Daily Times E-Newspaper 30-3-15

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 27th March 2015.

EXCHANGE RATES Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN)

GAINERS

Selling(NGN)

LOSERS

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

TOTAL

158.74

14.74

9.29%

POUNDS STERLING

292.1184

292.8636

293.6088

FO

224.89

13.89

214.5133

SEPLAT

399

204.8243

MOBIL

147.95

EURO

213.4244

SWISS FRANC

213.9689

203.7846

204.3044

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UACN

32.05

-0.55

6.18%

UAC-PROP

9.17

-0.46

-5.02%

10.50

2.63%

DANGSUGAR

6.68

-0.09

-1.35%

6.95

4.70%

BERGER

8

-0.06

-0.75%

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NIGERIA

dailytimesng

N150

MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.75

ABUJA

ENUGU

Low 26°C High 38°C

KANO

Low 26°C High 34°C

LAGOS

Low 22°C High 38°C

MAIDUGURI

Low 26°C High 33°C

-1.72%

P/HARCOURT Low 24°C High 32°C

Low 27°C High 39°C

EXCLUSIVE

14 states that’ll determine presidential poll winner Total PVC

APC

Difference

29,992,163

9,406,974

1,692,142

Based on 2011 Turnout

Based on 2011 Turnout Turnout Variance

PDP APC

NO

STATE

REGION PVCs PROJECTED DISTRIBUTED TURNOUT

1

RIVERS

SS

2,127,837

2

DELTA

SS

3

IMO

4

80.52% 64.30%

Projected Turnout (Adj)

Reduction

PDP PROJECTION (%)

APC PROJECTION (%)

VOTER TURNOUT

PDP VOTE

APC VOTE

Difference

75.800%

75.800%

0.00%

87.00%

13%

1,612,900

1,403,223

209,677.06

1,193,546

1,939,952

80.00%

80.000%

0.00%

86.00%

14%

1,551,962

1,334,687

217,275

1,117,412

SE

1,707,449

81.00%

81.000%

0.00%

80.00%

20%

1,383,034

1,106,427

276,607

829,820

ANAMBRA

SE

1,658,967

70.00%

70.000%

0.00%

99.00%

1%

1,161,277

1,149,664

11,613

1,138,051

5

AKWA IBOM

SS

1,587,566

75.00%

75.000%

0.00%

93.00%

7%

1,190,675

1,107,327

83,347

1,023,980

6

ABIA

SE

1,183,127

90.00%

90.000%

0.00%

75.00%

25%

1,064,814

798,611

266,204

532,407

7

CROSS RIVER

SS

983,968

79.00%

79.000%

0.00%

84.00%

16%

777,335

652,961

124,374

528,588

8

LAGOS

SW

3,799,274

41.84%

41.84%

0.00%

60.00%

40%

1,589,616

953,770

635,846

317,923

9

JIGAWA

NW

1,757,658

66.64%

66.64%

0.00%

55.00%

45%

1,171,303

644,217

527,086

117,130

10

KANO

NW

4,112,039

63.17%

63.17%

0.00%

23.00%

77%

2,597,575

597,442

2,000,133

-1,402,691

11

KADUNA

NW

3,174,519

75.81%

75.81%

0.00%

38.00%

62%

2,406,603

914,509

1,492,094

-577,585

12

KATSINA

NW

2,620,096

62.43%

62.43%

0.00%

5.00%

95%

1,635,726

81,786

1,553,940

-1,472,153

13

BAUCHI

NE

1,967,081

73.80%

73.80%

0.00%

15.00%

85%

1,451,706

217,756

1,233,950

-1,016,194

14

KEBBI

NW

1,372,630

66.41%

66.41%

0.00%

15.00%

85%

911,564

136,735

774,829

-638,095

Daily Times’ projected result in six key states that will determine the 2015 presidential election, based on voter-turnout.

SEE STORY ON PAGE 4

PDP claims victory in 23 states, Jega urges caution

24-hr curfew in Bauchi as troops battle gunmen 5 Ï ^ Ɠ Ə ƈ Ɛ ƌ ƈƍƑƋ Ɛƈ Ƈ ƏƆ ƑƋƐ Kingsley Kuku wins three Ondo Reps, Senate for PDP

7

Jega

Editorial Card readers: Jonathan, the statesman 3

Rivers APC shuts INEC office, demands fresh polls

6

2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Politics Page Three

3

s

Editorial

Jonathan the statesman

T

hose who watched President Goodluck Jonathan at Otuoke, Bayelsa State while trying to exercise his civic responsibility at last Saturday’s election would be humbled at the rare humility displayed by the country’s Number One citizen.

As with convention, President Jonathan had arrived at the polling unit with his family to cast his vote. Surprisingly, when he and his wife approached officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for accreditation as required by law, the Card Reader at the polling booth failed to clear them.

Incidentally, that was to happen for four consecutive times, and the President and his wife had to go home. They later came back for the exercise.

The entire embarrassing charade went on for 50 minutes.

In spite of what would have angered him, knowing full well that INEC insisted on using the card readers against wise counsel that a device of that nature should not be used on a national scale without adequate planning, the President played the statesman.

Displaying rare humility, President Jonathan advised Nigerians to exercise patience with INEC in spite of the glitches and not take the law into their hands.

“Any sacrifice is worth taking, please don’t be riotous, don’t take the laws into your hands, be patient with the INEC, our election must surely count,” he said.

That was surely the hallmark of a statesman. In a country lacking in

visionary leaders, such display of coolheadedness in the face of what could have earned those responsible very serious reprimand says it all of the character of President Jonathan.

We are saying this against the background that the introduction of the Card Reader was not only contentious, but also nearly brought the country to the brink between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Indeed, some concerned citizens approached the courts to stop the use of the cards for the exercise, citing the electoral law that forbids electronic devices for elections.

In the midst of the tension, President Jonathan refused even against all advice to interfere in the electoral process. It was therefore a national embarrassment that the President had to be a victim of card reader glitches which many right thinking Nigerians warned against, especially with the time frame of its introduction and the elections.

Before now, those who see themselves as above the law and could get away with shenanigans in the name of governance have run Nigeria. Many could not but wonder what might have happened if the scenario had been reversed – the card reader functioning perfectly for President Jonathan and failing four times for his main challenger, Major General Muhammadu Buhari.

In all, it was heart-warming that President Jonathan rose to the occasion and played the statesman, dousing what potentially could have flared tempers across the country.

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Does US want Nigeria to break up?

Sam Nzeh The deployment, last week, of hundreds of marines to Ghana by the United States of America for evacuation of its citizens in Nigeria should violence break out after Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections of last Saturday, has once again exposed how obsessed the US is with the possibility of Nigeria’s breakup.

A US think tank, it would be recalled, had in 2005 predicated the breakup of Nigeria in 2015.

Though the US government had distanced itself from the prediction, recent actions and utterances by the US and its officials

make Nigerians to believe that the country is obsessed with the prediction and may be wishing that Nigeria disintegrate.

In fact, many Nigerians see the utterances and actions of US and its officials in the run up to Saturday’s poll as clear interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs.

For instance, when the poll was shifted from February 14 to March 28, 2015, the US immediately condemned it, despite reasons adduced by INEC. Again, the US against its widely held position not to visit countries in the run up to election, dispatched its Secretary of State, John Kerry, to Nigeria to speak with President Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari, on the need for a violence-free, credible and transparent poll.

Words On Marble :

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As if this was not enough interference, the US President, Barack Obama, on Monday, March 23, 2015, posted a video address to Nigerians on the White House official website, calling on President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari to warn their supporters against committing any violent act and also ‘schooled’ Nigerians on need to reject violence and extremism during the poll.

These interjections, many Nigerians believe, portray the US as fixated on Nigeria’s future. Also, when the deployment of the Marines is juxtaposed with the refusal by the US to sell arms to Nigeria to fight the Boko Haram insurgents, then the motives of the US become suspect. Now, is the US really wishing Nigeria’s breakup?

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Chief Commercial Officer

Deputy Editors

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Group Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Tunji Okegbola

Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Acting Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Lateef Ibrahim

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Editorial Page Editor

Business Editor

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

Sports Editor

Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Adetayo Adelaja Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

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

Vince Lombardi

Jim Rohn

George S. Patton

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

Formal education will make you a living; selfeducation will make you a fortune.

I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.

News 4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

14 states that’ll determine polls winner Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÏÏÏ

As Nigerians await the result of the Presidential election held at the weekend, Daily Times can authoritatively reveal that 14 states may determine the winner.

The states include Rivers, Delta Abia, Anambra, Lagos and Jigawa. The rest are Kano, Kaduna, Cross River, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Bauci and Kebbi.

The projection is based on the actual voter turnout and its effect on the overall result.

From the results trickling in, while the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari secured clean sweep of polls particularly in the North, his figures may be cancelled by the higher turnout in the strongolds of President Good-

PDP claims victory in 23 states, Jega urges caution

luck Jonathan which recorded higher voter turnout.

Rivers has a total number of 2,127,883 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and voter turnout of 1,612,900 while Delta has 1,939,952 distributed PVCs and voter turnout of 1,551,962.

Abia had total number of 1,183,127 PVCs distributed and voter turnout of 1,064,814 while in Anambra 1,658,967 PVCs were distributed and had voter turnout of 1,161,277.

Others are Lagos with total number of 3,799,274 PVCs distributed and voter turnout of 1,589,616 and Jigawa with total number of 1,757,658 PVCs distributed with voter turnout of 1,171,303.

But Kano, with a total number of 4,112,039 PVCs distributed had

voter turnout of 2,597,575 while Kaduna with total number of PVCs distributed of 3,174,519 with voter turnout of 2,406,603.

Meanwhile, the PDP said on Sunday that it was winning in 23 states, with 64 percent while the opposition APC was leading in 14 states with 36 percent.

However, while the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega said that he had no such information and cautioned against unauthorized release of results, the APC warned against manipulation of the results.

While the official results were yet to be released, the social media has been awash with purported results of the exercise, many of them predicting a win for the

Procession by the Methodist Church of the Trinity Tinubu, Lagos, for the celebration of Palm Sunday… on Sunday Photo: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

APC. But the Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) Chief Femi Fani-Kayode told a press conference in Abuja on Sunday that his party was in the clear lead.

He declared: “As we speak now, we are winning in 23 states and we have 64 percent while the APC is winning in 14 states and has 36 percent.”

Fani-Kayode stated further: “These results are subject to confirmation by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, we are certain of what we are saying because we have information from our agents in every polling unit nationwide.”

He continued: “No one must test our will by attempting to change these results and the APC should desist from pushing this nation to the brink of fire, chaos and destruction with their dirty lies and propaganda”.

The APC warned against any attempt to tamper with the results, saying Nigerians had voted peacefully and massively and they knew who they voted for.

In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said it had the authentic results from every polling unit where voting took place on Saturday, and would not accept anything contrary to those signed results.

It decried the alleged dangerous kite being flown by the PDP, “through some of their paid media channels, seeking to appropriate unearned victories across the nation.”

The APC said further: “We have always said we will accept the result of any free, fair and

transparent elections. We stand by that avowal. However, what we will not accept – and which we are sure Nigerians themselves will reject – is any move to rewrite the results and thwart the will of the people under any guise. We will not accept that.”

Mohammed continued: “We have heard of the desperate moves to cancel the results in areas where the APC has beaten the PDP embarrassingly,” adding: “Nigerians will definitely not accept that.”

The party said it was aware of the ongoing efforts to force Electoral Officers and Presiding Officers in Imo State, some of whom it alleged were being picked up by the military at press time, to rewrite the results of the elections in the state.

“We have the results from every polling unit in Imo State and we know that we have won in over 80 per cent in the presidential election. So there must be no shenanigans,” it warned.

The APC also said the same attempts were being made in Sokoto, Enugu, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos and other states, wondering why anyone would be seeking to reverse the results that it said were already settled. ”In the Nsukka Local Government Area, INEC officials, instead of collating results, handed over the exercise to PDP Nsukka zone to write. They holed up inside a local government guest house (name withheld) to write results and change figures, and were provided with security by the police. APC candidates and agents were chased away. In collaboration with INEC, they refused to let the card readers function and no result sheets Continued on page 6

US ready to work with any Nigerian government, says Ambassador Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe United States of Amer-

ica has expressed its readiness to work with any government that emerges in Nigeria from the last weekend’s election.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Eintwistle, gave the assurance in Abuja on Sunday, during his visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

He also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections, adding that his country’s primary interest was a transparent, credible and non-violent election in Nigeria.

According to him, “I was extremely impressed yesterday (Saturday). I went around to a number of places in the FCT. Every place I went, I was impressed by the patience and dedication of the Nigerian voters.

“The fact that they were willing to stand in line for hours and hours, in the heat and in the sun,

so that they can exercise their democratic rights to vote, personally, I found that inspirational.

“My congratulations to the Nigerian voters. They have reminded us all about what a beautiful thing democracy is.

“The expectation of my government is that the Nigerian people will win. And by that, I mean they will get what they want which is a transparent, credible and nonviolent election. And we look forward to working with whatever government that emerges from this election.

“The APC can speak for itself. I

have no comment on any political statement so far.

“I was very impressed about the decision by INEC to use technology in this election. I will tell you something, the Permanent Voter Cards are very hi-tech.

They’re more hi-tech than my voter card from the State of Virginia in the US. “My voter card does not have my biometric, it does not have my fingerprint. So I was very impressed by the decision to go hi-tech because hi-tech, I think, gives the process more integrity.

“Yesterday (Saturday), all of

you were around, you saw that in some places the card readers did not work, but the decision to use the card readers, in my view was, absolutely, correct. Fortunes favour the bold and you need to try in this world. Deciding to go hi-tech was a good thing.

“I am sure INEC would sit down, look at what happened to the card readers, solve those problems and move forward. But, I congratulate INEC for taking the path of hi-tech in this election. I am very impressed. I think we need to study it and use it in our country”, he said.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

5 News

Polls: Uba, Obiejesi fight at collation centre over election result Okechukwu Onuegbu Awka

ÏÏÏAt least five persons, includ-

ing two policemen and the Group Managing Director of NESTOIL PLC, Dr. Ernest Azudialu Obiejesi, were seriously wounded on Sunday in a fight between him and the Director of Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria (TAN), Dr. Ifeanyi Uba. The free-for-all, it was gathered was as a result of an alleged result

mutilation. The mayhem, which lasted about 45 minutes, started around 3.30 pm at the headquarters of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, which served as the collation centre for Ihiala Federal House of Representatives.

The Daily Times gathered that trouble started when Uba allegedly found Obiejesi falsifying the original result sheets being submitted to the collation centre, in favour of his All Peoples Grand

Alliance (APGA).

A source told Daily Times, “When Uba found Obiejesi, falsifying the original sheets to favour APGA and his candidate, Uba countered him, snatched the paper away from him and they began to fight to the chagrin of their respective supporters.”

Apart from Obiejesi’s clothing that was badly torn, two vehicles were also damaged in the process.

Confirming the report on phone, the Anambra State Police

Public Relations Officer (PPPRO), Uche Eze says, “There was crisis at Ihiala Local Government Area which is the collation centre but I do not know the names of those involved in the fight. But two police men were injured and in hospital for treatment.”

Meanwhile, collation of results for the Senatorial and Federal House of Representatives election in Anambra Central, Anambra South and Anambra North Senatorial zones, kicked off early at

2015: Electoral violence rocks Jos North

L-R: National Commissioner, INEC, Mr. Yakubu Yakubu; INEC Chairman Prof.

Attahiru Jega; and National Commissioner INEC,Mr. Chris Eyimoga, during a press briefing on the ongoing general election and collation in Abuja... on Sunday PHOTO: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏThe

electoral crisis that rocked Angwan Rogo area of Jos North in Plateau State was predicted few weeks before the March 28 election.

Adams Alkali, popularly known as “Dan London,” a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who contested the Federal House of Representative for Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency, took the governorship candidate of PDP, Sen. GNS Pwajok to campaign in Angwan Rogo, but angry youths of the area frowned at it and threatened to burn down Alkali’s house should PDP win the governorship election.

Again, INEC officials fail voters in Oshodi Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏProspective

voters in not less than six polling units in the Charity area of Oshodi in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State went home disappointed on Sunday as INEC officials posted to the units failed to turn up.

Prospective voters who turned up for the exercise on Saturday could not vote as the INEC officials did not arrive the polling units all through the day.

Speaking to Daily Times on Sunday, Comrade Innocent Onuoha, said large number of voters waited up till 3pm on Saturday when a female ad-hoc official of INEC came to the area and told prospective voters to come back on Sunday for the exercise.

Yola

ÏÏÏThe

Minister of Youths and Sports and former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr Boni Haruna, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being unfair to many Michika people who could not cast their votes because of the poor logistics provided by the electoral body.

Haruna said Michika, which

INEC gets accolades in Kaduna

Curfew in Bauchi as gunmen battle troops Daniel Jolly Bauchi

ÏÏÏThe

was recovered three weeks ago from the hands of insurgents and the thousands of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), who were still in caves and mountains, will find it difficult to walk down from the mountains, which according to him, will take four to five days to go back.

“That’s one of the reasons I support the idea of INEC conducting the election in their various places of origin.

“Michika is predominantly a PDP area with assurance of giving bloc votes for my party, but it pains me today that I could not cast my vote in my home town because of INEC’s unfair treatment to my people in Michika. It is only unfortunate that Michika LGA that was seized by Boko Haram and recaptured that INEC said they are not going to have their franchise right in their places of origin,’ he said.

Bauchi State government on Sunday declared a 24hour curfew in some parts of the state including Bauchi metropolis.

This came barely some hours after Nigerian troops engaged gunmen in fierce fighting in Dungulbe village, seven kilometres from the city of Bauchi the State Capital.

The gunmen had attacked Alkkaleri and Kirfi towns as well as the Bauchi metropolis. Reliable security sources and villagers confirmed the fierce fighting.

A soldier told news en that fighter jets were sent to help them defeat the hoodlums.

He said: “The fighter jets are pounding the enemy position while ground troops are engaging them.”

There was no clear information on casualties on both sides but villagers said the soldiers had pushed the gunmen into a bush near Jitar village.

The Governor Mallam Isa Yuguda announced the curfew in the three local government areas to douse down tension.

Victor Jibrin

a recommendation to sustain the system and the principle adopted.

Reacting to the exercise, one of the governorship candidates in Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, said the accreditation was flawless, pointing out that contrary to the fears, it took less than a minute for him to

be accredited.

He said compared to some people’s experience “the card reader didn’t reject my card or finger print. However, what didn’t go well was the fact that the accreditation took place at about 10.30 am behind schedule.

I am disappointed that it took two hours for materials to get to the centre of Kaduna”.

Ex-gov accuses Ngilari, INEC of disenfranchising Adamawa IDPs Tom Garba

the various INEC collation centres.

In Awka collation centre, comprising Awka North, Awka South, Anaocha, Dunukofia, Njikoka, Idemili North and Idemili South Local Government Areas, our correspondent discovered that all the council areas had submitted their respective result sheets, with the exception of Idemili North and South, the stronghold of the incumbent Senator, representing the zone Sen. Chris Ngige.

Kaduna

ÏÏÏAs

the world awaits the results of 2015 Presidential and National Assembly election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has continued to receive commendations from political activists and electorate with

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

PDP denies using military to doctor polls results ÏÏÏThe

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the ruling party is trying to use the military to falsify last weekend’s general elections.

The ruling party said on Sunday that the allegation was “yet another false alert by the APC.” A statement by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, accused the APC of desperation and bent on causing confusion in the country.

It said: “The APC, in its desperation and quest to cause confusion has forgotten that ballots

are publicly counted at the polling booths and results declared in the presence of the voters, party agents and observers.

“They have forgotten that from the polling units, the ballots are taken to the ward for collation; from the wards they get to the local government and subsequently to the senatorial zones for further collation before they get to the states, all in the presence of party agents and election observers before they get to the national level for final collation.”

The PDP said further: “It is an obvious fact that agents of political parties and election observ-

ers at every level of the collation have the results as they move from the polling booths. We therefore ask, at what level will the security chiefs get involved as the APC claims?

“Our question is, is it that the APC believes it is losing the elections and as such resorted to crying wolf and seeking to use every means to discredit the process, create tension in the polity and truncate our democracy?

“For us, as a law-abiding party, we are waiting for INEC to conclude its collation process and announce the results of the elections.”

Rivers State APC Governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside (in pink shirt); his running mate, Asita O. Asita (left); Senator Magnus Abe (behind Peterside); Hon. Victor Giadom (right); and others sitting down at the entrance of the INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State ... on Sunday.

We’re leading in 23 states, says PDP Continued from page 4 came to most polling booths.”

The party continued: “In Lagos, they have yet to announce the result of the Apapa Local Government which has been ready since yesterday, apparently in a move to manipulate the outcome. Those who voted will not agree with any attempt to steal their votes.”

But Jega declared that INEC had not collated results from up to 23 states, contrary to claims by Fani-Kayode, wondering where the PDP chieftain got his information from.

According to the INEC Chairman, “the Commission has not collated results from 23 states.

You should rely on information given by the electoral commission, not by the ones given by partisan politicians.

“We will get the results as soon as they are processed. Collation officers for states have to deliver the original copies of their results to us at the INEC headquarters.

“So far, no original results have been brought to us. But we know that some of them are on their way”, he said.

Jega also stated that the commission is not under any form of pressure to declare the outcome of the Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections inconclusive.

Jega assured that the results of the elections would be released within forty-eight hours, counting from Saturday evening when the elections held in many parts of the country.

The INEC Chairman also revealed that out of slightly over 150, 000 card readers that were deployed for the elections on Saturday, only about 374 units representing 0.25 percent developed

problem, stressing that that was “insignificantly irrelevant”.

He however confirmed that results from two states-Ekiti and Ogun, have been scanned and sent to the Commission’s headquarters, stressing that the original copies are still been awaited.

He admitted that there were lapses in the conduct of the general election, but assured that the noticed lapses will be corrected before the next election on April 11.

While confirming the receipt of a letter from the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State calling for the cancellation of the Saturday elections in the state, Jega assured that the various complaints raised in the letter will be properly investigated for proper action to be taken.

He described the various incidents that happened in Rivers State on Saturday as being of great concern, assuring that if any INEC staff is involved, such staff will be dealt with appropriately.

The INEC Chairman further assured that the various allegations of rigging, under aged voters as well as under aged registration will be properly investigated and dealt with.

Jega lamented the killing of two INEC ad-hoc staff in Gombe by suspected members of the Boko Haram, describing it as very unfortunate.

He said: “Any loss of lives is regrettable and unfortunate. We condemn this”.

The Commission, Jega said, had requested for more police protection for its offices, especially at the local government level, to avoid the kind of ugly situation that led to the razing of its local government office in Rivers State.

Rivers APC shuts INEC office, demands fresh polls Faith Adebambo, Port Harcourt

ÏÏÏSupporters of the All Progres-

sives Congress (APC) on Sunday staged a protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital over alleged irregularities.

The protesters who converged on the local offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) therefore called for the cancellation of the exercise.

The INEC has however denied receiving any report from the APC of any irregularity in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dame Gesila Khan, in a statement issued yesterday evening, claimed that the

accredited party agent in Ikwerre LGA, Steve Worgu, signed that both sensitive and non-sensitive materials were complete.

“We are here to register our protest that there was no election in Rivers State yesterday (Saturday),” the state APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, declared.

Peterside alleged that APC supporters across the state were “disenfranchised by INEC, working in connivance with the Peoples Democratic Party.”

Results sheets, which in Nigerian elections are given at every polling station to both party representatives and the local electoral commission after the count, were not provided, he alleged.

“INEC in collaboration with PDP hijacked the materials and were fill-

ing them in private homes for the PDP,” Peterside claimed.

“Since the results sheets were not available, we did not vote. If there was no voting, there is no way they can declare any result.”

Peterside called for the presidential and parliamentary election to be re-held in Rivers on a new date.

Rivers State is a key battleground for the presidential contest between the APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and President Goodluck Jonathan, of the PDP. In the 2011 elections, it was won by the PDP, but Governor Rotimi Amaechi switched to the APC two years later and there has been bad blood between the two parties ever since.

Amaechi, who heads Buhari’s presidential campaign, was among those who refused to vote after being

told that results sheets would not be made available.

The supporters shouted antiINEC slogans and “we must vote” despite heavy police presence.

INEC spokeswoman in the state, Tonia Nwobi told reporters before the protest: “It is not true that INEC has had any result to favour any party.

“We have received results from only one local government out of 23 in the state.”

The INEC has however denied receiving any report from the APC of any irregularity in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dame Gesila Khan, in a statement issued yesterday evening, claimed that the accredited party agent in Ikwerre

LGA, Steve Worgu, signed that both sensitive and non-sensitive materials were complete.

Commenting on the complaint of Amaechi that he did not see the Election Result Sheets, the REC explained that accreditation was then in progress, and it was not yet the period for voting.

She stated: “It is on record that All Progressives Congress (APC) accredited political party agent, who was present at the INEC Ikwerre LGA office, Steve Worgu, signed that the materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive distributed at the LGA, were complete, including Result Sheets, before the officials proceeded to the field. INEC did not receive any report from any APC party agent in all the 181 polling units in Ikwerre LGA.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

7 News

Minister condemns presidential, NASS polls in Kwara

Adedoyin, ex-minister wins House of Reps in Kwara

Ola Yekeen

Ilorin

Ilorin

ÏÏÏ

The Minister of National Planning, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, has condemned the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections in Kwara State on Saturday.

In a chat with newsmen, on Sunday, he declared that the exercise was "more of an electoral tragedy, which was not acceptable.

According to him, the process and conduct of the elections in his area “to a large extent, could have significant negative implications on our electoral future, if not addressed".

He said that “the process of ac-

creditation was faulty, the card readers, in most cases, were not working, hence, the recourse to manual accreditation.

"Using manual method for accreditation, attests to what we have been saying in PDP that the card reader introduction by (Prof. Attahiru) Jega, at this point in time, was a misplaced priority.

"It is obvious to Nigerians now that the card reader usage in this election did not really work and, as such, it created room for irregularities in the accreditation process.

"I saw a connivance of the security agencies in Kwara State, to be specific, with the opposition party.

Imagine a situation where you have about 1,800 potential voters to

one policeman, without any arms.

How will he contain the crowd, where you see the policeman eating left and right, being invited upstairs for one thing or the other”, he added.

Abubakar maintained that the security around the polling centres was grossly inadequate to checkmate likely disorderliness because the security operatives were lackadaisical in taking action that could checkmate thugs around the polling units.

The minister also condemned the use of private houses as polling units in a number of places in Ilorin and Asa LGAs in contravention of the electoral law.

“I, personally, complained to

Jega, he told me that it was too late, that they could not do anything about it.

"When I insisted that it was a violation of the law, he promised to get back to me. He did not and did not do anything about it”, the Minister claimed.

He said where he voted at Opobiyi unit, was the residence of an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, which had three polling units.

"Going by the declared votes, the votes declared for Mr. President, especially, for the opposition, outweighed the Permanent Voter Cards collected. It is a case of electoral tragedy, especially, at polling unit 006”.

PDP wins three Reps, Senate seats in Ondo South ÏÏÏ

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reclaimed the three House of Representatives seats and the Senate seat in Ondo South, with Ese-Odo, the local government of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, delivering about 20,000 votes ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was a rescue mission for the PDP as the seats were lost to the Labour Party in 2011.

The PDP also won in Kuku’s RCM Primary School, Arogbo unit in Ese-Odo Local Government Area with 372 votes while the APC scored 56. Ondo State APC chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, hails from the Arogbo ward but lost in his unit where the PDP had 94 votes to the APC’s 70.

Kuku

Emmanuel African Church Ogba, in procession during the Palm Sunday procession along Ogba -Ijaye road, Lagos… on Sunday PHOTO: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Anxiety in Imo over arrested 136 youths ÏÏÏ

Anxiety is still mounting in Imo State Government quarters over the condition of the 136 youths arrested by the State Security Service during the presidential election last Saturday.

The youths, who were apprehended at Governor Okorocha’s Foundation at Ogboko in Ideato South Local Government Area, were said to be in possession of valid and cloned Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).

It was gathered that the state government was to lodge a complaint about the “inhuman condition the youths were subjected” with the United Nations.

Okorocha, shortly after casting his vote at Ogboko ward 2 in Ideato South, alleged that the security operatives were acting the script

of the Presidency, which, he said, was to intimidate members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He noted that those arrested were 500 voters, identified as APC supporters, adding that they were detained at an emergency cell, set up for that purpose. He said: “I think there was a clear-cut directive by the Presidency to arrest APC supporters. I have made attempts to secure the release of the people, but, the security operatives have been dribbling me. But I will take up this matter to any extent to prove that this is unfair".

Daily Times, on a visit to the temporary cell, saw a heavy presence of security operatives, who denied journalists’ access to the youths.

Police Public Relations Officer,

DSP Andrew Enwerem, described the governor’s comments as “full of lies, adding that all those arrested had violated the electoral laws. “Even those we first paraded, for instance, were discovered to have stockpiled various dangerous rifles and ammunition, which were not double barrel as the governor alleged.

“The suspects could not have been arrested without them committing the offence for which they were apprehended,” he stated.

State Director of SSS, Olusegun Adegboye, explained that the people arrested were under-aged, adding that some of them came from outside the state with cloned PVCs, while they have given useful information to assist in their investigation.

Ola Yekeen

ÏÏÏPrincess

Funke Adedoyin, a former Minister in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, has been declared winner of the Kwara House of Representatives’ election for the Ekiti, Isin, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency.

Adedoyin, who was a former Minister of Youth Development and later Minister of State for Health, contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Returning Officer, Mr. Murtala Tukur, while announcing the result at the Irepodun Local Government secretariat on Sunday in Omu-Aran, said Adedoyin polled 26,758 votes to defeat her closest rival, Mr. Richard Babatunde of the PDP, who scored 23,123 votes.

Tukur, a don of the University of Ilorin, disclosed that ``the total number of valid votes was 50,527, with rejected votes 2,729, for the total number of votes cast to be 53,256”. Adedoyin, in an interview with our correspondent, attributed the victory to the support of her party and the entire people of the constituency.

Use of Card Reader worries Okorocha, Ihedioha ÏÏÏ

The All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Imo, Gov.ernor Rochas Okorocha, has expressed reservations over the use of the Card Reader for the ongoing general election in Nigeria.

Also, Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, also expressed reservations about the use of the Card Reader.

The duo spoke to newsmen in separate interviews in Owerri on Sunday.

Okorocha observed that the Card Reader was not functioning well and advised that people should be allowed to vote with their Permanent Voters Card.

On the conduct of the election, Okorocha noted that the election went on normally but for efforts by some people to scuttle it.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Politics Bamanga Tukur

s

Politics Editor: Akinjide Akintola E-mail: akinjide.akintola@dailytimes.com.ng

ADAMAWA GOVERNORSHIP POLLS:

PDP stakeholders endorse Ribadu

Wale Akintunde, Yola Barely two weeks to the governorship elections, the spate of support coming in for the candidature of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State has continued to be on the rise as many interest groups have pledged their support for the former anti-graft boss.

With each passing day, the profile of Ribadu has continued to take a quantum leap with

people from within and outside PDP continuing to drum up unflinching support to make him triumph at the polls.

Also, the state Chapter of the PDP has continued to transverse the length and breath of the state to campaign for the party’s candidates. During the Southern Senatorial Zone campaign of the party, the seeming invisibility of the opposition party was fiercely doused contrary to the belief that the party has completely taken over the area. Taking the campaign from the farthest

Toungo Local Government Area, the PDP campaign train met a large crowd of people of the area despite the harsh weather condition who unanimously agreed to vote the PDP candidates in the general elections.

Without mincing words, the people of the area assured the visiting PDP campaign train of total victory at the elections.

Many decampees from about four political parties were received back into the PDP fold CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Most peaceful polls ever...

The 2015 general election takes off on a peaceful note as Nigerians say no to prophesies of doom and violent polls.

AKINJIDE AKINTOLA reports.

Except for a few states, Nigerians went to the polls on Saturday in what eventually turned out largely to be a most peaceful election ever, in spite of a lot of apprehension Days and even months before the election.

There have been doomsday reports of violence and crisis during the elections but last Saturday, Nigerians defied the scorching sun and heavy rains to put the soothsayers to shame.

From Sokoto to Maiduguri, to Patani, to Sagamu, Rivers, to Minna and other places, there was a peaceful atmosphere everywhere even though the security presence was not all that intimidating while there was even none is some areas.

Though the Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) announced that polling would continue in some areas including Lagos

State on Sunday, due to the technicalities experienced with the introduction of card readers, the development never dampened the resolve of Nigerians to elect the next President and National Assembly members to steer the affairs of the country in the next four years.

Thus Nigerians trooped out en masse on Saturday even as the two leading candidates, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and Gen Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Party (APC) appealed for peaceful and credible polls.

The two gladiators had on the eve of the polls again signed another peace accord to ensure that the elections were violence-free. It was a follow-up to an earlier one of January 14 in Abuja which was moderated by former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan and former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

AWOYALE

Awoyale

Ahmed, a mere pawn in Saraki’s hands

Jonathan

Chief Gbenga Awoyale is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State and President General of Orisun Igbomina. In this interview, he spoke on the political activities in the nation. Excerpts: What are the chances of the PDP? The chance of PDP winning

the polls remains high; it is also clear that PDP remains the only alternative party towards a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria. At the national level, the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) is just crying wolf and touring a dishonourable path. Their claims and moves to wrest power from President Goodluck Jonathan

are not only baseless but also a mere child’s play and nightmare that is unrealistic.

If the opposition party claimed that corruption has deeply eaten into the Nigeria system, I think members of the APC constitute the largest percentage of those who have deliberately crippled the entire facet of Nigeria’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

9

Politics

PDP stakeholders rally for Ribadu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

with assurance from them to work for the success of the party.

As expected, various speakers at the rallies admonished the party faithful on the need to work for the PDP so as to achieve their various goals for developmental projects as well as the empowerment of women and the youths of the area.

The campaign team arrived at Ganye to a rousing welcome by supporters of the PDP who have been awaiting the arrival since the early hours of the day. Here, it was clear that the PDP as a party still enjoys some sort of support in the local government area.

After normal homage to the paramount ruler of Ganye Chiefdom, His Royal Highness Ganwarin Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Sanda, the campaign train drove in a long convoy to the Ganwari Square, venue of the rally. The carnival-like rally confirmed that the party still has what it takes to contest with the opposition party at the elections.

The Ganye rally could be best described as one of the best in recent times for the party as the people of the area visibly showed their love and concern for the victory of the party’s candidates.

Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri literally ignited the rally when he stormed the venue. Uproar greeted his arrival as he was jubilantly welcomed into the frenzied arena. In fact, security operatives had a hectic time controlling the crowd after his arrival.

When he was finally invited to the podium by the state chair-

man of the party, Chief Joel Madaki, the speaker told the crowd of supporters that Malam Ribadu is the only credible candidate among those vying for the office of governor of Adamawa.

He said that, the emergence of Ribadu as the flag bearer of the PDP was an end product of his brief stay in office as the Acting Governor after the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako.

According to him, many interest groups and coalition of forces strategically and tactically strove for the emergence of a credible personality in the like of Ribadu to emerge as the party’s candidate.

Amidst the shouts of fresh Air and ATM (a slogan that emanated during his short stay as acting governor after the impeachment of former governor Nyako when he paid civil servants outstanding three months salary arrears as well as his desire for a breath of fresh air for the people of Adamawa State).

He admonished the people to vote massively for the candidates of the PDP namely President Goodluck Jonathan, Malam Ribadu, Senator Jonathan Silas Zwingina as well as the House of Reps candidate and State House of Assembly members.

A three-time Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Ibrahim Tahir said it’s only Ribadu who can make any meaningful impact in governance hence the need to give him the deserved support.

Tahir who is also the Talba of Ganye said, the current political scenario playing out in the area is the outcome of the love people have for Ribadu. He said he

(Nuhu) has the pedigree to govern the state judging by the present situation of the state in terms of lack of development saying apart from this, his zero tolerance for corruption stands him out from other contestants.

He said above all, the PDP candidate is perceived by many people in the state as someone with an independent mind. Barrister Tahir said it can never and will never be business as usual in the state with Ribadu as governor adding that with his past records of service he is in the best position to invite credible investors into the state for meaningful development.

At Jada Local Government, it was continuation of the scenario that played out earlier in Ganye Local Government. Various speakers stressed the need for the people to show the love and support for the PDP by coming out on the days of the elections to vote the party.

However, what could be best de-

“Mallam Ribadu is the only credible candidate among those vying for the office of governor of Adamawa”

Ribadu scribed as a major breakthrough for the PDP took place on Tuesday when 10 members of the state working committee members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) decamped to the PDP. At a press conference at State Headquarters of the party in Yola, the APC leaders formally announced their defection to the PDP thereby creating a big gulf in the APC. The decampees include the state publicity secretary, the assistant secretary, women leader and zonal youth leader, central.

Others were the financial secretary, state Auditor and the state youth leader, Vice Chairman Central Zone and State welfare secretary respectively.

The spokesman of the 10 APC

defectors, Mr. Phineas Padio, alleged that instead of the APC addressing issue of development, primordial and personal interests have overridden the party the leadership of the party.

He said they resigned their membership as well as the position they occupied in the party and resolved to embrace the PDP and work for the actualization of Mallam Ribadu’s governorship ambition.

Head of Mallam Ribadu’s campaign organization, Chief Felix Tangwami, who received the defectors, promised to carry them along in the scheme of things, and should also be ready to contribute their best to the growth of PDP in the state.

The fortunes of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State has continued to be on the rise as many interest groups have pledged their support for the former anti-graft boss.

With each passing day, the profile of Ribadu has continued to take a quantum leap with people from within and outside PDP continuing to drum up support to make him triumph at the polls Ribadu

Politics 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

But the enthusiasm of some voters was somehow dampened by card reader challenge, late arrival of electoral officers and materials while hackers also allegedly hacked into the INEC website. But the electoral body quickly put things in shape. There were also pockets of violence at some polling centres nationwide, where about 25 people have been reported killed.

Prominent among those disappointed by the card reader are President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Patience, and the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, John Jonah.

The President and his wife arrived the Otuoke Ward 13, Pollin Unit 039 of Bayelsa State by 9am and waited till 10 am before leaving after he was accredited manually.

Four card readers had failed to capture Jonathan and Patience, a development that made INEC officials, including the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagi, to provide Incident Forms for the President to fill before being accredited.

The hitches notwithstanding, both President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari hailed the peaceful conduct of the election nationwide.

Meanwhile, the APC has condemned alleged violence against its members in Gombe and Rivers state during the polls, saying violence has no place in any democracy.

In a statement issued, the party condemned the collusion between INEC and the PDP, aided by the police, in Rivers, saying what transpired in the state nothing but a travesty of elections. ‘’INEC practically handed over the elections to the PDP in Rivers, depriving APC strongholds of men and material. In Okrika, materials arrived and were taken to the home of the State Secretary for PDP, Ibibia Walter, while

Kwara people deserve better deal – Awoyale

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

all units in Ahoada East and Omuma LGAs do not have result sheets. To worsen matters, PDP thugs allegedly unleashed mayhem on APC voters, killing one member in Tai Local Government and harassing a serving Commissioner.

APC also condemned the killing of eight of the party’s members, one of them a serving member of the House of Assembly, in Gombe State on Saturday, saying it was aimed at intimidating its members and preventing them from coming out to vote.

The party also said there is a plan to rob former Governor Danjuma Gombe of victory in his senatorial district, as the military commander and the police commissioner in the state are trying to orchestrate a crisis so they can arrest the former Governor and putting him away.

It therefore called for an end to the violence, harassment and intimidation of its members in the state.

In Abuja, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), FCT, Prof. Jacob Jatau, lauded the performance of the commission in the Saturday Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives polls at the territory.

“I am impressed with the high turnout of electorate as every polling unit in the FCT recorded massive turnout,’’ he said.

Jatau said although there were some hitches in the early hours but as at 11.30 a.m. most polls units in the territory had started accreditation.

“At the beginning of the polls we had some slight hitches, especially with the opening of the polls, but after some time we were able to overcome the hitches and the polls were opened,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was late arrival of the materials to some polling units in the FCT. On the issue of extending the election, the REC said all the elections in the territory would

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

economy by embezzling resources meant for the masses.

For example, when you critically assess somebody like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, you will discover that he is instrumental to the poverty level of the people of this nation. As a two term governor of Lagos State, Tinubu variously empowerd himself in the state and eventually made his wife a Senator and his daughter the Iyaloja of Lagos. Similarly, Rotimi Amaechi has put the treasury of Rivers in jeopardy to finance the presidential

‘Card reader challenges threaten polls’

Jonathan

“The hitches notwithstanding, both President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari hailed the peaceful conduct of the election nationwide”

campaign not minding what becomes of the ordinary citizen.

When you look at Bukola Saraki, a two term governor of Kwara State, he wielded enough power to himself so much so that he doesn’t have an atom of respect for anybody including the traditional institutions. He has stylishly enriched himself thereby leaving the citizens of the state in abject poverty. They claimed to have taken bond for certain projects but you go and check the debt rate of Kwara now and compare it to the available investments, you will agree with me that Bukola Saraki has

Jega

Buhari

end Saturday.

Meanwhile, some electorate at voting point three, Unit 001 of Kuje Central Primary School in Abuja have commended the INEC for conducting a free and fair election.

Speaking after the results of the unit were collated, they said the election would indeed be tagged free and fair across the country if it went the way it did at the centre.

Mr Musiliu Lawal, a businessman who waited to see the votes counted said that INEC had indeed lived up to

expectation.

“The election is free and fair.

If what happened here is what happened in other places then I am satisfied.

“I pray what happened in this polling booth happened in other places because it has been peaceful right from the accreditation to the balloting and now to the counting of the votes everything is satisfactory.

“The security personnel have done their job very well and I’m okay. Everything went well no problems and I want to score INEC 90 per cent,’’ he said.

mortgaged the state. There are so many fraud cases hanging on him. By and large, these are the numerous evils orchestrated by these political jobbers whose inordinate love for power will not take the nation anywhere. They are so desperate and ill-focused about Nigeria’s future, growth and development. If you are seeing Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as an incorruptible former Head of State, I think you have totally missed the road because record has clearly shown that Buhari is not only corrupt financially but he is also power-drunk. There are so many atrocities linked to him

and be that as it may, he has sold and painted himself to Nigeria’s as Mr Integrity and saint but I have observed that he’s always uncomfortable moving around with the afore-mentioned jobbers who have eaten Nigeria treasury to a coma. And if not, I think he should be ashamed of himself claiming to be ready to fight corruption and seeking power with corrupt monies and minds.

So with the foregoing, the only choice for Nigerians is to vote for change alongside transformation agenda of President Jonathan.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

11

Politics

Islamic group advocates true federalism As part of efforts to have transparent and acceptable elections in the country, an Islamic group in Nigeria, Jama’tTa’awunil Muslimeen Society of Nigeria has canvassed free, fair and credible elections.

This was contained in a statement sequel to a day workshop with the theme: “Elections, Federalism and Democracy: Role of Security, the Media and Civil Society Organizations” organised by the society in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation and held at Iwo, Osun State. President of the Society, Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan, advocated true federalism in the country as a catalyst to sustaining the nation’s current democratic structure, stressing that corruption, political assassination and violation of human rights of the citizens by the government would not help the growth and development of our democracy.

Sheikh Molaasan maintained that the workshop was organised as part of their effort to jointly find lasting solutions to the deluge of problems facing the country through the government, media and civil society efforts.

According to him, ”Federalism is good for sustaining a working democracy, but could not be helpful in a political regime

where corruption, assassination and deprivation of human rights are the order of the day.

The Islamic Scholar also advocated the centralist constitution that would accompany the central government practice in order for democracy and federalism to be reconciled and work together.

“In a situation Nigeria finds itself now, it is the task of the media, security agents and civil society Organizations (CSO) to restore the confidence of the masses in elections, federalism and democracy in the country. Federalism frowns at disintegration because it cannot bring anything than retrogression.

Therefore, Nigeria should not break but rather united on the premise of conducting free, fair and credible elections to prove democratic maturity in the view of global observers. We advocate freedom for people and abundant lives for all”, Molaasan added.

In their lectures, various guest lecturers agreed that Nigeria should hold together as nation under the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is a joint responsibility of media, security agents and civil Society Organizations (CSO) to restore the confidence of the Nigerian masses in elections, federalism and democracy.

They opined that the Military should not be deployed to monitor an election, except the area where there was war why the electorate should defy money politics and vote for the right candidates in elections, adding that the citizens should be vigilant, respect and encourage the rule of law, which means constitution of the land should be protected irrespective of gender, religion and political affiliation.

Earlier in his opening speech, the Chairman of the occasion and Federal Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission, Professor R.D. Abubakre, emphasized that there was no alternative to democracy in Nigeria and implored the security, media and Civil Society groups to join hands together in restoring the hope of Nigeria in the sanctity of elections, federalism and democracy.

“Federalism is good for sustaining a working democracy, but could not be unhelpful in a political regime where corruption, assassination and deprivation of human rights are the order of the day” Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan

‘Saraki and Ahmed have treated Kwarans with wickedness’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

They must not compromise quality for quantity. APC has reflected the kind of government they will run if given the chance to rule as demonstrated in their nationwide campaign.

How prepared is the party in Kwara State considering the fact that APC is well rooted in the state?

I want you to understand the fact that there was nothing like APC at the inception of this

Ahmed

4th Republic in 1999 until two years ago. The dominating party has been PDP and things have been moving on smoothly along that direction. Unfortunately, APC came to fore just recently dubiously using already-made PDP’s structure to find its bearing. The structures being used by APC is a stolen mandate that calls for urgent retrieve. So Kwarans have loudly spoken in their numbers. They are ready to massively vote for PDP. We have taken our campaign to the nooks and crannies of the state; we have carefully listened to their plight. We have also discovered that the APC-led government has failed the people while Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has also disappointed the confidence reposed in him by his people.

He has really justified that he is the most powerless governor in Nigeria. He is only playing the card of his political godfather at the expense of the masses. Our tour to the nooks and crannies of Kwara was a sad phenomenon for right thinking Kwarans.

Everywhere is in a sorry state most especially the Igbomina where he comes from. If you go to Share where Ahmed comes from, you will be sorry for him. The entire Ifelodun local government is completely undeveloped. You will agree with me that Share-Oke Ode road is completely in a sorry state. Labaka Oja, Babanloma, Babanla, Shagbe, Alabe, AlabeOja, Ile-Ire as well as villages are terribly suffering; they are totally cut-off from the states activities because there is no road network, good schools, and infrastructural developments among others.

Coming to Offa/Erinle axis, the state government has entirely failed in its responsibilities of providing social services to the people and coming down to the Kwara North axis, you will sincerely agree with me that the people there have tasted the wickedness in mankind from Bukola Saraki and Governor Ahmed.

Some of the people of Baruten Local Government go as far as Benin Republic to seek medical

services. What a pity? Is it a sin to come from other parts of the state other than the state capital?

But the government has renovated some general hospitals across the state?

It will be good for you to do your findings thoroughly before reporting issues. Which hospital did he renovate? In case you don’t know, the renovation project is an intervention of the MDGs to the health sector. Kwara government is just using the project to loot the state’s resources and even going as far as taking bond.

Governor Ahmed is a complete disappointment to the Igbominas and he is a calamity and disgrace to the entire Kwarans because Bukola Saraki’s interest is his primary interest while the interest of Kwarans is regarded as alternative foregone issue.

Personally, the governor surprised me because I was the person that championed the cause of taking the slot to Kwara South, but as you can see today, the senatorial district is completely backward. Well, I’m

not surprised. He cannot even upgrade his father, the Olupako of Share to the prestigious first class status so that his godfather doesn’t get angry at him. But the incoming PDP governor, Senator Simeon Ajibola has taken it upon himself to upgrade the monarch as soon as he assumes office.

I asked some traditional rulers about their wellbeing but they confided in me that they are witnessing the worst period of their lives. They have not been paid for some time now.

Saraki

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Buhari floors Jonathan in Jigawa Dutse Mohammed Rasaq

Card readers’ll improve Nigeria’s polls – KWHA Speaker Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏThe Director-General of the

All Progressive Congress Campaign Organisation (APCCO) in Kwara State, Mr. Rasaq Atunwa, on Sunday, in Ilorin, described the process of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections as credible and fair.

He, however, said those who faulted the card reader should stop doing so because they lost elections in their wards, saying what transpired was the reflection of the voice of the people.

Atunwa, who is the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and APC candidate for Ilorin West/ Asa Federal Constituency, expressed confidence that the APC “will have a clean sweep”, by the time the election results were released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He justified the use of the card reader in the election saying contrary to the view of some people, the device would eliminate “corrupt practices and ensure one man one vote.”

ÏÏÏResults

released from the Jigawa State offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) have indicated that General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Change, (APC) was victorious in last Saturday’s presidential election over President Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

This was disclosed by the collation officer, Professor James, of the Federal University, Dutse.

According to him, Buhari won

by scoring more votes than his opponents in most of the polling units across the 27 local government areas.

For example at Zai polling units, Buhari polled more than 1,000 votes, while Jonathan had 36 votes.

Result from Galamawa polling unit of Dutse metropolitan area indicated that Buhari had 1,750 as against seven votes for Jonathan.

In Gumel collation center, the result was: Buhari 24,513 votes; Jonathan1, 655 votes.

Also in Buji the result indicat-

Voters defying the rain to cast their votes in Agege, Lagos… on Saturday

Presidential, NASS polls peaceful in Oyo Bolaji Omosanya lbadan

ÏÏÏContrary

to widespread fears that the general election held on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 2015, would be violent, the exercise was peaceful in Oyo State.

People trooped out to express their franchise in an orderly manner, despite the fact that the electronic card reader initially did not function properly.

Some of the voters had to resort to the washing of hands with either water or mentholated spirit before their thumb print could be identified.

According to Dr. Chima Amadi, Chairman, Independent

ed that Buhari was leading with 17,697 as against 7,821votes for Jonathan.

The APC is believed to have won all the three senatorial seats defeating the candidates of the ruling PDP. For example, Mr. Sabo Nakudu of the APC polled 3, 976 votes against Senator Abdulmumini Zareko of the PDP, who scored only 2, 265 votes at Cheko Ward.

Nakudu, who decamped recently from the PDP to APC, was, initially a federal legislator, representing Birnin-Kudu/Buji Federal Constituency.

Monitoring Group (IMG), there should have been allowance for manual verification, so that many voters would not be disenfranchised.

He pointed out that there was no perfect system in the world and that, in the so-called longstanding democracies, some irregularities had been observed.

He commended the electoratesfor their peaceful conduct during the polls.

Meanwhile, in a report monitored on a radio, the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Comrade Gbenga Opadotun, said Nigeria was a giant of Africa and that if she got her electoral

process right this time, other countries in the continent may emulate her .

He said that, there may be people who may want to scuttle the process, saying they ought to be ignored, adding that INEC remained the only competent organisation to announce the results of the elections.

The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, and the Campaign Director for President Goodluck Jonathan in the State, Chief Jumoke Akinjinde, said the peaceful atmosphere under which the exercise went had proved to the world that Nigerians were a peace-loving people.

APC leads in Adamawa State Wale Akintunde Yola

ÏÏÏAll

Progressive Congress (APC) is taking the lead in some of the results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted nationwide, on Saturday, in Adamawa State.

The results are yet to be authenticated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However some of the results available from some of the units, wards, and local government vividly showed that APC had taken the lead.

In Nasarawa Ward, in Yola North Local Government Area according to the votes in all 21 units, the APC polled 5,172 votes and the PDP 1,918 votes in the presidential race. In the senatorial election, the APC had 3,678 votes, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) had 2, 585 votes, PDP had 774 and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) no votes, while, in the House of Representatives, it was APC 4,732 votes, PDP1, 132, PDM 665 and SDP 336.

The results for the House of Representatives from Madagali Local Government Area are as follows: PDP, 4,262 votes; APC ,3534; PDM, 249 votes and SDP, 124 votes.

INEC officials, card readers delayed voting in Mararaba Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏVoting

in the presidential election in Mararaba, Karu Local Government Council of Nasarawa State, began at about 5 p.m., on Saturday, due to late arrival of the officials of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and malfunctioning card readers.

INEC officials, who were scheduled to arrive at the voting centres by 8 a.m. surfaced at about 12 noon.

Daily Times observed that accreditation of eligible voters at Nasarawa High Court, Mararaba, and New Nyanya Bade Primary School polling units began at 2 p.m. It dragged on until around 5

Jega

p.m. when casting of votes started.

Mararaba polling units recorded a massive turnout of voters.

The huge crowd created a minor crowd control problem that took the intervention of soldiers to ensure that they did not spill into the Mararaba-Keffi Road and obstruct flow of traffic.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Guinea declares Ebola 'health emergency' in five regions

Red Cross workers spray bleach in Forecariah - one of the affected regions, - in January.

ÏÏÏGuinean

President Alpha Conde has declared a 45-day "health emergency" in five regions in the west and south-west of the country over Ebola.

The restrictions include the quarantining of hospitals and clinics where new cases are de-

tected, new rules on burials and possible lockdowns.

The Ebola outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013.

In January, the World Health Organization reported a steady drop in cases in the three epicentre countries.

But renewed concern has been triggered by fresh setbacks in these countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Mr Conde said he was declaring "a reinforced health emergency for a period of 45 days in the prefectures of Forecariah, Coyah,

Tanzania probes ghost workers' menace

ÏÏÏ Tanzanian President Jaka-

ya Kikwete has ordered a probe into "ghost workers" on the public sector payroll after a new audit revealed the government paid about $76.6m to fake workers over the past year.

"Where there is clear evidence, the officials involved should be arrested and prosecuted," Kikwete said in a statement issued by the president's office.

"We need to send a strong message to all those taking part in the misappropriation of public funds."The president also ordered authorities to take disciplinary

measures against public officials involved in the scandal, including compulsory retirement and demotions.

Tanzania's chief auditor presented an annual government audit report to Kikwete on Friday, which highlighted the problem of ghost workers in public service plus embezzlement and unauthorised expenditures by officials.

The president said days were numbered for officials stealing from public coffers by paying salaries to fake government employees who were either deceased, retired or had resigned from em-

ployment.

The audit also uncovered inefficiencies in the public service system where the government continued to pay monthly pension contributions and payroll taxes for former employees who had long left the public service.

Tanzania has a workforce of over 300 000 civil servants and spends around $9 225trn each year on salaries of public service workers.

Next week members of parliament are scheduled to debate findings of the government audit report.

Sierra Leone under three-day Ebola lockdown ÏÏÏ

People in Sierra Leone have been told to stay at home this weekend as authorities make another attempt to stop the Ebola epidemic that has claimed more than 3,000 lives in the country.

The national lockdown announced by the government began Friday and runs through Sunday evening. During that time, health workers will go door to door to look for hidden Ebola patients and remind people how to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

Alfred Palo Conteh, who heads

the country's Ebola response center, told reporters that health workers also aim to fight complacency. Ebola has infected an estimated 12,000 people in Sierra Leone, more than in any other country. Case numbers have fallen steadily in recent months but 33 new cases were reported last week, mostly around the capital of Freetown and in the north, near the border with Guinea.

Guinea continues to combat a steady stream of new cases but the outbreak has virtually stopped

in Liberia, which has only one known case.

Last September, Sierra Leone, a country of 6 million people, conducted a similar lockdown which uncovered dozens of previouslyunknown Ebola patients.

The Ebola epidemic has killed more than 10,000 people in all across the three countries since the first cases came to light in Guinea at the end of 2013.

The disease is spread through contact with the body fluids of an infected person.

Dubreka, Boffa and Kindia" in a statement published in national media.

The focus of the virus "has shifted to our country's coastal areas," he said.

He added: "Wherever the need may be, throughout this period, measures of restriction and confinement will be taken."

It is a first for the country since the outbreak began, Reuters reported.

On Friday, Sierra Leone began a three-day nationwide lockdown sparked by fears the virus was making a comeback in some parts of the country.

A lockdown has been imposed in Sierra Leone until Sunday leaving many usually busy streets deserted. The southwest region of Guinea borders northern districts of Sierra Leone that are focus areas for the lockdown there.

On Friday evening Guinea deployed security forces to its southwest in response to reports Sierra Leoneans were crossing the border to flee the operation, an official told Associated Press.

Egyptian militant group claims Cairo bombing

ÏÏÏAn

Egyptian militant group has claimed responsibility for a bombing on Saturday in front of Cairo University that wounded eight people, including four police officers.

Ajnad Misr, or "Egypt's soldiers”, said in a statement posted early on Sunday on a militant website that it planted the bomb targeting police officers and private security guards at the entrances of the university.

It said the blast wounded no civilians.

The militants, who largely target security forces, have posted statements on the Islamic State-affiliated website before.

Egypt has been facing regular militant attacks, mostly targeting security forces, since the military's ouster of elected Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Militant groups say they are avenging a security crackdown on Islamists, while authorities blame Morsi supporters for the violence.

13 Africa Thousands protest Tunisian museum attack

ÏÏÏThousands of

demonstrators have taken to the streets of Tunis for an anti-terror march.

Chanting "Tunisia is free!

Terrorism out!" they marched to the Bardo Museum, the scene of an attack in which 21 tourists and a Tunisian died.

French President Francois Hollande and other world leaders attended a ceremony at the museum.

Hours earlier, Tunisian authorities said that they had killed one of the prime suspects in the attack.

Speaking at the museum, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi paid tribute to his citizens' defiance.

"The Tunisian people proved today that they do not bow to terrorism, and that as one man and one woman, they defend the nation. When Tunisia is targeted, the whole nation stands as one."

Gunmen stormed the museum in Tunis on 18 March. British, Japanese, French, Italian and Colombian tourists were among the dead.

On Sunday, President Hollande announced that Huguette Dupeu, a Frenchwoman injured in the attack, had died from her wounds.

As well as the French leader, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and other foreign dignitaries attended a ceremony at the museum where a stone tablet was dedicated to the memory of the attack victims.

Speaking at the ceremony President Hollande pledged France's support.

"We had four French citizens killed there, victims of terrorism, so it was necessary to participate in this march," he said, adding: "Today it's about Tunisia, and the values it represents in the Arab world and beyond."

Demonstrators waved Tunisian flags and held up slogans of "Not Afraid" and "We Are Bardo" as they marched, surrounded by a heavy security presence.

Essebsi

Foreign 14

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Pope, on Palm Sunday, pays tribute to 'Today's Martyrs'

Air Canada plane in abrupt landind, 25 hospitalised ÏÏÏ Twenty-five people are re-

ceiving treatment in hospital after an Air Canada plane made an "abrupt" landing and left the runway at the Halifax airport in bad weather, and officials said early on Sunday.

Officials said at least 25 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries.

The airline said a preliminary count showed Flight AC624 from Toronto had 132 passengers and five crew members.

"We are thankful no serious injuries have been reported," Halifax Stanfield International Airport tweeted. The airport said its airfield remained closed.

Airport spokesperson Peter Spurway said the aircraft touched down in stormy conditions.

"It came down pretty hard and then skidded off the runway," Spurway said. He said he didn't know whether runway conditions played a role.

Pope Francis waves at the end of the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Sunday.

ÏÏÏPope Francis led the world's

Roman Catholics in Palm Sunday celebrations by paying tribute to those killed for their faith, a reference to the victims of Islamic State militants.

Francis, who earlier this month began the third year of his papacy, presided at a colorful procession in St. Peter's Square commemorating the day the Bible says people of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus days before he was crucified.

Thousands of people, including

the 78-year-old Argentine pope and prelates dressed in red vestments, carried palm fronds and branches in St. Peter's Square on the day that marks the start of Holy Week, which ends on Easter Sunday.

In his homily during the Mass that followed, Francis, who last month denounced the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by Islamic State militants in Libya, paid tribute to those he said were being killed for their faith today.

"We think, too, of the humiliation endured by all those who, for their lives of fidelity to the Gospel, encounter discrimination and pay a personal price," he said, speaking in Italian.

"We think, too, of our brothers and sisters who are persecuted because they are Christians, the martyrs of our own time. There are many of them. They refuse to deny Jesus and they endure insult and injury with dignity," he said.

Francis has at times expressed

alarm over the rise of Islamic State militants and the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

He has said that the international community would be justified in using military force as a last resort to stop "unjust aggression" but that it should not be up to a single nation to decide how to intervene in the conflict.

The coming week is one of the busiest in the liturgical calendar for the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

Pakistan to World powers seek deal in Iran nuclear talks evacuate citizens ÏÏÏRepresentatives of six world of international sanctions. the officials said.

Mr Zarif had said on Saturday Sunday's talks began at 15:30 lopowers are intensifying talks with from Yemen Iran on its nuclear programme, cal time in the Swiss city of Laus- that progress was being made. ÏÏÏPakistan says it will send a

plane to Yemen to begin evacuating its citizens amid a Saudi-led campaign of airstrikes there targeting Shi’ite rebels who have taken control of much of the country.

Shujaat Azim, an adviser to Pakistan's prime minister, told state-run Pakistan Television on Sunday the plane would evacuate more than 500 of its citizens who have gathered in the city of Hodeida. Azim said more flights will follow as authorities allow them.

Pakistan says about 3 000 of its citizens live in Yemen. The Saudiled airstrikes are targeting Shiite rebels known as Houthis. Late on Saturday, Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri said the rebels no longer control any air base or fighter jet.

ahead of a 31 March deadline for a deal.

The US secretary of state and German and French foreign ministers have all cancelled their travel plans in a final push for an agreement.

Representatives from China, Russia and the UK are also at the negotiations. US officials say all parties have agreed to a "step by step approach" to the deal, but sticking points remain.

The world powers, known as the P5+1 group - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - want to ensure that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons.

Iran denies it is aiming to build nuclear weapons and is hoping that a deal will lead to the lifting

anne, with world powers meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Later on Sunday, US officials said all parties, including Iran, had agreed "there needs to be a phased step by step reciprocal approach", so that Iran's steps to scale back its nuclear programme are met with a phased lifting of sanctions.

Two core issues remained on the table, they said. One was how the sanctions on Iran would be lifted; the other was what would happen in later years of the agreement, including Iran's capacity to conduct nuclear research and development.

"We've put ideas on the table but we haven't found the right combination yet, but no one's given up,"

"I think we can in fact make the necessary progress to be able to resolve all the issues and start writing them down in a text that will become the final agreement," he said. US Secretary of State John Kerry cancelled a planned return to the US to attend an event honouring his late Senate colleague Edward Kennedy, to ensure he could attend Sunday's talks, the state department said.

Zarif

Dangerous accord with Iran worse than feared, says Netanyahu ÏÏÏ Israeli Prime Minister, Ben-

jamin Netanyahu, on Sunday, denounced as "dangerous" a nuclear accord that world powers are negotiating with Iran, saying it goes beyond what his government had feared.

"The dangerous accord which is being negotiated in Lausanne [Switzerland] confirms our concerns and even worse," Netanyahu said in remarks at a meeting of his cabinet broadcast on public radio. Netanyahu denounced the "Iran-Lausanne-Yemen axis which is dangerous for all of humanity and which must be stopped", making a reference to the Swiss city where the talks are taking place.

The premier warned that Iran could be in a position to "conquer" the Middle East through what he called the "axis" of control it has over the capitals of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

The Israeli leader also said that his country had "strong, bipartisan support" from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the United States. Netanyahu angered the White House when he addressed a joint session of the Congress to warn against a nuclear deal with Iran in the lead-up to Israel's 17 March general election.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

15 Opinion

Lee Kuan Yew: Foremost giant of history

L Tosin Ajiboye

ee Kuan Yew was born into a wealthy Chinese family that had resided in Singapore since the 19th century.

After World War II, he studied law at Fitzwilliam College, in Cambridge, UK. In 1950, he was admitted to the English Bar, but rather than practice law there, he returned to Singapore.

Born in Singapore on September 16, 1923, Lee Kuan Yew became the longest-serving prime minister in world history. He rose through the ranks of his country’s political system before becoming prime minister on June 5, 1959.

In 1962, Lee led Singapore into a merger with Malaysia, but three years later, Singapore left the union.

At the time, Singapore was a British colony and held Britain’s main naval base in the Far East. In the early 1950s, Singapore buzzed with talk of constitutional reform and independence, and Lee came together with other like minds to challenge the governing structure of the colony. Soon breaking from this group and taking a more radical stance, in 1954 Lee became

secretary-general of his own party, the People’s Action Party.

In 1955, a new Singapore constitution was introduced. It increased the number of elected seats on the council to 25 out of a total of 32, thereby allowing only 7 seats to be filled by appointment.

But with his party represented on the council, in 1956 Lee went to London as part of the delegation seeking self-rule for Singapore.

After the negotiations failed, Singapore experienced a year of civil unrest, but in 1957, Lee returned to London yet again as talks resumed.

The next year, Lee helped negotiate Singapore’s status as a self-governing state, and a new constitution was formed.

Under the new constitution, national elections were held in June 1959. Lee campaigned on an anti- colonialist, anticommunist platform calling for sweeping social reforms and an eventual federation with neighboring countries.

His party won a decisive victory, taking 43 of the 51 seats in the assembly, and Singapore gained self-governing status (except in matters of defense and foreign affairs). Lee was sworn in as prime

minister on June 5, 1959.

Once in office, he introduced a five-year plan calling for urban renewal and construction of new public housing, greater rights for women, educational reform and industrialisation.

His plan also called for a merger of Singapore with Malaysia, and after Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed the formation of a federation that would include Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, Lee began to campaign in favour of the effort and to end British colonial rule for good.

To show that the people of Singapore were supportive, Lee used the results of a referendum held in September 1962, in which 70 percent of the votes were cast in favour of the proposal. So in 1963, Singapore joined the newly created Federation of Malaysia.

In elections held shortly after, the PAP retained its control of Singapore’s Parliament, and Lee held onto his post as prime minister.

Growing tension between Chinese and Malays in the Federation, however, resulted in rioting in Singapore, notably marked by the Prophet Muhammad Birthday riots, or Sino-Malay riots, of the

summer of 1964. A year later, with racial strife continuing, Lee was told by his Malaysian colleagues that Singapore must leave the federation.

With the broken union came problems beyond Lee’s personal grief: Singapore’s lack of natural resources and a limited defensive capability were major challenges.

Singapore needed a strong economy to survive as an independent country, and Lee quickly spearheaded a programme to transform it into a major exporter of finished goods. He also encouraged foreign investment and made moves to ensure a rising standard of living for workers.

When the opposition party decided to boycott parliament from 1966 onward, the PAP won every seat in the elections of 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980.

Lee resigned, as prime minister in November 1990 but remained the leader of the PAP until 1992.

After 14 years away, Lee’s family took its place at the head of the Singapore government once again in the summer of 2004, when Lee’s son Lee Hsien Loong took power.

In early 2015, Lee Kuan Yew was hospitalised with pneumonia and he died on March 23.

Making APGA’s magic work in Abia

A Chibueze Ezennaya

bia State is still in Egypt. However, the road to El Dorado and the Promised Land is rough, thorny and herculean. That Abia State is in dire need of a Moses and a rescue team needs no prophet to tell the citizens. That the state needs the services of an efficient administrator who would make Abia, a paradise since it has the human and material resources is not in doubt. Many politicians have tried and failed. Do Abians need angels from heaven to tell them that their destiny is in their hands?

The states in Igboland include Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Each was created at various times in history. For the fact that some are developing faster than others is as result of the investment-friendly disposition of the Igboman. A visitor to Onitsha will be spell bound at the rate of infrastructural development taking place there. In Anambra, it is no longer a request of the community to the government for roads to be built, as there are networks of good roads. Hospitals are functioning optimally, while school pupils and

students enjoy condusive environment for learning.

Workers and pensioners salaries come regularly. To say the least, Anambra State has become an epitome of good governance.

Crime, no doubt is at its lowest ebb.

At night, businesses continue to flourish and the people enjoy the serene atmosphere and the clement whether.

In Imo State, the situation is the same as in Anambra. Owerri the state capital is bustling with all types of business activities as a result of influx of people as result of the foundation laid by APGA led government. Owerri is no longer a one-road- town or the ritualists den. Today without Douglas Road, traffic flows unhindered as access roads have been opened up.

The development and beauty of Owerri places the town first ahead of others in choice of tourism in Igboland.

In Orlu, the story is not different. As in Owerri and Orlu as it is in Okigwe. Whenever the ‘Nworie River’ dredging is completed, Owerri will be the Holland of Nigeria.

An APGA government in Abia will rescue the state from the persistent “NWAMKPI” State syndrome. From available statistics, it

has been doubted if previous governments in Abia State have been Vox Populi. This time around, the votes of Abians must count and true government of the masses enthroned.

Aba, the Japan of Africa will develop up to Toll Gate/Ugba Junction, to Ikot Ekpene, to Azumini and Obeaku. Access roads will enable house owners residing 20 kilometres outside Aba to operate their businesses from their homes.

This will reduce accommodation problem. People living in Shangisha Lagos carry out their businesses, about 30 kilometres at Idumota or Balogun. As in Imo State, where seven new cities are now underway, while many in Anambra, Abia will witness the development of new cities and qualitative and compulsory free education, while Umuahia will be the ‘Bethlehem’ of Nigeria. APGA wants Igboland not only to be better but greater, finer, a beauty to watch and admire under God’s guidance.

In his manifesto, Dr Alex Otti, the APGA gubernatorial candidate in Abia State stated his 12 point agenda which include Trade and Commerce, Science and Technology, Power, Security, Infrastructure, Youth Empowerment, Environ-

ment, Health, Fund Management, Agriculture, Education and Values. In all, Alex Otti wants Abia to be the best or “Numero Uno state” in Nigeria. In his conclusion, he quoted Joe Biden, the US Vice President who said, “Do nothing or take history into our own hand and like few generations are given the chance, bend it, in the service of a better day”. As all the APGA governorship candidates in Abia State withdrew immediately Dr. Otti joined the party knowing his antecedents and pedigree, the National Vice Chairman of APGA, Engr.

Uchenna Okogbue urged Abians to vote massively for the party in April 11 election to witness for the first time, the real dividends of democracy. To other governorship candidates being propelled by godfathers, the acting party chairman has vowed to deliver the state to APGA,even as he urged voters to think like Governor Chris Christy of New Jersey. When pushed in 2012 to vie for the US Presidency under the Republican Party said, “Now, Not My Time”. Now is therefore not the time of any other party but APGA to rule Abia State.

Gen. Abdusallami Abubakar once said, “A good visitor is one who knows when to leave”.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Business Times

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

s

17

Business Editor: Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Email: emmanuelogbonnaya@dailytimes.com.ng

MSMEs get funding, experts’ advice to boost productivity Emmanuel Ogbonnaya The Federal Government has presented N1billion special credit line, through the National Enterprise Development Programme, (NEDEP) to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives in Lagos State.

Also, the first Nigerian Business Development Services Network to enhance effective and productive performance of MSMEs in Nigeria has been launched in Abuja.

Speaking in Lagos while awarding cheques to the beneficiaries of the first N100m special credit line, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said the direct micro-enterprise funding further demonstrated the commitment of the current administration to developing enterprises at the grass roots in order to create jobs, enhance growth and ultimately reduce poverty.

He said NEDEP provided the necessary platform for the sustainable ongoing funding of mi-

cro enterprises, adding that the disbursement of the N1bn loan to MSMEs in Lagos was part of the ongoing MSME funding across the 36 states of the federation and would be in phases.

Aganga said the Ministry, through SMEDAN had established approximately 3,800 cooperatives in Lagos State, noting that about 2,000 of these cooperatives would benefit from the special credit facility.

The beneficiaries drawn from all the local governments in the state, cut across various activities, including manufacturing, agribusiness, retail trade and electrical works among others.

The loans are given at single digit interest rates to the beneficiaries who also receive some form of training and skills development.

He said the National Council on MSME was working extensively with the CBN to ensure that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund reached the intended beneficiaries in all the states of the federation.

Aganga

The ministry is also working with micro finance banks and commercial banks to increase overall access to the fund.

In a related development, the Federal Government launched the first Nigerian Business Development Services Network for effective and productive performance of MSMEs in Nigeria.

The N39.6bn ($200m) project, called the Nigerian Business Development Services Network, is a network of private sector business development service providers that will work with MSMEs across the country to mentor them, provide support services and link them up with financial institutions.

Speaking during the launch of the NBDS and the unveiling of the National Business Development Services Market Place in Abuja, Aganga said that the new initiative marked another milestone in the current administration’s determination to reposition the MSME sector as the major driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

NCC cancels planned auction of 2.6GHz broadband Tony Nwakaegho The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Saturday called off indefinitely the planned auctioning of the 2.6GHz (Gigahertz) spectrum.

Dr Eugene Juwah, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, announced this in a statement in Lagos.

Juwah gave no reasons for the postponement which is occuring for the second time.

The regulatory body had in November 2014 postponed the auctioning of the spectrum, citing administrative issues. ``The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, regrets to inform parties interested in participating in the auction of Frequen-

cy Spectrum Licenses in the 2.6GHz band that it has decided to postpone the process of the auction until further notice. ``By this announcement, the 2.6GHz indicative auction timetable is suspended. We regret any inconvenience caused by this suspension,’’ it said.

In the memorandum of information released by NCC, it had offered to give 14 licences at a reserved price of $16 million (N3.52 billion) at the scheduled May 5, 2015, auctioning in Abuja.

The available slots of 14 licences will enable the winners offer broadband services nationwide, under a government plan to create a high-speed Internet services in Nigeria. ``The proposed licensing of 2.6 GHz Spectrum has been influenced by the need to open

up the space for the delivery of present and future generations of broadband services to subscribers in consonance with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan of 2013. ``Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with a population of about 173.6 million people as at 2013 according to the World Bank. ``The population has grown at a rate of 2.3 per cent for each year from 2000 to 2013. Approximately 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 20. ``Today, Nigeria, which is home to over 125 million active mobile phone connections is calling on stakeholders to explore stakes in the Internet market, where subscription is lower than voice and hence opens market opportunities,’’ the memorandum said.

Juwah

Aviation18

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Arik, CFM partner to train Nigerians on aircraft repairs

Guitteye

ASECNA seeks standardisation of African aviation Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Director General, Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), Mr Amadou Guitteye, has stressed the need for a common standard among navigation service providers in the continent via ‘single Africa sky’.

He made the assertion during a crucial meeting with officials of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) along with CEOs of other aviation agencies in Lagos. The discussion predicated on harmonious collaboration and partnership with Nigeria, aimed at further enhancing safety and seamlessness in airspace coordination within the African -India (AFI) region.

Mr Guitteye stated that his visit along with his officials to Nigeria was pursuant to the Cotonou declaration of 2010 which harped on “the need for African ANSPs to move to a single African sky through close collaboration, coordination and partnership that would bring about a stan-

dardised, harmonised, seamless and interoperable CNS/ATM systems within intra and adjacent FIRs.” The ASECNA boss noted that with the impending sectorisation of Accra FIR which hitherto included Benin and Togo airspaces, soon to be taken over by ASECNA, there was the need to review letters of procedures with Nigeria, as the closest neighbour to ASECNA in the region.

Guitteye also solicited collaboration in the area of cross-border search and rescue and training of critical manpower.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam noted that an inter-FIR collaboration with ASECNA which provide navigation service to francophone countries that are neighbours to Nigeria was a welcome development as it would be of mutual benefit to both parties and “we look forward to a very fruitful collaboration and cooperation between Nigeria and ASECNA countries.’’

World renowned aircraft engine manufacturer, CFM International and Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Arik Air have kick-started discussion on the training of Nigerians on aircraft engine maintenance and repairs.

This is an invaluable contribution of Arik Air to government’s local content development policy and as discussion progresses, it is expected that the airline would select intelligent, bright and young Nigerians that would be trained

by CFM, which is the manufacturer of Arik Air Boeing 737 New Generation (NG) engines.

The discussion was further firmed up when the President of CFM, Jean-Paul Ebanga visited the headquarters of Arik Air at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos to affirm the importance of the airline to the company and also show commitment to the planned partnership.

Ebanga who toured Arik Air’s facilities at its headquarters said that he was impressed by the progress the airline has recorded in just eight years of its commercial operations, adding that Arik would soon be one of the leading airlines in Africa.

“What the Chairman of Arik Air, Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide is

Ebanga

We’re not behind airfares hike - NANTA The Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT), National Association of Nigeria Travel Agents (NANTA), Mr Akintunde Akala, has said that travel agents in Nigeria are not responsible for the increase in airfare contrary to speculations in some quarters.

Akala said this in an interview with journalists at the official commissioning of NANTA secretariat in Lagos.

He denied that the travel agents

in the country have anything to do with the increase in air fare, adding that it has to do with the taxes airlines pay that gives rise to cost of airfare.

Akala posited that sometimes the taxes are usually more than the basic cost of the ticket, adding that sometimes taxes represent up to 70 per cent.

According to him, “I am not of that opinion. We can’t and we have no say in that actually .For

doing right now is to do, not to talk. He is bringing the needed change in air transport in Nigeria. In three to four years from now Africa will be the most populated continent with growing middle class. We have CFM engines in many aircraft operating in Africa. So we grow with Africa’s economy as the middle class becomes empowered by the ongoing economic growth. I think the population of CFM engines in Africa is the biggest one. I think we have about 900 engines flying all over Africa and the engines are behaving very well,” Ebanga said.

The President of CFM also observed that for African airlines to be competitive they have to operate new and modern equipment as Arik Air is doing, engage the services of skilled manpower and operate modern system that would dovetail with operators in other parts of the world because every airline in the world is competing at the same level because all have access to the same market.

“I think one of the challenges of Africa is that Africa is now part of the global economy and African airlines are competing with all the other airlines in the world.’’

example if you look at your ticket apart from the basic fare which you pay, all the airlines imposed charges; you pay for security, you pay for fuel, you pay for insurance, you pay all those ones to the airlines, you pay to all the countries you over fly, you pay when you pass through their airports, all these taxes go out of the country to foreign government.

The only thing that remain here apart from the 5 per cent sales

tax which go to the government and the airport tax which goes to FAAN everything is on your ticket.

He continued, “Sometimes the taxes are usually more than the basic cost of the ticket. Sometimes taxes can represent 70 per cent of the value you see in your ticket .For example when you have promos; Airlines we say we have promos $399 or $499 and by the time they come to the final cost, it will come to about N159, 000. So that is it; agents have nothing to do with the rise in air fare”.

Bi-Courtney donates patrol vehicle, office equipment to Police Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), has donated operational equipment to the police as further demonstration of its unwavering commitment to its corporate social responsibility.

The equipment, including a fully-equipped patrol car, two sets of computer with printers, two refrigerators and two flat-screen television sets, were handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Murtala Muhammed Airport Command, Mrs. Dorothy Gimba, during a familiarisation visit she made to MMA2.

While making the presentation, the Chief Executive Officer of BASL, Mr. Christophe Penninck, who was assisted by some executive management staff, including the Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi and the Group Head of Audit, Mrs. Yosola Popoola, expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the command in securing the entire airport environment and ensuring there are no security issues.

Penninck noted: “Our experience and interaction with the police have been excellent. We appreciate the good work you are doing. The fact that we don’t have any security issue and incident at the airport shows that things work. It is only where and when things don’t work that we have issues.

“We have nothing negative to say about the police at the airport. We also understand the importance of intelligence and have always availed your people of any information we consider necessary for them to perform effectively. We are committed to making the police efficient at the airport.”

In her response, Mrs. Gimba described BASL as a “critical stakeholder in the Nigerian aviation industry”, whose support is key to ensuring optimum performance by police.

Gimba

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

19 Energy

Gas supplier partners fertiliser firm on industrialisation Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Seven Energy International Limited (Seven Energy), the indigenous Nigerian oil and gas development, production and gas distribution Company has commenced the supply of natural gas to Notore Chemical Industries Plc. (Notore), a leading fertiliser and agro-allied company in Africa.

The commercial delivery of gas to Notore in Onne, Rivers State is being executed through Accugas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seven Energy.

Gas is being supplied at a rate of 25 million cubic feet per day (MMcfpd) as part of the feedstock to Notore’s fertiliser plant. By this supply arrangement, Seven Energy is enabling the Notore fertiliser plant to improve its operational efficiency enhancing the plant’s output. Natural gas is the core input into the production of fertiliser.

Commenting on the transaction, Chief Executive Officer, Seven Energy, Phillip Ihenacho said “We are happy to announce the formal commencement of gas deliveries to Notore Chemical Industries Plc through our subsidiary, Accugas, a clear demonstration of our commitment to drive the industrialisation of Nigeria through the development of the Country’s huge natural gas resources. Through the supply of our processed gas we are providing a new source of feedstock to meet the company’s increasing requirements, whilst directly enabling the production of fertiliser that Nigeria’s burgeoning agriculture sector desperately needs

to grow.”

Managing Director, Accugas Stephen Tierney, said “This milestone represents another significant step for Accugas in our effort to increase domestic supply and utilisation of gas for the good of the Nigerian people and its economy. By providing a clean, dependable, quality source of gas supply to the Notore plant, and doing so via an integrated end to end solution, we are demonstrating our clear commitment and execution performance toward enhancing domestic gas consumption for broader industrialisation.”

Seven Energy has continued to champion the Nigerian gas and industrial revolution through the exploration and production of natural gas, and, critically, its commercialisation through processing and distribution infrastructure, where it has invested over $1 billion in the south east region of the Niger Delta in the last 5 years. This enables Seven Energy to reach the end user and so support Nigeria’s evolving power sector and meet the growing energy needs of the industrial sector.

In 2014 President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the Uquo Gas Processing facility owned by Seven Energy. The facility currently supplies gas to five industrial customers.

Seven Energy company was founded in 2004. With the backing of strategic long-term investors and main offices in Lagos and London, the Group has a unique focus on the emerging Nigerian domestic gas market.

The Group’s upstream assets include licence interests in the

Gas plant

Uquo Field and the Stubb Creek Field (south east Niger Delta), an indirect interest in OMLs 4, 38 and 41 through a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) in North West Niger Delta and a licence interest in OPL 905 in Anambra Basin. Its midstream infrastructure assets, focused on south east Niger Delta, include the 200 MMcfpd Uquo Gas Processing Facility and a gas pipeline network of 260 kilometer

with distribution capacity of 600 MMcfpd.

Accugas Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven Energy, the indigenous Nigerian oil and gas exploration, development and Production Company. Accugas is a gas processing, marketing and distribution company focussed on commercialisation, for the domestic Nigerian markets, of the substantial discovered but undeveloped gas resources onshore in the Niger Delta.

Liberia: LPRC increase storage capacity to 2.9 million gallons The Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) T. Nelson Williams said that the storage capacity of LPRC has been increased to 2.9 million gallons.

Williams said the entity reached this new capacity with the completion of two tanks built by the Liberia Metal Construction Company (Green Coast).

He explained that this new capacity will improve the loading of tanker trucks quicker and faster at the terminal for the distribution of petroleum products around the country.

The LPRC boss made the disclosure when members of the Board of LPRC recently inspected the two completed storage tanks on the tank farm in the LPRC compound on Bushrod Island, a suburb of Monrovia.

According to him the improvement of LPRC facilities will also increase the revenue base of the corporation, adding that the construction of the tanks at this time was made possible through the support of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to ensure that Liberia has a modern terminal that would meet international standard.

He revealed that the LPRC tank facility, which consists of 15 modern storage tanks, is expected to be completed in September 2016, with the cost of construction estimated at over US$348,000.

Williams did not comment however on the status of the contract with the Scottish group, Motherwell.

Indigenous firm’s hi-tech acquisition thrills NCDMB

Nwapa

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB), Dr. Ernest Nwapa has commended the indigenous oil servicing companies for developing the capacity to acquire and operate hi-tech assets that could participate in every segment of the oil and gas industry notwithstanding the challenges.

An excited Nwapa commented on the emergence of a new breed of Nigerian investors and the quantum of investments they are making in the oil and gas sector at the unveiling ceremony for the $170 million Petrolog Group’s

newly acquired DP2 Saturation Diving Vessel, believed to be the largest of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Petrolog’s acquisition of the DP2 Saturation Diving Vessel has been widely described as a major achievement in the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act. The saturation diving vessel, named DSV Vinnice, is equipped for shallow and deep water operations and can be used for construction, repair and maintenance of oil-rigs and other offshore naval constructions.

The NCDMB Scribe said that Nigerian Content was a national

agenda, stressing that the Federal Government has started to extend the implementation of the policy to the power and information technology sectors following the huge success recorded in the oil and gas industry.

The Executive Secretary also stated that real Nigerian Content accomplishment would only come when vessels such as DSV Vinnice are constructed in Nigeria, expressing hope that any other such vessel to be acquired by a Nigerian investor will be outfitted at the Naval Dockyard Lagos and some of the components manufactured in-country.

Williams

Energy 20

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Petrobras excels in water column record in Sergipe-Alagoas basin

OPEC headquaters

Falling oil prices: Russian Samovars to worsen glut Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Russian samovars has been identified as the next big threat to oil price instability, currently confronting the organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Russian samovars also known as teaports pose a threat because the simple refineries that process crude into fuel oil are said to be scaling back; when oil prices slump, the government reduces the discount for these refiners known as teapots to what those in the industry get for exporting fuel. They use less crude, freeing it up for sale abroad, which in turn adds to the global glut.

According to James Henderson, a senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Russia who’s followed the country’s energy industry for more than 20 years said, Russia may increase oil exports by as much as 250,000 bpd this year which would equate to five per cent growth in shipments, the most in at least a decade.

“The pain Russia is feeling from low oil prices has made more crude available for export.

Quite a few of Russia’s simple refineries could reduce their runs,” Henderson said.

Rising shipments from Russia, which ranks with Saudi Arabia and the U.S. as the world’s biggest oil producers, would put more pressure on crude, already down more than 50 per cent from last year.

Falling energy prices and U.S. and European Union sanctions imposed last year in response to the Ukraine crisis have pushed Russia to the brink of recession, damping demand for refined fuel products in the country.

Brent was down 44 cents to $53.99/bbl at 11:01 a.m. in London. It slid 2.7 per cent to $54.43 on Thursday. Crude loadings from Russian ports are 9.5 per cent higher in the first quarter year over year, according to shipment schedules obtained by Bloomberg.

Teapot refineries processed as much as 800,000 bopd last year,

Igor Dyomin, a spokesman for Russia’s state-run pipeline operator, OAO Transneft, said by phone March 19.

A teapot refinery is one that produces mostly fuel oil rather than more premium fuels, according to Dyomin.

Henderson said seven simple plants with a combined capacity of 1.2 MMbpd are most at risk in the current price environment.

There could be sporadic cuts to refining of 400,000 bpd during the next few months’ maintenance season, with much of the unused oil exported, putting more pressure on crude prices, according to JBC Energy GmbH, a Viennabased consulting company whose clients include OPEC. The additional barrels would arrive as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, whose 12 members produce about 40 per cent of the world’s oil, sticks to plans it announced in November to maintain its own output in response to the global supply glut.

Cote D’Ivoire, Sahara Energy strike LNG deal Cote D’Ivoire in providing needed support to its growing power needs said it is working on a pact with Sahara Energy to facilitate import of liquefied natural gas, (LNG) cargoes from Nigeria.

A Director at the Ivorien Ministry of Energy, Kone Moussa, who led a delegation to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) Group Managing Director in Abuja, said his country

would be relying on structural diversion of LNG cargoes from Nigeria as a starter within the next few months to tackle the growing energy needs.

He noted that the working relationship with Sahara Energy would drive this process.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) has since announced plans by Cote D’ Ivoire to procure LNG supplies from Nigeria following the visit

of the Ivorien delegation to its group managing director, Dr Joseph Dawha in Abuja.

Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Department of NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe in a statement, said the request from Nigeria’s fellow West African country is coming as Nigeria moves to seek broader frontiers for its Liquefied Natural Gas away from the traditional Asianpacific hub.

Petrobras has excelled in water column record in SergipeAlagpas basin setting a new national record of 2,990 million for drilling under a water column.

The drilling under a water column which is the distance between the water surface and the seabed was achieved in February in the Moita Bonita area of the Sergipe-Alagoas basin, 92 km off the coastal city of Aracaju.

Only six exploration wells across the world have exceeded this depth. Petrobras has drilled 15or 30 per cent of the 50 deepest wells in the world

The deepwater discoveries made in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin since 2010 have revealed an extremely promising exploration frontier. The drill-stem test, conducted in 2012, confirmed the presence of 41º API oil and good reservoir productivity.

Eight wells in the region have been drilled with a water depth of more than 2,700 m; the wells were all drilled within a threeyear period. This is a significant achievement given the adverse local drilling conditions, with intense ocean currents, deep water and the need to use more robust drilling equipment.

Warring factions of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association resolve differences …inaugurate joint executive council Truce has eventually emerged in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association as the two warring factions, Nigeria Domestic Gas Retailer and Materials, (NDGRM), and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Association of Nigerian(LPGRAN), resolved their long-standing differences, leading to first ever inauguration of its recognised national executives council.

Following the inauguration of the new executives, the office of the National Coordinator of NDGRM occupied by Comrade David Okenwa now merges with LPGRAN. The swearing-in ceremony of the new executives was coordinated by the Lagos Zonal Chairman of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG), Comrade Tokunbo Korodo at the national headquarters of NUPENG in Lagos.

Korodo urged the new executives to work for the unity and progress of the association and for the economic growth of the country.

NUPENG’s Deputy National Secretary, Operations, Comrade Ogbebor Joseph, reminded gas retailers in the country of their economic importance in regards to availability, distribution and accessibility of cook-

ing gas, adding that any internal dispute in the association will cripple the LPG sector and the economy at large.

Ogbebor urged the new executives to create issues that will unite the association and consult with all members by carrying them along on all decisions taken to move the union forward.

16 members of the executive council were sworn-in at the end of the peaceful inauguration, which includes the National Chairman, Comrade Chika Michael Umudo, Deputy Chairman (1), Comrade Ogbuke Chijioke; Deputy Chairman (2), Comrade Mohammed Omede; Vice Chairman, Comrade Musa Ibrahim Mekudi; Secretary, Comrade Nwatu Monday; Assistant Secretary, Comrade Kayode Solomon; Treasurer, Comrade Agbo Philips; Trustee Comrade Tunde Omoarevbokha; Financial Secretary, Comrade James Ikhelia.

Alison-Madueke, Petroleum minister

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March30, 2015

21 Features

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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Today in History Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

s

Cartoons from our Archives

1918 Allied troops halt Germans at Moreuil Wood On March 30, 1918, British, Australian and Canadian troops mounted a successful counter-attack against the German offensive at Moreuil Wood, recapturing most of the area and forcing a turn in the tide of the battle in favour of the Allies.

After launching the first stage of a major spring offensive on March 21, 1918--masterminded

by Erich Ludendorff, chief of the German general staff--the German army swiftly pushed through the British 5th Army along the Somme, crossing the river on March 24. Their attacks were less successful to the north, however, around the crucially important Vim Ridge, where Britain’s 3rd Army successfully held its positions.

Determined to push on toward Paris, Ludendorff threw his troops against the town of Amiens.

To Ludendorff ’s distress, although they came

1940

within 11 miles of the city, the Germans had great difficulty capturing Amiens and its railway junction, which the British and French were told to hold at all costs. Lacking sufficient cavalry, the Germans also had problems delivering artillery and supplies to their front-line troops; those troops also received no relief, and were expected to sustain the momentum of the attack all on their own.

By the morning of March 30, the Germans had occupied Moreuil Wood, some 20 kilometres south of Amiens.

On that day, an Allied force including British and Canadian cavalry and air brigades confronted the Germans headon. By the end of the day, the Allies had managed to halt the German advance at Moreuil Wood, despite suffering heavy casualties.

Japanese set up puppet regime at Nanking

On this day, Japan established its own government in conquered Nanking, the former capital of Nationalist China.

In 1937, Japan drummed up a rationale for war against Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist China (claiming Chinese troops attacked Japanese troops on manoeuvres in a so-called “autonomous” region of China) and invaded north-eastern China, bombing Shanghai and carving out a new state, Manchukuo.

Money and supplies poured into Free China from the United States, Britain, and France, until the Burma Road, which permitted free passage of goods into China from the West, was closed after a Japanese invasion of Indochina. Making matters more difficult, Chiang was forced to fight on two fronts: one against the Japanese (with U.S. help in the person of Gen. Joseph Stillwell, Chiang’s chief of staff), and another against his ongoing political nemesis, the Chinese Communists, led by Mao Tse-tung. (Although

the United States advised concentrating on the Japanese first as the pre-eminent threat, Chiang was slow to listen.)

The Japanese proceeded to prosecute a war of terror in Manchukuo. With the capture of Nanking (formerly the Nationalist Chinese capital, which was now relocated to Chungking) by the Central China Front Army in December 1937, atrocities virtually unparalleled commenced.

The army, under orders of its commander, Gen. Matsui Iwane, carried out the mass execution of more than 50,000 civilians, as well as tens of thousands of rapes.

Nanking and surrounding areas were burned and looted, with onethird of its buildings utterly destroyed. The “Rape of Nanking” galvanized Western animus against the Japanese.

On March 30, 1940, Nanking was declared by the Japanese to be the centre of a new Chinese government, a regime controlled

by Wang Ching-wei, a defector from the Nationalist cause and now a Japanese puppet.

Daily Times March 30, 1961

1948

Henry Wallace criticizes Truman’s Cold War policies

Henry Wallace, former vice-president and current Progressive Party presidential candidate, lashed out at the Cold War policies of President Harry S. Truman. Wallace and his supporters were among the few Americans who actively voiced criticisms of America’s Cold War mindset during the late1940s and 1950s.

Widely admired for his intelligence and integrity, Henry Wallace had served as vice president to Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1941 to 1945. After Harry S. Truman succeeded to the presidency upon Roosevelt’s death in April 1945, Wallace was named secretary of commerce, but Wallace did not get along with Truman. A true liberal, Wallace was harshly critical of what he perceived as Truman’s backtracking from the social welfare legislation of the New Deal era. Wallace was also disturbed about U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union. During World War II, he came to admire the Soviet people for their te-

nacity and sacrifice. Like Roosevelt, he believed that the United States could work with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in the post war world.

After Roosevelt’s death, the new Truman administration adopted a much tougher stance toward the Russians. In March 1948, Wallace appeared as a witness before the Senate Armed Services Committee to criticize Truman’s call for universal military training, a program designed to provide military training for all American males of draft age. Dismissing Truman’s alarming statements about meeting the communist threat as part of a “deliberately created crisis,” Wallace denounced the universal military training program as one that would lead to “death and taxes for the many and very handsome profits for the few.” He implored the Senate and U.S. government to strive for a “peaceful foreign policy.” “If we are to compete with communism,” he declared, “we had bet-

ter get on the side of the people.”

Wallace’s arguments found only a limited audience in the Cold War America of the late1940s. In the 1948 presidential election, running as the Progressive Party candidate, he garnered less than 3 percent of the vote. Two years later, Wallace left the Progressive Party after it condemned his statement in support of the United States and United Nations intervention in Korea. In 1952, he wrote an article, “Why I Was Wrong,” in which he declared that his earlier stance in defence of Soviet policies had been mistaken.

Nevertheless, his criticism of American Cold War policies kept the spirit of debate and dissent alive in the oppressive atmosphere of Red Scare America. In fact, many of his arguments—particularly the point that America’s massive military spending was crippling its social welfare programs—were raised with renewed vigour during the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏA majority of Jubilation

by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters at the Town Hall, Sagamu, Ogun State… on Sunday PHOTO: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

Don’t sacrifice your life for politicians, Police minister pleads Sodiq Adekunle Adekunle

ÏÏÏMinister

of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, has urged the electorate to eschew violence, saying their lives were more important than the success of any politician.

He said this while speaking to newsmen in his hometown of Lagere, Ward 6 unit 8 in Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State.

According to him, there was no need for anyone to be desperate to the extent of losing his or her life during the election.

He illustrated his reasons for non-violence by supporters, with today’s unity between Governor

Aregbesola and former governor Oyinlola, after supporters had lost their lives on their behalf.

He said: “Whatever result we have today is the genuine votes from the mind of people in Osun State. There have not been harassment by security officers; armed security officers are not close to the polling unit.

“Nobody should, at any moment, be used for violence. People who died during the Aregbesola and Oyinlola electoral matters died for nothing, as the two individuals involved are now together. Aregbesola and I are leaders.

He is a governor and I am a minister. So, why should leaders cause violence?”

Also, a former minister of

Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, commended the use of card readers.

While speaking at Ayedade Local Governmenr, Ward 5 Unit 16 in Ago Ebira, where he voted, Olasunkanmi noted that there was a massive turn-out of voters.

To him, the use of card readers had curtailed rigging by political parties in the country.

He added: “It was in the morning that we had initial hiccups, but the process improved as we went along. The process is free and fair. The use of card readers gave credibility to the process and I think it should be used in the next election. I recommend that the card should replace the manual process,” he charged.

PDP had no candidates for NASS in Anambra, says Chris Uba

Doris Nnabuenyi Awka

ÏÏÏSelf-styled

Anambra political god-father, Chief Chris Uba, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had no National and State Assembly candidates, and warned the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) not to declare any candidate from the party a winner.

Ubah, who disclosed this to reporters in Awka, contended that there was a pending suit at the Supreme Court over who the candidates of the party in the area are.

He said that INEC would err if any of the PDP candidates was declared winner, until the determination of the pending cases in

the courts.

Briefing reporters on Sunday in Awka, after Saturday’s election, Uba said no PDP candidate could claim victory until the courts’ verdict.

Uba and other PDP candidates had gone to the Supreme Court, praying for an order of injunction, restraining INEC from issuing any certificate of return to any candidate of PDP for the 2015 National Assembly election in Anambra State, pending the determination of the suit fixed for hearing on June 9.

Furthermore, Uba said that the removal of names of PDP candidates on the ballot paper by INEC was illegal, adding that nobody should be issued certificate of re-

Uba

turn in Anambra PDP. He said all of them came back to the state to vote PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan.

Uba, who is also a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), said they were happy with what happened during the election, but regretted the disappointment of the card readers.

students of Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe, voted for the All Progressives Congress (APC) against their exlecturer and presidential candidate of KOWA party, Prof. Remi Sonaiya.

A female aspirant, Sonaiya, is a professor of French Language and Linguistics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Earlier, Daily Times had reported that the students union of OAU asked its members to vote for Sonaiya in the presidential election.

This was done through pasting of several posters on department boards and broadcasts through

23 News OAU students dump ex-lecturer, Sonaiya the Students’ Union official BlackBerry channel.

The broadcast was complemented with a message that read: “Support our ex-lecturer of Kowa Party for president.”

Apart from that, Sonaiya also attended several conferences and programmes aimed at persuading the students to vote for her.

But after the poll, APC had the highest votes in the institution, with Peoples Democratic Party as runner-up.

Plateau residents vote on Sunday Chijioke Kingsley Jos

ÏÏÏVoting in the presidential

election in Plateau State was extended to Sunday. This was as a result of the huge number of names missing on the voters’ register and the late arrival of voting materials.

As a result of these challenges the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Godwin Kwang, said voting would continue at some voting centres until midday on Sunday.

Some of the affected polling areas were Kanam, Gagdi, code 004, Gagdi Primary School 001, 008, Gwarlak 016.

RA: Dengi, Central Primary

Saka Bolaji Minna

ÏÏÏ

Alleged disenfranchised voters chased away operatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from some polling units in Anguwan Sani polling Unit (011), Egwa-Gwada ward in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, on Saturday, saying only 15 voters did not represent the true figure of registered voters with PVCs. They claimed that INEC refused to send voting materials to the unit, owing to the fact that it could not conduct election there because of low number of registered voters.

The Electoral Officer in Shiroro LGA, Mr. Isah Idakwo, said the 15 people with PVCs at the unit mattered to the body, adding that a vote could make an electoral difference.

School 002, Government Secondary School, Dengi, 001.

Kadamo, Kwafa 004, Jengze, S/Shau, 014, Kimakpa, Dan Mangu III, 008.

Jos East, Zanoi, Nagwak Angwa Sarki 013; Naraguta B, Gidan Bauchi 103, Wase, Kumbur 006, Guiwam Kogi 006, 007, Gamji, 008, Gudus, Yuli 006, 007.

Jang

Angry voters chase away INEC officials in Niger According to him: “We sent our men there but they chased them away, and we can’t afford to endanger any of our officials’ life.

“There is no immediate solution to that place for now, but we are trying to see how we can accommodate these people.

“Our challenge now is that we have given the names of the 15 eligible voters to stakeholders.

We will find it extremely difficult to reverse the initial number, because doing that will be flouting the electoral law.”

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Gunmen attack Bauchi LGAs, burn election materials Daniel Jolly Bauchi

ÏÏÏ Suspected Boko Ha-

ram insurgents have attacked some local government areas in Bauchi State, including Alkaleri, home town of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Bala Mohammed, and Kirfi, burning election materials in in the process.

A reliable source told Daily Times that their action might not be unconnected with the group’s earlier warning, when it attacked Gombe State on February 14, that people should shun the elections or risk

several attacks.

Our correspondent gathered that during the Bauchi attack, on Saturday, prospective voters ran in different directions when the gunmen fired warning shots into the air.

Worried by this development, more security personnel were drafted to Bauchi metropolis, while a jet fighter was also drafted to the town for aerial patrol.

State Police Command spokesman, DSP Mohammed Haruna said the attackers stormed Alkaleri, Kirfi and Dindima village in a convoy of six vehicles and attacked the voters at

a polling unit in Yautara ward in Darazo LGA, where election materials were set ablaze by the suspected insurgents.

The command, he added, quickly mobilised a combined security team of policemen and soldiers to patrol the areas and repel the invaders.

“However, today, (Sunday), in a similar vein, some unknown gunmen, in a convoy of over ten vehicles, again, attacked many polling units in Kirfi, Alkaleri LGA and destroyed many electoral materials", said Haruna.

The combined security

team, he added, however, resisted the attackers and chased them to Dindima village, along Bauchi-Gombe Road, from where they escaped.

Haruna urged the public to remain calm as the combined patrol team was ready to repel the attackers.

Gov. Yuguda

Card readers advance Nigerians’ voting experience - Aregbesola Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏ

Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday, said the use of card readers for elections has advanced the voting experience of Nigerians.

The governor remarked after casting his vote at the Ifofin Ward 8 in Ilesa East Local Government Area.

Aregbesola, accompa-

Boko Haram: Nyako praises Ngilari’s efforts Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏFormer

governor of Adamawa State, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako, has, in a live radio programme of Gotel Radio, Demokaradiyya Ayau, said that the state Governor, Bala Ngilari, has done well to see that all the captured areas by Boko Haram were recaptured by the Nigerian Army.

"Bala is a good man, I know him very well; he can't support what is bad, that's why he got the cooper-

Idu Jude Abuja Jubilation by supporters of APC at the Abacha Barrack in Abuja... on Saturday

Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Kaduna Gov, Yero, lost polling unit to opposition Sunday Isuwa Kaduna

ÏÏÏKaduna

State Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, has lost his polling unit, constituency and senatorial district to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yero is also the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contesting against former FCT minister, Nasir el-Rufai of APC, James Bawa Magaji of Labour Party and Polycarp Gankon.

At Yero's polling unit, former governor of the state and PDP Senator, representing the zone,

Ahmed Makarfi, won, but lost the seat to a grassroots politician, Suleiman Hunkuyi of the APC. The result, as gathered

by Daily Times, showed that, unlike Makarfi, President Goodluck Jonathan lost at Yero's polling unit.

At Kaura ward 012, in Zaria, in the presidential election, APC had 296 votes while PDP scored 79. For the Senate, APC polled 228 votes while PDP had 166. In the House of Representatives election, APC polled 238 votes as against PDP’s 108.

In Kaura ward 013, Yero's polling unit, the following results were recorded:

Presidential: APC–207; PDP--124.

Senate: APC–154; PDP-183.

Reps: APC–177; PDP--153.

More results were yet to be released by the state INEC. At Makarfi's polling unit, it was gathered that Hunkuyi had 445 votes as against Makarfi’s 7 votes.

Speaking, the Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris, urged all the candidates to accept the results in good faith.

Dr. Idris, who stated this in his palace in Zaria, while addressing the press, said "Peace is very important in our nation, anyone that wins should

thank God; the loser should also accept defeat and strategise for the next time. Whatever is the outcome, they should accept it wholeheartedly," Idris said.

Yero, who voted at about 3:30pm on Saturday, expressed satisfaction with the exercise and urged voters to be calm.

It was gathered that in Giwa Local government, communities predominantly farmers, the card reader rejected the men’s fingerprints but recognised that of the women.

The card readers also failed in Idon ward, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State, it was gathered.

nied by his wife and mother, around 2pm, said: "The card reader device has advanced the voting experience of Nigerians, which has drastically reduced possible manipulation of electoral process."

He was optimistic that with the initial hiccups in the use of the device, subsequent elections would be better.

“In terms of security, the situation in Osun now, is different from what happened in the August 9 governorship election, where hooded men, terrorists and other fake security agents, were deployed to intimidate the people, who refused to be intimidated”, Aregbesola said.

ÏÏÏ The National Demo-

cratic Institute (NDI) will announce the findings of its international election observation mission at a news conference in Abuja today.

A delegation from the institute, based in the Massachusetts, USA, was in Nigeria to observe Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections.

According Mrs. Katty Gest, Director of Public Affairs, the press conference would be held in Abuja.

The delegation is coled by Johnnie Carson, a member of the NDI Board of Directors, former U.S. assistant secretary of State for African Affairs and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Mahamadou Danda, former prime minister of

ation of the Nigerian military to see that Boko Haram cannot have a base in Adamawa State...the military too are doing a good work”, Nyako said.

The former governor, who spoke to Adamawa people, through a telephone call in Hausa language, for the first time since he left office, blamed PDP for being lax with the insecurity issue in the country. According to him all the PDP members rallying around President Goodluck Jonathan were saboteurs.

NDI to announce findings on election Niger Republic, Bill Ritter, former governor of Colorado (U.S.); and Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at NDI. The delegation’s purpose is to provide an assessment of the conduct of the elections and demonstrate the international community’s continuing support for democratic processes in Nigeria.

Ritter

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Police arrest PDP, LP NASS candidates in Ughelli Joe Ogbodu Warri

Ă?Ă?Ă?Scores

of people, including Ughelli North, Ughelli South/Udu Federal constituency candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Solomon Awhinahwi, and Labour Party (LP) candidate, Julius Akpovoka, were among those arrested for various electoral related offences by officers of the Ughelli Police Area Command.

The two candidates were seen behind the counter, in company of some of their supporters and suspected thugs, while they pleaded

with the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ughelli Division 'A' police station, Mr. Hassan Galadima, to release them to participate in the rescheduled election in the areas.

An orgy of violence had forced Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend elections in Udu Local Government Area till Sunday.

The DPO, Mr. Galadima, had accused the duo of being the brains behind the electoral violence recorded in the area in the past 24hours (Saturday to Sunday morning), saying; "For now, both of you are prison-

We laboured for Jonathan, PDP's victory – Ubah Ben Nwachukwu Abuja

Ă?Ă?Ă?Founder

of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and prime mobilizer for President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has declared that the anticipated victory of the ruling party in Saturday's presidential election would not come as a surprise.

Dr. Ubah said TAN laboured vigorously to rally Nigerians, particularly the youths, which constitutes over 40 percent of the population, behind President Jonathan.

"I am so happy that we have done excellently well. We thank God that we had the opportunity to serve to show Nigerians the best candidate, and we thank God also that from the onset our expectations

were fully met, because if we have had another candidate emerge from the party, it would have been disastrous," he said.

He noted that when the teeming Nigerians endorsed the President, and the PDP also endorsed him, it made the journey very smooth.

Addressing 3,000 people on the streets of Abuja on Thursday, Ubah said it would have been really difficult if the endorsement by 18 million Nigerians that asked him to run had been at crossroads with that of the party.

The TAN founder, who doubles as PDP Deputy Director for Contact and Mobilisation of the presidential campaign committee, was optimistic about the outcome of the presidential polls and expressed appreciation to all Nigerians for re-electing President Jonathan.

ers, and you should worry about your current position as prisoners, rather than thinking about your elections."

Continuing, he said: "It is a shame that the likes of you are the ones being voted for to go and make laws at the National Assembly, while you are here in company of your thugs breaking laws by causing electoral violence."

Meanwhile, suspected thugs loyal to the Ethiope East council boss, Chief Faith Majemite, also assaulted journalists present at the INEC office in Isiokolo.

It was learnt that trouble started when a chieftain of the Labour Party, Dr Festus Arunaye, accosted Chief Majemite in company of her armed police escort and suspected thugs inside the INEC office, allegedly presiding over distribution of voting materials.

In an attempt to capture the rowdiness on camera, suspected thugs loyal to the council boss threatened to break the camera of the AIT correspondent and the Vanguard reporter, saying: "After this election, I will look for your houses and you would have yourself to blame."

Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

Ă?Ă?Ă?Osun

State Police Command has confirmed that two persons died in the election violence that erupted during the presidential and National Assembly election at Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government Area, and Oloomu, in Ife South LGA. The state Commissioner of Police, Sam Okaula, disclosed this to newsmen in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Sunday.

He also noted that 10 suspects had been arrested in connection with violence during the election.

The commissioner said: "Reports reaching the command indicated that the deceased were involved in electoral fraud that resulted in a clash between

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political parties, which eventually led to the death of both men."

While assuring that the police would prevent further electoral violence, the commissioner added that some of those arrested were connected to the deceased persons.

"Investigation is on-going to ascertain the true cause of the clash and anyone found culpable would be made to face the full wrath of the law accordingly," he added.

PDP women leader resigns in Kwara Ilorin

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Election violence: Osun police confirm 2 dead, arrest 10 suspects

Kehinde Akinpelu

25

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State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader, Hajia Nimota Oba Suleiman, has announced her resignation from that position.

In a letter forwarded to the state Chairman of the party, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, Suleiman said her resignation was sequel to the defection of her leader, Sen. Gbemisola Rukayah Saraki, from the PDP in Kwara State to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Suleiman, a former member of the National Assembly, said that since Sen. Gbemi Saraki had instructed her supporters to vote massively for the APC in the state before last Saturday's election, she had come to realise that her membership of the PDP had become untenable. “Therefore, in fidelity to her ideology and in solidarity with her political leadership, I, Nimota Suleiman, this day, cease to be the state Women Leader and member of the PDP in Kwara State,� she declared.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Our Heritage

s

Why I’m misunderstood on Achebe – Ofeimun Odia Ofeimun is an acclaimed poet, writer, journalist, political scientist and polemist who has several poetry books and landmark scholarly researches to his credit. A graduate of Political Science and Economics from the premier University of Ibadan, he served as a Private Secretary to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, former Premier of Western Region; before joining the editorial board of The Guardian Newspapers. He served as General Secretary and later President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). But it was the appearance of his poems in Poems of Black Africa (1975), edited by Prof. Wole Soyinka, that brought him literary acclaim.

His first collection of poetry, THE POET LIED, which condemned established Nigerian writers, stirred literary controversy in Nigeria and beyond. His poetry has a fusion of emotional commitment and political intensity.

The characteristic Ofeimun, in this interview with AGOZINO AGOZINO, throws more light on his research findings on Awolowo, Prof. Chinua Achebe, General Muhammadu Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan.

Some people say you are a controversial writer, others have one or two issues to sort with you, especially, as result of the kind of positions you take in your books and national politics. Nigerians have not forgotten the debate that followed your position when the late Prof. Chinua Achebe released his last book, THERE WAS A COUNTRY. So, who is Odia Ofiemun?

I don’t know why people see me from any perspective. What you can ask me is why do I speak from any particular perspective and that makes sense and I can give you an answer, because if people see me from their angle, they can’t make any sense.

Ok, why do you see things from a different angle?

I was brought up to believe that there is a difference between what is true and what is not. And when I see that, my description can be misunderstood, I don’t worry myself, I stay on the side I consider right. In the Nigerian situation, some people do not believe that there is truth and un-

Ofeimun truth. I happen to be one of those who believe that it is possible to make a clear distinction between one truth and another. In the case of the current election, it has been famously seen as a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea. Unfortunately, the devil is already in the deep blue sea and for me that is not a choice, I believe that there is something less than a devil, for me, that happens to be Goodluck Jonathan.

Indirectly, you seem to be making the same argument by Chinua Achebe in TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA, that leadership is the bane of Nigeria’s problem. In this case, what role has writers and intellectuals like you played to change Nigeria?

Sometimes, the societies never rise higher than the intellectual class. But, mostly, the intellectual class, if as repressed as the one we find in Nigeria, can, actually, become a drawback from the day they destroyed the Nigerian university system, and the soldiers did that very well. They removed the element of freedom, that enabled people to strive for the

truth, without fear or looking back. Most people in the university system, who contribute to public affairs are properly speaking in the intellectual class.

Writers belong to that group, even when they are not in the university system. But, we know it, for a fact, that the Nigerian university system is a very unwholesome place for people who have a mind of their own. If they are not lynched by their fellow academics, they are repressed by the larger political system.

As for the writers, take a look around and you will find that none is in any position to earn a proper living from what they write, they are beholden to other employers, who may not be good at taking what the intellectuals are supposed to do. So you have a situation where the intellectual class is a coterie unto itself, unable to strive beyond the surrounding drains of the system.

I grew up when the intellectual could enter the newspaper pages and fight out battles and it was a very exciting period.

Today, what we have is just a CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

27 Our Heritage

‘Writers are now an endangered species’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

few intervention cases, which, simply, tell you what the World Bank wants you to know. You have a situation in which people fight to fit into their grand theories, provided by people who have an already fixated idea, to fit into the ambit within which all of us can perform. And there is so much of a struggle to fit into what people in power or those who command them from the World Bank require. If you look at the Nigerian system from that angle, the intellectual class is very moribund and the few people who intervene in the public space no longer do so, because they are committed to the ideas within it. I have seen the socalled progressives behave in the sense we would call reactionary.

Why would anybody, in his right mind, support an election, when a third of the electorate has no voter’s cards and, actually, manage to make it look normal and presumed that the person who wants an election is a spoiler? It is the most unprogressive in the whole world that you are disenfranchising a whole block of your population and you are making the date of election sacrosanct, but, you are removing the right to vote, I find it backward, reactionary, unwholesome, for any country that wishes to move into the future.

But, that is being treated as a progressive position, by the so-called dreamers of change. A change, based on reducing the number of Nigerians who can participate in an election, is movement into perdition. Don’t let us deceive ourselves. There is nothing that makes it right, tolerable, or that makes it sensible.

What is your view on Awolowo, Achebe and other notable Nigerian writers of the early generation?

I have just finished a book, which I am revising, on when the civil war ended, and in which I talked, extensively, about Awolowo and Chinua Achebe, so, I don’t mind saying a word about both of them and I worked with both of them. I was Awolowo’s Private Secretary, for three years and ten months, and in the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), I was a Publicity Secretary, under Chinua Achebe. So I can say that I know both in a rather personal way, and also in a, rather, official manner. If you are looking at how the earlier generation of Nigerians test the modalities of our cultural progress, the two of them were, quite, upfront as leaders of thought, no question about

“A change, based on reducing the number of Nigerians who can participate in an election, is movement into perdition. Don’t let us deceive ourselves.” it. They never shared a common platform throughout their lifetime. The ideas of Awolowo, which Achebe disagreed with when he was a younger man, were the same he preached when as an older man, but, no longer admitted that Awolowo shared those ideas, which is part of the tragedy of the Nigerian situation. Wole Soyinka, who you have not mentioned, actually, said when Awolowo died, that one of the reasons why he did not identify with Awolowo, was, because, it would be said that he was just following in the steps of a fellow tribesman, so, politics made one of the greatest intellectuals in Awolowo’s constituency to step back, the same way politics made Achebe to step back. Because politics requires ethnic groups to build their own world and fight across boundaries, Achebe, being an Igbo, sided with his own people, and would not cross to the other side to be throwing stones.

So you have a situation where the Igbo, primarily occupied a federalist position in Nigerian politics, but, preached Unitarianism all the time. And because the leader of the Igbo in Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, was also a closet unitary, there was always a tendency to misread the issues, so that if you were promoting a given language, you were supposed to be a tribalist. Awolowo never believed in those terms, because he never believed that what the Europeans called tribes here, were tribes, he maintained that we were nationalities. It was later in his life, around 1993, that Achebe came to agree and in the lecture he delivered that year, he said “I no longer treat the Igbo as a tribe”. I will never stop saying that Awolowo’s earlier position,

which said that Nigeria was just a mere geographical position, was the right thing. That is what the recent National Conference proposed.

As a writer with deep knowledge of the Nigerian history, it would be recalled that in the beginning of the Jonathan administration, you, Wole Soyinka, Toyin Akinosho and the literary community, hailed him because of the Bring Back the Book project. some people see him as the devil, but, you’re saying he is less than a devil.

What could be the reason for the spate of criticism against him now?

It is not about what is wrong with the Jonathan administration, but what is right enough in his administration, for anybody to want to choose him this second time. In the first place, it is about a choice between him and another Nigerian, and, therefore, whatever problem we might have with the Jonathan administration, must be engaged against what we know or will be anticipated of the other party. If it is between Jonathan and Buhari, I can give you a thousand and one reasons why he is a better candidate than Buhari. Nigeria is a country of many nationalities and ethnic groups and you need a certain capacity for conversation for you to put such a large country together. Jonathan may appear bumbling, he may appear to be unsure of his footing, and there is a sense in which he may appear to, deliberately, do things in order to make people believe that he is unsure of his footing, but, it helps the average citizen to take a stand for what ought to be the solution.

Ofeimun

Visitors at the Olumo rock (Inset) Entrance to Olumo rock Tourist Complex

Olumo rock, where tourists relax in Ogun OGUN, the Gateway State came into existence in February 1976 following the creation of new states by the late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed.

In terms of culture and tourism the Ogun State Government, through its tourism potential, has continuously guaranteed selfsufficiency Major tourist attractions in the State are Olumo rock, the Birikisu sungbo shrine, Suna cultural centre, the Ososa home of Hubert Ogunde and Yemoji tourist centre and many more.

Predominantly inhabited by the Egbas, Egbados, Aworis, Eguns, Ijebus and the IjebuRernos, Ogun State, which has its Capital at Abeokuta, also attracts many other Yorubas from neighbouring states.

Specifically, Yoruba is spoken among the predominant subethnic groups but English is widely spoken as official language. The State, is noted for its hospitality to expatriates from within and outside Africa, provides entrance for

thousands of people coming into Nigeria by land from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Togo and Republic of Benin through Idiroko, the famous Nigeria-Benin Republic border town situated in Ogun State.

Enriched with an uninhibited cultural milieu which gives a boost to social relationship among the inhabitants, Ogun is blessed with a peaceful religious atmosphere which engenders the spirit of solidarity among the citizenry. Adherents of Christianity and Islam live together, but many of them still participate in traditional rites depending on family religious background. Ogun enjoys the tropical weather with the rainy season starting about March and ending November, it also enjoys, throughout the year, a sunny weather in day time and fairly cool weather in the evenings. Notable agricultural products include Rice, Maize, Beans, Cassava, Yams, Plantain, Bananas, Tomatoes, Oranges, Cocoa, Kolanuts, Rubber, Palm Oil, palm Kernels and Sugar Cane.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

Features Day fiveman robbery gang was smashed at Okokomaiko

A gang of five robbers, including two physically challenged has confirmed the saying that there is indeed ability in disability.

ANYIM JOY NDUDI reports.

As it is often said, there is ability even in disability, so it was for Aliu Abubakar, who though has both hands deformed, was able to rob his many victims of their valuables.

The 22 -year old Katsina indigene was arrested alongside two other gang members. They were

s

Features Editor: Gbubemi God’s Covenant Snr. E-mail: gbubemi.godscovenantsnr@dailytimes.com.ng

alleged to have been terrorising residents and commuters along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, especially at Cassidy Bus stop.

Daily Times gathered that Abubakar who is a JSS 2 drop out had earlier been arrested in 2012, and subsequently convicted and sentenced for 15 months.

On release, Abubakar become more a more hardened criminal.

The ex-convict told his own story to Daily Times. “I am from a very poor home; my mother is in the village in Kat-

sina, while my father lives at PPL near Okoko. For want of a means of survival, I left home and was always sleeping at Okoko Bus stop with other boys.

There, I met Shibushiri who introduced me to this way of life.

He was a very good friend and I would always told him of my physical challenges which acted as handicap and prevents me from living a normal life.

“I was selling scrapped materials such as iron and copper CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Some of the robbery gang

THE FAKE PRODUCTS DILEMMA:

The ugly side of cigarette smuggling GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR reviews the fake product trend in Nigeria, with additional report from AKEEM OGUNLADE, Abuja.

Like corruption, fake products have become a class acceptable to the impoverished class and the unsuspecting middle and upper class as a standard in Nigeria. No thanks to ineptitude of government agencies responsible for the control of regulated products and standards.

Fake products are replicas of real products which take advantage of the superior value of the imitated products and wrestle the market from real product manufacturers.

Also, fake products, especially consumable, have a reputation of being low quality. Sometimes, they contain substances that are injurious to health and hundreds of thousands of people lose their lives to fake drugs and foods every year.

Fake products come in two major categories, both of which are dangerous, but one is fatal.

We have fake products in the form of forged currency/important documents, oral pharmaceuticals, clothing, handbags, shoes, auto parts, piracy of movies, art works, etc. The other consists of inhalable products like medihaler (for asthma patients), cigarettes and pharmaceutical drugs especially, etc.

Recently, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) sponsored an advertorial alerting Nigerians of certain

brands of flavoured cigarettes which the federal quality control agency said did not meet the registration requirements of the Nigerian Industrial Standards(NIS) and therefore are not allowed to be imported in Nigeria.

That the said products still found its way into Nigeria, despite being substandard having fallen short of the quality benchmarks set by the Standards Organization of Nigeria(SON), speaks to the fact that the products were in all likelihood smuggled into Nigeria.

The Features and Health desks of Daily Times of Nigeria observed that the public may have missed out on the implication of that advertorial in the midst of the electioneering campaign, so the necessity to sensitise the public on this sublime virus ravaging the country, besides the revenue loss to fake products which statistics put at over N80 billion annually to fake drugs alone.

Cigarette smuggling is an ever present but highly underestimated danger in our environment. Indeed, the imperative of curtailing if not eradicating cigarette smuggling is at the root of sundry submissions that have been made to policy and regulatory authorities by a number of development institutions as well as the tobacco industry over the years. In their submissions, while they have admitted to the essence of regulating the tobacco industry, they have at the same time,

Untaxed Cigarette Cartons canvassed that such regulation ought to be such as would have adequately accommodated the views and insights of the various stakeholders, in order that a robust and balanced regulatory framework emerges at the end of the day.

Incidentally, some stakeholders have consistently argued that tobacco regulation should be instituted without input from the tobacco industry. The reality is that doing so is the

surest pathway to penning damaging tobacco legislation.

“Damaging” is used in the context that from experience from other countries, such regulation is typically too stringent to be enforceable, leading to poor implementation and worse still the emergence of far complicated problems than the regulation sought to curb.

It is pertinent to raise these issues and draw the attention of policy makers and key stake-

holders at this time, especially when the tobacco control bill is still before the National Assembly. It is noteworthy that SON is battling with the issue of smuggled cigarettes even at a time when regulation is at today’s current level.

Smuggling: the black market option Before we proceed further, perhaps we should examine CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

29 Features

‘We sell the items to Mohammed after robbery’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

wire, but it was not as profitable as I thought. So Shibushiri asked if I had the courage to embark on then type of dangerous kind of business he and others do to survive. I answered in the affirmative. He then let me into their lives in the underworld.

The promises were too attractive I could not refuse. I joined the five man gang of Tunde, Boutique, Anans Mohammed, Ali Adamu and Shibishiri who was our leader.

“After the first three robberies, I was arrested by the police and charged to court. I served 15

months in jail at Kirikiri Prison and was released in 2013. I participated in a total of 10 robberies and we stole mostly phones, computers and other valuables we find on victims. Although I am physically challenged, I was able to scare people with machetes whenever I am robbing them. We also had a gun that was always in the custody of the gang leader. After any robbery operation,we sell the items to one Mohammed and the proceeds are shared equally.”

The gang however met their waterloo when they robbed truck driver, Monday Ogbe and his conductor at Cassidy Bus

stop in Okokomaiko, while they were off-loading goods transported from Benue State. The victims however reported the robbery at the Divisional Police station, Okokomaika.

Fortunately, when the victims and one Alhaji went back to the scene of the crime, they found a group of young men discussing at and recognised one of the robbers who happened to be Aliu Abubakar. They immediately alerted the police who responded and arrested the suspect.

“After our last operation, I thought no one would recognise me so I went back to stay with some few friends,” Abubakar

continued; “But the lorry driver was smart enough to recognise me in the amidst of the crowd.

On learning of my arrest, the other gang members, fled; but since I promised to cooporate with the police, I led them to our hideout where Anans Mohammed and Ali Adamu were arrested.”

20-year-old Anas Mohammed from Kaduna State also spoke with Daily Times on how he joined the gang. “I sell beef at Odo-eran, after Agric Bus stop at Ojo. I have known Aliu for a long time, but I became close to him after he came back from prison. When I joined the

“Incidentally, passing tobacco legislation that is not adequately balanced by having considered several contending issues is one sure way of putting Nigeria on the path to perdition by making it increasingly susceptible to cigarette smuggling” Joseph Odumodu, SON DG

Cigarette smokers do not pay taxes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

why cigarette smuggling ought to be a front burner issue. Studies have revealed clearly that when tobacco control regulation becomes too stringent as to make products excessively priced or too cumbersome to access, the quickest resort of cigarette sellers and distributors is the black market, the market for smuggled cigarettes.

In this shady and unregulated market, much lower prices are guaranteed. Such low prices are typically a fall-out of a number

of factors, one of which is tax avoidance. Cigarette smugglers do not pay taxes of any sort to government. Extensive resort to smuggled cigarettes therefore systematically deprives government of considerable tax revenues that are ordinarily accruable from the legitimate tobacco industry.

Cigarette smugglers are primarily driven by profit and are therefore under no obligation to provide jobs or grow legitimate institutions of any sort.

So, while a legitimate tobacco industry in Nigeria is providing

thousands of jobs to Nigerians and stimulating a value chain that impacts lives of thousands more Nigerians, an underground tobacco industry that thrives on smuggled cigarettes can only provide a livelihood for a sprinkling of people.

Besides, as the advertorial from the SON implies, the legitimate tobacco industry operates in a transparent fashion such that its processes and operations are accessible to regulators in order to guarantee the quality of products being churned to Nigeria’s marketplace. On the

other hand, regulators have no view and no input into the quality of smuggled cigarettes many of which are likely to be substandard anyway.

Worse still, and as evidence from across the world has shown, cigarette smuggling has since emerged as the choice means of money laundering by criminal gangs and terrorists.

The reasons may not be unconnected with the fact that cigarettes are typically light weight and easy to transport across borders, while huge demand and tax avoidance combine to

gang, I met him and other gang members. I have participated in about three robbery operations.

But I was not part of the last operation. I was arrested after the police apprehended Aliu.”

But contrary to the confession of Abubakar, 25-year-old, oneeyed Ali Adamu said he never participated in any robbery operation. He claimed he only buys stolen items from the gang, “I was arrested because I buy goods from them, I am not an armed robber, I am a butcher.”

Items recovered from the suspects include, one locally made pistol, live cartridges and three machetes. Investigations are still ongoing to arrest the other gang members who are still at large.

guarantee constant revenues and excellent profits.

For instance, William Billingslea, a senior intelligence analyst at the office of Strategic Intelligence and Information, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington in a recent paper entitled Illicit cigarette trafficking and the funding of terrorism, states that cigarette traffickers can make as much as USD 60 (more than NGN 12,120) profit for every carton of cigarettes sold.

“Because of the immense profits in the illicit trade as well as the potentially low penalties if caught, illicit cigarette trafficking,” he confirmed, “now rivals drug trafficking as the method of choice to fill the bank accounts of terrorists and terrorist groups.”

For a country like ours reeling from the effects of insurgency, clearly, this is one risk that we should strive to avert by every legitimate means.

Incidentally, passing tobacco legislation that is not adequately balanced by having considered several contending issues is one sure way of putting Nigeria on the path to perdition by making it increasingly susceptible to cigarette smuggling.

Personal check and responsibility Before you pay for any product, look out for the date of registration, date of manufacture, expiry date, manufacturer’s address and text number in the panel (as with some products) before parting with your money, using or consuming the product.

NAFDAC and SON have put the power of detecting fake and original products in the hands of the consumer. If you decide to be ignorant or think ‘it doesn’t matter’, you are on your own.

A stitch in time, saves nine.

News 30

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

APC accuses Yuguda of plotting cancellation of Bauchi polls Augustine Aminu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) yesterday accused Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State of plotting to cause crises across the state as a ploy to have elections in the state cancelled.

In a statement signed by the director of media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, APCPCO noted that intelligence report at its disposal indicated that the Bauchi State Governor, aware

that the All Progressives Party (APC) was in clear lead, was set to fuel crises across the state so as to give an impression that elections across the state were inconclusive and therefore call for an outright cancellation.

“We have it on good authority that Governor Yuguda is planning to engineer violence across Bauchi State in order for him to provoke a state of emergency so that elections across the state which put the APC in strong lead in the state would be seen to have been marred by violence.

“We make bold to state that this plot by the Bauchi State Governor to write off the electoral wishes of the people is anti-democratic, pernicious, subversive and absolutely unacceptable.

“In the light of this development, we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to be railroaded by Governor Yuguda and all other anti-democratic forces into taking actions that may jeopardise the tranquillity we have so far enjoyed in the course of this election.

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏKwara

State Governor, Dr. Abdufatah Ahmed, has expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their peaceful conduct during the presidential and National Assembly elections while describing the use of card readers as a positive innovation that boosts the credibility and integrity of the elections.

Ahmed spoke in Share Headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, shortly after casting his votes.

The Governor who noted that the turnout for the polls was huge, added that this could be attributed to the high level of consciousness of Nigerians and their resolve to take their destiny

Polls: Gov Ahmed lauds Kwara residents in their hands.

While thanking the security agencies for their maturity and neutrality, the governor expressed concern over reported incidents of politicians going around with uniformed personnel contrary to the provisions of the electoral law. Ahmed therefore urged law enforcement agents to prevent a reoccurrence of such in future elections.

Otti alleges plans by INEC, PDP to rig Abia NASS polls Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏThe All Progressive Grand Ballot papers scattered on the street in Maraba, Nasarawa State… on Saturday

Police assures Kano residents of post-election security Yakubu Salisu

ÏÏÏThe

Kano State Police Command has assured the state’s residents of adequate security before and after the Saturday election results are announced.

Speaking with Daily Times at the police headquarters, Bompai, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, Kano State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the police and other security agencies were working 24 hours to ensure

APGA, PDP candidates clash in Anambra

that people are protected. In fact, he said, the smooth conduct of Saturday’s election was a credit to the police force and other security bodies.

According to him, there is no cause for alarm as police have already identified some potential flash points in the state such as Birgede quarters, Unguwa Uku, Kurna, Sabon Gari.

He added that his men would do everything possible to prevent post- election violence.

Doris Nnabuenyi Awka

ÏÏÏThere

was heavy shooting yesterday at the Ihiala Local Government Headquarters in Anambra State, following a clash between Chief Ifeanyi Ubah of

Alliance, (APGA) leader in Abia State and its governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, Sunday cried out over alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to rig last Saturday National Assembly election in the state.

Addressing newsmen in his office, Sunday, the party said emerging results showed that his party, APGA, was in the lead at the Senate and House of Representative elections and accused PDP of bal-

Mathew Dadiya Abuja

ÏÏÏResults

Abba

of last Saturday’s elections continues to trickle in as the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) dominates in the outcome of the polls.

The summary result for the Presidential election in Kwali Area Council, as announced by Returning Officer, Dr. Simon Abochol, revealed that the APC polled 15, 348 votes ahead of the PDP which polled 13, 091.

At Kwali with a total of 65, 250 registered voters, 31, 034 were accredited while a total number of

the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Ernest Obiejesi (Obijackson) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Before the clash, some ward results in the area had been cancelled because of irregularities.

After the clash, the results of

the entire Ihiala Local Government Area were cancelled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

During the fracas, irate youth of APGA and PDP burnt tyres along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, making the place impassable.

lot box-snatching and other irregularities in Isiala Ngwa South, Isiala Ngwa North, Aba North and Ugwunnagbo councils of the state.

Other councils he mentioned were Ohafia, Arocchukwu and Osisioma, where he said the INEC staff could not declare any results at the collation point which is in the council headquarters managed by PDP Transition Committee Chairmen.

Otti also alleged that because the collation points were located inside the council premises, agents of APGA were not allowed into the council to observe the collation, even as agents of opposition parties were scared off with gunshots in some areas.

APC leads in Kwali as PDP wins Kuje votes cast was 29, 447. The total valid votes was 28, 753.

FCT Electoral Returning, Prof Michael Faborode, received the result for onward transmission to INEC national collation centre.

Results from other remaining five Local Councils of the FCT was being expected as at press time.

The PDP, however, won the presidential election result in Kuje Area Council of FCT as announced by the Collation Officer, Dr. Wesley Daniel. The party polled 16, 973 votes against APC which polled 15, 709. The area council had 10 Wards with a total of 81, 004 registered voters. 36, 131 were accredited while the total votes cast is 33, 747. The total valid votes was 32, 995.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 30, 2015

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Our President must borrow a leaf from Mandela

Yinka Odumakin

ÎÎÎWe trooped out on Saturday in our millions to elect our president for another four years. As you are reading this, the winner must have emerged, all things being equal. This leader has emerged after a bitterly fought election which stretched all the limits of our country. It is time to now look ahead and the winner should emulate Nelson Mandela who during his inauguration speech in 1994 put behind him the bitter experiences of apartheid to rally the peoples of South Africa into a “rainbow nation”.

Read him: “Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our

country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty.

“Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.

“Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity`s belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.

“All this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today.

“To my compatriots, I have no hesitation in saying that each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld.

“Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal. The national mood changes as the seasons change.

“We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration

when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom.

“That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explains the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as we saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the peoples of the world, precisely because it has become the universal base of the pernicious ideology and practice of racism and racial oppression.

“We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.

“We thank all our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity.

“We trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism

and democracy.

“We deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion. Not least among them is my Second Deputy President, the Honourable F.W. de Klerk.

“We would also like to pay tribute to our security forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition to democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light.

“The time for the healing of the wounds has come.

“The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come.

“The time to build is upon us.

“We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

“We succeeded to take our last steps to freedom

in conditions of relative peace. We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just and lasting peace.

“We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity - a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.

“As a token of its commitment to the renewal of our country, the new Interim Government of National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of amnesty for various categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment.

“We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free.

“Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward.

“We are both humbled

and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist government.

“We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom “We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success.

“We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.

“Let there be justice for all.

“Let there be peace for all.

“Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.

“Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.

“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.

“Let freedom reign.

“The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!

“God bless Africa!”

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08169118913, 08075038528

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TIMES Monday, March 30, 2015

Elvis Kioupouroglou Promoting longevity and healthy lifestyle L2,3

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The chic and stylish cape trend L4

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Green tea: The medicinal drink L6 P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 30, 2015

I am an advocate of body, soul and spiritual wellbeing Elvis Kioupouroglou Nkarenyi Ukonu Quite an engaging and interesting person, Akwa Ibom State born Elvis Kioupouroglou opens up in this interview about her spa business which she runs with close friend, Iyabode Gbadebo-Cole, her intriguing love for shoes as well as how her husband has been instrumental to shaping her into the person she is today What is Tirtayu spa all about?

It is a spa but not like your average spa. The basic concept is to generally take care of women, to create a balance between the body, the soul and the spiritual aspect, through meditation and calmness.

Everything we do is to promote longevity, clean and healthy lifestyle.

But that is what most spas are all about; to promote wellness in an environment of serenity and calmness. What sets this apart from the rest?

Everything we make use of is very different, all natural, no chemical component and the products are all from the Javanese culture of Indonesia and China where all of the products we use are from nature, herbs. Some of our treatment are so delicate and only the founder of Tirtayu can handle them and she only comes in to Nigeria on appointment to treat them. Our spa aestheticians can’t handle those treatment themselves.

What is the idea behind partnering with the Asians to run a spa?

Because everything is natural and you know, sometimes people just open a spa for the sake of it

Life&

T E A M

of it . Ours is not your regular run off the mill spa like I earlier mentioned which is why we allow the specialists to do their job. Everything we use in

the spa is brought from Indonesia and all our therapists are trained by Tirtayu. If you plan to have a spa, it should serve its real purpose which is to promote natural healing and wellness. So if we have a therapist who isn’t well versed in a particular treatment, we can easily swap with a therapist from any Tirtayu spa worldwide because it is a franchise and a continuation of the spa in Indonesia.

Do you offer the kind of treatments other spas offer as well?

Yes and even more. We have services for body tightening, cellulite removal, weight loss, facials body massage, hair spa for massaging the scalp and promote hair growth, waxing and even acupuncture where you have to inject the body with a needle. It is something that has to be timed and it can’t be done by everybody except the Tirtayu founder because you need to know the acupressure points to be able to perform this treatment. The therapist comes Acupuncture is used to treat chronic pain and stress It is also used for the treatment of wrinkles and is known to take years off people. There is is, the massaging of the feet to help detect how well one and which organ of the body is in need of attention. It can also be used to cure headaches, pain, only by massaging the toes. If you are stressed, when you come to the spa, we will recomHow are you able to detect this?

The toes are linked to every part of the body. So when a professional touches some points on the big toe, he or she is able to detect where you have a problem

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784

Can it be used to treat say, high blood pressure? and acupuncture, it can open up the pores, the veins to treat high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be treated naturally, without orthodox medication, except that it will take time . There are treatments in our spa that can be used to treat diabetes. We have some patients who have made progress with this treatment. Not that they abandoned their medication, but their blood sugar level has been reduced and they are making remarkable progress.

You did mention that you deal with weight loss and Nigerians are very big on weight loss.

What kind of treatment do you have for that?

We have special Tirtayu slimming gels and Tirtayu slimming teas. areas of the body where you want to loose weight. There are some treatments that can help you loose 3kg of weight instantly. It is a three hour treatment. But to maintain that weight, you have to be consistent with it. We also have something to drain toxins from the body, break fat cells and make you sweat out toxins for about four hours as well as real Chinese tea, not over the counter tea, but the ones rich in antioxidant to get rid of toxins. Then there is the V-spa treatment as well.

Elvi Kioupouroglou

What is that?

The V-spa is the most intriguing of all the treatment, well favoured by women. There are different elements used for different purposes. It isn’t an invasive treatment but herbs that are prepared for you to sit on to treat women with uterine problem, pre and post natal problems and menstrual problem. and another for sexual rejuvenation. There is the incense to help heighten the sexual senses, like an aroma therapy. It is

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893

Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478

Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday March 30, 2015

L3 Interview Second, any so called designer shoe that sells for a ridiculous low amount is obviously fake. That isn’t to say that there aren’t good things that are cheap. Again, if the shoe skids when nitely fake because of the cut. It has to be comfortable as well as durable.

an oil burner. There is the powder treatment as well to also heighten sexual senses. The powder is one of our highest selling products. Women use it to wash themselves before being with a man to heighten sexual pleasure, at least ten minutes before you are with a man and viola, you are on heat.

Before all of this what were you into?

I Studied human anatomy at the University of Calabar, worked as a hotelier, in Eko hotel precisely and then I had a short stint in Zenith bank for a few months. I couldn’t cope with the timing and so I left for North American Airline. It was while I was in North American Airline that I started processing the thought of having a shoe store which I did after I left North American Airlines.

How affordable are your services?

Quite affordable. We have services that range from six thousand to about sixty thousand. We even have facials starting from N3,500 Are you thinking of getting the required training so you can also administer treatments as well, being a co-owner?

I don’t need to because running a spa requires stillness, concentration and good knowledge . I have an idea of everything but I don’t want to be a therapist.

You are obviously married. How is married life?

Fine. I have been married for six years to a Greek

What prompted you to go into the spa business then; you don’t have any training and you don’t intend to acquire any?

Why are you interested in it?

Initially, my partner, Iyadunni Gbadebo-Cole, who actually came up with the idea, and I, saw it as a means of investment but we later reform of healthy living which we are passionate about and are advocates of.

What are your challenges trying to run the spa especially since you have to rely on Asians for their services?

The main challenge running the spa which isn’t quite a challenging because everyone experiences it, is electricity. With the therapists, we don’t have challenges. For Titayu, the services are available in the countries where they are . It is a programme they understand, that they have to be away for certain number of months. They are accommodated on the grounds of the Spa, we give them local allowance.

Aren’t there Nigerians whose services you can hire?

It isn’t about the expense it is all about the being ingrained with the traditions of Java. Nigerians do not quite understand these herbs. These people grew up with this and it is part of their culture and went to school to learn about these herbs as well.

We have only a few Nigerians who attended a school of therapy but not about these particular kind of herbs. who have learnt the application of these kind of services.

Do you plan to have a training school to train Nigerians on these services?

No because we don’t have the herbs in Nigeria and each of these herbs has something it does for the body. The intricacies are not too easy to decipher. There are parts of Indonesia where these various herbs are planted and they know what each of these herbs does.

Which is why these herbs are sent to us by Tirtayu after they have been processed. They plant, nurture, harvest and package these plants before they are sent to us.

Elvi and husband,Danny Kioupouroglou Do you sell some of these herbs for people who may need them but not the spa services?

No but we may start selling in future.

Are you thinking of expanding as this is one of a kind spa?

-

How quickly has the awareness about the spa spread?

It has been good. We have been in existence for a little over a year people are beginning to get to know about it, it is like a chain reaction.

So after all said and done, why should anyone really come to your spa?

Because it is a spa that helps you rid your body of toxins and it is something that if you needed to do in the hospital, it would take a longer time but the difference is that you would be adding chemicals while trying to rid your body of those toxins. But if you come to a wellness centre like ours, therapies are done with natural herbs which helps to promote wellbeing. Besides Nigerians are changing in such a way that people are trying to become healthy from the inside out. I believe beauty has to come from inside and we are trying to achieve that balance between the physical and spirituality through the spa You also own an online shoe business, My Workshoes. Is it really only about work shoes and why do you want to remain an online store rather than to won a store?

My shoe business was meant to be a male shoe store but the de-

The V-spa is the most intriguing of all the treatment, well favoured by women.

There are different elements used for different purposes.

It isn’t an invasive treatment but herbs that are prepared for you to sit on to treat women with uterine problems, pre and post natal problems and menstrual problems.

mand for women’s shoes came and I decided to incorporate women’s shoes as well. Unlike the name, it isn’t strictly about work shoes, it encompasses shoes for all occasions. I store opened at Ikota and the second store which I shut last year was at Murphy’s plaza, on Sanusi Fafunwa.

I have always been into shoes for as long as I can remember. Nigerians sometimes confuse expensive for being good quality. I understand that

it doesn’t have to be $1000 to be of good quality. It could be but of course not everyone can afford a $1000. I don’t sell shoes to everyone, but only to those who desire good quality as opposed to just anything. I decided to do strictly online because my customers kept complaining about the distance so I moved it to Victoria Island which was accessible but that didn’t work as well because during the day, they are at work and on weekends they have to be with family. It was a dicey situation and that necessitated the online business.

The online business is very challenging because you cannot make a secconsuming than a physical store.

With the online business, we extended our customer base beyond Lagos which is a good thing for us and our most loyal customers are from Abuja and Port Harcourt. We concentrate on only male and female shoes.

How do you do delivery?

We work with a delivery company that does door to door and does same for banks and for some online business as well.

Why shoes and not any other business?

I just love shoes, I can spot a good shoe from a mile, I can tell a good shoe from its cut, its design, by studying, reading and understanding everything about shoes. Over time I have been able to tell a brand from the other just by looking at the cut and design and when a shoe is cheap and fake, I understand the process and why it is so, because it isn’t cut properly and so, it will skid. don’t know, how can you spot a fake shoe or a badly cut one?

First you should trust your seller.

What would you consider to be your greatest achievement in life?

My family. I have a fantastic family and a husband who allows me to be who I am and who has brought out the best in me. Before I got married, I used to be un-relaxed, full of drama.

I used to be a drama queen. I used to be very angry but my husband has really calmed me. I used to say things out of anger and then expect a reaction from him but he would give me an opposite reaction. Little things like that gradually changed me. Now I get angry but it doesn’t dwell. thing that has shaped you into who you are today?

God and my husband.

In what ways?

He is a hotelier, the General Manager of Eko Hotel. He is a voracious ence and is good with numbers. He is a professional sales manager and knows how to how to help people achieve their sales goal. He is very good at human behavior and knows reads body languages accurately and understands when to strike, what to say and what not to say and when to or not say them. He has also taught me how to manage and keep relationships especially in an environment like ours that is so stressful life. People get angry easily in this is so focused on the catch. But my husband has taught me how to react to such things. These are little things that I have learnt from him. He is a very good man and a very intelligent one at that.

Again my faith has also taught me how to let go of things. So I am one of those few Nigerians who is actually drama free. The calming effect of the spa as well, has impacted on me and made me to become a better person How do you unwind?

I go to the spa and play with my two kids, a boy and a girl. they are the most beautiful kids. I also play week to loosen my joints and make

Fashion & Style L4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 30, 2015

It is chic, It is stylish, It is the

Cape Trend Nkarenyi Ukonu

People would naturally associate capes with super heroes like Batman and Superman but these days, capes are taking a fashionable twist by becoming cape dresses and tops, all thanks to Academy award winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o who started the trend in 2014 when she dazzled on the red carpets of the Golden Globes award in a red

Sophia

Lupita Nyong’O

fashion piece by those who are fashion forpull off?

Rita Dominic

Here are tips for this hardto-pull-off-trend

Perfect for an evening event, cocktails or even a more formal occasion. Wear it when your man wears a tux and be the classy couple that everyone envies.

Let the cape be the focal point. Keep every other thing simple by not over accessorizing. Wear a great pair of shoes, the perfect clutch, a piece of jewelry, preferably earrings and you are good to go.

Black will enable you have fun mixing different shades of accessories.

Can go from casual (especially with the cape tops) to red carpet. A cape top can also serve as a daytime as well as a nighttime piece.

You may opt for a longer style or one with a shorter hemline depending on what you are comfortable with. Shorter

Alexandra Burke

Tamar

more wearable.

Keep makeup minimal

Hair trend alert:

The headband

Yvonne Ekwere

It is one of those accessories that has been around forever, and is constantly reappearing in different forms and with new ways to wear and style it. The good thing about this trend is that it is very versatile; the possibilities are endless. Get inspired to try this trend.

Tamar Braxton

Annie Idibia

Toke Makinwa and Freda Edewor

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday March 30, 2015

L5

Living & Decor

Hardwood flooring

Beautify your home with these array of floors

Carpet flooring

Nkarenyi Ukonu

-

not prone to staining if main-

Flooring is a general term

-

Vinyl: -

Hardwood: -

Tile: -

-

Tile flooring

Vinyl flooring

Nutrition L6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 30, 2015

Go Green:

Discover the Health Merits of Green Tea

Judith Frank-Edet

judithjudith463@yaho.com

your weight loss efforts.

Makes the bones health Green tea polyphenols combined with a form of vitamin D called alfacalcidol could

A nice cup of green tea is one of the most refreshing and healthiest ways to start your day. This is because green tea is the world healthiest beverage and basically a super food extraordinaire in a soar far above those of coffee, juice, wine, beer, soft drinks or any other liquid. It is only second to water. Every time you drink a cup of green tea, you feel a spur of energy. You could squeeze in a little lemon or ginger which seems to be one of the best ways to enhance the health benMade from the leaf Camellia sinesis, the green miracle drink is mainly from China and India but is gradually becoming a preferred beverage in the mugs of many Nigerians.

From a weight loss aid to targeting cancer, green tea has evolved into a medicinal drink that caters to a myriad of illnesses.

According to the World Health Organization, countries like Japan that boast high green tea consumption have a much lower prostate cancer rate. Men in Japan commonly consume 10 cups of green tea per day. The research on green tea and prostate cancer has demonstrated that a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer is proportional to the amount of green tea he drinks and how often he drinks it.

Although black tea and coffee is commonly preferred in Nigeria, green tea can invite more positive changes when it comes to your health. Unlike green tea, black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation, which depletes the amount of antioxidants and polyphenols found in tea. Black tea also contains less catechins than green tea, of the hot beverage.

Many at times we tend to hot cocoa or steamed milk beverage with tea. There are three main varieties of tea: green, black, and oolong. The difference is in how the teas are processed. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants are sub-

boost bone struc-

radicals -- damaging compounds in the body t h a t change cells, damage DNA, and even cause cell death. Many scientists believe that free radicals contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems, including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Herbal teas are not true teas. This is because all teasgreen, black and oolong are made from Camellia sinensis plant but herbal tea is not made from it. Herbal tea contains a variety of other antioxidants, which are determined by the particular herbal source that is used to brew the tea.

Green tea or any type of tea in general is not a traditional Nigerian drink. Unlike countries like china or the UK were tea could be drunk multiple times, any day, anytime, Nigerians mostly drink tea once in a day during the cold weather or harsh harmattan weather. However the situation is changing gradually as tea is being served in an increasing ences and other formal busiare mostly air conditioned, Ni-

of green tea could be bencancer.”

Side effects of green tea Green tea is safe for most adults when consumed in moderate amounts. To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine.

However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

People with anxiety disorders, bleeding disorders, heart conditions, pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, peptic ulcers or consume green tea excessively.

t u r e a n d strength, according to a new study in mice.

The mixture may reverse damage to bones caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in-

especially when they need to remain alert. This has improved our tea drinking habit.

Benefits of green tea There are surprising huge magical drink in just one cup.

They include; Reduced mortality and Drinking green tea is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes, as well as mortality due to heart disease. Research also shows consumption, including lower blood pressure, oxidative tion.

Improves the health of the heart Green tea improves both arteries to relax, with research suggesting a few cups of green tea each day may help prevent heart disease.

Curbs diabetes A 2013 research review published in the diabetes and metabolism journal outlined when it comes to diabetes as well as obesity, which is a risk factor for diabetes. It found that people who consume six or more cups of green tea daily had a 33 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed less than one cup per week.

Aids weight loss According to a research

by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciencesin the U.S, After 16 weeks, highfat-fed mice that exercised regularly and ingested green tea extract showed an average body mass reduction of 27.1 per cent and an average abdominal fat mass reduction of 36.6 percent. Green tea offers several weight-losspromoting effects, such as speeding up your metabolism and suppressing your appetite. Although the antioxidantrich brew won’t help you shed weight on its own, it supports

which could in turn reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a component of green tea, blocks the activity of two molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), which plays a role in breaking down bone.

Improves vision Catechins in green tea could help protect you against glaucoma and other eye diseases, as research found that the compounds travel from your digestive system into the tissues of your eyes. During the study, the catechins found in green tea were absorbed into various parts of the eyes anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours after rats were given tea.

Militates against cancer growth A study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research found that green tea might kill oral cancer cells — and boost healthy cells. The study that found that green tea could induce cancer cell death, and suggested “regular consumption

How to make healthy green tea There are many different enjoy. So long as they are available, you’re going to get that come with it. You can add your favorite herbs, such as ginger into it. You could also brew your own green tea at home. However, it could easily get too harsh, too grassy, or even bitter. Most of the green tea leaves are also not easily available in Nigeria, so it is best to buy the tea bags.

To make green tea, or 2 - 4 grams of tea bag, per cup. water and bring to a boil. water over the tea bag or tea, and allow it to steep for up to 3 minutes. You could remove the teabag if you want. cool for three more minutes, Ready to serve.

BEWARE Be cautious of the kind of green tea you buy. So many regular teas sold in the market and some stores parade themselves as green tea but they are not. Make sure to read labels and buy it from credible sellers.

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday March 30, 2015

L7 Buzz Bytes

Opeoluwani Akintayo

Ay renews deal with Aphro D’ija Maltina visits Woodland High School Comedian and actor, Ayo Makun, otherwise known as AY has renewed his multi-million naira deal with Maltina. The partnership was extended towards the 2015 edition of A.Y Live comedy concert. According to Senior Brand Manager, Adewole Adedeji, the continued sponsorship of the comedy series, which kicks off with a special Easter edition tagged: Complete Happiness, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos on Sunday, April 5 2015, is one of the many ways the brand hopes to connect with consumer’s happy moments as part of its ‘Laugh Out Loud’ campaign. “Maltina as a brand which constantly preaches happiness, is keen on promoting activities that stir up the happy self of any individual. We believe the secret to living a long healthy life is to stay happy and AY Live delivers that exact recipe. Last year was

Ayo Animashaun amazing, the feedback from our consumers were mind-blowing, so there was certainly no questioning our partnership this year as we hold the happiness of our consumers as utmost priority” he said. The Lagos Easter edition will feature popular comedians like I GO DYE, Chi Gurl, Seyi Law, Ushbebe, Princess, Shakara, Gordons, Helen Paul, Funny Bone and other comedians as well as famous musicians Sunny Ade, Onyeka Onwenu, Phyno, Wizkid, Timaya, Lil Kesh, Yemi Alade, Korede Bello among many others.

Photo of the day Ice Prince currently on a visit to the U.S, pictured in bed with childhood friend, Enzo who resides in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A

ON Set Mutiat Alli

Bayray Mcnwinzu, Blossom Chukwujekwu others star in ‘The Visit’

Bayray Mcnwinzu Nollywood actors with the likes of Bayray Mcnwinzu, Femi Jacobs, Nse Ikpe Etim and Blossom Chukwujekwu has featured in a 4-cast movie titled The visit. The movie is directed by Funke Fayoyin who achieved a measure of popularity with The Gods Are Still Not To Blame, an adaptation of Ola Rotimi‘s classic play, for the big screen. The visit is however produced by Koga studio and is expected to hit the cinema soon.

As part of her social responsibility to the society, Mavin music artiste, Aphro D’ija, paid a courtesy visit to Woodland High School, Shasha, Lagos State, on Wednesday, March 25. During her visit to the school, the singer advised the students to be hard working so that they can be successful in life. The excited students who were with D’ija, and also got her to sign autographs.

Aphro D’ija and pupils of Woodland High School

Ghanaian gospel act, Paa Boateng arrested

Popular Ghanaian gospel artiste, Paa Boateng is now in police net for failing to fully pay off his one-time business partner and friend, Bight Davies. Paa Boateng was arrested in Kumasi for owing Bright Davies the sum of Ghc1500.

According to Ghana Web, the gospel musician reported himself at the police station around 1:30 pm in the afternoon on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 after he was informed that Police came looking for him in the morning. Bight Davies, the businessman who caused the arrest said that Paa Boateng

has refused to pay himhis Ghc1500 balance for months, thus prompting him to report the matter to the Ghanaian police as he thought it wise that the law can solve the issue. On how Paa Boateng got hold of his money, Bright Davies said that they were business partners until Paa Boateng decided to pay him off in order to take charge of the entire business but he paid only half of the money.

He continued that Paa Boateng has been reluctant in paying the other half of the money which has resulted in his arrest.

Paa Boateng

Movie title: A sister’s prayer Movie title: Ilu Producers: Daniella Okeke, Mohamed Konteh and Emeka Agomuoh.

Directed by: Emmanuel Eme Story by: Dianne Diaz Location: Lagos Cast: Charles Inojie, Daniella Okeke, Ebele Okaro amongst others

Produced by: Sotayo Sobola Directed by: Muhydeen Salisu DOP: Lukman Abdulrahman Scripted by: Azeezat Shorunmi Location: Oyo, Ibadan Synopsis: Ilu mi is a one cast movie that parades Sotayo alone

Daniella Okeke on set of sister’s prayer

Cast and crew of ilu mi

Cast and crew of ‘A sister’s prayer’

Charles Inojie and Daniella Okeke on set of ‘A sister’s prayer’ 2

DOP lukman takes a close up shot on the set

Sotayo Sobola

L8 Television

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday March 30, 2015

Showing on

Showing on

103 M-Net Movies Premiere

115 M-Net Series Zone

03:20

02:20

Mon, 30 Mar | PG

Mon, 30 Mar | PG13 VSL

Love is timeless in this dramatic fantasy starring Colin Farrell. A man falls for a dying heiress - but when he discovers he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save her. Jessica Brown Findlay, Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe. (2014) Akiva Goldsman.

101 M-Net West

‘S8/E13 - Results 3 (8)’. Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams are on a mission to unearth the most entertaining and original talent in Britain.

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

124 E!

00:00 QI 00:10 New Tricks 01:05 Come Dine With Me 01:50 The Honourable Woman 02:45 The Cube 00:00 Jack Taylor: Shot Down 01:15 The World’s End 03:00 47 Ronin 05:00 The Monuments Men 07:00 MasterChef Australia 08:00 Modern Family 08:30 Eminem: Behind The Lyrics 09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 Romeo & Juliet 12:30 2 Broke Girls 13:00 MasterChef Australia 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:00 NCIS: Los Angeles 16:00 Nashville 17:00 Grey’s Anatomy 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Entertainment Now! 19:30 MasterChef Australia 20:30 Grey’s Anatomy 21:30 The Slap 22:30 Elementary 22:30 Elementary 22:30 Elementary

03:30 EastEnders 00:00 Aurora 00:30 The Impostor 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 The Impostor 03:00 The Impostor 03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Aurora 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 Labour Of Love 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Aurora 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 Labour Of Love 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Aurora 15:20 Fearless Heart 16:10 Labour Of Love 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Aurora 19:30 Fearless Heart 20:20 Labour Of Love 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Aurora

04:00 EastEnders 04:35 Mr. Bean 05:00 Mr. Bean 05:25 QI

00:00 Bigger, Badder Celebrity Feuds

05:55 Miranda 06:30 EastEnders

16:00 EastEnders

01:00 Escape Club

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

02:00 Dr. 90210

07:55 The Weakest Link

17:10 The Cube

03:00 Dr. 90210

08:45 The Chase

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

04:00 The E! True Hollywood Story

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

05:00 The E! True Hollywood Story

09:35 Total Wipeout UK 10:30 The Cube

20:05 Hell’s Kitchen USA

11:20 New Tricks

21:00 QI

12:20 Top Gear

21:35 The Graham Norton Show

13:15 Come Dine With Me

22:30 Would I Lie To You?

14:10 Total Wipeout UK 15:10 The Weakest Link

135 BET

00:00 ‘R Xmas 00:25 The Bikini Shop 02:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 02:50 Exposed 03:15 Exposed 03:40 Exposed

06:30 Celebrity Style Story 07:00 Giuliana & Bill 08:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons 09:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:00 E! News 10:30 Celebrity Style Story 11:00 Christina Milian Turned Up 12:00 E! News 12:30 Celebrity Style Story

128 SONY MAX 04:05 World’s Wildest Police Chases 05:00 Ninja Warrior 05:25 Ninja Warrior 05:50 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

06:40 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

07:30 Most Shocking 08:20 World’s Wildest Police Chases 09:20 Criss Angel Mindfreak 09:50 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

10:50 The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s...

11:50 Most Shocking 12:50 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

06:00 E! News

13:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 14:00 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills 14:30 Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills 15:00 E! News 00:00 According To Him & Her 00:30 According To Him & Her 01:00 According To Him & Her 01:30 According To Him & Her 02:00 According To Him & Her 02:30 According To Him & Her 03:00 According To Him & Her 03:30 BET Now 04:00 Late Night Heat 06:00 Soul Sessions 07:00 Soul Sessions 08:00 The Wendy Williams Show 09:00 The Real 10:00 Keyshia & Daniel: Family First

10:30 Real Husbands Of Hollywood 11:00 Comics Unleashed 11:30 BET Presents: 2Face Idibia 12:00 Nellyville 13:00 The Real 14:00 Reed Between The Lines 14:30 Reed Between The Lines 15:00 Comics Unleashed 15:30 BET Presents: 2Face Idibia 16:00 Run’s House 16:30 Run’s House 17:00 The Real 18:00 The Wendy Williams Show

15:30 Celebrity Style Story 16:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 17:00 E! News 18:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:00 E! News 20:00 The Kennedy Wedding: Jason...

21:15 Celebrity Style Story 22:00 The Soup 22:30 E! News 22:15 Celebrity Style Story

XT Exclusive

X4

Poster!

FALCAO PLAYS DOWN JUVE LINK

X8

Monday, March 30, 2015

Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

X5

PERSONAL INFORMATION QUOTES BY

“

RAHEEM STERLING

RAHEEM STERLING I’m always active, always working out, so that I can get an athlete’s body. I’m a bit skinny at the moment so I’m working on that, not too much muscle, as I don’t want to be too top heavy. I’m always in the gym working, trying to get internally stronger.

—Raheem Sterling

”

Name: Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Playing position: Current team: Number:

Raheem Sterling Raheem Shaquille Sterling December 8, 1994 (age 20) Kingston, Jamaica 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) Winger/Attacking Midfielder/Striker Liverpool 31

Youth career 2003–2010: 2010–2012:

Queens Park Rangers Liverpool

Senior career 2012–Present:

Liverpool

National team 2009–2010: 2010–2011: 2012: 2012–Present: 2012–Present:

England U-16 England U-17 England U-19 England U-21 England

RAHEEM

STERLING X4,5 Monday, March 30, 2015

A N A F A B HOLD

S E L G A E T I U R P S L E N AT X3

AUSTRALIA

Suarez

WINS disappoints CRICKET in Anfield WORLD return X7 CUP X8

X2

Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

BASH ALI: T

he name Bash Ali (OON) may mean different things to different people. Some may see him as a boxing icon, who deserves the respect of every Nigerian and must be supported in his ambition to become the oldest boxer to win a world title, while others may see him as an imposter in the pugilist trade who must not be taken serious at his quest to rule the world.

As a kicker, I have been opportuned in the past to place a call to one of such people in the second category, who does not want to hear about the name ‘Bash Ali’. My call was in relation to Bash’s plight in Libya, when he got himself trapped in that country while soliciting Moammar Gaddafi’s support to sponsor his Guinness World Book of Records (GWR) fight.

And the shocking response I got from this stakeholder, whose name I want to keep anonymous, was like: ‘Is Bash a boxer?’

He continued: “Why do we need to waste time discussing a man who means nothing to the boxing fraternity; he is a fake and, if he likes, let him die in Libya.”

From the aforementioned encounter, it was clear that Bash had enemies in the boxing circles and will need God’s intervention towards actualising his dream of becoming the oldest puncher to win a world title.

As a seasoned journalist, I had to dig deep in my quest to unravel the true personality of Bash Ali, and my findings necessitated this piece.

Firstly, Bash remains one of the few Nigerians whose

TRAVAILS OF A BOXING ICON! passion and love for the pugilist trade is unquantifiable.

He is totally committed to raising professional boxing from its present obscure state to the level of seeing more Nigerian boxers become world champions.

Aside being the current World Boxing Federation (WBF) Cruiserweight champion, Bash has traversed the length and breadth of the world, making the country proud with his chosen career and it will be wrong to continue to paint him black with bad press.

It may also be worthy to state that Bash’s passion for boxing may have led him to embark on that mission of trying to leave an indelible mark in the boxing

fraternity as the oldest fighter to win a world title, but he cannot do it alone.

The sum of $30 million is needed to see this dream come to fruition, but those corporate bodies and individuals who have the money to support him are just shying away by watching from the side!

No wonder, it seems Bash may have taken his luck too far with NEXIM Bank, as he is currently cooling his heels at Kuje Prison, Abuja. He has remained there since February 18 and all other persons who were arrested with him have been released.

HT gathered that Bash’s problem began on February 18, when he visited NEXIM

Bank under the invitation of the Executive Director, Customer Services, Bashir Wali.

“The Executive Director, Customer Services, Bashir Wali, invited me to Nexim Bank on Wednesday, Feb. 18 but, to my shock, he was not there. So, he told me to wait.

“While waiting, the Managing Director of the Bank, Robert Orya, came and ordered the security to beat us. The head of one of the LOC members of Bash Ali Guinness Book of World Records fight, was broken. It was from there we were taken to SARS and detained and now I’m in Kuje Prison,” the champ told HT with a tinge of regret.

Bash further revealed to HT that his arrest was an attempt

to silence him from exposing the bank management’s demand for bribe over the said money needed to stage the fight.

Another version of Bash’s ordeal revealed that the boxer was taken away on Feb. 18, after NEXIM Bank officials accused him of threatening to bomb its premises in Abuja before calling in the police.

Bash denied the allegation, saying: “I never said I would bomb their office. If any institution owned by government disobeys the order of Mr. President because of corruption, that institution should be closed down. That was what I said.”

As things turned out in the CONTINUED ON PAGE X3

Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

NIGERIAN PLAYERS ABROAD

WITH MIKE OTANWA

Mba bags first goal of the season

F

orgotten Super Eagles AFCON 2013 hero, Sunday Mba, scored his first goal of the season in CA Bastia’s 3-2 loss to Red Star.

The 26-year-old scored his team’s second goal, his first since they got relegated to the third tier of French football, on the dot of 90 minutes but his goal ended up as a mere consolation.

Mba’s last goal for CA Bastia was on May 6, 2014 in a 1-1 draw against Clermont, a period

spanning eight months.

The Nigerian has fired blank in 19 games this season, as he continues to struggle to motivate himself into becoming a key player for the third division strugglers, who got relegated from the second division.

This week they were quotes attributed to him from the Nigeria press where he hinted he will quit the team this season at the expiration of his contract in the summer.

Emenike

SCORES AS

BAFANA HOLD EAGLES

A

‘Travails of a boxing icon’

Nigeria defence, the striker providing one particularly menacing cross that Sibusiso Vilakazi glanced wide of the left-hand post.

The visitors were dangerous on the counter-attack after the break, but it was South Africa who fluffed their lines with the game’s best chance in the 61st minute.

Thulani Serero was chopped down in the penalty area by Godfrey Oboabona and from the resulting spot-kick Jali saw his effort saved by Akpeyi.

It appeared as though that would be a costly miss in the 85th minute when Musa cut in from the left-hand side before bending his strike into the far top corner.

Nigeria were unable to see out the win, though, as Zungu capitalised on uncertainty in the Nigeria area to hook home with his left foot on the rebound.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE X2

negative perspective, the ageless boxer and three members of his team were quickly arrested and charged for causing nuisance the following day, after spending a night at the notorious SARS unit. The court subsequently remanded them at Kuje prison custody. Unfortunately the boxing champion is still incarcerated in the prison, while the others with him have

Kartal begs fans to support Emenike

F

MUSA

hmed Musa’s excellent strike put Nigeria into a 1-0 lead with five minutes left on the clock in an international friendly match against South Africa on Sunday at Nelspruit, before Bongani Zungu’s injury-time strike rescued a 1-1 draw for South Africa.

A draw was the least South Africa deserved, but their hoodoo against Nigeria continued with their last victory against the Super Eagles coming in 2004.

Shakes Mashaba’s side started the brighter and Zungu forced Daniel Akpeyi into a fine fingertip save with an accurate drive from the edge of the penalty area after good work

by Thulani Hlatshwayo.

The hosts continued to probe and Tokelo Rantie’s excellent work rate was causing problems for the

X3

enerbahce manager Ismail Kartal has urged supporters to show understanding with Emmanuel Emenike, in the wake of the striker attempting to get himself substituted last weekend.

With only four goals to his name this season, the Nigeria international is lacking confidence, and after missing a sitter against Besiktas, his own fans booed him. ‘’Emenike has seen war in Nigeria, the player has had a very difficult childhood. And that’s the reason he is full of emotions,’’ Ismail Kartal said at a press conference. ‘’He is a pretty good man, we have to show him more understanding. After what happened in the Besiktas match, I sat down and talked with him.’’

Coach Ismail Kartal added: ‘’Now his morale is better and began to laugh. We should note that Emenike is our contracted player. ‘’He is playing in the most important part of our game as a striker, and we cannot keep him away or out. ‘’However, we do not know what will happen in the future.’’

Emmanuel Emenike is not the first player to be booed

by Fenerbahce supporters, with ex-Spain international Daniel Guiza also suffering the same fate after having a bad game against Trabzonspor.

Ibe desperate to help Liverpool

A

nglo-Nigerian winger, Jordon Ibe, is desperate to play an important role for Liverpool in the remaining matches of the English Premier League season.

The youngster has been missing in action since he sustained a knee injury during the Reds’ UEFA Europa League defeat against Turkish side Besiktas on February 26.

Omeruo facing challenge at Middlesbrough

Musa

K

enneth Omeruo will return from the international round of matches to the challenge of more competition in defence at Middlesbrough, following the arrival of defender Fernando Amorebieta from Fulham.

Omeruo has played only 18 times from a possible 39 games this season, as he continue to struggle to dislodge one of the duo of Ben Gibson and Daniel Ayala, who have been instrumental in the team push for promotion. been granted bail.

From the events, it would seem that Bash has passed through the valley of the shadow of death and must not be allowed to suffer any mishap.

HT believes that whatsoever had transpired between both parties, prior to the court case, could be settled amicably, to avoid further degeneration of the matter.

Nigerian boxing fans worldwide cannot

take kindly to the further dehumanization of Bash Ali at Kuje Prisons, and those fuelling the feud are the real enemies of Nigerian boxing.

These events should serve as a big lesson to all corporate bodies, who pretend to support sports development with peanuts from what comes out of their business gains. $30 million is too small a money, compared to Bash Ali’s life.

In South Africa and other developed nations, corporate bodies and even individuals are always ready to support sports development, but it is the reverse case here in Nigeria. And it is clear that companies who do business in the country make huge gains, but finds it hard to honour their Corporate Social Responsible.

What will be NEXIM Bank’s gain if Bash Ali dies in prison? Nigerians are watching!

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Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

QUOTE BY

“

RAHEEM STERLING I’m always active, always working out, so that I can get an athlete’s body. I’m a bit skinny at the moment so I’m working on that, not too much muscle, as I don’t want to be too top heavy. I’m always in the gym working, trying to get internally stronger.

—Raheem Sterling

”

RAHE

STERLIN

Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: Full name: Date of birth: Place of birth: Height: Playing position: Current team: Number:

Raheem Sterling Raheem Shaquille Sterling December 8, 1994 (age 20) Kingston, Jamaica 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) Winger/Attacking Midfielder/Striker Liverpool 31

Youth career 2003–2010: 2010–2012:

Queens Park Rangers Liverpool

Senior career 2012–Present:

Liverpool

National team 2009–2010: 2010–2011: 2012: 2012–Present: 2012–Present:

England U-16 England U-17 England U-19 England U-21 England

EEM

NG

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Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

INTERVIEW

UNITY WAS OUR , D R A C P M U R T SAYS GERMAN’S

LAHM

Lahm You captained Germany to their fourth FIFA World Cup. At what point in time did you realise you might make it?

At the end of the day, you only become aware of it once it’s actually done and dusted and the final whistle blows, because then it’s a certainty. But before that? After EURO 2012 I said in an interview that our target had to be winning the World Cup. When you’ve been so close so often, you want the Trophy in your hands at some point. I always had the belief, but there are no guarantees.

But wasn’t there a moment where you sensed your name might be on the Trophy?

There wasn’t one moment as such.

It was a process of development as a team taking place over a number of years. As an example, when we were knocked out by Italy in the 2006 semifinals, you sensed Italy were ripe for the title. After that we fell to Spain and you also recognised this was the team destined to become world and European champions. We definitely had the belief last time out because we’d matured over a period of years, we’d built up our experience, and the defeats also gave us a shared sense of purpose.

The Italians had certain attributes underpinning their success. The Spanish had a game plan all of their own and ended up shaping an era.

What were the special hallmarks of Germany’s World Cup-winning team?

Germany’s World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm has many good reasons to be upbeat at the moment. One of the most compelling is that he came on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Bayern Munich in UEFA Champions League 4-0 victory away to Werder Bremen, ending an injury lay-off lasting almost four months: the player fractured his right ankle in a training ground accident back in November 2014.

Another reason for Lahm’s good mood is the way his Munich team-mates responded to his enforced absence. With the climax of the season now looming on the horizon, Lahm is back as a full and active member of Munich’s already star-studded squad. That is hardly welcome news for Bayern’s domestic and European rivals, as the 31-year-old has been a world-class presence in defence and midfield for many long years.

Few players in Germany or elsewhere can match Lahm’s career record as a winner of the domestic championship and cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and since last summer the FIFA World Cup. Lahm retired from international football following the triumph at Brazil 2014 with 113 caps and five goals to his name, but has still not had enough. The player spoke to FIFA.com about the events of recent months and voiced his ambitious plans for the future. Excerpts:

More than anything else it was our togetherness and unity as a team, by which I mean the team comprising not just the 23 players, but everyone associated with it. I think it’s something everyone noticed the whole time and it was our biggest trump card. However, great quality is also always part of it, and we had that in our squad. I think every player from number one to number 23 placed himself at the disposal of the team, and that’s very, very important at a tournament like that.

Germany took everyone by surprise in 2010 with very attractive attacking football. Would it be right to say that 2014 featured a blend of the old and the newly-acquired virtues?

And was this the main success factor?

Definitely! I do believe it was the combination of attributes that marked us out at the tournament. We were capable of attacking play and also liked to get at our opponents high up the field.

But there were also spells in certain matches when we pulled men back and played more on the break. I definitely think we found a good blend, and we the players also benefited from our experience on the international stage in recent years. I’m including the UEFA Champions League, which we managed to win with Bayern.

As captain, one of your tasks was to help the players grow together as a team over a period of many weeks.

Did you enjoy it?

Yes, absolutely! (laughs) That kind

of thing is always fun. And I do believe that if you don’t think it’s fun, you should step down from the job. I’d say: ‘Thank you very much, but I’d rather do something else!’ But I really, really enjoyed it. It’s not always easy. It’s a lot of work at times, because I invest a lot into it. I knew it was my last tournament, so I put even more into it than normal. But it was huge fun. And if you end up as world champions, you’re only too happy to do the job (grins).

Were there any situations where you had to intervene or call someone to order?

No! In the first place we had a perfectly functioning team with good harmony on and off the training ground.

The purpose-built training camp certainly had many positive aspects. I remember the moment we arrived on the first day and immediately started a ‘round-the-table’ contest at table tennis. I think there were 15 of us. But it wasn’t something I organised. You do many other small things as captain, maybe such as geeing someone up in passing.

And who was Germany’s table tennis champion? (laughs) No idea, too many of us played. I think the results went this way and that.

In the tight Round of 16 victory over Algeria you switched from central defensive midfield and resumed duty at right-back, where you stayed for the rest of the tournament. Was

that tough?

Not in the slightest! The whole tournament just went like a dream for me!

I think all of us together always took the right decisions. A few of the guys weren’t fully fit at the start of the tournament, and I always said I’d serve the team in whatever way I was asked and play where the coach thought I’d be most valuable. It’s what I’ve said throughout my career, and that’s how it was at the time. With the benefit of hindsight all you can say is that we did everything right.

The most extraordinary moment of all was a personal one – you were first to hoist the Trophy into the night sky at the Maracana. Were you aware at that moment that it was the stuff of future legend, with the whole world as your witnesses?

No, not really! I don’t feel that close to this ‘then you hoisted the Trophy’ story. The final whistle, the team celebrations, climbing the stairs, receiving my medal, lifting the trophy in the Maracana – it was certainly very special – then back down the stairs, a group photo, continue the celebrations. All of it taken together is unique, and you’re aware of it at the time. But you’re not conscious of millions of people watching. You’re thinking something more like: ‘We’ve achieved something really special’. I just found it wonderful. It was the best hour or so ever!

A short time later you announced your retirement from international football. Are there certain situations

in which you find yourself missing it at all?

Basically no! The one thing I miss is seeing the guys. Not the players, the support staff. And that’s a shame, because at the moment you step down, you know you’ll be seeing them again very, very rarely, and some of them never again. It’s such a shame because I always enjoyed it so much and the support staff were simply superb. I had spent ten years in the national team, I felt so incredibly comfortable with the setup and I had a genuinely close relationship with many of the support staff. It’s the only thing I miss. Of course, I can still drop by from time to time if I want to, so I’m basically absolutely fine with the situation and I know it was the right decision for me personally.

You have a little more time now – what are you doing that you couldn’t do before?

That’s easy – I’m spending it with my family. I have a wife and we have a son, so it’s really nice being at home more often. That’s specially true in the first half of the season with three international breaks, each of them ten days long. But it’s not always about time. I had ten wonderful years with the national team, but at some point you have to move on. You need to acknowledge this fact and in my case we picked exactly the right time. It was perhaps a little fortunate or a stroke of luck that the end coincided with winning the World Cup, because I’d taken my decision a long, long time in advance.

Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

X7

Motorsport

Vettel beats Hamilton in Malaysia Grand Prix

S

Australia cricketers celebrate after winning the Cricket World Cup at Melbourne Cricket Ground...on Sunday

A I L A R T S U A H T F I F S N I W A Cricket

ustralia overwhelmed New Zealand on Sunday to win the Cricket World Cup for a fifth time at an ecstatic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

New Zealand lost influential captain Brendon McCullum to the fifth ball of the match and were bowled out for 183.

Grant Elliott resisted with 83, while Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner shared eight wickets.

Australia rarely looked troubled, sealing a seven-wicket win in 33.1 overs, with captain Michael Clarke scoring 74 and Steve Smith 56 not out.

Clarke, in his final one-day international, was given a standing ovation by the record 93,000 crowd and welcomed by his team-mates on the boundary when he was bowled by Matt Henry with eight required.

He was part of the Australia team that last lifted the trophy in 2007, with this success extending their record for most World Cups won. No other team has more than two.

Australia’s win was the second in as many tournaments by a host nation after India’s triumph four years ago.

It provided a joyous end to an emotional Australian summer which saw batsman Phillip Hughes die after being struck on the neck by a ball in Sydney in November.

CRICKET

WORLD CUP

Tennis

Golf Gallacher excited

S

Gallacher

by Masters return

tephen Gallacher is relishing the chance to experience the Masters again next month, having enjoyed his first taste of Augusta National last year.

The Scot made the cut in a tie for 10th place on his debut, finishing the tournament joint 34th on six over par.

“You hear stories from the guys about what it’s like and when you get there it’s actually better than you think it’s going to be,” said Gallacher.

“It’s so good, the best event I’ve played in, outside of the Ryder Cup.” The 40-year-from West Lothian opened with rounds of 71 and 72 last year and recovered with a final-day 70

after a ragged 81 derailed his challenge at the weekend.

“The course suited my eye but you can’t be complacent,” he said.

“I had three rounds of par or better then chucked in an 80 out of the blue that was three double bogeys in a row - 10, 11, 12 - from the fairway.

“If you take your eye off the ball at all, it can eat you up. It’s a very strategic course - it’s all about angles.

“You can’t over-hype the place enough. There’s not a blade of grass out of place.

“I waited until I was 39 and I couldn’t wait to get there. It was the only major I hadn’t played in,” he quipped .

Watson loses to Kerber at Miami Open

B

ritain’s Heather Watson could not complete a dramatic comeback against Angelique Kerber as the German won their raindelayed Miami Open contest.

Watson, ranked 41st, recovered from 5-1 down in the final set only to drop serve when trying to level at 5-5, eventually losing 7-5 3-6 6-4.

The second-round match was suspended because of bad weather on Friday with Kerber, the 13th seed, leading 7-5.

The 22-year-old Briton had been

hoping to build on her impressive run to the fourth round of Indian Wells two weeks ago but came up just short against Kerber.

Watson had let a 5-3 lead and two set points slip by in the first set on Saturday and ended the match having earned 20 break points, but converted only seven.

After getting the better of five breaks in the second set, Watson looked to have blown her chance when she slipped a double break down in the decider.

Kerber, 27, appeared to be fading badly as she twice failed to serve out the

contest, only for Watson to let her off the hook with four errors when serving at 5-4 down.

Asked about having to play across two days in testing conditions, Watson said: “I’m not a stranger to it; I think it gave me a good opportunity after losing that first set to regroup.

“I think I didn’t strike the right balance today in when I should be patient and when I should be aggressive.

“I’m very disappointed in today. I felt it was a good opportunity for me, but I feel like I’m definitely improving as a

player on the court with my tennis and mentally.

“I know I can compete with these girls and push them and beat them.”

Meanwhile, top seed Serena Williams beat Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-1, the American enduring some frustrating moments as she overcame the unorthodox Romanian for the second tournament running.

Canadian sixth seed Eugenie Bouchard suffered a surprise 6-0 7-6 (7-4) defeat by Germany’s Tatjana Maria.

ebastian Vettel took a sensational maiden victory for Ferrari as he won a straight fight with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Vettel, who joined Ferrari this year as Fernando Alonso’s replacement, won a strategic battle as Mercedes struggled with tyres in the tropical heat.

Hamilton’s team-mate Nico Rosberg was third from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who fought back from an early puncture.

The McLarens of Alonso and Jenson Button both retired.

The performance of Ferrari and Vettel was a wake-up call for both Mercedes and Formula 1, the German manufacturer having dominated the sport since the start of last season.

It raises the possibility that Mercedes will face an unexpected fight for this year’s world title, with Ferrari very much on the world champions’ pace all weekend.

Vettel, who started second, took the lead when Mercedes chose to call in Hamilton for a pit stop during an early safety car period, while Ferrari left the German out on track.

Mercedes preferred to do the majority of the race on the slower hard tyre, finding it had greater resilience on their car.

But Vettel used the faster medium tyre for all but one stint and Hamilton was unable to get on terms.

Vettel was still eight seconds in the lead when he made his first pit stop on lap 17 - 13 laps after Hamilton had stopped under the safety car - and he closed on Hamilton and Rosberg after rejoining in third.

A second stop by Hamilton only seven laps after Vettel’s first put him 24 seconds behind the Ferrari, with half the race and one further stop for each remaining.

Mercedes continued to believe they could win until Hamilton made his final stop on lap 38, one after Vettel.

The world champion rejoined 14 seconds behind and, although he was slightly faster than the Ferrari, he was unable to close at anything like the required rate, Vettel holding him at a distance of about 10 seconds.

Tensions within Mercedes were revealed under the pressure of the fight, as Hamilton questioned the team’s choice of the hard tyre for the critical final stint, and his engineer told him their only other option was a well-worn set of mediums.

X8

Monday, March 30, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

goals as he returned to uis Suarez was unable to get among the Gerrard XI against a side n Steve a Liverpool in a charity match pitting led by Jamie Carragher. er home before Didier Drogba Mario Balotelli crashed a 25-yard stunn 2-0 up. rounded Brad Jones to put Carragher’s side either half to secure a 2-2 draw. in spot the from d nette rd Gerra ever, How rite to return, with Fernando favou ld Anfie Suarez was not the only former ng out.

Torres, Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso all turni crowd will have been pleased ld Anfie ut sell-o the g amon Liverpool fans uts as they return to fitness. to see Jon Flanagan and Lucas Leiva get run-o

L

RESULTS OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES South Africa 1 - 1 Nigeria Brazil 1 - 0 Chile Jamaica 2 - 1 Venezuela Hong Kong 1 - 0 Guam Iraq 2 - 1 DR Congo Mauritius 1 - 1 Togo

Morocco 0 - 1 Uruguay Ghana 1 - 2 Senegal El Salvador 0 - 2 Argentina Mexico 1 - 0 Ecuador

Mario Balotelli (left) and Didier Drogba (right) share an embrace after their goals gave Carragher’s XI the lead from early on in the charity game at Anfield ...on Sunday

Botswana 1 - 2 Mozambique Thailand 2 - 0 Singapore Oman 6 - 0 Malaysia Jordan 0 - 1 Syria Maldives 0 - 2 Tajikistan Qatar 1 - 0 Algeria Egypt 2 - 0 Equatorial Guinea

Z E R A U S N I S T N I O P P DISA

Ivory Coast 2 - 0 Angola Bahrain 0 - 6 Colombia Iran 2 - 0 Chile France 1 - 3 Brazil

D L E I F N A RETURN

Bale

G

areth Bale insists he has nothing to prove to anybody after playing a starring role in a vital victory for Wales in Saturday’s European Qualifier in Israel.

The Real Madrid man came into the match under scrutiny, having been criticised for his recent club form by Real supporters and the Spanish media.

His car was attacked by fans after last week’s 2-1 loss to Barcelona, but he responded with a fantastic performance in Haifa, setting up Aaron Ramsey’s opener and then scoring twice in the second-half.

Bale

not bothered by critics

“I don’t need to answer the critics,” Bale said after the match.

“I know, and everyone around me knows, what I can do.

“There are ups and downs in football. You have to take it with a pinch of salt and all you can do is respond with your performances on the pitch, like that.

“I don’t feel I need to prove anyone wrong or right, I just need to play my football.

“I love playing for Wales. It’s a big honour and the most important thing is I focus on my football and I don’t listen to anyone else.

“I’m just enjoying my football with the boys.”

Wales now have a great chance of reaching Euro 2016, the win having taken them to the top of Group B.

Falcao

cool over Juve talk!

R

adamel Falcao insists he is fully focused on Manchester United, despite speculation linking him with a summer switch to Juventus.

The Colombia international striker has toiled during his loan spell at Old Trafford from Monaco, managing only four goals in 22 appearances.

Quotes attributed to the 29-year-old’s agent, Giovanni Branchini, this weekend have suggested that he would be open to a move to Serie A leaders Juve this summer.

United are not expected to sign him permanently, but Falcao insists he is focused on giving his all for Louis van Gaal’s side until the end of the season.

“Juventus looking for me? They talk a lot, but now I’m focused 100 per cent on Manchester United.

“Before the end of the season, there are some crucial matches and I hope that this situation will change,” he said.

Falcao