Wednesday November 21, 2018 Edition

Ethnic bigotry? Not in Anambra!

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nambra State used to be known as ‘Home For All’. That was its moniker until some influencers in the State thought ‘Light Of The Nation’ was a better theme because, in their reckoning, ‘Home For All’ also meant the State had room for criminals!

In a certain sense, ‘Home For

The Oracle Today Comment

All’ fits Anambra more snugly.

Outside Lagos and Abuja, Anambra is, perhaps, home to the most diverse population in Nigeria. Consider Onitsha, for instance. When

The

VOX POPULI SACRUM

Onitsha is described as the largest market town in West Africa, it also means that a lot of those West Africans, including Nigerians, of course, who come to the commer-

cial city to trade do not just trade and go; they also live here. Thus, there are Cameroonians, Ivoriens, Togolese, Beninoise, Guineans, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw,Uhrobo, Igalas,

Ibibios, Annangs, Ogojas, Beroms, name it, all living together in one pulsating rhythm of organised shoving and pushing in the Main Market and others that dot the ever busy commercial city. In this city of grit and money, people are

racle www.oraclenews.ng

Cont’d on page 24

Today

High stakes as campaigns begin WEDNESDAY November 21, 2018

ISSN: 2545-5869 VOL.3 No.46 N200

•Atiku will restructure, turnaround Nigeria – Publicity Sec •Buhari will re-run on achievements –Atie •18 presidential candidates, a crowd From NATH OMAME Jr., Port Harcourt; CHUKS EZE, Enugu; BONIFACE OKORO, Unuahia and JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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•Buhari

•Atiku

• Donald Duke

HIV/AIDS: Israel may eclipse Ezeibe’s invention From BONIFCAE OKORO, Umuahia

•Inventor urges FG to commercialise his drug

srael may topple Nigeria and take the credit for manufacturing a drug for the cure of HIV/AIDS unless the Nigerian government acts fast by recognising and commercialising the

Nigerian HIV/AIDS medicine, Medicinal Synthetic Aluminum–Magnesium Silicate (MSAMS).

Inventor of the Nigerian MSAMS for curing HIV/AIDS, Prof. Maduike Ezeibe, raised

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the alarm in a letter he sent to the federal government.

He wrote the letter addressed to the Minister of Health and his Science and Technology counterpart against the backdrop of

media reports that Israeli scientists have recorded a breakthrough in AIDS cure.

The media reports published on November 1, 2018, had it that the Israeli drug

Cont’d on page 2

arring any last minute change of plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), campaigns for the 2019 presidential election are expected to begin this Sunday, November 18, with presidential candidates of the two major political parties set to tackle each other on major national issues that are at the core of the forthcoming election.

Pundits say both candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as well as presidential candidates of sundry other political parties will be hard put to explain how they will tackle corruption, unemployment, killings by herdsmen, insecurity in the North East, the economy, nepotism, infrastructural decay and a whole lot of other problems that have challenged Nigeria in the past three and half years of the Buhari administration.

Buhari is seeking re-election. But he has his strongest challenger in Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and businessman,

who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which, until May 2015, was the ruling party at the centre in Nigeria.

Other presidential candidates are: •Donald Duke – Social Democratic Party (SDP) •Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim – Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) •Omoyele Sowore – African Action Congress (AAC) •Oby Ezekwesili – Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) •Obadiah Mailafia – African Democratic Congress (ADC) •Kingsley Moghalu – Young Progressive Party (YPP) •Chris Okotie – Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) •Hamza Al-Mustapha – Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) •Habib Mohammed Gajo – Young Democratic Party (YDP) •Olusegun Mimiko – Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) •John Gbor – All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) •Davidson Isibor Akhimien – Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN) •Ali Soyode – Yes Elector-

Cont’d on page 17

‘Fintech will decide the fate of banking services in Nigeria’

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS

High stakes as campaigns begin Continued from Pg 1 ate Solidarity, YES Party •Ike Keke – New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) •Sunday Chukwu-Eguzolugo – Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP) •Eunice Atuejide – National Interest Party (NIP) •Hamisu Santuraki – Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) •Edozie Madu – Independent Democrat Party (IDP) •Peter Nwangwu – We the People of Nigeria Party (WPNP) •Ahmed Bee Buhari – Sustainable National Party (SNP) •Tope Fasua – Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) •Ade Fagbenro Bryon – Kowa Party •Moses Shipi – All Blending Party (ABP) •Yahaya Ndu – African Renaissance Party (ARP) •Chuks Nwachukwu – All Grassroots Alliance (AGA) •Habu Aminchi – Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)

•Yabagi Yusuf Sani – Action Democratic Party (ADP) •Babatunde Ademola – Nigeria Community Movement Party (NCMP) Although APC chieftains could not furnish The Oracle Today with their campaign programme, as party sources said they had been “advised to wait for the official manifesto of the party, which will be released soon,” there are indications that Buhari would mostly flaunt his achievements in his administration’s anti-graft war, recovery of looted funds, war against insurgency in the North East and insecurity generally, delivery of some infrastructural projects across the country, especially completion of the Abuja-Kaduna rail, the new Port Harcourt Airport terminal and a host of other such capital projects.

He is also likely to admit that a lot still has to be done but will assure Nigerians that his administration has done well to “reposition Nigerian especially given 16 years of

PDP’s mess,” a claim the APC has persistently made in the past three and half years.

He is likely to talk about achievements in the economic sphere, especially the nation’s “early” exit from recession, school feeding programme, N-Power Employment Scheme and several other “achievements.”

However, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, on the other hand, told The Oracle Today that the PDP would base its campaign “on issues and the issues are clear.”

“This government has failed Nigerians woefully and PDP will tell Nigerians how it plans to make life better and more abundant for us all,” he said. “Our presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, former Governor Peter are a turn-around team. They will turn the Nigerian economy around and this campaign is also about how that will happen.

“Besides, this country, more

than at any other point in its history, needs a president who is truly Nigerian, who will run an inclusive government, taking into consideration the diversity of our people and how to leverage on the strengths in that diversity to better the lot of our people.

“As everyone knows, Atiku Abubakar is a man who knows almost everybody in this country, who is at home in every part of this country where he has built genuine friends and associates over time. That is the kind of president Nigeria needs now to strengthen our unity in diversity. His running mate, Mr. Peter Obi will bring his economic wizardry to bear on the management of the economy for the good of all.”

“Our campaign will certainly centre on issues not scams and scare-mongering,” Ologbondiyan stressed.

Specifically, PDP said its campaign will address the restructuring of Nigeria, job creation, industrialisation, youth empowerment,

• General Overseer of Kingdom Dominion Church, Rev Chris Madu (c); Barr Igwe (fourt right); Pastor (Mrs) Madu (third left); Bishop Dr G. Madu, Chairman Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Enugu (third right) with wife;; and Bishop Obi Onubogu, General Overseer, Rock Family Church (second left) among others, during the official unveiling of the ultra-modern Kingdom Dominion Church in Enugu

HIV/AIDS: Israel may eclipse Ezeibe’s invention Continued from Pg 1

known as Gammora was developed at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is currently being tested at the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot.

According to the reports, Zion Medical, an Israeli biotech company, developed the drug in collaboration with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Sirion Biotech in Germany.

Gammora is said to be capable of wiping out 99 per cent of HIV infected cells in the human body and was able to eliminate up to 90 per cent of the virus during the first four weeks of trial.

Ezeibe said the claims by Israeli scientists that a synthetic version of a substance isolated from HIV reduces viral loads in treated patients; destroys infected cells and cancer cells and improves CD4

counts in treated patients, were similar to his which has been widely published in international journals since 2006.

Ezeibe challenged the Israeli scientists to explain in details, their claim that a synthetic peptide mimicking HIV-integrase (enzyme) destroys HIV –infected cells.

He also raised the following posers: What of extra-cellular HIV? What is size of the synthetic peptide that enables it get to all cells (including the sanctuary cells)? Since it has no effect on extra-cellular HIV, why would it not destroy every cell as HIV would go on infecting every cell? How does it improve CD4 counts as claimed?

How does an anti-HIV enzyme destroy “some types of cancer” as claimed?

The Nigerian scientist submitted that results posted by the Israeli researchers “are exactly same as those already published as effects

of The Nigerian Medicinal synthetic Aluminum-magnesium silicate (MASMS),” arguing that they (Israeli scientists) were expected to make reference to the earlier publications.

“The world should analyze their synthetic HIV-integrase. It may have same chemical chain as Aluminum-magnesium silicate,” he said.

Since 2006, Ezeibe has been publishing the effects of Aluminum-magnesium in a book, patents, journal articles and conference proceedings wherein he explained why HIV has been incurable and how MASMS works.

These literatures explain that “viral small sizes enable them infect cells that are inaccessible to large molecules. So, antiviral medicines require immunity to complement their effects.

By destroying lymphocytes and the liver, infections of Human immune

deficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV)cause immune-deficiency while their chronic nature leads to oxidative stress .

“The chronic nature also makes them require prolonged treatment. Prolonged medication with medicines that inhibit viral-biochemistry causes toxicity (similarity between viral biochemistry and biochemistry of human cells) while medicines that act by physical effects (mopping/binding) need to reach every infected cell before achieving termination of viral infections . Infected cells that are inaccessible to medicines are the ones termed “sanctuary cells.”

Ezeibe said he exploited the Features of viruses, cancer cells, infected cells and Aluminum magnesium silicate to develop The Nigerian MASMS.

Cont’d on page 44

women empowerment, economic and political restructuring, total security reform, protection of human rights, diversification of Nigeria’s economy and adherence to the rule of law.

According to an APC Chieftain in Enugu State, Chief AC Udeh, things will be streamed-lined for the presidential campaign after President Buhari’s meeting with governors and party leaders on Saturday, November 17, just a day before the kick-off of the campaign.

“After that meeting, we will know who are flying our party’s flags. As it stands now, every group would be campaigning from its own end before such proposed meeting with Mr President.

But it is hoped that with President Buhari’s intervention, a lot of things would be streamlined. So, we hope to be in a better shape after the meeting,” he said.

Whatever is the case may be, both the APC and the opposition PDP have said they will anchor their campaigns on performance and welfare, respectively.

For the PDP, a vote for Atiku will guarantee restructuring, which Nigerians have been clamouring for, for a long time, a stalwart of the party, in Delta State, Chief Nelson Okoh told The Oracle Today in Asaba.

He said there is no doubt in everybody’s mind that President Buhari has failed Nigerians and a vote for the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in next year’s election, will guarantee the restructuring of the country.

He opined that Atiku has an articulated roadmap to restructuring Nigeria in keeping with the aspirations of majority of Nigerians.

He insisted that a vote for Atiku is a vote for the unity of the country, adding that the PDP candidate holds the prospects for a united and virile Nigeria.

“Restructuring is likely to eliminate barriers and emplace the unity Nigeria needs to attain glorious heights,” Okoh stressed.

Another PDP chieftain in Delta, Hon. Solomon Ideh believes that Atiku has sufficient experience to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria and bring about a robust economy if given the mandate.

“Atiku’s investments already exemplify enterprising disposition which Nigeria needs for fast-paced development,” he added On the other hand, Amb David Atie, the Warri North candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Delta House of Assembly elections come 2019 argued that the country does need a businessman to control its destiny.

“President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration are laying the foundations for the kind of economic growth that makes a real impact in the lives of citizens,” he said. “For instance, Nigerians are excited about the trader-moni scheme, N-power, School feeding programmes among some many others.”

Atie told The Oracle Today that if President Mohamadu Buhari is re-elected in 2019 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), it will avail him an opportunity to consolidate on his achievements in the last three and half years.

He scored Buhari’s administration high in the area of security, resetting the economy, investing in people, anti-corruption war and transparency and security while promising to deliver his constituency to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general election.

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

Army names fifth commander for ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’

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IGERIAN Army has named its fifth commander in less than 2 years to lead the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency, the army said on Saturday, a move military sources say was related to continued attacks by Islamists.

The attacks could hurt President Muhammadu Buhari’s chances of re-election in Feb. 2019. He campaigned in 2015 vowing to end the insurgency but the conflict is entering its 10th year with attacks by Boko Haram and a group that splintered from it, the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA).

Major General Abba Dikko, who in July took over command of Operation Lafiya Dole, has been replaced as the head of that operation by Major General Benson Akinroluyo, the army said in an emailed statement that outlined dozens of redeployments.

Dikko has been moved to the Department of Civil Military Affairs to

fill the position of chief of civil military affairs.

“The Nigerian Army has redeployed some of its officers from Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Delta Safe, as well as over stayed officers from the theater as part of routine posting,” the army said in the statement.

Two military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was redeployed because of attacks by Islamists since he took over.

Since July, when Dikko was appointed, dozens of Nigerian troops have been killed in battles with militants and ISWA killed two abducted aid workers.

Soldiers also staged a protest at an airport in September.

An army spokesman did not immediately respond to text messages and phone calls seeking further details on the decision to replace Dikko as the head of the fight against Islamists just months after he took the role.

PDP alleges physical harassment on Atiku at airport •Allegation ‘mischievous attempt to grab headlines’ – FG

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EOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was harassed by some security agents at the Abuja airport on his return from Dubai.

The party said this in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday in Abuja.

Ologbondiyan alleged that it was shocking when the “deadly squad” acting on ‘orders from above’ rushed Atiku immediately he landed at the airport.

He alleged that the security operatives attempted to physically manhandle Abubakar before invading his aircraft with arms to conduct a violent search.

Ologbondiyan said that the PDP completely rejected such violence against the person of its presidential candidate.

“The PDP is for peace, but we will not accept this recourse to violence”, adding that the alleged attack was an affront on the country’s democracy.

Ologbondiyan recalled President Muhammad Buhari as a Presidential candidate, had occasions to travel out of the country and the government in power never besieged or harassed him in any way.

He therefore advised the APC administration not to introduce violence in the country’s democratic space.

Abubakar had earlier twitted that he arrived Abuja on Sunday morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating him and his staff.

“I am committed to building a Nigeria where no citizen is intimidated by agents of state who are paid to protect them,” Abubakar said.

The security operatives at the airport and APC are yet to react to the allegations.

Meanwhile, reacting to the PDP allegation, Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, in a statement, dismissed it, describing the claims as ‘a mischievous attempt aimed at attracting media attention,’ and further adding that saying the search conducted on Atiku was a normal screening exercise being carried out on all passengers at the airport.

“This is a mischievous attempt to grab the headlines. Nigerians need to know that one of the resolutions of the Atiku team at their recentlyconcluded, opulently-held Dubai retreat was to embark on scaremongering. This is one of such.

“For the records, all incoming passengers on international flights go through customs, Immìgration, health and security screening.

“Where the aircraft is using the private, charter wing, as the PDP Candidate did, such arrivals are met by a team of the Immìgration, customs and other security agencies.

They go to the arriving aircraft as a team.

“The airport authorities confirm that this is a routine process, applying to all international arrivals, including the minister unless the passenger is the President of Nigeria.

“The President, the Vice President and passengers aboard planes on the Presidential air fleet use the Presidential wing of the airport.

“It is also important to state that even in the Presidential Wing of the airport the President of Nigeria uses, there is the presence of Immìgration and other security officials who must stamp his or her passport on arrival.’’

The minister further explained that by standard procedure, all aircraft on international arrivals must first of all park at the international wing of the aircraft.

He added that such aircraft could move to the domestic terminal only upon the completion of the arrival requirements.

“While it is true that the Task Force on Currency at the airport did the routine action of checking the former Vice President’s travel bag, he was accorded full respect as a senior citizen.

“These checks are mandatory, conventional, internationally applied and routine. No one is excused from them under our laws.

“These checks are carried out on all international arrivals and President Buhari does not get involved in them.

“Law-abiding citizens are encouraged to respect the laws of the country and our VIPs should not seek to be treated over and above

•Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel (r) presenting a souvenir to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Emir of Kano, and Muhammadu Sanusi II (CON) who is also Chairman of the Qua Iboe Power Project, during a courtesy visit by the monarch to the Governor at the Exco Chambers, Governor’s Office, Uyo, Thursday.

Parents, students appeal to ASUU to end strike

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S the indefinite strike embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) entered its second week on Monday, parents and students have appealed to the union to call it off.

Some of the parents and students who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja called on the striking lecturers to embrace dialogue in the interest of the nation.

Mrs Josephine Taiwo, a business woman and mother of three undergraduates urged ASUU to suspend the strike considering its possible negative effects on both students and parents.

She noted that if the strike was allowed to continue it would alter many universities’ academic calendars and make it difficult for students to graduate at the right time.

Mrs. Okiki Samson, a teacher in one of the government secondary schools in the FCT also decried incessant industrial actions in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

As a parent, she described the current development as unhealthy for the future of the students.

“It is unfortunate that some students have spent over five years for a course that is supposed to last four years as a result of frequent strikes.

“Whenever ASUU goes on strike, it is the children of the poor that suffer it. Most children of the rich do not school in our universities.

She urged the union to explore other avenues of ventilating its grievances, maintaining that strikes adversely affect the academic programmes.

Also, Mr Solomon Adams, a resident appealed to the lecturers to suspend the strike, calling on government to pay attention to education and treat issues relating to it as a priority.

He condemned the fact that government till date still allows issue of strike to continue in education sector.

“I appeal to ASUU to consider interests of students who are at the receiving end, so that those in final year could finish up with their exami-

nations.

“Meanwhile, it is not good that government still allows strikes in our universities till date,’’ he said.

A parent, Mrs Victoria Babatunde, also urged the ASUU leadership to give Federal Government more time to meet its demands, in view of the present situation in the country.

“It is unfortunate that government has been unable to fulfil its own part of the agreement reached with ASUU. But ASUU should not be too rigid. The union should consider the prevailing situation in the country,’’ she said.

Miss Hannah Ayanwale, a law student at the University of Abuja said Education was the engine room that drives economic and technological development of any nation and should not be allowed to suffer.

“Our leaders should give education its pride of place in order to move this country to forward,” she said.

Mr. Ola Alonge, a student of computer at the Nassarawa State University keffi equally appealed to the government and ASUU to resolve the lingering industrial dispute.

NAN reports that the National President of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi on November 5 called for an indefinite strike involving both the federal and state-owned universities.

NAN further reports that the strike follows allegation of failure of the Federal Government to implement Memorandum of Action (MOA) 2017 signed with it.

While declaring the strike in Akure, Ogunyemi said “ Having waited patiently for action and meaningful negotiation with reasonable men using the principle of collective bargaining.

“ASUU at its NEC meeting of 3rd and 4th November 2018 at the FUTA, resolved to resume the nationwide strike action it suspended in September 2017 with immediate effect.’’

Jonathan, SGF Mustapha, others eulogise late Justice Uche

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ORMER President Goodluck Jonathan, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, were among the dignitaries who extolled the virtuous of the late Justice Ijeoma Uche in Abuja on Sunday.

Uche, who died at the age of 83, was the first female judge in the old Imo and a pioneer judge of Abia State Judiciary.

Others present at the Night of Tributes at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, were a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, a former governor of Rivers, Dr Peter Odili, and Mr Idris Wada, a former governor of Kogi.

Also in attendance were former Imo governor Achike Udenwa as well as Bala Mohammed, Emeka Wogu, Ihechukwu Madubuike, former ministers of FCT, Labour and Education, respectively, among others.

Prominent personalities the legal profession graced the Nights of Tribute.

Jonathan in his tribute said that Uche was worthy to be celebrated

as she lived an exemplary life.

The former president also said that she was a humble person and inculcated the quality in her children by bringing them up in a good family way.

Mustapha said that in some cultures death was regarded as a transition with individuals having conquered the other side of life.

He said that the late jurist played her roles as a mother and legal luminary very well.

Mustapha urged her family to take solace in the fact that their mother lived a good life.

In the same vein, Mohammed said that late Uche’ s father should be commended for giving her daughter equal education opportunities with the males in the family.

The minister said that the late judge was a “woman of integrity and focused,’’ who did not see her husband as a competitor and performed her domestic duties effectively.

Mukhtar in her tribute said she met the late judge in 1991 during the maiden meeting of women judges.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

Ember months: Lagos Govt. cautions motorists on safety •As FRSC warns against night driving

By VICTOR NZE

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AGOS State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has urged Lagosians to be safety cautious in order to demystify the negative notions about the ember months, September to December periods of the year, said to be characterised by major emergencies and disasters such as auto crashes, fire outbreaks and other tragedies that claim lives and property.

Speaking at Alausa, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, (LASEMA) Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu noted that the period also witnesses so many activities and high vehicular movement of people and goods in and out of the State during the festive period of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Tiamiyu expressed the need for an attitudinal change of the people, especially motorists and commuters alike who feel the ember months are the time to double their hustle, thereby rushing to make more money and to get to their various destination at the least possible time.

He noted that such a hurry leads to major road accidents which are caused by over speeding, reckless driving, intake of alcohol and non-

adherence to traffic rules.

Tiamiyu stressed that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and all the other Agencies involved in the management of emergencies in the State have been put on alert to secure and protect the lives and property of people residing in the State.

The LASEMA Boss, however, hinted that in a bid to stem occurrences of major disasters and emergencies in the State, the Agency as part of its advocacy programme will be embarking on roadshows to sensitise Lagosians on utilising the Lagos State Emergency Toll Free Lines 112/767 as well as jingles on various media platforms on emergency prevention/mitigation.

Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has advised motorists in Plateau to desist from speeding, night driving, overloading, wrongful overtaking among others that could threaten the safety of people and property on the highways these ember months.

Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO) in charge of Jos Zone, Mr Daniel

Sayi, gave this advice on Monday at a rally organised to commemorate the 2108 African Road Safety and World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims in Jos. The event has the theme: “Roads Have Stories”.

According to Sayi, speeding, night driving, and other unwholesome behaviours drivers exhibit on the highways remain the major causes of road crashes, hence the need for all road users to obey traffic rules and regulations.

“We are here to remember those

who lost their lives through road crashes and to also remind ourselves, who are still living on the need to obey traffic rules and regulations at all times so as to curb the rate of accidents on our highways.

“It is true we have bad stories emanating from our roads, but most of these ugly stories come because of our human error and so we have to do the needful to rid of these bad stories.

“In these ember months, I want to urge all drivers to desist from speeding, night driving, overloading, wrongful overtaking and use of phones while driving so as to reduce the spate of accidents on our

highways,” he said.

The ZCO stressed the need for drivers to desist from driving under the influence of alcohol, and warned that anyone caught by his men would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Sayi also warned against underage driving, and called on qualified drivers to obey all regulations while plying the highways.

On her part, Mrs Pat Emeordi, the Corps Sector Commander in Plateau, called for more collaborations and support from motorists and indeed the public to enable FRSC achieve its mandate of ensuring safer highways for all.

Plateau violence claims 1,801; displaces 50,212

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OMMITTEE on Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), set up by the Plateau Government, has said that 1,801 persons were killed in the recent attacks on the state.

Chairman of the committee, AVM Bala Danbaba (retired), while presenting its report to Gov. Simon Lalong on Monday in Jos, added that 50,212 persons were forcefully displaced from their ancestral homes.

Danbaba said that the committee identified 115 communities cutting across Jos North, Jos South, Bassa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos Local Government Areas, that were affected by the crises.

He said that the committee, whose one month period was later increased to two months, received 55 memoranda and visited 27 camps where the IDPs were quartered.

“The only IDPs camp we did not visit was the one at Lere, in the Dorowa area of Barkin Ladi Local Government. We could not go there because of security reasons.

The committee also visited all the affected communities for an onthe-spot assessment,” he stated.

He said that the committee had recommended that the IDPs be returned to their ancestral homes, saying that the exercise should be carried out in four phases.

“The committee also emphasised the provision of adequate security in the affected areas,” he said, dding that the IDPs were willing and anxious to return to their homes, if security was guaranteed.

Danbaba suggested that a victim support programme be initi-

ated to reduce their sufferings.

The committee also called for the establishment of temporary camps within the victims’ communities, for them to live in, while their houses were being reconstructed.

Lalong, who received the report, commended the committee for a carrying out a good job, and announced that the 7-man committee would be responsible for its implementation.

Lalong reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to securing lives and property, and condemned insinuations that the state and Federal Governments were doing nothing to end the crises.

“Things might be slow, but in the spirit of “slowly, but surely”, as well as patience, we have been able to make some phenomenal achievements in ensuring that peace returns and is sustained.

“As some of our strategic initiatives in engendering peace and security in the State, this administration attracted the establishment of the 205 Combat and Rescue Units in Kerang.

“We also attracted a Mobile Police Squadron in Shendam, as well as the recent approval to establish Mobile Police Barracks in Gashish District of BarkinLadi. All these are in addition to procurement and distribution of security vehicles, equipped with modern communication gadgets,” he stressed.

Lalong also said that he had approved the recruitment and training of neighbourhood watch personnel who had been attached to Operation Rainbow for community policing and intelligence gathering.

•Participating band members performing during the 2nd and final Dry Run of the Calabar International Carnival which held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Sunday.

33m Nigerians enrol for National Identification Number

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IRECTOR-GENERAL of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Aliyu Aziz, disclosed, Monday, that 33 million Nigerians have so far enrolled for the National Identification Number (NIN).

Aziz also said that the commission had stepped up its strategy to fasttrack the enrolment of more citizens and provide them with legal identification. ”NIMC has stepped up its operations, which has seen the enrolment figure with the unique National Identification Number (NIN) now at over 33 million, astronomically up from just seven million three years ago,” he said.

The Director-General said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on Sept. 12, 2018 approved the immediate

commencement of the implementation of a strategic roadmap for Digital Identity Ecosystem in Nigeria.

Aziz said that the step would further boost enrolment across the country, moreso as government had set the enforcement of the mandatory use of the NIN for January 1, 2019.

He said that the Digital Identity Ecosystem was a framework that leveraged on the existing capabilities and infrastructure of distinct government agencies and private sector organisations.

The Director-General said that the framework was to carry out enrolment of Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB).

Aziz said that the framework was to ensure issuance of digital identity,

known as the NIN, to give Nigeria a credible and robust identity management system.

He said that the provision of digital identity to everyone in the country to be able to prove ‘who is who’ was critical to accessing services physically or electronically.

According to him, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations demands that nations provide legal identity for allincluding birth registration by the year 2030. ”From the above, it is very clear that identification plays an important role in enabling the achievement of other SDG targets, such as social protection, rights to economic resources, land and property, as well as universal health coverage,” he said.

Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government in order to have credible elections.

“We will also guard against electoral manipulations. Nobody will be allowed to rig election in Benue. We will vote and guard our votes,” he said.

He thanked Iorhemba, for agreeing to step down for him without much pressure from the party leadership, promising to integrate his campaign team into the state PDP main campaign organisation for the overall victory of the party.

Earlier, Iorhemba, said that his

campaign team comprised mainly of grassroots mobilisers who were chiefly, former Local Government Area (LGA) Chairmen, Councilors and House of Assembly members.

He said they would work to ensure that PDP win at the ward, district and LGA levels, stating that they had been doing it over time.

Also, the Director-General (DG), Iorhemba governorship campaign organisation, Mr Iorhen Shirsha, said they had all agreed to work tirelessly for the re-election of Ortom during the 2019 general elections.

PDP will win presidential election overwhelmingly in 2019 – Ortom

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ENUE State Governor, Samuel Ortom, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win the 2019 presidential election overwhelmingly.

Ortom stated this on Monday in Makurdi when a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Mr Dave Iorhemba visited him.

“PDP will not only win in Benue but will win majority of the elective positions during the 2019 general elections. The party will also win the presidential election. We will support both the Independent National Electoral

6

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS

SCP: Community renovates classroom block in Imo council

From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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upils of the Umuihi Primary School in Ihette Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State now study in a conducive environment following the renovation of their classroom block.

The renovation which involved the reroofing and painting of the classroom block, among others, through community self-help effort coordinated by the Community Consultative Committee (CCC), is one of the gains of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)-sponsored Sustainable Citizen Participation (SCP) project introduced in Umuihi community by the Afrihealth Optonent Association, the implementing agency of the project in Nigeria.

The completion of the renovation was the result of successful engagement by the CCC with serving and former councilors of the community and other stakeholders to mobilize resources for the project execution.

The SCP seeks to promote a concept of institutionalizing citizen participation in local governance decision-making, development and democratic processes at the grassroots level in the Niger Delta region of the country.

The 20-man CCC members, inaugurated at a town hall meeting, had developed a two-year development plan for the community during which five projects, including renovation of the classroom block, establishment of a cassava processing mill, construction of water drainage, building of palm oil processing mill and a market, in their order of priority, should be completed by 2020.

They were categorized into quick wins, medium and long term projects to fast-track development of the community, with the quick win already realized.

Senior Project Manager of a civil society organization, Rural Development Planners International (RUDEP), the Sub-Implementing Partner of SCP in Imo State, Richard Okoro, enumerated achievements of the SCP project in Umuihi ward so far to include successful holding of the first town hall meeting attended by 50 persons, election of 20 CCC members of 10 Men and 10 Women, including youths, identification and prioritization of projects and renovation of Umuihi Primary School.

Okoro said RUDEP embarked on advocacy visits to Umuihi community leaders and other relevant stakeholders to enlighten and mobilize them to embrace SCP. He added that to ensure sustainability of SCP, members of the CCC, some of whom were already members of the Ward Development Committee, were trained and their capacities built to maintain existing projects as well as resource mobilization, funds management and accountability.

Traditional ruler of Umuihi community, His Royal Highness, Eze J.C Uwalaka, who inaugurated the Consultative Committee, said he was impressed by the progress recorded under the SCP project, adding that his community would experience serious transformation if the current development strides were sustained.

Eze Uwalaka expressed gratitude to UNDEF and Afrihealth for selecting his community for the SCP project.

Chairman of the Committee, Chief Humphrey Ajegbu, noted that the project was very good, adding that it has helped to demystify difficulties the community faced in developmental activities and holding elected officers accountable while in office.

Imo: APC kicks, as INEC recognises Uzodimma From Collins Ughalaa, Owerri

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uling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State was thrown into further crisis on Friday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) made a U-turn and published the name of Senator Hope Uzodimma as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

Tension rose in the quarters of the Senator as INEC did not include his name among those of others who were published as governorship candidates for the 2019 governorship election in the state, even as the camp of Governor Okorocha rejoiced that after all the name of Senator Hope Uzodimma was missing in the INEC list.

However, in a twist, INEC accepted Senator Hope Uzodimma as the governorship candidate of the APC in Imo State. Following this development his name was pasted as the governorship candidate of the party the Commission at his office along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, with Barr Akaolisa Cyprian Okechukwu as his running mate.

It was gathered that Senator Hope Uzodimma’s name was pasted at the INEC office in Owerri at about 7:52pm on Friday, following a court order he obtained in Abuja on Friday, which struck out the court order obtained by the Governor’s faction stopping the commission from accepting Senator Uzodimma’s name.

A source who knew about the development said that INEC published senator Uzodimma’s name “immediately the court struck out the order by the Okorocha’s faction stopping the name of Senator Uzodimma from publishing as the candidate of the party”.

“The judgement was taken to the National headquarters of INEC and an order was given that the name of Hope should be pasted immediately.

When the order came to INEC in Owerri the administrative head was not on sit but the legal adviser received the order from the national headquarters and he went on. They have just acted not as in their own power but according to the power of the court”, he added.

Apart from Senator Uzodimma,

INEC also published the names of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha as the governorship candidate of the PDP, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the governorship candidate of APGA, among others.

Meanwhile, the APC in Imo State has kicked against the candidature of Senator Hope Uzodimma as published by INEC on Friday, saying that the commission published the names of the governorship candidates before noon on Friday and did not publish that of the APC. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Onwuasoanya FCC Jones on Friday, the party said that “INEC closes work at 4pm, except on election days when they may continue collation of results till very late in the night. The particulars of governorship candidates for Imo State was published before 12 noon, Friday.

He argued that “here is no court order that was obtained afresh by anyone compelling INEC to publish any names for Imo APC. COC Akaolisa who was listed as the purported governorship candidate to Senator Hope Uzodimma is from the same Federal

•General Overseer of Kingdom Dominion Church, Rev Chris Madu (c); Barr Igwe (fourt right); Pastor (Mrs) Madu (third left); Bishop Dr G. Madu, Chairman Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Enugu (third right) with wife;; and Bishop Obi Onubogu, General Overseer, Rock Family Church (second left) among others, after the conferment of the award for Best Local Government Chairman by the Kingdom Dominion Church on Barr Igwe

Bayelsa Govt vows to prosecute killers of 100-level student

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he Bayelsa State Government has vowed to apprehend and prosecute suspected cultists who killed a 100-level student of the Niger Delta University during a robbery operation in Yenagoa, last Thursday.

Tis is also as the state Police Command in Bayelsa said it has commenced engagements with community and youth leaders as well as vigilance groups to flush out criminals, including cultists from the state.

Spokesman of the command, DSP Asinim Butswat, said this, Sunday while reacting to the killing of a 100 level female students of the Niger Delta University, Miss Seiyefa Fred, by suspected cultists.

Seiyefa was killed by suspected cultists in a robbery mission last Thursday in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Residents who witnessed the incident said that the deceased had resisted attempts by the gang who tried to disposes her of her mobile phone.

Butswat identified cultism, armed robbery and rape as the most prevalent crimes in the state and assured the people of that the command’s readiness to partner with communities in fighting crimes.

The spokesman said that there were several reported cases of cultism and

armed robbery in Yenagoa metropolis with the attendant consequences on public safety.

He said the frequency of the incidents had compelled the Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Joseph Mukan, to embark on community engagement meeting with stakeholders to contain the menace.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel IworisoMarkson has said that the government would ensure the prosecution of anyone involved in the killing, describing it as ”shocking, reprehensible and unacceptable.”

Iworiso-Markson gave the assurance that government would do everything to ensure that those who perpetrated the dastardly act were fished out and brought to justice.

The commissioner noted that the government was elected primarily to ensure peace, security development and stability in the state.

“The government òf Bayelsa received with shock the gruesome murder of a 100 level student of the Niger Delta University by people suspected to be cultists on a robbery mission.

“Government condemns with all vehemence this collective assault on our humanity as a people and would do all within its power to address this

provocative act.

“Government calls for the cooperation of all our citizens in the days ahead as deliberate efforts would be made to go after those who have declared war on our peace and security.

“Government commiserates with the family of the late Seiyefa and assures that the killers would not go unpunished,” Iworiso-Markson said.

The state police command, last Friday, confirmed the incident in a statement by its spokesperson, DSP AsImin Butswat, which read: “On 8 November, 2018, at about 2030 hours, unknown suspected cultists at Amarata, Yenagoa, shot one Seiyefa Fred ‘f’ 16years, while trying to dispossess her of her mobile phone. The victim was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

“The Police have swung into action and are working on a promising lead on the identity of the suspects and efforts have been intensified to arrest them.

“The Command has embarked on community engagement meetings with relevant youth bodies in a bid to stem the tide of cult-related activities.

Members of the public should continue to assist the Police with useful information to combat crime in Bayelsa State.”

Constituency with the Senator, therefore, this can hardly be possible, given Nigeria’s political culture”.

The Imo APC Publicity Secretary added that “The only authentic governorship candidate of the APC in Imo State is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and this will be proven with time”, stressing that “Senator Hope Uzodimma had to take this extreme measure of doing everything to see that his name is pasted this night in order to keep his scanty supporters happy and hopeful”.

Police conclude mapping for community-based policing in Enugu

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nugu State Police Command has concluded stakeholders’ mapping for closer engagement with various segments of residents of the state to ensure pro-active community-based policing in the forthcoming yuletide.

Spokesman for the command, SP Ebere Amaraizu, who made this known in Enugu on Wednesday, said that the stakeholders’ mapping had enabled the command to know each stakeholder’s community policing needs and priorities.

He noted that the mapping and the new engagement with residents of the state would continue to ensure that the state remain safe, peaceful and secured throughout the yuletide.

“To this end, the command has started embarking on mass sensitisation of members of the public through platforms like visits to communities, schools, parks as well as town hall meetings and workshops with identified relevant stakeholders.

“The sensitisation which is already on, is aimed at making members of the public understand the fact that the police and the public are inseparable and need to work as one for a common goal for a safe and secured environment.

“Also, the engagement platforms offer the command the opportunity to give relevant tips that will make members of the public to remain security conscious.

“We shall continue to partner with all relevant stakeholders in order to continue to sustain the principle of pro-active community policing; since security is everybody’s business,’’ Amaraizu said.

The spokesman said, “The police are the public and public are the police; and that is why we are strengthening our Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to serve as an accountability platform.’’

Amaraizu, however, advised members of the public to be security conscious even as they board commercial taxis, tricycles popularly known as Keke NAPEP and commercial motorcycles known as Okada.

He urged members of the public to be security-conscious in the use of their ATM cards to avoid unknowingly divulging their pin codes to mischief makers.

“You are also to know your neighbours and your business associates as well as the kind of business they will bring to you.

“You are to be law-abiding, security conscious and partner with your security agencies and as well expose mischief makers around you before you become a victim.

“The command is to be reached through 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202 and 08098880172 and through our twitter handle @PoliceNgEnugu and our Facebook page of Nigeriapoliceforceenugustatecommand as well as at enugustatepolice@gmail.com,’’ Amaraizu said.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Stories by IBE NWACHUKWU

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risis appears to have escalated within the Anambra State chapter of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) as members of the reconciliation committee set up by the national body to reconcile all factions has accused its national chairman, Prince Mike Emuh of deliberately thwarting peace efforts.

At the center of the crisis are the chairman of a factional group of HOSCON, Hon. Anthony Chiokwe with his followers and the Prince Mike Emuh-led national executive committee of HOSCON on one hand, the Paulson Chino factional group, as well as the Peace and Reconciliation Committee on the other hand.

Specifically, the committee is

Bar others from Onitsha South I constituency poll – Accord Party urges INEC

ccord Party in Anambra State A has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission

(INEC) in the state to bar candidates from other political parties to participate in the Onitsha South I state constituency during the March 2, 2019 House of Assembly elections in the state for noncompliance with the commission’s guidelines on party primaries.

State Chairman of Accord Party, Prince Bartholomew Igwedibia JP, who made the call, Friday, at the party secretariat in Awka, also called on INEC not to publish any other candidate’s name on January 31, 2019 being date slated in the INEC timetable, as provided in Section 34 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), apart from its own candidate Chris Arinze, for the Onitsha South Constituency I who, according to him, won the party’s primary election unopposed on October 4.

Igwedibia warned that if INEC goes ahead to recognize candidates from other political parties to contest the election with Arinze, the Accord party’s candidate, the party would be left with no further option other than to seek redress in court of competent jurisdiction on the said matter.

Flanked by other party chieftains, Igwedibia contended that having strongly believed in the rule of law of which Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) is very clear on procedures to adhere to in presenting a candidate for an election as provided in Sections 87 (1), 87 (2), 87 (4c ii), 87 (9) and also Section 31 of the same Act which gave all the political parties up till October 7 to conduct their primaries and produce their candidates, Accord Party on October 4, conducted its own primaries and brought out Arinze for Onitsha South Constituency I, thus beating the October 7 deadline.

He claimed that other political parties (APGA inclusive), in the Onitsha South I Constituency were unable to conduct their party primaries in the area for reasons best known to them either by consensus, direct or indirect election for Anambra State House of Assembly Onitsha South I Constituency election coming up on March 2, 2019, except Accord party.

“Consequently, APGA and all other political parties are being prohibited by these relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to file a candidate for the said election. We are saying this no because we are afraid of any party winning us in the election but as a matter of running foul to the Electoral Act,” he further stated.

Anambra: HOSCON crisis escalates as parallel exco emerges protesting that Emuh inaugurated a 15-man executive to run the affairs of the state chapter of HOSCON when it was yet to finish work and submit its report to the HOSCON national body.

In a press statement issued to newsmen in Awka, Chairman of the committee, Hon. Harry fumed that while they are still battling to beat the October deadline given to them by Emuh to submit report, Emuh himself came down to Anambra on October 16 and inaugurated a factional body led by one Hon. Anthony Chiokwe without their knowledge, thus destroying the fragile peace within the body.

Emuh had in September, this year, constituted the peace and reconciliation committee to resolve all the disputes within the state chapter of HOSCON and bring all the factions together, in a bid to establish orderliness for effective administration of its activities in the state.

Inaugurating the 10-man committee in Awka, Emuh who charged them to commence work immediately, finish and report back to him on or before the end of October,

this year, had mandated them to among others, examine and reconcile all the issues causing the existing divisions within the leadership of the body in the state, make peace and bring all the different groups under one, indivisible and united body, organize and peacefully produce credible leadership that will conduct the affairs of the body in the state.

The committee had Hon. Harry Okongwu, a one-time Commissioner in Anambra state as its chairman, while Dr. Ben Obidigbo, Mr. Ifeanyi Chigbo, Chief Joseph Obidigwe, Barr. Ifeanyi Udevi, Hon. Nick Ibe, Chief Temple Onuigbo, Chief Anene Greg Onyilegbe, Capt.

Kenneth Onuigbe (rtd) and Prof Philip Atanmuo are members.

However, in a press statement issued yesterday in Awka, Chairman of the committee, Harry Okongwu regretted that after giving them on or before October to finish their work and report back to him and while they are still doing their job to beat the October deadline, Prince Emuh neither waited for the October ending, nor waited for their report before he came down

to the state on October 16 and inaugurated a parallel group led by Hon. Anthony Chiokwe.

Flanked by other members of the committee, Okongwu said Emuh did not inform them about his intention to swear-in a new parallel executive, adding that it was after he had done that that they learnt he sneaked into Aguleri and carried out the inauguration to the consternation of the committee members and other parallel groups they were trying to reconcile and bring together.

He urged the general public to discountenance such inauguration and to regard it as null and void, hence according to him, the peace committee is desirous to complete the task of ensuring that peace is established in Anambra HOSCON and their report submitted to the national body within the time frame given to them.

He urged all the parallel groups to stop holding meetings that could attract disorderliness in the activities of HOSCON in the state.

However, in a reaction, Emuh who admitted inaugurating a 15man governing council board for

the state, told newsmen that the inauguration of new HOSCON executive and Governing Council was to enable the state chapter of HOSCON settle down for work with immediate effect, adding that the idea was made possible as a result of good work done by the Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the national body of HOSCON to reconcile all the existing factions in Anambra HOSCON and to restore peace.

Those inaugurated by Emu as the new state HOSCON leadership were Hon. Anthony Chiokwe as its chairman, while Charles Egwuonwu is chairman of the Governing Council, just as Victor Emeka and Bonny Iloegbune are the secretary and treasurer respectively.

Other members of the committee included Alex Akora, Chief Security Officer, CSO, Cletus Okoye, Protocol; Gabriel Okafor, Admin Secretary; Ejike Anselm, financial secretary; Sunday Okechui, provost, Nnamdi Ugboma, publicity secretary; Benson Ajie, Pastor Ezeh Innocent, Anazali Okwudiasi, Sampson Mabia and Nwachukwu Sunday.

Rivers trads: Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike (m) flanked by Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja (l) and Deputy Governor, Ipalibo Harry Banigo (r) along with some traditional rulers in the state during the 108 and 109 General Session of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers on Monday in Port Harcourt, Monday

Why we instituted Ojukwu annual memorial lecture - VC A cting Vice Chancellor of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), in Anambra state, Prof. Greg Chukwudi Nwakoby has explained that the essence of the university instituting an annual memorial lecture in honour of its patron was to always keep in mind what Ojukwu stood for in his life time.

He said in the course of taking brief shortly after his appointment as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university in March, this year, he discovered that Ojukwu was not placed in the varsity’s academic activities, hence he made a proposal to have him in the academic calendar by instituting the memorial lecture in his honour, which was expressly approved by the Governing Council, the Senate and state Governor Willie Obiano, the university’s Visitor.

In his welcome address at the

maiden edition of the Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Annual Memorial Lecture held at the Chief Ben Nwazojie (SAN) Law Auditorium held, Friday, at Igbariam Campus of the University, Nwakoby further stated that the lecture will annually hold on Ojukwu’s birthdays which is November 4, adding that this maiden edition could not hold on November 4 because it fell on a Sunday which was a Holy Day. He commended the sponsor of this maiden edition, Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe for giving the university the sum of N4 million and Prince Chinedu Emeka, former Deputy Governor of Anambra state for giving them N500,000 for the event and urged wealthy people from the state to volunteer the sponsorship of the event on an annual basis since, according him, he deliberately decided not to make any financial request from the state gov-

ernment ‘because Ojukwu lived, worked, laboured and showed love to all Nigerians in general and Ndigbo in particular.’

In her vote of thanks, Ojukwu’s wife, Lady Bianca who expressed appreciation to Nwakoby for initiating the memorial lecture, however expressed displeasure with Governor Willie Obiano for not attending the lecture in person but sending his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke to represent him.

According to Bianca, “Obiano has no reason not to attend the event in person because Ojukwu is the legacy of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which Obiano is enjoying today.’ She also commended the Guest Lecturer, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as well as chairman of the occasion and Chief Uche Ezechukwu, a peripheral lecturer at the event for their roles in making the event a huge success.

In his lecture entitled: “Between force of reason and reason for force: legacy of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu”, Prof. Odinkalu, a human rights activist and an international scholar, described the Nigeria/Biafra civil war as an argument of justice, fair-play and equity, adding that Ojukwu fought the war for citizenship and dignity.

Odinkalu who warned that every massacre or mass killing must have a law of retributive justice or law of karma awaiting the perpetrators of such massacre, recalled that ‘the civil war dramatized the limitations of exceptionalism and isolationism as a policy.’

He added that among African countries, only Cote D’ivoire, Gabon, Tanzania and Zambia recognized Biafra, just as Sierra Leone gave Biafra a base, while Benin Republic only made available facilities for relief supplies to Biafra.

8

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Demand national conference -- Nwala tells Ndigbo

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resident of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Prof.

Uzodinma Nwala, has told Ndigbo to preoccupy themselves with their survival in the Nigerian federation.

Making the suggestion in Umuahia during the inauguration of Abia State chapter of ADF, Nwala proposed that Ndigbo should demand an urgent National Conference to resolve the question of the future of the Nigerian federation before the 2019 general election.

In his keynote address titled; “Unburdening the past and facing the challenges of today and tomorrow with determination and confidence,” Nwala called for the collaboration of the state governments, Ohanaeze, ADF and other pan-Igbo organizations in pushing for an emergency summit to examine the future of Umuigbo in the light of the looming crisis in Nigeria.

“Election or no election, it does not matter which of the political parties wins the election, we must put our future first and foremost, we must continue to work for our emancipation from a political arrangement that continues to ruin our unity, progress, survival and development as a people,” he said.

He explained that ADF was established following the international colloquium on the Igbo question in Nigeria held in Enugu.

“The international colloquium itself was conceived in the light of the persistent sociopolitical situation in the Nigerian federation which has continued to fuel international and national debates over her future, and in the light of the enormous challenges facing Ndigbo both in Nigeria and in the contemporary world.

“The absence of internal cohesion and national focus within Igboland as well as the extreme physical and political vulnerability of her citizens made the international colloquium a timely and urgent wakeup call,” he noted.

Earlier, Chairman of Oboro Council of Ndieze, His Royal Majesty, Eze Larry Agwu, pointed out that God, out of love, has seen Ndigbo through many of their afflictions.

Eze Agwu said that ‘time has come for Ndigbo to unite and see themselves as brothers who accommodate one another, and fashion out ways to develop Igboland.’

In his welcome address, Chief Chinkwe Ndimele, ADF Chairman, Abia state said ADF is a registered non-governmental organization with the objective of protecting and ensuring the survival of Ndigbo, their culture and civilization, as well as the development of Igboland.

•Zodinma-Nwala

2019: Group plots Buhari’s disqualification over perjury Stories by IBE NWACHUKWU

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he Atiku Support Group (ASG) in Anambra State has concluded plans to seek for the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate in the 2019 Presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari from the contest over contradictions in his secondary school certification.

The group is also seeking an order of mandamus compelling Buhari to refund all the salaries he had received since he became the President in 2015m since according to them, he was neither qualified to be the President nor qualified to receive monthly salary as President of Nigeria.

In a press statement issued< weekend, in Awka, jointly signed by the group’s state Chairman, Comrade Chika Nwosu and the Secre-

tary, Chief Osiberoha Osibem ASG dismissed Buhari’s claim that the Nigerian Army was in possession of his secondary school certificate which the military had since denied.

According to them, such a false claim is tantamount to a criminal act of lying under oath in contravention of Section 118 of the Nigerian Criminal Code 118 which provides that “any person who commits perjury is liable to imprisonment for fourteen (14) years”.

Nwosu and Osibe pointed out that the dramatic attestation of WAEC result and Confirmation of Secondary School certificate of Buhari by WAEC officials do not neither confer authenticity nor amount to possession of one unless the source of the document is confirmed and validly certified copies made by a court of competent jurisdiction.

They revealed that Buhari was not disqualified to contest the 2015

Presidential election for non-presentation of the secondary school certificate and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to announce disqualification of the APC candidate for non-presentation of evidence of possession of secondary school certificate and failure to submit evidence of his educational qualification to make him eligible to contest the 2019 Presidential election before the deadline of submission of names of candidates by political parties.

They observed that prior to his enlistment into the Nigerian Army from secondary school based on the recommendation letter from his principal who reportedly wrote that Buhari would pass Mathematics, English and three other subjects, the President’s “confirmation of result” document showed that he had F9 in Mathematics and could not have gotten the requisite entry

qualification into the then British Royal Army in 1961.

They chided Buhari for contending that it would not have been possible for him to attend further courses if he had not possessed secondary school certificate and argued that it can be deduced that the APC candidate had neither the entry qualification nor obtained necessary waiver to undergo the courses, hence making mockery and nugatory of those certifications he purportedly obtained.

Nwosu and Osibe concluded that Buhari had no basic qualification that qualified him to enroll into the military, pursue military courses, and contest the 2015 and 2019 Presidential elections, even as they further reiterated their call for his prosecution for perjury and refund of all salaries and allowances that accrued to him as President since 2015.

Police apprehend 56 suspected cultists in Anambra From Chuks Collins, Awka

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•CMD: Members of the Lagos-based association, Elite Fitness Club, in a group photograph with the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, Prof. Anthony Igwuegbe (third left), when the group paid a courtesy visit to the hospital to offset medical bills of patients, Friday

2019: It’s time to work -- Obi tells Anambra PDP parties, especially from the ruling head of formal commencement working to deliver your area.

All Progressives Grand Alliance A of campaigns for the forthcom“This is the time for us to work ing 2019 general elections the vice hard to regain government again. (APGA) in the state were seen millpresidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Peter Obi has charged members of the party in Anambra State to be ready for rigorous campaigns to ensure overwhelming victory for the PDP in the state.

Obi who addressed the PDP members at the state headquarters of the PDP, Awka yesterday shortly after the meeting of the stakeholders of the party in the state stated that the party’s campaigns would be held essentially at the wards, and, urged all members of the party no matter his or her status to go the wards and mobilize support for the party.

He stated “It is time to work, we have been outside for too long. It is not about complaining, but about

We assure you that we will run a very robust campaign. It is not campaign time yet, what I am doing is to charge you, and let you know what we expect from you once the campaign starts.

“I will return to address you people again before the campaigns start on November 18, and when we come, we will tell you where we stand, and the strategy we intend to adopt to ensure victory”, Obi further stated.

In addition to many stakeholders of the party who attended the meeting, including the PDP vicepresidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, gubernatorial candidate of the party in the last state governorship poll, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, several aggrieved members of other political

ing around the premises of the PDP flagbearer.

Meanwhile, according a communiqué issued at the end of the PDP stakeholders meeting, the PDP in the state commended the Presidential candidate of the PDP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for picking the former state governor, Mr. Peter Obi as his running for in forthcoming presidential election.

The stakeholders at the presided over by the state chairman of the party, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, also set up three committees, including reconciliation’ contact and mobilization and well as fund raising committees to ensure effective campaign and victory for the party in forthcoming general elections in the state.

nambra State Commissioner for Police, Mr. Garba Baba Umar has directed immediate and aggressive manhunt of cultists including their sponsors in order to stem the tide in the wake of an upsurge in cult activities in the state recently.

Already, a release by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed disclosed that the manhunt has started yielding positive results.

The release noted that between Nov 1, 2018 when the special aggressive drive commenced and now, the Command’s Special Anti-Cultism squad has arrested fifty-six suspected cultists from various parts of the state.

A further breakdown of the details show that 13 suspects were apprehended between Ogidi/ Nkpor axis; 10 within Ihiala LGA, while 7 were picked within Awka environs. From Nawfia/Enugwu Ukwu, 8 suspects were arrested; Atani -7; Ayamelum LGA -11 suspects were arrested.

Mohammed disclosed also that so far 38 suspected out of the 56 have made confessional statements and were charged to Court while 18 others are currently being investigated.

He reiterated the command’s commitment towards maximum security for all law abiding citi-

POLITICS

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

Accord Party will Revealed: Why Jonathan produce next Imo stopped Ohakim in 2011 governor – Ajaelu – APC chieftain Pg 12 Pg 10

Buhari, Wike on same page as FG unveils new airport terminal

•Transport Minister, Amaechi, shuns event•Rivers APC governorship candidate, Cole jostles for recognition with Abe in attendance From the records, it took five years for the government of Rivers State, either elected on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), or on the pedestal of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to arrive on the same page regarding the completion of the new terminal at the Port Harcourt International Airport, located at Omagwa, in Ikwerre Local Government Area. From Port Harcourt, NATH OMAME Jr. reports.

T

he formal unveiling of the newly built terminal at the international wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, on Thursday, October 25, by President Mohammadu Buhari, assisted by Governor Nyesom Wike, positively, cemented the compulsive long-running divergent stance of both political parties in the state.

Even at that, both the ruling PDP and the opposition APC in the state manifested subtle maneuvres, in some propaganda sorties designed to score some political points in pursuance of the 2019 general elections.

In the midst of the roaring euphoria, the PDP felt pained that the APC was, unduly, taking credit for a project that was initiated by a PDP government. The party claimed, in its official verified Twitter account, that the project was started by the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and was, unusually, delayed because the APC-led federal government of President Mohammadu Buhari failed to pay contractors handling the project on time.

On the other hand. the APC, in its verified official Twitter account, asserted that Nigerians were not interested on who started the project, but, rather, more enamoured on who completed it.

The PDP further claimed in its effort to intimate the people of the state that the APC federal government was far from the people and the state that it was the first time President Buhari was visiting the state since he was elected in 2015.

According to the official unveiling brochure of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), for the event, the new terminal cost $111 with 85 per cent provided by the China Export-Import Bank, as a concessionary loan, while the Nigerian government contributed 15 per cent of the counterpart funding.

The contract was signed on December 3, 2012, but large-scale construction started on March 1, 2014. The new terminal building was constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

So, at what state of construction was the new terminal building project when the Buhari administration came to power? And what led to the delay in its completion?

According to the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, the project, signed in December 3, 2012, was supposed to have been completed in two years, but that “work was under 30 per cent when the Buhari administration came to power.”

He explained: “The project was bedeviled by various technical challenges including foundation design change; inaccessibility to the airport; inadequate airspace; masterplan distortion; water; sewer provision; litigation; inadequate power supply, to mention a few.”

Sirika assured that “the terminal being commissioned has the capacity to for seven million passengers annually, 15 times the number of total passengers for the entire Ghana for emphasis.”

•Buhari “Port Harcourt Airport being third busiest in the country is very important for the Nigerian economy as well. It served last year, 2017, 1, 080, 248 passengers. The old terminal also being rehabilitated is unable to accommodate a combined requirement of space to handle such volume of passengers.”

Despite the Infectious feelings of dismay with which Nigerians, residents of Rivers State and FAAN pooh poohed the rating of the Port Harcourt International Airport as the “worst in the world in 2015”, by Sleepinginairports, the commissioning of the new terminal, on Thursday, October 25, undoubtedly, notched up an ambience and unbiased rating of the Port Harcourt International Airport.

The internationally respected travel website conducts an annual survey by asking air travellers to rate their airport experiences based on the services and facilities available within the terminal, cleanliness, customer service, comfort and their overall airport experience.

The aggregate feedback Sleepinginairports got from its sources in its 2015 Airport Survey showed that the Port Harcourt International Airport was among airports that “are dirty,

•WIke uncomfortable, unfriendly and lack the most basic of services and amenities.” Surprisingly, of the 10 worst international airports in the world mentioned in the 2015 survey, the Port Harcourt International Airport was the only African airport on the list.

Not expectedly, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) faulted the ranking

by Sleepinginairports, stating that “the Port Harcourt International Airport was not the dirtiest and most corrupt airport in Africa.”

General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Yakubu Dati, in a statement, October 26, 2015, a day after the survey was released

by SleepingInairports.net stated, “Our stand is that the said ranking was unfounded as it did not take cognisance of the fact that the airport terminal was still undergoing remodeling. Some of its terminal operations are still conducted in a temporary structure.”

The statement stressed: “The existing domestic terminal, from which both international and local flights were conducted, was undergoing remodeling. Apart from this, construction work is also in progress at the site of the new international terminal.”

“We believe that operations at such an airport where construction work is going on

simultaneously with normal flight and related operations cannot be as conducive as in those airports where there are no on-going construction projects. Neither can environments at such different scenarios be equally clean.”

The agency explained that it was aware of the enormous challenges posed by the peculiar operational situation at the airport and had taken several measures to alleviate the difficulties faced by passengers and other airport users.

The statement pointed out: “One of such measures includes closing down one of the tents and moving operations there to some sections of the remodeled terminal, even when work in those sections were not fully completed.”

“We wish to assure all passengers, airline operators and other airport users that services at our airports are delivered at recommended international standards that ensure safety, security and comfort.”

“While we regret any inconvenience experienced at these airports, including Port Harcourt International Airport, due to on-going construction projects, we promise that services at these airports will surely get better

Cont’d on page 13

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

INTERVIEW

Accord Party will produce next Imo governor – Ajaelu Chief Kizzy Ajaelu is the Accord party candidate for Ihitte-Uboma State Constituency for the Imo State House of Assembly in the 2019 elections. He was formerly the State Coordinator of Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). He was Chairman, Federal Civil Service Club and Vice Chairman, Association of Heads of Government’s Establishment. He trained as a Development Economist, Cost Accountant, Administrator, and in Law. He is the national patron and Board of Trustee (BoT) of the Block Rosary Crusade of Nigeria. He is a Knight of St. Mulumba and President Laity Council of Nigeria, Assumpta Cathedral. Ajaelu is currently the President Elect, Rotary Club, Owerri North (Exclusive). In this interview with COLLINS UGHALAA in Owerri, Chief Ajaeliu, among other things, assures that Accord Party will produce the next governor of the State in 2019. Excerpts.

Assessing the primary elections generally Well, I may not have the details of the primaries conducted by other parties, but through the press reports and interactions it was obvious that some parties did not follow democratic principles in the exercise. This does not show we have matured well enough. I want to believe that the parties that did not follow the guidelines would have problems.

This is because democracy allows for equitable participation for the process to bring out the best candidate, and if somewhere along the lines the process is short-changed, you don’t expect it to turn up credible candidates. At the end of the day people might not go for candidates that emerged through faulty primaries.

Motivation for running for the house of assembly seat Without sounding immodest, you will agree with me that we have not been reaping the real democratic fruits even in the legislative arm of government. A lot is expected from those representing us. Each time we come to realize that people sent there do not actually perform the real representation. They go to the place and line up their pockets and the people suffer for it. I am offering myself to go and make the difference, to show what it means to represent the people. I am going to carry my people along in all aspects of lawmaking, carry their heart desires into the house and then speak for them. I will ensure their interests are captured in the budgets. I intend to work closely with the executive arm, particularly with the chairman of the local government. Lawmaking is actually different from executive business but with close synergy it allows you get closer to the people. This synergy can at the end of the day transform into infrastructure dividends, etc.

Why I left APGA I started with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). I had in mind that APGA, based on what is happening in the country nationally, especially on the issue of restructuring, shared the same dream. We have the expectations that the Igbos should come under one umbrella so that we could pursue the restructuring agenda effectively. We had thought that APGA would be the vehicle to drive the agenda but down the line it became obvious that those at the helm of the party’s affairs have their own personal agenda. We are all here and saw that the primaries were nothing to write home about. The people were short-changed in the process. So I

•Chief Kizzy Ajaelu

had to leave. I believe that my new platform, Accord party will provide me the opportunity to serve my people.

Accord party is devoid of rancour Now the issues surrounding all the parties are on the tabloids everyday. The problem of APC is still on-going. They are neither here nor there. PDP of which I was a foundation member had its problem long originated from the Sherrif matter which polarised the party and it was so much that coming together would be a big problem. You can now see that the two Owerri candidates are

at each other’s throat with the matter instituted in the court. I doubt if this will be amicably resolved. Like I said, when the issues came up I decided to go to a party that is devoid of rancour. I can now concentrate and channel my energies towards what I have planned for my people. Accord is the number one party on the ballot paper and it is a movement that is divine. It is now that I am in Accord that I realised that the hand of God is in the party. It is going to be the party that will produce the next governor of Imo State. Imo people voting Accord will bring about peace and harmony, so that

we can go about delivering the dividend of democracy to the people. The people of Imo State have really suffered under the present administration. There are a lot of issues. The administrative style is nothing to write home about. I believe the Accord party is the place to be and I enjoin all Imo people to get on board because it has come to bring peace, progress and development to the people.

You will agree with me that what makes a party strong is the quality of persons in the party, including the quality of the candidates they have on board.

People can identify those calling the shots and can vouch for them. You may

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

INTERVIEW wish to know that His Excellency Dr Ikedi Ohakim is running under Accord party as its governorship candidate and his records are there. When you look through and consider those clamouring for the position you will know that he has an edge over others. I believe that the people are going to welcome Accord and the quality of candidates that we have is something to be very proud of. We have politicians with excellent track records and we can identify what they have done. They are tested and trusted.

My role model in politics As a legislator, I put myself around the image of Chief Mike Ahamba when he was in the House. He was outspoken.

His performance still rings bell. Having watched him as young man then I admired him, and if I have a choice I would like to be moulded after him. He spoke out, challenged the then ruling government and corrected some ills. If I am voted in I would like to be very vocal on issues because I will not like to be compromised.

The Okorocha’s government It is very obvious that their style and manner of government leaves very much to be desired. I would rather say that I come from the background of the church which is Catholic. We are not so pleased about the style and manner of his government. I am a strong Catholic member, a Knight of the Church at the 4th Degree level in KSM. At this level I will not like to be compromised or be seen to be compromised. At this level in the society people are looking up to me to say the truth and stand by what is real and just. I wouldn’t say that we are happy with the manner of running the government. There must be checks and balances. You must carry along all the arms of government so that you can deliver the dividends of democracy. It is almost an autocratic government where no other arm gets involved in what is happening. And they do as they like without deliberating on policies anymore.

Look at the quality of infrastructure; they are already collapsing in our presence. Penny wise, they say, is Pound foolish. He should spend the money and get things done properly once and for all. Look at the roads that collapsed in a matter of months after completion.

The next government will still come and spend money again on a particular project. If these things are done through due process and we get the companies to bid and guarantee their performance.

Once that is completed he faces other things. With limited resources there I need to plan and achieve well. Once you run a government without planning things will be neither here nor there. We are happy the government is coming to an end so that it can afford Imo people the opportunity to do the proper thing.

With all these people brandishing tickets Imo people should go for someone who has been tried and tested. That is why I decided to team up with Ohakim in Accord party to give Imo the dividends of democracy they need.

Imo people should give Ohakim another chance That is what I am saying. They should give him another chance. He means well. He is not greedy. He follows due process. I am aware that this present administration is working hard to eradicate all his performances in terms of infrastructure, but then he has quality, he has vision. Throughout his tenure he was paying salaries and pensions, but look at what we have now. Salaries are been cut

and paid in percentages. This is something that was alien when Ohakim was in power. A worker deserves his wages.

With the so much amount of money that has come into the coffers of the state, what do we have? The Governor has rather destroyed the public service and enthroned lack of due process. Ohakim is the man for the job in 2019.

The Charter of Equity The Charter of Equity may not have been written but it is written in our minds. At his stage of our democratic experiment, it is necessary so as to douse the tension. But you see, when Ohakim came in he was even hitting at it, that we should not truncate it. He should have been allowed to complete his tenure so that he could hand over to an Owerri man, but unfortunately the same Owerri Zone collaborated with others to deny him his second tenure. They brought an Orlu man against the run of play. Look at how we are paying for it! I believe that by voting Ohakim we will not only be remedying that mistake but will also ensure that the Charter of Equity is restored. As you can see, Owerri Zone is in confusion.

But then they know where the problem started. This is an opportunity to correct it. Get Ohakim back to correct it and hand over to Owerri man. With what is happening Ohakim is the only man that can help Imo State at this point in time, because he is the man that handed over to this outgoing administration. He has his hand over report. He knows what is where before this mad acquisition and destruction of records. Ohakim should come back for the interest of Imo State.

•Chief Kizzy Ajaelu

He is the man who should open the books and ask questions. He is the man who can go through the inventories of Imo State and recover all the recoverables. No other candidate aspiring to be there has such records. They can only have that which Rochas may have handed over and which may have been doctored to suit him.

Besides, none of them have been governor before. So before they kick start they would have spent time learning the ropes. That is not what we need now.

We need to get back on track within the shortest possible time to rejig the economy of this state, to make sure that people begin to do business again. Any new government now will take time to study the processes before talking about recovery, and you can only recover that which you know. The man who knows the in and out of the government is Ohakim.

Do you foresee an Igbo presidency in 2023?

As an Igbo man who would like us to have bite at the presidency, I would like to say yes, that Igbo presidency is possible. But to get there we would like to play the politics first. Then, the question is: Are the Igbo playing the politics that they need to before coming to the national stage? With what is happening I doubt if it is realizable. If we vote the PDP, the man there will like to run for 8 years which is beyond 2023. So the Igbo should begin to expect 2027, except there is a miracle or except the restructuring which is one of the main issues for 2019 occurs.

My chances are very bright I think my chances are very bright. I have been able to x-ray other candidates from other parties: the PDP, APC, APGA, etc. So far I don’t think that I have any issues, if people will not be carried away by any sentiments. If the intention is to get the best man for the job I will have no problem. I think the leadership in Ihitte-Uboma knows me in and out and they know that I am the man who carries the leadership and the people along. I intend to consult everybody irrespective of political leaning. I am going there not to represent Accord party alone but the people of Ihitte-Uboma also. I am eminently qualified and I have all it takes to give my people the desired representation. The outgoing legislator, Uche Eiogu has a Ph.D holder and it would require a man high up there in terms of academics, not persons with WAEC, to sustain the tempo.

A forward looking local government like Ihitte-Uboma needs a man that is grounded. If you might know, educationally I have four degrees and functioned as a professional administrator. This is about lawmaking and I have degree in Law. Experience wise, I pulled out of the Civil Service as a Director in the Federal Civil Service. I trained as a Cost Accountant and I am an Economist. I have also served the state and in the past 15 years and I was involved in revenue generation. My representation will add quality to deliberations in the areas I have skills. I have taken pains to analyse the budgets of Imo State and it has given me an insight into what the government is doing.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

POLITICS Revealed: Why Jonathan stopped E Ohakim in 2011 – APC chieftain

By Collins Ughalaa

ight years after Dr. Ikedi Ohakim left office as the Governor of Imo State, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Commissioner for Information and Strategy to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Dr. T.O.E Ekechi, who is also the convener of the popular Imerienwe Declaration, has opened up on the reason Ohakim lost his re-election bid in 2011, saying that it was not based on his performance but a deliberate act by the former President, Dr. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, to stop him.

Dr. Ekechi disclosed this in an interview with a national daily, adding that Governor Okorocha will end up in jail.

Dr. Ekechi’s insistence that Okorocha will end up in jail is also an indication that despite that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Friday published the name of Senator Hope Uzodimma as the governorship candidate of the APC in Imo State, the crisis in the party has not abated. The Imo State APC has been engulfed in crisis following the Governor’s endorsement of his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him. The Governor’s choice of a successor did not go down well with most chieftains of the party who have since drawn the battle line.

Why Ohakim lost reelection Speaking on the conspiracy that removed Dr. Ikedi Ohakim from office as Governor in 2011 despite his stellar performance, he said that it was because former President Goodluck Jonathan did not want him to return following a grudge he bore against him. Dr. Ekechi revealed: “It is on record that I was a close ally to Rochas Okorocha. As former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Interior, Capt. Ihenacho, we worked with Okorocha at the instance of the former President Goodluck Jonathan. A committee was set up to evaluate Jonathan chances of winning the presidential election in Imo State judging from the activities of the former Governor Ikedi Ohakim who was then in PDP. Ohakim showed signs of dislike against Jonathan when he was transiting from Vice President to President. As secretary of the committee, I became very close to Okorocha. When it became obvious that Ohakim could not win the 2011 governorship election, Okorocha moved to APGA and the committee supported him. I donated my house for meetings to show personal support.

“In 2013, Okorocha invited me to serve in his government as Commissioner for Information. There were many initiatives in his administration that were very commendable. He got involved on populist oriented programmes and identified with the people then. I played an important role in creating positive perception and explained him to the world even at my own expense.”

The long battle with Okorocha According to the former Commissioner who is also a newspaper publisher, the battle with Governor Okorocha started when it became obvious to them that the Governor had derailed. He said that all entreaties and advice to the Governor did not yield fruit.

He said: “Towards the end of his first tenure, I started seeing signs that Okorocha is no longer acting in good faith. Most of his projects did not support growth. I personally engaged him on the need to develop a blueprint or a roadmap to sustain what he did in his first tenure. He rejected my submissions and claimed to be master of all. He promised that academic activities of Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala campus of Imo State University will take off in 2013. Nothing close to his promises, including bridges and road constructions happened in the area despite

…Insists Gov Okorocha will end up in jail the university will be established as a corporation with Imo State government and foreign establishment. The land was acquired for that purpose. Today, the case is different? Who built Imo International Conference Centre? Who carried out all the road projects in Imo State? Who acquired the aircraft purportedly belongs to Imo State? Okorocha must answer questions on how he acquired aircraft in another man’s fleet. Should the acquisition be given a priority in a state where people are not paid salaries? There are so many skeletons in Okorocha, the wife and Uche Nwosu’s cupboards”.

•Dr. Ekechi the fact that money was appropriated for these projects. His free education policy could not guarantee qualitative education.

In the state’s university’s admission quota, he shortchanged Imo indigenes. He gave non-indigenes 70% against 30% for indigenes of Imo State to enable him make more money from the university. We felt it was a bad free education for the state.

“The Governor abandoned many projects despite the fact that money has been released for these projects. Some of us who resisted his abnormal style of administration incurred his wrath and he felt we were too inquisitive. He destroyed the markets and public properties. The Governor got involved in full-scale usurpation, conversion of public properties for himself and his family. We saw a total involvement of all his family members in the acquisition of state properties. We witnessed the collapse of the local government administration, collapse of traditional institutions and the collapse of state ministries.

Most of us who supported him in 2011 and 2015 did so because of expediency. Despite all these, he got involved in arm-twisting gimmicks and was not willing to allow due process in selecting who succeeds him in 2019”.

Okorocha will end up in jail Speaking on the fate that would befall the Governor when he leaves office as Governor, Dr. Ekechi said that “Every other person who worked with him, including Hon Uche Onyeagocha, wants to see him to end up in jail. The campaign to ensure he goes to jail is

gaining ground. If our laws are truly our laws, if the APC government, which believes in fighting corruption remains in power, I have no doubt that Okorocha will end up in jail.

“Have you sat down to think of why Okorocha cannot deem it fit to commission any of his projects? Why he cannot also tag cost to any project? Because commissioning of projects would attract the visit of the president or any other important personality. The commissioning process will start with who the contractor is; the cost of the project. There is no known contractor that handled projects in Imo State. The contractors that retire projects are not the same contractors that handled the projects. Those handling jobs have no name in civil engineering or any other professional competence to handle any project in the state. That is why he is crazy about his son-in-law succeeding him so that these records remain a secret in the next eight years.

“How will Okorocha explain his acquisition of government land being the Imo Broadcasting Corporation properties at Orji in Owerri North local government for his private use and in the name of Rochas Foundation College? The entire premises, including the road leading to the state medium, has suddenly become Rochas Foundation College. How can he explain the expansion of his private home (Spibath) in the same Owerri North and the public roads he annexed during the expansion? How can Okorocha explain the ownership of Eastern Palm University? During my time as Commissioner for Information, I made a release stating that

Okorocha’s choice of successor Asked whether Governor Okorocha’s choice of his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him is the issue, he said: “Yes. We believed that his choice of his son-in-law to succeed him in 2019 was the most unfortunate decision the Governor made for himself. It paints a gloomy picture of what will happen in 2019. We concluded that the risk of keeping quiet is far more than the gains of sustaining our political party. We felt that the problem, dangers and challenges were strong enough that we needed to put the state first before the party. That is why some of us decided to roundly challenge Governor Okorocha to submission”.

The former Commissioner also disclosed that he had “privately approached the Governor severally and I was humiliated in those meetings. In one occasion, I sat with him for 40 minutes in the presence of Hon Uche Onyeagocha and Dr. Ezekiel Izogu because he insisted they must be present while I spoke to him. I told the Governor that people were watching and he was running the state aground. Whatever he was doing was already before the public and that his popularity was dropping vertically. I also reminded him that I am a journalist, public analyst and an indigene of Imo State with more ears on ground and in a position to know the thinking of the people he governs. I told him that my speaking to him at that moment was out of love and I appealed to him to make a Uturn.

“I revealed to him that the powers-that-be in Abuja did not like him and whatever he represented despite their smiles. I told him that he could still walk tall if he could listen to the people. He told me that he had done a lot and got away with them and challenged me to name a more successful politician in Nigeria more than himself. I told him to his face that he was not. The highest political prize in Nigeria is the office of the President.

The second most successful politician is the man who helped the president to emerge.

‘Who is the person’, Okorocha asked me? I answered: Buhari, Tinubu and the Vice President. He said to me, ‘Thank you for your advice, I will not change.’

“I flew with him in an aircraft and I told him that it had gone beyond semi-circle. When we had lunch together at the Concorde Hotel, he asked Uche Nwosu to excuse us. I told the Governor again that this gap was closing against him and his chances of going out were very slim and that he could not continue to mortgage my future, supporting him.

Suddenly, the local government people paid a solidarity visit to him for Uche Nwosu. The Governor said, having heard from the local governments in the state, he had no other choice than to endorse his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu. It was this public move by the Governor that prompted the Imerienwe Declaration which was a rejection of leadership by impunity. I had to extricate myself from impunity, corruption and fraud of Okorochaled government”.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

POLITICS

Buhari, Wike on same page ...

Cont’d from page 9 at the completion of these projects,” FAAN assured.

Even before the Port Harcourt International Airport was rated the “worst airport in the world”, then-Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, now Minister of Transportation, lamented that his rift with then-President Jonathan had led to the neglect of the Port Harcourt International Airport by the then-Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Odua.

Amaechi had told Channels Television, on Saturday, September 21, 2013, that the minister of Aviation had abandoned the upgrading and remodeling of the state. The former governor was so pained, he thundered: The aviation minister is reckless on that.”

He said: “I have gone to the President (Jonathan) and told him that because of the disagreement between Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is not Rivers State, and the president, the minister of aviation has abandoned the airport. They started that airport with Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Benin, and Calabar.

The rest have been completed, including Enugu which has been commissioned. It is hatred.”

But the minister who responded through her Special Assistant (Media), Joe Obi, debunked the allegations as “untrue and false,” maintaining that huge work was ongoing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

Obi insisted: “Port Harcourt is among the 11 airports in the first phase of airport remodelling. If you go to that airport now, it is completely different from what it was two or three years ago.”

People and residents of Rivers State, including air travellers thought the Port Harcourt International Airport would be completed on time, considering that Amaechi who was unhappy with the delay of the Jonathan administration in completing the project was appointed by President Buhari to oversee the ministry of transportation, of which aviation is an Integral arm.

But as it later turned out, the completion of the new terminal building continued on a snail speed two years after Buhari was elected as president, even though, Amaechi, who complained bitterly during the tenure of former President Jonathan, was now the supervisory minister of the ministry of transportation of which the aviation sub-sector is a veritable arm.

The seeming delay in the completion of the new terminal building in the Port Harcourt International Airport, under Amaechi’s supervision sought of reenacted the erstwhile political scenario of 2013 up to 2015, during the tenure of former President Jonathan, when Amaechi, then, the governor of Rivers State, attributed the slow pace of work on the project to a subtle attempt to punish him, and by extension, the people of the state because he had defected to the opposition APC. In the same vein, It was easy, then, for Amaechi to weave the delay in completing the new terminal building to the long-running rift between himself, former President Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience; and the then-Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who was later elevated as a supervisory minister.

So, the PDP, the ruling party in the state responded in the same manner, wondering why the APC-led federal government of which Amaechi remains an influential member has failed to complete the new terminal building now that the party has inherited the project from the immediate past PDP-led federal government, now that PDP is ruling Rivers State.

In April 18, 2017, the Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, expressed displeasure that “two years into the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government, Buhari had not executed any tangible projects in the state.”

The PDP chairman in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Public-

•Hadi Sirika, Minister of State, Aviation

ity, Jerry Needam, mentioned the “Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, as similar projects that were completed in record time, whereas the Port Harcourt International Airport remains abandoned.”

He, specifically, mentioned the Port Harcourt International Airport which, he claimed, had been abandoned by the federal government. Obuah regretted that “the APC-led federal government has failed to complement the efforts of Governor Wike in the execution of capital projects which would have improved the wellbeing of the people of the State.”

Obuah pleaded: “The APC-led federal government should have a rethink by giving the deserved attention to Rivers State which is the Treasure Base of the nation, the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs for the rest of us.”

Standing on the same pedestal with the state chairman of the PDP, Governor Wike, on May 3, 2017, stated that his administration was investing in transforming infrastructure in the federal judiciary “because the APC-led federal government has abandoned her responsibilities to the Rivers State people.”

He informed members of the National Association of Rivers State Students from the Nigerian Law School who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Port Harcourt, that he was “compelled to make such investment in courts under the Federal Government because they were left to rot.”

“After Lagos State, the next state with the highest number of litigations is Rivers State.

Yet the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was dilapidated; the National Industrial Court was non - existent and the Court of Appeal has been in a sorry state. To ensure that our people have access to justice, we resolved to construct a new Federal High Court complex with six modern courtrooms and state of the art facilities.”

“We have proposed the demolition of the existing old Federal High Court so that we can build a new complex with more courtrooms. We are constructing the National Industrial Court complex in Port Harcourt as part of measures to ensure that litigants no longer travel to Yenagoa for their cases. The

Court of Appeal building in Port Harcourt is undergoing total rehabilitation to ensure that it accommodates more litigants.”

Noticeably, the vexatious stance of the Rivers State government in the last two years of former President Jonathan’s PDP administration, from 2013 to 2015, when Amaechi was governor; and the past three years of President Buhari’s APC-led government, from 2015 to 2018, now that Wike is governor, thawed, significantly, on Thursday, October 25, following the commissioning of the new terminal building of the Port Harcourt International Airport.

Governor Wike arrived at the airport with a full accomplishment of members of his cabinet. President Buhari emerged from his aircraft with a cherry grim which lasted all through his tete a tete with Wike, whose hearty smile spoke the content of his heart.

Wike was pleasantly happy.”

And President Buhari, warmly, recognised the shift in Governor Wike’s hitherto stringent critical posture in matters of state policy. Appreciative of the undue delay in completing the new terminal building, Buhari stated: “I, therefore, wish to commend the people of the South South region and airport users for their patience during the period of construction.”

Smiling, President Buhari stressed that the “commissioning ceremony represents a significant landmark for international air travellers, particularly from the South South region region, and the entire country.”

Then, he emphasised on what Wike wanted to hear and why he has been so pained that the completion of the project was unduly delayed. “Todays commissioning is an example of government’s deliberate policy on the development of infrastructure for economic growth in all geo-political zones of the country.”

President Buhari further amplified the economic benefits of the new terminal building in conjunction with “the decision of the federal government to remove Value Added Tax (VAT) from domestic air transportation in line with global best practices.”

“This will make air travel more affordable and subsequently lead to the creation of jobs by the air transport value chain as well

as increase revenues for government.”

With the president stating that the new terminal building will enhance economic growth; increase government revenues and job creation, Governor Wike assured Buhari that the people of Rivers State and the Niger Delta were happy with the completion of the project.

“For this day, the people of Rivers State and the people of the Niger Delta are happy seeing this. What you are doing today will boost the economy of the state; create employment for the people. It would bring investors to the state.”.

He emphasised: “Mr. President has directed that the domestic wing of the airport be commissioned in December. I hope my friend, Hadi Sirika (minister of state for aviation) will keep to it so that the people of Rivers State and the Niger Delta will continue to be happy with President Buhari.”

Then, Governor Wike used the successful completion of the new terminal building project to reiterate his refrain that Rivers State is safe to live and do business; and respond to his predecessor, Amaechi and minister of transportation, who did not show up for the event; and who, in the weekend before the unveiling ceremony, again, claimed that “people are leaving the state because of insecurity.”

The APC governorship candidate for the 2015 gubernatorial election, Dr Dakuku Peterside, who is the director-general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has also continued to harp on the matter of insecurity in the state, also alleging that people and businesses, were relocating from the state.

Governor Wike paused for effect; scanned the crowd of people who had thronged the airport to welcome the president and share in the convivial euphoria of the ceremony; smiled at President Buhari, and spoke with a warm smile, playing on his lips.

“Mr. President, what has happened here today is a clear statement of fact that Rivers State is safe; safe for people to come and invest. If the state were not safe, CCECC would not come to complete this project. I urge all of us from Rivers State and Nigeria to market the state and not to de-market it.”

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Extra 2019: WAEC Fight gender inequality – Mrs Udom urges women attestation certificate dent on Buhari’ -- Group

From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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elta State Chapter of Nigerians Asking For Atiku (NAFA) has again passed a vote of confidence on the 2019 Atiku/Obi as well as on the Okowa/Otuaro presidential and governorship tickets, respectively.

The pro-Atiku and PDP political pressure group in a communiqué at the end of its 3rd State executive meeting held in Asaba, Friday, said President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have done inestimable damage to the socio-economic fabric of the Nigerian nation.

The group added that the needless economic recession experienced at the inception of Buhari administration points to show the gross inefficiency of APC national government.

The communiqué signed by the State Coordinator, Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe and Secretary of NAFA, Prince Sunny Ajemudia noted that the failure of APC and Buhari to provide the positive change promised Nigerians in 2015 has ridiculed the image of the nation and crumbled the global rising profile of Nigeria, rated in 2014/2015 as one of the fastest growing economy in the world, before Buhari assumed office.

NAFA Delta further observed that come 2019, the APC and its presidential candidate, President Buhari shall suffer acute humiliation and rejection as eligible voters who have been suffering untold hardship, hunger, joblessness and frustration, are already warming up to vote Atiku-Obi as the next president and vice president of Nigeria.

“It is obvious that our nation has collapsed to the absolute dismay of Nigerians, especially our teeming youth who mobilized for the fake APC change in 2015. Nigerians do not need soothsayers to tell that Buhari and APC are sinking and shall be relegated to the dustbin of political history, come 2019.

“NAFA Delta resolved to campaign massively in the state for ATIKU-OBI and OKOWA-OTUARO tickets at both presidential and governorship elections. It is a task that must be done and its glaring that the fast decaying APC, has lost respect and the confidence of Nigerians.

“We frown at the illegal WAEC attestation certificate issued to President Buhari. WAEC has no business attesting to the results of an examination it never conducted.

“The unscrupulous certificate saga has further revealed the fake integrity of Buhari, who in recent times, exposed himself as a dishonest man, bereaved of ideas and essential leadership qualities to point the way forward for our dear country,” NAFA Delta added.

The group also passed a vote of confidence on its State Coordinator, Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, describing him as a well-focused, proactive, humorous, trust worthy leader and urged him to remain as NAFA Delta Coordinator.

From Ini Billie, Uyo

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rs Martha Udom Emmanuel, Wife of the Akwa Ibom State Governor has called on Nigerian women to be bold and courageous in their fight against gender inequality.

Speaking on Monday in Uyo, during the opening ceremony of the first National Conference of the University of Uyo Women Association (UWA), the governor’s wife said the fight for gender equality will help create an environment for equal participation in nation building.

Mrs Martha Emmanuel who was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr.Glory Edet stated that women are ordained by God with the ability to effectively address human

issues and should be given equal opportunity to contribute to the growth of the country.

“Women are advancing and realising that they should not allow themselves to be sidelined from participating in the social, economic and political development of the country. Women have what it takes to add great value to the development of our nation.

“It has become old fashioned to say that women’s place is in the kitchen. Gone are those days where women are meant to be seen but not to be heard. The truth is that women are endowed and ordained

by God to be helper and should be given opportunity to contribute towards the growth of the nation. Be bold and courageous to condemn evil. Together we shall build the na-

tion of our dream,” she said.

In her remarks, the President of UWA, Mrs Rosalyn Essien added that the conference seeks to actualize the political, economic, legal, social and cultural involvement of women in nation building.

Essien who said some women have been held spell bound by various religious and traditional practices that symbolizes cultural violence against women, appealed to traditional institutions and custodians of inherited culture to be elastic in their review of existing traditional barriers against women.

“It has been observed that women while being significant victims of conflict and crisis, are seldom part of conflict resolution and crisis management process. They have arguably been held spell bound by various

traditional and religious practices that symbolizes cultural violence against women.

“It is our conviction that the same women who have been able to mould a home can also mould a nation. We sustain the conviction that Women who have been trusted with administration and leadership positions in the University can also be trusted with parallel positions in the nation at large,” she said.

Essien also encouraged women to continually support one another to enable them become a powerful force in the society.

In a paper presentation, one of the presenters, Mrs Ekereobong Akpan, Head of Civil Service in Akwa Ibom State stressed the need for women to be repositioned, empowered and motivated to aspire and aim beyond the kitchen.

She said “There is always the need to give other women the chance to make input in order to build their confidence and create in them a new self-worth and belief in the group struggle or advancement.

“We should make efforts to remind d ourselves the important key points to repositioning, empowering and motivating the women to aspire and aim beyond the kitchen”.

Igwe bags Best Performing Abia Council chairman award for 2018 From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

I • Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (left) presenting the Staff of Office to the newly elected Traditional Ruler of Nguru Nsukka Autonomous Community, Nsukka Local Government Area, HRH Igwe Linus Nosike Obayi at Nsukka, yesterday. With him on his left is the Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Senator Chukwuka Utazi

Police apprehend 56 suspected cultists in Anambra From Chuks Collins, Awka

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nambra State Commissioner for Police, Mr. Garba Baba Umar has directed immediate and aggressive manhunt of cultists including their sponsors in order to stem the tide in the wake of an upsurge in cult activities in the state recently.

Already, a release by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed disclosed that the manhunt has started yielding positive results.

The release noted that between

Nov 1, 2018 when the special aggressive drive commenced and now, the Command’s Special Anti-Cultism squad has arrested fifty-six suspected cultists from various parts of the state.

A further breakdown of the details show that 13 suspects were apprehended between Ogidi/Nkpor axis; 10 within Ihiala LGA, while 7 were picked within Awka environs. From Nawfia/Enugwu Ukwu, 8 suspects were arrested; Atani -7; Ayamelum LGA -11 suspects were arrested.

Mohammed disclosed also that so

far 38 suspected out of the 56 have made confessional statements and were charged to Court while 18 others are currently being investigated.

He reiterated the command’s commitment towards maximum security for all law abiding citizens always, especially this ember months period and would deal decisively with anyone apprehended in accordance with the law.

The police charged parents caution their wards to refrain from indulging into cultism and other nefarious anti-social conducts.

Okowa seeks review of TETFUND law From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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elta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has called for review of law establishing TETFUND to cater for both private and public institutions of higher learning.

The governor made the call, weekend, at the combined convocation ceremony of Western Delta University, Oghara, Ethiope West local government area of Delta State.

According to Governor Okowa, “the law setting up TETFUND should be looked into because, it is right for TETFUND to assist the private Universities. Whether private or public, they are training our children.”

He congratulated the graduating

students and challenged them to have the zeal to succeed, saying, “all over the world, the days are gone when you will graduate from the university and carry certificate, moving from one place to the other searching for job; as you go out engage in lawful business, pray and trust in God.” While assuring of his administration’s commitment to continuously partner with private and public institutions of higher learning, Governor Okowa congratulated the Western Delta University for the successful ceremony.

Chancellor of the University, Obong Victor Attah informed the graduands that “knowledge is not

merely a certificate but a deep understanding of issues,” stating that they should deploy knowledge they have acquired to effect positive changes in the society.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Otete Okobiah in an address, said, “we are graduating five sets of graduands, 2012/2013, 2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016 and 2016/2017.”

Former Governor of Delta State and Visitor to the University, Chief James Ibori, former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbenedion, former Deputy Governor of Delta State, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN) were among dignitaries attended the ceremony.

t was a colorful outing, laced with copious encomiums, at the Kingdom Dominion Church (KDC) Incorporated, Enugu, where the Executive Chairman of Umunneochi Local Council Area of Abia State, Barr Okey Igwe, was honoured with a meritorious award of “Most performing Local Government Chairman in Abia State, 2018”.

The three-pronged event also marked the 15th anniversary of KDC and the official unveiling and dedication of an ultra-modern church.

According to the General Overseer (GO) of the church, Rev Chris Madu, KDC decided to celebrate Barr Igwe in appreciation of his transformation agenda and good governance as Umunneochi Council Chairman, and for his philanthropy.

Describing him as a man after God’s heart, Rev Madu noted that apart from regular payment of salaries, restoration of electricity in Umunneochi and completion of other projects, Igwe had been using his entire salaries to empower indigent widows across the council area, in batches.

The council chairman is also the PDP’s 2019 candidate for Umunneochi State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly.

Dignitaries at the event included the Enugu Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Dr Godwin Madu; G.O of Rock Family Church, Bishop Obi Onubogu; Rev. Emmanuel Ogidiolu of Triumphant Christian Ministries; Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Enugu Chapter, Apostle Dr Joe Ajujungwa, and Chairman of PFN in Enugu East LGA, Rev Peter Oragwuncha, among others.

In Barr Igwe’s entourage included a Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor and First Executive Chairman of Umunneochi LGA, Hon. Billy Achara. Hon Billy representing the chairman of Chrisnak Group, Prince Odinaka Igwe, who also bagged the ‘Most Successful Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Extraordinaire 2018’ award at the event.

15

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS

Man, 65, dies in sex romp with 34yr-old partner From Chuks Collins, Awka

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ragedy struck at the weekend when a 65-year-old senior media executive died on top of a 34-year lady, Ifeoma Ayinka, an indigene of Agu-ukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State where the man also reportedly hailed from.

The late executive whose name was simply given as Mr Obi Nwuda was also identified as a former Managing Director of a state media establishment in Awka.

Police and eyewitnesses told our

correspondent that the couple checked into an Awka-based hotelnamed, Desires and Leisure Hotel located along the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway at the popular Ikenga Hotels junction at the weekend for a romp.

Curiously when the lady was leaving allegedly looking unsettled, hasty and disheveled, the hotel staff who became suspicious, consequently accosted her on the fate of the man who she had checked in with.

She further fidgeted and a call through the intercom was made to

the room but it was unanswered.

So after several attempts the staff were compelled to return to the room alongside the lady who was at this time near hysterical.

It was at this point they raised alarm and invited the police from ‘B’ Division, Arroma Awka who subsequently contacted the homicide division from the State Command headquarters.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Haruna Mohammed, in Jos statement noted that, “At about 8:15pm on 10/11/2018, there was a report by the manage-

ment of Desires and Leisure Hotel Agu Awka at ‘B’ Division that on the same date at about 5pm, one Ifeoma Ayinka ‘F’, aged 34 years of Agu-Ukwu in Aniocha LGA who came to lodge in the hotel with One Obi Nwoda ‘M’ aged 65 years of the same address, was leaving the hotel premises without the said man and when confronted and taken back to the hotel room, they discovered that the man was lying unconscious on the bed.

“Upon receipt of the complaint, the scene was visited by Police Patrol team attached to ‘B’ division

led by the DPO, CSP Odion Ekeinde, and the victim was rushed to Apex Hospital Awka where he was confirmed dead on arrival by the medical Doctor. His corpse was photographed and deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.”

The lady, the statement added, had admitted that the victim collapsed while they were making love.

She has since been arrested while investigation had commenced.

Guests and staff have since deserted the hotel for fear of arrest and police harassment.

Obiano, others bag council’s merit award

By Oge Onyeanusi, Nnewi

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ife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano (Osodieme) has been described as a revolutionary and exemplary approach to human development for her humanitarian works and care for the less-privileged members of the society.

Senator representing Anambra Central, Chief Sir Victor Umeh, said this while presenting the Local Government Merit Award (LMA) of recognition conferred on Mrs Obiano by the Awka South Local Government Area, November 2, 2018 at the Council Headquarters in Amawbia.

Chief Umeh added that her achievements illustrate the life of a person with kind heart and genuine concern for humanity.

He expressed gratitude to Roothwatch Magazine for finding her worthy of the award even as he also poured encomiums on Gov. Obiano

•Obiano

for his achievements in Anambra State, especially in area of security.

According to Chief Umeh, “Osodieme has shown tremendous commitment to charitable causes with a passion that is very natural. What is interesting is that she does these things without noise and fanfare and that should be emulated.”

Receiving the award on behalf of Mrs Obiano, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Anambra State, Dr. Uju Nwogu, assured that her commitment to charity and welfare for the less privileged is unequivocal, and dedicated the award to them as a demonstration of her love.

Earlier, the guest speaker, Professor of Industrial Sociology and Work Place Relations, and Director, UNIZIK Business School, Professor Nkemdilim Nnonyelu, explored the topic: “Reinventing the Family as a Bastion of Care in Traumatized Societies,” and argued that, just like an ideal family, the goals of CAFE have given lifetime solutions to many of present society’s problems, in sheltering the homeless and giving hope to the downtrodden. The Chief Host and Transition Committee Chairman of the Council Area.

The event which has as its theme; “Sustaining Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE) in Awka South Local Government. The Way Forward, was used to honour five other personalities , including the National Chairman of All Progress Peoples Alliance APGA ,Chief Victor Oye, the former Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria ,Chief Ben Obi and the Commissioner for Local Government , Chieftaincy and Community Affairs , Greg Obi and others.

NAMA: Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu (l) presenting a gift to Managing Director, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), Mr Basil Agboarumi when the latter paid a courtesy visit to NAMA headquarters in Lagos recently

Group offsets medical bills of NAUTH patients in Nnewi

By Oge Onyeanusi, Nnewi

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Lagos-based association, Elite Fitness Club, has moved to settle medical bills of patients at the

Allow Biafra referendum, cleric tells FG

By IBE NWACHUKWU

cleric and an ardent supporter A of the Biafra restoration, Bishop Abraham Chris Udeh has advised

the Nigerian authorities and the United Nations (UN) to allow Biafra agitators to conduct their much-desired referendum and possibly go.

Bishop Udeh, the General Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministries Inc., Nnewi Anambra State said the prayer points of the church were for God to bring down the Kingdom of the East which he called Biafra and also to ensure free and fair general elections in the country in 2019.

Speaking to newsmen in his Church, Udeh explained that this was expected to happen without a gun shot or violence of any kind, describing it as the only hope for the Easterners. He called on Nigerian government to support Biafra

freedom according to the United Nations guidelines.

The Bishop noted that the people of Eastern Nigeria origin were no longer comfortable to be part of Nigeria because of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents, Fulani herdsmen and incessant disturbances in the North which he regretted were all targeted at the Christians in Nigeria.

“I call on everyone from the old Eastern region to rise up and support the struggle to actualize Biafra.

I’m not a member of the IPOB or MASSOB but I’m a freedom fighter cleric. They control all our oil blocs but we are here suffering poverty in the midst of bountifulness.

“We are being manipulated. They play on our sensibilities. Buhari is a Fulani and Atiku is another Fulani man planning to take over from him. Who is fooling who? And before you know it the Fulanis will rule

Nigeria for another twelve years. I do not have confidence in Nigeria elections again after Ekiti and Osun charades called elections. It is better we stop spending taxpayers’ money unnecessarily in the name of conducting elections in this country,” he said. He came against those perceived to use evil powers to deceive those in authority and make merchandize of things of God. He said that God would strike them at their various altars to rise no more.

Bishop Udeh wondered why minimum wage for workers could not be pegged at N50,000 “whereas each Federal lawmaker receives N36 million and above in addition to other allowances per month for doing nothing.”

He prophesied that the 2019 general elections would be do-or-die “and I see blood flowing on the streets”.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Anambra State.

According to the group which had paid a courtesy visit to the hospital, Friday, many patients in the hospital stayed longer than normal at their various wards, after recovery because of their inability to pay their bills.

The group, which on arrival paid courtesy visit to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof. Anthony Igwuegbe, also went round different wards in the complex where it meeting and chatting with patients.

Addressing newsmen, the leader of the team, Chief Amobi Ike, said the visit was part of their annual tradition whereby they visit hospitals or destitutes’ homes to give succour to the needy.

According to him, a total of one hundred patients were targeted to benefit from the gesture; disclosing further that the group would spend approximately five million naira on the “redemption mission.”

While expressing appreciation to the group for their magnanimity in offsetting bills of “very poor pa-

tients” in the hospital; Igwuegbe, said; “Many patients remained in their various wards for too long after recovery because of their inability to pay their bills. Some of them hardly feed well, while some, for lack of spaces, are no more on hospital beds; so you see the reason why such people should go to their various homes.

“This hospital has been facing challenges of patients not being able to offset their bills after treatment, and it has been affecting the hospital’s purse negatively; this is why we are grateful to Elite Fitness Club, for their intervention. We also look forward to receiving such magnanimity from other good-spirited individuals and groups.”

One of the patients, who benefited from the offer, Anthony Ilozo, commended the group, while also thanking providence for relieving him of the burden of heavy hospital bill.

Ilozo, who had recovered from a major operation, said he was in the hospital for additional two months after discharge, waiting patiently for his family to raise fund to offset his bill.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS INEC decries poor turnout of electorate on display of voters register in Ebonyi

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ndependent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has expressed dismay at the poor turnout of eligible voters to check their names on displayed voters register in Ebonyi.

Prof. Okechukwu Ibeano, National Commissioner in charge of Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu states Ibeano made the observation in Abakaliki on Friday when he monitored the ongoing display of voters register in the state.

Ibeano, who visited selected registration areas in Abakaliki and Ebonyi local government areas, said that it was disheartening that very few people came out to check their names in the exercise.

He called on political, religious and community leaders and other relevant stakeholders to sensitize their people on the need to take advantage of the ongoing exercise to check their names on the register for possible claims and objections in order to effect corrections.

He explained that the essence of the voters register display was to avail eligible voters and other Nigerians opportunity to raise claims and objections on the names contained in the displayed voters registers.

“This is an opportunity for voters and all Nigerians to look into the voters registers and raise claims and objections concerning the names and details of particulars of voters.

“This is a period people can point out those who are not Nigerians but registered to vote, those who are dead, those who are under aged, gender errors among other claims so that we can clean our registers as we prepare for the 2019 elections.

“This is a very important aspect of the electoral process and very critical in INEC’s preparations for the 2019 elections; we expect that it will be taken serious by the electorate.

“Anyone who registered and his or her name is not found in the register has opportunity to lodge a complaint now because those whose names are not found in voters register will be automatically disenfranchised,” Ibeano said.

The commissioner disclosed that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the last voter registration of 2018 would soon be released to the commission for issuance to legitimate owners.

Ibeano was accompanied by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Godswill Obioma, the Acting Administrative Secretary, Mr Andy Ezeani and Herbert Ejiofor, Head, Department of Information Communication Technology (ITC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the display of voters register which commenced on Tuesday, Nov. 6 across the federation is expected to last one week.

NAN also reports that the Commissioner used the opportunity to interact with INEC officials deployed to various registration areas for the exercise with a view to ascertaining possible challenges affecting the smooth conduct of the exercise.

Enugu APC guber candidate, Senator Eze unveils running mate, campaign DG, spokesman

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he governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in Enugu State, Senator Ayogu Eze has unveiled his running mate, Prince Gilbert Chikwado Chukwunta.

Ayogu, who made the disclosure at his campaign office on Saturday also announced Mr. KGB Oguakwa as the Director General of his campaign organisation.

A former state secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Steve Orurua is the spokesperson of the campaign organisation.

Senator Eze said that APC was ready to take the state back to the centre, stressing that Ndigbo had cried so much of marginalization because they were not in the table where things were shared.

“We just have to underscore our readiness and our preparedness to connect our people to the centre because the message we have is that our people have been disconnected from the centre for a while and we need to take them back to the centre so that they can get their due.

“You know our people cry about

marginalization of one thing or the other, it is because they don’t have their own people sitting in the sanctuary where decisions are being taken and we are going to connect our people there and there’s no better place to start than Enugu which is the capital of the south Eastern Nigeria and is the capital of the old east.

“Once you have APC in Enugu you can be assured that APC has become a truly national political party because then, it has been planted in all parts of Nigeria and we have the determination.

“We have the support of our people and we have the resources to do it and we assure Nigerians and Enugu people that the business we are going to do in Enugu will be different because we will do work on behalf of the people.

“We will do all the roads, we will make sure that hospitals are working, we will make sure that every household in Enugu has pipe born water, we will make sure there is power, we will make sure there is employment for our people, we will make sure we create job for our people,” he promised.

Ugwuanyi, Eze, others make INEC Enugu guber list From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

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• Enugu APC governorship candidate, Sen. Ayogu Eze (3rd left) with others at the unveiling of his runnining mate, Chikwado Chukwunta, DG of his Campaign Organisation, KGB Oguakwa and his Campaign spokesman, Chief Steve Orurua at the campaign office, Enugu.

Onitsha traders, residents lament return of insecurity From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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raders and residents of the commercial town of Onitsha have urged Gov. Willie Obiano to tackle the rising cases of insecurity as the yuletide approaches.

Some of the residents who spoke to The Oracle Today lamented that criminals were back in Onitsha and were operating as syndicates and called on the governor to urgently address the situation before it becomes a nightmare for travellers and residents.

“As I am talking to you, small crimes take place every time of the day, those snatching phone have unions with branches like Iweka, Ibolo and Tarzan branches,” a resident who did not want his name in print said while revealing that the criminals have a strong association and that when anyone was caught they turn their victims to suspects and over power the people around.

“They have very strong unions, one day I heard one accusing the other of not joining them and threatened not to help rescue him again when next he was caught.

“These things are done in the open at the parks, bus stops and even where the policemen are close, they do not look in the victim’s way,’’ our sourced revealed.

The Oracle Today gathered that hoodlums have virtually taken over the Upper Iweka and Owerri road axis of the town snatching handbags, money, trinkets, phones and many others in broad daylight from

motorists and commuters who were held in the heavy traffic snarl.

Investigation revealed that the criminals operated brazenly in the day light and most times under the watch of security agents who do not interfere.

A food vendor told our correspondent that this has been on for a long time without any security agency, particularly the police, intervening; adding that the case of these traffic robbers has become very worrisome because it has become a common feature in some parts of the commercial city in recent times.

A commercial driver, Ugo Ebinum while accusing the security agents of complicity lamented that from Bridge Head to Okpoko to Fegge, men of the underworld appear to have overwhelmed the security agencies. Adding that to use the pedestrian bridges at night is equally dangerous as the bad boys are usually on the prowl there. He suggested that security agents posted to Onitsha should not be allowed to spend above six months to avoid familiarity with the criminals.

A trader, Chinedu Eboh recalled that shortly after the State Governor, Willie Obiano was sworn into office in 2014, in less than six weeks Onitsha was sanitized and was safe for all and sundry but unfortunately today, it has practically gone out of hand.

“In the first term of Governor Willie Obiano, he sanitized Onitsha to the extent that one can have his handset in his back pocket in Upper Iweka, sleep and wake up without

his phone developing wings. We are surprised at what the situation is today in Onitsha.

Today, we are beginning to experience the return of touts and activities of hoodlums. These groups of touts have seriously created major problems to the good people of Onitsha.

They now bully and intimidate customers to the extent that many of them now fear coming to Onitsha for business, thereby killing business activities.” he lamented Eboh further alleged that these thugs beat up people and humiliate whoever refuses to part with his or her own money in the name of “ground levy” for unsuspecting victims.

Another trader who simply introduced himself as Ike told The Oracle Today that there are so many toll tickets flying around in Onitsha, adding that it is discouraging business and visitors. He regretted there are collection of illegal tolls that had been abolished by the governor from traders and their customers by touts for private pockets in the commercial city A security expert, Charles Dubem, advised that the security of the commercial city can only be better enhanced if concerted efforts are geared toward embracing community policing to complement the police and other law enforcement agencies. Adding that intelligence gathering and close supervision of the various security agencies can rescue Onitsha from the myriad of security challenges.

ver 38 governorship candidates of different political parties have made the list of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as displayed at the commission’s Secretariat in Enugu.

Incumbent governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is seeking reelection under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is conspicuous in the list.

Others governorship candidates that made the list include Sen. Ayogu Eze of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Emma Nwankpa of All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, Ekene Uzodinma of United Progressive Party (UPP), and Pastor Donatus Ozoemena of the United Democratic Party (UDP), among others.

There were also lists of candidates for National and State Assembly covering about 62 political parties participating in various elective positions in the state.

According to the Public Relations Officer of INEC, Mr Pius AlozieEzeh, the same copy of lists would be sent to collation centres of all the 260 political wards in the state.

“We have done photocopies of the lists and we will immediately proceed to paste them at all the collation centres of the 260 political wards in Enugu State, right away members of the public to view. That is what the law stipulates,” he said.

Since news filtered in that the list has been passed at the Independence Layout, Enugu Headquarter of the electoral umpire, security agents manning the center have been battling with the herculean task of controlling various candidates and members of the public who have been thronging the premises to see for themselves and confirm that their names are in the list.

17

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

BU$IN£SS

•Energy •Finance

•Stock

•Insurance

•Aviation

•e-Platform

•Tourism

Nigeria downgraded in Africa’s $1 trn agribusiness Costdisputetocompound Energy

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

P

ROJECTIONS by world’s leading investors that Africa’s agricultural sector would host the largest investment bullion worth over a trillion dollars or N360 trillion forms another paradox for Nigeria where projections for agriculture in the short to medium term paint a gloomy picture.

Downgrading of Nigeria’s agribusiness follows political and security risks projected to impose activity downtime in the sector where two critical trade groups, crop growers and nomadic herdsmen, constantly clash over right to land.

According to delegates, borrowers, lenders, investors and leaders of the continent’s top agribusiness companies who attended the African Investment Forum in South Africa, the continent’s agricultural potential is predicted to become the engine of growth in the short to medium term.

Unfortunately, a parallel report from World Bank suggests that Nigeria would not be in the growth wagon with other countries of the continent due to political risks that wind back the wheel of progress in the country most productive farming zones.

According to the World Bank, time has come for investors to hold their nerves on Nigerian investments as the economy flutters and raise the caution flag to all other African economies.

The World Bank this month downgraded Nigeria’s growth forecast for 2018, calculating that gross domestic product (GDP) may rise by only 1.9%, down from the 2.1% earlier estimated, based on lower than expected oil production following pipeline closures and a sudden agricultural contraction in the wake of deepening rural conflicts.

With a 200 million-strong population, the World Bank remarks, Nigeria shows the greatest growth potential as

•Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh

regional giant. The bank however warned that Nigeria also poses economic liability to other African countries, saying the continent’s giant also carries the greatest risk of dragging down the neighbourhood if its own economic recovery is not secured.

Thus, with Nigeria’s agricultural sector under security and safety risk, her economic growth slowing down and political risks continuously rising, financial analysts that spoke on the role of the country in the emerging African economic transition say that the country’s key GDP driver may have been severely debilitated by political tension.

The Oracle Today reports that whereas petroleum resources yield nearly 90 percent of cumulative funding support to government’s fiscal plans, agriculture remains the biggest domestic productivity growth factor, employing over 50 percent of the country’s active workforce.

Delegates at the investment

CBN EXCHANGE RATES NOVEMBER 12TH, 2018 Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central (NGN) Selling(NGN)

US DOLLAR 305.65 POUNDS STERLING 398.2008 EURO 346.9739 SWISS FRANC 303.7968 YEN 2.6842 CFA 0.5132 YUAN/RENMINBI 43.987 RIYAL 81.4806 S/A RAND 21.4044 DANISH KRONA 46.5058

306.15 398.8522 347.5415 304.2938 2.6886 0.5232 44.0594 81.6139 21.4394 46.5819

306.65 399.5036 348.1091 304.7908 2.693 0.5332 44.1318 81.7472 21.4744 46.6579

forum hosted by African Development Bank and attended by global business players agree that with peak oil demand in sight and energy choice shifting from fossil fuel to greener options, time has come for oil dependent economies to also begin economic transition.

Africa’s agribusiness sector will become the ‘new oil” on the continent, fuel inclusive growth and control some $1.0 trillion by 2030 stakeholders stated delegates who used the opportunity to wrap deals on investment opportunities.

Survey of reports emerging from the Africa Investment Forum showed that world class economic analysts and development agencies agreed that private and institutional investments are required to grow capital expenditure in the sector from current $7.0 billion per year to some $45 billion to enable African continent meet its development aspirations.

Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at the African Develop-

ment Bank, Ms Jennifer Blanke, stated at the event that agriculture is a key priority for the bank “through our Feed Africa strategy.”

She said: “Understand that by transforming Africa’s agriculture sector it will become the engine that drives Africa’s economic transformation through increased income, better jobs higher on the value chain, improved nutrition, and so on.”

Industry leaders agreed on the need to invest $45 billion per year to harness the power of agriculture and move up the value chain to create jobs and wealth. At present, only US$7 billion is invested in the sector.

Investments from the private sector, leaders said, will create the adequate environment and enhance the emergence of locally owned agro-processing industries, capable of creating jobs and increasing incomes in rural Africa.

The continent could become a net exporter of agricultural commodities, replacing $110 billion worth of imports, as well as doubling its share of market value for select processed commodities.

Agribusiness can also promote industrialisation and urban employment, break the ‘productivity gap’ of development, and improve the quality of life for all Africans.

Attendees said Africa’s agricultural potential needs to be unlocked for the small and medium scale farmers by addressing the challenge of finance.

Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna, urged investors and development partners to adapt their policies to accommodate more participants in the agriculture value chain.

“I want us to eat what we grow and consume what we produce”, Shamsuna said.

Manager of Agribusiness Development at the African Development Bank, Edward Mabaya, highlighted the vast investment opportunities in Africa’s agribusiness including seed, fertilizer, mechanization, processing and storage.

$50bn investment impasse P20 e-Platform

MTN’s $10bn feud in Nigeria could place S/Africa at risk P22

Travel

Plateau remains home of hospitality – Gov. Lalong P26

Insurance

NAICOM to insurance firms: Spread beyond Lagos

P28 Equity & Capital Market

SEC invalidates NEM’s 48th AGM

P30 Money Market

Fintech will decide the fate of banking services in Nigeria – Expert P31

Stock Market Highlights As At 12TH NOVEMBER, 2018

Summary

ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE EQUITY CAP BOND CAP ETF CAP S/N

32,143.41 2,772.00 142,110,924.00 N1,556,344,511.64 N11,734,825,417,476.24 N10,063,889,334,086.60 N5,871,605,905.12

Coy (By Volume)

DIAMONDBNK GUARANTY UBA FBNH ZENITHBANK

32,238,108 19,979,436 16,057,330 13,255,534 11,738,654

Value(N) N37,676,244.47 N738,137,188.45 N128,291,119.15 N98,732,995.95 N285,213,065.90

5 Top Gainers

Symbols Last Close FLOURMILL N15.4 OANDO N4.65 ETI N15.55 FBNH N7.45 PZ N9

Current Change N16.5 1.1 N4.95 0.3 N15.7 0.15 N7.6 0.15 N9.15 0.15

%Change 7.14% 6.45% 0.96% 2.01% 1.67%

N36.5 -0.65 N24 -0.4 N2.57 -0.23 N1.16 -0.12 N1.06

-1.75% -1.64% -8.21% -9.38% -0.11

Five Tope Losers GUARANTY ZENITHBANK NEM DIAMONDBNK ABBEYBDS

N37.15 N24.4 N2.8 N1.28 N1.17

18

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

BUSINESS

Financial services sector dominates H1 2018 on NSE

Stories by KAYODE OGUNWALE

D

ATA from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) half year activity report for the six months ended June 30, 2018 shows N798 billion worth of shares were traded for the half year ended June 2018.

This represents a 25.9 percent decline from the N1 trillion worth of shares traded in the first half of 2017.

However, volumes and deals also dropped as 646,835 transactions took place in 2018, as against the 878,223 transactions that took place in the first half of 2017. This represents a 26.3 percent decline year on year.

During the period, 66.8 billion shares were traded in the first half of 2018, compared to the 93.2 billion shares traded in the previous year.

This marks a 28.3 percent drop year on year.

The financial services sector was the most actively traded in the first half of the year with 48.8 billion shares valued at N531 billion traded in 389,936 deals. The sector, thus accounted for

73 percent of total volume traded, 65 percent of value traded and 60.2 percent of the total number of deals.

Construction/Real Estate was the least actively traded sector on the Nigerian Stock Exchange for the first half of the year accounting for 100 million shares valued at N817 million traded in 4,407 deals. This amounts to 0.14 percent of the total volume traded, 0.1 percent of value traded and 0.6 percent of the number of deals transacted.

Though a breakdown of the financial services sector was not provided, it is largely dominated by banks.

Investors (especially foreign investors) tend to favour banking stocks because they remain liquid and have enough volume for sizeable entry.

Despite the difficult macroeconomic environment in the last few years, the banks have been able to thrive.

The foreign exchange crisis of 2015/2016 led to huge foreign exchange revaluation gains. The Federal Government’s sharp increase in borrowing led to a spike in income from treasury bills.

BudgIT decries cut in sectors’ budget

B

UDGIT decries the cut in Nigeria’s health and education sector budgetary allocation to fund the 2019 elections.

Recent information from the National Assembly suggests that the 2018 budget is undergoing virement that will re-allocate the meagre resources meant to improve the condition of health and education sectors for the conduct of the 2019 elections.

The consensus is that Nigeria is underfunding the health sector - and the immediate goal of government was to raise budgetary allocation to 15 percent of total budget size. Rather, the virement hopes to take away N8.05 billion from the health sector. It is disheartening that political actors will ignore the growing numbers of people losing lives due to the poor state of Nigeria’s health sector.

The cut in the education sector allocation is also a case in point. Policies, strategies, and effective budgeting practices needed to meet the needs of students, attract qualified teachers, and develop industry-centric curricu-

No plans to buy Diamond Bank – Access Bank

By VICTOR NZE

A

CCESS Bank has moved to deny media reports that it is holding takeover talks with Diamond Bank, saying there is no agreement to take over assets of the latter.

A statement by Access bank, Monday, said it was not planning to take over Diamond Bank.

“Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper report, relating to Access Bank Plc being engaged in merger and acquisition talks with Diamond Bank Plc,” Access Bank’s Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi said in a statement.

“We wish to notify the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the general public that the bank has not entered into such talk with Diamond Bank or any other institution.”

The earlier report said both financial institutions have reached an agreement in broad terms on the acquisition. What is left is the valuation of assets, with a view to determining the level of compensation and systems’ integration. “As a public quoted company built on best practice, the bank is fully cognizant of its disclosure obligation in respect of any such corporate action and will always discharge its obligation in the most professional manner,” Ekwochi said.

•Jude Monye, Executive Director, Heritage Bank Plc; Felix Ejinwa, Head, Credit Review and Monitoring, Risk Management, Keystone Bank; Aliyu Abduhameed, MD/CEO of NIRSAL; Dike Dimiri, Divisional Head, Enterprise Risk Management; Olugbenga Awe, Group Head, Agric Finance & Export; Adelana Ogunjirin, Team Member, Agric Finance & Export lums especially in the public education and Joyce Omotosho, Acting Group Head, Credit Risk Management, all of Heritage Bank Plc, during the 2018 Chief Risk system are critical at this time. Nigeria’s Officers Forum Retreat organized by the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) population growth is a serious pressure in Lagos. point. With children under 15 years of age accounting for 45 per cent of the 186 million population, the burden of education could become overwhelming and quality which is abysmal could drop even lower.

According to Gabriel Okeowo, BudgINISTER of Budget and Na- motion (NCEP) has started imple- facturing 23 percent, electricity, gas, IT’s Principal Lead, “the continuous tional Planning, Senator menting the Zero Oil Plan (ZOP) as set steam and air conditioning supply, and transportation and storage, each apathetic attitude of government toUdoma Udo Udoma says the out in the ERGP. The NCEP, the Minister said, is work- 3 percent, and the remaining sectors wards key sectors that impact most on Federal government is committed to human development and especially the the diversification of the country’s ing in close collaboration with the accounting for 2 percent. rights of children is gradually ravaging economy away from dependence on State Governments to promote the He said though not all announceestablishment of Domestic Export ments become successfully executed the future of the nation. Almost every- oil and gas. one in government and out of governSenator Udoma who was deliver- Warehouse and Aggregation Centres projects, the increase in announcement agrees that Nigeria’s education ing the keynote address at the 42nd in each of the six geo-political zones of ments of proposed business projects sector is poorly funded. It is thus shock- Annual Conference Dinner of the In- the country. “The Committee is also does signal improved confidence in ing that despite the meagre allocation stitute of Chartered Secretaries and promoting Project MINE. The acro- the economy. As part of the many iniseen in the 2018 budget, attempts are Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) in nym ‘MINE’ stands for Made-in-Nige- tiatives government is introducing to now been made to even slash budget- Lagos said steps are being taken by ria for Export. Under Project MINE the help investors, the Minister said Sector ary allocation to the education sector government towards expanding ex- Special Economic Zones will be used Specific Focus Labs in Agriculture and even further by N10.2 billion to fund the ports of locally produced goods and as the mechanism for making Nigeria Transportation, Manufacturing and 2019 elections.” services. The ultimate aim is to reduce the pre-eminent manufacturing hub Processing and in Power and Gas were Government across all levels, execu- our current dependence on crude oil in Sub-Saharan Africa and a major ex- conducted early this year. “These are tive and legislature in particular have for most of our foreign exchange re- porter of Made-in-Nigeria goods and some of the execution priority areas services regionally and globally.” identified by the ERGP,” he added. consistently demonstrated a lack of ceipts.

He explained that the project, which The Focus Labs, he explained, incommitment to improve the life of the He explained that the present average Nigerian. Priority has always administration at inception met an has received the approval of the volve inviting potential investors to been given to key areas of the budget economy in serious decline and took Federal Executive Council (FEC) has meet with key government officials that affect the legislature. Nigeria’s decisive measures to revive the econ- secured early commitments from do- and regulators with the objective of legislative arm is one of the highest omy, including the adoption of an ex- mestic and foreign investors in textile addressing any bureaucratic issues funded in the world and their budget is pansionary fiscal budget in 2016. This and garments as well as agro-process- the investors might face in setting up given a statutory priority which implies helped to reflate the economy and ing. “Government is also reactivating projects in Nigeria. “Some of the early that key budgetary allocations that are stimulate economic activity. The 2016 the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) successes recorded in this first set of pro-poor takes a backseat. This for us Budget was underpinned by a Strate- Scheme and the Export Development Focus Labs was our development of a at BudgIT is unacceptable and in fact gic Implementation Plan (SIP), con- Fund (EDF) Scheme, with the sum of National Gold Development Policy and a demonstration of insensitivity on the sisting of a series of short-term meas- N13.28 billion provided in the 2018 the establishment of a Federal Gold Reserve Scheme in Nigeria. After this part of the legislature especially at such ures aimed at boosting economic Budget.”

He pointed out that the ERGP aims first set we are committed to holding a time when the country is reported activities so as to restore confidence. to be the poverty capital of the world. The SIP was followed, after extensive to expand and increase private sector more Focus Labs.”

Sectoral allocation to education, health consultations with all segments of investment. “We have therefore pri- These developments are an indicaand social interventions should not be society, with the development of the oritized improvements in the business tion of significant progress, the Minsacrificed for the elections.

Economic Recovery and Growth Plan climate to make Nigeria an attractive ister said. He particularly emphasised We observed that areas within the (ERGP) 2017 – 2020, launched by the place for business to be conducted.” that not only is Nigeria out of reces“The Presidential Enabling Business sion, the country is beginning to grow 2018 budget need trimming like the President in April, last year. over bloated budget of the National Speaking on the theme ‘Exploring Committee (PEBEC) was set up to again particularly in the non-oil sector.

Assembly was not touched, opine that the diversification agenda towards focus attention on this. These efforts “The non-oil sector of the economy even if the Executive made the pro- the emergence of a resilient econo- are bearing fruit as recent surveys grew by 2.05 percent by the second posal to cut critical funding to vire elec- my,’ the Minister was happy to note conducted by the Nigeria Investment quarter of this year – representing the tion expenses, the National Assembly that the theme of the conference Promotion Commission (NIPC), indi- strongest growth in the sector since should search within and apply cuts aligns completely with the aims and cate that there has been a significant the fourth quarter of 2015. The Manuto their budget, fulfilling their powers objectives of the ERGP. This, he said, rise in interest in investing in Nigeria. facturing sector, which had experiHe said that reports from the NIPC, enced consistent quarterly contracwithin the appropriation framework. is because the ERGP was launched It is thus incumbent that the vire- with the objective of, firstly, leading which regularly tracks new business tion since Q1 2015, except in Q4 2015, ment made to the 2018 budget on Nigeria out of recession and thereaf- announcements, indicates that “for has started growing again. certain sectors be rejected by all. With ter, placing the economy on the path the first three quarters of 2018 (i.e. “At 0.68 percent in the Q2 2018, this currently terrible health and education of growth that is diversified, inclusive from January to September 2018), a growth is still quite low, but it is moveindicators and a recent report by OX- and most importantly sustainable and total of $73.08 billion worth of pro- ment in the right direction. The Textile posed investments were announced sub-sector improved from 0.2 percent FAM puts Nigeria at last position out resilient. of 157 countries on the “Commitment In line with government’s commit- for 65 projects in 18 states and the in Q2 2017 to 2.73 percent in Q2 2018, to Reducing Inequality Index”. We be- ment towards expanding exports of FCT. The sectoral analysis of the an- while Cement which contracted by lieve actions such as this to severely locally produced goods and services nouncements indicates 11 sectors of -4.16 percent in Q2 2017 by Q2 of this cut funding in social investments are as well as implementation of some interest with mining and quarrying year is now growing at 3.84 percent. expanding the inequality gap in Nigeria critical aspects of the Plan, he said a accounting for 43 percent of the total Whilst still very far from our targets and needs to be addressed.

National Committee on Export Pro- value, construction 25 percent, manu- these are very positive movements.”

FG committed to expanding export of locally-produced goods – Udoma

M

19

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

BUSINESS

Nigerian workers prioritise affordable housing, salary, others – Study

W

ORKERS in Lagos, the commercial capital of the country have identified affordable housing as the most important factor when deciding where to live and work, followed by job satisfaction and then pay and bonuses, in a new study conducted by Mercer, a global consulting leader in advancing health, wealth and career, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., said.

The study found that employees ranked employer-supported life and medical insurance in fourth place, with 68 per cent of employees in Lagos noting that they make use of private hospitals for serious or urgent care.

“With this in mind, a coordinated planning effort among governments and large businesses to meet the top needs of employees and make cities more attractive,” Francis Omanyala, Associate at Mercer Africa.

The study provides critical insight into the motivations of workers against the backdrop of fierce competition for highly-skilled talent. It also provides practical advice for companies and municipalities to help them accelerate their talent strategies and realize commercial gains.

Entitled; “People first: driving growth in emerging megacities,” the study surveyed 7,200 workers and 577 employers in 15 current and future megacities across seven countries, namely Brazil, China, India, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco and Nigeria.

As defined by the United Nations[1], these 15 cities will have a combined population of 150 million people by 2030 and share strong, projected GDP. “There are unprecedented opportunities in growth markets, yet they come with inherent challenges. The rapid growth of next-generation cities sees them poised to leapfrog larger markets but, in order to do so, they need to attract and keep highly-

N

ATIONAL Insurance Commission (NAICOM) says it has developed new alternative channel for insurance distribution, code named “State Insurance Producer” (SIP), and will become effective in January.

Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), Alhaji Mohammed Kari, who said, Sunday that the SIP was evolved to ensure insurance spread in the country, added that SIP would bridge the wide gap and link Nigerians with access to insurance in relation to the population

T

skilled people,” said Martine Ferland, Group President at Mercer.

“Most studies rely on secondary research or academic papers that analyze economic data, investments and infrastructure. This study is the first of its kind, in that it investigates the human and social reasons why people move to, within and out of a city.

“We learned that employers misunderstand what motivates people to move to a city and stay there. Moreover, cities are not performing well when it comes to addressing many of the more human and social factors that are listed as important among key employee groups. This dynamic creates natural tensions between what people value most and a city’s ability to deliver,” Ms. Ferland added.

The study explored 20 critical factors across four people-based pillars - human, health, money and work.

Respondents were asked to rank five factors, based on how important they were in affecting their decision to stay in or leave a city. The most compelling finding was that for cities and businesses to attract the right talent to do the work of the future, human and social factors are the most important.

“The rapid urbanization of growth economies is certainly a hot topic, yet what’s not being properly addressed is the needs of people and the human and social factors that drive their decision making when it comes to what city they live and work in. That revelation is important when you recognize it is those very people upon whom the future of cities and the future of work depend,” said David Anderson, President, International at Mercer.

“Overwhelmingly, our study reveals what people desire most is a better life for themselves and their families.

And with the segmentation study we conducted in parallel, Mercer can help businesses tailor their recruitment, retention and facilities expansion programs in order to be more effective,” Anderson added.

•Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluranti Adebule, receiving an award during the Lagos State Day and closing ceremony of the 2018 Lagos International Trade Fair held at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island.

Stanbic IBTC gets top rating in Lafferty Banking 500

By VICTOR NZE

ate within the SIP’s jurisdiction for the purposes of placement and management of insurance business.

“The SIP shall only transact insurance business with the approved insurers. It is good to note that only insurance companies with branch offices in the respective states will be eligible to transact business with the SIPs,” the commissioner said.

He said that to complement the SIP policy, NAICOM would open 20 new branches across the states of the federation for strict management of the policy and deepening of insurance penetration.

Speaking on its advantage, Kari said that the new project would accelerate the government delivery on Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) in the areas of jobs creation and poverty prevention.

like strategy, culture and end leadership.

A star rating is applied as part of the benchmarking of banks, with five stars for the best performers, and one star at the other extreme.

Roughly one-third of the banks in the study achieved four-star quality ratings, while two-thirds were rated three-star or lower. “This recognition and rating affirms Stanbic IBTC’s commitment to providing peerless services and also signposts the fact that we’re heading in the right direction in our mission to become Nigeria’s leading end-to-end financial solutions provider.

Our ongoing digitisation, innovative initiatives, customer-centricity, aggressive universal financial services organisation drive, consistency in delivering relevant solutions to our clients and value to our other stakeholders will be buoyed by this award,” the bank’s Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Babatunde Macaulay, said.

The Director of Councils and Client Relations, Lafferty Group, Caroline M. Hastings, while congratulating the bank, said the Lafferty Banking 500 Global Benchmarking Study was inaugurated to distinguish and recognise lenders with exemplary characteristics of the best banks in particular regions or worldwide.

(NPL) almost doubled (rising by 89.8 percent) to N114.8 billion at FY17, largely impacted by the downgrade of a single large exposure, underpinning the gross NPL ratio rise to 6.7 percent at FY17, from 3.9 percent at FY16.

According to management, remedial action on the loan has commenced and recovery prospects are considered high. Specific provision coverage of impaired loans stood at 22.0 percent at FY17 (FY16: 36.0 percent).

Consequently, capital value at risk (NPLs net of provisions to capital) was a higher 9.7 percent at FY17 (FY16: 1.9 percent). At 3Q FY18, the NPL ratio stood at 7.2 percent.

“Although the contractual and behavioural mismatch of assets and liabilities in FY17 reflected a liquidity gap of N1,631.7 billion and N712.7 billion respectively within the critical ‘less than one-month’ maturity

bucket (equivalent to 3.1x and 1.3x of shareholders’ funds respectively), liquidity risk is mitigated through maintaining a sizeable portion of liquid assets.

“The bank’s liquidity profile is further supported by $500 million Eurobond facility raised during the year, as well as available credit lines from other financial institutions.

“UBA’s statutory liquidity ratio ranged between 33.8 percent and 55.5 percent in FY17, against the regulatory minimum of 30 percent,” the rating agency said.

In 2017 financial year, UBA reported a pre-tax profit of N105.3 billion, representing a 16.1 percent yearon-year growth. While net interest income was largely supported by improved investment yields and funding costs, non-interest income was driven by increase in transaction related income and foreign ex-

change gains.

Operating expenses rose by 23.7 percent on the back of increase in staff costs, IT and other administrative expenses, resulting in a cost to income ratio of 57.8 percent at FY17 (FY16: 56.3 percent).

Overall, the return on average equity and assets stood at 16.6 percent (FY16: 19.0 percent) and 2.1 percent (FY16: 2.3 percent) respectively in FY17.

In 3Q FY18, the bank delivered a pre-tax profit of N79.1 billion, comparing favourably with the corresponding period in FY17 and in line with budget on annualised basis.

Substantially improved asset quality, positive earnings profitability, and capitalisation metrics, as well as further enhancement of geographic and earnings diversification benefits, would be positively considered.

S

TANBIC IBTC Bank Plc has received a four-star rating in the first ever Lafferty Banking 500 Global Benchmarking Study, in recognition of the service it provides in the Nigerian market.

Published by the Lafferty Group, which provides research and intelligence to the banking industry across the world, the study is a survey of 500 banks worldwide, expanded from 100 surveyed in 2016 and 2017.

The banks are given star-ratings out of five with institutions from 72 markets across all global regions

ranging from large global banks to small regional institutions graded.

Stanbic IBTC Bank, which was awarded four stars from a maximum five, is one out of 160 banks to achieve four or five stars’ ratings with only eight banks out of 500 achieving the highest score.

The group uses a combination of financial and non-financial disclosures in banking groups’ latest annual reports to determine the quality of the organisations and their respective business models.

The banks are assessed across 19 metrics, which include things like loans to deposits ratios, profits and assets, as well as other indicators

NAICOM’s new SIP to commence January 1 size of Nigeria.

He said that the SIP would offer intermediary services, as defined in the operational guidelines which would become effective on Jan.1, 2019.

“Once licensed by the commission, the SIP will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the commission and the approved insurance companies. The insurance companies must oper-

GCR affirms AA-(NG) rating on UBA

HE national scale ratings of AA(NG) and A1+(NG) in the long and short term respectively assigned to United Bank for Africa (UBA) have been affirmed by Global Credit Ratings (GCR).

The Nigeria-based rating agency, in a statement, disclosed that it also affirmed the long term international scale rating of B+ assigned to the lender with the outlook accorded as stable.

However, GCR stressed that downward ratings movement may emanate from a significant deterioration in asset quality, liquidity, capital and profitability metrics, noting that the international scale rating will be sensitive to changes in the sovereign rating of Nigeria.

In the statement, GCR explained that UBA’s ratings reflect its established franchise, significant domestic market share (being one of the top-tier banks in Nigeria) and status

as a systemically important bank.

It added that further rating support was derived from the bank’s risk appropriate capitalisation, comfortable liquidity, as well as geographic and earnings diversification, with operations in 20 African countries and offices in three global financial centres (London, Paris and New York).

UBA’s capitalisation is considered satisfactory for the current risk level, with a risk weighted capital adequacy ratio of 20 percent and 18.4 percent at FY17 and 3Q FY18 respectively, above the regulatory minimum of 15 percent.

Supported by strong internal capital generation, shareholders’ funds grew consistently over the years and stood at N529.4 billion at FY17, representing a compounded annual growth rate of 22.5 percent over a five-year review period.

The gross non-performing loans

20

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

ENERGY

Cost dispute worsens $50b investment impasse •ERHA FPSO operated by ExxoMobil

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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et includes investments that would be made in 93 field development and production projects across Africa.

Out of the money, conventional oil development projects would gulp princely $88.9 billion in capital expenditure. Unconventional oil projects are expected to attract $3.0 billion investments while heavy oil exploitation would command capital expenditure of $1.9 billion.

According to the report obtained from secondary sources, conventional gas projects would require $99.1 billion, while the investments into unconventional gas and coal bed methane (CBM) projects would total $0.7 billion in upstream capital expenditure by 2025.

In breaking the investment across key African petroleum regions, Globaldata declared Nigeria the leading destination for global capital budget for new oil developments in the eight year period, accounting for $48.04 billion or over 24.8% of total capex into upcoming projects in Africa over 2018 to 2025.

It pointed at 24 planned field development projects whose timelines fall

“

within the space to include assets in the ultra-deepwater; the deepwater; and conventional offshore.

The projects, The Oracle Today reports, hold potential for production of 1.3 million barrels of oil per day (mbd) and 1.5 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d).

According to a table of planned liquid fuels development projects in Nigeria, four multinational oil firms including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Eni, are yet to sign cheques for the development of the key discoveries operated under Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) with government.

According to the document confirmed with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chevron affiliates in the country hold back investment for the development of the 100 kbd Nsiko deepwater field operated under the disputed PSC with NNPC. Our update on the projects showed that uncertainties over deepwater fiscal terms have kept the development plan for Nsiko off the table; and unless fiscal issues over the PSCs are resolved, the plan to produce 100 kbd of crude from Nsiko by 2020 is unlikely to secure cash support from the company.

Nigeria’s offshore champion, ExxonMobil, also holds potential to pump 330 kbd from three operated deepwater concessions operated under PSC with NNPC but the development projects are subject to commercial arrangements the terms of which are currently in dispute.

The concessions include the Bosi field from where Nigeria expects 140 kbd, the Uge deepwater field which when developed is expected to deliver 110 kbd, and the second phase of its Satellite Field Development expected to produce crude oil at the rate of 80 kbd.

Original plans to bring the fields to production by 2020 are no longer feasible since investment deci-

Both the industry groups and government agencies agree that the operating environment does not permit adequate profitability. And each side of the interest is stringently challenged with efficiency

sions are yet to be reached among partners. Although both Bosi and Uge deep offshore fields are yet to achieve investment decisions from ExxonMobil, the two fields are planned to host integrated development projects for oil and gas in line with prevailing government regulation which necessarily requires operators to evolve gas development plans along oil development to curb flaring.

Thus, with the two fields, ExxonMobil is expected to produce a total of 280 MMscf/d of natural gas which is obviously associated with oil production. Bosi is expected to vent 260 MMscf/d while Uge is to pump 20 MMscf/d.

Nigeria’s biggest producer by asset and facility, Shell, also have huge dormant proven reserves of crude oil and natural gas onshore and in the deep offshore. The company has a total 345, 000 barrels per day of potential production from Bonga Southwest/Aparo, and Bonga North fields.

Shell was close to investment decision on billion barrel Bonga Southwest/Aparo integrated development programme after development model and budget were resolved with NNPC. The project dropped off the table following change of government and fresh disputes over terms of PSC contracts.

The Bonga Southwest and Aparo development project which was planned to deliver 225 kbd of light sweet crude oil grade was expected to be completed by 2020 with a budget that the Country Chair, Mr. Osagie Okumbor, declared unrealistic under prevailing market situation.

After determining with NNPC that Bonga North would carry a stand-alone development programme, and after calling off BSWA development investment last year, Shell has been mute about the deadline for Bonga North development project delivery from which 100 kbd was originally expected by 2020.

Although there is no official statement form Shell on the project, it is most likely that the company is weighed down by same circumstances and issues that stalled

HE widening position gap between government’s policy drivers and commercial investors in the petroleum industry over cost and process efficiency levels has started raising serious concerns about early investment decisions on key upstream exploration and development projects in the country.

Disputes over split of profit, barrel grabbing at the export terminals, multiple taxation, delays in approval processes, budget cash call default and contract sanctity violations have already shaken investors’ confidence in the country, impairing realization of key industry aspirations.

Besides the existing disputes, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, is polarised with the operating companies over cost of production in the country.

Whereas the minister is displeased with the prevailing per capita cost of production in the country, the operators are frustrated by government’s inability to address issues in the operating environment that build cost.

Investigations by The Oracle Today show that disagreements over cost templates that form the basis for development budgets for deepwater oilfields in the country contribute to the lingering delays in pulling off the huge projects expected to increase the country’s oil output by nearly a million barrels per day.

Government’s aspiration for the upstream petroleum industry include building reserves to 40 billion barrels, production to 4.0 million barrels per day (mbd), and local content of industry operations to 70 percent. Current capacity includes about 34 billion barrels of reserves, 2.7 mbd of production capacity and some 20 percent of local content.

According to our analysis of pending deepwater development projects, 10 pending offshore developments are capable of meeting and even surpassing government’s production capacity targets in the industry, although the parallel reserves target might see decline as soon as the fields go on stream.

Resolution of myriad of disputes over fiscal and operating terms for deepwater oil and gas exploration and production in Nigeria might leverage development projects capable of adding 1.3 million barrels per day of crude oil and 1.5 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day to the country’s production capacity.

Leading data and analytics company, Globaldata, states in its latest report on global oil industry capital budgets for the next seven years that Nigeria would account for about $48.04 billion or N17.3 trillion to lead Africa’s $194 billion oil and gas capital expenditure (capex) by 2025.

Globaldata states that the $194 billion Africa’s upstream capex is only a fraction of the $811 billion to be spent on 615 oil and gas fields across the globe in the eight year period.

The report holds expectation that the 615 upcoming oil and gas projects will require $1.705 trillion in capex to produce over 88,033 million barrels of crude and 877,448 billion cubic feet of gas over their lifetime.

Upcoming shallow water projects will have the highest total capex at $497 billion. Onshore projects will require $453 billion over the lifetime, while ultra-deepwater and deepwater projects carry a total capex of $429 billion and $325 billion respectively.

In the report, producing projects capital expenditure overview covers many upcoming unconventional oil and gas projects representing new acreage developments within existing or newly acquired positions.

According to Globaldata, the continent’s $194 billion budg-

Continued on P 21

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

ENERGY

Osunsanya challenges NERC, DPR on power tariff regulation

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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EGULATORS in the petroleum and power sectors of the economy must work together in evolving sustainable tariff structure that would restore liquidity in the government’s gas-to-power programme where commercial investments are trapped in debt quagmire.

Managing Director of Axxela Group, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya, stated in a presentation to policy drivers and commercial investors that resolution of huge debt overhang in the power market has become urgent for sustainability of supplies in the domestic market.

Mr. Osunsanya whose company specializes in innovative gas supply solutions to industry and commerce said that an efficient pricing model must be evolved to guarantee cost reflective tariff system that allows sector participants to meet payment obligations to service providers.

The Oracle Today reports that evolving a power tariff structure that captures the need for commercial returns and government’s social service obligations to the people has remained a source of traditional dispute in the electric power supply industry where players from different industry operations are involved in a commercial relay that puts the fate of all investments in the inefficient hands of the electricity distribution companies.

Under the commercial arrangement, returns on investments modeled to flow back from the downstream power sector through government’s deal brokers up to transporters, generators and gas suppliers all of whom are under policy mandate to meet obligations to the power sector.

Unfortunately, inability of the electricity distribution companies, which operate network concessions, to defray bills from the upstream end of the sector resulted to huge debt overhang that translate to massive commercial losses that shake investor confidence in the programme.

The debt crises in the power have also formed the source of legal, commercial and policy disputes among investor groups in the industry. The debts also challenge investors’ com-

mitment in parallel government policy programmes on domestic gas supply obligations.

At a conference in Abuja where stakeholders examined investment opportunities and commercial concerns in the domestic gas market, Mr. Osunsanya stressed that the commerciality of operations in the power sector is very germane to investment viability in the gas sector since, according to him, the power sector forms the largest block of gas off-takers in the domestic market.

Mr. Osunsanya who is also former President of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) called on government to empower the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) which regulates the petroleum industry, and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to set cost reflective tariff structure that would guarantee returns for all players.

The new tariff structure, he said, would allow the sector participants recover cost and margin to pay off accumulated debt. The tariff, according to him, would also enable a healthy and more sustained play in gas and power industries.

He pointed out that the power sector has a lingering debt of almost a trillion Naira, a significant portion of which is owed to gas suppliers. He made it clear that a gas market is only effective when it is able to offset its invoices.

In dwelling on efficient strategies in deepening the domestic market for enhanced demand, Mr. Osunsanya stressed that the market must generate adequate demand to justify investments in supply infrastructure.

He added that supply systems must be diversified to develop multiple supply sources both upstream and midstream, and open virtual pipeline channels that include floating LNG storage and regasification vessels.

On policy and regulation, Mr. Osunsanya called for deviation from current gas pricing regime that underestimates the required capital expenditure for such infrastructure and institute framework that assures all sector participants of a fair market led returns.

He also advocated an enabling environment for investments on infra-

•From left: Mrs Godrey Ogbechie, Executive Director Rainoil Limited; Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, the Group Managing Director; and Mr Reginald Stanley, Chairman Governing Board of Oil and Trading Logistics (OTL) Downstream, after the presentation of the 2018 Downstream Man of the Year Award to Dr Ogbechie at the OTL Conference in Lagos. structure through creation of industrial parks, tax breaks, land grants and import duty exemptions.

Mr. Osunsanya pointed at successful incentive based approaches in facility and infrastructure development to include government’s gas flare down policy which he said has increased participation in midstream industry, and the NLNG Act which, he observed provided the fiscal incentives, assurances and guarantees to investors.

On financing, Mr. Osunsanya whose company has background in gas and power pointed out challenges of sustainable funding to include shallow domestic financial markets characterized by high interest rates and short tenures, and inability of strategic gas off-takers to meet payment obligations to gas infrastructure developers.

He called on government to provide private investors the necessary credit enhancements, consider all the build-

ing blocks in power pricing starting with gas prices and realistic exchange rate, and adopt lessons from pension reforms to prioritizing gas infrastructure developers He also called on facility developers to apply adequate due diligence in planning and execution of projects, remain within the applicable cost benchmark, guard against value erosion for participants across the value chain.

and production contract. The first years will focus on seismic studies, followed by development and production if reserves are discovered.

The island nation’s state-run oil company, ANP, controls 15% participation on each block. Block 10 is located at a water depth of 2,500 meters with an area of 6,839.6 sq km and Block 13 is located at a water depth of 3,000 meters and covers an area of 6,776.9 sq km.

The Oracle Today reports that the STP EEZ is in deeper and outer toe thrust from the Niger Delta just before hitting the island nation which also shares a

joint development zone (JDZ) with Nigeria. American wild cat explorer with strong Nigerian ownership interest, ERHC Energy, had before now dominated exploration efforts in both the JDZ and the EEZ. No commercial find was made by ERHC but sparks of noncommercial discoveries were reported

by Chevron and partners in the JDZ. Kosmos has a history of striking gold when other miners have left the pitch. The company is part of the game changing exploration successes along the conventional offshore terrains in the Gulf of Guinea.

BP, Kosmos plunge into EEZ exploration

T

WO foreign companies, BP and Kosmos, are taking the challenge of searching for oil in the deepwater terrain offshore Sao Tome and Principe (STP), an area that defied costly drilling campaigns by American based ERHC and a team of multinational players.

According to secondary sources, BP and Kosmos Energy formed the consortium that has launched environmental impact studies on newly acquired blocks 10 and 13 in STP’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The firms have a 28-year exploration

Cost dispute to compound $50bn investment impasse

Continued from P 20

development of BSWA. The Zabazaba/Etan deepwater field development operated by embattled Eni on behalf of other partners is also not likely to happen as planned following a range of issues similar to other deepwater projects in the country.

Country Chair of Shell in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okumbor, told The Oracle Today, that disparities in the interpretation of the governing PSCs compounded adverse market conditions, project budget and service bills, as well as wider operating environment conditions to push the projects off immediate plans of the company in Nigeria.

On the gas side, Shell still holds potentials to pump 15 MMscf/d from BSWA and additional 60 MMscf/d from Bonga North deepwater field developments when fiscal hindrances are resolved.

Despite its rising profile as the country’s most prolific new source of new production especially from

the deep-pocket high-risk deep-offshore terrains, Total has remained relentless in driving fresh developments and production additions from its PSC portfolios despite fiscal agitation by oil majors.

The company holds potential to pump over 200 kbd from its ongoing Egina deepwater field, completing its hat-trick field development programme from proximate deep offshore oil assets comprising Usan, Akpo and Egina fields.

However, apart from the deepwater developments by Total which are rapidly translating to output volumes, the rest of Nigeria’s new deep offshore projects are mere potentials held by key international oil companies that currently hold the key to Nigeria’s deep pocket, high risk, high reward and technology intensive deepwater terrains.

Fiscal incentives that unlocked the nation’s deepwater resource potentials were part of the terms of the PSCs that encouraged the commercial investors to stake

funds and sundry resources in exploration programmes that led to world class discoveries that form the country’s new production sources.

Since 2005 when Bonga Main came live, government and commercial operators have engaged in fiscal friction over sharing of resources that accrue from deepwater assets. The disputes had led to impasse in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), a document which the present administration has indirectly adopted.

Proposals by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, demands more share from the deepwater production volumes, a proposition the operators argue defiles sanctity of the PSCs that govern deepwater operations.

Since the disputes over fiscal status of the deepwater PSCs arose nearly a decade ago, a lot of deepwater exploration and development programmes, save Total operated assets, have failed to get budget support from acreage hold-

ers who feel that the basis for further investments has been negated.

Unfortunately, just as position gaps begin to narrow between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and commercial operators over the new fiscal terms proposed in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the minister dropped new cost cutting mandate on the industry to trim down the unit cost of production to about $15 per barrel.

Dr. Kachikwu had told The Oracle Today in Abuja that whereas government is shopping for $100 billion investments for a mix of development projects in the petroleum industry, production limits imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) demands that priority would be given to cost efficient projects.

Earlier at a conference in Abuja, Dr. Kachikwu had demanded that the operators should take extra measures, including investments incorporate social responsibility, in creating harmonious relationships with host communities in order to

permanently address social issues that build operating cost.

But in a cyclical trade of blames, the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Organized Private Sector (OPS) challenged the minister to take responsibility in areas where private have no control.

Chairman of OPTS, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, who listed cost building challenges in the operating environment to include security, criminality, production losses and political risks told the minister to evolve measures of building solutions to the problems in his proposed new normal for the industry.

Both the industry groups and government agencies agree that the operating environment does not permit adequate profitability. And each side of the interest is stringently challenged with efficiency. Whereas government challenges operators with cost efficiency, the players challenge government agencies with process efficiency including short approval cycles, timely cash call response, security and safety guarantee, and stable and predictable fiscal climate.

22

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

e-Platform

MTN’s $10bn feud in Nigeria could place S/Africa at risk Stories by VICTOR NZE

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TN Group’s fights with Nigerian authorities over $10bn in repatriated funds and back taxes could increase risk in South Africa’s financial system depending on the outcome, the country’s Reserve Bank has said.

MTN, which is Africa’s biggest wireless carrier by subscribers and is based in Johannesburg, is facing mounting pressure to return $8.1bn to Nigeria after its central bank argued that the South African company had repatriated funds illegally.

Separately, Nigeria’s attorney general’s office alleges the company owes $2bn in back taxes.

“The immediate, or at least near-term, repatriation of the funds to the Nigerian authorities could affect MTN Group’s ability to continue meeting its debt obligations, including those in the South African banking sector, which, given the intercon-

nected nature of the financial system, could increase systemic risk,” the South African Reserve Bank said in its Financial Stability Review released Wednesday in the capital, Pretoria.

The claims amount to almost all of MTN’s market value of about $12bn, it said.

A “potential worst-case scenario” would be for MTN to pull out of Nigeria, which would increase the company’s exposure level to reputational risk, the Reserve Bank said.

It would be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) alleged in late August that MTN and four banks - Standard Chartered, Citigroup, Stanbic IBTC and Diamond Bank - illegally repatriated the money from Nigeria.

MTN sought an injunction in early September to buy itself time and fight the claim in its biggest market, which has wiped 18% off its market value within two weeks.

Nigeria, 12 others elected into ITU Council

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IGERIA and 12 other African countries have been elected into the membership of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council, and Radio Regulations Board.

At the 20th Plenipotentiary Conference of the Council, held at the weekend in Dubai, UAE, ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao, was also re-elected for another term of four years.

The 153-year old ITU, is an agency of the United Nations (UN), set up to coordinate telecommunication operations and services throughout the world.

Originally founded in 1865, as the International Telegraph Union, the ITU is the oldest existing international organisation and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Nigeria became a member of ITU on November 4, 1961. USA joined on July 1, 1908; United Kingdom, February 24, 1871, and UAE on June 27, 1972.

The ITU is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference, which is the supreme organ of the Union,which elects its senior officials, the 48 members of its Council and its 12 members of the Radio Regulations Board.

It also determines the direction of the Union and its activities over the following four years.

The ITU Council body of the union between Plenipotentiary Conferences, which take place every four years.

It ensures oversight of the Union’s activities, policies and strategies, manages Working Groups on specific topics set up by Plenipotentiary Conferences or by the Council itself, and prepares the draft ITU strategic and financial plans for presentation to the Plenipotentiary.

The seats were divided into five regions, which include Region A, with the Americas having nine seats. The countries are Argentina; Bahamas; Brazil; Canada; Cuba; El Salvador; Mexico; Paraguay; United States.

Western Europe with eight seats including France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Spain; Switzerland and Turkey. They are in Region B.

Region C consists of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia with five seats. The countries are Azerbaijan; Czech Republic; Poland; Romania and Russian Federation.

Nigeria and 12 others including Algeria; Burkina Faso; Côte d’Ivoire; Egypt; Ghana; Kenya; Morocco; Rwanda; Senegal; South Africa; Tunisia; Uganda, are in region D. Asia and Australasia with 13 seats including Australia; China; India; Indonesia; Iran (Islamic Republic of); Japan; Korea (Rep. of); Kuwait; Pakistan; Philippines; Saudi Arabia; Thailand; and United Arab Emirates, all belong to region E. ITU, through its Radio communication Sector (ITU-R), and its secretariat the Radio communication Bureau, is the global authority responsible for the management of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbit resources.

•Participants at the October edition of ‘TECNOFansThatBond,’ organized by phone maker, Tecno for both fans and October birthday celebrants which saw three people going home with the Limited Edition 18KGoldCover Pouvoir 2 Pro and others gift items during the event which held at the Tecno Mobile Headquarters in Lagos, Saturday.

9mobile rewards CodeLagos Hackathon winners

T

ELECOMMUNICATIONS firm in the country, 9mobile has rewarded winners of the first CodeLagos Hackathon, an initiative of the Lagos State Government aimed at encouraging Lagos residents to innovate with tech-driven ideas and solutions that solve local problems.

As a CodeLagos partner, 9mobile supported the initiative by awarding high-end devices to winners in the junior category of the CodeLagos Hackathon, a competition designed to source best tech-driven ideas and solutions from among Lagos residents with the theme, ‘Towards a Smarter Lagos.’

The junior category comprised students at the secondary school level between the ages of 14 and 17 years, while the other category for the competition - senior category,

comprised interested members of the public and participants of the CodeLagos Out-of-School programme between the ages of 18 and 30 years.

The winners were presented with fantastic prizes including tablets and smart phones at the CodeLagos Hackathon (Demo Day) event held on Thursday, November 1, in Lagos. In the junior category, Badagry Senior Grammar School came first to emerge the category winner; Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja was the first runner-up while Childville Senior Secondary School emerged the second runner-up. For the senior category, Sharkbytes was the first prize winner; CodeDivas was the first runner-up while Secured Wellness Challenged (SWC) emerged the second runner-up.

30% broadband penetration hamstringed by vandalism – NCC

N

IGERIAN Communications Commission (NCC) has warned against vandalism of telecommunication infrastructure, stressing that the act is compromising Federal Government’s efforts toward achieving 30 per cent broadband penetration in 2018.

The commission’s Head of Zonal Operations in Niger, Miss Helen Obi, said this at a one-day sensitisation programme on “Protection of Telecommunication Infrastructure” on Thursday.

According to her, telecom infrastructure serve all citizens and should be owned collectively and everyone should work against its vandalism so that it can serve the purpose for which it is meant.

She said “we are here to sensitise the people as stakeholders not only as consumers, including local governments and agencies of Federal Government on the need to protect telecom infrastructure.

“This is actually key to the 8-point agenda of the NCC Chief Executive, Prof. Umar Danbatta, at ensuring quality service and broadband penetration. This is because

tampering with these infrastructure compromises the efforts of government to meet the 30 per cent broadband penetration target for 2018.”

She said that so far, NCC had achieved 22 per cent broadband penetration and hoped to reach 30 per cent target.

Dr. Lawal Bello of the Department of Technical Standards and Network Integrity (TSNI) of the commission, said that the industry had continued to lose huge sums of money as a result of vandalism of telecom infrastructure.

He said that the spate of destruction of telecom infrastructure across the country had slowed down the growth of services.

Bello outlined some of the challenges facing the sector as willful damage of telecom infrastructure to extort money from service providers, and local communities or individuals barring technical staff of service providers from installing equipment or carrying out repair on existing systems.

He added that diesel theft and digging up of cables for sale were

also among the problems.

The TSNI official said that NCC had been using various avenues such as the Consumer Outreach Programme, the Telecom Consumer Parliament to sensitise people and to educate them about the dangers associated with vandalism of such infrastructure.

He called for speedy passing of the bill of Telecom Infrastructure and the need to declare it a national asset.

Bello added that the protection of telecom infrastructure was not only NCC’s responsibility or that of security agencies, but of all patriotic citizens.

Permanent Secretary, Human Resources, Office of the Head of Service in Niger, Mr Abubakar Salisu, urged the commission to give incentives to states that have less cases of vandalism.

According to him, incentives will encourage states to do more and make others to follow.

NCC statistics shows that Niger has the least occurrence of telecommunication infrastructure vandalism.

Commenting on the initiative, Acting Director, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, Oluseyi Osunsedo, said the telco was proud to partner with Lagos State Government on this initiative, and appreciative of the opportunity to empower more Nigerians by upscaling their skill-sets and providing them the leverage to be able to take up the jobs of the future which technology is enabling.

“9mobile is passionate about enabling a prosperous future for Nigeria and the youth segment is the main anchor of that future; technology is the driver. Our commitment to promoting initiatives that empower and enable the youth to fulfil that role is dear to us. Therefore, we have supported CodeLagos project since inception two years ago, because it aligned with our vision that the future is a society where anybody, every child in every school, regardless of socio-economic status is given access to the knowledge and skills to compete in a technology-driven world”, she stated.

The qualification rounds for CodeLagos Hackathon commenced on October 2, 2018 and ended on the Demo Day with contestants using their tech skills to provide solutions in the critical areas of health, transport, environment, energy, education, fintech and environment. Apart from the competition, the CodeLagos Hackathon also celebrated milestones and showcased a lot of talents as well as inspirational stories of people who had no previous knowledge of coding but are now professionals in the field.

As part of its commitment to the CodeLagos initiative, 9mobile last year set up coding centres and ICT laboratory at its adopted schools in Lagos, namely Rabiatu Thompson Primary School, Surulere; and Akande Dahunsi Memorial High School, Ikoyi.

The CodeLagos initiative of the Lagos State Government seeks to teach at least one million Lagos residents to code by 2020.

23

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

e-Platform

Google restates commitment to digitally connect Nigerians Stories by VICTOR NZE

G

OOGLE, a Search Engine company, on Thursday, commended the efforts of Federal Government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on effective regulations to promote e-governance in the country.

Head of Public Policy Google Nigeria, Mrs Titi Akinsomi, made the commendation during the just concluded eNigeria Conference and Exhibition organised by NITDA in Abuja.

According to her, regulations

by NITDA has assisted in providing enabling environment for Information Technology development in the country.

She said “there is an increasing drive to not just regulate for technology but actually regulate to enable the sector.

“It is no longer just about having a regulation but increasing it to be able to provide the right set of policies and guidance for those who are playing in digital sector.

“Enabling the sector also brings the delivery of such regulations and enabling an environment where regulation is not to curb but rather to enhance and enable more development.

“NITDA has been existing but at this point with the present leadership of the agency, we have seen improved engagement with traditional IT players and within those who play in the non-traditional space.”

Akinsomi, however, said that harnessing the potential in the IT sector for economic growth would require building capacity of human resources in the industry and addressing infrastructure problems with regards to internet access.

She said that the country has

a huge number of youthful population skilled in their ways of approaching problems and the country needs to leverage on their skill for digital growth.

She reiterated that Google was committed to working with relevant stakeholders in the country to bring about growth in the IT sector, adding that it was working to connect Nigerians to free internet networks.

“We need to build capacity and address infrastructure challenges and then support and enable the start-ups to harness the potential in the IT industry.

“Supporting the start-ups is not just with finances but a holistic approach that helps them live beyond the initial seed stage so that they can grow, become sustainable and they can effectively compete beyond that local market.”

The Google public policy head added that the country had enough youthful population that was intelligent in terms of the way they approach problems.

She stressed that “Google is highly committed to granting internet access to Nigerians: we are here to invest in a long term not to invest in a `waka pass’.

“We are here to develop to make the promise of the digital economy a reality in Nigeria.”

Akinsomi recognised that internet access was like a venture which had propelled the company to start its Google free WiFi programme to enable access to Nigerians.

She said that the company was working with local partners to be able to make the most in a sustainable way with free WiFi and working to address the gaps in the local market.

She recalled that the company in July announced that it was

White Samsung Galaxy Note9 leaks

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AMSUNG announced the Galaxy Note9 in four colors - Copper, Lavender Purple, Blue with a yellow S Pen and the classic Midnight Black. Later a fifth option called Cloud Silver started appearing and now it is up for another leak and color number 6 - White.The photo was shared

by Evan Blass on Twitter who raised his doubts about the originality of the image and even asking for confirmation from arm-chair Photoshop detectives. This led the following Twitter thread into a downward spiral where people were frantically looking for mistakes instead of agreeing that Samsung might indeed launch a White Galaxy Note9 smartphone.

This is not the first time we see the Note series getting a white makeover. Back at the beginning of the year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note8 PyeongChang 2018 Limited Edition as part of the partnership with the International Olympic Committee for the Winter Olympics. The phone

did not make it to retail stores and was exclusive for IOC members, staff, and of course, athletes.

•Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya (m), flanked by other top management executives of the firm during the official launch the telecommunications firm’s 4G LTE Network network in Lagos, last Wednesday, at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi.

targeting 200 free Wi-Fi sites in the next one year and some sites were already operational in Lagos with other states underway.

Akinsomi further said that “we are being deliberate about going to where there is need, we have been doing a lot of training, digital skills and development training skills, we follow the people”.

e-Nigeria Conference and Exhibition held between November 5 to 7 and had in attendance IT stakeholders, experts from the industry, academia, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, private sector, investors, start-up entrepreneurs among other IT dignitaries. eNigeria was targeted at gathering local and international IT

Glo announces 4G LTE service in 36 states

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ELECOMMUNICATIONS firm, Globacom, has claimed the availability of its 4G LTE services in the 36 states of the federation, further adding that the service is now available in over 200 tertiary institutions, thus confirming it as the network with the widest LTE coverage in the country.

Globacom had in October, 2016, become the first network in country to roll out the 4G LTE service.

According to the company, in a statement, Friday, the 700MHz band gives Glo 4G better coverage and penetration, explaining that “the radio propagation property of the 700MHz band enables Glo-

bacom 4G signal to travel the farthest, giving the largest coverage for any site.

“It also gives a better indoor penetration than other networks which are not on the band. Indeed, it offers seamless 4G coverage within the major cities without the requirement of handing over to 3G or 2G while using data, whether the subscriber is indoor or outdoor. This ensures a better user experience for 4G subscribers on the Glo network”, the company said.

A major advantage of the band is that it comes with a dedicated spectrum bandwidth of 10MHz

Teleology appoints new Board of Directors for 9mobile

T

ELEOLOGY has announced the constitution of a new Board of Directors for telecommunication company, 9mobile, following the successful completion of the tenure of the former Board appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and in fulfillment of the consequential transfer of final ownership to the new investors, Teleology Nigeria Limited.

In a statement by signed by Mohammed Edewor, the company appointed Stephane Beuvelet as Acting Managing Director, even as it thanked all out-going members of the Board for ‘helping to shepherd 9mobile through the critical transition phase it has passed through since July 2017 and wish them the very best in their future assignments.’

Continuing the statement read: “For us, the composition of the new Board of Directors is another significant milestone, and this follows the issuance of final approval of no objection by the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to the effect that the technical and financial bids Teleology submitted for 9mobile met and satisfied all the regu-

experts to discover new opportunities provided by increasing advancement in technology innovation. e-Nigeria conference is also to encourage start-ups and ICT entrepreneurs, aimed at accelerating the development and access to digital products, services to millions of Nigerians, and to ultimately create Africa’s largest single digital market by 2020.

latory requirements. This is indeed the dawn of a new era in the evolution of the 9mobile brand in the Nigerian market. “ Members of the new Board of Directors include: Nasiru Ado Bayero (Chairman), Asega Aliga (Non-Executive Director), Adrian Wood (Non-Executive Director), Mohammed Edewor (Non-Executive Director), Winston Ndubueze Udeh (Non-Executive Director), Abdulrahman Ado (Executive Director), as well as Stephane Beuvelet (Acting Managing Director).

Remarking, the new Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero welcomed the appointment, saying: “As we begin this new epochal phase, we wish to thank all the employees who built this viable business. Our debt of gratitude also goes to our subscribers even as we assure them to get ready for real best-in-class additional value for their relationship with the 9mobile brand. Without you, there could not have been a 9mobile business for us to invest in today.

We will justify your confidence in our brand by making significant investments that will improve the value you

get for using 9mobile.”

It would be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had in July 2017 appointed a Board of Directors chaired by Dr. Joseph Nnanna, the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, to oversee the affairs of the company pending the completion of regulatory due diligence of the bid documents submitted by Teleology and sixteen others for its acquisition.

which gives users the fastest speed among all 4G operators required to download and view movies and videos as well as listen to songs without any delay. It all comes in crystal clear quality, said Globacom.

To enjoy the superior Glo 4G LTE services and most competitive pricing that gives subscriber the best value data plans, the firm advised that subscribers should visit any Gloworld outlet near them to purchase a 4G device and SIM, the statement concluded.

Globacom added that existing customers with 4G-enabled smart phones could upgrade their SIMs free of charge at any Gloworld outlet, while customers without a 4G-enabled smart phone can purchase one from the same outlets.

The statement further added that Globacom’s focus on higher institutions is to empower the students with fastest and affordable data services which are needed to facilitate their academic pursuit.

Glo 4G LTE is supported by the company’s international submarine cable, Glo 1, which offers limitless Internet bandwidth capacity.

Apple acknowledges iPhone X’s touch issues, MacBook Pro 13’s data loss

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HERE has been an ongoing touch issue with some of the iPhone X units as well as MacBook Pro 13 data loss problems and the company is now acknowledging them by launching a replacement program for both.

If you are one of those users experiencing “ghost touches” or the panel not responding to touches on your iPhone X, then you are eligible for a free

replacement. You just have to contact your local service center and let them resolve the issue by replacing the panel or even the whole unit.

Along with the iPhone X replacement program, Apple is also running one for its MacBook Pro 13 units produced between June 2017 and June 2018. This one is for the data loss that some owners experience due to faulty SSDs.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

ISSN: 2545-5869

EDITORIAL

VOX POPULI SACRUM

www.oraclenews.ng

Ethnic bigotry? Not in Anambra!

ing. Northerners are among the people holding the economy of Anambra State. (So), in what circumstances could a governor have sacked united by one thing: the hustle to make money. them? Numbering millions, they are practically Nobody knows or cares to know where the everywhere in the State, including Awka, Amanother person comes from. sea, Onitsha, Nnewi and many other towns and But, just a few specifics. The founder/chairman communities. Let Nigerians be assured that the of Onitsha Business School, a thriving business allegation is a lie. Anybody spreading that kind school that steels businessmen and women in of rumour is not being fair to the man and that Onitsha and environs in entrepreneurship and is not the way to go for our national developother business models, is a Yoruba Economics ment.” That is Peter Obi’s Anambra.

Professor who ran some businesses in the Main Indeed, Anambra State is the most unlikely place Market before founding the school. The man in Nigeria, indeed in Africa, for anyone to be diswho owns probably highest number of plazas criminated against on the basis of ethnic origin. in the Main Market, whose complexes stand on By nature, orientation and culture, Anambra has a sprawling four-plot space in the Main Market no time to discriminate against people on the is not from Nnewi but Kano. basis of where they come from; Anambra can Not all the lines in the Main and other markets in despise you for not having money—and anyone Onitsha are dominated by the Igbo. Many are one can be so despised, even ‘non-performing’ the exclusive preserves of Ijaw, Yoruba, Hausa Igbo—but it has no time to be chauvinistic about and a host of other nationalities. tribe.

When they accuse the Igbo of gobbling up property in different parts of the country, what they Anambra and, indeed, the Igbo as a whole, is ruled by one thing and one thing only: the spirit of hardly say is that other nationalities are also competition. This spirit of derring-do and compebuying up commercial property in parts of Igbo tition reached its zenith at the time of Mr. Peter land, especially in Anambra State.

Obi, immediate past governor of the State, who We must listen to Mr. Philemon Leha, one of the spruced up Onitsha in particular and made the three former Anambra Police Commissioners State conducive for businesses to thrive and for from Northern Nigeria who exonerated former all who could, to do business in the State unfetGovernor Peter Obi of Anambra State of any tered. acts of discrimination against Northerners by When you see Igbo businessmen (most of who are his Administration. Said to have been visibly Anambra) get angry, even aggressive, at ‘unfair’ miffed by the “spurious allegation against treatment by host communities in other parts Peter Obi,” Leha was quoted to have said: “I of Nigeria (in some places, landlords would not am from the North and I know what I am sayeven let their houses to Igbo), it is because back home, such discrimination is simply strange.

Moreover, being the most travelled of all Igbo States, Anambra certainly cannot afford to make enemies of their host communities outside Igbo land by making life difficult for members of such host communities residing and doing business or working in the State.

As the Igbo would say, Ojemba enwe ilo (a traveller has no enemy). So, even for their own self-preservation alone, Anambra would never treat non-indigenes in their midst badly because in the event of any retaliatory action, Anambra is most likely to suffer more losses than any of the other Igbo States.

Consider a few more examples: In October 2012, three Anambra indigenes killed by Boko Haram were buried in Umunnachi in Dunukofia Local Government area of Anambra State. Media reports said at that time that they were buried amidst tears by family members and sympathisers.

Barely a year later, in September 2013 to be precise, Anambra buried another four victims of Boko Haram attacks. All of them members of the same family who were murdered in Kano by Boko Haram, they hailed from Uga in Aguata Local Government of Anambra State.

Instructively, both events and several others thereafter happened under then Governor Peter Obi. An ethnic and religious bigot would have bayed for the blood of northerners in retaliation but, of course Peter Obi didn’t do that. So, when did turning the Cont’d front page 1

other cheek for another slap from your attacker become the act of aggression itself? How did Obi’s successful counsel against any temptation to avenge the killing of Anambra indigenes in the North amount to ethnic bigotry on his path?

It is unfortunate that we are in a country where the likes of Nasir el-Rufai are in power and strut the political space freely and with so much swagger, saying and doing whatever they like unbridled, no matter how incendiary and damaging to the cause of nation-building their words and actions may be.

Hasn’t this Nasir el-rufai caused enough damage in Nigeria? Under this man’s watch, thousands have been killed in his Kaduna State with a million and more others rendered homeless. Each bout of killings perpetrated by members of his ethnic group has either been provoked by his words and or actions or he has actively aided and abetted the actions of the invaders whose deadly forays into Kaduna South have caused mayhem and untold hardships in his State. Yet, he is a free man, enjoying the protection of security agencies, which watch askance as this dimunitive Hitlerian devil goes about pronouncing fatwas on anyone that catches his fancy. Peter Obi ethnic bigot and Nasir el-Rufai ethnic harmonizer? Haba!

We insist that the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai is a dangerous man. This little man with an exaggerated sense of self-worth is so self-conceited that he is ready at any time to bring down the roof provided he wins an argument. He has killed Kaduna State already; he has brought the once thriving State to his very little level. Now he wants to set the whole country ablaze; or worse still, set Northerners against Ndigbo at a time all hands must be on deck in unity to rebuild a Nigeria that is currently in dire need of redemption, no thanks to the incompetence of a government in which el-Rufai is a major player. This man must be bridled before he sets the whole country ablaze.

A word is enough for the wise.

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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 21, 2018

OPINION

This ticket-chasing madness! (2)

By ROY IWUALA

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here is nothing that madness cannot elicit. By the way, who sent hoodlums to the peaceful Owerri residence of Barr Nnamdi Anyaehie in search of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak? Is Barr Anyaehie a governorship aspirant of APC, the party that appointed Alhaji Gulak as Chairman of the Governorship Primary Panel? I thank God for protecting Barr Anyaehie, a young man of commendable benevolence from that siege. Although, I am not a member of APC, I owe so much to Alhaji Gulak. Know it that the enemy of our common enemy is our friend. So, Gulak has become my bosom friend.

It is necessary at this point to emphasise that whoever that is not afraid of Gulak has not heard about Gulag. I was really in a confused moment when I heard that APC was sending Gulak to Imo State.

I misplaced the man, Gulak for the institution, Gulag. Indeed, Gulag was a government agency in charge of the Soviet Union’s forced labour camp system that was created under Vladimir Lenin. The agency reached its peak during Joseph Stalin’s rule from 1930s to 1950s. You can see that my fear was not unfounded since Gulak dealt with a sitting governor in the manner Gulag terrified or sent shivers down the spine of culprits or the opposition.

Let me leave Gulak and Gulag and go on with the case of Imo PDP gubernatorial tussle, which I will only say that the dead should bury the dead. Since after the mass exodus of the members of Sheriff faction of Imo PDP, the little life in the party appears to be sickened with Senator Sam Anyanwu versus Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha power tussle. In the past, I had written copiously on this political party whose stock in trade had been impunity or rigging in all of its party congresses, conventions, and primaries.

Following from these unsavoury events in APC, APGA, and PDP in Imo State, we will no longer rely on self-defeating permutations we used in 2011 and 2015 that put us in one-step forward and ten-steps backward. In a situation as this, Prof Nnamdi Obiaraeri said, “A new normal is possible.”

Significantly, a new normal is possible particularly in this circumstance we have found ourselves where W. Banky stated thus, “When you are in a lose-lose situation, you don’t take sides, you change the situation.” In this vein, let’s reject the notion that the option we have in 2019 is to select the incoming governor from the three dominant parties, which are in confusion over their flag bearers.

In fact, APC, APGA and PDP in Imo State are like artificial ponds. Ndi Imo

cannot fish in such polluted ponds. In other words, ndi Imo need to pause and reconsider their wishful thinking about magical harvest. Ndi Imo should be ready to till the ground, sow the seeds, water it, weed and apply natural manure in order to reap bumper harvest. Instructively, in the past 7years, Imo and Abia States are the only backward States in Igboland, which is chiefly owed to misgovernment.

Therefore, in our bid to rediscover ourselves, we need to explore another direction or platform for 2019.

The foregoing shows that I have taken sides since I considered APC, APGA, and PDP to be in a lose-lose situation. In this vein, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said, “The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.” Thus, ndi Imo should discard the glittering facade about money politics and rise with one voice in 2019 to usher a government, which will be led by a man that has conquered greed, inordinate ambition and vindictiveness.

Acceptably, ndi Imo can borrow a leaf from Nelson Mandela who once said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.” Thus, ndi Imo should learn not to lose again.

Let’s close this sad chapter of our collective destiny if only Imo must be fixed.

Prejudice and sentiment occasioned by zonal irredentism and religious denomination will no longer be of help to ndi Imo. In the same vein, this is not an era for a learner-governor since Imo State is in an intensive care unit with a debt profile of over #350billion, and with alarming infrastructural decay.

Let’s consider the man whose experience counts and who has not been a team player of this government that ruined Imo State. I mean the man that has only 4years to put Imo State back on the track. With the original documents of the records of properties and other assets of Imo State in his possession, he will definitely not make any mistake in the recovery of stolen loots as well as laying a new and better foundation.

Without equivocation, Dr Ikedi Godson Ohakim is the man that will start to fix Imo State at the blast of whistle on May 29, 2019 because as a former governor, he knows where and how to start. Again, he will go ahead to cure this insanity called ticket-chasing madness in our political clime by restoring the Imo Charter of Equity based on collective interest.

•Iwuala, a social affairs commentator wrote in from Owerri

APC and Countdown to 2019 polls (3)

By Ehichioya Ezomon

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et the truth be told today, November 12, 2018, exactly 95 days to the Presidential and National Assembly election, the first in a two-part balloting that kicks off the 2019 elections at 8 a.m. on February 16. The seemingly intractable crisis, arising from the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is solely the handiwork of mostly a few individualistic outgoing governors of the party.

With a pretentious political self worth, they are prepared to bring down the house on everybody, including themselves, if they failed to impose their will on the party and its members. It’s either they have their way, or the highway.

Yet, they’re the architects of their current political “misfortunes.” How can one explain the ambitions of Governors Abdullaziz Yari (Zamfara State), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo) to be senators, while also angling to foist their “anointed” candidates on the APC members and, indeed, their entire states?

If not covetousness, would Governor Yari, who got the senatorial ticket on a platter from his political godfather, Senator Ahmed Sani, want to anoint a successor governor? Had former Governor Sani wanted to return to the Senate in 2019, could Yari defeat him at the primaries?

Rather than emulate the Yerima Bakura’s good example, Yari accusingly craved to emasculate other governorship aspirants, particularly his political “enemy,” Senator Kabiru Marafa, in the primaries.

Governor Amosun played out a similar scenario in Ogun. He not only reportedly “allocated” a senatorial ticket to himself, but also “influenced” the choice of other legislative candidates and the governorship candidate that he has vowed to install and “hand over to in 2019.”

Why would Senator Amosun want to

return to the Senate after eight years as governor? “What did he forget in the National Assembly?” He could have allowed the “hapless” Senator Lanre Tejuoso (a real “Buharist”) another term, and concentrate on achieving his goal of “installing” his preferred candidate as governor.

What about Governor Okorocha? His is a complex case, as he attempts to create a “dynasty” in Imo. Consider these: He’s a senatorial ticket. He wants his sonin-law, currently his Chief of Staff, to succeed him in 2019. Another family member reportedly has a House of Assembly ticket. And his sister is the state Commissioner for Happiness - a novel creation in Nigeria.

Why won’t Okorocha drop his senatorial aspiration, and back his son-in-law’s candidacy, in order to dispel the notion that he’s running a so-called “Familiocracy” (a “Government of the family, by the family and for the family”), which the Imo people have risen against?

APC members shouldn’t swallow the governors’ bait of likeness or “love” for President Buhari, and standing by him and the party to clinch the next elections. If this is no hogwash, why setting fire around the house (APC) they claim to possess? Is it the ashes they want as a trophy?

If truly they like Buhari, they would have acceded, like him, to direct primaries under which the president was nominated, and be at the vanguard of propagating the method, instead of going against the directives of the National Working Committee (NWC).

The repeated visits to the Presidential Villa by the governors, principally Amosun, to “complain” to Buhari about the primaries, border on blackmail. Are they “warning” that if their “preferred” candidates did not fly the governorship flag, the APC, and the president would lose in Ogun, Imo and Zamfara? Buhari shouldn’t

intervene, except there’s obvious inequity and injustice at the primaries.

Notwithstanding, the right place to go is the national headquarters of the APC, to engage members of the NWC. Did the governors, particularly Yari and Amosun, go to the committee to table their grievances? Perhaps not, because they have located their grouses in the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who heads the NWC. They’ve continued to fire at him from all sides, for allegedly preventing them from having their say and their way. The governors should engage, and not entangle him, as the NWC still has a window to get their “protégées” in as candidates for the 2019 elections.

By the relevant electoral laws/guidelines, the last day for withdrawal by candidate(s)/replacement of withdrawn candidate(s) by political parties is November 17, 2018, for the Presidential and National Assembly, and December 1, 2018, for the Governorship and State House of Assembly polls, respectively.

It follows that some federal legislative candidates on the INEC list can be “persuaded” to withdraw, and replaced bySaturday, November 17 (six days from today, November 12) before the APC submits the nomination forms of the candidates on December 3, 2018.

Ditto for the Governorship and State House of Assembly candidates, who could withdraw/be replaced on December 1, 2018 (a window of 19 days from today) prior to their nomination forms being submitted to INEC on December 17, 2018.

This is where Governors Yari, Amosun and Okorocha (and any other aggrieved APC members) should channel their energy and resources into. They should engage both the “cleared candidates” and the APC chair, who can help their “anointed” candidates to get, and contest, on

the party platform, the position of a legislator, governor or deputy governor in the 2019 elections.

By attacking, and allegedly hunting Oshiomhole with security operatives, as a way of “fighting back,” the governors could lose everything, including their senatorial tickets, which Nigerians have derisively christened “retirement benefits” for former governors.

Can they take a look at the list of candidates published by the INEC, and tell members of the APC what they see? Candidates from Zamfara and Imo are missing! You can’t have it both ways!

•Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

THE GROUP Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Ikeddy Isiguzo Editor Felix Oguejiofor Abugu Deputy Editor/Head, Lagos Bureau Sopuruchi Onwuka Head, Graphics & Designs Nnamdi Alex Chukwu Circulation Manager Felix Oti

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

Travel & Hospitality

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Plateau remains home of hospitality – Gov. Lalong PLATEAU STATE GOVERNOR, Barrister Simon Lalong, in this chat organized on the sidelines of the just-concluded first-ever Plateau Tourism Conference, which held under the theme; “Unlocking the Vast Potentials of Tourism as a Financial Option for Sustainable Socio-economic Development,” last Friday in Jos, explains his decision to declare a state of emergency on tourism, growing golf tourism, the wrong impression

about his state, and other issues. Excerpts: How safe are tourists in Plateau State?

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N the new trend we are adopting to make tourism a mainstay for Plateau State, I want to give credit to the first governor of the state, who in his wisdom saw the need to create and put a lot of potential on tourism in the state.

I think he brought the first museum, zoo and a lot of things because the potential are all there. And after that, Plateau was nicknamed ‘The home of peace and tourism’ largely due to the weather and the people’s hospitality. So we kept on calling it ‘home of peace and tourism’ until when we started having some crisis in the state. But even after that crisis, we still use the same slogan for the state.

Plateau is the only place where people are running to when they have crisis and where people will run to when they look for cool place for their holidays, eventually because we have the crisis. But for that long period, we wanted to pay attention to tourism. We need to develop some policy frameworks to guide the process. That unfortunately we have not done, all we always mention about tourism we have not done. But this time, even with the presentation and conference I was touched and that was why we decided that we would invoke state of emergency on tourism. By that, it means that we are going to focus and put more attention on tourism as a source of great revenue for not only for Plateau State but also for Nigeria, because instead of running to Kenya or UK because of the weather, what we just need to do is to develop that in Plateau State and people will find a much better holiday resort for themselves.

Explain the state of emergency on tourism you declared?

When I mentioned state of emergency, I mean full attention will be placed and focused on tourism in Plateau State, because we know many sources of revenue in the state; we have agriculture, which we are developing right away, we have minerals that are already there and we also made tourism as part of our five policy thrusts; first of all, we are on the level of peace and security. You cannot introduce tourism without peace and at the same time if you have peace what do you do? You must enjoy it. So tourism and peace go together. So by the term ‘state of emergency,’ I mean practical attention on tourism.

Do you think a wrong impression about Plateau is being portrayed?

Ok let me say that sometimes seeing is believing, because the impression given outside not only on Plateau but sometimes when a visitor is coming to Nigeria, people will tell you at the airport that you have to be very careful and also what the international community says about this country is unfortunate and I like the way, my friend, the Director-General, Otunba Segun Runsewe gave it out today at the conference telling them that the western stereotypes were figment of their imagination because they tell a wrong story about Nigeria and it is high time we gave them the right perspective through our rich culture and right narrative.

And again the impressions given about Jos outside are different from the reality you see when you come to the state. Now a lot of traffic you will see, right from the entrance of the state to the city, you will see a lot of traffic, virtually every week I know, recently I have a meeting with the business community and they were telling me that hotels are now too small to accommodate visitors in the state, and they are telling me that they

• Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simon Lalong are looking for opportunity to build more hotels to accommodate people during the weekends and even lamented about scarcity of accommodation during holidays.

So when I hear people saying that there is no peace in Plateau, I wonder which part of Plateau they are referring to. At least most of you have been in Jos the past 48 hours and up to a week you can see that there were no crisis anywhere unlike the sentiments by some media and social media that Plateau State is a no-go area. But as a governor of the state I know it is not a no-go area, it is a peaceful, accommodating place and very hospitable for people.

Yes, you have some pockets of crisis in some villages here and there, which is almost what happened in every state and even most countries of the world. There is no state or country that will say they are living peacefully without having any crisis, so if there is no crisis in those countries, it means then there is no need for police and the Army, but since it occurs one time or the other, that is why we have Police and Army. But then, the magnitude of exaggeration or escalation of any crisis is what we are pleading to always downplay not to always overemphasise that Plateau State or the capital, Jos is no a no-go area.

The better part of my tenure, about

Lagos Assembly passes bill to establish Tourism Promotion Agency

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AGOS State House of Assembly on Monday passed a Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of the Lagos State Tourism Promotion Agency and for Connected Purposes.

The Agency is being put in place to promote the state’s tourism industry and achieve international best practices in the delivery of tourism products and services.

The 54-section bill, sponsored by 13 lawmakers, was read for the third time on the floor of the House before passage after a voice vote.

Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, directed the Clerk, Mr Azeez Sanni, to forward a clean copy of the bill to Gov. Akinwunmi

Ambode of the state for assent.

Earlier, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, moved the motion for the bill to be read for the third time, which was seconded by Mr Yinka Ogundimu (APC-Agege II).

According to the bill, the Agency shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and shall have the powers to sue and be sued in its corporate name.

It is, among other things, “to promote, market and develop the state domestically and internationally as a major tourist destination by highlighting its uniqueness and assisting the development of its tourism products and services”.

The Agency is also expected to advise private organisations, state and local government on matters relating to tourism.

It was also to facilitate the creation of investment opportunities for tourism development by focusing on beach and leisure, culture and heritage, arts and entertainment, nature and adventure, wellness and medical tourism, among others.

The bill also spelt out the composition of the Agency’s Governing Board, term of office, remuneration and allowances, cessation of office of members of the board, meetings, quorum, powers of the board among other things.

three and a half years we all enjoyed the serenity of the state, we celebrate home coming of most footballers, musicians and others stars that started their career from Jos and as it is now we are also – planning to enjoy ourselves at the end of the year, because on yearly basis we do invite people to come and take advantage of the weather. So I think the impression is not a true reflection of what you see in Plateau State.

Thank God you are here to see things for yourselves. Jos is a very attractive place to stay considering the weather and standard of living here. One good thing about Jos is that when you come to the city, you will find it very difficult to live because of the hospitable nature and serenity. So I still enphasise that Plateau is still home of Peace and hospitality.

In terms of legislation, how are you strengthening tourism in the state?

First of all, I already have a memo on my table which I deliberately kept until after this conference.

As I mentioned in my speech earlier on at the conference, that the outcome of this deliberation will also assist in the memo, which is an idea to develop a policy for tourism. Now if you are thinking about a policy for tourism development, it is not a one year thing or a one tenure thing, so in order to develop stability you must have a framework, which is an introduction to the tourism development step. So when they brought the position paper, I said we will approve it and we will also develop a policy which will be approved by the executive and now when you put it and it is acceptable by the executive it becomes a law in the state. Subsequent administrations will find it difficult to do away with. We have seen it happen in so many states, we have seen the benefits in so many countries which have strategically positioned tourism to grow their economy. What I am doing is not for my tenure but we are developing it for posterity, and for a long term, so that whoever comes

instead of bringing it down, will be expanding it for the benefit of the state and the people of Plateau State.

Any plans to grow golf tourism in the state?

Yes, Otunba Runsewe and I play golf together, and I think when I was addressing the people at the conference, I said it there that when I came in as the chief executive of this state, one of the ideas Runsewe, even before he was appointed the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) sold to me was that Plateau has the potential for tourism and he told me to develop it. So in the last two years we have produced professional golfers from this state who can compete in any international competition and we have up to 20 professional golfers. When I came, we had no green course to train, now we have two standard green courses and we are preparing the third.

Rayfield Golf Course is the oldest golf course in the country, constructed in 1913. Miners came and they started playing golf here in Nigeria, so there is no reason why we should have not a golf course. I have worked on one, we have a green and I am working on another one, which is the oldest golf course in Nigeria. So very soon by the time you come back next year, you will hear us developing it. It is over 100 years because we celebrate the centenary of the Rayfield Golf Course few years ago. We are trying to bring out the beauty of the golf course back, so by the time we finish the green, the historical aspect will be a brand that will bring international golfers to the state.

Also in the Government House there is a green of nine holes and any time I am tired and feel like having a pastime, I just go there and play. It is an executive and classic nine holes course, and this will attract international tourists, which is assuring you that golf is tourism.

We also have a standard golf academy in the state where we train young golfers from scratch to professional level.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

AVIATION

Air Peace under threat, as Boeing alerts on B737 Max aircraft Stories by VICTOR NZE

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NITED States-based aircraft manufacturer, Boeing has issued a warning to operators of its 737 Max series aircraft following the recent crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia that killed all 189 passengers including crew.

The warning by Boeing which came in the wake of the crash follows another one by Indonesian investigators which suggests that the pilots on the ill-fated Lion Air 737 Max 8 were battling the plane as its computers commanded a steep dive during its final moments of flight.

Outside North America, Lion Air is the biggest customer of the Boeing 737 Max, while Air Peace in Nigeria is soon to become the aircraft’s largest operator in Africa with 10 aircraft.

Other operators include: Southwest Airlines 23; Air Canada 18; American Airlines 15; Norwegian Air Shuttle 12; Air China 11; Air Lease 11; China Eastern Airlines 11; China Southern Airlines 11; GE Capital Aviation Services 8; WestJet Airlines 8; Xiamen Airlines 8.

It would be recalled that on October 29, a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed in the sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 189 people on board.

Data extracted from the flight recorders revealed that the aircraft experienced problems with airspeed indicators during its last four flights.

In its bulletin issued, Wednesday, Boeing cautioned that the so-called angle-of-attack sensor can provide false readings in limited circumstances, such as when a plane’s autopilot is switched off, that cause the 737 Max to pitch nose downward. The sensor malfunction can essentially trick the plane into pointing its nose down to gain the speed it thinks it needs to keep flying.

Although the Boeing directive does not call for operators to conduct new inspections or take other action, it merely stressed that pilots should follow procedures in the flight manual when encountering erroneous data.

These warnings are also similar to the one issued by United States regulator, Federal Aviation Administration, according to an emailed statement which told operators, last Wednesday, to follow Boeing’s instructions and add information to pilot manuals showing how to diagnose the problem and respond.

The FAA said the problem “could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, and lead to excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain.”

On its part, the Indonesia National Transportation Safety Committee in its statement disclosed, Wednesday, that the sensor on the ill-fated Lion Air jet was replaced the day before after it failed on a previous trip, adding that the malfunction can cause the plane’s computers to erroneously detect a mid-flight stall in airflow, causing the aircraft to abruptly dive to regain the speed it needs to keep flying.

On a previous flight from Bali to Jakarta, the angle-of-attack sensor feeding the captain’s flight displays registered a 20-degree difference from the device on the copilot’s side of the cockpit, the committee said.

Pilots on that flight were able to compensate.

An angle-of-attack sensor that had been removed before that previous flight has been brought to the investigators and will be examined in the

U.S., the Indonesian officials said.

It is still possible the FAA may order Boeing to redesign the equipment or software as investigators piece together details of the Oct. 29 crash, which killed 189 people. The agency said it “will take further appropriate actions depending on the results of the investigation.”

The new information about Lion Air Flight 610 raises multiple questions investigators will want to examine on the pilots’ actions, how flight crews were trained and whether the maintenance performed on the system was adequate, said Roger Cox, a former NTSB investigator.

“I would definitely be looking at the man-machine interface and how pilots respond,” said Cox, a former airline pilot who flew earlier versions of the 737 and specialized at the NTSB in cockpit actions.

One of the puzzling things about the accident is that the plane was flying in clear skies during daylight, so pilots should have been able to handle the problems they faced with airspeed and erroneous sensors, Cox said. However, in rare instances, accidents have been caused by what investigators call a “startle factor.”

“If you don’t take the appropriate action because you’re surprised, you can make a serious error,” he said.

The Lion Air jetliner plunged into the Java Sea minutes after takeoff from Jakarta airport, nosing downward so suddenly that it may have hit speeds of 600 miles an hour before slamming into the water.

Moments earlier, the pilots radioed a request to return to Jakarta, but never turned back toward the airport, according to Indonesia’s safety commission and flight-tracking data.

The agency said the pilots were dealing with an erroneous airspeed indication.

Boeing, which is headquartered in Chicago, said it is cooperating fully and providing technical assistance as the investigation continues.

While modern jetliners primarily operate on autopilot, the computerized system can disengage when airspeed indicators malfunction, forcing pilots to manually fly the aircraft.

If there is an “uncommanded nosedown stabilizer trim” on the Max, pilots can counteract it by pushing a switch on their control yoke. But the plane’s computers will resume trying to dive as soon as they release the switch, the Boeing bulletin said.

According to the bulletin, flight crews should follow a separate protocol to halt the plane’s potentially dangerous action, according to the bulletin. Pilots are supposed to memorize a procedure to disengage the angle-of-attack inputs to the plane’s computer system.

Till date, Boeing has delivered 219 Max planes, the latest and most advanced 737 jets, since the models made their commercial debut last year with a Lion Air subsidiary.

“The angle-of-attack sensor is intended to measure the angle between air flow and a reference line on the frame or wings so that they maintain lift. If the flow is disrupted by a plane going too slow or climbing too steeply, that can cause an aerodynamic stall and a plane will plummet. However, if the sensor malfunctions, it can cause the plane’s computers to erroneously think it is in a stall, which can then command the aircraft to abruptly dive,” the bulletin stated.

Pilots raise and lower the nose of Boeing jetliners by pushing and pulling on a yoke in the cockpit, which

•Arch Bishop of Lagos Catholic Diocese, Most Rev Alfred Adewale Martin, Bishop of Abeokuta Catholic Diocese, Peter Odetoyinbo, Rev Fr David Akala, Rev Fr Francis Adeyemi, Air Peace Abuja Station Manager, Mrs. Kachollom Nyam-Zang (right), Duty Manager, Pius Alivionote (2nd left) and others cutting the cake to mark Air Peace fourth anniversary at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, penultimate Wednesday. controls panels at the tail known as elevators. In addition, a system known as pitch trim can be changed to prompt nose-up or nose-down movement.

The angle of attack readings are fed into a computer that in some cases will attempt to push down the nose using the pitch trim system. In the early days of the jet age, the pitch trim system was linked to several accidents. If pilots are not careful, they can cause severe nose-down trim settings that make it impossible to level a plane.

The 737 MAX is Boeing’s newest and most advanced aircraft series, as well as the company’s bestseller. The jets have been in high demand and enjoyed a good reputation as safe and reliable carriers.

However, last year Boeing had to briefly ground its 737 Max fleet as discrepancies were found in its engines.

Later, several jets were grounded by India’s Jet Airways, also due to engine problems.

The ill-fated Lion Air Boeing 737Max 8 plane plunged into the Java Sea minutes after take-off from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city.

All 189 people on board were killed and the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has said that flight recorder data has so far revealed the plane’s air speed indicator had not been working properly on its

last four journeys, including on the fatal flight.

However, the preliminary result of the investigation will only be known at the end of November.

Only the indigenous carrier, Air Peace has the embattled B737 Max in its fleet, which it intends to deploy to newly-designated international routes.

Air Peace has said it intends to bridge the gap created by the country’s inability to exploit the numerous air service agreements it signed with other countries when the carrier fully deploys its newly-acquired fleet of four B777 aircraft as well as the B737Max. The airline’s chairman, Allen Onyema disclosed this last month when he stated that its orders, the Boeing 737Max will be deployed to service routes including Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Sharjah, Jeddah from Abuja, Dubai from Kano as well as London from Enugu among others. ”On the international scene, why did we buy four 777? Why did we order 10 brand new 737Max? You know the max has over 7000 nautical miles range. We brought all these equipment because we want to cover that gap that is making the government of the day worried and for people of this country.

“Those 737Max, we don’t want Nigerians to fly through London to

get to Amsterdam. We don’t want Nigerians to pay through their noses to get to their destinations Air Peace decided to bring these jets, the stateof -the-art Boeing 777 and brand new 737Max in other to do these destinations direct for Nigerians.

“We want to start flying Lagos to Paris direct with those max, we want to deploy another max from Lagos to Frankfurt. We want to deploy the Max from Lagos to Amsterdam. We want to deploy it to Milan, we want to deploy it from Abuja to Jeddah.

We want to do Kano to Dubai, we want to do Enugu-London with it and some days we use our triple seven to London through Lagos where majority of people travel.

“So the triple sevens are made for the London route, US route because of its range, meant for China because of its range too and cargo.

It is meant in some days to go to Johannesburg because of the traffic there too. Most of the work like Mumbai and others will be done by the 737Max which will take like 180 passengers.

“You are not going to go to Mumbai with full load of three hundred and seventy something that the 777 will carry so we decided to do that route with the 737Max. So what are we looking for again? An airline has emerged from this country to plug the gaps,” he said.

After a peak in demand at the end of 2017, seasonally-adjusted international freight volumes for the Africa region, according to the report, have stopped declining and recovered sharply in recent months, even as it further noted that they remain 6 per cent lower than the November 2017 peak.

The report affirmed that demand conditions on all key markets to/ from Africa remain weak.

For the rest of the global industry, IATA said freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometers (AFTKs), grew by 3.2 per cent yearon-year in September 2018. This was the seventh month in a row that capacity growth outstripped demand.

Yields, however, appear to be holding up.

The weak growth is being supported by strong consumer confidence, a robust global investment environment and the expansion of international e-commerce. The air cargo sector is, however, being weighed down by a softening of key demand drivers: “Demand for air cargo grew 2% in September—well below the five year average of 5.1%. Weakening order books and longer delivery times are undercutting the need for air freight in many traditional markets.

But there is also some positive news.

For example, strong consumer confidence goes hand-in-hand with expanding international e-commerce trade to give air cargo a boost. The bigger message for the sector is the need to modernize processes.”

African carriers’ freight demand dips by 2.1% in September – IATA

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HE International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), rose 2.0 per cent in September 2018, compared to the same period the year before.

This pace of growth was relatively unchanged from the previous month but was less than half the five-year average growth rate of 5.1 per cent.

However, the IATA report indicated a contraction in freight demand for African carriers, which it said dipped by 2.1 per cent in September 2018, compared to the same month last year, the sixth time in seven months that demand contracted, as against an increase in capacity increased by 6.2% year-on-year.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

INSURANCE & PENSION NAICOM to insurance firms: Spread beyond Lagos Stories by VICTOR NZE

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ATIONAL Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged insurance companies to expand their operations beyond the urban cities and into the rural communities of the country Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari, who made the plea at the just-concluded Education Conference of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, noted that lack of spread of insurance companies to the rural areas was a major concern to the commission, adding that it had equally hindered insurance penetration.

The three-day 46th CIIN’s Education Conference held under the

FBN General Insurance wins customer service award

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BN General Insurance has been adjudged winner of the Best Customer Service Award (Insurance Category) at the 2018 Nigeria Brand Award held recently in Lagos.

In his acceptance speech, the MD/CEO, FBN General Insurance, Bode Opadokun, thanked the organisers for finding the company worthy of the honour.

“At FBN General Insurance, we do not take our customers’ interests lightly. We remain committed to delighting our customers at every touchpoint and we constantly seek better ways of delivering quality services to them at all times. Our recently launched Rapid Response Claims Assessment initiative, for example, is one of the many ways we have demonstrated that indeed, our customers do really matter,” he said.

Recall that FBN General Insurance recently launched three retail products, AutoFlexi, FlexiHome and FlexiGuard in response to customers’ yearning for simple, affordable and flexible insurance products.

In a related development, the Nigeria Finance Innovation Awards has announced FBN Insurance Brokers as the Insurance Broker of the year.

The announcement was made at a colourful ceremony held recently at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki.

According to the organisers, FBN Insurance Brokers was thus awarded “in recognition of her outstanding service, innovation and tireless efforts in the industry.”

Now in its fourth year, the Nigeria Finance Innovation Awards celebrates excellence, accomplishments, success, growth and innovation in the financial sector.

It also seeks to recognise financial organizations, Executives and stakeholders that work towards sustainability in those organisations.

While receiving the award on behalf of the Management of FBN Insurance Brokers, Emmanuel Nwaogwgwu thanked the organisers for the honour and restated the company’s commitment

theme: “Increasing Insurance Penetration through Value Creation,” at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan.

“It is pertinent to note that the industry at large have not convinced the majority of Nigerians that insurance is a viable product, worthy of spending money on.

A widespread lack of awareness is a key component of the issue, as many Nigerians still do not know how insurance works, how to obtain it and why it should be bought,” he said.

According to him, virtually all insurance companies have their headquarters in Lagos, with few in Abuja and the concentration is complemented by very poor branch network.

He said that 98 per cent of insurance companies were located in Lagos, while 95 out of the 98 per cent firms were located in Victoria Island, Lagos.

“Only two per cent are located in Abuja and other states, apart from Lagos. The spatial distribution of insurers and intermediary activities are alarmingly skewed.

So, the paramount need for companies to spread beyond the urban to the hinterland to open new branches for purposes of proximity to prospective consumers.

“The commission will not relent in its efforts to develop the retail sector of insurance business,” Kari said.

He said the commission in its efforts to diversify insurance dis-

•Emmanuel Nwaogwugwu (right) of FBN Insurance Brokers receiving the award plaque from the organisers of the Nigeria Finance and Innovation Awards which held recently at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

tribution had concluded arrangements to open 20 additional branches in the country, despite the prior existing four branches.

Kari explained that each region would have four branches of the commission.

He, however, commended the Oyo State Government for given the commission land to executive this mission.

“We envisaged that by end of 2019, we would have opened addi-

tional 12 branches, and this would automatically push the commission’s branches to 36. By the end of 2019, we would have covered all the states in the federation,” the insurance commissioner said.

Earlier, remarking, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State had on Thursday said that many Nigerians were yet to understand what insurance was and how it works.

Ajimobi who made the assertion while playing host to the leader-

ship of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) led by its President, Mr Eddie Efekoha, in Ibadan, said that insurance was not well accepted in the country compared to other developing and developed countries due to lack of knowledge.

“Insurance is as good as any bank product, and if properly promoted, it will contribute better quota to the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GPD).

NIA faults Reps on takeover threat • As GNI restates compliance with trading rules

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IGERIAN Insurers Association (NIA) on Tuesday faulted statements credited to Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Sub-Committee on Capital Markets and Institutions, Mr. Tony Nwulu, who allegedly threatened to authorize the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to take over three insurance companies over charges of infractions.

According to statement signed

by NIA’s Director General, Yetunde Ilori, Nwulu’s claim has the potential of unsettling the market and demarketing the affected companies.

She noted that the affected companies just like other listed insurance companies are under the supervision of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and other government agencies that exercise oversight function over their operations.

She explained further that the companies in question have not been queried by any of these regulatory agencies in respect of their operations with respect to their adherence to good corporate governance practices, dividend payment to shareholders, payment of statutory taxes both corporate and PAYE remittances.

“Interestingly, the companies have had their audited Annual Accounts duly approved by all the government agencies including the

Financial Reporting Council (FRC).

“By noting these infractions in the books of these companies, the House Committee is calling to question the competency of the regulatory agencies that has the needed structure to carry out the review and give approval on the financials of these companies. More so when the shareholders of all the affected companies have expressed their satisfaction at the annual general meetings held during the reference period.

“At a time when all efforts should be geared towards promoting investment and capital inflows into the Nigerian economy and growing insurance contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the report is at variance with the actual position as it is capable of sending bad and ominous signals to the investing and insuring public as this will affect the ease of doing business.

“The Nigerian insurers Association holds the institution of the National Assembly in very high esteem and would not do anything to denigrate it. We will continue to engage with the National Assembly with a view to ensuring better understanding of the peculiar nature of insurance business as this would guide them in future dealings with the industry.

“Whilst we recognize and appreciate the role of the National Assembly in the discharge of their oversight functions, we are compelled to note that resort to the Press over

matters that are under the regulatory purview of other government institutions and agencies without recourse to those agencies will not be best of business especially when if the report is contentious as this.”

Meanwhile, Great Nigeria Insurance Plc said, Friday, has never received any warning, query or sanctions regarding insider trading from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) which both provide regulatory framework for the company, contrary to allegations by the House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions following the public hearing held on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

Managing Director/CEO of the underwriting firm, Mrs. Cecilia O. Osipitan made this known in a statement, in Lagos.

Osipitan said it has come to the notice of the Board of Directors and Management of GNI that the House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Capital Market issued a statement on Monday, November 5, 2018 threatening to authorize SEC to take over the Management of GNI Plc. She assured the company’s shareholders and general public that the organisation is compliant with all the rules and guidelines of the various regulatory agencies that oversee its operations making all the allegations of insider dealings, failure

to pay shareholders’ dividends, tax evasion and failure to comply with corporate governance regulations inaccurate.

She stated that the restructuring process put in place by the Board and management has boosted the Company’s retained earnings of circa from (N2.4billion) in 2009 to (N0.59billion) in 2017. This improvement in retained earnings was achieved through organic growth only.

She added that the Company has also been meticulous about making tax remittances to both the State and Federal Government and has up-to-date receipts to corroborate this fact.

While allaying the fears of all stakeholders, she said the Company will ensure that the misconception regarding its operations will be resolved with the Committee.

She explained that the inability of the Company’s representative to attend the Committee’s meeting was unavoidable and same was duly communicated to the Committee.

She further stated that the company has forwarded to the committee written detailed responses to all questions raised to set straight earlier communicated misrepresentations and will be willing to answer further questions that may arise.

According to Osipitan, Great Nigeria Insurance Plc remains a compliant corporate entity and ‘is not in any way associated with any of the allegations raised in the publication.’

29

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

INSURANCE & PENSION

Insurance-linked securities’ issuance hits record $1.6bn in Q3 – Report Stories by VICTOR NZE

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HE issuance of non-life insurance linked securities during the third quarter reached a record $1.6 billion, according to a report published by Willis Re. The total exceeds the former Q3 record of $1.4 billion achieved in 2013, and is well ahead of the fiveyear average of $800 million, said Willis Re’s ILS Market Update.

The activity puts this year’s total issuance – already at $8.7 billion by Sept. 31 – on track to meet or even exceed last year’s $9.7 billion fullyear record, said the report.

Of the $1.6 billion issued this past quarter, $200 million will provide peak multi-peril protection and $650 million will provide U.S. earthquake protection, the report added. The remainder cover new perils, with $500 million providing protection from flood resulting from U.S. wind and $200 million providing California wildfire liability protection.

Meanwhile, the market continues its move away from index triggers (including parametric triggers), preferring indemnity-based structures, the report said. Of outstanding issuance on a 2018 yearto-date basis, 60 percent of bonds by capacity are triggered by issuers’ own losses, compared to just 40 percent in 2008.

The available premium or riskspread discount for index triggered instruments has typically

declined relative to indemnity triggers, and, as a result, the share of index-triggered transactions has fallen, the report said, noting that this is a good-news story because it reflects improved data, transparency, and understanding of indemnity risk, rather than any inherent discomfort with index triggers.

Nevertheless, the report said, index triggers remain important, especially for retrocession cat bonds and industry loss warrants (ILWs).

In addition, when underlying data quality is poor or the coverage is exceptionally difficult to model, index-trigger discounts often rise considerably, making the structures more attractive, as seen with recent sovereign natural catastrophe and extreme mortality ILS deals, the report explained.

While the trend away from nonindemnity triggers is likely to continue, they continue to be important for some transactions, said William Dubinsky, managing director & head of ILS at Willis Re. “As the insurance, reinsurance, and ILS markets work together to solve new problems for insureds, index triggers are a very useful tool to consider,” Dubinsky said.

“They may not, on their own, close the global protection gap, dramatically grow the ILS market, or solve all cedent problems, but with creativity, unbiased advice, and sustained effort, they can still have a meaningful impact,” he added.

Integrate family planning into NHIS – CSOs urge FG

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IVIL Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria have appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders to integrate Family Planning (FP) services into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to scale-up access to FP and other reproductive health services.

The CSOs made the appeal during a media roundtable organised by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) hosted by MamaYe Evidence for Action in Abuja on Tuesday in Abuja.

The roundtable was in preparation for the upcoming 5th Nigeria Family Planning Conference (NFPC) and Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS).

Country Director, Nigeria Urban and Reproductive Health Initiative II (NURHI 2), Dr Mojisola Odeku, said contraceptives and other FP services should be part of the minimum healthcare package by the health insurance providers.

She noted that full coverage of FP services will open opportunities for health insurance enrolees to access the services at private facilities at affordable rate.

Odeku said for Nigeria to increase its contraceptive prevalence rate health insurance providers must provide full FP services beyond counselling, coverage of ante natal services and deliveries.

Earlier, Dr Ejike Orji, the Chairman, Technical and Management Committee, AAFP, said the 5th NFPC would hold between

December 4 and 6.

He said there would be three pre-conferences on interfaith, youth and women, while the main conference would focus on investment, innovation and inclusiveness.

According to Orji, “we want to see more investment, and new ways of doing things towards scaling up Co-Chairman, Media and Publicity sub-Committee of the conference, Malam Muhammad Tola, appealed to stakeholders to empower journalists and media houses to enable them focus on FP issues and engage in investigative journalism.

•(From left): Deputy Managing Director, HOGG Robinson Nigeria Ltd, Saheed Egbeyemi; Managing Director, Crystal Trust Insurance Brokers, Ekeoma Ezeibe; Managing Director/CEO, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance (CHI) Plc, Eddie Efekoha and President, Nigerian Corporation for Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Shola Tinubu, during the CHI dinner and interactive session with the insurance brokers on ‘Emerging InsurTech Trends: Driving Growth in a Digital World’ held in Lagos on Tuesday.

Delta Govt. enrolls 300,000 staff under NHIS

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ELTA State Health Insurance Commission says it enrolled 300,000 persons under its scheme from January 2017 to date.

Director-General of the Commission, Dr Ben Nkechika, disclosed Wednesday in Asaba, that the commission paid about N600 million to healthcare providers from inception to date.

The director-general, said that government approved 225 healthcare facilities including public and private facilities for effective and efficient service delivery.

He disclosed also that the state government was in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI), to ensure total health coverage.

He said that this would increase the facilities to 300 next year.

He said that government was working on some of the healthcare facilities at the local government areas and rural communities, to upgrade and equip them for the scheme.

“We have 225 health facilities public and private approved by the state Government for the scheme.

“Government has given approval for renovation of 110 Government hospitals across the state, 65 secondary facilities have been completed to standard and many are undergoing renovation.

“We are also partnering the Bank of Industry (BOI), to place another 25 healthcare facilities in some locations, communities where such facilities do not exist to ensure total coverage in the state.

“So, we are looking forward to expanding the health facilities from the current 225 to 300 for the use of the scheme.

“The scheme started enrollment on Jan.1, 2017 and has as date paid about N600 million to healthcare providers for services rendered in the period.

“The commission has over 300,000 enrollees as at end of October and it cover pregnant women and children less than five years, the formal and informal sectors groups,” Nkechika said.

He said that the scheme provides total health coverage even for accident victims, adding that the re-

professionalism, being one of the core values of the any organisation.

“We assure our stakeholders and investors that such indiscipline and other indiscipline do not exist in our company,” he said.

The acting managing director said that the company always ensured compliance with the industry codes and corporate governance.

“The Board of Directors (BOD) of the company is always at the fore-front to ensure good corporate governance, best practices and compliance with both external and internal rules guiding operations of the company.

“There is no iota of insider dealings in the company,” Fakorede said in a statement.

He said that inability of the company management to attend the slated meeting by the House Committee was due to an unforeseen circumstance which was communicated to the Sub-Committee.

“This underwriting firm has attended similar meetings and will not intentionally boycott the meeting,” he said.

The House had on Octber31 threatened to authorise the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to take over the management of some insurance companies allegedly involved in regulatory infractions.

Other allegations include insider dealings, non-dividend payments to shareholders, taxes evasion and failure to comply with corporate governance regulations.

Staco Insurance assures maximum protection on investments

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TACO Insurance Plc on Tuesday assured its shareholders of maximum protection on their investments with the company.

Acting Managing Director, Mr Bayo Fakorede, gave the assurance in Lagos against the backdrop of allegations of regulatory infractions by the House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Capital Market.

Fakorede said that management of the company would not take for granted the confidence investors bestowed on the company.

“We want to assure all our insuring public and the shareholders in particular, that their investments are safe and intact with us. We reiterated our commitment to

cently launched State Ambulance Services would enhance effective health service delivery to enrollees.

He said that the scheme has three categorisation, the first is the equity or vulnerable group which include the pregnant women, children under five, persons above 65 years and the physically and mentally challenged persons, government pays for them.

“The second is the formal sector group, these are workers on government payroll while the third is the informal sector group which includes the artisans, motorcycle riders, carpenters, traders, market men and women and other individuals.

“So, the total number of these people as at the end of October is over 300,000 and registration is ongoing and we are expecting the figure for this month of November,” he said.

Nkechika said that the commission has enough manpower to carry out the enrollment process across the state, adding that 35 personnel were directly working in the commission’s office in Asaba.

“We have deployed 20 ad-hoc staff, 60 youths Organisation, 250 field officers, 50 liaison officers among others working to ensure total coverage by the scheme in the state.

He said that the major challenge of the scheme was the perception of people, particularly those who believe that no government scheme could deliver effective service due to poor personnel and facilities.

“But what is currently driving the scheme are testimonies of the enrollees themselves, those who have tried it and confessed to its workability and effectiveness in the state.

“We are doing advocacy and the state government has giving approval for the Primary Healthcare Centers across the state to be fully renovated equipped and adequately staffed to meet the needed standard required of the scheme,” he said.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

EQUITY & Capital Market Stories By JERPOME USHAKANG

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HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has annulled the 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of NEM Insurance Plc held on June 20, 2018 in Ibadan.

In addition, SEC has ordered the company to reconvene the 48th AGM. The Commission in a statement said the directive followed a thorough investigation conducted by the commission due to complaints received from the aggrieved shareholders of the insurance company.

The apex regulator of the capital market disclosed that the outcome of the investigation carried out by the enforcement unit of the commission revealed that NEM Insurance Plc failed to give the required twenty-one (21) days’ notice to its shareholders for the 48th Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan on June 20, 2018.

That although NEM Insurance Plc said that it instructed Apel Capital Registrars Limited on June 8, 2018 to dispatch the notice of the 48th Annual General Meeting of June 20, 2018.

However, Apel Capital Registrars Limited on June 12, 2018 engaged and used a company, known as Hurricane Express Services Limit-

SEC invalidates NEM’s 48th AGM ed, not in the list of Licensed Courier Companies in Nigeria to dispatch the notice of the meeting to some of the shareholders in Lagos only.

The action of NEM Insurance Plc contravenes Sections 217 and 220(1) of Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004 and Section 24 of the SEC’s Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies 2013. SEC Nigeria has resolved not to recognize the earlier organised 48th Annual General Meeting of NEM Insurance Plc alongside the resolutions reached at the said meeting.

The commission, therefore, expects NEM Insurance Plc to give requisite notice to all shareholders in accordance with the provisions of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and the SEC’s Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies 2013 while its decision on the AGM has also been communicated to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The CAC is expected to invalidate the meeting as a result of the contravention of the provisions of Companies and Allied Matters Act 2004.

FG organise roadshow prior to $2.8bn Eurobond sale

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• Actng DG SEC, Mary Uduak

Ekocorp appoints new CFO, COO SAHCOL gets regulatory approval to list shares on NSE via IPO

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HE Management and Board of Ekocorp Plc have announced the appointments of Mr. Olusola M. Babalola and Dr. Ifeanyi Obiora as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Chief Operations Officer (COO) respectively.

The company in a statement notifying the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), its shareholders and the general public, said the newly appointed executives are expected to be in charge of the financial and operations management of the company in conjunction with the Acting Chief Executive Officer (Dr. Ogunmokun) pending the appointment and resumption of a Chief Executive Officer.

According to the statement,the Chief Financial Officer, Olusola Babalola has joined the organisation with a wealth of experience.

These could be traced to his experiences as the Head, Finance and Accounts/Group Chief Financial Officer of Vitafoam Nigeria PLC where his major achievements included (a) successfully refinancing a dollar-denominated term loan granted to one of the group’s subsidiaries, thus saving the Group millions of naira in FX-related losses; (b) Advising the Group on the restructuring of the operations of the business model of one of the subsidiary companies to make it an FX-generating source for the group.

He was also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Matripax Consulting Limited where his achievements included, (a) Helping to build financial models for the preparation of the annual budget for a newly restructured and recapitalized mortgage bank; (b) Advising a major client in the manufacturing sector on various cost reduction and continuous business improvement options which led to about $0.5m

in cost On the other hand, Dr Obiora who has a wealth of experience has a degree in Medicine from the University of Lagos, and a Masters Degree in Business Information Technology from Middlesex University, United Kingdom.

The newly-appointed COO started his career at the Ekocorp Hospital as a Medical Doctor.

Obiora moved into Management Consulting with Accenture, where he worked on various transformation projects for leading companies, including Total, Shell, NNPC and UAC. He has also held various Human Resources Management roles with ExxonMobil and United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA). He returned to Eko Hospital with extensive experience in Strategy and Business Development, Organizational Transformation, Leadership Development, Human Resources, Audit and Internal Controls, Planning and Budgeting and Information Technology.

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HE International Monetary Fund (IMF’s) has admitted,that there are circumstances where African governments’ debt levels are so high they become unsustainable, such that the scheduled debt service exceeds the capacity of the member to service it.

This rings true for a number of countries in the Sub-Saharan African region, where the organisation, in its regional economic outlook for the year, warned debt servicing costs were becoming a burden, especially in oil-producing countries.

Among these are Angola, Gabon and Nigeria.Overall, public debt rose above 50 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in some 22 countries at the end of 2016, up from ten countries in 2013.

According to the Brookings Institution, Cape Verde, Gambia, Congo, Mozambique, Mauritania, Sao Tome, Togo, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Sudan, respectively, are the

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N approval has been given to Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) Plc to list its shares on the trading platform of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The approval was given by the stock exchange management on Friday, November 2, 2018.

SAHCOL was given the nod to list a total of 1,353,580,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each on the stock exchange.

In addition to this, the firm was also given the approval to offer for sale through an Initial Public Offering a total of 406,074,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc at N4.65k per share.

Business Post learnt that the issuing house and financial advisers for the transaction are Vetiva Capital Management Limited and Cordros Capital Limited.

Stockbrokers for the deal are Sigma Securities Limited, Apel Asset Limited, APT Securities and Funds Limited, CityCode Trust & Investment Company Limited, Dynamic Portfolio Limited, Fortress Capital Limited, Planet Capital Limited, Pilot Securities Limited, and Vetiva Securities Limited.

Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) is 100 percent owned by the Sifax Group owned by business mogul, Mr Taiwo Afolabi.

The firm was incorporated as an Aviation Ground Handling Service Provider under the Nigerian Company & Allied Matters Act of 1990.

SAHCOL which was formerly known as Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited, before it was privatized and handed over to the Sifax Group on December 23, 2009, was carved out of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited as part of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Aviation’s reform of 1996.

NSE lifts embargo on trading in FTN Cocoa shares’

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last weekend notified the investing publics that it has lifted suspension placed on the trading in the shares of FTN Cocoa processors Plc for inability to submit its outstanding Audited and Interim Financial Statements to The Exchange.

The Exchange said the suspension was inevitable as the company failed to comply Rule 3,1, Rules for Filing of Accounts and Treatment of Default

African countries in debt trap – IMF

countries searing under the heaviest debt.The rankings are based on public debt as a percentage of GDP. Cape Verde are the heaviest indebted, with its debt 129,7 percent of GDP. Sudan’s debt is 66,5 percent of GDP. Recent statistics suggest Angola, Africa’s second largest crude oil producer after Nigeria, is not far off.

It has a government debt equivalent to over 65 percent of the country’s GDP. Government debt to GDP in Angola averaged 49,75 percent from 2000 until 2017.

Statistics are based on data from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook, the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, and various countries’ national statistics offices and central banks.

IMF economists- Sean Hagan, Maurice Obstfel and Poul Thomsen- jointly blogged that one potent

RRANGEMENT has been concluded by some Nigerian officials to engage in a roadshow in London this week ahead of a planned $2.8 billion Eurobond sale within this month of November 2018.

Two banking sources who preferred anonymity have revealed to Reuters last Thursday.

The roadshow, which is being organised by Citi and Standard Chartered, would run from November 12, for three days and be attended by Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed.

The Senate had last month approved the issuance of $2.786 billion from the International Capital Market to partly finance the 2018 budget. This was sequel to the presentation at plenary of the report on the implementation of the new external capital raising of $2.786 billion from the International Capital Market approved in the 2018 Act by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani.

In his presentation, Sani had said the committee emphasised the need for the federal government to reduce its request for more external borrowing “and source for other means of generating revenue internally”. The Senate also observed that the issuance of the bonds will contribute to the implementation of the country’s Debt Management Strategy.

source of uncertainty is the role of a big debt overhang in sapping political support for reforms from the public, which could see its sacrifices as primarily benefiting creditors.

“Pretending that unpayable debts can be repaid will only sap the effectiveness of the debtor’s adjustment efforts, ultimately making all parties lose more than if they had promptly faced the facts,” the trio stated.

On the back of its warnings that servicing debts were becoming burdensome, it is thus ironic that IMF is making a comeback to the African continent.

Countries with an insatiable appetite to borrow, but struggling to repay loans, are sourcing funds from the institution. Economists pointed out after past few years of inactivity, largely because of increased Chinese funding to Africa, the IMF was back in the fold.

Filing, Rulebook of The Exchange which stipulates that; “If an Issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the Cure Period, The Exchange will (a)send to the Issuer a “Second Filing Deficiency Notification” within two business days after the end of the Cure Period; (b) suspend trading in the Issuer’s securities; and (c) notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Market within twenty- four hours of the suspension.”

However, in a statement published in the Market Bulletin of the NSE dated November 9, 2018 and signed

by Head, Listings Regulation Department, Mr. Godstime Iwenekhai, the NSE said,” The general public is hereby notified that the suspension placed in the trading of the Company’s shares was lifted on November 9, 2018.

The NSE explained that FTN Cocoa Processors Plc which was amongst the companies suspended has submitted its outstanding Audited and Interim Financial Statements to The Exchange.

In view of the submission of the Company’s accounts and pursuant to Rule 3.3 of the Default Filing Rules, which provides that; “The suspension of trading in the issuer’s securities shall be lifted upon submission of the relevant accounts provided The Exchange is satisfied that the accounts comply with all applicable rules of The Exchange.”

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

MONEY Market

Fintech will decide the fate of banking services in Nigeria – Expert Stories by KAYODE OGUNWALE

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S technology continues to dominate and permeate every segment of human endeavour, activity and field of knowledge, there is strong indication that Fintech, a new trending innovative technology, will to a very large extent redefine and determine the survival of global banking services delivery in Nigeria and other countries of the world.

A Fintech (Financial Technology) expert and Executive Director, Systemspecs Limited, Mr. AdeRemi Atanda, gave the insight at the Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ) and Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) Business Forum held in Lagos, recently.

According to Wikipedia, Fintech is the new technology and innovation that aims to compete with traditional financial methods in the delivery of financial services. It is a new industry that uses technology to improve activities in finance using smartphones, investing services, cryptocurrency and other technologies to make financial services more accessible to the general public.

Mr. Atanda who was the Guest Speaker at the CFJ-ACAMB Business Forum observed that Fintech has come to not only revolutionise the global economic setting, especially, the banking and financial services system but also to ultimately change the way and manner that services are delivered to the consumers through its innovative and disruptive characteristics and capabilities. According to him,

the world is at the 4th economic revolution which is driven by the digital age. He stated that “We all know about the 4th economic revolution, it is a digital age. It is a knowledge edge. So if anybody is still competing based on natural resources you are a goner”.

He explained that in the digital age financial services would be delivered directly to the consumers using disruptive and innovative technologies that would enable banks and other financial services providers to provide value-adding services to meet their numerous customers’ increasing needs.

Atanda further explained that Fintech is about those technologies that enable financial services to be taken right to the customers the way they want it. But many times financial services providers are not capable or do not assume it their responsibility to create the rail or the platform that makes it easy for them to deliver their own services and that is where the conflict is. “Many times they believe because am a financial services provider I own the entire ecosystem”.

He said before now you could advertise to your customers that you are going to get your credit within 24 hours “but if anyone says it today, you don’t exist”. He said what is trending now in the financial services sector is instant payment made possible by technology.

“But guess what? We want to be the providers of financial services and at the same time we want to be the gatekeepers as if everything is dependent on us. And when we are not moving at the speed of the customer the customer begins to

•Mrs Bridget Oyefeso-Odusami, Social Secretary, Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) and Marketing Manager for Corporate Investment Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank; Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi, Managing Director/CEO, Proshare Nigeria and Moderator of the CFJ-ACAMB Business Forum; Mr. AdeRemi Atanda, Executive Director, Systemspecs Limited and Guest Speaker at the CFJ-ACAMB Business Forum held in Lagos.

innovate. And it will surprise you to know that those who were the foremost point of financial technology are the people who need such services themselves that the financial services providers are not providing”.

Atanda he stated that in order for banks to remain competitive and profitable there is the need for them to partner with Fintech companies with a view to increasing the efficiency of incumbent businesses adding that incumbents could simplify and rationalize their core processes, services and products, and consequently reduce inefficiencies in their operations.

“Fintech is not just about cutting costs. Incumbents partnering with Fintech companies could deliver a differentiated offering, improve customer retention and bring additional revenues. This is already true in the payments industry where Fintech generates additional revenues through faster and easier payments and digital wallet transactions” he said.

The 2018 CFJ-ACAMB Business Forum was the third edition in the series, which is aimed at keeping both the corporate communication practitioners in banks and other financial services institutions and the financial journalists in the

country abreast of critical issues in the financial sector, policies and developments in the economy and global trends while providing veritable opportunity and platform for them to interact and relate informally. The event was moderated

by Mr. Femi Awoyemi, Managing Director/CEO, Proshare Nigeria and chaired by Mr. Ray Echebiri, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Financial Journalism while Mr. Charles Aigbe, President, ACAMB was the Chief Host. It was well attended by corporate communication practitioners in banks, financial journalists, financial analysists and researchers.

Development Financial Institutions pledge joint effort to ramp up investment into Africa

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AJOR Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) have agreed to join forces to help boost private investments in developing economies, particularly those in Africa. The commitment was made by high-profile representatives from development finance institutions in Europe, Africa and Asian at the Africa Investment Forum, held in Johannesburg.

According to President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, “We need to be bold, innovative, and cooperative. We have a number of project preparation facilities that we need to scale up significantly so that we can tap into it. We should not forget that capital is not moving into a lot of the low-income fragile states, we need to find a way to de-risk investments in those particular areas,” The session on “Development finance institutions: Doing more together” comprised Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank; Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank; Nobumitsu Hayashi, Deputy Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Other panelists were Jin Liqun, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Bandar M. H. Hajjar, President of

the Islamic Bank; Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of the Africa Export-Import Bank; Sidi Ould Tah, Director General Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA); Sinthya Roesly, Chairwoman, Indonesia Eximbank and Sergio Pimenta, Vice President of the International Finance Cooperation.

Panelists shared their institutions’ experience in catalyzing private sector investments and reshaping their roles to address developing countries’ pressing

financing needs. They also discussed joint actions with partner institutions to attract private funding and how private investors can take advantage of what DFIs have to offer.

On how to move from millions to trillions in funding, they offered solutions including having the private sector mindset and going to the extra mile in terms of thinking about instruments. “The private sector means deals are being structured in a way they suit project end,” they indicated.

It is important for the board who are represented by government officials to think outside the box. It does not help if the mindset of the board or the management is fixed on practices that have been done for the last half century or several decades, they added.

“Multilateral development institutions should be innovative, we should be creative. We have to be fast. We should work together and compare notes to see how we can work together and be more efficiently and cost effectively.

The Africa Investment Forum is an initiative of the African Development Bank organized in partnership with Africa Export-Import Bank, African Finance Corporation, Africa50, Development Bank of Southern Africa, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Trade and Development Bank.

The innovative marketplace is dedicated to advancing projects to bankable stages, raising capital, and accelerating the financial closure of deals.

tribution to GDP and foreign exchange earnings Meanwhile, Monye stressed that the under-performance of the sector is closely tied; amongst other factors; to poor credit access from banks.

On the part of government, he decried that Nigeria’s Agricultural research institutes that are established to drive the sector’s business were underfunded compared to India’s.

“The 2018 budget allocates N54 billion and N149 billion ($490 million) to the agriculture and rural development ministry for recurrent and capital spending respectively.

“Agricultural research institutes have received an average of N28 billion ($90 million) annually over the past five years. The comparable figure for India, with six times the population, is closer to $2 billion,” he stated.

He further noted that the economic recovery and growth plan of the gov-

ernment is heavy on Agriculture and MSMEs as key drivers of the economic diversification plan.

“Successful implementation of the Government’s Recovery Plan provides significant opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors and financiers particularly in the Agro-allied Sector,” Monye affirmed.

The Executive Director added that investments in infrastructure (energy and transportation) are supportive of the Agric-led growth.

He explained that to explore options for de-risking and unlocking bank lending to the Agric sector so as to develop and position the sector for increased contribution to the Nigeria’s GDP and revenues, there is need to Continue regulatory driven intervention funds to increase access to credit at single digit rates and long tenors, Improve knowledge of Banks and Bankers on Agric finance and Agricultural Risk Manage-

ment through focused capacity building and many others.

Speaking at retreat with theme, “Achieving Economic Diversification for Nigeria via the De-Risking of Lending to the Nigerian Non-oil Sectors, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abduhameed, explained that the value chain financing is one of the major problem facing Nigerian agricultural sector.

But, he pointed out that NIRSAL does this by ‘de-risking’ the agricultural financing value chain, building long-term capabilities and institutionalizing agricultural lending through risk sharing with banks, technical capacity building as well as the provision of incentives to encourage bank lending.

According to him, Nigeria is endowed with all the natural resources to thrive in agriculture, but the sector lacks the capital with which to maximally meet the opportunities.

Heritage Bank calls for increased govt, banks’ support in Agriculture sector

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ERITAGE Bank Plc has called on government at all levels and deposit money banks to increase supports in agriculture, as it is the most resilient and important sector of Nigerian economy, despite underwhelming investment in the sector.

The Executive Director of the bank, Jude Monye stated this while delivering a paper, titled, “Bank Experience in Lending to the Real Sector (Agric) of the Economy,” at the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) 2018 Chief Risk Officers Forum Retreat which held in Lagos.

He disclosed that increased focus on the agriculture sector would contribute to the Job creation objectives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), as its labour intensive process across the value chain has the potential of creating multiple jobs, create wealth, and increase the sector’s con-

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The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Ejeagha to Ugwuanyi – You have our support From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

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egendary highlife maestro, Mike Ejeagha, has commended the Governor of Enugu State Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for his sterling achievements since he assumed office, describing his administration as people-oriented.

Ejeagha, who also endorsed Ugwuanyi for reelection, made the remark when the governor visited him at his Abakpa-Nike, Enugu residence, stressing that citizens of the state had enjoyed rare atmosphere of security, peace and good governance, since the inception of the Ugwuanyi administration.

“You have our support and God will continue to lead you,” the Ezeaguborn folklore highlife czar assured the governor, adding “Your Excellency, I was marveled while going to the hospital at Ogwuagor, Ugwuoye by First Bus Stop the other day and I saw that the roads had been tarred.

“Thank you very much for security in Enugu State. We can now go out at night and come back anytime without

any fear of attack by men of the underworld,” Ejeagha said, adding that Ugwuanyi has transformed the State for the better.

Governor Ugwuanyi had earlier told the folklore highlife czar that he had visited to ascertain how he was faring and see how the state government could assist him in his health and other needs as a revered indigene of the state.

The governor promised to henceforth, take care of Ejeagha’s medical bills and asked that his medical details be forwarded to the state’s teaching hospital, Parklane, for adequate attention.

Ugwuanyi also offered automatic employment to musician’s daughter to enable her take care of her ailing father, and thanked the entire Ejeagha family, especially his wife and daugh- • A cross section of aviation stakeholders in attendance during the briefing by the Minster of State for Aviation, ter for being there for him.

Hadi Sirika to address issues bothering on Nigeria Air, the Aviation Road map, Airport Infrastructure, Friday Governor Ugwuanyi also visited the Parklane Specialist Hospital, Enugu, where he offset medical bills of all the children that had been discharged but their parents could not pay up.

Floods: Anambra council chairman closes IDP camps

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ransition Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra, Mr Arinzechukwu Awogu, has ordered the closure of the three Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps for flood victims in the council.

Awogu who stated this in Wednesday in Awka, said that the three IDP centres in Iyiowa, Odekpe and Atani and seven other cluster centres in the remote areas of the council had become virtually empty as the flood had receded.

“The water has really receded and most of the victims have gone back to their homes, coupled with the fact that they were not getting enough assistance in the camp.

“I closed down the camps last Sunday because National Emergency management Authority (NEMA) was supposed to take care of their stay there.

“The state government took over the responsibility of taking care of them at the various camps. So now that the water has receded, they de-

cided to return to their homes,” he said.

Awogu, however, appealed to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the affected people by helping them have easy integration into the society.

He decried the hardship the displaced people were going through, including those whose homes collapsed, adding that donations to take care of them were becoming scarce.

“We expect the federal government to see to their reintegration, rebuild their homes and restore their livelihood, because the situation is still biting hard.

“They are still in trauma, you see some of them going to the camps that they used to get meals, in the sheer hope that something may be there for them to eat. The donations have all seized, nothing is coming anymore; we hope that the federal government send more relief materials and cash to help cushion the pains of these people,” he said.

Enugu Govt revamps GTC, other technical schools – STVSMB boss From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

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hairman of Science, Technical and Vocational School Management Board (STVSMB), Enugu, Sir Obi Kama, has commended Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for revamping technical schools in Enugu State.

Addressing journalists during an interactive session, Kama disclosed that the Ugwanyi administration has transformed technical education in the state by replacing obsolete and unserviceable equipment and ensuring regular training and retraining exercises for staff of technical colleges and all schools under STVSMB. He said the feat was part of Governor Ugwuanyi’s total overhaul measures in the entire education sector, just as the all-encompassing drive of the governor is evident in all other sectors.

The STVSMB boss, who expressed delight that government’s transformation efforts have also been yielded various laurels to the state, in the last three and half years, and praised a visiting victorious team from Government Technical College (GTC), Enugu, who were in his office to present him with trophies the school had won at recent

national competitions.

One of the awards was for ‘Best National Art and Painting Competition’, which was clinched by an SS3 student of the school, Master Nnadi Chijioke.

The STVSMB boss had earlier informed journalists that another set of technical students from the school, as well as some students of GTC, Ledja, Enugu, had produced a car christened ‘Gburugburu Car, and international standard foot wears, respectively’ which earned the state a trophy each at recent National Science Competitions.

While appreciating management and students of GTC for making Enugu State proud, Kama disclosed that15 students of GTC, Enugu were currently undergoing further training at Innoson Motors Company, Enugu, under government sponsorship, as part of governor Ugwuanyi’s manner of encouraging creativity and hard work in the State.

Kama however, commended the governor for reconstituting STVSMB board, describing it as a timely move towards re-inventing technical, vocational and science education in the state.

Tension mounts in Ogbaru market as three chairmen emerge

By Oge Onyeanusi, Nnewi

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ension is gradually mounting at the Ogbaru Main Market, near Onitsha, following the emergence of three persons all claiming to be chairmen of the popular market.

The crisis was said to have started when the Anambra State Government through the Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation, Dr. Christian Madubuko arrested the elected Chairman of the market, Chief Victor Nwawuzie [Akirika] for embezzling government funds amounting to about N93 million which the embattled chairman has denied.

During the suspension of Nwawuzie, the Vice Chairman of the market, Mr. Chinedu Ejezie (Ist Vice Chairman) who is a non-indigene of Anambra State was nominated to replace the embattled Chairman, with majority of the stakeholders in the market kicking against the move, citing that he was not entitled to lead the market because of his indigeneship which is contrary to the market constitution.

When the imbroglio over succession had died down following the appointment of a member of the market executive popularly known as “Buckunor,” peace and normalcy gradually returned to the market.

However, the expected peace was said to have lasted a short time as there were incessant complaints of shops being burgled at night in the presence of vigilante men hired as security guards in the market.

The incessant cases of burglary in

the market which did not go down well with some power brokers in the area, however, pitched the market Board of Trustees members led by Chief Sam Mendu and other stakeholders of the market against “Bucknor” the Caretaker Chairman of the market.

On sensing that he has been removed from his position by the State Government, Thursday morning, the vigilante members of the market closed all the gates leading to the market on the orders of the embattled Chairman, a situation which kept members of the market and their customers stranded for hours.

It was later learnt that crisis was aborted when the BOT Chairman of the market, Chief Sam Mendu (Onwa Ogidi) appealed to the State Commissioner of Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, Dr. Madubuko who eventually called in police from the Okpoko Division that ordered the reopening of the market.

Speaking to the press on the matter, the Market Board of Trustee, Chairman (BOT), Chief Sam Mendu blamed the looming crisis on the embattled chairman who he said was incompetent to lead the market.

He noted that despite all pleas made to him to compile the names of all traders affected in the burglary of shops in the area, the market chairman had not done so and described him as ‘’a man not competent to lead.’’

However, Mendu told the press that a new chairman has been approved by the state government, one Mr. Ndubuisi Ochiogu, an erstwhile

Caretaker Chairman of the Market, to oversee a transition period prior to the market election expected to take place next year.

In a sharp reaction, the President –General, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (AMATAS), Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo (Ewepudike) who rushed to the market shortly on hearing about the crisis, while addressing some of the traders in the market dismissed Mendu’s position on the selection of the market chairman.

He disclosed that he does not recognize any new person as Chairman of the market as nothing to that effect had reached his office as the overall market boss in Anambra State.

He decried a situation whereby somebody would be in his office to dictate or appoint who leads a particular market, adding that the days of impunity in Anambra markets were over.

He warned those wishing to lead in markets to stand for election as that was the only recognised way to test one’s popularity.

The market leader, however, stated that as it stands the suspended Chairman of the market, Chief Victor Nwawuzie remains the Chairman of the market pending the time an election would be held for his replacement.

At the time of filing this report our correspondent gathered that the state government had directed for a crucial meeting among all the major stakeholders in the market to determine the authentic leader of the troublesome markets.

shrugged off pressure to drop his deputy from some groups in Ohafi, will face another 27 contenders from other political parties.

They include his closest rival in the 2015 governorship race, Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), as well as Dr Uche Ogah who almost pushed him (Ikpeazu) out of Government House in his bid to establish that he was the right PDP candidate for the 2015 governorship poll but is now the standard bearer of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Also in the race are Chijioke Owanta (Alliance for Social Democrats); Onuoha Ukaigwe (All Grand Alliance Party); Ceekay Igwe Kalu (Labour

Party); Orji Kingsley (Zenith Labour Party) and Anyalewachi Nwaozuru (Green Party of Nigeria) and Ahaiwe Udochukwu Elvis (Restoration Party).

Others include: Chief Igwo Nnanna Okpan (All Grassroots Alliance); Chukwuonye Anthony Madu (People for Democratic Change); Okey Okoro Udo (Action Democratic Party); Chief Emeka Uwakolam (Accord Party); Barr. Kelenna Obonna (African Democratic Congress); Ubani Vincent Anthony (African Action Congress); Okronkwo Fortune Paul (Providence Peoples Congress); Umah Charles Okezie (Action Peoples Party) and Benson Chibunna Onyejkachi (Kowa), among others.

2 women, 27 others plot to unseat Ikpeazu From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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oing by the list of governorship candidates and their running mates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) weekend in Umuahia, 30 political parties will slug it out in the 2019 governorship election in Abia State.

Among the candidates are two women Hon. Blessing Nwagba, currently, a member of the Abia State House of Assembly who is flying the flag of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Queenedith Asika Chukwuka of the Change Advocacy Party.

Aside from the women, the incumbent, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who

33

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

Love and Living

...With Ireto Temofeh

MODEL OF THE WEEK

LOVE NEWS

Don’t retire - and have plenty of sex!

New study reveals the scientifically proven ways to live TEN YEARS longer

F

Name: Joy Tel: +234 703 080 1774 • If you want to be our next ORACLE GIRL, e-mail or forward your photos/data to ireto007@yahoo.com. Call 07031028714.

ODD NEWS

Did interbreeding wipe out the Neanderthals?

• Scientists say extinct species mated with humans – and were NOT killed off by them

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enetic analysis of the fossilised remains of three species of human - the Neanderthals, early humans and modern humans - suggests interbreeding was the true cause of their demise.

‘It means they were incorporated, which is why we see so many of their genes living on in modern Europeans, Svante Paabo, professor of evolutionary genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, told The Sunday Times.

It’s thought Neanderthals evolved from early humans, who left Africa about 450,000 years ago.

The history books say they spread across Eurasia until modern humans arrived 60,000 years ago.

About 30,000 years later they were gone - assumed to be killed off or out-competed for resources by modern humans.

‘If we look at a few thousand genomes we can pick out 15,000 Neanderthal genes — so at least half their genome is walking around in people today,’ said Paabo.

The findings have promoted re-

searchers in the US to look into Neanderthal’s genetic influence on people today.

One study, led by Michael Gregory of the US National Institute of Mental Health, calculated people’s ‘NeanderScore’ by analysing their genes.

It found that people who scored highest often had skulls similarly shaped to Neanderthals.

The report found that the Neanderthal genes were still present in the contemporary population.

Research coming out of Norway has linked Neanderthal genes with health problems.

Ole Andreassen, of the Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oslo in Norway said there were links between the presence of the genes with high cholesterol, autism and depression.

He also said it increases one’s risk to tobacco addiction.

Courtesy: Daily Mail.

ive more healthy years of life.

LIFE GAIN: 11 per cent lower risk of That’s the Government’s goal for all of us under a new plan that death from all causes at 66. seeks to prevent rather than simply Become a parent treat illness. ‘It’s about people choosPeople with children live at least two ing to look after themselves better,’ said US Health Secretary Matt Han- years longer than those who are childless, according to a study last year. cock last week.

Researchers in Sweden tracked 704,481 men and 725,290 women born But what should we be doing?

A Harvard University study in August between 1911 and 1925 and found that identified five key habits that could the risk of death was greater among potentially add a decade to life expec- those who did not have children.

They say that childless people may tancy, including eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and drinking only not have the same support networks in place, leaving them more vulneramoderately.

But they are not the only things we ble.

‘Emotional feelings can be just as relcan do – our emotional state and how much sex we have all play a role in as- evant to our health as overall physical suring a longer, healthier life. Here we factors,’ says Dr Elizabeth Webb, a reexamine the lifestyle tweaks scientifi- searcher at AgeUK. cally proved to add years to your life…

LIFE GAIN: Two years.

Don’t act your age Stay out of hospital The secret of longevity owes more Patients requiring hospital treatment to a zest for life than to lucky genes, say researchers. A study of 660 volun- for long periods, for whatever reason, teers aged 50 or over found those who are likelier to die earlier – and not just had more positive perceptions of their because they were already sick.

A paper published last October own ageing lived an average of seven and a half years longer, even taking found 7,800 extra deaths occurred into account their income, age and between July 2014 and June 2015 in England and Wales where frail, elderhealth.

Ageing is, in fact, only 10 per cent ge- ly people were stuck in hospital for netics and 90 per cent lifestyle, accord- longer than necessary.

And US research suggests about ing to research focusing on longevity one-third of patients aged over 70 hotspots around the world.

A US study of ‘super agers’ – those and more than half of patients over who live beyond 80 – found they 85 leave hospital more disabled than shared a more positive outlook than when they arrive.

‘Hospital settings are dangerous their peers. They were also more sociable, keeping busy long after retire- places because you can pick up superbugs such as MRSA or C Difficile more ment.

Positive thinking has been linked to easily,’ says Dr Webb. ‘Good hospitals stress reduction, which has a knock-on try to get people discharged as soon as effect on general health and helps to possible.’ boost the immune system. ‘Negative LIFE GAIN: No gain but a lower risk of beliefs and attitudes lead to inactivity, isolation, depression and preventable disability or illness. diseases,’ says Sir Muir Gray, a public Have an active love life health consultant at Oxford University.

A study of 918 men in the Welsh town of Caerphilly between 1979 and LIFE GAIN: Seven and a half years.

1993 found those who made love twice a week had a 50 per cent reAvoid early retirement Delaying retirement might sound duced risk of death compared to those counter-intuitive but it can add years who had sex less than once a month. A to your life, according to a 2016 study. man who has 350 orgasms a year lives Researchers at Oregon State Univer- an average of four years longer than a sity followed 2,956 people and found man who has a typical tally of a quarter that healthy adults who retired aged of that, according to other research.

Women who have regular sex have 66, rather than at 65, had an 11 per cent lower risk of death from all causes than longer telomeres – a DNA component those of the same age who had retired that indicates longevity. The longer the telomere, the longer the lifespan. Sex earlier.

Even workers who were unhealthy raises levels of the feelgood hormone when they retired still had a nine per oxytocin and dehydroepiandrostercent reduced risk of death if they one, which reduces stress, and increases levels of infection-fighting immunoworked for just a year longer.

‘The findings seem to indicate that globulins in the blood. people who remain active and enLIFE GAIN: Four years for men, ingaged gain a benefit from that,’ said creased life expectancy for women. the researchers.

34

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

True Confession

My impotent husband murdered the love of my life

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eople always say that wonders will never end in this world. That’s because the world is full of mysteries.

What happened to me is just like a movie. Indeed, it is just like a film and I’m still trying to recover from the shock of what I went through. Is it a crime to be married to an impotent man and leave him?

What else could I have done after been married to an impotent man for 15 years without a child, if not to leave him for good? I want readers to judge for themselves in this matter between me and my exhusband, Marcus.

Marcus was short, ugly and fat when I met him years ago in the village during the yuletide period.

I have the habit of traveling home to the village whenever it is Christmas because nothing compares to celebrating christmas in your hometown.

I love traveling home for the holidays and I did just that 16 years ago when I met my husband.

Alhough Marcus was short, ugly and fat, he had the most beautiful smile in the whole wide world and I fell for that most beautiful smile of his.

We became friends and when he learned that I was still in school, he pledged to sponsor my education, which he did. And I am forever grateful to him for that singular act of charity.

Our relationship lasted from my first year in the university till my final year when we decided to settle down.

We got married when I was in my final year because Marcus told me that he was afraid that if he did not marry me now, I would dump him for another man after I had graduated and then all the money he had spent sponsoring my education would have been wasted.

That is in addition to him having a broken heart at the end. So I married him in my final year in order to assure him that I was forever his. I remember our wedding eve.

Marcus took me into his arms and whispered into my ears: “Amaka, I will always love you.

I will cross the seven seas with you and climb the seven mountains until death do us part.” That was one of the sweetest sweet nothings I had ever heard in my life.

However, we got married and as the years progressed, I realized that I was living in hell.

Marcus never told me that he couldn’t father a child before marrying me. And for the next 15 years he hid the truth for me while I grieved every morning of every day for my barrenness, thinking that the fault was mine.

It was my husband’s personal physician who secretly told me the truth. And that was when I decided to leave my husband.

I moved my things out of my husband’s house on the same night he traveled for business.

I moved in with a young man I had taken as my lover and before long, I conceived for him.

I decided to officially divorce my husband, Marcus, and the divorce litigation was still on when strange things began to happen to my young lover.

First, my boyfriend was attacked and

Sometimes I feel like committing suicide. But I have to be strong for my child. I’m ready to raise the boy I had for my late boyfriend on my own. As far as I’m concerned, Marcus is a murderer and I will never return to his house. beaten up by thugs on his way back from work one night.

He was hospitalized for three days and resumed work only for the same thugs to ambush him again two weeks later and stab him to death with broken bottles.

I heard gossip that it was my husband who organized the thugs.

It was a very trying period for me but I managed to carry my pregnancy for my dead young lover to the end, and I gave birth to a baby boy.

However, immediately my husband heard that I had given birth to a baby boy, he started claiming the child as his own and begging me to return to his house.

Marcus is still begging me to come back to his house. He is begging me to let him hide the shame of his impotence by adopting the boy as his own.

He says that in his culture, when a married woman gives birth, the boy belongs to her husband, irrespective of who impregnated her.

But I’ve told Marcus to go to hell.

I’ve told him that he’s lucky that I don’t have evidence to have him arrested and prosecuted for murder. He is impotent, yet he murdered the love of my life. Now I feel so lonely and lost.

Sometimes I feel like committing suicide. But I have to be strong for my child. I’m ready to raise the boy I had for my late boyfriend on my own. As far as I’m concerned, Marcus is a murderer and I will never return to his house.

Your say: Call 07031028714.

35

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

Relationships and Love Advice

I need a man who will love me and help me in my life

Love Search Women seeking relationship/ marriage Esther, 34, civil servant in Abuja, single mother, needs a man of 37 years and above for marriage.+234 8114226917.

Rose, in Lagos, just rented a shop, needs someone to support her in starting a business. 08107458039.

Funke, 44, needs a man (widower or divorcée) of 50-55 years for a serious relationship. 08185083988.

Ngozi, 28, fat, jovial, fair, in Onitsha, Anambra state, needs a God-fearing and buoyant man of 45 years and above to take good care of her. 08183580779.

Busayo, 33, single mother from Ogun, needs a hardworking Yoruba man between 34-40 years for marriage.

09096187179.

Uchechi, 36, a graduate, tall, fair, needs a tall, fair, graduate, Igbo evangelist, pastor or God fearing Igbo man for marriage. 08052366993.

Lora, graduate, works, HIV Positive, based in Jos, wants a HIV positive man of 35-40 years for marriage.

08090925014.

Dear Love Doctor, My name is Oje. I’m a fair and beautiful young lady living in Lagos. I’m from Edo state but I’m doing business in Lagos.

All my life, I’ve been searching for a man who will truly love me for who I am and help me make it in life, but most of the men I have met in my life are not good. Is there something wrong with Nigerian men?

I need a sincere and generous man who will love me and make me happy. If I ever meet such a man who can make me happy and help me, I will make him happy too. Please what can I do to get a man who will truly appreciate me and help me.

From Oje, 08104998529.

Lagos.

Love Doctor’s Advice:

I

understand the way you feel because sometimes it can be quite frustrating trying to find true love, especially in a country like Nigeria where many people seem to be preoccupied with the pursuit of the basic things of life necessary for survival, such as food, shelter, etc.

However that does not mean that you can’t find true love. You can find a man who will truly ap-

preciate you and help you if you’re patient.

Again, you also need to work on being the right person for the right man. This means that you need to concentrate on your character. If your character is good, God will help you to meet a good man who will appreciate you and accept you for who you are and help you. I will publish your number so that any man who will like to meet you and

help you achieve your dreams in life can contact you.

I wish you the best! *If you’re a responsible man interested in meeting Oje in Lagos and helping her achieve her dreams or goals in life, you may call her via 08104998529.

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!

E-Mail: ireto007@yahoo.com Go to foodstuffs.com.ng. Call Love Doctor: 07031028714, 08131161840.

Men seeking relationship/ marriage Divine, 36, wants a beautiful, highly educated, tall, fair, working class lady from 25-30 years for marriage. 09054199030.

Uche in Lagos wants a mature working woman or widow in Lagos for companionship or a romantic relationship.

08077821830.

Emeka, 54, in Lagos, needs an educated woman between 32-35 years for a wife.

08118482541.

Ogbonna, 40, from Ebonyi, in Abuja, business man, needs a working class lady between 30-40 years for marriage.

09069054706.

36

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

It happened to me:

My husband was gay

I

’m straight, attractive and never thought it would happen to me. My new husband was gay. I should have known by his first kiss.

After six years of living as a single woman, I finally felt I was healed of my last heartbreak and ready to date again.

I carefully went through the best dating sites, finally landing on one that seemed classy and befitting of my working class status.

After looking through several photos, I decided to leave the selection to chance, allowing the men to come to me. I weeded out the ones that seemed too weird after a few e-mails and found a nice man named Lawrence. His photo told me he was hiding something. His face was hidden by his hat and the photo was taken way too far away.

Lawrence lived in the North, hours away from where I was. I was concerned that we would not get to see each other enough if we hit it off. He assured me that distance would not be an issue. He would rather see me in person than talk on the phone. I was flattered that he drove down to see me.

He seemed mesmerized by me. I liked him, he seemed polite and respectful.

We arranged forba second meeting.

My daughter met him briefly after our second date and instantly disliked him.

But he had a good job and before long was talking about moving to Lagos so we could spend more time together. I felt it was way too early. I felt rushed. I told him I was not ready to have sex.

He was a gentleman and said he would wait until I was ready. When we made out he told me he felt so close to me already, it felt like being home. I knew he had become vulnerable with me. His words seemed sincere. It just seemed too soon. He had been married for 25 years to the same woman who had cheated on him.

He told me she had numerous affairs.

He talked about catching her in bed with a guy. I felt for him. But I knew that a woman does not have an affair without a reason. He explained it away by saying she drank. Alcholism and affairs often accompany one another. It all made perfect sense.

I began to allow myself to be vulnerable also. I became totally invested in a relationship for the first time in my life.

I was very attracted to him and he was to me.

I felt like the first time in my life I had a partner that had my back. He was not afraid of my ex and he loved me. Three months later after being swept off my feet he asked me to marry him. It felt too soon, so I post-poned a decision till we visited my big aunt.

He and my big aunt instantly liked each other and my aunt told me not to let this one get away. I knew it was fast, but it felt so right. So I told him I was ready to marry him.

During the preparations for our wedding, Lawrence became tense and stressed. He began to drink more beer as the time for our wedding neared. His

best friend asked him, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Our wedding was lovely. My mother even loved Lawrence. She remarked she had never seen such a perfectly matched pair. We had a really beautiful and intimate wedding. We did not take a honeymoon because we could not afford one.

Immediately after our wedding everything changed. Lawrence became aloof.

He started spending less and less time at home with me. Whenever I brought up any relationship issues he got angry immediately.

I knew this was a passive aggressive way to avoid dealing with problems. Six months after our wedding, something happened that changed the course of our marriage. Lawrence stopped having sex with me. He said it was because my daughter’s room was so close to ours.

I was crushed. I began to put on weight because of his rejection of me.

I blamed myself. I felt in my gut something was not right.

Later, he said he was going to travel the following week. He would not hug or make love to me before he left.

When he returned he felt limp, not even putting his arms around me in bed anymore. I knew he had had an affair.

Our relationship went from bad to worse. He denied having an affair outside, but continued to avoid me, going to bed alone every night.

I was devastated. He wanted nothing to do with romance or intimacy. No

amount of broaching the subject would get him to budge. He simply refused to talk about it.

By May I demanded that something change. Although he would not make a decision, he continued to refuse sex unless it was me giving oral sex to him.

With that he would never open his eyes and look at me.

I began to put it all together. The trips, the weekends, the movement with the guys I had seen with him before and after our wedding and throughout our marriage.

His wife’s affairs. He was attempting to desperately cling to a heterosexual lifestyle for the image only. He was gay.

He had not come out yet and did not want to.

My anger surfaced one day while we were having supper. I cried and told him that I knew he was gay.

Lawrence’s father and uncle later confessed to me that it was true that my husband was gay. I needed no further evidence and we divorced after being married for only 14 months. There was nothing left after my husband made his own personal confession.

The rejection and betrayal I felt was profound. I could not compete in my husband’s bed with another man. It was clear that my husband’s bed was not for me. It took me months of crying to overcome my sadness.

• Do you have a story or comment about this confession? Call 07031028714.

37

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

The Law and You Cattle trespass and trespass to land With Barr. Ken Akpom 08162016410

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ecently, there have been series of discussions on the menace of Fulani herdsmen and their impetus in using sophisticated weapons in killing innocent farmers and citizens of this great nation. They fail to understand that there is a law on cattle Trespass and Trespass on Land. It is in view of these facts and so many others that I write on this topic.

Enjoy your reading.

Generally and legally, trespass can summarily be said to mean any wrongful entry, whether forcible or not, as well as merely, or wrongfully placing a material object on land.

The courts are still regarding the action of violent entry as a valuable means of preventing breaches of the peace which may likely occur when one person wilfully enters, without the consent and permission, the land of another. Trespass is a tortious offence and is no longer limited to the maintenance of public peace and order.

The most frequent form of trespass which involves personal entry into another person’s land (the plaintiff) by non-owner the defendant, is through his procurement into land or building of the plaintiff. Here, the slightest crossing of the boundary of another’s (Plaintiff’s) land is sufficient to be termed as trespass “since every invasion of property be it so minute is a trespass”.

Putting one’s hand through the entrance of another person’s property or even sitting on the wall of his fence is an offence actionable with the recovery of damages in law. However, where the non-owner of a property consciously enters and places himself upon the land of another person, he will be liable in trespass not minding the reasons of his honesty, though he mistakenly thought that it was his own land or that he has a right of entry or that the land was a public land or that he acted under any other mistake of fact or law.

It is very important to note that an intentional trespasser is strictly liable for all damage caused by his presence on the land of another whether the damage done to such a land is wilfully or accidentally. I mean that where such happens; the trespasser(s) will be liable not only for the deliberate acts caused by him/them but also for any accidental damages like injuring the owner of the land, etc.

Likewise, trespass can take place by a non-owner of a property or land remaining on land after, his right of entry has come to an end. Refusal or omitting to leave the plaintiff’s land without right by the defendant tantamount to a trespass.

CATTLE TRESPASS This is a cause of action where cattle in the possession or control of the owners known in law as defendants are either intentionally driven on the land of another known in law as the plaintiff or the cattle stray independently to such a land.

This tort explains that any owner of an animal (like cattle) is bound to take care that such an animal does not stray on to the land of another person. When such happens, the owner of such an animal is liable for any trespass be it or not that the animals escaped due to the owner’s negligence is immaterial.

In analyzing the tort in the case of Cox v Burbridge(1863) 143 E.R. 171 at p.174, per Williams .J. established the following principles in case and even in others. (i) “Cattle” is meant to include bulls, horses, mules, goats and pigs. It does not include dogs and cats but it is extended to include fowls. Dogs and cats were exempted because of the following reason; (a) It is impossible to keep them under the same restraint as cattle. (b) The propensity for damage through straying for dogs and cats is negligible compared with that of larger and heavier animals like cattles and horses. (ii) Only a person who has an interest in the land trespassed upon can sue when such a trespass occurs. This means that a mere licensee on such aland has no right of action, as in the case of Manton v. Brocklebank (1923) 2 KB 212. (iii) The Plaintiff can recover damages done not only for harm to his land and crops but also for injury to his animals and that inflicted upon the plaintiff (ie the owner of the land) himself.

DEFENCE TO CATTLE TRESPASS The cattle herdsmen issue in Nigeria appears to be ofdifferent dimension to the situation under review. Under RYLANDS v. FLETCHER the defences include default of the owner of the land (failure) to maintain an adequate fence when he is under a duty to do so. Singleton v. Williamson (1861) 158 E.R 533.

Secondly, a situation where a stranger (i.e. third party) drives the defendants cattle to the plaintiff land and finally, where the trespass by the cattle is caused by an act of God like flash of lightening as to put terror and fears into the cattles that they stampede for safety on to the land of the plaintiff.

I want to comment a bit on these defences and to relate it to the recent issues of cattle rearers menace in Nigeria. Firstly, these Nigerian cattle rearers erred in law by taking laws into their hands in killing and murdering innocent farmers and citizens of this our great nation, Nigeria. They may have very good defences to put up but for the fact that they refused to follow due processes in handling their case, then they have no case.

(2) Trespass by remaining on land (3) Trespass by placing on land (4) Continuing trespass (5) Trespass by relation (6) Trespass as between co-owners (7) Trespass abinitio (8) Trespass by chattels

NEGLIGENCE It is the duty of keeper of animals like the cattle rearers to take care that their animals do not become a source of harm to others. Any such neglect will be viewed as negligence by the keeper.

Let me explain briefly these few: (a) Trespass by remaining on land:- The offence of trespass is committed by a person when having entered another’s land lawfully, he remains there after his right of entry has elapsed.

According to Salmond, op.cit. p41, “To refuse or omit to leave the person’s land is as much a trespass as to enter originally without right”. For example, if Obi pays for admission into the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos to watch a wrestling contest between Dick Tiger and Boy Alinko, and thus enters lawfully, will become a trespasser if he omits to leave the stadium at the end of the contest, or if having misbehaved, his admission ticket and permission to be in the stadium is revoked by the stadium management and he ignores a demand from the authority to get out.

It is worth noting that the position of a tenant in a land who “hold over” by remaining in possession of land after the expiration of their tenancies is a bit different from my earlier explanations. Whereas the Spectator of the boxing contest as I had earlier explained becomes a trespasser if he omits to leave the premises within a reasonable time after the end of the contest for which he was permitted with the purchased of the entry ticket to be there, whether or not the management of the stadium has asked him to leave, a tenant who holds over at the end of his tenancy does not become a trespasser, unless and until the Landlord has required him to give up possession and quit the premises. (b) Trespass by placing things on the land:- This happens when any material is placed on the land of another, or the bringing on to another person’s land any object into direct physical contact without lawful justification.

It is essential for liability in trespass that the placing or projecting of object on another person’s land should be direct.

DIFFERENT ACTS OF TRESPASS TO LAND There are many different acts of trespass to land but I shall only list and highlight the following; (1) Trespass by wrongful entry

• Please this column can be used to project your image or that of your business and sponsors are welcome. Call or email me for further discussion. +2348075763840, +2348162016410.

Email: kenakpom@yahoo.com

LIABILITY FOR DANGEROUS ANIMALS Any person who keeps a dangerous animal which causes damage to another is imposed with strict liability. And for this discussion animals are categorized into two namely; (a) Animals ferae naturae ie. Animals in the species normally known as dangerous animals like elephants, lions, leopards, tigers, gorillas, etc. (b) Animals mansuetae naturae. This is a species of animals normally categorized as a harmless thoughsome may have vicious disposition. This class include cows, horses, goats, camels, cats and dogs.

Note; Animals in the category (a) above are conclusively presumed dangerous therefore, the keeper of such an animal is liable for any damage.

On the other hand, where animal/s in the (b) category above discussed causes damage, the keeper of the animal will be liable , only if: (a) the particular animal had a vicious tendency (b) the keeper knew of that tendency.

• 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

38

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT

With Douglas Omoyooma

How my hubby wooed me –Debbie Odutoye, actress Y “M

Tiwa Savage displaces Yemi Alade as Queen of Afro pop music

y response is always very simple. I say ‘please, I’m very happily married with three wonderful sons,’ she begins smiling broadly. “I don’t even mention the age of my first born but my last born is 17 years-old. And then, the next question is ‘can I be your friend?’ And I say ‘what more friendship do you want from me apart from this?’

Why does she think that men keep hitting on her despite her age and having three kids. Her response? “I think it’s because men will always be men, because they feel they can get anybody they want. Someone will look at me and despite my age ask ‘are you married?’ and I’ m like ‘wow!’ I don’t want to go into that story anyway but at my age and level in the industry, I have heard stories and I am still hearing stories. I even heard one this morning, hope you understand,” she says laughing.

Speaking on how her husband wooed her she continues: “Ours was like a relationship between elder brother and younger sister. I felt I could confide in him and what was more, he wasn’t married. He never for once tried or said anything suggesting anything like that. He is a respectful and responsible man. He was my client. I had to work closely with him and then we became friends, then we started dating and today the rest is history. I have three wonderful boys and this is 22 years down the line. We got married in 1995.”

Was it love at first sight? “No, he was in the industry and that also attracted me to him. I didn’t know I was going to marry him because I had a lot of suitors then. You know, when you are a very hard working person, everybody wants to be your friend. And I had a lot of young men coming after me then but I never liked it when men just came to me and say they want to date me. Even if I like you, we still have to know each other first.

“I think that was what attracted me to him,” she continues. “We didn’t even think we were going to date because we were very professional. So it was a professional relationship first before it blossomed into love and romance. I think it’s the respect we give each other that makes the relationship work.”

With a career spanning over two decades, Debbie Odutoye is a force to reckon with. What with movies like Edge of Paradise, My Mum and I, Soul Sisters, About to Wed and My Beyond Blood among others. Indeed she has carved a niche for herself.

Earlier in the year, she was the chief judge at AMVCA. What makes one a good actor and a good producer?

“Attention to details, understanding what you are doing. You must understand the script and you must give it your best.”

Beautiful, ageless actress, OAP and mother of three, Debbie Odutoye has opened up on how she handles male admirers. In a chat with The Oracle Today, Debbie, who emerged one of the judges at AMCVA 2018 said that when they come calling which could be often, she tells them that she is a happily married mother of three in a polite manner.

• Debbie Odutoye

As Buhari woos Hollywood

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ecently, images of Buhari hosting members of kannywood went viral after they paid a courtesy visit to PMB in Nigeria’s sit of power, Aso Rock, FCT, Abuja.

Again, recently, VP Osinbajo visited The New Africa Shrine during Felabration 2018 and paid glowing tribute to late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Among others, the VP had also hosted Nollywood practitioners during his visit.

Consequently, it is obvious that very soon, guild heads in Nollywood will begin to ‘invade’ Abuja for a piece of the cake. Recall what happened before the 2015 elections when Nollywood practitioners and musicians were enlisted by the Jonathan administration.

Said a source who spoke on grounds of anonimity: “Against the backdrop of promises made by this administration regarding Nollywood, what inroads have ben made?

What has happened to MOPICON? In the last three and half years, how has the industry benefitted from government “Now, election time, all this is all about 2019 elections. We can only hope that these players don’t sell the future of Nollywood for a plate of porridge. They must not be overtaken by greed or stomach infrastructure but rather, use this opportunity to advance the interests of the industry which has given them a platform to be who they are today.”

How to succeed as a moviemaker in Nollywood-Kemi Adetiba

A

ccomplished moviemaker, Kemi Adetiba has shared her success nuggets with her fans.

The director. scriptwriter for KIng of Boys who also directed another blockbuster, The Wedding Party following the successful run of Kig of Boys which premiered recently in the cinemas which premiered recently opened up on the secret to her success.

“Don’t do a non comedy film, they don’t sell in this country. Don’t make your lead character a woman, it will put people off!

Don’t do a film with over 50 per cent of the dialogue in Nigerian language, it won’t

work. You can’t put an almost three hour long movie in the cinema; it is audacious when it is not Avengers or Lord of The Rings, no one will go to watch; you are not Steven Spielberg or Woody Allen. You can’t put an almost three hour movie in the cinemas, you’ll have limited showing in a day and you won’t make money,” Written and directed by Adetiba. King of Boys was co produced with Kene Okwuosa. She also boasted that King of Boys is the number one movie in Nigerian cinema right now.

emi Alade and her team must be having sleepless nights right now. No thanks to the return to the centre stage of Tiwa Savage! Courtesy of her MTV EMA for Best African Act of the Year, consequently, Tiwa Savage has claimed back her crown as the most dynamic female singer in the Nigerian space and she has also set a new record as the first African to win the award.

It was a joyous moment for the mother of one who went online and gushed over her new trophy and super model, Naomi Campbell and her rumoured lover, Wizkid were one of the first to congratulate her.

However, If Davido and Wizkid are lurking horns on the musical turf, then, Tiwa Savage and Yemi Alade are musical rivals. Until she took a break to start a family a couple of years ago, Tiwa Savage was indeed the queen of the industry. However, childbirth took her off the scene for over a year and when that was done, her marriage ran into crisis after her husband, Tee Billz was involved in a buched suicide attempt.

All this took a toll on her as she slowly faded into the background but in life, there are no vacuums and singer, Yemi Alade sprung from the blue with Johnny raising the bar and snapping up the award for Best African Act at the Mamas back to back in 2015 and 2016 thus displacing Tiwa Savage.

However, ever since she bounced back last year with her hit single, All Over, it has been one accolade after accolade as she emerged CityPeople’s Artiste of The Year at the annual awards in 2017. Next came Ma Lo, featuring Wizkid, which also won rave reviews and established her and Wizkid as an item in the industry.

And penultimate week, the release of Stew shot her to the very top of the industry and indeed, her EMA is the icing on the cake.

Now the question on every one’s lips is, can Yemi Alade take back her crown? Can she give Tiwa Savage a run for her money?

Said an industry source: “There must be a lot of agitation and apprehension in team Yemi Alade’s camp. If I were in their shoes, I’d be planning my next move.”

Singer, Banky W now a politician

S

inger, Banky W is now a politician, Judging by a post credited to him on social media, he is poised to run for the Federal House of Representatives, Eto Osa Constituency, Lagos.

In a post on social media, Banky W popularly known as Mr Capable by fans said: “They said we don’t have the money to run but we say our strength lies in our numbers. There say we don’t have the structures but we say we will attempt to build the structures. The say what if I lose? I say what if we win?

“You see, my entire life has ben a story of just dreaming dreams, prating about those dreams, setting goals and working until they come true. I can live with trying so, while we may not have a godfather, we do have God. And we have vision and intellectual capacity, integrity and the right intentions and a whole lot of hope.

“At the end of the day, hope may be all we have but I believe that it is all we need.

Thank you and God bless you.”

39

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Extra Indian medical mission offers free outreach in Anambra

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o fewer than 826 persons have benefitted from a free medical outreach provided by a team of Indian doctors on a medical mission to Anambra.

The group treated indigent and elderly patients, and donated drugs and medical equipment estimated at about 32,000 dollars.

The 10-day medical mission which was held at the Chukwuemeka Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka, was sponsored by Rotary International, Awka District.

The medical equipment was also handed over to the hospital by the doctors as part of the mission’s contribution to healthcare in Anambra.

Leader of the 2-man medical team, Dr Jorson Fernandez, while speaking to newsmen on Saturday said no fewer than 600 persons, including doctors and nurses, were trained in different areas of medical practice.

According to Fernandez, they were trained in ophthalmic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, gynaecology and neonatal resuscitation.

He said some of the services rendered included neural transplant surgery which was not done in the past, but “we have successfully transferred the skills’’.

“They can now handle the patients with those cases, we are satisfied with their proficiency to use the equipment, these are some of the things we have done and we are happy with the success.

“We treated about 722 patients and operated on 104 of them on gynaecology, ENT, Orthopaedic, neurology, dentistry and general surgery.

“About 600 persons were trained on basic life support and neural resuscitation and we have certified them.

“The equipment we are handing over all together amount to about 32,000 dollar,” he said.

He regretted that time constraint could not allow them attend to more patients in need of their services.

Dr Basil Nwankwo, the Chief Medical Director of COOUTH, commended the team and their sponsors for finding the facility worthy for the mission.

Collecting the donated items, Nwankwo said there was need for domestication of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to increase the access of Nigerians to medical care.

He promised that the hospital would leverage on the partnership and skills learned to render more quality services, adding that the equipment would be used judiciously.

“Essentially we must thank the Rotary International who are in the middle of all this and we are happy that they used our teaching hospital as the focal centre, we are grateful to them.

“We have some of our surgeons who partnered with them, there are some areas our surgeons and nurses have learnt new things, we are going to make judicious use of the donated new equipment.

“The bottom-line for accessing affordable and free medical services lies on health insurance and to that extent I want to thank the Anambra government for setting up the State Health Insurance Scheme.

“The cost of medical services is essentially very high for the ordinary citizens but with the domestication of the NHIS in the state people can access healthcare,” he said.

The items donated included operating microscope, surgical kits, Endo Motor, Micro Motor, Adex Locator, Ultrasound Scaler and Suction Units.

Boycott, protests mar Anambra Market election

By Theo Rays, Onitsha

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lection of the executive committee for the Nkpor Main market, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, weekend, conducted at Godwin Achebe Mini stadium, Fegge, Onitsha, was marred by protest prompting a rival group led by Mr Peter Mobi, to boycott the election.

It was gathered that the Commissioner for Commerce, Trade, Markets and Wealth Creation, Hon. Christian Madubuko and the President General of Amalgamated Mar-

kets Traders Association of Anambra State, (AMATAS) Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, were conspicuously absent during the election.

It would be recalled that the Commissioner had after the smooth conduct of election that produced the present crop of Executives of Onitsha International Electronics market, vowed to always be present during the conduct of any election in markets within the state.

Addressing newsmen on why its group boycotted the election, the Chairman of the rival group, Mobi said; “we are not happy with what

is happening at Nkpor Main market, the election was more of a gang-up than democratic election by members of the Caretaker Committee headed by Chief Kingsley Obadiegwu.

“All the contestants are members of the Caretaker Committee of the market and they did not resign their appointments before contesting for the market election and moreover they refused to amend the constitution before their so-called kangaroo election which the Chairman of the Caretaker committee automatically became the Chairman of

• Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel (r) with one of the women leaders during a town hall meeting with Akwa Ibom community in Abuja and 19 northern states, at the Women Development Center, Abuja, Monday

Ugwuanyi promises ‘special protection’ for corps members on election duty

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nugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has promised ‘special protection’ for corps members that would be deployed in the state for the 2019 general elections.

Ugwuanyi made the promise on Monday during the closing ceremony of 2018 Batch ‘C’ Stream One National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation course at the Awgu orientation camp.

“You are going to participate in the conduct of the 2019 general elections. Your predecessors did the nation proud in performing similar assignments in the past.

“I want to assure you that the state government will provide adequate protection to all of you that will be engaged in this exercise and also ensure a peaceful election in the state,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Sports, Mr Josef Udedi, said it was obvious that corps members would be assigned sensitive and challenging responsibilities in rural and urban communities.

He, therefore, said it was incumbent on the government and all stakeholders to ensure that corps members deployed for such tasks were provided adequate security.

The governor said that their predecessors discharged such duties creditably, adding that similar level of patriotism was expected from them.

The governor described the NYSC

camp as a miniature Nigeria and a veritable platform for engendering national unity and integration.

“It is my belief that your initial fears, apprehension and prejudices must have started giving way to a better understanding of the diverse cultures and traditions of our great country,” he said.

Ugwuanyi appealed to residents of the state, corps employers and communities to extend the hospitality the state is known for to the corps members.

“I urge all employers to endeavour to assign work schedule to the corps members and supervise them properly in order to get the best out of them,” Ugwuanyi said.

Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, appealed to the corps members to respect the culture and traditions of the communities where they would be posted to.

“I urge you to identify areas of need in your host communities and endeavour to solve them through involvement in both individual and group community development projects.

“You should also mobilise members of your host community to overcome such challenges,” he said.

The state coordinator commended the state for its efforts in improving the state of infrastructure in the orientation camp.

“We are immensely grateful to

• Gov Ugwuanyi the governor for supplementing the transportation cost of corps members.

“We are equally optimistic that government will expedite action on the restoration of electricity in the camp which is near completion ,” he said.

Ikaka also reminded the state government of its pledge of a utility vehicle, which would make the monitoring of corps members in the state easier.

No fewer than 13 pregnant and nursing mothers participated in the orientation course in the state.

the market”.

Explaining further he stated that, “we went for an election last year and it was canceled due to constitutional matter, we do not know who our members are. Some came from tomato line, Asaba line and we don’t know these people. So government came to realise that the problem has to do with the constitution.

“It then appointed a caretaker committee with Obadiegwu as Chairman and we agreed that the constitution should be amended to reflect the interest of majority of the traders in the market.

“A constitution Review Committee was set up with Chief Chris Nnamani as Chairman and as the Committee went into business, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Obadiegwu, hijacked our work and started usurping our functions and people were not given the opportunity to contribute or air their views in the constitution amendment.

“Our former Chairman, Chief Ububa Ogidi, on hearing that traders were being deprived of their rights came and said that the traders should be allowed to contribute but Obadiegwu ignored him. The constitution Review Committee was not allowed to preside over matters and eventually the Caretaker made the constitution and Welfare Committee called in to look into the matter and that was how the crisis deepened.

“We went to Awka and complained to Commissioner Madubuko and he gave us two weeks to settle the crisis but Obadiegwu paid no attention to what the Commissioner said.

The commissioner condemned the said amended constitution and called for a new one and that someone will not remain a caretaker and contest for an elective post. He insisted that election will not hold until the constitution is amended.

“Surprisingly, the AMATAS President General came to our market and said he came to amend the constitution and we opposed and told him we have to do it by ourselves not by external forces.

“Just one week ago what we heard was that election would be conducted and we became surprised because we were waiting for the amendment of the constitution and they went and conducted the election amongst themselves, the Caretaker Committee and picked their chairman, Obadiegwu, as the elected chairman. We boycotted the election because due process was not followed,” he narrated.

Contributing, the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Chief Chris Nnamani, urged Governor Wilie Obiano and Commissioner Madubuko, to come to their rescue adding that the Caretaker Committee members who now turned themselves into the elected executive of the market boasted that the governor, transition committee chairman of Idemili North council Area, Hon Ralph Nnabuife Asha, among others were their brothers and as such nobody would remove them from office.

“The manipulation was much; let the due process be followed for peace to reign. The first constitution was manipulated. It was not what was in the draft that they printed,” Nnamani said.

40

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS

2018 Calabar carnival to tell African story - Ayade

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ross Rivers State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, Sunday said that the 2018 edition of the annual Calabar festival was designed to showcase and tell the original story of the Black race.

Ayade, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Ivara Esu, said this in Calabar during the flag off of the second dry run of the 2018 carnival.

According to him, the theme of the Carnival `Africanism’ has been designed to showcase to the world the current state of Africa and where the continent ought to be.

“This year’s edition of the carnival is to tell the story of the black race;

where were we, where are we and where are we going.

“The five competing bands are going to tell this story as they dance along the street in their beautiful attires.

“We did better in the first dry run; it is our belief that the second dry run will be perfect. We are here to make a difference in this year’s carnival with the theme Africanism,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Mr Gabe Onah, Chairman of the Carnival Commission, said the state had sustained the hosting of the largest street party in African for a record 14 years.

“Today, we are experiencing the second dry run of the 2018 Calabar carnival and we are marking another milestone. Interestingly, we have sustained this street party for a record 14 years.

“One of the strength of the Carnival is its community-based initiative and its bottom-up strategy.

“Another one is the fact that it is backed by competent law and registered in the World Trade Mark with 72 countries in that protocol called the `Madrid Protocol’.

“Not too long ago, Gov. Ayade said we must reach out to other sectors and other arms of government;

we are happy that the Chief Judge of the state is here today,’’ he said.

Onah lauded the participants and the people of Cross River for coming out en mass for the dry run.

Also remarking, Chief Judge of Cross River, Justice Emmanuel Edem, said the carnival theme was a unique theme that reminded Africans of their origin and roots.

“I bless the day the theme of the carnival was conceived. We are happy to be in the spirit of African renaissance and it behoves on us to keep that spirit alive.

“This event should make Africans

WHO to commence week-long maternal treatment, child immunisation in Edo

2019 budget: Delta proposes N1.5bn for urban development

From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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orld Health Organisation (WHO) has said that it will commence maternal treatment, newborn and child immunisation exercise in Edo. WHO State Representative, Mrs Kate Ogieugo, made this known in Benin on Wednesday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting for the upcoming campaign.

Ogieugo said the campaign scheduled to start on November 19 would be targeted at children and child bearing women of 15 to 49 years.

She also said that Vitamin A would be given to children of six to 59 months to prevent child mortality.

She said the programme was made possible due to the payment of counterparts fund for the programme by the Edo Government.

“The interventions during the week will include; immunisation of children from zero to 59 months, health education on exclusive breastfeeding for first six months, Complementary feeding, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, simple hand washing techniques, using soap and water, personal hygiene, birth registration and family planning services.

“Vitamin A supplementation to children from six months to five years, DE-worming , Ante-natal service including malaria prevention and treatment, administration of Tetanus Diphtheria Vaccine to pregnant women and Nutrition screening,” she said.According to her, the programme would be carried out at all health centres and designated centres across the state from 8.00am to 4pm daily.

Ogieugo said “Vaccinators will not move from house to house. In a single visit, all health interventions will be provided for mother and child at health and designated centres.

“It is a package of high impact, preventive and curative services. It is cost effective. Repeated Oral polio Vaccine (OPV) will boost the child immunity,’’ she added.

According to her, all services rendered during the week-long programme will be free. She urged mothers and caregivers should take their children to the nearest health centres.

proud because it is conceived and borne to showcase the true colour of the black we represent,’’ the Chief Judge said.

Five competing bands, Seagull, Master Blaster, Passion 4, Freedom and Bayside are competing in the festival with each band appearing on a unique outfit.

Security was mounted along the 12 kilometres carnival routes with thousands of spectators watching the street dance.

• Barr Okey Igwe (r) receiving the Best Local Government Chairman award from the General Overseer of the Kingdom Dominion Church Inc., Rev. Chris Madu (l) with his wife, Pastor Mrs Ify Madu (c)

Contribute to development of country -- Okowa charges trade unions From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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elta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has challenged trade unions to engage in actions that will contribute to the development of the country.

Governor Okowa made the call today in Asaba when the National President of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Prince William Akporeha led the executive of the union to pay him a courtesy visit.

According to Governor Okowa, it is important for all hands to be on deck to develop the country, disclosing that, “if all the states are developed, the country will be developed.”

“As a state, we are labour friendly, we work in partnership with labour and this partnership has been benefi-

cial to labour, government and people of the state, especially in terms of peace and development,” the governor stated.

While commending NUPENG for its interest to construct a 1, 000 capacity trailer park and petrol stations, stated, “I am glad with this partnership you are extending to us to build a tanker park and filling stations, because, it will create jobs for our youths, reduce the level of accident and traffic nightmare in the Warri area, beautify our cities and increase our revenue base.”

“It would also be good for our motorists that NUPENG will have petrol stations as petroleum products will be available always,” he stated while congratulating the Union on its 40th year anniversary.

Governor Okowa, also, accepted

to receive an award of excellence from the Union and appealed to oil companies to encourage Unionism for mutual benefits.

Earlier, Comrade Akporeha had told the governor that he will be presented an award of excellence during the 40th anniversary celebration of the union, saying, “the leadership of our great union on our 40th anniversary celebration, finds you worthy and deserving of special award of excellent services to Delta State, the workers in particular and providing conducive and enabling environment for the growth and development of Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry.”

He informed the governor of plans by the Union to build a 1, 000 capacity ultra-modern tankers park and mega filling stations in the state.

state.

The governor assured the corps members that his government would create an atmosphere conducive for them to showcase their talents and capabilities.

He said that the corps members who may be co-opted as ad-hoc staff during the 2019 general elections needed to prepare their minds to perform the exercise with diligence and high sense patriotism.

The governor appealed to them to avoid temptation that could lead them to doing those things that

might threaten the smooth conduct of the elections.

Earlier, NYSC state coordinator, Mr Adebayo Ojo, in his speech, said that the corps members had exhibited a high level of discipline.

Ojo, who presented a total of 1882 corps members comprising of 890 male and 992 female, encouraged them to take the skills acquisition training they had in the camp seriously.

He, however, urged them to continue with the post-camp arrangement with the trainers.

Obaseki charges security agencies on safety of corps members

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ov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Monday in Okada charged all the security agencies on the safety of the National Youth Service Corps members posted to the state as the 2019 general elections draw near.

Obaseki, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, gave the charge during the closing ceremony of 2018 Batch “C” stream 1 orientation course.

He said that the government on its side would do everything possible to guarantee their safety in the

he State Commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Chika Ossai has stated that the Ministry has proposed the sum of N1.5bn for capital projects in 2019 with N15m projected for land use layout and design for all government lands.

Mr Ossai disclosed this when he led top officials of his Ministry and Heads of parastatals under it to defend its 2019 proposed budget estimates before Hon Peter Uviejitobor committee on Lands, Survey and Urban Development.

The Commissioner informed the committee that the Ministry achieved 28.76% budget performance for its capital projects between January to October 2018 as only N427.9m was released out of the said the sum of N1.4bn that was approved for the Ministry in 2018 for capital projects.

He disclosed that N20m has been proposed for surveys for all government lands, N10m for survey and demarcation of local government boundaries, N880m for acquisition and compensation of acquired land and N30m for compensation for the Delta State Independent Power Project site as well as N246m for the purchase of buildings.

Ossai stated that the sum of N4m was proposed for the Delta State Border Community Development Committee, N5m for the Delta State Boundary Committee while N3.5m was proposed for the Land Use Allocation Committee as well as N2m for the Urban and Regional Planning Board.

While stressing that the Ministry was determined to live up to expectations in line with its mandate, the Lands Commissioner noted that N5m was proposed for the removal of illegal structures, N1m for National Council and other meetings, adding that the projected revenue for land regularizations was N150m and N2bn for ground rent while processing of certificate of occupancy was N600m.

He said the Ministry would achieve more given the projections and modalities put in place for revenue generation stressing that the Committee should assist by appropriating more funds to the Ministry to achieve set goals.

Chairman House Committee on Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Hon Peter Uviejitobor said the Committee took note of the areas the Ministry performed well and urged the Commissioner to do more in the areas that needed improvements.

The Lawmaker who represents Udu Constituency in the House noted that the Ministry utilised and prudently managed the approvals and releases made to it by the State government.

Hon Uviejitobor assured that the Committee would look into the 2019 estimates made by the Ministry in order for it to achieve more in the 2019 fiscal year.

41

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS We’ll take advantage of dry season to complete projects –FromOkowa JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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elta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has said that with the setting in of the dry season, contractors handling different road projects in the state have fully mobilised to sites.

Governor Okowa made the disclosure on Monday during the inspection of some road projects in Boji-Boji Agbor, Ika South local government area of Delta State.

The governor, who spoke to journalists after inspecting Queens Street, and roads at the Delta Development and Property Authority (DDPA) Estate, assured Deltans that the dry season would be fully utilised for construction of roads across the State.

According to him, “I am happy with the quality of projects, though, we noticed that some factors were not taken into consideration at Queens Street, the right thing would be done because, our people in all parts of the state deserve necessary infrastructure.”

“It is true that contractors have mobilised to sites, as a government, we always utilise the dry season to the fullest to construct roads,” he stated.

Fielding questions on how contractors will be paid, the governor said, “we have mapped out our payment strategy; our contractors are doing very well and have also keyed into our programme to fully utilize the dry season.”

Speaking about the storm drainage projects in Asaba, Governor Okowa asserted that the contractors will meet the February, 2019 deadline. He disclosed that some of the drainage projects have been completed while others were at different stages of completion.

“The contractors are world class, once they give you their words, they deliver and we are comfortable doing business with them,” he stated.

Commissioner for Works, Chief James Auguye took Governor Okowa round the project sites.

Ambode urges entrepreneurs to leverage on business networks

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agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday urged the entrepreneurs to build on new networks established during the just concluded ten-day Lagos International Trade Fair to advance their businesses for the economic prosperity of Lagos State and the country at large.

Governor Ambode, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, gave the advice at the closing ceremony of the 32nd Lagos International Trade Fair in Lagos.

He said the country had once again through the Fair showed the international community that Nigerian entrepreneurs have a lot to offer shoppers beyond the shores of the country in terms of products and services and called on business-

oriented individuals to make the State a prime place of choice for their businesses.

“I urge you to connect with us in Lagos State as there are abundant investment opportunities waiting to be explored. Our State is investor-friendly and with your partnership, we are committed to doing more”, the Governor assured.

He expressed delight in the fact that Lagos State had consistently hosted the yearly event for the past three decades with huge participation from indigenous traders and entrepreneurs.

He, however, expressed the hope that the numerous trade experiences which the Fair has helped to facilitate will translate to increased GDP for the State, enhanced socio-

economic capital for the citizens through temporary jobs, new investments, business opportunities and networks that sprung up throughout the Fair.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye maintained that the annual Trade Fair affords the State the opportunity to accommodate a number of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Lagos State Pavilion to relieve them of the cost of participation, thereby affording them the chance to showcase their products and services to the international business community and the general public free of charge.

According to her, the provision of free exhibition stands for young

C

Group seeks to stop child abuse in Nigeria

From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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• Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (middle); former Governor, Chief James Ibori (left) and Prof. G.G. Darah, during the Combined 3rd -7th Convocation and the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Western Delta University Oghara

Ayade assures timely completion of 147km Mfom-Obudu road ross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has expressed satisfaction with the quality of work at the ongoing dualization of the 147km Mfom-Yala-BekwarraObudu ranch road.

The road project which is being handled by Sydney Construction, stretches across the five local government areas in the Northern Senatorial District of the state.

It is wholly financed by the Cross River government.

Ayade who was in Yala Local Government Area of the state for the burial of the former Minister of Information and later Environment, Hon John Odey, used the opportunity to see the progress of work done at the Okuku- Igoli axis of the road.

“I am quite impressed and satisfied with the quality of work. The contractors, Sydney Group, are defying the rain to ensure that the job is done and I must commend them as they have really shown capacity while demonstrating patience and understanding with government,” the governor remarked.

While expressing shock that the rains were still heavy in November,

entrepreneurs was one of the many ways the State government promotes and provides business support for owners of MSMEs in order to stimulate demand for their products as well as services and ultimately facilitate the enhancement of their productivity and profitability.

She described the visit of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo during the opening session of the Fair as a promotional boost and opportunity for investment linkages for MSMEs. The fair which started on November 2 had hundreds of foreign exhibitors, thousands of visitors and representatives of some States in attendance.

Ayade assured that in three months’ time, the job target will be reached as the contractors have continued to work despite the heavy rains that threaten the ongoing project aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of the citizenry as well as other road users.

According to the governor, “it is like doing the job twice. They have finished preparing this place, ready for stone base. Now, because of the heavy rain, they have to do another redressing, getting it ready yet again, which is another full earthworks, full compaction in readiness for stone base.”

He disclosed that although the state had no money to finance such project, he had no option than to give his commitment, using intellectual money to get it done as an appreciation for the overwhelming support he got from the electorate during the election that brought him to office as the governor.

“You can see that they (contractors) are already at Yala, they have crossed the Rice mill and by next week they will be at Okuku junction and start facing Okpoma,” Ayade intimated, adding that “the job is almost done and I am particularly im-

pressed with the quality of work.”

The governor enjoined the people of the Northern Senatorial District and the entire Cross Riverians to be patient, “for surely, the road will be done. There is no day you have driven through this road, during rain or no rain except for Christmas or national strike, that you will not see work going on here.”

Site manager of the construction group, Engr. Elias Kalouf, while offering an insight on the project explained that “we have started laying stone base from the beginning of Ogoja and this is followed with priming. In Obudu, we have started asphalting from the Army checkpoint.”

On why they chose not to do the job from end to end, Kalouf clarified that “here in Ogoja, the area is down. If you keep the latrite inside the town, it will make the place dirty especially now that it is still raining.”

He assured that Cross Riverians will begin to enjoy the road in three months’ time as the laying of stone base will be achieved from end to end in spite of the challenges posed by the rains.

• Gov. Ayade

larmed by the growing cases of child abuse in the society, a non-governmental organisation, the Era Gate Foundation has declared its intention to eradicate child abuse in Nigeria.

The organisation founded by Mrs Eseoghene Rudy Atie is set for formal launch this month in Benin City, Edo State.

Atie disclosed that the NGO is being flagged off in Edo State after several laudable achievements that it has recorded since it was created last year.

“The journey unofficially started last year, in little group discussion, one-on-one talk with kids, church visitations and videos on social media.I never knew how huge this was, until I started getting feedback from abused children, then I knew that what I was venturing into was no child’s play.

“Each time I hear that a child has been abused, I feel I have failed and have let one child down. After making my reach on steps to make this task official, I went on with the first stage of registering the NGO last month,” Atie said She revealed that the theme of the launching is “SAY NO and SPEAK OUT, in memory of Elizabeth Ochanya. Adding that the theme is aimed at advocating zero tolerance for child abuse in the country.

Founder of the group, Atie who told journalists that the Era Gate Foundation was created with the aim of supporting the abused child and preventing abuse, through creating awareness, defending and rehabilitation, by being their voice lamented that “in the midst of this, the shocking and devastating news of the death of Miss Elizabeth Ochanya, a 13-year-old pupil of the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) in Gboko, Benue came up, a child sexually violated by both father and son which eventually claimed her life following medical complications, hence the launch and seminar which we are dedicating to her.”

She also urged the Federal Government to ensure that justice was done for late Elizabeth Ochanya, adding that there should be proactive measures on the part of governments and relevant agencies to forestall such abusive tendencies.

42

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS

Allow Biafra referendum, cleric tells FG

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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cleric and an ardent supporter of the Biafra restoration, Bishop Abraham Chris Udeh has advised the Nigerian authorities and the United Nations (UN) to allow Biafra agitators to conduct their much-desired referendum and possibly go.

Bishop Udeh, the General Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministries Inc., Nnewi Anambra State said the prayer points of the church were for God to bring down the Kingdom of the East which he called Biafra and also to ensure free and fair general elections in the country in 2019.

Speaking to newsmen in his Church, Udeh explained that this was expected to happen without a gun shot or violence of any kind, describing it as the only hope for the Easterners. He called on Nigerian government to support Biafra freedom according to the United Nations guidelines.

The Bishop noted that the people of Eastern Nigeria origin were no longer comfortable to be part of Nigeria because of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents, Fulani herdsmen and incessant disturbances in the North which he regretted were all targeted at the Christians in Nigeria.

“I call on everyone from the old Eastern region to rise up and support the struggle to actualize Biafra.

I’m not a member of the IPOB or MASSOB but I’m a freedom fighter cleric. They control all our oil blocs but we are here suffering poverty in the midst of bountifulness.

“We are being manipulated. They play on our sensibilities. Buhari is a Fulani and Atiku is another Fulani man planning to take over from him.

Who is fooling who? And before you know it the Fulanis will rule Nigeria for another twelve years. I do not have confidence in Nigeria elections again after Ekiti and Osun charades called elections. It is better we stop spending taxpayers’ money unnecessarily in the name of conducting elections in this country,” he said.

He came against those perceived to use evil powers to deceive those in authority and make merchandize of things of God. He said that God would strike them at their various altars to rise no more.

Bishop Udeh wondered why minimum wage for workers could not be pegged at N50,000 “whereas each Federal lawmaker receives N36 million and above in addition to other allowances per month for doing nothing.”

He prophesied that the 2019 general elections would be do-or-die “and I see blood flowing on the streets”.

• President Buhari

Atiku/Obi momentum unstoppable - Group

By Theo Rays, Onitsha

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non-governmental organization, Naturecracy for Atiku/ Peter Obi Support Movement (NAPSUM) has observed that the political momentum being generated by candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Mr Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State ahead of the 2019 general election in Nigeria, is unstoppable.

Founder and President of NAPSUM Chief Chinedu Nsofor who spoke during the inauguration of the South East zonal executive of the NAPSUM, expressed the optimism that considering the massive support being

accorded to Atiku and Obi from the masses across the country who no doubt form the larger chunk of the electorates, the victory of the PDP at the polls in 2019 is sure.

Asked to comment on the alleged gang up against Peter Obi by some leaders of PDP in the Southeast, Nsofor said that such gang up is normal because of selfish interest among the political elites, but those involved won’t succeed as according to him, the elites who are on the side of minority cannot scuttle the wish of the masses who are the majority and who have found Atiku and a Obi as the team they have been looking for.

While inaugurating the Southeast Executives who will run the affairs of

NAPSUM in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States, the President urged them to enhance the movement with massive mobilisation of members from the local government to the Ward levels to ensure that the target of NAPSUM to mobilise 10million votes for Atiku and Obi in 2019 is achieved.

In response, the Anambra State coordinator, Chief Peter Okala who doubles as national program coordinator gave the update on the activities of the movement and said that the NGO will also lend support to other candidates of the PDP at the polls next year adding that NAPSUM has already identified its movement with the national headquarters of

Atiku campaign.

Also speaking, the Abia State coordinator Engr. Christopher Chigbu commended the organisers of the NGO for their commitment to the cause of the PDP in particular and Nigeria in general assuring that Abia State NAPSUM won’t lag behind in the movement hence it is targeted at bring about a team of PDP in the persons of Atiku and Obi to take over the affairs of the nation at Aso Rock.

Bar others from Onitsha South I constituency poll – Accord Party urges INEC

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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• Vice President Yemi Osinbajo meeting with Muslim leaders under the Council of Chief Imams, Ikeja Division, in Lagos, weekend

Group trains rural dwellers on open contracting governance, project monitoring From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

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ver 120 rural dwellers drawn from various communities within Enugu State have been trained on open contracting governance and project monitoring to facilitate rural development and accountability.

Declaring the training workshop open in Enugu, the Programme Director of Public Private Development Centre (PPDC), Miss Ifeoma Onyebuchi, said the training was meant to educate rural dwellers on the need to show concern, ask questions and monitor projects earmarked for or being constructed in their communities.

Onyebuchi urged all states of the federation to embrace open contracting governance in order to make their fiscal policies and its implementation open and transparent for Civil Society Organisations and rural dwellers to monitor and track them as well.

“Nigerians quest for improved service delivery cannot come true until the people, you (rural dwellers), participate in fiscal policies and its implementation especially being able to monitor and ask questions about projects been executed in your various communities.

“Rural dwellers should be able

to know more about the purpose, cost, specification, time of completion and contractor handling each project been executed for their benefit so that they will not be shortchanged,’’ she said.

According to the programme director, PPDC was also exploring various information and educational platforms to get rural communities to know about projects meant for them even from the Federal level including ministries, agencies and government partners, as well.

“We at PPDC are highly concerned with projects that cover health and education of the people at the rural areas, to stem the rate of disease and ignorance, which will ultimately roll back poverty in the country,’’ he said.

In an advocacy talk titled entitled “Why You Should Get Involved’’ a youth activist, Mr Collins Nebo, commended orgarnisers of the programme, pointing out that Open Contracting Governance had come to open the eyes and minds of rural dwellers to take ownership of projects meant for them.

“As it is today, you are duty bound to ask question and if not getting satisfactory answers on the project meant for you communities; you start to mobilize for protest and confront your people or people in

government with your agitations and seek for answers.

“Everybody should wake up and check corruption as well as unaccountability in project execution by contractors and their agents,’’ Nebo advised. Chief Josephat Similarly, the Regent of Awhum Community in Udi Council Area, Chief Okechukwu, lauded the PPDC for organizing the workshop, adding that the programme had enlightened participants on the need to ask important questions, how to go about it and what to demand contractors executing any project in their various communities.

“We have learnt that keeping quiet and not asking relevant questions leaves the community shortchanged at the end of the day; while the contractor and his pay masters live in affluence via gains from shoddy executed projects in communities,’’ he said.

For another community leader in Umubi Community, Mr Frank Ani, open contracting governance has potentials to end corruption in project execution in communities. He urged both government, stakeholders of various communities and all citizens of Enugu State to key into the process.

ccord Party in Anambra State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to bar candidates from other political parties to participate in the Onitsha South I state constituency during the March 2, 2019 House of Assembly elections in the state for noncompliance with the commission’s guidelines on party primaries.

State Chairman of Accord Party, Prince Bartholomew Igwedibia JP, who made the call, Friday, at the party secretariat in Awka, also called on INEC not to publish any other candidate’s name on January 31, 2019 being date slated in the INEC timetable, as provided in Section 34 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), apart from its own candidate Chris Arinze, for the Onitsha South Constituency I who, according to him, won the party’s primary election unopposed on October 4.

Igwedibia warned that if INEC goes ahead to recognize candidates from other political parties to contest the election with Arinze, the Accord party’s candidate, the party would be left with no further option other than to seek redress in court of competent jurisdiction on the said matter.

Flanked by other party chieftains, Igwedibia contended that having strongly believed in the rule of law of which Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) is very clear on procedures to adhere to in presenting a candidate for an election as provided in Sections 87 (1), 87 (2), 87 (4c ii), 87 (9) and also Section 31 of the same Act which gave all the political parties up till October 7 to conduct their primaries and produce their candidates, Accord Party on October 4, conducted its own primaries and brought out Arinze for Onitsha South Constituency I, thus beating the October 7 deadline.

He claimed that other political parties (APGA inclusive), in the Onitsha South I Constituency were unable to conduct their party primaries in the area for reasons best known to them either by consensus, direct or indirect election for Anambra State House of Assembly Onitsha South I Constituency election coming up on March 2, 2019, except Accord party.

“Consequently, APGA and all other political parties are being prohibited by these relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to file a candidate for the said election. We are saying this no because we are afraid of any party winning us in the election but as a matter of running foul to the Electoral Act,” he further stated.

43

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Court revokes Kalu’s bail ..Orders ex-gov to submit self to EFCC

J

ustice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos, Monday revoked the bail of a former Governor of Abia, Orji Kalu, following his failure to appear in court for trial as scheduled.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Kalu together with his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo and a Company, Slok Nigeria Ltd on charges of N7.2 billion fraud.

EFCC had on October 31, 2016, preferred a 34-count charge, bordering on N3.2 billion fraud against the accused.

The charges were, however, subsequently amended to 39 counts.

They had each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bails.

At the last adjourned date on November 5, Kalu was also absent for his trial and defence counsel had informed the court that he was away for medical treatment in Germany.

Justice Idris, who is sitting on a fiat to conclude the trial, had then adjourned the case until Monday for continuation of trial and ordered that Kalu returns to the country within seven days from Nov. 5 to stand trial.

The court had said: “In the light of the entirety of this case, and in the interest of justice, I am prepared to grant the first defendant a final adjournment in respect of this matter.

On Monday, Idris, revoked Kalu’s bail, following his failure to appear in court for trial as scheduled.

The judge ordered that upon a return of Kalu from his alleged medical trip, he must submit himself to the EFCC, failing which an order will be made for his arrest.

“I am constrained to revoke the bail granted to the first defendant; the first defendant is, however, permitted to continue with his medical treatment abroad, not harassed by law enforcement agencies.

“Upon his return to the country, he must at the point of entry, surrender his international passport and other relevant travelling document to the EFCC; he shall submit himself to the EFCC within 24 hours of his return, failling which he shall be rearrested and detained by the EFCC.

“Let me state that there is no doubt that the first defendant is entitled to and has a right to life, he has a right to seek medical treatment within and outside the shores of Nigeria; this right is further guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and People’s Right.

“In enjoying this right, the first defendant has a duty to follow due process of law; in this case, the first defendant acted outside the purview of the law, and he is expected to be dealt with according to the law.

“This court is a court of equity, but he who seeks equity must do equity; I find no reason why I should depart from the law, this court is an equal dispenser of justice, ” the court held.

The court adjourned the case until December 3.

In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between August 2001 and October 2005.

Kalu was alleged to have utilised his company to retain in the account of a First Inland bank, now FCMB, the sum of N200 million.

The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.

In one of the counts, his company (Slok Nig Ltd) and one Emeka Abone who is said to be at large, were also alleged to have retained in the company’s account the sum of N200 million, on behalf of the first accused.

In counts one to 10, the accused were alleged to have retained about N2.5 billion in different accounts, which funds were said to belong to the Abia State Government.

Cumulatively, in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N7.2 billion from the Abia State government’s treasury during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

The offences were said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 15 (6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.

It also contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No. 9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

• Resident representative (Nigeria) of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), a German Foundation, Dr. Vlademir Kreck flanked by participants of a a one-day seminar for critical stakeholders of the social security ecosystem in Cross River State organized by the foundation, Friday

Ehiemere, Abia APGA chairman, emerges IPAC chairman From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

A

fter a week of intrigues that characterised the keenly contested election of a new executive of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Abia State chapter, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere has emerged the new chairman of the group.

Ehiemere , the chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State, polled 24 votes to beat his rival, Gibert Chikezie Chris of the Independent Democrats, who got 23 votes.

Tension rose at the premises of the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Umuahia, venue of the election last Friday when Ehiemere was

prevented from gaining entrance into the Conference Room of INEC until a call was put across to the National chairman of APGA, Ozomkpu Victor Oye, who confirmed that Ehiemere was the authentic chairman of APGA in Abia.

The election which was earlier scheduled to hold last Monday but was shifted to last Tuesday had to be put off when Barr. Nnanna Ukaegbu emerged at INEC brandishing a court order which recognized him as the chairman of APGA in Abia.

After consultations, Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Iloh and an IPAC National Officer, Chief Joseph Anyanwu, who was sent to conduct the

election, advised that the exercise be put off that day to allow for further consultations.

The development made Ehiemere to accuse INEC of pandering to the antics of the outgone chairman, Chief Emeka Okafor, who, he alleged had boasted that “he had INEC in his pocket.”

Swiftly, Iloh described such talk as “madness,” emphasisng that no one could pocket INEC. Everyone left and the election was finally held last Friday where Chief Chidi Nwosu was elected the Deputy Chairman.

Okafor, however, told newsmen that he never said he would pocket INEC, but said that was not consulted when the election was fixed for last Monday.

Atiku/Obi group inaugurates coordinators for Enugu councils From Oliver Udeogu

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political group, the Atiku Wazobia Nigeria Smile has inaugurated its coordinators for the various local government areas of Enugu State.

The colourful event held, weekend, in Enugu with Coordinators appointed in the seventeen local government areas of the State.

Coordinator of the group in Enugu State Hon Ndubuisi Isaac Nwobodo who charged the newly inaugurated executives to alive to their responsibilities while being worthy ambassadors of the association, stated that the aim of the group was to mobilize grassroots support for the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Demo-

I formerly known as JOHN CHINYERE JOY now wish to be known as NDUBUISI CHINYERE JOY. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note

cratic Party PDP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Mr Peter Obi, in the February 2019 Presidential election.

State Coordinator of the group described the Waziri Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar as a bridge buider, a detrabalised Nigerian and one with the wealth of experience to move the nation forward.

According to Hon Nwobodo, the group has existed over six months ago, long before the Turaki’s emergence as flagbearer of the PDP at the recent convention held by the party in Port Harcourt noting further that the Atiku Wazobia group will work harmoniously with the PDP, to ensure that democratic ideals are well entrenched in the nation’s politi-

cal tentacles while lamenting failure of governance on the ruling party the APC which has culminated to total infrastructural decay, insecurity, hunger and strife.

Deputy Coordinator of the group Hon Kanayo Afunugo in his own remarks recounted the group’s ordeal before the primaries of the PDP were held, thanking God their efforts were not in vain, with the emergence of the PDP flag bearer Atiku Abubakar.

On her part, woman leader of the group Mrs Chioma Obi tasked women to play the roles expected of them saying that woman have the largest voting population in the State and Country.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as CHUKWU BLESSING A. now wish to be known as Mrs IBOH BLESSING. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note

This is to certify that the name on my BVN is LIVINUS NNENNA instead of LIVINUS NNENNA SABINA. Both names refer to one and same person who now wish to be known as LIVINUS NNENNA SABINA. All former documents remain valid.

Diamond bank, other banks and general public take note

I formerly known as JULIET AMARACHI EKEH now wish to be known as JULIET AMARACHI SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

44

The Oracle Today Wednesday November 21, 2018

NEWS Cont’d from page 2 “Molecules of Aluminum-magnesium silicate (AMS), a mineral already being used as pharmaceutical binder/stabilizing agent, are made of Nanoparticles ( 0.96 nm thick) . Edges of the Nanoparticles are positively charged and their surfaces, negatively charged. RNA viruses including HIV and HCV are positively charged while DNA viruses (like HBV) and abnormal cells (infected/cancer) are negatively charged.

“So, AMS-Nanoparticles use their surfaces to mop HIV and HCV while they mop HBV and destroy abnormal cells with their edges. So, ‘hidden infections’ are unmasked.

“When all particles of the viruses infecting a patient are mopped out, cure is achieved. Also, silicates are immune stimulants. Added to these, AMS stabilizes antimicrobials and Nanoparticles enhance drug-delivery .” Ezeibe explained.

He added: “Stabilizing medicines prolongs their bioavailability.

Prolonged bioavailability and enhanced delivery improve efficacy so that lower doses achieve desired effects. Use of lower doses for treatments minimizes side effects which lead to optimization of immune responses.

“Improved efficacy and enhanced immunity lead to termination of both viral and secondary infections. Nigeria does not have AMS as a mineral resource but it has large deposits of Aluminum silicate and Magnesium silicate which are solid minerals already approved as medicines. Aluminum silicate and Magnesium silicate were reacted to get the Nigerian MSAMS. “Since AMS is poorly absorbed, Dextrose monohydrate (Glucose ®) was formulated with the MSAMS to convey the electrically charged Nanoparticles (by active transport) into blood-circulation.”

Ezeibe, in his letter to the Ministers, therefore, urged the federal government to demand for more explanations from the Israeli scientists.

The letter read in part: “Please follow the links to claim of HIV cure from Israel. Even though they said they are using a substance isolated from HIV, they also made reference

... Israel may eclipse Ezeibe’s invention to their medicine having effects on cancer cells and infected cells.

“Is there any substance common to HIV, cancer cells and infected cells? The only similarity between these pathogens is their physical features (electrical charges). That is what we have exploited to develop the Nigerian MASMS which inhibits viruses (including HIV) and destroys cancer cells and infected cells….

“Let our government demand from the Israeli scientists, chemical composition of the substance they isolated from HIV and the common features of HIV, cancer cells and infected cells which their medicine is inhibiting as a mechanism of its action.

“We should demand that expla-

nation because from picture of boluses shown on the site of their news, the medicine they claim to have developed looks very much like Aluminum-magnesium silicate which we have been publishing as cure (by physical effects) for viruses and abnormal cells (cancer and infected).”

The Nigerian scientist lamented that “it will be unfair to Nigeria as a country (not only me as a person), if we allow Israel or any other country to take credit for this invention,” adding, “this invention will improve Nigerian economy apart from the recognition the inventor may receive.”

Ezeibe, a professor of Clinical Virology, made his invention of MASMS public in February last

year.

He told newsmen that he has been using the drug to cure HIV/ AIDS patients from across the globe, including Jamaica Malaysia, Tazania, Cameroon and Nigerians living at home and in United States of America and England.

He listed other diseases which MASMS could cure to include Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, cancer, fibroid and typhoid fever Measles virus and Avian Influenza virus.

He also said that MSAMS could be used to potentiate other medicines, adding that it could equally serve as a raw material which local and foreign pharmaceutical companies would buy to reduce production-costs for their drug-for-

•Member representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency, Hon Linda Ikpeazu, dancing during the child dedication ceremony of her twin babies Photo: Oliver Udeogu

Auto crashes kill 1,054 people in 33 months along Lagos-Ogun routes — FRSC F

ederal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned the motoring public over reckless driving as 1,054 people were killed in auto crsahes within 33 months along the Lagos-Ogun routes.

Zonal Commanding Officer in Charge of Ogun and Lagos States, Mr John Meheux, made the disclosure in his remarks at the “2018 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims’’ in Lagos.

Meheux said that the zonal records in the last two to three years show the number of people involved and killed by auto crashes in various corridors within both states.

In 2016, we recorded 828 road traffic crashes where 444 were killed and 2,364 injured. In 2017, 803 crashes occurred where 331 were killed and 2106 injured and in 2018, 644 accidents recorded 279 were killed and 1993 injured.

“We must see what we can do to ameliorate the crashes on the road and reduce the death as a result of the accident,” he said.

According to him, the corps

wants to see structures put in place to curb crashes and deaths on the roads.

The zonal commander also appreciated the teams, agencies and stakeholders working tirelessly with FRSC on the road to ensure safety at any point in time.

The FRSC boss said that the corps was bringing back advocacy to the front burner to ensure adequate safety and cautious driving among the commercial drivers.

“Most of the accidents are caused by attitudinal disposition which are mainly responsible for number death in auto crashes,” he added.

FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander, Mr Hyginus Omeje, in his remarks, said that no efforts put in place to curb crashes on the road was too much.

Omeje called on stakeholders and corporate organisations to join hands with the corps in terms of resources to assist the FRSC to curb the menace of crashes on the road.

He said that FRSC was an avenue or a channel through which

any organisation could exercise its corporate social responsibility to the people.

“However, we advise drivers to shun reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, overloading and the use of bad tyres,’’ he said.

Kanayo Okonkwo, a Member of the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), also advised the motoring public to drive safely and shun drunk driving habit.

Okwonkwo said that HEI is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) established to give succour to indigent patients during emergencies , especially accident victims.

According to him, the NGO has specifically collaborated with public hospitals and others to ensure that critical accident victims are treated and stabilised before the arrival of the family.

“We have set up a “None Should Die” initiative to ensure free treatment of accident victims in some hospitals during emergency. As for drivers, you do not need any-

body to use weapons on you before you drive safely “We urge drivers to drive safely and ensure that passengers got to their various destinations peacefully,’’ he said.

Head of Operation, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Mr Joseph Anibaba, said that accidents were main causes of death in this part of the world.

Anibaba thanked the FRSC for its efforts in giving regular awareness to motorists across the various parks in the state.

“This is 18 years of LASAMBUS operation in the state, most of the cases recorded are commercial vehicles. Commercial buses should make sure they comply by the rules and regulations and avoid bad portions of the road to avert accident.

“At times, the FRSC officials on the road may be there to caution the drivers on the danger ahead but some of the motorists speed off, seeing the officials on the road which later resort to crashes ahead,’’ he said.

mulations by reducing doses to 75 per cent; prevent development of drug-resistance and make antimicrobials regain effects against resistant infections.

The federal government got angry that the Head of Department of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike, Abia State, by-passed laid down procedures for announcing such scientific feats. For them, the place of Ezeibe’s discovery, no matter its merits, was the trash can.

But he persisted in piling pressure on the federal government to verify his claims by petitioning the National Assembly. The Nigerian Senate, after listening to his plea, passed a resolution urging the federal government to investigate his claims.

Late last year, an inter-ministerial committee with members drawn from the Ministries of Health; Science and Technology and other relevant agencies was set up and it came up with the recommendation that Ezeibe should be assisted financially, possibly through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, to carry out further work on his research.

He said he has since applied to TETFund through the Ministry of Science and Technology but was yet to get any response.

Earlier this year, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology gave Ezeibe a grant of N300, 000 at a ceremony the ministry organised in Abuja to recognise and encourage Nigerian innovators and inventors.

But Ezeibe maintains that all that needs to be done at this stage is clinical trials which he could not fund because of the population involved.

He has severally appealed to the federal government to confirm his claims and commence mass production of the Nigerian HIV medicine.

“The Federal government should make haste to confirm these research results and commercialize the MSAMS to boost the economy and improve healthcare in the country,” Ezeibe appealed during an interview with The Oracle Today.

Ezeibe had equally called on the federal government to cast doubt aside and takeover his invention as a national project with a view to commercializing the drug.

“The biggest challenge the invention had was lack of confidence by some people who thought that a Nigerian could not have found cure for viral diseases.

They doubted the invention because they did not believe that viruses are electrically charged but virologists know that every virus has either a net positive or a net negative electrical charge.

“The problem is that we are still in doubt that we have achieved what those we see as our superiors could not do,” he had submitted.

He then said that “Government should announce to the world that we have found HIV\AIDScure and then make it available to the world.”

With Israel joining the league of nations that have discovered cure for HIV/AIDS, Ezeibe says Nigeria would only claim its pride of place if the federal government should rise “to defend the invention because apart from the pride that cure for HIV/AIDS and cancer has come from Nigeria, the medicine improves effects of other medicines which means the country now has an alternative source of foreign exchange.”

45

The Oracle Today Wednesday, November 21, 2018

SPORTS

•Gianni Infantino

Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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I foresee tough game in Jo’burg – Amoo

ORMER national team assistant coach, Fatai Folorunsho Amoo says he foresees a tough match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana this weekend when both sides file out to trade tackles in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

According to Amoo, what informed his position is the fact that the Super Eagles have a lot of injury worries saying when some of the key players who will not be making the cut for the South African game are in the team, Eagles don’t find it easy let alone this time that the team have been depleted as a result of injuries to key players.

He advised Nigerians not to deceive themselves that the injuries are not going to affect the chances of the team saying a key player like Odion Jude Ighalo, goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho, John Obi Mikel who actually was not listed for the match etc. is going to have negative effect on the team but expressed optimism that other players called up as replacement for the encounter have the capacity to fill the void.

The former 3SC coach said injuries to key players were an opportunity for those who have been invited to replace them to grab with both hands and ensure that they put their names on the record books by giving their best in the match this Saturday.

Amoo stated this while in exclusive telephone interview with the Oracle • Super Eagles of Nigeria Today Sports.

“I think the AFCON qualifier against fect the team’s performance in the these injured players should see this the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on game against South Africa in Johan- as a life time opportunity and grab it Saturday is not going to be an easy nesburg on Saturday. with both hands just like Uzoho did. match,” Amoo began.

“I sincerely believe that if our players “Or are we saying that injury to the “I am saying this because of the captain of the team, John Obi Mikel have zeal, determined and commitinjury worries in our team, the Super does not matter? It is true that Mikel ment, they have all it takes to repay Eagles. Of course you and I know that was not listed for the match against the South Africans in their own coin. It any game involving the Eagles and Bafana Bafana, but he remains an in- is doable. We have been beating them the Bafana Bafana of South Africa is tegral part of the team until he says in their backyard before now and we always a tough one even when we otherwise or the coach says so. can still do that with or without some have the full complements of players, “So, as far as I am concerned, I see a of these players. let alone now that many of our key tougher match than what most peo“More importantly, the fact that the players are plagued with injuries.

South African had the courage to deple envisage.

“I think there is no need for us to “However, having said that I be- feat us in Uyo should be a motivation deceive ourselves by playing down on lieve that we have capable hands that for Eagles to go there and soar above the injuries to some of our key players can fill the void created by the injuries them and nothing will be better than like Odion Jude Ighalo who has been to some of our key players. that,” Amoo declared. in fantastic form for the Eagles of late.

Speaking on the problems being “There is a saying that every disThis is a player who scored five goals appointment is a blessing. Now that suffered by some former national for Eagles in two matches and had some players are out injured in the team players in their various clubs like wished he replicates it against Bafana national team and some others have Victor Moses, who announced his reBafana. been invited to replace them, I am op- tirement from the team at 26, and Em“Again, how can we ignore injury to timistic that they can seize this ample manuel Emenike who retired some our No1 goalkeeper, Francis Odinaka opportunity and etch their names in time ago and nothing is being heard Uzoho who since he came to the na- history books by stepping up and be of his career, Amoo said it might be a tional team has made that No1 shirt counted. coincident but that there was a nexhis own by displacing the like Daniel “Those who have the opportunity us between playing for your national Akpenyi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa. I of being invited to replace some of team and club form. mean there is no way this will not af-

He said it was always a privilege for anyone to play for his country because if you are playing for your country, it gives you more respect. In his opinion, there is a sort of respect playing for your country commands in you club, because after any international duty, when you return; the club welcomes you back with open hands but said unfortunately some players chose to ignore such a privilege.

“Well like you rightly pointed out, it seems that there is a relationship between a players form for his club and that of his national team career.

“It may be a coincident but the fact remains that it is a life time privilege to play for one’s country. Players who had no opportunity of playing for their national teams; don’t feel fulfilled at the end of their playing careers.

“That is the truth and there is no serious player that doesn‘t desire to play for his country’s national team.

That is why some can go to the extent of playing for free because it is an honour that among the multitude of players you happened to be among the few that are selected to represent your country.

“I believe that national team assignment and club career are interwoven.

In fact, if you are playing for your national team, there is a sort of respect that comes from it and that will definitely impart positively on your club career.

“This is because they know that it has a way of impacting positively on the club. Many clubs do encourage their players to fight for shirts in their respective national teams.

“It is even a thing of pride for a club to have some of their players represent their various countries; that is why they hardly refuse the request

by Federations to release players for national team assignments.

“Even world football governing body, FIFA frowns at clubs’ refusal to release players to represent their countries during international windows.

“That is to tell you the importance FIFA attaches to players representing their countries in international assignments. So, it is not surprising that withdrawal from national team duties has a way of impacting negatively on some players,” Amoo reasoned.

Iwobi attributes fine form to club manager, Emery Mikel out for rest of season

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HERE is no gain saying that Nigeria and Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi is in the best form of his life at the moment as he has continued to get rave review week-in week-out for both country and club but the nephew to Super Eagles’ legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, has refused to accept credit for his fine form rather he has heaped praises for his form on his club manager, Unai Emery.

It is recalled that Emery replaced Arsenal’s longest and most successful manager, Arsene Wenger at the end of 2017/18 league season, following persistent call for his removal by the club’s supporters and fans over the years who believe that with his continued stay at the club, the “Pride of London” as the club are known will not be able to win the Premier League and continental trophies.

However, on assumption of duties at the Emirates, Unai Emery led Ar-

senal to two straight defeats in the league prompting many people to start thinking otherwise but the impatience fans and supporters were asked to give the Spaniard a chance and ever since then, the Gunners have not looked back as they have not lost any game and Iwobi is a part of that heartwarming story.

Just on Thursday, the Gunner qualified for the knock-out stage of this year’s Europa League after a 0-0 draw with visiting Sporting CP with two matches to spare.

The Anambra State-born attacker also believes that the players are one big family under Emery and they have enjoyed fighting for each other, as well as for the fans. Iwobi made his feelings known while fielding questions on the club’s website, Arsenal.com.

“It’s basically a family and we’re all fighting for each other, not just for the manager and the players,

but also for the fans,” Iwobi told Arsenal. com.

“It’s one big family and we’re always going to fight for each other.

We’re putting in an extra shift, not just in matches, but in training as well.

“Unai’s very intense in training and he’s demanding because he knows how good we are. He always wants us to be at 100 per cent, giving our best.

“It’s not just him, though. We know what we expect from each other, so we’re also trying to get the best out of each other in training.”

It is noted that ‘The Gunners’ after losing to London rivals, Chelsea, have recorded 11 straight victories in all competitions before dropping points in 2-2 away against Crystal Palace at the Selhurst Park on October 28 and 1-1 home draw with Liverpool in their last Premier League clash last Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

S

UPER Eagles Captain and Tianjin TEDA midfielder, John Obi Mikel will miss the remainder of the Chinese Super League season due to injury.

Ayo Olu Ibidapo of the Communication Department of the Nigeria Football Federation NFF confirmed the report. Mikel featured in 18 CSL matches this season and scored two goals providing two assists.

Although, the Nigeria captain is yet to feature for the Super Eagles after they failed to advance from the group stages of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, after suffering from a muscle injury in training.

Mikel missed Tianjin Teda’s last Tuesday’s training as a result of the injury. He missed Tianjin TEDA’s home game against Dalian Aerbin last Wednesday and Sunday’s final game of the season away at Guang-

zhou Evergrande.

It is recalled that since the Super Eagles crashed of the World Cup in Russia in the group stage, the Anambra State-born midfielder has not played the national team. Now that he is injured his return to the national te4am set-up is going to be prolonged.

The Eagles will be looking forward to securing their 2019 AFCON ticket in Johannesburg at the weekend when they file out against ‘The Boys, The Boys’ that is Bafana Bafana.

The Gernot Rohr coached Nigerian national team only need a point to qualify as they lead the group with 9 points but they need to revenge the defeat they suffer in the hand of the South Africans in Uyo in the first leg in order to assuage the hurt of millions of their supporters who were devastated after the encounter in Uyo in the first leg.

46

The Oracle Today Wednesday, November 21, 2018

SPORTS

Eagles’ injury worries, call for strong home-base Eagles –Chukwu Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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HIS is not the best times for the national team the Super Eagles following series of injuries to first team players such as inform Odion Jude Ighalo, goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho amongst others.

Reacting to the plague of injuries to the Super Eagles ahead of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa, former national team captain and coach, Christian Chukwu, who is unrepentant advocate of inclusion of home-based players in the national team set-up said there situation has brought to the fore the need to have a formidable home-based national team that will always be on stand-by.

According to him had it been that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Amaju Melvin Pinnick and the technical crew headed by Franco-German football tactician, Gernot Rohr had taken heed to his persistent call for a home-based team, injuries to some of the national team players shouldn’t have been something that will be giving Nigerian sleepless nights.

“Of course I am concerned just as you are. There is no way I will not be concerned when eagles are hit by some many injury worries.

“I don’t think that there is any right thinking Nigerian or patriotic Nigerian that will not be worried by the number of our players that are currently plagued by injuries with a very vital AFCON game against perennial rivals, South Africa.

“This is more so, when they came here and handed 0-2 defeat to us.

I had wanted the Super Eagles to use this particular match to teach them a lesson of their lives.

“It was heart breaking seeing South Africa ran out with victory at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium otherwise known as “The Next of Champions” in a competitive game.

“Everybody knows that I am an unrepentant, unapologetic advocate of infusion of home-based players to the national team.

“This incident (injuries to key players) has reinforced the need for a home-based national team that will always be on standby in case we have a situation like this in future.

“Had it been that we have a formidable home-based team on standby, I don’t think that this situation will be giving Nigerians sleepless nights the way it is giving us sleepless nights.

“I have said time without number and I will continue to say it that, there is nowhere in the world where players in the national team are peopled by foreign base. It is not done. This can only happen in Nigeria.

“This is not the way we operated the national team when Clemence Westerhof was the Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles and I was the chief coach.

“We had solid home-based players that form the national team with few foreign based. Of course there is no gain saying that Nigerians still consider that era as the

Rohr explains why Chukwueze was invited to Eagles

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•Christian Chukwu

golden era of Nigerian Football.

“I was a part of that success story that is why I cannot stop talking about it because I know that is the right thing to do.

“More importantly there is no way you say you want to develop

I’ll not toy with my call-up – Afelokhai

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T is no longer news that Super Eagles’ first choice goalkeeper, Francis Odinaka Uzoho, will not be manning the post when three time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria file out against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in

Johannesburg on 17th, due to injury, however, the man who has been called up to replace him in the national team set-up, Theophilus Afolokhai, has declared that he will not toy with the opportunity.

The Enyimba shot stopper made

• Super Eagles invitee, Theophilus Afolokhai

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HAIRMAN of Legacy Volleyball Club of Lagos, Kayode Ladele, is dreaming big for the sports even as he declares that he is ready to support the sport to be the number one sport in the country.

He said he was very optimistic about the sport’s future, especially in view of his passion for the sport.

He stated this in Lagos while fielding question with sports journalists.

Ladele said he was more confident about this with the successful hosting of the just-concluded fourth edition of the Legacy Volleyball Championships in Lagos.

“The competition was a tremendous success, with each participating team showcasing the best talents and displaying their best in volleyball.

“Also, the competition lived up to

the league without the infusion of the home-base in the national team arrangement. Then what are you developing with the home based in the national team? Chukwu asked.

this declaration while reacting to the good news of his invitation as a replacement for the injured Elche of Spain goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, promising to make the best us of his invitation to the national team assuring that he will give it his best shot and wait to see what comes out it.

It is true that Afelokhai’s invitation to the national team call-up came as a belated replacement for injured Elche of Spain netminder, Uzoho, the Enyimba No1 said that he had nothing against being invited as an after-thought.

Instead of feeling demeaned following his invitation as a result of injury to Uzoho, Afelokhai expressed happiness with his invitation even as he vowed to show his ability in training with the team, ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa.

Though his chances appear slim to make the cut as first choice for the

match in Johannesburg on November the 17th, he said he would use it as a stepping stone for better days ahead in the Eagles.

According to him, “This is the opportunity I have been ready for. I hope to take it with both hands.”

“I don’t feel bad that it is coming a bit late as I had thought but I am happy and grateful to God for this opportunity.

“I will not toy with is great once in a life time opportunity. I will put in my best in training and sit back and see what comes out of it.

“For me, it is not just about the South African match rather it is about the opportunity that lies ahead in the national team,” Afelokhai declared.

The man, who ensured that Enyimba’s former No1, Ikechukwu Ezenwa is relegated to the second position, said he hoped to replicate the form he has exhibited for his club in recent time at the national, as he aims to justify the trust and confidence reposed in him by the national team handlers.

their pockets to make the competition an awesome success.

“The makers of Beloxxi Biscuits Cream Crackers and Globacom Telecommunications network were also very supportive all through the duration of the event. Indeed, I am most grateful for their unflinching support,’’ the club chairman said.

The competition ended with host club Legacy winning the first position in both the women and men categories.

Legacy beat OFFEY of Ogun 3-1, winning 25-23 22-25 25-20 25-20 in a thrilling encounter which lasted over 105 minutes at the stadium’s Indoor Sports Hall.

Legacy male team received N300,000 in cash prize for their efforts and other consolation prizes, while their women team also beat other four contenders to the cash prize of N250,000.

OFFEY which came second in the competition received N200,000, while OFA Volleyball Club won N100,000 after beating New Waves of Ibadan 3-0 (25-20 25-21 25-22).

In the women’s category, Vision Spikers of Enugu finished second behind Legacy to claim N150,000.

Third-place in that category went to Chariots of Lagos and they received N100,000, while Amarachukwu Uchechukwu of Legacy was awarded the best female Spiker’s prize.

Ladele dreams big for Volleyball the standard and I am very happy about the attendance by the participating teams and, most importantly, the fans who trooped in to watch,’’ Ladele said.

“We have seen the end of a tournament which was organised to give the sport the recognition it deserves in the scheme of things in Nigeria’s sports terrain.

“I am very proud of the support I got from the 13 participating teams (eight men and five women teams) for their great sportsmanship throughout the competition.

“I am also proud of the support I got form friends and well-wishers of the sport who dipped their hands in

UPER Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has taken time to explain what informed his decision to extend invitation to former Under-17 FIFA World Cup winner, Samuel Chukwueze, ahead of Super Eagles Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa which comes up on the 17th.

According to the former Bayern Munich defender, the Villareal youngster who is getting rave review in Spain is a quality player that would give the team more attacking depth.

Chukwueze earned himself first call-up to the senior national team due to his superlative form with his Spanish club, Villarreal, in the Spain’s La Liga. Chukwueze was a member of the Golden Eaglets that won the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile, where he scored three goals.

Having netted his first goal in the Submarines colours against Almeria, Rohr revealed that the future of the 19-year-old player is bright and he would give Nigeria a balance in the attack.

“Chukwueze has a good left foot‚ is quick‚ has a low centre of gravity‚ which gives him a very good balance‚ and can deliver and score,” Rohr said.

“We need a player like him to give us balance in attack and he can also play through the middle.”

NSF: Abia to participate in 22 games

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BIA State is to participate in 22 sports at the National Sports Festival holding in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja from December 6, if the statement credited to the Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Martins Okoji is anything to go by.

The Oracle Today Sports gathered that the number of sports that the state will be participating in was made public last Wednesday by the Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Martin Okoji while receiving the National Sports Festival Unity Torch for the 19th edition of the National Sports Festival at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

The Commissioner expressed joy that the torch arrived safely in Abia, saying the ritual had further rejuvenated the ministry and athletes in their preparations for the tournament.

According to him, the state would improve on its performance at Ilorin, Kwara State, where they came fifth in the overall medals’ table.

“Team Abia are ready to take on the rest of the states of the federation at the festival,” Okoji declared.

Also, speaking at the event, the Director of Sports, Abia State Sports Council, Isaac Isaac, said the state was set for the event, having just concluded its week-long trials for the athletes.

Isaac said the council commenced early preparations so that it could possibly organise open camping for the athletes, if funds were made available early.

“We hope to surpass our last record at Ilorin or replicate our performance,” he said, adding that they aspired for the first five positions in the overall medals table.

47

The Oracle Today November 21, 2018

SPORTS

Africa’s support for Infantino’ unshaken – Pinnick Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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IGERIA Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick yesterday dismissed as of no effect, the recent Football Leaks in which some hackers have been releasing documents from the private and official emails of members of the FIFA executive. Pinnick said the hackers were out to embarrass the world football body and also damage the reputation of its principal officers. He said, “The Leaks are hopelessly weak and they do not affect the fact that Africa sticks with Gianni.

“The entire NFF Executive Committee including myself remains avowed loyalists of Mr. Infantino and we will continue to give him support.

“For us, the hawkers of these weak leaks are thoroughbred blackmailers whose objective is to try and smear the reputation of persons who are working so hard and diligently to reposition FIFA. “Over the past three years, FIFA has embarked on a worthwhile journey to regain its integrity and credibility, and the works of the President, Mr. Gianni Infantino and the Secretary General, Ms. Fatma Samoura are outstanding in this regard,” Pinnick declared The NFF egghead described FIFA as “Financially, socially and transparent organization,” adding, “FIFA has turned the positive corner from the crisis and credibility deficits of 2015. We now have a FIFA that is truly global in outlook and pursuing the interests of all six Confederations and 211 Member Associations without any fear or favour. Some persons are definitely not happy about that.”

He insisted that Infantino and the FIFA administration were committed to projects and programmes that impact positively on the game worldwide, adding that the hackers were disgruntled elements with nothing else to do other than attack the integrity of the world body.

“Nigeria and – I have good reason to believe – the whole of Africa is not bothered by whatever the haters have. We stick with Mr. Infantino and the current administration at FIFA. When Mr. Infantino came into office, he opened all the windows to inclusiveness, diversity and true development across board.

“Today, there are six female members of the FIFA Council and 39 women in the Council and different committees. The FIFA Administration is composed of 45 per cent women and is headed by a glorious and highly –qualified African in Ms. Fatma Samoura.

“There are plans for a 48–team FIFA World Cup that will see more of the smaller countries enjoying the limelight and financial benefits of playing at that highest level, and that could happen as early as Qatar 2022. FIFA’s financial situation has improved from the extreme low of $930 million during the 2015 crisis to about $6 billion in the current cycle.

“As a body committed to harvesting the best for its people, CAF strongly aligns with Mr. Infantino’s vision for the 48 –team World Cup, as well as the plans for a World Nations League and an expanded FIFA Club World Cup, which all means more money for development, particularly in our developing climes. With Mr. Infantino, Ms. Samoura and

Ex-Super Falcons star dies at 33

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• FIFA President, Gianni Infantino.

the current administration, Africa (including our country Nigeria) is guaranteed meaningful growth at a great pace, which is something some persons and groups are pretty scared of.”

He described the current FIFA leadership as the most open in the history of the body, pointing at ‘heartwarming developments in ethics, human rights and unheard –of disclosures of compensation to persons in FIFA ad-

Reverse your Eagles’ decision, Babayaro advises Moses

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ORMER Super Eagles and Chelsea defender, Celestine Babayaro has advised Victor Moses to rescind his decision to quit international football for the good of his club career, after falling down the pecking order at Chelsea.

According Babayaro, there is a possibility of top clubs showing interest in his services if he returns to national team football since he stands a chance of playing for the Eagles than now he is not even getting look-in by the Club manager. The former Newcastle United defence stalwart is of the opinion that returning to international football will help Moses revive his dwindling football career.

It is recalled that just last week, Chelsea coach, Maurizo Sarri, told the Nigerian that he could leave the club in January when the transfer window opens as his form does not fit into his plans.

Moses quit playing international football for Nigeria after the World Cup in Russia despite all efforts by well-meaning Nigerians to dissuade from quitting the national team, but Babayaro believes a return to the national team set up will, no doubt, arouse interest from clubs for his services.

“A return to the Super Eagles would no doubt do his career a whole lot of good right now. He is not getting games at Chelsea but he would sure get games with the Super Eagles and that could provoke interest from top clubs unlike now where only mid table teams will consider him,” Babayaro said.

•Victor Moses

“Moses is a talented player, no doubt and he still deserve a shot at a top team, but that won’t happen if he isn’t playing at Chelsea, it could happen if he impresses at international level with Nigeria, so he should consider it,” The Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist said.

ministration as further reasons for Nigeria to dig its feet in the ground in support of the Infantino team.”

He added: “For us at the NFF, we have only one mind and that is to support Infantino and his team all the way. That is what is in the best interest of world football; that what is in the best interest of African Football and; that is what is in the best interest of Nigerian Football.”

NE of Nigeria’s most successful women internationals, midfielder Ajuma Ameh-Otache, has died at the age of 33.

Ameh-Otache, who played for Nigeria at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, also won the African Women’s Cup of Nations that same year.

“We are sad to hear of the sudden passing of former Nigeria midfielder, African Women’s Championship winner, Olympian, Ajuma Otache who passed on Saturday,” the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Twitter.

“Our thoughts are with her young family. May her soul rest in peace.”

Ameh-Otache also played for the Super Falcons at the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja.

The former Pelican Stars player was in charge of Goodland Rangers Football Club of Lagos and made headlines as a successful female coach in charge of a male side.

She is survived by her husband, Peter Otache and three children.

•Late Ajuma Ameh-Otache

Onyekuru, Chukwueze warns Bafana Bafana ahead of clash

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HEAD of Super Eagles’ grudge match against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa this weekend, Super Eagles’ and Galatasaray loanee striker, Henry Onykuru scored twice in Galatasaray’s first win in six league games to fire warning shorts to South Africa as they await the three time African champions this weekend’s in the reversed fixture of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, in Johannesburg.

The Nigerian international who was called-up to replace injured Changchun Yatai striker in the epic clash ended his six games goal drought by finding the back of the net twice as Galatasaray ran away with 3-0 against Kayserispor.

It was Galatasaray’s first win in equally six games.

The goal proved to be the only goal of the first half as the home side tried to find their way back into the game.

The second half was goalless until the 75th minute, when Onyekuru scored his second of the game to give Galatasaray a two-goal cushion.

Though he was awarded a yellow card for his celebrations, however, Galatasaray sealed the result through Omer Bayram who converted a ball through to him by Mariano in the 88th minute.

The result means that Galatasaray are second on the table four points behind Istanbul

Basaksehir and return to action after the international break against Konyaspor on Friday, November 23.

Onyekuru is expected to depart for Nigeria to be part of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier away against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and a friendly encounter against the Cranes of Uganda.

Meanwhile, just as Onyekuru was on song for Galatasaray on Saturday, Eagles’ new boy, Samuel Chukwueze who made his La Liga debut on Sunday equally send warning short to South Africa as he registered his name on the score-sheet in his first game for his club, Villarreal as they played out a 2-2 draw.

Chukwueze opened the goalscoring in the encounter when he fired home on the dot of 33minutes with a driving run to give his side temporal lead.

It is recalled that Chukwueze was equally on target in his Copa Del Rey debut against Almeria. Despite his effort and that of his teammates, the Yellow Submarine as they are called could not prevent Raul De Tomas from equalizing for the host on the stroke of half time through an assist by Oscar Trejo.

It is believed that if the duo of Chukwueze and Onyekuru could replicate their current club forms in the encounter against Bafana Bafana this weekend, Eagles will certainly get a good result.

WEDNESDAY November 21, 2018

The

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As Joe Igbokwe re-defines religious bigotry...

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do not have any problem with Mr. Joe Igbokwe working in Lagos. I know many of our Igbo brothers and sisters who are working in Lagos. That is how it should be and more of such should be encouraged. I, too benefitted from Lagos State. I attended LASU in the nineties, when it was almost free education.

Till today, I still have that sense of attachment to the school.

My problem with Mr. Igbokwe is going out of his way to denigrate the best from his State because he wants to please his benefactors.

I said that the way he was going, if a Tinubu turned into a matador and mistakenly slayed an Anambra man instead of a horse, the likes of Joe Igbokwe would justify that on the grounds that death was not meant for horses alone!

The other day, he joined Obi’s traducers, those that are working against an Igbo man becoming a Vice President, to roast Obi in poisoned ink by dressing him in the garbage of an ethnic and religious bigot. In answering Mr. Igbokwe, I had written that “after many years of granting Mr. Joe Igbokwe the benefit of the doubt, I now have every reason to believe that he is one of the most disreputable Igbo men living in Lagos. He has proved that his manner of life is dishonourable, unscrupulous and treacherous. He has so drunk from the dregs of the loose morality of politicians that he easily forgets himself while striving to please his masters even when they are doing terrible things to those that are supposed to be his very own people. Peter Obi’s crime is that he dared to protest against the deportation of Igbos from Lagos.”

It is pathetic that the only reason Mr. Igbokwe called Obi an ethnic bigot is because he challenged the then Gov. Fashola for deporting Igbos from Lagos. If the likes of Obi did not shout, may be today Joe Igbokwe would be the only Igbo man staying in Lagos.

Just imagine the irony, an Igbokwe justifying the deportation of Easterners to the East even when other enlightened Yorubas joined Obi in condemning Mr. Fashola!

Yesterday, Mr. Joe Igbokwe also insisted that Obi is a religious bigot, simply because Obi is contesting for the Vice Presidential slot against another Yoruba man. Check table Support to Mission health institutions It will be recalled that Obi started his partnership with the Church on health at Iyienu Hospital owned by the Anglican Communion.

The hospital benefitted more than other missionary hospitals from Government support under Mr. Peter Obi. He equally supported other Anglican hospitals that did not fall under the original hospitals slated for assistance, namely, Faith Hospital and Maternity owned by the Anglican Diocese of Awka. Another one is the Amichi Diocesan Hospital. He was, in fact, the one who encouraged the Bishop to start the School of Nursing.

He also assisted hospitals owned by the Pentecostal fellowship, an example being Jesus the Physician Hospital at Awka.

In his partnership with the Churches to build and rebuild institutions, Obi built 10 maternities and four of them were for the Anglican Church and are located in: 1. Umueje, Anyamelum L.G.A 2. Awba-Ofenmili, Akwa North L.G.A 3. Ihiala, Ihiala L.G.A 4. Umunze, Orumba South L.G.A RETURN OF SCHOOLS After Obi returned schools to their original owners, some people outside the Catholic and Anglican Churches raised the issue of assistance only rendered to the two denominations, but the fact was that only the two owned schools that were taken by the Government.

Always moved by equity, all the money shared to the mission was in proportion to the number of schools retuned to each. Is this Igbokwe’s definition of bigotry?

I understand that some disputed schools were not returned. Is returning them amidst

GUEST COLUMNIST VALENTINE

OBIENYEM

Let us see Obi’s relationship with the Churches in Anambra State as a means of appraising him as a religious bigot. First let us peruse through Obi’s Cabinet to see the bigotry inherent in it.

1. Mr. Oseloka Obaze, Secretary to State Government Catholic 2. Stella Okunna,Chief of Staff and Comm. for Economic Planning/Budget Anglican 3. Peter Afuba, Comm. for Justice and Attorney General Catholic 4. Azuka Enemo, Comm. for Local Government Anglican 5. Lawrence Ikeakor, Comm. for Health, Anglican 6. Henrietta Agbata, Comm for Women Affairs Anglican 7. Callistus Ilozumba, Comm.for Works Catholic 8. Edozie Aroh, Comm. for Youths and Sports, Anglican 9. Sebastian Okoye, Comm. for Environment Catholic 10. Ohamobi Chike, Comm for Transport, Catholic 11. Chibunna Okoli Akirika , Comm. for Lands Anglican 12. Engr. Patrick Obi, Comm. for Housing, Catholic 13. Ngozi Okoye, Comm. for Finance Anglican/Pent 14. Emeka Nwankwu, Comm. for Utilities Catholic 15. Uju Okeke, Comm. for Education, Catholic 16. Okoli Christopher, Comm. for Science and Tech, Anglican 17. Ndubisi Menakaya , Comm. for Agriculture, Anglican 18. Vivian Nwandu, Special Adviser on MDG, Anglican 19. Godfrey Muotolu, Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Matters, Catholic 20. Emenike, Obi, Principal Secretary to the Governor Catholic 21. Oby Nwankwo, Perm. Sec. Govt. House, Anglican 22. Ferdinand Obi Permanent Secretary/closest aide Anglican Look at the composition of the Civil Service Commission under Obi 1. Mrs Ngozika Melifionwu (Chairman)

2. Mr George Asuegbu Ijezi (Secretary)

3. Barr Gabriel Onyeozili (from Obi’s own town)

4. Dr (Mrs) Kate Obioji

5. Mrs Pauline Ndibe

6. Mr. Shedrach Onuigbo

Catholic Anglican Anglican Catholic Catholic Anglican

Look at the Judiciary under Obi Chief Judges during the Tenure of Mr. Obi: 1. Justice Chuka Okoli (met on assumption of office)

2. Justice Nri Ezedi (appointed by Obi)

3. Justice Emeka Nzegwu (appointed by Obi)

4. Justice Paul Obidigwe (appointed by Obi)

5. Justice Peter Umeadi (appointed by Obi)

Anglican Anglican Anglican Anglican Catholic

Anambra State Judiciary has 18 Judges. The under listed, 10 in number, belong to Anglican faith, while the rest belong to Catholic and other faiths: 1. Justice Ijeoma Onwuamaegbu Anglican 2. Justice O.M Anyachebelu Anglican 3. Justice J.I Nweze Anglican 4. Justice O.C. Amaechina

Anglican 5. Justice P.C Obiora

Anglican 6. Justice V. N Agbata

Anglican 7. Justice G.C Anulude

Anglican 8. Justice Ike Ogu

Anglican 9. Justice C.C Okaa

Anglican 10. Justice Otti

Anglican Look at the Customary Court of Appeal under Obi 1. Justice Chinwe Amaechi

2. Justice Samuel Okoye

disputes Joe’s definition of bigotry?

Like Catholic schools, all Anglican schools got buses, computers, generators, among many others. Is this Joe’s understanding of bigotry?

ANGLICAN BISHOPS ON OBI Anambra State is better today because Mr. Obi collaborated with organizations that have the progress of the State at heart, and one of them is the Church. Obi partnered with the Church through return of their schools to them, the rehabilitation of their health

Anglican.

Anglican

facilities, among others. It is very wrong to see Obi and his bigotry through the prisms of warped minds as Mr. Igbokwe. It is better to see Obi through the prisms of Anglican Bishops, all of who, like other religious leaders, worked closely with him.

Now, see their opinions about Mr. Peter Obi: His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Christian Efobi, Archbishop, Province on the Niger, in referring to Obi, resorted to a biblical quote: “When the righteous are on the throne, the people rejoice.”

For the Anglican Bishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Dr. Owen Nwokolo, “What Anambra is witnessing under Obi is a revolution, the likes of which the State has not witnessed in the past.”

According to Bishop Ephraim Ikeakor of Amichi Diocese, “Obi has done very well. His return of school to the Churches has made the difference in education. His collaboration with the Church is yielding fruits. Any person who says he has not done well is a blatant liar.”

The Anglican Bishop of Ihiala, Most Rev. Dr. Raphael Okafor, during the first session of the Second Synod of the Diocese at St. Andrew Church, Lilu said: “His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, CON, the former Governor of Anambra State will always be celebrated in the State. We cannot forget him and his Government, which was a Golden Era in this State which we hope will continue.”

At St. John’s Anglican Church, Umueze-Anam, while presenting an award to Obi, the Diocesan Bishop and Synod President, Rt. Rev. Dr. Henry Okeke, said “the award became expedient given that it was the last Obi would attend our synod as governor. He is a friend of the Diocese and he is being honoured in recognition of his contribution towards the success of the Diocese since inception as well as the development of Anambra West as a whole.”

At the 1st Session of the 29th Synod of Anglican Diocese on the Niger at St. Thomas Church, Oraukwu, the Bishop of the Diocese, Right Reverend Professor Godwin Okpala said, “I thank Mr. Peter Obi whole-heartedly for always identifying with affairs of the Church.

God will continue to bless and uplift him for transforming the entire State. He has set a standard others will strive to emulate.”

The Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Niger West, Rt. Revd Prof Anthony Nkwoka at Archbishop Patterson’s Seminary, Igbariam said this of Obi: “We shall remain prayerful at all times for God to give the State a Governor that will be like Gov. Peter Obi when his tenure expires. I have followed the governor’s politics over the years and I see in him essential godliness that is absent among Nigerian politicians. By returning schools to the missions with sincere apologies and providing funds for their rehabilitation, Obi has left an indelible legacy for generations unborn.”

In his own remarks about Obi, the Anglican Bishop of Awka, Rt. Rev Alexander Ibezim, during his visit to the Comprehensive Secondary School, Nawfia said: “Development under Peter Obi in all sectors, especially education is marvellous. I pity those that will come after him as it will be difficult for them meeting up with the standards Governor Peter Obi has set. Obi’s example in governance is worthy of emulation for building institutions, unlike the past governors of the state that built individuals.”

What other verdict by Anglicans about Mr. Peter Obi should be more valid than those of My Lord Bishops? I think the likes of Igbokwe are on their own. For him, the proof of Obi’s bigotry is not in his actual relationship with the Church, but in what he heard from Chief Dan Ulasi, a seasoned mercenary.

I challenge the likes of Joe Igbokwe to show me, by comparison, any government in Anambra State or elsewhere that did for the Church, including Anglican Church, even 2% of what Obi did for them.

Enlightened minds can engage in intellectual exercises, which I do a lot, by looking at the Churches from different perspectives, but only bigots like Joe Igbokwe look at it with intent to cause problem for the people. He is a Lagosian by adoption, doesn’t he know that a typical Lagos family houses people from different denominations and faith, each leaving his life without being a terror to the other? This is the type of lesson we expect him to learn and imbibe and not tendencies that are destructive to the society.

•Obienyem is Media Assistant to former Governor Peter Obi, PDP vice presidential candidate.

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.