Dtn 8 12 15

It’s a new dawn in Ile-Ife, says Ooni Ogunwusi as he gets staff of office Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo

ÎÎÎThe Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogun-

wusi Ojaja II, has said that with his emergence as Arole Oduduwa, some-

thing needed to be proven to the world.

The Ooni said this after the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, presented the staff of office and instruments of appointment to him.

According to the Ooni, it was important that Ife showed the entire world its uniqueness and richness in culture.

While pushing for the industrialisation of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi appealed to

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the youths in Ile-Ife and other parts of the country to desist from activities that could breach peace and progress Continued on page 12

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015 VOL. 1. NO. 247

GAINERS

N150

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 4th December 2015.

NESTLE

807

825

18 %

WAPCO

90.61

92

1.39%

UNILEVER 43.98

41.82

-2.16%

NB

120

119

-1%

OKOMUOIL

26.9

29.65

2.75%

DANGCEM

160

161.05

1.05%

GUINNESS 123.8

122.02

-1.78%

CAP

37.95

37.6

-0.35%

Bayelsa guber poll rendered inconclusive

Ï ^#^ Ƅ ƅƊ ƅ ƅƆƋƋ Ɛƈ Ƈ ƆƋƆƅƐƈ ƈ d ƑƐ ƆƏ 9Ɖ Ɠ G1 ^ ƊƈƅƊ Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja and Akam James, Yenagoa

ÎÎÎThe

Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bayelsa State, Baritor Kpaghir, on Monday announced the cancellation of election in Southern Ijaw local government area, thus rendering the state governorship election inconclusive.

An official of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kpaghir announced the cancellation at the collation centre in Yenagoa, capital of the state, citing violence and irregularities. He said a new date would be set for the rescheduled exercise.

The returning officer had earlier said, since the number of registered voters in Southern Ijaw local government exceeded the gap between the two

More photos on page 13

L-R: Chief Bisi Akande; Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwumi Anbode; National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu; Governor of Osun State, Continued on page 6 Rauf Aregbesola and the newly installed Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, during the installation of the Ooni of Ile-Ife at Enuwa Square, Ile-Ife…on Monday

I won’t be available for swearing in with Bello on Jan. 27, says Faleke g6 Buhari allays fears over social media Bill g14

SEMike MIT g L1 Dada:

Branding Africa through entertainment awards

Buhari yet to deliver any of his 81 campaign promises – Balarabe Musa g8

FG proposes N6trn budget for 2016 g12

2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Announces Muhammadu Buhari GCFR,

President Federal Republic of Nigeria

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

3

Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Time to revive agriculture

A

Any student of history would readily admit that time was before oil was discovered that agriculture was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.

In fact, before the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, the country earned more than 70 percent of its revenue from agricultural produce. It was common knowledge that Nigeria produced vast quantities of groundnut, palm oil and cocoa to be able to undertake massive infrastructure development all over the country. Even among African nations, Nigeria was as an agricultural giant that produced enough food to feed its teeming population and for export.

Sadly, all that is now distant memories, as oil has suddenly replaced agriculture as Nigeria’s foremost revenue earner and with it, the uncertainties that have continued to pervade the crude oil market. Before the present oil price fall, very many Nigerians had called on successive administrations to revive agriculture not only to earn revenue but also to feed its growing population. Unfortunately, these calls have gone unheeded. There is no denying the fact that Nigeria is currently undergoing hard times due to diminishing demand for oil, thereby making it difficult for the government to meet its financial obligations. It is worth restating that the discovery of crude oil, a commodity, which for the past 70 years has become the index of wealth and power, has brought more pains than gains to Nigerians.

In fact, if anything. oil has become more of a curse than a cure.

However, the present harsh times can be overcome if the authorities look inwards and restore agricul-

ture to its lost glory. It is even sadder to know that the country now imports some of those commodities that once made it famous. Only recently, the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, revealed that Nigeria loses at least N20 billion yearly to importation of palm oil.

This also goes for rice, cocoa, rubber, cotton and other farm produce.

It is shameful that Nigeria is importing palm oil, rice and many other agricultural produce, especially when it is on record that Malaysia, a country that imported its first palm seedlings from Nigeria, has grown to become the largest exporter of the product in the world. Aside palm oil, the country also imports cashew nuts, rice, kola nuts and maize all of which were previously exported by Nigeria.

Indeed, there is every reason for Nigeria to revive agriculture as the mainstay of the economy. Firstly, the country boasts of vast arable land that can support every kind of agricultural produce.

Moreover, mechanised agriculture has the capacity to employ thousands of Nigerians through the value chain in contrast to oil that places emphasis on advanced technologies to the detriment of human labour. We make bold to posit that agriculture would revive the country’s moribund manufacturing industries that employed millions of workers in such sub sectors as textiles, food processing, fish farming and wood lumbering. In addition, the revival of agriculture would help end rural-urban migration that is responsible for high levels of crimes and anti-social activities in our cities. Even though the Nigerian economy is a growing one, it can become better if the potentials in the agricultural sector are harnessed.

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

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

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏ

The arrest of two operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and a Captain in the Nigerian Army over their involvement in a robbery operation on November 20, 2015 in Abuja, has not only revealed how low the nation’s service men have sunk but raised the need to beam a searchlight on all the services.

The arrested two DSS operatives are part of five members of the secret police and five personnel of the Nigerian Army who robbed a Bureau de Change in Abuja, carting away N310 million. Three of the DSS operatives involved in the robbery are currently on the run.

Confirming the arrest

in a statement on Sunday, spokesman of the DSS, Tony Opuiyo, said the money had been shared by the security personnel involved in the robbery but part of it had been recovered.

Opuiyo in the statement gave the names of the DSS operatives as Abdulrasheed Ahmadu Maigari, Solomon Inusa, Peter Okoye, Patrick Ishaya and George Mwatapwa Ibbi. Maigari and Ibbi were arrested last week.

Clearly the involvement of the DSS operatives and military personnel in the robbery is shameful, a betrayal of trust and is contrary to the oath they swore when they enlisted into the services. It is an indication that all is not well with many of those charged with the duty of securing lives and property in the country.

It is good that the DSS has arrested and suspended the

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two operatives involved in the robbery while going after the three still on the run.

It is also good that authorities of the Nigerian Army have arrested Captain Hussein Ishaku Mshelia who led other four military personnel to participate in the robbery.

However, beyond the arrest, prosecution and eventual dismissal of the security personnel involved in the robbery, the hierarchy of the nation’s Armed Forces, as well as the Police, DSS and other paramilitary organisations should ensure continuous monitoring of personnel under them with a view to weed out persons whose activities are way off the mark and impinges negatively on the reputation the services. This way, the number of service personnel betraying the trust reposed on them by the public and the nation will remain low.

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Sam Nzeh

Words On Marble :

Publisher/Editor in Chief – Fidelis Anosike Editor Biodun Durojaiye

Ending the disgrace by service personnel

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Balarabe Musa

Nuhu Ribadu

Yakubu Dogara

“Corruption has been brought about by the system and leadership produced by the system, and before you can fight and eliminate corruption you have to reverse the situation”.

“The world has to unite so that there will be no safe haven for stolen money and no hiding place for corrupt people”.

“Without peace, there cannot be any meaningful development in the society.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

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News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Bayelsa guber poll rendered inconclusive Continued from page 1 leading candidates, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he could not make a declaration on the election.

There are more than 120,827 voters registered in Southern Ijaw local government. After announcement of results of seven of the eight local governments in the state, Dickson had 105,748 votes and Sylva 71,794.

Reacting to the cancellation, the President of Ijaw Youths Council, Mr Udengs Eradiri on Monday said

the decision to cancel the rescheduled governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa may have averted crises.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Yenagoa that the tension generated by the rescheduled poll could have turned to an ugly situation. ``We expect honourable conduct of a new election on a date to be fixed. `` We are also happy that the Independent National Electoral Commission lived up to expectation and should continue to be an unbiased umpire’’, he said.

Eradiri commended inter-

national and local observers for insisting that the right thing should be done to ensure free and fair election.

Rep. Fred Agbedi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), agent at the collation centre in Yenagoa, said the cancellation was in order.

He said the election in the area was marred by violence, intimidation and snatching of election materials.

Agbedi (PDP-Ekeremor/ Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency 1), said election should not be conducted in an insecure atmosphere, where voters could not exercise their civic rights.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) rejected the cancellation. Mr Denis Otiotio, the party`s agent at the collation centre, said it objected to the cancellation because they were on course for victory.

He said ``the cancellation of the election in Southern Ijaw is an attempt to manipulate the result in favour of a particular party’’, he said.

Also on Monday, the PDP at the national level said that it was in support of the decision of INEC to cancel the election of the Southern Ijaw Local Government area.

This was even as the PDP

commended the courage of the people of Bayelsa state in fearlessly curtailing the All Progressives’ Congress (APC’s) alleged ‘rigging machinery”, which led to the cancellation of the elections.

The PDP made its position known in a press statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in Abuja.

The Party pointed out that but for the bravery of Bayelsans in standing up for their votes against the hordes of harassments by the military and other security forces allegedly working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), their will as a people would have been completely subverted in the election.

It said, “We condemn in the strongest possible term, the wanton confiscation and transfer of voting materials by security operatives directly to APC agents for

outright allocation of votes.

“For the purposes of the rescheduled Southern Ijaw election, we wish to make it abundantly clear that we are ready, willing and able to defend the choice of the people.

Never again will this leadership of the PDP allow our party candidates to be manipulated out of any election at any level. In that regard, we have activated our structures across the country to defend our mandate always, with all force and means available in a democracy,” the statement added.

The party expressed concern over the apparent inability of the present INEC to conduct a credible election in a single state.

It further condemned the alleged brutalisation of innocent Bayelsans who came out to exercise their democratic rights by security forces.

Timeline to end Boko Haram insurgency open to modification – Buhari ÎÎÎPresident Muhammadu Army Staff.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, at the Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja... on Monday

Buhari said on Monday that the deadline given to the military to end terrorism in parts of the country was open to modification.

Buhari, who was represented by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, stated this in Dutse at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Annual Conference of the Chief of

I won’t be available for swearing in with Bello on Jan. 27, says Faleke ÎÎÎThe All Progressives Congress’ (APC) deputy governorship candidate in Kogi, Mr Abiodun Faleke, says he will not make himself available for swearing in with Alhaji Yahaya Bello on January 27, 2016.

Faleke stated this on Monday at a meeting of APC stakeholders in Kogi West Senatorial District in Kabba, Kogi State.

He explained that this was in furtherance of his earlier letter to the national leadership of the party not to work with Bello, then governorship candidate.

Faleke, who was reacting to resolutions reached at the meeting that he should pursue the legal option to a logical conclusion, held that the Audu/Faleke ticket remained intact and unchanged. ``I will not disappoint Prince Abubakar Audu. I, James Abiodun Faleke will not be there for the swearing in if we don’t finish the case before the Jan. 27, 2016. ``Nobody consulted me before making me a deputy to Bello. Bello too did not consult me. I have made my position known to the party leadership on this. I

am not ready to betray and disappoint Prince Abubakar Audu”, he said.

He exonerated President Mohammadu Buahri from the crisis, saying that the Buhari he knows cannot be a party to injustice and outright violation of the rule of law.

Faleke warned the leadership of the party against setting it on a path of destruction through impunity and injustice, adding that they should learn from what happened to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said the present struggle was a complex

one and beyond him, saying that it was about emancipation of the people and the future of the state.

While asking the people not to fight or castigate anybody over the development, Faleke said those who are fighting in 2015 for positions in 2019 were trying God. “People are fighting for 2019 in 2015. Are they God? What is happening is beyond human imagination’’, he said.

He warned members and supporters of the party against fighting or castigating anybody, saying that those behind the plot were

only working to actualise God’s plan and the ultimate liberation of the state from the jaws of poverty and under-development.

“I am a marathoner, no matter how bumpy and rough the road is, we shall get there’’, he said.

According to him, the constitutional crisis created by the sudden death of Audu, when finally resolved will enrich the country’s democracy.

He thanked the Igalas for their support and resolve to defend the mandate with their blood and assured them that their efforts will not be in vain.

``Let me emphasise that the time frame given should serve as a guide and if exigencies of multiple operations across the country requires modification, the Federal Government will not hesitate to do so in order to address the flash points that are emerging in parts of the country. ``The Nigerian Army must, therefore, develop strategies to address the current challenges facing the country and ensure total elimination of the insurgents.’’

He said the Federal Government would assess the present situation and act appropriately in order to end the menace of terrorism in the country.

The President said that the timeline was only a guide meant to guide the military operation.

He, therefore, charged the military to develop new strategies to address the emerging challenges in its operations. ``Despite the achievements of the military in combating terrorism in the North East, the challenges of terrorism in other parts Continued on page 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

7 News Gov. Ishaku denies instigating Wukari crises Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÎÎÎGovernor

From left: Wife of the author, Mrs. Eunice Onu; author, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; President Muhammadu Buhari; former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Clement Ebri; former vicepresident/chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, at the presentation of the book “From Opposition To Governing Party: Nigeria’s APC Story’’ in Abuja... on Monday

Appeal Court sacks Uche Ekwunife from Senate Moses Oyediran, Enugu

ÎÎÎThe

Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has sacked Senator Uche Ekwunife representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

The court’s judgement was consequent upon an appeal filed by Sir Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Umeh lost to Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), at the lower

tribunal, which delivered its judgement in Awka, Anambra State.

However, at its ruling, on Monday, the court described the tribunal’s ruling as a awkward judgement, which could not stand.

It, therefore, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election within 90 days.

Reacting to the judgement, Umeh said it was clearly an act of God. “The PDP died the day

Jonathan lost election.

They should cover themselves with blanket of shame. At the tribunal they were laughed at us, but today, they are covered with shame.

“We would have won the first election but they introduced impunity and recklessness; they used the police, the army to rig the election, Umeh said.”

Umeh was optimistic that he would coast home to victory, declaring that, “I will write to INEC before this

election and I’m optimistic that those who were involved in the former election will not be involved in conducting this new exercise”.

Umeh, who danced round with his supporters lauded the Appeal Court judges for “standing strongly on the path of truth, despite all pressures. This Appeal Court has always been where I get justice, because this is where you find men of integrity”.

Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has described as unfounded and malicious, the allegation by a group, Taraba Elders, that he was fuelling the incessant communal crises in Wukari Local Government Area.

The governor, who was reacting to the allegation of the group, on Monday, in Abuja, said that the Wukari crises predated his administration, adding that he only inherited the problem on assumption of office on May 25, this year.

Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Sylvanus Giwa, in a statement made available to journalists.

Nurses plead for completion of Ayinke House Babajide Okeowo

ÎÎÎNurses,

under the aegis of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Nurses, have urged the Lagos State Government to complete the Ayinke House designated as maternal and child care centre in Ikeja.

Speaking in her welcome address at the annual conference of the nurses held in Lagos, Assistant Director, Nursing Services, (ADNS) Mrs. Modupe Shode, called on Governor Ambode and the Hon. Commissioner of Health, Jide Idris, to, as a matter of urgency, complete the centre.

“We plead with our Hon.

Commissioner and the Lagos State Governor that the completion of Ayinke House should not exceed 2016, since the closure of the facility in 2010 for refurbishment, pregnant women had been agitating for its reopening, nurses and mothers in Lagos are waiting anxiously for the reopening of Ayinke House, which is known to be one of the major birthing facilities in the state.” she said Also speaking at the conference, Dr. Wale Oke, the Chief Medical Director, (CMD), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, urged nurses to utilise modern technology in discharging their duties.

Army seeks media’s partnership to fight insurgency Segun Adio

ÎÎÎCommandant,

Nigerian Army School of Public Relation and Information (NASPRI), Col. John Agim, on Monday, urged Nigerians to take advantage of the media in the fight against insurgency.

He made the appeal while addressing participants at the opening of the media

workshop organised by NASPRI in Lagos.

The three-day media workshop is titled: “Tackling Insurgency Through The Use Of The Media”.

According to Agim, everyone must join the vanguard in ensuring that the media must be used as a weapon to fight insurgency. The fight against insurgency is not supposed to be left alone to the military in

the theatre of operation.

“The media is an important stakeholder in all phases of military operations, particularly in the on-going fight against insurgency,” he said.

Agim also said the workshop was to make the media to understand that they had a part to play in the fight against insurgency.

Delivering a lecture on Publicity: “A Tool for Enhanc-

ing Terrorist Self Esteem”, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adeshina, who was represented by Funke Ekemode, said the media must ensure they had a balanced report.

“If things do not happen, please don’t report. Yes, we need to be moderate in the interest of the country’s image.

“But as long as you can-

not accuse us of telling a lie, of embellishing the truth, I don’t think we have done anything wrong.

“But at some point, we must do the balancing of ensuring that our personal and commercial interest do not overshadow national interest, because we have only one country,” he said.

He also said that giving the Boko Haram sect publicity

was like being their spokesperson, adding that they tended to use the media a lot which should not be.

Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye of University of Lagos, who gave a lecture on “The Role of The Media in Military Operation: A Review of Activities in the North-East 2013 Till Date”, said there should be a synergy between the military and the media.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Politics

Æs

Buhari yet to deliver any of his 81 campaign promises - Balarabe Musa Six months after the change of government with President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) at the helm of affairs, Nigerians are licking their wounds arising from hardship. In this exclusive interview with VICTOR JIBRIN, the first Executive Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa blamed whatever the pains people are suffering from, on their inability to read and analyze what they were rooting for while supporting the change mantra. Excerpts:

Musa What is your reaction to the state of the nation as at today?

Well, the state of the nation has always been negative for a long time, even longer than the 16 years of this republic. The negative state of the nation started right from 1966 when the military took over. Since then, it has been going on negatively up till today and we have not seen any solution.

Buhari But Nigerians were hoping that things would be better under the leadership of President Buhari?

People didn’t know the fact.

Some of them were deceiving themselves. We were not dealing with an unknown entity. We were dealing with a known entity and a known situation.

You gave a nod to the coming to be of this government?

I didn’t. The PRP did not sup-

port APC for the presidency.

The PRP supported PDP on the ground that those of them – PDP and APC were not qualitative choice of the people. There was no choice between APC and PDP but if you have to choose between two negatives, it is better to choose an incompetent government than a fascist government because a fascist government will not even give you a chance to reason with it and that is why

we preferred the continuation of the PDP government. We didn’t like it but we had to choose it and we made it quite clear in our meeting in Uyo where 32 states were represented. Out of the 32 PRP state chapters, 26 supported the idea of voting for the PDP in spite of our misgiving than the APC. The reason being it is safer to contend with an incompetent government than to contend with a fascist government. An incompetent government will give you chance to ague but a fascist government will not give you chance to ague at all. Out of 32 PRP state chapters, 26 voted to support the PDP and 6 voted to support the APC and since then, after the 2015 election, we are now contending with supporting the PDP to strengthen a credible opposition. We don’t like it, we don’t think that it is a qualitative choice between the PDP and APC but under our circumstances, you have to choose and at time you have to. It is more patriotic to choose than to remain neutral.

Are you not worried that the happenings are capable of setting the hands of clock back democratically in the country?

It has already, because we are not seeing any improvement. We are seeing series of steps back-

Rage against Social Media Bill Following the rush with which the Senators are pushing for the passage of the Social Media Bill, A lot of Nigerians have continued to rise against the bill.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) called on the Senate to unconditionally suspend all proceedings with respect to a proposed Bill, “FRIVOLOUS PETITIONS (PROHIBITIONS ETC) BILL, 2015.”

According to it, “the broad objective of this curiously accelerated Bill is to outlaw the freedom of expression of all Nigerian citizens and freedom of speech of all media organizations operating in print, electronic and on-line platforms in Nigeria and beyond. Appallingly, the Bill has also included as its target very personal and private means of communication such as SMS or text messages and WhatsApp, among others.

“The freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed in section 22 and 39(1) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution respectively. Therefore, to enact any kind of law under any guise that will contradict these fundamental provisions is to deliberately seek to undermine the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In a statement by Garba Deen Muhammad President, NGE, he said: “We are, therefore, concerned CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Saraki

INEC ought to have approached Supreme Court before ordering Kogi Supplementary Poll

Onigbinde

Hon Akin Onigbinde SAN is one of the newest Senior Advocate of Nigerian SAN. He was a former speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly and the initiator of Conference of Speakers of Houses of Assembly in Nigeria. In this interview with REMI OLADOYE in Ogbomoso he spoke on why thee Conference of Speakers was established, and the need for Houses of Assembly Financial Autonomy

How do you feel being honoured by your people in Ogbomosho for being the 2nd SAN to have emerged from the town?

O yes, there is no doubt it is significant that it is now becoming a development in the town that people gathered together to recognise each other or help each other to encourage each other in whatever are; they feel they could and I am happy about it.

Just like you know, law practice

is a service calling and its just a challenge that a new platform has been created for me to be of greater service to the community, to the state and the country. It is not a chieftaincy title, it is a position of responsibility, a calling that requires more discipline, more industry, more circumspection and more determination to be of service to the community.

You have been involved in agenda setting for quite some CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

9 Politics

‘Change Mantra’ yet to materialise – Balarabe Musa

Rage against Social Media Bill CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

ward, half a step forward. That is what we are seeing now in Nigeria. Every state of the nation is negative. Every state of the nation in the past is far better more than it was six months ago. The president himself has admitted that the country is broke.

In that case, how will you react to that statement when the same person was said to have earlier told Nigerians that the money recovered from looters was enough for him to take care of situations in Nigeria financially for the four years mandate only to turn round and cry out in a far away country – India that Nigeria is broke?

Have informed Nigerians taken him on, on that? In any other country, informed and patriotic indigenes would put the president to task over that statement but in Nigeria, they just dismissed it as one of the political gimmicks. Right from the time that statement was made, informed Nigerians, particularly the media should have taken him to task to explain – from who did you collect this money? That cannot be secret. From whom did you collect this money and how much is the total amount collected so far, where has it been accounted for and what project has it been earmarked for? Has he submitted a supplementary budget to the national assembly so that that amount of recovered money can be accommodated in the budget? Unfortunately, all these questions were not asked

by Nigerians.

In spite of your effort to

Musa educate Nigerians before the election, majority of Nigerian people have made their choice and that is APC …

What is that choice? Out of 70million registered voters in Nigeria, only 28million cared to vote at all and out of those 28million, only 15million voted for the president which means, in effect, this is a minority president who out of 70million, only 15million voted for him. So, he is a minority president.

But he defeated the incumbent president.

That is democratic. He has actually been elected to become the president of Nigeria. He has the mandate of Nigerians quite all right. There is no doubt about it but it is a minority mandate. It

Buhari is a mandate which is not really a satisfactory mandate because out of 70million only 15million voted for him. Is that not the fact of the case? It is the fact of the case. Worse still, only 28million out of 70million cared to vote.

That has a lot of implication over the mandate and even capability and the issue of inspiring public support. It is a limited mandate.

And in any case, the situation of the country has been brought about by the system and leadership controlling every development in the country. Until you change qualitatively, the system and the leadership, you cannot avoid the continuing negative state of the nation. This government of APC is continuing with the neocolonialist capitalist sys-

tem which has throughout history has brought stagnation and even worse. If we don’t abandon this, we are going to suffer the same thing. Our development has been kept behind by the system and political leadership since 1960. If we had not continued with this system, particularly from the second republic - a system based on self interest first, public interest second as oppose to a system based on public interest first, enlightened interest second. Unless we make that change we will continue going backward. We must change from a system based on self interest first; public interest second as I said to a system based CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Houses of assembly should have financial autonomy - Onigbinde

that a group of persons elected

by Nigerians to ensure that their rights, privileges and interests are protected, should gleefully misuse the mandate given to them to the detriment of the same people that elected them.

“As other concerned individuals and groups have pointed out, the Senate should note that there are already existing laws in our Constitution that can accommodate all the concerns, real or imagined, that the proposed Bill is expected to address. These laws include the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, the Libel law etc.

“In view of this and the glaring danger posed by the proposed Bill, the NGE is strongly advising the Senate to drop all proceedings on the proposed Bill and turn its attention instead to critical areas in need of urgent intervention.

“While believing that members of the Senate have a right both individually and collectively to express their concerns about the abuse of the cyberspace by unscrupulous people and organizations, we advise them to consolidate or strengthen the existing laws and enforce implementation”.

NGE called on all Nigerians that are justifiably peeved by the very consideration of enacting such obnoxious law to remain calm and express their opposition through lawful means, but frown at on–line fraudsters who take advantage of the vulnerable cyber space to carry out cyber bullying, stealing, stalking and all manner of cybercrimes.

Also the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) called on the Senate not to deny Nigerians of their universally recognised right to freedom of expression.

In a statement in Lagos by its Publicity Secretary, Olumide Iyanda, the Guild said the draft bill to CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Onigbinde

time as a lawyer, attorney and former speaker of the house of Assembly; being a man of many parts, in what way do you think the younger generation can fit into this agenda for future development of our country?

There is no agenda for any country that is permanent, the challenges of each and every generation continue to change. In pre colonial times, the challenge was how to become independence; after we became independent, it

became that of nationhood; after becoming a nation, there are new challenges springing up that we never knew before; jobs need to be regularly available, job is no more available, the price of oil used to be high, it is no more high; people used to be safe; they are no more safe; so agenda should respond to the reality that confronts society at every stage. So, the young ones should look at where they are, what are the questions in the present day life that they want to answer, and should have pro-

grammes in order to be able to answer all the questions.

You founded the Conference of Speakers in Nigeria, what were the objectives of the association when it was founded?

The challenge we had that time were that most houses of assembly had no antecedent, they had no precedence, it was military regime that preceded that moment, so we had crisis all over the country in the houses of assemCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Mohammed

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Rage against Social Media Bill CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and Other Matters Connected Therewith,” which passed Second Reading in the Senate last week, poses a threat to the freedom of expression and obligation of the media as enshrined the Nigerian Constitution.

It noted that the bill proposes up to two years in prison or a fine of N2 million or both for anyone who posts an “abusive statement” via text message, Twitter, WhatsApp,or any other form of

social media.

The bill also proposes varying penalties for false publications by print, radio and TV outlets.

GOCOP said on the proposed bill: “We wish to call the attention of the Senate to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

“Nigeria is also a signatory to other international statutes like the African Charter on Human

Saraki

Mohammed

and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Corruption, among others.”

The Guild expressed concern that given the inadequate media and internet penetration in the country, the Senate will lend itself to any move to discourage further growth.

It said: “As other countries adopt more generous and dynamic approach to the protection of free speech to allow citizens access to information without fear of intimidation, the National Assembly should not shackle the very media for which our present democracy owes it survival.

“Having benefitted from a vibrant media, it is worrisome that the lawmakers have turned around to debate a law which seeks to punish users of online media platforms.”

GOCOP, therefore, called on the lawmakers to desist from any action that will create fear among media practitioners, online activists and whistle blowers who may become likely targets if the bill becomes law.

“While we continuously campaign for responsible, objective and transparent practice among media practitioners and social media users across platforms,

members of the Senate should not restrain access to information to protect politicians and other high ranking individuals who do not want to be held accountable for their actions,” GOCOP said.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states that: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Also, Chapter IV section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution say.

“Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”

Senator Ibrahim N’ Allah`s social media bill proposes up to two years in prison or $10,000 (£6,000) fine or both for anyone disseminating via text message, Twitter, WhatsApp, or any other form of social media an “abusive statement” This is indeed a paradox, the APC during the last general elections used social media to marshal their change agenda and incite Nigerians against the PDP. This bill as proposed not only seeks to gag and violate media

rights, it also shows that the APC senators cannot tolerate opposing views. This anti democratic bill must be stopped.

Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) condemned the Bill saying it seeks to gag online media by imposing a two year jail term for abusive statement.

The association in a statement issued by Olufemi Awoyemi, titled said: “We align with the Nigerian public in describing this action by the Nigerian Senate as pure idleness, and an abandonment of the electoral mandate to focus on laws for good governance to deliver increased welfare for the people.

The Senate is seeking instead to restrict the scope of human freedoms, growth of new platforms of social interaction and public accountability.”

“Having engaged and consulted widely with stakeholders in the country, including members of the National Assembly and the ruling government; we offer our support to the “Public March” being organized by ‘The Freedom of Information Coalition in Nigeria; on the National Assembly and across the nation on Tuesday, December 08, 2015; amongst the many other lawful steps to be taken individuCONTINUED ON PAGE 11

APC government is a continuation of neo-capitalist rule CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

public interest first, enlightened interest second. If we make that change we will see qualitative development in the country. Even our own history has proved that.

For example, from the colonial times up to the second republic, the system was based on public interest first, enlightened self interest second and we registered some progress more than what we registered from the second republic to date. Throughout the colonial time and the first republic, the principle was public interest first, enlightened self interest second. Then we didn’t see this level of corruption, stealing and criminal waste of public resources because during that time, whoever stole even a kobo of public fund was investigated, prosecuted and punished in an exemplary manner but from the second republic up till today, you can say virtually all the leaders

are thieves. We know there are some exceptions, there is bound to be some exception. This is the will of God but generally, I can say from second republic to-date all the leaders have been and they will continue to be thieves, stealing, oppressing and exploitation with impunity.

Buhari promised to bring that to a stop.

I don’t want to be personal. I will like to talk about the system and the leadership.

But it is one of the campaign promises.

We have collected 81 campaign promises and I doubt if there is only and even one that has been fulfilled or given us the encouragement that it will be fulfilled.

There is no encouragement. All we see is promises and further promises and body language.

What do you tell Nigerians who effected the change and have turned round now to

grumble. Virtually anywhere you go, people are grumbling.

You were promised a change by this government and the party. I am now talking to Nigerians.

We were not critical enough to assess the change promised to us whether it is qualitative or mere change. It turned out to be a mere change and not qualitative change. If we really want qualitative change, we have to go to the root of the problem and the root of the problem is the socio economic and political system controlling all developments in the country and the political leadership inevitably produced by the system. If we want qualitative change, we have to change the system and the leadership. This system and the leadership can be called neocolonialist capitalist system and throughout history, this colonialist system has never produced national development.

And if we are to succeed, the

only realistic change is to bring about social state construction of Nigeria starting with the leading role of the state in the economy to ensure peace, equality, justice, dignity of the human person and progressive even development throughout the country. If we can make this change by any means, we will receive rapid development and Nigeria will be able to occupy its position not only as the twentieth developed country within the next nine years as some people says but one of the five most developed countries within the next ten years. As long as we change the system from neocolonialist capitalist system to a socialist system we will see the achievement and become the fifth most developed country in the world within ten years. We have all the resources for that and history is on our side.

Musa

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

11 Politics

‘INEC ought to have approached Supreme Court before ordering Kogi Supplementary Poll’

Yakubu

Onigbinde

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

bly, so the simple initiatives I put in place was to bring all leaders of the state houses of assembly together, identify their problems and fashion out common solutions and it helped the administration of most houses of assembly at that time.

Are you satisfied with the way the houses of assembly are being run now?

I do not thing, it will be fair for me to compare because I am not in the house of assembly, I don’t know what is going on there, I believe those people that are there are doing their best.

There has been agitation for house of assembly autonomy what is you take?

What do they mean by autonomy? the constitution say there will be three arms of government, there is no arm that can be independent of the other; there are supposed to be checks and balances, they are supposed to mutually reinforce, they are supposed to be complementary to each other but if by autonomy you are talking about is financial autonomy, there is no organisation that does not have financial autonomy that can work well, because he who holds the purse will always dictate but if you want a

house of assembly that will be independent, that will be courageous, the house of assembly that will be able to make laws without being inhibited, they should not depend on anybody for their funding, they should always have a direct access to their funding so that they can take decision that they believe are in the best interest of the society.

What can you say about the administration of justice in Nigerian visa vis the tribunal cases in states like Oyo,Rivers, Taraba and others?

All over the world, the administration of justice always faces challenge, because in adminis-

Rage against Social Media Bill CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

ally and severally to not only stop this unjust law but to hold the lawmakers more accountable.”

“The proposed bill immediately reminds the general public of the infamous Decree 4 of 1984 passed under military rule; one that took away our freedoms. The continuous attempt at gagging members of the public was again re-enacted in 2011, when the Senate attempted to pass a bill by another APC Senator; for which ironically, the current members of the Senate stepped down after extensive public outcry. This appears therefore to be an on-going project in the Nigerian Senate.”

“The planned action by the Senator Bukola Saraki led Senate seeks to negate Chapter IV section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution which provides that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference”. Equally, it seeks to set aside the UN Charter: Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 which states that - “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information

and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

“We believe that online publication and social media use is a welcome disruptor consistent with the aspirations of Nigerians and we offer credible, integrity laden and purposeful lawmakers a different approach that adopts a strategy of assisting the Senate to re-orient any bill that would improve, sanitize and expand the frontiers and penetration of responsible online publishing and social media use.”

“The attempt to jump from petitions/affidavit to electronic communication is dubious at best with no clear guidance on inter-

tration of justice, what you are trying to do is to play God, it is only God that is just. There are so many problems associated with the administration of justice, ask lawyers they will tell you their own problems; ask judges they will tell you their own problems too. If you ask litigants, they will have complains as well, what happened is that society should always endeavor to set the right rules, those that are relevant to our society. Make sure that the judges are not under pressure, make sure that while lawyers misbehave, there is enough mechanism to discipline them to bend them to rule. There is no society

pretations for intent, petition, and other issues covered under the Freedom of Information Act and protection of whistleblowers.”

The National Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Adams, condemned the Senate describing the bill as the same with the obnoxious military Decree 4 of 1984, saying the trend is worrisome.

According to Adams, with the introduction of the bill, the Senate is plotting a coup against the media in order to gag it.

“I see this as a coup against the media, which by extension, is a coup against the people.

It is disturbing that the same senate that got its mandate from the people is now seeking to gag them. I fear that something terrible is really wrong,” Adams said.

that have a perfect judicial system, new cases are evolving and all of us are doing the best that we can.

We have a novel case in Kogi State, what can you say about that?

What do you want to say about that, what is the case, what exactly do you want me to address on Kogi issue?

The gubernatorial election in which the candidate dies before election was concluded, the position of the party and INEC? Looking at it, this is not supposed to be all encompassing, but my own view is that what INEC should have done is to approach the Supreme Court for proper interpretation because the law existing in the constitution did not anticipate what happened, and whichever way you decide it, the other party that is not favored will challenge the decision at the court of law. It would have been time saving for INEC to have approached the Supreme Court for a guide, the Supreme Court is neutral, its non partisan, they should have followed the directions of Supreme Court, I can tell you for free that whoever won in the election will end up in court.

Anybody that is not favored will claim that there was a breach of the constitutional provision, and if you know the consequence, why didn’t you solve the problem before time ran out. There was a gap in the law, you should have filled that gap before you start the whole process again.

Mohammed

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

FG proposes N6trn budget for 2016

Ï ^ƑƐ ƈƋ ƄƆ ƅ ƌ ƏƊ Ɛ ƢƤ Ɨ ƋƋ Ə ƍƆƏ Ƅ ƏƏƆƋè # ƈƋƕ ƑƐƍƑƐ Ɛ ƾêƾƌ ƄƍƗ Egena Egena, ƄƑƉ

ÎÎÎThe Federal Executive

Council (FEC) on Monday approved a budget proposal of N6 trillion for the 2016 fiscal year.

The proposal is predicated on 38 dollars per barrel of crude oil and a production output of 2.2 million barrel per day.

The approval by council followed the adoption of the

Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for three years presented to it by the Planning and Budget Ministry.

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, disclosed this to State House correspondents while briefing on the outcome of the council meeting which lasted for about three hours.

He said besides crude oil

sale, the budget would be financed through increased revenue drive by government agencies, efficiency in income tax collection, keeping down recurrent expenses while the difference would be sourced through borrowing.

The minister also disclosed that capital expenditure had been increased to 30 per cent in the current proposal down from about

15 percent in the last budget.

According to him also, all the increases made to next year’s budget which brings it to six trillion from over five trillion budgeted this year were on capital expenditure.

He said the details of the proposal would be made public after a feedback from the National Assembly on the MTEF which would be

Gé`ë ƈƏƌ è MƆƍ Ƌ RƈƋ ÷ 1 dƆƏƒƈƅƆ è &ƋƗƆƏ &ê& &ƊƆ ƌ ì Lƈ ƈ ƐƆƏ Ƈ dƅƈƆ ƅƆ Ɨ jƆƅ Ƌ ƕ Ɨ ƑƐ Ə Ƈ Ɛ Ɔ Ɗè Ò0Ə ƌ Rƍƍ ƈƐƈ Ɛ 1 ƒƆƏ ƈ ^ ƏƐƕë Mƈ ƆƏƈ ô ^ dƐ Əƕè #Əê R Ƅ ƕ R Ƒ Ɨ L ƈ #ƈƏƆƅƐ Əƃ ƈƆƇ &ƔƆƅƑƐƈƒƆ RƇƇƈƅƆƏè 0ƈƗƆƋƈƐƕ Ɗ ^Ƌƅêè M ƌƗƈ RƊ ƊƓ Ɛ Ɛ Ɔ Ƅ Ɗ Ƌ Ƒ ƅ ƈ ƄƑƉ êêê L Ɨ ƕ

forwarded to the legislature.

On the exchange rate used in the proposal, the minister said they had relied on the rate given by the

Central Bank of Nigeria.

“We want a prudent, credible budget. We are working on the exchange rate given by the CBN. We’ll reduce recurrent,” the minister said.

jƈƌƆƋƈ Ɔ Ɛ Ɔ Ɨ Ɗ 6 Ə ƌ ƈ ƑƏ Ɔ ƅƕ ƍƆ Ɛ ƌ ƗƈƇƈƅ Ɛƈ – Buhari Continued from page 6 of the country remains an issue of serious national concern with the potential to impede our change drive.’’

The president reiterated the support of his administration to the armed forces in ensuring that they delivered on their mandates.

He commended the leadership of the armed forces and the Army in particular, for ensuring professionalism and discipline among its ranks, which he noted, had impacted positively on its operations.

Buhari assured Nigerians that the recent gains recorded by the armed forces in the ongoing offensive against Boko Haram, would soon restore sanity to the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Olonisakin,

in an interview with newsmen, said efforts were underway to ensure the full deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force across the Lake Chad region.

According to him, those countries yet to deploy troops for the Multi National Joint Task Force operations will soon do so.

He said recent talks held with the Nigerien Military High Command were geared toward actualising the goal.

The CDS said other countries in the Lake Chad region were all committed to restoring peace to the region devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Top on the agenda of participants at the conference would be the Boko Haram insurgency and the issue of human rights.

9Ɛô ƆƓ Ɨ Ɠ ƈ 9ƇƆè ƕ R ƈ R Ƒ ƓƑ ƈ Ɔ ƆƐ Ɛ ƇƇ Ƈ ƇƇƈƅƆ Continued from page 1 in the society.

To show his passion for youth development, the Ooni said his staff of office was dedicated to young people in Osun State and Nigeria.

“I want us (youths) to work towards cohesion, teambuilding, and not condemning our leaders all the time. Let us look at their positive side; nobody is perfect. It is not by my doing nor by my power; it is ordained by God, and I have something to prove to the world.

“I thank God for bringing me to this throne. He’s the King of kings. It is a new dawn in Ife.” Oba Ogunwusi, however, assured that he would unite the different interest among

people, especially traditional rulers in the Yoruba land.

Meanwhile, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, during the presentation of the staff of office to the Ooni, urged him to ensure the interests of people he is ruling over were protected.

Aregbesola described the Ooni as being fortunate but warned him against ill-advice.

He said: “You are a very fortunate King to be surrounded by chiefs who loved you like their own son when you were a prince. And now they embrace you as their father. You should be in close touch with these wise elders to draw on their wisdom for the success of your reign.

“I must point out that for you to get the total accep-

tance of your people, you must be guided by their interests. The people belong to many interest groups such as religious, political, ideological and social. Your attitude to your people will be the determinant of your success.

Love them, guide them, and listen to everyone.”

Members of the Osun State Traditional Council attended the Coronation despite speculation that they may shun the ceremony.

It would be recalled that the Osun State Traditional Council of Obas had vowed to shun the coronation ceremonies of the Ooni of ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, if no invitation was sent to its members.

The Chairman Traditional Council of Obas, his Impe-

rial Majesty, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, Owa Obokun Adimula, said this at the meeting of the council held in Osogbo, the state capital.

Apart from threatening to boycott the coronation, members of the Traditional Council of Obas had also unanimously adopted the Owa Obokun, Adimula of Ijesa Kingdom, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, as the chairman of the council during their council meeting.

But the Ife Development Board faulted the resolution of the Council to make the Owa Obokun of Ilesa, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, the permanent Chairman of the state council of Obas.

Our correspondent learnt that it took the intervention of Gov. Aregbesola to make

the traditional council members to attend the coronation.

The chairman of the Osun State Traditional Council, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, on Monday, led the traditional rulers from the state to the ceremony in grand style.

Not quite long that the Traditional Council members marched in, members of the Isoro cult at exactly 12:52 ushered the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

The Isoros, who wore similar outfit, commanded ovations and applauds from the crowd with their orderliness as they led the Ooni to the venue where he was to be presented the staff of office.

The goodwill address being delivered by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, was

interrupted when the crowd saw the Ooni coming.

The Ooni, who was dressed in white attire with beads and a white crown, was led in during the goodwill address of the Sultan.

The Ooni subsequently waved at the cheerful crowd in the midst of drumming and jubilations.

However, in his goodwill message on behalf of the Federal Government, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, tasked the Ooni to be virtuous in his leadership style.

While hailing the emergence of a young king, the VP said: “As we celebrate with pomp and pageantry today, we are reminded of the great responsibility that is thrusted on you as the representative of the virtuous.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

13 Photo News

Faces at OOni’s cOrOnatiOn

Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola presenting the certificate of Office to the New Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at the Enuwa Square, Ile-Ife… on Monday

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (right); father of Ooni of Ife, Prince John Ropo Ogunwusi and step mother, Mrs. Margaret Oyebukola Ogunwusi, during the coronation of the new Ooni of Ife, at the Ooni’s Palace, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Monday,

A cross section of cultural dancers during the installation of the Ooni of Ile-Ife at Ile-Ife…on Monday Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye Tomori (left); and Oyo State Governor, Sen.Abiola Ajimobi

Gen. T.Y. Danjuma and his wife, Sen. Daisy

Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon Suraj Adekunbi (left); his counterpart in Osun State, Hon. Najeem Salam

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (left) and Ooni Of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi during the official coronation of Ogunwusi held in Ile Ife, Osun State… on Monday

Former Oyo State Governor, Otunba Alao Akala; his counterpart in Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola

Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe and his wife, Sola PHOTOS: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI AND QADRI OLOWOLAGBA

News14

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Militants beg Buhari to extend Amnesty programme ‘Tosin Ajuwon Akure

ÏÏÏSome

militants under the codename ‘Forest Soldiers’, have begged President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the Amnesty Programme to their group.

The Forest Soldiers, under the control of nine leaders said the extension would help them as militants to lay down their arms and come out of the creeks.

The nine leaders are: General Ossy (Babawere), Gen. T.K (Black heart), Gen. Vicar (Lion heart), and Gen. Agbala (Koko 1).

Others are; Gen. Double Prince, Gen. America (Tekeiminikpobamuei), Gen. Ijoba (Government), Gen. Nat (Osama) and Gen. Ehipabira (White).

In a statement issued to journalists in Akure, the Ondo state capital, which the nine leaders unanimously signed, said that President Buhari should help stop further attacks by security agents on Arepo, Abule-Oba, Isanwo and other communities along the Lagos, Ogun states riverine areas.

The group, based along the coastal towns of Ikorodu in Lagos state and Arepo/ Isanwo/ Oko-Oba in Ogun State, reiterated their readiness to embrace the on-going Amnesty Programme of the federal government.

The Daily Times gathered that the "Generals" and hundreds of members of the Forest Soldiers operate inside the creeks of Ikorodu, Arepo, Mosinmi, Abule-Oba,

Isanwo; engaging in oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.

The Forest Soldiers (FS), which is made up of militants from EseOdo council area of Ondo state and their counterparts from Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Lagos, Ogun and other Niger-Delta states, stressed that any attack, either on land or from air along the Arepo/Ikorodu creeks and watersides would lead to killing of many innocent people, including women and children.

"For clarity of purpose and posterity, we stand to say that no member of the Forest Soldiers has ever engaged in robbery activities in any parts of the country at any point in time, as we have already vowed against such action.

Jacob Ogodo Abakaliki

ÏÏÏA Director

in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Peter Manza has lamented that prior to the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA), federal government was lacking fund for execution of projects.

Speaking at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki, while flagging-off training of graduates under the Graduates Internship Scheme (GIS) of the federal government, Manza said TSA will ensure availability of funds for the federal government.

He described the introduction of Treasury Single Account by the federal government as one of the best decisions the govern-

Abuja

ÏÏÏTraders under the aegis of

AMAC/ACO Estate Traders Association have petitioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Mohammed Bello over the refusal of the authorities of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to honour an agreement it duly entered into with the association regarding the commercial use of a garden located at the Aco estate of the council.

Spokesperson and President of the Board of Trustees of the

Buhari allays fears over Social Media bill Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏPresident

Muhammadu Buhari on Monday allayed rising public fears over the social media bill being proposed by the Senate, saying that he won't be part of any laws that run counter to the constitution.

Buhari spoke against the background of suggestions that the controversial bill is aimed to gag the press and take away the freedom of speech from Nigerians.

This is even as the National President of Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Mr. Abdulwaheed Odusile, has cautioned the National Assembly to thread softly on the social media censorship bill, describing it as a step to deny media practitioners their freedom

of expression.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said Buhari was elected to defend the constitution of Nigeria and would therefore not do anything to the contrary.

The statement by Garba read: "President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the commitment of his administration to the protection of free speech in keeping with democratic tradition.

"President Buhari has sworn to defend the constitution of Nigeria and would not lend his hand to anything that is inconsistent with the constitution. But he is not averse to lawful regulation, so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution which he swore to

uphold.

"The President said free speech is central to democratic societies anywhere in the world. The President explained that without free speech, elected representatives won’t be able to gauge public feelings and moods about governance issues.

As a key component of democratic principles, “the President acknowledged that people in democratic societies “are so emotionally attached to free speech that they would defend it with all their might.” Shehu explained that President Buhari was fully aware of the public reservations about the proposed legislation but assured that there is no cause for alarm “because the Senate is a democratic senate.

ment has taken so far. The director expressed optimism that with TSA in operation, many federal agencies and parastatals across various states of the federation will have huge amount of funds. ‘’Before now, every federal government departments, agencies and parastatals used to have different accounts with huge amounts of money while the government account at the centre was empty and it made it difficult for the government to say this is what we have. ‘’But now, the federal government can look into the pocket and said this is what we have’’Manza said.

AMAC/ACO estate traders petition FCT minister Augustine Okezie

L-R: Special Advisers to Governor Akinwumi Ambode on Housing, Mrs. Giwanson Aramide; Arts and Culture, Hon. Adebimpe Akinbola; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Lola Akande; wife of the governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Hon. Uzamat Akinbile Yusuf and SA Urban Development, Mrs Yetunde Onabule during a courtesy visit to the governor’s wife by female Exco members at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos...on Monday.

‘TSA'll make fund available to govt’

Association, Mrs. Grace David, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, said the authorities of Abuja Municipal Area Council breached its earlier agreement with the association that they will be relocated to an alternative site anytime FCDA development control comes to demolish the site or convert it to other use.

Recalling the details of the agreement with AMAC, Mrs. Grace stated that AMAC had earlier set aside the land for educational projects and that Secondary Education Board is expected to use the land for the construction of a Secondary School

Ajimobi tasked on LG autonomy Remi Oladoye

ÏÏÏThe paramount ruler of

Iseyinland, Oba Abdulganeey Adekunle Salawu Ologunebi, Ajinese 1, has called on the executive governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to grant local government in the state autonomy to operate so as to enable people at the grassroots to enjoy dividends of democracy better.

The royal father, who was a guest at the opening ceremony of a press week said the people at the grassroots have suffered neglect due to complicity of local government administration in the state and can only be better if they have freedom to operate without any interference.

“Governor Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi has done so much for the people of Oyo state, he has transformed both the rural and urban centers with access road and security which now guarantee safety of lives and

property of all and sundry in the state, but we need him to encourage the rural development more and this can only be achieved by granting the local government their autonomy” ObaSalawu said.

Ajimobi

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

15 Opinion

Hello, is that Mr. President’s anti-corruption office?

M MajiriOghene Etemiku

ost Nigerians have not forgotten that when Olusegun Obasanjo was president, many saw him as a bull in the China shop of corruption.

So zealous was he about corruption that he got an equally zealous, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to rev up the Act establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). I remember that on the eve of a certain election, the EFCC came up with an ‘advisory’ of persons in the PDP considered unfit for re-election. I remember as well that former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu took up the rhetorical gauntlet and dismissed them as ‘adversarial’, as if to knock the sail out of the lopsidedness in the fight against corruption. But to put the matter to rest and put traducers in their place, the National Assembly summoned Ribadu to explain why those hauled in for questioning and prosecution appeared to be all President Obasanjo’s antagonists. In answer, Ribadu made it clear that everyone questioned were members of the PDP. Not one member of the opposition was arrested or investigated.

However, there are many questions

today surrounding Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war. Of course, he has the same temperament on corruption with Olusegun Obasanjo. However, what Obasanjo had in excess in circumspection in terms of the rationale behind hauling in only the opposition is utterly lacking in this war. Nearly everyone that has been arrestedi is in the opposition or was somewhat in an “adversarial’ predisposition with Buhari. Take the examples of Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Bukola Saraki and erstwhile National security adviser, Col. Mohammed Dasuki. The latter was the person who personally saw to the incarceration General Muhammadu Buhari in the 1985 palace coup organised by Ibrahim Babangida. Until his appointment as NSA to President Goodluck Jonathan, Col Dasuki was managing director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Corporation.

Yet in spite of the mountain of evidence seemingly stacked against all of these people in terms of underhand and untoward dealings in matters of state, there is corresponding evidence, at least in the public domain that there is that key members of Mr. Buhari’s party and his administration have soiled hands as well. What we should be seeing is some balance. On the eve of the long wait before Mr. Buhari’s

saintly ministers, countless stories of how former governors and members of the now-ruling party ran their states aground. I cannot as a person verify the claim that a lot of the monies that went into the campaign of Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari actually came from funds that were supposed to be for capital projects in the states in question. The only thing Nigerians are holding on to, to buttress the wanton profligacy all around is that even in states that had no business asking for a bailout and those that had governors re-elected, civil servants are still being owed salaries for as long as 6-12 months. Not one of these has been arrested, interrogated and is facing corruption charges.

Aside the political terrain, there are other aspects of the campaign against corruption that establishes Buhari as somewhat antithetical to the strengthening of the institutions that help fight corruption. Take a look at the NCC-MTNgate affair that’s playing out currently. In the month of October 2015, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, realized that a South African communications company, MTN had violated a law, which instructed the telecommunications company to cut off all lines that were not registered with the telecommunications company. Therefore, the

NCC wielded its big stick and imposed a hefty fine of $5.2billion. As soon as the news hit town, all manner of arguments started playing out. The country of origin of the telecommunications company, South Africa, in October 2014 last year seized $15million belonging to Nigeria, allegedly to procure arms.

Nigeria applied to South Africa for the monies to be returned but the South African government refused, insisting on due process’ be applied. However, before the storm generated by that seizure subsided, South Africa again busted another illegal Nigerian arms deal. As we speak, South Africa stands its ground concerning the seized cash.

But by far the most remarkable twist to the NCC-MTNgate was the announcement by Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu, that whatever decision that would be taken over the fine on MTN for breaking our laws was going to be made by Buhari.

I was shocked that the NCC decided to reduce the fine from $5.2billion to $3.5billion – and this was instruction from the Presidency.

Why would it have to be the president giving a counter instruction, like a generalissimo, when the laws setting up the NCC are clear?

We must remember that democracy is not about strong individuals but about strong institutions that work.

The wait for special advisers and Buhari’s foreign trips

I

“

First Baba Isa

write to request for your kind consideration and approval of the distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic to appoint 15 special advisers as prescribed in Section 151(2-3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

While trusting that this exercise will receive the traditional prompt attention please accept, Mr. President, the assurance of my highest consideration.”

Those were some of the words contained in President Buhari’s letter to the last senate headed by Senator David Mark, on June 2, 2015. The following day, June 3, the President’s request “received the traditional prompt attention. Nevertheless, the appointments have received the traditional slow attention of the President.

Until date, the President has only appointed one of the 15 Special Advisers he requested. Why? I do not understand; especially when I look at it against the backdrop of the urgency contained in the letter. Why will a man who has contested for the president 4 times in 12 years find it so difficult in finding 14 Nigerians as advisers?

Section 151(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended says “The President may appoint any person as a Special Adviser to assist him in the performance of his functions.”

I believe this power is discretional, even as the President may choose not to have Advisers.

Framers of our constitution were aware of the enormous responsibilities the President of Nigeria will have, this is why a constitutional provision was made for Special Advisers. The continuous refusal of the President to appoint Special Advisers is communicating that we have a President who thinks he knows it.

However, no one knows it all and no one can do it all.

I had expected an improvement in this area. I have always been appalled with what Special Advisers do in real life. They had become a bunch of eggheads who use their intelligence and imagination to spin commentaries that will suit the whims and caprices of their master.

They are a bunch of yes-men who spend their entire time parroting the President’s virtues and explaining his vices to look like virtues.

An ideal meeting with SA’s, PA’s and SSA’s should be an intellectual wrestlemania: disagreeing with the President, with hard facts and

data flying around, delivered with clinical erudition and then agreeing and forming an indivisible front.

However, this is not what we have seen in past administrations.

SA’s, PA’s and SSA’s gather round the President to chant “yes sir” like a bunch of apprentice “dibias” gathering round the shrine of “Amadioha”. They are errand boys, period.

Therefore, I expected PMB to reform this by giving more latitude to the advisers to perform, but it seems things might even be worst.

President Buhari has begun by showing he does not even need them. By the time they are appointed, the message must have sunk in; and the ritual of gathering round the President to chant “yes sir” will continue.

On the President incessant foreign trips. Every President must travel abroad. That is part of governance.

The world is a global community and we cannot claim to be a member of this global community by having a president who sits at our backyard always.

But I hope the President understands there is a political and socio economic flip side to all of this. He should do more of travelling within the country than abroad.

Buhari by his unending frequent

travel is breaking one of the laws of power: “Too much circulation makes the price go down; the more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear.”

No President who is serious about governance travels up to 12 times in 6 months as Buhari has done. Is Vice President Osinbajo not eminently qualified to represent him in some of these meetings?

The wheel of this government is spinning too slowly. Those who are asking us to be patient should know that patience is a verb not a noun.

Patience is what you do after you have done what you should do. Patience is what a farmer does after he has sown. Patience is what a woman does after she gets pregnant.

We know some things take time.

You cannot get a baby in one month by impregnating nine women; but you can’t expect to get a baby even in 12 months if you have not impregnated a woman. Before you ask us to be patient, show us the road map, show us the economic policies, show us the blueprint, show us the plans, and show us where you have sown… then we will patiently wait for the harvest. Show us the pregnancy and will endure the gestation period. Mr President, focus and impregnate us.

News 16

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 1 , 2015

Alleged N2.6bn theft: Judge warns lawyers over Senate Aviation c'ttee wants improved infrastructure attempt to stall Ex-NIMASA DG, others' trial The Chairman of the Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏ

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos yesterday warned lawyers representing former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Ziadeke Akpolobokemi, and five others not to make any attempt in truncating the trial of the accused persons.

The accused persons – Akpolobokemi, Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Ameche Juan; Blockz and Stonez Nigeria Limited and Al-Kenzo Nigeria Limited, were arraigned before the court last Friday, by the antigraft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), on alleged

theft of N2.6 billion.

They were however granted bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety each by the court, while the matter was adjourned for trial yesterday.

At the hearing, their lawyers, who included Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), Madu Paschal, and Ige Asemugara, representing the first, second and fourth accused persons, gave different reasons for seeking for an adjournment of the accused persons’ trial.

The counsel representing the second accused person, Mr. Madu Paschal, in seeking for the adjournment of his client’s trial, said he was preparing for a burial which was why he could not get set for the trial.

Counsel representing

fourth accused person, Mr. Asemugara, said he sought for an adjournment due to an application he had before the court.

Asemugara urged the court to first decide the application which was contesting the court’s jurisdiction to try the accused persons before taking any step on the matter.

And the lawyer representing the third, fifth and sixth accused persons, Mr. Lanre Olayinka, through a letter, informed the court of his medical appointment abroad.

In responding to the submissions made by the accused persons’ lawyers, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, lawyer to the EFCC, urged the court to discontinuance the adjournment request made by the

accused persons’ lawyers, and commence the trial.

But ruling on the adjournment sought by the accused persons, Justice Buba warned the lawyers to be aware of the provisions of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA), which mandated day-to-day trial of criminal proceedings and not to do anything to frustrate the accused persons’ trial.

ÏÏÏIn response to what it Akpobolokemi

Plateau LG boss launches campaign against organised crime Jos

ÏÏÏThe Chairman of

Jos North Local Government Council in Plateau State, Hon. Theresa Azi, has said she has launched a campaign against illicit drugs.

Azi, who spoke to our correspondent said it became imperative for her to do so as statistics had shown that

70% percent of the major causes of crime perpetrated in the state was as a result of high consumption of illicit drugs, which influences youths negatively.

Recall that a 53-year-old man, last month, in Jos North, killed his mother who was age, 80, after consuming a locally made gin, popularly known as goskolo.

She said that the unfortunate incident and many more motivated her to lunch the “Illicit Drug Committee” to address the consumption of harmful drugs.

She said that no parents would like to see their children waste away as a result of consuming harmful drugs.

Azi said that as a woman she had taken bold steps,

Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Aviation has called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, improve upon the several infrastructure at the nation’s airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.

While on the tour of the two airports, on Monday, it said that a lot still needed to be done to put the nation’s airports at par with its contemporaries around the world.

Committee, Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso, frowned at the state of the state of infrastructure at the airports and offered that, in order to prevent it the airports from total collapse, the government should address the pressing issue of infrastructure.

He said that “we are not happy because a lot still needs to be done in the aviation sector in this country.

“We have seen the decaying facilities at the two major airports. This a pressing case.”

MRS Oil educates teachers on attitudinal change

L-R: Head of Tax and Treasury, British-American Tobacco, West Africa Area, Abisola Adefaratti; CEO, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Yinka Sanni; Director General, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale; Executive Director,Corporate and Transactional Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Yewande Sadiku and Managing Director, Rainoil, Mr. Gabriel Ogbechie at the official launch of Stanbic IBTC Purchasing Manager Index in Lagos… on Monday PHOTO BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI

Chijioke Kingsley

ÏÏÏThe

just as a man would, do to fight not only illicit drugs, but to also tackle security challenges.

Jos North is one of the volatile areas on the Plateau that has experienced bomb blasts and other crimes in recent times.

Azi said that she was bent, for as long she was in office, on nipping crime in the bud.

sees as its social responsibility, one of the major marketers of premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol, MRS Oil Plc, recently held a training programme for some head teachers in public and private primary schools, in Lagos State.

The participants were drawn from Ikeja and Oshodi/Isolo local government educational districts.

The theme of the training was: “Attitudinal Change and Service Delivery in Primary Schools.” The training was declared open by Mrs. S.M.K. Fashola, (H.O.D. HRM &D) of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

The motivation for the programme was freighted

on the following abstract: “All current school reform efforts aim to improve teaching and learning but, there are huge differences on how they are implemented. Some reforms, for example, attempt to improve all schools in a district, state or country, at the same time.

Other reforms attempt to influence the overall approach to teaching and learning within a school. As different as these approaches to school reform are, their success depends on the motivation and capacities of school heads. The chances of any reform improving student learning is remote unless district and school heads agree with its purpose and appreciate what is required to make it work.

Lawyer sues FG, FERMA for stalling work on Alausa bridge Peter Fowoyo

ÏÏÏFor

allegedly stopping the Lagos State Government from completing the construction of Alausa overhead bridge forming part of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, a lawyer, Kabir Akingbola, has dragged the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Akingbolu, in an originating summons before the court, also listed the newly-appointed Minister

of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola as co-defendant to the suit.

Incidentally, Fashola was the Lagos State Governor as at the time the construction work on the bridge was put on hold by the Federal Government.

The State Government had embarked on the construction work in a bid to ameliorate the vehicular traffic situation and to also reduce drastically the amount of accidents occurring as a result of pedestrians crossing the expressway.

Toprak admits g 18 Leverkusen slim chance against Barca

UCL: Mikel, Musa in must win crackers! g 19

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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Union U-23 AFCON: Bank shine at Asoju Oba Table Tennis tourney Mike Otanwa

U

nion Bank Table Tennis Club of Lagos at the weekend claimed eight out of all the titles at stake to emerge as the best team at the just concluded 47th edition of the annual Asoju-Oba Okoya Thomas TableTennis Championship held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Bose Odusanya started the victory dance for the Stallion Team, when she defeated ex-champion, Tolu Durosimi-Etti 4-1 in the women’s singles final to emerge champion.

Odusanya who is in her superb form this year, also paired with Sidikat Sumonu of the Nigeria Police to win the women’s doubles title before joining hands with the Men’s Singles Champion, Adeyinka Ahmed to cart home the mixed doubles trophy.

Spurred by this, Union Bank also went ahead to win both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls categories as Alimot Ayinla defeated her team mate Nimota Aregbesola to lift the trophy in all Union Bank Junior Girls final. Nurudeen Hassan also of Union Bank clinched the Junior Boys title.

Amoo

charges Eagles to imbibe team spirit A

former Super Eagles assistant coach, Fatai Amoo, on Monday urged the Olympic Eagles to imbibe team spirit in their quest to win the U-23 African cup.

Amoo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that the Samson Siasiatutored Eagles needed to imbibe team and fighting spirit to be

Oliseh ANDREW EKEJIUBA SPORT EDITOR

H

ead Coach Sunday Oliseh has called 26 players, including forward Gbolahan Salami and defender Chima Akas, for the first phase of preparatory camp ahead of

Platini M preliminary CAS hearing holds today

Amoo

victorious in their next match.

He also charged the technical crew to review their tactics and instill confidence in the team to win subsequent matches.

“Their matches so far had not been impressive; I think they need to imbibe team and fighting spirit to win their subsequent matches.

“The coaching and technical crew also has a lot of work to do by

improving on their tactics and instill confidence in them,” Amoo said.

He added that he was optimistic that the Eagles would not let football fans down and urged the fans to rally support for them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Eagles who drew 0-0 with Algeria on Saturday, will face the host country, Senegal on Dec. 9.

invites Salami, Akas, 24 others for CHAN camp next month’s 4th African Nations Championship in Rwanda.

The Super Eagles B has already been drawn into Group C of the competition alongside Niger Republic, Tunisia and Guinea, with matches to be played at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo in Kigali.

Also called are regulars Kalu Orji,

ichel Platini’s preliminary appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which will determine whether his 90-day ban from all

Platini

Taekwondo: Lagos agog for Korean Ambassador West Africa tourney

Austin Oboroakpo, Jamiu Alimi (defenders); midfielders Ifeanyi Mathew, Paul Onobi, Usman Mohammed and Bature Yaro; forwards Ezekiel Bassey, Tunde Adeniji, Chisom Chikatara and Prince Aggrey, and goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Olufemi Thomas.

football-related activity can be temporarily lifted, will be heard today.

On Monday CAS confirmed the legal counsels for Platini and FIFA, which imposed the sanction on the Frenchman, have been invited to attend the hearing. A decision is likely to be issued no later than Friday.

UEFA president Platini was handed the sanction by FIFA’s ethics committee in October for an alleged “disloyal payment” he received from outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter for work

he claims to have carried out for world football’s governing body between 1999 and 2002.

Blatter was also banned after a criminal investigation was opened into the claim and a separate allegation that he sold a World Cup TV rights contract to former FIFA official Jack Warner in a deal that was unfavourable for FIFA. Platini and Blatter are due to attend personal hearings with FIFA’s ethics judge from December 16 in relation to the alleged payment of two million Swiss francs.

EDIDIONG IBANGA

T

aekwondo stakeholders from across the country will converge in Lagos this week for the 6th edition of the annual Korean Ambassador’s Cup West Africa Taekwondo Championship holding from December 10-12, 2015 at the Molade OkoyaThomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere Lagos.

President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation Grand Master George Ashiru who disclosed this in Lagos, said adequate arrangement towards the successful staging of the championship have since concluded while all logistic challenges have been taken care of ahead of the tournament.

Ashiru who is also the Vice President of the Commonwealth Taekwondo Union and President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Black Belt College also revealed that the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalong have promised to grace the occasion.

Over 250 Taekwondo athletes from across the country have since registered for the tournament that will be spiced up with raffle draws, where expensive products from LG electronics will be won by spectators via free raffle tickets, based on first come, first served.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

EXTRATIME

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Blanc hopes Real

defeat does not haunt PSG

L

aurent Blanc hopes Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid earlier this season will not come back to haunt them later in the Champions League.

The Ligue 1 champions have already booked their place in the knockout stages ahead of matchday six, but will have to settle for second spot in Group A following the defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu in November and will consequently face a group winner in the round of 16.

“The fact that we will not finish first in our group is down to our lack of efficiency in attack against Real Madrid. I hope we will not come to regret this game later on in the tournament,” Blanc said at a news conference ahead of his team’s match at home to Shakhtar Donetsk today.

“We have benefited from the experience we have gained over the past few years. The gap with the big clubs is smaller than before. Hopefully we can completely close it one day.”

PSG host Shakhtar on Wednesday in their final group game and Blanc is determined to keep up their good form from recent weeks.

“This is a Champions League game and we cannot afford to take it lightly.

Shakhtar are a great team,” he added.

“We are on a great run of form and I hope we can keep this up for a long time.”

B

ayer Leverkusen’s place in the Champions League is hanging by a thread going into their home game against holders Barcelona and Omer Toprak admits they only have a slim chance of qualification for the knockout stages.

Leverkusen have to secure a famous win if they are to progress to the knockout stages, with three outcomes still possible – qualification, a third-place finish and Europa League spot or complete elimination from continental football.

The Bundesliga side are third in Group E on five points, level with Roma, who have a superior headto-head record. BATE, who travel to the Italian capital in the group’s other match, are also still in contention on four points.

The European champions, meanwhile, have already secured first place in the group having picked up 13 points from their opening five matches and smashed Roma 6-1 in their last game in the competition.

Leverkusen do not go into the match in good form either, having won only once in their last seven games in

Toprak

admits Leverkusen Hendrix slim chance against Barca P Hendrix

PSV qualification will boost Dutch football –

Toprak all competitions and suffering a 2-1 defeat at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Toprak wants Leverkusen to give everything in Wednesday’s clash, but is aware the odds are stacked against them in their bid to progress.

“We cannot afford to make the same mistakes versus Barcelona.

Obviously, we realise that we have a very small chance to progress but we want to make the most of that small chance,” he said.

SV midfielder Jorrit Hendrix says victory over CSKA Moscow and subsequent Champions League qualification would give football in the Netherlands a huge boost.

The Dutch champions know that a win in their home clash would guarantee their place in the last 16, while a draw would be enough if Manchester United lose to Wolfsburg in Group B’s other game today.

Hendrix has urged his PSV teammates not to consider the match in Germany and focus on their own jobs in the final matchday.

“It will be a tough match and CSKA will punish us if we make any mistakes,” he said.

“They are deadly in transition from defence to attack. There is a lot at stake for us, we play to win. We are only concentrating on ourselves.

“Of course it would be a boost for Dutch football if PSV qualify. We are ready for them today and we know what is required.”

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

EXTRATIME

Boniface targets 15 goals in Cyprus

N

igerian striker Matthew Boniface has said he hopes to score at least 15 goals for his Cypriot club Aris Limassol to finish in the top six in the league and feature in the

championship playoffs.

Boniface scored his fourth league goal on Saturday in Aris Limassol’s 2-0 win over Ayia Napa and was delighted to help his team get important victory.

Adi clinches

Aris are seventh on the league table with 16 points from 13 games.

He was a 46th minute substitute and scored the opening goal in the 68th minute.

“I feel very great to score on Saturday because my team really need the game to move up on the table,” he said.

“My personal target is to score at least 15 goals this season while my overall target is to help my team finish in the top six position to play in the championship playoffs.”

historic MLS Cup

UCL: Mikel, Musa in must win crackers!

N

igeria’s Chelsea John Obi Mikel, and Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow will hope to inspire their clubs to a must win as the UEFA Champions League gets underway today.

In Group B, Ahmed Musa and Seydou Doumbia’s CSKA Moscow must win at PSV Eindhoven if they are to avoid the wooden spoon in the group and secure a place in the Europa League.

However, the Dutch side still have a chance of edging out one of Wolfsburg or Manchester United to reach the knockout rounds and will be highly motivated to claim a third successive home win.

In Group C, Aurélien Chedjou’s Galatasaray will host Foxi Kéthévoama, Patrick Twumasi and Junior Kabananga of Kazakhstan side Astana (who will edge them for a place in the Europa League if they win in Istanbul), while Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez’s Benfica and Thomas Partey’s Atletico Madrid have both qualified and will meet in a match to determine who tops the group.

Group D’s matches sees already-qualified

Juventus head to Sevilla (who must win to have any chance of making the Europa League), while Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony’s Manchester City (who will progress alongside Juve) host Monchengladbach.

Wednesday night’s action will also focus on Arsenal’s Group F match at Ideye Brown’s Olympiacos: the Gunners need to win in Greece to join Mehdi Benatia’s Bayern Munich (who are away to Hilal Soudani’s Dinamo Zagreb) in the knockout rounds.

Elsewhere, John Obi Mikel and Baba Rahman will hope to inspire Chelsea to a win at home to Yacine Brahimi and Vincent Aboubakar’s Porto, with the two teams possible under threat from Younès Belhanda’s Dynamo Kyiv – the Ukrainians could pinch one of the two qualifying spots with a home win over Nosa Igiebor’s Maccabi Tel Aviv (who will finish bottom of Group G regardless).

E

“My job is to score goals. I always work hard on daily basis to achieve that, I am really happy to help my team get an important win with a goal and assist.

“The opponents are a good side but it was a perfect game for us because we know the importance of getting the three points.

“Every goal is important, but the team’s effort and positive result is my utmost priority in every game.

Even if I don’t score, I always want my team to win and put all my effort in games to win.

Mikel

Neville in charge: it’s a must-win clash at home to Henri Bedimo’s Olympique Lyon. The group’s other match sees Kalifa Coulibaly, Nana Asare and Moses Simon looking to inspire Gent to a win at home to leaders Zenit, which would secure their place in the last 16.

rescues Bremen, Mba scores in Turkey

Emenike’s mmanuel Emenike has said he is delighted he got the president of Al Ain to celebrate on his goal-scoring return on Saturday after a 3-0 spanking of Al Ahli.

The former Spartak Moscow forward returned to Al Ain starting line-up after two weeks on the sidelines due to injury and he said he was happy to make the club president celebrate after his goal.

“It’s always good to score goals, I am glad to return with this kind of performance,” Emenike enthused.

Valencia for their first m a t c h with new manager Gary

N

igerian striker, Fanendo Adi, has won a historic MLS Cup 2015 with Portland Timbers after they defeated Columbus Crew 2-1 in the final.

Portland Timbers thus became the first Pacific Northwest team to win the MLS Cup. The big striker, who is relatively unknown back in Nigeria, was denied a goal by Columbus Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark, who kept out his fantastic header in the 70th minute and his super effort in the 90th minute.

Diego Valeri capitalised on a mistake by goalkeeper Steve Clark for the opening goal in the first minute after he failed to hold on to a back pass.

Rodney Wallace scored the second goal to put Timbers 2-0 up in the seventh minute, before Sierra Leone’s Kai Kamara pulled one back in the in the 18th minute, when he cashed in on the Timbers goalkeeper’s error.

Ujah

Al Ain President celebrates goal

In Group H, all eyes will be on Sofiane Feghouli’s

19

Tango! Emmanuel Emenike (right) on the prowl for Al Ain.

A

nthony Ujah was the hero for German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen on Sunday when he scored to salvage a point at Vfb Stuttgart, while Sunday Mba was also on target in Turkey.

Ujah scored the equaliser in the 71st minute in a game that ended 1-1.

Werder Bremen are now 15th on the League table with 14 points from 15 games.

The former Mainz and Cologne striker has now scored seven goals this season.

And in Turkey, AFCON 2013 hero Sunday Mba

scored a goal for his Turkish second-tier league team Yeni Malatyaspor on Sunday as they lost 3-1 at home to Adana Demirspor.

Yeni Malatyaspor are 13th on the league table with 17 points from 14 games.

The Jos-born midfielder opened the scoring in the seventh minute to send home fans into excitement.

The 27-year-old player has now scored three goals in the league for his side.

His last goal was on October 19, in 2-1 win at Guresunspor.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

EXTRATIME

BRIEFS Sanchez scoops FSF Player of the Year award

A

rsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has been named Player of the Year by the Football Supporters’ Federation.

Sanchez has scored 20 goals for Arsene Wenger’s men in 2015, including a long-range stunner as Arsenal thumped Aston Villa 4-0 to retain the FA Cup in May. The Chile star is the third straight player from South America to land the prize, which was first awarded in 2013, and he follows in the footsteps of Luis Suarez and Sergio Aguero in winning the award.

nd Butla talk rejects of Liver pool switch

J

ack Butland is keen to play Champions League football but dismissed talk of him leaving Stoke City to join Liverpool.

Goalkeeper Butland is enjoying an impressive season for Mark Hughes’ men and

Reds on the rise under Klopp—Fergie

F

ormer Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is in no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will produce a huge upturn in Liverpool’s fortunes.

Ferguson, who led United to 13 Premier League titles and five FA Cups, says he does not want to see the Anfield side successful but finds it hard to speak negatively about the former Borussia Dortmund boss. The 73-year-old has been impressed by Klopp’s personality and is confident there will be a big impact at Liverpool.

Norwich chairman Bowkett steps down

N

orwich City have confirmed that Alan Bowkett has stepped down from his role as chairman and director of the Premier League club.

Bowkett joined the board of directors in 2009 when the club were in League One and during his time at Carrow Road Norwich have been promoted to the Premier League twice - including victory in May’s Championship play-off final against Middlesbrough.

Norwich announced Bowkett’s departure via a statement on their official website that stressed there will be no change in the club’s ownership.

kept his seventh clean sheet of the campaign as Stoke saw off Manchester City 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Established as an England international and viewed as a rival to City’s Joe Hart for the number one jersey for the national side, Butland has been

UCL: Bellerin sure of Arsenal win at Olympiacos

H

ector Bellerin is convinced Arsenal will see off Olympiacos in Wednesday’s Champions League encounter and reach the knockout stages of the competition.

Arsene Wenger’s men sit third in Group F heading into the game at the Karaiskakis Stadium and need to win by a two-goal margin to progress.

Trailing Olympiacos by three points and having lost the home fixture 3-2, Wenger’s side need an impressive performance in Greece in order to turn the head-to-head record in their favour - while a reversal of September’s scoreline will also suffice.

Nevertheless, Bellerin does not

Man City tips

Vieira future manager

Vieira

M

have any doubts Arsenal will make it through.

“We’ve proved already that we’re a team who are very dangerous when we have the ball,” he said.

“We need to try to do that at Olympiacos by having possession and creating chances.

“I’m sure that the ball is going to go in and that we’re going to go home with a win.

“That’s very important, that the team is in the mood for it and that the team wants to get out of the group stages.

“We know that, as the players who represent Arsenal, we need to be up for the job.”

anchester City Football Administration Officer Brian Marwood hopes Patrick Vieira will learn from his experience in MLS before returning to manage the club in the future.

Vieira is to take up the role of head coach at City’s sister club New York City on January 1, but Marwood is eager for the former France midfielder to return to the Etihad at some stage.

“It was important that we could find the next development stage for Patrick and it was still part of the group. That opportunity came about in New York.

“We are really excited, he is really excited by it and I think it is exactly the next step he needs.

“Hopefully, at some point, he’ll come

linked with a move to Anfield.

“The Champions League has always been a target of mine. I do want to play at the top.

“But at the minute, I can’t fault where I am. I am in a brilliant squad who are playing extremely well and things are looking bright for the club.

“Right now I can’t see any better place for me to be. I am learning every week and I am playing with some great players. The goalie coach, Andy Quy, I am really happy with and learning a lot from the staff as well.

“Personally, I am very comfortable and very happy where I am.

I believe that we can do some really good things at Stoke so that is where my whole focus is at the minute.

“Anything beyond that is purely speculation and rumours. It is obviously wonderful to be linked with a club with the history of Liverpool.

“But this is where I am. I am still really proud of the team for the performance at the weekend and it is something I am really proud of being a part of,” he said.

Hecking

predicts tough game against Red Devils

W

Bellerin

back and manage Manchester City, That’s the ambition for him and that’s the ambition for us. But he has to go through this learning curve,” Marwood said.

He credits Vieira with playing an instrumental role in City’s development over the past five years following his move from Inter in 2010.

“We always felt from day one that he could make a major contribution to the club,” Marwood added.

“The club, at that time, still had a lot of developing to do, a lot of growing up to do and the culture, which is very important to what we are about, needed to be driven by people that had been around winning mentalities, winning culture, humility and trying to have the right values and behaviours.

olfsburg coach Dieter Hecking believes Manchester United will have to beat his side today if they are to remain in this season’s Champions League.

The Red Devils visit the Volkswagen Arena in second place in Group B, knowing they need a win to guarantee a place in the knockout stages.

Third-placed PSV are a point back and host CSKA Moscow at the Philips Stadion, meaning the pressure is on Louis van Gaal’s men.

Hecking told reporters: “It won’t be an easy game for Manchester United.

It’s not only difficult because it’s an away game; the makeup of the group is also very difficult for them.

“They have to win. They can’t rely on the fact PSV won’t win against CSKA. In my opinion PSV will win. So it is a very difficult situation for United.

But they have great experience in the Champions League. They have faced similar situations in the past where they have had to handle a lot of pressure.

“It’s a new situation for us but we are in a great position and that is not something we are willing to give up.”

United have been criticised this season for a lack of attacking fluency - Saturday’s 0-0 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford was the fifth time in the last nine games that they have failed to score.

Hecking, however, is wary of United’s know-how in similar situations and expects a tough game.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

THE NANA ALIYU FOUNDATION

21 Public Notice

THE RECONCILED CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

This is to inform the General Public that the above Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended).

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No 1 of 1990

The TrusTees Are: 1. Aliyu Sulaiman Dili - Chairman 2. Bello Oladipupo Olumayowa - Secretary 3. Momoh Adekunle 4. Lovering Christopher William 5. Okuwobi Gigi Sarah (Nee Oduah) 6. Amechi Chinwendu Aduola 7. Awosika Ajoritsedere Josephine

TrusTees 1. Pastor. Oyagbile simeon taye 2. Pastor. Mrs oyagbile oluyemisi titi 3. Mr. Oladotun isreal ademola 4. Deacon. Afolabi Timothy Adeleke 5. Deaconess. Adegoke Deborah foluke 6. Pastor. Akintola Samuel Akinniran 7. Pastor. Fatoye IsaacAkintola

Aim And ObjecTive To provide humanitarian assistance and material aid to save lives, alleviate suffering, maintain and protect human dignity during or in the aftermath of man-made crises and natural disaster.

Aim And ObjecTive 1. To preach the gospel and believe in justification and the new birth and in the enter sanctification. ( John 3;3. and HEB 10;10

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

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

siGned: TrusTees

siGned. bArr TesLim AGbOOLA

DYNAMIC HOPE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

FATHER’S HEART WORLD MISSION.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

TrusTess 1. Awolowo Olusegun Blessing. (Chairman).

2. Awolowo Oluseyi Hephzibah. (Secretary) 3. Olanrewaju Matthew Wale.

4. Olubunmi Morenike.

TrusTees 1. Akinola Olasupo Olamide. (Chairman).

2. Falaiye Babajide Oluwajimi. (Secretary).

3. Akinola Benice Ijeoma.

4. Olukoju Ihotu Lilian.

5. Iyunade Faith Inijesu.

Aim And ObjecTive 1. To Preach The Gospel Of Our Lord Christ To Man Kind

Aim And ObjecTs: 1.To Embark On Evangelical Missions For Winning Souls For The Lord Jesus Christ.

2. To Create Awareness & Mission Mobilization In Churches, Campus Fellowships

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

Signed.

Barr Vincent Odje.

Testimony Chanbers

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

TesTimOnY chAnbers

PWAN HOMES FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

TrusTees 1.Peter Ekhaesomhi - Chairman 2. Mr Augustine Onwumere -Founder 3. Mrs Jayne Onwumere - Founder 4. OlukayodeAdetiloyeAkomolafe - Secretary Aim And ObjecTive 1. To provide accommodation for the homeless in the society.

2. To help the less privileged.

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

HOUSE OF GRACE ORPHAGE AND WIDOWS HOME The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The TrusTees:1. Ms. Patience Omo Okoro 2. Mr. John Okoro 3. Mr. Fidelis Nwuke Atiko 4. Bar. Kelechi Ijegbula Aims And ObjecTives 1. To provide a secure place for orphans and widows 2. To care for orphans and widows 3. To train orphans and also assist widows in their up keep 4. To safeguard, defend and uphold the interest, need and well being of orphans and widows 5. To assist the less priveleged members of the society Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent of Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. siGned: bAr. KeLechi ijeGbuLA FLeeTWOOd & KAY chAmbers 19 ribAdu rOAd, sOuTh WesT, iKOYi, LAGOs TeL: 08034001026

OPEYEMI H.A OYEYIOLA

ADEYEMO YAKUB IDOWU

OSUEDI EMMANUEL AMAECHI ONOROIODE

OKORO AMARACHUKWU JOY

I formerly known as OPEYEMI HEPHzIBAH Adisa now wishes to be known and addressed as OPEYEMI H.A OYEYIOLA. All former document remain valid.

General public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as JIMOH YAKUBU IDOWU now wish to be known and addressed as ADEYEMO YAKUB IDOWU. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note

I formerly known and addressed as OBI EMMANUEL AMAECHI PRECIOUS now wish to be known and addressed as OSUEDI EMMANUEL AMAECHI ONOROIODE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OWOH AMARACHUKWU JOY now wish to be known and addressed as OKORO AMARACHUKWU JOY. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note

Waste employers protest against LG revenue collectors ÏÏÏMembers

of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN) will today commence a peaceful protest against touts operating on the highways in the guise of collecting tolls for local government authorities.

NASWDEN National President, Comrade John Egaji Obeh, who directed all the union members, agents and councils across the country to join in the peaceful demonstration, explained that the protest

was principally against some touts who had formed different groups with the sole aim of harassing the union members conveying scrap and waste materials on the federal highways and collecting illegal tolls from them.

Obeh added that the union’s agents, dealers, suppliers and members had experienced series of multiple taxation by various agencies of government throughout the federation whenever they were to convey scrap metals to any other part of the country.

ERIC MOORE HIGH SCHOOL OLD STUDENT ASSOCIATION This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No 1 of 1990 TrusTess.

1. Olorunsola Pluwafemi. - President 2. Animashaun bashir olalekan vice president 3. Olusi serifat abimbola.

General secretary 4. Adeogun Adewale Assistant Secretary 5. Ogunbambiismail.

- treasurer 6. Salami Biola.

- assistant Treasurer 7 Yusuf Olufemi. - publicity secretary 8. Yakubu Amina. - social secretary Aim And ObjecTive 1 T0 unreservedly support the school-Eric moore high school 2. To promote cordial relationship amongst old students ny objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent of Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. signed ; vicTOr benisOn mOmOh esQ. rich benisiOn LAw Firm suite 04 1st floor peace paass heAd OFFice uTA TO AbujA

IWAYE ISLAND RESIDENT ASSOCIATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

TrusTees 1. bObOYeOLuKAYOdeebenezer 2.Gp cApTAin WiLLY AhAGbuje 3.mOmOhAruWA- OchOLi 4.OLAWOLe shAd 5.FATOKiAKinWALeOLusAYO Aim To foster unity amongst members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent of Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. siGned. secreTArY

HEMBADOON GLORIA BIEM

MRS. OPARA CALLISTA EBERE

OLUSEYI A. OROMITAN

MISS GLORY ADA EZEKIEL

EHIGBOR O.B.J. IYOGHIOJIE

I, Formerly known and addressed as HEMBADOON GLORIA ATUME now wish to be known and addressed as HEMBADOON GLORIA BIEM. All documents bearing my former Name remain valid, General public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Mrs. OPKARA CALLISTA EBERE now wish to be known and addressed as. Mrs. OPARA CALLISTA EBERE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OLUSEYI A. BAKARE now wish to be known and addressed as.OLUSEYI A. OROMITAN. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MRS GLORY ADA OFFIONO now wish to be known and addressed as.

MISS GLORY ADA EzEKIEL. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ABEL ABONYEHIMEN, now wish to be known and addressed as EHIGBOR O.B.J. IYOGHIOJIE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public note

LINUS JOHNNY OTOK

OLAKEHINDE BLACK OLUWATOYIN

EHILEGBU ONYINYECHI GLORIA

HANKURAU BELLO BALA

ADELOYE SUNDAY JEREMIAH

NNEKA PAUL

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

The general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OLAKEHINDE TESSY TOYIN now wish to be known and addressed as OLAKEHINDE BLACK OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formally known as Onyinyechi Gloria Kalu now wish to be known as EHILEGBU ONYINYECHI GLORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Bello Hamisu, now wish to be known and addressed as HANKURAU BELLO BALA. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public take note.

I, formally known as MARTINS OREOLUWA JEREMIAH now wish to be known as ADELOYE SUNDAY JEREMIAH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as HAPPINESS BASSEY UDO, now wish to be known and addressed as NNEKA PAUL. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public take note.

Abuah Nwanneamaka Sylvia

MISS UDONSAH KATHERINE EKAETE

AKEEM LASISI

ATILOLA BUKKY

MRS BLESSING AUDU MOHAMMED

MRS FLORENCE SOPRIENYE BARIEEBA NWINANGH

I, formerly known and addressed as ISIOJI NWANNEAMAKA SYLVIA, now wish to be addressed as ABUAH NWANNEAMAKA SYLVIA. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EKAETE FRANCIS UDONSAH now wish to be known and addressed as MISS UDONSAH KATHERINE EKAETE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AKEEM ODUTAYO now wish to be known and addressed as AKEEM LASISI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as AKINOLA JELILAT, now wish to be known and addressed as ATILOLA BUKKY. All documents bearing my former name remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. EKAETE UDOH now wish to be known and addressed as MRS BLESSING AUDU MOHAMMED. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS FLORENCE SOPRIENYE SIPOTO-PEPPLE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS FLORENCE SOPRIENYE BARIEEBA NWINANGH. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public take note.

PLACE YOUR ADVERT HERE

22

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

23 News

Kidnapped ACPN presidential candidate regains freedom Kehinde Akinpelu Minister of Transport, Hon Rotimi Amaechi with Dele Momudu, Publisher of Ovation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Group raises concern over increased maternal mortality in Lagos Alade Tasma

ÏÏÏA

women rights organisation, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), on Monday, said that maternal mortality rate in Lagos was on the ıncrease. the It said this when its operatives led a protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly over alleged maternal deaths in Lagos State-owned primary and secondary health institutions.

The protesters, led by Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, claimed in their petition addressed to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly said that findings had shown that despite the Government’s efforts towards the reduc-

tion of maternal deaths in the state, women were still being confronted with infrastructural and institutional barriers in accessing adequate maternal healthcare in the stateowned hospitals.

The group gave an instance of one Mrs. Omowunmi Shonuga, whom, it said, died with her baby after given birth at the Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre in Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, in Alimosho, on October 26, 2015.

It said the woman arrived at the hospital, where she had registered for antenatal care at 5 a.m., but met the gates locked and without any medical attention gave birth in a car.

She was later referred to Igando General Hospital, but encountered delays as no ambulance was available to transfer her and on arrival at Igando no bed space was available to admit her.

The group added that one Mrs. Obinna Nnanna also died at Lagos State General Hospital, Gbagada, after giving birth to triplets on September 23, 2015.

Another death was also recorded of Mrs. Oduyoye Folake, who died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), after she was detained for three months for failure to pay hospital bills.

WARDC stated further that there were also several reports of people being

denied access to Lagos hospitals for failure to bring their spouses for compulsory blood donation.

“The attitudes of the medical personnel and absence of the needed resources, such as the ambulance and bed spaces, are factors that contributed to loss of life. “The right to life puts an obligation on the state to take measures to safeguard individuals from arbitrary and preventable loss of life, and this includes protecting women against the unnecessary loss of life related to pregnancy and child-birth.

The acts and omission of the hospitals, especially negligence, violated the right to life,” WARDC said in the petition.

Motor dealers urge FG to review automotive policy Henry Omunu

Abuja ÏÏÏThe National President of the Motor Dealers Association of Nigeria, Ajibola Adedoyin, has challenged the federal government to review the nation’s automotive policy, so as to avoid the backlash that may result if the policy was hastily implemented.

The automotive policy, he said, needed to be properly redefined before its implementation, warning that the hasty move to implement the existing policy would lead to the loss of billions of tax-payer’s money, apart from the attendant hard-

ship, which the policy would bring on Nigerians.

Speaking at the inauguration of the strategic action plan and inauguration of the association in Abuja by the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, the Adedoyin added that “we are not in disagreement with the automotive policy of the former administration, but what we are saying is, if what needs to be put in place is not done before the implementation of the policy, the attendant consequences can better be imagined.

“We should look at the indices prevalent in other countries we are trying to

copy when such policies are being introduced here”.

He expressed the readiness of the association to collaborate with the Buhari administration in its change mantra in repositioning the nation’s economy, adding that the activities of the association would be reinvigorated, in order to step up the revenue base of the country.

“The newly-reconstituted members will do all that is required to ensure that the government’s auto policy is achieved, considering the importance of the automotive policy to the economy of the country”, Adedoyin said.

Amaechi advised stakeholders in the transport industry to operate within the confines of the law or be sanctioned by the government.

Amaechi said the era of when operators in the auto industry view government and its policies with scepticism and apathy was over as stiff penalties, henceforth, awaited those cutting corners in the sector.

He stressed that government was currently under-studying some of the policies put in place by the former administration with a view to fine tuning them for the benefit of Nigerians.

Ilorin

ÏÏÏThe

presidential candidate of Action Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) during the last presidential election, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, who was recently kidnapped somewhere at Obajana, in Kogi State, has regained his freedom.

Galadima told our correspondent that those who abducted him, whom he claimed were Fulani herdsmen, were about fifteen in number and within the

Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏA 35-year-old clearing

agent, Isiaka Muritala, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court, at Igbosere, for allegedly defrauding his customer, one Martins Eruga of the sum of N4.1million; a fee he claimed is for clearing two cars for him.

The suspect, who resides at Ketu area of Lagos State, is facing a two-count charge bordering on fraud and stealing. Muritala was said to have committed the alleged offences on July 16, 2015.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Kenneth Asibor, told the court that the accused obtained the sum of N1.3 million from Martins Eruga, under the pretext of clearing two

ages of 35and 40.

According to him, himself and the two other victims, who were women, were travelling together before they were kidnapped and were instantly marched into a thick forest where they were interrogated and maltreated.

Galadima explained further that the kidnappers, who spoke English, collected all his personal belongings – including handsets, money, and jewelry from the two women.

Man docked for N4.1m fraud vehicles – a Toyota Highlander and a Toyota RAV 4, which he failed to deliver.

Muritala was also said to have delivered one of the vehicles to Eruga but stole the Toyota RAV 4, valued at N2. 8 million. He said that the total amount allegedly stolen was N4. 1 million.

Asibor said the offences allegedly committed by the suspect contravened Sections 285 (1) and 312 (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate, Mrs A. O. Komolafe, granted him N500, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

World Bank, OAGF, ANAN others collaborate on corruption Mathew Dadiya

Abuja ÏÏÏIn a bid to ensure the actualisation of the anti-graft war in Nigeria, in line with the present administration’s agenda of change, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), the World Bank, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), have agreed to collaborate to enforce Global Standards in the Financial Reporting of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), in order to rid the country of pervasive corruption and impunity.

Speaking at the pre-workshop interactive session with Council members and representatives of MDA’s, held at Treasury House, in Abuja, the Accountant-Gen-

eral of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said that there was a need to adopt sound, globally-accepted reporting formats that would ensure probity, transparency and accountability in the management of public funds in the country.

Idris, who was represented by the Director, Consolidated Accounts Department, Alhaji Salawu Zubairu, pledged the readiness of the OAGF to support all efforts by stakeholders and development partners that would lead to a more efficient and effective management of public finance in the country.

Buhari

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

How Ohakim bought N270m house in cash –witness

Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏProceedings in the trial

of former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court Abuja, resumed on Monday, with the prosecution second witness giving a blow-byblow account of how the former governor bought No. 60, Kwame Nkurumah road property for $2, 290, 000.00 in cash payment.

Abu Sule, the Managing

Ohakim

Director of Tweene Associates limited, who told the court he knew Ikedi Ohakim in the mid-90s in Lagos also said Ohakim had been his friend and benefactor.

He said that Ohakim who had denied owning the property situated at No. 60 Kwame Nkurumah road, Asokoro, Abuja, instructed him to buy the house.

"He instructed me to buy it and provided 2.9million dollars in cash at night. I collected the money from him at Imo State Government Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja at night," Sule further told the court.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Festus keyamo, the witness said that the following day after he collected the money, he called Alhaji Isa Mailadino the owner of the house.

"Mailadino requested that we should meet at Unity Bank Maitama where he

(Mailadino) intended using the money to offset a loan.

"We met at the Unity bank and I handed to him 2.9m dollars in cash and he gave me the document."

"I processed the power of Attorney and the transfer document in Tweene Associate Limited's name as instructed by Ohakim" Sule added.

Sule also told the court that he handed the original document including the deeds of assignment, sale agreement and transfer document to Ohakim.

He maintained that after persistent pressures from Ohakim, in 2012, he drew up a rent and tenancy agreement between Tweene Associates Limited and Ohakim as a cover up that he rented the house. But he said that since the two years agreement expired in April 2014, he did not demand for any payment nor did Ohakim

asked for its renewal because it was merely meant as a cover up.

The witness said he did letter of offer and Ohakim wrote an acceptance letter accompanied with three Fidelity Bank cheques upon which receipts of a sum of N20m was issued.

The witness said the N20m was not actually meant for rent but for the renovation of the property at No. 60 Kwame Nkurumah road, Asokoro and one other house at Maitama, Abuja.

Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola had ordered the release of Ohakim International Passport to him to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment for four weeks.

The order followed motion on notice moved by Chris Uche (SAN). The application was not opposed by the prosecution counsel.

Commitment, best way to remain in good standing – Irotume Godwin Anyebe

ÏÏÏThe best way to remain

in good standing is to be committed and be dedicated to whatever vocation every individual finds himself or herself.

Lion Alex Irotume, who disclosed this while giving remarks as the chairman of the International Association of Lions Club, District 404B2 Nigeria, held Monday in Lagos, said you cannot be in good standing except God helps you, noting that no matter your faith, you must

learn to commit everything you do to God in prayer.

According to him, remaining in good standing is when you are committed to showing love and care to your immediate neighborhood which is the primary objective of being a member of the International Association of the Lions Club.

For instance, he stated that when you see a lion in trouble and you stop to render him a help, you are helping him to be in good standing.

Fireman dies, 5 injured as fire razes Onitsha market ÏÏÏThe

Anambra Fire Service, on Monday, lost one of its staff while fighting the inferno that gutted the Ochanja Market, Onitsha.

The Acting Director of the Service, Mr. Innocent Mbonu, who confirmed the death of the staff, however, refused to give the name of the deceased.

Mbonu explained that a storey building in the market collapsed on two of his staff in an attempt to stop

the fire, adding that one died instantly while the other was receiving treatment at a hospital. ``Five other persons sustained various degrees of injury while 15 shops, mostly shoe shops, were razed during the inferno,'' he said.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Ali Okechukwu, said that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained.

Airspace managers tasked on maximum safety Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏTHE

Some PDP supporters calling for the cancellation of Southern Ijaw governorship election at the Bayelsa State Governor election result collation centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State... on Monday

Yuletide: Igbo chieftain seeks peace among Nigerians Dilionye Dilibe

Onitsha ÏÏÏThe traditional Prime Minister of Awkuzu Community, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State and Igbo Regent, Chief Michael Ozua Okoye, has charged Nigerians to use the

occasion of the forthcoming Christmas celebration to reflect on their lives, adding that the citizens have failed to be their brothers’ keeper.

Speaking in an interview in his office at Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area, Chief Okoye stated

that in the past, especially during this period, Christians in the country used the occasion to maintain peaceful disposition in all their dealings and offer various forms of gifts to the less privileged people and their loved ones.

He decried the quest for easy wealth and greed which he noted, have deprived Christians the culture of being their brothers’ keepers, adding that the agelong culture of unity and giving alms to the less privileged must be revived.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Engr.

Ibrahim Abdulsalam has tasked Airspace Managers across Nigerian airports to embark on measures to strengthen Air Traffic Management and surveillance systems in their respective domains so as to ensure maximum operational safety as the nation gradually winds down to Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Engr. Abdulsalam who gave this charge at the recently concluded Airspace Managers’ Forum, held in Kaduna, maintained that the need for extra vigilance at this time became inevitable because of the usual upsurge in traffic and the increased tempo of airport activities that come with the yuletide season.

According to the NAMA boss, “we must do our level best to build upon the pres-

ent gains we have achieved in maintaining safety of air navigation in the country and zero tolerance for aviation incidents. In doing this, it calls for synergy and collaboration among airspace managers, and I believe this forum will provide the opportunity to compare notes and do the needed peer review which will put all operations nationwide on the same page.”

Abdulsalam also noted that “recent effort by management to digitalise air traffic management services in the country by way of deployment of Digital Safe Towers across the four major airports, as well as the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract/Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), are targeted at ensuring that the nation’s airspace conforms to global safety standards and also bring about efficiency in service delivery.”

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

25 Opinion

Why the Nigeria youth must suffer Ephraim Adiele ÏÏÏ This title came about during a discussion I had with my friend, Daniel Lawal recently. We were talking about how the countries of the world go about distributing resources among their citizens. We talked about everything from the cash to roads, from electricity to water supply, from healthcare to sports, from crime to political succession. We pondered why the availability of Internet varied from country to country, to why infant mortality is still high in some countries.

At the end of our conversation, we came to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with the ruling class, especially in Africa.

We began asking whether the average African youth deserves to be deprived of basic rights, dividends and amenities accruable to the office of the citizen. Daniel argued that the African youth is just a victim of circumstance and does not deserve some levels of suffering. He said it was uncommon greed of the ruling class that has driven the continent and inadvertently the youth to a state of developmental menopause.

His position holds water but in order not to play into the age-old Nigerian mentality of “Government no dey try”, I added that the African youth has not adequately attempted to break the chain of com-

mand of the elite, neither have they shown significant interest in changing their ever-dwindling fortune. On this note, I argued that the African youth deserves everything that has been coming his way, and even worse.

My argument was based on a lot of factors, which include but are not limited to the following: The average current crop of African leaders had their eyes on the country’s resources and political seat of power from a young age. For the benefit of those who are not history students, I’d like to give a list of long serving African rulers and when they assumed office.

—Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea assumed office in 1979 at the age of 37 and has been in office for 36 years.

—José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola has been in office since he was 37 years old and has been in office for 36 years.

—Paul Biya of Camer-

oon came to power at age 49 and has been in office for 33 years.

—Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has been in office since the age of 42 and has been in office for 29 years.

—Idriss Debby of Chad who has been in office for 25 years came into power at the age of 38.

—Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria who was involved in the July 1966 counter-coup at age 23, had a hand in the 1975 coup at the age of 32 which took Yakubu Gowon out of office, became military Head of State through a coup that ousted the democratically elected government of Shehu Shagari and finally came back to be elected president in 2015 at the age of 72.

—Until the people of Burkina Faso stood up against Blaise Compaore, he had been in office for 27years and was the country’s leader at 36.

Other leaders that are worth mentioning are Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan,

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Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia, Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo and many other cases of persons who have wielded considerable political power or held several political portfolios for many years.

For the sake of this article, I will limit this discourse to Nigeria.

The first set of leaders the country had been young: Anthony Enahoro, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa , Ahmadu Bello and the rest were all young who fought for the liberation of the country and led up until the cookie crumbled.

The next generation of leaders that sprang up as from 1966 were also young men, but they were of a rare, thirsty breed.

In order not to begin another history lesson, I’ll just mention names and expect youths to undertake independent research and see how young the following men were when they came into came into “federal prominence”: Mur-

tala Muhammad, Yakubu Gowon, Kaduna Nzeogwu, Aguiyi Ironsi, Olusegun Obasanjo, Theophilius Danjuma, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, just to mention a few.

From the look of things, their generation was filled with more politically ambitious individuals who took interest in leading from a young age unlike the generation we live in.

Unfortunately, not all these leaders were worthy to be called leaders.

Over the years, these same people have recycled themselves and their cronies, taking up strategic political and governmental positions which have exponentially increased their coffers to the detriment of the common man, which massively includes the youth.

I therefore find it very unbelievable that young people of this generation have little or no interest the true process of governance in their countries, talk less of taking up the mantle of leadership and

bring the desired change they crave.

The second reason why I feel the African youth must suffer is that they have been caught up in a dangerous rat race that does not give them the time to create solutions to the numerous problems bedeviling them.

The African youth is so busy “going through school”, getting a job, starting a family and fitting into society, he forgets about the goings-on at the “top” that affects him directly. This vicious cycle sucks in young people, including potential leaders, thereby making it almost impossible for them to have any time to explore their political/leadership potential.

Although it is said that the aging ruling class should be blamed for this situation, it is pertinent to note that the youth have barely lifted a progressive finger to tackle the issue. The truth is,we must not all have white collar jobs, we must not all have degree upon degree. Some people are born to lead, and Africa desperately needs a new breed of leaders devoid of the insatiable urge for self-aggrandizement that has seemingly become the order of the day.

Go to our universities, Political Science and Public Administration departments are usually one of the most populated. I ask, what happened to the thousands that have gone to study courses that are relevant to leadership. Aside, what fate has befallen/will befall the thousands of hidden leaders that have/will walk upon the face of the continent in coming years.

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Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday,December 8, 2015

Law Æ s

Judiciary has fared well since independence—Falana Although he is an indigene of Owo in Ondo state, Chief Femi Falana, the ‘Baamofin’ of Arepo land in Ogun state read law at the Ondo State University now University of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and was called to the Nigerian Bar. In this interview with PETER FOWOYO, he recounts his ordeal in bearing a name that is associated with a renowned right activist, Femi Falana, a senior advocate but concluded that the name has also brought fame and fortune in plying his trade.

You answer the same name with a renowned activist and senior advocate, Femi Falana, has there been any time there was confusion in the courtroom when announcing your appearance before a Judge?

Yes, it reminds me my first experience after been called to Bar in 2000. I was to work with Mr Segun Ajibola SAN and on that day, he gave me a test case which was before Justice Marsh. I was to go and adopt summons for direction. I did it happily and I came back to meet him at the Court of Appeal. At that time, Justice Oguntade was the Presiding Judge at the Court of Appeal, Lagos. On getting into the Court, Femi Falana SAN happens to be senior to Segun Ajibola SAN. Few minutes when I came in, the learned silk, Falana, walked in and sat behind us. The matter was called and Segun Ajibola stood up and announced appearance before the Justices been Presided by Justice Oguntade.

When he now mentioned his appearance and said appearing with me are my learned friends Tunde Kalaro and Femi Falana.

I stood up to take a bow and already lawyers were wondering why Segun Ajibola will announce the appearance of Femi Falana who is his senior at the Bar. The lawyers were astonished when they saw me standing up because I was a new wig at that time. The whole court began to laugh. I took a bow and wanted to sit down quickly but, Justice Oguntade held me on to it. He asked: “where is this new lawyer coming from?” I thought I could have it expressed by smiling and nodding but he asked me: “are you in any way related to the popular Femi Falana?” I said my Lord, biologically, no but, professionally, yes. He is my learned senior.

Justice Oguntade again asked:

“are you from the same state?”

I answered no. I am from Owo in Ondo state and Mr. Femi Falana SAN is from Ilawe in Ekiti state and I told Justice Oguntade Ekiti state was carved out of Ondo state. All those in court were laughing. If I had been the timid type, it could have been enough to give me a pin fall. At the end of the day, Justice Oguntade said: “the new Femi Falana, I think it will be better to look for a way so that you can also distinguish yourself.”

Also, there was a time a letter was written to a client of mine. Again, there was an altercation. Somewhere, somehow, somebody mischievously wrote a petition against me, sent it to the learned silk, maligning that I was actually parading myself as a SAN. When he read the petition he put a phone call to me and said: “is that Femi Falana SAN?” I was just coming out of the court and I answered him no sir. He asked again: “is that not Femi Falana SAN?” I said this is Olufemi Falana. He asked: “is there any difference between Olufemi Falana and Femi Falana?” I said Femi Falana is a popular one who is a SAN but this one is Olufemi Falana, he is not a SAN. He now greeted me and said: ”this is Femi Falana SAN, you may have to come and see me in my office, somebody has written a petition against you saying that you have been parading yourself as a SAN.” I went to his office, read the petition and he understood it was one of those lawyers that want to take advantage because I am having an edge in a case so; they were looking for a way to distract me.

He gave a fatherly advice to surmount and resolve any problem that could have engendered by virtue of their intention. His wife too was very instrumental to unraveling the mystery and

‘‘The Nigerian judiciary has gone far and wide, it has excelled, as a matter of fact, lawyers are being taken from the system to now represent Africa, to now be part of the World Court’’ the mischief of that petition at that time.

However, everywhere I introduce myself, I will be expecting the next question to that asking if I’m related to the popular Femi Falana SAN so, I will have to distinguish or explain and taking to mind that there are some issues I would have loved to take personal, be dogged and attack squarely but, I wouldn’t be able by virtue of the name.

I have attained more benefit by virtue of his popularity than the bad.

Nigeria celebrated her 55th independence anniversary last week, how would you assess the nation’s judiciary from independence?

The judiciary has fared a little

Falana

better, some development has taken place. Prior to 1960 there wasn’t anything like Nigerian Law Report, Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN came, brought it up and now we have our own indigenous law reports even after his demise, the law reports is still going on. Prior to that time, we rely on the British Law, most of our laws then were all imported laws but now we have our indigenous reported cases into the judicial system we now cite. Citing of cases is part of the authority we use. Also, prior to 1960, there wasn’t any senior advocate but, we now have them, we now have Nigerian Law School, we have Advanced Legal Studies.

The Nigerian judiciary has gone far and wide, it has excelled, as a matter of fact, lawyers are being taken from the system to now represent Africa, to now be part of the World Court, Justices Elias was there, Kayode Eso was there, Bola Ajibola was there, amongst others. if you look at some of the cases being handled by the highly classical and intelligent Judges in recent times, you compare them with Lord Denin of old. When we talk about computer too, it has come in although we have not got to the level of the developed world but we are making an impact.

Immediately after the independence we were only having one Supreme Court and now if you look at the hierarchy of the court it has changed tremen-

dously. We now have different courts handling different issues.

In 1975, Federal High Court was created. We now have National Industrial Court that takes care of industrial disputes while the FHC takes care of matters under section 71, federal matters that are basically on the exclusive list. We now have different Court of Appeal into many divisions, we have it in Akure, Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Enugu, Kaduna, Sokoto so, there has been an improvement, there has been a lot of development and even in the learning of the law. The judiciary has not done badly, they’ve done well.

There is a suggestion that only constitutional matters should be allowed to go to the Supreme Court due to the volume of cases pending at the apex court. Do you share this view?

We will be compelled to look at the economy of the state if you now suggest a multi-dimensional courts into the system, where is the wherewithal, the human and financial resources to back them up. We will take into account at the moment that if you want to advice based on what operates in a developed country, if you bring it down to Nigeria, it may collapse. The foundation in 1960 may be good but thereafter, we couldn’t live up to it, it became porous, in such a way that putting something on it is like putting something on noth-

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

27 Law

We don’t have peoples’ constitution— Falana Continued from page 26 ing. The system is so loose at the moment, we have not been recording successes in everything we’ve been doing and it all bothers down on corruption.

If an average Nigerian wants to enlist in the Army or Police, his or her main target is not to serve the fatherland but, to be corrupt and that system comes into the judiciary system. If you now say let there be a Supreme Court strictly responsible for constitutional matter while another will be for allied matters.

The problem now would be that because our system is so corrupt, it will lack coherent of the decisions to be taken up there.

We are having just one apex court, when they bring out decisions from there we are still having problems there, the only thing lawyers would say is that Supreme Court has overruled itself.

We have seven Justices at the Supreme Court to make a full court on constitutional matters though five of them could sit on allied matters or read judgments, the same also at the Court of Appeal, one Justice could read a judgment of three, if other two are not available in such exceptions but, as it is presently, some of the courts don’t sit because they don’t form quorum, where they are three, several times, if one of them is sick, the court of appeal will not sit and several times the Supreme Court could not form a quorum when they were to sit on constitutional matters and backlog of cases were there especially during the Babangida regime.

If we now want to divide the Supreme Court, where are the personnel? Where is the economy to sustain them? That again will necessitate going back to the constitution and have it amended, if it is going to be amended, who will amend the constitution? How do you want to amend the constitution that you did not draft? To what extent is it going to be formidable? Ordinary civilians have never drafted a constitution in this country except the 1963 constitution. It is not only constitutional matters that goes to the apex court, we still have other criminal matters that are of capital punishment unto which you can’t separate them, they are of right in an appeal, straight to the apex court.

Whereas there are some matters that got stocked at the Court of Appeal, for instance, electoral matters.

It has been said that the constitution lied about itself

Falana

as a result of the preface which states that: “We the people of Nigeria…” whereas it was only few individuals that drafted it. Are you also of this view?

I am of this view and I concur with the same argument of these people who believe that we are just alien to the constitution that we claimed to be ours. We are just masquerading to the fact that we have a constitution. The constitution which states that: “We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria having solemnly sat together to make this constitution that we would call ours”, was there a referendum between us that suggested what we wanted and now say let this be our constitution? No. When the military came in prior to 1979, the military suspended the constitution and were ruling us with decrees and regrettably the decrees were housing many provisions of the constitution, the military suspended substantially all parts of the constitution.

When Obasanjo left in 1979, Shagari came in and we said we were back to constitutional life, a civilian regime but, we know that the constitution that was suspended prior to 1979 was the 1963 constitution. To make a constitution, every voice of members of that country must be heard but what they did was to inaugurate a constitutional

drafting committee that was headed by the late Chief Rotimi Williams SAN and other friends of the military who were made to be part of it. The constitution was drafted, never passed into law in anywhere. When they now transferred government to the civilians, they said: “this is your constitution, the 1979 constitution.”

We read it in the preamble that “we the people”, life continues from there compared to the American constitution of hundred thousand words that originated from the scratch to the last. It went on and in 1983 it was again suspended when Buhari came back. From that 1983 till 1999, we were being ruled by military fiats, decrees, we knew a lot of them. When it was getting to 1999 they said 1999 constitution, “we the people of Nigeria”, are the military the only people in Nigeria? We met and found ourselves in a state of helplessness, in such a way that there wasn’t anything we could do even though there were many to be done but, it’s a thing that will bring anarchy into the system.

No wonder people keep saying we have no constitution and that being the reason it has been so difficult for them to amend it and that being the reason why there is still anarchy in the land, because the constitu-

tion we called ours is not ours, it was formulated by a few. At a point in time when they realized the High Court was having too much power, the 1979 constitution called it unlimited jurisdiction somebody just woke up in his room and said this unlimited jurisdiction we have to take it away from the High Court and it was turned to limited. Where did we sit to agree it should be limited? At a point in time, somebody just felt they need more land and they said let there be Land Use Act and they have it included in the constitution and before you know it, they took our lands away, we no longer have the freehold, land became the leasehold.

These were all laws and activities that were planted into the 1963 constitution; they were rolling the constitution over, including so many laws and till it got to the 1999 constitution which now became as amended.

The constitution we operates today does not originate from the people, it originates from the military, right from Aguyi Ironsi down to Abdulsalam Abubakar that last ruled us, they were the ones making the constitution.

So which of the constitutions adopted by the country would you adjudged to be the best for the people?

None, except the independence constitution and the 1963

constitution that was basically formulated by the civilians though they were originally incorporated by our British masters, changed it into our system and we start operating it that is the one that reflects whom we are, our ethics, ethos and practices. But, if you look at it from that period, they were constitutions made by the military, handed over to us to be using including the 1999 constitution as amended that we call ours. There has not been anyone made by civilians but by a group of the military who have ruled us for so long and bought us down to this level we are now.

There is no constitution I can say is the best.

The 1999 constitution incorporated the desire of some few individuals like I earlier mentioned in some sections that were brought there. Whatever we want to incorporate into the constitution such as National Industrial Court, the Land Use Act, Federal High Court, all these must come from the people. It should not be a thing dictated to us by Obasanjo and have it incorporated and have it handed over to us in such a way that the Land Use Act is no longer an act that can be quashed by the National Assembly but, part of the constitution.

Some lawyers are advocating for the adoption of report of the last national conference. Do you think that the implementation of the confab report is a way forward for the country?

I say equivocally and without any regret but with absolute sense of responsibility that that confab report is not the way forward, there is nothing there.

A lot of those icons who went into the confab went there with good intention believing that most of the bad areas in the constitution would be put right but, after coming out of it, their intention was not total. A lot went to protect their selfish hegemony; some went there to make money. Ask some of them that what did they bring from the confab, what did they contribute? Some said the name of the country be changed, is the name of the country the problem? No. What is our problem?

It is corruption and to what extent is that confab able to handle the issue of corruption from the grass root? I have not seen where it has actually been addressed. All the sector of the economy has been infected in such a way that even if Jesus Christ is to come and amend it, he would be infected.

28

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Tech Times Æ s

Inye Kemabonta, Editor, Tech Times inye@technologylaw.com.ng

Technology has enhanced FRSC service delivery- Akpabio Nseobong C. Akpabio, MON, Assistant Corps Marshal Zonal Commanding Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps Zone Rs2 Lagos spoke with Tony Nwakaegho in this exclusive interview on the role of technology on the Agency’s operations,the award of “Best Use of Technology Government Agency” conferred on the Corps by the organiser of Nigeria Technology Awards in Lagos and other sundry issues. Excerpts: What is the role of Technology in the operation of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Nigeria?

Technology has enhanced our public enlightenment, awareness creation, our stakeholders’ collaboration, our investigation of any crime that is being committed with vehicle in any part of the country or using driving licence in any part of the country. Without technology, we cannot achieve that, and so technology has really enhanced our service delivery.

A case in point is when a driver is given a ticket, then the details of why the driver is booked is transited to our data bank. On the average every week the corps arrest not less than 10,000 drivers all over the country for various offences. You multiply 10,000 per week times four weeks in a month and in a year, then you can approximate and know how many offenders we have apprehended for the couple of years now in the system. Technology has really enhanced our service delivery.

What is your assessment of the Nigeria Technology Awards of which you are a recipient?

We appreciate the organisers of the event and we are encouraged by recognising our efforts and our modest contribution to national development and we urged them to do more and assist the Federal Road Safety Corps to educate the public in the various services being rendered. But one thing is clear, I want to say not that we are here and being given an award, that people who are participating in this event for us to witness this event next year, the participants, organisers and our stakeholders must be road safety conscious because road traffic crushes does not respect anybody. Nobody has immunity against road crush.

So if you are to witness this event next year we need to think road safety. Now if you are on the road as a driver how much respect do you give to other road users? If you are a CEO of a company or firm do you recognise that your shoulder or status should not be transferred to the route? If you are an owner of vehicle you must plan your trip before you move. Road safety is a joint responsibility. It is for everybody no matter how small or big and you must be part of the project.

What are the challenges your agency is facing using the ICT in your operations?

You know for now in Nigeria internet connectivity is a problem. At times somebody want to be attended to like the issue of drivers licence and the broadband may not be available immediately, so we have to wait until the thing to improves. Assuming there is improvement in the bandwidth sent out to our services that will be a better way. Again most of the equipment we use, some are imported. So when there is a breakdown you have to contact the supplier to assist. Although I want to say how many of the agencies are doing what we are doing.

We are utilizing our young officers who are graduates in various technology fields to handle most of our back office for what we do. God has helped us a lot instead of waiting for someone to come from outside to do one or two changes, our staff being groomed internally handle such things. Driving licence like I mentioned earlier on have about 200 centres all over the country. With technology we can capture an applicant and instantly he is given a driving licence. The detals of the applicant is transmitted to the central data base and it’s being produced and sent back to the person. The place where you are is the place it is given

Akpabio

to you. If somebody vehicle is going to be registered, due to technology you can capture the data of the person, no matter the volume of the detail involved and its being transmitted to any of the agencies like the police, EFCC, Customs and other services around that requires our input.

Instead of carrying files to any of the agencies, in our office we can sit down and access what you want to get. Even the journalist needs information on how many offenders were arrested last week and can get the details on our site. So many things we are doing now using technology has really enhanced our service delivery.

What has FRSC put in place going forward using technology as we enter into the Yuletide period to reduce road crushes?

Right from January this year, we have been training our personal on the use of breathalyzer for instance to capture drivers that are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We are also using technology to create awareness on the danger of

road traffic crushes all over the country. Before now we only use the NTA to make the announcement, but now an officer going o patrol or in a motor park with technology can announce to the whole world where you are and what you are suppose to do. With technology, you are driving on the road and there is a traffic gridlock, instantly with the Command there, using the Facebook you can inform the public that the road is having a gridlock, “please just wait, in a couple of hours you will be through. We have been so marvellous in what we are doing with technology to enhance our service delivery.

Last week I was in Harvard University for a programme and I was communicating with my chief executive on what I was doing. We are one of the agencies in Nigeria that understands the role of technology in service delivery and we embrace it whole heartedly.

Looking at NiTA programme, how do you assess what it intends to achieve?

We are one of the awardees today and what I could say is that if someone recognised your effort you are propelled to do more in what you are doing before your recognition.

Definitely we are challenged to do more for what we are using technology to do now. We are prepared to take the lead role in traffic management. We will see the areas that we need improvement and key into it to enhance what we are doing.

All our Commands all over the country are linked to the net and every commanding officer and personnal of the Corps are being encouraged to be alive to their responsibilities using technology to enhance what we are doing. So this event today being part of the recognition of our effort will enable us not only the Corps Marshalls, every staff of the Corps to appreciate this recognition and we need to do what we need to do.

What is the update about the registration of new number plates in the country?

Initially the old system recognises that you have to go from your local government area to the state. Now they say we should be reformed to enhance recognition. If it is a crush before you can count one, two and three to know the number, but now you can take the first digit and the number to trace the vehicle and the owner of the vehicle. People said at a point that we should change all over, but we recognised that there is no way everybody can change their number plate at the same time so we advise that the stakeholders – State government, Broad of Internal Revenue, VIO, Police and the rest decided that it will be better that when the vehicle licence expires as you are going to renew your vehicle licence, that time you renew your vehicle number plate. That is what is done now unlike before whether it expires or not. So now if you have the old number plate but it’s not yet expired as you are going to renew the vehicle licence you are required instantly to change from the old number plate to the new one. That is what the law says.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

29 Tech Times

NiRA to partner registrars to bridge gap in DNS industry Stories by Tony Nwakaegho The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has pledged her commitment to partner as many Registrars and affiliates as possible to bridge the gap in the Domain Name System (DNS) Industry in Nigeria.

Sunday Folayan, president of NiRA made the remark in an e-newsletter shared by the Association, where he advocated for registrars to get in touch with the Association in targeting youths and small and medium businesses (SMBs).

Folayan who gave account of NiRA’s participation at e-Nigeria 2015, said, “NiRA also had an exhibition booth, with some Registrars taking advantage of the booth to market the .ng brand at the event”.

“The new Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu visited the NiRA stand in the company of the Director General of National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA), Engr. Peter Jack. This presented an opportunity for yours truly to explain to the Honourable Minister who we are, what we do, and how NiRA contributes to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

He said the Association is “passionate about Human Capital Development, and

Folayan consider this as one of NIRA’s Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSRs). The NiRA Academy as a vehicle is fulfilling this mission by partnering with other stakeholders in conducting entrepreneurship trainings to bridge the gap in the DNS market in Nigeria”.

He mentioned that on Saturday 21st November 2015, the Academy hosted the first of such

trainings in conjunction with “Whogohost”, a NIRA Accredited Registrar.

The participants were taught website development using Content Management System and other entrepreneurial skills.

The Training was free of charge.

“Yours truly participated in educating and encouraging our youths on the abundant opportunities in the DNS

Industry, and the benefits of using the .ng domain names in building and conducting their businesses online.

“NiRA is willing to partner with as many of our Registrars and affiliates as possible to bridge the gap in the DNS Industry in Nigeria. Kindly get in touch with the Secretariat if you are interested in mounting such training.

“Many awards were won. It was encouraging to note many .ng powered websites were nominated and won several awards, including the likes of Olx.com.ng, Oya.com.ng, Supermart.ng, Careers24.com. ng, showroom.ng within the startups category, and futa.edu. ng, futo.edu.ng, unn.edu.ng, uniport.edu.ng, uncial.edu.ng, unilag.edu.ng, futminna.edu. ng featured as nominees in the Best Federal University Websites category.

“I congratulate Technology Avenue, the organisers of the Nigeria Technology Awards (NITA) for the 2015 edition, and all the winners in the various categories.

“In the coming week, I will be in Point Noire, Democratic Republic of Congo, for the Policy Meeting and Special General Members Meeting of AFRINIC Ltd, the IP Addresses Registry for Africa. Please accord my Vice President the usual support while I am away”, he noted.

Smart City technologies showcase in Dubai IoTWF 2015

By Tony Nwakaegho As the World Trade Centre, Dubai play host to the third annual Internet of Things World Forum (IoTWF) industry event which commenced on December 6-8 more than 20 digital city and connected industry solution deployments made possible by Cisco and the IoT industry are billed to be showcased to the world.

Through a series of smart city experience tours, IoTWF attendees will see why Dubai is has been touted as one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world. To expand upon last year’s IoTWF, which was held in Chicago, Dubai is featuring twice as many solutions than were featured at the 2014 event.

The deployments featured in the tours, that attendees can experience, will include services such as connected parking, connected lighting and waste management, alongside other vertical industries. More

importantly, attendees will have the opportunity to visualize these solutions as not only connected but interconnected and able to share data.

In Dubai’s Command and Control Center, nearly all the solutions are integrated into a digital platform as part of Cisco Smart+Connected Communities.

The digital platform can aggregate data from various sensors, solutions, and partner applications; conduct advanced data analytics; and supports a wide spectrum of urban services.

Beyond Dubai, utilizing the digital platform in conjunction with the portfolio of Smart+Connected Communities solutions are helping cities being to achieve their digital transformation goals.

For instance, a number of cities have made strides in reaching their COP21 climate goals by reducing traffic, encouraging greater use of public transit and streamlining the delivery of services to citizens.

For instance, Kansas City, MO in the US, Adelaide in Australia, Hamburg, Germany and Bangalore in India have already begun using a single digital data platform for managing their urban services.

Now more than ever, cities are required to capture and analyze data coming from the many sensors, cameras and mobile devices in use. They are employing new analytics techniques, such as fog computing, that is able to gather, process, and conduct analysis right at the edge of a network, where it can be acted upon more immediately.

In order to accelerate the deployment of fog technologies, a coalition of Internet of Things leaders recently announced the formation of the OpenFog Consortium.

It aims to enable end-to-end technology scenarios for the Internet of Things through the development of an open architecture, core technologies

including the capabilities of distributed computing, networking, and storage as well as the leadership needed to realise the full potential of IoT. Cisco is a founding member of the newly formed consortium.

John Chambers, Executive Chairman of Cisco, will deliver a keynote at the IoTWF on how the Internet of Things is creating a new world of possibilities through digitisation. As we move into this new digital era, organisations across both the private and public sectors are already beginning to rethink how they will approach the shift in infrastructures, processes and outcomes on a grand scale.

It is likely to disrupt every area of society and redefine sustainability.

Digitisation has the potential to create a revolution in how we use resources, how we communicate, how we get work done and what we come to know about communities, ourselves and the world.

Infinix Mobility unveils NOTE 2 smartphone into Nigerian market Infinix Mobility has announced its latest NOTE series product, the brand new Infinix NOTE 2.

And as usual, the No.1 online smartphone brand in Africa will put the most advanced NOTE series product ever on sales during the biggest sales event of the year, Black Friday.

Already, customers’ response toward the Infinix HOT NOTE had been so positive, as it offers new dimensions and new features that will simplify their daily use of the phone. “With Infinix NOTE 2 we want to raise the bar and offer better product.

Infinix Mobility is offering new dimensions and new features that will simplify your daily use,”Benjamin Jiang, Infinix Mobility’s CEO said.

High performances that fit you The Infinix NOTE 2 offers a bright and large 6.0 inch screen with slim bezels that maximize the space of the display.

Its stunning HD 720 X1280 resolution display reproduces natural colors with deep contrast. The 6.0 inch screen enhances productivity tasks such as email, writing down notes or even business Visioconferences had never been that easy.

NOTE 2 is equipped with an advanced 13 Mega pixel rear camera and an optimized 3P lens 2 Mega pixel front camera f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera features a Samsung S5K3M2 ISOCELL CMOS sensor and 5P lens with an f/2.0 sensor aperture offering a 78 degree shooting angle.

Talking about battery; NOTE 2 is built with a 4000 mAh Lipolymer battery. The large battery is made to last for 2 days.

What a 4000 mAh battery allows?

It is 80% more daily tasks and productively. Up to 30 hours talk time, 12 hours of video viewing, 45 hours of music listening and 10 hours of Internet experience.

Practical, smart and fun, smart gestures feature allow controlling display by designing letters as a short cut to access your smartphone functions.

Double tap to lock/unlock your screen, design a “C” to access camera and an “M” to access your playlist.

Speed as the watch word X600_HD PICTURE_ CHAMPAGNE_COMBOInfinix Mobility chooses MT6753 Mediatek chipset to empower NOTE 2.

The electronic component is based on ARM® Cortex®-A53 64-bit octa-core processor 1.3 GHz. The MT6753 support high performance wireless networks, including 4G LTE. NOTE 2’s predecessor was firstly released with 1GB RAM while the Infinix NOTE 2 is featuring a 2GB RAM. The large RAM facilitates multitasking experience; it is up to 30 Apps that can be opened and smoothly used without any system crash.

Tech Times 30

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Jim Ovia ICT Foundation to sponsor NCS scholarship programme Jim Ovia, chairman and founder of Zenith Bank Plc, declared at Nigeria Information Technology Award (NITMA) 2015 that Jim Ovia ICT Foundation will henceforth sponsor the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) scholarship programmes for the members.

NCS has previously instituted the scholarship programme to assist members pursue critical research programmes for the betterment of the industry.

However at NITMA 2015 chaired by Jim Ovia, he announced that the Foundation will sponsor 20 Bachelor of Science, B.Sc., 10 Master of Science, M.Sc., and five Doctorate of Philosophy, PhD candidates as originally planned by NCS and willing to sponsor more.

He declared the readiness of Zenith Bank and Cyberspace to employ best performing candidates during the programme.

Ovia said that his penchant interest in youth empowerment through the ICT foundation seeks to invest in the Nigerian youths’ unlimited and untapped potentials as the key to socioeconomic growth.

To equip the future of the nation, information and communication technology, Ovia said, is a paramount avenue.

“We support the use of ICT whenever and wherever possible to enhance the standard of living

of the society and increase human efficiency.

“Our long-term goal is to put ICT into our education policy ensuring progressive and continuous learning. Therefore, we will see to the sponsorship of the NCS scholarship programme as far as God gives us life. The best candidates are standing the chance to either work in Zenith Bank or Cyberspace”.

Jim Ovia ICT Foundation is aimed at preparing young people for the modern day work-place, business opportunities, and sharpen entrepreneurship skills.

Elated by the announcement, Professor Adesola Aderounmu, NCS president, thanked the Foundation’s Chairman for his magnanimity and pledged that the window will be utilised to deepen ICT growth in the country.

Prof. Aderounmu said, aside the fund being used to provide educational scholarships and sponsorships to members to attend conferences or workshops, support for high impact researches, NCS deemed it necessary that such fund would galvanize the processes for a robust Nigeria’s knowledgebased economy.

Ovia is the founder of Zenith Bank Plc where he retired as pioneer Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer after two decades of meritorious leadership which positioned the bank as one of the

Ovia

largest and most profitable banks in Africa.

As an accomplished banker with over three decades experience, he introduced a great deal of innovations into the Nigerian banking industry.

Ovia is also the Founder of Visafone Communications Limited. He is the Chairman of the Nigerian Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and also Chairman, National Information Technology

Sophos brings synchronized security to endpoints, networks

By Tony Nwakaegho Sophos , a global leader in network and endpoint security, has introduced the first synchronized security protection against today’s sophisticated threats with the Sophos Security Heartbeat™ capability of the Sophos XG series of next-generation firewalls and UTMs. This new technology directly links next-generation firewalls and UTMs with next-generation endpoint security to share threat intelligence that enables faster detection of threats, automatic isolation of infected devices, and more immediate and targeted response and resolution.

With Security Heartbeat, organisations of any size can advance their defenses against increasingly coordinated and stealthy attacks and drive a dramatic reduction in the time and resources required to

investigate and address security incidents.

The Security Heartbeat pulses continuous, real-time information about suspicious behaviour or malicious activity between endpoints and the network firewall or UTM. By giving these traditionally independent products the ability to directly share intelligence, the Security Heartbeat can instantly trigger a response to stop or help control a malware outbreak or data breach. The Sophos XG Firewall uses data provided by Sophos endpoint protection to isolate and restrict access to and from the affected device, and in parallel, the endpoint protection can remediate the attack.

IT organisations can benefit from advanced threat protection capabilities without requiring additional agents, layers of complex management tools, logging and analysis tools, or expense. The Security Heartbeat

Hagerman

is fully enabled and included as part of the Sophos XG Firewall and Sophos Cloud-managed endpoint protection.

“Today Sophos has taken the next big step in next-generation security. Organisations of every size know they need endpoint security and network security – they are two foundational pillars of any IT security strategy. But for too long, these two product segments simply

didn’t communicate with each other – they were independent and isolated silos, which limited their effectiveness and their manageability.

“Only Sophos links leading network security technology with leading endpoint security technology together in a coordinated and integrated approach. This is synchronized security that delivers both better protection – and better

Advisory Council (NITAC). He is a member of the Honorary International Investor Council as well as the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), among other achievements.

manageability – for organizations of any size,” Kris Hagerman, CEO at Sophos said.

Christian Christiansen, vice president of security products at IDC comments, “No other company is close to delivering this type of synchronized and integrated communication between endpoint and network security products. For the midmarket, the time and resource savings will be very compelling as their ability to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats with today’s products will only become more challenging.”

The Security Heartbeat™ works when a new Sophos protected endpoint is added to the network, its Security Heartbeat automatically connects to the local Sophos XGFirewall and the endpoint immediately starts sharing health status; If suspicious traffic is identified by the firewall, or malware is detected on the endpoint, security and threat information is instantly shared securely via the Security Heartbeat; the endpoint reports contextrich information such as the computer name, username and CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

31

Tech Times

4 billion people are without Internet access globally – Microsoft Microsoft said there are approximately 4 billion people out of the world’s population of over 7.3 billion people that without Internet access.

The software giant said that is the major reason it launched a fund for improved access to affordable Internet in underserved markets.

“Today there are approximately 4 billion people globally without Internet access, but through this fund, we hope to kick-start the entrepreneurial process by identifying promising ideas that we can help nurture, grow and scale,” Peggy Johnson, executive vice president of business development at Microsoft said.

He said the ability to close that gap is more achievable than ever with technology that is readily available and affordable in many parts of the world.

The fund is part of Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiative, which invests in new last-mile access technologies, cloud-based

services and applications, and business models that can reduce the cost of Internet access and help more people affordably get online. Starting today, eligible companies can submit their application online at http://www. microsoft.com/en-us/affordableaccess-initiative/home.

Microsoft-Windows Under its Affordable Access Initiative, Microsoft partners with Internet access providers and other public and private sector entities on innovative and practical connectivity and services solutions designed to deliver the greatest socio-economic impact to the greatest number of people. Examples of other efforts underway include these: Microsoft’s deployment of TV white spaces technology, which repurposes TV frequencies not being used locally to provide affordable, robust Internet access to entire communities. With its partners, Microsoft is currently deploying the technology in 17

countries and five continents.

Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative, a multiyear initiative through which Microsoft is actively engaging in Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness through locally relevant innovation, affordable access and skills development.

How to apply Applicants must be commercial organisations with two or more full-time employees and have a prototype of a working solution and preferably paying customers. Such products and business models might combine new cloud services and

Peggy Johnson

Sophos boost security to endpoints, networks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

process information associated with the threat; The firewall can automatically take action to isolate the endpoint from any routed or remote networks and trigger additional action on the endpoint to mitigate risk and prevent data loss; After the threat has been removed, the endpoint uses the Security Heartbeat to communicate updated health status back to the network, which then re-establishes normal service to the endpoint.

Jon Oltsik, senior analyst at ESG comments, “This is a good step toward synchronized security solutions.

Having viewed tests of the Sophos XG Firewall with a Sophos protected endpoint, I have seen how the information passed in the security Heartbeat can reduce the risk to a business by increasing the speed of detection and response. It is not just management interface integration; the two products share valuable information making each one more effective and efficient. For companies who do not have the luxury of extensive in-house security teams, this new approach can help bolster productivity while streamlining security operations.”

New Features of Sophos XG Firewall include: Built on the foundation of Sophos’ market-leading UTM and next generation firewalls, the Sophos XG Firewall includes proven technology from Sophos and Cyberoam, and delivers the following new features: Network Security Control Center.

Innovative interface that delivers instant network and threat intelligence so users can take action fast; Unified Policy Model.

Simplified policy management with pre-configured templates for business apps to dramatically streamline configuration; User and App Risk Analysis. App Risk Score features help identify high-risk users and applications and highlight potential security hotspots;User Threat Quotient.

Manage user-centric policies based on an individual’s known behavior as well as the health status of the computer or mobile device they are using; Sophos Firewall Manager. Full-featured centralized management of multiple firewalls that’s free for Sophos partners and managed service providers; Centralized cloud management; Sophos partners and MSPs can manage multiple Sophos XG Firewall installations from the cloud, using the new Sophos Cloud Firewall Manager; Security Heartbeat.

This unique capability, an industry first, meaningfully links the firewall and endpoint together, enabling them to share intelligence and enhance protection against advanced threat; Series of appliances. A comprehensive range of appliances with options for every customer, including the new entry-level XG 85(w) and high-end XG 750 models; Hardware flexibility. The Sophos XG Firewall operating system will also run on existing Sophos SG appliances and Cyberoam NG appliances; Deployment flexibility. Customers can choose to deploy as hardware, software or virtual appliances, and every

feature is available on every form factor.

Available models range from a desktop appliance with integrated Wi-Fi to rackmount appliances for the data center. Pricing is available from authorized Sophos partners worldwide.

Michelle Drolet, CEO at Towerwall,a Sophos Partner, adds, “There will never be a perfect security solution that stops all the threats. But, with Sophos we are getting close to perfect. This approach to synchronized security from Sophos allows everything to talk to one another and is a game changer for the industry.”

Timothy Speakman, system administrator at Contra Costa Health Services, a Sophos customer commented, “What Sophos is doing to deliver synchronized security with the new XG Firewall is impressive. As a company, we are looking forward to how the network will be integrated fully with the endpoint, saving us the amount of time it typically takes to research threats, act on them, and actively manage security for the entire organization,” Speakman said.

Kerrigan Addicott-Case, system administrator at Office Information Systems, a Sophos customer, concluded, “We are extremely excited about the Sophos product roadmap. The Security Heartbeat feature within the XG Firewall is remarkable. This new technology is one of the most interesting features on the market, and we look forward to where this will take us.”

Zhao

By Tony Nwakaegho The International Telecommunication Union released its flagship annual Measuring the Information Society Report reveals that 3.2 billion people are now online, representing 43.4 percent of the global population, while mobile-cellular subscriptions have reached almost 7.1 billion worldwide, with over 95 per cent of the global population now covered by a mobile-cellular signal.

The report also notes that all 167 economies included in the ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI) improved their IDI values between 2010 and 2015 -- meaning that levels of information and communication technology (ICT) access, use and skills continue to improve all around the world.

More people online than ever before; but growth slows: Latest data show that growth in Internet use has slowed down, however, posting 6.9 per cent global growth in 2015, after 7.4 per cent growth in 2014.

Nonetheless, the number of Internet users in developing countries has almost doubled in the past five years (20102015), with two thirds of all people online now living in the

applications, low-cost forms of Internet connectivity, and new payment mechanisms designed for consumers and smaller businesses in underserved markets. A list of criteria, and the application, can be found at www.microsoft.com/en-us/ affordable-access-initiative/ home, Applications will be accepted until midnight PST on Jan. 15, 2016.

In addition to receiving on average approximately $75,000 in funding and free software and services, recipients will also have the opportunity to participate in a programme offered by Microsoft to connect with other grant recipients and potential funders.

Selected companies will receive cash awards along with free technology and mentorship from Microsoft to scale solutions that help close the digital divide; application deadline is Jan. 15, 2016.

ITU Releases Annual Global ICT Data, ICT Development Index Country Rankings developing world.

Mobile-network coverage and reaching the last half billion: Over 95 per cent of the global population is now covered by mobile-cellular services, meaning that there are still an estimated 350 million people worldwide who live in places which are still out of reach of a mobile network -- a figure that has dropped from 450 million a year ago. But while 89 per cent of the world’s urban population is now covered by a 3G network, only 29 per cent of the world’s 3.4 billion people living in rural areas benefit from 3G coverage.

In 2015, the Republic of Korea is ranked at the top of ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI), a composite measurement that ranks 167 countries according to their level of ICT access, use and skills. Republic of Korea is closely followed by Denmark and Iceland, in second and third place.

The IDI top 30 ranking includes countries from Europe and high-income nations from other regions including Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Canada, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Macao (China), New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.

Almost all countries surveyed improved their IDI ranking in 2015.

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tuESdaY, dEcEmBER 8, 2015

VOL. 1. NO.247

Price: n150

Al Ain President celebrates

UEFA Champions League Fixtures Today’s Matches

PSG v Shakhtar Donetsk 20:45 Real Madrid v Malmoe FF 20:45 PSV Eindhoven v CSKA Moscow 20:45 Wolfsburg v Manchester United 20:45 Benfica v Atletico Madrid 20:45 Galatasaray v FC Astana 20:45 Man City v Borussia M’gladbach 20:45 Sevilla v Juventus 20:45 Wednesday, December 9, 2015 B/Leverkusen v Barcelona 20:45 Roma v BATE Borisov 20:45 Dinamo Zagreb v Bayern Munich 20:45 Olympiacos v Arsenal 20:45 Chelsea v FC Porto 20:45 Dynamo Kyiv v Maccabi Tel Aviv 20:45 Gent v Zenit St. Petersburg 20:45 Valencia v Lyon 20:45

Emenike’s

goal

g 19

FBI steps into fresh

Blatter briber y case S

epp Blatter is facing a fresh probe from the FBI with the FIFA president having been linked to a $100million (£66.2m) bribery scandal, according to a BBC investigation.

A BBC Panorama documentary, titled ‘Panorama: Fifa, Blatter and Me’ aired on Monday, claims sports marketing company ISL allegedly paid ex-FIFA

executive Ricardo Teixeira and the former president Joao Havelange.

In return for the payments, ISL was awarded television and marketing rights during the 1990s, but Blatter, who is currently suspended by FIFA, denies all knowledge of the bribes.

According to the Panorama investigation, the FBI is probing payments made from ISL to FIFA and

officers have allegedly seen a letter from Havelange that revealed Blatter had “full knowledge of all activities” and was “always apprised” of them.

Blatter is planning to stand down as president of FIFA in February next year after 17 years at the head of football’s world governing body.

The 79-year-old is currently serving a 90-day suspension from FIFA

and will appear in front of an ethics committee later this month.

US attorney general Loretta Lynch confirmed last week that 16 more FIFA officials have been indicted following the arrests of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL presidents Juan Angel Napout and Alfredo Hawit in Zurich as a result of the ongoing FBI investigation into bribery and corruption.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

Will discordant voices in NGF lead to different wages in states? Page B8

Investors worth Page B4 appreciates

by N70 bn

Why 80% of Nigerian airlines take foreign Page B6 cover — Wiggle

Al-Sada replaces Kachikwu as OPEC president

$2.1bn arms deal: NLC reiterates call for capital punishment

Augustine Okezie, Abuja

Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada has been elected President of the Conference of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for a one year tenure, with effect from 1st January 2016.

By this development, he will replace Nigeria’s Minister of state for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu early in the new year.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Joy Ekeke

L-R; Deputy General Manager, Corporate Banking, Keystone Bank Ltd, Abubakar Jose; Head Office Branch Manager Enobong Ezekiel; Head, Awolowo Way Ikeja Branch,Nwagwu Kelvin; and Head, Ilupeju Branch, Chinyelu Ogufere, during the inauguration of the 14th President of the Nigerian-British Chambers of Commerce (NBCC) in Lagos...recently.

FG allays investors’ fears about Nigeria’s business climate Federal Government on Monday allayed the fears of potential European investors about the country’s business environment, reaffirming its commitment to a sustained conducive investment climate.

Mrs Uju Hassan-Baba, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), gave the assurance when the Head, European Union delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Michel Arrion, visited her in Abuja.

Mrs Hassan-Baba said that the issue of investment climate was

top on the agenda of the present administration, considering the urgent need for diversification of the nation’s economy.

She also attributed the recent decline in the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the last general elections and the current global economic and financial crunch.

It would be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its capital importation report in June, said that the country’s FDI declined by 48.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2015.

The NIPC boss noted that it

Emefiele

CBN has not met our needs- Oil Marketers

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated its call for capital punishment for those found culpable in corruption cases following the recent arrests of former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and others in the alleged fraudulent $2.1billion arms purchase deal.

NLC called on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to ensure a thorough investigation in the trial and stringent punitive measures against those found guilty.

The NLC said considering the staggering sums involved in several of the corruption cases, the situation could create anarchy in the country if nothing was done.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said: “The ongoing messy revelations on the $2.1billion arms deal have vindicated our unqualified support for the fight against corruption.

“The revelations by the former National Security Adviser (NSA), his erstwhile Director of Finance, Shuaibu Salisu, which we believe are just the tip of the iceberg, are mind-bogging and justify as well as reinforce our call for capital punishment.

was normal for investment inflow to slow down given the uncertainties that surrounded the general elections and global economic crisis.

She, however, stated that things would improve from next year when the government must have fully settled down for business.

Mrs Hassan-Baba said that the NIPC was working vigorously with other relevant ministries and agencies to urgently address investors’ complaints about the business environment in line with a recent presidential directive.

She added that government, on its part, was vigorously tackling the issues of insecurity, corruption, unstable power supply and other pitfalls in the investment climate. ``Another issue bordering on the business climate is that of the rule of law, which is a basic requirement for investments in any country. ``I can assure you that this administration is hinged on the rule of law and application of due policy in whatever we don as agencies of government.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Opeoluwani Akintayo

of petroleum products imported into the country.

However, he debunked claim that oil marketers stopped importing fuel because of the unpaid subsidy, but rather that some of them stopped importing because banks have refused to grant them credit facilities.

This he said did not deter the group, as some of its members still import despite the harsh economic situation.

“CBN has not been able to meet our needs in terms of giving us foreign exchange to settle our debts and this has affected

out business. We cannot import fuel like we would have wanted to because we couldn’t get loans from banks,” he said.

Adewole also said that out of the $1.6 billion debt the group owed National Nigerian Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC); the CBN paid them the sum of $250,000 million last week.

According to him, two banks which he did not mention their names, disclosed to them that their foreign partners informed them that even if the group made partial payment, they (for-

Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, (DAPPMA) has said that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has not been able to meet its members foreign exchange needs to enable them settle their debts.

The group’s Executive Secretary, Femi Adewole disclosed this to Business Times during a telephone conversation.

According to him, lack of foreign exchange to settle their debt, has reduced the quantity

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Al-Sada replaces Kachikwu

Slok Air sues FG N35bn over damages, losses ÏE ƋƑ ƕ ƈƏƋƈ Ɔ ƓƈƋƋ Ƅ Ƒ ƅƆ Ƅ ƅƊ Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

Daily Times investigation also confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s Ali I. Naimi was also elected as Alternate President, for the same period. The elections took place during the 168th Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was held in Vienna, Austria, on Friday, 4th under the Chairmanship of its outgoing President, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.

Confirming these developments in a telephone chat with Daily Times in Abuja yesterday, the Group General Manager Public Affairs of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Ohi Alegbe said OPEC presidency is tenure bound just like every other elective position and that Dr Kachikwu has just completed the tenure of former Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezeani Alison Madueke.

The NNPC spokesman further confirmed that Dr Kachikwu would remain in office until January next year when he would formally hand over the baton to the new president.

$2.1bn arms deal CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

“We believe with the prescription of more stringent punishment for corruption cases, few will dare to go to this extent. We need no telling that massive corruption in the system, is responsible for our lack of development and our present economic woes.”

Wabba stated that the “rising cases of alienation, civil disobedience, crime and insurgency are directly traceable to wanton cases of corruption in high places which did not only create avoidable diseases, ignorance and poverty, but have totally incapacitated our people.

“We as a people and as a nation cannot continue like this, except we want to continue to be the laughing stock of other nations and want to create a state of anarchy. Because, certainly, our teeming youths and the army of the unemployed who look unto their country for means of livelihood, will not fold their hands while a few individuals corner the national resources.”

He said: “We must be resolute in our support for good governance and fight against corruption. We must entrench the culture of accountability, ensuring that public officers are accountable in and out of office.

Wabba

Labour to present FG new minimum wage proposal Joy Ekeke Labour unions in the country are finalising plans to present a new minimum wage proposal to the federal government following the lapse of the five year period for the review of the current structure.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba made the disclosure while speaking at the delegate conference of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU); Wabba said the NLC was working in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to arrive at a figure to be presented to government.

He said the recent announcement by governors under the Nigeria Governors Forum that they could not continue to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage was part of a ploy to frustrate the demand for an upward review.

He vowed that the congress would make the states ungovernable for any governor that tinker with the current minimum wage, pointing out that the leadership of the labour movement in the country was committed to a review.

While admitting the challenges in the economy, Comrade Wabba said “the fact that there is challenge in the economy does not mean that only the workers should suffer the consequence.

“We will ensure that any governor that they to reduce the N18,000 minimum wage will not have rest in his domain until the right thing is done. Reducing the minimum wage is something that cannot be defended. If political office hold-

ers still collect the same salaries nationwide, there is justification for anybody to be thinking of tinkering with the minimum wage.

“I want to assure us that the issue of review of the minimum wage, the leadership stands on that. We are only trying to consult with the TUC to ensure that they don’t divide our rank and come up with a figure that we will make public before we make our demand. I think it is defensive for them to say that they cannot continue to pay the minimum wage.

I also think that they are saying so because they know that the review is due.”

Comrade Wabba also called for a review of Privatisation policy of the government saying it has not yielded the desired result especially in the power sector which he said has resulted into more darkness rather than leading to improved power supply.

The outgoing President of NASU, Comrade Ladi Iliya admitted that President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the nation’s economy was in crisis, with industries daily winding up, jobs being lost, while galloping inflation is being experienced.

According to her, these are all indications of an economy in crisis. We call for the diversification of the economy to bring back on board agriculture, manufacturing and mining of the solid mineral.

She said further that it was unfortunate that only public service workers are the real tax payers, saying “it is doubtful whether the rich in the society do pay tax and if they do, the question is, do they pay correct tax.”

Chairman of Slok Airline, Orji Uzor Kalu, said the company has sued the Federal government for the sum of N35 billion over damages and loss incurred by the airline over the years.

Government had in 2004, revoked the Air Operating Certificate and Air Transport License of the airline over allegations bordering on unethical practices.

Kalu, in an interview with journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at the weekend on arrival from the United Kingdom, said, ‘Slok Airline is going to come back, well you know the case of Slok Airline is before a Federal

High court judge and I cannot really go deep on it.

“We have taken the Federal Government to court and we sued them to pay us N35billion, if two people are fighting it is only the court that will separate you,” he said.

He disclosed that ‘the Ministry of Aviation planned to ask us to take back our operating license and shut up, and we have said no to such plans.

According to him, the airline had incurred a huge loss from the revocation adding that what it is claiming as damages is even smaller than what was invested in the company.

“Remember we had 14 aircraft kept on the ground for over one year. That is a huge loss, he reason we are suing the Ministry is to get our money back, for over one year, we did not fly, we need our money back.

FG allays investors’ fears CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

``The NIPC enabling law contains the legal framework, which offers protection, incentives and all the services needed by investors to easily set up in Nigeria. ``Our One-Stop Shop provides all the services that an investor will need, staring with the incorporation of a company to all the issues concerning processes and licensing.’’

Mrs Hassan-Baba emphasised that the NIPC was the country’s investment gateway, and urged all potential foreign investors to pass through the commission to avoid the pitfalls.

Earlier, Arrion expressed concern over the decline in the country’s FDI from a peak of 8.9 billion dollars in 2011 to 5.6 billion

dollars in 2013.

He noted that as a result, Nigeria had been overtaken by South Africa and Mozambique which, according to him, accounted for 14.3 and 10.3 per cent of FDI in Africa.

According to him, Europe remains Nigeria’s most important partner with regard to FDI with Netherlands, France, UK and Italy accounting for 49 per cent of the country’s stock in 2013.

The EU delegation head noted that most of the impediments to European investments in Nigeria were related to the business climate rather than technical issues like financing.

He said, ``I think the core issue is certainly the enabling environment, the business climate, the rule of law etcetera.

CBN has not met our needs CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

eign banks), would still not give us fresh credit to import fuel.

“Our members are still importing but once the full loan is paid, we will go full blast,” he said.

“That’s why we need CBN to look into this so that we can settle our debt,” he added.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has blamed the persistent fuel crisis in the country on the continuous vandalism of the System 2B pipeline at Arepo, sharp practices by oil marketers and the delay

in the payment of outstanding subsidy claims to the marketers.

In a presentation to the Senate Committee recently, Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC, Mrs. Esther NnamdiOgbue, stated that Nigeria has lost a total of 531 million litres of petrol valued at over N50 billion to pipeline vandals between January and September, 2015, at the problematic System 2B Pipeline network which stretches from the Atlas Cove in Lagos to Ilorin.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

B3 Money Market

BoI rated among top performing African DFIs

Olaoluwa

Ï`ƄƑ ƍƕ ƃƏ Ǝ ƊƄƍ è Ǝ ƅƅ ƆƊƋ ƃƎ ƕƄƉƆƐƄƍƓ Bank of Industry (BoI) has been rated AAA and scored 92 percent among top seven performing development finance institutions under the Asso-

ciation’s Prudential Standards, Guidelines and Rating System (PSGRS) by the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI).

The Bank has also rewarded some its customers and staff for renewed commitment towards impact delivery in the bank’s operations and in the real sector.

Speaking at the Bank’s Impact Awards Night in Lagos at the weekend, BoI’s Managing Director, Rasheed Olaoluwa explained that the awards was designed to reward excellence and customers’ commitment towards the growth of the real sector, adding that the bank’s staff were also rewarded for aiding the realization of the bank’s goals and objectives.

Olaoluwa noted that the Bank’s recent rating by the AADFI reaffirms the bank’s commitment towards industrializing the nation’s real sector.

Indeed, 46 African national institutions including 26 ordinary AADFI member-institutions and four special AADFI memberinstitutions and 16 non AADFI member-institutions submitted their self-assessment to the peer review for evaluation in order to identify areas of weaknesses for self-improvement.

“Today, we are celebrating impact across the real sector. No one can achieve success without the help of others. We are rewarding a team that has worked to deliver value. We are also recognizing our customers that have impact in 2015 in their sectors”, Olaoluwa added.

Specifically, Mouka Limited

was recognised as this year’s best large enterprise directorate customer in loan repayment. Innoson Technical and Industrial manufacturing was recognized as the best large enterprise directorate customer in employment generation, while Kam Industries Nigeria Limited emerged this year’s best large enterprise directorate customer with real sector impact.

For Small and Medium Enterprises, I.O. Furniture Nig. Ltd of the Lagos State Office emerged the best SME customer in loan repayment; Cobef International Limited (Rivers State Office) with 210 workers, was the best SME customer in employment generation; Saclux Industries Limited (Enugu SO) – Agro-processing (Palm Kernel Oil and Refined Vegetable Oil), was adjudged the best SME customer in real sector impact. Some of the bank’s employees emerged best project officers in different categories having met the criteria.

Ndidiamaka Okuwakaogu emerged the best Project Officer in large enterprise directorate.

Emmanuel Ojowuro of the Ondo State Office emerged the Best Project Officer in SME Directorate (SME-South) with 290 percent achievement for Approval

Budget and 60 percent achievement for disbursement budget, while Aminu Yunusa Yusuf of the Kano State Office scored 85 percent achievement for Approval Budget and 81 percent achievement for Disbursement Budget to emege best Project Officer in SME Directorate (SME-South).

For the long service award, Ijeh George Ifeanyichuckwu, Ibeh Charles Amaobi, Kantiyok Keziah Tabitha, Adesina Kareem Adekunle, Osuwa Mohammed Hassan, Olagunju Waheed Abiodun, Oseni Jimoh Ezekiel, and Omar Shekarau were recognized having served in the bank for between 10 to 35years.

On his part, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr Frank Jacobs, commended the bank for the initiative while affirming the bank’s noticeable impact in the real sector through improved access to funds.

One of the customers, Chief Executive Officer of KAM Industries, Dr. Kamaldeen Yusuf, noted that his firm is a product of support from the bank adding that the recognition will further spur his firm to expand its operations and continue to add value in the real sector.

UBA group celebrates 10 years operations in Ghana United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, last week celebrated 10 years of operations in Ghana, one of the 18 country subsidiaries outside Nigeria in the UBA group.

UBA Ghana holds a unique place in the UBA group as the flagship subsidiary of UBA having opened its offices for business in 2005, the first foray of the UBA group outside the shores of Nigeria. Since then, UBA has gone on to open successful subsidiaries in 17 more African countries.

Speaking on the significance of the celebrations, Phillips Oduoza, Group Managing Director of the UBA Group said “The opening of UBA Ghana in January 2005, represented UBA’s ambition of becoming the bank for Africans regardless of continent of residence” To mark the 10th year milestone in Ghana, the Board of Directors of the UBA group chose Accra for their annual board meeting for the first time in the Bank’s history to show the board’s commitment to its PanAfrican agenda.

“Although, proud of the Bank’s Nigerian heritage, UBA’s ambi-

tion is pan-African, an agent to foster Africa’s destiny, helping increase and integrate trade, break down barriers and fund growth” explained Mr. Oduoza Also speaking during the anniversary celebrations, the Chairman of UBA plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu, said “We do banking the way we do, because we want to unite Africa to the world”.

Mr. Elumelu along with a delegation of UBA Ghana and UBA group board members also had an audience with President John Mahama of the Republic of Ghana during which they held discussions on how the UBA Group could effectively partner with Ghanaian government in its aim of becoming the economic power house of Africa.

To show its commitment to the community, the UBA board members also had a reading session at Accra Academy as part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility project; the Read Africa Initiative, which seeks to improve reading culture among African youths.

The Read Africa event was graced with the presence of cel-

ebrated author, Ama Ata Aidoo, who read excerpts from her book The Girl Who Can, together with UBA’s Executive Director of Resources, Obi Ibekwe. The event which was attended by school children from Accra Academy and Accra Wesley Girls’ High School, who were inspired by the speeches they listened to, as each received a copy of the book, courtesy of UBA Foundation.

The 10th anniversary celebrations ended with a Black Tie Gala event attended by Ghana’s financial and business elites, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Ghana, as well as the Board of Directors of both UBA Group and UBA Ghana, as well as the bank’s loyal customers and long serving staff members.

Mr. Elumelu used the occasion of the gala event to express his appreciation to customers.

“It has been a privilege to serve you for the last ten years and all of us at UBA look forward to serving you for many years to come” he said.

UBA Ghana is a member of pan-African financial services

Oduoza

group, United Bank for Africa Plc, a highly diversified financial services provider and one of the largest financial institutions in Africa, with business offices in New York, Paris and London.

The bank controls significant market share in 19 different African countries.

The group has a strong retail

penetration across the African continent with more than eight million customers who enjoy a bouquet of products and services tailored to meet their different financial needs and backed by a cutting edge e-banking platform that offers secured and convenient real-time online banking services.

Capital Market B4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

FCMB donates students’ centre to Pan-Atlantic University

Stories by Adesola Akindele

First City Monument Bank Limited (FCMB) has donated a multi-purpose Students’ Centre to Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), Lagos, as part of its strategies to invest in the future, especially that of the youth.

The FCMB Students’ Centre, located within the permanent campus of PAU along the LekkiEpe expressway in Lagos, is a facility devoted to students’ recreation and socialisation.

Apart from providing facilities for informal learning, which forms integral part of the university life, the building is equipped with other amenities. It features two main areas - a cafeteria on the ground floor and a mini-mall on the first floor.

In the mini-mall are-a super-

market, a boutique, an agency banking service, a mobile phone shop, a unisex hair salon, a laundry shop as well as a coffee shop.

Speaking at the commissioning and hand-over ceremony of the Centre last Friday, Group Managing Director of FCMB, Mr. Ladi Balogun, said, “we felt the need to provide the students with a conducive environment that would facilitate learning, while at the same time serve as an avenue to socialise near their hostels through basic facilities for relaxation, shopping, retail and banking services.’’

He assured that, ‘’we will continue to invest in the future and by extension, Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

PAU is the highest-ranked business school in Nigeria and we believe that in a few years from now, thousands of students

would be in this institution. It is our desire to continually partner the school to provide facilities that would ensure effective teaching and learning to engender manpower development.’’

He added that the gesture is also in line with the commitment of the Bank to effectively support initiatives that would enhance the standard of education in the country as well as the well-being of the society.

In his comment, the Vice Chancellor of PAU, Professor Juan Manuel Elegido, stated that the building represented one of the milestones of the school in its quest to form competent and committed professionals to help build a better society in Nigeria and Africa at large. ‘’This building is very important to the university as it gives the students the opportunity to interact prop-

erly, since the students learn as much from one another as well as their teachers. We commend FCMB for providing the school with a befitting Students Centre and identifying with our vision,’’ he stressed.

Professor Elegido emphasized that Nigeria needs first class universities, adding that, ‘’a country cannot be a first class country if it does not have at least three world class universities.’’

On his part, the Special Adviser on Education to the Governor of Lagos state, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, stressed the importance of partnership between various institutions.

According to him, it is clear to us that there has to be a partnership between the private sector, government and other institutions to provide the kind of edu-

cation that our children deserve.

For Lagos to work for all, quality education is very critical.

“While commending the efforts of FCMB and PAU in actualising the construction of the Students’ Centre, he noted that, ‘’it is imperative for the country to have institutions like FCMB that would help solve problems they see in the education sector.

By this gesture, the Bank and the university have added another value to Lagos state and we are proud of this collaboration,’’ Bank-Olemoh said.

Earlier in a lecture organised for students of the university titled, ‘’Developing Work Place Skills,’’ the GMD/CEO of FCMB, Mr. Balogun urged them to brace up to the challenges of the new socio-economic world order so as to be successful in their chosen careers.

Stock market report

Investors worth appreciates by N70 bn The equities market segment of the Nigerian Stock Market (NSE) started the week on a positive note recording gains on three consecutive sessions as lead indicators further appreciated by 0.73 per cent compared to an appreciation of 0.26 per cent recorded last Friday.

The NSE All Share Index and market capitalization appreciated by exactly 202.84 points and N69.74 billion from their previous figures to close at 27,833.89 points and N9.57 trillion compared to 71.87 points and N24.7 billion gained last Friday to close at 27,631.05 points and N9.500 trillion respectively.

Similarly, five of the sectoral indices led by the NSE Premium Index which rose by 4.1 per cent closed positive against five others that closed south, while the NSE ASeM Index remained flat.

Today’s market closed with

16 gainers against 30 losers.

Lawunion Plc topped the gainers chart with a 7.27 per cent or 4 kobo gain to close at 59 kobo per share followed by Dangote Cement Plc which added 6.27 per cent or N10.10 to close at N171.15 per share, while Learn Africa Plc gained 4.55 per cent or 3 kobo to close at 69 kobo per share.

Wema Bank Plc appreciated by 4.44 per cent or 4 kobo to close at 94 kobo per share while Port Paint Plc increased by 4.22 per cent or 16 kobo to close at N3.95 per share.

On the other hand, Tiger Brands Plc topped todays 30 losers with a decline of 9.45 per cent or 12 kobo to close at N1.15 per share trailed by Honeywell Flour Plc which depreciated by 9.39 per cent or 17 kobo to close at N1.64 per share while UACN Plc dropped 5.00 per cent or N1.28 to close at N24.33 per share.

L–R: Mr. Seyi Akindeinde, Digital Encode; Mrs. Favour Femi-Oyewole, Head, Information Security, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Mr. Ade Ewuosho, Head, Market Services, NSE and Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) at the Nigerian Capital Market Information Security Forum at the Exchange Monday.

NSE deepens awareness on information security, cyber threat Tony Nwakaegho

Stakeholders in Nigerian Stock Exchange met at the 2nd edition of the Nigerian Capital Market Information Security Forum (NCMISF).

In his opening remarks, Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) said that the Nigerian Stock Exchange took the initiative to commence this forum earlier in 2015 in order to deepen awareness on information security, cyber threat and the crucial role that effective information security information systems play

in ensuring that firms continue to provide reliable and secure services that endear customer confidence and patronage, whilst leveraging technology to grow their profitability.

“Today, Nigeria has over 93million Internet users, is number six on the global league table of internet use by country and around 50 percent of these users access the internet via smartphones. With the economics of smartphones now looking very good (sub USD100), I would hazard a guess that all phones sold in the market by 2020 will be smart. This has a huge impli-

cation for how we live, socialize and do business.

“This trend brings about huge opportunities for our country, its businesses and our people. However, opportunities can only be fully realised when the risks associated with them are understood and mitigated.

“One of those risks is Identity Theft. With the ever-changing advances in information and technology platforms, criminals have become very adept at keeping up with — and in some cases exceeding — current best security practises,” Bajomo said.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

B5 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 07-12-2015

Insurance B6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Why 80% of Nigerian airlines take foreign cover — Wiggle Stories by Isaac Agber The low capacity of local insurance firms is having a pernicious effect on the nation’s economy as major players in key sectors of the economy seek foreign cover to manage their risks, which appear to be too weighty for the local insurers to handle. The nation’s aviation industry, for instance, is one juicy sector that is rated next to oil and gas in revenue generation, but because of the risks involved, the airlines cannot risk insuring with the locals because they don’t have the capacity to indemnify incurable losses.

The Chief Executive Officer of Linkage Assurance, Godwin Wiggle, observed that aviation insurance requires large capital and even if all the insurance companies in Nigeria pool resources together, they may not have enough to bear the risks of the indigenous airlines. According to him, “this is why domestic airlines insure their aircraft overseas.”

Wiggle said that about 80 percent of Nigerian airlines insure their aircraft overseas, while the remaining 20 percent that insure theirs locally still have a major part of their risks hedged abroad.

Wiggle, who was not happy about the situation, said the development has resulted to immense loss to the country due to capital flight, as the airlines pay

L-R: Mr. Adeyemi Opene of eTranzact, Mrs. Oluwaseyi Ijaola of Heritage Bank Limited, Mr. Otaru Sadiq, winner of Cow, Mrs. Betty Eriyo and Miss Abimbola Feyisetan both of Heritage Bank at the presentation of the cow to Sadiq, a customer of the bank that won the star prize during the HB Mobile Christmas give away powered by eTranzact in Lagos recently.

billions of naira as annual premiums on the insured aircrafts to foreign insurance firms.

The airlines have been lamenting that insurance premium for aircraft is very high in the country compared to foreign firms, where they pay nothing or little to get their fleet insured.

Confirming this, Wiggle said the annual premium paid by Nigerian airlines on their aircraft ranges from $100,000 to $1 million, depending on a number of factors, which include the size of the aircraft, the manufacturer, the brand and the use of the aircraft.

He said an average commercial aircraft costs about $10 million (N1.6 billion) and an average compensation per passenger is about $100,000 (N16 million).

According to him, “if you multiply these figures by 200 passengers for an aircraft carrying 200 passengers apart from the crew members, the damages that may arise, if an accident occurs, are a lot of risks that could be too much for a local insurer to handle,” Wiggle explained.

Daily Times gathered that the premium hike has been attributed to the frequent air mishaps

in which hundreds of passengers and crew members have died in recent past, prompting major aircraft leasing firms such as GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), Cab Tree and Aercap to raise lease on aircraft to Nigerian airlines by seven per cent, which is against the international rate of one per cent.

Speaking on the increasing acquisition of local insurance firms by big global players, Wiggle pointed out that the development has its good side and ugly side.

FG to facilitate implementation of Micro Pension — expert As the nation’s Contributory Pension Scheme suffers a very slow pace at penetrating the 36 states of the federation, a concerned expert has called for a serious campaign for urgent implementation of Micro Pension Scheme to alleviate the plight of self-employed and informer workers at retirement.

Onyekwere Iwuagwu, an expert and consultant in pension services, urged the Federal Government to provide the necessary frame work that will facilitate implementation of the MP scheme to complement the CPS. According to him, that aspect of pension will also give the informal sector workers financial security at retirement.

Speaking in Abuja, Iwuagu said that the initiative is currently being pursued by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) but lacked the necessary speed.

He said, if realized, the initiative would lead the marginalized section of the society towards a better and more financially secured future.

He recalled that before now, pension used to be seen as something for the privileged class, particularly those who worked in offices of reputable government establishments and private companies, categorized as formal sectors. But now, there is need to redirect efforts at helping the informal workers have a safe landing when age catches up with them.

“This is notwithstanding the fact that old age and poverty are not limited to workers in the organized sectors because no matter how long a self-employed person decides to work, age will eventually retire him. That is why the Pension Reform Act, 201, by way of Micro Pension, is seeking to

ensure that this class of Nigerians have something to fall back on when they grow old and retire from active service,” Iwuagu explained.

Iwuagwu cited an article by Stuart Rutherford, titled ‘Micropensions: Old Age Security for the Poor.’ There, the writer posits that “poor people well understand the purpose and value of saving.

They sense that there may be a savings route to old-age security, and grab opportunities when they come their way. But they are beset by many difficulties, both in their own circumstances and in the financial services available to them, so that in practice, success remains the exception rather than the rule.”

The expert noted that most poor people across Nigeria, in their active life time, combine self-employment, casual employment, low-

grade and formal employment, full-time, part-time and intermittent employment respectively.

He proposed that for the poor and vulnerable, two types of pension could be provided. The first is public or social pension, where the state raises revenue and redistributes to citizens when they reach a stipulated age in order to guarantee them a dignified life. While the second one is the Micro-Pension, a personal retirement savings plan.

He, however, lamented that because of paucity in government revenue and failure of the traditional pension system, the first one is not tenable in Nigeria today.

“Micro Pension is, therefore, a program that seeks to give a chance to the poor and marginalized working class people to live a comfortable life at the end of formal work. It builds up retirement income for them.

LASACO negotiates cover for Lagos security apparatus Lasaco Assurance Plc has entered into negotiations with the Lagos State Government over insurance of the recently procured security apparatus worth about N4.76 billion, secured to combat crime in the state.

Daily Times gathered that the underwriter had had meetings with agencies responsible for insurances of the state’s assets.

The Group Managing Director of the underwriting firm Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, who confirmed the meetings, said the firm recently had meeting with the state’s Commissioner of Finance, adding that talks on the cover for the apparatus were on-going.

He noted that the firm is the lead insurer for the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, stressing that assets of the agency are adequately covered by the firm and that discussions are on-going on how to cover the recently procured assets.

It will be recalled that the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in his commitment to bolster security in the state, recently commissioned some security apparatus worth N4.765 billion.

Among the items commissioned include 100 4-Door Salon Cars, 55 Ford Ranger Pick-Ups, 10 Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-Ups, 15 BMW Power Bikes/Cycles, 100 Power Bikes, Isuzu Trucks, 3 Helicopters, 2 Gun Boats. 5 Armoured Personnel Carriers Revolving Lights, Siren and Public Address System, Vehicular Radio Communicators Security Gadgets, including Bullet Proof Vests, Helmets, Handcuffs, etc Uniforms, Kits, etc; and Improved Insurance and Death Benefit Schemes.

Ajayi

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

B7 Energy

Oil refinery

OPEC not divided on policy, says Kachikwu Stories by Opeoluwani Akintayo President of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has said the group remained strong and more “unified” now on a concrete policy on whether or not to cut production, He stated this recently while commenting on the way forward for oil producing countries in Africa.

There were indications of deep disagreement about OPEC’s strategy to counter low oil prices since last Friday, when its ministers could not settle on a production limit.

“We can’t really put a number on it now,” said Abdallah Salem el-Badri, secretary general of

OPEC. But Kachikwu said after the meeting that the group would effectively maintain its current production level, which analysts said is 2 million barrels a day above the previously agreed target of 30 million barrels a day. “(31.5 million bpd) is the actual production level, we did not go into the semantics of calling it the official or the nonofficial,” he said at the sidelines of the OPEC meeting in Vienna.

OPEC is split between members like Venezuela, which want to lower overall oil output to increase prices and producers’ national revenues, and wealthier Persian Gulf countries trying to win market share from less-efficient U.S. producers in the cur-

rent low-price climate.

“We will hopefully converge sometimes between January and June” in time for the next OPEC ministerial meeting in the middle of next year, Kachikwu said.

OPEC representatives argued that they were unable to confirm or change their previous target of 30 million barrels per day because of external factors, such as the timing of the end to the international embargo on Iran and production by non-OPEC members.

It was still unknown when the Iran embargo would be lifted next year and when the country would start boosting its exports, el-Badri said.

According to Kachikwu, policy is unchanged as it waits to see

Igiehon takes over Shell’s operations in Gabon Osayande Igiehon has taken over the affairs of Shell Gabon from Godson Njoku, who has been promoted to the position of Vice President for Production Excellence (the highest ranking job for any African), Shell worldwide.

Igiehon was Shell Nigeria’s Technical Integration and Petroleum Engineering Manager, a position he held after a six month stint as Petroleum Engineering Manager, Shell Upstream Nigeria.

A former chairman of the Nigerian Council of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (20122013), Igiehon was regional discipline lead for reservoir engineering at Shell Upstream

Africa between April 2010 and March 2013. But his career is not entirely about petroleum engineering. He was lead asset Business Planner and Senior Business Planner for Shell Petroleum Development Company, the corporation’s largest subsidiary in Nigeria, from January 2004 to December 2006. In January 2007, he was promoted to Business Adviser to the Executive Vice President, Shell E&P Africa.

Shell’s production in Gabon has dwindled in the last decade, but the discovery of the Leopard-1, considered by the company as significant gas find, in deepwater presalt formation, in 2014, has lift up the country

on the Shell map as a possible new heartland. Mr. Igiehon will be managing the appraisal and possible development of this property going forward, as well as the remaining onshore asset.

Igiehon and Njoku’s career movement is part of a larger crew change in Shell’s Africa operations. In mid-October 2015, Bayo Ojulari took over the function of Managing Director of SNEPCO, the exploration and offshore arm of the Shell operations in Nigeria. He took over from Tony Attah, the high flying Shell Manager, who is on assignment to broaden his scope in the gas business at the company’s global headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.

future market fluctuations. Instead, he said the group has decided to focus on an output ceiling of 31.5 million barrels per day, rather than any official quota, which had until recently been set at 30 million barrels per day.

Ibe Kachikwu confirmed after Friday’s six-hour meeting that the oil group had decided to “stay where we are and watch the market a little bit more.” He added that he hoped that OPEC would be able to “come to a point of landing in terms of what we need to do” soon and highlighted that the next meeting for the group would be on June 2, 2016.

He then rejected claims that OPEC was now divided over policy going forward with some members openly calling for a

A new group comprising of natural resources explorationists, iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum, has birthed in Abuja, the Federal capital Territory.

The group in partnership with PwC Nigeria, was launched recently as a means of bringing together stakeholders in the mining industry, to talk about the challenges facing the profession, and then, possible solutions.

Speaking about the newly inaugurated body, Event Director of the group, Nicole Smith, mentioned that such gathering is necessary in the vastly underexploited mining industry in order to boost the confidence of mining professionals.

“Gathering all the stakeholders to discuss the challenges

cut in production in the wake of tumbling oil prices since June 2014.

“We had a lot of coffee, we spent a lot of good time. I shook a lot of hands,” he told CNBC. “We are more unified now then we were going into the meeting, frankly.”

He also said the group had little concern about further falls in the price of the commodity and said there was no fear regarding overproduction. He added, however, that there would be a lot of possible “triggers” that could force OPEC to meet before the scheduled June date.

Oil prices fell on Friday after OPEC agreed to roll over its policy of maintaining crude production.

iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum births in Abuja and the way forward in Nigeria’s mining sector has been a huge boost in confidence for the industry and mining professionals in the country are very optimistic about the sector’s imminent rejuvenation,” Smith said.

The event saw more than 200 mining professionals gathered.

Nigeria’s vastly underexploited natural resources include about 44 varieties of minerals in over 500 locations.

Business Interview B8 Nigeria may soon deviate from a federated and uniform minimum wage structure to one that is predicated on what states are able to pay, this is very likely following the discordant tunes being played by state governors on their various financial capacities, Joy Ekeke writes.

Nigerian workers in recent past have become a major subject of media and national attention following the difficulty and outright incapacity of some state governments to meet their basic salary requirements for months, relying on bailout funds from the federal government to pay them.

Indeed the future of the Nigeria workers continue to remain uncertain as far as wages are concerned, going by the constitution, the minimum wage payable in the civil service is N18,0000 but that may not be for long.

Workers initially through the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari on assumption of office for an upward review, on the basis that N18,000 was no longer realistic as a minimum wage, given the biting economic hardship in the country.

On the other hand, the state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum are now insisting that it has reached a stage where it was no longer feasible and sustainable for states to continue paying the minimum wage and as such, are seeking the cooperation and understanding of stakeholders including the workers themselves and the legislature to reduce the minimum wage to tally with economic reality of dwindling oil revenues.

As agitation for the review of the minimum wage intensifies with labour seeking an increase while the governors want a decrease, labour has promised to resist and fight vehemently any attempt to slash the current minimum wage. Also recent statements from individual governors have showed a crack in the house of the governors as some have distanced themselves from the NGF’s position.

According to the Chairman of the forum, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, it will be difficult for many states to fulfill the wage obligation to their workers if the shortfall in oil revenue continues.

“Let me make it very clear to Nigerians. Governor’s Forum is not the enemy of labour in any way, rather; we have been working together.

“Although in the decision we never said that we are going to stop the payment of N18,000 min-

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Will discordant voices in NGF lead to different wages in states?

Yari

Wabba

‘‘Yari further informed reporters that members of the forum were planning to sit down with, President Muhammadu Buhari, members of his team, and experts to come up “with the way forward and how we are going to handle the poor state of the economy in the country.’’

imum wage, but we are looking at the situation in the country and in the global economy.

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

“So, if it continues like that definitely we will find it difficult to continue.

“We have to sit down with labour and see how we can review, either we continue or we downsize on what we are going to do.

“We want to find a solution because we have to be realistic that we have so many things to touch on.

“There is infrastructure deficit, there is need for security, there are other things like social security for our people and the nation as a state.’’

One of the discordant voices in the NGF is the Ekiti state governor who said: “The governors making the call are on their own and I take exemption to that.

The minimum wage is even not enough.

“Reduction of wages or retrenchment of workers won’t happen in Ekiti State. Instead of those anti-labour and anti-people policies, the governors should cut down on their travels and tours and cut down minimum allowances to their wives and children and their affluence. Let the governors cut their coats according to their sizes.”

In the same vein, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has assured the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that he would personally lead the protest against any governor that fails to pay the agreed minimum wage.

Speaking at the 6th quadrennial national delegates’ conference of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in Abuja recently, Oshiomhole said there was no justification for any governor not to pay the minimum wage Governor Nyesom Wike also speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt recently when he granted audience to the National Chairman of Labour

Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, said that his government would continue to pay salaries of workers regularly because the multiple effect was critical to social stability.

He said: “Rivers State will not be a party to the reduction of the minimum wage. Rivers State will not reduce the minimum wage.

“The state government will continue to pay the salaries of workers because we believe that the worker deserves his wage.”

Wike noted that his administration was committed to workers’ welfare, hence it cleared outstanding three months salaries owed workers upon assumption of duty on May 29, 2015.

He pointed out that the state government also paid the six months pension arrears it inherited.

He said the non-payment of salaries in the past led to untold hardship on the people as most civil servants supported different strata of the society.

Yari acknowledged that the Rivers and Edo governors had criticized the decision of the Forum to lower wages but added that other states were not as rich as Rivers, Edo or Lagos even in terms of internally generated revenue (IGR).

He said Zamfara had more than three textile plants and about 37 ginneries which were shut down because of energy shortage thus lowering the IGR sources in the state.

The governor further said that it was difficult to bother the citizens to pay for government ser-

vices when they could hardly afford two square meals a day. ``Therefore, how can we get revenue? Can we go door-to-door and start knocking for people to pay their own due when they are looking for their own and hardly get at least two square meals daily?

“Can you knock on his door and ask him to pay government for development?

“So we know that it is trouble for us. We need to close ranks, both the federal and the state governments to see if we can sit down and settle this project of the economy.’’

According to the chairman of the Governors Forum, some states received between N400 million and N500 million from the Federation Account in the last allocation that was made, while one state received as low as N55 million with its pension commitment at N1 billion.

Yari further informed reporters that members of the forum were planning to sit down with, President Muhammadu Buhari, members of his team, and experts to come up “with the way forward and how we are going to handle the poor state of the economy in the country.’’

He said that what was on ground now was unrealistic if it continued without having other sources from the economy and still relying on oil which was sold for $118 dollar per barrel and now down to $41 per barrel.

“Therefore, we are saying that we should tighten our belts,’’ he said.

Life&

TIMES Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Mike

L2,3

Dada: P

Branding Africa through entertainment awards

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

AFRIMA is the answer to Africa’s demand for a Grammy is the President and Executive Producer of the prestigious All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), a well-attended event drawing several African countries together. Dada is known for his keen attention and interest to details most especially in the entertainment industry. He is a smart professional who has carefully worked himself into attaining principal status in Nigeria’s mainstream Public Relations sector. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, Dada gives insight into the just concluded awards and why the award is Africa’s demand for the famous Grammy awards.

AFRIMA has grown into a global brand as an award that represents the African race. What will you point at as the uniqueness that helped metamorphose it into an award accepted by all?

I am flattered to hear that AFRIMA has grown into a global brand but that was the idea from the onset. For us, we know we are still building the brand and plan to take it to a level where people will be glued to their TV sets to watch the award globally.

Building it from the scratch has not been easy and in reality, nothing comes easy. We understand what differentiates an ordinary man from an extraordinary one is the capacity to overcome challenges.

There are a lot of challenges putting together an award for the African race but we have to do something. We are committed within ourselves as regards where we intend to take AFRIMA to and I must say we are currently on the right track.

Life&

T E A M

The award is supported by the African Union. How easy was it conveying an award thought in Nigeria to the continental stage?

‘Was AFRIMA an idea thought in Nigeria?’ my answer is Yes and No. Yes because the root of the idea is from Nigeria and No because the other members of the team that have contributed to its growth are also from different parts of Africa. We have professionals in the media industry, music and entertainment, production industry, public relations and advertising who are members of our international committee.

These people are CEOs of various organisations but are part of the team who put in ideas, policies and strategies to ensure the sustainability of the idea.

What differentiates AFRIMA from other awards is that it’s not a one man show. We just have to put a face to it and I am only lucky to be the producer and President for a

while. Building it across Africa and the continent has not been easy.

There are immigration, finance, transportation, sponsorship and other issues that has affected one way or the other. But for us, we are committed to do it and build a brand for our people to understand the vision and its mission. The media budget alone is on the high side and there are plans to take the AFRIMA campaign across Europe and America because the idea is to communicate the strength of Africa to the rest of the world using the platform of entertainment, culture, arts, and tourism.

We have seen different people initiate fantastic ideas like this in the past but they failed to meet the standards. What are the plans in place to ensure AFRIMA stands the test of time?

AFRIMA is not a one man project. I am just lucky to head it for some time and after that, I am bound by the constitution to leave the post for someone else to continue in that role. AFRIMA has a structure with the right individuals that are committed with its cause in the right places. It is only the Government or a wellpositioned private institution that can take over the project because of the amount of money involved in staging it. There are a lot of organisations who are willing to partner with AFRIMA and that only implies that they have done their research properly before opting to come on board. What also stands us out from the others are our values. We termed it FACE IT which connotes Fairness, Authenticity, Creativity, Excellence, Integrity and Transparency. Also, we work in tandem with our set mission and vision statement so as to align with our set goals.

AFRIMA played around the African culture and its splendour last year. What are the efforts to promote the African culture and our indigenous music?

I think Africa will continue to

Movie & Music Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Mike Dada evolve and considering that culture is dynamic, the essence of our culture should not be allowed to be degraded. The onus lies on us as Africans to ensure that our culture, philosophies, and ideologies are not affected in anyway. We must be aware that the essence of our culture in terms of mindedness and identity as Africans must not be affected in anyway. We might dress or act like Westerners, we must always remember where we are from.

That is why AFRIMA is bringing professionals from different sectors together to ensure we

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

provide a face for Africans and what we can point at that is ours.

We want to commercialize our culture to have a direct impact on the GDP and lives of every African so that we can all beat our chests that, ‘I did this for Africa’.

Award organisers put a lot in place to stage a memorable event but the artistes involved often fail to grace the occasion.

How do you address this problem?

When Karl Max died over a century ago, only about 5 people were at it burial. But after 100

Graphics Sunday O. Emmanuel

years, he was awarded the thinker of the millennium. When there is a new idea, it takes time for people to accept it not knowing that the change is imminent. For us, we know that people are different and we can’t be on the same direction. There are a lot of individuals who have shown interest to be part of the event considering the success achieved with the last edition and we have to give equal opportunity to others. It is only a matter of time before people begin to see the realness of what AFRIMA is actually about.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Mutiat Alli

Foreign

L3 Movie & Music Chart

Top ten music and movie charts

Yoruba

movie chart 1. The Hunger Games:

6.

Secret in their eyes

7.

The peanut movie

movie

Mocking jay –Part 2 2.

Creed

3.

The Good Dinosaur 8.

Victor Frankenstein

4.

Spectre

9.

Love the coopers

5.

The Night Before

10. The Martians

movie 1. Victims

6. The Visit

2.

First Lady

7. One Night in Vegas

3.

Taxi Driver

8. Beyond Disability

4.

Lunch Time

9. Holding Hope

5.

Dark

10. Anger

Ijogbon

2.

Iseju Kan

3.

Oro Abere

4.

Rudo Ijogbon

5.

Egan

6.

Aruga

7.

Pitan

8.

Jenrayo

9.

Firepemi

10.

Oloburo

Nigeria

Foreign music English

1.

music chart

1.

Adele-Hello

2.

Justin Bieber-Sorry

1.

Adekunle Gold-Pick Up

3.

Drake-Hot Bling

2.

Davido Ft. Olamide-The Money

4.

Justin Bieber-Love yourself

3.

Davido- Dodo

4.

Reekado Banks-Katapot

5.

Justin Bieber-What do you mean?

5.

Darey Alade- Pray for me

6.

The Weeknd-The Hills

6.

Minjin-Like Philo

7.

Shawn Mendes-Stitches

7.

Lil Kesh ft. Patoranking-Is it because

8.

Fetty Wap Ft. Remy Boyz-679

8.

Waje ft. Patoranking-Left for good

9.

Taylor Swift-Wildest Dreams

9.

Adekunle Gold-Orente

10.

Alessia Cara-Here

10.

Falz Ft. Reekado Banks-Celebrity

I love you

Girlfriend

Eyola L4

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Powerof

Colour – Feng Shui Style 1ne Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of arranging your environment (with a particular focus on the placement of furniture and the use of colour) in order to keep your health, well-being and surroundings peaceful, harmonious, prosperous and balanced. Feng Shui believes that colours have certain healing qualities and energies that help shift and detract (bad and unwanted) energy and attract and promote (good and positive) energy. Based on Feng Shui’s five elements, specific colours maximize the flow of Qi - vital life energy - in different aspects of your life.

Following this theory, wearing certain colours or using certain colours in your work or home interior, will ignite specific healing properties. Why not use the festive season to give these colour therapies a trial run.

is excellent for attracting new career opportunities.

6ix Fame/Reputation - Red is a colour that symbolizes heat, romance and boldness, making this colour perfect for attracting fame and attention. In Chinese culture, this colour signifies luck and promotes an increase in the money you earn. This colour should be

avoided if you have anxiety or insomnia issues.

7even Relationships - Christmas is the best time to celebrate, improve and mend current relationships within and outside the family. Use the colour pink to encourage positive relationships by drawing in peace and unconditional love throughout the festive season. Orange is another

useful colour for the holidays to help bring people closer together encouraging interaction, connection and conversation.

8ight Travel - Grey brings calming and soothing energy that helps alleviate tension and nervousness and is therefore great to wear if you have a fear of flying or if you are an anxious flyer. Weari n g this colour will create

a calm and relaxing environment for you and others around you. This colour is also great in the workplace as it will calm tensions and promote professional understanding.

•Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

2wo Prosperity - To attract wealth and abundance into your life, purple should be your colour of choice. This colour represents high vibrations, wisdom and wealth, attracting abundance to its fullest. Avoid this colour if you feel the need to be less extrovert and more grounded.

3hree Health - If you are concerned about minor health issues, then opt for the uplifting, nourishing and happy colour yellow. Avoid this colour if you are nervous and trying to stay calm.

4our Family - Green is the colour that signifies building foundations, growth, renewal and youth. Why not invite the colour green into your Christmas celebrations (e.g. food, decorations, outfits, party dress code e.t.c.) and this colour will promote balance, liveliness and ultimately bring harmony and peace among all family members during the festive season.

5ive Career - Let the colour black help you boost your career and identify a clear career path. While the colour blue can also enhance your professional development by improving your knowledge, wisdom and skill, black is associated with stimulating the intellectual side of the brain and

Photo Credit: www.eyola.com

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

L5

Teens world

L6

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Ekanem Patience

Praising your Some people say that is impossible to give your teens too much praise. Others claim that it spoils them and makes them feel entitled, as if the world owes them something. But besides how much you praise your children, you also have to consider the type of praise that will encourage them and the type that might hinder them and also how you can offer praise that will bring out the best in them.

Teens who receive genuine praise from their parents and the adults around them have more self-confidence and a higher self-esteem. They are better able to form good habits based on the praise they receive. It is simple to learn how to praise a teen; you just need to remember to do it until it becomes second nature.

Not all praise is equal. Below are some of the most important things parents should consider before appraisal: Too much praise can be harmful: Some parents give out undeserved praise to their teens in an attempt to boost their teen’s self- esteem. But the truth is young ones are smart enough to see the exaggeration and conclude that you don’t really mean what you said. They know within them that they do not deserve the praise and they may conclude that they cannot trust you.

Praise based on ability is better: Suppose your teens has a skill for drawing, naturally you want to praise them for this which will give them the motivation of making their skill more effective. But it can be a drawback. Praise focused on talent alone could make your teens to think that the only skill worth pursuing are those that come easily. They may even shy/run away from new challenges, having the feeling that they may fail if they try to encounter

something new.

Effort-based praise is best: Teens who are praised for their hard work and perseverance rather than simply for talent come to realise that acquiring skills requires patience and effort. Knowing that they put in the work needed to achieve the required result. Even if they don’t get it right, they don’t see themselves as failures, but as learners. Give effort-based praise and they will surprise you and themselves with new found skills.

What parents should do: Praise their efforts not just talent: Telling your teen “I can see that you put a lot of thought into your drawing”, may be better than telling him/her “You’re a natural artist”.

Both statement offer praise but the second

teens

one could unintentionally imply that natural skills are the only ones they will be good at. When you praise their effort, you teach them that ability can improve with practice, and with that they can take up new challenges more confidently.

Give constructive criticism: Constructive criticism when given in the right manner will help your teen. And also, if you regularly give appropriate praise, your teen will welcome feedback on how he/she can further improve. Then his/her achievements will become a source of satisfaction to the both you.

Be specific about what you are praising: It is always good to tell your teens that you love them and appreciate them but it is

also very helpful to praise specific things.

So instead of just saying, “I am proud of you”, label what you are proud of. For example, “I am proud of you for always trying on your tests in school” or “I am really happy that you always remember to take in the trash bins when you get home from school”.

Don’t put too much emphasis on praising looks: Although it is important to let your teens know they look good, you don’t want to focus too much on this as they are so self-conscious about how they look as it is. You don’t want them to think that their appearance is the only thing you are noticing also. Make sure that you are praising their other qualities as well.

Praise them for trying: Even if they are not 100 percent successful at something, let them know you admire their effort. Encourage them and give them the credit they deserve.

Praise immediately when possible: Giving immediate feedback is always more powerful than giving it well after the fact. So, if you see or hear your teens doing something praiseworthy, it is always best to take the time to give them this positive praise in the moment.

Be sincere: This is sometimes the hardest one for parents because they are so frustrated. It is important that you take a little time to notice the things you like and appreciate about your children and that you really mean it when you praise them or else they will see through it and it can create resentment.

Be excited for their accomplishments: Regardless of how big or how small, let your teens know you notice and that you are proud of their accomplishments.

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

L7 Relationship

Adbullahi Zaheenab

Getting married at early age With the times changing, not getting married until you reach thirty seems to be the new norm. The times when people got married in their early twenties are long gone apparently. The societal pressure of getting married fizzling out gradually is undoubtedly a boon, no denying that.

But, there are more than one reasons why getting married early is not such a bad decision after all. While waiting till you’re well settled before you marry makes total sense, tying the knot earlier has its own benefits. Breaking the common myth that tying the knot early puts a full stop to your life, here are 6 reasons why it is actually a good decision.

1. First things first, there is no perfect time. Marriage is a big decision and you will still be as clueless when you are forty as you are right now. There will never come a time when you feel you’re ‘ready for it’. Waiting for it will only make you lose out on what you could have right now. If you’ve found the right person already, maybe, it is time to take the plunge.

2. When you marry early, there is no pressure to have kids anytime in the near future. The first few years of the marriage can be spent in bliss without any undue pressure about bearing children since there is a long way to go before your wife’s body clock starts ticking. You can travel all you want and live life ‘young’ - just the way you want to. Marrying in your late twenties takes away that liberty.

3.

Admit it or not, your twenties are the most exciting years of your life. Once gone, it never comes back. You want your significant other to be a part of that glorious phase in your life too. Getting married early opens up a whole new world for the couple where they discover a hundred new firsts every day, together. Your first overseas trip, your first day at that dream job, the day you buy your first car – you want it to experience with the woman you love, don’t you?

4. Needless to say, honeymoons are much more fun when you’re young. You can go out partying and get sloshed, you can set out on a day long trek, you don’t have to constantly worry about ‘acting your age’ – it is like going out on a trip with your ‘girlfriend’ all over again. It is edgy and exciting. You don’t want to be one of those boring couples who have no capacity left for alcohol and no enthusiasm for anything else either!

5. Remember how your dad carried you around on his shoulders all the time when you were a kid and how he was your first best friend? Every man wants to give his kids the same childhood. You want to be the one who teaches your son how to play Cricket and his daughter, how to ride a bicycle. You want to be their superhero. And, that can’t happen when you’re a middle aged man with a paunch who is diagnosed with a new ailment every day. You want to

be the ‘young dad’ your kids love to play with!

6. There are times when marriages go terribly wrong and there is nothing you could have anticipated. An early marriage gives you much more chance to not only work on the relationship but also walk out of it and start afresh in case it fails. It may not be the most pleasant thing to hear but all said and done, there is nothing in the world that can ensure the success of a marriage.

The advantages and the disadvantages of getting married at early stage.

1. People get married young because it seems they will lose the love of their life.

So many feel the first person they have sex with is definitely their soul mate. Well, the stats say it isn’t so. It may be an amazing experience but I know of a lot of people who have incredible sex but can’t keep a commitment to save their soul.

2. Not understanding how you are going to portion up the responsibilities of daily living. Who does what, under what conditions, when, is always a work in progress.

The progression of being on your own to test yourself and find out what is true can’t happen because the security of having someone to connect with won’t allow for that depth of maturation.

3. The big ugly, people don’t like to hear is: what tends to keep young people together is not mad passionate love.... but fear! Fear of the unknown, fear of being alone, fear of never finding someone again, fear of not being good enough, and so on.

4. The list goes on with each decade revealing another thing that settling down early requires you to miss or be negligent about in your relationship. It typically ends up not being clean.

5. A lot of women used sex and marriage to leverage themselves out of their parents’ home. Some just got scared about having to be on their own. Some because their friends did it. There are similarities in the list I made for why men get married.

Why do guys get married?

Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, December 8, 2015

L8 Television Showing on

Showing on

152 Africa Magic Epic

20:58

140 Eva Channel

13:05

Tue, 8 Dec | PG 16

Tue, 8 Dec | PG16

While exploring a cave, two skiers find the body of a 400-year-old samurai warrior entombed in ice. He is brought to the United States and revived through cryosurgery. John Calvin, Charles Lampkin, Frank Schuller, Hiroshi Fujioka, Janet Julian. (1985) J. Larry Carroll

101 M-Net West

00:15 3 Days To Kill 02:15 All Is Lost 04:01 Britain’s Got Talent 04:47 Behind The Scenes: Beatenberg 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Big Bang Theory 06:30 Proof 07:30 Idols SA 09:13 Behind The Scenes: Delivery Boys 09:30 Resurrection 10:30 The McCarthys 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 Britain’s Got Talent 13:00 State Of Affairs 14:00 Revenge 15:00 Madam Secretary 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Odd Couple 17:30 Britain’s Got Talent 18:30 Chicago PD 19:30 Mr. Robot 20:30 Battle Creek 21:30 State Of Affairs 22:30 Secrets & Lies

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo 00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 Cruel Love 02:10 For Love And Justice 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 For Love And Justice 17:50 Cruel Love 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 For Love And Justice 22:00 Cruel Love 22:50 Husband For Hire

00:40 The Weakest Link

11:35 Hell’s Kitchen USA

01:26 Luther

12:24 Top Gear

02:20 Come Dine With Me

13:20 Come Dine With Me

03:10 EastEnders

14:14 Live At The Apollo

03:39 QI

15:06 The Weakest Link

04:10 Top Gear

15:59 EastEnders

05:00 Only Fools And Horses

16:30 Deal Or No Deal

05:31 QI

17:10 Pointless

06:04 My Family 06:36 EastEnders

18:02 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

07:05 Antiques Roadshow

18:59 QI

07:57 The Weakest Link

19:34 QI

08:47 Pointless

20:08 Would I Lie To You?

09:36 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

20:42 Mr Sloane

10:20 Deal Or No Deal

21:13 Miranda Special Xmas 2014

11:01 My Family

21:53 Mrs Brown’s Boys 22:27 Mrs Brown’s Boys

154 Africa Magic Family 00:06 Star Gist 00:37 At Home With Michelle Attoh 01:37 Good Morning Africa 02:37 Good Morning Africa 03:15 Music Block 04:12 Filler: Entertainment 04:37 At Home With Michelle Attoh 05:30 Behind The Scenes: When Love Happens 06:00 Good Morning Africa 06:36 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Jonzing 08:45 Coco Bill

Aka Amaka The Village Girl. Falsely accused of a crime, a girl suffers the fate of the poor. But in a bid to clear her name, things spiral out of control for the worse. Ngozi Ezeonu, Queen Nwokoye. (2014) NonsoEkene Okonkwo

09:00 Katemba Mu Kkooti 09:18 Behind The Scenes: Nemesis 09:30 Kumwesu 10:00 Good Morning Africa 10:34 Behind The Scenes: When Love Happens 11:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 12:00 Music Block 13:00 Tinsel 13:30 Star Gist 14:00 Nowhere To Be Found 14:30 Rolling With Faith History 15:04 Lies That Bind 15:30 Lies That Bind 15:49 Behind The Scenes: Nemesis

155 Africa Magic World 16:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 17:00 Kumwesu 17:30 Mashariki Mix 18:00 Katemba Mu Kkooti 18:18 Behind The Scenes: Enitan 18:30 Kakibe Ki 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 20:00 Karma 20:30 Rolling With Faith History 21:00 Jara 21:33 Playing Victim 22:38 Behind The Scenes: The Kingdom

00:25 Jara 01:00 Good Morning Africa 02:00 Music Block 03:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 04:00 Jacob’s Cross 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 Soul On Fire 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 So Wrong So Wright 10:30 Prem 11:00 Jacob’s Cross 12:00 Jacob’s Cross 13:00 Music Block 14:00 Music Block 15:00 Star Gist 15:30 Star Gist 16:00 Star Gist 16:30 Star Gist 17:00 Jacob’s Cross 18:00 Jacob’s Cross

128 SONY MAX

00:00 Caught On Camera 00:50 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 01:15 1000 Ways To Die 01:40 1000 Ways To Die 02:05 Lock Up 03:45 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 04:35 Extreme Reality Clips 05:00 World’s Wildest Police Videos 05:50 World’s Wildest Police Videos 06:40 Video Zonkers 07:05 Whaddyado 07:30 Caught On Camera 08:30 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 09:30 Extreme Reality Clips 10:00 World’s Wildest Police Videos 11:00 World’s Wildest Police Videos 11:55 Video Zonkers 12:25 Whaddyado 12:55 Caught On Camera 13:50 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:45 Extreme Reality Clips 15:15 Stunts Unlimited 16:30 Video Zonkers 17:00 Caught On Camera 18:00 Whaddyado 18:30 Extreme Reality Clips 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 Bad Ink 20:30 Guy Code 21:00 Online Dating Rituals...

22:00 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos