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Obasanjo, at market, campaigns for APC 6

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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Politics Page Three

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s

Editorial Confab report: Challenge before Buhari

W

ith the frenzy of celebrations following the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at last Saturday’s presidential poll, it is usual for Nigerians to want the merriment to last forever and so become a cover for deferring other pressing national issues.

Definitely, nothing is as sweet as a well-deserved victory, especially if it came through patience and dint of hard work as exhibited by Buhari.

But that should not make anyone lose sight of what government represents in the affairs and running of any modern society. An aspect of governance that differentiates one government from the other is that which has to do with continuity.

Unfortunately, this culture has been lacking in Nigeria, where every incoming administration is known to totally abandon the programmes and policies of their predecessors no matter how people-oriented they may be.

Sadly, such is done mostly out of spite and disdain for the outgone administration rather than a conscious cost-saving device or the lack of positive impact such would have on the lives and welfare of the people.

That is why we are calling on the incoming Buhari administration not to join the infamous club of those who in the past threw away the baby with the bath water. We are saying this against the background of insinuations that his government may abandon the report of the National

Conference put together by more than 500 delegates after five months of painstaking deliberations.

In more than 600 resolutions, the conference recommended a two-tier structure of federal and state governments that vests responsibility of the administration of the existing 774 local governments in the states.

It also called for the creation of state police and the drafting of state constitutions.

All these are in response to years of agitation for greater autonomy in the maintenance of law and order and local administration. For long, Nigeria has missed every opportunity to ensure peaceful and developmental progress by not restructuring the federation. Result is that Nigeria is today not at peace with itself as centrifugal tendencies typified by the ethnic-colouration of the 2015 presidential election, and the highly divisive Boko Haram insurgency are continuing to undermine the peace and stability of the nation.

There is no doubt that the country’s federal structure is not working at the optimum capacity and endowment the way our founding fathers envisioned it. Despite the ongoing victory celebrations, it would be fool hardy for any government worth its salt to ignore or shelve the implementations of the conference resolutions any moment longer in the erroneous belief that the agitations would die down.

It is therefore contingent on the Buhari government to keep in lock step with yearnings of Nigerians and implement the resolutions.

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Must party support lead to death?

Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏThe killing of

a man in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State on Sunday last week by his pregnant wife, for allegedly refusing to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has again brought to the fore the need for Nigerians to moderate their support for politicians as the general election winds down.

The woman, simply identified as Onyiyechi, and her late husband who was a staunch supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) were said to have been engaged in a heated argument on who between the candidates of the APC and PDP they voted for in the presidential election.

The argument degenerated into a fight and Onyiyechi who so much believed in the APC candidate could no longer hold back her anger and she stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife in the chest. Before the man could be rushed to the hospital, he died.

A day after the incident, a commercial motorcyclist in Igangan area of Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Raphael Abiodun, also beat his wife, Bose, to a pulp over disagreement on the outcome of the general

Words On Marble :

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election. The couple had sympathies for different political parties.

Aside these two incidents, several other extreme acts abound of party support by Nigerians in this election period, making many to ask if supporting a political tendency should lead to bodily harm or death.

We must all realise that while support for candidates in election remains an inalienable right of every Nigerian, it must not be elevated to the level of fanaticism which most often beclouds people’s sense of reasoning. As the 2015 general election winds down, Nigerians must learn to live peacefully with one another irrespective of political leaning.

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Chief Commercial Officer

Deputy Editors

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Group Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

Tunji Okegbola

Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Acting Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Lateef Ibrahim

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Editorial Page Editor

Business Editor

Segun Adio Okay Osuji

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Andrew Ekejiuba

Head of Operations Innocent Nwankwo

Adetayo Adelaja Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Head ICT (Shared Services) Banjo Ayorinde

Head Graphics King Ododoru

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

Hubert H. Humphrey

Lyndon B. Johnson

Jesse Jackson

The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.

We preach the virtues of democracy abroad. We must practice its duties here at home. Voting is the first duty of democracy.

A man must be willing to die for justice. Death is an inescapable reality and men die daily, but good deeds live forever.

News 4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Nigeria’s Ekeh, 17, offered admission by all eight Ivy League schools ÏÏÏSewanhaka

senior Harold Ekeh has a tantalizing decision facing him: Yale or Harvard? Or maybe MIT? Or, if he decides he wants still more options, he can always fall back on Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania or Cornell.

Ekeh, the Elmont Memorial High School salutatorian, achieved the rare feat of being accepted to all eight Ivy League schools — and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to top it off. In total, Ekeh went 13 for 13 in college admissions.

“This is a very exciting moment in my life, and I’m very grateful,” he said.

At the moment, Ekeh is leaning toward Yale, he said. “I visited Yale with my school’s Model U.N. team and I loved how passionate the people were,” he said. “I did try my best and tried to take advantage of everything my high school had to offer. Now I’m going to see where I feel the most comfortable.”

Yale’s annually accepts just 6.9 percent of applicants, still a full percentage point higher than Harvard, which sits at 5.8 percent.

Ekeh said he is planning upcoming trips to Harvard, MIT and Princeton.

Born in Nigeria, he moved to

Queens at age eight and then moved to Elmont for the schools.

“Part of the reason we moved here was because my parents wanted me to have the best opportunity,” he said. “I had to double up on everything once I moved here…I had a lot of catching up to do.”

Ekeh, whose grade point average is 100.51, plans to study biochemistry and neurobiology. In January, he was named a semifinalist in the prestigious Intel STS competition for his original research on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. In his project — succinctly titled, “The role of PARP-1 in MeHg-induced dopaminergic dysfunction and mitochondrial DNA depletion” — Ekeh found that certain toxins cause degradation of motor skills and lead to the diseases.

His grandmother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when he was 11, inspired his research, he said. “If there is any way I can work to prevent this I want to,” Ekeh said.

John Capozzi, principal of Elmont High School, said Ekeh “really represents Elmont Memorial High School.” “No one is more determined than Harold,” Capozzi said.

Last year, William Floyd High School student Kwasi Enin re-

ceived acceptance letters from all eight Ivys as well, setting off a national media frenzy. He even read the “Top Ten” list on The Late Show with David Letterman.

At that time, Rachel Rubin, the founder of a college admissions coaching firm, told CNN that admission to all eight Ivy Leagues is “quite atypical,” made rarer because few students apply to all eight.

“Standardized test scores and good grades will get a student in the door to have their application read,” Rubin told CNN. “But it’s their extracurricular activities,

Ekeh in a laboratory leadership experience, exceptional talents, recommendation letters and personal essays that will move a student from a pile of ‘maybes’ to a pile of ‘accepted.’ ”

Culled from – http://thenewelmont.com/2015/04/03/ elmont-senior-harold-ekehaccepted-into-all-eight-ivyleague-schools-and-mit/

Three-time divorcee Nigerian ‘lesbian’ loses UK asylum battle Ngozi Okafor London

ÏÏÏThe bid by thrice married Nigerian to avoid deportation from the United Kingdom by claiming to be a lesbian who would face dire consequences if returned to her country of birth has failed – comprehensively.

The ‘lesbian, ‘ Aderonke Apata, was last Wednesday told to go back home by the Royal Courts of Justice – the UK’s equivalent of the Supreme Court.

Mr Justice John Bowyers QC (Queen’s Counsel, equivalent of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN), dismissed her appeal.

Apata, who has since gone underground and refused to speak to some Nigerian gay rights’ activists, as well as the Daily Times, faces deportation to Nigeria anytime from now.

She had been so desperate to win the case that she submitted to the court, a Digital Video Disc (DVD) of herself in a sexual activity with Happiness Ogboro, a

known Nigerian lesbian who had already been granted UK asylum on the ground of sexual orientation.

Apata entered the UK in 2004 with forged Swaziland documents. Two of her former marriages were in the UK, and she had pre¬viously been refused indefinite leave to stay based on those two marriages – one of which was to a Briton, the other to a Mr Bamidele. Her third marriage was Continued on page 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏThe President Goodluck Jonathan (left) interacting with children at the Aso Villa Chapel on Easter Sunday PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

Alkawa ward of Yola North Local Government Authority witnessed a heavy turnout of people as stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) denounced their membership and decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) saying the PDP offered nothing to Nigerians, after 16 years of governing the country.

Many officials of the APC, including the gubernatorial candidate, Senator Mohammadu Jibrilla Bindow, officially received the decampees.

One of the defectors, Madu Umar, said the PDP was a total failure and any right-thinking human being, wishing Adamawa

5 News

3000 PDP Members defect to APC in Adamawa State well, would not hesitate to move to the APC. “I used to be in PDP, but since the day I discovered that my effort for it was not appreciated, I directed my struggle in favour of the APC, with its wind of change slogan. Bindow is our saviour in this state. I am calling on all the people in Adamawa State to vote for APC all through”, Madu said.

Another decampee, Habu Dollar, extolled the qualities of the APC gubernatorial candidate, calling him a right standing man, who is going to change Adamawa State, within a very possible time.

HID Awolowo, YUF congratulate Buhari

Buhari’ll hand over to South East in 2023, says Ngige

ÏÏÏChief (Mrs.) H.I.D. Awolowo

Doris Nnabuenyi

and members of the Yoruba Unity Forum, (YUF), the umbrella body for all Yoruba socio-cultural organisations in Nigeria and Diaspora, have congratulated the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice-President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on their victory at the March 28, 2015 presidential election.

According to a statement, signed by YUF Chairperson, Chief (Mrs.) H.I.D. Awolowo; Deputy Chairman, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Gbonigi and Secretary General, Senator Tony Adefuye, “the electoral contest, no doubt, was a hard fought one, particularly, as you contested against an incumbent President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. We commend your decision to focus on issues of ultimate concern to majority of Nigerians during your electioneering campaigns.

“The task of rebuilding the country, certainly, requires the cooperation of all Nigerians and the Yoruba Unity Forum pledges to support you and your team to restore greatness again to our dear country Nigeria”, the statement added.

Awka

ÏÏÏThe

former Governor of Anambra State and South East Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Committee, Senator Chris Ngige, has said that the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, will hand over to a successor from the South East after his two terms in office.

Ngige, who disclosed this at a grand reception organised for

him by the APC in Awka, assured that the President-elect would run a participatory government that would represent all the tribes.

He stressed the need to have an opposition party in place, noting that it would enable the governing party to be alive to its responsibilities.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank all of you, who have been with me on this journey, it is not easy to play opposition politics, which I have played for 10 years, but, I have always

known that APC will form the next administration”, he said.

On the just concluded National Assembly election, Ngige regretted that the Igbo did not get reasonable number of votes in the APC, describing it as calamity that befell Ndigbo.

State Chairman of the party, Barr. Emeka Ibeh, while commending Ngige for his doggedness, charged the party faithful to remain steadfast.

He said that the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission

Five die in Delta auto crash

Monday Osayande Asaba

ÏÏÏDelta State Commander of

the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), Mr. Rindom Kumven, has confirmed that five passengers have been burnt to death in an auto crash at Arade along Ogwashiuku-Kwale–Ughelli road.

Kumven said, on Sunday, that the driver of a private car involved in the crash, lost one of his tyres through over-speeding be-

fore crashing through the median into a passenger vehicle coming from the same direction last Saturday.

The two vehicles were coming from Ozoro and heading towards Kwale, he explained.

Eye witnesses said that all efforts by the villagers and other motorists to pull out the trapped passengers proved abortive as the vehicles went up in flames. However, two of the victims were saved and rushed to an undisclosed hos-

norship and State House of Assembly elections, fire has razed the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Nworie-Ubi in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident, which occurred

early morning on Sunday and destroyed documents, including voting materials, was said to have been caused by unknown persons.

An eye witness said that the incident started around midnight while efforts by firemen from Owerri, to put out the inferno,

failed as the entire building was burnt to ashes.

According to the eye-witness, the overgrown weeds and bushes within the premises, fuelled the fire to wreak havoc on the building.

Commissioner of Police, Imo State, CP Austin

Buhari’s wife assures women of better life Augustine Aminu

ÏÏÏNigeria’s Uduaghan

pital.

Kumven, however, warned motorists to obey traffic rules at all time and avoid overspeeding.

Fire razes Imo INEC office

ÏÏÏBarely a week to the Gover-

(INEC) did not represent the wishes of the people in the area, insisting that the APC would challenge the process and reclaim its mandate through the court of law.

According to him, “I want to charge you all to go to the grassroots and tell them that the APC is the authentic party now that should be identified with at all levels of government. I want to assure you that with more efforts at the grassroots, APC will sweep the polls in the House of Assembly election on April 11.

Evbakhavbokun, who confirmed the incident, however, attributed the cause of the fire to a spark from a generator.

He said: “An operator left his generator on around midnight, from where the building caught fire with about five cans of fuel kept around the place”.

in-coming First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has assured Nigerian women that they will witness a better deal when the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, formally takes office on May 29, 2015.

Mrs. Buhari, in an Easter message to Christian women, said they were among the hardest working social groups, but have remained, economically and politically, marginalised.

She said under her husband’s government, honest labour and hard work would be adequately rewarded, while corruption would be fought aggressively.

She advised Nigerian women not to despair as the Buhari administration would spare no efforts to promote and protect their welfare.

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

I was caged for 16 years – Jonathan

Obasanjo campaigns at market, says, ‘let’s do it for APC again’ Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏFormer President Olusegun

Obasanjo paid an unusual visit to the popular Itoku Market in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday.

His mission: To appraise the welfare of the people. He seized the opportunity to urge market women to ‘do as they did’ on March 28 during the Presidential elections.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) trounced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state on March 28.

Obasanjo, a two-term president on the platform of the PDP

ditched the party shortly before the presidential election and openly embraced APC leaders.

He, however, pledged not to be involved in party politicking again but to operate as a statesman.

On Saturday, he was seen moving from one stall to another in company of his aides urging market women and men to peacefully vote for credible candidates during governorship election as they did in March 28 polls.

In undisguised support for the APC, the former president told newsmen when asked about his advice for the market men and women for April 11 polls that they should repeat the action of March

28.

“They should do exactly what they did last Saturday,” Obasanjo said, smiling.

Asked what took him to the market unannounced, Obasanjo said as a member of the community he had a right to visit his people especially in the spirit of Easter.

“Since I came back, I have not really visited any market. I have come to do two things. I have come to give them Easter greetings and to find out how they are doing in their market.”

“This is my community. As a member of the community, I want to know what’s going on and what’s happening in the community.”

L-R: President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd); Director of Security, APC Campaign and former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Abdulrahaman Danbazzau (rtd) and British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr.Andrew Pocock, during the presentation of congratulatory letter to the President-elect in Abuja… on Saturday Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN

Jonathan

ÏÏÏOutgoing

President Goodluck Jonathan has admitted that since 1999 when he became Deputy Governor of his home state of Bayelsa, he has been in one kind of cage or the other where government took care of all his needs.

The President, who reflected on his 16- year sojourn in politics, told Abuja residents who paid Easter homage to him at the State House on Sunday that he has had enough and would love to go home.

President Jonathan also stated that he considered himself the luckiest Nigerian ever.

“For me as an individual, this Easter coincides with the time I am leaving but I always say that I am one of the luckiest Nigerians.

I am yet to see somebody luckier than me.

“From 1999, I was in the hands of government for 16 years. Not just in government as a parliamentarian because if you are a Senator or House of Representatives member, you take care of yourself, you live in your own house.

“I was in a cage, being taken care of by the government. From May 29, 1999 to date; 16 good years.

I think it is enough and I am happy, help me to thank God for that.

“I will continue to thank Nigeri-

ans for giving me that privilege. I became deputy governor because Bayelsans voted for me and my governor then. I became a Vice President because Nigerians voted for Yar’Adua and myself.

“I continued in 2011 because Nigerians voted for me and Architect Namadi Sambo. I have to thank all Nigerians. Wherever I will be, I will remain grateful to this great country. Today is a glorious day for me,” he stated.

The President urged Nigerians to be ready to make sacrifices for the survival of the government irrespective of who is the President at a given time.

He said even since his days as deputy governor in his home state, he kept telling people that what he needed from them was patriotism and not loyalty.

He said nation building depends on sacrifice and patriotism.

He recalled the examples of soldiers and policemen who he said were dying daily in their fight against Boko Haram for others to live.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who led the delegation thanked the President for his efforts, adding that he had become a better person after working with Jonathan for five years.

Also Present at the event were Minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed; Minister of State, FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide; Senator representing FCT, Philip Aduda, Deputy Governor of Sokoto, Muktar Shagari among other dignitaries.

Three-time divorcee Nigerian ‘lesbian’ loses UK asylum battle Continued from page 4 to a European national.

Dismissing her 15-month legal tussle, during which she gathered over 20,000 online signatories to back her case, Bowers upheld the March 3 submissions of the Crown’s - government’s - lawyer, Andrew Bird, who had, among others, argued that her case be thrown out because, the factual findings of the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) were binding on the Royal Courts of Justice, RCJ. Bird also argued that it was an “abuse of the judicial process to make a collateral challenge to a decision which had a statutory right of appeal (but) which the Claimant Apata- has elected not to pursue.”

The FTT, Bird had reminded the

court, is “charged by Parliament with jurisdiction to make findings of fact, and is equipped to do so by means of the facility to hear oral evidence and cross- examination.”

Bowers cited the October 10, 2012 ruling of the FTT, which among others, concluded that Apata did not have a genuine and subsisting relationship and that in addition to her criminal behavior, she had shown contempt for the immigration laws of the UK and “repeatedly abused these laws.”

The FTT had also at the time of their ruling, concluded that “she is not a lesbian and she will not be motivated (to) act in such a manner as to be perceived to be a lesbian.”

In arriving at his ruling on Wednesday, the judge said: “I

agree with Mr Bird that there was nothing irrational, perverse or wrong in law in the Defendant’s decision given the findings of the FTT.” Her case was also dismissed on human rights ground and the court sided with Bird’s submission that even though she might have “sometimes” engaged in lesbianism, including producing DVDs of herself and her partner, “this claimant is not genuinely lesbian in terms of sexual orientation, and would not be perceived as such, and so she personally in fact has no well- founded fear of persecution” if sent back to Nigeria.

The judge added: “Indeed I find it difficult to disagree with the conclusions of the FTT that ‘she

has engaged in same- sex relationships in detention in order to fabricate an asylum claim base on claimed sexual activity. “ Moreover, “I believe this fabrication has continued outside of detention. I also accept the associated submission made by Mr Bird that she has in effect adjusted her conduct so as to adopt other customs, dress and mores of a particular social group purely as a way of gaining refugee status.”

This, the judge said, “appears to accord with the findings of the FTT ...”

Reacting to the ruling on Saturday, a prominent openly gay Nigerian, Davis Mac-Iyalla said: “ I am not a lawyer and don’t know what she can claim again under the UK legal system, but I

can advise that she reach out to the LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals and Transexuals) at home to see how they can support her in terms of being safe, should she be deported.”

The activist added: “I have always known that asylum is not for everyone , but those who are honest and are at risks should be given protection .”

Lady Phyl Opoku of Black Gay Pride also told the Daily Times that the judgement was disappointing. She said: “This is very sad and disappointing. Aderonke has been graceful and very visible in our community.” The Daily Times contacted Apata for her thoughts on Saturday, but she had not responded to the correspondence as at press time.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

March 28 polls marred by fraud, military intimidation, says LP Augustine Aminu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Labour Party (LP) has

claimed that the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections were characterised by military intimidation, electoral malpractice, fraud, collusion and substitution of authentic figures.

Making the submission in Abuja on Sunday, the National Chairman of LP, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, told newsmen at the party's secretariat that there were many instances in most states, where the ad-hoc officials engaged by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and military men, brazenly thumb-printed ballot papers in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Abdulsalam, it was observed that in most polling units in Ohaukwu, headquarters

of Ezzamgbo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, electoral materials were not made available before noon, while agents of the PDP, in collaboration with military men, coerced voters, who were mainly supporters of the LP, to thumb-print opposite the PDP logo.

He added that PDP agents openly shared money during the voting in most of the polling units monitored by LP agents across most states in the South East.

Abdulsalam, also alleged that military men deployed to collation centres terrorised people, beat up others and scared away everyone, before conveying INEC officials in military vehicles to Ohaukwu and coerced them to change the authentic results in favour of the PDP. While reeling out electoral malpractice in most states of the federation, Abdulsalam demand-

ed the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Akwa Ibom State, for what he termed as connivance with government officials in the state in the distribution of fake ballot papers and result sheets.

In Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, according to the LP chieftain's helmsman, election was marred by irregularities in most polling units, as the INEC ad-hoc officials and their supervisors violated the electoral rule by conveying ballot papers to police stations, instead of local government collation centres, where APC agents thumb-printed the ballot papers without the presence of other political party agents.

Rivers State was another example cited by the LP, as it alleged that the election in the state was characterised by rampant stuffing of boxes with ballot papers,

Ilorin

ÏÏÏ

Jega

abandonment of the biometric card reader and the use of security agents to intimidate supporters of other parties by the PDP and its agents.

LP also cried foul over what it termed massive electoral fraud by the two leading parties in the country, the PDP and APC, which denied LP of electoral gains. It warned against a repeat of same in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, especially in states where it was fielding candidates.

ÏÏÏ The All Progressives Grand

Alliance (APGA) has congratulated the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and called on him to use his new office to ensure greater unity of Nigeria.

Speaking through its National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, on Sunday, APGA said it was the turning point in the history of

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governorship candidate in Kwara State, Simeon Ajibola, has called on Christians and people in the state to emulate Jesus Christ and embrace love and peace during the Easter season.

Ajibola, who made the call on Sunday in his Easter message to Christians, said Jesus Christ came into the world to institute love and peace. “As we wine and dine to commemorate Easter, we must not lose focus on the spiritual purpose of the festival,” the senator said.

Bishop urges politicians to emulate Jonathan’s 'sportsmanship' Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÏÏÏThe

Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Godfrey Onah, has called on governorship candidates in the forthcoming April 11 election to emulate the spirit of sportsmanship exhibited by President Goodluck Jonathan in the last polls.

Onah, speaking on Sunday during the Easter service homily at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church Cathedral, Nsukka, said the President’s humility and sportsmanship in accepting defeat averted what could have resulted in postelection violence in the country.

APGA congratulates Buhari, tasks him on national unity Awka

Kwara PDP gov candidate greets Christians at Easter Ola Yekeen

L-R: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe and his wife, Flora, at the Abia-South Senatorial District campaign in Abia State…at the weekend

Okechukwu Onuegbu

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Nigeria to make every part of the country feel the sense of belonging.

“We congratulate the new President-elect for winning the election, and President Goodluck Jonathan for ignoring the hawks around him, to concede victory to Buhari. We are optimistic that Buhari’s coming will restore liberty to the people of the South East, just as the coming of Christ restored liberty to humanity,” Umeh said.

He also appealed to the incoming administration of All Progressives Congress (APC) not to view the South Easterners as enemies: “Now that Jonathan, who we hoped to address the anomalies against the Igbo, did not make it, we are pleading with Buhari to adopt the National Conference resolutions; it is for the good of the country. He has the responsibility to bring every part of this country back to the centre, using his presidential powers,” Umeh

ÏÏÏNigeria's

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has condoled with the government and people of Kenya over the recent terrorist attack on Garissa University, in which about 148 people, majority being students, were killed.

In a statement signed by Buhari, on Sunday, he said: “I wish to extend my condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the attack on Garissa University, and to all the people of Kenya at this sorrowful time.

“There are those among us who will always find an excuse -- religion, tribe, and others -- to take innocent lives. These terrorists are

Varsity killing: Buhari condoles with Kenya over terrorist attack a scourge all across Africa and the world, and we must confront them together, using all the tools at our disposal.

“I want to assure the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, and all Kenyans of Nigeria's support and prayers, now and in the future,” he added.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Politics Ferguson Ajiroghene Onwo Former Special Assistant, Youth as well as Special Assistant, NDDC matters to the Delta\State governor.

ONWO Problem in Nigeria is attitude

s

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

Hon (Chief) Ferguson Ajiroghene Onwo is a former Special Assistant on Youth as well as Special Assistant on NDDC matters to the Delta\State governor. Onwo recently defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) where he is seeking the mandate of his people to represent Isoko South Constituency II in Delta State House of Assembly (DTSHA). He spoke with JOE OGBODU. Excerpts.

What is your take on the use of card readers on election day?

It must be used because I know INEC spent so much money to acquire those card readers for every unit and extra ones as back up. So if they are not using it, why did the government go ahead to produce them. Anybody saying they should not be used, if the person is a government person in the National Assembly, I am ashamed of the person. Because they saw the INEC budget, what they should

have done at that time was to say please Nigerians are hungry, this money they want to use to bring card readers should be used to construct roads; let them go and vote manually, let accreditation be done manually. But they approved the whole money and they have brought the card readers, so why should they say it should not be used. In fact those people should be held accountable for the problems of this country beCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

ANAMBRA POLLS

It’s a mixed grill Doris Nnabuenyi The National Assembly and Presidential elections may have come and gone with all the high and low points that had trailed the exercise, but in Anambra State, the turn of events presented issues that actually proved book makers wrong when the results became public.

Aside from Presidential elections which the state voted massively for the People’s Democratic Party(PDP). the Senate and House of Representatives elections were expected by political watchers to go in favour of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA).

However the PDP which was reported to have an alliance with APGA, appears not to have respected that political

Obiano

TARABA: What does Darius really want?

Emmanuel Iffer Although, there are no less than 11 candidates who are seeking to occupy the Taraba Government House, Jalingo, come May 29, it is however clear that only three of the lot can really be said to be serious candidates or front runners, The three frontline candi-

dates in no particular order are; David Sabo Kente, of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sen. Aisha Alhassan, of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Darius Dickson Ishaku, of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

Of the three, Darius, who is simply known as DDI, stands out in all respects, when one considers their pedigree in

marriage, when it insisted that Anambra electorate should vote for it in all the three elections.

APGA had adopted President Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP candidate and urged the electorate to vote for APGA in the National Assembly elections.

Ironically, the PDP swept the three elections in a manner that have left APGA lamenting betrayal of confidence both on the side of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The PDP won the senatorial seats in Anambra producing, Princess Stella Odua for Anambra North, Hon. Uche Ekwunife for Central and returning Sen. Andy Uba for South.

It also won nine out of the 11 House of Representatives seats, while APGA won that

terms of achievements; both career and at the home front, as well as experience and maturity.

This therefore raises the question as to why an architect of Darius standing, with well over three decades of successful practice, and also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architecture(FNIA) and mem-

of Oyi/Ayamelum federal constituency through Barr Gabriel Onyewife and Anambra East west Constituency.

But APGA has already complained over what it called grave irregularities and manipulations done by the PDP who allegedly connived with INEC in perpetrating the electoral fraud.

According Gov. Willie Obiano who spoke through his Commissioner for information, Tony Onyima, the APGA Board of Trustees Chairman said that “It is disturbing in the sense that even though the abusive act of thuggery was perpetrated in the current election, it reawakened in the consciousness of Ndi Anambra, a sad feeling of the return of impunity for CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

ber of Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, who has also lectured and produced several outstanding architects for the country, would venture into the muddy waters of Nigerian politics.

This question is even more pertinent, when one also conCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

9

Politics

Call for change caused by poor representation – Onwo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

cause you did budgetary provision and the money was used and you came back to say the items should not be used. So to me, it is not a good thing at all.

Do you support use of military for peaceful elections?

It is now elections in this country are better. In those days in the first republic, the wild- Wild West, elections were even worse off then in terms of violence.

That is why I earlier supported the use of military for elections because anybody going out on Election Day has three things to do. One, to vote, one to fight and one to disrupt elections or through any other means. But if the military is there on that day, of course they will be able to curtail any violence. The level of violence might not be so much the way I see Nigerians now, it will decrease with time until we have a violent free elections.

Pockets of violence will always be there because of the problems of attitude.

I always tell people that in this country, infrastructure will always develop faster than attitude. The problem we have in this country is attitude, someone going to vote will carry bottle in his pocket. If he does not win, he will fight. Until we really have a good mental attitude during elections, when you win you win for everybody when you lose you congratulate the winner. Until we have that attitude, you will always see people fighting at polling stations. So what we should do as Nigerians is to grow an attitude of compliance. Most people in this country are deviants; they will see the right thing but will go and do the wrong thing. So as long as attitude is concerned we have not gotten anything right,

Onwo

you will see some of these problems there. But by God’s grace with a good political culture in the future, we will get the things right.

Why are you in the race and what do you think the person there has not done well?

If you are elected into an office, if you have the mandate of the people to represent them, you have a lot of expectation by the people, other than what is commonly known as “stomach infrastructure”. People expect to see the dividend of democracy on ground. At least indices of government when you pass through a community you will see it and people will know there is government presence in the place. Those things have been totally absent in our constituency.

The people who have served there in the past 12 years have failed to attract development to the area the way it is expected and that necessitated the call for change. Personally I always have the passion to serve; in 1991 when the local government was created I was a councilor in Olomoro ward 6 and also the leader / speaker of the local government. So my early entrance into politics started with the legislative arm. My knowledge in legislative arm, other than the passion to serve, the absence of effective representation; lack of dividends of democracy are amongst the principal reason that spurred me to say there must be a change. And on my own I have conveniently designed a programme in which development will be attracted to the place because I know that the work of a legislator is to make laws, because I know that if laws are made and followed up, development can come through laws especially the bill.

Onwo

“The people who have served there in the past 12 years have failed to attract development to the area the way it is expected and that necessitated the call for change”

The bill is a law, the bill tells the whole thing about development at least for a year for a state. So your input and oversight functions if carefully managed, development must come to the area. I think that my experience at various offices, as a councilor, a speaker, a former local government Chairman, S.A on youth. S.A on party, S.A on NDDC has given me the necessary exposure to do what it takes in government to do. Fortunately for me the only thing I have done in terms of employment in terms of position has always been in government.

Since I left University, I have always been in government. So I think that having done close to thirty years of government

business, I am well equipped to represent the people.

You talked of dividends of democragy, can you be specific?

If there is a public tap, road, hospital, schools, those are the things that comes from government. When we say dividends of democracy, because in the military there was nothing happening, they will read a budget that will not be implemented. So that word dividends of democracy came when we started real representation of the people.

There is this notion in government about the power of incumbency by the ruling party; don’t you think this will be a stumbling block to your aspiration?

You see, things about the ruling party always come from the executive arm. You know the government at the top, at the state, the president, the incumbent governor, that is when you really talk of incumbency. But in the legislature worldwide, even when there are independent candidates, the legislature is always formed by various parties. There is nowhere in government where you have total incumbency, that this legislature is totally PDP or totally APC; we don’t have it in this world. So the incumbency factor does not work in the legislature, you must have variance of other parties representing the people; because you are going there to represent the people and not to enforce or execute programmes of government. However we all started in PDP, you know in this country, the parties are not ideologically based; it is where you think you can win election that you go to contest and win.

“I always tell people that in this country, infrastructure will always develop faster than attitude. The problem we have in this country is attitude, someone going to vote will carry bottle in his pocket. If he does not win, he will fight. Until we really have a good mental attitude during elections, when you win you win for everybody when you lose you congratulate the winner. Until we have that attitude, you will always see people fighting at polling stations.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Politics 10 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

which Anambra earned bad name in Nigeria years ago.

Beyond the election, the act of brigandage throws up a worrisome concern for governance, that the forces that had insidiously given refuge to all kinds of perverse conducts in Anambra State, namely armed robbery, kidnapping and excesses in high places, are rearing their ugly heads again.

“That anti-democracy elements, who are also notable figures of the PDP were directly involved in manipulating the electoral process in key areas of the state, kidnapping INEC officials, hijacking the results from polling stations and rewriting the actual figures in favour of PDP candidates. A good case in point is the incident in Ihiala Local Government where an attempt to stop some PDP elements from altering the results of the voting exercise led to the death of two Nigerians – a police man and an innocent citizen.

“That a similar scenario played out in Idemili North Local Government Area where an invading mob led by a Federal Minister brazenly thwarted the will of the people by altering the results of the votes cast in the entire council area, in fa-

“The nature of protests from APGA would certainly present a platoria of litigation when the Anambra State Election Petitions Tribunal comes on stream.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

APGA, PDP trade blames over malpractice in Anambra vour of his junior brother, the PDP candidate, against what were recorded in the various polling booths.

“That the results of the Senatorial Elections as announced by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State do not by any stretch of the imagination reflect the expressed will of Ndi Anambra and therefore stand out as a monumental electoral injustice on our people.

“That as a corollary to these observations, the APGA hereby rejects in its entirety, the results of the Senatorial Elections in Anambra State as they are in total violation of the sovereign will of Ndi Anambra and stand out as a travesty to our people’s clamour for social justice and equitable representation in national politics.

“We therefore call on the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State to urgently look into our complaints with a view to ensuring immediate redress that will restore the faith of Ndi Anambra in the democratic process as well as the inevitable triumph of the supremacy of the will of the people in the nation’s democratic culture,” he stressed.

But the Elections operations Committee Chairman for the PDP Prince Kenneth Emeakayi dismissed the claims of Obiano insisting that APGA must learn to comport itself and accept defeat.

Emeakayi said “APGA should learn how to comport themselves and to accept defeat in the face of total rejection of the party APGA by Ndi Anambra as witnessed during the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“That APGA should realized that Ndi Anambra have never supported APGA as a political party, rather their support has always being to Governor Peterr Obi, Hon Uche Ekwunife, and others who hitherto were in APGA but now members of PDP in Anambra State.

“That we rejected in its entirety the purported results of the election in Anambra East/ Anambra West and Ayamelum/Oyi Federal Constituencies and state that we are still studying the report about what actually happened during the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections in the said constituencies, and shall make our position known after consultations with the

Obiano

Ifeanyi Uba

Ekwunife

Andy Uba

National Leadership of our great party the PDP. “No amount of harassment and intimidation can deter us from winning the April 11, 2015 State Assembly election in Anambra State. He added.

While the duo of PDP and APGA are neck deep in allegations and counter allegations, the Senator Representing Anambra Central District Dr Chris Ngige of the (APC) who lost to Ekwunife of the PDP is said to have accepted the outcome of the exercise adding that the victory of Gen Muhammadu as the next presi-

dent of Nigeria is an indication that the country’s democracy is growing.

Ngige noted that Nigerians have been enriched and exposed to what democracy is all about adding that in subsequent elections the country and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would improve on the records of 2015 general election.

Be that as it may, the nature of protests from APGA would certainly present a platoria of litigation when the Anambra State Election Petitions Tribunal comes on stream.

Isoko South has been misrepresented in Delta for 12 years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

That is why you have a member of the National Assembly as Speaker saying I am APC, whereas it was through PDP that he entered into the government. Also we have sitting governors saying we are no longer in PDP but in APC, vice versa.

Why did you leave PDP? It was being run in my constituency and in my local gov-

ernment like a family affair.

Opportunity was not given to people to compete. There wasn’t any community tendencies, it was a party of exclusion; they obviously and consciously excluded people from governance.

Promises were always broken when PDP people gather to say it is your turn to assume a position but when they wake up the next morning, they do another thing. I felt enough was enough; I needed to go to a party where

you can compete, have a mandate and you can go and sleep.

You saw that when elections were postponed some weeks ago PDP was still running to INEC to change names of candidates.

It is not a party you have your ticket and go home to sleep.

What are the chances of APC in Isoko?

In my constituency it is very bright; I don’t want to talk in terms of percentage but in terms of awareness it is very

bright because a decision was taken at the constituency leadership level to say because we have said it is the turn of this man to go, so anywhere he goes that is where we will go. So you will find majority of PDP people in the constituency saying in this election we are going to vote for this man because we don’t want the other man again.

So it is really a popular campaign that we have taken to the streets. Why it is like is that in

those days you go to a community and consult three people.

But in this my campaign, in every community I have consulted more than 40 persons in each community. I have taken the battle to okada riders, farmers, fishermen and anybody who I know have votes. I have even taken this battle to the USA and to the UK. There is no where I have not gone to campaign that there must be change in Isoko and the constituency.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

11

Politics

JONATHAN’S LOSS:

Ijaw Council to restrategise Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has said that it is reviewing the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in last week’s Presidential election with a view to strategising on the next line of action.

Spokesman for the group, Eric Omare, said at the weekend that they are not satisfied with the result of the polls and will seek a new direction for the struggle for resource control.

Already, a meeting was called for yesterday.

According to him,“The IYC has resolved to call for a National Congress of all Ijaw Youths on Sunday, the 5th of April, 2015 at Tuomo Community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State where all the

Ijaw Youths of the Niger-Delta region would meet to review the outcome of the Presidential elections,” the statement began.

“IYC will take a position and determine the next direction of our struggle for self-determination and resource control as enshrined in the historic Kaiama Declaration.

“We call on all Ijaw Youths to be alert and ready to heed the call to the service of the Ijaw nation at this crucial time of our history and struggle for survival in the Nigerian state in the face of the grand conspiracy between the north and a section of the south west to continue to suppress and exploit the resource of the Ijaw nation.

“We recall that when President Jonathan, an Ijaw and

Jonathan

from the South South won an internationally acclaimed free, fair and credible election in 2011, General Buhari and his people never at any time congratulated or supported President Jonathan.

“Instead they killed hundreds of innocent Nigerians and fought President Jonathan from the day he became the Acting President of Nigeria in 2010 until the north conspired with a section of the south west to take over the Presidency from President Jonathan and the minorities of the south-south in

an election fraught with irregularities.

“It is also significant to note that none of the northern sociocultural groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and others congratulated or supported the administration of President Jonathan.

“Northerners created Boko Haram and blamed it on President Jonathan deliberately to incite the northern populace against President Jonathan and make him unpopular in the 2015 election so as to take back power in a grand conspiracy with a

section of the south west.

“Therefore, the April 5, 2015 meeting of all Ijaw youths would determine the position of the Ijaw Youths on the 2015 Presidential election and our next line of action,” Omare said.

The Kaima Declaration of 1998 demanded, among other things, that oil companies should stop all exploration and exploitation activities in the Ijaw area, self government and resource control for the Ijaw people and a federation of a federation of ethnic nationalities.

Adamawa: Not yet Uhuru for Ribadu Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has dissociated himself from a photograph of him canvassing for votes for Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Adamawa State.

Atiku, in a statement said that the circulation of a photograph showing him carrying a banner asking for votes for Ribadu was a fraud done out of malice.

According to the statement, the banner in question was the banner he held in canvassing for votes for the Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, during the last governorship election in Osun State last year.

Atiku said that the imperative of voting for the APC in the next line of elections in the country on April 11 is a virtue that he is firmly committed to, and to which he will urge all Nigerians to give unwavering support.

He said: “The purported photograph of me canvassing for votes for the PDP in the Adamawa governorship election is a fraud and done out of outright malice.

“I did not and will never call for support for any candidate of the PDP. The photograph that is being circulated is the Photoshop copy of my photograph that called for votes for the Osun State governor in the 2014 gubernatorial election in that state.

Ribadu “My commitment to support and canvass for votes for the APC, not only in Adamawa State, but in all strata of elections across the country is a virtue that I will urge all Nigerians to follow,” he said.

What does Darius want in Taraba?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

siders that until his voluntary exit from the federal executive council late last year, DDI, was a serving minister, and had served in three critical ministries of the federal republic, and by all standard, he was outstanding, with remarkable results that still bear witness to his achievement.

Prior to his appointment as a minister, DDI, was managing a very successful business, which has outlets in Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, just to mention a few.

This further begs the question as to what does Darius really want in Taraba State,or could it be that he is one of those who

lack the virtue of containment?

In his “my dream for a new Taraba in four years”, DDI, notes as follows; “Taraba is a naturally endowed state in Nigeria, filled with both human and natural resources; beautifully tucked amongst mountains.

“Many have ruled the state at different times, leaving their marks. Yet, with all these efforts, Taraba State remains like a child needing more attention than it is getting; desiring desperately a sincere visionary leadership to harness it’s vast resources for tangible development.”

This obviously provides an insight into the mind and

thinking of DDI, and his desire for a state such as Taraba, which is natures’ gift to the nation.

World over, particularly in societies that have made so much progress, political leadership, often emerge from among individuals who have achieved in their chosen carriers, and would usually venture into politics with the sole aim of service, or giving back to the societies that have made them who they are, which explains why they have advanced so well, and are still advancing with such speed that can only be compared with that of light.

Because,they usually bring into governance their wealth

of experience that are driven by sound ideas, which help transform their societies that we today envy, and are quick to turn to for almost everything.

This is why for many, the venturing into politics of the likes of DDI, is not only healthy, but also a sign of good things to come, especially now that Nigeria is desirous of imaginative and visionary leaders, who would not only be committed, but equally give more attention to the societies they lead.

For those who know the man, he is a diligent man, a workaholic, who is full of an unimaginable energy, who always loves and dedicate himself to any assignment he is tasked with.

Ishaku

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Don’t forget your promises, group urges Buhari

Adamawa PDP responsible for Ogun economic woes, says Amosun SUBEB chair

Tosin Ajuwon

Abiodun Taiwo

ÏÏÏThe

ÏÏÏThe Ogun State government

Akure

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has been advised to justify the confidence reposed in him by the electorate and fulfil the promises made during his electioneering campaign.

The Coalition of Patriots, a sociopolitical group, gave the advice, on Sunday, in a press statement, issued in Akure, Ondo State.

The statement, signed by its Coordinator, Ifesanmi Ajiwoye, admonished Buhari to use his administration for the good of the country and avoid taken the electorate for granted.

Ajiwoye said the victory of tBuhari in the presidential election, showed that the prayers of the people for a ‘change’ had been answered.

“The President-elect must, therefore, justify people’s confidence in him by striving to fulfil his promises to them. It is by fulfilling the promises that the change of government will have meaning to them.

“The people of this country prayed to God for a change of government at the centre. God has now answered their prayer through the election of Buhari”.

He congratulated the presidentelect for his overwhelming victory and called on all stakeholders in the countrys to set an agenda for the new central government.

“The political consciousness of the people is now high and they will no longer vote for those who cannot add value to their lives,” the body said.

Abeokuta

has attributed the current financial challenges in the state to “personal financial mismanagement” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the April 11 governorship election in the state, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, when he was the Managing Director of Gateway Holdings Limited, during the eight-year rule of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as governor.

The government’s position was made known at a press briefing entitled: “the State’s Financial Position”; addressed by the Com-

missioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, in company of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abeokuta, on Saturday.

Adeosun said: “It was the financial mismanagement of the PDP candidate, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka, that contributed to the financial challenges we have faced.

“Under his leadership, Gateway Holdings took a loan totalling N1.6 billion, guaranteed by Ogun State Government, purportedly for the construction of a head office and a mega filling station.

“It is shame that there is nothing

Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Department of State Security (DSS), is investigating two journalists working with Doha-based international television station, Al Jazeera, for allegedly spying on military operational areas in Nigerias.

The two Nigerian-born journalists, detained by the military, were released to the Department of State Security (DSS) on Saturday.

Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustapha , were picked up by the soldiers two weeks ago, after they were found roaming around military operation areas in Borno State,

without authorisation or military escort.

The pair was, subsequently, restricted to their hotel rooms in Maiduguri, from where they were released to DSS in the early hours of Saturday.

The defence authorities had, in a statement, last Wednesday, clarified that the two journalists were restrained for roaming in the mission areas without military authorisation and necessary security protection.

The security chiefs, it was gathered, took the precautionary measure of handing them over to the DSS to underscore the risk involved in straying into such sensitive operational areas

without permission.

The military and the intelligence community have repeatedly warned, in the past, that they would not tolerate any suspected incidence of spying.

Unfortunately, in intelligence circles, roaming within a restricted or operational area is considered as spying.

“They are being transferred to the DSS, which will handle the subsequent interrogation”, an intelligence expert said.

“They would be released, eventually, but we are trying to pass a message that people should not violate our security procedure in the name of journalism”, the military expert said.

absolves self of corruption

Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏThe Adamawa State Chair-

Amosun

A cross section of passengers descending from the Omoluabi Free Train Ride, provided by Osun State government from Lagos to Osun for the 2015 Easter festival at Osogbo terminus station… on Saturday

DSS probes Al-Jazeera journalists for alleged spying Andrew Orolua

beyond a foundation to show for the loan taken and the proceeds cannot be accounted for. In addition, not one naira was repaid, culminating in this administration inheriting a balance of N2.6 billion, which we are now repaying at the rate of N100m monthly.”

man of Universal Basic Education Board, (ADSUBEB), Alhaji Bello Dawuda Foru, has said that he can never be corrupt and anybody being sponsored to stain his over 40 years of building a good name and character is wasting his time.

According to him, maintaining his good name was a virtue he had jealousy protected over the years and at this time, he could not allow anybody to stain his respected name. ‘’I am not a corrupt person and I don’t intend to be one. I am hard on principles and I cannot compromise my principles,” Foru said, adding that “corruption is not part of me. My records are there for all to see.”

He said further that the allegations of corruption against him lacked merit and urged Governor Bala Ngilari to investigate the purported allegations.

“No contractor given mobilisation fees or any company gave me any money. So, where are all the allegations are coming from?”, Foru queried.

My relationship with Jonathan still cordial, says Fani-Kayode Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Director, Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi FaniKayode, has described the information being circulated in social media where, he reportedly said that President Goodluck Jonathan was leaving a legacy of ‘destruction and disaster’ as false.

Fani-Kayode, in a statement,on Sunday, by his Special Assistant, Jude Ndukwe, pointed out that the statement being referred to was lifted from media reports of April 25, 2013, when he was with the All Progressives Congress

(APC).

According to him: “The report does not, in any way, represent Chief Femi Fani-Kayode’s opinion of President Jonathan, whom he holds in very high esteem; a fact that made the former Minister of Aviation work so vigorously for Mr. President as Director, Media and Publicity of his campaign organisation in the just concluded presidential election.”

The statement described the cordial relationship between them (Jonathan and Fani-Kayode) as exemplary and legendary.

It accused those, tagged enemies of the country, of trying to sow a seed of discord and create enmity between him and the President.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

13 Africa

S’ Leone records first Ebola case in four months •••Sierra Leone’s east-

ern district of Kailahun, once a hotbed of Ebola, has recorded its first case in nearly four months, threatening progress made to stamp out the disease, officials said Saturday.

A nine-month-old boy tested positive for Ebola after dying in Kailahun, the district on Guinea’s border that recorded Si-

erra Leone’s first Ebola case last May and was for months the epicenter of the crisis.

Kailahun went from recording up to 80 infections per week in June to zero cases at the end of last year. Nearly 3,800 people have died of Ebola in Sierra Leone, but numbers of weekly cases are falling as steps to control the disease take hold.

However, Winnie Romeril, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, said local and foreign experts had been dispatched to investigate the case after the positive test result.

Kenema and Kono, two other eastern districts, have recorded a handful of cases in recent months, but Kailahun’s successes had been cited as exam-

ples for other areas to follow.

Alex Bonapha, the Kailahun district council chairman, said it was not clear how the boy may have contracted Ebola. Both his parents are healthy.

Bonapha said the boy might have gotten the disease during a blood transfusion, or there might have been a problem with the sample that was tested.

Rights group urges Egypt to halt execution of six men Sources at the Nixon Hospital in Kailahun district confirmed that the boy had undergone a blood transfusion before dying.

“I am aware of the weakness in the health system, which means that the blood transfused into the baby could well not have been the blood that had been donated by his uncle,’’ Bonapha said.

Medical officials working with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) to prepare to take food to patients in the isolation area of an Ebola treatment center in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun district, July 20, 2014.

Libya suicide bomber kills four in Misrata •••At least four people

were killed and more than 20 wounded by a suicide bomb attack on a security checkpoint east of the Libyan city of Misrata, a local official news agency reported on Sunday.

Libya is caught up in a conflict between two rival governments and armed forces who have attacked towns allied with opponents. But Islamist militants are also increasing their reach in the chaos since Moammar Gadhafi’s fall in 2011.

One woman and her two children were among the victims of the suicide blast at the checkpoint in

Es Dada, east of Misrata, the LANA news agency associated with the Tripoli government said.

Misrata is a power base for the Libya Dawn forces who took over the capital Tripoli in the summer and set up their own selfdeclared government and parliament in a challenge to Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni’s recognized administration.

Misrata forces have also been fighting on a second front with militants tied to the Islamic State group in the city of Sirte, where extremists and local Islamist militants have been expanding.

Kenyan official’s son among gunmen in Garissa attack •••Authorities in Kenya

on Sunday identified one of the al-Shabaab gunmen who massacred 148 people at a university as the son of a Kenyan government official.

An Interior Ministry spokesman, Mwenda Njoka, said that Abdirahim Abdullahi was among four suicide attackers killed during Thursday’s massacre at Garissa University College. The spokesman said the government official had earlier reported his son missing.

A Garissa-based official told Reuters the government was aware Abdullahi, a former University

of Nairobi law student, had joined the militant group al Shabaab after graduating in 2013. “He was a very brilliant student. But then he got these crazy ideas,” the official told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Kenyan churches used armed guards to protect their congregations Sunday, as Easter services were dedicated to the 148 victims of Thursday’s massacre.

For the several hundred members of Garissa’s Christian minority, which is fearful following the attack by the al-Shabab militants, Sunday’s service was laden with emotion. The gunmen who attacked Garissa University College on

Thursday singled out Christians for killing, though alShabab has a long record of killing Muslims over the years.

A woman sings during an Easter Sunday service in a church in Garissa, Kenya, April 5, 2015.A woman sings during an Easter Sunday service in a church in Garissa, Kenya, April 5, 2015.

Mwenda Njoka

•••A

rights group has urged Egypt to halt the execution of six men condemned to death by a military tribunal for killing security forces, citing lawyers and family who contend some of them were in jail at the time of the attack.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Saturday that the men are accused of being members of the insurgent group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.

The rights group says the men were part of a group of nine convicted of killing two officers in a 2014 shootout north of Cairo, and it says they should be given a retrial before a civilian court.

Since the military ousted an Islamist president in 2013, courts have swiftly dealt out many harsh sentences, including life in prison and death sentences.

Militants attack Malian city, several injured •••Militants

shelled Gao, the largest city in restive northern Mali, on Sunday, killing a civilian and wounding three relatives as they slept, said hospital and security sources.

A police official in Gao said the deadly rocket strike hit a household in the north of the city, while two more landed near a clinic in the city centre and in a field to the south.

“We received four wounded by rocket fire.

One person, aged 27, has died from his injuries,” said an official at Gao’s main hospital, adding that a three-year-old was among the wounded.

A security source in Minusma, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, confirmed the attack, which came six days after a Red Cross worker was killed by jihadists in Gao.

Foreign 14

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Pope Francis laments attacks on Christians

Anti-Islam, anti-racism protesters clash in Australia

ÏÏÏThousands of anti-Islam and

anti-racism protesters clashed in angry rallies around Australia on Saturday.

The most violent clash was in Melbourne, Australia's secondlargest city, where police struggled to separate 3,000 opposing demonstrators.

The Victoria state ambulance service treated four people, three for minor injuries from assaults in Melbourne, Ambulance Victoria spokesman Paul Bentley said.

The fourth was treated for chest pains. None of the injured was taken to a hospital, he said.

Police arrested two men and a woman in the fracas in Melbourne's downtown Federation Square, Victoria Police spokeswoman Belinda Batty said.

Batty said the three were later released. She said all would be charged, but she could not detail those charges.

South Korean Catholics buy eggs to celebrate Easter at Myungdong Cathedral in Seoul, on Sunday.

ÏÏÏ

Pope Francis has presided over the solemn Easter Vigil service amid mounting Vatican concern for modern-day Christian martyrs whose deaths have dominated this Easter season.

Francis walked in the dark down an utterly silent St Peter's Basilica at the start of the vigil Mass, which precededed the joyous celebration on Easter Sun-

Malaysian politicians killed in helicopter crash

ÏÏÏ

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's chief of staff and a former ambassador to the United States, who was also a senior member of Najib's party, were among six people killed in a helicopter crash near the capital, officials said on Sunday.

Witnesses told state news agency Bernama that they saw the helicopter explode in mid-air before it crashed to the ground in the town of Semenyih outside Kuala Lumpur late on Saturday.

The Prime Minister's office said the helicopter was carrying guests back from a wedding reception for Najib's daughter.

Malaysian officials also con-

day commemorating Christ's resurrection after his crucifixion.

In his homily, Francis said the Easter mystery requires the faithful to seek an answer "to the questions which challenge our faith, our fidelity and our very existence."

During the late-night service, 10 people from Italy, Portugal,

firmed that Najib's chief of staff, Azlin Alias, and lawmaker Jamaluddin Jarjis, a former Malaysian ambassador to the United States, were among those killed in the crash. A grief-stricken Najib told a news conference that "no stone will be left unturned" by investigators determining the cause of the crash.

"We have lost two figures who had made great contributions to the government, party and country in this tragedy," Bernama quoted a tearful Najib as saying.

He said Jamaluddin had played a significant role in building close ties between Malaysia and the United States. Jamaluddin was also a senior member of Najib's United Malays National Organisation, the party that has led the coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957.

"His loss is a big tragedy to me and I am deeply saddened by what has happened," Najib said.

Albania, Kenya and Cambodia were being baptised.

During the Via Crucis procession at Rome's Colosseum on Friday, Francis denounced the "complicit silence" of the international community before the massacres of Christians in many parts of the world by Islamic extremists. The latest was the Kenya university attack by

Alps plane crash: Search for victims' bodies ends

ÏÏÏ The French authorities say The French authorities say they have ended the search for bodies at the site where a Germanwings co-pilot is said to have crashed his aircraft in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

they have ended the search for bodies at the site where a Germanwings co-pilot is said to have crashed his aircraft in the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. Identification of the victims will continue with analysis of the DNA found and debris will carry on being removed.

Meanwhile reports said the European Commission took issue with Germany's aviation authority before the crash.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the aviation authority, the Luftfahrtbundesamt (LBA), was told in November to sort out problems including a lack of staff

al-Qaeda-affiliated Somali militants that left nearly 150 people dead, many of them Christians.

Francis has voiced increasing alarm about the attacks, which have led Christians to abandon communities in the Mideast that have existed since Jesus's time.

He is likely to refer to those concerns during his "Urbi et Orbi" message on Easter Sunday.

which could have limited its ability to carry out checks on planes and crew.

In light of investigators believing co-pilot Andreas Lubitz crashed the plane deliberately, the way airline crew are vetted has come under scrutiny.

The European Aviation Safety Agency "had pointed out several cases of non-conformity," spokesman Dominique Fouda told AFP news agency.

A European Commission spokesman said: "All EU member states have findings and this is a normal and regular occurrence.

"It is part of a continuous system of oversight - findings are followed by corrective action, similar to an audit process." A spokeswoman for the LBA said the authority had answered several criticisms levelled at it during the audits and those responses were now being assessed by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

N’Korea nuclear deal unlikely to follow Iran agreement ÏÏÏ Prospects for a new North

Korean nuclear agreement have seemingly not improved following the tentative multiparty deal to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

The agreement with Tehran is similar to past deals with Pyongyang that ultimately failed, and neither the U.S. nor the Koreans seem motivated or interested in trying again.

When asked for South Korea’s reaction to the Iran nuclear agreement and how it might affect the current impasse about North Korea’s nuclear program, Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byung-chul said Seoul’s position is firm: there is no change in their basic stance that North Korea’s nuclear issue must be solved through a complete and verifiable approach, and in their view multilateral talks such as six-party talks are useful to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue.

Jong-un

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

15 Opinion

When Jonathan left a legacy for prosperity

T Temple Chima Ubochi

he presidential election has been won and lost.

Nigerians have spoken, so be it.

A lot of things happened in this election; there are many questions begging for answers, nobody has explained how and why Goodluck Jonathan lost in such a manner but these are issues for another day.

President Jonathan has conceded defeat; I will live with that decision also. The President being the only person, who should challenge his defeat by going to court to seek redress for any infringement during the election, has decided to let go. What the president did, by conceding, might be the right decision; at least, nobody has been killed now because Buhari has won. We the electorate are the winners because all the monkeys and baboons were not soaked in blood.

I thank God that we did not have the spirit of 2011 where after the election instead of accepting defeat and wait for four years to correct the wrong, we simply got soaked in blood.

Many people still can’t understand what went wrong? There are allegations and insinuations of a gang up against President

Jonathan, to make sure he was not re-elected; some said that what happened was like a coup, just like the one that happened in 1983 that unseated Shagari, that it was a plan hatched and carried out by some of the former military heads of state to remove Jonathan from power. Only time will reveal what actually went wrong or whether there was a calculated attempt to deny Goodluck Jonathan a second term for any selfish or parochial reasons. Nothing can be hidden from the sun forever!

I know that many people betrayed President Jonathan, but, that will be a topic for another day.

Tell me why a vice president was unable to deliver his state; tell me why the PDP national chairman was unable to deliver his state; tell me why most of the ministers failed to deliver their respective states for their principal; tell me why some PDP governors were unable to deliver their respective states? Why didn’t the Senate President deliver his state?

Another reason why the president lost was that his media advisers failed to do their job well, because, they didn’t spread the information, about the president’s achievements, well. Reuben Abati failed in his job. The first lady, Patience Jonathan, was also a major reason

the president failed. The woman was so overbearing that she drove many, who could have helped the president, away from PDP into APC, and that made a difference.

The PDP also shot itself in the foot by its maltreatment of so many people, leading to the exodus of many prominent members, from the party. Although Buhari won the election, Nigerians are also the winners here, for the way they conducted themselves during the election period despite the challenges many faced before casting their vote due to the problems associated with the biometric system and the card reading machines employed by INEC. The greatest winner here is President Goodluck Jonathan. He was magnanimous in defeat, and for him to congratulate the president-elect, even before the announcement of the winner

by INEC, sets him apart from others. Goodluck Jonathan made his mind to accept either defeat or win, and that’s why he is a man of character, just like in the words of Richard M Nixon (1913 -1994), where he said, “You’ve got to learn to survive a defeat. That’s when you develop character”. Goodluck is in a class of his own, because, he would be the first incumbent ever to hand over federal power to a man who defeated him in an

election. Jonathan has shown that desperation and defeat do not dwell in the hearts and minds of those who know and believe that God is the giver of power; he might have been a student of Henry Ward Beecher (1813 -1887) who wrote, “defeat is a school in which truth always grows strong”.

Just in the words of Edwin Markham (1852 -1940) that “defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out”; Goodluck Jonathan is also a winner here! Even when some of those around him, as the results were collated by INEC, advised him, to hang on to power, he refused all the other options he had, more especially when INEC bungled the whole process, right from the beginning. Think of the difference it would have made, if all the votes have counted. There were also cases of number of votes being more than the number of registered voters etc.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s main concern was to leave a legacy as the first President of Nigeria to conduct a relatively free and fair election even if it means losing power himself, and for that he deserves our praise and respect: The President has demonstrated that falling down isn’t defeat, but, that defeat is when you refuse to get up.

What next after Buhari’s victory?

O Adewale Kupoluyi

ne of the happiest moments for many Nigerians was when the cool-headed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, finally announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, as the winner of the just-concluded presidential election in the country. Buhari, after a fourth attempt at becoming president, polled a total votes of 15,424,921 to defeat Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the incumbent President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, who scored 12,853,162 as well as other aspirants.

Apart from the agile voters, there was also doggedness on the part of special class of electorate – the aged, the sick and the physicallychallenged – who defied the heavy rain, scorching sun in many places and trooped out to exercise their civic obligation.

The election has been described as the most keenly contested in recent times because the opposition gave the ruling party, a hot chase for

the highest position in the land. The electioneering was certainly not without its low periods that almost derailed the efforts to have a successful exercise. The postponement of the polls, the adoption of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), smart card reader and the purported removal bid of the INEC Chairman, were some of the controversies that almost truncated the process and eroded people’s confidence in the credibility of the elections. When eventually, the people’s resoluteness prevailed, an attempt by a PDP agent, Elder Godsday Orubebe, to stop the announcement of results resurfaced. Interestingly, Orubebe, a former federal Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, who sought the stoppage of the release of the results, allegedly cited partisanship against the INEC chairman. All of that is now history!

The victory of the APC should, therefore, be a turning point for the common man that have suffered from many years of neglect and deprivation. The reality today is that many people live in abject poverty. Earning a decent living in Nigeria is almost a mirage. The cost of living is extremely outrageous,

as workers’ wages cannot really take them home. The economy is so much distorted, mismanaged and emaciated that only the rich can now afford the basic comfort of life while a majority – comprising the working class and the dependency stratum including senior citizens – continue to live under untold hardship and abject poverty. Many people have died as a result of hunger, the poor state of our health institutions and complete absence of social security. Unfortunately, the Jonathan-led government seems to be cut-off from this reality. It is this disconnect between the government and the governed that the opposition party has struggled very hard to bridge by taking over governance the nation that is abundantly blessed with human and material resources.

Rather than punish public officers found to have compromised their positions, they are even rewarded with national recognitions and appointments. It is in our dear country that abnormality is celebrated as the ideal. The zeal for patriotism, selfless service and excellence no longer have a place in our national life again as

mediocrity and god-fatherism seem to have taken over. Upholding high moral values is no longer a big deal to many people. It is this desire for bringing sanity into the nation’s affairs that spurred the imperative for change through the ballot. Rather than revamping the ailing economy, as a winning strategy, the Jonathan administration decided to toe the wrong path by dissipating energy and enormous funds on winning re-election through the back door by using people with little or no political weight and relevance. The outcome of the presidential poll has vindicated this. In the process, he was misled into believing that he still enjoyed large political support.

Now that the wishes of the majority of people have become a reality, it is time for the President-elect to make a difference by turning things around for the better. He should prove cynics wrong that he is neither a religious bigot nor a dictator – the two appellations that nearly cost him the votes of Nigerians. He should avoid taking decisions based on religious, tribal and parochial persuasions. He should serve the people with fervour within the ambit of the law.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Business Times

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

s

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

NAHCO dialogues with stakeholders on planned tariff increase

Tony Nwakaegho

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says the number of internet users on the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) networks increased from 76,322, 802 in 2014 to 81,892,840 by January 2015.

This is contained in the NCC Monthly Internet Subscriber Data, obtained on Saturday in Lagos.

According to the data, there is an increase of 5,570,038 internet users on the networks in January.

It showed that from the 81,892,840 internet users recorded in January, MTN Nigeria led the pack with 39,173,123 customers browsing the internet on its network.

It stated that MTN had an increase of 556,386 internet subscribers in January, after it recorded 38,616,737 users in the month of December 2014.

According to the data, Globacom is second on the internet

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, Plc said it is still consulting with clearing agents and other necessary stakeholders in the country’s aviation industry on the possible upward review of its tariff.

The spokesman for the ground handling company, Mr. Tayo Ajakaye in an interview with our correspondent in the headquarters of the company at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, said that the new tariff would not take effect until the company met with all the stakeholders involved in cargo business in the industry.

He explained that the company was cautious of the happenings in the industry generally and would not want to create unnecessary tension in the system, maintaining that the customs clearing

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya The Q1, 2015 Business Expectations Survey (BES) carried out by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has indicated a pervading sense of optimism among investors even as negative projections were made into the second quarter.

Respondent firms expect the naira exchange rate to depreciate in the current and next quarters. They also expect inflation and borrowing rates to rise in both the current and next quarters.

The sectors covered during the exercise included Industry, Construction, Wholesale/Retail, Trade and Services.

Respondents’ optimism in the volume of total order and the internal liquidity position, buoyed the volume of their business activities in the current quarter.

Similarly, the positive outlook in access to credit by the majority of firms upped the financial condition of firms in the review quarter.

The positive outlook in the volume of business activities of the firms implied improved prospects for employment in the next quarter. The sector with the highest prospect for employment is the services sector fol-

Ajakaye

agents have always been partners in progress with the ground handler.

He however said that the company needed to review its existing tariff in order to meet up with the current challenges in the subsector, lamenting that the recent

lowed by wholesale/retail trade, industrial and construction.

The respondent firms emphasised that insufficient power supply was the major factor constraining the business activity in Q1 2015. Other constraining factors are high interest rate, financial problems, competition, unfavourable economic climate and unfavourable political climate.

Respondent firms were optimistic on the macro economy as the business condition in Nigeria was expected to improve in Q1 2015. The optimism was driven by the opinion of respondents from the services sector (7.2 points), followed by wholesale/retail trade (4.1 points) and industrial (1.6 points).

The Q1, 2015 Business Expectations Survey (BES) was conducted during the period February 2– 13 2015. There were 1,900 firms surveyed nationwide, drawn from the updated survey frames of both the CBN and the NBS. Business sentiment across all sectors was optimistic in the current quarter and likely to remain so in the next quarter. The indices of the services, wholesale/retail and industrial sectors stood at 12.6, 10.0 and 7.5 points, respectively. The construction sector was however downbeat at –4.3 points in the review quarter.

devaluation of naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was having an untold effect on its activities.

He said, “We need to increase tariff to meet up with the current challenges in the system. As you are aware, naira has fallen against the United States Dollars and most of our equipment are sourced with foreign currencies.

Our clients want improved incentives, which we will regularly give to them, but we can’t do this with the current tariff.

“We are still consulting with all the necessary stakeholders on this. For the fact that we said we are going to review doesn’t mean we should just implement it without carrying them along. For us to increase tariff, there is a notification period, which we are still doing. We are mindful of the relationship with our clients. So, we

Continued on page 19

17

Internet usage on GSM networks rises to 81m – NCC usage table, recording 17,671,405 subscribers surfing the net with its network in January.

The data revealed that Globacom gained a total of 532,085 additional internet users on its network, up from 17,139,320 users in December 2014.

Airtel Nigeria, it said was third on the roll with 14,969,924 internet users in January, as against 14,371,987 customers recorded in December.

The data showed that internet users on the Airtel Nigeria network also increased by 597,937 in January.

It disclosed that Etisalat was last on the table with 10,078,388 of its customers browsing the internet in January, compared to the 6,194,758 users in December, an increase of 3,883,630 users.

Q2: Investors expect tougher business climate

Business Constraints

Aviation18

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

DANA Air set for IOSA audit Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo DANA Air has commenced compilation of its aircraft manuals and other operational requirements to scale through the International Operations Safety Audit (IOSA), carried out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) , its accountable manager Mr Obi Mbanuzuo has disclosed .

Mbanuzuo said the airline is set to achieve the safety certification before the end of the year.

He said relevant workshops concern how to close gaps in its operations and operations manual required for the IOSA audit had been completed.

The DANA Air manager said the audit is relevant to the airline as a safety component which

would enable it keep its operations with prescribed international standards, as one of the ten airlines selected in Africa to scale the safety certification.

Part of the steps to be taken according to Mbanuzuo, include harmonising and increasing its aircraft fleet as well as acquire new aircraft type after completion of the audit.

He said DANA Air has improved its training capacity by adhering to regulatory training programmes scheduled for pilots, aircraft engineers, cabin crew and flight dispatchers to keep them In touch with global safety requirements.

The DANA Air manager said about 34 new cabin crew professionals, ten pilots and 20 aircraft engineers were undergoing training, as part of efforts by the airline to reduce dependence on ex-

patriate crew professionals.

He disclosed that the airline would expand its flight services to different cities in Nigeria in response to passengers’ request, after its managers have confirmed feasibility and profitability of such operations.

He observed that cooperation among domestic carriers should be encouraged as it would enhance passenger convenience, increase airlines’ revenue as well as take care of unscheduled challenges.

He said DANA Air was already in partnership through interline operational agreement with two domestic car totes to cater for challenges that may come up during flight operations.

He said the airline after the IOSA audit would acquire additional aircraft to enable it make foray into routes in the West Afri-

can sub region.

He said Lagos - Accra would be the pilot in the West Coast expansion plan.

He called on government to put the right policies in place to cushion the burden of domestic airlines, which he said are struggling with huge and increasing operating costs to keep their operations afloat.

He listed the challenges domestic carriers grapple with to include: unfriendly business environment, high cost of aviation fuel, increasing exchange rate, high cost of aircraft lease, high insurance costs , and imposition of Value Added Tax ( VAT) on air transport .

He said:” If the right policies are put in place by government, the operating environment would make air transport business attractive .

Because of unfriendly policies, airlines are unable to recover their costs. Why should airlines pay value added tax on tickets, when other modes of transport are exempted, Why can we not achieve local refining of aviation fuel to bring down the price of the product?

With airlines paying between thirty to thirty five per cent as operating charges, how do you expect airlines to survive? Domestic airlines need intervention from government to keep their operations afloat.

“We are still studying the content of the proposed airlines stimulus package by the ministry of aviation to enable consider if there is need to access it.”

“Above all, domestic airlines want polices that would drive industry growth.”

Overland tasks government on incentives for aviation growth

Boyo

The Federal Government has been advised to pay more attention to business aviation in the country if it really wants the sector to growth to its full potentials.

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Overland Airways, Capt.

Edward Boyo said this in Lagos in an interview with aviation correspondents .

According to Boyo, business aviation was a major contributor to economic growth and development in the country, saying that the sub-sector should be given adequate political support to thrive in Nigeria.

He estimated that at present, there are close to 150 business aircraft in business aviation in the country, which are owned by government, corporate organisations and individuals.

He pointed out that over 200

business and private flight clearances are processed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, while over 50 per cent of the civil aircraft registered in Nigeria are used for business and general aviation operations He added that more than 80 per cent of helicopters registered in Nigeria are used for business aviation operations and charged the government to device a means of developing the sub-sector to accommodate the expected growth.

He noted that though the Nigerian aviation market has been dominated over the years by scheduled commercial aircraft operation, but predicted that growth is expected over the next 15 to 20 years in business aviation in the country.

He observed further that demand for business aviation was

principally fuelled by activities in the oil and gas sector, there is however expectations that growth in the sub-sector in Nigeria would marginally slacken after the forthcoming general elections since political activities would wind down post-elections Boyo advised that policy and regulation should be reviewed and implemented by the industry regulator, stressing that the regulators also get enhanced capacity and funding to carry out its duties diligently.

He added, “Operators must decide to obey regulations, and ensure that their licenses and certificates are used for the purposes approved by the NCAA and not engage in illegal operations.

There is a need to continually enhance the processing of flight permits and related documenta-

tions. ”All stakeholders should work towards improved funding, insurance, and other support for business aviation in Nigeria. To drive Safety, capacity development and Safety management systems where applicable should be emphasised among business aviation operators. Also, NCAA should beef up its technical capacity to strengthen its regulatory oversight.

“Government should strengthen the enforcement of regulation and policies to ensure fair play in the business aviation sector while operators too should contribute to the development of local capacity. Periodically, business aviation policy and regulation should be reviewed in line with current global practice and dynamism of the industry.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

19 Aviation

Airlines move to adopt new global cockpit policy Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo In response to the Germanwings Airbus A320 crash, airlines around the world have commenced moves to implement a policy requiring two crew members to be in the cockpit at all times during flights.

The implementation of the new policy is coming on the heels of European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adoption of the policy, Germanwings parent Lufthansa Group announced it is implementing it and the Canadian government said it would mandate it for Canada’s airlines. Air FranceKLM said it would implement the EASA recommendation “as soon as possible.”

In announcing a change in its cockpit procedures, Air Malta said, “The devastating airline incident this week has sparked a discussion around the world about how crew policies can be improved to enhance passenger safety In light of this, we have decided with immediate effect to make it compulsory to have two crew members in the cockpit at all times.”

Lithuania’s Air Lituanica issued a statement to assure passengers it already has a two crew in the cockpit policy in place.

Berlin-based Germania said it is introducing “the ‘two-person’ cockpit rule on all commercial flights,” adding, “It is impera-

Thai aviation sector under scrutiny Thailand’s aviation sector is under scrutiny after an international safety audit led to a ban on new flights to China, Japan and South Korea.

Last week the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued an alert flagging “concerns relating to air operator certification procedures”.

As a result, Thai airlines have had to cancel flights, and refund or modify thousands of air tickets.

Thai officials have since

tive that two authorized persons be present in the cockpit at all times.”

Under current European regulations, a pilot must remain at the station unless there is a need to leave for physiological reasons, or reasons related to the operations of the aircraft.

“If a pilot needs to leave the cockpit, for example to go to the bathroom, at least one qualified pilot needs to remain at the controls of the plane. There is no requirement from the regulation that in this case another crew member must be present in the cockpit,” an EASA spokesman told ATW. Pilots must also be able to monitor the area outside the cockpit area. This can be done by a member of cabin crew controlling the cockpit door while one of the pilots is away from their post, or via CCTV cameras, which eliminates the need for cabin crew monitoring, the EASA spokesman said.

EASA Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) Number 2015-04, issued last week is not mandatory, but advised national aviation authorities and airlines to re-assess the safety and security risks associated with crew members leaving the cockpit.

Specifically, it recommends that airlines implement procedures requiring at least two authorized people to be in the flight crew compartment at all times, or equivalent mitigating measures.

“This will be reviewed in the light

submitted plans to tackle the ICAO’s concerns.

An audit in January by the ICAO, a division of the United Nations, found that Thailand’s aviation authority had a shortage of technical officers and problems with the certification for the transportation of hazardous goods.

The ICAO alert last week, triggered increased physical inspections of aircraft operated by Thai airlines serving existing routes to countries such as Australia and Singapore, a regional air hub, as well as a ban on airlines expanding their services.

This led to Thailand’s carriers being prevented from adding any new flights or modifying their schedules.

NCAT graduates 12 ATCs The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), is boosting its manpower capacity with the graduation of 12 cadet of Air Traffic Controllers by the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, on Basic Aerodrome and Approach Control Course as well as Flight Training.

The ATC Cadets who began the training early last year will commence on-the-job training (OJT) in some designated airports across the country for the Basic Air Traffic Control License.

The Managing Director of the agency, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam commended the cadet ATCs for their ‘’hard work and perseverance throughout the training period leading to a successful and impressive result’’. In a statement, Engr. Abdulsalam expressed delight that ‘’the agency is making remarkable progress in bridging the manpower gap in the critical sector of operations.”

A Germanwings flight is seen before departure at Barcelona’s El Prat airport

of any new information concerning the accident investigation or the implementation of this SIB,” EASA said.

In the US, there is no explicit

rule requiring two crew members to be in the cockpit during flight; however, this has evolved as an FAA-approved standard operating procedure for US carriers.

Abdulsalam

NAHCO set to raise tariff Continued from page 17 want to take it easy with them.”

At present, a kilo of imported cargo goes for N40 per kilo; N38 for NAHCO while the leadership of the clearing agents; Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, get N2 per kilo.

This is apart from the 5 per cent Value Added Tax, VAT. The Ag. Managing Director of the ground handling company, Mr. Nobert Bielderman had said recently in Lagos that the ground handling business in the country was facing a hard time due to the

economic challenges in the country.

He posited that to safeguard the industry from collapse, all players would have to make sacrifices from all ends through mutual respect, understanding, maturity, tact, long term view and professionalism.

He said that NAHCO expected appropriate price adjustments in sync with current realities and urged its clients to continue to support and show continuous loyalty to its brand.

He added, “The airlines must know that there is a limit to downward price review of ground handling charges in order not to

eventually compromise our safety orientation and we hereby use this medium to look elsewhere for cost saving strategies as it is no longer efficient or safe to always turn to the ground handler for price cuts.

“We also call on ANCLA, NAGAFF, trade unions and other associations to be very understanding this period in the best interest of all industry. We must sit down and together agree on the best model and way to sustain our business balancing all interest concerns. We have both worked together in even more trying periods and this time will not be different.”

Energy 20

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Iran, P5+1 reach historic nuclear energy framework After marathon negotiations that extended beyond a self-imposed deadline, Iran and the P5+1 powers reached a framework political agreement outlining the basic core elements of a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, which must be finalised by June 30.

The parameters of the agreement include cutting the number of Iranian centrifuges from 19,000 to 6,000, limiting uranium enrichment, and reducing the amount of stockpiled nuclear material in Iran.

A number of issues still require further negotiation, including a timeline for lifting sanctions against Iran. Despite the major breakthrough, the United States must sell the deal to the U.S. Congress and its allies, while Iranian negotiators will face an uphill battle in convincing hardline domestic factions. If the deal is finalised, Iran’s nuclear program will be subject to extensive international inspection.

Shell denies panic shut-down over presidential polls outcome The Management of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has said that the company did not shut down its flow stations in Bayelsa owing to fears of attack by aggrieved militants.

The SPDC’s spokesperson, Mr Joseph Obari, stated on Friday that the operations of the oil firm were running but declined further details. ``Our operations are continuing and we will not comment on security issues.”

According to reports on some media platforms, SPDC had allegedly acted to forestall attacks by militants aggrieved by Jonathan’s loss in the March 28, 2015 presidential polls.

Tunu, and Bensede Kussi flow stations operated by SPDC in

Southern Ijaw and Kolokumo/ Opokum Local Government Areas Bayelsa were allegedly shut down due to security concerns.

However, sources at the Tunu flow station within SPDC’s oil fields in Bayelsa confirmed that the facility was shut down for operational reasons.

The sources, explained that the shutdown had nothing to do with anticipated attack by militants. ``Tunu flow station was shut down for operational reasons not because of threat by ex-militants. ``Can we not shut down for operational reasons, what is the big deal if Tunu station is closed down for operational reasons?” the source queried. ``I cannot understand why they are eager to drag Shell into all these.”

Ekaluo

Gas prices will be left to market forces – DPR Stories by Tony Nwakaegho An indication has emerged that the decision of the government to implement the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC) will propel the gas prices to be determined by market forces soon.

The Deputy Director, Gas Monitoring and Evaluation, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Antigha Ekaluo gave the hint, while speaking against the backdrop of the upward review

of the prices of gas to the power generation firms, fertiliser, methanol and other petrochemical industries, adding that the forces of demand and supply are going to determine the prices of natural gas to the users soon.

“When the implementation of the code, which is expected to ensure transparency in the gas industry and further ensure fair and non- discriminatory access to the gas industry comes into effect, there would be a paradigm shift from a government regulated gas

industry to a market regulated one. At a point, it will no longer be a case of for instance, a power firm must buy 1,000 cubit of gas at the recently fixed price of 2.50 dollar. The market would be predicated on the functionality of the supply and demand”, he said.

He explained that globally, market forces are governing the operation of the power sector and other sectors and predicted that Nigeria will definitely join countries that have chosen that path in the next few years.

Ghana refutes gas supply indebtedness to Nigeria Ghana’s Energy Ministry has refuted the claim that Nigeria cut gas supply to Ghana over its indebtedness to the sum of some $100 million.

This is sequel to the allegation by the New Patriotic Party’s running mate for the 2016 elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who recently disclosed during Central University College’s distinguished speaker series a fortnight ago, that the current power

crisis in the country is partly due to the government’s failure to settle a $100 million debt it owes Nigeria Gas. According to GhanaWeb, Nigeria has apparently cut gas supply to Ghana over indebtedness, and explained that if the latest development is true, it means Ghana will lose about 600 megawatts of power from the country’s national electricity grid as most of the thermal plants in the country run

on gas.

The Communications Consultant to the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Edward Bawa has however denied reports that Nigeria has cut gas supply to Ghana.

Bawa also confirmed this in an interview withMyjoyonline.com that Ghana’s power plants were running on gas supplied from Nigeria.

crude oil pipe

Eni signs deal for two exploration blocks offshore Myanmar Eni, Italian major said it has signed two Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) for blocks MD-02 and MD-04 offshore Myanmar.

The contract is the outcome of Eni’s participation in the competitive International Bid Round launched by Myanmar.

The Italian major will be the operator with an 80 per cent participating interest through Eni Myanmar B.V, and will partner with PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation Limited (20 per cent).

MD-2 Block is located in the southern part of the Bay of Bengal, in the Rakhine Basin, approximately 135 kilometres from the coast, west of the Yadana field, the major offshore discovery in Myanmar. The Block covers an area of 10,330 square kilometres in water depths ranging from 500 to 2400 metres.

MD-4 Block is located in the

Moattama-South Andaman Basin, approximately 230 kilometres from the coast, and west of the Yetagun gas field. The block covers an area of 5,900 square kilometres in water depths ranging from 1,500 to 2,200 metres.

The contracts for the two blocks, Eni said foresee a study period of two years, followed by an exploration period of six years, subdivided in three phases.

Offshore rig

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Today in History

s

Cartoons from our Archives

Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola

1947 Auto pioneer Henry Ford dies On this day in 1947, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, which developed the first affordable, mass-produced car--the Model T--and also helped pioneered assembly-line manufacturing, died at his estate in Dearborn, Michigan, at the age of 83.

Ford was born July 30, 1863, on a farm located in presentday Dearborn. The eldest of six children, he was educated in a one-room schoolhouse and as a teenager trained as an apprentice machinist in Detroit. During the 1890s, while working as an engineer, Ford experimented with internal combustion engines and in 1896 built his first self-propelled, gas-engine vehicle, known as the Quadricycle.

Ford made two failed attempts at establishing a successful auto manufacturing company before incorporating the Ford Motor Company in 1903. Though Henry Ford was interested in massproducing an affordable car, his

1953

Hammarskjold elected U.N. head By a vote of 57 to 1, Dag Hammarskjold was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The son of Hjalmar Hammarskjold, a former prime minister of Sweden, Dag joined Sweden’s foreign ministry in 1947, and in 1951 formally entered the cabinet as deputy foreign minister.

The same year, he travelled to the United Nations as vice chairman of the Swedish delegation, and in 1952 was appointed acting chairman. Elected U.N. secretary-general on the recommendation of the Security Council on April 7, 1953, he led missions to China, the Middle East, and elsewhere to become better acquainted with the United Nations’ member states and to arrange peace settlements.

In 1957, he was unanimously reelected secretary-general.

During his second term, he initiated and directed the United Nations’ vigorous role in the Congolese Civil War, which led to criticism of Hammarskjold’s leadership by the Soviet Union.

Detroit-based company initially made just a few cars per day.

Then in 1908, Ford introduced the Model T, which was easy to drive and maintain and sold for around $850; the vehicle quickly became a huge success. Within 10 years, half of all cars in the U.S. were Model Ts and by 1927, when the last Model T came off the assembly line, more than 15 million had been sold.

By 1913, Ford’s factory in Highland, Michigan, featured a continuous moving assembly line: Workers remained in place, each adding a standardized part to the vehicle as it proceeded along the line. The cost-efficient process, which soon enabled a new car to be churned out every 93 minutes, revolutionized the industry.

Ford’s other innovations included the introduction, in 1914, of the $5 per day minimum wage and the eight-hour workday, at a time when most auto industry workers earned less than half that amount for a nine-hour day.

1954

Daily Times April 6, 1961

Eisenhower gives famous “domino theory” speech

President Dwight D. Eisenhower coined one of the most famous Cold War phrases when he suggested the fall of French Indochina to the communists could create a “domino” effect in Southeast Asia. The so-called “domino theory” dominated U.S. thinking about Vietnam for the next decade.

By early 1954, it was clear to many U.S. policymakers that the French were failing in their attempt to re-establish colonial control in Indochina (Vietnam), which they lost during World War II when the Japanese took control of the area. The Vietnamese nationalists, led by the communist Ho Chi Minh, were on the verge of winning a stunning victory against French forces at the battle of Dien Bien Phu. In just a few weeks, representatives from the world’s powers were scheduled to meet in Geneva to discuss a political settlement of the Vietnamese conflict. U.S. officials were concerned that a victory by Ho’s forces and/or an agreement in

Geneva might leave a communist regime in control of all or part of Vietnam. In an attempt to rally congressional and public support for increased U.S. aid to the French, President Eisenhower gave an historic press conference on April 7, 1954.

He spent much of the speech explaining the significance of Vietnam to the United States. First was its economic importance, “the specific value of a locality in its production of materials that the world needs” (materials such as rubber, jute, and sulphur).

There was also the “possibility that many human beings pass under a dictatorship that is inimical to the free world.” Finally, the president noted, “You have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the ‘falling domino’ principle.” Eisenhower expanded on this thought, explaining, “You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is a certainty that it will go over very quickly.”

ferry accidents on 1990 Twin opposite ends of world In a tragic coincidence, two separate ferry accidents in different areas of the world took the lives of a reported 325 people on this day in 1990. The first took place in Myanmar (formerly Burma) on the Gyaing River.

Later in the day, Scandinavia was also rocked by tragedy.

A double-decker ferry travelling from Moulmein to Kyondo along the Gyaing River in Myanmar was carrying approximately 240 passengers and crew through a violent storm with very strong winds. The intensity of the wind gusts was compounded by the ferry operators failure to properly distribute the weight of the passengers in the boat, a deadly error. The combination caused the ferry to tip over and eventually to turn over completely in the water. Many of the people on board were trapped underwater.

An estimated 215 of the ferry s 240 passengers perished. (Exact numbers are impossible to know because reporting of the accident was restricted by Myanmar s military dictatorship.)

On the night of that same day, the Scandinavian Star, a Danishowned vessel, was making its first trip after being bought by VR-DANO from Sea Escape, Ltd. It was carrying 493 passengers and their cars and trucks from Oslo, Norway, to Frederikshaven, Denmark. The vessel was in the Skagerrak Strait, which stretches between Norway and Denmark, when fire broke out on board. While the crew put out the fire, a second undetected fire was raging out of control.

Smoke detectors failed and no fire alarm was set off. The crew, most speaking only Portuguese, were not prepared for the emergency and were unable to communicate escape plans to the passengers. While some made it to lifeboats, panic ensued, and 110 died, mainly from smoke inhalation.

When help arrived, fire fighters found three lucky survivors amid the horrible carnage on this deadly day on the seas. Tugboats then dragged the ship to Lydokil, Norway

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

23 News

Rep polls: Adamawa PDP youths warn INEC to release ward result Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏA

group of youths from Michika/Madagali Federal Constituency in Adamawa State, believed to belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to invade the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if it fails to announce the results of Pallam/ Kojoti Ward in its favour within 48 hours.

In a statement signed by Francis Zaman, the PDP agent for the ward, the group vowed that “if nothing is done about the results in the next two days, the Resident Electoral Commis-

Anambra women group urges APGA to accept defeat Doris Nnabuenyi Awka

ÏÏÏA group of

women, under the aegis of Women of Honour International, has congratulated the Senator-elect for Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, for her victory and urged members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) to accept defeat.

The group, led by the National President, Mrs. Nkem Odunze, also called on the candidates of APGA, especially Chief Victor Umeh, to accept the outcome of the last National Assembly election in the state.

Odunze also challenged Umeh

sioner should prepare to host us in his office, until our demands are met.”

The group noted that it was compelled to issue the threat because, almost one week after the election was held, the results were yet to be released, despite the fact that the election was peaceful.

It noted that there was no justification for INEC to refuse to announce the overall result, as the results of 25 out of the 26 wards in the constituency, had been duly collated and announced, with the exception of that of Pallam/Kojiti, which the youths alleged was snatched by the All Progressives Party candidate, Umaru Duhu, and others.

to toe the line of honour by accepting defeat, adding that every politician defeated at the polls should emulate President Goodluck Jonathan, who readily accepted defeat to avoid any bloodshed.

She also called on Governor Willie Obiano to desist from sowing the seed of discord among stakeholders in the state, but to see himself as the father of all Anambrans, and not only APGA. “It has become imperative to make this call as women and mothers of this great state to urge APGA members, who lost out in the last National Assembly election, to accept the results as the wishes of Ndi Anambra demonstrated through their ballots.

“We also call on Chief Victor Umeh and other contestants on the platform of APGA to stop further moves to drag the moving train back to court in the name of election tribunal, especially when it is obvious he was beaten at the polls,” Odunze added.

Christian youth group drums support for Ribadu Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏA group, under the auspices

of Christian Youths for Good Governance, has vowed to canvass votes for Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State.

Leader of the group, Mr Istifanus Dedanko, said: “Our mission is to support people with good tendencies, to bring fast and meaningful development to Adamawa.

We are not bothered about the person’s religion or tribe. What we are

Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (middle); Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu (left) and Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, during a press briefing on the clarification of financial report of government held in Abeokuta Ogun State… at the weekend.

PHOTO: DAVID IDOWU

Aregbesola lists priority areas for Buhari Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏThe Governor of Osun State,

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has listed insecurity, hunger, unemployment, decayed infrastructure and corruption, among others, as areas that need ‘concrete concentration’ for Nigeria to grow during the tenure of General Muhammadu Buhari as President.

The governor listed the priority areas on Sunday in his Easter message signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.

Aregbesola urged Nigerians to use the occasion of Easter to pray for the President-elect to bring about the needed positive change to Nigeria.

He charged Christians and other faithful to assist the in-coming

Benin

after is the man with the spirit of a lion to save our state from underdevelopment, and this we have discovered in Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.”

According to Dedanko, the group would ensure that people, especially youths, were convinced to cast their votes for Ribadu.

Aregbesola

for the leaders of the nation, because Easter celebrations should be used to renew our love for one another,” Aregbesola said.

He added that the Easter season offered Nigerians, especially Christians, a good opportunity to pray for the take-off of a new beginning that would usher in prosperity in all facets of our national life.

Ex-gov candidate dumps PDP for APC in Edo Titus Akhigbe

Ribadu

administration in the critical areas of need that had stunted the growth of Nigeria.

He said: “Nigerians are tired of mere promises; they want concrete actions. They want to see, in practical terms, that government is committed to fighting insecurity and restoring the country to its past glory.

This is what the All Progressives Congress (APC) government is committed to and so, Nigerians should pray for success in these areas.

“The Easter season, therefore, offers us all the opportunity to pray for a proper take-off of that new beginning, for our country to regain her lost glory.

“Events of the past few years, particularly the spate of insecurity in the land, leave much to be desired. I want to call on Christians and every Nigerian to pray

ÏÏÏA former governorship can-

didate in Edo State, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2012, General Charles Airhiavbere (retd) has decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing the media on Sunday, Airhiavbere said that he decamped to the APC in the light of the wind of change blowing across

the nation through the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly polls, “so that Edo State will continue to enjoy the benefits of the party at the centre.”

He said that “any politician who means well for the state would ground their arms of hate and join the change train of the APC government, ably led by Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.”

He added that with the APC at the national and state levels, “there would be rapid develop-

ment and all the campaign promises will be delivered to our dear state, which is yearning for rapid development.”

On insinuations that he left the PDP because of in-fighting, occasioned by superiority war between him and some chieftains of the party in the state, the retired military officer denied the allegations, saying that throughout his stay in the party, he did much campaigning for the party, using his own funds.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Ondo APC teams up with aggrieved PDP members ahead Assembly election Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏAhead

L-R: Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan North East, Mr. Ladi Oluokun; Police Area Commander, Agodi, Odukoya Sunday; Oyo State Governor, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi and Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Katsina, at Adekile spot of a rumoured ritual den in Ibadan, Oyo State… at the weekend

Easter: Nigerians urged to emulate Christ Nasiru Suleiman Sokoto

ÏÏÏAs

Christians all over the world celebrate Easter, a Sokotobased Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Stephen Okafor, has called on Nigerian leaders, as well as the led, to imbibe the sacrificial lifestyle of Jesus Christ.

Okafor, who spoke to Daily Times during the Easter celebration at the Holy Family Catholic Church, Ahmadu Bello Way, Sokoto, said the coming of Jesus Christ into this world showed the condensation of God in a human form.

He explained that God came

and died for human beings, going through the pains and agony of the Cross till he got to Golgotha...there he surrendered his life for the sake of humanity.

He said: “To humanity in general, irrespective of your religion, sacrifice is necessary and paramount for progress and harmonious living.

“Husbands make sacrifices for their wives, parents to their children, even children make sacrifices for the entire family, likewise the society. If we don’t make sacrifices, nothing will work out fine in the society.”

The priest, who said “at this

critical time in Nigeria, God has worked through President Goodluck Jonathan, to show Nigerians the example of sacrifice.”

He described Jonathan’s acceptance of defeat as a big sacrifice, stressing that accepting defeat was not an easy task, but for the sake of Nigeria; for the sake of the blood of Nigerians, so that blood would not be shed, he accepted defeat “Jonathan has already set an example of sacrifice for Nigerians here not from Jerusalem, and all Nigerians politicians and the people, as a whole, should emulate that uncommon gesture by Jonathan.

Ajimobi, Akala go spiritual ahead of polls Remi Oladoye Ibadan

ÏÏÏAhead of

the April 11 election, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and his Labour Party counterpart, Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala, have gone spiritual for victory at the polls.

A survey carried out in Ibadan revealed that most churches and mosques have been contacted by all the gubernatorial candidates, but prominent among them were Alao Akala and Ajimobi.

It was also learnt that some of the churches have receive car and cash gifts from some of the

aspirants: “Governor Ajimobi gave our church a new bus before the presidential election and that is why we were told to pray for his victory at the poll, because he also promised to support us financially,” said a woman who attends a church located around Kilometre 110, along Odo OnaApata Road, in Ibadan.

Another source said Alao Akala’s wife had been moving from one church to the other, praying and mobilising people to pray for her husband’s victory at the poll.

She attends vigils and prayers as well.

Other candidates have also been running around in preparation for the election.

of the House of Assembly election in Ondo State, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have entered into an accord aimed at ensuring that all candidates of the APC emerged winner in the Saturday April 11 polls.

At a meeting convened by Jimoh Ibrahim, a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, tagged ‘Igbotako Accord’, leaders of the two political parties signed an accord to work together.

The agreement, signed by Isaac Kekemeke and the factional state Chairman of the PDP, Olu Ogunye, both leaders promised to work ‘together’ for the success of only the candidates

of the APC in the House of Assembly election.

Daily Times gathered that at the end of the meeting, held at the Igbotako private residence of Jimoh Ibrahim, the two leaders of party issued and signed a communiqué, with a call on their respective supporters to vote en-masse for the candidates of the APC. Daily Times learnt that the two leaders’ decision to sign an accord was based on the political and economic situation of the state, in order to stop the drift in the governance of Ondo State.

“The meeting deliberated on the political and economic situation and the political realities in the state, and concluded that a united front of both the APC and the PDP was required to restore the hope of the people in governance and stop further economic and social slide in the state,” the source disclosed.

PDM guber candidate brags of winning April 11 polls Tom Garba Yola

ÏÏÏThe

gubernatorial candidate of People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) in Adamawa State, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo, has said that he would win the April 11 poll in Adamawa State because of his track record and credibility.

He said, besides, that PDM would produce 25 members of the State House of Assembly, also based on the track record of the candidates fielded.

Modibbo, however, called on the electorate to be conscious of

desperate gubernatorial candidates, who go about with mammoth crowds canvassing for their votes, stressing that such candidates may not help the wheels of progress, if elected.

Modibbo, who addressed newsmen on Sunday, in Yola, said that the PDM voted for the presidential candidate of the APC in the just concluded election, adding that this time around, he would defeat other gubernatorial candidates, based on his track record.

He debunked insinuations that he had stepped down for other candidates in the race.

NANS endorses Benue PDP guber candidate Freddie Adamgbe Makurdi

ÏÏÏA few days to the conduct of Ajimobi

Akala

the April 11 general election, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has thrown its support behind the governorship candidature of Mr. Terhemen Tarzoor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State.

The National President of the association, Comrade Tijani Usman, who led members of Benue students in a solidarity meeting with Mr. Tarzoor in Makurdi, the state capital, on Sunday, called on students to be

part of decision making by voting for people like Tarzoor, whom he said had new ideas to develop the society.

Usman described the PDP as a student-friendly party that had been paying students bursaries over the years.

Tijani described President Goodluck Jonathan as a humble servant, who put the interest of the country above his personal interest, even as he congratulated General Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polls and charged him to carry all along, for the good of the country.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Easter: Place country above self, Niger gov tells Nigerians Pita Chikwem Minna

Ă?Ă?Ă?The Chairman, North-

ern States Governors Forum and Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, on Sunday advised Nigerians to draw lessons from the Christian celebration of Easter and place the country above themselves.

Aliyu, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Israel Ebije, said Nigeria has matured politically, adding that with the collective efforts of everyone, the country can overcome its social and economic chal-

lenges.

He advised politicians across the 36 states of the federation to imbibe the maturity witnessed during the presidential and National Assembly elections, while adding that the beauty of Nigeria’s democracy would be complete if the outcome of the April 11 election is peaceful and people-based. “Let me wish Nigerians a merry Easter celebration; let me also call on Christians and Muslims to avail themselves in sacrificial duties for the common good of Nigeria. We must eschew self; we must view issues

from a collective bargain point of view; we must see ourselves first as Nigerians, no matter the circumstance. We must place country first. “Many prophecies of doom have been foretold that Nigeria would split. I am, therefore, glad that we have overcome a major factor that would have made the prophecy become a reality. We must, however, continue to imbibe the tenets of sacrifice, the tenets of peace, as we conclude election in April 11,� the governor added.

He expressed optimism

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that Nigeria would continue to grow politically, socially and economically.

He also urged all to remain committed to the Nigerian project, insisting that ethno-religious cleavages would not take the country to its desired destination.

Aliyu

Abia govt refutes forged election results allegation Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia Ă?Ă?Ă?Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. A. C. B. Agbazuere, on Saturday, refuted the report that the results of the last election in the state were forged.

Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, Dr. Agbazuere said the author of the statement was a 'compromised ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission' and an intimate friend of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.

Dr. Agbazuere described the author of the statement as 'protecting parochial interests', noting that if he was an INEC staff, he was supposed to be an high ranking collating Officer.

He dismissed the allegation of result forgery as not true, stating that the result of Abia Central Senatorial was announced by INEC and even published in the newspapers.

He said that after the announcement of any result

by INEC, such results cannot be questioned, except at the tribunal, and urged the author of the statement to 'stop making noise', stating that “government did not forge any document or results.

25

Bauchi: Court strikes out case challenging eligibility of APC guber candidate Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

Ă?Ă?Ă?

The Presiding judge of the Federal High Court in Bauchi, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, has struck out a suit challenging the eligibility of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, over alleged irregularities in the recent governorship primary election of the party.

An aspirant in the last APC governorship primary election in the State, Comrade Mohammed Abdullahi Tanko Ningi, filed the suit against APC, challenging the competence of the last primary election of the the party, following irregularities in the exercise, while appealing to the court to stop Abubakar from parading himself as Bauchi APC Governorship candidate, as well as stopping the party from submitting his name to the electoral body as the their candidate.

Other defendants in the suit are Independent Na-

tional Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.

Addressing newsmen in Bauchi last weekend, counsel to Abubakar, Mr. Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude, said that, "After they filed the suit, we filed a preliminary objection of the entire suit. We challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit because, from what was submitted in court, the complainant only purchased the APC governorship form but didn't contest the election.

"He didn't explore all internal mechanism within the party before he went to court, and we asked the court to dismiss the case and the judge agreed with our submission and he struck out the suit. He now ordered the complainant to pay each of the defendant N20.000," the counsel said.

When contacted, the aspirant, Tanko Ningi, directed his Director, Media and Strategy, Abdullahi Isiaka, to speak to newsmen.

Outcome of March 28 polls won't affect our votes for Okowa, says group Joe Ogbodu Warri

Ă?Ă?Ă?The

National Coordinator of Niger Delta Peace Ambassadors, Chief Jackson Towei Tortor, has said that the outcome of the presidential election, won

by All Progressives Congress (APC)'s candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), will not discourage his group from voting the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 11 governorship election in Delta State.

Speaking to newsmen last weekend, Chief Tortor said that his group had been in the vanguard of grassroot mobilization for Okowa/Utuaro’s ticket, particularly in the riverine communities in the state, and wouldn't stop now from voting the party.

According to him, Okowa/Utuaro's ticket is

a must for the state, saying: "As a grassroot mobilization network and as a group, we are working round the clock to ensure that our people run in one direction.

"Come April 11, our over 5,000 supporters from all the riverine communities in Delta State would troop out en-masse and vote for Okowa.

"So, I can assure you that the crowd at the rallies would translate to votes because grassroot support is the strongest you can get."

Okowa

26

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Our heritage

Enwonwu working on the Queen Elizbeth sculpure

s

Oliver Onwu

Me, my father and arts-Oliver Enwonwu For past three years, Oliver Enwonwu, first son of the legendry artist, Prof.

Ben Enwonwu, has been at the helm of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), the Nigerian artists’ main body responsible for promoting creativity and interest of Nigerian artists. He talks to AGOZINO AGOZINO about the challenges for the industry, given the fact that art is becoming a global source of foreign exchange. Excerpts: What has been your main motivation as President of Society of Nigeria Artists?

When I was elected as the President of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), one thing that I had in mind was how I could make a difference. I was aware that art is not only about painting and exhibition, but practical activities that can impact, positively, on everyone with a stake in the industry. So, over the past two years, we have been encouraged by what our people have been saying about SNA efforts at promoting the industry so far.

What is the SNA doing to uplift careers of young artists?

We are opening up many in-

ternational space exhibitions for artists one of which is the prestigious Art15 art fair in London in May. But we really cannot do much unless someone joins us.

Any young or old artist must join, in order to see the inherent benefits. That is the first step we advise any artist to take.

So what does it take to join SNA? An intending member must attend an interview, where he would be asked a couple of questions. The interview dwells on the person’s professional development; on how far the person has gone. But, we want to raise the bar now. Right now, we want to bring in as many people as possible. We would be looking for only very proficient members. For the younger artists, we hope to have competitions for students. We have done this at the Lagos chapter, but we can also bring it to the national level. It is our hope that with more seminars, competitions and mentoring opportunities, the younger artists will be better prepared for the challenges of the future. There was something I did during my tenure at the Lagos chapter, where we brought in some personalities

from other fields to come talk to us. This was in realisation of the fact that there was no how one can improve in his career without having friends that cut across the board, as it were. We once brought the Director of Goethe, Lagos, Marc-André Schmachtel, who spoke about international opportunities for the artists. All that and issues related to portfolio development will help the younger artists.

What is the role of your father, Ben Enwonwu, in having you take after him in art?

Actually, while growing up, I used to watch my father paint.

But, honestly, I did not really know whom he was, until people started telling me. Yes, I knew my father was an artist, just like some of my friends, whose parents were doctors and lawyers. But, I found it a little odd, because the life of an artist is not well-structured. My father’s life was structured, but he still had his bout of inspiration as a professor. It was an interesting experience, by and large. But he wanted me to be a priest.

A priest?

Yes, he wanted me to be the one

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

E-mail Please do not hesitate to send us your feed back: agozinoagozino@yahoo.com

Gallery launches its first ever naked art tour ozino Agozino (with reports) SOME artists are either crazy or just too creative to general comfort. Stuart Ringholt, an Australian-based artist, who ignited controversy with his new creation is one of such weird creative minds.

He unveiled an exhibition of works showing naked human beings, recently, and the viewers went abuzz.

The art exhibition was part of Ringholt,’ recent show tagged Naked Tours exhibition, held in Melbourne, Australia. The artist, who has had similar exhibition at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art and Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art, defended his exhibits saying that it shows the greatest beauties of human body in its original form and is a lesson in biology.

The artist has, also, insisted that the display is not meant to be sexually embracing, but to educate the public on issues as critically as nude in its original state. But since the exhibition, politicians and religious organisation have been yelling and expressing reservation at it.

Angry at the works, many described it as having the potentials to corrupt public morals.

Many, too, since the exhibition, have called for the artist’s works to be banned, while some have called for the entire show to be withdrawn. The works have also been pronounced pornographic and an insult to public morals.

“It seems absurd to bring a bunch of beautifully dressed people into the gallery, when we can bring in a bunch of nude people,” said Ringholt in an interview.

Some of the exhibits at the naked-arttours

27 Our heritage

Nigeria’s Bisi Silva to curate 10th Bamako Encounters Agozino Agozino Nigerian curator, Bisi Silva, has been named as the curator of the10th Bamako Encounters, African Biennial of Photography, which opens from October 31 to December 31, in Bamako, Mali.

For the 10th edition of the international photographic event, which is titled Telling Time, Silva plans to explore the relationship between images and time, through a consideration of Mali’s tradition of storytelling, and its recent political upheavals.

“The Bamako Encounters is the most important platform for African photography,’’ she said, “and I am honoured by the opportunity to draw on the working relationships with artists and organisations in the city,

as well as from across the continent.”

Ms. Silva, is the founder and artistic director of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos, which promotes research and hosts regular exhibitions relating to contemporary art in Africa and abroad. Apart from publishing in a number of international arts publications and being a member of the international jury for the 55th Venice Biennale, she was also co-curator of The Progress of Love, a trans-continental collaboration across the U.S. and Nigeria, which held in 2012, as well as serves as curatorial advisor to London’s art gallery, Tiwani Contemporary.

Founded in 1994, Bamako Encounters is co-organised and co-

Silva

produced by the country’s Ministry of Culture and l’Institut Français. The event focuses on the promotion of photography and video in Africa, through a series of exhibits across the city.

Speaking about Silva’s appointment, Bamako Encoun-

Enwonwu speaks on dad, arts Continued from page 26

he would give to the House of the Lord. He wanted to dedicate his youngest son. But that was not to be. I started out studying Biochemistry. It was later on that I went back to school to study art.

Initially, I took it for granted, because, deep within me, I wanted to be a doctor.

When did you begin to pay attention to art?

Later on in life, I discovered that most of the things I was doing that pertained to arts were more successful. So, almost naturally, I gravitated towards art.

Are you the only sibling who took after your father?

No. I have a younger sister, who draws and paints. She is, however, more into website design, employing her knowledge in art, though. I am into the traditional art, while she is into the one that is IT-based.

What used to run on your mind, while watching your father doing his work?

I used to enjoy watching him. I have always been inspired by his works. I feel he was very gifted.

He was not just a painter; he also sculpted. But, the truth is that he did not like people around him, when he’s working. So, in most instances, you would not even get the opportunity to watch him.

He never allowed you to understudy him unconsciously?

When he was getting a bit older, he would actually ask me to help him do some strokes, while painting, because his hands were shaking. That was when he needed to do a straight line in his work. There was this particular job he was doing for the Metropolitan Club. It was a portrait of Adetukunbo Ademola.

He wanted to show books in the man’s library, but his hands were shaking due to old age. He asked that I should help him do that.

That was the only situation when he would ask me to work with him. Otherwise, he would not want anyone around him. But, I must give him credit in the area

of learning the rudiments of water- colour painting. May be, the reason why I ended up as an artist is because I did not become a doctor, as I had planned. I was given Bio-chemistry, and when I was through with the first degree, I did not want to go back to study medicine again, because a lot had actually changed. I had started exhibitions and was selling works. When he passed on, we buried his brushes and materials with him at Onitsha.. Two years down the line, I had my first solo exhibition, which was a sell-out.

Where do you think Ben Enwonwu’s strength is situated as an artist?

I know it is sculpture. I am a painter. I do not do sculpting. It is very demanding. Since I am into book publishing, I would rather do painting to relax myself.

Sculpting is work.

How have you projected Onitsha’s heritage in your

ters Executive Director, Samuel Sidibé, said: “We look forward to both working with Bisi Silva on the realisation of her exciting vision for the next biennial, and to the possibilities the event offers for future generations of African photographers.’’

works?

I have done quite a lot of works to reflect that, just as my father did. Some of my paintings show that. I am also part of Olokoto, an Onitsha group of artists. But I see art as an international phenomenon, which has grown past being a tribal thing. It’s just like physics, as a subject. You cannot be saying Nigerian physics. It is international.

We hear that that art in Nigeria is doing well. What major challenges have you faced since assuming office?

The major one is funding. Most corporate bodies would prefer putting their money in musical concerts, because they tell you that only few people attend exhibitions. Then, there is also the issue of school curriculum. It should be enhanced now to prepare the artist for the challenges of society. At school, your teachers would teach you the rudiments of painting and sculpting, but not how to survive with your art works.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Features

s

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

A day at the Lagos correctional home for minors in crime GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR visited the State correctional centres in Lagos recently and observed that Nigeria’s leaders of tomorrow are struggling with reforms behind the walls that hold no promise for their future. His report...

For over a decade, philanthropists and individuals have been joining forces with the Government of Lagos State for the upkeep of children at the Special Correctional Centres for Boys at Welfare area, Ikeja, and the Girls Correctional Centre, Idi-Araba, Surulere, both in Lagos.

Daily Times investigation uncovered a stream of philanthropic projects and care givers emanating from Pentecostal Churches of all denominations whose care-giving departments make it a programme to execute laudable projects for the benefit of the children all year round.

Our correspondent who was embedded in the Prison Department ministries of the Latter Rain Assembly, Ogba, in Ikeja, visited the Special Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun and the Correctional Centre for Girls, Idi-Araba and observed that the passion of the Churches in assisting and encouraging the children is

commendable, but the ultimate purpose for the centres as a reform institution is still elusive.

While waiting for clearance, the ministers updated themselves with progress made in the past year and the strategies for the year 2015. When Mr. Thank God, a Man O War officer, who manned the gates would usher them in, our correspondent joined in the fellowship and ministration before the counseling session took off.

The inmates took the praise but a minister led the worship session before the ministers arranged them into small groups of four to a counselor after a short sermon targeted at leading the children to the way of Christ.

Daily Times noticed the ministers’ affection towards the children was like a parentschildren’s reunion party.

Since principals of both centres are barred from speaking to the press, our correspondent probed into some of the problems of the centres through ministers of various Churches involved with the upkeep and well-being of the children.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Times, after the sharing of gifts to the children, one of the ministers, who led the LRA team, Mr. Idowu Ogunmekan, said the reforma-

Church ministers at the boys’ centre tion process at the centres was encouraging but admitted that there were yet some hurdles to cross.

“There is a great chance of reformation in the centre, but we have to acknowledge the God factor because the most important reformer is God. We also recognise the human factor as a hindrance to some of the children, depending on

their backgrounds.”

Ogunmekan was however full of praise for the State Government on the vision of the Centres. “We’re grateful to the government, who thought it right to create such centres and we commend the principals, who are focused in terms of learning activities and programmes.

“Having known most of them when they were brought into

the centres, we, as a Church, are encouraged as we see visible changes in the children, in terms of the way they reason; even their physical appearances have changed.”

Admitting it had not been smooth sailing though, Ogunmekan said some of them were very stubborn when they came to the centre.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Anambra strategises for physically challenged persons A study into the growing number of disabled beggars on the streets of Anambra State has revealed that stigmatisation by the people and marginalisation by the government are factors that fuel the culture, but respite is on the way. OKEY CHRIS reports from Awka.

All doors closed to people living with disability in Anambra State, in areas of

employment, education, self employment and medical services are on the verge of being opened soonest, a survey has revealed.

The comprehensive survey was carried out by a group comprising six NGOs viz Care for the Physically Challenged & Destitute Foundation (CAPCADF) Awka, in collaboration with the Joint National Association of Persons with

Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra Chapter and cofounded by the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Onitsha; the Christian Aid Nigeria (CAN) and Development for International Development (DFID) as part of Voice to the People (V2P) Project Phase 11.

The study titled ‘Setting a strategy for the need of Persons with Disabilities”, cov-

ered three of the most affected Council Areas in the State, viz Anambra West, Idemili North and Orumba North was concluded in December 2014 but its findings were recently presented at the Local Government and State levels.

Presenting the report, the founder of CAPCADF, Mrs. Gloria Nwafor disclosed that a total of 1500 questionnaires were distributed to persons

with disabilities in each of the 44 communities under the three selected LGAs, but 1,244 were returned, out of which 704, representing 56.59%, were males, while 540 (43.41%) were females.

Mrs. Nwafor revealed that the basic tools her team of researchers used to gather data in the study was questionCONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Remand home with a human face CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

“You must understand that some were picked from the streets and many of the children were brought from Oshodi in those days when Oshodi was a bad terrain; they were the minors being raised in that place before the intervention of Governor Raji Fashola, so there are signs of changes that we are sure will bring about the correction this centre was set up to achieve.”

The minister recalled an encounter he had with an inmate of the special centre as they came in.

“As we entered this morning, I met one of them at the gate. I asked where he was going, and he said he was going to Church; he attends Daystar Christian Centre not far from the centre.

You can imagine someone who had to be restricted and policed every minute even inside the centre when he came, but over time, he has shown enough change in character and behaviour that he knows he should go to Church.

“Moreso, that the centre’s governing body now allows him to go out unaccompanied speaks volumes. Remember that many people who are not in confinement do not deem it fit to go to Church on Sundays.

So, taking that decision and given a free hand to go unaccompanied is proof that the young man, who is about 18 years old, has been reformed to a reasonable extent.”

On in-door vocational trainings and the success of the various trades the inmates have been introduced to and sponsored by the Church, Ogunmekan said they were as good at learning as, if not better than, some people outside.

“I bought a pair of footwear during one of their exhibitions, a kind of mini-trade-fare we organise where they exhibit their products, like cane works, fashion designs and leather works; and some show talents and acquired skills in music and even photography. Their products are so good they are fit for export.”

Daily Times picked up word

that some inmates fit to be released were still there. What could be the reason for this?

“The children are many; if any is reformed enough to be released from any of the centres, government has to go to court and get legal papers before they are released finally.

Those that are fit for release but are still in the centre may have a case related to shelter, largely because they have no traceable family members to release them to.

“If they go out without a shelter they will be susceptible and they know now that if they commit any crime, they will definitely go to prison, because they are of age, so this is why the authorities have to keep them until a solution is found.”

What part does the Church play in this regard?

“This is why we encourage the boys to belong to a church; if the reformed person has learnt a trade, and is known in the church, he would be relating with a real environment that can speak for him and know how to support his future.”

29 Features

Breakfast time at the boys centre

“It is not easy to understand the boys from the surface; you may see some looking sober, but inward, there are something else; so we keep on praying for them. Withtime they will change. It’s not a one day effort; it is a process.”

But Daily Times learnt that government has addressed that problem at the Girls Correctional Home, Idi-Araba.

“The GCH Idi-Araba has an established structure where they have Correctional, and the Approved Sections for young women over 18, who are certified reformed but have no relation to be released to. This wing is open to foster parents, if you want to assist in furthering their education, even marriage, etc. If such can be put in place at the Boys Centre, it will be very good.”

A counselor in the team, Mr. Ojomu, who was seen to be personally responsible for a particular boy at the centre told our correspondent his encounter with the boy.

“When last we came here, there was one boy the authorities broke his head because he wanted to escape. They called me to minister to the boy and he gave his life to Christ. His name in Yoruba means somebody that will be great. I counsel him whenever we come here. It’s part of the reformation process. We work hand in hand with the centres.

“The boy’s problem was running away from home. So, when he was brought here, he tried to run away again, so they have to re-orientate his mindset. On our part, as ministers, we pray for them. I have been praying for the boy and he is adapting and changing.

“It is not easy to understand the boys from the surface; you may see some looking sober, but inward, they are something else”, Mrs. Rita Egede, who has been with the ministry for upwards of three years told Daily Times.

“We keep on praying for them and trust God that with time, they will change. It is a process. And, apart from praying for them in groups, as you saw today, we also pray for them individually in our closets.”

Daily Times noted that the ministers task themselves to raise funds for most of their projects all year round.

ANAMBRA PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED

Mobility aids will give them sense of belonging CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

Some physically challenged persons in Anambra state

naires designed to elicit information on the respondents’ sex, age, marital-status, type of impairment, level of education, type of employment and level of participation in governance, etc.

She explained that 610 respondents representing 49.04% of persons with impairment had no formal education, while

336 (7.01%) possess primary education as their highest. 33 respondents (2.65%) had vocational education, while those that attained post primary and tertiary institution education were 221 (17%) and 44 (3.54%).

The report made available to Daily Times showed that 1,019 respondents (81.91%) are unemployed, 179 respondents (14.15%) are self-employed, 38 (3.05%) work as public servants

and 11 (0.88%) work in the private sector, thereby confirming disabled persons’ claims of maginalisation by the Government which failed to include even 1% of their qualified members into the State Civil Service Commission in the last two years.

The report further showed that 942 (75.72%) have not received any form of empowerment from either the govern-

ment or private individuals, while only 152 (12.22%) received empowerment which include Desktop and laptop computers, shoemaking, sowing and grinding machines, ovens and gas cookers, etc.

Also, 136 (10.93%) once received mobility aids, 12 (0.96%) hearing aids, 2 (0.16%) visual aids, meaning they needed more of such from both the state government and individuals.

News 30

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

Omirin: Fayose risks impeachment Ekiti people won’t allow it, says Governor ÏÏÏEkiti

State Governor, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose, risks impeachment if he fails to respond to the notice sent to him at the weekend, according to factional Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin.

However, Fayose has continued to pooh-pooh the impeachment notice, adding that the people of the state who gave him mandate as Governor, and rejected the APC at March 28 presidential election, would keep him in office.

Omirin, in a statement on Sunday, said that Fayose could not run away from facing impeachment process, noting that the impeachment notice was a constitutional matter and not about theatrics.

Reacting to media reports cred-

ited to the Speaker of the faction loyal to Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Olugbemi; and another statement credited to the governor’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, dismissing the impeachment notice as a joke, Omirin said the two men were still acting in ignorance of the supremacy of the Constitution.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, Omirin said that the Ekiti issue was a matter of rescuing democracy from executive lawlessness and impunity into which the state had been driven by the governor.

He said: “It will soon dawn on Fayose and his aides that the matter at hand goes beyond exuber-

ant media skirmishes that are being deployed to rally support for the governor.

“Attention of the world has shifted to Ekiti State following the leaked tape detailing electoral fraud perpetrated to give Fayose victory. After that, several issues in Ekiti State are being questioned on the place of the constitution in nurturing democracy in the country, and as responsible citizens, we must act right to make democracy work.”

Omirin said all allegations raised in the impeachment notice are constitutional matters, to which the governor must be ready to produce answers instead of belligerent attitude in the media in addressing serious issue of

L-R Prelate Chaplain, Very Rev. Rufus Atolayo; Director of Media & Public Relation Methodist Church, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, Prelate Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche; Proto Presbyters, Methodist Church of the Trinity Tinubu, Very Rev. Stephen Adegbite at the Easter celebration on Sunday in Lagos.

Photo: TAOFEEK BABAJIDE

Buhari hails Borgu emir for having forgiving spirit ÏÏÏPresident-elect,

General Muhammadu Buhari has commended the positive disposition as well the forgiving spirit of the Emir of Borgu, Dr Halliru Dantoro and other leaders of government who were detained while they were under investigation by the military administration he led between December 1983 and July 1985.

General Buhari said leaders such as the Emir never held it against him that they were detained and have gone to establish very strong and cherished personal relationship with him.

The President-elect said as

Commander-in-Chief in a military dispensation, responsibility for all actions of government belonged to him even where he did not direct government action in that regard but that as leader, he had accepted such responsibility.

In a speech he gave while receiving the Emir who led his Council members on a congratulatory visit on Sunday in Abuja, General Buhari recalled a list of other names of obvious cases including Adamu Ciroma a former minister of Finance and Agriculture.

Buhari said he accepted the goodwill of all such past leaders who did not hold him personally

responsible for the actions of the military government and promised the nation that as an elected president, he would ensure equity, fairness and justice for all.

He thanked the Emir and his people for enduring the sevenhour journey from Borgu to Abuja to congratulate him.

Buhari used the occasion to once again felicitate with Nigerians on the occasion of the Easter.

The Emir in an earlier remark had said that Buhari’s second coming was divine to redeem and reunite the nation.

He pledged the total support of his people to the success of the incoming Buhari administration.

constitutional significance.

Advising the governor to respond to the allegations against him, he said running away from the Government House and using his aides to cover his track would not help him in defending his assault on the nation’s constitution and other infractions against the constitution that were already established against him in courts.

“It is good that his men are talking in the media about the need to uphold the constitution in this matter even though they behave short of upholding the constitution in their conduct “Even though the governor trampled on the same constitution when he led thugs to attack judges in court and tore court records in the Chief Judge’s office, our duty is to follow constitutional path in this impeachment process.

“These men that are flying the governor’s banner will soon see the law in action. This impeachment process is real. We must rescue Ekiti State from lawlessness and fraud. The N1.3 billion poultry project fraud case is still in court. There are still cases of unresolved murders.

“We have again seen the resumption of state-sponsored terrorism with thugs attacking and maiming Ekiti people after a break in 2006 when the governor was impeached for fraud and attacks on opponents,” the Speaker said.

He added: “We thought his impeachment trauma in 2006 would have taught him a lesson, but the governor has proved that he cannot survive in a society where the law works. We advise him to come out of hiding and defend himself because we are prepared to give him a fair hearing. That is the reality he must face instead of downplaying serious matter of constitutional consequences.”

However, Fayose described his governorship as a mandate freely and wholeheartedly given

by Ekiti people, saying; “Ekiti people who are the owners of my mandate will defend it against political usurpers, whom they had rejected twice in the last nine months.”

According to Olayinka, the governor also urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, to sustain his stand of not allowing the use of the judiciary to change the outcome of elections.

Fayose, who described the “noise” of impeachment and

Supreme Court judgment being made by the APC as a plot to distract him from concentrating on governance and the coming Saturday’s House of Assembly election, called on members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State not to be distracted from their goal of delivering all the 26 Assembly seats in the State to the party.

He said: “Sovereignty belongs to the people and the people of Ekiti State on June 21, 2014, surrendered their sovereignty to me to be their governor for four years.

“Instead of respecting the wish of Ekiti people, which they again affirmed on March 28 and will further affirm on April 11, the APC people that were rejected in two free and fair elections have been trying all tricks to return to power through the back door.

“They filed several cases in their bid to stop my inauguration as governor and even committed murder in the process.”

Speaking further, Governor Fayose said; “The Speaker of the State House of Assembly then, Dr Adewale Omirin was assured of assuming office as Acting Governor and that informed his nonattendance of my inauguration, as he was still hoping that even on October 16, 2014, a court order would be gotten to stop my inauguration.

“Their evil plots against the mandate of Ekiti people failed then, but up to now, they are not relenting.

“Today, even though Omirin has been duly impeached, he still believes he can be Acting Governor while Dr Kayode Fayemi that was roundly rejected by Ekiti people is also boasting that he will return to power through the instrumentality of the court.

“However, let me warn the APC as a party to respect the wish of Ekiti people as the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan respected the wish of Nigerians on the election of Major General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd).

“Any attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Ekiti people, using whatever instrument will be resisted by the people themselves because power belongs to the people and they have handed it to whom they desire to exercise till October 16, 2018.

“The APC gladiators in Ekiti should therefore emulate President Jonathan and the PDP by waiting till 2018 to try their luck again.”

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, April 6, 2015

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These issues don’t concede defeat •••

Yinka Odumakin

Shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan called up his opponent in the March 28 elections ,Major General Buhari, to concede defeat, someone on the social media a poignant statement which read: “My son asked me why were youth corpses jubilating that Jonathan did not win this election and I told him he is too young to understand why they are thanking God”.

That, to me, was so loaded and it speaks a lot to the very issues that have shaped the contest for power in our nation,country, I meant.

Jonathan should be saluted for not taking the country through any bloodbath by walking his talk that the ambition of any politician should not equal the blood of any citizen .

There were many reasons for him to make statements or suggestive body language that would have inspired his supporters to create a festival of blood.

He could have insisted on truncating the process when it was discovered that the man who printed the PVCs is a member of the opposing party, if he was a “do-or-die’ man.

Buhari What of when he got to the polling unit and the card reader could not accredit him?Or when Jega discarded the card reader after accreditation time was over in some part whereas he never used the machine in the other part? He was aware the results we were being taken through an orchestration was already on the website of the opposing party but did not resort to the Harrison mentality of someone we used to know.

By conceding in spite of the obvious was a sign

Jonathan of a man who would not want his country go up in flames just because of power, In one moment, he moved from being president to occupying the vacant stool of a statesman which one Baba missed eight years ago over his inordinate ambition .

Jonathan obviously had his mistakes but did not miss it when history beckoned!

Congratulations to the winner of the election, Buhari.

With Jonathan on his

way to Otuoke, it’s now time to interrogate the “change’ that has arrived.

I’ve gone through the promises of the APC campaign and identified a few items that would create burden of expectations.

There is one about making one Naira exchange for one dollar. This obviously won’t be achieved through a bill to the National Assembly but increasing the productive capacity of our economy to back up our currency in the face of falling oil prices.

Poor parents would now expect one meal in school per day but except sawdust will do, the current National Budget cannot sustain the cost of that.

Ultimately, the new men of power would be confronted with the reality of the systemic nature of the Nigerian crisis.The current structure of Nigeria is not conducive to good governance and all misplaced expectations are bound to shatter, The very folks trumpeting now would be hooting with the impossibility of any change for as long as we run away from structural changes.

And the earlier they had a rethink on the issues some of us raised in the build-up to the elections those basking in praises now would depart in four years time in tatters, The issues of nationhood have never been defeated at any elections and never have they conceded defeat anywhere in the world except they are addressed. That was why Britain was still doing referendum in Scotland in 2014, the year of our National Conference!

Published by FOLIO COMMUNICATIONS LTD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948. EDITOR: YINKA OLUJIMI News Hotlines: 08138773277, 08173901838. Advert Hotlines: 08169118913, 08075038528

Life&

TIMES Monday, April 6, 2015

Tee Mac

Omatshola Iseli The cross cultural flutist

L2

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The taste of Easter L6

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Sleepwear becomes fashionable L4

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Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday April 6, 2015

My mother used to be married to late Mobolaji Bank-Anthony

Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli Opeoluwani Akintayo With a father from Switzerland and a mother from Itsekiri, Delta State,Tee Mac Omatsola Iseli has been in the business of music since the age of eight.

The musician who is more recognized for his versatility with and has tons of businesses in the country. A former President of Practitioners Musicians Em-

have used his goodwill to canrian music industry.

It’s been a while, what have you been up to?

I’m been busy all along. I am looking forward to performing at the Lagos International Jazz Festival in December 20th 2015. Then in April, I will be in Denmark, Norway, France, Spain and England.

And I’m also developing two minmining of copper in Rivers State, Borno State and Nasarrawa State.

How are you able to combine music and mining?

Because I’m an entertainer doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t get involved in other businesses. In Switzerland, I studied music and business. I have a degree in Re-

money in the 70s, I came home

Life&

T E A M

states and 11 mining cites. Musicians should invest so that we can leave something for our children.

You origin is rooted in both Switzerland and Nigeria..........

I was born in Nigeria. My mother was from Itsekiri. She was the daughter of Olu of Warri. My father was the Switzerland ambassador to Nigeria. He was assassinated when I was three years old and then two years later, my mother married his assistant, Omobolaji Bank-Anthony How does it make you feel knowing that you are related to the late and revered Mobolaji bank-Anthony?

The question should be, how would he feel to know he’s related to me? I don’t think there’s anything special knowing him. I’ve lived in Switzerland and my father and uncles are from very wealthy backgrounds. They are industrialists who paid for me and my two sister’s education. Bank Anthony was my father’s assistant so, I can’t say I liked him.

Would you have loved to have been born by a Nigerian father because you seem to like Nigeria so much?

I was born here so, it means there’s a reason why I was born in Nigeria not Switzerland. I’ve been connected to Nigeria for many years now. Yes, Nigeria has problems. Every country has problems.

You were one of those rooting for outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan during his campaign to return as president. Why did you get yourself involved?

Yes and that is because I’ve

Editor Nkarenyi Ukonu n.ukonu@dailytimes.com.ng 08029030427

Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani o.ogunjimi@dailytimes.com.ng 08126223784

had the opportunity of interacting with him when he was the Deputy governor and later, the governor of Bayelsa State when his father died. I also interacted with met him Delta Scheme and again when was on the saddle. I’ve met him so many times and I think he’s faithful. If every Nigerian had the opportunity like me to meet him face to face, there will be no pressure from anybody because he’s honest, hardworking, and if anything had gone wrong during his tenure, you shouldn’t blame him. I will always defend him.

Are you really kid singer, Ozzy Bosco’s father?

I am Daddy Bosco.

him take after you in the entertainment industry It’s fun. We do our best to give him the right training like taking him to the studio, do the mixing and we take it from there.

What’s your take on the Nigerian music industry? education. We have those who are not ready to work hard in it. I started music at the age of eight and I still

many of our young artistes don’t know what music really is. They just go into the studio, mix beats and then sing to it. They cover up their voices with a lot of things but there’s much more to doing professional music. There’s a lot of talent

Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli m.alli@dailytimes.com.ng 08115557378

in the i n dustry.

I was the elected presfor four years and saw that the industry needs help. We

What would you have loved him to do for the music industry if he was re-elected?

I would have proposed that he makes funds available for the industry and appoint a minister that will be in charge. But remember, you need to give the money to credible people who will use the money for what it’s meant for.

What about the N200 million grant he made available before now?

Yes the money is somewhere and because of the budget and projects presented by many, we had to put the money on hold.

So that means the money is still available Yes. But to access it, you must be ready to pay an interest loan of 7 per cent as well as have a business plan and with the decision of the committee, you can grab your part.

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893

Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478

Tee Mac: The music and business man from the University of St Gallen, Switzerland He specialized in classical music concert performance and University of Lausanne.

He is one of the pioneers of the Classical Music Society of Nigeria which eventually metamorphosed into the Muson center, Nigeria’s leading music school.

He was awarded the MFR by 2009 for his vital role in brokering peace with the Niger Delta rehabilitation He has had a career span of 40 years He has produced 11 albums He has a honorary doctorate degree in Arts from the Bradley University, Illinois He is chairman of several businesses, some of which are: Chairman Allied Minerals Ltd, Chairman Tee Mac petroleum Nig. Ltd, Chairman Tee Mac productions etc.

Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday April 6, 2015

L3 Interview

I am the face of Jimi Agbaje - Rachael Oniga Opeoluwani Akintayo Not so many people know that veteran actress, Rachael Oniga is not a Yoruba woman even though she has spent most of her acting years in the Yoruba movie genre. She made her movie debut in ‘Onome’, while her debut Yoruba movie was ‘Owo Blow’. Over the years, she has featured in several notable she speaks on her new found love for politics.

What is with your new found love for politics?

It isn’t new, I’ve been into politics for some time now. For now, it’s politics. After that, I’ll go back to my job full time. That is not to say I haven’t been working. I’ve been going in and out of locations too.

Are you running for an elective No I am not but I’m campaigning for Jimi Agbaje in Lagos State.

I am the face of Jimi Agbaje so I’ve been busy with his campaign.

I also campaigned for President Goodluck Jonathan. So for the past few months, that’s what I’ve been doing.

But you weren’t part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure No I wasn’t.

What made you join his crew?

Nobody convinced me. I’m a person and when I believe in a course, I follow it and don’t look at what other people are doing.

Why be in the PDP camp?

Because I believe in Jimi Agbaje.

Before the presidential elections, I believed in President Jonathan and I felt he should have been given the chance to govern again so he honest, he’s done so much for this country. It’s just that he’s not the type who makes noise about his achievements and unfortunately, in Nigeria’s politics, making noise is the in-thing. Just like the Yoruba proverb that if you don’t praise the lizard, it will praise itself by nodding the head. He is a peace loving person. He’s also someone who loves women. He respects motherhood.

I see that he’s a true leader, a God-fearing person. It is his kind of person that we need. Things have gone so wrong in the country and it will take some time to clear it out.

He’s a human being so he can also make mistakes once in a while. He has his own faults which is normal.

But people believe entertainers should distance themselves from politics If you say that then, you are being unfair to the entertainment industry because even in the U.S, U.K, and the developed countries, when politicians are vying for any position, they make use of entertainers. Entertainers may not be at the fore but they are always there.

Even when anything like a scandal arises against any leader, entertainers are the people to clean it up because entertainers are the faces people look up to and they believe in them. And Jimi Agbaje is a God-fearing person. I’ve heard him speak and relate with people, that’s why I believe so much in him.

Does this mean that you may also go into active politics someday?

It can happen anytime Or maybe you’re seeking a political appointment the reason why I’m into it. I have my name to protect and I feel that this is the time for me to come out and do something. I do a lot on set and if I can come out and do the real thing, there’s nothing wrong with that What’s your take on your colleagues who have gone into politics?

With time, people grow. It shows that the industry and the country is growing.

But most of them lost out in the primaries Yes, that’s part of the game.

Some will lose while others will win.

But some people think your colleagues wouldn’t have lost if they had joined the Labour Party instead of PDP or APC That’s what I’m saying. It depends on the individual because

what you believe in, I might not believe in.

Because entertainers are popular doesn’t guarantee that t h e y must w i n a n election.

There m u s t always be a structure. Maybe i t ’ s not their time to win. It doesn’t matter which party they decide to join So what’s your advice to your colleagues who would like to go into politics?

There’s freedom of everything in this country. They should do whatever they want. That’s why it’s a democratic era. Anything can trigger one’s interest to go into politics and if God help you and people believe in you, so be it!

Besides politics, what other thing have you been involved in lately?

I still act. I just got out from the set of a TV series, Crack In The Wall. I’m more into TV series now.

And once in a while, if I’m called upon to do anything in Nollywood then, I will. Aside that, I buy and sell things. I deal in women and babies’ things.

Why did you suddenly stop acting in Yoruba movies and switched to Soaps?

The fact is, there are so many things wrong with the Yoruba movie industry. That is not to say that they don’t do good movies anymore. So when you are given a script and you feel it’s just a run-ofthe-mill then, there’s no point Are you saying acting in Yoruba movies no longer

challenging you?

We’ve lost so much of our values. If you look into most of these Hollywood scripts, it tells stories about Nigeria’s history and this is where we are losing out. In a country like this, we shouldn’t forget where we are coming from. In secondary schools, History used to be part of the subjects taught but it’s out of the curriculum now. If you don’t know your past, you can’t know where you stand presently and your future, and that’s where we are losing it.

Or it is because TV series pay more than Yoruba movies?

Maybe. But in soaps, you do your thing better, you can interpret your character better.

What are those challenges you see in Nollywood that you think deserves attention?

We have so many that needs to be ironed out. Finance is very important and should be taken care of. Technically, we are doing well.

We are growing and we will surely get to where we want someday.

What’s the secret of your ageless looks?

I don’t do facials or worry myself over any skin beauty routine but, I believe so much in massage therapy.

How often do you go for massages?

Twice a week if I have the time.

I opted for massages because I can’t jog or take a long walk like you would do.

Fashion & Style L4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday April 6, 2015

Art Fashion as

Nkarenyi Ukonu

cause art deco pieces are so unique, it is important to know how to match or clashes with the style one is going for.

Carefully select pieces of jewellery and foot wears to go along with an stand out with your fashion forward sense of style.

Keep your make up minimal to avoid it competing with the dress Also wear very simple hairstyles so the dress can remain the focal point.

Mariam Musa

Louise Priddy

Michelle Dede

From sleepwear to street wear:

The pyjamas

trend

Pyjamas now commonly referred to as lounge wear have made the transition into daywear. Feminine, mysterious, alluring is how you should project this trend. The key to rocking a pajama look without like you just got out of bed is to create a very effective and thematic look. If you want to play safe, contrasts are your friend. things you wouldn’t wear to bed fabrics take it to a sophisticated level something more structured, especially for day. A silky pajama-style shirt is sharp with a pencil skirt or slim trousers.

Chalya Shagaya

Rihanna

whether it’s a high heel, a bold necklace, or a perfectly done nude lip.

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday April 6, 2015

L5

Living & Decor Rug in a bedroom

Painted floor

Design tips to update your bedroom

Creatively painted wall

Nkarenyi Ukonu

We spend a lot of time in our bedrooms, so it’s natural if you feel the urge to refresh yours from time to time, whether to incorporate a new trend or simply because you desire a change. The good news is that updates don’t need to be big; the simplest tweaks can make an impact, as these tips show.

Reupholster your headboard

If you have a very simple headboard design, you could probably reupholster it yourself by wrapping a beautiful and colourful fabric over the headboard and tacking it at the back with a staple gun or board pins.

Reupholstering can be costly, but it’s a quick way to start a change in your bedroom design that the rest of the room can follow.

Adorn your wall Do you have a blank wall you’ve been looking at for ages, one just crying out for some attention?

Sometimes all it takes is a new found object to bring a fresh sense of glamour to a bedroom. There are so many designs available these days, and a decorative mirror is a great way

to add a focal point as well as bounce light around the room. Besides a mirror, you can choose from a wide array of decorative pieces for walls. Don’t be afraid to build things up slowly, you don’t need to do everything right away. Let whatever it is shape further changes in the room. Be sure to make sure your walls are strong enough to hold something heavy and be sure that there aren’t any pipes or cables running down the wall. You could also, more simply, just paint the wall a different color to add a new tone to your room.

Add architectural features

New-build properties often lack architectural detail, but there are some lovely ways you can add this sort of feature to a room.

Perfectly scaled, painted wooden frames really add interest and help the lighting and artwork, if any, have more impact. Picking them out in a contrasting color to the walls keeps the look fresh. If you aren’t sure how this addition would look like or what the best dimensions might be, create a paper template, stick it to the wall and live with it

for a while before you have a framework made and installed. That way you’ll be free to make adjustments until it’s perfect.

Revive with a rug

A rug is a brilliant way to add a new layer to your room, as well as a sense of warmth and softness underfoot. You can go almost wall to wall if you want to make a big change without replacing a carpet or ing.

refresh, or one recently vacated and ready for a revamp. As time goes on, rooms change their purpose. Whatever the situation, it’s a good opportunity to look at your bed anew.

Perhaps it’s time to change the whole arrangement and

Reboot your bedding

When you spend so much time in bed, it seems crazy not to be sleeping in lovely bedding, rather than tattered gray sheets and pillowcases that are no longer crisp. Egyptian cotton bedding is widely available, so there’s no excuse not to bring that fresh, luxurious feel to your bed. A few additional pillows and a throw blanket can also introduce color and texture, and they can easily be changed when you grow tired of the look.

Go with twins

Perhaps you have a spare room you’d like to

Upholstered headboard

go for single beds, or perhaps to go the other way and install a bigger bed. If you do opt for splitting up the beds, go for a full-size version, that way you’ll be covered no matter who sleeps in it.

Do something crazy

If you are doing something purely cosmetic that can be painted over, then why not go a little bit wild? easily cover up any experiments you tire of.

Nutrition L6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday April 6, 2015

The taste of Deviled eggs Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide. It traditionally use to be dyed and painted chicken eggs, but today I want to introduce you to a special egg recipe, Deviled eggs.

Servings: 4 Ingredients 4 eggs 1/5 cup mayonnaise or yogurt 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sweet relish 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper sweet paprika for garnish Preparation Place the eggs in a medium with enough water to cover the eggs by 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let rest, still covered, for 8 minutes.

Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water.

Drain the eggs and shake gently in the pan to crack their shells.

Place the eggs in the ice water bath and let sit for 5 minutes before peeling.

Peel the eggs, then cut the eggs in half and gently scoop the yolks into a mixing bowl.

Mash the yolks with a fork, then stir in the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, salt and pepper. Transfer the yolk nylon, seal and refrigerate.

Place the egg whites in an airtight container and refrigerate.

To assemble Place the egg whites on a serving platter. Snip a corner off the still-sealed egg whites.

Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Dessert Easter Cupcakes Ingredients

chopped Butter 75 g, unsalted Caster sugar 100 g Eggs 3, beaten Milk 15 ml

Almonds 100 g, ground Flour 150 g, all-purpose Baking powder 10 ml Almond extract 5 ml

Easter

For the frosting Icing sugar 250 g Water 30-45 ml, hot For the decoration Food colouring orange and green, as needed Apricot jam 15 ml Info box Preparation time 40 m Heat the oven to 180°C, gas 4.

Place paper cases in 10 bun tins. and sugar in a miming bowl to a smooth paste.

Whisk in the eggs gradually, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth.

Gently fold in the almonds, until well blended.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.

Bring it out and leave it to cool.

Deviled eggs

For the frosting Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and stir in enough hot water to give a thick coating consistency.

Spoon the frosting over the cakes, allowing it to run down the sides.

Leave to set.

For the marzipan carrots for the leaves.

Knead orange colouring into until the colour is even.

Roll the dough into small balls and roll the balls between your palms, elongating them into thin tubes and tapering one end, so that they are shaped like carrots.

Using a cocktail stick, make

Deviled eggs

all along the length of the ‘carrots’ to create slight creases.

Knead the green colouring into the smaller piece of Flatten small pieces and mark into leaf shapes.

Attach to the’ carrots’ with a dab of jelly.

Place the ‘carrots’ on the cakes.

Easter cupckes

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday April 6, 2015

L7 Buzz Bytes

Opeoluwani Akintayo

Why May D allegedly beat up his baby mama Last week, news of Ile Ijo singer, May D, allegedly beating up his baby mama, Debola made headlines. Debola who is the mother of May D’s 2-year-old son, Olamipoju, sent popular blogger, Linda Ikeji, an email about the domestic violence she suffered while she was still with the singer. According to her, she was with May D for eight years and it all began while they were still both students in Babcock University. Debola had explained how she made gave up a semester tuition fee to pay for his studio sessions, all in the name of love. Life & Times couldn’t reach May D to get his response to the allegation, but we can’t help but notice his long silence since the news broke. However, Hip TV, a Nigerian music channel reported that his manager, Oreoluwa had debunked Debola’s claim of violence.

When Life & Times spoke with

one of May D’s in-house person, he violent with his baby mama. According to the source, May D allegedly became violent because he was no longer getting money as he used to when his name was virtually on the lips of many.

“I won’t say I blame him anyway.

It’s not funny when someone who could afford a lot of things can no longer live a comfortable life. He’s not been able to drop any hit song for a while now so, money hasn’t been coming in as such. And you know, some men take out their frustration on their women, which ought not to be so,” he said.

When asked about the frequent cheating escapades Debola alleged he engaged in, he said, “That’s normal for most entertainers. They cheat! So, Debola should have taken it lightly instead of getting angry.”

Our source went further to allege

With swollen lips

May D and Debola, when the going was good

that May D is hot tempered and a control freak, “He didn’t allow her work or make friends as such. She was always in the house, taking care of their son and tending to his needs.

She almost didn’t have a life of her own. I think that and the fact that he gets angry at the slightest opportu-

New Music alert!

nity and beats her up, got the poor girl fed up,” he revealed. Speaking on Debola’s alleged passing out whenever May D beats her up, our source admitted that the artiste’s temper was becoming uncontrollable. “We are all scared for what he’s turning into.

Down times are part of life. You never

can tell, things can improve at any time so, he should have been grateful for the kind of girl Debola was to him. Entertainers need those who have been there from the scratch with them, around them, not these girls who come around you when you have money,” he concluded.

Photo of the day

Beauty Obodo- ‘Victory’

Beauty Obodo, a prominent music minister in the National Mass released a single title Victory. Victory, is a song for this Easter season when Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The single is produced by Ambassador Wole Oni of Instinct Studio while the video is directed by Oluyinka Davids of iFocus Pictures. The song is the third release from the 13 track album titled Behold A New Thing.

ON Set Mutiat Alli

Iya Alalake for Easter premiere

Fathia Balogun Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Indigenous Language, Fathia Balogun has announced that her much anticipated movie Iya Alalake which will be of the year will be showing at the LTV 8 on Easter Monday, April 6th 2015.

Fathia disclosed exclusively to Daily Times Life &Times that fans should expect more from her stable as she is stocked with several

Flavour shared this pix on his Instagram wall. We wonder who those kids are.

Wizkid signing an autograph on a fan’s shirt

Movie title: Ugonma

Movie title: The Sassy One

Produced by: Solomon Apete Directed by: Amayo Uzo Cast: Francis Duru, Chioma Akpotha, Amaechi Muonagor, Johnpaul Nwadike, Chinyere Wilfred Location: Ancient Igbo-land Genre: Romance

Produced by: Dabby Chimere Cast: Kenneth Okolie, Yvonne Jegede, Eniola Salami, Shirley Igwe Synopsis: The sassy one movie is an emotional, socially relevant movie that exposes the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse.

It tells the story of an addicted mother who loves her drugs more than her only child.

Francis Duru, Chioma Akpotha cue in for a scene in the movie

Casts of the movie

Amaechi Muonagor reading script as Chioma Akpotha takes selfie

Yvonne Jegede playing a drug addict scene

Dabby Chimere, Yvonne Jegede, Kid actress, Eniola Salami and Kenneth Okolie a cast and Kenneth Okolie

Daily Times Nigeria

Monday April 6, 2015

L8 Television

Showing on

Showing on

106

129

00:40

23:30

Sun, 5 Apr | 16

Mon, 6 Apr | 16VSNL

The twists and turns will leave you reeling in this Pedro Almodovar -

101 M-Net West

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120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

128 SONY MAX

est

Series

Show 06:10 Aurora lionaire?

Show

14:00 Arrow

Show

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155 AfricaMagic World

18:40 Aurora

Videos

154 AfricaMagic Family

07:00 Star Gist

07:00 Star Gist

18:00 Star Gist

World Champ

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Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

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PERSONAL INFORMATION

Poster!

DIMKESA eyes Okpekpe largesse

Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

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CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO

Full name: Country: Residence: Born: Place of birth: Height: Turned pro: Plays: Prize money:

Carla Suarez Navarro Spain Barcelona September 3, 1988 (age 26) Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) 2003 Right-handed (one-handed backhand) $5,068,395

Singles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking: Current ranking:

377–235 (61.6%) 1 WTA, 6 ITF No. 10 (April 6, 2015) No. 10 (April 6, 2015)

Grand Slam Singles results Australian Open: QF (2009) French Open: QF (2008, 2014) Wimbledon: 4R (2013) US Open: QF (2013) Doubles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking: Current ranking:

104-105 1 WTA, 4 ITF No. 12 (February 23, 2015) No. 13 (March 23, 2015)

Grand Slam Doubles results Australian Open: QF (2013) French Open: SF (2014) Wimbledon: 3R (2013, 2014) US Open: 3R (2014)

NAVARRO

About Carla Suarez Navarro

X4,5

Carla Suarez Navarro (born September 3, 1988 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is a Spanish tennis player. She began playing for Spain in the 2008 Fed Cup. On April 6, 2015, she reached her career high ranking at World No. 10.

Suarez Navarro first came to prominence by reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 French Open as a qualifier, in what was her first appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament and only her third appearance in the main draw of a WTA Tour tournament.

She also reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 Australian Open, defeating Venus Williams en route, at the 2013 US Open, where she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams, and again at the 2014 French Open, where she lost in three sets to Eugenie Bouchard.

Meanwhile, 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro on Saturday, succumbed again to Serena Williams firepower as the American claimed her eighth Miami Open title in 14 years after ruthlessly brushing her aside.

The world No 1 won the final 10 games in a 6-2 6-0 demolition of her Spanish opponent to claim her third straight title.

SUAREZ

CARLA Monday, April 6, 2015

O D L A RON SCORES FIVE IN 1O-GOAL THRILLER!

HENDERSON

Armitstead loses lead in

not giving up on World Cup top-four fight X8

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Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

O

n Saturday when sensational American female tennis star and world number one, Serena Jameka Williams, thrashed Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro to win her eighth Miami Open title, it was clear that she is still on top of her game, despite the fact she is no longer getting younger.

The 33-year-old tennis queen raced to a 6-2 6-0 victory in 56 minutes to secure her third straight title at Crandon Park— winning the final 10 games as she outclassed Suarez Navarro, who will make her top-10 debut next week.

Reacting to the victory, the tennis queen expressed delight at winning eight times in a particular tourney, a feat that is remarkable in the WTA. “It feels really good to have

‘eight’ under my belt. I’d like to believe that the older I get, the better I get,” she enthused, referring to her remarkable feat.

Earlier, Suarez Navarro, 26, went into the biggest final of her career, having won just 10 games in four previous meetings with the younger Williams sister, and the 12th seed could add only two more.

The Spaniard began well, even threatening a break of serve at 2-2, 30-30, but Williams slammed the door shut with successive aces and was soon 4-2 in front.

A thumping forehand winner brought up a third set point for Williams after a little over half an hour and Suarez Navarro could only fire long.

Williams had hit 16 winners to just two from her opponent and, faced with a break point for

SERENA WILLIAMS, SO UNSTOPPABLE! the first time at the start of the second set, she produced three unreturnable serves.

It heralded a passage of utter dominance as Williams reeled off 23 out of 25 points.

Suarez Navarro, who entered the world’s top 10 for the first time this week, asked for advice from Coach Xavi Budo at a changeover but she was being overwhelmed.

She, at least, avoided a repeat of her 6-0 6-0 defeat against Williams at the US Open two years ago, but the American brought a swift end to the contest before the hour mark.

A peep into remarkable successes Serena has made in WTA shows that she became the World’s No. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the

sixth time on February 18, 2013, becoming the oldest world No. 1 player in WTA’s history.

Williams is also regarded by some experts and former tennis players to be the greatest female tennis player in history.

She is the only female player to have won over $60 million in prize money, and is the reigning Australian Open, US Open, WTA Tour Championships and Olympic ladies singles champion.

Frequently hailed as the ‘Queen of the Court’ by the general media, Williams holds the most major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female.

Her record of 34 Grand Slam titles puts her seventh on the all-time list: 19 in singles, 13

in women’s doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles.

She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03), and the fifth woman ever to do so.

She is also the most recent player, together with her sister Venus Williams, to have held all four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles simultaneously (2009–10).

Her total of 19 Grand Slam singles titles is tied for third on the all-time list with Helen Wills Moody behind Margaret Court (24 titles) and Steffi Graf (22 titles), and second in the Open Era, behind only Graf.

She has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals.

Serena Williams is also a fivetime winner of the WTA Tour Championships. The arrival of Venus and Serena Williams has been credited with launching a new era of power in women’s tennis.

Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in women’s singles and three in women’s doubles, an all-time record shared with her sister Venus.

From the foregoing, the question on the lips of tennis fans worldwide is “who can stop unstoppable Serena Williams?”

For now, it is only time that can unravel the answer, as the 2015 WTA season promises to be exciting and action packed.

Congrats Serena for making tennis another exciting sport to behold after football!

Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

FEDERATION WATCH

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WITH OSARETIN EMUZE

Team Nigeria athletes shine at Para-athletics Grand Prix

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World marathon champion, Ethiopia’s Abebe Dimkesa, to feature at Okpekpe International Road Race

eam Nigeria Para-athletics contingent came back from Tunisia, recently, with their heads high, after winning 13 gold, two silver and a bronze medal to place third behind Tunisia and Algeria at the 9th International Paralympics , Para-athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia, despite going with only eight male athletes.

The Nigerian contingent had to be pruned, due to lack of funds, and the team arrived the competition venue late. Despite these hurdles, the athletes did not disappoint, as they beat 17 other countries to place third.

20 countries from Europe, Asia America and Africa took part in the tournament put together by the World Paralympic body to pick medallists for next year’s Paralympic Games in Brazil.

The host country, Tunisia, came second with 28 gold, 21 silver and 20 bronze medals, while Algeria, another

Edo FA Cup final holds April 8

E

WORLD CHAMP

A S E K M I DYES OKPEKPE

E LARGESSE W orld marathon champion Ethiopia’s Abebe Dimkesa has expressed interest in participating in the 10km Okpekpe International Road Race slated for May 16 in Etsako-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

Dimkesa told Extra Time that he intends to contact the organisers of the annual race for more information, as he learnt about the race for the first time despite the fact that the Okpekpe International Road Race was already in its third edition.

The marathoner, who is well known for his exploits and regular participation at the annual Obudu

International Mountain Race, has carted home lots of cash prizes ranging from $50,000 and more at the Obudu International Mountain Race in Calabar.

Dimkesa is in top form for any race this season, as he is also preparing for the Saudi Arabia half-marathon slated for April 21.

Meanwhile, this year’s Okpekpe race cash prizes range from $25,000(1st Prize Winner), $15,000(2nd Prize Winner) and $10,000 (3rd Prize Winner) for those in the male category, just as female athletes participating at the 3rd edition would also cart home

cash prizes ranging from $15,000 (1st Prize), $10,000 (2nd Prize) and $8,000(3rd Prize).

Edo State indigenes are also expected to benefit from the special cash prizes earmarked for them. The first Edo State indigene to breast the tape will go home with a cash prize of N100, 000 in the male category, while the first female will get N75, 000.

The first runner up will get N75, 000 in the male category, while winner in the female category gets N50, 000 while the third and fourth placed winner will settle for N50, 000 and N25, 000 respectively.

do FA Cup final, earlier scheduled to hold on April 5 in line with Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) directive will now hold on Wednesday, April 8, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.

The clash is between two unknown teams, as last year’s finalists, Insurers of Benin and Dynamites, have all crashed out.

The newly elected Edo Football Association (EFA) Chairman, Frank Ilaboya disclosed to Extra Time that the final was postponed due to logistics reasons.

He however said the final between Kukuruku Football Club from Edo North Local Government Area and BJ Foundation of Benin will be glamorous as arrangements are on to honour ex-players that had taken part in the competition in the past.

The former Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos chapter chairman, emphasised that the cup final would be filled with

North African country, won the tourney with 28 gold, 28 silver and 18 bronze medals.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Paralifting contingent were not lucky as they could not attend the World Paralympic Qualifiers in Dubai same time.

Nigeria powerlifters who rank among the best in the world, but could not make it to Dubai due to lack of funds.

With this scenario, it is clear that Nigeria Para-lifters will miss out of the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio, Brazil for failing to attend the qualifiers in Dubai last month.

Team Nigeria Paralympic athletes saved Nigeria the blush in London 2012 Olympics where the ablebodied athletes failed to win a single medal at the Olympic Games.

Powerlifters won four gold medals for Nigeria in the last Commonwealth Games in Scotland in 2014.

Edo FA boss Frank IIaboya fanfare and pageantry.

“This is our first assignment and we are going to make it worthwhile.

The board met on Friday and would meet again on Tuesday to finalise plans for the big event,” he said.

IIaboya however appealed to Edo Indigenes, Insurers supporters and corporate bodies to come to the aid of ailing Edo Football.

“Edo football is dying and we should not fold our arms and see it die; let’s join hands together and rescue it.

There was a time in this state when Edo had more than three teams in the Nigeria Premier League, but today we have none. It is a shame!

“There was a time we had Bendel Insurance, New Nigeria Bank, Flash Flamingoes, Rubber Board and Bendel United playing in the elite league and they were doing well, but sadly enough there is none playing in the elite division again,” the Sportsville boss said with a tinge of regret.

NRFF inaugurates Northern Rugby Board

T

he Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) last week inaugurated Northern Rugby Board primarily to help the spread and development of the sport.

Those inaugurated into the board include Musa Abdullahi and Abdalmalik Mohammed, both from Kano State; Williams Musa from Nasarawa State; Aliyu Shalteg from FCT, Abuja; Richard Rafael and Sunday Yayock both from Kaduna State.

However, Barewa Rugby Football Club of Kano has been crowned Northern League champions for the first time since 2011 following an impressive 44-0 win over city rivals Kano Scorpions last Saturday.

With the title race going down to the final round of the season, Barewa headed into the game knowing they needed a win and bonus point regardless of the outcome of the match between title rivals Zaria RFC and Jos RFC.

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Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

PERSONAL INFORMATION Full name: Country: Residence: Born: Place of birth: Height: Turned pro: Plays: Prize money:

Carla Suarez Navarro Spain Barcelona September 3, 1988 (age 26) Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) 2003 Right-handed (one-handed backhand) $5,068,395

Singles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking: Current ranking:

377–235 (61.6%) 1 WTA, 6 ITF No. 10 (April 6, 2015) No. 10 (April 6, 2015)

Grand Slam Singles results Australian Open: QF (2009) French Open: QF (2008, 2014) Wimbledon: 4R (2013) US Open: QF (2013) Doubles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking: Current ranking:

104-105 1 WTA, 4 ITF No. 12 (February 23, 2015) No. 13 (March 23, 2015)

Grand Slam Doubles results Australian Open: QF (2013) French Open: SF (2014) Wimbledon: 3R (2013, 2014) US Open: 3R (2014)

About Carla Suarez Navarro Carla Suarez Navarro (born September 3, 1988 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is a Spanish tennis player. She began playing for Spain in the 2008 Fed Cup. On April 6, 2015, she reached her career high ranking at World No. 10.

Suarez Navarro first came to prominence by reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 French Open as a qualifier, in what was her first appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament and only her third appearance in the main draw of a WTA Tour tournament.

She also reached the quarter-finals of the 2009 Australian Open, defeating Venus Williams en route, at the 2013 US Open, where she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams, and again at the 2014 French Open, where she lost in three sets to Eugenie Bouchard.

Meanwhile, 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro on Saturday, succumbed again to Serena Williams firepower as the American claimed her eighth Miami Open title in 14 years after ruthlessly brushing her aside.

The world No 1 won the final 10 games in a 6-2 6-0 demolition of her Spanish opponent to claim her third straight title.

CA

Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

NAVARRO

SUAREZ

ARLA

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X6

Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

INTERVIEW

Wozniacki

WOZNIACKI: Football passion runs in Caroline Wozniacki’s genes. The tennis superstar’s father and brother both played the sport professionally, while she was spotted on Qatari courts in 2011 wearing a Steven Gerrard shirt and recently said she would visit California to watch the Liverpool icon represent LA Galaxy.

Having spent 67 weeks at No1 in the world and having finished 2010 and 2011 on top of the WTA rankings, as well winning 22 WTA tour titles since turning pro at the age of just 15, the Dane has established herself as a major force in women’s tennis.

Talking exclusively to www.sc.qa in Doha, the city where her compatriot Michael Laudrup is currently in charge of Lekhwiya, the current world No5 explained the origins of her love for the beautiful game, highlighted the national teams she supports and expressed her desire to attend the FIFA World Cup once she has retired. Excerpts:

Caroline, apart from being an outstanding tennis player, you are known to be football crazy. Does your passion for the game come from growing up in a football family?

Yes, for sure. Growing up there was always football on TV, my dad and brother were always watching games.

So if I wanted to spend time with them, I had to watch football. My dad was a football player, my brother also, so it was in the family.

So what did you play more growing up: football or tennis?

Both, it was very equal. I was very energetic as a child, so my parents just made sure I was active. I was playing a lot of football, and I liked football more.

But my dad thought it was a sport for guys, so he was always trying to get me in another direction.

You turned pro at the age of 15. Did you ever consider playing football instead of tennis professionally?

I just loved the game of football.

I was so young that I just enjoyed it without any such ambition.

Will you be finding time in your busy summer tournament schedule to tune in to the Women’s World Cup in Canada when it begins this June?

Yes, I will be following it a bit. America has a great team as always, so they are my favourites to win.

You were in Doha and Dubai again this year. What was your message to young and aspiring players in the Middle East region?

They just have to believe in themselves. There will always be people

ANFIELD

ATMOSPHERE IS TERRIFIC! saying you are not good enough or that you don’t have what it takes, but love what you do and train hard. If you believe in yourself then good things happen.

You were world No1 for an incredible 67 weeks. What does it feel like to be on top of the world – do you think it is comparable to lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy?

Yes. It was a dream of mine since I was a little girl. So to become No1 in the world was an unbelievable experience for me, and to stay there and finish No1 for two years in a row is something very few people have done.

It is something I’m very proud of and something no-one can take away from

me.

Would you like to attend a World Cup, perhaps even the tournament that will hold in Qatar?

I’d love to go to a World Cup – I’ve never had the chance to do it. I didn’t go to South Africa or Brazil. I support Denmark whenever we’re in it. Qatar is a few years in the future, and by that time I probably won’t be playing tennis anymore, so I will have more time. So I’d like to come out there and watch it.

The Centre Court at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha has some demountable parts to the upper stands. At Qatar 2022 there are plans to reduce demountable stadium seating after the tournament and send it

to nations in need of sporting infrastructure, what’s your reaction to this assertion?

I think it’s great. All the big stadiums here wouldn’t get much use, so it’s nice to ship them over to someone who needs them and who will really appreciate it.

In Qatar a few years ago you warmed up on the Centre Court wearing a Steven Gerrard shirt. Have you managed to see any Liverpool games yet?

I’ve been to Anfield quite a few times. I love it. There is nothing that beats that atmosphere, and when they sing ‘You’ll never walk alone’, it gives me goosebumps every time. I have a few signed Gerrard shirts at home.

Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

D A E T S T I ARMLOSES LEAD IN M Cycling

WORBLD CUP riton Lizzie Armitstead lost her lead in the UCI Women’s World Cup as Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini won the women’s Tour of Flanders in Belgium.

Borghini, 23, made up for finishing fourth in the last two years, with her Belgian Wiggle-Honda team-mate Jolien D’hoore taking second place.

Armitstead finished eighth after an early puncture and suffering a snapped pedal cleat in the closing sprint.

The 26-year-old slips behind D’hoore after three rounds of the World Cup. Armitstead, with the Boels Dolmans team, had gone top of the 2015 standings following last month’s victory in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda in Italy.

Longo Borghini attacked 20km from the finish of Sunday’s 145km race that took in cobblestone sections and 10 climbs, building a lead of around a she held until the minute that end.

Rabo-Liv rider Anna van der Breggen the of Neth erlan ds finished third.

Cricket

Golf

Win in Windies can ‘end’ Pietersen rumours –Gooch

F

Rugby

Euro Champions Cup: Bosch earns dramatic win for Saracens

Armitstead

ormer England captain Graham Gooch says a successful tour of the West Indies can put a stop to continuing talk of a return for Kevin Pietersen.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman-elect Colin Graves has hinted Pietersen could return to the team for the first time since the 2013-14 Ashes.

“The best thing England can do is to win well in the Windies and all these comments might go away,” said Gooch.

Gooch, who was replaced as England’s batting coach by Mark Ramprakash last year, said the pressure will be on coach Peter Moores given their disappointing performance in the recent World Cup, when Eoin Morgan replaced Alastair Cook as one-day captain but the team failed to progress beyond the opening group stage.

“If they don’t win, Moores’s job will be on the line but it would difficult to change a coach so close ahead of big series against New Zealand and Australia,” Gooch said.

“Peter’s judgement has to be questioned in

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the World Cup with regard to selection.

“The coach is the main driving force in terms of selection so to change your captain shortly before the start and also your perceived template comes into question and I think that was poor.”

On the subject of Pietersen, who was sacked by England last year but has heeded Graves’s wishes by signing to play county cricket, Gooch said: “He is box office and still good enough - it is whether he has the will and appetite to go to these places and turn it on for Surrey.

arcelo Bosch’s late penalty sent Saracens into the European Champions Cup semi-finals in dramatic style.

The Argentine drilled a long-range kick between the posts to sink Racing Metro with the last effort of the match.

Saracens led 6-5 at the break, two Charlie Hodgson penalties bookending a Maxime Machenaud try.

Alex Goode landed a third Saracens kick but Machenaud looked to have won it with two of his own, but Racing killed the ball and Bosch their hopes.

Saracens will play another French side, Clermont Auvergne, in the last four in Saint Etienne later this month.

The hosts had looked poised to reach a maiden semi-final in top-level European competition after Machenaud stroked over his two penalties, but they were responsible for their own downfall as they attempted to run down the clock on their own 10-metre line in the closing moments.

Referee Nigel Owens hawkishly watched a series of one-out runners trundle into contact to set up a ruck, and when a Racing support player went off his feet, he did not hesitate to penalise the Paris side.

MASTERS

2015: MCILROY misses ‘pure joy’ of golf W

orld number one Rory McIlroy has admitted he does not love golf as much as he used to as a child.

The 25-year-old will complete a career grand slam if he adds the Masters, which starts on Thursday, to his Open, US Open and PGA Championship titles.

However, the Northern Irishman said: “I would be dishonest if I said my love of golf now is as big as it was back then.

“I don’t love golf as much as when it was just pure joy to get on to the course to play.”

He continued: “When I was a kid, if McIlroy I spent a day away from the game, I couldn’t wait to get back. Now I can’t wait for a week off.

“There’s just not the ‘I can’t wait to get out of the house as quick as I can to get to the course’ feeling.

“This is not a job. Let’s face it, I’ve never done a day’s work in my life. But it’s an intense environment I play in and it’s just nice to get away from it for a while.”

McIlroy won his first major, the 2011 US Open, aged 22, and has since won the US PGA in 2012 and 2014, and last year’s Open at Royal Liverpool.

But he insists he will never live up to the profile of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, who returns to the Masters this year after a voluntary leave of absence.

“People tell me I am the new face of golf, but that is a hard one for me to fathom because, growing up, I never even thought about being that,” added McIlroy.

“Tiger Woods is the face of the game to the wider public and I don’t think I’ll ever be that, just because of who I am, who he is, what he represents and the people he brought to the sport.

“I’m never going to do that - it’s not something that’s going to be possible.”

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Monday, April 6, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME Cristiano Ronaldo (3rd from left) scores with a powerful header in the 9-1 whitewash of Granada on Sunday

his fifth hatBy half-time Ronaldo had h Ronaldo wit l, goa n ow s his 24th in inz’ and , Ma goals, Diego trick of the league season ristiano Ronaldo scored five on. late rival Lionel fifth ca his Bar g h din wit l hea ck, as La Liga, drawing leve ard forw ted including a first-half hat-tri Uni er est The ex-Manch nada at the first time, Messi.

Real Madrid thrashed Gra aldo’s fourth scored five in a game for Benzema’s pair and Ron ind La Liga eu. beh nt poi the Bernab one l Rea early in the ll put spe g e in a five-minute r’s first three helpin o have played a game cam The world player of the yea wh na, consolation celo ’s Bar nez ers Iba lead ile second half, wh following Gareth came within eight minutes ing their goal difference. rov en Mainz’s imp wh ile ess wh , rthl less wo ost the l 4-0 up at ood proved alm hst wit le, tab the in Bale’s opener, putting Rea header h 19t late Granada, Ronaldo’s when Bale mistake and ute min two h break.

24t the en the il we unt bet second half Real emphasised the gulf Ronaldo’s fourth came in the goalkeeper to put the the d nde rou zema. sides. ders ahead. between two from Karim Ben ore Champions League hol bef ars arre the d uce red Robert Ibanez

C

O D L A ROSN S A E V I F S E R O C Henderson not giving up on top-four fight

J

ordan Henderson insists Liverpool will not give up the chase for a topfour place despite Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League defeat at Arsenal.

Having been beaten by Manchester United before the international break, Liverpool slipped to a second successive league defeat to one of their closest rivals, as three goals in eight minutes before half-time effectively gave Arsenal the points.

That blitz came after Liverpool had missed multiple chances and, although Henderson pulled one back from the penalty spot in the second

Henderson

REAL THRASH GRANADA 9-1

half, Arsenal cruised home, adding a late fourth through Olivier Giroud after Emre Can had been sent off.

The Merseyside club now sit seven points adrift of the top four with as many games remaining, leaving their UEFA Champions League ambitions hanging by a thread - although Henderson is not about to accept they are out of the race.

“To concede three goals in such a short space of time is not good enough,” the England midfielder said.

“Our one-v-one defending needs to be better.

“I’m sure we’ll work on that in training. We’ve just got to be a little bit more aggressive defensively, and then also in the final third be more ruthless.

“We knew it was going to be difficult to finish in the top four even before we came here, but it makes it even more difficult.

“That doesn’t mean we’ll just give up. We’ve got seven games left now and we need to try and win every one.

If we do that, then you neve r know.”

Burnley hold

Harry Kane (left) of Tottenham and Danny Ings of Burnley are England under-21 team-mates.

Tottenham

in drab draw

PREMIERSHIP TABLE Team

P

Pts

1

Chelsea

30

70

2

Arsenal

31

63

3

Man United

31

62

4

Man City

30

61

5

Liverpool

31

54

6

Tottenham

31

54

7

Southampton

31

53

8

Swansea City

31

46

9

West Ham

31

42

10

Stoke City

31

42

11

Everton

31

37

12

Crystal Palace

30

36

13

Newcastle

31

35

14

West Brom

31

33

15

Sunderland

31

29

16

Hull City

31

28

17

Aston Villa

31

28

18

Burnley

31

26

19

QPR

31

25

20

Leicester City

30

22

H

arry Kane captained Tottenham for the first time but was unable to continue his prolific scoring run in a disappointing draw at Burnley.

Kane replaced injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as Spurs skipper as he looked for his 30th goal of the season to help keep alive his side’s top-four hopes.

But Burnley nullified his threat and went closest to winning when Danny

Ings shot straight at Michel Vorm early on.

The Clarets remain in the bottom three, two points adrift of safety.

Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat by Arsenal the day before had given Tottenham the opportunity to move above them into fifth place and put some pressure on Manchester City before the defending champions’ trip to Crystal Palace today.

At the other end of the table, the incentive to try to secure all three points was just as great for Burnley as they kicked off knowing victory would take them out of the relegation places.

But neither side was able to produce the quality needed to make the difference in a surprisingly low-key game.

Late drama as Bordeaux, Caen snatch victories

N

icolas Maurice-Belay struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Bordeaux clinched a 2-1 victory over Lens in Ligue 1 following a dramatic final 10 minutes.

Willy Sagnol’s side took the lead in the 80th minute as Mariano took advantage of poor defending from Ludovic Baal to fire home.

More sub-standard play at the back – this time from the hosts - contributed

to Lens’ equaliser six minutes later as Cedric Yambere’s weak back header allowed Pablo Chavarria in to score.

However, in the third minute of time added on, Maurice-Belay exchanged passes with Isaac Thelin before slotting home, leaving Lens rooted to the foot of the table.

Elsewhere, there was a similarly thrilling finale in Caen’s 2-1 win at Nantes.