Daily Times of Nigeria Newspaper

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 6th March 2015.

EXCHANGE RATES AS AT 6th March 2015.

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN)

GAINERS

Selling(NGN)

LOSERS

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

MOBIL

161

5.20

3.23%

SEPLAT

430

-20.00

POUNDS STERLING

297.5672

298.3263

299.0854

TOTAL

144.5

4.50

3.11%

PRESCO

30.77

-1.61

-5.23%

38.2

-1.58

-4.14%

33.85

-1.07

-3.16%

EURO

214.6004

SWISS FRANC

215.1479

200.409

200.9202

215.6953

GUARANTY

24.28

2.25

9.27%

CAP

201.4315

ZENITHBANK

20.94

1.94

9.26%

FLOURMILL

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MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.61

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KANO

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LAGOS

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16 oil field operators may lose licences 12

INSIDE

Top: Ƒ ƐƏ Ƌƈ LƕƑƏ dƑƊƑƌ Ə Ɨ ƗƏƆƓ è 0ƏƆ ƅ ƌ dƆƏ Ɔ ƐƋ Ƒƈ Ɨ Ə ƖƈƋƈ ` ƗƏƈ 1ƑƋ ƏƐƆê Bottom row from left: Mƈ ƆƏƈ ` ƆƆƌ Ƅ ƉƆ d Ƌ ƌƈè 0ƈƋƈƍƈ L Əƕ C Ɔ 0ƈƆ Ɛ yƆƋ è Ɨ Mƈ ƆƏƈ dƈƋƒƆ ƐƆƏ RƄƈƆƊƓƆ MƓ Ƌƈ Ɔ Ɠ ƈƐƈ ƆƔƆƅƑƐƈ ƈ 9 Ɨ Ɔ ƈ Ƈ Ə ƗƏƑ ƐƏ ƇƇƈƅƊƈ ê dƐ Əƕ ƍ Ɔ Õ Photo: AFP

XT Exclusive SAND EAGLES

Monday, March 9, 2015

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

“

QUOTES

ON

AMELIE

X4,5

Name: Country: Residence: Born: Place of birth: Height: Turned pro: Retired: Plays: Coaches: Prize money:

Singles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking:

Amelie Mauresmo France Geneva, Switzerland July 5, 1979 (age 35) Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) 1993 December 3, 2009 Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Loic Courteau (2002–2008) Hugo Lecoq (2008–2009) US$15,022,476 (18th in all-time rankings)

545–227 (70.65%) 25 (2 ITF) No. 1 (September 13, 2004)

”

Grand Slam Singles results Australian Open: W (2006) French Open: QF (2003, 2004) Wimbledon: W (2006) US Open: SF (2002, 2006) Other tournaments Tour Finals: Olympic Games: Doubles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking:

X5

MAURESMO

the wrong or sometimes right way it’s in the its lessons. life and Whether learn about Every way, you players.

I know, new seniors. into the have, you coming always I think you new faces, juniors time ago now. see long year you at the time a year of them for about was one I felt, perhaps the same and to be the juniors finished was going win any match.

When I that everythingout there and and a half, to go be able that I would the case. I struggled.

But it wasn’t Mauresmo —Amelie

MAURESMO

AMELIE

About Amelie Mauresmo Amélie Simone Mauresmo, born July 5, 1979 is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1.

Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon, and also won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She is currently tennis coach to Andy Murray.

Mauresmo first attained the top ranking on September 13, 2004, holding it for five weeks on that occasion. She was the fifteenth World No. 1 in women’s tennis since the computer rankings began. She is well known for her powerful one-handed backhand and strong net play. She officially announced her retirement from professional tennis on December 3, 2009, ending a career of fifteen years.

She returned to Wimbledon in 2010, acting as a grass court advisor for Frenchman and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra. She helped Marion Bartoli in 2013 and during Bartoli’s triumph at Wimbledon.

Mauresmo was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye slightly northwest of Paris. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after being inspired by Yannick Noah’s win in the 1983 French Open on television. It was after his win that Mauresmo’s parents bought her first tennis racket.

W (2005) Silver medal (2004) 92–62 3 (2 ITF) No. 29 (June 26, 2006)

Later on in 1998 Yannick Noah picked her on the French team for the Fed Cup. Her mother Françoise is a housewife and her father Francis, who died in March 2004, was an engineer. She has a brother, Fabien, who is an engineer.

In 1996, Mauresmo captured both the junior French Open and Wimbledon women’s singles titles. She was named 1996 Junior World Champion by the International Tennis Federation.

Grand Slam Doubles results Australian Open: QF (1999) French Open: 2R (1997, 1998) Wimbledon: F (2005) US Open: 3R (1999) Coaching career: 2013–till present

Monday, March 9, 2015

MOURINHO IS NOT SPECIAL –LUIZ X3

CWC 2015:

Escape from Sambisa:

Maxwell

hits ton in Australia win X6

My ordeal in Boko Haram’s den – Mechanic

Expect no medals at Rio 2016 –Igali X7

ÏÏÏLuka

Tumba Kwatri, literally, went to the lion’s den and lives to tell the story.

Seized on the streets of CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Nigerian banks safe, secure, says CBN 6

FA Cup Wenger: Arsenal will attack Man United! X8

Tom Garba Ƌ

Ï Mƈ ƆƏè Ɨ ƈ Ɖ ƈ Ɛ ƑƋƐ ƈ ƑƏ Ɔ Ɛ ƈ ƈƗƆ Mƈ ƆƏƈ Troops recapture Buni Yadi as suicide bomber kills dozens in Borno 5

X4

Poster!

AMELIE MAURESMO

claim bronze in Beach X3 soccer

PERSONAL INFORMATION

ON DEATH ROW:

EƓ ƐƏƈ

2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Politics Page Three

3

s

Editorial States and minimum wage

T

he news that some states of the federation are still refusing to pay the national minimum wage to their workers is disheartening.

It would be recalled that national minimum wage for workers was pegged at N18, 000 per month for both state and federal government employees.

Even at that, the law gave discretionary room for those governments willing to pay more. By the provision of the 1999 Constitution (item 34 of the Second Schedule), national minimum wage is a matter on the Exclusive List.

It is therefore surprising that some states that were part of the agreement are now reneging on it. We condemn this development in its entirety. In a situation where the financial fortunes of Nigerian workers are deteriorating with each passing day, it amounts to further condemning them to perpetual penury to refuse to pay the minimum wage which they are entitled to.

It is general knowledge that the country’s economy is in the doldrums while the level of unemployment, especially among the able-bodied, is very high. Given this pathetic situation, the burden on the few still in employment is very high, even as their incomes continue to dwindle in value. Incidentally, the issue of wage dispute between organised labour and the Federal Government dates back to 2009 when the former demanded N54, 000 as minimum wage given that the prevailing N7, 500 could no longer cater for workers’ needs in view of the economic situation.

Apparently to forestall any labour unrest, the Federal Government com-

missioned a committee comprising eight members drawn from the organised labour, government and employers to negotiate a new minimum wage.

The commission, headed by Justice Alfa Belgore, recommended N18, 000 for workers, which was accepted by all stakeholders, including state governments.

We are therefore at a loss to understanding why four years after the agreement, many state governments are still unwilling to pay. Such refusal is against the background of the humongous salaries and other financial perks, that many state government officials pay to themselves. Many of them are known to be richer than their states.

We have situations where governors employ numerous aides and other hangers-on who are paid from government coffers. State legislatures are even worse culprits. There, legislators award themselves hefty pay packages that are not commensurate with the financial capabilities of their states. In the end, the resources that would have gone into economic and infrastructure development are diverted into private pockets.

We therefore call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to devise all acceptable means to get the defaulting state governments to live up to their responsibilities.

The political parties of such governments should also be made to see a link between the actions of their governors and the electoral chances of those actors and other candidates at different elections in which they will participate Ignoring workers is a sure recipe for polls disaster.

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Is INEC about to bungle this election?

Sam Nzeh

ÏÏÏThough

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues to restate its readiness to conduct the rescheduled 2015 general election come March 28 and April 11, not a few Nigerians are worried that the commission may in the end bungle the exercise unless issues which have come to light since the postponement of the poll are addressed.

First is that despite improvement in the percentage of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) collected

across the country, a sizable number of people cannot lay hands on it to date, despite visiting the collection centres several times. If the situation persists till March 28, 2015, then the electoral umpire would, willy-nilly, have succeeded in disenfranchising such Nigerians.

The malfunctioning of the Card Reader machines in some states where INEC held a mock accreditation exercise at the weekend is another troubling pointer.

Again, the demand by the Young Democratic Party (YDP) at the weekend that INEC put its logo on the ballot paper for the poll or shift the election to a later date, following an order by a Federal High court that the

Words On Marble :

dailytimesng

INEC recognise the party, is yet another puzzle.

Seen by many as self-inflicted, the dilemma which the YDP demands now arose by virtue of INEC’s failure to communicate its decision not to register the then political association as a political party within 30 days of receiving its (YDP’s) application as stipulated in section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act. The question is: Can INEC say that it did not know what section 78 (4) of the Electoral Act stipulates?

If the commission knows as Nigerians expect, then will it not be correct to say that INEC is hands in gloves with forces seeking to bungle the 2015 poll?

STATEMENTS BY THOSE WHO MATTER

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Publisher

Fidelis Anosike

Group Managing Director

Editor, Standard, Archives and Special projects

Chief Commercial Officer

Deputy Editors

Noel Anosike

Doyin Awomosu

Group Managing Editor Gabriella Osamor

Editor

Yinka Olujimi

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Yemi Ogunsola Sam Nzeh

Bureau Chief, Northern Operations Celestine Okafor

Group News Editor

Online Editor

Editorial Page Editor

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Segun Adio Okay Osuji

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Adetayo Adelaja Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

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

Dale Carnegie

Mahatma Gandhi

Abraham Lincoln

Any fool can criticise, condemn and complain – and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves

4

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

5 News

Troops recapture Buni Yadi ... As suicide bomber kills dozen Andrew Orolua Abuja

ÏÏÏNigerian troops, last weekend,

recaptured Buni Yadi, a notorious town in Yobe State, where 59 innocent secondary school students were killed in their sleep last year by the terrorists.

The troops also took over Buni

Gari town, after they met little resistance at Buni Yadi town, the headquarters of Gujba Local Government Area, as the insurgents were on the run.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said that troops were in high spirit as the “cordon and search mopping

up operations are on-going in these areas.

“Operations by troops are also continuing to recover the few areas remaining in the hands of terrorists,” the statement said.

It would be recalled that precisely on February 25, last year, before Buni Yadi was occupied by terrorists, a federal government college

was attacked and its 59 students were massacred.

However, as the terrorists continue to lose grounds, they revived their murderous tactic by killing dozens in suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri fish Market with scores injured in the attack.

The attack on Saturday occurred amid the fierce onslaught by the

military against the Boko Haram insurgents, who have captured many towns and villages in the North Eastern States.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Power, Hon Mohammed Wakil, who is from Borno state, has condemned the reprehensible renewed bombings of civilian targets in Maiduguri while calling on local and international human rights organisations, to document and indict Boko Haram leaders for crime against humanity.

INEC is unfair to Ogun State – Amosun Amosun

Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta

ÏÏÏOgun State Governor, Sena-

tor Ibikunle Amosun, has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been unfair to Ogun State, due to the slow distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC), to the electorate in the state.

Amosun, who made the accusation while on campaign tour of

Ipokia Local Government Area of the state, alleged that the state remained the most cheated by INEC, when it comes to the issue of distribution of PVCs. His words: “We have refrained from joining issues with them because they are working, they are trying their best, but in this case, they are not fair to us in Ogun state. We have been quiet before because we believe there are better ways of advancing our grievances, our voice but they are taking our quietness for stupidity now, and we will not allow that to happen, INEC should sort themselves out, we need our cards in Ogun state.”

FCTA to support foreign missions in Abuja Idu Jude Abuja

ÏÏÏThe

Federal Capital Territory (FCT), administration in Abuja, will continue to support foreign missions in the country to construct their embassies and residences at the nation’s capital.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, gave this assurance, while receiving the Ambassador of Republic of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji, who was on a working visit to his office, in Abuja, last weekend.

Senator Mohammed revealed

Jonathan’s visit to Yoruba rulers, a wasted effort – Osun APC

that his administration would continue to encourage embassies in the country to develop their plots of land in Abuja to enable them relocate and settle down to perform their statutory roles to foster bilateral relations with Nigeria.

“The Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan cherishes the support and collaboration of the members of the diplomatic community in the country and would do everything possible to make their stay more comfortable,” the Minister emphasised.

Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏOsun

State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as wasted efforts the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains to Yoruba traditional leaders for re-election.

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) with former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, during a visit

by Mbeki to Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja… on Sunday.

2015 election about national unity, stability – Okupe Monday Agu (SSA) to President Goodluck Jonathan, on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, has opined that the forthcoming general election are beyond the individual ambitions of the president and his main challenger, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

Okupe, who interacted with some journalists in Abuja last weekend, noted that the election is about the unity and stability of the country.

The presidential aide, there-

fore, urged the North to wait for the 2019 presidential poll, saying that when Jonathan completes his second term, the region would have what he described as an ‘unequivocal’ and ‘indisputable’ opportunity to rule Nigeria for eight years.

According to Okupe, the north is far more advanced, in terms of politics and political leadership, than any other section of Nigeria.

He said Yoruba were no longer agitating because their son had been allowed to govern Nigeria for eight years, asking “Why can we not concede this remaining

four years?”

Okupe said the northern region had always been the Nigeria’s political stabilising group.

Said he: “The north, since independence, has been the political stabilising group in this country.

The north is far more advanced than any section of this country in terms of politics and political leadership. When MKO died and civilian politics was brought back for us to vote, the north sat down and met and decided that because of the injustice done to the Yoruba people, the Yoruba must present the next president at that time.

The party, in a statement by Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, said all promises made to the region by the presidency were afterthoughts.

Oyatomi said people of the southwest region would vote after a careful assessment of President Jonathan’s administration and not by new promises he made to them.

He said: “Yoruba traditional leaders already know how bitter their people and subjects are against Jonathan administration. It is therefore a wasted effort for the President to be frantically seeking the support of Yoruba traditional leaders.

“Yoruba people can see, feel and taste the deceit in President Jonathan’s promises. They cannot trust

him after the humiliating treatment of the last six years of Jonathan’s Presidency.

“That experience is the most painfully degrading that the Yoruba nation has ever had in the last half century. President Jonathan cannot therefore expect to be rewarded for this crime against the Yoruba people.

ÏÏÏThe Senior Special Assistant

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

My ordeal in Sambisa forest, by Mechanic Continued from page 6 Mubi, a key town in Adamawa State, and primed for killing, Kwatri, a household provisions seller, was saved from death by his disclosure that he was a mechanic.

He also shouted to the hearing of all that he was a Muslim and repeatedly chanted: Allahu Akbar.

Kwatri is a Christian. But, faced with certain death in the hands of bloodhounds, he told members of the sect that he was a Muslim.

On Sunday, some suspected hideouts of the sect in Nigeria came under joint land and aerial attacks of the military from Niger and Chad.

Daily Times me Kwatri at the NYSC camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Damare, in the state, where he was still mortally afraid of the group and the atrocities its members perpetrated in his presence. He claimed the name Mohammed and acted the part of Muslim. He was doubly lucky: When the marauding terrorists learnt he was a mechanic, they knew he could be put to good use – as is expected, their vehicles often need the attention of mechanics.

He told Daily Times: “I regret the day I chose to go to Mubi to buy goods for my provision shop in Michika. On that fateful day, I remember I asked my wife what

should I buy for her and she replied that I should buy anything eatable. On reaching Maraban Mubi, I noticed that all the roads were blocked and I told myself that it must be the Nigerian army because all the people there were wearing khaki.

“Unknown to me, they were Boko Haram and had already levelled the whole of Maraban Mubi.

There was nowhere to run to as the roads were heavily blocked by gun-toting. Suddenly, somebody barked orders at me. I immediately knew that my life was in danger.”

Then, one of the terrorists asked: “What do you do for a living?”

L-R: All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Governor of Sokoto State, Alh. Aliyu Wamakko and former President , Alh. Shehu Shagari during Buhari’s visit to Shagari on his birthday in Sokoto… on Saturday

CBN allays fears over banks ÏÏÏThe Central Bank of Nigeria

(CBN) has assured that Nigerian banks are safe, following the outcome of a stress test it conducted.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Communications of the apex bank, Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu, on Sunday in Abuja.

“Following the recent topdown stress tests of Deposit Money Banks carried out, the CBN re-affirms that the banks have adequate capital to absorb unexpected losses,” the statement said.

It noted that unaudited results of banks and the results released so far indicated that the economic meltdown had not significantly affected returns.

The statement noted that banks had been directed to have effective risk management system in place, especially price hedging.

It said that the apex bank would continue to monitor banks to ensure sufficient internal retention of capital to serve as buffers.

The statement recalled that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a report on March 4, 2015 on the outcome of the Executive Board 2014 Consultation with Nigeria commended the CBN in ensuring financial system soundness.

It noted that financial soundness indicators remained above prudential norms but that the concentration of credit risks

and foreign currency exposures called for continued close oversight.

According to the statement, the CBN welcomes the progress in strengthening supervision and regulation, including crossborder activities.

It added that the apex bank encouraged additional initiatives to foster financial market development, including hedging instruments and improved financial inclusion.

The statement noted that Nigeria’s economic data were broadly adequate for surveillance.

It said that the CBN agreed on tightening fiscal policy and allowing the exchange rate to depreciate.

His response: “I lied and said, ‘I am a mechanic and shouted Allahu Akbar’. One of them said they should not kill me because of my skills as a mechanic.”

The men then bundled Kwatri into a Hilux pickup van and drove deep into Sambisa forest,” he said.

The escapee continued: “There I saw thousands of people from all walks of life doing one thing or the other. The Boko Haram members are really prepared for anything, seeing how well-organized they are and the structure of their leadership. They took me to a place they called training camp. There I noticed that all they do is to inculcate their beliefs and different orientation of Islam in people. It is a total brain wash of strange Islamic beliefs.

“What we mostly did at that stage was to maintain the dayto-day affairs of domestic issues based on what your field is. On a daily basis, we were made to go to a training camp where they taught us how to handle guns and manufacture bombs.”

His dramatic escape came the day their chief instructor was changed and another person who bears ghis adopted name took over.

“The chief instructor was given a different assignment and they brought somebody called Alhaji Mohammed. He asked me my

name. Fortunately, we are namesakes; my former name was no longer what I was answering. I answered Mohammed, Our new instructor became fond of me.

God gave me favour in sight. One day, he asked me whether I wanted to see my family in Michika and I said yes.

“The following day Oga Mohammed sent me on errand to get him one of abducted women in the next camp which was close to the Michika mountains, a walk of about 50 kilometers and I told myself if I could trek that far, why should I not try to escape? I told myself if I die, I die and if I live, in live. I trekked as fast as I could.

Before I knew it, I had arrived in Michika. I discovered that the place was still under the siege by Boko Haram. I looked for where to hide for the next day. At dawn, I sneaked away through a route to Hong and from Hong to Yola camp for displaced persons where I met so many people from my town in a pitiable situation. As I am talking to you, I can find my wife and children.”

Meanwhile, Niger and Chad on Sunday launched major ground and air strikes against Boko Haram, after the militants formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic state group in Syria and Iraq.

Continued on page 12

Nigerians, Australians, others in last-ditch hope against executions ÏÏÏAn

Indonesian court will Thursday hear an appeal by two Australian drug smugglers on death row against President Joko Widodo’s refusal to grant them clemency, a last-ditch effort to halt the looming executions.

Nigeria’s Raheem Agbaje Salami and Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise are affected by facing execution along with the Australians. The others are Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte and Filipina Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso.

Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, the ringleaders of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug smuggling gang, were sentenced to death in 2006 for trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia.

Their appeals for presidential clemency, typically a death row convict’s final chance of avoiding the firing squad, were rejected by Widodo.

Widodo, a vocal supporter of the death penalty for drug traffickers,

claimed that Indonesia is facing an “emergency” due to rising narcotics use.

The Administrative Court last month dismissed a bid to challenge that decision, saying clemency was the president’s prerogative which it had no right to overturn.

Their lawyers had since lodged an appeal against that dismissal and were awaiting judgement.

“The next hearing on Thursday will be the response from the president’s team about our challenge,” one of their lawyers, Doly James, told Agence France Presse (AFP).

“The reason for the rejection of clemency was unclear, when we had been very clear why these two deserved clemency,” he said.

Indonesian authorities last week moved the pair from Bali to the prison island of Nusakambangan, indicating that they would soon be executed.

They are among a group of drug convicts, who are expected to be executed at the same time on the island.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

I’ll recognise, protect women’s rights - Buhari Augustine Aminu Abuja

ÏÏÏThe Presidential candidate

of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, has restated his commitment to the empowerment of Nigerian women, beginning with ensuring that the rights of women as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, were protected under his government. He stated this in a special message to Nigerian women, in commemoration

of the March 8, 2015, International Women’s Day. “My plan for Nigerian women has been made clear in ‘My Manifesto and Vision for Nigeria’,” General Buhari said. “However, I would like to use this special opportunity that the world has set aside to celebrate women, to reiterate my personal commitment to the advancement of Nigerian women in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.”

In his ‘My Manifesto and Vision for Nigeria’ document released

to the media in December 2014, Buhari it stated that women would be adequately represented in government appointments.

He also promised to provide greater opportunities for females in education, job creation, and economic empowerment.

“I will recognise and protect women empowerment and gender equality with special emphasis on economic activities in the rural areas,” he said.

He added that he would use the party structures to promote the

concept of reserving a minimum number of seats in the States and National Assembly, for women.

“Women all over the world are playing an ever increasing role in moving their nations forward,” Buhari said, “both in and outside government.”

“In keeping with the times, my government will ensure that Nigerian women are given the opportunity to rise and play an even more prominent role in moving our great nation forward,” he said.

Igbinedion's TV station gutted by fire

INEC extends collection of PVCs by two weeks

Benin

ÏÏÏ

Jonathan meets Abubakar, Mbeki over polls Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏFormer Head of

State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd.), and a former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, were guests of President Goodluck Jonathan, on Sunday, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The three leaders met behind closed-doors.

Though none of them spoke with reporters at the end of the parley, the meeting was believed to be in furtherance of consultations towards achieving successful polls come March 28 and April 11.

Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

Titus Akhigbe

ÏÏÏThe

Benin-City-based Independent Television (ITV) went off the airwaves, on Saturday night, after parts of the television and radio station, including the TV studio were gutted by fire.

ITV is owned by the Esama of Benin and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.

Head of News of the station, Mr. Abiodun Mudashiru, who spoke with journalists claimed that the fire started few minutes after 9:00 p.m., when the station was on live transmission of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) network news.

Mr. Mudashiru, who stated that the TV station had not issued any official statement on the unfortunate incident, also said that firefighters from the Edo State Fire Service, the University of Benin Fire Service and the Military Fire Service prevented the inferno from ravaging the entire building of the station.

Some staffers of the station also took journalists round parts of the burnt areas.

A delegation of Edo PDP leaders, including its state chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, a former deputy governor of the state, Lucky Imasuen, and Co-ordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign in the state, Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu, were among the early visitors, who came to condole with the station.

7 News

A lady inside the studio of ITV Benin City gutted by fire.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by two weeks.

Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, who confirmed this on Sunday, explained that the deadline for PVC was now March 22.

It would be recalled that the commission had earlier given Sunday, March 8 as deadline for the distribution and collection of PVCs. The latest extension, according to Idowu, offers the last opportunity for duly registered persons to collect their PVCs, before the general elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11, 2015.

Igbo group wants parties to respect peace pact Moses Oyediran Enugu

ÏÏÏ

The Igbo Youth Movement, IYM, staged a peaceful demonstration in Enugu over the weekend, calling on Nigerian political parties to respect the provisions of the peace pact they signed ahead of the general election.

This is also as it called on the United Nations and the international community to caution

supporters of the two leading political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), against any form of postelection violence, especially in the northern part of the country.

Founder and President of IYM, Evangelist Elliot Uko, who spoke with reporters, during the peaceful demonstration, which centered on the need for violence-free polls, also ap-

pealed to Nigerians to eschew violence and bloodshed during and after the elections.

Our correspondent reports that members of the organisation displayed placards with various anti-election violence inscriptions. Uko, regretted that over the years, including 2011, thousands of Nigerians, especially Ndigbo, were slaughtered in post-election violence, mostly in the northern part of the country.

El-Rufai

El-Rufai visits Zaria, says only God gives power Sunday Isuwa

ÏÏÏ Kaduna State All Progres-

sives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, ion Sunday, in his home town, Zaria, Kaduna State said only God gives power to whomever and at His own timee God. His spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, disclose in a statement issued in Kaduna.

El-Rufai, who spoke at his Kwarbai ward, Zaria, tol;d visiting children that: “I am grateful for this kindness and honor and I want to assure you that we should continue to put faith in God. We are deeply inspired and confident that God will not forsake us.

“We should continue to be law abiding, because peace is paramount and it is the hub of any purposeful development. Only God gives power and it is from Him that we are seeking this leadership and from people of Kaduna State.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Politics

s NGILARI

Bala James Ngilari

Nasiru Suleiman Sokoto State, like Nasarawa and Niger states, have governors and deputies from two rival political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

Though, both Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and his deputy, Munktari Shagari won a joint ticket on the platform of the PDP, in 2007 and 2011 respectively but Wamakko, defected from PDP to the opposition APC alongside other four PDP Governors, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State who was later impeached. But, when Wamakko decamped to APC, his deputy, Shagari, refused to dump the PDP. Unlike Niger and Nasarawa, where friction between the state governors and deputies were more pronounced, in the case of Sokoto , there has not been much reported fracas between Wamakko and Shagari.

This is why it is surprising, the huge rivalry that exists between followers of these two major political parties, the APC and PDP in the state.

Many residents fear, that the rivalry between the followers of the two parties, the in the state might disrupt the peace and serenity enjoyed by the people of CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Ali

President not aware of my guber ambition

Wale Akintunde, Yola Governor Bala James Ngilari of Adamawa State is a Senatorial candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the forthcoming polls for the Northern Senatorial district of the state. In this interview with WALE AKINTUNDE in Yola, his Director of Public Affairs, Mr. P.P. Elisha made a shocking revelation that President Goodluck Jonathan is not aware of his gubernatorial am-

bition in the last year PDP, Primaries that produced Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the flag bearer of the party. He denied that President Jonathan endorsed his candidature however promised to work for the victory of President Jonathan and Malam Ribadu and others at the polls.

In about three weeks now, the general elections is holding, how prepared is Governor Bala Nggilari as state leader of the party?

To the best of my knowledge, Governor Nggilari is fully prepared to face the upcoming general polls squarely. The Governor is fully committed to PDP victory. As a party man, he had already assembled all the party political Generals ahead the forth coming polls. Governor Nggilari is a party man to the core and will not trade the political fortune of his party. I recall when his former boss, Governor Murtala Nyako defected CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

SOKOTO

Danger looms as APC, PDP rivalry intensifies

Wammako

Tambuwal

Wali

Ahmadu’s 10-point battle plan for PDP victory The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu was in battle mood as he addressed PDP Coordinators from the

36 states and Abuja in Wadata House conference hall where he unveiled his plan for his party’s victory at the forthcoming polls.

After admonishing them to

increase their current work rate to ensure victory, he handed down a 10-point agenda which he said when strictly executed will see the party coasting to a

fifth consecutive Presidential election victory.

According to a statement signed by his Chief Press CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

9 Politics

‘Its irresponsible to say Gov Ngilari is backing SDP’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

to All Progressives Congress, (APC) Nggilari declined to join him in the APC on the ground that the mandate he has is for the PDP and will not betray the party that brought him to power.

Before the shifting of the elections time table, preparation has been going on in the state showing that the governor has fully identified with the course of the party. As the party state leader he has set up of a strong committee-the PDP 2015 campaign organization headed by Chief Felix Tangwami The committee is made up of notable figure in the state political landscape. The former DG of Nuhu Ribadu campaign organisation Kelvin Peter collapsed his campaign organisation structure for this committee which he now serves as a member.

What is your take on the advertorial placed in one of the national dailies by Governor Nggilari’s political supporters accusing President Goodluck of truncating the governor’s ambition?

The so called Bala Rabo Jadan who made the advertorial on behalf of certain political group is a faceless person as far as we are concerned. The governor has not come across such a person throughout his political life and everything he said in his write up is a lie from the pit of hell.

We believed the advertorial was planted by the governor’s antagonists who want to dent his image at the presidency.

The fact of the matter remain that President Goodluck Jonathan has been very supportive to Governor Bala Nggilari and his administration. We tend to believe that the man that placed the advertorial did it with evil intention aiming to bring bad blood between Governor Nggilari and the President. Its sad that the writer, tried to politicise the pilgrimage by Nggilari when he was a deputy governor as a sort of political endorsement by Mr. President. The governor was not the only governor that accompanied Mr. President on the said Holy Journey, can we then say that President Goodluck Jonathan endorsed all the Christian Governors that featured in

“President Goodluck Jonathan has been very supportive to Governor Bala Nggilari and his administration.

We tend to believe that the man that placed the advertorial did it with evil intention”

the trip. Governor Bala Nggilari is committed to delivering Mr President and all other PDP candidates in the forthcoming general elections. Let those behind the advertorial know fully well that no amount of blackmail will stop Nggilari’s mission to deliver his party.

Words making the round in Yola is that Bala Nggilari is working for the victory of SDP gubernatorial candidate, Eng Markus Gundiri.

Honestly, this is an irresponsible statement; It’s a campaign of calumnyto distract the attention of the governor from pursuing the goal of PDP in the state.

I just mentioned how Nggilari ditched Governor Nyako when he defected to APC. Nggilari who was Nyako’s deputy objected to defect to APC because of the mandate given to him by the PDP. Now the same man is the Chief Executive of the state and also coordinator of President Goodluck Campaign Organisation. A Senatorial candidate of PDP, for the Northern district, how on earth can such a man turn around to pull down the party that gave him senatorial ticket?

Recently the Deputy to Gov Bala Nggilari received the Presidential candidate of APC at Yola International Airport some said that he was sent by the Governor to seal up a political arrangement between the Governor and Presidential candidate of APC ahead of the poll?

Governor Nggilari did not send his deputy to receive General Muhammadu Buhari at the Yola International Airport neither has he any political arrangement with APC, presidential candidate. President Goodluck Jonathan is the presidential candidate of Governor Nggilari.

When the Presidential candidate of APC visited the state on a campaign, the Deputy Governor decided to receive him at the airport since he was a former military head of state and elder statesman. The Governor was away on official engagement in Abuja while the deputy governor in his own wisdom decided to receive the former military head of state as a person. What I am saying is that the Deputy Gover-

Jonathan nor was not there to stand in for the governor. It is very clear that throughout that particular trip, there was nowhere the deputy governor pronounced that it was the governor that sent him to receive Buhari even to take him to any other place.

APC rally took place at Ribadu Square and the Deputy Governor was not there with Buhari.

The reception given to Buhari by the Deputy Governor may have been for his recognition of his status as former Head of State and elder statesman. We had similar experiences in the state before when President Jonathan was accorded the same treatment by former Governor Nyako who was then in APC, nobody read meaning to it that Nyako wanted to retrace his step back to PDP. But the Deputy Governor, Saad Tahir received Buhari at the airport and accompanied him to Lamido’ Palace but did not go with him to attend political activities. When President Jonathan came, the then Governor Nyako who was in the APC received him but did not join him at the PDP rally. Nobody can claim that the Deputy Governor was with Buhari at APC presidential rally. As spokesman to Governor Nggilari, the deputy governor’s visit to Yola international airport is not an official assignment and it could not be that the Deputy Governor represented his boss. If that has been the particular case, the governor would have been there or sent a good will message to welcome Buhari.

Gov. Ngillari’s Administra-

“The governor also paid attention to the displaced persons at their various camps, his first official engagement was the visit to IDPs camps of Damare and others”

Ngilari

tion will be one of the shortest in the history of Adamawa State what will he be remembered for?

He will be remembered for the way and manner he tackled insurgency in the state. The governor provided a level playground for the military and other security agents which included the vigilantes and local hunters to operate effectively. The other security agents rallied round the military and flushed and out the insurgents out of the state based on the governor’s initiative by bringing vigilante and local hunters on board. Governor Nggilari dedicated his time and resources in the war against the insurgents who have seized his local government at Madagali.

The governor personally took his case to Mr. President cried out to him for assistance in addressing the spread of Boko Haram in the state because of the fear that they may overrun the state capital if urgent measures are not taken.

The speed with which Boko Haram captured Gombi, Hong, Michika, Maiha, Madagali, Mubi North and South local government areas of the state was the same speed taken by the soldiers to push them out of the areas after the governor visited President for assistance. As I am speaking to you right now, the military is already in the secretariat of the last local government to liberate it from the insurgents. The governor also paid attention to the displaced persons at their various camps, his first official engagement was the visit to IDPs camps of Damare and others.

Politics 10

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

‘APC, PDP put the Caliphate on heat’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

the state, if nothing drastic is done to forestall the impending danger.

The escalation of the activities of political thugs loyal to PDP and APC in the state, have started sending wrong signals to residents in the state. Daily Times investigation revealed that most residents are terrified already and many have been planning, on how to move out of the state before the March 28 Presidential polls and April 11 Governorship election if the hostilities continued.

Recently, the state police Commissioner, Mr. Salisu Abdullahi Fagge spoke of this ugly development at a press conference where he pointed out that, Sokoto state, despite being one of the most peaceful states in the federation, recent political activities in the state ahead the forthcoming general election has the potential of truncating the peaceful nature of the state, hence politicians are trying to turn the game into a battle field.

The commissioner’s observation of this ugly trend might not be unconnected with the several clashes between rival political thugs in the state. Some of the clashes have resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Unfortunately, this trend has spread across the 23 local government areas of the state as observed by the Police Commissioner.

The Commissioner who laid the blame of this odious act on the door steps of politicians in the state, however warned, that politicians should desist from

such act, as his men are ready to arrest anybody found wanting, in this regard, irrespective of his status in the society.

Fagge who revealed that already over 135 persons have been arrested in connection with political violence in the state, however threatened that anybody arrested perpetrating such evil might remain behind bars till after the polls.

Residents complained that once in a while, the thugs go out of their ways to attack innocent

citizens. According to one Mr. Paul Stephen, a resident of Offa road who works at Bello road in Sokoto metropolis, he was once harassed by some thugs on a motorcycle close to his shop, and since then, he became terrified and has resolved not to stay for the election in Sokoto, because the miscreants if not controlled, could be used to unleash terror on innocent citizens.

Paul further revealed that, even his colleague, one Aminu Bala, was robbed by some po-

litical thugs coming from one of their political gathering. Unfortunately for Aminu, he was answering a phone call when one of the touts walked up to him and seized the phone from him with a threat to cut off his throat. This happened in the metropolis along Dogon Daji House, just by Mainstream Bank.

Like Mr. Paul, other residents have faced one form of harassment or the other. Daily Times gathered that a number of persons who travel for Christmas have not returned, for fear of possible violence during the polls.

Daily Times further gathered that, often times, posters and billboard of rival political parties were destroyed by political thugs loyal to either of the two major political parties. Of recent, Daily Times witnessed a mild drama at Mummy Junction, just by the Army Barracks in the state, where thugs of both political par-

“Some of the clashes have resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Unfortunately, this trend has spread across the 23 local government areas of the state” Tambuwal

ties were keeping vigil to ensure posters of their party men are not destroyed.

Unfortunately, the drama at the Mummy junction later turned sour when a fight ensued between the two vigilant thugs, which left many people seriously injured.

It was reported recently, that President Goodluck Jonathan’s posters and bill boards were destroyed by political thugs allegedly loyal to the opposition APC in Sokoto metropolis. Even during the recent proposed visit to Sokoto, by the First Lady, some youths, believed to be loyal to the APC were seen destroying posters and billboards of President Jonathan around the Sultan’s Palace Round About, an eye-witness told Daily Times.

Worried by the uncivilised development, a Sokoto-based youth group, under the auspices of Nigerian Youth Coalition Against Electoral Violence, (NYCAEV), raised the alarm over the dangerous path, being taken by politicians who are exploiting vulnerable youths using them as political thugs. The group warned that the nation might be heading to a rock if this trend is allowed to continue.

The group, during one of their sensitisation workshops, on how to achieve a violent-free election in Nigeria through it’s National Secretary and the North-West Coordinator, Comrade Idris Salisu Rogo, raised a number of issues concerning the 2015 general election chief among was the way, Nigerian politicians have CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Ahmadu’s 10-point battle plan for PDP victory CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Secretary, Chief Tony Amadi, Mu’azu handed down the order at a meeting of the Presidential Campaign Council of which he is Chairman and attended by the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, Col. Amadu Ali (rtd) and a former Chairman of the Party under President Obasanjo’s presidency.

Bauchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda and some members of the National Working Committee of the party were also on hand to give fillip to the chairman’s plan.

According to the statement,

high point of Mu’azu’s agenda included: “It is sacrosanct for the party to ensure that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo are duly re-elected.

This is a cardinal point that all Coordinators must bear in mind and work towards its realization.

“The PDP has to produce a working majority in the National Assembly to ensure that the progress and prosperity of Nigeria under the PDP is ensured till 2019.

“The importance of a bandwagon effect must be stressed and seized with both

arms so the party can win all the elections and therefore continue its tremendous transformation of Nigeria in all sectors of the economy.

“Coordinators must work in tandem with State governors in PDP controlled states and party chairmen in non-PDP controlled states in order to have a cohesive force that will finish off the opposition.

“Most importantly, this is time for commitment, loyalty and transparency. This is crucial to winning the 2015 elections.

“Opposition antics will be to hit the social media with faked

results before INEC announces the full, final and authentic results.

“You must remain steadfast despite the heavy propaganda arsenal of the opposition which the PDP has exposed in recent weeks and led them to fall apart.

“Blow your own trumpet because our administration has achieved a lot under President Jonathan. As the ambassadors of this administration, you must not be afraid to blow your trumpet because no one will blow it for you as we have achieved so much which the opposition is pretending never happened.

“Our party has hit the opposition hard by exposing their pack of lies and their desperation to win at all costs and relying solely on promises that they have no intention of fulfilling.

“We must flaunt our successes in agriculture (dry season farming and fertilizer distribution revolution), education (over 200 almajiri schools, 13 new universities in thirteen states), power, aviation, job creation and the economy which has made Nigeria the biggest economy in Africa,” Muazu stressed.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

11 Politics

Republicans celebrate Clinton’s stumble The furor over Hillary Rodham Clinton’s private email account as secretary of state has delighted Republicans this week, but conservatives are not done trying to make the most of her misfortunes.

While Mrs. Clinton is still considered the heavy favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination, right-leaning news media outlets are using the email story to pump up the possible campaign of Martin O’Malley, the former governor of Maryland.

Mr. O’Malley’s coming trip to New Hampshire won prominent placement on the Drudge Report for most of Friday, topped with a photograph of him and former President Bill Clinton.

Fox News dedicated a six-minute segment on the question: “Could Martin O’Malley stop Hillary Clinton’s 2016 momentum?”

Suggesting that there could have been some “lawbreaking” involved, the Fox host, Gregg Jarrett, said, “It’s fair to say that what we know right now is the tip of the iceberg.”

Mr. O’Malley has not officially announced his candidacy, but he is visiting early primary states, has said he will not run for the Senate in Maryland, and is showing his social media chops by offering a preview of his New Hampshire trip on Snapchat.

Conservative outlets were not

“For those hoping that Mrs. Clinton’s stumbles continue, a wider field of alternative candidates will be necessary” the only ones suggesting that Mr. O’Malley’s stock could be on the rise. John Cassidy of The New Yorker suggested that Mrs. Clinton’s chances of winning the nomination might have dipped.

“If O’Malley does formally enter the race, he’ll be a heavy underdog, of course,” he wrote.

“Still, he’ll find some encouragement from Clinton’s ongoing troubles.”

For those hoping that Mrs. Clinton’s stumbles continue, a wider field of alternative candidates will be necessary.

On Friday, The Weekly Standard did its best to fill the void by reporting on a candidate of yore under the headline “Al Gore to Iowa Amid Clinton Scandal.”

Clinton

‘APC, PDP put the Caliphate on heat’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Wammako

succeeded in turning Nigerian youths into instrument of political thuggery, electoral malpractices and violence among many other vices.

The group also expressed displeasure with the level of division that exist among Nigerian youths, particularly divisions along religious lines, which has become a major discourse on social media by the Nigerian youths. This they said potend a damaging danger for the country.

Though religious difference is not too pronounced in Sokoto, people are not harassed on the basis of their faith, or even tribe.

The problem here is just political as the political thugs are terrorising everyone.

In fact, one can confidently said, Sokoto State, is a home for all Nigerians, as the number of non-indegenes from all part of the country, going about their individual businesses un-harassed is very massive.

No doubt, in Sokoto, both APC and PDP matched each others’ strength and this is why the skirmish might last longer than necessary as none of the parties would want to concede defeat easily.

Followers of the two major political parties is so large that one could hardly say with certainty which party is bigger in terms of followership, but the fact remains that APC is in charge of the state having the Governor while the deputy Governor is of

the PDP. The governorship contest in Sokoto, between Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the APC and Senator, Abdallah Wali could not be said to be responsible for the huge rivalry, nor, the WamakkoMuntari factor. But as analysts have said, that the battle for the soul of Sokoto state has being between, the incumbent Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko of the APC and the former Governor of the state, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, of the PDP. To ignore this damaging trend might be too costly for the state, and the needful thing to do now, is for a solution be found, in the best interest of the state.

Though, the police Commissioner assured his men’s readi-

ness to tackle the situation, but beyond the verbal assurance, it would be advisable for the security agencies in the state, to translate their word into action.

Like what has transpired at the Federal level, where the presidential candidates of the major political parties were meant to sign a peace-pact, other states of the federation have also followed the step. It would not be a crime to call on the various stakeholders in Sokoto State, with the security agencies in the state, to do the same. As the elections gathered momentum, the trend of political thuggery in Sokoto State is taking another dimension and if left unchecked, the cost of ignoring it might be too dangerous to bear.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

16 marginal field operators may lose licences Tony Nwakaegho

ÏÏÏMarginal fields licensed in

2003 have until March 15 to start production or have their licences revoked, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has confirmed. The Head, Basinal Assessment and Lease Management

of DPR, Mr J.A Babalola, while speaking in an exclusive chat with Daily Times in his office in Lagos, said that the department held a workshop with stakeholders on December 11, 2014 to learn and proffer solutions to the challenges being faced by the 16 affected marginal field holders who were awarded licences for over

eight to ten years but have failed to produce.

Babalola stated that the department had written to the marginal field operators to justify why their licences should not be revoked after about 10 years without production.

He explained that the action of these marginal operators was

contrary to the Federal Government’s programme to make ensure indigenous participation in the oil and gas sector in the country.

According to him, DPR is reviewing the submissions of the marginal operators concerned, while awaiting the outcome of the Federal Government decision on the matter.

Commenting on the eight other marginal fields that are in operation, he said that their licences were extended as long as they were in operation and producing.

He maintained that the deadline of March 15 given to the marginal field operators still stood as the position of the Federal Government had not changed with respect to the non-performing fields.

Daily Times recalls that the DPR had in 2003 awarded 24 marginal fields to 31 indigenous companies as part of the Federal Government’s marginal field programme aimed at increasing reserves, production, employment, local content and indigenous participation in the upstream oil and gas business.

Only eight of the fields are currently producing, with the operators of the dormant fields continuing to grapple with financial and technical challenges, among other issues.

However, with the current low oil price environment, analysts have said it is highly unlikely that many of the operators would beat the March 15 deadline, especially those that do not have access to foreign markets to raise money.

My escape from Sambisa forest, by Mechanic Continued from page 6

A group of Ofu-Obi Igbo youths organisations, protesting alleged marginalisation by their leaders at Festac Town, Lagos… on Sunday Photo: OLAWALE ROTIMI.

Six killed as soldiers, community clash Sunday Isuwa & Tom Garba Kaduna

ÏÏÏSix

people were killed and several others injured when army personnel and residents of Gidan- Waya in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State clashed on Sunday.

Eye witnesses said a block of flats at a staff quarters belonging to the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan- Waya, occupied by some military personnel was burnt while two guns were carted away.

Daily Times gathered that the incident happened when some Catholic cadets manning a Church clashed with an army official but he quickly returned to his base and mobilised other army officers who invaded the church premises, shooting sporadically.

“Six people were killed, a flat occupied by some army personnel was burnt while several people were injured,” a lecturer at the college told Daily Times while

confirming how a 200-level student was killed by the army bullets.

“The army man has a motorcycle he uses as a means of transport. The cadet boys manning the Church during Mass had told him that each time there is Church programme, he should not increase the acceleration of his motorcycle because the sound is very loud. But he refused to abide by what the boys told him.

“Today (yesterday), he was passing during Church Mass and the road was closed. He started shouting at the boys on why they blocked the road. As the argument was ongoing, he returned to a check-point and mobilised other army officers and they came shooting.

“As they were shooting, a certain man coming back from another church was hit by army bullet and he died instantly. One of the cadet boys was shot but he died at a hospital,” the lecturer who does not want his name men-

tioned, said.

Another eye witness told Daily Times that as the youth and women of the community were protesting naked, mobile policemen were mobilised from Kafanchan, who came shooting tear-gas to disperse the protesters.

“The incident also turned violent as four people also dropped dead when the protesters blocked all roads leading to Abuja, Jos and Kafanchan. All the checkpoints in the area have been dismantled and the military men have been withdrawn to Kafanchan. The army has told the traditional ruler that they will come back in the night to search for their guns,” another resident told our correspondent.

Daily Times gathered that many students have deserted the campus following threat by the army officers to invade the community at night.

Army spokesman, 1 Mechanised Division, Kaduna, Colonel Abdul Usman, could not respond to calls as at press time.

The attacks, which follow a sustained build-up of troops in southern Niger, opens up a new front in regional efforts to wipe out the Islamist group, whose six-year insurgency has spread across borders.

“Very early this morning, troops from Niger and Chad began an offensive against Boko Haram... in the area of Bosso and near to Diffa,” a Niger government source in Niamey told AFP on condition of anonymity.

More than 200 vehicles, some of them with machine guns, as well as tanks, ambulances, water tankers and transport trucks, were seen moving towards the border, radio station Anfani, based in Diffa, said.

Aircraft targeted Boko Haram positions on Saturday and early Sunday, it added, while a Diffa resident and aid worker said troops were seen heading to the border and heavy gunfire was heard.

The previously lacklustre counter-insurgency against Boko Haram has been given renewed vigour with the deployment of troops from Cameroon, Chad and Niger last month.

The armies have claimed a series of successes in rebel-held territory in recent weeks, as part of an operation to clear and control northeast Nigeria in time for general elections set for March 28.

Much of the focus has been on Chad’s well-trained army, who have experience in tackling Al-

Qaeda-linked extremists in Mali alongside French forces.

But Nigeria’s military spokesman Chris Olukolade said the Nigerien and Chadian attacks were “complementary to the ongoing push against the terrorists” that it was heading.

“The mission of routing the terrorists from Nigeria’s territory is being conducted from various fronts in and out of Nigeria and is achieving expected results so far,” he said in a text message.

The African Union on Friday endorsed the creation of an additional regional force of up to 10,000 men to join the fight against Boko Haram.

Western powers have so far largely stayed out of direct involvement in the conflict, viewing it as an essentially “local” or regional problem.

But Boko Haram’s pledge of allegiance to Islamic State in an audio message on Saturday night, could be a game-changer, according to analysts.

“Operating as an IS proxy could draw Western efforts against its operations, particularly from France, which already runs a multi-country anti-terrorist campaign in the west and central African region,” said Ryan Cummings, from risk consultants Red24.

“Operation Barkhane’s headquarters in the Chadian capital N’Djamena is just a stone’s throw away from Boko Haram’s area of operations in northeast Nigeria,” he added.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

13

International 14

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Gunmen kill six in Kabul Sufi mosque attack

Zambian president collapses during ceremony ÏÏÏ Zambian President, Ed-

gar Lungu, was diagnosed with malaria on Sunday after he collapsed during an International Women’s Day ceremony Lungu stood at a reviewing stand for about 20 minutes as a group of women marched past before he fell to the ground.

His security team whisked him away for immediate medical attention as he is known to be a diabetic, but about 10 minutes later, his media aide, Amos Chanda, announced that

Lungu had been diagnosed with malaria.

Later, after being resuscitated, he was visibly weak, but still took to the podium to tell the audience that he was unwell. He urged Zambians not to panic.

He also said celebrations for the Women’s day should proceed.

Lungu took over the reins of power on 25 January, succeeding Michael Sata, who died in London last October.

ÏÏÏGunmen

Lungu

Egypt executes first pro-Morsi protester ÏÏÏEgypt has carried out the

first death sentence handed down over the violence that erupted after the army overthrew Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013, the interior ministry said.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been sentenced to death after speedy mass trials, which the United Nations has described as “unprecedented in recent history”.

Mahmoud Ramadan, who was hanged at 07:00 (05:00 GMT), was

Morsi

the “first to be executed of those involved in violent clashes,” ministry spokesperson, Hani Abdel Latif, told AFP. A court in Egypt’s second city, Alexandria, sentenced Ramadan to death in 2014 after convicting him of throwing youths off an apartment block, killing one of them.

He was among dozens of people tried over deadly violence in the city’s Sidi Gaber neighbourhood on 5 July 2013, two days after Morsi’s ouster by then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“The prison authority carried out the hanging of Mahmoud Ramadan, accused of throwing children from the roof of a building in Alexandria during violent clashes organised by the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood,” the interior ministry said on its Facebook page.

The unrest on that day came as Morsi supporters and opponents held rival demonstrations across the city.

Amateur video footage of the

protests had gone viral on the internet, with prosecutors using it as evidence in the case involving Ramadan.

In one scene, a bearded Ramadan in a white vest and black trousers is walking on the roof of a building.

Four youths are seen cowering on top of a structure there that appears to be a water tank as the man identified as Ramadan and others throw stones at them.

Minutes later two youngsters fall off the structure onto the roof.

In separate footage, aired by a private television channel after his alleged confession, Ramadan says: “When I appear before the prosecution, I will demand to be executed.”

A government crackdown on Morsi’s supporters killed hundreds, with thousands more arrested and tried.

The ousted president is himself facing multiple trials on charges that carry the death penalty.

Thousands attend antiNetanyahu rally in Tel Aviv ÏÏÏTens

of thousands of Israelis are gathering at a Tel Aviv square under the banner “Israel wants change” and calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be replaced in 17 March national elections.

Saturday night’s rally at Rabin Square is the highest profile demonstration yet in the run-up to the election. It is organised by a nonprofit organisation seeking to change Israel’s priorities and refocus on health, education, housing and the country’s cost of living.

Though not officially endorsed by any political party, it drew mostly supporters of leftist and centrist parties.

The rally’s keynote speaker is former Mossad chief, Meir Dagan, who recently slammed Netanyahu’s conduct and called him “the person who has caused the greatest strategic damage to Israel.”

attacked a Sufi mosque in Kabul on Saturday evening, killing at least six people and leaving five others wounded, police officials said, shattering a recent calm in the Afghan capital.

The rare attack on the Sufi minority struck around the time of evening prayer at about 19:00 (14:30 GMT), and though no group claimed the unrest, security officials swiftly announced the arrest of five suspects in connection with the killings.

“A group of armed men entered (a Sufi mosque)... and opened fire,” Kabul police spokesman, Hashmat Stanikzai told AFP. Deputy interior ministry spokesperson Najib Danish, confirmed the details of the attack, with the ministry issuing a statement putting the toll at six dead and five wounded.

The ministry said five suspects had been arrested, while Stanikzai said an investigation had been launched to “identify the attackers and the motive behind the attack”.

Though no group claimed responsibility for the attack, Afghanistan remains plagued by a Taliban insurgency more than 13 years after the militant group was ousted from power.

NATO ended its combat mission in late December, leaving a residual force to carry on a training and support mission to Afghanistan’s 350,000 security forces, who now lead the fight against the Taliban.

Rockets, shells fired at north Mali town of Kidal ÏÏÏUnknown

attackers fired rockets and shells towards the north Malian town of Kidal in a dawn attack, a resident and a security source said on Sunday.

The resident, who asked for anonymity, said he counted more than 40 weapons fired at the town between 05:00-06:00 GMT. He said the weapons appeared to be aimed at a base for a UN peacekeeping force known as Minusma.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

15 Opinion

2015: What the elections are all about Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it. Adolph Hitler

L

Prince Charles Dickson

et me start with this encounter-A young boy enters a barber’s shop where I was getting a haircut. Pointing at the boy, the barber whispers to me, “That is the dumbest kid in the whole world.

Watch while I prove it to you.”

Then the Barber puts N200 note in one hand and a N50 note in the other hand. Then he calls the boy and asks him “which of these two do you want son?”

The boy picks the N50 note and leaves. The Barber says to me...”what did I tell you?”....”That kid will never learn!”

Later when I left the shop, I met the boy coming out of the ice cream shop... “Hey, boy”, I called. “May I ask you a question?” Why did you take the N50 note instead of the N200 note?”

The boy licked his Ice cream, smiled and replied, “Because the day I take the N200 note, the game will end!

Like the boy, our elites and politi-

cians know the game, they know our weakness, and they are winning again. They constitute less than 3 percent of the population but they are the tin gods we have to obey.

They are horse trading, exchanging carrots at our collective expense because they know us. They know most of us only want a measure of salt, rice, few yards of cotton materials with their heads on the fabrics.

They know the day the game will end. They have simply engaged us, as part of the game.

Both the APC and PDP know us, they know we cannot do without them, some of them feel without their heads, or mischievous smile on newspapers no one would buy or on televisions, we wont watch.

They know we are gullible, we love life and cannot resist their Isi Ewu and bottle of Gulder politics in the East, neither can we go far from the amala and obe ewedu welled laced with assorted beef in Ibadan, and for us up, the more Tuwo Shinkafa the more we nod positively to their lies.

It is not raining now but they have offered their umbrellas when the rain comes, would they not come to

collect back because they know us.

Just like the brooms we would not see again when we need it most.

Do we know them, I doubt very much, although sadly when events are weighed vis a vis the past it is obvious that we know them, we just refuse to accept the truth.

They know us, so they are caressing us and in our foolishness we praise them to the high heaven.

Buhari and Jonathan know that our poverty has driven us to the religious edge with churches and mosque everywhere so they target our beliefs and become spokespersons for the gods. We are again at the crossroads because we have refused to face reality, we pretend to know when we really do not know, when we know we refuse to talk and all these they know and use against us.

We think they are naive while in fact they know we are the hungry ones that are happy rather than angry, they know in the midst of our struggles, problems and hardship when asked how we are, we still say ‘fine’. They know how docile we are, and how we cherish the little luxuries of life pinched to us rather than

taking our right in whole.

They simply know way too much, so they manipulate us, make us worship them and make us glorify their stupidity. The Nigerian is peaceful, hospitable and friendly, not easily provoked, in fact never provoked.

They know that we do not know, and even when we know we keep silent, so the maze continues, we keep going the vicious circle and still keep searching for what we did not loose.

Many of us have in the run up to the March elections, severed relationships, opened sours, planted seeds of bitterness and nurtured discord, all because of a “thieving elite” class.

Many of us have been confused by the elitist slang and byline “CHANGE and TRANSFORMATION” which by the way mean almost the same thing, and we have not till date discussed the real issues.

For most of us, that Jonathan is the best thing after slice bread and for the other divide Buhari is the Messiah, I hate to burst the bubble, that the redemption of Nigeria does not lie in the current crop of cosmetic surgeons called APC and PDP.

NASS and exercise of legislative powers

T

Alozie Anaekwe

he pivotal position the legislature occupies as the second estate of the realm cannot be over emphasized as they exist as a way checking the exercise of executive power and balancing the power equation necessary for the smooth functioning of constitutional, democratic and statutory institutions. For one there are no way funds can be appropriated or expended without recourse to the National Asssembly; witness the numerous ‘government shutdowns’ in the United States where various executive bodies and agencies had to temporarily close down and lay off their workers due to a dispute between the White House and Congress,especially the House of Representatives over the appropriate federal debt ceiling leading to a refusal of the House to pass the quarterly budgetary proposals.

Previously the U.S. Congress had also fought with the White House during the Vietnam War over the latter’s authority to conduct military operations in the South-east Asian country and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia.

As for the United Kingdom, the doctrine of separation of powers

does not exist as parliament is supreme and exercises executive and legislative powers with the Prime Minister’s executive cabinet composed of parliamentarians who automatically return to their parliamentary seats in the event of their resignation, dismissal or dissolution of parliament.

In any case, any major decision of the Prime Minister’s cabinet must be approved by Parliament and in several cases the latter has balked on authorising some controversial policies, the most recent being its refusal to authorize British Military involvement in the Syrian war. Also the collapse of Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1990 was as a result of her majority Tory backbenchers in Westminster rebelling against her leadership style after the dramatic ouster of Sir Geofrey Howe as Chancellor of the Exchequer and his subsequent denunciation of Thatcherite rule as ‘divisive and ‘autocratic’.

Even in our relatively nascent democratic dispensation, parliament as represented by the National Assembly and other state and local legislative bodies have continued to play their constitutional roles and in many cases, collision and conflict between the executive and legislature has become the norm rather than the exception as none wants to cede authority to the oth-

er in order not to be marginalized in the constitutional order of affairs.

The National Assembly has at times being at daggers drawn with the Executive over the implementation of the budget, the passage of key legislation, the conduct of oversight functions and the appointment of key government officials e.g. ministers, service chiefs and ambassadors. The implementation or non-implementation of the budget as well as the over-sighting of the vast MDA bureaucracy has been the main sticking points between the two arms of government and barely have one shifted ground for the other on those key issues, each eager to protect and advance it’s constitutional duties and prerogatives.

Happily, it must be noted, that while the various political arms of the executive and legislature have been jostling for advantage against the other, the administrative apparatus underpinning both arms have been operating and interacting with each other optimally to move the democratic process forward. For instance the administrative arm of the National Assembly headed by the Clerk to the National Assembly and Chairman of the Keffi Emirate, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa has provided critical support services and infrastructure for effective legisla-

tion as well as providing the platform for free flowing interactions and consultations between and among the lawmakers and political stakeholders through public hearings and investigative tours around the country which has resulted in relevant alterations of various sections of the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act as well as speedy passage of the yearly budgets. The committee system has been thoroughly revamped and overhauled with a greater emphasis on hard work, professionalism, competence and exemplary performance leading to the placement of round pegs in round holes at the headship of the various committees. The old arcane system of past CNA administrations where favouritism, cronyism and sectionalism was the order of the day has been long discarded and consigned to the dust heap of history. As a result, the various committees are performing at optimal and invigorating levels thus leading to quick passage of numerous bills that have impacted positively on the welfare of the people. Various federal legislators including the leadership of the National Assembly have had to commend the vision, focus, fortitude and patriotic fervor of Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa in pushing the NASS reforms to their logical conclusion.

16

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

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18

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Features

s

Making cooking gas usable, affordable to Nigerians The hope of Nigerians that domestic gas as a stable energy for all will one day replace kerosene, firewood and coal remains a still birth in the labour room of government policies. GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR takes a critical look at some issues involved.

The report that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) had ‘commenced working’ with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Oando Group, Sahara Energy and others to promote manufacturing of gas cylinders locally is not a new song.

Nigerians have come to realise that policies and political promises are shelved for lack of political will and conscience.

Since the pre and post independent era, government policies have failed to address issues that would make the common man benefit from the abundant natural resources of his fatherland.

A mobile fast food vendor using firewood in Makoko. (Inset) Indian kerosene equivalent

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

A hell called Limca Road GBUBEMI GOD’S CONVENANT SNR visits Limca Road and x-rays the horror it represents to helpless road users.

The popular Limca Road, about 200 meters from the Iyana-Isolo-Daleko Bridge, along Oshodi-Mile Two Expressway, is an eyesore and in desperate need of structural repairs and surface dressing.

Only about 300 meters in length, the road falls under the Isolo wing of the Lagos State Government (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) Small/Medium Scale Industrial Scheme.

Limca Road is a significant exit route from the busy expressway, linking the heavy industrial estate with the Ilasa inroad going to Okota Estate to the left, and the Isolo-Ikotun road intersec-

tion to the right.

Flanked on both sides from beginning to its end are reputable expatriate companies and corporate organisations. Of note among them are the manufacturers of the popular Mandilas brand of airconditioners and refrigerators; Norman Industries Limited, a.k.a Norman Long; Aycee Limited; First Bank of CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

The motorist’s nightmare

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

19 Features

Limca road: ‘The neglect is shameful’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Nigeria; Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cow Bell products and a division of Kewalram Chanrai Group (importers of Mitsubishi and other brand of vehicles) besides dozens of small and medium-scale industries most of which have closed down.

Dotted along the road too are numerous Asian Excise Factories licensed by the Board of Customs & Excise to manufacture beauty products, toiletries and the popular Storex plastic water tanks.

Daily Times effort to speak with managers of some of the companies was met with stiff resistance as their subordinates said the matter was not their business to discuss with the press.

Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, a multilocal food manufacturer that has its roots firmly established in Africa, Olivier Thiry, required that our correspondent send an email requesting for an appointment before a discussion could be considered.

A director of one of the nonfunctioning medium-scale industries who spoke to Daily Times in confidence said the state of the small road was a picture of government attitude to industrial growth. “All the small and medium- scale industries here are in the same state as Limca Road because of government policies that cripple local manufacture and allow import of substandard foreign products into the country.”

One David Onojaefe, a busiCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

“Limca Rivers”

‘Cooking gas can be affordable if government truly wills’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Daily Times took time to feel the pulse of dwellers in Ajegunle, Makoko, Mushin, Oko Oba and Ikorodu on their expectations concerning the use of domestic cooking gas to completely replace kerosene, charcoal and especially firewood.

Correspondents from at least 28 states who covered over 300 Local Government Areas sent in responses from rural and

grassroots dwellers, and the people’s verdict was skepticism and distrust.

Mrs. NkemjikaNwamkpa, of Old Ojo Road, Ajegunle said she was tired of hearing what government wants to do. “I lived in Port Harcourt in the 70s before I got married; now I am a grandmother and all we have been hearing from government is how they want to make gas available for everybody, how they will do this and how they will do that, but noth-

ing has happened.”

A family who sells firewood for a living in Nnewi, Anambra state lamented the cost of firewood and how their livelihood is threatened because of government ban on deforestation.

Reviewing the failure of the domestic project over the years, cryogenic expert and former branch manager of BOS Gases, in Ibadan, Festus AdesinaObinaike, listed the advantages of making domestic gas available to all.

According to him, cooking with firewood is unhealthy for the millions who do so while it also deforests the eco-system.

Obanaike added that the country stands to earn a lot of revenue if even only 40 per cent of Nigerians take to cooking gas. “The kind of returns that can come from the massive use of domestic gas in Nigeria is unbelievable because of the great population. Let’s assume only 40 percent of us would be interested in using

domestic gas, the spinoff effect would be indescribable.”

He lamented that at present, less than 10 percent of Nigerians are using domestic gas at a rate unaffordable to most people.

The jobs that will be created if Nigeria fully exploits its gas resources are also enormous, Obanaike added.

“Just to satisfy 60 to 70 percent of 170 million people, CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Features 20

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

‘Limca road poses danger to motorists’

nessman who managed to struggle through the road told Daily Times he was amazed that nobody was concerned that the road was causing motorists and other road users a great deal of stress and damage to their vehicles.

“How can all these companies ignore even their own premises, so much that it is already impassable when the rain has not even started? I wish I had business with some of them, the first question I would have liked to ask them is why they refuse to repair their own premises, why they put their customers in such stress just to come and do business with them.”

“Everything should not be left to Government,” said a trailer driver who spoke to our correspondent. “If all these companies contribute ordinary N25,000 each, this road will be good for everybody. I don’t know why even the oyinbos have started doing like black man. It is a shame to all the companies for this road to be like this.”

Customers of First Bank who spoke to our correspondent complained about the horrible state of the road. “Every time I have to come here, I dread this road,” Mrs. Christiana, a civil servant, told Daily Times. “That First Bank makes their customers face this stress is unacceptable. I have complained to the manager several times, but it is no use.

My tire was punctured on this road last week and it took many hours of my time to fix it. I don’t have to face that. If it is not for the bank’s corporate tie with my office, I won’t continue with this branch.”

Mr. Richard Okafor, the driver of a sales van that managed to swim through a pool already

The horrible faces of Limca Road

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Cooking gas: Domestic production should be encouraged CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

the logistics investment that would be involved would be enormous in terms of human capacity because you’re going to use people and you will have to employ them; you’re going to use equipment and provide services that would make the people’s lives a lot easier and economical.”

On the planned strategy

by NCDBM, he declared: “The strategy that NCDMB

is talking about has always been there; it is the political will and conscience of the players in government that have always been the problem. Another problem is that government didn’t make policies that favoured private investors.

“You cannot build a reputation on what you plan to do; you are assessed by work done and the sustainability of a project beneficial to all, especially on an issue like domestic gas.

“Government, he stressed,

should make deliberate policies that will favour the cylinder-manufacturing and domestic gas projects.

Daily Times investigation reveals local and international players in the Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) subsector are holding back investments in the storage of the product because they do not consider them profitable ventures --- due to poor penetration.

According to the Pipelines

and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), an arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the current adoption of the LPG is 6.8 per cent.

Out of over 250,000 metric tonnes of the LPG produced in Nigeria annually, only 20,000MT or less is properly stored, according to data made available to our correspondent and this shows over 92 per cent deficiency in the country’s storage capacity for the product.

PPMC Managing Director, Mr. Haruna Momoh, lamented that dedicated LPG jetties and refrigerated storage facilities are investment areas that had not been fully explored.

Corroborating this, Obanaike recalled the problems some companies suffered in their early attempt to venture into the domestic gas business.

“Total Nigeria Limited went into partnership with some foreign firm and established CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

21 Features

Cooking gas: A market begging for exploitation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Nigerian Gas Cylinders at Ibadan, producing domestic gas cylinders.

“It was a massive effort; they manufactured and introduced a one-burner cooker and onecylinder that were affordable, and they called it ‘Easy cooker’; but consumers were not patronising them at the level that would encourage them to continue. And government did not move in to assist them.

How government allowed that company to die is something I cannot fathom.

“I was the branch manager of BOS Gases at Ibadan then and we were supplying them with liquid oxygen that they used when they metal-sprayed the cylinders after they had finished to get that perfect surface finish. We were involved with them, so I knew them very well.

“Since then, many companies have attempted to repeat the process, but nothing has been achieved to meet that national need.”

The absence of functioning steel companies in the country is another major obstacle to local manufacture of cylinders, says Obanaike: “Now, if you have to import the metal sheet among other raw materials at the current rate of over N200 to the dollar, what can anyone achieve?

“Okay, there can be some

Array of gas cylinders local input like welding, electrode; even electrode used to be made locally, but it is no longer so now.

“Government had agreed at the time that they would subsidise, but when the product started getting into the hands of distributors, people hijacked it and sold it and the laudable project never worked.”

He stressed the problem of transporting big gas cylinders, and advocated smaller, more portable cylinders.

“We need a small cylinder

that people can carry easily so that you can enter a bus to town, drop and fill it and take it home without much stress,” he said.

Daily Times investigation uncovered a huge import market of light single and double burner kerosene cookers and cylinders manufactured in India.

One of the marketers told Daily Times that Indians have studied the Nigerian domestic fuel situation and packaged a neat and kerosene-efficient so-

lution for us since our government refused to do it.

The single-burner built on the cylinder costs N5,000, while the double burner costs N10,000.

With so much resources and technocrats on the ground, the manufacturing of gas cylinders and production of domestic cooking gas at affordable prices for all is not only feasible but also workable. All that is required is the will and the right attitude.

“We need a small cylinder that people can carry easily so that you can enter a bus to town, drop and fill it and take it home without much stress”

Limca road: Where’s corporate responsibility?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

nicknamed ‘Limca River’ told Daily Times that the worst time is the raining season. “This problem has been here for a long time; all the companies refuse to repair the small road even for their customers’ sake.

“It is my lucky day, which is why I passed Limca River today without sinking. I got stuck last Tuesday but I cannot avoid using this exit from the expressway because I make supplies to many depots and representatives of

manufacturers in Ilasa and Okota estates.”

A vulcaniser on the road who craved anonymity said though his business was not doing badly since he opened his Limca Road branch, he wished that the road could be repaired. “I feel for motorists and other people using the road. It is going to be worse when the rain begins heavily. Last year, this place was so bad that after a heavy rain, I could not even come out for business. It is good that the companies should repair it.”

Collapsed sections on Limca Road

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Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Today in History Compiled by ‘Tunji Okegbola 1841 Supreme Court rules on Amistad mutiny At the end of a historic case, the U.S. Supreme Court rules, with only one dissent, that the African slaves who seized control of the Amistad slave ship had been illegally forced into slavery, and thus are free under American law.

In 1807, the U.S. Congress joined with Great Britain in abolishing the African slave trade, although the trading of slaves within the U.S. was not prohibited. Despite the international ban on the importation of African slaves, Cuba continued to transport captive Africans to its sugar plantations until the 1860s, and Brazil to its coffee plantations until the 1850s.

On June 28, 1839, 53 slaves recently captured in Africa left Havana, Cuba, aboard the Amistad schooner for a life of slavery on a sugar plantation at Puerto Principe, Cuba. Three days later, Sengbe Pieh, a Membe African known as Cinque, freed himself and the other slaves and planned a mutiny. Early in the morning of July 2, in the midst of a storm, the Africans rose up against their captors and, using sugar-cane knives found in the hold, killed the captain of the vessel and a crewmember. Two other crewmembers were either thrown overboard or escaped, and Jose Ruiz and Pedro Montes, the two Cubans who had purchased the slaves, were captured.

1959

Cinque ordered the Cubans to sail the Amistad east back to Africa. During the day, Ruiz and Montes complied, but at night they would turn the vessel in a northerly direction, toward U.S. waters. After almost nearly two difficult months at sea, during which time more than a dozen Africans perished, what became known as the “black schooner” was first spotted by American vessels.

On August 26, the USS Washington, a U.S. Navy brig, seized the Amistad off the coast of Long Island and escorted it to New London, Connecticut. Ruiz and Montes were freed, and the Africans were imprisoned pending an investigation of the Amistad revolt. The two Cubans demanded the return of their supposedly Cuban-born slaves, while the Spanish government called for the Africans’ extradition to Cuba to stand trial for piracy and murder. In opposition to both groups, American abolitionists advocated the return of the illegally bought slaves to Africa.

The story of the Amistad mutiny garnered widespread attention, and U.S. abolitionists succeeded in winning a trial in a U.S. court. Before a federal district court in Connecticut, Cinque, who was taught English by his new American friends, testified on his own behalf. On January 13, 1840, Judge Andrew Judson ruled that the Africans were il-

Barbie makes her debut 1959 Barbie makes her

debut On this day in 1959, the first Barbie doll goes on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.

Eleven inches tall, with a waterfall of blond hair, Barbie was the first mass-produced toy doll in the United States with adult features. The woman behind Barbie was Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel, Inc. with her husband in 1945. After seeing her young daughter ignore her baby dolls to play make-believe with paper dolls of adult women, Handler realized there was an important niche in the mar-

ket for a toy that allowed little girls to imagine the future.

Barbie’s appearance was modelled on a doll named Lilli, based on a German comic strip character. Originally marketed as a racy gag gift to adult men in tobacco shops, the Lilli doll later became extremely popular with children. Mattel bought the rights to Lilli and made its own version, which Handler named after her daughter, Barbara.

With its sponsorship of the “Mickey Mouse Club” TV program in 1955, Mattel became the first toy company to broadcast commercials to children.

s

Cartoon from our Archives

Daily Times March 9, 1961 legally enslaved, that they would not be returned to Cuba to stand trial for piracy and murder, and that they should be granted free passage back to Africa. The Spanish authorities and U.S. President Martin Van Buren appealed the decision, but another federal district court upheld Judson’s findings. President Van Buren, in opposition to the abolitionist faction in Congress, appealed the decision again.

1985

1985 First Adopt-a-Highway sign goes up On March 9, 1985, the firstever Adopt-a-Highway sign is erected on Texas’s Highway 69.

The highway was adopted by the Tyler Civitan Club, which committed to picking up trash along a designated two-mile stretch of the road.

The Adopt-a-Highway program really began the year before, when James Evans, an engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, noticed litter blowing out of the back of a pickup truck he was following in Tyler, Texas. Concerned about

On February 22, 1841, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing the Amistad case. U.S. Representative John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, who served as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829, joined the Africans’ defence team. In Congress, Adams had been an eloquent opponent of slavery, and before the nation’s highest court he presented a coherent argument for the release of Cinque

and the 34 other survivors of the Amistad.

On March 9, 1841, the Supreme Court ruled that the Africans had been illegally enslaved and had thus exercised a natural right to fight for their freedom.

In November, with the financial assistance of their abolitionist allies, the Amistad Africans departed America aboard the Gentleman on a voyage back to West Africa.

First Adopt-a-Highway sign goes up the increasing cost to the government of keeping roadways clean, Evans soon began asking community groups to volunteer to pick up trash along designated sections of local highways.

Evans got no takers for his idea; however, Billy Black, the public information officer for the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation, took up the cause and organized the first official Adopt-a-Highway program, which included training and equipment for volunteers.

After the Tyler Civitan Club’s sign went up on March 9, other groups volunteered to beautify their own stretches of highway.

The program eventually spread to the rest of the U.S. and to such

countries as Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

Businesses, schools and churches are among the main organizations to participate in the Adopt-a-Highway (also known in some places as Sponsor-a-Highway) program. However, over the years, some Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups, along with other controversial organizations, have tried to become involved--and thereby receive signs along highways acknowledging their effort. After the state of Missouri rejected a Ku Klux Klan group’s application to join the program, the white supremacist organization charged that its free-speech rights were being violated.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

23 Public Notice

NATION FEEDERS FARMERS, YOUTH AND WOMEN ASSOCIATION

GRACE RECOVERY MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

The general public is hereby notified that the above named association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general notice is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under the part c of the companies and allied matters Act1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. Elder Oyedele A. John – Chairman 2. Pastor Ajiboye Peter O - Secretary 3. Chief(Mrs.) Kusaanu Omolara - Treasurer 4. Mr. Olatunde Oluwagbemiga – President, Nigeria 5. Mr Ekundayo Adenrele – PRO Aim and Objective: To feed the Nation by working with GRASS ROOT farmers (in all commodities), and to add value to their products, for the purpose of providing solutions to the challenges threatening their economic well-being; through the use of holistic agricultural packages that facilitate modern production, storage, processing and marketing locally and internationally; not only to ensure financial empowerment of the identified groups but also to provide them with a voice in the society and at the same time enhancing the economic health of the country by migrating it from the single (oil only) income regime to multiple income streams regime.

Any Objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, P.M.B 198, Maitama, Abuja within Twenty-Eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Elder Oyedele A. John Chairman

JOY CHAPEL INT’L The general public is hereby notified that the above ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 Trustees

The trustees are: 1. Rev Dr. Etiosa Enogieru Aigbedion - General Overseer.

2. Dcn. Michael Enofe Agbontaen.

3. Mrs. Evelyn Enogieru Agharia.

4. Evang. Joy Aigbedion -Financial Secretary.

5. Patrick Aguangbe Aghedo.

6. Cyril Ehiozuwa Omonbhude - Secretary.

7. Mary Egbe Oravbiere - Treasurer.

Aim and objectives.

1. To worship God. 2. To preach the good news.

3. To do charity work.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi street Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

THE GREATEST MERCY OF GOD CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP The general public is hereby notified that the above ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 Trustees.

1. Prophet Popoola Olusola Daniel -General Overseer 2. Oluwasola Stella Daniel - Deputy General Overseer 3. Adeleke Bimbola Felicia - Treasurer 4. Adams Faith Odunola - Secretary

Aim and objectives.

Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Aim and objectives.

To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Signed: Pastor (Dr) Bartholomew Nyong Effiong (Chairman)

THE INTERNS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE The general public is hereby notified that the above named initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The Trustees are: 1- Ajibola Olubunmi Bamidele - Chairman 2- Oluchi Doris Bamidele - Secretary 3- Faith Okwori Aims and Objectives.

1. To promote peace and unity among the youth 2. To provide development advice and help to the youth.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi street, PMB 198 Maitama Abuja within 28 days of the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

THE TRIUMPHANT AMBASSADOR INT’L CHRISTIAN MINISTRY The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C.), Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Company and Allied Matter Act 1 of 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Revd. Anthony Louis Akpan 2. Evang. Labby Sunday Effiong 3. Rev. Dr Bunmi Olusola 4. Pastor Mrs Akpan Effiong Blessing 5. Pastor Gabriel Oghale Ejebu 6. Rev. Dr Mike Oluniyi AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

SIGNED: Rev. Anthony Louis

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

The trustees are: 1.Abdullahi Ahmed - Chairman.

2. Park Pire Maidambe - Secretary.

3. Andirya Abiathar Galadima.

4. Yambali Enoch Manaseh.

Aims and objectives: 1.To cater for the indigent of the community residing in Lagos.

2. To setup development programs for the youths of the community at home.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affair s commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama’ Abuja within 28days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

Signed: Barr. Moses Omorogbe

1. Pastor (Dr) Bartholomew Nyong Effiong - Chairman 2. Mrs. Idongesit Nyong Effiong 3. Evang. Anthony Okon Effiong 4. Pastor (Dr) Ebere James Okorie 5. Dr. Christopher Gabriel Umoh - Secretary

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

KALTUNGO CHIEFDOM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

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

Signed: Secretary

DAVID & GRACE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C.), Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Company and Allied Matter Act 1 of 2004.

The Trustees are: 1) David Okwu 2) Grace Nzeako Aims and Objectives: 1) Making quality education obtainable and accessible even to a common Nigerian child.

2) Providing solate and care to less privilege both young and old 3) Providing financial means for poverty alleviation and accommodation for parents.

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

NAOMI ORPAH RUTH INITIATIVE The general public is hereby notified that the above named initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Adebimpe Maria Olumodeji 2.Olubode Nathaniel Olumodeji - Secretary 3.Oluwatoyin Olumodeji 4.Florence Oluwafeyikemi Egbeyemi 5.Francisca Elawure Olumodeji 6. Omolabake Baseerat Agbemologe Aim and objectives.

1.To bring widows under one umbrella for common front 2. To provide financial assistance for widows and less privileged in the society.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

Signed : Secretary.

DISCLAIMER THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT ILLUMINATION MULTIPURPOSE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED LOCATED AT 30, AYANGBUREN ROAD, OJUBODE, IKORODU LAGOS HAS TEMPORARILY STOPPED OPERATION WITH EFFECT FROM 3RD NOVEMBER, 2014.

ANY BODY OR GROUP THAT DOES ANY BUSINESS WITH ANY OF OUR STAFF/MARKETER ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY DO IT AT HIS/HER OWN RISK AS THE MANAGEMENT WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

Signed: MANAGEMENT.

SIGNED: BARR. ASUENIMHEN CHRISTAIN

GLOW CARE FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C.), Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Company and Allied Matter Act 1 of 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1) Okenwe Great O Bumneme - President 2) Ajisaiye Olufemi Adebanji - Secretary 3 Oyenuga Racheal Olusola - Treasurer AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1 To show love, care and affection to the less privileged.

2. To establish orphanage homes, hospital and schools for the less privileged.

3 To alleviate poverty by providing affordable foods, drugs and educational materials for the less privileged.

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

SIGNED: Enitan Afolabi Godwin 29/31 Obafemi Awolowo Way, 1st Foor Awolowo House, Ikeja, Lagos

OGIDI ELA PROGRESSIVE FORUM This is to inform the general public that the above named club has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Alhaja Funmilayo Mundi 3. Mr. Matthew Adekunle Medupin 5. Mr. Peters Olorunjuwon Eniolorunda 7. Olorunfemi Kayode Medupin 9. Chief Ambrose Adewale 11. Alhaji Shuaib Ipinmisho

2. Dr. Oloniyon Felix Akande 4. Mrs. Folushola Anne Olatunji 6. Bashorun Giwa 8. Mr. Soji Damolekun 10. Pastor Taiye Owonubi 12. Mr. Omoniyi Ibietan

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.To create a forum where members shall meet, discuss and execute developmental programmes that will be beneficial to their community.

2.To promote unity peace and understanding among members and indigenes of the community.

3.To encourage social interaction among members and indigenes of the community.

4.To assist members and indigenes in maintaining peace and concord with other organizations having similar objectives.

5.To cater for the welfare of their members and indigenes of the community.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: OLUFEMI OLUTIMEHIN & CO. Suite 303 Anbeez Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

News 24

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Private jet owners get 90-day ultimatum to streamline operations Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

ÏÏÏPrivate

jet owners in the country have been given a 90-day ultimatum to come up with their operational preference.

This is in furtherance of the Ministry of Aviation’s calculated efforts to streamline their operations According to Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, the General Manager, Public Affairs, of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the ul-

timatum was given at the conclusion of a meeting between the officials of the Ministry of Aviation and the stakeholders in the General Aviation sector, which houses all owners and operators of private jets.

In a release signed by Ndubuoke, said the ultimatum was given by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Alhaji Mohammed Abass, after a meeting which lasted for several hours at Abuja.

CHRIST IN YOU GARDEN OF REFORMATION MINISTRY The general public is hereby notified that the above named body has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part “c” of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, No. 1 of 1990.

EPZ: Delta community threatens operations of multinationals Joe Ogbodu Warri

ÏÏÏAggrieved

Ijaw community, in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta state, have threatened to disrupt activities of multinationals in their land over their exclusion in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project.

The community accused the state Governor, Dr.

Joe Ogbodu

ÏÏÏThe apex socio-cultural

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To preach the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B 198, Garki Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT TOURISM HOSPITALITY & COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT OF NIGERIA This is to inform the general public that the above named organization, institute of transport tourism hospitality & communication Management of Nigeria has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Board of Trustees 1. Dr. Daniel Enemona John 2. Oyigebe Jacob Godwin 3. Ekeocha Fidelis Chukwudi 4. Prof. Olufemi Obafemi 5. Faith Ojochenemi John 6. Famous Onaji John 7. Dr. Obanoye Joseph Abodunde 8. Omotoso Femi 9. John Ojonimi Favour 10. Olukayode Omotoso

organisation of the Urhobo people, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), has described as baseless and unfounded, allegations that it was bribed to endorse the candidature of Chief Great Ogboru, the Labour Party governorship flag bearer, as well as President

Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP presidential candidate.

The group spoke, following allegations by a breakaway faction of the body, which had alleged that the Chief Joe Omene-led UPU were induced to endorse Ogboru and Jonathan in the forthcoming governorship and presidential election.

“If you give out money to buy your endorsement, it

Signed: Secretary

means you are not popular; it is an unpopular politician that gives out money to bribe the people”, Chief Omene said.

Omene, who spoke after an enlarged meeting of President Generals from the 24 Urhobo Kingdoms in Delta Central, the youth wing (Ighele) and the women’s wing (Ewheya) of the UPU, affirmed the ‘Uvwiamuge Declaration’.

Ogboru

PLUSLIVING INTERNATIONAL MISSION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ministry has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees.

1. Rev. Israel Nwachinemere Israel 2. Mrs Eme Uko Udom.

3. Mrs Usen Charles Bassey

Trustees.

1. Ettah Davidpaul David.

2. Onyinye madu Queen.

3. Obasi Chinedu kingsley.

4. Eriamiatoe Augusta.

5. Ogbechie Frances uche.

6. Dumebi Nduka.

Any objections to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 daysof this publication.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar, Corporate Affairs Commission. Plot 565 Ndola Square, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

ernment Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) and Chief Ayiri Emami over the need to give peace a chance.

But leaders of Ogulagha kingdom, an Ijaw Kingdom in Burutu, said it was unfair to exclude them in the $16billion project.

The aggrieved community vowed to frustrate the proposed March 15, 2015, ground breaking ceremony.

REPENTANTANCE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS GLOBAL MINISTRY

Aim and objective.

1. To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ to all people and nations.

2. To organize regular Christian assembly such as prayer meeting, Bible studies.

Aims and Objectives 1. To promote the advancement of education in transport, tourism, hospitality and communication.

2. To generate knowledge to take responsibilities for their own development and to provide world-class service.

3. To devise and impose means of testing the qualification of candidates for admission to membership of the institute by examination theory and in practice or by any other tests, and grants certificates to the successful candidates and others.

4. To facilitate the exchange of information and ideas on matters of education or of general interests affecting transport, tourism, hospitality and communication management with a view to improve the quality and standard of transport, tourism hospitality and communication management.

5. To provide professional and academic education in transport, tourism, hospitality and communication management with view to improve the quality and standard of transport, tourism, hospitality and communication management.

The Ijaw of Gbaramatu Kingdom and Itsekiri of Ugborodo, had agreed to sheath their sword in a peace meeting last week.

The meeting had agreed that the Gas City would be named after Ogidigben, an Itsekiri enclave, while the Deep Sea Port, would be named after Gbaramatu.

Uduaghan, had earlier met with arrow head in the EPZ crisis, Chief Gov-

‘UPU can’t be bribed to endorse candidates’ Warri

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor Philip Olalekan Oyedeji 2. Lady Evang. Esther Funmi Oyedeji 3. Joseph Korede Oyedeji 4. Sunday Akintayo Akintola 5. John Omololu Ajayi 6. Deborah Bisola Oyedeji

Emmanuel Uduaghan, as well as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), of sidelining them in the purported resolution of the crisis trailing the project.

President Goodluck Jonathan had asked the stakeholders to resolve their differences over the project, in order to enable him perform the ground breaking ceremony.

Signed by: Yomi sanya. $ Co. Legal Practitioners.

Aim and objective.

1. To teach value of the Bible as regards to healthy and positive living.

2. To counsel, empower and encourage the young to be their brother’s keeper.

Any objections to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 daysof this publication.

Signed by: Secretary

NURTURING POTENTIALS & DREAMS INITIATIVE

ORELOPE FRIENDSHIP CLUB OF LAGOS

The general public is hereby notified that the above named INITIATIVE has applied to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notify that the above named CLUB has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part c of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

The Trustees Are: 1. Okunaiya Philip Sola - Chairman 2. Okunaiya Gbone Adunola 3. Adesanya Toluwalope Ebunola 4. Ojo Temitola Kehinde

The trustees are: 1. Nurudeen Oseni - President.

2. Olufemi Akindele - Vice President.

3. Idowu Adetola - General Secretary.

4. Owolabi Muhammed - Assistant General Secretary 5. Abiodun Oshoyemi - Treasurer.

6. Wale Kassim - Member.

Aims & Objectives: 1. To sponsor and mentor primary & secondary school students from under privileged background.

2. To sponsor youths to acquire vocational skill so they can become selfreliant.

3. Mentoring youths by organizing programmes & inviting life coaches to give motivational and inspiring talks.

Any objections to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 daysof this publication.

Signed by: BARR. ELEMI MORENIKEJI

Aims and objectives.

1. To romote the spirit of brotherhood and selfless services among members.

2. To encourage possitively all youth in our community.

3. To assist members in time of need.

4. To foster peace, unity and progress among club members.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general , corporate affairs commission, plot 420 tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Trustees.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Plot to remove Jega unacceptable, APC tells Jonathan Tosin Ajuwon Akure

Ă?Ă?Ă?The

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has described the plot to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, as unacceptable and

Transparency Network Seeks probe of Reps Committee Augustine Aminu & Henry Omonu, Abuja

would be resisted.

The party, in a statement issued by its state Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, to journalists in Akure, on Sunday, said the move to remove Prof. Jega before the election shows an impression of attempts to undermine the credibility

of the scheduled March 28 and April 11 general election.

Abayomi, who argued that the removal of the INEC boss before the general election could precipitate a National crisis of grave consequences, noted that the plot would be defied by the masses.

“We are aware of reports in the media of a grand plot by President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to frustrate the INEC chairman out of office before the rescheduled dates of March 28 and April 11 for the general election.

6

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non-profit organisation, Transparency Network, has called on the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to investigate the Chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Adeola Solomon Olamilekan, over reports of ‘politically-sponsored blackmail’ on Petroleum Ministry, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries.

A statement issued by the Executive Director of the Abuja-based non-profit organisation, Dr. Yahaya Bello, also accused the House committee chairman of ‘economic sabotage’, as a result of his series of ‘unsubstantiated’ corruption allegations on the petroleum ministry.

Olamilekan (senatorial candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos), alleged last weekend that $14.9 billion (about N3 trillion) reportedly paid by the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Company from 2004 to 2014 to the NNPC, had disappeared.

Abuja

Ă?Ă?Ă?Senior

Special Assistant (SSA) to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Peter Akper (SAN), said, at the weekend, that the AGF, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, would rather resign his office than engage in acts capable of undermining the nation’s constitution.

Akper also dismissed insinuation that the office

Wale Akintunde Yola

Ă?Ă?Ă?A social critic, Malam Ibrahim Medugu, has challenged the Speaker of Adamawa State House of Assembly, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, to come out openly and prove that he did not embezzle the state resources amounting to N3,908,255,626, during his tenure as the acting governor of the state.

He noted that ousted Governor Murtala Nyako committed similar sin, which led to his removal.

Medugu, who spoke with journalists in Yola on Sunday, said that as a matter of urgency, Fintiri has to clear the grey areas in the account of his stewardship as acting governor of the state, following the impeachment of former governor Murtala

Adamawa Speaker accused of N3.2bn theft as Ag Gov Nyako.

He observed that Fintiri had submitted a report that during his stay in office as the acting governor, he earned a total of N21,406,340,767 as income, and expended the sum of 20,698,085,140, leaving about N708,255,623 as surplus in the state coffers, for the incoming governor.

He posited that the record in their possession showed that Fintiri left a deficit of over N3.2billion and not a surplus, as he claimed.

Jonathan will win Presidential election – Fulani group

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AGF’s aide denies boss’s alleged N2bn graft Lateef Ibrahim

25 News

of the AGF and Minister of Justice had received N2 billion to facilitate the filing of lawsuits, aimed at postponing or terminating the forthcoming general election, or disqualify any candidate.

The SSA stated this in response to a publication by an on-line medium to the effect that he (the AGF) is secretly funding anti-election lawsuits through cronies.

He challenged any Lawyer who has been so re-

tained to speak up, in the interest of the nation’s democracy, and present his or her letter of instructions to that effect.

Akper pointed out that the Minister of Justice, to the best of his knowledge, is irrevocably committed to the conduct of the general election, stating that he (the AGF) is a constitutional purist, who would rather resign his office, than engage in acts capable of undermining the Constitution.

In a statement personally signed by him, Akper said: “On Wednesday March 4, 2015, when the AGF was attending the high level segment of the 28th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, ‘Sahara Reporters’ published an article under the caption: ‘Attorney General Adoke Secretly Funding Anti-Election Lawsuits Through Cronies’.

Sunday Isuwa Abuja

Ă?Ă?Ă?A Fulani socio-cultur-

al association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has re-stated its preparedness towards ensuring that President Goodluk Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wins the Presidential election, come March 28.

National President of the association, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo, stated this in his office in Nasarawa State at the weekend.

He said the association has adopted robust campaign strategies, in such a way that it would be able to attract all Fulani pastoralists to vote for President Jonathan for his continu-

ous transformation agenda. “No vote will miss out from Fulani in the coming election. They are all going to vote for the PDP,� Badejo said.

He described President Jonathan as a man of transformation, trusted and reliable person, who has the Fulanis at heart all the time. “Without Jonathan, the Fulanis would have been backward by now. He had committed to achieving the agricultural transformation agenda by 2015. He had also provided an enabling ground for all Fulanis, by providing huge sums of money for their resettlement schemes, and provisions of grazing reserve for their businesses,� he added.

Taraba guber poll: Group backs CAN endorsement of Ishaku Augustine Aminu Abuja

Ă?Ă?Ă?A

Non-Government Organisation, the Taraba Voters Watch, has said there is nothing wrong with the endorsement of Darius Dickson Ishaku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The group, in a statement signed by its coordinators, Ismaila Inusa and James Bauka, last weekend in Abuja, said it could not

have afforded to sit by and not take sides in the ongoing political contests.

The christian body has come under attack from the opposition parties in the state for its endorsement of the ruling PDP candidate, Darius Ishaku.

The statement reads in part, “What CAN did was the very height of responsibility. It could not have afforded to sit by and not take sides in the ongoing contest. As a body, steeped in the art of leadership, CAN’s leadership knows who has the best ideas and programmes for the people.

26

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Our heritage

s

A PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP PROJECT

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION

In Itori, God has given OUR COUNTRY us light from heaven OUR PRIDE –Oba Agbodere Eleven years after he ascended the throne, His Royal Majesty Oba AbdulFatai Akorede Akamo, Agbodere, the Olu of Itori tells OLUSOLA OKUNLADE how God has changed the history of the town.

The people of Itoriland, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, migrated from Egbaland. But during the course of their journey, some decided to stop and settle at Igbo Egba, where they are today as Itori, while others continued their journey only to settle in Lagos.

Today, Isheri consist of Awori and Egba people. According to oral traditions, it was a challenging journey, as the people travelled on bare foot and braved several odds only to find their home in their current land.

The current monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdulfatai Akorede Akamo, Agbodere I, the Olu of Itori, ascended the throne 11 years ago, in a small, but colourful ceremony. The monarch has, since then, piloted the affairs of the people and town. Looking fulfilled with joy for what God has used him to accomplish in the town, the monarch, who still believes that more is yet to come for the people, shed more light on his people and the town.

“I never thought about becoming king, though I have been part of the palace. I had about seven chieftaincy titles before I was installed. Eventually, when they called me, that the oracle has picked me as the next king, it came as a surprise. I took it in good faith and handed it over to God, since then God has been my guardian,’’ he said.

Since he ascended the throne, His Majesty’s reign has brought lots of development to the town.

Hear him: “I believe I am not in a position to catalogue my achievements by myself, you should ask my people what they consider as my achievement. Since the past 11 years, God has given us a light from heaven. Where you sit now is a forgotten land, before I was installed. God has turn the

-

-

-

Oba AbdulFatai

place to a befitting edifice. As I am talking to you, we have over ten thousand population, unlike when I came here, the population was less than five hundred.

I fought for tertiary institution and today we have an information and communication technology (ICT) centre, a polytechnic with more than thirty thousand students. It has improved the social economics of the community.

More so, I am building a gigantic hall, which is nearly completion.

It will be ready before my 12th anniversary on the throne. The hall has a capacity of five thousand seats for events and one hundred rooms for lodging with law tennis court, volley ball and standard swimming pool. I can boast of several companies; some of them are Lakatabu, the first

in Africa largest cement factory, Dolphin Iron Steel, Ofada VeeTee Rice Company, numerous fuel stations, banks, newly building.

Before I became an oba you could hardly see two to three people in the market, but our market now, boasts of nothing less than two thousand people.’’

The history of the people reveals that culture and tradition play a central role in their indigenous beliefs system. Oba AbdulFatai Akorede Akamo explains how some of the people’s culture had been of help. ‘‘I am an Egba indigene; part and parcel of Abeokuta. In Itori, we have all the deities like Egungun, Oro, Esu, Igunnuko, and so on. We have a yearly festival called Odun Alashe. It’s

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

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

T-Flute shines with Triumph Entertainment Moses Kadiri HE was only briefed on how a previous yearly street carnival show ended up a flop in MagodoShangisha area of Lagos State, but Doherty Ayotunde (aka TFlute) gave a helping hand which lead to his own outfit, Triumph Entertainment.

He was nick named T-Flute because of his magic finger in playing flute instrument, and his ability in turning a dull ceremony to a lively atmosphere with his punchy jokes on stage. Indeed he is born to entertain. “Triumph Entertainment adds pleasure to your leisure,” he enthused.

“We have wonderful packages, services such as events decoration and logistics; Master of ceremony (MC) services, kiddies parties, musical recording studio, live band and training on musical instruments, among many others.”

T-Flute who has anchored weddings, birthdays, political conventions, meetings, boat cruise re-union in South Africa, 2007, hints that when he is on stage as the master of ceremony he studies his audience and gives them what they want. “When I am on stage I deliver fresh and spontaneous jokes, no need mentioning Warri when I have not been there, never! I use what is happening at the environment of the event and bring out the humour in it.

We just wanna have a good time.

And that’s all that matters. Also, I gist, I use what you call audience participation which enables the audience get so involved in the whole process. I don’t see myself on stage, it’s like I am gisting with friends at a bar, “T-Flute boasts.

27 Our heritage

At MUSON, the New Horizons classical, jazz continues A four-part concert series titled ‘New Horizons’ featuring jazz and classical begins at the Lagos MUSON centre with a thrilling performances. Audience were more perplexed than entertained writes Agozino Agozino

Recent days at the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Centre, Onikan Lagos, are proving very eventful, even more than the usual busy music schedule.

Recently, the centre hosted an engaging evening performance, featuring sensational soprano singer, Joseph Oparamanuike (aka Mr. Tenor). The event which also featured two other performers, Fatima Anyakeme, mezo soprano and a guest artiste, Ranti Ihimoyan, soprano, with Princewill Ubani on the piano, literally set the highbrow event centre aglow, as the performers showcased their prowess in vocal and classical music renditions.

The night of performances was served in two sessions bridged by an intermission. The session was largely made up of compositions by such masters as R. Rodgers, G. Bizet, F. Tosti, C Gounod, But, penultimate Monday, the ever-elite music centre gave music-lovers what they should expect this year, when it opened a four-part concert featuring jazz, classical, opera and African music.

The opening of the show which was a celebration of a four-part concert series titled New Horizons, was witnessed by an enthusiastic audience that savoured every part of the event. The concert which began recently continues

L-R: Queen Elizabeth (2nd left) oparamanuike (2nd right) and other members of the common weath Ochesha after their performance.

its run today with another performance beginning 6: pm.

MUSON said that, aside from giving talented Nigerians the opportunity to express themselves, the concert was aimed at popularising jazz and classical music amongst Nigerians, which was in line with its core mandates.

The on-going concert, which holds every month, was initiated by Artisitic Director, Tunde Jegede, with the full backing of society’s management. The four-part series concert, which opened, recently, in Lagos, and happen once a month, will end in June.

General Manager of the MUSON, Mr. Gboyega Banjo, and Jegede told reporters that the

objectives were in line with MUSON’s mission, which is growing classical music culture in Nigeria.

Banjo said that Jegede, who was appointed last year shortly before the MUSON Festival of Arts, was an immediate hit on arrival and that what he is offering through the concerts is a sample of what he’s capable of.

“Jegede’s appointment was an immediate hit, as they say in music, in what he has done when we hired him. From our experience, you only have to motivate young people in this country and they will exceed your expectations,” Banjo said, adding that MUSON is not relenting in its efforts to take its kind of music to public

places outside the centre. “We are actively wrestling with that idea.

Given the geography of this country, it would be good for us to have branches or partners out there.

What could happen is that we could replicate MUSON in Abuja or Port Harcourt – two strong cities to look at.

“Another thing is aggregating a critical mass of people in those places, they take the initiative and MUSON partners with them to establish it there or MUSON takes concerts to those places and it generates interests. Those things could happen in the fullness of time. It will be ideal, no doubt. Right now, we look as if we are Musical Society of Lagos rather than Nigeria.”

Our transformations in Itoriland Continued from page 26

T-Flute

significant in paying homage to our ancestors and fallen heroes, in the olden days. During the festive period, our people engage in sweeping one another’s compound. They rotate it until they are done in sweeping the whole town before coming to the palace for royal blessing, prayers by the priest. It will end in merriment.’’

The recent celebration of the eleventh year on the throne was a colourful event, as the people trooped out in their thousands to pay homage to the monarch.

Explaining the significance of the event, the traditional ruler said: “The paramount thing is when my people are happy I am happy. We visited juvenile and orphanage homes. We had Jumat

service, gave out packages to the widows, which was supported by my club members.’’

Apart from all these, the monarch recounted his challenges.

According to him, kingship was not a bed of roses. He said that hard work and commitment had been the secret of his day to day living, and overcoming challenges of life.

He, therefore, advised Nigerians to get closer to God, because with God all things are possible.

He also urged the youth to see education as a priority. “As you can see Itori is highly organised and the youths are well behaved.

People should not partake in political violence and bloodshed in the course of voting during the election.”

28

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Business Times

s Nigeria earns N777bn from agric interventions

L-R :Mr. Wouter Van Gulck -President, Belgian Chambers, Mr. Peter Mihok - President, World Chamber Federation, Mr. Xavier Coronas, President, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Remi Bello, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry at World Chamber Federation Council meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina recently.

Corporate, banking sector performances influence market recovery Adesola Akindele Investors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange last week recorded a turnover of 2.133 billion shares worth N24.386 billion in 22,532 deals in contrast to a total of 1.675 billion shares valued at N21.315 billion that exchanged hands in 21,062 deals in the preceding week.

This is remarkable improvement given previously recorded declining performance of the last few weeks.

This recent achievement has been attributed to the unexpected performance of the Corporate and Banking sector.

Speaking with Daily Times Correspondent at the Stock Exchange House on Friday, A stock

broker, Mr. Charles Fakrogha, explained that despite the economic and political challenges still affecting the Nigerian economic atmosphere, there are factors that can otherwise influence the performance of shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. ‘’There are so many factors that drives the market and a few of them like political and security situation as said would always remain, but like I have always mentioned, It is safe to say that the performance of the companies would drive the market, because the market is a reflection of what is happening to the companies. So if these companies are doing well, and there is good news about them, investors are happy, this would automatically

reflect in their share price. The corporate earnings, i.e. their reports is a major factor in influencing the performance of the market, of which a few of these reports have been seen in the last few days’’ he said.

The commendable results from Nestle and Nigerian breweries which recently released their reports were not as unexpected as those of Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank that were released on March 5 which showed a revenue of N403, 343,000 and N278, 520,814 respectively for the year 2014, as well as a profit after tax of N99, 455,000 and N94, 694,919 respectively and proposed dividend of N1.75k and N1.50k each.

At the close of trading activi-

ties on Friday, the NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalisation appreciated by 3.14 per cent to close at 31,049.37 and N10.360 trillion. Also, all indices finished higher during the week with exception of the NSE Insurance Index, NSE Oil/Gas Index and NSE Lotus II Index that closed lower by 0.12 per cent, 2.00per cent, and 1.75 per cent respectively. However, the NSE ASeM Index closed flat.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.797 billion shares valued at N14.192 billion traded in 14,424 deals; thus contributing 84.24 per cent and 58.20 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has said that Nigeria gained N777 billion from various intervention programmes in the agricultural sector in 2014.

Adesina made this known on Thursday in Abuja while briefing members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture on the performance of the ministry’s budget in 2014.

He said the money went to the rural economy of the nation as many local farmers benefitted from the interventions and were currently performing well in their farms.

The minister, who also defended the ministry’s 2015 budget before the committee, announced that a crop insurance scheme for farmers in the country was on the way.

He said that no fewer than five million farmers would benefit from the programme, explaining that it was intended to build the confidence of farmers and encourage more people to farm. ``The main economic value of all the interventions that were done on rice, maize, sorghum, wheat, soy beans, cassava and others added N777 billion worth of income back into our rural economy. ``This has helped to create significant amount of wealth for our farmers in the country. ``As you know, we added about 21 million metric tonnes of food to the domestic food supply and that goes all over from rice to maize, cassava, sorghum, and to soy beans. ``All of that has added an average of N777 billion of revenue back into the economy; that is money going back into the hands of farmers and communities,’’ he said.

NAMA aeronautical personnel lament poor treatment Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo President of Aeronautical Information Service Association of Nigeria (AISAN), Babatunde Shittu, has decried the deteriorating working condition in their stations across the country over the years.

Shittu told Daily Times that management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA has relegated them and made it look as if only one association was the professional body in the agency always agitating for improved welfare without considering other bod-

ies.

According to Shittu: “In AIS Manual Document 8126, Chapter 3, and Paragraph: 3.1.2.3 refers: AIS officers should be remunerated at least at the same level as personnel in the AGA, COM and ATS Division” He warned that they will soon

kick start their agitation should government failed to carry all of them along.

He appealed to NAMA to manage and provide conducive working environment and tools to work with in order to reduce their stress.

Adesina

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

29 Energy

Heritage Bank to commission 8.5 MW power project in Lagos Uduaghan

EPZ: Ijaw, Itsekiri resolve dispute over location Ijaw and Itsekiri nationalities have reached a mutual understanding over the $16 billion Delta Gas City project after a truce meeting initiated by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

The Chairman of Ogidigben Export Processing Zone Committee, Mr. Austin Oboroegbeyi; Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekema and Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, NNPC, Mr David Ige, confirmed to journalists that the disagreement had been laid to rest.

Mr Oboroegbeyi told journalists at the end of the meeting presided over by Governor Uduaghan that the two nationalities have agreed on separation of the project – Gas city in Ogidigben and Deep Sea Port in Gbaramatu.

Chief Gbenekema corroborated Oboroegbeyi’s statement that the meeting was successful as both sides have agreed that the projects be separated as proposed

by NNPC. He said the terms of settlement would be conveyed to the president by the relevant officials after which a date for the groundbreaking would be approved.

“Both nationalities agreed that there will be peace,” he said.

On his part, Ige said it was true that the matter has been resolved as the two projects were interwoven as one cannot exist without the other, while the resolution would be conveyed to the presidency for necessary action.

Stories by Tony Nwakaegho Heritage Bank has expressed its readiness to commission the recently completed Peninsula Independent Power Project (PIPP) financed by the bank this month.

The bank disclosed that the project is in fulfilment of its commitment to the provision of a strong backbone for capital intensive projects in the state and an affirmation of its growing stature as an emerging national bank with strong passion for financing alternative solutions, in the nation’s Power and other sectors.

The Peninsula Independent Power project, located in the Lekki Peninsula area of the state, is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between Lagos State Government (LASG) and Peninsula Integrated Power Limited which seeks to provide alternative solutions to the inconsistent Power supply from the national grid.

Managing Director/CEO of Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, said the bank was proud to be part of the project conjectured by the Lagos State Government

to provide power supply for businesses and industries around Lekki Peninsula.

Sekibo explained that the bank’s involvement in the project was borne out of its business objective of continuously offering ingenious financial support and advisory services on investment, project finance, business expansion, modernis ation, production process and capacity improvement and restructurings that would create multiple economic advantages for the benefits of vast majority of its stakeholders.

According to him, “the Project Finance facility granted to the Peninsula Independent Power Project was to set up 8.5 Megawatts Captive Power Generating Plant with a 22kilometre Distribution Network which has the potential of upgrading to a 25MW power generating plant that will run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The Peninsula Integrated Power Project (PIPP) will provide power for the Lagos State Government (LASG) water works and public lighting within Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi.”

Sekibo

Mini refinery

Mini refinery produces 45million litres of diesel in four years The Managing Director of Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR), Dr. Layi Fatona, said that in 2015, Nigeria should be thinking less about crude to terminal than crude into refinery.

Fatona said this against the backdrop of his company’s mini refinery which refines oil from the Ogbele marginal oil and gas field in Eastern Niger Delta and has produced over 45 million litres of diesel since it was commissioned in December 2011.

The NDPR boss gave this submission at a Lagos Oil Club event recently, adding that the crude oil refining enterprise is a much more value adding proposition

for growing the Nigerian economy than producing crude oil into the terminal and exporting it.

Fatona confirmed that the mini refinery which is the only privately owned crude oil refinery in Nigeria, has about 65 per cent of the product produced sold in the domestic market while the rest is utilised by the company for oilfield operations.

According to him, the plant converts 1,000 barrels of crude from the Ogbele field into 120,000 litres of diesel every day, while 135 companies from 12 states in Nigeria send their trucks to load at the refinery.

Nigeria holds record for number of vandalised petroleum pipelines - Nebo The Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, has disclosed that Nigeria presently holds the record as the only country in the world with the highest number of breaks and vandalism of vital petroleum products pipelines.

Nebo made this assertion on the heels of the new reports from government that the nation’s 3,642 megawatts, (mw) of electricity dropped to about 3,000mw as vandals burst the Escravos-Lagos

Pipeline System, (ELPS) Gas Pipeline in Delta State.

Nebo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Godknows Igali, affirmed this at the unveiling of 25 kilowatts (kW) hybrid renewable plant constructed by the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) in Kainji, Niger State, said currently, no country in the world records the number of petroleum pipeline breaks like

Nigeria.

“There is no other country in the world where gas pipelines is destroyed other than Nigeria. We have never seen a set of people that can be as wicked to themselves as we have in some Nigerians who are bent on perpetrating their wicked acts on our gas pipelines,” he said.

The latest attack, which was confirmed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN), in

a statement, has reduced gas supply and by extension power generation, as the pipeline is important as it is dedicated to delivering gas from Escravos to Lagos for power generation.

“Vandals struck at the Escravos- Lagos Pipeline System, ELPS Gas Pipeline at Inikorogha, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, blasting away about 24 inches of the pipeline,” Nebo said.

Nebo

30

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

31

influence market recovery Adesola Akindele

broker, Mr. Charles Fakrogha, reflect in their share price. The ties on Friday, the NSE All-Share explained that despite the eco- corporate earnings, i.e. their re- Index and Market Capitalisation Investors on the Nigerian nomic and political challenges ports is a major factor in influ- appreciated by 3.14 per cent to Stock Exchange last week still affecting the Nigerian eco- encing the performance of the close at 31,049.37 and N10.360 trilrecorded a turnover of 2.133 nomic atmosphere, there are market, of which a few of these lion. Also, all indices finished billion shares worth N24.386 bil- factors that can otherwise influ- reports have been seen in the higher during the week with exception of the NSE Insurance lion in 22,532 deals in contrast ence the performance of shares last few days’’ he said.

The commendable results Index, NSE Oil/Gas Index and to a total of 1.675 billion shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. ‘’There are so many factors from Nestle and Nigerian brewNSE Lotus II Index that closed valued at N21.315 billion that ex8 deals in that drives the market and a few eries which recently released lower by 0.12 per cent, 2.00per changed hands in 21,062 of them like political and securi- their reports were not as unex- cent, and 1.75 per cent respecthe preceding week.

Politics This is remarkable improve- ty situation as said would always pected as those of Zenith Bank tively. However, the NSE ASeM closed flat. ment given previously recorded remain, but like I have always 18and Guaranty Trust Bank that Index Times Nigeria 14 Daily Monday, 9, 2015 mentioned, It is safe to say that were released on March 5 which TheMarch Financial Services Indusdeclining performance of the NGILARI President the performance of the compa- showed a revenue of N403, try (measured by volume) led last few weeks. not aware nies would drive the market, be343,000 and N278, 520,814 respecthe activity chart with 1.797 bilThis recent achievement has of my guber cause the market is a reflection tively for the year 2014, as well as lion shares valued at N14.192 bilambition been attributed to theBalaunexpectJames Ngilari ed performance of the Corpo- of what is happening to the com- a profit after tax of N99, 455,000 lion traded in 14,424 deals; thus panies. So if these companies and N94, 694,919 respectively and contributing 84.24 per cent and rate and Banking sector.

SOKOTO Speaking with Daily Times are doing well, and there is good proposed dividend of N1.75k and 58.20 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value reCorrespondent at the Stock Ex- news about them, investors are N1.50k each.

At the close of trading activi- spectively. change House on Friday, A stock happy, this would automatically Daily Times Nigeria Monday, March 9, 2015

Features

Politics

News

SOKOTO P 8 Making cooking Zambian gasInternational usable, s president Danger looms Features affordable to collapses as APC, Nigerians Zambian during Making cooking gas usable, PDP rivalry P18 ceremony P14 Danger looms as APC, affordable president to Nigerians intensifies PDP rivalry intensifies s

Daily Times Nigeria

Wale Akintunde, Yola

Governor Bala James Ngilari of Adamawa State is a Senatorial candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the forthcoming polls for the Northern Senatorial district of the state. In this interview with WALE AKINTUNDE in Yola, his Director of Public Affairs, Mr. P.P. Elisha made a shocking revelation that President Goodluck Jonathan is not aware of his gubernatorial am-

Nasiru Suleiman

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

In about three weeks now, the general elections is holding, how prepared is Governor Bala Nggilari as state leader of the party?

To the best of my knowledge, Governor Nggilari is fully prepared to face the upcoming general polls squarely. The Governor is fully committed to PDP victory. As a party man, he had already assembled all the party political Generals ahead the forth coming polls. Governor Nggilari is a party man to the core and will not trade the political fortune of his party. I recall when his former boss, Governor Murtala Nyako defected

Monday, March 9, 2015

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

collapses during NAMA aeronautical personnel lament poor treatment https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR ceremony Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

VOL. 1. NO.61

www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr

Sokoto State, like Nasarawa and Niger states, have governors and deputies from two rival political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

Though, both Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and his deputy, Munktari Shagari won a joint ticket on the platform of the PDP, in 2007 and 2011 respectively but Wamakko, defected from PDP to the opposition APC alongside other four PDP Governors, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State who was later impeached. But, when Wamakko decamped to APC, his deputy, Shagari, refused to dump the PDP. Unlike Niger and Nasarawa, where friction between the state governors and deputies were more pronounced, in the case of Sokoto , there has not been much reported fracas between Wamakko and Shagari.

This is why it is surprising, the huge rivalry that exists between followers of these two major political parties, the APC and PDP in the state.

Many residents fear, that the rivalry between the followers of the two parties, the in the state might disrupt the peace and serenity enjoyed by the people of

bition in the last year PDP, Primaries that produced Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the flag bearer of the party. He denied that President Jonathan endorsed his candidature however promised to work for the victory of President Jonathan and Malam Ribadu and others at the polls.

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Price: N150

The hope of Nigerians that domestic gas as a stable energy for all will one day replace kerosene, firewood and coal remains a still birth in the labour room of government policies. GBUBEMI GOD’S COVENANT SNR takes a critical look at some issues involved.

The report that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) had ‘commenced working’ with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Oando Group, Sahara Energy and others to promote manufacturing of gas cylinders locally is not a new song.

Nigerians have come to realise that policies and political promises are shelved for lack of political will and conscience.

Since the pre and post independent era, government policies have failed to address issues that would make the common man benefit from the abundant natural resources of his fatherland.

Shittu told Daily Times that ies. kick start their agitation should management of the Nigerian According to Shittu: had beenAIS diagnosed with ÏÏÏ Zambian President, Ed- Lungu “In government failed to carry all of gar Lungu, was diagnosed with malaria.

8126, Chapter Later, after being resuscimalariaDocument on Sunday after he colAeronautical Airspace Management Agency Manual them along. lapsed during an International tated, he was visibly weak, but still took to the podium to tell Women’s Day ceremony Paragraph: 3.1.2.3 refers: Information Service Associa- NAMA has relegated them and 3, and Lungu stood at a reviewing the audience that he was un- He appealed to NAMA to well.remunerHe urged Zambians not to stand for about 20 minutes as a be made it look as if only one asAIS officers should tion of Nigeria (AISAN), BabaAhmadu’s 10-point battle plan for PDP victory group of women marched past panic. manage and provide conducive He also said celebrations for he fell to the ground. at least at the same level as tunde Shittu, has decried the de- sociation was the professional ated before the Women’s day should proHis security team whisked hellhim called ceed. away for immediate medi- Road inLimca the AGA, COM and working environment and tools teriorating working condition in body in the agency always agi- A personnel Lungu took over the reins of cal attention as he is known be a diabetic, but about 10 power on 25 January, succeedDivision” work with in order to reduce their stations across the country tating for improved welfare ATS tominutes in later, his media aide, ing Michael Sata, who died to Lungu Amos Chanda, announced that London last October. without considering other bodHe warned that they will soon their stress. over the years.

dailytimesng President of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Wammako

Tambuwal

Wali

A mobile fast food vendor using firewood in Makoko. (Inset) Indian kerosene equivalent

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Ali

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu was in battle mood as he addressed PDP Coordinators from the

36 states and Abuja in Wadata House conference hall where he unveiled his plan for his party’s victory at the forthcoming polls.

After admonishing them to

increase their current work rate to ensure victory, he handed down a 10-point agenda which he said when strictly executed will see the party coasting to a

fifth consecutive Presidential election victory.

According to a statement signed by his Chief Press

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

GBUBEMI GOD’S CONVENANT SNR visits Limca Road and x-rays the horror it represents to helpless road users.

The popular Limca Road, about 200 meters from the Iyana-Isolo-Daleko Bridge, along Oshodi-Mile Two Expressway, is an eyesore and in desperate need of structural repairs and surface dressing.

Only about 300 meters in length, the road falls under the Isolo wing of the Lagos State Government (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) Small/Medium Scale Industrial Scheme.

Limca Road is a significant exit route from the busy expressway, linking the heavy industrial estate with the Ilasa inroad going to Okota Estate to the left, and the Isolo-Ikotun road intersec-

Executive lies

tion to the right.

Flanked on both sides from beginning to its end are reputable expatriate companies and corporate organisations. Of note among them are the manufacturers of the popular Mandilas brand of airconditioners and refrigerators; Norman Industries Limited, a.k.a Norman Long; Aycee Limited; First Bank of

Egypt executes first pro-Morsi protester ÏÏÏ

Yinka Odumakin

Egypt has carried out the first death sentence handed down over the violence that erupted after the army overthrew Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013, the interior ministry said.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been sentenced to death after speedy mass trials, which the United Nations has described as “unprecedented in recent history”.

Mahmoud Ramadan, who was hanged at 07:00 (05:00 GMT), was

ÎÎÎI have turned this in

The governors also used one of their allies among the elders to run ridiculous errands on their behalf to all the power brokers he knew in Abuja to no avail.

my mind for the last six months: to write or not to write. Now I have decided to write because the brazen lies spewed by the South West APC governors against me on the eve of the 2014 National Conference have refused to die a natural death.

The latest of such keeping alive of the Goebbelian legacy is a recent piece by an elder from Ekiti, Chief Deji Fasuan still lamenting that the false hope deliberately created by the former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi that he was a delegate to the conference was dashed.

From a perspective of the uninformed, the Chief cast aspersions on several people who had nothing to do with the humiliating experience of having been announced as a delegate by Fayemi but unable to take a seat at the confab.

There were people in his category who managed to get to the conference fortuitously and found it difficult to greet some of us for a while until they were able to know the truth.

One of the people sold

the lie that I stopped him from being a delegate is my good friend, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi. He saw me sometime after the conference and jokingly accused me of removing his name as a delegate to the conference.

Perhaps the most dramatic was my encounter with Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye at the 70th birthday party of Chief Onikepo Akande last November.

The elderly man called me aside in the hall and said: “o se jamba fun mi” (you did me a grievous harm). I had palpitation!

However, I managed to ask the former Senator “when and how sir?” He bent towards me in his majestic height and explained that he was told that when his name was included among delegates to the conference I was the person who objected.

I was relieved knowing that it was the same lie being bandied by the APC governors. I took my time to explain what happened to him and he was satisfied. I thanked him for being a true elder.

Now, the whole story of what happened that turned governors to liars.

When President Good-

luck Jonathan announced the decision to convene a confab in 2013, the APC leader, Senator Bola Tinubu emerging from an aircraft dismissed the idea as a “distraction” and his governors chorused “yes sir”. The leader of his allies in the civil society, Mr Femi Falana echoed that it was a “Greek gift”.

They were shocked to realise the minority they were in Yoruba thought when all those who mattered signed up for the conference.

Shortly before the train took off, the APC governors in Yorubaland beat a tactical retreat saying their party would boycott the conference but their governments would participate.

In the process of their about-turn, their worst affliction peeped: impunity.

EIther they didn’t bother to read the guidelines or they simply assumed that the perversion of guidelines which is the norm in their party is a culture for the whole country, the governors overstepped their bounds.

Whereas the guidelines say that each governor should nominate three delegates, each of the APC governors nominat-

Morsi

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

The motorist’s nightmare

the “first to be executed of those involved in violent clashes,” ministry spokesperson, Hani Abdel Latif, told AFP. A court in Egypt’s second city, Alexandria, sentenced Ramadan to death in 2014 after convicting him of throwing youths off an apartment block, killing one of them.

He was among dozens of people tried over deadly violence in the city’s Sidi Gaber neighbourhood on 5 July 2013, two days after Morsi’s ouster by then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“The prison authority carried out the hanging of Mahmoud Ramadan, accused of throwing children from the roof of a building in Alexandria during violent clashes organised by the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood,” the interior ministry said on its Facebook page.

The unrest on that day came as Morsi supporters and opponents held rival demonstrations across the city.

Amateur video footage of the

protests had gone viral on the internet, with prosecutors using it as evidence in the case involving Ramadan.

In one scene, a bearded Ramadan in a white vest and black trousers is walking on the roof of a building.

Four youths are seen cowering on top of a structure there that appears to be a water tank as the man identified as Ramadan and others throw stones at them.

Minutes later two youngsters fall off the structure onto the roof.

In separate footage, aired by a private television channel after his alleged confession, Ramadan says: “When I appear before the prosecution, I will demand to be executed.”

A government crackdown on Morsi’s supporters killed hundreds, with thousands more arrested and tried.

The ousted president is himself facing multiple trials on charges that carry the death penalty.

Thousands attend antiNetanyahu rally in Tel Aviv ÏÏÏ

Tens of thousands of Israelis are gathering at a Tel Aviv square under the banner “Israel wants change” and calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be replaced in 17 March national elections.

Saturday night’s rally at Rabin Square is the highest profile demonstration yet in the run-up to the election. It is organised by a nonprofit organisation seeking to change Israel’s priorities and refocus on health, education, housing and the country’s cost of living.

Though not officially endorsed by any political party, it drew mostly supporters of leftist and centrist parties.

The rally’s keynote speaker is former Mossad chief, Meir Dagan, who recently slammed Netanyahu’s conduct and called him “the person who has caused the greatest strategic damage to Israel.”

ed seven delegates with media fanfare.

How did they arrive at seven? They picked their own three, picked an elder statesman each – which was the prerogative of the president – and nominated three other delegates to represent ethnic nationalities – which was the exclusive preserve of groups within each.

In plain language, the governors were out to rubbish Yoruba leadership and their institutions. I was asked by the leaders to go defend the list of delegates sent by Youruba leaders as stipulated by the guidelines at the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government.

It took less than five minutes to convince the SGF who is a lawyer with evidence. I took a copy of the guidelines and asked him to check the list forwarded by Ondo state governor, it had only three names unlike the APC governors’ list which had seven each.

The APC governors were thereafter asked to prune their list to the three they were each entitled to.

They thought the im-

``The main economic value of all the interventions that were done on rice, maize, sorghum, wheat, soy beans, cassava and others added N777 billion worth of income back into our rural economy. ``This has helped to create significant amount of wealth for our farmers in the country. ``As you know, we added about 21 million metric tonnes of food to the domestic food supply and that goes all over from rice to maize, cassava, sorghum, and to soy beans. ``All of that has added an average of N777 billion of revenue back intokill the economy; that Gunmen is going back into the sixmoney in Kabul hands of farmers and commuSufi mosque nities,’’ attack he said.

Business

Nigeria earns N777bn from agric interventions P 28

ÏÏÏ

Gunmen attacked a Sufi mosque in Kabul on Saturday evening, killing at least six people and leaving five others wounded, police officials said, shattering a recent calm in the Afghan capital.

The rare attack on the Sufi minority struck around the time of evening prayer at about 19:00 (14:30 GMT), and though no group claimed the unrest, security officials swiftly announced the arrest of five suspects in connection with the killings.

“A group of armed men entered (a Sufi mosque)... and opened fire,” Kabul police spokesman, Hashmat Stanikzai told AFP. Deputy interior ministry spokesperson Najib Danish, confirmed the details of the attack, with the ministry issuing a statement putting the toll at six dead and five wounded.

The ministry said five suspects had been arrested, while Stanikzai said an investigation had been launched to “identify the attackers and the motive behind the attack”.

Though no group claimed responsibility for the attack, Afghanistan remains plagued by a Taliban insurgency more than 13 years after the militant group was ousted from power.

NATO ended its combat mission in late December, leaving a residual force to carry on a training and support mission to Afghanistan’s 350,000 security forces, who now lead the fight against the Taliban.

Adesina

Rockets, shells fired at north Mali town of Kidal ÏÏÏ

Unknown attackers fired rockets and shells towards the north Malian town of Kidal in a dawn attack, a resident and a security source said on Sunday.

The resident, who asked for anonymity, said he counted more than 40 weapons fired at the town between 05:00-06:00 GMT. He said the weapons appeared to be aimed at a base for a UN peacekeeping force known as Minusma.

punity culture would see their chicanery through .Fayemi moved to Abuja to enforce their illegality and failed. The SGF called me around 1.00 a.m. one day on the list issue. My investigation later showed that it was Fayemi that was with him. I saw him in a plane some days back without any trappings of power and I shook my head at the folly of temporary power; flexing muscles with moral force that had been and would continue to be.

The governors also used one of their allies among the elders to run ridiculous errands on their behalf to all the power brokers he knew in Abuja to no avail.

Their last card was a meeting of all the APC Yoruba governors with Mr. President where they also hit the brick as their position was untenable.

Rather than return home and nobly tell the people they had given fake slots the truth, they started lying that it was somebody who removed their names.

I have stated the truth and I challenge their excellencies to fault my narration.

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AMELIE MAURESMO

es the wrong or sometim . right way r it’s in the life and its lessons Whethe learn about Every way, you players.

I know, new seniors. into the have, you coming always I think you new faces, juniors time ago now. see long year you at the time a year of them for about was one I felt, perhaps the same and be the juniors going to finished match. ing was When I win any that everyth out there and and a half, able to go be d. that I would the case. I struggle But it wasn’t mo ie Maures —Amel

MAURESMO

AMELIE

X4,5

PERSONAL INFORMATION

claim bronze in Beach X3 soccer

MO MAURES AMELIE

“

ON QUOTES

Name: Country: Residence: Born: Place of birth: Height: Turned pro: Retired: Plays: Coaches: Prize money:

Singles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking:

Amelie Mauresmo France Geneva, Switzerland July 5, 1979 (age 35) Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) 1993 December 3, 2009 Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Loic Courteau (2002–2008) Hugo Lecoq (2008–2009) US$15,022,476 (18th in all-time rankings)

545–227 (70.65%) 25 (2 ITF) No. 1 (September 13, 2004)

”

Grand Slam Singles results Australian Open: W (2006) French Open: QF (2003, 2004) Wimbledon: W (2006) US Open: SF (2002, 2006) Other tournaments Tour Finals: Olympic Games: Doubles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking:

X5

About Amelie Mauresmo Amélie Simone Mauresmo, born July 5, 1979 is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1.

Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon, and also won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She is currently tennis coach to Andy Murray.

Mauresmo first attained the top ranking on September 13, 2004, holding it for five weeks on that occasion. She was the fifteenth World No. 1 in women’s tennis since the computer rankings began. She is well known for her powerful one-handed backhand and strong net play. She officially announced her retirement from professional tennis on December 3, 2009, ending a career of fifteen years.

She returned to Wimbledon in 2010, acting as a grass court advisor for Frenchman and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra. She helped Marion Bartoli in 2013 and during Bartoli’s triumph at Wimbledon.

Mauresmo was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye slightly northwest of Paris. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after being inspired by Yannick Noah’s win in the 1983 French Open on television. It was after his win that Mauresmo’s parents bought her first tennis racket.

W (2005) Silver medal (2004) 92–62 3 (2 ITF) No. 29 (June 26, 2006)

Later on in 1998 Yannick Noah picked her on the French team for the Fed Cup. Her mother Françoise is a housewife and her father Francis, who died in March 2004, was an engineer. She has a brother, Fabien, who is an engineer.

In 1996, Mauresmo captured both the junior French Open and Wimbledon women’s singles titles. She was named 1996 Junior World Champion by the International Tennis Federation.

Grand Slam Doubles results Australian Open: QF (1999) French Open: 2R (1997, 1998) Wimbledon: F (2005) US Open: 3R (1999) Coaching career: 2013–till present

Monday, March 9, 2015

O H N I MOUR IS NOT L A I C E SP –LUIZ X3

CWC 2015:

Maxwell

hits ton in Australia win X6

FA Cup Wenger: Arsenal will attack Man United! X8

Expect no medals at Rio 2016 –Igali X7

X2

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

EGUAVOEN,

SAND EAGLES

Kanu back Jonathan Ben Nwachukwu Abuja

F

ormer skippers of the senior national team, Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen and Nwankwo Kanu, were among the prominent retired and active sportsmen and women who trooped out at the Eagle Square last Saturday to drum support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid for re-election on March 28 presidential election.

The solidarity rally, which witnessed a huge turnout of retired and serving athletes as well as sports administrators, was preceded by jogging, physical stretches and light aerobics.

The duo joined compatriot and former skipper, Joseph Yobo, who

Glo looks forward to exciting, violentfree season

led other sportsmen and women, including a full squad of the Super Falcons, to throw their weight behind the President, whom, they said, had done so much for the development of sports in the country, that his reelection would mean another four years of success in the country’s sports.

Some of them, who spoke at the rally including former Africa sprint queen, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and Olympic Taekwondo medalist, Chika Chukwumerije, said that Jonathan’s love for sports necessitated their support.

Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo noted that the visionless ‘Change’ the opposition was clamouring for would not be able to achieve a quarter of what President Jonathan

Andrew Ekejiuba

T

itle sponsor of the Glo Premier League, Globacom, has sent a welcome message to all the clubs in the Premier League, their management, the League Management Company, fans and the Nigeria Football Federation as the new premier league

beat hosts to claim bronze

N

Jonathan had achieved in sports, while the NSC Director General, Gbenga Elegbeleye, enumerated the achievements of Jonathan’s administration to include the 2013 AFCON triumph by the Super Eagles and U-17 World Cup won in United Arab Emirates in 2013 by the Golden Eaglets.

season formally kicked at the weekend.

“Last season was wonderful and the memory lingers. The entire stakeholders contributed positively towards the success. We look forward to an interesting 2014/2015 League season,” Globacom said in a statement in Lagos.

It is a thing of joy to see that the Glo

igeria’s Sand Eagles have won the third place game at the Power House Beach Soccer Challenge in Durban, South Africa, after beating the hosts 9-3 in the classification game on Sunday.

Nigeria had lost 6-5 to Senegal in the second semifinal on Saturday while Ivory Coast beat South Africa 9-1.

The Sand Eagles went ahead inside the first minute through Ibenegbu Ikechukwu’s clever ball after being teed up by Abu Azeez.

At the end, poor defending marred South Africa’s game, as Sand Eagles emerged victorious by 9-3 to win the third place match; with more goals coming from Abu Azeez and Bartholomew Ibenegbu.

Premier league is growing in leaps and bounds and gradually working its way to become the number one in Africa,” Globacom added The telecommunications company enjoined the management of clubs to institutionalise training workshops for both the players and their coaches in order to keep them abreast of new

rules and regulations governing the game.

The company also commended football fans for the complementary roles they played last season and urged them to do more and troop out in large numbers to the venues of league matches in order to keep the stadia alive.

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

Federation Watch

X3

With Osaretin Emuze

O N T C E P X E T A S L A D E M RIO 2016

Nigeria Wrestling Federation boss Honourable Daniel Igali

–IGALI

T

he President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) Honourable Daniel Igali has said that Nigerians should not expect any medal in next year’s Olympic Games holding in Rio, Brazil.

Igali, who is an Olympic Gold medallist stressed that Nigeria has not done anything to warrant her athletes winning medals in Rio. “We shouldn’t expect medals of any kind at the Olympic Games next year because we have not done enough to expect such. The Olympic Games is not a tea party because countries work hard to earn a medal, but here we have done absolute nothing in terms of preparation, so there is no miracle about it,” he said.

The honourable member of Bayelsa House of Assembly said truth must be told about the wrestling team to the Olympics as he added that NWF had not started preparation and the athletes have not been attending

competitions.

“How then do they want to win medals? It’s sad that we have not started preparing for the games. To win an Olympic medal, you need years of preparations. But here, it is a different ball game. If we don’t participate in the qualifiers, how then do we qualify for the games? Countries hoping for medals started preparing for it long time ago,” Igali emphasised.

Igali who holds a dual citizenship of Nigeria and Canada bemoans the carefree attitude of the National Sports Commission towards training and preparing athletes for tournaments.

“In May, there will be the World Championship, but up till now there is no sign that we will attend. That is the place most of the qualifiers will take place. If by now we are not in camp, how are we going to do well in the championship if eventually we are able to raise funds to participate in it,” he asked with a tinge of regret.

NWF board T meets March 18

Nigeria Olympic Committee President, Engr. Habu Gumel

he Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) board is expected to meet on March 18, at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to rectify its programme of activities and discuss the preparation and camping of its athletes for the All Africa Games holding in Congo Brazzaville in September.

Other matters on the agenda will be how to tackle the lack of sponsorship for weightlifting, inability of the federation to attend major championships outside the country and lack of support from the Sports Ministry.

Nigerian weightlifters, it would be recalled, won several gold medals for the country in the last Commonwealth Games in Scotland. Nigeria will, surely, rely on weightlifting to do well at the Congo Brazzaville Games.

Presidential election stifles sporting federations Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo

A

ctivities at the various sporting federations have been put on hold as a result of the presidential and governorships elections billed for March 28 and April 11, 2015 respectively.

Extra Time investigations revealed that most of the federations have had to postpone their programmes more than two times, due to the shift in dates of

the elections. From wrestling to weightlifting, boxing to traditional sports, handball, basketball, tennis, athletics, cycling etc, the stories are the same.

This had forced the various federations to remain docile three months into the year. Some of the federation presidents and secretaries expressed bitterness over the lull orchestrated by the postponed elections.

“We are yet to organise any tournament, because of fear of the unknown. Apart from the insecurity challenges, there is no money anywhere to organise championships. State governments are busy with the elections, they are

Ilaboya vows to return Insurers FC to topflight

E

do Football Association Chairman, Frank Ilaboya, has promised Insurers fans that he will return their darling team to the elite division at the end of the football season.

Speaking with Extra Time the newly elected chairman said Insurers FC is synonymous with Edo people and the only way to make them happy was to return the Edo Arsenal to where it rightly belongs.

“Insurers are a household name in Edo State; they don’t belong

where they are now. My first priority is to return them to the Nigerian Professional Football League where they held sway in the past.

“The team had stayed too long in the lower division and it is high time it is returned to the topflight,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Sportsville, hinted that necessary machinery was in motion for the return of Insurers, who have, in the past, won the Confederations Cup and West Africa Union (WAFU) Cup

not bothered with sports for now.

“The elections have affected the hosting of the National Sports Festival, as well as preparation for the All Africa Games.

“As at this moment, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has not called athletes into camp because of their commitment to the electoral processes at all levels,” one of the sporting federation presidents said on condition of anonymity.

The fear, however, from sport fans is that Team Nigeria may not do well at the All Africa Games holding in Congo Brazzaville in September, if athletes were yet to enter camp and participate in one or two tournaments outside the country. to the topflight.

“As soon as possible I will call a stakeholders meeting to discuss the way forward for the club’s return to the Professional League. If Shooting Stars, Kwara United, El Kanemi can go down and come back, Insurers can equally return to the elite division,” he stressed.

Insurers Football Club of Benin got relegated during the 2008/2009 season due to ownership tussle between the Edo State Government and Chief Igbinomwanhia Ekhusuehi who took over the club when Bendel Insurance the parent company pulled out as a result of state creation in 1991. The problem culminated in Insurers missing some home matches.

X4

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

Q

E I L E AM PERSONAL INFORMATION

S E R U A M Name: Country: Residence: Born: Place of birth: Height: Turned pro: Retired: Plays: Coaches: Prize money:

Singles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking:

Amelie Mauresmo France Geneva, Switzerland July 5, 1979 (Aged 35) Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) 1993 December 3, 2009 Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Loic Courteau (2002–2008) Hugo Lecoq (2008–2009) US$15,022,476 (18th in all-time rankings)

545–227 (70.65%) 25 (2 ITF) No. 1 (September 13, 2004)

Grand Slam Singles results Australian Open: W (2006) French Open: QF (2003, 2004) Wimbledon: W (2006) US Open: SF (2002, 2006) Other tournaments Tour Finals: Olympic Games: Doubles Career record: Career titles: Highest ranking:

W (2005) Silver medal (2004) 92–62 3 (2 ITF) No. 29 (June 26, 2006)

Grand Slam Doubles results Australian Open: QF (1999) French Open: 2R (1997, 1998) Wimbledon: F (2005) US Open: 3R (1999) Coaching career: 2013–till present

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

MO S E R U MA E I L E AM

“

S BY QUOTE

X5

rong es the w ometim s r o y a s. e right w s lesson r it’s in th fe and it li Whethe t u o b ery u learn a yers. Ev way, yo , new pla w o iors. I n n k e s u e o g into th s have, y y in a m o lw c a ou . niors I think y ago now faces, ju ng time see new lo u e o y m r ti a e ye at th r of them ut a yea was one s for abo p a rh d e n p ame a I felt, be the s e juniors going to ished th s n a fi match. w I y g n n e a in Wh everyth and win t a re e th , th lf t o ou and a ha able to g d. ould be struggle I . e that I w s ’t the ca n s a w it But smo e Maure —Ameli

O M S ”

About Amelie Mauresmo Amélie Simone Mauresmo, born July 5, 1979 is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1.

Mauresmo was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye slightly northwest of Paris. She began playing tennis at the age of four, after being inspired by Yannick Noah’s win in the 1983 French Open on television. It was after his win that Mauresmo’s parents bought her first tennis racket.

Later on in 1998 Yannick Noah picked her on the French team for the Fed Cup. Her mother Françoise is a housewife and her father Francis, who died in March 2004, was an engineer. She has a brother, Fabien, who is an engineer.

In 1996, Mauresmo captured both the junior French Open and Wimbledon women’s singles titles. She was named 1996 Junior World Champion by the International Tennis Federation.

Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon, and also won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She is currently tennis coach to Andy Murray.

Mauresmo first attained the top ranking on September 13, 2004, holding it for five weeks on that occasion. She was the fifteenth World No. 1 in women’s tennis since the computer rankings began. She is well known for her powerful one-handed backhand and strong net play. She officially announced her retirement from professional tennis on December 3, 2009, ending a career of 15 years.

She returned to Wimbledon in 2010, acting as a grass court advisor for Frenchman and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra. She helped Marion Bartoli in 2013 and during Bartoli’s triumph at Wimbledon.

X6

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

STARS OF YESTERYEAR

MILLA:N’S

CAMEROU AGELESS STRIKER

A

lbert Roger Mooh Miller, known as Roger Milla, is a retired Camerounian footballer who played as a striker. He was one of the first African players to be a major star on the international stage and he played in three World Cups for the Cameroun national team.

Born May 20, 1952, in Yaounde, Cameroun, Milla achieved international stardom at 38 years old, an age at which most forward-playing footballers have retired, by scoring four goals at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

He helped Cameroun become the first African team to reach the World

Milla

Cup quarter-finals. Four years later, at the age of 42, he became the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history by scoring against Russia in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He is also remembered for his trademark goal celebration of running to the corner flag and performing a dance.

In the years that have followed, he has been recognised as a pioneer of the many unconventional and imaginative goal celebrations seen since then.

In 2007, he was named by the Confederation of African Football as the best African player of the previous 50

!

years.

Club career Born in the Camerounian capital of Yaoundé, he moved constantly as a child because of his father’s railroad job. He signed for his first club in Douala as a 13-year-old. At 18, he won his first league championship with another Douala club.

In 1974, by which time he had moved to Tonnerre Yaoundé and was awarded the African Footballer of the Year award.

In 1977, he was lured to Europe by the French club Valenciennes. However, he was kept on the reserves for two years.

In 1979, he joined AS Monaco, but shuttled between the reserves’ bench and the injury list. The next year, he joined Bastia, but still did not flourish. He finally found stardom at SaintEtienne in 1984; he then starred for Montpellier from 1986 to 1989, where he later went on to became a member of the club’s coaching staff after retiring from French football.

International career He made his first appearance for the Cameroun national team in 1973.

He was a member of Cameroun’s team at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, having a goal disallowed against Peru in their first match. Cameroun went out with three draws from their three first-round games. Two years later, he was part of the squad competing at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

He first retired from international football in 1987, and eventually moved to Réunion in the Indian Ocean for his retirement.

However, in 1990, he received a phone call from the President of Cameroun Paul Biya, who pleaded with him to come out of retirement and rejoin the national team. He agreed, and went to Italy with the Indomitable Lions for the 1990 World Cup. At Italia’90, 38-year old Milla emerged as one of the tournament’s major stars. He scored four goals in Italy, celebrating each one with a dance around the corner post that

has become a popular goal celebration ever since.

Two of his goals came against Romania in Cameroun’s second game, and two more came in extra time against Colombia in the last 16 to carry Cameroun to the quarterfinals, the furthest an African team had ever advanced at the World Cup (Senegal matched this feat in 2002, and Ghana matched it in 2010).

In the quarter-final match against England, Milla confirmed his supersub legend by entering in the second half with Cameroun trailing 1–0 and drawing a penalty and then setting up a goal for Ekeke to give Cameroun a 2–1 lead, before England later scored two penalties, to win 3–2 after extra time.

At USA’94, Milla, at the age of 42 scored a goal against Russia, setting a record as the oldest goalscorer in a World Cup tournament; a record he set in the previous World Cup edition.

He is now an itinerant ambassador for African causes.

In 2004, he was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé in conjunction with FIFA’s centenary celebrations.

Milla starred in a Coca Cola advertisement for 2010 FIFA World Cup as the originator of dancing whilst celebrating when scoring a goal. He is seen in the crowd drinking Coca Cola.

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

X7

Cycling

Tennis

Astana, UCI licence fight could run till summer

A Robson

F

ROBSON

ormer British number one, Laura Robson has been given a wildcard into qualifying for this month’s Miami Open, after 14 months out of action with a wrist injury.

The 21-year-old had not played since losing in the first round of last year’s Australian Open.

Robson had surgery on her left wrist last April and did not make her planned comeback in Arizona in February.

Qualifying for the Miami event begins on Monday, March 23.

Fellow Briton, Kyle Edmund, 21, had been given a wildcard into the main draw for the men’s event after rising to 153 in the world.

Robson will return with a protected ranking, allowing her to enter eight WTA tournaments in 58th - her position after the 2014 Australian Open.

She reached a career high of 27 in the world in 2013.

Cricket

GETS MIAMI OPEN WILDCARD Golf

CWC 2015:

WGC-Cadillac Ch/ship: hits hole-in-one in Miami

MAXWELL

Holmes

hits ton in Australia win

G

lenn Maxwell hit the secondfastest century in Cricket World Cup (CWC) history as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs to advance to the quarter-finals.

Maxwell’s first one-day international ton, reached off 51 balls, inspired Australia’s total of 376-9 in Sydney.

Sri Lanka fell short in a spirited run chase despite a third consecutive World Cup century from Kumar Sangakkara and a quickfire 52 from Dinesh Chandimal.

Australia are likely to meet either Ireland or Pakistan in the last eight.

Michael Clarke’s side, that face Scotland in their final Pool A match in Hobart on March 14, should finish second behind New Zealand in their group, and would, therefore, meet the team that finishes third in Pool B. Sri Lanka, who lie in third place in the group, with six points from their five matches, also face Scotland in their final Pool A match in Hobart on March

11.

Maxwell hit 10 fours and four sixes in an innings of 102 that combined deft placement with power hitting, as the 26-yearold finally reached three figures in his 45th ODI. He was denied a share of the fastest World Cup century arguably only by his own honesty, after he answered in the negative when asked by umpire Ian Gould whether he had got a touch on a legside glance off Lasith Malinga in the 45th over.

Maxwell bought up his hundred in the next over, off 51 deliveries, one more than it took Ireland batsman Kevin O’Brien to decimate the England attack in Bangalore in 2011. However, it is the fastest ODI century by an Australian.

stana’s fight to keep their licence could run until the end of the Giro d’Italia at least and perhaps up to the start of the Tour de France.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) asked its licence commission to revoke Astana’s World Tour licence last week.

Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali’s team has until March 20, to submit paperwork to the commission.

But after that timing gets vaguer, Nibali and co could be in legal limbo for months.

The request to revoke the licence followed an independent audit ordered by the UCI after anti-doping infringements by Astana and their feeder team.

The Kazakh-funded outfit face months of uncertainty with one of the chief complications being that the licence commission comprises two Swiss businessmen, a Swiss politician and a retired Swiss judge, who work for the UCI on a part-time basis.

Added to that, there is Astana’s desire to continue to race: next week, for example, they will have teams at Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia.

Longer term, they are building towards rising Italian star Fabio Aru’s attempt to improve on last year’s third-place finish at the Giro in May, and Nibali’s Tour defence in July.

A

Maxwell

merican JB Holmes hit a holein-one at the par-three fourth as he built up a five-shot lead going into the final round of the WGCCadillac Championship.

It was the second hole-in-one in quick succession with compatriot, Dustin Johnson, who lies second, having aced the same hole shortly before in Miami.

Holmes, who led by two overnight, added four late birdies to reach 11 under.

Johnson and Bubba Watson are tied at six under, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is well back on one under.

After a second round where he threw his three iron into a lake by the fifth, the world number one managed to keep his temper in check on Saturday, carding a 72.

A scuba diver had to retrieve McIlroy’s discarded club and could be required again after Germany’s Marcel Siem reacted to a double bogey during his third round by launching his three iron into the same stretch of water, nicknamed the ‘Blue Monster’.

Playing partner Jason Day was overheard saying to his caddie: “He’s just done a Rory.”

Holmes, 32, opened with a bogey and, after his ace at the fourth, he also dropped shots at the seventh and the 12th.

X8

Monday, March 9, 2015

EXTRATIME

EXTRATIME

G N I N M DA !

T C I D VER O H N I R U O M D IS NOT SPECIAL, SAYS

LUIZ

Saint-Germain’s tension surrounding Paris avid Luiz has stoked up the h with Chelsea by ’s last 16 second-leg clas UEFA Champions League not special”. claiming Jose Mourinho “is owing the first with the tie level at 1-1 foll ge Brid rd mfo Sta to led vel PSG tra ht advantage, courtesy of , however, Chelsea hold a slig ces Prin des c Par the at leg capital. their away goal in the French e after his only season, a £50million move last Jun in PSG for a lse Luiz left Che rred to as “the special refe ho, who has long been urin Mo of hip rds wa ste under the one”. , not for me. rnalist: “He is special for you But Luiz told a L’Equipe jou titles. I was very happy. at Chelsea and won a lot of “I had some great moments e great players but hav son, defending well and sea at gre a ing hav are “They play like we know how.

We will try to score there and m. tea my w kno I all ve abo best way possible to e plan and implement it the “We will have a good gam . Both can still qualify.” achieve a great performance

FA investigates Villa Park pitch invasions

Last Saturday’s pitch invasions at Villa Park will be investigated by the Football Association (FA). Aston Villa prevailed 2-0 in an FA Cup quarter-final against Midlands rivals West Brom, but their win was marred by thousands of fans entering the field of play. After Fabian Delph had opened the scoring, Scott Sinclair secured victory for Villa

FA Cup: Gunners will attack Red Devils

–Wenger A

Wenger

rsene Wenger has no intention of telling his Arsenal team to defend deep in today’s FA Cup quarterfinal tie at Manchester United.

Arsenal climbed to third in the Premier League after a run of seven victories in the past eight matches.

That run included a fine 2-0 success against Manchester City in January, a match in which Arsenal drew plaudits for a strong defensive showing and a masterclass in counterattacking football.

While some pundits believe similar tactics could put Arsenal into the semifinals, Wenger wants his team to play on the front foot at Old Trafford.

“At Manchester City, we scored the first goal, then we were on a defensive foot because they had to come out, and that (who scores first today) is not predictable,” he said. “But what is for sure is both teams will go for it, so that means we will have to attack well and defend well.”

five minutes from time, and dozens of supporters came on to the field to celebrate. There was another invasion during stoppage time, and when the final whistle was blown, thousands of fans ran on to the pitch. When contacted by Perform, an FA spokesman confirmed the governing body would begin an investigation into the incidents today.

Van Gaal

A

head of Manchester United’s FA Cup quarterfinal with Arsenal, Louis van Gaal has talked up the importance of lifting some silverware.

The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford with the aim of returning United to the UEFA Champions League after the club’s seventh-placed finish last season.

United sits in fourth position - and the last qualification berth - with 10 games to go, but the cup offers the club’s only chance of lifting a trophy in Van Gaal’s maiden campaign in charge.

“I think a title, you can say you play throughout your profession or you manage throughout your profession

Mourinho

Messi equals Ronaldo in race for Golden Shoe Lionel Messi’s hat trick for Barcelona against Rayo Vallecano has seen him move level with Cristiano Ronaldo on 30 goals in the race for the European Golden Shoe. The Argentine struck in the 56th, 63rd and 68th minutes - the second of these from a retaken penalty - as Barca thrashed Rayo 6-1 at Camp Nou. The victory saw Barcelona move to the top of La Liga, but also allowed Messi to go level with Ronaldo on goals scored in La Liga. Messi now has 30 league strikes for the season (41 in all competitions) - 15 of which have arrived in 2015 alone.

Van Gaal aware of FA Cup’s importance but that is not enough,” he said. “You want to win something so the players want to win something, and also the manager and the fans want to win something, so when you win a title like the FA Cup, and in England the FA Cup is very important, that gives you a lot of value.

“When you fight for something and you get it you are pleased. Not alone for the players, but also for the manager, and that is the second thing which is important. With players who already have a high level final that they can win, getting that experience brings players further.”

Life&

TIMES Monday, March 9, 2015

All you need to know about folic acid L6

Basorge Tariah Jnr .: An entertainment P

afficionado L3,4

P

Pallazo pants are back L5 P

L2

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

At Acorn Petroleum, we remain committed to delivering unrivaled products and services to our customers. Acorn Petroleum Plc., your new energy

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

L3 Fashion & Style

I’m not everywhere trying to impress people as a celebrity - Basorge Tariah jnr.

He has been around for a long while and is literarily, a man of many parts as an actor, comedian, music and concert producer, a master of ceremony. His foray into acting dates back to 1995 in a movie titled Faces. However, his face became prominent nationally for his role as Do Good in the television series, Candlelight. Basgrant too many interviews, opens up on his long absence from the entertainment scene; his family, politics and sundry issues.

You must have been mean judging by the things you were controlling at a young age -

you may be holding their songs for too long?

So you just sign them, write their songs and give them to sing?

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been heard about you lately. Why have you kept away from the scene?

-

-

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What was the transition like from school to acting?

Are you implying that your ar-

sence is taking too long? songs -

What are the names of some of the concerts you have produced?

What was growing up like for you?

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Aside Timaya, which other artiste have you worked with?

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I suppose you were born with a silver spoon

How romantic!

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Were you born a rich kid?

What about school life?

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Were your parents strict?

How many artistes do you have on your label now?

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Do you think you were being restrained by them?

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How did you get the Do Good role because that role sort of sealed you as an actor

Life&

T E A M

Did you get involved in school politics?

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

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

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

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye i.ogundoye@dailytimes.com.ng 08069489893

Photography Quadri Olowolagba q.olowolagba@dailytimes.com.ng 08029745478

Graphics Austine Agbovi a.agbovi@dailytimes.com.ng 07060402397

Interview L4 my talent. It was my greatest chalter I got employment with the Rivers State Arts And Council. I was a civil servant and was asked to report after they saw my act but Zeb convinced to Zeb, he was shooting a second movie, Domitilla. I was to play a Portnever lived in Warri but I spoke the Warri pidgin more than all the Warri boys who came for the role. That was how I got the role. After that role, everyone saw me as a gifted actor. And through me, credence was given to Warri people and Warri pidgin. It was after Tonero in Domitilla that I was immediately casted without being auditioned, for Do Good. Do Good only became big because it was a weekly series and thus lingered longer in the memories of people. My idea of act-

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

something serious, something that In a club?

My wife is not a club person, and I kind of irrelevant stories. If I want to talk, I talk about fuel scarcity, politics, governance and all.

Does it mean your other business out well for you, considering your attempt to return to acting?

What other things are you talking about? Look at where I live. How ing for 10 years still live comfortably like this? I have a wife, four kids, I go

must move from one forest to another forest. If you are proper artiste, you up my record label. As you can see, I just bought some things because I want to set up a home studio or elsewhere if my wife will allow me. The

Good is coming back!

by emotions and intuition whenever

four on the 1st of April. He makes me laugh with the things he says.

There was a day we were alone in

parties like APC or PDP because all you want to do is steal money and not serve. If you want to serve, you go to Labour party and try to make it grow to become the third largest party and we will all begin to form a new ideology in terms of service

and his mother went to drop others

that person. I met her at my elder

was a day his mom was trying to pay

friend although she was younger.

him the money and told him “please

Was the attraction instant?

The boy is comical. place. We started chatting and the more we talked, the more we found out that we were compatible. So, we started dating and got married.

With four children, how do you cope between being a father and a celebrity?

The fortune of being announced as a celebrity is the prerogative of oth-

ways to make money. Some people lives. They live to impress others and

achievement. If you are a genius, you must have some erratic, almost an unpredictable behaviour about you.

How is married life?

What happens to you as a standup comedian? was just the need to leave those small jokes for the younger generation and move to something bigger.

If I have to tell a joke, it must be

about it. If you want to be a politician, be ready to work for people and be

started liking her. I introduced myself

get into character and interpret it. All the movies you saw me act the Warri part in them were written, produced

How? That is an exclusive for you. Do Good is coming back big time. I will not tell you how or anything about it but it will be in a series, soap, telenovella. It is going to be one of the most interesting series this country will see. So you can see the reason for my long absence.

very religious person, my wife made me to become one. I was trained to be introduced by somebody so that

Which of you children do you think will take after you?

Where did you meet your wife?

In Port-Harcourt.

How? We met the way people meet

Are you likely to go into politics someday?

Maybe one day, I will seek an elective post. With reasonable men, you be a do or die affair. In the last election, many artistes contested and

are a popular person. There were not even ready for service because you could see the greed in how they went

going anywhere. When I go out for a job, I run back home to be with them.

Basorge and family

Media - Online Video has joined the list of categories, showcasing the emergence of a new generation of African storytellers. Ultimately, we hope the AMVCA achieves the

it is today. Through these awards Multichoice Africa not only acknowledges the contribution of its subscribers but provides exposure that acknowledges excellence in the industry.

vestment has been in the support of original African programming,

always bearing in mind that the socio-economic environment can -

shared in Abuja all went on stage and started singing and making noise.

I have built a brand and would not want the brand to be insulted.

so they can be happy. Whenever my children come back from school and are around me, with their laughter and problems and with my wife, noth-

Choice Awards. The Africa Magic CAs) gives audiences a voice to say what they like while at the same time, honoring the role they have played in making the African

Aside from the AMVCAs, what other plans have you committed to that will help boost the African movie industry?

Multichoice has invested billions

pick the ticket because there would be no primaries for you and when you come out, people would vote for you based on your integrity but when you go to other parties, you become part of the decayed systems. Look at us shouting and insulting one another because we are torn between parties and a large number of us who

being a father, fatherhood and marriage is about preparedness. I enjoy being a father. I was scared about the responsibility of taking care of people but now, I live my life for them.

The annual Africa Movie Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, took place with a lot of fan fare on Saturday, March 7th. John Ugbe, the Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria has indeed come full circle having started out early with Multichoice in 1998, before moving on to manage one of its subsidiaries, MWEB Nigeria.

Now back as boss of Multichoice, the Computer Engineer in this interview, speaks about the future of the awards ceremony which is already in its third year.

John Ugbe same level of regard as the Oscars worldwide, and place our African stars alongside their peers in other continents.

The only way out for my colleagues who lost was if Tinubu blesses them the way Desmond Elliot was blessed.

from outside and tell people that you

We hope to level up with the Oscars someday

With the AMVCA in its 3rd year, what aspirations do you have for the awards going forward?

In the past two years, we have been able to establish the AMVCAs as a platform for recognizing the efforts of our actors, actresses, producers, directors and everyone in the movie and television production industries across Africa. It is our way of raising the bar and encouraging improved standards in movie production. This commitment is already paying off as more categories are emerging. For instance for

ready, it will be Labour Party and the hindrance which worked against my

wood business to bloom and grow.

This will in turn provide jobs and increase the bottom-line in this genre.

Also in a bid to positively impact the training and skills transfer through various workshops. Our hope is to help build entrepreneurs, leaders, shapers and thinkers of tomorrow.

What factor(s) gave rise to the introduction of the AMVCA? In 2013 Multichoice acknowledged the role its subscribers have Magic channels a success by in-

What does the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards represent for Multichoice?

Multichoice is committed to the economic and social upliftment of the continent. The Africa Magic fore a natural inclusion to the com-

Awards provides a platform to nurture and showcase indigenous talent. The AMVCA and the sigof our commitment to the development of skills, talent and social cohesion in the continent.

As an organization with a reputation for constantly evolving, what should your customers watch out for in the coming

- John Ugbe months? innovation, and it embodies our is an application that enables our premium subscribers watch television on the go, through the internet. They can watch live TV, view the TV Guide and enjoy DSTV Catch Up content at their convenience on their mobile phones and tablets. One of the most exciting even when you travel outside the country, you can still catch up with your favorite programs on the go.

Piracy is a real concern everywhere, how far reaching are its effects and how do you plan to combat it?

Piracy is indeed a huge concern as it affects not just Multichoice as Pay TV operators, but also the naare partners in the anti-piracy war mission, whose major mandate is of the ways in which we are addressing the issue is by introducing more secure decoders. We recently embarked on a nation-wide decoder phase out campaign that enabled customers a free swop of their legacy non-secure decoders, for more secure ones.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

L5 Fashion & Style

Rock a crop top right Nkarenyi Ukonu

area right at the middle of the ribcage, between the breasts and the waist. But if hearing the the easiest trend to style, and it takes someone with a daring fashion sense to pull it off and if done right, it is sexy, chic, and sophisticated all at the same time.

Here are ways you can pull off this trend without allowing it intimidate you Play with proportions Like so many other styles, wearing a crop top is all about proportion play. To strike a balance with your tinier top, wear a high-waisted skirt or high-rise trousers on the bottom. That way, only a sliver of skin will be showing and you can keep this trend feeling ladylike.

Pair with a pencil skirt or pant Another key to pulling off this trend is to pair it with a more conservative bottom, say, a pencil skirt or pant, both epitomes of sleek and sophistication

Cover up If your tummy feels too exposed with a bare midriff, try layering an open cardigan, jacket, or blazer over your top so that only a hint of skin is showing in the front. It will make you feel a little more covered up.

If a cropped and tight top might make you feel anxious showing, a trapeze style is the solution. Wear a loose cropped top Keep it simple for a more subtle look.

Cropped styles are attention grabbing enough, you solid color and go crazy with patterns.

Try a lacy or crochet style or even a crop top with decorative embellishments.

Crop tops can be feminine and even formal with delicate fabrics, embroidery or glitzy jewels.

types ny or ripped to rock this look, crop tops look good on all bodies.

Tessy

Efya

Tracy Nwapa

Look beautiful in palazzo pants Oyinkansola Olufowora Palazzo trousers are long a loose, extremely wide leg They are popular as they are that are breathable in hot weather like ours. They are chic and scene stealing.

Style tips on how to pull off palazzo pants Wear a lace shirt with your palazzo pants for a pretty, feminine look.

Add a blazer and heels or wedges for a more professional look Cinch in your waist with a chic belt.

Go bold with bright palazzo pants, and tuck in a classic striped shirt for a

History of the palazzo pant Palazzo pants for women

Solange Knowles

in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the style was reminiscent of the wide-legged cuffed trousers worn by some women fond of avantgarde fashions in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly ac-

tresses such as KatharineHepburn, GretaGarbo and MarleneDietrich.

During the 1960s, some upscale restaurants resisted modern fashion trends by refusing to admit women wearing trousers, which were considered inappropriate by some pro-

trying too hard.

Wear a pair of high-waist palazzo pants with a crop yourself some shape since Wear a funky, bold graphic tee with your pants for a Wear all of one color for an a jumpsuit. So chic! ously bolo vibe.

prietors. This posed a problem for women who did not want to wear the skirt styles that were then in fashion.

Some women opted to circumvent restaurant bans on women in pants by wearing palazzo trousers or culottes as evening wear.

Wellness L6

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

Pregnant?

help support the rapid growth of the placenta and fetus. the neurosurgeon emphasis and fetal growth can become impaired without it. One

Munch folic acid

Lara Adejoro

the production of red blood

o.adejoro@dailytimes.com.ng This might sound unreal

-

neural tube develop into her brain and spinal cord. The best food sources of folic

brain development for the

ers that have low level of

cell development. “Folic acid helps in the formation of deAn article in HowStufffor women who give birth be-

Nutrition

zinc concentrations. But it is recommended that these

ple get pregnant for almost

“it could affect the spinal a number of problems with

than those who got enough -

According to a Consultant neurosurgeon at the Lagos

a recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid becan help prevent birth defects. Folic acid also called folate is a B vitamin that

because it is a critical period for the formation of organs and the brain which is be-

lic acid because some peo-

palate. woman needs folic acid to

to prevent lowered zinc levments along with folic acid supplements.

Folate foods; Meat of pre-natal diet

Judith Frank-Edet

ing is recommended. This

judithjudith463@yahoo.com sensitive

and

prolonged

Beans and legumes are

-

calcium and lots of essential vitamins as well as folic acid.

An average plate of beans

vitamins and minerals while cleansing the entire digestive tract from toxic build-up.

Corn right now. Just one cup of mended needs for folic acid.

Eggs

vention of birth defects of

providing 218 mcg of folate in a 2-plate serving; water

cord.

Avocado pear

Here are some foods to indulge in, rich in folate.

Dark leafy green vegetables

green beans do not fall into this group.

Corn vegetable contains Citrus fruits

growth of babies in the womb gested in the 4th and 12th

could get the dried once.

neural tube develops in the fetus.

-

Groundnuts

Carrots When it comes to preThe word folate is actu-

green vegetables that contain such high concentra-

the highest. Oranges are

are amazing. One avocado contains 90 mcg of folate

folic acid. One orange holds aversions to meat while pregnant. Eggs are an excellent alternative protein

even more. Other folateOkra soup

nutrient dense with a load of

-

all the essential amino acids

nana. antioxidants to help maintain

are

more

concentrated -

-

great source of protein and -

lic acid. Groundnuts are also

-

Beans

magnesium and copper

Carrots are another ex-

ment.

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

Opeoluwani Akintayo

NewMusi

L7 Buzz Bytes

EXCLUSIVE

Femi Adeyinka exits Kennis

alert!

JennySoul ‘Nigeria’ Music record label Information reaching Life & Times has it that younger brother to ace comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka, Femi, who was signed to Ken-

-

time ago but no one knew about -

Times has it on good authority that the management of his music caFemi Adeyinka

Kim Wonder Make my day Ice Prince, Phyno, Olamide in Get some money Paradigm Initiative

-

Wonder is back on the Get some money, which fea-

-

a reggae tinged infectious cated from her base in the UK to London, is bent on being an act to watch out

with Information and Communica-

ON Set Mutiat Alli

Cossy Orjiakor

turns producer

Between Clarion Chukwura and Wale Adebayo

Movie title: Lotanna (Remember your father) Produced by: Written by: Godson Ukaegbu Directed by: Cast:

Synopsis:

Clarion Chukwura and Wale Adebayo

Cossy Orjiakor

Controversial and busty actress cum musician, Cossy Orjiakor has announced that she will be making her directorial debut with the production her first movie titled Power Girl which will be released on the playgirl pictures outfit. Cossy took to her twitter account to announce the news ‘wish me well, I am currently shooting my first movie as a producer….location tins….having fun’

Since the news of their alleged affair broke, veteran Nollywood actress, Clarion Chukwura has denied that she is in a sizzling romance with crossover actor, Wale Adebayo popularly known as ‘Sango’ by teaming fans. Clarion disclosed that she only has a working relationship with the said actor who is a good friend as well. “I don’t know where the news emanated from but the fact is there is no romance what so ever between myself and Wale. We are good friends” she said.

However, insiders hinted that Clarion is a frequent visitor to Adebayo’s place at Raji Apoyin Street off Ajose, Mende, Maryland. Unfortunately, all efforts to get through to Adebayo at the time of filling in this report proved abortive.

ther, and how he goes through a myriad of tri-

Location:

Ireti Doyle and Chris Attoh on Latanna movie set

Beverly Naya getting prepared for her roles

Bimbo Manuel

L8 Television

Daily Times Nigeria Monday March 9, 2015

Showing on

Showing on

154 AFRICA MAGIC FAMILY

108 M-Net

23:08

23:35

Sun, 8 Mar | 13 L

Sun, 8 Mar | 16

An old man, who is about to retire, decides to rob his boss at gunpoint. He gives the stolen money to his son, but the son misuses this ill-gotten inheritance. Mercy Johnson, Mike Ezuruonye. (2009) Tchidi Chikere.

101 M-Net West

Michael Jackson And The Doctor: A Fatal Friendship. Dr Conrad Murray was found guilty of killing pop icon Michael Jackson. This documentary features an exclusive interview with Dr Murray who tells his story. Michael Jackson, David Walgren, Conrad Murray. (2011) Tom Roberts.

120 BBC Entertainment

118 Telemundo

128 Sony Max

00:00 QI 00:14 New Tricks 01:05 Come Dine With Me 01:53 The Honourable Woman 02:46 The Cube 00:00 Gotham 00:08 Riddick 02:08 Ghost Rider 2: Spirit Of Vengeance 03:58 The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug 06:33 Behind The Scenes: Ride Along 07:00 MasterChef Australia 08:00 Modern Family 08:30 Celebrity Masterchef South Africa 09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 The Little Rascals Save The Day 12:04 Behind The Scenes: Katy Perry: Roar 12:30 2 Broke Girls 13:00 MasterChef Australia 14:02 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:05 NCIS: Los Angeles 16:00 Nashville 17:00 The Last Ship 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 Mom 19:30 MasterChef Australia

03:33 EastEnders 00:00 Aurora 00:30 The Impostor 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 The Impostor 03:00 The Impostor 03:50 The Impostor 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Aurora 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 Labour Of Love 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Aurora 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 Labour Of Love 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Aurora 15:20 Fearless Heart 16:10 Labour Of Love 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Aurora 19:30 Fearless Heart 20:20 Labour Of Love 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Aurora

04:03 EastEnders 04:33 Mr. Bean

00:00 The Walking Dead

05:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

00:25 Backstage 01:55 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

05:27 QI 05:57 Mr. Bean

15:09 The Weakest Link

02:45 Exposed

06:26 EastEnders

16:00 EastEnders

03:10 Exposed

06:56 Antiques Roadshow

16:31 Deal Or No Deal

03:35 Exposed

07:52 The Weakest Link

17:12 The Cube

08:42 The Chase

Videos

09:29 Total Wipeout UK

18:07 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

10:26 The Cube

19:02 Celebrity MasterChef

05:25 Ninja Warrior 05:50 The Smoking Gun Pres-

11:17 New Tricks 12:19 Top Gear

20:59 QI

13:14 Come Dine With Me

21:34 The Graham Norton Show

14:09 Total Wipeout UK

22:29 Would I Lie To You?

253 AIT

00:00 Boom Town 01:00 Music Africa 02:00 Boom Town 02:30 STV Sports Café 03:00 Local Movie 06:00 Impartation 06:30 Insights For Living 07:00 STV AM News

06:40 The Smoking Gun Pres07:30 Most Shocking Videos 09:20 Criss Angel Mindfreak 09:50 The Smoking Gun Pres10:50 The Smoking Gun Pres11:50 Most Shocking

252 Silverbird 07:30 Today On Stv 09:00 The Love Curse 10:30 STV Sports Café 11:00 Body Works 11:30 Play Ground 12:00 Nigeria Decides 13:00 Music Africa 14:05 Reel Entertainment 14:30 This Life 15:00 Dynamix On TV 15:30 Brights 16:05 Nickelodeon 17:00 Young Scholars 17:30 NNPC 18:02 MTV Base 19:00 STV News @ 7 19:30 Taste Of Love 20:00 Dream Movie 21:30 Politicscope 22:00 STV News @ 10

05:00 Ninja Warrior

12:50 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking Videos 14:50 Video Zonkers 15:15 Video Zonkers 00:00 AIT Midnight News 00:30 Movie: 02:30 Trends 03:00 Family Ties 03:30 Hitlist N Cruzin 04:00 The Valley Between 05:00 Oremus 06:00 Kaakaki 09:00 Inside Imo 09:30 Restoration Series 10:00 Focus Nigeria 11:00 The Money Show 12:00 AIT Reports 13:00 Sports Extra 13:30 Our Ladies Our Pride

14:00 Global Business 15:00 Matters Arising 16:00 World News 16:30 Global Views Africa 17:00 Cartoon 17:30 Nnenna & Friends 18:00 Jonathan: Work In Progress 18:30 One Mic 19:00 Necter 19:30 Newman Street 20:00 AIT News Hour 21:00 Echoes 21:30 Goge Africa 22:00 What Life Took From Me

15:45 1000 Ways To Die 16:10 The Smoking Gun Pres17:05 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking Videos 19:00 Most Shocking 20:00 Love And A Bullet 21:25 1000 Ways To Die 21:55 Kenny vs Spenny 22:25 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking