Daily Times of Nigeria Newspaper - Tuesday, 3rd of February 2015

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.37

Gombe bomb misses Jonathan by 3 minutes 6

A resident throws a keg of water in a forlon hope of quenching the fire... on Monday

Security officials and others battle to put out the fire as a vehicle was gutted by fire after the explosion... on Monday

INSIDE

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Tuface, M.I

L4

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for RSVP concert tour Governors’ wives and their L achievements

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Amber Rose @ D’banj’s 10th year gig L4 P

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Eat well, prevent hair loss

President gets audit report on alleged missing N20b NNPC fund

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A man being rushed into a bus for onward transfer to a hospital after the explosion...on Monday PHOTOS: REUTERS

Govt. may shift polls by six weeks

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INSIDE

I’ll take Nigeria out of the woods, Buhari Reading pledges 5 captures Aiyegbeni

Okoya-Thomas, philantropist dies at 79

XT Exclusive

GRANT hails Black Stars

X3

Poster!

Roger Federer

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

FEATURE

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Woods:

Celebrating a golf legend X6

CHELSEA

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X8

X2

I have no rift with Mourinho – Lampard

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Politics Page Three

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Editorial

Imperatives of a presidential debate

W

ith the February 14 poll fast approaching, there have been calls by well meaning citizens, organisations and groups for a presidential debate. Such calls are informed by the need for voters to have a close look and interaction with those vying for positions of president and vice president of Nigeria.

The call should be agreeable to all and sundry. Incidentally, this has not been well received by the presidential campaign team of the All Progressives Congress(APC). According to the party, “the composition of the debate panel was a grand design to rubbish the hard earned integrity of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari”.

Moreover, the party said its candidate was staying away because of the unhidden bias and campaign of calumny by key organisers of the programme.

This development is very unfortunate, especially when viewed against the background of the benefits to be derived from such debate.

There is no denying the fact that presidential debates have become very popular in all democracies and Nigeria cannot be an exception.

That is why it is imperative that APC honour the invitation.

In spite of all the rumours surrounding the composition of the debate panel, the appearance of any presidential candidate would be a boost to the fortunes of the participating party. Nigerians have not forgotten the disappointment that trailed the refusal of the PDP candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to be part of the 2011 presidential debate.

At the end of the day, voters went to the polls ignorant of the manifestoes and campaign promises of the party. It is in this light that the urgency of a presidential debate should be seen. Nigerians want to know the positions of the candidates on various issues confronting the country.

They want to know how they intend to tackle the rising cost of living, unemployment, Boko Haram insurgency, the economy, collapsing infrastructure and general insecurity in the country. In the end, voters would have been more enlightened as to make informed decisions at the polls. The present political acrimony is not in the interest of Nigerians who are desirous to elect those with their interests at heart.

The APC would be better off participating in the debate if only to debunk insinuations that it is trying to shield its presidential candidate from any intended embarrassment.

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Reversing INEC’s less than impressive performance Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏThat the Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC) has performed less than impressive with respect to the ongoing distribution of permanent voters’ cards is not in doubt.

What is tragic, however, is the near-bungling of the exercise by the electoral umpire and its officials in many states across the country which has subjected registered voters to harrowing experiences in their bid to get the PVCs.

Many had thought that with the extension of the date for the collection of the PVCs, respite would be in sight, but this has not been as thousands of people who turned up at venues of the exercise in Lagos and other places on Monday went home disappointed, no thanks the clumsy way the commission’s officials chose do their work. And should this continue in the few days that remain before curtain falls on the exercise, a sizable number of the electorate would no doubt be disenfranchised and this not of their making but INEC’s.

This less than impres-

Words On Marble :

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Former Head of Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan (left); chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Hon. Kingsley Kuku; and Publisher of the Daily Times, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, admiring a copy of the Daily Times at Chief Shonekan’s Ikoyi, Lagos office ... on Monday

sive performance should be brought to a halt and that quickly. This is due to the need to ensure that persons declared winners at the end of the elections enjoy the full mandate of the people in their respective constituencies.

If Nigerians are to be spared further harrowing experiences, INEC must as a matter of urgency make polling units the venues for collection of the PVCs. This way, the electoral umpire, which before now said it had received all funds for the polls, will save Nigeria from a tragedy about to happen whose consequences would be monumental.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

dailytimesng www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Deputy Editors Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Abuja Bureau Chief

Head of Operations

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Bisi Abidoye Segun Adio

Innocent Nwankwo Adetayo Adelaja

Editorial Page Editor

Business Editor

Sports Editor

Head, Sales & Marketing

Okay Osuji

Andrew Ekejiuba

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Moses Ebong

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

Deputy Head Graphics Afeez Odeseye

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

Groucho Marx

Nuhu Ribadu

Ramalan

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”

My duty is to make sure jobs are created in all parts of the state. Adamawa money is meant for you people. Nobody, I repeat, nobody will steal money that belongs to you

Victory is tilting towards APC because the people of the North are yearning. There is no way you can overlook the massive votes… from the North

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

5 News

Nigeria’s economy doing well – Shonekan ÏÏÏFormer

head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, has said that the nation’s economy is doing well, and so the present administration should endeavour to sustain the momentum.

Chief Shonekan also stressed the need to continuously train the teeming youths in the country, saying that the future of the nation belongs to that category

I will take Nigeria out of the woods – Buhari Wale Akintunde

ÏÏÏThe Presidential can-

didate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) General Mohammadu Buhari (retd), has described 16 years of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) at the helm of the nation’s affairs as wasted years.

He explained that the PDP government, for the last 16 years, had impoverished the nation and render its future leaders unemployed.

Buhari, while addressing APC supporters in Yola on Monday, during the party’s presidential rally, said that Nigeria as a nation was lagging behind in all ramifications.

“PDP has killed us and our people,” Buhari noted.

He said that if voted into power on February 14, he would embark on massive job creation by revolutionising the agricultural section.

He said that the priority of his administration is to tackle insecurity and epileptic power supply.

According to him the insurgency bedeviling North East would become history “as my administration

Baraje

which constitutes the majority of the population.

Making the observation when he received a team from the office of the Special Adviser on Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, Shonekan said that the nation needed to work hard to sustain the current economic growth.

He expressed joy at the effort the Federal Government is making in the implementation of the Presidential Am-

would provide employment opportunities for our teeming youths, and exploit the mineral and agricultural sectors in other to enhance the economy of the country.

Buhari said that he would revive small-scale industries, provide electricity and rehabilitate the network of roads in the country for rapid socioeconomic development.

He advised his teeming supporters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC’s) adding that it is the only weapon that can be used to rout the behemoth called PDP just as he urged the people to protect and defend their votes come February elections.

He also urged the electorates to vote the gubernatorial candidate of the party Senator Muhammadu Ummaru Jibrilla and remain consistent in voting the party at all electoral levels adding that if voted, he will be fair to all Nigerians regardless of religion, ethnic and political coloration.

The National Chairman of the party Odigie Oyegun speaking at the occation said that APC is the only party that can savage the nation from PDP bad government.

He referred to Buhari as the apostle of change and incorruptible leader said if voted into power, APC will transform the country through frugal use of resources adding that the era of financial scam is over with the coming of APC.

APC chieftain warns against shifting election dates

nesty programme.

His words: “I am happy with the effort of the government in trying to implement the Presidential Amnesty Programme. This is because we have to take care of our youths.

“They are in a greater majority in the country at the moment. Thank God Nigeria is progressing economically but we need to sustain the growth and, in order to do that, we have to train our

youths, like the Amnesty programme is doing,” he stressed.

Shonekan, who is the founder of Supreme Offshore Limited, which has stakes in Maersk Line, expressed his readiness to partner with the Amnesty office to train youths of the Niger Delta.

He commended the Amnesty programme but said the implementation of good ideas is not always easy.

Speaking earlier, Kuku

told the elder statesman that so many young people look up to him as a role model and would like to emulate him. He said the aim of the visit was to share ideas with Shonekan on how young men and women of the Niger Delta under the Amnesty programme could get posttraining engagement.

He said: “Our visit is to seek partnership with our elder statesman to continue to provide leadership for the

private sector and to support the present administration and the President’s vision of creating two million jobs per year.

“We are impressed with the facilities of Maersk Line.

Interestingly, they are not just talking about bringing the youths for training but they also have acquired facilities for training in Port Harcourt. It is in tandem with the local content law now,” he added.

L-R. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), with the children of the late Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Tosin Alobo- Bakare (left), Jumoke Okoya -Thomas; Deji Okoya-Thomas, and Yinka Taiwo, during Fashola’s visit to the Victoria Island residence of the philanthropist … on Monday. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Oyedepo, others sued for alleged breach of agreement Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏFounder of Living Faith

Church, known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has been taken to court over alleged breach of agreement.

A brokerage firm, Valueline Securities and Investment Limited, alleged that the case against Oyedepo has to do with a multi-billion naira investment within the Nigerian stock market.

Hearing in the suit, filed in a Lagos High Court, which has the firm and its Managing Di-

Ola Yekeen Ilorin

ÏÏÏA

chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, has warned that any attempt to

rector, Samuel Enyinnaya, as the first and second plaintiffs, is being adjudicated upon by Justice Mohammed Yunusa, who has fixed February 16, 2015 for hearing.

Also sued, apart from Oyedepo and the Living Faith Church, are World Mission Agency Inc. (the overall ruling organ of the church), Covenant University, David Oyedepo Foundation, Mrs. Faith Abiola Oyedepo (Oyedepo’s wife), Joys Priscillia Oyedepo, Love Jesutobi Oyedepo, David Makinde Oyedepo, Isaac Oyedepo (all Oyedepo’s chil-

dren and blood relatives), and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs averred that Oyedepo and his relatives and organisations, who are the first to 10th defendants in the suit, had approached them and indicated intention to make investment in the Nigerian stock market, and eventually appointed the plaintiffs as the portfolio managers of the said investments.

The plaintiffs added that an Investment Portfolio Management Agreement (IPMA) was

subsequently signed between the plaintiffs and the first to tenth defendants, whereby the plaintiffs were given far reaching powers to exercise discretion and use everything within the ambit of the law to ensure profitability of investment and equally give periodic reports.

shift the dates of the general election may have dire consequence on the nation.

Baraje, a former acting national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gave the warning on Monday while speaking

with news men in Ilorin.

Baraje was reacting to a call for a shift in polls day because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not distributed enough permanent voter cards (PVCs) to

eligible voters in the country.

According to him, all subterranean moves in some quarters to postpone the election was a gimmick that could have adverse effect on the nation’s image.

Oyedepo

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Jonathan escapes bomb blast in Gombe Mathew Dadiya

ÏÏÏBut

for Providence, Monday could have been a Black Day for Nigerians irrespective of political leanings: Just about three minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan left a rally ground in Gombe, Gombe State, a vehicle packed with explosives tore through the streets, courtesy of a female bomber.

She did not survive the blast. Fortunately, there were no other casualties.

The explosion occurred in a near-empty area, said a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Fwaje Atajiri.

Yesterday’s blast came as the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, urged all contestants to refrain from violence before, during and after the vote.

Bensouda said she would send a team to the country before the election, noting that “experi-

ence has shown that electoral competition, when gone astray, can give rise to violence and in the worst-case scenarios, even trigger the commission of mass crimes that shock

the conscience of humanity.”

Meanwhile, former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Professor George Obiozor, has said that the February general

election would determine whether the country will remain united or break up.

Obiozor spoke in Abuja yesterday while presenting a keynote address a

one-day symposium organised by the HH Macaulay Centre for Advancement of Democracy on the topic: “National Confab Continued on page 8

L-R: Director-General, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation and Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; All Progressives Congress (Apc) Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN); and chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun, at a meeting of the Buhari team with the Organised Private Sector in Lagos… On Monday

President gets audit report on alleged missing N20b NNPC fund Ï d ƕ Ƈƈ ƑƏƆ released by media ridiculous Egena Egena, Abuja

ÏÏÏPresident

Goodluck Jonathan on Monday received the Forensic Audit report he ordered into alleged leakages in the Nigerian National. Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) last year.

The investigation followed an allegation by former Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that N20 billion dollars from crude oil sales was unaccounted for by the corporation.

Receiving the report of the investigation conducted by an audit conglomerate, Price Water House, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Jonathan described figures being published by the media as ridiculous and unimaginable.

He promised to make Continued on page 8

Govt. may shift polls by six weeks

FG says schools ‘ll remain open during election

Monday Agu Jnr, Abuja

Augustine Okezie Abuja

ÏÏÏCiting the need to de-

fuse the rising tension in the land, among other reasons, the Federal Government is set to shift the coming polls by six weeks, the Daily Times has learnt.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are currently scheduled for February 14, while those of the states will hold on February 28.

Daily Times authoritatively learnt that under the new proposal, the elections may now hold at the end of March.

The proposed change is hinged on the mounting tension in the country se-

quel to violent displays at some of the ongoing campaigns across the country.

The feeling inside government circles is that there is need to let the tension, which is nearing boiling point in the country at the moment, come down before the election could hold, otherwise there could be an implosion.

Sources say that within the six weeks, efforts will be made to calm frayed nerves and encourage more people to embrace peace.

It is feared that the presidential election in particular may lead to an implosion in the country.

The body language in the North suggests a possible repeat of the bloodletting that occurred after Jona-

ÏÏÏThe

Jega than was declared winner of the 2011 election, if the incumbent wins again. It is also feared that a similar turmoil may erupt, especially in the South South, if General Muhammadu Buhari of the All progressives Congress (APC) wins the election. Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Continued on page 8

Federal Government has directed schools (including private ones), and tertiary institutions, to remain open and complete their academic sessions rather than close because of the coming general elections.

Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Minister of Education, who gave the directive on Monday, while briefing newsmen after a meeting with commissioners of education from the 36 states of the federation in Abuja, said that there were no compelling reasons to close schools as efforts were being made to provide adequate security

in schools during the election. ``At the end of our deliberations with commissioners from 36 states of the federation and FCT and the management of NUC, NBTE and NCCE, we resolved as follows. ``That all schools and institutions should remain in session while elections go on; most of our schools are half-way into the second term of school calendar and we have lost a lot during the Ebola crisis and most schools are trying to catch up. ``All schools that have not gone on mid-term break should put it on hold; those already on mid-term break should resume. ``In schools where we

have polling stations, we have decided to ask state governments and ministries of education to ensure safety of students.’’

He urged parents not to work on rumours and expressed optimism that the elections would be conducted without violence or threat to life.

According to him, parents should know that they send their students to schools in trust that they will be protected.

Most parents, particularly those from the South Eastern part of the country that are resident in the North, are already withdrawing their children from schools and sending them home in anticipation of post-election violence.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

7 News

Minister challenges Ahmed over N200bn FG allocation Abioye Ola Yekeen Ilorin

ÏÏÏ

L-R: Peopes Democratic Party (PDP), Chairman, Adamu Mua’zu; President Goodluck Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo at the presidential campaign In Gombe… on Monday

PDP warns APC against wrong information Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly attempting to distort the facts on verifiable achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan in agriculture.

A statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Monday, described as unfortunate, the deliberate refusal of APC to accept the unprecedented achievements recorded in agriculture under Jonathan.

The PDP said the achievements were being demonstrated in the

Metuh

significant leaps in domestic food production for which the nation had received international approval.

According to the statement, “That President Goodluck Jonathan has repositioned the agricultural sector, from the traditional subsistence to an investment-driven, wealth and job-creating sector that guarantees food security, remains incontrovertible and no amount of lies from APC propaganda machine can distort this fact”.

While wondering why APC should seek to distort the fact, PDP pointed out that under Jonathan, Nigeria had expanded its domestic production by additional 21 metric tonnes to exceed its 20 million metric tonnes target set for 2015, a feat, it said, that earned the nation a special award by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The party also wondered what APC would say to the fact that under Jonathan, over 2.7 million farm jobs have been created, boosting production in various agricultural sub-sectors to rank Nigeria as one of the biggest food

producers in Africa.

It asked; “Should the APC be unhappy that under President Jonathan, genuine Nigerian farmers now have direct access to fertiliser, seedlings and other farm inputs through special intervention initiatives such as the e-wallet system, which allows as much as 14 million farmers to access fertiliser directly using their mobile phones?

“Should the APC be unhappy that millions of our farmers have been empowered to enjoy bumper harvest and that private sector investments are thriving as a result of the investment-friendly environment created by the Jonathan administration?

“What has the APC to say to the massive investments in staple food production including the 105, 000 metric-tonne capacity integrated rice mill commissioned

by President Jonathan at Olams Rice Farm in Rukubi, Doma, Nasarawa State, as well as the investment of $1billion in commercial rice production and processing by the Dangote Group with the encouragement of the Federal Government?

2015 polls: Politicians warned against causing crisis Joy Ekeke

ÏÏÏAhead of

the general election, politicians have been advised to desist from heating up the polity and throwing the country into further crisis.

Supreme Head of the Cherubim & Seraphim Unification

Church of Nigeria, Prophet Solomon Adegboyega Alao, gave the charge at a world press conference ahead of the church’s Annual General Conference scheduled for the Eternal Sacred Order of C&S, Egbe, Lagos.

Alao, who condemned the way political gladiators go

about canvassing for votes, however, urged them to adopt more matured approach in their campaigns.

The cleric also urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts in rescuing the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents last year.

The Minister of National Planning, Dr Abubakar Suleiman, has challenged Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State to name one tangible project executed by his administration despite the N200billion federal allocation to the state in the past four years.

Suleiman threw the challenge on Monday at an interactive session with newsmen in Ilorin.

He implored the people to ask questions from the state government against the background of the allegations that Ahmed could not fulfill his campaign promises due to shortfall in federal allocations to the state.

“I have been asking questions despite the N139bn from the Federation Account disbursed to Kwara from2011 till date.

“Ask questions what they have used that money for. Their IGR is close to N50bn. If you add N50bn to N139bn, it gives you almost N190bn”, Suleiman declared.

He further debunked the APCled State Government’s allegation that the Jonathan administration had done nothing tangible for Kwara in the last six years.

Suleiman added that the Federal Government, in spite of differences in party affiliation, was still assisting most of the institutions in the state with verifiable programmes and projects.

“I am a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and three months ago, we approved a water project in Malete, purposely for the students of Kwara State University.

“When you talk of rail transportation in the country, Kwara State is one of the major beneficiaries ---Ilorin/Jebba/Mokwa, it is a laudable achievement that would ease transportation of goods and services in the state”.

“Again, the railway system had been rehabilitated, from Lagos to Kano, passing through Ilorin.

There is no how you want to move from here to Kano through the railway system without you enjoying that facility”, Suleiman said.

Electricity stabilisation fund: CBN disburses N18bn to beneficiaries Ugochukwu Onyeocha

ÏÏÏThe Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN) has disbursed N18.26 billion to the first batch of beneficiaries of the N213 billion Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility (NEMSF).

This comprises two electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and three electricity Generation Companies (GENCOs).

In his welcome remarks at the ceremony held at the Bank’s head office in Abuja, on Monday, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, reiterated that the N 213 billion Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility (NEMSF) was a way of kick-starting the electricity market in order to ensure that the sector delivered tangible improvement in power supply to Nigerians.

He explained that the CBN, in collaboration with the banking sector, offered to provide the facility to address recent shortfalls in power sector revenues caused by needed adjustments in the electricity tariff and legacy gas debts.

While congratulating the first batch of beneficiaries,

which, he said, had met the conditions precedent to disbursement, Emefiele urged the beneficiaries to ensure that the funds were repaid as and when due. He stressed the need for them to ensure that all inputs into the generation of power were in a consistent manner.

He equally charged them to invest the funds in the necessary improvements in generation plant maintenance, transmission upgrades and distribution networks including transformers and better metering for end consumers.

Furthermore, he urged other Distribution and Generation Companies to take a cue from the first batch of beneficiaries so as to receive their respective tranches of the facility as soon as possible.

Prof. Chinedu Nebo commended the CBN Governor for the key role he played in ensuring the success of the inter-ministerial/agency collaboration, which involved the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

News 8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

President gets audit report on alleged missing N20b NNPC fund Continued from page 6

New President, Ijaw National Congress (Inc), Mr Boma Obuoforibo and Governor of Bayelsa, Hon. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa during the inauguration of the new President in Yenagoa… On Monday

Jonathan survives Gombe suicide bombing Continued from page 6 and the 2015 General Election”.

According to him, nothing is more disturbing than to see citizens begin to debate the future of their own country, saying that, at that point, they begin to question the basis of their own loyalty to the country or its leadership.

“There is no denying that there is injustice in our country and history teaches us that throughout history, those denied justice have had no interest in peace. There must be justice before peace or all our efforts to keep Nigeria united will eventually be in vain,” Obiozor declared.

He added that it was only when Nigerian leaders provide a constitution that transparently emphasizes the doctrine of inclusiveness, equity and jus-

tice for all citizens, focused on decentralisation and devolution power that the country would be brought into the club of modern democratic governments and unity in diversity.

In another development, Labour Party’s Board of Trustee chairman, Dr. Dan Anyanwu noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not ready for the 2015 general election.

He argued that there are many factors that could hamper the successful conduct of the election, insisting that many prominent Nigerians and other citizens in many states have not got their Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

He therefore canvassed shifting the elections to a new date within the 90 days stipulated by the 1999 Constitution.

He also urged President Jonathan to give the military the required order and the support to ensure that the Boko Haram in-

surgents in the North East are totally crushed before giving INEC the go-ahead to hold any election.

However, Barrister Mike Ozekhome, who also presented a paper titled: “Federalism, Judiciary and a New Constitution”, said that any attempt to postpone the February elections would mean a victory for Boko Haram.

He added that postponing the elections is like

Jonathan

postponing the evil day: “I don’t believe in election postponement, INEC should brace up,” he declared.

highlights of the findings public soon after experts in government may have looked at it and expressed optimism that the report would put paid to the speculations and high figures flying around in the media.

He said: “There has been so much of controversy over this NNPC and leakages or no leakages.

“I remember the Senate has also looked into it; it is also good that you professionals have also looked into it. What appears in the papers and the speculation is also very high, the figures that I cannot even imagine the country will make are being bandied in the newspapers.

“So I am quite pleased that you have taken the forensic audit. Though it is voluminous, I will give it to the professionals.”

The president added: “In government work, there are people that have the statutory responsibilities to handle such assignments which is the Auditor General of the federation.

“So the auditor General will look at it and within the week, let us have key highlights, because the media will want to know the key findings vis- a- vis the Senate findings and figures being bandied around in the

newspapers. Nigerians are interested.”

President Jonathan in his brief remarks also pointed out that the lapses in the petroleum sector would be comprehensively addressed after the Petroleum Industry Bill is passed and signed into law, adding that “everybody knows that the sector needs to be reformed.”

“By the time we go through the Petroleum Industry Bill and pass it into a law, most of these lapses will be corrected and the misconception will be properly addressed,” the president said.

He disclosed that he prevailed on the auditors to forget about submitting an interim report when it was suggested, “because it is a forensic audit and there is no room for interim report so they must go back and conclude it and luckily they have concluded it.”

In his remarks, the country senior partner of PriceWaterHouse of Nigeria, Uyi Akpata, said: “It is a privilege for us to have carried this exercise out on behalf of the government and I hope that you will find this report useful.”

On Sunday, another former CBN Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo accused the government of mismanaging about N30 trillion.

Govt. may shift polls by six weeks Continued from page 6 Party (PDP) is an Ijaw from the South South area of the country.

Besides, there is uncertainty over whether the elections could validly hold in the North Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa which have been wracked by the Boko Haram insurgency. There are security concerns over the safety of full-time and adhoc staff of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) during the polls.

This development was further accentuated by the recent declaration by European Union Election Observers who said they

would not be visiting the troubled states over concerns for their safety.

Another reason being adduced for the proposed shift is the non-availability of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) across the states. The fear is that this may end up in the disenfranchisement of many eligible voters.

Thus, the Presidency believes that shifting the polls by about six weeks would allow more people to get their PVCs and be eligible to vote.

Indeed, Section 26 (6) of the Electoral Act 2010 stipulates that an election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of

Nigeria shall be held not earlier than 150 days to the expiration of the date of office and not later than 30 days to the expiration of the office.

Thus, if the six weeks shift is finally accepted, it will be within the time stipulated by the Electoral Act as there will be about 60 days before the expiration of the incumbent’s stay in office.

Last month, the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) at a talkshop in the UK mooted the idea of a slight shift in the date of the elections, a development that has sparked heated debates across the country.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

9 News

INEC explains why Sultan, Fashola were unable to get PVCs Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday offered explaination as to why the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar and Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN), were not able to collect their permanent voter’s card (PVC).

The explanation was given by the INEC Deputy Director in charge of Voters Education and Publicity, Nick Dazang, at a oneday workshop for newsmen in Kaduna.

Dazang stated that the commission encountered the problem of loss of data which was caused by some INEC staff.

According to him, “the initial lost of data led to loss of finger prints and that was why the Sultan of Sokoto, Governor Fashola of Lagos and others could not get their PVCs. Attitude of some INEC staff led to loss of the data”.

He however declared that despite the challenges being faced

by INEC, the commission has achieved 65 percent distribution of PVC nationwide and expressed optimism that the percentage of PVC distribution would increased substantially before the election.

L-R: Etsu Nupe, Alh. Yahaya Abubakar; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; Cardinal John Onaiyekan of the Catholic Arch Diocese of Abuja, and Secretary General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during an interactive session on peaceful election in Nigeria, in Abuja...on Monday Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Isiaka blames Amosun for declining education standard

Nigerians want explanations from FG on NIS saga - APC Campaign

ÏÏÏThe

ÏÏÏThe APC Presidential Cam-

Ogun State gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka on Monday decried what he described as “the parlous state of education in the state”, and promised to change its fortune if elected into office.

He specifically blamed the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration for allegedly destroying the enviable educational attainment the state was known for.

Isiaka, who noted that the state of education was so bad to the extent that secondary schools students have not sat for first term examination because the State could not print question papers.

He said, “This is the middle of second term yet first term examination had not been conducted because the state could not meet its contractual obligations to those printing exam papers”.

The PDP governorship candidate who spoke during the courtesy visit to the Ijebu council of Obas at the palace of Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona in Ijebu ode, however, promised to make education the bedrock of his human capital development programme if elected into office.

“No state or nation can grow without appreciable investment in its human capital. The state has witnessed a great decline, it’s education standard in the last three years such that secondary schools students can not write exams for the past two terms. Not one single infrastructure has been put into the schools and teachers are ill motivated”.

paign Organisation (APCPCO), has said that six months after some hapless job applicants were assembled at the National Stadium for jobs at the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Government is yet to bring the culprits to book or provide succour to the victims of the scam.

APCPCO said in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu on Monday that it is even more confounding that the Minister of Interior under whose watch thousands of Nigerian youths were compelled to pay N1000 for the job application, and which proceeds run into hundreds of

millions of naira, is busy campaigning for the PDP and President Jonathan’s re-election.

Shehu noted that it is even more shocking that despite the uproar which the scandal generated across the country and beyond, neither the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ministry of Interior or the Federal Government has given any satisfactory answer to the posers as to why thousands of Nigerian youths were assembled in major cities for few job vacancies which have already been allocated to children of powerful people in government.

The APC Campaign observed that despite the tragedy of this unfortunate incident, the Jona-

than administration did not deem it fit to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the stampede, and neither was any official held to account for the loss of lives of the innocent Nigerians who for no fault of theirs fell victim to the ignominious official scam.

“It is more disturbing that the Minister of Finance. Dr. Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, keeps bandying unverified figures of jobs created by this administration, but the reality on ground does not in any way support the statistics.

Recently, she released a figure of 1.4 million jobs that have been created as a result of the policies

the Jonathan Administration executed, yet the suffering and pain young Nigerian graduates undergo daily in search of non-existent jobs has become scandalous to say the least,” Shehu said.

The APC campaign organisation therefore called on President Jonathan and the PDP to render account to Nigerians of what led to the stampede at the Nigeria Immigration Service job recruitment exercise adding that failure to do so will amount to insensitivity to the bereaved families of the dead applicants as well as the scam that led to thousands of job applicants losing their money to a certain consultant of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Ondo NLC pleads with govt over unpaid gratuities Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe Nigeria Labour Con-

gress (NLC) in Ondo State, has pleaded with the federal government to immediately pay the pensioners in the state their outstanding arrears.

The state chairperson of the Union, Comrade Bosede Daramola, made the plea at a fundraising event organised by the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), held in Akure, the state capital.

Daramola said that the outstanding gratuities of the retirees which runs into billions

of naira, if paid would lift the heavy burden off their shoulders and help them takes good care of their family.

She also noted that quick payment of the backlog of gratuities of the pensioners would help put smiles in the faces of their family by reaping the fruit of their labour.

The State NLC boss, who maintained that the pensioners would remain indebted to the government if the arrears were paid immediately the 2015 budget estimate is passed into law, said it will also demonstrate the commitment of government to the welfare of the

senior citizens of the state.

She however, pleaded with the governor of the State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to help intervene in the battle over a piece of land bought by the State Chapter of the NUP, which the Ministry of Land and Housing reallocated to another person without apology or compensation.

“The Ministry of Land and Housing has placed stop work on another land bought by this aged men and women. We will mobilise all workers and the retirees to ensure that the Ministry does not pull down the building, she vowed.”

Mimiko

News 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

UPN lifts suspension on national chairman Fasehun

ÏÏÏThe Unity Party of Nigeria

(UPN), has lifted the suspension on its National Chairman, Dr Frederick Fasehun, to enable him pursue his desired political ambition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this was contained in a communique issued at the end of the National Executive Committee meeting of

the party.

The communique was signed by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Dr Manzo Abubakar, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Monday.

The party also adopted the motion by the Ogun governorship candidate of the party, Mr Rotimi Pasheda, seeking the party’s support for all his colleagues across the country.

It further adopted the motion

by Mr Aliyu Kontagora from Niger State calling on all Nigerians to support the party.

Strike: Group urges JOHESU to resume work

Ondo NSCDC, Police, promise peaceful elections Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe Ondo State Command

ÏÏÏThe

Arewa Consultattive Forum (ACF) has called on the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) to call off its nationwide strike to prevent further loss of lives.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairman of the Sokoto State chapter of the forum, Amb. Bala Sokoto, made the appeal in Sokoto on Monday. ``This unfortunate strike which had lingered for so long should please be called off immediately by the national body of the union,’’ he urged.

Sokoto spoke at a mediation meeting between the state executives of the forum and those of the Union. ``We know that many of our people are suffering because of the strike just like other Nigerians. ``We are aware of the skeletal services being offered by the senior management staff and students of health institutions, but feel that this is nowhere near satisfactory services for the care of our teeming sick everyday,’’ he added.

Sokoto also said that the forum was aware of the concern shown by the striking workers.

He expressed optimism that the consultative meeting would come out with a reasonable un-

L-R: President, Ndigbo Lagos, Prof. Anya o.

Anya; President General, South-East and South South United Assembly (SESSUA), Chief Sir Oliver Akubueze; Chairman of the Occasion, Gen. Ovadje Oviemo (rtd) and Deputy President, South East and South South (SESSUA), HRH, Dr. Charles Ogodo, during the rally endorsing President Jonathan by SESSUA in Lagos… on Monday Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Sokoto derstanding with the union. ``ACF is a non-partisan organisation interested in the unity, general well-being and development of the North and Nigeria at large. ``We invited JOHESU to discuss amicably with them so as to see how we can broker peace between them and the Sokoto State government,” Sokoto said.

The former envoy said that the intervention was purely in the interest of the Nigerian masses and humanity at large.

The State Chairman of JOHESU, Mr Aminu Umar, commended the ACF for the intervention. ``Consultations are on to call off the strike but this timely intervention will help in exerting more pressure on the two parties to amicably resolve the impasse soon,’’ Umar said.

He explained that the union was not having any problems with the state government, but the nationwide strike was a collective responsibility. ``I think that health workers in Sokoto State are among the best paid in Nigeria but we have to obey the directive of our national body,’’ he explained.

of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), would dispatch over 1,500 of its personnel to monitor next week general elections.

State Acting Commandant of the Corps, Mr. Adewoye John Oyedokun, disclosed this on Monday in a press statement sent to newsmen in Akure, the state capital.

Oyedokun, said the command has also deployed intelligence officers across the 18 Local Government Areas of the State, to gather information on the activities of hoodlums who might want cause mayhem or frustrate the smooth conduct of the elec-

tions.

He hinted that all the personnel being deployed for the elections had been trained and retrained on arms handling in case of violence during their duty on and after the election.

While assuring the people of the state of a free and fair general polls, Oyedokun, promised that the command would work with other sister security agencies to ensure a successful elections.

“The NSCDC and indeed all other stakeholders in the security sector will do our utmost best in ensuring adequate secured environment before, during and after the election” he said.

The NSCDC boss also cautioned the youths not to subject themselves to the hands of

unscrupulous politicians who might want to use them as political thugs during the election and advised the people of the state to furnish security agencies with prompt information on pre-activities of miscreants who might also plan to disrupt the election.

In a related development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Isaac Eke, has promised to ensure that the lives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Ad-hoc staff that would be participating in the elections are secured.

Mr. Eke, who made the promise while speaking exclusively to Daily Times in Akure, said the command was also ready to ensure the lives and property of citizens in the state were protected during and after the elections.

ACF urges FG to strengthen national security ÏÏÏThe

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on Monday urged the Federal Government to take urgent action to check threats to national security, especially by some former Niger Delta militant leaders.

The forum, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim, said such threats were uncalled for in a democratic setting, which allowed Nigerians the right to choose their leaders.

Mr Victor Ben-Ebikabowei, aka Boy Loaf, and Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, had threatened to unleash vio-

lence on Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan was not reelected.

The forum described such threats as an open challenge to the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, the Directorate of State Security and the Nigerian military. ``ACF hereby calls upon the Federal Government to urgently take necessary steps and contain this emerging threat to national security by Niger Delta ex-militants to avert any ugly consequences,’’ it said.

The forum noted that ``President Jonathan ascended the throne through democratic

means of canvassing for votes without any form of molestation throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria in 2011.’’

It added that the same method used to elect the president and other candidates in 2011 would be used to choose Nigeria’s leaders, including the president, in 2015 and not through intimidation, threats and ultimatum.

The forum said it viewed such threats and intimidation by the ex-militants as an affront not only to Nigerians but an attack on a democratically elected government of Nigeria which Jonathan was heading.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

11 News

Urhobo elders divided over Emerhor, Ogboru’s candidacy

‘Respect Abuja Peace Accord’

Omon Esene

Samson Osuo

Warri

ÏÏÏAn

attempt by Urhobo elders to formally endorse and present a consensus governorship candidate for Delta State has hit the rocks.

Two factions emerged from a meeting of the influential Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), with one led by its President General, Chief Joe Omene and another led by the First Deputy President General, Chief Tuesday Onoge.

Both factions endorsed different candidates of Urhobo descent, as possible successor of incumbent, Governor Emmanuel

AD national chairman removed amid crisis Sunday Isuwa

ÏÏÏThe crisis rocking the Al-

liance for Democracy (AD) over who becomes the presidential candidate has resulted in the purported removal of its National Chairman, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa.

Some members of the party had, in Abuja, disowned its presidential candidate Rafiu Salau after he issued a statement condemning the attack on President Goodluck Jonathan during a campaign.

At the end of a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party on Monday, a group, loyal to Salau, said Akinfenwa had spent 12 years as the National Chairman and in that capacity, he endorsed the party’s candidates in 2007, 2011, 2015 general election which according to them, was contrary to laid down rules.

“He has, therefore, been removed as the National Chairman of the party by the NEC, on the grounds that only two terms are allowed by the national and party constitution.

“Thus, the party’s NEC unanimously asked him to step down as the party’s National Chairman”, a communique issued at the end of its meeting and signed by Salau stated.

Uduaghan.

The two candidates are Chief Great Ogboru, who is the standard bearer of the Labour Party and his counterpart in the All Progressives Congress, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor.

Daily Times learnt that the executive meeting, held on Sunday night behind closed doors in Mosogar, Ethiope West council area, resulted in a hot exchange of words.

The Onoge faction was said to have walked out of the meeting, when it was apparent that an accord would not be reached.

Moments after the walk-out, Omene addressed the press, dis-

closing that the members who stayed behind, had picked Ogboru of LP as the sole Urhobo (Delta Central) governorship candidate.

He said his faction’s decision was supported by other presidents-general, youth and women leaders in Urhobo land.

The dissenting members, later appointed Onoge as the acting President General, accusing Omene of imposing his personal will to undermine the collective Urhobo interest.

In a release signed by Onoge, and Mumakai Unagha, Assistant Publicity Secretary, the faction said Omene had compromised the Uvwiamuge Declaration, where it

was decided who should be supported.

“After frequent visits to Aso Rock, which clearly have compromised him, Chief Omene is now determined to make a mockery of the Urhobo nation by dumping the sacred and collective will of the people as expressed in the Uvwiamuge Declaration.

“In spite of the directives by the Forum of Ivies (kings) and Urhobo clergy to the contrary, he is determined to coerce and rush the Urhobo into a fatal decision to support the PDP/Jonathan, Labour/Ogboru, a ticket alien to the Uvwiamuge Declaration’’, the Onoge faction said.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga (left), launching Corporate Affairs Commission registration portal in Abuja on Monday. With him are Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson (middle) and Chairmam, Board of CAC, Otunba Funsho Lawal.

Lafia

ÏÏÏA former House of

Representatives aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nasarawa State, Arc. Godwin Ashikene, has called on supporters of the political parties to respect the Abuja Peace Accord.

The aggrement to ensure a violence-free general election, was signed by all the presidential candidates, including President Goodluck Jonathan and APC’s General Muhammadu Buhari.

Ashikene made the appeal in Lafia, while reacting to recent attacks on the campaign convoy of Jonathan in Yola, Kastina and Bauchi, adding that the development was a breach of the peace agreement.

He described the attacks on the president’s campaign convoy as a bad omen for the country’s democracy and called on the political parties to caution their teeming supporters against violence.

Group canvasses support for Jonathan Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏThe All Progressives Con-

Ex-PDP chieftain scores Jonathan low on governance Augustine Aminu

ÏÏÏA

former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Chief Frank Akpoebi has scored President Goodluck Jonathan low on good governance as he finally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Akpoebi, a former member of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, accused Jonathan of playing politics of religion, tribe, North and South dichotomy and hate.

“In fact, Jonathan started exhibiting all these vices when he was Governor of Bayelsa State. As a Deputy Governor, he forced some

obstacles, but, when he became governor, it was payback time. He started punishing the Ijaw that brought him to power in the state”.

Akpoebi also said that Jonathan, as the president, did not gave the Ijaw any federal appointment.

He said his defection to APC was largely due to his dissatisfaction with the way PDP was running the affairs of the country, saying the lives of Nigerians were too important to be toyed with.

“The presidential election is just a few weeks away, I urge Nigerians to vote wisely and they should not allow themselves to be used this time around”.

On the same occasion, a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva also declared that

Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan would beg for 25 per cent of votes cast in his home state.

Sylva also criticised the Jonathan administration’s claims of establishing nine federal universities, stressing that they were mere glorified secondary schools without facilities or infrastructure.

gress, (APC), has been advised to tell the electorate the programmes and policies it has to better the lives of the people instead of attacking President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ogun State Co-ordinator of Team Jonathan, Hon. Adegbenro Oyero gave the advice while addressing the electorate in Ogun West senatorial district in Ilaro in continuation of his sensitisation tour of the state.

“Let us give President Jonathan kudos for his prompt attention to the dreaded Ebola disease, otherwise the outbreak would have claimed thousands of lives,” he said.

Oyero condemned the recent outburst of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo against Jonathan, saying the president had laid the foundation for the nation’s development.

He, however, called on the people of Ogun State and, indeed, Nigerians to vote for Jonathan for peace, equity and justice.

Africa 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Ebola crisis: First major vaccine trials in Liberia

ÏÏÏThe first large-scale trials of

two experimental vaccines against Ebola have begun in Liberia.

The potentially preventive medicines were taken under strict security to a secret location in the West African country.

Scientists aim to immunise 30,000 volunteers, including frontline health workers.

More than 8,500 people have died in the Ebola outbreak, the vast majority in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The total number of reported cases is more than 22,000.

In Liberia alone, more than 3,600 people have died from the disease.

But the number of Ebola cases in Liberia has been steadily decreasing, with only four confirmed cases in the week leading up to 25 January.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the epidemic has entered a “second phase” with the focus shifting to ending the epidemic.

The trial beginning on Monday involves injecting a small amount of a strain of the Ebola virus into 12 volunteers in order to trick the body into producing an immune response. More volunteers will be immunised as the trial progresses.

However, it is not yet clear whether the trial vaccines will of-

An anti-Ebola worker

fer protection against the disease.

The vaccine is still experimental and it is not clear whether it will definitely provide protection against Ebola Vaccines train the immune systems of healthy people to fight off any future infection.

They often contain a live but weakened version of the virus.

LRA commander Okot Odhimabo’s grave ‘found’ ÏÏÏUgandan

troops have found the grave of what is believed to be that of a rebel commander wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A deserter from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group had led troops to the suspected grave of Okot Odhiambo, an army spokesman said.

Mr Odhiambo was presumed to have been killed in clashes in 2013.

He was indicted by the ICC in 2005 on 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He is suspected to have commanded an attack on a camp for displaced people in northern Uganda in February 2004, killing about 300 people in one of the largest massacres blamed on the LRA. People were burnt alive, hacked to death with machetes and shot as they tried to escape, Uganda’s state-owned New Vision newspaper reports.

If Mr Odhimabo’s identity is confirmed, it will mean that only LRA leader Joseph Kony remains at large from the ICC’s wanted list of suspected Ugandan war criminals. LRA commander Dominic Ongwen is now in the custody of the ICC The LRA is notorious for seizing children and using them as sex slaves and fighters.

Ugandan soldiers

Correspondents say the trials are testing two vaccines created by two different drug companies who are hoping that the international community will eventually seek to stockpile large quantities of a working vaccine.

The first man to receive the vaccine was a middle-aged Liberian, the BBC’s Mark Doyle reports

Ugandan army spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda told the the BBC that US forces were conducting DNA tests to check whether the remains were those of Mr Odhiambo.

The BBC’s Patience Atuhaire in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, says the army is not giving that many details, but the grave is believed to have been uncovered in the Central African Republic (CAR). In its indictment, the ICC describes Mr Odhiambo as a “ruthless killer” who was part of the LRA’s core leadership

from the Liberian capital Monrovia. Dr Stephen Kennedy explains to Mark Doyle how the vaccine works Asked how he felt after his jab, he smiled and gave me the thumbsup, our correspondent says. The senior Liberian scientist involved in the trials, Stephen Kennedy, told the BBC the volunteers were safe.

Uganda pledges full cooperation with ICC on rebel’s case ÏÏÏUganda

has assured the International Criminal Court of “full cooperation” on the case of a Ugandan rebel commander who faces trial at the international court, the country’s attorney general said Monday.

Uganda’s government would help with investigations as well as identifying potential witnesses for Dominic Ongwen’s case, Peter Nyombi told reporters in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. A team from The Hague is traveling to Uganda next week to consult with officials, he said.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been critical of the international court, calling it an imperialist tool of the West and urging African countries to stage a mass exit from the court over allegations it has unfairly targeted Africans over the years.

Lesotho’s prime minister escapes death ÏÏÏTwo soldiers who warned Le-

sotho’s prime minister about last year’s alleged coup attempt have been shot and wounded and another man killed, officials say.

The guards were not with Thomas Thabane at the time they were shot outside the gates of the presidential palace.

The shootings come ahead of elections later this month intended to resolve the crisis between rival parties in the coalition government.

The power struggle is believed to have polarised Lesotho’s security forces.

“We’re still trying to figure out the motives. My gut feeling is that what’s happening now is to frustrate the election process,” an unnamed senior adviser to Mr Thabane told the AFP agency.

The prime minister’s press secretary, Thabo Thakalekoala, told the Associated Press news agency that the two officers in Mr Thabane’s security detail had been targeted by “renegade” soldiers bent on destabilising the small mountainous nation, which is surrounded by South Africa, ahead of the polls.

The identity of the man killed in the crossfire on Sunday in the capital, Maseru, is not clear. Some reports say he was a private security guard.

‘Mercenaries’ Regional mediators organised for the elections to be brought forward by two years in an effort to end the dispute which erupted on 30 August 2014.

Mr Thabane, 75, was allegedly tipped off about the coup attempt on the morning of the planned takeover and fled to safety across the border before his official residence was raided by soldiers.

BBC Africa’s Milton Nkosi says the failed military takeover exposed friction between the defence forces and the police, pushing the country to the brink of a full-blown conflict.

Thomas Thabane

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Ex-IMF chief Strauss-Kahn’s goes on trial for ‘pimping’ ÏÏÏEx-IMF

chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn went on trial on Monday accused of pimping, four years after a sex scandal cost him his job and a shot at the French presidency.

The disgraced 65-year-old economist found himself back in the dock -- this time in the northern French city of Lille -- accused of being at the centre of a vice ring which hired prostitutes for sex parties in Brussels, Paris and Washington.

Alderweireld , dressed in a dark suit, slipped past a throng of journalists into the woodpanelled courtroom, where he paced up and down with his hands in his pockets in front of the imposing stone bench, where more than 40 massive files were stacked.

He appeared on edge as he sat, arms folded, while presiding judge Bernard Lemaire read out the charges against him and 13 co-accused, a colourful cast of characters including luxury hotel managers, a lawyer, former police commissioner, and a brothel owner nicknamed “Dodo

Strauss-Kahn

the Pimp”.

“You are accused of aiding and abetting the prostitution of seven persons between March 29, 2008 and October 4, 2011, and of hiring and encouraging the prostitution of these same persons,” Lemaire told Strauss-Kahn.

The trial kicked off with a request for the hearings of ex-

prostitutes to take place behind closed doors, which Lemaire rejected after a brief deliberation.

Lurid details of group sex and high-end prostitution are likely to emerge in the trial for “aggravated pimping in an organised group”, a charge punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 1.5 million euros

($1.7 million).

The court will also mull a request to have the trial declared invalid, over allegations investigations were secretly being carried out for eight months before the opening of an official enquiry -- fuelling arguments by Strauss-Kahn’s supporters that he is the victim of a political conspiracy.

The trial will be the latest in a series of legal woes offering a peek behind the bedroom door of a man once tipped as a potential challenger to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

The ex-head of the International Monetary Fund, known in France as DSK, saw his career implode in 2011 when he was paraded handcuffed in front of the world’s cameras after a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault.

Those criminal charges were dropped and the case settled in a civil suit, but six months later Strauss-Kahn’s name cropped up in an investigation into a prostitution ring in northern France and Belgium.

13 World Islamic State in Syria withdraws from Kobani

ÏÏÏIslamic

State militants are withdrawing from areas around the Syrian town of Kobani, a group monitoring the war said on Monday, after Kurdish and Arab fighters met little resistance as they seized new ground overnight.

Kurdish ground forces, helped

by U.S. and allied air strikes, drove Islamic State from the town at Syria’s border with Turkey last week. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the war, said Kurdish forces known as the YPG had taken 13 villages since Sunday night.

“There is no large-scale resistance,” said Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Observatory. Islamic State fighters who were on Sunday some 4 to 5 km (2.5 miles to 3 miles) from the town were now at least 10 km (6 miles).

China executes two cult members for McDonald’s murder ÏÏÏTwo

Rebels pound Ukrainian troops after peace talks fail

members of a cult in China have been executed for murdering a woman in a McDonald’s restaurant in Shandong, according to a local court.

Zhang Lidong and his daughter Zhang Fan were members of the banned Church of the Almighty God cult.

They were part of a group who attempted to recruit the 35-year-old victim, Wu Shuoyan, in the restaurant in the town of Zhaoyuan in May 2014.

When she refused to give her phone number, they beat her to death.

The Shandong Yantai Intermediate People’s Court announced the Zhangs’ execution on its Weibo account (in Chinese) on Monday morning, noting that the father and daughter had “committed murder and used a cult to intentionally break the law”.

The group was found guilty in October last year. Three others were given jail sentences ranging from seven years to life imprisonment.

rockets streaked across hills in eastern Ukraine on Monday as rebels pounded the positions of Ukrainian government troops holding a strategic rail town while both sides pressed ahead with mobilizing more forces for combat.

Kiev’s military said five more Ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes while municipal authori-

Lidong

Japan’s leader defends handling of hostage crisis ÏÏÏJapanese

Abe

ÏÏÏSeparatist

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, defended his policy toward terrorism, as the flag at his official residence flew at half-mast on Monday in a mark of mourning for two hostages killed by the Islamic State group, ISIS. During a long day of parliamentary debate, Abe parried numerous questions about his handling of the hostage crisis, which came to a grisly end with news early Sunday that journalist Kenji Goto had been beheaded by the extremists.

ties in the big rebel-controlled city of Donetsk said 15 civilians were killed at the weekend by shelling in a surge of violence following the collapse of a new peace effort on Saturday.

Talks between Ukraine, Russia and rebel officials in Minsk, Belarus, had raised hopes of a new ceasefire to stem the violence in a conflict which has claimed more

Abe said his announcement of $200 million in non-military aid for the fight against the Islamic State group, made during a visit to the Middle East just days before the militants demanded a $200 million ransom for the two hostages, was meant to convey Japan’s strong commitment to battling terrorism and fostering peace and stability in the region.

Some have questioned that decision, saying Abe should have been more cautious and not mentioned the Islamic State group by name. Responding to a question

than 5,000 lives. But they broke up without progress with Ukraine and the separatists accusing each other of sabotaging the meeting.

Donetsk reverberated to the thud of artillery and mortar fire through the night and several homes were destroyed with at least one civilian death on Monday.

But separatists kept up attacks

by an opposition lawmaker, Abe confirmed that he was aware of the hostage situation when he made the announcement.

Abe said he wished to publicize Japan’s contribution to the fight against extremism, and rejected the idea of a more cautious approach.

“As international society seeks to restore peace and stability in the Middle East ... I thought it would be the most appropriate destination to visit, and that I should broadcast my message to the world from there,” Abe said.

on Debaltseve, a strategic rail hub to the northeast of Donetsk, in an attempt to dislodge government forces there. The outskirts of Yenakieve and Vuhlegirsk, both on the main highway to Debaltseve, were under heavy artillery fire as rebel multiple rocket launchers and artillery pummeled the positions of Ukrainian troops in the area.

Opinion 14

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Voting for a lesser evil

I

E.O. Eke

have not been bewitched.

I have no vote in this election. Hopefully, the next government will give Nigerians in the Diaspora vote before 2019. As I have said several months before Buhari was chosen as the presidential candidate for APC, Buhari and many in his generation should no longer matter in Nigeria’s politics. They have had their time and left a legacy of corruption, sectarianism and a failed and broken country incapacitated by graft and, threatened by an Islamic insurgency and ethnic cleansing by Fulani herdsmen.

I do not see Nigeria changing much under either Buhari or Jonathan because both are heading political parties controlled by corrupt and unscrupulous men, whose only aim of being in politics is to enrich themselves.

They have done nothing to make Nigeria a better place. Things that were better before they came to power are now worse. Many people in APC are disgruntled PDP members whose differences with PDP are not based on principle. Obasanjo who is now supporting Buhari, was once president under PDP and Chairman BOT of PDP. His loyalty is to his

greed and ego.

If Buhari has the ability to control corruption, he would have started with his party. He could have done something about N27 million price tag for presidential form.

The corrupt gang behind him wishes to capitalise on his image to gain power to plunder.

APC is a marriage of convenience by strange bedfellows and like all such marriages, will crumble once the inordinate aim is achieved.

Given a choice between Buhari and Jonathan ,I will vote Jonathan, whose government I know to be corrupt, not because I condone or minimise the extent of graft in his government or, because he is Christian or a southerner; but because he will always make a better democrat, albeit a corrupt one and stands a better chance of leading Nigeria towards the 21st century, than Buhari Moreover, Jonathan has less religious baggage than Buhari and lacks the capacity to incite Christians in the South to violence, if he loses, unlike Buhari, who gave oxygen to sectarian violence in the North the last time he lost. Jonathan has not called his opponents cockroaches and threatened that their blood would flow.

Most of the politician who sup-

port Buhari, are interested men who are not to be trusted, and men who lost out in PDP. Such men are bitter, vindictive and arrogant and, will only do as they please. They are all politicians of fortune.

Politics is not a game of saints, it is a game where saints must wine and dine with sinners, but always looking for ways to do good.

I will tell you more why I would not vote Buhari. He was a Nigerian soldier who killed Igbos. His career as a soldier began and ended by killing Biafrans and I cannot honour and support a man who once carried fire, guns and destruction into my land and visited death and humiliation on my people.

Supporting Buhari’s attempt to become president of Nigeria, would be a betrayal of the memory of those freedom fighters, who rebelled against tyranny and carried arms for freedom, but were cut down at the prime of their lives.

I did not support Obasanjo for similar reasons and time proved me right. For serving Nigeria for eight years he is now worth billions of naira, has an elite secondary school, a university, multimillion farm, and a multimillion Library. Not bad for an ex-soldier who was down to his last thousand when he was released

from prison.

I am unmoved by Buhari’s orchestrated religious piety, because I know that the next election is really about who will preside over the sharing of the next oil allocation.

Supporting Buhari for the presidency of Nigeria is like asking the son of Ahmadu Bello to honour Chukwuma Nzeogwu, who killed his father or the son of Aguiyi Ironsi to honour Theophilus Danjuma who killed his father.

Reason tells us the person who has once tried to kill you, is not the right person to protect you or trusted to protect you, no matter how much he proclaims he has changed.

Buhari overthrew an elected government and imposed autocracy and favoured Islam and northerners. He humiliated anybody who is not from his ethnic group. He was a law unto himself.

It is simply safe, not to trust one’s liberty to a man who had once found good reason to restrict it.

Yes, we should forgive, but forgiveness does not demand that we should help the person who has hurt us to benefit from the evil he did to us.

Buhari has a right to contest, but we do not have to elect him.

Nigeria’s time of uncertainty

T

Prof. Jacob Olupona

he outcome of the February 14 election will have serious implications both for the country itself and for how it is viewed around the world. The election is taking place at a very difficult time, when after more than 14 years of rule by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria faces frightening challenges on many fronts: the recent precipitous decline in oil revenue, the growing lack of confidence by the general public, and the ongoing menace of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

Once a local terrorist group, Boko Haram has assumed a larger regional and even national presence. Almost a year ago, the group kidnapped more than 230 school girls from Chibok in Borno State, and the country’s authorities have yet to account for them. Since then Boko Haram has carried out several terrorist attacks and have kidnapped many more women and children.

The onslaught of the sect against the masses of poor Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, has exposed the gross ineptitude of the Nigerian authorities. The

ability of Boko Haram to challenge the territorial integrity of Nigeria, especially in Bornu, Adamawa, and Yobe states has clearly revealed the extent of the crisis of the state.

Although it is wrong to call Nigeria a failing state, there are significant signs of decay and destruction unprecedented in its history. Nigeria is a nation of about 180 million people.

Its wealth,human and natural resources, are unparalleled on the continent. Yet, she remains economically one of the most disadvantaged countries in the world.

According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Nigeria ranks 152 out of 187 countries in terms of economic and social development. In addition to the uncertainty about its future, particularly due to terrorism, it faces unprecedented corruption and violence in all sectors.

Those familiar with Nigeria, however, are amazed by the resilience of the citizens and their capacity to endure and to hope for a better future. One of the cardinal factors that give its people hope is the vibrancy of its faith traditions.

Nigeria’s religious triple heritage--Islam, Christianity, and traditional religion--fascinates

outsiders and even Nigerians themselves. The vibrancy of its evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic churches, its gorgeous, imposing mosques and its colorful, festive religious ceremonies are central to Africa’s identity.

But in addition to expressing the cultural richness of the Nigerian peoples, religion is also largely responsible for their divisiveness.

That religion has entered into politics and governance is not new; it is as old as the history of the nation itself. What is new in the current dispensation is the extent to which religion dominates national life. The myth of the secular Nigerian state that purports to separate the institutions of religion from those of the government has failed to translate into reality. Indeed, there is evidence to show that Nigeria’s troublesome religious conflict, especially in the northeastern and Middle Belt states, will negatively affect the election next month.

Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian from the oil rich Niger Delta region, is the incumbent presidential candidate for the PDP. During his pilgrimage to Israel months ago, he stated that it was necessary to “seek the face of God” to

prepare for the looming combat between him and his opponents.

General Mohammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is a Northern Muslim.

He has promised to put a stop to corruption, address the serious security threat of Boko Haram’s insurgency, curb the country’s economic decline, and curtail religious conflict in Northern and Middle Belt states.

Although Buhari initially expressed interest in a Muslim running mate for the presidential election in February, strong opposition from Christians forced APC leaders to chose Yemi Osinbajo, a distinguished law professor, Pentecostal pastor and a former state attorney general as vice presidential candidate.

It is certain that in the forthcoming election, religion will play a dominant role. As a result, there is increasing speculation as to the allegiance of evangelical and Pentecostal leaders.

The dynamics of the Nigerian election defies current political theories that claim that ethnicity trumps religion in politics. What we are seeing is how religion may be competing with ethnic affiliation to determine the future of Nigeria through the electoral vote.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

15 Opinion

Achieving the African renaissance

T

Osita Ebiem

o achieve the seemingly elusive African renaissance the leaders have to steer the societies and the peoples away from the current practice of reliance and expectation from the outside, to a firmly rooted belief in self and native solutions.

The persistent turmoil and conflicts in African countries, and the fight against poverty, poor leadership, corruption and a host of other problems on the continent will still be long drawn until we sincerely redraw Africa’s political map along the long existed and realistic cultural divides.

African societies need to be returned to their original precolonial autonomous ethnic national divisions. These new national boundaries will serve as the transformative agents that will produce the most needed attitude change in the people. The new attitude will in turn restore the peoples’ regard for and allegiance to their indigenous values that are soundly rooted in non-materialistic cultural traditions.

This “radical” move of politi-

cal and social structural adjustment will help to restore the peoples’ faith in their selves and their lore, norms and traditional institutions. When the peoples are made to consciously and boldly accept and respect the realities of these existing differences among them, it will help them to voluntarily and intuitively choose from among their neighbours, who they want to relate with as citizens of the same country. Cultural and social assimilation do not happen through decrees and edits.

They evolve over time through other means like; time itself and peoples’ interaction among themselves, genocides and some other forms of cataclysmic upheavals.

Foreigners, could not have known better than the African peoples, who they would have chosen to relate with as fellow citizens of the same country and those they are better off relating with as international neighbours and friends.

It is only when the people can summon enough courage to travel through this “revolutionary” path that the long sought for Africa renaissance will come. At that point,Africans will come to realise that separation from each

It is only when the people can summon enough courage to travel through this “revolutionary” path that the long sought for Africa renaissance will come other does not mean institution of enmity between each other.

They will also know that when any union is riddled with mutual distrust and resultant permanent state of conflicts, then the people are better off relating with each other from a distance than from an uncomfortable debilitating proximity.

When Africans can accept division as the most realistic road to progress, its peoples will quickly revert to believing in themselves and abandon the present state of permanent confusion where one ethnic people is permanently trying to out trick and disrespect the others to prove their superiority.

The existing situation is innovative-numbing, and stunts every

kind of positive growth.

It is also a fact that with this sort of confused mix as we have it today the people cannot develop enough necessary patriotic feelings which can enable them to innovate and achieve collectively and individually.

The present collection of peoples into “countries” in Africa on the basis that the people cannot relate with as having any rooting in any of their indigenous cultural and traditional values further erodes the peoples’ confidence in their selves. It has created the current condition where the people are always trusting that an external solution is superior to an internal solution.

This is so because the present colonial countries are actually to the native leaders a no man’s land where leadership positions are chances to transform the leaders, and opportunities to grab only for their own selves as every leader is his own lord with no allegiance to any people.

Under the prevailing state of things, as long as we selfishly insist on maintaining the status quo, the people will continue to look outside t to meet their challenges and solve their problems.

The many Elizabeths of Nigeria

U

Kolawole Talabi

ntil recently when its GDP was rebased, the predominant factor which Nigeria used to assert its claim as the ‘giant of Africa’ was merely demographic superiority. Nevertheless, the apparent disputability of such self-proclaimed title is visible: Nigeria lacks the geographic scale of the old Sudan neither does it possess the democratic maturity of Botswana—a country that had never experienced civil war or military coup. Even oil which its leaders used to assert the country’s clout had been discovered in other parts of the continent. Nonetheless, Nigerians still take pride in their numbers.

According to the 2006 census, Nigeria’s population stood at 143 million. What is more, that figure is projected to rise to a staggering 440 million by 2050.

With an estimated population of 12 million inhabitants, Nigeria’s largest metropolitan area, Lagos, is Africa’s second megacity—only Cairo has more people. For the

average chest-thumping Nigerian, these figures are proof of our assured destiny as the leader of Africa. Admittedly, there is safety in numbers as the adage goes, but is there security too?

In September of 2014, my family welcomed an addition to its fold. Elizabeth, as she is called, is a pleasant girl with an infectious smile. She arrived on a Sunday afternoon with my maternal cousin who had arranged for her to begin her new life with us. Unlike the rest of us, she belonged to one of the ethnic minorities in northern Nigeria. Hence she did not speak Yoruba—our mother tongue, which is native to the tribes of the southwest region of the country. Neither could she converse in English, the official language of Nigeria. My cousin, whose contacts with Christian missionaries across the country had ensured Elizabeth’s arrival, began to recount the girl’s story. She had left her own family behind for two reasons. One: to escape the recent attacks by Boko Haram insurgents that had left entire communities devastated in several parts of northern Nigeria.

Two: to escape the possibility of forced marriage that hovered ominously on her future. Elizabeth’s family had agreed to release her to travelling Christian missionaries who assured them that her prospects of a better future could be realised if she was placed with a foster family in the south. With no birth certificate to certify her identity or official documentation to attest her release to the missionaries and scarcely any reliable means of communication with their daughter, Elizabeth’s family handed her over.

In the last twelve months, I have had to ask myself time and again, “What would make a parent hand over their child to complete strangers?”

According to my cousin, religious extremism and forced marriage are the reasons why Elizabeth had to leave her own family. Yet I can safely say that poverty is the untold factor in that decision. Elizabeth’s story is somewhat unique for my family but hers is just one of millions of children who are forced to live with families not their own in Nigeria. In fact, my family presently

has two other “Elizabeths” living with us because their parents couldn’t afford to raise them.

These two “Elizabeths” came from polygamous homes, families in which survival had become an everyday struggle.

In Nigeria as is the case in many African societies, age-old traditions such as polygamy, male-child preference and child marriage are still creating unsustainably large families, thereby perpetuating poverty across generations. The resultant effect of such practices is overpopulation. Sadly, in a country where the government flaunts its massive population as though it were some national achievement, millions of its citizens are left undocumented. Like our Elizabeth, these teeming masses seem to be mere numbers to the authorities. Like our Elizabeth, many unplanned births will lead poor households to engage in illegal traffic of children. Like our Elizabeth, many Nigerian children were not registered at birth.

How can a government effectively plan for the future of individuals whose identity is a mystery?

16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Abuja File Road worthiness:

Tears as 10,000 vehicles are impounded in FCT

Idu Jude Abuja The Minister of FCT Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has ordered the Vehicle Inspection Office of his administration to arrest motorists whose vehicles are not roadworthy. The vehicles are also to be impounded.

Vehicles in and outside the Abuja metropolitan city are now subjected to routine checks, with the establishment of the computerised vehicle inspection

17

s terminus strategically sited at the three major entrances into the Federal Capital Territory, namely: the Keffi-Abuja expressway, the Kaduna, Zuba dei dei axis and the Gwagwalada-Lugbe entrance point.

VIOs at the three points, who commenced work on January 1, 2015, have arrested over 10,000 motorists and impounded their vehicles. Some motorists have been forced to abandon their vehicles to be auctioned by Government.

We have impounded the vehicles of prominent Nigerians. We do not care whose ox is gored, we just carry out our normal duties

A senior traffic officer, Mr. Arhmed Zaria, who is in charge of the Kugbo terminus along KeffiAbuja expressway told the Daily Times that the facility is modern and is designed to ensure the safety of road users.

According to Mr. Ahmed, no vehicle owner can deny knowledge of the information about the actions being taken against them by the FCT administration. He said that a four-month CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

NCPC to flag off 2015 Easter pilgrimage exercise March 1 Augustine Aminu

Dirty, dusty Yelwan-Zuba road.

Yelwan-Zuba in dire need of basic amenities Augustine Aminu Abuja is a tale of two cities. There is the city centre where the rich live. It is provided with good infrastructure, and looks very neat and tidy.

There is the sign of governance everywhere. Not so for the satellite towns. Here, bad roads, blocked drainages and, in most cases, gory sights of refuse scattered everywhere stare at the passerby.

Yelwan-Zuba is like every other satellite community in the Federal Capital Territory that lacks basic amenities. It is a village located on the hinterland along the former Abuja Airport, in the Gwagwalada Area Coun-

cil.

It houses both locals and nonindigenes and has a population of about 50,000 according to some residents who are preCONTINUED ON PAGE 18

The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission will commence the 2015 Easter Pilgrimage Exercise to Israel, Rome and Greece on 1ST March.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. John Kennedy Opara disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with the Chairmen and Secretaries of some state Christian Pilgrim Welfare Boards in Abuja who are yet to airlift their pilgrims to the Holy Land.

He emphasized that the goal of NCPC is to make pilgrimage a source of joy for pilgrims as it is being used as a tool for moral and Spiritual Transformation.

Mr. Opara further revealed that the Commission would introduce some new innovations in this year’s pilgrimage exercise as the Commission plans to run a four pilgrimage programme this year.

The NCPC helmsman also informed the stakeholders that the Commission would commence the youth pilgrimage programme to Israel this year and is determined to partner with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission this year to promote pilgrimage lottery in order to give room for more Christians to embark on Holy Pilgrimage. He stressed that lot is biblical and CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Abuja File 18

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Yelwan-Zuba, FCT’s orphaned neighbour

President Jonathan

The other side of Abuja’s Operation Road Worthy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

of the community to continue to be loyal to the constituted authorities as well as contribute their quota to the development of the area.

The Madaki (Prime Minister) of the community, Mr. Isah Garba Zuba, expressed dismay over the neglect of the people by past chairmen of the council, and urged the present administration to redouble its developmental effort, to move the community to the next level.

Zuba, specifically asked the Council Chairman to rehabilitate the dilapidated main link road from the Tugan Maje village to the community, for the benefit of motorists plying the route every day.

Also, he urged the Chairman to build a healthcare centre in the area, to enable the inhabitants have access to adequate medical care.

The assistant Chief Imam of

public enlightenment campaign was carried out by the division of the FCT VIO, the Police as well as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

“As you can see for yourself, it is a joint enforcement, but the main job is on us because it is our job to determine which vehicle, is in good condition to ply the road and with the help of this modern facility our jobs has been made easier,” he said.

Ahmed said that the eightlane fully computerised terminus, built by a private company in partnership with the government of the FCT, detect expired tyres, weak engines, non-functioning head lamps and brake lights. The equipment is also used to inspect the interior and the exterior parts of vehicles and check over-loading.

“I must let you know that this project is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and it is one of the good things that Nigerians must be proud of in terms of safety provision,” he said, adding: “What we should know is that when vehicles are arrested and subjected to routine computer screening, it is for the good of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Begging for attention: Yelwan-Zuba road.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

dominantly famers. Yelwan-zuba roads are not only snaky but also narrow, even as it is sandy and rough.

It is obvious that the community is in dire need of basic necessities.

An Igbo Trader Emeka Nwewu who said he has lived in that community for 12 years now, told the Faily Times that Yelwan-zuba has been neglected by the past and present administrations of the Gwagwalada area council.

Lamenting the situation, some residents who spoke to Daily Times on the condition of anonymity said that the only functional borehole in the community was built by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

They urged the Gwagwalada Chairman and the FCT administration to sink additional

boreholes, to boost access to potable water in the community.

Another resident, Mohammed Aliu pleaded with the FCT administration to boost electricity supply in the area. He pleaded with the Council chairman to provide power transformers for the benefit of people there.

On education, Aliu wants the authorities to, as a matter of urgency, build both Junior and Senior secondary schools in the community, as their children currently go to neighbouring communities, for such purpose.

He decried that almost on a daily basis; some of the many children were involved in accidents, whenever they went out of the community, in search of secondary education, especially those at the neighbouring Tugan-Maje secondary school.

Furthermore, he pleaded with the authorities to deem it necessary to provide fertilizers to farmers.

He however, urged the people

Senator Bala Mohammed

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Easter pilgrimage exercise starts March 1

FCT impounds 10,000 vehicles

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

should be encouraged.

Mr. Opara also hinted that the Commission would collaborate with the Galilee and Hebrew Universities in Israel for Leadership Programme for pilgrims during pilgrimage.

The No1 Pilgrim Officer of the Federation also tasked the state Chairmen and Secretaries of the CPWBs to encourage self sponsorship of pilgrims to Israel in their various states.

He posited that the era of depending solely on government sponsorship was over.

Some of the states expected to airlift pilgrims during the Easter Pilgrimage exercise this year are: Bauchi, Niger, Kaduna, Yola, Adamawa, Taraba and Anambara.

Dutse residents lament high electricity tariff Akor Ejumene “We are tired of this exploitation and inhuman treatment of government. This money that we are paying on electricity is too much. How many hours do we even have light in a day that we are paying this huge amount of money monthly? This is too much. It is better they come and disconnect us so that we can continue with our usual way of generating electricity with “I pass my neighbour”.

These are the words of lamentation of some of the residents of Dutse Alhaji, Sokale and Makaranta, all suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja over the recent increase in electricity tariff.

The Nigerian Electricity ReguCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

19 Abuja File

One of the FCT’s vehicle inspection officials on duty

Sorry state of YelwanZuba, FCT’s neglected neighbour CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

the community, Mallam Abubakar Yakubu, explained that the community’s top priority is how to resolve its perennial water problem.

Like others, the cleric asked the council boss to place more emphasis on provision of infrastructural facilities in the community this year, to enable

Another neglected road in Yelwan-Zuba

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

all. It is for safety, families would like to meet their loved ones who left them in the morning in good health. I must tell you also that we have encountered a lot here while performing this duty. We discovered most of these bad vehicles are owned by the elite in the society, most of them who are senior uniformed men and they think they are above the law. But we arrest their vehicles and charge them for the offences.”

He reasoned that the people have to obey the law for the good of all. “Nigeria is already said to be a lawless country and with what is going on, would you say that that claim is wrong? We have impounded the vehicles of prominent Nigerians. We do not care whose ox is gored, we just carry out our normal duties despite phone calls and intimidations from the highly placed, but we triumph at the end of the day. I also believe that most of them have travelled out of this country and have seen how laws are respected by both citizens and visitors, most of them also invest in foreign countries and they dare not flout the laws of those countries. It makes you wonder why they expect the laws to be disregarded in Nigeria” One of the offenders, Mr. Chibuzor Mmadubueze, who hails from Anambra state, while pleading for leneancy, agreed having the knowledge of the implementation and enforcement of the law in the FCT. But he expressed surprise at the punitive CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

the people feel the impact of his leadership of the Council.

However, he frowned at the way in which the politicians always use the residents during the electioneering period, and thereafter dumped them without taking along in the scheme of things.

He therefore urged political leaders irrespective of their status to contribute their quota to the development of the community for the benefit of the electorates residing in the area.

Also, the Imam called for the establishment of a polling unit to enable the residents to come out en masse to vote for candidates of their choice whenever there are elections.

Yakubu, however, advised the elders and youths of the community to work together, so as to fight for a common goal.

Abuja File 20

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Abuja residents decry high electricity tariff CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

Prof. Nebo

Wanted: Human face for road worthiness sweep CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

measure imposed by the officers as regards his offence. “I did not know it would be like this. The VIO officer even said that my vehicle will not be seen along the road again, even when the owner of my vehicle called, they refused him” Also speaking on the tough measures, Mr. Oyetunde Adelani, lamented the non-release of his tipper truck that was arrested for various offences: ranging from bad tyres, to shattered wind screen and weak engines as recorded by the computerised equipment.

“I do not have any money left with me here and this is because the vehicle had not been working while undergoing repairs at the mechanic workshop. Here am I again with this kind of policy. I have heard of the advertisement but I did not know it would come down on us soon” Adelani is looking for alternative means of generating money to put his vehicle in shape, since

the law stipulates that damaged spare parts must be replaced right at the terminus before impounded vehicles are released.

He said: “I pleaded with them to release my tipper for me to go for a repair but they turned down the request. The matter now is that I cannot bring my mechanic here with no money in my pocket.

Ahmed Zaria corroborated the claim and said that it would be a breach of law to allow offenders take their vehicles outside the terminus for the repair after being arrested. “What we do here is that the vehicle owners are given recommendations as detected by the computer, and we wait until the vehicle is fully repaired and approved as satisfactory by the machine before the release. We don’t release already arrested vehicles to the owner before repair because sometimes they never come back.”

Evidently, over ten thousand vehicles have failed test of roadworthiness while the owners are being awaited to come for-

ward to repair and recover. “The law stipulates that we auction those vehicles after six months of dumping and rejection by the owners. For instance, we have removed many forklifts from most of the imported long trucks and trailers. They are not meant for the Nigerian weather in the first place, but for the thick, humid climate. While being used here, they cause most night accidents. We remove it on those imported vehicles and urge them to replace it with the ones meant for our weather and to save the lives of fellow Nigerians on the road.”

Throwing more light on the challenges faced by the traffic officers, Zaria said that more of it is the embarrassing phone calls from supposed well-meaning Nigerians who seek the release of their vehicles meant for commercial purpose, through mere phone calls. “But we always stand our ground. They try some times but they also stop when we tell them the implications but we still do our jobs according to the law.”

latory Commission (NERC) on December 23 approved a review of the Multi Year Tariff Order regime, with a takeoff date of January 1, 2015.

When cornered recently by newsmen in Abuja on this issue, the Chairman of the commission Dr. Sam Amadi said the development was expected to improve service delivery as distribution companies would implement their investment plans for metering and strengthened networks.

He further explained that the adjustment in methodology was not intended to exploit the consumers but to make the service more effective.

This explanation holds no water before the residents of Dutse as they believe that government should have devised another means of improving the service without making the consumers to pay through their noses.

Those who spoke to our correspondent said despite the effort of the present administration to improve power supply in the country, it is unfair for the consumers to pay more because the country has what it takes to provide for the citizenry without collecting back from them.

A civil servant who preferred to be called Ali Soka has this to say: “I wonder why we can not get anything cheap in this country.

What we keep on getting is upward review of services. Nobody cares how we manage the little salary that we earn. We spend this money virtually on what we consume. In fact, we are paying more that we earn and nobody cares. Any time election comes, they will come to us with fake promises that will never

“with this little reduction in the price of fuel, I prefer using my personal generator to paying this huge amount I pay every month. Some times, I don’t have customers, yet I pay my bill every month. If it is a personal generator, when there is no customer, I will not put it on, thereby saving the fuel.

be fulfilled. Thank God that Nigerians are getting wiser everyday”.

A business centre operator, Emmanuel Chukwuka said” my worry is that this bill will never come down again. Now that they have succeeded in jacking the electricity bill up, nobody will talk of bringing it down again even if the situation demands it. That is the situation we find ourselves in this country.

It is only God that will help us out, nobody else. Look at this my small shop; I pay N4, 000 every month.

Tell me, how much do I get here in a month?.

The high charge of the electricity also did not favour Charity Okon, a hair stylist as she said, “with this little reduction in the price of fuel, I prefer using my personal generator to paying this huge amount I pay every month.

Some times, I don’t have customers, yet I pay my bill every month.

If it is a personal generator, when there is no customer, I will not put it on, thereby saving the fuel. Government should help us, we are suffering”.

The Director of “Hi Man” joint, a popular joint known for fresh fish pepper soup in Dutse Sokale, Hycienth Onateh positioned that the increase in the electricity points which led to the ugly situation does not go down well with the poor masses who find it difficult to eat three square meals in a day. He said, “Government may mean well in trying to stablise the electricity and equally check the fraudsters but the weight of the bill is too much on the common people”. Ben Eze, a businessman, wondered why government should take much from the people, all in the name of making things better.

Said he, “they will use one hand in giving us something and use the other in collecting it from us. This is bad. Does it mean that we cannot get anything free from government? They are really rubbing us not providing for us. We are aware of their activities.

Habib Tairu, a spare parts dealer, who owns a shop at zone 6, Dutse Alhaji, has this to say, “We don’t mind paying this money if the light is constant, but it is painful if we pay and the light is not there all the time. You people should tell government to help us. Our daily living is on this business that we are doing, so if give them the whole of our gain, what do we eat?.

The question on the lips of these consumers is, what is the “methodology” used to arrive at the astronomical hike in their electricity bills contrary to what the industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission?.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Tech Future

s

21

Edited by: Inye Kemabonta

Abuja Computer Village worth over N800bn – Stakeholders

ÏÏÏThe Abuja Computer Vil-

lage is an ICT cluster in the Federal Capital Territory. Its members participate at different rungs of the ICT value chain. But little is really known officially about the cluster. Its claim to be worth over 800 billion naira may be spurious but it calls attention to their existence and the need for the government to take a keen interest in sprawling ICT market. For one thing, the cluster is within the SME bracket. Its members make a significant contribution to the economy of the FCT, but they have been fighting a resettlement battle for nearly a decade. Is there a chance that the market can be relocated, modernized and expanded? Can the cluster be put to far greater use?

These are issues that prompted TECH FUTURE to visit the cluster and speak with its leadership.

Many people have the impression that your members are petty traders who constitute a nuisance in the environment. Is this perception correct? If not what do

Omobola

you really do at the Abuja computer village?

Thank you very much. ICT business is one of such businesses that require massive investment before one can get into them. So it is wrong for anybody to see our members as petty traders. Our members are core professionals in this industry.

Many of them are certified Engineers. Others are dealers and the technicians who are well trained and are certified by the major manufacturers like HP, Dell, Acer, Zinox etc.

There is hardly any accept of ICT that we are not engaged in. We are engaged in software development, system engineering and repairs, chip development and programming, sales of computers and phones, hardware parts, and general computer and phone accessories. We also undertake CCTV and dish installations.

Our members service all the government parastatals and agencies including the National Assembly and even the Presi-

Scorecard of the Comm.

Tech.

Ministry

dency. We also service private business in the FCT, its environs and neighbouring states.

They all depend on us for their ICT solutions.

The village is very competitive which makes prices very attractive and has made it possible for small and median scale business to thrive in the FCT. Another point to note here is that 80% of the traffic in Otigba Ikeja computer village is caused

by Abuja computer village and this is verifiable.

We do not constitute nuisance but nuisance is constituted by touts who come around to scavenge on uninformed customers and this situation is not peculiar to Abuja computer village but we keep them in check with the relevant law enforcement agencies like the police and mobile courts. This makes the market safe and secure for both the operators and clients. So our members are not petty traders but are big players in the industry.

You have also been accused

Inye Kemabonta

ÏÏÏ Thursday last week the Honorable Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, hosted ICT stakeholders in Lagos at what, in many ways, was a de factor valedictory forum. First, the forum was coming at a political end term. Second, it was a scorecard session. Third, it left stakeholders somewhat concerned about the future of the so many landmark projects and wondering if a new administration would con-

of contributing to the buildup of electronic waste in the environment. Is this not correct?

Electronic waste is inevitable in every digital growing society.

Zero percent elimination of ewaste is mostly not possible, but we are doing our best to make

sure e-waste is brought to the barest minimum.

We have ensured this by complying with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) guidelines. We have

tinue on the trail.

Although it had the see-howfar- we’ve- come ambience, it was actually the fourth in the series since the Ministry of Communication Technology was created in 2011, almost four years ago. It had assumed an annual regularity.

The forum, something unusual in previous federal administrations, had always been a kind of town hall meeting where stakeholders in the industry sometimes challenged policies or programs of the Ministry or sought to make constructive suggestions

to fine-tune the policies or suggest alternatives. The practice had been refreshing and engaging. It was always driven by the need to be consultative. But last week was different. It was time for stock taking.

Prior to 2011, the ICT sector was bitterly polarized. The sharp schism was epitomized by the raging intellectual but internecine debate on whether the industry should be called Infor-

Continued on page 22

Continued on page 22

Tech Future 22 Ministry unveils scorecard

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Today, the sector is ranked with Oil and Gas and Power.

The Director-General of NITDA recently proclaimed that the sector will overtake Oil and Gas in GDP contribution in next few years

mation Technology (IT) industry or Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.

The arguments were in spite of the fact that convergence of technologies had happened in the industry. I refrain from offering an opinion here because I have, over the years, grown so accustomed to the hydra of public spat that I do not expect that by lopping off one of it heads, the monster

would have been killed! It usually sprouts another. Therefore, the purpose of this article, and I hope still less the effect, is not to ignite a debate on IT versus ICT (even though I shall use those two terms interchangeably). Rather, I intend to do something much more important, in my view: to offer my own comment about the landscape of the industry and how the intervening years,

strength?

equally mandated our members to desist from encouraging dumping activities by other countries. We import only things of first value to our village. We don’t used and dumped equipment from China and Europe.

We have one thousand (1000) members already registered and over three thousand (3000) yet to be registered.

How does what you do contribute to the economy and job creation?

One of the criteria to operate in the computer village is that you must be CAC registered. We ensure that our members pay all the relevant taxes and levies to the federal and local governments, including environmental agencies. We also contribute to the economy using local content to add value to ICT services, thereby saving the money that should have been used to pay foreign experts. We empower well over 1000 youths every quarter. This is made easier as we partner with polytechnics, technical secondary schools, NGO’s and other private bodies to train the youth.

We don’t just train and allow them roam the streets. We set them up and nurture them to grow. One good thing about this field is that it attracts the youth.

We have several plans to expand this aspect of our activities. We have reached out to relevant agencies like the SURE-P, NITDA and UWIN to partner with us on youth training.

You have an Association representing the companies in the cluster. What is your membership

Do you have any information on how much the businesses in the computer village are worth?

We are worth over eight hundred billion naira (N800, 000,000,000.00) because some of our members are given credit lines and goods worth twenty billion naira (20,000,000,000.00) in a month and they still meet up with it.

How long has the computer village been in Abuja?

The early time of computer

We also contribute to the economy using local content to add value to ICT services, thereby saving the money that should have been used to pay foreign experts

Continued on page 24

MainOne, Others Win Infraco Licences

Abuja computer village is next Silicon Valley Continued from page 21

under Johnson, have occasioned significant progress; to point out gaps if I find any; and to call the attention of Johnson’s would-be successors to the challenges and agenda for the future.

Apart from being polarized, the industry was also fragmented. It was difficult to see a clear policy direction for the sector.

In fact existing but scant poli-

Tony Nwakaegho

Bala village dates back to about thirty years ago. But it was formally registered as Abuja Computer Village Technicians’& Dealers’ Association in July 2011.

You have been agitating for the allocation of a permanent site for your members. Can you give details of this quest up to the present moment?

The agitation for a permanent site for computer village in Abuja dates back to about nine years when the first part of our village was demolished thereby causing shortage of office space and astronomical rent-increase in the available shops. Shops became so expensive that at the end of the year many businesses would fold-up. The surviving ones use what they make in a year to pay for rent.

The exorbitant rent necessitated the search for a permanent site so that we can actually concentrate on our business rather worry about tenancy issues. During Malam El-Rufai’s administration we applied for

land at AGIS. We produced our schematic drawings, submitted our letter of intent and did some other necessary things but along the line there was a disagreement between the Association and the government representatives which stalled the entire process up until 28th of August 2012 when we made another fresh application to the office of the FCT Minister stating our challenges and the need for a permanent site for Abuja computer village.

The FCT Minister minuted it out to the Director of lands on the 29th August 2012 and we were asked to pay our land application fee which we did on the 18th of December 2012.

We again prepared schematic drawings and did fresh feasibility studies and submitted in the same month. We have followed up the matter through several means but all to no avail.

Continued on page 23

ÏÏÏ Dr Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that MainOne Company had won the licence as the infrastructure company (infraco) for Lagos region and IHS, an already existing infraco had won the bid for the deployment of ICT infrastructure and associated equipment in the North-Central region.

Juwah disclosed this in Lagos during the 4th Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry Stakeholders Forum, organised by the Ministry of Communication Technology.

Under NCC’s ‘Open Access Model for Next Generation Optic Fibre Broadband Network’ License, InfraCos are geographically focused to provide wholesale Layer 2 transmission services on a non-discriminatory, open access, price regulated basis.

InfraCos may also provide Layer 1 (dark fibre) services on commercial basis; focus on the deployment of metropolitan fibre and provide transmission services, available at access points (Fibre to the Node or Neighborhood - FTTN) to access seekers.

Juwah disclosed that the plan of the Commission was to divide Nigeria into seven zones, so as to ensure even distribution of infrastructure across the country, adding that ‘’The award letters are already on the way and with the new infracos, a new regulation will come up.’’

According to him, the bidding processes were still ongoing and the remaining five infracos would be licensed by July, while the bid process for the licensing of infracos and the deployment of metropolitan optic fibre infrastructure and associated equipment would be done in an open access, non-discriminatory and price regulated basis.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

23 Tech Future

FG plans to privatise NIGCOMSAT -Minister Tony Nwakaegho

ÏÏÏ Dr Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology has said that the government plans to privatise Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) by 2017 if the facility must remain productive and perform its role efficiently.

Johnson made this known while responding to questions during the presentation of the Ministry’s three and half-year scorecard to industry stakeholders in Lagos, adding that ICT industry had witnessed tremendous growth and “If the full benefits of NIGCOMSAT must be realised, it must be privatised. We hope to complete this process in another two years from now.”

She noted ICT’s critical role in national development as “ICT promotes transparency and accountability; increases the efficiency and effectiveness of government/ citizens engagement; and contributes greatly to the growth of the economy.”

The Minister listed the various initiatives, innovations and interventions from industry stakeholders which had made the ICT sector to viewed as critical, ranked with oil & gas and power, having contributed 9.58% to the Gross Domestic Product as at third quarter, 2014.

Johnson explained that before the Ministry was created the IT sector was fragmented with small domestic players made up of approximately 350 companies, however, the improved environment

by President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s Transformation Agenda had helped to create local companies like Wakanow, Jumia, Konga, Paga, i-Sec, IrokoTV, to name a few, which are innovating and adding value to the economy.

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) statistics shows that the Nigerian telecoms sector, for instance, is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world and continues to attract significant foreign direct investment (FDI) with additional $6 billion between 2011 and 2013.

“The domestic value added in key areas was sub-optimal and it was characterized by consumer preference for global brands and high levels of importation of inputs and finished products.

But with the establishment of the Ministry in 2011 and the laid down ICT documents: the National ICT policy, National Broadband Strategy and Local Content Guidelines, all came through the efforts of Mr. President and the stakeholders, we have been able to make remarkable progress,” she added.

The Comm. Tech Minister cited Connect Nigeria, Connect Nigerians, Local Content, ICT in Government and Enabling Environment as the Sector Priorities and part of agenda to deliver on the promises of the transformation agenda by addressing the challenges in the ICT industry and leverage the opportunities for socio-economic development.

“Connect Nigeria,” had led to “ubiquitous, robust and cost effec-

L-R: Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, Minister of Communication Technology, Dr (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communication Technology, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, Postmaster General of the Federation, Mallam Ibrahim Mori and DG/CEO, National office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, Engr. Umar Bindir, during the 4th industrial ITC Stakeholders forum, held in Lagos. tive ICT infrastructure to support the creation and development of a digital economy. Under the Connect Nigerians initiative, the intention was to ensure that Nigerians have affordable and reliable access to devices and have the capacity to use them; so that all Nigerians can share in the benefits.

“In our local content adoption, we aimed at removing the barriers to entry and increase the participation of Nigerian companies in the ICT industry; and stimulate job creation. Also, through the ICT in Government plans, we are

increasing the adoption of ICTs by government to achieve greater transparency, efficiency and productivity in governance and citizen engagement,” she further said.

Under the Connect Nigeria initiative FMCT’s interventions are expected to improve the national broadband strategy where increase in broadband penetration from 6% to 30% in 2018 will be achieved.

Through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), the Ministry hopes subsidize access

mechanisms for un-served and under-served areas or demographics. For instance 207 clusters involving rural areas have already been identified by the Fund among others.

She concluded by saying that there were various indicators to show the nation is on clear path to creating an inclusive digital economy that supports the positioning of Nigeria as a top ranked economy globally, “not only in terms of GDP but in terms of innovation, productivity, efficiency, transparency and good governance”.

We need govt. support at Abuja Computer Village Continued from page 22

We resorted to writing appeal letters to other authorities to intervene on our behalf. We wrote to the House Committee on FCT, Minister for Youth Development, Minister of Labour and Productivity and then to the President who minuted to the Minister of Communication Technology. The Minister of Communication Technology requested NITDA to find ways to come to our aid. NITDA is the only government agency out of several others we contacted which has shown genuine interest in our plight, our village and cause. Since then we been made remarkable progress. We

need a big space that will to accommodate all the youth we are churning out every quarter so they will not become a danger to society.

How is NITDA helping you in our quest?

Like I said before, the DG of NITDA, Mr Peter Jack showed his commitment when he visited our village during the last demolition of a part of the village in September 2014. Heis working with us to see how the further to speak to the Pam See how our problem can be solved.

At the moment NITDA is negotiating with the Abuja Technology Village (ATV) to accommodate us. The DG has made remarkable progress in this. We

are indeed very grateful to him.

As the nation moves towards a diversified economy, ICT will be the engine to drive it. So we are committed to playing our own part in that effort

What about SEMEDAN? Are they aware of your Association and presence in the FCT? Are they helping you in any way?

We are yet to approach them but we are planning on doing that this year.

Recently your Association came up with the plan to start free ICT training for the youth. How is far is the plan? When is the program starting and would it be a regular activity or a onetime invent?

We have everything in place.

We’re only waiting for sponsorship. It is going to be a regular activity. As the nation moves towards a diversified economy, ICT will be the engine to drive it. So we are committed to playing our own part in that effort.

Jonathan

Tech Future 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Scorecard of the Comm. Tech. Ministry Continued from page 22 cies were not adequately socialized and therefore suffered poor implementation. A good example was the clause in chapter 2, section 2.3.1(x) of the 2001 National IT Policy which gave NITDA the regulatory powers to propose tax holidays for companies which invested in IT infrastructure under that Policy’s “Backbone-byAnyone” principle. The clause was later codified as section 6 (b) and (i) of the NITDA Act of 2007.

The draftsmen of both the Policy and Act certainly intended to catalyze investments in critical Information Infrastructure by encouraging just about ‘anyone’ to invest in IT backbone infrastructure in the country. Very

little was known of this statutory incentive.

The point here is that the absence of a clear direction and strong leadership in the industry, pre-2011, was responsible for the fragmentation and stunted growth of the industry. The coming of the Ministry of Communication Technology and, I dare say, appointment of Mrs. Omobola Johnson (as she then was) to head it, effectively bridged that gap. In fact, if there has been a profound change in the ICT landscape, as stakeholders seemed to have agreed last Thursday, that profundity is due largely to the creation of a Ministry to take charge of Information Technology and Communications.

The ICT industry was a fringe

sector in the economy and suffered short shrift in national planning for many years even though it was a critical sector. For instance, it was the last committee to be set up, almost as an afterthought, in the Vision 2020 project. Its contribution to GDP hovered around 5% by 2011. Even that contribution was due to the liberalization of the telecoms sector. Today, the sector is ranked with Oil and Gas and Power. The Director-General of NITDA recently proclaimed that the sector will overtake Oil and Gas in GDP contribution in next few years.

With a GDP contribution of almost 10% today, the sector is well on its way to achieving that feat.

For the first time, the IT sector lead by NITDA under Engr. Peter Jack took center stage in October

2014 at an international Technology Expo, the Gulf Information Technology Expo (GITEX). Nigeria, one of only two Africa countries at the event- the other being Egypt, was the anchor partner and hosted a Nigerian ICT Investment Forum in the Gulf Region.

This was unthinkable even five years ago! The impact of that outing may yet be felt and would certainly come in the years ahead.

But the world took note.

A similar investment drive to the Silicon Valley, but without the trappings of an expo, had been led a year earlier by the Honorable Minister of Communication Technology. As in GITEX, Nigerian ICT companies were introduced to the global stage and to investor networks. On the Minister’s dele-

gation were Nigerian ICT success stories such as Jumia, Wakanow and Interswitch. Since 2011, the thick fog of ignorance about the potentials of the Nigerian ICT sector is being pushed back. The obscurity and insularity of ICT in Nigeria have been receding. The industry is now viewed as critical to the economy.

In spite of the successes, so much still needs to be done. E-government is still work- in-progress.

IT-enabled Outsourcing is still fledgling. Nigerians still exhibit a preference for foreign brands of IT products. But the trail has been blazed, and history will be kind to the pioneer Minister of the ICT Ministry!

To be continued.. Inye Kemabonta

NITDA endorses BrainFriend software to reduce mass failure in JAMB, UTME Tony Nwakaegho

ÏÏÏNational Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has endorsed the use of BrainFriend local software application to remedy examination malpractices and reduce mass failure in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), among other examinations in the country.

The NITDA is spearheading the campaign to use local software application developed by two companies, Cinfores Limited and WaveTek Nigeria which recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding witnessed by officials of the agency.

They said that the solution would be a game changer and make more candidates successful in the forthcoming UTME and other related exams.

Interestingly, the partners have customised a special version, JAMB BrainFriend, for

the forthcoming 2015 UTME and expressed optimism that it could stamp out mass failure and high rate of examination fraud in the country.

Commenting on the development, Director General of NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, said the agency keyed into the initiative as part of its effort to deepen and encourage local content development in education and other sectors of the economy as mandated by the Acts setting up the agency.

“Based on the transformation agenda of Mr. President, the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing everything possible to ensure that the Nigerian educational system is improved and made world class. There is a decline in the quality of education in our country.

“The mass failure in UTME and other national examinations in recent years is a mixture of many things, including the non-availability of quality local resources to change the tide of mass failure and exam malprac-

tices that has plagued the nation,” Jack said.

The agency, he said, would do everything possible to support the solution and make it available to all the NITDA digital centres across the country, to enable the candidates access the software.

Jack also promised to reach out to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to make available the software in their Community Communication Centres in order to extend the reach of the software to all Nigerian students, especially, the candidates who cannot afford either a personal computers or mobile device to activate the software for their personal use.

In his remarks, Managing Director of Cinfores Limited, Mr Asawo Ibifuro, said the software had been approved by the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and NITDA.

Peter Jack On his part, Managing Director of WaveTek Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ken Spann, said the two companies realised the danger of mass examination failure in Nigeria which informed the development of JAMB BrainFriend software.

An excited Spann, who had earlier spent about eleven years promoting Microsoft Education

via Microsoft IT Academies at Microsoft USA and Nigeria respectively, noted that “Through WaveTek’s strong network in education, we are collaborating with Cinfores as their marketing partner and ensuring that BrainFriend is used by the over 1.4 million candidates registered for JAMB UTME scheduled for March, 2015.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Today in History

25

s

1967 parents respond to emir’s plea

Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola 1967 Parents respond Emir’s plea Several parents in Kano emirate of Northern Nigeria are now sending their children to schools in response to an appeal made by the Emir of Kano,

1994

1994 Clinton ends Vietnam trade embargo Nearly two decades after the fall of Saigon, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the lifting of the 19-year-old trade embargo against Vietnam, citing the cooperation of Vietnam’s communist government in helping the United States locate the 2,238 Americans still listed as missing in the Vietnam War. Despite the lifting of the embargo, high tariffs remained on Vietnamese exports pending the country’s qualification as a “most favoured nation,” a U.S. trade-status designation

Alhaji Ado Bayero that parents should send their children to schools.

In an interview with the Daily Times, the Kano NA councillor for education and information, Alhaji Zani Gezawa, said the response was so great that most of the schools in the emirate have now been over crowded.

Clinton ends Vietnam trade embargo that Vietnam might earn after broadening its program of freemarket reforms.

In July 1995, the Clinton administration established full diplomatic relations with Vietnam. In making the decision, Clinton was advised by Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, an exNavy pilot who spent five years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.

Brushing aside criticism of Clinton’s decision by some Republicans, McCain asserted that it was time for America to normalize relations with its old enemy.

This he said, had become a problem to the Kano NA Education Department. Alhaji Zani said since the appeal by the Emir, parents had been coming out in large numbers to register their children.

1944 U.S. troops capture the Marshall Islands

2005

American forces invaded and took control of the Marshall Islands, long occupied by the Japanese and used by them as a base for military operations.

The Marshalls, east of the Caroline Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, had been in Japanese hands since World War I. Occupied by the Japanese in 1914, they were made part of the “Japanese Mandated Islands” as determined by the League of Nations. The Treaty of Versailles, which concluded the First World War, stipulated certain islands formerly controlled

by Germany--including the Marshalls, the Carolines, and the Marianas (except Guam)--had to be ceded to the Japanese, though “overseen” by the League. But the Japanese withdrew from the League in 1933 and began transforming the Mandated Islands into military bases. NonJapanese, including Christian missionaries, were kept from the islands as naval and air bases--meant to threaten shipping lanes between Australia and Hawaii--were constructed.

During the Second World War, these islands, as well as others in the vicinity, became targets of Allied attacks. The U.S. Central Pacific Campaign began with the Gilbert Islands, south of the Mandated Islands; U.S. forces conquered the Gilberts in November 1943. Next on the agenda was Operation Flintlock, a plan to capture the Mar-

shall Islands.

Adm. Raymond Spruance led the 5th Fleet from Pearl Harbor on January 22, 1944, to the Marshalls, with the goal of getting 53,000 assault troops ashore two islets: Roi and Namur. Meanwhile, using the Gilberts as an air base, American planes bombed the Japanese administrative and communications centre for the Marshalls, which was located on Kwajalein, an atoll that was part of the Marshall cluster of atolls, islets, and reefs.

By January 31, Kwajalein was devastated. Repeated carrier- and land-based air raids destroyed every Japanese airplane on the Marshalls. By February 3, U.S. infantry overran Roi and Namur atolls. The Marshalls were then effectively in American hands--with the loss of only 400 American lives.

1950 Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb information to Soviets Klaus Fuchs, a German-born British scientist who helped developed the atomic bomb, was arrested in Great Britain for passing top-secret information about the bomb to the Soviet Union. The arrest of Fuchs led authorities to several other individuals involved in a spy ring, culminating with the arrest of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and their subsequent execution.

Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general

2005 Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation as the nation’s first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture.

The Senate approved his nomination on a largely party-line vote of 60-36, reflecting a split between Republicans and Democrats over whether the administration’s counterterrorism policies had led to the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere.

Shortly after the Senate vote, Vice President Dick Cheney swore in Gonzales as attorney general in a small ceremony in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. President Bush, who was travelling, called to congratulate him.

Gonzales was born in 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, the son of migrant workers and grew up in a small, crowded home in Houston without hot water or a telephone. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1973 after graduat-

ing high school. Following a few years of service, Gonzales attended the U.S. Air Force Academy.

After leaving the military, Gonzales attended Rice University and Harvard Law School before Bush, then governor of Texas, picked him in 1995 to serve as his general counsel in Austin and in 2001 brought him to Washington as his White House counsel. In this new role, Gonzales championed an extension of the USA Patriot Act.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Law AKPEDEYE Police wrong to parade suspects before trial

s Dafe Akpedeye SAN, read law at the University of Lagos and was called to the Bar over three decades ago. In 2004, Akpedeye, the Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice between August 2007 and August 2009, was elevated to the Inner Bar. In this interview with PETER FOWOYO, he shares his view about the separation of the office of the Attorney-General from the Commissioner for Justice, assessment of the anti-graft agency and sundry other issues.

There are calls for the separation of the office of the Attorney General from the Commissioner for Justice. Do you share this view?

For as long as most Nigerians can remember, the thought of splitting the office has been an ongoing debate. The main reason for the recommendation to split the office of the AGF is to enhance the administration of justice and to ensure the independence of the office of the Attorney-General from political influence.

Over the years, the corruption level of public officers has risen tremendously resulting in flagrant abuse of office, which I believe has led to the agitation of lawyers, activists and human rights groups for the separation of the office of the Attorney- General as the AGF is considered a part of the executive and therefore cannot be said to exercise his powers independently and freely, most especially in the prosecution of corrupt public officers.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Akpedeye

Office of First Lady unconstitutional -Lawyers

Patience Jonathan

Does the constitution provides for the Office of the ‘First Lady’? Lawyers, who spoke exclusively to Daily Times, believe, though it is unconstitutional, it is not everything that is provided for in the constitution that people do in government.

Writes PETER FOWOYO.

Worried by the huge financial resources misappropriated to the Office of the First Lady, the presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has vowed to scrap the office because it is unconstitutional.

Although, Gen. Buhari’s wife, Aisha, said her husband would not tamper with the office of the First Lady, if it is constitutionally recognised, lawyers, under the ae-

gis of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on Monday, declared that such office was not provided for in the Constitution.

Mr. Yemi Okulaja, SAN, a Lagos-based lawyer said: “Yes, it is not provided for in the Constitution, so Gen. Buhari is quite correct. All public officials, particularly, political public officials, are creation of the Constitution, it created their offices and how they should be constituted, who will head them and even the structures on which they will operate, such as having an Executive Secretary or whatever should be provided for.

Offices of the President, VicePresident, Senate President, Speaker, Houses of Assembly are all in the Constitution, but, people were just copying the presidential system in America and because the President is the political head of the country, nobody can query it.

“If Buhari says he is going to cancel it, it is because the position has been abused. Many women who got there had no training on how to conduct themselves, many of them misbehave, many used it to siphon money and others used it to collect money from their husbands’ cronies and institutions.

All manner of unconstitutional ways are being used to raise

money for that office and they do not account for the money collected.

“Maryam Babangida went away with all the monies she collected and the same goes for Turai Yar’Adua. I quite agree that it should be cancelled so that we can do away with all these frivolities and be focused on governance. It is just a nebulous terminology that had been abused.

When any Head of State is visiting, the Ministry of Women Affairs or Foreign Affairs can take up the responsibility by making arrangement for entertainment, it does not have to be the Office of the ‘First Lady’ that will do that because it is an office that had been abused, anything that comes to Nigeria, even if it is good, people end up abusing it.”

Also, another constitutional lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, said, although, the Office of the ‘First Lady’ is not constitutional, that does not mean the office should not be there. According to him, it became prominent during the Ibrahim Babangida military regime.

He added that “the role that was assigned to the then First Lady, Maryam Babangida, through the flambouyant ‘Better Life for Rural Women’ programme, gulped state funds, which, at a point, caused the late

Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, to sue the Federal Military Government of Nigeria over the project. The Office of the First Lady has become very controversial and every successive president designed one programme or the other for this office. Maryam Abacha also came and had one pet project, then it was turn of the late Stella Obasanjo with her ‘Child Care Trust Fund’, while CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Mariam Babangida

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

27 Law

Police wrong to parade suspects CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

Bearing this fact in mind, one begs to ask the question, will the clamour for its separation curb the perceived meddling being sought to be curtailed? I do not think so.

Advocates of the separation of the office often point to the potential for abuse of power by the AGF, citing cases where certain corrupt public officers should have been prosecuted for their offences but have gone scot-free. There are also those who are of the opinion that separation is not the answer, believing as they do that the ‘status quo’ will remain because of the manner in which governments operate so that even though the AGF is tenured he/ she would still face political pressures in the performance of his/her duties. I am therefore of the view that a career Attorney General appointed may statutorily might not offer the Eldorado being sought.

Speakers of the Houses of Assembly of the 36 states of the federation in December 2014 returned their adopted version of the constitutional amendments to the National Assembly. A major highlight of the document was the granting of approval by the state legislatures for the separation of the Office of the Attorney-General from that of the Minister/Commissioner for Justice. I hope that this does not create its own set of problems for the country.

agree with that the negative image that was the lot of Nigeria a couple of years back as tremendously reduced. The impunity with which public office holders helped themselves to public funds has equally reduced and that could not have happened without EFCC’S contribution.

Having said that I still believe that war on crime is a continuing process and they have a lot of room for improvement.

The Constitution Imposes 180 days limit in hearing election petition. Do you think this is sufficient?

Again I can see the draftsman intent in limiting the time for prosecuting election petitions. Because our politicians perceive the Nigerian type of democracy as a means to an end, they would do anything to get to power, including rigging elections, snatching ballot boxes, employment of killer squads, assassination, maiming, kidnapping etc. It is as a result of all these that election petitions litter our courts and tribunals and have now become the albatross of the Nigerian Judiciary.

As a result of the experience whereby election petitions took up to four years before being finally resolved, leading to the disruption of the political equilibrium in the country, the 1999 Constitution was amended to limit and delineate the periods within which election cases should be filed, tried and concluded, including the appeal proceedings. The niggling problem about Nigerian politics in particular and Nigeria in general is that, in an attempt to solve one problem, we often create, either advertently or inadvertently, other multi-faceted problems. It has now dawned on us that for any petitioner challenging a governorship or presidential election return, the period of 180 days lim-

Akpedeye

‘‘Parading of suspects by the Police before the public prior to their being charged to court, tried, found guilty and convicted is an aberration’’

itation is manifestly inadequate.

How will you assess the activities of EFCC in last four years?

The EFCC has over time garnered a reputation for itself as a financial enforcer that has engaged in the investigation of financial improprieties in the country. I think the present leadership of EFCC appears to believe in not advertising themselves. They have not fared too badly. Their apparent low rating to my mind stems largely from the fact that they have not sensitized the public enough on their gains especially so when it is not on big political cases. You will

The Nigerian Police often parade suspects as criminals. Is this constitutional?

Sadly to say, Nigeria is a country of absurdities. A country where anything can happen and things do in fact happen on a daily basis. Parading of suspects by the Police before the public prior to their being charged to court, tried, found guilty and convicted is an aberration. It is unconstitutional and makes nonsense of the doctrine of the presumption of innocence until found guilty enshrined in our constitution.

It amounts to gross violation of the suspect’s fundamental human right to fair hearing.

By virtue of Section 36(5)&(6) CFRN 1999, an accused person is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. Nowhere in our statutes can a provision be found empowering the police or any other law enforcement agency to first humiliate a suspect, CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

First lady should not dabble CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

Jonathan

Turai Yar’Adua was not left out.

So, the office has really become very controversial and Nigerians have the right to question its relevance.

“However, it is not everything that is provided for in the Constitution that people do in government. There are protocols, traditions, conventions of governance and so the Constitution will be a very bulky document if everything that government does has to be inserted, that is why it is called the basic law, because that law is providing primary, fundamental and foundational rules and protocols of governance.

“For instance, if a foreign head of state is visiting Nigeria

with his wife, it is only natural that the wife of our president should play a role to the wife of the visitor. She can also engage in philanthropic work, but, a First Lady is not supposed to dabble into political party issues by determining who is going to be a governor as the current First Lady is doing in Rivers State. Another example is the issue of the First Lady becoming a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State, to the extent of later being declared a persona non grata there, and her alleged statement that nobody could stop her from visiting the state.

“That is not what the First Lady ought to be doing. I think that any government that comes to power, be it NCP, PDP or APC

after May 29, ought to re-examine the role of the First Lady in the administration. It is not that people are chauvinistic, or they are anti-women, No!, even if we have a woman as the president of Nigeria, we will also not expect the husband, acting as the ‘First Man’, to be bouncing about, poke-nosing into the affairs of state and deciding what should happen and what should not happen, that is not what we expect to see. Of course, the mandate that is given to the President, man or woman, is not given to the spouse, it is not a shared mandate between husband and wife. It is a shared mandate, rather, between a president and a vice-president, such that if the president should die,

the vice-president steps in.

“That was what happened when President Umar Yar’Adua died unfortunately and the incumbent came into power, after much controversy. We subject governance to mockery when you hear certain things, like “if you want anything in government go through the First Lady”, that is scandalous. Why should that be? That is the background to this focus on the role of the First Lady. What should she be doing in a democratic system of government? I think Nigerians have the right to say ‘this are our expectations, this is our role definition by universal standard’.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Law 28

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

before trial -Akpedeye CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

thoroughly shame and disgrace him before passing him over to a law court for his trial.

The only instance where the police are allowed by law to parade a suspect is where there is need for the identification of the suspect by a witness who claims to have seen the suspect commit the alleged offence. In this case, the suspect is lined up amidst other people while the witness attempts to point him out from the crowd. This is called identification parade and it does not take place before the press. Parading suspected criminals in the media is already convicting the person in the court of public opinion.

There is no way you can ensure that a person has a free and fair trial if you have already given the public a bad impression about the person. There is no doubt that the single most important reason while the police engage in this practice is for publicity to call attention to itself and make the public believe that it is actually fighting crime. But it is a poor approach in winning back the confidence of the public that has long lost faith in the ability of the Nigerian police to protect it in the face of the current, unprecedented upsurge in scale of violent crimes across the land.

And for this publicity, the police are willing to do anything to get it including parading animals and toddlers as robbery or criminal

suspects. In 2009, the entire nation was bewildered and for some of us who can still be shocked by the events in this country embarrassed when the Nigeria police, Kwara State Command, paraded a goat as an arm robbery suspect.

The goat suspect was detained over an alleged attempt to steal a Mazda car.

What is your assessment of our criminal justice system?

The importance of the criminal justice system to the smooth running of any society cannot be over emphasized. A sound criminal justice system in any nation is a precursor to economic growth, political stability and social equilibrium. Indeed an effective criminal justice system is fundamental to the maintenance of law and order. However in Nigeria, widespread corruption and disregard for due process and the rule of law continued to blot Nigeria’s criminal justice system. Many people are arbitrarily arrested and detained for months without charge. Police continued to ask people to pay money for their release from detention. Many detainees were kept on remand in prison for lengthy periods and in harsh conditions. Court processes remained slow and largely distrusted. A criminal justice system that is inefficient, inadequate, corrupt, infrastructuralLy deficient, under-financed, undermanned and prone to abuse such as the present Nigerian Criminal

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN

Akpedeye Justice System is a threat to the Rule of law and all other indices of democracy and good governance. A lot of work needs to be done particularly in the areas of delay in the trial of cases, coordination amongst agencies of the criminal justice reform; sentencing guidelines; prison decongestion; alternatives to imprisonment. What is certain however is that the general consequence of these problems has been a non-performing criminal justice system leading to a denial of justice either to the defendant or the victim.

into politics CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

“In the United Kingdom, Tony Blair was a Prime Minister and the wife was a lawyer and still practicing, even in Nigeria, under a military administration, the wife of General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Fati was a judge while the husband was the Head Of State, but, when you have a situation whereby the wife of a head of state is a full housewife and she is not working, why won’t they have all the time to dabble into political affairs? They are not professional women, why won’t they have the time to do all sort of things that are despicable and fall short of our legitimate expectations as people who want decency and decorum in government?” Ogunye added.

‘‘They are not professional women, why won’t they have the time to do all sort of things that are despicable and fall far short of our legitimate expectations as people who want decency and decorum in government’’ Buhari

Boko Haram, terrorism and fundamental human rights: The challenges that confront us Despite his death, Yan Tatsine riots continued into the early 1980s. In October 1982 riots erupted in Bulumkuttu, near Maiduguri, and in Kaduna, to where many Yan Tatsine adherents had moved after 1980. Over 3,000 people died. Some survivors of these altercations moved to Yola, and in early 1984 more violent uprisings occurred in that city. In this round of rioting, Musa Makaniki, a close disciple of Maitatsine, emerged as a leader and successor. Ultimately more than 1,000 people died in Yola and roughly half of the city’s 60,000 inhabitants was left homeless. Makaniki fled to his hometown of Gombe, where more Yan Tatsine riots occurred in April 1985. After the deaths of several hundred people Makaniki retreated to Cameroon, where he remained until 2004 when he was arrested in Nigeria”. (Wikipedia) Even this reign of terror had a local dimension and could not be attributed to any well coordinated world wide terror organizations or cells that were interconnected across National Borders or continents.

Then about 2001, the Boko Haram situation began to rear its head. The history of Boko Haram is also to be found in Wikipedia and it says that the sect was “Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001, the organisation seeks to establish a “pure” Islamic state ruled by sharia law, putting a stop to what it deems “Westernization.” The group is known for attacking Christians and government targets, bombing churches, attacking schools and police stations, but has also assassinated members of the Islamic establishment. Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths between 2001 and 2013 and roughly 3,600 killed, including 1,600 civilians between 2009 and 2013.

The group exerts influence in the northeastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe and Kano. In this region, a state of emergency has been declared. The group does not have a clear structure or evident chain of command and has been called “diffuse” with a “cell-like structure” facilitating factions and splits.

It is reportedly divided into three factions with a splinter

group known as Ansaru. Whether it has links to terror groups outside Nigeria is disputed. According to one US military commander, Boko Haram is likely linked to Al- Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), but others have found no evidence of material international support, and attacks by the group on international targets have so far been rare. The United States Department of State has offered a $7 million reward for Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau’s capture. In the UK, Boko Haram has been banned from operating.

Many of the group’s senior radicals were reportedly partially inspired by the late Islamic preacher known as Maitatsine.

Others believe the group is motivated by inter-ethnic disputes

‘‘The group is known for attacking Christians and government targets, bombing churches, attacking schools and police stations, but has also assassinated members of the Islamic establishment’’ as much as religion, and that its founder Yusuf believed there was a campaign of “ethnic cleansing”

by Plateau State governor Jonah Jang against the Hausa and Fulani people.

The group has adopted its official name to be “the of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad”, which is the English translation from Arabic Jam’at ahl as-sunnah li- d-da’wa wa-ljihd.

In the town of Maiduguri, where the group was formed, the residents dubbed it Boko Haram.

The term “Boko Haram” comes from the Hausa word boko figuratively meaning “western education” (literally “alphabet”, from English book”) and the Arabic word haram figuratively meaning “sin” (literally, “forbidden”).

CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Business Times

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

s

29

SHORT NEWS

L-R Jim Ovia, Chairman, Zenith Group, Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group and Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor, at a breakfast meeting with captains of industries in Lagos recently.

Much ado over proposed national carrier Since the liquidation of Nigeria Airways, the search for a new national carrier for Nigeria has remained elusive. No thanks to the controversies, intrigues and brickbats that have characterised several efforts by government to float an airline that would fly the nation’s flag across the globe. CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO reports.

The desire by government to float a national carrier has raised more questions than answers among experts in the aviation sector.

EC to increase pre-financing for unemployed youths

Opinions remain sharply divided over what modalities should be adopted by government to bring the project to fruition.

Some experts however argue that the long search for a national carrier could be elusive, if government is involved, but, the Federal Government has restated its determination to establish a national carrier.

Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, disclosed this in an interview recently, adding that government would only play a facilitating role in delivering a national carrier that would be

private sector driven.

Chidoka said government is poised to deliver the project in the second quarter of 2015, if all goes as planned.

He said: “Our goals are clear.

We want a national carrier for Nigeria that would be private sector driven. We want government to play facilitating role and will be professionally run to repair our public image, goals. We can use that airline to express our desires for Nigeria with lower fares as many countries are using their airlines to do and improving connectivity across our key mar-

The European Commission will this week present a proposal to increase the amount of prefunding made available to Member States to promote youth employment and provide support to young persons’ not in employment, education or training in the most affected regions.

Currently, Member States are facing difficulties to provide the necessary payments for the implementation of operations under the Youth Employment Initiative. The situation is par-

ticularly acute in the Member States with the highest levels of youth unemployment since they are also the ones which are facing more budgetary constraints and lack of funding.

Increasing the amount of prefunding will contribute to the integration of young people into the labour market and support the efforts of providing an immediate and quick response to the unacceptably high level of youth unemployment in the EU.

kets.”

He said the decision to pursue the establishment of a national carrier stemmed from the desire of government to re-establish the aviation industry as a source of manpower development.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), speaking through its Executive Chairman, Captain Nogie Meggison, noted that it was an interesting subject that often would elicit varied reactions.

“There are different voices on this issue among operators. But, I think the concept of national car-

Continued on page 29

Barroso, EC president

World Bank launches solar power initiative for Africa Tony Iwelunmo The World Bank Group has announced the launch of ‘Scaling Solar’ at the Powering Africa Summit in Washington DC, a gathering of African ministries, utility companies and the international power community, to discuss progress and initiatives to increase access to energy across Africa.

Scaling Solar, aims to create a viable market for private solar power projects in Africa that will help governments increase the supply of energy for millions of residential and commercial consumers across the continent.

Naira depreciation: Emefiele urges escalation of value addition Ugochukwu Onyeocha Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has urged manufacturers to explore more production opportunities to curtail excessive reliance on imports.

The advice followed the depreciation of the Naira by 11.25 per cent between January 31, 2014 and December 31, 2014.

He gave the charge at a breakfast meeting with captains of industry and critical stakeholders in the economy in Lagos, assuring that the level of Nigeria’s external reserves, which currently stands at about $34bn, is adequate to meet all legitimate foreign exchange demands.

He tasked Nigerians to look inwards and explore opportunities for local production of more of the country’s needs because lopsided dependence on imports was a major exacerbating pressure on the exchange rate. He reminded his audience that “even one cent of import impacts negatively on the exchange rate”.

Emefiele also pledged CBN’s support for entrepreneurs and manufacturers who go into local production of goods that would reduce demand pressure on the Naira.

Aviation 30

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Experts flay domestic airlines for poor feasibility studies Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Stakeholders in the aviation sector have called on the Nigerian domestic airlines to carry out feasibility studies on managing airlines before venturing into the sector.

The comment is coming on the heels of the suspension of Discovery Air’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) issued to it by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over alleged safety beaches.

Speaking in an interview in Lagos, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, Patrick Adah, stated that some of the challenges domestic airlines are passing

Defunct Nigeria Airways plane

In search of flag carrier

through are caused by the airlines themselves.

The Aircraft Maintenance Engineer wondered why Discovery Air, that secured AOC less than a year ago cannot sustain its operations.

He contended that one of the first things the airlines are getting wrong is that they are not ready to do the right thing, adding that there are laws regulating whatever they are doing in the aviation sector but that these airlines don’t want to do the business according to the rules.

Adah said that the fact that these airlines did not do their home well before venturing into airline business informed why an airline such as Discovery Air

,barely one year after it secured AOC has started having issues with the regulatory body NCAA. “What is wrong? Was the airline not prepared? Didn’t they do their homework well before venturing into the business? As far as I am concerned, it is too early to start having problems with the regulatory body,” he said.

He stated that aviation industry is safety driven, adding that a situation where airlines’ workers no matter who the workers are; whether technical or otherwise, are not paid their salaries compromise safety.

He took a swipe at the regulator, who he alleged, has not enforced the rules as it should be, adding that what is going on the

political scene is what Nigerians are witnessing in the aviation industry.

According to him, “safety is not negotiable in aviation. Safety is enhanced when all staff from cleaners to the managing director play their own part”.

On whether the issue mentioned by NCAA is enough to suspend Discovery Air’s AOC, Adah said that there may have been other issues which NCAA did not make public.

He also alleged that some airlines that operate cargo fly their aircraft abroad for C, Checks without paying workers’ salaries, despite the fact that these workers were neither sacked nor given suspension letters.

Continued from page 28

flag carrier with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways. So, the concept of national carrier is outdated.

“Gone are the days of national carrier, it is out of vogue. Aviation business has gone digital, it is no more analogue, so, why do we need to go back to outdated models?

International aviation expert and former Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Nick Fadugba, said: “Ideally, in 2003 the government of Nigeria should have privatised the loss-making national carrier, Nigeria Airways, rather than liquidate it. The government of

Kenya followed this strategy and Kenya Airways is now one of the leading airlines in Africa.

“Running a successful airline is a very difficult job.”

This is one of the hurdles the plan to have a national carrier is facing.

The major reason why government has so far failed to establish a national carrier is because it failed to take easy way out by building a national or flag carrier with the most promising Nigerian airline, Arik.

Rather government in its last attempt chose Aero which neither has the desired fleet nor the routes, with only a local experi-

rier is archaic. What is being adopted globally is the flag carrier model. The airline industry has gone far ahead of archaic models.

“The era of national carrier is long over. Even, a country as vast as Brazil, now has many flag carriers. Even in the United Kingdom (UK), it is the concept of flag carriers that the country is pursuing. The concept many countries are pursuing now is flag carrier. This has happened in Brazil which now has seven flag carriers after the experience of Varig Air. In the UK, they have moved from national carrier to the concept of

ICAO headquarters

ICAO holds high-level meeting on global aviation safety The International Civil Aviation Organisation will hold a high-level safety meeting this week to look at the global tracking of commercial aircraft and flights over conflict zones.

More than 800 participants are expected to attend the fourday international gathering at ICAO’s Montreal headquarters.

The United States, Australia, the Netherlands and Malaysia are sending large delegations to the conference.

ICAO, the UN agency that governs civil aviation, said on its website that the conference will review the current situation, look at how to manage aviation safety in the future and study ways to increase regional cooperation.

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 last March serves as the backdrop.

The plane went down while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

ence.

The attempt failed and industry insiders say that another attempt that excludes utilising the existing major carrier that already has international routes experience may also fail.

Speaking in an interview, Group Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Dr. Michael Arumemi –Ikhide, said Arik Air is not bothered over plans by government to set up a national carrier.

He said: “We have been aware of the plan to establish a national carrier. Arik Air is the only indigenous airline carrying out national service on the long haul market.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

31 Real estate

Odumod u, DG, SO N

Collapsed building

Quality buildings: How much is expected of SON? Emmanuel Ogbonnaya e.ogbonnaya@dailytimes.com.ng The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in the course of time will be appreciated by generations of Nigerians for many reasons and one of those reasons will be the delivery of quality houses which would have stood the test of time.

One of the many challenges of the future of housing in Nigeria is not only affordability but also durability. While the cost of building materials is of utmost concern, the issue of quality raises more apprehension.

Indeed, the concern for quality goes beyond building materials and extends to the engineering practices at construction sites, which to a large extent factors into the structural assessments of such projects.

Last year, while a lot of buck passing and bickering was still going on among cement manufacturers over the right type of cement strength to apply in building and construction works, the regulator came out to lay the

record straight that inappropriate application of cement was the main culprit of building collapses, but however went a step further to specify cement types and its strengths for deployment in construction works.

In his remarks to stakeholders, the Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, stressed that building collapses border mostly on professional issues, therefore architects, builders, structural engineers and other professionals must work together, cautioning that it was critical that if an engineer prescribes 42.5 grade of cement, the builder does not go to the market and buy 32.5, which can lead to the failure of the structure.

The regulator declared 1 October 2014 as the date for the commencement of random checks to be conducted on on-going projects across the country to ascertain that only trained, qualified and licensed builders were carrying out on-site work to quality specifications.

Guidelines were also released for the monitoring and certification of sandcrete blocks stan-

dard NIS 587:2007, part of which was a directive by SON that block-makers henceforth will be mandated to stamp their names/ trademarks on the blocks identification.

The measure, according to the former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, was to make material testing easy during investigation and also ensure safer building structures. He noted that to develop, Nigerians must imbibe international standards of in every professional sphere, in order to deliver world class products and services.

Ortom noted that it was the responsibility, duty and contract of the government with the Nigerian people to ensure the eradication of substandard products in Nigeria, even though he noted that government alone will not succeed without the involvement and support of the citizenry.

“We are also saying that town planning and building control agents must certify builders, all builders in every state must be certified by the state government, so that when somebody wants to

build and brings the plan for approval, the approval must go with the materials’ sources and the builder, because you can have the right materials but if the wrong person builds for you, that structure may collapse,’’ he said.

SON also directed manufacturers of blocks and allied products to collect MANCAP application forms for products certification from its state offices in charge of their operations.

However, stakeholders are of the opinion that it is one thing to make a law and another thing to enforce the law. One of the challenges which they say must be surmounted by the regulatory bodies is to ensure that there are no sacred cows and no sacrificial lambs either.

Four months after the directive was given, Daily Times finding reveals that it is still business as usual for sandcrete block makers as there is a massive non-compliance by these manufacturers to mark their blocks for identification and a non-existent confirmation of inspected construction sites by the SON. One only hopes that this step in the right direc-

tion has not been an elaborate ruse to douse the tension that followed the spate of building collapses across the country.

Indeed, in the words of Ortom: “This is all about compliance. Nigerians must comply with standards and when you do not comply we are going to sanction you.

So it is better for us as stakeholders to come together to ensure that we surmount the challenges in the sector. On our own part, we know that impunity is reigning; we intend to sanction those people who do not comply. I believe that sanction will correct people and bring them to order to make things work.”

According to Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, nations are making progress by putting standards and ensuring that players follow laid down standards, stressing that there are enough regulations and regulators to bring sanity to bear across Nigeria, but often, for one reason or the other, things have not gone as they should.

Chinese investors to dominate global hotel transactions

Hetherington

Global hotel transaction volumes may hit an eight-year high of between US$65 billion and US$68 billion this year with Chinese investors among the top exporters of outbound capital, according to a latest forecast

by JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group.

In Asia Pacific, transaction value is expected to rise 15 percent from 2014 to around US$8.5 billion, the same pace as in the global market. Among that, a lion’s share, or US$5 billion, will be spent by Chinese buyers, which will represent a five-fold increase.

“This will place Chinese investors, not featured in the top-10 list just a few years ago, among the ranks of top exporters such as the United Statesbased private equity funds and Middle East investors,” said Scott Hetherington, chief executive officer Asia, JLL Hotels

and Hospitality Group. “China’s policy change allows numerous investors to compete in international real estate for assets including hotels and we expect this heightened level of activity to become the new norm with Chinese investors gaining scale in gateway cities,” he added.

Tech Future 24

Experts flay domes for poor feasibility

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Scorecard of the Comm. Tech. Ministry Continued from page 22

little was known of this statutory incentive. cies were not adequately socialThe point here is that the abized and therefore suffered poor sence of a clear direction and implementation. A good example strong leadership in the induswas the clause in chapter 2, sec- try, pre-2011, was responsible for tion 2.3.1(x) of the 2001 National the fragmentation and stunted IT Policy which gave NITDA the growth of the industry. The comregulatory powers to propose tax ing of the Ministry of Communiholidays for companies which cation Technology and, I dare say, invested in IT infrastructure un- appointmentDaily of Times Mrs. Nigeria Omobola Tuesday, 3, 2015 der that Policy’s “Backbone-by- Johnson (as sheFebruary then was) to head Anyone” principle. The clause it, effectively bridged that gap. In was later codified as section 6 (b) fact, if there has been a profound and (i) of the NITDA Act of 2007. change in the ICT landscape, The draftsmen of both the Policy as stakeholders seemed to have and Act certainly intended to agreed last Thursday, that profuncatalyze investments in critical dity is due largely to the creation Information Infrastructure by of a Ministry to take charge of Inencouraging just about ‘anyone’ formation Technology and Comto invest in IT backbone infra- munications. structure in the country. Very Judith The Frank-Edet ICT industry was a fringe

sector in the economy and suffered short shrift in national planning for many years even though it was a critical sector. For instance, it was the last committee to be set up, almost as an afterthought, in the Vision 2020 project. Its contribution to GDP hovered around 5% by 2011. Even that contribution was due to the liberalization of the telecoms sector. Today, the sector is ranked with Oil and Gas and Power. The Director-General of NITDA recently proclaimed that the sector will overtake Oil and Gas in GDP contribution in next few years.

With a GDP contribution of almost 10% today, the sector is well on its way to achieving that feat.

For the first time, the IT sector lead by NITDA under Engr. Peter Jack took center stage in October

Nutrition

2014 at an international Technology Expo, the Gulf Information Technology Expo (GITEX). Nigeria, one of only two Africa countries at the event- the other being Egypt, was the anchor partner and hosted a Nigerian ICT Investment Forum in the Gulf Region.

This was unthinkable even five years ago! The impact of that outing may yet be felt and would certainly come in the years ahead.

But the world took note.

A similar investment drive to the Silicon Valley, but without the trappings of an expo, had been led a year earlier by the Honorable Minister of Communication Technology. As in GITEX, Nigerian ICT companies were introduced to the global stage and to investor networks. On the Minister’s dele-

gation were Nigerian ICT success stories such as Jumia, Wakanow and Interswitch. Since 2011, the thick fog of ignorance about the potentials of the Nigerian ICT sector is being pushed back. The obscurity and insularity of ICT in Nigeria have been receding. The industry is now viewed as critical to the economy.

In spite of the successes, so much still needs to be done. E-government is still work- in-progress.

IT-enabled Outsourcing is still fledgling. Nigerians still exhibit a preference for foreign brands of IT products. But the trail has been blazed, and history will be kind to the pioneer Minister of the ICT Ministry!

To be continued.. Inye Kemabonta

Tech

News

through are caused by the airlines themselves.

The Aircraft Maintenance EnStakeholders in the avia- gineer wondered why Discovery tion sector have called on Air, that secured AOC less than the Nigerian domestic airlines a year ago cannot sustain its operations.

Daily studies Times Nigeria to carry out feasibility He contended that one of the on managing airlines before Tuesday, February 3,first 2015 things the airlines are getventuring into the sector.

The comment is coming on ting wrong is that they are not ready to do the right thing, addthe heels of the suspension of Discovery Air’s Air Operator’s ing that there are laws regulatCertificate (AOC) issued to it ing whatever they are doing by the Nigerian Civil Aviation in the aviation sector but that Authority (NCAA) over alleged these airlines don’t want to do the business according to the safety beaches.

Speaking in an interview in rules.

Adah said that the fact that Lagos, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, Patrick Adah, stated these airlines did not do their that some of the challenges home well before venturing into airline business informed why domestic airlines are passing an airline such as Discovery Air

,barely one year AOC has starte with the regulat “What is wro line not prepar do their homew venturing into t far as I am con early to start h with the regul said.

He stated that try is safety dri a situation wher ers no matter w are; whether tec wise, are not pa compromise saf He took a swi tor, who he alle forced the rules adding that wha

13 World Business

Eat better,L Buzz ByteNITDA endorses Ex-IMF chief Much ado P 29 Islamic State in BrainFriend over proposedSyria withdraws Ex-IMF chief Strauss-Kahn’s Strauss-Kahn’s prevent Eat better, L7 from Kobani prevent hearing loss software to 24 goes on trial for national carrier hearing loss ÏÏÏ goes for ‘pimping’ reduce masson trial ‘pimping’ P13 ÏÏÏ failure inJAMB, NITDA endorses BrainFriend software toUTME 7

There are many ways to maintain healthy hearing.

Protecting your ears from continued hazardous noise and keeping ear infections at bay are certainly fundamental. However, a healthy lifestyle can do its fair share to prevent or delay hearing loss.

What you eat can ultimately impact how well you hear. So if you what to fight hearing loss keep an eye on the following foods.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.37

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Omega 3 Fats & Vitamin D You will find a high level of omega 3 fats and Vitamin D in fish and it has a highly tremendous positive impact on hearing loss. Studies have shown that adults who ate fish twice a week had a 42% lower chance of facing age-related hearing loss than non-fish eaters. The main reason, researchers claim, is that Omega 3 fats strengthen the blood vessels in our ear’s sensory system.

Price: N150

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reduce mass failure in JAMB, UTME

Anti-oxidants & Folic Acid This is another powerful defense against hearing loss. Antioxidants, especially in the form of folic acid commonly found in spinach, beans, broccoli, eggs or liver can reduce the risk of hearing loss by up to 20%. Antioxidants reduce the number of free radicals that swirl through your body and which can otherwise damage the nerve tissue in your inner ears.

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Tony Nwakaegho

the forthcoming 2015 UTME and expressed optimism that it could stamp out mass failure and high rate of examination fraud in the country.

Commenting on the development, Director General of malpractices and reduce mass NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, said the Zinc failure in the Unified Tertiary agency keyed into the initiative You can increase your inner ear’s Matriculation Examinations as part of its effort to deepen and resistance to age related hearing loss by eating a healthy proportion of Zinc.

(UTME) organised by the Joint encourage local content developThis can be found in dark chocolate, Admissions Matriculation Board ment in education and other secbeans, mushrooms, periwinkle and more. tors of the economy as mandated However, take the chocolates gently. (JAMB), among other examinaby the Acts setting up the agency. tions in the country.

Vitamin C, E & Glutathione “Based on the transformation The NITDA is spearheading Just like antioxidants, Vitamin C/E the campaign to use local soft- agenda of Mr. President, the Fedcan keep free radicals in check and strengthen your overall immune system, ware application developed by eral Government of Nigeria is thus reducing the risk of ear infections. doing everything two companies, Cinfores Limited Additionally, the skin in your possible to enThe answer is a little confusing, as both a accumulated.

So get those oranges, tangerines and ear canal naturally grows inthe an outward, “yes” and a “no, ” are appropriate.

The outer vegetables now.

Nigerian educationand WaveTek Nigeria which re- sure that ear that can be seen does need a good spiral pattern. As it sloughs off, ear wax al system is improved and made cently signed a Memorandum of cleaning every now and then. This can be goes with it. Most of the time the wax will Avoid Toxins class.

Understanding bya offiloosen andworld fall out on its own whileThere you are is a decline in accomplished with awitnessed little soap, water and Another important tip is to avoid asleep. Thethe need forquality a cotton swab isn’t washcloth. eating foods that have toxins. The Toxins of really education in our cials of the agency.

In most cases, the ear canal does not necessary.

I am talking about are unhealthy foods country .

They said that the solution For those that have heavy wax build-up, a need to be cleaned. During hair washing that have no value to the health. E.g, trip to the doctor may be needed. enters into and “The mass failure in UTME Margarine and other hydrogenated fats, wouldor showers, be a enough gamewater changer ear canal to loosen the wax that has refined oils, cigarettes and lots more. makethemore candidates success- and other national examinaful in the forthcoming UTME and tions in recent years is a mixture of many things, including the other related exams.

Interestingly, the partners non-availability of quality local have customised a special ver- resources to change the tide of sion, JAMB BrainFriend, for mass failure and exam malprac-

ÏÏÏNational Information Technology Development Agen-

Magnesium cy (NITDA), has endorsed the use Magnesium, can be found in bananas, potatoes, artichokes or broccoli. of It BrainFriend local software approvides additional protection against plication to remedy examination noise induced hearing loss.

tices that has plagued the nation,” Jack said.

The agency, he said, would do everything possible to support the solution and make it available to all the NITDA digital centres across the country, to enable the candidates access the software.

Jack also promised to reach out to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to make available the software in their Community Communication Centres in order to extend the reach of the software to all Nigerian students, especially, the candidates who cannot afford either a personal computers or mobile device to activate the software for their personal use.

In his remarks, Managing Director of Cinfores Limited, Mr Asawo Ibifuro, said the software had been approved by the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and NITDA.

Do we really need to clean out our ears?

Charles Anosike

Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn went on trial on Monday accused of pimping, four years after a sex scandal cost him his job and a shot at the French presidency.

The disgraced 65-year-old economist found himself back in the dock -- this time in the northern French city of Lille -- accused of being at the centre of a vice ring which hired prostitutes for sex parties in Brussels, Paris and Washington.

Alderweireld , dressed in a dark suit, slipped past a throng of journalists into the woodpanelled courtroom, where he paced up and down with his hands in his pockets in front of the imposing stone bench, where more than 40 massive files were stacked.

He appeared on edge as he Peter Jack sat, arms folded, while presidOn his part, Managing Direc- via Microsoft IT Academies at judge Bernard readretor of WaveTeking Nigeria Limited, MicrosoftLemaire USA and Nigeria Mr. Ken Spann,out said the twocharges com- spectively , noted him that “Through the against and panies realised the danger of WaveTek’s strong network in 13 failure co-accused, a colourful cast mass examination in Ni- education, we are collaborating geria which informed the devel- with Cinfores as their marketof characters including luxury opment of JAMB BrainFriend ing partner and ensuring that hotel managers, a lawyer, forsoftware.

BrainFriend is used by the over An excited Spann, who had 1.4 million candidates registered mer police commissioner, and a earlier spent about eleven years for JAMB UTME scheduled for promoting Microsoft Education 2015. brothel ownerMarch, nicknamed “Dodo

Strauss-Kahn

the Pimp”.

“You are accused of aiding and abetting the prostitution of seven persons between March 29, 2008 and October 4, 2011, and of hiring and encouraging the prostitution of these same persons,” Lemaire told Strauss-Kahn.

The trial kicked off with a request for the hearings of ex-

Islamic State militants are withdrawing from areas around the Syrian town of Kobani, a ($1.7 million). group monitoring the war said The court will also mull a re- on Monday, after Kurdish and quest to have the trial declared Arab fighters met little resisinvalid, over allegations inves- tance as they seized new ground tigations were secretly being overnight. carried out for eight months beKurdish ground forces, helped fore the opening of an official by U.S. and allied air strikes, enquiry -- fuelling arguments by drove Islamic State from the Strauss-Kahn’s supporters that town at Syria’s border with Turhe is the victim of a political key last week. The Syrian Obserconspiracy. vatory for Human Rights, which The trial will be the latest in tracks the war, said Kurdish forca series of legal woes offering a es known as the YPG had taken peek behind the bedroom door 13 villages since Sunday night. of a man once tipped as a poten“There is no large-scale resistial challenger to former French tance,” said Rami Abdulrahman, president Nicolas Sarkozy. who runs the Observatory. IsThe ex-head of the Interna- lamic State fighters who were on tional Monetary Fund, known Sunday some 4 to 5 km (2.5 miles in France as DSK, saw his career to 3 miles) from the town were in 2011 now at least 10 km (6 miles).

Defunctimplode Nigeria Airways plane when he was flag carrier with Continued paraded handcuffed in front of from page 28 and Virgin Atlan prostitutes to take place behind the world’s cameras afterrier a New is archaic. What is being ad- the concept of na is the flag carrier outdated. closed doors, which Lemaire re- York hotel maid accusedopted him globally of model. The airline industry has jected after a brief deliberation. sexual assault.

“Gone are the gone far ahead of archaic models. carrier, it is out Lurid details of group sex and Those criminal charges were “The era of national carrier is tion business ha high-end prostitution are likely dropped and the case settled in long over. Even, a country as vast is no more analo to emerge in the trial for “aggra- a civil suit, but six months later as Brazil, now has many flag car- we need to go b vated pimping in an organised Strauss-Kahn’s name cropped riers. up Even in the United King- models?

(UK), it is the concept of flag group”, a charge punishable by in an investigation into adom prostiInternational up to 10 years in prison and a tution ring in northerncarriers Francethat the country is pur- and former Secr ÏÏÏTwomany members of a cult in suing.

The concept coun- the fine of up to 1.5 million euros and Belgium.

African Airl Chinanow have been executed for murtries are pursuing is flag car(AFRAA), Nick rier. This hasdering happened in Brazilin a a woman McDonald’s “Ideally, in 2003 which now has seven flag in carriers restaurant Shandong, according of Nigeria shoul after the experience of Varig Air. the loss-making to a local court.

In the UK, they have moved from Nigeria Airway Zhang Lidong and his daughter national carrier to the concept of liquidate The Zhang Fan were members ofit.the banned Church of the Almighty Abe said his announcement of by an opposition lawmaker, Abe God cult.

They were part of a group who $200 million in non-military aid confirmed that he was aware of for the fight against the Islamic the hostage situation when he attempted to recruit the 35-year-old victim, Wu Shuoyan, in the restauState group, made during a visit made the announcement. rant in the town of Zhaoyuan in to the Middle East just days beAbe said he wished to publifore the militants demanded a cize Japan’s contribution to the May 2014.

When she refused to give her $200 million ransom for the two fight against extremism, and hostages, was meant to convey rejected the idea of a more cau- phone number, they beat her to death.

Japan’s strong commitment to tious approach.

The Shandong Yantai Intermebattling terrorism and fostering “As international society seeks peace and stability in the region. to restore peace and stability in diate People’s Court announced Some have questioned that de- the Middle East ... I thought it the Zhangs’ execution on its Weibo account (in Chinese) on Monday cision, saying Abe should have would be the most appropriate been more cautious and not men- destination to visit, and that I morning, noting that the father tioned the Islamic State group by should broadcast my message to and daughter had “committed name. Responding to a question the world from there,” Abe said. murder and used a cult to intentionally break the law”.

The group was found guilty in October last year. Three others were given jail sentences ranging from seven years to life imprisonment.

In search of flag carrier

Does corruption nurture political violence?

China executes two cult members for McDonald’s murder

Japan’s leader defends handling of hostage crisis ÏÏÏJapanese

ÎÎÎIt must be exhausting

to live in a state of constant indignation as a result of what could be a conscious or unconscious incompetence of personalized leadership obtained in corrupt governments.

Indignant that the manifest problems are seen with separateness rather than connectedness, producing unwanted results that continue to spread extremism.

Welcome to Sarah Chayes’s world. Yet somehow Chayes doesn’t seem exhausted. In “Thieves of State,” she is determined.

The target of her zeal is government corruption around the world — an old challenge but one she recasts in urgent and novel terms. The trouble with fraud and bribery and the rest is not simply their moral evil or economic toll, Chayes argues. The real danger is that an abusive government can elicit violent responses, including religious extremism, putting the survival of the state at risk. The case she makes is anecdotal but alarming.

Chayes, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment, is something of a rarity among Washington analysts. The places she writes about (Afghanistan, Egypt, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Nigeria, among others) she knows well, not in the fly-in-for-a-week-then-pitchan-op-ed kind of way. A former NPR correspondent who covered Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s and the fall of the Taliban after 9/11, Chayes went on to launch a business in Afghanistan, advise coalition forces there and work for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

She’s been on all sides of the problem — at times, she admits, even inadvertently causing it.

Abe

Her corruption travelogue centers on Afghanistan, where she saw how even low-level abuses alienated the population. She begins with Nurallah, a former policeman whose brother was struck by a police officer because he refused to pay a bribe. “My sacred oath,” Nurallah seethes. “If I see someone planting an IED on a road, and then I see a police truck coming, I will turn away. I will not warn them.” Chayes points to the fraudulent 2009 Afghan elections, which so discouraged citizens that the vote may have boosted support for the insurgency.

And she shares her own story of working with the family of then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the early 2000s, hoping to establish a nonprofit group only to conclude that, through her indifference to murky accounting practices, “I had enabled the development of a corrupt system under my very eyes.”

Chayes scatters her tale with passages from old political tracts warning rulers of the consequences of corrupt behavior. “Being rapacious and arrogating subjects’ goods and women is what, above all else . . . renders [the prince] hateful,” Machiavelli wrote, and “leaves a mind obstinate to vengeance.” Eleventh-century Persian writer Nizam al-Mulk cautioned that a government’s ability to administer justice and hold officials accountable was key to its survival. Such works of advice for rulers, written by state officials or clerics, have historically been known as “mirrors,” and

“Thieves of State” reflects that tradition.

The Arab Spring, Chayes contends, “amounted to a mass uprising against kleptocratic practices.” She singles out a few characters who crystallized popular revulsion, such as Hosni Mubarak’s son Gamal, who with a clique “hijacked” the Egyptian state, “rewriting the laws, awarding themselves privileged access to land and other public resources.” Or Tunisia’s Leila Trabelsi, dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s second wife, whose clan manipulated the customs agency and the Finance Ministry.

In Uzbekistan, Chayes narrated the involvement of the aging dictator’s eldest daughter in faux charities, telecom sector bribery and possibly even sex trafficking, parts of the population are turning to religion.

“People are becoming more devoted because they are more and more frustrated with the government,” a local human rights activist told Chayes. “They are turning to God for recourse.”

The same has occurred in

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, defended his policy toward terrorism, as the flag at his official residence flew at half-mast on Monday in a mark of mourning for two hostages killed by the Islamic State group, ISIS. During a long day of parliamentary debate, Abe parried numerous questions about his handling of the hostage crisis, which came to a grisly end with news early Sunday that journalist Kenji Goto had been beheaded by the extremists.

Nigeria, where corruption Rebels whichpound prevailed. kleptocracy Ukrainian troops criminal after peace talks fail that has become a social trap ÏÏÏ Her outrage isn’t directed controlled the most powerand the battle for oil riches only at corrupt officials ful instruments of force on has wrought a generalized but at their enablers in the earth,” she writes. That’s a ethical collapse in Nige- West, too. She writes that big bite of perhaps. ria, Chayes stated. Among CIA payments to Karzai In conclusion, Chayes the country’s Christians and to his younger broth- provided resounding list and Muslims, a compul- er Ahmed Wali — “I had of recommendations: The sive focus on self serving watched officers hand him United States and other behavior has increased in a tinfoil-wrapped package governments should estabrecent decades, metastasiz- of bills when I was over at lish clear anti-corruption ing corruption beyond the his house for dinner one policies. Intelligence agenconfines of government to 2003 night” — undercut cies should include sysinfect nearly all Nigerians’ anti-corruption efforts tar- temic corruption in their behavior. geting their networks. But annual assessments of U.S. Chayes contends that even sympathetic Western security threats. Corrupt governments in such coun- officials have it backward, officials should have their tries, so often dismissed as she says: They think, “First visas denied or delayed, weak or failed states, are in let’s establish security, then and should be the targets fact powerful and organized we can worry about gover- of financial sanctions.

— but for crime rather than nance.” What if corruption Contracting guidelines, social services. The govern- is causing insecurity? monitoring and evaluation ment of Afghanistan “could Like all books about for aid packages should be best be understood not as one big idea, “Thieves of strengthened. And in order a government at all but State” is a bit obsessive. to create an “international as a vertically integrated In Chayes’s eyes, revolts climate of disapproval,” imcriminal organization,” she against corruption explain portant multilateral meetwrites, “whose core activity the origins of democracy, ings should not be held in was not in fact exercising the Protestant Reformation, corrupt countries. the functions of a state but even the attacks of Sept. 11, rather extracting resources 2001. “Perhaps Al Qaeda’s for personal gain.” The main intent was not to kill Being a review of SarEgyptian government is de- a large number of Ameri- ah Chayes’ 2015 book, scribed in similar terms, ex- cans so much as to visit a “THIEVES OF STATE: cept with two networks, the spectacular symbolic pun- Why Corruption Threatmilitary and Mubarak’s, ishment upon the manifes- ens Global Security” by vying for power. We know tations of what it saw as a Dr. Anosike Separatist rockets streaked across hills in eastern Ukraine on Monday as rebels pounded the positions of Ukrainian government troops holding a strategic rail town while both sides pressed ahead with mobilizing more forces for combat.

Kiev’s military said five more Ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes while municipal authori-

ties in the big rebel-controlled city of Donetsk said 15 civilians were killed at the weekend by shelling in a surge of violence following the collapse of a new peace effort on Saturday.

Talks between Ukraine, Russia and rebel officials in Minsk, Belarus, had raised hopes of a new ceasefire to stem the violence in a conflict which has claimed more

than 5,000 lives. But they broke up without progress with Ukraine and the separatists accusing each other of sabotaging the meeting.

Donetsk reverberated to the thud of artillery and mortar fire through the night and several homes were destroyed with at least one civilian death on Monday.

But separatists kept up attacks

on Debaltseve, a strategic rail hub to the northeast of Donetsk, in an attempt to dislodge government forces there. The outskirts of Yenakieve and Vuhlegirsk, both on the main highway to Debaltseve, were under heavy artillery fire as rebel multiple rocket launchers and artillery pummeled the positions of Ukrainian troops in the area.

Lidong

WEATHER FORECAST FOR TUESDAY 3-02-2015 POTISKUM

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100 |63 °F

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

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Tuface, M.I

L4

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for RSVP concert tour Governors’ wives and their L achievements

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Amber Rose @ D’banj’s 10th year gig L4 P

2

L7

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Eat well, prevent hair loss

Society L2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Isaac Oguntoye

i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng

Top five governors’ wives and their initiatives

Dame Judith Amaechi is the wife of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. She was born on 24 December 1970. Judith attended Federal Government Girls’ College. Abuloma for her Secondary education, after which she attended Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where she graduated as an Urban and Regional Planning Professional.

Just like the husband who does not attach much importance to the office of being a governor because to him its transient , she also shares the same view and this affects her outlook to life generally. She’s religious and praying lifestyle has been a pillar of vigour to her husband, the governor. Her style is not loud, notwithstanding, she has eyes for quality. Amaechi launched the Empowerment Support Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), on 16 October 2008. The NGO provides practical support and advice for women and children, particularly the most disadvantaged. In June 2009, speaking during International Widows Day, Amaechi called for review of native laws and customary practices that cause distress and throws widows into abject poverty.

The powerful women behind the governors in Nigeria have been playing various roles, not only in the lives of their families but to the states and the nation in general.

While some of them are socialites while others remain behind the scene.

In this piece, we bring to you the amazing lifestyle of some governors’ wives who are serving their last term in office.

Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola is the beautiful wife of governor of Lagos State, Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola. Abimbola is a woman who treasures motherhood, she also has her peculiar style. Aside being religious, she abhors indecent dressing with a passion.

Born on 6th April, 1965 into the Ojo I’badan family of Ibadan, Oyo State, she is a distinguished alumnus of the Lagoon Secretarial College, Lagos. As the First Lady of Lagos State, she is the Chairman of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) – a community based non-governmental organisation. Under her leadership, COWLSO has commissioned four (4) recreation centres, and pays for the free screening and treatment of women with breast and cervical cancer. COWLSO is also currently building the first retirement villa for active retirees and senior citizens. She is a tireless advocate of health and socio-economic issues, who has had a towering impact on public awareness and sensitization campaigns on topical issues of children and women health, the environment, education, HIV/AIDS discrimination, voluntary blood donation, poverty eradication and skill acquisition.

As a dedicated humanitarian who gives her time, expertise, and resources to make a difference in the lives of people, especially the youths, this passion gave birth to her initiative - LEARN (Lagos Empowerment and Resource Network), a non-governmental organisation established to groom youths to be self-confident and socially responsible.

Judith Amaechi

Obioma Imoke

Mrs. Obioma Imoke can be described as a sophisticated lady or rather a woman of flair. Going by her carriage and speech pattern, Obioma is no doubt intelligent, motherly, poised, smart and flamboyant. Her style is unique to her person which made her choose dreadlocks as a trademark hairstyle. She is well polished which shows in her impeccable spoken English. She’s a mother of four and her father is the first Anesthesiologist in Nigeria. In the last seven years of her husband, Senator Liyel Imoke piloting the affairs of Cross River State, Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke has devoted her soul to advancing the status of women and children across the nooks and crannies of the state. The projects she has midwifed and initiated speak volumes of a woman with a deep passion to affect her world in many ways as possible. A roll call of these projects include but not limited to the following: Partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment Realization, POWER, which is like the flagship of all her initiatives, Mothers Against Child Abandonment, MACA; Destiny’s Child Centre, DCC; A State fit for a Child, ASFAC, the Refuge which is a project of MACA. She also facilitates a spiritual development christened Cross River Pray. In addition to this, she runs the only American-certified international school outside Lagos and Abuja, Surefoot American International School, Calabar.

Deaconess Sheila Roli Uduaghan still has the credit of being tagged the homely woman any man would want to have as a wife for the rest of his life. That’s because she has never allowed the privileged office of the governor get into her head.

She is still the girl-next-door-lady who loathes lording herself over people because she is the governor’s wife. Till date, according to information, she takes care of the home front and doesn’t allow the cook in the government house to cook for her husband. Roli Uduaghan is simple with her fashion and doesn’t crave for the usual woman craze for Brazilian or Peruvian hair yet, she looks ever young to pass for a woman still in her 30s.

She is said to be the backbone of Governor Uduaghan. The ‘I care Foundation’ is one of her pet. As wife of the governor, she has really thrown in a lot of achievements over the period which includes: Free Eye Care Treatment for women all over the state, Provision of tricycles with the pick-up back to cooperatives and even rice mill due to size of the equipment, Free sponsorship of children with hole in their hearts for operation in India, Provision of fertilizers, maize seedlings and others for seasonal planting , widows are provided with food stuffs to assist them, gives out scholarships, funds the King’s Kids Compassionate Home, repaired toilets and dug boreholes in primary schools across the state, among others.

Sheila Roli Uduaghan

Dame Abimbola Fashola

Wife of the Ondo State Governor and founder of the Maternal Pulse Foundation, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko, initiated free cancer screening and treatment centres for women across the state. Information has it that over 2000 women from Ondo State have been screened of cancer under the Women Health Screen exercise organised by the Maternal Pulse Foundation. Aside that, she charges parents in the various communities to be sensitive to the health of their children.

Olukemi Mimiko

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

my best bet

Popular On Air Personality, Tosin Bucknor is a lively soul to be with any day any time.

Despite her health condition which breaks her down once in a while, the beauty has her hands in several piesan excellent OAP, she’s into pop and rap music, a writer, poet, wedding planner, actress and a popular face at events.

Tosin shares her hair experience with Hair Ways. Read on: You’re always on dreadlocks. Were you born with it?

No. I wasn’t born with dreadlocks. I was born with natural hair like every other child.

But as I grew into a lady, several years ago, I decided to make a detour after something I’d call an accident. I braided my hair and noticed something new after I loosened it. I didn’t comb it after I took off the braids and I liked the way it looked on me. That’s the beginning of the dreads I wear today.

Don’t you feel bored wearing same hairstyle all year round?

No, I don’t feel bored. In fact, I feel great and unique wearing it because it fits me a lot. I like it a lot because it spares me the stress of visiting the salon all the time. Apart from that, it’s easy to maintain it. The cost of maintaining it is also cheap so, it’s no big deal.

Maybe you’d cut it off someday My intention is to keep it like this forever.

Wearing weave-on and hair extensions don’t appeal to me anymore so, it’s dreads for life So how do you keep it clean?

I don’t really do much. All I do is wash and cream

Really?

Yes, that will certainly be the best thing to do to experiment with my hair. I can do anything to it depending on how I feel So what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to your hair?

I’ve cut my hair more than twice since I started wearing dreadlocks.

Cutting my hair isn’t a big deal to me. So, I can cut it anytime I decide to look different.

Can you change your hairstyle for N1million?

Yeah! Who doesn’t like money? I will change it if offered such an amount of money What about changing it from black to a loud colour?

Yes I can. I can tint it into yellow

Re-growing your receding hairline

Hibiscus Essential Oil, Clary Sage Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil and Jojoba Oil According to Colleen Kaye Dodt, author of “The Essential Oils Handbook: All the Oils You Will Ever Need for Health, Vitality and Well-Being,” a mixture of

Fresh Avocado, Coconut Milk and Lime Juice According to Melanie A. Sachs, author of “Ayurvedic Beauty Care,” a mixture of fresh avocado, coconut milk and fresh lime juice can help to stop a receding hair line and begin to grow new hair. To make this mixture, combine ½ half peeled avocado, 4 tbsp. coconut milk and 2 tbsp. lime juice in a food processor or blender and puree on high speed for 15 seconds.

Gently massage the mixture onto the scalp and leave it on for 30 minutes with a towel around your shoulders to stop the mixture from dripping on your clothes. Rinse your hair with cool, clean water and wash with a mild shampoo.

of the week

Castor Oil and Lemon Essential Oil According to Julie Gabriel, author of “The Green Beauty Guide, a mixture of castor oil and lemon essential oil can be applied to the scalp to help stop hair loss and re-grow hair.

To make and use this mixture, combine 8 tbsp. castor oil and 1 tbsp. lemon essential oil in a small bottle or container and shake or stir to combine. Pour a small amount into your hands and massage the liquid onto the scalp for 2 minutes. Leave the mixture on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with cool water and washing with a mild shampoo.

This treatment can be repeated daily unless it bothers your scalp or skin.

hibiscus essential oil, clary sage essential oil, rosemary essential oil and jojoba oil can be applied to the scalp to help stop hair loss and re-grow hair. To make and use this mixture, combine ½ tsp. hibiscus essential oil, ½ tsp. clary sage essential oil, ½ tsp. rosemary essential oil and 10 tsp. jojoba oil in a small bottle and shake vigorously to combine the ingredients. Pour a small amount of the mixture into your hands and gently massage it into the scalp for 1 to 2 minutes. Leave the mixture on for 15 minutes before rinsing with cool water and washing with a gentle shampoo.

Hairpick

As much as a receding hairline is not seen as a sign of serious medical problem, showing up with your hairline already falling off can be a big embarrassment.

While it isn’t easy and often expensive to undergo surgeries to replace those fallen hair, here are some natural and harmless ways to achieve a better-looking hairline.

Hairways

Tosin Bucknor

Dreadlocks,

L3

Buzz Byte L4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Amber Rose @ D’banj’s 10th year gig

…Amber shows up with plunging boobs!

Stories by Opeoluwani Akintayo o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng

Finally, the day we were all waiting for camepopular American socialite and wife to American rapper, Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose, showed up in Nigeria and guys almost fell off their seats trying to get a grasp of her.

Perfectly protected by her bodyguard, the beauty who felt insecure couldn’t keep her hands off D’banj as she clutched to his handbag- D’banj too was always whispering things into her ears.

Just like Kim Kardashian, all she did was pose and smile for the cameras and then press time with the media then, she walks away with cool millions already resting in her bank account!

While some blasted her for showing up underdressed, we say the beauty looked simple yet classy. Must ladies show too much skin to look beautiful? Besides, a backless gown and a very low V-neck gown shows enough skin already.

Yet, as classy as Amber looked, one thing was the spoiler- she showed up with plunging boobs!

And yes, for those who don’t know, Amber is a mother of a boy of a boy and of Course, she must have breastfed him- at least it showed by merely looking at her boobs.

However, she should have saved us, women the embarrassment by tucking those boobs into a nice bra.

Overall, it was a fair show because it started late and the setting was poor compared to what we expected. At least Amber spiced things up with an appearance that almost made guys go gaga!

Meanwhile, Kokomaster, D’banj has dropped teaser for the highly anticipated collaboration with Senegalese act, Akon, ‘Feeling The N*gga’.

The teaser was premiered on Soundcity. This is coming on the heels of the 10th year anniversary celebration which kicked off with a party hosted by American renowned socialite, Amber Rose in Lagos.

Directed by B. Daines.

Amber and D’banj

MTV Base to send Nigerian couple for Basketmouth concert

Olamide

MTV Base has announced that one lucky Nigerian couple will enjoy a special treat this Valentine’s and get a trip to the city of London and exclusive access to see the Basketmouth Live in concert on Saturday, February 14, 2015, which features Wizkid, Patoranking and Olamide.

The lucky couple will be flown to London, courtesy Virgin Atlantic. To get a chance of winning this special Valentine’s themed trip, look out for the fun, Basketmouth hosted promo on MTV Base (Channel 322 on DStv), take a kiss selfie with it in the background and send to @mtvbaseafrica on Twitter & Instagram with the Hashtag #FromBaseWithLove.

The best kiss selfie will be selected and the lucky couple will get a chance to attend Basketmouth Live in concert and also feature in the programme, “A Day in the Life: Basketmouth”, which will premiere on Tuesday, March 17 on MTV Base at 5PM. The #FromBaseWithLove competition will run from January 28 to February 10, 2015 and a winner will be announced on February 11, 2015.

and his secret lifestyle

MI

There’s certainl y no smoke w ithout fire.

Talking about Olamide and hi s secret lifesty him aside his su le, not many kn ccessful music ow much abou career.

As at early 20 t 14- sometimes around March already had a , a report surfac secret child with ed that Olamid his longtime gi News even w e rlfriend, Adebuk ent round at th unmi Suleiman at time, that he baby no.2 . and ‘Bukunmi were expectin With a lot of ne g ws websites pl Olamide in retu aying around the news, incl rn dragged th uding Linda Ik em all by their the report that eji, beards and ha he ever had a irs in public, de se cret child.

And now, the nying truth is finally out. Olamide an son on Friday, d his girlfriend Jan.30, 2015. truly welcomed Calculating th actually fell w e date of her a ithin the time pregnancy, it m the baby and March 2014. At eans it pregnancy rum least since he our broke out denied ever ha his girlfriend w around ving a child be as truly pregna fore now, this nt at that time.

This adds up to shows his secret introd December 2014 uction ceremon . Added to it, w y he had with e heard the co his girlfriend in guess what, yo uple are planni u’re not going ng to wed soon to be invited ag , and ain!

MI, 2Face, others for

peaceful elections with RSVP concert tour

The city of Owerri recently hosted the 3rd RSVP Peace Concert ahead of the February 2015 elections. A large crowd of young people was thrilled by performances from hometown heroes IcePrince Zamani and MI. The Crest Hotel venue of the concert also saw the likes of Modenine, Pherowshuz, Ruggedman and Jeremiah Gyang entertain the audience.

Admission to the concert was free for those with their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) and N500 for those without.

The RSVP concert tour is an initiative of EIE Nigeria, a non-

partisan coalition of individuals and organizations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through advocacy, activism and youth mobilization.

The objective of the concerts is to deepen youth participation in democracy and educate youth voters using 15 minute voter education interludes incorporated into the concerts.

So far, the RSVP Concert tour has been to Port-Harcourt, Kaduna, Jos and Owerri. The final concert featuring 2Face Idibia will hold in Lagos this month.

Basketmouth

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

L5 Interview

I love ladies with big backside Magikal Entertainment’s recording artiste and Nigeria’s fast-rising Hip-Hop virtuoso, Brain, steadily puts up an act of distinctness with every musical material he lets out. He is already starting the New Year on a high note with his fresh-cut single; “Gaara”. Having had a roller coaster ride in 2014 by bagging two nominations at two prestigious musical awards, he was nominated for the Most Promising Artiste To Watch at the 2014 Nigerian Entertainment Awards, New York and Best Mainstream Hip-Hop Video at the Nigerian Music Videos Awards.

Christened Adeleke Matanmi Victor aka BRAIN; the first son of a humble family of four children hailed from Ogun State and he is a final year undergraduate of Industrial and Labour Relations at the Olabisi Onabanjo University. In this interview, Mutiat Alli and Austine Agbovi he speaks about his versatility, passion, his latest single and preparations to take over the Nigerian music scene. Excerpts…

Congratulations on your latest single. How has the journey been so far?

All glory to God and my record label. It’s a reward for all our hard work, persistency and consistency.

What’s the concept behind the song, “Gaara”?

Well, “Gaara” is a song I did to thank the almighty God for His mercies and blessings. You know it’s from the street slangs which usually mean ‘expensive things’ or ‘feeling cool’. So that gave me the idea of the song and the beat is a fusion of Reggeaton, Hip-Hop and Konto which is from Ajegunle, Africa’s most popular ghetto.

Barely spending two years as professional artiste, you were nominated for the NEA and NMVA in 2014. What are the nominations mean to you?

It sure means I’m getting due recognition and people are beginning to notice my work.

Getting nominationa at such big awards is no joke or an easy feat and I thank God for bringing me this far.

Can you tell us about your journey into music?

For me, music is a passion and it runs in the blood- my father also loves music and plays music whenever he’s around, my brother is a professional dancer and my younger sisters are choristers in the church. It started when I was in the secondary school where I would sing for my classmates to cheer me until I joined a group in 2005 where I did my first recording.

In my first year in school, I went for an event to perform and was denied at first, but people that had seen me performed requested I must perform and when I did my performance, it eventually became the high point of the event and from that day on; no looking back for me.

What difference are you out to make in the music industry?

I am original and true to myself.

My voice texture, the way I rap and sing bring out the uniqueness in me.

I am also versatile with my kind of songs- I can even sing reggae and the likes. And I listen to different songs from great personalities like legendary Fela Anikulapo, Evang.

Ebenezer Obey, Sir Shina Peters and others. With the blend of all of these great musicians, it helps me avoid being stereotypic with my songs. I am signed to Magikal Entertainment with a debut single ‘So Crazy’ and my three videos “Watcha Looking At”, “The Bridge (Tribute to Mandela”) and the new one, “Salute” are on the screen for viewers pleasure. I actually made a debut into the Nigerian music industry with “Watcha Looking At”.

exclusive, lol) soon.

You are still schooling. How are you combining music and education?

Combining education and music is not so easy because music is quite jealous. I have to create quality time to write and record meaningful songs, perform at events and do a lot of other things that being an artiste entails. But to the glory of God, I have been able to balance the two without conflicting each other. What I do majorly is to study when I am supposed to and also to do music during the time allotted to it. So it gives little or no time to play around.

What influences your lyrics or what inspires you to write?

What are you currently working I’m greatly influenced by on? happenings around me because I’m I just dropped a fresh club hit, realistic with my songs.

“Gaara” . My record label, MAGiKAL Entertainment just dropped the song What distinguishes your songs online and we are currently working from other young Nigerian acts? on the radio airplay, street and clubs My songs are surely not the regular promotions for the songs. I will also “noise making” as I sometimes see be shooting the video for “Gaara” in it. Songs are most times meant to a matter of days because we will address societal issues or used as be releasing the video of the song in a medium to pass messages. In as March. I’m working on new materials much as I want to do the regular party and should be dropping my mixtape or feel-good songs, I still want to pass to be hosted by DJ Jimmy Jatt (that’s message to young people out there, just like one of my new singles “Take It Easy” which addresses the issue of young people wanting to make fast money without working hard. So also “Raincoat” featuring Oyinkansola which my management released last year December as an awareness song for the deadly HIV/AIDS. The song also treated the issue of stigmatization as well. Commercial songs to me are songs that allow an artiste to cross over his original genre and not just noise making or ass shaking songs. Laugh!

Who are the big artistes you admire and looking forward to work with?

I have a whole lot but my favourites are Asa, 2face, MI, Sound Sultan, Tiwa Savage, Jesse Jagz just Brain to mention a few.

Akin’s ‘Make Am’ Ft. Dotman Up-coming act, Akin has released another single under U & I Music, titled ‘Make Am’ Ft. Dotman. This ‘Make Am’ was produced by T-Spize, featuring label-mate; fast rising indigenous rapper, ‘Dotman’.

The duo joined creative efforts in the recently released remix to Akin’s hit single ‘Nigerian Girl’.

You are single?

Sure, I’m single but not ready to mingle because of my music.

So, what’s your choice when it comes to ladies?

I sure love pretty ladies with big backside.

The original African beauty.

Your style sense.

I’m a huge fan of Jackets. Though I love to dress comfortably but, I still like making statements with my dressing.

Are you into labels? If you are, who are your favourite designers?

I love Banana Republic and Levis for my jeans. I’m a huge fan of Givenchy and I rock Dolce and Gabbana too.

Your most expensive fashion item.

That should be the Hublot wristwatch I got from my label as a birthday gift. It’s quite expensive.

What’s the passion that drives you?

First of all it’s God and the fact that what I have is a talent given to me by God and it is meant to be an instrument to touch lives. So, I don’t see myself doing anything else besides music and I am ready to go all the way, giving all that it requires to touch lives with my music. I am also passionately driven by reaching people and affecting them positively.

Also with the philosophy that life is not a bed of roses and tears of thorns; it’s simply a mixture of the good, bad and ugly. You can’t eat your cake and have it.

Brain

Chart L6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

movie and music chart

The Daily Times weekly movie and music chart, started last week. It’s our pleasure to bring you top exciting Nollywood movies and Nigerian music, straight from the hearts of Nigerians, and of course, an experienced panel of judges.

Our weekly chart include movies and music/music videos getting the highest attention to TV, radio, You Tube, Vevo, etc.

So as to create fair play in the movie sector, this forum has divided the movie section into Yoruba and English.

Feel free to participate by sending movies and music, videos inclusive that you think can stand the heat.

Send to- o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng Thank you.

Top 10 movie chart (English) 1. Alanpoza 2. October 1st 3. Alanpoza 4. Two Bride and a Baby 5. Holding Hope 6. Weekend Gateway 7. The Meeting 8.On Bended Knees 9. Being Miss Elliot 10. Unforgiveable

Top 10 movie chart (Yoruba) 1. Mufu Olosha Oko 2. Oyenusi 3. Alakada 4.Bella 5. Omo University 6. Arinnakore 7. Omo Mushin 8. Aroba 9. Matade Maxwell 10. Iku Doro

Top 10 m u

sic chart

1 P-Squ are- Shek ini 2 Timaya – Sanko 3 Iyanya - Finito 4 Dammy Krane- A min 5 Sean T izzle- Lok e Loke 6 SkukiPeteru 7 Ice Prin ce- That Could Be 8 DJ Nep Us tude Ft. S arkodie & 9 D’Princ Phyno- B e- OYO elieve 10 CYNT HIA MOR GAN - I’M TAKEN

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

L7 Buzz Byte

Eat better, prevent hearing loss Judith Frank-Edet

There are many ways to maintain healthy hearing.

Protecting your ears from continued hazardous noise and keeping ear infections at bay are certainly fundamental. However, a healthy lifestyle can do its fair share to prevent or delay hearing loss.

What you eat can ultimately impact how well you hear. So if you what to fight hearing loss keep an eye on the following foods.

Omega 3 Fats & Vitamin D You will find a high level of omega 3 fats and Vitamin D in fish and it has a highly tremendous positive impact on hearing loss. Studies have shown that adults who ate fish twice a week had a 42% lower chance of facing age-related hearing loss than non-fish eaters. The main reason, researchers claim, is that Omega 3 fats strengthen the blood vessels in our ear’s sensory system.

Anti-oxidants & Folic Acid This is another powerful defense against hearing loss. Antioxidants, especially in the form of folic acid commonly found in spinach, beans, broccoli, eggs or liver can reduce the risk of hearing loss by up to 20%. Antioxidants reduce the number of free radicals that swirl through your body and which can otherwise damage the nerve tissue in your inner ears.

Magnesium Magnesium, can be found in bananas, potatoes, artichokes or broccoli. It provides additional protection against noise induced hearing loss.

Zinc You can increase your inner ear’s resistance to age related hearing loss by eating a healthy proportion of Zinc.

This can be found in dark chocolate, beans, mushrooms, periwinkle and more.

However, take the chocolates gently.

Vitamin C, E & Glutathione Just like antioxidants, Vitamin C/E can keep free radicals in check and strengthen your overall immune system, thus reducing the risk of ear infections.

So get those oranges, tangerines and vegetables now.

Avoid Toxins Another important tip is to avoid eating foods that have toxins. The Toxins I am talking about are unhealthy foods that have no value to the health. E.g, Margarine and other hydrogenated fats, refined oils, cigarettes and lots more.

Do we really need to clean out our ears?

The answer is a little confusing, as both a “yes” and a “no,” are appropriate. The outer ear that can be seen does need a good cleaning every now and then. This can be accomplished with a little soap, water and a washcloth.

In most cases, the ear canal does not need to be cleaned. During hair washing or showers, enough water enters into the ear canal to loosen the wax that has

accumulated. Additionally, the skin in your ear canal naturally grows in an outward, spiral pattern. As it sloughs off, ear wax goes with it. Most of the time the wax will loosen and fall out on its own while you are asleep. The need for a cotton swab isn’t really necessary.

For those that have heavy wax build-up, a trip to the doctor may be needed.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Showing on 101 M

L8 Television

Showing on 138 True Movies

02:45

16:00

Tue, 27 Jan | 18 VNL

Tue, 3 Feb | 13V

We look at William and Kate’s life together one year after their marriage and how both families have produced a secure foundation for the newlyweds.

‘S5/E11- Baggage’. Magnum, P.I’s Tom Selleck stars in this Emmy nominated drama. Officer Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is conflicted when a group of Army veterans are implicated in a robbery in this episode (2014)

101 M-Net West

00:00 The Real Housewives Of Atlanta 00:30 Empire State 02:00 Behind The Scenes: Jack Ryan 02:40 Ender's Game 04:29 Behind The Scenes: About Time 05:00 Caught On Camera 06:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 07:00 Masterchef Junior USA 08:00 The Millers 08:30 Mind Games 09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 Justin And The Knights Of Valour 12:30 The Middle 13:00 Masterchef Junior USA 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:00 Elementary 16:00 Blue Bloods 17:00 The Lottery 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 2 Broke Girls 19:30 Masterchef Junior USA 20:30 The Lottery 21:30 Gotham 22:30 Perception

120 BBC Entertainment

00:00 Total Wipeout UK 00:23 Top Gear 01:10 Inspector George Gently 02:39 Come Dine With Me 03:27 The Weakest Link 04:12 Top Gear 05:00 Fool Britannia 05:25 QI 05:55 Spy 06:25 EastEnders 06:55 Antiques Roadshow 07:50 The Weakest Link 08:40 The Cube 09:25 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

10:15 Deal Or No Deal 10:55 My Family 11:25 Hell's Kitchen USA 12:15 Top Gear 13:10 Come Dine With Me 14:10 Total Wipeout UK 15:10 The Weakest Link 16:00 EastEnders 16:30 Deal Or No Deal 17:10 The Cube 18:00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

19:00 Rev.

128 SONY MAX

00:00 Cheaters 00:05Unbeatable Banzuke 00:30Unbeatable Banzuke 00:55 LFL USA 2013 02:00 Total Recall 03:50 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's...

04:35Unbeatable Banzuke 05:00 The Disciples 06:20 Cheaters 07:05 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's...

07:55 World's Wildest Police Videos 08:50 I Bet You Will 09:15 Most Shocking 10:10 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's...

11:05 The Smoking Gun Presents: World's...

12:00 Cheaters 12:55 World's Most Amazing Videos 13:50 World's Wildest Police Videos

124 E! Entertainment Television

135 BET

00:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons

12:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons

01:00 Keeping Kardashians

13:15 Celebrity Style Story

Up

With

The

02:30 The Message

03:00 Dr. 90210

15:00 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills

04:00 Late Night Heat

04:00 Botched

15:30 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills

06:00 Soul Sessions

05:00 The E! True Hollywood Story

16:15 Celebrity Style Story

06:00 The E! True Hollywood Story

17:00 Keeping Kardashians

Up

With

The

The

19:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons 20:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons

10:00 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills 10:30 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills

21:00 Fashion Bloggers

11:00 E! News

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252 Silverbird 00:00 Boom Town

14:05 Good Life

01:00 Music Africa

14:30 So Wrong So Wright

02:00 Boom Town

15:00 Together

02:30 STV Sports Café

15:30 Brights

03:00 Local Movie

16:05 Nickelodeon

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17:00 The Journey

06:30 Insights For Living

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07:00 STV AM News

18:02 MTV Base

07:30 Today On Stv

19:00 STV News @ 7

09:00 Magic Morning

19:30 Taste of Love

10:00 Mr. Nigeria

20:00 Dream Movie

10:30 Video Vault

21:30 Global Perspectives

11:00 Rhythm Of The City

22:00 STV News @ 10

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12:00 Nigeria Decides

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13:00 Music Africa

21:00 Jara

03:30 BET Now

07:00 Soul Sessions With

18:00 E! News

08:00 The Drama Queen 09:00 Keeping Kardashians

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01:30 Born To Dance

14:00 Keeping Kardashians

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With

00:30 Born To Dance

02:00 The Drama Queen

07:15 Celebrity Style Story

Up

00:00 Real Husbands Of Hollywood

08:00 Soul Sessions 09:00 The Message 10:00 Hell Date 10:30 Hell Date 11:00 The Wendy Williams Show 12:00 Second Generation Wayans 12:30 Second Generation Wayans 13:00 Let's Stay Together

XT Exclusive

GRANT hails Black Stars

X3

Poster!

Roger Federer

X4,5 Thursday, January 29, 2015

FEATURE

g n i d a Re s e r u t cap i n e b Aiyeg X2

Woods:

Celebrating a golf legend X6

CHELSEA

X2

X8

I have no rift with Mourinho – Lampard

X2

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

West Ham,

Sakho

face FIFA probe

F Yakubu Aiyegbeni signing the dotted lines for Reading. INSET: Aiyegbeni displays his new jersey at Reading.

i n e b g e Aiy joins Reading

R

eading have completed the signing of former Everton striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, the Championship club have confirmed.

The Nigerian striker, who most recently turned out for Qatari side Al Rayyan, has signed a deal until the end of the season with the sec-

ond-tier oufit, who are currently 16th in the league.

Yakubu will wear the number 20 shirt at the Madejski Stadium and manager Steve Clarke has hailed the signing.

“An experienced goalscorer, Yakubu brings a fantastic scoring record to this club and his addi-

tion will complement the strikers we’ve already got at Reading and help us to improve as a team in latter stages of the season,” he said.

“I know all about him as a player and I have heard very good reports about him as a personality in the dressing room. He is no-risk signing for us and I look forward

to him scoring goals for Reading football club.”

Yakubu, who has scored 95 Premier League goals and struck 114 times in all competitions in England, the most of any African player, could make his Reading debut against Wolves this weekend.

The Nigerian had previously played for Everton, Portsmouth, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers in England and now, he is

IFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against West Ham United and their Senegal striker, Diafra Sakho, after he did not go to the Africa Cup of Nations claiming a back injury, but played in the FA Cup at Bristol City.

A FIFA statement issued on Monday read: “Disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the player Diafra Sakho and the club West Ham United for a potential violation of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.”

West Ham believe they will be vindicated in the dispute which began when the Premier League club said he could not travel to the tournament in Equatorial Guinea due to injury.

Senegal then made an official complaint to soccer’s world governing body about him playing in the FA Cup fourth round for West Ham when he came off the bench to score in their 1-0 win at Bristol City last weekend.

Senegal, knocked out of the Nations Cup on Tuesday, remain angry that their officials were unable to examine Sakho themselves because West Ham said he was not fit enough to fly.

West Ham, however, have denied any wrongdoing with co-owner David Sullivan saying the club acted solely on the advice of leading medical professionals.

He said: “Any FIFA hearing will vindicate us, we have done nothing untoward.”

Sakho was left out of West Ham’s squad for this weekend’s league match with manager Sam Allardyce explaining before the game at Liverpool: “It is not conducive for us to be putting him on the field until it is resolved, sadly.

Sakho has scored 10 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions since joining the Hammers from Metz before the start of the season.

subm

Okoya-Thomas dies at 79 Andrew Ekejiuba

B Okoya-Thomas

illionaire businessman and frontline sports philanthropist Chief Molade OkoyaThomas has died on Monday at the age of 79 in Lagos. The cause of his death was yet to be made public as at press time.

Okoya-Thomas was recognised as the Asoju Oba of Lagos, Babasuwa of Ijebu-Remo, Odofin of Ife, chairman of CFAO Nigeria Limited and current Chancellor of Lagos State University.

He was born in Lagos on June 8, 1935 and obtained his formal education at Princess School, Lagos; Baptist Academy, Lagos; Balham & Tooting College of Commerce, London; and Columbia University, New York.

He was an avid sport lover and sole sponsor of the annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championships, setting a record as the only Nigerian to have single-handedly and consistently sponsored a competition spanning over four decades.

Okoya-Thomas was an active sportsman in his youth; he was a

joint all Nigeria record holder of 4 X 220 yards relay race while at Baptist Academy Lagos.

As a philanthropist he has similarly served as Vice Chairman, Lagos State Sports Council; President, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club; Chairman 3rd All-Africa Games Appeal Fund Committee; Chairman National Appeal Fund for Sports Development and Chairman Sports Trust Fund.

Okoya-Thomas built and donated a modern sports hall for students and staff of the Lagos State University (LASU) in 2009.

Sakho

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

X3

AFCON 2015

GRANT

salutes red hot Ghana!

In four games, Ghana’s win against Guinea was their best showing in the AFCON 2015 so far.

That’s according to their manager, Avram Grant, who watched as the Black Stars sliced the Syli Nationale 3-0 in Malabo on Sunday.

The quarterfinal ended up being a onesided affair as Ghana tore apart Guinea on all fronts.

“This is a very big win for us. In footballing terms, this is the best performance from my team,” Grant said.

It is now three straight wins for the

Black Stars and a fifth consecutive AFCON semifinal. The victory was made possible by a brace from Christian Atsu and a Kwesi Appiah finish.

“My players showed character and created a lot of chances and we were able to score three out of it. I know we could have scored more but all the same, we deserve to win. The victory is the most important thing,” Grant stressed.

Ghana will now face Equatorial Guinea in the semifinals on Thursday evening in the Estadio de Malabo.

Atsu

Gyan’s hip injury haunts Black Stars

G

hana have fresh injury worries as skipper Asamoah Gyan nurses a hip

Gyan

injury.

The injury to the striker was the only taint on a perfect night for the Black Stars as they beat Guinea 3-0 in Malabo.

Guinea goalie Naby Yattara left a trailing leg in the final seconds of the game as Gyan raced to score from a counterattack.

The goalkeeper was sent off immediately as a result.

Gyan was seen with a heavy limp after the game and he was escorted by two Ghana FA offi-

cials. He will have a scan very soon.

The Al Ain striker has not been the fittest throughout this tournament, with a malaria attack ruling him out of the country’s first game against Senegal.

He was also barely fit against Algeria in the next game but went on to inspire a late goal to win 1-0.

With a crucial semi looming on Thursday against host nation Equatorial Guinea, the skipper will hope to recover in time. An official statement is expected shortly from the FA.

Atsu

C

hristian Atsu is revelling in his improving Ghana form - and his possible goal of the tournament.

Heavily lampooned for his lethargy in the Stars’ first two games, the Everton man has picked up in effectiveness, scoring twice on Sunday in Malabo.

revels in ‘scudmissile’ goal The on-loan Chelsea man scored a sensational 25-yarder that beat goalkeeper Naby Yattara for Ghana’s second.

“I play to score and I always shoot to score and that is how beautiful goals come so I am just happy about it”, he said after the game.

It’s miraculous we beat Tunisia, Becker confesses

E

quatorial Guinea coach Esteban Becker says beating Tunisia 2-1 in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals on Saturday night was ‘almost a miracle’.

Nzalang Nacional came from a goal down to defeat the Carthage Eagles 2-1 after extra time and record one of the greatest

upsets in AFCON history.

However, there was major controversy surrounding the result, as the home side were awarded a soft penalty in injury time at the end of the regulation 90 minutes which Tunisia felt was unjust.

However, Becker refused to discuss the questionable officiating in the match.

“Tunisia played very well.

They have players who play at a high level, while we only have one who plays in a top division in Europe, and that’s Javier Balboa,” said Becker in the aftermath of the match.

“To beat Tunisia is an achievement, almost a miracle.”

“Thanks to the players, the

people of Equatorial] Guinea, the people at the federation, their president and of course the president of the Republic.”

Of Tunisia’s angry reaction at fulltime, Becker added: “I understand the Tunisians’ anger at having lost, because they had the potential to win by several goals.

Equatorial Guinea players celebrate after eliminating Tunisia from the 2015 AFCON.

X4

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Full name: Roger Federer Country: Switzerland Residence: Bottmingen, Switzerland Born: August 8, 1981 (age 33) Place of birth: Basel, Switzerland Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Turned pro: 1998 Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Prize money: US$ 88,691,538 Official website: rogerfederer.com

SINGLES

Career record: 1002–228 (81.46% in Grand Slam and ATP World Tour main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) Career titles: 83 (3rd in the Open Era) Highest ranking: No. 1 (February 2, 2004) Current ranking: No. 2 (January 19, 2015)

GRAND SLAM SINGLES RESULTS

Australian Open: W (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010) French Open: W (2009) Wimbledon: W (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012) US Open: W (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Tour Finals:

W (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011)

DOUBLES

Career record: 129–86 (60% in Grand Slam and ATP World Tour main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) Career titles: 8 Highest ranking: No. 24 (9 June 2003) Current ranking: No. 124 (January 19, 2015)

GRAND SLAM DOUBLES RESULTS

Australian Open: 3R (2003) French Open: 1R (2000) Wimbledon: QF (2000) US Open: 3R (2002)

r e g o R

TEAM COMPETITIONS

Davis Cup: Hopman Cup:

W (2014) W (2001)

OLYMPIC MEDAL RECORD

Gold: 2008 Beijing (Doubles) Silver: 2012 London (Singles)

Federe

er

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

”I’d like to be in his shoes for one day to know what it feels like to play that way.”

– Mats Wilander, winner of 6 Grand Slams

“He moves like a whisper and executes like a wrecking ball. It is simply impossible to explain how he does what he does.”

-Nick Boll

“I don’t think, that you can always – you can ever – get your game to perfection, you know. Only if you’re Federer.”

– Novak Djokovic “The guy is a legend and now he’s an icon. He’s got 15 Grand Slams, that’s a lot of majors, that’s a lot of work. He’s a credit to the game.

In my book he is (the greatest).”

–Pete Sampras

X5

X6

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

Feature

f o y c a g e l e h T s d o o W Tiger G

olf’s landscape has changed in myriad ways since Tiger Woods launched his design business in 2006.

Back then he was the game’s bulldozer, barging inferior players out of the way in an all-out assault to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’ tally of 18 majors and cement his title as the best of all time.

Woods Design was supposed to form another facet of his burgeoning legacy; a series of lasting monuments to augment his immense standing within golf.

However, Woods hasn’t won a major since the scandal that engulfed his private life in 2008 and only now, nearly a decade on from the inception of his design arm, is one of his plots open for business.

With the verdict still out on whether he can recapture that magical form, and fatherhood having altered his outlook on life, the concept of legacy is very much back on the agenda.

“My goal is to design a limited number of distinct and memorable golf courses,” Woods told CNN in an exclusive interview.

“I hope that one day the courses I design will become a lasting contribution to the game that has given me so much.”

Architects forever talk about “moving earth” when it comes to course layout, and the sands have undoubtedly shifted under Woods’ feet.

After locking down 14 majors in a nine-year spell, the former world No. 1 (and current No. 47) has just five top 10 finishes in them across the last five injury-hit seasons.

The benefits of those spells in rehab has been more time to dedicate to design, culminating in Woods’ first opening at Cabo San Lucas in Mexico just before Christmas.

And though there might have been an eight-year wait for his first completed course, which has been well received, the second should be along within eight months.

It will represent an important landmark too -- his first opening in the United States, at Bluejack National in Houston.

The fact that Woods’ design operation is finally laying down roots across the Americas has taken on an extra significance, with his kids now of an age when they can start to play alongside their all-star dad.

Michael Abbott, partner of Beacon Land Development -- the company that’s building Bluejack National’s course -- and a friend of Woods for over 20 years agrees that a large slice of Tiger Woods Design is about legacy. “I think so. I think he’s very proud and he wants to share that with not only those close to him but also everybody else.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the junior Woods are showing early signs of promise, much to the delight of their proud father.

Woods, who began his 2015 season in Phoenix on Thursday, is still active in his pursuit of Nicklaus’ bumper haul of major titles.

Tiger Woods

But he won’t be trying to match the prolific nature of “The Golden Bear” when it comes to rolling courses off the production line at an exponential rate.

The majority of Nicklaus Design’s 380 properties are in the U.S. while others are dotted around the globe in far flung places such as China, Russia, Nicaragua, Japan, Costa Rica and New Zealand.

Woods, still dedicated to recapturing the heights he reached in the early part of the decade, insists he’ll only pick projects that mean something to him, even as he retires.

“Golf course design has always been something that I have been interested in,” Woods, who attempted his first design for a magazine competition aged nine, explained.

“It wasn’t until my 10th year on tour, after having success on different types of courses all over the world, that I had the knowledge and experience to start Tiger Woods Design.

“I see it continuing to be very selective, looking for only the best sites and partners to work with, even after my golf career slows down.”

That the fruits of Woods’ design labor are only starting to emerge has much to do with the financial downturn of 2008.

Several projects have been on the table for some time; The Cliffs in North Carolina and Punta Brava in Mexico are yet to yield a completion date.

A much-trumpeted project in Dubai was shelved in 2011 due to funding problems, though Woods recently announced he was teaming up with Donald Trump for another go at building in the Emirate.

And while he has been enlisted to build another course at Cabo San Lucas, one industry expert thinks Woods needs to go further if his design arm is to enhance his standing in the game.

Adam Lawrence, editor of Golf Course Architecture magazine believes Woods might also benefit -- not just himself, but also the game of golf itself -- by looking at designing a course in the BRIC countries.

“I would like to see Tiger take on a low budget project in an emerging market,” he added. “A Tiger-branded course in India, or Brazil -- but a proper, public access, cheap golf course and not a fancy housing development – could really impact on how golf grows in that market.”

Those projects in developing nations may well come down the line but listening to Woods, it is clear he believes Bluejack National could enter the pantheon of great U.S. courses when it opens for business.

“Bluejack National has one of the best natural settings for golf I have seen,” he said.

“With its changes in elevation, the beautiful pines and hardwoods, Bluejack National is reminiscent of the pinelands of Georgia and the Carolinas.

“The opportunity is here to create a golf course unlike any other in the Houston area, and our goal is for it to be among the best in the nation.”

Due for completion in October, Woods has been making regular visits to the site near the small town of Montgomery in Texas.

Abbott says he has been struck by Woods’ willingness to take other opinions on board and how in tune he is with those players at the other end of the skill spectrum to himself.

Still, any jobbing golfer standing on the first tee of

a Woods-designed course could be forgiven for sweating with a mixture of fear and reverence.

Woods’ litany of career titles have been secured on a collection of the world’s most fiendish courses, giving him ample ammunition when it came to sketching out his own ideas.

But his emphasis on “playability” essentially says to the amateur -- ‘I’ve got your back.’

“I have played enough pro-ams over the years to know not every golfer is a scratch handicap,” Woods said.

“Designing golf courses that players of all skill levels find enjoyable is very important to me.

The biggest compliment that a designer can receive is if a golfer can’t wait to play his golf course again.”

Abbott is happy to talk legacy, but he’s also keen to stress that Woods still has plenty left in his playing locker.

Having watched him take on a collection of journalists during the opening of El Cardonal, Abbott says Woods’ swing has its “speed and power back.”

“I’m absolutely backing Tiger to bag some more majors,” he said, ominously. “It’s exciting to see him play this way.

“He’s determined. The appetite is still there – it’s like he’s never eaten before.”

Culled from cnn.com

Ultimate Woods in action

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

Briefs ‘Armstrong should get back Tour titles’

Lance Armstrong should get back his seven Tour de France titles and be forgiven, according to former US Postal Service Pro Team rider, Scott Mercier.

American Mercier, 47, quit the sport in 1997 when he refused to join the team’s doping programme.

Armstrong signed for the team a year later and won six of his seven Tours with them. He was stripped of all of them in 2012 and has admitted doping.

“It’s time to consider letting Lance out of ‘time-out’,” Mercier said.

Armstrong, 43, who joined US Postal after recovering from cancer, was banned from sport for life by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in August 2012 and later confessed to systematic doping and lying about it for years.

Emenike targets more goals for Fenerbache Emmanuel Emenike has said he hopes after breaking his goals’ drought at the weekend that he will now fire more goals for Turkish champions, Fenerbache.

Nigeria international, Emenike, ended a long-drawn goals’ drought when he netted the winner for Fenerbahce on Saturday in a 2-1 win at his former club Karabukspor.

The AFCON 2013 top scorer’s last goal for Fenerbahce before that of Saturday was on November 2, 2014 in a 2-0 win at Besiktas.

Bougherra retires from Algeria duty Algeria captain, Madjid Bougherra, has reconfirmed that he is retiring from the international football.

The 32-year-old had announced last October that he would retire from international football after the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Bougherra played his last game for Algeria on February 1 in their 3-1 quarterfinal loss to Cote d’Ivoire in Malabo.

“I would like to thank the coach and especially the national team for all the marvelous moments spent with ‘les Verts’. I am proud and happy to have been able to wear this jersey during all these years,” Bougherra said.

X7

Johnson-

Thompson

to defend British indoor title K

atarina Johnson-Thompson will continue her return from injury when she defends her high jump title at this month’s British Indoor Championships.

It will be her second competition since she suffered a foot injury which forced her to miss last summer’s Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

The 22-year-old cleared a British record 1.96m at last year’s meet.

She will face British outdoor record holder, Isobel Pooley and world junior champion, Morgan Lake, on February 14.

Johnson-Thompson will also compete in the 60m hurdles in the meet, which

will be held in Sheffield between February 14 and 15.

The heptathlete won world indoor long jump silver last March and led the world heptathlon rankings for 2014 despite injury cutting short her season.

She returned to competition at the Northern Championships in January after six months spent recovering from injury and equalled a personal best 8.40 seconds in the 60m hurdles.

Johnson-Thompson will use the Sheffield meeting and the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix on February 21 to prepare for the pentathlon event at the European Indoor Championships in Prague, which starts on March 6.

Johnson-Thompson

TENNIS

Djokovic’s fitness concerns distracted me

–Murray

A

ndy Murray has conceded he became distracted by Novak Djokovic’s fitness problems during his Australian Open final defeat by the Serb.

World number one Djokovic won 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-0 as Murray was beaten in his fourth Melbourne final.

Djokovic, 27, had issues with his thumb and ankle in the opening two sets, then appeared to struggle with another leg in-

Murray

jury as Murray led 2-0 in the third.

“I’m frustrated at myself for letting that bother me,” the Briton, 27, said.

“The third set was frustrating because I got a bit distracted when he fell on the ground after a couple of shots,” Murray added. “I dropped off for 10, 15 minutes there, and he got back into it.

“That’s what I’m most disappointed about, not so much the fourth set because I think, especially at the end of it, he was just going for everything, and it was going in.”

Murray was aiming to win his third Grand Slam title after victory at the 2012 US Open and a home triumph at Wimbledon the following year.

He was also bidding to become the first man to win the Australian Open after three previous final defeats, but lost again to long-time rival Djokovic – who beat Murray in 2011 and 2013 – on Rod Laver Arena.

The Scot, playing in his first Grand Slam final since having back surgery in September 2013, battled back from a break down to win the second set and level the match before edging ahead early in the third.

Djokovic looked uncomfortable after every point, grimacing and limping, as Murray broke in the first game and held in the second.

Stokes

CRICKET

Stokes hits 15 sixes for England Lions

B

en Stokes, who was omitted from England’s World Cup squad, smashed an unbeaten 151 off 86 balls for England Lions against South Africa A. The Durham all-rounder hit 15 sixes, including nine from the last 14 legal deliveries he faced.

Stokes’s century lifted England to 378-6 from 50 overs in the fourth one-day match in Pretoria.

Stokes was dropped by England after the fourth of seven one-day internationals in Sri Lanka in December.

Paul Collingwood, the Durham captain and former England all-rounder who will be part of the Scotland coaching staff at the World Cup, tweeted: “He’s not a bad cricketer this @benstokes38.

“One day he might win a World Cup for

his country... but not this one.”

Stokes enjoyed success in the Big Bash league, scoring 77 off 37 balls for Melbourne Renegades against Hobart Hurricanes.

He took 4-22 against South Africa A in the first one-dayer.

His latest eye-catching display came against an attack featuring four bowlers who have been capped by South Africa at one-day level.

England, meanwhile, struggled for consistency in the recent one-day tri-series against Australia and India.

Batsmen Moeen Ali, Joe Root and allrounders Ravi Bopara and Chris Woakes all averaged below 30 across the five matches.

The World Cup starts on 14 February, when England face co-hosts Australia in Melbourne.

X8

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

F Before Man City move! Ex-Chelsea star, Frank Lampard (left) in hearty cheers with Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea

Lampard denies rift with Mourinho

rank Lampard insists there is no rift between him and Jose Mourinho despite not talking to the Chelsea boss on Saturday.

He told reporters that Mourinho holds no grudge against him as a result of his move to Manchester City.

Lampard spent 13 years at Stamford Bridge before leaving the London club as a free agent in June.

The former England midfielder is Chelsea’s record goalscorer, but was given a mixed recep-

tion when he returned to the club with City at the weekend.

Lampard played a major role in Chelsea’s success in Mourinho’s first spell as manager of the Premier League leaders, but did not speak to the Portuguese after the 1-1 draw at the weekend.

Mourinho did shake hands with the former West Ham man, though, and Lampard says there is no rift between the pair.

He said: “I don’t want to try to say that there’s any issue at all.

“I got a text at Christmas, I texted him back.

We spoke in the dressing room, ‘How’s the family?’ the usual.

“We are grown men, you know what I mean? We are at different football clubs. I’m sure we are big enough that none of this is going to get in the way of our relationship and how we are personally.

“We remain close. This is football, its sport and I haven’t spoken to him that much recently.

“I don’t think there’s room for bitterness and if there is then I’ll deal with that down the line.”

Schurrle Ivanovic: Costa agrees on likes the attention!

Wolfsburg move

A

Schurrle

ndre Schurrle has agreed personal terms over a move from Chelsea to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The two clubs are finalising a deal and the 24-year-old German international’s switch should bring Juan Cuadrado’s arrival to Chelsea closer.

The Colombia winger, 26, is set to complete a £23.3m transfer from Italian club Fiorentina to Stamford Bridge.

Cuadrado has already agreed personal terms with the Premier League leaders and passed a medical.

The fee could rise to £26.8m Cuadrado’s release clause - and Mohamed Salah, 22, is likely to go on loan to Fiorentina as part of the deal.

Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella said: “It was a sale that had to be done. The club has done the right thing because we are also getting a very good player.

“Naturally, we need to understand how long Salah will need to adapt to our football as it’s different from the English and Swiss leagues.

Costa

S

uspended Chelsea striker, Diego Costa, will be even better when in the spotlight, according to

team-mate Branislav Ivanovic.

Costa missed his side’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Saturday after being handed a three-match ban for stamping on Liverpool’s Emre Can. The Spain international was suspended for violent conduct during the League Cup semi-final second-leg win, but insists the stamp was accidental.

Costa has scored 17 Premier League goals this season, and Ivanovic insists his attention-loving team-mate will be even better with the focus on him.

I’ll be at Chelsea next season –Drogba

C

helsea striker Didier Drogba says he will remain at the club next season, despite his current deal expiring in the summer.

The 36-year-old returned to Stamford Bridge in July after stints with Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray, signing a one-year contract with the Blues.

Drogba has made 27 appearances, many as a substitute, in all competi-

tions for Jose Mourinho’s men this season and says he is happy to continue in west London.

“My project for next year will be on a pitch with Chelsea,” he said.

Drogba was left out of Chelsea’s starting line-up for the clash with Manchester City on Saturday, despite Diego Costa’s suspension, featuring only as a late substitute as the Blues drew with Manuel Pellegrini’s men.

PREMIERSHIP TABLE Team

P

GD

PTS

1. Chelsea

23

32

53

2. Man City

23

23

48

3. Man Utd

23

17

43

4. Southampton

23

20

42

5. Arsenal

23

19

42

6. Tottenham

23

5

40

7. Liverpool

23

6

38

8. West Ham

23

8

36

9. Swansea

23

-3

33

10. Stoke

23

-2

32

11. Newcastle

23

-6

30

12. Everton

23

-3

26

13. Crystal Palace

23

-9

23

14. Sunderland

23

-12

23

15. West Brom

23

-12

22

16. Aston Villa

23

-19

22

17. Burnley

23

-17

20

18. Hull

23

-13

19

19. QPR

23

-18

19

20. Leicester

23

-16

17

Drogba