking.

Of course, popular marches and the national catharsis are also misleading, as they mask

Ex-Lagos First Lady wants peaceful polls

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Hollande

Can Hebdo Save Francois Hollande

the aggregation of different categories of the population and the absence of some that don’t feel affected. But Hollande, who’s well-versed in the much-criticized method of bringing people together on the least common denominator, has managed to smoothly accompany the popular reaction. It’s as if, in order to finally work, the president’s way needed a traumatic event on a national scale.

“He is perfect for this,”

observes one of his closest friends. And indeed, over the past week, Hollande has very much been the man for the job.

What the people want The man who had in his 2012 campaign presented himself as the candidate to “cool things down” had until now failed to keep his promise. He underestimated the divisions that the law on gay marriage would create and proved powerless to prevent the escalation of sec-

tarian tensions and the rise of ideological posturing.

But his diagnosis was perfectly lucid. Hollande regularly insists on the need for the population to “come together,” to “unite,” praising a return to national pride in the face of a form of French despair.

Often as correct as they are impossible to pursue, these assessments have this time around proved amenable to the situation. Could the president, by combining power and proximity, decision and compassion, all under a perfectly managed PR strategy, finally have found the appropriate alchemy his team has been seeking for months?

Still, the benefits in the middle term seem highly perishable. Nobody would yet go as

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

ing of over 52 communities, saying he was delighted about it.

He promised to develop the youths of the area if given another chance, stressing that the youths must be empowered economically and kept busy to reduce crime in the society.

“There is need to let the people, especially the youth know why they should do away with whatever that would lead to vio-

lence, maiming and shedding of blood before, during and after the election.

Also speaking at the event, a former commissioner for Housing in the state, Hon. Dele Onabokun assured Olulade of his support, just as he affirmed his conviction that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will record a landslide victory in Epe at the February polls.

“The most unpopular president in the history of the Fifth Republic, François Hollande was leading the biggest march since the liberation of the country in 1944.”

nity next time. There should be peace, we must be careful in Nigeria,” she stated.

The lawmaker who currently chairs the information, publicity and strategy committee of the House reiterated the need to have violence free elections, noting that it was a privilege to serve his constituency compris-

far as to gamble on the lasting political effects of the terrorist attacks and the rallies that followed. Nor on their result on public opinion. The executive is also pondering what the ideal dosage of politics will be as day-to-day business resumes with the debate on a crucial economy bill.

However, the president’s office stresses that Hollande is “still very attentive. The security alert is still on the highest level, that’s what he keeps his focus on.” And as new legislation is expected after the attacks, notably a new bill on intelligence agencies planned for this year, a close adviser explains that “the population won’t understand inaction, just as it won’t accept hastiness and disproportionate action.”

Doja Otedola

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Features You can’t beat the Nigerian Spirit

They are a people plundered by successive regimes of the ruling class. Though denied of every right to good living, the true Nigerian never gives up. In these photographs, GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT’S SNR captures the tenacity of the Nigerian citizen no matter how thin or lean, and invites you to doff your hat for the Nigerian spirit.

The core Nigerian has that ‘can do’, ‘never say die’ spirit that won Barak Obama

21

s his ticket to the White House, and secured him a second term to confound the racists. Some TV evangelists encourage their hapless audience by convincing them that ‘It is not over, until it is over’; when it became apparent the parlance was losing its steam, the Matthew son of Ashimolowo rephrased it to ‘it is not over ... until you win!’

The hawking spirit “Hawking has become a spirit in Nigeria, especially in Lagos”, said a surprised Edward Nduk-

we, publisher of a community newspaper in Ajegunle.

“Take a close look at the items these people have the courage to hawk; it would require a clean heart and a determined spirit, with enough faith to move mountains to spend a whole day in the sun or rain hawking items which total sum including their profit may not buy lunch in a grill room, or a bottle of wine for your birthday celebration.”

Let us meet those who were glad to talk to our correspondent,

and those who believed he was mocking them and gave him a piece of their minds!

Mr. Jerome Okoro (not his real name) is a regular hawker of stock fish (okporoko) in Ire-Akari Estate and environs. He has no shop, but having established a source of supply, Jerome, a husband and father of many children in his 50s decided to hawk the stock fish and he does this without apology to anyone. An essential tool of his trade is the CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

JOHESU STRIKE:

Another hell for Kano blast victims Succour seems to be far from victims of the bomb blast that rocked the Kano Central Mosque on Friday, November 28, 2014, about 58 days ago, when Boko Haram insurgents attacked worshippers, leaving scores dead and several others hospitalised. But, the industrial action embarked upon by health workers, under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), worsens the conditions of the victims. YAKUBU SALISU visited some of them, who shared their experiences with him. His report.

Isah Garba

Friday, November 28, 2014 was like another normal day as worshippers trooped to the Kano Central Mosque for the Jumat, until the rampaging Boko Haram insurgents turned the serene environment into hell with a bomb blast. When the dust settled, scores of worshippers were dead, while several others were rushed to the hospital. Top government functionaries came sympathising with the victims and making several promises about taking care of the victims’ medical needs, but that was all; promises, failed promises.

Unfortunately, the strike by health workers, under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), has given the insurgents something to gloat about, having paralysed

activities in government hospitals, making doctors to attend to emergency cases only.

The situation, had forced victims of the bomb blast to cry out to the Federal Government to have mercy on them and find a way to appease the health workers to end their strike action.

Alhaji SadiSuleman, one of the victims on admission at the

The strike by health workers, under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), has given the insurgents something to gloat about Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, who sustained three bullet wounds from the insurgents’ attack, told Daily Times that “Sometimes, we don’t see the health workers for two or three days. Only the doctors attend to us, and they are not many. We need help, urgently too.”

According to him, the doctors already had their hands full be-

fore we were brought in after the bomb blast. The work is too much for them; help us tell government to come to our aid”.

Daily Times gathered that hospital laboratorieswere not functional; although, the senior technicians were not on strike, hardly are they seen at their duty posts. Most tests are now done in private laboratories at exorbitant rates. Victims who need surgical operations continue to groan in pain as they have no hope of being attended to very soon by the already overworked doctors.

Another survivor of the blast, Anas Muhammad, whose two legs were broken and heavily wrapped with the Plaster of Paris (POP) pleaded, passionately too, with the federal government to assist them as he was on the verge of losing his two legs, “if help does not come urgently”.

Sobbing due to the excruciating pain, Anas said, “It is so painful, we are not finding it easy as our wounds are not dressed regularly, which makes them to swell and smell. I don’t know the real condition of my two legs, since I don’t get regular medical attention”.

He pleaded with Kano State and federal government toarrange an emergency medical CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Features 22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

My parents cannot afford an artificial leg for me – Victim CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

care for them “even if it means transferring us to other hospitals or hiring some professionals to take care of us”.

In a passionate plea to the health workers, Anas urged them to remember that their work is all about saving lives, so they should pity them and call off their strike. “Going on strike means sentencing us to death. Only God knows how many people have died since the beginning of this strike”.

A teenager, Isah Garba, who lost one of his legs to the bomb blast, pleaded with the federal government and kind-hearted Nigerians to help him with an artificial legso that he might be able to continue with his education and not end up on the streets. “My parents cannot afford an artificial leg for me”, he cried.

Another patient, Malam Aliyu Yusuf told Daily Times that he was always relieved when the health workers and doctors were around him. “But ever since the strike began, I have been nursing a silent pain of what might happen to me and the other victims here”.

Garba, another victim, lamented that the state government distributed bags of grain to some of them but he got nothing. A father of seven children, Garba lamented that his fam-

Necessity is the mother of invention and she proves it

“Going on strike means sentencing us to death. Only God knows how many people have died since the beginning of this strike”

ily members always go hungry, since he was hospitalised. “Nobody is catering for my family.

I pray that all those concerned will settle their differences very soon, so that they can help us get appropriate treatment and reunite with our families”.

He appealed to Nigerian workers, particularly, those in the health sector, to adopt other means of getting their demands met, rather that resorting to strike actions.

Yusuf A. Isma’il, a relative to Gaddafi Idris, another victim of the bomb blast, held up his CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

hawk-saw for customers who demand the hard fish be cut to smaller pieces. Jerome is known all over his beat.

Though not too receptive, our correspondent gathered that Jerome doesn’t have to pay for a shop or give the Omoniles any opportunity to squeeze money from him. “I know my right”, he told Daily Times, and ignored

Gaddafi Idris

all entreaties to talk more.

The woman with the gaming machine is a popular agent who sits by the entrance of the Ojota garage along the Ogudu-Ojota gate. She took a lot of ‘tanning’ from the hot sun to invent the peculiar umbrella to shield just her head. A closer look showed she had fastened the short rod of the miniature umbrella inside her peculiar headgear. Ne-

cessity, they say, is the mother of invention and she has done just that.

By the rail road at Oshodi is this old lady who hawks the cheapest of cheap mouth covers.

“Cover your mouth! Cover your mouth! Two for 50 kobo” shouts at intervals. From the rising of the sun to its setting you will find her on her feet. On a good day she could sell off a carton

of 35 pieces at two for 50 kobo, that would come to N900. What percentage of that will meet her needs? “Ah, if you think about that, you won’t do anything”, she told Daily Times.

Mama Basira is the woman who prefers to carry her brushes, about half a dozen plus 1 on her head; in her left hand she has three sifters and in her right CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

23 Features

I can’t depend on any man to provide for me – Bosede CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

hand she has three more brushes.

The bench she sat on was rented for a fee and council agents and area boys come for their collections before she takes her place. To her right is a cobbler who also mends anything

Another victim in pains

amendable, from umbrellas to old soldiers’ boot, even boots for people preparing for the raining season. He negotiated for a permanent position and the price does not come cheap.

Twenty-six years old Bosede parades the Iyana-Ipaja bus terminal and market areas with a heap of hand towels she balanc-

The bench she sat on was rented for a fee and council agents and area boys come for their collections before she takes her place

Bosede at Iyana-Ipaja

Alhaji Sadi Suleman

“In a passionate plea to the health workers, Anas urged them to remember that their work is all about saving lives, so they should pity them and call off their strike” Mama Basira

School leavers and commission agents

es squarely on her pretty head, some others under her armpit and she holds a scissors in her right hand. Among her stuff are handkerchiefs and yards of white poplin materials she cuts to size for customers. The bag hanging from her shoulder CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

Features 24

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

If we don’t sell, it’s just another day CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

serves as her mobile bank and holds other unseen items for sale.

Behind her is another young hawker of food seasoners. They pay their market dues and saves daily with the thrift and credit society located inside the market. Bose told Daily Times she is happy providing for herself.

“I cannot depend on any man to give me money; I can hustle as well as anybody, and I am saving to finish my diploma course at the Polytechnic.” That is the Nigerian spirit.

The woman with brown envelopes and files carries a frown on her face all day long. She was not in a mood to chat and our correspondent didn’t try to press. How many of that would she sell to make her day? Your guess may not be as good as anyone’; but she is not alone. Along Awolowo Way are about half a dozen other women and young girls selling the same stuff. To her left is another dutiful woman shading her cucumbers and oranges.

Sister Clara holding out a couple of files in both hands was not in the best of moods when Daily Times tried to strike a conversation. The hope that lightens their faces when you approach

them is heart-touching, and the disappointment, sometimes bitterness that sets in when they find you are inquiring into their life’s struggle sometimes brings out the fury in them. Many times our correspondent has to buy their items to keep the hope high and draw a smile and a grateful ‘Thank you’ from them.

Just after the railway crossing at the same Ikeja, Daily Times found these young and happy little ladies in a row, hawking a brand of cellphone and chatting away happily under the bright afternoon sun. They are not on salary, Daily Times learnt. “We are on commission; if we sell we make our money; if we don’t, it is just another day but we are keeping ourselves busy before we take the Jamb examination coming soon.”

It makes sense, and it keeps them away from doing mischievous things when no one is watching: that is the Nigerian spirit.

The three hawkers in the last but one photo tells a story: while the little mum at the far back hopes to sell her files in front of that gate, the laughing sister, a ‘single’ mother displays three items skilfully while the dear lady squinting at the camera holds out a couple of new arrival slippers for the ladies.

Hawkers at Awolowo way, Ikeja The Nigerian spirit is proof of the strength of the human spirit; unfortunately though, if the Nigerian decides to be negative with his tenacity, he does it so well. But whichever way you look at the Nigerian people, you would do well to doff your hat for the Nigerian spirit.

We are few, we cannot handle all the patients –Doctor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

younger brother’s arm saying “look, my brother has been having a metal object lodged in his arm since the bomb blast, and the doctors tell us every day that they will take him to the theatre for a surgical operation, but, nothing has been done up till now.

“Apart from the POP on his leg, they hardly attend to him; even whatever the state government gives to us as relief, a few only get to us. We are poor, we have no money to take him to a private hospital. Please let somebody help us.”

One of the doctors who spoke with the Daily Timesin confidence at the Murtala Mohammed General Hospital, said only the junior house officers run the shifts on the wards. He said he, in particular, made it a point of duty to

check on a particular victim with a severe case around his neck and jaw.

“We are forced to accept a few new patients, only those with serious cases are admitted, as we are battling to manage those that have been with us.”

He stated further that “the hospital theatreis working and the doctors combine their functions with those of the nurses as best as they can manage the situation”.

He, however, commended the efforts of the state government, for always assisting its indigenes.

A male nurse at the Accident and Emergency Ward, said he was on duty because he is a senior nurse. “Those on my level are forbidden to join strikes”, adding “we are few and cannot handle all the patients in the hospital”.

“The hospital theatre is working and the doctors combine their functions with those of the nurses as best as they can manage the situation” Isah Garba

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NEW PATRIOTIC YOUTHS PROGRESSIVE AND EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE OF NIGERIA The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004.

Trustees 1) Mr Ibeh Thankgod (Chairman), 2) Mr Okoye Luke Obinna (P.R.O), 3) Dr Offoh Paulinus Nnaemeka (Secretary), 4) Mrs Ibeh Ogechukwu Maria - Sussan, 5) Compt Jibril Alkali - Zakari.

Aims To provide skills acquisition to the Nigerian Youths on how to be self-reliance Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: Trustees

PUBLIC NOTICE PROCLAIM LIBERTY PRAYER MINISTRY

CHRIST PURITY CHURCH The general public is hereby notified that the above named initiative has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “c” of the companies and allied matters act, 2004.

Names of Trustee 1. Pastor Akintote Kayode Benjamen General Overseer 2. Pastor Mrs. Akintote Oluwaseyi Olakitan. 3. Pastor Bassey Sunday.

4. Evangelist Falemara Adebayo Joseph.

5. Pastor Talabi Oluwaseyi Seun. 6. Deacnes Talabi Kehinde Omojowo 7. Sister Falemora Ronke Sade Objectives 1. To evangelize the world with gospel of peace and purity. Through Jesus Christ our lord and savior 2. To expand the kingdom of god and to depopulate the kingdom of Satan. By medial, electronic, printing; home fellowships, and church auditoriums.

3. To train, teach, develop spiritual gift, on purity evangelism.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: Pastor Biodun Balogun.

PUBLIC NOTICE GLORIOUS CREATION FAITH MINISTRY

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 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.

Board of Trustees 1. Oyeneye Olusegun Isaiah - General Overseer 2. Sorunke Kehinde - Secretary 3. Solanke Adunni Omotolase - Treasurer

Board of Trustees 1. Olanrewaju Oluwatoyin - General Overseer 2. Obileye Taiwo Dotun - Secretary 3. Olanrewaju Rotimi Owolabi 4. Popoola Rebecca 5. Richard Cecilia Nkem 6. Aruleba Adewale 7. Popoola Christiana Jaiye 8. Ayenor Richard Dudu

Aim and Objective 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. To expand the kingdom of God 3. To evangelized the world with the Gospel of peace, Love and Harmony.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: The General Overseer

PUBLIC NOTICE

Aims and Objectives are: 1. To propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus 2. To preach and evangelized the word of God and to win souls for Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES

PUBLIC NOTICE

EMMANUEL OJOYE OLUWUNMI DESCENDANTS

SHOLA ADEOLA CRADLE 2 CAREER 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 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.

Trustees: 1. Oluwunmi Festus Oluseye - Chairman 2. Oluwunmi Opeoluwa Oluwole 3. Oluwunmi Olusiji Samuel 4. Adegbite Oluwatoyin Adebukola 5. Oluwunmi Ibikunolu Oloruntobi 6. Oluwunmi Tolulope Akinolu - Gen Secretary

Trustees: 1. Oluwayomi Tajudeen Adeola - Chairman 2. Aduke Yetunde Adeola - Vice Chairman 3. Oluwatosin Abiola Adeola - Secretary 4. Oluwasuyi Akomolede 5. Oluwasegun Charles Adekuajo 6. Veronica Olatimbo Owolabi

Aims1. To set up endowment funds for family members & community at large 2. To keep members growing together in love 3. May engage in other lawful (commercial / social) activities that will improve the life (living condition) of her members 4. To operate bank accounts on behalf of the family members

Aims1. To offer scholarship to indigent pupils and support their education through all levels until they are gainfully employed 2. To promote the educational advancement of less privileged children in the society

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: Secretary

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: Tunde Esan, Esan Babatunde & Associates 08033246342

PUBLIC NOTICE THE DESCENDANTS OF ILE-OKE OKE IGBON, AAYE - OJA EKITI The general public is hereby notified that the above name CHURCH has applied to the corporate affairs commission Abuja for registration under part c of the companies and allied matters C 20, LFN. The Trustees Are:1- Prof. Idowu Akinloye James 2- Mr. Adebayo Amos Popoola 3- Mr. Atolagbe Joseph Jide 4- Mr. Idowu Samson Ayodeji 5- Mr. Taiwo H. Amuda 6- Mr. Adebayo Michael Segun 7- Mr. Oladimeji Olawale Johnson Aims and Objectives: 1- To encourage development in the community 2- To encourage youth empowerment programs 3- To see to the welfare of its members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: Secretary.

PUBLIC NOTICE VIRTUOUS WIDOWS ASSOCIATION OF LAGOS 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. Egbosiuba Benice Ifeyinwa -Chairman 2. Mrs. Akhaba-Oba Cathrine Marie - Secretary 3. Mrs. Oyeneyin Adeyinka 4. Mrs. Agbakurum Uchenna 5. Mrs. Adamu Grace 6. Mrs. Udoh Victoria Felix The Aims and Objectives are: 1. To promote peace, unity and love among members.

2. Enhancement of mutual understanding and cooperation 3. To inspire and encourage its members with a view to enhance their status Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: ANYANWU, ANYANWU & CO.

BARR. MAUREEN NNENNA NWUZOR ANYANWU (MRS) 703, Lagos Abeokuta Exp. Road, Ijaiye B/Stop, Ojokoro, Lagos.

Tel: 0803379321

PUBLIC NOTICE THE PENTECOSTAL EMMANUEL MISSION WORLD WIDE. 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. Hephzibah Etim.

2. Miss Blessing Okon.

3. Mr. Isaac Moses Abraham 4. Mother Elizabeth Ogodo.

Aims and objectives.

To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi street. PMB 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from The date of publication.

Signed: secretary

CHANGE OF NAME

PLACE YOUR ADVERTS HERE

PLACE YOUR ADVERTS HERE

25

I formally known as Miss Ndukwe Chioma Frances now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ezeji Chioma Frances. All former documents remain valid. and the General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formally known as Miss Emiah Ruth Oyeka now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Coker Ruth Oyeka.

All former documents remain valid. and the General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

PLACE YOUR I formally known as Miss Rachael Inaye Adejoh now wish to be known ADVERTS and addressed as Mrs. Rachael Inaye Ralf-Edwards All former documents remain valid.HERE and the General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formally known as Miss Inyene Monday Josiah now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Inyene Julius Umaini. All former documents remain valid.

And the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formally known as Okon Bridget Bose now wish to be known and addressed as Okon Rita Utibeh.

All former documents remain valid.

And the general public take note.

PLACE YOUR ADVERTS HERE

26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Health

s Briefs The country has virtually eliminated polio and would soon be officially declared polio-free by the WHO – President Jonathan

Experts urge action on violence against women

Nutritionist advises on fasting ÏÏÏ As most churches declare

“Should we not put in place more stringent mechanisms to curb violence in the homes, particularly against women?”

Lara Adejoro

o.adejoro@dailytimes.com.ng Violence against women in Nigeria, like most African countries, is very common.

In fact, figures put it at up to 5060 per cent of Nigerian homes and most of it go unreported, either because of our cultural background, the family set-up, or economy reasons.

However, experts who gathered at the Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Neuropsychiatrist Hospital, Yaba, recent conference with

the theme: “Violence Against Women: The Psychological Consequences’’ called for urgent action to stem the ugly trend.

According to a consultant psychiatrist, Dr Grace Ijarogbe, most of the cases of violence against women go unreported “because the perpetrators are at a higher advantage than the victim.” “… when violence is committed against a woman, she has a feeling that she is worthless, she has a low self-esteem, she withdraws from friends because she has a feeling that

people will know what is going on and if she continues being abused, she becomes depressed, anxious and then, she starts making mistakes.”

Making a case for proper implementation of the law against domestic violence, the president of the association, Dr Olusegun Akinwotu said, “We used to think there is no law against rape but this law is inherent in our country but we need them to be upheld and implemented.

And the law enforcers should carry out whatever penalty the person who is the perpetrator

of this violence deserves. Once this is done, it will go a long way because there have been cases of husbands beating their wives and the wives dying from the battery but all we hear is that sometimes, it doesn’t even get to the court. They just keep it aside and we believe this is unacceptable.”

Decrying the increasing rate of domestic violence in the country, Akinwotu said “The prevalence of mental illness among women will be reduced by 50 per cent if domestic vioCONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Nigeria gets first operational cancer centre The Lakeshore Cancer Center (LCC), Lagos, the first operational facility in Nigeria that is solely dedicated to the prevention and treatment of cancer has been launched.

The Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of LCC, Dr Chukwumere Nwogu stated that “Cancer is a rapidly growing global health problem. Data shows that cancer kills more people worldwide than Malaria, HIV and TB combined and low to middle income countries are disproportionately impacted.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1/3 of

cancers can be prevented, 1/3 cured and 1/3 effectively prevented; hence the great need for education, screening and early detection.”

Nwogu, who is also a cancer epidemiologist and thoracic surgical oncologist pointed out that, “in Nigeria according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (2012 data), there are 102,079 new cancer cases per year and 71,571 cancer deaths annually. This is probably a marked underestimation as cancer registration is really poor in Nigeria and many patients usually seek alternative

treatments, traditional healers or prayer houses. These numbers are predicted to rise dramatically over the next few years. There are extremely limited facilities for screening, diagnosis, curative treatment or palliation of cancer cases. It is estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 Nigerians seek medical care abroad every years.”

He said, LCC is committed to providing cancer patients with the tool for early detection, diagnosis ad consultation with excellent oncologists without having to travel away from loved ones at home.

Nwogu

several days of fasting for members as a way of spiritual uplift, Head of Nutrition and SUN Focal Point, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, has said that pregnant women, malnourished persons, persons who have peptic ulcer disease and diabetics especially those on hypoglycemic drugs should avoid fasting as it could be dangerous to their health.

Isokpunwu who gave the advice in an interview with Daily Times also said there is no scientific evidence that fasting is an effective method for losing weight.

Lagos records first corrective ear surgery ÏÏÏ For the first time in his-

tory, the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, recorded a successful homegrown cochlear implant surgery in two patients.

Director of Clinical Services and Training, LASUTH, Dr. Adedokun Ayoade, at a briefing, said it was yet another time the Lagos tertiary hospital was recording another astounding success, through cochlear implantation by its own indigenous doctors.

Ayoade, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Medical Director, said it was an exercise made possible by efforts of the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to bring Nigerian experts in the Diaspora back home for needed skills transfer.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

AU summit to celebrate Nigeria’s fight against polio

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

lence is reduced and that is significant because you can always trace most of these mental illnesses to something happening in the past.”

The psychological effects of domestic violence according to him range from post-traumatic disorder, anxiety disorder, development of emotional mood disorder like depression and they can develop psychosis.

Way forward “Before a girl-child becomes a woman, let her be groomed in such a way that she feels equal with the brothers in the home.

Some women have no reason to stay in an abusive relationship but because they feel they have to be subdued,” said Ijarogbe.

“Aside from the grooming, let them grow up knowing that they are equal to a man and that they have equal privileges with the man, so that when she gets to a relationship into the future, that trace of abuse will not be there,” she adds.

The Deputy Governor, represented by Dr Olufemi Olugbile, a former Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Femi Olugbile said: “According to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence, about 1.3 million women were assaulted by an intimate partner every year.

“Also, 25 per cent of women will experience violence in their lifetime and for how long will such cases continue. Should we not put in place more stringent and serious mechanisms to curb and discourage violence in the homes, particularly against women?’’

She said several studies had shown that there was a correlation between development and the treatment of women in a society.

“It is, therefore, imperative that in addition to the plans being made to meet the Millennium Development Goals, our

27 Health

A depressed woman

Experts want strict laws against domestic violence leaders must reform the laws to protect women who are violated.

“It is common knowledge that the state and its various institutions are, especially crucial in ensuring that its citizens are protected and have access to the basic necessities of life,’’ she said.

Orelope-Adefulire said that adequate knowledge and information through sensitisation and campaigns would help to reduce cases of domestic violence among women.

“25 per cent of women will experience violence in their lifetime and for how long will such cases continue”

Sequel to the success story recorded in the fight against polio virus in Nigeria, the African Union (AU) is set to recognise the country’s efforts.

The 24th Africa Union Summit will be held in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, from January 30 -31, 2015 with all African Heads of Government expected to be in attendance.

The AU is expected to set a new development agenda for its members, including holding a session on the continent’s effort towards taming the polio virus, a task Nigeria is seen to have performed tremendously.

In a statement by the supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan one of the main themes of the summit, ‘The development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063,’ focuses on preparing Africa for its future, building upon the progress now underway and effectively learning lessons from the past.

According to Alhassan, “a polio-free Africa is one of the best legacies that the people of Africa, its leaders, and the AU can pass on to the next generation.

“In Nigeria, tremendous progress was achieved at the end of December 2014 with 87 per cent reduction of the Wild Polio Virus Type 1 (WPV1) burden and 78 per cent reduction in geographic spread of the virus. Wild Polio Virus Type 3 (WPV3) has not been reported in Nigeria for 23 months.

“The genetic clusters circulating in Nigeria have also declined from eight in 2013 to 1 in 2014 representing an 88 per cent reduction. This feat has been achieved as a result of over two years of meticulous improvement in the programme with award winning innovations.”

Aregbesola, Osun farmers move to forestall spread of Bird Flu Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo

Aregbesola

In a move to avoid the spread of Avian Influenza popularly known as Bird Flu to Osun State, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been deployed to monitor control posts.

Osun state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, stated this at a seminar organised by state chapter of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in collaboration with Tuns Farms on prevention of bird flu in the state.

The governor, who was repre-

sented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, added that the approval for the purchase of chemicals to fumigate all farms in the state has been made.

Worried by the negative effects of the disease, he explained that efforts have been made to ensure that there was no single case of Avian Influenza in the state.

“You could recollect that when the disease became epidemic in Nigeria in 2006, there was no single case of it in our state. In our bid to prevent the recent alerts in some states of the federation, we have ap-

proved the purchase of chemicals to fumigate all farms in the State.

“We have also directed Veterinary department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food security to deploy all its officers to man all the control posts in and out of the state,” he said.

Aregbesola, who hailed organisers of the seminar, pleaded with the people of the state to assist in preventing the disease.

“People should support the state and PAN in the fight against the disease by reporting strange bird behaviour and high mortalities of

the bird to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food security.”

Managing Director of Tuns Farms, Engineer Olalekan Badmus, said prompt actions needed to be taken in order to prevent the disease from turning to an epidemic.

He said, “If the current alerts is not put in check and allowed to becoming an epidemic, it could lead to unemployment in the country, as most farms would close down and other poultry related industries would be affected. That is the reason we come up with this seminar in collaboration with PAN.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

Money

s

Food safety policy gets two committees Augustine Aminu, Abuja

Al-Hassan

Dr. Khaliru Al-Hassan, the Supervising Minister of Health, has inaugurated the Inter-ministerial Committee on Food Safety (IMCFS) and the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC).

The two committees were inau-

gurated to address the menace of food-borne diseases in the country.

He said the production of National Policy on Food Safety and its implementation strategy were commendable and would tackle food-borne and other related diseases.

``A man is what he eats and a healthy nation would be judged by the safety of its food consumption,’’ he said.

He said the contribution of the stakeholders in the review of the policy made it acceptable and comparable with the international standards.

OPS rejects bill on compulsory listing Charles Okonji The Organised Private Sector and other stakeholders have unanimously rejected the compulsory Private Companies Conversion and Listing Bill that is currently before the National Assembly.

This was made known by Mr. Remi Bello, president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday in Lagos at the Stakeholders Forum on Private Companies Conversion and Listing Bill.

“The Bill under consideration seeks to compel private companies whose shareholders’ funds exceed N40 billion or whose annual turnover exceeds N80 billion or its total assets exceeds N80 billion, to convert to public liability company and get its shares listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. As at last quarter of 2014, the Bill had undergone second reading and if successfully passed into law, it will become an Act that will oblige private companies to convert to Public Liability Companies (PLC) as prescribed in the bill.”

“Our preliminary review of the proposed bill shows that it will likely impact on the local and foreign investment and the broader economy. It may also lead to considerable loss of revenue to the government and breakup of companies to circumvent the requirement of the bill. Also, the Nigerian Stock Exchange may not have

L-R: Mr. Bimbo Atilola, Deputy Chairman, Law and Taxation Committee, LCCI, Mrs. Nike Akande, Deputy President, LCCI and Muda Lawal, Director General, LCCI, at the Stakeholders Forum on Private Companies Conversion and Listing Bill held in Lagos …on Tuesday. the depth liquidity needed for the investment arising from the mandatory listing of these companies,” he said.

Bello explained that the purpose of the forum was to articulate the views and perspectives of industrialists, foreign investors and the business communities with a view to harmonising the position of the OPS on the bill.

In his remarks, Kola Adekola,

NSE representative, noted that the concept of compulsion is totally unacceptable, stressing that NSE’s position was to convince companies on how to be listed.

He noted: “We have been putting listing requirements together and we are looking for other ways to make companies list without sending offenders to prison.”

He stated that private compa-

nies have the least compliant attitude to tax issues, adding that listed companies have better compliance.

“It is purely economic law that when you list in the stock market, you pay lesser tax and when you do not list, you pay more. If you list, you will be given five years tax holiday. If you list 30 per cent of you capitalisation, you will be given 10 per cent discount in tax.” Adekola said.

NSC to make Nigeria sub-regional shipping hub Funmi Coker The Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) has called for collaboration of stakeholders to key into its regulatory framework towards making the ports a sub- regional hub and international logistic center.

Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello, made the call at a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday.

Bello said the mandate is to ensure that the Nigerian ports compete favourably and attract foreign investment.

“In our capacity as the port economic regulator, our role is to consult, coordinate, moderate and harmonise the various processes and procedures with a view to achieving operational efficiency at our ports.”

However, he stressed that there ise needs to harness other potential areas of the port sector, especially in the reduction of the cost of doing business and promote efficiency.

Bello

Global commodities Nine commodity price indices expected to fall in 2015 Energy -40.5 per cent Metals -5.3 per cent Grains -3.7 per cent Fats & Oils -7.1 per cent Other food -1 per cent Beverages -5.6 per cent Raw Materials -6.0 per cent Fertilisers -2.1 per cent Precious Metals -2.9 per cent

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

29 Maritime

Shipping accounts for 80% of forex earnings, says expert Prof. Alex Okwuashi, Rector of the Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS), said on Wednesday that the shipping business accounted for 80 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

Okwuashi. a professor of maritime administration and international shipping, said this in Lagos.

He said that transportation and the sale of crude oil which fetched a large amount of foreign exchange, were done through shipping.

Okwuashi, however, expressed concern that the cost of

transporting crude oil out of the country was enormous, adding that it accounted for almost half of the total cost of the commodity.

According to him, this is because crude oil in Nigeria is sold on Free on Board (FOB) basis.

He said this was a `lacuna’ in the National Shipping Policy Act, 1987, which the Certified Institute of Shipping of Nigeria (CISN) Bill, would have resolved, if it had been signed into law. ``The CISN Bill seeks to fill that gap that the nation’s crude oil should not be sold on an FOB basis,’’ Okwuashi said.

Cargo vessel

Jonathan reads riot act to rice importers Stories by Funmi Coker President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday read the Riot Act to rice importers in the country, saying all those owing the nation rice import duties must pay, no matter how highly placed they are.

He said under no circumstance would he allow rice importers to hold the nation to ransom.

“Nigeria our dear country will not be held hostage by rice importers. There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay,” Jonathan declared at the opening of an event called AgriFest 2015 at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

The President noted that rice

Jonathan farmers across the country have a new lease of life due to the transformation taking place in the sector.

He said over six million rice farmers have received improved rice seed varieties, boosting domestic rice production by an additional seven million metric tons.

He said, “The rice revolution is taking place across the country, from Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, Niger, Kogi, Ogun, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Edo to Bayelsa State.

“High quality Nigerian rice is now competing favourably with imported rice in the markets.

“Our rice millers have taken advantage of these new opportunities, and the number of integrated rice mills has expanded from 1 (one) at the beginning of this administration, to 24 today.

“And they are all here today. I celebrate you all. I eat Nigerian rice and can tell you it is better than imported rice,” he added.

Jonathan also announced the release of N26billion for the 2015 dry season farming programme.

Nigeria’s gas supply market hits 2bn cfbd - NNPC The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Wednesday said Nigeria has grown its gas supply market from 300 million to two billion cubic feet per day (cfpd).

The Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Dr. David Ige, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Ige attributed the feat to successful implementation of the Nigeria Gas Master Plan.

He said the gas master plan was a policy document that basically outlined government’s aspiration for Nigeria.

He said its implementation had already positioned Nigeria to be the largest producer of fertiliser by 2018 on the continent.

He said the policy had impacted positively on the sector, adding that everything that was outlined in it was being implemented to the letter. ``Basically today, we have an

outlay of many fertiliser plants already positioning Nigeria to be the largest producer of fertiliser by 2018 in this continent. ``Those are the aspirations of the gas master plan; the master plan talks about regional export which had started in West Africa,” Ige said.

Madueke, Petroleum minister

Customs officers ordered to undergo security checks at ABTL Controller, Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Charles Edike, has directed officers of the command to properly identify and subject themselves to security checks when passing through the Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL).

Speaking in response to the complaints of ABTL over the continuous use of its facility as

thoroughfare and failure of Customs personnel to subject themselves to security checks, Edike said that in view of the security challenges facing the country, officers should willingly subject themselves to checks. ”Any officer passing there should properly identify and must subject himself to whatever checks because there is a lot of security problem in this

Edike

country. Anybody can carry an officer’s photocopy of identity card and present it as his identity and enter there with weapons, so they must subject themselves to whatever security checks. For the purpose of national security, anybody passing that place as a Customs officer working in the port must also not give a noncustoms personnel lift in their vehicle,” he said.

He however maintained that the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) provides that the port is a Customs port and the provisions of the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) code which prohibits the use of such facility is only directed to the public and according to him, Customs is not a public.

TECH FUTURE 30

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

ICT will overtake crude oil as Daily Times TECH FUTURE makes its debut this week as a weekly publication on technology. It will track technology and its impact on national development, quality of life and business enhancement in all sectors of the Nigerian economy. It will track the implementation of the Nigerian Local Content Development initiative in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). TECH FUTURE over the coming months will be reader-centric and development-focused. It will offer a compass with which to chart a course for Nigeria’s technological future.

We begin the publication with a cursory peep into the mind of the Director-General of Nigeria’s prime Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Engr. Peter Olu Jack. We spoke to him on a number of industry issues, including the need to diversify the Nigerian economy and the contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s GDP, and how to grow the fledgling Information Technology-Enabled Outsourcing (ITES) industry. INYE KEMABONTA brings excepts of the interview.

ICT contributes just over 8% to the GDP of Nigeria. Do you see this figure rising in the next few years?

Certainly, as you are aware, when I took up this job as NITDA DG, one of my promises was to reposition ICT not only as a viable economic sector in its own right, but as a catalyst to drive performance across all sectors from e-health to agriculture and solid minerals. Under the able leadership of our supervising Minister, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, a lot has been achieved already.

Not only in terms of GDP contribution, but in terms of performance. There has been a considerable annual growth as a result of the effort we have been making in this sector.

What strategies and programmes is the sector embarking on to make such an increase possible?

Well, a few examples should be sufficient. For instance, in software development, we have witnessed extremely high performance of some young software developers who started ten years ago as entrepreneurs. A good case in point is one of them who has a staff strength in the same range as NITDA’s staff strength and turns over three billion naira a year. That is a very good example of the kind of capacity we expect in this sector. There are many other examples but in particular is the effort we initiated jointly with our parent Ministry in building software innovation hubs. One of the hubs is the iDEA (Information Technology Development and Entrepreneurship Accelerator) hub which has one centre in Lagos and another one in Calabar. Clearly, from those centres, we have sufficient examples of performance. The record shows that some of them are beginning to attract international attention - a reasonable number has accessed angel funding and venture capital and are doing very well.

Do you actually foresee ICT overtake oil as the main revenue earner for the country in

Olu Jack the future?

The obvious answer is yes; for so many reasons. I will give some international examples before I zero in on what we can do in Nigeria. It’s on record that right after the 1997 financial crisis, South Korea as a country adopted an ICT-driven economic recovery strategy and within a matter of a few years, their economy fully returned to performance. ICT sector alone contributed over 25% of the GDP and we are talking about $200 billion annual income from ICT sector alone. We also have record of the Indian experience from software only. By the way, the South Korea experience was from hardware only. With the Indian’ experience on outsourcing, at the peak, the Indian government was returning over $300 billion from software-enabled outsourcing alone. The truth of the matter is with the software business, there is always the peak and the trough. When a country is no longer competitive, business nor-

We see a bright future. It is all about competitiveness mally moves on to the next competitive environment.

So, even the Indians are already beginning to explore how they can relocate their business to Nigeria. The truth is that, in terms of income, outsourcing is beginning to dip. It is worth just about $100 billion now in India.

You can see that because of the downward trend, they are looking at other environments where there are competitive opportunities like in Nigeria. I understand that there is a location in Ibadan with 1500 seat capacity out-sourcing centre owned by an Indian firm. And we have actually had a situation where India is engaging us to share the experience of their NASSCOM. We have also setup the NAITEOC (National Association of Information Technology-Enabled Outsourcing Companies) in Nigeria which is equivalent to the Indian NASSCOM. Now that the government is

‘‘We have witnessed extremely high performance of some young software developers who started ten years ago as entrepreneurs’’

looking to diversify the economy, how is the ICT sector positioning itself to take advantage of the new direction of government?

More recently, we have a very good case in point where we took the ICT industry to the Gulf

States in a global event known as the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), where Nigeria was the official partner for a Gulf exhibition. Our experience at the event revealed that there is an increasing interest on the ICT sector in Nigeria. A lot of big players do know that we offer the greatest investment destination when it comes to ICT in Africa.

Of course, the rebasing of the economy that showed we are Africa’s largest economy as well as our current position as the 26th largest economy in the world are indicators of how well-positioned we are now in Nigeria. But more importantly, we have some initiatives within the country between the Ministry of Communication Technology and NITDA and other Agencies under the Ministry that offer investment opportunities. Indeed, there are very attractive investment opportunities in Nigeria for potential investors from the rest of the world.

I would just cite one or two examples. Tinapa in Calabar has suddenly come alive. Of course, our Agency has investments there. One of the iDEA hubs I talked about is located within the Tinapa Knowledge City (TKC) which is being developed as a partnership between NITDA and the Government of Cross River State. General Electric has taken 20,000 square metres and is investing billions of naira in that location. There is also an initiative known as Lagos SMART City Initiative which is jointly owned by the Nigerian Computer Society, a private sector developer and NITDA. The whole idea is for us to create an enabling environment to develop a smart city like what you have in other advanced cities of the world. We are looking to provide incentives by way of infrastructure, by way of bandwidth, by way of proximity to activity. You know the Lekki Free Trade Zone naturally offers encouraging opportunities to potential investors. There is a new investment focus in that area.

There is the airport and sea port.

Even our Lagos office is being upgraded to a South West Zonal Office and is located right there in

Continued on page 31

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

31 TECH FUTURE

Nigeria’s revenue earner – NITDA DG Continued from page 30 the Lekki Corridor.

You have in the recent past talked about a digital coast in Nigeria. What is the concept all about, and what is the anticipated impact on the economy?

It will be more relevant to start by explaining how the concept came about. We had an event in the USA, California to be specific.

We went there with our board members. On the flight back, it occurred to us that just as there is the Silicon Valley in the US, why not a Digital Coast in Nigeria?

So it became expedient to begin to look at the opportunities that abound along the coast, beginning from Lekki (Lekki Phase 1).

We have a private sector partner who already provides infrastructure service to some of the big telecom companies. That partner is helping us with our Public Key Infrastructure service. The partner is helping us build out a software development centre where there is over 200 user capacity.

And within the same location, residential facilities are being developed so that we can actually have a residential tech-startup environment where software developers are trained to a point where they are able to develop applications. The ones who are successful will become integrated into our incubation programme and be exposed to angel investors.

Our new South West Zonal Office is within a walking distance from this hub that I described.

Now, what we are looking at, beginning from Lekki Phase 1, there is the Eko Atlantic that features the like of the Great Berlin Wall of Germany or Great Wall of China. Now, we have our own Great Wall of Lagos. It’s an engineering marvel prepared by the investors in the Eko Atlantic Project to shield the Bar Beach area from the ocean What we are now doing is to conceptualize the Digital Coast to originate from that point within the Bar Beach and Lekki area, and traverse the coast all the way to Tinapa, terminating it in Tinapa. However, as we go along the coast, we would want to encourage each state that we cross, to have their thematic focus. For example, because of the oil rich states of the delta region, Delta State can focus ICT for oil development. Bayelsa State has a global recognition when it comes to award in the movie industry. So we can encourage the use of technology in the movie

industry to be the theme for Bayelsa State. Rivers State is now acknowledged as the World Books Capital, we can encourage an e-education focus in the state. Recently Akwa Ibom built the Nest of Champions stadium, so why not IT-driven sports development in Akwa Ibom? When you get to Cross River, we all know that the Mecca of tourism in Nigeria is Calabar; so why not e-tourism in Calabar? These are the kind of things we are visualizing. We are looking at a thematic structure as you go from state to state. But it is not just about the physical presence at the coast; it is about how adjourning states are being integrated. However, that is not where it ends. The vision has a federal character. And I call that federal character because we envisaged a digital belt and gateway that captures the states within the River Niger and Benue. Of course, the most logical focus will be e-agriculture or e-maritime.

We also conceptualized a Digital Sahara (all still in the spirit of federal character) that will originate from the Confluence of the River Niger and Benue through Kogi, the Confluence State, and traverse the north along solid minerals producing areas and terminate in the Lake Chad Basin where we are aware there are substantial resources provided for the development of Lake Chad and waiting for right ideas. So, you can see that we have a national outlook not just a Digital Coast Concept, but a federal character moderated digital transformation of Nigeria.

You will host an ICT Stakeholders’ Forum today, January 29, 2015. What is the forum intended to achieve?

It is our supervising Minister that will host that forum and involve other Agencies, including NITDA to come there and support her while she gives account of her stewardship over her tenure as her engagement as Minister is coming to an end. We are going to be there to support her. However, a very important point of that summit is the launching of a NITDA initiative known as the Office of ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The whole idea is to have an office that would coordinate our efforts in achieving our goals to reposition ICT as a credible replacement for the oil and gas sector of the economy as well as a driver, a catalyst for transforming the economy. You can see that we don’t just talk

Our mandate is very clear - to use IT for national development. It is not about National Information Technology Development, it is about actually using IT to develop the nation.

Olu Jack about what we can do, but we actually go ahead to do things to ensure that we achieve our goals.

The ITES outsourcing is still fledgling in Nigeria even though the National Outsourcing Policy is about a decade old. What will boost that sector of the industry and are there any immediate plans to grow the sector in the light of the dire need to create jobs?

It is a coincidence that my earlier engagement with NITDA involved being part of the team that wrote the National Outsourcing Policy. The commitment is even stronger now because most recently, my predecessors went ahead to establish an organisation known as National Association of Information Technology Enabling Outsourcing Company (NAITEOC). Now, what that organisation does is that it brings together existing associations to promote the implementation of the original policy of the ICT. That policy is now due for review. One of the things we are going to do is to call for a stakeholders’forum to review that policy in line with the current development, new technologies and so on.

However, in recognition of India’s success in the outsourcing industry, the Indian High Commissioner recently paid us a courtesy call and was kind enough to organise a meeting for us with a major outsourcing service provider in India as well as arranged a meeting for us with India’s NASSCOM. What came out of that meeting was that we

found out that NASSCOM predated government in the outsourcing sector, indeed by ten years. They were working almost independent of government and the private sector recognised NASSCOM as the major leader, holding meetings on behalf of the companies. We expressed our desire to do capacity building between NASSCOM and our own NAITEOC. We are in the process of working out strategies and modalities for exploring partnership between with India and Nigeria and between NASSCOM NAITEOC. We see a bright future. It is all about competitiveness. So there is hope. Nigeria is English-speaking. In outsourcing, there are some parameters. Language is a key parameter. Nigeria is well-positioned for the outsourcing business and this is our time.

You have been DG at NITDA for about nine months. How have things changed for the better?

I must say that I have had relationship with NITDA over time.

In fact, I was there when NITDA was established. I must say that I was there sitting in the labour room when NITDA was being born. But the reality now is that, having been with NITDA over time, I know the best and challenging aspects of the Agency and I managed to ride on the positive side of the Agency for progress. And also, it was necessary to look at how we can manage the challenges. I must give a lot of credit to my Board that was officially in place (four months)

before I came. They have been very supportive. They had a clear vision of where we are taking NITDA to. It was quite easy for us to know that it is a matter of taking NITDA to the next stage by reorganising the Agency, making it an organisation where there is performance as the key word. We have three strategies to motivate staff: to encourage staff to begin to see NITDA as a performancedriven organisation where benefits are not by any other means but by actual performance. We encourage them with incentives, encouraging staff to have clear idea where their career path is going, and encouraging staff to see NITDA as an organisation that needs to be looked at and benchmarked against any other MDA. In the past, NITDA had not been in the limelight even though it had achieved a lot. NITDA is probably one of the most important Agencies in the country.

Our mandate is very clear - to use IT for national development.

It is not about National Information Technology Development, it is about actually using IT to develop the nation. Information Technology today is the most important technology globally.

Countries that have adopted IT strategies are leaders and within the top ten in the world today. I cannot think of any country with a different strategy that is within the top ten countries in the world.

As a consequence, we are looking at not only joining the 20 largest economies in the world but taking Nigeria to the top 20 technology-driven countries in the world by 2020.

Violence against women in Nigeria, like most African countries, is very common.

In fact, figures put it at up to 5060 per cent of Nigerian homes and most of it go unreported, either because of our cultural background, the family set-up, or economy reasons.

However, experts who gathered at the Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Neuropsychiatrist Hospital, Yaba, recent conference with

Nigeria gets The Lakeshore Cancer Center (LCC), Lagos, the first operational facility in Nigeria that is solely dedicated to the prevention and treatment of cancer has been launched.

The Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of LCC, Dr Chukwumere Nwogu stated that “Cancer is a rapidly growing global health problem. Data shows that cancer kills more people worldwide than Malaria, HIV and TB combined and low to middle income countries are disproportionately impacted.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1/3 of

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

tion to stem the ugly trend.

According to a consultant psychiatrist, Dr Grace Ijarogbe, most of the cases of violence against women go unreported “because the perpetrators are at a higher advantage than the victim.” “… when violence is committed against a woman, she has a feeling that she is worthless, she has a low self-esteem, she withdraws from friends because she has a feeling that

cases of husbands beating their wives and the wives dying from the battery but all we hear is that sometimes, it doesn’t even get to the court. They just keep it aside and we believe this is unacceptable.”

Decrying the increasing rate of domestic violence in the country, Akinwotu said “The prevalence of mental illness among women will be reduced by 50 per cent if domestic vio-

Health

Nigeria gets first L26 first operational cancer centre operational cancer centre cancers can be prevented, 1/3 treatments, traditional healcured and 1/3 effectively prevented; hence the great need for education, screening and early detection.”

Nwogu, who is also a cancer epidemiologist and thoracic surgical oncologist pointed out that, “in Nigeria according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (2012 data), there are 102,079 new cancer cases per year and 71,571 cancer deaths annually. This is probably a marked underestimation as cancer registration is really poor in Nigeria and many patients usually seek alternative

VOL. 1. NO.34

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anxious and then, she starts making mistakes.”

Making a case for proper implementation of the law against domestic violence, the president of the association, Dr Olusegun Akinwotu said, “We used to think there is no law against rape but this law is inherent in our country but we need them to be upheld and implemented.

And the law enforcers should carry out whatever penalty the person who is the perpetrator

ers or prayer houses. These numbers are predicted to rise dramatically over the next few years. There are extremely limited facilities for screening, diagnosis, curative treatment or palliation of cancer cases. It is estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 Nigerians seek medical care abroad every years.”

He said, LCC is committed to providing cancer patients with the tool for early detection, diagnosis ad consultation with excellent oncologists without having to travel away from loved ones at home.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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scientific evidence that fasting is an effective method for losing weight.

Features

Lagos You can’t records beat the first corrective Nigerian earSpirit surgery

They are a people plundered by successive regimes of the ruling class. Though denied of every right to good living, the true Nigerian never gives up. In these photographs, GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT’S SNR captures the tenacity of the Nigerian citizen no matter how thin or lean, and invites you to doff your hat for the Nigerian spirit.

21

s

his ticket to the White House, and secured him a second term to confound the racists. Some TV evangelists encourage their hapless audience by convincing them that ‘It is not over, until it is over’; when it became apparent the parlance was losing its steam, the Matthew son of Ashimolowo rephrased it to ‘it is not over ... until you win!’

The hawking spirit “Hawking has become a spirit in Nigeria, especially in Lagos”, said a surprised Edward Nduk-

we, publisher of a community newspaper in Ajegunle.

“Take a close look at the items these people the courage to Daily have Times Nigeria hawk; it would require a clean Thursday, January 29, 2015 heart and a determined spirit, with enough faith to move mountains to spend a whole day in the sun or rain hawking items which total sum including their profit may not buy lunch in a grill room, or a bottle of wine for your birthday celebration.”

Let us meet those who were glad to talk to our correspondent,

Africa 12

and those who believed he was mocking them and gave him a piece of their minds!

Mr. Jerome Okoro (not his real name) is a regular hawker of stock fish (okporoko) in Ire-Akari Estate and environs. He has no shop, but having established a source of supply, Jerome, a husband and father of many children in his 50s decided to hawk the stock fish and he does this without apology to anyone. An essential tool of his trade is the

Politics

FeaturesWorld’s News largest Ebola Politics The core Nigerian has that ‘can do’, ‘never say die’ spirit that won Barak Obama

ÏÏÏ For the first time in his-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Musibau Taiwo Kolawole

ronic sense of judgement that will make a governor bring up a list of dead Nigerian leaders, publicly spit on their graves and with fire coming out of his mouth, declare “ I know who is next”.

It is politics that will give a 20 - year - old vulcaniser the boldness and opportunity to say to a 72 - year - old former head of state: “Mister Man, show me your certificates “.

It is the same politics that will make the 72 - year - old man so confused that he will start stammering when the 20 - year - old boy and his 40 - year - old co- conspirator asked the question. First he would say please accept this affidavit, then he would say,

‘oh, I remember, the army has it.’ When the army, his former buddies failed to back him up, he owned up and admitted he has no clue about where his certificates are.

This brings us to the disturbing question as to why a man billed as Mr Integrity would wait until he was boxed into a tight corner before he decides to do the right thing.

One would have thought that Major General Muhammadu Buhari who so many people are hoping would replace a president these people, wrongly or rightly, think is clueless would be clued up himself.

One would have hoped that he is smart enough to know that Nigerians are

Hon. Musibau Taiwo Kolawole is the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and remains the longest serving lawmaker in the history of the House, having won elections four consecutive times since 1999 and currently contesting the same seat for the fifth time.

The Statistician turn-politician speaks to ALADE TASMA on the mismanagement of the nation’s economy. Excepts: The Federal Government

Millitants kill five foreigners, others in Libya hotel attack

not dimwits; that someday we would suss him out.

The interesting fact is that General Buhari knew he was going to contest for this year’s presidential elections immediately after he lost the 2011 elections.

I will also like to believe he was aware of the requirements of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for candidates. So, he had four years to prepare himself. He had four years to put his house in order.

Why did he not? As an agent of change, as a person who is promising to take the country out of the dark ages, much more was/is expected from General Buhari than what he is doing now.

We expect this kind of sluggishness and abracadabra from the likes of a sitting South West Governor, a Vice - President or even godfather who

Despite the celebrated peace accord signed by major contestants in next month’s election, the exercise may witness an uprising reminiscent of the 2011 era. This is in spite of ongoing political and voters education. This follows the ominous signal coming from supporters and admirers of various politicians running, particularly, at Presidential and Governorship levels.

The democratic exercise by INEC is designed to kick-off with presidential and gubernatorial elections taking the first and second laps on 14th and 28 February 2015 respectively. To this end, political parties and their candidates have since oiled their campaign machineries and are now on the move, canvassing for votes.

Campaign is a period when political office seekers move from pillar to post, speaking whatever language they understand, with a

view to send sage to the e nal arbiters, the pursuit o or false, wha they do at th matter to the is their inter one month w blown, the p cially the ma APC, have b ing to outdo e As a resu themselves b languages a berate oppon foot soldiers instruction, ponents with them out of c tion reflects of posters am make their op Prior to the churned out now going the electorat for their ma

Lagos State first lady in programme heralding the camthe aborted third republic paign for the re-election bid of and mother of billionaire a member of the Lagos State oil magnate, Femi Otedola, House of Assembly, Hon. Segun Mrs. Doja Otedola has warned Olulade. against violence during the Declaring support for Olunext month’s general election. lade’s second term, Madam OtMrs Otedola gave this edola, who was the firstbeen lady in fivewarnseparatist fighters had ing at Epe during new prime min-a health walk the State between 1991 and 1992

when her la chael Otedo the state, di gos lawmak “He is my enjoying my my husband been doing ple of Epe D

Yero

Health Sector Union (JOHESU), are not many. We need help, ur- and federal government toarThe French national is reported ture is still a mystery to most fortel given in thethe Libyan capitalsomeTripoli, gently has insurgents too.” range an emergency medical to have been working for Libya’s eign observers. killingtoat gloat least nine people includ- According thing about, having to him, the doctors Buraqhad Air. their hands full beCONTINUED PAGE The BBC’s RanaON Jawad in22 Triping five foreigners, officials say. paralysed already There are conflicting reports as oli says that in the past month Several gunmen stormed the there has been a string of inciCorinthia Hotel and opened fire to the total number of attackers.

A vehicle belonging to the secudents in western Libya, including in the reception area. A car bomb rity forces is pictured near Corin- abductions and bombings, that also exploded nearby.

Unconfirmed reports say some thia hotel (rear) in Tripoli (27 Jan- have been claimed by IS social meof the assailants have blown uary 2015) The security forces say dia accounts. themselves up. The officials say that the operation against gunmen the dead include one US and one who attacked the hotel is now over A Twitter account linked to IsFrench citizen.

The security forces say the lamic State said the militant group stand-off has now been brought to had carried out the attack.

There has been strong evidence an end.

The US state department has to suggest an IS presence in the confirmed the death of a US citi- eastern Libyan city of Derna since zen, without giving any further October, with a group there publicdetails. The dead American is be- ly declaring allegiance to its leader Libya president lieved to have been a security con- Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

is total the biggest purse for the apostle of change, but not in a million years would we expect Mr Integrity himself to be involved in a scandal over certificates.

In a country we know ordinary citizens can get their drivers’ licence brought to their living room without having had any prior lessons, in a country we know the rich and influential only need a phone call to the right person and their dumb children are admitted into higher institutions, it becomes very unbelievable that it will take a former head of state four years and still counting, to get a replacement for his lost certificates from his alma mater.

We find it funny that his spin doctors are trying every trick in the book, going to huge lengths to convince us he actually attended the schools he claimed he did.

It is baffling why they

violence

ÏÏÏSomalia’s ister on Tuesday proposed a new cabinet after parliament rejected his last list of candidates, prompting international concerns political power struggles were stalling progress.

Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, appointed last month after a damaging spat between his predecessor and internationally-backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, appealed to lawmakers to pass the latest list.

“The task ahead of us is no easy one and the clock is ticking,” Sharmarke said in a statement released Wednesday.

killed. Fighting between rival armed groups vying to control Tabankort has broken out several times this month, prompting the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA to carry out air strikes on Tuareg rebel forces.

The incident, which separatists called a violation of a ceasefire deal, threatens to derail upcoming peace talks in Algiers over the future of northern Mali.

The weak Bamako government is struggling to restore its authority on northern zones where a medley of armed groups operate as well as al-Qaida-linked Islamists who briefly occupied the region in 2012.

need to supply us pictures of him and his classmates. We are amazed as per why they have to dig up old school mates of his to come and vouch for him. We are confused on why they feel they needed to get Cambridge to confirm they conducted Hausa language in 1961, when all we ask of them, all they HAD to do, was simply to produce the CERTIFICATES. On a deeper level, all this break dancing from the Buhari camp is giving Nigerians some sleepless nights because what hopes do we have being led to the promised land by a guy who can’t find his way to his own school leaving certificates? If replacing his lost certificates is giving General Buhari such a hard time, how prepared is he then to tackle the many troubles of our great nation?

Apesin is a United Kingdom-based journalist and administrator

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South Sudan is struggling to contain lawlessness as conflict between the government and the rebels continues

Nwogu

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Fourth student commits KOLAWOLE: suicide in Jonathan Zimbabwe

JOHESU STRIKE: unit incinerated World’s largest Tension in P 17 Kaduna as Another hell Ebola unit Another for Kano February election for Kano blasthellincinerated victims 21 P12 sneaks in Tension i blast victims

Politics, certificates and integrity ÎÎÎIt is politics and mo-

Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly

tory, the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Department at the Lagovt’s Aoil fourth student killed himself A potent symbol of the night- registered no patients at all for we think it was appropriate to re- one register almost 9 000 deaths in JOHESU STRIKE: this week in Zimbabwe, it was regos State University Teaching ÏÏÏ boom gone mare enveloping West Africa at the first time, and staff this week duce the treatment centre. Today a year. ported Wednesday.

Soon after it opened, staff at the height of the Ebola outbreak, marked a drastic retreat of an epi- we have 60 beds and at the end of The other three young men were with university the Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, the ELWA-3 treatment centre is be- demic which has killed thousands February we hope to go down to 30 ELWA-3 were struggling to screen students. ing dismantled and incinerated bit by dismantling and burning the beds. This does not mean that we new arrivals, care for admitted Simba Makumbe, 18, was found wind are closing ELWA-3 - we are just patients or safely remove dead recorded a successful home- by bit as the region emerges from first tent put up at the clinic. hanging from a tree by his father “The number of cases has de- reducing the capacity.” bodies and transport them to the catastrophe. in Magwegwe North, Bulawayo, “We still have the capacity to crematorium.

The largest Ebola unit ever built creased significantly - we are down grown cochlear implant sur- opened on Tuesday, the official Chronicle By the end of the year the centre in the Liberian capital to five confirmed cases in Liberia,” scale up to 120 beds within 24 newspaper reported.

Monrovia with 120 beds on August said Duncan Bell, the field co-ordi- hours if the need arises,” he add- had taken in 1 826 patients, 1 225 He was due to get the results gery in two patients.

17, 2014 but was immediately over- nator in Liberia for Medecins san ed, as staff carried wooden planks of whom tested positive for Ebola from his Ordinary Level schooland 498 of whom survived. with staff forced to turn Frontieres (MSF), the medical aid and canvas to a large fire nearby. leavers’ exams soon. His father Director of Clinical Services whelmed, The worst outbreak of the virus But Liberia and its neighbours patients away at its gates, despite charity at the forefront of treating said the teen had been “in a jovial victims of the outbreak. in history has seen Liberia and its Sierra Leone and Guinea have more than doubling its capacity. mood”. and Training, LASUTH, Dr.Succour seems to be to far government hos- foreneighbours we were Guinea broughtand in Sierra after Le- reported huge progress on stem“In linein with this development Five months later thefrom day it activities Makumbe’s suicide is the fourth victims of the bomb blast that pitals, making doctors to attend the bomb blast. The work is too ming the spread of Ebola since the reported in Zimbabwe in the past the Kano Central Mosque to emergency cases only. much for them; help us tell govsummer, when the joint tally was Adedokun Ayoade, at a brief-rocked week. on Friday, November 28, 2014, The situation, had forced vic- ernment to come to our aid”. several hundred new infections a A student from the Midlands about 58 days ago, when Boko tims of the bomb blast to cry out Daily Times gathered that week. ing, said it was yet anotherHaram State University, near the central insurgents attacked wor- to the Federal Government to hospital laboratorieswere not Liberian Commerce Minister city of Gweru, killed himself by leaving scores dead and have mercy on them and find a functional; although, the senior Axel Addy told reporters in Genedrinking poison outside the instiVictor Jibrin, time the Lagos tertiary hos-shippers, several others hospitalised. But, way to appease the health work- technicians were not on strike, va on Monday the country hoped Kaduna tution’s administration block, acthe industrial action embarked ers to end their strike action. hardly are they seen at their to get down to zero cases by the cording to local press reports on pital was recording anotherupon by health workers, under Alhaji SadiSuleman, one of duty posts. Most tests are now end of February.

Tuesday. the Joint Health Sector Union the victims on admission at the done in private laboratories at He said 12 of Liberia’s 15 counHe was reportedly angered over worsens the condiexorbitant rates. Victims who astounding success, through(JOHESU), ties had reported no new cases, the institution’s failure to fully pay tions of the victims. YAKUBU need surgical operations conadding: “We’ve made a tremenhim for some chickens he had sold SALISU visited some of them, tinue to groan in pain as they dous leap.” cochlear implantation by itswho them to raise the money for his shared their experiences The strike by health have no hope of being attended He said the crisis had cost Libefees. with him. His report. to very soon by the already overria $93m in lost revenue, with the workers, under own indigenous doctors. worked doctors. key mining sector coming “to a Friday, November 28, 2014 Another survivor of the blast, the Joint Health grinding halt”.

Anas Muhammad, whose two Ayoade, who spoke on be- was like another normal day Bell said the downsizing of Suicide attack as worshippers trooped to Sector Union legs were broken and heavELWA-3’s capacity went hand in Kano Central Mosque for ily wrapped with the Plaster half of the Chief Medicalthe hand with a reduction in workers the Jumat, until the rampaging (JOHESU), has given of Paris (POP) pleaded, pason the ground, noting that MSF kills five in Haram insurgents turned sionately too, with the federal Director, said it was an ex-Boko staff had performed an “incredthe serene environment into the insurgents government to assist them as he North Mali ible job”. with a bomb blast. When was on the verge of losing his ercise made possible by ef-hell the dust settled, scores of wor- something to gloat two legs, “if help does not come ÏÏÏA suicide attack in the disshippers were dead, while sevurgently”. puted north Malian town of TaSobbing due to the excruforts of the state Governor,eral others were rushed to the about bankort killed, at least, five peohospital. Top government funcciating pain, Anas said, “It is ple overnight, according to two came sympathising Murtala Muhammed Specialist so painful, we are not finding Babatunde Fashola (SAN),tionaries Tuareg rebel sources on WednesSomali PM with the victims and making Hospital, Kano, who sustained it easy as our wounds are not day. promises about taking three bullet wounds from the dressed regularly, which makes to bring Nigerian experts inseveral A source for the main Tuareg care of the victims’ medical insurgents’ attack, told Daily them to swell and smell. I don’t issues new rebel group MNLA said that needs, but that was all; prom- Times that “Sometimes, we know the real condition of myDoja Otedola multiple suicide bombers from a the Diaspora back home forises, failed promises. don’t see the health workers two legs, since I don’t get regucabinet warns list rival, pro-government militia atUnfortunately, the strike by for two or three days. Only the lar medical attention”. tacked their positions, killing 13 health workers, under the Joint doctors attend to us, and they He pleaded with Kano State needed skills transfer. against polls tractor.

However, the command struc- after MP’s veto people. A second source said that ÏÏÏMilitants have attacked a ho-

Isah Garba

Ayopo Apesin

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Daily Times Nigeria Thursday January 29, 2015

Timi Dakolo, others to perform @ #LoveAffairs 2015 Opeoluwani Akintayo

I’m not a sugar mama -Gloria Ibru While some see Gloria Ibru as a controversial musician, others still respect her endearing charisma. She has been in the entertainment industry for over 28 years nurturing younger acts to stardom. Despite the fact that she does not have any album to her credit, she still remains her relevance.

Recently she invited friends and fans to listen to her first ever album where she spoke with ISAAC OGUNTOYE about her plans in 2015.

While listening to your single, I noticed it has different flavour like calypso, highlife, afrobeat and jazz.

Are you jack of all trade and what is the similarity with Mama G music?

First of all I will say, Mama G has a sound and her sound is universal. Being an African, we must be able to replicate and locate that in our music and that’s why this delay came in the first place.

Now, we are trying to showcase all the talents of Africans that we knowcalypso, highlife, afrobeat with jazz and concept music is what we have on this sound. That’s what we are showcasing to tell Africans or tell the world that this is coming from here and we have an identity and this music is going beyond just where we are.

After 28 years, you just released an album and how many songs do you have on it and what are the challenges you face in music?

It’s going to be a 10-track album eventually and the challenges are many. The whole album is played live.

The music is stimulated and every instrument is played live. Now we do not have the facility in Nigeria to do that all at once. Today, we bring guitar, tomorrow we bring talking drum- it does not only take some time but it takes some money because time is money. Now, what we need to do is to

encourage Nigerians that love music to come and invest in proper studios.

After doing all these beats; we will have to send them to Los Angeles, USA for proper mixing because we don’t have the facility. If we Nigerians invest more in this; it will be cheaper for younger people to do music live.

The reason why we are listening to this stimulated music is because live music is too expensive. The young people can’t afford it so, they go in and drop beat on keyboard and do whatever they want to do and then release it and that’s why we are not getting real music out of Nigeria.

Continues on page 3

This Valentine, Lagos will witness electrifying performances as vocalist Timi Dakolo, fast rising artiste Kiss Daniel, Saxophonist icon LaBanj and others, come together for the very first edition of Love Affairs 2015.

The event being put together by Creative Idea Concept, will take place at The Oriental Hotel, in Lagos on February 7th, 2015.

‘Love Affairs’ will also feature an exquisite romantic dinner and performances from loads of comedians and musicians including Voice Maestro, Rapper Steady 9, YC, K-peace amongst others.

‘I’m excited to be a part of this and I’m ready to deliver never seen before performances. Surprise your Val this season and attend this great event’ , says Soul Singer Timi Dakolo Speaking on the reason behind the event, CEO Creative Idea Concept, Adeoye Abiodun Moses said.

“We’ve created this event as the best way to express your emotions and feelings towards who you truly cherish. This is a perfect hang out for you and your date on a day such as the Valentines day”.

Love Affairs 2015 will be an evening of amazing music, dinner, comedy, dance, poetry and the greatest of it all, love.

Timi

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, January 29, 2015

L3 Music Review

Vector’s ‘King Kong’:

Self-acclaimed

king!

Opeoluwani Akintayo

o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng

His parents named him Olanrewaju Ogunmefun but we know him as Vectorthaviper has been away from the music scene for a while, only to return with his mixtape, A7 and the video of ‘Shiga’ at the last quarter of 2014.

Well, he got our attention a bit, a fair comeback.

Starting 2015, Vector under his new record label, G.R.A.P drops the new video, “KING KONG”, which is the first to be released from his third album to be out later in the year.

A tribal rhythm laced over hip hop punchlines and heavy Afro percussion, the video opens with a street kinda feel, good street shots and locations- the masquerades, barbecue, guys playing games, the hefty man cutting meat at the meat stand, cows and goats walking aimlessly around at the motor parks…wow, those images are superb, enough to pass across some

street message.

I like that part where he cuddled a baby to his chest.

The rhythm is a smooth one, allowing him do justice to his rap lines which were audible too.

The video is a clean one too, the lighting is clear and moderate enough.

Vector’s ability to add the local taste into the 3:38 minuite videothe local flute, local drum and dance steps, face painting and all.

However, just like M.I did in his video, ‘Chairman’ where he asserted himself as the king of rap in Nigeria after a long absence, Vector’s ‘King Kong’ also follows same pattern as the rapper tries to depict himself as the King of rap music in Nigeria.

Although his followed a unique rap pattern different from that of M.I, I’d ask why he’s trying to slug out an unpronounced title with M.I. No one made M.I king of rap so why fret?

Again, we’d expected the energy in the song to be more than that. The reason is because he’s trying to say

he’s the king of rap, and with that kind of beat he had, the song would have made more impact if he delivered his lines with a more stronger and forceful voice than he used.

The video was published on You Tube on Jan.22, 2015 and as at the time of this publication, it had a total of 11,164 views.

Overall, 6/10.

Gloria Ibru: I’m no sugar mama

Continued from page 2

The new generation of Nigerians don’t seem to go along with real music, what is your view?

Real music is expensive. That’s why people do not believe in Asha and she is one of the bigger artistes in Nigeria even in the world. I am doing my music for Nigerians to appreciate it and I also want the rest of the world to appreciate it as well, which is why I am doing real music that you will see and say yeah, that’s good music!

What kind of innovation are you bringing into the music?

I am a very optimistic person. Gloria Ibru’s band is coming out to set its

own standard to take over space. It is a brand of its own and that is what she is coming to represent. She is not coming here to make same moves like others in the industry. She is in a class of her own. Gloria is not coming to be anybody but herself.

When should we be expecting the album?

We are looking at March.

Are you planning to come out with a stage name?

I am Gloria Ibru and that is my stage name.

What inspires your music?

It is the love I have for it. whenever I am on stage; even when I hold the microphone, I am a different person to everyone.

What was your growing up like?

There was always music in my house. My mum loves music. She was a chorister.

How do you feel when negative stories are written about you?

I am not bothered about what the media says about me.

What is the issue about a younger lover you are said to be dating?

I will try to explain what motivated it better. My life has always been a situation where I always want to ensure that everybody is happy. I hate to pass by and see someone sad. I will definitely ask if everything is okay and what I can do to help. Basically, the story of sugar mama was in my bar where everybody was happy and I saw a man walking with a strong face.

I asked my barman if he knows the young man and he said no and that he has never seen him before but, the man was sad. I asked my barman what to do. We called him and asked him to come and join us to be happy for life. It’s not about sex or romance but it’s just about making a man happy

Fashion L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday January 29, 2015

Do the scarfs!

Mutiat Alli Rock those dresses with fabulous scarf trends ranging from the modern one loop, bunny ear, turtle neck, the infinity loop, celebrity loop, waterfall amongst others.

On fashion trend today, we teach you how to wear two scarf styles which is applicable to both sex;

Modern one loop style 1.

2.

3.

Drape scarf over shoulder with one end slightly loner tan the other end Loop the longer end around your neck once Adjust loop over neck and balance out the ends of the scarf. End can either be same length of slightly different

The Bunny Ear 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Drape scarf over shoulder with one end significantly longer than the other end Loop te loner end around your neck twice in the same direction Take the same end you looped around the neck and fit it through the second loop Tie a simple overhand knot with both ends of the scarf Fit the loops over the knot so that the two ends are dangling off the loop, slightly to the side

5

Upgrade Your Style:

3

Austine Agbovi

Easy tips for men

There is a myth, propagated mostly by certain men’s magazines, that being a stylish man requires tremendous effort. We must keep an eye to the fashion runways in Italy, to the ready-to-wear shows, to Fashion Week in New York in order to appear as if we care what we look like.

Hogwash. The truth is there are dozens of quicker and easier ways to look better, more with it, more stylish – all with a minimum of effort.

Below are 5 simple, ready-to-impress tips for instantly upping your style quotient.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Loosen Up Put some shine on those shoes.

Match your accessories.

Socks matter.

Rediscover wristwatches.

1

4

2 5

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday January 29, 2015

L5 Unwind

Solution to last week’s game Alpha-Cross 01 solution The first letter of each answer is written next to its clue in alphabetical order. One letter has already been entered. Can you find the words then fit them correctly into the grid?

SODOKU Sudoku mp1 solution

A. Sharp (5) A. Remedied (7) A. Protective garment (5) C. Hoard (5) C. Tapers (7) C. Group of bovines (6) C. Fake (11) E. Epoch (3) E. No longer in existence (7) G. Chivalrous (7) I. Lit up (11) L. Terse (7) L. Lackadaisical (7) L. Prevarication (3) M. Award (5) N. Pleasant (4) N. Observed (5) O. Sumptuous (7) R. Send payment (5) S. Short tail (4) S. Begin (5) S. Powerful (6) S. Proposed (9) T. Rising current of warm air (7) W. Bet (5) W. Capricious (9)

TODAY’S GAMES WORD SEARCH Celebrity Can you find the hidden celebrities? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards, or backwards.

Arrow Crossword 01

Relationship & Us L6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday January 29, 2015

Why

marriages fail!

Ngozi Ndubisi

Have you ever heard the phrase: “love shouldn’t be this difficult…?”

My rejoinder has always been, ‘why ever not!’ What in life is that easy? Thieves; liars; 419ers, gossips, knotting neckties or tying shoe laces are not that easy. So why should marriage be any less.

Our society, nowadays, keeps messing up the minds of men and women who are in or out of wedlock. Most men are as confused as the women about their roles in the home, nowadays, men are seen in the roles of women and vice versa.

Women have been stereotyped as only standing and living for money; while the men are stereotyped as living only for sex and changing girls like they change their under wear. Even marriage vows have taken a turnaround too. Is it still For Better or Worse? It’s left for you to decide.

I heard recently that some churches have removed the phrase: For Better, For Worse; In Sickness and In Health from the marriage vows. As if to say “if for better, stay, and when it’s for worse, go.” The media, movies, magazines are not helping matters.

Yes, every relationship has its ups and downs, but

it takes matured and serious minded couples to learn how to shoulder these hiccups and keep the engine of their love life running. Some learnt by reading books, some by attending seminars, some by going for counselling, others by observing older and successful couples and some by, simply, using the trial and error method.

Whichever works for you, use it. The bottom line is for you to have a blissful marriage and a wonderful home.

This we will try to help you achieve on my page “Relationship and You” My 20year old (NYSC) daughter wants to know why her mates should marry when 30- year old marriages are, today, earning the divorce status.

Here Is Why: Many marriages are based, primarily, on emotions and as long as certain levels of expectations are met, they remain standing. In other words, when feelings are warm, annoying traits are overlooked.

When the feelings cool off, the same traits turn the person into Jezebel or the devil himself.

Unmet needs cause hurts, which promote defensiveness, which, in turn, affects positive communication, that results into heightened misunderstanding, which provokes conflicts and fuels anger, bitterness, dislike, leading to acrimony, and the development of an unforgiving spirit, which ends, ultimately, in separation or divorce.

4

going on a great monetary level, it’s necessary to share chores to help you relax and have time for each other.

Our being imperfect, should help us or teach us not to compromise and accommodate the flaws of others as we have ours also. Understanding the rudiments of marriage should help the ‘about to’ make good decisions and the wedded to cope better and enjoy their marriage and home.

Communication: This is another major player for a successful marriage. Communication is the bedrock for a happy home.

Learn it and get used to it.

In most cases I have come across, the following issues cause frictions in the marriages and homes:

Tony Oneweek’s

Money: This problem, sometimes, starts even before the wedding. Money is a necessity in every home.

There is nothing like ride or die in a marriage when it comes to money. You must learn how to plan, project and save for the future.

Opeoluwani Akintayo

1 2

Trust: It’s a vital key for a successful marriage. So if you have trust issues, deal with them, before venturing into marriage and if that’s an issue, with you already in, please try to overcome it.

3

Sex: Even when you are extremely in love, you could be mismatched sexually.

Be careful, before you leap in; and if you are in, learn what turns you on (do a sex list) talk about it and implement, for a better relationship.

5

Home Chores: Seeing you both work so hard to keep the home

6

Conflicts: Learn to compromise and remember, both of you are human and not perfect. So accept your faults and create a happy home. And if you can’t

live with his/her faults; do not go into it. What you see is what you’ll get.

It’s do-able, once you put your mind to it and call for help when needed, it can be blissful.

Blessed Following previously released singles like Gyration Master, Da Champion and The Victory, Tony Oneweek has released his fourth album Blessed, through Now Muzik Recordings.

The 12-tracker is the first official album to be released under Now Muzik Recordings. The album is a potpourri of his usual Gyration music, Pop and Highlife and it’s sure to satisfy music lovers in general regardless of preferred genre.

The album enjoys production from producers such as Masterkraft, Dekumzy, longtime collaborator, Lord Konel, Wizboy and more.

Notable guest artistes in the album included 2Face Idibia, Wizboy, Mr Raw, K Slim, Splash and Flavour.

Ife Dinma featuring 2Face Idibia - the first single of the album was released late 2013 to a great reception from fans and the media. Jolly Dey Go and Gyration Reloaded were released in 2014, further increasing anticipation for the album.

Album track list: 1. Today Na Today 2. Blessed ft. K Slim

3. Jolly Dey Go 4. Ife Dinma (with 2Face Idibia) 5. Odoyewu 6. Honorable Member ft. Wizboy 7. Enjoyment Time 8. Holy Pass 9. Gyration Reloaded 10. Odiya ft. Mister Lyn 11. Molowo ft. Splash and Jexy Smart 12. Kem Kem ft. Mr Raw 13. Ifeosoluimebe ft. Flavour (Bonus)

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday January 29, 2015

L7 Nutrition

Preventing stomach upset with fibre Judith Frank-Edet Upset stomach? No way. It’s got you visiting the toilet, continually, and it could be very embarrassing. Whether it’s nausea, vomitting, or just a general sick feeling, due to a stomach bug, you could feel better — with fibre. Fibre-rich foods will treat the bugged tummy faster than you think. Here are some fiber rich foods:

Apples

Apples can, generally, calm the stomach, because it’s easily digested, relieves diarrhoea and provides calories. Apples contain pectin (especially, in the skin), which can provide roughage, if you’re constipated. You can juice them or eat them raw.

Bananas

Bananas are also very nutritious, with each medium banana containing 105 calories, 22 percent of the daily value for vitamin B-6, 17 percent of the DV for vitamin C and 12 percent of the DV for both potassium and fiber. They can easily be digested too.

Peas

Peas are versatile, cheap and good for you. A cup of peas contains a little over 16 grams of fibre before you cook them. Even if you cook them, they still have nine grams of protein in them per serving. So try them.

Pears

Pears have more fibre content when they are unpeeled. They are one of the leading fruit sources of fiber. A medium sized pear packs 6 grams of fiber, which equals about 24% of your daily value (DV) for fiber! The skin of the pear contains the majority of the fiber found in a pear, so enjoy the skin for added flavor, texture, and nutrient.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans, like other beans, are rich in soluble and insoluble fibre. Research studies have shown that insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis. You can get them in Nigeria in popular food stores.

Berries

This is another excellent source of fibre. One cup of blackberries has 8 grams of fibre, a cup of blueberries or cranberries will provide 5 grams of fibre. Although, they are a bit expensive, they can spare you the embarrassment

Avoid bad news foods

Avoid bad news foods like cakes, burgers, shawarma and fried foods, they are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain and heartburn. Cutting back on greasy foods eases your stomach’s workload. Also go easy on the spice or avoid them totally to stop tummy troubles.

Toothbrush mistakes

Choose the Right Tool

Do you have the right toothbrush? Think about the size of your mouth, says Richard H. Price, DMD, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association. “If you are straining to open wide enough to let the brush in, the brush is probably too big,” he says. It should feel good in your mouth and hand, so you’ll use it often.

Give It Time

Are you brushing enough? Twice a day is recommended. Three times a day is best. You should brush for at least 2 minutes.

Don’t Overdo It Brushing more than three times a day might not be ideal. That’s because too much brushing can wear down tooth enamel and damage your gums.

Perfect Your Technique

Are you brushing correctly? Wide, side-to-side strokes can cause scrapes along your

gum line, Sesemann says. Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums, and make an up-and-down motion. Use short strokes.

Switch Things Up

Do you always begin brushing in the same place? Dentists say most of us do. Start in a different place so that you don’t get lazy Control Your Sour Tooth Energy drinks, diet sodas, and sour candies -- even healthy things like apple juice, orange juice, and coffee -- have acid that can soften tooth enamel.

If you do go for sour goodies, wait half an hour before you brush

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday January 29, 2015

Showing on

Showing on 127 Sony Channel

104 MOVIES (COMEDY)

01:05

04:40

Thu, 29 Jan| PG

Trisha

Everyone’s favourite mystery-solving dog and his gang of friends head to Atlantic City on vacation. While there, they’re swept up in mystery at a circus.

101 M-Net

00:00 The English Teacher 00:57 Behind The Scenes: Noah 01:30 About A Boy 02:00 The Sapphires 03:34 Behind The Scenes: About Time 04:00 Masterchef Junior USA 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Middle 06:30 The Mentalist 07:30 The Lottery 08:30 Frozen 10:30 Mom 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 Masterchef Junior USA 13:00 Carte Blanche 14:00 Olive Kitteridge 15:00 About A Boy 15:30 Modern Family 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Millers 17:30 Masterchef Junior USA 18:30 The Fixer 19:30 Blue Bloods 20:30 The Mentalist 21:30 CSI 22:30 Touchy Feely

118 Telemundo 00:00 The Queen Of The South 00:30 Aurora 01:20 Fearless Heart 02:10 The Queen Of The South 03:00 My Heart Beats For Lola 03:50 Broken Angel 05:20 Where Is Elisa?

06:10 Aurora 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 My Heart Beats For Lola 08:40 Broken Angel 09:30 Where Is Elisa?

10:20 Aurora 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 My Heart Beats For Lola 12:50 Broken Angel 13:40 Where Is Elisa?

14:30 Aurora 15:20 Fearless Heart 16:10 My Heart Beats For Lola 17:00 Broken Angel 17:50 Where Is Elisa?

18:40 Aurora 19:30 Fearless Heart 20:20 My Heart Beats For Lola 21:10 The Queen Of The South 22:00 Broken Angel 22:50 Where Is Elisa?

L8 Television

Thu, 29 Jan | 16

‘S2/E71- I despise you, I hope DNA proves I’m not your son’.

Known in the UK as the Queen of Chat, Trisha Goddard is a beloved television personality known for telling it like it is and accepting no excuses from her guests.

120 BBC Entertainment

124 E! Entertainment

00:00 My Family 00:00 My Family 00:29 Spy 00:51 Inspector George Gently 02:25 EastEnders 02:55 The Weakest Link 03:40 Top Gear

00:00 House Of DVF

05:00 Fool Britannia

01:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

05:25 QI

02:00 The Drama Queen

05:55 Spy

03:00 Dr. 90210

06:25 EastEnders

04:00 Dr. 90210

06:55 Antiques Roadshow

05:00 The E! True Hollywood Story

07:50 The Weakest Link

06:00 The E! True Hollywood Story

08:40 The Cube

16:00 EastEnders

09:25 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

10:15 Deal Or No Deal

17:15 QI

10:50 My Family

17:50 Would I Lie To You?

11:25 Hell’s Kitchen USA

18:25 Hell’s Kitchen USA

12:10 Top Gear

19:15 Downton Abbey

13:05 Come Dine With Me

20:15 The Michael McIntyre Chat Show

14:00 Top Gear

21:15 Top Gear’s Top 41

15:10 The Weakest Link

22:15 Live At The Apollo

07:15 Celebrity Style Story 08:00 The Drama Queen 09:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons 11:00 Live From The Red Carpet: Screen...

13:15 Celebrity Style Story 14:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills

154 AfricaMagic Family

128 SONY MAX

00:00 Cheaters

10:15 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

00:00 The Johnsons

05:00 Out Of Fire

12:00 Trouble Waters

17:30 Lies That Bind

00:20 Unbeatable Banzuke

11:05 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

00:50 Unbeatable Banzuke

11:55 Cheaters

00:30 Lies That Bind

06:00 Good Morning Africa

12:30 Channel O: Volt

18:00 Affections

01:20 Rude Tube

12:50 World’s Most Amazing Videos

01:00 Meet The Adebanjos

07:00 So Wrong So Wright

13:00 Mashariki Mix

18:30 Foot Prints

01:50 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

13:40 World’s Wildest Police Videos

02:20 The Convict Killer

14:35 The Convict Killer

01:30 Foot Prints

07:30 The Prodigal

13:30 Tinsel

19:00 Kings Of Segou

04:00 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

16:10 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

02:00 Kings Of Segou

08:30 53 Extra

14:00 Empty Space

19:30 Tinsel

05:00 The Convict Killer

17:05 World’s Most Amazing Videos

02:30 Tinsel

09:00 Kitchen Victore

14:30 Foot Prints

20:00 The 5 Brides

06:35 Cheaters

18:00 World’s Wildest Police Videos

07:20 World’s Most Amazing Videos

19:00 Killer Karaoke

03:00 The Johnsons

09:30 The Dzigbordi Show

15:00 The Dzigbordi Show

20:30 Katemba Mu Kkooti

08:05 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

20:00 Guy Code

03:30 Katemba Mu Kkooti

10:30 Katemba Mu Kkooti

16:00 Channel O: Volt

21:00 Jara

08:55 I Bet You Will

20:30 Guy Code

04:00 53 Extra

11:00 Prem

16:30 Jara

21:30 Tinsel

09:20 Killer Karaoke

21:00 Rude Tube

04:30 Tinsel

11:30 Lies That Bind

17:00 The Johnsons

22:00 The Dzigbordi Show

XT Exclusive

Ayew gets McCarthy’s praise

Poster!

VENUS WILLIAMS X4,5

X3

Thursday, January 29, 2015

FEATURE

Mourinho

0 0 0 , 5 2 £ d e fin for ‘campaign’ claims X2

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Djokovic books semifinal ticket

X7

Mayweather’s long wait for challenger X6

LEAGUE CUP

Courtois saved Blues – Rodgers X8

X2

Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

Mourinho

hammered!

Fined £25,000 for ‘campaign’ claims C

helsea manager Jose Mourinho has been fined £25,000 by the Football Association and warned about his future conduct for his post-match comments at Southampton last month.

The Portuguese claimed the Premier League leaders were the victim of a “campaign” to influence referees after Anthony Taylor booked Cesc Fabregas for diving when the Spain midfielder was brought down by Matt Targett in the penalty area.

Mourinho was charged by the FA earlier this month as a result of those accusations and the former Real Madrid coach has now been hit in the pocket by the governing body.

A statement on the FA’s official website said: “Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, Jose Mourinho

has been fined £25,000 after he was found to have breached FA Rules in relation to media comments.

“The Chelsea manager denied that comments he made after the game against Southampton on December 28, 2014 constituted improper conduct in that they alleged and/or implied bias on the part of a referee or referees, and/or brought the game into disrepute.

“The Independent Regulatory Commission found the comments were a breach of FA Rule E3 in that they were improper and brought the game into disrepute. The Commission did not, however, find that the comments implied bias on the part of a referee or referees.

“Mr Mourinho, who had requested a non-personal hearing, was also warned as to his future conduct.”

Mourinho

F

ormer Portugal star Luis Figo has entered the race to become new FIFA president, becoming the fifth man to pose a challenge to Sepp Blatter.

A host of figures have confirmed their intentions to challenge Blatter - with the organisation having come under plenty of pressure in recent months due to allegations of corruption in relation to the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The two-time World Player of the Year - formerly of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter, joins another former football David Ginola in confirming his intention to run.

KNVB President Michael van Praag, former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne and FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein are also in the running.

“I care about football, so what I’m seeing regarding the image of FIFA - not only now but in the past years - I don’t like it,” Figo said.

“If you search FIFA on the internet you see the first word that comes out: scandal - not positive

Figo

Ronaldo hit with two-match ban

to challenge for FIFA presidency

Figo

words. It’s that we have to change first and try to improve the image of FIFA. Football deserves much better than this.

“I’ve been talking with so many important people in football - players, managers, president of federations - and they all think that something has to be done.

“Last year was the World Cup, I was in Brazil and I saw the reaction of all the fans regarding the image of FIFA and I think something has to be changed.

Ronaldo

R

eal Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has received a two-match ban for kicking Cordoba’s Edimar in last Saturday’s La Liga clash.

FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo lashed out at the defender in the closing stages after appearing to become frustrated by

the close attention of the Brazilian.

La Liga leaders Real subsequently had to play out the remainder of the game with 10 men, but still managed to clinch a 2-1 win thanks to a late Gareth Bale penalty.

Ronaldo apologised for his indiscretion on Twitter in the aftermath of the game, while Edimar called for the Portugal international to be handed a “normal” suspension.

The two-match sanction means Ronaldo will miss matches with Real Sociedad and Sevilla, but he returns in time for the derby clash with Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on February 7.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

X3

AFCON 2015

rngasnont with G ha Black Stars

Ghana’s Andre Ayew (left) feels the full force of Anele Ngcongca’s wild challenge.

Y H T R A C Mc A s ’ w s hail Aye scoring prowess

F

ormer Bafana Bafana captain Benni McCarthy has expressed delight with the scoring form of Black Stars striker Andre Ayew.

McCarthy watched Ghana come back to beat his home nation in the last Group C game in the ongoing AFCON. “The confidence he had to go in to score the goal was just amazing, because the goalkeeper could have smashed him,” McCarthy said in a post-match analysis.

In the 84th minute and with the game tied at 1-1, the Marseille man raced behind Bafana’s defenders to meet a flighted ball from Baba Rahman on the left.

As Benni noted, Ayew could have easily wounded himself in the effort.

“Seriously I don’t think any of the South African players could have gone in for that header. Kudos to Ayew and congrats to Ghana, they were brave and they took their chances,” the former UEFA Champions League winning striker added.

As South Africa’s all-time top scorer, McCarthy put himself on the line many times for Bafana and his appreciation of the Ghana team drive was absolute.

“For 20 minutes Ghana were dominant and I was here with my

hands on my head, I was wondering if we were going to survive and in the end we couldn’t just pull it off. Congratulations to Ghana, they were superior and deserved the victory,” McCarthy concluded.

It was second time in as many games that the Ghana team had left it late, and the gutsy show earned them a Group C top spot. But for Bafana, it is an early ticket back home.

vram Grant admits he has jumped into the deep end taking over Ghana just before the AFCON finals, but after almost a month with his new players reckons he is getting on swimmingly.

The former Chelsea manager saw his team through to the quarterfinals in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday after a storming come-from-behind win against South Africa in their final group match in Mongomo where a double substitution midway through the second half was followed by two goals in 10 minutes.

“Having to learn every day about my team has not been easy but I think I now know enough about all of them,” he said after the 2-1 victo-

AFCON RESULTS Burkina Faso 0-2 Gabon Zambia 1-1 RD Congo Tunisia 1-1 Cape Verde Ghana 1 - 2 Senegal Algeria 3 - 1 South Africa Cote d’Ivoire 1 - 1 Guinea Mali 1 - 1 Cameroon Equatorial Guinea 0 - 0 Burkina Faso

Boye

S

enegal coach Alain Giresse has reached the end of his contract and is expected to become the first managerial casualty of the Africa Cup of Nations after his side were eliminated on Tuesday.

“The road has ended, my contract is at an end,” the Frenchman told reporters after a 2-0 loss to Algeria in Malabo ensured Senegal missed out on a quarterfinal berth.

Giresse told reporters he had agreed to a two-year contract from January 2013 when they pressed him on his future with Senegal.

“There will be a lot of changes around the national team. What will

ry ensured top place in Group C and a quarter-final in Malabo on Sunday.

“The Nations Cup is nothing new to me. I’ve been watching it all my life. Obviously being here is a little different to what I’ve done before but I did a lot of research and preparation.

“We had a good training camp and I’ve had a chance to also see how the players react after losing and after winning. You saw how we bounced back after we lost our first match.”

Grant was under immediate pressure from a skeptical media and public after Ghana let a lead slip and lost to a last-gasp goal against Senegal in their opening group game but beat Algeria and South Africa to advance.

Equatorial Guinea 1-1 Congo

Giresse set to dump Senegal

Ghana boss Avram Grant (left) shares a joke with South Africa coach Ephraim Mashaba before Bafana Bafana were eliminated from the AFCON tourney.

Giresse be next? I do not know,” he added.

The 62-year-old was roundly criticised over his tactics by Senegalese football personalities in their post-tournament exit analysis on Wednesday.

The diminutive former French international was competing at his third AFCON, having taken Mali to the third place at the 2012 finals and Gabon to the group stages two years earlier.

Vilified Boye

gains little redemption

T

he image of John Boye kissing a bundle of dollars in Brazil made him enemies for months, but he may have paid his debt. The defender’s crucial equalizer against South Africa on Tuesday drew mixed reactions from Ghanaians. For some, his striker-like goal wiped his slate clean and for others, it was just part payment.

Gabon 0 - 1 Congo Zambia 1 - 2 Tunisia Cape Verde 0 - 0 RD Congo Ghana 1 - 0 Algeria South Africa 1 - 1 Senegal Cote d’Ivoire 1 - 1 Mali Cameroon 1 - 1 Guinea Gabon 0 - 2 Equatorial Guinea Congo 2 - 1 Burkina Faso Congo DR 1 - 1 Tunisia Cape Verde 0 - 0 Zambia Senegal 0 - 2 Algeria South Africa 1 - 2 Ghana

QUARTERFINAL FIXTURES Congo v RD Congo 17:00 (Bata) Tunisia v Equatorial Guinea 20:00 (Ebebeyin) 1ST Group C v 2ND Group D 17:00 (Mongomo) 1ST Group D v 2ND Group C 20:00 (Malabo)

Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

Venus

William s

X4

Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do... but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there.

I always like to win. But I’m the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don’t have anything. It’s hard. I love her too much. That’s what counts.

I have been recently diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is an ongoing medical condition that affects my energy level and causes fatigue and joint pain.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMATION Full name: Venus Williams Country: United States Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Born: June 17, 1980 (age 34) Place of birth: Lynwood, California Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Turned pro: October 31, 1994 Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand) Coaches: Richard Williams, Oracene Price Prize money: $30,203,596 3rd in all-time rankings: Singles Career record: 675–180 (78.95%) Career titles: 46 Highest ranking: No. 1 (February 25, 2002) Current ranking: No. 18 (January 12, 2015) GRAND SLAM SINGLES RESULTS Australian Open: F (2003) French Open: F (2002) Wimbledon: W (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008) US Open: W (2000, 2001) Other tournaments Tour Finals: W (2008) Olympic Games: Gold Medal (2000) Doubles Career record: 174–30 (85.29%) Career titles: 21 WTA Highest ranking: No. 1 (June 7, 2010) Current ranking: No. 133 (November 3, 2014) GRAND SLAM DOUBLES RESULTS Australian Open: W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010) French Open: W (1999, 2010) Wimbledon: W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012) US Open: W (1999, 2009) Other Doubles tournaments Tour Finals: SF (2009) Olympic Games: Gold medal (2000, 2008, 2012) Mixed Doubles Career record: 25–6 (80.65%) Career titles: 2 GRAND SLAM MIXED DOUBLES RESULTS Australian Open: W (1998) French Open: W (1998) Wimbledon: F (2006) US Open: QF (1998) Other Mixed Doubles tournaments Fed Cup: W (1999) Hopman Cup: RR (2013) Olympic medal record Gold 2000 Sydney Singles Gold 2000 Sydney Doubles Gold 2008 Beijing Doubles Gold 2012 London Doubles

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

Feature

s ’ r e h t a Maywe

t i a w g lon r e g n e l l a h c r fo

Mayweather (Ieft) in action.

T

he boxing world is waiting on Floyd Mayweather Jr to make up his mind on who he will fight next - and his decision will have far reaching repercussions.

A series of deals for fights hinge on what boxing’s pound-for-pound king decides to do next, which will be revealed in the next week.

The American, 38 next month, has been in talks with Pacquiao’s team about securing the fight boxing has been waiting six years for… a showdown with Manny Pacquaio, 36, that will make over $200 million (£130m).

If a deal for the biggest fight boxing has seen since the 80s is closed, it is thought Filipino Pacquiao will wait beyond his deadline of Saturday, January 31 so the showdown gets made.

It is not the first time boxing’s power brokers have tried to make the super fight between boxers who have won multiple world title belts (Mayweather has won world titles in five weight divisions; Pacquiao has won world titles in six weight divisions). Previously, differences over drug testing and promoters have stopped it from happening but Mayweather’s representatives are

now trying to clear all obstacles to make the showdown to decide boxing’s pound-for-pound No.1.

The pair have already agreed on a 60-40 purse split in favour of Mayweather for them to meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2, with a drugs testing schedule also in place. Rival US TV broadcasters are working on a deal to screen the fight but contracts have yet to be drawn up.

Most boxing fans worldwide want Mayweather-Pacquiao to happen above any other fight this year.

But if unbeaten Mayweather decides to collapse attempts to make

the fight then he will instead face Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in a rematch on May 2.

By fighting Cotto, Pac Man will need another opponent and his promoter Bob Arum has already lined up Bolton’s former world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan.

Pacquiao and Khan, former sparring partners before the Briton left trainer Freddie Roach in 2012, had informal talks at an amateur boxing gym in London on Friday night.

Pacquiao would face Khan on May 30 - but not at Wembley since the London venue is hosting the FA Cup Final that day.

Only if the May 30 date - decided

by US TV - can be put back to June will there be any chance of Khan taking on Pacquiao at Wembley.

American venues in Las Vegas and New York will be the favourites to host the proposed fight between Pacquiao and Khan on May 30, with other venues in Abu Dhabi and London also options.

If Pacquiao-Khan Floyd Mayweather could yet decide not happens in May or to fight Filipino rival Manny Pacquiao

June, it shatters the dream of Sheffield’s IBF champion Kell Brook of facing Khan, 28, at Wembley in June.

Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn had hoped to stage Brook-Khan at Wembley on June 13 and alternative opponents this summer for the Sheffield boxer, who makes a mandatory defence of his IBF belt against Canadian Jo Jo Dan on March 28, would be the likes of Americans Tim Bradley or Paulie Malignaggi.

But if Mayweather-Pacquiao does get signed off, a fight against Brook will be the biggest one on offer for Khan this summer.

Instead of fighting Mexican Saul Alvarez on May 2, Cotto has pulled out of talks to keep himself available should he get the call-up from Mayweather. Alvarez faces James Kirkland on May 2 while WBC middleweight champion Cotto faces being disappointed if Mayweather agrees to fight Pacquiao on the same May 2 date.

Culled from www.espn.co.uk

Mayweather

Most boxing fans worldwide want Mayweather-Pacquiao to happen above any other fight this year. But if unbeaten Mayweather decides to collapse attempts to make the fight then he will instead face Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in a rematch on May 2.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

Australian Open

X7

Djokovic surges into semi-finals F

our-time champion Novak Djokovic dismantled the big serving of Milos Raonic to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.

The world number one needed just one hour and 55 minutes to beat eighth seed Raonic 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-2.

Djokovic, 27, is through to his 25th Grand Slam semi-final as he chases an eighth major title.

He will next face defending champion Stan Wawrinka for the third year running in Melbourne.

“I take a lot of confidence,” said Djokovic. “I try to carry that in every next match, next challenge. Obviously I’m going to play Stan, who is the defending champion here.

“We played five-set matches in 2013 and 2014 Australian Open. I’m going to be ready for a fight. But knowing that I have raised the level of performance tonight, and probably playing the best match of the tournament so far is affecting my confidence in a positive way.

“Hopefully I can carry that into next one.”

Raonic, 24, went into the match with 99 aces to his name and having dropped serve just twice in four matches.

Djokovic’s return proved too much to handle, however, and while lacking the Canadian’s service speed, the Serb moved into the last four having been broken just once in the tournament.

Djokovic

Keys to face

Serena

in semi-final

Fashanu scores GEJ high in sports development Andrew Ekejiuba

Taiwo

Legia Warsaw president tasks TAIWO on fitness

P Serena

M

adison Keys beat Venus Williams to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal and end the possibility of an all-Williams contest at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The unseeded 19-year-old came through 6-3 4-6 6-4 in one hour and 54 minutes.

The American goes on to face top seed Serena Williams, who swept past 11th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2.

Keys overcame a recurrence of the upper leg injury that hampered her at Wimbledon last year, requiring a medical timeout off court during the second set.

“It was definitely kind of a flashback to Wimbledon for me,” she said. “I have had some problems with that part of my leg, so it was kind of an overwhelming moment.

“It was kind of scary but luckily I was able to catch it before I did any real damage to it.”

resident of Lagia Warsaw, Boguslaw Lenodorski has asked Super Eagles star, Taiye Taiwo to work on his fitness if he hopes to have a consistent run of games with the side.

Taiwo was offered a chance to play for the Polish side earlier this month but has failed to impress since joining the team.

Speaking after watching the powerful left footed defender play for the side in their 2-0 friendly defeat to Qaraba FK, Lenodorski stated that the Nigerian star looks out of shape and will need to work hard if he hopes to remain relevant at the club.

Taiwo has not been invited to the Super Eagles for some time despite the defender openly stating his readiness to lace his boots for the national team.

E

x- international John Fashanu has thrown his weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection bid stating that the President has done well in the area of sports.

Fashanu, a one-time Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board member who plied his trade in England during his active days in football said he had to openly declare his support for the President because of the achievements he has so far recorded in his first term in office.

“I want to publicly declare my support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the February 14 presidential poll. Unarguably, the polity is divided over who becomes the next president between the candidacy of President Jonathan and former Head of State, General Muhammad Buhari (rtd) of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“I have been receiving calls and sms from

Fashanu

my friends and well-wishers including those on Tweeter, FACEBOOK and other social media asking me who is my candidate?

“Well, I am here to announce to the whole world that my candidate for Presidential poll is President Goodluck Jonathan because of the unprecedented achievements which the country has recorded in sports,” he said in Abuja.

The United Nations Sports Ambassador said it is on record that the Super Eagles won the 2013 AFCON in South Africa under President Jonathan’s administration and for the first time since 1994, the Super Eagles equaled their best ever record at the World Cup in Brazil under him.

He said the nation’s U-17 team won the U-17 FIFA World Cup trophy in the United Arab Emirates in 2013 and the female U-20 team won silver in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and the country had the best performance at the Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships.

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME LEAGUE CUP

T

Briefs

Pato hopeful of EPL move

Courtois saved Chelsea, says Rodgers

hibaut Courtois was the key to Chelsea’s League Cup semifinal triumph, according to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

The Liverpool chief argued his team were better than Chelsea in their League Cup semi-final, claiming opposition goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was the difference.

Tuesday’s second leg in London ended 0-0 after 90 minutes, forcing

extra time, where Branislav Ivanovic headed Chelsea in front to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Rodgers hailed his team’s performance despite the loss, claiming they regained their “identity” in the cup competition and deserved to reach the final ahead of Chelsea.

“I thought we had a number of opportunities - Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho,” Rodgers said.

“If you assess it over two legs their goalkeeper, Courtois, has won them the tie. He is a world-class ‘keeper.”

Liverpool had 19 shots to Chelsea’s two in the semi-final first leg at Anfield and Rodgers claimed that disparity proved his side should have reached the League Cup decider.

“We were better in every aspect of our game but we just couldn’t get

the big goals,” he said.”Sometimes you have a barrier in your way and tonight and last week it was Courtois.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers believes his team’s run in the League Cup, which coincided with a 10-game unbeaten streak in all competition’s before the loss at Stamford Bridge, will stand Liverpool in good stead for the rest of the season.

Rodriguez

Beckenbauer hopeful of Guardiola’s stay hails Ronaldo’s

H

onorary president Franz Beckenbauer is confident coach Pep Guardiola will sign a new contract at the Allianz Arena and stay beyond 2016.

The former Barcelona boss agreed a three-year deal with Bayern in 2013 but, with that due to expire at the end of next season, there has been speculation his time with the club may soon come to an end.

Guardiola refused to directly answer questions about his future this week, instead claiming it was “a dream come true” to have coached the German powerhouse.

However, with Guardiola having enjoyed Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup success last term, Beckenbauer remains confident the Spaniard will stay for years to come.

“I once said that I hope that Guardiola stays here for 10 years and I continue to hope that. He will hardly find better conditions than in Munich at another club,” he said.

“He is only 44 years old and has enough time later to take over another club.

support

J

Guardiola “It is also clear Pep Guardiola basically needs no contract. A coach of his calibre will go anyway, if he wants to go.”

Bayern can move another step closer to the Bundesliga title on Friday when they travel to nearest challengers Wolfsburg with the sides separated by 11 points.

ames Rodriguez feels his strong start to life at Real Madrid is in no small part down to the support of teammate and Ballon d’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Colombian arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the closeseason - having helped his burgeoning reputation with a strong showing at the World Cup - for a fee believed to be around the €80 million mark.

Rodriguez has since weighed in with 10 goals from 31 appearances in all competitions and praised Ronaldo for his assistance in easing the transition from Monaco to La Liga.

“His support has been fundamental,” Rodriguez began. “He’s been a great help to me here and that’s important.

He’s excellent, both on and off the pitch. A top guy, he’s down to earth and his winning the Ballon d’Or was well deserved.

Rodriguez “I’m at the best team in the world and want to stay here for many years to come. I want to help the team to win titles.

“Of course I’d love to win the UEFA Champions League and I would love if it was this year too.”

Rodriguez was also quizzed on whether he had won over Coach Carlo Ancelotti following his big-money switch.

“He has a great way with the players and we’re absolutely delighted with him,” the former Porto man explained.

Alexandre Pato is still hoping to seal a move to the English Premier League (EPL) before the January transfer window closes. Sources have confirmed that the striker is able to move to England from Corinthians for a loan fee of £1.5 million, while his £75,000-a-week wages would also need to be covered by any club hoping to sign the Brazilian.

The former AC Milan forward was close to joining Hull City, but the move collapsed on Tuesday night.

Arteta signs one-year Arsenal deal Mikel Arteta has signed a oneyear contract extension with Arsenal, according to his agent. Arteta’s representative Inaki Ibanez told reporters that the player is no longer free next June, because he now has an extra year on his contract and it means Arteta will stay at the Emirates until the end of 2015-16, when he will be 34 years old.

Mourinho backs controversial Costa Chelsea are through to the Capital One Cup final after edging past Liverpool in Tuesday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge, but Diego Costa was at the centre of controversy after twice appearing to stamp on an opponent and was defended with passion by his manager Jose Mourinho. Adam Bate who was at Stamford Bridge to see it, was not surprised by Mourinho’s response saying Chelsea’s new striker is the on-field embodiment of his manager.

Lazio-bound Morrison lands in Rome West Ham’s Ravel Morrison has arrived in Italy ahead of his proposed move to Serie A club Lazio.

The 21-year-old arrived in the Italian capital on Wednesday and will now undergo a medical assessment at the Paideia clinic in Rome - with a deal expected to go through when his West Ham deal expires in June.