Dtn 3 12 15

Oshiomhole after me because I stopped N15b suspicious loan – Okonjo-Iweala Ï j ƏƆ ƐƆ Ɛ ƗƏ &Ɨ ƒ Ɛ ƅ ƑƏƐ Ƈ Ə Ƌƈ Ɗƈ ƆƏ ƓƈƐ ƾêơƄ Əƌ ƗƆ Ƌ Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎFormer Minister of Finance, Dr

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged the Federal Government to call Edo State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole to

order over his recent efforts to link her name to the alleged $2.1 billion arms issue.

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

Okonjo-Iweala stressed that she has absolutely nothing to do with the issue.

The former Minister, in a stateContinued on page 6

dailytimesng

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015 VOL. 1. NO. 244

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 2nd December 2015.

UNILEVER

38.06

39.9

1.84 %

ETI

15.35

15.68

0.33%

NB

120

117.97

-2.03%

7UP

184

183

-1%

UACN

25.81

26.95

1.14%

GUINNESS

121

121.3

0.3%

CONOIL

27.41

26.04

-1.37%

PZ

25.46

24.87

-0.59%

ƈ ƇƏ

Six protesters killed Ï 91^ Ɠ Ə L ddR è 9^R ƈ Ɛ Ɛ ƏƆ ƐƆ ƈ ƍƑƄƋƈƅ ƍƆ ƅƆ Ï 1 ƒê RƄƈ ƍƍƆ Ƌ Ƈ Ə ƍƆ ƅƆ Dilionye Dilibe, Onitsha

ÎÎÎNo fewer than six members

of the Indigenous People of Bi-

afra (IPOB) in Onitsha, Anambra State, were killed on Wednesday morning when security operatives allegedly shot at protesters, while

several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

This even as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon

Arase, warned members of the Movement for the Survival of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and IPOB to stop threatening

public peace or face the full weight of the law.

Continued on page 6

Cross section of Judges of the Federal High Court during their swearing-in, in Abuja… on Wednesday.

dƆ ƐƆ Ƒƌƌ j&j0Ƒ Ɨô ƅƏƈƄƆ ƒƆƏ ƋƋƆ ƆƗ ƗƈƒƆƏ ƈ Ƈ MƾƠƠƄ g24 M9` gB1 registers ƾèơƠơ ê Ɨ ƌ ƈ ƌƆ ƈ October

Helen g L1 Paul: Any ƍƑƄƋƈƅƈƐƕ is good ƍƑƄƋƈƅƈƐƕ

Bayelsa gov poll: jƓ ƏƗ choices for Ɛ Ɔ 9Ɖ Ɠ g 8

Terrorism: nêd ƅƐƈƒ ƐƆ ‘security ƌ ƐƆƏ ƍƋ ô ƈ Mƈ ƆƏƈ January g6

2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial CBN and terrorism financing

D

efinitely, what the expresident sRecently, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele called on banking institutions, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders in the financial system to redouble efforts at combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/TF). Emefiele who spoke in Abuja at a regional workshop, noted that money laundering and terrorist financing are twin evils, which all agencies should continuously focus on in order to avert their deleterious effects on the economy.

We support the admonition of the CBN boss to those in charge of financial transactions in the country to be pro-active in the discharge of their duties to quickly detect and track down those channeling illegal funds to terrorist groups. We all know that terrorist financing has becoming a source of worry to many countries in the world, especially those at the receiving end of international terrorism. Incidentally, Nigeria is one of the countries, as we have been facing terrorist activities by Boko Haram militants in the past five years with no signs of abating.

Unfortunately, the insurgency has not only claimed thousands of lives in the north east of the country, the group has also destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

Over the years, many have wondered where Boko Haram is getting its funding to mount such large-scale assault on the Nigerian military and other government institutions. There is no denying the fact that Boko Haram begun as a small innocuous religious group that did not attract attention of the authorities, until it grew into a dreadful monster that is now destroying everything in its path.

As Mr. Emefiele observed: “A docile environment invariably disposes its

financial system to money laundering/financing of terrorism activities, even as products and services offered by financial institutions provide a veritable avenue for criminals to launder funds and terrorist financiers to move funds across various jurisdictions.” We cannot but agree with this postulation.

The fact remains that money laundering and terrorism financing are little understood concepts in Nigeria, as they are complex and complicated affairs whose complexity is exacerbated by an interconnected, globalised world.

Contrary to the popular notion of barbarians stuck in the past, terrorists are very modern savages who have shown themselves to be very adept at utilising the communication technology revolution and the esoteric global finance market to their advantage. In an age where money flies across the world in an instant and where the tracks of such transactions are covered up very well by skilled accountants, exposing and arresting financers of terrorism can be a tall order.

Of course, terrorist organisations rely on numerous sources of income and they use a range of methods to move funds. They also raise funds through inherently criminal means such as drug trafficking and through legitimate activities as donations.

We are therefore calling for greater cooperation between financial institutions, governments as well as other stakeholders, in order to combat the financing mechanisms of terrorist organisations and their money laundering channels. Moreover, financial institutions should prevent terrorist organisations from accessing their services; even as they are expected to assist in detecting suspected terrorist financing and promptly respond to law enforcement enquiries.

Does Lai Mohammed want Nigerians to take him serious?

Sam Nzeh

ÎÎÎIt

is unclear if Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, expected Nigerians to be excited when on Tuesday he said that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government will soon start ‘firing on all cylinders’.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Abuja, Mohammed said: “In the next few days, this administration will start firing from all cylinders, starting with the unveiling of the 2016 budget.

He added: “This government will not give excuses.

The painstaking and methodical approach by the Buhari administration, its deep analysis and understanding of the challenges and the recent inauguration of the cabinet will herald a new dawn”.

Fact is that except for APC apologists and others who are unable to read in-between the lines, the past six months of the APC-led administration in the country has largely been all motions, no movement. Sample these: It took nearly five months for the APC torch bearer and President, Muhammadu Buhari, to constitute his cabinet; six months after assuming power, the APCled administration has failed to articulate its economic policies; and fuel queues have returned at filling stations across the country six months after APC took over Nigeria’s presidency.

Even the war against corruption, a major focus of the Buhari-led administration, is yet to gather steam six months into his tenure. Nigerians have only been treated to countless allegations of trillions of Naira stolen by officials of the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jona-

Words On Marble :

than as if corruption in Nigeria started and ended with the Jonathan administration.

These allegations, till date, remain unsubstantiated. Even cases involving some officials of the Jonathan administration alleged to have dipped their hands into the public treasury are yet to take off months after. There has been arrests of persons alleged to have contravened the law, yet no convictions so far. On and on the floundering by the APC-led Federal Government goes six months after assuming power.

With all these, it would be difficult for majority of Nigerians who are not APC apologists to really believe the Information minister’s admonition.

This is because if the saying that the morning is a pointer to how the day will look like is valid, then Nigerians still have many long nights in the days ahead under the APC-led administration.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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

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

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

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

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

dailytimesng www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Comrade Ayuba Wabba

Yakubu Dogara

Mathew Kukah

“Nigerian workers will reject the move by the governors to slash the minimum wage instead of upward review of the minimum wage which was last done five years ago”.

True leaders raise leaders while godfathers busy themselves in raising sycophants”.

“Honour is a scarce commodity in Nigeria”.

4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

5 News

Falae appears in court, testifies against his suspected captors ’Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏ

Chief Olu Falae, the erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), on Wednesday, staged a surprised appearance at the Ondo State High Court, to testify against his suspected captors.

Falae who appeared in

person made a testified for the first time in the court on how some purported Fulani herdsmen kidnapped and tortured him for days in their hideout.

Rendering his testimony, the elder statesman told the court that six of the kidnappers dragged him out of his office to the bush after inflicting matchete

cuts on him.

He narrated how the suspects dragged him for several hours on the bush before asking for the mobile line of his wife.

The Daily Times recalled that the elder statesman was forcefully seized by some Fulani herdsmen, on September 21, 2015 at his farm, at Ilado, in Akure

North Local Government Area of the state.

“When one them saw my wounds, he went to the bush to look for a leave which he used to treat me and the journey lasted for twelve hours.

“After 7 p.m. they got my wife’s mobile line and ordered her to go and look for N100 million as a ransom be-

fore they would release me.

One of them said my people were offering them N2 million. That was when I asked to speak to my wife to look around whether we could meet their demand which I understood was N5 million at that time”, he said.

After hours of testimony, the prosecution counsel and State Attorney General/

Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), prayed that the court should adjourn the case.

Justice Rotimi Olumide, the presiding Judge, ordered that the suspects should be remanded in prison custody.

He, however, adjourned the case to December 15, 2015.

APC’s march in Rivers, ploy to sway Appeal Court verdict –Rep

Son kills father in Abeokuta

Henry Omunu, Abuja

Tragedy struck on Tuesday in Sabo area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when a middle aged man allegedly killed his father, who was identified as Baba Basirat.

It was gathered that the suspect who was said to be a habitual drunkard was said to have pushed his 69 year-old-father during an argument, which led to his untimely death.

The incident occurred at number 25, Akintobi Badejo Street, in the area, on Tuesday night, when the middle-aged man whose name could not be ascertained as at press time allegedly committed the crime.

Abiodun Taiwo, Abeokuta

ÏÏÏ

ÏÏÏ

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Kingsley Chinda, on Wednesday, described the recent March by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State as a ploy to attract unnecessary sympathy and sway the Appeal Court Judges in the suit filed by Governor Nyesom Wike.

Wike has approached the Appeal Court with the appeal challenging the judgement of the Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja that nullified his election.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday, Chinda, who represents Obio-Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the APC march, which was led by its governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Dakuku Peterside, as mischievous and a deliberate attempt by the APC at influencing the Appeal Court Judges in Wike’s appeal.

Chinda claimed that the orchestrated march carried out by supporters of Peterside, on Monday, in Port Harcourt, allegedly in remembrance of all those they claimed lost their lives or were killed in the election violence was the latest propaganda embarked upon by the APC in the state to hoodwink members of the public.

L-R: Chairman, Ritsoil Limited, Chief Lawson Omokhodion; Chairman, Concern for Public Accountability and Development, Mr. Bowo OlateruOlagbegi; Author, Mr. Michael Ovienmhada and Broadcaster, Mr. Jones Usen, during the official launch of a book tittled A New Dawn of Chance, If I were Buhari held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos… on Wednesday.

Ihedioha blasts Imo govt over N600 million Christmas decorations Val Okara, Owerri

ÏÏÏ

The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha has expressed shock over media reports that the Imo State Government had set aside over N600 million for the decoration of streets in Owerri, ahead of the Christmas celebration.

Ihedioha queried, “Why at this critical period when the citizens are passing through untold hardship arising from over 20 months of unpaid salary arrears and pensions, owed to workers in the state?”

A statement by his media aide, Mr. Chibuike Onyekwu, Ihedioha said that, “despite prevailing wide-

spread disenchantment being expressed by citizens who have recently called for his immediate impeachment over the alarming rate of hunger and insecurity occasioned by the inept handling of issues of governance and unrepentant deceit so far exhibited by the Okorocha administration, the governor has refused to repent or address such concerns and other critical issues”.

Ihedioha further said that “preparations for Christmas celebration are no doubt a tradition for Christians all over the world but it is ridiculous and, indeed, smacks of insensitivity for this government to spend over N600 million on decorations when families can no longer afford their meals

and basic needs as a result of non-payment of salaries, pensions and other entitlements.”

“It worries every right thinking Imolite that Governor Rochas Okorocha has refused to constitute his cabinet six months after election. There is no local government administration. There is no functional ministry, department or agency in the state. The Governor has embarked on several trips abroad to woo non-existent investors with a view to actualising his failed promises of aggressive industrialisation and employment of youths.

“Even more worrisome are reports in the media, alleging the theft of a part of the bailout funds from his son-in-law’s residence in

Owerri. These reports are no doubt of great concern to all well-meaning Imo citizens, particularly when the government has refused to account for the huge sums that have accrued to the state including more than N26 billion bailout funds.

This is in addition to the heart-breaking fact that the government has refused to probe the alleged disappearance of the fund.”

Ihedioha, therefore, urged Okorocha to retrace his steps and begin to address the plight of workers, pensioners and other critical issues of governance, in order to avert the looming economic crises, insecurity and, indeed, avoid what could be the bleakest Christmas celebration in the history of the state.

KAI officials beg Ambode for protection Marion Evabor

ÏÏÏ

Lagos State Environmental Task Force, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), has called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to come to the aid of its officials who are constantly attacked by suspected cultists and miscreants.

The plea was sequel to the attack on a KAI official on Wednesday at Ojota area of the metropolis.

The Daily Times gathered that the suspected thugs, numbering about six, had contravened the law and tried to put the men on check before the thugs swooped on the government enforcement agents.

The KAI officials around, apparently feeling overpowered by the thugs, took to their heels and were given a hot chase by the thugs.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Biafra: Six protesters killed Continued from page 1 Also, the State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has appealed to the various groups protesting for the release of the founder of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, to maintain the peace in the state.

The IPOB, which had been protesting in many cities of the South Eastern part of the country in the last couple of days were demanding the release of their leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

The Daily Times gathered that the a combined team of Army, Police and mem-

bers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been deployed to maintain sanity at the point of the protest.

Trouble started when one of the protesters reportedly set ablaze a Dangote truck which had threatened to defy the no movement ban by the protesters. The Daily Times also gathered that when the truck went up in flames, the security operatives, apparently thinking that the protesters were trying to take laws into their hands, aimed their rifle at the protester who set the truck ablaze.

This made the security

operatives to begin to shoot into the air. It was also gathered that the protesters started chanting antiFederal Government songs and throwing pebbles at the security operatives.

In the ensuing melee, six of the protesters were shot dead, while others, while trying to run for dear lives, sustained varying degrees of injuries.

While this was ongoing, markets and shops were immediately closed especially the Central market and the Ochanga market in the city.

Also, banks closed to customers as a senior police officer alerted their man-

agement that they could no longer guarantee their safety.

It was also gathered that when the crisis came to its head, a reinforcement of security personnel from the 302 Artillery Regiment in Onitsha was deployed.

While taking to their heels, it was further gathered that some of the protesters marched on the Onitsha Central Mosque and set it on fire. The fire, however was put out by the state fire service.

The Daily Times also gathered that some northerners in the town took refuge at Central Police Station

and Ogboko Police Station and other police facilities in the town. Some of them were also seen at the fence of the army barracks in the town, though they were not allowed into the barracks.

Efforts by our reporter to speak with new Commander of 302 Artillery Brigade were futile while the Area Commander also did not respond to series of telephone calls to his mobile telephone lines.

However, the State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on Wednesday appealed to the various groups protesting for the release of the founder of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, to maintain the peace in the state.

Obiano made the appeal in a special address to the people of the state, saying he wouldn’t stand by and watch what had looked like a peaceful procession get out of hand.

“As your Governor and the Chief Security Officer of the state, I am compelled to act to avert any likely breakdown of law and order. In all situations, the preservation of human life comes first and I am determined to enforce that,” Obiano declared.

He advised the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Movement for Actualization of SoverContinued on page 12

Terrorism: U.S activates ‘security master plan’ in Nigeria January ÎÎÎThe United States says it

L-R: Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Seán Hoy; Chairman, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Babatunde Savage; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Peter Ndegwa and Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon Coveney TD, during the visit of Coveney TD to Guinness Nigeria in Lagos… on Wednesday.

Oshiomhole after me because I stopped N15b suspicious loan by him – Okonjo-Iweala Continued from page 1 ment issued on Wednesday

by Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, her Media Adviser, stated that it is an abuse of public office, the judicial process and her human rights for Governor Oshiomhole, whom she stopped from taking a highly suspicious N15 billion loan, to make false allegations against her while hiding behind the constitutional immunity granted state governors.

The statement reads, “As recently confirmed by the Debt Management Of-

fice, professional analysis showed that Oshiomhole’s loan request, which was based on using low interest World Bank loan to offset high interest commercial loans, would have left Edo state with a heavy debt burden and the state would have found it very difficult to pay back”.

She pointed out that it is unconscionable for the Governor to embark on a campaign of lies against her because she thwarted his dubious loan request.

Okonjo-Iweala described the Governor’s unsubstantiated allegations as “a cyni-

cal personalization of the anti-corruption campaign to achieve ignoble objectives”.

The former Finance Minister therefore put Oshiomhole and his ilk on notice that she has briefed her lawyers and that she is ready to explore all legal means, local and international, to defend her name against corrupt and compromised persons.

According to the statement, “It has become a pattern of behavior that each time Dr. Ngozi OKonjo-Iweala is internationally recognized, Governor Oshiomole and his cohorts embark on a cynical and devious ploy of

trying to pull her down locally. Just last night (December 1st), Dr Okonjo-Iweala was honored at a high profile event attended by Vice President Joe Biden (of America) and former President Bill Clinton. Dr Okonjo Iweala was honored alongside Michael Bloomberg, Bill and Melinda Gates and Mo Ibrahim for their contributions to global development and humanity.

“Gov Oshiomole and his cohorts should realize that their ill-motivated attempts to taint Dr Okonjo Iweala’s reputation will never succeed”, she said.

has concluded plans to begin the implementation of the Security Governance Initiative (SGI), a comprehensive security master plan aimed at defeating terrorism and security threats in Nigeria.

The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, retired Lt. Gen. Abudulrahman Dambazau.

The SGI is an initiative of the U.S. Government that offers enhanced approach to security sector assistance beginning with six African countries, including Nigeria.

The envoy said that a crack team from the SGI would be arriving Nigeria in January 2016 as part of efforts to assist Nigeria in dealing with all forms of security threat to the country. ``We are ready to partner with you on security. As you know the Security Governance Initiative (SGI) is meant to enhance the security sector, so we will be having a team here in Nigeria by January,’’ he said.

He explained that the SGI would be implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Government so as to ensure a holistic and efficient outcome.

Entwistle also said that the U.S. had concluded plans for the training of the Nige-

rian Police and other security agencies so as to professionally deal with the threat of terrorism and all other forms of crime. ``As the situation in the North-East improves, we need to look at issues of the Police going back to the North-East and explore ways we can help with their training, ‘’ he said.

He, however, stressed that all forms of assistance and support will be at the request of the Nigerian Government as demonstrated by President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited the U.S. recently.

In his response, Dambazau expressed gratitude to the U.S. envoy for the visit and assured of the readiness of the Federal government to continue to partner with the U.S. He said the SGI was a welcome initiative that must involve all stakeholders in the security sector for it to succeed. ``We want to assure you that on our own part we will fulfill our own part of the partnership (SGI) and we are confident that you will also fulfill your own part of the initiative,’’ he said.

He described the Ministry of Interior as very crucial to internal security in Nigeria and emphasised the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure peace and stability in the country.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

New Senate Bill seeks to jail frivolous petition writers Olufemi Samuel, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Senate on Wednes-

day set machinery in motion for outlawing frivolous petitions in Nigeria as it passed a Bill which seeks to make such petition an offence punishable by two years’ imprisonment or an option of N4 million fine.

The Bill titled: “An Act prohibiting Frivolous Petitions and other matters connected there”, which successfully scaled the second reading during the plenary.

According to the Bill, it would amount to an unlawful act for anyone to submit any petition not verifiable against any person for the purpose of investigation.

Similarly, it will be mandatory for any petition to be accompanied by a sworn affidavit in the High Court of a state or Federal, which in turn will ascertain the veracity of claims in the petition before being submitted for investigation.

The Bill, sponsored by Deputy Senate Leader, Sena-

tor Ibn Na’Allah aims to impose a sanction of between N200, 000 and N4 million on anyone who filed a petition without an accompanied affidavit, whereas such person in the alternative will face a 2-year imprisonment.

Leading debate on the Bill, Na’Allah said the way and manner writing of petitions are being abused in the country, necessitated the Bill, which he said is aimed at establishing standards in addressing complaints against public offi-

cers in the country.

Na’Allah lamented that some innocent public officers in Nigeria had at different times been victimized by frivolous petitions, which he noted, were written purely by opponents or those seeking to dislodge particular public officers from their position of envy.

He said frivolous petitions had usually taken away the right of presumption of innocence of some public officers being targeted, while in the end,

the petitions, as strong as they seemed to be actually lacked merit.

The deputy Senate Leader said often times, honest civil servants had been removed and replaced from their places of work, just for dishonest people to take over on the strength of unverified petitions written purely on vendetta.

Kogi: Students hail APC, ask Faleke to accept party’s decision Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja

ÎÎÎThe

L-R : President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr. Joe Odumakin; Senior Manager, World Movement for Democracy, Mr. Ryota Jonen and Programme Officer, Africa, Ms. Katie Campo during Blurring the Lines of Political and Civil Society event held in Abuja… on Wednesday.

You’re misleading Nigerians, Taraba PDP accuses APC Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

ÎÎÎTaraba

State All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of embarking on a deliberately sustained media campaign aimed at misleading the Court of Appeal and Nigerians with the aim of influencing the court’s decision on the governorship election, which is before the appellate court.

A group, Coalition of Taraba State PDP Delegates (CTPD), led by Mallam Usman Aliyu, in a statement issued on Wednesday, in Abuja, alleged that the APC was engaging in a deliberate drive to misinform Nigerians on the true position of events leading to the prima-

ries and even after.

Aliyu said, “There was a primary election for the party’s governorship candidate where about five aspirants, including Ishaku participated in Abuja, at the instance of our national secretariat which we as state delegates participated and elected Governor Ishaku as PDP flag bearer in the general election that is now a subject of litigation.”

According to him, contrary to insinuations being peddled by the APC in the media, at no time did the party or any of its organs in Taraba initiated any talks with either Alhaji Garba Umar (UTC), a former illegal acting Governor or Chief David Sabo Kente of

the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for any form of cooperation over the Appeal.

Giving an insight on the claim, Mallam Usman said there was no way the understanding of the duo could have been solicited for at this material time, since there was need for any more witnesses at the Appeal Court or any fresh testimony, adding that the said personalities were no longer members of the PDP and as such were of no relevance in the matter.

“Let the whole world know that Garba UTC and his supporters in Taraba State worked for Aisha and APC, while David Sabo Kente was also a candidate in the same election under

SDP. They left the PDP to pursue their interests and ambitions on other platforms, so how are they now relevant in this case”, he asked.

The governorship election is currently a subject of appeal at the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, where the candidate of the PDP, Governor Darius Ishaku is challenging the verdict of the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal, which sacked him as governor.

The tribunal had earlier declared Senator Aisha AlHassan of the APC as governor on the grounds that an INEC witness had said that PDP did not conduct a primary election that produced Ishaku as its candidate.

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone C and National Association of Ebira Students (NAES), has commended the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over its decision to stick to the choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the party’s governorship candidate, to substitute late Prince Abubakar Audu, ahead of Saturday’s Supplementary election in Kogi State.

The commendation was made on Wednesday, in a joint press conference by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone C, and National Association of Ebira Students, held at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Okene Auditorium.

“The decision of the Party to pick the first runner up as the rightful substitute, as enshrined in electoral act and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is commendable” they group maintained.

The students added that the steps taken so far by the APC and INEC at finding solution to the impasse created by the death of the former APC governorship candidate is fair and reflects the opinion of patriotic Nigerians, calling on INEC not to cave into any form of intimidation and sentiments, by going ahead with the supplementary election scheduled for 5th of December, 2015.

7 News Stowaway held in Lagos ÎÎÎVigilant

Aviation Security staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on Wednesday, apprehended a man, Mr. Alabibu Olushola, who was attempting to stow away in a taxing aircraft on the tarmac of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

The culprit was arrested as soon as he scaled the perimeter fence near the moving aircraft and after interrogation by the Avsec staff, he was immediately handed over to the police for further interrogation.

In a statement by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Yakubu Datti, said that “the Authority wishes to remind members of the public that access to restricted areas of the airport, including the tarmac and perimeter roads, is prohibited for unauthorised people, including airport staff, who have no business being there.

Loin escapes from Jos zoo, shot dead Chijioke Kingsley, Jos

ÎÎÎA lion, in the Jos Wide

Life Park, early hours of Wednesday, escaped from the zoo and strayed away to an unknown destination.

A joint security operatives, together with zoo keepers, immediately condoned off the area and alerted members of the public to be conscious of their movement.

The Media Officer of the Joint Security Task Force, code name Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), deployed to maintain peace in the State, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, who broke the news to members of the public, however, said that the lion had been short dead midday on Wednesday.

In his words: “Our men were in search of the escaped lion and after a long search, it was sighted in a nearby forest still within the Wide Life Park. On sighting it, our men fired at it and short it dead”, he said.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Politics Kogi State logjam: Halt supplementary election, group tells INEC

Æs

Barely 48 hours to the planned supplementary election in Kogi State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the electoral body has been asked not to rush into any election which could plunge the nation into an avoidable crisis.

The Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) warned that if INEC rushed to conduct the supplementary election of the November 21st, 2015 Kogi State governorship election, now slated for Saturday, it could

Security: How underfunding is killing police,

by IGP Arase

lead to trouble following the confusion that is trailing the political logjam in the state.

According to the group, the country and its people have sat on the keg of democratic gun powder over the logjam caused by the death of former Governor of Kogi State and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), late Prince Abubakar Audu after casting his vote in the guber race.

Besides, the rights group also advised all the parties concerned CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Audu

Bayelsa Decides: Two hard choices for the Ijaw

Sylva

Janathan

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase last week literarily confessed as to why the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is performing well below standard of an average Nigerian in the discharge of its duties.

Speaking at an interactive session with Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Arase had lamented extremely poor funding of the force by successive governments over the years and made startling revelations.

According to him, of the lack of funding, the year 2015 was worse, as only N5 billion was given to the force out of a budget proposal of N71bn it made for the election year.

Arase, stated that declining budgetary allocations lately had boxed the Nigeria Police into a corner where its annual recurrent budget could barely buy stationery for formations across the federation.

“The money that is released to the police cannot even buy stationery for all the police formations in the country,” Arase stressed.

Amid rising security challenges in the country, the IG urged the committee to do everything within its powers to give more money to the police in the 2016 budget to improve on facilities and boost the

Dickson

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Stories by Akinjide Akintola & Suleiman Adedeji With only 48 hours to the governorship election in Bayelsa State, the people of the state who are mainly Ijaw are faced with a hard choice between the two major gladiators: Governor Seriake Dickson and former governor Timipre Sylva.

While Dickson is flying the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former governor Sylva is contesting on the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). There are other 20 gubernatorial candidates of other parties with Moses Siasia, of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), the only strong one amongst them.

But within all the contestants,

the election is a straight battle between Dickson and Sylva. This makes it a hard choice for the people of the state and likened to being between the Red Sea and the Deep Blue Sea. This is because the electorate have had the unique opportunity of experiencing the two gladiators in office. Sylva who was a former member of the PDP was governor of the state between 2007 and 2011 with the incumbent taking over from him in a manner akin to gubernatorial war.

While Sylva had been a charter member of the PDP when he served as governor, he fought against some of the party’s top

leaders in the state who ended his second term dream. He was replaced with Hon. Seriake Dickson who was then a member of the House of Representatives. Consequently, the return of Sylva is being touted by his supporters as payback for the PDP’s poor treatment of him which scuttled his tenure.

On the other hand, the supporters of the incumbent PDP government are seeking to portray the exgovernor’s re-emergence as proof that in the state, the APC represents nostalgia for the bad old days rather than genuine change that the party is claiming to brng.

As a result, Governor Dickson’s

campaign has been driven largely by references to the difference between the commitment to infrastructural expansion that he initiated when he took over from Sylva and the insecurity and political confusion that characterised much of Sylva’s reign. As the campaigns reach a climax it is increasingly clear that the battle to convince the electorate on who to choose has become a debate over the credibility of the two most prominent candidates’ records in office.

The fact that Governor Dickson’s experience has been affected CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Arase

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

9 Politics

Bayelsa Decides: The hard choices for the Ijaw

Jonathan

Dickson

Sylva

Mahmud

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

by an unprecedented downturn in the economic fortunes of the state which may not be his fault has given the APC campaigners an unfair advantage that they have been quick to grasp and used for mileage in their campaigns.

Their appeal is to public disenchantment by targeting shortfalls in payment of statutory allowances, salaries and contract obligations without acknowledging the fact that this is symptomatic of a nationwide economic downturn affecting many states.

The Sylva campaign machinery has proven to be remarkably adept at utilising this appeal to unfair sentiments of public disenchantment, while the incumbent PDP’s machinery has remained committed to sustaining its adherence to the gradual development of the

Security: How underfunding is killing police, by IGP Arase

state. Though the PDP’s strategy is not as glamorous as the APC’s nostalgic campaign, but it is based on chances of a more stable and realistic developmental schedule.

Although Sylva’s re-emergence on the political scene in Bayelsa State has been driven by circumstances that are peculiar to the state’s profile as an element of the national polity in the post-Goodluck Jonathan era, there are also other reasons for his resurgent popularity.

Among these, the penchant for pulling down the leaders of the state, especially if they are regarded as being less generous with the distribution of financial resources than they should be, is an important factor. Sylva’s handlers have been very busy promoting this sentiment at the grassroots level as a part of their strategy of blam-

ing the incumbent for ills inherited from the past. For example, the APC candidate’s handlers do not mention the fact that a substantial proportion of the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account (FAC) is regularly extracted at source to pay off a huge debt that was incurred by Sylva’s Administration.

At the same time, they are quick to point to some of the consequences of this reality such as delays in salary payments and shortfalls in pension payments as having been created by Dickson. The irony of this is that that nostalgic perception is being generated by an APC candidate based on his record as a PDP Governor.

The realities that have emerged in this exciting campaign period in Bayelsa State are likely to have repercussions that will influence

the growth of the democratic impulse throughout the nation in the future. Already, the increase of community based interactions between the candidates and the community leaders, which has been initiated by the Dickson camp, has set a new pace for contestation. It is reasonably certain that subsequent general elections for both state and National Assembly seats will reflect this increasing concern with the public response at the grassroots.

What remains to be assessed is the extent to which the results of the forthcoming election will reflect the true state of affairs on the ground and whether the electorate will be moved by the style rather than the substance of the campaign rhetoric.

A close perusal of the difference between the Sylva campaign style

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ability profile of N54bn.

“We are now left with a combined capital liabilities of about N54bn.

“These are part of the funding challenges that we are currently confronted with, Mr. Chairman,” Arase told the committee.

He said the Nigeria Police needs N8.7 billion to effectively combat insurgency in the North East of Nigeria where the deadly Boko Haram has been threatening lives and properties of Nigerians.

He said that there was another N57bn outstanding due to the Ni-

gerian police that was appropriated but has not been released till date.

The revelations speak for itself. If the entire budget given the police force for a whole year can only be sufficient to purchase stationeries for the force, what happens to other key functions of policing the nation?

But how did we get to this? How can a serious government starve its vital security force of needed resources and expect it to perform? It beats all imaginations.

morale of personnel.

For example, Arase stated that in 2010, the police made a recurrent proposal of N45bn, out of which it got only N16bn.

In 2013, the IG said while the proposal was N56bn, the budget office only released N7bn.

Arase informed the committee that the situation was not better with capital releases, making many capital projects of the force to fail disclosing that the poor releases had left the police with a li-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

and the Dickson strategy reveals a fundamental separation between bluster and truth as the Sylva campaign steadfastly ignores the realities of the record of dysfunction that bedeviled the tenure of its champion while the Dickson/PDP machine is increasingly forced onto the defensive.

In this situation, even though the Dickson campaign can rightly claim to be representative of the most fundamental change in governance experienced in the state so far the APC tries to take advantage of an overwhelming penchant for opportunist camp-switching displayed by several political operatives in the state to give the impression that the Sylva resurgence is a popular movement. This syndrome, which is symptomatic CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Arase

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Kogi Supplementary polls: To be or not to be?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

as well as all stakeholders in the election to allow common sense to prevail in solving the political logjam created by the botched governorship election.

The group raised the option of conducting a fresh election with fresh candidates from all the political parties involved, insisting that President Muhammadu Buhari as Commander-in-Chief and other stakeholders should tread softly in order to allow public interest to override the personal interest

on this matter of national importance.

In a statement by its executive chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman, the group stated that the best option for the democratic lacuna created by Audu’s death, was to conduct fresh election into the Kogi State governorship seat and all hands of the concerned stakeholders must be on deck by not allowing this development to truncate the nation’s hard earned nurturing democracy.

It condemned the position of the Attorney-General of the Federa-

tion and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN) over the matter, noting that AGF’s position was null, void, illegal, misleading, undemocratic, anti-people and disheartening in nature.

On the steps being taken by some stakeholders in the matter, he cautioned the state governor, Captain Idris Wada (rtd) and late Prince Audu’s running mate, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke to stop complicating the present issue at hand by protecting their selfish ambition.

Comrade Sulaiman therefore

called for immediate resignation of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Malami Malami for misleading the electoral body without following the provisions of the amended 1999 Constitution, stating that AGF lacks the power to issue a such directive to the electoral umpire that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should replace its late candidate without recourse to the court of competent jurisdiction.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) as a ruling political party

should be able to make sacrifice like how the immediate past President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan conceded defeat, after the March 28th, 2015 Presidential election, by allowing fresh election with fresh candidates from all the parties involved. By and large, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be cautioned against rushing to conduct the supplementary election, pending when a lasting solution to the electoral imbroglio in Kogi State is proffered.

Faleke

Audu

Bello

Wada

Mahmud

Bayelsa Decides: The hard choices before the Ijaw

Sylva CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

of the failures of past leadership strategies in the state, is now being promoted as tactical proof of the credibility of Sylva’s claim to be the best representative of change in the state’s political arena.

Dickson Any suggestion that the Sylva challenge is less than a serious threat to the ascendancy of the PDP in Bayelsa State would be an unfortunate miscalculation and misreading of the true political situation in the entire Niger Delta.

The APC regards the seizure of

power in the major oil-bearing states to be a key priority of its strategy for the future consolidation of its victory in the last presidential election.

The fact that Bayelsa State is the home of former President Jonathan has also given added impetus

to Sylva’s determination to return to power, while this reality is also one of the key motives that Governor Dickson puts forward as justification for reinforcing his mandate for a second term.

Whereas the Sylva team has revealed a high level of bitterness over what they portray as longstanding hostility between the former President and their candidate, the Dickson team portrays the retention of power in the state as being necessary to preserve and protect the gains and principles of progressive empowerment achieved by the Southern Minorities, especially the Ijaw who form the major ethnic bloc in the state, during Jonathan’s tenure. These perceptions drive the rhetoric and tactics unleashed by the contestants in the independent broadcast media in the state and through an unprecedentedly high volume of sophisticated billboards and posters around Yenagoa, the state capital.

What will however come into play in the peoples’ choice is the performance or non-performance of both candidates while in power

with Dickson being unfortunate at the moment being a period of lack of resources which has impacted negatively developmental efforts of his administration.

The era of Sylva, not particularly noted for excellent performance is past and with human memory being short, his current attempt at improving his image within the people will definitely place him in more advantageous position.

But the impact of former President Jonathan’s backing for Dickson will also swing some votes for him for he is not without support in his home base. The recent mass decamping of powerful members of APC to PDP and vice versa is a pointer to how the voting pattern is likely to be – bumper to bumper.

Unlike in the last general election where the mantra of change came in handy for the APC to send the PDP packing, this election not about anti-corruption fight as both major contenders cannot boast of being Mr. Clean.

So, whichever way you look at it, Saturday’s election is going to be a hard choice for the electorate and would definitely be a close call.

11 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Why ‘Change Mantra’ is delayed, by Lai Mohammed

Buhari Amidst criticisms against the professed change mantra of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government six months into office, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has assured Nigerians of better times ahead, saying they will soon get the change they voted for.

Following the seeming failure of the government to fulfill its promised change in the last general elections, a lot of people especially the opposition had berated the APC government saying it had not delivered on its electoral promises.

In an interview with The Daily Times, Chairman of The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians Professor Ben Nwabueze described the APC’s change mantra as mere sloganeering saying nothing seems to be happening in terms of change.

Secondus His words: Do we have the leadership? It’s not in sitting down in the office and talking; no; you have to mobilise the people. Social mobilsation for change. Change will not come by merely talking about change mantra alone. It’s a change that will about a change in the purpose, pace and tempo of the government. When that begins to happen, you will see it, everybody will see it. Everybody will be propelled; but that is not happening. It is not just talking about change, change. What is change? They are not mobilising; I haven’t seen the president going out trying to mobilise people for change. I want Nigeria to be saved”.

Apart from corruption which is being addressed, two other key issues which the government was yet to tackle included the payment of allowances to unemployed people as well as provision

Mohammed of a meal-a day for pupils promised by the party.

But on Tuesday, the information minister declared: “This Government will not give excuses. The painstaking and methodical approach by the Buhari Administration, its deep analysis and understanding of the challenges and the recent inauguration of the cabinet will herald a new dawn”.

The Minister said at a meeting with representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Abuja that in the next few days, the Administration “will start firing from all cylinders, starting with the unveiling of the 2016 budget”. ”Nigerians will witness measurable and impactful progress in all spheres of governance. We shall not abandon our social intervention policies such as one meal a day for school children

and the payment of N5,000 each to vulnerable Nigerians. We are committed to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

On how the Administration will fund its programmes, in view of the drastic fall in the price of crude oil, the Minister said it would be through the diversification of the economy, plugging of leakages as well as exploiting and widening the country’s tax base without necessarily raising taxes.

“A comparative analysis between Nigeria and South Africa will drive the point home. In 2013, with a population of 160 million and GDP of $510 billion, Nigeria collected $30 billion in taxes, whereas South Africa, with a population of 54 million and GDP of $366 billion, collected $74 billion in taxes. ”In 2014, Nigeria, with a population of 170 million and GDP of

$535 billion, collected $26 billion, while South Africa, with a GDP of $350 billion and population of 54 million, raked in $70 billion.

From the figures, it is obvious that if only we can widen our tax base, we do not need to raise taxes to increase our tax revenue,” he said The Minister commended the CSOs for the role they played during the last general elections, saying the organizations, especially those grouped under the Situation Room, contributed hugely to the success of the polls.

He said the Buhari Administration will carry the Civil Society along in its efforts to change, for the better, the country’s fortunes.

“That is why we have started our engagement with you this early. Therefore, this will be the first in a series of engagements with the Civil Society. We see you as credible, and we see you as patriots, who are genuinely interested in the welfare of the people”, the Minister said.

In his speech on behalf of The Situation Room, Mr. Clement Nwankwo urged the Federal Government to tackle growing national issues with the urgency that it deserves. ”Expectations are very high amongst Nigerians for the changes promised by General Buhari during the campaigns. The need to deliver on campaign promises is against the background of the complete lack of public trust in government and its institutions,” he said.

Mr. Nwankwo listed ”urgent symbolic steps and quick wins” to be urgently implemented by the government as including transparency and openness of loot recovered from officials of the immediate past regime, openness of the national budget, sale of some of the presidential jets, zero tolerance for impunity and the probe of the FCDA land swap.

Security: How underfunding is killing us - IGP Arase CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

It’s a good thing that the IGP spoke out on this inadequacy while everybody is blaming the police for lack of performance. No wonder the illegal check points are not easily cancelled on the roads. No wonder bribery and corruption cannot be eclipsed in the force. No wonder bail is not free at police stations as it should be. No wonder people are being

told to pay for paper when they want to make statements or incident an occurrence.

We hope that this revelations will be a clarion call for all those involved to make necessary amends in the 2016 budget.

The police must be adequately funded, if we expect them to perform. Anything short of this is just deceiving the people especially in this time of insurgency.

Dogara

Saraki

Ambode

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Senate asks FG to restore ban on rice importation through borders Olufemi Samuel, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Senate has asked the Federal Government to mandate the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to suspend the lifting of ban on importation of rice through the land borders in the country.

The government through the NCS had earlier lifted the ban on rice importation during the regime of the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Senate’s decision was because beneficiaries of the lifted ban have allegedly been abusing the process by cutting corners at the expense of the government

and the citizens of the country.

It alleged that the lifting of the ban on importation of rice by the Customs has led to increased diversion of vessels to neighbouring countries.

The Senate expressed concern that the decision to allow importation of rice through land borders would escalate rice smuggling into the country.

It adopted the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Import Duty Waivers, Concessions and Grants on the Nigeria Customs Service on rice importation through the land borders.

Against this background,

the Senate urged the Federal Government to direct the Nigeria Customs Service to reverse itself and maintain the status quo, which it noted brought about stability in the Tariff regime.

A member of the panel, Senator Donald Alasoadura (APC, Ondo Central), who presented the Report, faulted the decision of the Nigerian Custom Services on Rice Importation, alleging serious security implications accompanying uncontrolled number of trucks to the nation’s porous borders.

The Committee, he said, noted that most of the rice brought into Nigeria through Benin and Niger

Republics were brought through ‘big time businessmen’ who it said had perfected evasion of payment of Customs Duty to the country by bringing rice in trucks.

The Senate in the Report noted that the Federal Government created National Rice policy to encourage investment in the rice value chain through backward integration and quota allocation with preferential levy based on the identified National Supply Gap to support investors.

It said, however that activities of the investors who were supposed to add value in the supply chain by importing rice and creating

employment, revealed that rather than importing quality rice as specified, they were importing parboiled rice which did not require any value addition.

In addition, the Senate Committee said it discovered that lifting of the ban led to more serious revenue leakages as a result of heightened activities of smugglers across the borders as they exploited it by paying for less number of trucks than actually brought in.

It said the action of the Nigeria Customs Service led to evasion of customs duty and revenue losses to Nigerian maritime industry: Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime and Security Administration Agency (NIMASA), Freight Forwarders, haulage subsector, etc.

“There is strong possibility for dubious businessmen round tripping. That is, pay-

ing duty on three or four trucks load of rice and using the clearing document to bring in more than 100 more truck loads. This will inevitably affect the revenue going into Federation Account.

“There is no justification for any importer to import parboiled rice that is meant for Nigeria, discharge it at Cotonou, pay import duty at 5 percent and load the same consignment into trucks where he pays transportation cost of an average of N400, 000 per truck to the Nigerian border and on arrival pay another import duty either of 30 or 70 percent.

The Committee does not see any logic in this”, the report stated.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki who presided over the session, asked the Customs Service to import rice only through the sea and support local farmers.

Biafra: dƈƔ ƍƏ ƐƆ ƐƆƏ ƊƈƋƋƆƗ Continued from page 6

ƅƏ ƆƅƐƈ Ƈ ƕƌƍ Ɛ ƈ ƆƏ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔ ƅƆ Ɔ Ƈ ƇƈƏƆ ƑƐƄƏƆ Ɗ Ɛ &ƄƑƐƆéLƆƐƐ è G Č zƆƗ Ɔ Ɨ ƕê

Fuel scarcity: Nine killed in early morning inferno Ï MǀƾƾƄ ƑƄ ƈƗƕ ƍ ƕƌƆ Ɛ ƓƈƋƋ Ɔ Ɨ ƇƑƆƋ ƅ ƏƅƈƐƕè ƕ Lƈ ƈ ƐƆƏ ÎÎÎTragedy struck in Kebbi

State capital, on Wednesday, as a fire outbreak claimed the lives of nine members of the Abubakari Danlambo family of Ambursa, Birin Kebbi, the state capital.

It was learnt that the incident occurred around 12am in the night due to the explosion of a gallon of petrol stored in Abubakar’s residence.

Our correspondent learnt that Abubakari Danlambo, a staff of NNPC Mega Station situated along Arugungu

Local Government road, hid the gallon of petrol in his house for sale to the black marketers. However, the gallon of petrol exploded and claimed the victims, leaving other with injuries.

Those who died include thirty-year-old Aisha Abubakar, Zuwaira Abubakar and Zainab Tsara, fiveyear-old Nana Hadiza and Misbahu Abubakari; twenty-year-old Yunusa Abubakari; three-year-old Sadiq Abubakar; two-year-old Usman Abubakari; and one-

year-old Sani Abubakar.

Sympathies trooped to the residence of Abubakar’s residence in Ambursa including Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, who expressed shock over the incident and prayed Allah to grant the deceased the best of abodes in paradise.

In a related development, property worth thousands of naira were on Wednesday destroyed in an early morning fire which occurred in a twin-bungalow at No. 11,

Abule-Nla Road in EbuteMetta, Lagos State.

An eyewitness told a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the area that the fire emanated from a shop which doubled as restaurant in the affected building.

The owner of the restaurant, Mrs. Biliki Sunmuyideen, giving her account, told NAN that there was no public power supply when they came in the morning and began bringing out their cooking wares.

eign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other aggrieved groups and individuals to “resist any attempt by hoodlums to take advantage of the situation and destabilize any part of Anambra State.”

The governor further warned all mischief makers who might want to take advantage of the peaceful demonstration to foment trouble to “keep off as we will not tolerate any breach of peace under any guise or pretence.”

He assured residents and visitors to the state that he was in touch with all the security agencies in the state and had their assurances that mischief makers would not be allowed to take advantage of the situation.

“I therefore wish to assure Ndi Anambra and all visitors to the state to go about their normal business peacefully as the security agencies are on top of the situation to preserve law and order,” he said.

Meanwhile, the InspectorGeneral of Police (IG), Mr. Solomon Arase, on Wednes-

day warned members of the Movement for the Survival of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to stop threatening public peace or face the full weight of the law.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Force Spokesperson, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olabisi Kolawole, in Abuja.

Arase said that the warning followed the observation by the Police leadership of the increasing resort to acts of brigandage by sets of misguided individuals.

He said that the act also occasioned serious dislocation of business activities.

The IGP stated that the increasing resort to acts of brigandage of this nature was pointing to a clear attempt by the brains behind these protests to test the will of security agencies.

He directed the mobilisation and deployment of Police Mobile Force (PMF) to reinforce security in the State Commands that MASSOB and IPOB are currently protesting.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday December 3, 2015

Aung San Suu Kyi holds transition talks with Myanmar leaders

In this image provided by the Myanmar Ministry of Information, Myanmar President Thein Sein, left, shakes hands with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during their meeting at the presidential in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Dec. 2, 2015.

ÏÏÏ

meeting with General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's military chief, at his office in Naypyitaw. Hlaing told reporters afterward the talks went well, but he did not go into details.

Under Myanmar's current constitution, the military retains control of 25 percent of all parliamentary seats, as well as control of several key government posts, including defense, interior and border security. Many in the country fear the military will ignore the results of last month's election and maintain its grip on power, just as it did in 1990, when it cast aside a landslide victory by the NLD and put Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for the next 20 years.

But the president and Hlaing have pledged to accept the results of the November election.

Myanmar's constitution prevents the 70-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi from serving as president, since her late husband and two sons are British. But she has suggested that she will rule through a proxy candidate.

Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi held talks Wednesday with President Thein Sein to discuss a smooth and peaceful transfer of power to the country's first democraticallyelected government after nearly

five decades of military-rule.

The brief meeting between the Nobel laureate and the outgoing president at his residence in the capital, Naypyitaw, was part of Aung San Suu Kyi's push for for "national reconciliation" talks,

100 Boko Haram fighters killed, 900 hostages freed in Cameroon

ISIS targeting Africa, says top AFRICOM Commander

ÏÏÏ

Cameroon says its troops have killed 100 Boko Haram militants and freed 900 captives that were held by the Nigeria-based militant group.

The defense ministry says soldiers killed the militants and rescued the hostages during an operation last week along the Cameroon-Nigeria border.

There has been no independent confirmation of the claim.

Meanwhile, officials suspect Boko Haram was behind twin suicide attacks that killed at least four people in far northern Cameroon late Tuesday. The suicide bombers blew themselves up in Waza, a town near the Nigerian border.

Cameroon has been fighting Boko Haram since the Islamist militants began cross-border attacks in 2013.

The country is one of five contributing to a multi-national task force dedicated to fighting the group.

Boko Haram has killed more than 10,000 people since launching its campaign for a strict Muslim state in northern Nigeria six years ago.

ÏÏÏ

The Syria-based Islamic State group has expanded its reach in Africa, courting Islamist extremists from Nigeria to Somalia while establishing a major nerve center close to Europe, a top leader of U.S. Africa Command told VOA. The militant group has grown to about 2,000 strong in and around the city of Sirte, Libya, according to the U.S. Africa Command's Deputy for Military Operations, Vice Admiral Michael Franken. Back in February, there were a mere 200 Islamic State fighters in the city.

"If Raqqa [Syria] is the nucleus, the nearest thing to the divided nucleus is probably Sirte,“ said Franken, speaking in an interview at Africom headquarters in Stuttgart. “From there they look to export their terror into Europe and elsewhere.”

It is beginning to appear that

announced shortly after her National League for Democracy scored a massive victory over the ruling military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party in the November 8 election.

She later held an hour-long

any counter-Islamic State strategy needs "serious elements" not only in regard to Syria and Iraq, but also Libya and Yemen, according to Brookings defense policy expert Michael O'Hanlon.

"Access from Libya to Europe is disturbingly easy," O'Hanlon told VOA. "Sirte looks like a real stronghold — and one with little prospect of being taken away from ISIL anytime soon."

Libya has become an importer of terrorists and the most important nexus for the Islamic State group in Africa, according to Franken. Libyan government officials have reported hundreds of foreign fighters in Libya, with many pouring in from neighboring Tunisia and Yemen.

The terror group has now expanded its reach to war-torn Somalia, where about two dozen al-

Shabab militants switched their allegiance from al-Qaida to Islamic State in late October.

Franken called the presence of 20-some Islamic State fighters in Somalia “insignificant.”

The allegiance switch has proved “unhealthy,” he explained, as alShabab has managed to keep the shift “to a minimum” by attacking members who pledge loyalty to Islamic State.

VOA reported last week that al-Shabab fighters killed veteran group official Sheikh Hussein Abdi Gedi and four others after Gedi reportedly tried to convince members to make the switch to Islamic State.

Last month, nine al-Shabab members, including the allegedly pro-IS commander Sheikh Bashir Abu Numan, died in a factional clash near the town of Saakow.

Yemen extremely fragile for aid workers - Red Cross ÏÏÏA Red Cross employee's kidnapping in Yemen underscored the "extremely fragile" situation in the country for humanitarian workers, with the coming days crucial for securing the hostage's release, ICRC Director General Yves Daccord

said on Wednesday.

The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said two people were taken by unidentified assailants on Tuesday in Yemen's capital Sanaa, but that one was released unharmed.

A Tunisian female staffer was being held hostage.

"The situation in Yemen is extremely fragile for an organisation like the ICRC and the national Red Crescent", Daccord told AFP in Geneva. "When something like this

13 Africa Moscow's allegations against Ankara breeds tensions ÏÏÏ

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has challenged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to prove allegations that Turkey is facilitating oil smuggling by the Islamic State group.

The challenge comes as bilateral tensions continue to escalate following Turkey's downing of a Russian jet last week.

Erdogan said he would resign if Putin could substantiate the charge. But Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at Istanbul's Suleyman Sah University, says Moscow’s allegation comes at a sensitive time.

"There [are] continuously newspaper articles everywhere about the deals of Turkey with these terrorist groups. [The] Russians officially are now talking about the relationship of Turkey with terrorist groups. So the pressure is building around Ankara," said Ankar.

Observers say Moscow’s claim that Turkey has benefited from the multimillion-dollar illicit oil trade with Islamic State are particularly sensitive for Erdogan, given that many of the allegations involve his son, Bilal. Erdogan has strenuously denied those allegations and, so far, Putin has offered no evidence to support his claim. But Russian intelligence is believed to have a major presence in Turkey.

The rising tensions between Turkey and Russia come as both sides continue to bolster their military presence on the TurkishSyrian border. Russia announced its Su-34 fighter bombers operating in Syria are now carrying air-to-air missiles for self-defense, while Turkey's air force has stepped up patrols along the Syrian border.

Erdogan

happens, the kidnap of colleagues, this is always a shock. "We have to regroup immediately, try to understand what happened. This is exactly where we are right now," he added. Daccord said that in this type of situation, "you most likely have two to three days" to try to connect with the possible perpetrators.

News14

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

EFCC arrest: My story, by Dokpesi ÏÏÏFounder of Daar Communi-

cations Plc (Ray Power and AIT), High Chief Aleogho Dokpesi, has explained the circumstance surrounding his invitation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday.

In a statement signed by the management of DAAR Communications, he said that around 2.00p.m that day, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Alhaji Ibrahim Magu, through a phone call, invited him to the Commission.

On getting there, he was requested to, “shed more light on some payments that were made to him through the office of the erstwhile National Security Adviser to the former President, Malam Sambo Dasuki.”

Dokpesi explained to the EFCC officials that the N2.1 billion that he collected from the former NSA was payment for publicity and media political campaigns during the 2015 general elections.”

Chief Dokpesi “made his statement on the various media exposures and campaign transactions

which were dutifully carried out based essentially on contractual obligations/relationship.”

The statement, however, did not explain how the office of the National Security Adviser became the cashier office for the payment of campaign expenses and the source of the money.

A special panel and the EFCC are probing how trillions of naira budgeted for defence were spent in the last eight years. An interim report by the panel already reported phony contracts in excess of $2 billion.

Dokpesi

Harvest of workers protest in Imo Val Okara Owerri

ÏÏÏ

L-R: Director, Occupational Health/Staff Health Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Kubie Layeni-Adeyemo; Assistant Director, Nursing Services, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Mrs. Shode Modupe; Chief Medicial Director, LASUTH, Professor David Adewale Oke; Assistant Director, Nursing Services, Federal Medical Center, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, Mrs. Dorothy Nyong and Commandant, Nigerian Army College of Nursing, Brig.-Gen. Toyin Ibrahim, during the LASUTH Nurses 10th Annual Conference, in Lagos…on Wednesday. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Gov. Ishaku files appeal, seeks nullification of tribunal ruling Henry Omunu Abuja

ÏÏÏGovernor Darius Ishaku of

Taraba State has filed a suit at the Court of Appeal, in Abuja, seeking the quashing of the ruling of the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which nullified his election as governor and declared Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the election.

In the notice of appeal filed by lawyers led by Kanu Agabi (SAN), on Wednesday, Ishaku is asking the appellate court to set aside the judgement of the election petition tribunal, delivered on November 17, allow his appeal

and for the court to set aside all the consequential orders made by the tribunal, as well dismiss the petition filed by Alhassan.

Joined as respondents in the suit were Alhassan, the APC, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The appellant is basing his appeal on 11 grounds and is asking the appellate court to rule that the tribunal erred in law by allowing the witness statements, even though the statements were not sworn to, were not accompanied by any affidavit and no oath was administered on the witnesses.

The governor averred in his appeal that since the witness statements were not sworn to, then it was wrong for the tribunal to adopt or modify the statements in strict compliance with Section 13 of the Oaths Act. He added that the tribunal

erred in ruling that he was not qualified to contest the governorship election, having not been sponsored by a political party and faulted the tribunal’s judgement in declaring Alhassan’s petition as competent and went further to declare her duly elected as governor in spite of the fact that the APC candidate pleaded in her petition that the said election was marred by corrupt practices.

Ishaku

Civil servants in Imo State marched through the major streets of Owerri, on Wednesday, in protest against non-payment of their salaries.

The workers, who were drawn from 42 parastatals, blocked Okigwe Roundabout leading to Government House to press home their demands.

Some of the effected parastatals were Imo Marketing Board, Imo State Library Board, Adapalm, Imo State Council for Arts and Culture, Oguta Motel, Consumer Protection Agency, Health Management Board, General Hospitals, Poverty Alleviation Bureau, amongst others.

The workers said that they had undergone a series of verifications without positive response from the state government, saying that they were only demand-

Adamawa Assembly Whip opens up on suspended member Dan Garba kurama Yola

ÏÏÏ

The Adamawa State House of Assembly Chief Whip, Hon. Hassan Mamman Barguma, has revealed many shady deals committed by the suspended lawmaker, who is representing Mubi South, Abdularaham Isa Abubakar, as the hidden truth that must be told to the people of the state.

The former Chairman of Standing Committee on Information,who granted an interview to journalist in his

ing their salaries, not fighting anybody. “We were only protesting, in defence of our legitimate rights.”

The salary owned workers in various parastatals include, Library Board 9 months, Water Corporation 12 months, Imo Specialist Hospital, Owerri 12 months, Consumer Protection Agency 9 months, Arts and Culture 14 months, amongst others.

The aggrieved workers have been protesting since the past for three days.

Addressing the protesters, one Mr. Kingsley Uju, said that the government was doing everything possible to settle the arrears of salaries owned to workers.

Meanwhile, hundreds of customers of the MTN, on Wednesday, vandalised the telecommunication operator’s office in Owerri over the blockage of their SIM cards (Numbers) by the company.

office, in Yola, at the Assembly complex, said that relevant constitutional section would be invoked to protect the sanity of the nation’s constitution of 100 days’ sitting requirement by the law-makers.

Barguma said this in defence of the myriads of lies and unfounded allegations made against the Governor and 24 lawmakers of the House that led to the suspension of Abdulraham Abubakar.

Hassan said that the embattled law-maker, out of ignorance, went to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) and alleged that the executive Governor was wrong to go and collect an overdraft of N3 billion from a bank to pay salaries without the knowledge of the House.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

15 Opinion

Biafra: Agitation and ‘Divide-and-Rule’ “I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” —Harriet Tubman

Nwobodo Chidiebere

F

or weeks now, the issue of Biafra agitation has been at the front burner in the polity. Every vendor’s stand has been turned into a theatre of arguments by persons who spend hours analysing the fresh Biafra movement being championed by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). Almost every known and unknown columnist has written in support or against Biafra’s resuscitation and detention of Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

I embarked on this intellectual exercise to express my thoughts about Biafra agitation and where the struggle is heading, especially where spin doctors who are known agents of divide-and-rule have gone back to their age-long tactics.

The major target of these divideand-rule elements which tend to cry more than the bereaved is to Igbonise the struggle of Biafra

restoration by using the instrumentality of the media to tag Biafra agitation Igbo “affair”. The irony of the debate is that majority of those divide-and-rule advocates are non-Biafrans. I think the future or restoration of Biafra should strictly be left for peoples of region to decide.

I would like to expose some of the antics of these divide-and-rule agents, who are only out to create division amongst us. The following thought-provoking questions would help in highlighting my submission: Why is it that the Hausa/ Fulani which comprise major ethnic groups in Northern Nigeria are always seen as one indivisible people, rather than Hausa and Fulani? Why do we have South-South as a geo-political zone carved out of old Eastern region, but nothing like North-North in Northern Nigeria?

How did the creators of this SouthSouth mantra invent the word that is not in line with known cardinal points in geography? Why is there Niger-Delta in the South but nothing like North-Sahara in the North?

Why is there only one Northern Governors Forum, but South-East, South-West and South-South Governors Forum in the South?

Why do we have Northern El-

ders Forum(NEF) but hardly Southern Elders Forum?Someone should put on his thinking cap by now.

Yoruba as one of the major tribes in Nigeria has roots in North-Central states of Kwara and Kogi—which are outside Yorubadominated region of South-West.

Yet, the Yoruba in Kogi and Kwara are seen as full-fledged Yorubaspeaking people with their customs and traditions. There is nothing like Kogi and Kwara Yoruba.

In line of this thought process, why would divide-and-rule propagandists keep referring to the Igbo in Delta and Rivers states as Delta or Rivers Igbo with sole purpose of creating division between them and their brothers and sisters in the South-East?

The unfortunate angle in this scenario is that so many of our brothers and sisters born after the civil war bought into this gimmick unknowingly until now. The emergence of Radio Biafra has help to deconstruct this mountain of falsehood and deflate the balloon of fallacies bandied by divide-andrule campaigners who now termed undiluted and unalloyed truth emanating from Radio Biafra as “hate speeches”, what an irony!

I have asked these questions sev-

eral times without getting reasonable answers: why do we have BBC Hausa Service broadcasting in the Northern Nigeria and there is no BBC Yoruba Service and Igbo Service or Ijaw Service broadcasting in the West or East? Who is afraid of Radio Biafra? Could the difference between BBC Hausa Service and Radio Biafra be that one is propagating divide-and-rule antics cum born-to-rule ideology, while later is championing restoration of rights of Indigenous people of Biafra via self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Chatter? Where were those anti-Radio Biafra elements when Radio ‘Chanji’ setup by the APC apologists in the North before the presidential election with sole aim of inciting Northerners against President Jonathan?

Former President Jonathan lost the last presidential election as a hero but the campaign that preceded the election unified the entire old Eastern region for once since after the Nigeria-Biafran war.

It is on record that Igbo sacrificed a lot to ensure re-election for Jonathan during the campaign not because of government survive but as result of the umbilical cord intertwining them with other ethnic nationalities of old Eastern region.

Housing: FHA must belong to the Change Team

F

Dr. Folorunsho Saburi Bello

rom the observatory, the National Bureau of Statistics and other gladiators in housing delivery failed to hyperbolise the deficit of 17 million houses for the increasing population of Nigeria. People are beginning to wonder what the Ministry of Housing and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), have done with the fiscal allocations over the past decades to address the shortfall.

Notably, the habitat agency has constructed preponderant houses on misplaced dimension. A visit to the aesthetic, Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, sprawling houses built with eyes, ears and nose attachments, as a quintessential labour leader/ father, Pius Isagua (1934-2010) once described; with a roof-top price of N50 million per unit, lends credence to this.

For FHA to really house the nation in accordance with its motto, it must reorder its priority. Reordering presupposes a paradigm shift, a shift that recommends suspending the construction of billionaire and millionaire houses, and emphasising provision of low profile, massescentered structures.

The crux of this brief is for FHA

to always consider the pivot of administrative rather than judicial or political solution to settling rifts with its clients. It is impulsive, senseless and savagery for FHA to censor at Supreme Court, Lagos senior citizens that turned in over N900 million into its coffer in 1994, with a view to own houses within two years afterwards.

These houses on 12 sites in Lagos State should be completed and allocated. In the alternative, refund their deposits in compliance with the FHC ruling of 2010, upheld by the higher court in 2013.

I could not hold back tears when a once vibrant, athletic Igbo woman, and one of the plaintiffs, in emotion laden voice, narrated how she was knocked down by a hit-and-run commercial bus operator on Falomo Road in 2010, racing to Federal High Court, Ikoyi, to hear the ruling of Justice Dan Abutu (rtd) on the case of FHA versus Lagos Housing depositors. The accident deformed her and today, moves around on wheelchair.

How about my sister across the Niger, a one-time co tenant, Hajia Bintu Danbaba, regretfully lured (though with good intention) into subscribing into the programme, paid the required deposit in1994 with her gratuity, only to be turned into an

squatter/pauper, arising from nonperformance by FHA. Many of the plaintiffs also died whilst the case lasted for 10 years in FHC, Ikoyi.

Resonating a verse that tactfully denounce FHA, the judgment of the Court of Appeal on Pg.17, lines 4-15, delivered by Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba JCA. is relevant and on quote “It appears the Appellant i.e. FHA’s intention is to deprive the plaintiffs of their deposits and contributions without allocating any houses to them. That would be very wrong in law and equity, and no court of law will aid FHA in achieving such an unholy objective.”

To further interpolate the ipsa loquitor appearance of Her Lordship, “not even the World Court will aid FHA in such trend”, so, going to Supreme Court, FHA is unjustly using the federal might to shift the goal post by hiding under the rigmarole of courts procedure.

Yes! The Change era is here. FHA cannot afford not to shape in. The ball has been set rolling to sanitise the housing sector with the appointment of Raji Fashola (SAN) as the minister in charge of housing.

The minister would expectedly ask plethora of forensic questions as to: What happened to depositors’ fund?

Why were the houses not completed and letters of allocation issued to depositors? Where does the causal arrow point for the mismanagement of Lagos housing project? Who are those occupying the ready-completed houses, how did they get to own the houses, are they part of the Lagos depositors? Who are the officials that allocated public houses to himself or herself by proxy? Who are those laying siege on the abandoned houses on some Lagos sites? Who are those that formed a cartel around Lagos housing project? Who are the undercover agents of corrupt officials of FHA? Who are the FHA officials in custody of Lagos completed/uncompleted estates that gave them out on rent to friends, associates, cronies and street urchins under suspicious public private partnership arrangements, flagrantly in contempt of a yet to be vacated injunction placed in 2003 on all Lagos sites of the National Housing Programme (including the Diamond Estate at Idowu Egba, Isheri, with about 1,500 bungalows that were 70 per cent developed with depositors’ fund, later completed in 2007 and sold during the tenure of His Excellency, Olusegun Mimiko as the then minister in charge of housing, to a non-depositor, Locke International Consultancy Ltd.

News 16

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Senate summons TETFUND’s scribe over alleged diversion of N200b Augustine Okezie

Abuja ÏÏÏThe Senate yesterday in Abuja voted to probe the Tertiary Education Trust fund (TETFUND) over the misappropriation of the total sum of seven hundred billion naira between 2011 and 2015 fiscal year The resolution to probe the Education interventionist agency followed a motion to that effect moved by Senator Habib S Abdullahi from Niger East senatorial district of Niger state, who urged the hallowed chamber to invite the executive secretary of the fund to explain

and give clarity to the misappropriation of the Education tax fund between 2011 and 2015 His allegations against TETFUND amongst others include the diversion of 200b naira into unknown projects, granting of Education loans to the federal Ministry of Education without approvals, poor state of infrastructure in the Tertiary Education sector, and budgeting of N500b for Media/advertising without approvals He said’’ I want to believe the issues raised in this motion are very worrying and

considering the state of our economy and the need for diversification requiring our varsities to measure up to academic standards and contribute their quota to national development, there is the urgent need to invite Professor Elias Bogoro to come and present the true picture on what transpired’’ Explaining further on the importance of the motion ,Senator Abdullahi noted that the fund appears to be derailing on its mandate, adding that for instance he queried the rationale for multiple allocation of interventions to some tertiary

institutions while that of some other institutions are either none existent or minimal in size.

He further wondered the continued decline in the global ranking of universities, due to poor state of infrastructure in the tertiary education sector and inspite of claims by the agency of having revitalized the institutions The senate President Dr Bukola Saraki further charged the Education committee which is to conduct the probe to submit their reports in a month’s time, to do a thorough job.

Angry subscribers vandalise MTN office, injure staff in Ondo ‘Tosin Ajuwon

Akure ÏÏÏClashes broke out on Wednesday between subscribers of the giant, Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) whose mobile lines were barred and members of its staff in Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West LGA of Ondo state.

The Daily Times learnt that the clash which later turned into heavy brawl between the subscribers and some of the staffs of the company left a securityman, identified as Tayo Akingbade, in his pool of his blood.

Eyewitnesses narrated to our correspondent that some subscribers who are

majorly customers of the telecommunication network had throng the local branch office of the company at the early hour of the day with the aim of retrieving their lines after days of incommunicado.

One of the witness added that trouble started when the security-man attached to the company began announcing the list of those who had written down their names and allowed them entrance into the office to embark on the registration exercise. “While the process was on going, a middle aged man suddenly knocked at the door and wanted to forced himself inside the office and this

‘NOUN graduates are sought after in the Labour market’ Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (right) presenting the state plaque to Managing Partner, PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC) UK, Mr. Kervin Ellis, during the Lagos State Trade and Investment Forum held at Dorchester Hotel, Mayfair, London… on Monday.

FG steps up efforts to tackle corruption in work places Akor Ejumene

Abuja ÏÏÏIn an effort to checkmate corruption in the work places, the Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the Federal Ministry of labour and Employment has organized a One-Day sensitization Workshop for its Management Staff on Works ethics with extant Rules and Regulations.

Delivering his keynote address at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Clement Illoh explained that the objective of the workshop was to institutionalize Good Governance as an ingredient for growth and sustainable development as well as sensitize the staff of the Min-

istry by defining their roles and responsibility on the actualization of the AntiCorruption Crusade of the Government.

Illoh who was represented by the Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Mrs. Mofisat Arogundade stressed that the objectives of the workshop are part of the “Change Mantra “ of this present administration and vision of Nigeria in the Labour and Employment sector at the heart of the Industrialization Strategy.

He called on the participants to take full advantage of the workshop to update their knowledge in order to facilitate effective discharge of their assigned responsibilities, adding that the topics were carefully chosen to

underscore the need for the staff of the ministry to sufficiently appreciate the challenges corruption pose for this country with the aim of addressing them.

In his welcome address, the Director of Special Duties, Mr. Felix Ogenyi observed that the challenges of corruption which has been an impediment to effective implementation of government policies deserve better attention.

He stressed that Section 7(1) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act 2000 vested the powers to make standing orders and also to make rules respectively for giving effect to the provision of the Act 2000 re-enforced the

functions and powers of ICPC to educate, enforce and prosecute Offenders of AntiCorruption activities that is a critical role which Ministries and Extra-Ministerial agencies are supposed to play in the Anti-Corruption drive is education, awareness creation and capacity building of staff for better service delivery.

Buhari

Mathew Dadiya

by students.

Prof. Tenebe said courses and programmes of the school are approved and accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) just as it applies to the conventional universities.

According to him, the same benchmark approved for all universities in the country by the Federal Ministry of Education also applies to NOUN. He advised those who may want to obtained degree from the institution not to entertain any fear over the worth of degree certificates awarded by the university.

Labour fumes over delisting from Exclusive List

cated the removal of labour matters from exclusive to concurrent legislative list But in a swift reaction yesterday, in Ado Ekiti, the NLC Chairman in Ekiti, Com. Ade Adesanmi, described the statement credited to the State Head of Service, as very disturbing, and a ploy to emasculate the trade unions and punish the workers unjustly in the country.

The labour union, which urged government to brace up for a titanic battle if it goes ahead with the plan, threatened to resist attempt to enlist labour issues on the concurrent list, describing the plot as an attempt to foster impunity in the system.

Abuja ÏÏÏGraduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) are said to be the most sought after in the labour market much more than their counterparts from the conventional universities.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Vincent Ado Tenebe in an interview with the Daily Times in Abuja said that NOUN was able to achieve such distinction due to its outstanding quality control system, transparent examination process and maturity as well as experience acquired

Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏThe Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC) Ekiti state chapter has described the delisting of labour matters from the exclusive legislative list as a ploy to kill Labour.

Ekiti State Head of Service, Dr. Olugbenga Faseluka had on Tuesday at the 2nd biannual symposium of the Association of Resident Doctors in Ekiti State, advo-

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

17

Features Æ

Barr Atta (Right), His lordship, Ada Nosiru and a panelist at a session

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN:

First Lady frowns at gender-based discrimination, child labour Ïz ƍ Ɔ Ǝ ƃ ƋƆƍ ƃƓ Ǝ ƕƄƃ ƎƍƏƃƎ ƅ ƊƆƉƓ ƕ Ǝƍ ƕƆƎƆ Ɖ Ɗ ƍƍƆ Ƅ The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency Hajia Aisha Muhammadu Buhari at the 5th International Conference on Women and Children in Lagos lamented that violence against women and children has become the most disturbing trend of our time.

GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR reports.

The occasion was the opening of the 5th International Conference on Women and Children organised by the International Law Conference on Women and Children, the Nigerian Institute of International Relations, Lagos. The

The poverty of the Nigerian women, their lack of empowerment, as well as their marginalisation resulting from their exclusion from social and economic policies have placed them at the increased risk of violence contrary to internationally agreed development goals – Hajia Buhari venue was the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

Ably represented by Barrister Mrs. Atta, the First Lady commended the organisers for this year’s theme, Global Approaches to Violence against Women and Children: identifying the Triggers, Remedies/Solutions and Policy Frameworks, acknowledging the theme to be the most sin-

gular important issue adversely impacting on the wellbeing of Nigerian women and children today.

In an emotion laden speech, Hajia Buhari lamented that over the past twenty years, violence against women has come to be understood as a real violation of human rights and, in fact, a form of gender-based discrimination.

“The poverty of the Nigerian women, their lack of empower-

Children ndertaking tasks beyond their ages

ment, as well as their marginalisation resulting from their exclusion from social and economic policies have placed them at the increased risk of violence contrary to internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

“On the other hand, violence against children has become the most disturbing trend of our time. In fact, hardly any day passes without one form of violence or the other (especially child domestic rape, human trafficking, baby factory, child labour) being committed against the Nigerian child.”

Hajia Buhari recalled the recent study of Nigeria’s Population Commission with support from UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, titled: Violence Against Children which revealed that six out 10 Nigerian children experience some form of violence, and a quarter of girls suffer sexual violence.

“If anything, this statistics is rudely shocking,” the First Lady said. “On top of this shocking statistics, we have watched with alarm the increasing violence and hostilities against children and destruction of the lives of many Nigerian children in the last two years alone.

“Hundreds and thousands of Nigerian children have been victims of war and mass expul-

sions across different parts of the country. Our children are also victims of rape, abortion, infanticide, child labour, street hawking, child prostitution, social media violent pornography and human trafficking.”

Hajia Buhari therefore applauded the timeliness of the conference, stressing that this would afford stakeholders the opportunity of putting in place the necessary machineries for the protection of our women and children.

“Despite the fact that the family is the fundamental unit of the society and shaper of values for children, there are many conspiracies to destroy or deconstruct the family and the meaning of traditional marriage.”

Stressing concern on family values and continuity, the First Lady said family institution must be re-invigorated to continue to protect both women and children.

“Women should not be seen as mere objects to be molested or visited by violence, especially domestic violence. Instead, women should be seen as playing complementary role with men in building the family and the nation,” she said.

Also worried over levity of abortion laws in the country, Hajia Buhari noted that this menace remains the greatest violence against women and CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Features 18

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

The family institution must be re-invigorated – Hajia Buhari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

should be avoided.

She recalled the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989, signed and ratified by Nigeria and said this remains the benchmark for assessing the rights of our children.

“The CRC states that every child, before and after birth, should have a right to life, right to basic education, right not to be coerced to engage in any unlawful sexual activity, right not to be abducted and sold into slavery, freedom of expression, right not to be used for child labour, child trade, child trafficking etc.

“I therefore call for the implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015, but the obligation of the State to end Violence against women and children should extend beyond legislation to enforcement. Legislation must be accompanied by multiple enforcement strategies.

“Once again, I thank the organisers of this conference for putting the conference together and I wish you all God’s blessings and the will to implement the resolutions of this conference.”

In a paper titled, Sex Trafficking and Violence against Children in Nigeria: Causes and Legal Remedies, the duo of Professors Osita Agbu and Chinyere Rita Agu, both research fellows at the Research and Studies Department of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, defined the rights of the child under international law: “Every child has the right to freedom from all forms of violence. This principle is not just common sense and basic morality, it is also an international legal obligation, as defined in the convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, which is the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty.

“It is noteworthy that without the threat of violence, children are free to develop their talents and skills to their full potential and shape their future. The potential for positive change is enormous, but for now, violence remains a pervasive phenomenon that blights the life of millions of children, haunts entire communities and stifles the

Aisha Buhari

prospects for sustainable development and social progress.”

According to UNICEF Global Survey on Violence against Children “It takes place in the violence cuts across boundaries of age, race, culture, wealth and geography; even at home, in the streets, in schools, in the workplace, in detention centres and in institutions for the care of children.”

Violence shows itself in many forms: neglect, physical and emotional violence, sexual abuse, rape, trafficking, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, forced and child marriage, acid attacks, killings in the name of honour, forced begging, bonded labour and so many others.

Such violence also has serious and long-lasting consequences. It compromises child development and increases the risk of poor health, poor school performance and longterm welfare dependency. It is often associated with poverty and deprivation, and acts as a hindrance to the fulfillment of potentials of individuals.

Trafficking in human beings, especially in minors and young women, for the purpose of sexual exploitation has become an issue of major concern globally because of its rapid growth in recent years.

According to UN Report from 2012, there are about 2.4 million people throughout the world who are victims of human traf-

A set of minors been made to work as labourers.

From 2012, there are about 2.4 million people throughout the world who are victims of human trafficking at any given moment. In 2012 the industry was worth an annual estimated sum of $32 billion, and 80 percent of victims were being exploited as sexual slaves – UN report. ficking at any given moment.

In 2012 the industry was worth an annual estimated sum of $32 billion, and 80 percent of victims were being exploited as sexual slaves.

The 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in persons, based on data from between 2010 and 2012, shows the share of trafficked children was 5 percentage points higher than recorded in the report, which used data from between 2007 and 2010.

Sex Trafficking and violence against children are underpinned by exploitation. Exploitation includes at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of children or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Trafficking for the purpose of

sexual or economic exploitation is considered a contemporary form of slavery, and a serious violation of children and women’s human rights. Trafficking is accomplished through the use of force, coercion, and/or deception, with the ultimate intent of exploiting the victim.

While the victims may have originally agreed to voluntarily leave with the trafficker, they do so under conditions of deceit or fraud. Estimates show that between one and two million women and children are trafficked each year worldwide for forced labour, domestic servitude, or sexual exploitation.

Trafficking, which is regarded as a modern form of slavery, is an affront to human dignity, often involving psychological terror and physical violence.

Trafficking encompasses is-

sues of human rights and rule of law, of law enforcement and crime control, of inequality and discrimination, of corruption, economic deprivation and migration.

The Beijing Platform for Action identified trafficking for sexual exploitation as a form of violence against women. Trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation covers women who have suffered intimidation and/or violence through being trafficked. Traffickers often control their victims through violence or threats of violence, which are the most common forms of coercion used against trafficked women.

In Jigawa State, in the north, a child is defined with reference to puberty which suggests that a Muslim child from the age of puberty may be sentenced to death under Sharia Penal Code 2000 and the Sharia Criminal Procedures Code Law 2001, and a non-Muslim child from the age of 17 may be sentenced to death under the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code 1960.

Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a Child as every human being below the age of 18 years, unless under the law applicable to the Child, majority is attained earlier.

Also, the O.A.U. Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 1999 defined child as every human being below the age of 18 years.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

19

Crime Æ

Five in Police net for murder It was yet another drama at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters as a gang of five suspected to be responsible for the death of one Adesina, said they are innocent and falsely accused and arrested. JOY ANYIM was there and reports.

The Police in Lagos has arrested a five man gang suspected to be cultists responsible for the murder of one Adesina, an Okada rider in the Cele-Nizer area of Lagos.

The incident which took place about 2 am on the 26th November 2015 reported to the Isashi Police division for investigation and possible arrest of the perpetrators of the crime. ]Daily Times gathered that the suspect was shot by the gang outside his house in the same area ang for reasons yet to be disclosed.

Acting on information from well meaning members of the public, officers from the division swung into action and five suspects were arrested.

Those arrested were, Christiana Akpan (29), Toheeb Ganiyu, Kelly Onuwche (23), Bamidele Ajibade (41) and Adesina Aribo.

Parading the suspects, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP, Fatai Owosen disclosed that among the suspects were those that have been wanted for one crime or the other by the command in time past.

The suspects

“We are digging deep into our records to get the files of the previous murder cases they have committed and they will surely face the wrath of the law.”

Christiana who hails from Akwa-Ibom state said she is a commercial sex worker at Bright Hotel at Cele-Nizer.

“On the day of the incident, I was waiting for customers in front of the hotel with other girls when some guys stormed the hotel premises. They just saw the murdered guy who at that time was in front of the hotel, they jacked him and one of them slapped me and asked me what I was standing there for so I ran away. The one that slapped me ran to our gate and locked it from the outside. Out of fear I ran inside, Later I heard a gunshot and that is all I recall that night.”

Christiana who is an orphan said been doing this job for two years. “It is in trying to make ends meet that led me into this work. I have three children aged 15, 12 and 6; they are with my sister in Akwa Ibom and I sustain them with the money I make here.”

Adesina Aribo, (a.k.a. DJ Sin) from Ese-Odo, Ilaje in Ondo State said he is a DJ at the same hotel.“I normally play for them on Saturdays and Sundays. I had wanted to come on Thursday but my girl friend Christiana called me not to come, that there was a problem outside the hotel and that was how I dropped the idea of coming to work. She late called me that she heard a gunshot outside the hotel and it is like they

I accompanied my girlfriend to Bright Hotel International to meet the director. It was while I was at the hotel that some police men came and said I was needed for questioning over the death of late Shina. I told them I knew nothing and that on the day of the incident I was not even there.

I know nothing about the death. I am only a DJ employed by the director – DJ Aribo have killed somebody and that everybody had run out of the hotel.

“I told her to come and meet me where I live but I had to go and lodge her in a hotel at Okokomaiko to pass the night because I am married with two kids and could not take her to my house.

“The next day being Friday, I accompanied her to Bright Hotel International to meet the director. It was while I was at the hotel that some police men came and said I was needed for questioning over the death of late Shina.

“I told them I knew nothing and that on the day of the incident I was not even there. I know nothing about the death. I am only a DJ employed by the director. I have worked at the hotel for one year.”

Toheeb Ganiyu, a mechanic said he was supposed to travel to Abuja for a job but did not have enough money. “I told a friend who lives at Kpako–Ketu about it and we agreed I would meet him by 6 am on Friday to get some money. Unfortunately I over slept and got there by 8 am and met his

absence. I then choose to go and meet him at his place of work. I had only N100 and needed another N100 to complete the fare.

“I saw kelly at the entrance of the street collecting money so I went to him to help me with N100 to transport myself to Badagry. I never knew him before. He then told me that any vehicle that wants to pass, that I should remove the stick which he blocked the road with and collect N100 from them.

“The only vehicle that I tried to do so for was a police vehicle which I did not know and that was how I was arrested. I asked them what my offence was and they said when I get to the station that I would know. On getting to the station I was told someone was murdered. I have never seen the person in question not to talk of knowing him.”

Kelly Onuwche who also denied knowledge of the murder said he is a driver and a dancer.

“I am a father of two, but because I hadn’t the resources to get my driver’s license and the com-

munity where I live needed someone to help them collect money from vehicles and bikes coming into the community in order to raise funds to repair the road, I had to pick up the job.

“The boy that was murdered is not a cyclist. Yes he lives in Ketu but for some time I had not been seeing him. He was my senior in secondary school; I even know his parents. I work for the community and I remit N2000 daily to the youth chairman.

“I really don’t understand why the community has not intervened in my case to at least let the police know I am innocent of what I am been accused of.”

Bamidele Ajibade also claimed innocence of the murder. “I know nothing about this case. I was in my house on Friday at Segun Ajibade Close, Cele-Nizer when police officers came to arrest me. I am an Electrical engineer.

When they arrested me, my people came and the police lied to them that my case had been transferred.

“Later when my people discovered I was still there and tried to see how they can involve a lawyer to secure my bail for what I know nothing about, the police told them they were still investigating, till I was brought here.

“I know the deceased when he was still a baby; I used to grind pepper for my mother in their house at that time. Even on the day of the incident, I was with my zonal chairman in the community.”

Further investigations in ongoing.

Crime 20

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Driver nabbed for kidnap of his madam

The suspects

Madam was treating me like a slave – Michael A 27 year old driver, Solomon Michael from Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi state has confessed to planning a five man gang to kidnap his madam, Alhaja Modupe Idris and steal her luxury jeep among other properties because she was treating him like a slave.

Other members of his gang in the police net include Ibrahim Sossa (29), Husseini (36), Paul Bitrus (30) and Suleman Mohammed (42).

Parading the suspects last Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Fatai Owoseni said, “On the 30th September 2015, at about 11:30 pm, one Alhaji Wale Idris of No. 4 Beyioku Eniyan Soro Street, off Ajao road Surulere Lagos reported that his wife Alhaja Modupe Idris of same address, his wife’s sister, one Alhaja Risikat Laminu and his daughter in-law, including their driver were all inside a black Toyota Sequire Jeep with registration number LSR871BM, when the jeep was snatched at gun point by six armed men along Surulere area of Lagos and they drove off the

vehicle to an unknown destination.

CP Owoseni also revealed that for a thorough investigation, the matter was referred to the special anti-robbery squad who swung into action and first rescued all the captives from the kidnappers while rigorous efforts were made through tracking by officer in charge of SARS, CSP Adejobi Akinade and this led to the arrest of two of the suspects in Jos Plateau state and the jeep recovered after been sold to a buyer. They all confessed to the crime.

According to CP Owoseni, the driver, Solomon Micheal confessed that he plotted the armed robbery and kidnap of his boss as a result of the bad treatment by the woman.

He said that it was one Emmanuel still at large that organised four members of the gang that carried out the operation with Ibrahim Sossa. Solomon had the following as his own share of the loot: Toyota Sequrie Jeep, one i-pad and a Samsung galaxy phone and he left for Jos to meet with one Thankgod Husseini who was informed of the crime and he received them and helped in selling all their loot.

He sold the jeep at the rate of N400,000 to one Paul Britus who later resold it to one Suleimon Mohammed; the jeep and the ipad have been recovered.

On the status of the case,

The recoverved jeep

CP Owoseni said it is being investigated and the robbed jeep with the kidnapped victim, ipad, were recovered from them, while efforts are been intensified to track down other gang members. He assured that they will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

Solomon’s told his story: “I am a driver to the madam and I am from Kogi state. I am married also. My salary is N25,000 a month which is not regular.

Alhaja was treating me like a slave, she sometimes forces me to do chores outside what is in the agreement I signed as her driver.

“I even go to work on Sundays and anytime I reminded her of going to the church for worship, she will not allow me. Even my neighbours praised my patience and tolerance to work for her as

a private driver.

“I had wanted to resign unfortunately one Emma came into my life and advised me on kidnapping work for quick money.

They sold the vehicle and gave me N40,000 as my own share.

They did not disclose to me the actual amount they sold the jeep. I will never work as a private driver for a woman again.”

The second suspect Ibrahim Sossa said he is a foreigner from Benin Republic. “I am a driver by profession. Solomon got the job to drive madam through me.

I have been robbing with Solomon before he ventured into kidnapping.

“I did not join him in kidnapping his madam. I was only arrested as a result of the Golf car I was driving and which we stole and was given to me as my own share. Police saw me in the

car and arrested me; we stole the car together from Victoria Island. I only rob, I did not kidnap anybody.”

The third suspect Thankgod in his defence said, “I am both a teacher and a football coach in a secondary school in Jos. Solomon made arrangements with these guys to kidnap his madam and carry her jeep.

“The only role I played was to direct Solomon to Bitrus for the sale of the jeep and my share was only N40,000, I did not even know that the woman was kidnapped until I was arrested.”

The fourth suspect Bitrus in his confession said, “I am an applicant from Gombe; I was the one that linked the gang to Suleimon who is good buyer of stolen goods. I was not told how much they sold the jeep. I was only waiting for my own share of the money before the police arrested me. I was not given anything; they are bad criminals. I regret joining that gang.”

The fifth suspect Suliemon in his confession said, “I was arrested in Bauchi; I am a buyer of stolen properties and that is my profession. I bought the stolen jeep for N400,000 cash. Buying stolen cars and jeeps is my business but unfortunately, the business is not favouring me because dealing with criminals is not easy and it is a big risk. If I am let off the hook I will look for genuine business to do.”

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

21 Public Notice

WINE EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

ANU OLUWAPO CENTRAL MOSQUE OSHODI-LAGOS

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

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

TRUSTEES: 1) OlAlekAN DuROJAIye ODuwOle. 2) MATTHew OluSeGuN BADekAle. 3) MRS. ADeDAPO OMOlARA ODuwOle. 4) ABIODuN JOHNSON. 5) kAyODe MATHew ODuTAyO. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE To contribute to the growing knowledge and interest in wine.

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

TRUSTEES: 1. Alhaji Oseni Fadeyi 3. Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Jimoh 5. Alfa Rasheed Aiyegbajeje

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE 1. All the lay down rules and regulation must conform with Sharia for the development of the mosque and also to boost the morale of the membership.

2. To assist member on developmental assistance 3. Improve the economic and standard of living of members according to Quran and Sunnah 4, encourage members to pay Zakat and observe other Islamic tenets Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BADA kOFOwOROlA JulIeT - CHAIRPeRSON 2. lAwAl, DuPe FlOReNCe 3. OyeGuN, OMOROGevA OSAyABA 4. AyuBA, OlAwAle BOlARINDe 5. AkINSeTe CHARleS AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To affect the lives of the Nigerian youths positively, through education and re-orientation of values.

2. To promote literacy and encourage reading among Nigerian youths 3. To encourage youths empowerment and promote leadership among the Nigerian youths Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIgNED: AKINTUNDE OLANIRAN WALIU BLACKFOUNT LAW pARTNERSHIp 27, ABEOKUTA STREET, AgO-TAYLOR BUS/STOp, ODO-ONA ApATA, IBADAN.

THE TRUSTEE NAMES ARE 1. OGuNTuyI Tosin Ayobami 2. Darabidan Ruth Modupeoluwa 3. Olamide Abisayo Ajah AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : 1. Non-profit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology.

2. To accelerate the growth of innovative women who are entering into the high-tech industry and building successful startups.

CHANgE OF TRUSTEES

The general public hereby notified that the above-mentioned Oblates Saint Joseph Inc. has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for Change of Trustees under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Cap 59 law of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

OlD TRuSTeeS ARe: 1. FR. MARIO CueTO - Removed 2. FR. FRANCIS SIGuAN - Removed 3. FR. JOHN MARCHIARO - Removed 4. BRO. PeTeR ANuMBA - Retained as a member but now a Rev. Fr. New TRuSTeeS ARe: 1. Rev. FR. MICHAel ODuBelA - Newly Appointed as President 2. Rev. FR. BONAveNTuRe ASHIBI - Newly Appointed as Secretary General 3. Rev. FR. JOSePH OSHO - Newly Appointed as a member 4. Rev. FR. uDuAk INNOCeNT uDOMBOH - Newly Appointed as a member 5. Rev. FR. OSIlAMA GIlBeRT SAMuGANA - Newly appointed as a member 6. Rev. FR. eTHelBeRT ARuA - Newly appointed as a member 7. Rev. FR. leO ukwuANI - Newly appointed as a member 8. Rev. FR. BONIFACe ekOwO - Newly appointed as a member 9. Rev. JOSePH Sule - Newly appointed as a member The Aims and Objectives are remained the same.

Article iv of the constitution hereby altered to reflect the new number of Trustees.

Any objection to the application and approval should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Agusi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28days of this publication.

SIgNED: KAYODE ALLI BALOgUN(COUNSEL TO THE TRUSTEES)

ALABA OLUWABUKOLA ADEBOYE

KEHINDE OLABISI JOLAOYE

I, formerly known and addressed as AlABA OluwABukOlA AlAO now wished to be known and addressed as AlABA OluwABukOlA ADeBOye. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as keHINDe OlABISI GABRIel now wish to be known and addressed as keHINDe OlABISI JOlAOye. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

AIMS 1. To set captive free 2. To preach salvation to mankind 3. To preach the gospel of God Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIgNED: THE IMAM

SIgNED SECRETARY

MOUNT ZION WOMEN OF VISION PEACE & EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE This is to inform the General Public that the above Named INITIATIve has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. Dr. Chidinma Frances Nwaigwe - Chairman 2 Mrs. Hauwa Bukola Nuru.

TRUSTEES 1. OkAFOR CAROl OBy 2. uyI vICTORIA IlORI 3. BleSSING CHIAMAkA OkAFOR 4. ukAMAkA ANyIM

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. To improve human health and wellbeing through health services, total care, information dissemination and training.

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

AIM AND OBJECTIVE 1. To foster humanitarian activities, irrespective of racism, ethnic, values and norms through human capacity building (capital empowerment).

2 To encourage women and youths to be law abiding citizen of our country Nigeria and to assist in capital empowerment through skill acquisition programme.

3. To extend our hands of love and motherhood to the orphanage homes and the less privileged Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIgNED: TRUSTEES.

Signed.

AMB. DR. MRS. OKAFOR CAROL OBY

EPOCHAL LEADERSHIP CHURCH

LIVING STREAM BIBLE MINISTRY

This is to inform the general public that the above named Church has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Osunjaye Olufemi Olatunji - President 2. Ogagaoghene Justice Oghenetega - Secretary 3. Osunjaye Oladunni Olamide 4. Famewo Olajide Ayodeji AIM AND OBJECTIVE : To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Signed: Secretary

SIgNED: OpEYEMI AFENI ESq SOLICITOR.

OBLATES OF SAINT JOSEPH INC. RC. 11,830

TRUSTEES 1. Pastor eze Peter Nwanneka 2. eze Happiness Anulika 3. evang Ofoegbu Chima kingsley 4. Njoku Rachael Akunna

NATURE CARE 360 LIFE FOUNDATION

DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE This is to inform the General Public that the above Named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

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

This is to inform the General Public that the above Named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

INSPIRING THE FUTURE INITIATIVE This is to inform the general public that the above named INITIATIve has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990

2. Alhaji Ridwan Raji 4. Alhaji Mukaila Ajiboye 6. Alfa lukman Oladunjoye

THE GRACE OF GOD OUTREACH AND MIRACLE

This is to inform the general public that the above named Ministry has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 TRUSTEES 1.PST. OluwAJOBAADeOyeADekuNle 2.PST. (MRS.) JANeT OluwABukOlAADekuNle 3. PST eMMANuel OyeBODe 4.MRS.RACHeAl TAIwOADeBOye 5.MRS. CORDelIA BeNSONIDOkO 6.MR. OlAleReMICHeAlOlAyIwOlA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO MAke HeAveN 2. TO eSTABlISH THe kINGDOM OF GOD ON eARTH 3. TO PRePARe AS MANy AS POSSIBle FOR HIS SeCOND COMING 4. TO ReSTRAIN wICkeDNeSS AND MINISTRy OF SATAN 5. TO MIDwIFe GOD’S PlANS AND PuRPOSeS 6. TO ReCeIve AND SHOw GOD’S BleSSINGS TO MeN AND SOluTIONS TO THeIR PROBleMS. SIgNED TRUSTEES.

Akinlosotu Shakiratu Adenike

OKPALA CHIZOBA PERPETUA

MRS. UMOH CHRISTIANA UDOH CHARLES

FEYIKEMI BALOGUN

I, formerly known and addressed as Onakoya Shakiratu, now wish to be addressed as Akinlosotu Shakiratu Adenike.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly known as OkPAlA CHIOMA, now wish to be known and addressed as OkPAlA CHIZOBA PeRPeTuA. All former documents remains valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known as Miss uMOH CHRISTIANA PHIllIP, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. uMOH CHRISTIANA uDOH CHARleS. All former documents remains valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known as Feike Rukayat Adedayo, now wish to be known and addressed as Feyikemi Balogun. All former documents remains valid. The general public should please take note.

MRS. RAFIAT AJOKE SULAIMAN

OMOLANI FOLUKEMI YETUNDE

AKINWUMI ONAYEMI MARIA

CHUKWUMA ODIASE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss. RAFIAT AJOke AlAO, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. RAFIAT AJOke SulAIMAN. All former document remain valid.

I formerly known and addressed as Akinpelu Foluke yetunde now wished to be known and addressed as Omolani Folukemi yetunde.

All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as AJIBADe ONAyeMI MARIA NOw wished to be known and addressed as AkINwuMI ONAyeMI MARIA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note

I, formerly known as CHRISTOPHeR J. IBIlIBOR now wish to be known as CHukwuMA ODIASe. All documents relating to my former name remains valid.

General public should take note.

MRS. OLUYEMI RUTH AKOMOLAFE

COSMOS JAMES OMONEFE WILLIAMS

MRS. ONAYEMI BIOLA AYO

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss OluyeMI RuTH FAlODe now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. OluyeMI RuTH AkOMOlAFe. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as eNABOIFO JAMeS now wish to be known and addressed as COSMOS JAMeS OMONeFe wIllIAMS All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly known as Mustapha Biola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Onayemi Biola Ayo. All former documents remains valid. The general public should please take note.

JOSEPH RITA CHIDINMA I,

formerly

known

and

addressed as NwuGu eDITH RITA, now wish to be addressed as JOSePH RITA CHIDINMA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OGBORMEH SIMON ONYEKACHI

ADEGBITE OMOTOKE ESTHER

MRS CHINONSO JAMES BLESSING IJEOMA

AMOS MARY

MRS. AGATHA AGIODE EDDIE ASUQUO

OKORIE MONDAY

I, formerly known and addressed as OROMIDAyO SIMON O now wished to be known and addressed as OGBORMeH SIMON ONyekACHI . All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Taiwo Anthonia Omotoke now wish to be known and addressed as Adegbite Omotoke esther. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Agomuo Blessing Ijeoma now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Chinonso James Blessing Ijeoma. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AkuDO JOy GODwIN now wish to be known and addressed as AMOS MARy. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known as Miss Agatha Ilamosi Agiode now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Agatha Agiode eddie Asuquo. All former documents remain valid; Olabisi Onabanjo university ogun state, Brian Munro limited and the general public should take note

I, formerly known as uDe kINGSley OkORIe now wish to be known as OkORIe MONDAy. All documents relating to my former name remains valid; ecobank Plc and the general public should take note.

News 22

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Nigerians in Spain divided over Federation election

ÏÏÏUneasy

calm now reigns among Nigerians living in Spain over alleged manipulation of the recently concluded election of the Federation of Nigerian Community in Spain.

Speaking with the Daily Times, President of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Kevwe Udieba, said that an election that was held on November 28, 2015, stands null and void, as the process leading to the election was flawed.

Tracing the genesis of the crisis, Udieba claimed that he was the object of the manipulation because of his resolve to prevent some Nigerian Embassy officials of fleecing their countrymen of their hard earned income.

Narrating his story: “Often times, Nigerians living in Spain have issues with the Nigerian Embassy and this has to do with the yearly Police Character Certificate (Police Report) which the Nigerian Police conduct.

“The Embassy charges of 170.00 Euros per person as well as other Consular Service Charges which were too high for Nigerians

in the diaspora to pay. I, as the President of the Federation, fought this sharp practice and eventually, the fee was reduced to 120.00 Euros during the tenure of Amb. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu.”

He also claimed that the relationship between the Embassy and the group went sour when another Consular Minister was appointed.

“He started meddling in the affairs of the Federation, brought in dichotomy and tribal sentiments which is against Embassy best practices.

“Three months ago, an Electoral Committee was set up by the President of the Federation, who happens to be my humble self, saddled with the responsibility of conducting elections on 28 November, 2015.

“A fight erupted amongst the Electoral Committee members at the instigation and manipulation by Mr. Sola of the Nigerian Embassy. With the foregoing, other provinces in Spain communicated to me their disgust and lack of faith in the Electoral Committee.

THE NANA ALIYU FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part ‘’C’’ Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THe TrusTees Are 1. ALIYU SULAIMAN DILI 2. LOVERING CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM 3. AMECHI CHINWENDU ADUOLA 4. OLADIPO OLUMAYOWA BELLO - SECRETARY 5. MOMOH ADEKUNLE 6 DR AJORITSEDERE JOSEPHINE AWOSIKA 7 ODUAH GIGI SARAH Aim And objecTive To cater for less privilege people Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 565 Ndola Square, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. signed TrusTees

GOING GREEN FOUNDATION

tion by the President and this was supported by the majority of the provinces.

A new date was to be fixed and communicated to the provinces” Udieba stated.

He also stated that sometime ago, the Vice President of the Federation called a meeting without informing the President, where only six provinces

tion, claiming it does not have the support of the President of the Federation and other eight other provinces in Spain.

He believed that the anomaly in the election was allowed because of his efforts at checkmating the supposed excesses of some members of the Embassy” the President added.

Ebonyi teachers to undergo competence test Udieba “A meeting was summoned for the 14 affiliate provinces that make up the Federation. During the course of the heated meeting, there was disenchantment amongst the members as a result of the manner the Electoral Committee, which the President set up.

“This polarised the Federation. One group was on the side of the President, while the other was on the side of Mr. Akinlude. All efforts to bring sanity to the Federation proved abortive.

This confusion led to the postponement of the elec-

Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

ÏÏÏIn

order to improve the quality of education in Ebonyi State, the state governor, Chief Dave Umahi has directed the leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to conduct competence test for all the teachers in the state before the middle of next month to enable government conduct hers.

Gov. Umahi reassured that he will not reduce the state workforce or cut salaries of workers because of the economic situation in the state.

Addressing leadership

of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) who paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Abakaliki, Governor Umahi lamented that out of 11 teachers interviewed during state Executive Council meeting, only two passed.

He urged the teachers to wake up to their duties in order to ensure that there is improvement in future WAEC and NECO, adding that a situation where the state continues to lag behind in exam results was unacceptable.

The governor commended the union for their understanding during the agitation by the state NLC for

Abdulrahman Aisha Tayo

LUKA BABA KAKA

MRS ANIFAT ABOSEDE ADEYINKA.

I, formerly known and addressed as Ojemeh Olutayo sharon , now wish to be addressed as Abdulrahman Aisha Tayo. All former documents remain valid. Ogun State Polytecnic take Note.

I, formerly known and addressed as NKEKI LUKA BABA, now wish to be known and addressed as LUKA BABA KAKA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known as Miss Anifat Abosede Jimoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Mrs Anifat Abosede Adeyinka. All former documents remains valid. The general public should please take note.

salary increment.

He reiterated his readiness to pay junior workers 100% one month salary bonus and senior ones 50% bonus for the Christmas festivity.

Umahi said each teacher will get a bag of rice for the Christmas celebration as part of the stomach infrastructure introduced by his administration.

He announced that arrangement had been concluded to procure good laptops for all the teachers in the state to make them ICT compliance and that each teacher will not pay more than N2, 000 monthly for the payments.

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

MRS SHINYANBOLA-AKINYEMI RASHIDAT TITILAYO

EHILEGBU OYINYECHI GLORIA

OKAFOR OGECHUKWU TESSY

FATAI ZARUMI

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Shinyanbola Rasidat Titilayo, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Shinyanbola-Akinyemi Rashidat Titilayo. All former document remain valid. The general public

I formerly known and addressed as Ehilegbu Onyinyechi, now wished to be Known and addressed as Ehilegbu Oyinyechi Gloria.

All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as CHINAZA STELLAMARIS AGU, now wished to be Known and addressed as OKAFOR OGECHUKWU TESSY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I, formerly known as ABDULFATAI SARUMI, now wish to be known as FATAI ZARUMI. All documents relating to my former name remains valid. General public should take note.

should please take note.

NDOKWA WOOD DEALERS ASSOCIATION

This is to inform the General Public that the above Named. Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

This is to inform the General Public that the above Named association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

TrusTees 1. MRS ADEYEMI JOHNSON ANNABELLE 2. TOBERU DADA 3. DABOTA MOBOLAJI-OSHUN

TrusTees 1. MR. PETER OGHENEKOME 2. MR. CHIDI ODUBU 3. MR. RAPHAEL. NWAMANAH 4. MR BEN OSAKWE

Aim And objecTive 1. To create and support initiative and programmes promoting waste management in Nigeria.

2. To encourage and promote the planting of trees for better living condition of humanity.

out of 16 were present.

He maintained that at the meeting, the electoral committee was present and became compromised.

“At the prompting of Mr. Sola, the election was conducted in spite of the fact that the postponement was communicated to him. It is on this premise that he vowed to nullify the elec-

Aim And objecTive 1. To promote peace and unity among wood dealers in NDOKWA land.

2. To provide a plat form for the. ventilation of ideas for the development of NDOKWU Land

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

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

signed: secreTAry

signed: secretary

signed: oKoLie esTHer ucHecHuKWu. esQ.

signed: oKoLie esTHer ucHecHuKWu. esQ.

UNIVERSAL ASSEMBLY OF YAHWEH MINISTRY. This is to inform the general public that the above named Min-

istry has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 TrusTees1, Odimegwu Paul Okwudiri - General Overseer 2, Remmy-James Chukwudi - General Secretary 3, Deborah Ezinne Odimegwu - Treasurer.

Aims: a) To preach the gospel of salvation to all mankind irre spective of the ethnic group. b) To promote holiness. signed TrusTees.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday December 3, 2015

Buhari, Chinese leader to discuss railway, power in S' Africa Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏ President Muhammadu Bu-

hari will leave Nigeria for South Africa, on Thursday, to participate in the Forum on China/Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), taking place in Johannesburg, the commercial capital South Africa.

Buhari was back in the country on Wednesday morning from trips to Malta and France where he attended Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and Climate Change Conference, respectively.

His Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that he would follow up on his meeting with the Chinese leader, Mr. Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, in New York.

Buhari had indicated to Xi, at the bilateral meeting in New York, that he wanted China to restart stalled rail projects under new terms that would see Beijing provide nearly all the financing required.

The statement further read: “Of particular interest is the coastal

railway project stretching for 1,402 kilometers linking Lagos in the West with Calabar in the East; a project that is expected to be financed with US$12 billion in Chinese loan and which will create about 200,000 jobs.

“Another rail project that will be up for renegotiation is the $8.3 billion Lagos-Kano standard gauge modernisation project, of which only a segment, Kaduna-Abuja has reached completion stage.

“President Buhari is also expected to discuss ways of removing all obstacles in the way of the 3,050 MW Mambila Power Station,

considered a strategic project which was conceived in 1982, but has not taken off.

“The Chinese President has informed President Buhari of the willingness of his country to finance the whole project through a special loan agreement.”

Buhari, who will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Transportation, Chubuike Amaechi; and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, is expected back in the country, on Saturday, December 5, the statement added.

Jerry Gana a political force at 70 – Gov. Bello Saka Bolaji Minna

ÏÏÏThe Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has felicitated with the former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, on his 70th birthday anniversary.

Bello eulogised the leadership quality of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, whose political affiliation, he said, cut across the nation’s political party, religion or tribal divide.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Jibrin Baba Ndace in Minna, Niger State capital, Bello said that Gana had remain politically relevant not only in Niger State, his place of birth, in particular, but, in the country, in general.

Describing Gana as a bridgebuilder, Bello recalled that since he came to public limelight during his days as Director- General of the defunct Directorate of Food, Road and Rural Infrastructure (DIFRRI), the Professor of Geography had continued to be a force in the political landscape of the country.

Gana

23 News Oyo Assembly tasks ministry on noise pollution Remi Oladoye Ibadan

ÏÏÏThe Oyo State House of

Assembly has directed the Ministry of Environment, Habitat and Urban Development and Physical Planning to begin enforcing the law on noise that were emanating from commercial worship centres and others places which were injurious to human health.

The motion, which was moved by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Abdul – Wasil Musah and the Chairman Parliamentary Caucus Hon. Olusegun Ajanaku, was to the effected the ministry should put all necessary machinery in motion to ensure strict compliance with the law at residential, commercial and religious cantres.

Part of the motion was also that the ministry should ensure commercial, worship and other centres controlled sound (through sound-proof methods) and curb noise emanating from their end.

NUC to audit varsities equipment, infrastructure Augustine Okezie

L-R: Brand Manager, Goldberg, Mr. Mfon Bassey; Public Affairs Manager, West/Mid-West Nigerian Breweries Plc, Tayo Adelaja and new Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan during the courtesy visit to the Ooni in Ile-Ife, Osun State … on Wednesday.

Fuel Scarcity: NACOMYO urges FG to revolutionalise oil sector Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏThe National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) has called on the Federal Government to speed up the changes being carried out in the downstream sector of the economy, so as to ameliorate the hardship being experienced by Nigerians, as a result of lingering fuel scarcity.

The Council said such a step would remove impediments to the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), so that Nigerians could have unhindered access to petrol – for mostly profitable economic activities While stating that a holistic reform should address the subsidy issue – as to whether it should be sustained or removed entirety – it said that Nigerians should not be suffering in the midst of plenty.

NACOMYO, in a release issued on the State of the Nation and signed by its National President, Alhaj Kamaldin Akintunde, also decried the epileptic power supply, lamenting that adequate energy provision was still a mirage in the country.

The group enjoined government to step up reforms that will guarantee constant power to Nigerians before deciding on electricity tariff hike, adding that the proposed increase of electricity rate was not agreeable to Nigerians as energy was not adequate nor regular to Nigerian homes.

“NACOMYO notes that the privatisation initiative should be result-yielding, while charging the electricity companies to brace up and justify the initiative in the overall interest of Nigerians and the economy.”

The Muslim body also commented that the practice of true federal-

ism and rule of law, premised on constitutional provisions would guarantee social and economic well-being, just as it enjoined the three tiers of government to be worker- friendly, by giving them their dues promptly, correctly and accurately.

Besides, it called for efficiency and high productivity on the part of the labour force, just as it opined that the call for minimum wage increase should be in tune with economic realities.

Speaking on the National Identity Card Management project, NACOMYO implored the management of the National Identity Card Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that adequate logistics and capturing gadgets were in place to fast-track issuance of ID cards, so that an impressive number of Nigerians would have obtained it by the 2016 date, when it would come into use.

Abuja ÏÏÏThe National Universities Commission (NUC) is expected, very shortly, to embark on the auditing of equipment and infrastructure in universities, to ensure that there was due diligence in their procurement and installation and that the institutions observed the requisite maintenance culture in handling them.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, said, on Wednesday, in Abuja – while presenting a keynote address, at a two-day workshop on “Equipment Processing and Procurement in Nigerian Universities”, jointly organised by the Commission and Eagles System Engineering – that the NUC, as a regulatory agency, would ensure efficient utilisation of resources in the universities He said that, “Institutions should determine their equipment needs. NUC has, over the years, insisted on equipping functional institutions. Important issues in equipment procurement processing include purchases and installation, proper warehousing and training of the needed manpower to handle the equipment.”

Also speaking on the occasion, the Secretary of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, Professor Michael Faborode, described the workshop as very important for the university system and wellpackaged in contents.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday December 3, 2015

Army boss advocates synergy against corruption, terrorism Remi Oladoye

L-R: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Admin, Nasarawa State University, Prof. Yakubu Ngwai; Korean Ambassador, H.E. Noh Kyu-Duk and Director General, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri during an interactive session with students of English and Literary Studies of Nasarawa State University, Keffi … on Wednesday.

We signed agreement with FAAN to operate regional flights—Babalakin Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏAs stakeholders in the

aviation sector chart the way forward, the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (BASL), Dr. Wale Babalakin has said that Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) signed agreement with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to operate regional flights.

His reaction is coming on the heels of insinuations making the round that the terminal will very soon commence flight operations

from the terminal with Dana Air being the first airline.

He explained that the terminal was not given approval contrary to insinuation making the round but that an agreement was signed.

The Chairman of BASL further explained that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was invited to inspect the terminal and that the regulatory body gave some conditions that should be met by the terminal before it could commence regional flights from

the facility.

Babalakin, who spoke at Breakfast Meeting titled, “Ownership, Viability, Safety and Security of Nigerian Airports”, organised by the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative(ASRTI), added that the conditions set by NCAA had been fulfilled by the terminal.

According to him, “Approval was not given, we signed an agreement to operate regional flights. NCAA was invited to inspect the facility and gave conditions that must be met and these

conditions have been fulfilled and we are waiting for the implementation.”

On the four star hotel directly opposite the multistorey MMA2 Car Park also belonging to BASL that was allegedly taken from BASL, Babalakin explained that some people had wanted to convert the project to FAAN offices but the idea did not.

He added that while this was going on, its technical partner withdrew because BASL could not explain why the hotel project was taken away from BASL.

Lagos has capacity to drive trade, investment, says Ambode ÏÏÏLagos

State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has posited that the state has the capacity to drive trade and investment in the African continent.

Ambode dropped this hint when he met with potential investors from over 40 countries at the just concluded Trade and Investment Forum, put together

by PricewaterhouseCoopers and held at the Dorchester Hotel, Mayfair, London.

The governor who spoke at a special session tagged ‘An Audience with the Governor of Lagos State’, said his administration is working hard to make the state

the bridge into Africa and become the staging post for trade and investment in the continent.

He said that since assuming office as the 14th Governor of the state, he set out to reposition Lagos as the ‘global gateway’ for Africa and an easy place to do business.

“Our strategic imperative is to see Lagos emerge as an International Financial Centre of repute in Africa and beyond. Indeed, I am confident that Lagos stands poised to sustain and further develop a buoyant financial and consumer services’ industry. We have the

population and the rise of an emerging middle class to back this up. Lagos is a new market, a new frontier for you to consider”, the governor said.

He said the need for diversification of the economy in the wake of the ongoing decline in oil prices with its inevitable consequences on the nation’s economy, was not negotiable as Nigeria can no longer rely on a mono economy.

“We require huge investments in public infrastructure, production of energy, health and education to enable us take full advantage of the evolving economic

conditions. The World Bank estimates that nearly $93 billion is required annually as investment in Africa and it is estimated that the city of Lagos will require at least a quarter of this figure”, he said.

Speaking on the topic, ‘Lagos: A City of Opportunity’, Ambode said that despite being the smallest state in Nigeria in terms of space, Lagos remains the commercial hub of the country as its GDP currently stands at $136.6 billion, while it contributes 25% to the GDP of Nigeria, making it arguably Africa’s fourth largest economy.

Ibadan ÏÏÏThe General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Laz Ilo has advocated synergy among security operatives and government parastatals for effective fight against corruption and terrorism.

Gen Ilo made this call when Mr. Mike Longe, Asst.

Comptroller General, Nigerian Immigration Service, Zone ‘F’ Ibadan and Mr. Stephen Pimor, the Commissioner, Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission (ICPC), Oyo/Ogun States visited him in his office at

Ibadan.

The GOC, who described corruption and terrorism as major hindrance of national development, pointed out that no agency can fight the war alone.

He said that it was only synergy, information and intelligence sharing that could bring about greater success in the fight against the aforementioned.

The GOC commended the two agencies for the display of professionalism in the discharge of their constitutional duties, assuring of the division’s continued partnership at achieving a nation free from corruption and terrorism.

800,000 residents tested for HIV in Ondo, says ODSACA ’Tosin Ajuwon

Akure ÏÏÏNo fewer than 800,000 of residents living in Ondo State have been tested for the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), the retrovirus which causes AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

This is a sharp reaction to a report on Wednesday that the number were tested positive in the state for the virus.

Chairman, Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ODSACA), Dr. Aderotimi Adelola, made the disclosure to journalists during a programme on

Be sincere with war on terror, Cleric tells FG Abiodun Taiwo

Abeokuta ÏÏÏThe new Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Dawud Makanjuola Olasunpo Akinola has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the President Muhammadu Buhari's promise to flush out Boko-Haram by December ending.

The Islamic leader also said that the President should be sincere with the promise of wiping out the terror group from the Nigeria territory.

Aare Akinola, who spoke during the courtesy visit to Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo at his

condom use and safer sex sensitisation organised for hotels in Akure, the state capital.

Adelola said the exercise was part of activities to commemorate the 2015 World AIDS Day and expressed the government’s resolve to enforce the HIV laws in the state.

He pointed out that the state government was working towards containing the spread of the virus, discourage discrimination and stigmatisation of people living with the virus – including mother-to-child transmission and other deadly diseases.

Palace in Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday said, "Nigerians should be patient with the promise the President made. Let’s wait till December ending as he promised and see what will happen.”

Akinola disclosed that Yorubaland would continue to experience peace because no family in the land that doesn't have the two religions.

“If we look at all the families in Yorubaland you will see both Muslims and Christians there. Then, how can we fight each other..." he said.

Buhari

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

25 Opinion

Ministers as their home state’s economists (Agenda for New Ministers) (2)

“The Central Bank of Nigeria has … assisted more than 30 states of the federation with concessionary loans to offset salary arrears for their workers” -President Muhammadu Buhari at the Swearing in Ceremony of Nigeria’s 36 New Ministers (November 11, 2015)

ÏÏÏIn part 1 of this article

we welcomed Nigeria’s 36 new ministers in the hope that their emergence would contribute to urgently needed elite critical thinking and action that would birth a new nation where each Nigerian is both free and economically viable, irrespective of their social, political and ethnic background. We envisaged that all the new ministers would leverage their assignments to contribute to the president’s laudable goal of eradicating poverty. We also pointed to the impediment/ challenge to the realisation of the president’s poverty reduction goal, notably, Section 44(3) and Sections 162 to 168 of the 1999 Constitution. We explained that only the replacement of those sections with the growthinducing Sections 130-139 of the 1960 Constitution would birth real economic growth and sustainable peace in Nigeria. We gave the different examples of Delta and Lagos States to highlight how things work

under the radically different constitutional provisions in Sections 44(3)/Sections 162 to 168 of the 1999 Constitution on the one hand and Sections 130-139 of the 1960 Constitution on the other hand, in recent times. This is so even when the latter (Sections 130-139 of the 1960 Constitution) is only marginally applied as happened to Lagos State between 2004 and 2007 when President Obasanjo withheld constitutional monetary allocations belonging to Lagos State local councils. It forced the state to operate under a 1960 Constitution scenario (fiscal federalism). It thus showcased how that constitution compelled development by imposing fiscal responsibility. Finally, we argued that the Sections 162 to 168 of the 1999 Constitution arrangement works often to produce political careerists and opportunists - people who have no business in government other than their stomachs and pockets.

Buhari

More importantly and damagingly, the result of the application of Sections 162 to 168 of the 1999 Constitution, unfortunately, for many states except Lagos, is that, by the summer of 2015, more than 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states, that is, not less than 90% of the country’s ‘federating’ states could not pay salaries of their government workers.

They all approached and are still approaching Abuja for federal bailout. Yes, the president has been compassionate and provided bailouts because of the ordinary Nigerians working in the states’ public service who were affected, not being able to feed their families. But the situation is inexcusably shameful

W E A T H E R ABUJA

ASABA

LAGOS

Low 23°C High 37°C

Low 23°C High 36°C

Low 25°C High 36°C

KADUNA

IBADAN

ILORIN

Low 18°C High 31°C

Low 23°C High 37°C

Low 23°C High 37°C

on the part of the various states, none of whom is less than twenty five years old, some close to fifty years old. And it is painful as it is avoidable. The situation makes the current federal arrangement under Sections 162 to 168 of the 1999 Constitution unsustainable.

More laughable is that the state governors’ forum recently put their woes at the foot of falling oil prices.

In other words, these state chief executives, north and south cannot see beyond oil to carry out a function as basic as paying staff salaries. What a disaster! What a leadership! One would have thought that aspiration to a position as serious as the headship of a government would be anchored

on personal creativity as the folks in Lagos State government house have shown consistently in the last twelve years. As things are, the only solution is to replace those Sections 162-168 of the 1999 Constitution with Section 130 to 139 of the 1960 Constitution as well as expunge Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution, so that Nigeria would not die economically, and so that Nigeria can begin to grow economically again. It is the only cure for the allpervasive albeit avoidable poverty in Nigeria today.

More pointedly, item 39 on the exclusive legislative list needs to be taken off that list and put on the residual legislative list to bring mineral resources including mineral oils and gas located in particular states under the control, jurisdiction and governance of those states.

This would include minerals and mineral oils and gas in their continental shelves, which, as clearly provided in Section 134(6) of the 1960 constitution, belong to the states adjacent to them for the purpose of mineral royalties and rents.

This arrangement will make states both productive and responsible. It will not only restore the interregional economic competition that grew Nigeria in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s, with vestiges of that growth visible up to the mid-1980s. It will take that healthy rivalry to the next level. The resultant effect is that the whole country would develop.

However, the state of the law notwithstanding, the law is the law, good or bad.

As we have analysed above,

with regards to public revenue administration, the 1960 Constitution was good, but the 1999 Constitution is bad. However we must do the best we can, even with that bad piece of legislation. This is where your role as minister comes in. You are your state’s economic ambassador both locally, at home with your state governor, as well as with other states; with other ministers; with the federal government; and internationally. Ministers are strategically positioned to galvanize their states to achieve economic growth, because ministers can see both sides of the coin by their vantage position as both the federation’s representatives to their states and their states’ representatives to the federation. This is what makes sensible the constitutional provision requiring that each state must have a minister at the centre in Abuja. Along with the several legislators from their states, loyal, dedicated and interested ministers can turn the fortunes of their home states for the best. And being from the same state with their federal legislators, partisanship can and must be put on hold at this point time, in the interest of maximum collaboration to draw maximal mileage from their vantage point as ministers.

Next week Thursday, we shall attempt to bring this series on ministers as their state economists to a conclusion by analyzing Kogi State as our case study for possible economic growth and transformation through ministerial mediation.

R E P O R T KANO Low 16°C High 32°C

BENIN CITY Low 13°C High 25°C

P/HARCOURT Low 22°C High 33°C

CALABAR Low 24°C High 36°C

ENUGU Low 23°C High 34°C

WARRI Low 24°C High 36°C

26

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Health Æ s Bone marrow transplantation, cure for sickle cell disorder Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) is prevalent in tropical Africa especially in Nigeria. We have about 2-3 percent of the Nigerian population having this disorder and about 30 per cent of the population carrying the gene. Record also show that Nigeria has almost 200,000 of infants born annually with sickle cell disorder, and this is a big problem in Nigeria.

LARA ADEJORO writes.

At the sickle cell clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), IdiAraba, Lagos, the number of sickle cell patients is overwhelming, one doctor can see up to an average of 30 patients in a day.

However, Dr Olowoselu, a haematologist and stem cell transplant physician says bone marrow transplantation is cure to the disorder. Hence, the patient will live a normal life free from the complication of sickle cell disease however the patient’s genotype remains unchanged, he/she can still transmit the affected gene to his offspring. We usually advise such patient not to marry someone carrying the trait or someone with the disorder so that their children will not be affected. “ Sickle cell anaemia is a severe disease which is an inherited haemoglobin disorder. Instead of having the normal adult haemoglobin that is very soft, doughnut shaped and able to transverse the blood vessel easily with a life span of 120 days, the haemoglobin in this case is sickled and confers on the red cell the rigidity and insolubility. The clinical implication of this is that instead of the blood to move freely in the blood vessel

Prof. Olu Akinyanju

as it occurs in an individual with normal haemoglobin, it becomes slow and gets stuck in the blood vessel. This then give rise to the clinical consequences associated with this disorder. For an individual to have this disorder, he/ she must have inherited from both parents a double dose of the abnormal gene that codes for the haemoglobin S. When an individual inherits one abnormal haemoglobin gene from one parent, we call that sickle cell trait and such individual under normal circumstances is haematologically stable and free from the clinical complications or crisis associated with this disease. “ Dr Olowoselu said.

Explaining further, he said, the presentation of the disorder can be acute or chronic.

Early Signs and Symptoms If a person has sickle cell disease (SCD), it is present at birth.

Stand firm, reject water privatisation, Groups tell Ambode

But most infants do not have any problems from the disease until they are about 5 or 6 months of age. Early symptoms of SCD may include: swollen wrist especially the hand when they are still young, that is the first sign and as they grow up, they come down with pain all over the body called sickle cell pain or crisis. Sickle cell patients present with anaemia, some of them have acute chest syndrome and some develop stroke which is known as cerebrovascular accident, some have persistent painful erection of the penis that usually occur around the age of puberty. All these can cause unpredictable setback to the patients.

The management of this disorder involves multidisciplinary approach and it revolves around prevention of complications and aggressive treatment if they occur. The caregiver, parents, paediatricians, psychologists, sur-

geons, haematologists have to be involved in the care of sickle cell anaemia.

“It is necessary that the patient must avoid precipitating factors like dehydration, stress, extreme of cold and all infections must be treated adequately. The use of hydroxyurea was a major breakthrough in the management of sickle cell disease; it reduces the number of frequency of crisis in them and dramatically improves their clinical outlook. Another treatment that serves as a cure is Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) which we refer to as haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant because we realised that the source of this is not only from the bone marrow, it can also come from peripheral blood (when you draw blood from the vein), at the same time it can be gotten from the umbilical cord blood of a newborn.,” Olowoselu said.

Bone marrow transplantation is a treatment modality in which graft or stem cell called Haematopoietic and progenitor stem cell are infused to the patient to normalise their haematopoiesis and there are three types of bone marrow transplantation based on the sources of the stem cell. It can either be allogeneic, autologous or syngeneic types.

He said, “ When it is allogeneic type, it means the transplant from one individual to another individual. When it is autologous, it is about giving yourself what has been taken from you. Syngeneic type is when the transplant is between two identical twins. “ In sickle cell, autologous is not practicable; allogeneic is what we do presently. It’s a very complex

Lara Adejoro The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) have jointly asked the Lagos State government to take a stand and say no to water privatisation under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement promoted by the World Bank.

They also demanded for a probe of the management of the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) in the last 16 years under the administration of the former Group

Continued on page 27

Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi of ERA~FoEN

medical procedure, donors will be selected through a molecular testing called HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) typing to know the person that is genetically compatible with the patient this is very important. However, one can get someone who is not 100 per cent compatible with the donor but at least with some degree of match for the transplant. Afterwards, the individual’s stem cell would be wiped out by chemotherapy to remove the defective cell from his body and to create space inside the bone marrow so as to introduce a normal stem cell and infuse it just like infusing blood, this is usually done in an isolated room with positive pressure. From that day, the patient’s immune system will be monitored to ensure he/she doesn’t have infection. “.Adding, he said, The success rate of the stem cell transplant is about 90 per cent. Though a few persons have complications like having what we know as Graft versus host disease and infectious complication. The mortality that may arise from this procedure is about 10 per cent. After a successful transplant the patient will live a normal life free from the complication of sickle cell disease however his genotype remains unchanged, he can still transmit the affected gene to his offspring. We usually advise such patient not to marry someone carrying the trait or someone with the disorder so that their children will not be affected. Our concern is that the patient after the transplant will no longer have crisis or complication resulting from the crisis. If

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Bone marrow transplantation, cure for sickle cell disorder

IHMS wins ‘West African World AIDs Day: Ondo enforces ‘Condoms in Hotels’ HMO of the year’ award ise and it will spur IHMS and its Lara Adejoro to combat HIV/AIDs management to reach for higher quality of service to all its enroll-

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

what is left for the patient is who to marry, then he/she can choose someone who is AA; marrying someone who is AS is not advisable but if marrying an AS individual is the patient’s choice, then the wife while pregnant can do prenatal diagnosis to find out if the unborn child is an SS carrier. “ The number of sickle cell patients in sickle cell clinic is overwhelming. In LUTH, when we start a sickle cell clinic in the morning, you might not leave the clinic until 5pm or 6pm and one doctor can see up to an average of 30 patients in a day. Apart from placing them on the routine drugs like folic acid and Paludrine we also counsel them on how to avoid precipitants and live a healthy life so as to reduce the frequency of crisis,” he noted.

Cost of BMT The expert said, The cost of treatment is prohibitive. In America, it’s about $150000 to $200000 which is about N40 million to N50 million. In Europe, it’s about N30 million. The Mediterranean Institute of Haematology, Italy in collaboration with LUTH, Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) as the facilitator has done free transplant for fifty (50) Nigerian sickle cell patients; and this is free of charge.

Challenges Olowoselu said one of the challenges is that, “ Patients often can’t afford medications as low as N1000. Patients may not have money to come to the clinic for their routine check-up.

“I was attending to a patient who had leg ulcer as a result of sickle cell complication sometimes ago but unfortunately, he couldn’t get money to get what he needed to dress his wound.

ODSACA team and partners with the General Manager of Blissworld Hotel, Ijapo, Akure, Ondo State, in a group photograph.

Tosin Ajuwon, Akure The Ondo state government has said it would henceforth begin a clamp down on hoteliers in the hospitality business in the state who are not making provisions for condoms for customers in their hotel rooms.

The Chairman Ondo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ODSACA), Dr. Aderotimi Adelola, disclosed this during a ‘condom use and safer sex sensitization’ exercise to hotels in Akure, the state capital.

During the sensitization exercise, no fewer than eight hundred thousand residents living in Ondo state were screened and tested for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a retrovirus which causes AIDS. Adelola said the exercise was part of activities to commemorate the 2015 World AIDS Day marked every December 1 and express the government resolve to enforce the HIV laws in the state.

He said, “The government is working towards ensuring there is zero HIV infection in the state.

There will also be campaigns against discrimination and stigmatisation of people living with HIV. ODSACA has embarked on

consistent HIV counselling and testing in every nook and cranny of the state.

“The law relating to HIV in the state empowers ODSACA to enforce HIV related laws, as such, it is a severe offence for hoteliers not to put condom packs in their rooms in order to promote safer sex, reduce the spread of the virus; the agency will not hesitate to prosecute defaulters.

“A manager or proprietor of an Hospitality industry, who neglect or refuses to provide condoms or protection rubber device in the rooms or at reception or front desk in his hospitality industry commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to 1 month imprisonment or a fine of N50,000 or both,” he said.

The Project manager, ODSACA, Dr Adedayo Adegbulu, proved that the retrovirus was never a death sentence in as much care and support are given to people living the disease.

He added that the state has acquired sophisticated machines and put in hospitals across the state to get accurate analysis and screening of the virus with the settling up of the Centre for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission. (CPMCT).

International Health Management Services Ltd (IHMS) has received the West African Quality Health Maintenance Organisation Company of the Year 2015 Award presented by the Quality Management Development Institute (QMDI).

The award, which was presented to IHMS in Lagos during the annual West African Quality Endorsement, Products/Services Awards (WAQEPSA), was instituted to recognise products, services, individuals and organisations that have excelled when measured against the framework of excellence.

Chief Operating Officer of IHMS, Dr. Chidi Ukandu, who expressed happiness at winning the award, described the achievement as further proof of the commitment of IHMS to delivering total quality service to all its subscribers.

“Over the last 14 years, IHMS has dedicated itself to serving our enrollees nationwide with best-inclass health insurance services with a view to promoting health and wellness in our areas of coverage,” Ukandu said, stressing, “The award has affirmed our capacity to deliver on our prom-

Managing Director, Shayo Holloway, who resigned in October 2015 following a query from the Head of Service on the parlous state of infrastructure at the corporation.

Speaking at a press conference recently to update the media on current situation in Lagos water sector, the Deputy Director, ERA/ FoEN, Akinbode Oluwafemi said, the recent water scarcity witnessed across Lagos earlier in November, Oluwafemi said, it is indicative of something deeper than meets the eye.

“The state government may have explained that the shortage was due to non-availability of chemicals but we are convinced that if water is given the priority it deserves, what happened will not have occurred. We hold strongly that the Lagos State gov-

ernment can do a lot to address the infrastructural challenges bedeviling the state’s water sector with adequate allocation of funds from its growing yearly GDP.” Adding, Oluwafemi said, “while we hail Holloways ouster, we strongly feel the new Lagos water utility head, Mr. Mumuni Badmus is in a hurry to take up the same failed plan of the former helmsman and this would not only mean disaster for the people of Lagos, but a huge political mistake. Our preliminary observation is that the new managing director is on the same slippery road of PPP which is hinged on polarising the workers union with promises of good offers with the commencement of water privatisation. Labour is however not fooled as privatization of the power sector has taught them a good lesson in trusting privatisers. We

reiterate that the only way to engage is to do it with full transparency, disclosure of current plans, and accountability by incorporating input through the proper channels from independent civil society and labor organisations.

That is how together we will arrive at a solution to our water problems.”

When Daily Times visited the Iju area of Lagos during the recent water scarcity, our correspondent observed that the residents had to pay through their noses to get water.

Mrs Opeyemi who spoke with our correspondent said, “10 kegs of water (25 litre each) used to be for N200 but we had to buy it for N500 from the water vendors called Mairuwa, now sells for N500. This is terrible. We’ve never had it this bad because there’s no light too.”

ees in accordance with global best practice.”

Ukandu explained that the vision of IHMS is to be the preferred provider of integrated and quality healthcare solutions in Nigeria. This, according to him, is in tandem with the goals of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

“From inception, IHMS has supported its vision with the latest and most effective ICT tools and a nationwide select group of primary, secondary, tertiary and ancillary healthcare providers that offer us necessary leverage to meet the needs of our customers.”

The Award Board Chairman and former President of the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria, Dr. Olu Ige, said: “IHMS clinched the award from amongst several organisations recommended to QMDI’s selection committee in a public survey that was based on several parameters that included international best practice; operational excellence; quality and focused leadership; quality products/services; sound business ethics and Customers’ satisfaction.”

Marketing Executive, Ms. Mary Akpan; Senior Manager (ICT), Mr. Remi Ogunsola; Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Chidi Ukandu and Ag. Company Secretary, Ms. Funmi Sowemimo, all of International Health Management Services Ltd (IHMS) celebrate the winning of the West African Quality Health Maintenance Organisation Company of the Year 2015 Award by IHMS in Lagos recently

Reject water privatisation, Groups urge Ambode CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

27 Health

Also speaking, AUPCTRE chairman, Lagos State, Comrade Muali Subair said, no matter the name given to the sales of Water Corporation, “we say no because we know that the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) affected the workers and they are yet to get their entitlements, they are made to suffer under what they call PPP. Hence AUPCTRE says no to the privatisation of LSWC.” Commenting on the recent water scarcity in the state, Subair said, “When we shut down recently there was no chemical to produce water and the water that we were given out was not up to the standard we are meant to supply to the people, so we had to shut down. Ordinarily, if it were to be a private person who was in charge, he would have pumped water to the populace not minding the

health implication.”

Statistics show that in developing countries, about 80 per cent of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions. 1 out of every 5 deaths under the age of 5 worldwide is due to a waterrelated disease.

The Lagos State Secretary of AUPCTRE, Comrade Biodun Bakare said, “We believe that the intention of the government is that they use Lagos State as a pilot state for water privatisation so that they can do same in other states and it’s against the electioneering campaigns. We have engaged Lagos state government and we agreed that there’s a problem in water corporation, then since that’s established, if they see provision of water as a priority, then we will have adequate water supply.

7 Governor’s gifts will fire Akwa United- Kayode

Unpaid arrears:

A

kwa United vice-captain and goalkeeper Olufemi Kayode, has said cash and house gifts to the team by Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel for winning the 2015 Federation Cup will motivate them in next year’s CAF Confederation Cup. Akwa United struggled to survive relegation in the league but finished the season on the high by clinching a historic Federation Cup to qualify for

El Kanemi players storm Govt g 30 House in protest

the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup. The governor announced a reward of two million Naira and a house for each member of the club after the cup win.

“We are happy with the state governor’s gesture to us for winning the Federation Cup,” said Kayode.

“The reward is going to motivate the team very well to achieve greatness next season and in the CAF Confederation Cup.” Ex-governor Akpabio with the players

Page 28

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Ameobi

Chelsea

struggling to offload Falcao

C

helsea are struggling to offload Radamel Falcao and end his season-long loan spell at Stamford Bridge from Monaco early, sources said.

It was learnt that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is looking into cancelling Falcao’s loan spell in January to enable him to free up space in the squad for a new striker.

However, if Chelsea are to end Falcao’s season-long loan stint early they need to agree to terminate the deal with Monaco and then find another interested party to take him on for the rest of the campaign.

Jamie Vardy’s astounding scoring streak reached a history-making 11 matches on Saturday against Manchester United.

Monaco are reluctant to take Falcao back to Stade Louis II as they do not want to pay all his wages, while finding suitors for the Colombian is proving hard work due to the striker’s poor form during the last 18 months.

Falcao struggled during a season-loan spell at Manchester United last term, scoring four goals in 29 games which resulted in him failing to win a permanent move to Old Trafford.

The 29-year-old has again failed to recapture his best form at Chelsea, making just two starts in all competitions and scoring just one goal.

Falcao

Rooney

playing at Bolton without pay

n a Mited S Un

under pressure to beat

I

ts another huge match for both sides who are looking to get Champions League football next season as Manchester United clash with West Ham United this weekend.

As the halfway point of the Premier League season draws closer Manchester United are still very much in contention for the title, sitting in third place just a point off leaders Manchester City. But with manager Louis Van Gaal’s tactics under fire it remains to be seen if they can keep up with the leaders.

United’s recent form has been a mixed bag, three wins from their last six matches including a scrappy win against Watford and disappointing draws against Crystal Palace and Leicester has resulted in fans crying out for a return to their traditional philosophy of attacking football. With reports also suggesting that Anders Herrerra is disillusioned at the club having only made six appearances this season and has sought showdown talks with the Manchester Untied manager club morale may also be brought into question.

Red Devil fan will be heartened by the fact that United haven’t lost to West Ham United in the last five matches between the side and despite a good start to the season the East London side have had a tough run of form with their last win being their popular 2-1 victory over Chelsea on October 24.

Looking past this weekend United have a number of matches on the horizon in which they will be expected to perform. After West Ham they face Bournemouth on December 12, Norwich on December 19 and Stoke on St Stephens Day – all matches they will be expected to win.

With fans calling for United to rediscover their creative spark the pressure is on for Van Gaal this weekend. United and West Ham will kick off at Old Trafford this Saturday December 5 at 3pm.

uper Eagles World cup 2014 forward, Shola Amoebi, who signed a season long deal with English Championship side Bolton Wanderers in October, is yet too paid since joining the team.

The Trotters currently four points adrift at the bottom of the Championship table has so far featured Ameobi four times since his transfer and the Nigerian the third to play for the team has three goals to his name.

Austin Okocha former Nigeria captain was a big hit at the team captaining them although Blessing Kaku who later joined him failed to make a similar impact, it is Ameobi who is currently stuck in the team cash crunch issue.

34 year old Ameobi who last played for Crystal Palace in the premier league is best known for his exploits with Newcastle United, where his younger brother Sammy is currently attached to but presently out on loan to Cardiff City.

Bolton Wanderers have a massive debt of £172.9m and Trevor Birch was recently appointed as adviser to the club to help ease a takeover from owner Eddie Davies.

Davies is reportedly ready to take responsibility for the entire debt, in the hope it will help a new owner to come in as soon as possible.

Sanchez

A

rsenal is hopeful that Alexis Sanchez will be out of action for no more than a month as they continue to assess his hamstring injury.

There is a hope that Theo Walcott will return from a calf problem in the next week to compete for a wide place in the team with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Campbell and Kieran Gibbs as the north London club try to cope with their injury crisis.

Initial tests suggest that the injury that forced Alexis off during Sunday’s draw with Norwich is not

Ameobi

Arsenal’s injury crisis deepens as serious as first feared, with further assessment expected to reveal the full extent of the injury on Wednesday.

The Gunners hope that Alexis might even return for the big Premier League match against Manchester City on December 21, but it is most likely that the Chilean will miss the entire

festive period.

Alexis, 26, will certainly be unavailable for next week’s crucial Champions League clash away at Olympiakos, as will Santi Cazorla after the Spaniard suffered a knee injury at Carrow Road.

Cazorla’s injury means that Aaron Ramsey is expected to return to his preferred central midfield role.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

Ighalo

29

Odegbami set for

reveals secret to fine form

Kwara United Odegbami

By Mike Otanwa Ighalo

N

igeria international, Odion Ighalo, who has been a revelation for Watford with eight goals this season, has revealed the reasons behind his good form.

Ighalo’s goals have been crucial for the Hornets, who are back in the Premier League for the first time since the 2006/ 07 campaigns following their promotion last term.

The Hertfordshire outfit is currently occupying 11th position on the standings, with 19 points after 14 matches, and is set to face Norwich City at the Vicarage Road on Saturday.

According to the father of three, a stable family life and the support of his wife, who regularly travels to see her husband in action, have enabled him to produce his best on the park.

“I want to say that my marriage which marked six years recently has made me to be a complete man,” the 26-yearold striker said.

“My wife has been very crucial to my impressive career.

She has been able to build a good home and she makes me and the children happy. She is everything to me.”

R

eport has been revealed that ex-Nigeria international Segun Odegbami could be set to work in Ilorin after being linked with Nigeria National League side, Kwara United.

The Harmony Boys have set their sights in making a return to the Nigeria Professional Football League after their relegation at the end of the 2014/15 season - and the revelation that the Ilorin-based

top job

side will invest heavily in talented personnel and players has seen them being linked with the experienced administrator.

The former Shooting Stars winger was spotted at the office of the Commissioner of Sports in Kwara State, Ayo Bolakale on Monday.

Bolakale confirmed that the Alhaji Haruna Maigidansanma-led management and Technical crew of the Ilorin based league side had been dissolved following the club’s relegation from the NPFL.

Kwara United will play in the Nigeria National League despite just gaining promotion to the top flight last season.

Bolakale stated that the decision became necessary following the club’s ‘shameful outing’ in the recently concluded season and a lot of internal wrangling between the management and Technical crew of the club.

If the rumoured romance becomes fruitful, Odegbami will take over from Alhaji Haruna Maigidansanma as the General Manager of Kwara United.

Aguero, Bony pushing me to be great- Iheanacho

N

igeria starlet, Kelechi Iheanacho has revealed star rivals Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony have been pushing him in training so as to be a great player too.

On Tuesday night, Iheanacho, 19, scored his third goal for Manchester City to lift them to

the semi-finals of the League Cup and afterwards he praised his more illustrious striking rivals for guiding him.

“They talk to me every day in training, giving me advise and encouraging me to keep going and doing well,” he said.

“They tell me I will be a great

player one day, so I will keep listening and working hard,” Iheanacho said he is not worried by his bit role at star-studded City because he a young player who is learning.

“City are a big team and I’m just coming up as a young player, so I’m not worried,” he insisted.

30

Thursday, December 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

Plateau United

belongs to NPFL - Bewarang

By Mike Otanwa

W

ith the excitement of securing promotion to the elite Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Plateau United FC general manager, Bitrus Bewarang has said the Jos-based side has returned to their rightful place in Nigerian football.

Bewarang, who is also serving as the President of the Nigerian Football Coaches Association, said that the team has what it takes to compete at the highest level of club football in the country.

“We have what it takes to retain our

place in the premier league because the state government is very interested in supporting us and most importantly as a management we always ensure that our players and their coaches are paid very well and that also means that if you don’t do well you leave the system, I will sack you and that really puts pressure on them to perform,” Bewarang was quoted by the Vanguard.

“I train my coaches and pay my players well so they know they have to play well and win matches for me or you leave.”

Bewarang, who worked with former Super Eagles coach Clemens Westerhof,

Aubameyang wants African title

G

abon striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang wants to protect his status as the Bundesliga’s top scorer in order to win the 2015 African Footballer of the Year title.

“Of course it’s important for me to be the top scorer, because I want to be Africa’s Footballer of the Year,” he said having won the 2014 runner-up award.

“I definitely want to win the award this year and I try to score in every game.”

The 26-year-old has already scored 17 goals in 14 league games this season for Dortmund and the Gabon captain is among the 37

players nominated for the African award.

Having hit 25 goals in all competitions this season, he is amongst the favourites to succeed current holder Yaya Toure of Manchester City and the Ivory Coast.

Having scored 13, then 16 goals in his first two seasons with Dortmund, Aubameyang has already bettered both tallies this campaign with less than half a season played and scored twice on Sunday in a 4-1 win against Stuttgart.

Having made a bet with Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel that he would score 20 goals this

Unpaid arrears:

El Kanemi players storm Govt House in protest

By Mike Otanwa with agency report

Bewarang

also bragged about his team’s chances in the NPFL and hinted that the club will reinforce the current squad in a bid to give a boost to the task ahead.

“Plateau United is not a novice in Nigerian football and that means that we will definitely survive the heat of the [NPFL] because even in the Federation Cup matches, we defeated premier league teams like Giwa FC, 3SC as well as Kano Pillars, the league defending champions in this year.”

Plateau Utd will be playing in the Nigerian Professional Football League next season alongside Niger Tornadoes, MFM FC and Ikorodu United FC.

season, Aubameyang is just short of winning the wager with his side having scored 40 league goals and second only to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

“Three more goals and we can make a new bet,” said Aubameyang with Dortmund facing three more league games -- against Wolfsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt and Cologne before the winter break.

in EPL Ighalo, Ayew award shortlist

N

igeria international, Odion Ighalo, Andre Ayew of Ghana, Yannick Bolasie from DR Congo and Arouna Kone from Cote d’Ivoire are on a shortlist for the November African Players awards in the English Premier League.

Ighalo won the award by an overwhelming majority in October, and, according to a release by New African Soccer, he seemed to “continue where he left off in October, playing well enough to earn him a place in the shortlist for November”.

The Nigerian international

played every minute of Watford’s November fixtures, which was a difficult month for them given the home loss to Manchester United and the away loss to Leicester City.

But according to awards director Tunde Adelakun, “Ighalo shone through these games and deserves his place on the shortlist”.

Another old face in the shortlist was August winner, Ghana’s Swansea City star Andre Ayew.

Aubameyang

P

layers of El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, have blamed the League Management Company (LMC) for their woes, as the club’s indebtedness to her players enters the 9th month this December with no sign of an end in sight.

Late last week, the players were invited back to Maiduguri from their holidays with the promise that they would get paid the arrears owed them, but when they came from across the nation to meet the management, it was the same old song as the management and the State Commissioner for Sports promised them that they would be meeting the Governor to ensure that they would get paid.

Enraged, the players stormed the Government House Maiduguri vowing not to leave there until they see the Governor.

“I received a distress call from the players almost in tears,” reveals renowned sports lawyer and Players’ advocate Barrister Johnny Precious Ogbah.

“The players blame LMC for their woes, saying if the LMC had been serious with the six points deduction the management would have paid them their entitlements since. You will recall that the LMC first gave the club 60 days to pay or lose six points but they didn’t pay.

They were also given 15 working days yet they did not pay and the only excuse the LMC gave is that they have received assurances from the State Governments that the money would be paid. That is not good enough, and till date the money has not been paid, leaving this players in so much distress.

“During the season the players went on strike to force their payment, instead of pressurizing the club the LMC threatened the players with life bans if they ever tried to fight for their rights again, and even went as far as reversing the walk over that was as a result of the strike.

This amounts to giving ELKanemi Warriors a pat on the back and a thumbs up for owing the players, and they have reciprocated by refusing Izilein to pay the salaries they owe these boys.

“The players said to me categorically, that they are disappointed in the LMC for supporting EL-Kanemi to cheat them, and that they fear that their money will never be paid. They also blamed their woes on a Northern conspiracy, saying the LMC are pampering El-Kanemi Warriors because they are a Northern club.

“Justice must be done and seen to be done. I am closely watching the whole scenario, and considering all legal options available.

Players welfare is paramount to the success of our football, and we cannot allow clubs and administrators continue to make them suffer like this,” barrister Ogbah said.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

Bundesliga’ll more exciting if Guardiola quits - Lehmann

‘Muller is ‘irreplaceable’ at Bayern’

Pioli mull over

C

defensive shake-up

L

azio are in a precarious position ahead of their game against Juventus at home on Friday (Tomorrow), with Stefano Pioli mulling over a defensive shake-up for the game.

The biggest problem facing Lazio this season is their penchant to let in easy goals consistently. Their 22 goals conceded after 14 rounds is the fourth most in Serie A along with Sampdoria. Only Carpi, Hellas Verona and Frosinone have let in more.

Necessity is the reason why Pioli is looking to change to a backline

Pioli

of three for Friday, as he considers revisiting an old formation that was implemented late last season.

Lazio played with an unconventional yet offensive 3-43 in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus back in May. The tactical plan that will be put in place on Friday will not have that same offensive inclination. In fact, it will be extremely conservative.

The formation that Pioli will look to put in place would most likely look like a 3-5-1-1 or even a 3-4-2-1. The backline would see Mauricio, Santiago Gentiletti and

Stefan Radu in the middle, while both Dusan Basta and Senad Lulic would play out on the wings.

The centre of the pitch will likely have Lucas Biglia, Marco Parolo and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. In front of them, Pioli is set to utilise either Antonio Candreva or Felipe Anderson with Miroslav Klose or Filip Djordjevic leading the line.

This adjustment suggests that the attack will be more limited, but that needs to be sacrificed in an effort to help stop Lazio’s monthlong free fall.

Guardiola

J

ens Lehmann believes the Bundesliga will be more exciting if Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola quits the club next summer.

The Spaniard’s deal runs out at the end of the season and he has been linked with a move to Manchester City, although talks are planned with the board following their final game before the mid-season break against Hannover on December 19.

Lehmann – a Bundesliga winner with Borussia Dortmund in 2001-02 – suggested that while it would be difficult for Bayern to replace a coach of Guardiola’s ability, it could serve to make the top flight more open.

“I do not know [if he will stay]. For Bayern it would not be good, because an adequate successor is unlikely to be found,” he said.

“For the rest of the league it would be better if he goes.

Maybe it will be exciting again.”

Lehmann believes Guardiola has built on the successful foundations laid by his predecessor Jupp Heynckes, but says an unbeaten campaign must be his next target.

Pallotta faced with multiple Roma headaches

R

oma president, James Pallotta, has been saddled with fan protests and pressures to change the club’s fortunes after recent struggles in the Serie A and Champions League.

With the Giallorossi struggling mightily

Pallotta in recent weeks, Pallotta has a myriad of issues to face when he travels to the capital city this weekend.

The Giallorossi settled for a 2-2 draw against Bologna near the end of November, before suffering a 6-1 defeat to Barcelona and a 2-0 loss to

Atalanta over the weekend, putting pressure on the American businessman to shake things up.

In a recent protest outside of Trigoria, Roma fans hurled insults at the staff, players, and club president, along with bringing seven crates of carrots and a banner that read “Enjoy your meal, rabbits” as they chanted their displeasure.

Police were forced to disperse the crowd, and sporting director Walter Sabatini voiced his concerns over the incident.

Don’t lose faith in Madrid-Ramos

S

ergio Ramos used a Twitter Q&A to ask Real Madrid fans to keep faith and said the squad are ‘fighting every day’ for another Champions League win.

Ramos marked the occasion of reaching 6million followers on the social media site to invite questions, and answered enquiries ranging from recovering from the Clasico defeat to his best friends at Santiago Bernabeu.

“I get along with everyone. To highlight some, maybe Marcelo, Luka Modric or Cristiano Ronaldo,” the defender revealed.

“It’s a lot of pride and a great deal of responsibility [to be Madrid captain]. I said at my

31

contract renewal, I would be very happy to retire here.

“Relationship with Iker Casillas? Very good. He’s more than a teammate, he’s a friend.

Ramos

helsea are the latest English Premier League(EPL) club reported to be chasing Germany forward Thomas Muller, but as far as Bayern Munich are concerned their maverick star is ‘irreplaceable’.

According to reports, Jose Mourinho’s Blues want to sign Muller to replace Diego Costa, hardly surprising given the German’s current goal-scoring prowess.

Muller netted Bayern’s opener in Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Hertha Berlin to claim his 13th league goal, just four months into the season.

It means he has scored in each of his last five competitive outings, taking his astonishing personal haul to 20 goals in 21 outings in all competitions in 2015/16.

In a single season, he has never scored more than his current tally of 13 Bundesliga goals -- which has come after only 14 matches.

Still just 26, Muller already has a World Cup winners medal in his collection and can play on the wing or as a striker, as he proved by scoring a hat-trick against Portugal at the 2014 World Cup. Bayern have tied Muller up with a contract until June 2019 and he has an estimated market value of €75 million, but the sky’s the limit in terms of what a Premier League club would potentially have to pay for him.

“Thomas Muller embodies everything which distinguishes FC Bayern Munich,” enthused the club’s director of sport Matthias Sammer.

“He is an absolute role model, an absolute gem and he’s irreplaceable.”

Muller is not your typical footballer, who tends to be more interested in fast cars and supermodel girlfriends.

“Work, work, work [after the Clasico]. The results will come. Don’t lose faith in the team.

We will fight and fight to return Madrid to where we belong.

“My favourite stadium to visit is Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, despite some whistles. It’s always like coming home. I would have loved to take part in Sevilla’s success. I’m a Sevilla fan at heart.

“All Coaches have had an impact on me but maybe most of all Joaquin Caparros, who gave me my Primera debut.

“Will I be a Coach in the future? I’m not thinking about that. For now and for the future I’m a player. “[My idols are] the great central defenders in history, Paulo Maldini, Franz Beckenbauer and of course, Fernando Hierro.

“My Panenka goal was special, but [scoring as Madrid won] La Decima…speechless.

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

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

Published by folio communicationS ltd, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.

dailytimesng

ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. GROUP EDITOR: Biodun duRoJaiYE news Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. advert Hotlines: 08086296714

tHuRSdaY, dEcEmBER 3, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.244

Price: n150

Bundesliga more

exciting if Guardiola g 31 quits - Lehmann

g

30

Aubameyang wants African Title

FIFA

s r o s Spon n w o lay d s d n a m e d F ive World Cup sponsors have written to FIFA’s executive committee demanding “independent oversight” of the reform process in their latest intervention that highlights concerns about their links to soccer’s scandalbattered governing body.

Sponsors were originally promised places on the FIFA reform committee. But instead of being invited into meetings discussing the overhaul of the organization, they have been offered seats only on an advisory board which is yet to be appointed.

The sponsors’ letter was sent from Adidas, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Visa, and Budweiser brewer AB InBev to FIFA’s ruling body ahead of meetings this week when a final slate of reform proposals will be discussed.

The reform panel was established following the indictment of soccer officials

by American authorities for bribery but the sponsors appear to have reservations about its independence.

“We want to stress that we are calling on you to embrace change, implement reforms, endorse a long-term independent

oversight approach and initiate the cultural change because we all want to see football thrive,” the sponsors wrote to the FIFA executive committee in a letter.

The sponsors say “strengthening FIFA’s governance” is “just one step toward creating a credible future” of an organization currently under the temporary leadership of Issa Hayatou while Sepp Blatter is suspended.

“We want to emphasize to you the values and characteristics that we believe should be incorporated through the reforms,” the sponsors wrote.

“Transparency, accountability, respect for human rights, integrity, leadership, and gender equality are crucial to the future of FIFA. “Reforms can set the proper framework for these characteristics, but a cultural change is also needed. The culture change has to begin within FIFA and filter through to the confederations and FIFA’s football associations.”

Despite seeming sidelined by the reform talks, sponsors were praised by FIFA for “their invaluable contributions

and efforts.”

“Our commercial affiliates will continue to play an important role in the reform process as it moves forward, and will help ensure the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive package of reforms,” FIFA said in a statement.

Blatter launched the reform process on June in a speech announcing his intended resignation. It was seen as a key move to show critics, including U.S. federal prosecutors, that embattled FIFA could change its culture and behavior.

Former International Olympic Committee official Francois Carrard accepted FIFA’s invitation in August to lead a team that was to include two people picked by the sponsors to join 12 more nominated by FIFA’s six continental confederations.

That promise of two seats then became a pledge to give sponsors input in a five-member advisory board Carrard said he would choose to review his panel’s work.

However, the advisory board - seen

as a safety net to give oversight by experts from outside FIFA’s “football family” - has disappeared from the process.

Carrard has never announced appointments or scheduled meetings in almost four months of working with FIFA. Reform and anti-corruption ideas being agreed Thursday by the FIFA executive committee will be put to the congress of 209 member federations on February 26, when the new president will also be elected. It is unclear what input sponsors had or will have before the congress.

“The actions you take with this first round of reform proposals will set the tone for the full Congress to get behind the reform process,” the sponsors wrote to the executive committee.

South Korean motor firm Hyundai Motor Group and Russian state-controlled gas company Gazprom are not signatories to the letter.

Sponsors and commercial partners contributed $1.6 billion of FIFA’s $5.7 billion windfall in 2011-2014, which encompassed the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

NNPC unbundling will block leakages in oil, gas industry — NEITI Page B2

NSE, CSCS Page B4 Commences Post-Trade Allocation Service

FG reiterates Page B3 determination to partner ex-militants on security in N/Delta

Niger state ex-councillors’ get 10yrs backlog of allowances

Career pursuit: NCAT trains 13,000 professionals since inception

Joy Ekeke Former councillors of Niger State have started receiving over 10 years’ arrears of their allowances following the approval of governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello.

Consequently the Forum of Ex-councilors (1999-2002) yesterday in a statement lauded the gesture of the governor who commenced the payment in SepCONTINUED ON PAGE B3

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

L – R: Mr. Sam Willie Ndata, Compass Investments & Securities Limited; Mr. Nnamdi Okafor - Managing Director/CEO, May & Baker Nigeria Plc; Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Chief Executive Officer, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Mr. Emeka Madubuike, Chairman, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) on a factory tour to May & Baker Nigeria Plc today in Ogun State.

NIRA registers 2,101 .ng domain names in October Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) said yesterday 2,101 .ng domain names were registered in October.

The President of NIRA, Mr Sunday Folayan, made the disclosure in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday.

The statement said there was an increase of 126 in the registration in the month when compared with 1,975 registered in September.

According to the statement,

Thursday, December 3, 2015

1,349 domain names were renewed in October, showing a decrease of 31 renewals when compared with 1,380 in September.

It said the association transferred 73 domain names, indicating an increase of 40 as against 33 transferred in September.

“The domain name registration in October 2015 was higher compared to those in the past three months of the year.

“The renewal rate hovered around the same figure as the previous month.

“In general, from January to

October 2015, 18,292 new domain names were registered, 12,612 domain names were renewed and so, in total, 30,904 domain names were registered and renewed.

“In total there are about 60,000 active and inactive domain names in NIRA database,’’ the statement said.

It noted that .ng (like our currency, the Naira and the +234 for country code) was the official Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), approved country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for Nigeria.

According to the statement, the availability of names was better on the .ng ccTLD than on the generic top-level domain (gTLD) like .com, .org.

“With the .ng, our primary DNS servers are secured and locally managed with multiple cast servers located around the world,’’ it said.

The statement said that hosting businesses on the .ng would help to support the Nigerian economy and provide jobs for local Information Technology (IT) professionals.

Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, Captain Samuel Caulcrick, has urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that would encourage the best of the talented Nigerian youth through scholarships and subsidised fees to pursue careers in the aviation industry.

He also disclosed that the institution till date has trained more than 13,000 Nigerians and foreign professionals including pilots, Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) aeronautic engineers, aircraft maintenance engineers and other relevant non-professionals.

The NCAT boss posited that there were a lot of opportunities in the sector for young Nigerians, adding that it behooves on the alumni to make their dreams come true He stated that the Kenya Airways model, where banks give training loans or the American model, where taxpayers money is used via military were worth considering.

But lamented that there was no funding in 2015 budget proposal for the insurance of college aircraft and assets.

He disclosed this during the maiden Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Alumni Association (NCATAA) at the CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

Osinbajo decries dependence on oil revenue Funmi Coker

Osinbajo

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has described the over-dependence on oil resources as the cause of the high level of corruption, dwindling economy and redundant human resources base in the country.

Osinbajo also observed that the over-reliance on oil was behind the agitation for resource control, especially in the South-South geopolitical zone.

The vice president made these

remarks on Monday while inaugurating the Partners for Sustainable Development Forum organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Osinbajo described the forum as strategic and apt considering the current decline in global oil revenue.

Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Adeola Ipaye, the Vice President added that the inauguration of the forum was coming at a time

when the implementation of the new globally adopted Sustainable Development Goals was about to commence.

Osinbajo said, “The country’s over-dependence on oil is only the cause of the downturn of the economy for now; it has been responsible for the emergence of redundant human resources base and high level of corruption.

“It is also at the root of agitation for resource control, particularly from the South-South. The theme CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

GBF organises entrepreneurial training for NYSC members

IPMAN wants petroleum products loading decentralised from Lagos Funmi Coker Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has urged the Federal Government to decentralise loading of petroleum products from Lagos to make for effective loading at depots across the country.

The association’s National President, Chief Lawson Obasi told newsmen in Port Harcourt that spreading of petroleum products to other coastal depots across the country would end current scarcity.

He said that a situation where government only distributed petroleum products to tank farms in Lagos was partly responsible for current scarcity and high cost of product.

“The current government approach, where marketers across the country are expected to load petroleum products from only depots in Lagos state, is counter-productive.

“To solve current scarcity of fuel; government must decongest Lagos by sending petroleum products to coastal depots in Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri.

“By decentralising supply and distribution from Lagos to other depots; it would become easier for IPMAN members to lift products and distribute to filling stations,” he said.

Obasi said that the current policy by government should be revised to enable marketers have unlimited access to petroleum products for distribution to final consumers.

He denied that marketers had hoarded products to deepen current scarcity to make more profit from sales.

According to him, the Pipelines Products Marketing Company (PPMC) should, as a matter of urgency, commence distribution of products to other depots in the South-South to end current fuel scarcity.

Tantalizers opens two new outlets

Kachiku

NNPC unbundling will block leakages in oil, gas industry — NEITI Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday said the un-bundling of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) would curb corruption in the oil and gas industry.

Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, the acting Executive Secretary of NEITI, said this at the inauguration of the initiative’s Companies’ Forum in Lagos.

Orji said NEITI had earlier recommended the unbundling of NNPC and the privatisation of the nation’s refineries as part of the reforms to be carried out in the oil and gas sector.

According to him, NEITI also recommended installation of modern and standard metering infrastructure to measure crude production, open and competitive bidding in the allocation of oil blocks.

He said though most of its recommendations were being taken into consideration, ``they need urgent implementation to curb leakages of government revenues

Isaac Agber Tantalizers has extended its business chain with two new outlets in Jikwoyi, Abuja and Ile-Ife, Osun State.

At the official opening of the new outlet, the Deputy Managing Director of the company, Mr. Gbolahan Labinjo, said that the new outlet at Abuja,was a dream come

in the industry.’’

Orji said that the forum was a gathering where companies would come together to discuss issues of policy implementation and how it affected them.

“This is a forum where you have government, companies and civil society groups sitting together to solve the problems of how a country like Nigeria will manage its natural resources prudently.

“This is with a view to ensuring that revenue generated from oil, gas and mining support national development and reduce poverty in the country,” he said.

Orji said that the forum would be independent of NEITI. Alhaji Shehu Sanni, the President, Miners Association of Nigeria, said that the companies’ forum should be an advocacy platform where all the wrongs that had been happening in the mining sector would be corrected. Sanni said it was an avenue to support the new government’s thinking at diversifying the economy, especially in the area of mining.

true for customers of Tantalizers in the bustling area.

According to him, it will save the customers from walking long distances to Maraba, Wuse or Garki to enjoy the delicious pastries, meals, cakes and other mouth-watering products that the Tantalizers brand is known for.

Labinjo explained further that the Jikwoyi outlet has also pro-

Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF) has facilitated training sessions for serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the North East and South East regions of Nigeria as a part of the Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) funded by the Bank of Industry (BoI).

The Corp members received training sessions on various entrepreneurship modules such as Business development, Sales & Marketing, Business management, Book Keeping, Writing a Business Plan, Legal & Regulatory Matters and a bonus module on Project Management last November.

The training was complemented by role plays, simulations, competitions and a special feature of a successful Nigerian entrepreneur.

The Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) is a special N2 billion empowerment programme for serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This scheme is an initiative of the Bank of Industry (BOI) in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The capacity building sessions were declared open by the NYSC State Coordinators in the Taraba and Abia States respectively for both the North

and South East. Both coordinators represented the DirectorGeneral (DG) of the NYSC in the locations of the trainings.

The Divisional Head, SMEs Mr. Abdul-ganiyu Mohammed represented the MD/CEO BoI in the Umunna, Abia State and BoI the Regional Manager in the North East in Jalingo.

The highpoint of the training was the practical session for writing Business Plans wherein all participants completed templates for business plans as a precursor to fully developing their personal business plan for their individual BoI loan applications. At the training wrap up event and closing ceremony, all participants received certificates; and evaluation feedback/surveys indicated that the Corp Members were impacted with practical business knowledge that could not have been received in the Universities.

A trainee Akaasar, David Terungwa spoke on behalf of the Stream ‘A’ Trainees of Growing Businesses Foundation in the North East; “we are privileged to have been trained by GBF, the facilitators very responsive to the questions asked and the training delivery was very practical and hands on. The enthusiasm of the various group presentations indicated that all sessions engaged in were indeed interactive.”

Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien

vided a rare opportunity for motorists in the area to refresh with the best meals while refilling their fuel tanks.

He said the new outlet in Ile-Ife is the second of its kind in the ancient town. Located along Ede road that links the popular Lagere round-about in the town, the outlet is very close to the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University

(OAU) and many students’ hostels in the town.

While declaring the outlet open, the Deputy Managing Director of Tantalizers Plc said the Ile-Ife second outlet was opened following the yearnings of customers, mostly located in the Lagere area and environs, for a new outlet that is closer in proximity along Ede road than the old Ilesa road outlet.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

B3 Business News

FG reiterates determination to partner ex-militants on security in N/Delta Caulcrick

NCAT trains 13,000 professionals CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex, international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

Speaking further, he said that the school understands the dynamism of the aviation industry, and that as result the college would not rest on its oars.

He stated that the dream of the aviation institution is to fly higher and compete favourably with other world class aviation training institutions.

According to him, we understand the dynamism of the aviation industry .Therefore, we do not intend to rest on our modest achievements but our dream is to fly even higher and compete favourably with other world class aviation training institutions.

The maiden Alumni gathering, Caulcrick stated was for sober reflection, adding that the topic of the conference, ”Human Resources Development in Nigerian Aviation: Challenges and Imperatives” clearly demonstrate that more obligation was required as partners to improve capacity building human resources and the infrastructure.

The NCAT boss stated that as NCATAA discuss the challenges and imperatives of the human resources development in the aviation sector, one fundamental issue that has obviously become a debilitating effect in the sector is the high cost of training aviation professionals.

He cautioned NCATAA not to celebrate the fact that it is only the children of the rich that are being trained as aviation professionals, but lamented that there were a lot of Nigerians whose desire is to be aviators but could not because they could afford the cost.

According to him, as we discussed the challenges and imperatives of the human resources development in the aviation industry, one fundamental issue that has obviously become a debilitating effect in the industry is the high cost of training aviation professionals.

Winner, Easy Business Millionaire Hunt 2, Tomi Adegbenro (m) receiving the cheque of N2 Million from the Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher(2nd R) with support from Etisalat Nigeria’s Director, Enterprise Segment, Lucas Dada(L) and Chief Marketing Officer, Francesco Angelone (2nd L) and Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-African University, Peter Bamkole (R) at the Unveil of Winners of Etisalat EasyBusiness Millionaire Hunt 2 in Lagos recently.

Funmi Coker Federal Government at the weekend restated its readiness to collaborate with exmilitants in the oil rich Niger Delta region to ensure protection of lives and properties in the region.

The Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for

former Niger Delta militants, Brig-Gen. Paul Boro (rtd) said President Muhammadu Buhari desired peace in the region, hence, his administration was willing to engage relevant stakeholders to address all forms of illegality in the region.

Boro was speaking as a special guest at a forum organised by Riverine Security – a body which

Niger state ex-councillors’ get 10yrs backlog ...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

tember this year.

In the statement jointly signed by the chairman and secretary of the forum of former councillors, Alhaji Muhammed Alfa and Bala Isah respectively, it expressed appreciation to the governor for approving the payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances since leaving office in 2002.

The statement declared that, “The governor’s order was carried out in September and again in November, 2015,” adding that they were indebted to the governor for his sympathy and respect for the past office holders.

In the statement, they wondered how despite their mature and peaceful approach to the demand, and huge resources at the disposal of the past administration, the administration turned a blind eye to their plight.

They stated that while the past administration engaged in unbridled comfort for personal

ego and senseless publicity, the government disregarded their plea and sufferings.

The forum noted that “no other branch of political office holders was ever subjected to such hardship and neglect, we therefore thank the governor for his spirit of comradeship, and high sense of responsibility and we have pledged our unflinching support to the governor and offer prayers of goodwill for the administration.”

Bello

calls itself Coast-Guard of the Federation – a group of all exmilitants in the Niger Delta region, in Abuja.

Represented by Major Matti Abdul (rtd), Boro maintained that all hands must be on deck to ensure safety of water ways and communities in order to promote economic development in the region.

In his remarks, the Commandant General of the group, Oduku Bibi said all ex-agitators in the region had vowed to toe the path of peace and progress, because they believed in the ability of Buhari’s government to develop the region.

“We have come to say a big no to militancy, oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and all other familiar vices that have impeded the rapid development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large,” he said.

Commending the new coordinator, Bibi explained that their involvement in the peace, security and progress in the Niger Delta region became imperative in view of their adequate knowledge of the terrains in the region.

According to him “the people who can best protect the Niger Delta is Niger Deltans. Our men are conversant with the security hurdles; they know the terrains and we will assist security agencies in the discharge of their duties.”

He further disclosed that the group had had understanding with the Nigerian Navy for the protection of waterways, adding that they would extend it to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to ensure that people in the region are well protected.

Osinbajo decries dependence on oil revenue CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

of the forum could not have been more apt, coming at a time that we have a global decline in oil revenue, especially in a country such as ours that has total dependence on oil for survival.”

He, however, expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to the development of the Niger Delta region.

“Realising the concept of sustainable development comes with numerous challenges, especially in the Niger Delta region that represents the world’s third largest wetlands, with several years of unaddressed oil pollution issues that have hindered agricultural growth of the region as well as affected the general health of the populace,” the vice president said.

On the clean-up of Ogoniland, Osinbajo explained that the Federal Government had begun the exercise in the area and other seriously affected communities,

adding that it was putting measures in place to alleviate the impact of the areas already polluted.

He expressed the need to intensify activities in the rural areas with a view to improving socioeconomic well-being through agricultural and related rural enterprises, and provide access to markets and the rural areas by improving the road network and value chain development.

Earlier, the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, Bassey Dan-Abia, had listed poor funding as one of the challenging facing the intervention agency, even as he maintained that the NDDC should not be seen as an alternate government.

Dan-Abia urged the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company to initiate the process of paying its own contribution to the funding of the commission based on the fact it was among the oil and gas producing companies operating within the Niger Delta region.

Capital Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Stock Market Report

Index drops marginally The equities market segment of the Nigerian Stock Market (NSE) continued on a negative note as lead indicators further depreciated by 0.10 per cent against 0.26 per cent recorded in the previous trading session.

Specifically, the NSE All Share Index and Market Capitalization dropped 26.11 points and N8.98 billion lower from their previous figures to close at 27,287.89 points and N9.382 trillion respectively compared to 27, 314 points and N9.391 trillion recorded on Tuesday.

The volume of equities traded on Wednesday in 2,857 deals increased 150 percent to 383.4 million units of shares from 153.3 million units traded on Tuesday, while the value of equities traded rose by 212% from N1.7 billion to N5.3 billion.

The market breadth closed negative with 27 losers against 18 gainers. Portpaint Plc topped the losers chart with a decline of

9.52 per cent or 40 kobo to close at N3.80 per share trailed by Forte Oil Plc which depreciated by 5.00 per cent or N13.08 to close at N248.65 per share while UACN Plc dropped 4.97 per cent or N1.34 to N25.61 per share.

Union Homes Plc likewise lost 4.97 per cent or 26 kobo to close at N4.97 per share and Oando Plc fell 4.68 per cent or 28 kobo to close at N5.70 per share.

On the other hand, Unilever Plc led todays 18 gainers with a 10.23 per cent or N4.08 appreciation to close at N43.98 per share followed

by Mcnichols Plc which added 5.00 per cent or 6 kobo to close at N1.26 per share, while National Aviation handling Company Plc gained 4.95 per cent or 18 kobo to close at N3.82 per share.

Airline Service and Logistics Plc appreciated by 4.40 per cent or 8 kobo to close at N1.90 per share while Wema Bank Plc increased by 3.26 per cent or 3 kobo to close at 95 kobo per share.

L-R: Mrs. Osaretin Oyewumi, FCA, Deputy Director, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna, Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN; and Mr. Kevin Amugo, Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, CBN at a training for directors of banks in Nigeria on Corporate Governance and AML/ CFT in Lagos on Monday.

Seven Up H1 profit declines 27% Seven up Bottling Company Plc., financial results for the six month period ended 30th September, 2015 in comparison with the same period of the prior year showed declining performance in bottom line as Profit after tax declined 27 per cent to N1.8 billion from N2.5 billion in 2014.

Profit before tax fell likewise fell 27per cent from N3.2 billion to N2.4 billion, while turnover however grew by 3.7 per cent to N39.6 billion from N38.1 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2014.

Meanwhile prior financial results for the period ended 30th June, 2015 in comparison with the same period of the previous year showed impressive performance in top and bottom lines as revenue grew 12.76 per cent to N38.142 billion from N33.825 billion in 2014.

Gross profit rose 11.8 per cent to N14.141 billion from N12.647 billion in 2014, while the company recorded a 16 per cent increase in profit before tax to N3.231 billion from N2.784 billion, as profit after tax grew 15 per cent to N2.480 billion from N2.156 billion in 2014.

Operating profit appreciated 15.8 per cent to N4.093 billion from N3.534 billion recorded in 2014, increasing operating profit margin; an indication of the company’s profitability from current operations to 10.73 per cent from 10.45 per cent in 2014.

Gross profit margin an indication of the total margin available to cover operating expenses however declined slightly to 37.1 per cent from 37.4 per cent achieved in the prior year.

The company’s statement of financial Position indicated a 3.5

per cent growth in total assets to N57.826 billion to N55.863 billion, while total liabilities increased 2.8 per cent to N39.619 billion in 2015 from N38.535 billion in 2014.

An 11.40 per cent rise in fixed asset boost fixed asset turnover; a measure of the sales productivity and utilization of plant and equipment to 91 per cent from 89.3 per cent in 2014, as net profit margin also grew to 6.50 per cent in 2015 from 6.37 per cent in 2014.

Seven Up Bottling Company Plc is listed on the main board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange under the consumer goods sector, Its share price dropped 0.54 per cent or one kobo from its previous price of N184 to close at N183 per share as at 1st December 2015, bringing its market capitalization to N117.23 billion while the company has 640.590 million shares outstanding.

NSE, CSCS Commences Post-Trade Allocation Service

Stories by Adesola Akindele

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc. have on Tuesday commenced post-trade allocation service to operators on the NSE. The Post-Trade Allocation service is a peculiar situation where a broker who may have the mandate to buying for foreign investors or pension custodians, can buy into a pool account, rather than separate accounts of each investor and at the end of the day’s trading would allocate demands at his or her own discretion thereby saving time, cost and seizing available opportunities.

Addressing market partici-

pants at a forum in Lagos recently, the Operations Manager, Market Operations and Technology Division of the NSE, Mr. Ken Nwafor, assured participants during the engagement that in the overall interest of the market, rules guiding the post-trade allocation service, which is currently on the NSE website, will be made available not only to them, but also to the investing public via the website of CSCS and the print media.

In addition, Mr. Joe Mekiliuwa, General Manager, Operations at CSCS Plc. Explained that the introduction of the PostTrade Allocation service into the Nigerian capital market will significantly reduce error trades by brokers and improve quality of

trade execution.

“The post-trade allocation service would create liquidity, improve trade settlement experience in the market and enable brokers to buy securities enblock thereby saving time of buying into separate accounts.

This service will be available on a web-based platform”, said Mekiliuwa.

Mekiliuwa allayed fears that the process could lead to impartiality and allow for favoritisms during trade allocation. “An agreement has been reached among brokers that the allocation of the purchased securities would be done at the discretion of the brokers based on fairness, equity and justice. When mandate to transact is received

by the brokers, CSCS will ensure that the post allocation will be strictly between the custodians and the brokers. No interference whatsoever from our end besides providing the platform for the service”, he added.

In the event where any client is erroneously allocated more than the mandated volume, Mekiliuwa explained that the system will not automatically detect such errors. He however noted that if such is discovered on the day of allocation, CSCS would correct it without any applicable service charge. “Service charge to correct error becomes applicable if it is discovered as from day T+1”.

The post-trade allocation concise process flow include

amongst others allocation of pool account opened under the custodians, remote trading access to single account granted to brokering firms. Others include; purchase of stocks en-bloc or in tranches into the pool account via the remote trading window based on clients’ mandates on trade day by the brokers, and authorization by CSCS to redistribute all purchased securities to the target accounts domiciled with the custodians at the end of trade by brokers.

In the event of a brokering firm purchasing above the mandated volume, custodians were advised to report to the NSE and CSCS, any brokerage firm who fails to comply with the stipulated rules for sanctions.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

B5 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 02-12-2015

Brands & Marketing B6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

L-R: Director SIMS Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ike Eyisi, Chairman, Mr Simeon Eyisi, Managing Director Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa FZE, Mr. Shinichi Wakita and the Divisional Managing Director, Panasonic Appliances Company India, Mr. Hisao Yamane during the partnership announcement between Panasonic and SIMS held in Lagos recently.

Between Beer and Health benefits Godwin Anyebe in this article writes on the benefits of beer consumption when taken in moderation Daily Times findings showed that the history of beer is as old as mankind. As matter of fact, beer emanated from Sumeria (modern Iraq). It actually began as a drink made from soaking bread in water and allowing it to ferment, and since then beer has gain acceptance in the larger society. Report also shows that, today, there are about forty thousand types of beer in the world. In addition, experts have also proved that beer has lots of health benefit. For instance, when taken in moderation, it has the tendency of reducing weight.

Despite all the excitement and health benefit that is associated with beer, it is believe in some quarters that beer is not good for human consumption. While this appears to be the submission of some region group, some scholars also seem to subscribe to it.

To puncture this beliefs, Nige-

Panasonic Partners with SIMS; Announces Manufacturing Base in Lagos

Willsher

Etisalat unveils EasyBusiness millionaires hunt two winners

ria Breweries, one of the giants in Nigeria beer industry held the second edition of beer and health symposium in Lagos recently. The symposium with the theme: ‘Beer and Lifestyle’ focuses mainly on telling the story of beer in relation to its health and nutritional benefits.

At the event, Professor of Nutrition from the University of Ibadan, Tola Atinmo said; “nutritionists have proved that people who drink beer moderately actually lose weight regularly. All humans need calories intake for energy. Pot belly is a function of what we do with the unused calories in the body. In fact, scientists explain that beer has the least in calories and high in antidioxidants. They also argue that beer in fact deliver more nutrients than wine.”

According to him, one major fallacy among many Nigerians has remained that beer is not meant for old people and not for women. This is far from the truth as men and women who were credited with moderate intake of

beer, lived to very old age.

While reacting to whether cloudy beer is bad or not, he held that; “In fact, some beers – German Hefeweizen Wheat beers for example – are cloudy by definition. Generally speaking, for commercial reasons a lot of beers are filtered to improve clarity and make them more visually appealing – but it is not strictly necessary in many cases. Sediment can often enhance flavour, and as our appetite for craft beer continues to grow, there’s a growing trend toward unfiltered beer.”

For him, the perception by some people that beer is less complicated than wine is not in good in good order because beer contain lots of ingredients that makes it more comple than wine.

His words: “the fact that beer is less complicated than wine is perhaps the worst myth of all – the notion that wine is a more refined, sophisticated drink for the dinner table while beer remains a drink for the working classes is just outright snobbery.

One of Nigeria’s most innovative and SME-Friendly telecommunications operator, Etisalat, has unveiled the winners of the season of two of the EasyBusiness Millionaires Hunt.

The unveiling which took place in Lagos on Tuesday also saw the telecommunications giant award a N2 Million grant and equipment to each of the 10 winners along with a six-month expert support to help them actualise their business ideas.

The winners include Hauwa Liman,Ukamaka Ugwuoju, Oluwaseyi Dada,Toby Jejephilip, Abigail Adewumi and Oyeboade Makinde. Others are Yewande Towobola, Franke Okoye, Tunji Akande and Tomi Adegbenro.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive O$cer, Etisalat

Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, said that the company is well positioned to help people make the transition from informal businesses to formal businesses built on viable structures. His words: “One of the big challenges we face is helping people make the transition from start up businesses to structured businesses. Transformation is one thing that a6ects us in business. Today, we are celebrating the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurs with a di6erence.

These are a group of young men and women whose brilliant minds have set them apart from their equals.”

He also urged the winners to priorities customer satisfaction, noting that keeping faith with this principle will guarantee growth for their businesses.

Stories by Godwin Anyebe

tion Panasonic once again as a dominant player in the country’s electronic products market category that has become very competitive.

In a series of major developments, Panasonic also announced establishing the local manufacturing base for room Air-Conditioning and TV division in Lagos. In collaboration with “SIMS”, Panasonic has initiated the Set-Up of CKD operation with its prime focus on Japanese

Quality Systems Establishment.

This step boasts the Panasonic mission to increase the focus on Africa market with localization and customer satisfaction as the key agenda. With local sales office in Nigeria, Panasonic is looking at a wider customer base and a stronger hold in the market.

Speaking during the press briefing heralding the signing of the partnership, General Manager SIMS Nigeria Mr. Fab Uzor, said, “We are excited partnering

with Panasonic. Many years of operating in the Nigerian market has given us an edge in understanding the psyche of the Nigerian consumer. The Nigerian market is very competitive because of the number of brands that play here. As a business you need special skills in understanding your customers to make a head way. We have successfully done this over the years which gave us prominence in the competitive electronics market.”

Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa (PMMAF), one of the leading globally consumer electronics brand, announced its partnership deal with SIMS Nigeria, a world class electronics and home appliances marketing/ distribution company at the 2015 Dealer Convention in Lagos, Nigeria. The association aims at serving the Nigerian market with products and also to posi-

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

B7 Agric

FG’s free meal scheme for pupils to reduce post -harvest losses – Afri-CASD

Buhari

Stories by Isaac Agber African Centre for Food, Agriculture and Sustainable Development (Afri-CASD) has called on the Federal Government to leverage on partnership with local farmers in its “free meal for pupils” campaign. The Centre stated that partnering with farmers to drive the initiative, which was part of the campaign promises made by President Muhammadu Buhari, would boost food production locally and help reduce the rate of post-harvest losses.

Speaking during a briefing in Abuja, Afri-CASD Director of Communications, Mr. Bo-

laji Akindehinde, said engaging farmers in the scheme would drive positive change in the economy and, most importantly, motivate farmers to do more.

He said farmers, at that point, would believe more in the Federal Government’s sincerity to diversify the economy and develop the agriculture sector beyond what some have termed lip service.

The Buhari-led administration, as part of its campaign promises, vowed to introduce free meals for school children, as part of measures to promote nutrition and education.

“Can you imagine what will accrue to farmers if the federal or state governments patronise

farmers directly through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or State Ministry of Agriculture while implementing the free school feeding?

“Such gesture would be welcoming, because farmers won’t continue to be at the mercy of buyers who take advantage of them due to poor sales and storage challenges. When government buys directly from them at reasonable cost, they are fulfilled and they are propelled to plant more. Aside, youths will also be attracted to the sector. So, the partnership is very vital,” Akindehinde said.

It will be recalled that, as part of the commitments of the Federal Government, the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the 4th Annual Accountants Conference recently held in Abuja, restated that the free feeding scheme was a core project of the Federal Government, which would in turn yield about 1.14 million jobs and increase food production.

Osinbajo said the scheme would also increase food production by 530,000 metric tonnes per annum and attract fresh investments up to N980bn.

Akindehinde, who also spoke on factors that discourage youths in agriculture and food increase, identified lack of infrastructure, weak markets, inadequate finance and post-harvest losses, as major banes to the sector.

According to him, over 40 percent of farm produce get spoilt after harvest due to lack of storage and processing facilities.

Temitope Aroke, young agriculture pioneer, 2015

Nigeria Agriculture Awards holds second edition The second edition of the Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA) is proof that the awards has come to stay, powered by the ‘agricultural mouthpiece’ of the nation; AgroNigeria, this event is aimed at celebrating agricultural achievements of individuals, businesses and institutions.

This year’s award ceremony was held in Lagos and the guest of honour was the Chairman, Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Alhaji Sani Dangote while the keynote presentation was rendered by Prof. E.A Iyayi, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan. The host and Chairman of the Award Committee; E.A Ikani, a Professor of Agric Extension from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State was on hand to receive the numerous recipients.

The categories of awards included: The Farmer’s Governor

of the year, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Pillars of Agriculture, Achiever in Agriculture, Nagropreneur of the Year; Agric Bank of the Year; Agro-Brand of the Year, Agro-Innovator of the Year, Agro-Journalist of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Agriculture Destination of the Year, Agro-Investor of the Year, Development Partner of the Year, R&D Award, Input Company of the Year, Agro Ambassador of the Year, Agro Commissioner of the Year and Farmer of the Year.

The Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA) is an annual event organized to appreciate immense efforts of those who have contributed to the success of the agriculture sector in the country. It was a glorious second edition which will be fondly remembered in the minds of the awardees and everyone present.

PJS to create 7,000 jobs in Niger through rice out-grower scheme

In a bid to quell the nation’s unemployment situation and champion the government’s course of reducing overdependence on imported rice, Pearl Universal Impex Limited, one of Nigeria’s rice growing companies, has disclosed that it is poised to create over 7,000 jobs in its gigantic rice farming project in Niger state.

This was informed by the company’s drive to add value on the nation’s economy chain through agriculture. With this motive, the company has appealed to the Federal Government to provide more conducive and enabling environment that would not only allow for the actualization of its projection, but would go

a long way to helping other rice growers and millers to flourish on self-sufficiency scale.

Chairman of the company, Pulkit Jain, disclosed this when the top management of the company paid a courtesy visit on the new Emir of Borgu, Niger State, Barrister Mohammed Sani. According to Jain, the out-grower project will create 3,000 direct and 4,000 indirect jobs within the next three years.

While commiserating with the Emir over the demise of his predecessor, Jain said the company’s success in rice proruction has resulted in its logical backward integration into rice milling and farming in Nigeria.

With an estimated amount of

N356 billion spent on importation of rice annually, Nigeria is currently the second largest importer of rice in the world, and the largest net importer in Africa.

To overturn the imbalance, Jain said the Federal Government’s quest to replace rice and other imported goods with domestic production was worth giving the desired support and PJS wals setting the pace for others to follow.

Jain also assured that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s vision to achieve a hunger-free Nigeria through an agriculture sector that drives income, growth, and accelerates the achievements

of food and nutritional security by generating employment and transforming Nigeria into a leading player in global food exports and wealth creation for millions of farmers is achievable.

He informed of the company’s decision to invest huge capital and human resource in the project and develop an innovative approach to rice production.

“The company’s model combines a commercial farm with a program that works with nearby farmers, called out-growers, allowing the company greater control over its product while still leaving room to foster and train local small-scale farmers in rice production,” Jain said.

Bello, Niger State Governor

Motoring B8

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Good VON Automobiles achieves 30% Local Content In Bus Production

Aromolaran

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo VON Automobiles Nigeria Limited says the auto factory attained 30% local content in bus production alone since it began operations in 2012.

Advising the Federal Government to concertedly execute the National Automotive Policy to rapidly influence capacity utilization and production of larger volume of passenger cars and commercial vehicles at the various vehicle manufacturing plants in the country.

Managing Director of VON Automobiles, Tokunbo Aromolaran gave the hint in Lagos recently.

Aromolaran who spoke during an oversight inspection of the plant by the Senate Committee on Import Waivers, Concession and Grants said “the factory has attained 30% local content in bus production since it began operations in 2012”.

Among the senate delegation

that were taken round VON Automobile facility and vehicle warehouses were Senator Mohammed Aliero, Chairman Senate Committee on Import Waivers, Concession and Grants, Senator Gershom Bassey (member), Mr. Victor Efiong, clerk of the Committee and Mr. Felix Okonti a consultant.

Earlier in his presentation, Mr. Aromolaran told the visiting legislators that prices of locally assembled vehicles can only become competitive when policy and environment are right to justify economics of car production.

“It is my ultimate goal to produce at least 1000 units of vehicles monthly so as to bring down unit prices of locally assembled vehicles but there is yet no volume to operate at optimal capacity,” Mr. Aromolaran lamented.

He particularly craved the indulgence of the legislature to enact policy that would restrict importation of used vehicles into the country to forestall emission

consequences of old vehicles on the environment and intimidating breakdowns in vehicular traffic.

According to him, “It is imperative government introduce proficient road worthiness act and vehicle emission standard to forestall wanton importation of unserviceable vehicles into the country.

“If only you would help us to control tokunbo cars, we can produce a whole lot of these small cars at very low prices. And as you are aware, tokunbo vehicles pollute the environment and cause gratuitous breakdowns on the roads,” Mr. Aromolaran said.

Also warning it was time Nigeria ceased to create Jobs in foreign countries where fully-built up vehicles are made, the plant Managing Director said: “We are not going to develop our local industries and our children won’t get to work if adequate measures aren’t implemented to raise the bar for local production.”

Mazda introduces CX-3 turbopetrol engine

The CX-3 is also rather adequately endowed in the engine compartment. While it doesn’t have a modern turbopetrol engine like many of its rivals, it does have somewhat bigger displacement than its foes and superior outputs, with its 2-litre Skyactiv petrol engine producing a rather decent 115kW and 204Nm. The CX-3 can be had with either manual or automatic transmission, both with six forward ratios, and drive is to the front wheels in all cases.

THREE FLAVOURS Three spec levels are offered and the base Active version comes with 16-inch alloys, manual air conditioning, cruise control, power folding mirrors, a four-speaker audio system and

Bluetooth connectivity. Auto gearbox models add idle stop and DSC stability control.

Opt for the midrange Dynamic and you get six speakers, automatic climate control, auto headlights and wipers, leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors and Mazda’s MZD Connect 7-inch touch-screen interface. As with the Active, only the auto model has DSC. The range-topping CX-3 Individual is only available with an autobox and in addition to easy commuting, this model treats you to a Bose premium sound system, leather/cloth seat trim combination, reverse camera, integrated satnav, head-up display, a powered sunroof and 18-inch alloys.

Volkswagen uncovers another software problem Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Volkswagen has uncovered yet another software problem affecting its vehicles’ fuel consumption, adding to a massive pollution cheating scandal that has engulfed the auto giant.

“Volkswagen has new software problems, including one that has a direct impact on the consumption” of the vehicles, reported Die Welt daily.

The faulty software manages the recovery of energy, which can be used to recharge car batteries -- an essential component that keeps the vehicle’s lights and airconditioning or heating running.

A problematic energy recovery system means that the car would have to use more fuel.

Volkswagen confirmed the problem, but said it affected “certain vehicles rather than all the vehicles of this or that series”.

Die Welt said the car company had first revealed the problem during a meeting with German investigators on the emissions cheating scandal that erupted at the end of September.

Volkswagen stunned the world with its admission then that it had fitted 11 million diesel vehicles with software “defeat devices” designed to cheat in nitrogen oxide emissions tests.

Life&

TIMES Thursday, December 3, 2015

Helen Paul: Excelling in a man’s world

L2,3

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Any publicity is good publicity — Helen Paul could make people laugh many years ago; perhaps I was about five or six years of age.

I became an entertainer of some sort at that time by doing stuff to amuse my peers.

How was your growing up like?

It was a mix of fun and harsh realities! I was naughty quite alright – I used to sneak through the back door to play when I ought to do my homework. But then I had a mom and a grandma that were tough as nails! I lived mostly with my grandma and she was equal to the task. She devised all sorts of punishments to instill discipline in me. I learnt early enough that you can’t always have what you want even when it seems so attractive to you. These elders have been there and done that, so most times they speak and warn from hindsight. I had plenty of fun though. I played with so many friends and I was loved by many. I had a lot of people who wanted to be my uncles, aunties, etc. They were all interested in this small but naughty girl who was always so full of life. Some of them are now popular actors and actresses that usually grace our screens today. Being acquainted with them at such an early age, it was as if God was preparing me for the journey ahead.

Life&

T E A M

No doubt, you are one of the foremost female comedians in the country; can you tell us how the journey started?

Growing up, I never saw myself as a comedian. Although I fell in love with entertainment quite early in life, I had plans of practising a more serious vocation, particularly Law. I told myself that the worst scenario was that I might act in a few movies. I didn’t even think that I could be a full blown actress. Back then, I used to entertain some of my peers within the neighborhood. We used to play together just like most kids do and also, each one of us would try to do stuff to make other people laugh. It could range from telling jokes or an interesting story, to singing or acting. It was just fun. I usually came out tops with my antics. Fast forward to many

years later and those antics started becoming professional when I performed on stage as a comedian at an event in the University of Lagos, where I was a student. It was an impromptu performance as I was literally pushed on stage by some of my friends that I had cracked up with jokes in our hostels and classrooms. From there, I got more invitations and thanks to God, things have been looking up since then.

What was your childhood ambition and at what point in time did you discover that you can actually make people laugh?

Three professions were foremost on my list - a lawyer, a medical doctor, and a journalist, in that order. Thankfully, I was able to get one from that list! I discovered that I

Movie & Music Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Did you envisage where you are today?

Not at all. Even when I started getting acclaim and recognition for my work, I thought I was dreaming. I said to myself, I’m not the only comedian out there. There are so many people with solid materials, toiling hard to be recognised and given a platform to convince people that they can perform.

But here I was, doing what I love to do and getting paid for it. There’s hardly a better feeling than that. I’m grateful to God who says that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. It’s only God that gives grace and shows mercy. I thank Him and I know that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

You started with a radio programme - this witty kid who addresses and lampoons societal issues in a satirical manner, how did you discover the concept and who and who influenced your career?

Yes, the programme was “Wetin Dey”.

Before I featured on that programme, I met a co-worker, Matthew- with whom we later became very good friends. We used to gist heavily! Either of us would bring up a topic, particularly any hot sizzling story that was currently trending in the media or just

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Sunday O. Emmanuel

“word on the street”. We would analyze and over-analyze the topic from various viewpoints. At times, I would talk using my baby voice and he would tell me that he can see me doing big things with that voice later in life. I didn’t pay much attention to that. Then one day, he got serious about it and encouraged me to take it to radio and see people’s reaction. The opportunity came later when I was asked to anchor a programme on Eko FM. Then I was still cutting my teeth in media work but I had developed just the right measure of confidence I needed to get on the programme. So, I anchored the programme and the feedback was positive and massive! This continued until I got another programme on Radio Continental. It was so interesting that as I was exiting the studio after the programme, I saw that people had gathered in front of the studio and on corridors just to catch a glimpse of the small girl who seemed to talk beyond her age! Then someone walked up to me and informed me that D.G of the station had asked that I should see him before leaving. I walked into his office and I could see from his reaction that he was impressed, so impressed that he could have sworn that the voice he heard on radio was that of a 9-year old girl. You know what? He instructed HR to hire me immediately and that was how I was employed as a staff of the company! So many other people have influenced my career. Mrs. Ndidi Obioha of Enthyst Events (my manager now) has influenced me greatly. Our meeting was also phenomenal but I won’t go into details because this interview will not end today.

Many people I met when I just started encouraged me to go for gold. Elvis Chucks has also been instrumental in encouraging my interest in acting. The list is endless.

If not comedy, what would you have been doing?

Incidentally, I do so many other things apart from comedy. So, in answering that question, I would refer to some of those things, which are singing, acting, anchoring events (shows, weddings, parties). If I wasn’t doing any of these things, like I said earlier, I would have been a lawyer or a medical doctor. I also loved being a journalist and thank God, today I am one. Lest I forget, I also love air hostesses because of their dressing! I fell in love with them at a tender age whenever I saw them – on TV, in real life, anywhere!

CONTINUED ON L3

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

L3 Interview

‘Any publicity is good publicity CONTINUED FROM L2 If you are to turn back the hands of time, what will you like to change about your life and career?

Nothing, nothing at all. I’m happy with my strides both in my life and career. I’m wired in a way that I hardly celebrate victories or gloss over losses or mistakes for too long. I simply do things and move on. Some people have told me the pros and cons of this habit but it’s just the way I am naturally. So, when people ask me for high or low moments in my life or career, I usually have to think for so long! I live each day one day at a time and thank God for the mercies I enjoy on a daily basis.

We’ve seen several female comedians who started well but failed. What do you think is the cause?

Personally, I don’t know why. But then, I want to believe that people may fail as comedians just as people fail in any other business or craft. Reasons could be internal or external factors. When I say internal, it could be that the person does not have the right attitude to work or even the right attitude as per

character. You know talent can take one to the top but the right attitude keeps you there.

It could also be lack of creativity or originality. External factors could be societal or family pressures. You would agree that women get the flak for so many things that a man would do brazenly and get away with. A lot of stories are peddled about female entertainers that are either half-truths or outright lies.

Some people might cave in to these pressures. That said, I relate with my colleagues and aunties who are also comedians and I know they are doing fine, e.g. Mandy, Princess, Lepacious Bose, etc.

As a married woman who is also into comedy and fabrics business, how do you manage the two?

I rely on wisdom from God and I surround myself with people who understand the way I work and who are also visionaries. Also, I constantly have a picture of what I want in my mind and I keep working towards achieving it. Lastly, I believe that God has given talents to all of us. In fact, in most cases, each person has more than one talent. We have been given many and with these talents come the ability to multi-task. God does not

give a vision without making provision.

We have seen Time Out with Tee A and AY Show, What is Helen Paul working on at the moment?

Recently, I debuted with my show “Helen Paul & Tatafo” at the MUSON Center. A student version of the show was also held later in the University of Lagos. It was massively received. The show will continue by God’s grace but I’m working with my management team to tie all necessary ends. You know when you’ve done something before and you want to continue with it, you need to come out improved. We can only come out on a bigger level. Not only that, I am developing content that would soon hit the screen. We have done the recording bit and are putting finishing touches to the work to ensure all goes well. Details are close to my chest for now. We are also working on other projects but if you mean a signature-styled show, I am coming up with content for the screen pretty soon. Please keep your fingers crossed.

Will you say you are fulfilled now?

I am happy with the journey so far but I’m not relaxing yet. I still have a lot of grounds

MUSIC GIST R&B legend Mary J. Blige joins BET experience Africa line-up Multi-Grammy award winning R&B superstar Mary J. Blige is to raise the roof with a trademark heartfelt performance at the BET Experience Africa at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg on 12 December. Blige, who last performed in South Africa in 2007, will join Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, Tamar Braxton and Young Thug on the same stage as African superstars AKA, Flavour and Diamond Platnumz at what is shaping up to be the lifestyle experience of the year.

Coming to Africa for the first time in 2015, the BET Experience Africa

provides the perfect kick off to the summer season, taking over Johannesburg’s Ticketpro Dome for a non-stop, jam-packed entertainment fest, bringing together lovers of urban culture and music. Wowing visitors all day long, the BET Experience Africa will showcase great food, fashion, music, comedy, sport, sneakers and much, much more.

Inspiring, immersive and hugely entertaining, BET Experience Africa will feature stunning live performance on an outdoor Festival Stage, while stand-up routines

from comedy stars will keep the audience laughing. Fashionistas will also be able to check out the hottest trends on the Sneaker scene from sneaker heads hunting for Kicks and enjoy fashion shows from top South African designers.

For inspiration, attend one of BET’s informative and instructive Genius Talks, curated by experts and opinion formers in various fields including FikileMbalula, Minister for Sports & Recreation. Driving fanatics will enjoy the Drift Zone with high octane displays of extreme driving to get the pulse racing.

to cover.

You’ve enjoyed both positive and negative publicity, which of the negative publicity you found untrue was published?

In showbiz, any publicity is good publicity.

In fact, although I’ve been lucky not to have had the measure of negative publicity some of my colleagues in the industry have had, I usually joke with my colleagues that it’s all good. Bad news spread fast and in showbiz, the more it spreads, the more popular you become. Although I’ve stumbled upon some stories about me which at times are not true, honestly I can’t recall any that made me go crazy to the extent that I can’t forget it. I read them, laugh, and move on. Largely though, I’m happy I can say I’ve enjoyed a scandal-free career.

What will your New Year resolution be?

I want to keep impacting lives and do much better work than I’ve done in the past.

I’m not stereotyped about New Year resolutions. I simply write my plans for each year on paper, stick it where I can read it on a daily basis, pray about it and run with it.

New music Alert

CDQ Ft. Wizkid in ‘Nowo Eh Soke’

Mary

Having recorded success with hit songs like Indomie, Salaro amongst others, General Records act, CDQ has released new tune, titled: ‘Nowo Eh Soke’ The track also features Starboy Boss, Wizkid.

CDQ

Music Gist L4

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Aramide drops Í don’t care video

Mutiat Alli

Indomix, Unlimited LA battle at maiden Beatz awards In a rare move to appreciate the brains behind the successes of musical artistes, organisers of the maiden edition of the Beatz awards have exclusively hinted Life & Times that the motive of the award is to give recognition to the hottest recording professionals and business executives in Nigeria who are responsible for the boom the industry is enjoying now. It’s no hidden fact that the recording artistes bask in the spotlight when a song becomes a hit, but its architects are often left in the shadows.

In the same vein, top sound engineers including Foster Zeeno, Olaitan Dada, Indomix, Brain on

the mix, Sheyman, Vtek, Sukasounds will do battle over the best mixing and mastering engineer.

While Don Jazzy, Oscar HemanAckah, Cobhams and Rotimi Keys will engage each other in the best afro-soul producer category.

According to the event coordinator, Lanre Makun, THE BEATZ AWARDS is the only award that gives both fans and industry executives the opportunity to vote for their favourite music producers and music business professionals.

The show provides an exceptional opportunity for the music industry to pay tribute to the best of their professionals, i.e. the produc-

Bonang Matheba, Darey Alade to host 2015 Future award The Central Working Committee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) 2015 has announced the hosts of the 1 ‎ 0th anniversary!

They are Bonang Matheba,‎ South Africa’s favourite media personality, and award-winning artiste and music entrepreneur Dare Art-Alade.

The hosts represent the best of young Africans from across the continent, and will be presenting the 10th year celebra-

Olamide

Indomix

ers, engineers, mixers, re-mixers, managers, and the industry executives whose talent and dedication played an integral role in the success of chart topping music. The Beatz awards is an initiative of Eliworld Int’l Limited

consistently, for 10 years they have celebrated efforts of youths across the continent,” Dare said, adding: “It’s an honour to be a part of this landmark celebrations, and I am excited to be back on the TFAA stage!”

The award is held in partnership with the British High Commission, the Ford Foundation, Microsoft, the US Consulate, the Canadian High Commission, Sterling Bank and The Tony Elumelu Foundation and expected to hold this Sunday 6 December in Lagos, Nigeria at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Olamide speaks on not having female artiste on YBNL

Aramide

Music Week Africa set to become No. 1 music platform Organisers of the Music Week Africa (MWA) has announced the launch of an annual Pan-African week long series of events designed to explore and promote all aspects of the industry’s diverse ecosystem. Music West Africa will provide a business networking platform for musicians, professionals and other players in the music industry as well as enlighten sector practitioners, investors and policy makers about the industry.

With the theme of the maiden edition tagged ‘The African Music business is now open for business’, the founder of the movement, Mr. Audu Maikori said the maiden edition will focus on the three key countries

Bonang and Darey

tions of TFAA in grand style. Dare returns as a host after first hosting in 2009.

“I am excited to be coming to Nigeria for The Future Awards Africa,” said Matheba, who is also the first international brand ambassador for Revlon. “This is an exceptional platform telling Africa’s story in a unique, impactful way.

YoungAfricans see these nominees and winners and have been inspired over the past 10 years to act right, to get involved and to live their dreams to the fullest”.

“The Future Awards Africa is Africa’s biggest youth event as

Afro-Soul diva, Aramide drops the visuals to her most recent single, “I Don’t Care”. Simple and classy as always, Aramide wins our hearts again with the beautifully shot piece by budding music video director, Stanz Visuals.

This video follows Aramide’s streak of nominations this year, including Female Artist of the Year (NEA), Most Promising Artist in Africa (AFRIMA), Best Soft Rock/Alternative Video (NMVA) and Best Female Vocal Performance (The Headies).

Aramide will release another video before the year runs out.

She is currently working on her debut album, due for release in the first half of 2016.

which have been industry leaders in entertainment in Africa in the past decade-South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

He added that “It is only now, aided by digital technology, that Africa’s insurmountable influence on world music is getting recognition and traction”.

Music Week Africa (MWA) will kick-start with its inaugural week come March, 2016 as the organisers equally hinted that over 20 partners including local and international content providers, copyright bodies, policy makers, NGOs and production houses underlying the importance of the entertainment industry as key driver of economic growth and development.

From Left to Right: Tori Abiola, Event Director; Henry Bassey, DirectorTeam Lead; OjomaOchai, Director, British Council Nigeria; Professor Pat Utomi; Audu Maikori, Founder/Director Music Week Africa; Oscar Onyema, CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange; Leslie Kasumba, Director, Music Week Africa; DejiAwokoya, General Manager, Beat FM/Megalectrics and Raoul Sawhney, Director Digital Olamide has revealed his reason for not signing on a female artiste. The YBNL boss has five artistes signed to his label including rappers Lil Kesh, Viktor, Xino Kuti, ChinkoEkun, and Urban Highlife singer, Adekunle Gold. He is yet to sign his first artiste, and he has revealed why.

With Olamide’s YBNL dominated by male artistes, and the likes of Lil Kesh and Adekunle Gold already making a strong stand in the music industry, the rapper has shut down

the chance of having a female artiste in the label.

YBNL Boss, Olamide who just dropped his 5th studio album “Eyan Mayweather” recently, spoke with Hip TV on why he won’t sign any female artistes yet due to their ‘’short industry life span’’.

However, Olamide revealed if he was going to sign a female artist, she’d have to engulf herself with the hunger he has: the ‘‘hunger for success’’.

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

L5 Movie Gist

Mutiat Alli

BON Awards 2015: Gideon Okeke, Bimbo Akintola announced as hosts …as Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Ozokwor, Tade Ogidan gets honorary awards

Gideon Okeke

The organisers of the prestigious Best of Nollywood Awards (BON AWARDS) have unveiled versatile screen goddess, Bimbo Akintola and talented actor Gideon Okeke as the hosts for the seventh edition of the Awards holding on December 13, 2015 at the Ultramodern event and cultural center, The Dome, sited in the heart of Akure, Ondo State.

The duo will be playing host to a constellation of Nollywood big horns, top government functionaries of the host state and select guests from the corporate world. The event will also feature some exclusive performances by some highly-acclaimed

entertainers and comedians.

However, as part of the side attractions of the night, The CEO of the award, Seun Oloketuyi disclosed that the evening will see former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Godswill Akpabio receive special recognition Awards for their sterling strides and contributions to the development of Nollywood and the arts generally.

Other veterans to be honoured at the Awards night include highly esteemed film maker Tade Ogidan, celebrated actors Patience Ozokwor and Chiwetalu Agu for their creative contributions to the film industry.

Dolapo

Dolapo Oni plays Bolanle in ‘The Secret lives of Baba Segi’ Gideon Okeke

Fathia Balogun releases Iya Alalake Kunle Afolayan at the 2015 edition of the award

AMVCA 2016 nominees to be announced next week Organisers of the fourth edition of the prestigious Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA) has hinted that all is now set for the official announcement of the 2016 nominees list to give room for the commencement of voting. According to the organizers, come Friday, December 11, 2015, the announcement of the nominees will be aired on all Africa Magic channels.

The 2015 edition of the AMVCAs was held on March 7, 2015, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria, with IK and Vimbai as hosts.

Since the maiden edition in 2013, the AMVCA has celebrated the contributions of African filmmakers, actors and technicians to the success of the continent’s film and television industry. The 2015 edition saw Kunle Afolayan dominating the night.

For the 2016 edition, three new categories were added to the already existing AMVCAs categories.

The three new categories for the upcoming edition are ‘the best East African Movie’, ‘the best Southern African Movie’ and ‘the best West African movie.

Iya Alalake, the muchanticipated movie, produced by star actress, Fathia Balogun, is out. The comedy flick, which was released on Monday tells the story of a popular female musician, who is well loved for her unique style of singing.

Shot in the ancient city of Ibadan, the movie features A-list actors like Femi Adebayo,

Muyiwa Ademola, Afonja Olaniyi aka Sanyeri, Razak Olayiwola( Ojopagogo), Adekola Tijani aka Kamilu Kompo among others.

The movie won the estranged wife of popular actor, Saheed Balogun ‘Best Indigenous Language Movie’ at the 2015 Africa-Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards AMVCA. Fathia

TV girl, Dolapo Oni will be playing the lead role as Bolanle in The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’. It is a captivating novel written by Lola’s Shoneyin with a stirring tale of men and women, mothers and children, servitude and independence.

It depicts the common threads that connect the experiences of all women: the hardships they bear, their fierce desire to protect those they love, and their struggle to define themselves.

This scandalous new play featuring original contemporary live Yoruba music, songs and dance, is performed by an all star-studded, multi-talented ensemble.

Stage adaptation is by Caine award-winner Rotimi Babatunde, original music & lyrics composed

by Oyebade Dosunmu and original choreography by Uche Onah.

Production is conceived and directed by Femi Elufowoju.

Comedy comes to cinema with LAPD African Cops Omo banke, Akin Olaiya and Malaika on set

Malaika features in new flick ‘Omo Shomolu’ Fuji Star, Alhaji Sulaimon Alao ‘Malaika’ Adekunle has featured in a new movie titled Omo Shomolu.

The movie which is still in its production stage is currently filming in Shomolu, a suburb of Lagos State.

The movie aims at re-branding the face of the suburb in Lagos with a mindset of changing the

perception of people towards the community as it is often tagged that nothing good comes out of the community that is known to be prone for violence, social miscreants to mention but a few.

Omo Shomolu parades stars that include Malaika, Akin Olaiya, and Soji Taiwo amongst others.

Something big is coming to cinemas near you this Friday as a Hollywood-Nollywood film, LAPD African Cops, has extended the frontiers of comedy in both climes. A production of The Atuma Brothers International Company (TABIC), LAPD is a hilarious comedy based on a stereotypical behavioral reality.

It is a story of two Africans who came to the United States of America and joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). They were commissioned and deployed to the streets of Los Angeles, but rather than employ the LAPD rules and regulations to judge the American streets; they decided to rule the streets using African culture, norms and values.

Shot in the United States and distributed in West Africa by Silverbird Film Distribution, LAPD African Cops will premiere at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday, December 4, 2015, while it would hit the cinemas across the country the same day.

Produced by Dr. Oscar Atuma and Pascal Atuma, co-produced by Ime Etuk and written and directed

by Pascal Atuma, the film reflects the cultural differences between the Americans and AfricanAmericans. It tends to close the gap between African-Americans and Africans, giving hope that the chains of the past will someday be broken, and humanity will see each other as one.

Mixed Grills L6

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Mutiat Alli

Dove TV Debuts on DStv Multichoice Africa is further expanding its religion genre with the addition of Dove TV, the official television station of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

The channel will launch on today, Thursday, 3 December 2015 on DStv channel 349.

Dove TV will broadcast wholesome family entertainment with high moral and ethical values that appeal to children, the youth and the elderly. It will also include live coverage of all the Holy Ghost Services, Annual Conventions and Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Other ministrations of the General Overseer from countries around

the world can also be watched from time to time, not to mention series of ministrations from anointed men of God. Speaking on the latest development, Public Relations Manager, DStv, Caroline Oghuma said the addition of Dove TV was in line with the company’s efforts to provide a diversified range of content that will appeal to its different subscribers.

“We are pleased to have Dove TV join the DStv and MultiChoice family. We believe that this addition to our growing list of channels will enhance our subscribers’ viewing pleasure as well as expand our range of quality local content on our platforms”, she said.

Yomi Fashlanso to bury late mum this December Popular Yoruba actor, Yomi Fash-Lanso has announced that his late mum, Emmanuella Adedoyin Lanso (nee Fashola), will be buried in Lagos on Boxing Day December 26, the same day MC Abbey’s late dad’s funeral would be held in Abeokuta. The talented actor, who recently returned from a trip to United States of America is all set to give his late mum a befitting burial, we learnt. Yomi lost his mother to the cold hands of death on October 8, 2015 during a brief illness at the age of 89.

Yomi

Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi joins paywithcapture launch

Gbemi

Popular OAP, Gbemi OlateruOlagbegi joins the PayWithCapture team for its debut mall activation. In its effort to boost and accelerate financial inclusion, PayWithCapture, Nigeria’s leading innovative contactless payment solution, launches its mall and street activation last Monday. Gbemi was among the crew that visited Mega Plaza, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The month long activation is to cover major locations across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

PayWithCapture would engage consumers at the activation sites, educating them on the functionalities of the multi-banking payment solution.

“You will recall that in August we dedicated a channel for the special two-day broadcast of the 63rd Redeemed Christian Church of God Annual Convention and now we are excited that the ministrations and other wholesome content from the RCCG will be a permanent fixture for our subscribers”, she concluded.

New Act Alert

My Priority Is to feature top acts…Bash man Lawal Ismail, aka Bash man is a sensational musician with a unique voice. His genre of music ranges from Hip-hop, soul and R&B. According to him, Daddy Showkey, the famous Ajegunle star and the defunct Plantashun Boyz motivated him into music.

Fast-rising Bash man whose musical dexterity cut-across all spheres of life has a single title ‘Ire’ produced by PaulRunz, mixed and mastered by Dan Jiggy.

In his words, the Mushin born act said his priority is to have collaborations with top acts that include 2Face, Wande Coal, Olamide, D’banj, Wizkid, Don Jazzy and Reminisce.

Bashman

Lyrics on the go Artiste-Seyi Shay Album-Seyi or Shay Song-Right Now Verse 1 When I close my eyes and I think of the memory me and you, you and me you used to looove me you used to looove me and baby I will ride for you Slow wine for you I will touch my tippy toes I will bounce it for you ooooh all the things you used to dooo [Hook] I still remember back in December was the hottest winter from the sunrise to midnight the love dey enter that is why I surrender there is no contender from the midnight to sunrise the love dey enter [Chorus] Touch me now now right now now now now do you remember the rhyme cus I remember the rhyme I wanna feel it right now now now now Touch ouch ouch me me me now now now right now now now now do you remember the rhyme I wanna join in the ryhme Me want me feel it right now now now now right now now now now now now now [Verse 2] You think I leave you sad baby, oh lord of mercy no I know you’re better than that ooooh baby I will ride for you Slow wine for you Make I touch my tippy toes Make I scatter for you Ahooooh All the things you used to dooo [Chorus] Touch me now now right now now now now do you remember the rhyme cus I remember the rhyme I wanna feel it right now now now now Touch ouch ouch me me me now now now right now now now now do you remember the rhyme I wanna join in the ryhme Me want me feel it right now now now now right now now now now now now now [Verse 3] Give me your honey And I’ll put on the show I’ll be your present dancer like I was once before Screaming with your money make it porn to the flow Singing wine on me, wine on me, wine on me, wine oooh How does it feel?

Yeeeah How does it feel?

[Hook] I still remember back in December was the hottest winter from the sunrise to midnight the love dey enter that is why I surrender there is no contender from the midnight to sunrise the love dey enter [Outro] You know you will make a really good actor actuSeyi ally

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Music Review

L7 Reviews

Phyno: - Connect From Grass to Grace

Patience Ekanem Phyno has added yet another feather to his artistic hat, by releasing his latest and hottest song titled “connect”. The music was shot on the streets of Enugu, Nigeria. The music video has over 437,161 viewers, and it was released on the 5th day of October, 2015. The music was by produced by T- Spize. You can never get enough of Phyno because he is always pushing himself every time to serve us with great music.

Phyno has really done it this

time, his “connect” is amazingly wonderful also present in this wonderful music video is Olamide, Skuki and other Nigerian artistes.

The music is a nice one, even if the wording of the song is more of Igbo language, buts that’s the beauty of music; you don’t really need to understand what is being said. The lyrics of the song is wonderful, the instrumentals, location and lyrical flow blends with the storyline behind this song.

In this music he says that people thought he will not make it in this life but that God has

Movie Review Izedunor Ann

really blessed him and that he is connecting. That people said he was so local and said he wouldn’t go far. That now he has made it, he has hammered really big.

The background of the music video is an old two-storey building

and the people in the music video are mostly children. There are no dancers apart from him and the other artistes present in the video.

The music is a cool one, but the background is not very attractive,

it looks old- fashioned. Their dress code is nice, boldly written on their T-shirt (Phyno and the other artistes) is CONNECT, to lay more emphasy on the music.

I really appreciate the music, it really nice. I’ll give it a 7/10.

Pretty woman

When beauty is misused!

The movie, ‘pretty woman’, was produced on September 5, 2015 and directed by Akachukwu Ibe. It has already received a view of 131,301.

This highly dramatic movie centers on a pretty young lady, Pascaline (Omotola Jalade Ekeinde). She came from a humble and naïve background, got married and moved to the city with her husband, where she was overwhelmed by the attention men gave to her simply because of her beauty! Her husband, Smart (Emeka Enyiocha), who loved Pascaline so much and due to the love he had for her, brushed her up and equipped her with all she needed

to excel in life; he taught her so many things she has never come across before in her life. Pascaline was only a beautiful village girl, but after she got married to her husband, her village life was transformed into a high city girl.

Her life was transformed into a whole new level and she started mingling with friends and along the line, her friends started deceiving her by feeding her with wrong information and also introduced her to rich men. Pascaline, now a full city woman, got distracted and she started flirting around with chiefs and so many other men. Her husband, Smart, who couldn’t believe

the news he was hearing of his wife was shocked when his friend’ Isaiah’ told him.

Smart couldn’t believe him due to the love he has for her. Pascaline ended up betraying the love and trust her husband had for her and she repaid him back with pain, shame and disgrace! She scattered her home and her husband’s trust.

Smart had to carry his cross, and this kept him wondering if there was more of Pascaline real identity and behavior he is yet to discover! The movie is good and interesting. I rate it 6\10

Daily Times Nigeria Thursday, December 3, 2015

Tinsel

Showing on

13:30 Thur, 3 Dec | PG13

Showing on 150 Africa Magic Showcase ‘S8/E1536 - 8/1536’. Tsav takes a huge risk to deliver a personal message to Amaka. The girls adjusts their travel plans as the Baale and Prince Ojo pay a very special visit. Bimpe confronts Nina and causes trouble for Soji.

101 M-Net

L8 Television 166 Channel

Married Again

08:00 Thur, 3 Dec | PG

‘S1/E94 - 1/94’. Yash’s father is accused of having another child outside his marriage. He agrees to take a DNA test to prove he is not the father. Aarti breaks into Radha’s house in search of ammunition and is shocked at her findings.

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

128 SONY MAX

00:20 Would I Lie To You? 00:50 The Cube 01:40 Call The Midwife: Christmas...

03:00 EastEnders 03:30 EastEnders 11:00 Ellen’s Design Challenge 12:00 The Voice 13:00 Royal Pains 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Resurrection 16:00 Ellen’s Design Challenge 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 The Voice 18:30 Grey’s Anatomy 19:30 Mysteries Of Laura 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 Hello Ladies: The Movie

154 AfricaMagic Family

00:55 Out Of The Ghetto 02:30 Jane And Abel 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Scarlet 05:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Redial 08:30 Living With Trisha 09:25 Mashariki Mix 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 14:00 Goge Africa 14:30 Nowhere To Be Found

04:00 EastEnders 04:30 EastEnders

03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love

15:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:00 Prem 16:30 Tenant 17:30 Mary Slessor 18:00 Jane And Abel 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 19:55 Paul’s Puzzle 21:00 Nowhere To Be Found 21:30 Goge Africa 22:05 Living With Trisha

05:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

14:10 Total Wipeout UK

05:25 QI

16:00 EastEnders

06:00 The Thin Blue Line

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

06:30 EastEnders

00:30 Killer Karaoke

17:10 The Cube

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

01:30 Tattoo Nightmares

07:55 The Weakest Link

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

02:00 Most Shocking

08:45 The Chase

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

09:30 Total Wipeout UK

20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

10:30 The Cube

21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

11:20 New Tricks

21:50 The Graham Norton Show

12:20 Top Gear

22:40 Would I Lie To You?

13:15 Come Dine With Me

22:30 Would I Lie To You?

15:05 The Weakest Link

155 AfricaMagic World

03:00 Most Shocking 04:00 Exposed 04:30 Exposed 05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak 05:25 Exposed 05:50 Exposed 06:15 Video Zonkers 06:40 Video Zonkers 07:05 World’s Wildest Police Videos 08:05 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:05 South Beach Tow 09:35 Most Shocking 10:35 Most Shocking 11:35 Video Zonkers 12:05 Video Zonkers 12:35 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:35 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:35 South Beach Tow

00:05 Music Block 01:10 Good Morning Africa 02:10 Deal Or No Deal SA 03:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 04:00 The Dzigbordi Show 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 The Heart Of A Shepherd 07:50 Star Gist 08:25 Star Gist 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 The Dzigbordi Show 11:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

13:00 Music Block 14:00 Star Gist 14:30 Star Gist 15:00 Star Gist 15:30 Lies That Bind 16:00 The Dzigbordi Show 17:00 So Wrong So Wright 17:30 So Wrong So Wright 18:00 The Dzigbordi Show 19:00 Kumwesu 19:30 Kumwesu 20:00 Revelation 21:20 Jara 21:55 Music Block

15:05 Most Shocking 16:05 1000 Ways To Die 16:30 Video Zonkers 17:00 Video Zonkers 17:30 Caught On Camera 18:30 What Went Down 19:00 South Beach Tow 19:30 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago 20:00 Enemy Territory 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Most Shocking