Dtn 5 2 16

Drama as Ooni escapes assault at Obas Council meeting Sodiq Adekunle

on Thursday by suspected agents of some traditional rulers, but for the vigilance and agility of his own aides

Osogbo

ÎÎÎOoni

of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) was almost assaulted

who whisked him out of a meeting of the Osun State traditional Rulers, in Osogbo, the state capital.

The drama was witnessed at the monthly meeting of Osun State Council of Obas, which ended abruptly with

Ï CCT: Supreme Court decides Saraki’s fate today

some aides of the Ooni having their attires torn into shreds while protecting their principal.

g24

Continued on page 6

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 39

GAINERS

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 4 February 2016.

GUINNESS

116.76

122.34

5.58%

PRESCO

33.25

34

0.75%

NESTLE

740

INTBREW

17.82

19.55

1.73%

ETI

15

15.49

0.49%

7UP

186.95 177.61

703

N150

-37%

DANGCEM

127

124.3

-2.7%

-9.34%

JBERGER

43.5

41.5

-0.2%

DHQ: We won’t condone

sabotage in Niger Delta

Ï Shortage of funds hampering war against insurgency, say military chiefs Ï ‘Vote for military in 2015 Supplementary Budget not yet released’ Lateef Ibrahim, Andrew Orolua & Olufemi Samuel,

Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Defence Headquar-

ters, DHQ, on Thursday warned that the military and other security agencies

will not condone any act by individuals or group that is capable of breaching secu-

rity and causing economic sabotage in the Niger Delta or in any part of the coun-

try.

The DHQ pointed out Continued on page 6

Former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba (left), in a handshake with President Muhammadu Buhari (right) during a courtesy visit of Buhari to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona in IjebuOde, Ogun State… on Tuesday. With them are the Awujale, (2nd left) and Governor of Ogun State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (2nd right).

Newspaper proprietors back fight against g 12 corruption

Rivers APC:

We have become orphans, labeled traitors in our state g 8

Electricity tariff: NLC, TUC, civil groups hold nationwide protests Monday g 12

Elvina Ibru Dumping Law for the soap box

g L1

2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

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HOTEL

GARDENS

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial EFCC and detention of suspects

R

ecently, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expressed dismay at the continued detention without trial of suspects by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

This was sequel to the continued detention of Col. Nicholas Ashinze, erstwhile Special Assistant to the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

Ashinze, a serving military officer, has spent more than seven weeks in the EFCC custody and was yet to be charged to court at the time the organisation drew global attention to his plight.

According to the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, such action not only deprives citizens of their fundamental rights, but also portrays the country in bad light. We share such sentiment and call on the anti-graft agency to charge suspects to court within the legally stipulated period.

For example, section 36(5) of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), stipulates that an accused person remains innocent in the eye of the law until proven guilty by a competent court of law.

Moreover, it provides that where a person is accused of a crime, he/she is to be presented within 48 hours before a court to face charges.

We therefore see some contradictions, which are clearly in conflict with Chapter Four of the constitution. The continued detention of suspects without trial breaches their fundamental human rights. Probably, the agency is relying under Sections 293 and 294 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which states that a suspect can be remanded before arraignment in the court. Yet, the same Act gives the court the power to examine the reason for the request of remand.

Only recently, the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Justice Ishaq Bello gave the directive to all serving magistrates within the FCT to stop granting remand requests

by EFCC operatives with respect to arrest and detention of citizens accused of committing economic and financial crimes in Nigeria; which are investigated and prosecuted by EFCC under its Act of 2004.

It bears repeating that indenite detention of persons without charge or trial is an anathema in any country, indeed any country which observes the rule of law.

Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.” In addition, Article 9,paragraph 1, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person, even as no one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.”

The same Article 9, paragraph 3 stipulates: “Anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge shall be brought promptly before a judge or other officer, authorised by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release.”

Simply put: International human rights law lays down obligations which states are bound to respect.

By becoming parties to international treaties, states assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and to fulfill human rights. As signatory to UN Human Rights Conventions, Nigeria has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these global human rights documents.

No agency of government should bring Nigeria at loggerheads with the rest of the global community.

L-R: General Secretary, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Comfort Obi; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Publisher, Daily Times, Fidelis Anosike; and Group Managing Director, Champion Newspapers, Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, during the minister’s meeting with NPAN, in Lagos …on Thursday

What an un-Governor-like attitude Segun Adio

ÏÏÏAll things being equal

(for this is the prayers of his camp), Honourable James Faleke would be pronounced duly elected governor of the Confluence State, Kogi, that is after all legal options would have been exhausted up to the Supreme Court.

Except the apex court decides otherwise, the member representing Ikeja-Lagos Federal Constituency in the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja still has a chance if being the executive governor of Kogi State.

No doubt, any person with such optimism should be restrained from certain actions capable of casting aspersions on his

personality or the party he/she represents. The NASS member’s action on Thursday (yesterday) suggests that he needs to be more tolerant on certain issues especially when in a public space.

On Thursday, the honourable member was reported to have ordered the seizure of an android phone belonging to a staff of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), identified as Mr. Bala Mohammed.

Story had it that the lawmaker was furious at the ECN staff for taking his photograph during a budget defence session held by the House Committee on Science and Technology with the energy commission.

Rep. Faleke consequently ordered that the android phone of the offending staff be seized by the committee’s secretariat staff.

Words On Marble :

Something tells me that the poor Mohammed could be one of the admirers of the Kogi Governor-in-waiting (if fate says so) and probably wanted to have his picture for keeps.

After hours of pleas, the honourable member asked that the man’s phone be returned back to him, though with all previous photographs in it be deleted. Faleke’s order of the return of Mohammed’s phone was Governor-like, no doubt.

What is un-Governorlike, however, is the bizarre order for the seizure of an admirer’s android phone.

Nigerians are already asking what life will be like when this man is eventually made Kogi governor.

Whatever position you take, just be guided by William Shakespeare’s famous writing that, “There is no art to find the man’s construction in the face.”

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike Managing Editor Yinka Olujimi Daily/ Online Editor Biodun Durojaiye Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714 Head Finance/Shared services Simpa Ajayi

Business Dev. Manager Bello Ganiyu Sales & Marketing Manager Tunde Dosumu Technical Adviser To Publisher Innocent Nwankwo Adverts/Partnerships/ Corporate Subscription Ifeanyi Emefu 08086296714 Konnie Agu 09033765031

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Arthur Nwankwo

Alex Ekwueme

Matthew Ashimolowo

“The meat of real and visionary leaders always is to steer the economy back on track. Such leaders are pathfinders not faultfinders.”

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

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

4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Asaba, Birnin Kebbi, Calabar

# ƇƊƔ jƇƋƅ MƇ ƅƎƇ Friday, February 5, 2016

Aregbesola begs FG over Airport counterpart funding Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo

ÎÎÎ

Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, appealed to the Federal Government to fulfill its commitment to the MKO Abiola International Airport, by making available its counterpart funds to the project.

This was even as the Minister for Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, promised that having seen the level of work at the Osun Airport, he would brief the Presidency on the request by the state for federal government’s commitment on the project.

Amaechi, after the tour of Federal Government projects in Osun com-

mended Aregbesola for judicious use of meager resources accruing to the state.

He stated that he was in the state to ascertain the level of work done on federal roads and federal facilities located in Osun.

The Minister hinted that Federal Government decided to embark on inspection of its projects across the country so as to know the level of works done by states that are claiming refunds for federal projects executed by them.

Lauding Aregbesola’s government, Amaechi said: “Initially, when the economic meltdown started, I was very worried for states like Osun because of the availability of re-

sources.

“Am I still worried? The answer is yes, because the economy hasn’t improved. But I commend him for he has been able to manage gradually to continue what he started.

“I thank God for the kind of leaders Osun has in him and his deputy for their being able to manage the little resources.”

Amaechi promised that the committee set up by the Federal Executive Council to inspect federal government’s projects in various states will afterwards submit its report to the Council for adequate action.

“I would take back to the President what I have seen. I would take that to the President and the

he will make a decision based on the information the council passes on to him.

“We are inspecting federal roads. Some of the states have constructed federal roads and are asking for refund. So we are going round. We have a committee set up by Federal Executive Council headed by Raji Fashola, who is in charge of South-South.

“I am in charge of SouthWest. There are others too going round the country,” Amaechi said.

On his part, the governor disclosed that federal government made the commitment to share the cost of the airport project with the state on 50/50 basis when it gave the approval in 2010.

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (right),in a chat with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin (middle) and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (left) during the meeting of the leadership of the Senate with Service Chiefs in Abuja… on Thursday.

Okorocha pleads with Buhari to ignore NLC petition over sacked workers Val Okara, Owerri

ÎÎÎGovernor Rocha Okorocha of Imo State, on Thursday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore a petition written against him to the Presidency by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), over the suspension of 3,000 workers of the state parastatals, agency and health sector.

In a statement by Chief press Secretary to Governor Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemedo, said that in a petition reportedly signed by the National President of NLC, Com-

rade Ayuba Wabba, alleged that the number of the affected workers were to be 3000 and the Congress equally threatened to mobilise all the workers in the country against the state.

“On the part of the Imo state government, we would be austere with the truth if we pretend not to know about the concern of the NLC leadership over the suspended staff of the affected Parastatals and Agencies. Comrade Wabba and his people are doing what they should be expected to do in the circumstance. But our only worry is that in showing soli-

darity or concern over the fate of the suspended workers, they have failed to objectively look at the issues or circumstances warranting their suspension.

“Let us for the sake of emphasis take NLC as an instance.

The workers in this country have continued to exercise faith in the Congress because, right from its inception, successive leaders of the body had made it productive by living up to the expectations of the workers in the country. And Comrade Wabba is at the moment on the same page. If the reverse had been the case, NLC would have

become history.

“In other words, institutions like Parastatals and Agencies are established for results.

The affected Parastatals and Agencies in the state have been unproductive since 1999, to be honest about the whole thing.

And we challenge the NLC to contradict us on this claim” Onwuemedo said.

According to him, the state government had experienced the same problem with these Parastatals but must have decided not to exercise the political will needed to take the appropriate action.

5 News

INEC set to conduct Plateau Assembly re-run Chijioke Kingsley, Jos

ÎÎÎ The Independent Na-

tional Electoral Commission (INEC), has fixed 20th February, 2016, for the rerun elections for Pankshin North/South, and Langtang South State House of Assembly Constituencies in Plateau state, as ordered by the Court of Appeal.

INEC has also fixed dates for the conduct of re-run elections into Federal and other state Constituencies across the country.

This followed the nullification of about 80 elections in 16 states of the

federation by the Court of Appeal.

All elections are to be conducted between February 13th and March 19th, 2016.

INEC notice on the election is contained in a statement issued and signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Augusta C. Agakwu The states where the re-run polls will hold include Adamawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Taraba, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Rivers.

Reps walk UNILORIN VC out over frivolous spending Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe House of Represen-

tatives Committee on Tertiary Education, on Thursday, refused to review the 2016 budget proposal of the University of Ilorin over what it described as over-spending and frivolous expenditure entered into by the university’s management in 2015 without adequate details.

Led by Rep. Aminu Suleiman, the Committee frowned at the action of the ViceChancellor, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali for spending the sum of N42 million on hotel accommodation alone.

A member of the House Committee, Rep. Kehinde Odeneye, while questioning Ambali, asked: “How could you

have spent N42 million on expenses? How many days were spent at the hotels and who were the guests you hosted? ‘”Then is another N100 million for take-off grant for new departments without actually telling us how many they are and the things needed for the take-off.

“N50 million on workshops and seminars. This is apart from the training grants obtained. Then, there’s maintenance of buildings, which also is without details”.

Also, the committee expressed displeasure at a project of N49 million expended by the university on road culverts which did not have details of the project description in the documents presented to the committee.

Faleke angry over snapshot by ECN staff at budget Defence Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kogi state gubernatorial election held on November 21, 2015, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, on Thursday, ordered for the seizure of a mobile phone belonging to a staff of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) over a snapshot taken of him.

The lawmaker was furious at the ECN staff for taking his photograph during a budget defence session held by the House Committee on Science and Technology with the energy commission.

Faleke consequently, ordered that the mobile phone of the offending ECN staff be seized by the committee’s secretariat staff.

Daily Times recalls that

Faleke Faleke contested the Kogi State gubernatorial election as deputy to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who was the APC’s governorship candidate before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election as inconclusive.

Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, Hon. Beni Lar (Plataeu-PDP) and other lawmakers were listening to the presentation of the ECN when the staff of the commission, identified as Mr. Bala Mohammed took the said photograph.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

DHQ: We won’t condone sabotage in Niger Delta Continued from page 1 that any individual or group, who have genuine complain or grievance, should use available means of dialogue for amicable resolution but certainly not violence, as this will not be tolerated.

The Defence Headquarters gave the warning in a

statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Defence Information, Brig-General Rabe Abubakar, just as the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olonishakin led the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, his colleague in the Navy, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas and the Air Force, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar

to a meeting with the Senate leadership where they said paucity of funds has been hampering military operations across the country, most especially in the Northeast zone.

In the statement, the DHQ made it clear that the nation’s interest is above that of individual or group’s interest.

The statement reads, “The attention of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has been drawn to some newspaper publications by a group of persons threatening to embark on acts of sabotage against the Nigerian state.

“The DHQ hereby warned that the military and other security agen-

Founder, Imole Group, Otunba Rafiu Ogunleye (left), and Otunba Rotimi Paseda during a courtesy visit of Paseda to Ogunleye’s residence in Itele, Ogun East Local Government Area of the state… on Thursday.

PHOTO: DAVID IDOWU.

Drama as Ooni escapes assault at Obas Council meeting

Continued from page 1

Thursday’s crisis started when some aides of Ooni Ogunwusi reportedly brought into the auditorium where the meeting was to hold a new white chair and stood by it awaiting the arrival of their principal.

Upon arrival at the venue, few minutes after 9:00 am, when Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran and other monachs had taken their seat, it was also gathered that Oba Aromolaran went to the raised platform where Ooni’s seat was placed and ordered the aide watching over it to leave.

To the surprise of the monarchs already seated, the Ooni’s aides reportedly dismissed Oba Aromolaran’s order.

“There was a kind of struggle and we just saw that white cloth of the Emese (Ooni’s aide) was torn and the meeting just ended before it commenced at all”, a source told The Daily Times.

By the times the Ooni was to come into the meeting, the aide watching over his chair was being compelled to obey the Owa of Obokun’s orders, and he was reportedly rushed out and guided by his messengers to prevent him from being attacked by opposition monarchs.

When contacted, Moses Olafare, the media aide to Ooni of Ife, said that the Ooni’s permanent chairmanship of the council was not contestable since there is a law that backs it.

“Ooni will not want to be

drawn into what happened, Oba Ogunwusi remained the permanent chairman of Osun Obas’ council, according to the law.”

As part of fallout of the council’s meeting, members of the council were seen leaving the Government House, Okefia, in motorcade after reportedly meeting with Governor Rauf Aregbesola, where the matter was resolved.

In what was believed as the final resolution of the matter, the Ooni, in company of most members of the Obas’ Council, later went to the Owa’s place in Ilesha, where they held a closed door meeting with him.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Oba Aromolaran, said Ooni’s visit was a surprise and least expected one, saying “now

that you have come to show hand of friendship, I will now join your unity train to unify the Yoruba race.”

Responding, Ooni of Ife posited that the stool of Owa is among the prominent ones in Yorubaland, adding that “it is in my own interest and that of the larger Yoruba people to relate very well with Owa. I just spent about three months on the throne now, while you, Owa has spent about 45 years.”

“It is my responsibility to visit you first because you have been on the throne for long. It has been said by the God almighty that I should come and liberate Yorubaland and to ensure peace and unity. I am not engaging in any supremacy of leadership tussle with anybody.”

cies will not condone any acts by individuals or group that is capable of breaching the security and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta or in any part of the country.

“This is because the nation’s interest is above that of individual or group’s interest.

“In as much as the military recognizes the supremacy of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression and association, the constitution also frowns against individuals or groups hiding under it to stir up trouble and insecurity in the land.

“Any individual or groups who have genuine complain or grievances should use the available means of dialogue for amicable resolution but certainly not violence, as it will not be tolerated.

“The DHQ will continue to partner with other security agencies to protect and provide enabling environment to all citizens to engage in their respective and legitimate businesses without fear of molestation”, it said.

The meeting between the military chiefs with the Senate leadership, which held at the office of the Senate President, was to review the developments in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast zone, particularly in the wake of the recent vicious attack on Dalori town in Borno State.

General Abayomi Olonishakin, the Chief of Defence Staff had briefed the Senators on the various challenges faced by the military, particularly the state of their equipment which they said require serious upgrading and restocking.

The top military officials complained that their vote in the 2015 supplementary budget has not been released, thereby hampering their ability to fund their operations.

Both the Senate leadership and the top military brass hats also discussed the need to continuously increase the personnel in the three branches of the military and the hindrance posed by the procurement process, which they said, has been very slow.

The military chiefs also

canvassed the need for the review of some laws governing their operations so as to make them able to respond to emergency situations they now confront in the North-east zones as well as conform with global best practices.

Other issues discussed include the need for regional support for the fight against insurgency in the North-east by the neighbouring countries, resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) back to their traditional homes and the issue of intelligence gathering and sharing among the various agencies.

The need for mobilization of the international community, particularly through inter-parliamentary efforts in support of the fight against terrorism in Nigeria was also discussed.

The Senators assured the military chiefs that they will fast track the request for the review of the relevant laws being complained about by putting them on the Priority Bills list once they were given adequate information on areas that need to be amended.

They also promised to take up the issue of release of funds raised by the military chiefs with the Ministry of Finance immediately. The committees on Defence, Finance and Appropriations have also been mandated to ensure that the issues raised by the service chiefs are taken care of in the budget.

The Senators noted that at this point when the nation had recorded serious gains in the fight against insurgency, all hands should be on deck to sustain the tempo against the violent groups.

In attendance at the meeting were the Senate President, his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, Deputy Majority Whip, Francis Alimikhena, Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Isa Hamma Misau and his colleague in the Committee on Air Force, Duro Faseyi. However, Chairman of Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan was absent.

# ƇƊƔ jƇƋƅ MƇ ƅƎƇ Friday, February 5, 2016

7 News

Rivers: APC alerts security agencies over alleged Gov Wike’s threat Tom Okpe, Abuja

ÎÎÎ

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has drawn the attention of security agencies and other relevant bodies to dangerous threats by the Rivers State governor, Hon. Nyesom Wike, in the run-up to the March 19, 2016, Rivers State rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.

According to a press statement signed by the National Secretary of the

Party, Mai Mala Buni, released to journalists, on Thursday, the party said, “Wike, in a brazen show of force, told officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prepare their will before coming to conduct the elections in Rivers State”.

The APC also said that it was aware of threats issued by Wike to civil servants in the state to either support or work for the People Democratic Party (PDP) or face sack.

The plot include intimidation of eligible voters, INEC officials and security operatives deployed to ensure peaceful, free and credible rerun elections in the state.

The APC said that it had advised the Rivers State Governor and the PDP to grow out of its penchant for do-or- die politics. “We reiterate our previous calls on the PDP to embrace the new Nigeria where elections are peaceful and votes of the people count,” the party

said.

“While we call on INEC and security operatives to be mindful of the dangerous threats by the Rivers State governor, the APC has confidence in the ability of INEC and security agencies to deliver peaceful, free and credible supplementary election come March 19, 2016.

“On election day, we urge the people of Rivers State and all eligible voters in the state to go about their legitimate activities and vote massively for the

L-R: Immediate Past President, Apostolic Church Grammar School Old Student Association (TACGSOSA), Chuks Nwachuku; BOT member, Isaac Babalola; President, Apostolic Church Grammar School, Past. Ademola Gbosibo and Vice President, Mrs. Balogun Ibijoke at the 2015 Annual Reunion launching in Lagos…recently.

Two teenagers raped to death in Bayelsa Akam James, Yenagoa

ÏÏÏ

Two female teenagers were allegedly raped to death at the weekend at separate areas of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

The two victims were aged 15 and 16years respectively.

Reports had it that the 15-year old girl (names withheld) was raped by a gang of boys at uncompleted building along the D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha Expressway. The 16 year-old girl was raped to the point of death by a gang of boys at the weekend.

Women lawyers and other professionals in Bay-

elsa State, on Thursday, expressed outrage over the gang-related rape of two teen-aged girls.

The angry women lawyers, under the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), while confirming the development expressed disgust at the refusal of victims’ parent to seek the arrest of the rapists and pursue prosecution.

The Chairperson of FIDA, in Bayelsa, Barr. (Mrs.) Dise Ogbise-Erhisere, expressed disappointment over a ridiculous settlement proposal made by one of the suspect’s parent in one of the reported cases to offer the victim N1,

000 and a rubber of rice to close the case.

Ogbise-Erhisere called on victims’ parents not to settle rape cases outside of the court, so that the offenders would face the full weight of the law, as well as serve as a deterrent to others.

Dise Ogbise-Erhisere, expressed her displeasure over the act against the innocent girls in society who go about their lawful duties, and call on relevant security agencies to be on the alert to curb the increasing cases of this social vice.

She called on parents to advice their male children to desist from the shameful act

Gov. Dickson which attracts the wrath of God and life imprisonment sentence in our laws.

When contacted the Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said he had no information on the incident, since the matter hadn’t been reported to the police.

APC candidates in the National Assembly and State House of Assembly election rerun. The APC candidates are poised to

contribute to the success of APC’s Change Agenda, as well as delivering on dividends of democracy”, Buni said.

Lagos demolishes Kensington Adebutu’s building Oluwaseyi Fadoro

ÏÏÏ

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), has demolished a four storey-building owned by Sir Kensington Adebutu, in order to avert possible loss of life and property.

Adebutu is the founder of the Premier Lotto popularly known as “Baba Ijebu.”

The building located at No 6, Campbell Street, Lagos Island was formerly used as party secretariat by the Action Congress, (now All Progressives Congress) and law firms.

But the building was vacated 10 years ago, when the residents discovered crack wall on the building.

It was gathered that Adebutu bought the build-

ing a few years ago, but was still deliberating on how to judiciously use it.

The building was sealed

by LASBCA twice to allow the owner embark on Structural Stability Test (SST), before embarking on manual demolition exercise which was carried out on October 16th, 2015 and December 22, 2015.

Mr. Sheye Olofin, Manager Omega Homes, the building opposite Adebutu’s building, lamented that neighbours had been living in fear, because the slabs from the building often drop off randomly. “In fact, our cleaners was injured by one of the slab from the building,” he said.

“When we noticed that parts of the building had started falling down, we called the owner of the building but nothing was done.

Group calls for re-introduction of moral lessons in schools ÏÏÏGovernments

and operators of schools in the country have been urged to re-introduced moral teachings into the school curriculum, which it is said would bring back discipline and moral rectitude in Nigerian schools.

This was the position of immediate past Chairman of the Apostolic Church Grammar School Old Student Association (TACGSOSA), Orishigun Ketu, Barr.

Chuks Nwachuku, while inaugurating a new executive, last weekend, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, during the 2015 Annual Reunion Luncheon of the group.

According to Nwachuku, “We all remember the way we were brought up in the school in those days with

high sense of morality, but this is lacking in many schools today. Not until morality is taught in our school as part of the curriculum, I fear we will continue to witness moral decadence in our schools.”

He also urged school operators to allow time for prayers for teachers and students while in school as a way out of the current societal malaise in the country.

On his part, the new President of the group, Pastor Ademola Gbosibo, assured the group of his determination to take their alma mater to a new height during his tenure.

He also promised to engage students and teachers of the school in developmental programmes.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Politics

Æs

Corruption war: Judiciary has not helped matters -Azuka Chief Chris Chukwubuzor, former special adviser to Kano State government on inter community relations and the National Coordinator Save the Dream Nigeria project in this interview with YAKUBU SALISU spoke on the ongoing anti-corruption campaign of the Federal Government and other national issues. Excerpts:

President Muhammadu Buhari recently described the Judiciary as a headache to his fight against corruption; do you share in this view?

Yes, I completely share the

same opinion with the president because the Judiciary itself has been an important element in the war against corruption in NigeCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Azuka

Rivers APC: We have become orphans, labeled traitors in our state

Mohammed

PDP Govs: Supreme Court is ‘Saviour’ of Democracy Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have hailed the Supreme Court for upholding the elections of all its governors, describing the apex court as the Saviour of Democracy.

In a statement on Wednesday after the court upheld the elections of Governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Okey Ikpeazu of Abia State, the PDP Governors’ Forum said the verdicts has reinforced the belief that the judiciary remains the hope of the common man.

The statement, signed by Mr. Osaro Onaiwu indicated that what the apex court has done was to save the country from being balkanised by the APC in its avowal to undermine the integrity of the courts and jettison the sacredness of the ballot box.

Onaiwu stressed that the PDP would continue to work to strength the country’s legal process as well as democratic CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Amaechi Stories by Akinjide Akintola and Femi Fasipe Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State have been lamenting their fate since last week’s judgment of the Supreme Court which upheld the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic

Wike Party (PDP), saying they have become orphans in their state.

This was the highpoint of a meeting they held with National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on Wednesday where they requested a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to address the party’s state of affairs and

Oyegun its dwindling political fortunes in the state ahead of the forthcoming rerun polls.

A high-level delegation led by the APC governorship candidate for the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside told a shocked OdigieOyegun that their members in the state had begun to see them as orphans adding that they

had an herculean task of convincing them that they actually control the government at the centre.

Besides, the APC has drawn the attention of security agencies and other relevant bodies to the dangerous threats by Governor Wike in the countCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Udom

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

9 Politics

‘We have become orphans, labeled traitors in our state’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

down to the March 19, 2016 Rivers State rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.

According to a statement by its National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, Wike in a brazen show of force has told officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prepare their will before coming to conduct the elections in Rivers State.

He also alleged that Wike has warned civil servants in the state to either support and work for the PDP or face sack.

According to him, the plot also include intimidation of eligible voters, INEC officials and security operatives deployed to ensure peaceful, free and credible rerun elections in the state adding that security agencies must be on high alert over the dangerous threats by the governor and by extension the PDP in the lead-up to the Rivers re-run election.

The APC advises the Rivers State Governor and the PDP to grow out of its penchant

Peterside

Oyegun

for ‘do or die’ politics and reiterated its previous calls on the PDP to embrace the new Nigeria where elections are peaceful and votes of the people count.

While calling on INEC and security operatives to be mindful

of the dangerous threats by the governor, it expressed confident in INEC and security agencies ability to deliver peaceful, free and credible supplementary election come March 19, 2016.

But at the Abuja meeting,

Odigie-Oyegun expressed shock over the Supreme Court’s decision on the Rivers State governorship election and assured that the party national leadership will give necessary support to ensure successes in subsequent elections in the state.

Odigie-Oyegun: “The APC National leadership has not neglected party leaders and supporters in Rivers State. The state has always been in the front burner of discussion and decision in the party. There is obviously something fundamentally wrong in Rivers state which needs to be investigated and addressed.

“Your visit has had a sober effect on me. This meeting will kickstart urgent actions to address what went wrong.

“As of today, there are attempts being made by INEC to bar us from elections in Anambra and other states. We must address these issues. I still find the judgment on the Rivers State governorship election totally astonishing. There is something fundamentally wrong in the Judiciary.

“We have lost very important resource-rich states to the PDP.

No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country.

“I will take up your request to facilitate a meeting with the President. We will do that as soon as possible and also make it clear that there are problems which as a party, we must address.

Peterside had lamented: “It will interest you to know that many of our members, supporters and sympathisers are still at a loss to see us work as orphans. We have a herculean task explaining to them that we actually form government at the centre. It is like, we lost the elections. To an overwhelming majority of them, the only indication that we might be part of government at the federal level is because our leader and Director General of the APC Campaign which led to a people’s revolution that defeated the former ruling party, and former Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Minister.

“The concerns of our memCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Why I support PMB’s anti-corruption war – Chief Azuka CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ria. But we know very clearly that the Judiciary as an organ of government hasn’t helped matters over the years. One can see how the Judiciary has negatively influenced corrupt cases in favor of corrupt persons, giving questionable injunctions, adjournment, court orders and so on.

So, the president is right as even the Chief Justice of the Federation has admitted that there is need for a complete overhaul of the Judiciary for it to be in tune for the aspiration and expectation of Nigerians.

I think when you consider the negative effect of corruption on the polity, you discover that corruption is not only a threat against national security but threat to good governance, peace and well being of Nigerians. So the Judiciary should have before now declared zero tolerance against corruption and place the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria above that of corrupt persons whenever they are dealing with them. There is need for the Judiciary to have a rethink and weed out bad elements

within its fold.

Are there any instances one could point at in recent times as a weakness on the part of the Judiciary?

Of course. look at the issue of Dasuki. Where people whose actions have caused Nigeria enormous embarrassment, caused lives of soldiers and civilians because these men simply stole and shared out to themselves funds meant to be used for the purchase of military equipment and intelligence materials.

Considering what they have done, I don’t expect a court to simply release them on bail all in the name of rule of law just for them to go and enjoy their freedom. When you consider the consequences of their actions, it has not resulted only to the lost of lives but also embarrassment and lost of funds.

So, the Judiciary must also remember that the rule of law also expects that leaders who engage in corruption must be held accountable for their actions so that they would serve as deterrent to others who would like to follow suit. The Judiciary must

Azuka

Buhari

help to curb corruption by being tough on such persons.

Don’t you think holding people before trial begins means condemning them before trial?

The fact that nobody is guilty until pronounced by the court doesn’t mean that the person hasn’t committed an offence that

is clearly seen by all when there are lots of evidence. So when someone commits a high level of criminal offence against God and humanity, against the nation, the court must allow the full process of investigation, probe to take its course.

When such bail will effect nega-

tively the process of investigation, the court is mandated by protecting the interest of the country to allow that person to stay until a time when the agencies involved in the investigation have finished everything. Because sometimes when you release someone on bail, his freedom will jeopardize the investigation.

And sometimes some people are security risks you don’t just free them. There must be basis for freeing people whose freedom might jeopardize national security and interest. Armed robbers are sometimes in custody for months because they pose danger to national security and peace. In fact I think there is the need to review the Constitution where accused persons would not be treated lightly.

Do you see professionalism in our security agencies mode of operations in line with cases of arrest and re- arrest?

The security agencies are not different from the society; they are part of the society. Over the years, through military rule, through government corruption, CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Rivers APC: We have become orphans, labeled traitors in our state CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

bers are re-enforced by the fact that more than eight months after APC has formed government at the Federal Level, notable PDP chieftains and members who spent State resources to work assiduously against us (APC) are still occupying strategic federal government positions, dispensing patronages to PDP members to the disadvantage and chagrin of APC members.

Peterside reported that as a result of the unflinching support party leaders and members gave President Buhari and the APC, they have been exposed to undue attacks and hatred and internal discriminations.

He said: “We are called all sorts of names including being branded as traitors and almost live like outcast in our communities and environments...Even today, we are not out of danger as we a killed, molested, maimed and insulted”.

Peterside also alleged that security infrastructures that were skewed against the APC before and during the 2015 elections are still working against and frustrating APC activities in the state. “The partisanship against us was and is still enormous.” he

Amaechi

Wike

Peterside

said.

He alleged that INEC is structured to ‘disfavour’ the APC. “It (INEC) was put in place by the leadership of the last administration to perpetually protect its interest. We are all witnesses to how some of these actors found it convenient to annul results which were favourable to APC but upheld all those favourable to PDP under the same circumstances in the recently concluded governorship election in Bayelsa State. Mean-

while, politically speaking Rivers and Bayelsa States are in the same sub-zone of the South South geopolitical zone. What has been put in place is to marginalise us and our members feel nothing is being done to change these structures to, at least, give us a fighting chance in neutrality.

On the Rivers State rerun elections scheduled for March 19, 2016, Peterside stated: “The issues of the re-run elections are paramount in our mind. We have 22

seats in a House of 32-man membership. Winning all 22 seats will give us 23 seats and that will enable us produce the Speaker of the House. Also, that number is more than the proverbial two-third.

Furthermore, there are 12 House of Representatives seats and all 3 Senatorial seats to be contested for.

“Presently, the Party does not have a two-third majority in any of the Chambers of the National Assembly...Now the opportunity to up the Party’s numbers in these

‘Why I support PMB’s anti-corruption war’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

political corruption, they have been affected just like every other segment of the country. You can’t expect them to operate with such efficiency like the American, Japan and other world leading security agencies operates.

That is why we need to understand the peculiar environment we live in. The security agencies need modern gadgets, training and so on, and so forth as well as to be mobilised before they could operate at that level of efficiency, but considering the nature of time, we can’t allow these people to be free until that time when we have arrived before arresting them.

So our security agencies are only working with time; that is why it appears to be as if they are always in a hurry to take one

Azuka to court. And the problem is not peculiar to them alone, it is these

weak institutions that corrupt leaders hide behind to loot. So the government needs to build strong institutions and agencies that can fight corruption.

What do you have to say about speculations that the president is selective in his fight against corruption?

You see the war against corruption is just starting I see nothing selective there. The case of the arms fund is not the only case of corruption in the country but the pressing one at hand. When other cases are visited, people will begin to see a whole lot of other persons they least expected to be involved.

Don’t forget PDP has been in power for the past 16 years, so, that is why it appears like much attention is on PDP. And in the case of Jafaru Isah, some people

say he was treated with preference being an APC man. The fact is, he didn’t brag, neither did he give the authorities any stress. He admitted and refunded part of the said fund.

At a time we were looking for a lasting solution for corruption, do you think it’s a good thing to just let one walk away simply because he admits to his crime, is this not aiding corruption?

Well, it’s not as if he has been freed for ever, he was released on bail based on his cooperation. If Olisa Metuh had cooperated from the beginning, he wouldn’t have stayed that long in custody. We need to be concerned about the success of the war and not who is arrested first.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Chambers has come and we expect that the Party will do all that it takes to win all 12 House of Representatives and 3 Senate Seats.

Even if this may not give it the needed two-thirds but it will make the Party to have a robust majority such that it won’t struggle to have its programmes and plans that require parliamentary inputs to be easily implemented to achieve its set goals and core mandate.

“There is no gainsaying that Rivers State occupies a strategic political position in the politics of Nigeria.

The delegation amongst others requested that: “the APC National Leadership undertake a massive funds drive to finance the forthcoming re-runs in Rivers state; the restructuring of the Presidential Amnesty Programme by making sure that the current leadership and managers of the programme understood the political connotation of its implementation; urgent replacement of all agents and heads of agencies that the immediate-past federal government administration used to frustrate the Change Revolution; Purge of vestiges of and sympathisers for the immediate-past federal government administration in the leadership of Security agencies, especially in the Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“That political appointments in all Federal government Ministries, Departments and Agencies including ambassadorial positions be made to reflect the current realities of a change of government.

A meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to convey to him messages from families of the nearly 100 APC supporters killed and others maimed and or have completely lost their means of livelihood for supprting President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC. The meeting will also afford the Rivers delegation an opportunity to confer with President Buhari and proffer solutions to the challenges and issues”.

The delegation comprised Peterside and his running mate, Hon. Asita Honourable; state APC Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya; member of the APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; Senator Magnus Abe and several state aspirants and state APC stalwarts.

11 Politics

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Buhari’s scorecard in seven months, by Garba Shehu Osaro Onaiwu

Ikpeazu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

norms.

While congratulating the governors for their victories, he was confident that they will work to improve the lives of their people which the party has not failed to do over the years.

The coordinator of the forum further called on states like Edo and Ondo whose elections would hold later in the year to identify with the PDP to reap the dividend of democracy.

Only last week, the Supreme Court upheld the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Some people have opined that capital punishment should be set aside for corrupt leaders. Do you subscribe to that?

Yes, I think it would be a very good thing. In countries like China, Japan and some other countries where capital punishment is operational, corrupt leaders commit suicide even before being arrested knowing fully well what will happen to them if arrested alive. And you see that makes them afraid. In America, they serve a long term jail. And over there, they know that the chances of being caught are higher than the chances of escaping the consequences of your action while in Nigeria, reverse is the case. So, the value system differs and Nigeria should follow suit. A nation dies when it can no longer hold its leaders accountable for their ac-

Contrary to mounting criticisms of non-performance, the Presidency has risen in defence of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he has achieved a lot in the area of fighting corruption in the seven months of his administration.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this in a statement on Wednesday, while reacting to a recent report by the Centre for Democracy and Development which claimed that Buhari had only achieved one out of his 222 tracked electoral promises, representing 0.5 per cent of the promises.

The CDD had based its report on critical sectors such as security, the economy, fighting corruption, oil and gas, agriculture, and social and environmental sectors.

But the presidential spokesman said it was mischievous to attribute to the President promises he did not make during the campaigns and hold him accountable.

While advising leaders of the CDD to rise above what he called petty partisanship and stop misleading Nigerians, Shehu said any unbiased person would recognise the achievement so far made by

Shehu Buhari in curbing corruption.

According to him, no sincere Nigerian will fail to recognise the courage of the President to tackle corruption in a country where impunity was once celebrated.

The presidential spokesman added that within seven months, Buhari had successfully blocked the leakages in the system.

He said as a result of these efforts, the Nigeria Customs Service had quadrupled its

revenue base within seven months, a feat the service could not achieve in years.

“Doesn’t the President deserve credit for this and other efforts to confront the monster of corruption?” Shehu asked.

On the economy, he said it was wrong to blame the President for the falling oil prices in the world market, a challenge which he said had made Buhari lay emphasis on economic diversification.

He recalled that President Barack Obama of the United States had inherited an economy in crisis in 2009 and was not judged in his first seven months in office.

Shehu explained that in the case of Buhari, it was a double tragedy because he inherited an economy in crisis on account of declining oil revenues and an economy also ravaged by large-scale corruption.

He, however, said progress was being made in recovering the nation’s stolen funds as an escrow account had been opened for that purpose.

His words: “He (Buhari) is making good strides towards improving governance by tackling corruption. Till date, a good number of persons believed to have collectively stolen billions from taxpayers have been arrested and are

facing the courts.

“We are working with our allies across the world from Britain and America to France and Germany to China and the UAE to source, locate and repatriate misappropriated funds.

“So far, an escrow account has been opened for money that is being returned. This is only the start. The return of stolen funds is important, but it is just as critical to ensure that those who seek to steal realise that no longer will there be such impunity in Nigeria.”

He said Buhari’s war against corruption and terrorism had become a template for Africa and the rest of the world.

The presidential spokesman said it was, however, ironic that at home, some individuals were not prepared to give these successes the recognition they deserved.

Shehu said, “The latest CDD episode is a shocking reminder to their failed attempt to hold the President to ‘100 promises in 100 days’ which disastrously crashed on the head of the proponent.

“The elevation of the act to a new high of 220 promises is a knee-jerk reaction that seeks to play to the gallery and score points against the President”, he said.

‘Judiciary has not helped matters’ tions.

Don’t you think the President is spending too much time on corruption leaving other important issues undone?

What other thing do you want him to do? Look, corruption is the primary cause of every other problem in the country today.

Where do people want the President to rush to? Unemployment, poor power supply, poverty, poor education and insurgency are all connected to corruption. Unless the President deals decisively, nothing will work in Nigeria. So the President is trying to apply a single dose of antidote to the country’s numerous problems which is killing corruption and every other thing will naturally pick up.

Why do you think some persons frown against the fight against corruption?

It is simple. The world hates change. Most people have been misinformed. And we are characterised by impatience. I recommend national dialogue and re- orientation so that people will be carried along, so that people will learn to fight corrupt people and not the person who fights corruption. For us to move on as a nation, we must have a new value system, a new way of thinking and a new way of acting. People are frowning because they have been misinformed by corrupt persons that the reason why they are suffering is because the President is wasting time on corruption. Nigeria has

gotten to a stage where it can no longer function without fighting the corruption menace.

Do you see the President winning the war against corruption?

The President can only win the fight against corruption with the support and prayers of Nigerians.

He can’t do it alone. Mind you, that if the President fails the fight against corruption, it is not him as an individual who has failed but Nigeria as a nation and the consequences would be more fatal and unbearable than what we know before now. This is the only time we have to escape corruption so let’s put our hands together to fight it once and for all. I encour-

Mohammed age the President to be brave and courageous as God will see him through.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Electricity tariff: NLC, TUC, civil groups hold nationwide protests Monday ÎÎÎThe

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their civil society allies have given notice that they will hold street protests on Monday against the 45 per cent increase in electricity tariffs announced by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Announcing this in a statement issued on Thursday and signed the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, the labour unions and civil groups said the protest will hold Monday, February 8, in Abuja and across the nation.

“It is a nation-wide protest, meaning that the 36 states of the Federation

including Abuja will be involved in this action,” Wabba said.

“Our members have been sufficiently mobilized and are ready to go. If you are an electricity consumer and you are not happy with the bills electricity companies serve you every month, you are invited to join this protest rally.”

He said the Abuja rally will start at Labour House, Central Business District at 8.00am before moving to the NERC head office at Adamawa Plaza, Plot 1099, First Avenue, Off Shehu Shagari Way, Central Business District. From the NERC office, the rally will roll to the Abuja Electric-

ity Distribution Company at Zone 4. The rally will mobilise from there to the National Assembly.

The labour groups said the protest rally became necessary after all efforts to make NERC shelve the idea of increase failed.

“Indeed, rather than see reason with Nigerians, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing has been advancing spurious argument in justification.”

According to the statement, the reasons for this protest include: due process

in the extant laws for such increment was not followed in consonance with section 76 of the Power Sector Reform Act, 2005; there has been no significant improvement in service delivery; and most consumers are not metered in accordance with the signed privatization Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of November 1, 2013, which stipulates that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers are to be metered.

The other reasons in-

clude: there is a subsisting Court Order dated 28th May, 2015 by Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the case of Toluwani Yemi-Adebiyi versus NERC & Orders, that there shall be no further increment until the determination of the substantive suit; and the increment at this time negates the present biting and prevailing economic recession vis-a-vis an attempt to further impoverish the poor masses.

The statement noted

that stakeholders, on Increment in Electricity Tariff (a broad coalition) met in Lagos on January 28, 2016 and issued a communiqué demanding an “immediate halt of this morbid and exploitative intention” of tariff increase, failure of which would lead to mobilization of all Nigerians to resist the new tariff; mass protests/picketing of all DISCOs’ offices across the country; directing all consumers to reject any bill with the new tariff and other actions necessary.

Bail: Court to decide fate of Dasuki’s trial Feb. 8 Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÎÎÎ

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court will on Monday, February 8, 2016, decide whether or not to stay the trial of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), on the $2.1 billion corruption charges until Federal Government allowed the defendant to enjoy his bail.

Justice Hussein BabaYusuf reserved the ruling on Thursday after coun-

sel for Dasuki, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), and the counsel representing the Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, (SAN), addressed the court on the merits and demerits of the motion brought by Dasuki.

In the motion argued

by Dasuki’s counsel, the court was urged to prohibit the Federal Government from further prosecuting him or further seeking any indulgence from the court until the bail granted Dasuki is allowed to be enjoyed.

L-R: Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education, Hon. Aminu Suleiman; Clerk of the Committee, Dr. Simon Ibitoye-Bamisaiye and a member of the Committee, Hon. Odeneye Kehinde, during the defence of Universities’ Budget, in Abuja… on Thursday.

Newspaper proprietors back fight against corruption ÎÎÎThe

Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) on Thursday reiterated its commitment to the fight against corruption in the country, insisting that it had always been in the vanguard of the fight and that it was not ready to stop now.

The assurance was given by the President of the Association, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, while receiving the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji. Lai Mohammed, on a courtesy call on the Association at its Secretariat in Maryland, Lagos “We will help you fight corruption because it is antithetical to development” he stressed On hand to receive the minister among others , were the Publisher of Vanguard newspapers,

Mr. Sam Amuka, Mal. Ismaila Isa, both Life Patrons of the Association, former governor of Ogun State,Chief Segun Osoba, Mr. Ray Ekpu (both past Presidents of the Association) as well as Executive Council members and other members of the Association.

Mr. obaigbena who is also the Publisher of Thisday newspapers, in welcoming the new vista with which the goverment is pursuing its anti- corruption drive, noted that more mileage would be garnered and the campaign more enduring, if government fights corruption by building strong institutions To achieve greater result, he said it was imperative to first find the root cause of corruption, avoid arbitrariness and follow

the rule of law . Also, there was a need to respect the doctrine of innocence under which an accuse is presumed innocent until proven guilty It would be unjust and unfair to lump people together, and label everybody thieves, without separating the wheat from the chaff,he added.

In his address, the minister sought the support and cooperation of the media owners, adding that it was not the intention of the government to intimidate anyone or group of persons.

Goverment’s current drive he argued, was motivated by the higher ideal of bringing happiness to the greater number of the citizenry. This he said would remain an illusion without curing the corrup-

tion cancer that had eaten deep into the nation.

Mohammed drew a nexus between corruption and development, explaining that it would be difficult to develop infrastructure like roads, railway, schools, etc if government revenues are stolen Taking on the economy without first fighting corruption, he argued, would be an exercise in futility.

He recalled his earlier pronouncement how the nation could be transformed into an eldorado, providing roads, schools, hospitals etc , if the funds stolen had been judiciously applied.

For instance, he said the total amount Nigeria was seeking to borrow from the World Bank or the African Development Bank or others is $3.5 billion, adding

that if only a few who had stolen from the nation’s revenues had returned a fraction or that the issue of the $20 billion had been resolved, the nation would not need to borrow.

Mohammed said in the next few weeks government would be launching a National Re-orientation Campaign tagged “ Change begins with me”. The campaign is to compliment other campaigns already launched such as National Security Awareness Campaign and the National Sensitization Campaign Against Corruption. He pleaded for the support of the media for the new campaign Others on hand to receive the minister included Deputy President and Chairman, Media Trust, Mal. Kabiru A. Yusuf, the

General Secretary and Publisher of the Source Magazine, Comfort Obi, President of Leadership Group and former Presidential aspirant, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, Assistant Secretary and Publisher of Blue Print newspapers, Alh. Mohammed Idris,Group Managing Director of Champion Newspapers, Mrs Nwadiuto Iheakanwa and President of Tell communications, Mr. Nosa Igiebor Also present were Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Editorin-Chief, The News; Publisher of Daily Times, Mr. Fidelis Anosike; Mr.Ted Iwere, Managing Director of Daily Independent; Mannging Director of New Telegraph, Mrs Funke Egbemode; and Deputy Managing Director of The Sun, Mr. Steve Nwosu.

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News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

N29b fraud: Court admits exhibits against Nyako, others ÎÎÎThe

trial of a former governor of Adamawa state, Murtala Nyako, his son, Senator Abdul-Aziz Nyako, Abubakar Aliyu and Zulkifikk Abba, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 37-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of N29 billion continued on Thursday in Abuja.

They are alleged to have at various times between

2011 and 2013, used five companies – Blue Opal Nigeria limited, Serore Farms & Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Towers Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited to commit the fraud.

Their trial before Justice E. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had commenced on January 29, 2016 with the EFCC presenting its first witness, Mahmud Wambai, a staff of Zenith Bank in court.

At the resumed hearing, the EFCC presented three

more witnesses – Yawale Auwalu, Philip Olukayode, both staff of Ecobank Nigeria Plc and Caroline Osaha, a staff of First Bank Nigeria Plc. Auwalu, the 2nd prosecution witness and an account officer, being led in evidence

by Adebisi Adeniyi, counsel to the EFCC, told the court that in August 2014 the agency requested bank documents relating to Amdak Investments Limited and Amdak Road Construction Limited.

“We furnished the EFCC

with the certificate of identification, copies of account opening documents and the statement of accounts as requested by the Commission,” he said.

The tendered documents were admitted as exhibits by the court, and there were no objections from the defence counsel, which included Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), for Nyako, his son and Serore Farms & Extension Limited; counsel to Abubakar Aliyu, Y.C Maikyau (SAN); Ibrahim

Isiyaku, counsel to Zulkifikk Abba and Towers Assets; counsel to Blue Opal Nigeria limited, Olumide Olujimi; and counsel to Crust Energy Limited, O. A. Dada.

The 3rd prosecution witness, Olukayode, a relationship manager in the business banking unit of Ecobank, located at the Central Business District, Abuja, also told the court that sometime in July 2014, the EFCC requested for bank documents related to Tower Assets Management Limited.

Imo NMA protest turns bloody as police shot doctor Val Okara, Owerri

ÎÎÎProtesting

medical doctors were on Thursday, shot by the police, while several others were injured in Owerri, Imo state capital, during a peaceful demonstration organised by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Imo state branch, over the concessioning of the health sector and other unhealthy policies of the state government.

A medical doctor and consultant Physician with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, Dr. Bede Azudialo was shot on his head when police opened fire on the crowd and, was later rushed to the Emergency unit of the FMC, Owerri, where he received treatment before being transferred to an unknown private hospital in the state.

Narrating the incident to newsmen, the state chairman of Guild of Nigeria Doctors, Dr. Darlington Akukwu, alleged that the protesters were given protection up till Orlu roundabout when a detachment of armed policemen barricaded the road and refused them (doctors) from proceeding to Government House.

According to him, stampede started when police opened fire on the crowd and throw canisters on the harmless protesting doctors.

Kaduna State Commandant of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Samuel Azige (right), displaying seized substances in Kaduna… on Thursday.

Amosun

Ogun records first Lassa fever case Abiodun Taiwo, Abeokuta

ÎÎÎThe Ogun state government, on Thursday, said it has recorded the first case of Lassa fever in the state.

Making this known was the Commissioner for Health, Babatunde Ipaye, at a press conference held on Thursday at the Oke Mosan Press center in Abeokuta.

According to the Commissioner, the case is that of a 28-year-old lady, discovered on Wednesday, February 3 at 8:10p.m.

The lady was said to have travelled to Ebonyi for a burial programme and returned to Ogun on January 15.

He added that the victim had passed through two medical facilities before being transferred to the Olabisi Onabanjo University

NUJ vs NCS: Court fixes Feb 27 for hearing Titilope Joseph

Ojo Maduekwe returns to Bar, as legal luminaries extol his qualities Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

ÎÎÎImmediate past Nigerian

Ambassador to Canada and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Chief Ojo Maduekwe was on Thursday honoured by ‘Who Is Who’ in the legal profession in the country with a ‘welcome back to the Bar’ party.

The legal icon, who served the nation meritoriously and with distinction in multiple capacities as an ambassador of the bar profession, was called to bar in 1973 before he eventually damped into politics in 1983 and became fully engaged in political office in 1999 to 2015 when he returned from national assignment.

Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), the convener, said they identified with Maduekwe as an exemplary Nigerian, a torch bear-

er, pathfinder and as a disciplined humanitarian and we felt that we should welcome him back to the bar.

“From the speech we read about him, you can see that he was called to the bar in 1973 but for over 20 year from 1999 he has not being with the legal profession. Having returned from Canada recently, we are now welcoming him back to the bar, you saw him in his Wick and Gown.

When we have men of his kind illuminating the legal profession we want younger generation of lawyers to emulate him and see that their lives of service is good for humanity.”

Some of the dignitaries at the event include: Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), In his speech, Chief Maduekwe said though initially

he wanted to be a Pastor because his father was one, but he felt that he was not ‘holy enough’ that was why he retracted that very ambition.

According to him, one thing after the other kept me out of legal practice but other people also felt that he was too honest for politics.

He however mentioned that high interest in politics were the factors that made him stayed off the practice of law saying “Without being a lawyer, I don’t think I will be the kind of politician I have been which people are celebrating today.”

He told the gathering that lawyers should remain the conscience of politics in Nigeria, urging the practitioners to play by the rule.

Dignitaries at the event include: Chief U. N. Udechuk-

wu SAN, Chief mrs. Nkiru Udechukwu, Chief Felix Offia, Sen. Emmanuel Anosike and Mrs. Ada anosike, H. E. Ikedi Ohakim Chief A. J. Owonikoko SAN, Chief J. K. Gadzama SAN, Chief & Mrs. Osita Chidoka former minister of Aviation Other are Dame Julie Onum Nwariaku, Otunba Chief Solo Akuma SAN, Chief Clement Nwankwo, Mr. Ferdinand Agu, Mr. Idika Kalu, Mrs Nma Mowete, Chief & Mrs. Charles Nkwonta, Chief Akin Olujinmi SAN, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN, Elder Chief J. U. Udensi, Chief A. S. Awomolo SAN, Chief Mrs Victoria Awomolo, Chief Mbila Sunday, Mrs Doris Mbila, Dr. & Mrs Eri Kalu, Chief Ume Kalu A.G. Abia State, Gen. Akpata , J. U. K. Igwe SAN, Lady Ngozi Uma.

ÎÎÎA Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has fixed February 27 for the hearing of the fundamental rights suit filed against the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and eight others by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Chapter, over alleged assault on one of its members.

The NUJ, Lagos chapter, had filed a suit for the enforcement of the fundamental rights to life, dignity of the human person and freedom of expression and the press, on behalf of one of its members, Otunba Yomi Olomofe, who was allegedly assaulted by the Customs and some suspected hoodlums allegedly hired by the Custom officials.

The NUJ, Lagos chapter had filed a N500 million criminal suit against NCS, over the brutal assault of Olomofe, at Seme border post of the NCS on June 25, 2015.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

15 Opinion

Marriage Clinic (8): Avoiding Marriage Pitfalls “There is a way that seems to be “tried out,” but a life partner to right to a man, But its end is the be loved and cherished. She is precious way of death”(Proverbs 16:25) and inestimable in God’s sight, and she should be the same in your sight. Reost young member, you are looking for a life partmen and ner, not just a sex partner.

Furthermore, a pre-marital test of w o m e n spend sub- sex is NOT a valid sample of what sex stantial time will be like within the marriage.

Do not accept the foolish this prepreoccupying about marital sex idea. If you have real love getting married some day and hav- going for you, you do not need to worry ing a joyful home. However, the about your sex life being good. It will path that leads to a happy and flour- be!

(2) Craving for the moment ishing marriage has many “traps” A lot of people everywhere are bomor “pitfalls” along the way.

A “pitfall” is a cleverly masked barded with the human philosophy trap. On the surface, it looks harm- of you can not go through life twice, less, but when you walk on it, you therefore take hold of all the pleasure you can. fall into a deep pit.

Satan has always tried to advance Devil is a specialist at building “pitfalls.” His carefully concealed the idea of living for the moment betraps look innocent enough, but cause it causes people to do things they they are destructive. Some of these would never do if they considered the “pitfalls” can keep you from ever future. A girl at her teenage has always having a blissful marriage and a been carried away with the weekhappy home. Let us now look at ten end pleasures, thereby ends up with two illegitimate children. “Vanity of of them: (1) Trying out sex before mar- vanities,said the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity”(Eccle 2:2) riage Nevertheless, life is more than a Trying out sex before marriage is often offered as a very rational weekend. It is the rest of your life here, course of action. A chap will say, and forever in the next world. If you re“You wouldn’t buy a used car with- fuse Christ here on earth and end up in out driving it around first, so why hell, you are not there for the weekend.

It is forever! marry without trying out sex!”

It is time to identify the seriousness Marriage cannot be compared to buying a used car. A woman is not and value of life. Whatever choice to be thought of as a piece of goods made today will affect your life now

M Omotoso Samuel

and after.

(3) Living for good feelings The saying, “If it feels good, do it,” convey another idea which has pervaded our society. The whole prescription view is based on the idea: “Get a good feeling now, no matter what happens later.”

Some people who should know better think that almost anything is all right if it gives them a good feeling.

There is even a song which promotes this idea with the line: “It can’t be wrong when it feels so right.”

Do not believe this lie! Just because something gives you a good feeling does not mean that it is right. You might get a good feeling out of stealing another man’s wife or woman’s husband and moving around with it, but that would not make it right.

Avoid this pitfall: Do not let your feelings control your actions.

(4) Sexual immorality It is easy for young people to fall into the pitfall of sexual depravity. Many are involved in sexual sin, and they seem to be getting away with it. However, no one can violate God’s moral laws without eventually paying a terrible price. A single act of immorality can attract tragic consequences.

A young male Christian had sexual relations with an immoral girl. From this one-time sexual relationship, he contracted a sexually transmitted disease. He received medical attention, but the disease was not brought un-

der control. In less than a year, he was dead.

Keep yourself pure. Immorality is not worth what it costs you.

(5)Adolescent marriage Those who marry in their teen age are asking for trouble. Teen marriages are twice as likely to end in divorce as those of couples who were in their twenties when they married. The odds are even worse when the bride is under eighteen.

There are at least two major disadvantages to teen marriages. First, if you try to choose your marriage partner while you are still in your teens, you will probably make a wrong choice.

Secondly, most teens are not mature enough to handle marriage. There are issues in marriage that demand mature mind to tackle.It requires large amounts of unselfish, caring love to make a marriage work, and it takes a lot of “growing up” before a person has that kind of love.

Take your time about getting married—lots of time. Do not be in haste to marry too young! Because the way you rush into it, the same way you will rush out. I earnestly pray that you will not make a wrong choice that will mar your bright future in Jesus name.

Marriage has a single door of entry but there is no exit door.

To be continued Pastor Omotoso can be reached through 08029531853 or email: onwardforchrist2015@gmail.com,

Nigeria: Destruction beckons

A

Arthur Nwankwo

story was told about a certain man who would eat his meal without any piece of meat. Not that he did not like meat but rather he could not afford it. So on a sunny day during the harmattan his thatched house caught fire from a hunter’s tinder.

Unknown to him, he was sharing his hut with a giant rat, so as neighbors raised alarm that his house was on fire he contemplated the unimaginable. He saw one rat dash into the nearby bush and vowed that no other rat would escape him. While his hut was engulfed in a raging inferno this man was busy chasing the rats.

He was catching the rat, determined to improve the quality of his feeding –even when his cooking utensils were burnt to ashes. The moral story from this anecdote is that it snacks of foolery and insanity for a man to be busy chasing rats while his house is on fire.

Nigeria is on fire and the APC government from all indication is busy chasing rat. What is happening to this country? The truism that he who the gods want to kill, they first make mad is eminently true of this country and its rulers.

The recent remarks by President

Buhari that he would not “kill’’ or devalue the naira , to me, smacks of lack of understanding of economic forces and inability to articulate any genuine economic development programme for Nigeria. Buhari or anybody for that matter does not need to tell us that Naira is dead.

Devaluation of a country’s currency is indicative of one thing – that the country’s economy is sick and cannot sustain growth in real terms.

The meat of real and visionary leaders always is to steer the economy back on track. Such leaders are pathfinders not fault-finders. By their actions, such leaders are able to fire an ember of hope from the ashes of hopelessness, he is able to inject new verve into exhausted possibilities and to create a path through a cul-de-sac for the people.

Such leaders come into positions of leadership convinced and determined on how to re-engineer society for the over-all benefit of the people.

Such is the mindset that propelled the Barrack Obama presidency. You will recall that Obama came to power in the USA at a time the world and particular, the USA economy was in recession. So many business were going under igniting an era of ‘’bail-out’’ in the USA and many western European countries.

Realizing the delicate condition of

the USA economy, Barack Obama initiated a regime of economic stimuli and re-engineering which has led to the rapid reversal of fortunes for the USA .He did not dwell on the short –coming of the preceding George Bush administration or the billions of dollars spent in prosecuting the war against terror in the middle east as reasons why he will fail or succeed .He knew he was thrown up to leadership for such a perilous time , He approached his work with utmost commitment, curtailing foreign trips and concentrated on re-building the American economy .

The exact opposite appears to be the case in Nigeria. It’s indeed lamentable that the massive failure of the Buhari administration in only eight month would always be blamed on the much maligned PDP. I have heard and read several APC stalwarts attributing Buhari’s failure to PDP’s regime of ‘’corruption’’. This, to my mind, is begging the issue at best, and escapist at worst. The essence of change is to move Nigeria to the next level.

This indicates that the APC should have had a blue print for Nigeria‘s development.

Blaming the PDP for its ineptitude amounts to taking Nigeria for granted. This is why it appears

nobody is calling the president to order, asking him to curtail his foreign trips that have brought no dividend and concentrate on building the Nigeria economy. Does it not worry the president that in the past eight months, the number of Nigerians feeding from the garbage dumps has increased dramatically, that in the past eight months, Nigerians have had to endure more hardship than they did in the last seven years, that in the last seven month that the fire of ethnic nationalism has burned with greater intensity, their frustration, anger and nadir have become emblematic of the people’s existence? Does the President and APC not know that these constitute the ingredient of social upheaval of cataclysmic proposition? It appears to me that PMB does not really appreciate the enormity of the Nigerian condition. If the president did, perhaps his approach to addressing these problems would be different.

It has also exposed the fact that Buhari’s government is deficit on several fronts, one of which is the inability to understand the synergy between a quiescent political system and sustainable economic growth. One begets the other. In truth, If a country does not get its politics right, it will not get its economy right.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Features

Osoba’s stature standing bold at Alhaji Masha Junction, opposite the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

How first Nigerian to bear the Olympic torch beacme a construction worker Ï Government did not encourage athletes in my time — Osoba THE MAN, RASHEED He was a sprint and long distance athlete who reigned in tracks and field events in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1978, Rasheed won a medal for Nigeria in the 200 metres race; he was only 12 at the time.

In the history of sports in Africa, Rasheed Babatunde Liasu Oshoba is the first Nigerian ever to hold and run with the Olympic torch into the National Stadium in Lagos some 30 years ago.

He was known then as young

The name Rasheed Babatunde Liasu may not ring a bell to the sports community today, but he was the first Nigerian ever to hold and run with the Olympic torch some 30 years ago. As you are reading this,life has not been easy for him owing to neglect by the country he had served as a magnificient marathonist. Now he is eeking out a living as a builder of sort. GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR brings you his story.

Rasheed Babatunde Liasu, now he is Rasheed Babatunde Oshoba.

The life-size sculpture of his image stands opposite the National Stadium, backing Alhaji Masha road by Teslim Balogun

Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

THE OLYMPIC TORCH STORY Still athletic and strong at 49, Rasheed Babatunde Oshoba relishes the event and goes down memory lane.

“Yes, I am the first man in Nigeria to carry the Olympic torch. When you get to the national stadium, just take a look at the right, turning towards Alhaji Masha road and you will see a sculpture of me holding

the torch.

“The organisers took a photograph of me when I ran into the Stadium with the torch and used the photograph to make

Continued on page 18

Features 18 Continued from page 17 that sculpture.”

HOW DID IT HAPPEN? “It was during the 1986 Olympics that took place in Lagos. I was with my coach, Pele at Cappa area in Oshodi when some group of people approached him and said they needed a young and talented athlete to carry the Olympic torch, and I was selected alongside some others.

“All the torch bearers were positioned at strategic locations like in a relay race and being the last runner on the line, I was mandated to run with the torch straight into the stadium and lay it there.”

He was nostalgic and filled with beautiful memories, but the stature perhaps, is the only consolation and benefit he received from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the government of his country for making the country proud when it mattered.

HIS BIRTH Born on October 1, 1966 in Accra, Ghana of Nigerian migrant parents from Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, his family was among the mass exodus of foreigners evicted by Ghanaian government in 1972. He was only six years old.

“I started schooling at OreOfe primary school, under bridge in Dopemu area of Lagos and proceeded to Oniwaya High School, Agege for my secondary education,” Rasheed began.

The discovery of his athletic skill was dramatic. It became noticeable at the high school when he first reported late for school and had to be punished along with other late comers.

“In that school, when we come late, they will ask the late comers to run round the field many times. It was then I just found myself running way ahead of everybody so fast and I don’t get tired.

“Because I used to come late a lot in those days, running round the field became almost like every morning exercise - and the teachers began to actually look forward to it!

“I remember one of them exclaimed the first time and said ‘ah, this one will win medal for us o.’

HIS SPORTING CAREER “That was when I picked up interest in sports. I looked around and decided to start with the Union Bank Marathon which used to hold at the bank’s anniversary every year. I joined them in 1985.”

The aspiring athlete was only 19 when he took part in the Union Bank Marathon and although the race took place 31

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Government did not encourage athletes in my time —Osoba

L-R, Engineer Folusho, Osoba and Chief Akebioro at one of Osoba’s building sites at Santos Estate, Dopemu, Lagos.

It was the peak of the All Africa Maltonic Marathon; Rasheed had prepared for it and so were other contestants from other nations. He was running with the best of athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia and was maintaining the 3rd position behind Kenya and Ghana when tragedy stuck: the young man stumbled and fell down at the Stadium bus stop just seconds away from the finishing line, so the race finished without him.

Osoba’s life size stature opposite National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

years back, its statistics was staggering considering the age of sports in the country at the time and the memory was still fresh in Rasheed’s mind.

“The marathon took place

at the National Stadium in Surulere. We ran 42 kilometres and out of 37,000 contestants, I came third.”

That he came third in a 42 kilometres stretch was not the

feat: Rasheed was only 19 at the time and he competed with athletes who were much older and exposed, some were twice his age.

That encouraging result moved him to look for a professional club as a platform to improve his form.

“The first club I joined was called Eko Akete, a largely Lagos Island boys club for aspiring athletes; thereafter I moved to the Nigerian Army Sports club at G.Cappa in those days.”

That move earned him a coach in the Nigerian army sports team called Pele.

“That was where I met my coach, Pele; he supervised and coordinated my trainings. Most times I do my trainings at the bar beach, the National Stadium and even in the hilly areas of Ogun state. The trainings were on daily basis like from 7 – 10 am, and 4pm-7pm every day, mostly at the stadium if we don’t go out.”

Over time his fame earned him an invitation to join the Nigeria Air Force sports team.

“I travelled to many states and made a great difference in the club when I was with the Air Force. I also pitched my tent with organisers of Milo Marathon and I ran on their ticket for about nine years. Out of about 30,000 contestants I was finish-

Continued on page 19

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

19 Features

Continued from page 18 ing in the 5th to the 3rd positions.”

One would have thought the shining star would have attracted a scholarship from the Sports Commission or the corporate organisations he featured in their events, but not so. Rasheed’s parents could not afford a tertiary education for their son and so he dropped out of school.

So how did he cope as a school dropout and without employment and no money coming from sports?

“Well, my mother used to give me money from her small trade to keep me going because she saw that I liked sports very much. I was also hopeful that I will get a break soon, so I continued training hard for it.”

However he continued with athletics and was making waves until a freak accident barred him from further Marathons and competitive games.

THE BREAKING POINT It was the peak of the All Africa Maltonic Marathon; Rasheed had prepared for it and so were other contestants from other nations. He was running with the best of athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia and was maintain-

Athletes of today are more privileged than in my time because governments are now investing in sports and paying sportsmen and women well. They also camp them and send them for trials in other countries. That didn’t happen in my time; there was no welfare packages, no incentives. Even though we travelled to other African countries like Ghana, South Africa etc to represent Nigeria in some international tournaments, we had to spend our personal money in training ourselves. If Nigerian government had funded sports in the past as they are doing now, I don’t think I would be in this kind of condition that I am now.”

Osoba still strong and athletic at 49.

‘My mother used to give me money from her small trade to keep me going’ ing the 3rd position behind Kenya and Ghana when tragedy stuck: the young man stumbled and fell down at the Stadium bus stop just seconds away from the finishing line, so the race finished without him.

Rasheed who was 30 years at the time and bubbling to hit the best of his career, was deflated.

He recalled that he lost consciousness and was told later that he was carried into the stadium where doctors tried to revive him.

“When I regained consciousness inside a clinic at the stadium, I had to lie down for five hours while needles were inserted all over my body. I was confined to hospital for a long time.

I lived with severe pains and the condition of the leg was so bad that doctors advised me to stay off sports. I was warned that if I trouble the leg I would be risking amputation.

“I was afraid for my leg; I even went to seek native treatment for a long time but there was little improvement.”

How does Rasheed explain his fall?

“My brother; I know many don’t believe that people use charms in sports, but it was not

Osoba, showing his troubled leg which aborted his dream

new in those days.” He pulled back the left leg of his trouser to reveal the area he was hit.

Charms in sports “There was no reason for me to fall in the first place; there was no

hole or stick on my path, I didn’t miss my strides, so for me to be struck with sharp pain towards the lower part of my ankle at that critical moment is not ordinary.

Stadium bus stop where it happened is only a few seconds to the main gate which was the finishing line.

“I strongly believe it was a spiritual attack. The injury I sustained as a result of the fall was so deep; they warned that if I continue using the affected leg, the strain may render it useless, and that it could lead to amputation of the leg.”

Rasheed said he was the one hit and he knew what he suffered. A number of questions remained unanswered to date, like: “Why did I suffer so much pain from what the doctors could not identify or treat? It was an attack and it was targeted to stop me from competitive games and they succeeded.

“I remembered later also that before the marathon, there had been talks that those foreign athletes that took part in the competition with me had heard of my achievements and they were warned by their coaches to

Continued on page 20

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

I see great improvement in sports now, but more still needs to be done —Osoba Continued from page 19 look out for me. I also saw some local coaches that I had defeated their athletes in the past also talking to those foreign coaches about me.”

In all, Rasheed was grateful to God that finished in the third place even though he was carried through the finishing line unconscious.

“Well, even though I was struck, I still finished third because the distance between me and the fourth runner was far, enough for them to carry me through the finishing line. I thank God for that.”

Government’s ineptitude Looking back many decades, Rasheed lamented the lack of care of athletes and other sportsmen in the country during his advent.

“Government did not encouraging the young and upcoming athletes. Before this incident happened to me, some corporate organisations use to invite us to participate in Marathons. Then I was about 20 -21-years old.

The people that beat me to the first and second positions were older people, like from age 30 upwards, yet we didn’t get any benefit to secure our future.”

He pointed to his left leg again, “Look at my travails after that attack: the Sports Com-

Well, since there was no financial support coming from anybody, I was forced to go out and learn to be a building engineer.

I am not just into building, I am into solid construction and the reason I thought of it was because I was young and full of life and was already becoming famous.

Now when I suffered that attack and was advised to lay off sports and government didn’t help me as it should, I recognised that no sportsman or woman is government’s responsibility.

The troubled leg that aborted a dream.

His life-size stature opposite the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

mission only paid for my treatment for like one year or so; they were giving me N500 every day for feeding and to keep myself going, then it came down to N300 and reduced to N200 daily and eventually they stopped and I was on my own.”

Then and now, how does Rasheed see athletes of this age?

“Athletes of today are more privileged than in my time because governments are now investing in sports and paying sportsmen and women well.

They also camp them and send them for trials in other countries.

“It didn’t happen in my time; there was no welfare packages, no incentives. Even though we travelled to other African countries like Ghana, South Africa etc to represent Nigeria in some international tournaments, we had to spend our personal mon-

ey in training ourselves. If Nigerian government had funded sports in the past as they are doing now, I don’t think I would be in this kind of condition that I am now.”

Are you saying your trips outside the country to represent Nigeria also went unrewarded?

“Nothing was given to us o, not even a dime, and that really demoralised me and I felt like abandoning the career. If I was a citizen of another country, I know that I will be highly appreciated and taken care of.”

THE WAY OUT Oshoba threw himself into building construction, specialising in specific areas like house roofing, aluminum related windows/sliding doors, interior/ exterior as well as aluminum supplies among others.

Why did you opt for building as alternative to sports?

“Well, since there was no financial support coming from anybody, I was forced to go out and learn to be a building engineer. I understudied and learnt it in four years under Wasiu Construction Company.

“I am not just into building, I am into solid construction and the reason I thought of it was because I was young and full of life and was already becoming famous. Now when I suffered that attack and was advised to lay off sports and government didn’t help me as it should, I recognised that no sportsman or woman is government’s responsibility.

“So I thought of building construction because I believed then and I still believe now that it is an industry that will always be there; if one knows it well and succeeds, he will never be an average person or a poor man. Those are the two things I want to avoid in my life. I want to be self sufficient and succeed in whatever I do.

“Secondly I like the physical aspect of building because I involve myself with moving around the site, climbing up and down while doing fittings, roofing and so on to keep me fit as is if I am doing physical training preparing for a track event. I can’t afford to go into a job that will keep me in one air-conditioned office; I will become inactive, fat and I may get sick and get old quickly.”

ON THE FUTURE OF ATHLETES “I see great improvement in the system now, but more still

needs to be done. Also, if the NSC can take the welfare of the athletes seriously, in 4 to 10 years to come, I strongly believe that this will really bring a very great improvement in the life of sportsmen and women.

A WORD TO NSC AND GOVERNMENTS For a man thoroughly disappointed in his first love as an athlete, Rasheed sends this message to the National Sports Commission and to governments of every state: “My advice is that they should embark on scouting for young athletes, and while they are doing that, they should make sure they choose people who they really believe have the talent and can make the country proud. And also, they should involve experienced retired athletes as coaches - to train upcoming athletes.”

Tell Nigerians one memorable thing you will always remember during your sporting days.

“It is the attack that took me off the sports that I liked with passion. I will never forget that.”

Mr. Rasheed Babatunde Liasu Oshoba is married with children. His eldest son is only seven but showing great interest in sports. Would he encourage his son to go into sports?

“Certainly, I will and I do especially because as I am sure he has talent; I am already guiding him in the right path.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

SURE LIFESPRING NETWORK

GREATMEN UNITED ROYAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied for Registration to the corporate Affairs commission under part “C” of the companies and allied matters Act, 1990 Trustees-.

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Any Objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 450 Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28days of this publication.

Signed: Secertary

Any Objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 450 Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28days of this publication.

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Signed: Chairman

EAST INDIA UNDYOG LTD

102, RASHEED BARUWA STREET, OMOLE PHASE 1, OJODU IKEJA. Tel: 08022239122, 08033206295 NOTICE OF WINDING UP THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990 COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF LIQUIDATOR PURSUANT TO SECTION 491, CAMA NAME OF COMPANY: EAST INDIA UDYOG LIMITED NATURE OF BUSINESS: ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS PRESENTED BY: JOHNSON ELEGBOJA ESQ…. NBA/ND/15179 MEMBERS VOLUNTARY WINDING UP To: The Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja.

I, Johnson Elegboja Esq. of D.J Fadesere & Co. (Legal Practitioners) of Suite B416, Ikeja Plaza, 81, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, do hereby give you Notice that I have been appointed liquidator of EAST INDIA UDYOG LIMITED by special Resolution of the Company dated 27th January, 2016.

Dated this 27th day of January, 2016. ________________________ Johnson Elegboja Esq.

THE BEAUTIES OF HOLINESS MINISTRY The general public is hereby notified that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AZUBIKE MOSES CHUKWU - CHAIRMAN 2. AZUBIKE BETTER CHUKWU 3. DOMINO BROWN - SECRETARY 4. AHAM PATIENCE 5. NWABUISI JAMES THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: BARR. PIUS EREDIYI 08138864113

ORE CENTRAL MOSQUE,ORE,ONDO STATE This is to inform the general public that the above named mosque has applied for Registration to the corporate Affairs commission under part “C” of the companies and allied matters Act, 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. Alhaji Sulaiman Oyekanmi ( Chairman) 2. Alhaji Bisiriyu Mohammed Raji- Chief Imam ( Member) 3. Alhaji Tajudeen Eniola (Member) 4. Alhaji Abdulazeez Ajose (Member) 5. Alfa Ismaila Akorede (Secretary) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To propagate the Islamic religion, teachings and beliefs.

Any Objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 450 Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28days of this publication.

Signed: Alfa Ismaila Akorede Secretary

EAST INDIA UNDYOG LTD

102, RASHEED BARUWA STREET, OMOLE PHASE 1, OJODU IKEJA. Tel: 08022239122, 08033206295 THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990 COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES SPECIAL RESOLUTION OF EAST INDIA UDYOG LIMITED (RC: 1108602) At the meeting of the members of East India Udyog Limited held on the 27th day of January, 2016 at the company ‘s offices situate at No. 102, isheri Road, Ojodu, Ikeja, Lagos, the following resolutions were duly passed as special resolution.

3. That the company be voluntarily wound up.

4. That JOHNSON ELEGBOJA ESQ. of D.J FADESERE & CO. (Legal Practitioners) be and is hereby appointed as liquidator to wind up the Company.

Dated this 27th day of January, 2016 ……………………………………..

DIRECTOR

……………………………………..

DIRECTOR

LOSS OF DOCUMENT This is to inform the general public of the loss of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of a property situated at No. 72, Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda Lagos. Registered as No. 20/20/1990AB at Lagos State Land registry, belonging to Dr Mrs Ibijoke Ayodeji Oni of No. 72, Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda Lagos. General Public Take Note.

21

CHRIST PEOPLE TRUTH CENTER

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied for Registration to the corporate Affairs commission under part “C” of the companies and allied matters Act, 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Rev.(Dr) Mrs. Elizabeth Adejumoke Oriola - President 2. Mr. Joseph Olanrewaju Oriola - trustee 3. Mr. Oluwayomi Ajibade - secretary 4. Mr Anthony Olatunji Idowu - trustee.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: empowering individuals to live a totally victorious life in good health & prosperity through knowing & walking in the Truth of gospel of the kingdom of God. Any Objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 450 Tigris Crescent Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28days of this publication.

SIGNED: Barr. Yomi Ajibade

GODS PLANTED MISSION THIS IS TO INFORM THE General public that the above named church has applied for registration to the corporate affairs commission under part c of the companies and allied matters Act, 1990 Trustees : Odewunmi samuel Akintola president Akinyemi Jeremaih Akinnola secretary Akinnola Dolapo Fumibi AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO propagate the gospel of our lord jesus christ globally Any Objection To the Registration should be forwarded to the Registration Should be forwarded to the Registrar General corporate Affairs commission plot 450 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: AKINYEMI JEREMAIH AKINNOLA

AIDA AROH FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AROH NKIRUKA AIDAH 2. DICKSON AFAMEFUNA ANDY 3. IFEANYI OKEKE 4. ILUMAH COMFORT ONUEZUE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: TO HELP THE POOR AND NEEDY TO TRANFORM LIVES THROUGH SERVICE TO GOD AND HUMANITY TO MOTIVATE MEN AND WOMEN TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIALS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DREAM BIG AND REASLISE THEIR DREAMS ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: IFEANYI OKEKE ESQ CREDO CHAMBERS (LEGAL ADVISER)

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FOR GREATER PEACE AND STABILITY INITIATIVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. GOGO GLADYS OREKEME 4. WEMEDO WELLINGTON CHIMA 2. HANDSOME OZIENYOWIE KINIKANWO 5. IKEAGWU SUZY ONYEBUCHI 3. CHRISTIANA OMENIHU WORDU 6. PETER UJOMU 7. JULIE NWABOGO EFEMENA UMUKORO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: TO PROMOTE PEACE AND HELP THE GOVERNMENT TO BALANCE ITS POLICIES AS IT AFFECTS PEACE AND ORDER IN OUR SOCIETY. TO SAY NO TO SOCIAL VICES LIKE KILLING, RAPING, DRUG ADDICTION, ETC. IN OUR SOCIETY. TO PROMOTE MORAL VALUES AMONG THE YOUTHS. TO ACT AS A NEXUS BETWEEN HOST COMMUNITIES, TENANT S AND COMPANIES IN PURSUANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THEIR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THE PUBLICATION. SIGNED: MRS. GLORIA ABU

THE WORD OF GRACE MINISTRY INT’L.

SILVIA’S INITIATIVE FOR TOUCHING LIVES

CREATION CARE INITIATVE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGE

This is to notify the general public that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission C.A.C for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. No 1 of 1990.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES (1) Pastor Samuel Nkem -CHAIRMAN (2) Ubani Gustav Ugwunna- SECRETARY (3) Ahukanna Chetachi.

The aim and objective: 1. TO PROMOTE THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS AND THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) IDAKWO SILVIA VICTORIA OJOCHIDE - FOUNDER (2) REV. FATHER IMMANUEL UNEKWUOJO OGU (3) MRS THERESA LARUBA ATEGBA (4) ADEMU LAWAL THE AIM AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO CARE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED PERSONS IN THE SOCIETY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OMONOR OGBEBOR - FOUNDER 2. EDIDIONG NSIKAK EDUOK 3. OBEHI OGBEBOR 4. ETCHIE DORA MOFE THE AIM AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO CARE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED PERSONS IN THE SOCIETY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT AND EDUCATION

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: Secretary

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: CLEMENT GBADAMOSI, ESQ. 08036179886

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: CLEMENT GBADAMOSI, ESQ. 08036179886

22

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FOR GREATER PEACE AND STABILITY INITIATIVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 GOGO GLADYS OREKEME 5. IKEAGWU SUZY ONYEBUCHI 2. HANDSOME OZIENYOWIE KINIKANWO 6. PETER UJOMU 3. CHRISTIANA OMENIHU WORDU 7. JULIE NWABOGO EFEMENA UMUKORO 4. WEMEDO WELLINGTON CHIMA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROMOTE PEACE AND HELP THE GOVERNMENT TO BALANCE ITS POLICIES AS IT AFFECTS PEACE AND ORDER IN OUR SOCIETY. 2. TO SAY NO TO SOCIAL VICES LIKE KILLING, RAPING, DRUG ADDICTION, ETC. IN OUR SOCIETY. 3. TO PROMOTE MORAL VALUES AMONG THE YOUTHS. 4. TO ACT AS A NEXUS BETWEEN HOST COMMUNITIES, TENANTS AND COMPANIES IN PURSUANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THEIR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THE PUBLICATION. SIGNED: MRS. GLORIA ABUGO

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

(ALLOCATION PAPERS OF SHOP NO. BH 173)

The General Public and Abuja Markets Management Limited, are hereby notified that the Original Allocation Papers of Shop No. BH 173, Titled Stephen Nwabuisi now belonging to MR. AGBANELO IKECHUKWU issued on the 11/01/2013 with Receipt No. 6401757, stating that he is the bonafide owner of Shop No. BH 173 at Dei-Dei Building Material Market, Abuja got missing on a transit from Abuja to Eastern part of the country.

All efforts made to trace it proved abortive. Please if found contact the Telephone number below.

Signed: IKECHUKWU AGBANELO (MR.) 08065648097.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT (ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY)

The General Public and Abuja Geographical Information Systems (AGIS), are hereby notified that the Original Certificate of Occupancy belonging to bearing the Title: Balogun Fabowale, belonging MR. OKWUDILI OKEZUE, allocated on the 14/09/1996 with File Number: FCT/TRBM/ LA:1241, with Plot No. C444 and adjoin Plot No. 443 located within Zone 06-06 Saburi Residential District, Dei-Dei, Abuja also attached with Right of Occupancy, Deed of Assignment and Power of Attorney; got missing, all efforts made to trace it proved abortive. Please if found contact the Telephone number below.

Signed: MR. OKWUDILI OKEZUE 08037870416.

VAST ARMY EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

INTERNATIONAL TRADITIONAL CATHOLICS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration of trustees under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended) THE TRUSTEES ARE1. BISHOP JACOBS EMMANUEL CHUKWUJINDU - PRESIDENT 2. PASTOR JACOB REBECCA OLUFUNMILOLA- VICE- PRESIDENT 3. OGBEIFUN PETER ODION - SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1. To propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through every possible means and to encourage Christian living.

2. To establish the brethren in faith through the preaching of the word of faith.

3. To uphold and maintain the truth of God’s word 4.

To reach out to the vulnerables the love of Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off AguiyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28) days of this publication Signed: SECRETARY

DOMINION HARVEST INTERNATIONAL

THE IMMORTAL BLESSED TRINITY INITIATIVES INT’L The above named Organization has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission for registration in accordance with the provision of the companies and Allied matters Act No. 1 of 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: BARR (EVANG) CHIJIOKE AHIADINMA ALEXA BRO. SYLVANUS UDO AGUZIEAMA ELDER OBIOHA MARTINS CHIJIOKE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To render service to humanity through humanitarian works on issues of life, to families, Youths, destitute, pastoralistic societies, elderly, displaced persons, non-national protection, out of prison development / rehabilitation 2. To work the work of Jesus Christ in all its ramification.

3. Pursuit of human lives advancement in all its ramifications spiritually, socially, economically, materially, financially, educationally and otherwise 4. Peace builders and conflict prevention Any objection thereto should be addressed to the Registrar- General Corporate Affairs Commission, Tigris Crescent Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: AhadinmaChijioke Tel: 08037190857, 08175166632. E-mail: ahiadinmachijioke@yahoo.com

YOUTH CHALLENGE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

PEACE JOSEPH ADUOJO BONIFACE WORLD EVANGELICAL OUTREACH

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: VINCENT ODJE ESQ

SEED OF LIGHT MINISTRY

This is to inform the general public that the above named CHURCH has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OLUBITAN, OLUKUNMI MATHEW 2. OLUBITAN, KEMI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. Preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

(ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY)

The General Public and Abuja Geographical Information Systems (AGIS), are hereby notified that the Original Certificate of Occupancy belonging to bearing the Title: Thompson Jegede belonging MR. OKWUDILI OKEZUE, allocated on the 18/12/1996 with File Number: FCT/ TRBM/LA:1208, Plot No. B.353 and adjoin Plot B.352 and CLI for identification and also attached with Right of Occupancy, Deed of Assignment and Power of Attorney; got missing, all efforts made to trace it proved abortive. Please if found contact the Telephone number below.

Signed: MR. OKWUDILI OKEZUE 08037870416.

This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration of trustees under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended) THE TRUSTEES ARE1. FAJIMI ADEDAYO MICHAEL 2. AJAYI OLAYINKA JOSEPH 3. SAM SALAU 4 LAWAL OLAWALE PERFECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1.

To preach the gospel throughout the world 2.

To win souls for Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off AguiyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28) days of this publication.

Signed: O. A WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES LEGAL PRACTITIONER 08025526938

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustees 1. MORAKINYO PETER OLUBUKOLA - chairman 2. MORAKINYO VICTORIA OLURANTI 3. ENWOSE SAMUEL EZIAFA - secretary.

4. AKINTUNDE ADEWALE PAUL 5. ATOYEBI ADEDAYO OLUWASEUN 6. ADEGBOLA RAPHAEL ADENIYI 7. AWOLOWO OLUSEGUN BLESSING Aim and objective 1. To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustees 1. PEACE JOSEPH ADUOJO BONIFACE 2. OWOLE LUCY APEH 3. INNOCENY OGWUCHE 4. CLETUS OKOH Aim and objectives 1.To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christs 2. To propagate the gospel of our jesuschrist ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. Signed: SECRETARY

ASIHABU NURU YEMEEN ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NIGERIA This is to inform the general public that the above named “ SOCIETY “ has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. OYENOLA KEHINDE SOLOMON - Chairman.

2. ALHAJI SALAU ADEBIYI SEMIU - Member.

3. USTAS ADEWUNMI LATEEF ALANI - Missioner.

4. ALHAJI OLAIYA IDRIS ADESINA - Member.

5. USTAS SOKUNBI GANIYU ABIODUN - Member.

6. MR. YINUSA NURUDEEN AKANNI. - Secretary.

7. MRS. AKINSANYA KEHINDE AKANKE. - Member.

8. MRS. ADEYEMI GANIYAT OMOLARA - Member.

9. MRS. AKINBODE KABIRAT BOLA - Member AIMS AND OBJECTIVES (1) To Preach and also spread the gospel of Islam in all places.

(2) To ensure that tenents of the islamic gospel is totally entrenched in the lives of the worshippers Any Objection(s) to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, PMB 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

This is to inform the general public that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registrations under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1.

MONK. MAXIMILIAN MARY EDE 2.

REV. FATHER JOHN BOSCO OHADUGHA 3.

MR. NFIAJI CHRISTOPHER 4 MR. NEBOLISA JEFFREY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through every possible means and to encourage Christian living.

2. To establish the brethren in faith through the preaching of the word of faith.

3. To uphold and maintain the truth of God’s word 4. To reach out to the vulnerables the love of Christ Any objections to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off AguiyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

ENDURING GRACE TABERNACLE MINISTRY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PAUL KENNETH EGBOMOADE 2. PAUL TEJIRI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ 2. To assist the poor and the needy in the society.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: AUSTIN NWAROH .U. SOLICITOR

CENTRE FOR RAPID AND RURAL DEVELOPNMENT ADVOCACY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED body HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustees 1. GASPER -JOHN EMENYEONU 2. OKEY IFEACHOR Aim and objectives 1. To transform the standard of living in the rural areas 2. To make rural area a preferable place to live.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. Signed: SECRETARY

HOUSE OF GOD BIBLE CHURCH The General Public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part “C” of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. ADEGOKE JACOB ADEKUNLE 2. BOLAJI GEORGE OLALEKAN 3. AKINTEYE ABIODUN AKINBODE. THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS:TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 Days from the date of this Publication.

SIGNED BY:- SECRETARY

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

LUTFULLAHI - L - AALIYAH AL-ISLAMIYAH FOUNDATION

HUNTERS OF LOST SOULS MISSIONARY OUTREACH

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) ALHAJI ABDUL LATEEF A ALAWIYE (2) ALHAJI IMAM DHIKRULLAHI ASORONA (3) MRS ZULFAT O ALAWIYE THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS:TO HELP THE LESS PRIVILEGES

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACTS, 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) Rev. Dr. ELIZABETH NGOZI OLOGURE (2) Rev. DR. JOHN ULOHO OLOGURE (3) MRS. OLAJUMOKE AJOKE AINA. THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS:To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 Days from the date of this Publication.

Signed by ALHAJI ABDUL LATEEF A. ALAWIYE

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRlS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED BY:- Barr. Henrrietta Ihonor

The General public is hereby notified that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the “C” of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

MAMA OPEBI FOUNDATION

This is to inform the General Public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) Oyedayo Oyefi (2) Titilayo Oyefi (3) Oyemuyiwa Opatola (4) Folake Olagunju (5) Oluwatosin Opatola THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS:Mama Opebi Foundation is a social enterprise that aims to mitigate challenges in health and hygiene , education, gender inequality, governance, shelter, livelihood, child protection amongst the populace through entrepreneurship and charitable donations.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 Days from the date of this Publication.

SIGNED BY: Oyefi Titilayo

GRACE TIME EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

(9, Mission street, Phase 2, Peace Estate, Ipaye Bus Stop, Iba Town, Ojo, Lagos Nigeria).

This is to inform the General Public that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) OHA INNOCENT GILBERT. (2) OHA SYLVIA UJU. ( 3) OHAEBOSIN EDMUND. ( 4) OGBAH OLUCHI JUSTINA. THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:To Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all parts of the world.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 Days from the date of this Publication.

SIGNED BY: SECRETARY

KINGDOM-WORD BIBLE CHURCH

SPRINGING PRAISE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED church HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustees 1. REV. OKOJI KINGS MBA - GENERAL OVERSEER 2. PASTOR (MRS) OKOJI EWOMAZINO OPIA. - PASTOR /ADIM 3. ENGR. AKENI AWENAYERI. - DEACON 4. EDURHE STEPEN OHWOVWODO. - EVANGELIST. 5. DABOR GLADYS ORISE. - BOANERGE Aim and objectives 1. To preach the gospel to all nations of the world in accordance with the word of our lord JESUS CHRIST 2. To minister divine deliverance from foundation holds ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. Signed: J. K. NANA CROWN KINGS CONSULTANCY CO. 08037769526

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES 1. BISHOP REX IKUJENYA OWOLABI 2. MR. EKPOKO WEHIMI 3. MR. OKI EMMANUEL 4. MR. UMUKORO OVOKEYAIRE ANTHONY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST ALL OVER THE WORLD. 2. TO TAKE CARE OF THE WELFARE OF ITS MEMBERS. 3. TO ESTABLISH LOCAL BRANCHES FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL WORLDWIDE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

FOOD PROCESSORS, PACKAGING EMPOWERMENT FOR GENDER PARITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. MRS ESTHER FOLA ADEBAYO -PRESIDENT 2. MRS MARGARET GWAMNA 3. ENG. MATHEW OWOLABI 4. DR. IBRAHIM IDRIS 5. PHAR. OLUWASEUN ADESANYA 6. DR. YINKA OLUDIRAN -SECRETARY 7. AMB. ESTHER AUDU 8. MR. FRANCIS ADENIGBA FADAHUNSI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN FOOD PROCESSING USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY 2. TO EMPOWER BOTH MEN AND WOMEN FOR APPROPRIATE PACKAGING OF THE PROCESSED FOODS. 3. TO ORGANISE TRAINING FOR FOOD PROCESSORS AND APPROPRIATE PACKAGING ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

ASSOCIATION OF INTELLECTUALS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. PROF. EDWARD OMHENIMHEN IMHANLAHIMI (CHAIRMAN) 2. GLORY OMOAGHE IMHANLAHIMI (SECRETARY) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN NIGERIA. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

23

CHIYOWO- CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE The General Public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1. ADENIKE TOKUNBO IFATUROTI (2) IWALENIA MASEKUNOLA ADELAJA. (3) ADEGBOYEGA BABALOLA ADELAJA THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS:To empower children, youths & women with skills.

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

JESUS LOVER OUTREACH INTL

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED church HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustee names(1) PASTOR NOAH OJOCHENEMI ABBAH. ( CHAIRMAN) (2) MRS EDITH ABBAH. ( TREASURER). (3) EVANGELIST RACHAEL ANYIM. ( FINANCIAL SECRETARY) (4) EVANGELIST CHIJIOKE CHIKWENDU PIUS. (MEMBER) (5) MRS MARGARET IBRAHIM. (SECRETARY) Aims and Objectives 1. To reach out to Windows and less previllege in the society.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. Signed: MRS MARGARET IBRAHIM. (SECRETARY)

PARAGON INTERNATIONAL GOSPEL CENTRE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. NWACHUKWU JOHPAUL ONYEMA 2. NWACHUKWU FAVOUR MARTHA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST WITHIN AND OUTSIDE NIGERIA ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

FATZAH MUTUAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

CHRIST CHANNEL LIBERATION AND HOPE MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. IBRAHIM LAWAL BARAU 2. NASIRU ALIYU 3. TIJJANI LAWAL 4. NURUDEEN LAWAL BARAU 5. ZAYYAN YUSUF 6. IDRIS ALHASSAN DANLAMI 7. YAHAYA SA`AD ABUBAKAR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO CREATE HEALTH AWARENESS AMONG MEMBERS 2. TO SPONSOR PUBLIC AWARENESS ON ACCESS TO HEALTH FACILITIES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. ISHAQ M. BASHIR 08035321642

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. PASTOR AMOS EHISUONRIA OGHEMENOSEN 2. EVANGELIST SARAH OGHEMENOSEN 3. ELDER OMOAREGHAN OSARETIN AUGUSTINE 4. MRS KADIRI CHARITY 5. MRS OKOH KATE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST ALL OVER THE WORLD. 2. TO TAKE CARE OF THE WELFARE OF ITS MEMBERS. 3. TO ESTABLISH LOCAL BRANCHES FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL WORLDWIDE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR THERESA OGUOGHO SOLICITOR

WEALTH MIND ORGANIZATION

MBAGWU-UTURU DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 1. MR. ADAMS DELE 2. MRS VICTORIA DELE 3. MR NOSA OVIASOGIE 4. MRS HAPPINESS OVIASOGIE 5. MR. WILFRED AZEGBEA 6. MRS. LOVETH AZEGBEA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES - TO HELP THE LESS PRIVILEGE . TRUSTEES.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: (1.) PROF. LNNO EKEH--CHAIRMAN, (2) OGBULUBI JOSEPH CHUKUMA--SECRETARY (3) MR. NWANKWO IFEANYI FRANCIS (4) MR. MATTHIAS OBIANIKA UBAH EGBE (5) PROF NWANKW0 UCHENNA MARTIN (6) ENGR. CHUKS JUDE OGWO (7) REV.FR DR. KENNETH EKEUGO (8) DR EUGENE OKEREKE. AIMS/OBJECTIVE: TO BRING THE MEMBERS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MBAGWU ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: TRUSTEES

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

24

Daily Times Nigeria Frday, February 5, 2016

CCT: Supreme Court decides Saraki’s fate today Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Supreme Court will today (Friday) decide whether or not the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, should face charges of misconduct preferred against him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

The Apex court reserved the decision late last year after it heard an appeal filed by the Senate President who is challenging his arraignment on false declaration of assets at the Code of Conduct Tribunal

in Abuja.

Saraki had approached the Supreme Court after Court of Appeal overruled his appeal on same issues.

During the hearing late last year at the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who presided over the sevenman panel of justices, held that the judgment would not be delivered earlier than February because of the workload of the court.

In their arguments, Counsel to Saraki, Mr. Joseph Daodu (SAN), leading six other SANs, submitted

that the criminal charge of false assets declaration filed against the Senate President by the Federal Government was incompetent and asked the court to set it aside.

Daudu submitted that the constitution makes it mandatory for the Code of Conduct Tribunal where Saraki is being prosecuted to have mandatory three members, adding that anything to the contrary is improper, illegal and unlawful.

The appellant counsel, who formulated six issues for the apex court to de-

ÏÏÏThe

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operation of the Bristow Helicopters Limited’s Sikorsky S-76C++ type till further notice.

According to the Director General of NCAA, Capt.

Muhtar Usman, the suspension will enable the authority carry out a full scale audit on its operations with particular emphasis on its AKANDE RUTH OLUWADAMILOLA I formerly known and addressed as OYEDELE RUTH OLUWADAMILOLA now wish to be known and addressed as AKANDE RUTH OLUWADAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

Abuja

ÏÏÏFormer

for procurement of arms from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in which Metuh is standing trial.

Dabo, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, told the court that he decided to return the N25m Metuh gave him, when he realised that the money was part of the fund meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgents by the Federal Government.

According to him, when he read about the arms deal scandal, which involved the PDP spokesman in some national dailies, he immediately wrote a letter to the EFCC, attaching three bank drafts, with a covering letter acknowledging that Metuh gave him N25m on December 16, 2015 for the purpose of publicity in WhatsApp Naija and Media Support System for the PDP. He admitted that he did not make any other statement to the EFCC after he returned the money and did not ask Metuh of the source of the money before and after he returned it.

Sikorsky S-76C++ type.

He made this known while briefing aviation correspondents at NCAA Annex, at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

The decision, the director general stated was coming on the heels of the Bristow Helicopters’ controlled ditching on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, adding that the regulatory body considered it expedient to communicate certain decisions that the au-

thority has taken concerning the incident.

These decisions, he stated, were without prejudice to the investigations being conducted by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), adding that as a matter of fact, it would serve to assist in the entire process.

NCAA, he added, would fully support AIB in the investigation.

The regulatory authority, the DG stated, viewed with utmost seriousness the suc-

cessive mishaps of Bristow Helicopters’ operating aircraft SikorskyS-76C++ on the coastal waters of Lagos.

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has therefore decided to suspend the operation of the Bristow Helicopters Limited’s Sikorsky S-76C++ type till further notice. This suspension will enable the authority carry out a full scale audit on its operations with particular emphasis on its Sikorsky S76C++ type,” he said.

Special Adviser to the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, on Political Matters, Abba Dabo, on Thursday, told the Federal High Court, Abuja that he returned N25 million he got from the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Olisa Metuh, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He said the sum was paid to him to launder image of the PDP-led Federal Government following negative criticisms against the President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the traditional and in the social media.

Testifying as the seventh witness, Dabo told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he refunded the N25m after he read in a national daily that the sum was part of the alleged missing arms procurement fund.

He testified on Thursday in court on the sevencount charge of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m meant

PHILOMENA NGOZI NWANJI I formerly known and addressed as MISS PHILOMENA NGOZI CHIZEA now wish to be known and addressed as PHILOMENA NGOZI NWANJI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

RONKE AINA ADENIJI

CHARLES VOCTOR ONYEBUCHI I, formerly known. OKERE VICTOR ONYEBUCHI. Now wish to be know as now wish to be known and addressed as CHARLES VOCTOR ONYEBUCHI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

KOLADE AJOKE ALIYAT

JOHNSON ABIGAEL

I, formerly known and addressed as ABEEB AJOKE ALIYAT now wish to be known and addressed as MRS KOLADE AJOKE ALIYAT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ABIGEAL ERIMA OCHONG now wish to be known and addressed as JOHNSON ABIGAEL. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known. MISS RONKE AINA APENA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS RONKE AINA ADENIJI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note EKE ATTAH

IBERU AMEED ADEWALE

OKPARA ONORIODE

I, formerly known and addressed as IBERU AMIDU ADEWALE now wish to be known and addressed as IBERU AMEED ADEWALE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OKPARA FRIDAY now wish to be known and addressed as OKPARA ONORIODE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as EKE ALFA (Miss) now wish to be known and addressed as EKE ATTAH (Mrs).

All former documents remain valid. The Nigeria Customs Service and the general public should please take note.

OLASUMBO LALEYE

GENFREY OKECHUKWU ECHEFU

JOHN FLAME OVULU

I, formerly know and addressed as OLASUMBO ADEBOLA-GBOJUWO , now wish to be known and address as OLASUMBO LALEYE. All former document remains valid.

I, Geofrey Okechukwu Echefu was formerly known as Samuel Kingsly now wishes to be known and address as Genfrey Okechukwu Echefu.

All former document remain valid. Public note

COMFORT OLUFUNMILAYO YINUSA

OLABIYI MORENIKE IYABO I, formerly known and addressed as OLOMO MORENIKE IYABO now wish to be known and addressed as OLABIYI MORENIKE IYABO. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Mrs Comfort Olufunmilayo Kehinde now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Comfort Olufunmilayo Yinusa. Former documents remain valid.

General public please note.

.PDP spokesman returns to court… in suit Andrew Orolua

Saraki

termine, insisted that the Code of Conduct Tribunal could not lawfully sit and prosecute any Nigerian until when it is properly and legally constituted to discharge its mandate.

NCAA suspends Bristow helicopters

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

I returned N25m Metuh give me to EFCC, say Sambo’s aide

I, formerly known. JAMES BERNICKY now wish to be known and addressed as JOHN FLAME OVULU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

YUSUF ISIAKA

I formerly known and addressed as YUSUF ISAAC now wish to be known and addressed as YUSUF ISIAKA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

AYOYEMI SAMUEL-DADA

This is to notify that AKEJU TAJUDEEN ADEP is the same person as AKEJU TAJUDEEN ADEPOJU. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly know and addressed as GBEMISOLA AYOYEMI OLADOJA , now wish to be known and address as GBEMISOLA AYOYEMI SAMUELDADA. All former document remains valid. The general public should please take note.

ADAMS MAURICE OSHOMA I, formerly know and addressed as ADAMU MURITALEB OSHOMA, now wish to be known and address as ADAMS MAURICE OSHOMA. All former document remains valid. The general should should take note.

EZEH EMMANUEL FRIDAY

BROWN CHINONSO OGOUZOR

ODUNAYO REBECCA ADEOSUNMI

I, formerly known and addressed as Chinonso Friday Ogo wish now to be known and addressed as Brown Chinonso Ogouzor. All former documents remain valid.

Stanbic IBTC and the general public should please take note.

I, formerly Fawamide Soremekun Odunayo Rebecca Adeosunmi now Jesuwamide Odunayo Rebecca Adeosunmi.

Former documents remain valid.

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OLA MERCY ARICHA

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SULEIMAN AHMADU

I, formerly known and addressed as BABANGIDA AHMED RADDA, now wish to be known and addressed as SULEIMAN AHMADU. All former documents remain valid. Zenith Bank, other related institutions and the general public please take note.

FO

ALE S R

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

25 Opinion

South Africa’s sovereignty undermined

Udo W.

Froese ÏÏÏ “Corrupt”, “Dishonest”, “Zuma must fall”, “Airbus deadline behind Zuma’s axing of Nene”, “Sacking (of ex-finance minister Nhlanhla Nene) triggers closer scrutiny of SA”, and “How Rand/ Dollar Has Slumped” … those are just some of the daily headlines on South Africa’s corporate media cartels’ front pages.

The news bulletins and talk shows of the mainly private-owned electronic media joined the print media in their condemning of president Zuma.

Last week Wednesday’s marchers, mainly white, middleclass, bringing their smattering of black middleclass along, sang the old Southern African slave song, “Shosholoza”, protesting against the country’s black president and the black ruling party, the African National Congress, insisting, that president Zuma and his ANC are corrupt. One of the participants said on camera, “National reconciliation is not part of the agenda”. Blatant racism prevails in post-apartheid South Africa.

The Western-foreign ratings agencies, Standard & Poor (S&P), Moody’s

and Fitch joined the choir, singing the same hymn from the same hymnbook in the same tune.

S&P’s vague approach is that of “wait and see”.

Moody’s announced it would “closely monitor developments” and Fitch’s ratings claimed” Nhlanhla Nene’s sacking brought more “negative than positive questions for SA”.

The national daily, ‘Business Day’ wrote, “Ratings agencies made it clear that any deviation from the current path of fiscal consolidation and prudent spending by any new finance minister (at that time Desmond van Rooyen) would cost South Africa dearly.” This is a serious threat.

According to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the sudden axing of former minister of finance, Nene, and the appointment of an unknown Member of Parliament, Van Rooyen, caused a market loss of R169 billion within two days of Van Rooyen’s appointment. “South Africa’s life savings would be hit hard,” the JSE warned.

Meanwhile, the Rand currency value has hit low levels. It stands at about ZAR15 per 1/US$.

Is this done to determine the next ANC and country president? Does South Africa’s BRICS membership play a role? Will eventually all sovereign currencies make way for a global plastic-card-currency, to avoid the value of gold, backing those currencies?

The situation was however, corrected when president Zuma listened to his leadership and dropped the unknown MP to replace him immediately with the seasoned for-

Zuma

mer minister of finance, Pravin Gordhan.

ANC leadership approached Zuma shortly after the change of finance ministers to inform him, that move was not acceptable to the market, to the country, to the people and the ruling ANC, whose leadership might be forced to step down, if not corrected immediately.

Deputy president Ramaphosa however, denied it in a media briefing.

President Zuma accepted the concern, dropped Van Rooyen as finance minister and installed Pravin Gordhan. The broad church of the ANC proved its respect for the electorate as well as the democratic values again.

As was the case with recalled former president Thabo Mbeki, even an incumbent could be called to book.

“Finance minister Gordhan will answer to the senior collective in the state and government line ministries, which presi-

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dent Zuma heads. Zuma will however, not be the only one briefed on decisions,” senior ANC NEC and NWC members told this writer on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, it is understood that AU head, Dr. Skosasana Dlamini-Zuma, would be in line to become the next ANC and country president. She has huge support across the board.

Her deputy could possibly be the former SACP- and Cosatu Secretary General, now ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe.

Mantashe seems to be known within the ANC as well as in senior ANC NEC circles and ANC Head Quarters, Luthuli House in Johannesburg’s Central Business district, to be campaigning and lobbying against president Jacob Zuma.

“Mantashe’s ambition is to become ANC- and SA deputy president”, a senior ANC NEC member explained.

Foreign and local

big business as well as influential members of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) put their money on businessmancome-politician, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa. He is the business connection and wields great influence in the mobile phone-, the mining-, and the banking- and financial industries. Ramaphosa seems their choice to be the next ANC and country president.

Deputy president Ramaphosa, like the minister in South Africa’s presidency, Jeff Radebe, is married to one of the Motsepe sisters, Tshepo.

Jeff Radebe is married to Bridgette Motsepe. They are sisters of the businessman, Hlopane (Patrice, as his public name) Motsepe.

The Motsepe family was introduced to the ANC by BantustanBophuthatswana president Lucas Mangope, who is a close friend of former apartheid-foreign affairs minister, Pik Botha.

“Hlopane Motsepe has serious ambitions to become the ANC’s next Treasurer General (TG) in 2017 and ANC president in 2022. However, chances are miniscule, as no one knows Motsepe. Unknown mining industry- and media darling, Hlopane Motsepe, simply has no following,” the senior member of the ANC NEC and NWC commented under the condition of anonymity.

Could the minister in the presidency, Jeff Radebe possibly loose his position by the end of 2016? If this were to happen, it would certainly spell the end of the political career of Cyril Ramaphosa.

Meanwhile, would the

current collusion of political opposition, mischievous armchair academia, the corporate media cartels and a dysfunctional civil society be able to unseat president Zuma? Will it be able to force anarchy, an “Arab Spring”, followed by a “regime change” with much covert funding?

Senior ANC NEC and NWC members explain, “President Jacob Zuma would see the end of his second term. Dr. Skosasana Dlamini-Zuma would most likely become South Africa’s next president.

ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe’s political future in the ANC is not certain yet.

Mantashe’s over-zealous ambitions to become the next deputy president and his strong opposition to president Zuma could be a stumbling block.”

As far as South Africa’s Rand currency devaluation is concerned, it is part of the onslaught on the ANC. Next year in 2016 South Africa will have local government elections.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is hell-bent to add the industrious province of Gauteng to its stable. If there is any truth in that the DA has received ZAR1 billion from a host of big businesses, including the JSE for next year’s election campaign, the battle lines are drawn between capital and indigenous black African majority.

Will South Africa see a capitalist and bendable democracy, based on colonial-apartheid’s structured poverty, or will the ruling ANC be able to fend such undermining off ?

Twitter handle: @ theotherafrika; Follow my Blog: www.theotherafrika.com

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26 Opinion

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

While I was away

I

find the idea that columnists shouldn’t be the subjects of their columns attractive.

It is for this reason I often resist the temptation of attaching the personal pronoun to subjects deserving of the touch of the personalsubjects which draw attention to the columnists rather than what they interrogate.

There are reasons why the touch of the impersonal appeals to me, chief of which is the confidentiality the impersonal provides for those columnists who keep their personal lives, personal adventures and personal experiences away from their columns, from the prying public, from the gazes of the most capricious cults of followers, and from the inquiries of whimsical readers who seek to inhabit the makebelief-world of celebrity columnists.

The desire of any columnist is to seek constant audience with the reading public.

To allow the objective distance necessary for the avowal and disavowal of truth and falsehood, I restrict myself to the impersonal and avoid that writing style that promotes and celebrates hubris and the personal shenanigans of vainglorious columnists, that never tires of telling readers how they entered the night with the private jets of their friends, charming stewardesses rendering skyhigh hospitality without restraint, and emerged from the morning to walk on the cobbled paths of Windsor Palace.

To this class of columnists, great writing is about laying their lives bare in column inches.

I took a break from work early January which invariably meant

that this column was absent for two weeks while I was away.

The temptation now is to regale the reader with tales of my absence, my fanciful encounters during the break. Beyond stating the obvious: that the break merely afforded me the opportunity of having my mental battery recharged for the battles ahead, I resist this temptation of laying my life bare here.

The downturn the economy has taken has all the potentials of carrying the weak and heaping them at the bottom of the well of poverty and penury. The weak need to keep themselves strong, if not stronger, and the valiant ones among us also need to keep their physical and mental state primed to survive these trying times.

It won’t be easy. The forecast is dire. The chances of survival are simply yo-yo.

The rat race to the top of the food chain has begun.

But, spare a thought for the weak-those who won’t survive the race.

The 2016 budget that was declared missing before I left was later found while I was away.

Many discerning citizens have dismissed the budget as worthless as its makers- those lazy civil servants of the Budget Office and their colleagues in the Finance Ministry and the Presidency- who see nothing wrong in the worthless budget and who go on promoting it as “the budget of change”, the best thing that has ever happened to our country since the Lugardian Amalgamation of 1914.

Yes, they are right only to the extent that what they coupled as a strange budget of change merely glorifies the budgets of transformation

President Buhari of our recent political past and presents change as a curious aberration, an inversion of the real change.

Nothing remains the same.

Life is always in constant flux, so is change.

Yes, the 2016 budget is truly the change from the budget of transformation of the yesteryear of worthlessness to the utter worthlessness of the budget of the NOW. Take the N14m budget for fencing the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos State.

Only those who seek the imprisonment of young minds would contemplate spending N14m on a fence, a mere fence.

It is only those men and women of officialdom who despise the future that beckons to the youngsters of today that would consider N350m sufficient for the procurement of books.

Don’t get me wrong.

Raising bricks and barb wires to keep our

youngsters away from the marauding influences of our Hobbesian state is important, but to scale perimeter fences up in the list of priorities smacks off the poverty of thought prevalent inside government today.

Our country cannot arrive late modern industrialization with the type of thinking that condemns our children to blissful ignorance.

The poverty of thought that pervades governance in our country today is as suffocating as the fanciful KABIYESI orthodoxy, as the mindset, as the notion that the President is infallible; he acts, speaks and does no wrong!

It is this poverty of thought that makes our powerful political rulers to return to approaches that confer privileges on them and allocates scarce resources for their private benefits and advantages.

This is one example: “2016 budget: Buhari

to spend more on State House Clinic than all federal teaching hospitals”, the pro-Buhari online newspaper, Premium Times screamed early this week.

A whopping N3.87b allocated for capital projects at the State House Clinic, N787m more than all the sixteen teaching hospitals combined in capital projects allocation?

If you need a truer perspective, it is needless to travel to the teaching hospital near you. I will help you with a perspective. The obsolete MRI Scan installed at the National Hospital in 1999 is begging that it be consigned to the dustbin.

Think about the number of MRI machines N3.87b will fetch. The president and his men and women don’t attend the National Hospital-they don’t have to attend it- because power confers privileges on them.

Not so for the former Uruguayan President,

Jose Mujica, who attended public hospitals during his time as president.

It can never happen here.

So, it is useless to put that dated MRI Scan out of use.

While it is imperative for citizens to engage the budget, the greater imperative is to interrogate the subject of taming the government.

To think that government exists for all is for engaged citizens to collapse into the poverty pit that our men and women of power have dug themselves in and become contented with the fanciful notion that exposing line items is best. What does the government do for us after all, poor citizens?

Citizens have to interrogate the philosophy that places premium on external borrowing to finance government recurrent expenditure. Hogwash Reaganomics.

Citizens have to interrogate the redistribution of spoils which the legal framework- Appropriation, Procurement Acts, etc- provides legal imprimatur.

Stealing and theft now take place under the protective cover of the law. The Appropriation Act provides that N14m will be spent on fencing FGC Ijanikin, but the Act doesn’t and will never tell us how our civil servants-those I call civil criminals- and their political bosses, the privileged men and women of power, the nomenklatura- will redistribute the spoils among themselves.

Our national budgets have been shaped for too long by the universe and stupidity of short termists, those who blunt the progress of the state towards modernity.

An effective modern state can never emerge with the poverty of thought, poverty of ideas and the poverty of action prevalent inside government today.

The armed forces technically defeated Boko Haram while I was away.

Please, folks, pray for Dalori.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

27

Art Review

The virtues of Songs Nsikak Essien sings God’s love through lines and curves Agozino Agozino In a world engulfed by violent crimes and commotion, and where lives are daily lived with fear of war and calamities, one artist is holding forth an olive brush. He is propounding that “Love Song” is the antidote to the society predicament. Nsikak Essien, through his pen, ink, and palette of colours, is already chanting “eureka” the key to the society’s problems will soon be over. This was the trust of his recent solo show which was mounted in Nike Gallery Lagos. The theme of the exhibition is The Love Songs.

“Love Song” he said is the survival word for city dwellers who think God is responsible for today’s misfortunes faced by humanity.

The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu trained painter and a member of the ‘Aka’ Circle of exhibiting artists argues this in all his works. His strokes are captivating as he showcases why humanity should appreciate God’s love.

An exponent of mixed media, some of his titles includes, Blooming Old Rugged Cross where for instance, Essien gentle personality is evidently in the fore. This painting is enchanting and compelling and the message essence in it is irresistible.

The Homeward Bound, also in mixed media, depicts God’s love for humanity.

The rich hue in its finishing makes the work attractive. The free spirit characteristic of Essien, adds to the attractiveness of the work.

The artist master of his canvas and the love of God is elegantly projected in

other works such as: Love song (duet) Expectation, Blowing in the wind, Daddy’s girl, In Him we live More, Fast lane, and Retire Young.

Significantly, however, Essien, more than anybody else in the exhibition, was the only one able to translate his mind’s preoccupation with love for God and his didactic story line. Though this is second exhibition in the same venue, the images on display were interesting as it fills the large gallery.

Essien served a collection of interesting pieces that draw serious attention to Gods love for humanity, as well as to his studio as a place to look towards for thought-provoking religious pieces. He displayed over 30 new painting that filled the large gallery comfortably. His colours are bright, warm and attractive. His texture is lavish. And his canvas is characteristically big and bold.

The artist describes the exhibition thus: “My theme is love songs. The bible says that God celebrates humanity. But man has lost his relationship with God. And it sometimes looks as if God is a punishing god. But no, our Father is a God of love. So the exhibition is all about God’s celebration of man. We are not God’s invention. We are His creation, the work of His hands.

Most of the works I have are different visual metaphors that point to that celebration. The big thing is that salvation came through the cross. God used the cross as guitar and the body of Jesus as the ultimate love song. God’s ultimate love song is paid on the cross by salvation of Jesus Christ that gave his life for mankind.’’

One of the untiled works by Essien

Art heritage series Demas Nwoko

Nwoko

Master artist Demas Nwoko (born 1935) is a protean designer and architect. As an artist, he strives to incorporate modern techniques in architecture and stage design to enunciate the African subject matters in most of his works. In the 1960s, he was a member of the Mbari club of Ibadan, a committee of burgeoning Nigerian and foreign artists.

He was also a lecturer at the University of Ibadan. In the 1970s, he was the publisher of the now defunct New Culture magazine.

Nwoko, sees design as an ingenuous activity that carries with it a focus on social responsibility for positive influences in the environment and culture of the society.

Nwoko was born in Idumuje Ugboko, a town which now has as its Obi (King) Nwoko’s brother. He grew up in Idumuje Ugboko appreciating the newly constructed architectural edifices in the town and in the palace of the Obi, his father. He

went to study fine arts at the Zaria College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1956, a year after the college was moved from its original location in Ibadan to Zaria. In 1962, he received a scholarship from the Congress of Cultural Freedom to study at the Centre Français du Théâtre in Paris where he learned scenic design.[4] Zaria art school He studied Fine Arts at the former College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria (now Ahmadu Bello University) from 1957–1961 where he was exposed to conventional Western techniques in art, though like most of the artists at the school their subject matter was predominantly African. In the late 1950s, together with late Uche Okeke, Simon Okeke and few other art students, he formed the Art Society. This was during a period dominated by nationalistic fervor, with the attainment of national political independence in 1960. The Art Society became known for championing Natural Synthesis, a term coined by late Uche Okeke to describe the combination of contemporary Western art techniques and African ideas, art forms, and themes.

Fatai promises more goals for Czech club

N

igeria striker Kehinde Fatai has set his sights on scoring many more goals for Sparta Prague when the Czech Republic league resumes after he scored in a friendly on Wednesday.

The former JUTH FC hitman, who was

nicknamed ‘Match Bonus’ by the Jos football fans due to his goal-scoring prowess, netted in the 32nd minute as they drew 1-1 with Dinamo Moscow in Spain.

“It’s my job to score goals and I’m always filled with joy when I do so. I am glad to score

in the pre-season game and I am looking forward to get more goals when the league resumes,” Fatai said.

Fatai has scored eight goals in the Czech league this season.

The league will resume on February 13.

Courtois rues dropped points at Watford

Page 28

g 31

Friday, February 5, 2016

CHAN 2016:

Bissouma’s

late strike puts Mali in final Bwalya Bwalya

ht) of Ivory Coast Krahire Yannick Zakri (rigu of Mali during the Sek rra challenged by Dia tch at Stade de Kigali, CHAN 2016 semifinal ma 2016.

Rwanda on February 4,

M

ali will face DR Congo in the final of CHAN 2016 after they beat Ivory Coast 1-0 in a thrilling semifinal thanks to Yves Bissouma’s 89th minute goal.

It was an end-to-end match and both sides had their

chances to wrap up the game, but a youthful Mali side prevailed in the end.

Ivory Coast started the brighter of the two sides and in the 7th minute, a ball over the top was chased down by Guiza who almost created a half chance for himself.

A minute later Koffi hit a direct free kick for Ivory Coast, which was on target but Diarra saved comfortably in goal before Essis Aka fired in a quality long range shot, which rebounded off the Mali upright following a good passage of play by Ivory Coast.

In the 19th minute Ivory Coast went close again after Mali fumbled a free kick at the far post and just after the half hour mark Mali won a penalty after a hand ball in the area by Comara. But Coulibaly’s effort was

tipped over the bar by the goalkeeper Badra.

Two big chances arrived for Mali in the 55th minute - first Abdoulaye Diarra and then Sissoko – but both saw their long range shots blocked on their way to goal.

Then, in the 58th, a great run by Sekou ended in a cross to Kouame but somehow the substitute missed the target from close range.

But it would be another substitute, Bissouma, who stole the show with an 89th minute goal to seal the deal and put Mali into the final.

His strike from close range showed composure following Sinayoko’s headed pass.

Tennis: Swan

makes history at Fed Cup K Swan

atie Swan became Great Britain’s youngest Fed Cup player at the age of 16 as she helped her team to victory over South Africa in Eilat, Israel.

The teenager, ranked 524th, defeated Ilze Hattingh 6-3 6-0 to give Britain a 1-0 lead in their first tie at the Europe/Africa Group 1 tournament.

Heather Watson and the doubles team of Jocelyn Rae and

Anna Smith wrapped up a 3-0 victory for Judy Murray’s team.

Britain must win three ties to secure a World Group II play-off in April.

Captain Murray selected Swan to play singles after Australian Open semi-finalist and British number one Johanna Konta withdrew because of illness.

Swan, who reached the Australian Open junior final last year, was ranked 126

places higher than 19-year-old Hattingh and beat her in just 55 minutes.

“I was really excited to play but I was also a bit nervous, which was showing in the beginning, but I managed to relax after a few games and I started playing really well,” Swan told reporters.

“It’s just amazing to get to play for your country - for me it’s the best thing in tennis representing your country.”

thumbs-up Rwanda, CHAN 2016

Z

ambia Football federation President Kalusha Bwalya who also doubles up as the CAF Executive Committee member has hailed Rwanda’s preparations for the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) describing it as brilliant.

Bwalya who has been in the country since the start of the tournament alluded to the fact that Rwanda had redefined the tournaments standards and applauded the Local Organizing Committee led by FERWAFA President Vincent Nzamwita as having done an extraordinary job. He also praised the performance of Rwanda national team Amavubi.

“The organization of CHAN 2016 has been top notch after getting assurances from the FERWAFA President Vincent Nzamwita and I am glad to note that everything from security, transport, hotels were well organized and it indeed added value to the competition.

“The great performance by Rwanda Amavubi was the icing on the cake. To be sincere Rwanda has elevated CHAN to the same level as AFCON and it has been a wonderful experience each day of the competition,” Bwalya said.

On the level of competition, now in the 4th edition, Bwalya did not mince his words: “The competition has become massive and has grown substantially from when we started the competition in 2009. Then some people were skeptical as we can see CHAN has blossomed in the right direction as teams have come with their best players to the tournament adding even more bite.

“The level of competition is growing with each edition and with many players being promoted to the senior national teams and some moving abroad. Even the number of scouts and clubs seeking their services has also improved drastically.”

Friday, February 5, 2016

EXTRATIME

29

CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016

Wolves’ striker, Odoukpe joins Israeli club F

ormer Warri Wolves striker Oghogho Oduokpe has joined Israeli club Maccabi Herzliyah, according to reports.

The powerful striker signed the dotted lines in Nigeria on Tuesday and departed for his medical on Wednesday.

His representative who brokered the deal, Ramone Remmie, revealed that Oghogho had a lot of offers but chose to move to Israel.

“Oghogho Oduokpe has signed for Maccabi Herzliyah in Israel. The deal is till the end of the season with option of another year,” disclosed the agent.

“The club sent the contract paper Tuesday morning and he signed at the airport before flying through Ethiopia airline on Wednesday.”

Ramone added: “He has offers from Kelantan FA in Malaysia, Al Ittihad in UAE, but I advised him to go to Europe and he took the chance.”

The 23-year-old striker has played for Warri Wolves, Rangers, Dolphins and Bayelsa United.

Maccabi Herzliyah are fourth on the Israeli second division league table.

Finninsh

club sig i m a l a S n a h a l o Gb Salami

N

igeria international Gbolahan Salami has joined Finnish club Kuopio Palloseura (KuPS) to team up with his Warri Wolves teammate, Azubuike Egwuekwe.

The club announced that the ex-

Shooting Stars forward has signed a year’s deal with an option of another year.

The 24-year-old was the top scorer in Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the 2014/2015 season with 17 goals.

He opted to stay out of CHAN 2016 so as to finalise his move to Europe.

Last year January, Salami moved to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade, but returned to Nigeria to join Warri Wolves after the club could not pay his wages.

30

Friday, February 5, 2016

EXTRATIME

BRIEFS

Barca cheers didn´t bother me –Cheryshev

D

enis Cheryshev insists he was not affected by cheers from the Barcelona crowd as he made his Valencia debut on Wednesday. The 25-year-old joined Gary Neville’s side on a loan deal prior to the close of the transfer window and came on as a substitute in the 7-0 Copa del Rey thrashing at Camp Nou. Cheryshev’s appearance earlier in the competition saw Real Madrid disqualified due to the fact that he was serving a suspension at the time, prompting the Barca fans to give him a rapturous reception.

Koulibaly lauds ref for halting Lazio-Napoli game

N

apoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly hailed the bravery of referee Massimiliano Irrati for suspending the Serie A clash at Lazio on Wednesday because of racist chanting. Senegal centrehalf Koulibaly was the subject of boos, whistles and discriminatory songs from a section of Lazio supporters, prompting Irrati to halt the game in the second half for approximately five minutes while a message appealing for order was read out over the public address system.

Neymar’ll

stay at Barca, Suarez assures L

uis Suarez has no doubt Neymar will stay at Barcelona “for many years” despite speculation over the Brazil star’s future.

Protracted talks over a new contract at Camp Nou prompted rumours that Manchester United and Real Madrid could attempt to sign the

Brazilian, while ongoing legal proceedings concerning his 2013 transfer from Santos have led to further rumours that he will leave Catalonia.

Reports this week have even suggested that Neymar’s father would prefer to transfer his son elsewhere, given a perceived lack of support from Barca during contract talks and amid allegations of tax evasion and fraud.

Suarez, however, says the club

F

Madrid change-over hurt

Ibrahimovic

Gotze

M

back

ario Gotze says he needs to be patie nt as he bids to make his first Baye rn Munich appearance since October, having finally resumed team train ing this week following a groin injury.

The 23-year-old has not played sinc e Germany’s 1-0 loss away to Republic of Ireland in Euro 2016 qualifying on October 8.

His previous Bayern outing came four days prior to that, starting and scoring in a 5-1 home win over former club Borussia Dortmund.

Gotze, who netted the extra-tim e winner for Germany in their World Cup final triumph over Argentina in 2014, has stru ggled for form and fitness since moving to Allia nz Arena from Dortmund in 2013.

The tactics and team selections of Pep Guardiola have not always appeared to suit the attacking midfielder.

But with the head coach set to leave for Manchester City at the end of the season, Gotze – provided he returns to full fitne ss – could find himself back in favour under Carlo Ancelotti in 2016-17.

says Capello El Ghazi

Z

latan Ibrahimovic has hailed the startling strength in depth at Paris Saint-Germain after the champions made history in Ligue 1 on Wednesday.

The Sweden international scored one and set up Ibrahimovic another as PSG beat Lorient 3-1 at Parc des Princes to stretch their unbeaten league run to a record 33 matches.

Laurent Blanc chose to start Benjamin Stambouli in midfield, as well as youngsters Hervin Ongenda and Jean-Kevin Augustin, as he watched his side move back to a 24-point lead at the top of the table.

And Ibrahimovic says PSG are fortunate to have a strong squad as they prepare for crucial games this month in their bid for an unprecedented quadruple.

“We have a quality squad and no matter who is

are fully behind his team-mate, who turns 24 today, and has few concerns over his future.

“I’m certain that Ney is going to stay,” he told reporters after Wednesday’s win over Valencia. “The club supports him and I’m sure he’ll be here for many years.”

Suarez bagged four goals and Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick as Barca humbled Valencia 7-0 in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, yet the Uruguay international insists they will not head to Mestalla assuming the tie is over.

abio Capello believes a “traumatic” changeover following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti hindered Rafael Benitez’s chances of succeeding at Real Madrid.

Benitez lasted just seven months as Madrid boss, sacked in January with the club sitting third in La Liga, behind Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Asked why things did not work out for Benitez, Capello said: “I don’t know. You’d have to be in the dressing room.

“If there is no rapport with the coach it’s difficult to succeed. Benítez has

G o t z e plots ‘clever’ Benitez, come Benitez

Neymar

experience.

“It is possible the changeover from Ancelotti to Benítez was too traumatic.”

Zinedine Zidane was chosen as the man to replace Benitez and has guided the club to three wins from four league fixtures, Madrid scoring 17 goals in the process.

The French legend became Madrid’s 13th coach since the beginning of the 2003-04 season and Capello has his concerns.

“That’s a lot. A lot,” he added. “I don’t know. Madrid is a very tricky club. If the president goes over the coach’s head to talk directly to the players about problems in the dressing room, the coach is finished and the players know it.

“They say to each other: ‘The president asked me why this happened...’, and then they think that the coach isn’t relevant.”

Ibrahimovic hails PSG depth on the pitch, the quality remains the same,” he said.

“We are only interested in winning and we’re very happy to have set this new record.

“We are ready for the big games that are coming up this season.”

Thiago Silva made his first appearance since January 8 after recovering from a knee injury and he was delighted with the improvement

shown by his side in the second half, with Lorient having levelled at 1-1 before the break.

“I’m happy to be back on the pitch, and to get a win,” he said.

“Our first half wasn’t good, but we were better in the second half and got this win for the new record.

It’s very important. Now we need to recover because we have a big game against Marseille on Sunday.”

Friday, February 5, 2016

EXTRATIME

T

hibaut Courtois has expressed his frustration at more dropped points as Chelsea were held to a goalless draw by Watford on Wednesday.

The Blues are 13th in the Premier League, 16 points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and 11 adrift of Sunday’s opponents Manchester United.

Goalkeeper Courtois has won back-to-back titles - La Liga while on loan at Atletico Madrid prior to last season’s Premier League triumph with the Blues and took little consolation from Chelsea extending their unbeaten run to 10 games since the departure of Jose Mourinho.

Injury:

“Being unbeaten is always important but obviously we would have preferred to win than draw,” Courtois said.

“We could have won. It’s a pity we didn’t but now we have an important game against Manchester United.

“We want to win every game and move up the table, it’s another big one.”

Chelsea might have grabbed all three points late on, but Diego Costa’s header was denied by Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Watford now have 33 points with 14 games to play and sit ninth in the table, with Tottenham next up on Saturday.

Everton wait on Lukaku

E

Courtois

r ues dropped d r o f t a W t a points Courtois

Hiddink backs angr y Costa

Afobe

I’ve nothing to prove against

Gunners —Afobe

A

FC Bournemouth striker Benik Afobe has “nothing to prove” when he comes up against his former club Arsenal on Sunday.

Afobe has scored three goals in his last three games for Bournemouth after signing from Wolves in a reported £10million transfer in January.

The 22-year-old joined Wolves just over a year ago in a reported £2m move from Arsenal, where he had spent his entire youth career.

However, as the in-form striker prepares to face his boyhood club, Afobe says he holds no grudges.

“They’ve played a big part in the way I play football and helped me progress as a player, so I’ve got a lot to thank them for and I respect them a lot,” Afobe said.

“Of all the clubs I’ve been at Arsenal have banged on more than any of the others about having good technique, so

that’s what I’ve taken from them. But on Sunday I’ve got a job to do for my club here and there will be no friends.

“I don’t hold any grudges. I’ve already scored three goals in my last three games so I’ve got nothing to prove to Arsenal. It was their decision to sell me and I’ve moved on. It’s been years now.

I’ve got great friends there; I’ve got nothing bad to say about them as a club.

I would’ve liked to have got my chance but it didn’t happen.

He added: “That’s not how life works.

Not everything can go your way. I believe I would’ve scored goals for them, but I’m not there anymore and I don’t hold any grudges.

“I’m here in the Premier League scoring winners at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace, so I’m enjoying it and I want to keep improving.”

G

31

uus Hiddink accused defender Watford os Juan Carl Paredes of provoking Chelsea’s Diego Costa in the goalless draw at Vicarage Road. Costa and Paredes were involved in an incident just before half-time, which saw both booked, but Hiddink insists the Spain international was not to blame. After Costa had gone down under an off-the-ball

verton manager Roberto Martinez is waiting on news of striker Romelu Lukaku after he had to be substituted in their 3-0 win over Newcastle on Wednesday night.

The Belgium international got a knee in the back from Magpies defender Fabricio Coloccini just nine minutes into the match at Goodison Park and was eventually replaced at half-time.

Lukaku could not walk after the game and is now a major doubt to face Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday, with Martinez confirming he will be assessed by the club’s medical staff ahead of the trip to the Britannia Stadium.

“It was a very sore one. He stayed on the pitch for a period and found it really tough to open his legs,” Martinez said.

“He had a knee right in the middle of his back and probably had a neurological reaction and found it really difficult to be able to walk.

“We’ll assess him. Obviously we’ve got a game around the corner against Stoke and we’ll see if he can recover for that game.

“It was impossible for him to carry on.”

challenge from the Watford man, Paredes moments later went down himself holding his face, though replays showed the Chelsea forward made minimal contact with him. Hiddink, who was just in front of the incident near the dugout, was unhappy at Paredes’ behaviour, but said referee Mike Dean and his assistants dealt with the situation well.

Lukaku

Bilic, Pellegrini,

others nominated for January awards

S

Bilic

laven Bilic, Ronald Koeman, Manuel Pellegrini and Mauricio Pochettino have been nominated for the January EPL Manager of the Month award.

West Ham boss Bilic saw his side pick up seven points last month, including wins at home to Liverpool and away to Bournemouth.

Southampton’s Koeman is nominated after his side earned three wins from four matches during an impressive January that saw

them defeat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.

Pellegrini helped Manchester City maintain their title push with the club unbeaten in January, ensuring he is included in the list of nominees.

The Chilean saw his side come from behind to defeat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road on January 2, followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace two weeks later.

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino completes the quartet, with Spurs victorious in two of their four games last month, including a 4-1 win over Sunderland and a 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace.

Published by FolIo commUNIcAtIoNS ltD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948.

GROUP EDITOR: BIoDUN DURoJAIYE News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08086296714

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.39

Finnish club sign Gbolahan Salami g

29

Price: N150

Madrid change-over

hurt Benitez, says Capello

g

Suarez assures

30

CHAN lifts

Neymar’ll stay at Barca, g

30

Eagles in FIFA rankings T

he win against Niger and draw with Tunisia at CHAN 2016 have improved Nigeria’s FIFA Rankings as they are now 63rd best team in the world, three spots from last month’s ratings.

The win over Cote d’Ivoire and draw with Angola in warm-up matches for the tournament in Rwanda would have also added more points to the Super Eagles.

However, they are now 12th in Africa with Cote d’Ivoire still the best ranked African team as they are 28th in the world.

Nigeria’s AFCON 2017 rivals Egypt are now 55th in the world and eighth in Africa.

The FIFA rankings are expected to be one of the things to consider when the draw for the final round of the qualifying tournament for the 2018 World Cup is done in June.

Teams will be drawn in five groups to play on home and away basis with the overall group winners qualifying for the World Cup in Russia.

Super Eagle s ca Ahmed Musa ptain, , after scorin celebrates g a goal.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

CBN extends BVN CBN directs banks to registration for charge 5% interest on Diasporas to June Page B2 agric facility Page B4 30th

Oando E&P to acquire minority shares of Oando Plc

Shell to lay off 10, 000 workers Tony Nwakaegho Royal Dutch Shell says it is cutting 10,000 jobs amid its steepest fall in annual profits for 13 years.

According to Ben van Beurden, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, the company is embarking on the measure to refocus its operations in 2016.

He disclosed that the company made $1.8bn for the fourth quarter of the year, compared with a

$4.2bn profit for the same period the year before.

He also announced that Shell would be taking over BP, its arch-rival. Earlier in the week, BP announced a profit slump of 51% to $5.9bn for 2015 and a further 3,000 job cuts earlier this week.

“The completion of the BG transaction, which we are expecting in a matter of weeks, marks the start of a new chapter in Shell, rejuvenating the

company and improving shareholder returns,” he said.

“We are making substantial changes in the company, as we refocus Shell, and respond to lower oil prices. As we have previously indicated, this will include a reduction of some 10,000 staff and direct contractor positions in 2015-16 across both companies.”

Beurden said Shell might take further drastic actions if the need arises.

“As a result of our actions in 2015, we have retained a strong balance sheet position, with 14% gearing,” he said.

“Shell will take further impactful decisions to manage through the oil price downturn, should conditions warrant that,” In recent times, different oil companies and their suppliers have cut back hard on investment and jobs as a result of the sharp decline in oil prices.

Cummins signs 300 MW deal with Sapele Power ÏTo build one of Africa’s largest gas-fired power plants

Cummins Cogeneration Limited has signed a 300 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Sapele Power Plc as part of its plans to build one of Africa’s largest gas-fired power plants. This partnership is coming just weeks after the company announced the signing of a 300 MW investment in neighbouring Beyin, Ghana.

Speaking at the event, Deepak Khilnani, Chairman of the company said, “We are excited about our partnership with Sapele Power Plc because we believe this synergy will birth strengths and capabilities that will deliver a clean and sustainable longterm energy solution for Nigerians. This project will be operated using Cummins Combined Heat and Power (CHP) lean burn gas generator sets which emit up to five times less nitrogen oxide than comparable diesel generator sets and near-zero particulate matter.

In adding to this, it offers a CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Friday, February 5, 2016

L-R: Member, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Sen. Gbolahan Dada; Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Andy Uba; Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) , Mr. Tunde Fowler and Coordinating Director, Domestic Tax Group, FIRS, Mr. Ajayi Bamidele during an oversight function visit of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts to FIRS headquarters in Abuja ... on Thursday

Page B6

Labour disagrees with minister on use of pension fund Joy Ekeke Factional president of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, has disagreed with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing; Babatunde Fashola on the investment of pension fund to develop infrastructure.

According to Ajaero, all over the world, pension fund is treated with care and steps are taken by stakeholders, especially the state to ensure the continuous integrity and protection of the fund. It is shielded from the vagaries of the market and the political arena.

Recall that the minister in Abuja while making a presentation at the pension industry strategy roadmap meeting organised by the National Pension Commission, NPC had said instead of investing the funds in bonds and other money market instruments, the pension industry could get huge returns from investing the fund in infrastructure.

Fashola said, “They are in roads that can be tolled; like housing, the 4th Mainland Bridge the Coastal Road linking several coastal states from Lagos to Bayelsa; the new seaport in Lekki and Badagry, the refinery

by Dangote, Ajaokuta Steel, a petrochemical plant in the Niger Delta.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

AU meets to draft 2-year Africa/Arab trade plan Joy Ekeke

Working Groups of the Africa-Arab Partnership in the areas of trade and investment and transport, communication and energy will today conclude deliberations at the headquarters of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to the Co-chair on the African side, Dr. Levi Uche Madueke, Head of Africa’s Stra-

tegic Partnerships within the Bureau of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), the Commission is committed to driving and providing all necessary support mechanisms towards ensuring that the Africa-Arab Strategic Partnership framework delivers on its expectations.

Dr. Madueke said the objective of the meeting, which is to develop an Africa-Arab Action Plan in the areas of Trade and Invest-

ment and Transport, Communication and Energy, which will be ultimately incorporated in the main Action Plan 2017-2019, that will be presented to the 4th Africa-Arab Summit to be held in Equatorial Guinea in November 2016.

He recalled that the Resolutions of the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit held in Kuwait in November 2013, which underscored the need to strengthen Africa-Arab cooperation in the areas of Trade,

Investment, Transport, Communication and Energy and, in this direction.

The Head of Africa’s Strategic Partnerships made reference to the Africa-Arab Partnership Action Plan 2011-2016, endorsed by the 2nd Africa-Arab Summit held in Libya in October 2010 and underscored the need to take into consideration the lessons learnt in the implementation process of this Plan, while developing a new Plan for 2017-2019.

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Cummins Labour disagrees with minister on use of pension fund signs 300 MW deal with Sapele Power CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Adenuga

Glo customers with non-smart phones to use Facebook without Internet Globacom, has introduced a new offer which makes it possible for non-smart phone users on its network to connect to the social networking site, Facebook, without internet.

This is a significant development in the industry as millions of people who are unable to buy smart phones can now enjoy the benefits of Facebook platform. Ordinarily, subscribers are required to purchase data and connect to the internet on smart phones to be able to access social platforms including Facebook.

Globacom said in a statement in Lagos recently that its subscribers that use non-smart phone could now access the new service by dialing *206# before following the prompts.

Explaining how the offer works, Globacom said the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is leveraged as an access medium for both smart and non-smart phone us-

ers to connect to their Facebook accounts and carry out primary Facebook activities including News Feed, My status update, Like or Comment and Finding friends requests and more.

The company explained that the service is available to all categories of subscribers.

“As a home-grown telecom company making Nigerians proud, Glo Mobile is proud to offer subscribers the most innovative services and the most pocket-friendly rates,” Globacom said. According to the company, the introduction of Facebook without Internet is a clear indication that Glo is a premium brand committed to exceeding the expectations of its youthful and trendy subscribers with innovative services.

“We care about our subscribers and are aware that they frequently visit the social media platforms. This is why this new service is another innovative product to bring pleasure to customers,” the company added.

48 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional steam turbine engines, which makes this a highly efficient and environmentally sustainable project.

Currently, Sapele Power Plc operates Nigeria’s second largest power plant by an installed capacity of about 1020MW, capable of meeting the energy needs of around 750,000 homes at full capacity.

Upon this partnership, the plant will distribute electricity generated from the plant directly to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), supplying millions of homes and businesses with clean power.

Expressing delight on the signing of the agreement, Anthony Onoh, Chairman of Sapele Power, said “We know that Nigerians have high expectations from the privatized power sector and that is why the company, has a strong focus on sustainable power generation focused on capacity recovery from its existing asset, as well as expansion from a mix of projects which would double the plant installed capacity within the next three years.”

He further said, “The project will be split into two phases; the first phase is expected to be completed and exporting power by July 2016 and the second phase is forecast for commissioned by December 2017. Upon completion, the project will supply approximately three billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to the Nigerian grid per annum, which is approximately 10 percent of total production today.

“We are innovatively rising to the challenge of improving performance at our generating station; as well as integrating more renewable energy into the grid,” Onoh said.

He further explained that talks with the U.S. EXIM Bank, the African Development Bank, and the African EXIM Bank about funding for the power generating plant expansion projects were ongoing.

With operations in more than 14 power plants in Nigeria, Cummins Power of Cummins Cogeneration Limited has a strong track record with both captive and independent plants.

“The time for it is now; this is the biggest opportunity to act towards diversification rather than sloganise about it. “This is the time to show that our nation and our national economy are bigger than the challenges posed by the dwindling oil prices.

This is the time to diversify and change the face of our economy once and for all.”

In rejecting the minister’s proposal, Ajaero said: “Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, under our leadership views with utmost anxiety the proposal by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, that the Pension Fund be used for infrastructural development. We consider this as unfortunate and a threat to the future of Nigeria workers.

“We in NLC hope that the minister is just flying a kite or is testing the waters and therefore not serious about pursuing it.

Nevertheless, we make haste to say that that was a very dangerous proposal that threatens the security and future of Nigerian workers. We demand that it be avoided before it gains ground within the corridors of power.

We have to say, it is a kite the Congress and the generality of Nigerian workers will not want to see fly presently,” he said.

He stressed that the thought of using workers’ pension fund for investment in infrastructure development will be highly frightening given the penchant for mismanagement inherent in public sector institutions in Nigeria.

CBN extends BVN registration for Diasporas to June 30th Motolani Oseni Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the Banks Biometric Verification Number (BVN) exercise till 30th of June, 2016, due to their (Diasporas) inability to meet up.

The apex bank, in a circular to all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) yesterday, announced the extension, stating that this was to enable the concerned customers complete the enrolment and link the BVN to their bank accounts.

According to CBN, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has observed, through a recent survey,

the low percentage of registration of Nigeria Banks’ Customers in Diaspora, which may be attributed to lack of accessibility to registration centres and unavailability of registration centres in some cities where Nigerian population is high.

The regulatory body, in the circular, however, urged Nigeria in Diaspora residing in United States of America(USA), United Kingdom (UK), Dubai, South Africa, Malaysia, China, Canada, France, Italy, Brazil, India, Australia Saudi Arabia and Ukraine to visit their nearby BVN enrolment centres to register before the new due date.

AU meets to draft 2-year Africa/Arab trade plan CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

He stated that the Action Plan to be developed by the Working Groups should as much as possible focus on few but feasible projects that will bring meaningful changes in the lives of African and Arab Peoples. He also underlined the need to identify source of funding and propose implementation mechanisms for each project.

He stressed Agenda 2063, the “Africa we want” which maps out Africa’s future direction and requested the working groups to ensure that this important initiative is taken on board while proposing the Action Plan.

The Co-chair of the meeting on

the Arab side, Dr. Khaled Foda, Director of the Telecommunications Department of the League of Arab States on his part congratulated the African Union on the recently concluded AU Summit and thanked the Commission for organizing this important meeting. He assured the meeting of the commitment of the League of Arab States to make the meeting a great success.

The compiled outcomes of their deliberations in one single document will be considered by the 9th Senior Officials Meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Africa-Arab Partnership planned to be held in Cairo on 29 February 2016.

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

B3 Business News Heritage Bank tasks FG on SMEs, diversification

L-R: Director, Trade Promotion and International Relations, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Dele Alimi; Consul General, Embassy of Germany Lagos, Mr. Ingo Herbert; President, LCCI, Dr. Nike Akande and Director General, LCCI, Mr. Muda Yusuf during a courtesy visit by the Consul General to the LCCI in Lagos ... recently.

Apapa Customs Command generates N23b in one month Stories by Babajide Okeowo Customs Area Controller of The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Willy Egbudin has disclosed that the command has been able to generate the sum of N23.4billion as revenue for the month of January 2016.

This much he disclosed at a monthly stakeholders meeting held in Lagos recently.

The former CAC of Lilypond and Seme Commands who took over at the Apapa Command in January while comparing the revenue collected in 2014 and 2015 reiterated the commitment of his command to meet and exceed its target.

“In 2014, the command col-

lected a total of N301 billion, while N288 billion was collected in 2015 respectively.

“We pray that this year, we should be able to exceed at least N300 to N400 or N500 billion and that is our expectation.”

“So far, I don’t think we are doing badly. As at the end of the month of January this year we had been able to realise N23.4billion compared to January last year which was N20.7 billion, you know that we are starting well” Speaking further, he added that the command is starting on the right path to ensure that the service actualise the revenue target, even as he appealed to operators to embrace honest and transparent declaration.

“Apart from the revenue collections and anti-smuggling, one other thing is to facilitate trade because it takes two to tangle,” he added.

He further urged stakeholders, comprising freight forwarders, importers, bankers and agencies of government to assist the customs in trade facilitation, stressing the need for synergy among players involved in trade facilitation.

Egbudin concluded by saying that “if you want your trade to be facilitated, you have to declare honest declaration.”

It will be recalled that the Comptroller General (CG) of NCS Hammed Ali had set a target of N1 Trillion for the service in 2016.

Alleged extortion: NPA sets up committee Following incessant allegations of extortion of truck drivers at port entrances leveled against security operatives in Lagos, an intervention committee has been set up by the management of Western Ports, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to look into the issue.

The intervention committee, which is under the Chairmanship of the General Manager of Western Ports, Chief Michael Ajayi, was set up to address the fears of truckers unions on the alleged cases of extortion along port access roads within the Lagos ports corridor.

Making up the committee were members of NPA, truckers unions, fleet operators and security agencies.

Truckers unions represented on the committee include Truck Owners Unions, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Joint Council of Seaport Truck Operators (JACOST), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Road Transport Employees association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Truck Drivers Unit of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).

Chief Ajayi explained that

the composition of the committee became necessary following repeated complaints by truck drivers on extortion by security operatives at the ports entrance.

Assuring that the committee would verify all such allegations, Ajayi said it was determined to refer any erring security agency found involved in illegal acts to the appropriate law enforcement agencies “for necessary action.”

It will be recalled that truck drivers operating at the ports in Lagos have expressed concerns over extortion by the security agencies at the port.

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs have been described as very strategic and critical to Nigeria’s economic growth.

Mr. Davidson Regha, General Manager and Divisional Head, Retail & SME Banking of Heritage Bank Limited, who spoke with journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, also urged the government to hinge the planks of its current economic diversification on a massive support for the SMEs as it was being done in many developed countries.

“For many of the developed economies we see today, they all have SMEs as the support base of their big corporations, whether in America, Europe, Latin America or Asia. That is the way to go as a country. If we do not support the SMEs, the economic growth we are all talking about will not happen. We should see the SMEs as the catalyst to change and economic growth the government is talking about,” Regha said.

Regha, an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland and Nigeria; an Alumnus of the Lagos Business

School (LBS) also submitted that the SMEs, being a critical sector of the economy deserve the support of banks and every institution of government because it is the engine of the nation’s economic growth.

Quoting from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Regha stated that SMEs contribute about 48 per cent to our national Gross Domestic Products (GDP) which also translates to about 48 per cent of the total labour force in the country.

He disclosed that SMEs are part of the vision and corporate strategy of Heritage Bank to build and transfer wealth across generations. “If you focus on the SMEs, it means you have to meet with entrepreneurs at the incubation stage of their business.

And if you are to help them grow and become very big and successful, that means you will be able to transfer wealth from one generation to the other,” he said.

According to the Heritage Bank Chief, banks should continue their support to the SME sector because the business of banks is to manage risks.

DACCIMA wants electricity supply to industries subsidised Delta Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA) yesterday said that electricity supply to industries in the country should be subsidised.

The DACCIMA President, Mr. Simon Asite, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Warri that the gesture would encourage industrial growth.

Asite, who faulted the new electricity tariff, said cheaper power supply would encourage industrial and agro-allied processing businesses.

NAN reports that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) unveiled increment in electricity tariff for all classes of consumers, which became effective on Feb. 1.

NAN reports that mixed reactions had, however, trailed the development.

Asite, an entrepreneur, said the Organised Private Sector had the capacity to drive the economy, adding that it could only do so, if there was adequate and affordable electricity.

“The desire of every industrialist is to break even and it will be very difficult for industries to operate under the new tariff and make profit.

“Before now, we protested to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to rescind the decision but, unfortunately, it went ahead and implemented it.

“Within two years of power sector privatisation, they have increased the unit tariff from N4 to about N25,’’ he said.

The DACCIMA chief appealed for a reversal of the new tariff structure.

He commended the Federal Government’s diversification programme and called for an enabling environment that would allow the organised private sector to thrive.

Asite said that by implication, this would reduce unemployment in the society.

He urged the government to create an enabling market that would drive the agricultural sector to add value to their farm produce for exportation.

Money Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

CBN directs banks to charge 5% interest on agric facility Stories by Motolani Oseni In a bid to diversify the nation’s economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has agreed that loans by banks to farmers in the country should attract only five percent interest, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh disclosed.

Mr. Ogbeh made this known recently while delivering a keynote address at the opening of a two-day national workshop on a “New Agricultural Policy for Nigeria.”

The workshop was organised by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN) in collaboration with the ministry and All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).

According to the minister, the agreement followed discussions with key officials of the apex bank on Tuesday morning.

“Just this morning, I have talks with key officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria to bring the lending rate to five per cent.

“How they do it, how the finance institutions want to cope with it, they have to or we impose severe penalty on anyone who defaults, otherwise we will not survive.

“There is no country on earth

Sterling Bank begins entrepreneurship empowerment programme season II NIBOR as @ Feb. 4, 2016 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

5.1667

0.04 ?

1M

8.061

-0.67 ?

3M

9.6587

-0.56 ?

6M

11.1473

-0.44 ?

in or outside Africa, where banks demand 25, 18 or even nine per cent interest rate for agriculture borrowing.

“With those rates, I assure you as a man, who has been in this business - agriculture - since the age of seven years, you cannot make profit in agriculture,” Mr.

Ogbeh said.

The minister said that agriculture and solid minerals remain the alternative sectors to which the country could diversify now to survive current economic situation.

He said: “The challenge before us is how to make this happen.

The time for lamentation is over.

The time for action is here”.

Mr. Ogbeh said unless this was done, the problem of youth unemployment and youth restiveness would continue to plague the country.

“We have 100 million young people in the country who are

below the age of 50 years and if we do not give them job, they are likely to take care of us in a very rough manner,” he said.

Mr. Ogbeh said the outbreak of bird flu and pastoralists/farmers clashes remained challenges to the sector, adding that in the last two months, the flu had killed between five and six million birds.

He, however, said that a vaccine had been found for the virus.

“I have been calling friends across the globe.

“Just yesterday, I received a message from Egypt and they informed me that they have found a vaccine which they injected the chickens with which is working perfectly well.

“We will not immediately rush in and bring the vaccines, we will ask our research institutes to take a look and see if they can fit into our needs.

“Every January, we have this problem of avian flu, it has destroyed many farmers; we are looking forward to finding some resources to compensate them.

“We do not have enough money right now even to pay arrears of certain debts which were piled up before now but we will do what we can,” the minister said.

Sterling Bank has announced the commencement of the second season of its “Meet the Executive” (MTE) initiative, a business plan competition with opportunities for winners to access grants to finance their business.

MTE is a social media-led initiative geared towards encouraging and supporting small businesses and budding entrepreneurs. The initiative is currently in the “Call for Entries “Stage where interested participants submit their business ideas and plans on the bank’s website, following which a review conducted by an independent consultant-HT Limited.

While speaking on the initia-

tive in Lagos on Thursday, the Group Head, Strategy &Communications, Shina Atilola disclosed that current economic realities in the country have necessitated the birth of a crop of businesses led by visionary individuals called entrepreneurs.

According to him, entrepreneurs are often described as the drivers of the economy, but usually encounter a number of challenges, chiefly the need for funding and financial advisory.

These are the gaps we are trying to fill with the ‘Meet the Executive’ initiative.

However, he explained that the goal of the second edition of the programme is to bring to the fore the creative, innovative and brilliant ideas housed by Nigerians with a focus on developing their ideas and bringing them to life. With up to N6 million worth of grants available, participants will jostle to be short-listed among the final 25 that will defend their business plans/ideas before the panel constituted.

“In the first season, of the 708 business plan entries covering various sectors of the economy, 50 were selected. These 50 business proprietors underwent a training session which was held in Lagos and was facilitated by

HT-Limited. On completion of the training, finalists presented before the panel and winners emerged.

Three winners emerged at the first edition: Gbemisola Esho, a female entrepreneur who specializes in making shoes and bags from raw leather and Ankara fabrics; Rufai Adeyemi who runs a restaurant special-

ised in aquatic produce and Daniel Momma- a PET bottle recycler. Where all these individual received business grants totaling N5 million.

Over the last 3 years, the bank has supported SME inclined initiatives with programmes such as the MTE, which traces it roots to the first season in Januar,y 2014.

L-R : Managing Director, Mr. Paul Farrer; Chairman of the Company, Mrs. Yemisi Ayeni; Executive Director, Commercial, Halima Dangote and a Director, Dr. Chris Ogbeche, all of NASCON Industries Plc, during a visit to the company’s factories in Lagos and Ogun states on ... recently.

CBN Exchange Rates Date

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

2/3/16

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

POUNDS STERLING

284.2

284.925

285.65

EURO

213.934

214.4798

215.0255

SWISS FRANC

192.5533

193.0445

193.5357

YEN

1.6391

1.6433

1.6474

CFA

0.3099

0.3199

0.3299

WAUA

269.2443

269.9312

270.618

YUAN/RENMINBI

52.2388

52.3721

52.5053

DANISH KRONA

28.6638

28.7369

28.81

SDR

270.9308

271.622

272.3131

Adeola

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

B5 Industry

Industrialist calls for ban on importation Ï`id substandard goods off Nigerian market Stories by Charles Okonji An industrialist has called on the Federal Government to place with immediate effect, embargo on importation of finished goods as well as get rid of substandard goods from the Nigerian market.

Chief Erick Umeofia, Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Bonpet Group, who stated this in a chat with newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos, noted that massive importation does not only kill the local manufacturers, but keep creating jobs for those economies, especially the China economy where our traders import these substandard products from.

Chief Umeofia stated that, “Import is doing a lot of damage to us, so, we are appealing to the relevant agencies like NAFDAC, SON, and the Nigerian Customs

Umeofia

Give manufactures some levels of consideration, MAN tells FG The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to give its members some level of considerations on its to avoid creating more socio-economic problems of unemployment and crimes that could emanate from closure of factories.

This call was made recently by the President of the association, Dr Jacobs Udemba, in Lagos during a press briefing on the state of the nation.

Udemba said; “MAN is not oblivious of the present predicaments and challenges the country is facing, particularly the need to arrest the dwindling value of our national currency.

The complain of MAN should be given more consideration to avoid future problems that are imminent.”

The President warned that closure of factories and retrenchment may become inevitable if the productive sector continues to find it difficult to

import the necessary raw materials and spare parts that are not locally available within the next few weeks.

He stated; “CBN should remove raw materials that are not available locally from the list of items not valid for foreign exchange and allow reasonable time for affected manufacturers to embark on backward integration process before relisting the affected raw materials.

The government should issue a policy statement that will assure the private sector of policy consistency backed up appropriate gazette that will phase the implementation of the policy over a reasonable period of time to safeguard the huge capital investment associated with manufacturing.

“CBN should expedite actions that will facilitate the disbursement of Real Sectors Fund, as no loan has been granted under this financial window despite huge applications for it. The CBN should make the Development Bank of Nigeria launched last year by the former President of the country, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to crystallise into long term funds.

“The CBN should adopt appropriate mix of monetary instruments to promote reduction in lending rates to single digit and effectively manage the duo of exchange and inflation.”

to stop paying lip services but to control and monitor effectively the influx for these substandard and health hazardous products that litter our markets with deliberate government policies put in place.

“The influx of foreign goods is one of the dangers the Nigerian manufacturers and producers are facing, because the cost of production here is quite high. The power situation, the cost of diesel, comparing to production cost in Asia, we discover that the goods that come in here from those places would be far cheaper and at times, leave only a small margin between our cost of production and cost of sales. So, it is a very big problem, so many producers cannot just survive.

“Fiscal policy should be put in place to discourage much of the importations of these goods and services. High Tariffs should be placed on those goods they know that we have the capability of producing here in Nigeria. It is not too difficult to take a census or to sample goods that are being produced here and such goods; gov-

ernment should have a deliberate policy from ministry of finance hiking the tariffs of the imported ones.

“That is the simplest way to stop it and it takes some good patriotic and political will to do this, and I encourage the government and the CBN to do this for the good of us all. I agree that the world is a global market right now, but we have to look at our position, we are a consuming nation. Those that are exporting to us right now, we must realise that there was a time when they had a closed market, and they did not allow goods from outside their country to flow in.

He commended CBN for its recent monetary policy tools, adding that the forex measures is a welcomed development which will help reshape and reposition the real sector Chief Umeofia urged CBN to monitor all the Banks to ensure that the forex made available is not diverted to traders and Bureau De Change dealers, stressing that government should focus on industrialising Nigeria as they are trading the country away.

BoI funds Taraba SMEs with N700m In its mandate of actualizing rapid idustrialisation and economic development through funding of the real sector, the Bank of Industry (BoI) disbursed N700 million for on-lending to entrepreneurs in Taraba State.

The funds were pulled together by the state government and BoI under its matching fund scheme following the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a N700 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund, which will boost economic activities and reduce the unemployment level in the state.

The Managing Director of the Bank, Rasheed Olaoluwa, noted at the cheque presentation ceremony to beneficiaries under the scheme that a large number of the loan applications were deficient in either documentation or by virtue of line of businesses not covered by the Bank.

He stated that before the advent of the matching fund scheme in the state, the Bank had invested over N90.6 million of BoI Funds in support of genuine businesses, saying that some beneficiaries include Al-

Olaoluwa

Umalau Nig. Ltd, Bombillac Integrated Farms, Tsoro Women MPCS, Mal Kings MPCS, Wainabe MPCS, Master Bakers’ projects under the Cassava Bread Fund and a core of other businesses.

Olaoluwa said; “With the State Government’s intervention, about 130 projects cut across all Local Government Areas in the State were realised. The amounts that was set for each beneficiary ranges between N1.5 million to N1.7 million but

not exceeding a total of N215.0m to be processed wholly from the State Government’s portion of the fund. “Out of this number, 75 projects doing various aspects of processing and value addition totaling about N118, 971,766.69 were approved by the Bank. It is therefore important to note that only 52 of the 75 beneficiaries who got approval accepted the Offers.

“Out of the 52 who accepted the loan offers, 40 cooperatives have been processed for disbursement out of which 18 benefitting cooperatives that are ready for issuance today would be issued with their respective cheques for the acquisition of raw materials to enhance their productive activities. The remaining 22 cooperatives will also be receiving their cheques in a week’s time as their documentations have been fully processed.”

He stated that the bank has embarked on several initiatives to make access to finance easier for small businesses.

“MSMEs are confronted with low level of financial support because their business plans and loan requests are poorly packaged and non-bankable.

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Oando E&P to acquire minority shares of Oando Plc Stories by Azubike Nnadozie Oando Energy Resources Inc. (OER) has announced its intention to acquire all minority shares of its subsidiary, Oando Plc. In a statement sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday, the group noted that it had scheduled a special meeting of shareholders for February 25, 2016 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where details of its intention would be discussed.

According to it, the documents present the reasons for the unanimous recommendation from OER’s Board of Directors that shareholders vote in favour of a special resolution to approve a proposed plan of arrangement with Oando Plc and Oando E&P Holdings Limited.

At an earlier meeting as an-

Tinubu

nounced on December 22, 2015, it was agreed that the purchaser will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of OER, adding that details of shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting was set at January 19, 2016.

As part of this transaction, the company had notified the TSX and applied for the delisting of the common shares upon completion of the arrangement.

“In addition, in accordance with Section 720 of the TSX Company Manual, the company has applied to voluntarily delist the common share purchase warrants issued by the company from the facilities of the TSX upon completion of the arrangement and an exemption from the requirement for security holder approval of such delisting is available pursuant Section 604(f) of the TSX company manual

because Oando Plc holds more than 90 per cent of the Common Shares. Shareholders are recommended to vote in favour of the special resolution.”

It added that all shareholders of record as at the close of business on the record date were entitled to vote at the meeting, warning that shareholders who are the registered holders of common shares directly in their names and hold certificates representing their common shares should cast their votes no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver Time) on Tuesday, February 23, 2016. Shareholders who are not registered as the holders of their Common Shares but hold their Common Shares through a broker, custodian, nominee or other intermediary should cast their votes no later than 10:00 a.m.

(Vancouver Time) on Monday, February 22, 2016.

Stock market report Equities extend loses by 0.38% Transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday maintained negative stance on investors’ low appetite for stocks with the benchmark indices declining by 0.9 per cent each.

Specifically, the market capitalisation shed N77 billion or 0.38 per cent to close at N8.88 trillion as against N8.11 trillion recorded on Wednesday.

Similarly, the All-Share Index lost 88.7 points or 0.38 per cent to close lower at 23,517.19 compared with 23,605.89 recorded a day before.

Forte Oil Plc led the gainers’ table, increasing by N26.50 or 9.36 per cent to close at N310.00 per share.

Guinness Nigeria Plc was up with N5.58 or 4.78 per cent to close at N122.34 per share, while International Breweries Plc added N1.73 or 9.71 per cent to close at N19.55 per share.

Presco Plc increased by 75 kobo or 2.26 per cent to close at N34.00 per share, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated added 49 kobo or 3.27 per cent to close at N15.49 per share, or 6.07 per cent to close at N17.82 per share.

On the other hand, Nestle Plc led the losers’ pack with a loss of N37.00 or five per cent to close at N703.00 per share.

Seven Up Plc followed with N9.34 or five per cent to close at N177.61 per share, while Dangote Cement Plc trailed with a loss of N2.70 or 2.13 per cent to close at N124.30 per share.

Julius Berger Plc declined

by N2.00 or 4.60 per cent to close at N41.560, while Unilever Plc dipped by N1.46 or 4.59 per cent to close at N30.35 per share.

In all, investors traded 2.64 million shares worth N3.74 billion in 3,057 deals.

Summary of trading activities on NSE on January 28, 2015

ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

23,517.19 3,057.00 2,641,080,892.00 3,742,962,406.96 8,088,001,533,877.48

L-R: Head of Department, Radiology, General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, Dr. Akinlenisola Julius Kola; Head Corporate Communications Keystone Bank Ltd, Mrs. Omobolanle Osotule; Medical Director, General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, Dr. Adebola Laketu and Mr. Gabriel Osu OF keystone Bank Ltd, during the presentation of some medical equipment to the hospital ... recently.

DMO to sell N90bn FGN bonds next week Friday Atufe Debt Management Office, DMO, will next Wednesday offer to investors N90 billion Federal Government of Nigeria bond.

A breakdown of the bond auction showed that N40 billion will be offered at 15.54 percent FBN Feb 2020 (5-year re-opening) and N50 billion at 12.50 percent FGN

Jan 2026 (10-year re-opening.

The offers will be settled on February 12, 2016 The auction will be done in units of N1, 000 per unit subject to a minimum subscription of N10, 000 and in multiples of N1, 000 thereafter.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange said yesterday that retail Investors are encouraged to participate and could state their CSCS

account numbers on their tender forms for settlement into their respective CSCS accounts.

It also advised dealing members of the exchange to guide their clients through completion of the forms and forward to Primary Dealer Market Makers (PDMMs) on behalf of their interested clients and follow up with PDMMs to ensure auction winnings are lodged with CSCS.

w

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 04-02-2016

Entrepreneurship B8

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Suggestions for building stronger networks in work and life ‘‘Most people understand that to be successful, they need to network. But actually going out and doing it is another matter. People are daunted by the task, and believe it requires inauthentic, uncomfortable behavior, and that it is an activity that is inconsistent with focusing on job performance. Too often, people view networking as something that ‘is not them’ or that they could not see themselves doing.’’

Nwaodu Chukwuemeka How to connect to the people who matter.

A fourteen year old child accompanied her father, a longtime politician to events, where she learned the importance of connecting with others. The father told her “everyone has something to offer, and to never forget anyone because they could help along the way.” Since then wherever she finds herself, she has always gone around the room introducing herself.

Most people understand that to be successful, they need to network. But actually going out and doing it is another matter.

People are daunted by the task, and believe it requires inauthentic, uncomfortable behavior, and that it is an activity that is inconsistent with focusing on job performance. Too often, people view networking as something that ‘is not them’ or that they could not see themselves doing. But networking ability is not just important for career success “it is crucial for getting things accomplished and making change inside organizations in both the public and private sector.”

From experience, ability to build relationships, and an efficient and effective social network, has gave the world the youngest of people serving as members on the Boards of big corporations and Trustees of

Chukwuemeka

Enelamah, Minister of Trade and Industry

public sector organisations; others are finding careers in their chosen fields, as well as owning investment funds and strategic equities in blue chip companies and influencial organisations, as well as in community interest enterprises/organisations.

While some others are serving in various capacities in different levels of government in our nation.

People giving to being a bigtent person, who are in the habit of planning events and themed parties, ends up not only delivering entertaining events but also provides opportunities for bringing people together. These events naturally leds to networks that would last beyond the now. The impact and benefits of this ability to make connections would not stop there, as it opens doors to fast tracked accomplishments and friends/partners for life.

Someone said that “life is an adventure in opportunities”; therefore making the most of it would definitely require contributions from other people, and how best would it be achieved than to hasten one’s efforts at

building business connections, especially at the influential and diversified levels. People are the name of the game and it takes people to make life and all objectives/missions count.

Some of the Steps to Making Connections are Time Counts: Researches have shown that “being even one step removed from the person within the network almost completely reduces the benefits to you,” the implication is, simply put, Networking is not Something that Can, or Should, be outsourced. You must get to work on this and get it going, learning all the skills and practices of building contacts and making friends. They are vital to your success in both life and business and would surely be needed someday, so the earlier the better.

Find A. Mutual Connection: People are the name of the game - you must understand how to read people quickly and find what you have in common.

With so much public information out there, it is easier to do today. You are more likely to get a response from someone if

you have already found a shared interest or acquaintance in advance of introducing yourself.

Create a Robust Network: Identify your interests and through research learn who to connect with (to further your progression in this area of interest), someone that you share some level of affinity. All of a sudden, you will discover that have him on your radar in a big way.

Be Specific: CEOs are busy people and therefore are unlikely to respond to vague requests or take on the burden of finding ways to help you. Help them to help you by making a specific request. For instance, I advice that you are meeting an executive, that you go prepared and submit a brief one-page proposal in which you may ask for an internship and offer to work for awhile without compensation.

The reason is that you could not let high-profile executives think for you. it is better to give them something tangible to consider, because once you have left their presence, they are not going to spend more time thinking about you.

Be Diverse: Clearly, it is important to link up to the influencers in your intended field.

But do not underestimate the importance of “weak ties.”

It is important to create a diverse network diverse people, diverse industries and diverse locations, though these connections may seem remote to your present career or contemplated future. Diversity can also help when seeking funding for a startup.

Do What You Say You Will: Do not overpromise and underdeliver, but instead, maintain credibility by doing the follow-up work to always meet your commitments. In financial parlance, it is easier to exceed expectations if those expectations are not completely over the top or in your face. By keeping your promises, your reputation spreads throughout your network. The action of ‘moving things from A to B or following through as promised builds a

surprisingly rare reputation that can be leveraged in a number of ways as it builds the confidence of others.

Be Genuine and authentic: The more you pursue your passion, the more compelling your story will be when you share it with someone either by email or in person. People can see through your words to that unspoken words of your body movement and passion, bellowing through your words, whether in written or audio formats, or delivered in person.

Think Long-term: When you are undergoing an internship, performing a contract or seeking for an investment, you are creating and building your connections, which will someday led you to a billionaire somewhere, who would be ready to invest substantially into your project, and as he contributes whatever amount he is comfortable with. This success would build a track record for you, and in the process, cementing relationships with people who would be ‘with you for a lifetime’ once they had seen what you could accomplish and gotten comfortable investing together.

Consider Your Approach: Crafting emails can be an art sometimes, always take time to think of the subject line. Try to write something there that reflects a connection. For example, if you are a student and you are contacting an alumnus, you could write “Current - mention your school - Student Inquiry,” as most alumni enjoy hearing from current students for a number of reasons.

Stay in Touch and Give Back: An easy way to keep in touch with those in your network is to send them emails now and then, introducing them to people who will be helpful additions to their networks. And, respond when others seek to add you to their circles. Also to be around in their times of needs, as well as celebrations, always seeking out their welfare and, being of service and available to minister to their needs.

Nwaodu Chukwuemeka, is a consultant with IDEAS Exchange Consulting, Lagos. He can be reached at nwaodu.lawrence@hotmail.co.uk (07066375847).

Life&

TIMES Friday, February 5, 2016

Elvina Ibru

Dumping Law for the Soap box

L2,3

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Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Polygamy Should Be Outlawed – Elvina Ibru

Beautiful and lovely Elvina Ibru is one of the daughters of billionaire Michael Ibru; a multi-talented showbiz personality, singer, cum-actor and on-air-personality. Vivacious Elvina has played a major role in the Nigerian entertainment industry as her social lifestyle is celebrated, being at the forefront of every major social activities that have moved the industry to an enviable height. In a recent chat, she opens up on how her tight schedule which she claims does not give her time to think of men. Excerpts:

Life&

T E A M

How did you start with entertainment?

Only last week, I realized that I have been in entertainment for thirty something years and I’m only 43 years old. It occurred to me when I was having a conversation with my friend that I was eight years old when I entered the first competition. It was not a school competition; it was a local area competition. It was a singing competition and I won. So, my first professional act, if I could say that, was when I was eight and now I am 43. It’s something I have always been in. I have my production company, Twice As Nice since the year 2000, and we have been going strong for almost 16 years. There is my acting and being an on-air personality and so on. I think the last year or so, I just decided I wanted to take it to another level. And so far it’s been good.

How have you been enjoying your relationship with colleagues in showbiz, given your Silverspoon background?

I don’t think there is any difference with me and anybody else in entertainment. Entertainment is a tough business whether you came for money or not; to break into it is just as hard. At the end of the day, it does not really boil down to cash that make you popular. It boils down to raw talent; being at the right place at the right time, having the right backing and knowing the right people. And just destiny; when God said it’s for you. Then it’s for you.

People know you as a complete showbiz person, but at a point you lost your voice and you stopped singing. Do you feel like you are missing a part of you; do you feel like going back to singing?

Whatever happens in my life, I put it down to the work of God. I don’t ever think evil. Even if it seems like a negative thing; I feel that God’s hand is always in it. When I was singing,

I was concentrating so much on my singing that I forgot that I could do so many other things. So, when I lost my voice, I had to sit down and go back to the books and asked myself, what I am going to do now. So, if I had not lost my voice, my company would not have been opened, I would not have been in all the productions I had been in, I would not have done Idol West Africa, I probably would not be an on-air personality right now. So, I don’t want to say I regret or I feel I’m missing out on something because God holds me in the direction He wanted me to go.

As God will have it, there is a voice there now. It’s just that I don’t use it, the voice that went has returned although it’s a different type of voice.

What is it that encouraged you into showbiz and who was it?

It’s my mother’s fault (laughter).

She took me to the theater. And I fell in love. The first show I went to see I was five years old then. It was when Epitome came to Nigeria. She took me to watch Epitome and that was it.

There was no going back. My mum loved music, my father also loves music, and my mum was the practical one. She was the one that will say let’s go and watch this, let’s go and watch that. Even though, she was not a Nigerian, she was born and raised in Oron. Now it is Akwa Ibom, then it was Calabar. You know they are very musical people, very dramatic; they have all their different masquerades which you call egungun. She was very much part of the Calabar community. So, that was a big influence on me because we used to go to their festivals, where we watched the masquerades, regatta and all those kind of things. And all came down into this package that I fell in love with. So, it’s my mother’s fault I fell in love with showbiz. When I got to school in England, I discovered that I have a talent in showbiz so everything just tied to-

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

gether. I deceived myself a long time simply because I was a Nigerian child. I said I wanted to be a lawyer. I will still go and study that law one day. It has something that interests me; criminal law, but I grew up going to school thinking I was going to be a barrister one day. That was my ambition but I was doing the singing, the dancing and the theater outside school and within school and so on. It was when I was 17 years old that I realized that this is not for me again. This is something I really want to do.

Do you still wish to go back and study law?

It’s never too late to go to school. I already have a degree anyway. Apart from my Theater Arts degree I also have degree in International Relations and Economics. I don’t believe it’s ever too late to study. But, the hustle is too much, so until when one stops hustling. You know when you are very comfortable, when you can retire. That is the way I see myself. Maybe in the next 10 years I’m going to study PHD in African Magical rites and culture.

And study my law; I don’t see why not. If I’m not hustling then I can be in school just for the sake of gaining knowledge. They say knowledge is power. Just for my own comfort, or for my own self pleasure, whichever way you want to put it.

I want us to go back to the era of watching movies, following mum

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

around. How was it like being baby of the house, I mean the pampering and all that?

Well, everyone thinks the last born is always spoilt. On the contrary, I was never spoilt. My father has 17 children from six ladies. My mother was the first wife, so from my mother there are seven of us. I really was the baby. But I was never spoilt, I was a disciplined child. I was cheeky but it was only my people I knew I could be cheeky to.

And I was extremely shy. And then unfortunately, when I got to the age when maybe the spoiling was to start in the way of having enough pocket money to go to school and buying designers glasses and the rest, my mum passed on. I was 17 then. When you start enjoying, if your parents have money, it is at that stage you really start to enjoy it. You don’t have to worry in the university and so on. Unfortunately, my mum died. I grew up overnight. And you know polygamy is polygamy. My father moved on and then I became an independent person overnight. But it’s good like I said; nothing happens to me that God’s hands are not there. If it had not happened that way then I won’t be the person that I am today. I was the

Graphics Adebambo Segun

only one out of all my mother’s children that worked when I was in school. Nobody else had to, but I was the only one that has to have a part time job and so on and so forth. Because by the time I got to that stage, my mum was gone.

Does that experience tell you something about polygamy?

Polygamy is the most evil, devastating, and polygamy should be outlawed. It destroys life, it really does.

When the men are going about doing what they feel like doing, they don’t remember they will die by God grace.

And leave their children behind and they don’t make plans, let me say emotional plans. I was lucky in the sense that I had a strong mother, who believed in unity. She made sure that my sisters and brothers were close; we were not allowed to stay divided, say this is my half-sister or step-sister. She would tell you, you are talking nonsense. She would say she is either your sister or your brother, there is nothing like half or step. She made sure even through

Continued on L3

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 5, 2016

L3 Interview

‘My happiest moment was when I gave birth to my son, Elisha’ Continued from L2 all the challenges, that we were all united. When you are a man with a polygamous family and you do not make sure that your children are united, it is the most evil of things. Because, we find that the children will start fighting each other. It’s like civil war; it’s like creating lots and lots of little civil wars. So, Polygamy is just out of it. I will also say to all women that are thinking of becoming second wives; don’t do it! You are better than that; you deserve to be the first wife and only wife.

Even if you don’t marry, it’s better than marrying somebody else’s husband. It’s a horrible practice.

As far as I am concerned, polygamists should be jailed too, both the men and women.

When did you consider your happiest moment, with all the challenges?

That was the day I gave birth to my son. There is no comparison, I have a son, and his name is Elisha. And the day I gave birth to him was my happiest day. That was the 20th of September, 2008.

Let’s talk about your showbiz career, at what stage are you now?

Showbiz is going very well. Presently, I am working as an on-air personality for Classic FM. For many years, people have been asking me to go into MC stuff because it comes to me naturally. So, I’m doing MC work now and I am enjoying it. I just finished producing a movie called Cajoling, which I also acted in. The film should be coming out this year. I am about to produce another film, a short film, hopefully, it will be shot before the end of the year. Thus, by the time we finish editing, it should be coming out soon. I am also in a stage production called Hear Word, it’s a play. The full title is Naija Women, Hear Word.

And it’s a play about the plight of women in this country, but it has actually grown so much bigger than even the director and writer expected, so we have been on stage several times. By God’s grace, we will be on tour. So, that is all part of what I am doing. I just finished a musical show last year October? It was a musical called The Magic Of The Musical. Also a stage play; I was in that as well.

Are you going to put the play on home video for family entertainment?

Theater is theater, if you want to watch, come to the theater and watch it. What is the point of us putting it on DVD, if it is film, then let us do film. You know the theater experience is an experience, which is why Oyinbo people call it the theater experience. It’s an experience, the theater is not like anything you do, it’s not like watching a movie, and it’s not like watching a musical concert. It’s a whole different world, so apart from the fact that we were doing a play that has a message we also want a revival of the theater. We want people to want to go to the theater. Instead of saying let’s go to Silverbird to watch James Bond, why not say let’s go and watch Aunty Joke Silva at the Muson, which is just as entertaining if not more?

You used to be very sociable, but it seems these entertainment things have taken away your attention?

You have to work to eat, that was how I was raised. And I have a son to feed. But the joy of what I do is that I love doing what I do. So, half of the time, it doesn’t seem like work. You get fatigued; because you are human you get physical-

ly tired. There is no way you can work from nine o’clock in the morning to midnight everyday and you will not get tired. While you are working you don’t feel it, because I so love what I do. And I am still sociable, but entertainment is social now. So, if you try to run away from it, you are still amidst people, you are still mixing, you are still blending. It’s just that when one gets an opportunity to rest rather than go and groove, you rather go and sleep and rest your head and your body a little bit.

You seem to be more into God now?

I have always being into God. That is never changed, but as you grow older you just learn more. You pray to be closer to God; you see things happening around you that give you cause to realize that it is very important to be very close to God. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pastor, as far back as when I was eleven. The first thing I wanted to do was to be a pastor, at that time the Anglican Church did not allow female pastors.

Otherwise, I would have gone to theology school and may be by now I will be called Reverend Elvina Ibru. I am no angel, trust me, but I do love God. I realize He is number one in my life. Above everything, God is first.

Despite knowing you have a kid, do men still make love passes at you?

Do men ever cease calling women? I am no different to the next woman on the street. The truth is that I don’t even have time. Sometime, it sounds funny to find time for me to go on a date. I work till midnight every day, so, when will I have time? But, I’m just like every other person.

If a nice man comes along that is cool and loving, I will go out on date with him when I get the chance. And if he is not my type, I will tell him, no vex you are not the one for me.

Does being a daughter of a billionaire reflect in the way you relate to people?

There is an African proverb that says, no matter how high you raise your shoulder, it can never be above your head. That is how I was raised.

Humility is the key to life. Coming from a background of wealth does not make you any special or any better than anybody else. Its a very big lesson in life. We were raised to always look at others as equals, never to look down on anybody.

We are reminded everyday that you are blessed and you come from a background of substance.

But at the same time, it is not something that you dwell on, because we don’t discriminate, we don’t look down on anybody, and we don’t feel as if we are better than anyone. So, in that sense my father being a billionaire has never affected us and he himself is the most humble. He is humble to a fault and he married a woman- my mother – that feels the same way.

When your mother was alive, were you closer to him than her?

No! I was my mother’s hand bag. But I have always been a loving child, a very loving person; I show my love and tell you I love you. And I’m not ashamed to tell you. When everybody else was a little bit scared, maybe out of respect for him, they wouldn’t go too near him. Me I dey enter im armpit, whether he likes it or not. Anytime I was around I was always all over him, sitting on his leg, laughing with him and bringing his food.

You have almost everything at your beck and call, how do you give back to the society?

It is not something I make a song and dance about, I don’t believe in all of these opening

NGOs and foundations. Do your thing, the one you can do quietly.

My interest is in youths, children and women empowerment. I believe if you empower the youths and the women, the face of this country will change. Let the old people go, they have tried their best. We have seen what they can do. They fact that they don’t help the youths disturbs me a lot, because the youths are blamed for a lot of things but when you think about it, you ask yourself, have they been enhanced in any way? Back in the days, when our father went to school it was almost guaranteed that if you have a degree or school certificate, which was like a first degree in those days, when you come out, a job is waiting for you. Youth service was organized; it wasn’t a camp with cesspit of diseases you are forced into. It was a reason for you to meet people from different tribes and so on and so forth. That was the original idea. It’s not now that they are just putting people’s children to suffer. It should be scrapped. What are you doing to empower the youth, so that they are moving in the right direction? This is the future. Our presidents are too old, how old is Obama? Give the youths a chance, let them prove to us what they can do. You were once a youth, Buhari was once a youth. Obasanjo was once a youth. Nobody came out of the stomach at the age of 73.

We were all youth, but they had opportunity, whether they want to admit it or not that the Nigeria of then is not the Nigeria of today. Things are difficult. I know graduates that are waiters, waitresses, doormen, so what am I going to the school for. I told my son, Elisha the other day, we were gisting and I told him he should not come and tell me he wants to be a doctor or a lawyer. I told him he should go find a ball to kick or carry microphone and go do hip-hop because that is where the money is. Everybody now wants to be in entertainment, because if you look at it, it is almost a sure banker in this country now. Football and music is where the money is, whether the dollar went up or down, it is none of our business, just pay us. If I’m performing at your party for five million, give me my five million or find another Whizkid or Davido. Now everybody wants to be actor, singer or a model, but that is not how it was in those days. They encourage you to become an engineer, now you are an engineer and you are still at home. You are an engineer doing what; being a waiter? It’s ridiculous. A whole doctor cannot pay house rent, but you are saving people’s life. So, the government needs to do something.

Let discuss the state of Nigerian women, do you think Nigeria women are getting their real worth in the scheme of things in politics?

Let me say there is hope. Ordinarily, I will say no, although we have had a few notable women; but in comparison with the men that is not a lot. The ratio is not healthy, in my opinion. But I think we are coming up; the area in which women are not being giving a fair chance to me is not in the busi-

ness or political world, it is in the home front.

You see too many double standards as far as the home front is concerned. Right for women when their husband dies, the fact that if you don’t have a male child, is a problem. The double standard of, if a man cheats on his wife, it’s alright but when the woman cheats on her husband, she is a Jezebel. For me, we are not treated fairly more in those areas. What happen if a man dies, the family comes and kicks her out of the house that this is their brother’s property. What protection does she have for herself and her children?

What kind of pensions plan is available to her?

What kind of widow support is available? Because there are women who depend solely on their husbands and once they are gone everything is gone. What kind of right do we have for women that are suffering domestic violence and their children being abused? Why are we marrying 12-year old children? Those are the kinds of issues that I feel are not being addressed fully.

We are not seeing much of the Ibrus in politics?

Are we really a political family? Although, there is Uncle Felix, who of course was the first civilian governor of Delta State, there is Uncle Alex, God rest his soul, who was a minister during the Abacha regime. Oscar wanted to go into it, he went for governorship, I think in Delta. Apart from that, I will not say the Ibrus are a big political family.

We are a business family.

L4

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 5, 2016

L5

Society Gists L6

Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 5, 2016

Isaac Oguntoye

Omowunmi Akinnifesi Unveils Clothing Line

Omowunmi Akinnifesi

Creative Director, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2005, Miss Tourism International Ukraine 2005 and Nigeria’s representative to the Miss World in China 2005 is coming out with a clothing outfit.

The Omowunmi label was created from a desire to create a fresh urban persona for a woman with a social lifestyle. The founder wanted to create a brand because of her thirst for beautiful things that are trendy and depicts a sociable woman. Printed fabrics with bold colours, 3D designed petals, structural pieces and simplistic fine lines is what the Omowunmi Label is all about. This is a Nigerian-based women’s clothing label that incorporates vibrant, colourful and urban designs on high quality fabrics to create unique apparel.

This ready to wear brand targets women between ages 20 to 40. A range of the brand is called the “MOMA range” which includes elegant Caftans for women who love the one piece, well-embroidered rich, effortlessly chic and elegant look. Another range is the OMA, which forms her initials and signifies a woman of class who likes to express herself in the simplest form.

Omowunmi is a label that depicts a woman personifying freedom, elegance and class. It is for the woman with a social lifestyle, encompassing an outfit for work, black-tie, cocktail, party wear, day wears and even linen beach wear. An Omowunmi woman has a certain lifestyle; she’s social yet reserved, trendy yet effortlessly chic. She reflects a girl next door who embodies the Celebrity Culture.

As an art lover who also loves Tourism, she was honoured as the Environmental Ambassador for Lagos State Nigeria. In the creation of the clothing line she travelled through New York, South Africa, Jordan, Paris, Nice, Monte Carlo, Turkey, London and Vietnam inspired by the environment, festivals, nature, Safari wild life and the social lifestyles of these metropolitan cities.

She produces an exciting range of outfits through her strong sense of personal style and identity from Petal prints to Monochrome, Pearly and Coal palettes. Omowunmi is ready to wear clothing is available in selected designer retail stores such as Meidei, Zaazai in Lagos, and will later be found in Abuja and Port Harcourt coupled with her online store under currently under construction.

Rockers band leader, Sanmi Michael picks date for album unveiling Leader of one of Nigeria’s happening musical live band, The Rockers band, Sanmi Michael is set to unveil his debut album. Titled ‘expression’, its an African inspired gospel album which according to Sanmi is a new trend in the gospel music industry.

Michael who leads Rockers band would be joined by his friends in the entertainment industry for the unveiling slated for the 21st of February at RCCG Powerlink Chapel, Marwa in Lekki, Lagos.

The album will set a pace for gospel music lovers and fans should expect another genre of music Michael said in a chat. Artistes expected at the album unveiling include, Eben, Efe Nathan, Tosin B, Mc Ajele and Bolaji Sax among others.

Sanmi Michael

CEO set to launch “Topflyers Magazine” in April The CEO of Pysmaco Ltd and Publisher of Topflyers Magazine, Musa Yahaya, is set to launch the magazine in April 2016. The magazine which started in 2013, cut across event, news, fashion, modeling, house warming and pageants, the magazine is published quarterly.

Speaking with journalists recently in Lagos the publisher said: “We want the world to embrace Topflyers magazine because of the quality and its international standard.

“The beauty of it is that it is not being distributed only in Lagos, it’s also international. We started the magazine in 2013 and we are going to launch it this year April, we also organize Face of Topflyers magazine, pageantry as part of the new style of the magazine.”

Yahaya however said The face of Topflyers is an annual event that usually takes place towards the end of every year. The occasion featured A-list artistes in Nigeria who entertained great elite crowd amongst which were politicians, captains of industries, top public office holder that never stop asking for more as they watch the artistes and pretty models unleash individual prowess.

“Face of TopFlyers Magazine Beauty Pageant is an event where young, elegant, intelligent models are brought together to compete for the much coveted crown. The event is loaded with the unparalleled quality of positively engaging our female youths and Musa Yahaya providing them with a unique opportunity to carve a niche for themselves in the world of beauty pageant”.

Tunde Braimoh, wife, to become Otunba Bamofin & Yeye Otunba Bamofin The Chairman of Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Hon Tunde Braimoh and his wife will on February 11th 2016 be honored as Otunba Bamofin and Yeye tunba Bamofin by Monarch of Ketu, His Royal Majesty Oba Isiaka Oyero Adetutu Balogun in commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of his coronation. The event which will take place at the Palace of the traditional ruler will see the former Kosofe Local Government Chaiman and wife decorated as a Chief alongside other leaders in the area.

The turbaning will precede the February 14th event

which is the real day of the Monarch’s 5th year anniversary on the throne. Barr. Braimoh was selected with her wife due to their contributions to development of the area. Meanwhile, he will be sponsoring a 3-day training programme in several Crane & Scalfolding Techniques for students to specialize in Mobile Crane Operator, Scalfold Erector, Escavator/Backhoe among others. The training which is specially for the Students of Lagos Government Technical College, Agidingbin, Ikeja, was organized by Rated Cranes & Scalffold Nigeria Ltd. The training is scheduled to hold inside the school complex between Feb. 1st and 3rd.

Tunde Braimoh with wife

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 5, 2016

L7 Society Gists

Isaac Oguntoye

MultiChoice holds customer After several girls, Femi Fani-Kayode gets first son forum in Port Harcourt Former PDP spokesman, Femi Fani-Kayode’s beauty Queen Fiancée has been delivered of a bundle of joy. What a way to start a new month with! For quite a while now, If you had noticed, the happy dad has slowed down in making unnecessary comments or reacting negatively on issues concerning this new government. The reason for his seeming silence is now revealed.

People in the know informed yours truly that the Goodluck Jonathan’s former campaign spokesman who has announced that his beauty queen fiancée has given birth to their first son, was careful enough not to have the news of the new baby delivered to him in detention like his other colleagues, Metuh and Dasuki who all worked for the former president. Fani-Kayode, took to twitter to announce that his fiancee, Precious Chikwendu, has safely given birth to his first son. It can be recalled that recently, the former aviation minister bought a 2014 Range Rover for the former Miss United Nations World 2014. “I give thanks to God for the birth of my first son which took place today.

Both the mother and the child are doing fine. To God be the glory,” he wrote on Twitter

MultiChoice, Nigeria’s leading premium entertainment destination recently held a customer forum in Port Harcourt in a bid to reach out to its DStv customers. The forum, which is a regular customer engagement initiative by MultiChoice Nigeria provides the opportunity for subscribers and the organisation to have one-on-one dialogue with a view to having a better understanding of customer issues and providing solutions to them. At the forum, some DStv subscribers appealed to MultiChoice to help address the issues of signal piracy, failed broadcast signal, and alternative payment options. Responding to the demands of the subscribers, Caroline Oghuma, Public Relations Manager, DStv said unlicensed broadcasters sabotage the efforts of licenced pay-TV operators in the country by engaging in piracy.

According to her “We are aware of the activities of these pirates, but in collaboration with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), and other key stakeholders, we have maintained our resolve to fight piracy until it is eradicated in Nigeria”. Oghuma, while advising DStv subscribers to make subscription payments before their due date, also pointed out that subscribers can only enjoy uninterrupted DStv broadcast if they carry out after sales services on their dish and accessories. “MultiChoice has trained qualified installers to provide installations and after sales maintenance services” she explained.

Many doubted when I predicted Wike’s win at Supreme Court – Iginla Femi Fani-Kayode

Pat Utomi celebrates birthday in style Patrick Okedinachi Utomi is a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and a former presidential candidate, with a passion for the dignity of the human person and the spirit of enterprise. Last Wednesday, the man of many parts gathered dignitaries from all works of life to celebrate his 63rd birthday. The one week long birthday started with a lecture and ended with book launch on Thursday.

Iara Oshiomhole visits orphanage in Edo state Iara Oshiomhole, first Lady of Edo State has joined the league of governors’ wives who did not only support their husband at the home front but also complement the goodwill of their husband toward achieving their manifesto as a public officer. Recently, the delectable woman of substance visited the Mary Immaculate Children’s Home and Salvation Army rehabilitation centre in her state to feel their impulse and way to support their mission and vision for the betterment of the state.

The General Overseer of Champions Royal Assembly, Bro. Joshua Iginla, has reacted to the victory of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at the apex court. The Supreme Court penultimate Thursday upheld the election of Governor Wike (of the Peoples Democratic Party) as Governor of oil-rich Rivers State. Details of the ruling, which validates the April 11 governorship election, are expected to be provided on February 12. The fiery clergy through his media aide, Bro. Francis , on Monday, February 1, 2016 revealed that the cleric is “no doubt a man sent from God and someone who hears from God clearly.

“Although he has proven this so many times with the miracles and wonders God, he has never stopped showing it. I was with him on Thursday, January, 28, 2016 and raised the court verdict. “He quickly reminded me how many people doubted him when he gave the revelation. But less than a month, we have all seen with our eyes and heard with our ears”, he added. It would be recalled that Iginla warned of the resurfacing of Ebola in some countries in 2016, a prediction being witnessed already in Sierra Leone. He also predicted that political unrest and violence would characterise the recent re-run election in Bayelsa.

L8 TV guide

Daily Times Nigeria

Friday, February 5, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies Romance Channel 107

Studio Universal Channel 112

18:00

11:35

Fri, 5 Feb| PG 13

Fri, 5 Feb | PG 16

VLJennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart Star in this touching movie. A self-help author meets a woman at one of his seminars. She could unexpectedly help him, but the timing is wrong. Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston.

(2009) Brandon Camp

101 M-Net West

23:30 American Crime 00:30 Made In Hollywood 01:15 Zoo 02:00 American Crime 02:40 Behind The Scenes: No Good Deed 03:00 Code Black

04:00 A Most Wanted Man 06:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 07:00 MasterChef Australia 07:42 Behind The Scenes: Walking On Sunshine 08:00 Mom 08:30 Made In Hollywood 09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 Preggoland 12:30 Modern Famiy 12:53 Behind The Scenes: The Theory

13:00 MasterChef Australia 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:46 Behind The Scenes: Chef 15:00 Blue Bloods 16:00 Sarah Graham's Food Safari

152 Africa Magic Epic 23:27 Ojebe The Servant 00:45 Healthy Snacking

00:55 King Akubueze 02:55 Enuma The River Goddess 04:40 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes

05:32 Behind The Scenes: The Place 05:38 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 06:01 Rings Of Fire 07:25 The Burning Ring 09:10 Sorrows And Tears 10:42 Joy Of My Destiny 12:10 Secret Adventure

14:50 Mama Bomboi: Murderer 15:00 Seat Of Wisdom 16:39 Seat Of Wisdom

18:15 Royal Contest 21:41 Royal Contest

120 BBC Brit Entertainment

118 Telemundo

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Cruel Love 02:10 For Love And Justice 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 For Love And Justice 17:50 Cruel Love 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 For Love And Justice 22:00 Someone's Watching 22:50 Someone's Watching

Britain’s beloved Mr. Bean gets his first movie. More hilarious and bumbling antics ensue when Bean is dispatched to LA to deliver and extremely valuable painting.

Peter MacNicol, Burt Reynolds, Rowan Atkinson.(1997) Amelia Bryn Smith.

128 SONY MAX

23:00 Most Shocking 23:25 Top Gear's Ambitious But Rubbish

10:20 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

23:45 World's Wildest Police Videos

00:18 An Idiot Abroad

11:05 Would I Lie To You?

00:35 World's Wildest Police Videos

01:06 The Cube

11:40 QI

01:25 Freakshow

01:54 Police Interceptors

12:10 The Cube

01:55 Extreme Reality Clips

02:40 David Beckham: Into The Unknown

13:00 Top Gear

02:20 Rude Tube

14:10 Police Interceptors

03:31 Undercover Boss USA

02:45 Sexy Car Wash

15:00 Undercover Boss USA

04:15 Pointless

03:15 Sexy Car Wash

15:50 Would I Lie To You?

05:00 The Cube

03:45 Video Zonkers

16:20 QI

05:45 Would I Lie To You?

04:10 South Beach Tow

16:55 Pointless

06:15 QI

04:35 South Beach Tow

17:50 Top Gear

06:50 Police Interceptors

05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos

19:00 Wastemen

07:40 Top Gear

05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos

20:00 8 Out Of 10 Cats

08:45 Pointless

06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

21:10 8 Out Of 10 Cats

09:30 Undercover Boss USA

07:25 Video Zonkers

22:25 Dragons' Den

07:50 South Beach Tow

155 AfricaMagic World 23:50 Music On Africa Magic 00:51 Behind The Scenes: The Place 01:05 Good Morning Africa 02:05 53 Extra 02:33 Star Gist 03:15 Star Gist 03:45 Jara 04:20 Jara 05:00 Goodmorning Africa 06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 07:00 53 Extra 07:30 Star Gist 08:00 Jara 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 Lies That Bind 10:30 Lies That Bind 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind

08:15 South Beach Tow 08:40 Most Shocking 09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos 11:30 Baywatch 12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

13:30 South Beach Tow 14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 13:00 Music On Africa Magic 14:05 Music On Africa Magic 15:00 Music On Africa Magic 16:00 Star Gist 16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa 17:25 53 Extra 18:00 Jara 18:30 Tinsel 19:00 53 Extra

16:00 Most Shocking 17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Escape Or Die 20:30 Escape Or Die 21:00 XXX; State Of The Union 22:45 Sexy Car Wash