Dtn 3 5 16

2016 Budget most ambitious in history, has 33 action points – Osinbajo

Ï 01 Ɛ ƅƏƆ ƐƆ ƏƆ ƆƏƒ ƈƏ Ƈ ƐƆƅ Ƌ ƈ Ɛ è ƐƏ ƈ ÕǀèƠƠƠ ƕ ƑƐ ƈ ƇƐƓ ƏƆè ƏƗƓ ƏƆ Ï ƢƣƠèƠƠƠ Mƈ ƆƏƈ Ɛ ƄƆ ƐƏ ƈ ƆƗ ƈ ƒ Əƈ Ƒ ƒ ƅ Ɛƈ Ï 1 ƒƐ Ɛ Ə ƆƐ ƣèƠƠƠƌƓ ƈ ơƤ ƌ Ɛ Ɛ Ƅ Ɛ ƆƋƆƅƐƏƈƅƈƐƕ Remi Olaoye, Ibadan

ÎÎÎVice

President Yemi Osinbajo

said on Monday said that the Federal Government would, in a few days time, begin the implementation of the

2016 budget, which he described as the most ambitious in the history of the nation.

The vice president stated this at Continued on page 6

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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 100

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 29th April, 2016.

ETERNA

2.30

0.17

7.98%

NB

115.89

5.51

4.99%

FO

214.35 -11.28

-5.00%

PHARMDEKO

1.95

-0.10

-4.88%

TIGERBRANDS

3.03

0.22

7.83%

PZ

21.36

1.01

4.96%

PREMPAINTS

10.39

-4.94%

AIRSERVICE

1.47

-0.07

-4.55%

-0.54

FG to pay marketers, NNPC petrol subsidy Ï MM^ Ɛ ƄƆ ƍ ƈƗ MơƾêÕƾ ƍƆƏ ƋƈƐƏƆè ƈƋ ƌ ƏƊƆƐƆƏ Ɛ ƆƐ MơƾêƤƤ ƍƆƏ ƋƈƐƏƆ Ï j Ƒ ƍƏ ƒƈ ƈ ƈ ƑƗ ƆƐè ƑƄ ƈƗƕ Ɛ ƄƆ ƗƆƇƏ ƕƆƗ ƇƏ ƌ _ơ óƏƆƅ ƒƆƏƈƆ ô Ï 1 ƒƐ ƒƆƗ MơƠƄ ƄƆƐƓƆƆ C Ƒ Əƕ Ɨ L Əƅ Ƅƕ ƆƋƋƈ Ƅ ƒƆ ƆƔƍƆƅƐƆƗ ƍƏƈƅƆ

Opeoluwani Akintayo

ÎÎÎThe Federal Government on Monday

said it was currently subsidising Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol at N12.62 per litre.

Continued on page 6

Oil price drops globally, as OPEC’s output increases gB1 Public can’t dictate to us on purchase of cars

– Rep. Akpatason g8

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Photo: DAVID IDOWU

Boko Haram remnants‘ll be wiped out with g12 ‘Operation Clamp Down’ – CDS

It’s harder to do business in Nigeria now than in 2015 – World Bank g6

Ehiz gL1

You don’t have to be rich to have a style

2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Page Three Æ s

3

Editorial The price of darkness (2)

T

here is no doubt that Nigerians have become exasperated and embarrassed at the inability of their country to generate enough electricity for private and commercial use. Definitely, this situation is leaving the citizens despondent and helpless. The irony becomes more painful especially when it is realised that Nigeria has an abundance of resources to generate enough electricity to cater for the increasing needs of a growing economy. It bears repeating that the country is paying a very steep price for this disability. It is therefore not surprising that such diminished capacity has been exerting a negative toll on the overall economy, which continues to languish at the fringes of technological development.

Nigerians have not forgotten the promise by the immediate past Jonathan administration to increase the total generated electricity to 10,000 megawatts (MW) by 2014. Two years after, rather to increase, the power capacity has been dwindling at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, this state of affairs is costing the country dearly in financial terms. Experts and commentators believe the arrested state of development is forcing majority of businesses and individuals to resort to generators for power supply with attendant operational and maintenance costs.

However, such alternative comes with lot of negative externalities to both individuals and the environment, especially given the loud noise and nauseating fumes that emanate from these generators. According to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), up to 40 percent of production costs in the country goes towards electricity supply. Ironically, then, fixing the price and profitability of power does not just create shortfalls in supply but in aggregate, results in some of the most expensive electricity in the world; which most Nigerian’s can

scarcely afford. Painfully, an average Nigerian consumes just eight per cent of the electricity used by a Brazilian and four per cent of that of a South African. More perplexing is that more than half of the nation’s 176 million people are not connected to the national electricity grid.

Investigations as well as studies put the annual spending on the purchase of petrol and diesel for running generators at a whopping N3.5 trillion, amounting to N17.5tn in the five years under former President Goodluck Jonathan. This is in addition to about N2 trillion spent on running generators by thousands of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, banks, other corporate entities and traders across the country.

For example, with over 6,133 banks’ branches and each spending N4m on diesel a month, N48m will go down the drain in a year and this will amount to N294.4 billion per annum across all the branches. This is outside the amount spent on powering ATM points located outside banking premises and maintaining the generators, among other critical banking infrastructure. At the federal level, over 542 Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) also have supplementary generators, which are switched on whenever public power supply is cut. Estimates put the cost of fuelling generators on an annual basis close to the national budget.

It is estimated that the cost of supplying power through generators is at least four times the cost of a reliable power supply. In addition, self-generation of power also increases the rate at which start-up businesses fail as several of these businesses spend much of their revenues on buying fuel to run their businesses. Until the authorities realise the importance of electricity, consumers would continue to groan, while the rank of generator merchants continue to grow at the detriment of the economy.

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Sam Nzeh ÏÏÏTo say that there is no love lost between the Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Ayodele Fayose is stating the obvious.

However, the party early last week took its opposition to a ridiculous level when it alleged in a statement that Fayose is responsible for the fuel crisis in the state. By this allegation, the APC appears to have turned the governor to a superman.

The APC in the statement said it had “incontrovertible evidence” that Fayose’s action was aimed at sabotaging President Muhammadu

Buhari’s administration.

In the statement signed by Publicity Secretary of APC in Ekiti State, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party said available information confirmed that daily allocations of fuel to the state were allegedly diverted to other states with the alleged connivance of some NUPENG officials.

As Nigerians wait for the party to produce the “incontrovertible evidence” to buttress its allegation, it is necessary to ask: How come Gov. Fayose was able to blind the eyes of law enforcement agencies of the Federal Government in Ekiti State like the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) among others to the extent that he

Words On Marble :

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike

Ag Deputy Editor/ Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

APC: Turning Gov. Fayose to a superman?

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was able to divert the fuel laden trailers as alleged by the APC? One wonders when the governor became so powerful to prevail on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) whose duty it is to distribute petrol across Nigeria, Ekiti State inclusive, to do his bidding.

Fact is that there is no way these agencies, aware of the not-too-sweet relationship between Fayose and the Federal Government, will look the other way while he diverts petrol allocated to Ekiti State as alleged by the APC. Even if there are some officials of these agencies in Ekiti who may want do Fayose’s bidding as alleged by the APC, still they will trade softly as Abuja certainly is watching and will not hesitate to deal with them.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Alex Ekwueme

Matthew Ashimolowo

Richard Akinjide

“History repeats itself and… when history repeats itself, it comes as a tragedy and those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.

“If you have your eyes permanently on the rear view mirror, you cannot drive fast.”

“When you are in a hole and you continue digging the hole, you are making your situation worse.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

The Value of the Naira is what we make it to be The Naira will only appreciate when we buy Nigerian and reduce our demand for things foreign.

That is why when you fly Arik Air to London Heathrow, New York JFK or Johannesburg, YOU help reduce the demand for foreign exchange by discouraging capital flights to make the Naira stronger. #ArikAdvantage • 10 years of Safe and Reliable flying.

• 28 new, state-of-the-art aircraft.

• Fleet maintenance by world renowned Lufthansa Technik, Iberia & SAMCO. • Only West and Central African airline with a triple IOSA certification.

• Employ over 3,000 Nigerians.

• Unbeatable value to a network of 19 domestic destinations, 10 West and Central Africa destinations and 3 international destinations.

Fly Arik Air. Discourage Capital Flights

a r i k a i r. c o m West and Central Africa’s Leading Airline

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

APC chieftain tasks parents, urges cooperation with Buhari to fight graft ‘Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏ A chieftain of the All Pro-

gressives Congress (APC), Princess Omowumi Olatunji, has declared support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, noting that the campaign against the scourge that has delayed the economic progress of the country should begin from the various homes.

Olatunji said corruption has eaten deep into the country’s system, adding that the battle against the scourge could be overcome if parents join hands together in tackling the menace by properly nurturing their children against social ills of the society.

She spoke while been honoured as an “Ambassador Per Excellence” at an anti-corruption inter class and launching of integrity bill boards for secondary schools

with a theme; “Operation Catch Them Young”, held in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

Olatunji, a deputy governorship aspirant in the race to the Ondo State Government House, maintained that she was ready to join forces with President Buhari’s government in the fight against the scourge of corruption that hinder the country’s socioeconomic development.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is working day and night to fight the menace of corruption, which has eaten deeper in the country’s fabric system, and I want to join forces with the president to fight this corruption because we have to fight corruption before it kills Nigerians”, she said.

Princess Olatunji, a former lawmaker in the Lagos State House Assembly, said Nigeria could be corrupt-free if the people of the society cooperate with the federal

government, stressing that the generation coming behind would correct some of the menace that has suffice over the years in our country.

She observed that the issue of corruption which should have started from the various schools and homes should not be limited to Ondo state but be cut across the entire nation, adding that parents, being the mirror of the society, especially mothers, have enough role to play.

“We are not limiting this issue of fighting corruption to Ondo state but it would cut across the entire nation, and if we can come together to fight it, we will see it coming to an end very soon.

“I would encourage our mother to go back to their core duties because our children are our number one priority and responsibility, as they are the assignment given to us by God, if they failed, then the mothers too have failed.

Insecurity: Expert seeks more collaboration among security agencies Pita Chikwem, Minna

ÏÏÏ An expert in security mat-

Olatunji

“We need to bring back our moral values by encouraging our children to do the right thing, and when we start teaching them to do the right thing, it would then help translate our collective society issues.

Extradition: Obanikoro didn’t grant any interview, authorise anyone to comment, says Aide ÏÏÏFormer

Minister of State for Defense, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has frowned at a story published in a national daily and credited to an anonymous associate, stating that in an event of extradition threat being speculated that he would seek legal protection.

Obanikoro, in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Jonathan Eze, on Monday, disclaimed such story and warned the hatchet writer to desist from preempting him and spreading falsehood against his person.

The statement reads in parts: Our attention has been drawn to an article published in The Nation on Sunday with the headline: Extradition: Anxiety grips PDP Chieftains, others....Obanikoro will seek legal protection, written by one Dare Odufowokan.

“I hereby state unequivocally that my principal, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro did not grant any interview to any news medium and did not authorise any of his associate to comment or speak in his behalf.

“Infact, the whole story of extradition is very laughable and another grand design of the All Progressives Congress (APC) aimed at tarnishing the hard earned reputation of Senator

5 News

ters has called for a more effective and efficient collaboration among all the security organisations to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.

The Niger State coordinator of the International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Alhaji Yunusa Mohammed Sahabi, said sharing of information among the security organs in the country would assist a lot to check the menace of insurgence in parts of the country.

He declared, “We should be able to work together to achieve the common goal we are all pursuing.”

Edo minimum wage increase is Greek gift – PDP ÏÏÏ

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the increment of the minimum wage in the state as a Greek gift and something that was coming late.

It said Governor Adams Oshiomhole took politics too far when it announced a minimum wage increase for government workers from N18, 000 to N25, 000.

The party noted that Governor Oshiomhole’s action was hasty and a betrayal of trust as it was done at a time the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was negotiating a N56, 000 minimum wage for civil servants.

Police recover stolen vehicle by ‘fake’ soldier in Abia

ÏÏÏThe

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal (right) in handshake with Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar after the funeral prayers for late Amb. Hamzat Walin at Gwadabawa in Sokoto… on Monday.

Obanikoro.

“It is really absurd and ridiculous for a writer to make reference to sensitive and non-existing matters and thus hide under the guise of the principle of anonymity in satisfying an endless urge of infamy.

“It is expected that stories must be verified and cross checked before it hits the press, noting that

anything short of truth and fact which is sacred should not be sacrificed or sensationalised.

“Even in the event that we want to respond to the charade and propaganda of the ruling party, we shall use objective platforms that will present our story and response in an ethical manner and not medium like Sahara Reporters, Punch, The Nation, and

others that are reputable for distorting facts and headlines just to satisfy the inordinate longing of their paymasters.

“Professional journalism revolves around truth and not insinuations and speculations. We urge the public to disregard and ignore subsequent write -ups that doesn’t emanate from me or my media aide.”

Abia State Commissioner of Police (CP), Joshak Habila said that his command has recovered two more vehicles which were stolen by a fake army officer, Ahanna Chinagorom Ogwezi from car shops.

Speaking in Umuahia while parading some armed robbery suspects, Habila said that his command has been doing a follow up on the case of the fake army officer, who was once paraded in January this year. Habila said that his men have recovered a black Toyota Avalon (Sport) 2004 model, which was stolen from a custom officer in Onitsha, Anambra state in December last year and sold to one Japhet at Owerri.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

FG to pay marketers, NNPC petrol subsidy Continued from page 1 It said that the subsidy figure was for petrol imported directly by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and dispensed at its retail outlets, while the rate was N12.88 per litre for other oil marketers.

This was contained in the latest Petroleum Product

Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) Template released in Abuja.

It said that although provision was not made for subsidy in the 2016 budget, it would be defrayed from ``recoveries’’ made by the country from oil transactions in the first quarter of 2016.

According to the agency, between January and

March, 2016, the Federal Government was able to save about N10 billion as a result of selling the product above the Expected Open Market Price.

It explained that without the subsidy and given the landing cost of the product, it ought to be sold at N98.62 per litre at NNPC outlets and at N99.38 per litre by major and independent oil

marketers.

According to the template, the expected open market price is the actual price of the product without subsidy and it was based on the current exchange rate of N197 to a dollar.

It said that at the current price of N86 per litre at NNPC retail outlets, the Federal Government was paying N12.62 per litre as

L-R: Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi; Chairman, Bash Oil, Aare Bashir Fakorede and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo during the final burial of late Alhaji Walijimoat Olajire Fakorede held in Lagos… recently.

Photo: QUADRI OLOWOLAGBA

2016 Budget most ambitious in history, has 33 action points – Osinbajo Continued from page 1 the presentation of a book “Nigeria: The Challenges of Growth and Development, an In-Depth Analysis by Experts,” held at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

Osinbajo said the budget is not only ambitious in size but also more in its broad range of fiscal policies, Our strategic implementation plan proposes 33 action points.

“The action points cut across six political ties of security, governance, economic diversification, power, road and rail, oil and gas, ease of investments and social investment,” he said.

Osinbajo said that for the first time in three years, the nation would have 30 per cent of the budget going for capital expenditure, a percentage that was three times higher than the last budget.

He said that the capital expenditure would take care of

several aspects of infrastructure, particularly rail, road and power.

According to him, the rail link between Lagos and Kano as well as the one between Lagos and Calabar will be captured.

He said that government had budgeted that by July, 65,000 youths would be trained in software and hardware, adding that government’s aim was to build a reservoir of technologists.

Osinbajo also listed the training of 370,000 Nigerians in various vocations, conditional cash transfer to the poor and loan facilities for market women as part of the programmes to be expected.

He further said that the Federal Government was planning to generate 7, 000 megawatts of electricity for the nation within the next 18months.

Osinbajo stated that power remains a major challenge the Federal Government had

been facing, and which the government was determined to solve.

He said that the most important part of the budget would focus on ensuring that the weak aspect of the power value chain was restored.

Osinbajo said that the nation was faced with the problem of conveying gas to the power plant, adding that the pipeline, which remained the easiest method, was frequently facing vandalism.

“Early in the life of this administration late last year and early this year, power generation was possibly at its best.

“Nigeria, for the first time was actually generating 5,000megawatts, which was the first time it will happen in the history of the country.

“On February 14, the Forcados Export Terminal was blown off, effectively ensuring that 40 percent of our gas that goes for power is no longer used for the purpose.

“This situation led to the immediate loss of 1,500 megawatts of power. It is our priority that the pipeline project is completed so that gas will be adequately supplied to the power plant,” he said.

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had two weeks ago ordered full mobilisation of the military for the protection of pipelines in the country.

He said that the administration would ensure that corruption has consequences, adding that no public officer who steals would go scot-free.

The Vice-President described the moment as that which Nigerians must come together to ensure that things work in the building of the nation of everyone’s dream.

Reviewing the book, Prof.

Jide Osuntokun, said that the writers have carefully Continued on page 12

subsidy on the product and N12.88 per litre as subsidy for other oil marketers’ price of N86.50.

A breakdown of the template revealed that for NNPC retail outlets and independent and major oil marketers, the Landing Cost of PMS imported into the country was N84.32 and N85.08 per litre respectively.

It stated that the distribu-

tion margin, which include retailers, transportation, bridging fund and dealers margin among others stood at N14.30 for both the NNPC and other marketers.

According to the statement, this brings the current Expected Open Market Price to N98.62 and N99.38 for NNPC retail outlets and other marketers respectively.

It’s harder to do business in Nigeria now than in 2015 – World Bank ÎÎÎIt is harder to do busi-

ness in Nigeria now than it was in 2015, the World Bank Group’s ‘Doing Business Report’ has revealed.

According to the report, Nigeria went up the ease of doing business ranking, yet doing business actually just got harder in the largest economy in Africa.

In 2015, Nigeria ranked 170 of 189 countries, with a distance to frontier (DTF) or ease of doing business score of 47.33, against Singapore’s 88.27 and Eritrea’s 33.16.

In the 2016 version of the report, Nigeria climbed one rung of the ladder to the 169 position, but its ease of doing business score fell to 44.69.

Singapore remained the easiest country to do business in, with a DTF of 87.34, while Eritrea remained at the bottom of the ladder, plunging further to 27.61 from 33.16 in 2015.

At 32 and 62 respectively, Mauritius and Rwanda remained the best destinations for business in Africa, while Ghana led the West African park at 114 of 189 countries.

Commenting on issues regarding businesses in Nigeria, the World Bank said informal construction and bad building affect the public and businesses in Nigeria.

“Where informal construction is rampant, the public can suffer. Take the case of Nigeria, which lacks an approved building code setting the standards for construction,” the report read.

“Without clear rules,

enforcing even basic standards is a daunting task, and many buildings fail to comply with proper safety standards. Structural incidents have multiplied.

“According to the Nigerian Institute of Building, 84 buildings collapsed in the past 20 years, killing more than 400 people.”

Power generation was also identified by the global financial institution as one of the reasons why unemployment is high in Nigeria and why multinationals leave Nigeria.

“Industry is a core sector for the generation of national wealth and employment in Nigeria, but faced with an electricity sector hampered by poorly utilized generation capacity, high transmission losses and frequent outages, companies turn to selfprovision of electricity.

“This raises their production costs, reducing their competitiveness and thus their demand for labor. The erratic and inadequate power supply in Nigeria has often been cited as the main reason forcing multinationals to relocate production lines to other countries. Power outages also affect output levels.”

On reforms carried out so far, World Bank said: “Nigeria made transferring property in Lagos less costly by reducing fees for property transactions.

“Nigeria strengthened minority investor protections by requiring that related-party transactions be subject to external review and to approval by disinterested shareholders. This reform applies to both Kano and Lagos.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Gov Bello advocates diversification of economy PIta Chikwem, Minna

ÎÎÎGovernor

Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, has suggested that diversification of the economy of the country remained the only way out from the present challenges facing the country.

He observed that the coun-

Gov Bello

try was going through her most critical time in history.

Bello, who spoke to some newsmen, on Monday, after this year’s Labour Day in Minna, blamed the woes of the country on its age-long reliance on crude oil as the major source of revenue.

“The imperatives on diversification of government sources of revenue have never been so pronounced in our history of survival as a nation. Diversification is not just an option, but inevitable,” the governor said.

Bello who spoke through the Head of Service, Alhaji Maude Lapai, regretted the contemporary trend in the economics of the country and the resultant predicament in which the country had found herself with consequent dwindling of her revenue base.

7 Public Notice

NHIS vows to provide good, affordable health services for Nigerians Chijioke Kingsley, Jos

ÎÎÎThe

Acting Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr. Femi Akingbade, has said that the agency was setup with a mandate to ensure that Nigerians or those living in the country, should have access to good quality and affordable health services as at when needed by the year 2020.

He said this at the flag off and fund-raising of Shiwer Mutual Health Association, in Kanke Local Government Area in Plateau State.

Akingbade, who was represented by the General Manager, Information and Communication Technol-

ogy (ICT), Nasiru Ikharo, said that to achieve this mandate, the NHIS had grouped the entire Nigerian population into several socio-economic bodies, adding that the formal sector programme targeted those in paid employment, while the informal sector programme was designed for those whose income could not easily be determined.

He pointed out that the community-based health insurance programme belonged to the informal sector programme, stressing that the NHIS had strategically targeted the informal sector, because research and surveys had shown that about 80% of the Nigerian population were in the in-

formal sector.

According to him, it meant that, “If we, as a people, must make a significant progress in ensuring that everybody has access to good quality healthcare services, then there must be a conscious effort at targeting this informal sector of the population with health insurance cover.”

He noted that the Shiwer Mutual Health Association was the first communitybased health insurance (CBHI) scheme to be flagged off in Plateau State, saying that the pioneering role marked the beginning of an internal community ownership that ensures access to good quality and affordable healthcare service to its

people.

He added that CBHI was all about community involvement and ownership.

“It is about people being involved in the decision-making process in determining their healthcare future and well-being, as it is about making their own financial contributions according to their ability to a pool of funds dedicated to healthcare financing.

“It is also about government and philanthropists carrying along those who cannot afford to contribute to ensure that no member of the community is left behind in terms of access to healthcare services they need”, Akingbade said.

Gunmen murder district head in Kaduna

ÎÎÎGunmen

on Sunday night killed the District Head of Fadan Karshi, in Numana Chiefdom of Sanga Local Government Area, Mr. Bala Madaki.

Madaki was killed alongside his nephew, Emmanuel Tanko, 19, at his residence in Fadan Karshi.

The Sanga Interim Management Committee Chairman, Mr. Nuhu Audu, confirmed the killing and called for urgent investigation.

He said that the community was in need of more se-

curity presence in the wake of threat by unknown gunmen.

Audu said the deceased contributed immensely to peace building in the area, adding that his death was a blow to the people.

Also, the Etu Numana, Malam Gambo Makama, described the death of Madaki as a great loss to the entire Sanga community.

Makama appealed to the people, especially the youths, not to take the law into their own hands.

Anambra PDP crisis deepens ÎÎÎThe

crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State is yet to abate, as different groups sing discordant tones over the botched ward congresses at the weekend.

While the Chairman of the party, Mr. Ejike Oguebego, who addressed reporters, on Sunday, said the congress did not hold anywhere in the state, some of the opposition members said it did.

The Chairman of the eleven- man Congress Committee, Hon. Ladi Edun, was said to have absconded leaving behind the other members of the committee in Awka the state capital.

It was gathered, on Monday, that the two senators representing the state, Stella Oduah and Andy Uba, were

in the same camp, while Senator Annie Okonkwo and Chief Chris Uba are in the other camp.

It was also gathered that the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, was also fighting in favour of the two senators, while former Governor, Peter Obi was sitting on the fence.

Furthermore, it was gathered that Edun made away with the electoral materials to please his sponsors, while the members of his committee and PDP members who had come out for the exercise were left stranded.

As at the time of filling this report yesterday, the congress committee chairman’s line was not going to ascertain the reason behind his action.

L-R: Crew members, Entreat movie, Bryan Okwara; Lolo Eremie; Wale Ojo and Michael Asuelime during the premiere at the Victoria Island, Lagos… on Monday.

Aregbesola, Ooni mourn Oba Erediauwa Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo

ÎÎÎThe

governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) have commiserated with government and people of Edo State over the demise of late Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin.

Aregbesola lamented that though all mortals must taste death, the departure of the monarch was so painful in view of his modest achievements while on the throne.

He stated that the monarch

led a remarkable and an eventful life during his long reign.

According to the governor, the great monarch demonstrated, through his peaceful and development-oriented rule, that monarchs still had very important roles to play in governance in the country.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said, “The death of Oba of Benin is a great loss to the Benin Kingdom and the monarchical institution in the country. During his life time, the revered monarch was an epitome of everything that is good.

“He was non-partisan in his orientation and positivist in approach to governance and development. On behalf of the people and government of Osun, I express our heart-felt condolence to the government and people of Edo State, the Benin traditional council and families of the deceased monarch.”

The Ooni, in a statement by his media aide, Moses Olafare, said the late monarch used his time on the throne judiciously.

He said, “the Edo people, Ile-Ife, Oduduwa race, Nigeria and the entire African continent, will greatly miss him as a respecter and manager of Af-

Gov. Aregbesola rican culture, an embodiment of values, respect, peace, discipline, honesty highly respectable monarch blessed with uncommon enviable character.

“Oba Erediauwa as the head of the historic Eweka dynasty of the Great Benin kingdom undoubtedly utilised his 37 years on the throne of his forefathers very remarkably and productively.”

8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Politics

Æs

Crisis: Oyo state, Ibadan LGs urged to close ranks Authorities of the eleven local governments in Ibadanland and the state government have been urged to close ranks and evolve policies capable of solving the huge challenges occasioned by the rapid urbanization of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

A lecturer at the College of Social and Management Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof Femi Olokesusi, gave the

advice while delivering a lecture titled, “Crisis of Urbanisaton: A case study of Ibadan,” at Lead City University, Ibadan, on Sunday.

The May Day annual lecture was organized by the Silver Knights Club, an Ibadan-based socio-philanthropic organization, with membership cutting across the professional cadres.

The lecturer also urged the state and LGs to muster enough politi-

cal will to implement and enforce existing policies aimed at restoring sanity to the city by formulating urban and land policies to guide urban management.

Olokesusi blamed rising population, weak economic base, poverty, poor urban governance, lack of a master plan, inadequate resources, inadequate water supply and housing, as well as street trading for the rapid unplanned urbanisa-

tion of Ibadan.

Another discussant, Prof. Oka Obono, of the Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, however, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunities inherent in the huge population of Ibadan, rather than dwell on the challenges alone.

His view was echoed by the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Ajimobi

Public can’t dictate to us on purchase of cars — Rep. Akpatason To Hon. Peter Akpatason Representing Akoko Edo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Nigerians are not fair to the lawmakers over their outcry on the planned purchase of utility vehicles by the lawmakers saying buying it or not would not solve the country’s problem. In this interview with MATHEW DADIYA, he, however conceded that in the National Assembly, personal interest supersedes community and people’s interest while the level of administrative efficiency in the NASS is also very worrisome. Excerpts: What do you think is the major contention between the executive and the legislature owing to the fact that the President has not been able to sign the 2016 budget into law?

I want to correct the impression that the budget is generating controversy because the President has not signed the budget into law. The truth of the matter is that there was never a time in the history of our democracy that the parliament will pass a budget and the president will immediately sign it. It has never happened that way. The President must first go through the document before putting his signature to paper.

Besides, the President is not even the one to go through the budget.

The various ministers and directors general of agencies and heads of parastatals of government will go through the documents before it gets back to the president with their observations and comments which will then inform Mr. President’s decision to sign or withhold his assent to the appropriation Act. Definitely, this process takes time but we are all getting impatient because of the economic crisis and huge expectations from the new government.

Mimiko

Ondo council poll, a fraud- Kekemeke ‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

Akpatason

Again, people seem to be more conscious of the importance of budget to the states because a whole lot seemed to be waiting for the budget. Construction works are not going on but that would not be blamed on the absent of budget, it is because of the change from one government to

another, and the new government wants to do some checks before they can go ahead with some existing projects and this is causing problem for Nigerian people. As a result of this crisis, we are getting impatient with due process; I think that is the problem. ThereCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, on Monday described the just concluded local government election in the state as a fraudulent act perpetrated against the state by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.

The state chairman of the party, Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke, who said this at a reception organized for members of the ruling PDP who defected to the opposition party in Akure, added that if forensic investigations were conducted on the ballot papers used in the just concluded council poll it would reveal they were thumb printed by few people.

Kekemeke explained that the

figure of over 600,000 electorate released by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), as the total number of voters at an election that was reported as having widespread voters apathy across the state is far from being credible.

“I wondered how the PDP-led government came about 600,000 votes in an election which there was very low turn-out of voters with each polling unit having a range of three to 15 voters.

“The polling unit where Governor Mimiko himself was reported to have voted had only 21 voters, and this number of voters multiplied by the total polling units across the state would give you about 45,000 votes, how come about the very huge difference”, the APC CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

9 Politics

Crisis: Oyo state, Ibadan LGs urged to close ranks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Ajimobi, who was represented at the occasion by the state’s Head of Service, Mr. Soji Eniade.

According to him, a careful analysis of the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) in the urbanized city of Ibadan would reveal that the situation was not as hopeless as painted by the topic of the lecture.

Ajimobi said: “We see the mass population, concentration of research institutes in Ibadan city, establishments of companies, large expanse of agrarian land, peace and security, among others as the strength of Ibadan. Urbanisation to us is not all about crisis.”

Similarly, Prof. Micheal Asuzu, of the Institute of Public Health, University College Hospital, Ibadan, wants the government

Ajimobi

Hyat in PDP chairmanship race in Kaduna Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Felix Hyat, on Monday said that he would contest for the chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna state.

Nationwide congresses of PDP began on Saturday at the ward level, with the local government and state cadres coming up on May 7 and May 10, respectively.

Hyat, who spoke in Jos, Plateau, said that he had consulted widely on his ambition and was determined to see it through. ``Yes, I will contest the PDP chairmanship seat in Kaduna State; that, I can tell you confidently,’’ he said.

The former minister, who was in Jos to monitor PDP’s ward congress, said that he had been convinced by his friends to go into the race. ``I have been convinced by my friends with whom we started the PDP together, to go for the top seat in the state. ``My friends convinced me that what the party needed was a very experienced and pragmatic leader to restart its building process,’’ he said.

He said that the party was ``down’’ and needed experienced hands to lift it up.

Hyat said that he had abundant experience in leadership and was well positioned to lead PDP’s rebuilding process having been a minister, Secretary to Kaduna State Goverment, chief of staff, local goverment chairman and legislator. ``I have also been Kaduna State financial secretary of the party, served in various committees and was also the state chairman of the unregistered Peoples Pro-

Hyat

gressive Party in Kaduna State,’’ he added.

He promised to reposition PDP to meet the task of a credible opposition that would offer constructive criticism which would keep the ruling party on its toes ``for the benefit of Nigerians’’.

Hyat also said that he would run an all-inclusive administration if the party was entrusted into his hands, adding that he would address the issue of impunity which had affected the fortunes of the party over time.

He advised party leaders against arrogance and disregard for members, and suggested the need to take the party back to the members because ``ultimate democratic power belong to them’’.

He said that priority would be given to reconciliation of ag-

grieved persons, groups and interests, assuring that he would create an atmosphere where people would express their views so as to make for genuine reconciliation.

The aspirant decried the party’s leaders’ attitude of abandoning the practice of reaching out to losers after every election, and promised to bring back that policy.

According to him, the practice is always a vehicle for carrying every member along so as to ensure a sense of belonging to all.

He claimed that his chances of clinching the seat was ``very bright’’, saying that he was one elder that the party in the state could turn to, to effect genuine reconciliation ``even with those that have jumped ship’’.

to improve on the poor health indicators of the urbanized Ibadan city.

In the main lecture, Olokesusi, who was a former director at the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), called on the authorities to urgently take steps to redesign areas that have not fallen into the crisis of urbanization.

He also called on the state government to implement the long proposed Ibadan City Master Plan under the Ibadan urban flood management plan.

Olokesusi said, “Local governments in Ibadan are administered independently of each other without a coordinated body to ensure result either at the level of the metropolitan area or at the smaller level for Ibadan urban city.

The former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh has urged the Federal Government to find lasting solution to the increasing attacks by herdsmen on citizens.

Similarly, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor has advised against carrying out reprisal attacks, which he said could breed more violence.

The duo expressed their opinions in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha on Monday.

They asked the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, disarm the herdsmen, who have been terrorising people in the middle belt and the Southern part of the country.

Umeh, who is the APGA Senatorial candidate for the Anambra Central rerun, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the setting up of grazing reserves and ranches in the North.

“During the first Republic, every region in this country was known for one agricultural produce or the other.

“The South West was known for Cocoa, the East had palm trees that produced palm oil and kernel and the North groundnut and Cattle rearing,” Umeh said.

He expressed worry over the ease with which the herdsmen carry sophisticated weapons and machete without confrontation or arrest by security operatives.

“The Federal Government has a lot to do.

“They should not put Nigerians to test by allowing these herdsmen to carry riffles, which they use to kill and maim.

“These herdsmen should be disarmed immediately,” Umeh

“Poor urban governance is one of the obstacles to the prosperity of Ibadan city, because enforcement of some policies are not being implemented.

“There is also no doubt that there are inadequate health facilities inclusive of equipment in the city. The city prosperity is low; there is massive youth unemployment; no urban renewal programme, which is the missing link between improving city livability and prosperity”, he added.

To address the problem, he recommended that the government should promote sustainable and inclusive economic development and people’s right to the city, ensure real participatory slum improvement, regularise slum titles, upgrade informal settlements and enhance the resilience of the city.

Umeh, cleric urge FG to stop attack by herdsmen said.

On his part, Ezeokafor while appealing to citizens to maintain peace and not take laws into their hands, urged the Federal Government to take a speedy decision in the interest of all.

“I can’t see how someone, who rears cattle, will have guns and all those facilities; I feel some people are behind them and are hiding under the mask.

“So, we plead and call on the Federal Government to rise up to the occasion and not give us the impression that some people have monopoly of violence.

“A reprisal attack or violence will not solve the problem,” the cleric said.

Umeh

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Nothing unusual in Budget crisis, its due to due process – Akpatason ‘‘The budget proposal came to the National Assembly without the input of lawmakers and the legislators have taken their time to go through the document, saw some strange proposals and made amendment where necessary and returned the document to the executive after passing it into law. We are now waiting for the endorsement of Mr. President. It is however, unfortunate to note that two days after the passage of the bill, people started shouting that the President has refused to sign the budget.’’

Nass clerk

Ambassador Hamzat was a consummate diplomat and administrator – Atiku

Tom Okpe, Abuja Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the death of Walin Sokoto, Ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu, has robbed Nigeria one of its greatest administrator and diplomat.

In a condolence message released by his media office in Abuja on Monday, Atiku described the former Ambassador to the United States, France, Germany and the Soviet Union as an “incontestably one of Nigeria’s most distinguished and vastly experienced diplomats that ever served the country.”

Atiku also recalled Hamzat’s distinguished service record as

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

fore, what is happening to us is not unusual and it is not strange.

The budget proposal came to the National Assembly without the input of lawmakers and the legislators have taken their time to go through the document, saw some strange proposals and made amendment where necessary and returned the document to the executive after passing it into law.

We are now waiting for the endorsement of Mr. President. It is however, unfortunate to note that two days after the passage of the bill, people started shouting that the President has refused to sign the budget. I am not sure the President has personally said that he will not assent to the appropriation Act as passed by the National Assembly; I have also not heard him say so in any event.

I believe that due process is just being followed but because of hardship and economic difficulties that we found ourselves, the public tend to blow up any little thing and that creates an impression that what is happening is unusual. The difference, if any, would be addressed soon. In the past, we have addressed differences like this without much ado but the factor responsible for the outcry is what I just told you. I believe that we are on course and we will deliver to the Nigerian people the dividends of democracy promised by APC led administration.

Is the position of the House of Reps to revisit the budget if there are gray areas consonant with extant laws on passage of appropriation bill?

It is absolutely in agreement with extant laws; we have the

Personal Secretary to two former Military Rulers, General Aguiyi Ironsi and General Yakubu Gowon adding that his shining administrative career was enviable and impressive.

He said, “despite his pedigree, the late diplomat demonstrated incredible humility in his conducts, disposition and interactions with all people, high and low, these virtues are rare among great achievers”.

The former vice president extended his condolences to the government, the family and the people of Sokoto State over the demise of their remarkable and distinguished son, praying that God should grant his soul eternal rest.

powers to revisit such issues.

Man is not made for the law but the law is made for man and that is why there must be element of flexibility to accommodate unusual development otherwise, you will encumber the society with laws. So I believe it is possible, it is legal and it is practical for lawmakers to revisit issues and I think it is in the best interest of Nigerian people. If we want to say that we have passed the bill into law and no going back, to me that would be unnecessary rigidity which members of the society will consider to be arrogant.

The Senate seems to be on a different page with you on this issue as they insist that the only way forward is supplementary appropriation.

Do you foresee internal wrangling in the parliament as a result of the foregoing?

There are internal mechanisms for resolving such differences; it was because this kind of scenario was envisaged that the mechanism was put in place in the first instance. When we disagree with the Upper Chamber on issues like this, we use to have a conference and if the conference could not reach a consensus at the end of the day, we would resort into voting if it becomes necessary and I think that we are matured and experienced enough to avoid controversy. But that is not to say that we cannot face challenges, we are not afraid of challenges but we would strife to avoid a situation that would compound the current economic hardship in the country.

As a strong advocate of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) what do you think is withhold-

Ahmadu

ing the passage of the bill?

In the first place, I think it was an error on the part of the originators of that bill even though I was part of the initiators to have lumped everything together in a single document. I don’t think it is the best, what is happening just now is that selfish interest, regional interest, business interest and all sort of motives have come in to encumber the process of passing that bill. For instance, some people believe that the deregulation of the downstream sector was a major policy element in PIB as opposed by government.

Then, if that is the case, if you are to deregulate, why do you still have to equalize? These are two contradictory policies but there are some people who benefit from equalization and they insist that there must be equalization so that petroleum product will sale at the same rate everywhere in the country and yet we say we want to deregulate and leave prizing to market forces. Is that not a serious contradiction? Some people believe that this country must continue to spend money irrespective of the lack of prospect in Lake Chad Basin; we have been spending money there for many years.

Some other interest however believe that we must continue to spend money there whether or not the likelihood of discovering oil there is strong or not but others believe that it should not be and that is a big issue. Few other interest believe that there should not be host community fund, they always argue that the Niger Delta people already have NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta as well CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

11 Politics

Ondo council poll, a fraud- Kekemeke change to the nation.

“What we are having now in Ondo State is a conglomeration of all the people who can no longer endure the pain and hardship caused by this government of PDP. “Today is a manifestation of the willingness of the Ondo State people to change this governor who is deficient in character and has come to the end of his deceptive game because he has lost his Generals, hence, he has lost this battle.

“No matter how long evil travels, nemesis will catch up with it and no matter how long darkness prevails, light will surely overcome,” Kekemeke stressed.

While enjoining the new members into the party to pool

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

chair asked.

He wondered why the PDP allegedly rigged an election in which it was the only contesting party stating that even in the last gubernatorial election held in the state with large voters turnout, the total number of votes amassed by the defunct Labour Party (LP) under which the present governor contested at the height of his popularity was a little above 100,000 votes.

Kekemeke described the ruling PDP in the state as a party that had already lost both its heart and hands following the defection of its prominent leaders to the APC adding that the people are willing to come together and bring about effective

Kekemeke

in all their efforts, Kekemeke said the leadership of the party has been doing everything to ensure the APC emerge victoriously in the forthcoming governorship election already billed for November 26 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He, however, reiterated his earlier commitment to the members of the party against no imposition of candidate to be the party in the coming gubernatorial election stressing that a transparent and credible primary would be conducted to choose the party candidate standard bearer while cautioning some party loyalists against using the instrument of the social media to insult party aspirants.

At NASS, personal interest overrides national interests – Hon. Akpatason CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

as Derivation Principle and as a result of that there should not be anything like host community fund. But people have forgotten that when you talk about host community fund, you are talking about a special fund that is set aside to address serious issue in communities that accommodate oil prospective activities.

The same can apply to communities that accommodate coal, limestone, gold, and other mineral deposits. If we have said, let’s

Akpatason

take out host community stuff blow it up a bit to accommodate more items, as it is presently in the PIB, it is specifically for oil producing communities. Now if oil producing communities are entitled to some funds for whatever developmental purposes, why not host of other mineral resources? These are the kind of interest some people feel that ‘we have solid minerals and they have oil why should it apply to only oil producing communities and not every communities

that have mineral deposit.’ Others query why you have to spend money in Lake Chad Basin continuously and why not take that off. Again, even the government that proposed the bill was not serious about it because they deliberately slow down the pace of things. From what we are seeing in the public, even though we’ve seen that many years ago as major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry who had always been involved, many of the are manipulating the system. We saw the level of manipulation particularly in the downstream product supply and distribution are so manipulated so skewed that only few people are making huge underserved profits and because of the economic benefits that they derived from the manipulation, they do not want a truly deregulated industry; but they mischievously put it there. These are the things that make the passage of PIB very difficult. Don’t forget that the lawmakers are not from the moon or other planet, we are from these various communities and we represent those interests.

So when someone comes here, you hear them sounding discordant tune and people think that such views represent the individual views of the lawmakers, no, they don’t represent their personal opinions. In most cases they are only expressing the position, interests and concerns of the communities and people that they represent. So that is a major issue.

What is then the way forward?

The way forward is to unbundled the document itself, not just unbundling NNPC because

it is not all about NNPC but that bill should be separated. For instance, you look a fiscal issue, make that an Act, you go to the structure you make that another Act, that which concerns NNPC, let it be purely NNPC regulation and let that be separated. Should there be DPR alone covering both upstream and downstream?

Should PPPRA be there or should they be merged? Do we still need PTDF, Economic Equalization Fund and all that? These are issues that can be discussed under the structure of oil and gas industry. What should be the nature of oil and gas industry, what should be the nature of NNPC and that should be different from fiscal matters like taxation and what have we. So by the time you break it down into parts, I think it would be easier to conquer the different motives that are currently delaying the pace of work.

The National Assembly has been accused of being insensitive and reckless in management of funds following a plan to purchase utility vehicles with outrageous prices, how valid is that?

Reckless and insensitive? No! We are rather frugal. The National Assembly is very frugal, we have managed our resources very well and we have applied resources in such a way that public interest is of concern to us. So I don’t think that there is a problem in the plan by National Assembly to purchase cars, however, whether we should buy car or not I think that a lot of people are not fair to us. Some of these noise makers out there use multiple cars. You have heads of agencies who do not contest election and are not

representing anybody but merely appointed by some elected people, enjoying what you call monetization policy and in addition to that, they have multiple cars. Their children use official cars to school and you say that the lawmakers should not use car to work? I don’t think there is any sense in it as far as I am concerned.

I happened to have worked both in private and public sector and I understand how thinks work, if I take a car loan for instance, I will pay back the entire car loan, it is therefore, not the business of the public to begin to dictate to me what to use my car loan for because I am going to pay back the loan myself. It is a loan and they too take loan, do we dictate to them what to do with their loan or how to spend it? I cannot use my money to buy a car and use it for public service. Operational vehicles must be provided by the organization and I don’t know if people are saying that if you are elected you are not entitled to operational vehicles? We should look at this issue carefully and critically before we begin to criticize.

I was told that some people were at the gate yesterday shouting about car loans and I know the leaders of these groups, they use more exotic cars than the ones we are talking about. I challenge them to an open debate on this issue, we all know ourselves.

Some of us were using better operational cars before we got to the Assembly and we are still entitled to car loan at the time. So I don’t think that it is buying or not buying cars for the legislators that will solve the problems of the country.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Boko Haram remnants‘ll be wiped out with ‘Operation Clamp Down’ – CDS ÎÎÎGen.

Abayomi Olonisakin, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said on Monday that the military will wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists from Nigeria in a short while.

Olonisakin stated this while speaking with newsmen during a visit to Maiduguri, Borno.

Olonisakin said that his visit was aimed at getting first class information on the anti-terrorism war. ``I want Nigerians to know that we are determined to wipe out the terrorists from our land. ``And from the Sambisa

axis, we are really committed to ensure that we clear them as soon as possible,’’ he said. `` I am here for a routine visit with the Service Chiefs.

I have come to appraise the level of performance in the operation and see how we can actually address some issues on the operation. ``The operation is actually to wipe out, to clear Sambisa, that is ‘Operation clamp down’ is to clear Sambisa of the terrorists,’’ he said.

Olonisakin said that the invasion of the Sambisa forest, which began about five days ago, had been most successful.

``The operation is on course. Like I said, it is five days gone now. The little issues being encountered by the troops will be addressed so that the momentum of the operation can be sustained,’’ he said.

Olonisakin said that the military had acquired some anti-landmine equipment to ensure the success of the operation. ``We have some landmine of course; it is an issue we have been faced with in this operation. `` We have some counter Improvised Explosive Device (IED) equipment and other

indigenous devices that will be used to ensure that the operation goes as planned,’’ he said.

Olonisakin also assured that the military was determined to rescue the abducted Chibok Girls from the terrorists. ``The rescue operation for the Chibok Girls is also part of the ‘Operation clamp down.’ There are five little operations within the operation: the rescue operation is one of the operations. ``Every person that had been abducted by Boko Haram terrorists will be rescued, including the Chibok

Sen. Abdul-Azeez Nyako (2nd right), during the commencement of empowerment programme for women in Yola... on Monday.

Girls,’’ he said.

Olonisakin stated that the military will also clear the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists from all parts of the North East. ``The operation like I said

Paul Biya of Cameroon arrives today for State Visit Egene Egene Abuja

ÎÎÎPresident Paul Biya of

Cameroon, will at the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari, begin a twoday state visit to Nigeria on Tuesday, Tuesday, May 3.

Biya, who will be accompanied by his wife, Chantal and senior Cameroonian government officials, will be received Tuesday afternoon at the Presidential Villa, Abuja by President Buhari.

Both leaders and their officials will confer on issues of common interest to Nigeria and Cameroon, including ongoing bilateral and regional cooperation

ÎÎÎThe

World Bank looks set to release more information on the spending of recovered loot by late General Sani Abacha as “it has referred portion of appeal

by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to the Bank Archives Unit for processing for public access.”

This development was disclosed on Monday in a statement by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni. This followed the appeal the organisation lodged with the Bank on 5 February 2016 on the ground that the Bank’s decision on its initial request did not reveal “important portions of

the information requested on how Abacha loot was spent.”

According to Mumuni, the Bank Access to Information Committee (AIC) in its Decision on appeal issued in Case number AI3982-A dated 29 April 2016, and sent to SERAP held that although the appeal by the organisation was not filed within 60 days of the Bank’s decision as required by its Access to Information Policy, SERAP appeal nonetheless “contains a request for additional information, not previously submitted by the requester, and which the Bank has neither considered nor denied.

Accordingly, the AIC refers

back to the Archives Unit this portion of the appeal for processing for public access.”

SERAP statement reads in part: “The portion of the appeal which the Bank has now referred to its Archives Unit for public access include information on: evidence and list of the 23 projects allegedly completed with recovered Abacha loot, and whether the 23 projects where actually completed; and what became of the 2 abandoned projects; evidence and location of the 8 health centers built with recovered Abacha loot reviewed by the World Bank; and evidence and location of the 18 power proj-

ects confirmed by the World Bank.”

“Other aspects of the spending of Abacha loot the Bank referred to its Archives Unit for processing for public access are: information on: how the $50mn Abacha loot received before 2005 kept in the special account was spent; evidence and location of schools which benefited from the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program in the amount of NGN24.25bn; and evidence and location of the 13 road projects completed with the recovered Abacha loot, including the names of the 3 of the largest road and bridge projects in each geo-political zone.”

against terrorism, violent extremism and cross-border crimes.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said it was expected that new agreements to strengthen existing ties, as well as trade and economic relations between Nigeria and Cameroon, would be concluded and signed before the end of President Biya’s visit.

The statement added: “A joint communiqué on the visit and the talks between the two presidents and their officials will be issued before President Biya’s departure from Abuja on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.”

‘2016 Budget most ambitious in history, has 33 action points’ Continued from page 6

World Bank to disclose more information on spending of Abacha loot

is to clear our land of the terrorists, we take the operations one after the other. ``We will move into those areas where we believe they are hiding and flush them out,’’ he said.

highlighted the various challenges bedevilling the nation and how they could be corrected for national growth and development.

“Nigeria’s problem is structural and systemic, and it could be structurally and systematically addressed,” he said.

Osuntokun said that the book articulates various ideas of the writers aimed at building an egalitarian society.

Also, Mr Oba Otudeko, the Chairman of the event, said there was no other better time to discuss the development of the nation than now when they have the company of people who cares.

He described the “House of Lords, Nigeria” as a collection of people whom the

interest of Nigeria and the welfare of the citizens were paramount in their minds.

“Let me tell them that they are on the right path and they should not lose sight of the development of the country.

“This book presents a compendium of opportunities. I think it is worth having,” he said.

The 209-page book is a collection of the speeches of 11 writers from various spheres of life.

The House of Lords, Nigeria was founded fifty years ago and presently parades 34 members, with Prof. Ayodele Desalu as the “Leader.”

The event was attended by prominent citizens including investment banker, Mr Fola Adeola; Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Vice-Chancellor, UI; Prof. Oladipo Akinkungbe and hosts of others.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

13

Times Tuesday (Interview series)14

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

‘Time running out for Buhari’s govt’

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, in this exclusive interview with SEGUN ADIO, spoke on a number of issues from the scheduled South-East, South-South Professionals summit and state of the Nigerian nation.

S

Continued from last Tuesday

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa

ome skeptics are beginning to say that this your programme coming up is another jamboree; that it is going to be another talk-show, that nothing is going to come out of it. What can you say to this?

While this is not like other conferences or seminars, workshop, summits in that, in those ones, people only go and speak their minds then their positions are collated maybe communiques are issued and all that.

The difference in this is that we already have a strategic document which we are going to place in front of the governors of the 11 states, civil servants, NGOs and companies and say this is the document we have propounded.

We have a product and we are going to present that product and get input to finalise that product.

We are also going to device an implementation time table for this and in June, we will then begin implementation. That is the way it is decided.

So, it is not likely going to be the usual talk-show that you talked about.

Let’s go into the Nigerian state now. Before now, Nigerians have heard the word Change, change, change. Now many say they have not seen any change in the system. Have you seen any change at all?

I will say I have seen a change. I have seen a change in our attitude to corruption. I have seen change in the way some agencies of government are working. I mean I have seen EFCC back to life, arresting. I have seen ICPC also talking about what they are doing.

In the area of anti-corruption, trying to bring to justice, trying to bring to book those who were alleged to have abused privileges, I think there is a change.

I mean to be fair, in the last couple of years, there was an effort at fighting corruption but it was more subterranean; it was like we are fighting it the way it is fought in advanced societies where agencies are expected agencies to work well, but we know that in our society is not like that.

My people say ‘when you run into a rough water you drive in a rough manner.’ So, we have to fight corruption in a manner that is clear; that people will know that corruption should not be rewarded, and I personally agree with the President that if we do not kill corruption, corruption

Ohuabunwa

will kill us. So, as a critical agenda, I think the government is doing something. It is clear to every Tom and Dick.

The world is looking at us now as people more serious with fighting corruption. Nigerians also feels so. That is one area where there is a decided, definite change even though this change is not as comprehensive as I would like to see it in the area of corruption, because we are fighting it at one level.

Corruption is endemic; we should fight it in different levels.

But I can understand that the government may not be able to carry all the battles in one day.

They cannot be fighting their enemies and fighting their friends at the same time. So, maybe they are fighting enemies first, then they can fight friends, by that time the enemies have been settled, when they are locked-up, then they can face friends.

But if they face friends and enemies, they may be distracted.

Although as there is so much yet to be done on corruption, but there is a decided movement.

Outside that, the other changes we expected have been slow in coming. As a matter of fact we experiencing negative change because the issue is, if you cannot take me to a better destination, you better leave me where I am. So, we are seeing a faster deterioration in the economy. We have seen increase in mystery of the people; the kind of fuel scarcity we have seen in the last six-eight weeks, I have never seen them in Nigeria.

Many Nigerians are crying over lack of electricity. The demand for generating sets by people appears to be on the rise lately.

Two weeks ago, I had to travel from my hometown in Arochukwu to Enugu and back, I spent about N29, 000 on fuel alone.

All I am saying is, how can a poor man, the ordinary Nigerians deal with this kind of situation?

So, in the socio-economic, welfare area, in education, healthcare, quality of life, we have not seen it. Even in economic area, it is so foggy. The policy of government on foreign exchange pricing is causing headache now.

We have created two markets that are so wild apart: one is selling N200 to the dollar, while the other is selling almost N325 or sometimes, it got to N400. This merely creates opportunity for arbitration, for corruption.

Today, corruption in the banks are higher than anywhere, because anywhere in the world you give somebody access to manage scare commodity, he must be corrupt.

The word is MUST. This is because the corruption is not that he will take money, but if he favours you against the other person, it is corruption. He does not have to take money. whether you are his brother or friend, if he favours you against the other person, it is corruption, and that is why I said we have not started dealing with corruption at levels, because there are so many things that this government is doing that are corruption.

We are looking at corruption as just taking money or stealing money. There is much to it. There is political corruption; time corruption and so many other areas but like I said I hope we get to deal with them subsequently.

So, in the area of the economy, we have not seen the change. Yes, there

is a reduction in the price of petroleum, there is a reduction in national income, certain government projects would be slow down or aborted and all that is ok. But it should not be such that it is putting the economy in paralysis, because for me the issues that are in contention has nothing to do with oil money; they have to do with policy; they have to do with what does government want to relate with businesses; how does it want to attract investors; how does he want to reward efforts through incentives and policies. If those things are done, we can still have the oil difficulties and yet the level of dissatisfactions and suffering the economy would not be this large.

What do you think is the way out for Nigeria? Should we still focus on oil and gas or we diversify?

Which is part of the reason we are doing this development programme. Like I said we are preparing the region for post-oil; we are already in post-oil. For me we are in post-oil; Nigeria without oil. I have a radical suggestion that from next year, we should budget without oil.

Truly, we should do our budget without oil. If oil comes, then it becomes incremental maybe that will give us better impetus to manage our economy with greater reality. My worry is the day this price goes back above 50 dollars and there is cushioning, we will go back to our own ways. I just hope not. We should diversify.

I said in my commentary recently that government ought to run with agriculture transformational agenda started by last government which was doing well.

There is an industrial revolution policy started by the last government. There are quite a couple of good things that the previous government left behind. We should run through it. Government is a continuum. The new government should inherit profits, inherit losses and liabilities of the last administration. Everything cannot be liabilities. There must be some profits.

This new government should push ahead those good policies of the last government instead of re-inventing the wheel. You see, when you destroy momentum by grinding everything to a halt you cause a lot of reactions. The moment you destroy momentum, it is a lot of work.

To be continued next Tuesday

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

15 Opinion

Rotimi Amaechi: Reviled and misunderstood

P Martins Frank

rofessor Claude Ake, one of Nigeria celebrated political scientists in an address at the Nigerian Political Science Association in 1981 posited, ………”We are intoxicated with politics. The premium on political power is so high that we are prone to take the most extreme measures to win and to maintain political power….”. Politics becomes warfare, a matter of life and death.

Recently, a group of Moderate Rivers Professionals cried out over the damaging effect of Rotimi Amaechi/ Nyesom Wike political divide. Their grouse is that almost one year after the election, the political tension is still high in Rivers State and if not checkmated, may end in catastrophe.

According to the group, the Amaechi/ Wike tussle representing APC and PDP is a fall out of personality clash during the tenure of Amaechi as governor of Rivers State and Nyemson Wike as Minister of State for Education. It was a fall out to the countdown of 2015 elections.

When as governor, Amaechi discovered that most of the oil wells in Rivers State had been ceded to neighbouring states. He cried at the injustice and ran to President Goodluck Jonathan to make a case.

Rather than listening to him, he was treated with disdain. He approached the court insisting the oil wells are within the boundaries of Rivers State and should be returned.

Those lily-livered castigated Amaechi for his move and regarded it as act of insubordination. Amaechi stood his ground, maintaining that those who come to equity must go with clean hands.

Some political jobbers saw the action as a source of income and bought over the case from “Mama Peace”. Amaechi was branded a ‘Judas’ ready to betray his people. He explained to those who cared to listen but his traducers challenged him for daring and insulting the homestead of the former President. Amaechi pursued the court case demanding justice and like the visionary he is, the Moderate Rivers Professionals are now seeing the truth. The man who was yesterday hounded, branded a traitor is now appreciated for standing on the side of truth. The Moderate Rivers Professionals are now requesting the attack dogs to see reason. The chickens have come home to roost. The massive road projects, high-rise buildings, workshops/ seminars designed to appease sectional groups that Rivers State is working are now being bankrolled

with overdrafts.

This is why once we are in power, we must be careful with what we say, because history beckons on us to account for our deeds. Amaechi all along has been telling Rivers people that his fight is just and that the broad societal values he has for the people cannot be diluted even now as Minister of Transportation.

He demonstrated it recently by ensuring that rail line from Port – Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, Enugu, Benue, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe to Kano will definitely come on stream than expected. Do we need to doubt Amaechi’s statesmanship and political sagacity when he included the Calabar – Lagos rail line in the 2016 budget? He has promised that despite the tantrums of some misguided elements who survive on government house pecks, he will still be fair when it comes to distribution of amenities.

The attack dogs should stop behaving like the maddening crowd that killed Cinna, not minding whether he is ‘Cinna’ the Poet or ‘Cinna’ the Conspirator. Reality is that what Amaechi was fighting five years ago, is now taking its toll on the financial fortunes of Rivers State. Eventually, the people will start feeling the pinch.

We call on Governor Wike to get down to governance. Rivers State has

high political stakes and the more he feels threatened by imaginary and nonexistent issues, the more he will fail the people on their expectations.

He should also call his attack dogs to order. We are also witnesses to his dismal role as Minister of State for Education. His only success story is the Almajiri Schools project that today is a springboard for Fulani herdsmen who are maiming, raping and destroying our farmlands. They should stop treating Rotimi Amaechi as a cartoon or a born again cowboy.

Finally, I commend the dexterity of Moderate Rivers Professionals as watchdog of the Rivers society. History will be on their side for speaking out when others are discrediting Amaechi.

For Governor Wike, he should hit the ground running and right the wrongs of yesterday. The governor should appreciate that our economy is more complicated today; hence, he has to compose a dedicated team that will drive the system and not charlatans with false knowledge of where he is going. Wike should know that false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance and may be the bane of his government if he chooses that lonely path.

Martins Frank lives and works in Port-Harcourt

Eze: When another good man goes home

I Ikechukwu Muo

n the 1979/80 academic sessions, a team of Federal Government officials came to interview us at University of Ibadan, for employment in the civil service. After the interview, one official with a very friendly mien invited two of us and informed us that we performed excellently and that he would want us to work directly in his office. I thanked him but told him that I would not like to work in Lagos. Later that evening, a townsman, KOD Okonkwo (now Doctor) came to my room( D11 Zik-hall) with a visitor. And behold, it was the same fellow who interviewed me earlier in the day and KOD introduced him as a native of Igboukwu ! It was a pleasantly shocking coincidence and more so when it became obvious that his family was acquainted to my parents all along.

That was how I came to know Mr. CMO Ezeh.

Even though I did not work with him in the ministry, we had struck up a lasting relationship. I joined the banking industry and years later, when the industry became troubled; he invited me over to the Gilt Bond Group. I

worked with him as the boss and friend but that did not last long because the June 12 crises dealt terribly with the finance house subsector. We agreed I should leave, but there was nowhere to go. Therefore, I decided to start a consultancy outfit. However, I did not have the capital to set up an office. He graciously allowed me to stay in his office. That was how I started Optimal Consultants, using the furniture and facilities until I was in a position to pay for the space I had occupied. I have been in continuous friendly relationship with him since then until his demise on February 2,2016.

In December 2015, I noticed that not all my calls to his phone went through and most surprisingly, he did not respond to the SMSs. I called his younger brother who informed me he went overseas for treatment. I called the wife who confirmed they were home bound. A few days after their return, I went to see CMO. My greatest sorrow was not just his health challenge, but also that of entire family. Yet, they took it calmly and confidently with faith in God. We discussed briefly and prayed. On February 19, I called and sent an SMS on but there was

no luck. I called four times again between 27th and 28th but did not get through. I became restless and that was when I got the bombshell! Another good man has gone. As usual, God has taken another good man, giving the rest of us another opportunity to repent.

After all, according to Mignon McLaughlin ‘ the death of someone we know always reminds us that we are still alive — perhaps for some purpose which we ought to re-examine’. I am sure that given the type of life he led, death was indeed, a refuge (Proverbs, 14:32). In any case, there is nothing certain in a man’s life except that he must lose it. (Aeschylus, Agamemnon).

CMO was a good man. He was calm and collected, cheerful, contented, full of concern for others and at peace with the world, and God. He was not desperate for material acquisitions. He devoted time to the gospel and stood by his friends and I am an example of that.

Moe had touched many lives because he did not want his life to be defined by what is etched on a tombstone but by what is etched in the lives and hearts of those, he had touched (Steve Maraboli). My

friend, brother and boss is dead but he is alive because ‘ death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are we, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life. (Albert Einstein).

I believe that he was a righteous man and that his soul is in with God, where he will receive due reward because God had tested and found him worthy (Wisdom, 3:1 & 5). And when we remember that whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord, (Romans14: 8-9) and then we should be able moderate our sorrow.

I commiserate with his resilient and beloved wife, children and the entire family. They gave him love, support and literarily sacrificed that he might live. I pray that affliction shall not rise up the second time in this family (Nahum, 1:9), that his children will be blessed after him (Proverbs, 20:7).

God shall wipe away their tears; and there shall be no more death, no more crying and no more pains (Revelation, 21:4).

Dr. Ik Muo, PhD, FCIB is of Department of Business administration, Olabisi Onabanjo University Iwoye, Ogun State

16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

g 20

Aigbogun unhappy after Lobi draw P

Aigbogun

aul Aigbogun is not a happy man after watching his Enyimba side scrape to a 2-2 draw with Lobi Stars in Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The Nigerian champions needed a late goal from their captain, Chinedu Udoji, to save themselves the blushes of losing at home for the first time this season, and Aigbogun has expressed he is “not happy about the draw.”

Aigbogun went on to evade questions about problems his team are facing or whether he is under pressure as the Aba club find themselve holed in the bottomthree though they have four outstanding matches to play.

He also claimed that playing four matches in the space of 12 days have had a telling effect on his playing personnel.

“I am not happy about the draw.

Honestly I am not happy. Obviously we

want to win games whether home or away.

“Of course playing four matches in 12 days had effect on my team. We played in Tunisia on Wednesday (April 20) then played on Sunday (April 24) and played again on Wednesday (April 27), and played once more on Sunday (May 1).

“When you concede a goal it is a mistake anyway. The goals they (Lobi Stars) conceded are also mistakes

Page 17

anyway but you have to look at the fact that some of these (Enyimba) guys have played four games in about seven days. We have injuries in between competitions and it is not about changing people (the playing personnel). What people don’t understand is that not everybody can play in the continental team, and when we come back some guys are not ready, some are injured.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

NFF may

Adi salutes

employ local coach for

Eagles N

strike partner after seventh MLS goal Adi

N

igerian striker Fanendo Adi has praised his Portland Timbers strike partner Diego Valeri for the assist from which he scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win

over FC Toronto.

It was Adi’s seventh goal this season and he is now joint leading scorer in the MLS. “He makes things very easy for me.

I told him after the game that he could have scored that first goal and he told me that I opened up very well, so he passed it to me. He’s an amazing guy and we respect everything he does

out there,” Adi disclosed.

Last season, the 25-year-old Nigerian striker fired 18 goals to help Portland Timbers clinch the MLS championship.

Not yet Uhuru for Ikorodu Utd — Okpodu I

Okpodu

korodu United head coach, Sam Okpodu has charged his wards to go full blast to score goals in all their matches on the top flight calendar.

The newcomers at the weekend recorded their heaviest win in the NPFL matchday 14 clash against Heartland at the Agege Township Stadium in Lagos winning 3-1 after nine matches without a win.

Okpodu said his side must strive to maintain the winning mentality as the side redirect their focus on the matchday 15 clash at former champions, Kano Pillars.

“I said before the 3-1 win against Heartland that it’s high time we start scoring goals as well as winning matches and as I predicted we were able to achieve the mark against an experienced Owerri side.

“I insist we must continue on that note in our remaining matches before the half term break if we are to climb out from the base we find ourselves at the moment.

“We must continue to score goals as well as win matches and it means nobody must remove his legs on the throttle.

“We need to remain focus and work harder than ever before to ensure we sustain the current momentum.

“Our focus has shifted to the weekend clash at former Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars who stunned Sunshine Stars in Akure.

“We will head to Kano with confidence to challenge for the whole three points at stake in the encounter,” said the former Warri Wolves coach to supersport.com.

The Oga Boys are at the bottom of the 20-team Nigerian top flight on poorly nine points from possible 42 in the 14week old league.

igeria Football Federation (NFF) may be forced to settle for a local coach for the Super Eagles next month after a proposed company to foot the bills of an expatriate handler “developed cold feet”.

The recent leadership tussle in Nigerian football may have thrown the oil company off forking out close to $2 million spread over two years for the NFF to hire a top-rated foreign coach.

“The oil company was ready to give the NFF close to $100,000 a month to take care of a top foreign coach and his assistants, but since the latest round of instability in the Nigerian football polity, the company has developed cold feet,” a top source said.

“The NFF on their own do not have the cash to pay for such a coach and the government through the sports minister has made it very clear it will not pay for a foreign coach.

“That could well have informed the NFF recent announcement that the vacant Super Eagles top post will be taken up by the best candidate whether he is local or foreign.”

Sunday Oliseh quit the post in February for Samson Siasia to take temporary charge of the Eagles for the AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Egypt in March.

Former Kano Pillars and Enyimba coach Salisu Yusuf will be in interim charge for two friendlies against Mali on May 27 and Luxembourg on June 1.

The NFF have disclosed a new Eagles coach will be named next month after shortlisted candidates are interviewed.

18

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

EXTRATIME

NIGERIA PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WITH ANDREW EKEJIUBA

Iheanacho Nestle Milo Basketball: Lagos, Oyo battle in admits Man City Western Conference final must win remaining games

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

I

t was all fireworks at the Western Conference semi final games of the 18th Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium Lagos.

In the Girls categories, Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School, Lagos State, outdunked Ugborikoko Secondary School, Warri, Delta State by 25-08.

In second semi final played on Monday, Yejide Girls Grammar school ibadan, Oyo State confirmed their supremacy over Anglican High School Ado,

Ekiti State with an emphatic 36-16 points to set a date with host state in the western conference final today.

Yejide Girls coach, Yemi Abiodun, praised the girls for their resilience and described their victory as a mission accomplished.

He said, “I asked my players to take it easy and play their normal game without underrating their opponents and they did just that and emerged tops.”

The final match between Yejide Girls Grammar ibadan, Oyo State and Wesley Girls Snr Secondary School Lagos will come up today at Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium, Lagos.

Action in the Girls category of the 18th Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium Lagos.

Enyimba under

pressure to rule Iheanacho

K

elechi Iheanacho has admitted Manchester City have to win the remaining games in the Premier League to cement their place in the top-four.

City will welcome Arsenal on Sunday, May 8, and round of their campaign away at Swansea City a week later.

Nineteen-year-old Iheanacho was a twogoal hero in City’s 4-2 loss to Southampton on Sunday and while they remain fourth despite the setback, he acknowledged they must now win the remaining two games to hold on to their current position.

“We have two games left and we must now win those games to secure our place in the top-four,” said the Nigerian youngster.

City’s loss at St.Mary’s notwithstanding, they remain four points ahead of cross-town rivals Manchester United, who drew 1-1 with Leicester City on Sunday.

Iheanacho has now scored seven Premier League goals and 13 in all competitions in his debut season with City.

Africa—Udoji

Chinedu Udoji (right) on the prowl for Enyimba

E

nyimba skipper Chinedu Udoji has admitted the Nigeria champions are under pressure to win

a third CAF Champions League trophy this year.

Enyimba have won the Champions League in 2003 and 2004 and they have

now qualified for the money-spinning group phase of the competition.

The ‘People’s Elephant’ progressed to the group stage at the expense of Tunisia’s Etoile Du Sahel in a penalty

shootout after both legs ended 3-3 on aggregate.

Speaking ahead of the May 24 draw for the group stage of the Champions League, the central defender admitted they are under pressure to prove themselves by excelling in the competition this time.

“We are under pressure going into the group stage,” he said. “We are not under pressure from the management or anybody, but we are under pressure as players because our names are at stake.”

Udoji also admitted that the failure of the other Nigerian clubs to progress to the group stages of the continental competitions doesn’t speak well of the Nigerian league, adding that the onus is now on them to restore the pride of the league.

Wike salutes conquering Rivers United R Wike

ivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has saluted Rivers United following their sparkling 3-1 victory over Enugu Rangers.

A brace from Bernard Ovoke and a superb long range finish

by Christian Weli gave the ‘Pride of Rivers’ the deserved win over table-topping Enugu Rangers in the exciting match day 14 clash decided at the Yakubu Gown Stadium in Port Harcourt on

Sunday.

Rivers United are sixth on the NPFL table with 22 points from 14 matches.

Governor Wike praised the team for their continued hard work and determination while charging them not to rest until victory is assured.

“I want to commend the members of Rivers United for the impressive victory over Enugu Rangers,” he remarked.

“This is indeed a job well done.

“For them to have defeated the current league leaders, it shows that they know what the task ahead is all about.”

While wishing the team more success, the Governor promised to offset the balance of financial entitlements owed them by the former administration in Rivers State.

In a related development, Rivers State sports commissioner

Boma Iyaye has also joined the chief executive of the State in sending words of commendation to Rivers United.

Iyaye, who was at the game inside the Yakubu Gowon Stadium on Sunday, said the team showed great resolve that exemplifies the true Rivers spirit.

He also urged the team to keep their eyes on the prize as they seek to achieve set objectives this season.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

EXTRATIME

schseiats, e M never

BRIEFS

Stoichkov hails ‘classy’

Suarez

H

insists

Xavi

M

essi never cheats, insists Xavi Lionel Messi is not the sort of player to cheat on the pitch, according to his former Barcelona team-mate Xavi.

Messi was accused of playacting after getting Filipe Luis

sent off in Barcelona’s win over Atletico Madrid back in January, with the Brazilian defender claiming after that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner gets special treatment from referees.

However, Xavi has defended Messi and is adamant the

Messi

Argentinian’s behaviour on the pitch is exemplary.

“Messi is a good person,” Xavi told reporters. “He is always nice, he is honest and he does not cheat.

“He has never disrespected anyone on the pitch. His behaviour is exemplary.

“He is a humble guy, who is very professional and hates to lose.

“He is the best player in the world in all aspects. I told him to get more involved and he now does it naturally.

“He is addicted to the ball. He is sad when he cannot play.”

Reina backs Atletico to win double

F

Miguel

ormer Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Miguel Reina believes the club can win both La Liga and the Champions League this season.

Diego Simeone’s men are locked in a three-way title race with Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid in the league, while they lead Bayern Munich 1-0 after the first leg of their European semi-final.

And Reina, who won La Liga with Atletico in 1977, having reached the European Cup final in 1974, sees the double as an achievable target for his former side.

“I think Atletico are working for the double and they are the strongest team right now from my point of view,” he said.

“Everybody does their duty there - they play all for one

and one for all. They give everything from the beginning.

“I think Atletico deserve glory without any doubt.”

Reina, father of World Cup winning Napoli keeper Pepe, also hopes that Atletico forward Fernando Torres is picked by Spain manager Vicente del Bosque for Euro 2016.

The ex-Liverpool man has hit form late in the season with five goals in eight appearances, but has not played an international match since last June.

Real job is about

politics, says Pellegrini C

oaching Real Madrid is one of the toughest jobs in world football due to the politics involved at the Santiago Bernabeu, says former boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Pellegrini was in charge at Madrid in the 2009-10 campaign but lasted just one season as they lost out on the Liga title to fierce rivals Barcelona.

The now Manchester City manager, whose side face Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday, has fond memories of his time in the Spanish capital but feels there are too many people trying to interfere with first-team affairs.

19

“I wouldn’t say coaching Madrid is an impossible job.

It’s an honour to coach Madrid. But you have to realise that when you take charge of Madrid, you have to accept politics play a big role,” Pellegrini said.

“There are bound to be people who will try to interfere even if they do not have the football knowledge to do so. If you allow someone without football knowledge to interfere and if you let criticism from the political side affect you, you are not ready for the job.

“I was fortunate enough to pass one of the most difficult tests and it did not change me one bit. I know that the players liked it most about me that nothing changed regardless of the result at the weekend.

Pellegrini

risto Stoichkov believes Luis Suarez is thriving on the same sort of telepathic understanding with his team-mates that he enjoyed with the likes of Romario and Michael Laudrup during his time at Barcelona.

Uruguay international Suarez has scored nine goals in his past three La Liga games to take his tally to 54 in 50 appearances across all competitions this season.

Suarez continues to form one third of a devastating attack alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, and Stoichkov who earned legendary status during his spell at Camp Nou in the 1990s - lavished praise on t h e former Liverpool man.

“Suarez is the sort of player who can make the difference with his Suarez

m o v e m e n t ,” the ex-Bulgaria star said.

“You don’t just get that from training, but also from playing with players who understand each other.

Boban: Maldini can save Milan!

A

C Milan should turn to club legend Paolo Maldini to reverse their ailing fortunes, according to Zvonimir Boban. Maldini made his debut for Milan in 1985 and went on to make 902 appearances for the club, counting seven Serie A titles and five Champions League medals among the plethora of honours he claimed before retiring in 2009. The former centre-back was the heartbeat of several famous Rossoneri sides, but the current crop are a far cry from those teams with Milan seventh and in danger of missing out on European football for a third successive season.

Maldini

20

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

EXTRATIME

BRIEFS

Ayew

Ayew faces FA investigation

T

he Football Association says it will investigate striker Jordan Ayew’s actions during Aston Villa’s 3-2 defeat at Watford on Saturday.

Relegated Villa were leading 2-1 at Vicarage Road before two late goals from Watford captain Troy Deeney.

Ayew and team-mate Idrissa Gana Gueye were then allegedly involved in an incident involving home supporters.

Reports suggest the Ghana international, 24, climbed over advertising boards to confront fans.

Ayew, who was substituted in the 79th minute, is believed to have taken exception to something said in the Sir Elton John Stand.

Vardy

wins Football Writers’award J

amie Vardy has been named the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year for 2016.

Vardy received 36 per cent of the votes cast to triumph over Leicester City team-mates Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante.

The striker has scored 22 goals in the Premier League this season to put Claudio Ranieri’s men - who were pre-season relegation candidates on the brink of a stunning title success.

This season also saw the 29-year-old set a new Premier League record by scoring in 11 consecutive matches, beating the previous landmark held by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

plots Man City UCL fall

with Welbeck’s form

R

No further FA action against Drinkwater

L

eicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater will face no further action from the Football Association (FA) following his red card in his side’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday. Drinkwater was shown a second yellow in the 86th minute of the Premier League meeting at Old Trafford after sending Memphis Depay to the ground on the edge of Leicester’s penalty area. The 26-yearold’s angry response led to suggestions he could receive further sanctions from the FA, after his Leicester team-mate Jamie Vardy was handed an additional one-game ban for improper conduct.

Vardy

Wenger delighted

Casemiro eal Madrid midfielder Casemiro has warned his team-mates they cannot solely focus on Sergio Aguero in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinal tie with Manchester City.

Prolific striker Aguero is City’s chief attacking threat and has scored 28 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions this season.

City will rely heavily on the former Atletico Madrid star if they are to beat Casemiro’s side having drawn last week’s first leg 0-0, but the Madrid man says the visitors are by no means a one-man team.

England international Vardy wins the award after an astonishing rise having still played non-league football as recently as 2012.

He said: “It’s a great honour to win such a prestigious award and to have my name added to a list of previous winners that includes some unbelievable players. Thank you to the Football Writers’ Association and to everyone that voted.

“Thank you, also, to my team-mates, who are the reason I’ve been able to achieve anything.

“Thanks also to the manager, all the staff and the fans for their support. We’re all totally focused on getting over the line in the final two weeks of the season and turning a great season into one we’ll never forget.

A

Wellbeck

rsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Danny Welbeck is like “a different animal” again after recovering from his lengthy injury lay-off.

Welbeck came off the bench to score the winner in Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Norwich City and the England forward looks to be approaching full fitness after a knee problem that kept him out for nine months.

And Wenger feels the former Manchester United

man will continue to improve before the end of the season.

“Welbeck came in and played very well on his comeback, like the players who have been out for nine months always do,” Wenger told reporters.

“You have to trust me on that, I know that well.

After they come in they are super sharp and then after, against Crystal Palace, he had a very average game and looked a bit for one or two games that he paid for the physical energy he had given.

I can make fans forget my bad season – Hazard C

helsea star Eden Hazard believes his poor domestic season will be forgotten if he stars with Belgium at Euro 2016.

Hazard, 25, has endured a difficult campaign, scoring an underwhelming two Premier League goals to go with just three assists.

However, the midfielder feels he can erase that by starring for Belgium, who are considered one of the threats to win the European Championship in France.

“I hope to return to top form,” Hazard said.

“I know that if I have a good Euros, my bad season will be forgotten.”

Hazard has struggled with injuries this season and his first league goals of the campaign came against AFC Bournemouth last time out.

He said he was not yet at full fitness and would only get better to close out the campaign.

“I am at 80-85 per cent of my abilities,” Hazard said.

“Physical fitness comes with games.”

Hazard and Belgium are in Group E at Euro 2016, taking on Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

Hazard

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

21

Public Notice 22

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Umeh, cleric urge FG to stop attack by herdsmen ÎÎÎFormer National Chair-

views with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha on Monday.

They asked the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, disarm the herdsmen, who have been terrorising people in the middle belt and the Southern part of the country.

Umeh, who is the APGA Senatorial candidate for the Anambra Central rerun, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the setting up of grazing reserves and ranches in the North.

MRS YETUNDE OLUWATOYIN OBASUYI

MRS BINICHUKWU ANNA EFODIGBUE. I, formerly known as MRS BINI EFODIGBUE ANNA now wish to be known as MRS BINICHUKWU ANNA EFODIGBUE. All former documents remain valid ,MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT ONE DAIRY FARM AGEGE LAGOS AND , and the general public should Please take note.

man of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has urged the Federal Government to find lasting solution to the increasing attacks by herdsmen on citizens.

Similarly, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has advised against carrying out reprisal attacks, which he said could breed more violence.

The duo expressed their opinions in separate inter-

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Yetunde Oluwatoyin Bello now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Yetunde Oluwatoyin Obasuyi.

All former documents remain valid general publc take note

DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

The General Public is hereby informed that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act Part C 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. ATAKPU ANICESTUS - CHAIRMAN 2. ATAKPU VIVIAN 3. EDEKI TEGA 4. PETER ERIVWODE 5. VICTORIA NNAH. AIMS: 1. TO ENSURE AND FOSTER A PEACEFUL JUST AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY. 2. TO CONTRIBUTE TO A JUST AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY THROUGH ADVOCACY AND POLICY DIALOGUE. Any objection to the Approval of the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, PMB 198 Maitama,Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: SECRETARY.

DOCTORS’ WELFARE TRUST ILE-IFE The General Public is hereby informed that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act Part C 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) Dr Ramat Oyebunmi Braimoh (2) Dr Olalere Samuel Olajide (3) Dr Adeleye Dorcas Omisore THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:(1) To promote the welfare of member (2) Providing financial support to members

“During the first Republic, every region in this country was known for one agricultural produce or the other.

“The South West was known for Cocoa, the East had palm trees that produced palm oil and kernel and the North groundnut and Cattle rearing,” Umeh said.

He expressed worry over the ease with which the herdsmen carry sophisticated weapons and machete without confrontation or arrest by security operatives.

“The Federal Government has a lot to do.

“They should not put Nigerians to test by allowing these herdsmen to carry riffles, which they use to kill and maim.

“These herdsmen should be disarmed immediately,” Umeh said.

On his part, Ezeokafor while appealing to citizens to maintain peace and not take laws into their hands, urged the Federal Government to take a speedy decision in the interest of all.

Chief Umeh

GOD’S OWN FIRE ARENA MINISTRY. The General Public is hereby informed that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act Part C 1990.

LASWA to introduce fresh guidelines on water transportation ÎÎÎThe

Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) on Monday said that arrangements had been concluded to launch fresh guidelines for safety and growth of water transportation in the state.

The Managing Director of LASWA, Miss Abisola Akamson, stated this at a news conference in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Akamson said that the state government was committed to aggressive reform of water transport through Public Private Partnership (PPP). ``We are coming up with the new guidelines to further enhance safety on the waterways. ``The fresh guidelines have to do with the quality of boats, size of boats, types of engine of boats that can

operate on our waterways. ``It also looks at speed, general safety features and insurance required by operators to ensure safety on waterways,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes her as saying.

According to her, the authority will give a period for compliance before it will commence the enforcement of the guidelines.

Akamson said that the collaboration between the authority and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was helpful in coming up with fresh guidelines for the development and safety on waterways.

She said that the authority was confident that there would be a significant change in the state’s water transportation to ease traffic on roads.

FOOD BASKET AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INTIATIVE. The General Public is hereby informed that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act Part C 1990.

TRUSTEES 1.Francisca Ajuma Idachaba, 2. Friday Danjuma Idachaba

TRUSTEES: I. BISHOP (DR) DAN POSSIBLE YUSUF 2. REV.MRS GLORY DAN POSSIBLE, 3. MR SOLOMON DAN POSSIBLE

Aims & objectives 1 To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Aims: I. To boost increased food production through community based extension services.

Any objection to the Approval of the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, PMB 198 Maitama,Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: SECRETARY.

THE CALVARY LAND OF MERCY CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM CHURCH. AJARA OTITO This is to inform the General Public that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) AMOO OLUKEMI BOSEDE (2) MAJARO ADETUNJI ADEBAYO (3) BALOGUN ADEKUNLE MARSHALL THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS:To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ

Any objection to the Approval of the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, PMB 198 Maitama,Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: SECRETARY.

THE RESURRECTION AND LIFE TRUE COMMUNION CHURCH. This is to inform the General Public that the above named Church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 TRUSTEES 1. APOSTLE CHUKWU, NDUKUBA KENNETH - GENERAL OVERSEER 2. PROPHETESS CHUKWU, NKECHI NDUKUBA 3. PASTOR ORJI, CHIBUEZE ANDREW 4. DEACONESS ANYA, ADAKU ESTHER 5. ELDER ARCH. OKEREKE SIMON KELECHUKWU. AIMS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO ALL NATIONS.

Any objection to the Approval of the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, PMB 198 Maitama,Abuja within 28 days of this publication

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication

SIGNED BY:- TRUSTEES

SIGNED BY:- SECRETARY

SIGNED PASTOR BARR. TITUS OFOMA SOLICITOR ONITSHA.

COMMAND SECONDARY SCHOOL ‘IPAJA’ LAGOS SET 89 ASSOCIATION This is to inform the General Public that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) AWOLO OLUROTIMI AZUBUIKE (2) PHILIPS AKINDELE KENNY (3) ADEGBONMIRE ADEBOLA OLUMUYIWA (4) OGBUAKU OLUYEMISI OLAJUMOKE (5) WAREKROMO EBI KINGSLEY (6) DAHIRU FATIMAH .I. (7) BAIYEKUSI JOSEPH THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:(1) To foster Unity amongst members. ( 2) To Promote the Welfare and Advancement of Members.

(3) To give back to our Alma Mater.

(4) To develop the Nigerian nation through the contribution of intellectual resources of its members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication SIGNED BY:- TRUSTEES

ASSOCIATION OF IKORODU LATERITE QUARRY OPERATORS This is to inform the general public that the above named “ORGANISATION “ has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 of 1990.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE 1. MATTI SHAKIRU ISHOLA 2. FOLORUNSHO SEGUN JOHN. 3. CAPT. INYANG HENRY EKENG 4. KAWOJUE NAHEEM ADEDOYIN. 5. LAMINA KAMORUDEEN .

6. PRINCE AGBAJE OLAJIDE ADEOLA. 7. SOLOMON ABIODUN. 8. ADAMS OLATUNJI. 9. ABUBAKAR ABDUL ADE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. 1. To foster peace and unity amongst its members.

VOICE FOR AUTISM AWARENESS INITIATIVE. This is to inform the general public that the above named “INITIATIVE” has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. MARGARET TEMISAN EGBE. 2. CHRISTOPHER TOBECHI ONYILOGWU. 3. AKINFEMI GEORGE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE. 1. Creating awareness for better understanding of people living with autism in our societies.

Any Objection(s) to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, PMB 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Any Objection(s) to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, PMB 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed by: TRUSTEES.

Signed by: Trustee.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÎÎÎHundreds of workers of

the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) may have concluded arrangements to disrupt all activities including flights operations over the amount of money owed them by government – a decade after liquidation.

The Daily Times gathered that the aggrieved workers, who converged in the Alimosho area of Lagos State to

23 News

Nigeria Airways workers plan to disrupt airport activities over debts perfect their planned action, said there was no going back as the government had remained insensitive to their plights.

All the workers have been able to get after a protracted legal battle which was in their favour was just a paltry

one fifth of their legitimate gratuity and pension paid in 2008. There were also claims that some of the ex-staff, who were not captured into that payment, were yet to be paid.

Since the 2008 payment, the workers claimed that

all efforts to get the Federal Government to pay the next instalment of another five years was futile.

About 1,000 former employees of the airline were affected by its voluntary liquidation in 2004, but a good number of them are suffer-

ing from diverse ailments; a situation that they cannot help for lack enough money.

The workers had, during the build to the 2015 general elections, vowed not to vote for Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection bid as a result of neglect and insensitivity to

their plight.

Although the date for their planned protest at the airport is not known, an insider told the Daily Times that the protest would be carried out this week with a bid to paralyse the country’s aviation sector.

Edo 2016: Ex-Speaker declines Airhiavbere’s campaign DG post Titus Akhigbe, Benin

ÎÎÎA former Speaker of the

Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Thomas Okosun, has turned down the request

by Gen. Charles Airhiavbere to be the Director-General of the Committee to elect him the next governor.

Okosun, a lawyer by profession, was also a former State Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN).

The former lawmaker, who made his position known to newsmen in Benin City, described as mischievous a publication in the dai-

lies that he had accepted the offer from the governorship aspirant He said that though an offer was made to him by the principal, he was yet to consider the proposal before the said publication was made.

Hon Okosun

Group donates medical equipment to Delta govt ÎÎÎA

Lagos based nongovernmental organisation called Martha Charity Foundation, on Monday, donated medical equipment worth millions of naira to the Delta State Government to boost the health sector of the state.

Making the donation in Asaba in a brief ceremony attended by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and top government officials, the Chairman of the foundation, Ambassador Immanuel Omoefe, disclosed that was in partnership with MEDSHARE International.

He said that Okowa had shown clear evidence of

Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adebola Ademowo; his wife, Oluranti; Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Uche Chukwuemeka; Wife of the Bishop of Lagos Mainland, Mrs. Bassey Akinde and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire during the first session of the 33rd synod of the Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion in Lagos… on Monday.

NYCN flays continued detention of its leader by DSS Val Okara, Owerri

ÎÎÎThe

Gov. Okowa

honesty, which had endeared his administration to wellmeaning individuals and organisations to the state and called for sincerity in the distributions and use of the items.

leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has flayed the continued detention of its President, Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, by the operatives of Department of State Service (DSS) on alleged petition by the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, describing the action as an affront on the integrity of the Nigerian youths and flagrant

abuse of the due process of law.

The group made the observations in a protest document jointly signed by the South East Vice-President and South-South counterpart Comrade Nnonyelum William and Mac-A ke I. Prince, respectively, and submitted to the Imo State Government, stated that the arrest of Ugochinyere was illegal.

According to the NYCN, it would not be coerced into

Titus Akhigbe,

Licence for churches: Clerics warn el-Rufai

ÎÎÎThe

warned the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, to thread softly on the issue of religion or lest he be consumed.

The duo gave the advice at a joint press briefing they addressed at the OFM headquarters in Auchi.

Benin

Founder/General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministry (OFM) Auchi, Apostle Johnson Suleman and Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Ejigbo, Lagos, have

According to the duo, ElRufai may be biting more than he can chew, if he continued with his policies that all clerics must get government permission before preaching in any part of the state.

Apostle Suleman refuted

insinuations in some quarters that he had a personal grudge against the governor.

Rather, he said that his anger was directed towards the absurd policy thrust of the governor.

“What I did was in defence of Christianity. I don’t have

withdrawing its contempt proceedings pending against the Sports Minister and others at the Federal High Court, in Abuja.

“Accordingly, we object to any and every attempt by anybody to want to use the machinery of state against the constitutional government of the Nigeria Youth Council of Nigeria. We wish to warn against such arbitrary and extra-judicial actions of agencies and execu-

tive rascality.

“We would implore with respect, the DSS to exercise caution and restraint in allowing itself to be used as a stooge by some public officers in covering their nefarious activities against the interest of the Nigerian youth.

The NYCN warned that it would not hesitate to institute legal proceedings against the DSS if the anti-graft agency failed to release him on record time.

any personal issues with the governor of Kaduna State.

I have never met him and I don’t know him,” he said.

Primate Ayodele asserted that El-Rufai, by his tough stance on the issue of religion, was fighting God. “Can you fight God? You

cannot fight God. God is different from human. God is different from any government. He is superior.”

On the issue of the ongoing nationwide war between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, Primate Ayodele cautioned that the issue should not be handled with kids’ gloves.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

ASUU strike: Nasarawa offsets N600m EAA demand ÎÎÎThe

Nasarawa State Government has said that it had paid about N600 million out of the N800 million being demanded by Academic Staff Union of the state university, Keffi, for its Earn Academic Allowance (EAA).

The union has, for the past two months, been on an

indefinite industrial action over the allowance.

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura disclosed the payment in Lafia, the state capital, but frowned upon the industrial action by ASUU, because the government had paid the salary of the lecturers.

He, therefore, wondered

why the ASUU strike still persisted despite government payment of about 80 percent of the EAA they had demanded, for which he appealed to the lecturers to call off the industrial action.

He equally regretted the situation where a chunk of revenue accrued to the state was being expended on

workers welfare, who constituted only a fraction of the state’s total population, thereby leaving over two million people unattended to.

It was against this backdrop that the governor advised the organised labour come to a roundtable discussion with government on how to review the pres-

ent salary structure for that state’s civil servants, so as to pave the way for employment for the unemployed youths in the state.

Al-Makura, who said he was in a sober mood, was dressed in a back attire to mourn the death of persons who died in public hospitals in the state during the strike.

Recruitment: PSC receives over 800, 000 applications

Emir of Ilorin commiserate with Sultan over Wali’s death

ÎÎÎThe

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÎÎÎThe Emir of

Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, has expressed shock over the death of the Walin Sokoto, Ambassdor Hamzat Ahmadu, who died on Sunday, describing it has a great loss to the entire nation.

Gambari also commiserated with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, as well as the government and people of Sokoto State over Ahmadu’s exit.

In his condolence message, issued on Monday by the National Secretary of Shehu Alimi Foundation for Peace and Development, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, the Emir urged the Sultan to find solace in the fact that the late Walin Sokoto lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation.

According to him, “Ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu, was accepted as an Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the United States of America in 1987. Also, as one of Nigeria’s most senior Foreign Service Officers, the deceased had a most distinguished Diplomatic career.

“He previously served as Ambassador to the then USSR (Soviet Union) and then German Democratic Republic (1975-1978); Ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands (1978-1981); and Ambassador to the Republic of the Cameroun (1982-1984). High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He also had Diplomatic postings to London and Bonn.”

Arase

L-R: Executive Chairman, Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdullahi Belel; Commissioner for Health, Adamawa State, Dr. Fatima Atiku and Head of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Abdul Kaika at a press conference on the expansion of community based management of acute malnutrition in Yola… recently.

Abia Assembly rolls out stiff measures over herdsmen Ifeanyi Onwuneme Umuahia

ÎÎÎSecurity

operatives in Abia State have been mandated to thoroughly search all Abia bound cargos carrying perishable goods and animals, henceforth.

In a resolution of the Abia State House of Assembly, the law makers contended that the measure was to check the proliferation of dangerous weapons and mindless killings by people suspected to be herdsmen.

The Minority Leader of the House and member representing Bende State constituency, Hon. Okogbuo Chibuzo, expressed the fear that if nothing was not done, urgently, the recent misfortune at Ukpabi Nimbo in Uzo Uwani Council Area of Enugu State may befall people of Abia.

It would be recalled that no fewer than 40 villagers

were massacred recently by the Fulani herdsmen in Enugu State.

The House charged communities to be vigilant and proactive to resist and inform the security operatives of any ugly activities of the herdsmen, while it urged the security operatives to mount surveillance and set up patrol team on cattle rearing and grazing in the state.

Furthermore, the resolution enjoined monarchs in the state to sensitise their subjects on the activities of the herdsmen with a view to engaging the Hausa/Fulani communities in regular interactive meeting.

The motion, which was presented by Chibuzo drew the attention of the House to the havoc caused by the herdsmen at Ukpabi Nimbo in neighbouring Enugu and urged the House to pass a resolution to check the illegal and nefarious activities

of the herdsmen.

In a similar development the chairman of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) Barr. Pedro Azuogu, reasoned that “Fulani herdsmen are no combatant soldiers and as such need not arms and ammunition”.

According to him, it is es-

tablished that the herdsmen carry clubs, bow and arrow and not deadly weapons like AK-47. He then urged the defence authority to institute a high powered investigation into what actually happened in Ukpabi Nimbo with a view to preventing a recurrence.

Police Service Commission (PSC) has said that it had received 843,008 applications as at 1:00pm on May 2 from applicants seeking enlistment into the Nigeria Police Force.

A statement issued by Head, Press and Public Relations of the PSC, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, in Abuja, on Monday, said 243,327 applications were received for Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) cadre.

He added that 197,990 and 401,691 applicants applied for the Inspector and Police Constable (PC) cadres respectively.

The Commission had said it would recruit 500 Cadet ASP, 500 Cadet Inspectors, 1,500 Specialist Officers and 7, 500 Constables in the recruitment of 10,000 police personnel.

The exercise closes on May 13.

Condemnations trail A’ Ibom PDP congress

ÎÎÎProtests and condemna-

tions have continued to trail last Saturday’s ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State. Many members of the party who spoke with our correspondent said there were no elections.

A former state officer of the party, Mr. Udo Bassey, complained bitterly that the structure of the party were occupied by the stooges of those in power. He lamented

acute lack of internal democracy in the process, and confided in our correspondent that many members of the party would defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A chapter chairman of the party from Uyo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our reporter that no member of the PDP voted for anybody or even contributed to the formation of the ward executives.

“I can tell you authoritatively that all those lists were formed by members of the House of Assembly and at commissioners’ houses.

None of the party members were consulted; not even the out-going Exco. The PDP will finally collapse before the next election. The people do not want to learn from the past. The problems of PDP, especially in Akwa Ibom State, is impunity and lack of internal democracy.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

25 Opinion

When body language is not enough

Wale

Fatade This is not an overkill as some might be thinking.

We cannot have enough of commentaries on the killings by herdsmen in our country, whether by Fulani or others. Some commentators straddled the middle road of political correctness by insisting that we do not know the identities of the killers, and while this is good, the fact remains that people have died simply because some citizens think they can get away with crime and nothing will happen to them.

It is not surprising that the Nigeria police is full of elements like Ebere Amaraizu, the public relations officer of the Enugu State command, who issued a statement that the killings on April 25 in Nimbo, UzoUwani Local Government Area of the state were perpetrated by “hoodlums”.

Even while we know there are cretins like Mr. Amaraizu paid by public money and lie through their teeth, it is equally painful that otherwise respectable citizens will build a defence on such incredulous statements. Little wonder that the police reversed itself

when confronted with more evidence and were forced to admit that herdsmen were responsible for the murders.

While our policemen did not cover themselves in glory on the flip flop over the attack, it, however, says a lot about how we are governed that Amaraizu has not been, till now, disciplined or asked to explain his role in brazenly lying to citizens. We just trudge on and pretend that nothing is amiss and wait till another attack on hapless and innocent citizens whose only crime is eking out a living in their homesteads. But it is not only the police who did not cover themselves in glory from the Nimbo killings. What do we say of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who merely asked citizens to fast and pray after failing to protect them?

Asking for “explanation” from security agencies after his people have been murdered is not enough even while the agencies are not under his authority.

It was insensitive of him to be photographed in billowing agbada while briefing the president on what happened under his watch and thereafter followed it with an appearance at the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu’s book presentation the same day.

Two days after with families trying to pick up their lives after losing loved ones, Mr. Uguwanyi was seen at an event with a table full of delicacies even after declaring a fast back home.

And while the cleavages in our politics have never been more pronounced, what would it cost the topmost Enugu public officer

A hersdman on duty (inset: President Buhari)

to postpone his book presentation for some days in memory of the dead? Who advises our politicians for God’s sake?

Could we then blame others for not treating the attack with greater urgency?

President Muhammadu Buhari’s lethargy in policy formulation is now legendary that one could be forgiven for not being shocked again by his eloquent silence over the killings. After all, the ones perpetrated in Agatu are still supposedly under investigation even when he has not deemed it fit to visit both locations.

That’s why conspiracy theorists are having a field day about his alleged complic-

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ity in shielding his Fulani kinsmen from prosecution.

While is seems farfetched that Buhari will be supporting Fulani against other citizens he swore to protect, what does it cost our president to be more humane whenever lives are lost? The war on corruption is good and desirable, but the growing list of killings under Buhari is worrisome.

SBM Intelligence in a report titled Death and the Herdsmen – A report on spreading pastoralist violence in Nigeria released on April 28 says that the total number of reported clashes involving herdsmen and residents between 1997

and 2015 were 461 while in 2015, “there were more casualties from herdsmen violence than from Boko Haram.” It adds, “In 2016, there have been 21 attacks that SBM Intelligence has been able to independently verify, with the number of victims stand between 526 and 820.” Sadly, only six arrests have been made in respect of the attacks, which occurred this year in Benue, Ondo, Nasarawa, Rivers, Taraba, and Enugu.

While a group of 92 herdsmen were arrested in Abuja, 56 reportedly escaped leaving 36 and confirming that our government is still not giving it the desired attention. What’s

more, when state organs fail repeatedly to protect citizens, they will resort to self-help and an eye for an eye will surely leave all of us blind. Inflaming words on both sides of the divide are not helping matters too as gleaned from a story by Saturday Punch of April 30 where some Fulani herdsmen intoned that “no one can stop us from grazing in the south.”

President Buhari, body language is not enough on this matter, something decisive must be done please.

No, I’m not talking of your usual “orders and directives” to fish our perpetrators.

R E P O R T KANO Low 27 °C High 44°C

BENIN CITY Low 18°C High 30 °C

P/HARCOURT Low 23°C High 30 °C

CALABAR Low 25°C High 31°C

ENUgU Low 25°C High 36°C

WARRI Low 25°C High 33°C

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Law Æ s

Falomo Shopping Centre: Firm drags LASG to Multi-Door Court over Breach of Contract Ï Ɗ Ƈ Ə MơƢƄ “The applicant contends that the respondent’s complaints with regards to the incorporation documents of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) are clearly related to events postexecution of the JVA which disables the respondent from relying on Articles 14.1, 14.2.3 and 14.2.5.5 of the JVA as a basis for the purported termination of the JVA” Peter Fowoyo A real estate firm, Afriland Properties Plc has dragged Lagos state government to the Lagos state Multi Door Court House, over the termination of a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) in the redevelopment of Falomo Shopping Complex, Ikoyi between the firm and Lagos State Development and Property Corporation.

The firm, through its lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN is claiming that Lagos state government reneged in the contract awarded some few years ago by the wrongful termination of same without following due process.

The property firm is claiming by way of termination payment the sum of N5, 255, 770, 162.12 being the total aggregate of the project expenses incurred by it.

Specifically, the firm is claiming the sum of N6, 248, 383, 382.62 being the loss of income due to

it and which income has been arrested, interfered with and jeopardized by the wrongful act of repudiation of the JVA by the Corporation.

Besides, it asked for the sum of N1.5 billion being legal and consultancy fees now payable by it as a consequence of the wrongful act of repudiation of the JVA by the Corporation.

At the twilight of governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, a Joint Venture Agreement was entered between the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation and Heirs Holdings Limited, Heirs Real Estate Limited for the redevelopment of Falomo Shopping Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.

No sooner than a new administration under the same All Progressive Congress (APC) led government of governor Akinwunmi Ambode came into power, the JVA was terminated

Ambode via a letter with reference No: SE: 01: 04: 004: Vol. V/15/15 from LSDPC dated August 21, 2015 claiming among others that the corporation (respondent) was not listed as a shareholder in the Memorandum and Articles of Association and therefore in breach of the provisions of Articles 14.1, 14.2.3 and 14.2.5.5 of the JVA. But the applicant through its

lawyer, Chief Ayorinde SAN is contending that the respondent’s letter is insufficient to terminate the JVA as it constitutes an event of default by the respondent under Article 14.2 and 14.2.2 of the JVA. The applicant contends that the respondent’s complaints with regards to the incorporation documents of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) are clearly related to events postexecution of the JVA which disables the respondent from relying on Articles 14.1, 14.2.3 and 14.2.5.5 of the JVA as a basis for the purported termination of the JVA. Furthermore, the applicant stated that assuming without conceding that an event of default had occurred through the applicant; the respondent’s right to terminate the contract falls within Article 14.3 which states that: “without prejudice to the other rights or remedies that may be available to LSDPC under

law or this agreement in respect thereof, upon the occurrence of a concessionaire event of default, LSDPC shall be entitled to terminate this agreement by giving at least a 60 days written notice of its intention to terminate this agreement (“Termination Notice”) to the concessionaire and provided that within the currency of the termination notice (“Termination Notice Period”) the underlying breach/default was not cured by the concessionaire.”

In its statement of issue, the applicant stated that the complaint about LSDPC not been listed as a shareholder in the memorandum and Articles of Association can be cured under the provisions of sections 45 and 48 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

Meanwhile the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation has not filed any statement of issues at the MultiDoor Court House.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

27 Law

Prison Service should be under Justice Ministry, not Interior - Alegeh Augustine Alegeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

In this interview with PETER FOWOYO, he speaks on the amendment of the Code of Conduct Bureau/Tribunal Act before the National Assembly, the challenges of stamp and seal introduced by the NBA and other salient issues.

How will you react to the proceedings relating to the amendment of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal Act before the National Assembly?

The essence of amending laws is to ensure certain laws are made in conformity with the wish of the people. Certainly, the right of the National Assembly to amend any law cannot be circumscribed in any way and we believe that the National Assembly must be acting in good faith.

The fear being expressed under the assumption that the National Assembly is acting in a bad faith, I don’t share that sentiment that a body so high in the national polity will decide to act in bad faith. I think we have a Constitution and a system that has put certain measures in place. Let us trust in the system, instead of assuming that they will erroneously pass a bill into law. Life is dynamic and there is no law that cannot be amended to make it better and make it clearer.

If such a need arises by all means, the amendment should be made but, let us wait and look at the amendment being proposed in that good faith.

If there is something that requires amendment in the Code of Conduct Act, it then means they should be so amended. In any event, after the second reading, we started to look at the amendment proposed in order to speak to them to determine where their aim is at the administration of justice or not.

If the laws require amendments, let them be. Let us trust the National Assembly and wait to see. Let us not assume that our National Assembly is acting in a way that people are not used to. Let us believe that its members will and can act in accordance with the mandate given to them.

Where bills are passed, generally they will require the assent of the President. If the assent is not in good faith, then we have additional safeguards built into the constitution.

Should both the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal be under the office of the President?

Good question. What are they? That is the question you should ask yourselves. We have proposed for example, that Prison Service should be under the Ministry of Justice; why is it Interior? We are doing administration of justice; trial must start on time and end on time.

Every state is doing speedy administration of justice.

In Lagos State at times, the prison officials take awaiting trial detainees from Kirikiri in Apapa through Ikeja and then to Lagos; by the time they enter the traffic on the third Mainland Bridge and by the time they get to court, the judge has gone home. It is true. So to decongest the prisons, let us put in the budget additional Black Maria vehicles to convey suspects and awaiting trial detainees to court.

By so doing, all complaints of no fuel for Black Maria, no tyres for Black Maria will be over. The question we should be asking ourselves is where should prison service be located? This is a judicial arm; why is it located in the Executive? That is why we are proposing that Prison Service should be moved from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Justice.

So the mere fact that the Senator proposed the bill amendment does not mean he is wrong.

To me, taking the bodies to the AGF is even wrong; it should be taken to the judiciary. That is what we should push for.

Is the NBA taking a position?

No.

Alegeh

“If the laws require amendments, let them be. Let us trust the National Assembly and wait to see. Let us not assume that our National Assembly is acting in a way that people are not used to. Let us believe that its members will and can act in accordance with the mandate given to them” Why? We have told the National Assembly that we will not partake in the public hearing; after their second reading they should call on us to have a strategic meeting and have a working session discussing the bill. Unless and until they invite us as a body, we will not go. If you go for public hearing, you will see Okada riders association and all sorts of groups. If you are discussing about how Okada riders should charge, Okada riders can come and do public hearing. If they like let them invite the whole world, what do they know about CCB? So what we keep saying is that let us sit down and discuss on the administration of justice, there is this Act, there is that Act, the ICPC. What is the interrelationship with these laws? If

ICPC, for instance, if someone has an infraction, where do I take it to? How many investigators do we have in CCB? Is CCB working in accordance with the law? CCB is now being used to chase down political opponents.

Frankly, when it comes to these issues at the National Assembly, I won’t send anybody to represent us at the public hearing; for me never. If you want on the laws, call me, I will send two lawyers, three lawyers versed in that area of the law; they will sit down with you and look at the areas of law and the constitution and say let us amend it this way , we have done it before . We have our version of the constitution submitted in the past, take it to them, they will not read it.

I remember one of the past conferences that gave Okada riders

10 seats, another group eight seats; they gave NBA two seats, so the situation has not changed.

Even if they want to engage with us, we are still where we are.

How will the NBA address the problems arising from issuance of Stamp and Seal and possibly publish names of fake lawyers caught so far?

You will have to be very careful about what you do. If we start to publish names, prosecuting and so on, that will be diversionary. We still have the challenges with the stamp and seal policy, some lawyers are complaining that their stamps are not yet available. Let’s deal with this issue first, otherwise we will lose focus.

We have received complaints from branches and representatives, we will look into them.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Tech Times Æ s Police in Lagos arrest prime buyer of stolen phones

IGP Arase

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old man, Kazeem Bamidele, accused of being a prime buyer of stolen phones in the state.

An impeccable police source said that the suspect was the second vice

chairman of the National Union of Road and Transport Workers’ (NURTW), Ajegunle Unit. ``The suspect has over 52 boys in Lagos State who steal and sell ‘clean phones’ to him. ``He confessed to have bought over 4,256 mobile phones from

robbers, pickpockets and onechance gangs operating in the state,” the source said.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Oladapo Badmos, who confirmed the arrest, said that the suspect, popularly known as ``Elewure’’ was arrested after

the arrest and interrogation of two other suspects.

Badmos said that the two suspects, who were also receivers of stolen phones, were arrested in Kogi State, in connection with abduction and robbery cases in Lagos State.

Federal Govt’s tech drive to benefit 600,000 Nigerians Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has stated that over six hundred thousand Nigerians will benefit from the technology and innovation plan of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Nigeria’s vice president revealed Federal Government tech plans while speaking recently at ‘The Platform’, a public engagement forum organized by the Covenant Church led by Pastor Poju Oyemade, stressing that Buhari’s administration is geared towards instituting a new culture of probity and accountability in governance because “it’s a new day in Aso Rock”.

Osinbajo while informing the forum of the Buhari presidency’s plans for technology and innovation stated that government would

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has identified education as key of great future for girls, especially in attracting girls to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

In a speech delivered at the 2016 the recent e-BusinessLife magazine organized International Girls in ICT in Lagos, Prof. Danbatta said that Nigerian telecom industry is not unaware of the fact that ICT is not a standalone in the realization of career or academic excellence.

Osinbajo

be establishing an Innovation Fund this year which would deploy significant resources

for the aim of creating opportunities to the youth to access fund for innovation and

entrepreneurship.

He highlighted other plans as follows: Establishment of technology innovation hubs across the country; two super hubs in Lagos and Abuja and six regional hubs in the six geo-political zones in partnership with some major technology companies; 65,000 young Nigerians to be trained in hardware and software services and in animation; to create a reservoir in technology capacity that can be exported annually abroad like the case of India; on June 23, 2016, Federal Government would launch a Presidential Technology Innovation Initiative targeted at 50 Nigerians engaged in innovative start-ups to be mentored by major technology innovation companies; bursary award to 100,000 STEM undergraduates developing their interest in programming, robotic and animation technology, in addition to deploying

technology in the training of the 500,000 teachers that are expected to be employed under the social investment of government this year; VP’s Office to institute a literary prize in poetry and short stories during independence anniversary to encourage field of humanity/arts Prof. Osinbajo also urged millions of youths in the country to join the vanguard for change under “a New Tribe of Nigerians” saying “we must not blink, no shaking until we turn this country around.”

Earlier, the Vice President commended the conveners of the platform, Pastor Poju Oyemade and his team for their tenacity and unwavering belief in the nation’s development.

He remarked that “the Platform has through the years become a foremost opportunities for ideas and intellectual innovations in Nigeria.”

Danbatta, others identify education as key to attract girls to ICT sector “It’s also a message to girls that preparing for a great future demands taking education very seriously to enable them attain a level where they will be able to appreciate the importance of ICT and embrace it as careers,” EVC NCC said.

He emphasized that ICT provides the biggest resource in the academic lives, stressing that the Internet for instance, which is a major repository of academic resources, is gradually becoming accessible to many Nigerians.

“As at the last count, more than 97 million Nigerian have access to the Inter net. This figure is expected to increase exponentially if all the current plans for infrastructure

expansion and broadband deployments across the country come into fruition. Cost of smartphones capable of accessing the Internet and different apps are also becoming affordable,” he added.

The Commission, Danbatta said has continued to provide facilities under the Digital Access Programme (DAP) through the provision of computers and access to support secondary and vocational schools.

He pointed out that while this support is not provided for girls schools alone, the idea is to enable students, including women to embrace the digital world as early as the secondary school stage.

Danbatta

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

29 Tech Times

Nnamani, Medallion’s CEO elected into NiRA Executive Board Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani, President/ chief executive officer of Medallion Communications Limited, has been elected into the Executive Board of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).

Nnamani’s election came as part of the agenda for the 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Through the efforts of Nnamani, Medallion has strived and carved out a niche in the Nigerian telecom industry as an authority in interconnect exchange clearinghouse services.

Medallion currently has 70 telecom operators in Nigeria as its customer including all the major GSM, CDMA, Fixed Line, ISPs, and Value Added Service Providers.

Medallion is currently the hosting site for the Nigerian Internet Registration Agency domain servers as well as a site for the Nigerian Internet Exchange Point. Several crucial infrastructure providers such as Google, International Gateway Providers, among others are also hosted at Medallion.

Nnamani, with over 15 years of core telecom experience, is very active in promoting forward looking industry policies for the growth of the telecom industry across Africa working with both regulators as well as operators to achieve this goal.

He currently acts as an Executive of the premier telecom body in Nigeria - the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) where he is

Nnamani

responsible for coordinating the activities of the Licensed Telecommunication Operators in Nigeria under the body.

Nnamani is also the Vice Chairman of the Association of Interconnect Clearinghouse Operators of Nigeria, the umbrella association of the Interconnect Clearinghouse service providers in Nigeria.

He has also promoted the establishment of Interconnect Clearinghouses in Africa, working recently with the Ghanaian Telecom Regulator (NCA) in the creation of the Interconnect Clearinghouse license in Ghana and is currently helping to ensure there is a successful implementation of the license in the country.

He is also active in creating regulatory policies for seamless interconnection across West, East, and South Africa sub regions Nnamani also has extensive international

Innovative Information Communication Technology (ICT) solutions with positive social impact will be recognized and rewarded at ITU Telecom World 2016, the leading UN global technology event taking place this year in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 -17 November 2016.

In its second year, the ITU Telecom World Awards programme builds on ITU’s unique status as the UN specialized agency for ICTs to celebrate and support the innovative use of ICTs in applications, tools and initiatives accelerating social and economic development around the world.

Award winners, whether small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or larger industry players, will benefit from international recognition, global visibility and unique networking opportunities to mobilize investment and create new business opportunities for ICT solutions with social impact.

Winners of the inaugural ITU Telecom World Entrepreneurship Awards 2015 will also be present in the forum and exhibition demonstrating

experience having worked as an optical systems engineer at Luxcore Networks Incorporated in Atlanta Georgia, United States of America (USA).

At Luxcore, Ike Nnamani as he is fondly called, was part of the team that designed and led to the manufacturing of Luxcore’s Semiconductor Waveguide Optical Regenerative Device (SWORD), the acclaimed world’s first integrated photonic wavelength converter chip, which ensures non-blocking of traffic flow in telecommunication networks.

Equally, Ike Nnamani played a key role in the design and manufacture of Luxcore’s LambdaXchange, another world’s first demonstrated all-optical router, which won the best system award at the 2001 Optical Fiber Conference at Anaheim, California.

In addition, Ike Nnamani as a researcher at the Design Methodologies Laboratory, Tennessee State University, was deeply concerned in the conceptualization, and design of a now patented Expanded Accommodation Tool (EAT) used in the Joint Strike Force project by the United State Military; which was executed on behalf of Boeing Aerospace in St Louis, Missouri.

Engr. Nnamani received numerous awards from Boeing Aerospace for his contribution to the success of the project and went on to join forces in designing and successfully test-run a prototype of Trident II submarine umbilical retract mechanism used by the United States Navy’s Strategic Ballistic Missiles Defense Programme, which earned him a United States Navy plaque for outstanding work on the project.

His work has been published in numerous international publications including the Boeing Aerospace newsletter, and the 2002 Region XI technical journal of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International.

Engr. Nnamani holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering degree from Tennessee State University, Nashville Tennessee, USA as well as a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

NCC disclaims letter asking bidders to make payment The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said its attention has been drawn to a letter purportedly written to some bidders/operators canvassing for Intention to Bid (ITB) payments to a certain Bank Pekao, South Africa in respect of the proposed 2.6GHz Spectrum Auction.

The commission disclaimed the said letter in a public notice circulated to journalists, which was signed by the management that at no time did it write such a letter, stressing that as a responsible commission with proven records of transparency in all its activities including auction processes, it will NEVER do anything outside the rules approved for these processes.

Parts of the notice read: “At no time did any letter whatsoever emanate from the commission to any operator. That is why it looks strange that some unscrupulous persons could forge the EVC’s signature purporting it to be same in a sinister motive to deceive and swindle would-be investors in the Spectrum of payments of such money thereto.

“Intending bidders/operators and members of the public are advised in their own interest to disregard the content and texture of the vexatious letter, as it did not in any way and form originated from the commission.”

ITU telecom world to recognize excellence in ICT innovation

how their businesses have grown and developed as a result of receiving the Award.

“ICTs are powerful catalysts in driving sustainable, inclusive socio-economic development and improving lives in developed and emerging markets alike,” Houlin Zhao ITU Secretary-General said.

“The ITU Telecom World Awards highlight best practices, share ideas and inspiration, and facilitate direct access to policy makers and private sector leaders at the highest level. ITU Telecom World provides the endorsement, support, visibility and connections needed to take promising ICT initiatives to scale, to grow business and develop potential for the good of us all.”

Open to anyone exhibiting or sponsoring at ITU Telecom World 2016, the Awards will be presented by the ITU Secretary-General at a high-profile ceremony in five categories: Global SME Award for the most promising innovative solution from an SME; Host Country SME Award for the best and most innovative solution from Thailand, the

event host; Thematic Award for the most promising innovative solutions with social impact from an SME or larger company working within a specific vertical sector, such as education, health or disaster communications; Partner

Award – presented by ITU Telecom World partners to innovative ICT initiatives with positive social impact; Recognition of Excellence certificates for the best innovative SME within each National Pavilion at ITU Telecom World 2016.

L-R, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya; Lagos State Commissioner for Science & Technology, Mr. Olufemi Odubiyi with Executive Secretary, Oniru/Victoria Island LCDA, Muyideen Daramola during the commissioning of Airtel Expo Centre in Lagos... recently.

Tech Times 30

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

ALTON to implement ‘don’t disturb lists’ to check unsolicited SMS, fraud Stories by Tony Nwakaegho The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said it has answered the clarion call of the telecom public through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on unsolicited text message and has commenced the implementation of ‘Do not disturb’ list to afford subscribers to opt out of unsolicited Short Messaging Service (SMS) and check fraud, ALTON chairman, Engr.

Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed this at a one day stakeholders forum in Lagos in response to the draft Value Added Services a Framework by NCC, to find a lasting solution to addressing the menace of unsolicited text messages that flood customers’ phones.

“We have implemented “Do not Disturb Lists” he declared.

He explained that it would enable customers who do not wish to receive marketing messages to opt-in to, free of charge, stressing that they are working with the NCC on the best means of publicizing this.

ALTON he also said is working with the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigerian (WASPAN) and have developed a comprehensive Code of Conduct to govern VAS practices.

“This 24-page document

Adebayo

address several diverse issues, including unsolicited SMS, prevent “service users” from using short codes to perpetuate fraud, anti-competitive activities, among others,” he added.

Adebayo further said, a draft of this document has been submitted to NCC and is now being finalized with WASPAN. “Once finalized, it would be given the widest possible publicity so that customers can know their rights and seek redress as may be necessary” he assured.

The Chairman ALTON said that the association was

mindful of the concern raised by the NCC with respect to the complaint of subscribers saying that operators in the industry have also received personal complaint.

He noted that ALTON was aware that whatever affects the subscriber also affects the operators noting that trust if lost will never be regain, and that as such the Commission should count on the support of the association.

ALTON is the umbrella association for all providers of telecom service in Nigeria, comprising of all providers of Mobile telephone services, fixed

network services, backbone services, Infrastructure providers and all support service companies for the telecom operators.

However, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has also said that it had no plan to ban mobile advertisements which are sent as Value Added Services (VAS) to subscribers through the network of mobile telephone operators.

Danbatta said also that the NCC did not intend to cripple the businesses of the VAS providers even as the Commission was concerned about subscribers’ complaints over unsolicited text messages from the operators.

He said that the decision to regulate the VAS providers’ borders on the need to consolidate the gains of the telecoms sector, and that the VAS segment is overdue for regulation as envisaged in the eight-point agenda of the Commission, particularly on the need to promote ICT innovation and investment opportunities.

“Except we determined to develop and encourage quality local contents in Nigeria by rewarding content developers who as the major players in the VAS segment of the industry, our vision will be obstructed”, he said.

According to him, the NCC stands at the threshold of history as the regulatory authority of

Dell, Aerohive partner on campus, data centre networking solutions The IT networking needs of campuses and data centres has received a boost following Dell and Aerohive partnership on the introduction of new capabilities for campus and data centre environments.

These new capabilities include the launch of new cloud-managed wired and wireless solutions powered by Dell and Aerohive, Operating System 10 milestones and inrack platforms for the data centre.

The new solution incorporates Dell N-Series switches and Aerohive access points into Aerohive’s

Flynn

HiveManager NG – a nextgeneration cloud-based management solution. This

solution greatly simplifies end-user access, setting a new standard for wired and wireless network convergence by bringing enterprise-class management to the public or private cloud.

According to the Country Manager, Dell Nigeria, Akin Banuso, the IT solutions provider is building on its One Network campus vision by collaborating with Aerohive to deliver a new cloud-managed solution that integrates and manages wired and wireless infrastructure.

“Major trends such as cloud and software-defined solutions create a dynamically changing

IT landscape, both on campus and in the data centre. These new Dell Networking solutions help our customers navigate these changes with futureready architectures, open technology and hyper-scale inspired efficiency.” Banuso stated.

Further simplifying wired and wireless converged network management, Dell has expanded its industry-leading ProSupport to provide users with a single point of contact for unified network support.

Through SupportAssist technology, ProSupport offers proactive and predictive automated support for issue

Nigeria needs additional 60,000 base stations to improve coverage, QoS A Lagos based telecom consultant and the Chief Executive Officer of Business Unusual Consulting, Mr. Jinmi Oluanuiga has said that 60,000 additional base stations have to be installed across the country for Nigerians to experience improved coverage and quality of service.

Oluanuiga stated this in a document titled ‘Universal Access: The inevitable bridge for inclusive development’, which he presented at the recent Focused Industry Stakeholder Forum, organized by the Universal Service provision Fund (USPF) in Lagos.

According to him, there are approximately 25,396 towers in Nigeria, out of which 85 per cent will be owned or operated by independent tower companies by 2016, but noted that this is not enough to get the desired coverage and quality of service.

“For us to be able to effectively address the challenge of poor quality of service and coverage in Nigeria, the telecom operators must be encouraged to build additional 60, 000 base stations.

This will help us get the over 37 million unconnected Nigerians on board,” he added.

He noted that to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal access and universal service to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in rural, un-served and under-served areas in Nigeria, a ubiquitous, robust and cost effective ICT infrastructure to support the creation and development of a digital economy must be built.

He said that when this infrastructure is in place it will 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 of ICTs. A breakdown of the towers shows that approximately 14,222 owned by IHS and 1,300

by HTN Towers combined. 4,000 IHS self-owned towers; 9,151 towers MTN to HIS; 2,136 towers Etisalat to HIS; 4,800 Airtel Nigeria towers to American Towers while Globacom towers are self-owned.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

31 Tech Times

Expert projects Nigeria to be largest free TV platform globally soon Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Mr Mohammadu Bawa, deputy chairman of Cable Channels Nigeria, has projected that by the completion of analogue broadcasting switch over to digital in June 2017, Nigeria will be the largest free digital television platform globally with estimated 30 million TV households.

Bawa disclosed this at a gala night attended by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, in Jos, adding that compared to the UK which had 10 million consumers, Australia with 13 million and New Zealand with three million, Nigeria would be in the lead with its 30 million free TV household by 2017.

According to him, the free TV broadcast platform would offer home entertainment and educative channels to viewer through the DTT and Digital Satellite (DSAT) which would come on board at a later date. ``The responsibilities of the free TV included platform and contents management, consumer, audience measurement, signal contribution, branding and promotion and other services,” he said.

In addition to the free to air channels, he said the DSO would help in the development of more movie and music channels, while electronic programming guide will be provided to viewers on what were available for viewing and other public information. ``The free TV will comprise of existing national content and local free to air channels, selected thematic channels and selected international free to air channels,’’ he said.

He said the Federal Government through the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had assigned the distribution of Free-Top Boxes to CCNL. CCNL is the official Nigeria contents aggregator for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) which the country is expected to completely switch on to by the June 2017.

Free-top box is the receiver to be placed on the television box to convert analogue transmission to digital.

Bawa disclosed that the boxes which ought to cost about N10, 000 had been subsidised by government to cost N1, 500 and it would be produced locally.

Lai Mohammed

He assured effective and efficient circulation of the boxes in the entire DSO region to secure the widest possible reach with value for consumers.

Alheri Saidu, acting directorgeneral of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), said the journey to digital broadcasting started in 2006 with the target to conclude the process in 2012.

Saidu revealed that the switch over failed twice in 2012 and 2015 respectively before the deadline of June 2017 was given. ``It took the efforts of the new administration to pull the string

to start the process of moving the country to digital television broadcasting. ``What we are witnessing today is the commissioning of Free TV, the vehicle to which we will be watching a new regime of digital broadcasting in the country,’’ Saidu said.

The Plateau Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mohammed Ahmed, thanked the Federal Government ``for singling out Plateau from many capable states to launch DSO.’’ Ahmed emphasized that with the dossier of being the state where the colour TV started in Nigeria, Plateau was setting another record on DSO.

Communications Ministry yet to appoint new Post Master General The Ministry of Communications is yet to appoint a new post master general after over 40 top serving and retired staff of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has been screened for the vacant post of Postmaster General of the Federation (PMGoF).

It will be recalled that the office became vacant since August 2015 when Alhaji Ibrahim Mori Baba retired after eight years at the helm of affairs.

The deputy post-master general, Arch.

Enoch Ade Ogun, who stepped in as acting PMG, has also retired.

Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications then defended the moves to involve expatriates in the race for the new PMGoF, as part of the Ministry’s priority in revitalizing the post, to ensure that whosoever will occupy the position was equipped to face the business challenges of the 21st Century ‘post’ system.

Shittu disclosed during an recent official visit to Oracle Nigeria in Lagos that the Ministry’s plan to transform NIPOST outlets to buoyant business centers, remains on course, as recommendation has been made to the Presidency on new PMGoF, “who is outside NIPOST; who emerged through stringent and prolonged processes.

“On assumption of office, we discovered a need to introduce some business minded people to run the Service. If we truly want to revive the NIPOST, we should be looking for business conscious individuals to run it. All we need was to advertise the position.

Shittu

VAS regulatory framework to promote local ICT innovations The essence of the proposed regulatory framework for the provision of Value Added Services in Nigeria is to promote Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations locally.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta stated this in his opening remarks at the commission’s Consultative forum on the Draft Regulatory Framework for the Provision of Value Added Services in Nigeria held at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, adding that the Commission’s goals towards creating a level playing

PCI SSC, GM Orfei

field for all stakeholders is to ensure that they gets equal value for their role in ICT and in turn promote ICT innovation locally.

The EVC added that it would increase investment in youth, promote Small & Medium Enterprises (SME’s), as well as providing access to optimized and affordable broadband services in the country.

He informed the stakeholders that it is important to develop and encourage quality local content in Nigeria by rewarding content developers who are major players in the Value Added Services (VAS) segment of the industry.

“That when finished, the regulatory framework will complement the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003) and the respective licences issued by the Commission in providing guiding principles, standards and protocols for Value Added Services operating in the industry,” Danbatta said.

He equally highlighted that the forum is part of the Commission’s rule-making process and its guiding principle of carrying out representative and wide consultations in the development of regulatory instruments as stipulated by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003).

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. GROUP EDITOR: BIODUN DUROJAIYE News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.100

Price: N150

Leicester

win

Premier League title

…As Tottenham draw Chelsea

L

eicester City have won the Premier League title after Tottenham Hotspur failed to beat Chelsea on Monday night.

The Foxes become the first club since Nottingham Forest in 1977-78 to win the English top-flight league title for the first time, having only once before -- in 1928-29 -- finished as runners-up.

After Leicester drew 1-1 with Manchester United at the weekend, Tottenham were left needing to beat

the Blues to keep the title race alive, but Claudio Ranieri’s men are now an unassailable seven points clear of their rivals with two games left to play after the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Midfielder Riyad Mahrez and striker Jamie Vardy had already picked up the PFA’s Footballer of the Year and Football Writers’ Association awards. It is the first time that two players from the same club have claimed both awards in the same

Mikel rejects Mikel

‘massive’Turkish deals S

uper Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel has reportedly rejected two massive deals from a pair of Turkish clubs to remain with Chelsea.

The midfielder has enjoyed a revival in his career under caretaker manager Guus Hiddink, reestablishing himself as a regular since the departure of Jose Mourinho from Stamford Bridge.

According to reports, Galatasaray were willing to offer Mikel wages of £110,000-per-week to leave

the Blues in January.

It is understood that Fenerbahce were also tabling such money and both could go back in for him when the transfer window reopens in the European summer.

However, the Nigerian wants to remain with Chelsea and is eager to renew his contract with the club. His current deal in West London expires at the end of next season.

It is not yet known whether Mikel will figure in the plans of incoming coach Antonio Conte.

season since Everton’s Neville Southall and Peter Reid in 1985.

It marks an incredible rise for the club who were facing relegation last season -- and spent 140 days from November 2014 to April 2015 at the bottom of the Premier League table -- before a run of seven wins in their last nine games under Nigel Pearson kept them up. They eventually finished in 14th place.

Pearson sacked in the summer andwas replaced

by Ranieri in July, while the club spent less than £30 million on their squad since last summer, with their entire squad costing just £54.4m.

After their troubles last season, Leicester were 5,000-1 to win the title in 2015-16, with the highest cashout being £72,000 settled on a £50 bet in March, according to Ladbrokes.

Monday English Premiership Result CHELSEA 2 - 2 TOTTENHAM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL FIXTURES

Today’s Match Bayern Munich v Atletico Madrid 19:45 Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Real Madrid v Manchester City

19:45

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

External reserves drop by $741m in one month Page B3

Increased minimum wage will aid fight against corruption Page B4 – Cleric

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Tough road ahead of Peterside as NIMASA battles Piracy, Page B8 manpower shortfall

Saraki tasks Nigerian workers on dedication Joy Ekeke

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has urged Nigerian workers to be more committed in the country’s move towards economic revival.

Saraki in a solidarity mes-

sage in commemoration of this year’s May Day celebration signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu also commended Nigerian workers and the organised labour movement for their contributions to the nation’s

economic growth and overall development.

He noted that the labour movement which has served as the backbone for the survival of the country since independence could put in more effort to revitalize the country’s fortune.

“No doubt we are not in the best of times as a nation, but with cooperation, dedication and perseverance we can turn our economy around for good and the contribution of every Nigerian worker is key to the realization of this dream.

Clearing agents urge NPA to rescind planned eviction

NYSC, CBN, BoI to float loan scheme for corps members – DG The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) says it is planning to introduce a loan package for corps members in view of the prevailing economic hardship in the country.

The Director-General of the scheme, Brig.-Gen. Sule Zakari Kazaure, made this disclosure on Monday in Sokoto when he addressed the 2016, Batch ‘’ A’’ corps members.

Kazaure stated that the proposed loan package is being packaged in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bank of Industry ( BoI). ‘’The loan scheme will provide certain amount of interestfree loans to the corps members after the completion of their one year service.

“The money will be advanced to them with a view to establishing their various business ventures as the white collar jobs are becoming increasingly scarce.

“The beneficiaries are expected to be made self-reliant and even become employers of labour,’’ Kazaure said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

“This is why I urge you to remain steadfast and faithful to the efforts being made by the present administration to revive the economy and put Nigeria on the path of growth for the benefit of all Nigerians,” he said.

Ï z ƍƉƕ ƈ Ɖ Əƕ Nigeria’s port concession programme Babajide Okeowo

2009. Earlier in that session it reached $48.50, a six-month high.

The price slide, which came amid low liquidity due to the May Day holiday, contrasted with broader investor confidence in an oil price rebound.

The chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said oil prices may have bottomed out if no major global economic issues emerge.

Clearing agents with office space at the Tin Can Island Port Complex (TCIPC) has urged the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to rescind its decision to evict them from the complex.

This is even as the World Bank has commended NPA for the success of its port concession programme.

The plea came on the heels of a peaceful protest staged recently by the agents over a quit notice given by Seaview properties Ltd., a subsidiary of NPA. Leader of the protesting agents, Chukuemeka Shedrack, who made the plea in a statement in Lagos, said that the NPA management should not throw them out since there was no alternative provided for them.

Recall that in a letter dated Feb. 11, 2016, Seaview propertied Ltd. had asked everyone to vacate his office space on or before Sept. 30, 2016.

Shedrack said that the Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, had not grant-

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

L-R: Acting Managing Director, Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC), Mr. Fidet Okiriah; Director of Finance, Mr. Felix Njoku and Regional District Manager, Eastern District, Mr. Ola Adeeyinwo, during the visit of the Managing Director to NRC Eastern District in Enugu ... recently.

Oil price drops globally, as OPEC’s output increases Opeoluwani Akintayo Oil price slipped globally on Monday following increase in crude production by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. OPEC’s output rose in April to 32.64 million barrels per day (bpd), close to the highest level in recent history. Iraq’s April exports from southern fields increased by 3.36 million barrels a day, as did seaborne exports

from Russia, the biggest exporter outside OPEC. Brent LCOc1 was trading at $47.20 per barrel at 1130 GMT (6:30 a.m. ET), down 17 cents from its last settlement.

U.S. crude CLc1 was down 2 cents at $45.90 a barrel while OPEC’s daily basket pegged at $42.70 a barrel.

On Friday, the June Brent contract expired at $48.13 a barrel, a 21.5 percent gain over the month that marked the largest monthly advance since May

EKo DisCo announces one month power rationing in VI, Ikoyi Opeoluwani Akintayo Eko Electricity Distribution Company has announced that beginning from Tuesday, the 3rd of May, there will be power rationing in Lekki, Ikoyi,

Victoria Island and some parts of Ajah, all in Lagos Island.

A statement from the Corporate Communications Department of the company in Lagos, disclosed that the power rationing was to enable the Transmission Company

of Nigeria (TCN) to upgrade both Line 1 and Line 2 of Ajah-Alagbon transmission line from 132kv to 330kv.

According to the statement, during the upgrade operation which will last between three and four

weeks, the Lekki Transmission injection sub-station from which most of the areas to be affected by the power rationing are fed, would be completely shut down.

The statement however said that to ensure that the areas are

not completely out of supply for the duration of the upgrade operation, alternative power supply arrangement would be made through back-feeding operation to the areas from Alagbon Transmission injection sub-station via Ijora.

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

NYSC, CBN, BoI to float loan scheme for corps members – DG

Chairman, Leventis Foundation of Nigeria, Mr Ahmed Mantey; Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai And Guest Speaker, from Oxford University London, Prof. Christopher Perrins at the 5Th Annual A.P. Leventis lecture in Jos on Thursday

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

The NYSC, D-G urged the corps members to be passionate in whatever they do, saying, “doing so will help you to explore your potentials and capabilities.’’

Kazaure further reminded the corps members that NYSC was all about national service and national integration.

He averred that the management of the scheme were encouraging inter-marriages amongst the corps members.

The D-G said that the various activities lined up at the orientation camp were aimed at preparing them for the challenges ahead during and after service.

He called on the corps to integrate with the host communities, dress decently, as well as respect their cultures and traditions.

Kazaure admonished the corps members to help in providing the needs of their host communities. ‘’ You should endeavour to transform the host communities by adding value to them,’’ Zakari urged.

The D-G also warned the corps members against unnecessary and unauthorised journeys during their service year.

Oil price drops globally, as OPEC’s output increases CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

“In a normal economic environment, we will see the price direction is rather upwards than downwards,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Sunday during a G7 meeting of energy ministers in Japan.

Non-OPEC output is set to mark its biggest decline in around 20 years, Birol said.

At the G7 meeting, U.S. The IEA’s Birol also said a drawdown in global stockpiles should start toward the end of the year, though some U.S. shale producers are using the price rally to hedge their production.

Kaduna generates N14m N12.5bn indebtedness: Arik owes us not FAAN, says Bi-Courtney monthly from quarry Charles Okonji As part of economic diversification, creation of employment and boosting of internally generated revenue (IGR), quarry miners in Kaduna State have tapped into the Federal Government’s job creation agenda to earn about N14 million monthly from the business.

The Chairman, Babban Saura Quarry Miners Association, Kaduna, Malam Yakubu Shago, who stated this recently in Kaduna while addressing newsmen said, “Miners in the area make as much as N14 million monthly from quarry exploitation. Miners at Babban Saura generate an average of 50 trucks of stones for the construction industry on a daily basis.

He stated noted “A truck of three quarter stones sells for N10,000 while a truck of half-inch stones sells for N12,000. With 50 trucks leaving the quarry every day, it will give you an average of N500, 000 daily and N3.5 million weekly.”

Shago maintained that it takes about five days for a miner and three days for two miners to provide a truck load of stones using crude implements and raw strength, noting that the artisanal miners in the area were mostly from Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kaduna States.

He said that the miners could generate more if supported with modern equipment, such as crushers, to fast track their activities, calling on Kaduna State Government to support them with relevant equipment and training to improve their efficiency and productivity, as it will enhance the country’s GDP “The miners are working their lives out, exhausting their physical strength from 6:00am to as late as 6:00pm daily, with no time to do other thing beside breaking stones. If the government can support us with the needed machineries, we would achieve more per day, exercising little energy, close early and also partake in other social activities,’’ Shago exppained.

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2), Lagos, on Sunday claimed that Arik Air was not indebted to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), but to BASL. Bi-Courtney made the claim in a statement signed by its Chief Operations Officer, Ms Adebisi Awoniyi, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that Arik Air operations at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) were disrupted on April 20 by aviation unions and some FAAN workers, over its alleged N12.5 billion indebtedness to the agency.

However, the statement claimed that the alleged N12.5 billion debt was part of Bi-Courtney’s legitimate revenue that FAAN had continued to appropriate, despite several legal pronouncements.

It said: ``We want the public, particularly relevant stakeholders, to note that the country’s law recognises Bi-Courtney as the genuine owner of GAT.

``This thus makes FAAN’s continuous operation of the terminal illegal and a clear violation of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. FAAN, however, continues to defy the laws of the land. ``It has openly and recklessly denied our company 60 per cent of its revenue by its continuous illegal operation of the GAT as a competing terminal to MMA2, even after an Arbitration Panel, a Court of Law and an Appeal Court had ruled in our favour.”

The statement said consequently, all revenues being collected by FAAN at the GAT, including the contentious N12.5 billion, belonged to Bi-Courtney.

It said: ``The implication of this is that both FAAN and Arik Air are indeed fighting over monies that lawfully belong to BiCourtney. ``We also wish to categorically confirm that all the airlines operating at the GAT are actively involved in FAAN’s act of illegality, because they are all aware of the position of the law in respect of the ownership of the terminal.”

Clearing agents urge NPA to rescind planned eviction CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

ed them audience since the letter was sent to them in February.

“We are all agents but they want to displace us from here. I do not know where they want us to go.

“They have not provided any alternative for us. This was why we wrote a letter to the Managing Director so that we can hear

from him because to displace all the crowd from here, where do they want us to go?

“The management of NPA has been saying they do not want people loitering around the port and now they want to displace us with no alternative.

“If they push us out of this place, where do they want us to go?

“We are not security risk here

because we are doing our legitimate jobs and we have been here for more than 20 years.

“We have been here doing our normal jobs and we have never been security threats to anyone,” he said.

In another development, Davinder P. S. Sandhu, Team Leader of World Bank’s Panel of the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) has

observed that Nigeria’s port concession exercise implemented ten years ago has been a success.

Davinder P. S. Sandhu, stated this when he paid a visit to the Corporate Headquarters of NPA in Marina.

He noted that part of the achievements of the port concession include improved turnaround of vessels and improved efficiency in cargo handling.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

B3 Money Market

External reserves drop by $741m in one month Stories by Motolani Oseni As demand for foreign exchange persist in the country, the nation’s gross external reserves have depreciated by $741.22 million between March and April 2016.

This is coming on the heels of the proposed currency deal between Nigeria and China, which is expected to lessen the pressure on the Naira exchange rate, due to dollar demand for

import related businesses.

According to the latest figures provided on the official website of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the external reserves as at the end of April stood at $27.12 billion as against the $27.86 on March of 2016.

A comparison with the balance of the nation’s reserve in 2015 of the same period brings the total drop on the reserves between April 30 of 2015 and 28of April, 2016 to a whopping

$2.40 billion, with balance of $29.52, against the $27. 12billion.

However, the external reserve in February had dropped by 0.8 percent or $232 million from $28.091 million to $27.859 million while in January 2016, it fell by three percent or $908 million from $29.069 to $28.161 million.

The statistics revealed that the external reserves had depreciated by 14.1 percent in 2015, moving from $34.46 bil-

Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade (middle) in a chat with Managing Director/CEO, Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Ahmed Kuru (left) and Managing Director, Ponet Engineering, Mr. Wolfgang Hans, inside one of the coaches during the maiden ride aboard Calabar Monorail in Calabar…recently

lion as at December 31, 2014 to $29.069 billion as at December 31, last year.

This explained that the decline was due to the fact that the level of inflow into the reserves was lower than the level of outflow during the period.

It is worthy to note that Nigeria’s reserves continued a steady appreciation, rising by 0.2 percent within seven days in March as global oil price rose to $40 per barrel at the time.

Reserves which had begun a slow recovery since February having declined to $27.789 billion stood at $27.823 billion as at February 29 but had risen to $27.879 billion as at Monday March 7, 2016, according to latest data given by the apex bank.

Although, speculative pressures may have remained relatively passive in the foreign exchange market, as exchange rates across segments maintained a relative stability in almost all the trading days of the week, although the wide spread between the official and parallel market rates remains.

While the official Naira/Dollar rate at the official segment stayed unchanged at N197/$, the interbank rate remained at N199.50/$ and the parallel market opened on Monday in Lagos, Abu and Port Harcourt at N321

per dollar.

Already, market sentiments have swung in favour of the naira, as the expectation of relative calmness in the foreign exchange market has been expressed by analysts.

“Although the comprehensive details of the Yuan/Naira currency deal remains unavailable, we believe the completion of the transaction has the potential of reducing the dollar demand pressure especially for imports from China. This is likely to rein in speculative pressures in the foreign exchange market in the interim,” analysts at Afrinvest Securities Limited, said.

However, indications have shown that the fall in the foreign exchange reserves’ profile was moderate, compared to previous periods, as it recorded an average of $23.3 million per day.

The CBN has said the declining level of the external reserves is as a result of lower inflow of foreign exchange and an unyielding demand level for the greenback.

Although the price of crude oil in the international market has risen above $40 per barrel in recent times, this has not reflected in the level of Nigeria’s external reserves which has continued to decline.

Economic downturn: Lagosians put more properties up for rent\sale There are strong indications that the economic hardship heightened by shortage of the United States’ dollar, rising inflation, unemployment, fuel shortage and dwindling cash flow has led to huge vacancies at the highend property market in Lagos.

Investigations reveal that most tenants in Ikeja, Maryland, Apapa and Oshodi have vacated some expensive accommodations and moved to Mowe , iyana ipaja and Abule Egba.

Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN) gathered that landlords have decided to hedge this risk by letting properties and spreading rents over a longer time span.

Giving reasons for the rising vacancies in Lagos, Managing Director Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Mr. Bismark Rewane and the FDC team in their April edition of the Lagos Business School (LBS) breakfast session said that properties up

for lease were 2.3 times more than properties that were put for sale.

Factors influencing the highbrow Lagos vacancy factor according to the FDC team are banning of rents payment in dollars; reduction in the number of visiting expatriates & oil industry workers; sharp decline in investor confidence; inflationary pressures & disposable income erosion and higher interest rates making mortgages less attractive.

Real estate agents said those who rent more apartments in Lekki, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, Lagos highbrow areas, are typically the oil refining and servicing companies’ expatriates or workers.

“Those properties at the highbrow areas are priced in dollars, and if getting dollars is becoming expensive, you will have to know that the cost of acquiring these properties

Ambode

literally have gone up,” said Gbadebo Adejana, Managing Director, Realty Point Limited.

The multifaceted PanAfrican real estate, primarily involved on the supply side of the industry, who reckoned in previous interaction with newsmen, noted that the decline

in demand for high-end property supplies is a reflection of the entire economy.

According to FDC analysts, in 12 months, there has been a general deterioration in macroeconomic conditions as confirmed by misery index (a sense of national desperation and anger).

While introducing the FDC/ Lagos Vacancy Factor Index (LVFI) which measures the vacancy levels in (Residential, Commercial & Office accommodation) in the Ikoyi, Victoria Island & Lekki axis of Lagos, the FDC team however, pointed that the lingering economic downturn is not yet as severe as depicted, otherwise, more properties would be on sale.

In recent time, inflation rate has jumped to 11.4per cent in February 2016 relative to 8.5per cent in March 2015. The pressure on foreign exchange (FX) remains

unabated as policy stance on the local unit worsens the already not-so-impressive outlook on the naira. Unemployment rate rose to 10.4 percent in quarter (Q) 4:2015 from 7.5 percent in Q1:2015 while improvement in electricity supply and other critical infrastructure remains hampered by policy constraints and delayed budget implementation.

In view of the aforementioned, analysts at an investment banking and research company Afrinvest, said they are particularly worried by the government’s handling of sensitive concerns in the economy.

“In our opinion, the persistent scarcity of fuel and worsening energy crisis in the country cast a dark cloud on the capacity of the administration to continue to enjoy the initial excitement that greeted its victory 12 months ago.

Labour B4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Ekiti Speaker urges workers to remain hopeful Stories by Joy Ekeke The Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Kola Oluwawole, has urged civil servants in the state to remain resilient and hopeful in the face of recession and delayed salary payments.

Oluwawole, in a Workers’ Day celebration message issued in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday by his Media Aide, Mr Stephen Gbadamosi, commended the workers on their patience saying relief will soon come their way.

“I particularly want to praise the resilience of our workforce and the entire citizens of Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria in general.

“The resilience and perseverance during the months of economic recession has been legendary and unprecedented.

“But I have a message of

hope; very soon, I believe we will all heave a sigh of relief.

“On our part as a government in Ekiti State, under the leadership of Gov. Ayo Fayose, we have not been able to sleep with our two eyes since this recession has been having adverse effect on the welfare of the workers.

“At the end of the tunnel, we will soon have light. I assure you that we are more committed to making life more meaningful to workers in the state,” he said.

The speaker said that the Federal Government must also be thinking of how to get the country out of the current economic logjam.

“I, on behalf of the entire House of Assembly in Ekiti State, congratulate the leadership and members of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and those of Trade Union Congress (TUC),” he said

L-R: Ahmdu Blackfacenaija Augustine; Alhaji Sambo Danka; ; Manager RingoTelecoms, Ltd. Chinyere Madudimnaka and beneficiary of the gift, Mr. Oge Okolie, during the 3rd Year Anniversary celebration of RingoTelecoms Ltd. In Lagos.

Increased minimum wage will aid Union says FG can afford fight against corruption – Cleric minimum wage increase Joy Ekeke The General Secretary Pulp Paper and Paper Products printing and Publishing Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PPAPPPAPSSAN), Comrade Benedict Ikegbulam has said the Federal Government can afford to increase the National Minimum Wage.

Speaking with Daily Times, Ikegbulam, said there is need for a raise of the current minimum wage from N18, 000 and government can afford the new N56, 000 proposed minimum wage.

“The economic situation is very clear to all of us.Which Nigerian can live by N18,000? and nobody will tell us there is no money in this country.”

He said “When the National Assembly is buying one car for N36million, do you know how many people that N36million for one vehicle will pay their of

salary?

“No one can live with that kind of minimum wage for 30 working days, except we don’t want to be sincere with ourselves. There is need for a change of the minimum wage.”

He further stressed that, the government can afford the proposed minimum wage because they enjoy jumbo salaries. “Even when workers are lamenting for it to be cut down, rather than doing that they are creating more avenues for making money.”

“If you are poor there are indices to show that you are poor but those indices are not there on the part of the government.

“There is no way anybody can convince us that there is no money. Corruption is the major problem in Nigeria and we must all join hands to fight corruption. But in their actions and deeds have they shown that there is no Money,” he queried.

Osu

The Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Msgr.

Gabriel Osu, has hinged success in the fight against corruption on improved welfare of civil servants, specifically, a raise of the current minimum wage.

Osu, in a statement made available to the media in Lagos on Saturday, appealed to Presi-

dent Muhammadu Buhari to look into and address the plight of Nigerian workers, noting that the minimum wage of Nigerian workers was grossly inadequate. ``Except the take home pay of the average worker is able to provide the basic necessities of life, then the fight against corruption will remain an illusion,” Osu said.

Osu said the 2016 May Day should be a time to examine the importance of work or labour to our physical and spiritual wellbeing. ``Labour should be valued as the source of unequalled prosperity, and as a characteristic of a strong and determined people. ``It is a thing of joy for a man to wake up in the morning and go to work. Conversely, it is not dignifying for a man to be jobless. ``When a man is without job, he is restless and uncomfortable. It is expectedly so because when one fails to work, poverty would creep in,” he said.

Osu also decried the rate of unemployment in the country, and suggested that something drastic should be done because “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.

He expressed regrets that many youths were idling away because there was no work for them to do.

“Many of them now resort to engaging in manual labour to keep body and soul together.

“Those who are too proud to bend down, unfortunately, take to robbery and kidnapping in order to lay their hands on quick money.

“Part of man’s purpose on earth is to be productive. To be productive he needs to work.

“Scientists have since proven that the day a man stops to be productive, he begins to die slowly,” he said.

Osu said that for the country to be progressive, government should show more genuine commitment toward providing gainful opportunities for the unemployed.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

B5 Energy

Oando Plc to sell off Oando Gas & Power Stories by Opeoluwani Akintayo Oando Plc has opened the floor to three companies, Helios, Quantum Power and the American equity fund KKR, to bid for the purchase of one of its subsidiaries, Oando Oil & Gas. According to a document obtained by Business Times, Quantum Power has already pulled out after citing a clause in the bid document that it disagrees with.

The assets in Oando Gas & Power’s kitty include (1) Central Horizon Gas Company (CHGC), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to rehabilitate and expand the distribution of natural gas in the Greater Port Harcourt Area, Rivers State located in South-South region of Nigeria; (2) Gaslink Nigeria Limited, the franchise under which Oando distributes natural gas in the greater Lagos area. Gaslink operates a 20 year Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) with the Nigeria Gas Company and is the pioneering indigenous Nigerian firm in

Chevron posts Q1 loss of $725m

the piping and distribution of natural gas to industrial, residential and commercial consumers.

Gaslink has executed the construction of about 100km of natural gas pipeline distribution network from the Nigerian Gas Company city gate in the industrial suburb of Ikeja in the north of the city, to cover industries in (mainly) Ikeja and Apapa (in the southwest of the city). Gaslink currently delivers over 60MMscf/d of gas to over 150 customers on its grid, with the capacity to deliver up to 100MMscf/d and (3) Gas Network Services Limited (GNSL), operator of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facility, also in Lagos.

GNSL serves the growing energy demand of customers unable to access gas pipeline supply in the Lagos area and environs.

Its first and so far only CNG Mother Station, is designed for an initial output capacity of 150,000 standard cubic meters per day (SCMD), equivalent to 10MMscf/d, at a discharge pres-

sure of 250 barg, and can serve customers within a 200km radius.

Other assets already sold by Oando Plc included the Power plants at Akute and Alausa in the

north of Lagos.

Monthly report by Africa Oil + Gas, indicated that last June, Oando Plc agreed to sell 49% of the voting rights and 60% of the economic rights in its

downstream businesses to HV Investments II B.V., a joint venture owned by a fund advised by Helios Investment Partners and The Vitol Group, for circa $276 million”.

Chevron Corporation has reported a loss of $725 million ($0.39 per share- diluted) for the first quarter 2016, compared with earnings of $2.6 billion ($1.37 per share- diluted) in the first quarter.

Revenue for the quarter came in at $23.55 billion, against the comparable year-ago figure of $34.56 billion.

“First quarter results declined from a year ago,” John Watson,

Chevron’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Our Upstream business was impacted by a more than 35 percent decline in crude oil prices. Our Downstream operations continued to perform well, although overall industry conditions and margins this quarter were weaker than a year ago.”

Chevron’s downstream segment fell $688 million for the quarter year over year, while its upstream seg-

ment posted a loss of $1.46 billion for the quarter.

He also said “our efforts are focused on improving free cash flow.”

The company’s stock closed down 0.21 percent.

Analysts expected Chevron to report a loss of 20 cents per share on $21.43 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates.

Watson has said he anticipates

steadying oil prices, which have been near historical lows due to ample supply over the past year. As a result of low prices, producers have slashed costs and investment dollars have dwindled across the sector, Watson told CNBC earlier this month.

“The shale oil developments in the U.S., what we call infill drilling in the business, that has slowed down measurably,” he said.

Obijackson Group showcases Nigeria’s potentials at OTC The Obijackson Group has stated that it is attending the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) holding in Houston, United States of America from May 2 to 5, 2016 for economic ambassadorial purposes.

It noted that its obligations to the nation include projecting her potentials to global investors and attracting them to join in the government’s resolve to diversify and develop the nation’s economy.

The Group has expressed determination to leverage its participation at the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection, to showcase the country’s potentials though its specialist services.

According to its Group Manag-

ing Director, Dr. Ernest ObiejesiAzudialu “Nigeria is currently undergoing a process of rebirth that will bring prosperity to everyone. As Nigerians, we have a duty to help the world understand this and highlight the opportunities that come with the transformation to them”.

“As a Group which has been operating in the country for over three decades, the nature of our operations has established us as a dependable partner in Nigeria’s quest for national development and economic empowerment. Through our operations in pressure vessel fabrication, civil and road construction, pipeline construction, dredging and marine logistic services, aviation services, oil and gas exploration, and power generation, we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to the growth of the

Nigerian nation”.

Over the years, the Group’s expertise has been proven through successful execution of technically complex projects that have eased clients operations in Nigeria and facilitated national development.

The Obijackson Group partners in Nigerian projects and contributes to social wellbeing through its Obijackson Foundation which awards scholarships to indigent students, empowers women, engages in community infrastructural development and provision of health care with the most recent being the completion and commissioning of an ultra-modern Obijackson children hospital in Okija, Anambra State.

Officaborrum volorios sinctus solorum ipsum quis etur, sam et velia quid que pe de litas elestion

Nigeria’s weekly energy watch # *

Energy Generated (MWh)

*

Energy Sent Out (MWh) Peak (MW) Off-Peak (MW) Spinning Reserve (MW) Constrained (MW) Units (Available) Units (On Bars)

* * * * * *

Last Week (Avg) 77

This Week (Avg)

76

74

3 2 38

3 2 37

3

3

79 38

78 38

75

OPEC

daily basket price

OPEC daily basket price stood at $42.02 a barrel Thursday, 28 April 2016

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

L-r: Director, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor; President/CEO, Mr. Emmanuel Nnorom; Chairman, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu; and Non-Executive Director, Alhaji Abdulquadir Jeli Bello and Mr. Stanley Lawson, at the 10th Annual General Meeting of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc, held at Transcorp Hotel, Calabar on Friday.

Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers launches e-trading platform on The NSE Nigeria’s largest stockbroking firm and member of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, has launched an online stockbroking service on The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with real-time processing capacity. The Stanbic IBTC E-Trade provides investors with real-time market information as well as enabling them give real-time mandates to buy or sell shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Among its uptakes, the platform is expected to help the market regain the confidence of investors by availing them of insight required to act prudently on new investment opportunities in the marketplace via a secure and robust technologically-driven platform Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Sola David-Borha, said the Group is committed to helping deepen the Nigerian capital market by making available to the investing public information, initiatives and strategies that could help them have superior information about developments in both the local and global markets.

She stated, “In introducing the new platform, the overarching goal is to identify both opportunities and threats in the global marketplace, which is made available to investors in real-time to enable them respond as quickly as possible. Our focus is on attracting investment to the Nigerian economy.

The Stanbic IBTC E-Trade Platform is targeted at all retail investors”.

Enumerating the benefits of the platform, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, Titi Ogungbesan, stated that with reliable and timely data, decision making is faster and investors are better able to structure their activities for efficiency, while tapping into opportunities, all of which will positively impact both their portfolios and returns.

Ogungbesan, who said there is no better time to invest in the Nigerian capital market than now when prices of equities are low and consequently attractive, noted that trading on Stanbic IBTC ETrade is limited to only NSE for now. She highlighted other benefits of the Stanbic IBTC E-Trade

to include flexible online trading environment anywhere, 24-hour access to your brokerage account, access to live market data from The Nigerian Stock Exchange for instant investment decision, convenience, transparency and control over your investment. Others are instant email notification on your transactions, automated contract note and trade notification delivery system.

The Stanbic IBTC Group had in the recent past launched several products and services to deepen growth of the Nigerian financial services market. Among these are the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a composite index to measure private sector activities to provide an early indication of business conditions in the country; the Stanbic IBTC Exchange Traded Fund 30 (ETF 30), an index built on the NSE 30 Index, that tracks the 30 most capitalized companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange; and the Securities Lending Product, which involves the temporary transfer of securities from one party (the Lender) to another (the borrower) for a fee.

Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, a leading Nigerian independent oil and gas company listed on both the Nigerian Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange, has announced its first quarter results, revealing a 35 per cent decline in Total revenue from N25.6 billion to N16.6 billion as a reflection of lower oil price realisations and shut-in of the Forcados terminal.

The results obtained through the Nigerian Stock Exchange also noted that Crude revenue for the period (after lifting adjustments) was N11.1 billion, down 53% from N23.4 billion recorded previously Gas revenue was however up by 145 percent from N2.2 billion recorded in first three months of 2015 to N5.4 billion in the first quarter of 2016.

Further revelation from the company’s result was a loss before

Seplat revenue falls 35% in Q1’2016 tax of N2.98 billion, representing a 162 percent decline from a profit before tax of N4.83 billion declared in the corresponding period of 2015. The company also made a loss after tax of N4.5 billion from a profitable position of N4.9 billion in Q1 2015.

Also, working interest sales volumes during the first three months increased to 2.7 MMboe from 2.5 MMboe in 2015. The total volume of crude lifted in the first three months was 1.1 MMbbls compared to 1.8 MMbbls in 2015.

Total gas volume sold was 1.6 MMboe (2015: 0.7 MMboe).

Summary of activities on NSE ASI

25,062.41

DEALS

3,493.00

VOLUME

229,191,984.00

VALUE

1,502,207,588.00

CAP

8,621,005,069,253.83

Fidelity Bank declares N34.4b as earnings for Q1 2016 Fidelity Bank Plc, has released its unaudited first quarter (Q1) 2016 financial results with gross earnings of N34.4 billion for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016. The result shows that the figure was 5 percent lower than the N36.4 billion recorded in the comparative period of 2015.

Its net interest income increased by 30 per cent to N16.1billion from N12.4 billion achieved in the first

quarter of 2015, as the bank’s net operating income increased by 6.2 per cent to N20.8 billion from N19.6 billion posted in the preceding period of 2015.

The bank’s profit before tax stood at four billion naira in contrast with N4.7 billion in 2015, a decrease of 14.6 per cent. while profit after tax declined by 10.5 per cent to N3.6 billion from four billion naira in 2015.

Furthermore, the results indicated that the bank’s total expenses increased by 15.7 per cent to N16 billion from N13.9 billion in the first quarter of 2015, and its total assets increased to N1.28 trillion from N1.23 trillion in 2015.

The bank said that the financial performance for the quarter was a reflection of the continued slowdown in business activities.

The results obtained from the

bank explained that lower government revenues arising from depressed oil prices, lower interest rate regime and weaker macro-economic environment contributed to slowdown in business activities. ``We continued to improve the earnings capacity of our balance sheet (fund based income) despite the decline in fee income,’’ it stated.

It explained that the bank’s key objectives for the 2016 full year remained redesigning of its systems and processes to enhance service delivery and cost optimisation initiatives to reduce expenses by per cent. Adding that the bank would ensure proactive risk management, increased customer adoption and migration to digital platforms and increase retail banking market share

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 29-04-2016

Features B8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 3, 2016

For an Agency battling high level corruption, piracy and dearth of manpower, the Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has his work cut out for him. BABAJIDE OKEOWO in this report takes a look at the measure being put in place by the new DG to surmount the myriad of problems and restore confidence to a much maligned government parastatal.

When Dr. Dakuku Peterside was appointed as the Director General of The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), many eyebrows were raised, with many stakeholders in the maritime industry scoffing at the choice of the Rivers state gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the last general election.

out to the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army to form a coalition in providing security on Nigerian waterways.

During a courtesy visit to the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Adm. Ibok Ete-Ibas and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Abuja shortly after assuming office, The Director-General said that the rising incidents of piracy had affected the

Peterside

Tough road ahead of Peterside as NIMASA battles Piracy, manpower shortfall Many labelled him the stooge of the Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, some said the appointment was just a way of compensating him for losing the election while some stakeholders doubted his technical know-how in turning the fortune of the agency around.

Their reasons and fears were not far-fetched, Dakuku was taking up the position at a time the agency was facing a myriad of problem ranging from high level corruption, piracy and man power shortfall amongst other problems.

One of the major problems facing NIMASA before the advent of Peterside was the issue of piracy and security of Nigerian waterways. The severity of the problem was highlighted at a conference organised by the Nigeria Shippers Council and Tell Magazine recently by the Chairman of the Port Consultative Council (PCC), Otunba Kunle Folarin who declared that Nigeria will continue to lose millions of dollars in revenue accruable from fishing until both NIMASA and Nigerian Navy comes out to tell us who is in charge of our waterways.

‘I think that will probably be well addressed when the struggle between NIMASA and The Nigerian Navy is settled, we will know who is in charge of our territorial water’ ‘This is where we have problem, there is multiple attention of several agencies claiming mandate of a particular function.

Dakuku Peterside however has seized the initiative by reaching

economic fortunes of the nation and urged the military to initiate a joint patrol of the maritime domain to curb the trend.

According to him ‘maritime security is a national and international obligation of all stakeholders, I call on Nigerian Navy to continue with the good job of fighting piracy which they had been doing, I am also assuring the CNS of NIMASA’s resolve to strengthen the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Navy to eradicate piracy and other criminal activities on Nigerian waters.

In his response, Ete-Ibas congratulated Peterside on his appointment as the Director-General of NIMASA while pledging the support of the Nigerian Navy to continue to partner with NIMASA in maintaining safety and security on Nigerian waters.

‘As a strategy against piracy, the Nigerian Navy had deployed boat houses at the entry points of the creeks, we are also in the process of inaugurating a surveillance system being developed by the Office of the National Security Adviser to increase its domain awareness’ Ete Ibas said Buratai on his part pledged the support of the Amphibious Brigade of the Nigerian Army to collaborate with NIMASA and other stakeholders to maintain security in Nigerian waters.

‘The Nigerian Army had the capacity to protect Nigeria’s maritime assets, we are also committed in reducing incidents of piracy, kidnapping and oil theft in the Niger Delta’ Buratai said

“Maritime security is a national and international obligation of all stakeholders, I call on Nigerian Navy to continue with the good job of fighting piracy which they had been doing, I am also assuring the CNS of NIMASA’s resolve to strengthen the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Navy to eradicate piracy and other criminal activities on Nigerian waters” Never before now has the dearth of quality seafarer been on the front burner of maritime discussion.

The Managing Director of Starzs Investment Company Limited, a ship owning company, Engr.

Greg Ogbeifun said this acute shortage is one of the numerous challenges and frustrations confronting the Nigerian ship owner.

Ogbeifun, at the Association of Marine Engineer and Surveyors (AMES) summit held at the Sheraton Hotel Lagos recently lamented that unlike the glorious past of now aged seafarers, Nigeria now parades an army of halfbaked seafarers because there are no training vessels for their sea time training. As a result, there are many seafarers walking about with fake certificates.

“The demise of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) and the consequent loss of opportunity for sea time training for budding seafarers and cadets as well as the challenges faced by the Maritime Academy of Nigeria to turn out world class and employable seafarers have been jointly blamed for the dwindling fortunes of seafarers in Nigeria.

These twin factors have jointly led to mass unemployment as well as the prevalence of fake and ill-trained seafarers.” He stressed that things have become so bad that the percentage of employable seafarers in the country is very low.

Speaking on the role of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), he said the agency has to do more than it is doing at the moment. He said the NSDP, though commendable does not fulfil the yearning of the industry. “We don’t need graduates but professionally trained people like the products of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron.

He said: “Certainly, the statutory role of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in this cannot be overemphasized. Being the agency that is saddled with the responsibility of maritime labour, it has to do more than it is doing at the moment. The National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) which has seen many young Nigerians beginning a career in seafaring is a commendable one but it fails to meet the yearning of the maritime sector for qualified

seafarers due to defects in the programme.”

He observed that ideally, it takes five years to train seafarers from cadetship to officer but observed that since inception of the NSDP only a very insignificant number of cadets trained have become officers. “This shows that that there is a problem with the programme,” he said, adding that “it is not enough to send cadets to foreign maritime institutions, concerted efforts must be made to ensure they have opportunity for sea time training to enable them to be properly certified.”

On forming alliance with his counterparts around the world, Dakuku Peterside is showing an expertise that belies the toga of not having a background in the maritime industry. To this end, he was in Singapore recently to meet with the Maritime and Ports Authority (MPA) of Singapore, Mr. Andrew Tan to seek collaboration for the benefit of both countries.

At the meeting, Dr. Peterside told Mr. Tan that Nigeria has huge maritime potentials that have remained untapped and called on Singapore investors to take advantage of the reforms in Nigeria’s maritime sector to invest in the country.

He also requested partnership with the Singaporean authorities in various areas including technology acquisition for monitoring of the waterways, capacity building of personnel, support to upgrade maritime infrastructure a well as acquisition of more ocean going vessels for indigenous operators.

Life&

Times Tuesday, May 3, 2016

VJ

Ehiz

The goal getter TV personality

L2

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday May 3, 2016

You don’t have e v a h o t h ic r e to b a style - Ehiz Ehizojie Okoeguale popularly known as Ehiz or Dada Boy as he is fondly called came into limelight after clinching the keenly contested grand prize of the MTV Base VJ search in 2013. Since then, Ehiz keeps upping his game as the day goes by as he now dines with the high and mighty in the African continent’s entertainment industry. The Lead City alumnus is the last of five children, from Edo State, Nigeria, but was born and bred in Lagos, Nigeria’s business hub and entertainment center. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, Ehiz speaks about life as a VJ on the MTV platform, what is next for him as the search for a new VJ commences among other sundry issues. Enjoy…

How has the journey of being a VJ been for you?

It’s good, amazing and above all, what I can say is its God’s blessing.

The experience is so huge that I can’t really find the right word to quantify it. All I have to say is that I will work more. The MTV base team entirely has been a family point for me. I have equally enjoyed every moment there.

Life&

T E A M

The MTV Base team will be running another VJ search, are you happy about it?

Sure am very happy, the best part of it is another VJ is giving another person an opportunity, so is not about me been happy or been sad. I’m not the only one VJ on the channel. I’m happy that somebody else can come and see what life is all about, because a lot of young people right now w a n t

to fast track things. I have my own story which come a long way, so I want somebody else come to see that this thing is not moi moi oh, you actually have to do the work, because young people right now want to get rich on Monday. They want to work on Monday and want to get rich on Monday, am super excited, I can’t wait basically.

The next VJ’s is coming out, don’t you think personally you are only a gamer, don’t you feel envious that you might not be in the in the spot light?

No, not at all. I don’t want to see it that way. In South Africa, we have six win moves to the music, six ways just put you on the platform and now you are bigger brother and you can actually do things for yourself. To me, it is a chance open for another person to discover what I discovered. There is no hatred, am ready and am happy. Somebody to takeover on what have been doing for the past three years; am very happy. Not been the regular VJ that I am used to does not make me feel bad because the MTV base family now has a new show tagged ‘Ridiculousness Africa’ which I will be part of and other shows. I am still very much around.

You sounded a bit aggressive when someone asked about your constant appearance on stage and musical videos?

They just keep saying this thing as if have been in 30 videos. I have just been in 5 videos for crying out loud.

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Abimbola Obatayo

But you were a bit aggressive when the questions was asked?

Because the journalist in question wrote something about me. I like him because his doing his job but how many videos have I been in? A couple of people have been in every single video, like I said I got the juice; it’s not my fault if you see me in videos and you can’t stop talking.

Well, I like it and you can’t expect me to stop anytime soon. And it will get bigger and better. In the next video, I might be kissing Tiwa Savage you can never really know, so watch out.

Are you actually dreaming on having a kiss one of these days on set?

Yes of course, I will kiss all of them, all Nigerian artistes in music videos, I will be a love interest. They just seems to be love interested music artistes. If there is a role for me to kiss an artiste especially the female ones, I will be willingly to do that.

‘Ridiculousness show’ is huge, what else did you have to put on the table that is different from what you have there?

First and foremost, we are going to make it Africa, because obviously their own is American. So we are going to make it African, we are going to make it solid. It will definitely be funny; Myself, Thomas, Uti, the three of us we are going to do the show together. It’s going to be amazing and we are going to make it bigger than you have ever seen.

To me, it is like a battle between Lip sync, Baron and Ridiculousness, because I think they have a good

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

show but not as good as ours, so I think we have to fight them for ratings, we will be great. If you have seen Ridiculousness, you will know it is funny, and we have a lot of videos online to morn, so it will be a good experience, I can’t actually wait.

In your conversation, you said your mom was the first to see the advert of the VJ search season you won, so how did she feel?

Mum is at home enjoying life, probably not doing anything, you know women they are always doing something. My mum is at home happy probably recorded all my shows on PVR. My mum is my biggest fan.

As a host of the Dance with Peter show, you showed skills in singing; is Ehiz looking at going into music?

I can sing what they can sing, I

Graphics Daniel Ekiye

can do a D’Banj song and I can kill it, but me sitting down and write a song, I don’t think so. I can lip sync on songs but not as a career.

Having such a busy schedule joggling from events to shows, how do you spend your free time?

When I have free time, I sleep even though I don’t get to sleep a lot, I just sleep and eat and if I am not doing any of the two, then I’m working. With this kind of our job, sometimes you feel you are free but unconsciously you are still working.

What’s fashion and style to you?

I’m not a fashionista, but I believe it’s anything you have in your wardrobe, “nah wetin I get I dey wear”. Style on the other hand is your swag. Whatever makes you comfortable and confident is your style; you don’t have to be rich to have a style.

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 3, 2016

L3 Relationship

Caleb Akinboro

Ladies take note:

Starting a relationship not all about wealth or popularity of a man It’s quite funny how a lady accepts a man’s proposal after she must have hurled on insults at him. In fact, the essence of life has been gabled with loss and materialism. Some may even treat men like monkeys in the swamp, neglecting they were all created from a man’s ribs; embarrass you in public all because you don’t belong to the “upper class”.

I was opportune to have such experience back then in school, but I was astonished with what happened in the end.

My story begins!

It was a bright Saturday morning, when my dad made an astonishing statement saying, “Son, you will be resuming at a model college at Ikorodu’’. I became surprised because my dad never informed me about my switch to a new school since I was in a private school then.

Well, the much awaited day came for me to leave the house for my new school. Dad took me in his car and we arrived at Lagos State Model College Igbogbo, Ikorodu.

It was this school that made me visible to my first ever girlfriend, but that will be at the climax.

The next day, dad came to visit me at the college to introduce me to a school guardian who will be keeping my money and my provisions to avoid it missing. I got to know my classroom, assembly ground, and other buildings in the environs so as to get myself familiar with everything in the college.

I resumed on a sunny Monday morning during the morning

devotion at the assembly ground where we sang praises to God and recited the national anthem before marching to our various classes. My class, JSS 2 was not really attracting, but I was not surprised since it is a government school. Lecture periods commenced and ended in series till it was time for break. During the break, I decided to get something to eat at the cafeteria, after which I started to think about the boring atmosphere of the school.

As I was brooding, a tall, fair, voluptuous beauty walked past me with her friends. I became infatuated on seeing her while my mouth was wide opened all because of her dazzling beauty. Her smile could

change a doleful countenance to a cheerful one. My new friends called on me, but I was deaf to their calls because of the hypnotizing sight of Elizabeth Akpan.

However, I didn’t have the courage to walk up to her. Reason being that I was not neat in appearance due to the fact that I wash my clothes without rinsing it. In fact, I always appeared tattered, calling me a pig would be an understatement. I was not popular in school. Even in tutorials, she was always with my tutorial teacher and

each time my teacher asked me any question, if I didn’t know it, she and her friends would begin to make jest of me, calling me an “olodo”, a Yoruba name for dullards. I became determined to win her heart despite my reputation in school.

That is a day I can never forget in my life because it was a day of embarrassment. I made up my mind to try my luck by approaching her in a calm way as opposed to my reputation. I asked her to lend me her book to read which she gave me and a warm smile. After using the book, I put an inscription, “I love you” at the back of the book forgetting that the teacher for that subject detests extra jottings at the

back of a note.

When we met after prep, she was mad at me and slapped me in the presence of my friends and juniors for writing such “rubbish” at the back of her note. I could not bear the embarrassment as I became ashamed. Out of shame, I ran fast to save my face. Later, my friends saw me and said, “Cruz, why are you looking devastated?”

I replied saying, “My provisions were stolen and my parents won’t come to visit me”. I was called Don Cruz then as my alias.

After the incident, we were all promoted to the same class, JSS 3. I had become very neat, had a lot of school uniforms and house wears and was quite intelligent.

Added to my new profile, I became a renowned prefect and I started representing the school at various conferences and competitions. Due to all these sudden change in me, I noticed a positive change in Sandra’s behavior towards me.

On the other hand, I thought about how Elizabeth had embarrassed me in public and also her change of attitude towards me. All these gave me a leverage to try asking her out again. But at the same time I was cautious about everything as I wanted to curtail further embarrassment.

Hence, dilemma started arising.

Moreover, my friends advised me to try her out again; I jokingly told them that they will be the ones to laugh at me if she slapped me again.

To sum it up, I asked her out and to my surprise, she started blushing and she finally said “yes” to my proposal. She apologised for disgracing me publicly by kneeling down. Later on, we gave ourselves a couple name tagged “Don Cruz & Lizzy Cruz”. I urge all ladies not to embarrass men with lower class because they don’t know what might happen in posterity.

L4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday May 3, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 3, 2016

L5

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday May 3, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 3, 2016

L7

Eyola

eyola@aol.com

Beyoncé’s

Black Justice Movement 1ne

Beyoncé’s new black anthem song Formation made its debut at the Super Bowl halftime at the Levi’s Stadium in California this February. Her costume of choice for herself and her #BlackGirlMagic army was inspired by the Black Panther Party and was complimented with Malcolm X inspired choreography. This is her version of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech. With the chosen words for her speech “I dream it. I work hard. I grind, ‘til I own it.” Her politically charged, black history lesson, music video was released the day before her live performance. Some people have praised her as an activist, while others argue that she only focuses on one point of view.

Where do you stand?

2wo

Addressing The Illuminati Rumours - Beyoncé uses the song to put an end rumours that she is part

of a cult: “Y’all haters corny with that illuminati mess. Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh.”

3hree Southern Anthem - Her music video opens with her educating us on her heritage, and her love for being: a black human being, woman, mother – with her daughter Blue Ivy making a cameo – and a Southerner, just like the people of New Orleans: My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana, You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama, I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros.

4our Black Masters – One scene shows Beyoncé, alongside other black women, dressed in luxurious nineteenth century costume with portraits of African royalty framed on the walls. This was an era where ignorance, racism and slavery thrived – and it was also a time that the fight to abolish slav-

ery began. Video Director Melina Matsoukas gave these instructions for this scene: “This is not a house that slaves are working in, this is a house where the slaves are the masters.”

5ive US Police Brutality Against African-Americans – Some American police force quickly planned an anonymous petition online to boycott Beyoncé’s concert, with an aim to leave her without security. Why? They believe that her image references and tribute to innocent black teenager Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead by white policemen George Zimmerman in Florida in 2012 (on the same month, February, that Beyoncé’s Formation was released) was in fact promoting anti-police message. A reaction that seemingly fails to see Beyoncé’s message against discrimination, stereotyping and her promotion of equality. Certain scenes in the video make direct reference to police violence against black people, including a graffiti photo of Martin

Luther

King alongside the text: “Stop shooting us” and a little boy dancing in front of police officers wearing riot uniforms and gear. Beyoncé and Jay Z have fought tirelessly against police brutality against black people, with a recent donation, via their coowned company Tidal, of over $1 million to #BlackLivesMatter.

6ix LGBT– Beyoncé shows her support for the African-American gay and lesbian community. She borrows the sound of bounce music - a popular style of gay music in New Orleans, uses the gay term ‘slay’ which is repeated in the song and there’s a collaboration with musicians Messy Mya and Big Freedia. Both artists are part of the bounce music movement in New Orleans and the video, according to Big Freedia, is a tribute to Messy Mya, an up and coming rapper, comedian and local social

media celebrity, who was killed at the age of 22 on the streets of New Orleans.

7even Hurricane Katrina - Sat on top of a sinking police car, surrounded by water in a flooded street, a powerful visual message is conveyed by this simple shot. Shedding light on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and how it destroyed New Orleans – which once served as a large slave market. It also gives some insight on what happened after the hurricane and how the black people of New Orleans were abandoned by the US government. Beyoncé and husband Jay Z actually own a home in New Orleans, so this subject matter is undoubtedly close to their hearts.

8ight Creole – Beyoncé educates us on her Creole roots, which she inherited from her mother’s side of the family. Louisiana has the largest Creole culture is the US. Creole is not a race, it refers to a cultural heritage that is usually a mix of French, African, and Caribbean cultures. We see references to this culture in the video with shots of Southern food and gothic clothing and styling.

Follow Eyola on Facebook: / Eyola and Twitter: @WorldEyola

Daily Times Nigeria

Tuesday May 3, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies ACTION+ Channel 106

Movies Comedy Channel 104

11:20

18:00

Tue, 3 May | PG

Tue, 3 May | PG 13

Gru, the world’s most lovable villian, and his minions are back in this Oscar-nominated adventure.

This time Gru is recruited to help bring down a bad guy. Benjamin Bratt, Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand, Steve Carell. (2013) Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud.

Andrew Garfield returns for a second round of web-slinging action. Dangerous new enemies and family secrets weigh heavily on young Peter Parker as he struggles with his destiny. Jamie Foxx, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone.(2014) Marc Webb

101 M-Net West

23:30 Chicago PD 00:30 The Real Housewives Of Atlanta 01:30 The Longest Week 03:00 Other Plans 04:25 Away And Back 06:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 07:00 MasterChef Australia 08:00 The Big Bang Theory 08:30 The Last Ship 09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 Begin Again 12:30 The Middle 13:00 MasterChef Australia 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:00 Code Black 16:00 Blue Bloods 17:00 Made In Hollywood 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Mom 19:30 MasterChef Australia 20:30 Chicago Med 21:30 Chicago Fire 22:30 Chicago PD

118 Telemundo

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Broken Angel 02:10 Broken Angel 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 Broken Angel 17:50 Broken Angel 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 Broken Angel 22:00 Broken Angel 22:50 Husband For Hire

152 AfricaMagic Epic

DStv Highlight

M-Net The Duff: The popular kids get a wakeup call in this high school movie. Once a girl finds out that she is being used by her friends, she teams up with a boy and begins a social makeover. Premieres on Sunday 24 April at 7pm and at 7:30pm on M-Net Movies Premiere.

M-Net Edge Motive (S4): Kristin Lehman (The Killing) stars as a feisty Vancouver homicide detective who uses her skills to track down cunning killers with a serial motive. Premieres on Tuesday 19 April at 6pm.

Fargo (S2): An all-star cast brings us another instalment of this Golden Globe and Emmy winning crime anthology. In the season premiere, an unexpected turn of events at a diner disrupts a small Minnesota town. Premieres on Tuesday 19 April at 8pm.

Hannibal (Premiere): Chilling psychological thriller centred on one of fiction’s most terrifying serial killers. In the series premiere, troubled FBI profiler Will Graham is put into the hands of brilliant psychiatrist, Dr Hannibal Lecter. Premieres on Tuesday 19 April at 9pm.

Studio universal She’s The Man: Channing Tatum features in this romantic comedy. When a

23:17 Mary And Martha 01:01 Behind The Scenes: The Place

01:10 Royal Guard 03:13 Forest King 05:10 Twins Of The Rainforest 05:38 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 06:03 Secret Adventure 08:43 Behind The Scenes: October 1st

09:11 Behind The Scenes: The Place

09:20 Igbotic Love 11:19 Igbotic Love 13:13 Healthy Snacking 13:25 Implication 15:29 Above Implication 17:50 Behind The Scenes: Next Dean 18:00 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes 19:00 The King Is Coming 21:21 The King Is Coming

L8 TV guide

teenage girl Amanda Bynes) decides to disguise herself as her twin brother in order to play on a boarding school’s football team it leads to romantic complications for everyone involved, from her arrogant ex-boyfriend to the star striker she develops a crush on... Laura Ramsey, Brandon Jay McLaren and Vinnie Jones also star. Airs on Wednesday 20 April at 7pm.

The Eagle: A young centurion and his British slave set out past Hadrian’s Wall to Caledonia, attempting to learn the ultimate fate of the Ninth Legion. Historical drama, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong. Airs on Wednesday 20 April at 8:50pm.

JAMIE FOXX: Back-to-back Jamie Foxx movies begin with explosive action adventure Stealth (18:00). The US military develop a fighter jet controlled by artificial intelligence, but when it becomes selfaware three hot-shot pilots must stop it inciting war. Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel also star. Military drama Jarhead follows the true story of one Marine, Anthony ‘Swoff’ Swofford, and his experiences in the 1990-91 Gulf War. Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard also star. Watch on 23rd April from 5pm.

155 AfricaMagicWorld 23:15 Music On Africa Magic 00:15 Behind The Scenes: The Place 01:15 Good Morning Africa 02:15 53 Extra 02:45 Star Gist 03:15 Star Gist 03:45 Jara 04:20 Jara

05:00 Goodmorning Africa

06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 07:00 53 Extra 07:30 Star Gist 08:00 Jara 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 Lies That Bind 10:28 Lies That Bind 10:53 Lies That Bind 11:20 Lies That Bind

128 SONY MAX

23:00 Most Shocking 23:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 00:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:25 Enemy Territory 02:55 Sexy Car Wash 03:20 Sexy Car Wash 03:45 Video Zonkers 04:10 South Beach Tow 04:35 South Beach Tow 05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 07:25 Video Zonkers 07:50 South Beach Tow 08:15 South Beach Tow 08:40 Most Shocking 09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos 11:30 Baywatch 12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 13:30 South Beach Tow 14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 16:00 Most Shocking 17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Extreme Reality Clips 20:30 Rude Tube 21:00 Rude Tube 21:30 Freakshow 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Sexy Car Wash