Wednesday November 15, 2017 Edition

Is Kanu hiding, missing, or?

•Govt using court to gag citizens – Ohanaeze •SE Governors’ Forum mum on its pledge •Court, not army, punishes violation of bail conditions – Ozekhome From CHUKS EZE (Enugu) and CHINEDU NWAFOR (Abakaliki).

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s the November 20 date for the resumption of hearing in the treasonable felony charge brought against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the federal gov-

The

VOX POPULI SACRUM

ernment draws nearer, the question on the lips of many citizens remains: where is the IPOB leader?

Troops deployed to the South East geo-political zone under the Operation Python Dance II, a controversial military exercise in civilian space in an otherwise peaceful

region, invaded the Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia family home of Kanu on September 14 this year and reportedly killed scores of people and carted valuable items from the house in the process.

Sources told reporters then that the house, actually the Pal-

ace of HRH, Eze Israel Kanu, Nnamdi Kanu’s father, “was desecrated and ransacked by the soldiers who searched all nooks and crannies of the house.”

Since then, the whereabouts

racle

Cont’d on page 2

www.oraclenews.ng

WEDNESDAY November 15, 2017

ISSN: 2545-5869

Today

Anambra 2017: No winner in sight VOL.2 No. 47. N200

•Run off possible •Ojukwu still used •Godfathers rule

By IKECHUKWU NMERENGWA, Special Correspondent

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HE 18 November gubernatorial election in Anambra State is not about the present; it is about the future of politicians and politics in the State.

It is about some individuals who would be personal losers, if the results do not go their way.

“They all keep talking about

2022, zoning, tenure,” one political analyst said. “They are talking about themselves, not the people.”

Politicians in Anambra State

are not very different from others elsewhere. Their business is power sharing and warehousing. Those who lost on 16 November 2013, when the previous election was

held, are back in various circumstances. What has not changed is their hunger for power.

“A winner is not in sight in the election a the election. It would

be a wonder if there is an outright winner in the first pool,” the analyst who didn’t want to be named,

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FG proposes N10b for Niger Bridge Federal Government has TN10HEproposed an expenditure of billion in the 2nd Niger Bridge,

according to budget figures that President Muhammadu Buhari laid before the National Assembly on Tuesday. The allocation continues the confusion that has attended the construction of the bridge since the Buhari administration stopped work on it in June 2015.

The earlier contract for the bridge was to cost N108b under a public private participation agreement.

•Full details of the budget on www.oraclenews.ng

Page 15

•Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu flanked from left Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe, Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, His Excellency W. Stuart Symington the US Ambassador to Nigeria and Miran R. Torres, Political Officer Embassy of United States of America during their one-day visit to Abia State. Photo: Ibe Abiakwu

Okorocha rules out deputy as successor

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

NEWS Continued from Pg 1 citing sentiments around the election, said.

The contest is well spread out-across regions, religions, and relationships, as the choice of candidates has shown. The interests of politicians and their sponsors have become more paramount in the contest. Examples spread through the terrain, except for the few individuals who are calling their own shots.

What follows are the key factors that would impact on the outcome of the election and how the changes in political platforms, alignments and incumbency have mounted their own challenges and obstacles for the candidates.

Factors Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, on September 16 in Awka, during a two-day workshop for Civil Society Situation Room, listed three factors that would affect the election as - pro-Biafra agitators, general discontentment in the entire South East region as well as the security challenges in the region.

There are more and they are treated below in some detail.

No Central Senator THERE is no Senator in the Anambra Central Senatorial District. The tussle among APGA, APC and PDP over who won the election is still in the courts. Many orders and counters orders have stalled the decision of the Supreme Court for another election in the Anambra Central. The absence of central authority of such standing in the area has partially diffused its politics. It is about the freest zone in the State.

Godfathers “Ubah factor” in Aguata and Orumba, “OBIJACKSON, Emeakai, Nzeribe and Orjiako factors in Ihiala”; “Offor and BISHOP factors in Ekwusigo”; “GUO factor in Anao-

Anambra 2017: No winner in sight Anambra 2017 Profile • 37 candidates • 21 local government areas • 326 electoral wards • 4,608 polling units • 6,200 voting points • 179 communities

• 2, 158,171 (2017) registered voters (50.3 per cent were females while 49.6 percent were males, 48 per cent are students) • 1, 784, 536 (2013) registered voters (females – 900,701; 50.5 per cent, males – 883,835 (49.5 per cent) • 23,000 INEC personnel •34,000 security personnel (16,000 policemen - police want 15,580 more) cha”, “Ewepudike factor in Nnanka”, “Arthur factor in Dunukofiah”, “ Ubah factor in Nnewi”, and “Ukachukwu factor in Nnewi South”. These are tags that are thrown up when discussing those who control votes in some parts of the State. Party affiliations have jumbled these calculations Incumbency THE burden of incumbency is what Obiano feels at the moment.

While there are fewer things to judge the other candidates on, he is called to account for everything he has done in the past three and half years. There has been a poor response in these accounts. What however seems to resonate with most communities is the N20m that he gave each of the 179 communities in the State to execute a

Read about the great Rangers story from next edition

• Idemili South

Anambra North • Onitsha North • Onitsha South • Ogbaru • Oyi • Ayamelum • Anambra East • Anambra West

Anambra South • Orumba North •Orumba South • Aguata • Lhiala • Ekwusigo • Nnewi North • Nnewi South

Anambra Central • Awka North • Awka South • Njikoka • Dunukofia • Anaocha • Idemili North

Top Four in 2013 Obiano, APGA, 174,710 Nwoye, PDP, 96,856 •Ngige, APC, 92,300 •Uba, Labour 37,446 •Note in the race this time

project that it feels is of most importance to it.

wondering what Ojukwu’s wish is at the moment.

Money THE major candidates appear to have enough money to run their campaigns. The challenges have been in pooling resources, which some complain they are denied, including spaces for billboards, or even the more frequent allegation that they are denied use of campaign venues or that their publicity materials are vandalised.

Zoning Since the creation of Anambra State, the following have been governors – Anambra South Chukwuemeka Ezeife (19921993) Chinwoke Mbadinuju (1999 to 2003) Dame Virginia Etiaba (November 2006 to February 2007) Andy Uba (2007) Anambra Central Chris Ngige (2003 -2006) Mr. Obi (2006 -2013)

Ojukwu ONLY APGA campaigns with the name of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the late Biafran leader. There is not much to exploit from the name. While “his last wish” was for APGA to win the second term (Peter Obi), people are

Anambra North Willie Obiano (2013-). He is contesting for a second term in office.

It is generally thought that it is

Is Kanu hiding, missing, or ?

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To be serialised in The Oracle Today soon

Zones, LGAs

of the IPOB leader has remained unknown.

The invasion of Kanu’s home came a day to the commencement (September 15) of the Python Dance operations in the South East as announced by the Army and barely a month to the resumption of hearing of the federal case against him.

At the resumed hearing of the case on October 17 before the Federal Court Abuja presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, both Kanu’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor and federal government’s lawyer Yakubu Labaran engaged each other in a war of words over the whereabouts of Mazi Kanu who was conspicuously absent from the court.

In the end, Justice Nyako, in her ruling, ordered that Kanu’s sureties, led by Enyinna Abaribe should produce him in court at the next hearing date, which is 20th.

Said Mrs. Nyako: “Even if you apply (to be discharged as the defendant’s surety following Kanu’s disappearance) from today till tomorrow, you have only three options: produce Nnamdi Kanu, forfeit the bond (N100 million), or request for time to bring him back to court to face his trial.”

“Once you sign to be some-

body’s surety, that person automatically becomes your responsibility,” she added.

In other words, the court, discountenancing the well advertised circumstances that had led to Kanu’s disappearance, still held Kanu’s sureties, led by Senator Enyinna Abaribe responsible for his appearance in court at the next hearing of the case against the IPOB. But, as the mystery over Kanu’s whereabouts has persisted, so has the controversy over exactly who should produce him in court.

And so the question re-echoes: where is Nnamdi Kanu and whose responsibility is it to find him?

The confusion is made worse by the apparent failure of the South East Governors’ Forum to make good its promise to investigate the circumstances leading to the invasion of Kanu’s home and the alleged killing of scores of people in the process and get back to the public with useful information.

“In keeping with our earlier position, we wish to assure Nigerians that full investigation is ongoing (into) all allegations of killings and maiming and other unlawful conduct in the South-East Zone within this period. The governors and the security agencies are in agreement that appropriate action will be taken against anyone found

culpable,” the SEGF had said in the communiqué it issued after the group’s meeting on September 16 this year, during which a decision was reached to ban the activities of IPOB in the South East States.

Since then, nothing has been heard from the Forum. Efforts to reach the DG of the Forum for comments were unsuccessful as he would not keep any of the appointments he had given The Oracle Today. The Director of Press, Mr. Mike Udah, for his part, asked for a set of questions but would not answer any of them.

However, in a chat with The Oracle Today in Abakaliki, the Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Uche Achi-Okpaga, a lawyer, accused the federal government of using the court to gag citizens.

He defended the South East governors over their seeming poor response to the IPOB saga, saying: “The governors had a well orchestrated plan to resolve the seeming impasse but the federal government did not believe in them and thought that they were sponsoring IPOB. That is what brought the stalemate. Military brigandage will never solve the problem as it has not solved it elsewhere.”

He described as “laughable” the

Cont’d on page 47

the turn of Anambra North to be in office for eight years. Obiano, Nwoye, and Obaze are from Anambra North.

Chidoka is from Anambra Central and argues that zoning is not a policy of UPP. Women WHERE the women would vote is important. They are a majority of the voters and they would turn out on election day en masse.

There are women teams of some of the parties, campaigning specially to the women. The major woman candidate (deputy governor) in the race is PDP’s Lady Chidi Alexandra Onyemelukwe, daughter of former Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme.

Religions THERE is a straight contest between Catholics and Anglicans.

The votes would be split along those lines. Some of the candidates have managed to straddle the two major groups. Most churches have become the hottest campaign ground, with All Saints’ Anglican field in Onitsha, remarkably the flag-off campaign ground for at least three of the major candidates, across religious lines.

Promises ABUNDANCES of promises are routine in the campaigns. Some of them fall in the realms of ‘a candidate must say something’. While the incumbent is talking about finishing the ‘good work he is doing’, the other candidates task him on how he has fared in his first tenure. Their promises are tailored towards redeeming where they think the incumbent has failed.

IPOB UNTIL the military’s invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s Umuahia home in September, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, held several rallies calling for a boycott of the election. It argued that if the Federal Government could hold election in Anambra State, it could organise a referendum on Biafra.

The rallies have ceased. Thee have been factional statements supporting the election. Recently, however, a series of messages having appearing on the social media, suggesting that security agencies would used the opportunity the election offers to harm voters.

The messages having been asking people to boycott the election.

Security A pre-election Security Assessment Report from INEC has predicted a generally peaceful election. It expressed optimism that the election would largely be peaceful. It predicated isolated cases of security challenges; the report indicated a peace rating of 87 per cent across the 21 Local Government Areas of the State.

“The security threats and risk factors in the governorship election should be seen as an early warning signs which the government, INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders should take seriously.

“The early warning signs should be taken seriously by developing proactive mitigation mechanisms to avoid a breakdown of law and order,” the report suggested.

It warned of dangers of “godfather and money-bag politics”.

However, Anambra State Com-

Cont’d on page 47

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

Lagos halts toll-gate hike From VICTOR NZE

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AGOS State Government has stepped in to halt the toll gate tariff hike earlier announced by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC).

LCC has last week announced tariff hikes on its two properties; Lekki-Epe Expressway and LekkiIkoyi link bridge in the Lekki area of

the state.

However, a statement by Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. the Steve Ayorinde, weekend, said the tariff hike ‘has now been put on hold as the necessary consultations with stakeholders are yet to be concluded.’

“The attention of Lagos State Government has been drawn to the announcement of a proposed

tariff hike on Lekki-Epe Expressway and Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC).

“The Lagos State government hereby informs the general public that the said tariff hike has now been put on hold as the necessary consultations with stakeholders are yet to be concluded.

“While government recognises the need for periodic review of

tariffs and any other levies appertaining to road infrastructure maintenance in the state, the public and critical stakeholders as the ultimate beneficiaries of such facilities must always be carried along at all times.

“Therefore, the proposed tarrif hike cannot be effected at this period in the interest of the public, while further consultations continue,” said the statement.

Bayelsa denies taking fresh N40b loan

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he Bayelsa Government has denied media reports claiming that it plans to take a fresh loan.

State Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who denied the reports in a statement, Monday in Yenegoa, said that the state government only approached the State House of Assembly for the restructuring of repayment of the N40 billion earlier borrowed. He said that the request made to the state House of Assembly was for approval to restructure existing N40 billion loan so as to complete ongoing projects was not a fresh loan.

“The request was contained in a letter dated October 30 and addressed to the Speaker of Bayelsa House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson. The letter sought among others, permission to restructure existing bank loans to enable the state channel more funds to projects.” Iworiso-Markson stressed that there was no truth in the reports.

According to Iworiso-Markson, the restructuring of the loan would enhance speedy completion of ongoing projects across the three Senatorial zones in the state like the Sagbama-Ekeremor road, Isaac Boro road and Bayelsa International Airport, amongst others.

“The N40 billon is not a fresh loan as being speculated, rather it is aimed at restructuring already existing loan from two to four years period.

“You know we took a loan for the airport some time ago. So, what we are doing is that instead of paying the required over N2 billion every month, we have restructured it and the time to pay the loan has been elongated.

“Rather than two years, we will now pay it in four years and it will be about N1 billion naira every month. The other one will be given to our contractors. We don’t want to handle it ourselves because if we do, we will still spend it on other things.

“So, we have given it to a particular bank to distribute to our contractors. So, clearly it is not a fresh loan” he said.

The denial is coming on the heels of public outcry from labour leaders who have interpreted the restructuring of the loan to mean that government was taking new loans in addition to existing ones.

•Nigeria international, Obafemi Martins, (second from left) with the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (third from left) at the official presentation of 200 wheelchairs, 3, 240 crutches and other health equipment worth several millions of naira donated by Martins to the Lagos State Government.

AU confirms over 700 artistes for AFRIMA 2017 From VICTOR NZE

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frican Music superstars such as: Salif Keita (Mali), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Wizkid (Nigeria), Young Paris (DRC), Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania), Sheyi Shey (Nigeria), Bussine (Gabon), Bebe Cool (Uganda), 2Baba (Nigeria), Venessa Mdee (Tanzania), Sheyi Shay (Nigeria), Nasty C (South Africa), Sarkodie (Ghana), Fnaire (Morroco), Eddy Kenzo (Uganda), Ibitssam Tiskat (Morocco), Emtee (South Africa) and over 700 others superstars have been confirmed by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) to attend the main events of AFRIMA 2017.

The Main events are The Africa Music Business Roundtable, AMBR, (November 10) at the Ballroom, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the AFRIMA Music Village (November 10) at the Waterfront, Bar Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos, and the Main Awards Ceremony (November 12) at the Eko Hotel and

Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Other ace artistes; Chess Nthussi (Kenya), Ebony (Ghana), Timaya (Nigeria), Montess (Cameroon), Niniola (Nigeria), Babes Woduno (South Africa), Tay Grin (Malawi), Nsoki (Angola), Olamide (Nigeria), Big Nelo (Angola), Shatta Wale (Ghana), Cheba Maria (Algeria), Runtown (Nigeria), Amanda Black (South Africa), Kiff No Beat (Cote D’ivoire), Reniss (Cameroon), Small Doctor (Nigeria), Mura K. E (Kenya) are also listed for performances at the AFRIMA Music Village (November 10) and the Main Awards Ceremony (November 12).

The AFRIMA Music Village, where over 40 music artistes will be performing live, is the Africa’s biggest open concert.

Music executives and music business brands will engage, brainstorm and network at the Africa Music Roundtable. The Africa Music Roundtable with the theme, Digital Takeover, Shaping the Future of African Music, will bring together top international music brands, label executives and music artistes to

chart a continental strategy for the African music in the digital age.

Speakers at the AFRIMA event are the General Manager, Sony Music, West Africa; Micheal Ugwu; Board Chairman of the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition, South Africa; Dr Sipho Sithole, and Head of Public Relations and Special Projects, Universal Music; Ms Hadja Kobele, Brahim El Mazned, artistic director, Africa Middle East Music Meeting, and Rab Bakari, an international music label executive at Mixerpot LLC. The annual AFRIMA awards is in partnership with the African Union to foster economic development and integration on the continent while showcasing the cultural heritage of Africa to the rest of the world. The awards platform achieves this by celebrating and rewarding old and young music talents of African origin. Lagos State is the official host city of AFRIMA 2017 as appointed by the African Union after hosting a successful 2016 edition.

Borno promises return of IDPs in 2018

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eputy Governor of Borno State, Usman Durkwa has disclosed that strategies are being put in place to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state return to their communities before the first quarter of 2018.

Durkwa also said, in Maiduguri, last Sunday, that there were still a handful of camps within the state hosting the IDPs, but that expectation was that IDPs would be returned to their communities early next year.

According to him, with the coming of the North East Development Commission, things will hasten the realisation of government expectation of returning the IDPs, adding that the commission would seriously complement the efforts of the state government.

He also said the commission would, among other things, coordinate projects and programmes within the Master Plan for the rehabilitation, resettlement, reconciliation, reconstruction and sustainable development of the North-East Zone.

According to him the functions of the commission also include infrastructure, human and social services.

Durkwa commended the Federal Government in ensuring improvement in the living standard of the IDPs. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Friday handed over 33,114 (50kg) bags of rice and other relief materials to assist IDPs in Borno.

The gesture is part way of the efforts by the Federal Government to ease life for those affected by the activities of the insurgents in the North- East.

Communities commend NNPC, Chevron

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he Egbema and Gbaramatu communities in Delta on Wednesday commended the NNPC and Chevron for the N278.4 million projects jointly executed in the area by the companies and the people.

Executive Chairman of Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, Mr Jude Ukori, who gave the commendation in Asaba, the state capital, said that the projects which were inaugurated last week included the concrete jetty/waiting shed and walkway in Azama Zion community.

He added that others were the renovation of Egbema Heritage Guest House and staff quarters at Opuede community as well as the construction of the Benikrukru community road.

The chairman said they also included the laboratory block at Model Secondary School, Kokodiagbene and the 0.9 kilometre road at Kenyangbene community in Gbaramatu kingdom.

Ukori said that the projects had provided succour for the people.

He called on the Federal and Delta Governments, to help develop the communities, saying that they had suffered adverse environmental effects from oil and gas exploration.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

PDP wins Enugu LG poll

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has swept the 14 chairmanship election results released by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) last Saturday’s local government election.

The party also swept all ward councillorship positions in 11 Local

Government Areas also announced by the commission.

The Chairman of ENSIEC, Dr Mike Ajogwu, announced the results at ENSIEC headquarters in Enugu on Sunday.

Ajogwu, who is also the Chief Returning Officer for the poll, said that the results of three council areas

had not been collated because they arrived late. He noted that the council areas the results of which were yet to be concluded were: Enugu North, Awgu and Udi Local Government Areas, adding that the results of six local government areas councilorship had not arrived.

“So far, so good, the election had

been credible, free and fair from ENSIEC assessment.

“I want to thank the media, security agencies and Enugu State residents for making it a huge success,” he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that there are 17 From VICTOR NZE local governments and 261 political wards in the state. ederal Government has

Ganduje releases N294m for children

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ano State Government says it has released N294 million, as its counterpart fund, to UNICEF for the purchase of Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic-Food (RUTF) for the management and treatment of severely malnourished children in the state.

The Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed this in Kano during the launching of anti-malarial commodities and other health interventions at the Government House, Kano, last weekend.

“Our government is committed to the plight of malnourished children, it will continue to provide its support toward addressing malnutrition in the state,” he said.

He said that the state government was working together with local and international partners to ensure that drugs, medical supplies and consumables were available in every health facility and community, malnutrition.

“Our administration is also responsive to the worrisome challenge of malnutrition in Northern Nigeria including Kano, especially among children under five years,’’ he said.

Ganduje also launched the distribution of free anti-malarial drugs and diagnostic commodities, worth over N100 million for primary and secondary health care facilities across the state.

He said that the commodities would be given to most vulnerable groups of deserving women and children in the state.

The governor said that the state government had purchased kits, anti-malarial drugs and other consumables, worth over N530 million and for distribution to 748 health facilities across the 44 local governments.

Ganduje commended Volunteer Community Mobilisers (VCMs) mainly women for working tirelessly for the survival of children in the state He said that the state government was happy that the state was free of polio virus for 39 months.

“I believe that we are all part of the successes and all hands must

be on deck to ensure that no case is reported in 2019.”

Ganduje also thanked UNICEF for partnering with Ministry of Health in engaging over 3,000 women to serve as volunteers to resolve non-compliance to Oral Polio Vaccine.

He also thanked other donor agencies and the Kano Emirate Council for their efforts and continuous support to the state government in its effort aimed at improving the health care delivery

system in the state.

The Chief Field Officer, UNICEF in charge of Kano and Katsina states, Mrs Padmavathi Yadla, said that malnutrition needed collective efforts from all sectors and attitudinal change in dealing with the challenge.

She congratulated Kano State Government and the people for recording 39 months of Polio free status.

She also commended the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammad Sa-

Operation ‘Harbin Kunama ll’ to commence in Zamfara

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counter-terrorism operations in the country.

The Operation Harbin Kunama I was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in July, 2016 during which scores of armed bandits were killed.

The minister said that just like the military was carrying out Op-

Nigeria going through refining fire, says Babalola

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enior Pastor of His Presence Redemption Ministries Int’l (HPRM), Ogba, Lagos, Prophet David Babalola, has called on Nigerians, despite the challenges in the country, to bear with the government of the day, because “when all is said and done, God put them there” and they bear the most burden.

He also promised that “Nigeria (is) coming out like gold very soon, for like raw gold it must pass through (refining) fire,” adding that rather than the excessive

nusi II, for working hand in hand with donor agencies toward improving health care delivery in the state.

Earlier, the Emir commended donor agencies for their untiring effort toward Polio eradication and other diseases in the state.

He called on Imams, District heads and Village heads to enlighten their people on the on hygiene, sanitation and other health related issues.

From left: Project Coordinator, Top 50 Brands Nigeria, Bolu Ibrahim; Head, Marketing Communications, 9mobile, Seni Ogunkola; CEO, Top 50 Brands Nigeria, Taiwo Oluboyede and Head, Media,9mobile, Gerald Osugo, during the presentation of Top 50 Brands Nigeria award to 9mobile in Lagos recently.

inister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has said that a military joint patrol tagged: “Operation Harbin Kunama II” will commence in Zamfara State in December, this year, to completely wipe out terrorists in the area.

Dan-Ali disclosed this in Gusau while speaking to newsmen on

complaints, humbling ourselves in prayers is the only solution that would move the country forward.

“Nigerians complain a lot; they are never satisfied, even during the past governments. Some say it is getting tougher everyday while others don’t believe so.

Bear in mind that those that benefit in a government always see it as a good one.

“So my advice to President Buhari is that he should not listen to such people. How many of such people have been in governance?

“He should rather take advice from the likes of former president Obasanjo, people that have been there before.”

He asked the citizenry to take a cue from those in the UK, USA and other advanced nations who don’t dwell on shortcomings of their leaders.

“When people say Buhari is bad, I tell them to stop. He has been there before. Then, he stopped indiscipline. Lagos was very clean.

People were clamouring for his return.”

FG reiterates commitment to N/Delta development

eration Awatse in the South-West and Operation Crocodile Smile II in the South-South, Harbin Kunama II would begin in the state in December.

He stated that different forms of anti-terrorism operations under various army code names would continue to be carried out in all the geo-political zones of the country to seriously decimate terrorists and their activities.

He reiterated the ability of the Nigerian army to fully curtail terrorism in the country “so that people can continue to live in peace and enjoy the dividends of democracy.”

The minister, in company of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, and the Officer Commanding Special Operations Command of the Nigerian Air Force, AVM Ismaila Kaita, were in the state for the inauguration of some completed projects at the 207 Quick Response Group of the Nigerian Air Force in Gusau.

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reiterated its commitment to development of the Niger Delta region, even as it called for more private sector participation in the oil and gas infrastructure projects in the country.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who emphasised that the Buhari administration will continue to address development in the Niger Delta through its New Vision for the region, also described the recent World Bank Doing Business report on Nigeria as ‘fantastic’ and ‘proof that Buhari administration’s reforms are working.’

Osinbajo made the remarks in his speech, last Thursday, to mark the 55th anniversary of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chambers Of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

The event held with the theme: Nigeria: An Investor Friendly Destination.

“We will continue to address Niger Delta issues and build a peaceful and prosperous Niger Delta, with emphasis on job creation for our teaming unemployed youths, investment in infrastructure, energy and promotion of sustainable livelihood,” Prof Osinbajo said.

The Vice President further noted that Nigeria’s latest ranking in the World Bank’s report was an indication that the Buhari administration’s reforms were producing results.

“On Tuesday, the World Bank released its latest report, in which Nigeria achieved the unprecedented step of climbing 24 places in the rankings, and earning a place on the list of 10 most improved economies in the world.

“This is fantastic news, but by no means an excuse for us to slow down. Instead we’re taking it as the very reason why we need to ramp up our reforms, for the benefit of Nigeria. There is still work to be done in reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks in the award of contracts and generally in obtaining approvals.

“It is for this reason – the creation of a business environment that catalyses business activity and investment - that this year alone we have issued an Executive Order focusing on improving the business environment, and launched two National Action Plans designed to be short-term interventions aimed at implementing specific business environment reforms. The second National Action Plan is ongoing, and we expect that it will yield results across every sector of the economy, including the OPTS,” said the VP.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

NEWS Waste management: Gov. Okowa slashes price of bins From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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s part of his desire to provide an effective waste management mechanism Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa has slashed the price of waste bin produced by the Delta State Government from N10,000 to N5,000 and from N15,000 to N10,000 respectively.

He has also directed the Ministry of Environment to develop a flexible payment plan for the benefit of all citizens and residents in the state.

The governor’s directive was contained in a statement from the office of the State Commissioner for Environment, Barr. John Obukohwo Nani.

“It is hereby announced for the information of the general public particularly Deltans that the State Ministry of Environment is using this medium to sensitize Deltans against the unwholesome practice of burning of waste and the ugly trend in which persons, organizations and business owners dispose their refuse indiscriminately along the street and highway thereby defacing the aesthetic of the Environment,” the statement read in part.

The Commissioner however noted that in order to check this ugly trend and ensure that the beauty and cleanliness of our environment is sustained and remarkably improved upon, “the state government is directing the general public, most especially persons, organizations and business owners to have a government waste bin for appropriate disposal of refuse by an accredited Private Sector Participants (PSP) waste collector to a government approved Dumpsites.”

Hon. Nani also directed all Local Government Councils, Waste Management Board, Delta State Capital Development Agency, State Sanitation Taskforce and other relevant authorities to monitor their areas and ensure that every residential, organizational and business premises acquires a government waste bin at the subsidized rates of Five Thousand Naira (5,000) for residential and Ten thousand Naira (10,000) for Corporate organizations, from their respective Local Government Council secretariats or the Delta State Capital Development Agency, Asaba.

The statement therefore urged the general public to take advantage of the “governor’s benevolence” and acquire the government waste bin as the State Ministry of Environment will from 1st November, 2017 apprehend residents and seal up business premises without the subsidized government waste bin, and bring them before a special sanitation court headed by a magistrate and fined accordingly.

• Okowa

Navy ready to neutralise militant activity Niger Delta – Ibas From EMMANUEL OGOIGBE, Warri

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he Nigerian Navy has vowed to neutralize planned activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to resume hostilities, adding that the military is prepared to resist any attempt to plunge the region into another round of crisis.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who disclosed this while speaking to journalists at the Nigerian Navy School of Engineering, Sapele, Delta state, on Monday, also said the efforts of the Nigerian Navy to reduce sea piracy are already yielding positive results.

Vice Admiral Ibas, who was on tour of the facilities and stations in

Delta State, accompanied by other senior officers of the Nigerian Navy, also told journalists that the enhanced production level in the oil and gas industry is a testimonial to the success of the Navy’s strategies to curb criminal activities in the Niger Delta creeks.

“Threat by Niger delta Avengers, threat by kidnappers, threat by sea robbers, sea pirates and threats by all criminals are threats that the armed forces of Nigeria have a responsibility towards containing, we won’t wait until a threat comes from anywhere before the Navy acts,” said the Navy boss.

“What we do is protecting lives and properties so any threat, especially against the nation’s assets or

individuals, is taken very seriously and the Nigerian Navy will continue to do that which it has to do to protect the assets and properties of Nigeria,” he added.

On sea piracy, Ibas said the Navy has continued to maintain presence at sea, adding that though there would always be attempts by criminal elements to jeopardize safety of the maritime environment, Navy has put measures in place to contain criminal activities at sea.

“It is, of course, relative to say piracy is on the rise, but like we’ve always said, whatever happens at sea must have been conceptualized on land and then taken to sea.

The majors had earlier enumerated

the choke points management; our presence in the backwaters and at sea are all tailored towards reducing those challenges you have out there at sea,” he said, adding: “I think the overall assessment is that the Navy’s presence has reduced the incidences of pirates at sea. We may have had attempts, but such attempts have been mitigated aggressively and positively too so for seafarers who use the sea for legitimate business, the effort of the Navy is paying off. Yes, you have attempts and challenges everywhere, as we continue to build our capacities, we’ll continue to meet to challenges well.”

PPA gubanatorial candidate, Chief Godwin Ezeemo presents his running mate, Chief Stanley Nkworka during their campaign flag-off. Photo Modestus Igudobi

Wike to international community: Save Nigeria’s democracy From NATH OMAME, Port Harcourt

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overnor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has called on the international community to save Nigeria’s democracy from imminent collapse by mounting sufficient pressures on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled federal government to uphold the rule of law and guarantee the integrity of the electoral system.

He said: “There is need for the international community to save the country and its democracy from imminent collapse by putting sufficient pressures on the federal government to uphold the rule of law, guarantee the integrity of the electoral system and do socio-economic justice to all segments of the Nigerian society.”

He expressed reservations over current revenue sharing formula, stating that state governments that bear greater burden than the federal government are financially hamstrung because “the current flawed revenue sharing formula in the country has made development difficult in states as the federal government carts away 53percent

of national revenue, while the 36 states share a meagre 22 per cent.”

“Obviously, when 22% per cent of national revenue is disaggregated among 36 States, what comes to each State is not more than 0.6 per cent on the average per annum, which by any stretch of imagination is incapable of funding serious developmental programmes for any State,” he said.

Governor Wike spoke at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), London where he delivered a lecture on the topic: “Defining Development for Rivers State and Steps to Sustainable Implementation”.

He said “the country is in serious political and economic decline, pointing out that Nigeria is presently caught up in a serious existential crisis, which is self-evident.”

According to Governor Wike: “The politicization and active involvement of key national institutions, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police in the rigging of the re-run elections in Rivers State was not only an affront to democracy but such acts also constitute a serious invitation to chaos with

destructive consequences of unknown dimensions.”

The governor explained to the International Community that despite generating a huge percentage of the nation’s resources, Rivers State has suffered untold neglect and deprivation by the Federal Government over the years.

He said: “As an integral part of the country Rivers State is entitled to development support from the federal government through the direct provision of projects and programmes in the State. This is even more so considering the State’s enormous contributions to the national revenue bowl. Unfortunately, this is not the case as the Federal Government continues to neglect and marginalize the State in the provision of development projects.

“For instance, the Federal Government has not undertaken any new development project in the State for the last two decades.

Even the existing ones, such as the Port Harcourt international airport, the two seaports and the East – West highway have severely degenerated without attention for years.

These are important economic projects that needed to function maxi-

mally to drive the socio-economic development of the State, yet the Federal Government continues to turn a blind eyes to them with impunity”.

However, Governor Wike declared: “I want to assure you that our resolve is strong, our commitment to Rivers State and our people remain unchanged and unchangeable. We shall continue to do our best within the limits of available resources to deliver on our development priorities to the State on sustainable bases and enhance the wellbeing of our people.”

Chair of the presentation , Sir Richard Gozney KCMG CVO, Lieutenant Governor, Isle of Man; British High Commissioner to Nigeria (2004-07) noted that Rivers State is important to the development of Nigeria and plays a significant role in regional affairs.

Incumbent British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Awkright who attended Governor Wike’s presentation urged him to continue to work for the improvement of security in the state for the increase in foreign direct investments.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

News

Biafra: FG frustrating our cases, IPOB cries out

By THEO RAYS

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HE Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has cried out over endless adjournments and postponements of cases involving the group and Nigerian government in various courts in the country, including the ECOWAS Court sitting in Abuja, accusing President Muhammadu Buhari is using his executive powers to frustrate cases involving IPOB. The group, in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, complained that wherever there is a court case pending between Nigeria and IPOB, the government of Buhari deploys its executive powers to frustrate it through delays and, in some instances, indefinite postponement.

According to him, the Nigerian judiciary and security operatives, especially the Nigerian Army and

Police, are using the legal system to detain IPOB members without trial, under the guise of adjournment upon adjournment of each of the ongoing cases from Abuja, to Aba, Umuahia, Uyo, Igweocha (Port Harcourt) and Enugu.

“All cases involving IPOB family members are being frustrated by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF),” the statement read in part.

Powerful further lamented that court orders are flagrantly being disobeyed by the same government that appointed the judges delivering these rulings, noting that the case of Bright Chimezie Ishinwa is particularly distressing given that a Federal High Court in Uyo ordered his immediate release, but till today DSS is still holding him and has refused to comply with the court order.

He said the case of Ishinwa came up again for hearing on November

2, 2017 in Uyo, unsurprisingly and in total disregard to the rule of law, DSS refused to attend the court and also refused to release Bright Chimezie Ishinwa who is languishing in detention without trial at DSS underground detention facility in Abuja.

The statement reads further: “The world must tell IPOB where we must go to obtain justice given the failure of the courts to defend the common man.

“Nigerian government, it seems, has been given the judicial license to pick up and detain anybody at will indefinitely at the pleasure of Buhari and his henchmen. This is not democracy; this is not the rule of law; it is the worst form of tyranny.

“By persistently ignoring court orders and ruling of judges, the Buhari administration is inviting anarchy and chaos upon itself.

“How can a government charge somebody to their own court and

when that court, having examined the case, determines that an accused person is innocent, still holds on to that person in detention in a supposed democracy?

“The government of Muhammadu Buhari quickly labelled IPOB a terrorist organisation without due process of law. Now we have challenged them to prove in an open court how IPOB is a terrorist group, the AGF has decided not to come to court to prove his case.

“This ugly illegal pattern of total disregard for due process of law is repeated in every case involving IPOB. Buhari’s regime keeps talking about peace and security but is itself the greatest contributor to the instability in Nigeria today.

“We wish to reiterate to the hearing of the civilised world that IPOB is and remains the most peaceful freedom fighting organisation anywhere in the world today.

“We are still wondering why the National Judicial Commission (NJC) would be docile to the point of allowing the legal process in Nigeria to be trampled upon by this Buhari regime.

“Those who claim to be professionals in the legal field, including the countless Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, that regularly appear on television programmes, should understand that their seeming cowardice in the face of this APC tyranny does not speak well of them or their profession.

“We are therefore calling on the international community, human rights groups, well meaning individuals and societies including men and women of goodwill across the globe to question this Nigerian government and her judiciary why we have this incessant postponement and adjournment of IPOB cases.” “

Community appeals to NDDC over abandoned road From CHRIS EZE, Yenagoa people of Polaku community in YenaLocal Government Area of Bayelsa TStateHEgoahave sent a ‘save our soul’ message to

the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC over the abandoned Kolokuma- Sabagriea–Polaku road in state.

The Oracle Today learnt that the road project was designed to connect communities in Yenagoa and Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State and provide an alternative route from the East- West Road into the state capital.

It was further gathered that the late Chief Melford Okilo in old Rivers State conceived and commenced the project in1982 but could not continue following the military coup that brought civil rule to an abrupt end then.

With the project abandoned, the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC] took it over in early Year 2000.

Unfortunately, the contract for the project, which was re-awarded to Elite Construction Company limited with one or two bridges completed has again been abandoned, compelling those seeking to pass through Polaku to Kolokuma/Opokuma to be ferried across the Taylor Creek by some women or children who then board motor cycles to Kaiama, after linking the East/West Road at Opokuma junction.

According to the paramount ruler of Polaku, Chief Barnabas Tarila, the non-completion of the road takes its toll on the people.

Community rights activist, Mr. Alagoa Morris of Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth in Yenagoa, charged the Niger Delta Development Commission to see to the completion of the Kaiama-Kolokuma-Sabagrea-Polaku road.

•Bishop Silvanus Onwuachu cuts the tape to commission the Rehobot Plaza Ogidi, Anambra State. 2nd right is Owner of the plaza, Chief Cyril Okongwu and ONICCIMA DG, Mr. Dominic Ajibo.

Photo: Modestus Igudobi.

Ebonyi 2019: PDP chieftain harps on equity From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

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chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State and Commissioner in the state Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Moses Nwodom has advised the people of the state to respect and maintain the state’s charter of equity and not allow the deceit of the opposition elements to becloud their senses of equity and fairness.

Nwodom was speaking on the heels of plans by some opposition political parties to field candidates from the

southern zone of the State with attempts to convince the public that they would only govern for one term if elected to complete the chance of the zone in order to curry support.

But, he noted that Ebonyians should be wary of such deceit because, the person if eventually elected would certainly renege on the promise; arguing that since Governor David Umahi is already taking the turn of Southern zone with huge achievements to his credit, he should be supported to complete their turn so that power could return to North zone.

Nigeria yet to tap full potentials of pharmacists – Ikpeazu From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia bia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has lamented that Nigeria is yet to tap A from full potentials of pharmacists in the country.

Receiving a delegation of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) at the Executive Chambers of Government House, Umuahia, Ikpeazu asserted that Nigeria would begin to enjoy the full potentials of members of the PSN when they take drug manufacturing.

“I yearn for the time when 90% of pharmacists in the country would be engaged in manufacturing and production of one

drug or the other. When some of our local medicines would have been validated in a scientific way and endorsed for use,” the governor said.

However, he commended members of PSN for their contributions to improving health care services in the country.

The Governor informed them that Abia has been planning how to reach out to the most vulnerable in the environment, the people at the two extremes of life: infants and the elderly in the State.

He stressed that the essence of the newly introduced Free Home Care Services in the State was to improve life expectancy among the citizenry.

Ikpeazu praised PSN for its special

health intervention in Ubakala community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of the State and congratulated the Society on its 90th conference holding in Abia State.

Earlier, the PSN President and leader of the delegation, Ahmed Yakassai, said that the team came to brief the Governor on the 90th National Conference of the body holding at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia Mr. Yakassai commended the efforts of the Governor in developing the State, especially in the health care sector and requested him to employ more medical personnel in the government-owned hospitals in the State.

He said any breach in the arrangement would bring about marginalization of Ebonyi North zone.

He added that Ebonyians should rise to support massively the reelection of Governor Umahi come 2019 general in reciprocation of his qualitative leadership style which he said has put smiles on the faces of Ebonyi people.

In his words: “For the zoning arrangement to be sustained in Ebonyi State, Governor David Nweze Umahi should be supported to complete his second term bid come 2019 general elections.

“For political reasons, other political parties can promise to go for only one term to curry political favour but to avoid being hoodwinked with their campaign promises; in 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi State, people especially the supporters must say no to godfatherism syndrome. And they must also say no to the impending marginalization of the people of Ebonyi North whose turn it is to produce next Governor, by supporting Umahi in 2019 governorship election to complete his second term in office.”

He further extolled Umahi’s magnanimity and leadership strides in the area of human and infrastructural development of the state that have earned him several recognitions and awards in the country.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

News

Delta health commissioner charges on regular update of skills From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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URSES have been called upon to always cash in on any available opportunity to upgrade their skills.

The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge gave the advice in Asaba during the opening ceremony of the zonal workshop on the Implementation of the Revised General Nursing, Midwifery and Post Basic Nursing Curricula organized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Health.

Dr Azinge stated that such upgrade would make nurses meet up with the current trends both nationally and internationally, saying they play a vital role in the health care delivery system in any society.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Minnie Oseji commended the Council for taking the bold step to revise all the curricula for nursing and midwifery education in line with global best practice.

Dr Azinge said that Delta State is taking the lead in achieving universal health coverage through its contributory health insurance scheme established to promote health for all Deltans.

He explained that to achieve this, conscious efforts must be made to improve the interpersonal communication between health workers and patients as well as fashion out strategies to reduce waiting time in health institution, which, according to him required major inputs from the nursing profession.

The Health Commissioner said the workshop, which had as its theme ‘Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery Education for Quality Health Care’ was timely, occasioned by the current ravaging threat of emerging and dreaded diseases such as Ebola, Lassa fever and now Monkey Pox, stating that highly trained nurses would no doubt help im-

prove our health care delivery system.

In her welcome address, the Director of Nursing Services in Ministry, Mrs. Veronica Osaneku said the curriculum of the Council ensures that Nurses and Midwifes are adequately trained to provide health care to people.

She stated that to meet local and global trends in healthcare delivery, effective and efficient implementation of these curricula must be carried out.

She added that the workshop came at a time when the Council was planning to commence the National Diploma/Higher National Diploma programme in Nigeria for academic recognition of the Nursing and Midwifery Certificates, which she said justified hence the revision of the curriculum to meet up with the stipulated standards by rele-

vant regulatory bodies.

In his address, the Secretary General/Registrar, Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Faruk Abubakar represented by Mrs. Margaret Eze, Head of Education Unit, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria revealed that to maintain standards, the Council carries out review of the curricula every five years to ensure that all current issues are carefully incorporated into the curricular.

He appealed to the lecturers, nursing and midwifery educators to be diligent and committed in the implementation of the revised curriculum, urging them to discharge their teaching duties with high sense of responsibility and integrity in order to produce well-equipped graduates with the right knowledge and skills to render quality

and effective nursing.

In her Keynote address Prof (Mrs.) G. Robison-Bassey, senior lecturer, Department of Nursing Sciences, University of Port-Harcourt said that due to the present technological advancement, patients are now aware of their health status and rights compared to the past, hence the need for nurses and midwives to upgrade themselves with relevant professional skills in order not to be ridiculed by their clients and also to enable them meet up with the changing times.

Participants were drawn from the six states that make up the South-South zone and each State was represented by the educators from their various schools of Nursing and Midwifery.

•Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (2nd left) with President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ahmed Yakassai inspecting some drug at the exhibition stands during the opening ceremony of the 90th Annual Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.

Okowa, Tompolo’s kinsmen appeal to Avengers to sheathe sword From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba ORRIED by the consequences of the planned reW sumption of hostilities by the Ni-

ger Delta Avengers (NDA), Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has appealed to the group not to embark on further attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta.

Okowa made the appeal in a statement issued in Asaba by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu wherein he noted that Deltans would lose more if the group makes good its latest threat to withdraw from further cooperation with the federal government and begin massive attacks on oil facilities.

“We passionately appeal to the Niger Delta Avengers not to

resume hostilities, because Deltans will be the greatest losers.

We are barely recovering from the effect of previous attacks and it is our honest appeal that they still give peace a chance by allowing for peaceful engagements with the Federal Government and other stakeholders,” the governor said.

“This appeal for peace remains imperative, because without the atmosphere of peace, no meaningful negotiations and development can take place,” he added. “Resumption of hostilities will not be in the interest of our people but a major set back to the plans and aspirations of the state.”

In a related development, kinsmen of ex-militant leader, Chief

Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), have also implored the militant group to adopt dialogue.

Chairmen of Gbaramatu communities, who made the call, appealed to the Niger Delta Avengers to maintain the peace and halt plans to resume hostilities in the Region.

Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community, Gbararmatu Kingdom, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, Comrade Sheriff Mulade who spoke on behalf of the Chairmen of Gbararmatu Communities lauded the Niger Delta Avengers for the ceasefire declared months ago and urged the group to sustain it no matter the provocation.

“We want to appeal to the Ni-

ger Delta Avengers to give peace a chance and adopt dialogue because in most cases your actions negatively affect our environment and image of the region”, Comrade Mulade who is also an Environmental Activist said on behalf of the Chairmen of Gbararmatu Communities.

They implored the Federal Government to fulfill its promises to the economy life base of the country, particularly the good and peace loving people of the oil rich Niger Delta.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), angered by seeming indifference of the Buhari Administration to the Niger Delat, had on Friday, November 3, 2017 declared they would resume destruction of oil facilities in the Niger Delta Region.

Politicians who have stayed in office beyond 10yrs are social parasites – Utomi From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba A political economist and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Pat Utomi has described politicians, either elected or appointed, who have stayed in office for over 10 years, and struggle to continue as “social parasites.”

Prof. Utomi who stated this during a Consultative Meeting with APC Delta Central party leaders at Ughelli recently noted that given the many challenges of the State today, any elected executive who truly gave his time and energy to the job would be thoroughly exhausted after four years.

While assuring leaders of APC Delta Central on the issue of power rotation and equitable coexistence, Utomi promised that he would be content with just a term if elected, because four years would be sufficient to show the example that Delta State can work, and to set a proper foundation for a New Delta.

He added that, thereafter he would move on, just as he has done with the various enterprises he has successfully established such as Lagos Business School, Pan African University, Socket Works’, a pioneer e-Government service provider which created Nigeria’s new Passport, Business Times Newspapers and others.

Utomi who explained that he is mindful of the unwritten power rotation agreement in the state, assured that his aspiration would not disrupt the present power rotation order in Delta State should he be elected as governor in 2019.

This is significant for Delta Central whose turn it should be to produce the governor in 2023, because this eliminates the concern about a new governor of Delta North origin who may wish to do eight years.

According to him, “If you do a good job in office, after four years you will be thoroughly exhausted, but because we don’t serve people well enough in this country, some people will be there for eight years without impact.”

•Pat Utomi

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

NEWS FG saves N20b monthly on IPPS – Buhari From TONY AILEMEN, Abuja

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he on-going implementation of the Information and Communication technology ( ICT) enhanced Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System ( IPPS), in the federal Civil Service is saving the federal government N20b monthly.

President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed this Tuesday, while declaring open e-Nigeria conference held at the International Centre, Abuja.

The President who also spoke on the Treasury Single Account (TSA) introduction at the beginning of the current administration, said the policy has had great impact on the nation’s financial management.

According to him, “We have so far consolidated over 20,000 accounts, resulting into about N4.7 billion monthly savings. In addition the policy facilitated transparency, accountability and ease of transactions and payments between Government and businesses as well as Government and citizens.”

“Another initiative leveraging on ICT and making huge impact on the economy is the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and Bank Verification Number (BVN). Its implementation has helped to eliminate the menace of ghost workers thereby reducing waste in the system by saving government over N20 billion monthly,” he added.

The 2017 e-Nigeria Conference, with the theme “Fostering a Digital Economy Through Local Content Development and Effective Regulation” is coming at the time the nation is intensifying efforts at economic diversification, and ICT has a critical role to play.

“My presence here today is a demonstration of our commitment and strong belief in using ICT as a major driver of our developmental governance and economic reform plans aimed at bringing about the true CHANGE we promised our people.

“ICT is strategic in driving productivity and efficiency in all sectors of the economy. Currently, almost all sectors of our economy leverage on ICT to increase efficiency, productivity and performance,” Buhari added.

Buhari noted that the sector has recorded huge investments and contributes over 10% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding that “we are making conscious efforts to see that this contribution continues to grow in the next few years.”

He however lamented that close to 80% of ICT hardware purchases are imported through local distributors of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) by MDAs and other government establishments, a situation that “makes it difficult for us to benefit from the dividends of continuous procurement and consumption of ICT infrastructure and limited value retention within the country.”

He therefore charged the conference to come up with practical viable solutions and recommendations to further develop local content in ICT as well as how we can best regulate the deployment and use of ICT systems to foster a digital economy in Nigeria.

Sexual assault: UNICAL recalls suspended professor of law From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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he management of the University of Calabar has recalled Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon, the Dean Faculty of Law of the institution who was suspended in August 2015 following an allegation of sexual assault made against him by one of his students one Miss SinemObong Ekong Nkang.

The Registrar of the institution, Mr. Moses Abang in a letter dated November 2, 2017 addressed to the embattled Professor notified him officially that his suspension has elapsed.

Abang said in the letter: “Considering the fact that your period of suspension had elapsed, management has therefore resolved to recall you from suspension.

You are hereby recalled to resume work

with effect from Monday, November 6, 2017. It is implied that by this recall all matters pending in court stands withdrawn”.

Speaking on his recall, Ndifon while addressing a large assembly of law students who came to welcome him and moved around the institution in a carnival-like procession with him said: “I bear no grudge against any one. Maybe those were the roles that the gods have prepared them to play. Let’s look towards the future as I know that the future is better than the present.”

Explaining his ordeal, he said that after the allegation was made against him, the matter was reported at the Divisional Police Headquarters “A Division Calabar on August 29, 2015 and it was thereafter transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID) Calabar for

detailed investigation.

“While the investigation was on-going, the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police IGP who directed for the transfer of case of rape to Force Headquarters, Abuja.

“After a comprehensive investigation of the case by Force Headquarters, Abuja, they came up with a report of no case to answer,” he said.

He said that the case file was again sent to the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation according to a letter R:3OO/X/LEG/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.5/5O Dated May 10, 2016 wherein the honorable Director of Public Prosecution came up with report of “No PRIMA FACIE CASE” of rape made against the academic don.

Based on that report, the Attorney General of the Federation directed that the matter be referred to the Honorable Attorney General of Cross River State saying that the offence was committed in Cross River.

However, after a detailed review, the Director Public Prosecution in a letter with Reg. No. DPP: 38/C/498/VOL stated that Ndifon was absolved of the allegation because the evidence of the complainant in the case was “incoherent and partly dis-jointed”.

Apart from that, the letter also added that the prosecution cannot establish and sustain the charge of rape in line with the laid down burden of proof principles in criminal cases, which is always beyond reasonable doubt adding that Ndifon has been exonerated

• From left Chief P. O. Okonkwo, Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, Chief Victor Umeh & Chief Chukwuma Soludo during APGA rally at Ogbaru. Photo Modestus Igudobi

Anambra Poll: INEC, Police, debunk alleged interception of sensitive voting materials

• It’s a false alarm –police • Sensitive materials arrive only few days to actual poll –INEC • Only NYSC members to supervise 6000 card readers for 2,581,171 registered voters From CHUKS COLLINS, Awka

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he alarm raised by the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Oye that two truck loads of ‘sensitive voting materials’ for the forthcoming Nov 18, 2017 Anambra governorship election have been intercepted in an unnamed Okpuno hotel, a location near Awka, the State capital has been debunked as untrue.

According to Oye, two yet-to-be named persons were consequently arrested in the process.

He also accused opposition parties of being behind the deal.

“This afternoon, in a hotel in Okpuno area of Awka, security agents intercepted two lorry loads of sensitive materials meant for the Anambra governorship election, and it is believed that opposition parties in the state were responsible for the act,” the APGA Chairman had alleged.

“We called this conference to draw the attention of Nigerians and the world to this sad development because the Anambra governorship election must be free and fair. We will not accept any act of rigging,” he warned.

But in a swift reaction, the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commission(REC), Dr Nwachukwu Orji described the allegation as laughable, noting that sensitive electoral materials do not arrive early but only a few days or even hours to the election.

He added that when they arrive, they are usually kept in bank vaults.

Throwing more light on the situation, Mr Leo Nkedife, head of Department -Voter Education and Publicity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who spoke on behalf of Dr Orji, told The Oracle Today in an exclusive interview in Awka that there were no sensitive materials involved.

According to him, “when the REC

went to the Commissioner of Police on hearing the report, he found out that the report had no substance, as it was the official register of voters which the Commission statutorily gave out to all the registered political parties that one of the parties was merely photocopying for their internal use.”

“They are actually public documents. They are non- sensitive materials. In fact, all the political parties are having a copy and it’s even in the Internet as well as the website of the Commission,” he stressed.

He disclosed that there are 2,158,171 registered voters expected to participate in the Nov 18 governorship election in the state, adding that there are also 4,608 polling units and 731 voting points, making a total of 5,339 voting points across the state.

The Commission, according to Nkedife, has lined up 6,000 Smart Card readers for the election.

He stated that each polling unit

will get one machine while the excess number would be adequate as backups in case of failure or malfunction.

He also affirmed that “we have perfected the smart card readers now,” pointing out that same smart card used for accreditation will be used to transmit the results from the polling units to the various collating centres.

The electoral chief urged every eligible voter to come out and vote, assuring that the election is going to be free, fair and peaceful.

“Everyone’s vote will count and be counted. It was noted that in the past there was a lot of voter apathy.

This time, we are doing everything possible to correct that apathy through various jingles, posters, attending to invitations to enlighten people, and even political parties are equally mobilizing,” he added.

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

POLITICS

Rivers 2019: Senator Enugu LG Poll: Abe as APC’s battle Commendations, kicks as against PDP PDP sweeps all positions Pg 10

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LOCAL adage says ‘until the rotten tooth in the mouth is pulled out, the mouth must chew with caution’.

Without mincing words, the Niger Delta region of Nigeria represents a rotten tooth in the mouth of Nigeria.

Interestingly, efforts to pull out the rotten tooth so that Nigeria can enjoy a life of good health devoid of pain have rather been apoplectic and pretentious.

The first golden opportunity to address the injustice in the Niger Delta presented itself in the Willink’s Commission Report of 1958. The report produced by Henry Willink’s Minority Commission had characterized the Niger Delta as “infrastructurally and generally poor, backward and neglected” and advised the government to establish a Federal Board to address the problems of the area.

Fifty years after the report, Niger Delta has remained a rotten tooth which successive administrations could not locate the right elixir to permanently give the mouth lasting peace while chewing.

After the implementation of the Willink’s Report was bungled, there were Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA).

Noble as the intentions to create those bodies and commissions were for the development of Niger Delta, the common feature that bedeviled all of them is corruption and poor funding. Government’s efforts in creating these bodies have, therefore, been likened to a celebrant who planned a big occasion, but went and paid a rainmaker to ensure a heavy downpour!

So, for the development of Niger Delta, it has been like taking one step forward and two backwards. But, as the saying goes, those who make peaceful change impossible end up making violent change inevitable.

Thus violent agitations for the development of the region started since the Kaiama Declaration in present day Bayelsa in the 1990s during the Abacha regime when youths from the region returned from Abuja after participating in the infamous rally aimed at perpetuating the Abacha junta.

Apparently overawed by the beauty and magnificence of Abuja where the rally was staged and returning to base where life is far lower that what it is in Abuja, the youths became thoroughly disillusioned, especially with the consciousness that the ‘magic’ of Abuja was the product of oil money from their backyards.

So, they drew the battle line and demanded instant government attention in the region. The agitation grew in scope as many of the youths took up arms and headed to the creeks when attention was not forth coming from government.

The ensuing militant activities dislocated socio-economic activities in the region and dealt a huge blow to the nation’s economy largely supported by oil revenue.

It took the foresight of the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua who embraced dialogue and wooed the rampaging militants to a negotiating table where the deal for amnesty was struck and the ‘warriors’ were persuaded to surrender their weapons with a promise of rehabilitation.

With this deal, Nigeria returned to her good days as normal economic activities resumed in the region and many of the International Oil Companies deployed their platforms and resumed crude oil production.

That was the situation until Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a Niger Delta son who had succeeded Yar’Adua as president lost the 2015 presidential election to the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari.

The manner Jonathan was denied a second tenure and the apparent indifference of the new administration of Buhari to the concerns of the Niger Delta provoked a new wave of aggression in the region which birthed a new group of militants, The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

•President Buhari

•Edwin Clark

•Obong Victor Atta

Trouble looms again as Niger Delta Avengers returns to trenches From Yenagoa, CHRIS EZE writes on the tension that Niger Delta Avengers’ threat to resume attacks on oil installations has generated in the Niger Delta region and in the country as a whole.

Buhari indeed stoked the fire as his first shock for the region on assumption of office was to cancel the multi-million naira Pipeline Surveillance Contract, which the Jonathan administration had awarded to the ex militant leaders in the Niger Delta to ensure safety of the oil bearing pipelines in order to guarantee hitch-free oil production.

Buhari’s argument was that the armed forces were capable of doing the job even better than the ex-militants. The second shock was the slashing of the budget of the Amnesty office, which exposed beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme studying or doing other vocations abroad to untold hardship. It further led to tardiness in the payment of the monthly stipends of others who are locally based.

So, for a region already simmering with discontent following the outcome of the presidential election, the Niger Delta Avengers launched their “Operation Red Economy”, early in 2016, saying “Our goal is to cripple Nigeria’s economy.”

“We are a group of educated and welltravelled individuals that are poised to take the Niger Delta struggle to new heights that had never been seen in this nation before,” the NDA further declared, adding, “We have well-equipped human resources to meet this goal.”

With the formal declaration of hostilities, the NDA went to ‘work’. It first blew up an underwater pipeline forcing Royal Dutch Shell to shut down a terminal which normally

produces 250,000 barrels of oil a day (bpd).

The attack forced Shell to declare a force majeure, which excuses a company from contractual agreements because of events beyond its control, on exports of high grade crude oil after an attack on one of its trunk lines.

A few days later, US firm Chevron shut its Valve Platform following another attack, also claimed by the Avengers.

The Nigerian government through the minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun cried out saying the attacks had dealt a huge blow to the revenue of the Nigerian government.

In fact, the country’s crude oil production had plummeted to 1.65 million barrels per day, as against the projected 2.2 million bpd.

So, something needed to be done. The federal government started making overtures to Niger Delta leaders, culminating in a meeting where the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) led by Ijaw leader and former Federal Commissioner of Education, Chief Edwin Clark presented a 16-point demand in a meeting with the federal government.

Following appeals and assurances from Niger Delta leaders, the Avengers were prevailed upon to lay down their arms to give the government opportunity to begin implementation of the demands of the Niger Delta.

Thereafter, President Buhari assigned the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to undertake a tour of the Niger Delta to interact with the people with a view to getting first hand,

the challenges facing the people.

The tour has long been concluded, but the dividends are yet to be seen. Analysts have even dismissed the tour as a jamboree that would not yield anything insisting that it was not necessary since the challenges of the Niger Delta are already well known from different studies that have been done in the past and need no further tour or study to take action upon.

However, one interesting feature of the tour was the promise by government to liberalize local refining of crude oil through modular refineries aimed at mopping up the army of youths engaged in the illegal refining which is damaging the environment.

Here again, the Niger Delta was shortchanged as the license for the operation of the modular refineries released by government accommodated very few Niger Deltans.

Things were not looking to be better for the Niger Delta, and other parts of Southern Nigeria as President Buhari in body language, actions and utterances kept giving the impression that he was for a particular section of the country; in contrast to his earlier avowal that he is for everybody and for nobody!

For instance, the president had asked the World Bank to channel all their developmental efforts in Nigeria towards the North East being ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents, forgetting that the Niger Delta has been rav-

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

BOLD & BLUNT

Rivers 2019: APC battles Sen.

•Rivers South Senator endorsed by stakeholders from 23 LGAs •Says in 2014, party zoned governorship to Rivers South East •Rivers APC’s State Working Committee denies knowledge of any zoning arrangement From Port Harcourt, NATH Omame Jr. writes that the race to the Rivers Government House come 2019 has intensified, what with stakeholders from 23 local councils in the State endorsing Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial Zone in the 8th for APC governorship ticket, to the discomfiture of the Minister of Transportation and former governor, Chibuike Amaechi’s camp, which is believed to favour Dr. Dakuku Peterside, current DG of NIMASA.

F

ORMER governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi’s insistence that Senator Magus Ngei Abe, representing Rivers South East, will not get his (Amaechi’s) nod to vie for the 2019 gubernatorial election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may have brought to the fore, events that intermingled to save Amaechi’s second term from being truncated in 2013.

On Tuesday, July 9, 2013, five state lawmakers that had aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had claimed that it had purportedly impeached the then Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree. The five anti-Amaechi lawmakers led by Evans Bipi, representing Ogu/Bolo state constituency, were Kelechi Nwogu (Omuma); Victor Ihouwon (Port Harcourt 11; Michael Chinda ( Obio/Akpor 11) and Martins Amaewhule (Obio/Akpor 1).

Chaos had erupted on the floor of the House when one of the lawmakers, Bipi dragged the Speaker from his chair, took over the seat and read a motion for the Speaker’s impeachment, which was supported by the other four anti-Amaechi lawmakers. There was commotion on the floor of the House as well as around the Assembly Complex as thugs allegedly ferried to the Complex were spoiling for action.

In the ensuing confusion, word got to Amaechi that the Speaker loyal to him had been purportedly impeached. Amaechi drove to the House with some of his security details to restore calm. The role played by the then Leader of the House, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, representing Emohua State constituency when he cudgeled the head of Chinda with the Mace, the official symbol of the House has been widely chronicled.

With the presence of the armed security men that accompanied Amaechi to the House, Speaker Dan-Amachree was prevailed upon to hold a fresh sitting, which he did, using the leverage to hurriedly adjourn sitting indefinitely. The sitting of the 27 lawmakers loyal to Amaechi and presided over by Dan-Amachree conferred legality on the continued tenure of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

This development is public knowledge because it was widely reported by the print and electronic media. However, how the decision that inspired Amaechi to race to the House to save his governorship was taken may not have been told. The events that metamorphosed into that face-saving move was disclosed recently at TANA Events Centre, King Perekule Road, GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt, where stakeholders from the 23 local government areas in the State, met to endorse Senator Abe as the preferred candidate to contest for the 2019 governorship election under the aegis of the APC. The event tagged “The Meeting” was organized by “like minds”, meaning, stakeholders in the APC who are in support of Abe’s ambition to vie for the Rivers APC governorship primary in pursuance of his quest to govern the state in 2019. It was at the event that Senator Wilson Ake, who represented Rivers West Senatorial District in the 7th Assembly, from 2011 to 2015, gave a graphic narrative of what actually transpired at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.

Recalled he: “I was at Government House when the news broke that five anti-Amaechi lawmakers had impeached the Speaker.

There was some confusion on what to do.

It was at that point I told Amaechi to quickly proceed to the Assembly Complex to ensure that the bonafide Speaker reconvened the House and preside over its session. I insisted that five members could not possibly override the vote of 27 members.”

“The former governor left with his security details to the Assembly Complex, restored order, and the Speaker was able to hold another session which he presided over by suspending proceeding, indefinitely,” Ake further narrated. “That singular act gave legitimacy to Dan-Amachree’s continued legitimacy. The then PDP-controlled government led by former President Goodluck Jonathan was poised to remove the Speaker to pave way for the Speaker’s impeachment thereafter.

“To convince the National Assembly that Amaechi was still in-charge, Senator Abe and I sat with the Senate leadership for six hours, impressing it upon them that with two Senators out of three supporting Amaechi, the former governor was still in-charge and in full control of the state; that whatever happened on the floor of the House was mere grandstanding.

“It was, thereafter, that the Senate moved that proceedings of the State House of Assembly be taken over by the Senate, pending when there was relative peace in the State. Senator Abe and I did all that for Amaechi. Then, we did not betray him. We stood by him because we felt, and rightly so, too, that an act of injustice was being perpetrated and supported by the then PDP-led federal government.”

Senator Ake stressed: “Now that Abe is exercising his fundamental right to aspire for the governorship of the State on the platform of the APC, Senator Abe and all those who support his quest to govern the state, including my humble self are being accused of betraying the former governor, who is the leader of the party. We followed him to the APC because we were appalled by the open act of oppression and injustice being meted out to him.

“We staked our political future for his political survival. Supporting Amaechi and moving over to the APC cost elective politicians in the Rivers APC dearly. He wants us to continue to follow him even when his decisions are clearly inimical to our collective growth and development. Is that fair?

None of us who are supporting Senator Abe to vie for the 2019 governorship of the state under the aegis of the APC has betrayed Amaechi.”

“In 2019, we shall play another match and the coach is saying that we shall bench Lionel Messi again. Will that happen? We shall not bench Messi, we shall change the coach (Amaechi).” Abe’s ambition to run for governor has pitched him against Amaechi , who as the leader of the APC in Rivers State has remained adamant that Abe will not represent the party as long as he remains the leader of the part in the state.

Caucus leaders of the APC in some local governments who are perceived to support Abe’s quest to vie for the APC governorship primary were removed from their position by the minister of transportation in August to demonstrate his rejection of Abe’s ambition. To further neutralize Abe’s growing acceptability among members of the party, Amaechi was said to have, without recourse to anybody, changed elective ward and

• Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi local government congresses to a non-elective one, thereby, depriving them and their supporters of their right to actively participate in the process.

A petition sent to the APC Appeal Committee is being handled by the national leadership of the party. Members of the APC sent by the national leadership of the party to conduct the congress did not leave their rooms at Novotel Hotel, where they lodged along Stadium Road, Air Force Bus/Stop, in Port Harcourt. Electoral materials meant for the exercise were also not distributed.

Senator Abe’s supporters and stakeholders in Rivers APC who are in support of Abe besieged the APC s state secretariat at Forces Avenue, GRA Phase 1. They later left for Novotel Hotel when they realized that the officials sent by the national leadership of the party to conduct the congress were holed up in their hotel rooms. It took the intervention of the Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed to calm frayed nerves.

Leaders of three groups, those sent from the APC headquarters in Abuja, those loyal to the minister of transportation, and those supportive of Senator Abe had to sign an undertaking in the office of the Commissioner of Police that they would resolve their differences peacefully with a proviso that no elective congress held in Rivers State, since electoral material were not distributed to the voting centres.

According to the Deputy Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 2007 to 2015, Dr. Robinson Ewo’s, “if Amaechi listened to his mentor, former Governor Peter Odili, in 2006, he would not have vied for the governorship, and he would not have become governor of Rivers State.”

“Amaechi decided he would run for governorship on the platform of the PDP

even when Dr. Odili was against his desire to govern the State. K-leg and all, Amaechi eventually became governor of Rivers State.

So, there comes a time when we must take decisions that will shape our future. The worst thing a leader can do to his supporters and followers is not to tell them the truth. We learnt the bitter truth in 2015. And the truth for us in Rivers APC is that Abe is our best candidate for governorship in 2019.”

After about two hours of extolling Senator Abe’s virtues of honesty, integrity and capacity for building bridges across ethnic, social and party lines, stakeholders of the Rivers State chapter of APC, endorsed his candidature for the governorship election of 2019 in the state.

The group under the aegis of “The Meeting” (of like minds) unanimously called on Senator Abe to offer himself for the party’s governorship primary, stressing that “Senator Magnus Abe is the candidate with the temperament, courage, honesty, integrity and capacity as a bridge builder across ethnic, social and party lines to lead the party into actualising its resolve to win the 2019 governorship election.”

The group in a six-point communiqué issued at the end of the expansive meeting stated: “Without equivocation and with the power and support of both the APC constitution and the Nigerian constitution, “The Meeting” stated that Senator Magnus Ngei Abe’s eminent qualification to aspire to the office of the governor of Rivers State under on party’s platform could not be questioned.”

The group declared: “Accordingly, ‘The Meeting’ called on him to present himself for the 2019 gubernatorial under our great

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

BOLD & BLUNT

Abe, PDP

party, APC, as he clearly has the support and approval of a vast majority of our party faithful across the State.”

The stakeholders in endorsing Senator Abe for the Rivers State 2019 governorship election insisted that its position was in tandem with the stipulations of the APC constitution and the Nigerian constitution that sanctions the right of individuals and groups to freedom of choice, speech, association and assembly.

“The Meeting affirmed the right of all party members to have ambition within the party, openly express it and canvass and lobby and rally support for its actualization without fear and within the laws and constitution of the party.

The stakeholders appealed: “The Meeting” strongly urged the State Working Committee to strive for independence, impartiality and inclusiveness if the party must come out of the present low morale of members.”

On the sudden changes made to the leadership of local government caucuses of those perceived to be sympathetic to Senator Abe’s governorship ambition, by the leader of the APC in Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, ‘The Meeting’ expressed its gratitude and appreciation to all wellmeaning members of the party who are currently dismayed and heart-broken and fiercely discriminated against in the party on account of their political orientation and the style of leadership which instills fear and threats for associating with Magnus Abe for not leaving the party but have continued to stay on and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of the party.

The motion for the adoption of Senator Abe was moved by Elder Chidi Wihioka, Member of the House of Representatives, who represents Ikwerre Federal Constituency, and supported by Hon Shedrack Wenzu (Mrs). The motion was unanimously supported by a voice vote by stakeholders from the 23 local government areas in the State.

‘The Meeting’ was attended by former councilors, local government chairmen, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Members of the House of Representatives, commissioners, Chief Of Staff Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, Senator Wilson Ake and different groups within the APC in the State.

Speaking at the event, Chief Allwell Onyesoh, a former commissioner said only Senator Abe could defeat Governor Nyesom Wike in the 2019 gubernatorial election. Two former commissioners in Amaechi’s administration, Dr. Ipalibo Harry and Worgu Boms declared that Senator’s Abe’s gubernatorial ambition is not an act of betrayal but a courageous act and mission to rescue the Rivers APC from the jaws of defeat in 2019.

A communiqué issued at the end of ‘The Meeting’ was signed by Chidi Wihioka; Maurice Pronen; Felix Nwaeke; Marcus Nle Ejii; Augustine Wokocha and Dr. Ipalibo Harry.

The event represents the largest gathering of APC stakeholder since the 2015 general election, which the APC lost to the PDP when it fielded Dr. Dakuku Peterside as its governorship candidate who contested against Nyesom Wike of the PDP. The national leadership of the APC appears to be taking developments in the Rivers chapter seriously. On Saturday, September 30, two days after Senator Abe was adopted, a conflict resolution committee led by the former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole arrived in the state capital and held a meeting with leaders of both groups. Minister of Transportation, Amaechi; the 2015 APC governorship candidate and Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, whom Amaechi prefers, and Senator Abe attended the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Abe left for Aleto, in Eleme Local Government Area to commission a 500 KVA transformer, which he donated to members of his constitu-

ency who have been without light for some months.

Speaking at the event, Senator Abe stated that APC stakeholders had at a meeting held in Government House, in 2014, zoned the APC governorship ticket to the Rivers South East Senatorial District. He stressed that as a representative of Rivers South East Senatorial District, he had not done anything against the directive of the party. He added that the decision of the party has not been revised.

Following the contrary position of Amaechi on his governorship ambition, Abe urged his supporters not to engage in hostile verbal exchanges with those who have aligned with Amaechi in his bid to re-present Dr. Peterside as the party’s candidate in 2019.

“I have no enemy. Please don’t quarrel with anyone because you are supporting me.”

“There may be some differences in the party leadership, but I am confident that whatever challenges that we have will be amicably settled through internal party mechanism. We don’t need to overheat the system for any reason. All APC members want to win the 2019 governorship election so we should refrain from statements and actions that will further divide us.”

Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Chief Davis Ibiamu Ikanya, said: “There is no rife in the party. The leader of the party, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has not stopped anyone from contesting the 2019 governorship election; he has said repeatedly that all hands should be on deck to re-build the party in preparation for the 2019 general elections. What some people are doing is creating the impression that Abe is a victim. Amaechi has not said anyone should vie for elective positions.

“The leader of the party has asked all members of the party to go to their constituencies and strengthen the party in preparation for 2019. He has asked all interested aspirants to stop surreptitious campaigns for elective positions. Amaechi’s position is that it is too early for campaigns.

At the right time, all aspirants for whatever positions they are interested in can then come out to contest and candidates for elective positions will emerge through the right process. All the stories that Amaechi does not want Abe to run for governorship are lies and mere propaganda. There is nothing like that.”

Similarly, the State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC denied knowledge of any meeting held in 2014 to zone the party’s governorship to the Rivers South East Senatorial District. The state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chris Finebone, stated: “I am reluctant to discuss sensitive party matters in the press. Please the media should be patient with us. As for the governorship ticket being zoned to the Rivers South East, I am not aware of any meeting where that decision was taken.”

Meanwhile, Senator Abe has continued with his expansive consultations in furtherance of his governorship ambition. Abe who spoke at K-dere, during the declaration of a youth wing of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), for the APC after a Thanksgiving Service, in Bodo, in Gokana Local Government Area, Sunday, assured members of the APC that “intimidation and harassment of our members that characterized the 2015 general elections will not be allowed to reoccur in 2019.”

He declared: “PDP members have one head like any one of you here. Therefore, do not allow them to intimidate you during the electioneering campaigns. Don’t be intimidated by their fiery statements. Don’t be cowed by their political positions. Don’t be cowed by their wealth or retinue of aides.”

Senator Abe stated: “You have nothing to fear when you are on the path of truth.

Eschew violence and hate speeches. All you have to do is to propagate the policies and programmes of the APC. Tell the voters why you believe that your candidates are better suited for leadership than the candidates of the PDP who are vying for the same positions.”

• Senator Magnus Ngei Abe

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

POLITICS R Enugu LG Poll: Commendations, kicks as PDP sweeps all positions ESULTS of the just-concluded local government election in Enugu State, as officially announced by the State Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Michael Ajogwu, SAN, appears to have reaffirmed the firm control of Enugu State politics by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). PDP recorded a landslide victory in the exercise, sweeping all the 17 Chairmanship positions as well as 260 councillorship seats.

Announcing the results Sunday, barely 24 hours after the election, Ajogwu, said he was satisfied with the performance of ENSIEC throughout the process. He also expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost during and after the election, in spite of threats from some leaders of a named major opposition party, in the state, which had threatened fire and brimstone a few days before the election.

While entertaining questions from journalists at a press conference, midway into the announcement of official results of the election, the Chairman denied any knowledge of serious irregularities during the conduct of the election and scored the performance of his commission, security agencies and other support agencies during the exercise high.

“My rating of the election is that it was highly free, fair and credible. I am not aware of any irregularities or fake election materials, as you have asked. I personally went round to monitor both accreditation and voting processes and my observation was that all went well peacefully. Nobody has reported any case of fake thing to me,” the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said.

“Fake things have no space in my life and I can assure you that the election exercise was genuine and credible.”

On the allegation of late arrival of election materials at several polling stations, Ajogwu expressed doubt about its veracity, pointing out that all materials, with accompanying security agencies were duly released from the commission’s secretariat before 10:am.

Moreover, he further claimed that, “I am not aware of such incidences because nobody has brought such complaints to me or the commission.”

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria was appointed by the State governor in March this year to head the commission. And eight months on, he has successfully delivered a council election in the state.

However, beyond the success of the election, it is largely believed that aside God, greatest victory went to the state governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who, in spite of all odds, stuck to his earlier promise and reassurances that the council election would be conducted before the end of 2017.

Apart from that, it is believed in several quarters that the governor allowed the state electoral umpire and his team ample free hand, devoid of any form of interference, throughout the process.

As the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremmadu put it, while congratulating the government and people of Enugu State on the success of the election, “poor conduct of local government elections has been of grave concern to Nigerians in the constitution amendment process, but the Saturday council election conducted by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), is unarguably the best in recent years.”

Ekweremmadu, who was unavoidably away on national parliamentary assignment abroad, on the election day, and who spoke through his media aid, Uche Anichukwu, also commended Ugwuanyi for his policy of noninterference in the electoral process, and hailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its victory, which he described as well deserved.

Kicks: The council election was not devoid of intrigues, controversies and altercations.

Barely a week to the election, a coalition of 25 political parties participating in the election, whose candidates had been allegedly, disqualified by ENSIEC, attempted to scuttle the process. They even went as far as demanding the immediate removal of the Commission’s Chairman, Michael Ajogwu over what they described as, “frivolous disqualification” by the commission.

However, ENSIEC swiftly reacted to the allegation, through its administrative secretary, Tagbo Nnamah, explaining that the disqualifications were “tentative”, adding that the

•Victory was well deserved – Ekweremmadu •APC rejects result •Observers commend Ugwuanyi, security agencies •Election was free, fair – NANS From Enugu, CHHUKS EZE, who covered last Saturday’s Enugu council election, reports that it was an exercise remarkable for its peaceful and orderly conduct, save for a few hiccups here and there.

•Comrade Uwakwe Ezeja prepares to cast his vote at his Ogene Umuonu, Umuida, Ozzy Ward 7, in Igbo-Eze North Local Council of Enugu State during last Saturday’s council election. Ezeja, the PDP chairmanship candidate won the election.w affected candidates were unable to comply with the commission’s guidelines, including possession of valid voters’ cards, among others. The Oracle Today gathered over 74 candidates were affected in the disqualification saga.

The APC had earlier accused ENSIEC of breach of guidelines and plan to disqualify its candidates ahead of the polls. Addressing a press conference on the matter, State Chairman of APC, Ben Nwoye, declared that, “We are warning the ENSIEC not to try anything funny because we are not going to take it.

We fielded candidates in all the 17 local government areas, and all our candidates in the election are going to run. Nobody will stop them,” he had warned.

ENSIEC backtracks, clears suspended candidates: Following hours of heated ENSIEC meeting with stakeholders of various political parties on October 25, the commission cleared all the hitherto suspended candidates for the November 4 council election, citing sections 106 and 107 of the 1999 constitution as its basis.

According to the commission’s chairman, Michael Ajogwu, the quoted sections contain the standards for disqualification of candidates, adding that their earlier disqualifications were based on non-possession of permanent voters cards (PVC) and tax clearance certificates, among others.

Ajogwu, who assured of ENSIEC’s preparedness to create a level playing ground for all candidates, irrespective of party affiliation, pointed out that the affected APC candidates were disqualified for non-possession of true copies of tax clearance certificates, and that the commission had duly alerted the state secretariat of the party about the development.

Civil society organisations hail exercise: A coalition of civil society organizations gave thumbs up to ENSIEC, governor Ug-

wuanyi and Enugu citizens for the successful conduct of the council election elections, declaring it as transparent and fair.

According to the Coordinator of Coalition of Civil Societies Election Monitoring Group, Comrade Richard Adebayo, “Our observation is that there is presence of the opposition in Enugu State. We are happy that the election did not record any casualty and we commend ENSIEC for its dedication to duty. The exercise might not be said to have been entirely free and fair, but we commend the commission doing a great job,” he said.

And for another observer, Comrade Kalu Victor (ENSIEC) was “resolute, transparent and committed to conducting a free and fair local government election in the State,” adding that, “We observed that for the first time in the history of Enugu State, formidable opposition parties seriously campaigned and mobilized to challenge the ruling party at the Local Government polls. We noted that the various candidates emerged through transparent internal party democratic process in their various parties.”

For the National Association of Nigerian Students, governor Ugwuanyi and ENSIEC deserve special kudos for the peaceful conduct of the local council election despite the biting economic realities in the country. National President of the association, Chinonso Obasi, told journalists after monitoring the exercise that NANS observer team was pleased with the manner in which the exercise was conducted.

According to him, although they received some complaints of late arrival of election materials in some polling stations visited, but added that cumulatively, “the election is rated as highly successful, peaceful, free, fair and according to the commission’s guidelines”.

37 political parties endorse the result, commend ENSIEC As complaints continued to spring up in

some quarters over the results of the November 4 council elections in Enugu State, 37 political parties, under the aggies of Coalition of Registered Political Parties in Enugu State, rose to endorse the outcome of the official results of the election.

Curiously, most of the parties in question were among those whose candidates had earlier been ahead of the election, which ENSIEC later turned around to clear.

The group’s statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Oracle Today, read in part thus: “The undersigned 37 registered political parties in Enugu State heartily congratulate the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), for the peaceful, free and fair conduct of the Local Government Elections held across the 260 wards and 17 Local Government Area of Enugu State on Saturday, November 4, 2017.

From on our first hand observation of the election in every part of the state and based on our interim report, we hereby adjudge the election free, fair, credible and as well confirm that the exercise met minimum requirements of international best practices,” it read.

The Statement was endorsed by State Chairmen of all the affected parties and made available to journalists at a press conference in Enugu.

Some of the political parties include All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), People for Democratic change (PDC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among others.

APC rejects results: Drama ensued shortly after full results were released by the the Chairman of ENSIEC, Dr. Michael Ajogu as the State Chairman of APC, Ben Nwoye, stormed the commission’s sec-

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

INTERVIEW

What social bazaar is all about, by Ohen Ms Tessy Ohen is CEO and events manager of Estessi Lautet, a Lagos-based events management outfit. In this report, she tells ROSWITHA CHUKWUMA what a youth crafts fair, which she calls Social Bazar, is all about.

What is Social Bazar all about? What do we need to know about the event?

A whole lot; social bazaar is a concept one of my friends, Eze and I developed; it’s something we sat down and thought about think about and developed as a platform for youth empowerment and development. It is intended to bring youths into the limelight because we notice that most youths, a whole lot of them have skills but need platforms to showcase their talents and products. That is why we are organizing the social bazaar/ trade fair that will last for a week.

What are your aims and objectives?

As I said before, the objective is to give youths the platform they need to showcase their talents and skills, which manifest themselves in the many things that many of them produce but which they do not have the means by which to get those products and or services out there. We noticed that you can have someone with skills in fashion design or in agricultural production—they just know how to do these things—but don’t know how to sell them. But, with a platform like this, such people will go a long way in realizing their ambition. This is exactly why we are doing this—to give young persons the opportunity to showcase their talents to the world.

How did you come about this concept?

What motivated you?

When an 18-year old girl made a lovely dress for me, I was shocked to see such a beautiful handiwork. You know, she’s just out of secondary school. I was moved. I

loved the dress and people were like, hey which fashion designer made this dress?

And I said to myself, she doesn’t even have a name; she’s not even a fashion designer. So, I thought that someone like this kind of girl needs a platform to push forward and she has one tiny machine. You can imagine when someone like that is given a package, she will be an employer of labour in no time at all. So, that was actually what pushed me into this project.

What kinds of challenges do you in organizing the event?

A whole lot. In Nigeria, you know the country you and I are from, it takes a lot to convince people to buy into a new project like this. It is only those who share your idea will be support you. And it isn’t always easy to find such people. Even when you do, they may not have what it takes to bring your idea to fruition. If I tell you how we’ve been doing it, my dear, it is not easy at all because if you’re not able to convince people, you’re ideas won’t be bought.

When is the event taking place?

We are looking at 12th – 18th of this month and we are expecting participants from Delta, Anambra, Edo, Abia and Rivers States.

What is your reaction to the pro-Biafra agitations? What is your advice to youths?

What can I tell the youths? I am scared by the word Biafra because my grandparents told us the story of how they ate leaves and stayed in the bush, the tears, pains and the expression they had because of what they

•Mrs Tessy Ohen

went through during the first Nigeria-Biafra War. So, each time I hear Biafra, my mind goes to my grand parents’ story about the sufferings people experienced during the war and I get scared. Please, my fellow compatriots, instead of division, let us pray for a better Nigeria.

So, what advice do you have for the youth concerning the recent situation in Nigeria?

I think in this era, we the youth should

make use of our brain and hands instead of depending on government for jobs or our parent for money; we should have something called SKILLS and make money for ourselves.

Tell a bit about yourself. Who are you?

My name is Esther Tessy Ohen, from Delta State. I am an event manager and also the CEO of Estessi Lautet, an events management company based in Asaba and Lagos.

... As Niger Delta Avengers returns to trenches Cont’d from page 9

aged by oil exploration and exploitation for many decades without redress, even as it has remained the cash cow of the country!

Observers are quick to point at the EastWest Road, which is the only road linking the entire core Niger Delta states. The road has been under construction for many years with government now ceding it to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

However, since Buhari ascended power, no meaningful work has been done on the road. In fact, Setraco, the construction company handling the contract has since pulled out of site, even when it was widely reported that the federal government has released huge chunks of the funds for capital projects in the 2017 budget to contractors to remobilize to site.

What is rather seen on the road as critical as it is to the Niger Delta people are patch works by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), on a road that has not been completed and delivered by the original contractors.

Worse still, in the face of the many deprivations, the government has continued to use acts of intimidation and terror to push the people further to the wall. There has been a relentless militarization of the region with so many irritating military check-points across the length and breadth of the region, even in a democracy.

The government recently launched a new Army Division, 6th Division in Port Harcourt,

since Buhari ascended power, no meaningful work has been done on the road. In fact, Setraco, the construction company handling the contract has since pulled out of site, even when it was widely reported that the federal government has released huge chunks of the funds for capital projects in the 2017 budget to contractors to remobilize to site.

”

and created a new Brigade in Bayelsa, the 16th Brigade, with a plan to create a new Battalion in Brass, also in Bayelsa.

In addition to all these, there are detachments of other forces engaged in some form of special operations in the region. For instance, the Nigerian Army recently launched what it referred to as ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, which has now gone through phases 1 and 2. According to the army, the essence of the operation was to sharpen the combat readiness of the army in the region as if anyone was contemplating war against government.

Before the Operation Crocodile Smile came on, Operation Delta Safe was already on ground, even as the Navy followed suit by launching Operation Octopus grip. The Air force is being eagerly awaited to also launch its version to consummate the caging of the

Niger Delta.

But, the people are at a loss over the armada of military forces in the region when what they are expecting are fleets of bulldozers, caterpillars, Swamp buggies etc to create a new Niger Delta with modern facilities and state of the art infrastructure.

Nay! The Buhari government would rather expend energy, time and resources to make the crocodile smile instead of human beings or the Niger Delta people!

So, having apparently waited in vain for government to act on the 16-point demand of PANDEF, the Niger Delta Avengers last week announced cessation of ceasefire it had declared following the intervention of PANDEF in 2016.

In a statement by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, the group renounced PANDEF led by former federal Commissioner of Informa-

tion, Chief Edwin Clark, ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, and another militant group, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers.

The statement said: “The Niger Delta Avengers are back and will not spare anything or anyone on our path to actualize a united and free Niger Delta.

“Our next line of operation will not be like the 2016 campaign, which we operated successfully without any casualties. This outing will be brutish, brutal and bloody, as we shall crush everything we meet on our path to completely put off the fires that burn to flair gas in our communities and cut every pipe that moves crude away from our region.

“We can assure you that every oil installation in our region will feel warmth of the wrath of the Niger Delta Avengers,” he said.

It was gathered that some Niger Delta leaders hurriedly met at the weekend to forestall any fresh crisis in the region.

But, some observers said they were not surprised that the militants issued the notice of recommencement of their suspended ‘Operation Red Economy’ Reacting to the development, National Leader of Pan-Niger Delta People Congress (PNDPC), and Paramount Ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom, Delta State, Chief Charles AyemiBotu, said he did not see any need for the Avengers or any other militant group to return to bombing of oil facilities.

“Dialogue remains the best option; the

Cont’d on page 16

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

POLITICS We have trained our agents to watch out for fake results sheets – APGA Secretary

14

Hon. Barrister Tony Ifeanya is the Anambra State Secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). As the Nov. 18th governorship election draws nearer, he discusses Gov. Obiano’s re-election bid, including reduction of violent crimes such as armed robberies and kidnappings, and the management of the state financial and economic resources. He spoke with Special Correspondent, EMMA IHEMEJE •Fake result sheets are main document for election-rigging •Obiano deserves a second term

A

S the state secretary of APGA in Anambra State, how would you appraise your performance so far?

Well, APGA as an Igbo party bequeathed to us by the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has come of age. It has been used by some governorship aspirants in securing victory in their states in the southeast geo-political zone, including Imo under Gov. Rochas Okorocha, before he defected to APC. And we have been holding meetings in the zone with the view to consolidating it with more geo-graphical spread as envisioned by the founder, the Late Biafran leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Under APGA platform, their governors have performed well, including the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, the Akpokue Dike Aguleri and the former governor of the state, Mr Peter Obi of which the state witnessed tremendous development in physical and human infrastructure.

How would you rate Gov. Obiano’s Administration in his first tenure and his efforts to retain leadership for the second time?

According to an Igbo adage, one does not need glass to examine what one wears on his hand! Any right-thinking person in the state would agree that Gov. Obiano has performed creditably well since the inception of his administration. Within the first 100 days in office, he dealt deathblow to criminals, especially the violent types who had been terrorising the state in robbery, kidnapping and other heinous crimes. Upper Iweka, which used to be a no-go-area in the nights, with snatchers on spree is highly curtailed! People now move around the area in confidence including other parts of the state unlike before when they were not safe with their cash and other valuable properties. The people of the state no longer sleep in fear of crime as he has put adequate security measures in place to checkmate crime.

Businessmen can testify to this as they no longer experience incessant criminal activity under the present state administration. Security has improved greatly resulting to foreign investors coming into the state for business investments. Agriculture has been revolutionised, culminating in the state being an exporter of vegetable, rice and other farm produce. Awka the state capital has been transformed with the provision of basic infrastructure. The state civil servants now rejoice with prompt payment of their salaries and allowances unlike in some states where their governors go for bail out fund and still the workers are owed arrears of salary. With all this, there is no doubt that the governor deserves reelection and I am confident that he would outplay his rivals on the Nov. 18th guberna-

•Gov. Obiano torial election.

Do you think the election would hold freely in the face of threats of IPOB members calling for boycott of the poll?

You see, no one has the right to forestall the election. The federal government and INEC have assured us of free and fair conduct of the election and adequate security mechanism has been fashioned out to ensure a hitch-free governorship election in Anambra. It is very unreasonable for IPOB leaders and their followers to speak against the election and they have no power to stop it. Where is their leader now? Do they want the state to be thrown into a state of emergency by precipitating crisis? And would they get Biafra Republic in this way?

No! Rather, they should ally themselves with Igbo party to ensure that the party’s objective of controlling the southeast region is realised, and in this way, the rest of the zones in the country would know that we are now a force to reckon with and further plans of ours over a particular issue would be realistic.

Now, given what many see as “desperate moves” by other governorship aspirants in the Nov. 18th election, what plans have do you and your lieutenants have to ensure that the election is not rigged?

•Hon. Barrister Tony Ifeanya

Security has improved greatly resulting to foreign investors coming into the state for business investments. Agriculture has been revolutionised, culminating in the state being an exporter of vegetable, rice and other farm produce.

”

Yes, this important question. We know the only way any of our rivals could outdo us is by faking the electoral documents, especially the result sheet, and that is why we have educated our party agents to be wary of such tricks, by ensuring that the materials they would work with are those genuine ones brought by INEC. The orientation we have given them about this is such that they could not work without proper electoral materials sent to them by INEC. Again, we taught them to ensure that at the end of the election, the votes are counted on the spot and entered appropriately on the documents so provided and also ensure that they retain the signed paper. Both the voters and the party agents should fol-

low their votes from the polling centres to all the areas where they would be collated until it the results get to INEC office at Awka where the final result would be announced. We have no fear about federal government’s interference in the election because Buhari has assured Gov. Obiano during his visit to him in Aso Rock, of free and credible election in the state.

Finally, he warned our youths to make sure that they are not used by desperate politicians by way of thuggery to cause problem at any of the polling centres, just as he cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the popular will of the electorate count at the election.

15

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

POLITICS

Okorocha rules out deputy as successor •Imo PDP crisis persists despite Supreme Court ruling

Confusion is the word – for both the ruling APC in Imo State and the opposition PDP. While Governor Rochas Okorocha seems to be contending with forces within the ruling APC over his likely successor come 2019, the opposition PDP is itself contending with internal schisms over leadership of the state wing, with two factions still existing even after the momentous Supreme Court ruling recognizing former Governor Ahmed Makarfi of Kaduna State as the authentic Chairman of the PDP. From Owerri, COLLINS UGHALAA reports...

G

OVERNOR Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has ruled out the possibility of his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, succeeding him as the Imo governor come 2019, saying his deputy and right-hand man is “a confused man”.

Governor Okorocha’s deputy hails from Mbaitoli Local Government Area in Owerri Zone. He was Okorocha’s Chief of Staff and became his deputy when his predecessor, Sir Jude Agbaso, was impeached by the State Assembly in very controversial circumstances.

Speaking recently at the child dedication party of the twin daughters of his Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Hon Kingsley Uju, which was held at the Imo International Conference Centre (IICC), the governor said his deputy, Eze Madumere has “the spirit of Rochas, and that is the reason he is confused and does not know what he is doing. Madumere is very confused.”

The statement came as the first time a sitting governor in the state would take his deputy to the cleaners publicly. Analysts say that the scathing remarks by the governor were indicative of the in-house battles over who succeeds the governor in 2019.

A public analyst who spoke to The Oracle Today in Owerri said the governor seems to have been convinced that his deputy is bent on running for the governorship of the state and has begun a systematic approach towards running him down.

He said what the governor did was to publicly pass a vote of no confidence in his deputy. He added that the governor’s mention of Uche Nwosu, his son-in-law and Chief of Staff who has been rumoured to have got his nod for succession in 2019, and the favourable remark on him against Madumere, were deliberate and aimed at portraying Uche Nwosu in good light--as a hardworking man Governor Okorocha who said he has both the spirit of creation and confusion also said that his son-in-law has the“spirit of Rochas.” He described him as having “grey hairs” as a result of political pressure.

Meanwhile, the seeming confusion in Okorocha’s camp over who to project as candidate in the governorship election in Imo in 2019 is coming at a time that the PDP in Imo State, which is seen as a viable opposition to the what many have come to see as Okorocha’s shenanigans in the State, is

also broiled in its own internal contradictions.

The former ruling party in both the State and at the federal level, has become the proverbial one-day-one trouble child, especially with the current widening gap in the party, which has been factionalized, leading to suspensions slammed on some key members of the Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie-led faction, said to be loyal to Senator Hope Uzodimma.

Imo PDP is run in two major factions, represented principally by the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the governorship flag-bearer of the party in 2015, Emeka Ihedioha, who was of the Ahmed Makarfi faction, and Senator Hope Uzodimma on the other hand, who belonged to the Sheriff faction. The Imo wing of the party’s share of the crisis that engulfed the national leadership of the party has not abated, what with the emergence of Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie as chairman of the group loyal to Senator Hope uzodimma occupying the 47 Okigwe Road office of the party, and Barr Charles Ezekwem as chairman of the Makarfi group occupying a new office.

The state chairmen emerged in controversial circumstances last year, and since then the centre has not held for the once vibrant ruling party in the state. Shockingly, the hope of reconciliation is vanishing from the party even after the Supreme Court gave its judgment and settled the leadership tussle in favour of Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Basking in the Supreme Court victory, the Barr Ezekwem group, which is loyal to Emeka Ihedioha, say they are the authentic leadership of the party in the state and won’t take kindly to the activities of the Nnamdi Anyaehie group, describing them as usurpers. While the national leadership of the party was in court over leadership dispute, the Ezekwem faction also dragged the Nnamdi Anyaehie faction to court, asking the court to stop them from parading themselves as the authentic PDP. Several members of the faction loyal to Senator Hope Uzodimma and led by Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie, have been slammed with suspension from the party by the Emeka Ihedioha faction led by Charles Ezekwem. Among those who were suspended are Barr COC Akolisa, Barr Enyinna Onuegbu, Sir Roy Iwuala and the chairman, Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie.

The suspension of Anyaehie seemed to

•Okorocha

•Prince Eze Madumere have broken the camel’s back. Addressing the press recently, at the 47 Okigwe Road PDP office, Anyaehie attempted to chronicle the genesis of the problems rocking the party, noting that he was inaugurated as the authentic chairman of the party in the state.

He declared: “Under the H.E. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s Administration, congresses of Imo State PDP were held at the Wards, LGAs and State levels and the results were approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) in its 71st meeting before the National Convention of 21st May, 2016.

“The State Executive Committee so approved and inaugurated in Imo State is headed by Sir Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie as State Chairman. There was never a time within the timetable for Congresses in 2016 that either Barr. Charles Ezekwem or any other person was elected as State Chairman.”

They insisted that Anyaehie’s leadership has been administering the affairs of the party from the State Secretariat at No 47 Okigwe Road Owerri, Imo State, noting that “this registered office of the party has always had party flags and decorations since the tenure of H.E. Governor Ikedi Godson Ohakim.”

“The leadership, stakeholders and membership have not at any time discussed or agreed to relocate the state secretariat of our great party to any other address. The so-called ‘new office’ is actually the personal campaign office of the chief promoter of the ‘Ezekwem group’ hither-

to proposed as State office of one of the newly registered political parties where the ship of this group would have berthed except for the Supreme Court judgment in favour of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC),” Anyaehie said.

He alleged that the Charles Ezekwem group “was cobbled together on 08/08/16 by one man anxious to be the owner of PDP in Imo State and whose angry fixation is to be an unchallenged gubernatorial candidate for 2019 elections. This was long after the conclusion of the relevant Ward, LGA, Senatorial District, State and Zonal (South East) congresses of our Great Party in the country between April and May 2016.″ Describing Ezekwem’s emergence as a “one-sided show erroneously called State Congress of 08/08/17,” Anyaehie stressed: “It was in the wake of this dichotomy that this group was put together by their ‘master’ who, however, was a selfish supporter of one side of the disputants. It is unarguable that since then, every absurd effort has been made to legitimize this illegality to no avail including ‘patch patch resolutions here and there’ simply because legally ‘you cannot build something on nothing and expect it to stand’. These dreamers and their master erroneously believe that they can erase the subsisting constitutional decisions of the previous national leadership.”

16

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

POLITICS

Enugu LG poll: Commendations, kicks as PDP sweeps all positions Cont’d from page 12 retariat with a four-point strong-worded petition notifying the commission of official rejection of the entire results of the council election by his party.

The protest letter, which was personally endorsed by Nwoye, among other allegations, alleged that the ENSIEC Chairman,

“acting directly and through his agents and employees, wilfully and wantonly refused to allow APC agents to observe the distribution of sensitive electoral materials before and during the election,” adding that the “wilful and wanton act was perpetrated in order to give the PDP undue advantage during the election.”

The Chairmanship result: Udenu LGA APC: 996 – Obinna Obeta PDP: 67, 526 – Francis Ugwu (Winner)

Isi-Uzo LGA APC: 606 – Ani Chjioke PDP: 38,690 – Benjamin Edeoga (Winner)

Igbo-Eze North LGA APC: 1,398 – Ogbonna Idoko PDP: 52,513 – Ezeja Uwakwe (Winner) Igbo-Eze South LGA APC: 1,566 – Ogueyi Jonas PDP: 64, 834 – Odo Fidelis (Winner)

Uz0-Uwani LGA SDP: 68 – Nwankwo B. APC: 129 – Ogbogu Felix PDP: 39,834 – Ani Fidelis (Winner)

Enugu East LGA APC: 2,385 – John Nnamani PDP: 83,119 – Alex Ugwu (Winner) Igbo-Etiti LGA APGA: 1364 – Samuel Nnmadi APC: 1,410 – Asogwa Matthew PDP: 22, 231 – Malachy Agbo (Winner) Oji River LGA NNPC: 1,052 – Hillary Ede GDM: 107 – Ugodi Ebuka DPP: 61 – Obioma ACP: 1,O48 – Chukwu Jonas APC: 2801 – Uzogbana Benson PDP: 38,906 – Okereke Harrison (Winner) Aninri LGA APC: 995 – Uzoigwe Oleh PDP: 44, 236 – Chukwu Ezekiel (Winner)

Enugu South LGA APC:1288 – Hillary Okeke PDP: 26,151 – Sunday Ugwu (Winner) Nsukka LGA MNPP: 37 – Onyishi Sunday APC: 815 – Augustine Alumona PDP: 18, 210 – Patrick Omeje (Winner) Nkany East LGA APC: 105 – Ani Bertram PDP: 22,595 – Ugbabi Godson(Winner) Nkanu-West LGA NNPC: 2 – Nnachi Charles APC: 2,109 – Uchenna Ugwu PDP: 35,266 – Okenwa Henry (Winner) Ezeagu LGA APC: 1,469 – Ejike Longinus PDP: 44, 708 – Ezinwa Chukwudi (Winner)

•Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (left), congratulating the chairman, Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), Dr. Mike Ajogwu (SAN), shortly after the inauguration of members of the reconstituted commission at the Government House early this year.

... As Niger Delta Avengers returns to trenches Cont’d from page 13 federal government should be open to more discussions with the leaders of the region and implement agreements reached. It should hearken to the demands of the people and execute them. President Muhammadu Buhari met with Niger Delta leaders about a year ago. I was among the leaders that met with him and since then, nothing has happened.

Similarly, former military governor of Akwa Ibom State and PANDEF leader, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), attributed the threat by Avengers to the failure of the federal government to keep its promise to meet the demands of the Niger Delta.

He said: “It is unfortunate because it is like we are going back to the starting point. This is where we were about this time last year, and that was how concerned elders came together under PANDEF. It was that intervention that made them cease hostilities and oil production went up from 800,000 barrels per day to over 2million. I think, recently we have relaxed on the need to continue on the peace initiative.

On his part, the Ibedaowei of Opokuma Kingdom, in Bayelsa State, King Okpoitari Diongoli, said the threat was a troubling development with huge potentials to reverse the wheel of progress in the oil-rich region.

“However, I call for caution from all stakeholders as dialogue remains the most potent weapon for the peaceful resolution of the impasse,” he stressed. “In my view, the federal government needs to show genuine commitment to, and sincerity of purpose in, addressing the Niger Delta issues. Issues such as review of ownership of oil blocks, modular refineries, restructuring, devolution of powers and true federalism have been on the front burner for over 50 years and have not been addressed by the authorities, lead-

•Niger Delta Avengers

ing to renewed tension in the Niger Delta.”

National President of Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI), Austin Ozobo, in his submission stated: “We blame President Buhari for the return of the NDA and the suspension of PANDEF activities. Buhari trivi-

alized Niger Delta demands and that is the cause of the return of Niger Delta Avengers, so, the international community and other well-meaning persons should hold Buhari responsible for any crisis in the region.”

For now, the federal government has not

officially reacted to the fresh threats from the Avengers. All eyes are, however, on Buhari who is known to be very lethargic in taking decisions. Will he unleash the war planes and armored personnel carriers on the Niger Delta people? The situation is very dicey.

17

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

BU$IN£SS •Energy •Finance

•Stock

•Insurance

•Aviation

•e-Platform

Costing conflicts in Nigeria

By VICTOR NZE

L

AST Monday’s disclosure by former Military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), that the country loses a staggering $13.7 billion annually to the lingering Fulani herdsmen/farmers conflict further reinforces the need for an effective conflict resolution mechanism to address contentious issues that have stalled economic growth in the country.

The figure sums up to $27.4 billion for the two years under review, representing an amount in excess of the two national budgets from 2016 till present proposed by the Federal Government.

The conflict itself which has now spread to several states in the country has caused severe dislocation and disruption to socio-economic lives of the populace, even as many posit that it is the main factor driving the widespread hunger and unemployment ravaging the country as many who ordinarily would have catered for themselves are now confined to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps at the mercy of handouts and food rations.

It would also be recalled that North East Nigeria Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) team announced in April last year that the impact of the insurgency in the North East region of the country has cost the country $9 billion, while adding also that it would need $6 billion to perform recovery efforts in the crisis torn area.

Abubakar who made the earlier disclosure at a forum organised by the Search for Common Ground, Nigeria, in collaboration with the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development, stated that the country loses the staggering sum annually as a result of farmers-herdsmen conflicts in Benue, Kaduna, Nassarawa and Plateau states.

The conflict is also present in Ekiti, Enugu, Ondo, Taraba, Kaduna states.

The forum, with the theme; Amplifying the Expertise of African Peace-building Practitioners and Scholars, was organised for farmers and herdsmen at the Maizube Farm in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State, Monday.

Abubakar said 62,000 people

Buying (NGN)

US DOLLAR 304.9 Pounds Sterling 399.297 SWISS FRANC 305.1747 YEN 2.6722 CFA 0.5221 YUAN/RENMINBI 45.994 RIYAL 81.3002 S/AFRICAN RAND 21.5909 DANISH KRONA 47.7129 SDR 428.1406 YUAN/RENMINBI 46.0187 RIYAL 81.2313

Energy Ondo Govt, NNPC sign MoU on biofuel project

P20

e-Platform NCC begins spectrum licensing review

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•An internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Nigeria were displaced in Kaduna, Benue and Plateau states between January of 2015, and February 2016 in farmers-herdsmen conflicts, adding further that 2,500 people died nationwide in the violent conflicts.

“Farmers and herdsmen conflicts have become a threat to peace, security and development of our nation. This meeting is coming at a critical time when farmers and herders conflicts have become an issue of global concern,’’ Abubakar noted.

The former Head of State said the worry had been heightened ‘with the recent crisis in Plateau, Benue and other states that have led to loss of lives, properties, displacement of persons and families, untold hardships to communities and individuals affected.’

“These deadly conflicts are expanding gradually to other states and the current situation is threatening the fragile peace and security of the nation,” he noted.

Abubakar, therefore, called on the forum and other relevant stakeholders to come up with suggestions, including the roles of government, civil society, the media, traditional rulers, community and

CBN EXCHANGE RATES NOVEMBER 3, 2017 Currency

•Tourism

Central Selling (NGN) (NGN) 305.4 399.9518 305.6751 2.6766 0.5321 46.0698 81.4335 21.6263 47.7912 428.8427 46.0947 81.3647

305.9 400.6066 306.1756 2.681 0.5421 46.1457 81.5668 21.6617 47.8694 429.5448 46.1707 81.498

professional, in addressing the conflicts.

Corroborating Abubakar’s position, experts also believe an effective conflict resolution mechanism in place would go a long way in addressing these issues and in the long run help check the rising poverty level in the country, which according the National Bureau of Statistics, has steadily seen a dip in the country’s per capita income figures for two years running.

A poor attempt at addressing the herdsmen/farmers conflict was the introduction of the contentious National Grazing Reserve Bill designed to forcefully cede portions of community lands to the herdsmen. The Bill, besides seeking Grazing Routes and Reserves, also sought for a Commission that will implement the law.

That controversial Bill sponsored

by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, (APC/ Kano Central) has itself come under heavy fire by states hard hit by the conflict as they describe the document as amounting to ‘land-grabbing’ and ‘anti-people.’

This is as all over the southern region, state governments, tradi-

tional rulers, opinion leaders, politicians, social and cultural groups and religious leaders have risen against the proposed Bill.

And while already Ekiti and Benue states have since enacted counter bills to secure their lands from the marauding herdsmen, Taraba and Nasarawa states on their parts have commenced proceedings to enact an anti-open grazing law; The same for Ondo State.

Many argue that since proceeds from the sales of the cattle go into private pockets while owners of the lands wallow in abject poverty, the situation leaves the farmers with insufficient land to farm and by extension increasing poverty and hunger in the land.

“It doesn’t add up at all. These cattle owners are businessmen, why then should government forcefully deprive farmers of their lands and give to the herdsmen to graze their livestock? Do they give the farmers the cattle to eat? Does government pay rents for shopowners as well,” asked Mike Ogenyi, a Makurdi-based trader.

“Governor Samuel Ortom has re-

Aviation NCAA directs airlines to automate remittances by December

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Cont’d on Page 18

Stock Market Highlights As At NOVEMBER 3, 2017

Summary

ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

36,939.59 4,396.00 361,052,189.00 3,682,264,248.47 12,784,683,234,488.54

Coy (By Volume) FBNH UBA DIAMONDBNK FCMB AIICO WEMABANK

Volume 88,677,109 50,707,570 29,457,269 27,351,317 20,977,283 11,829,399

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The Oracle Today

18

Wednesday November 15, 2017

BUSINESS

Diamond Bank exits West Africa operations

By VICTOR NZE

D

IAMOND Bank has announced plans to terminate its West African operations following the sale of its units in Benin Republic, Togo and Cote d‘Ivoire to an Ivorien-based financial services company Manzi Finances S.A. for the sum of 61 million euros.

A statement by the bank, last Friday, said it expects the deal to close this year.

Diamond Bank which explained

that the move is informed by the need to consolidate its domestic presence, added further that it is ‘quitting other West African markets to focus efforts at home and deploy its resources on personal banking business in Africa’s biggest economy.

The move by Diamond Bank ends the mid-tier lender’s 18-year push abroad.

“After 18 years of building the Diamond Bank franchise in other markets in West Africa, the time has come

to fully apply our resources to Nigeria,” said Diamond Bank Chief Executive Uzoma Dozie in the statement.

Dozie disclosed that Diamond Bank wanted to apply its resource to Nigeria to develop a profitable technology-driven retail banking business.

Diamond Bank posted a 71.5 percent rise in nine-month pretax profit to 6.67 billion naira in September.

Several Nigerian lenders have adapted their business models after low crude prices put pressure on the

once lucrative oil and gas loan book.

Nigeria exited recession in the second quarter but growth is fragile.

Dozie further said Nigeria’s unbanked population and the rise of cost-effective digital banking platforms provided it with the opportunity to reach millions of customers in a market where it already had over 15 million clients.

Diamond shares, which have risen 15 percent so far this year, climbed 5 percent on Friday to 1.06 naira. They had fallen 62 percent last year.

(Second left): Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule, Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, with other dignitaries at the Year 2017 CharteredInstitute of Arbitrators Conference held at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Thursday, November 2, 2017.

First Bank, Wema Bank promote savings culture campaign

By JEROME USHAKANG

F

IRST Bank of Nigeria Limited has said that it will be taking its Financial Literacy campaign to 30 secondary schools across the six geo-political zones of the country to teach students the importance savings culture.

The submission was made on ‘World Savings Day’ as the bank joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2017 World Savings Day, recently.

The 2017 commemoration with a theme: “Our Future Starts with Savings” aligns with First Bank’s FutureFirst programme, specially designed to equip students with the knowledge of money management, early entrepreneurship skills, and financial independence whilst stimulating the development of a savings culture at an early age.

Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Folake Ani-Mumuney, in her speech on the World Savings Day, said, “First Bank’s participation in the 2017 World Savings Day is one of our many interventions in Financial Literacy, as the Bank continues to entrench the savings culture across all its markets.

She stated that FirstBank has over several years engaged in a Savings Promo to encourage and reward savings whilst committing human

and financial resources to the development of financial literacy among secondary school students under the auspices of the FirstBank FutureFirst programme.

According her, to encourage parents to imbibe the savings culture as well as teach their children to save, First Bank has provided two major savings products for children and teenagers.

These products are KidsFirsts meant for children from zero – 12 years and MeFirst for teenagers whose ages range from 13 – 17 years.

Madam Ani-Mumuney explained that the products have been carefully designed to meet the financial needs of the given demographics whilst also ensuring that the accounts holders acquire the rudiments of banking and financial literacy as they grow into adulthood.

Similarly, Wema Bank Plc, also joined the world in celebrating the World Savings Day under the theme “Our future starts with savings”.

The Deputy Managing Director of the Bank, Mr. Ademola Adebise who was on the field to spearhead the campaign at Edokpolor Grammar School, Benin City, Edo State, encouraged students to imbibe the savings culture.

“There is no future as secure as the future of a person who saves.

Saving shows how dedicated you are to planning for the future and anyone who plans usually succeeds,”

said Adebise in an interactive session with the students of the school.

“Your future starts with savings.

How much do you get from family and friends? Have you thought about saving the money for books or to ensure you study at a University you really like? There are many possibilities you can explore if you commit to saving. Don’t ever forget that your future starts with savings,” Adebise told the students who gave a rousing applause as he ended the session.

He also answered questions asked by the students on savings and ensured that they understood every explanation vividly.

The World Savings Day emphasizes the importance of savings to eco-

nomic development, and provides a good occasion on how to help solve the challenge of savings.

World Savings Day is backed by The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute and The European Savings and Retail Banking Group (WSBI-ESBG)’.

The World Savings Day is an annual event designed to raise awareness on the importance of savings as a path to financial empowerment.

The event is expected to increase the levels of financial literacy and financial inclusion, especially among the unbanked and under-banked populace globally, while it ultimately culminates in a stable and sound financial system and positive economic environment.

Cont’d from Page 17

hav Agerzua, in a statement on the open grazing bill. ”We reject any law that would rob the citizens of their possessions and award to another set of citizens as this offensive bill attempts to do.

That is against the principle of natural justice. It is anti-people,” said the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere’s leader, Reuben Fasoranti.

There is now an urgent need for the Federal Government to find a lasting and acceptable solution to the herdsmen/farmers conflict in the interest of economic progress

9mobile in ‘Top 50 Nigerian Brands’

By SAMSON AKINTARO

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cclaimed Nigeria’s most innovative and customer-friendly telecommunication company, 9mobile has has been named one of the Top 50 Brands in Nigeria for 2017. 9mobile placed 34th in the latest annual Top 50 Brands in Nigeria 2017 report released by ranking body, Top 50 Brands Nigeria.

The ranking, 9mobile said, affirms its resilience and its ability to continue to achieve growth amidst the challenging operating environment.

Speaking at the presentation of the award to 9mobile at the telecom’s office in Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Top 50 Brands Nigeria, Taiwo Oluboyede, commended 9mobile for its resilience and being a reckonable brand within a short space of time.

He said: “9mobile is a resilient brand and this was evident in the brand’s evolution especially before, during and after its recent brand unveil. Today, 9mobile has become one of the most notable brands not just in the telecom sector, but in the larger Nigerian business sector and this did not escape our attention at Top 50 Brands Nigeria.”

Oluboyede noted further that all the brands that made the list of Top 50 Brands Nigeria including 9mobile, were recognised for demonstrating good understanding of their markets. “These brands work hard towards meeting the expectations of their discerning consumers, and delivering on their promises; thus gaining brand equity even in the midst of difficult times”, he added.

Head, Marketing Communications, 9mobile, Seni Ogunkola, who received the Top 50 Brand Nigeria award for the telecom firm, expressed joy at the award, and said it was a further recognition of the company’s unwavering commitment to innovation and excellent service delivery.

Ogunkola said: “9mobile is pleased to receive this award as it further confirms how much stakeholders value our commitment to consistently leverage technology to deliver quality and innovative services and solutions that enable people and organisations to do more. As a 21st century company one of our key objectives is to ensure consistent positive customer experience of our network. It is reassuring therefore to receive this kind of feedback; it shows we are on the right track.”

Costing conflicts in Nigeria iterated overtime that the establishment of ranches remains the best global practice in animal husbandry that explains why there are no clashes between farmers and herders in countries that have domesticated the practice. It has become the generally acceptable practice, which necessitated the position of the government on the matter,” said Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media and ICT, Mr. Ta-

of the country, which should take the centre stage in public discourse in the face of the dwindling returns from crude oil and rising debt profile of the country.

“Imagine that ridiculous amount lost to a conflict that could easily be resolved with proper orientation for the herdsmen. It is even more worrying that the money lost is more than the 2016, 2017 budgets combined, including the proposed 2018 budget. And government is not even taking it serious,” lamented economic analyst, Dr Akin Adefemi.

The Oracle Today

19

Wednesday November 15, 2017

BUSINESS

AshakaCem, Lafarge agree share swap

By JEROME USHAKANG

T

he Board of Ashaka Cement (AshakaCem) has approved the reconstruction of shares held by its shareholders in Lafarge Africa Plc. Under the agreement, shareholders of AshakaCem will exchange 202 units of shares held for every 57 Lafarge Africa shares. The approval was given at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in Abuja a fortnight ago.

Following this development, AshakaCem is now a fullyowned subsidiary of Lafarge Africa and offers its shareholders the window to liquidate their investments following the delisting of the Gombe State -based cement company from the trading floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) last July.

Speaking on the issue, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO),of Lafarge Africa, Bruno Bayet, said: “The minority shareholders of Ashaka now have the opportunity to be part of Lafarge Africa with total installed production capacity of over 14 million metric tonnes per annum and strong growth prospects.”

According to Bayet, Lafarge Africa reported a four-fold increase in operating margins for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017 as net sales increased by 39 percent to close at N223.7billion.

Also speaking at the EGM held in Abuja, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lafarge Africa, Michel Puchercos, said: “We remain committed to Ashaka in good times and in bad times because we have a long-term view of our investments. Ashaka cement as a brand has for decades become synonymous with housing and infrastructural solutions in the entire north.

We shall maintain that legacy of quality even in the face of temporary setbacks.”

He stressed that though now, a 100 percent subsidiary of La-

farge Africa, Ashaka cement will have its own board of directors and addition, the sale of cement products under the AshakaCem brand will continue in the north.

Ashaka Cement Plc voluntarily delisted from the NSE for violation of the exchange free float deficiency provision of 20 per cent, in a statement posted on the NSE website by the company’s directors.

Lafarge Africa Plc currently holds 84.97 per cent of Ashaka Cement, bringing the free float that was tradable on the NSE to 15.03 per cent.

This is against the 20 per cent stipulated by the Exchange.

As a result, the company opted for voluntary delisting to avoid NSE enforcement action of regulatory delisting because the free float deficiency was not likely to be remedied.

It then decided to operate as an unlisted entity, with only 0.20 per cent of the shares held by the minority shareholders being traded. “Neither the company nor any shareholders were benefiting from the continued listing as shareholders are not getting any exit opportunity. “And their investments have been locked up while they find it difficult to dispose of their shareholding.

However through the voluntary delisting of AshakaCem, they are exercising a regulatory provision that will shield the company from any enforcement action that the NSE may effect. They are also providing an exit consideration to minority shareholders, who do not wish to remain in an unlisted company.’’

The shareholders of Ashaka Cement, who have exercised their option to exit the company prior to the delisting, would receive 57 Lafarge Africa shares for 202 Ashaka shares. They will also receive a N2 per share cash consideration.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (m) declaring open a High-Level Policy and Private Sector Trade and Investment Facilitation Partnership Forum in Abuja in company of Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah (left).

SEC dissolves Ikeja Hotels Board

By JEROME USHAKANG

T

HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dissolved the Board of Ikeja Hotels Plc, following an unending and unresolved internal crisis involving some majority shareholders of the company.

The Commission in a statement said this proactive measure has become necessary in order not to allow the warring parties take certain actions that would give them an advantage over one another.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said,” “Having failed to resolve its lingering crisis, the Commission in exercise of the powers conferred on it by the Investment and Securities Act,

AFC signs agreement with Green Climate

By JEROME USHAKANG with agency report

A

frica Finance Corporation (AFC) has signed an Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA) with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Seoul, South Korea. Having received its accreditation in 2015, AFC is one of the first African development finance institutions to sign such an agreement.

Established in 2010 by the 194 countries founder members of the United National Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the GCF launched its initial resource mobilization in 2014, which rapidly gathered pledges worth US$10.3 billion.

Following the signing of the AMA, AFC will have access to direct funding from GCF, rather than through intermediaries or third parties. Over time, the GCF is expected to become the main multilateral financing mechanism to support climate action in developing countries.

AFC intends to leverage this partnership by mobilizing GCF’s capital to further its low carbon emission investments in 4 of its 5 focus sectors: power, transport, heavy industries and telecoms.

To date, AFC has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to financing green energy in Africa through its early investment in the 26MW award winning Cabeolica wind farm in Cape Verde, the first commercial wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa. AFC is also currently developing more than

500MW of renewable power projects across the continent.

Chief Investment Officer of AFC, Oliver Andrews, commented thus: “The consequences of climate change impact may have serious implications for the successful development of Africa’s economy. AFC is therefore highly committed to this partnership with GFC. Not only does AFC and the GCF have shared goals, we also have shared values. “ Pa Ousman Jarju, in his comments said: “AFC is well placed to support African entrepreneurs and explore the vast potential for economic growth across the continent in ways that do not harm the global environment.”

GCF activities are therefore aligned with the priorities of developing countries through the principle of country ownership.

With the strategic injection of capital, African companies could one day lead the way in generating non-polluting energy for industry and local communities.”

2007 to protect investors and the integrity of the securities market, hereby approves the appointment of an interim Board for the company with Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN and Mr. Abatcha Bulama, FCA as Interim Chairman”.

According to the statement the interim Board among others is mandated to oversee the conduct of a forensic investigation into the affairs of the company.

“It is the Commission’s expectation that the shareholders and key Management staff of the company will work with the new team to ensure that the fortunes

of the company are restored in the shortest possible time” It stressed.

The apex capital market regulator emphasized that its proactive action is aimed at forestalling chaos in the organization.

It added that the Commission and other distinguished personalities, had previously held various meetings with the existing Board towards resolving the crises but the company continues to be plagued with unhealthy Corporate Governance practices in disregard with the Code of Corporate Governance for public companies.

Group to provide improved seedlings to tomato farmers

T

he Nigeria Agric Business Group (NABG), Thursday, said it would provide improved tomato seedlings to tomato farmers to boost their production nationwide.

NABG Vice President, Mr Emmanuel Ejiwere, who made the promise in Kaduna during a courtesy visit to the State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, said the group was interested in finding workable solution to the issues of tomato production in the country Ejiwere said that his group would also ensure that processors had regular source of supply, while consumers would purchase at an affordable price.

He said that even in Kaduna, which is the largest producer of tomato in the country, farmers used only one per cent of improved seedlings, thereby making production low.

Ejiwere said that his group was in Kaduna to bring together experts in tomato production who had written reports on various challenges and possible solutions to improve the sector.

According to him, “these ex-

perts include different representations drawn from the government, farmers, processors and the off takers who are expected to discuss all their challenges so that at the end of the day, we will be able to create stability in the price mechanism in the country.”

“Most tomato farmers, particularly in the Northern part of the country, sell their produce only to local and regional fresh markets because the alternative markets and the processors buy imported raw and processed tomatoes due to quality issues,” he said.

Ejiwere said the group would support farmers to meet buyer’s quality and quantity requirements by encouraging improved agronomic and handling practices.

Responding, el-Rufai promised to provide the group with land if they needed without any constraint.

“The only thing we require from you is to work with our farmers to improve their capacity by giving them improved seedlings in a very comprehensive out grower programme,” he said.

The Oracle Today

20

Wednesday November 15, 2017

ENERGY

Ondo Govt., NNPC sign MoU on biofuel plant project Stories by SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

T

HE Ondo State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) on a Biofuels Project.

The much anticipated project, to be situated in Okeluse, Ondo State requires a specie of cassava commonly called Jetropha, as its primary raw material. The biofuel produced serves as an alternative to fossil fuel.

As host to the Biofuel Plant, Ondo State will provide 15,000 hectares of land which will be used in planting Jetropha. The project is expected to produce at least 65 billion liters of biofuel, annually.

Apart from direct factory jobs, the project will create tens of thousands of jobs and job opportunities in agriculture, in line with the Buhari administration’s drive to reduce unemployment.

It will also generate 40 megawatts of electricity, which will be

•From left: Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani U. Usani, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru at the official signing of the MoU between Ondo and NNPC. made available by the NNPC for the consumption of the plant and the immediate community.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, last Tuesday, General Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, said: “The benefits of this project are immense & we are eager to see it implemented.”

Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, also said while making his remarks that, “This Biofuel project will promote the in-

dustrial growth in Ondo State we yearn for.”

The Okeluse Biofuels Project is one of a handful of high-impact investments being fast-tracked by the Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative (#PEDI), for the Niger Delta States.

Stakeholders committed to concluding this project at the 2-day #PEDI Summit held in Akure from 17–19 July 2017, where the Federal Government delegation, led by the Usani U. Usani, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs met

Quarter of oil refineries risk closure under climate goals – Report

O

ne quarter of the world’s oil refineries risk closure by 2035 if governments meet targets to limit fossil fuel burning in the fight against global warming, a report released on Thursday said.

A surge in electric vehicle sales and higher efficiency in internal combustion and jet engines are expected to slow demand growth for fuels such as gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel in the coming decades, potentially putting pressure on refining profits.

At the same time, governments around the world are set to introduce legislation in the coming years to limit emissions of heat-capturing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in order to meet targets set at a U.N-backed Paris conference in 2015.

As a result, companies such as Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, France’s Total and China’s largest refiner, Sinopec, could see profits from refining drop by 70 per cent or more over the period.

This fact is according to the report coauthoured by environment think-tank, Carbon Tracker, Swedish investment fund AP7 and Danish pension fund, PKA. The study is based on the International Energy Agency’s 450 Scenario to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius under which oil demand declines by 23 per cent between 2020 and 2035.

Under this scenario, in spite of new refinery additions in Asia and the Middle East, only 62 per cent of global capacity will be required to meet demand compared with around 80 per cent today.

Profits from converting crude oil into refined products will also shrink.

That in turn means that approximately one quarter of the 2016 refining capacity, the equivalent of some 24.7 million barrels per day of oil demand, will need to be

Senate moves to boost sustainable energy

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closed, the report said.

The closures would likely be more pronounced in developed economies where oil demand is expected to peak earlier than in developing economies.

Also, modern, complex refineries that can produce more high quality and cleaner fuels are likely to fare better than older plants.

“The consequences of achieving a 2 degree Celsius world are far more detrimental to the refining sector than the upstream sector, as it results in structural over-capacity and associated poor refining margin environment.

“This can only be addressed by sustained capacity rationalisation,” said Alan Gelder, vice president for research at Edinburgh-based consultancy Wood Mackenzie which took part in the report.

Meeting the emission reduction targets, however, seems distant today. A report published on Tuesday said global emissions are set to be 30 per cent higher than the target needed by 2030.

While oil companies including Shell have acknowledged that demand for some fuels such as gasoline could peak by the end of the 2020s, they expect demand for oil to remain strong for decades from heavy transport, aviation and chemical production.

The authours of the report estimate that overall earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for refiners could fall by over 50 per centby 2035 from around 147 billion dollars in 2015.

“We consider that prospective investors should be wary of all new refinery investments,” the report said.

“When demand growth stalls and turns negative, new investments will carry the risk of failing to earn an adequate return.”

Carbon Tracker and a group of investors warned in a report earlier this year that oil giants risk spending trillions by 2025 on oil and gas projects that won’t be feasible under the international climate targets.

with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s team to outline plans to revive moribund industries as well as accelerate the development of new projects.

Over the next few weeks, NNPC and Ondo State will finalise terms with core investors and thereafter commence construction. The project’s extensive outgrower scheme will be developed and supported by the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

Bill for an Act to provide for Legal, Fiscal and Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Energy Development in Nigeria scaled second reading at the Senate, last Thursday.

The Bill, sponsored by Sen. Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto) was read on the floor of the Senate for the first time on March 9.

Presenting the lead debate, Gobir said in spite the fact that Nigeria was the giant of Africa it was one of the least developed countries in terms of energy, adding that there was a need to change the narrative.

“Energy is vital all over the world because it is instrumental to development. Developed countries are moving progressively today because they have adequate energy to play with.

“Nigeria is the giant of Africa, but when it comes to the issue of energy, it is one of the least developed. We are backward because we have refused to utilise our abundant energy resources and the right energy mix. We cannot allow ourselves to be left behind.

“We are supposed to be the main energy producer in Africa but unfortunately we cannot even supply enough for internal use talk less of supplying to smaller countries in the continent,’’ he said.

Gobir expressed optimism that the passage of the bill would help get the country out of its energy problem.

Supporting the bill, the lawmakers said the bill was timely in view of the need to improve on energy generation in the country.

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki referred the bill to Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy for further action.

The Oracle Today

21

Wednesday November 15, 2017

ENERGY Don’t re-concession of Ajaokuta Steel without infrastructure – NMS Stories by SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

T

HE Nigerian Metallurgical Society (NMS) has warned that a second concession or privatisation of Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Company without adequate arrangement for infrastructure will lead to its total collapse.

President of NMS, Prof. Benjamin Adewuyi, made this observation at the 33rd Annual Conference of the society in Warri, Delta, on Thursday.

The theme of the conference is: “Metal Production: a Panacea for National Security and Economic Recovery”.

Adewuyi said the issues of infrastructure that brought the steel plant to a standstill without completion were being brushed aside.

According to him, the re-concession of Ajaokuta Steel without infrastructure can amount to burying the steel plant.

The president said that the company that had attained 98 per

cent completion, would require 400 million dollars to complete the remaining two per cent.

He also said that two billion dollars would be needed for infrastructure rehabilitation and operational cost for the plant.

“Steel and aluminum industries have been described as pathway to economic and industrial growth but Ajaokuta steel and Aluminium Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom, have been in one controversy or the other.

“More than four decades after conceptualisation of establishing metallurgical plants in Nigeria, the debate on the viability of steel plant in the development of the country still rages on He said that development of Metal and Mineral Sector could be generally seen as a major index of national prosperity because of its enormous capacity to support and stimulate growth in virtually all sectors of the economy.

“The irony is that we want to develop, manufacture vehicles; we want efficient electricity and transportation system, yet any time revitalisation is mentioned in the metallurgical sector, there is always unusual apathy and nonchalant attitude.

“The role of steel in national development cannot be over emphasised; it is not only the pillar or bedrock of industrialisation, it is also a yardstick for measuring the strength of a nation.

“The world’s steel development within the last decade has soared to an annual growth rate of seven per cent per year, and more significantly to a growth rate of about 27 per cent annually in China,’’ he said.

Adewuyi said that Africa, and indeed Nigeria, remained the dumping ground for steel products and in most cases low quality steel.

“Since we cannot produce our own steel, we have to make use of

whatever we are given. There can never be any economic development without industrial development that is linked to steel production.

“A vibrant metal industry is germane to implementing the economic growth and recovery plan,” the president said.

He said that avoiding mistakes of the past was the main concern of the society for the country, adding that the society’s intention was to use the conference to once again advise the government constructively on the way forward.

“It is high time for revival of the metal sector to bring about the much desired mass engagement of our youths in metal casting, forging, welding and fabrication.

We must not fold our arms or keep quiet while things continue to degenerate.

“It is on that note that we are proposing an all-inclusive Mines and Metallurgy Council that will

take care of central planning for all activities in ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy.”

According to him, many Nigerians are suffering today because of activities of few people who prefer self-interest above national interest.

He said as vital as the sector was, it had been toyed with for too long, noting that there was little to show government eagerness to reactivate the steel plant at Ajaokuta.

The Ajaokuta company was concessioned to Global Holding Infrastructure Limited (GHIL) between 2004 and 2005 by former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

However, the Indian firm did not live up to expectations as it could not manage the company.

Following the failure of GHIL to manage the company, the Federal Government under late President Umaru Yar’Adua, was compelled to revoke the contract.

Rivers council boss lauds BelemaOil for job creation

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hairmanof the Kula Community Development Committee (CDC), AkukuToru Local Government Area, in Rivers State, Chief Sibia Aaron, has commended BelemaOil Producing Limited, for engaging youths from the community, including professionals.

Aaron who gave the commendation in Kula, Sunday, said since oil firm took over the oil facilities in the area from Chevron Nigeria Limited, it had been employing engineers, accountants, surveyors and other professionals from the community.

The CDC chairman said that the oil company had equally completed the process of engaging 1,500 youths of the community for bush clearing.

He disclosed that the company had invited unemployed graduates and non-graduates in the area to register their interest for the job.

“We are happy that BelemaOil is directly engaging youths from its host community to do the bush clearing. Now they are to engage over 1500 youths to start work at the bush clearing site,” he said.

“This will somehow create economic activity in the community within the period that the clearing lasts. Our graduates will be assigned supervisory role and this is just a way to ensure that they have money to meet their needs,” he said.

The CDC chairman said that the oil firm had also been awarding contracts to people from the area.

He also disclosed that BelemaOil provided portable water for the community pointing out that the people had lacked portable water for over 40 years.

Aaron urged the youths to be disciplined and peaceful in doing the job so as to attract more development to the area.

From left: Principal Lead Forte Gate College, Lekki, Lagos, Kayode Oni; SNEPCo’s Social Performance and Social Investment Manager, Gloria Udoh; traditional ruler of Awoyaya in Lekki, Chief Isiaka Babatunde Eletu; and SNEPCo’s General Manager, Exploration, Dayo Adewuyi, at the NNPC/SNEPCo National Cradle-to-Career scholarship award ceremony in Lagos… last Tuesday.

Solve to Nigeria’s power problem, NLNG urges scientists

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has urged scientists to carry out research work aimed at solving the nation’s power supply problem.

Susu made the plea while speak-

fineries by host communities.

Obiene alleged that the proposed community ownership was a ploy by the groups to hijack the scheme from the artisanal refinery operators who were the real targets of government’s plan.

“Such moves to keep ownership in the hands of elite are capable of causing complete failure and disintegration of the lofty vision of government aimed at ensuring smooth oil production.

“The claim by such groups that they had Memoranda of Understanding with the host communities to collectively obtain 10 licences for the initial take-off of the refiner-

ies is very suspicious,” he said.

Obiene said the hallmark of government’s plan as announced by the vice president was the granting of independence to groups to form and run their companies, using their acquired skills.

“An idea of a central body applying for licences and intending to run all the artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta negates this principle and must be resisted.

“We call on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) to maintain the original intention of liberalising ownership of modular refineries to enhance development.

hairman, Advisory Committee of the Nigeria Prize for Science, Prof. Alfred Susu,

Environmentalist alleges plan to hijack modular refinery licences

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n environmental rights activist, Mr Pat Obiene, wants the Federal Government to allow only former operators of artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta, own the proposed modular refineries in the region.

Obiene, the Director of the Institute of Environment, an NGO based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, made the call in in Yenagoa, noting that the Federal Government originally planned to leave the ownership of the proposed refineries in the hands of the operators, resident in the oil producing communities.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,

during his tour of Niger Delta in February, announced Federal Government’s plan to establish modular refineries in the region to stop illegal refining.

Osinbajo said that modular refineries, when established, would also bring more development to the Niger Delta region Part of government’s plan is for former operators of the outlawed refineries to form cooperatives and get involved in the ownership and operation of the modular refineries.

The activist however alleged that there were some groups within the region advocating a collective ownership of the proposed modular re-

ing with newsmen on the sidelines of media briefing to announce the winners of the 2017 Nigeria Prize for Science in Lagos.

The competition, which started in 2004, is organised by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Susu.

According to Susu, won the 2004 edition of the competition, it is obvious that we have problem in the power sector.

“We must carry out research that will proffer solution to it, because government is not doing enough about it,” he said.

Susu said that the 2018 prize for science with the theme: “Innovations in Power Solutions” was to challenge scientists to carry out researches that would address the problems in the power sector.

He said that the call for entries would commence early in 2018, urging scientists to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their intelligence.

The Oracle Today

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Wednesday November 15, 2017

e-Platform Brace up for cyber-attacks, experts alert Nigerian businesses Stories by SAMSON AKINTARO

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ITH increasing demand for online presence, businesses must also prepare for the inherent risk of cyber-attacks, experts have warned. This came with a declaration that every business, either small or big, that operates in the digital terrain has become a potential target of cybercriminals.

The experts, who spoke at the Nigerian Capital Market Information Security Forum, noted that as businesses are going digital, more and more criminals are also going digital and are even moving ten times faster than the businesses.

Speaking specifically on the rise of digital business and digital crimes, Mr. Adeolu Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, said 94 per cent of businesses with 10+ employees are now online, while the value of the internet economy in G20 economies is estimated to be $4.2 trillion.

With that, he said there has been 44 per cent increase in cyber incidents (1.4 per organization weekly, while there had been 1.85 million new malware samples in Q1’17 alone, which translates to 323,000 daily or 1 new malware every 4.2 seconds. Bajomo added that global economy now loses $445 billion annually to cybercrimes.

Also speaking at the forum, Mr Tope Aladenusi, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) for Deloitte West Africa, said for every business online, “cyber-attack is not a matter of if but when. All companies are prone to attack, so if you want to go digital, you must also plan to manage the risk.” Aladenusi expressed worry that most organisations in Nigeria do not see the need to spend money on cyber security until they experience attack.

Emphasizing the need for organisations to plan ahead for cyber-attacks, Mr Ademola Alabi, CEO AAA Consulting, said with the sophistication of cyber criminals, it is becoming impossible for organisations to avoid attacks totally, but they can limit its impacts by

From left: Tope S. Aladenusi, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) for Deloitte West Africa; Olatomiwa Williams, Director, Solution Sales for Microsoft Nigeria; Ade Bajomo, Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Favour Femi-Oyewole, Chief Information Security Officer, NSE and Ademola Alabi, Founder & Principal Consultant in AAA Bits Consulting Ltd at the Nigerian Capital Market Information Security Forum 2017 held at the Exchange in Lagos. planning ahead and mapping out response plans before it happens.

Alabi warned that already, there is a silent rise of cyber army who are between the ages of 15 and 19, being built online, which means that organisations should also double their preparations for attacks.

Also speaking,Mrs Favour FemiOyewole, Chief Information Security Officer at NSE, said cyber security is often taken solely as an Information Technology problem, while it is a strategic risk management issue. “Cyber security has become a core governance issue for boards as company after company has been rocked by cyber security incidents. It is a significant risk that can have a huge material impact on the organization and also have the potential to expose board/ council members to personal liability. The Board should proactively stay informed, sup-

port awareness programs company-wide, and treat information security as priority” she said.

According to her, the best way to manage this dynamic cyber threat is to develop organizational cyber resilience. “Cyber Resilience is the ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions, withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. We must ensure our technical security controls evolve and adapt to ever-changing cyber threats and vulnerabilities” she said On why it may be difficult to end cybercrimes, Bajomo mentioned the borderless nature of the threat as a factor. According to him, lack of a harmonized and cooperative regulatory environment also weakens cross-border cooperation while there is shortage of dedicated and skilled IT security specialists and cyber professionals globally.

Advising companies on how to be resilient to cyber-attacks, he urged companies to assess themselves to know their weaknesses and vulnerabilities within their organization. “Understand how they connect and prioritize them. Adopt a holistic and formal approach to keep abreast on modern threats and solutions. This would clarify misconceptions surrounding capability and implementations. Getting security budget approval requires an understanding of numbers; you should be able to build an investment case in acquiring security solutions and making necessary investments to tighten security.

Leverage Global Standards: Cybersecurity efforts are most effective when leveraging and building upon existing standards such as ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 27002” Bajomo advised.

The NSE ED also urged govern-

ments to secure their digital infrastructures for economic growth and protection. According to him, policy makers can achieve this by: “Providing resources for the development of cyber security; Identifying countries that are safe havens for perpetrators of crime and fraud and target them for diplomatic initiatives formulated to change their practices; Leveraging and building upon existing bilateral and multilateral agreements on cross border prosecutions of crime and espionage; Bolstering awareness and outreach campaigns; Utilizing Private and Public Partnerships to review and continue to improve the state of cyber security in the nation; and Drafting guidelines and directives towards protecting citizens from cybercrime such as the UK’s GDPR and the Nigerian Cybercrime Act.”

FG to deploy NIGCOMSAT for youth empowerment

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he Federal Government through the Ministry of Youths and Sports has announced plans to partner with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) in its youths empowerment programmes. The Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung disclosed this recently when he paid a familiarisation visit to NIGCOMSAT Headquarters in Abuja.

“We need to partner with NIGCOMSAT to avail the Nigerian youths the opportunity to be trained and empowered in Information Communication Technology (ICT) because digital civilisation is trending. “We must

prepare our young people for the challenges ahead and the best place to do this is NIGCOMSAT where they have the facilities.

“Coincidentally, we have a training programme for our staff on ICT as our policy is to ensure that all staff of the ministry of youth and sports are all ICT compliant.

Dalung said that the ministry would also take advantage of NICOMSAT Staff Attendance and Access Control System (SAACS) to check staff attendance.

According to him, SAACS will also help the ministry determine the actual number of people on the payroll so as to identify those working hard.

“We are going to key into SAACs

in our ministry, install it in major points for our members of staff in order to take note of those working hard which is very important in national development.’’ The minister also said that the ministry would take advantage of the partnership with NIGCOMSAT in the transmission of local league which had over the years remained analog.

“We can take benefit of the partnership with NIGCOMSAT and improve on the league, try to generate and produce our league and choose when and who to sell them to. “This will increase our revenue base and also increase profile of the league and create job for so many people.’’

On local content, the minister said that it was the thrust of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to believe in ourselves and produce everything for ourselves as a nation and not to rely on external bodies.

“With what I have seen in NIGCOMSAT, there is no reason why Nigerians will not patronise the agency for its satellite services.

“If the orbit of our satellite can beam over Africa, why can’t it beam over Nigeria, it should start beaming on us in Nigeria before other African countries.’’

Earlier, the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Ms Abimbola Alale said that the agency had two weeks ago signed an agree-

ment with Belintersat, operators, Belintersat-1, a communication satellite of the Belarusian Peoples Republic for a backup service. She said the agreement with Belarus was aimed at repositioning NIGCOMSAT for commercial viability and was set to push its services, while reassuring customers of reliability and sustainability. She said that with the agreement, NIGCOMSAT bandwidth had expanded, and assured customers of safety. “However, we are looking for different market, in private sector, in government if they can give us resources to have our own additional satellite but the immediate solution to the backup has been catered for.

The Oracle Today

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Wednesday November 15, 2017

e-Platform

NCC begins spectrum licensing review

Stories by SAMSON AKINTARO

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HE Nigerian Communications Commission has instituted processes that will lead to a review of the licensing framework for telecommunication spectrum administration in Nigeria. Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, stated this yesterday as he presented the 23rd Inaugural Lecture at Bayero University, Kano.

Danbatta said the vision of the Commission and the importance of spectrum as a critical but limited national resource demands that it has to be managed judiciously to ensure the needs if all stakeholders are accommodated. The NCC Chief Executive also seized the opportunity of that platform to inform members of the academic community that telecoms contributed about N1.452 trillion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2017.

This feat, he said, happened in spite of the challenges affecting the telecommunications sector.

Some of the challenges highlighted by Danbatta include obstacles of securing appropriate permissions such as Right of Way (RoW) for the laying of fibre optics infrastructure. “There is also the energy challenge in terms inadequate and constant supply of electrical power, vandalism of infrastructure; and multiple taxation” he said.

He also spoke on the methodol-

•Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC ogy adopted in the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) which is based on Honshin Kanri/Policy Deployment method, which ensures strategic goals of the NCC drive progress and action at every level of Commission’s activities.

Prof. Danbatta was a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Technology at Bayero University Kano for 28 years. During this period he taught courses in telecommunications engineering and

electronics, and held academic positions as Dean of the Faculty as well as Head of Department at different times.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty, Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, has commended NCC’s robust regulation of telecommunication services in Nigeria, its collaboration on national financial inclusion strategy. The Queen, who gave this commendation during his visit to the Commission’s office in Abuja as part of her global itinerary for

advocacy on financial inclusiveness to enhance individual and national development, promised to support Nigeria to achieve greater safe, sound and sustainable financial inclusion.

The royal lady, who visited the Commission in her capacity as the Special Advocate of the United Nations’ Secretary General for Inclusive Finance for Development, was received with NCC’s renowned warmth and enthusiasm by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta, who led other Management staff that include the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, Mr. Sunday Dare.

Financial inclusion as defined by the UN and amplified by Wikipedia, is access to a full range of financial services to all households at a reasonable cost; build around sound and safe institutions governed by clear regulations and performance standards; financial and institutional sustainability for continuity and certainty of investments; and competition to ensure choice and affordability.

Accordingly, Prof. Danbatta said available statistics demand a strategic response to ensure greater financial inclusion in Nigeria, and recalled that Nigeria’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy is set to reduce the percentage of the financially excluded adult population in Nigeria to 20 percent by Year 2020 – as at 2016, about 40.1 percent of the Nigerian adult population are financially excluded.

HP launches pocket-sized photo printer HP has unveiled its new pocket-sized photo printer, Sprocket, which instantly prints 5 x 7.6 cm sticky-back photos from smartphone. According to HP, the product was designed to bring back the fun of printed photos, as it allows users to print photos from a smartphone, tablet and virtually anywhere.

“HP Sprocket is portable and small enough to fit in a pocket. The 5 x 7.6 cm snaps are instantly shareable, colourful and can even be personalised with filters, frames, emojis, text and more” said Allison Alassan, Print Category Manager- Central Africa for HP. Some of the printer’s features, according to HP, include: The HP Sprocket App, free on iOS and Android, which lets users easily customise their favourite smartphone and social media photos with colourful frames, text, stickers, filters and more; the printer brings favourite memories to life with vibrant 5 x 7.6 cm smudge-proof, waterresistant and tear-resistant photos to share, or peel-and-stick to decorate bedroom walls, backpacks or create collages and art projects; it goes virtually anywhere, and with Bluetooth connectivity, users and all their friends can connect to Sprocket with via their smartphones and tablets and print and share the best picture of the day.

The printer comes in white with rose gold accents, and black with silver accents, and comes with a 10-pack of HP ZINK Photo Paper and Packs of HP ZINK Photo Paper (20 sheets per pack).

Truecaller hits 50m users in Africa

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obile application, Truecaller, said it has registered 50 million users in Africa, among which are 6.2 million Nigerians. The Chief Commercial Officer, Truecaller, Mr Ted Nelson disclosed this on the side-line of the launch of its Developer programme in Lagos.

According to him, the company has 50 million registered users in Africa and that is about 20 per cent of total global Truecaller users.

“Africa is growing and it is important for us, to establish our presence to be felt in Africa, there is need for us to understand the market and to enable us grow faster as a brand. “This is currently carried out by studying most likely Nigeria and South Africa for us to gain our subscribers base,’’ he said.

The company revealed that as a part of its plans for Africa, it would be setting up headquarters in the region and hire key personals for its

operations. During the event, Truecaller also announced the launch of its Developer Program with Truecaller SDK, its mobile identity product for digital start-ups and app developers.

Truecaller SDK enables 3rd party app developers, digital businesses and startups to verify end users quickly and frictionlessly by utilizing their Truecaller profile with a one-touch and password free experience. The Truecaller SDK is

said “We are honoured and humbled to have Mr. Andrew Bing accept to join our Board of Directors.

We welcome his wealth of experience and look forward to his contributions which will definitely strengthen the governance and oversight functions of the Board”.

Currently an active member of the Institute of Directors IOD – UK, Bing is an independent NED on other Boards one of which is Extra Care, a company based in Northern Ireland. He is a Telecommunications professional with a well-rounded profile in financial, business development and strategic planning having worked for 19+ years within the MTN Group,

8 of those years as CFO of MTN Nigeria.

Acknowledged as an energetic, thorough and committed executive focused on delivering value in the toughest and most challenging of working environments, Bing led the expansion of MTN across several African countries. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant CA(SA), a recipient of 4 international awards for finance funding deals for MTN Nigeria and was previously a Non-Executive Director on the Board of MTN Nigeria Foundation. Bing joins an existing board chaired by Nneka Nwobi, Head - B1 Strategic Partnership Africa, SAP and Executive Coach.

Former MTN Nigeria CFO joins Terragon

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he Board of Directors of Terragon Group recently announced the appointment of Andrew Bing, former Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, as an independent non-executive director (NED) at its last board meeting which was held in London. This appointment, the company said, came against the backdrop of its recent transition into a data and marketing technology business, its pan-African expansion plans as well as its need for practical and extensive experience to successfully scale across some of the largest markets on the continent.

In a statement, Elo Umeh, Managing Director, Terragon Group,

available on Android, iOS and web platforms and can be used by any app or a website to instantly onboard, autofill user information, or verify the user’s phone number based identity through the users’ consent.

“We see Nigeria as one of the most promising eco-systems in Africa, that’s why we have decided to kick-off our tour in the market.

After engaging with some of the top tech startups and digital businesses in the country, we are even more convinced that Truecaller SDK – mobile identity solution – will help solve many of their challenges when onboarding and verifying

new users,” said Priyam Bose, Director & Head of Worldwide Developer Relations at Truecaller.

Truecaller has become one of the fastest growing consumer apps in Africa, and has consistently been topping the App Store Charts across the continent for the past 2 years. The Truecaller app, which allows people to see who’s calling and filter out spam calls and SMS, has already more than 50 million users in Africa. The service is helping users block more than half a billion spam calls on a monthly basis in the region, and more than 50 percent of all messages being filtered is considered as spam.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

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www.oraclenews.ng

EDITORIAL

Anambra after governorship election

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HEN one hears some of the things EARLIER fears that the agitations of the Indigpeople must make decisions. said about the governorship enous Peoples Of Biafra (IPOB), would be a election that holds on Saturday, factor in the election appear to have been disWOULD they be guided by the emotions that the November 18– even within the limpersed by the absence of IPOB from the scene. politics of zoning raise? Would the issues be its of the latitude provided for propaganda Many are relieved that the security issues that education, health, safety, and judicious use of – you get the impression that the discussions could have resulted from an IPOB presence state resources? There have been concerns are about another State, not Anambra. There have been contained. What other fears are left? about security, the unattended matter of erohave been too many attempts to keep away sion, beyond statistics, roads that are falling from the issues which centre on how good into disrepair and the general feeling that poli- FEARS of violence from thugs persist. There are governance transcends to welfare of the tics, whatever people think it is, would decide fears that some candidates unsure of winning people. the winner. could disrupt voting. There have been boasts by some of the candidates that they would THE preference of many of the candidates, 31 of THE election is suffused in politics of zoning, depend on security agencies, or powers, other them in the race, has been to paint pictures entitlement, godfathers, with the seemingly than the one that issues from the choices of futuristic issue being which of Anambra’s that are non-existent, draw new boundaries voters, to win the election. for exaggerations and dwell on issues that three political zones would have the indisputable right to produce governorship candidates SOURCES of these threats should be identified are alien to how Anambra could be better.

It is not a conjecture that Anambra needs to in 2021. early and stemmed. The law should not wait be better run. It not guesswork either, that a damage is dome before acting. Generous lot of thinking would be required to get that FEW are the ideas on how the State would surprovisions of the Electoral Act that aim at provive till then. Analyses of the development of work done. hibiting thuggery and insecurity during electhe State are mostly lacking in profound ideas tions are unfortunately observed mainly in the about development and the linkages that it FROM the tune and tone of the campaigns, breach. many of the issues raised are pedestrian. leverages to create opportunities for the people, whose votes are important to the process. ATTITUDE of candidates is critical to the peaceful Where they are seen as challenges to the growth of the State, the plans to redeem In the absence of this dedicated attention to conduct of the election. They should be comthe depth from which Anambra could draw them have not been espoused, in most cases, mitted to a peaceful poll. Their commitment to in ways that indicate that the proponents of resources to stay ahead of many States in the peace is the only message that their supporters country, there has been the temptation to the positions have solutions. Yet, in a matwould understand. Candidates should underter of days, the election would hold and the compare Anambra with Anambra, or the more stand that all of them cannot be the winner of lowering example of how badly the prize at the same time. run most South East States are, an indication of Anambra’s sterling PARTICIPANTS in the election, whether they are performance. candidates or voters, would be all winners if they abide with the understanding that whoMANY of the candidates have not ever wins would work for the well being of the been heard. Many won’t not be State and its people. heard. Anambra, like the elections before it, makes the point about Our Vision the need for search to make the electoral playing field more even TO BE among the top five newspapers in Nigeria and, for most of the candidates. Only in due course, the Numero Uno; to be a newspaper of records that effectively caters to the information needs a fraction of the 31 candidates on of all segments and sections of the Nigerian society as the ballot paper have the resources well as all social classes and cultures. Essentially, we to campaign through the State’s want to be a responsible corporate citizen, a commer21 local government areas and its cially viable, properly organised media business, which meets its obligations to society, government and the electoral wards. workforce.

CHOICES would obviously be limited by the exposure of the candidates to voters. The limitation on the issues that have ruled the campaigns is to a great by the fact that candidates are limiting most of their views of the State to places they campaigned. It is clearer that there have been emphases on impressing the voters than on admitting possibilities of limited resources affecting the performance of whoever is elected.

Mission WE INTEND to contribute to the development of an inclusive Nigerian society, with a view to getting rid of the dark sides of our national life (slothfulness, greed, corruption, nepotism, totalitarianism, etc); to continually engender and sustain national debates that would ultimately lead to the enthronement of healthy national values--hard-work, justice, equity and fairplay, transparency, good governance, resulting, in themselves, the egalitarian Nigerian society of our dream. We will give voice to the voiceless and at all times, strive to be balanced, objective, honest, truthful and fair to all sides; so that through The Oracle Today, our people, the Nigerian people can see a bright light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. And we shall do all this in absolute trust in God who blesses good intentions.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

OPINION APC 2019: Possible scenarios of Akande’s open primaries

By EHICHIOYA EZOMON

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oing into the Caucus and NEC meetings of the All Progressives Congress on Monday and Tuesday last week in Abuja, some governors literally endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari as the sole candidate of the party in the 2019 elections.

Although a motion for the adoption of the candidacy of the President “was deferred for now,” according to House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, various state chapters have declared supports for Buhari and their governors for 2019. Implying the pipers (governors) dictating the tunes of the APC state leaders.

But days before the Abuja parleys, Chief Bisi Akande, maiden Acting Chairman of the APC, suggested that, as Buhari had not confirmed a second-term desire, the presidential primaries should not be restrictive, but profit all aspirants across the country. Ordinarily, President Buhari, as the incumbent, should exercise a right of first refusal (ROFR or RFR). And consenting to trigger this rule of engagement would effectively shut out other aspirants.

Interpreted, the Akande opinion means there’s no zoning of the presidency, usually between the North and the South, in the APC, just as the party did in 2015, and in the end, General Buhari (then aliased ‘GMB’) triumphed over former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Vice President Atiku Abukakar, Imo State Gover-

nor Rochas Okorocha and the Publisher of the Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, in that order.

That open contest, featuring four aspirants from the North and one from the South, prevented a post-election divide, and guaranteed a united front for the poll that the APC won, for Buhari to assume power as President after prior attempts in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

In the light of Akande’s proposal, some possible scenarios need to be considered, depending on whether President Buhari will grab the opportunity for a second term in office. Thus, the primaries may resemble a one-way contest, as majority of the APC governors, lawmakers, ministers, and others, who tagged on his coattail to gain the positions they occupy currently, would not go against him.

And if Buhari is not running, the field would be clear for these presumed aspirants (all Northerners, as no Southern members have indicated interest in the race): Atiku, Kwankwaso; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Governors Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); and Senator Adamu Aliero (former governor of Kebbi).

Interestingly, Atiku, Kwankwaso, Saraki and Tambuwal may have their ambition cut out for them, as they reportedly weigh the prospect of returning to the PDP, whose members have publicly boasted they were working to

get them back. And both sides (the wooed and wooers) have allegedly exchanged messages in that regard.

State-wise, Atiku, Kwankwaso, el-Rufai, Shettima and Ganduje have power brokers to contend with in their home bases to launch their dreams. Atiku and Governor Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa) were allegedly on opposite sides before the primaries for the 2015 polls, but they teamed up later to win for the APC. But with the reported Adamawa APC’s endorsement of President Buhari and the governor for second terms in 2019, Bindow seems to have carved his own path, thus undercutting Atiku’s acknowledged strong backing of the party in the state.

Early in the year, the supremacy battle between Senator Kwankwaso and Governor Ganduje spread from Kano to Katsina, where their supporters clashed at a ceremony. So, both are primed to cancel out each other’s ambition for 2019. Ditto for Governor Bagudu and Senator Aliero, with the former quoted as saying, “If President Buhari is not running, I will not sacrifice my ambition,” and the latter simply declaring, “I am interested” in the race.

In Kaduna, Governor el-Rufai has his Nemesis in Senator Shehu Sani, who is ready to invite the “hyaenas and jackals” to prevent him from returning to the Government House for a second term, and the “lions and tigers” to ensure he doesn’t get to the Aso Rock gates in 2019.

Governor Shettima has a “bull in a china

shop” in the former National Chairman of the PDP and governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, whose rumoured desire to defect to the APC has cost more than disquiet in the Maiduguri power centre, and across the state.

Governors Tambuwal and Yari are not known to have some godfathers or political enemies breathing down their necks. But that does not stop them from looking over their shoulders.

Surely, the statement by Senator Magatakarda Wamakko, former governor of Sokoto State, that he would support President Buhari for a second term, could upset Tambuwal’s presidential bid.

Senator Saraki, in his own right, is both a godfather and powerbroker, who determines who rules in his homestead, Kwara State, and as such, has absolute support of his base in whatever position he goes for.

The posers: Will the APC, once again, shun pressures from many quarters, some of which have started drumming, “No Vacancy in Aso Rock” and throw open the primaries? Or toe the opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s “shutdown” of Governor Ayodele Fayose’s aspiration, and “ban” other members from aspiring to the highest office, and present President Buhari as the sole candidate of the party for 2019?

You betcha, the waiting won’t be long!

•Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

Emmanuel C. Iwuanyanwu at 75: Tribute to Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo

By IKEDI OHAKIM

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hairman Champion Newspapers, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. Birthday anniversaries are ordinarily for thanking God Almighty for the gift of life but in some cases, they go beyond the lives particular individual celebrants. A birthday anniversary for Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, is a celebration for the entire people of Nigeria, not just for his family or his kit and kin in Igbo land. It is an occasion for the entire country to thank God for the gift of Chief Iwuanyanwu to the nation.

Little wonder then that this 75th birthday anniversary celebration for this great icon is being put together by a “national” planning committee that is headed by the Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator (Dr) Ike Ekweremadu, assisted by another former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu.

The involvement of these personalities, a serving Deputy Senate President and a former, who is highly respected across the country, cannot be surprising. Chief Iwuanyanwu has never held any elective office in the country but he is, without a doubt, a pillar of strength in our collective quest for national cohesion.

By a combination of a rare level headedness and unrepentant nationalist and patriotic disposition, Chief Iwuanyanwu is unarguably one of those whose conduct have made it possible for Nigeria to, for the first time in her history, sustain eighteen unbroken years of democracy. Not many Nigerians would recall the uncommon contribution he made to ensure an orderly and smooth transition from military to democratic rule between 1998 and 1999. It is to his eternal credit that a crisis of monumental dimension was averted in the then All Peoples Party (APP), after he was denied the presidential ticket of the party, which he had earlier won at the Kaduna Convention; in favour of a fellow who was found to be more amenable to the plot to have an all-Yoruba presidential race in 1999. The fear of the military clique that was superintending over the transition was that Chief Iwuanyanwu was not going to agree to step down, and so, a plot was hatched to rob him of the ticket which he had won earlier; in favour of another Igbo aspirant. But he took all that with equanimity, having quickly made up his mind that the overall interest of the nation was above his personal political ambition. Had Chief Iwuanyanwu insisted on his mandate, a crisis would most likely have ensued within the APP and perhaps the transition programme would have ran into a hitch.

That incident did not diminish his zeal and enthusiasm in seeing to the entrenchment of

democracy and in all the turbulence Nigeria has witnessed in the democratic journey since 1999, Chief Emmanuel Chuwkuemeka Iwuanyanwu has played a frontline role in all the efforts at steering the ship of state back to normalcy. Not given to arrogant and frivolous statements, Chief Iwuanyanwu is gifted in the art of reading the political barometer of the time, delineating him with this rare ability to make political moves almost effortlessly and without stirring controversies.

I first began to hear about Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in my University days especially following his donation of the sum of One Million Naira at a fund raising ceremony hosted by the administration of the late Sam Mbakwe during the second republic. He stunned observers with that gesture, for the simple reason that whereas he was of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the then governor was of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP); and as is well known, there was no love lost between the two parties and their respective leaders. At the time of that event, Chief Iwuanyanwu was just 38 years old.

He has maintained that trajectory of putting the people first before partisan or personal interest. Throughout the 1980s and up till the early 2000s, the name, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, was almost synonymous with philanthropy. He was chairman of virtually every event: fund raising, book launching, weddings etc. across the country. But perhaps what stood him much aside was his interest in creating opportunities for gainful employment for the younger ones.

Through his chain of businesses that spanned civil engineering, real estate, advertising, manufacturing, publishing etc, Chief Iwuanyanwu was one of the few Nigerians who blazed the trail in the elusive search for making the private sector the engine of the national economy. Despite the fact that he did not hold any public office, he was one of the few that realized, quite earlier, that a viable private sector is the only avenue for national economic development.

His pioneering traits took him into newspaper publishing and that move saw the birth of the Champion newspapers which recorded a level of success that took quite a number of people by surprise. After the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief E. C. Iwuanyanwu is the next Igbo to foray into newspaper publishing with a resounding success.

The Champion newspapers changed the face of newspaper publishing in Nigeria because before it, there was this erroneous belief that the industry was the exclusive reserve for people of the former Midwest region. In putting the newspaper together, Chief Iwuanyanwu brought in the best brains in the industry from that area. Notably, the first managing director of the paper was Prince Henry Odukomaiya

who had headed the gargantuan Daily Times much earlier.

Among those who passed through the Champion school are, former deputy governor of Nasarawa state and Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku; ace sport administrator and a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mr. Paul Bassey, renowned columnist and former Chief Press Secretary to a Nigerian Head of State, Mr. Emma Agu and prolific writer and journalist, Ethelbert Okere.

I was a keen reader of the Champion and as is well known, the newspaper played a leading role in the politics of the aborted third republic during which period I had my first outing in public service as a member of the Imo State Executive Council and Commissioner for Commerce and industry. When several years later it pleased the Almighty God to elevate me to the position of governor of the state, Chief Iwuanyanwu became a pillar of support for my administration. I found his advice quite invaluable. His late wife, Lolo Eudora Iwuanyanwu, also stood behind my spouse, Chioma, and played a leading role in galvanizing the support of Imo women for the administration.

It was the success recorded by Chief Iwuanyanwu in the area of sport that gave my administration the impetus to continue from where he stopped in the handling of the state owned football club, the Heartland Football Club of Owerri, an offshoot of Iwuanyanwu Nationale founded by him. The story is well known of the enviable heights to which Iwuanyanwu Nationale took the game in the entire continent of African. Unfortunately, the club experienced a big setback following an air crash at Tamanreaset, Southern Algeria in which the team lost two players, Aimola Omale and goal keeper, Uche Ikeogu. But undaunted, Chief Iwuanyanwu continued to make giant strides with the club.

However, following his divestment from the club at a later date, it became known as Heartland football club. Thereafter, the club’s fortune began to nose dive but when we took over in 2007, we rebranded it. In 2008, Heartland finished second in the premier league by one point to Kano Pillars and earned automatic place for African Championship slot. We crushed so many clubs with rich history in Africa until we got to the final. We played the final with TP Mazembe in 2009 in Lubumbashi, tying 2-2 on aggregate but TP Mazembe was awarded the African Champion Trophy on technical grounds, based on the away goal rule, and we got the silver.

Of course, Chief’s contributions to national development have not gone unnoticed. Apart from numerous honours and awards of honorary doctorate degrees (nine in number), Chief Iwuanyanwu is one of the few Nigerians that are

recipients of three national honours. He is Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR); Officer, Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR), and Commander, Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR).

His pan Nigerian popularity and esteem did not detract him from his commitment to his own kit and kin back home in Imo state. Unlike many elder statesmen of Igbo extraction, Chief Iwuanyanwu resides, not in a choice mansion in Abuja (even though he has one) but right at home in his native Imo state. In fact, he does not give an appointment outside his home or office in Owerri.

But that also puts many of his people in Imo in a sort of quandary: so many things are going wrong in the state in spite of his hug presence.

But it is a dilemma that is easily resolvable once the Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo accepts his rightful role of playing the leader and not allow himself to be led by those who merely use his impeccable testimonial to cover their own shortcomings. My entire family and I join millions of other Nigerians to wish him a happy birthday anniversary and many more years of blissful earthly journey.

•OHAKIM, immediate past governor of Imo State, wrote in from Owerri.

THE GROUP Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Ikeddy Isiguzo Editor Felix Oguejiofor Abugu Deputy Editor/Head, Lagos Bureau Sopuruchi Onwuka Abuja Bureau Chief Tony Ailemen Head, Graphics & Designs Nnamdi Alex Chukwu Advert Manager Andrew Udeh Circulation Manager Felix Oti

The Oracle Today

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Wednesday November 15, 2017

Travel & Hospitality Hilton agrees 20yr extension Stories by VICTOR NZE

U

NITED States-based global hotel chain, Hilton and the Transcorp Hotels Plc, has agreed a 20-year extension to the current agreement to flag the iconic Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja.

The agreement will see Hilton manage the property until 2037.

The hotel, which is a national landmark for having hosted countless heads of state and global events like the World Economic Forum on Africa, has been operated

by Hilton since its opening in 1987.

Speaking at a signing ceremony in Washington DC, Monday, Mr. Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s President and CEO, said: “We have had an incredible relationship with the Transcorp team and we are happy to announce that we will continue to grow that relationship throughout the next 20 years. With our mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, I am delighted we will be able to continue welcoming guests to this hotel until at least 2037.”

The award-winning 667-room hotel, one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation which will transform the property.

The extensive refurbishment will

From left: CEO of Transcorp Hotels, Valentine Ozigbo, Hilton Hotel’s President and CEO, Mr. Chris Nassetta, and Chairman of Transcorp Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu (r) at the signing of a 20-year management contract extension to flag the iconic Transcorp Hilton hotel in Abuja, Monday. continue the Transcorp Hotels legacy as the leading provider of hospitality in Nigeria.

Alaos remarking, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Transcorp Plc, the largest listed conglomerate on the Nigerian stock exchange and owners of hospitality subsidiary Transcorp Hotels said: “We are delighted to continue our long-

standing owner-operator relationship with Hiton. Our investment in the renovation reflects our commitment to shaping Nigeria into a leading hospitality centre in the West Africa region and with Hilton as our operating partners, we are confident that we will continue to lead in the sector.”

Hilton and Transcorp Hotels have

two additional properties in the development pipeline. Furthermore, Hilton expects to open six hotels in the next six months across Africa, and open properties in 15 countries where it currently does not operate in the next three years.

Also at the signing ceremony, Valentine Ozigbo, CEO of Transcorp Hotels who leads the management

of the relationship between the owners and Hilton, commended Hilton for their clear commitment to delivering excellence and restated the owners’ commitment to continue to use technology and products to develop the hotel as a destination not just for high-end clientele, but also for those travelling to Abuja for business and leisure.

Osun plans biggest street carnival in December

O

rganisers of the maiden Osun Carnival have assured that it would be the biggest street carnival ever held in the state.

Media Communication Officer, Osun Carnival, Mr Obasijuade Adedokun, who disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos, Wednesday, added that the event scheduled for December, this year, would be historic and hilarious.

“It is completely different from the usual Osun-Osogbo Festival,’’ he said, adding that the carnival would showcase the cultural heritage embedded in the state to the whole world, so as to attract tourists and investors.

“Osun maiden Carnival will kick-off in December in two localities, Osogbo and Ile Ife. It is an initiative aimed at celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba race adopting Osun as the base,” the official said.

According to him, Osun would join other states and foreign countries like United Kingdom, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya, and state capitals like Calabar and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, whose carnivals are reckoned with globally.

Adedokun explained that the carnival was the initiative of Lekmog Projects in collaboration with Osun Ministry of Tourism, Royal Planet Media and Cream Entertainment, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

He stressed that the week-long event would feature colourful displays of drums, Yoruba songs and poetic rendition, dance, traditional attires and food.

The official listed other events at the carnival to include traditional games including Ayo Olopon, quiz competition in Yoruba for pupils, beauty pageant, visits to heritage sites, musical concerts, and street parade, among others.

“We are aware of the cultural gap that exists between the old and upcoming generation of the Yoruba race. It is important that we do our bit in bridging this gap by bringing to the fore some of these best values in an atmos-

phere of fun where the youths can socialise and learn something new about the Yoruba culture and tradition.

“It is just befitting for us to look inward to the source and origin of the Yoruba race which Osun represents, to start such a cultural reawakening campaign.

The Arole Oduduwa himself, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has given his blessings to the initiative,” he said.

According to him, participants are expected from across south

west states and visitors from all over Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world where the Yoruba culture is well appreciated.

“Apart from promoting the cultural values of the Yoruba, the carnival is also an initiative to promote the tourism potentials of Osun, and by extension the entire south west by packaging and providing adequate information about all the heritage sites.’’

Adedokun noted that some of the heritage sites “are already forgotten’’, but added that “a

major part of the maiden Osun Carnival will be a special visit to some of the heritage sites scattered all around Osun.’’

“The ultimate aim is to attract regular visitors and investors to these sites while also contributing to the growth of small and medium scale enterprises that will service such visitors,” he said.

The official said the Osun carnival would be an annual event, so that together with the OsunOsogbo festival, the state would be on the global tourism map.

Nigeria can become top tourist destination, if…– el-Rufai

K

aduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Tuesday, said that Nigeria can become an international tourist destination if it harnesses its cultural heritage.

The governor who stated this at the opening of the just-concluded 30th National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) in Kaduna, the state capital, further stressed that the diverse cultures of Nigerians should be seen as symbol of unity and must be used to foster peace and development in the country.

The governor, who assured participants of warm reception in Kaduna State, said the festival, had been avenue to foster unity, tolerance and peace among Nigerians since inception in 1970.

The week-long festival tagged; ”Nigeria Peace and Unity… Our pride’ has participating states including; Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, among others Earlier in an opening remark, the

Director General, National Council of Arts and Culture, Olusegun Runsewe, said “the festival showed that the country was one.”

He added that participants from all over the country showed the unity of the country

“There cannot be Nigeria without the different nationalities that make up the country, that is why we must all work together to keep the country as one,” he added.

The Zazzau Emirate culture was on display on Tuesday as a durbar

was staged for visitors.

The Durbar was led by Wazirin Zazzau team, followed by the Emir’s mounted Troop and foot soldiers. The 23 local government areas of Kaduna State also took turn to showcase their cultures.

employees, we are fully poised to give value for our customers money with memorable experience”, Aina told the tour operators and destinations promoters.

Continuing, Aina said: “Park Inn

by Radisson is a fresh, energetic mid-market hotel brand created for fast, flexible growth and focused on mastering the essentials of a great hotel experience. It is a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the largest and most dynamic hotel companies in the world with an expanding portfolio of more than 1,370 hotels in operation and under development, a global footprint

covering over 110 countries”.

Commenting on the retreat, Olumayowa Obasanyo from Diamonds and Pearls Travels Ltd commended the initiative of the hotel management on the synergy with key tour operators as a good idea bound to yield positive results in due course.

CEO, Fidol Trip & Travel Services Ltd, Ifedayo AndrewOgunbayo lauded the applauded the various tourist attractions discovered through the wellpackaged tours to Olumo Rock, Oke Itoku Adire Market and the captivating Ogunde Museum in Ososa.

Aina upbeat on Ogun tourism potential

G

eneral Manager of the Park Inn by Radisson Abeokuta, Mr. Kayode Aina has said that Ogun State is richly endowed as a tourist destination worthy of attracting both local and international visitors.

Aina who stated this when the Park Inn by Radisson Abeokuta hosted prominent tour operators and destinations promoters in Nigeria to a 3-day retreat , further stressed the imperative of promoting domestic tourism in Nigeria.

“With our robust 173 exquisite rooms at Park Inn by Radisson Abeokuta and well experienced

The Oracle Today

27

Wednesday November 15, 2017

AVIATION

NCAA directs airlines to automate Stories by VICTOR NZE

T

HE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed all domestic airlines in the country to automate their remittances of the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charges (TSC/ CSC) by December, this year.

This is also as the agency announced a temporary suspension of the planned Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP) for revenue collection.

The NCAA had in March issued a directive to domestic airlines on automation of their remittance of the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charges (TSC/CSC).

General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, Mr Sam Adurogboye, who made the disclosure, Thursday, in Lagos, said that the authority only suspended its January 31 ultimatum earlier issued to the airlines on its implementation.

The controversial five per cent TSC/CSC is revenue accruable to the aviation agencies through NCAA as contained in Part V Section 12(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006, and which has pitched airlines, labour unions in the aviation sector as well as other aviation agencies in war of words I recent time.

The section mandates the airlines to collect the charges paid by the passengers on behalf of NCAA and remit same appropriately and

in real time.

Adurogboye explained that the airlines, under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), had earlier opposed the introduction of the Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP) for revenue collection.

“What happened was that a committee was set up by the Director General of NCAA, Capt. Mukhtar Usman and they held series of meetings with the operators over its implementation. Following these meetings, most of the airlines have automated their payment systems and we have about three remaining.

“We are, however expecting all of them to key into the process by December.”

Adurogboye also noted that some of the airlines had been resolving the issue of their indebtedness to the aviation agencies.

“For now, most of them are remitting the five per cent TSC/CSC as and when due. Some have also been working on how to clear the old debts and we are hoping that everything will soon be resolved.”

However, the NCAA and the airlines had been at loggerheads over claims that they owe the aviation agencies more than N15 billion over the non-remittance of the five per cent TSC/CSC. Opposing the move, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had called for the suspension of the

(From left to right): Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Med-View Airline Plc, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, Civil Aviation of Senegal, Mrs. Sarr Aissataba, Senegal Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Abubakar Samb and others cutting a cake at the Dakar Airport during the Inaugural flight of Med-View Airline, Lagos-Abidjan-Conakry-Dakar, last Thursday. automation of the remittance system.

The operators said the process should be put on hold until the parameters which constitute the stat-

utory five per cent TSC/CSC were clearly and properly defined.

“The automation is presently on hold. It was put on hold for the airlines and NCAA to further

NCAT graduates 72 aircraft engineers T he Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Wednesday, graduated 72 Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, the Rector of the College, Capt. Abdussalami Mohammed has said.

Mohammed, who said this at a combined graduation ceremony of the college in Zaria, said the engineers graduated at the Higher National Diploma (HND) level.

The graduands received both academic and professionals skills to become Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers.

The rector, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Dauda BajiniYahaya, described the occasion as a unique one being the first combined graduation ceremony with such a large number of people.

“One other unique thing about this particular graduation toady is we are combining academics with professionalism and this is the first set of HND graduates we are sending out of the college. Let me say to all of you who have been here with us for number of years, congratulations,” the rector said.

He reminded them that their graduation marked a history in their lives in view of the fact that they were going into the industry as professionals.

“You are going into the industry not just with nothing but with the license that you are going to use to execute your jobs in the industry. Whenever an individual has been given a license, I want to remind you that a responsibil-

ity actually comes upon you; for somebody who holds a license, definitely he will be held accountable for anything.

“That is why we want to appeal to you that when you get in there, please exercise all the liberty and all the privileges that your license permits you to exercise,” he noted.

Mohammed cautioned the

deliberate on its implementation.

What we are doing now is `pay as you go’ so that we can reduce the debt owed to the authority by the airlines,’’ Adurogboye said.

graduates not to go beyond the permission of their license, adding that “once you do what you are supposed to do, you will discover that everybody will be happy.’’

The rector said that NCAT had various courses including management courses that could enable them build a career at the managerial positions in future.

Earlier, Head of Flying School, Malam Nasiru Gungura told the graduates that change would be inevitable as they move into life beyond NCAT. “It is inevitable and indeed gratifying to see that this sets of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering students have matured, become skill proficient and are ready to tackle challenges in

their long life career. So, as you face and tackle the inevitable changes, hold true to yourself, remember to hold on to your value system, your work ethics and most importantly your humanity,” he said.

The courses included Appraisal for Airframe and Power Plant and Abridge Avionic Course among others.

plete and we hope that it will be put to use before the end of next year. I have told the National Assembly members that the water and power capacity needs to be upgraded. They also need to relocate the control tower and power stations.

“To commission this building, about 8MVA capacity power is needed and right now, the existing power cannot carry it and we cannot go ahead to test some of the things installed because of the low capacity of power.

“All this things needed have been done but we can’t Commission without power. Terminal building would be completed by the end of February 2018, but because there is no power, we can’t Commission it.

“Equipment needed for finishing is on site and it would be completed soon but if the power and water is provided, the building would be commissioned by the end of next

year,” he said Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Sen. Adamu Aleiro, while expressing satisfaction with the level of work done, said the senate would give the needed support to ensure its timely completion.

Aleiro said the Federal Ministry of Transportation had already taken steps to address the issue of power and water deficiencies in the project.

According to him, they are doing something about it and once they bring it to the notice of the legislature, we will do the needful and give them necessary support because definitely we t need this building to be put to use immediately after completion.

“So, there is no point having this building without water and electricity, the building won’t function. The existing power and water supply is not adequate enough to accommodate this building, so

we need to expand the water and electricity supply.

“The building will be completed and inaugurated before the end of next year.

On the second runway, Aleiro said that Abuja airport was the only international airport in Nigeria that had no second runway.

He further said that with the passenger inflow and number of flights coming into Abuja, the airport needed a second runway, saying the National Assembly had approved the project in the 2017 budget.

According to him, the ministry is working to ensure that the procurement and award of contract is done before the end of this year and if it is awarded, there would be enough funding for next year.

He pledged that the senate would continue to support all aviation agencies to be able to deliver on their mandates effectively.

‘NAIA new terminal 80% completed’ C

ontractor handling the new terminal building at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) has disclosed that the project has reached 80 per cent completion.

Project Manager, Mr Kevin Lee, who disclosed this to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Aviation during their oversight visit to the airport, last Tuesday, said the project would be completed before February but stated that the building might not be put to use immediately until the power and water supply capacity to the airport were increased.

He also explained that the existing power and water capacity in the airport could not service the new terminal.

“The project is 80 per cent com-

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Wednesday November 15, 2017

INSURANCE & PENSION

Lagos Govt pays N80b into RSA in 10yrs Stories by VICTOR NZE

L

AGOS State Government (LASG) said it had paid more than N80 billion into the Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) of its retirees since the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in 2007.

The Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) said this in a statement in Lagos by its Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mrs Basirat Lawal, Thursday.

“As at September, 2017, LASG paid more than N80 billion into the Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) of its retirees since the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in 2007,’’ she said.

The commission said the state government had also disbursed N710 million as pension to 153 retirees in October and paid accrued pension rights of N31.822 billion to 7,677 retirees from August 2015 till date.

“This is aside the mandatory 15 per cent contributions which the government remits monthly into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) of the retirees.”

Lawal quoted the Director-General of LASPEC, Mrs Folashade Onanuga, as saying that Ambode’s administration would continue to boost the socio-economic wellbeing of citizens, in spite the over N200 billion pension liabilities on the state She said that Onanuga, however, advised pensioners to be wary of pension fraudsters, take very good care of their health and desist from

• Participants at the just-concluded two-day workshop on the establishment of the African Cities Development Fund (FODEVA), organized by the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) from October 30-31, 2017 at the Hotel Rabat in Morocco. spending on frivolities.

“Retirees must always collect their statement of accounts from their Pension Fund Administrators (PFA’s) for monitoring.

“There is also need to create Oracle HR application field for Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC).

“The funds are invested and can

be accessed immediately by a retiree on retirement.’’

Onanuga said more innovations had been introduced into the state pension’s Information Com-

munication Technology (ICT) infrastructure to ensure that pension operations were flawless and less cumbersome.

overnor Godwin Obaseki of Edo will meet members of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Edo Chapter, with a view to amicably resolving all pension payments-related issues, an official has said.

Head of Administration, Oredo

Local Government Council, Mr Osagiator Ojo, made the disclosure when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Obaseki at Government House in Benin on Tuesday.

Ojo said the meeting, which would be attended by representatives of local government and state government pensioners, was necessary to correct the misinformation about pension payments by the present administration.

“Government has observed with dismay the gross misinformation that has characterised the payment of pensions in the state.

“The governor, therefore, would wish to engage the union leadership or the pensioners both at the local and state levels to ensure that this gross misinformation is dispelled and all issues arising to the controversies bothering on pension payments are amicably resolved,” he said.

Ojo said that the 18 local governments in the state jointly contributed N212. 88 million in August for the payment of pensions and contributed N244. 09 million in September for the same purpose.

He said that total allocation accrued to the 18 local governments in September and shared in October was N2.55 billion out of which N1. 46 billion was mandatory expenditure.

Ojo said that there was significant increase in internal generated revenue by the local governments from N85. 03 million in September to N115.54 million in October.

He said the governor had directed that a seven-man committee be set up to keep the state government abreast of the crime situation in the different parts of the state.

NHIS urges States to adapt health insurance scheme

Obaseki meets pensioners G

A

PTAD apologises on delayed benefits

cting Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Malam Attahiru Ibrahim, has called on State Governments to adapt NHIS mechanisms in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Ibrahim made call at the NHIS forum for state Commissioners for Health on the introduction of State Social Health Insurance Scheme on Wednesday in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

“One of the major challenges in the implementation of sustainable health insurance system in Nigeria is the non-adaptation of the NHIS mechanism by states to pursue the common goal of UHC. “The non-uptake of the programme by the states has seriously hampered the attainment of UHC as states can really bring in the numbers.

“The NHIS has realised the importance of states as stakeholders to the overall improvement of coverage therefore must be constructively engaged in performing their roles as well as contribute to the national

goal,’’ he said.

The acting scribe explained that the meeting was significant as it represents the phase of galvanising engagement with states across the federation.

Ibrahim, however, recognised and appreciated states involved in the pursuit of UHC, assuring that NHIS is ready to accord any state the necessary technical support to perform its function. He stated that with the decentralisation of health insurance policy, NHIS hope to see that all states take the lead in the implementation of health insurance in the country.

The acting executive secretary identified some of the challenges in achieving UHC as sustainable resource mobilisation mechanism, dangers of pool fragmentation, attendant administrative costs, and coverage of the poor and hard to reach, among others.

He reiterated that NHIS would provide the needed leadership and support towards ensuring that citizens were given the power to access health care whenever they needed it.

T

he Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has apologized to its pensioners under the defined benefit scheme for the delay in payment of their pension benefits for the month of October 2017.

A statement issued by the management of the agency, Monday, blamed the delay on the ‘new features introduced on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, GIFMIS platform for financial transactions.’

“PTAD on Friday, October 27, 2017 received new guidelines issued from the Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation on the new features which mandates it (like other employers) to integrate its pensioners into the cash management to employee payable procedures. All PTAD departments had uploaded payments to pensioners for the month of October but some are yet to finalize payment owing to this new features.

“The Executive Secretary of PTAD, Barrister Sharon Ikeazor appeals to pensioners to remain calm as all efforts are being made to resolve and speed up payment.

“PTAD deeply regrets the inconvenience to our esteemed pensioners,” the statement read.

Nigeria Airways pensioners berate PICA over delay In N45bn arrears payment Pensioners of the defunct Nigeria Airways have accused the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Auditing (PICA) of not being forthright with information about the payment of N45bn arrears since the announcement was formally made by Federal Government in September this year.

PICA is saddled with the responsibility of effecting this payment but according to the unions, the agency has turned deaf ears to the plight of the pensioners who feel that streaming out modalities for payment should not take more than two weeks.

The NAL branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP)’s complaint comes a month after the approval was announced by Federal Executive Council meeting of 20th September, 2017 for immediate payment of N45 billion ex-workers/pensioners of the defunct Nigeria Airway Limited (NAL).

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Wednesday November 15, 2017

INSURANCE & PENSION

Queen of Netherlands advocates Workers resume better health insurance W Stories by VICTOR NZE

T

HE Queen of Netherlands, Maxima Cerruti, has called for Financial Inclusion and better health insurance scheme to enhance the welfare of Nigerians and boost the nation’s economy.

Cerruti made the appeal while briefing newsmen in Abuja, Thursday.

Cerruti, who is a United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for

development, was in Nigeria for a three-day official visit from October 30 to November 2.

She visited some health facilities in Lagos and Kwara states, and stressed the need to make health insurance more affordable to the people.

She, who added that her visit to the states was to have a better overview of digitized system, said there was need to make health facilities closer to the people.

She described health insurance as a powerful tool to protect people’s health and protect people from poverty.

She added that worldwide 100 million people fall back to poverty because of medical expenses.

She also appealed to government to strengthen its credit scheme for health facilities so as to enhance their efficiency in serving the people.

Cerruti said her last visit to Nigeria was in 2012, when the country

launched its National Financial Inclusion Strategy.

She, therefore, appealed to Nigeria to take steps to build the financial inclusion through expanding access to mobile money and building a wider and more accessible network banking agents.

“Currently, 48.6 per cent of Nigerian adults have access to financial services such as savings, loans, insurance or payments a figure that drops to just 24 per cent in the remote west,” said.

NAICOM redeploys directors

T

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has announced the redeployment of Mr Olufemi Oba, the Director, Supervision Department of the Commission as the Director of Finance and Account.

Head Corporate Affairs, NAICOM, Mr Rassaq Salami, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the move was to further reposition the commission for better service delivery.

According to Salami, Mr Barineke Thompson, the Director Inspectorate had been redeployed as the Director, Supervision and Mr Pius Agboola, Director Authorisation and Policy is now the Director, Inspectorate.

He said the Head, Corporate Governance, Mr Leonard Akah had been redeployed to act as the Director Authorisation and Policy, while Mr Ahmad Adamu, the Head, Enforcement and Compliance took the position of Head, Complaint Bureau.

“Mr Monday Adaji, the Head of Inspectorate, Lagos is now the Head, Internal Audit, while Mr Kamal Barde has been transferred to the supervision department.

According to Salami, 23 other members of staff within the rank of Assistant Directors and other positions have also been redeployed to various departments.

He noted that the various transfers would take effect immediately.

Mohammed Kari, Commissioner for Insurance

•(From left to right) Queen of Netherlands, Maxima Cerruti in a meeting with Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, when she paid a courtesy visit to the Lagos chief executive, Tuesday.

Health commissioners to partner NHIS

S

tate Commissioners for Health and other stakeholders on Thursday commended the efforts of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) on the on-going forum organised on State Social Health Insurance Programmes.

The stakeholders, who made the commendation in in Owerri, sought partnership with the NHIS to enable states own, drive and sustain their health insurance scheme.

Katsina State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abduljalil Abdullahi, commended the effort of NHIS, adding that Katsina state was making effort to key into the scheme by 2018.

“I commend the NHIS for organising this forum and I believe that with the level of engagement and further partnership we will commence our insurance programme by 2018.

“We have a draft law and we intend to make it an executive bill through the state Ministry of

Health after which it would get to the executive council then to the state assembly.

“We intend to have a trust fund alongside the pool for the agency for its sustainability, because virtually all states receive below 50 per cent of the recommended budgetary approval,” Abdullahi said.

Special Adviser to Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Health, Dr Angela Uwakwem, also commended the effort of the NHIS in ensuring that all stakeholders scale up and improve access to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the states.

“This is very important because the Imo state government is ensuring that the Imo state health insurance bill presently before the state House of Assembly will be passed very soon.

“In Imo state, we hope to set the pace in establishing the social health insurance programme, thereby providing affordable healthcare for the poor

and vulnerable group,’’ said the aide.

Acting Executive Secretary, Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme (OYSHIS), Dr Shola Akande, said the state has an enabling law accented to by the governor on Dec. 1, 2016.

Akande said the scheme was launched on May 25, with 8,500 residents enrolled under the programme.

“The highlight of our law in Oyo state is that the programme was made mandatory for every resident both in the formal and informal sector.

“We started off with advocacy and enlightenment programmes to change the attitude and orientation of the people towards health insurance, while encouraging them to see the benefit of the scheme,’’ Akande said.

He called on the NHIS to provide financial support and partnership in strengthening the State Social Health Insurance Programmes (SSHIP).

orkers at the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) resumed duty on Thursday in Abuja after putting off their three-day warning strike to press for improved welfare.

Mr Ibrahim Abdullateef , the Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants, NAICOM, confirmed the resumption in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Abdullateef said the strike had been put on hold pending the implementation of all the demands made by the union from the commission.

“We did not call off the strike, we suspended the strike and any time any of the agreement is breached, it will call for another industrial action without any further notice.

“Each and every agreement reached has a time line attached to it; however, we are hoping that the management will be able to implement all the agreements that we reached soonest.

“Since the Minister of Labour has called us and the management has signed the MoU , we expect not only the signing but also implementation of the demands.

He explained that there was an MoU between the management of the commission and the union which the management allegedly failed to endorse, leading to the three-day strike.

He expressed optimism that the relevant agencies of government would look into the various demands and expectations of the union and take due action.

Head, Corporate Affairs, NAICOM, Mr Rasaaq Salami, on November 1, confirmed that the strike was called off following an agreement between the management and staff in a peace meeting brokered by the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige.

Salami said, “an MOU was signed by both parties. Normal work resumes tomorrow in the office as the staff have unlocked the gates and offices.”

The staff laid down their tools over welfare and other labour matters.

They staged a peaceful protest at the Commission’s head office in Abuja to announce the strike and called for payment of their entitlements.

The the issues at stake ionclude payment of promotion arrears, improved working environment and working tools such as laptops, desktops, inverters and inspection vehicles.

The Oracle Today

30

Wednesday November 15, 2017

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

Crime

We’ll be ruthless with economic saboteurs – Customs boss Stories by XAVIER NDAH

C

OMPTROLLER Mohammed Uba Garba of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service has given out a warning to smugglers to abide by government policies on contraband products as its zone is more determine to ensure that defaulters face the wrath of the law.

He gave the warning in a brief interview with the Oracle Today newspapers in his office during a press briefing which he rolled out the zone’s achievements in the month of October.

“Smuggling is a global phenomenon which can only be brought to its barest minimum if all hands are on deck. My preoccupation remains to degrade the activities of smugglers through aggressive patrol of all flanks and flashpoints.

We will be very ruthless with these economic saboteurs because we have a responsibility to protect the nation’s economy in line with the expectations of the federal government. I wish to advise and warn smugglers to be prepared for the battle ahead because we will leave no stone unturned in our attempt to up the ante of our anti-smuggling mandate” he emphasised.

According to him, the zone has intercepted various contraband goods valued at N1,353,617,104.08 between 4 and 31,October this year.

Items ceased according to him were 6,206 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, 67 bales of second hand clothing, 600 cartons of foreign poultry products, 13 parcels of Indian Hemp, 405 pieces of used tyres, 54 kegs of foreign vegetable oil and two containers which

•One of the seized trucks he said were also seized for contravening customs law.

One of the containers, he disclosed carried used fridges, 270 cartons of refined sun flower oil, 55 pieces of used gas compressors, 18 packs of juice, and other assorted items as against cooking gas declared, while the other container carried 147 bales of printed wax and 168 bales of lace materials as against electronics declared in the SGD .

Comptroller Uba said the containers were seized for carrying contraband and entered under false declaration in order to beat the system, contrary to section 147 of the Cus-

toms and Excise law.

He further disclosed that one container suspected to be carrying prohibited goods has been detained while investigation he said was in progress.

“Remarkably, based on intelligence, our operatives trailed and evacuated 59 assorted vehicles from car marts in Ikoyi among which, over 40 are 2017 models ranging from Toyota Prado Jeeps, Lexus Jeeps, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Prado Jeeps, Lexus Jeeps, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Camery, Coaster Bus, Toyota Hiace bus, among others currently under detention and awaiting relevant customs document from the

dealers within a grace period of one Month. Some are even bullet proof which required End User Certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA)”, the controller said, adding that investigation will reveal further on those behind the clearance of these vehicles and must face the full wrath of the law.

He further disclosed that the vehicles alone have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,076,895,727.2.

“It is instructive to note that a total of six suspects have been arrested in connection with these 120 seizures. The Indian hemp will be handed over to NDLEA for further action”

Woman sells 3yr-old daughter for N190,000 A middle-aged woman has been arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (FSARS), Abeokuta in Ogun State for selling off her three-year old daughter for a paltry amount of N190, 000.

The 37-year old mother of five, Olubunmi Tijani, who could be described as worse than a whore, claimed that she had no one to claim the paternity of the entire five children she bore.

Arguing that she was deceived to giving out her fourth child, Oyindemilade, on the pretext that the adaptor would regularly bring her to spend some time with her anytime she felt like seeing her, Olubunmi, however, threatened to expose all the people in Ogere, Shagamu, who traded on children.

Trouble started for Olubunmi, after she had successfully sold of Oyindemilade, when an intermediary between her and the receiver, Abibat Oyesanya, 51, contacted her, requesting for another baby.

“Upon this fresh request, I contacted a whore at Ogere, Bimbo, who told me that one of her sisters at Bonija in Ibadan, was willing to give out one. Bimbo gave me the girl of about four years old, and I immediately called Abibat, who sent

one Morenike Shittu to collect the baby from me. The following morning, on a Monday, Abibat called me on phone saying the traditional head (Baale) of the community had accused her of child theft, and asked me to come over to clear the air, to the effect that she was my baby.

“On getting to the Baale, I could not do otherwise than to say the truth because the girl is old enough to identify her mother and, as such, will deny me”, Olubunmi said.

Meanwhile, the three suspects, currently in the custody of operatives of the FSARS, are helping the detectives to track down other members of the cartel, which included a woman police.

A twist was, however, introduced into the scenario with Abibat claiming that she handed over three hundred thousand naira (N300, 000) to Olubunmi for the sale of her daughter, Oyindemilade.

On the involvement of the said woman police in the child trade, Abibat, who said she once worked at a now moribund Motherless Babies Home at Ejigbo in Lagos, said that the woman police, serving at Alakara Police Station in Lagos,

•The suspects called her to say her former boss at the home gave her the contact, requesting for a baby.

Parading the suspects before press men, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Iliyasu, said “the nefarious activities of the said women cut across the Southwest, where they have succeeded in stealing many children”.

The CP added that operatives of the FSARS went after the women

and three of them were promptly arrested, adding that, “the leader of the gang, one Abibat Oyesanya, was discovered to have been arrested for a similar offence before, charged to court, convicted and sentenced to prison. Having completed the jail term, she went back to her usual business. They were said to be responsible for several cases of child stealing in the area”.

Task force impounds 163 motorcycles, 29 riders

O

NE hundred and sixty three motorcycles and 29 riders have been arrested by the The Lagos State Task Force at the second Rainbow, along Mile 2 area Festac town in Lagos for contravening the Lagos State Traffic laws .

The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force SP Olayinka Egbeyemi made this known while reiterating his commitment to the enforcement of the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012 on motorcycle operators plying restricted routes across the State.

SP Egbeyemi while reacting to an incidence around Mile 2 area where a sister agency aided miscreants and hoodlums to attacked and removed four out of 20 impounded motorcycles from the agency’s truck while conveying them from Apapa to Taskforce crush yard said the agency will never bow to any intimidation from any quarters rather it was focus and determined to ensuring that Lagosians obey the laws of the land.

He further stated that a Police Station along the Apapa expressway requested for the agency’s truck to convey 20 impounded motorcycles by their officers to Task Force crush yard.

SP Egbeyemi explained that while the truck was conveying these 20 impounded motorcycles a sister agency blocked the road with their vehicles around Mile 2 area and allowed miscreants and hoodlums to removed 4 out of these 20 impounded motorcycles.

According to Egbeyemi “there must be a synergy between all security agencies of government in order to collectively fight the menace of these motorcycle operators on all restricted routes across the State.

He confirmed that Nigeria Police Divisions across the state has been collaborating with the agency by impounding motorcycles operators plying restricted routes around their respective area.

Reacting to the incidence of the previous day, security operatives of the Agency invaded 2nd Rainbow along Mile 2 area including Festac and impounded 163 motorcycles with 29 riders arrested.

SP Egbeyemi disclosed that there were series of complaints from members of the public on criminal activities perpetuated by some of these motorcycle operators.

He disclosed further those residents’ complaints of snatching of bags, phones, wallets and jewelries around these areas at night.

He advised members of the public to desists from patronising commercial motorcycle operators on restricted routes as anyone arrested will be prosecuted in accordance with the Law. The Chairman however disclosed that Commissioner of Police Acting CP EDGAL IMOHIMI has directed that 29 arrested motorcycle operators be immediately charge to court for prosecutions.

Applauding the agency’s efforts towards eradicating activities of motorcyclist operators on restricted routes, a concerned citizen, Alhaji Lukumon Lateef commended the agency for responding promptly to thier complaints.

32

racleToday

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33

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

Love and Living

...With Ireto Temofeh

MODEL OF THE WEEK

LOVE NEWS

So sweet! Jennifer Lopez slips into boyfriend’s sweatshirt as they head out with kids

J

ennifer Lopez, 48, and her 42-year-old boyfriend Alex Rodriguez looked like just any other family when they head out with Alex’s daughters Natasha. 12, and Ella, nine, and Jennifer’s twins Emme and Maximilian, nine, on Sunday.

The Back Up Plan actress and the former Yankees shortstop took their big brood to the Whip ‘n Dip Ice Cream Shop in Coral Gables, Florida.

The Jenny From The Block songstress retains primary physical custody of her children from her ex, Marc Anthony, while the former Seattle Mariners player’s daughters are from his relationship with Cynthia Rodriguez.

During the outing, the mixed families all seem to get along well, laughing and joking as they head to the store for their chilled treats.

A casually attired Jen appeared to be wearing her beau’s baggy hooded sweatshirt for the outing, while Alex matched his girlfriend’s colors with his own dark t-shirt.

The Love Don’t Cost A Thing hitmaker rocked a striped, thigh-skimming minidress for the family outing that displayed the singer’s slim pins.

Lopez wore white sneakers and accessorized with a pair of aviator sunglasses and large silver hoop earrings.

The Out Of Sight star wore a full face of makeup for the casual family day and her brunette locks were swept up into a high bun.

Her sports star beau were a dark t-shirt with blue jeans for the family fun day.

The 14 time All Star wore a pair of brown leather high tops and a pair of dark shades.

For a recent Vanity Fair cover story on the couple, Alex said that he and Jennifer ‘are very much like twins.’

Adding: ‘We’re both Leos; we’re both from New York; we’re both Latino and about 20 other things.’

Later on Sunday, the man known as ‘A-Rod’ took to Instagram to post a pic of himself, ‘J-Lo’ and the rest of their respective families.

Rodriguez captioned the post: ‘#MySunday. Ice cream in the afternoon and then home to catch @ sharktankabc! Tweet along with me during the show!’

The baseball player has been a guest on the reality TV series since October 1.

Name: SEYI HUNTER

• If you want to be our next ORACLE GIRL, e-mail or forward your photos/data to ireto007@yahoo.com. Call 07031028714.

ODD NEWS

Demi Rose flaunts her eye-popping assets for sizzling photoshoot

S

he has built a legion of Instagram followers thanks to her saucy displays.

And Demi Rose once again sent her fans wild, as she shared very racy snaps to her social media platform for her style edit with online retailer, Missguided.

The British model, 22, oozed sex appeal as she showed off her eye-popping assets in a dangerously low-cut top as she struck a series of sexy poses.

Demi Rose has been posting snaps on Instagram of her edit with Missguided – and they are just as revealing as we would expect!

The body confident star was clearly in her element as she got cosy on a chair for the photo, which saw her threatening to spill out of her perilously plunging top.

The skimpy number was tucked into a tight mini-skirt, which showed off her enviably toned legs, which were clad in a pair of towering lace-up black boots.

Wearing a pair of rimless glasses, Demi sizzled as she sported sleek tresses and an immaculate coat of make-up.

In another snap, where she donned the same ensemble from Missguided, this time flaunting her bodacious derriere as her locks flew to one side.

Demi has been taking Halloween particularly seriously this year, after posing for a special ‘dress-up’ photoshoot.

Channelling some very sexy superhe-

roes, Tyga’s ex ‘fling’ proved that there was nothing scary about her take on the spooky season.

She was predominately clad in PVC, from sexy red to vampy black, as she seduced in behind the scenes shots she teased on her Instagram page.

Demi has been busy with her flourishing career after becoming Insta-

gram famous, and told MailOnline in September that she has no time for her love life.

‘I’m happy being single, but if someone comes along he just has to fit in with my busy life, really. So who knows?’ she admitted.

However Tyga’s rumoured ex Demi has now revealed she is using popular dating app Huggle, to find a new man.

The underwear model rose to prominence after being romantically linked to rapper Tyga in May last year.

The beauty was seen with the Rack City hitmaker, 27, in Cannes, while he was on a break from his Keeping Up With The Kardashians star ex girlfriend Kylie Jenner.

Further discussing her love life with MailOnline, the brunette confessed she is still in contact with the rapper, although they are not together.

She said: ‘I was quite known before I even met him. But I’m still referred to as Tyga’s ex… We still talk now and then, you know, just ‘how are you?’ and stuff.’

Mail Online.

Romantic Joke The Explorer An explorer goes into an undiscovered tomb for the first time, and in the center of the tomb there’s a lamp. He picks it up, and as he starts to rub the dirt off of it, a genie comes out of the lamp and says, “I want to know the person you hate the most.”

The explorer says, “That’s gotta be my ex-wife. Why?” “I am a cursed genie. I will grant you three wishes, but whatever you wish for, your ex-wife will get double that amount.” “Okay, I wish for a billion dollars.” “Granted, but you ex-wife gets two billion dollars.” “I wish for a mansion in California with a swimming pool, and tennis courts, everything.” “Granted, and your ex-wife gets two.”

“Now make your final wish.”

The explorer walks around for a few minutes, returns to the genie with a stick, and says, “You see this stick? I’d like you to beat me half to death.”

34

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

True Confession

M

y name is Sandra and I’m 29 years old. A few years ago, I was at a sexy and wild party in Port Harcourt with a group of my friends when I bumped into Chris, a guy I’d had a serious crush on since secondary school but hadn’t seen in years.

We ended up talking for most of the night. But after we’d had a few drinks, he excused himself to go to the bathroom.

When I bumped into him a few minutes later, I suggested that he come home with me. He told me to take some more bottles of beer before we would go home together.

At first I refused but he put pressure on me to drink more, and before I knew it I was really drunk.

The next morning, I woke up with the worst hangover I’d ever had, and when I rolled over, I realized that I wasn’t with Chris at all -- I had gone home with his twin brother, Mike, whom I didn’t even know.

I was really angry with Chris for playing such a cruel trick on me. I had always known Chris as a joker but this joke was too practical for my liking. Imagine having sex with a complete stranger whom you didn’t even meet before having sex with.

I was shocked after realizing that I had gone to bed with Chris’ twin brother and not Chris himself. But somehow I had to secretly admit to myself that I really enjoyed the one night stand I had had with Mike. He had satisfied me sexually, and that didn’t happen to me often!

When I took a good look at him, I loved his body because he was well built. And I felt that it would really be worth it to have an affair with Mike since I had really enjoyed having sex with him in the first place.

I didn’t want to make the first move by suggesting to Mike that we have a relationship. But I was glad when he confessed to me that he had also enjoyed our night together so much. He apologized for taking advantage of me and asked for my forgiveness.

I told Mike that I had forgiven him although I didn’t like the fact that we hadn’t been introduced to each other and therefore hadn’t even known each other before he went to bed with me.

I was really disappointed in Chris for setting me up with his brother like that, but I didn’t want to make a case out of it because if I did, both of them would have been arrested and probably jailed, because strictly speaking, such an act could be regarded as rape since I hadn’t expressly consented to having sex with Mike before the act.

However, I decided to let that matter rest. I accepted it as my destiny to meet Mike and when he asked me if we could date, I said yes from my heart because I knew that that was what I really wanted.

Mike and I started dating and it was really fun and exciting. I regard those first days of dating Mike as the happiest moments of my life.

Whenever I was alone, I daydreamed of the way Mike made love to me and I just couldn’t get him off my mind.

I was like a flower and Mike was like a butterfly. We were stuck together!

I was in love with him. And I couldn’t sleep at night without wishing he was by my side. I would turn and toss dreaming of Mike and wake up still thinking about him. I was crazy in love.

I told Mike about my past. I couldn’t hide my past from him anyway because I thought he deserved to know. I honestly think that when you meet someone new in your life, that special person deserves to know your history, or rather, your story.

You don’t need to tell him/her every single detail but at least you owe it to the new person in your life to tell him/ her what you’ve been through in life.

I told Mike that I have been a victim of rape and heartbreak. I told him that when I was 17 a schoolmate forced himself on me. I didn’t know that I was pregnant with his baby because I was still a virgin then.

The guy denied me when he found out that I was pregnant. And after my daughter was born, my mother moved us out of Lagos to Port Harcourt and I lost contact with the father of my daughter.

I told Mike that I was lonely and needed the love of a man in my life, and he agreed to be my man.

That was three years ago. And today, Mike and I are still together. Mike says that he never experienced love at first sight until the day he set his eyes on me.

Whenever I tell him that I fell in love with him because of his sexy body, he smiles and looks so happy. Sometimes he says that I’m just teasing him or flattering him to make his head swell.

But that is the truth. In life, I’ve come to realize that exercise is very important to beauty. Exercise makes a man look good. The truth is that my Mike is hot and sexy and that’s to a significant part because of his well built body.

‘I fell in love with him because of his body’

“ When I bumped into him a few minutes later, I suggested that he come home with me. He told me to take some more bottles of beer before we would go home together.

At first I refused but he put pressure on me to drink more, and before I knew it I was really drunk. The next morning, I woke up with the worst hangover I’d ever had ” Here in Nigeria, women are the ones usually expected to maintain their shape, while men are allowed to grow pot bellies, erroneously thinking that it is a sign of wealth or good living. Although some men like fat women, a majority of fat women generally feel bad about their bodies and

think that they may actually be unattractive.

I love my man because of the way he exercises and keeps fit and I wish all men were like that. I’m going to marry Mike not only because of his great body, but because I love him from the very depths of my being.

35

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

Relationships and Love Advice

‘My husband can’t satisfy me’

Love Search Women seeking relationship/ marriage Sarah from Jos needs a HIV positive man of 35-40 years for marriage. 08090925014.

Jezzy, 25, pretty, tall, sexy, in Lagos, wants a sugar daddy or mature man in Lagos. 09062373928.

Victoria, 30, from Akwa-Ibom, in Lagos, tall, big, single mother, wants a tall, responsible, working or business man for marriage.08153598363.

Busola, 43, tall, chocolate, with big breasts, living in Lagos, wants a mature-minded man for a relationship with benefits. 09090517882.

Dear Love Doctor, I have been married for 10 years now and for 7 years out of the 10, I have not enjoyed sex with my husband. He usually comes very fast and leaves me sexually frustrated. Now for the last three years, I had an arrangement with somebody who has been satisfying me, unknown to my

husband. I did it because I have tried everything to make sure my husband is able to satisfy me, including buying sex pills for him, but nothing worked. However, after seeing my spiritual director last week, he advised me to stop committing adultery and make another effort to make my hus-

band satisfy me in bed. My parish priest said that I shouldn’t give up. What do I do?

Thanks, Angela.

Faith, 35, works and lives in Port Harcourt, needs a decent guy of 36-40 years. 09037846643.

Love Doctor’s Advice: Dear Angela,

I

think your parish priest has a point. Marriage is for better, for worse. It is a commitment to remain with your partner for life and help him address all his inadequacies. Committing yourself to one person for the rest of your life means you should never give up on that person.

You need to keep trying to help your husband satisfy you in bed, except your husband is no longer willing to try. You’re there to encourage him. With your encouragement, he is likely to improve in his sexual performance.

Here are some tips to help you help your husband satisfy you in bed: 1. Discuss with him..

Explain to your husband that you married him because you love him.. Therefore, your commitment to him goes beyond having sex.

It is more about sharing lives. This explanation should lay a good foundation on which you can build on to improve his sexual performance.

2. See a doctor, sex therapist, psychologist, counselor or relevant professional.

Book an appointment with a professional and go along with your husband to see him/ her. Professionals are well trained to manage such cases, so don’t hesitate to see a relevant professional to help you and your husband spice up your sex life. Through a complete medical examination which may include blood, semen and/or other tests, a doctor would find out the cause of the problem and help him get a solution.

3. Examine yourself to determine if you’re part of the cause.

Don’t be surprised that you may even be a part of the cause of your husband’s inability to satisfy you in bed. For instance you may be overweight or have body odour, poor hygiene or anything that could turn him off sex. So you need to check yourself too to make sure that you’re not part of the reason your husband doesn’t give you all the sexual pleasure you want.

4. Make yourself sexually appealing to your

husband.

The good news is that if you’re part of the cause, then you’re also part of the solution; because if you start making yourself sexually appealing to your husband, his performance in bed will improve. What kind of perfumes do you use? What kind of clothes do you wear in bed? Maybe you can start by buying new sexy perfumes and lingerie that can help you arouse your husband.

5. Avoid self-medication.

When faced with sexual challenges, many people, out of ignorance, resort to self-medication. Some people resort to drinking medicinal substances or buying sexual performance enhancing drugs like Viagra without a doctor’s prescription. This is wrong and extremely dangerous to health. Please do not buy any so-called sexual enhancing orthodox or traditional medicinal substance for your husband to ingest without first seeing a doctor and getting the doctor’s advice. Be warned: Many of these so-called sex drugs contain dangerous chemicals and poisons (that can seriously harm your body system without you knowing).

Self-medication kills. And self-medication is largely a result of ignorance. For instance, some men who have a history of high blood pressure are known to have died after using some drugs for the purpose of getting a harder and longer-lasting erection.

Encourage your husband to see a doctor for a complete medical examination. Doctors are able to see many things about our bodies that we do not see. So never encourage your husband to engage in self-medication in order to boost his sexual performance.

6. Make sure he is free from stress, anxiety or other psychological or emotional pressure.

Stress is a major factor that kills a person’s libido. For instance, if you have too much work to do, you’re likely to have a lower sexual desire. So make sure your man is free from stress.

Help him to find out ways to manage stress in the office or workplace so that when he comes back home at night, he will still be able to ‘perform’.

Comfort, tall, dark, big, with a heavy backside and good in bed, living in Lagos, wants a man that can take good care of her. 08062720819..

Anxiety is also another thing to watch. If your man is too anxious to satisfy you in bed, he may just end up doing the opposite.

7. Encourage your husband to keep fit through exercise and a balanced diet.

When last did your husband go to the gym or work out at home?

Exercise will help both your husband and you keep fit and thereby boost your performance in bed. Through good exercise, your husband will shed unnecessary calories and improve his heart and body. Through regular exercise, he will also discover that he feels less stressed out. He will also happily find that he now has more energy to perform his duty of satisfying you in bed. Those are just a few of the benefits of keeping fit.

Also, help your husband watch what he eats.

Adopting a good diet program will help refresh his body and mind and lead to improved sexual performance.

8. Tell him what pleases you and help him find your g-spot.

Have you ever told your husband what he can do to make you reach orgasm? If you haven’t yet told him what gives you maximum sexual pleasure and satisfaction, your silence is the main reason your husband can’t satisfy you!

Therefore, you’re the main cause of your husband’s problem.

For many women, oral clitoral satisfaction or sucking or ‘eating’ their private parts makes them reach orgasm. However, since every individual is different, what works for some may not work for others.

Tell your husband what stimulates you, so that he can do it and satisfy you in bed. Don’t hesitate or feel ashamed about telling him, because you can’t be happy without sexual satisfaction. Help your husband find your g-spot or tell him what arouses you, stimulates you, or makes you come, for the sake of your own happiness.

The above 8 tips will help you spike your husband’s sexual performance and leave you satisfied anytime, any day, anywhere. Good luck as you implement them!

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Do you have advice on this problem? Please share your thoughts. Call 07031028714 or 08131161840. Email: ireto007@yahoo.com Do you have a marriage/wedding, birthday, anniversary or club or town meeting announcement to make? Call 07031028714 now!

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36

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

It happened to me:

‘How I fell in love with a homeless man’

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ood salary, own home. It’s a standard criteria that most men must meet for most women to be interested. But 22 years ago, Louise Ashley met a homeless man in a book shop.

She has been with Jason Liostatos ever since.

“I met Jason in November 1991 in Waterstones in Bath, where I lived. I was 25 and an underwear designer for Bentwoods in Bristol, supplying Marks & Spencer. I earned a salary that just about afforded me a comfortable flat.

I spotted Jason reading on the floor in the self-help section, wearing a beige woolly jumper with long hair in a pony tail. There was a wild look about him that caught my eye. Jason started talking to me about the book he was reading and we chatted for ages, discovering we had much in common.

After a while, I suggested we head to a Spanish restaurant for dinner, especially as I still didn’t know many people in Bath. Jason came but didn’t eat, apparently he had been too nervous.

Over dinner, I asked where Jason lived and was shocked when he told me it was in his Chevette car in the local sports centre car park. If you meet someone that might be a possible partner, it’s only natural to want them to have a nice house and everything that goes with it..

Still, there was something about him that got me hooked, confirmed when he walked me home and hugged me goodbye. I felt an electric shock run through my body as we embraced.

The following day, Jason dropped a card through my door joking that he’d bring step ladders next time we met (I am five foot one and he is six foot three), though I had doubtful thoughts about seeing him again.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jason and went to look for his car in the multi-storey car park a few days later. I saw it immediately as there were few cars around. I knocked on the boot and Jason was inside a caterpillar sleeping bag, reading. He invited me in. As we got to know each other, I found out he earned a living as a window cleaner.

It was only a couple of weeks later that Jason moved in to my flat; everything was happening so quickly but it felt right. I continued my job at Bentwoods, although the flat was expensive. Working just to get by seemed less important after meeting Jason, so we made a crazy decision to leave.

For several months, we lived between my old Ford Fiesta and a damp, ear-wig infested boat that Jason already owned.

My head designer let me change my clothes at work to go to appointments in London, but I soon started to feel very down about living like this. My family thought I’d flipped. One of the lowest points for me was our time staying in a tent in a farmer’s field.

About four months later we bought a motorhome with our wages – a step up. But Jason got ill, having panic attacks, which meant we both had to give up work, as I needed to look after him.

We registered as no fixed abode and lined up with street people for our dole cheque.

Having been used to nice houses and

“I saw it immediately as there were few cars around. I knocked on the boot and Jason was inside a caterpillar sleeping bag, reading. He invited me in. As we got to know each other, I found out he earned a living as a window cleaner.” the respect that comes with having a good job, it was a shattering experience to go through such a loss of comfort and status. It often made me feel less worthy than other people. Inside though, I knew life had other things in store for me.

As time moved on, things changed and we started to find our direction together. In 1992, we travelled to Scotland and stayed in an eco-community called Findhorn. We met a couple who were painters, and they helped Jason become an artist. We started to sell Jason’s

work, making enough money to travel to Greece, but coming back to the UK when his father became ill.

Soon after, Jason had a motor accident, and with the insurance pay out, we bought a narrow boat. This became our ‘shop’ to sell Jason’s paintings from, saving up for four years until we could buy my grandmother’s home. By 1996, we were finally living in a proper house again.

Still, we hadn’t settled yet. We sold our house and bought a cottage in Scotland,

near Findhorn. I was writing a lot of poetry by now and Jason was selling lots of art. We wanted to open an art gallery, but it was cold to sell from a boat in Scotland so in 2007, so we moved to Cornwall, and bought a gallery in Mevagissey Harbour.

I published a poetry collection around 2009. My recent book, Finding Our Way, was published last year. We managed to have our beautiful daughter Limony, now 2½, very late in life after I suffered four miscarriages. And two years ago, we moved to Devon where we are now, to open a new gallery.

When I look back, it’s hard to believe the many ups and downs Jason and I have been through, and yet here we are.

We’re not perfect, but something keeps us together, so it must be love, and I still find him very dishy.

If I had turned down the homeless guy living in his car, Limony wouldn’t be with us and who knows what I’d be doing, or whether I’d ever have found another relationship like this?”

Courtesy: telegraph.co.uk • Do you have a story or comment about this confession? Call 07031028714.

37

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

Love & Living

‘It’s my phone, keep off’, REALLY!

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E steps out for a moment and there’s the phone, prefect time to take a quick peek and no one would ever know, right? Phone in hand, she starts with the messages, scanning through, very quickly, to get to suspicious ones. Call it snooping or even invasion of privacy. Who cares? The urge is simply irresistible especially when there’s that nagging feeling your partner harbours secrets in his phones. It may be the best opportunity to open the warehouse.

There are many reasons why going through your partner’s phone isn’t advisable. A popular comedian recently said he prevents his wife from accessing his phone so she doesn’t have a heart attack. Forget the attempt at evoking humour and give it some thought, you may find that it is best to avoid the trauma of confirming your worst fears, or isn’t it? Could knowing the truth be much better than being consciously ignorant?

I know many people wouldn’t contemplate perusing their partners’ phones not because they can’t but as a matter of principle. Cool, if you can be like that. You fall into this class for either of two reasons: complete trust or stark fear. Total confidence in your partners can mean that you may never consider it necessary to take a peek through their phones. But when there’s lack of trust given previous hurts or strong sus-

Ify ARONU ifyaronu@gmail.com

picion that your present partner may be playing you for a big fool, the fear of long-term disappointment may trigger snooping. In this wise, it’s best to find out earlier, address issues in time and avoid falling and failing hard yet again.

But what’s the big deal about going through your partner’s phone once in a while? Many actually think they are entitled to knowing their partner’s phone password as a sign of openness and total commitment. I think that people who are truly and deeply in love should be free to look through the other’s phone at will, and vice versa. Still, some people selfishly relish perusing other people’s phones but there are some they remain exclusive. You let them go

through your phone but if you attempt doing same with theirs, they turn vicious and remind you sternly that they need their privacy.

However, not granting your partner phone access may be dangerous depending on the level of jealousy playing out. It is not uncommon to hear of cases where a partner reserves access to their phone only for big issues to arise in the relationship or marriage. It was in the news some time ago how a newly married woman set her home on fire because she suspected most phone calls by her husband were to his concubine. The woman herself, her husband and unborn baby lost their lives in the

inferno.

We may never know for sure what really happened but reports had it that the man was in contact with a certain woman who owed him a lot of money.

His wife erroneously thought it was an extra marital affair and choose to end it all. No one knows if she ever tried confirming facts from her husband. In such a situation, could openness have averted such a sad ending for the young family? It is however important to note that nothing whatsoever justifies the woman’s action since death solves nothing.

Being with someone whom you can’t freely share deep things with is a total waste of time. Free phone access among couples can go a long way in assuring of trust and commitment. I think that being with the one person you love and trust makes things easier. When the right arms are wrapped around you, not only would you offer your phone, everything else too. But If you still can’t grant your partner access to your phone, you might want to concentrate on updating the skeletons in your cupboard of secrets.

If you still think your phone is exclusive and with good reasons, let’s hear your take, write me! Ciao •Please email recommendations, commendations, and condemnations to ifyaruonu@gmail.com

Too much education unhealthy too

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FEW days ago, many schools resumed and parents have been running helter skelter in a bid to ensure their wards and children resume school with everything they need for the academic session. It can be a challenging time.

But I ask? Was there ever a vacation? If you are wondering why I am asking, I am also wondering.

Is there something I am missing?

Is there something that I do not know?

Was there ever a time out from academic work for these children?

When was the time? What is the purpose of the holidays if children would not rest? Were the holidays given so that they could move from one type of schooling to the other?

I don’t understand what is happening? Maybe, the experts in this area would provide some enlightening answers. What are school activities during holidays suppose to do for the children? If there is schooling during holiday why is it then holiday?

Do these parents truly care about their wards or are they just being selfish? Are they merely searching for where to keep the children while they continue with their individual pursuits?

I may be young and unmarried as many would remind me, but that does not mean I am oblivious of what is happening in my immediate environment. And the entire summer school brouhaha was one that caught my attention. Ok, they call it summer school to justify what they are doing? Where is the summer?

What is the use of formal educa-

M

e& ore

Maureen Alikor maureenalikor@gmail.com

I am not anti-education, but I am against the manner in which parents have shoved their responsibilities into the hands of teachers, thereby forgetting there is a huge gap they are ignorantly creating in the hearts of their children.

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tion if children no longer receive the informal form of education, which we once knew to be the first stage of education? When do parents educate their children, at home?

Lately, I see and hear that school children leave their homes or get picked up by their school shuttle buses as early as 6:30am, only to return at 4pm after, of course, some of them must have stayed back for after school lessons. I am worried sick for these children and for the generation of parents we are par-

enting.

I am not anti-education, but I am against the manner in which parents have shoved their responsibilities into the hands of teachers, thereby forgetting there is a huge gap they are ignorantly creating in the hearts of their children. These children would at a point become parents!

Some parents would want to excuse themselves with the fact that they have to work and fend for the family, but then what would it prof-

it us if we accrue all the wealth and end up with broken children roaming our streets? Would we not be creating more problems than the ones we think we are solving?

I believe something should be done about this and parents should know they have a major role in the training of their children and not schools. Whatever would be done would be the product of the conviction of individual parents on their role in the lives of their children.

Many of us know most of the challenges – parents work, parents have to fend for the family, parents need some time for themselves, parents may not even know what to teach their children if they are together, there are more. The most important response to these would be what individual parents see as their roles in the lives of their children.

The after school lessons and classes and other systems that draw the children away from the training of their parents should be looked into and balanced properly. We may never fully appreciate the consequences of children spending fewer hours in the homes, and more importantly not spending those hours with their parents.

Our country and the world are broken enough, let’s not keep breaking them and then keep blaming the cracks for making themselves visible.

Please send comments to maureenalikor@gmail.com

38

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

The Law and You

With Barr. Ken Akpom 08162016410

Constitutionality of punishment in law II

THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF DEATH PENALTY IN NIGERIA fundamental legal question applicable here is whether the death penalty is a constitutionally permissible legal sanction in Nigeria. The answer is that capital punishment is constitutional. In fact, it is generally admitted that the constitutional guarantee of the right to life is subject to an express saving provision in favour of a death sentence ordered by a court as punishment following the conviction of criminal offence of which a person has been found guilty in Nigeria. It is the light of these that the constitutionality of death penalty has to be determined. Nigerian courts in a plethora of cases have held that death penalty is constitutional. For instance, the Court of Appeal in Adeniji v. State has held that “the death penalty as per Section 33(1), 233(2), 243 of the constitution is expressed recognized by the said constitution”. By the same token, the Supreme Court in Okoro v. State stated that the death penalty and its method of execution is lawful and valid as same is sanctioned by both Section 33(1) and 34(1)(a) of the 1999 constitution.

In Kalu v. State, it was contended that the death penalty provision of Section 219(1) Criminal Code Law of Lagos State, as a penalty for murder, offends Section 30(1) of the 1979 constitution which guarantee right to life. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, saying that the right to life guarantee under the constitution is clearly qualified as opposed to an absolute right. Iguh, J.S.C, who read the lead judgment, had this to say. In my view it is plain that the 1979 constitution can by no stretch of the imagination be said to have proscribed or outlawed the death penalty.

On the contrary, Section 30(1) of the constitution permits it in the clearest possible terms so long as it is inflicted pursuant to the sentence of a court of law in Nigeria in a criminal offence.

The plain meaning of the section of the constitution cannot be derogated from in the absence of any ambiguity whatsoever. It simply guarantees and protects the right to life. But it also recognizes deprivation of life as long as it is pursuant to the execution of the sentence of a court in a criminal offence of which the accused has been found guilty in Nigeria. The overall rationale of Nigerian cases upholding the death penalty is the value of the punishment in deterrence. In Akinyemi v. State, it was held per Fabiyi J.C.A on the propriety justification of death sentence that “the sentence was well pronounced for the capital offence. It has the semblance of the Law of Moses – ‘an eye to an eye’, it is good law to serve as deterrence in a mundane society where heartless and dangerous citizens abound in plenty.” The fact that there is no consensus among the advocates of the death penalty and those against it shows that it is a very difficult issue to resolve. The government of Nigeria has consistently refused to ratify the 2nd optional protocol on ICCPR aimed at abolishing the death penalty. It is submitted that the death sentence is a paradox to the constitutionality of right to life. Indeed, there are

A

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“Nigerian courts in a plethora of cases have held that death penalty is constitutional. For instance, the Court of Appeal in Adeniji v. State has held that “the death penalty as per Section 33(1), 233(2), 243 of the constitution is expressed recognized by the said constitution”

the American Convention on Human Rights to abolish the death penalty.

ARGUMENT FOR THE DEATH PENALTY | CAPITAL PUNISHMENT It is the ultimate warning (Deterrence Theory) 1.

Nevertheless, if would-be criminals know undoubtedly that they will be put to death should they murder with premeditation, very many of them are much less inclined to commit murder. Whether or not would-be criminals are wary of committing the worst crime is an important – and probably impossible – question to answer. Murder still happens very frequently. So some criminals disregard this warning for various reasons. But the fact does remain that many criminals who ride the fence on committing murder ultimately decide to spare the victim’s life. In a larger sense, capital punishment is the ultimate warning against all crime. If the criminal knows that the justice system will not stop at putting him to death, then the system appears more draconian to him. Hence, he is less inclined to break and enter. He may have no intention of killing anyone in the process of robbing them, but is much more apprehensive about the possibility if he knows he will be executed. Thus, there is a better chance that he will not break and enter in the first place.

2. It provides closure for victims There are many victims of a single murder. The criminal gets caught, tried and convicted, and it is understood that the punishment will be severe. But the person he has killed no longer has a part to play in this. Unfortunately, the murderer has deprived his family and friends of a loved one. Their grief begins with the murder. It may not end with the murderer’s execution, various international and regional instruments aimed at abol- but the execution does engender a feeling of relief at no longer ishing the death penalty. The Universal Declaration of Human having to think about the ordeal – a feeling which often fails to Rights (UDHR) categorically recognizes the right to life in un- arise while the murderer still lives on. A system in place for the purpose of granting justice cannot do so for the surviving vicqualified term in Article 3. tims, unless the murderer himself is put to death.

“Everybody has the right to life, liberty and 3. It is all that would-be criminals fear security of the person.”

If you read about Bundy’s life in prison, waiting nine years for The ICCPR allows the death penalty in those countries, which his execution, you will see that the man exhausted every single have not abolished it [Article 6(2)]; it however prohibits the im- legal point he and his lawyers could think of, all in an attempt position of the death penalty on juveniles and pregnant women to spare him execution. He “defended” himself in prison interand went ahead in Article 6(6) to recommend the abolition of views by blaming pornography for causing his uncontrollable the death penalty by encouraging state parties to the conven- teenage libido, and for causing him to think of women as obtion to take step towards abolishing it. The European Conven- jects and not humans. He attempted to have his death sentence tion on Human Right (ECHR) recognized the imposition of the committed to life without parole by explaining that it was all death penalty. It has however been abolished by the 6th proto- pornography’s fault, and that had it never existed, he would col to the convention. Article 4(2) of the American convention have been a good person. When that didn’t work, he pretendon human Rights (AMCHR) allows countries that have not abol- ed to come clean and tell police where the bodies of unfound ished the death penalty to impose it. There is now a protocol to victims were, so that their families could have closure. He never once admitted that he was a bad person, and just before his execution, he claimed that he hadn’t done anything wrong. It was obvious that he feared being put to death. He did his best to avert it. This means that he did not fear life in prison – at least not as much as he feared capital punishment. He had many opportunities to kill himself in his cell, but he did not. He might have done it a month before his execution, when all hope for clemency was gone – but he was afraid of death. How many would be murderer have turned away at the last second purely out of fear of the executioner’s needle?

”

4. It is the best answer to murder The justice system basically attempts to mete out punishment that fits the crime. Severe crimes result in imprisonment. “Petty larceny” is not treated with the severity that is meted to “grand theft auto” and the latter, consequently receives more time in prison. So if severe – but non-lethal – violence toward another is found deserving of life without parole, then why premeditated homicide should be given the very same punishment? This fact might induce a would-be criminal to go ahead and kill the victim he has already mugged and crippled. Why would it matter?

After all, his sentence could not get any worse. If murder is the willful deprivation of a victim’s right to life, then the justice system’s willful deprivation of the criminal’s right to the same is – even if overly severe – a punishment which fits the most severe crime that can be committed. Without capital punishment, it could be argued that the justice system makes no provision in provision in response to the crime of murder, and thus provides no justice for the victim.

• Do you have questions or seek legal clarification on issues concerning your marriage, probate, property, etc? Call or send a text message to Barr. Ken: 08162016410, 08075763840. Email: kenakpom@yahoo.com

39

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

Entertainment With Douglas Omoyooma

AY is my mentor –Ushbebe

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appily married comedian, OAP and actor, Ushbebe (Justice Nuagbe) was one of the few celebrities who graced the lunch of rainmaker, Majek Fashek’s 30 Years on Stage & Album Launch Concert which was held at the Balmoral Hall of Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, last weekend. In this chat with Entertainer, Ushbebe who was also one of the comperes of the show opens up on his career, how AY influenced him, his respect for Rainmaker, Majek Fashek and the secret to his success.

What does Majek Fashek mean to you?

He is inspirational. When it comes to the business of music, Majek Fashek has etched his footprints in the sands of Nigerian entertainment. He is phenomenal. He is not just a musician but a prophet, an activist. He has promoted African culture through his music. One aspect of note is his reinvention of the gongon and how he fused it with reggae music in a very unique way. He is more like a teacher. Little wonder he is called the Rainmaker.

He has done well so I salute him.

So, which of his songs will you say is your favorite?

Wow! He has so many great songs; I mean, a very rich repoirter of songs but I will settle for Send Down The Rain and Majek in New York.

You are one comedian who has successfully blended stand-uo comedy with acting, what is the secret?

I am a theatre artist and that involves comedy, acting and every other thing that comes with the arts. But I will say, the secret is that it is the amount of work that you give to your business that will grow you.

How did comedy start for you?

Comedy started in secondary school. Then I was into drama and a little bit of comedy. When I get to the university I started going for departmental shows and stuff like that and I was cracking people up. I think that was where I got my grooming. I started doing comedy professionally when I started working with A.Y. Today you have your own comedy shows, Chronicles of Ushbebe.

How were you able to put it together within just a few uears after you hit the limelight?

Like a said, I worked with A.Y and I learnt a lot of lessons from him. At a point I became the head of management of his team so I learnt everything I needed to learn under A.Y. Consequently, it wasn’t hard for me to grow my own brand because I was under the tutelage of the master.

What les-

sons did you learn from A.Y that has brought you this far?

A.Y is the most hardworking entertainer in Nigeria as far as I am concerned. That is what I know because I have lived with him and worked with him and one interesting thing is that he used to put me under so much pressure and I was complaining but now that I have people working for me, I am putting them under the same pressure in order to bring out the best from them. The basic lesson I learnt from him is to always stay hard working and always strive to be the best; there should never be a time when I feel I have made it and stop working. Hard work has been central to my success.

A.Y has branched into movie successfully, are you thinking of doing that?

Well, I am surprised when people say such.

I mean A.Y studied Theatre Arts and acting should not be a big issue for him. A lot of people are saying that he used comedy as a means to delve into Nollyhood but most of them are probably ignorant because they were not even there when AY acted his first film ever in Nollywood. He has acted as an armed robber and rapper. The base line is that as a theatre artiste graduate, acting is something that should be expected from you and producing movies should be down your alley; we are trained for all of these and more.

What is the craziest thing a female fan ever did to you?

(Laughter) That was the day a female fan kissed me on a Red Carpet.

How did you feel, what was your reaction?

I felt like wow! I for kiss am back but people dey there (laughter).

What projects are you working on now?

A couple of projects are ongoing. I am an entertainer and a show promoter. I am all over the place. On October 17 I should be in Manchester for my next show. Expect to see Gordons, Gandoki, Funny Bone, Accapella, Skale, 9ice and Small Doctor among others.

Many youths are looking up to you, what is your advice for them?

Just work hard and have a desire for growth.

A lot of people don’t want to grow, they just want to glow, they just want to shine at once.

They don’t want to go by the steps and pay their dues. I worked with AY for four years so it is like I learnt the ropes all over again after going to school. I was like an mechanic learning all over again from the master.

Can we say A.Y is your mentor?

AY is my everything, he was my idol when I was in the university. I worked with him in school. When I was in my 100 Level he was in 300 level. I was selling tickets on campus for his shows and all of that.

40

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

Entertainment Elder O & Friends to help Nigerians bear recession

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n November 26, all roads will lead to Fountain Multi-Purpose Hall, located in Surulere, Lagos for the second edition of comedian, Elder O’s (Ugochukwu David) annual comedy show, Comic Relief with Elder O and Friends at Fountain Multipurpose Hall, Surulere, Lagos. Red Carpet starts 5pm while main show kicks off by 6pm. In this chat, Elder O opens up on the journey so far.

What should your fans watch out for on November 26?

The performing comedians have been carefully selected to accommodate the Big boys, the fast-rising guys and few upcoming ones. They include Koffi, Owengee, Igos, Mc Shakara, Elenu, Senator, Funnybone, Mc Abbey, Josh2funny, Mc Shaggi, Mr Patrick, Edo Charles, Destalker and a host of others. Special guest appearances will be by Okey Bakassi, Charles Inojie and Lolo1 of Wazobia FM.

is because we all know that entertainment started from Surulere but all of a sudden, everybody is running to the island to do their shows as if those in Surulere can not afford to attend shows. Thank God during the first edition last year, we were able to break that jinx and it turned out to become the biggest comedy show on the mainland. We give God the glory. Now we are bringing back entertainment to Surulere where it all started. Don’t forget I’ve been handling a comedy show at O’jez Restaurant inside stadium for seven years now so we have a firm fan base. The first edition was huge and we aim to go higher this year and give people value for their money.

How are you funding this year’s event?

We don’t have sponsors yet this year but we have partners like AVA Schools, Ajao Estate, Chief Baker, Empire Entertainment, PEDVERY Why did you tag the show comic Services Travel & Tours, NTA, AIT, Relief with Elder O and why did you E- Kitchen, Indomie, Osolobue Enterchose Surulere as venue? prises Nig Ltd, O’jez Group, Rev Felix I got inspiration to tag the show Enwezor and Rev Chris Cephas.

Comic Relief because of the hard times we are in now. Just like in a What should comedy lovers expect? tragic movie where you have few Comedy lovers should expect qualminutes of comic relief. So comic re- ity, original and decent jokes.Spontalief is coming up at a point where no- neity will also be on display too and body is ‘supposed’ to be smiling but we are going to show them that comwe just have to find a way to smile ic relief has come to stay. through our problems and hope for a better tomorrow. And then we are This year you branded your car for bringing the show to Surlier and that the event. Why?

Resist corrupt politicians – Seun Kuti

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on of late afro beat maestro, Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti has said that political resistance is the only way Nigerian youths can deal with corrupt and ineffective leaders.

In a post on social media he stated: “This form of resistance aims at resisting against all elements of political enslavement and underdevelopment which promotes confusion and deepens poverty amongst the motherland masses which seize the

opportunity of the movement to politically exploit our people both nationally and internationally.”

Later in his post, he also wrote: “in other words, if we see as a people do not see politics as our business and foremost interests, the resistance of our political class as our national duty, then we would never have the representation that we desire/ want.”

Davido, Wizkid others set to slug it out @ AFRIMA 2017

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s the countdown to AFRIMA 2017 which holds on Sunday at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria ISland, Lagos on Sunday, November 12, gathers momentum, two of Africa’s most popular music stars, Davido and Wizkid will battle for the Best Male category in West Africa. The duo also has the likes of Runtown, Drake, Tekno, Ycee, Mr. Eazi, Guinean MHD and DJ Arafat from Ivory Cost to beat in order to clinch the 23.9karat Gold plate AFRIMA trophy.

South African rappers, AKA and

Nasty C are up for the same category in the Southern Africa region, just as Kenyan hip hop star, Octopizzo will slug it out with Tanzanian Diamond Platnumz and Ethiopian Sinishaw Legesse among others for the Best Male Artiste in the East African region.

In the female category, acts like Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Babes Wodumo, Aramide, Viviane Chidi, Seyi Shay, Becca and Zeynab are also nominated for Best Female Act in their respective regions.

won in the Best Colabo Song with Find them Go. Mike Abdul won in the Best Gospel Song Category with Morire, while Humble Smith won with ‘Osinachi’ in Best Song in Melody. ‘Love Don’t Care’ by Simi was declared the winner in the Best Song in Lyrics category.

Octogenarian, Chris Ajilo was honoured with the Evergreen Song award for his iconic song, Eko Gbagbere, while Shina Peters went home with an Awoko for Ijo Shina, the song that changed the beat. Two posthumous awards were presented at the star-studded show. The first went • Ozzmanic to the late Dan Maraya Jos and the rom Canada with love’ were second to the late King of Highlife, the unspoken words as the Stephen Osita Osadebe. aspiring music star; Ozzmanic sneaked to Nigeria a couple of weeks ago. Armed with a couple of new songs, Ozz as fondly call by his close allies, intention in the country is not far-fetched as the new kid on the bloc played host to few selected fans, friends and music critics for what could be best describe as private ‘listening session’.

However, ‘Afro Lover’, the new single off his upcoming EP titled ‘Rainbow’, is among the more sonically African songs that got the nods of the respected music critics who were present at the listening session.

Produced by Duktor Sett, ‘Afro lover’ showcases a person who is trying to get his start in the bubbling Nigerian music scene, by conducting his own investigations into the Afropop world.

Despite the mild tempo, ’Afro Lover’ is in equal parts compromising and as straightforward as the typical romantic Afro-pop track.

Young and interesting, Ozzmanic, very passionate about Rap, emerged in the Toronto music scene as a Trap artiste in 2013 with two singles tilted ’Benjamins’ and ’One Question’ featuring Jinmi Abduls. Surprisingly, Ozzmanic discovered that what had become his signature sound in Can• Olakunle Churchill ada wasn’t good enough for him to

officially announce his arrival in the current Nigerian music scene, hence the release of ‘Afro Lover’.

With the rejuvenated and more mature music style, Ozzmanic seems ready to stamp his authority from the start by doing songs that will not only capture the minds of music enthusiasts but also carve a niche for him in the highly competitive music industry.

Premiered online without the usual hypes and fun fare, ‘Afro Lover’ is currently enjoying ample media review and burning the music charts of some of the popular radio stations in Nigeria.

While the music video of ‘Afro Lover’ is scheduled for release in weeks time, and Ozzmanic is also putting finishing touches to his highly anticipated EP titled ‘Rainbow’ that will hit the music shelve in 2018, the sound boy is leaving no stone unturned in search of a perfect drive to hit the top at one shot.

Speaking on his new single, Ozzmanic said, This is long overdue and It’s good to be home after few years in Canada and I think ‘Afro Lover’ is a perfect song to whet the appetite of my new found fans and followers in Africa, Nigeria. With my forth coming EP titled Rainbow, a couple of singles waiting to be released and the video for Afro-Lover, Sky is the starting point for me.“

• Elder O (Laughter) I bought the car through the hustle by the grace of God so at this point all hands must be on. I mean all tyres must be on deck (laughter).

You know I always brand BRT buses for my events so I just decided to brand my car this time around so that I will join the BRT buses in advertising the show all around Lagos. Now I fill my fuel tank and drive from Surulere to Ketu, stopping at every bus stop to pretend as if I was making calls and watching people gather around the car to snap pictures.

Ozzmanic drops ‘Afro Lover’

Excitement as COSON week winds up

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ko Hotel & Suites, Lagos was lit like a Christmas tree on Sunday, November 5, as the 2017 COSON Week climaxed with the COSON Song Awards.

At the packed Grand Ball Room, the main show which was broadcast live around the world, started with the video animation of the flight of “Awoko”, through the streets of Lagos and finally into Eko Hotel & Suites, venue of the COSON Song Awards.

There was thundering ovation when Okoroji, the COSON Chairman came on stage. He said that that the theme of the 2017 COSON Song Awards and the other seven events of the COSON Week was a united and

progressive Nigeria. Chief Okoroji then brought on stage Azeezat who sang the Nigerian National Anthem.

The show was hosted by Koffi Da Guru who had the audience reeling with laughter over and over again.

The big stage at the Grand Ball Room was almost brought down by performances from the likes of Tjan, Dolzi, the King of Melody, Solid Star, G-Wilz, Toby Grey, KASI, the June 12 Girl, Rub – a- Dub Master, Ras Kimono; Kul-GP and Sir Shina Peters who kept the audience on their feet throughout his electrifying show.

Those who took home the bronze carving of Awoko include TJAN whose song, Aduke, won for Best Love Song. Solid Star and Oritsefemi

Tonto Dikeh to sue ex-hubby

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onto Dikeh is in the process of suing her ex-husband and father of her son, Olakunle Churchill. The beautiful actress made this revelation during an interview on Ebuka’s Rubbin Minds where she talked about her foundation, the backlash that followed her breakup, domestic violence that enveloped her estranged marriage to Olakunle Churchill and her upcoming projects.

While speaking with Ebuka, she said that she doesn’t regret all of the interviews she gave, saying since it made other victims of domestic violence speak out, she is fine. She also said although she felt the pain of the backlash that followed her interviews, she has decided to move on.

She added that she’s still in the process of suing her ex-husband, saying she won’t disclose the charges. Tonto Dikeh revealed that she is working on an exciting project but isn’t ready to let anyone know about but she revealed that it would be what every- • Tonto Dike one is waiting for.

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41

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

CHANGE OF NAME

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42

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Trump visit could be ‘turning point’ on North Korea policy, says Moon

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resident Moon Jae-in of South Korea said he hoped a visit by U.S President Donald Trump would be a turning point in efforts to defuse tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme as the two leaders met in Seoul on Tuesday.

The state visit in the South Korean capital was billed as an opportunity for Trump and Moon to present a united front, despite differences over how to confront North Korea’s nuclear threat, as well as Trump’s complaints over the two countries’ trade agreements.

Besides vowing to prevent North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from developing nuclear weapons and missiles that can effectively strike the mainland U.S., Trump has also threatened to pull out of a free trade pact between the two countries.

The White House says Trump’s trip is intended to demonstrate U.S. resolve over his hardline approach to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

Many in the region, however, fear further bellicose presidential rhetoric could increase the potential for a devastating military conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Meeting with military commanders about the North Korea issue, Trump told reporters: ”Ultimately it will all work out, it always works out, it has to work out”.

He did not elaborate.

Trump praised president Moon, hailing him for “great cooperation,” inspite of differences over how to confront North Korea and over a trade pact between the United States and

South Korea.

When the two leaders later held formal talks after an elaborate welcoming ceremony outside the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Moon told Trump he hoped his visit would relieve some of South Koreans’ anxiety over North Korea and serve as a “turning point in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue”.

Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN resolutions and an exchange of insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump’s presidency.

Three U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups will exercise together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a show of force rarely seen in the region, U.S. officials said.

On the second leg of his five-nation trip, Trump toured the sprawling Camp Humphreys garrison, which lies about 100 km from the border with reclusive North Korea.

Trump was greeted with applause and a few cheers as he and president Moon entered the mess hall at lunch hour.

Trump is seeking to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang following his visit to Tokyo, where he declared that Japan would shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” if it bought the U.S. weaponry needed to do so.

He has criticised Moon over his support for diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang, something Trump once called “appeasement”, and has threatened to pull out of a free trade pact between the two countries.

“Hopefully that will start working

out, and working out so that we create a lot of jobs in the United States which is one of the reasons that I‘m here,” Trump told reporters, referring to trade issues between the two countries.

Several hundred supporters and protesters lined the streets of downtown Seoul as Trump’s motorcade passed by, waving flags and posters, with some saying, “No Trump, No War, Yes Peace,” while others cheered, “Trump! Trump!”

Trump will deliver a speech on Wednesday to South Korea’s National Assembly expected to focus heavily on his North Korea policy, which has stressed sanctions and military pressure instead of diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.

Hundreds protest in Seoul against Trump’s visit to S. Korea

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undreds of people have gathered in the center of Seoul to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to the country, local media reported on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Trump landed at the Osan Air Base in South Korea’s city of Pyeongtaek and headed to the U.S. Army Camp Humphreys garrison, where he was welcomed by the Army Camp Humphreys garrison.

After the visit to South Korea, the U.S. president will travel to China and Vietnam, where he will join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and will finish his journey in the Philippines from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14.

According to the Yonhap news agency, hundreds of members of liberal activist groups, calling themselves “Collective Action for ‘No Trump,’” gathered in the central Gwanghwamun Square to stage a rally denouncing the U.S. president’s visit to South Korea.

The demonstrators accused Trump of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula with his provocative rhetoric, forcing South Korea into buying armaments and attempting to renegotiate the free trade deal between the two countries.

The protesters are planning to hold a candlelight vigil starting 7 p.m. local time (10 a.m. GMT).

Local police reinforced security measures, set up barriers and de-

ployed additional officers in the central area of the capital, especially near the presidential residence, the Blue House.

Several religious clerics reportedly made pilgrimages in a protest against the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defense systems in South Korea, but were stopped by the police when they headed to the presidential residence.

Proponents of Trump’s visit to the country also took to the streets of the South Korean capital, hailing the alliance between the two countries and calling on the U.S. president to visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea, even though the White House said in late October that the trip to the DMZ was not on the president’s schedule.

The situation on the Korean peninsula has escalated over the past few months, following several ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by Pyongyang in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

In September, the UN Security Council adopted its toughest resolution • Afghan security forces take up position during a suicide bombing TV station attack in Jalalabad against Pyongyang, restricting oil exports and banning imports of textile products from the Asian nation, as well as the country’s access to gas liquids.

Trump previously criticized the 2012 U.S.-South Korean free trade agreehe United Kingdom (UK) and Ni- was promoting business friendly en- fairs. ment, calling it horrible and unaccepgeria are set to partner in the are- vironment to enhance foreign invest“So, there would be a focal point in table. as of “sophisticated” fish farming ment and local exports. each embassy whose job would be to The minister said that the country’s create partnerships between Nigerian and infrastructure development.

This was the outcome of the meet- foreign missions would be used to pro- businesses and foreign businesses. ing between a UK Trade Delegation to mote business partnerships globally.

“In the case of the UK for instance, Nigeria and the Minister of Foreign Af“The idea is that with the 114 coun- any Nigerian entrepreneur that wants fairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama. tries which we have embassies in, we to partner with UK business will upload tion, the refugees have fears of being The Head of the UK delegation, Mr are going to use each embassy as an onto a database that we are preparing attacked by locals.

Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi, said the extension of the Ministry of Foreign Af- online,” Onyeama said.

“I think the reality is there are some team was in the country to explore aractivists in Australia, including the eas of collaboration with Nigeria.

Greens senator Nick McKim, who are Finndoro-Obasi, also a Director, Africa basically encouraging these people not House London Limited, said that the audi Crown Prince Mohammed kingdom,” SPA added. to move. mission was aimed at further enhancSalman accused Iran of carrying On Sunday, the Saudi-led alliance “The activists are saying to these peo- ing UK relations with Africa. out “direct military aggression” fighting the Houthi rebels said it ple ‘Don’t budge, don’t budge.

“We are looking at bringing in one against Saudi Arabia, accusing Tehran closed all Yemeni ports, prompting “It’s getting a big run in the Australian of the most sophisticated fish farming of supplying Yemen’s Houthi rebels, national carrier Yemen Airways to media, and before too long the Austral- into the country that would be capable against whom Riyadh is fighting, with halt all flights from Aden and Seiyun ian government will weaken and allow of producing tonnes of fish. missiles. airports, the only two functioning airyou to come to Australia,’’ Turnbull said.

“Discussion is currently going on with On Saturday, a missile was fired ports in the country, after failing to Meanwhile, Australia’s ex-prime min- local partners and they will specialise on across the border from Yemen to- get permits to operate. ister, Kevin Rudd, who installed the Tilapia; that is one thing we believe will wards the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Yemen has been locked in a devasrefugee regime on Manus, criticised help the country.

“The crown prince stressed that tating power struggle between the Turnbull’s handling of a situation that “In infrastructure, we are engaging the involvement of the Iranian regime Saudi-backed government and the the UN recently described as an unfold- with NAMA to build 5000 homes. in supplying its Houthi militias with Iran-allied Houthis since the rebels ing humanitarian crisis.

“We are currently engaging also with missiles is considered a direct military took over the Yemeni capital Sana’a “Turnbull’s handling of Manus is in- Niger state, looking at building and aggression,” the official Saudi Press in late 2014. humane. The 2013 agreement was for renovating their hospital equipment to Agency (SPA) reported.

The conflict has intensified since a year. reduce the amount of medical migraIn remarks during a phone call with March 2015, when the Houthis first “Turnbull has failed to resettle them, tion,” he said.

British Foreign Secretary Boris John- advanced on Aden, prompting Saudi so they should come to Oz,’’ Rudd postIn his response, the foreign affairs son, he said the missile attack “could Arabia and its Sunni allies to start an ed on Twitter. minister said the Federal Government amount to an act of war against the air campaign against the Shiite group.

Turnbull: Manus refugees must move, blames activists for standoff

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ustralian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday blamed activists, politicians and the media for the standoff with refugees and asylum seekers barricaded inside Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Manus Island detention centre.

According to Turnbull, there are alternative facilities available of a very high quality with food and all of the other facilities.

“The residents at Manus detention centre are being asked to move and they should move,’’ he added.

The local media reported that some 600 men have huddled inside the Australia-run refugee detention facility for the past week since it was closed by a PNG high court order.

Electricity, water and food supplies have been cut off but the refugees have refused to move to temporary accommodation.

The local media reported that because of the temporary accommoda-

UK to partner Nigeria in fish farming, infrastructure dev’t

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Saudi crown prince accuses Iran of ‘direct military aggression’

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The Oracle Today

43

Wednesday November 15, 2017

SPORTS Enyeama gives conditions Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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ORMER Super Eagles’ skipper and goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has finally opened up on his rumoured national team return by giving the Technical Adviser of the team, Gernot Rohr and the country’s football governing body, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) condition for his return to the squad.

According to the 2013 Africa Cup Nations winner, he will only consider returning to the national team set-up if he is 100 per cent fit and in good form for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It is recalled that the former Enyimba goalkeeper voluntarily retired from the national team in controversial circumstance due to misunderstanding with the then coach and former captain of the team, Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh, in October 2015, but the Akwa Ibom State-born shot stopper has since been linked with a recall to the Super Eagles for Russia 2018.

According to a source form the NFF, Enyeama is willing to return but he has told Rohr that he would only make a return to the Super Eagles if he feels fit and good enough to be the first choice goalkeeper for the team for the World Cup. In the words of the NFF source who does not want his name on print for lack of clearance from

the body: “Vincent is working hard to regain his fitness and form before giving his final answer to Rohr on his likely recall to the Super Eagles. He wants to merit his recall and not rejoin the team based on emergency. He has resumed training after undergoing surgery and may probably return to action with a new club,” the NFF source said.

“The former Super Eagles’ skipper has told Rohr to watch his recovery and invite him only if he is fit and good for a return.

He insisted that he would not return to the national team if he is not convinced that he is ready for the World Cup and will help the team.”

Oracle Today can reveal that Rohr is determined to take Enyeama to the World Cup in Russia as his experience will be very valuable for the Super Eagles hence the overture to the two time CAF Champions League winner.

The source further disclosed that Rohr has made up his mind on taking Enyeama to the World Cup, adding that only the return to action of Carl Ikeme, who is currently undergoing treatment for acute leukemia, can change his mind on the goalkeeping issue.

It is recalled that the call for Enyeama’s recall to the national team set got a boast after Eagles’ 2019 Nations Cup Qualifying match against the Bafana Bafana

•Enyeama of South Africa in Uyo where the team suffered a 2-0 defeat in the hands of the South Africans for the very first time in competitive game.

Most people believe that the team’s defeat in the hands of the Bafana Bafana was mainly due to poor goalkeeping by the

Chipa United FC of South Africa goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, hence the need for Enyeama to come back to the squad. Only time can tell whether Enyeama would make the 2018 FIFA World Cup or not even as Nigerians are divided over the proposal for his return to the team.

I won’t discuss Ogunbote’s exit – Anyansi

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t is no longer news that two time African champions, Enyimba International Football Club of Aba have parted ways with their coach, Gbenga Ogunbote but what is news is that the club’s Chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu said he was not in a position to discuss the issue with anybody or to the media.

Chief Anyansi stated this in ex-

clusive telephone chat with Oracle Today Sports during the week. He therefore, pleaded with concerned fans and supporters of the club to exercise patience as what the club are doing will soon start manifesting.

“Well, I am not in a position to discuss the issue now because right now I am in a meeting,” the longest and most successful club

chairman in the country declared.

“The issue is not what I would like to be discussing with anybody or to the media but all I can say is that people should be patient with us.

“Very soon what we are doing to reposition Enyimba will start manifesting for people to see. So it is not about discussing with people what we are doing but I want to assure our supporters and fans that we mean well for Enyimba,” Anyansi said.

It is recalled that Coach Ogunbote led Enyimba to a continental ticket as the two time African champions placed third on the log at the end of the season, thereby getting one of the slots to represent the country on the continent.

Enyimba are one of the two clubs to fly the country’s flag in the CAF Confederation Cup with this year’s Federation Cup champions, Akwa United FC of Uyo. Ogunbote it is noted despite all odds guided Enyimba to a continental ticket at the end of 2016/17 NPFL season.

It is also of noted that Enyimba were able to win a continental ticket despite playing all their matches away from their natural turf in Aba due to the renovation work going on at the Enyimba International

Stadium as the coach discharged his duties well to the two times African champions to the best of his ability.

As a matter of fact, Chief Anyansi recently acknowledged Enyimba feat by securing a continental ticket playing all their matches away from their natural ground in Aba and saying “it is not easy to secure a continental ticket playing away from home in the Nigerian League,” Anyansi told The Oracle Today Sports three weeks ago even as he equally urged fans to exercise patience with the team.

So, the input of Coach Ogunbote in that achievement cannot be over emphasized, that’s why the supporters and fans of the club are worried at the recent turn of event as they had thought that the experienced coach ought to have been allowed to continue with his job.

Meanwhile, this is not strange to followers of the club as the same faith befall Coach Kadiri Ikhana, who steered the team to their last Premier League trophy in 2014/15 league season. It was Ogunbote that replaced Ikhana. It is recalled that Kadiri Ikhana expressed surprise that he was booted out of the club after leading the club to their 7th League title and the aftermath of that action was Enyimba dismal performance on the continent.

I can’t wait to play Argentina – John Ogu

S

uper Eagles and Hapoel Be’er Sheva midfielder, John Ogu, has sensationally declared that he can’t wait to play two time world champions, Argentina in the friendly scheduled to hold on 14th in Russia.

The Grade A friendly tie against Argentina is a part of Eagles’ and La Albiceleste preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. According Ogu, it will be a great pleasure to trade tackles with one of the best teams in world. He explained that it is honour to play a team of the caliber of La Albiceleste. Speaking further, the Be’er Sheva of Israel midfielder described the Argentina friendly game as a grand a friendly that will boost the confidence of the team.

Ogu is one of the players listed for the Eagles’ final World Cup Qualifier against the Desert Foxes of Algeria and the friendly against Argentina four days after the Algerian insignificant World Cup Qualifier The players listed for the two matches arrived camp on Monday, November 6 in Morocco before leaving for Constantine on the 9th to play Algeria on the 10th.

Meanwhile, Argentina Captain, Lionel Messi will not feature in the friendly against the Super Eagles on 14.

Messi’s proposed absence in the Eagles’ friendly is the decision of the coach of the two time world champions, Jorge Sampaoli who has decided to exempt the Barcelona super star from the game.

This much was revealed by the country’s major sports paper, Ole. The sports paper did not give any reason, Sampaoli decided to exempt Messi from the much publicized friend against Eagles.

However, The Oracle Today Sports can reveal that the five time World Footballer of the Year winner is to feature against World Cup hosts, Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on November 11, three days before the game against the three time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The Oracle Today

44

Wednesday November 15, 2017

SPORTS Williams lauds Dalung over pool

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Chukwu happy with Grade A friendly for Eagles Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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HE immediate past General Manager of Enugu Rangers International Football Club, Christian Chukwu, has expressed happiness over the Grade A friendly match arranged for the three time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria by the country’s football governing body, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Chukwu, who had earlier called for quality friendly matches for the team in preparations for the FIFA World Cup which Russia is playing host to said as far as he was concerned, even the inconsequential game against the Desert Foxes of Algeria is still a part of Eagles preparations for the Mundial next year.

He, therefore, called for more Grade A friendly matches for the team particularly now that it has been revealed that many countries want to play Nigeria before the Mundial as the team have become a beautiful bride by football playing nations.

“Of course I am happy to hear that the NFF have secured a Grade A friendly match for the Super Eagles. The friendly match against

•Carpets Enyimba Argentina in every ramification is a Grade A game because everybody knows that the two time world champions are a formidable force to reckon with in world football.

“I am happy that the NFF are able to secure such a high profile match for the Eagles as a part of the team’s preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” Chukwu began.

“As far as I am concerned, the Eagles’ last World Cup Qualifying game against the Desert Foxes of Algeria is still a part of the team’s World Cup preparatory matches as the game does not have any consequence on our qualification having qualified already.

“Eagles should approach the game with the mind set of preparing for the Mundial because like I said the outcome will definitely have no effect on our qualification for the World Cup since we have already done justice to our Qualification with victory against the Chipolopolo of Zambia in Uyo last month.

“I would like to use this opportunity to call on the NFF to intensify their efforts in arranging more top flight friendly matches for the team. I am happy that the Super Eagles have become the toast of every football playing nation.

“They should not arrange any less quality friendly match for the team. We don’t want to hear that Eagles will be playing Benin Republic or Sierra Leone. That is out of place. All that we want is to continue to give the team top flight friendly matches after the Argentina game on 14th,” Chukwu said.

Meanwhile, the former national team captain and coach has expressed worry over the parting ways of Coach Gbenga Ogunbote with two time African champions, Enyimba International Football Club of Aba. Chukwu told The Oracle Today Sports that it baffles him to hear that a coach who won a continental ticket for Enyimba could be axed just like that and the next thing is to hear that Enugu Rang-

Ahly of Egypt while Victor Moses and William Troost-Ekong plays for Chelsea FC of England and Bursaspor of Turkey respectively.

Moses has had an impressive year in the colours of Nigeria and at club level where he helped the Blues win the English Premier League title last season.

His importance at Chelsea has been further underscored by his absence due to injury with Frank Lampard, former midfielder of the club, acknowledging that the Blues are missing the Nigerian.

The former Crystal Palace and

Wigan man also played a pivotal role in the Super Eagles’ qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup that will hold in Russia next year.

William Troost-Ekong, on the other hand, has become a mainstay in the heart of the Super Eagles’ defence and has been one of the reasons for the solidity of Eagles during their World Cup qualification. Troost-Ekong, regarded as a role model, is also tipped to become Nigeria’s captain in future owing to his fantastic inter-relationship personality in the fold of the Super Eagles and at club level.

Moses, Troost-Ekong, Ajayi, 27 others up for CAF awards

T

wo Super Eagles players, Victor Moses and William TroostEkong are in run for the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) individual honour, the Footballer of the Year as the two Nigerian internationals have been listed for the continental prestigious awards.

Meanwhile, another Nigerian, Junior Ajayi has equally been listed among thirty players nominated for this year’s African Player of the Year award and he is gunning for the best players on continent.

Ajayi plies his football trade with Al

ers have signed him.

The former Rangers captain said that he was even more confused that Ogunbote could leave a club where he would have earned Dollars and Pounds Sterling in match bonuses while playing on the continent to join a club where his salaries and allowances could not be assured.

Speaking further, Chairman as he is popularly called by his admirers declared that it was not unprecedented to even hear such news from Enyimba because according to him: “Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise to me because Enyimba never believed in coaches.

They only employ the services of coaches because it is compulsory for them to do so.

“It is true that I am yet to hear the true position of what led to Ogunbote leaving the club but over time, it is a known fact that Enyimba does not have regard for coaches. They believe that coaches don’t count in the club’s success,” Chukwu declared.

It is recalled that Chukwu was once the club’s coach and was fired in a very controversial manner just like others before and after him suffered the same fate.

However, what baffles people is that despite this particularly attitude of the Aba millionaires, every coach worth his salt in the country wants to be appointed Enyimba coach.

There is no gain saying that the Abia State financed club are the most successful club in the country having done what no other club have been able to do which is winning the CAF Champions League twice. They are joint top league winners with the Flying Antelope at 7 apiece and they are only second to Enugu Rangers in Federation Cup, having won it four times while Rangers have won five times.

he president of the Nigeria Aquatics Federation (NAqF) Mr. Babatunde Fatayi Williams has commended the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung for having the political will to renovate the long abandoned National Stadium Swimming Pool complex, Surulere Lagos.

According Williams, with this singular achievement, Hon. Dalung stands tall above his predecessors who only paid lip services to the renovation of the swimming complex which was abandoned about 19 years ago as the last swimming competition took place there in 1998.

Williams made the commendation recently while fielding questions from sportswriters in Lagos.

The former national swimmer, who also serves as President of CANA Africa Zone II, explained that with the renovation of the National Stadium Swimming Pool; the Federation have now been placed in a better position to hold more championships with the aim of developing the sport in the country.

“I am highly delighted that the National Stadium Swimming Pool complex Surulere has been renovated and this is made possible by the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung,” William began.

“I am so happy because this is what we have been praying for. I must commend the Honourable minister for having the political will to make this happen. The Honourable Minister has done what his predecessors couldn’t do.

“I must give him kudos because he promised to renovate the pool and today the pool has been renovated which means he has delivered on his promise which is what Nigerians expect from their leaders.

“The renovation of this pool may have taken time but I tell you it is better late than never.

“I want to tell you, with the renovation of this pool, Hon. Dalung has etched his name in gold and we will ever remain grateful to him. This has been dead for close to two decades and no minister before had the courage to do the needful.

• Dalung

The Oracle Today

45

Wednesday November 15, 2017

SPORTS

FIFA ratifies Nigeria, Argentina tie Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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EDERATION of International Football Association (FIFA) have given go ahead for the Grade A international friendly between three time African champions, Nigeria and two time world champions scheduled in Krasnodar, Russia next Tuesday, 14th November 2017.

The world football governing body’s approval of the international friendly match was contained in a letter forwarded to the Football Union of Russia, addressed to the General Secretary, Aleksandr Alaev, and signed by FIFA’s Director of Competitions, Christian Unger.

The letter, dated 31 October 2017 read, inter alia: “FIFA would like to thank you for complying with the Regulations Governing International Matches by submitting the relevant information and authorizations for the following tier 1 international match: Argentina Vs Nigeria, Krasnodar Stadium,

Krasnodar, 14 November 2017.

“In accordance with article 7 of the regulations, FIFA is happy to provide official authorization for this men’s tier 1 international match.

“Please note that this authorization is conditional upon FIFA receiving details of the referees who will officiate in the stated match. “ We will confirm authorization once the referee details have been received and checked. We would like to remind you that only referees included in the 2017 FIFA Refereeing Lists can officiate in an international “A” match.

“We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that in accordance with article 12 of the Regulations Governing International Matches, your association is required to ensure that a completed association report, list of players for both teams and the referee report are submitted to FIFA within 48 hours of each international “A” match.”

Deontay declares war on Joshua D

• Deontay knocks down Bermane Stiverne last Saturday.

eontay Wilder, the American WBC heavy champion who knocked out Bermane Stiverne in Round 1 of their 12 Round bout Saturday to retain his belt, has declared war on IBF and WBA heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua.

Wilder knocked Stiverne to the canvas with a fierce right before flooring him again with a barrage of punches.

Stiverne was then knocked out as Wilder caught him with some brutal punches, including a leftright combination.

“I know I am the best. Are you up for the test?” asked Wilder of WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Joshua.

N50m gift: Ambode surprised us – Ilechukwu

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ountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club Coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has described the N50 million cash donation to the club by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as crazy.

The Nnewi Anambra State-born football tacticians, who couldn’t believe his eyes at the huge donation by Governor Ambode, describing the gift as unprecedented and a very big boast to the club even as he assured that the club will not let the state and the country down.

“I am speechless I must confess to you. That donation is crazy,” Ilechukwu began.

“I have never seen anything like this before. It is unprecedented and I can assure you that we are grateful for this benevolence from Governor Ambode.

“This is certainly a boast to us and we are very grateful because it is not easy to make such money available.

“Of course you know that it is said whom much is given much is

expected. The only thing I can say is that we will do our best to justify this huge confidence reposed on us by the government and good people of Lagos State,” Ilechukwu declared.

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi has directed that all that is needed to make MFM Ground, the Agege Stadium pass CAF test to host continental matches be put in place before the December Inspection visit of the continental body.

“I want to also say that we have directed our sports team and the Sports Commission to make sure

that everything needed, just as earlier requested be put in place to ensure that Agege Stadium is certified by CAF,” Governor Ambode told media.

It is recalled that MFM FC are the only football club operating from Lagos State that ply their trade in the Nigerian top flight (NPFL). It is on record that Lagos State has never owned any football club instead what the state does is to adopt private football clubs based in the state for example, Stationery Stores of Lagos, African Continental Bank FC (ACB), Julius Berger FC among others.

“I’ve been waiting on that fight for a long time now. I declare war upon you. Do you accept my challenge?”

The American appeared to dismiss the prospect of fighting Britain’s Dillian Whyte, who last weekend won an eliminator to put himself in a prime position to compete for a world title by claiming the vacant WBC silver heavyweight crown.

Whyte has racked up six successive victories since losing to Joshua in December 2015, and after Wilder’s win wrote on Twitter: “Well done @BronzeBomber but let’s do this work Feb 3 at the O2.

I ain’t never scared, fact. Will fight anyone anytime.”

However, Wilder said: “They are trying to give me a peasant in Whyte. A king doesn’t chase the peasants. A king takes kings. I want Joshua. If he doesn’t give me the fight we have other plans.

“The world wants Joshua, the world wants Wilder, I want Joshua. Joshua, come and see me baby. No more dodging, no more excuses. Make the date, don’t wait. Let’s see who is the best.”

Wilder finished the fight Stiverne with seconds left in the opening round as he took his undefeated record to 39, 38 by way of knockout.

• Anthony Joshua

Wydad are CAF champions

W

ydad Casablanca of Morocco on Saturday became African champions for a second time when they defeated Al Ahly of Egypt 1-0 in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final.

Walid El Karty nodded the lone goal on 69 minutes to give the home team a 2-1 aggregate triumph after they forced a 1-1 draw in Egyptian coastal city, Alexandria penultimate weekend.

Achraf Bencharki, who equalised in the first leg, set up the goal with a deflected cross for El Karty to score his third goal of the competition.

Victory bridged a 25-year gap for Wydad, who conquered Africa for the first time in 1992, when they defeated Al Hilal of Sudan in the African Cup of Champions Clubs.

The name of the premier African club competition changed to the CAF Champions League in 1997, when a new format and prize money were introduced.

Wydad pocketed a record $2.5 million (about 2.1 million euros) and are guaranteed at least another $1 million by competing at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in December.

Although Ahly dominated possession and territory during the goalless opening half, Wydad came closest to breaking the deadlock with 30 minutes gone.

A long clearance from goalkeeper Zouheir Laaroubi set in motion a move that ended with a deflected shot from Abdeladim Khadrouf rattling the crossbar.

Relieved Ahly had a great chance to take the lead four minutes later when first-leg scorer, Moamen Zakaria broke clear to go one-on-one with Laaroubi.

46

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

NEWS

Total to add 200,000 b/d with $16 b Egina project

From SOPURUCHI ONWUKA, Uyo

N

igeria’s crude oil output is to increase by 200,000 barrels per day when the $16 billion Egina floating production, storage and offtake vessel arrives.

Managing Director of Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Mr. Nicholas Terraz, told industry audience in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, that the deep-water field hosted in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130 would increase the company’s operated production to over 600,000 barrels per day and the nation’s output by 10 per cent.

Mr Terraz stated at the event that apart from growing oil production volumes for the country, over 77 per cent of the $16 billion project cost was

deployed to patronize local goods and services, grow in-country capacity and develop facilities and infrastructure for sustainable Nigerian content development in the industry.

Egina field, 1700 meters deep, is located offshore in the Gulf of Guinea would be Total’s third largest and most complex deep-water field development project in Nigeria.

It would host the largest FPSO in the Total group and also rate as the highest local content consumer in the history of Nigeria’s field development.

The project also brings Africa’s first local FPSO topside integration challenge to Lagos, Nigeria where the massive production vessel is to assembled before deployment to site where subsea installation campaign is

currently on-going.

The production boost, which coincides with oil price rally is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s economic recovery by first half of 2018.

The development comes as ExxonMobil declares intention to grow its operated production in Nigeria with and existing output enhancement projects.

Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, Mr Paul McGrath said the plan would also boost the company’s local content profile in the country.

He said the American super-major has demonstrated faith in the country through huge investments in complex and sustainable local content development initiatives.

According to him, the company has spent over N49 billion in community development, over $26 billion in engineering service agreements and another $113 million in local contractor financing.

Other initiatives taken by the company, Mr McGrath said, include N1.

0 billion post graduate scholarships, N1.4 billion assistance programme for 17 Nigerian universities, N4.0 billion undergraduate scholarships in the past 10 years and N57 million in secondary school scholarships.

The company has also spent $130 million ini the past 10 years on infrastructural development in its host communities.

In expressing satisfaction at the nation”s rising local content develop-

ment trend, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote, said government would enhance incentives for companies with high performance records, adding that the board was working with relevant stakeholders to harmonize and evolve a cross-sectoral local content strategy for accelerated economic development.

Part of the strategy, he said, would be to replicate the Nigerian content development model across all sectors of the economy and create linkages from upstream, midstream to downstream industry subsectors to capture full opportunities for investing companies.

SDGs targets 2030 to end hunger in Nigeria From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

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• Gov Ugwuanyi casting his vote at his Ohom Orba ward Udenu LGA of Enugu state during the last Council election in Enugu. Photo: Chuks Eze.

he former President of Nigeria and Chairman, Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo said Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is targeting to achieve zero hunger in Nigeria before the end of 2030.

Obasanjo spoke at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki during the second edition of Zero Hunger Forum held in Ebonyi State.

He said the idea behind the forum is to ensure that practical steps are being taken to realize the goals of SDGs across the participating States in Nigeria.

Ebonyi is among the six States of the federation chosen for a start of the Zero Hunger Forum.

He said: “I was approached and agreed that we will work out plans, programmes, and strategies to achieve zero hunger by the year 2030 in Nigeria.

“We wrote a report and we said that this time around, we don’t want those typical things that used to happen with reports. Reports are beautifully written, beautifully packaged and put in the shelves and they continue to gather dust and nothing more.

“This time, we want to see implementation. So, we formed ourselves committee on hunger forum to see the implementation of zero hunger report.

“We then decided that zero hunger is for all Nigerians but we want to start to bite little by little by working on a few States to start with and Ebonyi happens to be one of the six States. The aim of zero hunger is to make sure that the policies that are re-

quired and programmes that will take us to the Promised Land are implemented by all concerned--the federal, state and local governments, communities, farmers, private sectors, NGOs, International organizations.”

“We are looking for agricultural programme to implement and to help the state at every area it may need help,” he added.

He disclosed that the present security situation in Borno denied the State the hosting of the second quarterly meeting of the Zero Hunger Forum, leading to the choice of Ebonyi State.

The inaugural forum was held in Benue State.

According to Obasanjo, Ebonyi readily accepted to host the two-day event, which would enable the forum tour the State to ascertain its agricultural potentials and contribute to ways of enhancing them.

Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi thanked the conveners for choosing the State to host the Forum, noting that it would assist in implementing reports to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) second goal of achieving zero hunger.

“The forum will discuss the role of the private sector in achieving zero hunger, proposing recommendable areas and achieving milestones to ensure zero hunger in the country.

“The forum will examine our modest efforts in bringing hunger to zero level in Ebonyi and Nigeria in general and achieving permanent food security in the state and country.

Dr Kenton Rashil, Director of International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) noted he was impressed with the cultivation of huge expanse of lands to assist in achieving zero hunger in the state.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as ESSIEN AKPAN UKPABIO now wish to be known as AKPAN UKPABIO MICHAEL.All former documents remain valid,Banks and General public take note.

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This is to certify that EZENWOBODO JOSEPH CHUKWUDI, NWOBODO JOSEPH CHUKWUDI, EZE-N JOSEPH CHUKWUDI is one and the same person now wish to be known and addressed as EZE-N JOSEPH CHUKWUDI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

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47

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 15, 2017

News

•Chidoka

Continued from Pg 2 missioner of Police Alhaji Garuba Umar on the 30th of last month announced deployment of “16,000 police personnel, 10,000 soldiers, 5,000 naval personnel and 3,000 air force personnel for 18th November 2017 governorship poll”.

A total of 34,000 security personnel, excluding other or members of the Anambra State Joint Security Taskforce (NDLEA, NSCDF, SSS, armed vigilantes) would scare voters away. The police do not think that way as they are asking for more than 15,000 personnel, to their initial 16,000.

The security that is being planned runs against the report of INEC, the electoral umpire.

2022 THE election is also about who becomes governor in 2022, the next election season. A choice from any of the zones, or even any

•Ezeemo

•Nwoye

court order to Kanu’s sureties to produce him after troops “acting on the orders of the federal government had invaded his home a few weeks to the adjourned date of his trial.”

“The invasion of Kanu’s house is a yoke of credence to the fact that the federal government wants to frustrate the court case,” said the Ohanaeze spokesman. “This is a person standing trial at the instance of the government and a few weeks to the adjourned date, you deploy soldiers with armoured tanks…against unarmed civilians and invade the home of the same person you are having an axe to grind with in the court and you turn around to ask his sureties to produce him.”

“That is the height of display of power without legitimacy, without morality and respect for the rule of law. To ask the sureties to produce Kanu is another way of using the court to gag and silence them,” Achi-Okpaga stressed.

Similarly, Constitutional lawyer, human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome who spoke with The Oracle Today on phone from his Lagos base, was even more explicit when he declared that the federal government seems to be overstretching the political aspect of Nnamdi Kanu’s case “without according due consideration to the legal aspect.”

“Bail is like a contact between the court and an accused. In

•Obiano

Anambra 2017: No winner in sight of the candidates has implications in the realignments that would inform the choices of 2022. There are few considerations for the people, as politicians think election is their business.

Main candidates Godwin Ezeemo, PPA He is a notable grassroots politician, who has impacted the people through his philanthropy. He has investments in the media, oil sector, haulage, tourism and many others. He is considered a rich man by every standard, and also known for his consistency. Ezeemo has supporters who are fanatical in their belief in him and also known to be a man of ideas. He is one politician who believes that things must be done right in the state if it must regain its glory. Ezeemo con-

tested the ticket of the ACN in the 2013 governorship election against Dr. Chris Ngige, who then was seen as the alter ego of the party in the state. He reportedly rejected an APGA deputy governorship ticket in 2013. He was an automatic candidate of his party.

Willie Obiano, APGA He is the incumbent governor and the weight of incumbency is on him. His biggest argument is that Anambra North Senatorial Zone should complete eight years.

The accusations of non-performance against him include sectional development of the State in favour of Aguleri, his home. Wrangles with his predecessor, Peter Obi, over how he managed state resources, are major issues in the campaign.

Is Kanu hiding, missing, or ?

Continued from Pg 2

•Obaze

Nnamdi Kanu’s case, it is a tripartite contract involving the court, Nnamdi Kanu and his surety (Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe). But that bail contract has been frustrated to no fault of Kanu’s surety (forcing) the Senator to apply for discharge of suretyship obligation, as provided in section 177of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,” he told The Oracle Today.

“It was the court that granted bail to Nnamdi Kanu under certain conditions. So, if he had violated the conditions, it is the same court that should review such conditions. We all witnessed when the federal government felt uncomfortable that Kanu had, allegedly, flouted his bail condition and filed a motion before the same judge handling the case (Justice Binta Nyako), asking the court to revoke Kanu’s bail. But unfortunately, they failed to wait for the legal process they had initiated to take its course and allowed the army to invade Kanu’s residence.

Since then, his whereabouts has been unknown and nobody has either seen or heard from Kanu.”

Wondering how the government would probate and approbate at the same time, Ozekhome asked: “How can you then, ask Senator Abaribe to produce somebody he can no longer see or communicate with because he has probably been harassed out of circulation?”

“Okay, assuming that Kanu has been kidnapped or that something untoward has happened to him as a result of the invasion of his home, how do you ask the Senator to pro-

duce him when the contract has already been frustrated by agents of the federal government?” he queried.

“Nigerians know that the last time they saw or heard from Nnamdi Kanu was when he was resting in his home on September 11, 2017, and the army, via ‘Operation Egwu Eke II’, invaded his home in Abia State. Nigerians also, saw how his home was invaded, how the army gained entrance into the compound, and he has not been seen or heard from since then.”

Prof Race Achara, SAN, former NBA Chairman, Enugu State, agreed that there are political and legal sides to the matter.

“The legal aspect is that it is the duty of the surety (Senator Enyinaya Abaribe) to produce the person he undertook to bring to the court (Nnamdi Kanu). If he cannot, he will forfeit the sum he produced as bond unless he satisfies the court that he is justified. If he has evidence that the accused (Kanu) is in custody elsewhere, he can justify non-production as covenanted. Then, the Sovereign State will ultimately have to search for and re-arrest the absconding defendant for re-arraignment in court,” he said.

“The political aspect of the issue is convoluted, tied to no rational standards and thus beyond me,” he stressed.

In the end, the question remains: where is Nnamdi Kanu and who should produce him in court?

Tony Nwoye, APC A MEMBER of the House of Representatives, his claims range from students unionism to being Anambra State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party under which he contested the governorship in 2013, finishing second. Billionaire oil magnate, Chief Arthur Eze, is said to be bankrolling his campaign.

Nwoye hails from Nsugbe, in Anambra North. He is often mentioned for his roles in the commotions that resulted in arson in Awka and disruption of Chris Ngige’s governorship in 2003.

Oseloka Obaze, PDP FORMER diplomat, former Secretary to the Government of Anambra State under Peter Obi, and for two years under Obiano, Obaze from Ogbaru in Anambra North, has the active backing of Peter Obi. He is campaigning extensively on development issues.

He has promised to rule for only four years, the remaining tenure for Anambra North.

Osita Chidoka, UPP THE former Minister of Aviation was as PDP as they come until the factionalisation in the party drove him elsewhere. He has anchored his hopes on a new

platform, United Peoples Party (UPP). He roots his optimism on the fairness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the election.

“INEC has given us assurances that they will use electronic transmission of votes. So, the votes will count and because the votes will count, we know that what will happen in Anambra will be an issue of who has the best ground operation.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are an incumbent or not, or whether you have the so-called federal might. What will matter in this election is who the voters best feel an affinity for; who they think best represents them.

There is a clear consensus among the people in Anambra that Osita Chidoka is the best candidate in this election. There is a consensus that Osita Chidoka will best represent the voice of Ndi Anambra and the voice of Ndigbo in Nigeria.

“Ndi Anambra know the candidate that has the best plans and programmes to move their state forward. I believe these will be the deciding factors come November 18,” he said.

•Next week – More issues that would decide the election

S/East spends N80b on petition From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

S

tates in the South East geo-political zone spend about N80 billion on litigations on election matters every four years, Abia State chairman of the All Progressives

The Oracle Today Guber Debate S

UNDAY, 12 November, six days to the decision on who becomes the Governor of Anambra State, The Oracle Today would join hands with Channels Television, and other partners in organising a debate for the candidates.

It is one of the contributions of The Oracle Today in making the issues of the election openly available to audiences across the world.

Follow us for more details on the debate, which would last two hours, starting about 7pm, visit www.oraclenews.ng

Congress (APC), Chief Donatus Nwankpa, has said.

Nwankpa said the litigations arise from lack of confidence in election results posted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking when the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Abia State chapter, visited the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Joseph Iloh, in the Ogurube Layout state headquarters of INEC, Nwankpa noted that the manner INEC has conducted elections in the state is responsible for the current apathy towards the Continuing Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state which the REC had complained of.

He alleged that INEC had announced poll results which were at variance with popular expectations, adding that in some cases, results were announced while polling was still in progress.

“In fact,” he said, “even there was a situation like in 2007, voting was still going on when the result of the governorship election in the state was announced over the radio, and not by the rightful person that ought to announce that result.”

WEDNESDAY November 15, 2017

The

www.oraclenews.ng

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racle Today

VOX POPULI SACRUM

ISSN: 2545-5869

GUEST COLUMIST Alex Otti

An unhealthy population is a sick nation “I

would like to be realistic to say a few words concerning health delivery system in Nigeria. It is very poor, sorry to say that. I am happy that the MD of Aso Clinic (Dr. Manir) is here. There are lots of constructions going on in that hospital, but there is no single syringe there, what does that mean? Who will use the buildings?

The above statement made by the President’s wife, was as honest as it was reassuring. Honest, because it was rendered in the no-holds-barred style, typical of Mrs. Buhari, and exemplified in her berating of a few people she claimed had hijacked her husband’s presidency and her “Animal Farm” analogy. The First Lady squarely put the blame where it belonged: leadership.

Perhaps, the most important point the First Lady made which may not have been intentional was to provide answers to those of us who had been wondering why her husband had spent a lot of time in the UK on medical vacation. We are not oblivious of Buhari’s campaign promise of ending medical tourism in Nigeria if he became President. Over two years after, he has not only failed to end it, he has joined the train.

Life expectancy in Nigeria remains abysmally low at around 54.5years placing us as number 177 out of the 183 nations ranked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as at 2016. Meanwhile, average life expectancy in the world, according to the United Nations is 71.5 years as at the end of 2015. However, beyond the damage that poor healthcare delivery has done directly on the populace, is the vexed issue of capital flight that has been engendered by the rich seeking help elsewhere. Medical tourism has been estimated to cost the country over $1billion annually.

This figure was provided by the Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire at an event in Lagos recently. It has been reported that there are over 3,000 Nigerian medical doctors in the UK and over 5,000 in the US. This is in addition to thousands of others spread elsewhere around the world. Meanwhile, according to the WHO, out of the country’s requirement of about 237,000 medical doctors, we only have about 35,000, leaving a gap of over 200,000. This is a very serious problem that should not be left to address itself as we have so far done.

I shall return to this in due course.

The challenges of the healthcare sector can be discussed under four broad headings.

MEDICAL FUNDING Just like other sectors like education, health care is grossly underfunded. This did not start today. In Naira terms, except in 2017, we have continued to allocate less funds to healthcare year after year. In 2014, the allocation to healthcare was N264.5b, which represented about 5.6% of the total budget of N4.7t. By the 2015 budget of N5.1t, we allocated a reduced amount of N259.75b to the sector, which was about 5.2% of the total budget. In 2016, healthcare attracted a further reduced amount of N250.06b from a budget size of N6.06t representing 3.73% of the budget. It was only in 2017 that the sector was lucky to attract a larger allocation of N308.4b out of a budget size of 7.44t representing 4.15% of the budget. If these stories appear sad on the surface, then the application of the concept of ‘time value of money’ would make it worse.

Applying an average conservative inflation rate of 15% per annum, over the period, would show that the N259.75b in 2015 represents only about N221b in 2014 prices. Similarly,

the N250b of 2016 represents N175b in 2014 prices while the N308.46b of 2017 represents N185b in real 2014 prices.

These don’t sound attractive, but they are not only real, they are true. Exchange rates hovered around N160 per dollar in 2014, N199 in 2015 and early 2016 and N305 later in 2016 until now. So, if we convert the allocations into dollars, we would see that this sector should actually have collapsed by now. According to the WHO, Nigeria spends only $67 per person on health care per annum. Angola, on the other hand spends over $200, while South Africa spends seven times what Nigeria spends at about $470.

The WHO recommends that no less than 15% of the annual budgets of countries should be dedicated to healthcare. A lot of countries are in compliance. In spite of all the hullabaloo of Obama Care and Trump “Careless”, America dedicates over 20% of its huge budget to health care delivery.

Iran’s healthcare budget is 18% while China is close to 13% and Turkey, 11% of much larger budgets.

Meanwhile, we are here, struggling with 4 to 5 % of a kindergarten budget.

Conversely poor budgets cannot deliver results irrespective intentions. Norway, Switzerland and the United States are the world’s three biggest healthcare spenders – spending $9,715 per person (9.6% of GDP), $9,276 per person (11.5% of GDP), and $9,146 per person (17.1% of GDP) respectively.

Hong Kong spends $1,716 per person (6% of GDP), Israel $2,599 per person (7.2% of GDP) and Singapore $2,507 (4.6% of GDP). These countries, like Norway and Switzerland, have life expectancy of between 82 and 83 years. By comparison, life expectancy in the US is 79.

MEDICAL STRUCTURE Going by constitutional provisions, healthcare delivery is divided amongst the three tiers of government viz, local government, state and federal governments. Local governments are responsible for primary healthcare, which includes the management of local dispensaries, environmental sanitation and protection and routine immunisation.

The State governments look after the secondary healthcare system including the General Hospitals and Health Centres while the Federal Government is in charge of tertiary and referral institutions such as the National Hospital, the Specialist/Teaching Hospitals and the Federal Medical Centers.

We all know that the local dispensaries and community health centers have disappeared. Why won’t they disappear when they are not being funded? They are supposed to be looked after by LGAs. The LGAs themselves are non-existent in majority of the states because many state governors want to be in control of the finances of the LGAs and instead of holding elections for the LGAs, they foist their thugs and cronies as Transitional Council Chairmen, an arrangement which should not last more than six months. They renew their tenures after every 6 months in perpetuity. These transitional Chairmen do not have access to the LG allocation and owe their stay in office to the Governor. On receipt of the allocation, the governor gives them some stipend to help them run the LG and keep the rest. It would be a pipe dream to expect that part of the priorities of these Chairmen is healthcare. They know they cannot do it and instead of wasting their time, they face other things. Once salaries of LG staff are paid, (that is, where they are paid) every other thing becomes secondary. Any wonder why the primary healthcare system has

completely collapsed.

In essence, the first level of healthcare provision and prevention of diseases cannot be implemented.

Statistics have it that out of the 30,000 Primary Health Centres nationwide only about 2,500 or a meagre 8.3% are functional. If this is not a bad report, I wonder what else is. The implication is that diseases that could have been arrested or prevented at lower levels are left to blossom into unimaginable national epidemic dimensions.

MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Closely related to funding and structure is infrastructure. My personal contact with healthcare professionals both in Nigeria and abroad shows that one of the major reasons for the brain drain we mentioned earlier is the poor medical infrastructure and ineffective medical policy of the country. Some of our doctors would have stayed back if they were assured of support in terms of modern infrastructure for them to operate. In a country of over 180m people, one can count on one’s fingers, the number of sophisticated equipment like MRIs, CT scan equipment, dialysis centres, and cardiology centres we have.

MEDICAL POLITICAL ECONOMY This is probably the most important aspect of this subject. How is healthcare delivery organized? Who is in charge? Does he understand the issues? Is he just a quota minister representing his state or he is a professional who would resign if decisions that impinge on his performance are taken? We remember the late Prof.

Olikoye Ransome Kuti, who was Minister of Health in Babangida’s government. Kuti who was also Fela’s elder brother moved the nation’s healthcare delivery system to a crescendo through his focus on primary healthcare programme.

Access is also very important as the National Healthcare Insurance Scheme was set up in 1999, to address. Several years after, just about 5% of the population has enrolled in the scheme.

The whole idea of this section is to point our attention to the fact that the success of any policy is dependent on the philosophy behind it. Sloganeering and propaganda will not cut it.

As we discuss, we should avoid the temptation to focus only on the very important subjects of the economy and politics. Any discussion that does not focus on having a healthy populace is meaningless. Like the saying goes, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

Dr. Otti was Managing Director of a bank, and a governorship candidate in the 2015 election in Abia State

The Oracle Today is published by The Oracle Newspapers Limited. Head Office: 116 Awka Road, Onitsha. Lagos Office: 25 Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA Ikeja. Abuja Office: 1st Floor, Plateau House, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT. ISSN: 2545-5869 Email: oracletoday2016@yahoo.com, Twitter: @oraclenews.ng Facebook: oraclenews.ng@facebook.com Website: www.oraclenews.ng Advert hot lines: 09078310060, 09061836916. Editor: FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU.