Daily Times Newspaper for Monday 5th October, 2015 by Daily Times of Nigeria

Alison-Madueke: We’re working with British authorities — Presidency Egena Egena, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Presidency on Sunday con-

firmed the arrest of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani AlisonMadueke, in London over allegations of

corruption and money laundering. The confirmation was made by the Senior Special Assistant to the President dailytimesng

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

on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, adding that it is is working Continued on page 6 www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.203

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 28th September 2015.

NESTLE

859.7

39.70

4.62%

146.04

5.97

4.09%

SEPLAT

249.9

-5.10

-2.04%

UNILEVER

45.13

-0.87

-1.93%

250

10.01

4.00%

UACN

31.5

1.50

4.76%

JBERGER 41.88

-2.20

-5.25%

ZENITHBANK

17.52

-0.59

-3.37%

Jonathan to el-Rufai

You’re a liar

Ï&ƔéPƏƆ ƈƗƆ Ɛ Ƈ ƑƋƐ E ƗƑ 1 ƒê MÕƿƄ 9 ƗƆƍƆ ƗƆ ƅƆ ƆƔƍƆ Ɔ

Monday Agu Jr.

ÎÎÎThe

immediate past Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, on Sunday, described the allegation by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, that the administration of

former President Goodluck Jonathan spent N64 billion on three independence anniversaries (20122014) as “tissue of lies”. The Kaduna State governor made the allegaContinued on page 6

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) visiting injured victims of Kuje and Nyanya bomb blast at the National Hospital, Abuja... on Sunday

Liquidity: CBN returns N740b to banks g 6

Bimbo Akintola

An untiring screen

diva

g L1

Petrol g 25 tankers, LASG tango: Any solution in sight?

We’ll soon expose Boko Haram sponsors – Army g12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Reducing fatalities among Police

ecently, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase disclosed that the organisation has lost 435 policemen and officers in the fight against crimes and criminal elements in the past six months. Mr. Arase said this during a meeting with the Osun State chapter of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC).He therefore urged Nigerians to fully support the police in their domains to bring crime to the barest minimum. We are pained at this sad loss and sympathise with the police and families of those who lost their lives while discharging their duties. The Nigerian police have for long been the soft targets of criminals in the society while their personnel continue paying the supreme price in the defence of the citizens and their properties. Even at this, the organisation has been facing challenges and criticisms for the poor state of law enforcement in the country. Definitely, this is where the cooperation of all citizens is required. There is no denying the fact that the Nigeria Police lacks the required manpower to cover all the nooks and crannies of the country. Such handicap has made it possible for criminals to operate with relative ease. That is why we welcome the presidential directive for the additional recruitment of 10,000 policemen and women into the force. We believe this will boost the strength of the Police Force and enable it meet the present security demands in the country. But it is left to the organisation to intensify efforts at encouraging local chapters of Police Community Relations in order to integrate the ordinary citizens in the task of ensuring security in their respective communities. We know that Police Community Relation Committee is a deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics. It is fact that police community relations committee offers opportu-

nity for the Police to have members of the communities as representative of the organisation. This helps to bring improved co-ordination between them and the society. Moreover, the PCRC has replaced the traditional reactive form policing that are largely considered to be ineffective and inefficient. It is worth rehashing that security is a crucial factor in national development, as it is the super structure on which all other structures or systems depends for peaceful operations, growth and development. This therefore makes policing everybody’s business. When we approach the question of how to reduce crime, criminal opportunity and the fear of crime, it is no longer feasible for the police to tackle any of these important tasks without a consideration of a shared partnership approach. This will require that collaborative arrangements be made to identify, analyze, prioritise and tackle key crime at a community level. Unfortunately, the problems of the police have their origins in time. For example, the average Nigerian sees the police as not only corrupt and unfriendly; the perception is that they are mostly complicit in any crime committed in the society. Regrettably, the police are yet to change its orientation to a people friendly force. It is therefore imperative that the police constantly and consistently interact with ordinary citizens, as many aspects of these interactions have the potential for influencing how the police and citizens perceive and evaluate each other. Few members of the public see the police as friends, instead the sight of police is considered synonymous with trouble. We therefore recommend that the public be educated on the significance of public cooperation with police in order to promote an overall individual, community and national security. This way, the crime levels will reduce and with it the number of fatalities among members of the police force.

Publisher/Editor in Chief

Group Managing Director

Fidelis Anosike

Noel Anosike

Group Managing Editor

Chief Operating Officer

Editor

GM Operations

Molara Wood Yinka Olujimi

ÎÎÎThe campaign against

early marriage in Nigeria appears not to be making the needed progress going by recent events. This, at least, is what the marrying of an 18-year-old secondary school leaver recently by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has proven. The 18-year-old girl, Sa’adatu Barkindo-Musdafa, is the daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo-Musdafa, and the third wife of the Kano monarch. Justifying the action, a top Kano State government official who travelled to Yola, the Adamawa State capital, for the wed-

ding, said Emir Sanusi’s “decision to take a new wife is in line with Islamic injunction,” adding that “Islam allows having a maximum of four wives for those who can treat all of them equally and provide for a large family’’. Before Emir Sanusi, several other persons particularly from the north, had taken teenagers as wives. One of such persons who made headlines within and without Nigeria is former Zamfara State governor, Ahmed Yerima. Yerima, a Senator, had in 2013 caused a stir when he divorced the 17-year-old Egyptian bride he married three years before to marry a new 14-yearold girl. Granted that Emir Sanusi’s action and others before him who married teenage girls are sanctioned by

Words On Marble :

Islam, still it is doubtful if marrying a teenager is a virtue rec- ommended in Islam. The question is why is it that these Nigerians who marry new wives often go for teenage girls? Are there no other older ladies aside teenagers that they can marry? This practice only goes to show how bleak the future of the girl-child is in Nigeria but particularly in the north. It also shows that those who are not in support of the campaign against early marriage are not about to give up. Fact is that no nation which takes the development of all sections of its populace seriously will look the other way when its teenage girls are married off early. So, can our teenage be allowed to grow up to proper adults?

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Ifeanyi Emefu 08086296714 Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08054934941 Konnie Agu 09033765031

Adebayo Idowu gmops@dailytimes.com.ng

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

Sam Nzeh

Adverts/Partnerships/ Corporate Subscription

Afie Braimoh

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

Campaign against early marriage, a lost battle?

dailytimesng www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Mathew Kukah

Chris Okotie

Nkeuruka Onyeajeocha

“Governance is about creating safe spaces where citizens can thrive and achieve their goals.”

“Every nation faces some daunting odds at some point; the important thing is for them to overcome such hurdles and move on”.

‘’A nation that does not produce will not prosper economically’’.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

FG’ll pick Abuja bomb blasts victims’ hospital bills, says Buhari Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏ

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, visited the survivors of Friday night’s bomb attacks in Kuje Area Council and Nyanya suburb of Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory. A statement, issued on Sunday, by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari, who was at the Trauma Centre of the Nation-

al Hospital, where the survivors were receiving treatment, wished them full and speedy recovery. The President reassured the survivors that the Federal Government would take full responsibility for their medical bills. He also directed his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari to settle the N268, 790.00 medical bill of a young girl in the Paediatric Ward of the hospital. The girl’s mother, Deborah Ste-

phen, had broken into tears on seeing Buhari and told him that her daughter had been shot by armed robbers who raided their home, lamenting that the family could not afford the medical bills. The President, who was accompanied by his personal aides and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, visited the intensive care unit, the paediatric unit, and general wards of the National Hospital.

The Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Dr Jafaru Momoh said that the visit of the President would help the patients to recover as it would give them a greater psychological sense of being valued and loved by their country. It would be recalled that the separate bomb incidents which rocked the Federal Capital Territory claimed about 20 lives, while 41 were injured.

Ajimobi advocates literacy by radio ÏÏÏ Oyo State Governor, Senator

Abiola Ajimobi, has advocated an improvement on literacy by radio programme to reduce the level of illiteracy in the state. Governor Ajimobi stated this while receiving the representatives and officials of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan. The governor explained that majority of the adults within the society, who may be ashamed of attending regular classes would prefer education through radio. He said the state government would be willing to provide the necessary incentives and logistics to ensure mass literacy, stressing that education is the foundation of any development. Governor Ajimobi also suggested the inclusion of vocational training and skills acquisition in the mass literacy programme to empower the beneficiaries, and also improve on the literacy level. In his earlier remarks, the United Nations Representative, Mr John Edeh, emphasised the need for government at all level to support adult and youth education.

Ajimobi

5 News

Unions, NCAA at loggerheads over workers’ welfare Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏThe Nigerian Civil Aviation

Authority (NCAA), and leading industry unions, may bicker very soon over promotion of tens of workers in the regulatory agency. Even as the unions gave the agency’s management 14 -days ultimatum to effect promotion of workers, in line with their terms of engagements or face its wrath. The unions, led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Senior Staff Services of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), accused NCAA management of dillydallying with the promotion of its members, which was due since January 2015. The General-Secretary, NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye disclosed to our correspondent that the unions, in agreement with the workers, may in less than two weeks from now, ground activities in the agency over what he called “nonchalant attitude of the management”, over the issue.

Go after Boko Haram sponsors, NLC tells FG ÏÏÏThe Nigeria Labour Congress

R-L: Wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule; Coordinator, DFID South-West Regional Office, Lagos, Dr. Adesina Fagbenro-Byron and wife of former Governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, during a 3-day conference on Women’s Participation in Democratic Governance in South West and Kwara State, organised by DFID South West Regional Office at the Golden Tulip, Festac, Lagos... at the weekend

FG secures $2.3b US aid to tackle poverty Monday Agu Jnr

Abuja ÏÏÏThe Federal Government and the United States have signed a $2.3 billion development assistance agreement, which would cover a period of five years in support of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration to combat extreme poverty among Nigerians. A statement, issued on Sunday by Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said the agreement was signed with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Presidential Villa. The $2.3 billon assistance would cover activities from 2015 through 2020 with the objective of helping Nigeria reduce extreme poverty in a more stable and democratic society. It is also expected to stimulate inclusive economic growth, pro-

mote a healthier, more-educated population, and help strengthen good governance. Akande said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while signing the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, expressed delight that such assistance was coming from the United States. According to Akande, the Vice President recalled that since Buhari’s meeting with President Barack Obama in the White House in July, there had been better cooperation from the United States on how to make Nigeria succeed. Osinbajo added that the issue of the extreme poverty of a vast majority of Nigerians was a very important issue for the country, saying that that the matter was at the heart of the administration's economic policy. The Vice President noted that the assistance which would include the North East among the

areas of focus in the agreement, stressed that government would also address the problem of outof-school children and decline in enrollment figures in parts of the country. He further stated that in the present tough economic situation, the assistance was a demonstration that the United States wants the country to be a much better place. Osinbajo assured that the Buhari administration would continue to lead a transparent and open government, clean-up the business environment, as well as bottom-up approach economic planning. While Osinbajo signed on behalf of the Federal Government, the USAID Nigeria Director, Michael Harvey signed for the United States. Harvey said the agreement would provide a solid foundation for the two countries to partner together to reduce inequality.

(NLC) has urged the Federal Government to reopen investigation into the cases of people indicted for sponsoring the Boko Haram sect in the country. The President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said in a statement on Sunday that the liberty enjoyed by those sponsoring terror gangs was a grave danger to the country. Wabba advised security forces to be resolute in the ongoing campaign against the insurgents, and not to be demoralised by the multiple bomb attacks on Abuja. He urged the security forces, who were better equipped with sophisticated equipment, to take up the attacks as a challenge. The NLC boss added, “For us at the Nigeria Labour Congress, we believe this latest attacks should not weaken the morale of the forces involved in the battle against terrorism in our country, rather it should reinvigorate their fighting spirits and be seen by government as a challenge to arm our forces with more sophisticated and superior weapons both for intelligence gathering and combat. “Beyond this, we urge our government to order the immediate re-investigation, arrest and prosecution of all those previously indicted of sponsoring terror gangs, especially Boko Haram and other such violent groups in any part of the country.”

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

‘You’re a liar, Jonathan tells el-Rufai’ Continued from page 1 tion on Thursday in a post on his facebook wall. Sulaiman said this in a statement, insisting that only N332. 6 million was spent on the three independence anniversaries. He challenged the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to publish the amount spent on the anniversaries. According to him, the Federal Government under Jonathan spent N107.6m in 2012; N45m in 2013; and N180m in 2014. He added that while the amounts spent on the anniversary celebrations in 2010 and 2011 were not im-

mediately available; they were in the same bracket with the other years. He explained that there was an increase in the total sum spent on the celebrations in 2010 because of the Golden Jubilee celebration, adding that the sum budgeted was not the outrageous amount quoted by the governor. The former minister wondered where el-Rufai got the billions, which he said was spent on the anniversary celebrations in five years. “We would have allowed this to go as just ranting of a favour seeker, but for the sake of ordinary Nigerians who were abreast of happenings under the

administration and also those who never did, we will like to set the record straight,” the former minister said. The statement reads: “We were taken aback by the recent comment reportedly credited to His Excellency, Governor Nasir el-Rufai where he claimed that the immediate past President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration spent N64billion to cover the country independence anniversary spending in five years. “The break down, according to the governor showed that N13billion was spent in 2011, N15billion in 2012 and N14billion

in 2013 and N22billion allegedly spent in 2014. “This tissue of lies was contained on his facebook comment on Thursday. Ordinarily, we would have allowed this to go as just ranting of a favour seeker, but for the sake of ordinary Nigerians who were abreast of happenings under the administration and also those who never did, we will like to set the record straight. “It is important to correct the misinformation so that the unsuspecting public would not be misled. “For the record, a breakdown of our anniversary spending between 2012 to 2014 amounted to

N332.6million. We challenge the Office of the Government of the Federation (OSGF) to publish these details for the consumption of the public. “For the record, a breakdown of our spending for this event between 2012 and 2104 goes thus; 2012-107.6million; 2013-45million and 2014 had 180million. “So, the question here is where did the billions as claimed by el-Rufai emanate from? Even though that of 2010 and 2011 are not handy now, but it should be known that they all fall within the same bracket as the one stated, except that the 2010 anniversary was a golden one

when the country marked her 50 year of independence. But even then, not such outrageous sum was either budgeted or expended. “Again, it is germane to explain the increase in the 2013 anniversary spending for the purpose of accountability. The National Honours Award Investiture was incorporated into the celebration, thus making it two events in one, hence the N174,800,000.00 budget. We also want to add that the said award investiture could not hold in 2013 and the approved budget rolled over and was utilized to organise the investiture in 2014.

Liquidity: CBN returns N740b to banks Adesola Akindele

ÎÎÎOn

L-R: Head, Brand Management, UBA Plc, Mr. Toruka Osadunkwu; Head, Marketing and Brand Communication, UBA Plc, Mr. Ikemefuna Mordi; Representatives of National Lottery Commission, Mr. Ogbonaya Onu, at the grand draw for UBA Remittance AWOOF promo to reward customers who received MoneyGram and Western Union money transfer through the bank, held in Lagos... at the weekend.

Alison-Madueke: We’re working with British authorities — FG Continued from page 1 closely with British law enforcement on the allegations levelled on the former minister. He said: “The Federal Government is aware of the arrest and all the government investigative agencies are working very closely with the British law enforcement.” “Nigerian authorities are saying for the first time that matters are being handled with seriousness and deep commitment. Nobody wants to give the impression that this government is frivolous and unserious. “For this reason, gov-

ernment is only confirming active collaboration. Beyond this, we are not saying more. In due course, Nigerians will be briefed on updates as appropriate.” On the identities of the other four people arrested with the former minister, Shehu declined comments, saying, “As I said no one is willing to provide further details at this point”. Mrs. Alison-Madueke was arrested on Friday and granted bail by the UK National Crime Agency over allegations of corruption and money laundering. She was arrested

alongside four others. Meanwhile, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives, who raided the Abuja home of AllisonMadueke, just at about the time of her arrest in the UK, on Friday, reportedly recovered cash running into millions of Naira. Alison-Madueke’s trial is expected to be conducted in London but no date was specified as at press time. However, an official of the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Britain which arrested the former minister and the four others and released them

on bail said the identities of all the suspects would only be unveiled at the point of charging them to court. The official explained that the law establishing the NCA does not allow it to name those being investigated before charging them to court. The official said: “Indeed we cannot name the five persons who were arrested and granted police conditional bail until we are ready to charge them to court. “The law does not permit us to do so and we will release appropriate information to the media as the case progresses”.

account of the banking industry’s compliance with movement to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the reduction of Cash Reserve Requirement from 35 per cent to 21 per cent, N740 billion has been released back to the banking sector indicating further liquidity and a positive move in the industry. This was revealed at a press briefing following the 324th Bankers Committee meeting held on Friday at the Lagos office of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and was conveyed in a statement made by the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo. According to him, “The CRR that was released back to the banks on account of the TSA movement was N740 billion, however the amount of N1.2 trillion being circulated as the total sum that went back to the TSA is not a CBN verified figure. The bank examiners are currently reconciling with banks on the figures returned. Okonkwo also asserted that on compliance with the TSA directive, industry liquidity has remained strong because it was done systematically and within

the deadline and no bank is distressed on account of this movement. Further confirmation from the CBN Director of Banking Supervision Department, Mrs. Agnes Tokunbo Martins, explained that: “The N740 billion released to the banks is a result of the TSA withdrawal and reduction of CRR from 35 per cent to 21 per cent. “The committee is satisfied that the banking industry remains safe and sound, however it was decided that banks on their own would improve risk management processes, hold sufficient capital to ensure that no matter the risk or shock that may emanate, the banks would be well prepared to bear them.” Speaking on the foreign exchange situation of the country was Managing Director of First Bank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, who explained the evaluated options and decisions so far in respect of the management of forex. “We have been able to keep the exchange rate very stable which is one of the positive impact of the demand management and the totality of the forex management positions takContinued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5 , 2015

Reps ready to support fight against terrorism – Dep Speaker Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏThe Deputy Speaker, House

of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Sulaimon Lasun, has condemned the multiple explosion that occurred recently in Abuja. The condemnation was made in a press statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS Wole Oladimeji. While condemning the multiple bombs attack that happened in Kuje and Nyanyan, satellite town in the capital territory, Lasun urged Nigerians to be more security conscious. Lasun who described the masterminds of the attack as cowards urges Nigerians to be security conscious at all times. He also advised that security

agencies should be on the alert about suspicious movement by strange persons across the country. While imploring all security agencies not to relent until an end was put to the attacks, Lasun prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims and quick recovery for the injured. The Deputy Speaker, also pleaded that “the House is ready to aid government’s efforts aimed at ending insurgency and other crimes in the country.” Similarly, the Executive Secretary of Ede North local Government Area of Osun State, Dr. Tiamiyu Bello, also described the bomb explosions as uncalled for. He said, “We don’t expect such an incident at this point in time that President Muhammadu Bu-

hari is settling down and busy with fighting against any break of law and order. Bello, however, enjoined security agents in the country to be vigilant while calling on the people to assist government in fighting criminal activities saying not only in Osun State but all over the country.

ÏÏÏA

blogger, Emmanuel Ojo, has sued Ogun State Police Command and one Katib Biliamin, the Chief Security Officer to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, for his arrest and detention, demanding N150 million as damages. Ojo also asked the 1st and 2nd respondents to tender apology for his unlawful detention in two national newspapers. The blogger, who was arrested for posting on his facebook walls, a story about the alleged London police quiz of the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, for being in possession of US$300, 000 is asking for “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from arresting and or detaining him solely on account of alleged publication against Mrs

TUC condemns Abuja blasts Buhari

ÏÏÏThe Trade Union Congress

of Nigeria (TUC) has condemned last Friday night’s suicide bomb attacks in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Saturday’s in Maiduguri, describing them as needless and mindless. In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary General, Comrade (Barr.) Musa Lawal, the body appealed to the sect to stay action and listen to the voice of rea-

7 News

Blogger sues Police, Amosun’s aide for illegal detention Amosun.” Ojo, in an originating motion, on a notice filed in the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Division by his counsel Ayodeji Eniseyin, is seeking a declaration that his "right to personal liberty, freedom of movement and dignity of his person guaranteed under Section 34, 35 and 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, were violated by the respondents, their servants and/ agents who arrested and detained him in Abeokuta, Ogun State.” No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter. son, adding that human life was sacrosanct, and should, therefore, not be to be taken for whatever reason by any person. The statement, however, charged that soldiers and the policemen should be drafted to different parts of the cities respectively, including the interior villages. It was expedient now, added the statement that intelligence reports be stepped up, especially as it is being rumoured that the insurgents could have sent out more suicide bombers to the FCT and some states in the north-east.

ÏÏÏAn appeal has again been Buhari cautioned Moses Ikyaa-Gba

Some physically-challenged of Surulere Constituency 1 in a group photograph during the skill acquisition programme powered by Hon. Desmond Elliot held in Lagos…at the weekend. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI.

NCAA unveils safety policy plans Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏThe Nigerian Civil Aviation

Authority (NCAA) has unveiled the Nigeria’s State Safety Policy Statement. According to its Acting General Manager Public Affairs, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, the policy statement had been signed by the Accountable Executive, Capt. Muhtar Usman, the Director-General of the regulatory authority. Adurogboye said it had been done in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 19 on Safety Management, which was adopted by the ICAO Council on the Febru-

ary 25, 2013, which became effective on the November 14, 2013. “The Chapter 3 of the Annex requires each contracting state to establish a State Safety Programme (SSP) for the management of safety in that state. This shall be done in order to achieve an Acceptable Level of Safety Performance (ALoSP) in civil aviation. The requirement for a State Safety Programme (SSP) recognises that States as well as Service Providers have safety responsibilities. The SSP, therefore, provide a framework within which Service Providers are required to establish a Safety Management System (SMS).”

He said the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) recognised the importance of the establishment and maintenance of fundamental safety oversight systems, adding there were prerequisites to the full implementation of the State Safety Programme and called on those states with mature safety oversight systems to progress towards full implementation of SSP. “It is required that states that have achieved Effective Implementation (EI) levels of over 60 per cent should fully implement State Safety Programme (SSP) by 2017. Nigeria has achieved 72.1% implementation level during the past ICAO USOAP Audit of 2006. This is well above the required implementation level.” Adurogboye explained that

made to President Mohammedu Buhari to, as matter of urgency, to take radical approach in handling the issues of insecurity in Nigeria. The Ministerial nominee from Plateau State and a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Mr. Solomon Dalung, has also cautioned the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the use of unguarded utterances against the activities of the APC administration. Dalung told newsmen, at the weekend, in Jos, the Plateau State

Usman formally inaugurated an eleven-member State Safety Programme Implementation Unit on August 4, 2015, adding that it was to initiate the SSP processes and develop the platform for the implementation of the SSP in Nigeria. Chapter 3 of ICAO Annex 19 on Safety Management and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs), 2009 Parts 3, 6, 9, 12 and 14 state that as part of its SSP, each Contracting State shall require Service Providers to implement a Safety Management

against glorifying criminals capital, that those found perpetuating crimes of any magnitude in the villages in the name of Malitia Fulani marauders, unknown gun men should be arrested and prosecuted. He equally appealed to the Fulanis and other warring communities to sheath their daggers and embrace peace. Dalung said the administration of Buhari had given hope to all Nigerians that the APC was set to deliver on its promises.

System (SMS). He said the service providers were Approved Training Organisations (ATO) in line with Annex 1, who were exposed to safety risks related to aircraft operations during the provision of their services. Others are Air Operators Certificate (AOC) Holders, Approved Maintenance Organisations (AMO), Air Traffic (ATC) service providers, operators of Certified Aerodromes and the General Aviation operators of large or turbojet aeroplanes.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Politics INEC: The review we want in Electoral Act

Æs

Amina Zakari

Problems associated with the monitoring of election campaign finances of candidates and parties in the country are part of the issues that top the review agenda of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its proposal for the Review of the Electoral Act. This is as a result of the secrecy in the deployment of resources by candidates and politicians thus making it difficult for most of the major spending to be tracked. Besides, crises often emanat-

ing from apparent lack of internal democracy in political parties in Nigeria are also to be focused upon in the current review being pursued by the commission, it was learnt. Already, INEC is working with the National Assembly to effect a review of the country’s Electoral Act in order to ensure improvement in the electoral system in future elections in the country. The acting Chairman of INEC, Hajia Amina Zakari, unfolded the plans when she received some Foreign Defence

Attaches with the Defence Intelligence Agency at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Zakari said the commission had in the cause of carrying out the commission’s assignment, discovered some lacuna in the electoral act clauses which according to her needed some legal review. She said INEC has reminded members of the National Assembly, on the need to urgently review those clauses to improve the electoral processes. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Bayelsa: It’s a shame, ex-President is backing an aspirant – Orunimigha Barely few days to the Governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, to pick its flagbearer, Chief Tiwei Orunimigha, state Chairman of the party in this chat with newsmen bares his mind on issues of good governance, rate of crime in the state and the recent endorsement of Governor Seriake Dickson by former President Goodluck Jonathan. AKAM JAMES was there. Excerpts: With the entry of a leader of the party, Chief Timipre Sylva in the governorship race, a lot of aspirants appear to be jittery and not comfortable with the development because they had expected Sylva, as a leader to maintain this status. The fear is that there might not be a level playing ground in the contest. What are you doing to ensure a level field playing ground during the primaries? For us as a party, one of our cardinal interests is internal democracy which we have displayed at the national level. It is for us to replicate that which was done at the national level in Bayelsa State which we are trying to do. I don’t think that any of our aspirants needs be jittery. There is no need to be jittery, if the leader of the party picks a form and they are jittery, does it mean that they don’t have the qualifications to be governor? So, I don’t think anybody should be jittery about it. APC will provide the enabling playing ground for every aspirant to go round the delegates and feel free to contest elections. That, we will do for them as a party. During the declaration of Governor Seriake Dickson, the governor boasted that the APC is no match for the PDP, and we also saw some Ijaw leaders openly endorsing PDP. What is your take on this?

Jonathan

Dickson

Orunimigha

For the PDP in their own rally to be talking about the APC shows clearly, that the APC is one of the

problems they have. If we do not exist, they will not call us; if we are no match, they will not call

us. Before now, PDP in Bayelsa has never called any other party when they are running elections.

For them to remember that there is a party called APC alone signifies that there is an election coming up. For a former president of this country coming out to endorse one candidate shows the failure of his administration in Bayelsa State. For a leader like him, I think that the best way to play politics is for him to be a statesman, that way, he will be there to advise every Bayelsan that wants to serve this state as a governor. That is the way we are supposed to see him. There are some are speeches he made regards to the support of his candidate. He said: “If Bayelsans don’t vote for the PDP, mostly his candidate, Chief Seriake Dickson, that it will be a disgrace to himself and his wife.” That statement alone shows that he has mortgaged BayCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Gov. Lalong: Plateau looters will soon be arrested Chijioke Kingsley Jos

Gov Lalong

Plateau State, Governor Simon Bako Lalong said following the expiration of the two weeks grace given to those in the immedi-

ate past administration in the state who may have looted the state treasury, he has written to the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to investigate the commitCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Lamorde

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

9 Politics

Spate of kidnappings in Bayelsa depicts failure of PDP govt – Orunimigha CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

elsa for himself and his wife. And if you remember the acceptance speech of Dickson when he came into power, he said: “mummy and daddy, I will not fail you”. He was referring to the same former president Jonathan and his wife. For them, Bayelsans don’t matter, what matters to him is himself and his wife which is a very greedy statement. As far as Bayelsa State is concerned, we have gotten awareness beyond that clique. For me of the APC, that is a cabal and that is why if you remember when we came to hoist our APC flag, I made one statement, that the APC will remain the only platform for Bayelsans to galvanize themselves and actualize their dreams. And now it has materialized and it is very obvious and very true that this is the only platform that is available. PDP will shut their doors and they have already shut their doors. For a leader of that magnitude, a former president of this country to come to say that the whole state should vote for a candidate because of himself and his wife; how selfish would that be to Bayelsans? Moreover, there are some things that Governor Dickson said concerning the PDP that makes the PDP to look like a regional party. Maybe he has agreed that the PDP is now a regional party. He always says “to us Ijaw people,” which means PDP is now an Ijaw party, he has now localize the PDP to be an Ijaw party. We in the APC are all Ijaw people, and for that we want to tell Bayelsans that, that sentiment that the governor is trying to share or spread to Bayelsans will not work. APC is very mindful of the fact that so many sentiments have been spread about which is an Ijaw party and

INEC: The review we want in Electoral Act CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Jonathan all that. I think after our primaries, we still have a lot of work to do because we are prepared to take over government to salvage Bayelsa State and we are very determined. He has failed in his administration and there is a platform for Bayelsans to actualise their dreams in the APC. But do you truly believe that the APC government in Bayelsa State and at the Federal Level will be a good political decision for the region? Yes. The time in the past we had a government of Bayelsa Indigene at the National level and at the state as a governor. That should have been the height of political achievement for Bayelsa to develop the state. If you look at the state, Bayelsa does not have a capacity to develop on its own. How do I say so? The State does not have such economic benefits that will attract money bags.

opment, quickly realigned with the centre. He knew that without being a part of the government to be formed at the centre, Bayelsa cannot develop. That was how the State was able to produce the likes of D.S.P Alameiseigha and Goodluck Jonathan. And I believe that if you look at the political history, that is the junction we are now. For Bayelsa to develop, whether we like it or not and if we are politicians that want to serve, we must align with the APC government at the centre. To create development and wealth for your people, you need partnership. There is no way Bayelsa will develop without having a government at the state and working with the centre. But Bayelsa has always aligned with the centre and the development needed has not been coming. What do you

``We will continuously try to improve the electoral process through legal reviews. `Election laws are not static, they are dynamic. You have to keep on improving on them especially when something comes up, like the issue of diaspora voting, the issue of electronic voting. These are issues that require review and we will keep on recommending to the national assembly for these reviews,” Zakari said. Zakari also listed other challenges confronting the commission in carrying out its functions to include election violence, lack of internal democracy among political parties and difficulties in monitoring their election finances. The acting chairman said that INEC was already working on necessary measures to mitigate the challenges by introducing modern technologies, including the Permanent Voters Cards to the electoral process. ``We have already achieved some success in those regards but we are looking forward for more. On electoral violence, we have been able to mitigate that with the deployment of our Election Risk Management Tool and with our collaboration with the Inter-Agency Committee on Election Security (IACES)”, Zakari said. In his remark the Chief of Defence Intelligent Agency, AVM Monday Morgan, said the foreign attachés were at the commission in recognition of its roles in national

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Dickson Would they come and invest in the money in Government House. What can attract them are the basic infrastructures and the business environment that you have been able to provide. Some other things like Brass LNG, Refineries and sea ports can make investors come. So, as a person, I thought that was the time Bayelsa had the greatest opportunity. Let me tell you a simple story. In 1999, during the coming of the PDP, APP and the NSM. Late Okilo, of blessed memory, came with the NSM to Bayelsa. APP came as a party from the North and PDP also a party from the North. During the Local Government elections, in which I was of the APP and if you observed what happened in Bayelsa. The NSM won some of the seats. But the likes of Okilo, that led the Party then, saw that the PDP won the centre and because he had an eye for devel-

We will prosecute those who looted our treasury – Gov. Lalong CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Gov Lalong

tee’s report that indicted many for necessary action. Lalong stated that the EFCC will have no reason to delay the arrest and prosecution of those who were indicted by the committee set up to investigate the activities of the Jang-led administration as there were enough evidence to facilitate their arrest. He pointed out that some of them

who were arrested in the past by EFCC were arrested without any evidence and now that the commission has enough evidence against the real looters of Plateau State treasury, there should be no delay in arresting them. Lalong stated this in Jos when he hosted Journalists to a media parley and dinner at Government House, as part of activities to mark his 100 days in office. Lalong had on the 7 May, 2015,

constituted a transition committee to study all aspects of the structure, organisation and operational modalities of the Jang administration. The committee indicted the Jangled administration for allegedly mismanaging the sum of N222.3 billion. While receiving the report, Gov. Lalong pleaded with those involved in looting the treasury to quietly CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Lamorde

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Why we back Wada - Group Ibrahim Obansa Lokoja A group in the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP), Project Wada 2015, said it is throwing its weight behind the flag bearer of the party, and incumbent governor, Capt. Idris Wada, because his emergence signifies victory for the PDP. In a statement signed by the coordinator of the group, Baba Isimi, the group described Wada as most amiable, reliable, suitable, capable and dependable. Baba, while congratulating the governor on his victory, said his emergence at the primary was not only a pride to the group but to the PDP and the state at large, and advised him to carry everyone along. The group thanked all delegates and PDP loyalists for their strong expression of support and confidence in the team of Wada at the primary election. The group noted that the outcome has laid many things to rest, one of which is the confirmation that power belongs to God, and God resists the proud and exalts the humble. They congratulated other contestants particularly for their maturity in conceding defeat but appealed for team work to make the victory of PDP in the November

Gov. Lalong: Plateau looters would soon be arrested CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Idris Wada 21st governorship election easier. They also congratulated the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for a job well done in conducting a transparent, free and fair primary election devoid of any rancour and acrimony. While urging all the aspirants to support the governor, the group called on members of the party at all levels to embrace and rally round Wada irrespective of their affiliation at the primary and once again deliver a resound-

ing victory for the party at the governorship elections. “We called on members of our great party, (PDP), to support Governor Wada to win the election irrespective of their affiliation to any of the aspirants during the primary election. “We equally call on the aspirants to throw their weights behind the candidate, Governor Idris Wada who we know and trust to run an all inclusive government” they stressed.

return what they have allegedly looted from the state coffers. “I gave two weeks, which has expired. We have reported to the EFCC and in no distant time, don’t be surprised, because very soon action will take place. There was naked stealing in the state; for instance, two months salaries of local government workers was missing and when we traced, it was discovered in an individual’s account”, he alleged. Lalong said that the huge debt burden left behind by the past administration is one of the major factors that has delayed the appointment of his commissioners and has equally stopped him from receiving salary since he assumed office. The huge debt burden however could not be seen as a factor for non performance for 100 days in office as the state government has consequently approached the bank and have gotten a loan of N4.5 billion with the assurance of getting another N5 billion. The loan has been used to pay salaries and also to continue with some abandoned projects of the immediate past administration, Lalong said. “Even though some of the projects of the past administration are

Lalong doubtful, but because of the people, we have to complete them”, he added. According to him, the backlog of salaries his administration inherited from the previous administration is paramount to him, hence, he has paid up to five months. Accounting for his 100 days in office, Lalong said the loan collected will be used to address the myriad of problems his administration inherited, which is focused on a workforce whose salaries have not been paid, an educational sector that is totally grounded from the primary CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Bayelsa: It’s a shame, ex-President is not playing father to all – Orunimigha CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

think will change if the state aligned again with the centre? The issue is about the occupant of the centre. Who was the Commander-In-Chief ? It was a Bayelsan. So, it shows a disconnect. When the occupant does not have the will or capacity to do what he was supposed to do. The leader we have today is different. He is somebody that has the capacity and the political will. And so, the other thing to do is to key into the energy that has been demonstrated at the centre. And the laws of the country will always give you the zeal to participate. And the APC is the only platform available platform now to connect to that centre. None of these platforms are owned by the South-South. If you ask, somebody will tell you that the APC is a Northern Party. Is the PDP a Southern Party? It is also a Northern Party. Let me tell you, it was a clear mistake of handling the PDP that made the northerners gather under another viable option.

Dickson

Orunimigha

Do you think your party has the capacity to upstage Governor Seriake Dickson during the elections? If you tell me about the strength of the party, I don’t know what

you mean. But when you say capacity. It should be shown in the public acceptability and popularity based on the infrastructural development you put on ground. If that is what you mean. Dickson

lacks all. In fact, Dickson is one of the most unpopular leaders we have in Bayelsa State. Sitting in office and so unpopular. What about the strength and advantages of a sitting governor in an election? But you remember that the President that was just voted out of office was a sitting President. It is about what the people believe in. The people of Bayelsa believe that he has performed unacceptably. And that is the drive. And they want him to go. The people are ready to vote him out. And the APC has provided the platform. How do you see the Ijaw sentiments being expressed by the PDP? That is what I’m saying, I don’t believe in the issue of real Ijaw men and fake Ijaw men. This is a thing of nomenclature. Bayelsa is known as Ijaw land. The dialect might differ but we are all Ijaw people. I don’t know where they are heading with the sentiments. How will the APC manage those aspirants whose governorship ambition may not be

realised during the primaries? For us in the APC, if you look at our manifestoes you will see the dreams of APC and what we stand for as a party, everything is futuristic. If a candidate comes from the PDP to join us and his interest and purpose is becoming governor, and he didn’t actualised it and goes back to PDP, Bayelsans will see such people as people who only have the interest of becoming governor and not to serve. We of the APC will create the enabling ground for all aspirants to contest the primaries, and whosoever emerges as winner on that day; the party will rally round that candidate and begin to get ready for the general elections. So if any of them loses the primaries and feels that they want to go back to the PDP, already what they wanted in the PDP is already not there, so I don’t know why they are going back for because, the PDP has closed their doors because they already have a candidate. So I will urge that all of CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

11 Politics

Bayelsa: Jonathan, Dickson, a cabal that must be uprooted – Orunimigha CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

us will remain in the APC which I think is not a problem to the APC because we have the mechanism that can keep the house for further elections. How are you prepared for Asari Dokubo? We don’t know him as a Bayelsa, he doesn’t have a vote in Bayelsa. We are not prepared for non Bayelsans, and we are preparing for Bayelsans only. Just few hours after Governor Dickson’s declaration, his Special Adviser on Political Matters and his Personal Assistant were abducted. Already, the PDP has declared that it is politically motivated and accusing fingers seem to point at the APC, what is your reaction? We are too busy and intelligent for such issues. For me, it’s’ point to the direction of the failure of the state government in terms of security. For a top government official to be kidnapped, what does it points to? Failure of government! Those are top functionaries that are operating the government. So if the government itself is kidnapped, who else is safe in the street of Bayelsa? For us in the APC in as much we want to show our concern and solidarity with the family of the victim, but the issue is that the state government has failed in their responsibility, that is the way we look at it.

Is it true that governorship aspirants in the APC have been compelled to sign an undertaken that they will abide by the outcome of the primaries and remain if they don’t get the party ticket? For us as leaders of the party in the state, we have not done that and we don’t intend to do that. I am not aware if they did that at the National Secretariat of the party. We feel that everybody is obligated by the party’s Constitution and guidelines of the election. So for us to put up a document in black and white mandating people to sign, I think such is not good for the reputation of the party. But what do you think of the alleged acrimony between old and new members within the APC ahead of the governorship primaries? The news have been making rounds that the APC may not have the capacity to provide a level playing ground for all aspirants. As you know we have an history from where we are coming from. The APC is the platform in Nigeria that has provided an avenue where you see internal democracy in action. Everyone that wants to contest is allowed to contest at the centre. And that has been the norm that we are trying to imbibe as party men. As a chairman, my job is very simple. Anybody that wants to join the governorship race, the first signal that you will send to the party is when you have

Dickson acquired the form that you want to contest, the party has guidelines and rules that will make us go into screening of such candidates. And when you pass that guidelines and rules the party has set, the next thing is to go to the field. Delegates will be made public to go and vote for whoever they want. So, the party will conduct a very free and fair contest. Speculations that old members are against the new members is not true. Very soon, we will con-

duct the primaries. Do you know what the party has done in that regard? We have decided at our NEC meeting to sell the forms at the National Secretariat and provide the environment for every aspirant to buy the forms. People started speculating that if the party kept the form at the state secretariat here, the old members may not sell to the new members. We agreed that the form should be sold at the National levels and the committee that screened them also came from National. How would you react to the continued claim to a faction of the APC by Chief Richard Kpodo? For us in the APC, we don’t know him because he has been expelled and he doesn’t make any sense to us as a person. He has been invited severally by the security agencies for impersonation which he has ran away for a long time claiming that he has not seen the invitation from the security agencies. I am very aware that he was invited by the Nigerian Police and the SSS but ran away I want to tell you that APC is not factionalized and for you of the press to even calling him factional leader, I think you are not doing well. We don’t have a faction in APC. You have seen us organize programmes and rallies here in the presence of our national leaders. It is very wrong for the press to be addressing him as the factional leader.

INEC: The review we want in Electoral Act CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

development, especially the promotion of democracy. Morgan who was represented by Col. Everest Okoro, as the leader of the delegation said that the visit of the foreign attaché to INEC was necessitated by the accolades that followed the 2015 general election. He said the attachés were at INEC basically to familiarise themselves with activities of the commission as part of its routine visits. ``We are all aware that we just concluded the last general elections which were internationally and widely acclaimed to be a huge success. So it is not surprising that there is a lot of interest to finding out what led to the successes”. Most of the attachés are from African defence agencies and you know democracy in Africa is something that is just growing. So there are interests to understand how it is done, possibly to pick one or two things which they will take back to their countries. The attaches were from different countries, including United States of America, France, Sudan Angola, United Kingdom and Niger among others.

Gov. Lalong: Looters to be arrested, prosecuted soon CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

to the tertiary level with all the lingering challenges of unstructured governance in the sector, awards of road and other infrastructure contracts without funds to complete them. Others are: security challenges that have threatened lives and the means of livelihood in the Northern Senatorial district. Gov. Lalong however said that his administration will also focus on resolving the issue of the virtually empty state treasury and the deplorable condition of limited potential for revenue earning, among others. “Hundred days would certainly not be enough to asses any political office holder but however, it is certainly a good platform to test run what a future assessment of a political office holder will look like

at the end of his tenure in office”, he added. Coming from a new government under a new political platform, it would be expected that there would not be continuity in governance as the new political party in power will want to jettison the works of the previous government in power to chart a new course. However, for Lalong-led government, political pundits said the situation is different as the governor has strove to complete the ongoing projects inherited from his predecessor. One of the major projects inherited is the Plateau State House of Assembly Complex which was under construction by the immediate past government but has now been completed and commissioned within three months of assumption in office. Gov. Lalong who said without

blowing his trumpet, the enormity of challenges he met on ground are now being resolved as his administration has been able to surmount most of them such as payment of workers salary arrears for five months as well as three months pension arrears; resumed road construction on 18 on-going metropolitan roads, almost completed the Federal Low cost Housing network of roads; commenced construction work on the Rantya Road network; Purchase and distributed 650 trucks of fertiliser on assumption of office, through a community based distribution, which involves Ward and District Heads to eliminate the sharp practices associated with middle men; resumption of intensive work on the Secretariat fly-over bridge. Others are: reinstatement of the Vice-Chancellor of Plateau State University (PLASU), Prof. D.D.D

Sheni and the reconstitution of the Governing Council with Prof. Attahiru Jega as Pro Chancellor and Chairman; facilitated funding of the minimum National Judicial Council (NJC) requirements for approval to have six new High Court Judges; Funded Plateau State contingents participation in the All African Games Trials in Abuja, the National Weightlifting Championship, as well as the Taekwando Championship in Lagos; funded Plateau United Club Promotion Campaign to the Premiership of the Nigeria Football League; undertook the first ever advocacy visit by a Plateau State Governor to Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and National University Commission (NUC) to advocate for interventions in Plateau State Tertiary Institutions and accreditation of programmess in the University; inaugurat-

ed the first Joint Community Peace and Reconciliation Committee after several security consultative meetings on the Berom-Fulani crisis; held several stakeholders and ministerial consultation on a wide range of governance issues, among many others. “Beyond the place of expenditure on physical public infrastructure and sundry interventions in critical arrears of education, health, environmental emergencies, government is committed to finding lasting solution to any threat to peace. This has resulted in restructuring of the operational Peace enforcement mandate of the Special Task Force to Operation Safe Heaven as it is now known. In this regards, Government will continue to pursue the outcome of several consultations on security with Mr. President”, the governor emphasised.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Fulani herdsmen in Yorubaland: You’re insensitive, Afenifere blasts ACF Segun Adio, News Editor

ÎÎÎ

The pan Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, on Sunday, described the reaction of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) regarding its warning that Fulani herdsmen should stay away from Yoruba land henceforth or face dare consequences as nauseating and highly insensitive. The ACF had at the weekend described Afenifere’s warning as unpleasant and capable of plunging the nation into unnecessary crisis. The ACF also noted that the position of the pan-Yoruba group was an embarrassment and disappointment to the North.

But Afenifere in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, on Sunday, made available to the Daily Times, said the ACF’s reaction “highlights the clash of civilizations in Nigeria and why Nigeria as presently constituted cannot work”. “It shows that those we call compatriots have more value for the rights of cows than the lives of our people. “If the herdsmen are behaving like vandals all over our space; we expect their elites to show better values by out rightly denouncing their menacing activities. However, the ACF statement only shows that they and the herdsmen only see us as a conquered territory,” Odumakin said.

‘CBN returns N740b to banks’ Continued from page 6 en by the CBN. Irrespective of the actions taken by JP Morgan, we will continue to manage and preserve the foreign exchange for Nigeria and Nigerians and do what is best in the interest of Nigeria. The banker’s committee has endorsed the activities of the CBN and agree to continue to make effective supply available to key segments of the economy including manufacturing”. On a final note, Managing Director of EcoBank, Mr. Jibril Aku, stressed that that many bank account holders have con-

FG to ease foreign currency restrictions in the long term — Osinbajo

tinued to show apathy to the ongoing Bank Verification Number (BVN) registration, as only about 20 million out of about 52 million active bank accounts in various banks in Nigeria have so far been enrolled as at September, 2015, according to data made available by the CBN, representing a 38.46 per cent compliance rate for the exercise as at date. He disclosed that the CBN has ruled out further extension of the October 31st deadline and has advised non-compliant customers to take advantage of the remaining 28 days to get enrolled.

ÎÎÎThe

Federal Government is to keep the restrictions on foreign currency for now to preserve the country’s currency reserves amid plunging oil revenues, but will eventually relax them. Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, who defended the restrictions, said they

On the statement by the Association of Fulani Chiefs of South West Nigeria and Miyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, that banning nomadic cattle rearing as proposed by Afenifere is a violation of 1999 constitu-

tion, Odumakin described it as absurd and inconsiderate. He insisted that the South West has had enough of the marauding activities of the Fulani herdsmen on our land which must end. He said: “The Cattle Rearers Association quoting the

constitution and other treaties to justify the violation of our people by the Fulani herdsmen is quite absurd and vey inconsiderate. Do those laws they quoted abolished the rights of our people at the appearance of herdsmen? If they insisted

nomadic grazing is a way of life for the Fulani, why are they not doing it on their soil since the north has the biggest land mass? “We insist that we have had enough of the marauding activities of the Fulani herdsmen on our land”.

L-R: Comedian/Singer, Hammed Basheer; Marketing Manager, OLX, Fifemayo Aiyesimoju; Actor, Kunle Afolayan; Country Manager, OLX, Lola Masha; Afolayan’s friend, Arthur Dieffenthler and Public Relation Manager, OLX, Uche Nwagboso, during the 3rd year anniversary of OLX in Lagos…at the weekend. Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI

We’ll soon expose Boko Haram sponsors – Army ÎÎÎThe

with those that carried out those acts, is ongoing. They will be exposed in due course.” Major General Yushau Abubakar, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri, said that the military had already gotten clues about those involved in the recent suicide bombings in Maiduguri. “We searched the houses and certain items that we recovered at the vicinity gave us some clues.” He said that although

investigations had commenced on the clues but that it would take time before reaching a conclusion. He made it clear that no amount of distractions would deter the military from ending terrorism in Nigeria by December, adding that the bombings were aimed at diverting the attention of the military from achieving its target in the ongoing antiterrorism war. “I want to assure all that for every second that pass-

es, we get more committed to fighting the insurgents; we cannot be deterred. We are doing as much as we could to ensure that we completely eradicate the insurgents as quickly as possible because we are aware of the timeline within which to complete the task.” Abubakar said the military is currently working on a strategy that would enable individuals pass vital information to security agents without being noticed.

had enabled the country’s foreign currency reserves to stabilise but said they were only a short-term measure. “We want an open foreign exchange market. But that market must be one that has the resources to make it robust and open,” Osinbajo told reporters late on Saturday.

“So, long term, we expect that the Central Bank will ease restrictions as we go along.” “In fact, medium to long term and hopefully we will be able to go back to more or less where there was greater freedom of movement (before) current restrictions,” he said. Osibanjo also said Ni-

geria’s economic growth should pick up “a bit” in the next quarters, after halving in the second quarter year-on year, as power supplies had improved. “We are well on the way to getting out of the worst part of where we are today,” he said, dismissing fears the country could

slip into recession next year. He also said there would be no exemption for state bodies to transfer revenues into a single account at the central bank, part of a drive to combat graft by President Muhammudu Buhari. Banks have complained the rule has sucked up liquidity.

Nigerian Army on Sunday said very soon those who are either participating, hiding, fuelling or conniving with members of Boko Haram sect to launch the deadly attacks in parts of the country will be exposed. This was disclosed by the Theatre Commander, Operation “Lafiya Dole,” Major General Yushau Abubakar, adding that “investigation on those that we suspect that are either participating or hiding, fuelling or conniving

13 International

Daily Times Nigeria Monday October 5, 2015

Russian jets intensifies airstrikes in Syria

12 killed in fresh Burundi protests ÏÏÏAt

Clockwise, from left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and French President Francois Hollande hold an informal meeting in Paris, France, Oct. 2, 2015.

ÏÏÏRussia said Sunday its forces

continued "intensifying" airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, and that the bombings have disrupted the group's infrastructure and logistical support. A Ministry of Defense statement said Russian warplanes struck 10 Islamic State targets in the previous 24 hours, including training camps, arms depots and command posts. Most of the strikes were located in Idlib province in western Syria, while others hit near the de facto Islamic State capital of Raqqa. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights re-

ported additional suspected Russian airstrikes Sunday in Homs and Hama, areas located south of Idlib. Russia pledged Saturday to boost the aerial campaign it began late last week despite questions and criticism from Western governments that say Russian jets are largely bombing rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and not Islamic State fighters. British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his opposition Sunday, saying he welcomed Russia's help in the yearlong campaign to fight the Islamic State group, but that achieving security

in the region will require an alternative to Assad's government. "What is happening is that they are backing the butcher Assad, which is a terrible mistake for them and for the world," Cameron told BBC. "It's going to make the region more unstable, it will lead to further radicalization and increased terrorism, and I would say to them, change direction." Britain's defense chief said Saturday that only 5 percent of Russia's airstrikes had targeted the extremists. On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama insisted the conflict is not going to become a "proxy war" be-

tween Washington and Moscow, even as the two countries conduct airstrikes on different groups inside Syria. President Barack Obama speaks to reporters in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Oct. 2, 2015. President Barack Obama speaks to reporters in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Oct. 2, 2015. "This is not some superpower chessboard contest," Obama said at a White House news conference.At the same time, he was critical of Russia's military engagement in Syria, calling it a "recipe for disaster."

New Guinea Bissau PM, President on war path

ÏÏÏGuinea-Bissau's

president has accused the new prime minister of overstepping his constitutional bounds by claiming the right to name the cabinet, suggesting a months-old political crisis in the coup-prone West African state is not over. President Jose Mario Vaz said in a statement it was the head of state's prerogative to decided the structure of the cabinet and review the names proposed for ministerial appointments by his prime

Doctors Without Borders withdraw from Kunduz

minister. "The statement of the prime minister, Carlos Correia, concerning the submission of the list for a new cabinet is unconstitutional," Vaz said, after Correia submitted a list. The comments marked the first flaring of tensions between Vaz and veteran politician Correia, who was sworn into office in the former Portuguese colony on September 17 in a bid to end a political standoff that had sown fears of

ÏÏÏA

medical aid group said Sunday it has pulled staff from Kunduz where a suspected U.S. airstrike on its hospital there killed at least 19 people, including three children, and denied reports that Taliban fighters were firing at Afghan and NATO forces from the hospital. "All critical patients have been referred to other health facilities and no MSF staff are working

Guinea-Bissau slipping back towards chaos after a 2012 coup. The crisis erupted after Vaz, who won power in elections last year, dismissed prime minister Domingoes Simoes Pereira on August 13 after long-running tensions over their respective powers. The supreme court then ruled that Vaz's unilateral appointment of Baciro Dja as prime minister, against the wishes of the ruling PAIGC party, was unconstitutional.Over the last decade, the turmoil

in Guinea Bissau has allowed drug traffickers to use the tiny, cashewgrowing nation as a transit point for South American cocaine headed to Europe. Law enforcement officials have expressed concern that further chaos could allow traffickers to thrive once again. In an effort to kick-start GuineaBissau's economy, Vaz last week met Chinese investors who signed a memorandum of understanding for investments in agriculture, health and manufacturing.

in our hospital," said Kate Stegeman, the communications manager for Doctors Without Borders, using the French acronym for the organization. Polly Markandya, a Doctors Without Borders representative in London, said staff and patients had been relocated to two other facilities in Kabul and another location two hours away from the city.

MSF has said the airstrike, probably carried out by U.S.-led coalition forces, killed 12 staff and seven patients on Saturday in its hospital, leaving 37 wounded. MSF described the attack as "sustained bombing" that continued for more than "30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed" of the airstrikes.

least a dozen civilians have been killed in weekend clashes between police and anti-government protesters in the Burundi capital Bujumbura, sources told AFP on Sunday. The deadly clashes are the latest in months of unrest triggered by President Pierre Nkurunziza's successful bid to win a third term in office, a move opponents said was against the law and the terms of a peace deal that ended a 13-year civil war in 2006. "The clashes started at noon on Saturday," said deputy police spokesperson Pierre Nkurikiye, who blamed "armed criminals" for attacking his officers in Mutakura, a northern suburb. "Two of the assailants were killed and two policemen injured," said Nkurikiye. But witnesses told AFP that Saturday's clashes were more widespread, and more deadly. In Cibitoke, a protest hotspot since April that borders Mutakura, six corpses were found on the streets with bullet wounds early Sunday, according to three witnesses and a local official.

Displaced, hungry after South Sudan's peace deal ÏÏÏCradles and baskets bal-

anced on their heads, thousands of women and children streamed in from the bush to two outposts in the swamps of Koch county in Unity state, the heart of South Sudan's civil war. "I came here because at home we have nothing - no food," said Nyapar Kueth, lining up in Koch town with hundreds of colourfully robed women to receive sacks of grain from the World Food Programme (WFP). "We have been eating the fruits from the trees." In August, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his rival, former vice president Riek Machar, a Nuer, signed a peace agreement to end what is now 21 months of fighting. Tens of thousands have been killed in South Sudan's civil war, which largely pits Dinka against Nuer, and more than two million have been displaced, according to the UN. Now that there is a shaky peace deal, aid groups are trying to reestablish access to communities cut off by violence, who some fear face famine. A convoy of aid helicopters recently brought food, medicine, and other goods to Koch county for the first time since May, when a devastating government offensive swept through the area.

News14

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Soyinka vs Oyinlola: Court opens case over UNESCO Centre tussle next Monday Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏA Federal High Court, sit-

ting in Osogbo, will begin hearing on Monday, October 12, over the leadership tussle between Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. It would be recalled that there was leadership tussle rocking the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, a Category II Facility, under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). However, a contrary claim by

Oyinlola’s led board of the Centre said that the court handling the leadership tussle rocking the Centre had ruled in its favour. But a notice of hearing obtained from the Federal High Court, Osogbo, stated that the hearing of the suit with registration number FHC/OS/CS/3/2013, on the leadership tussle on the Centre, will start by 9am on 12th October, 2015. The court order listing the suit for hearing on the date was issued by the court on 14th September, 2015 and the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and two others, including the governor of Osun State and the Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, are listed as defendants

in the suit. The hearing notice, however, asked all the parties involved to bring forward all the evidence by witnesses or by documents, which each of them desires to rely on in support of their case and in contradictions of that of his opponent. The hearing notice read in part, “The proof will be required at the hearing and not on a subsequent day, and parties failing to bring their evidence forward at the proper time, may find themselves absolutely precluded from adducing it at all, or at best only allowed to do so on payment of substantial costs to the other side, and on such other terms as the court thinks fit

to impose. “Parties desirous to enforce the attendance of witnesses should apply at once to the court to issue one or more summonses for the attendance of the witnesses required. It is indispensable that the applications should be made so as to allow time for reasonable notice to the witnesses required. “If either party desires to use in evidence that the hearing any book or document in the possession or power of the other party, he must give the other party reasonable notice in writing to produce it at the hearing, failing which he will not be allowed to give any secondary evidence of its contents."

Bishop carpets NGOs over rip-off of sickle cell patients Nkiru Nwagvo Awka

ÏÏÏThe

L-R: Secretary-General, Kwara State Marketers Association, Alhaji Moshood Bello; Iyaloja-General, Hajia Adenike Lambe, Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed and Babaloja-General, Alhaji Tunde Jimoh, during a courtesy call on the Governor at Government House, Ilorin...at the weekend

Ekiti: ASUSS, NUT renew crisis Gbenga Sodeinde

Ado Ekiti The warring faction between the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ekiti State, over the open display of preference by Governor Ayo Fayose for NUT, have triggered more crisis between the two unions. They complained that the body had been denied its rights and privileges, particularly in Governor Fayose's government due to the hate campaign, and the erroneous impression the NUT has been spreading against it. The body, in a statement signed by its State Chairman, Com Sola

ÏÏÏ

Adigun and made available to newsmen on Sunday, expressed worry over how Fayose had overtly been expressing preference for Nigeria Union of Teachers, not minding the feelings of the ASUSS members. Adigun said the NUT Chairman in Ekiti, Comrade Samuel Akosile, has bamboozled everybody in government to believe that ASUSS is opposed to Fayose, thereby causing their exclusion from the ceremony, describing this as an open display of ignorance by those that were saddled with the task of improving and revamping the education sector. Adigun disclosed that 13 months deductions from members’

monthly salaries as check off dues, which ordinary would have been remitted to ASUSS are being withheld by government, owing to the blackmail from the NUT. NUT Chairman had during a press conference to herald the World Teachers’ Day last Wednesday, described ASUSS “as an illegal body” and accused “ex-governor Kayode Fayemi of breaching the law to have granted it recognition. “Before any union can operate, it has to be registered by the Registrar of the Trade Unions in Abuja. Former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola did not recognize ASUSS. He told members that as a senior lawyer that he cannot breach the law. So, ASUSS to us, is an illegal body”, Akosile reiterated.

Anglican Bishop of Awka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Alexander Ibezim has berated those he described as fake non-governmental organisations (NGO), who he accused of extorting money meant for sickle cell patients for their own selfish interests. It would be recalled that the Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder, had lamented over the manner most organisations in the country have been duping members of the public in the name of raising funds for the treatment of their members, urging government and public not to assist them. Disclosing this at Ekwulobia, in Aguata Local Government Area of the State, during a stakeholders meeting of the body, the Bishop, represented by Ven. Samuel Okonkwo, the Hospital Administrator of Awka Anglican Diocese, commended the President of the body, Aisha Edward, for dissociating herself from those NGO’s and her sustained fight against them. He announced that the church has continued to assist sickle cell patients in its parishes, assured that they would not relent in their efforts to see to the welfare of people living with sickle cell disease. In her address at the occasion, the president of the association, Aisha Edward, noted that the sole purpose for initiating the association is to bridge the gap between those living with sickle cell disorder and the benevolent members of the society.

Flood threatens Delta communities Monday Osayande

Asaba The Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Friday Osanebi has raised the alarm that scores of communities along River Niger in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the State are under severe threat of flooding and coastal erosion. Osanebi said in Asaba on Sunday that his special monitoring team that went round the areas, reported that communities like Adiai, Onyah, Utchi, Obeche, AballaOsimili are flood prone areas, and advised those living along the area and other low lying coastal erosion to relocate now to up land to avert casualties. The Deputy Speaker recalled the sad incident and the death of a traditional ruler, the Agadagba of Adiai kingdom, in Ndokwa East, HRH Enueshike in the 2012 flood disaster, and enjoined all council Chairmen in the State to take a proactive measures in the control of the flood in their localities to prevent any casualty this year.

ÏÏÏ

HURIWA cautions on allocating Defence, AGF offices to North

ÏÏÏAs

Nigerians are in high expectations of the Tuesday's official unveiling of the names of the members of the soon to be inaugurated Executive Council, President Muhammadu Buhari has been cautioned against nominating Nigerians of Northern extractions to occupy the high profile and sensitive offices. Specifically mentioned are the offices like Federal Attorney General / Minister of Justice and Minister of Defence, arguing that the North has got more than its fair share of representations at the very highest security and administrative levels in the appointments made so far by Mr. President, who is equally from the North. Making the observations is the pro-democracy non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA ), in a media statement jointly endorsed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, just as it asked that the President respects the constitutional provisions.

Buhari

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

15 Opinion

Forgetting the labours of past heroes

C Alhassan Ismail Mustapha

ongratulations compatriots, it has been 55 years since our liberation, 55 years since the Union Jack was lowered for the last time signifying the end of colonial rule. This was one of the most joyous periods of our modern history: as a people we seized our basic right of being able to rule ourselves. We were optimistic as we were blessed with a lot of resources and like freed captives, this was our new dawn. In the space of five decades, together; we have survived a civil war, suffered various political instability, varying epidemics and disasters, and witnessed daunting tasks in nation building, endured terrorism and just recently celebrated “change” amongst many other occurrences documented in our national history. However as we continue our daily lives it is more or less we have forgotten the path that have lead us to freedom although we have not had our own central unifying figure who would have rallied us as a people and built an ideal nation as South Africa had Mandela, India had the duo of Gandhi and Nehru, Singapore had Yew; lest we forget every nation has its own historical peculiarity and in our case as archaeological research has

shown that as early as 11,000 BC our forebears cohabited peaceful, traded with one another and tolerated each other’s diversity. Following several events that eventually led to our colonisation, it is worthy of note that we have become one of the very few nations on the planet who have had men and women whose sacrifice made our sovereignty a reality. Martin Luther King Jr did say “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals” Today as the green and white flag hoisted across the country flies high, I ask where is the nation our founding fathers fought and died for? The country, the father of Nigeria’s nationalism Herbert Macaulay campaigned against colonial rule and discrimination, before his unfortunate death. The country Emmanuel Ifeajuna was proud to represent whilst becoming the first Black African to win a gold medal at a major international sports competition. Oh that mother land where sages like Obafemi Awolowo stood up against mediocrity and drift in its government, fighting for libera-

tion and seeking a Path to Nigerian Freedom and been critical of British policies of indirect administration. That country where Ahmadu Bello who dedicated to his struggle toward unification of his people was assassinated in cold blood with his wife Saadatu. That country where Wole Soyinka, was charged in absentia with treason, while In exile. That beloved great country whose patriot of a Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was overthrown and murdered with his body discovered at a roadside six days after he was ousted from office. The giant of a country the great Zik of Africa continued to seek to unite nationally and attaining the rare status of a truly national hero who came to be admired across the regional and ethnic lines dividing his country.” This is the very country where Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Mother of African nationalism advocated the Nigerian woman’s right to vote. Nigeria that country whose foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activist Anthony Enahoro’s continuous attempt to move the motion for Nigeria’s independence lead to our liberation today. Oh Nigeria where Moshood Abiola was arrested imprisoned and died of a heart attack.

The great pride of Africa whose dogged Nigerian daughter Margaret Ekpo advanced the rights of women and their participation in politics whilst also becoming a principal actor during the early political history and struggle for independence. This is the very country whose son Samuel Ládòkè Akíntólá who was a thorn in the flesh of the colonial masters was killed in the bloody coup of January 15, 1966. The very country angels like Stella Adadevoh sacrifice their lives for its very survival and existence. Akanu Ibiam, Michael Imoudu , Mallam Aminu Kano, Remi FaniKayode, Joesph Tarfa, David Obadiah Vrengkat Lot, General Yakubu Gowon, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Victims of terror, The chibok girls, men and women of the army, everyday citizens who suffer mismanagement of our resources daily. The list of our heroes is endless! These splendors that come today, before we could peaceful inhabit this “geographic space’, before the coming of democracy and the right to vote or any right what so ever that comes with it. We would continually remain indebted to their sacrifice because as Dr. Oby Ezekwesili puts it “Leadership is the sacrifice offered that others may thrive.”So 55 years later we say thank you to these heroes!

Saraki as Buhari’s collateral damage

Jude Ndukwe

rior to the March 28 presidential election and shortly after it just before the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, many waited in expectations and eventually heaved a sigh of relief at what seemed to be a change of unsatisfactory performance by the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Muhammadu Buhari was widely acclaimed as the needed and longawaited messiah to take Nigeria to that utopian state of socio-economic haven and respect for the rights of the citizens. Buhari was packaged as a repentant dictator who is purportedly now in tune with requirements of modern day democracy and the dictates of the rule of law. But just like every package, the true contents unfold only when the lid is lifted. With recent events, the claim of Buhari and his spin doctors that he is now a democrat and no longer that autocratic leader has failed abysmally. From the wanton harassment of Nigerians by security operatives to the invasion of private and official homes of citizens Gestapo-style and the witch hunt of political opponents for lawful dissent, the real Buhari keeps unfolding every day. It is no longer secret that since

Buhari came to power, he has shown a grave lack of respect for the polity and our delicate realities. He has carried on as if certain people and regions do not either matter or they are not Nigerians. His appointments so far indicate a president who is not only myopic but one who lacks foresight. His claim that he had to appoint those whom he trusted is socially expedient but politically suicidal and nationalistically murderous. The question is, how did Buhari fare when these loyal apostles of his were with him? Were they able to deliver the presidency to him? if not for his new breed of friends from different parts of the country who teamed up with him not because he was in any way near the class of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan but for the very fact that they were all driven by one desperate ambition to have Jonathan leave Aso Rock by all and any means possible, Buhari’s ambition to become Nigeria’s president would have remained an eternal mirage . In the end, such people can only be classified as “local champions” whose influence and loyalty to their principal could not deliver him the presidency until the intervention of powerful forces outside the immediate clique of Buhari. Fact is that Buhari is one man who does whatever he likes irrespective of what the nation thinks and no matter

whose ox is gored. As a man not used to democratic practices and one who is finding it extremely difficult to come to terms that he cannot govern Nigeria alone as a sole administrator, Buhari’s only choice is to create excuses and keep giving them as reasons why he does not have a cabinet four months after inauguration. The formation of a cabinet simply means meetings would have to be conveyed and decisions would have to be reached by means not akin to dictatorial norms. The implication is that some of Buhari’s wishes might meet brick walls before ministers who might knock him out with superior arguments and proposals. He understands how scandalous things can be for him if one or two ministers decide to resign because of his high-handedness and incapability to succumb to superior proposals and submissions. For this, he might prefer to continue to rule alone. It would have been understandable if things were either working or looking up in the country without ministers, but as it is, things are getting worse by the day. The economic indices are not favourable just as our economic ratings in the international community have dropped drastically. Recently, the Nigeria Labour Congress confirmed that 60,000 of its members lost their jobs in the construction industry alone in the first three months

of Buhari’s presidency. Other private sector players including banks are regularly laying off workers in their thousands just to survive the negative impacts of an ill-thought out Treasury Single Account policy for MDAs. This seems to be how Buhari is wired and it is unfortunate that for him to continue running Nigeria like a sole proprietor, Senator Bukola Saraki, president of the Senate of the Federal Republic becomes the victim and the proverbial sacrificial lamb. Buhari seems to detest working with ministers. He would only do so because the constitution compels him to so do. That is widely acknowledged. No one would want to work with mere “noise makers”! While the confusion in the senate lasts, and fascinated by such intrigues, Nigerians would be pre-occupied with them as Buhari keeps dishing out policies as he likes without a cabinet. Senator Bukola saraki’s travails are not unconnected with the calculation by the Buhari’s camp to continue to foist anti-democratic and dangerous political experiments on Nigerians while the senate continues in an unending battle for self-preservation. Unfortunately and in all these, Senator Bukola Saraki is the collateral damage!

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Business Times Æ s

Sterling Bank lauds customers Adesola Akindele “Customers are the reasons for our continued existence and they have been part of our success story thus far. As a responsible and customer sensitive financial institution, we are poised to continue to appreciate them from time to time through quality product offering and services. The Customer Service Week provides the right platform to achieve this”. With these words, the Group Head, Strategy & Communications of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Shina Atilola announced plans to celebrate the customers of the Bank who have remained loyal to the brand over the years. The Customer Service Week, held annually during the first full week of October, is a global event which celebrates and recognizes the loyalty of every organization’s customers as well as staff who render excellent service. The week is planned to boost staff morale and encourage team work, while rewarding customers. This theme for the celebration this year is “Every day Heroes”. This according to Mr. Atilola was chosen to further reinforce this assertion by celebrating both customers and staff in a unique way. In Nigeria, numerous companies and organizations participate by giving back to their customers every day of the week. This reminds customers of the organizations’ commitment to customer satisfaction. As part of the plans, the Bank has introduced what it called the Sterling Heroes Campaign aimed at appreciating the uniqueness of its customers and celebrating the stories. Similarly, a “Sterling Cares” Campaign in partnership with Genesis Deluxe Cinemas who provided members of the public free movie tickets was flagged off on Independence Day in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu. His words: “This Heroes campaign would entail Staff nominating customers who have inspiring stories and deserve to be celebrated. The top 10 customers as voted by staff would be celebrated every day of the Customer Service Week and awarded gifts. Other walk-in customers of the Bank will also enjoy special treats at the Bank’s branches during the Customer Service Week.

L-R: Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Managing Director, Floodgate Insurance Brokers, Mr. Rotimi Olukorede; Managing Director, See The World Travels and Tours Limited, Mrs. Awoderu Iyabo Oluwatosin and Facilitator, Sterling MSME Academy/Director, Mark George Consultants, Mr. Olugbolahan Mark-George, at the formal opening of the bank’s MSME Academy in Lagos last weekend.

NCC boss cautions against buying pre–registered SIM cards Augustine Okezie, Abuja The Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications commission, Professor Umaru Garba Dambatta, has called on Nigerians to shun the practice of buying and distribution of pre-registered Sim cards as it is a criminal act punishable by imprisonment Prof Dambatta who made the call during the NCC special day

at the ongoing 10th Abuja International Trade fair, further warned that anybody involved in the sale, distribution and use of pre-registered SIM is considered a threat to national security and will likely face its ugly consequences The NCC boss further assured consumers that the commission has stepped up several measures aimed at monitoring and improving the quality of services in the industry hence a special task

force called ‘’Quality service task force’’ has been established by his commission to further identify and recommend appropriate and lasting solutions to the issue Prof. Dambatta also identified the use of counterfeit devices as constituting an impediment to efficient quality service delivery and promised that the commission will work in collaboration with agencies like the Customs Service, Standards organization of Nigeria, etc for ways to stop

the importation of these devices in the country While commending Telecom Consumers or their patience especially during the de-activation of improperly and invalidly registered SOM cards, Professor Dambatta assured them that the commission in not unmindful of the inconveniences they are experiencing in the process, maintaining that the temporary hardships they are suffering will soon be over.

NCAA unveils safety policy statement Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has unveiled the Nigeria’s State Safety Policy Statement. According to Mr Sam Adurogboye, acting general manager public affairs, the policy statement has been signed by the Accountable Executive, Capt. Muhtar Usman, the Director General of the regulatory authority. Adurogboye said it had been done in compliance with the re-

quirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 19 on Safety Management, which was adopted by the ICAO Council on the 25th of February, 2013 which became effective on the 14th of November, 2013. “The Chapter 3 of the Annex requires each Contracting state to establish a State Safety Programme (SSP) for the management of safety in that state. This shall be done in order to achieve an Acceptable Level of Safety Performance (ALoSP) in civil

aviation. The requirement for a State Safety Programme (SSP) recognises that States as well as Service Providers have safety responsibilities. The SSP therefore provide a framework within which Service Providers are required to establish a Safety Management System (SMS)” He said the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) recognised the importance of the establishment and maintenance of fundamental safety oversight systems adding there were prerequi-

sites to the full implementation of the State Safety Programme and called on those states with mature safety oversight systems to progress towards full implementation of SSP. “It is required that states that have achieved Effective Implementation (EI) levels of over 60 per cent should fully implement State Safety Programme (SSP) by 2017. Nigeria has achieved 72.1% implementation level during the past ICAO USOAP Audit of 2006. This is well above the required implementation level”

Money 18

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Unions, NCAA at logger heads over workers’ welfare Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and leading industry unions may clash very soon over promotion of workers in the regulatory agency. This is as the unions gave the agency’s management 14 days ultimatum to effect promotion of workers in-line with their terms of engagements or face its wrath. The unions led by the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE and Air Transport Senior Staff Services of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, accused NCAA management of dillydallying with the promotion of its members, which was due since January 2015. The General-Secretary, NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye disclosed to our correspondent that the unions in agreement with the workers may in less

Abioye

Invest more in South East, Ohanaeze urges Igbo Mathew Dadiya, Abuja The President of Ohanaeze Ndi-Igbo in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Mazi Odozi Elijah Nwodozi has hailed Igbos (Ndi-Igbo) for their contributions toward national development in every nooks and cranny of the country, advising them to direct most of their investments to Igboland. The president gave the advice to Ndi-Igbo within and outside the country during the 2015 celebration of Igbo Day and New Yam Festival in FCT. The theme of the celebration was “Ako na Uche na Idi na Otu”, meaning, “Tact and Unity”, Nwodozi therefore said that he was not against sons and daughters of the ethnic nationality who have various investments outside homeland not to do that at the expense of developing their homeland. He called for the protection of lives and properties of Ndi-Igbo in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, saying “everything must be done to create premium on our people’s lives and properties. Odozi Elijah Nwodozi called for rekindling of Igbo language and culture and charged entrepreneurs among Ndi-Igbo to establish Igbo language newspapers which according to him would go

a long way toward reinvigoration of the language and rich cultures of the tribe. He spoke on the need for NdiIgbo to not use the artificial creation of geo-political zones in Nigeria to discriminate against themselves, just as he said that Ndi-Igbo in the Diaspora should know that they have equal rights with those at home. Speaking on the Muhammadu Buhari led government; he said the president did not appoint any Igbo son or daughter into his kitchen cabinet because they voted in line with their conscience, warning that such discrimination could enhance disunity. Mr President should keep the promise he made during his acceptance speech that “l belong to everybody and to nobody,” the Royal Father urged. He opined that all Nigerian children have equal right to gain admission into unity schools, just as he frowned at favouritism being done to northern children to that effect. He said such policy promotes disunity and acrimony among youths in any nation. Mazi Odozi Elijah Nwodozi ended his speech by explaining that the reason behind the world wide celebration which is done yearly was to remember Ndi-Igbo who died both in pogrom, civil war and various Igbo phobic attacks in Nigeria.

than two weeks ground activities in the agency over what he called “nonchalant attitude of the management” over the issue. Abioye said that those who were due for promotion ought to have faced a board of interview panel and issued promotion letters if they were successful, but accused the management of trying to reinvent the wheels by setting examinations for them. He said, “The management of NCAA has been playing some pranks so to speak because ordinarily, people who are due for promotion ought to have received their letters since January or there about, but as we speak those letters are not forthcoming. “The management is trying to introduce a new policy that is not known to the condition of service, which is that they said the ministry of aviation directed them to conduct an examination if it is not the conditions and

terms of employment of these individuals and we gave them till 30thSeptember, 2015 to effect that.” He noted that the unions before its congress at the NCAA headquarters in Lagos last Wednesday, had held similar congresses in Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Abuja Airports where it was resolved that the unions should give the management till 14thOctober, 2015 before grounding activities in the agency. Abioye urged the management of NCAA to respect the terms and conditions of employment as contained in the condition of service, which all parties entered into. “We are going to take all lawful and legal steps to ensure that we do what we have capacity and capability to do, which the last resort will be a strike action because we are tired of impunity of the NCAA management.”

MTN offers Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute for clientele service Tony Nwakaegho MTN Business has taken another step in moving African enterprises closer to accessing cloud services as the company said it would offer Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute to its clientele. Daily Times gathered that customers can use Azure ExpressRoute as a value added service,(VAS) to enable a securityenhanced, SLA-backed network connection to Microsoft Azure, while Azure ExpressRoute will also give customers connectivity access to additional services on Azure. The service will leverage *MTN’s Global MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network, which connects major cities across Africa and the rest of the world, to provide customers with a consistent experience when utilising applications that are delivered from Azure ExpressRoute. “Through Azure ExpressRoute, our customers can experience a managed network service with the same reliability, manageability and security they would have when using a private network. Customers will benefit from better quality of service, and will be able to access services via the Cloud, as well as share data sets between the MTN Business Cloud and Azure, for a hybrid cloud experience,” General Manager, Products and Services, Group Enterprise Business Unit, MTN, Debbie Minnaar said.

Minnaar

Azure ExpressRoute connections do not go over the public Internet, and therefore offer greater reliability, faster speeds, lower latencies, and higher security than typical Internet connections. Enterprises in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Ghana and Cyprus will benefit from the new offering immediately, with roll out to the rest of the MTN footprint to follow in the coming months. “Microsoft is excited to welcome MTN into its Azure ExpressRoute ecosystem. MTN has a long-term history of collaborating with Microsoft, both in hybrid cloud and productivity solutions. “MTN’s capabilities to oper-

ate enterprise class networks, along with their sizeable reach and availability on the African continent and in the Middle East, will significantly help extend Azure services in those regions,” Principal Programme Manager, Azure Networking, Ross Ortega, said. According to Minnaar, the Azure ExpressRoute offering comes on the back of the recent launch of MTN’s pan-African cloud platform, which provides customers with hybrid cloud solution services from MTN’s data centres, adding that both of these developments are in line with MTN’s commitment to enabling the growth of enterprise customers by offering them the best in class ICT services.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

FAAN set to fast track cargo clearance The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria says it is working with the Nigeria Customs service and Clearing Agents to expedite the clearing process of cargo at the airport. The Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma stated this over the weekend in Lagos, on an inspection tour of on-ongoing projects at the airports. Engr. Dunoma, in pursuit of diversification of source of revenue from aeronautical sources to other source said cargo operations will soon become a main stay of the Authority’s operations. According to Engr. Dunoma, the limitations were due to the laiddown procedures and processes that must be followed which was statutory. He revealed that cargo terminals were built all over the country to take advantage of the agricultural potential of the country and eliminate wastage. He however assured the general public that efforts were being made to fast-track the system. “The regulators and operators, that is, the Customs and FAAN, are working together with the clearing agents to make sure that clearing at the airport is expedited”. Dunoma further stated that the new Cargo Terminals being constructed will stimulate exports, especially perishable produce, and will be of utmost benefit to the general public and Nigeria.

Dunoma

19 Aviation

Astra Aviation partners Abidjan firm on ground handling Services

Special guest, Mrs. Elem Ebilah (left); a resource person, Captain Jennifer Yeates of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency and guest speaker and Chief Operations Officer, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi, at the first ‘Girls in Aviation Day’ celebration, in Lagos.

Union calls for Aviation Act reforms Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ATSSSAN have called for the reforms of both the Aviation Act and the Labour Act. Rising from a three day training in Badagry, Lagos State, organized by Safecrest Service Limited, the members in a communiqué released condemned the neo-liberal management fad of yellow dog contract where management was involved in the policy of outsourcing staff, in order to avoid social responsibilities accruing to a regular, permanent employment. ATSSSAN noted that it was unlawful for the Management to prohibit employees from joining unions, just as the law regulating outsourcing even required that agencies must file a report which include state of affair of labour before license were renewed. They noted that there was a dire imperative to work with pertinent government institutions to create an industry-wide standard for the aviation industry through a “principle of engagement”, that shall respect UN Global Impact on Human Rights, Labour, Environment and anti-corruption. Participants strongly believed that extant aviation and labour laws in the country were outmoded with numerous loopholes exploited by Management. According to the training facilitator Comrade Solomon Ohiomah who signed the communiqué the unions should henceforth report cases of these kinds of abuse to the Ministry of Labour and Pro-

ductivity for appropriate sanction. They called on Government and employers to respect all the relevant International Conventions that seek to entrench decent work, work-life balance in the world of work such as ILO Convention 87 & 98 on the rights to join and belong to union and for collective economy; Convention 151 and Recommendation 158 on tripartite consultations as well as declaration of social justice. The Union called on the Ministry of Labour and Productivity to look and find means of resolving some knotty issues confronting the vibrancy of unions such as voluntarism, poaching of other union members, proliferation of unions in an industry, jurisdictional scope and disputes between National and Branch Union executives leading some time to tampering with check off dues. It was also resolved to partner with other stakeholders to influence favourable policy or change bad ones for the sustainable growth and development of the aviation industry. They condemned the eagerness of management to impose obnoxious rules in the world of work with anti-labour handbooks, manuals resolving to take more vigilantly the negotiation of strong Collective Bargaining Agreement. The participants commended the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the laudable support and SafeCrest Services Limited for the initiative and affirmed that subsequent efforts be made toward a more inclusive and wider workshop that will involve personnel from other cadre and bodies.

Astra Aviation, the dedicated African flight support company, has signed a new Ground Handling Agreement with airport services provider, National Aviation Services (NAS), at Felix Houphouet Boigny Airport, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Under the terms of the agreement (NAS), part of the Agility group, will provide the physical ground handling, whilst Astra, via its local company and offices, will handle and coordinate the customers’ requests, along with managing the administration of payments for airport, handling, navigation and crew costs. This is the first time that Astra has signed a full SGHA with NAS and will ensure Astra Aviation customers receive improved service levels, an enhanced professional approach to ground handling, along with transparency and efficiency in contracting and payments. The combination of Astra Aviation’s experience of providing flight support services in Af-

Eyre

rica, with the know-how of NAS is set to raise the bar for ground handling in Cote d’Ivoire. “We wanted to work with National Aviation Services because we know they have made significant investment in staff training and in ground support equipment at the airport. That demonstrates commitment and professionalism, both attributes that reflect our own company ethos,” says Phil Eyre, Managing Director of Astra Aviation. Astra Aviation is currently the only flight support company with a signed Standard Ground Handling Agreement at the airport. It is also the first flight support company to have signed with a ground handling agent ahead of the new Cote d’Ivoire government tariffs implemented at the beginning of September. Eyre says of the timing of the agreement. “We are aware that the new government tariffs may cause confusion and we are ready to support any ad hoc operators flying into Abidjan who may be unaware of the changes.”

Energy 20

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Sirius to apply for 40% interest in Ororo Field Sirius Petroleum has indicated its interest to apply through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to legally ratify Sirius’ 40 per cent interest in the Ororo Field. The move was birth as the company said it has successfully raised £1,035,000 through placing 250 million new ordinary shares and a subscription of 25 million new ordinary shares with new and existing investors at 0.4 pence per share. The placing was aimed at securing funds to finance the Ororo Marginal Field in Nigeria, located in Oil Mining Lease 95 (OML 95). In addition to applying for 40 per cent in the Ororo Field, Sirius said that it would collaborate with Guarantee Petroleum and Owena Oil & Gas in applying for a well permit for the Ororo-2 well from Nigeria’s DPR.

Pipeline

Chevron to drill 23 onshore, 13 offshore wells Stories by Opeoluwani Akintayo Nigerian oil merchant, Chevron, is gearing up towards building 23 onshore and 13 offshore, spread over the next three years. The capital based project stemmed from the $1.2billion loan borrowed for infill drilling by the company on behalf of the NNPC/Chevron joint venture. The loan obtained from Stan-

dard Chartered Bank and United Bank For Africa (UBA), Chevron will be drilling 23 onshore and 13 offshore wells in two stages over the next three years. The onshore well drilling contract has been awarded to Oando Energy Services, which will utilize the rig Oando Respect. The offshore drilling will be handled by Shelf Drilling, which will deploy Trident VIII. The first stage of the work pro-

gramme, comprising of 19 wells, is projected to deliver 21,000 barrels of crude oil and condensate per day alongside 120 million standard cubic feet of gas each day in 2015 and 2016. And the second stage, comprising of 17 wells, is projected to yield 20,000 barrels of crude oil and condensate per day alongside gas production of 7 million standard cubic feet of gas each day between 2016 and 2018.

It is not the place of communities to provide transformers - MD, AEDC The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Managing Director, Mr. Neil Croucher says the issue of communities providing transformers and other power distribution facilities was abnormal, adding that it was part of the under-investment problems in the sector. He said this in an interview with NAN in Abuja on Thursday, however saying, communities who are willing to assist are welcome. “In a normal situation it should not be so, but we have not normalised the sector. I have told you about the decades of underinvestment in the sector. “Now, the country is able to generate only about 4,000MW for over 140 million people. To get to a point where all these communities are electrified will cost billions of dollars. “Clearly, that can’t come over-

night. In the short-term, we welcome communities who are prepared to assist then we can get that infrastructure in quicker than we might otherwise be able to do. “I think it is a valid point about the need to compensate communities who make a direct contribution, and we should look at how to address such circumstances.” During the chat, Croucher also said the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), is presently carrying out the Federal Government directive to refund money to consumers in the Federal Capital Territory for overbilling them. Although Croucher could not tell how much was involved however, said the process was ongoing. Dr Sam Amadi, recently told the Senate that the commission ordered the refund after series of complaints from AEDC custom-

ers. Croucher noted that the issue of over-billing was a legacy problem, which the company was currently working hard to address. “On the issue of bills not reflecting the amount of electricity consumed or customers pay and is not reflecting, this is one of the problems we inherited with the old billing system. “That is why we have spent a lot of time and money in installing a new billing system that is centralised. It will soon be a thing of the past. “But if any customer has a complaint he can come to us. We have teams in the field that will go and investigate. “If in that process we identify that we have been over-charging, we will correct it,” he said. The AEDC boss said in the course of the ongoing adjustments in the company’s billing system, many customers had also been found to be undercharged.

Benin, Togo seek 300mw electricity supply from Nigeria The Republic of Benin and Togo is currently asking Nigeria to increase its electricity supply to their country from 200megawatts to 300megawatts. The plea was made on Monday, September 28 by a four-man delegation From the Community Electric du Benin (CEB). During the visit, the Transmission Service Provider and Independent System Operator for Republic of Togo and Benin Republic, NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi said “The on-going reform in the Nigeria electricity industry will not jeopardise international relations and strategic interests of Nigeria.” The delegation was in Nigeria to find out implications of the privatisation of the remaining government-owned power plants under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) on the allocation of 200megawatts the countries received from Nigeria. Nigeria currently supplies 300megawatts to Togo, Benin and Niger Republic, out which CEB countries have 200megawatts of

A transmission line

power supply with the balance of 100megawatts given to Niger Republic. Amadi also advised the CEB delegates to be ready to pay commercial rates for electricity supplied to it by the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). “You need to sign power purchase agreement with the Nigeria Electricity Bulk Trader (NBET) and be up to date in your payment for electricity received as the market would be entirely private-sectordriven by the time the NIPP plants are sold.” He explained that such financial commitment and responsibility might be an issue in the consideration of the request for additional capacity. The visitors were told that their requests would be deliberated at the next month’s edition of the industry stakeholders meeting and that decisions reached would be communicated to them. Members of the delegation are Kinho Hounrpati; Kora Zaki Ibrahim; Aboudou Mohammed; Didavi Godfrieol M.; and Akemakou Antoine.

Daily Daily Times Times Nigeria Nigeria Tuesday, August 18, Monday, October 5, 2015 2015

21 21

Daily Times Advert Rates Sizes

Rates

Vat

Sizes

F/PAGE

532,350.00

26,617.50

H/PAGE

303,439.50

Q/PAGE

Colour Rates

Vat

Sizes

Rates

10”X6

505,732.50

25,286.62

6”X3

114974.83

5,703.74

15,171.97

10”X5

324,252.34

13,780.72

6”X2

76,049.94

3,802.49

163,431.45

8,171.57

10”X4

421,528.04

21,076.40

5”X5

158,437.36

7,921.86

14”X5

516,379.50

25,818.97

10”X3

337,222.43

19,861.12

5”X4

131,839.81

6,591.99

14”X4

268,517.34

13,425.86

10”X2

131,839.81

6,591.99

5”X3

95,062.36

4,753.11

14”X2

296,551.80

10,327.59

9”X6

455,159.25

22,757.96

5”X2

63,374.94

3,168.74

FPS 6”X3

873,388.02

43,669.40

9”X5

379,375.23

18,968.76

4”X2

50,699.95

2,534.99

FPS 6”X2

582,257.81

29,112.89

9”X4

303,500.18

15,175.00

3”X3

43,874.94

1,864.68

BPS 6”X3

861,432.81

43,071.64

9”X3

21,0126.15

10,056.30

3”X2

29,249.98

1,243.12

BPS 6”X2

565,621.87

28,281.09

8”X6

404,666.92

20,233.34

2”X2

19,499.98

828.75

ROP2”X6

198,096.61

9,904.84

8”X5

337,222.43

16,861.12

1”X2

9,749.99

414.37

FPS 2”X6

582,257.82

29,131.09

8”X4

269,777.95

13,488.89

1”X1

4,875.00

207.19

BPS 2”X6

565,621.87

28,281.09

8”X3

186,801.63

9,340.08

BPS 2”X2

349,354.69

17,467.73

13”X5

479,495.25

23,974.76

8”X2

124,522.05

6,226.10

13”X2

164,774.84

8,238.74

7”X5

295,069.63

14,753.48

EARPIECE 2”X2

365,990.62

18,299.53

11”X5

463,680.84

23,184.04

7”X4

206,551.80

10,327.59

CENTRE SPREAD

1,497,234

74,861.71

11”X4

370,424.87

18,521.24

7”X2

88,724.91

4,406.24

DOUBLE SPREAD

1,330,875.00

66,543.75

11”X2

139,424.87

6,971.24

6”X4

186,801.62

9,340.08

DOUBLE SPREAD (1/2)

665,437.50

33,210.97

Black & White

Vat

Sizes

Rates

Vat

S/N

Sizes

Rates

Vat

10”X2

124,611.09

6,230.55

6”X2

44,240.63

1,880.23

11,473.80

9”X6

343,369.19

17,168.45

5”X5

119,813.65

6,990.68

6,244.75

9”X5

286,789.47

14,339.47

5”X4

94,554.69

3,133.71

390,511.26

19,525.63

9”X4

229,536.51

11,476.82

5”X3

55,300.74

2,350.28

312,409.60

15,620.48

9”X3

155,328.68

7,766.43

5”X2

36,867.18

1,566.86

14”X2

157,994.09

7,899.79

8”X6

306,019.70

15,300.98

4”X2

29,493.75

1,253.48

13”X5

362,617.60

18,130.88

8”X5

204,028.39

10,201.46

3”X3

33,180.45

1,410.17

13”X2

124,601.51

6,230.07

8”X4

204,032.45

10,201.62

3”X2

22,120.32

940.11

11”X5

350,647.44

17,532.37

8”X3

141,263.20

7,063.16

2”x6

48,173.99

2,047.39

11”X4

281,818.05

14,090.90

8”X2

76,631.55

3,831.57

2”X2

14,746.87

626.74

11”X2

105,440.15

5,272.00

7”X5

223,003.40

71,115.12

1”X2

7,373.44

313.37

10”X6

383,460.20

19,123.01

7”X4

157,994.09

7,699.67

1”X1

3,686.72

156.69

10”X5

320,067.93

16,003.39

7”X2

51,614.05

2,193.60

10”X4

255,041.86

12,752.09

6”X4

173,871.36

4,618.40

10”X3

191,666.80

9,583.34

6”X3

66,360.90

2,820.34

S/N

Sizes

Rates

Vat

F/PAGE

402,589.59

20,129.47

H/PAGE

229,476.11

Q/PAGE

124,895.04

14”X5

14”X4

S/N

Political

Colour Rates

Vat

Sizes

F/PAGE

532,350.00

22,624.88

H/PAGE

303,439.50

12,896.18

Q/PAGE

163,431.45

6,945.84

Sizes

PHOTO SPLASH 100,000.00

4,250

Pictures & Captions 1

F/PAGE

35,437.47

1,506.09

Classified Advert 1

Classified

3,675.00

Per 1000 copies

24,500.00

1,041.25

Handling charges for the 1st 50,000 copies

71,662.50

(LAGOS) IFEANYI - 08086296714 (ABUJA) FEMI - 08033550468

DOUBLE SPREAD

774,210.94

32,903.96

DOUBLE SPREAD (1/2)

387,105.47

16,451.98

Rate for Computer & IT/Educational Property/Vacancy/Home & Décor (Black & White)

Black & White

S/N

Sizes

Rates

Vat

Rates

Vat

F/P

341, 583.13

F/PAGE

402,589.69

17,110.06

H/P

206,155.46

10,307.77

H/PAGE

229,476.12

9,752.74

Q/PAGE

112,334.62

5,616.73

Q/PAGE

123,595.04

5,252.79

10”X2

55,476.05

2,357.73

8”X2

44,380.56

1,886.17

7”X2

38,832.99

1,650.40

6”X2

33,282.11

1,414.49

5”X2

27,736.42

1,178.80

4”X2

22,187.85

942.98

3”X2

16,640.27

707.21

33,283.03

471.54

Rate for Computer & IT/Educational Property/Vacancy/Home & Décor (Color)

S/N

Sizes

Rates

Vat

F/P

451,680.17

22,584.00

H/P

272,602.27

13,630.14

Q/PAGE

146,822.62

7,341.13

Colour

Loose Insert

PLEASE CONTACT

2”X6

17,079.15

(BOTTOM STRIP)

2”X2

11,094.96

471.54

1”X2

5,547.58

235.77

1”X1

2,773.79

117.89

OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS DTN COMPLEX LATEEF JAKANDE ROAD, AGINDIGBI, IKEJA, LAGOS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 44 ADETOKNBO ADEMOLA CRESCENT WUSE 2, ABUJA

News 22 Pray for Buhari, cleric tells citizens Victor Jibrin

Kaduna ÏÏÏAs President Muhammadu Buhari settles down gradually to work, concerned Nigerians within and outside the country have been charged to fervently pray for him against evil machinations. Pastor James Adejoh of a Kaduna based church, Christ Holy Seed Deliverance Ministry (CHSDM), gave the charge at a threeday programme where he prophesised transformation of Nigeria for public good. The programme which

Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏFollowing

the directive of the Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, that medical facilities in the State should be properly equipped and adequately staffed, the State Hospital Management Board (HMB) has commenced the process of recruiting no fewer than 100 medical personnel in compliance with the instruction. The Permanent Secretary (HMB), Dr. Kolawole Aina, who made this known, in Ado- Ekiti, disclosed that the agency had commenced interviewing shortlisted candidates from about 1,000 applicants for the various existing vacancies. Aina said that 20 medical doctors and 50 nurses would

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

started on October 1 and ended onn October 4 with a declaration that “Nigeria would be better again”, was a prayer event organised by the church to pray for Nigeria, the people and Mr. President in commemoration of the country’s 55 independence anniversary. Apparently describing Buhari as a messiah, pointing out that his election was divinely orchestrated, Adejoh cried out during a prayer session that wicked Nigerians are plotting his failure. To this end, he said “as we celebrate Nigeria’s 55 independence anniversary, we are going to pray and will continue to pray for the country, President Buhari and ourselves...", he said.

Ekiti to employ 100 health workers

Asaba ÏÏÏThe Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on non-indigenes to Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Alhaji Multar Usman, has tasked the Nigerian leaders to rekindle the feelings of the founding fathers of the country whose ideologies were tailored towards stabilising the country both politically and economically for the interest of all Nigerians. Usman told journalists in Asaba, on Sunday, that the likes of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Anthony Enaho-

’Tosin Ajuwon

Akure ÏÏÏThe Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has refuted claims that the N14.06 billion bail-out fund received by the state was fixed in a private deposit account, in order to generate interest for his government. Mimiko debunked the claims at the weekend when he addressed accounting officers and public servants on grade level thirteen and above in the workforce of the state. Labour leaders in the state under the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) had last week during their strike picketed the Governor’s office for allegedly fixing the bail-out fund in a private account.

JNC said the action had made it difficult for the state government to pay workers’ their salaries since the release of the bail-out fund to the state by the Federal Government. However, Mimiko noted that the money was intact, stressing that the bail-out fund could not have been put in a fixed private account as it was a loan that would be deducted from the state’s allocation. He disclosed that any bank caught in such act must definitely be penalised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Speaking on the recent strike by workers in the state as a result of salary issue, Mimiko said his government supported indus-

trial action through peaceful protest against injustice. He expressed disappointment on the disruption of activities at the health facilities in the state by the protesting union leaders. The Governor stressed that it was immoral and unacceptable to drag people out of hospitals, while offering services to patients under the guise of industrial action. He noted that the State Executive Council (SEC) had given approval for the payment of July and August salaries, on Monday last week, before the payment preparation was disrupted by the strike action of the workers in the state. He said civil servants in the state should always ver-

ro were famous leaders who made a lot of sacrifice to bring about the unity of the country, but regretted that instead of emulating them, the present leadership is concern with the well-being of their immediate family at the expense of other Nigerians. He posited that while the foremost leaders were building bridges, establishing television and radio stations, universities and others, the current leadership was stealing billions of naira to be kept in foreign banks, not minding the misery of their next door neighbour, dying in silent without food and shelters.

ify the truth and maintain a minimum level of responsibility before taking any decision. According to him, the programmes of the present administration had continued to receive accolades from within and outside the country as a result of effective synergy between the government and the workers in the state.

Mimiko L-R: Member, representing Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Lagos, Honourable Rita Orji; Representative of Lau/ kaimLamido/Ardo Golar, Honourable Danladi Baido; Representative of Mangu/Bokko, Plateau State, Engr. Solomon Bulus Moren; Chief Adeyemi Napoleon and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area, Bishop Raphael Omoniyi Oyetola, during the Township meeting, in Lagos

be recruited into the public service in the course of the exercise. He listed other cadres to be employed to include pharmacists, health assistants, health information officers, dental technicians, physiotherapist, medical laboratory scientists and image scientists. According to him, the existing vacancies were consequential upon disengagement of workers from the public service, noting that many workers had retired without corresponding replacement over the years.

Stabilise Nigeria, Buhari urged Monday Osayande

Mimiko faults workers claim on bailout, says fund intact

Gov Bello urged to balance Niger political equation Pita Chikwem

Minna ÏÏÏWorried by the imbalance in the recent appointment of Permanent Secretaries in Niger State, the Niger East Peoples' Forum, on Sunday, urged the State Assembly to use the three zonal political template to balance distribution of appointments The Chairman of the Forum, Mr. George Koce, who made this known while briefing newsmen in Minna, said that the measure would forestall such action by government in future. Koce advised the state’s Assembly to address the

imbalance observed in the recent appointment of permanent secretaries so that peace would reign in the three Senatorial Districts. It should be recalled that the state government recently reduced its ministries from 54 to 25 to cut down the cost of governance and also review the structure and size of the state civil service. The measure brought about some permanent secretaries being retired, demoted and redeployed bringing the number of permanent secretaries in the state to 25. The state Head of Ser-

vice, Alhaji Mohammed Lapai, also told journalists at a recent briefing that it would take government two to three years to ensure one permanent secretary per local government. Koce explained that before the reform the three Senatorial Districts in the state – Niger South, Niger East and Niger North – had 26, 17 and 11 permanent secretaries, respectively. He said the reform reduced it to 14 for Niger South, four for Niger East and seven for Niger North, which amounted to deviating from the past, when a permanent secretary repre-

sented each of the 25 Local Government Areas in the state. “The three-zone political template, we believe, was conceived as a basis for inclusiveness, balance and equitable distribution of appointments. We expect the government of the day to have used this template as a basis for the reform to achieve a balanced representation.’’ Koce, however, was optimistic that the present reform would transform the state civil service “if anchored on sincerity of purpose, impartiality and driven by transparency.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Explain how you spent N9.6b bailout fund, group tells Fayose ÏÏÏA socio-political group, in Ekiti State, known as Ekiti Youth Vanguard (EYV) has challenged Governor Ayodele Fayose to explain how he spent the N9.6 billion bailout cash approved for the state to offset workers’ salaries, allowances and other entitlements – including pension. The group said it could not fathom why only teachers were paid September 2014 salary out of N9.6 billion, while other civil servants, former political office holders and pensioners were left out. In a statement by its Co-ordinator, Mr. Charles Fakunle, the group said it could not understand why

civil servants, local government workers, pensioners and former political office holders, who were captured in the bailout scheme, were refused payment as envisaged by the Federal Government. “It is an irony that Governor Fayose has chosen to shut out the civil servants and former political office holders from benefitting from the bailout funds as he is still owing them arrears of salaries of September 2014, leave bonuses and other allowances, even when they were the reasons he took the loan in the first place,” Fakunle explained. He added: “We are still at a loss on how September

2014 salary arrears of teachers could be categorised as bailout by Fayose when he actually collected the allocation for that month but refused to pay. “Let’s even agree that he paid September salary to teachers as bailout, does teachers one month salary amount to N9.6 billion? What is he doing with the balance after paying one month salary? We are also aware that he singled out teachers to be paid not because he loves them as he claimed but because he wants to use them to achieve ends that are less than noble. “Fayose paid teachers to enable them buy and wear the ankara cloth, which

he had already procured through one of his cronies, to carry placards against the nomination of former Governor Kayode Fayemi as a Minister-designate.” He said inside sources among drivers’ unions had revealed that Fayose had already procured drivers and miscreants to impersonate teachers in ankara uniforms to carry placards with unprintable words against Fayemi, in order to block his confirmation as minister. Teachers should beware of Fayose’s antics and must refuse to be tools in his hands for his evil plot to undo a decent Ekiti son, who is also a pride to the nation.

Ondo state Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko (right) addressing civil servants from Grade level 13 and above, during a meeting at the Adegbemile Cultural Center, in Akure...at the weekend

23 News

NIPR presses anti-crime identity project

Nduka Uzuakpundu

ÏÏÏThe Nigerian Institute

of Public Relations (NIPR) has said it was gratified to have the Buhari administration as a constructive partner in an ethical revolution, in which almost every Nigerian would play a role. Its President, Dr. Rotimi Oladele, told journalists, in Lagos, on Sunday, that, in projecting its relevance in remaking the country, the body would, henceforward, organise an annual independence day lecture, freighted on “information, integrity, relationship and reputation” – the core issues of public relations. He said the maiden edition of the lecture titled “Traceable Identity as a Pathway to National Reputation and Development”, would hold in Abuja, on Tuesday, October 6 – with the Permanent Secretary, in the Federal Ministry of

FG tasks farmers on eradication of avian flu Tom Okpe Abuja

ÏÏÏPoultry farmers in Ni-

Cabinet nominees: Lagos Assembly denies rift with Ambode Alade Tasma

ÏÏÏThe

Lagos State House of Assembly has denied fighting Governor Akinwunmi Ambode by constıtutıng a 15-man screenıng committee to subject his cabınet nominees to an unprecedented prescreening before appearing before the entire 40 member House for another round of screening. Addressing the Assembly correspondents on the issue, on Friday, October 2, the Deputy Speaker of the House, who ıs also the Chaırman of the Commıttee, Hon. Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun, argued that the process was constitutional. According to him, Sec-

tion 192 (4) of the Constitution provided that nobody should be appointed as a Commissioner of the state government unless he was qualified for election as a member of the House of Assembly. “The reason for the prescreening is for a proper job to be done rather than askıng questions on the floor of the House. We want to check the certificates of the nominees rather than embarrassing them on the floor of the House. “We want to do the necessary things because if we call the nominees to floor of the House and ask them to just take a bow and go, that would appear to be business as usual. The whole thing

bothers on the provision of the constitution,” Eshinlokun explaıned. The Deputy Speaker maintained that the relationship between the House and the Governor was very cordial, pointing out that if the relationship were messy, they wouldn’t have given the Governor’s request for budget re-ordering an accelerated passage. “As you aware that cabinet nominees in Cross Rıvers State were asked to write aptitude test. We do not have any issue with the executive and it is wrong to say that we set up the committee because the Governor wrote that the cabinet members would be sworn-in on Monday 5th, October.

“We are not even aware of such a date. The Governor did not give us any swearing-in date in the letter he sent to us,” he stated, adding that they had to do their job properly as law-makers. Eshinlokun explained further that any nominee that was found to have presented fake certificate would be automatically disqualified.

Ambode

geria have been mandated to ensure total eradication of avian influenza, also known as bird flu across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Speaking at a stakeholders meeting with the poultry industry, in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary,

Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏA

politician, Prince Rotimi Paseda, of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), has suggested a part-time legislature for the country to reduce what he described as “outrageous pay” of legislators. Paseda also called for stiffer penalty for any politician or public officer found guilty in the ongoing anticorruption war of the present administration. He noted that until treasury looters were severely punished, people who found themselves by hook or crook

Information, Mrs. Folashade Yemi-Esho, as the key speaker, while the DirectorGeneral, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr. Chris Onyemenam and the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, would be special guests. The traceable identity project, Oladele said, had become imperative, amid soaring crime rate, on account of youth unemployment, and the threat posed to national security by insurgency – especially the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist body. Oladele offered that Nigeria should copy the traceable identity project examples of such European Union countries as Britain and Spain, which had made it far less difficult for their law enforcement agencies – the police, secret service, immigration etc. – to fish criminals out. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Architect Sunny Echono, disclosed that so far the disease had spread to 85 local government areas in 20 States and the Federal Capital Territory, affecting 491 farms, resulting in the depopulation of over one million birds. Echono noted that the depopulation had accrued over N1.1 billion compensation to affected farmers in the affected states, stating that the compensation exercise would cease until the farmers adhere to the ministry’s guidelines of providing adequate biosecurity in their farms.

UPN advocates part-time legislature in government would continue to plunder the nation’s resources to the detriment of the majority. Paseda, who was the Ogun governorship candidate of the UPN in the last general elections, spoke in Abeokuta, while featuring as guest at the Correspondents’ Forum organised by members of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

L-R: Head, Financial Risk Division, Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) Mr. Abiodun Alatise; Chairman/CEO, Imperial Clothing Company Limited, Mr. Solomon Ekeopaea; Director, Brickred Insurance, Mrs Andrey Okehi; Chairma/CEO, Brickred Insurance Company Ltd, Dr. Dan Okehi and Head CSR & Sustainability, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Chris Nnakwe, at the presentation of a Doctoral Research Report Tittled : "Modelling Risk Management in Banks: Examining Why Banks Fail", to the Nigerian Banking industry, held in Lagos... at the Weekend

PDP plans anti-APC rally in Bayelsa, APC alleges Mathew Dadiya

Abuja ÏÏÏThe campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, in the forth coming Bayelsa State election, Timipre Sylva, has alerted the people of the state and Nigerians generally, to an alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, to cause mayhem through the sponsorship of anti- APC demonstrations. According to the group, the warning followed a threat by a “shadowy group of thugs,” code-named “Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa” to stage a protest against the APC candidate for the December 5 governorship election in the state, Chief

Timipre Sylva. The Sylva campaign, in a statement, made available to Daily Times by Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, described the sponsored protest as another manifestation of fear and frustration which Dickson and PDP have displayed since Sylva emerged the APC candidate. “Dickson and his party should be held squarely responsible for any breakdown of law and order that could emanate from the protest they were instigating,” it stated. The statement said, “The Timipre Sylva Campaign Organisation is aware of the frenzy of sponsored media activity by Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson and PDP against the candidacy of Timipre Sylva. This campaign began before Sylva’s

emergence as the APC governorship candidate, and it was clearly purposed to ensure that APC presented a candidate that would give Dickson an easy victory. “Having failed in the bid to manipulate the emergence of an APC candidate that can be defeated, and realising the fact of Dickson’s imminent loss at the December 5th poll, the embattled governor and his party have deployed everything at their disposal to try to denigrate Sylva’s candidacy. They have packaged a multi-billion naira media campaign, not to tell the world what Dickson has done and can do for Bayelsa, but to try to vilify Sylva. “The media campaign, having proved futile and failed to check Sylva’s ever growing popularity before

the masses, in frustration, Dickson and PDP have moved their anti-Sylva campaign to the street, the campaign group said. “The shadowy world of mischief created by Dickson’s fear of the political stature of Sylva and his frustrations about the reality of Sylva’s imminent victory can no longer be concealed; they are now being brought to the open.

Sylva

500 Niger youths protest marginalisation

Pita Chikwem Minna

ÏÏÏOver

five hundred youths from Niger East Senatorial Zone B, on Sunday, protested the marginalisation melted to them by the State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, in the appointment of officers into various positions. The group, under the aegis of Gbegnu Boknu Yakwo Youth Association, while protesting with placards, expressed dissatisfaction, saying the appointments were not in line with the principles of equity and fairness among the people of the state. Expressing dismay, the

State Chairman of the group, Comrade Danjuma Paiko said, "We are not happy with the appointments done so far by the governor, such as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and the redistribution of Permanent Secretaries. "We, the people of Niger East Senatorial Zone have not been treated well despite the large number of votes gotten from the zone during the 2015 general election. "We call on the state government to as a matter of urgency consider the plight of Zone B to re-address all these anomalies before the local government election. In a reaction, the Niger State governor, Abubakar

Sani Bello told Journalists that only technocrats who will be able to deliver to the people will be appointed. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibraheem Dooba, who spoke on behalf of his boss said the people should be concerned about development in the state and not appointments. "It is clear that the redistribution of Permanent Secretaries favoured Niger North and South against Niger East senatorial districts. Evidently, of the 25 Permanent Secretaries retained, only four come from Zone B and this smacks a deliberate agenda for the isolation of Niger East senatorial district from the Niger state

All Progressives Congress (APC) administration" Dooba said. Dooba, while calling for patience disclosed that a list of advisers had been drawn by the governor and that names of Commissioners will be announced soon. "In terms of representation, everybody will be well represented but some appointments are done to de-emphasise politics, especially that of the SSG. Only technocrats will be appointed", he added. The groups disclosed that, all efforts by the people of the Zone to dialogue with the governor since June 3rd, 2015, proved abortive hence the protest.

Elliot to empower physically-challenged Olawale Rotimi

ÏÏÏAll Progressives Con-

gress (APC) member in the Lagos House of Assembly, representing Surulere constituency 1, Desmond Olusola Elliot, last weekend, in fulfilment of some of his electoral promises, unveiled skilled acquisition programme for physically challenged in his constituency, assuring them that he will ensure they live a fulfilling life by the time they are through with the programme. While encouraging them to make use of the opportunity to turn their lives around, Elliot said: "I promised you during my campaigns that I will not be far from you and that I will start my empower-

ment with you. This is the beginning, it may be little but you can do a lot with it. "We are going to make sure you become rich, at least by the end of this programme more than half of you will be empowered." According to the lawmaker, the decision to kick start the training was borne out of the desire to teach and empower them so that they can make a living for themselves without necessarily begging. In his speech, the chairman of the occasion and Surulere constituency 1 Local Government party chairman, Hon. Shakirudeen Ajao, thanked Elliot for the fulfilment of some of his promises to the people of the constituency.

10th Abuja Trade Fair ends today Augustine Okezie Abuja

ÏÏÏActivities at the ongo-

ing 10th Abuja International Trade fair, which started on the 18th of September, will be brought to a close today after about three weeks of business transactions. In an exclusive chat with Daily Times on his impressions about this year’s event, the President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, expressed satisfaction at the increased number of participants both local and foreign that attended this year’s edi-

Tom Okpe Abuja

ÏÏÏAs part of

its commitment to promote decent income generation and livelihood for Nigerian Youth, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has commenced the process of empowering about 30,000 youths based on priority value chains, through the Youth Empowerment in Agricultural Programme (YEAP). The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Architect Sunny Echono, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, during a meeting with stakeholders in the Poultry Industry in Abuja. Echono stated that the ministry received about

tion, adding that Nigeria’s economy stood to benefit so much from the outcome of this year’s fair, in no distant future. Apart from the exhibition of different wares at the various stands erected by participants at the fair, other major highlights that characterised the fair, included the colloquiums organised by the chamber for its members and fair participants, which attracted experts from different endeavours who shared experiences and inspirations with potential business promoters and stakeholders.

FG to empower 30,000 youths in Agriculture 34,000 applications from intending Nagropreneurs and Market Oriented Producers from 12 participating states, including the FCT. He said a total of 250 Nagropreneurs would be selected per state including FCT under the first phase of the project. “Validation and final selection of the young Nagropreneurs and Market Oriented producers would be done at state levels in collaboration with the ministry’s state directors, while training would be conducted for the beneficiaries at different credible...", he stated.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Features Æ PETROL TANKERS, LASG TANGO:

Any permanent solution in sight? Apapa-Grid-lock

If the just concluded meeting between Lagos State Government and the Tanker Drivers Union can be trusted, the business community, workers, students and traders in Lagos City would be relieved to hear that the decades old clash between the state and the union is about to be rested forever. However, Daily Times monitored the development and observes that the compromise is far from the solution expected by stakeholders. JOY EKEKE reports. Following the tragedy in which a container-laden trailer fell off the Ojuelegba Bridge, killing three persons among series of tanker/trailer related disasters, the Lagos State government issued an ultimatum, commanding that no heavy duty vehicle may ply the roads between 6am and 9pm. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation, Oluseyi Whenu, in a statement referred to the Road

The implication of port congestion is that shipping insurance costs will rise steeply, freights will be jerked up and shipping lines will slam congestion surcharges – which had been eliminated since 2006. Additional costs would be passed to the consumer, leading to higher costs of goods in the market and higher inflation — Haastrup

Traffic gridlock at mile 2 bus stop Along Oshodi/ Apapa expressway Lagos

Traffic Law 2012, which states: “Except as may be prescribed by the Commissioner by regulation, no trailer other than petrol tankers and long vehicles used in conveying passengers shall enter into or travel within the metropolis of Lagos between the hours of 6.00am-9.00pm. “Any driver who is found contravening the provisions of this Section shall have his vehicle impounded by a duly authorised officer of the Authority and shall upon conviction be liable

to a fine of N50,000 (fifty thousand naira) or a term of imprisonment for 6 months or both.” But like the motor park touts and sale of alcohol tango, Lagos State’s romance with petrol tankers is unpredictable! The Centre of Excellence is mysteriously in love with its 14-legged monsters and even the multiple deaths their romance is causing almost on weekly basis have refused to do them part! Immediately after the announcement, the petrol tank-

ers dared both government and other road users and stretched their metallic bulk all the way from Gbagada to the MRS tanker park at Toyota Bus stop, a staggering 15-minute drive. And to rob salt into fresh wound, they occupied all but one narrow lane stretching from Charity bus stop at Oshodi all the way to Mile 2; this is besides their incursion into the gateway of the nation’s busiest airport, the Murtala Mohammed International, appropriating a huge portion of the road. Like the proverbial old housewife who always has her way in

a matrimonial showdown, the Ambode-led Lagos State government made a u-turn last week, and came up with a clarification of the law. In a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation, Oluseyi Whenu, the government said “while Section 2 of the Traffic Law restricts movement of trailers and long vehicles, only petrol tankers and long vehicles used in conveying passengers are allowed to travel within the metropolis between the stipulated hours. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Features 26

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Night trucking amounts to throwing caution to the wind — Prince Shittu “The security system in our society is not sufficient to guarantee the safety operations of these trucks within the restriction period. Currently, cases of trucks hijacking in broad daylight is alarming such that restricting their movement to the night is like throwing caution to the wind.’’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

“Vehicles with more than one rear axle or six tyres are hereby restricted between the hours of 6am and 9pm, with the exemption of the following in accordance with Section 2 and 38 of the Road Traffic Law 2012: “These exemptions are tour bus/passenger buses, Fire service trucks, rescue and recovery trucks, patrol trucks, perishable farm products trucks, refuse collection trucks, cement mixer trucks, tractors and refrigerated trucks,” the statement said. Whenu said the clarification became necessary following the controversy generated by the enforcement of the Law after a fatal accident involving a container laden trailer claimed three lives a fortnight ago. He assured that government remains committed to the protection of lives and properties of residents irrespective of social, cultural or economic classification and therefore solicits the compliance, cooperation, support and understanding of all and sundry as regards the renewed enforcement of the Law. Why the 2012 Traffic Law exempted petrol tankers is unclear. What is clear, however, is that the situation is back to square one. What makes the situation even more horrifying is the fact that the Apapa Wharf port is a major economic centre for the country as it is the nexus for all major incoming bulk products and cargoes. Daily Times investigation revealed that business at the ports is gradually crippling other commercial activities around it and the simple reason is that when the cargoes come in from sea, there are no roads to get them out by container trucks. These container trucks take up the whole of Mile 2- Apapa road to Wharf, which is about 9km road distance and all the adjourning roads in the Apapa axis as well as the Commercial Road and Creek Road. At Tin Can Island, truck driv-

ers operating at the nation’s seaports reacted by downing tools and the strike lasted for 10 days that compounded the chaos on ground. But reason prevailed and they called off the strike and sought for a grace period of one month before enforcement of the directive restricting the movements of their trucks to night time. Speaking after a meeting attended by the truck drivers and owners’ associations, terminal operators, representatives of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and freight forwarding associations held at the Board Room of NPA Western Ports, Apapa, General Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogu said the outcome of the meeting is that truck owners have agreed to suspend the strike. “But they however made us realise that there are operational challenges to operate between that period given by the law. “We are going to Alausa to tell the government that the strike has been suspended based on government directive and to draw government’s attention to the operational challenges. “For instance, at the time they want them to operate, they may get to a point where the receiver is closed or there are mechanical challenges and they will be on transit when the time elapses. “All these exigencies should be considered when looking at their case. A joint committee has been formed and given a month to look at these issues.” National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, who attended the meeting, also confirmed the development. According to a resolution made available to journalists after the meeting, the truck drivers are pleading with the Lagos State Government to give due consideration to a letter earlier sent to the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. “The stakeholders appeal earnestly to the state government

Apapa

to look dispassionately at our plea as contained in the letter earlier sent to the government on the application of the road traffic law to truckers in Lagos State. “It is of utmost importance that government considers a one month grace period before enforcement commences. “We appeal against the molestation of drivers on lawful duty by law enforcement agents. It is a common sight seeing drivers being pursued with canes and sticks and even occasional damage to trucks by these men. “Also, the absence of garage to take trailers in Lagos is another serious factor mitigating against safe traffic in Lagos metropolis. “The security system in our society is not sufficient to guarantee the safety operations of these trucks within the restriction period. Currently, cases of trucks hijacking in broad daylight is alarming such that restricting their movement to the night is like throwing caution to the wind,” the truck drivers leader said. Stakeholders’ reaction The Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup called on the Lagos State Government to reconsider its implementation of the restriction order on articulated trucks within the metropolis to night time because of its negative impact on port operation and the larger economy. Haastrup recalled that the

truck movement restriction is contained in the Lagos Traffic Law signed by the former Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola on Thursday 2nd August 2012. “While we appreciate the effort of the state government in ensuring safety of lives and property within the metropolis, we must not fail to underscore the implication of the restriction order. “Mostly due to security concerns, the truck drivers might not be willing to move at night. This means cargo will not leave the ports and if cargoes don’t leave the port, the ports will be congested and the economy will be affected. “Terminal operators and relevant government agencies have worked very hard over the past nine years to eliminate port congestion, but the restriction order is capable of reversing the gains made so far. “The implication of port congestion is that shipping insurance costs will rise steeply, freights will be jerked up and shipping lines will slam congestion surcharges – which had been eliminated since 2006 after port concession – on cargoes coming to our ports. “All these costs will be passed to the consumer leading to higher costs of goods in the market and higher inflation,” Haastrup said. She appealed to Governor Ambode to give a three-year moratorium to the truck operators before implementing the law. “The deferment of the imple-

mentation of the law for the next three years will create the platform needed for government and stakeholders to work together on creating alternative truck routes and developing alternative modes of evacuating cargo – especially roads and rail – from the port,” she said. The STOAN Chairman asked truck operators and drivers to stop indulging in blame game and take responsibility for the safety of their trucks on the roads. “STOAN is also seriously concerned about the needless loss of lives that results from truck accidents. We therefore urge the Federal Road Safety Commission and other statutory government agencies to monitor and impound rickety trucks and take them off the roads. “The leaders of the truckers’ associations need to train their members on safe driving habits rather than trying to look for whom to blame for their involvement in accidents on the roads,” Haastrup said. She also charged the Federal and Lagos State Governments to repair roads and provide parks for the trucks. Ironically while the truck drivers embarked on the 10 days of strike, it proved to be a period of respite for residents and visitors to Apapa as life seemed a bit normal. But since the drivers resumed operations last Monday, with trailers taking over the Ijora Bridge traffic had been spilling CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

27 Features

Night trucking amounts to throwing caution to the wind — Prince Shittu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

over to the Western Avenue and extending to other connecting routes. On the Mile 2/Apapa areas, there was gridlock on both sides of the roads going into and exiting Apapa and residents are not really pleased with the situation which they see as a defiance of the truck drivers to adhere to the laws of the land and on the other hand it seems the authorities are also overwhelmed in the area of enforcement. Commuters’ reaction Wharf personnel, Oladipupo Anjolaiye, told Daily Times there are other factors government is ignoring. “The major reason why there is gridlock in Apapa is because of the bad roads. Especially, Tin Can bus stop both going and coming are bad and that’s why commercial buses hardly go through that route, they prefer going through Waterside and Ajegunle to link Mile 2.

“Containers cause traffic from Berger cement to Tin Can while tanker drivers cause traffic from Mile 2 to Coconut and Kirikiri, but the main reason why tanker drivers cause traffic on this major route, the tanker drivers double park on the express because they all want to gain access to ports at the same time,” he said. One everyday victim of the gridlock, Wunmi Ogun, holds the tanker drivers responsible. “The tanker drivers need to change their attitude and abide by the programming system as a measure of bringing the situation under control. It is doable.” The story before now was so bad that a journey to Apapa was a nightmare. Some people who had business at the ports had been known to sleep over on many such trips and return the following day after the trucks would have moved out for business – and it would appear we are back to square one.

Siblings alarmed over property Falilat Obiye Members of Jinadu Sinatu family in Ebute Metta area of Lagos State are currently on their toes over allegations that one of them was trying to subvert the Will put in place by the matriarch of the family, Alhaja Folashade Risikat. Investigations revealed that the some members of the family, names withheld, had gone be-

hind other authorized beneficiaries of a property situated at 53, Jebba Street, Ebute-Metta (East) Lagos offering same for sale. When the matter became a public discourse, some members of the family resident outside the country reportedly placed an alert across the land and the community to the effect that the people seeking for sale of the properly were mere impostors. A family source who spoke

with the Daily Times said that but for the new step taken by other beneficiaries of the property, there would have been crisis of unmitigated proportion should intending buyers had signified interest in the property. Our reporter could not see any of the alleged impostors for their comment, but a lawyer of the entire family said that the matter would be settled soon but warned people off the property.

JUST HUMAN

8.20 am. 7-&-8 Junction, Airport Road, Lagos. Photo God’s Covenant Snr/082

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Our Heritage Æ s

Abia:

God’s Own State As part of our on-going indebth coverage of Nigeria’s heritage in different parts of the country, Miracle Udeagha captures some of the cultural endowments that make Abia State great.

As one of the nine states created by former President Ibrahim Babangida on August 27, 1991, Abia carved out of Imo state, is made up of 10 of the former 21 Local Governments of Imo state. Some of the popular areas include Aba (Enyimba city), Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende, Ikwuano, Umuahia, Isiala Ngwa, Isuikwuato, Obioma Ngwa and Ukwa. However, with the creation of more local government areas in 1991,

Abia state now has 17 local government areas. And the State, under the current leadership of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, boasts of many colourful cultural heritages. Predominantly an Igbo state, where Igbo language is spoken with minor differences in dialectic pronunciations, particularly between the Ngwa, Umuahia and the Afikpo areas. The central dialect of each zone can however be easily identified by any indigene of the state. However, the people of Abia adapt to the central Igbo culture with very minor differences. Traditionally, George and Abada with a blouse is the popular form of dressing among women in the State, while the men

adorn traditional wrapper with jumpers or long sleeve shirts. Essentially, traditional dancing is popular, among the indigenes. The Nkwa Nwaite, Nkwa Umuagbogho and the Ohafia war dance are all famed dance groups in the state. Abia state is equally rich in craft. In fact, the Isuikwuato areas are notable for the production of local pots, while traditional weaving is known among the Akwete’s in Ukwa East Local government. The national war museum at Umuahia is a conventional tourist centre. Formerly commissioned in 1985, the museum comprises the bunker house of the defunct voice of Biafra, then Nta House, and

importantly the famed Ojukwu Bunker. This underground structure housed the Biafran State House and secretariat after the fall of Enugu during the Nigerian Civil War (1967 -70). Relics of the war are kept in this museum, including the Biafran Ogbunigwe, armoured cars, offshore batteries, rocket launchers, Ojukwu bucket bombs and the Biafran helicopter. Also in this museum are materials connected with the Enugu miner’s riots, Tiv riots, Aba Women Riots etc. The Abia Hotels in Umuahia and Afikpo, are popular places for relaxation. Abia state has enormous tourist potentials although most of them are yet to be

exploited. The Ibini Ukpabi, which the colonial officers pejoratively dubbed the Long Juju of Arochukwu is one of such centres. This was the famous god of the Aro people prior to European adventurism. In fact, the shrine attracted adherents from far and wide, and was noted for its honesty and quick dispensation of justice. The shrine is finely decorated and fitted with a long metal tunnel and pipe from which it is expected to talk. Its role during the slave trade era remains a source of research for future historians. Other natural tourist attractions in the state are the Azumini Blue River in part of Aba and Ukwa East local government.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Celebrating screen diva

Ada

Slim Agozino Agozino

Nollywood stars, comprising Basorge Tariah Jnr, Uche Nnana, African China, Uche Ogbodo, Cossy Orjiakor and Presh recently stormed the resident of talk show host, actress and entrepreneur, Ada Slim, for her house warming and birthday celebration. With her dress, a gold and black mini dress that terminated seductively above her knees, Ada Slim cut a pretty figure as she welcomed and hugged guests who graced the event. The multi million naira home which is located in the heart of Lekki, Lagos, has a swimming pool and a Lawn tennis court. The excited celebrant notes, “It feels great adding another year, all the glory belongs to the Almighty God for his numerous blessings.” Ada Slim has garnered experience over the years in the Nigerian entertainment industry; she has been an active player in Nollywood, a producer with many movies and entertainment works to her credit, some of which have featured prominent A-list actors and actresses like; Pete Edochie, Desmond Elliot, Mercy Johnson, Patience Ozokwor (Mama G), Oge Okoye, Tonto Dikeh and many others. Some of her movies which include Irreplaceable and Secret Pain have been featured on

Abia state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu

DSTV Africa- Magic, Sky Nollywood Channel, London and a lot more TV networks in Europe and America. Inspired by veteran TV presenters such as Oprah Winfrey, Pete Edochie, Ellen DeGeneres, Funmi Iyanda and Wendy Williams, in same streak, she also delights in inspiring young Africans especially in the entertainment sector. Earlier in her career, in a quest to develop and encourage fresh talents, Ada Slim created a talent hunt program titled Ada Slim Talent Bank which sought to promote young talented artistes by providing platforms and exposure for them to explore their potentials and reach their dreams. To her efforts, she produced one of the most successful and sought-after actresses in Nollywood, Tonto Dikeh, as she was cast for a huge supporting role in the debut of her movie career, Secret Pain 1&2 which was followed by Irreplaceable 1&2 and more, all from the stables of Ada Slim Productions Ltd. Mentored by Nollywood icon; Chief Pete Edochie, Ada Slim achieved a great media footprint in her early 20’s and once received accolades as the Most Creative Young Nollywood Producer.

L-R: Basorge Tariah Jnr, Ada Slim and a friend.

Our Heritage

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

31 Opinion

Fulani herdsmen scars on Falae (1) ÎÎÎMy teacher and fellow

Yinka Odumakin

delegate to the 2014 National Conference, Prof. Gordoni Darah, ruffled not a few Fulani feathers when he stood up during the debate on cattle grazing to speak against the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen against their host communities. He said apart from destroying farmlands, they were also in the habit of robbing people of their possessions and raping innocent women. All manners of verbal daggers flew in GG’s direction as the real owners of the cattle who were in the real rose in defence of their legmen and the session was to end in confusion until the chairman asked him to withdraw the statement. The day after this incident, Thisday Newspaper of May 22, 2014 had a screaming headline, “Nine Fulani Herdsmen Rape Three Women in Benue”. The story read in part “Nine Fulani herdsmen yesterday went beyond the frequent attacks on hapless communities when they were alleged to have gang-raped three women, including a teenage girl in Tse Kyuer,Yandev, Mbagwen in Guma Local Government Area of Benue. The women whose ages range between 18 and 20 years were attending to house chores in their remote settlement when the herdsmen attacked them with machete and guns and coerced the ladies into submitting to their

Falae

sexual demands. Two of the women (names withheld) while narrating their ordeal wept profusely before the Benue State Governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswan, who ordered a full investigation into the matter.” The conference had stormy sessions on the matter as delegates of Fulani stock insisted that if nomadic cattle rearing was to be stopped for ranching, state governments all over Nigeria must build ranches. Delegates from areas at receiving ends disagreed on the premise that the cattle

W E A T H E R ABUJA Low 23°C High 32°C

KADUNA Low 23°C High 31°C

ONITSHA 29 |23 °C 85 |74 °F

IBADAN Low 23°C High 33°C

LAGOS Low 25°C High 34°C

ILORIN Low 23°C High 33°C

rearers are doing private business and not a social service and as such should be responsible for building their ranches. The issue was put in bracket until some civil society people under Mr. Femi Falana brought a motion to say that the ranches should be built by state governments when they are disposed to such. It was amazing to see our compatriots of Fulani extractions defending the right of cows to free movement as if they were citizens and not animals. If they showed the same feeling for Almajiris when

their issue came up for discussion, the conference would have abolished that social malady in a jiffy. Sixteen months after the cows bill of rights overshadowed that of humans, Chief Olu Falae, Yale graduate, ex-Bank Managing Director, the traditional ruler of Ilu Abo, former Finance minister and Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the unofficial winner of 1999 presidential elections who led the Yoruba delegation to the 2014 National Conference went to his farm on the day he turned 77. If he

was one of those who had exclusive rights to Nigerian oil wells for holding the type of positions he has held, his birthday would not be a day to spend on a plantation. He would have been rollicking in some exotic spot in some wonderful Island. He had hardly settled down when he saw six Fulani men with three of them wielding AK 47 walking towards him. “I thought they were hunters who missed their way and asked them what they were looking for. Before I knew what was happening, they grabbed me and inflicted machete cuts on me in three places. They took me on a fifteen hours of trekking in the forest non-stop”. Of course the Fulani miscreants who stormed his farm were “hunters” only that their game was not some rodents but Chief Olu Falae. They came sequel to the running battles the Chief has had with Fulani herdsmen for 2-3 years. Every now and then they destroy the crops on his farm in the course of their grazing. He always picked issues with them but they told him at a moment of impunity that he should fence the portion where he had crops on his land so their cattle could graze freely on the remainder. Two months ago, the cattle ate up two hectares of his maize plantation. That was an enough-ismore-than-enough....

To be concluded

R E P O R T KANO Low 26°C High 39°C

BENIN CITY Low 14°C High 25°C

P/HARCOURT Low 22°C High 33°C

CALABAR Low 24°C High 33°C

ENUGU Low 24°C High 33°C

WARRI Low 27 |22 °C High 81 |72 °F

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. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.203

Price: N150

T L O B

T S E F R E B O T K O HITS –X7 E L Y IN ST

LIVERPOOL SACK MANAGER IKPEAZU KEEPS SCORING IN ENGLAND –X3

BRENDAN ROGERS

iverpool have sacked manager Brendan Rodgers with immediate effect. The Reds drew with Everton on Sunday to leave them 10th in the Premier League and six points off the top spot. “Although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for success on the pitch,” said a club statement. “The search for a new manager is underway and we hope to make an appointment in a decisive and timely manner.” Carlo Ancelotti, Frank de Boer and Jurgen Klopp have each been linked with the Liverpool job in recent weeks as the club have made an inconsistent start to

the season. Rodgers, who took over in June 2012, led Liverpool to second place in the 2013-14 campaign, when they led the title race with three games to go but lost out to Manchester City. The Northern Irishman was told of the decision when visited at his home by Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre and was informed within an hour of Sunday’s game at Merseyside rivals Everton. BBC Sport’s Ben Smith: “FSG’s decision to sack Rodgers was made before today’s Merseyside derby, but the owners did not want to disrupt preparations for the match by making an announcement before the game. Even a

victory at Goodison Park would not have prevented Rodgers losing his job. “Rodgers was not told at Goodison Park. He was visited at home by Ian Ayre and I am told he took the news with dignity and good grace. Many of the players are now off on international duty and so there was was no chance to say goodbye to them.” Liverpool are owned by Fenway Sports Group and a joint statement from principal owner John W Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Mike Gordon said: “We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Brendan Rodgers for the significant contribution he has made to the club and express our gratitude for his hard work and commitment.

Life&

Times Monday, October 5, 2015

Bimbo

Akintola An untiring screen diva

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Every movie practitioner must be versatile

–Bimbo Akintola

Versatile Nollywood queen, Bimbo Akintola, is one of the leading actresses in the movie industry from her role as Tutsy Adigwe in ‘Out of Bounds’ with Richard Mofe-Damijo to her role in Ego Boyo’s ‘Keeping Faith’. With several laurels to her credit, Bimbo still waxes stronger in the industry where she started acting at a very tender age with her first major appearance in Owo Blow. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, the Theatre Arts graduate from University of Ibadan opens up on career, playing the lead role in the much publicized ’93 Days’ movie amongst others. Excerpts: How do you feel being on set of a soon to be historic movie, 93 Days? I feel honoured and great that I am part of the job and the beautiful aspect of it is that when you are working with artistes that you have worked with before, you already have a rhythm with them. So, it is like going back to work with family; so it is pretty good. I have worked with Steve Gukas as well; he was the director of Keeping Faith. I know for sure that the project will come out real big at the end because in there, we are talking about our own story told by a Nigerian. What came to your mind when you were hinted the role expected of you? Like I always say, the beauty of our job is that you just have to prepare for every role because you won’t know the one that you might be doing soon. When I was contacted and briefed, it was pretty nice not until I got hold of the script and there I knew a lot was expected of me in that character of the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh. I knew it was indeed in a big work for me and I was prepared for every bit of it.

Life&

T E A M

How challenging is it playing the role of the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh? It is challenging, playing a real life role lived by somebody else who is already gone because everyone had one thing or the other to say about her and that made it a bit more difficult for me. It is in the course of reading the script that makes you understand what the person did in real sense and how much effort they put in achieving their target. For instance, the late Stella never choose to become hero but when they realised what was happening, they realised that

Ebola was in their hospital; they didn’t run away, they stood up to the challenge. They became true heroes and heroines and we must understand the fact that we have lost some of them and they died for us and we must respect that and honour that; it is amazing. Also, what I am channeling at the end of the day is her courage; you know because she was extremely courageous, her warmth, the fact that she was the mother to so many people, the fact that she had principle that she lived by her stubbornness you known; because if she hadn’t been a little stubborn, the story would be totally different. So those are the things I’m trying to channel and just show people who she was by showing her character, things that she believed and the idea that she believed in. Is this one of the most challenging role? It is one of my most challenging roles I have taken.

Do you have any fears regarding the fact that you never met with her? You know at first I was not really thinking about it; you know you are just excited at the fact that you doing something that is so important, because I think it is extremely important that we tell our own stories. I’m tired of hearing other people tell our stories; they don’t tell it as good as we can, so let start doing it, that was my first excitement and then it turned on as she was a strong woman and if you read the script and you realise all the things that she did and you start to shake. I think I started having nightmares because she was such an amazing person. I can’t explain how amazing; I keep saying amazing because I don’t have any other word to use but if you had a conversation with one person that knew her, you would understand what am saying. To what extent have you gone in getting your role right? I met Bankole, Dr. Amera’s son. It was an amazing experience. I have met all the doctors, I have met Dr. Okiri that is the doctor Danny Glover is playing his a character. I have met quite a lot of doctors who survived and one thing I realised about them all is the fact that they are all amazing and have helped me

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli

in gathering all necessary information for the role.

Is Bimbo Akintola a brand name because there is so much you do in this business, a lot of changes about you, you are more beautiful, you are slimmer, you have to tell us what you have done and you haven’t featured in lot of movies in recent past; are you rebranding ? It’s not a matter of rebranding. It is a matter of believing in something. I started talking to myself; I’m tired of being in every movie that doesn’t say anything. I want to be part of movies that say something and I choose my script now based on what I see and what it means to me. There are a lot that things to be changed in this country; there are a lot that needs to be done and to whom much is given much is expected. We as actors have a duty to Nigeria because we are known; so people use that popularity to make a difference. So with me, I’m only doing stories that means something to me. We are taking about looks, what have you done to yourself? Exercise, I do a lot of exercise. I am regular person at the Eko Hotel gym and they would tell you I’m usually there by 5:40am but since we have started shooting, I have had to stop. But go to Eko gym at other times, I’m normally there for 3 hours usually. So now that you wouldn’t be doing so many scripts because you now pick the particular type of script that you do, what else do you do apart from acting to survive? I anchor programmes. I was part of the amazon but I’m starting my own show sometimes next year, so watch out for that. When do we get to see bimbo get married? No comment! So tell me then, who is the real Bimbo Akintola? I am a very simple person. I love my mum to bits; she is the most important person in my life. I have friends who have been my friends for over 20 years. I love cooking, I love singing. I believe in God Almighty. I like being part of younger people’s lives; I like to help because I know that I’m not just here for show, I’m doing something to help somebody else.

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Bimbo Akintola

Graphics Luke Utomi

L3 Luxury

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Billionaire Vodka

Price: $3.7 million

Leon Verres’ “Billionaire Vodka” will set you back a staggering $3.7 million. They run the wheatbased spirit through diamonds to remove impurities, and the 5-liter bottle is adorned with 3,000 diamonds and faux fur (only because Verres is a staunch animal rights supporter).

Russo-Baltique Vodka

Price: $1.3 million This vodka is produced by car manufacturer Dartz’s RussoBaltique vodka brand, and had reportedly retailed at $1.3 million. The bottle was crafted to mimic the classic design of Russo-Balt automobiles. If the price tag is too steep for you, check out this promotion: if you purchase one of their $1.6 million Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition SUVs, then you get three bottles of Russo-Balt for free. At that price, you can’t afford not to buy it.

3 Diva Vodka

Price: $1 million Diva Vodka is crafted through a meticulous distilling process, where the alcohol is triple refined and finished after pouring through precious stones. You don’t really think that kind of care will come cheaply, do you? They do offer a bottle of the triple-distilled vodka for $3,700 (peasant prices), but that bottle doesn’t come fitted with precious stones. For all you high rollers, the premier bottle of Diva Vodka will set you back a cool million. Let that sink in for a second.

Chris Oparaugo and Edema Ayokunle Most experienced drinkers can appreciate fine liquor by its taste. It’s a remarkable moment when you switch from drinking the kind of vodka that doubles

Most expensive Vodka Spirit drink

as rubbing alcohol to the top shelf stuff; it›s like a step toward adulthood. Vodka quality alcoholic drink has surpassed all other liquor sales in the United States since the middle age. Since then

Belver Bears Belvedere Vodka

it has remained the most popular booze, giving rise to hundreds of different varieties that cater to everyone, from cheap vodka for back alley bums and ultra expensive vodka for young lounge hipsters.

Iordanov Vodka

Price: $7200

Price: $3,905

The Belver Bears vodka was released in a limited edition run in the VIP Room in Cannes, St. Tropez, and Paris. Designed using a jeroboam from Belvedere vodka, these teddy bear-inspired bottles were designed by Jean-Roch. Question: Is it scarier to be attacked by a bear than to pay more than seven Gs on a piece of glass with a liquid inside it.

Anything that has 8,300 Swarovski crystals attached to will not come cheap, and Iordanov Vodka is no exception. Coming in at $3,905, the appropriately-named Decadence Edition vodka flaunts high-class quality with the hand-designed, crystal-lined bottles.

Oval Swarovski Crystal Vodka

Price: $6922 Released in 2008, this highend vodka was only available in the coolest nightclubs, and for good reason: your average joe isn’t going to drop almost $7K on spirit. Adding to the grandeur was the manner of display for the opulent bottle of booze, as it sat on a rotating LCD display, allowing for the 7,000 Swarovski crystals to draw your attention.

Stoli Elit: Himalayan Edition

10 Magnum Grey Goose

Price: $815 Alone, you can probably score a bottle of Grey Goose Magnum for about $160 (not cheap, but not that crazy). However, put that alcohol in a bottle designed by Swiss jeweler Chopard, in addition to the silver cage the bottle comes with, and suddenly the price jumps to $815. However, those caged Grey Goose bottles were given a limited release, so if you want to pay over $800 for vodka in a fancy birdcage, you’re going to have to act quickly.

Imperial Collection Super Premium Vodka

Price: $2,400 The delivery process is what really makes this vodka, as its carafe and cap are gilded and topped with an eagle, which is then placed upon a Fabergé egg (also gilded). It might not be so expensive if the egg wasn›t handcrafted, which must contribute to the price tag. However, before you make the decision to buy a glorified Fabergé egg, check with your grandma—she might have some Fabergé egg tchotchkes you can have.

Swarovski Alizé

Price: $3,000

Price: $2000

How could anyone justify pricing a bottle of vodka at $3,000? Stolichnaya does, by explaining that it uses pure water from underground reservoirs in the Himalayan Mountains, mixed with Russian winter wheat. But that alone isn’t enough to get to spend $3000, right? Well, the bottle is made of handblown glass, and each bottle comes with a gold-plated ice pick (though if you contemplate sticking the ice pick into your head after you realize you just spend $3,000 on a bottle of vodka, that’s entirely understandable).

Alizé developed a limited run of Valentine›s Day-themed bottles, claiming to have produced «the original drink of love.» The only problem is, you might run into some relationship issues when your partner finds out you spent $2,000 on a bottle of Alizé. The drink mixes vodka, Cognac, passion fruit, strawberry, lychee, and rose. What could be more romantic than Swarovski crystals on Valentine’s Day? Oh, right, not spending $2,000 on a bottle of Alizé.

Wellness L4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Is that stained teeth ruining your smile? Judith Frank-Edet There is nothing like beaming a charming smile especially when you know that you have a white set of teeth to back it up. And of course, the reverse applies; stained teeth can make an otherwise beautiful smile look unsightly. A study on the influence of tooth colour on the perceptions of personal characteristics which was published in the British Dental journal showed that people with whiter teeth are perceived as more socially competent, smarter, more satisfied with their relationships, and more psychologically adjusted. Another study conducted by an independent research firm showed that a beautiful white smile has a direct effect on successful interpersonal interactions, both socially and professionally. The fact is that it’s easy to stain your teeth; any food or drink that will stain a white cloth will stain your teeth, too. But even though stained teeth are common, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. The first step to a brighter, whiter smile is to learn exactly what causes stained teeth. The next -- and most important -- step is to see your dentist to find out what solutions are best for your smile. According to experts, there are two primary classes of tooth stains: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic tooth stains are stains on the surfaces of teeth. Intrinsic tooth stains are found on the inside of the tooth, within its inner layers, in the dentin or in the pulp area. A simple way to remember the difference is to think of extrinsic

tooth stains as being on the exterior of the tooth and intrinsic tooth stains on the interior of the tooth. In general, extrinsic tooth stains are caused by certain habits like not brushing, flossing or seeing your dentist on a regular basis; drinking coffee and smoking or chewing tobacco. Intrinsic stains may be caused by tooth traumas (a broken tooth or chipped tooth), certain antibiotics (and dental conditions). Let’s look more at the causes of stained teeth.Tobacco Use: Smoking or chewing tobacco can result in discolored teeth. • Disease: Diseases affecting enamel and dentin can lead to tooth discoloration. Certain infections in pregnant mothers can cause tooth discoloration in the baby by affecting enamel development. • Medications: Antihistamines, antidepressants and high blood pressure drugs can discolor teeth. Maternal use of tetracycline antibiotics during the second half of pregnancy may result in discoloration of the baby’s tooth enamel. Children who take tetracycline and doxycycline antibiotics during permanent tooth development (before age eight) may experience intrinsic discoloration of the permanent teeth. •Ageing: As you age, the outer layer of enamel on your teeth wears away, revealing the dentin’s natural, yellow color. Additionally, over the years your teeth accumulate more stains and tartars, causing them to darken and discolor. •Fluoride: Excessive fluoride from environmental sources, such as

high fluoride levels in drinking water, or from excessive use of fluoride applications, rinses, toothpastes and oral fluoride supplements, can cause teeth discoloration. • Medical Treatments: Certain treatments can adversely affect the color of enamel and dentin layers. For example, chemotherapy, and head and neck radiation are two such treatments. • Foods/Drinks & Tobacco: Coffee, tea, colas and red wine, when consumed over time, produce stains on teeth that can result in yellow, brown, green or orange discolorations. Typically, these types of tooth staining can be removed by regular home dental care, which includes brushing, flossing and rinsing after meals, as well as by eliminating or cutting down on the stain-inducing foods and beverages. • Genetics: Like your complexion or the color of your eyes, your teeth may appear yellower, browner or grayer due to inherited genes. Teeth whitening treatments may have little or no noticeable effects on teeth that have natural discolorations. Some lucky individuals have naturally brighter and/or thicker enamel than others. • Poor Oral Hygiene/Tooth Decay: These can cause your teeth to have stains that are white, gray, brown, yellow, or even black and green. Teeth whitening products will not resolve these types of stains. In such cases, the person’s dentist must repair the damage caused by the neglect and tooth decay with dental restorations, such as fillings. • Trauma/Root Canal

Treatments: Traumatic events, such as an accident or a fall, as well as root canal treatments, can result in nerve tissue damage that can cause gray or brown tooth stains. Stains only form on the tooth or teeth directly affected by the incident. In some cases, this discoloration may be an indication that the nerve inside the tooth has died. Tooth Discoloration Treatments Treatment options for discolored teeth vary depending on the cause. Before opting for whitening procedures like tooth whitening, bleaching, ultrasonic cleaning, rotary polishing or more, it is best to consult with your dentist to know the best tooth discolouration treatment for you. However, there are certain lifestyle changes that would help reduce stains on your teeth. They include: Good Hygiene: Practice proper dental hygiene by brushing and flossing daily, and getting professional teeth cleanings every six months or more frequently, depending on your dentist’s recommendation, to help remove surface stains and bacteria. Use an ultrasonic toothbrush, which more effectively removes stain-causing foods from tooth surfaces. Quit smoking: We know this is easier said than done, but if you won’t stop for your health, will you do it for a more attractive smile? Be wise about beverages: You know how coffee, cola or tea can stain your cup, how much more your teeth? When you do indulge in staining beverages, do so in one or two sittings rather than sipping such

drinks throughout the day. And brush after drinking them. Use a straw: Sipping iced cola, and fruit juices through a plastic straw will reduce your teeth’s exposure to these staining beverages. Go for good toothpaste: So many toothpaste promise to whiten the teeth but don’t deliver. Even some So-called smokers’ toothpastes, designed to scrub away tobacco, coffee, and other stains on the teeth, are generally abrasive and should be avoided in all but the most serious cases of stained teeth. It’s best to go for top quality tooth paste or see your dentist for a recommendation. Swallow promptly: Swallowing stain-causing foods and beverages quickly is also believed to help protect teeth from stains. Obviously, it’s important to chew foods thoroughly before swallowing. But don’t retain things in your mouth for long periods of time. In other words, the quicker you drink something the lower the exposure to stainpromoting substances. Swish with water: It’s not always convenient to brush your teeth after having something to eat or drink. Even when it is, it might be better not to: dental enamel is highly vulnerable to abrasion from tooth brushing for up to 30 minutes after the consumption of an acidic food or beverage. So it’s safer simply to swish with water -- and brush later, once the enamel has had a chance to re-harden. Another way to remove stain-causing substances without brushing, is to chew sugarless gum after eating or drinking.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

L5 Nutrition

Foods

that dim or brighten your smile Judith Frank-Edet On a daily basis, we consume an array of foods that affect the colour of our teeth; from what beverage we drink to the tomato sauce we eat. Sometimes, you can’t avoid these foods -- and many of them are healthy choices. Depriving yourself of fresh grape fruits isn’t an option, but you can do some things to help fight stains. First of all, don’t let stain-causing foods and drinks stay in your mouth for long. Instead, swallow and chew them quickly to help protect your teeth. It’s also important to rinse and brush after eating. Another tip is to use a straw to sip on some of these drinks. This way, the liquids are kept away from your teeth and reduce the risk of staining. Be sure to rinse with a sip of water in between and after drinking. There are quite a few drinks and foods that can cause teeth staining, but you can adopt some of these habits to reduce the discoloration effects. The health of our teeth is important and it starts with the foods that we eat – here is a list to see how you can help your teeth avoid being at risk for stains. Citrus fruits We all love Citrus fruits. They are a rich source of vitamin C and other nutrients and they are good for health in many ways, but not when it comes to your teeth. Grapefruit and lemon juice, in particular, are highly acidic and can erode tooth enamel over time. A study published in 2008 which involved soaking pulled teeth in various citrus juices, those two caused the most damage. Orange juice caused the least. Carbonated drinks It’s no secret that drinking too many sugary drinks can breed cavities. What’s less wellknown is that the acids found in carbonated soft drinks appear to harm teeth even more than the sugar. Even the so called sugar-free diet sodas contain citric and phosphoric acid which can erode enamel if consumed in large doses. If you can’t do without cola, your best bet is to drink it during a meal, rather than sipping it throughout the day. The food will help neutralize the acid. Wine Red wine contains substances known as chromogens that produce tooth-discoloring pigments. What’s more, the tannins in red wine tend to dry out the mouth and make teeth sticky, worsening stains. Also, even white wine can contribute to staining. Reds and whites both contain erosive acid, allowing stains from other foods or drinks to penetrate more deeply. A study which was carried out by the New York college of dentistry in 2009 found that cow’s teeth soaked in black tea were more susceptible to staining if they were soaked in white wine (versus water) beforehand.

Coffee You know those stubborn brown stains that accumulate on the inside of a coffee mug? That should give you some idea of how coffee drinking can stain your teeth over time. Coffee stains appear to be even more persistent than tobacco stains, in fact. According to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine that compared the two types of stain, coffee-stained teeth were more resistant to tooth brushing and more likely to become discoloured again following a bleach treatment. In addition to being unsightly, teeth with heavy coffee stains tend to be sticky and apt to attract food particles and bacteria. Tea Just like coffee, tea also contains the staining saboteurs known as tannins. Some black tea may even stain your teeth more than coffee. Black teas tend to have a high tannin content, which promotes staining. However, green tea, white tea, and herbal tea—aren’t as likely to discolor your teeth. Herbal tea may have another drawback, though: According to a study, herbal tea was found to erode dental enamel substantially more than black tea did. Also consider adding a dash of milk to your cup. Research suggests that adding milk to your tea slashes its ability to stain your teeth. Crackers Biscuit This is one biscuit that both children and adults love to eat. However, the refined carbohydrates found in saltines and many other types of crackers convert to sugar in the mouth very quickly, providing fodder for cavity-forming bacteria. Crackers also become mushy when chewed, turning into a paste-like goop that builds up in your molars and lodges between teeth. If you frequently eat crackers biscuit, you may have cause for concern, but eating them in moderation isn’t likely to cause any long-term problems. Tomato Sauce: Because tomatoes are highly acidic and brightly coloured, tomato sauce and ketchup can cause staining and enamel erosion. Eat these foods in moderation. Curry Eating too much foods heavily spiced with curry is notorious for making the teeth yellow. The color of curry is so intense, you can practically tell it will stain your teeth just by looking at it. The same precautionary rules apply here as with other foods that stain teeth: Brush your teeth after enjoying any food heavily spiced with curry, or at least swish some water in your mouth. Teeth health foods Fibrous Fruits High-fiber fruits, like pears and apples, may

help whiten your teeth, Not only do they boost saliva flow (which helps keep teeth clean), but their fiber content removes some stains by scrubbing the surface of the teeth. Just be sure you brush your teeth after having your apple a day—fruit still contains sugars, and you don’t want that sticking around longer than it has to. Water Water does more than just keep you hydrated. Research suggests that drinking plenty of water keeps the teeth and gums healthy, and helps battle tooth decay. And if you can’t brush after a meal, simply swish around some water to clear sugars and acids. Peanuts This small but mighty bites have an array of health benefits, from boosting weight loss to fighting aging and more. And now we can add one more to the list: strengthening our teeth. This is because of its protein content. Peanuts protect our teeth and keep them strong, plus, the chewing it takes to eat each one helps stimulate saliva production, so they also help clean the mouth. On the flipside, some research suggests that nuts may cause tooth decay and could have been to blame for dental disease so check with your dentist to see what he or she recommends. Dairy Milk and other dairy products

are the primary dietary source of calcium, which is essential for healthy teeth. Calcium is the key ingredient in a mineral, known as hydroxyapatite that strengthens tooth enamel as well as bones. Dairy products also contain casein, a type of protein. Research suggests that caseins, along with calcium, play an important role in stabilizing and repairing tooth enamel. Sugarless gum Sugar-free gum helps clean teeth by stimulating the production of saliva. Saliva is nature’s way of washing away acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth, and it also bathes the teeth in bone-strengthening calcium and phosphate. In addition, many varieties of sugarless gum are sweetened with xylitol, an alcohol that reduces bacteria. It is best to stick with mint flavors, however. This is because one 2011 study published in the British Dental Journal suggested that the acid used to create certain fruit flavors could damage teeth slightly, so it’s best to go for mints.

Buzz Byte L6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Mutiat Alli

Clearance Peters

covers Mystreetz magazine

Having made his debut as a filmmaker, leading director and son to veteran actress, Clarion Chukwura, Clearance Peters made a bold appearance alongside cast of his new movie, ‘Hex’ on the cover of this month’s edition of Mystreetz magazine. Peters, who is popular for directing music videos, is set to make his

Wizkid

Nollywood debut with his upcoming short film. “Arguably, we might say he has conquered the music video industry and filmmaking might not be a herculean task for him”, says Sesan Adeniji, publisher of Mystreetz magazine. “With “Hex” in tow, Clarence seems set to overrun the entire Nollywood

Drake

American Rapper, Drake praises Wizkid

and make every single film maker who has earned our respect over the years look like a joke. “And it would seem like he is set to claim his place at the very top from nowhere, but the truth is Clarence has been there in the thick of filmmaking and the Nollywood industry longer than most”, Adeniji explained.

American rapper, Drake having kept mute since he dropped his verse on Wizkid ‘Ojuelegba remix’, has finally come out to say few words about working with Wizkid on the 100th issue of FADER magazine. The 6th god rapper was asked why he recorded the song with Skpeta, if it was some attempt at ‘international outreach’ to become a truly global star, having already conquered North America. Drake swayed that impression by saying, ‘I just did it because I was in the moment,’ adding, ‘I wasn’t thinking like, ‘Oh man, I gotta get my brand up in Nigeria. Not to say that’s not important. I’m super-honoured to be on that song”.

Yemi Alade, Patoranking grabs MOBO nomination Top Nigerian music acts that includes Davido, Patoranking, Yemi Alade and Wizkid are part of the few musical acts that will be battling for the best African category at the 20th anniversary edition of the MOBO awards. The 20th anniversary of the awards is expected to take place in Leeds and will showcase the very best of British urban music at the first Direct Arena on Wednesday, November 5, 2015. Patoranking

New Music Alert

Not resting on his oars, CDQ has released another single titled’ Woss Wobi’ featuring YNBL boss, Olamide , a song for the street which has hilarious indigenous lyric. This comes after the successful pulling out of ‘Indomie’ by the two vibrant rappers which took over all media houses and clubs. The song is produced by Twizzle, mixed and master by Suka Sound.

2face Idibia releases new song ‘National Anthem’ Barely few weeks after his much talked about concert, FORTYfied, Nigeria’s leading musician, 2Face Idibia, in the spirit of the 55th Independence celebration of our dear country Nigeria, dished out new song titled ‘National Anthem’. According to Idibia, the song is to help reiterate the message of peace and unity riding on a stirring performance of ‘National Anthem’ composed by late Pa Benedict Odiase (MON). The song is produced by Bolji Beatz, a member of 2Baba’s Tek band and producer behind the Afrobeat-inspired banger ‘Jeje’ off“The Ascension” album (2014). As Nigeria turned 55, 2Baba hopes this song can inspire hope and strengthen belief in the Nigerian project.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

L7 Buzz Byte

Mutiat Alli

Set

Behind the scene of Ileke recording

Movie title: Undercover Lover

Artiste: Lizzy Anjorin Directed by: Prodoo

Produced by: Spicylee Tee Films

Produced by: Lizzy Anjorin

Location: Lekki

Location: Ikeja, Lagos

Cast: Victoria Egbuchere, Kelechi Udeh, Alex Ekubo, Lilian Afegbai, Fred Aminu, chris Biyibi, Kiki Ifeanyi,

Chris Biyibi on set Music rapper, Q-dot and Lizzy Anjorin Lizzy Anjorin during the recording

Music producer, Prodoo, Pasuma and Lizzy Anjorin

Movie title: Ghost Lover Produced by: Obinna Onyemelukwe Cast: Junior Pope Odonwodo, Vivian Oyakhire, Dammy Eke, Felicia Fredd, Elvis Chibuikem, Jerry Williams Kelechi Udeh and Victoria Egbuchere

Location: Asaba

Felicia Fedd and Elvis Chibuikem

Jerry Williams in thinking mood

Dammy Eke and Felicia Fredd

Vivian Oyakhire and Junior Pope Odonwodo

Elvis Chibuikem and Dammy Eke

Victoria Egbuchere and IK Ogbonna

Movie title: Internal Heat Cast: Onii Micheal, Onyinye Okafor, Stephen Odimgbe amongst others. Location: Asaba

Lilian Afegbai

Oyinye Okafor and Stephen Odimgbe

Onii Micheal and Onyinye Okafor

Onyinye Okafor handling a pistol

Ifeanyi Kalu and Celine Dumas

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, October 5, 2015

Showing on

150 Africa Magic Showcase

162 Magic World

12:00

18:30

Mon, 5 Oct | PG13

African and international celebrities and featuring the latest news and takes you behind the scenes of magazine, movies and music video shoots.

101 M-Net

00:40 Roger Corman’s Operation Rogue 02:10 Emperor 04:05 Caught On Camera 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Big Bang Theory 06:30 Hawaii Five-0 07:30 Caught On Camera 08:30 Angel Dog 10:30 The Odd Couple 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 The Voice 13:00 Royal Pains 14:00 Arrow 15:00 Resurrection 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Goldbergs 17:30 The Voice 18:30 Madam Secretary 19:30 Revenge 20:30 Elementary 21:30 Carte Blanche 22:30 The Bag Man

‘S2/E301 - 2/301’. Jack withdraws from Lilly’s company, which annoys Angie, while tension continues to rise between Itumeleng and Marang. Diksie and Zintle go for a wild night out on the town. Faye Peters, Amber van Rensburg, James Alexander.

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

L8 Television

120 BBC Entertainment

128 SONY MAX

10:30 The Cube 00:25 The Cube

11:20 New Tricks

01:10 Antiques Roadshow

12:20 Top Gear

02:05 Call The Midwife

13:15 Come Dine With Me

03:00 EastEnders

14:10 Total Wipeout UK

00:35 Killer Karaoke

03:30 EastEnders

15:05 The Weakest Link

01:30 Tattoo Nightmares

04:00 EastEnders

16:00 EastEnders

02:00 Most Shocking

04:30 EastEnders

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

03:00 Most Shocking

05:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

17:10 Pointless

04:00 Exposed

05:25 QI

18:05 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

04:30 Exposed

05:55 Miranda 06:30 EastEnders

19:00 Celebrity MasterChef

05:25 Exposed

07:00 Antiques Roadshow

20:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

05:50 Exposed

07:55 The Weakest Link

21:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA

06:15 Video Zonkers

08:45 The Chase

21:55 The Graham Norton Show

06:40 Video Zonkers

09:30 Total Wipeout UK

22:45 Would I Lie To You?

07:05 What Went Down

155 AfricaMagic World

05:00 I Bet You Will

07:35 Caught On Camera 08:35 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago 09:05 South Beach Tow 09:35 Most Shocking 10:35 Most Shocking 11:35 Video Zonkers

154 AfricaMagic Family

12:05 Video Zonkers 12:35 What Went Down

00:30 Game Plan

13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas

02:00 Jane And Abel

14:00 Goge Africa

02:30 Jane And Abel

14:30 Comfort Zone

03:00 Good Morning Africa

15:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh

04:00 53 Extra

16:00 Prem

04:30 Losers Take It All

16:30 Tenant

06:00 Good Morning Africa

17:30 Mashariki Mix

07:00 Star Gist

18:00 Jane And Abel

07:25 President For A Day

18:30 Jane And Abel

08:30 Tenant

19:00 Tinsel

09:25 Mashariki Mix

19:30 Star Gist

10:00 Good Morning Africa

20:00 Life Begins

11:00 Tinsel

21:00 Family Ties

11:30 Star Gist

21:30 Goge Africa

12:00 Music Block

22:05 Living With Trisha

13:05 Caught On Camera 14:05 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago 00:00 Music Block

13:00 Music Block

14:35 South Beach Tow

01:00 Good Morning Africa

14:00 Star Gist

15:05 Most Shocking

02:05 Deal Or No Deal SA

14:30 Star Gist

16:05 1000 Ways To Die

03:00 Deal Or No Deal

15:00 Star Gist

16:30 Video Zonkers

04:00 The Dzigbordi Show

15:30 Lies That Bind

17:00 Video Zonkers

05:00 Good Morning Africa

16:00 The Dzigbordi Show

17:30 Caught On Camera

06:05 The Mastermind

17:00 So Wrong So Wright

18:30 What Went Down

07:55 Star Gist

17:30 So Wrong So Wright

19:00 South Beach Tow

08:25 Star Gist

18:00 The Dzigbordi Show

19:30 Hardcore Pawn: Chicago

09:00 Good Morning Africa

19:00 Kumwesu

20:00 Underclassman

10:00 The Dzigbordi Show

19:30 Kumwesu

21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

11:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

20:00 Miserable Wealth

22:00 Poorman’s Bikini Beach

12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

22:30 Most Shocking

SALAMI, g X3 CHIKATARA CLOSE GAP IN GOALS RACE

THE SUPER TALENT LOST BY NIGERIA

ALLI,

g X4,5

Ogbeche Disappointed Despite g Scoring

ASEC Mimosas Team Beveren Metalurh Donetsk Olympiacos

1996–2001 Senior career* Years 2001–2003 2003–2005 2005–2006

(19)

Manchester City

Gnégnéri Yaya Touré 13 May 1983

Bouaké, Ivory Coast 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] Midfielder Current team: Number: Youth career

Club information

Full name: Date of birth:

2004–

Ivory Coast

2010– National team

Monaco Barcelona Manchester City

2006–2007 2007–2010

Touré

Yaya

YAYA TOURE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Poster! Place of birth: Height: Playing position:

X4 Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

Monday, October 5, 2015

g X2

L A N E S R A N A M E L HUMB 0 3 D E UNIT

Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

BARCELONA STRUGGLE WITHOUT MESSI BEATEN

arcelona’s struggles without Lionel Messi continued as second-half goals from Michael Krohn-Dehli and Vicente Iborra consigned the European champions to a second league defeat in three games 2-1 at Sevilla. Neymar pulled a goal back from the penalty spot 16 minutes from time, but the injury-struck visitors were left to rue a host of missed opportunities and some fine goalkeeping by Sergio Rico as Sevilla registered their first league win over the Catalans since 2007. Defeat leaves Barca still a point off leaders Villarreal, but they can now be passed by either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid when they face off on Sunday. Without Messi and Andres Iniesta the pressure was on Neymar and Luis Suarez to take even more responsiblity and the former forced Rico into his first save of the afternoon with a low effort after just five minutes. Neymar’s runs from deep were causing Sevilla huge problems and Suarez should have done better when his shot was deflected wide by Timothee Kolodziejczak after being played in by his strike partner. Claudio Bravo replaced the muchcriticised Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barca goal after overcoming a calf injury and was regularly tested at the other end as he saved Kevin Gameiro’s header before denying the Frenchman from a narrow angle.

Arsenal humble Man United 3-0

rsenal stunned Manchester United with three goals in the opening 20 minutes as the Gunners moved up to second in the Premier League table. United had no answer to Arsenal’s opening burst as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil scored twice in 74 seconds. Sanchez added a third from 18 yards as the Gunners beat United for just the second time in 14 league meetings. United improved after the break but Arsenal substitute Alex OxladeChamberlain hit the crossbar late on. Defeat leaves Louis van Gaal’s side in third place, behind Arsenal on goal difference. Arsenal’s Champions League defeat at home to Olympiakos in midweek left them in danger of failing to reach the last 16 and manager Arsene Wenger in the face of heavy criticism. Wenger was forced to defend his selection of goalkeeper David Ospina, describing recent criticism as “not analysis of football”. He also called the press “boring”. But his side were anything but in an opening half which saw them tear Manchester United apart, almost at will. With their first real attack Sanchez back-heeled in at the near post after good work from Aaron Ramsey and Ozil, and the Germany playmaker then added the second a minute later after Walcott ran at a struggling defence.

Stories by Mike Otanwa

igeria will lose a box-to-box midfielder and a far bigger talent than Jordon Ibe of Liverpool when England cap Tottenham Hotspur ace Dele Alli this week in qualifiers for the 2016 Euros in France. Many were disappointed when Ibe chose the Three Lions of England ahead of the Super Eagles, but the loss would be greater when Alli steps out for England this week because he is far a much bigger talent than the Liverpool winger. Alli, whose father is Nigerian, has taken to the English Premier League from England’s third-tier league like duck to water and after 321 minutes of action in the EPL he is now knocking on the door of England as many had widely predicted. He is a gifted player who has scored goals from midfield for MK Dons to win promotion to the English Championship, the country’s second-tier league. He may be only 19, but his maturity and versatility have caught the eye as he could play as a holding midfielder, a playmaker, an attacking midfielder as well as on either side of the wings. He plays a simple game even though he is very comfortable on the ball and mobile. He is most certainly the missing piece in the midfield Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh is sweating to assemble after the laboured outings against Tanzania and Niger last

Alli

ALLI,

THE SUPER TALENT LOST BY NIGERIA month. Last week, a top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) told AfricanFootball. com that they had reached out to Alli last year and he promised to take his chance with the Super Eagles this year, just as Shola Ameobi and Victor Moses had done even after they represented England at various age-group teams.

Little wonder therefore that England boss Roy Hodgson will gush about his latest call-up. “We know enough about him. (Assistant manager) Ray Lewington had watched him 15 to 20 times and between us we have seen him play seven or eight times this season. We like what we see,” Hodgson said.

Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

BOSSO tags split points a wake-up Stoies by Mike Otanwa

bia Warriors head coach Ladan Bosso has said his side’s draw against oriental neighbours Enugu Rangers is a wake-up call in their quest for continental ticket. Warriors came from behind twice to pull off an unconvincing 3-3 draw against Rangers in a match day 32 clash in Umuahia. Bosso said the outcome of the six-goal thriller clearly showed that there is still a loopehole to tighten for the side to finish the season campaign on high. “Our inability to pick three points in the clash against Enugu Rangers is clearly a wake-up call. “There were total loss of concentration on my boys from time to time in the encounter.

Chibuike

CHIBUIKE UNSUNG IN TURKEY MATCH N

igerian midfielder John Chibuike emerged man of the match in a Turkish Super League game on Saturday as he helped Gaziantepspor beat Osmanlinspor 2-1. The 26-year-old midfielder scored a goal, the match winner in the 35th minute and assisted Muhammet Demir for the first goal in the 11th minute. The former Hacken of Sweden

player told AfricanFootball.com that he is delighted with his goal and the award as he looks forward to help his team stay in the top flight. “I feel so good to get the goal, it’s my first of the season and it was a very good game for me,” he said. “I was the man of the match. I am just working so hard to have good season and go from here to better club.”

IKPEAZU KEEPS SCORING IN ENGLAND

On whether he has been under pressure to get goals having fired blanks in past six games and his target for the season, Chibuike told AfricanFootball.com: “I am not under any pressure. I don’t have any number of goals I want to score, I just want to help my team to stay in the top league.” He scored six goals last season and his contract with Gaziantepspor runs till the summer of 2017.

Salami, Chikatara close gap in goals race

bolahan Salami and Chisom Chikatara have piled the pressure on leading goal scorers Esosa Igbinoba and Tunde Adeniji after they

recorded their 13th goal each on Saturday. Both Salami and Chikatara scored a hat-trick Warri Wolves and Abia Warriors respectively on Saturday in Week 32 games to take their goal haul to 13 each, just a goal adrift of Igbinoba and Adeniji. Heartland’s Bright Ejike is on 12 goals. Tony Okpotu (Lobi Stars) and Mubarak Umar (Wikki Tourists) have scored 10 goals each. Prince Aggreh of Sunshine Stars and Marshal Onoriode Odah of Rangers have scored nine goals each.

“The evidenced loss of concentration showed there is work to be done for us to finish high in the ongoing league season. “The draw has not dimmed our continental ticket campaign. It’s very well on good track. “What we must strive for is to earn away points in the remaining six matches while keeping 100 per cent record on home front. “I strongly believe that the task is achievable and possible. If Rangers could come here to pick point nothing stops us from going outside to pick maximum points. “Our continental ticket race is a huge possibility with six matches on the calendar,” said the former Kano Pillars coach to supersport.com. The draw against Rangers takes Abia Warriors’ total earnings to 47 from a possible 96 in the 32-week-old top flight.

igerian youngster Uche Ikpeazu was the match winner for his English League One team Port Vale as they beat Sheffield United 2-1 on Saturday. Ikpeazu has now scored six goals in the league as Port Vale’s leading scorer. The 20-year-old Watford loanee doubled Port Vale’s lead in the 45th minute

as Ikpeazu cut inside from the left and bundled his way through two challenges. The ball dropped to the striker who then showed great composure to take aim from 15 yards and hammer the ball past Sheffield United goalkeeper via the underside of the bar. He has played for Crewe Alexander and Doncaster Rovers.

Salami Ikpeazu

OGBECHE DISAPPOINTS DESPITE SCORING

Ogbeche

artholomew Ogbeche scored his fifth goal in three matches for Cambuur as the Leeuwarden side drew 1-1 with Roda JC in the Eredivisie on Saturday. Ogbeche is clearly a man in form and clearly not lacking in confidence as exemplified by his goal on the half hour at a packed Parkstad Limburg Stadion.

Marvin Peerman headed a corner into the path of the Nigerian forward who promptly fired home from close range to give the visitors a deserved lead. Ogbeche should have doubled the lead before the break but after rounding goalkeeper Benjamin van Leer, he slid the ball into the side netting to the frustration of the away faithful.

That miss was to prove costly as the hosts drew level in spectacular fashion in the 72nd minute. Tom van Hyfte had the partisan fans applauding in delirium as he equalised with an outstanding overhead kick from and Ard van Peppen’s cross. The quality of the finish was not lost even on the side on the receiving end with

Ogbeche noting after the game that “you have to respect that”. “I am disappointed, because I expected to win. But what a great goal for Roda. A beauty. You have to respect that,” he was quoted as saying on the club’s official website, www. cambuur.nl. Ogbeche has scored six goals in all competitions for Cambuur this season.

Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

Touré

Yaya

Full name: Gnégnéri Yaya Touré Date of birth: 13 May 1983 Place of birth: Bouaké, Ivory Coast Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] Playing position: Midfielder Club information Current team: Manchester City Number: 42 Youth career 1996–2001 ASEC Mimosas Senior career* Years Team 2001–2003 Beveren 2003–2005 Metalurh Donetsk 2005–2006 Olympiacos 2006–2007 Monaco 2007–2010 Barcelona 2010– Manchester City National team 2004– Ivory Coast 95 (19)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

EXTRATIME

Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

FEATURES

THE UNFASHIONABLE TRUTH ABOUT

ADEBAYOR

ith his Tottenham contract now cancelled, maybe Emmanuel Adebayor is about to begin his slide out of English football’s consciousness. The Togolese forward is now a free agent, and while the suggestion remains that he could re-join one-time manager Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa, his advancing years mean that, even if it hasn’t quite arrived, the end is now in sight. The distance between what Adebayor has accomplished and what he might have done should make him fascinating. The football community adores an enigma and is perpetually fascinated by the winds which drag talent off course, but Adebayor’s story has too often been coloured by stereotype. He has been given a part to play by the English community; he has been forced into a costume and shoved on stage without anyone ever really asking whether he fits the role. He’s the African player; he’s the one solely motivated by money and who only tries when he wants to. A man without a country and the consensus composite of a footballing mercenary.

SLife through religion As time passes, the more that will look like an ugly caricature. Adebayor’s decisions and his preference for large contracts make him distinctly unremarkable. He is just a product of his time and the black marks on his CV appear on those belonging to dozens of English players who are viewed similarly. But Adebayor is cast as the bogeyman; he’s the one who has been pushed to the front and centre of that avaricious culture. Very little about the player is common knowledge or, at least, what is known is disregarded in favour of a more digestible truth. Throughout his career, little effort has been made to contextualise Adebayor or explore the roots of personality. That’s quite strange. Not only because he’s owed that privilege, but also because his path to the professional game and journey through it has been both unusual and deeply troubling. Adebayor headed to Metz before his 16th birthday Football has been the common thread through his life. Unable to properly walk until the age of four, the young Adebayor spent his early childhood accompanying his mother across his native continent in search

of a cure, which eventually led them to prayer. “They took me to a church and told my mum they’d pray for me for a week,” he recalled. “I was in the church laying down. Suddenly somebody kicked a ball into the church. And the first person to stand up and run was me, because I wanted to get that ball.” It’s easy to sneer and to be cynical, but it’s a story which the adult Adebayor evidently believes. It’s veracity, therefore, is really incidental. Religion became – and remains – a guiding force in this life and his early attachment to football was entirely understandable. Emotional cost As a teenager, he trod a difficult if not unique path. Leaving his native country as a 15-year-old and moving to Metz’s academy, his first teammates recall a tall, thin child who arrived in France in traditional African dress and with little understanding of his new surroundings. Interviews with the player in subsequent years revealed the difficulty of the adjustment and not only the strain of being away from his family, but also the heavy onus on him to succeed. “At 15 I wasn’t just playing for my own glory, I was playing for the sake of my family,” he admitted.

Adebayor was escaping poverty and a small home that he sometimes shared with 10 relatives, but he was doing so by paying an emotional price. He was forced to make a choice between his family and his career and, when it occurs at such a young age, that’s the kind of decision which comes with consequences. Real horrors Football has grown to such a level now that the most visible players have acquired a film-star gloss and are assumed to be impervious to realworld pain. That’s a fallacy, though, and Adebayor is a very pertinent example of why. The 2010 attack on the Togolese national team’s bus was the kind of trauma that nobody walks away from unscathed. Adebayor was physically unharmed, but nobody who saw the photographs of him from the aftermath or heard him describe carrying the bloodied and wounded to safety would contest that he remains deeply scarred. But the hatred has still raged. When he retired from international football in 2010, citing the trauma of that January day and fears over his safety, the old narrative returned and he was assumed to be turning his back on his country in a dispute over bonuses. Another triumph for an

easy conclusion to a more complex truth. The death of his brother Peter in 2013 evidently caused a family rift which exists to this day. Either through a need for self-catharsis or as a symptom of his emotional instability, Adebayor took to social media to document the acrimony between him, his mother, his older brother Kolo, and his sister Yabo. There are stories of emotional blackmail, witchcraft, suicidal thoughts, physical violence and of an intricate system of obliged patronage that, cumulatively, has evidently pushed Adebayor to his emotional limit and reprioritised football as a mere occupation. His personal life has been in perpetual chaos for most of the last decade and his late-20s have been soundtracked by the haunting chime of a terrible memory, the abandonment by those closest to him, and by a chorus of sneers from his own fans. Trivialising these issues and reducing Adebayor to the twodimensional character on a television screen is crass. The deeper you drill into his life, the more remarkable it seems that he was able to forge any sort of career at all. He has faced emotional challenges that would have broken the backs of many of his contemporaries, yet those stories are never used to prefix the cliché-endorsing anecdotes. He is a human being: a detail which has too often been disregarded. He may not be owed anybody’s affection, but he’s entitled to some sort of understanding.

Ï ƑƐƆ ƕè 00jêƅ ƌ

Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

BOLT HITS

eti l h t A

OKTOBERFEST IN STYLE U Bolt

FORMULA ONE:

‘NOWHERE TO HIDE’ FOR MANOR IN 2016

– LOWDON M anor sporting director Graeme Lowdon feels his team will have no place to hide when it takes on Mercedes power from the 2016 Formula 1 season. F1’s minnow has signed a multiyear engine supply deal with the world championship dominating Mercedes that should propel the team closer to the midfield pack. With a new-for-2016 chassis, plus transmission and suspension components from Williams, Manor will find itself on more of an even playing field with its rivals than it arguably has since it first entered F1 in 2010 as Virgin.

“It’s a definite step forward because it’s going to be a few seconds the aero guys don’t have to find, and it’s also a reliable package,” Lowdon said. “There is still a lot for us to do, but having a new car - chassis and engine - is a step in the right direction for us, without a doubt. “You have to consider we’ve done virtually an entire season now with a car that was designed quite some time ago.” After being hauled out of administration shortly before the start of this season, Manor was given dispensation to run last year’s chassis, albeit with 2015 safety modifications, and with a ‘14 Ferrari engine.

Top seed Halep pulls out of China Open Tennis

imona Halep, the No.1 seed at China Open, was forced to pull out in the first round due to her ankle injury. Halep became the top seed at China Open after the current world No.1 Serena Williams’s withdrawal, but she was forced to retire in her opening match against Spanish qualifier Lara Arruabarrena when she was falling behind at 4-5 due to a left ankle injury. Halep appeared in the news conference to talk about her injury after the match. “I have pain in my Achilles. It’s getting worse,” the World No.2 said. “I thought

that it was getting better and I could play, but no - I don’t want to force it. And it’s a tough injury because it’s always dangerous to continue with the tendon, so, I hope to just recover and be healthy again soon.” The Romanian hopes to recover for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. “I hope I can play. It was my goal this year. I will see - I need treatment and a break, for sure.” Arruabarrena will meet Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round, who beat Alize Cornet, 6-3, 6-3.

sain Bolt has made quite an impact at Oktoberfest it seems. The legendary Jamaican sprinter hit the Munich festival in style as he enjoyed a dance or two and a beer or two. Bolt, who won three gold medals at the World Championships in Beijing last

month, announced he would be taking the rest of 2015 off after his glorious success. And, well, what better way to enjoy some hard-earned time off than at Oktoberfest? The photos were, of course, pretty brilliant.

Big Easy, Grace in contention

t’s hard to believe a professional golfer, especially a multiple Major champion, can miss a six-inch putt but that’s exactly what Ernie Els did on Carnoustie’s 17th green in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday. That astonishing sight – captured on television – cost him a bogey-five en route to a disappointing 72 but now, going to today’s final round at St Andrews, the Big Easy has recovered from that jerky little stroke to such an extent that he is on the front page of the leaderboard on 11-under-par and in contention in joint seventh place alongside fellow South African Branden Grace of this $5 million (R77 million) event. “For a moment at Carnoustie I got a glimpse of what it must be like to have the yips,” the Big Easy said, allowing himself a little chuckle, after he walked

Golf

Els

off the Old Course at St Andrews to sign for a six-under-par 66 on the Old Course in sunny, near-perfect conditions. “I think the jerky moment was something to do with the putter I was using. The club just didn’t feel right in my hands and I went back to my old, shorter putter at Kingsbarns, which I’ve

used for most of my career in round two, and shot 67. Today I was six under through 12 holes and going really well before leaving two or three shots out there after that. I missed a shortish birdie putt at 13, failed to birdie the par5 14th, and hit a bad drive at 15 which cost me a bogey.”

I WENT BLIND FOR AWHILE – MATTHYSSE

t Saturday night’s post-fight press conference in Carson, California, jr welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs) commented on his KO loss to Viktor Postol. “What can I say? You win some, you lose some,” Matthysse stated. “I lost to the number one guy in the division. “My eye was shut and I felt it bad. I went blind for awhile, but I’m fine now. The headbutt did hurt me. It was bad. It really hurt. It just wasn’t my night. He frustrated me. It was a bad night. It didn’t go my way. I give him credit, he had a good game plan. “Now I will rest. It’s been a long year. The Provodnikov fight and now this fight.” Golden Boy Promotions’ Eric Gomez summed it up. “This is what happens when the best fight the best. Lucas will be back,” Gomez said.

Boxing

Matthysse

Monday, October 5, 2015

EXTRATIME

ROJO

Arsenal Monitoring

Set for Zenit St Petersburg transfer Z

SEMEDO

AHEAD OF TRANSFER Benfica’s Nelson rsenal are monitoring potential transfer, Semedo ahead of a according to reports. for six league appearance Semedo has only made ned tur has old arthe 21-ye Benfica’s first-team but kside’s B team since ma the for g yin pla heads while ing his debut in 2012. g a the Gunners are keepin And now it’s believed to ing ord se right-back, acc close eye on the Portugue hy buc De orts that Mathieu Calciomercato, with rep the Emirates. of out could be on his way are also believed to be an Mil er Int Serie A giants youngster. tracking the highly-rated

enit St Petersburg are attempting to complete the January transfer of Manchester United star Marcos Rojo, according to reports. The Russian giants are keen to move for the Argentine international who has fallen out of favour with Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal was angered by the 25-yearold in the summer after failing to report to their pre-season tour due to problems with his passport. And Rojo worsened the Dutch manager’s mood by failing to reveal the full extent of a hamstring problem against Southampton. So LvG is ready to dispose of him and the Champions League giants are ready to lodge a bid, according to report.

Semedo

Rojo

LIVERPOOL Besiktas to consider offers for €20m ARE MISSING GERRARD

– TÖRE

– COUTINHO L

iverpool star Philippe Coutinho admits the club are missing Steven Gerrard following the midfielder’s move to LA Galaxy. Philippe Coutinho believes the departure of Steven Gerrard has hurt Liverpool in the opening stages of the 2015-16 campaign. The 35-year-old decided to leave Anfield at the end of last season to continue his career at LA Galaxy and Coutinho admits the midfielder is sorely missed. “Gerrard is an icon, one of my personal football heroes,” Coutinho said. “He is strongly missed not only by the fans but by the players as well. “But it’s a different time in the club’s life now and we have to adapt to it and we have to do our best.” Coutinho, who joined Liverpool in January

2013, came close to winning the Premier League title in his second season at the club and is desperate to get another shot at success at Anfield in the years to come. “It was difficult, obviously - the fact that we didn’t win the league,” the Brazilian added. “There was the frustration at not having won the title and then unfortunately last year we didn’t start quite well, as well as expected, and we lost a few players. “We lost Luis Suarez. So it was tricky for Liverpool but we are trying to do our best and are working for moments like that, to reach that point again. “And I think it’s possible. We are trying our best to get back, to qualify for the Champions League and whatever else there might be. We want to achieve great things here at Liverpool.

B Tore

eșiktaș have ruled out entering transfer talks over Gökhan Töre during the winter transfer window but will consider offers at the end of the season according to Bugün. Fanatik claim that Arsenal are keeping close tabs on the explosive winger and that the club has been sending scouts to his recent games. The report goes onto claim that Newcastle United, Inter, Atletico

Madrid, Valencia and West Ham are also closely monitoring the 23-year-old. The Turkish international has been in impressive form for the Istanbul giants setting up five goals and scoring once in six league games this season. Töre scored against Sporting Lisbon midweek in the 1-1 draw in the Europa League group stages and is expected to start today against Eskișehirspor at the Atatürk stadium. The Beșiktaș star first burst onto the scene at the Chelsea academy as a youth and was a star of the FA Youth Cup winning side of 2010. The 23-year-old parted ways with the Blues in 2011 to join HSV along with former Chelsea head of youth development Frank Arnesen.