Dtn 4 12 15

States can’t pay N18,000 minimum wage, Govs insist Egena Egena, Abuja

ÎÎÎZamfara

State Governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari, on Thursday,

insisted that beyond grandstanding and pretenses, many of the 36 states of the federation are not in a position to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

Only on Tuesday, the Edo State

Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said he will personally lead protest against any governor that fails to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage.

Also, Governor of Sokoto State, Al-

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

haji Aminu Tambuwal, earlier in the week said state governors on their own cannot change the minimum Continued on page 6

dailytimesng

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 VOL. 1. NO. 245

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 3rd December 2015.

UNILEVER

38.06

39.9

1.84 %

ETI

15.35

15.68

0.33%

NB

120

117.97

-2.03%

7UP

184

183

-1%

UACN

25.81

26.95

1.14%

GUINNESS

121

121.3

0.3%

CONOIL

27.41

26.04

-1.37%

PZ

25.46

24.87

-0.59%

Kogi: Tension as Wada, Faleke know fate today Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÎÎÎUncertain about today’s decision of the Federal High court, in-

digenes and interested parties in the legal disputes surrounding the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election on Thursday stormed

the premises of the court in Abuja.

This was even as the political atmosphere in the state became enveloped in tension as Capt. Idris

Wada, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the inconclusive November 21 poll, and Mr. James Faleke, the running

mate to the late candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC), Prince Continued on page 6

L-R: Director, Fidelity Bank Plc., Kayode Olowoniyi; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo; Managing Director/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc., Nnamdi Okonkwo and Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Biodun Kola Daisi at the Regional SME Conference (South-West) organised by the bank in Ibadan... on Thursday

I didn’t collect any money from Dasuki, says ex-Gov Bafarawa g12 MTN fires Ikpoki as NCC reduces fine to $3.4bn gB1

Kunle g L1 Afolayan: The visionary filmmaker

Obstacles to Kogi supplementary poll g 8

Alleged N3.4b fraud: Court grants NIMASA ex-DG, others bail

g 12

2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial

TI and Nigeria’s ranking

A

gain, Nigeria has ranked as one of most corrupt countries in Africa. This verdict is coming from no other than Transparency International (TI), a global corruption watchdog.

According to its 2015 Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), Nigeria ranked as the third most corrupt country in Africa after South Africa and Ghana respectively, even as the police continue to be viewed as the most corrupt institution in Nigeria.

In its report entitled: ‘People and Corruption: Africa Survey 2015’, it stated that nearly 75 million people in the continent had paid bribe in the past one year. Furthermore, it revealed that people in Nigeria, Sierra-Leone, Liberia and Ghana, were most negative about the scale of corruption in their countries.

We are not only embarrassed at this latest report but also at loss to know why successive administrations are yet to rein in corruption in the country. The report shows that Nigeria continues to slip down the ladder of corruption and good governance. This is not the first time this would be happening. For example, in 2014, TI ranked Nigeria as the 39th most corrupt country in the world and the 3rd most corrupt in West Africa after Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

In its 2012 report, the global corruption watchdog scored Nigeria 27 out of a maximum 100 points to occupy the 139th place of the 176 countries surveyed.

Put together, all the reports indicate that the tag of corruption on Nigeria is quite high, while public perception of government’s crusade against graft suggests it may be nothing more than a façade.

Such view is reinforced by the way and manner the government and its anti-corruption agencies treat corruption offences. Allegations are rife that government is selective in the way it carries out its anti-graft efforts, which are either inconclusive or even abandoned due to political or other extraneous reasons.

As a result, successive governments have failed to convince anyone that Nigeria is committed to checking corruption. However, the challenge before the current government is to dispel the view that the battle against corruption has been selective and highly politicised. This is the time for the Federal Government to demonstrate the political will to check corruption. One way of doing this is to strengthen the laws, especially those relating to economic and financial crimes. We believe that some of these laws are outdated and should be updated in line with present realities.

There is no gainsaying the fact that one of the biggest challenges facing the country is corruption.

Incidentally, due to poverty and ignorance, not many Nigerians see the canker worm as a threat to the country’s development. Even among government officials, the looting of public funds and property is seen as normal, while malfeasance and embezzlement are hardly frowned at.

It is such uncritical attitude among the citizens that is responsible for the lack of progress and development in the country. However, we cannot simply throw our hands up in the air in frustration. The Federal Government should therefore, see the latest corruption ranking as a wake-up call to work harder to tackle the menace.

Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏ

Not a few Nigerians are amused and amazed too by the stunning revelations supposedly coming from immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) over the alleged $2.1 billion arms deal meant to help bolster military’s prosecution of the war against insurgents in the northern part of the country.

The man at the centre of the storm, Dasuki, had been in and out of court lately to have his freedom restored after a siege on his Abuja home and his traveling documents were taken from him, thus pre-

venting him from going for overseas medical trip.

Initially he had chosen to remain mum over the allegation but reports say the DSS obliged him of a copy of the statement by a former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Shaibu Salisu, in which the latter made some implicating statements. As a result, the Sokoto prince was said to have opened a can of worms, mentioning names of supposed co-conspirators in the alleged scam.

When he finally opened up, names of a media mogul, former governors and even chieftains of then ruling party have been mentioned as some of those who ‘benefitted’ from the ‘armsgate’ scan-

Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714 Group Head Accounts & Control Samson Abiodun

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

dal.

Of course, there is no angel living in this country, and not anywhere else, yet the kind of amounts being mentioned is not only confounding, but calls for concern.

It is strange to read that these mind-boggling amounts went into people’s private hands, some of whom are reported to be owing their staff more than a year in salaries.

One thing is sure: The list will definitely keep growing while many more revelations are expected to be unraveled. At long last, the faces of alleged plunderers of the nation’s resources are being uncovered. It is hoped that this exercise will not be a charade at the end of the day.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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

More info: www.dailytimes.com.ng https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

Segun Adio

Words On Marble :

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike Editor Biodun Durojaiye

Dasuki’s long list of conspirators

dailytimesng www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Justice Mahmud Mohammed

Shehu Sani

Bola Tinubu

“Judges must take the proverbial bull by the horns and pull the plough within their courts to cultivate a highly professional, incorruptible and effective Justice delivery system.”

“The use of force against peaceful dissent only encourages a violent reaction”.

“All who believe in the enlightened progress of mankind must unite in partnership to tackle the root causes of violent extremism”.

4 4

Daily Times Nigeria Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015 Friday, November 13, 2015

‘PEACE ADVANTAGE’ Frequent Flyer Program

Overview PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Air Peace “Peace Advantage” Frequent Flyer Program is a customer initiative by Air Peace to show appreciation to & continuously reward its frequent flyers for their patronage from inception of Air Peace flight operations. The Peace Advantage FFP offers distinctive value to frequent fliers by delivering ‘recognition’, ‘rewards’ and differentiated service levels with an integrated customer interaction strategy to allow for continuous customer expression & feedback via a unique smartphone app (Android/iOS/blackberry 10 versions) and a dedicated website.

The “Peace Advantage” FFP aims to clearly communicate to Air Peace customers the value Air Peace places on their patronage & Air Peace’s commitment to building long lasting mutually beneficial relationships with its customers. The basic principle being that – The More You Fly with Air Peace, The More You Get Back From Air Peace.

The “Peace Advantage” Program rewards program members with an exchangeable loyalty currency called “Peace Points” for all their qualifying International, Regional & Domestic flights on Air Peace. Earned ”Peace Points” can be exchanged by program members for Air Peace flights nationwide, and in Future Air Peace promotional offers, gift merchandise, vouchers & other lifestyle related items from a dedicated online rewards catalogue – The Air Peace Loyalty Shop. In addition, program members will also be entitled to additional benefits – discounts & status benefits – from a network of Air Peace partners nationwide.

EARNING “PEACE POINTS” Peace Points are awarded to program members for flights flown as follows

The “Peace Advantage” program has 4 Member levels - Peace Bronze, Peace Silver, Peace Gold & Peace Platinum with the following benefits – TIER BENEFITS & QUALIFICATION

**Based on Availability

All individuals / passengers above 16 years of age will be eligible to enrol in the Peace Advantage Program, whilst to cater for our numerous passengers with families, Family Memberships will be allowed for passengers / individuals below 16 years of age, who will be enrolled under a parent / adult utilizing the Family Membership option.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

5

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Kogi: Tension as Wada, Faleke await verdict Continued from page 1 Abubakar Audu, await today’s court verdict that could determine who becomes the state’s next helmsman.

Hundreds of party supporters from both sides of the contending groups were in court on Thursday as early as 10:00 am for a matter which started at about 1.30 pm and lasted till 7pm.

Faleke had, in a suit filed on Tuesday, asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to declare him governor- elect of Kogi state, while Wada had earlier approached an Abuja

Federal High also seeking the same prayer. The courts are expected to give their verdicts today.

Given that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) had scheduled a supplementary election in 91 polling units in 18 of the state’s 21 Local Government Areas for Saturday December 5, Justice Gabriel Kolawale of the Federal High Court in Abuja had said he will rule on Friday on Wada’s case, which was consolidated with those of others, to prevent a great shadow of doubt and avert

constitutional crisis.

Wada’s was consolidated with those filed by Emmanuel Diakwo; John Jacob Usman and Hon. Emmanuel Igbokwe, among others.

With the death its candidate Prince Abubakar Audu hours after INEC declared, the APC has presented Yahaya Bello as its new candidate for the supplementary election, and Faleke as the running mate. But Faleke has rejected this, and has written INEC to declare him governor-elect just as he filed the suit seeking same prayer in court.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole who heard the arguments of the contending parties on Thursday will today deliver the court verdict on the suits filed by six interested parties whose suits were consolidated. The judge will also pronounce on the suit filed by James Faleke.

The state governor, Captain Idris Wada represented Chris Uche (SAN) at Thursday’s sitting prayed the court to declare him the winner of the election, as his opponent at the election had died while the contest was on.

Three other plaintiffs; Em-

manuel Diakwo, John Jacob Usman and Hon. Emmanuel Igbokwe want the November 21, 2015 Kogi State Governorship election cancelled, and for the Independent National Electoral Commission to order a fresh election.

Audu was leading before his death while Governor Captain Idris Wada want the INEC to declare him winner of the said election.

The court will determine whether having regards to the provisions of Sections 31 (1) (2) (4) (5) (6) (7) and (8),33,34,36,85 and 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) as well as sections 178- 181of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the INEC can lawfully conduct a second/ supplementary election into the

office of Governor of Kogi State on 5th December or any other day let alone accepting nomination/substitution by All progressives Congress on the basis of votes computed and credited to late Audu.

Whether in view of the provisions of section 179 (2) (3)(4)(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and other provisions of the electoral Act and having regards to the doctrine of necessity, the plaintiffs being the only surviving candidate with the majority votes cast at the election ought not to be declared winner of the election having secured not less than one -quarter of votes cast in two-thirds of all the Local Government Areas of Kogi State.

Onitsha mayhem: NSCIA counsels Muslims against retaliation …As Northern Govs move to forestall reprisal attacks …MASSOB distances self from violence Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÎÎÎMuslims in the country

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) in a handshake with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki during a courtesy visit to President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja… on Thursday.

have been called upon to resist the temptation of retaliating Wednesday’s attacks on them and the Central Mosque of Onitsha, Anambra State.

The call was made by the

States can’t pay N18,000 minimum wage, Govs insist Continued from page 1 wage without the input of the National Assembly.

“The issue of minimum wage is a constitutional matter which no state government can decide on its implementation or otherwise.

And so far, the Nigeria Governors Forum has not taken any collective decision on the issue of minimum wage,” Tambuwal said.

However, the Zamfara State governor, said the present economic realities arising from the fall in oil price had incapacitated many of the states with their federal monthly allocation falling below N500 million.

In this circumstance, he said, only a few states like

Lagos and the oil producing states can raise their shoulders high and boast of ability to pay due to their rising internally generated revenue profile.

The Zamfara State governor, therefore suggested a meeting of the governors, labour and other interest groups with President Muhammadu Buhari to sort out the thorny issue.

He spoke at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja after a closed door meeting with the President.

His words: “Let me make it very clear to Nigerians, Governor’s Forum is not the enemy of labour in any way.

Rather, we have been working together. But what we are saying, because not only

Gov. Wike but also my friend in the comradeship, Adams Oshiomhole, kicked against the decision.

“Although in the decision, we never said that we are going to stop the payment of N18, 000 minimum wage but we are looking at the situation in the country and in the global economy.

“What we said is that when the National Assembly enacted the law of paying N18,000 minimum wage, then the oil was about $118 per barrel and today where we are oil is $41 per barrel.

“So, if it continues like that definitely we will find it difficult to continue. We have to sit down with labour and see how we can review, either continue or downsiz-

ing or what we are going to do.

“We want to find a solution because we have to be realistic that we have so many things to touch. There is infrastructure deficit, there is need for security, and there are other things like social lives of our people and nation as a state.

“The receipt from federation account, some people received N400 million, N500 million. Some others received N55 million, two digits. And there are other issues, not even the salary, their pension is over a billion. So, how can we continue borrowing and servicing the service aspect of our expenditure, or overhead. How can we do that?

“We are telling the public that we are planning to sit down with the President and his team and the state governors as a team and the experts to come out with the way forward and how we are going to handle the poor state of the economy in the country.

“But what we have on ground now will not be realistic if it continues the way it is without having other sources from the economy and still relying on oil that is being sold for $118 dollar per barrel and now down to $41 and think that we can continue behaving or misbehaving the way we are doing, if there is anything like that.

Continued on page 12

Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Thursday.

The position of the religious body on the Onitsha mayhem was made known at a press conference addressed by its Secretary- General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede in Ilorin, Kwara State.

This is even as governors of the 19 northern States also, on Thursday, took undisclosed security measures with a view to ensuring that Wednesday’s violence that included burning of places of worship in the commercial city of Onitsha in Anambra State does not spread to the northern part of the country.

Speaking on behalf of the nineteen Governors, Borno State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima whose statement was issued by his spokesman, Malam Isa Gusau on Thursday in Maiduguri, said the governors, particularly those of major cities were in touch with another yesterday and had taken some firm measures that aim at averting any spill-over.

Continued on page 7

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Navy fights piracy, oil theft with Israeli surveillance system Segun Adio

ÎÎÎThe

Nigerian Navy (NN) has inaugurated a highly sophisticated Israelidesigned mass surveillance system to monitor the country’s territorial waters and track movements of vessels within Gulf of Guinea.

Identified as the Falcon Eye, the system is a sophisticated mass surveillance technique designed in Israeli but manufactured

by United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Falcon Tech-

nologies.

The Falcon Eye mass surveillance system, Daily Times learnt, uses a number of electro-optic systems and cameras operated from a command centre to detect and pinpoint movement of vessels at the high sea and human movements within prescribed security environments.

Speaking at the inauguration of the mass surveillance system, The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command,

Rear Admiral Raphael Osondu, said the system would enable real time decision making regarding targets in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and will help to control and direct naval patrol vessels to the target position.

He said that the newly acquired technology is very vital in the development of the Nigerian economy, especially as the economy of the country is dependent on maritime.

He said: “This new tech-

nology has better features and most importantly, it covers our maritime environment up to the EZZ, and have also provided for the blind arcs which we experience in some part of our territorial water with the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) system. The Falcon Eye will aid the Nigerian Navy with a better and more accurate system to monitor and conduct activities in Nigerian Maritime Domain and her EEZ.”

While explaining that the centre will further establish the credibility of Nigeria as a regional training hub for Maritime Domain Awareness systems, Admiral Osondu said this becomes necessary as the United States’ African Command (AFRICOM) is making efforts to co-fund a regional maritime training centre in Lagos.

Adebutu advocates increase in rural devt ÎÎÎThe

L-R: Prince Rotimi Paseda; paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle and Ogun State Woman Leader, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Chief (Mrs.) Toyin Ogunsemowo during the courtesy visit to Olugbenle at his palace, Ilaro, Ogun State... on Thursday.

Photo: DAVID IDOWU.

Appeal court reserves judgement on Rivers guber election Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, reserved its judgement in the appeal filed by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, challenging the decision of Rivers Governorship Election Tribunal that nullified the election on October 24, 2015.

The appellate court took the decision after the adoption of briefs by counsel to parties in the appeal.

In a notice of appeal dated November 3, 2015 and filed same day by his counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), the governor raised 26 grounds of appeal upon which he sought to set aside the entire judgement of the tribunal.

But during the course of hearing of the appeal, counsel to Dakuku Perterside and his political platform, All Progressives Congress [APC], Chief Akin Olujimi [SAN] and Yusuf Ali [SAN] respectively, moved the court to strike out some paragraphs of the appeal on the ground that they do not flow from the decision of the tribunal.

The motion was vehemently opposed by counsel to the appellants, Emmanuel Ukala [SAN], Wole Olanikpekun [SAN] and Onyechi Ikpeazu [SAN] for Wike, PDP and INEC respectively, who argued that the motion lacked merit and it should be dismissed.

On his part, counsel to

Governor Wike challenged the competence of Dakuku’s petition on the ground that it did not carry the stamp and seal of its lawyers contrary to the directives issued by the Nigerian Bar Association [NBA] that all processes filed must carry the stamp and seal of counsel.

The issue generated heated debate between counsel who made submissions citing various case laws to support their positions for and against it. The argument were further triggered by an oral application by Olujimi for the court to allow him affix his stamp and seal on his processes.

On the main appeal, the lawyers dwelt mainly on the decision of the tribunal on

pegging its decision on the failure to use of card reader during the conduct of the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state.

While the appellant counsel argued that it was wrong for the tribunal to have relied on the failure to use the Card Reader to arrive at its decision, Dakuku’s counsel said the tribunal’s decision was right in law given the INEC’s regulations on the use of the card reader which the tribunal admitted as exhibit 308.

Besides, Dakuku argued that the card reader was used to prove the fact that the total number of accreditation as released by INEC which conducted the election was less than the total number of voters in the disputed election.

Chairman, House Committee on Rural Development, Hon. Oladipupo O. Adebutu has pledged that the Committee will do its best to ensure that the vision to improve the standard of living in the rural area is fulfilled. He said the Committee will work assiduously towards promoting development that will benefit the rural population.

Adebutu, who gave these remarks during the inaugural meeting of the Committee, highlighted the strategic importance of the Committee’s work as one that spans several sectors including education, water, telecommunications, transportation and power.

Adding that rural communities make up more than 49.7 per cent of the nation’s population hence the need for fundamental infrastructure development, to stem the urban drift which puts strain on urban amenities.

He also outlined the linkage between agriculture and rural development, noting that the rural areas are predominantly agriculture-based and that the agriculture sector is central to the growth of the economy.

Adebutu

7 News Onitsha mayhem: NSCIA warns Muslims against retaliation Continued from page 6 In the meatime, the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has dissociated itself from the violence being perpetrated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which has resulted in the killings and destruction of property.

Speaking to newsmen in Asaba, zonal leader of MASSOB in Delta North, Mr Chinedu Amaifeobu, said MASSOB was not a violent group and condemned the acts of violence being perpetrated by the IPOB. The NSCIA’s scribe urged Muslims to consider the perpetrators as criminals and not representative of any ethnic or religious group.

“The NSCIA is fully aware of the development and is working round the clock to put the situation under control. Muslims are warned against the antics of those who seek to whip up religious sentiments to further their clandestine political motives.

“Vengeance is for Allah and Muslims should exercise maximum restraint in these trying times.

“We call on Muslim brothers and sisters not to embark on reprisals attacks on Christians and their places of worship in any part of Nigeria. We are already engaged in discussions with various security and relevant government agencies to forestall further aggravation of the situation.

“We also call on all religious and interfaith organizations across the country to step-up their peace-building initiatives in order to support the government and strengthen the enabling climate peace and good relationships.

“In addition, we want to request all Imams and Muslim scholars to cooperate with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in dowsing the tension created by the unfortunate incidence.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Politics

Æs

Corruption allegations: Oshiomhole, Okonjo-Iweala resume hostilities

Oshiomhole

Okonjo-Iweala

Jonathan

Sambo Dasuki

After a brief lull, the former Coordinating Minister of Finance and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole have resumed their verbal hostilities over allegations and counter allegations of fraud.

Since the former Minister left office barely six months ago, she had been on the receiving end of a rash of allegations from the Comrade Governor over how she ran the economy of the country during her stint.

Series of damaging allegations of the disappearance of monies running into billions of dollars have been made against her even while still serving as Minister.

Even though she had continued to debunk

the allegations almost immediately after they were made, Oshiomhole did not relent as he also maintained the tempo whenever the need arose.

The latest is the efforts by Oshiomhole to link Okonjo-Iweala to the ongoing $2 billion arms deal probe which she had denied.

Apart from asking that Oshiomhole be called to order, she has also fired back saying the Comrade Governor was making all these allegations against her because she did not allow the Edo State helmsman to take a suspicious N15 billion during her stay as Minister.

The former Minister of Finance requestCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Obstacles to Kogi supplementary poll Orire

One year with Fayose, Ekiti is worse off – Orire Audu

Faleke

Stories by Akinjide Akintola & Sulaimon Adedeji

mentary election.

Faleke had been picked to run with Bello by the party on Monday following the request by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to present a fresh candidate. But Faleke rejected the position, insisting that he was the governor-elect with the collation of results in the Kogi poll and death of the party’s candidate, Prince Audu.

He went a step forward by formally writing the party and INEC rejecting the position of running mate, a development that may ruin APC’s candidacy in the Kogi election.

Following his rejection, the party did not immediately substitute Faleke for the supplementary poll before Tuesday’s deadline given

by INEC for the substitution of the late Audu, a provision clearly spelt out in the constitution.

Section 187(1) of the constitu-

Unless the court intervenes decisively this morning, the Kogi State supplementary governorship election slated for tomorrow is heading for the rocks even from the start, owing to legal and Constitutional obstacles.

The first odd has to do with the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose candidate’s sudden death when the election was declared inconclusive led to the political logjam.

Following Audu Abubakar’s death, the APC is faced with a fresh constitutional dilemma over the absence of a deputy governorship candidate who will replace Mr. James Faleke to contest with its substituted governorship candidate, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for the Kogi governorship supple-

Wada

Bello

Rev. (Dr.) Adebayo Orire, spokesperson of the Elders forum of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state, in this interview with GBENGA SODEINDE, spoke on political issues in the state and the nation.

Excerpts:

Prof Yakubu

Odigie Oyegun

tion states: “In any election to which the foregoing provisions of this part of this Chapter, a candidate for the office of Governor of a State shall not be deemed to have been validly nominated for such office unless he nominates another candidate as his associate for his running for the office

of Governor, who is to occupy the office of Deputy Governor; and that candidate shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of Deputy Governor if the candidate who nominated him is duly elected as Governor in

What is the situation of Ekiti today politically?

We know that we lost the elections in Ekiti. Yes, we lost, plus or minus, though, there are reasons why people die, whatever the reason. Of course the process of electioneering was worse than ever.

There were series of harassment and intimidation of chieftains of the APC then. We had over 36,000 solders in an election for less than 19 million people; the election was seriously rigged for the PDP. If

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

9 Politics

Obstacles to Kogi supplementary polls CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

accordance with the said provisions.”

According to a legal practitioner, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), INEC had no power to declare the Kogi election inconclusive since the constitutional requirement of polling 25 per cent in two-thirds of the local government areas in the state had been met, and a clear leader had already been established by the Audu-Faleke ticket.

He held that INEC should have declared Faleke the governorelect, as was the case in the Atiku Abubakar case when he relinquished his post as the governorelect in Adamawa State in 1999.

He further held that Bello could not assume the votes that he never contested for, as these were cast in favour of Audu and Faleke.

Sequel to the failure of a meeting convened by the party’s leadership in Abuja on Monday to broker a deal with Faleke, the party is now left in a dilemma over what to do with Faleke’s hardline position and the expiration of deadline for submission of substitution.

It would be recalled that after the three-hour reconciliatory talks at the APC national secretariat, Faleke announced that he would not accept the decision to field him as deputy governorship candidate for the supplementary election.

The party had taken it for granted that the only issue to be resolved was a replacement for Audu and did not envisage a situation that Faleke would reject the

Everyone is being harassed by Fayose in Ekiti CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

you go to a battle, whoever wins is the winner, no matter the way and manner it was done. The civility of it is another thing. We lost to the PDP whether by hook or crook.

Faleke

Wada

Yahaya Bello

position.

Legal opinions revealed that APC might have a problem on its hands. if Faleke actually withdrew from the race, as it may invalidate APC’s nomination for the supplementary poll except Faleke agreed in the last moment due to ongoing negotiations. But that may not arise as he had even filed a case in court.

Consequently, if the election goes ahead and APC wins by popular vote, it lose on a mere technicality based on the provisions of the constitution.

Faleke had on Tuesday filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the court to declare him the governor-elect of the state.

In the suit filed by his counsel, Mr. Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives, said contrary to the claim by the electoral body, the election was conclusive and

that as running mate to Audu, he should be declared winner.

The court papers seeking 16 reliefs from the court had already been served on INEC. He had earlier written INEC insisting that he was the governorelect following Audu’s death.

He asked the commission not to go ahead with the supplementary election.

According to the result declared by INEC, Audu had the highest number of votes thus leading 21 other candidates, including the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, who is the standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

This morning, the Federal High Court will determine whether or not INEC should go ahead with the planned supplementary governorship election in Kogi State.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who heard four separate suits challenging the legality of the scheduled run-off poll, said there was

need for the court to take a position on the matter “so that INEC will not conduct the election under a grave shadow of doubt as to the legal or constitutional validity”.

Justice Kolawole consolidated the four suits, even as he persuaded lawyers to the various plaintiffs to distill out three central issues for the court to determine.

The first suit was lodged before the court by the Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the inconclusive election while the second suit was filed by the governorship candidate of the People for Democratic Change (PDC), Hon. Emmanuel Daikwo. Another suit was filed by a legal practitioner, Mr. Johnson Usman, while the fourth suit was filed by two plaintiffs, a member representing Ahiazu Ezinaehitte Mbaise Federal CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

One year after Fayose’s coming to power, how has Ekiti fared?

Ekiti is worse off 10 times over. Ekiti is debased, insulted, deprived and polluted and every sector and section of the state is harassed. You have a governor who kicks goods and wears on the main roads; you have a governor who charges N1,000 per cow before slaughtering is allowed. We have a governor who CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Fayose

Corruption allegations: Oshiomhole, Okonjo-Iweala resume verbal war CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ed the Federal Government to call the Edo State Governor to order over his recent efforts to link her name to the alleged $2.1 billion arms issue.

Okonjo-Iweala in a statement by her Media Aide, Paul Nwabuikwu, stressed that she has absolutely nothing to do with the issue.

She stressed that it was an abuse of public office, the judicial process and her human rights for Governor Oshiomhole whom she stopped from taking a highly suspicious N15 billion loan to make false allegations against her while hiding behind the constitutional immunity granted state governors.

According to her, as recently

Oshiomhole

Okonjo-Iweala

confirmed by the Debt Management Office, professional analysis showed that Oshiomhole’s loan request which was based on using low interest World Bank loan to offset high interest commercial loans would have left Edo State with a heavy debt burden and the state would have found it very difficult to

Jonathan

pay back.

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

The former Minister described the Governor’s unsubstantiated allegations as a cynical personal-

Sambo Dasuki ization of the anti-corruption campaign to achieve ignoble objectives.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala therefore put Oshiomhole and his ilk on notice that she has briefed her lawyers and that she is ready to explore all legal means, local and international, to defend her name against corrupt and compromised persons.

Her words: “It has become a pattern of behavior that each time Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is internationally recognized, Governor Oshiomhole and his cohorts embark on a cynical and devious ploy of trying to pull her down locally.

“Just last night, December 1st, Dr Okonjo-Iweala was honored at a high profile event attended

by Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton. Dr Okonjo Iweala was honored alongside Michael Bloomberg, Bill and Melinda Gates and Mo Ibrahim for their contributions to global development and humanity.

“Oshiomhole and his cohorts should realize that their ill-motivated attempts to taint Dr Okonjo Iweala’s reputation will never succeed!

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Fayose is already campaigning for APC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

charges every nursery schools, every primary school pupils pay taxes of N1,000 per head. We have a governor who taxes every secondary school students. We have a governor who imposes tax of N600 000 thousand on single private business. We have a governor who can say anything to anyone anywhere. He addresses any elderly person without respect.

We have a governor who can abuse the President anyhow to the extend of wishing him death; we have a governor who will talk on the radio or on the TV that he is ready to go to prison. We have a governor who everybody outside will ridicule you with because of his unpopular antics.

Does Ekiti deserve this?

Yes, that is what we wanted.

Ekiti bargained for it, and the people got what they wanted, so Ekiti deserve what they got now from the governor. After all we knew his antecedents, we knew

Fayose he was driven away before; we knew he ran away before; we knew he didn’t do well before, we knew that it was Fayose who introduced thuggery to Ekiti, yet we brought him back, because they said they didn’t like Fayemi; that he speaks grammar too much and

Fayemi so they just wanted somebody else, and the guy deceived them that he is ore mekunnun (friend of the masses) and they got him.

So whatever he does to the Ekiti people, they deserve it.

How do you compare the

Orire qualities of projects done by Fayose with Fayemi his predecessor?

You can never ever compare what Fayose will do to what a normal person will do. The type of job he will churn out; you can never expect it to happen under a

normal government or situation.

For instance, if you go and check the qualities of the roads he said he has done, you will then appreciate what we are talking about here. He did a road from Ikere to CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Obstacles to Kogi supplementary poll CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Constituency of Imo State at the National Assembly, Hon. Rafael Igbokwe and Mr. Stephen Wada Omaye from Omala Local Government Area in Kogi State.

Even though Wada had in his originating summons, prayed the court to declare him winner of the November 21 governorship election, the other plaintiffs sought for the nullification of the election, as well as an order compelling INEC to conduct a fresh poll.

But sequel to the directive of the court, all the plaintiffs, led by Mr. Goddy Uche (SAN), narrowed the three issues for determination to: “Whether having regard to the provisions of sections 31(1) (2)(4)(5)(6)(7) and (8), 33, 34, 36, 85 and 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, as well as sections 178-181 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, INEC can lawfully conduct a second/supplementary election into the office of Governor of Kogi State on December 5, 2015, or any other date at all, let alone accepting the nomination/ substitution by the APC of any candidate on the basis of votes computed and credited to the deceased candidate of the APC

Audu

Odigie Oyegun

Faleke

Prof Yakubu

when the new or substitute candidate was not part of the original election.”

Before he adjourned the case to Thursday for all the parties to adopt their final addresses, Justice Kolawole warned the lawyers to limit themselves to issues of the law.

He stressed that since the substantive facts of the matter with regard to the death of Audu was not in dispute, “counsel should therefore be moderate, brief and concise in their addresses by lim-

iting argument to the three issues distilled from the four originating summons listed on the cause list”.

“This is because time is of the essence, as the court has to consider all the issues and deliver its judgment on Friday. The addresses should not be more than 10 pages and maximum of 15 pages.

This case is hereby adjourned to December 3 for adoption of addresses.

“Counsels are to file and exchange their addresses within 48 hours”. Justice Kolawole ruled.

Unless a miracle happens and the court intervenes in a manner to suit it, the APC appears to be in a no-win situation. There is the possibility of the court ruling in favour of Faleke or Audu which would leave the APC in a disadvantage.

The only circumstances that can be to its advantage is peradventure the court nullifies the inconclusive election which will give it another opportunity to put its house in order and do things properly.

However, fixing another date apart from tomorrow for the election might be suicidal as the Constitutional provision for the maintenance of 60 days between election and the swearing in of a new chief executive must be observed. Wada’s tenure expires in January next year.

However, as 24 hours is a long time in politics, anything can still happen with ongoing negotiations to make Faleke rescind his decision and withdraw his case from the court.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

11 Politics

Fayose harassing everybody in Ekiti – Orire CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Ado Ekiti during his first term, within two weeks the road started to wash off and was eventually washed away. The same with the road to his hometown, Afao. And there is no pretence about him, he is just acting his normal self, and that is how it is going to be in Ekiti until he leaves the seat.

Is APC prepared to dislodge PDP in the coming election?

If APC refuses to remove him, Fayose will remove himself, he is shooting himself always every minute. Just allow him to open his mouth, in short, Fayose is campaigning for APC already; by his rash decisions, by his speech, by his rash and rough approach to things. So he is already campaigning to take himself off the place, so he doesn’t need any one to campaign against him, if you go round the town in Ekiti today.

If there is an election today, between Fayose and anybody, Fayose will loose, the market women will not vote for him. The teachers will not vote for him, the traders will not vote for him, the Igbo in Ekiti will not vote for him, the Hausa will vote for him. Business owners in Ekiti will not vote for him because he has done everything against every sector of the populace in Ekiti to our own advantage.

He has described his government as the most prudent government of all since the creation of Ekiti?

What prudence? Is a government prudent when it decided to reward a newly built and completed governors lodge done by Fayemi for repainting and flooring everywhere again with marble, changing all the newly acquired furniture that has not been used at all? Do you call that a prudent government? Of couse, you cannot expect Fayose to tell you that his government is wicked or bad but that is what it is. Who is he carrying along in his cabinet?

How much is he paying out of that? This tax thing he is doing, how is he gauging peoples’ assessment? The tipper drivers were off the roads for many days in the state; the butchers were off the markets, they would not work, the Igbo traders in Ekiti had carried placard. The teachers are crying for not receiving their salaries.

Every sector of the populace in

Fayose the state is harassed. Fayose is the only person that is enjoying it.

He usually says Fayemi left a debt that will be settled in year 2030, tomorrow he will say it is year 2036, another day he will say another thing; he specialises in lying.

Whether you like it or not the destiny of Ekiti is in his hands, so what is your own advice for him?

Hahaha! My advice, to him or to Ekiti people?

To him and the Ekiti people?

Ok, to the people; when voting tomorrow, let them shine their eyes; let them vote for people with good character, and of clean record. To him, I don’t even have words for him because he cannot change and he doesn’t listen to advice, even his wife cannot advise him. This is a man who will tell his SSG that he doesn’t want her advice, that she is just there as a secretary, his commissioners dare not advise him; so why am I going to keep wasting my time advising him?

What about his party, the PDP elders?

There is no party. Fayose is the

Orire PDP in Ekiti State, Fayose is the Chairman of the party, he is the secretary of the party, is everything in the party, so I don’t want to waste my time advising such a person What kind of situation is that?

Its Fayose’s kind of situation, its Fayose’s autocractic kind of government, plutocracy, is anything Fayosecracy, it can not be explained, and it is just the tip of the iceberg because he has just started and he will continue like that until he leaves the seat. Its like he is laying grounds for the coming back of the APC. There is a wind of change blowing around and across the country, so Ekiti cannot be an exception even if today, Fayose turns around by 100%, Ekiti will go back to the progressives. Ekiti has always belong to the progressives, it is this abracadabra that they did in the last election that got Ekiti into this mess; and you know Fayose can do anything to achieve whatever he wants. But no matter what, with God being on the throne, Ekiti will come back to APC fully because Fayose is campaigning for us.

Fayemi

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

FG seeks to stay Dasuki’s modified bail

Ï ƆƔéMd ƗƆ ƈƆ ƈƌƍƋƈƅ Ɛƈ ƕ Ɔ ƈ Əƌ ƍƏ ƅƑƏƆƌƆ Ɛ ƍƏ ƄƆ Ï 9 ƆƒƆƏ ƅ ƋƋƆƅƐƆƗ ƕ ƌ Ɔƕ ƇƏ ƌ # ƑƊƈè ƕ ƆƔé1 ƒ Ƈ Ə Ɠ Lateef Ibrahim and Andrew Orolua, ƄƑƉ

ÎÎÎThe

Federal Government on Thursday asked the Federal High Court trying the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) for unlawful possession of firearms to stay the order that modified his bail conditions.

This is coming on the heels of the denial by the former National Security Adviser on Thursday of ever making statement implicating anyone or group in

the allegation of dubious $2 billion arms purchase deal brought against him by the Federal Government.

Also, former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, who is among those currently being quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the arms procurement deal involving Dasuki has denied receiving any money from him.

The order modifying the ex-NSA bail condition dated

November 3 issued by Justice Adeniyi Ademola also released the accused International Passport to him to travel abroad which he had not been able to do following his house arrest.

The order the Federal Government sought to stay also modified the self-recognition bail condition the court earlier granted Dasuki.

Oladipo Okpeseyitan (SAN), who took over the prosecution of the case from the Director of Public Prosecution on a fiat issued

by Attorney General of the Federation, said the government was not in contempt of the order.

Okpeseyitan after announcing his appearance told the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, that he had filed a motion for stay of execution of the ruling of the court which granted Dasuki permission to seek medical treatment.

He applied to the court to put the ruling on hold pending the outcome of the appeal in the matter.

Ahmed Raji, who repre-

sented Dasuki, told the court that he had just been served with the motion in court, adding that he needed time to respond to the motion.

Trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, adjourned the matter to December 8 for hearing of the applications.

Meanwhile, the former NSA on Thursday denied ever making statement implicating anyone or group in the allegation of dubious $2 billion arms purchase deal brought against him by the Federal Government.

Reports had it the former NSA while being quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), named some prominent Nigerians among those who got huge amounts from his office while he was NSA. However, Dasuki, who spoke through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on Thursday, said he never made any implicating statement or

named anyone to EFCC and wondered where the authors got their information from.

“They are just out to scandalise the man, bring his image and character into disrepute so that his friends and well-wishers can run away from him. They want him deserted and that will fail.”

Also, former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, who is among those currently being quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the $2.1billion arms deal involving the former National Security Adviser has denied receiving any money from him.

Bafarawa pointedly declared on Thursday that the claim that he received money from the former NSA through the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was complete tissue of lies.

States can’t pay N18,000 ƌƈ ƈƌƑƌ Ɠ Ɔè 1 ƒ ƈ ƈ Ɛ Continued from page 6 Gé`ë Mƈ ƆƏƈ ƐƐƋƈ ƌƍ ƕ æM çè `Ɔ ƈ Ƌ ƌƌƆƏƅƈ Ƌ #ƈƏƆƅƐ Əè M ƏƐ è LƏê 0Ƒ ƌƈ Ƌƈì EƆƕ ƅƅ Ƒ Ɛ L ƆƏè M è 1Ə ƅƆ RƓ Ƌ Ƅƈì dƐ ƏƆ L ƆƏè 1 ƌƆ C Ƅƈ G ƊƆè nƗƑ Ɗ RƊ ì EƆƕ ƅƅ Ƒ Ɛ L ƆƏ ƄƑƉ èæM çè ƈƌƗƈ ƌ &ƖƆì ƌƌƆƏƅƈ Ƌ L ƆƏè ƄƑƉ è M ì E Ƌ 0 Ɨ ƏƆì M Ɛƈ Ƌ EƆƕ ƅƅ Ƒ Ɛ #ƈƏƆƅƐ Əè M è ƉƑ RƋ ƌ Ƌ è ƗƑƏƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƇƇƈƅƈ Ƌ ƍƆ ƈ Ƈ 1 ƌƆ C Ƅƈ G ƊƆ ƈ ƄƑƉ Č j ƑƏ Ɨ ƕê

Alleged N3.4b fraud: Court grants NIMASA ex-DG, Akpobolokemi, N100m bail cused had earlier jumped ÎÎÎA Federal High Court in pending the perfection of like sum.

Lagos on Thursday granted Patrick Akpobolokemi, the former Director-General of the Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

Presiding Justice Saliu Saidu who gave the order in his judgment ordered that one of the sureties must be an officer not below the rank of a Director in the civil service. ``The other surety must own a landed property in Ikoyi, Victoria Island or Banana Island,’’ he said.

Saidu , however, ordered that the accused should be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons

his bail conditions.

The former NIMASA boss and seven others are facing a 30-count charge bordering on money laundering, conspiracy and theft of N3.41 billion.

The other accused persons include-Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Felix Bob-Nabena, Warredi Enisuoh and Amaechi Juan.

Others are: Fredrick Ugo, Timi Alari, and two companies , Al-kenzo Ltd. and Peniel Engineering services Ltd. Saidu also granted the other accused bail in the sum of N50 million each with two sureties each in

He also ordered that one of the sureties must be an officer not below Grade Level 16 in the civil service and the other surety must be a blood relation of the accused.

The judge also ordered that all the sureties must deposit their passports with the court’s registry and adjourned the case to Jan. 29 for trial.

The accused had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had urged the court to refuse the accused, especially, Akpobolokemi bail.

He said that the first ac-

an administrative bail granted by the EFCC. ``We will diligently prosecute the case against the accused, if the court refused the accused bail, and ask for an accelerated hearing,’’ he said.

The accused were alleged to have committed the offences between December 2013 and July 2015.

They were alleged to have converted the sum of N3,406,749, 500 belonging to NIMASA to their personal use.

Oyedepo said the offences contravened Sections 15 (1), (3), and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Amendment Act, 2012.

“Therefore we are saying that we should tighten our belts. Something definitely, we should sit down and come out of it to find a way we are going to do it realistically or otherwise.”

Reacting to insinuations

by Gov. Nyesom Wike that Rivers State had the capacity and should be counted out of the states contemplating pay cut for workers, Yari retorted: “I can understand why the governor of Rivers State is speaking the way he is speaking. He thinks every place is Rivers. It is not.

“For instance, in my state, the tiny state that is my own which has more than 3 textile plants because of energy, all have been closed, NNPC shut down. We have about 37 ginneries but because of shortage of power they all closed down. And these are places where we can earn our revenue.

“You cannot in anyway rub shoulder with Rivers

who has giant companies in oil exploration and having so many thousands of staff that are paying their dues when due.

“And at the same time Lagos. If Rivers State governor mentioned something like that, yes, that is the case of Rivers. But in other places where the issue of IGR is stopped as I duly mentioned many times without number that look, how do you get funding.

“If there is no level playing ground that made the IGR to go up or down, if you don’t have so many infrastructure in place, you don’t have the energy to power our industries, you have the issue of textiles, the issue of milling and so on and so forth.

“Therefore, how can we get revenue? Can we go door to door and start knocking for people to pay their own due when they are looking for their own and hardly to get at least two square meals daily?

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

SUITES

HOTEL

13

GARDENS

Plot 1415 Adetokunbo Ademola Street, PMB 12724 Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, Tel: +23412772700-5 (ext,6124) +23414606100 -29 Fax +234 1 2704071 sales@ekohotels.com, reservation@ekohotels.com banquet@ekohotels, www.ekohotels.com

News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Ex-LG chairs back Buhari’s anti-graft war Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen in Nigeria has expressed its support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in its on-going fight against corruption at all levels of governance.

The Association has also commended the Governors of Jigawa and Ekiti for their commitment to conduct local government election in their respective states on 19th December, 2015 and 13th February, 2016.

The association expressed the support for the President’s anti-graft war through its newly elected National President and veteran journalist, Hon. Albert Durojaiye Asipa.

Hon. Asipa was a former Chairman, Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State.

He, however, urged President Buhari not to renege on the promise he made in his inaugural address to pay adequate attention to

the issue of local government in the country.

The association, Asipa pointed out, was waiting for President Buhari to match his words with action in this respect.

The association also urged the governors to provide level playing ground that would guarantee free, fair and acceptable election to all political parties.

It equally called on states where local government are still under caretaker administration to set machinery in motion for the conduct of democratically elected council in line with the nation’s constitution.

The National President of Association of Ex-local government chairmen in Nigeria promised to work with diligence and passion towards taking the association to greater heights.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the ASELGON, Abdalar Abubakar, quoted Asipa as pledging to engage stakeholders, amongst them the Governors Forum, National and State House of Assembly members, the NUJ,

Civil Societies and traditional rulers with a view to strengthening local government administration in the country.

His words: “To put local administration on the right track, especially on the issue of autonomy which is not about confrontation with the Governors Forum or any other stakeholders, all it requires is constructive engagement and for all concerned to demonstrate utmost patriotism that can move the polity forward.”

Hon. Asipa, a product of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), has traversed the Lagos State Television, Ogun State Television, Champion Newspapers and the rested Concord as a proficient journalist.

The National President, who was once a member of Board of Directors of the Ogun State owned Television, (OGTV) has once served as caretaker chairman, Imeko-Afon Local Government before his election as Executive Chairman of same local government.

Lagos lawmaker frowns at neglect of water front Alade Tasma

ÏÏÏThe Chıef Whıp of the

Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rotımı Lateef Abıru has frowned at years of neglect of mını water works at Barıga area by the state water corporatıon.

The lawmaker expressed hıs dıspleasure durıng questıons and answers sessıon wıth the Executıve Dırector, Operatıon of the

Corporatıon, Mr. Davıd Johnson, Assıstant General Manager under whose jurısdıctıon the water plant ıs located, Engr. Ewumı, the plant Manager, Mr. Adebayo and other top staff of the corporatıon when he paıd a fact fındıng vısıt to the water plant.

Hon. Abıru, who ıs representıng the area at the Lagos Assembly, was visibly dısturbed at the level

of decay notıced at the water plant whıch ıs meant to be a source of water supply for resıdents of Barıga and ıts envıron as a result of years of neglect by the corporatıon.

He challenged the management to quıckly come up wıth a proposal on how to resuscıtate the plant and put ıt at up-turn use for the benefıt of the resıdents of the area.

Abia Gov loses mum Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏThe

mother of the Abia state governor, Madam Betsy Ikpeazu is dead.

In a state-wide radio announcement, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Eme Okoro said the 80-year-old mother died last Sunday after a brief illness.

Madam Ikpeazu had few weeks after her son’s elec-

toral victory celebrated her birthday at the Umuobiakwa, in Obingwa Local Government Area country home’s Seventh Day Adventist church.

Sources have it that few weeks ago, she was admitted into the Federal Medical Centre for an undisclosed illness.

The state governor, who made her mother proud as the first Ngwa man in history to be a governor is yet to make any pronouncement.

Gov Ikpeazu

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

15 Opinion

MARRIAGE CLINIC — PART V

A virtuous woman – A marriage defender

‘’Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies’’(Proverb 31:10)

T Omotoso Samuel

he Qualities of a virtuous woman is not what one can purchase in the open market , nor what one can pretend to have. There is a common saying that’’ You can not give what you do not have’’ For a woman to be an epitome of good character and behaviour in his husband house is a diligent work of persistent upright standing with God. In a time like this, when many women seem to be missing it, A virtuous woman is an embodiment of morals and a good role model. She may resemble her peers on faces but on a closer look, she’s totally different from others. She doesn’t have all the wealth in the world, but by her wealth of wisdom she saves and defends her marriage.

Who is she? She’s a virtuous woman.

Perhaps you are praying to be like her or you are looking for one, here are the qualities of a virtuous woman you need to look out for.

(1) Good character is in her blood (1 Cor 15:33) Abraham Lincoln said, “Reputation is the shadow. Character is the tree.”

Our character is much more than just what we try to display for others to see, it is who we are even when no one is watching. Good character is doing the right thing because it is right to do what is right. It pays to be good and she understands this perfectly well. In this era where nothing goes for nothing; people pretend to show acts of kindness simply because of what they stand to gain from the parties involved. But a woman of virtues shows kindness that comes off naturally. The testimony of her good character is attested to by not only her family and friends but also the

total strangers. Good character is not latent and theoretical but of a practical thing. Our Lord Jesus stressed the significance of this virtue in “ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father in heaven’’ (2) Good planner Planning (also called forethought) is the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve a desired goal.

Most of the problems in marriage today can be attributed to lack of planning especially on the part of a woman who is said to be a home manager. But a woman of virtues does not wait for things to go wrong before she runs helter skelter to remedy them, she takes measures to prevent them from going wrong by putting the right things in place. She isn’t perturbed by the moment but looks beyond it to ensure that tomorrow doesn’t come as a surprise.

A virtuous woman does the whole planning for her husband, children and those people around her.

(3) Dependable Help-meet-A Virtuous woman always submits and reverence her husband. She always seeks the good and well-being of her household(Prov. 31:11-12,28; Gen 2:8) I pray that ma you receive grace to become a woman of value in Jesus name.

(4)Good Mothering: A virtuous woman is a good mother who teaches her children the ways of God. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, discipline them with care and wisdom; She also equips them(children) with Godly training(Prov. 31:26,28; 22:6; Luke 18:16) Let God endows every woman with wisdom to defend her marriage against every marriage destroyer. Whatever challenge facing your marriage shall

surely be surmounted in Jesus name.

(4) Health : She cares for her body and prepares healthy food for her family( Prov. 31: 14-15; 31:17; 1 Cor 6:19, Gen. 1:29) She ensures that whole family live in a good hygenic atmosphere and a clean environment. One of the main cause of broken homes today can be traceable to dirtiness of a woman. I remember a common saying’’ Cleaniness is next to Godliness’’.

(5)Service : A virtuous woman serves her husband, her family, her friends and her neighbours with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable.

(Prov. 31: 15,20; 1 Cor 13:13) (6) Industrious Woman: She works willingly with her hands, She appreciates God and does not grumble while completing her tasks( Prov. 31:13,24; Phil 2:14). She invests for her household (Prov. 31:16) .

Being industrious is one of the strong qualities of a virtuous woman.

The word “lazy” doesn’t exist in her dictionary so she has no business with being one. She’s a woman who can survive through hard work. She doesn’t sit around waiting on a man to feed her and cater to her needs. While she respects him, she understands that she needs to assist him by doing some things on her own.

(7) Epitome of beauty: She is a great asset to her husband. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ.

She is very creative and elegant in beautifying her life and the loved ones that surround her.( Prov. 31:10; 1Tim 2:9; 1 Peter 3:1-6) (8)Faith: A woman of virtue serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She is always eager to accomplish God’s will for her family and follow His ways (Prov. 31:26, 29-31; Matt. 22:37; John 14:15; Psalm 119:15)

(9) She has good judgment and motivating skill: She is an encourager to her husband especially during the trying time i.e when all things seem not to be rosy in the marriage. She arouse the dying hope of her household for better tomorrow.

The way a woman handles issues can save or worsen situations. Life presents her with situations where she has to make important decisions that will affect her and her loved ones. She isn’t in a hurry to make choices for her personal gains; she considers the good of the people around her before making life changing decisions.

(10) An effective time manager: She uses her time She works diligently while it’s day so as to enjoy the fruits of her labour at night. She doesn’t engage in questionable activities like most women do; it’s a total waste of time. She engages in things that are fruitful and ensures that every minute is accounted for.

In conclusion, The quality of a virtuous woman is priceless, While some women cry because they haven’t found their suitors, the virtuous woman has so many good men begging for her consent to be theirs because they know what she’s made of. Even in the midst of dearth, she swims in abundance.

These qualities of a virtuous woman are not perceived every day in a woman. If you have them, you should consider yourself very distinctive because indeed, you are truly special. Every woman needs to crave for these outstanding qualities and God shall turn your home to a citadel of joy in Jesus name(Amen).

•Pastor Omotoso can be reached through an email: onwardforchrist2015@gmail.com or 08029531853

Seizing the moment to protect our world

James F.

Entwistle

F

rom rising seas across the globe and the melting of Greenland’s sheet ice to the bleaching of coral reefs around many coasts, the signs of climate change are all around us. As a global society, we are at a critical juncture where our decisions today will help shape the climate into which our children and grandchildren will be born.

But this is not just about the future. There are immediate benefits to keeping pollutants out of our environment: cleaner air, lower energy costs, and new growth industries.

These are the stakes at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris, where representatives from al-

most 200 nations are gathering from November 30 to December 11 to negotiate a comprehensive climate agreement for the post-2020 world.

Now more than ever, there is social and political will to do something about the rise in global temperatures and its ripple effect through the environment. More than 160 countries, responsible for around 90 percent of global emissions, have announced climate targets ahead of the conference, and we welcome President Buhari’s commitment to a 20 percent emission reduction of greenhouse gases for Nigeria. As a reference point, only about 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions were addressed under the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

The United States is taking bold action on climate change at home as we

work with partner nations to do the same. Since President Obama took office, the United States has reduced carbon emissions, tripled domestic wind energy production, and increased solar power twenty fold.

We have put in place stringent new fuel economy standards so that our cars are using less gas, energy use is more efficient, and a historic amount of land and water has been protected for future generations. At the same time, the U.S. economy has expanded, proving that growth is not inextricably linked to carbon output.

Going forward, the Clean Power Plan will cut emissions from the U.S. power sector, which makes up a third of the nation’s carbon emissions, by 32 percent by 2030 and will save more than $50 billion in climate and health-related costs in the process.

With countries like China, India, and Brazil now pledging to reduce emissions, we have a serious chance to put in place a transformative plan.

In Paris, the United States will push for an effective agreement that continues to drive ambitious climate action by all countries, while recognizing the differences among them.

It should provide a long-term framework—with high standards of transparency and accountability— that calls on nations to ratchet up their targets over time. It must also provide countries in need with financial and technical support for lowcarbon development and adaptation to a changing climate.

•James F. Entwistle, is the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria

16

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Fly Arik,

arrive with a

Special 9th Anniversary Give-Away From November 4 2015 to January 30, 2016 fly Arik Air and you could touch down at your destination with any of the incredible gifts on board; iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S, Beats By Dre headphones, laptops, cameras, 3D Smart TVs and 3D Blu-ray Home Cinema systems. #ArikCares

Nigeria and West Africa’s Leading Airline

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

...Luxury & Style

Li LINEA ITALIA FURNITURE

41 Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria Tel 234-9-4136342, 0805 5103 177 www.lineaitalia-ng.com

17

18

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Features

Plight of Madagali’s self help initiative against insurgents

Æs

Michika A razed village in

Our features desk this weekend reviews the chronicle of intrigues and politics hanging over Barkkin Dutse, Sabon Gari and other villages in Madagali area rescued from insurgents, the anguish of returnees and the bleak future of a people caught in the middle of nowhere. TOM GARBA’S 24-hour-spot assessment Central Church visited by the insurgents is presented from Yola, Adamawa “Notable area in State.

Madagali, the last of Adamawa’s troubled territories under occupation of Boko Haram sect to be liberated by the military, in March, had been under control of the insurgents for close to seven months since August 2014 when it fell under insurgents’ control.

However, since its recapture by Nigerian forces, assisted by local hunters, the people of Madagali have not been fortunate to enjoy the relative peace enjoyed by their peers in Mubi, Maiha and its nearby neighbour in Michika because of its proximity to Sambisa forest.

Madagali which shares an adjoining border line with Gwoza local government of Borno State to its South, has had its own share of ill-luck, being the next door neighbour to the vortex of the

Islamic extremists - Boko Haram sect, enclaved in Gwoza, by the Sambisa forest.

The intermittent attacks by the sect had meant that over 30,000 internally displaced persons, who returned, going by reports, have faced even dire consequences settling down since the majority depends on subsistence farming for their livelihoods.

However in Kirchinga, Gulak, and Shuwa were some returnee residents; when interviewed, noted that nearly half of the population from the area who fled the fighting have returned.

But the minus, however, is the loud chorus of neglect and abandonment, which the locals say appears to be their only lot, as many continue to view the area as ‘a no go area.’

Even though those who have

sustaining the prevailing air of safety is the salutary effort of the civilian JTF who has been complementing the effort of the military, to liberate some communities and villages which the insurgents use as hideout to disrupt the peace in the area by picking on soft targets to cause mayhem.”

returned to Madagali say peace and tranquility is gradually setting in, they are however, cross with some of their fellows who fled the fighting and have continued to shy away from returning despite some remarkable progress.

Our reporter who was in Madagali, and spent a night with the locals write on the self help initiative taken in the area, and which may just be the elixir to make it possible for residents who fled the insurgency from the area, to feel safe to return back to their homes.

It would be recalled that about seven local government areas in Adamawa fell under control of the dreaded Islamic sect. Five out of the seven councils namely, Mubi North, Mubi South, Maiha, Michika and Madagali are situated on the Northern fringes of the state, with its border lines skirting the boundaries of the Republic of Cameroon.

However, the other two, Gombi and Hong local government councils belonging to the Central Senatorial District, going by political configuration in the state, only suffered minor disruptive activities, since they were quickly recaptured shortly after falling to the sect.

Until early this year since the territories in Adamawa where captured in August of 2014, the efforts of troops to retake the conquered territories had proved elusive.

It was therefore not hard at the time to link the upscaled military activities against the insurgents by the erstwhile Goodluck Jonathan administration especially with the mandate it gave the security agencies to ‘reclaim every captured territory’ - to the country’s upcoming election fixed for the first quarter.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

19 Features

Madagali: Over 30,000 IDPs who returned have faced more dire consequences CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

The success recorded by the troops, translated in the troops reclaiming back all towns and communities in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Gombe, after routing the terrorist.

The administration under former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had stepped up its anti-terrorism campaign on February 14th, charging all territories captured by the sect to be reclaimed before the March 28th General elections, which was rescheduled because of invidious security climate hanging over the land in the face of the fast approaching polls which required that every eligible citizen be guaranteed to vote.

But since March after Madagali was recaptured from the hands of the insurgents, many of the residents who fled the fighting in the area have braved the odds and returned, while others remained skeptical about returning, perhaps because of sporadic attacks, unleashed by the sect in the area.

However, Mr. Wajau Hyariju, a retired teacher who said he returned back to Gulak in April, lamented that until the last three Months when over 500 local hunters were mobilised, those who returned could not live outside of Gulak because of intermittent attacks by the sect on soft targets.

Places like Gata, Lemu, Disa, Jaji, Gwubbla, Isgea, Zagore, Kobara, Metiku, Mezou, and Mildo, he said were among the worst hit by sporadic attacks waged by Boko Haram sect on hapless residents who had returned.

This however, Wajau said, used to be the trend before stakeholders in the area led by the lawmaker representing the council in state legislature, Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu, together with other stakeholders contributed to fund about 500 local hunters, charged with the task of protecting vulnerable communities in the area from further attacks.

He said although remarkable progress has been made since the arrival of local hunters to the area in August, he however noted that misinformation about the true security situation in the area had continued to hamper the return of many of the residents whom he described as being influential.

Perhaps one of the greatest disservice the ominous cloud of insecurity has caused the people

Displaced persons caught inthe middle of nowhere

of Madagali, Wajau queried, is the revision of over N690 million worth, which the current leadership in the state led by Sen. Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, capitalised upon and diverted to the state capital.

The roads contract which already has been funded through a bond payment by erstwhile administration of Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri, was meant for the construction and rehabilitation of roads between Madagali and Michika, but this was not to be as new administration citing security concerns in the area, instead, used its discretionary powers to fund the construction roads rather in the state capital.

The retired teacher, who enumerated some of the challenges encountered by returnees, said “none of them will tell you that they can’t sleep with both their eyes close.”

“Obviously not, they will tell you that the problem of Madagali is mainly the problem of lack of clean drinking water and shortage of food.”

Lamenting the neglect of the area by state government, he said, “since April when I moved in with my family to Gulak, the headquarters of Madagali local government, I have not witnessed any assistance from any agency of government to the area.

“Most residents who have returned and who are staying in Gulak, Barkkin Dutse and Sabon Gari area of Madagali are forced

“Another interesting find is that the residents of Madagali urgently require access to clean portable drinking water since the armed conflict resulted in the destruction and vandalisation of the power infrastructure which has hampered the functioning of the boreholes.” to travel 25-30 km, to Michika to get medical care every time their children or relations took ill.”

Wajau Hyariju said he is perturbed that Madagali has continued to be overlooked by the government and even aid agencies, which should ordinarily help bring relief to the area but, have also shied away, from doing so, stressing that those concerns are “not anchored on the reality on the ground.”

Even though a recent suicide attack in the suburb of Gulak which killed 12 persons,

including the 3 female suicide bombers and over 20 persons with severe injuries are all to blame for dashing whatever little hopes there may have been about the safety of the area.

Our reporter found out that the people of Madagali are gradually finding peace again.

Perhaps, notable in fuelling the pervading air of safety, is the salutary effort of the civilian JTF who, complementing the effort of the military, have also been able to liberate some communities and villages from the grip of the insurgents which they use as hideout to disrupt the peace in the area by picking on soft targets to cause mayhem.

Another interesting find is that the residents of Madagali urgently require access to clean portable drinking water since the armed conflict resulted in the destruction and vandalisation of the power infrastructure which has hampered the functioning of the boreholes.

There’s also the urgent need to get hospitals and medical centres opened as they are currently still shut, even though the member representing the area in the state assembly, Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu said there’s a subsisting directive urging health workers in the council who have been living in Yola, the state capital, to relocate and reopen the Madagali General Hospital.

The lawmaker who decried the state government neglect of his

constituents, shed light on why he had to stamp his feet on the ground to ensure that a vigilante force was set up to safeguard the area from sporadic attacks.

“Because Madagali shared a common boundary with Sambisa forest, the increased military operations ongoing in the area was bound to have a collateral effect on the area, so it was only natural to expect that as troops try to achieve the December deadline set for them to rid the North East of insurgency, and pummel the hot bed of insurgents in the Sambisa forest, most of the insurgents escaping from their den will obviously pose a threat to the civil populace.”

The result, he pointed out, is that some of the insurgents who are lucky to have escaped, are the ones who now ransack remote communities in search of food and shelter.

“The development has taken its toll on food supply in the area since many of the locals now feel unsafe to go to their farms for fear of their personal safety.

“My people are running short of food supply, you know food which is a necessity remains the greatest need of the people of Madagali for now and, as I speak to you, there has not been any intervention by the state government.

“We have not seen and we have not heard anything about these funds. Because nobody has come to their aid except Red Cross, the UNHCR and other aid agencies” Tsamdu said.

Hence, to curtail the upsurge of sporadic attacks on villages and communities sharing borderline with Sambisa, he said, stakeholders in the area decided on raising a counterinsurgency force of over 500 local hunters and vigilante to act as a bulwark against further attacks by the insurgents and also liberate communities which the insurgents have captured.

He also said the upkeep of the force which enjoins harmonious partnership with the military, has continued to be footed by the stakeholders because the Adamawa state government has not been forthcoming with funding.

Since the mobilisation of local hunters to Madagali as the community’s own self help response to check the incessant sporadic attacks by members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect on CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Features 20 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

villages and towns in Madagali, significant success has been achieved by the vigilantes.

Locals revealed that those communities like Mezao, Mildo, Wakara, Walu, Metiku and Lansaa have come under constant attacks, forcing them to seek refuge in Gulak.

Bukar Jimeta is the leader of the over 500 vigilante force guarding Madagali villages and environs.

He does not mince words that he has what it takes to enter Sambisa forest and rid it of the dangerous forces who have turned the forest to be their safe haven.

Bukar, whose mission is to rid Madagali land of any vestiges of Boko Haram fighters and their sympathisers and also defend remote communities such as Grata, Lemu, Disa, Jaji Gubbla, Isgea, Zagore and Gobara, which lay close to Sambisa forest from attacks, said since August when he and his men were called for this mission, over 500 insurgents have been killed while over 800 women and children were also rescued.

“In Gatar and Lemu alone, my men battled with the insurgents and were able to liberate the towns after fierce fighting with the insurgents and we routed out. We rescued over 570 women and children,” he told our correspondent.

In the course of the mission, he said that they have trekked to Gobara, a town he noted was just less than 10 kilometre away from

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Madagali: The minus now is the neglect and abandonment of the people entering the forest of Sambisa, stressing that the only reason they didn’t proceed into Sambisa forest was due to lack of mobility.

But he however has not jettisoned the possibility of going

“There’s the urgent need to get hospitals and medical centres open as they are currently still shut, inspite of a subsisting directive urging health workers in the council who have been living in Yola, the state capital, to relocate and reopen the Madagali General Hospital.”

Amoured tank belonging to insurgents in flames

into Sambisa forest despite his obvious constraint, as he noted that the journey to Gobara always takes them a night fall going by foot.

The amazing thing about Bukar Jimeta, whom his lieutenants often prefer to call in the Hausa language ‘Sarkin Mutuwa’ meaning the ‘Commander of Death’ is their mysterious claim that he can hand pick bombs and that no bomb can ever detonate where he is.

So, I asked him if it was true what his men said about him, and the reputation he has carved for himself as the commander of death, as he is renowned to catch the insurgents by mere hands without firing a shot.

And true to his depiction, Bukar, brandishing a AK 47 he confiscated from the insurgents, as part of his prized spoils of war demurely replied, “No bomb can detonate wherever we are”.

He went further to explain with a queer look on his face and eyes that appeared glazed, and suddenly with a wry smile, he boasted that he has once dug out 4 landmines with his bare hands, retorting to the question.

“There was this operation we embarked on with the military

and we encountered five land mines. I removed four of them and asked the soldiers to proceed.

The insurgents who spotted us even fired a rocket launcher, it failed to explode were I was and it did not imperil us,” he proudly said.

Bukar declared that his ultimate goal is to be able to enter Sambisa forest, adding that, if he did, the place would fall to him.

“But we don’t have the necessary logistics; otherwise we would have gone into Sambisa forest and liberated it.

The same way we have done with every town and village which the sect once controlled before we wrested it from their control, from Gombi and now Madagali.”

The Head of Vigilantes otherwise called Sarkin Barkan Kirchinga, Alh. Adamu Kirchinga said although their work as vigilantes and the successes they have recorded has gone unnoticed by many in the state; nevertheless, he said, the intervention of the vigilantes is better appreciated by the natives.

Adamu Kirchinga stressed that in Kirchinga town, the intervention of the vigilantes made it possible for all those who fled the area to now return

because of the relative peace the vigilantes stationed in the area have created.

He said before now, most residents only felt safe staying in Gulak, were the military detachment to the area is stationed, but now, with the presence of the local vigilantes in places like Jalingo, Mezao, Mildo, Wakara Walu Metiku and Lansa, natives of these communities have since returned back to their abodes there.

He said a very important part of the campaign undertaken by the vigilante since they were mobilised to counter insurgent activities in Madagali, which he said, has now spanned over 3 three Months, is the dismantling of Boko Haram camps and the liberation of women held captive by the insurgents.

Speaking on his discovery in one of their raids which led to the liberation of Jaji from insurgents’ control, Adamu said he was shocked to find out from the confession of some of the women the over 279 rescued women and children that most of them served as sex slaves of the insurgents.

Others who are older, he added, were lucky to just work only for them. He also added that in the same raid, they also recovered 120 rustled cows from the insurgents, but regretted that with all of this successes, it is the military whom it presents with this finds that takes all the credit.

“If we had all the necessary logistics and means of communication, these women and children that were rescued and taken to Yola, we could have been the ones taking all the credits,” he said.

On their relationship with the military since the start of this campaign, Adamu revealed that it has been harmonious, except lately that mistrust appears to have set in.

Explaining the cause of the suspicion which has come between them and the military, Adamu said their suspicion was fuelled by discovery that some of the insurgents captured and handed over to the military were set free and made to go scot-free after a while.

The discovery, he said had threatened to put both camps on a collision course. In the wake of a similar incidence, the military had ordered them to stand down from their planned raid of a settlement which led to the recapture of one of the notorious Boko Haram kingpin troubling some Madagali communities.

“But the intervention of our Commander, Bukar Jimeta helped to dissuade the military from stifling our activities, so we went about our duties without hindrance.”

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

FEDERAL BAUCHI OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION 90 This is to inform the general public that the above named association has applied for registration in the corporate affairs commission under Part C of the companies and allied matters act No. 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BARR. EMEKA NWANKWO 3. SAADATU DARAIN MUAZU

2. MRS. CHIOMA ETIABA NWANKWO 4. MRS. ADAORA NWAFOR ANASO

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. To promote unity and the interests of members of the association.

2. To support our Alma-Mater Federal Government Girls College, Bauchi.

3. To assist members of the association financially and otherwise especially in time of need and difficulties.

Any Objection To This Registration Should Be Forwarded To The Registrar – General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescents, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama, Abuja Within 28 Days Of This Publication.

SIGNED: Ukamaka Ufodiama (President)

21 Public Notice

ELDERLY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

THE GRACE OF GOD OUTREACH AND MIRACLE MINISTRY

The general public is hereby notified thatthe above named church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under the Part C of the Companies And Allied Matters Act 1990.

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mr Esan Olusola - Chairman.

2. Mrs Esan Chinenye - Secretary.

TRUSTEES 1. Pastor Eze Peter Nwanneka 2. Eze Happiness Anulika 3. Evang Ofoegbu Chima Kingsley 4. Njoku Rachael Akunna

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the elderly globally.

2. To promote the love of Christ among the elderly.

3. To engage the elderly in the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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

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

SIGNED SECRETARY

SIGNED: SECRETARY

UNITES ACADEMY FOUNDATION

I AM MISSION CHURCH

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

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OLATAYO JAMES OLUWATOYIN 2. TOYIN OLATAYO CHIOMA ADA 3. IMAYI MOSES 4. IMAYI OLUWATOYIN.

TRUSTEES: 1) PASTOR BILL JOHN OLUWAFEMI - CHAIRMAN 2) ENGINEER ALADEOJEBI OLABODE ADEREMI - SECRETARY 3) PROFESSOR RICHARD OLAYIWOLA FAGBENLE- MEMBER

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: TO GIVE HUMANITARIAN SERVICES. Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.‪ SIGNED: TRUSTEES.

EZEIGBO SLOT FOUNDATION This is to inform the General Public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EZEIGBO NNAMDI – PRESIDENT 2. EZEIGBO NKECHI – VICE-PRESIDENT 3. EJEI KALU - SECRETARY 4 AMOBI HENRY MOGHALU - MEMBER 5 UZOMBA CHIBUZOR JONATHAN - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1 To support the education of the less privileged children in the society 2 Educational for less priviledge and provide cheap medical facilities Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off AguiyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28) days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES

OWOLOWO DRY MEAT KUNDI DEALERS ASSOCIATION, OYO STATE This is to inform the general public that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: ALHAJA RAMOTA OMOLAYO MUDASIRU - PRESIDENT MR. DADA JOHNSON OJELEKE - SECRETARY MR. ABDULAHI AKIN ADEYEMI - TREASURER MRS. ESTHER SOLADEMI - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1 To promote peace and unity among members.

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

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

AIM: 1) To know god and make god known through the word, prayer and praise.

2) To make god known through our lifestyles, fellowship and evangelism.

3) To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ 4) To deliver the oppressed, heal the sick and set the captive free.

5) To engage in charitable and evangelical work both locally and internationally Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1) REV. BABATUNDE OLABODE 2) PST. ESTHER ATINUKE OLABODE 3) SIS. FISAYO AKINTOLA 4) BRO. KOLAWOLE KEHINDE SOMOSU 5) BRO. BABATOPE OLABODE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1) TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 2) TO DELIVER THE OPPRESSED, HEAL THE SICK AND SET THE CAPTIVE FREE. 3) TO ORGANISZE SEMINARS, SYMPOSIA AND FAITH CLINIC TO ENHANCE THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF THE MEMBERS. 4) TO ENGAGE EVANGELISTIC WORK IN NIGERIA AND ABROAD. Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi-Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED BY: TRUSTEE.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES.

PEOPLE WELFARE ORGANIZATION OF NIGERIA

ABUNDANT GRACE BUSINESS SUPPORT

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

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to The Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PROPHET (DR)FELIX OLUYEMI (JP) 2. MR ONYE -ANUYANWU ANTHONY 3. MR JAGA MICHAEL AKINSEMOYE 4. DR DIYA OLOLADE OLUWADAMILOLA 5. DR AIGBEDO EFOSA ELLIOT 6. DR. OYEBANJI OYEWALE DANIEL 7. MR ANYANWU FELIX.

TRUSTEES: 1. LAWAL OYINKANADE (MRS.) 2. LAWAL ADEBAYO 3. ADEDIPE OLUWATOYIN (MRS.) 4. ALE-DANIEL OLAOLUWA EMMANUEL.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To seek and promote the welfare of all nigerians 2.To make preferential option/treatment for people living with disability.

AIMS & OBJECTIVE: 1. Poverty alleviation by empowering people to own and run their own businesses and granting low interest funds and or interest free loans to such businesses 2. Advocating for just policies to tackle the problem of youth unemployment, lack of business skills and setting up educational institutions in furtherance of its primary objective.

3. Specifically empower businesses owned by women, family businesses, and start-ups founded by youth and any vulnerable member of the society.

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

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

SIGNED BY SECRETARY.

SIGNED: OlANIRAN OBElE ESqTAYO OYETIBO & CO.

EVERGREEN TOCHUKWU UCHE

MRS JOSEPHINE ADAMMA LOVETH OKOH EUGENE

MRS ABDULRAHMAN AISHA OLUTAYO

MRS. UKAGBA PHILOMINA KATE

I, formerly known and addressed as AGWU AWAGI, now wish to be addressed as EVERGREEN TOCHUKWU UCHE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly known as MISS JOSEPHINE ADAMMA LOVETH OSEMELE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS JOSEPHINE ADAMMA LOVETH OKOH EUGENE. All former documents remains valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known as MISS OJEMEH OLUTAYO SHARON, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ABDULRAHMAN AISHA OLUTAYO. All former documents remains valid.

Ogun State Polytechnic and the general public should please take note.

I formerly known as Miss Nnabugo Philomina Kate, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ukagba Philomina Kate. All former documents remains valid.

The general public should please take note.

IHEANANCHO DANIEL AGATHA OLUCHUCKWU

DADA BETTY ANEBI

ANNE OKPARA CHIOMA

MRS OLUWASEYI TEMITOPE OLADAPO

I formerly known and addressed as Soronnadi Agatha Oluchukwu, now wishes to be known and addressed as Iheanancho Daniel Agatha Oluchuckwu.

All former document remain valid. The general public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Demechi Detty Anebi now wished to be Known and addressed as Dada Betty Anebi. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I formerly known and addressed as Anne Oparah Chioma now wished to be Known and addressed as Anne Okpara Chioma. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note

I, formerly known as MISS ADESINA OLUWASEYI TEMITOPE now wish to be known as MRS OLUWASEYI TEMITOPE OLADAPO. All documents relating to my former name remains valid. General public should take note.

EFFIONG MARIA

MOSES JOHNNY OTOK

Mrs AKINWALE SHADIAT OLAWUNMI

MRS. OLUBUSOYE OLUWABUNMI ABIBAT

CHINENYE ANURIKA NANCY

MOSES BETSY NGOZI

I, formerly known and addressed as EFFIONG ESTHER now wished to be known and addressed as EFFIONG MARIA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MOSES LINUS JOHNNY now wish to be known and addressed as MOSES JOHNNY OTOK. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss AZEEZ SHADIAT OLAWUNMI, now wish to be addressed as Mrs AKINWALE SHADIAT OLAWUNMI. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss ADELUBI OLUWABUNMI ABIBAT now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. OLUBUSOYE OLUWABUNMI ABIBAT. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as De-Don Chinenye now wish to be known and addressed as Chinenye Anurika Nancy.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as EZIECHINEM BETSY NGOZI, now wish to be known and addressed as MOSES BETSY NGOZI. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public take note.

News 22

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Fresh 161 leprosy cases discovered in Niger Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏNo

fewer than 161 fresh cases of leprosy have been discovered in Niger State. It has the belief of medical experts that the disease had been wiped out from the state more than two decades ago.

The fresh cases, detected mainly in children, some of them below two years, were recorded in five local government areas.

The Operation’s Manager of the Leprosy Mission International (LMC), in Minna, Mr. Pius Ogbu, on Thursday, confirmed

that the discovery was as a result of a survey carried out by the organisation, adding that the LMI had also begun the sensitisation of the people on the recurrence of the disease, so as to check its spread.

Ogbu said that the LMI had also started treating the new patients free-of-charge and assurred that very soon the patients would begin to live normal life.

He said that the mission had also begun the sensitisation of leprosy patients about the dangers of begging and a need for them to restrict their movements to designated areas.

Scores of women protesting the inconclusive outcome of the November 21st Governorship election at the INEC Office, Lokoja, Kogi State… on Thursday.

FG warns oil companies against unfair treatment of host communities Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏThe Federal Government

has warned oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region to treat their host communities with respect and avoid depriving them of their statutory benefits.

The Minister of State for Niger Delta, Prof. Claudius Omoyele Daramola, handed down the warning, while speaking at programme in Akure, the Ondo

Nigeria’ll save N1.5bn annually if polio is eradicated – WHO Gbenga Sodeinde Ado-Ekiti

ÏÏÏThe

World Health Organisation (WHO), on Thursday, said that Nigeria would have long been a poliofree country, but for Federal Government’s lack of the political will to equip the health sector.

It said that the country would be saving a staggering sum of N1.5 billion, annually, to develop the health sector, if she was declared polio-free in 2018, as proposed by the Federal Government.

An ex-president of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kayode Obembe, also called on President Muhammadu Bu-

State capital.

Daramola said doing so would assist government to transform the area and sustain the current peace being witnessed in the region.

He noted that the Buhari administration was determined to develop the Niger Delta region – better than it met it – and advised that the oil companies should act well their own part.

He explained that this would be achieved through the implementation of people- oriented

hari to increase the 5% budgetary provision being allocated to the health sector, annually, to15%, so as to actualise the universal health coverage.

Speaking in Ado Ekiti during the NMA National Executive Committee, on Wednesday, the WHO Representative in Ekiti, Dr. Adeniji Akinyemi, said it was rather disturbing that polio had proved to be the most complex disease to eradicate in Nigeria, hinging this on lack of political will on the side of the government.

Adewale

programmes and projects that would help to transform the socio-economic life of the people in the region.

According to him, the Ministry of Niger Delta would, soon, embark on inspection of Federal Government projects in the region – with a view to identifying the abandoned ones and ensure that they were cpmpleted.

Daramola warned contractors handling Federal Government projects in the area to ensure that the projects were

completed.

Daramola, who pointed out that the Federal Government would not entertain shoddy jobs also admonished traditional rulers in the region to promote the good aspects of government projects in their domain.

He, however, hinted that the Federal Government had put in place necessary mechanisms that would aid rapid transformation of the Niger Delta region.

Buhari

Fayose tasks communities on self-help projects Gbenga Sodeinde Ado-Ekiti

ÏÏÏThe Ekiti State Governor,

Mr. Ayo Fayose, has stressed the need for communities in the state to look inward for possible ways of enhancing the development of their areas in view of the present economic realities facing the nation.

Fayose gave the advice at Ilupeju-Ekiti, in Oye Local Government Area, during the ceremony for the upgrading and modernisation of the community’s main market embarked upon by the town’s development association.

Fayose, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, emphasized that the present economic realities of the nation had made it virtually impossible

for government alone to provide all the required infrastructure and amenities.

Lauding the contributions of the Ilupeju Ekiti Development Association (IDA) to the development of the community, Fayose described the achievements of the people, which included the construction of a Chief Magistrate Court building, an ultra-modern palace and a Divisional Police headquarters, within the past few years through communal efforts, as a model, charged other communities in the state to emulate their development module.

He charged communities to initiate projects that would improve the quality of life of the people at the grassroots, and, ultimately, reduce rural-urban

drift, stressing that the process of executing the projects must be fair and transparent.

Fayose gave an assurance that his administration would continue to support genuine self-help projects, and posited that if each of the 323 towns, villages and farmsteads in the state execute projects that were capable of impacting, positively, on the lives of the people in the state, they would have invariably and collectively developed and empowered the state to a large extent, adding that they would, also, have assisted in boosting good governance.

Fayose also stressed a need for the people of the state to embrace the culture of entrepreneurship and commercial agriculture, in order for to be self-reliant.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Bayelsa guber: PDP Reps warn INEC, security agencies against bias Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP) caucus, in the House of Representatives, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies not to accord any undue advantage to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa State.

In a statement issued, on Thursday, in Abuja, by the House Minority Leader, Honourable Leo Ogor, it regretted what it called “an avoidable development” as a result of the inconclusive governorship election in Kogi State, which had thrown up a constitutional

crisis.

Ogor said that, “being a major and committed stakeholder in the Nigerian project, and as worthy representatives of our constituents, spread across the country, we deem it necessary to make a clarion call to wellmeaning Nigerians, on the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa State.

“As a body, we must stress, in clear terms, that both the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election and the Bayelsa State governorship election, being the first to be conducted under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, provide the litmus test to ascertain his democratic credentials and commitment to the ideals of

true democracy.

“Against the backdrop of the fall-out of the Kogi election, which opened many yawning gaps that call to question Mr. President’s sincerity and INEC’s preparedness, it is germane to strongly advise the federal government, the electoral umpire and the security agencies to be above board in the Bayelsa State governorship election”, he added.

The Caucus stressed further that the Bayelsa poll would be another rare opportunity for the Chairmen of INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, to prove to Nigerians that he was truly fit, and that he had the moral qualities to be entrusted with the task of conducting future

polls.

“INEC must be mindful of the consequences of not doing the right thing in the Bayelsa election. INEC must, as a matter of necessity, conduct a free, fair, and credible polls. INEC should avoid any attempt by any individual, group or political party, to manipulate the electoral process”, it savised.

Furthermore, Ogor tasked INEC to ensure that its officers were properly monitored to avoid compromising the electoral system, adding that “INEC should perform its role effectively and efficiently as an impartial umpire in the Bayelsa election, by avoiding a repeat of the Kogi governorship election shame.

23 News

Ondo Assembly drills commissioners-designate

Mimiko

’Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

ÎÎÎThe Ondo State House

of Assembly has given approval to four persons designated for the post of commissioners by the state government after exhaustive drilling into their credentials.

At a plenary session, held at the Assembly Complex, on Thursday, the commissioners-designate were call out in a roll for drilling, by the Speaker, Hon. Jumoke Akindele.

The Daily Times gathered that those confirmed

were Femi Adekanbi, Segun Ayerin, Yetunde Adeyanju, and Dayo Awude, following a unanimous vote.

Deputy-Speaker, Fatai Olotu, representing Akoko North East Constituency Area played the role of the Chairman of the Selection Committee.

Olotu, told the House that the nomination of the commissioners would be a great benefit.

Having been drilled for several hours with critical vetting of their resumes, the nominees were given pass mark for brilliant appearance in the House.

“The nominees possess the required experience, charisma and much-needed exposure to function effectively as commissioners and also have the required academic qualifications to function effectively and efficiently”, the Committee said.

Weaverbirds Media launches ‘The Apostate’ ÎÎÎAn

INEC staff loading voting materials for Saturday’s governorship election at the state headquarters of INEC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa … on Thursday.

Reps oppose UNN’s N75, 000 compulsory laptop levy Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

House of Representatives, on Thursday, charged its Committees on Education (Basic and Tertiary) to stop the compulsory N75, 000 laptop fee foisted on students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), by the university authority.

The resolution followed the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Rep. Bashir Babale (APC-Kano).

Moving the motion, Babale decried the university’s

policy of charging every new student a compulsory fee of N75, 000 for the acquisition of laptop computers, adding that “this policy is arbitrary, inhuman and so sad that they are making access to education difficult for the people. Nigerians are anxious to study, in order to contribute, to the growth of the nation, but this policy makes it difficult”, Babale added.

The lawmaker, who pointed out that education remained a vehicle to national development, stressed a need to correct the current imbal-

ance in the sector.

Many Nigerians, according to him, are living below the poverty line and are finding it difficult to pay the compulsory and outrageous laptop fee.

Babale said he decided to urge the House to stop the compulsory laptop levy, so as not to deprive Nigerians from having access to quality education.

“In a situation where young people are complaining of educational imbalance, how an institution can come up with this kind of

policy,” he queried.

He further decried a situation where some tertiary institutions in the country solely depend on students for the general running of the overhead cost of the schools, revealing that “students are paying fees to construct roads and culverts in the universities.”

Babale also urged the House to prevail on the Enugu State House of Assembly to liaise with the state government to ensure improved funding of the education sector in there.

entertainment company with interest in content development, production, distribution and technology-driven delivery to customers, Weaverbirds Media Group, will, on December 5, 2015, present a film titled “The Apostate”.

It is a film with a Christian setting, but it is, however, not, necessarily, a religious one.

“The Apostate” is a story of four young ambitious friends, who set out to be successful, but unfortunately, they chose deception and religion to achieve their objectives.

However, on getting to

the top, in their different endeavours, everything they had started to crumbling and nemesis caught up with them.

Speaking with journalists, on the proposed launch of the film, one of the directors of Weaverbirds Media Group, Mr. Femi Oladire, said some of the objectives of the company was to lift up upcoming young Nigerians and give them opportunity to showcase their talents, and believing that if the landscape was not laced with issues like favouritisms, god-fatherisms, among others, “the best could be brought out of our young and upcoming talents”.

Uvuru community marks cultural festival

ÎÎÎAll is now set for the

annual “Uvuru Ikedinairi Bia Were Oji” cultural festival coming up on Saturday, December 26, 2015, at the Uvuru Community School, Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area in Imo State.

The Deputy PresidentGeneral of Uvuru Community Development Union, Chief David Akwitti, who

represented the President General, Mr. Austin Onwubiko, said all arrangements for the ceremony had been concluded.

Akwitti said this year’s festival, which is to be hosted by Isiala Uvuru autonomous community, had been inaugurated with the unveiling of the logo titled “Uvuru Bia Were Oji Celebration 2015”.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2014

Saraki leads NASS delegation to Paris NEMA distributes conference on Environment Olufemi Samuel Abuja

ÏÏÏSenate

President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, led a delegation of the National Assembly to Paris, France, to attend two conferences of Parliamentarians from across the world on how to save the environment.

According to a statement signed by Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, the delegation which included members from both the Senate and House of Representatives,

also include Senators Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Monsurat Sunmonu, Athan Nneji Achonu, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi and Murtala Nyako.

Also in the delegation are Hon. Onuigbo Samuel, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change in the House of Representatives, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Innocent Onah, Senior Special Adviser on Partnership and NGOs, Ibrahim Yakubu, Special Assistant, legal and commercial law, as well as Ibrahim Yakubu, special assistant on Information Technology.

The delegation will participate in both the Globe COP 21 Legislators Summit which will hold inside the National Assembly of France from December 4-5, and the Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the French Parliament between December 5 and 6.

Eminent parliamentarians like Graham Stuart from Britain, Jean-Paul Chanteguet, President of the Committee on Sustainable Development, Town and Country Planning in the French National

Assembly, Segolene Royal, French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Affairs Minister and Senator Jorge Viana, Vice President of the Brazillian Senate will be guest speakers at the Globe COP21 Summit.

The Nigerian Senate President will chair a session on December 5 with the theme - Developments in National Legislation on Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy and Sustainable Development - Towards Integrated National Planning on the 2015 Agenda.

L-R: President, Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN), Mr. Gbadebo Olamerun (2nd right), presenting ARIAN Man of the year to the representative of the MD. Unitrust Insurance Ltd, Yetunde Adenuga (2nd left), while the National Publicity Secretary, ARIAN, Daniel Onabune (left) and National Vice President, ARIAN, Ndubuisi Ogbata-Uwazie (right) looks on during the ARIAN Annual National Conference and 6th Award ceremony, held in Lagos... on Thursday. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Niger Gov settles ex-councilors, others, 10 years after office

Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏNiger

State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has started paying the backlog of indebtedness accrue from salaries, allowances of Excouncillors and others who have not being paid over 10 years after leaving office.

Apparently, the joint Forum of Ex-councilors, Supervisory councillors, Secretaries and Vice Chairmen for (2008 - 2011 and 2011 - 2014), on Thursday, in a statement made available to our correspondent in Minna, applauded the gesture of the governor who had commenced the payment since September this year.

In the statement signed by the joint Chairman, Hon. Yahaya

Shehu, expressed appreciation to Bello for approving the payment of their outstanding salaries and allowances since leaving office in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

The statement declared that “The Governor’s order was carried out in September and again in November, 2015”, adding that they were indebted to the governor for his sympathy and respect for the past office holders.

According to the statement, they wondered how their mature and peaceful approach to the demand, and with huge resources at their disposal of the past administration, the administration turned a blind eye to the plight and endless agony of the ex councillors.

Consequently, the councillors said many of them were in-

debted to banks and individuals who before now find it difficult to cater for their families, just as they thanked the governor for his kindness in addressing the suffering situation, noted that the situation was almost out of hands before the commencement of the payment.

Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

ÏÏÏThe National Emergency

Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed various relief materials worth millions of naira to victims of disasters in Ebonyi State.

Handing over the materials to the state government for onward distribution, South East Coordinator of NEMA, Major James Eze urged the state government, landlords and tenants to ensure observance of safety standards at all times.

“The State Safety Enforcement Officers should ensure that safety standards are maintained in buildings and that occupants must have serviceable fire extinguishers.

“We urge landlords to insure their property against fire to so as to shield themselves from financial ruin because no government would have the resources to assist in every misfortune suffered by citizens” Eze said.

PDP elects new National Chairman, NWC members March 19 Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏ

A substantive National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other members of its National Working Committee (NWC) are to be elected on March 19, next year.

The date was contained in the Timetable for 2016 Chapter Congresses and National Convention of the party which was released on Thursday in Abuja.

Bello

materials to disaster victims

The tenure of the present NWC members of the PDP, under the acting chairmanship of Chief Uche Secondus, comes to an end in March next year.

The process for the emergence of the new NWC members, according to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, will begin on February 27 when the party will be holding its ward congresses to elect delegates for local government congresses.

Monarchs laud Ambode over security gadgets Speaking in Lagos at a foÏÏÏCommendations have rum, the Obanikoro of Lagos, continued to pour in for Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode over the procurement and donation of modern security gadgets to the Nigerian Police to adequately curb criminal activities in the state.

Chief Adesoji Adeniji commended the governor for taking the initiative to equip the police, adding that the development was one of the fulfillments of his progress on security.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

25 Opinion

Killed on a Wednesday

ÏÏÏThere was something

profound about last Wednesday and the way it broke free from the reins of Tuesday to dawn on our collective consciousness. This one-of-akind Wednesday, filled with the plot and subplot of the tale only a clever storyteller tells by moonlight, captured the story lines of what many could only have imagined or what only the oracle could have foreseen or foretold.

The Wednesday didn’t wait for light to shed itself of the black remnant of night, neither did it wait on itself, for those who usually set forth at dawn to keep time with their destinies or connect to the helpers of their destinies nor wait on those “who set out with thoughtlessness and end in despair”, before it broke the news of the goddamn goats that broke into the yam barns of our last season’s harvest to feast on our yams. The breaking into yam barns and the eating of yams, once the practice of a culture that symbolizes the end of one season and the beginning of another season of planting and of latter harvests, now transposed into governmentality, fit into the legal definition of theft: “the physical removal of an object that is capable of being stolen without the consent of the owner and with the intention of depriv-

ing the owner of it permanently”. The inimitable Fela Anikulapo simplified this jargon this way: “somebody don take something wey belong to another person”.

Here, there is no definitive way of describing “BREAKING” barns and “EATING” yams beyond the binary of the pen and the gun which Fela Anikulapo brilliantly described in his song, “Authority Stealing”, and for which the pen is the most sinister tools. Hear him: “pen get power, gun no get.

If gun steal eighty thousand naira, pen go steal two billion naira”. Of course, Wednesday didn’t tell or render its tale in the manner in which Social Media commentariat made sense of the two billion dollars arms deal scandal as THE FEAST OF GOATS. That the commentariat weaved goats and yams into the Wednesday tale to illuminate the nature of stealing and the inscrutable power of impunity makes the power of discernment profound. As they say in this part, let’s leave the matter of stealing and eating of yams for Mathias!

Of course, too, Wednesday also presented an interwoven story-line of a certain lion that escaped from the Wild Life Park in Jos. This is how the Vanguard newspaper online of

Fela Kuti

Wednesday December 2, 2015 reported it as a breaking news: “A lion has escaped from the Jos Wild Life Park on Wednesday. According Mr John Doy, the Acting General Manager, Plateau Tourism Corporation, the lion escaped at about 8am while it was being fed. Doy said that the lion, which had been caged since 1972, slipped through the gate of the cage when it was opened for routine feeding. The animal is still within the vicinity of the park but our fear is that the Park is not fenced. We are struggling to recapture it, but we want members of the public to be vigilant, he said. The Acting General Manager said that he had already informed all security agencies to come to the Park’s assistance. Mrs Naomi Cishak, Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed news of the escape but said that the office has not

W E A T H E R ABUJA

ASABA

LAGOS

Low 23°C High 38°C

Low 23°C High 36°C

Low 25°C High 38°C

KADUNA

IBADAN

ILORIN

Low 18°C High 32°C

Low 25°C High 38°C

Low 23°C High 36°C

been officially informed.

“We have been officially informed but we are aware of the incident that’s why we have not deployed our personnel there”. This news report raises three worrying issues. First, it implicates the Park’s poor culture of safety and animal management practices. Why was the lion allowed to keep vigil at the gate of its cage and at the very moment of its feeding? Practice-consistent with global best practice-should ordinarily have taught the keepers the risks that are attendant to opening gates when a voracious beast is nearby. Didn’t they learn from NatGeo Wild? Second, the risk of having an unfenced Wild Life Park in the middle of a heavily populated city like Jos makes the Plateau state government looks stupid. What if the lion had broken the wire gorges of its cage under the cover of night and strayed beyond the Park without the

keepers knowing? Third, and finally, the attitude of the spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps speaks volume.

So official communication with the Corps is the only possible way of requiring it to respond to public security threats?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has done tremendous work in the documentation of lions in the Nigerian wild. In 2013, the Union placed the number of lions in the Kainji Lake National Park (32) and the Yankari Game Reserve (2) at 34. Though, there is no current figure on the number of lions being held in our zoos; but considering the now established findings that the Nigerian lion is an endangered specie, the figure must be very low. Fair enough.

What isn’t fair in the circumstances is the way our zoos are managed to secure endangered species. One doesn’t need to stretch one’s imagination to discern how poorly managed our zoos are. A country that struggles to provide the basic necessities of life for its citizens would invariably find it difficult to provide tender loving care for its captive beasts.

The point I make here is this: the tradition in which government is organized as a criminal enterprise makes life harder for ordinary citizens and hardest for those animals locked away in the many zoos dotting our landscape. If year after year we suffer the consequences of the looting of our commonwealth by elected public servants who inflict violence on public trust, consider those caged beasts. To presume that the

managers of our zoos aren’t criminally dubious as those who fleece our resources is to pass every woman giving birth in a labour room off as a virgin. Corruption is deep in our country and because it has acquired a top-bottom character, it is very possible that those we have charged to manage our zoos also purloin resources meant for the care and upkeep of our captive games. The Jos Wild Life Park is my focus here.

Do a simple Google search on how Dariye, Botmang and Jang managed the funds of that state and you would appreciate the condition of the lion.

For a lion that lived in its cage for forty-three years without any reported incident as the one that eventually led to its death, something could have made it to slip through the gate when it was opened for its feeding.

Beyond what I have already expressed, these questions demand answers here: was the lion bored of its cage?

What condition was it kept?

Was the lion desirous of a company that it sought one beyond the confines of its cage? Though there are no ready answers to these questions, I can only make simple conjectures, even if not factual, of the trigger.

There are two plausible conjectures what exploring here: first, the lion is what it is: a beast, the king of the jungle that is not subject to human restraints, though they are often sadly restrained by men and women of power who keep them as games in their private homes and by poachers and trophy hunters, that is free, unhindered by its nature, to pursue its interests in the wild.

R E P O R T KANO Low 16°C High 31°C

BENIN CITY Low 10°C High 20°C

P/HARCOURT Low 22°C High 34°C

CALABAR Low 24°C High 34°C

ENUGU Low 22°C High 34°C

WARRI Low 23°C High 35°C

26

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Art Review Æ s Obi Emelonye’s Oxford Gardens set for premiere

Until we take the entertainment industry in our hands, fight piracy, no way – Rosiji

Award-winning filmmaker, Obi Emelonye is set with a new movie, Oxford Gardens. Shot in London, the film features Ngoli Okafor, a former boxing champion in United States, Ngozi Thompson Igwebike, Savanah Roy, Iffy Chukwu, Princess Abiye, Frank Ani, Nnenna Ani and D’Richy Emelonye. It will be officially premiered on December 18, 2015.

Basking in the success of great films like, The Mirror Boy, Last Flight to Abuja, Onye Ozi and Thy Will Be Done, the director-producer, who is renowned for championing causes with his themes in Nollywood, says he intends to be refreshingly different with this new work. According to him, “I dig deep to explore stories that our young industry has ignored for some reason or another. In 2011, it was The Mirror Boy which attempted to see Africa through the eyes of a 12 year old London-born African boy. Last Flight to Abuja, a year later dealt with the glamorous world of aviation with its excitement, glitz and unfortunately, crashes. In all of these projects, I am seeking a new vista from which to see our common existence. In Oxford Gardens, I have attempted to tell a moving love story, wrapped in boxing gloves.

Nigeria has produced great boxers, old and new. However, for some reason, Nollywood has ignored stories around boxing in spite of boxing’s gritty nature that would lend itself easily to cinematography. Boxing films over the years have been hugely successful globally because they stir potent emotions in audiences, as the Rocky series and more recently Cinderalla Man and Southpaw have proved. Oxford Gardens is a film about boxing and not a boxing film. It takes some of the elements that make boxing films successful; sympathy for the underdog, blood, sweat, tears; and weaves them into a narrative that is an alle-

When Bolaji Rosiji, the entertainment industry entrepreneur who later tried his skills in recording his own music, became the President of Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) in 2006, he promised to pioneer a radical change in the industry. But his tenure was short-lived.

In a recent encounter, AGOZINO AGOZINO, discovers that, out of office, he still pursues his desire of using his clout and personal means to help the creative and the needy. Excerpt:

Obi

Many Nigerian still remember the Bolaji Rosiji tenure as PMAN President but they may not know what led to its abrupt end. What happened? Is it really true that your Hare Krishna consciousness clashed with your chores in the office and what have you been doing ever since?

There’s a saying that “a let down is a set up for a come back” If my experiences offer lessons for me and others to make a comeback, I would consider myself successful. Since PMAN I have been trying to join the come back train, be it in my personal life, my business, my Gauranga Foundation through which I support the entertainment industry in Nigeria.

There are those who hold that your problems during your tenure in PMAN was a result of the way you emerged as PMAN President, can you give an insight into how you got into the position and the challenges you encountered?

The PMAN election that took place in 2006 under the auspices of the Kaduna State Governor had so many humorous moments. I mean, it is easy to laugh it off now. But at the time it was, as Obasonjo so infamously put it, “do or die” (laughter) Many of my staff that were present said they could not recognise my character as we went through the presidential debate, lobbying among the delegates and all the other machinations of musicians’ politics.

I had never before contested for such a demanding office. So I did not know how to prepare. Hence, I over-prepared!

During your leadership, there was this misunderstanding between you and Dele Abiodun which led to another crises within the body. What actually was the matter?

I am glad you know this and have mentioned it because I have always known him as “Admiral” Dele Abiodun. I think the mass media has the responsibility to expand camaraderie and play

Rosiji

down things that would breed enmity between people. I know that controversy and violence sells, but if you want to make big money in publishing, come up with positive originality and loving creativity and the world will follow you.

Whatever happened between Dele Abiodun and I in the past is over.

Are you satisfied with the way you handed over the reins of power? Were you twisted in any way?

No, I never handed over to anybody. My exit was a plan B. Neither was I satisfied with it.

During your leadership of PMAN, piracy was one of the obstacles that faced Nigerian music industry. What efforts did you make to stop it?

I will have to admit that Charlyboy did more than I did in terms of piracy. The most important effort I made at the time was to partner with Nuhu Ribadu who was at the time the Chairman of the EFCC. I took advantage of our friendship to request the EFCC to

take up piracy as an economic crime. Incidentally, Mr. Ribadu said that piracy was already on their agenda and plans was on the way for a conjoined effort. I was sad when he was removed.

At the rate at which he was getting big business men and governors arrested, I suspected that he would not be allowed to last.

Are you working on any project currently because not much has been heard from you, lately?

You bet! I am working. Seriously, working (laughter). One thing I discovered long ago is that there is a dearth of creativity out there. And if one can learn the art of transmuting creativity into economics, one can be very successful in the creative industry.

Which is why I always tell creative guys who are not making it: “Take a deep breathe and look at yourself.”

To your question, my answer is: Yes I am working on projects.

You may or may not hear about them in due course of time. But

surely, I am up to something.

In your opinion what are the most formidable challenges of Nigerian music industry, currently?

There is no greatness that can be arrested by extrinsic factors.

Lets stop the jazz. If the Nigerian music industry is suffering, we, the Nigerian artistes, are responsible. Some people blame the government, others blame the pirates, whilst the intellectuals blame the oyinbo (white men) that came 200 hundreds years ago! I believe our future is in our hands.

Nollywood has become big and many in the music sector are warming up to the filmmakers, are you close to the industry?

Nollywood is something Nigerians should be proud of. Through the medium of Fame Corp that we co-founded to develop the arts in Nigeria, I have come to meet a lot of ‘Nollywooders’. I see the talent. I see the potential. But I CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

27 Art Review

Book links Karl Marx to Satanism, illuminati Agozino Agozino ARGUABLY, the most influential thinker of the 20th century, Karl Marx was an intellectual giant in many fields, and his thoughts were outstanding.

In philosophy, economics and politics his thesis were phenomenal. His socialism maxim remains as much a threatise in systemic and organisational governance as it is a faith and institutional framework. He was so outlandishly cerebral and seminal that in his life time states, in several continents, were built upon his thoughts while many, including his fellow scholars deemed him extraordinary and deified him.

Marx, was an intellectual giant, his socialism philosophy is largely regarded as pro-masses – the common man. And many revered him. But a recent book’s lampoon on Marx and his Marxism idea seem not to give him that kind of veneration.

In his book, provocatively titled, Was Karl Marx a Satanist?, Richard Wombrand, a Pentecostal clergyman stated without equivocation that Marx was the devil. The book, sets itself on the path of unveiling the personality of Marx. The author uses his personal experiences with some behind-the-scene developments in the life of Marx to appraise the idol of communisim. According to him, the late Marx was not only a satanist, but an atheist whose popular, maxim that religion is the opium of the poor, was also steeped in shadowy underground realms.

Wombrand claims that along with many of his comrades, Marx practiced initiations and other higher occult practices.

No way until we fight piracy — Rosiji

Setting the tone of his argument, the author declares that the original Marxism group of communists’ league who worked alongside Marx were all members of the secret society, Illuminati. Marx’s very rich intellectual soul mate, Fredrick Engel is included. The Illuminati, organiastion are obsessesed by their Utopian dream and zealous campaign for one world order. The book argues that it was this secret dream that fired Marx and his collaborators’ zeal.

In this mission the members of the league combined their academic prowess and connections, to make a succes of this their lifelong goal.

Wombrand states that part of the dream which the covert group held was the abolishment of religion and private properties. He emphasises that it was this dream that actually inspired Marx not the popularly held belief in utopian ideology.

Sub-themes in the book include, Karl Marx and Satnisim, Marx and Communism, Marx and Engel, Marx and Preliterate, Marx and Illuminati, Marx and Lenin, Marx and Jew among other sundry topics.

To buttress the key point of Satanist the author serves one Marx’s poem entitled, Oulanem.

In the piece Marx, playing the devil consigns the entire human race to damnation. Oulanem according to Wombrand is probably the only drama in the world in which all the characters are aware of their own corruption, which they flaunt and celebrate with conviction. In this piece of creative writing, there is no black and white. All are satanic, corrupt, and doomed. Other Marx’s poems cited in the book include Invocation of One in Despair

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

am not seeing the cohesion or the naira. And these have in turn affected the quality.

We make twice as many films as Hollywood. But one of their films grosses more than our eight hundred movies put together. I hope Fame Corp and other independent efforts will address these issues. It is our responsibility to create opportunities like what Charlie Chaplin did in 1919 when he co-founded United Artistes and brought in busi-

Marx

and Human Pride. The Player.

Art Emerging from the Dark Abyss of Hell and Human Pride.

Like Goethe’s Faust, a book that celebrates how one sold his soul to the devil all the Marx poems followed in the direction of mankind’s damnation. And Wombrad builds strong argument on that.

Wombrad claimed that Marx adopted Satanism after an inner fight with turbulent, povertystricken life. The philosopher’s struggle with life always ripple through his ideologies, the clergyman notes, adding that he seems to look at life with the prism of his struggles.

Wombrad deems some of Marx’s writings, his confessions as he notes that it was in youth that the philosopher actually made his conversion to communism. According to Wombrand, the overriding reason for the said Marx’s conversion is nether the emancipation of poor, nor the establishment of a better social order but to fight God and possibly enthrone a system that will rival God on earth.

The book also linked Marx to

Theosophy, giving clues with how Annie Besant, leading personality in the theosophy movement was close to him. In their hey days, the two often lectured on such topics as ‘The Wickedness of God’ as well as other issues considered blasphemous.

The book also catalogued some of the notable associates of Marx who shared some of his said Satanic and atheistic dispositions.

One of them is, Proudhon, who in The Philosophy of Misery declares that God was the prototype of injustice, prompting such others as Bukharin with similarly explosive thought lines. But one of the greatest individuals who according to the book converted both Marx and Engel was Moses Hess. “After Hess convinced Marx and Engel of socialist idea,

claiming from the very beginning that its purpose would be to give the last kick of Medieval religion. His friend Georg Jung said it even more clearly that Marx will chase God, an interesting development which through history has come to fulfillment,” Wombrad states.

Other things that the book document was how Marx became militantly anti-religion especially Christianity after this conversion, all through his life, he directed all his energy and intellectual prowess at fighting Christianity and God. It is large from this zeal that Wombrad sums that he Satan-oriented.

Was Karl Marx a Satanist? further argues that there is a grand Satanic Utopian undertones in socialism.

nessmen to administer it.

Do you see yourself as a very religious person? How do you blend spirituality with being an active entertainment personality?

(Laughter) Oh there! Blending spirituality with entertainment and then politics? If one is not careful that’s a recipe for disaster. Yes, I thought I was religious until I met some people from another faith who were more dedicated than me. It’s not always about the faith one belongs to, it’s the intensity of the unal-

loyed love one internalises and radiates.

I also think one should engage the faculties of film and music in remembering God. Instead of all the negative brain-washing that has taken over the airwaves these days. The sooner our imams, priests and Hare Krishnas realise that we have to bring our duty posts to the people, the sooner this country will change.

How will Rosiji like to be remembered?

When I am dead, of what good will it be to be remembered? If

you want to do me a favour bring me some children’s clothing, school equipment and some rice and ingredients now, and lets try and make something out of this Universal Basic Education.

The people that have money in this country ought to do more. If everyone helps to support a family, get a few children through school, this country could become like Japan. Instead, we lock ourselves up in the prisons we call palaces in fear of armed robbers. That is the most unfortunate situation we have here.

Hayatou advocates reform in FIFA

Defoe

ruled out of Arsenal trip g 30

A

cting FIFA president Issa Hayatou says Thursday’s events in Zurich “underscore the necessity to complete a full programme of reform for FIFA”.

Two more high-ranking officials from world football’s governing body Alfredo Hawit, president of CONCACAF, and Juan Angel Napout, president of CONMEBOL - were arrested in earlymorning raids at the Hotel Baur au Lac

in Zurich, where FIFA delegates were present ahead of a two-day Executive Committee meeting.

Both Hawit and Napout are suspected of accepting millions of dollars in bribes and have opposed immediate extradition to the United States.

The ExCo were gathering to review a series of proposals from the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee – all of which were

later unanimously approved.

And, speaking at a media conference, Hayatou admitted reform was required to rebuild the organisation’s shattered reputation.

“The events that have taken place this morning underscore the necessity to complete a full programme of reform for FIFA.” Hayatou he said

Page 28

Niger Potters book DTSV Basketball League ticket ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

he 2015 Atlantic Conference winners of National Men Division One Basketball League, Niger Potters, who have also booked a return to the DSTV League next season have revealed that they will be a hard nut to crack, assuring that their qualification was no fluke.

Niger Potters Thursday afternoon officially picked one of the two tickets available after beating APA Flames 89-80 to seal a place in the elite league. Potters needed the victory after suffering a shock defeat to Yobe Desert Warriors 77-76 points Wednesday, making their clash against APA Flames of Otukpo a must win.

The lshaq Yayaya-coached team won the first quarter 18-17, lost second quarter 16-22, won third quarter 22-18 and sealed the last quarter with 33-23 points.

Potters’ Steve lead his team’s scoring chart with 24 points with 11 and 10 points contributions respectively from Omokudu and Suleman to grab the needed win, while APA Flames’ 34 points score from Haruna, 17 from Abu 14 and 11 from Sunday and Ujah were not enough to stop Potters.

An elated lshaq Yahaya, coach of Niger Potters after the win said they are happy to be back into the elite league fold stating that they are returning to the top flight league to make serious statement.

“We are happy that at last Potters will be seen again playing top flight basketball.

We are going to the Premier League to make a statement.

But in terms of the rigours of the top flight league, we will take every game as they come,” he said

Friday, December 4, 2015

Pinnick

thumbs-up Oliseh, makes case for football development ANDREW EKEJIUBA Sport Editor The President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has given pass mark to Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh following the way and manner he is going about the rebuilding process of the team.

Speaking exclusively to Extra Time in Lagos, the highly travelled football administrator said the coaching crew of the senior national team deserves the support and prayers of every Nigerian to succeed.

“As far as the NFF is concerned, Sunday Oliseh has delivered in his job of tinkering the Super Eagles.

“We in the NFF have no regret for employing

Pinnick

him and I want to appeal to Nigerians to support him and the coaching crew in their bid to building a rock-solid senior national team for the country,” he began.

Pinnick further called on stakeholders of Nigerian football and corporate bodies to come forward and identify with the laudable programmes of the football ruling body in order to establish a solid football development structure in the country.

The NFF boss said the idea of leaving government alone in the sponsorship of clubs in Nigeria will not help in the development of the game and called for a change of heart in this regard.

“We have lots of locally based clubs in the country and nothing stops private individuals,

corporate bodies, multinational companies who are doing business in Nigeria and even fans from coming together to bankroll these clubs in their various states as it’s done in some developed football-playing nations in Europe.

“We are aware that Nigerians are passionate about the round leather game, thus it becomes necessary to turn their passion and resilience for the game to the next level by forming clubs.

“And nothing stops local clubs from being quoted in the Nigerian Stock Exchange market,” he said.

Pinnick also affirmed that the leadership and capacity building programmes embarked on by the NFF are aimed at laying a solid football development structure in Nigeria.

ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T Dream Team

U-23 AFCON:

Dalung

congratulates Dream Team, calls for support

he Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalung, on Thursday congratulated the nation’s representatives at the ongoing CAF U-23 Nations Cup in Senegal, which serves as qualification for the football event of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Nigeria drew 2-2 with the Pharaoh’s of Egypt on Wednesday.

In a telephone conversation with the Chief Coach Samson Siasia, Dalung urged the players to strive to qualify for the Olympics.

“We are very proud of our boys, they played very well.

They could have won the match but we are happy with the one point. I commend

your efforts, and I want every Nigerian to support the team. Nobody wants the victory more than you do, but sometimes in sports there are upsets and surprises,” said Dalung.

Oghenekaro Etebo hit a first half brace, scoring from the penalty spot, but the Egyptians cancelled Nigeria’s advantage as they scored two quick goals at the start of the second half.

Nigeria and Algeria are presently on four points after two games while Egypt have two points from same number of games.

Nigeria must beat Algeria in the last group game to be sure of qualification.

Dalung urged Nigerians to get behind the boys and pray for their success.

Friday, December 4, 2015

EXTRATIME

Dalung commiserates with Ibiam’s family, NFF ANDREW EKEJIUBA

T

he Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalung, has commiserated with the family of the first Nigerian goalkeeper, Sam Ibiam who died on Wednesday at the age of 91.

Dalung also sympathized with the football governing body in Nigeria, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigerian fans on the death of the soccer legend.

“Though, Pa Ibiam died at the ripe age of 91, it is always painful when we lose people that we love irrespective of their age. I sympathize with his immediate family, the NFF and members of the football family.

“He has left a huge vacuum that cannot be filled,” said Dalung with a tinge of regret.

Ibiam, the first Nigerian national team goalkeeper was born in 1925 in Ebonyi State. He was the goalkeeper the Nigerian team that was selected for a tour of the United Kingdom, popularly called the UK Tourists in 1949.

Dalung urged the new generation of footballers and athletes generally to emulate the sterling qualities of Ibiam and other players of his generation and always give their best for Nigeria.

Napout

S

wiss authorities said FIFA Vice Presidents, Juan Angel Napout and Alfredo Hawit were arrested on Thursday in a pre-dawn raid at a Zurich hotel where several others were taken into custody in late May. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), said the arrests were carried out

by Swiss authorities in the context of a U.S.-led investigation on charges of racketeering, money laundering and fraud.

It said that Honduras’ Hawit and Paraguay’s Napout “are opposing their extradition” and Swiss would now request formal extradition

29

Swiss authorities arrest FIFA vice presidents requests from the U.S. The FOJ said in an earlier statement that according to the U.S. arrest requests, they are suspected of accepting bribes of millions of dollars.

“The high-ranking FIFA officials are alleged to have taken the money in return for selling marketing rights in connection with football tournaments in Latin America, as well as World Cup qualifying matches.

“According to the arrest requests, some of the offences were agreed and prepared in the U.S. while payments were also processed via US banks’’, it said.

Police officers entered the posh

Baur au Lac hotel through a side entrance at 06:00 local time (0500 GMT) and the detained were taken away in black limousines a few minutes later.

FIFA said in a statement it “is aware of the actions taken by the U.S. Department of Justice.”

FIFA pledged to continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. investigation as permitted by Swiss law, as well as with the investigation being led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General.

The latest action came during a two-day meeting of the FIFA executive committee, which was completed without Hawit and Napout.

Bony urges Iheanacho to be patient

M

Dalung

anchester City striker Wilfried Bony has urged Nigeria starlet Kelechi Iheanacho to remain patient in his bid for regular first-team action at the Etihad.

The two African forwards were on target during City’s 4-1 win over Hull City in the League Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, with Iheanacho coming on

for the Côte d’Ivoire international on 71 minutes.

“I see him as my brother, because he has come from Africa, like me, so I give him lots of advice, on how to handle pressure,” Bony said about the 19-yearold.

“We have things in common, so I talk to him a lot – he sits close to me so I see him every day. It’s good for me to push

him to do it the right way.

“And he is a striker, so it’s always good when he scores. It makes me happy as well.

“He has time – he is only 20 so has another 15 years in front of him to become a player in the team.”

The Citizens will travel to Stoke City on Saturday, in matchday 15 of the English Premier League.

30

Friday, December 4, 2015

EXTRATIME

De Bruyne is City’s Suarez —Sterling R

aheem Sterling has hailed Kevin De Bruyne as Manchester City’s answer to Luis Suarez, after the Belgian netted his ninth goal in 18 matches in the 4-1 League Cup demolition of Hull City.

De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg in an off-season deal worth £54million and has helped his new club lead the Premier League.

In comparison, Suarez - who joined Barcelona in 2014 for £75m netted 82 goals in 133 games during a four-season stay in England.

Sterling, who played alongside the Uruguayan for three seasons, believes his new team-mate has provided a cutting edge to City’s attack, similar to the impact Suarez made at Anfield.

Man Utd target Fulham’s Dembele

M

anchester United are monitoring Fulham striker Moussa Dembele ahead of a possible bid in the January transfer window. Dembele, has scored eight goals so far this season and was thought to be close to signing a new contract at Craven Cottage. The 19-year-old has represented France at five age group levels.

De Bruyne

“Every top team needs a player who scores and assists goals so regularly as Kevin does,” the 20-year-old said.

“That’s what big players do and we’re happy to have him at this football club.

“With Suarez, once he got in and around the box, you knew what he was capable of doing. Usually it ended with a goal. It’s the same with Kevin. He looks for other players. Look at the assists he’s got already, and he’s got goals in him regularly as well.

“I didn’t see him much at Chelsea, to be honest. Not many of us did.

But if you saw him in

Defoe

r uled out of Arsenal trip S underland will be without Jermain Defoe for Saturday’s trip to Arsenal, but the

BRIEFS

Defoe

Germany, the number of goals he was involved in, it was obvious he had quality.

“It’s always a test for players to come to England, play regularly and contribute, but that’s what he’s done. Credit to him, he’s been incredible.

“He’s someone I work with every day and someone I get on really well with. We arrived in the same summer. And it’s so good to have someone like that in the squad.”

Sterling is satisfied with his own performances and feels settled since joining Etihad Stadium for £49m, and admits he is unconcerned by spending time on the bench, acknowledging the wealth of talent at manager Manuel Pellegrini’s disposal.

striker’s hamstring injury is not as serious as first feared.

The 33-year-old limped off in the Black Cats’ 1-0 win at Crystal Palace last month but is expected to return at home to Watford on December 12 after scans revealed he did not rupture ankle ligaments.

Defoe is Sunderland’s top scorer with seven goals in all competitions this season, ahead of Steven Fletcher with four.

Jack Rodwell and Sebastian Larsson will also miss Saturday’s clash at the Emirates, with the latter in Barcelona to see a specialist on his medial knee injury.

Sunderland will be looking for their third Premier League win in a row on Saturday and have collected nine points from a possible 18 since Allardyce took over to rise out of the relegation zone.

Origi pleased to show class with treble

D

ivock Origi was delighted to give Liverpool fans an ample demonstration of his talents with a hat-trick in the 6-1 League Cup demolition of Southampton. The Belgium international striker failed to find the net in his first 10 appearances for the Anfield club but he turned home Alberto Moreno’s shot on the stroke of half-time at St Mary’s after Daniel Sturridge’s brace had wiped out Sadio Mane’s first-minute opener. Origi clattered in an emphatic second via the underside of the crossbar midway through the second half and his header followed up a fifth from Jordon Ibe to complete the rout.

W

Sakho facing two months out

est Ham striker Diafra Sakho is set to miss two months with a thigh injury. The Senegal international sustained the injury in the last weekend’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, and despite initial fears his season could be over, Hammers coach Slaven Bilic is expecting to have him back early in the New Year.

Redknapp

denies Newcastle link

H

arry Redknapp has denied reports he is being lined up

by Newcastle to take over from Steve McClaren.

McClaren is under pressure with Newcastle managing just two wins in 14 Premier League games this season.

In their last two matches they were beaten 3-0 at home by Leicester City and then thrashed 5-1 by Crystal Palace.

Newcastle are second from bottom in the Premier League table, and they face in-form Liverpool on Sunday and then high-flying Tottenham away.

Redknapp, who has been out of the game since he resigned as QPR boss in February this year, insists he has heard nothing from Newcastle and backs McClaren to turn things around at St James’ Park.

Redknapp tweeted: “Not heard anything about Newcastle.

They’ve got a great manager in Steve.

“I’ve worked with him, he’s excellent. I’m sure he’ll get it right.”

Redknapp

Klopp understands Sturridge hype

L

iverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he finally understood the hype around Daniel Sturridge after his side’s 6-1 thrashing of Southampton.

Sturridge made his first start since October and scored a first-half brace before being substituted around the hour-mark in the League Cup quarter-final at St Mary’s on Wednesday.

Divock Origi struck a hat-trick and Jordon Ibe was also on the scoresheet in the comprehensive win.

Klopp said he could finally see what

all the fuss was about when it came to Sturridge, riddled by injuries but having shown his quality with 21 Premier League goals in 2013-14.

“I said to him after the game, ‘Now I know what everyone is talking about,’” the German said.

“I knew about his quality, but I never saw it live in a stadium, in an important tournament, but the rest I knew about.

“Go on, for everybody, it’s no special thing. It’s important for us that we have these good strikers that can react in the

moments.

“We spoke about this at Liverpool a few days ago. If everybody is fit then we have a few disappointed players, if not enough players are fit then the intensity is too high for the healthy players.”

Klopp said he was unsure how long Sturridge could play heading in, but felt his decision to start the England international was the right one.

Asked if the 26-year-old could recapture his form of previous seasons, Klopp said he had no idea.

Sturridge

Friday, December 4, 2015

EXTRATIME

Suarez: n´t quit

BRIEFS Barca confirm thigh injury for Mathieu

B

I wo Barca for triple of my wages!

L

uis Suarez says he has no intention of leaving Barcelona, even if another club was willing to triple his wages.

The Uruguay international joined Barcelona from Liverpool after the 2014 World Cup and has since developed into a key figure at Camp Nou. The 28-year-old’s contract with the Catalan giants runs until June 2019 and he hopes to stay at the club for many more years to come.

“I have suffered a lot to end up in Barcelona.

This is the club where I always wanted to play,” Suarez told reporters.

“I would not even leave if another club offered me three times my current wages.

“My family is happy and a departure is

I

sco hopes Real Madrid will play a Copa del Rey second-leg against Cadiz “for the good of football” after Coach Rafael Benitez fielded Denis Cheryshev despite the player being ineligible through suspension.

Cheryshev, scorer of the opening goal in the 3-1 win on Wednesday, was suspended for the cup clash due to picking up three yellow cards while playing for Villarreal in last season’s competition.

However, the Russian lined up for the clash at Estadio Ramon de Carranza, eventually being replaced 45 seconds into the second half.

Attacking playmaker Isco remained optimistic Real would not face expulsion from the competition.

“I hope, for the good of football, we will play a second leg,” the 23-year-old said. “It was a good match against a strong team.

“I heard of Cheryshev’s ineligibility in the second half. This is the directors’

soon.

“In my opinion, it is impossible that Messi will ever leave the club. He is happy, enjoying himself and his family is happy as well,” he added.

“Obviously, you never know what happens in football, but everything is going perfect right now. Of course, I want him to

Isco optimistic

Messi’ ormer Manchester United youth coach and assistant manager Rene Meulensteen believes Jesse Lingard’s physique will not prevent him from fulfilling his potential as he has the quick brain that has helped diminutive players like Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta become key figures at Barcelona.

Valencia unveil Neville

G

ary Neville on Thursday was unveiled as the new head coach of Valencia. The Manchester United legend has signed a five-month contract to take charge of the La Liga side for the rest of the season but will continue his work as an England coach. He will start his first managerial job in earnest on Sunday and faces a crucial first game against Lyon on Wednesday as he attempts to guide his new side to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in three years.

T

royes h a v e p a r t e d company with head coach Jean-Marc Furlan by mutual consent. Following promotion back to Ligue 1 last season, Troyes, who are 10 points adrift at the foot of the table, have taken just five points from 16 games and were beaten 3-0 by second-bottom Toulouse on Wednesday. The decision ends Furlan’s second spell in charge of the club. He took over in 2010 having previously been at the helm from 2004 to 2007.

responsibility, so they have to work with it. We did our job, to win.”

A precedent has already been set for this case, with Osasuna thrown out of this year’s competition for fielding an ineligible player against Mirandes.

Cadiz president Manuel Vizcaino has confirmed the Segunda B club will report Real Madrid to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Meulensteen was recently already quoted as saying that Lingard has the potential to become “the English Iniesta” and the Dutchman has now explained why he feels the 22-year-old midfielder has a bright future.

“People say Jesse is small because of the perception of how the Premier League is,” Meulensteen said.

“But look at players like Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, David Silva and Juan Mata. They’re all tiny, but it doesn’t make a difference if you have a quick brain, quick feet and a big heart - and Jesse has all of those. He’s bright, he’s got great ability and skill.

“I always said to him: ‘Watch as many Iniesta clips as you can’, because I see Jesse as the English version of Iniesta. He has a long way to go, but that is the sort of player I see in him.”

Lingard has developed into an important first-team member at United in recent weeks, making nine appearances in all competitions this season.

arcelona have confirmed that Jeremy Mathieu suffered a thigh strain in the 6-1 win over Villanovense on Wednesday.

The defender left the pitch during the closing stages of the comprehensive Copa del Rey victory at Camp Nou. The Liga champions have since announced that medical tests conducted on Thursday have revealed a hyperextension to a muscle on his right thigh.

Barca will hope to have him available for their first game in the Club World Cup in Tokyo on December 17.

Troyes part company with Furlan

Real will avoid expulsion

‘Lingard has quick brain like

F

Suarez impossible. I aim to stay at Barcelona for many more years.”

Suarez has flourished alongside Lionel Messi at Camp Nou, but the Argentine has recently been linked with a move to Manchester City.

However, Suarez does not fear his teammate will say farewell to Barcelona any time

31

Blanc charges Pastore to improve

P

Isco

aris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc hopes Javier Pastore can bounce back from an injuryhit end to 2015. Pastore has been restricted to just 11 appearances in all competitions this season, having battled conjunctivitis and a calf problem. The Argentina international is now struggling with an adductor injury and Blanc is setting his sights on having the former Palermo man back to his best in 2016.

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

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

Published by folio communicationS ltd, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.

dailytimesng

ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. GROUP EDITOR: Biodun duRoJaiYE news Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. advert Hotlines: 08086296714

fRidaY, dEcEmBER 4, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.245

Swiss

Price: n150

g 29

authorities arrest FIFA 30 g vice presidents

PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES

a i r e Nig n to 66 in dow latest FIFA rankings

ANDREW EKEJIUBA With Agency Report

W

orld football governing body, FIFA, has announced its latest rankings on Thursday with Belgium retaining the top spot and Nigeria slipping down seven spots to 66th in the world.

Three-time African champions Nigeria are now 14th in Africa, thus they remained outside the top 10 teams in Africa six months to the main draw for the 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament to be played on league basis.

Extra Time gathered that the latest ranking could well have a huge impact on how Nigeria are seeded for the World Cup qualifiers on June 24, 2016 and as it stands now, Nigeria would be in Pot 3 of

the seeded teams.

But good enough Nigeria have six months to improve on this rating and thereby enhance their chances of qualifying for a sixth FIFA World Cup. However, world champions Germany have dropped from second to fourth place in the latest FIFA world rankings following their 2-0 friendly defeat at the hands of France last month.

Belgium end the year top, earning them FIFA’s Team of the Year award for 2015. Marc Wilmots’ men moved into first position for the first time in their history in November and a 3-1 victory over Italy in Brussels saw them hold on to the coveted spot for the final ranking of the calendar year.

Argentina climbed one place to second at the expense of Germany, while Spain

Nigeria coach, Sunday Oliseh on duty.

jumped from sixth to third.

Chile remain fifth, with Brazil (sixth, up two), Portugal (seventh, down three), Colombia (eighth, down one), England (ninth) and Austria completing the top 10.

Ivory Coast are the highest-placed African side in 19th, going up three places, while Mexico (22nd) are the best CONCACAF representative. Iran lead the way for AFC teams heading into the New Year in 45th place.

Turkey (21st) receive the award for FIFA’s Best Mover of the Year thanks to the 329 points they collected over the last 12 months.

Libya were the biggest movers of the month, going up 32 to 81st. Liberia, meanwhile, dropped more places than anyone else, down 21 to 107th.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 Stoke City v Man City 13:45 Arsenal v Sunderland 16:00 Man United v West Ham 16:00 Southampton v Aston Villa 16:00 Swansea City v Leicester 16:00 Watford v Norwich City 16:00 West Brom v Tottenham 16:00 Chelsea v Bournemouth 18:30 Sunday, December 6, 2015 Newcastle v Liverpool 17:00 Monday, December 7, 2015 Everton v Crystal Palace 21:00 LA LIGA FIXTURES Saturday, December 5, 2015 Real Madrid v Getafe 16:00 Granada v Atletico Madrid 18:15 Valencia v Barcelona 20:30 Deportivo La Coruna v Sevilla 22:00 Real Betis v Celta Vigo 22:05 Sunday, December 6, 2015 Real Sociedad v Eibar 12:00 Villarreal v Rayo Vallecano16:00 Sporting Gijon v Las Palmas 18:15 Athletic Bilbao v Malaga 20:30 Monday, December 7, 2015 Espanyol v Levante 20:30 SERIA A FIXTURES Today’s Match Lazio v Juventus 20:45 Saturday, December 5, 2015 Torino v Roma 15:00 Inter v Genoa 20:45 Sunday, December 6, 2015 Bologna v SSC Napoli 12:30 Atalanta v Palermo 15:00 Fiorentina v Udinese 15:00 Frosinone v ChievoVerona 15:00 Hellas Verona v Empoli 15:00 Sampdoria v Sassuolo 18:00 Carpi v AC Milan 20:45 BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES Today’s Match Schalke 04 v Hannover 20:30 Saturday, December 5, 2015 Borussia M’gladbach v Bayern 15:30 FC Cologne v Augsburg 15:30 Hamburger SV v Mainz 05 1 5:30 Hertha Berlin v B. Leverkusen 15:30 Ingolstadt v Hoffenheim 15:30 Wolfsburg v Dortmund 18:30 Sunday, December 6, 2015 VfB Stuttgart v W/Bremen 15:30 Eintracht Frankfurt v Darmstadt 17:30 LIGUE 1 FIXTURES Today’s Match Nice v Paris Saint Germain 20:30 Saturday, December 5, 2015 Lyon v Angers 17:00 Caen v Lille 20:00 GFC Ajaccio v Nantes 20:00 Reims v Troyes 20:00 SC Bastia v Monaco 20:00 Toulouse v Lorient 20:00 Sunday, December 6, 2015 Marseille v Montpellier 14:00 Bordeaux v Guingamp 17:00 Saint-Etienne v Rennes 21:00 EREDIVISIE FIXTURES Today’s Match AZ Alkmaar v Den Haag 20:00 Saturday, December 5, 2015 Excelsior v FC Twente 18:30 De Graafschap v FC Utrecht 19:45 Vitesse v PSV Eindhoven 19:45 Ajax v SC Heerenveen 20:45 Sunday, December 6, 2015 Willem II v Cambuur 12:30 Feyenoord v Heracles 14:30 NEC Nijmegen v PEC Zwolle 14:30 Roda JC Kerkrade v FC Groningen 16:45

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

Inflation rate to remain Page B6 stable at 9.3% in November— Analysts

World Bank Page B4 set to promote Nigerian Capital Market- Oteh

IATA predicts 7 bn airline passengers by Page B2 2034

MTN fires Ikpoki as NCC reduces fine to $3.4bn Ï ƋƋ Ɔ Ǝ 0ƄƍƕƆ Moolman as CEO for Nigeria Tony Nwakaegho MTN Group has fired the MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Mr Mike Ikpoki and appointed Ferdi Moolman as head of the Nigerian operations, as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reduced the MTN fine of $5.2 billion to $3.4 billion.

In a statement issued yesterday the company said, “MTN Nigeria’s CEO Michael Ikpoki and the head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Akinwale Goodluck have tendered their resignations with immediate effect.”

“They are replaced by Ferdi Moolman as MTN Nigeria CEO and Amina Oyagbola as its head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs. Mr Moolman was previously COO at MTN Irancell and most recently CFO at MTN Nigeria.

A Nigerian national, Ms Oyagbola also retains the position of MTN Nigeria’s Head of Human

Resources. She formerly headed regulatory affairs at the Nigerian operating company.”

The company also said it has received a formal letter dated December 2 from the NCC informing it that, “after considering the Company’s request, it has taken the decision to reduce the fine on the MTN Nigerian business from the original N1,040,000,000,000 (One Trillion, Forty Billion Naira) to N674 billion Naira which has to be paid by 31 December 2015.”

The fine is related to the late disconnecting of 5.1 million

MTN Nigeria subscribers in August and September 2015.

Also, MTN Group has reviewed its operating structure with a view to strengthening its operational oversight, leadership, governance and regulatory compliance across its 22 country operations in Africa and the Middle East.

Towards this end, the Group has resolved to re-implement its previous reporting structure, which will enable the group to be restructured into three regions – namely West and Central CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

DMO to raise N50bn bonds

Debt Management Office, DMO, has said it would raise N50 billion worth of bonds in two categories on December 9.

The DMO disclosed this in its ‘Bond Circular’ posted on its website on yesterday.

According to the circular, the two categories of bonds are the 10-year and five-year bonds.

The DMO said that it would issue N20 billion worth of the 10year bonds and N30 billion of the five-year bonds.

It said the two categories of bonds would mature in March 2024 and February 2020, respectively.

The DMO said the two categories of bonds would open with different coupon rates.

“The 10-year and five-year bonds would have coupon rates of 11.85 per cent and 11.73 per cent, respectively,” said the office.

It said the bonds would be auctioned on December 9, while the settlement date would be December 11.

Nwankwo

Friday, December 4, 2015

L – R: Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Business Development, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Chief Executive Officer, NSE; Mr. Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE and Mrs. Mojisola Adeola, Secretary to Council, NSE at the Induction Ceremony for newly qualified Authorized Dealing Clerks at the Exchange on Thursday.

LCCI elects Nike Akande as new president Siaka Momoh Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has elected Dr. Nike Akande as president for the next two years following the expiration of Remi Bello’s tenure of office.

LCCI is the premier chamber of commerce in Nigeria and one of the leading voices in the organised private sector (OPS) in Nigeria.

Commenting on the election, Muda Yusuf, Director General of LCCI said: “Dr. Akande emerged as President after a duly conducted election at the Chamber’s 127th Annual General Meeting held on Thursday December 3, 2015 at the Commerce House, 1 Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Muda Yusuf also added that, “Indeed, we are very pleased as Nike Akande, assumes the role of President of the LCCI. As a Council Member and a key Officer of the Chamber, she has brought her extensive knowledge and experience to bear and has provided inspirational leadership and direction to the success of the Chamber. Her election will ensure and enhance the Chamber’s role as leading advocate of best business policy and practice, with the view to promoting and protecting the interest of its members and the business community at large.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

Kachikwu replaces Alison-Madueke as OPEC President Funmi Coker Following his elevation as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has replaced the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, as the Conference President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

In November 2014, Alison-Madueke was named the first female President of OPEC when she was elected at the 166th ordinary

meeting of the organisation.

There have been speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources would take over the OPEC top job, but the body in a recent update on its website named Kachikwu as the Head of the OPEC conference.

While disclosing his plans for OPEC, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation promised to do his best to delay Iran’s intended oversupply of crude oil, to

control pricing.

Speaking with reporters in Lagos, he said, “I think the key thing will be obviously crude oil price.

There is a lot of sensitivity on that, $42 currently and with potential to go down if Iran throws their barrels into the field.

“My first target as I meet with Ministers one-on-one is to try to delay Iran’s flooding of the market to the last quarter of next year. I will be talking with Iran’s oil minister on that so that we can stabilise the price.

Kachikwu

Business News B2 I will dismiss, jail corrupt Customs officers, Ali insists

Funmi Coker Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali issued a fresh threat to Customs officers as he warned that he would either discipline, dismiss or jail any officer found guilty of corrupt practices.

Ali gave the warning while addressing officers and men of the

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

NCS in Calabar, capital of Cross River.

He said that there was the need for them to be of good conduct and show professionalism while carrying out their duties.

Ali said his administration would have zero tolerance for corruption, hence the need for officers and men of the service to shun all forms of corruption.

Rivers state not party to minimum wage reduction –Wike

documents or compromising with fake imported goods will also be dismissed and jailed.

“The NCS has resolved that anyone caught in an unprofessional conduct, no matter the circumstances, will be dismissed and jailed for the offence,” the Customs Comptroller-General said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B3

NLC warns against removing labour matters from exclusive list Joy Ekeke

Joy Ekeke Rivers State government said yesterday it harbored no plans to slash minimum wage for civil servants.

Governor Chisom Wike who stated this at Government House, Port Harcourt, when he received the national chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, also assured that workers will receive their salaries regularly.

The assurances became exigent after the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, said recently that states may not be able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage due to continued drop in federal allocation.

Wike said the state government would continue to pay salaries of workers regularly because the multiplier effect was critical to social stability.

He said: “Rivers State will not be party to the reduction of minimum wage. Rivers State will not reduce the minimum wage. “The state government will continue to pay salaries of workers because we believe the worker deserves his wage,” the governor stated.

Wike noted that his administration was committed to workers’ welfare, which is why he cleared the outstanding three months’ salaries owed workers upon assumption of office as governor on May 29, 2015.

He explained that the state government also paid the six months pension arrears it inherited from the immediate past administration.

Wike further said the non-payment of salaries in the past had resulted in untold hardship to the people as most civil servants supported different strata of the society.

Rather than reduce the minimum wage, Governor Wike said government at all levels should work towards addressing the numerous development challenges facing the nation.

“I want to make it clear to all of you that I have zero tolerance for indiscipline and corruption.

I will dismiss and jail any officer found guilty of such.

“Indiscipline will no longer have a place in the NCS. We must have officers and men with impeccable character to promote the image of the service.

“Anyone caught falsifying any

Tyler

IATA predicts 7 bn airline passengers by 2034 Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

International Air Transport Association (IATA) 20 years Passenger Forecast Report predicted that passenger numbers will double the expected 2015 total of 3.5 billion by 2034 with seven billion people taking to the skies.

Director General and Chief Executive Officer, IATA, Tony Tyler, stated that by 2034, the largest passenger markets would be China, the United States, India, the United Kingdom and Indonesia would take the fifth place.

Japan, he added would be sixth, Brazil seventh, Spain, Germany and France, eight, ninth and tenth while Italy lost out as one of the top ten.

The five fastest markets for additional passengers over the next 20 years will be, China with 758 million new customers, the United States at 523 million, India is to have 275 million and fourth and fifth are Indonesia

and Brazil with 132 million and 104 million, respectively.

According to IATA’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Tony Tyler, “The demand for air transport continues to grow. There is much work to be done to prepare for the 7 billion passengers expected to take the skies in 2034.”

Across the regions, AsiaPacific and the Middle East are expected to have 4.9 per cent growth, with 2.9 billion and 383 million passengers, respectively.

Africa could grow by 4.7 per cent for 294 million passengers by 2034. Latin American should also grow by 4.7 per cent for an annual passenger total of 605 million in 20 years time.

Europe will grow the slowest at 2.7 per cent for a market of 1.4 billion, while North America expands by 3.3 per cent to also reach 1.4 billion.

IATA also predicted that in the next 20 years the real cost of air travel is expected is reduce at a rate of 1-1.5 percent per year.

Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has warned the Ekiti state government against succumbing to calls for the removal of labour matters from the exclusive legislative list.

NLC asserted that it is a plot to pocket the trade unions and punish the workers unjustly in the country.

Ekiti State NLC Chairman, Comrade Ade Adesanmi, said the organised labour would resist any such move to enlist labour issues on the concurrent list, describing the plot as an attempt to foster impunity in the system.

Adesanmi spoke in Ado- Ekiti yesterday in reaction to a request on Tuesday by Ekiti State Head of Service, Dr Olugbenga Faseluka, that labour issues be moved from exclusive to concurrent list, to avert constant industrial crisis between government

Wabba

and workers.

The HoS had said in a paper entitled: ‘Achieving Industrial Harmony in the Public Service: Finding a Common Pathway’, at a symposium in Ado-Ekiti, said the present arrangement whereby “the Federal Government unilaterally decides on industrial matters, which will result in outcomes that have implications for sub-national governments, deserve a closer scrutiny”. But the NLC State Chair¬man said such move if realisable, would make issues bordering on labour to be treated by government with utmost disdain, saying no efforts would be spared to prevent his members from being immersed in another round of sufferings as witnessed under military era.

According to him, the move is an attempt to silence and kill labour as well as subjugate its members’ voices and make them be at the mercy of government after removing their vibrancy.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

B3 Business News

FMDQ OTC assures stakeholders of quality services Nike Akande

LCCI elects Akande CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Mrs. Nike Akande, a twotime Minister of Industry in Nigeria, is an astute boardroom executive who has served the Chamber previously in various capacities such as Deputy President, Vice President, Chairperson, Public Affairs Committee, Chairperson, Financial and General Purposes Committee among others.”

Dr. Nike Akande is an investment expert and a Harvard trained professional, who sits on the boards of many blue chip companies in Nigeria. She is also the first female President of the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria, the position she held between 2010 and 2012. Akande is an honorary Life Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

Akande is set to be formally inaugurated as President of the chamber on Saturday December 5, 2015 at an investiture ceremony billed to hold at the Grand Ball Room of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

‘I will dismiss officers’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE B2

According to him, dismissal and jailing of erring officers will serve as deterrent to others and result in the reformation of the service.

“I am determined to undertake reforms and reorganise the service, so we can generate more revenues into the Federal Government’s coffers.

“We have been seen as the most undisciplined paramilitary organisation because we have refused to obey the laws that govern us.

“Paramilitary is all about discipline and we must operate on that basis. We must also work in line with the law establishing the service,” Ali said.

He assured officers and men that, just as the NCS would discipline erring officers; it would also reward those seen to be hard working.

Vice Chairman\Chief Operating Officer, Sona Agro Allied Foods ltd (left), Mr Ashok Mangnani explainig some thing to Managing Director\CEO Bank of Industry, Mr Rashed Olaoluwa (2nd right) and Divisional Head, Large Scale Enterprises, Mr Joseph Babatunde during the oversight visit by BOI team to BOI Financed Projects in Sango Ota, Ogun State

Adesola Akindele FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange (FMDQ) has assured stakeholders in the overthe-counter (OTC) fixed income securities market of better deal.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FMDQ OTC, Mr. Bola Onadele.Koko gave the assurance while speaking at the

2015 annaul workshop of the Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) in Lagos recently.

Speaking through the Head, Business Development, FMDQ OTC, Ms. Tumi Sekoni, the CEO said having succeeded in turning around the market within two years, the next move is to bring more innovations that

will benefit all stakeholders and make the platform more attractive to issuers and investors.

According to him, FMDQ OTC has not only deepened the fixed income debt securities market but has also made it very liquid for investors to enter and exit.

Onadele disclosed that while the platform has been quoting federal government and corpo-

rate bonds of public companies among others, there were plans to quote bonds of private companies as part of its commitment to support efforts aimed at galvanising the development of the Nigerian economy.

Private companies’ bonds that, by law, can only be issued through private placements. Some of the Nigerian, significantly important, private companies in oil & gas, power, telecommunications, manufacturing and infrastructure require long-term funding.

Currently, their long-term funds are structured as loans and funded by banks thereby putting their balance sheets under significant risk management, liquidity and capital adequacy pressures.

“FMDQ will establish the requisite market governance over these private companies’ bonds as part of its investor protection standards in making the Nigerian debt capital market globally competitive to attract pension funds and foreign capital,” he said.

He added that FMDQ is establishing the building blocks to redefine access to long-term debt capital for private companies and ventures in Nigeria. “

MTN fires Ikpoki as NCC reduces fine to $3.4bn CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Africa (WECA), South and East Africa (SEA), and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and announced a number of senior appointments to support this structure.

Consequently effective 1 December 2015 Jyoti Desai assumed the new position of Group Chief Operating Officer (“COO”).

Desai who is based in Johannesburg, will report to the Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko. Ms Desai has 14 years’ experience at MTN. She has previously held the positions of Chief Information Officer at MTN Nigeria, was COO of MTN Irancell and was recently seconded to support the Nigerian country operations. Her replacement as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer will be announced soon.

Also, under the new arrangement, two regional Vice Presidents have been appointed. They will be reporting to the Executive Chairman. The VP for WECA is Karl Toriola, with Ismail Jaroudi the VP for MENA. The VP for

SEA will be announced soon.

Mr. Toriola who is based in Nigeria has been with MTN for 10 years, having held senior operational roles at MTN Group and MTN Iran. He was formerly also the Chief Technology Officer at MTN Nigeria and CEO at MTN Cameroon.

Mr Jaroudi has been CEO of MTN Syria since 2006. Prior to this, he held senior operational roles for Investcom’s subsidiaries across the Middle East and North Africa.

Also reporting to the Executive Chairman is the new Group Executive for Middle East &Africa (M&A), Matthew Odgers. The former head of TMT for Africa & the Middle East and head of investment banking for MENA at UBS, he led UBS’s overall relationship with MTN. The statement said the search for the MTN Group CEO was underway and remained a priority.

Commenting on the announcements, MTN Group Executive Chairman Phuthuma Nhleko said: “This revised structure and strengthened leadership will im-

prove operational oversight and increase management capacity.

This will enable MTN to continue to realise its strategy and vision, while also ensuring we achieve high governance standards and robust risk mitigation.”

With the financial year closing on 31 December 2015, the MTN Group will report its full year 2015 results in line with the former structure – namely for MTN Nigeria, MTN South Africa, Large Operating Companies and Small Operating Companies.

The statement also said that Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reduced imposed fine to US$3.4 billion equivalent and further cautionary announcement, adding that shareholders are advised that, after further engagements with the Nigerian authorities, the NCC has reduced the imposed fine.

It said MTN had received a formal letter dated 2 December 2015 from the NCC informing the company that, after considering the company’s request, it has taken the decision to reduce the fine on the MTN Nigerian business from

the original N1,040,000,000,000 (One Trillion, Forty Billion Naira) to N674 billion which has to be paid by 31 December 2015. The fine relates to the late disconnecting of 5.1 million MTN Nigeria subscribers in August and September 2015.

The statement said the company was carefully considering the NCC’s reply, however the Executive Chairman Phuthuma Nhleko will immediately and urgently re-engage with the Nigerian Authorities before responding formally, as it is essential for the company to follow due process to ensure the best outcome for the company, its stakeholders and the Nigerian authorities and accordingly all factors having a bearing on the situation will be thoroughly and carefully considered before the company arrives at a final decision.

It therefore advised its shareholders to continue to exercise caution when dealing in the company’s securities until a further announcement is made. MTN shares are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

Capital Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

World Bank set to promote Nigerian capital market- Oteh Stories by Adesola Akindele Vice-President and Treasurer of the World Bank, Ms. Arunma Oteh, has given assurance that the World Bank Group would support efforts to make Nigerian capital market a world class market.

The former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), who birthed the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan, that is currently being implemented, said she remained passionate about making the Nigerian market world class, assuring she would use her position to achieve that task.

Oteh, who spoke during a visit to the management of FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange in Lagos, said building a world class market and keeping that market is key for the transformation Nigeria.

“I do believe that building a world class market, and keeping that market is key for the transformation of our nation.

Oteh

Stock Market Report Investors worth appreciates by N93.3 billion Equity investors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange witnessed a halt in depreciation of the value of their investments after the close of trading on Thursday as lead market indicators grew by 0.99 per cent compared to 0.10 per cent decline recorded in the previous session.

The NSE All Share Index and market capitalization appreciated by exactly 271.29 points and

N93.3 billion from their previous figures to close at 27,559.18 points and N9.475 trillion respectively compared to the closing figures of 27,287.89 points and N9.382 trillion recorded on Wednesday.

Similarly, all sectoral indices led by the NSE Consumer Goods Index closed the day on a positive note, except the NSE Asem Index that closed flat.

The market breadth likewise

closed positive with 22 gainers against 18 losers.

Learn Africa Plc led Thursday’s 22 gainers with a 5.00 per cent or 3 kobo gain to close at 63 kobo per share followed by Redstar Express Plc which also added 5.00 per cent or 20 kobo to close at N4.20 per share, while Pharma-Deko Plc gained 4.67 per cent or 10 kobo to close at N2.24 per share.

NEM Insurance Plc appreciated by 4.62 per cent or 3 kobo to close at 68 kobo per share while Skye Bank Plc increased by 4.58 per cent or 7 kobo to close at N1.60 per share.

On the other hand, Ikeja Hotel Plc topped the losers chart with a decline of 9.49 per cent or 35 kobo to close at N3.34 per share trailed by Tiger Brands Plc which depreciated by 5.00 per cent or 7 kobo to close at N1.33 per share while Honeywell Flour Plc dropped also dropped 5.00 per cent or 10 kobo to close at N1.90 per share.

Portland Paints Plc likewise lost 5.00 per cent or 19 kobo to close at N3.61 per share and Nigeria Police Force Microfinance Bank Plc fell 4.90 per cent or 5 kobo to close at 97 kobo per share.

In all, investors exchanged 249.1 million shares worth N3.1 billion in 2,524 deals compared to 383.4 million shares worth N5.3 billion exchanged in 2,857 deals on Wednesday.

Whether it is making sure that the citizenry are financial discipline or whether it is providing medium to long term for new businesses for expansion, even if it is meritocracy, whether you are allocating resources for the right thing, the capital can do it. You can count on the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC). What we ask are ideas that can stand any test.

I do think we have such projects and I assured you of our support and my own personal support,” she said.

Oteh said to affirm the commitment of the World Bank to the development of the Nigerian capital market, the global financial institution has set up a fund that will expose Nigerian debts to investors around the world.

The fund, according to her, is called the World Supporters Fund (WSF).

“At the World Bank, we are prepared to promote the Nigerian debt markets. We want to make sure that we place Nige-

Direct cash settlement to commence 2nd January— SEC Investors on the Nigerian Capital market are to witness yet another positive change in terms of transactions come year 2016, as processes have been put in place to settle customers with certain mandates directly, through the commencement of Direct Cash Settlement.

Confirming this was the Director General of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo who stated that this development will take effect from 2nd January 2016.

Direct cash settlement is a process whereby a client gives his broker the mandate to sell his or her shares, once those shares are sold, payment are made directly into the client’s account. As against the practice now where considerations will be paid into the stock brokers account and the stock brokers will now take his fees and remit the balance in the client’s account.

“This process has been a bit cumbersome and in the process

rian debts in the hands of Eurobonds market investors you cannot imagine. And one of the things we have done is to set up the WSF where bonds issued in Naira could actually be placed with Japanese investors.

“Because the World Bank and IFC are triple ‘A’ rated, we are very keen to use that leverage we have to promote the market to investors around the World. We can do much more. There is potential for us to do much more,” Oteh said.

She commended the management of FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange, saying the platform has performed very well in transforming the fixed income sector of the nation’s capital market.

“Today I feel very proud that the baby that I helped to midwife has now become a genius that is top of the class. I can feel and see the passion and tenacity of the staff and management to take the market to the next level of excellence,” she said.

Gwarzo

a lot of things went wrong, but with the direct settlement, the moment those shares are sold, the consideration will be paid into the client’s account.

“I’m happy to report that at the CMCs, the members unanimously agreed that the commencement of the direct cash will be on 2nd of January 2016. So, we believe this will also improve investor’s confidence in the market. Mr. Gwarzo said Investors can register for the direct cash settlement system with CSCS via their respective brokers by completing the CSCS Account Creation Requirements form with their bank details provided while same is forwarded back to the broker along with a means of identification.

According to the SEC successful commencement of the direct cash settlement, along with full dematerialization and smart trading are factors that will help drive transparency and efficiency in the Nigerian capital market.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

B5 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 03-12-2015

Business News B6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Auditor general a -L-R:Chairman Independence Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters, Nta Ekpo , Former Chairman Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Saidu Mohammed, and Auditor General of the Federation, Samuel Ukura during a retreat between the Office of Auditor General of the Federation and Public Accounts Committee in Abuja

Inflation rate to remain stable at 9.3% in November— Analysts Friday Atufe Analysts at FSDH Securities Limited have said they expect the November inflation rate (year-on-year) to remain unchanged at 9.3 percent.

The analysts stated this in Lagos yesterday in a note issued by the company.

“We observed slower increases in the prices of most food and non-food items, except for transportation due to the fuel shortage. The National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) will release the inflation rate for the month of November 2015 on December 15, 2015. The latest inflation rate for the month of October 2015 stands at 9.3 percent, marginally lower from 9.4 percent recorded in September 2015.

“The food prices in the month of November at the international market dropped after a spike in October. The Food

Okorocha seeks better interaction between Customs, traders

and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index (FFPI) for the month of November 2015 released on Thursday, December 3, 2015, shows that the Index averaged 156.7 points.

This is 1.6% lower than the revised value in October 2015.”

According to the FAO, all the commodities included in the FFPI dropped except for sugar prices. Vegetable oil prices recorded the highest drop. Abundant supplies and lower energy prices were responsible for the drop in the Index. The Dairy Price Index fell for the first time in three months by 2.9 percent. Milk powder and butter were the main commodities affected.

The FAO Cereal Price Index declined by 2.3 percent from the previous month, due to the continued fall in the prices of coarse grains, wheat and rice.

The FAO Meat Price Index was

down 1.6 percent supported by oversupply within the European Union. The FAO Sugar Price Index was up 4.6 percent, the highest level since February 2015. The increase was supported by weather conditions in Brazil, the world’s leading sugar producer.

“Our analysis indicates that the value of the Naira appreciated marginally against the US Dollar by 0.01 percent in the month of November from US$/N199.10 to US$/N199.08.

The value of the Naira lost by 5.41 percent in the parallel segment from US$/N230.80 to US$/ N244.00. The drop in the international prices of food moderated the effect of the depreciation in the value of Naira at the parallel market on local prices.

“The prices of food items that FSDH Research monitored in November 2015 moved in different directions.

Funmi Coker

Col. Hameed Ali visited him at the Government House in Owerri.

He noted that most of the policies and actions of the agency were often misinterpreted as punishment due to poor communication.

He added that an interactive session between the agency’s leadership and governors, traders and businessmen, has become necessary.

“Eighty per cent of the trade partners of Customs come from

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to organise an interactive session where some of the grey areas in its operations in the zone would be addressed as part of effort to bridge the communication gap between the Service and the Southeast traders.

Okorocha spoke when the Comptroller-General of Customs,

Shagari

Tony Nwakaegho

Sokoto trains 7,560 in ICT via SEDTF in 17 years

The Sokoto Education Development Trust Fund (SEDTF) said that no fewer than 7,560 people have gained Information Communication and Technology (ICT) training from its programme in the last 17 years.

Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Board of Trustees Chairman, said this at the opening of a three-week Computer Training Programme for 88 civil servants drawn from the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Sokoto, State.

The Second Republic President, who was represented by former Minister of Commerce, Alhaji Idris Koko, said SEDTF considered it very important to assist civil servants gain computer education.

“The SEDTF is assuring the state government of the continuous intervention along this line for the benefit of state civil servants,” Shagari said.

The Sokoto State Head of Service, Alhaji Bature Shinkafi, described the training by the fund as a milestone geared towards manpower development, adding that the training would make the civil service more vibrant in tune with global best practices.

“It will enhance efficiency and ultimately encourage productivity. Discipline and work ethics will also be projected for good governance which the civil service is in dire need of. It will also bolster transparency, accountability, relations with the public, electronic-governance and electronic-administration, among others,” he said.

the Southeast. So, I suggest a forum of interaction between the agency, the governors, traders and businessmen, to address certain issues, including the policies and actions of the Nigeria Customs Service, as they affect the traders and businessmen.

“The International Cargo Airport is good news to the people. I enjoin the Comptroller-General to facilitate the speedy take-off of the project by sending Airport Customs comptroller once the

need arises.

“There is a need for the country to diversify the economy as the era of oil boom seems to be over, especially when most nations of the world have alternatives to oil.”

Ali agreed that an interactive session has become imperative to build a cordial working relationship. He said a summit will be organised next year where stakeholders will meet and interact on the possible ways to boost trade and commerce in the zone.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

B7 Real sector digest

Note for Buhari (2)

De-industrialisation of Nigeria Stories by Siaka Momoh

True, we have had series of policies in the past that got short-circuited. Policy inconsistencies have been responsible for the de-industrialisation of Nigeria. We have witnessed the demise of Michelin and Dunlop. We have watched the open onslaught on Nigerian farmers as typified in unfavourable government policies on agricultural commodities like cassava and palm oil. Michelin and Dunlop were killed by government’s punitive policies.

Textile industry’s sad case Policy inconsistencies killed our textile industry. Now that the number of our textile plants has largely thinned out, we now depend almost wholly on the outside world for our clothing needs.

Studies carried out on small scale traders in Nigeria by analysts show that we spend a minimum of about $158.4 annually on importation of fabrics and textiles from Dubai alone.

Investigation has shown that some local plants engaged in the manufacture of foundry products have shut down and some are on the verge of being shut down as Chinese and Taiwanese manufactured foundry products flood Nigerian market unchecked.

Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan This is the sad scenario we now face. It is good news that we now have a Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) which constitutes the nation’s first strategic, comprehensive, and integrated roadmap to industrialization.

The plan focuses on developing sectors, where Nigeria has a

natural comparative advantage, and creating an enabling environment through reducing the current major barriers to development.

The sectors identified as priority are agribusiness, solid minerals, and oil & gas sectors, and the enablers targeted by NIRP are financing, skills development, innovation, infrastructure, business environment, enforcement of adherence to standards, and increased local patronage.

The completed first phase of NIRP has focused on delivering an actionable plan specifically for six sub-sectors within the priority sectors: palm oil, textiles, basic metals, automotive, base petrochemicals, and plastics & rubber subsectors. Furthermore, a deep dive has been completed on financing and skills development as priority enablers.

We are told Nigeria has undergone several strategic initiatives aimed at accelerating industrial development in the past and that what makes the NIRP different from previous efforts is that it constitutes the first targeted effort to develop an industrialisation roadmap that is simultaneously strategic, comprehensive and integrated in nature.

The NIRP’s objective The NIRP’s objective, according to the plan is twofold: a) to increase industry’s contribution to GDP, job creation and the trade balance, and b) to create a competitive advantage for the country.

The plan is meant to support Nigeria’s industrial growth and competitiveness by focusing on sectors where Nigeria has a com-

Buhari

parative advantage, and providing solutions focused at removing the major barriers to industrial development through a set of critical enablers.

Sectors with comparative advantage for Nigeria The plan proposed to develop three key sectors that already possess a clear comparative advantage, e.g., rich natural resources, existing skills and a competitive cost base. These strategic sectors are also ripe for rapid ramp-up and involve high-value additive ecosystems that supply and feed from productive output. These

sectors are agribusiness, solid minerals, oil and gas. Right action, this is.

Fear No doubt, the plan is beautiful, on paper though. It is however challenging and the benefit of hindsight instills fear in one; fear that this plan may go the same way other plans went in the past.

It is not that one is unnecessarily pessimistic. We can do it, but we need the discipline, we need the political will to do it. And from experience, we all know that the political will in question is a scarce commodity in Nigeria.

China Inc goes global China’s overseas investment has been on the increase, mostly supported by government strategy and its sovereign wealth funds.

Last year marked a major shift in China’s investment position, as overseas direct investment exceeded inbound foreign direct investment for the first time.

Dr Martyn Davies, Managing Director of Emerging Markets & Africa at Deloitte Frontier Advisory, who explored why Chinese outbound movement of foreign capital has evolved into a sophisticated strategy to acquire leading global companies said in his report.

According to him, there are now 95 Chinese firms on the Global Fortune 500 list of the world’s largest companies (the US has 128).

He said, “In 2014 they jointly posted US$5.8 trillion in revenues. A large number of these companies are emerging as multinationals as they take their businesses global.

“I have been very fortunate in my career to observe, and later participate in, the outbound movement of Chinese capital in search of investments and acquisitions that began around the turn of the current century. What began as a very state-heavy and, at times, clumsy attempt by a handful of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that had previously little or no international experience to invest abroad, has evolved into a far more sophisticated strategy to acquire leading global companies in the global marketplace.”

Leveraging on global experience (2)

How Walmart keeps an eye on its workforce The details of Walmart’s efforts during the first year it confronted OUR Walmart are described in more than 1,000 pages of e-mails, reports, playbooks, charts, and graphs, as well as testimony from its head of labor relations at the time.

The documents were produced in discovery ahead of a National Labor Relations Board hearing into OUR Walmart’s allegations of retaliation against employees who joined protests in June 2013. The testimony was given in January 2015, during the hearing.

OUR Walmart, which split from the UFCW in September, provided the documents to Bloomberg Businessweek after the judge concluded the case in mid-October. A

decision may come in early 2016.

Walmart declined to comment on the specifics of the documents, citing the ongoing case. It did send a statement via e-mail: “We are firmly committed to the safety and security of our 2.2 million associates as well as the 260 million customers we serve each week. It’s important to remember that Walmart is the largest company in the world with 11,500 stores in 28 countries. Unfortunately, there are occasions when outside groups attempt to deliberately disrupt our business and on behalf of our customers and associates we take action accordingly.”

Karen Casey was in charge of Walmart’s U.S. labor relations as

OUR Walmart emerged. Casey, an attorney, held a similar position at Albertsons for a decade before, with one important difference: Some workers there were represented by the UFCW. In 2003 they joined other grocery employees in Southern California in a fourmonth strike to resist cutbacks brought on by competition from Walmart. The strike was estimated to have cost $2 billion.

Casey, along with other executives in Bentonville, first learned about OUR Walmart from managers’ calls to the company’s labor hotline in the fall of 2010. “Associates were being visited at home by people dressed in khakis and blue shirts, which is the Walmart uniform,” she told the NLRB judge.

They were, she said, “claiming to be current and former associates asking people to join this group.”

When asked about Walmart’s emphasis on “mitigating labor risks,” she replied: “Our real concern is about the safety of our stores and making sure our managers also respond lawfully to any labor activity that may be going on.”

OUR Walmart made its claims public in June 2011, when 97 employees and their supporters arrived in Bentonville with a 12-point declaration that asked for wages and benefits sufficient to ensure that no worker would have to rely on government assistance. They also called for dependable schedules, expanded

Casey

health-care coverage, and the freedom to speak up without facing retaliation. In the parking lot, they presented the document to Casey and asked to speak with her inside.

Walmart’s “open door” policy allows, and almost always requires, employees who want to talk about workplace conditions with managers to do so individually.

Siaka Momohis a media consultant and publisher Realsectordigest.com and can be reached via siakamomoh@yahoo.com; 08061396410

Entrepreneurship B8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Effective entrepreneurial policies Nigeria should adopt

Enelamah, Minister Trade and Investment

...Drawing lessons from the subjects of evolutionary biology and ecology to provide a framework for building vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems…

Nwaodu Chukwuemeka Questions arise on the effectiveness of strategies by government and private grant making organisations which focus narrowly on financing and training of entrepreneurs without regard to the broad context of entrepreneurship, which in contrast, it is believed that entrepreneurs perform best in environments that are connected, dense and diverse.

The Bank of Industry (BOI) in Nigeria for instance tries to bridge the financial gap amongst SMEs through its special scheme that promises to offer long term financing, single digit interest facility, but in the administration creates a barrier to entry by instituting stringent conditions for accessing the facility (amongst which is the provision of title documents of landed properties in the name of the applicant and much more - knowing the economic status of these startups).

The SMEs would have to face another rigour because the facility would have to be channeled through a third party financial or-

ganisation (a commercial bank), thereby subjecting these entrepreneurs to the same obnoxious conditions of the regular banks (because they do not understand the risk factors involved in entrepreneurial practice) and neither would the newly appointed business development agents - BDCS - (who are majorly former commercial bank workers).

The microfinance banks as well are guilty of the same ignorance, otherwise what kind of businesses are they expecting the SMEs to be engaged in, that they are charged between four to ten percent monthly on loan facilities of between one to two years maximum. Therefore, the SMEs’ only saving grace in Nigeria for now, is coming through the customerowned financial associations, like the cooperative societies, the investment clubs and even the local savings programmes (ISUSU), because they are part of the entrepreneurial community and understands and knows their challenges and prospects.

This approach is especially apt to bear fruit amid economic disruptions, and in recessions as

entrepreneurial activity actually intensifies to authenticate this assertion. Our present economic and social experience as a nation calls into question, the strategies for encouraging entrepreneurship in Nigeria, which is no doubt a sure way out of the quagmire, if we could get it right. Otherwise how else will a rapid growing population of unemployed youth in the face of dwindling national resources ever be taken care of, considering the attendant effects being manifested in diverse forms like increased cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and violence in all its forms across the country.

Questions abound as well as practical advises on the way to encourage entrepreneurship, which is crucial to the growth of any economy. This encourages proponents of entrepreneurship to take a step back and envision a more realistic approach towards accomplishing their goals.

The most significant impediments to entrepreneurship are the everyday struggles entrepreneurs face in communicating ideas, building trust and making deals. To this therefore the pre-

scription is for an entrepreneurial ecosystem that will remove or at least minimise the road blocks to these goals.

The ideal strategy will be to encourage the establishment of entrepreneurial ventures support systems, like the venture capital firms, the private equity companies and facilities managers with entrepreneurship bias, for the provision of incubator facilities and mentorship / advisory firms - people who are part of the entrepreneurial community and understands the system, and not some professionals who will at best be proffering and practicing some theoretical and academic recipes that have no beneficial affinity with the entrepreneurs.

The entrepreneurs are interested in policies and programmes that will provide for risk sharing and not that requiring them to cover the perceived inherent exposures, even with their limitations; thereby allowing the status quo of incumbent favouring and barriers to entry to continue.

The insurance factor should be brought in to hedge this gap, as well as fast tracking the knowledge base of the financial operatives and policy makers on the subject and practice of entrepreneurship. Several other risk options should be considered, as well as sharing the exposures as a formidable strategy - the business, market and commercial risks for instance can be looked into, while playing down emphasis on financial risk as a major consideration in credit administration.

There are about six strategies to creating strong entrepreneurial ecosystems and they are: Favour Incumbents Less - policies and regulations that favour existing dominant companies over entrepreneurial ventures, constrain competition and create barriers to entry for new firms.

Examples of such regulations include assertive enforcement of non-compete laws, excessively restrictive occupational licensing requirements and regulatory complexity that inhibits contracting. Policy makers should avoid such policies and regulations and work to reduce the barriers to business startup.

Listen to Entrepreneurs - Rather than developing policies abstractly intended to correct ‘market failures,’ policymakers should listen to what entrepreneurs have to say about their challenges. That

input should be used to develop policies that stimulate idea exploration, product development and increased rate of deal flow.

Map the Ecosystem - Entrepreneurial supporters should create an inventory or graph indicating who the participants in the ecosystem are and how they are connected. Ecosystem maps can become valuable tools in developing engagement strategies.

Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast - This simple rule which applies to entrepreneurial ventures long a guiding principle for entrepreneurial ventures, also holds true for strategies that will enable entrepreneurial ecosystems. The ecosystem should enable the connectivity needed for early success and then clear the runway for future growth. To be effective, such strategies should seek dormains for early success and rapidly iterate forward from there to build well-grounded programmes at scale.

Avoid artificially segmenting your community or your strategies - Entrepreneurs and members of entrepreneurial communities are not potted plants, they are active participants in a range of activities, such as creating new companies, investing in and/or advising startups, mentoring entrepreneurs, teaching in a formal setting, working in a large corporations in research and market development, providing services such as legal and accounting, and serving as customers of entrepreneurial companies. Expect participants in entrepreneurial ecosystems to be playing multiple roles, and make sure to the most of the unique skillsets of your most versatile community members.

Prepare to capitalise on crisis - Much like the rutting trunk of a fallen tree feeds the growth of new saplings. Economic disruptions create entrepreneurial opportunities because disruptions are inevitable in economic and social lives. Architects of entrepreneurial ecosystems should anticipate them and prepare to make the most of the opportunities they create. Finally, establishing that entrepreneurial ecosystem requires a practical approach toward entrepreneurs everyday needs. Policymakers should ask relevant questions and map out a broad framework that will minimise barriers to success - once the results are evaluated, policy makers should use that data to make necessary adjustments.

Nwaodu Chukwuemeka, is a consultant with IDEAS Exchange Consulting, Lagos. He can be reached at nwaodu.lawrence@hotmail.co.uk (07066375847).

Life &

TIMES Friday, December 4, 2015

Kunle

Afolayan: The visionary filmmaker

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

My dream is to revolutionize the movie industry

—Kunle Afolayan

Born September 30, 1974, to the famous theatre/film director and producer, Adeyemi Afolayan ‘aka Ade Love’, Kunle Afolayan had planned to be where he is today; to be a notable director, filmmaker and an actor were among his set out goals.

Kunle doubled as the director of his production outfit, Golden Effects Pictures where he produced four multiple-award-winning movies with the likes of Irapada (2006), The Figurine (Araromire) (2009), Phone Swap (2012), and October 1 (2014). In this chat, Afolayan spoke on his work and other issues.

Mutiat Alli

Life&

T E A M

You appear to be a very hardworking person, how do you manage the career and being a family man?

The same way Dangote has managed to build his empire and still manage his family, the same way those who started before me Ogunde, Ade Love and others have managed to separate their family from their businesses is the same way I’m managing to do same. There is time for everything and family values are very important. But you should be able to pay bills and you have to work to do that. So my family shares the same thoughts and it has been great.

Why did you take a long break off the screen after your role, Aresejabata in Saworoide and you came back with a bounce winning the heart of so many?

I was working at a bank when

I took up the role of Aresejabata then and so I had to take time off work to play that role, thereafter I went back to my job. Two years after, Agogo eewo was shot and I also managed to features in few other films. But it got to a time that I couldn’t combine both careers any longer, so I had to make a decision on what I want to do. So I resigned from my job in 2004 and set up my company and since then I have been unto of my game.

Having grown up under the wings of a successful entertainer back in the days, what memories of your childhood have you?

I have so many of them and that has helped me in moulding myself into what I have become today.

Despite the fact that my father was wealthy and well known, I lived as a child whose parents were striving to survive. The money my father had then was used in feeding multitude, so there was no such

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli

attention for us. Also, the kind of training we had was different. I practically grew up on the street, learning street trades and all, so although I was seen as been born with a silver spoon, in the actual sense, it was a wooden spoon. And today when I look at what we went through then and how we managed to survive, it helps me in telling my stories better, because I was able to cut across people in different background, age grades and class.

When exactly did you develop the passion for film making?

It has always been there, but I started nursing the ambition of being a film maker in early 2000, coupled with the fact that I saw film making started in this country and what was obtainable in the early

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

2000 was totally different from what it used to be, so I felt that I could contribute my own quota to the industry.

What exactly does your company, Golden Effect, do?

We are a production company, we are into equipment rental and no matter the level of production, and we would coordinate it. We also act as casting agency for productions, both locally and internationally. We line produce for foreign film making industries as well. By the special grace of God we will be marking our 10th anniversary soon couple with other projects.

So what projects are you handling now?

Well, from the stable of Golden Effect producers of Irapada, Figu-

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Sunday O. Emmanuel

rine, Phone Swap and the latest October 1st; our next job is ‘The CEO’ which we just rounded up not quite long and the series is titled Eko Law. On improving the Yoruba sector of Nollywood In terms of the quality of Yoruba movies, they have better stories and their films are better understood compared to the English speaking ones. The only thing I think they lack which they’ve improved upon is the production value. Looking at most of the English speaking movies these days, they even lack content, there is no story and all there is to it is paparazzi.

You can tell five minutes into the Continued on

Pfromfrom

L3

P

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Continued from

Pfromfrom

What they have to say about the project

L2

P

film what would happen at the end of the film. It’s a general problem though, which I think cannot be collectively solved because it is in other parts of the world. As big as Hollywood is, there are people who are producing DVD and high quality films, while others produce very low quality films. So it’s just a free industry where freedom of expression is allowed and you can pick your phone and make a film.

As a filmmaker, what makes a good script to you?

A good script depends on what you are looking to get and who your audience is. Sometimes you want to write a script and shoot it just for the people of Lagos. Sometimes you might consider Nigeria or the international market. If you want to write a story for the people of Mushin, your story must have things that the people of Mushin can relate to, they should be able to see a reflection of themselves in the movie and that is the only way it can appeal to them. So a script that tells the story as it is a good one.

In essence, a good script is determined by its content and who is the person behind it.

In times of finances, manpower, intelligence and all, how much do you put into your productions?

I put everything into it, I’m always at the realm of affairs and I’m the executive producer of all my films.

I also raise the funds for them, I direct them and I see to all the departments. It has not been easy though, but it always turns out to be how it was dreamt, because of the hard work that is being put into it.

Kemi Lala

L3 Interview

Angelique Kidjo: I am proud to be on this project as it is good to tell our own story ourselves , I am passionate about using music and film to export the culture if Africa Wale Ojo: Ever since I worked on the phone swap project with Kunle, I knew where he was heading towards as a filmmaker, this project I bet will sell Nigerians to the world positively, it’s from Nigeria by Africans.

Aurelie Eliam: I am so excited been in Nigeria and working on a big project like this, my country awaits this in its full shell….i have read about Kunle and his works and I must say, he does it better.

Kunle Afolayan on crane

I make films for the international market –Kunle Afolayan More so, the kinds of team I work with right from the beginning have been dedicated and they always share my passion and dream.

And that is why we have been able to get it up to this level.

What do you feel about entertainers publicly campaigning for political candidates as

Aurelie Eliam

Angelique Kidjo

some have been doing lately?

I think it’s good, I mean, you have to believe in something. I also believe in something, and very soon everyone is going to publicly see those that I believe in. it’s a good thing because we’re all human, apart from the fact that, to an extent, our work

Fatim Layachi

has made us influential. You have to believe in something. If you believe that the current administration has been good and should continue, then you should vote Goodluck. But if you believe that there needs to be someone new, and then you should vote for another candidate.

Kidjo on set

Angelique Kidjo

Peter King

Meet the cast of Afolayan’s The CEO Movie The extraordinary cast include Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, entertainer and activist

from Benin, Angelique Kidjo; Haitan actor and model Jimmy JeanLouis, actor, and founder of the

New Nigeria Cinema movement, Wale Ojo; French-Ivorian actress and model, Aurelie Eliam; South Af-

Kunle Afolayan: A visionary filmmaker

Despite the hard knock recorded by Kunle Afolayan in the hands of pirates when his epic movie, October 1st was released into the Nigerian market before its due date, Afolayan has shown

in uttermost spirit that he is indeed born to do standard movie project through his golden effect own company.

In this same spirit of doggedness, the prolific filmmaker and

Air France’s ambassador unveiled amidst pop and glamour recently unveiled his cast members for yet another masterpiece shot titled ‘ The CEO at the Inagbe Grand Resorts and Leisure.

rican actor and presenter, Nicolaos Panagiotopoulos; Nigerian actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju; Moroccan star,

Fatim Layachi; Kenyan actor Peter King, and Nigerian actress, Hilda Dokubo among others.

L4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

L5

Society Gists L6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

Isaac Oguntoye

How Apostle Aderemi Awode navigates tricky waters of paint manufacturing Mention paints that have become painters’ delight and the brand names, Finecoat and Shield Paints will readily come to mind alongside that of Apostle Emmanuel Aderemi Awode, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the upscale and quality noted Chemstar Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of Finecoat Paints, Shield Paints and other allied products.

The upwardly mobile chief executive is known not only as a pacesetter but roundly acknowledged as a bar raiser in just about any endeavour you find him.

Having successfully navigated his Finecoat Paints in the murky and turbulent waters of manufacturing industry, he is silently recording unprecedented success with his plastic manufacturing industry tucked in Sango Ota, area of Ogun State.

To those in the manufacturing

Funsho Amosun at it again Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun, wife of the Ogun State Governor is in the news again. This time around, it is not about her rumoured story in London but how she has been leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the second term in office of her husband is regarded the best. Mrs. Amosun whose UPLIFTMENT empowerment programme was helpful to the administration

sector, this accomplishment is not an ordinary feat meant for the faint-hearted, all thanks to his versatility, fastidiousness and allembracing quality and unique ability.

Unarguably, Finecoat Paint, in the housing sector, has stood the test of time and has a pride of place as one of the best paints to reach out for, as the manufacturing company has not relented from churning out world standard, and quality enhanced products, with its hallmark being, quality, durability, affordability, and longevity.

This is however to the total dismay and envy of its older counterparts.

W i t h this humble satisfaction that his paint

Funsho

in his first term in office is at it again. Just last week, the first lady gathered the aged in Ogun State at her Oke-Mosan SouthWest Resource Centre office and gave out N5,000 each to all aged present at the event. Mrs. Amosun’s initiative was part of her commitment to support her husband’s plans at bringing governance to the doorstep of the downtrodden in the state.

manufacturing business has competed and still competing favourably with other paints in the market, the very unassuming and consummate industrialist has left no stone unturned in his drive to bring excellence, panache, class and style into the plastic making industry just as he has done in other spheres of endeavours.

The question many are dying to have an answer to is: how he has been able to almost effortlessly achieve so much with the unpredictable economic indices.

To Apostle Awode, making a mark of distinction in virtually all these areas, all of which have fetched him many local and international awards and recognition from Italy, Spain, Frankfurt, France to mention but a few can only be attributed to knowing your environment and how to provide world standard goods and services to

IGP, Arase

doubt a man of many parts, who has continued to touch many lives positively, has no plan to breast the tape anytime soon as he has no finish line in view yet with the birthing of C-Pin Ltd, his plastic manufacturing company, added two years ago to his vastly expanding business empire, which has known no bounds. His secret is sheer hard work propelled by his unique foresight.

On IGP Arase’s Moral their duty or face his wrath. IGP Arase had said the force will no longer condone any form of indiscipline among its officers as any case of accidental discharge or uncivil action against members of the public will not be tolerated henceforth. In case you don’t know, Arase was until his appointment, the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. He has served in various commands and formations of the Nigerian police, including being the Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State. He was also an Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Bureau. He served at the United Nations Mission in Namibia and is a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.

FirstBank outgoing boss, Bisi Onasanya, spotted

Large Heart many as second to none. Just last week, Edewor as commonly called in the political circle renovated two government-owned secondary schools in Ogun State.

One of the schools in Ogun Central Senatorial District, Unity Comprehensive High School situated at Ago-Ika in Abeokuta North Local Government now wears a new look courtesy of the Midas touch of Chief (Mrs.) Abiola-Edewor. The dilapidated schools which have been begging for facelift finally have a new life.

meet the needs of the people.

The multiple international award-wining, ever since he debuted as an indigenous paints manufacturer many years ago; as a youthful entrepreneur, has also branched into other areas of production, such as petroleum, sourcing company, a flourishing finance house, philanthropic gesture (Scholarships, grants and research funds). No

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase is definitely on his toes ever since he was appointed IGP. Since he assumed office, he has redefined the Nigerian police, charging his officers to always exhibit professionalism in the discharge of

About Lola Abiola-Edewor’s The ingenuity of first daughter of the popular business mogul and acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola, Mrs. Lola Abiola-Edewor cannot be likened to anyone. This former House of Representatives member is living up to her father’s name by sustaining the legacy of the late Gbagura born politician’s free education scholarship. Though, Lola Abiola is not holding any political office presently, but her kind-hearted gesture has been described by

Apostle Awode

Lola

Mr. Bisi Onasanya was recently at the FirstBank Sustainability Centre International Conference where participants from all walks of life gathered to be part of the epoch-making event. Head, Environmental Sustainability and CSR Division, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Anthony Ifechukwu; Guest Speaker and CEO, Golden Palm Investments Ghana/USA, Mr. Sangu Delle; Centre Manager, FirstBank Sustainability Centre, Dr. Ijeoma Nwagwu; outgoing GMD/ CEO First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bisi Onasanya; and

Onasanya Head, Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Lagos Business School, Dr. Chris Ogbechie were at the event.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

L7 Society Gists

OPC holds first interactive meeting with leaders The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has held its first interacting meeting with the leaders of the organisation. The meeting, tagged ‘Interactive session of all zonal coordinators/secretaries in Lagos State’, was organised to form a better understanding among members of the OPC. Addressing a large crowd of members who turned up at the Etall Hotel and Suits, venue of the meeting, the National Coordinator of OPC, Otunba Gani Adams, said the meeting was called to create a forum for the members to rub minds on how to move the organisation forward. He urged members to take up the challenge of redirecting themselves and forming a new vision and purpose for OPC. Tracing its history, Adams challenged OPC members to rekindle their interest in the promotion of Yoruba tradition and culture. “It is time all of you woke up from your slumber and begin to work for the interest of Yoruba race. The time for our freedom is near, and I don’t want us to be left behind so that we can partake in the goodness,” Adams said.

Adams lamented what he described as the loss of the Yoruba race during the last general elections, saying despite being one of the best Intelligent race in the world, the Yoruba race failed to live up to its potential in the election. “The Kogi election is a pointer to how these people view Yoruba race. With the election, Faleke should have been declared to step into Audu’s shoes. But because Faleke is Yoruba, they conspired and said the election was inconclusive.

The battle is a Yoruba battle, but it is possible because of the actions of some of the leaders among us”.

Adams directed the leaders of the organisation to work towards the growth of the OPC. “Let me tell the coordinators and other leaders, you need to begin aggressive membership mobilisation”.

As part of the strategies, Adams said a new structure, to be known as the zonal Coordinating Council, ZCC, has been put in place. He said the new structure is designed to increase the membership strength of the organisation. “Go back home and

Makinwa

Gani Adams

start work on how to mobilise your members,” he told the leaders.

Speaking on members’ lackadaisical attitude to contribution, he urged members to endeavour to live up to their responsibility, which he said is one of the cardinal responsibilities of members to the organisation.

He advised members to live exemplary life, adding that discipline is key to the success of any organisation.

“Discipline is key to our success. We are not thugs or miscreants. I urge all of you to make sure that we continue to maintain the level of discipline that we have set. Let us set the standard that others will follow.”

On the achievements of the organisation, Adams said the formation of the Oodua Peoples Union

(OPU) in more than 60 countries in Europe and Americas has united Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora.

He said funds have been released to all the states in Yorubaland to get befitting corporate offices.

He also informed the gathering of an organisation, Oodua Empowerment Programme, which he said is formed as part of the effort to empower members and lift them out of poverty.

While encouraging members to update themselves by being computer literate, Adams advised the members to arm themselves with knowledge. “I beg all of you to make sure that you arm yourselves with modern technology.”

Liberation City at 12: Prophetic journey so far The Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry aka Liberation City, City of Liberty and Solution is 12 years old. The movement of the Holy Ghost started 12 years ago in a small classroom auditorium at Bashir Close in Ojodu Berger, Lagos, Nigeria, but today, the church has metamorphosed to an international church with branches across the globe, Dr Chris Okafor is the great seer that the lord gave the commission to since he was eight years old, with the mandate to win one billion souls and depopulate the kingdom of

darkness. Liberation City came into existence in November 2003 with few members; the church began as house fellowship at Bashir Street.

There is this saying that every big thing starts small, bearing in mind that the mandate must be fulfilled. According to Dr Okafor, God gave him a vision to go to Lagos and win souls for the kingdom. He said he never knew anybody in Lagos but had in mind that when God gives you a vision he will also make provision. The church witnessed some trying times few years ago when the man of God

was kidnapped. It was a trying period but to him, it was a test of the spirit, God used that period to show that he wanted him to win not only the soul of the ordinary man but also the soul of the men of the underworld; this he did while in their camp. Liberation City has been able to extend its hands of fellowship to the less privileged; the church has invested millions of naira on the poor and they are giving their life to Christ. Liberation Television is now being viewed across the globe with the single mandate to bring the world close to Christ.

Toke Makinwa, a popular Nigerian radio presenter, has spoken on the issue of Christianity and the poor mentality. She took to her Instagram few days ago to address the notion that successful people are not godly or are not good Christians.

According to her, “I don’t do religion, I think one of the major problems in the world today is religion.

Wars have started in the name of religion, people are lost in certain doctrines and they don’t know who God is. God is not a poor God, God does not delight in poverty! Being a child of God does not mean you shouldn’t desire the fine things of life.

“The street of heaven is made of Gold. Stop buying the lies sold to you. God wants you to flourish, to dominate, to subdue the earth. You can dream big, it is your duty to carry the light of God. Stop the vanity upon vanity talk, every single person that worked with and for God was blessed. So blessed at that.

Not every successful person sold their soul to the devil –Toke Makinwa “Those days it was in cattle, land and much more. If that doesn’t tell you that you should be blessed, I don’t know what will. My last post inspired this. I just feel the need to encourage someone out there. Find God on your own and work out your own salvation.

“Your father owns the heavens and the earth, you should be at the top. Stop judging, not every successful person has sold their soul to the devil. You don’t know their walk with God, Jesus met the lady at the well and asked her for a drink, she had been married many times and was living with a man that wasn’t her husband but Christ went there cos he knew she would come to draw water, do you think Jesus needed the water? You think he couldn’t command water to rise?

He knew she needed salvation; he went there because he knew she would come and he approached her not with judgment but with kindness. God loves us all”.

WFM91.7, Nigeria’s first radio station for launch Dec 18 WFM 91.7, the female centric radio station which also caters for the men and the family, will be formally launched on December 18, 2015 at the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Victoria Island, Lagos. Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, a billionaire oil tycoon, fashion designer and philanthropist will be the keynote speaker at the event, to address 500 select women and men that support women’s causes.

Since it hit the airwaves on Monday, November 16, 2015, the radio station, primed to be a reliable, leading and trusted source of information and matters of interests for women and their families, has been engaging on issues of local, national and international importance.

“We are very delighted to have the first women radio station in Nigeria…and we have mapped our strategies to serve the people fantastic women related programmes.

“If you are woman, mother, sister or a girl, WFM is the best station for you to listen to learn a lot and also to share your opinion about women issues,” Toun Okewale-Sonaiya,

WFM Executive Director explained to a select group of journalists on a facility tour of the station last week.

Many radio listeners agreed the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, (NBC) made a wise decision by licensing Nigeria’s first radio station for women. Not a few listeners also averred that the radio station has commenced operation with a dazzling array of on-air-personalities with unparalleled international exposure needed to drive the medium to the zenith of radio broadcasting in Nigeria. Some of these personalities include Tito Bez-Idakula, Funmi Jinadu and Bisola Aiyeola. When the broadcast industry regulator, NBC issued licence to St. Ives Communications to operate a radio station in Nigeria, little did the industry umpire knew it was history in the making.

Armed with its licence to operate a radio station for women and their families, St’ Ives Communications established the niche radio station, hitting the broadcast waves with clean, quality signals from the station’s cozy premises in Arepo community, Ogun State.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, December 4, 2015

L8 TV guide

Showing on

Showing on

166 Z WORLD Channel

127 SONY Channel

01:00

02:10

Fri, 4 Dec | PG

Fri, 4 Dec | 16

‘S1/E13 - 1/13’. Daljeet’s mother and Sahiba get off on the wrong foot. He then takes the opportunity to tell his Mother what Sahiba means to him. Ranveer finally finds a way to reach out to Sahiba.

101 M-Net West

01:30 I, Frankenstein 03:05 The Calling 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 Modern Family 06:30 Blue Bloods 07:30 The Fixer 08:30 Gambit 10:00 Entertainment Now! 10:30 2 Broke Girls 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 Nashville 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 The Voice 18:30 Grey’s Anatomy 19:30 Mysteries Of Laura 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 The Frozen Ground 23:00 Strike Back

154 Africa Magic Family

00:00 The Patient 01:10 Rovieno 02:25 53 Extra 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:10 Coco Bill 04:30 Perfect Imperfection 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Rovieno 08:40 Living With Trisha

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

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 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love 23:05 Would I Lie To You? 23:35 QI

09:30 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 14:00 Prem 14:30 Goge Africa 15:00 Family Ties 15:30 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 Meet The Adebanjos 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 19:55 Rovieno 21:10 Family Ties 21:40 53 Extra 22:05 Living With Trisha 23:40 Music Block

‘S1/E7 - Blazing Fury’. Nikki McPhatter had just begun a torrid romance with a man she met online. But Nikki’s love life took a horrifying turn when she suddenly went missing.

155 AfricaMagic World

00:35 Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung 02:05 Most Shocking 10:30 The Cube 00:05 New Tricks

11:20 New Tricks

01:00 The Cube

12:20 Top Gear

01:45 Come Dine With Me

13:10 Come Dine With Me

02:35 Downton Abbey

14:05 Total Wipeout UK

03:30 EastEnders

15:05 The Weakest Link

04:00 EastEnders

16:00 EastEnders

04:30 EastEnders

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

05:00 Spy

17:10 The Cube

05:25 QI

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

06:00 Fool Britannia

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

06:25 EastEnders

20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

07:55 The Weakest Link

21:50 The Graham Norton Show

08:45 The Chase

22:40 Would I Lie To You?

09:30 Total Wipeout UK

23:45 Tanked

161 Mzanzi Magic

00:40 Good Morning Africa 01:40 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 My Good Will 09:10 Good Morning Africa 10:10 So Wrong So Wright 10:35 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Jara

12:30 Jara 13:00 Music Block 14:00 53 Extra 14:30 53 Extra 15:00 Kakibe Ki 15:30 Noose Of Gold 16:00 Foot Print 16:30 Lies That Bind 17:00 Lies That Bind 17:30 Star Gist 18:00 Star Gist 18:30 Star Gist 19:00 Prem 19:30 So Wrong So Wright 20:05 Revelation 21:30 Jara 22:00 Music Block 23:30 Looking In, Looking Out

03:00 Most Shocking 04:00 Exposed 04:30 Exposed 05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak 05:25 Exposed 05:50 Exposed 06:15 Video Zonkers 06:40 Repo Games 07:10 World’s Wildest Police Videos 08:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:10 South Beach Tow 09:40 Most Shocking 10:40 Most Shocking 11:40 Video Zonkers 12:10 Repo Games 12:40 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:40 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:40 South Beach Tow 15:10 Exposed 15:40 Criss Angel Mindfreak 16:10 1000 Ways To Die 16:40 Video Zonkers 17:05 Repo Games 17:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 CB4 21:25 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 21:55 Sexy Car Wash 22:25 Most Shocking 23:10 Martin Lawrence 1st Amendment Standup 23:30 The Real