Wednesday February 27, 2019 Edition

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Today

Buhari not above the law, say CSOs VOX POPULI SACRUM

WEDNESDAY February 27, 2019

ISSN: 2545-5869 VOL.4 No.7 N200

•President’s order completely unconstitutional •Electoral Act provides for two years in jail or N1m fine or both for electoral offenders •Order cannot replace law despite Army’s declared readiness to obey it •Falls in line with

‘creeping’ dictatorial tendencies evident in Buhari’s utterances over time •P2

South East/South South Laity Council endorses Atiku/Obi •Obi intensifies campaigns in markets in South East •Decries heavy dependence on generators for power supply in the country •Assures Atiku will reverse the trend if elected President •Huge crowds greet Obi,

others during PDP roadshow in Anambra From CYNTHIA IGBOKWE

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atholics under the aegis of the Laity Council of Nigeria, South East/ South South Provinces have endorsed the candidature of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate

Page 32

Mr. Peter Obi for the presidency of Nigeria, vowing to mobilise Catholics in the two zones to vote for them in Saturday’s presidential election.

The endorsement took place at a colourful ceremony held at Madonna Catho-

lic Church, Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

According to a former President of the Onitsha Province who coordinated the Catholic Laity, Dr Fidelis

Cont’d on page 2

•Atiku at one of his South East rallies

Barr. Okey Igwe: Vote PDP that Nigeria may survive

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS

Buhari not above the law, say CSOs From PAMELA EBOH, Awka and OLIVER UDEOGU, Onitsha Civil Society Organisations have condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to the security forces to mete out capital punishment to electoral offenders.

The President, addressing a caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, said security agencies had been ordered to deal ruthlessly with electoral offenders, stressing that anyone caught attempting to snatch a ballot box would pay with his life.

A statement by the Army spokesperson, Col. Sagir Musa, said the army would implement the order to the letter.

“If the Commander-in-Chief has given the order to the Nigerian Army to that effect, rest assured that the order will be totally and effectively obeyed without any ifs or buts,” Musa said with a touch of bravura.

The 2010 Electoral Act recommends two years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of snatching electoral materials.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Human Rights, Liberty Access and Defenders Foundation (HURIJE) and National Publicity Secretary, Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dede Uzor A. Uzor, however, said the order by President Buhari was unheard of in any democratic country.

He accused Buahri of authoritarianism, noting that the President “has not realized that Nigeria is a democratic nation and that Nigerians are enjoying fruits of democracy rather than autocracy or military regime.”

Uzor wondered why the President would declare war on his own subjects by encouraging security agents to shoot at sight people committing electoral offenses while the Constitution and the Electoral Act are clear on what happens to someone caught perpetrating such criminal acts. ‘’President Muhammadu Buhari has not realized we are in a democracy. 95 percent of his actions and utterances are just like a military dictator in a military era. He hasn’t realized that things have changed,’’ Uzor lamented.

Critics argue that Buhari’s utterances and actions over time have cast him in the mould of a creeping dictator who has constituted himself into both the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

They are quick to recall that only recently, the President announced the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen without recourse to due process or the provisions of the constitution on such matters.

On several occasions, the President has been caught publicly threatening to jail ‘looters’, thereby arrogating to himself the power and authority of the judiciary.

The President has also demonstrated scant regard for the legislature by ignoring, on three occasions, the Senate’s refusal to confirm the Acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Mangu, who has been illegally acting in that capacity having not been confirmed by the Senate as provided for in the Constitution.

The President has also once sent the police and the DSS to seal off the National Assembly thereby preventing legislators from performing their official function as provided for in the constitution.

The shoot-at-sight order made by the President against suspected electoral offenders came as the denouement to a series of perceived political missteps that

President is believed to have taken in the past four years as a democratically elected head of State and government, thus presenting himself as a ‘democrat’ who is not bound by democratic principles.

Uzor further queried: “How can you order the execution of your citizens for breaching an electoral law in outright disregard of the electoral act and constitutional stipulations? This has shown that we don’t have value for human rights and life of our fellow citizens and that the Army Chief has no value for human life hence his order that led to the murder of over 1000 Shiites and over 200 IPOB members by the Nigerian military, according to the report

by Amnesty International.

We shall champion his arrest and prosecution of crimes against humanity once he retires; we shall see to that because we would protest.’’

Similarly, the Southeast-based Coalition of Human Rights & Democracy Organizations (a coalition of 22 human rights & democracy organizations) has said the latest death order issued by Buhari and the pledge by the Nigerian Army to obey it to the letter

explains why most Nigerians are very angry at the Administration and want it thrown out through the ballot box.

The statement by Coalition was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Aloysius Attah, Dr. Jerry Chukwuokoro and Prof. Justice Chidi-Chidi on behalf of others.

SBCHRO’s statement read in part: ‘’Most Nigerians are so much afraid that with the way things are going, the uncoordinated and incoherent President of Nigeria may one day sign or cede the country away to the likes of Cameroon and Chad or to a foreign power, or unilaterally declare war against United States or China or North Korea. ‘’The incoherence of Mr. President, as confirmed by Festus Keyamo, SAN and other presidential aides on several occasions, has already risen to an apogee or intolerable proportion. The President may also one day, if not checked, declare war throughout Nigeria or section of same, ordering security forces to open fire, shoot and kill anybody or civilian in sight. The blanket compliance to an incoherent president’s order by the Armed Forces and Police will not be surprising and shocking to Ni-

gerians, if it happened, going by the swift response of the Nigerian Army to obey Mr. President’s latest incoherent order of “shootat-sight, as published by an online platform recently.

“Other implications of the presidential death order are to militarize and terrorize the poll (widespread implementation of the Osun State rigging template), threats and scaring away of millions of independent voters so as to have a field day to manipulate the voting process in favour of President Buhari and his party, flooding of polling booths particularly in Southeast, South-south and Igbo and Christian dominated areas of Southwest and Northern Nigeria with armed and masked soldiers, targeting, shooting and killing innocent citizens in the guise of enforcing the “shooting at sight order” of Mr. President against “ballot box snatchers” and intensification of scientific rigging such as massive thumb printing of ballot papers and writing of results in hotel rooms and other hidden locations for APC and its presidential candidate.

“Apart from the fact that Mr.

Cont’d on page 44

•Middle Sen Annie Okonkwo being flanked by the (Right) Elder Pius Uchenna Okoye President General Igboezue International Association and from (Left) his Son Hon Uchenna Annie Okonkwo during his Son’s endorsement ceremony for the Idemmili North/ Idemmili South federal constituency by the Igbo socio cultural group. The event took place at the cosy Arthur Garden hotels limited Nkpor Anambra State

South East/South South Laity Council endorses Atiku/Obi Continued from Pg 1

Aghamelu, the Laity Council had representatives from Onitsha, Owerri and Calabar Provinces who came for the ceremony.

Aghamelu said the Laity Council from the Provinces unanimously and unequivocally endorsed Atiku/Obi joint ticket after a thorough review of the state of the nation, which opened their eyes to the fact that only the pair of Atiku and Obi could rescue Nigeria from its current political and socioeconomic quagmire.

He lamented that Nigeria was headed to the precipice with President Buhari and Prof Osibanjo at the helm of affairs, insisting that “the destiny of our people is dangerously being castrated by the

Buhari administration.”

Aghamelu decried the public policies and programmes of the Buhari Administration, warning that the body language and activities of the government indicate a very dangerous phenomenon the government of the federation more favorably disposed to one particular faith.

He insisted that the Laity council would mobilize all Christians particularly Laity members to vote Atiku/Obi in next week’s election without any form of apathy.

The endorsement came as Obi continued his campaigns in markets across the South East, starting with ones in Anambra State.

Accordingly, Mr. Obi visited major markets in Onitsha- Elec-

tronics market, Ogbo Afere, Relief Market, Ogbaru Main Market In each of the markets visited, Obi explained to the people the imperative of Atiku’s Presidency as what Nigeria needs now to get the country working again.

Obi, who lamented the level of decay in the country in terms of infrastructure, absence of employment for the youth, lawlessness and recklessness in high places, mounting foreign and local debts, biting tax regime, incompetence, among others, said any further tolerance of the present state of affairs would see to the total collapse of Nigeria.

Counting the number of generators in one of the markets, Obi asked rhetorically: “ How

Long will our economy be one powered by generators?”

He promised that Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, having come out with a detailed work plan would place the country again on the path of democratic and economic development and progress.

The endorsement by the Laity council also came against the backdrop of a roadshow involving Obi and his supporters led by Chairman of Atiku-Obi Presidential Campaign Council in Anambra State, Mr. Oseloka Obaze and Director General of PDP Campaign Council in Anambra State, Dr Harry Oranezi in parts of anambra State.

The roadshow, organized by the People’s Democratic Party

(PDP) in all parts of the state to create awareness among the people of the state concerning the February 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections, attracted massive crowds made up of traders, students, artisans and people from various walks of life.

The roadshow also saw the leadership of PDP in the state and the Campaign Director, Dr. Harry Oranezi, Chairman of Atiku-Obi Presidential Campaign Council in Anambra, Mr Oseloka Obaze with others crisscrossing the major streets of Awka, Agulu, Nise, Adazi, Nnobi, among others, with mammoth crowds in tow.

The roadshow was led by Mr. Obi himself

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

Atiku never offered Adamawa REC $1m bribe – INEC Stories By MADUABUCHI KALU

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, never offered the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Kashim Gaidam, $1m or a house in Dubai.

INEC said this in a Facebook post while reacting to social media rumours that Atiku had compromised the Adamawa elections.

A report which trended on social media on Monday read in part, “Breaking News: I rejected Atiku’s $1m bribe plus a house in Dubai- Adamawa REC”.

While responding to the post, however, INEC wrote, “The Adamawa INEC REC completely dissociates himself from the allegation that he had an offer of $1m and a house in Dubai as no offer whatsoever was ever made to him by anyone.”

The INEC REC, who threatened court action against those behind the news, emphasised that he had never met Atiku in his life.

“I’ve never had any contact with Atiku all my life. I can state without fear of contradiction that Atiku probably does not know how I look, because I’ve never met him personally, all my life. I was shocked to read what was credited to me by some unscrupulous persons,” he said.

FAAC disburses N270.17bn to FG in January – NBS

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HE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has disbursed the sum of N270.17 billion to the Federal Government in January, 2019, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS said this in FAAC January, 2019 Disbursement statistics posted on its website.

According to the bureau, the states received a total of N178.04 billion while local governments received N133.83 billion.

The sum of N649.19 billion was disbursed to the three tiers of government in January, 2019 from the revenue generated in December, 2018.

The report said that amount disbursed comprised N547.46 billion from the Statutory Account, N100.76 billion from Valued Added Tax (VAT) and N976.53 million exchange gain differences.

The sum of N45.36 billion was shared among the oil producing states as 13 per cent derivation fund.

Revenue generating agencies such as Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) received N4.69 billion, N4.04 billion and N8.04 billion respectively as cost of revenue collections.

Further breakdown of revenue allocation distribution to the Federal Government revealed that the sum of N216.57 billion was dis-

bursed to the Federal Government consolidated revenue account.

In addition, the sum of N4.81billion was disbursed as share of derivation and ecology and N2.43 billion as stabilisation fund.

Also, the sum of N8.15 billion was shared for the development of natural resources and N5.82 billion to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The Nigerian government financial system operates a structure where funds flow to the three systems of government from what is termed the FEDERATION ACCOUNT. The Federation Account serves as the central pocket through which the Governments – Federal, States, and Local Governments – fund developmental projects as well as maintain their respective workforce.

The flow of revenue into the Federation Account includes oil revenues and related taxes, revenues generated from the NCS trade facilitation activities, company income tax (CIT), any sale of national assets, surplus and dividends from States Owned Enterprises.

Fundamentally, there are two components of the revenue allocation formula used for the disbursement of the Federation Account to the three tiers of government.

These are Vertical Allocation Formula and Horizontal Allocation Formula.

•Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi; Nigeria’s business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu on site-seing.

Saraki contributed more in making Buhari President than Tinubu, Amaechi – Okupe

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PECIAL Adviser (Media) to the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has revealed how his principal, who is also the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, contributed the highest donation towards the realisation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ambition in 2015.

Okupe, a former presidential spokesperson, who made the revelation in a statement on Sunday, titled, “How Lai Mohammed betrayed Saraki”, said other stakeholders in the coalition then, agreed that Saraki would be the Senate President if Buhari became victorious at the polls.

He also alleged that the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, betrayed the Senate President after Buhari’s emergence de-

spite the fact that Saraki reluctantly agreed to support his nomination as a member of the Federal Executive Council.

The full statement read, “Prior to the establishment of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, certain agreements were reached with principal stakeholders.

“Saraki was among the major stakeholders, being the single individual that raised the highest donation to the Buhari/All Progressives Congress campaign, far in excess of (what) Asiwaju (Bola) Tinubu or (Rotimi) Amaechi or anyone for that matter, (donated).

“Saraki was promised the post of Senate President and two ministerial slots.

“After May 29, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari called Saraki and apologised that he could only

BCO, be sent to all the camps of Internally Displaced People, IDPs, across the country and for equipment of libraries and information technology equipment for all state universities in Nigeria.

More so, Atiku, sought an order, “mandating President Buhari and his agents, including security operatives and officers to abide by the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers entrenched in the constitution and should not intervene in the forthcoming elections.”

In a 56-paragraphed witness statement on oath deposed to by one Abraham Udoh, the PDP presidential flag-bearer told the court that President Buhari had failed Nigerians by his inability as a President to stop ruthless and wanton killings across

the country.

Killings, destruction He said the killings and destruction had rendered citizens, farmers, women and children homeless without food or basic amenities of life, as well as led to the emergence of various IDP camps in the country. He said: “That under the present administration, there are over 108,000 Internally Displaced Persons grappling with a litany of infections and hunger.”

“In Taraba State, number of IDPs in the various camps are: Mayo Dassa (402 IDPs); Gullong (1259), ATC Kofai (968), Abuja I and II (357), Dorowa/ Magami/Malam Joda (579), Sabon Gari (482), Malum (872), Murtai/Yaukani/Yelwa(554), Mile six (74), Nyabukaka/Tutan Kurma/Kasa (148) and Nukkai (30).

Elections: Atiku slams N2bn suit against Buhari, demands apology

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RESIDENTIAL candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has approached a High Court in Federal Capital Territory, asking it to bar President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies in the country from interfering with the general election.

Atiku further asked the court to compel Buhari to pay him damages in the aggregate sum of N2 billion, as well as tender a public apology to him, for sponsoring frivolous suits against him.

The demands were contained in a counter-claim the PDP presidential candidate filed in response to a N40 million libel suit the Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, slammed against him over an allegation that he de-

famed Buhari and his family.

The BCO had in its suit marked FCT/ HC/CV/804/2019, accused Atiku and his aide, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, of making several defamatory statement in the media, to the effect that Buhari used his position as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and head of the government to fraudulently acquire two private companies, Keystone Bank Plc and 9Mobile Communication Ltd for himself, his family members, and friends.

Meanwhile, Atiku, in a counterclaim filed through his lawyer, Mr. Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, SAN, challenged the competence of the suit he said was highly frivolous.

He applied for an order mandating that the N2 billion damages to be paid by President Buhari and the

have one ministerial slot instead of the two previously agreed.

“Saraki, most reluctantly, but in deference to the President, conceded.

“Shortly afterwards, the President requested for another political favour from Saraki. This time, he wanted Saraki’s consent to use the remaining one ministerial slot allocated to him (Saraki) to appoint Lai Mohammed as minister.

“This was a gruesome blow to Saraki who questioned why the President could not ask Asiwaju (Tinubu) to accommodate Lai Mohammed in his own slot.

“The President confirmed to Saraki that Asiwaju had blatantly refused to do so. A thoroughly perplexed Saraki could only plead with the president to allow him go back home in Kwara State and find the best way to break this heartshattering news to members of his political family.

“It was an unimaginable scenario.

It took more than sagacity and political dexterity for the request of the President to be accepted but for the grace and very long lasting bonded relationship for the Saraki camp not to break up for this singular development.

“Lai Mohammed was summoned by the elders of the group, including Alhaji Kawu Baraje and former Governor Shaba Lafiaji and others.

“Lai Mohammed wept profusely, severally rolling on bare floor and swearing on every sacred institution and object of faith.

“The elders told him point blank that they did not trust him but that they were doing this for God, the President and interest of their leader, Bukola Saraki.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

President inciting military against Nigerians –Secondus •Directive, call for jungle justice –PDP

Stories By MADUABUCHI KALU

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EOPLES Democratic Party (PDP), National Chairman, Uche Secondus has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to security agencies to shoot at sight anyone found snatching ballot box as a declaration of war on Nigerians.

Secondus, in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, claimed going by the directive, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been empowered to move about with the military at their respective constituencies.

He said this will enable them harass and intimidate staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the opposition agents, so as to scare them away and create avenues for thugs to replace result sheets.

The PDP chairman noted that President Buhari has never been sincere in conducting a free and fair election, stating that it was the reason he refused to sign the amended Electoral Act which would have facilitated a credible polling in the country.

“The president’s confirmation that he has directed the service chiefs to kill Nigerians is nothing but a predetermined script hatched by the ruling party to create voter apathy and implement their result replacement plans using thugs protected by the military.

“In all democracies world over, elections are civil matter that is usually handled by civil security like Police and wondered why the involvement

of our military in this matter when they have enough security challenges to tackle. “ He said it was shocking that a president that has failed to take action in the numerous security challenges in the country, particularly in Benue, Plateau, Zamfara among others, would be threatening voters.

Also reacting, the party said the directive to security agents was a direct call for jungle justice.

The opposition party, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated that the Presidency and the APC were plotting to trigger widespread political crisis, so as to derail the democratic process and plunge the country into anarchy.

The party noted that President Buhari’s directive “is indeed a license to kill, which should not come from any leader of any civilized nation.”

The opposition party added that it hoped President Buhari’s directive to security agencies is not a camouflage for the fake soldiers allegedly mobilized by the APC to shoot at innocent Nigerians, snatch ballot boxes and execute their rigging plans on the election day.

“President Buhari must however bear in mind that his resort to threats and scaremongering will not deter Nigerians from coming out en-masse to vote him out of office on February 23. ¡¡We are aware that President Buhari, who had earlier boasted that nobody can ‘unseat’ him, is bent on using every dictatorial and tyrannical act to truncate the process of a free, fair and credible election.”

Elections: Allegations of involvement in politics against us baseless – Army

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HE Nigerian Army, on Tuesday, said that the only role it would play in the 2019 general elections was to provide a peaceful atmosphere.

Army said this in a statement signed by Colonel Sagir Musa, the Acting Director Army Public Relations on its website.

Part of the statement read, “Our Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct have not assigned any political role to the Army in this regard. The Army’s involvement starts and ends with the provision of a peaceful and secure environment for the conduct of 2019 General Elections.”

The Army was reacting to an allegation that one of its soldiers was involved in political activities in Rivers State. The Army said the allegation was untrue.

Musa said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to an allegation of involvement of one of its officers in politics in Rivers State which was found to be untrue.

“The Nigerian Army would have ordinarily ignored such baseless insinuations but for the unsuspecting members of the public who may be misled to believe the unsubstantiated allegations of political involvement of a military officer. “The Army has made it sufficiently and consistently clear that none of its personnel will be involved in political campaigns, escort of VIPs for political missions and above all, aiding or supporting any political party as has been circulated in official circulars and statements.

“The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai

has consistently called on soldiers to uphold the tenets of military professionalism and be guided by the rules of Engagement and the constitution of Nigeria toward sustaining a responsive army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.

•Buhari in a meeting with Service Chiefs and Federal Executive Council.

Court verdict: I’m not aware I’ve case in court – Uduaghan

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OLLOWING the recent judgement of a high court that declared the Delta South senatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan’s nomination a nullity, the former governor has disclosed that he was not aware of having a case in court.

Dr. Uduaghan who stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Asaba by his Media Assistant Mr Monoyo Edon, described the judgement as a miscarriage of justice.

The APC senatorial candidate in the forthcoming rescheduled general elections was alarmed thathe nor his party were notified of any judgement, whatsoever.

The statement said, “We wish to clarify that His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, was never aware of the case nor was he

a party to the case and was never joined in the alleged suit. Neither Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan nor his party were informed of such sitting.

“Our attention has been drawn to a High Court Judgment allegedly nullifying the Delta South APC primaries where Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan emerged as the candidate of the party. Like the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo said, “you can’t shave a man’s head in his absence”.

“The court had at no time ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove the name of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan from the list of candidates in the election.

“We wish to state categorically that His Excellency, Dr. Uduaghan remains the candidate of the APC for Delta South and we are confident of winning the election.”

“We were ready two days ago.

I believe those of you who were in Katsina since on Wednesday or Thursday you would have seen that we were more than ready as far as the elections are concerned.” According to the governor, the postponement based on previous experience did not come as surprise to him.

Masari, who expressed serious concern over the postponement of the elections almost at the last hours

by INEC, said “I hope INEC does not develop a culture of shifting dates of elections’’.

He maintained that it would be unfair for anybody or organization to shift the blame of the postponed elections on President Buhari, adding that INEC, an independent body should be held responsible for its action.

He said: “But the fact on ground is that INEC gave assurance and the federal government has given INEC all the resources they required. So, the failure if there is any is their own.

“It has nothing to do or very little to do with the President except that being the President and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces whatever happens under the sun in Nigeria he becomes responsible but not liable.

“If you are looking for somebody who is liable, INEC is liable to convince Nigerians why it shifted the elections because all the political parties are

going to suffer the consequences of INEC’s action. “So, obviously there will be additional cost on the political parties and also on the government.

So, the president cannot deliberately orchestrate this and knowing the kind of president Nigeria has now – he has not even interfered with departments that are directly under him let alone a commission that is independent based on the provision of the constitution.

“He is somebody who believes in the rule of law.’’ On security situation in the state, the governor disclosed that the state government in collaboration with relevant security agencies at both local and state level had succeeded in securing the state from criminals.

He commended the federal government for deploying more security personnel with additional tracking and other security gadgets to locate and apprehend kidnapers and bandits within and beyond the state.

“From the time I cried out to date, one – there has been reinforcement in the police, also the Department of State Services has sent in more tracking devices and more personnel and the military are operating, the air force is in the air always.

“I think there is improvement in terms of the level of security with regards to kidnapping, armed banditry.

“We were very much concerned because we were afraid that it would affect elections in some of the wards that are bordering the forest areas.

Masari to Buhari: Your promised 3m votes intact despite postponed elections

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MINU Masari of Katsina State says the postponed elections will not affect the promise made by Katsina people to deliver three million votes for re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari on Feb. 23.

Governor of Katsina, Aminu Bello Masari re-assured President Buhariduring his visit to Katsina State to commiserate with the people over the recent devastating storms that affected part of the state on 29th June.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Saturday shifted the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections to Feb. 23. The governorship, house of assembly, FCT area council elections were also shifted from March 2 to March 9.

However, Masari told State House correspondents in Katsina that the postponement would not change the position of Katsina people, stressing that the APC Thursday’s rally had clearly indicated that the people would deliver on their three million votes for Buhari/Osinbajo ticket.

He said: “Katsina people are ready; you saw it if you were here on Thursday (rally) you would know Katsina people are ready and prepared for these elections.

“The postponement will not change anything, it will not change the position of Katsina state.

A high court sitting in Abuja had declared the Delta South candidacy of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, a nullity, and ordered a fresh primary.

The court in a suit No. FCT/HC / CV/017/18 filed by a chieftain of the APC, retired Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Terry Okorodudu, ordered the APC to conduct fresh primaries for Delta South Senatorial District to be monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Okorodudu, an APC Delta South Senatorial aspirant in the primary election in Delta State, described the process that led to his and others’ exclusion from the purported APC primary as totally shameful, criminal and abuse of democratic culture.

He informed the court that the decision to clear only Uduaghan for the election and making him a sole candidate and leading to an affirmation and not election, was outrightly fraudulent, saying that no fair opportunity was given to other aspirants.

Code of Conduct Bureau advises public officers to declare assets

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HE Code of Conduct Bureau in Gombe State has advised public servants to declare their assets as part of constitutional requirement.

The Bureau Director in the state, Mr Panyi Baira, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Tuesday.

He said “asset declaration is a constitutional requirement that has to be fulfilled by all government workers from the lowest government employee to the highest office in the country as required by law.

“The law says career civil servants must declare once after each and every four years, but for political office holders, they must declare their assets when they assume office and when they leave, be it elective or appointed.”

According to him, some civil servants, public office holders and other elected officers in the state have responded positively to the provisions of asset declaration not necessary waiting until asked for the nominal role.

The director added that the bureau was constituted to ensure high level of accountability, transparency and high level of morality in government business. The director said that failure to fill the assets declaration form is also an offence.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS

Okowa signs pact with Urhobo traditional rulers From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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elta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has entered into an agreement with the Urhobos for Delta Central Senatorial District to produce the next Governor in 2023 after his eight years tenure.

At a meeting of all the traditional rulers of Urhobo land held at the Palace of the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, HRM Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro, Governor Okowa and former Governor James Ibori stated that the people of Delta North Senatorial District, otherwise known as Anioma should complete two terms of eight years after which, the Urhobos will produce the next Governor in 2023 in line with the rotation principle of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Governor Okowa is seeking re-election as Governor on the platform of the PDP. “Our next Governor will come from Urhobo land after my tenure in the spirit of equity,” Governor Okowa said, asserting, “by the grace of God, I will support the course of the Urhobo land producing the next Governor after me because, God has made it possible that our leader, Chief James Ibori had eight years in office and our brother, Dr Uduaghan also had eight years in office as our Governor and by divine providence, I am the Governor and because of the roles you are playing as respected traditional rulers, the trend should continue.”

The Governor listed his achievements and thanked the traditional rulers for contributing to the success story of his administration through advise and making of their kingdoms peaceful which has translated to a peaceful state, assuring that more projects would be executed in the next four years.

“I am glad that I have the cooperation of Your Royal Majesties; through you, I have the cooperation of your subjects and I want to say thank you; you have always believed in the peace of this state, you have always believed in equity which means you want us to succeed as a people; the level of cooperation has been very high and that has built the confidence of our people; for the unity of our state, we need the cooperation of all our Royal Fathers,” the governor stated.

Chief Ibori had said, “I am accompanying my Governor to pay this courtesy call and thank you visit to the traditional rulers of Urhobo land for allowing us to campaign round Urhobo land; the Urhobos support for Governor Okowa’s re-election should not be taken for granted, let us keep this commitment strongly; we have to support him strongly because, we will need the Anioma support for Urhobos to produce the Governor in the next four years, 2023.”

“Let us support him (Governor Okowa) so that he can mobilise the Anioma people to support us in the next four years, this is important so that we can have a pact that will be actualized in the next four years,” Chief Ibori stated, observing that Governor Okowa has done very well by spreading dividends of democracy across the state and having genuine respect for the traditional rulers.

The traditional rulers prayed for the Governor, asking God to grant his request for second term in office.

They also, prayed for peaceful elections

Enugu Clean Team drums support for Ugwuanyi’s re-election

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ne thousand youths recruited by the Enugu State Government to clean up the state under the Enugu Clean Team Project on Tuesday, celebrated Mass for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s resounding victory at the polls and more successes in his endeavours.

The jubilant members of the team, who declared support for Gov. Ugwuanyi, presented their stance through the Clean Team Project’s coordinator, Rev. Fr. Michael Amobi Ogbu.

They informed the governor that they were impressed with his peace and good governance initiatives, unprecedented achievements in all spheres of development and relentless commitment to employment generation and human empowerment.

Speaking, Fr. Ogbu commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for fulfilling his earlier promise to double the number of the team with an additional 1000, stressing that “it is not easy to absorb 1000 people in our society”.

He disclosed that the exercise has recorded a huge success in the last 8 months in terms of its noble objective of achieving “a cleaner and healthier Enugu State” and “human empowerment”.

The cleric added that the people of Enugu State, irrespective of class and academic qualifications, have appreciated the good work of the team and shown great interest in the project, revealing that “more than 8000 applicants” have so far applied for the second batch of the

recruitment exercise of 1000 members.

Fr. Ogbu thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for appointing him as coordinator of the project and “for giving me the liberty to employ those I feel will work me for efficiency and effective service delivery”.

His words: “Your Excellency, we have prayed for you in this Mass.

This 2019 election, we stand with Gburugburu. This is our own way of saying thank you to you”.

Enugu guber: Enugu bizmen in Onitsha throw weight behind Ayogu Eze

By THEO RAYS

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• Nigeria security chiefs with northern state governors in a meeting with Buhari in Abuja.

Anambra CP urged to investigate attempted murder on two children From OZO RAY, Awka

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he new Commissioner of Police, Anambra State command, Dandaura Mustapha, has been appealed to order for further investigation of the brutal butchering of two children of the Maduka’s of Isiogwugwu village Eziama of Amanuke community in Awka North council area of Anambra state.

The family had petitioned the former Anambra state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Garba Umar who ordered for the arrest of the suspects.

The petition was against some members of the Amanuke Vigilante Group (AVG) for attempted murder, threat to life / threatening violence, assault , grievous wound and conduct likely to cause breach of peace with impunity.

The petition from I.C Machie Esq to the CP accused one Charles Nnanube, Theophilus and their gang of threatening the lives of Mr Maduka Basil Obikwelu and Peace Maduka both of Isiogwugwu village Eziama Amanuke , Awka North local government area of Anambra state.

The petition read in parts: ‘’ We have been briefed and our professional services retained by Mr Madu-

ka Basil Obikwelu and Peace Maduka of Isiogwugwu Village Eziama , Amanuke, Awka North local government area of Anambra state whom we shall hereinafter be referred to as ‘’Our Clients’’ on their definite instruction we now write as follows. ‘’Sir, our clients have not known peace in the hands of the above named suspects who conspired and levied war on our clients for reason best known to them. ‘’ Sir, the suspects Charles Nnanwube, Theophilus and their gang in gestapo style met one of the our clients Basil and started assaulting him with weapons such as machete and rods.

As he was pleading with them for reason behind the ugly act, one of the suspects who was boasting that he is an AVG member ran home and came with a Pump Action and as he was about to shoot on our client Maduka , our client then ran away as he narrowly escaped death in their hands. ‘’Sir, after dispossessing Basil of his two phones by stealing same, they told him that he may run but cannot hide. The suspects then rushed the sister , our second client Peace and started beating her as she sustained

wounds in the hands of the suspects also. ‘’Sir, both our clients were beaten to coma. All pleas from our clients to the suspects for the reason behind the ugly act fell on deaf ears. They threatened that they must wipe away clients’ family.

That eliminating the family and killing them all is an assignment they must do without any plea. ‘’ Our clients are now hospitalized with various degrees of injuries.

They are still looking for them to be eliminated.

The petition concluded: ‘’ Sir , as a law enforcement officer of the state with regards to the security of life and property, may you be pleased to use your good offices in calling the suspects to order and bring them to justice speedily and unravel the secrete behind the ugly acts to avoid breakdown of law and order.

Nobody is above the law, hence this petition to your office. ‘’Thanks for your anticipated cooperation in matters of this kind as our client will avail your men with all relevant facts , evidence and logistics that will aid their investigation’’.

pparently angered by the judgement of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja against the candidacy of Senator Ayogu Eze in the forthcoming governorship election the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, a team of businessmen from various parts of the Coal City State based in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State have thrown their weight behind Senator Eze saying they have decided to join him to fight the good cause he has for the State.

The businessmen who converged under the aegis of Ayogu Eze Support Team Onitsha branch vowed to queue behind Eze to the best of their abilities to ensure that his vision to transform Enugu State becomes a reality, pointing out that the twoterm Senator and ex-chairman of Senate Committee on Information and Works is not just well groomed for the Enugu top seat at the Lion Building but is also needed to salvage the State consequent upon the alleged failure of the incumbent administration to live up to the expectations of the people.

Speaking during their meeting at Ochanja Market Hall coordinator and spokesman of the group Chief Peter Ugwuonu said that the attention of the group has been drawn to the condemnable ‘kangaroo’ judgment against Eze by a Federal High Court wondering why APC should nominate an unknown person as its candidate against a ranking Senator who is popular and acceptable enough to defeat the incumbent governor who is believed to have failed to live up the expectations of people of the State .

According Chief Ugwonu: “Ayogu Eze enlivened APC in Enugu and raised the hope of winning the governorship race for the party, so APC couldn’t have nominated an unknown person who has no political experience at any level as its governorship candidate when the party has an experienced, popular and generally acceptable person of high political caliber who rose from the State to the National level, having served as SA to the governor, Commissioner and a Senator of the Federal Republic. So, what we are saying is that the Federal High Court judgement is faulty and unacceptable.”

The businessman assured Eze that the team is ready to mobilize support for his election bid because he is ripe enough for the job at the Lion Building, adding that they will go home and embark on grassroots mobilization in their wards and villages respectively to aid the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari on February 16, and Eze’s victory during the governorship poll on March 2.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS 2019: Community leader drums support for Buhari in Anambra

By THEO RAYS

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community leader and millionaire businessman in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government, Anambra State, Chief Alex Omezie Chukwura alias Governor has called on the people of the southeast to identify with President Muhammadu Buhari at the polls on Saturday as, according to him, Buhari who is the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) has the brighter chances of winning the Presidential election on Saturday ahead of his opponent Speaking to The Oracle Today at his country home in Obosi, Chukwura observed that Nigerians in the North and South will massively vote for Buhari because they still like him and thus want him to remain in office for another four years to complete his second tenure noting that the popularity that earned him victory in 2015 against a sitting President has not changed.

“Nigerians from North and South still like Buhari and i can observe that like they did in 2015 voting for him against a sitting President, they

are still going to vote for him, so I don’t see the chances of the opposition party the People’s Democratic Party (PDP upturning the likeness of the people in favor of the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the polls on Saturday,” he added He argued that Buhari has done well enough in the areas of fight against corruption, agriculture and delivery of road and rail infrastructure both in the north and south including the Second Niger bridge project among other things, maintaining that the incumbent President is popular and acceptable enough to win the presidential polls.

The businessman, therefore, called on the people of the South East geopolitical zone to vote for Buhari on Saturday and avoid missing out of the bandwagon, insisting that the situation of things ahead of the polls on Saturday clearly indicate that the election pendulum is going to swing in favor of the former military Head of State and the candidate of APC, President Buhari.

• Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (right) receiving an artwork gift from the Coordinator, Enugu Clean Team Project, Rev. Fr. Michael Amobi Ogbu (left), when 1000 members of the team endorsed the governor’s re-election and celebrated Mass for his victory at the polls, at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu, yesterday. With them are Supervisors of the Clean Team Project.

Maduka’s family appeals to police to 2019: Community leader drums investigate brutalization of children support for Buhari in Anambra

By THEO RAYS

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community leader and millionaire businessman in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government, Anambra State, Chief Alex Omezie Chukwura alias Governor has called on the people of the southeast to identify with President Muhammadu Buhari at the polls on Saturday as, according to him, Buhari who is the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) has the brighter chances of winning the Presidential election on Saturday ahead of his opponent Speaking to The Oracle Today at his country home in Obosi, Chukwura observed that Nigerians in the North and South will massively vote for Buhari because they still like him and thus want him to remain in office for another four years to complete his second tenure noting that the popularity that earned him victory in 2015 against a sitting President has not changed.

“Nigerians from North and South still like Buhari and i can observe that like they did in 2015 voting for him against a sitting President, they

are still going to vote for him, so I don’t see the chances of the opposition party the People’s Democratic Party (PDP upturning the likeness of the people in favor of the candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the polls on Saturday,” he added He argued that Buhari has done well enough in the areas of fight against corruption, agriculture and delivery of road and rail infrastructure both in the north and south including the Second Niger bridge project among other things, maintaining that the incumbent President is popular and acceptable enough to win the presidential polls.

The businessman, therefore, called on the people of the South East geopolitical zone to vote for Buhari on Saturday and avoid missing out of the bandwagon, insisting that the situation of things ahead of the polls on Saturday clearly indicate that the election pendulum is going to swing in favor of the former military Head of State and the candidate of APC, President Buhari.

Mother, child in police net for stealing a baby From PAMELA EBOH, Awka

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2-year old Ngozi Ede and her daughter Kosiso Ede aged 17 years of No 4 Ukaegbu Junction, Awada, Onitsha in Anambra State have been arrested by police detectives attached to Awada Division for alleged child stealing.

Information has it that the suspects had conspired and stolen one Mesoma Ikoko, aged four years from the custody of her Mother, Nneka Ikoko ‘of Mammy market, Army Barracks, Onitsha.

According to a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer,

SP Haruna Mohammed, preliminary investigation led to the arrest of one Ifeoma Okeke, aged 45 years who allegedly collected the child from the suspects and handed him over to Ifeoma Okonkwo of Eke Nkpor.

While saying that the sum of #250,000 suspected to be part of the proceeds of the illicit transaction was recovered from the suspects as exhibit, Mohammed said the stolen baby has been recovered in good condition and handed over to her mother.

He said the case was under investigation after which suspects would be charged to court for prosecution.

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he new Commissioner of Police, Anambra State command, Dandaura Mustapha, has been appealed to order for further investigation of the brutal butchering of two children of the Maduka’s of Isiogwugwu village Eziama of Amanuke community in Awka North council area of Anambra state.

The family had petitioned the former Anambra state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Garba Umar who ordered for the arrest of the suspects.

The petition was against some members of the Amanuke Vigilante Group (AVG) for attempted murder, threat to life / threatening violence, assault , grievous wound and conduct likely to cause breach of peace with impunity.

The petition from I.C Machie Esq to the CP accused one Charles Nnanube, Theophilus and their gang of threatening the lives of Mr Maduka Basil Obikwelu and Peace Maduka both of Isiogwugwu village Eziama Amanuke , Awka North local government area of Anambra state.

The petition read in parts: ‘’ We have been briefed and our professional services retained by Mr Maduka Basil Obikwelu and Peace Madu-

ka of Isiogwugwu Village Eziama , Amanuke, Awka North local government area of Anambra state whom we shall hereinafter be referred to as ‘’Our Clients’’ on their definite instruction we now write as follows. ‘’Sir, our clients have not known peace in the hands of the above named suspects who conspired and levied war on our clients for reason best known to them. ‘’ Sir, the suspects Charles Nnanwube, Theophilus and their gang in gestapo style met one of the our clients Basil and started assaulting him with weapons such as machete and rods. As he was pleading with them for reason behind the ugly act, one of the suspects who was boasting that he is an AVG member ran home and came with a Pump Action and as he was about to shoot on our client Maduka , our client then ran away as he nearly escaped death in their hands. ‘’Sir, after dispossessing Basil of his two phones by stealing same, they told him that he may run but cannot hide. The suspects then rushed the sister , our second client Peace and started beating her as she sustained wounds in the hands of the suspects

also. ‘’Sir, both our clients were beaten to coma. All pleas from our clients to the suspects for the reason behind the ugly act fell on deaf ears. They threatened that they must wipe away clients’ family. That eliminating the family and killing them all is an assignment they must do without any plea. ‘’ Our clients are now hospitalized with various degrees of injuries.

They are still looking for them to be eliminated.

The petition concluded: ‘’ Sir , as a law enforcement officer of the state with regards to the security of life and property, may you be pleased to use your good offices in calling the suspects to order and bring them to justice speedily and unravel the secrete behind the ugly acts to avoid breakdown of law and order.

Nobody is above the law, hence this petition to your office. ‘’Thanks for your anticipated cooperation in matters of this kind as our client will avail your men with all relevant facts , evidence and logistics that will aid their investigation’’.

By IBE NWACHUKWU

While issuing this bill, EEDC disconnected the power in the village and insisted that until they pay this amount, their electricity would not longer be restored.

But in a press statement issued shortly after the disconnection, Ezeonwuka who described the bill as simply scandalous and fraudulent, said he would soon drag EEDC to court for wrongful disconnection because the village has a pre-paid meter which they recharge as much as they could for the electricity consumption on weekly or monthly intervals, adding that even as at the disconnection time, the village still had a credit in its recharge card.

He therefore urged Sir Emeka Offor, Chairman of EEDC to set up a customer/relations office to investi-

gate the actual energy consumption of consumers before they ruin EEDC an bring it o disrepute.

He lamented that the village has encountered so much losses since the disconnection saga as many animals inside Rojenny zoo on incubators and preservatives are dying in their numbers as a result of lack of electricity to power the incubators and water pumps within the zoo.

He argued that the hotel inside the village is not as viable as conventional hotels in town as according to him, it is only when football players or athletes are playing inside Rojenny sports stadium that they lodge inside the hotels and make use of the airconditioners therein that can consume electricity.

Electricity consumer gives EEDC 7-day ultimatum to reconnect disconnected line

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he proprietor of Rojenny Games Village, Oba, Anambra state, chief Rommy Ezeonwuka has given the management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) a seven-day ultimatum to restore the electricity supply in the village or be prepared to face a legal action arising from the disconnection of their electricity line for falsely claiming that they were owing about N4 million electricity bill.

EEDC had issued the village with a total bill of N3,952,548.65. Out of this amount, EEDC is claiming N2,820,052.13 as loss of revenue, N1,124,996.52 as reconnection fee and N7,500.00 as administrative charge.

POLITICS

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

What’s your reaction to the last minute postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections a few hours to the polls?

The last minute postponement of the elections without even the courtesy of informing Nigerians two or three days to the time, but to take people unawares is unheard of.

People woke up preparing to vote only to hear that they will no longer vote. This is utter disrespect for Nigerians, and it shows INEC’s incompetence occasioned by performance failure. This calls for a consequence! The Chairman of INEC should resign! In a civilized country, this cannot happen. This country has become a banana republic, and we must stop this slide that may lead us into anarchy. How can this kind of thing happen? N640 billion was budgeted for this election. INEC had four years to prepare for this election. This is why we need a new order and new forms of doing things in this country. INEC has shown that institutions in the country are unable to perform.

The Commission never does anything within time frames. This is one of the major causes of corruption in the country. I am sad! Look at the corps members across the country, who were transported to help conduct the polls. Many of them were stranded.

Most of them slept on bare floors in open places all over the country, while INEC officials are sitting in the comfort of their offices earning salaries.

For me, I don’t think INEC is ready for the election. The Commission can only be seen to be ready when this election is conducted.

INEC can only be accessed at the point of performance, and that is for them to conduct the elections.

God has chosen Atiku ‘Billions of Naira over Buhari was lost by Nigeria following –Prophet Udoka postponement of Pg 10

INEC has shown that our institutions can’t perform –Moghalu

In gunning for the seat of the President, did you consider your platform and your place of origin, the South East?

In the South East, there are 10 million registered voters. About 9 million Igbo registered in the Northern part of the country, and, in the South West, a minimum of 7 million Igbo registered. That is about 25 million Igbo voters. This tells you that the myth that the South East is a minority in this country is a joke. There are those of them from the South East, who do not realize that the South East, as a political voting bloc, can make or mar any presidential candidate in this election. Why then do people in the South East feel as if they were politically inferior in Nigeria. This is because the political elite of the Igbos are inflicted with slave mentality. Many Igbo politicians have the mentality of slaves! They have lost their confidence.

They are filled with inferiority complex.

They feel that they have to be followers in

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creasing, population is rising. The truth is that our future is headed into a nasty crash if any of these two political parties continues to lead Nigeria. I am also running for president because I discovered that my being a technocrat is not enough to transform Nigeria. The only people who can transform Nigeria are the political leadership, who have the legitimacy of elected authority. But it is unfortunate that the politicians we are electing are not leaders and they are in politics just because of their stomach. Politics to them is the biggest business in Nigeria today and that is why majority of the politicians are in politics and not for the people.

If we had a competent leader who has political authority, then, when you combine it working with the people, it brings results.

This country can be transformed to be like Malaysia, China, Singapore and Brazil. These people don’t have two heads.

The only thing that is making us incompetent is the type of leaders we have; as well as the mental poverty of the leaders we have leading us today as represented by PDP and APC. We are 20 years in democracy in Nigeria, and all we have achieved is to have become the poverty capital of the world. All we have achieved is that we have not moved beyond 4,000 mega watts of electricity.

Why should we reward the people who are responsible for the nasty state of life in Nigeria today with another term of office?

What is the spread of your party in Nigeria?

YPP enjoys presence in all the states and the federal capital territory. It has over 300 candidates on the ballot. 22 candidates for senate, 16 candidates for governor, 55 candidates for House of Reps and over 200 candidates for state assemblies, in addition to myself, the presidential candidate.

The PDP has alleged that the Presidency under the APC wants to rig the election. As a stakeholder in the process, do you have any information on that?

I don’t know where they got the information. But I know and believe that the APC is adopting desperate measures to retain power against the wish of Nigerians. The APC is aware that the people of Nigeria are going to vote it out of power; but even this desperate delay will not save the party.

A brand new party will win the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria, because people are already tired of APC and PDP. It is clear to everyone that these two political parties cannot manage an institution to conduct elections successfully; so, it’s high time we made away with them.

Can you say that your recent endorsement by the Noble Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka would have an effect on your bid to become the next President of Nigeria?

The fact that Professor Wole Soyinka endorsed me for the presidency is historic. It is a unique and powerful endorsement coming from a personality whose place in the world and Nigeria is revered. I am humbled by that endorsement.

presidential election’

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How could you rate the APC government in power?

I am a professor and I grade according to performance. I grade APC ‘F’. There is no redeeming feature. APC does not have a ‘D’ or a ‘C’. Why is it an ‘F,’ because of the core questions people set for them. They failed exams people set for them. They failed in fight against corruption, security and economy. These were the three promises they made and people voted for them with an exam on these three things and each one of them is a failure. Nigeria is more insecure today than it was when President Buhari came into power, in 2015. Boko Haram is raging, kidnapping is on the rise, including across President Buhari’s home state of Kastina.

Poverty is at its all time high as people are in extreme poverty. Why would one know all these and still go for the PDP or APC?

•Moghalu order to survive. Prof. Moghalu does not have political inferiority complex. I am a citizen of Nigeria, entitled to run for the presidency of Nigeria. I don’t believe that somebody should wait for a particular time to run for president. Every Nigerian has a constitutional right to seek the presidency, if such person is qualified.

people because you think they can win but you know they cannot deliver. Vote for the person who has a global experience and has worked to improve other economics. Vote for the person that will provide electricity, schools, hospitals and jobs. Vote in a candidate with open doors to the many problems of the Nigerian economy.

How do you see the suspension of election boycott by Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB? I have always felt that the boycott of election by any group of Nigerians will not be in the interest of the country, and also will not be in the interest of the youths. If you don’t participate in the electoral process, people you do not like will continue to rule over you with impunity against your wish. I am happy that Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB finally came to the realization that the boycott was just inflicting self-damage. I urge voters in the South East and in Nigeria to come out massively and vote for the best candidate, who will take Nigeria to the Promised Land. I am not running to be Vice President because people of the South East are not born to be attached as second-class citizens in this country. We should not continue fooling ourselves. Let Nigerians vote for a Nigerian who can do the job. Do not vote for

You left the banking industry to join politics. Can we really know what motivated you to delve into politics after giving your best in the public sector Well, of course, you know I served a term of office of five years as deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Before then, most of my career was in the United Nations where I served for 17 years. After my time at the Central Bank of Nigeria, I became a distinguished Professor of practice in International Business and Economic Policy at the Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA. I came back in 2017 and set up my Think Tank, The Institute for Governance And Economic Transformation (IGET). In February last year, I launched my bid for presidency because I felt that the old and recycled politicians as represented by the PDP and APC cannot take Nigeria into the future.

Poverty is increasing, unemployment is in-

What was your legacy at the CBN? At the CBN, I led massive reforms of the financial system. We made sure that no bank failed. We reformed the structure. We created new banking model, which created room for banks to be stable. We established the global banks, a national bank and a regional bank, so that it is easier to access finance. I led a lot of activities in development finance that provided single interest loans to many businesses in the country. As deputy governor of CBN, operations, I led the reforms in the payment system that introduced the BVN, because we were frustrated that the national identity management system was not moving at the pace it should be moving; so, we decided to do something through the introduction of the BVN, which is under our regulatory control. I made sure no bank in Nigeria failed. I made sure no depositor lost a kobo after the 2008 global world financial crisis, compared to that with the failed bank system of the 90s where people lost billions of naira in our banks. My record at the CBN was a record of success and if I could do that at the CBN, imagine me as the President. It is on record that I am the first Presidential Candidate to have nominated a woman as vice president. By God’s grace we will be the first presidency to give women a proper platform in Nigeria.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

INTERVIEW When did you discover that you have the grace of foreseeing what is about to happen?

To the glory of God it has been there from my childhood. But at times, we Igbo are more after money. However, as time went by, I discovered that most of what God tells me happens that way, although I was not opportune to let people know being that I am not under any ministry. I used to share my revelations with friends and at times on the pages of newspapers. However, I am not happy that at times I am unable to share these revelations because of my business.

What was the first thing God showed you that happened?

They are uncountable. Many of what God showed me were connected to instant miracles. While I was still very tender, God would show me someone that was critically ill and on my way I would meet that person and because God had already shown me the person, I would have the passion to lay my hands upon that person and when I laid my hands, God would show Himself mightily. So, it is not a question of whether I was a pastor or a reverend; it’s was just grace. It is true that I was born in a Christian family and was committed in Anglican children ministry. I moved from there to Scripture Union while I was in secondary school and then to EFAC. Then I was seeing those miracles, but I did not have someone to carry me along. So, I discovered a special grace from God but I was deterred by money. I was more concerned with making money like others. But, when God shows you something and you hide it and it finally comes to pass, you feel bad because you know that God showed you those things to share to the people and prepare them for the eventuality. As time went on when I started making some money, I decided to start disseminating the message God gave me this way because I know that whatever God says remains like that. So far I have talked about what God revealed to me, none of them has ever failed to come to pass.

You said that God showed you the outcome of the presidential elections. What transpired exactly?

Well, I was not really interested in the politics of the United States and I did not even know that they were holding general elections. When I was having a quiet time, I saw myself in the United States of America. I saw a celebration. I was wondering what was happening and what I was doing there. And I was told that I was in the United States and that the celebration was for someone Obama was against that won the election. They did not call any name but the only thing I captured was that it was the person Obama was against that won the election. When I awoke, I started asking my brothers and friends if any election was coming up. As God may have it, they told me that US was preparing for election.

I then related to them what I saw about the outcome. The journalists that I told about it then told me that Trump was the one Obama was against and that the election was going to hold in six months time. I did not remember about the revelation again until about two days before the election when some persons I shared the revelation with called me on phone. They told me that my prophecy was a lie and that Clinton was winning the election but I stood my ground and repeated what God had told me. Finally, the election was concluded and Donald Trump was announced the winner.

So, there have been so many situations like this in the past.

You also gave some details on the outcome of 2017 Anambra State gubernatorial election. Can you tell us about it?

Yes, I gave details of the Anambra gubernatorial election. Unlike other prophets who just prophesied who would win the election, I went ahead to say who would come second and third. I said that the election was going to be between Igbo party and Hausa party. When I was asked which

God has chosen Atiku over Buhari –Prophet Udoka Prophet Okechukwu Daniel Udoka is not a regular Christian given the grace he claims to have to foresee events before they occur especially those events that affect the political life of the people and the world. In this exclusive interview with OZO RAY in Awka, he details the revelations he purportedly received from God concerning the United States, the most influential country in the world and the political affairs of Nigeria, the largest black country in the world especially as it concerns the general elections. Excerpts that the election would not favour him. I said that I saw a conflict but that I was not going to go into details. This was in 2017.

The general elections are around the corner already, so would you mind giving the details you saw about its outcome?

In details, God has chosen Atiku Abubakar as the next president of Nigeria. Whatsoever any human being is doing on earth cannot stop it. I had said in 2017 that an unexpected man would take the seat in 2017.

Now, the man is around the corner, which is Atiku. I congratulate Atiku, the former Vice President and his running mate Mr Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State. I envy them. I wish I am Mr Peter Obi and I ask him to remember me in his paradise. I had hinted on this in 2017. The prayers of the common man in Nigeria have been answered in Atiku. Atiku is not the messiah but he would be the starting point of the salvation of Nigeria. The messiah is coming but Atiku’s regime will be far better than four past regimes put together. I saw a plane crash of an official jet and another aircraft and men in agbada falling from them. God told me that any man that would want to stop Atiku from entering will go down and might not witness Atiku’s celebration of victory.

There are fears that there would be violence during the election. What are you seeing?

We have prayed against violence during the elections. I talked about conflict earlier but I know that God has taken control.

When the election was going on, it was not favouring APC. I saw a different thing altogether. It was not free and fair. But children of God have prayed against that. I am not a full-time minister but God has shown me so much love and grace. Even this morning God was telling me something but I was busy making calls for business. It is just that I am disturbed in the spirit and that is why I have to speak up what the mind of God is from time to time.

•Prophet Udoka was Igbo party and which was Hausa party, I said that the Igbo party, APGA would take the first position and Hausa party, APC, would take the second position. I also said that the PDP would take the third position.

I said that if PDP took the second position, it means I did not see anything. I told them that I saw the grace that put Obiano there the first time returning him there whether he spends money or not. I also said overtaking is allowed. Why I said overtaking is allowed was because of the possibility of APC rigging the election. I said that Obiano

should not abuse the grace God has given him.

What did God tell you about the state of Buhari: Is he being impersonated? Is he dead?

Well, I remember I prophesied about the death of Buhari in 2017 when I told the press that Buhari was alive and that heaven even said that Buhari would witness the 2019 election. I said that 2017 that if Buhari died before the 2019 elections, let me be pronounced a fake prophet. I said that Buhari would live to witness the 2019 election but

In conclusion, what are you telling Nigerians?

My message to Nigerians is to go out and obey the mind of God. He has chosen Atiku. He has even said that nothing will stop Atiku. Even if they plan negatively, God will thwart their plans. Even if we are 100 in Nigeria and 10 decide to cast their vote, a greater percentage will vote for Atiku.

Whether we vote or not, Atiku will definitely win. Concerning Buhari, I have been praying for his health. If Buhari will test my anointing, let him call me. If he obeys God, that illness that has been taking him billions of naira, in 24 hours, the angels of the God, Allah, will perform a perfect miraculous healing on him. He just let the election go and he will receive instant miracle. He will bounce like a new born baby. I remember I was the only prophet that said Buhari was still alive in 2017 and that he will see the 2019 elections. If he obeys God, after the election, he should invite me, and if he does not get instant miracle, sound health and enjoy his old age, he should jail me for life. He will witness the power of God as of old. I love you, Buhari.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

POLITICS

University Don says billions of Naira was lost by Nigeria following postponement of presidential election • CLO demands sack of national chairman of INEC • Mahmud Yakubu is incompetent, says Labour Party House of Representatives candidate •Nigerian Army: Anyone wearing military camouflage is a miscreant, should be arrested From NATH OMAME, Jr, Port Harcourt

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professor of economics and director of University of Port Harcourt Business School, Okey Onochukwu has said the postponement of the presidential election is a huge loss to the economy.

“In terms of the economic loss, there is a whole huge loss to the economy. If you check, most of the governors declared public holiday, on Friday, February 15, so, there is a huge loss to the economy. A huge loss in manpower production: some state government organizations did not work; some banks and private companies didn’t work.

So, if you calculate that manpower loss, it will run into billions of Naira,” he said.

Prof. Onochukwu stressed: “INEC said it was fully mobilised for the election. So, all those are losses, because next Saturday, INEC will, again, mobilise its officials for the election and dispense funds.”

The university don also spoke about the social implications of the postponement of the presidential election. “On individual level, too, Nigerians have lost. Many Nigerians travel far and wide to vote. And you know how difficult things are now. Some people have fixed their wedding for next Saturday, now that the election has been shifted to next Saturday, what will happen to their wedding arrangements?” he queried.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Rivers State branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Sontoye George, has asked the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, to resign for postponing the presidential election, on Saturday, February 16, about six hours to its official commencement.

“From the civil Organisation perspective, we see the postponement as a national disaster. How could the national chairman of INEC postpone the presidential election, barely six hours to when voting was to commence a broadcast was made postponing the election. It is a national disgrace.

The national chairman of INEC should be sacked,” he said.

“We are calling on Nigerians to be patient and remain steadfast in their resolve to participate in the election. We also call on the people of Rivers State not to be deterred.

They should be patient with the federal government. They should mobilise and go back to their wards and units to fully participate in the election, next week.”

In Rivers State, the electorate was ready to participate in the presidential election while security agencies in the state were also ready to offer security coverage for INEC personnel and materials as well as provide expansive security protection through frequent patrols to be complemented by checkpoints, to ensure that the election was peaceful.

Commissioner of Police, Usman Bello had told journalists that the Rivers State Police Command would deploy 15, 544 Policemen and women for the presidential election.

He declared that there would be total restriction on persons and vehicular movements on the roads and waterway in the state from 12 midnight Friday, February 15 to 4.pm, Saturday, February 16, when the presidential election was expected to have come to and end.

The Commissioner of Police also stated

•Okey Onochukwu that the Police, working in conjunction with other sister security agencies will block all entry and exit points in the state. And that all Very Important Persons (VIP’s) or politicians will not be allowed to go to polling units with their armed security details or orderlies who are armed.

Bello also stated that no political party, groups or locals will be allowed to erect tents or canopies close to any polling unit; T-shirts and Face-caps bearing party symbols were also prohibited close to any pooling unit.

He emphasised that offenders would be prosecuted.

Only tents belonging to INEC would be allowed to give INEC staff on duty the much required shed to do their duties, essentially when the election is held outside secondary and primary schools. Food vendors and pure water sellers are to do their businesses at least, 500 meters from the polling unit.

Still on security deployment for the postponed presidential election, the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, NCDC, said it deployed over 5, 011 of its personnel on land and the waterways to ensure adequate security for the election.

Rivers State Sector Commander, Mohammed Haruna, told journalists that NCDC personnel will be deployed on Friday evening, in preparation for the presidential election which was later postponed by the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, in an emergency news conference, at 2.15 am, on Saturday, February 16.

“We are fully prepared. We are working in conjunction with other security agencies, especially the Police. Those of our personnel on motorized patrol are already on patrol in the local governments. We have deployed boats to the riverine communities. We are synergising with other security agencies.”

The Nigeria Army, 6 Division, Rivers State, was also fully mobilised for the presidential election. Briefing journalists on its preparedness to provide security for the election, Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Col Aminu Illiasu, stated that no soldier will escort politician, civilian to polling unit on election day.

Anyone wearing military fatigue at The Nigerian Army has declared that no soldier will escort a politician or civilian to a polling unit on election day. It further stated that anyone wearing a military camouflage at a polling unit on election day is a miscreant.

“Anyone seen wearing a military camouflage at a polling unit on election day is a miscreant and will be arrested. No soldier of the Nigeria Army will be seen escorting a politician, civilian or seen at a polling unit on election day. And this is official.”

The Director of Any Public Relations, Col. Aminu Illiasu, who briefed journalists, at the Headquarters of the 6, Division Nigerian, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, asked “anyone with useful information about security breach to call 09027771482, immediately.”

He emphasised: “We also wish to this medium to warn all would-be makers before, during and after elections to have a change of mind and action as our troops will not tolerate any act by any to truncate the electoral process.”

“It has also come to our notice that some sponsored miscreants are planning to to use military-like fatigue dress pretending to be troops of the Nigerian Army to perpetuate carnage at polling centres; the plan has failed as no soldier is allowed to be seen in a polling unit is an imposter and should be treated as such.”

The deputy director of Army Public Relations assured: “To the teeming law abiding citizens, we wish to reassure you of our resolve to provide safe and conducive atmosphere in conjunction with other security agencies to enable you exercise your franchise without fear of molestation.”

“In line with our constitution mandate, 6 Division Nigerian Army which covers Always Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State has concluded all necessary arrangements to aid civil authorities in the smooth and peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections.”

Illiasu stressed: “The General Officer Commanding (GOC)/ Land Component Commander (LLC) JTF OPDS, Maj General Jamil Sarham, wishes to reaffirm the neutrality of

the troops and to continue to remain apolitical as they conduct their assigned duties professional.”

He ensured that the GOC has directed the troops to always conform with the Rules of Engagement (ROE) and strongly warned them to desist from fraternising with political parties or figures as defaulters will be severely dealt with.

Meanwhile, the 6 Division in conjunction with other security agencies in Rivers State will jointly conduct a confidence building patrol with Port Harcourt metropolis, on Thursday, February 14, by 8.am.

According to the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, “the exercise is aimed at sensitising and reassuring the general public of the unalloyed resolve of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to work in synergy in the discharge of their constitutional mandates of protecting lives and property, eliminating all forms of criminality in the society and ensuring a conducive environment for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.”

So, on Friday night, the presence of security vehicles along the major roads in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was heavy. So, too, was the presence of military, Police and NCDC personnel and operational vehicles.

With the postponement of the presidential election by INEC, the deployment of security personnel, including operational vehicles and boats, including money expended for fuel and other logistics have come to naught.

These huge deployment of men, vehicles and boats will be repeated on Friday, February 24, since all the strategic planning and deployments, on Friday, February 15, on the eve of the presidential election, postponed

by INEC, at about 2.15 am, on Saturday, February 16, will have to be repeated again, at additional cost to the security agencies, and by extension, the Nigerian state.

All commercial transport companies operating in the state closed shop, on Saturday, February 16. Most shops owners closed their shops at about 5. pm. Most traders with stalls in the major markets in the state, locked up their stalls at about 5. pm, to enable them get to their houses before 7. pm, or, thereabout.

Most eateries, bars and restaurants closed their doors to their customers at about 9.pm. By 10. 30 pm, Friday, February 15, Port Harcourt was like a sprawling deserted town. Most residents were indoors.

And roadside bars and restaurants that regale their customers with loud Nigerian and African hip-hop artists, had all closed shop before 10. pm.

Speaking on the sudden cancellation of the presidential election b INEC, labour party candidate for the House of Representatives, Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, Ibiyen Pepple, condemned INEC for the sudden postponement of the presidential election, barely six hours to the commencement of the voting.

He lamented: “How can you postpone an election on an election morning? It is only in Nigeria that such a thing can happen. Political Parties have mobilised their supporters across the country and spent a lot of money. It shows that the leadership of INEC under Prof Mahmud Yakubu is incompetent.”

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS FEATURE Kola nut war: Umueri bombs Aguleri-Otu again

The kola nut war between the traditional ruler of Umueri kingdom His Royal Majesty Igwe (Sir) Ben Izuchukwu Emeka and that of Npkunando Aguleri-Otu His Royal Highness Igwe Alex Edozieuno both of Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State still rages, reports OZO RAY reports.

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pparently, piqued by what he saw as unwarranted interference from the traditional ruler of Aguleri-Out, His Royal Majesty Igwe (Sir) Ben Izuchukwu Emeka declared that his kingdom, Umueri has no business with HRH Igwe Alex Edozieuno neither does Edozieuno have any business whatsoever with Umueri community; that judging from his social standing as the traditional ruler of a full-fledged community, he Igwe Emeka has absolutely no reason to bandy words with a monarch of an autonomous community.

Igwe Emeka whose position was contained in a letter titled “Re-One Year Suspension of Umueri Traditional Ruler From The Meetings Of AnambraEast Traditional Rulers’ Council,” which was made available to journalists in the state, maintained that the traditional ruler of Nkpunando Aguleri-Otu was neck-deep in malevolent tendencies evident in the way and manner he ran the affairs of the traditional institution in Anambra-East as the helmsman. The Umueri traditional ruler, however, admonished his colleague whom he described as an imperialist to desist from exporting restiveness to other communities but concentrate on administering his volatile Nkpunando Aguleri-Otu community as his subjects in Umueri are peace-loving people who have maintained healthy bilateral relations with other surrounding communities The kola nut tussle between the traditional rulers began when the chairman of the council of traditional rulers of Anambra East who also doubled as Igwe Nkpunando Aguleri-Otu community attempted to usurp the traditional right of breaking the kola nut at an event taking place at Otuocha Township Stadium said to be the domain of His Royal Majesty Igwe Sir Ben Izuchukwu Emeka of Umueri kingdom. That episode culminated in a plethora of media reports where Umueri monarch was said to have been suspended from the gatherings of traditional rulers in Anambra East by his Igwe Alex Edozieuno for refusing to be intimidated and deprived of his ancestral right of performing kola nut ceremonies in his own land where he is the custodian of the culture, tradition as well as the ancestral heritage of his community. His resistance to what would have been tantamount to a royal public disgrace and embarrassment resulted in an arbitrary dismissal, which Umueri people have described as frivolous and laughable!

The letter read in part: “On your assertion that Igwe Benneth Emeka grabbed kola nuts from the hands of Chief Anthony Oli SSA to Governor Willie Obiano, we wish to state that we take serious exception to such insults to Igwe Emeka. Igwe Benneth Emeka has been a man of high-level integrity and a gentleman per excellence. It is totally unacceptable to the traditional institution of Umueri that his person be debased in such untoward manner.

Igwe Benneth Emeka only did the reasonable thing a man of integrity should

• His Royal Highness Igwe Alex Edozieuno

do when supposedly wise but regrettably dubious traditional leaders set out to distort culture, tradition and history just to suit their dubious intents. One of the commonest traditional practices surrounding the breaking of kola nuts is the fact that it is the man of the house that breaks the kola nut in his domain.”

Furthermore, it disclosed that “that the government, church or other institution is in possession of a portion of land does not deprive the traditional owner his right to break kola nuts.”

“We are convinced that this fact is very clear to you at least in your capacity as a traditional ruler but you chose to distort this age-long tradition for reasons you have started exhibiting in your letter,” the letter further read.

“May we notify you that Igwe Benneth Emeka breached no known traditional or customary practice rather it was you who maliciously usurped his position and supplanted another in his stead.

We see your so-called suspension of

Igwe Benneth Emeka as a sheer brazen daylight palace coup.”

To this end, therefore, Umueri community through the epistle informed Igwe Alex Edozieuno that the aforementioned ban on Igwe Benneth Emeka was of no consequence since he does not possess the locus standi to suspend any traditional ruler.

Harping on the age of Igwe Benneth Emeka on the traditional stool of Umueri kingdom, the letter revealed that “it is stunning that such shallow reasoning is coming from the hallowed quarters of the traditional ruler of Nkpunando Aguleri-Otu Igwe Alex Edozieuno; that the young age of the traditional ruler of Umueri does not translate to the loss of his rights as the monarch in his community.

The traditional ruler of Mkpunando Aguleri-Otu community Igwe Alex Edozieuno was also reminded that the property known as Anambra-East Local Government Secretariat was built

upon the land which Umueri donated to the Anambra State Government stressing that Aguleri-Uno, EnuguAguleri, Eziagulu-Otu and MkpunandoOtu were all villages in the town known to the rest of Anambra and the rest of the world as Aguleri. That the fact that accessibility to government warranted cosmetic divisions for administrative purposes shall not be thwarted into a historical fact. He said it is crystal clear that there was only one Aguleri in 1972 and that only two towns Umueri, Aguleri and stranger elements were in existence when Otuocha Division was created.

On the directives of Igwe Alex Edozieuno to Umueri people to overthrow their traditional ruler, the community said it found it laughable knowing full well that Umueri is populated with peace-loving people not easily incited by those described as unintelligent traditional rulers of suspicious standing like Igwe Alex Edozieuno of Mkpunando Aguleri-Otu community.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS

•The winners with their cash prizes in a group photograph with the organizers of the Readers Challenge 2019 Edition.

we can change the world starting from Orumba South and Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State.

“The Reader’s Challenge was divided into two categories, namely; Young Stars Category (11-17 years) and Youth Category (18-25 years).

This year, in the young stars category, they read Things Fall Apart

by Chinua Achebe for six (6) hours with one break period after which

they wrote an exam based on the book that they read. In the youth category, they read Anthill of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe for six (6) hours with one break period after which they wrote an exam based on the book they read. The first position for each category will go home with #50,000 and the second position #30,000 and the third position #20,000and cash prizes.

Participation for the competition

was free and over 170 participants took the examination”.

Earlier, in a welcome speech, Dr Tessy Okoli, Provost Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze welcomed all the participants to the College.

She called for concerted efforts to revive the reading culture, enhance writing skills and acquire knowledge that will serve the country well.

She urged the youths to always take advantage of the knowledge, information and education available in books even as she commended the organizers for making out time on impacting on young stars.

Presenting his keynote address, Professor Gershon Ejeckam stated that education is the bedrock of any nation.

According to him, any nation that neglects education neglects the future of its youth and consequently the future of the nation.

Prof Ejeckam however urged the youths to cultivate the habit of reading as academicians remain the custodians of knowledge hence advancement in the society.

Continuing, he said: “The solution lies in the youths reevaluating their values, their mission and their vision and accepting their responsibility to the society and the government recognising the problem and ensuring a sound and robust policy to carter for youth development and advancement of our country”.

On the choice of career, he advised the students to choose a career that fits their temperament, skills and personality, so as to get equipped for great opportunities.

The winners of this year’s edition for senior category are: 1st position, Marah Bright Ifechukwu, a student of Unizik in affiliation with FCET Umunze, 2nd position, Okoyeocha Ifeanyichukwu, a student of University of Nigeria Nsukka, and 3rd position, Ibekwe Favour Ozioma, student of FCET Umunze.

For Junior category; Agba Makuochukwu Jacinta, student of Community Secondary School, Owerre-Ezukala, 2nd position, Chigozie Akachukwu Precious, student of Ezira Community secondary school and 3rd position, Isaac Jacinta Oluebube, student of Madonna Girls secondary school, Umunze.

feast on them while the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.

It would be recalled that the mortuary section of the General hospital Enugwu Ukwu in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state was on January 29, 2019, gutted by mysterious fire.

The angry relatives expressed shock that almost two months of the inferno, that Anambra state government is yet to set up a panel to investigate the cause of the incident or reach an understanding with the relatives of the unidentified burnt bodies.

One of the relatives, Mr. Christian Okoye whose mother, late

Mrs Amoge Okoye was among the corpses burnt, said they locked the entrance gate of the hospital to draw government attention on the where about of his mother’s corpse and others.

“We have over 200 corpses burnt in that morgue but till date, government did not deem it necessary to set up a panel of enquiry.

We have a Deputy governor who is from this place, a senator representing this constituency and House of Representative member, yet they all want this matter to die a natural death.

“We want to know who is re-

sponsible for the act, otherwise, we hold government responsible.

We demand a DNA test to identify our corpse or a mass burial organized to give the dead the last respect as we do in Igbo land.

Other relatives, Rita Umeadi and Anthony Nwafia said their greatest surprise was abandoning their loved ones at the Amaku General hospital waste dump.

According to Umeadi; They abandoned the burnt corpses at the backyard of the Amaku hospital. You can go there now and see for yourself. We have been waiting for government to call us for dialogue or compensate the

families involved but they did not do anything. They are busy with campaigns forgetting that there are families that are confronted with double tragedy.

“They lied through the state commissioner for Information that the sum of N1million was given to us. That was a pure lie from the pit of hell. Nobody gave us anything and no government official has called us for any dialogue. We were just abandoned” she said.

When contacted, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike said he is not disposed to comment on the matter.

Improving reading culture: How MOGA Readers Challenge ended in grand style From PAMELA EBOH, Awka

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ecent developments have revealed that the reading culture among Nigerians, especially the youths and students has waned significantly.

As part of efforts to stem the tide, an advocacy group known as Making Orumba Great Again (MOGA) in collaboration with Alumni Association of Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State organized a programme tagged ‘Readers Challenge’ 2019 edition.

The event, which held at Dr Alex Ekwueme Auditorium main campus of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze attracted Orumba North and South students from various secondary schools and universities across the country.

In a welcome address presented at the occasion, MOGA President, Mr Victor Okoli and the President Alumni Association, Mrs Ugwu Laeticia Udodiri noted that the ‘Readers Challenge’ competition is a programme targeted to awaken and promote reading culture among youths and young stars from Orumba North and South respectively.

The address read in part: “Reader’s Challenge is an offshoot of MOGA and it is targeted at revamping the reading culture of the youths in Orumba South and Orumba North. It is crystal that when people read, they are educated and Education is the most powerful weapon with which

• Winners go home with cash prizes

•One of the competitor reading from his book

When protesters blocked Anambra hospital gate, called for DNA test of burnt corpses From OZO RAY, Awka amilies of the burnt corpses at Fmortuary Enugwu-Ukwu General hospital in Njikoka Local Govern-

ment Area of Anambra state last Wednesday blocked the main gate of the hospital.

Doctors, health officials and patients were trapped in the hospital as the angry protesters refused vehicles entrance and exit.

They said they have waited so long for government to give their loved ones a befitting mass burial but instead, they abandoned their remains at the backyard of Amaku General hospital for vultures to

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS US, Belgium partner Abia to boost water supply – Commissioner From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia accessing 20 million Euro loan from a Belgium Bank which would be debia State government is ployed to rehabilitating moribund working hard to revive water schemes in the state.

The commissioner said that Abia public water supply across the state, with the support of the State, upon creation, inherited United States of America and Bel- about 57 water schemes from the gium, says the Commissioner for Old Imo State, Umuopara Umuahia Public Utilities and Water Resourc- and Aba Regional water Schemes.

“There is virtually no township es, Rt. Hon. Chidiebere Nwoke.

However, Nwoke hinted that in Abia that doesn’t have a water when the state’s water schemes scheme. These things were origiare revamped, consumers would nally planned. All we need is to find pay because water would no long- the finances and ensure that they are rehabilitated and that water er be supplied free of charge.

Nwoke, a three-term Abia House flows in Abia,” Nwoke said.

To actualize providing Abians of Assembly member, made these known while briefing newsmen with potable drinking water, he in Umuahia. The former Major- said government has rehabilitated ity Leader and Deputy Speaker ex- most of the water schemes at plained that the state was close to Umuahia South, as well as Ozuitem

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water scheme which would be inaugurated soon while rehabilitation of Abiriba water scheme has commenced He said the ministry has done underground water and would soon do proper reticulation in order to provide potable water to offices in the new state secretariat.

He said that USAID was coming to help the state restore public water supply, explaining that the agency has carried out a baseline study and has requested the state to build three boreholes and water treatment plant before they would come in with their funds and expertise in the next three months, to enable water to be pumped.

According to Nwoke, USAID has already provided hundreds of me-

tering devices that would fixed in various compounds to regulate the billing system.

He said that consumers would have to pay to enable government not only to recoup the huge resource that would be sunk into the water project but also generate revenue to execute other projects, stressing that “provision of water would no longer be a social service.”

Nwoke said government has set machinery in motion to get JDP, an Israeli company, off the rehabilitation of Aba Regional Water Scheme, a contract the company was awarded by Federal Ministry of Water Resources but JDP allegedly abandoned the project after accessing about N500 million.

He assured that rehabilitation of Aba water scheme would commence as soon as the technicalities of the contract were disentangled.

On power, he said the government recently distributed 50 transformers to communities, many already energized while three-in-one unique solar streetlights have been provided along Aba Road through Isigate, down to Shoprite.

He added that streetlight poles with charging ports have been mounted at strategic locations in Umuahia to enable people to charge their phones during the day time, adding that government was mobilizing resources to repair nonfunctional streetlights in Umuahia, the state capital.

Nigerians tired of Buhari – Arch Chukwuma

Media Aide to Ebonyi APC Guber candidate resigns, joins PDP

From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

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By CHINEDU NWAFOR Abakaliki

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rchbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma of the Anglican Communion has reaffirmed his earlier assertion that Nigerians were tired of President Muhammadu Buhari and that they were set to vote him out at the presidential polls.

According to the vocal senior clergyman, no amount desperation, damage control or scheming would save the President and his anchormen from losing the Presidential election because his outing as President has left various tales of woes on Nigerians.

“Nigerians are tired of Buhari!

They have had to contend with hunger, anger and disappointment since the inception of his administration, and they are tied now.

“What INEC has done is a big disgrace and it is a pity that the INEC Chairman is bearing the whole burden, with a sealed mouth. The postponement of the election is an indication of failure, both on the part of INEC and the leadership of the nation.

“All the confusion about election postponement are attempts to manipulate the election. But I assure them that Nigerians are very knowledgeable, wiser and ready to resist any attempt by anybody to manipulate the process,” the Archbishop declared.

Chukwuma alleged that INEC is being influenced by the power that be, which bears secret agenda, but pointed out that God would continue to exposed them and thwart their negative plans.

“Imagine the President alluding that his party APC won the Ekiti and Osun elections via remote control? He cannot remote-control the 2019 general election.

“They had planned to rig the election with already thumbprinted ballot papers, that was exposed and it failed; they tried to inflict staggered election on us, it failed; they tried to stop further campaigns and that one failed as well. Now, they are accusing INEC of conniving with opposition parties.

“All those antics are just postponement of the doomsday. Nigerians are tired of Buhari and it is clear, by all indications, that he will be voted out,” he maintained.

• Dancing time... Sen. Dino Melaye dances to the admiration of PDP NEC members shortly after his “successful” Channels TV outing against Festus Keyamo, Spokesman of the Buhari Campaign.

Stakeholders in Bayelsa condemn election postponement From CLEM ONYEMAECHI, Yenagoa with anything untoward, then we all have to rise up and begin to chalhe immediate past chairman of lenge it before it starts manifesting.

Nigeria Bar Association, (NBA), “It may be too late to call for resigYenagoa branch, Barr. Stanley nation, but clearly it shows we have Damabide has taken the Independ- an INEC that is not ready to give us ent National Electoral Commission, the best as a nation. We just have to (INEC) to the cleaners for postpon- see how we can manage through ing the Presidential and National the situation and hope for the betAssembly elections at the eleventh ter after the elections”. hour.

On his part, South South CoordinaIn a telephone interview with our tor of Ohaneze Youth Council, Chief correspondent in Yenagoa, the for- Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa expressed mer NBA boss said by the action sadness over the postponement, of INEC, the electoral body should saying it was more saddening that rather be addressed as ‘Incompe- the announcement was made withtent National Electoral Commission’. out apologies to Nigerians.

“Damabide said, “The postpone“We are not happy for what has ment of the election shows that happened just few hours to the instead of an Independent National election and they just announced Electoral Commission, what we it without apologies to Nigerians; might have is an Incompetent Na- not minding what they are passing tional Electoral Commission. through.

“I think that is the right acronym “Some have traveled to the villagfor INEC. And the manner in which es to perform their civic duty. Again it was done clearly shows that they we have lost a lot of billions of naira were not just ready for it. You can- by this singular act”. not tell me that 48hours to an elecHe however expressed optimism tion you have not test run your that irrespective of the postponepreparedness and be able to alert ment, the turn out on Saturday Nigerians as to whether the election would be massive. will go on or not.

Dr Tari Dadiowei, lecturer at the “It is sad and shameful because Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro College Nigerians displayed the readiness of Education, Sagbama says INEC to participate. And now look at the should be probed. cost implications, the loss of man “For INEC to tell us on Friday that hours and all that”. they were ready for the Presidential According to Damabide, the way and National Assembly polls, only to forward is for Nigerians to go deep- reverse and say that it should be put ly and find out the actual cause of off for one week, I think it is a deceit the postponement. “If it is laced of the highest order and it has to be

T

probed.

“Who authorized him to postpone the election? Were the political parties consulted or he only consulted the party in power because if he was to put it off, the people involved in the election would have been consulted.

“People have spent money and have prepared here and there, so who pays the debt they have incurred as a result of the postponement?

“For me, they have done what is beyond pardon and they should be probed. If the INEC chairman and his team are not ready, they should tell Nigerians that the election is beyond them so that we know what to do”.

The chairman of Civil Liberties Organization, (CLO), Bayelsa chapter, Chief Nengi James says INEC has powers to postpone elections, but in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

He said though we have witnessed election postponements in the past, we ought to have learnt from our mistakes to avoid further election postponements.

“We need to move forward. The institutional failure this time is unacceptable. The institutions should work to restore confidence of Nigerians.

“It is this kind of situation that fuels lack of confidence among Nigerians in our institutions. Nigerians are not happy and we in the CSOs are even angrier”, he stressed.

teve Rodstick Eze, Head of Electronic Media and Production in the campaign Organization of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi state, Senator Sonni Ogbuorji, has resigned and defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pledged to work for the reelection of governor Umahi.

Eze disclosed this in Abakaliki while briefing Journalists on the reasons he ditched APC and Ogbuorji’s campaign Organization.

He said his decision was informed

by Governor Umahi’s excellent performances in office which has placed Ebonyi as one of the five most beautiful cities in Nigeria.

He said that the ideologies of APC in the state completely negates the spirit of equity and oneness under which the state stands.

He said he was leaving APC with over 10,000 youths who are his fans and supporters.

Eze who also frowned at the voilent approach the APC in the state and its guber candidate adopted in their electioneering, said he hates voilence and cannot be part of such a group.

He said: “I was the Head of Electronic Media and Production in the Sunny Ogbuorji campaign Organization.

“I have carefully thought about the achievements and developmental strides of Gov David Umahi in just three years and 8months in office--that has made Abakaliki the fastest growing city in Nigeria and among the first five most beautiful cities in Nigeria.

“I have also considered the spirit of equity and fairness in the polity of Ebonyi, which the ideology of APC completely negates.

“I do not believe in voilence in election like Ogbuorji campaign believes in. I have the firm believe that we are one in Ebonyi state and must not kill one another to achieve electoral success.

“After considering the foregoing and due consultation with my teeming fans and supporters numbering over 10,000 vibrant youth across the state, I wish to declare my unalloyed support and loyalty to Governor David Umahi who have not only made Ebonyians proud in governance but have also given Ebonyi state a place of pride in Nigeria and indeed, Africa.

“I want to use this medium to assure the governor that we will mop up votes for him and also advise all the few people remaining with Ogbuorji and APC to quickly retrace their steps as that is obviously headed for failure and destruction”

15

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS

You can’t take Abia from us, PDP tells APC From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

A

bia state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) was labouring in vain in its bid to win the state.

Abia PDP chairman, Chief Johnson Onuigbo, while briefing newsmen in his office Monday, said the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections last Saturday, has exposed alleged plans by the APC to rig itself to power in the state, not through free and fair contest.

“This state is PDP and it will remain so after the elections. Nobody will take this state from PDP and it will remain so till God knows when,” Onuigbo said.

He said the polls postponement has turned out to be a good omen for the PDP in Abia as it has exposed that APC’s “nefarious rigging plans.”

The Abia PDP chairman said that his party believes in winning elections fairly and through hard work.

“The PDP believes in free and fair elections, that we have to convince the people to vote for us, we are not interested in rigging, we want to see the people vote and we want to see that our votes count.

“That is why we have campaigned in all the senatorial zones, local government areas and wards in the state and we never saw our opponents in the field and we were wondering how they want to win election through free and fair means, when they were not campaigning.

“It was this postponement that opened our eyes that all the things we have been hearing as rumour that ballot papers have been thumb printed, that bags filled with ballot papers were found somewhere in Kano and Abia States have been discovered to be true. They are busy planning their rigging mechanism,” he said.”

“Our opponents, the APC in Abia State have these card readers and ballot papers in their houses. They have thumb printed and written the results with the collaboration of some professors in the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, to commit this nefarious activity, Onuigbo alleged, adding “it is anti-democracy. That is not the way to go,” “But we are saying no to their rigging plans, because we cannot sit idly and watch. Those who have decided to rig this election are enemies of democracy,” he said and advised the Abia APC to “go and campaign, tell the people why they want to rule.

According to him, “any leader who wants to come through foul means, it means he has ulterior motive. If your motive is to serve the people, you should not be cutting corners.

Onuigbo said PDP has studied the situation and would keep “surveillance.”

He said only INEC could completely abort every plan to rig the polls by being fair to all parties, warning “if we find election materials in the hands of any politician, the person that would be held responsible is INEC.” Onuigbo expressed fears that the postponement was bound to trigger voter apathy but he appealed to the electorate to persevere and turn out en masse this Saturday to vote for candidates of the choice.”

Pastor predicts elections would hold Saturday From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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n Assemblies of God Pastor has predicted that the 2019 general elections rescheduled for this Saturday would not hold after all.

The Ikwuano, Abia State-born clergyman also predicted God would visit his wrath on anyone who tries to force the election to hold.

Rev. Evans Paul Chimeremeze who also runs the Praise and Truth Worship Centre at Mgbaja, Amawom Oboro in Ikwuano local government area of Abia State revealed that these incidents would take place because God is angry with Nigeria because the country has ritualists occupying the helm of affairs.

He said he had earlier predicted that the February 16, 2019 Presi-

dential and National Assembly elections would not hold, insisting that neither is it going to hold on February 23, 2019.

He said he received revelations that God wants to liberate Nigeria and her suffering citizens.

“Politicians have killed Nigeria.

Most important seats of Nigeria are being occupied by ritualists and God is angry.

“The poor masses are suffering.

• PDP Vice-Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi at Ogboefere Market, Head-Bridge Onitsha in continuation of the Atiku-Obi presidential election campaigns.

US, Belgium partner Abia to boost water supply -- Commissioner • Says water supply would no longer be social service From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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bia State government is working hard to revive public water supply across the state, with the support of the United States of America and Belgium, says the Commissioner for Public Utilities and Water Resources, Rt. Hon. Chidiebere Nwoke.

However, Nwoke hinted that when the state’s water schemes are revamped, consumers would pay because water would no longer be supplied free of charge.

Nwoke, a three-term Abia House of Assembly member, made these known while briefing newsmen in Umuahia. The former Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker explained that the state was close to accessing 20 million Euro loan from a Belgium Bank which would be deployed to rehabilitating moribund water schemes in the state.

The commissioner said that Abia State, upon creation, inherited about 57 water schemes from the Old Imo State, Umuopara Umuahia and Aba Regional water Schemes.

“There is virtually no township in Abia that doesn’t have a water scheme. These things were originally planned. All we need is to find the finances and ensure that they

are rehabilitated and that water flows in Abia,” Nwoke said.

To actualize providing Abians with potable drinking water, he said government has rehabilitated most of the water schemes at Umuahia South, as well as Ozuitem water scheme which would be inaugurated soon while rehabilitation of Abiriba water scheme has commenced He said the ministry has done underground water and would soon do proper reticulation in order to provide potable water to offices in the new state secretariat.

He said that USAID was coming to help the state restore public water supply, explaining that the agency has carried out a baseline study and has requested the state to build three boreholes and water treatment plant before they would come in with their funds and expertise in the next three months, to enable water to be pumped.

According to Nwoke, USAID has already provided hundreds of metering devices that would fixed in various compounds to regulate the billing system.

He said that consumers would have to pay to enable government not only to recoup the huge resource that would be sunk into

the water project but also generate revenue to execute other projects, stressing that “provision of water would no longer be a social service.”

Nwoke said government has set machinery in motion to get JDP, an Israeli company, off the rehabilitation of Aba Regional Water Scheme, a contract the company was awarded by Federal Ministry of Water Resources but JDP allegedly abandoned the project after accessing about N500 million.

He assured that rehabilitation of Aba water scheme would commence as soon as the technicalities of the contract were disentangled.

On power, he said the government recently distributed 50 transformers to communities, many already energized while three-inone unique solar streetlights have been provided along Aba Road through Isigate, down to Shoprite.

He added that streetlight poles with charging ports have been mounted at strategic locations in Umuahia to enable people to charge their phones during the day time, adding that government was mobilizing resources to repair non-functional streetlights in Umuahia, the state capital.

The poor man cannot afford to buy common Kerosene. So God is angry against the leaders,” he said.

“As I was praying, I got the revelation that God is about to do something in Nigeria and was looking for who will be his mouthpiece and I accepted to do the work.

“I came on the February 12, 2019 to tell people at the Isigate newsstand that election on the 16th will not hold, that God is angry with Nigeria. On Friday, somebody reminded me that I said that elections will not hold that our President has gone home to vote. I said what I know is that even he queues on the line, he will not vote.

“So, on Saturday morning it was announced that the election has been cancelled,” Chimeremeze narrated.

Continuing, he said: “After this Saturday, it will become clear to the leaders of the country that God is putting the election on hold, that election is not our problem, our problem is the politicians. God wants this nation to be cleansed; it was polluted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo through FESCTAC “77 and nobody has come up to say let us cleanse this nation because he invited all the foreign idols into Nigeria and they came and displayed their evil powers and exposed Nigeria to ritual culture.

“Since then, none of the Presidents has come up to say God is against idol worship and then cleanse it. And so that is why Nigeria has been have many problems.

“God is looking for somebody who can stand and cleanse this nation through his own directive.”

“That was why God sent Obasanjo to prison and from prison, God brought him back to the seat of power so that he could perform the cleansing but he still failed to do it. He went back to Aso Rock and messed up.

“God says he will not allow them continue and that’s it. There is a secret He told me and He said I should keep it secret. So I don’t want to say it openly until the President comes to Abia State and I will tell him this is what God says: you must hand over that seat to the right person that will do that business for Him.” Chimeremeze said after this Saturday, if Buhari fails to come to Abia for him to deliver God’s message to President, “he (the President) will run away from his office because God is going to visit him seriously. Not only him will run away, but all those occupying important seats in this nation who are ritualists must run away from their offices.

“If any person wants to force the election to hold, that person will faint and be rushed to the hospital and the person will remain in the hospital and announce to others that God is angry with Nigeria,” the Reverend said.

16

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS Extra Presidential polls: I’m not working for any political party says INEC Chief From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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head of this week’s rescheduled presidential and national assembly polls, the resident electoral commissioner for Cross River State, Frankland Briyai has disclosed that contrary to allegations, he is not working for any political party in the state.

Dr. Briyai maintained that the allegations which are mostly online are fake and no credence should be drawn from them The Residential Electoral Commissioner made this known in Calabar after a security meeting at the Commission’s Office in Calabar to perfect arrangements for the elections.

According to him, “It’s not true, nobody has confronted me. I’ve been accused that I have been working for a political party and most of the things that have been published online are just fake news.

Online media have also reported the sighting of printed ballot papers in other parts of the country.

“The news is not true, particularly in this state. We have moved all our sensitive materials to the different local government areas in the state and when the elections were rescheduled, the same security people who took the materials down to the various local government areas stayed with them and eventually brought them back the Central Bank of Nigeria, so these things are not true.

“All the smart card readers have been returned and we have reconfigured them. The deadline given to us was tomorrow, Wednesday, and we finished ours yesterday and we have well over three thousand of them, we are set to go”, he said On the exponential increase of new voters in Obudu local government area which is the governors, LGA, he said based on the process of the continuous voters exercise, people presented themselves and what INEC did was just to register them.

He said all arrangements like transportation, security and other logistics have been perfected against this week’s rescheduled elections. What we are waiting for, he said is the time and days of movement and I don’t think we have any issues against the elections.

He said following the security committee meeting which has just been concluded, adequate security measures have been conceptualized and they are going to be actualized come Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the general elections.

Also speaking, the Cross River State Commissioner for Police, Austin Agbonlahor said everything has been put in place to ensure the success of the elections and stressed that those who are intent on truncating the process will face the full wrath of the law and that peace has been restored in troubled parts of the state.

“All law-abiding citizens of the state are free to go out and vote and those who want to foment trouble will face the wrath of the law.

“There is peace restored in Etung.

The real problem in that place was that the two prominent political parties were having a reconciliatory/ peace meeting without informing the security agencies but now we have taken over the place and there is peace now.

“We have our rules of engagement and I will advise that no one should harbour the intention of snatching ballot boxes and papers”, he said.

2019 general election: Ebubemonso says time to build new Nigeria From PAMELA EBOH, Awka

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he Spiritual Director, Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, popularly known as Fr. Ebubemonso, literally wept for Nigeria over the sufferings its citizens are facing, insisting that the election Saturday February 23 would determine the future of Nigeria, stressing that it is time to build a new Nigeria.

He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to be part of the imminent change by voting massively on for better governance and assured future for their children even those yet unborn.

He appealed to voters to come out and vote to determine the new Nigeria everyone is yearning for even as he begged Nigerians particularly youths often used as cannon fodder by politicians to shun all forms of electoral violence during this Saturday’s rescheduled 2019 Presidential Election.

Fr. Ebubemonso who said that at every contest one person must emerge victorious, advised that no

life of any Nigerian is worth losing in the name of electoral failure or victory and thus urged all Nigerians especially those in positions of authority in the religious and political circles as well as markets to ensure they mobilize for peace rather than crisis as it pays no one any good.

The Uke Anambra state Adoration Ministry Spiritual Director prayed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by it’s chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu would conduct a hitch-free election that would be judged by both national and international observers as free, fair and credible.

Fr Obimma who spoke while addressing a mammoth crowd at his Adoration Ministry at Uke, Anambra State weekend insisted that there is no alternative to peace, hence everybody should pursue peace during the elections even as he lauded the peace commitments entered into by candidates at all levels for the 2019 general elections.

He called for a community spirit by Nigerians to enable them come out during rescheduled elections and urged them not to be discouraged

by the postponement of presidential election to this week’s Saturday by INEC but to mobilize themselves and vote for a candidate of their choice.

He encouraged the electorate not to allow anything dampen their spirit or discourage them from coming out en mass to vote for a candidate of their choice.

He commended the leadership of IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu for suspending the stay-at home-order for better participation and a hitch-free election in South East in particular and Nigeria at large.

Fr. Ebubemonso said: ‘’This is time for change and I beg Nigerians to uphold democracy by coming out to exercise their franchise. Don’t mortgage your conscience. Don’t mortgage your future. Don’t allow anybody to buy your conscience. If this government has not been fair to the poor masses and has not provided dividends of democracy, don’t vote them back but if not why not!

There is need for change for a better Nigeria.

Fr Obimma aka Ebubemonso continued: ‘’Agitation is good but agi-

• Abia State local government Transition Committee chairmen taking their oath of office in Exco chambers of Abia State Government House, Umuahia.

Polls shift: Jonathan parleys with Niger Delta youths, sues for peace From CLEM ONYEMAECHI, Yenagoa

I

mmediate past President, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians particularly youths in the Niger Delta to embrace peace and shun violence ahead the rescheduled polls.

The former president made the call on Monday in Yenagoa when he hosted Niger Delta Youth Leaders who paid him a courtesy visit.

Jonathan was in Bayelsa his home state for the polls earlier scheduled for Feb. 16 and March 2 and later shifted to Feb 23 and March 9 2019.

Jonathan used the occasion to urge the electorates to shun vote buying and vote according to their conscience.

He said, “Use of money to induce voters has become very prevalent in Nigeria.

“It is more pronounced here than many African countries I have been to monitor elections and it is unhealthy for our development and my NGO is working on advocacy against it.

“Politics should be about the people and anyone who wants to make quick money should go into business and quit politics which is all about service to the people.

“People should vote according to the dictates of their conscience and not be induced by money.

“I have said it repeatedly that no one’s ambition should be worth the spilling of the blood of any Nigerian, peace is fundamental to economic development and the reports of insecurity and violence scares away investors.

“Anytime someone is killed either by security agencies or by any other exra judicial means it affects the reputation of the country adversely and that is why peace building is very essential especially with the youths.

“Our youths are critical in our democracy because the future belongs to them so my advice is that we should be patient and shun violence in the coming elections Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation and Senior Special Adviser on Niger Delta Youth matters to Bayelsa Governor, Mr Kenedy Tonjo-West said that representatives of Niger Delta youths from across the region were in Bayelsa to commend the former President for his peace building efforts.

He said that Jonathan’s exemplary leadership style of politics without violence and bitterness was an inspiration to Niger Delta youths.

West noted that Jonathan’s influence on the youths of the region was responsible for the prevailing peace in the region.

According to him, youths from the region were in Bayelsa to seek counsel from the former president following the shift in election date.

Also speaking, President of Ijaw Youth Council, Mr Peretubo Oweilaemi said that youths from the Niger Delta region remain proud of the former President who relinquished power in the interest of peace and development of Nigeria.

The IYC leader said, “The emphasis of our amiable leader Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on peace and peace building is very commendable despite his political persuasion he has chosen to always advocate peace and we the youths are learning from him.

“We have seen the region which is very crucial to the country’s economy grow in peace because you advocate and preach peace all the time since you left office as President”.

At the meeting were leaders of Non Violent Youth groups including Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress and ex-militant leaders who embraced the Presidential Amnesty programme.

tate with your votes because your PVC is your power, your authority and your right. I believe that a successful businessman and an expert in Economics have what it takes to be the leader of Nigeria. I appeal to Nigerians to come out and vote. We pray that INEC will conduct the election free and fair and give the world a credible result because the World is looking at us as a country and our Lord is watching. ‘’I want Nigerians to vote for somebody who has the capacity to move the country forward and may our youths and everybody at that shun all forms of electoral violence because the election is not worth losing any Nigerian life. There is no alternative to peace, win or lose, shun violence in all ramifications.

Anti-piracy Society urges manufacturer and importers to embrace standards

By OGE ONYEANUSI Nnewi

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he Anti-piracy Society of Nigeria has urged all manufacturers and importers of goods in Nigeria markets to shun fake and embrace standard in all products sales in Nigerians markets, as they would not compromise on its efforts to ensure standards in all products displayed in Nigerians markets.

The Director General of Anti-piracy Society of Nigeria Frank Uduonu who gave the warning while speaking to newsmen during their campaign /sensitization rally on the dangers of fake products recently held in Onitsha Anambra State, warned manufacturers and importers of edible and non-edible items to abide by the rules by living up to the oath of their certification.

According to him , Anti-piracy Society of Nigeria will not hesitate to deal with any manufacturer of products and importers who reduce the quality of its products or import fake.

Uduonu noted that their campaign to the three senatorial zones of Anambra State was to create awareness as their monitoring visits would be unannounced or unscheduled .

He added that their sensitization to Nigerians especially the people in Anambra State was to emphasise the import of genuine and originality, hence the need to first give opportunity window to some of them to correct errors or improve on the quality of their products, so that in the end, they will be seen as corrective than punitive.

The Anti -piracy boss said that they are doing this to ensure that the quality and taste of life of the consumers are geometrically increased, and only companies that can supply these needs will continue to dominate.

The sensitization awareness which took the members to major markets ,streets in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka shows that they will not relent in eradicate fake and substandard in the society he said.

17

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

BU$IN£SS

•Energy •Finance

•Stock

•Insurance

•Aviation

•e-Platform

Fundamentalism finds traction with Nigeria’s extreme poverty

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

G

LOBAL concerns about Nigeria’s rising status in religious and ethnic clashes has led economists to establish a direct relationship between extremism and rising poverty, blaming government for inability to translate Nigeria’s decades oil revenue windfall to means of production and social services.

According to several reports on the economy Africa and poverty indices reviewed by The Oracle Today, Nigeria is fast becoming huge security and economic liability to the rest of Africa, and pundits fear that gradual slide of Africa’s most populous nation and once biggest economy into economic and social instability would yield far reaching impact on the stability of the continent.

According the World Bank’s World Poverty Clock report released recently, Nigeria overtook India as the world poverty capital, hosting over 89 million people that live in extreme poverty; yet India which is escaping poverty status has nearly 10 time Nigeria’s population.

According to World Bank, Nigeria leads the 13 African countries that dominate the list of 15 countries around the world where extreme poverty is rising using the templates for World Poverty Clock data.

The report uses an updated international extreme poverty line of $1.90 a day from a previous standard of $1.25 a day in 2005 prices to more accurately reflect the global costs of basic food, clothing, and shelter needs.

The bank said the world is now a step closer to ending poverty by 2030, a key target in the Sustainable Development Goals.

While there has been significant progress in ending poverty, the bank notes that further progress would depend on an effective, evidence-based approach.

The ranks of the African rich are growing, and some African countries have seen significant economic development, but many of the poor are still blocked from the middle class, and the continent as a whole continues to lag behind the rest of the world.

Extreme poverty remains con-

•Tourism

Energy

Fiscal accord activates deepwater developments P20 e-Platform

Globacom partners Huawei Techs to empower students in Nigeria P22

Travel

Chevron supports EGCDF deliver 2 cottage hospitals to Delta State centrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where half of the global poor reside, and South Asia.

With Nigeria topping global poverty charts, it follows logically that the country also leads Africa’s poverty index, worse than countries that have little or no mineral resources.

Africa Economic Outlook (AEO) released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) a fortnight ago, showed that Nigeria and South Africa are among the few countries that would not meet economic growth projection of 5.0 percent of their gross domestic product in 2019.

Analysts also point at Nigeria as one of the few African countries that jeopardize realization of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to end extreme poverty by 2030; they blame the government for inability to lift more citizens out of extreme poverty, blaming it on government’s mismanagement of the country’s vast oil riches through incompetence and corruption.

According to the World’s Bank projections, extreme poverty in East Asia and the Pacific was ex-

CBN Exchange Rates FEBRUARY 19, 2019 Currency Buying(NGN) Central (NGN) Selling(NGN) US DOLLAR 305.8 306.3 306.8 POUNDS STERLING 395.4911 396.1378 396.7844 EURO 346.6243 347.1911 347.7578 SWISS FRANC 304.9766 305.4752 305.9739 YEN 2.7664 2.7709 2.7755 CFA 0.5061 0.5161 0.5261 WAUA 422.9233 423.6148 424.3063 YUAN/RENMINBI 45.1903 45.2647 45.339 RIYAL 81.5358 81.6691 81.8024 S/AFRICAN RAND 21.712 21.7475 21.783 DANISH KRONA 46.4318 46.5077 46.5837

pected to fall from 7.2% in 2012 to 4.1% in 2015.

In South Asia, extreme poverty was fixed to fall from 18.8% to 13.5% over that period, while in Sub-Saharan Africa extreme poverty was expected to decline from 42.6% to 35.2% in 2015. The bank was unable to make projections from Middle East and North Africa, because of a lack of accurate data.

The projections focused on extreme poverty, where people lack the most basic necessities, and not relative poverty, where someone’s income is below the general standard of living.

According to an article in Quartz, 83 million people would have been lifted out of extreme poverty by the end 2019, an improvement from 2016 levels; but the number is 37 million people fewer than the required to meet the 2030 target.

Whereas global economy monitoring institutions have remained upbeat on improving the lives of people locked in sovereign boundaries, the case of Nigeria proved a shock to pundits.

Nigeria had posted rebased gross domestic products data in 2014 which showed excited analysts

that the country had emerged from behind to become the continent’s biggest economy riding on the back of blossoming theatre industry, online market platforms, information technology boom and smart financial services sector.

The economic gains from enhanced productivity was solidified by the Paris Club debt exit by the government which relieved the country of debt services liabilities, and freed more money for investment in social goods and services.

Unfortunately, a change in government administration from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2015 saw a twist in the economic fate of the country, with multiple exchange rate system plunging the value of the Naira from N195 to N365 to the dollar in the parallel market.

Also inflation assumed galloping dimension and while both crude oil prices and production numbers took a dive. Expectedly, the economy plunged into recession in 2016.

Marginal recovery has since been announced but the mass hunger,

•Cont’d on Pg 29

P26

Insurance

NSE lifts embargo on Goldlink Insurance shares

P28 Equity & Capital Market

IOSCO, ESMA favours agreement on data transfer P30 Money Market

Fixed income, currency market turnover drops N2.6tr in Jan. P31

Stock Market Highlights As At 19TH FEBRUARY, 2019

Summary

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

32,237.87 4,105.00 326,553,826.00 N3,834,966,116.90 N12,022,001,179,572.31 N10,261,513,709,052.60 N6,097,419,197.48

Coy (By Volume)

TRANSCORP ZENITHBANK FBNH DIAMONDBNK GUARANTY

Value(N)

110,615,387 N154,848,650.72 34,070,050 N842,714,389.05 29,620,126 N238,062,865.30 20,720,631 N48,923,822.89 19,434,854 N723,780,428.60

5 Top Gainers

Symbols Last Close ZENITHBANK N24 GUARANTY N36.5 CUSTODIAN N6.05 OANDO N5.6 N5.95 UBA N7.65

Current Change N25.2 N37.7 N6.5 0.35 N7.95

%Change 1.2 5.00% 1.2 3.29% 0.45 7.44% 6.25% 0.3 3.92%

N190 N168.2 N1.39 N12.85 N1.03

-3.3 -1.71% -1.8 -1.06% -0.15 -9.74% -0.15 -1.15% -0.11 -9.65%

5 Top Losers DANGCEM MOBIL TRANSCORP WAPCO UNITYBNK

N193.3 N170 N1.54 N13 N1.14

18

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

BUSINESS

LCCI decries jobless growth in 2018 GDP report Stories by KAYODE OGUNWALE

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HE Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), over the weekend noted the 2.4 percent growth in the economy in the final quarter of 2018, as well as the 1.9 percent notch recorded in the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) as released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), compared to the 2.4 percent increase reported in 2018Q3 and 1.8 percent for the year.

This performance, the chamber said in a review of the NBS report, is still fragile, weak, vulnerable and remains a cause for concerning, coming far below the 3 percent annual population growth, “with wider implications for poverty, inclusive and sustainable growth.”

Worse still, the chamber continued, “the growth in the economy is also tagged a “jobless growth” as unemployment keep on rising. The latest report by poverty world clock also suggests that the number of extremely poor Nigerians has risen to 91.6 million.”

The 2018 GDP growth is the highest in three years, but is overwhelmed by the more significant levels of 8.35 percent and 9.54 percent attained in 2009 and 2010 respectively; before falling to 5.31 percent in 2011; 4.21 percent in 2012; after which it improved to 5.49 percent and 6.22 percent in the two succeeding years.

Sectors like trade, manufacturing and agriculture performed low for the period, suggesting the need for implementation of policies and reforms that will attract investment into the key employment elastic sectors.

The top five fastest sectors in 2018, LCCI said, were: metal ores, which grew at 26.34 percent; followed by air transport, 20.7 percent; while road transport followed with 14.47 percent; telecommunications

and informational services, 11.33 percent; while quarrying and other mining sector recorded 10.33 percent growth. Meanwhile, the five biggest decline for the period came from coal mining, 5.81 percent; real estate, 4.74 percent; motor vehicles and assembly, 2.54 percent; and public administration, 2.05 percent.

On the performance of key sector, the chamber regretted that at 2.1 percent in 2018, the agricultural sector, which accounted for 25 percent of real output for the period, recorded its lowest growth rate since 1993 and the worst since 2010.

The oil sector, including crude, petroleum and natural gas could only grow at 1.1 percent, significantly slower than the 4.69 percent in 2017; just as manufacturing with an annual growth of 2.09 percent in 2018, representing a huge improvement over the -0.21 percent growth in 2017, even as it contributes 9.2 percent to over GDP. The 2018 growth was however a far cry from 17.82 percent in 2011, 13.46 percent the following year, or 21.8 percent peak since 201, reported in 2013; or the 14.72 percent of 2014, after which it turned negative for the next three years.

The trade sector, which contributed 17.16 percent, contracted by 0.63 percent in 2018, better than the prior year’s -1.05 percent, a situation it said, “signifies that Nigerian consumers are still under severe pressure in terms of weak purchasing power, as trade is major consumer facing sector.”

Telecommunication and information services sector, which contributed 10 percent to overall GDP, jumped by 11.33 percent in 2018, from a 2.04 percent contraction in 2017, after growing 2.03 percent a year earlier. The sector growth in 2018 was the most significant since 2010, when it recorded 34.83 percent rise.

•Mr. Tony Ibeziako, Head, Primary Market Department, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Ms. Kudi Badmus, Chief Finance Officer, Eterna Plc; Mrs. Afolake Lawal, Director, Eterna Plc; Mr. Mahmud Tukur, Managing Director/CEO, Eterna Plc; Mr. Olumide Bolumole, Head, Listing Business Division, NSE; Mr. Lamis Shehu Dikko, Chairman, Eterna Plc and Mr. Oluwole Abegunde, Director, Eterna Plc during a Closing Gong Ceremony to commemorate its 30th year anniversary at the Exchange in Lagos.

NDIC explains liquidation of Fortis Micro-Finance Bank

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HE Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), has debunked insinuations that the liquidation exercise carried out on Fortis Micro-Finance Bank Plc was done in bad fate.

The NDIC said that the Micro-Finance Bank came specifically under the hammer when the agency and the CBN had done all that is expected of it within regulations to stabilise the bank but was still found culpable of huge non-performing loans, high cost of funds (foreign and domestic borrowings, and fixed/term deposits), exorbitant administrative and personnel costs (especially high emoluments to

Election postponement: Nigeria will lose billions of naira, say NACCIMA, others

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HE Vice President National Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, (NACCIMA) Mr Tony Ejinkeonye says Nigeria will lose billions of naira due to the postponement of the general election.

Ejinkeonye who is also the Director, Business Development for Africa, Esilknet Africa Network Ltd., told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja that the postponement would affect the economy adversely.

“It is quite unfortunate that the election was postponed. Economically, billions of naira have been lost and will be lost in the coming weeks.

Industries, businesses including airlines were affected by the movement restriction.

“We expect also the same thing happening in the coming weeks.

Most important effect is the perception of the international financial community.

“Situations like this will create panic with massive withdrawal and stoppage of funds inflow to Nigeria. I dread the effects in the stock market on Monday,” he said.

Ejinkeonye who said that it would be difficult to determine the actual figure of the loss but would be in billion of naira said however, that the real cost would be the loss of investor confidence.

He however advised Nigerians not to be discouraged but should still go and exercise their franchise next Saturday.

In the same vein President, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs) Mr Ken Ukaoha, said the country will lose more than N140 billion due to the postponement.

Ukaoha noted that the postponement would affect the economy adversely in terms of money that the government, political parties and ordinary Nigerians had already expended on logistics and otherwise.

He described the election postponement as appalling and unfortunate which could make the nation become a laughing stock in among comity of nations.

“The loss is monumental if you look at the economic consequences, essentially if you look at trading; Nigeria depends so much on daily turning of fund through distribution and redistribution of goods and commodity.

“I am telling you that with this calculation I have just done here, we are losing nothing less than 140 billion naira, because we all got this information so late.

“If you go round now you will see that the shops are close, so we are losing chunk of money just for this incident.

“We are not talking about the manufacturers and the industrialists because they have all sent their workers away to go and perform their civic duty.

“Farmers did not go to their farms because they want to exercise their franchise. If you do the computation your guess is as good as mine in

terms of what the nation is losing, we should learn.”

He said: “The truth is that it appeared that the nation has refused to get things right, the implication is that if care is not taken the country will become a laughing stock in the minds of comity of nations “You could remembered that Ghana had elections which had no encumbrances, no itches attached hereto, Cote D’ Ivoire has, Liberia just had these are countries that should be learning from us.

“If you take a look at what happened in 2015 and what we ran into now I think we should be matured and man enough to learn because this thing will continue to follow us in every election.”He expressed concern over the resources that would be wasted in the conduct of the elections due to the postponement.

“Whether we like it or not we are going to spend more money in the conduct of the election, we have lost quiet a lot.

“Number two, beyond what INEC is going to re-spend in terms of security; in terms of logistic that it is hinging on we are going to spend more,” he said.

According to him, the government would have spent the money to address issues such as infrastructure, health, education and payment of workers’ salaries.However, Ukaoha advised traders and farmers to ensure that they voted on Saturday as the future of the country depended on them as well as other.

successive CEOs), and poor corporate governance practices.

To this end, the NDIC has described recent report querying its action on Fortis Micro-Finance Bank as misplaced.

According to the NDIC in a statement signed by its Head Communication and Public Affairs, Mohammed Kudu Ibrahim, “The attention of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has been drawn to a report in the Daily Trust Newspaper of Friday, 8th February, 2019 which alleged a hasty liquidation of Fortis Micro-Finance Bank (MFB). The report relied on statements credited to one Mallam Garba Kurfi, Managing Director of APT Securities and Fund to the effect that the CBN and NDIC should have managed the affairs of Fortis MFB rather than embark on its outright liquidation.

He added that managing affairs of the bank, its resale or the appointment of a new management would have been better for its depositors and other banks that had business relationship with Fortis as well as the economy at large.

“The report also quoted Mr Boniface Okezie, National Coordinator of Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN) as expressing the view that instead of regulators aggravating the problems in the financial industry through liquidation, they should devise other means of solving them. He also alleged that Nigerian shareholders, in general, were ultimate victims of the liquidation of banks without any hope of compensation.

“Ordinarily, the NDIC would have ignored both erroneous claims, but for the need to correct the wrong impression which may be created in the minds of the public, thereby undermining public confidence in the banking system.

“It is pertinent to state that both allegations are false and misleading in every material particular. Operators in the banking system are aware that the liquidation of ailing banks is always the last option adopted by the NDIC after other cost-effective resolution options have failed. In all instances, the safety of depositor’s funds is the primary concern of the Corporation.

“Depositors of banks always come

first in the order of settlement of claims in the liquidation process. On the other hand, the shareholders of failed banks are always the last to be paid after the settlement of their depositors and creditors.

“It is, however, common knowledge that shareholders are part of the governance structure of the affected banks, through the control they exercise over the Board and Management of their banks during the Annual General Meetings and Extra Ordinary General Meetings, as well as through appointment of Directors and Auditors of their banks. Accordingly, they cannot be absolved from the misdeeds of their Boards.

“With particular reference to the liquidation of the Fortis MFB, it would be recalled that Fortis MFB was licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2007 and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). However, in 2016, the shares of the bank was suspended due to failure to submit its 2016 audited accounts. It should be noted that the various examinations and supervisory interventions of CBN and NDIC revealed that the bank was being run in an unsafe and unsound manner leading to huge non-performing loans, high cost of funds (foreign and domestic borrowings, and fixed/term deposits), exorbitant administrative and personnel costs (especially high emoluments to successive CEOs), and poor corporate governance practices, all of which impacted negatively on its financial condition. As a consequence, the bank was illiquid, could not honour its obligations to its depositors, and became insolvent.

“The unhealthy condition of the bank degenerated to the extent that the CBN removed the Management of Fortis MFB Plc in February 2018 and appointed a four (4) person Interim Management Committee (IMC) to take over the control and management of the bank. The IMC which comprised of officers drawn from the CBN and NDIC, as well as an independent Chairman, were mandated to steer the bank back to sustainability.

The IMC managed the affairs of Fortis MFB Plc for a period 10 months during which it did all it could to resuscitate the bank and began reimbursing depositors, using funds advanced by CBN for that purpose.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

BUSINESS

Nigeria reports $16.81bn capital importation in 2018 Stories by KAYODE OGUNWALE

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HE National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), had last week published capital importation data for the fourth quarter and fullyear 2018, highpoint of which was the 60.24 percent year-on-year decrease from $5.28 billion in the corresponding period of 2017, to $2.14 billion between October and December last year.

The 2018Q4 figure represented a 25.05 percent decline from the previous quarter’s $2.85 billion; just as at $16.812 billion, Nigeria’s capital importation, which is the total value of capital imported into Nigeria for the period, rose 37.49 percent above the $12.228 billion recorded in 2017.

Foreign direct investment amounted to $156.08 milli9n in the form of equity investment, dropping 70.59 percent quarteron-quarter, it fell 58.69 percent year on year; other investment was $589.32 million, a 61.4 percent drop YoY and 2.03 percent QoQ, boosted by the $571.48 million in loans. Portfolio investment accounted for the balance, led by money market instruments which scooped $983.08 million, which dropped 23.86 percent QoQ and 54.88 percent YoY. At $218.27 million, equity investment dropped YoY by 77.94 percent and QoQ by 44.67 percent; just as investment in bonds stood at N$193.33 million, a 415.88 percent QoQ slide and 77.94 percent decline YoY.

The largest amount of capital importation by type flowed in through Portfolio investment in 2018, amounting to $11.802 billion, or 70.20 percent of total capital importation, followed by Other Investment, which accounted for $3.815 billion, or 22.69 percent of total; and then Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which accounted for $1.194 billion, or 7.11 percent of total capital imported in 2018.

“By sector, Capital importation by shares, closely related to Equity investment (FDI and Portfolio Investment) dominated 2018 reaching $10,425.18 of the total capital Importation in 2018,” the NBS report added.

Specifically, the bulk of FDIs came in via equity at $1.189 billion, up by 21.4 percent; while portfolio investment was boosted by money market inflow of $8.472 billion, rising 164.04 percent growth.

It was followed by equity investments totaling $2.362 billion, which dropped 35.04 percent from previous year, while bonds investments rose 100.23 percent to $966.82 million. For the period also, other investment was boosted for the year by loans amounting to $3.522 billion, rising by 11.32 percent; followed from afar by $284.75 million in other claims, which fell 61.5 percent.

By sector for the entire year, investment in shares pooled $10.425 billion; ahead of $2.022 billion into the banking sector; just as $1.487 billion went into financing; $1.297

•L–R shows Mr. Olumide Bolumole, Head, Listing Business Division, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) presenting a replica of the closing gong to Mr. Mahmud Tukur, Managing Director/CEO, Eterna Plc during a Closing Gong Ceremony to commemorate its 30th year anniversary at the Exchange in Lagos.

billion in the servicing sector and $670.85 million was spent on production.

By origin, United Kingdom emerged top source of capital investment in Nigeria in 2018 with $6.007 billion, representing 35.74 percent of the total capital inflow for the period; followed by the U.S from where $3.579 billion; while

Economic implication of election postponement, ‘Horrendous’ – Muda Yusuf

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IGERIANS who were surprised by the postponement of the general elections on Saturday might suffer a second shock when they learn the cost, some economists and business leaders have said.

“The cost to the economy of the postponement of the election is horrendous,” said Muda Yusuf, General Director of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry who advanced an estimate of $1.5 billion.

“The economy was on partial shutdown the day before, and total shut down on Saturday for the elections” that did not take place, he explained.

The streets of Lagos were still empty early Sunday as the sprawling economic capital of 20 million people recovered from the disappointment and anger provoked by a last minute, one-week delay blamed on logistical issues.

The Independent Electoral Commission announced the delay just hours before polls to elect a President and members of parliament, were to open.

INEC cited problems in the distribution of ballot papers and results sheets, as well as sabotage, after three fire incidents at its offices in two weeks.

The leading candidates, incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, both called for calm, but a population of 190 million people facing unemployment and extreme poverty took a real financial hit from the decision.

For many, the cost of leaving cities where they work to go home and vote in their native regions is substantial.

Social media was used meanwhile to organise collections for street vendors who had bought perishable items to sell to voters that often

wait in long lines.

The amount ultimately raised was unlikely to make much difference to tens of millions of people who live on less than $1.9 a day, but it did highlight solidarity not always widespread in the country.

Many businesses, including the critical port of Lagos, had shut down Friday so staff could leave cities before an election-related curfew took effect on Saturday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Airports and border crossing

points had stopped operating as well.

For economist, Bismark Rewane however, “the most important cost is the reputational cost.

“Investors’ confidence will be eroded” and in the long term, when indirect costs were taken into account, the delay might cost the equivalent of two percentage points of national output, he said.

In currency terms, Rewane estimated the possible cost at “nine to 10 billion dollars.”

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

gas project would commercialize gas at 1.2 billion cubic feet per day, NNPC says even though Shell hints that phased production could be as small as 300 million standard cubic feet per day.

The rate of condensate production was not determined at the time of FID. Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, stated during the FID signing in Abuja that the partners would now proceed to the “Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of this project.”

NNPC has engaged two project management consultants, DeltaAfrik/Worley Parson & Crestech/ Penspen, to work with the project partners and other stakeholders to monitor project progress, while the corporation’s project management teams are expected to strengthen oversight functions by ensuring prompt decision making and timely approvals.

The project, located in southeastern Imo State, aims to position Nigeria as a regional hub for gas-based industries while complementing Federal Government’s aspiration for gas sufficiency for

South Africa recorded $1.152 billion; United Arab Emirates, $937.195 million; and Singapore, $780.87 million.

Reacting to the report, analysts at Cordros Securities Ltd, expressed hope that there could be a resurgence in capital flows over 2019, helped by “a blend of a looser global monetary policy landscape, which should drive lower yields in the advanced market, weaker global growth, and possible trade deal between U.S and China, (that) will drive renewed demand for emerging market (EM) risk assets.

“On the domestic front, in the light of the clearer election direction, attractive equities market relative to peers, elevated yield environment, and the still stable and

Stocks fall, naira weakens after election delay

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HE naira weakened on the forward market on Monday and Nigerian stocks fell to a one-week low after the country’s

Partners write cheques for ANOH gas project

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OVERNMENT and its partners in the onshore oil and gas exploration and production joint venture operated by Shell have decided to provide funding support for activation of the gas field development in Assa North/Ohaji South field in oil mining license (OML) 21 onshore eastern Niger Delta.

The Assa North/Ohaji South gas development popularly called the ANOH project target recovery of some 4.3 trillion cubic feet of gas and 197 million barrels of gas condensate.

Project partners include Shell, Total and Eni who are in joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The gas project was weighed down for over 14 years following inability of NNPC to match its equity cash call commitments to the operator.

The Oracle Today gathered that the project investment decision gathered momentum following resolution of fiscal and funding issues between the operators and NNPC which holds overriding 55 percent interest in the joint venture.

When fully developed, the ANOH

liquid FX market, we believe flows to naira assets will come in stronger going forward.

“In terms of the impact on the FX market, our prognosis suggests that as election jitters douse over the second half of the year, which will certainly act to lift portfolio inflows, we expect the CBN to scale back on its FX interventions, as the elevated level of autonomous inflows will ensure dollar liquidity surfeit. On balance, whilst we expect some speculative activities to drive a mild depreciation (2 percent to 4 percent) as the CBN remains on the defensive, we believe that the still lofty massive firepower of the apex bank will douse the question of a material devaluation as the year progresses,” it added.

domestic consumption, power generation, and gas-based ammonia and urea fertilizers for farmers.

Gas from the field is to be treated at SPDC JV’s Gas Processing Facility and distributed through the ObiafuObrikom-Oben pipeline network.

Mr. Okunbor, said the project would accelerate growth of the domestic market and optimise of SPDC’s onshore footprints and he said the project would also help in government’s economic diversification programme by providing sufficient supply of cleaner fuel for industry in a sustainable manner.

Part of the development plan includes community development projects that would benefit the project host and build sustainable peaceful partnership between the project drivers and community people.

Managing Director SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor announced the inauguration of boards to administer the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) for the two clusters of the project to the tune of N1.0 billion for development projects within the host communities for the next five years.

surprise decision to delay national elections over the weekend, hours before polls were due to open.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the elections were postponed for one week solely for logistical reasons and denied political pressure had played any part. President Muhammadu Buhari and his main rival, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, both urged voters to stay calm.

The one-year non-deliverable naira forward opened at a quote of 401 per dollar, compared with 397 in the previous session.

“There is some frustration on behalf of investors who have had concerns about this election for the better part of the past year and are ultimately hoping to simply put it behind them,” said Christopher Dielmann, senior economist at Exotix Capital Investors had started to pick up shares to position for a post-election rally, assuming that the election would pass without violence or other problems. That boosted dollar liquidity on the currency market.

Stocks, which had climbed past a three-month high on Friday, shed 1.8 percent to 32,126 points on Monday. Analysts say the delay could lead to a contested result, creating uncertainty.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

ENERGY

Fiscal accord activates deepwater developments

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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He decade long disputes between government and commercial investors in the petroleum industry has finally come to an end without passage of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) or any of its daughter versions.

The resolution of disputes over operating terms became necessary to provide clarity on the tax environment that would host investments for continued development projects capable of producing cumulative 1.3 million barrels of oil per day (mbd) and about 1.5 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (Bscfd).

Government’s asset holder and venture representative in the oil and gas business, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), weekend reached a heads of terms agreements with critical segments of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Organized Private Sector (OPS) fiscal terms for commercial relationship.

Though details of the new terms were not disclosed, parties in the meeting which took place in Abuja said resolution on the disputes over tax and regulatory frames in the industry, especially as they affect profitability of commercial investments was reached, leading to instant activation of processes for the Bonga deepwater development.

The eventual resolution of the commercial arrangements that govern deepwater exploration and production investments confirms several storied by The Oracle Today that government and the industry were working to achieve fiscal accord behind the ongoing legislative processes on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

We reported that NNPC had started yielding grounds in the lingering disagreement with groups of private players in the industry over fiscal terms that govern commercial operations.

Government’s shift in position came as competition for global investment funds get tougher for Nigeria in view of attraction offered investors in new petroleum plays across the continent.

With budding petroleum plays in the offshore terrains stretching along African coasts, Nigeria’s traditional and new partners in the petroleum business, comprising Shell, ExxonMobil, Total, Eni and Chevron have all become active players in countries like Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, Mauritania and recently South Africa where Total burst a new exploration interest with a successful wild cat drill.

Group Executive Director in charge of upstream business portfolio of NNPC, Mallam Rabiu Bello, told The Oracle Today at a media parley in Lagos that government was working to dismantle fiscal disincentives in the industry to enable investors reinject vibrancy in the Nigerian petroleum business.

The resolution of disputes associated with fiscal proposals in the original PIB, The Oracle Today gathered, had been the subject of several consultations between NNPC and leaders of the OPTS since last quarter of 2018.

NNPC announced that a truce was reached last weekend with a head of terms agreement that would now clear the way for operators to resume investments in new exploration and development projects.

The agreement reach weekend is expected to have resolved of myriad of disputes over fiscal and operating terms for deepwater investments, and generate templates which would

now accelerate legislative processes on the successor Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill (PIFB) at the National Assembly.

According to various statements and comments that poured from the meeting room in Abuja, the Bonga Southwest and Aparo deepwater development become a test case for the new agreement given that the project, the final investment decision of which has been in the works for nearly a decade now, hosts interest from major international oil companies including Shell, ExxonMobil, Total and Eni. Shell which operates the Bonga Southwest/Aparo field subsequently called for tenders that would provide lead into cost estimates and eventual final investment decision by multinational the project partners.

Besides Bonga Southwest/Aparo development, the Head of Terms agreement would now pave way for all operators with deepwater assets to lay out development investment plans that would translate to more exploration discoveries and production output in the near term.

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.

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 developed production capacity but available production capacity of 2.1 mbd, and some 20 percent of local content.

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.

Total has, however, been driving a string of deepwater and conventional offshore development projects despite its alignment with OPTS on the fiscal dispute with government.

The French multinational which is adjust to be most active player in the West African offshore play commissioned its 200,000 barrels per day Egina deepwater field offshore Nigeria last December. Egina came after Usan, Akpo, Ofon and Amenam Kpono developments offshore Nigeria.

According to the document confirmed with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chevron affiliates in the country currently sit on 130, 000 barrels per day (130 kbd) of crude oil and 215 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (215 MMscf/d).

Chevron is yet to take investment decision on 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 government’s plans to produce 100 kbd of crude from the asset by 2020 were unable to secure cash support from the company following fiscal issues surrounding the PSCs. Nigeria’s offshore champion, ExxonMobil, also holds potential to pump 330 kbd from three operated deepwater PSCs with NNPC but the

development projects are subject to commercial arrangements the terms of which are currently being resolved.

The concessions include the world class Bosi field from where Nigeria expects 140 kbd under a multi-billion dollar budget field development project which has missed original 2020 commissioning target.

Besides the Bosi deepwater field, ExxonMobil also operates the Uge deepwater field which when developed is expected to deliver 110 kbd even though the original 2020 commissioning date has been missed.

Next from ExxonMobil is the second phase of its Satellite Field Development expected to produce crude oil at the rate of 80 kbd by 2020 if fiscal disputes had allowed the company invest in huge budget project s to bring the field on stream.

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 has a total 345, 000 barrels per day of potential production from second phase of Gbaran-Ubie, Bonga Southwest/Aparo, and Bonga North fields.

The Gbarab-Ubie 2 is an onshore integrated gas project operated under JV with NNPC, and obviously progressing with the resolution of funding crisis and alternative funding schemes evolved by operators and government.

Despite being a gas development project, partners in the JV also target a daily output of 20 kbd of condensate from Gbaran-Ubie 2. Shell had taken investment decision on the project after it evolved a creative funding arrangement that resolved the traditional NNPC’s cash call response delays.

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 originally scheduled to be completed by 2020 with a budget that the Country Chair, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, declared unrealistic under prevailing market situation.

After determining with NNPC that Bonga North would carry a standalone development programme, and after calling off BSWA development investment in 2017, Shell remained mute about the Bonga North development project delivery from which 100 kbd was expected by 2020.

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

On the gas side, Shell’s JV projects are solidly on course while its deepwater projects are trapped in fiscal disputes.

The company’s Forcados Yokri Integrated Project holds 65 MMscf/d production profile; Southern Swamp Associated Gas projects has 45 MMscf/d template; and Gbaran-Ubie Phase 2 Project comes with 800 MMscf/d.

With the new investment commitment in sight, Shell holds potentials to pump 15 MMscf/d from BSWA and additional 60 MMscf/d from Bonga North deepwater field developments as the fiscal hindrances are resolved.

Despite its rising profile as the country’s most prolific 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 has commissioned its 200 kbd Egina deepwater field, completing its hat-trick field development programme from deep offshore oil blocks in OMLs 130 and 138, comprising Akpo, Egina and Usan 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 have remained 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.

The exploration investments had 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.

These deepwater potentials formed the premises for global industry advisory consultants to place Nigeria in the chart of global leading sources of new offshore crude oil.

Norwegian research group which provides advisory services to the industry, Rystad Energy, stated in its latest report that new deepwater production from Nigerian would contribute significantly to the expected 700,000 barrels of oil per day (700 kbd) expected to grow i global deepwater production to 10 million barrels per day (mbd) in 2019.

With the Head of Terms agreement reached weekend among key producers and government, the dormant potentials are expected to translate to physical output effectively situate Nigeria in the map of global factors for new deepwater production.

Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said the fiscal deal with operators was executed after a successful settlement of a 10-year dispute among stakeholders based on a comprehensive consultation.

According to Mallam Bello, the agreement came as a major landmark in the quest to unlock the nation’s vast deep water resources and grow the overall crude oil reserves base.

Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy of the NNPC, Bala Wunti, said the resolution of the legal dispute had paved the way for partners to cast their investment net into Nigeria’s highly prolific deep waters with potential for maximum returns.

21

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

ENERGY

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA, With agency reports

A

DVANCES in space science and technology reached a sadending milestone when the robotic vehicle, Opportunity, which was built to survey the surface of Mars for 90 days ended up roving the surface of arid planet for 5,475 days of 15 years before running out of battery life.

Popularly called the Mars Rover Opportunity, the intelligent machine, along with a twin robot, was shot up the red planet to discharge the role of a geophysical scientist and conduct light seismic survey across large space of the planet.

Opportunity was built into a wheeled automobile equipped with mobile laboratory, solar powerhouse and satellite communication gadgets to enable it sustain steady network with base station in the United States.

The seismic study the results of which were regularly transmitted to earth stations was commissioned to enable scientists investigate possibility of ancient life on mars or trace fossils of microbial life back in history.

According to reports reviewed by The Oracle Today, NASA’s Opportunity had kept going, rolling across the rocky red soil, until it was pronounced dead last week, 15 years after it landed on the planet.

Head of NASA’s science missions, Thomas Zurbuchen, announcing “the demise of our beloved Opportunity” at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Project manager, John Callas, said: “Even though it’s a machine and we’re saying goodbye, it’s still very hard and very poignant, but we had to do that. We came to that point.”

The six-wheeled vehicle that helped gather critical evidence that ancient Mars might have been hospitable to life was remarkably active until eight months ago, when it went silent after a ferocious dust storm.

NASA’s geophysicist dies in Mars Flight controllers at base stations in United States tried numerous times to reactivate the intelligent machine with series of recovery commands that failed to yield any response from the solitary worker.

There was no response from space, only silence, the agency stated.

The Opportunity and twin Spirit, the two slow-moving, golf cart-size rovers landed on opposite sides of the planet in 2004 for a mission meant to last 90 sols, or Mars days, which are 39 minutes longer than Earth days.

In the end, Opportunity outlived its twin by eight years and set endurance and distance records that could stand for decades. Thee Opportunity had kept pushing against rough surfaces and tough weather conditions until communication ceased last June. The rover roamed a record 28 miles (45 kilometers) and worked longer than any other lander in the history of space exploration.

Opportunity was a robotic geologist, equipped with cameras and instruments at the end of a mechanical arm for analyzing rocks and soil.

Its greatest achievement was discovering, along with Spirit, evidence that ancient Mars had water flowing on its surface and might have been capable of sustaining microbial life.

Project scientist Matthew Golombek said these rover missions are meant to help answer an “almost theological” question: Does life form wherever conditions are just right, or “are we really, really lucky?”

The twin vehicles also pioneered a way of exploring the surface of other planets, said Lori Glaze, acting director of planetary science for NASA. She said the rovers gave us “the ability to actually roll right up to the rocks that we want to see. Roll up to them, be able to look at them up close with a microscopic imager,

•L-R: Managing Director, Nigeria Agip Oil Company, Lorenzo Fiorillo; Managing Director, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor; Chief Operating Officer Upstream, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Rabiu Bello; and Managing Director, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria, Nicholas Terraz, after signing the Final Investment Decision Charter for the 300 million Standard Cubic Feet of Gas Per Day Assa North Gas Development Project, in Abuja… on Wednesday. bang on them a little bit, shake them up, scratch them a little bit, take the measurements, understand what the chemistry is of those rocks and then say, ‘Oh, that was interesting.

Now I want to go over there.’”

Opportunity was exploring Mars’ Perseverance Valley, fittingly, when the fiercest dust storm in decades hit and contact was lost. The storm was so intense that it darkened the sky for months, preventing sunlight from reaching the rover’s solar panels.

When the sky finally cleared, Opportunity remained silent, its internal clock possibly so scrambled that it no

longer knew when to sleep or wake up to receive commands. Flight controllers sent more than 1,000 recovery commands, all in vain.

With project costs reaching about $500,000 a month, NASA decided there was no point in continuing.

Scientists consider this the end of an era, now that Opportunity and Spirit are both gone.

Opportunity was the fifth of eight spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, all belonging to NASA. Only two are still working: the nuclearpowered Curiosity rover, prowling around since 2012, and the recently

arrived InSight, which just this week placed a heat-sensing, self-hammering probe on the dusty red surface to burrow into the planet like a mole.

Three more landers — from the U.S., China and Europe — are due to launch next year.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said the overriding goal is to search for evidence of past or even present microbial life at Mars and find suitable locations to send astronauts, perhaps in the 2030s.

“While it is sad that we move from one mission to the next, it’s really all part of one big objective,” he said.

BP predicts major demand shift to renewable energy

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

W

ITH major energy demand centers in the world focusing on change in energy choice to low carbon sources, British Petroleum (BP) has declared in its renowned Energy Outlook that renewable energy would overshadow hydrocarbon liquids in global demand by 2040.

According to the company which released its outlook on the industry last weekend, renewable power generation will dominate forces that shape the global energy transition out to projected by 2040, stressing that whereas rising prosperity would drive increase in global energy demand, supplies over the coming decades would come mainly from a diverse range of sources led by renewable, gas, oil and coal respectively.

The new outlook launched in London weekend by the company’s Group Chief Executive, Bob Dudley; and the Group Chief Economist, Spencer Dale.

In forecasting economic predicament for oil exporters, BP stated in the report that trade disputes, drive for energy sufficiency, government policies, societal preferences and technologies would play against energy export in the medium to long term.

In the ‘Evolving Transition’ scenario, the report stated, global energy demand would increase by a third by 2040, driven by improvements

in living standards, particularly in India, China and across Asia.

It added that energy consumed by industry and buildings would account for around 75% increase in overall energy demand, while growth in energy demand from transport would slow sharply relative to the past as gains in vehicle efficiency accelerate.

The report has it that power sector currently uses around 75% of the increase in primary energy, pointing out that demand transition would see renewables becoming the largest source of global power generation by 2040.

“About 85% of the growth in energy supply is generated through renewable energy and natural gas,” the report stated, adding that the “pace at which renewable energy penetrates the global energy system is faster than for any fuel in history.”

Demand for oil grows in the first half of the Outlook period before gradually plateauing, while global coal consumption remains broadly flat, BP stated in the outlook.

It however stated that increase in demand would carry oil demand along, explaining that “across all the scenarios considered in the Outlook, significant levels of continued investment in new oil will be required to meet oil demand in 2040.”

The growth in oil demand would mean that global carbon emissions would continue to rise, signaling the need for a comprehensive set

of policy measures to achieve a substantial reduction in carbon emissions.

“The outlook again brings into sharp focus just how fast the world’s energy systems are changing, and how the dual challenge of more energy with fewer emissions is framing the future. Meeting this challenge will undoubtedly require many forms of energy to play a role,” said Bob Dudley.

“Predicting how this energy transition will evolve is a vast, complex challenge. In BP, we know the outcome that’s needed, but we don’t know the exact path the transition will take. Our strategy offers us the flexibility and agility we need to meet this uncertainty head on.”

“The world of energy is changing,” agrees Spencer Dale. “Renewables and natural gas together account for the great majority of the growth in primary energy. In our evolving transition scenario, 85% of new energy is lower carbon.”

Besides the evolving transition scenario, the outlook built its conclusions around other major considerations including the need to produce more energy to support growth and enable billions of people to move from low to middle incomes.

The document cited the UN Human Development Index which suggests that increases in energy consumption of up to around 100 gigajoules (GJ) per head are associated with substantial increases in hu-

man development and well-being.

It said the world needed some 65 percent more energy than today to reduce that number living on less than 100 gigajoules of energy to one-third of the population by 2040.

“The increase in energy required over and above the evolving transition scenario is roughly the equivalent of China’s entire energy consumption in 2017,” it stated, adding that the dual challenge facing the world today was how to provide more energy with fewer emissions.

It said gains in energy efficiency; a switch to lower-carbon fuels; material use of CCUS; and a significant rise in the carbon price would result in a rapid transition scenario where lower carbon emissions from industry and buildings, power generation and transport would result in around a 45% decline in carbon emissions by 2040 relative to current levels.

“Polices aimed at the power sector are central to achieving a material reduction in carbon emissions over the next 20 years…most of the low-hanging fruit in terms of reducing carbon emissions is outside of the transport sector,” said Dale.

“A key development would be a near-complete decarbonization of the power sector – requiring greater use of renewables and CCUS in conjunction with natural gas – together with greater electrification of enduse activities (including transport).

For those end-uses that cannot be electrified, other forms of low-car-

bon energy and energy carriers will be crucial, potentially including hydrogen and bioenergy. Additionally, the importance of the circular economy and greater adoption of carbon storage and removal techniques are highlighted,” BP stated.

On the drive towards internal energy sufficiency by sovereign nations, BP stated that “International trade underpins economic growth and allows countries to diversify their source of energy,” adding that “The message from history is that concerns about energy security can have persistent, scarring effects.”

“The greatest impact is on net energy exporters, who suffer a material slowdown in the growth of oil and gas exports.”

Another impact of energy transition on future demand, BP said, would be ban of single-use plastics, an industry projected to lead oil demand growth in emerging low carbon environment.

In this scenario, oil demand rises more slowly than in the evolving transition scenario. However, the Outlook cautions that the full impact on energy growth and the environment will depend on the alternative materials that may be used in place of single-use plastics.

A ban on single-use plastics could result in an increase in energy demand and carbon emissions without further advances in alternative materials and the widespread use of collection and reuse systems, it stated.

22

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

e-Platform

Globacom partners Huawei Techs to empower students in Nigeria Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

W

ITH the rise in broadband penetration in Nigeria, it is without doubt that internet data services make up a huge part of creating ease in daily life and activities.

A lot can be done online now – academic and corporate research, booking cabs, movie tickets, paying utility bills, mobile banking, publicity for businesses of all scales and sizes, to name a few.

This creates the rising need for faster and better internet connectivity.

Since 4G network arrived Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), an indigenous Nigerian telecommunications service provider, popularly called the grandmasters of data, has been on the forefront offering Nigerian customers quality internet data services at a competitive price.

This has been made easier with Globacom’s partnership with Huawei Technologies, the leading global ICT and Telecommunications equipment and service providers.

The duo (Globacom and Huawei Technologies) have recently resorted to rewarding Nigerian students across institutions in the country with a combination of high-end smartphones and super-fast internet service.

This program, targeted at thirty (30) universities and a hundred and fifty (150) Nigerian students, will be offering free Huawei smartphones loaded with six months unlimited Glo 4G data to five (5) students and five (5) Huawei routers with preloaded 60GB of Glo 4G data to the institution.Students to be rewarded

are the top five (5) final year students in each institution.

The plan is to aid fast and free internet Wi-Fi connectivity for research in schools and to enable students stay connected to good internet for academic tasks while outside of the school premises for free.

The program kicked off recently at the Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State, where the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Professor Iheayichukwu Okoro, led other members of the University to receive the routers.

The five outstanding final year students of Babcock University who received the Huawei Y5 smartphones were Dogo Edafe Bawa of Business Education, Olusoji Ifejesu Precious of Accounting Department, Ojutiku Toluwanimi Oluwaseun of Economics, Ajulibe Goziem Benjamin of Medical Laboratory Science and Anifowose Airat Morolake of Computer Science department.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Okoro thanked Globacom and Huawei Technologies for the gesture which he said would motivate students to be more hardworking, engender healthy competition and spur them to exceptional performance. “We have always had faith in Globacom as we were part of the first set of postpaid lines and CUG users.

Our students will continue to cherish this recognition of excellence. Thank you Globacom. Thank you Huawei”, Professor Okoro said.

Also speaking, the Registrar of the University, Dr. Jonathan Nwosu, commending the speed and reliability of Glo’s 4G network set up by Huawei Technologies said, “Glo is Babcock, Babcock is Glo. This is reward

... To deploy Nigeria’s 1st Artificial Intelligence in telecoms

N

IGERIA is set to deploy Artifial Intelligence in its telecommunications sector as Globacom has announced plans to launch the next generation platform.

Globacom made the disclosure in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday, stating that Artificial intelligence would completely change customer experience owing to its highly interactive and engaging nature.

The company said the AI platform would engage customers directly and assist them to get information on pressing issues. It will also support customers to choose the most convenient data and talk plan in both the prepaid and postpaid categories, resolve general and specific issues such as balance enquiry/Value Added Service (VAS) and respond to customer enquiries 24/7 without any human interface.

The Glo AI platform, which will be the first in the telecoms sector, will enable conversation in English and Pidgin through voice & text.

Described by the company as a next generation customer experience, the platform will go live in the couple of weeks.

Globacom also announced it was about to launch a new product, Glo Health Care, which is designed to help Nigerians access the best global health care directly on their phones.

Glo Health Care is aimed at connecting Nigerians with specialised doctors worldwide. Through it, Nigerians can get information on common medical conditions at

the click of a button. The service is expected to checkmate medical tourism.

Those who will use the service can also track key health parameters such as blood pressure and sugar level.

To address the diversity of language in Nigeria’s telecom landscape, there will be audio translation in Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba.

Additionally, the service offers a worldwide database of doctors and allows booking of appointment by video consulting on the smartphone Another product announced at the event is the Glo Entertainment Portal, a single point of access for all digital content through Glo Café which supplies premium content of top international labels.

It has over 2million local and foreign songs.

The company also unveiled its new communication direction and its endorsement by World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Anthony Joshua. The endorsement contract with the world heavyweight boxing champion covers Nigeria and Ghana.

Joshua is a proud holder of four major world championship belts, namely International Boxing Federation (IBF) title, World Boxing Association (WBA) title, World Boxing Organisation (WBO) title, and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) title which he won between 2016 and 2018.

Other products showcased at the event include Glo Drive, Glo Call Connect Service and World Connect.

•Globacom-Huawei-Technologies-at-Babcock-University-750x430.png. for hard work. Hard work pays. We thank you for rewarding excellence in academics”.

One of the beneficiaries, 19-yearold Ojutiku Toluwanimi expressed deep gratitude for the gesture, stating that her parents and other family members were very happy Glo subscribers. Another recipient, 36-year-old Mrs Dogo Edafe Bawa, commended Globacom and Huawei Technologies for the free smartphones and data; enjoining other service providers to emulate Globacom’s standard of excellence.

Globacom’s Regional Manager,

Retail Sales, Lagos/Ogun, Mr. Olufolahan Faseyitan, urged members of the University community to use the opportunity of the company’s week-long data clinic to upgrade to Glo 4G to experience the new speed of life and enjoy memorable communication experience.He noted that the availability of Glo 4G in all tertiary institutions in the country validated the claim that Globacom has the widest and most reliable 4G LTE coverage in Nigeria.

Representing Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, the

Deputy Human Resources Director, Mrs. Dorothy Johnson, expressed Huawei’s pledge to assisting its clients’ business success by providing leading innovation technology and all-encompassing support as it does for Globacom and other clients. She also stated Huawei’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility in line with building the knowledge capacity of Nigerian youths and bridging the digital gap in unconnected societies, including rural areas. “Huawei cares about Nigerian youths” she said.

Facebook highlights efforts to protect election integrity in Nigeria, Africa

W

ITH a number of upcoming elections across Africa, Facebook has restated its commitment to reduce the spread of misinformation, protect election integrity and support civic engagement across the continent, including Nigeria.

Facebook’s assurance is coming few hours after the postponement of the General Elections in Nigeria by to February 29 (Presidential and National Assembly) and March 09 (Governorship and Houses of Assembly), respectively.

The social media giant has in recent times dedicated unprecedented resources to these efforts globally, especially in Africa where its efforts have been focused in eight key areas, namely fighting false news, boosting digital literacy to help people spot false news, promoting civic engagement, making political ads more transparent, proactive removal of impersonation accounts, and connecting with political parties about security.

It has also undertaking the training of journalists on practices for sharing content on its platforms, while partnerships with NGOs and civil society groups on the continent.

Facebook’s Public Policy Manager, Africa Elections, Akua Gyekye, said: “We want to stop the spread of false news on our platforms. That’s why we’ve teamed up with local third-party fact-checkers across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and Senegal — including Africa Check, AFP (Agence France-Presse), Pesa Check (a local Kenyan fact-checking organization) and Dubawa (a local Nigerian fact-checking organization). These independent groups help us assess

the accuracy of news shared on Facebook, and when they determine content is false, we reduce its distribution in News Feed so fewer people see it. We also show related articles from fact-checkers for more context and notify users if a story they have shared is rated as false.”

Additionally, in Nigeria, WhatsApp has worked with Africa Check and CrossCheck Nigeria to let users send questions about potential rumours they have received through the platform. These fact-checking expansions are part of a broader strategy to fight fake news that includes extensive work to remove fake accounts, cut off incentives to the financially-motivated actors that spread misinformation, promote news literacy, and give more context so people can decide for themselves what to read, trust, and share.

Facebook has also intensified efforts help people spot false news on their own and to flag it, rolling out educational tips on national and regional radio and in print media across Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

In Nigeria, WhatsApp has launched its “Share Facts, Not Rumours” campaign to help increase awareness about hoaxes. Additionally, at the end of last year Facebook began a new Online Safety Programme for students in Nigerian secondary schools.

The 12-week workshop is designed to help teenagers understand the fundamentals of online safety and digital literacy, covering topics such as managing an online presence; social media and sharing; public Wi-Fi safety; building healthy relationships online; understanding password security and privacy settings; and identifying misin-

formation online.

According Facebook, it is also promoting civic engagement around the elections. “Helping to build informed and civically engaged communities is central to our work around elections.

In Nigeria, we’ve rolled out new options in English & Hausa so people can report posts that contain incorrect election information, encourage violence or otherwise violate our Community Standards. On Election Day, we’ll show a voting day reminder in English and Hausa at the top of Facebook’s News Feed,” Gyekye said.

Arguably one of its boldest move to date, Facebook is also making political ads more transparent across the globe including Africa. Earlier this month, it began temporarily expanding enforcement and not accepting foreign election ads on Facebook in Nigeria to help prevent foreign interference.

Another measure deployed has been the proactive removal of impersonation accounts, thanks to recent advancements in its detection technology, which has made it to become much more effective at identifying these accounts.

Other activities Facebook is involved in includes journalist trainings to educate media groups and journalists across the country on best practices for sharing content on its platforms and online safety, partnerships with NGOs and Civil Societies to better understand local issues and how to tackle them more effectively as well as organising trainings for parties, campaigns and candidates on security best practices, including how to turn on two-factor authentication and how to avoid common threats online.

23

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

e-Platform

Ikeja Electric celebrates with kids at Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

E

XCITEMENT radiated on faces of kids at the Children’s Ward of National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi Lagos (NOHIL) when staff of leading electricity distribution, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), visited the hospital to celebrate Valentine’s Day with them The visit, which was in line with the objectives of the company’s Personal and Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR), provided opportunity for the team to spend quality time and show love to the kids, who were recuperating in the hospital.

The team was warmly received by the nurses and they spent time playing and reading to the kids; they also presented them with gift packs and provisions to celebrate the occasion.

While receiving the Ikeja Electric team, the Assistant Director of Nursing, NOHIL, Mrs. Kappo Mojisola, commended the company for offering its time, resources in order to extend love to children in the hospital as part of Valentine’s Day celebration.

She said: “Ikeja Electric has demonstrated compassion and love for these kids putting their love in mind and donating these items to give them a sense of belonging and render support. Together with the kids, we pray for the staff and management. We deeply appreciate this gesture.”

Speaking on the initiative, Head

of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Felix Ofulue, noted that the company decided to extend love to these kids on Valentine’s Day in line with its commitment to impact on lives by giving back to communities, customers and needy individuals through the Personal and Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) platform.

He said: “Our PCSR platform allows both the company and the employees to carry out voluntary charitable activities aimed at making impact on different spheres of the society. Under the PCSR programme, we have the Employee Volunteer Scheme (EVS) which enables our staff to voluntarily contribute their time and resources to the welfare of Nigerians. This charitable gesture reflect the largeheartedness of both management and staff of Ikeja Electric to contribute to the progress of our society,” he added.

The kids, most of whom were recuperating from surgeries, also expressed appreciation for the provision and quality time spent with them. Their faces lit with joy as staff of Ikeja Electric handed them the gifts packs.

Other staff of the hospital present during the donation include Legal Officer, Mrs. Adekalu Adebola; Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Ayo Adenike; Admin Officer II, Mrs. Osoteku Fola; Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Theresa Ebode and Asst.

Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Ahkiomen Amewie.

•Facebook-review-centre.

Cyber security myths you must forget to avoid being hacked!

C

YBER security threats are real.

The cyber traitors penetrate every facet of the economy.

For instance, the Nigerian InterBank Settlement System, NIBSS), disclosed that the banking industry lost the sum of N12.30 billion to various frauds between 2014 and 2017, with male accounting for 73 percent of the total fraud commit-

CcHUB unveils Africa’s first ‘design lab’ in Kigali; here are the expected impact on the continent

C

O-CREATION Hub, CcHUB, has taken an unprecedented next step in Africa’s growing tech sector with the launch of ‘CcHUB Design Lab’ in Kigali, Rwanda.

The lab is set to become a leading creative space where CcHub’s multidisciplinary team of product designers and engineers will collaborate with scientists and stakeholders globally, to explore the application of emerging technologies that will solve Africa’s systemic problems in Public Health, Education, Governance and the Private Sector.

Cross section of attendees The new state-of-the-art lab, sees CcHUB, the leading innovation centre dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity, expand its physical presence to another African country, for the first time in its eight year history.

CcHUB is now looking to partner with both public and private industry bodies from across the continent.

CCHUB Design Lab in Kigali, Rwanda Commenting on the official launch, His Excellency, Paula Ingabire says “CcHUB’s expansion into Kigali, marked with the launch of the Design Lab today, is an exciting landmark for Rwanda’s burgeoning tech community.

Rwanda is keen on collaborating with world-class partners to establish ourselves as a leading destination that nurtures innovation-driven enterprises. We see technology as an integral gateway and means of developing society – an ethos

and mission shared by CcHUB. CCHUB Design Lab in Kigali, Rwanda As we strive to become a knowledge-based economy, we will continue to build long-lasting, strategic partnerships that celebrate excellence, forge ahead with progress and that are, essentially, a force for good that will impact thousands of people across the continent.”

To coincide with the launch, CcHUB will announce the Rwanda Biomedical Centre as its first local company to partner, joining the likes of Go-Ga Lab, Nimcure and Safe Online.

With an unrivalled track record of supporting tech-enabled companies connected with civic society, CcHUB boasts a pre-incubation portfolio of over 60 companies, including digital blood bank, Lifebank, recycling venture, WeCyclers and Budgit, a web platform that simplifies the Nigerian budget and public data.

The Design Lab, which further reinforces CcHUB’s commitment to solving Africa’s biggest development and social challenges, will be powered by a multidisciplinary design team of designers and engineers. Using design and innovation, the three key sectors of focus are: Public Health: Focused on digital epidemiology by collaborating with a cross-sector of stakeholders including scientists, researchers, health professionals and developers to use technology in accelerating the adoption of locally-created solutions for better detection and surveillance of diseases, and improving adherence to treatment.

Education: Focused on improv-

ing students’ interests, participation and learning outcomes in STEM education, with attention paid to teaching methods and use of creative content.

Governance: Focused on the role of technology in helping the government promote participatory governance, transparency and more effective public services for social and economic prosperity.

On the launch of the Design Lab, CcHUB’s Co-founder and CEO, ‘Bosun Tijani, comments, “We’ve been building tech businesses alongside African entrepreneurs for almost a decade and in that time, we’ve identified a common challenge that businesses face when it comes to sustainable growth – Design and Innovation.

“With the CcHUB Design lab, we will be collaborating with organisations that may not have the capacity to design, build and innovate as quick as leaner startups would.

“The lab will also build on CcHUB’s extensive global and pan-African network of partners, research institutes and governmental organisations to execute practical design projects that will solve some of our social and business challenges at scale” “Whilst our work from the lab will focus on the entire continent, we chose Rwanda as the country to operate from because of the ease of doing business in the country.

“Additionally, by collaborating with the Government of Rwanda, whose vision aligns with ours, we hope to find solutions that will enable socio-economic development, productivity and development across Africa.”

ted.

The Managing Director of NIBBS, Mr Adebisi Shonubi, made the disclosure at the third Annual Banking Security Summit organized by MAXUT Consulting in partnership with OneSpan, a global data security company in Lagos, recently.

Specifically, he noted that 2014 fraud volume stood at 1,461, 10,743 (2015), 19,531 in 2016 and 25,043 in 2017.

Speaking on “Industry fraud overview with focus on mobile & payments related frauds,” Shonubi said the industry lost N6.22 billion in 2014 on attempted fraud value of N7.76 billion.

Thus, because of these trends companies are even falling prey to two myths that often cloud the judgement of business owners when it comes to Cyber-attacks.

Whilst they mostly think they are safe, the myths actually increase their chances of falling in the hands of cyber-criminals and hackers.

The first Cyber Security Myth is that many business owners still believe that all cyber attacks are targeted.

This means that unless they’re specifically selected as the prey of a hacking attack, they won’t fall victim.

It is not uncommon to see businesses that believe they will not be in the sights of cybercriminals, so aren’t at risk from suffering the negative effects of a cyber-attack.

You may even be one of such people with this belief, but if you ask the Western business leaders that were hit by NotPetya in 2017, they would definitely have stories to tell you that would change your mindset about cyber-attacks.

To quickly recap what NotPetya was about – it was a malware campaign launched against Ukraine

by Russia, which quickly spread around the world, knocking businesses offline and doing vast amounts of damage to people who weren’t primary targets of the attack in the first place.

The original target of the attack was Ukrainian infrastructure, but it damaged — amongst other things — British advertising and pharma-

ceutical companies, as well as the shipping giant, Maersk!

The impact of NotPetya forced Maersk to reinstall 4,000 servers and over 45,000 PCs, with losses caused by serious business interruption estimated to amount to over $300m, despite the shipping firm never being the intended target of the attack.

Another example of how unsuspecting organizations can find themselves the victims of a major cyber attack is the incidence of WannaCry Ransomware.

The UK’s National Health Service found itself an unwitting victim of the campaign spread via an aggressive worm-like virus launched by North Korea in an effort to extort ransoms.

Despite the fact that you would wonder about the absurdity of attacking a body like NHS, yet they weren’t spared. This means that when it comes to cyber attacks, there is really no one that can be spared!

The second Cyber Security Myth is that some businesses don’t engage with cybersecurity because they believe it to be too complicated.

This is quite an irony as businesses usually have to deal with complicated issues every day, and it begs the question of why understanding cyber-security should be too complicated to figure out. Actually, it isn’t even complicated!

If your company can deal with complex data, millions of financial transactions, transportation of goods from one end to another, provision of services to diverse customers, or anything at all, cybersecurity is not something you should not be able to comprehend and deploy.

Even simple activities like ensuring systems and software are up to date can go a long way to protecting organizations from cyberattacks.

This approach could have helped organizations around the world avoid becoming victims of Cloud Hopper, a data-stealing espionage campaign, which Western authorities have attributed to China’s statebacked hacking group APT10.

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

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24

VOX POPULI SACRUM

Election 2019: Getting it right (III)

INEC failed to get it right on the first day it is colluding with the ruling party to continued to assure the nation that it polls were to begin. It was a few minachieve staggered elections, a move the was up to the task of replacing its mautes to 3am on Saturday when Chairopposition parties oppose. The failure to terials including card readers and uncolman Mahmood Yakubu made the andeploy materials and personnel to several lected PVCs destroyed in the infernos. nouncement postponing the elections As is now evident, black legs exist within states before 2am on Saturday is cited as of 2019 by one full week. Until then, evidence. The initial plot, we have been INEC’s fold. And that was why result officials of the nation’s electoral body told, was to postpone the elections in sheets and other electoral materials had had been giving assurances of INEC’s 12 or 13 states to provide an opportunity been diverted by Friday. Security agents preparedness to conduct free and fair to manipulate the results in the selected have reportedly seized large quantities elections. What really happened? states later. The governorship polls INEC of thumb-printed ballot papers in various The story told by Professor Yakubu does conducted in Ekiti and Osun states a few locations. The results of the elections in not add up, and few Nigerians have months ago were controversial because many places had been compiled before believed it. We don’t either. of INEC’s incompetence and alleged colluthe last-minute postponement.

This is the sixth general election INEC sion with one party.

We at The Oracle Today believe INEC and is conducting in the Fourth Republic.

The several lapses observed on February 16 the politicians have been shedding Whatever lapses in terms of logistics are enough to prepare INEC for a better crocodile tears. One of the rumours ought to have been remedied long outing on February 23: Already thumbcirculating well in advance of February before now. For the past three weeks, printed ballot papers were intercepted in 16 was that the polls would be postairplanes, trucks and vans have been different places. An individual was caught poned. At least one newspaper quoted moving election materials through the with over 10, 000 PVCs. Another individuunnamed INEC officials who had given it length and breadth of Nigeria. Security al had 6, 000 card readers. Some parties’ the information, which means they had operatives armed with AK 47 and 49 names were not printed on ballot papers. been playing on the intelligence of the rifles have accompanied the sensitive Ballot papers meant for one state were electorate and were waiting for a conand non-sensitive materials to different found in another state. Result sheets had venient time to strike. Was it therefore branches of the Central Bank of Nigebeen completed! surprising that neither Professor Yakubu ria. Sabotage was clearly the reason nor any other ranking INEC official could There is no assurance that INEC will plug all INEC offices got burnt in Plateau, Abia the loopholes before this Saturday. Havapologise to Nigerians for taking them and Anambra states. Even then, INEC ing failed several times, it is not likely to for a ride? succeed this time. Or what is it going to The amount of resources lost to do differently? Who are the INEC officials the postponement of the polls is that made result sheets and ballot papers difficult to calculate. Should we available to politicians? The fraudsters talk about the man-hours lost? caught on February 16 ought to be punThe entire country was shut ished; have they? down: Land and sea borders were sealed off. Schools were Our Vision closed. Markets were closed.

TO BE among the top five newspapers in NigeMany Nigerians travelled long ria and, in due course, the Numero Uno; to be a distances in a bid to vote at plac- newspaper of records that effectively caters to es they were registered. Youth the information needs of all segments and secCorp members were stranded tions of the Nigerian society as well as all social in cold nights as they waited classes and cultures. Essentially, we want to be a in vain for electoral materials. responsible corporate citizen, a commercially viable, properly organised media business, which There was hardly any Nigerian meets its obligations to society, government who did not lose something. and the workforce.

Perhaps it was a plot to disenfranchise many, as some politiMission cal parties have charged. Not WE INTEND to contribute to the development all those who travelled have of an inclusive Nigerian society, with a view to enough resources to keep them getting rid of the dark sides of our national life afloat for the next three weeks. (slothfulness, greed, corruption, nepotism, totalMany angry voters won’t vote itarianism, etc); to continually engender and susanymore. Also hard-hit have tain national debates that would ultimately lead been foreign election observers to the enthronement of healthy national valueswho have incurred additional -hard-work, justice, equity and fairplay, transparency, good governance, resulting, in themselves, costs and may therefore not the egalitarian Nigerian society of our dream. We wait a week longer. Was there will give voice to the voiceless and at all times, a deliberate plot to get rid of strive to be balanced, objective, honest, truthful them, especially after one governor had threatened them with and fair to all sides; so that through The Oracle Today, our people, the Nigerian people can see “body bags”? a bright light at the end of what has been a very One troubling accusation bedark tunnel. And we shall do all this in absolute ing levelled against INEC is that trust in God who blesses good intentions.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

OPINION Poll shift: INEC’s pranks on Nigerians

By EHICHIOYA EZOMON

I

f, by any stretch of the imagination, the political parties and the thousands of candidates were unable to sufficiently mobilize the electorate for the crucial general election, and in particular, the presidential and national legislative balloting on February 16, 2019, the same couldn’t be said of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At every turn, and in any opportune moment, the electoral umpire was in regular contacts with Nigerians, and the international community, up to the early hours of Friday, February 15.

Repeatedly, it gave the assurance that the two-part election of February 16 and March 2 would not only hold as scheduled, but also conducted in line with international best practices of freeness, fairness, credibility and acceptability.

Even on Friday when “credible” news filtered in on the social media that the commission had postponed or about to shift the election by some weeks, INEC was quick to issue a rebuttal. It labelled the said adjournment as in the realm of “fake news,” and gave its word, once again, that everything was in place for a smooth and orderly conduct of the poll, as planned.

Hence, nothing could have prepared the citizens for the shocker the Professor Mahmoud Yakubu-headed commission handed down in the wee hours of Saturday, February 16. It’s a back-breaking piece of news no right-thinking and patriotic Nigerian craved for in their enthusiasm to cast their ballots.

As at the time of going to press, INEC had rounded off fielding questions from stake-

holders in Abuja, to explain the plausible and believable reasons, besides logistical difficulties, it shifted the poll. But didn’t the electoral body have four years to prepare for the election, without having to put itself in an impracticable position, at the eleventh hour, to deliver materials to the voting precincts?

For all Nigerians care, it’s an after-thought, even when there were reports of electoral materials going to the wrong places, or “missing” outrightly, like in two senatorial districts of Niger State.

Such mix-ups are not new in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. But what’s unfathomable is a huge mix-up in delivery to many states, and not being able to lift a reasonable quantity of the materials from the Abuja airport.

With that, it would, indeed, be unreasonable to hold the election in about two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation, and wait for another date to complete the exercise before collating and announcing the results, and declaring and returning the winner.

With the mood in the country, that would be politically suicidal, as “fifth columnists,” accusingly angling to sabotage the system if the poll were held as scheduled, would pounce on the lull provided by INEC to instigate havoc in the country.

That said, if it were possible, Nigerians would have (and many had) called on Prof.

Yakubu to resign for this obvious “inefficiency,” as President Muhammadu Buhari described the scenario, that may have gladdened “saboteurs” of, and laggards in the election.

By the deferment, Yakubu has damaged his reputation as an impartial and unbiased

umpire, his “regrets” notwithstanding. Nothing he does henceforth will be taken as credible, and not influenced by external forces in government, opposition or foreign countries that are lately in the eye of the political storm.

However, his resignation or being booted out would not solve the prevailing crisis of confidence; it would worsen it, as a new Chairman of INEC may invariably ask for more time than the one-week rescheduling that Prof. Yakubu has imposed on the nation.

Besides, controversy would arise, immediately, as to the “suitableness” of the person chosen to head the commission. The prerogative of appointing the INEC chair rests with the president, and in this case Buhari.

Being the real overseer of the general election, and a major participant as a candidate, the president would be accused of selecting a “card-carrying” member of his political platform, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to help his cause at the poll.

No matter how apolitical the nominee might be, it would not jell with an agitated opposition, which members had regularly “dreamt and saw” alleged manipulation of the electoral process by the INEC, in cahoots with security agencies, to return the ruling APC to power.

These allegations will not abate in the next six days. Instead, they’re going to intensify in rapidity likely to stoke more crises than would have arisen had the election held on February 16.

Meanwhile, despite the INEC chair’s explanation of taking “full responsibility” to shift the poll, President Buhari and the APC are taking the rap for the action. The opposition had harped on “plans” by the president to

postpone the election because of his party’s (APC) fear of being worsted at the poll.

The APC had counter-accused the PDP of the actual planners of such electoral malfeasance, going by history during its 16 years in the saddle that ended in 2015; and Buhari had repeatedly vowed his neutrality, and vouched for a credible conduct of the election.

Yet, the allegations persisted, helped by the surprised shifting of the poll in the wake of an “innocuous” letter written by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the INEC, to enrol the barred APC candidates in Zamfara State just days to the election.

In making this request, following his reading of an Appeal Court’s ruling that “reinstated” the eligibly of the candidates, Malami asked the electoral body to grant them time to “catch up” in campaigns with their counterparts in the 73 of the 91 political parties fielding candidates for the election.

Willy-nilly, that’s a tell-tale sign that in the air was an alleged plan by INEC and the Buhari government to shift the election. Add the series of untoward happenings on the eve of the election, and the INEC and government played into the hands of a sceptical opposition doubtful of their readiness and neutrality for the election.

What’s Nigerians’ best bet in the circumstances? It’s to swallow the bitter pill forced down their throats by INEC, and hope that its new date(s) for the election would be sacrosanct, and inviolate, as envisaged by the electoral laws and guidelines, and the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Nothing else would assuage their bruised psyche, and the image of the nation!

Atiku’s plan is what the economy needs

By ODILIM ENWEGBARA

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o modern capitalist economy allows its forex management policy to be in the hands of just one man – one man so powerful that he decides who gets the forex and how much. It’s even worse where the one man in question is not only unelected but came directly from one of the country’s commercial banks. And with this immense power, he could only pretend to decide the value of the naira in respect of other currencies.

Of course, it can’t be more bizarre that this is happening in a modern capitalist democracy with the chief banker of the nation overly powerful to be handing forex to whom he pleases.

Can’t we, then, understand why rather than our current forex management policy -- particularly CBN’s dirty floating of the naira -- being proinvestment, pro-economic growth and pro-job creation and anti-poverty, it is the opposite?

No one seems to be alarmed that Nigeria’s current forex management policy based on multiple windows is what is causing the biggest forex fraud ever in the country’s history. Or should those who are supposed to be alarmed be when, in order to keep their mouths shut, they have been fully bought over? Atiku Abubakar in his infinite patriotism and based on his understanding of the clear difference between clean and dirty floating is telling Nigerians what no other politician currently seeking election would dare raise their voice about.

Before Atiku, the Emir of Kano (Emefiele’s predecessor) as well as my humble self has been voicing it out: that Emefiele is mismanaging the country’s forex and is doing so with his multiple forex windows. We have noted time without number that it is this multiple window, dirty floating of the naira that has helped forex hoarders create artificial forex scarcity that creates huge supply and demand gap, and, as a result of the gap between the official and parallel market rates, the business of round-tripping has created billionaire men and women who by mere telephone calls and with access to the apex bank governor make millions of dollars.

In his endless warnings about this fraud, the outspoken Emir of Kano has continued to insist that the Buhari administration is knowingly creating forex subsidy billionaires who rather than engage in real-sector business now engage in forex round-tripping, the same way previous

governments created oil-import billionaires who did nothing other than using oil subsidy to engage in round-tripping. He has even gone as far as telling us that it is CBN governor Ifeanyi Emefiele’s four multiple forex windows that are at the root of the unheard-of fraud that is causing the country’s forex instability and the governor’s spending of over $15 billion annually while pretending to be defending the same naira though forex intervention.

Atiku’s boldness comes from his argument that the four forex windows — namely bureau de change, interbank, investment and export, and official window — are the puzzle that scares international investors and multilateral institutions. Management of these multiple exchange rate windows has certainly depended on the discretionary decisions of one man, the governor. It is this governor’s forex allocation at will that has continued to distort what should have been market-determined equilibrium rates.

Those who understand forex economics know the immense drag and fraud that go on here, since sustaining discretion in the exchange markets does not enthrone transparency let alone corruption-free forex management policy especially in a way that prevents forex round-tripping. Understandably, it is these forex hoarders whose banks’ free access to cheap forex has ensured they only sell the same forex to importers of finished consumer goods instead of to importers of plants and equipment, and manufacturing raw materials. This is why it has become extremely difficult for the real-sector economy to have enough forex to effectively deploy to the country’s economic development and job creation.

It is also bizarre how the governor, as soon as he took over from his predecessor, turned the apex bank into a fractional reserve banking system. This has given some powerful businessmen like Aliko Dangote discretionary forex in billions of dollars along with billions of naira handed them without thoroughly involving risk analysts, given that the Dangote Group is debt-ridden. In fact, performing the same role commercial banks have the sole licence to perform means challenging their role since the 17th century when fractional reserve banking was invested and reserved only for commercial banking.

Why is Emefiele fighting back? Why is he arguing that Atiku’s clean floating of the naira is go-

ing to be “disastrous and a road to perdition” when he knows that it is his unnecessary four forex windows along with his frequent interventions that have continuously distorted the forex market and as a result leading to dollar subsidy that are causing fraud and artificial scarcity in the forex market? It is also diverting the CBN from what central banks all over the world are known for, which is policy institution.

First, Emefiele should agree that when a currency is fully floated the following will happen: the value of that currency becomes stable, given that it is at the mercy of supply and demand and the currency will cease to be at the discretionary power of the country’s central bank governor, including handing the likes of Dangote billions of dollars in forex at far below what is obtainable at the bureau de change window.

Second, he should know that with the naira fully floated, it becomes extremely difficult for forex hoarders to create artificial scarcity that has to require the governor’s interventions falsely seeking the currency’s stability. With this opening up of Nigeria’s financial economy to the world, this will trigger unprecedented dollars inflows into economy. This will drastically grow forex supply in a way that equally raises the values of the naira. The continued high arbitrage in financial system will lead to over one hundred billion dollars brought into the country’s economy by foreign investors scrambling to take full advantage of that.

Third, President Atiku Abubakar’s floating of the naira and making the currency have its true value will drastically reduce the economy’s high import dependency. This is because without forex subsidy importers of finished consumer goods would have their imported goods easily priced out of the reach of most consumers. And it is also because importers of 41 items banned from accessing official forex still do so at the black market that the prices of these items have skyrocketed, leading to high inflation rates in the economy. The question that comes to mind is: if these 41 items were banned from accessing forex officially, how come official forex intervention has not reduced?

Finally, it is very important to note here that all we need for our economy to begin to grow at as high as double-digit is not by engaging in the frequent forex intervention, but rather — and Atiku fully knows that — by giving the economy the kind of investor confidence it is right now lacking.

To bring foreign investors in their large numbers, we need an Atiku-led government that knows how to provide the right business environment.

Unfortunately, the Buhari administration has so scared foreign and local investors that they prefer sitting on the fence while it lasts.

Atiku’s floating of the naira will signal to global investors that Nigeria is now a place to do business, since there wouldn’t be any more obstruction of forex inflows into the country and outflows from the country.

This is the secret and the game changer that we need right now, especially at a time we badly need foreign investors in our infrastructure development as well as foreign investors more in the Greenfield than in the Brownfield industries. It will not only lead to a lot of portfolio investors’ forex into the economy, it will lead to their keeping their money in the country for a long period, leading to the stabilisation of the naira value.

THE GROUP Managing Editor/COO Felix Oguejiofor Abugu Deputy Managing Editor/COO Sopuruchi Onwuka Chairman Editorial Board Igwebike Mbanefo SE/SS Editor Odogwu Emeka Odogwu Acting BDM Kelechi Nze Head, Graphics & Designs Nnamdi Alex Chukwu Circulation Manager Felix Oti

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

Travel & Hospitality

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Chevron supports EGCDF deliver 2 cottage hospitals to Delta State

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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REGIONAL development committee funded by the oil and gas exploration and production joint venture operated

by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has delivered two cottage hospitals to the Delta State government to boost healthcare for the people.

Chairman, Communications Committee of the Egbema-Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF), Ebi Kinkin, stated in a media release that the regional development committee built the hospitals under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) pioneered by the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture.

He said the foundation founded since 2005 handed over the two cottage hospitals built in Oporoza and Tsekelewu to the Delta State Government to support effective primary healthcare delivery in the communities.

Chairman, EGCDF, Comrade Jude Ukori, said, “The project execution is in keeping with EGCDF’s mission to promote sustainable development, peace and economic prosperity in the communities in keeping with the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) between the communities in EGCDF, the Delta State Government and the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture.”

Comrade Ukori thanked the Delta State Government for taking over the Cottage Hospital and other stakeholders for their sup-

port to EGCDF and stated that the move will greatly add value to the lives of the community members.

According to him, “This is a world-class arrangement. The cottage hospitals would be managed by the Toronto Hospital group.

The Cottage Hospitals will provide free healthcare for pregnant women, Senior Citizens and Children under 5 while every other person can access treatment by paying an annual subscription of seven thousand naira (N7,000) only.”

In his comments, Esimaje Brikinn, CNL’s General Manager, Policy Government and Public Affairs, expressed the company’s delight over the completed projects. He noted that the takeover of the EGCDF’s cottage hospitals in Tsekelewu and Oporoza by the Delta State Government is a welcome development in the progression of the GMoU. “This is a validation of the sustainability plan of the GMoU. By this project, the GMoU has taken another huge step towards sustainability of projects,” he said.

“To facilitate steady sustainable development in the communities, the GMoU+ focuses on sustainable economic empowerment programs, employment generation and alignment with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he further explained.

Mr. Brikinn added that Chevron Supports sustainable development by contributing through its work in protecting people and the

•Premiere double bedroom

environment and by investing in health, education and economic development. “Through the cottage hospitals, we are helping to achieve two of the UN SDGs which include Health and Wellness,” he added.

Delta State Governor, Senator Okowa, who was represented by Chief of Staff, Hon. Tam Brisbe expressed his delight with the Cottage Hospitals. He commended

Chevron for funding the project and the EGCDF for executing the project excellently. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensure Universal Health Coverage in Delta State.

According to him, the Delta State Contributory Health Commission representing the Delta State Government in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is partnering with the Bank of Indus-

tions.

IP Juno, a unit of San Franciscobased Intersect Power LLC, outlined plans to build a 400-megawatt solar facility by the second quarter of 2021 in Borden County, according to an application concerning its state property taxes.

Intersect Power didn’t return calls and emails for comment.

Borden County, with a population of less than 700, is located

within the oil-rich Permian Basin, is about 110 kilometers south of Lubbock.

Vistra Energy Corp. just completed what’s now the the largest battery storage facility in Texas with a 10-megawatt system connected to a solar farm. It’s also planning a project at the Moss Landing power plant in California, which will store 300 megawatts for as long as four hours when completed next year.

a CMBS provider, on behalf of Tucson Urban.

“Despite the volatility in the CMBS market during the last two months of 2018, Walker & Dunlop delivered exceptional attention to our loan, our needs, and our timing,” said Scott Stiteler, managing partner of Tucson Urban, in prepared remarks.

The modern eight-story property offers guests amenities including a fitness center, a rooftop pool and free Wi-Fi. Located at 151 E. Broadway Blvd., the hotel is in the heart of downtown and within walking distance from a variety of shopping, dining and cultural offerings.

Another AC Marriott hotel is being developed in downtown Phoenix at Arizona Center, a 1 millionsquare-foot mixed-use project.

• AC Marriott Tucson

Texas to host world’s biggest solar battery storage

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA, With agency reports

T

EXAS, a southern state of the United States of America will in 2021 host the world’s largest battery storage for storing solar energy which would serve the oil industry in a paradox of using clean energy to support dirty fuels production.

According to reports available in online sources, then project which is already sanctioned to store up to 495 megawatts of electricity captured at a solar farm of the same size in Borden County, Texas.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc., which operates most of the state’s grid, posted the details in a chart that shows the state’s battery storage will surge more than six fold to 584 megawatts when the projects are completed in 2021.

An analyst at BloombergNEF, Yayoi Sekine, commented that recent battery-backed solar projects have, at most, 100 megawatts of panels and 30 megawatts of storage; adding that bigger batteries are being developed to help make the electricity produced through solar and wind power more efficient, even when the sun goes down and it gets less breezy.

He pointed out that the Texas battery house capacity would be

about five times the conventional storage capacity limits in existing projects.

The project underscores how Big Oil’s demand for power in the fossil fuels-rich Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is, in a twist, boosting the case for renewable energy. Texas’s power grid operator has stressed the need for more electricity resources in the region to power oil and gas drilling opera-

Marriott secures $40m loan for Tucson asset

T

HE 136-key AC Marriott is the first hotel to be built in the city’s downtown since the early 1970s. Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing.

A recently built Marriott-branded hotel in downtown Tucson, Ariz., has received $40 million in financing. AC Marriott, developed by Tucson Urban, is a 136-key hotel that was completed in 2017 and is the first to be built in the downtown area since the 1970s.

The 10-year loan was structured with an attractive interest rate and three years of interest-only payments, according to Walker & Dunlop, the firm that arranged the financing. A Walker & Dunlop team including Jim Pierson, Keaton Merrell, Alison Williams and Matt Baldwin originated the loan from

try and the Pharmaccess Foundation for an “Access to Finance” program to revitalise 25 defunct Healthcare facilities in rural communities leveraging on the Private Sector capacity and efficiency of service under the Bank of Industry SME program.

“These Cottage Hospitals in Tsekelewu and Oporoza have been adopted as part of the scheme to ensure Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities have qualitative healthcare delivery,” he said.

It would be observed that CNL has invested over 5.56 billion Naira in EGCDF since its inception. Using part of this fund, the EGCDF has executed infrastructural and noninfrastructural projects like road and drainages, jetties, capacity building in Agricultural entrepreneurship and cottage hospitals.

Other achievements of the EGCDF include scholarships (local and foreign in Master’s and PhD degrees) in addition to free eye treatment for community members.

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

INSURANCE & PENSION NSE lifts embargo on Goldlink Insurance shares

By JEROME USHAKANG

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Monday lifted suspension placed on the trading in the shares of Goldlink Insurance Plc. The Exchange in its market bulletin dated February 18, 2019 said that in view of the submission of the Company’s outstanding financial statements and pursuant to Rule 3.3 of the Default Filing Rules, which provides that: “The sus-

pension 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.

The Exchange shall thereafter also announce through the medium by which the public and the SEC was init ially notified of the suspension”.

Dealing members are hereby notified that the suspension placed in the trading of the company’s

NAICOM confirms Braie as CEO of Linkage Assurance

N

ATIONAL Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has confirmed the appointment of Daniel Braie as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Linkage Assurance Plc. The approval was communicated to the Chairman, Board of Directors via a letter dated, December 28, 2018.Braie was the Executive Director, Technical of the Company before he was elevated to the position of the Acting Managing Director earlier in 2018.

A seasoned insurance professional, he has to his credit over 35years work experience including at senior management levels across different companies in the industry.

He is expected to bring to bear his wealth of knowledge and experience to transform the operations of the company for greater growth.

Meanwhile, the company, in line with its vision to enhance quality of operations has also announced the appointment of Okanlawon Adelagun, as Executive Director, Technical. Adelagun, whose appointment became effective 7th January 2019, is subject to the approval of NAI-

Arik Air introduces fly-to-vote promo

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RIK Air has introduced a N16, 000 fly- to -vote promotion to encourage Nigerians travel to their respective wards to cast their votes in the rescheduled elections.

The promo also covers the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections holding across the country on February 23, 2019 and March 9, 2019 respectively.

The N16, 000 promotional fare is the one-way ticket cost to any domestic destination on Arik Air’s network and customers must present a valid Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) at the point of purchase and at check in to be eligible to fly.

The fly- to- vote promotion is available for sale from Monday, February 18, 2019 till Tuesday, March 11, 2019 for travel between Thursday, February 21 and Tuesday, February 26, 2019 as well as between Thursday, March 7, 2019 and Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Elaborating on the need for the promotion, Arik Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Captain Roy Ilegbodu said: “We have put this promotional fare in place to ameliorate the effect of the postponement on the traveling public and encourage voter participation.”

COM. He is expected to bring his wealth of experience to rejuvenate the technical operations of the company for efficiency and productivity.

Braie, has four decades of professional experience in the insurance industry, garnered from UNIC Insurance Plc, Trust & Guarantee Insurance Company Limited, Crusader Nigeria Plc and Topflight Insurance Brokers Limited, where he held various managerial positions including: Deputy General Manager, General Manager, Company Secretary, Group Head and Chief Executive Officer.

He is an alumnus of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and the West African Insurance Institute (WAII).

He is also an Associate of both the Chartered Insurance Institute of London (CII) and the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN).

shares was lifted today, February 18, 2019. It added.

The statement which was signed

by Godstime Iwenekhai, Head, Listings Regulation Department, recalled that in the Market Bulletin dated July 5, 2017, with Reference Number: NSE/LARD/LRD/MB02/05/07/17 by which the NSE notified ‘Dealing Members’ of the suspension of seventeen listed companies for non-compliance with Rule 3.1, Rules for Filing of Accounts and

Treatment of Default Filing, Rulebook of The Exchange (Issuers’ Rules) (Default Filing Rules”), which provides that: “If an Issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the grace 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 twen-

ty- four hours of the suspension.”

Goldlink Insurance Plc which was one of the suspended companies, has now filed its outstanding Audited and Interim Financial Statements to The Exchange.

Therefore, the Exchange is satisfied that the account comply with all its applicable rules. Based on this, the Exchange hereby notified that the suspension placed in the trading of the Company’s shares was lifted today, Monday, 18 February 2019.

•L–R shows Mr. Adeyemi Cahdide-Johnson (SAN), Chairman, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC); Mr. Bola Adeeko, Head, Shared Services Division, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, Managing Director/CEO, NMRC during a Closing Gong Ceremony in commemoration of the N11Billion 13.80% Series 2 Fixed Rate Bonds listed on The Exchange today in Lagos.

Prestige Assurance appoints two Non-Executive Directors

T

HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has approved the appointments of two Non-Executive Directors into the Board of Prestige Assurance Plc. as recommended by the company.

Prestige Assurance in a statement to inform The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), its stakeholders, and the general public, gave the names of the two new Non-Executive Directors who have been appointed to the Board as Dr. Adedoyin Rasaq Salami and Mrs. Funmi Oyetunji.

According to Prestige Assurance, the appointments have also been

approved by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), its Primary Regulator.

The company disclosed the profile Dr. Adedoyin Rasaq Salami thus: Dr. Adedoyin Rasaq Salami is a renowned Economist, Lecturer and Consultant.

He is a 1989 Doctorate Graduate in Economics from Queen Mary College, University of London, Adedoyin Salami is co-founder and partner at Kainos Edge Consulting and a member of the adjunct faculty at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan —Atlantic University where he leads sessions in Economic Environment of Business.

Prior to joining the LBS, ‘Doyin was Managing Partner of Edward Kingston Associates, a firm of Economics Consultants, where he led a team to build a Macroeconomic Model of the Nigerian economy.He has handled consulting activities and assignments for the following: International Development (DFID), World Bank, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and International Finance Corporation (IFC).

His involvement with Public Policy Making started in 2009 with his appointment by the late President

pany under this Tier, even as a sum of N6 billion capitalisation is needed to get a new Life insurance licence when the regulator lift embargo on issuance of new licence next year.

Confirming this development, the Director, Supervision, NAICOM, Mr, Barineka Thompson, said the commission had refused to grant new licences before now, to allow investors buy into some of the existing underwriters and make the insurance industry stronger. According to him, “In the last 9 to 10 years, we have not issued any licences but we will open it up for any investor willing to play in Tier 1, as soon as the Risk Based categorisation commence next year.”

The Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas, had earlier said its 3 -tier based recapi-

talisation of the insurance industry is to ensure that risks and retained locally.

He noted that most insurance businesses are taken abroad because most of the local underwriters have no capacity to absorb huge risks, especially, in aviation, marine and oil and gas sectors of the economy. The new development, he said, will strength the insurance sector and enhance its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It was earlier reported that the Federal Government, through NAICOM, has introduced a three -tier based recapitalisation for the insurance industry. This is coming 10 years after the earlier recapitalisation, which took place in 2007 in insurance industry in the country.

NAICOM to Issue fresh insurance licences in 2019

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HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) will grant new licences to serious investors willing to float Tier 1 underwriting companies in the country.

The commission had, in the last 10 years, placed embargo on issuance of fresh licenses, advising, intending investors to buy into the existing ones. However, with its three -tier based recapitalisation of the insurance industry, expected to fully kickoff on 1st of January, 2019, NAICOM is now set to issue fresh licences to would-be big players in the nation’s insurance sector of the economy.

Findings show that interested applicants for the Tier 1 license must have capitalised to the tune N15 billion to operate a composite insurance firm, with N9 billion capital base needed to float Non-Life com-

Yar-Adua who appointed him as a member of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Economic Management Team.

In 2010, he was appointed to the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria and retired from the MPC in 2017 after completing two terms. Outside Nigeria, he is a member of the International Monetary Fund’s Advisory Group for Sub-Saharan Africa (AGSA).

In addition, he is a non-executive Director of companies which include ARM Investment Managers, Diamond Pension Fund Custodian (DPFC), First World Communities Ltd and Investment Securities Ltd. Similarly, the profile of the second new Board member was given as Mrs. Funmi Oyetunji: She is a 1977 Accounting Graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Accountants England (FCCA) and the Chartered Institute of Accountants — Nigeria (FCA).

Mrs. Oyetunji She started her working career with Z.0 Ososanya & co. Ibadan and joined KPMG Marwick Mcclintock, London Office.

She started her Banking career with Fountain Trust Merchant Bank as Assistant General Manager (Financial Services) moving to First Bank of Nigeria.

She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Regent Advisory Financial services & Abitos Financial Services Limited and serves on the Board of Ecobank Plc.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

INSURANCE & PENSION

2019: Insurers to seek more relevance in national economy

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HE Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria has said it will collaborate with other stakeholders in the sector to ensure more relevance in the national economy in 2019.

In a statement, the President, CIIN, Mr. Eddie Efekoha, said this while delivering his New Year message to members.

He said, “As you will recall, the theme of my presidency is focused on ‘advancing insurance education and professionalism’.

We have joined hands with all the stakeholders in the insurance industry to explore all avenues to reposition our industry for greater relevance in the nation’s economy by advocating for ethical practice and constant professional development.

“This is consistent with our mission to provide world-class manpower with the highest standard of professional and ethical training for operating effectively and efficiently in the Nigerian and international business environment.”

While stating that the institute would be 60 years in 2019, he noted that it was a year of reflection on the institute’s journey through the years and its evolution as the premier professional body in Nigeria.

“As a body, we are committed to the growth of the insurance industry and will not relent in our contribution to promoting the insurance industry agenda,” he said.

Efekoha said that 2019 would likely throw up a lot of interesting challenges as it was an election

year.

Nevertheless, he added, there would still be a lot of risk elements for insurance outfits to take advantage of.

He stated, “My advice to you, our esteemed members, is to seize the initiative and explore as well as exploit all areas of business generation that the year will present in various forms.

Creativity must come to the fore in offering products and services to your target audience. Most importantly, we must embrace professionalism and best practices and also uphold the institute’s ethics and values in the course of our business dealings in 2019.

“It is my hope that as stakeholders, we will continue to lift the institute higher by actively participating to make the institute’s programmes and activities in 2019 more successful than the previous year.”

The president thanked the members for their contributions and participation in the institute’s programmes during the past year with special reference to the professionals’ forum, education seminar, the graduation ceremonies of both the institute and the Centre for Insurance and Financial Management Studies, the fitness walk, the Ramadan Tafsir and the annual Christmas Carol.

“The successes recorded in all these programmes were due to the support and cooperation of members of the Institute for which we are immensely grateful,” he said.

•Mr. Oscar Onyema, CEO of NSE, flanked by officials of SAHCO Plc during a recent Facts-Behind-the-Offer in Lagos.

Health insurance: Lagos targets over 2million residents in one year

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AGOS State Government says it plans to enroll about 10 per cent of its population under its health insurance scheme in one year.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this while making a presentation on ‘Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme’, during the Lagos Chamber of

HE Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria has urged the Delta State government to support the promotion of insurance and facilitate the inclusion of the topic as a subject in secondary schools.

The President, CIIN, Mr Eddie Efekoha, solicited the state’s support, when he led a delegation of the institute and the Insurance Industry Consultative Council on a courtesy visit to the office of the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

In a statement, the delegation was received by the Secretary to the State Government, Ovie Agas.

Efekoha informed the state government that the insurance industry had a key role to play in contrib-

uting to the growth of the country.

He also solicited for the creation of faculties of insurance in stateowned tertiary institutions. Efekoha assured the Secretary to the State Government that the CIIN and the IICC would equally play an active role in executing the projects.

The delegation also donated 500 textbooks entitled, “Insurance for Senior Secondary Schools” to the state government for distribution to secondary schools in the state.

Efekoha stated that the donation of the books represented a major stride and served as a landmark in the institute’s quest to groom a new generation of industry leaders.

He said that copies of the text-

books had earlier been presented by the institute to the Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Edo, Ondo, Rivers, Imo, Osun, Enugu, Ekiti, Kaduna and Kano State Ministries of Education as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

He added that similar presentations had equally been slated for other states in the federation.

Agas, who represented the state governor, thanked the CIIN and the IICC for considering Delta State a worthy place to carry out insurance awareness activities.

He also assured the delegation that the message would be taken back to the governor and that he was sure that the delegations’ requests would be given serious consideration.

Commerce and Industry’s forum in Lagos.

He disclosed that about 2,346,520 residents were planned to be covered under the scheme.

While giving a breakdown of the scheme, he said 406,000 were public servants and dependents, 1,260,072 were formal/informal sector, and 680,448 were indigent (equity fund).

Idris explained that the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme was established by Law No. 4 on 25th May, 2015, as part of its health financing reforms.

According to him, the LSHS is mandatory health insurance coverage for all residents of the state, including indigents, vulnerable, economically disadvantaged, all employees in the public and private sectors, the self-employed and the unemployed.

He said the Lagos State Health Management Agency was responsible for overseeing the implementation of policies and procedures, and administering appropriate regulations and guidelines of the scheme.

Lagos State Health Fund, he added, would serve as a basket of funds from several sources for

•Cont’d from Pg 17

the Middle East and North Africa, according to 2015 data from the Global Terrorism Index.

The UNDP links extreme poverty to state abuse or inability of the governments to live up to their responsibilities on citizens. And people who are locked in poverty often escape into radical fundamentalism.

The two- year study by the UNDP, on more than 500 recruits of extremist groups in Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, Cameroon and Niger showed that most of them were denied basic social goods and services by their governments.

“Those living in the periphery of

their country with less access to education and health services are more vulnerable, as are those with less involved parents. Exposure to state violence, not religious ideology, is a better predictor of radicalization,” the UNDP report stated.

In reference to suties linking poverty to extremism in Africa, President of AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina, has charged African governments to form collaboration in tackling hunger, unemployment and other soco-economic deficits as panacea to mass unrest across the continent.

He pledged that the bank would do more to advance Africa’s fight

against hunger, poverty and youth underemployment.

IN sum, Nigeria’s worsening security and economic crises could be addressed with single efficient economy strategy that would comprehensively address hunger by providing congenial business environment that allows the private sector to create jobs, displace imported goods and empower the middle class to patronize goods and services.

This calls for investing huge resource revenue in providing infrastructure and facilities needed for production.

CIIN advises Delta Govt to support insurance promotion

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Fundamentalism finds traction with Nigeria’s extreme poverty

job losses and inflation unleashed in the economy persist.

The connection between inept government administrations and rising poverty also explains escalating insurrection in African countries where there is pervasive hunger. And security crisis associated with extremism in poor countries, according to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), accounts for more deaths than any other cause.

Thus, Sub-saharan Africa has the second highest number of deaths caused by violent extremism after

the provision of health care services for the enrolled population.

The sources of fund, he added, included one per cent of the consolidated revenue fund, premiums from the formal and informal sector, donations and grants-inaid.

Idris said the key objectives of the scheme include the protection from the financial hardship of huge medical bills, access to quality healthcare, affordable healthcare services and to ensure the poor and vulnerable have access to quality health care services.

He noted that the state planned to improve and harness private sector participation, provide adequate distribution of health facilities within the state, provide equitable distribution of health care cost, improved efficiency, and ensure availability of alternate sources of funding for the health sector.

“The Lagos State Health Plan is a basic, defined minimum benefit package of health care services for primary care as well as an “affordable” supplementary benefit package of health care services for secondary and tertiary care,” he stated.

The commissioner identified some of the challenges of health insurance to include inadequate funding of health sector, population explosion, triple disease burden, huge informal sector and human resources challenge among others.

•Governor Ambode

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

EQUITY & Capital Market

IOSCO, ESMA favour agreement on data transfer Stories by JEROME USHAKANG

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HE International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have both welcome the opinion of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for the transfer of personal data between European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Supervisory Authorities and non-EEA Financial Supervisory Authorities.

Under the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), personal data can be transferred from a EEA country to a third country when appropriate safeguards are provided.

One of the ways to provide the safeguards is by an administrative arrangement between public authorities. In its Opinion, the EDPB considers that ESMA and IOSCO’s administrative arrangement ensures appropriate safeguards when personal data will be transferred pursuant to their administrative arrangements.

The EDPB Opinion is the first of its kind and will enable the continued exchange of enforcement and supervisory information between securities regulators,under

the IOSCO Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to promote orderly markets and protect investors, while providing the protection of personal data.

Following the agreement, ESMA and IOSCO members who exchange personal data on a regular basis will now take the necessary steps to enter into the arrangement.

IOSCO Chair, Ashley Alder, said: “The IOSCO MMoU is a widely used arrangement under which 121 securities regulators have agreed the basis on which they exchange information for the purposes of their enforcement mandates.

Commenting on the initiative, ESMA Chair, Steven Maijoor Steven Maijoor said,” I welcome the EDPB’s opinion which enables these vital cross border exchanges to continue with EEA authorities in a manner that is consistent with the new GDPR and the overall public interest.”

“I also welcome the opinion from the EDPB on the administrative arrangement on transfer of personal data. While providing data protection safeguards, this will allow EEA and non-EEA supervisory authorities to continue to

Meristem launches Zedd

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N investment firm, Meristem has launched an artificial intelligent solution, known as Zedd into the investment system in Nigeria The AI technology-driven bot interacts with users in a human-like pattern to onboard prospective investors while offering more personalized services to clients.

Meristem said Zedd is modelled after a 29-year-old savvy investment advisor describes himself as the investment sage upon introductions.

Zebb can offer real time mutual funds rates and live stock prices.

He offers guidance towards investment choices based on lifestyle and risk tolerance while guiding on-boarders through the account sign-up process. Zedd is social, he

understands the dynamics of corporate wears through the week, casual wears on Fridays and traditional outfits for likely weekend ‘owambes.’

‘Technology is meant to make us more interactive and that’s exactly what Zedd is about. With Zedd, you never have to worry how or what to invest your funds.

Zedd practically guides you towards investment options that fit your fund size, risk tolerance, and duration you are willing to invest for. We understand the hurdles towards having an investment plan; from a busy schedule to a vague understanding about the dynamics. All these have been simplified by Zedd. These are words by Solape Akinpelu, Head Brands and Marketing, Meristem Securities

•L – R shows Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, President of the National Council, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Ik Alile (son), Dr. (Mrs.) Patience Alile (wife) and Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Chief Executive Officer, NSE, during the presentation of a replica of the Closing Gong to the Alile family at the ceremony held to honour and bid the erstwhile DirectorGeneral of the NSE, Apostle Hayford Alile, farewell at the Exchange today in Lagos.

share the data needed for their work in overseeing increasingly globalised and interconnected capital markets, particularly in the areas of market abuse and insider Limited.

A good thing about Zedd is being able to use it without being mandated to provide your account details or create a new account. As a matter of fact, there are no threats of illegal access to investment funds as Zedd never requests for your personal details.

Sulaiman Adedokun, the deputy Managing Director of Meristem stated that the main objectives for Zedd is to bridge the financial literacy gap, personalize Meristem’s services as well as establish the trail blazing path of Meristem. In his words, Adedokun said ‘This is another recorded first for us in the sector, an AI wealth advisor resonates more with the millennials, a generation we are proud to serve.

It is even more interesting we are launching this on the heels of our Global Investment Performance Standard (GIPs) Compliance.’

Review of corporate actions

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FORTNIGHT ago some companies released their results and the results were trickling in as the kept notifying the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Below is a review of the results.

Nigerian Breweries Plc Nigerian Breweries Plc., has released its full year audited results for the 2018 financial year. Analysis of the company’s results showed that revenue depreciated slightly, while Profit Before Tax (PBT) and Profit After Tax (PAT) fell by over 30 percent.

The company attributed the poor results to the increase in excise duties and a harsh challenging operating environment.

Following its performance, the company declared a final dividend of N1.83 per share. Also, March 6, 2019 has been fixed as qualification date, while shareholders’ register will be closed from March 7, to March 13, 2019. On the other hand, Payment date has been fixed for the March 20, 2019, and Annual General Meeting (AGM) date is scheduled for Friday,

May 17.

Transcorp Hotels Plc The full year results of Transcorp Hotels Plc for the 2018 financial year has been released. According to a statement by the company to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the full year results revealed increases in both topline and bottom-line, with revenue growing by 26 percent and Profit After Tax rising by about the same margin. The company has declared a dividend of 15 kobo per share.

Transcorp Plc Unlike its subsidiary, Transcorp Hotels Plc, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. (Transcorp), the Parent company, has declared a final dividend of three kobo per share.

Qualification date is scheduled for February 28, 2019, while the shareholders’ register will be closed from March 1, to March 5, 2019. Payment date has been set for March 19, 2019.

Although, the results were quite positive with revenue rising by 30 percent, and Profit After Tax also in-

creasing by nearly 100 percent, yet this has not been reflected in the dividend policy of the corporation.

AXA Mansard Plc AXA Mansard released resolutions from its board meeting held on February 13, 2019. The board approved its results for the 2018 financial year and gave an update on its hospital project.

The company for the meantime has halted its hospital Project. The project, announced in 2017 has been put on hold due to unforeseen circumstances. The board of directors directed management to embark on further studies, in order to determine an appropriate structure of intervention within the Nigerian Healthcare delivery system.

Newrest ASL Nigeria Plc Newrest ASL Nigeria Plc released its results for the 2018 financial year on Februaryn 14, 2019. The full year results showed that Revenue recorded a growth of 38 percent, while Profit After Tax (PAT) increased tremendously by 247 percent.

dealing.” He added.

Also speaking, Chair of the IOSCO Subgroup on Data Protection, Maureen Jensen, said: “Our goal in working collaboratively with the EDPB to prepare the administrative arrangement has been to ensure that personal data rights are respected in a manner

that allows securities markets regulators to continue to fulfil our mandates to protect investors and ensure stability in the capital markets through information sharing. I believe the administrative arrangement achieves this goal and balances these important objectives.”

LSE Group launches companies to inspire Africa 2019

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HE London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has recently launched the second edition of its Companies to Inspire Africa Report, 2019, aimed at identifying dynamic growth businesses in Africa to build an information database and showcase them to a global audience.

The Companies to Inspire Africa report highlighted the leading private companies operating in Africa, which have the most inspiring stories and the strongest growth potential.

The LSEG said, “By combining African-led ambition with British expertise we can unlock investment and create more jobs for Africa and the UK. “Experts said that this is a win for Africa and a win for the UK. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LSEG, David Schwimmer, at the opening bell ceremony said, “These high-growth companies have the potential to transform the African economy and become tomorrow’s job creators. At LSEG, we are committed to helping companies realise that potential and we are pleased to highlight and celebrate the company success stories behind one of the world’s fastest growing markets.”

Schwimmer highlighted LSE’s role as a huge centre for African businesses and governments to raise capital.

Successes include hosting bond issuances for Nigeria, Egypt, Angola and Ghana, and in November 2018 Quantum Terminals (liquid gas storage, cleaner fuel for households) from Ghana succeeded in the first local-currency bond to list in London.

He also mentioned the ELITE programme, an international network for growth and funding options, which has enrolled over 90 companies with 20,000 employees in eight African countries. The programme was launched in 2016 with the Casablanca Stock Exchange and has expanded across West Africa with

support from CSE and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM).

Many speakers at the occasion expressed sympathies after a terror attack in Nairobi on January 15. In his comment, International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt MP, said the positive African launch was uplifting after the previous night’s “depressing” vote in Parliament: “Five of the world’s fastest-growing economies are African and by 2050 a quarter of the world’s population will live there. According to him, the growth presents unique opportunities for us all.

“The Companies to Inspire Africa Report highlighted the leading private companies operating in Africa, which have the most inspiring stories and the strongest growth potential.

By combining African-led ambition with British expertise we can unlock investment and create more jobs for Africa and the UK. This is a win for Africa and a win for the UK.” Meanwhile, 144-page Africa Report book with great infographics and photos, is put together by LSEG and Wardour.It includes inputs by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Prime Minister Theresa May of UK, plus many other key leaders working in Africa.

The Report also highlights a good number of exciting companies across Africa including innovative farming and even drones for agriculture, top consumer goods services and the size of the growing consumer goods market, many dynamic companies with women leaders, fintech, better banking and other financial services, healthcare, education, industry, renewable energy and technology and telecoms.

Partners to the Report who helped with the selection and research are Asoko Insight and PwC. It was sponsored by African Development Bank, CDC Group,Instinctif Partners and Stephenson Harwood.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

MONEY Market

Fixed income, currency market turnover drop N2.6tr in Jan. Stories by KAYODE OGUNWALE

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RANSACTIONS in the Fixed Income and Currency (FIC) market traded on the floor of the FMDQ OTC declined by N2.63 trillion, represented 14.85 percent at the end of January, 2019.

Turnover in the FIC market for the month ended January 31, 2019 was N15.08 trillion, representing a 14.85 percent or N2.63 trillion Monthon-Month (MoM) decrease on the turnover of N17.71 trillion recorded in December 2018 and a 28.78 percent (N3.37 trillion) Year-on-Year (YoY) increase.

However, the Treasury Bills (T. bills) and Foreign Exchange (FX) market segments remain the major drivers of turnover in the FIC market, jointly accounting for 78.69 percent of overall turnover in January and higher by 2.21 percentage points from their contribution to turnover in December (76.48 percent).

Total FX market turnover in January 2019 was $14.91 billion, representing a 35.36 percent ($3.89 billion) MoM increase from the turnover recorded in December 2018 ($11.01 billion).

The increase in FX turnover in January can be attributed to the 150.61 percent and 0.61 percent rise in Member-Clients and Inter-Member trades which was only marginally offset by the 27.55 percent decrease in Member-CBN3 trades.

Contrastingly, turnover at the Investors & Exporters (I&E) FX Window in January 2019 recorded 22.42 percent ($1.11 billion) and 26.86 percent ($1.41 billion) MoM and YoY decreases respectively to close at $3.84 billion from the $4.95 billion and $5.25 billion recorded in December and January 2018 respectively Analysis of FX turnover by product

type showed that FX Spot was the main driver of the overall increase in FX turnover, with a MoM increase of 462.93 percent ($7.84 billion). The increase in FX Spot can be attributed to FX inflow for investments in the higher yielding FGN5 fixed income securities .

Conversely, FX Derivatives recorded a MoM decrease of 42.34 percent ($3.95 billion), driven mainly by a 44.89 percent decline in MemberCBN FX Swaps turnover, while turnover in FX Futures also declined by 35.66 percent.

In January, the 31st Naira-settled OTC FX Futures Contract (NGUS JAN 30 2019) with total open contract of $515.09 million matured and was settled on FMDQ, while a new 12-month Futures contract (NGUS JAN 29 2020) with a notional principal of $1.00 billion and futures price of $/N364.65 was listed on the OTC Exchange.

In January 2019, the Nigerian Naira appreciated against the US Dollar at the I&E FX Window, gaining 97 kobo to close the month at $/N363.03 (from $/N364.00 recorded in December 2018).

However, relative to January 2018, the Naira has depreciated by N3.03 ($/N360.00 in January 2018). Similarly, the CBN Official Spot rate appreciated by 25 kobo to close at $/N306.75 (from $/N307.00 recorded in December in 2018). The $/N rate at the parallel market appreciated by N2.00 to close at $/N361.00 (from $/N363.00 recorded in December).

Meanwhile, the Total T. bills (including OMO6 bills) outstanding recorded a MoM decrease of N0.16 trillion to close at N2.58 trillion as the CBN continued mopping up liquidity via its OMO auctions to curtail buildup of inflationary pressure.

FGN Bonds remained flat at N8.26 trillion as at January 31, 2019.

•Group Head, Corporate Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Akinyemi Muyiwa; Group Head, Online Digital Banking, UBA Plc, Austine Abolusoro; Country Director, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor; Executive Director/ Group COO, UBA Plc, Chukwuma Nweke; Group Head, Marketing, UBA Plc, Dupe Olusola; Head, NBU Partnerships SSA, Google Nigeria, Saidu Abdullahi; and Group Executive, Digital & Consumer Banking, UBA Plc, Anant Rao, at the launch of Google Station, a Collaboration between Google and UBA to provide free, high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots at UBA Business Offices for the use of customers and publics, starting with 11 UBA branches in Lagos, at the UBA Head Office, Lagos.

Furthermore, the split in sovereign debt between long and short-term debt as at January was 76:24 (long vs. short term), close to the target ratio of 75:25 outlined in the Debt Management Strategy (2016 - 2019).

Monthly trading intensity in the T. bills and FGN Bonds markets decreased marginally from 0.49 and 0.09 in December 2018, to 0.46 and 0.08 in January respectively, as the 12.77 percent rise in T. bills and FGN

Bonds outstanding did not result in similar or higher growth in turnover.

T. bills within the 6-12 months maturity bracket remained the most actively traded in January 2019, accounting for 44.57 percent of the total FI market turnover.

Weighted average yields on short, medium and long term maturities on the sovereign yield curve decreased by 0.80 percent points, 0.07 percent points and 2.18 percent points re-

Google, UBA collaborate to provide free Wi-Fi to customers

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NITED Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has collaborated with Google and ISP partner to launch Google Station in 11 key UBA branches in Lagos State as part of plans to roll out 200 stations in the country.

Google Station, a platform for providing free, high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots in public places, began in Lagos last year, and extended to Abuja in December in partnership with Backbone Connectivity Network.

This google-powered initiative would allow customers access to internet connectivity within the 11 branches and its environs, thereby facilitating their day-to-day businesses and activities, while ensuring unhindered connectivity.

The 11 branches where the hotspot will be located are: UBA Bank Road, 810-811 Bank Road, Daleko; UBA Matori, 21 Fatai Atere street; UBA Surulere, 152 Ogunlana Drive; UBA Allen, 13 Allen Avenue, Ikeja; UBA Tisco Plaza, Alausa; UBA Apapa, 11-13 Warehouse Road, Apapa; UBA Marina, 55 Marina, Lagos Island; UBA HQ, Broad Street, Marina; UBA Lekki Admiralty; UBA Oke Arin and UBA Aspamda Plaza, Trade Fair.

At the official launch which took place in UBA’s Head Office on Wednesday, UBA’s Executive Director/ Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Chuks Nweke, expressed UBA’s excitement over the collaboration, adding that the move will go a long way to present opportunities far beyond the imagination of both organisations.

He noted that the challenges of financial inclusion which the USSD platform has not been able to solve will be eased through the Google Station, as the financially excluded will now be able to access the internet and enjoy the services provided free of charge.

He said, “It is an interesting platform which will ultimately benefit everyone. It is a win-win for everyone. Customers will have ease of doing businesses, especially with the growing use of smart phones, and the 52 million Nigerians who have otherwise been financially excluded will now have access to data through this collaboration and can carry out their transactions with ease.

“Interestingly, SMEs, who previously had challenges with funding can now do other things which they couldn’t achieve before, such as accounting services and others. Also, UBA recently launched an educational app, and so, students will be able to use these Google Station platform to carry out their necessary research from the comfort of their homes, it is an awesome opportunity with benefits for everyone which we are presenting to our customers in line with our customer 1st philosophy.

Group Head, Marketing, UBA Plc, Dupe Olusola said in addition to the 11 locations, the organisations are looking to expand beyond the shores of Nigeria to other African countries where UBA operates. She added that by the collaboration, the initiative will help ease the burden

off customers while also presenting them with opportunities to excel beyond boundaries.

Google Station is a simple set of tools to roll-out Wi-Fi hotspots, and aims to provide fast and reliable WiFi in more places where more people spend time, such as bus stations, shopping malls, airports and public transit stations.

Specifically, the Wi-Fi service is available free of charge and partners leverage Google Station’s business model, which enables venues, system integrators, businesses and ISPs with access to fibre to setup, maintain and monetise their Wi-Fi networks.

Google Nigeria’s Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor noted that the institutions remained focused on providing internet services to users for free.

She said, “With the help of our partners, we are offering high-quality internet access in heavily-trafficked areas like airports, markets, malls and bus stations throughout the country, especially in areas where there were no internet connections before.

“Even with the amazing progress on expanding mobile internet, we are finding that public Wi-Fi remains a crucial step in getting free, high quality internet to everyone,” she explained.

Josh Woodward, Director, Product Management, who spoke generally on the benefits of the high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots in public places said the collaboration will aim to solve a basic need and allow

customers access to connectivity to assist them in their day-to-day businesses and activities.

He said, “Deploying Google Station in collaboration with UBA and 21st Century is an important step to connecting the next billion users. As a result of the locations enables us to be up-and-running in no time. Even more, their WiFi signal ensures connectivity to Google Station hotspots so users can do a lot of things online and be constantly connected.”

spectively in January 2019.

Yield spread between the 3-month T. bill and the 10-year FGN Bond decreased by 217 basis points to close at 3.18 percent points in January 2019 (1.01 percent points in December 2018).

Turnover recorded in the Repos/ Buy-Backs segment of the money market was N2.45 trillion in January 2019, representing a 27.39 percent (N0.92 trillion) MoM decrease from N3.37 trillion recorded in December 2018 and a 31.78 percent (N0.59 trillion) YoY increase from the turnover recorded in January 2018.

Furthermore, Unsecured Placements/Takings closed the month with a turnover of N49.95 billion, representing a 11.68 percent (N6.60 billion) MoM decrease from N56.55 billion recorded in December 2018, and a YoY decrease of 58.58 percent (N70.66 billion).

Average O/N7 NIBOR8 decreased by 6.20 percentage points to close at 19.09 percent in January 2019 from 25.29 percent reported for December 2018, indicating an increase in liquidity in the inter-bank market.

Union Bank’s commercial tops ‘Most Viewed Nigerian Ads’

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N a recent ranking by LivewithLynda, Union Bank’s Enabling Success short film has been named the ‘most viewed Nigerian Ad.’ The TV commercial hit 3 million views on YouTube a few days ago, less than 5 months after its 2018 Independence Day release. By crossing the 3 million viewership mark, the commercial now stands as the most watched Nigerian advert on Youtube. It’s interesting to note that these figures do not include the millions of views it has also gathered across different social media platforms.

Some of us kind of saw it coming, though. That TVC is a fine work of Art! The inspiring 2-and-a-half minute film beams the spotlight on different aspects of the Nigerian society, highlighting the need for people to hope and work for a better future.

Viewers have smiled, applauded and even shed a few tears as they identified with the characters of the commercial. From a taxi driver battling societal forces that threaten his

fledgling business, to a youth corps member hoping for a better future; from a photographer wishing for better social amenities to a young mother struggling to balance her career and the home front.

The commercial painstakingly paints the daily struggles and disappointments of the average Nigerian and firmly reiterates Union Bank’s commitment to support the people in their bid to rise above the odds and live more successful, fulfilling lives.

Unlike the typical bank advert which focuses on marketing the institution’s products and services, the short film communicates strong themes of introspection, perseverance, healing and hope of a better future for Nigeria and her people.

An entirely indigenous production, the television commercial was coordinated by Image & Time brand agency, shot by Nigerian-owned Lighthouse Television and Filmworks and was filmed in various cities across Nigeria.

32

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS Extra How Nanka Customary court metamorphosed into magistrate Court From OGE ONYEANUSI, Nnewi

H

istory was made recently in Nnanka, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State as the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Peter Umadi commissioned an ultra-modern Magistrate Court building erected by some illustrations sons of the town.

The day was a dream come true for the people of the community, who had longed to have the court in place.

The new Magistrate Court building has four court rooms constructed to meet modern standards.

Behind it is an ultra modern residential building for magistrates.

At the entrance gate is, however, a countrified small building which used to be a court. This building was what was known as Agudo Court built in the 1940s by the British colonialists, but manned by the Warrant Chiefs, who were appointed by the white man from within the communities.

The old Agudo Court enjoyed full compliments of Court buildings such as rooms, registry, library, court messengers, clerks, temporary custody, administrative offices, etc.

In the 1990s, during the regime of Chukwuemeka Ezeife as governor of Anambra State, the Agudo Customary Court was moved to Igboukwu, the governor’s home town.

However, during the regime of Chinwoke Mbadinuju as governor of Anambra State, (1999-2003), the court was restored in Nanka.

In 2008, the judicial headquarters in Awka availed Nanka community of building plans to enable them construct an ultra modern court building. The community started the project which the town mobilized hundreds of millions of Naira to build.

It was the newly constructed Magistrate Court building that His Lordship, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Peter Umadi, in the company of other Judges in the state, came to commission for use.

In his address during the commissioning ceremony, the President General of Nanka Patriotic Union, NPU, Chief Bernard Onyekwelu, praised the Chief Judge for his kind disposition in gracing the ceremony for the commissioning of the court building.

He also commended good sons of the community, such as Peter Chinedu, Poly Emenike, Ebere Nwosu, Kofi Obijiofor, Okwudili Ezenankwo, Osita Ezechukwu, and others,.who pooled resources to start and complete the project While also commending the judicial headquarters for ensuring that project was executed and furnished to specifications, the PG also pleaded with the Chief Judge to relocate the Agudo Customary Court, presently at a borrowed structure, to the new complex.

He also requested His Lordship to create High Court No. 4, Nanka, Aguata Judicial Division, in the new structure.

In his goodwill message on behalf of Nanka Lawyers Forum, the President of the forum, High Chief Barr.

Aniazoka Zokas, commended the Chief Judge for his commitment to commission the court complex and establish Nanka Magisterial District.

He added the forum’s voice in calling on the Chief Judge to approve High Court No. 4 to be domiciled in the complex in view of facilities on ground and the need to fast track justice delivery by deliberate decentralization of courts and decongestion of court dockets.

For Nigeria’s continued existence, vote PDP, Igwe appeals to voters From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

A

lawyer, Barr. Okey Philip Igwe, has appealed to the electorate to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party in Saturday’s rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly for Nigeria to continue to exist.

Igwe also listed stepping up voter education, de-emphasizing money politics and involvement of the elite as some of the measures that would help sanitize the “dirtiness” of Nigerian politics.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Oracle Today at his Amuda Isuochi country home, the American-trained lawyer said Nigerians should vote PDP which was capable of uniting Nigerians again and rebuilding the economy.

“Let’s vote in the PDP so that we can begin to change things. This country is still divided now and if we hope to have a country tomorrow, we have to come together again and that is why we have to vote in the PDP,” he said.

Igwe who is the PDP House of Assembly candidate for Umunneochi State Constituency suggested that Nigerians should ask themselves critical questions before casting their ballot on Saturday.

“People have to ask themselves, as a national matter, are we better off today than we were under PDP. This is what the election is. At least, general election should come down to asking yourself an economic question: Am I better off than I was last four years?,” he said.

“I think if we peel off all the eth-

nic and tribal sentiments, and we answer that question critically, analytically and truthfully, the answer will be and overwhelming no,” he added.

He said that PDP did well when it was in power for 16 years, listing some of the party’s achievements to include revolutionizing the telecommunications sector which employs millions today, introducing reformist institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

“We were building roads. When PDP was in power, dollar was about N160 towards the end of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administra-

• Imo State Governorship candidate of Action Alliance, Uche Nwosu in a group photograph with the coordinators and beneficiaries of his youth empowerment programme

Okowa commissions six road projects in Ndokwa East

From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

S

ix different road projects has been commissioned in Ndokwa East local government area of Delta State by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who repeatedly assured the people of his administration’s commitment to construct more roads in the next four years.

The governor commissioned roads at Iselegu, Ushie and Beneku amidst thunderous ovation by the excited members of the communities who came out in their large numbers to appreciate him.

Governor Okowa observed that his administration was able to construct the roads because of the peaceful nature of the people, stating, “our business as a state government is to link communities by roads to boost the general economy of our people.”

“Our priority is to continue with the road construction to link other communities; the people of Ndokwa East for several years have been very good host to oil companies; we are concerned as a government about issues that affects oil producing communities, you have been using the pontoon to cross the Ase Creek but, we are taking a bold step to construct a bridge across the Ase Creek, the contract has been awarded because the project is dear to my heart,” the governor disclosed, add-

ing, “we make promises for what we know we can do and I must appreciate you (the people of Ndokwa East) for ensuring that the activities of the oil companies are not interrupted because, with such, as a state, we get our own benefits of the oil companies working without interruption.”

Governor Okowa who was joined in the commissioning exercise by former Governor James Ibori and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Kingsley Esiso, urged the people to vote for all the candidates of the PDP in the Presidential and National Assembly elections which will take place this Saturday and also, vote for the candidates of the PDP in Governorship and state House of Assembly elections billed for March 2.

“We have to vote for candidates of the PDP all the way; In the first election which is coming up this Saturday, we have to make a mark with unprecedented number of votes for the PDP because, equity demands that Delta North will do its two terms of eight years; we should work hard and ensure that everybody comes out to cast their votes on the days of the elections,” the governor stated while thanking Chief Godwill Obielum and other leaders of the party in the area for the supportive roles they are playing in his administration.

Comrade Uche Abuanekwu in an

address on behalf of Iselegu people, said, “we thank the performing Governor for all he has done for the entire people of Ndokwa East and Iselegu in particular, especially the construction of Iselegu entrance road and the upgrading of our schools both primary and secondary are now wearing a new look; we want to assure you, our dear Governor that all our votes are for you and all the PDP candidates, come February 16 and March 2, 2019 elections.”

At Ushie, the President-General of the community, Hon. Samson Nwose in an address thanked Governor Okowa for constructing the Ushie township roads assuring him of the continual support of the people of the community till 2023.

Chief Odalonu Otuya had on behalf on the people of Beneku, described Governor Okowa as a blessing to Deltans and assured him of the votes of the people for candidates of the PDP. Chairman of the local government council, Hon. Juan Governor thanked Governor Okowa for his administration’s commitment to the spreading of democratic dividends to the people.

Commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Hon. Chika Ossai stated that Deltans will reciprocate the good works of the governor by voting for all the candidates of the PDP in the general elections.

tion,” he said, noting that the cost of a bag of rice then was between N5, 000 to N8, 000 while it costs N20, 000 or more today According to him, a litre of petrol, when Jonathan increased it to N87, all hell broke loose in this country, now sells for N143. “So, the difference is clear,” he said.

On cleaning up Nigerian politics, Igwe suggested money politics must be de-emphasized. “First of all, we need to get money out of politics because , that is the biggest problem we have,” he noted, adding, “you should be able to run for an office without being a billionaire and the way to do that is that this idea of vote buying should be discouraged.”

He said money politics has become very endemic to the point that unless you dole out money, the electorate would not take you serious.

Therefore, he maintained that voter education was very necessary in cleaning up the political system.

“Our people need to get more enlightened, if someone runs for an office, the electorate should examine him based on the ideas he is putting on the table, not the amount of money he has.

He, therefore, suggested that Nigerians should learn to either sponsor candidates or let them (candiates) raise money.

“That is how they do it in the United States. You go out and raise money, it is not the other way round where you are dishing out money.

That is what I believe,” he submitted.

Igwe also believes that Nigerian politics would get better when the elite get involved.

“The elite have to get more engaged because the tragedy of our current democracy is that after the long military incursion, the elite that should know what to do, gave up, because they didn’t trust the military anymore and so there was a big void before 1999 and return of democracy and that void was filled by a lot of people that didn’t have what it takes to be in public service.

“But now, I think the tide is beginning to turn. Like Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was a lecturer before he decided to get engaged. You can see the fine job he is doing in Abia State. I am a trained lawyer, you can look at the things I have done as a local government chairman, to the extent that if the elite begin today to get more engaged, overtime, the bad eggs will be all flushed out,” he said.

• Barr. Igwe

33

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

Love and Living

...With Ireto Temofeh

MODEL OF THE WEEK

LOVE NEWS

Mary J. Blige displays her VERY youthful figure in pink bikini during her 48th birthday in Mexico

H

er prosperous music career spans over three decades, releasing a whopping 13 studio albums in the process.

And Mary J. Blige sent temperatures soaring as she shared a series of her scenic getaway in Los Cabos, , on Saturday, in celebration of her 48th birthday.

The Family Affair hitmaker set pulses racing as she exhibited her incredibly youthful-looking physique in a pink animal print two-piece.

Displaying her washboard abs and toned figure, the singer posed up a storm in her skimpy ensemble, which featured a plunging halterneck top and matching bikini briefs.

Mary ensured all eyes were her while striking a series of sultry poses on a rock, and captioned captioned her images: ‘LIVING MY BEST F*****’ LIFE! ‘.

The No More Drama songstress caught the eye with her striking accessories as she donned massive gold hooped earrings and protected her eyes from the sun in a pair of bedazzled frames.

Turning heads with her bold display, Mary wore her voluminous blonde tresses in a half up half down style and showed off her radiant complexion with minimal make-up.

In 2017, Mary released her first album in three years, Strength of a Woman, which climbed to number three on the US Billboard 200 albums chart - making it her highest

charting release in nearly a decade.

During an interview with The Guardian at the time, the songstress discussed regaining her life after her divorce from former manager Martin ‘Kendu’ Isaacs.

‘When it comes to music now, I know my gut is great. That’s what I lost, my gut and my gift. But I got it back. It’s back now’, she explained.

Mary split from her husband of 12 years, Kendu, in 2016, with their divorce being finalised in June last year.

Reflecting on her shock split, the singer said at Essence Fest 2016: ‘The journey that got us here is that every woman can relate to, a woman out there fighting for her marriage.

‘When I first started writing my album, I was fighting for my marriage. There were a lot of layers to me peeled back for this marriage. I really thought I did [find] the love of my life.

‘Being Mary J. Blige the celebrity is secondary and I’m a human being first and I suffer just like everyone else.

Revealing she turned to prayer, the New Yorker added: ‘I believe that I wasn’t given this career or this job as a singer or this gift from God to sit down and say, “I’m going to suffer from the world in silence and die.” And it’s therapeutic for me as well. So, you know, that’s why.’

Name: Sonia Tel: 08027648715.

• If you want to be our next ORACLE GIRL, e-mail or forward your photos/data to ireto007@yahoo.com. Call 07031028714.

ODD NEWS

Research shows that being lovesick is a real thing for women

W

hen women fall in love, they experience physiological changes similar to those seen in people fighting a virus, research shows.

A new romance can cause women to produce a specific kind of protein typically used to combat infection - suggesting being ‘love sick’ is more than just an emotion.

Scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles, who carried out the research, suggest these changes mean love could one day be ‘measured’.

The team took blood samples from 47 women over the course of a two-year period as they entered new romantic relationships.

Their aim was to monitor how falling and being in love affects genes governing the immune system.

Researchers found that new love activates genes to produce interferon, which is a protein usually released to combat viruses.

‘New romantic love is accompanied not only by psychological changes, but physiological changes as well,’ scientists noted in the report, in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

The report continued: ‘These findings are consistent with a selective up-regulation of innate immune responses to viral infections... and provide insight into the immuno-regulatory correlates of one of the keystone experiences in human life.

The study set out to determine the impact romantic love has on the human genetic function.

Findings suggested that it may also be possible to test to see

if people really are in love and whether that emotion gradually wades over a period of time.

‘Some research suggests that psychological changes associated with romantic love may be attenuated as the relationship matures,’ the experts said.

‘The biological correlates of love might abate with the maturation of a longer-term more stable mate bond.’

In those cases where the flame had started to burn out, researchers found evidence of women’s interferon levels decreasing.

‘Falling out of love was associated with a reduction in interferon-related gene expression,’ the researchers found.

Scientists are yet to examine whether the experience is the same for men.

ROMANTIC JOKE BULLETPROOF JACKET

My husband and I couldn’t decide which jacket to buy our granddaughter, so we asked the young salesman.

“If you were buying a jacket for your girlfriend,” I said, “what would you get?”

“A bulletproof one,” he said. “I’m married.”

34

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

True Confession

His sickness ruined all our plans and dreams “T

here’s no mountain too high for our love to climb, and no river too deep for our love to cross.

Our kisses are like whispers in the wind.

They are the sweet things that God first created.”

These were the words Alexander always said to me before the ugly incident that marred our wedding and left me devastated. He had even written the sweetest poem in the world for me. And it went thus: Bees use our sweet words to make honey, Birds borrow our faith as wings to fly, Lions derive their strength from our unconquerable hearts, We lend the colors of our love to rainbows; That’s why we deserve to be together forever.

I don’t really know how to tell you my story, because it is the story of a love that defies all foes and overcomes all odds.

Love, to me, is the sweetest thing on earth. It is food to the soul and serves as inspiration to the spirit to rise and shine. It is true that love reawakens our spirits and makes us aware of the innermost longings that have been there all along in our hearts, but of which our minds were too dull to notice.

My name is Gloria and I’m proud to say that the love of Alexander is the greatest love I have ever had, and will ever have. In my own estimation, love is not measured by how long it lasts, but by how strong it is. Even if it lasts for a moment, there is a kind of love that could be stronger than the loves that last for years. That was the kind of love that I and Alexander shared.

Don’t look down on me because my fiancé is now a mad man, because I’m determined to stand by him till the end. He is my dream come true, and I’m not ready to let go of that dream, no matter what happens.

Besides, our love is all I’ve got left to cherish in my life.

It all began 10 years ago while I was still in secondary school. I was staying with my aunt and my school was on holiday, so my aunt suggested that I go and spend the holiday with the children of her bosom friend in Enugu. That was how at the age of 12, I went to Enugu to spend a holiday.

The family of my aunt’s bosom friend was a very happy and united one. We called my aunt’s bosom friend Aunty Ngozi, and she had three boys and 3 girls. I was gladly introduced to all her children who welcomed me with open arms. The names of her three boys were Alexander, Ikenna and Chukwuma, while the girls were Chidinma, Chioma and Ugonma.

They instantly regarded me as one of their own from the moment I set foot in the house, and I had no cause to feel homesick or miss my aunt in Lagos.

Alexander was the first son of the family and he showed it in the way he always tried to act like a man even though we were all still very young. He was 16, my elder by four years. And he had just finished writing his G.C.E. exams and was in a hurry to gain admission into a federal university where he hoped to study medicine.

Alexander was very fond of me during the time I spent holidaying with his family because I seemed to enjoy some of the things he enjoyed doing.

Alexander enjoyed playing lawn tennis and table tennis whenever he was less busy, and I was also passionate about both games. So, everyday, after we had had our lunch, he would drag me outside to play table tennis with him.

Sometimes I defeated him in the game but most of the time he ended up being the winner, maybe because he was a boy.

When we got back indoors, Alexander would force me to play a game of Ludo or Snake-and-Ladder with him.

I usually defeated him in the ludo game because I was a specialist in ludo. Ludo was the only game I played with my aunt back in lagos because she loved it so much. So I had gradually become more and more skillful in

Ludo, and it was very difficult for anyone to defeat me in the game.

I was also very good at chess. That was one game that I and Alexander contended over. We competed seriously to see who would emerge as the regular winner, but it was very hard to tell, because if he won today, I would win tomorrow.

We worked our brains out at every game of chess we played and whoever won the day’s game knew that victory was achieved after a long hard fight.

The most interesting part of my holiday with Alexander and his family was that Alexander enjoyed cooking like me. So, we would cook coconut rice together on weekends and then eat together from the same plate.

Alexander’s mother seemed pleased as we grew more and more fond of each other, and when the holiday ended and it was time for me to return to Lagos, she encouraged us to keep in touch by writing letters regularly to each other.

Back in Lagos, I missed Alexander so much. Whenever I felt lonely, I would pick my pen and paper and write a long letter to him. And three or four weeks later, I would receive his reply through the post.

At first, our letters of friendship were very innocent, but with time, our long letters of friendship and innocence grew to become long and passionate love letters.

In some of my letters, I would ask Alexander if he had kissed any girl or whether he’d ever taken any girl to bed.

I was still a virgin then, but I had become a teenager. My breasts had developed and I was beginning to evolve into a real woman with desires for a man. I read a lot of romance magazines and on my bed at night

I would find myself lusting for Alexander.

No man had ever got between my thighs and so I wondered how it would feel if Alexander undressed me and put his manhood between my thighs.

I yearned for the day I would see him again, and the day that he would make me feel like a real woman and fulfill all my expectations.

The day eventually came after I received a letter from Alexander stating that he was coming to Lagos to begin a new job at a factory where he had applied for employment.

He invited me to his office at Agbara and when I got there and set my eyes on Alexander again, I noticed that he had now become a big boy.

He now had a beard and a hairy chest, and his voice had now become deeper than ever.

“You’ve changed a lot, my love,” I said to him.

“You too have changed,” he retorted.

“You now have breasts.”

We were so happy at seeing each other again that we hugged and kissed and looked each other over to see how much each of us had grown or changed. He asked me to wait at the reception till he closed for the day.

He told me that he was staying at a hotel pending when he would get accommodation in Lagos.

So I accompanied him to the hotel. In Alexander’s hotel room, we undressed to take our baths together. In the bath tub we soaped and scrubbed each other’s bodies.

We began to caress each other and then we did it right there in the bath tub.

Alexander proposed to me right there in his hotel room and I agreed to marry him.

He introduced me to all his friends as his

bride, but his best friend, Tunde, tried to discourage him from marrying me by telling him that I was from a poor family and would steal all his money and run away.

The truth was that Tunde had tried to befriend me behind Alexander’s back, but I had snubbed him repeatedly.

Alexander and I picked a date for our wedding and we looked forward to that day when we would become husband and wife.

Our wedding was supposed to take place last Saturday at a Pentecostal church in Lagos, but unfortunately, Alexander started acting funny right from the moment he woke up from sleep that day.

First, he started to say incomprehensible things. Next, he tore his pajamas and ran out of the house naked. I was shocked and screamed at the top of my voice, and his brothers quickly got hold of him and rushed him to a private hospital.

It was at the private hospital that it dawned on me that my fiancé had run mad on our wedding day when the doctor on duty referred him to a psychiatric hospital.

Alexander is still in the psychiatric hospital in Lagos and our wedding has been postponed indefinitely.

But Tunde, his best friend, is now asking me to marry him and dump Alexander. I’ve been hearing rumours that Tunde used black magic to make my fiancé mad so that he can marry me, but I have vowed never to let Tunde succeed in his evil plans.

His sickness ruined all our plans and dreams. However, I will stand by my fiancé, Alexander, till the end. I’m determined not to get married until he regains his senses.

Do you have a comment on this story?

Call 07031028714.

35

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

Relationships and Love Advice

He beats me anytime, anywhere

Love Search Women seeking relationship/ marriage

Chinyere, 35, dark, single mum, humble, works, seeks a hardworking man from 38 years and above for marriage.

09038028331.

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Dear Love Doctor, I am currently dating a man who has promised to marry me. But the problem I have been facing with him is that he beats me up anytime and anywhere. He can’t control himself when he is angry and nobody can control him. There was even a day he started beating me up in a bank premises and the security had to ask us to leave. I don’t

know if I should still go ahead and marry him by December when he wants us to wed, because I’m afraid that he might end up killing me if I marry him. But I love him. What should I do?

From Nike

Love Doctor’s Advice: Dear Nike,

Y

ou’re definitely in an abusive relationship and I would not advise you to marry anybody who abuses you.

Did you hear of the Naizi girl that was murdered in South Africa? She was a Nigerian student in a South African university. It’s such a tragedy that it was her

boyfriend of three years who is being accused of the murder, because Naizi’s friends said the boy had been abusing her.

This is why I keep asking people to walk away from abusive relationships. It doesn’t pay. It is not love.

An abusive relationship will never bring you anything good.

A girl is dead and all her dreams and ambitions are all gone and her family are now left to mourn. Where is the love now?

Please leave that abusive relationship now. Your life is more important than anything else.

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 Uche, a graduate in Lagos, needs a kind woman or man to help him in his new business. 08131161840.

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Diamond Prince, 28, living in Lagos, needs a sugar mummy. 07069498904.

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Godspower, 33, tall, from Kogi, based in Abuja, wants a sugar mummy from 40 years and above based in Abuja, to satisfy her very well. 0810069625, 07018735547.

Emeka, 54, in Lagos, needs an educated woman between 32-35 years for a wife.

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36

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

It happened to me:

M

y parents separated when I was very young, and as I grew up I realised it was because my Dad was gay. I stayed at my Dad’s place every weekend until I was about 17, so I had met and bonded with a few of his male partners over the years.

When I moved into an apartment with Uni friends, I began to see less and less of my dad.

In my first year of University I met Rob at a friend’s party. We bonded straight away over our taste in music and soon became really good friends. Rob was gorgeous- cropped dark hair, broad shoulders and bright green eyes - he looked like a male model!

While I was usually extremely shy around good looking guys, I found Rob so easy to talk to and laugh with - hanging out with him was like hanging out with one of my girlfriends.

While I always thought Rob was very good-looking, I had never really felt a spark between us, and was content with our close friendship.

One day we were both hanging out in my apartment, drinking cheap wine, and I began to feel a bit tipsy. I had just found out that a guy I really liked at my work had just gotten a girlfriend, so I was upset and pouring my heart out to Rob. He listened to me babble on all night, offering me hugs and telling me that I was beautiful and would find the perfect guy one day. Without thinking I leaned forward and kissed him.

At first he didn’t respond, like he was in shock. He looked really confused, but then kissed me back.

We made out for a while, and although he was a bit awkward at first, he soon loosened up and we both seemed to feel very comfortable.

After that night our friendly ‘dates’ turned into proper romantic dates.

Rob was such a gentleman, always holding the door open for me, paying for my meals at restaurants and never acting sleazy.

After a few weeks we started referring to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. At the age of 20 Rob was my first boyfriend, as I had always been way too shy to date boys in high school.

As he was my first boyfriend, I didn’t really know what to expect from the relationship. I knew that all my friends who were my age started sleeping with their boyfriends after a few weeks, but Rob and I had been going out for a couple of months by this stage and he still hadn’t made that move. He never kissed me in public, and our make out sessions never lasted very long, but I assumed he just wanted to take things slow.

“I assumed he just wanted to take things slow...”

Our relationship continued this way for many more months, and I began to feel rejected by Rob’s lack of physical affection. I never mentioned this to him because by this stage I was very much in love with him and didn’t want to start an argument.

Christmas time came around, and Rob invited me to lunch at his par-

‘My boyfriend had an affair with my father’

ents’ house, while I invited him to dinner at my Dad’s house. I was really nervous about meeting his parents for the first time, as he gave me the impression that they were quite strict.

I tried my best to act confident during lunch, but Rob’s parents soon proved to be very judgmental, making me even more shy than usual.

They made petty comments about their son’s appearance, and subtly criticised his choice of study (he was studying Teaching at the time).

While they weren’t out-right rude, I could tell from their sly comments that they were very hard to impress, and poor Rob copped most of their criticism.

With lunch out of the way, we finally escaped, then headed to my Dad’s house later on for dinner. After having just broken up with his latest partner before Christmas, Dad was currently living by himself, and it was obvious that he was pretty lonely.

When we arrived, Dad was really happy to see me, and very excited to finally meet my boyfriend.

Dad and Rob seemed to click straight away - they both loved to travel, and spent the entire dinner discussing the places they had been and the places they wanted to go.

Dad was a high school Art teacher, and Rob was studying to become a teacher, so they had that in common

too.

After dinner we moved into the living room to continue chatting. It was late and I soon fell asleep on the couch, but every now and then I would drift in and out of sleeping and Dad and Rob would still be immersed in conversation.

Rob and I didn’t end up leaving until well past midnight, and the whole way home he couldn’t stop commenting on how cool my Dad was and how young he seemed.

The next week, Dad invited us over again for lunch on New Year’s Day. Again, he and Rob chatted for hours, before Rob had to leave for work. I stayed to help Dad clean up and we started chatting about Uni and work, and of course Rob. Dad asked if it was serious between us two, and my mind flashed back to my embarrassing attempt to seduce him into my bed the previous night... which of course he rejected. I was feeling very unsure that day so I told Dad it wasn’t really that serious yet.

Over the next few weeks we all spent more time together than usual, and eventually it got to the point where it was just Dad and Rob spending time together without me.

“At first I was thrilled that my boyfriend and my Dad were getting along so well, but then it started to get a bit weird.”

Rob was coming over to my place

less and less, and we starting only seeing each other about once a week. At first Rob would enthusiastically tell me every detail of the time he had spent with my dad- but after a while whenever I asked what they’d gotten up to the day before, he would go quiet and try and change the subject.

It was weird and eventually I checked his phone and found a whole bunch of messages from my Dad saying things like ‘I know I only saw you this morning, but I already miss you’. My heart sunk. Never in a million years did I think that my Dad would steal my boyfriend.

I had no proof that they had actually had a physical relationship, but as soon as I saw those messages, I felt so stupid for not realising that Rob was gay. The signs were all there, it was so obvious. He was only with me to please his parents and to stop them from becoming suspicious about his sexuality.

Two years later and I don’t speak to Rob anymore, and my relationship with my Dad is still very strained and awkward as we have never spoken about what happened.

I never told anyone the real reason why Rob and I broke up, not even my close friends or my mum. On the plus side I’ve recently met an awesome guy who is loving, kind and can’t keep his hands off me!

37

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

The Law and You

With Barr. Ken Akpom 08162016410

All you need to know about ‘MORTGAGE’ T he lender is the ‘mortgagee’ while the borrower is the ‘mortgagor’ The simple idea of a mortgage is that it is security for loan. In fact a mortgage is birth. i. A contract between the mortgagor and the mortgagee ii. A proprietary interest in the land of the mortgagor granted to the mortgagee.

If a mortgage was only a contract, then this would not give the mortgage enough security as if the land was sold then the mortgagor would not have to repay the mortgagee before he/she sold the land. Therefore it must also give an interest in the land.

TYPES OF MORTGAGE A mortgage is normally a charge by deed by way of legal mortgage.

CHARGE BY DEED: It is a statutory form of legal mortgage which is shorter and simple than the accustomed form. It states merely that the property has been charged with the debt by way of legal mortgage. There is no conveyance of any estate to the mortgagee. It must be made by deed and must contain a statement that the charge is made by deed and must contain a statement that the charge is made by way of legal mortgage. The effect of such a charge is that the charge get the same protection, powers and remedies as if he has had a term of 3,000 years.

ADVANTAGES OF THE CHARGE There are 3 practical advantages in using a legal charge; 1. It is a convenient way of mortgaging a freehold and leasehold estates together.

2. Probably, the granting of a legal charge in a lease does not amount to a breach of any covenant against subletting for the charge creates no actual sublease in favour of the mortgages but merely gives him the same right as if he has a sublease.

3. The form of a legal charge is short and simple.

EQUITABLE MORTGAGES 1. Mortgage of an equitable interest: If a mortgagor has no legal estate but an equitable interest, e.g. mortgages the effect must necessarily be equitable. It need not be made by deed but must either be in writing or by will.

2. Informal mortgage: It is a contract to create a legal mortgage which gives an equitable interest to any party entitled to a specific performance. E.g. deposit of title deeds by way of security. Edge v. Worthington EQUITABLE CHARGE An equitable charge is created by appropriating specific property to the discharge of some debt or other obligations without there being any change in ownership either at law or in equity. No special form of words is required. It is sufficient in an intention that the property should constitute security can be gathered – Craddock v. Scottish Provident Institution. The same applies where a will or voluntary settlement charges land with the payment of sum of money. Matthew v.

Goodway, Re-Owen.

RIGHTS OF THE MORTGAGEE OR CHARGEE A mortgagee may sue for the money due as soon as the date fixed for repayment has arrived but not before there.

However, the REMEDIES peculiar to the mortgagee and charge are those for enforcing the security, these are; 1. Remedies primarily for the recovery of capital a. FORECLOSURE By giving the mortgagor an equitable right to redeem after he had lost his legal right of action, equity inter-

fered with the bargain made by the parties. Once the legal date for redemption has passed, the mortgagor’s right to redeem was merely equitable. Foreclosure is the process whereby the mortgagor’s equitable right to redeem is declared by the Court to be extinguished and the mortgage is left as the owner of the property, both at law and in equity. An order of the court is essential for foreclosure. Section 111 (2) PCL. The right to foreclose does not arise until payment had become due at law – Williams v. Morgan. For until the equitable right redeem has arisen, it cannot be extinguished for foreclosure. Repayment is due at law when; i. The legal date for redemption has passed; ii. If the mortgagor makes the money fall due; iii. Breach of any term of the mortgage or iiii. The occurrence of any such breach e.g. failure to pay interest – Keene v. Biscoe.

A foreclosure action gives the mortgagee and all other interested in the equity of redemption an opportunity of redeeming the mortgage or applying for sale in lieu of foreclosure. b. SALE Section 9 of Conveyance Act 1881 gives power of sale in non-PCL states. In the PCL states, every mortgage is made by deed and has a power of sale provided that; i. The mortgage was made by deed ii. The legal money is due i.e. the legal date for redemption has passed. Section 123 (1) of PCL The power of sale is not exercisable unless and until 1. Notice requiring payment of the mortgage money has been served on the mortgagor and default has been made in the payment of part or all of it for three (3) months thereafter.

2. Some interest under the mortgage is two months or more in arrears.

3. There has been a breach of some provision contained in the mortgagedeed. Section 125 of PCL. In general, the power of sale is exercisable without an order of Court. The mortgagee may sell by public auction or private treaty or contract.

2. Remedies primarily for the recovery of interest i. To take possession Section 123 (I) (G) PCL, Section 19 (1) C.A 1881. See Chaplain v. Young ii. Power to appoint a receiver Section 131 (1) PCL, Section 19 C.A 1881, the power is not exercisable until the power of sale is exercisable.

RULE AGAINST PERPETUITIES 1. Appointive Property: Property subject to the power of appointment 2. Permission Appointee: Possible beneficiaries 3. Possessory Interest: Allows a beneficiary to possess the property when the interest is conveyed.

4. Future Interest: Allows a beneficiary to possess the

property at some time in the future, after the interest has been conveyed.

5. Reversion: When a finite estate ends and there are no other grantees with a future interest in the property, the property will revert back to the grantor.

6. Possibility/Right to Reverts: For instance, if the grantor conveys land to be used to build a church, and the grantee does not build a church, the land will revert back to the grantor automatically.

7. Right to entry: it is similar to a possibility of reverter except that the right of entry gives the grantor a choice to re-enter the property if a condition is not satisfied.

However, the grantor must obtain a court order to re-enter the property.

Case

I bought land but couldn’t complete payment Dear Lawyer, I purchased a piece of land by depositing part payment for it, but I was unable to complete payment. Is there any effect of failure to pay balance of purchase price of land?

Ngozi, Abuja.

Lawyer’s Answer:

Dear Ngozi,

W

here a purchaser of land makes part payment of the purchase price but defaulted in paying the balance, possession cannot defeat the vendor’s title. In such a case, the vendor can rescind the contract and resell the property. See Maryam v. Idris (2000) FWLR (Pt. 23) 1237 Ratio 3.

• 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 February 27, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

With Douglas Omoyooma

My husband, my pillar – Mercy Johnson Okojie

The name Mercy Johnson definitely rings a bell as far as Nollywood is concerned.

However, the journey to the top was not paved with roses but by shear dint of hard work and a tenacity of purpose. Today, she has risen to become one of the most sought after faces in Nollywood. The road to fame and stardom started after she starred in Maid and ever since, she has never looked back. With numerous awards and over a hundred movies under her belt, Mercy Johnson has surely come a long way. In this chat with THE ORACLE TODAY, the actress opens up on her marriage, family and her latest movie, Reunion.

O

pening up on her marriage, the thespian began: “My husband is a very humble, friendly and calm man. When I do crazy things, he looks at me and shakes his head. In fact, he is a gentleman. Sometimes, he asks me ‘don’t you get tired?’ You know, I play too much. Nevertheless, my husband is the definition of God’s plans for me; he gives me peace, love and happiness. In fact, he is my destiny, my pillar.”

How does she balance the home front with her job as an actress? “I operate on a scale of preference regarding my service to God, family and job. My family has to be comfortable before discussing my job.

I must appreciate my husband, Prince Odianosen Okojie, for giving me his consent when my appointment as SSA to governor came, knowing fully well the sacrifices and adaptations he will have to put up with.

“I have kids,” she continues, “they always see me like the role model they have. So every day I try to do better to cover up the mistakes I had in the past.

I try to make better diaries for them to avoid embarrassment. You see, the internet never forgets. I wouldn’t want them to grow up to see any embarrassing thing about their mum on the internet.

“One day I asked my daughter what she wants to become when she grows older, she looked me in the eyes and said ‘mummy, I to want to be exactly like you and that was very touching for me.”

As a mother and happily married wife, what kind of role wouldn’t you play? “I think nudity. Any form of nudity. Even if I want to, my husband will never give me that consent. my husband is an Ishan man. Yes, he wouldn’t like that kind of a thing. But I have to be very careful with everything I do now because I have kids. I have to live right for them.”

Today she has played countless roles such as maid, gangster and lover to mention a few, how does her husband react to her movies? “My husband doesn’t watch my movies. But I think he has heard about the clown I am in movies,” she says breaking out in laughter. “Nevertheless, I adore him for being my backbone and supporter of my career. Though I haven’t featured in a romantic role since I got married. This is because he doesn’t like it and I can’t do it for all the money in the world.”

Reunion Despite her busy schedule as a mum

and civil servant, Mercy Johnson still creates time for her first love acting. She talks about her latest movie, Reunion, where she plays the role of Amaka.

She begins: “I’m playing Amaka. Amaka is a bubbling girl, used to be a good girl turned bad. She’s like a two-faced character who tried to heal wrongly. First and foremost, everybody knows that I love movies that treat vices, then entertain and educate at the same time. When I’m picking a script those element must be there.

“Reunion preaches against rape, the real value of true friendship. People watch movies and have different interpretation. The movie is about friends coming together to help one another heal. It also tackles deceit. You must not trust anyone, people have their dark sides irrespective of how they look outside.

“Naturally, people have three faces, the one they show the world, the one for the family and loved ones and the one they keep to themselves. If you have issues, you have to come out and say it is how it is so guilt won’t kill you inside. That’s the summary of what the movie looks like. It preaches against one wearing the attire of a Rev. Father and doing something else underneath.”

New project In terms of movie making what’s next for her? “I have my TV show, the cooking show coming up pretty soon. It’s a different kind of talk show. While cooking, we will be talking about marriage and it struggles. The spices of marriage and all that surrounds it. It’s not just for celebrities but for people from different walks of life. Even divorced and single parents can come around, to share their experiences, so others can learn.

And guess what, the slogan is ‘If you won’t be honest about it, then don’t talk about it.’ Married ones, can come and tell us how they spice up their home.”

How has it been working as Senior Special Assistant on Entertainment, Arts and Culture to Kogi State governor? “Like I always say, the honorable doesn’t count but the impact you can make in the lives of people. When I received the appointment, I was enchanted by the honour.

So far, it has been fun working with Governor Yahaya Bello. Nevertheless, I have been executing my duties in the entertainment, arts and culture sector, to give Kogi State a new face, just as our leader has instructed.”

• Mercy and hubby Prince Odi Okojie

39

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

Entertainment

Empire Cutting Back Jussie Smollett’s Scenes as Investigation Into Alleged Attack Continues

F

ox’s Empire is cutting back on Jussie Smollett‘s scenes and shooting schedule this week, as the investigation into an alleged attack of the actor — including the possibility that it may have been staged by Smollett himself — intensifies.

Per our sister site Deadline, Smollett will be “a rare presence” on the set this week as upcoming episodes undergo “serious rewrites” to reduce his scenes, while episodes already filmed will remain unchanged. (A Fox spokesperson had no comment for TVLine on the production changes.)

Smollett currently is facing further questioning by the Chicago Police Department after two persons of interest (brothers from Nigeria, one of whom worked as a personal trainer on a music video of Smollett’s) were released on Friday after additional interviews, and without being charged.

Chicago PD communications director Anthony Guglielmi said on Saturday, “We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police … has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation.” Deadline in turn quoted a source as saying “the new direction of the investigation is now based on the premise that Mr. Smollett was an active participant in the incident.”

Smollett’s lawyers issued a statement late Saturday, saying, “As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie

I need your prayers – Lord of Ajasa tells fans

R

• Jussie Smollett (L) and Empire co-star Terrence Howard Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with.

He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

As for reports that Smollett knew one or both of the Nigerian brothers, his lawyers said, “It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jus-

sie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity.”

Smollett sought treatment at a hospital in Chicago, where Empire is filmed, following his alleged late-January attack, in which two men supposedly approached the actor/singer and began hurling racist and homophobic slurs at him. He performed at an L.A. concert days after the attack, and appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America last week to give his account of the incident, saying that he’s been “forever changed” by it.

apper, Lord of Ajasa is headed gor the theatre and he needs your prayers.

He said: “I thank God that I am better now.

I have been discharged but I still go to LUTH as an outpatient for some treatments. However, I will be undergoing surgery in some weeks’ time and I want everybody, who loves me, to pray for me. I have come to realise that health is wealth “There were gall stones in my gall bladder; so, I cannot eat much for now and I have to be careful of what I ingest,” he added.

The rapper whose condition was first made public by fellow artiste, Alariwo says his fans should expect a song from him soon as he has a lot to talk about his present predicament.

“My fans should be expecting a song from me because I have a lot to talk about. This sickness was a reality check for me. I have noticed that these days, everybody just talks about money; nobody thinks about their well-being.”

Davido apologizes to all women after body shaming a female lawyer

D

avido has apologised to female lawyer, T.Lolo, and all women after body shaming her in his response to her shade over his political involvement.

The apology, which was posted on his Instagram page on Sunday, February 17, 2019, is not only directed to Lolo, the woman who told the singer that he was selling his soul by campaigning for the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, but to women all over the world.

The 26-year-old singer admits stress as one of the reasons for his body shaming comments. He also highlights his personality of being impulsive.

“On this side all you ever gets is, ‘You are a celeb you should have a thicks.’I know that and believe me I got thick skin. I get hate daily. I ignore hate daily.

“But I’m human too and sometimes even as celebs we get mad too and we react and even overreact. This one did hit me different and I lashed out. And for my reaction yesterday, I apologise.

I should have handled it different.”

“There are so many young boys that follow David... young girls that follow David.

“There is two little girls that he has brought into this world. All of these people are aiming for some kind of

• Davido and the lawyer influence.

“And I think it is a bad example.

What does my body have to do with anything?”

Lolo asked a question in a social media video she recorded following Davido’s hounding of her.

The pop star knew he should have acted better and he acknowledged this in the IG post.

“As you know I am a father of 2 beautiful girls, a brother to 2 beautiful ladies, a boyfriend to one beautiful lady and son to the most beautiful woman to ever live. I have them amongst millions of people all over the world

watching me and owe them the very best at all times.

“For my reaction and things said in response, I apologise. I let my anger get the better of me and it was wrong.

Everyone that knows me knows of my love and respect for women but also my impulsive nature that makes me who I am.”

Davido’s apology captures a remorseful pop star who is also advising the subject of the verbal assault on better ways to make her thoughts known to him instead of reaching out to him through private channels.

Baba Suwe is seriously sick

B

aba Suwe is not enjoying the best of health and according to insiders account, he needs help.

Sources close to the 51-year-old actor revealed that he has been battling chronic diabetes.

The state of his health had allegedly deteriorated after he confirmed to have been battling the ailment in 2018.

“I am diabetic. As a result of that, my

blood sugar level usually fluctuates but things are normal now. There was a time when I could not even talk. Very soon though, everybody will see me in another dimension in a movie,” he told Punch in an interview in 2018.

Sources also alleged that Baba Suwe’s finances had nosedived after his ordeal in the hands of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,

NDLEA, on suspicion of drug trafficking.

The actor is alleged to be currently walking with the aide of a stick.

The actor had denied reports that he was having financial challenges when one of his colleagues, Yomi Fabiyi, raised an alarm on his inability to raise funds to treat himself.

• Lord of Ajasa

2019 elections: Mike Pounds drops Baba

A

s the countdown to the 2019 elections continues, gospel music act, UK based Mike Pounds has dropped a spanking brand new single entitled Baba which was officially released on Saturday, February 9, 2019.

Speaking with Entertainer, Pounds who dropped Yahweh a while ago and which was a resounding success said the song was inspired by the current delicate situation in the country.

He said: “The situation in Nigeria is deplorable.

We need prayers to restore our great nation. The inspiration for the song came after seeing the happenings in Nigeria on one of my visits a while ago. I realised that if God doesn’t intervene, there could be serious war. I heard in my spirit that we had to pray for Nigeria. Consequently, all I could do was sing a song of supplication in my heart to God and that was how Baba was birthed.”

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41

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS CHANGE OF NAME & PUBLIC NOTICE

• President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomohole, APC leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Exco members at the APC caucus meeting held in Abuja.

Election shift: God vindicated

• Prophet who’d warned that 2019 election was spiritually absent says danger still looms I formerly known as OSUAGWU BENEDETTE IJEOMA now wish to be known as NWECHE BENEDETTE IJEOMA. Born on 23-3-1965. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as NWABUGO OGECHI BLESSING now wish to be known as UDEMBA OGECHI BLESSING. former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as NWANKWO ANTHONY OBI now wish to be known as NWANKWO ANTHONY UZOCHUKWU. former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note

I formerly known as OKOLO PEACE AZUKA now wish to be known as OKPALA PEACE AZUKA. former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as OKABE GODWIN now wish to be known as UDU GODWIN OKABE. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note

I formerly known as EGWU NGOZI PATRICIA now wish to be known as MRS NWOYE NGOZI PATRICIA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note

I formerly known as NWEKE FRANCIS EBUKA now wish to be known as NWEKE FRANCIS OGOMEGBUNAM. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note

I formerly known as NNAKWE IGNATIUS AZUBUIKE now wish to be known as OSAKWE IGNATIUS AZUBUIKE. all former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public take note

I formerly known as CHINAZAM ESTHER EMMANUEL now wish to be known as NKIRUKA ESTHER NWAFOR. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as CELESTIN CHISOM PEPERTUAL now wish to be known as CHIMEZIE CHISOM PEPERTUAL. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as OKONKWO OLUOMA CHARITY now wish to be known as MRS EGENAONUOHA OLUOMA CHARITY. Former documents remain valid. General public take note

This is to certify that MAKORA CHINAZA JOSEPHINE and MAKORA CHINAZA ROSEMARY is one and the same person now wish to be known as MAKORA JOSEPHINE CHINAZA. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as OMALU CHIJIOKE CHRISTIAN now wish to be known as NWEKE CHRISTIAN CHIJIOKE. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as CYNTHIA FELIX NNAMAH now wish to be known as CYNTHIA ONYINYE CHUKWUOGOR. Former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note

From CHUKS EZE, Enugu

P

residing pastor of Christ Foundation Miracle International Chapel, Lagos, Prophet Josiah Chukwuma Onuoha, has said that the postponement of the Saturday, February 15 Presidential and National Assembly election has vindicated God. Prophet Onuoha, had in February 2018, told The Oracle Today, in an interview, that 2019 general election was absent in the spiritual realm and warned politicians to be careful while investing money in the political process.

Speaking to our reporter, yesterday over the recent postponement of the election, the cleric asked our correspondent rhetorically, “Has it not happened? Did I not warn politicians to be careful with their spending because, 2019 general election was nonexistent in the spiritual realm? But how many of them took the advice?

The Prophet however, urged all Nigerians to pray fervently, pointing out that, danger was still lurking around the general election, adding, “this is just the beginning! I warned Nigerians to pray fervently over the 2019 polls. There is still time to turn to God and sincerely plead for his mercy.

“All that is happening now is

because those that are managing President Buhari know that he cannot win election via a free and fair process. They are rattled by the apparent interest of the international community, especially the United States and United Kingdom, in the process, and they are looking for a window to scuttle the entire process.

“They are determined to rig the election but if they try it, it would be disastrous and some prominent leaders will go with the disaster!

“Mr President is tired, he knows that he is tired but his managers – the so-called cabals – are aware too. But they pushed him into the race, not for public good but for their personal interests, for them to continue with their looting and self-aggrandisement. Now, Mr President is at the centre of the deep blue sea, where he is fixed at a spot,” Onuoha said.

He regretted that Nigerian leaders never learns from the mistakes, experiences and predicaments of their predecessors, adding that that was why they have continued to record poor outing.

He also urged influential senior citizens of the country and those he called, honest leaders from all sectors including religious, political and traditional institutions among others to wade in urgently and save

both the country and her democracy.

“I urge Nigerians to pray sincerely and zealously. God is a merciful God, but what I see in the spirit is not palatable. Let us turn to God. We must do our part and allow God to do His,” the Prophet noted.

The Prophet had, in the February 2018 interview, said, in part: “I see a lot of arguments and troubles ahead of 2019 polls. I see internal arguments and wrangling. Political parties will rise against themselves over internal bickering and no one would be spared. If care is not taken, there is going to be an interim government. Let Nigerians pray because whatever that touches the eyes would touch the nose.

“As we speak, 2019 election is absent. Each time I tried to pray about the election, I saw only a vacuum, with a group of people on alien uniform warming up by the side.

Nigerians must pray, it is not a matter of whether you are Christian or Muslim. Pray!

“If they continue to paddle the boat in same manner, both the ship and its occupants may capsize. I urge President Buhari to go and rest. He lacks the grace to move Nigeria forward, and he must not allow the country to collapse under his care”.

We will be here until elections are over- EU Election Observers • As PDP insist on inspection of election materials

From PAMELA EBOH, Awka

E

uropean Union Elections Observers in Anambra State led

by Ms. Andreas Staeritz and Mr. Henrik Westerby on Monday said that the postponement of the presidential and national assembly will not deter their resolve to monitor the rescheduled election next Saturday.

Speaking at a meeting with the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Awka, Staeritz said they have extended their stay saying that they will remain in the country until the election is concluded.

The PDP Presidential Campaign Council Chairman, Mr. Oseloka H.

Obaze, State Party Chairman, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu and the Campaign Council DG, Dr. Harry Oranezi led some members of PDP to the meeting with the observers to discuss the expectations arising from the abrupt postponement of the general elections as well as the consequences.

Earlier, the leadership of PDP in the state also met with the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji to discuss critical issues concerning sensitive materials that had already been deployed for the election as well as the non disbursement of agent tags.

They also expressed concern over

the closure of campaigns by INEC, to which the REC promised to look into the issues raised.

The REC assured them that he would do the needful within the limit of his powers to ensure the issues were addressed in good time Obaze who led the team of PDP’s party leaders said, “The umbrella suspension of campaigns is adversely affecting State Assembly candidates.

“We also need to inspect the sensitive materials for the elections, to be sure they have returned to the vault of the CBN, just like we inspected them when they arrived the state.”

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The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

AVIATION

Airlines, service providers, agencies count N8bn loss to poll shift Storiesy by MADUABUCHI KALU

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CTIVITIES at major airports across the country were yet to pick up fully, yesterday, with airlines, ground handling operators, service providers and over 100 concessionaires in the aviation sector still counting their losses following Saturday’s postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Operators and analysts said over N8bn might have been lost to flights disruption on Saturday and skeletal flight operations on Sunday.

An airline source said all the eight commercial airlines including Air Peace, Arik, Max Air, Med-View and Overland Airways, would have lost nothing less than N3bn owing to rescheduling of flights.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had few hours to the conduct of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, announced the postponement of the polls.

Many airlines and service providers claimed it would be impossible to open the counter on getting to hear of the postponement.

As a result, over 90 per cent of flights that would have been operated on Saturday were either cancelled or rescheduled.

Spokesman of Dana Air, Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa, told our correspondent that Dana was only able to operate two flights on Saturday and rescheduled 10.

Also, Air Peace spokesman, Chris Iwarah, said the airline only returned to normal operation on Sunday after Saturday’s shutdown when the airline made the “huge sacrifice of cancelling about 90 flights we scheduled for the day due to the general elections.”

He said, “At the time the flights were scheduled, we did not know the election would be fixed for February 16. While we thought it right to make the sacrifice as part of our

contribution to the development and stability of our dear nation, it is unfortunate that the sacrifice eventually amounted to nothing, given the very late postponement of the election.

“This, however, will not discourage us from continuing to be part of efforts to give our nation the best. We empathise with our loyal customers whose schedules and travel plans were disrupted due to the restriction of movement. We will continue to act in their best interest and guarantee them safe and convenient flight experience.”

Also, some foreign airlines like Ethiopia, RwandAir, among others lost millions of naira as they had to cancel flights that fall on the day.

Apart from airlines, aviation agencies like the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), ground handling firms, operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport private terminal, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) and catering service providers, were said to have lost over N5bn in revenues.

An aviation analyst, retired Group. Capt. John Ojikutu, said the losses by airlines and service providers would have been more than N8bn if the election had fallen on a week day as there is less traffic at weekends.

“The effect on the foreign airlines today too, is substantial if you consider the fact that 80 per cent of our earnings in aviation, come largely from the foreign airlines.

The loss to aviation cannot be less than N8bn to airlines, handlers, services providers and others in the system,” he said.

Also speaking, the CEO of Skyway Aviation Handling Company PLC (SAHCOL), Mr. Basil Agboarumi, said the agency also shut its warehouses throughout Saturday even as he said all SAHCOL’s clients cancelled their flights.

•Air Peace

Air Peace lauds Dickson over new Bayelsa Int’l Cargo Airport

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IGERIA’S leading air carrier, Air Peace, has commended Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa for constructing the new Bayelsa International Airport, saying it was a new dawn for the people of the state. Air Peace’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, gave the commendation on Friday in Lagos after Air Peace became the first airline to operate commercial flight into the new airport on Thursday.

Olajide said the airport would be a vehicle for the industrial and economic development of the state.

“Air Peace is an airline of many firsts. We are indeed honoured and delighted to make another history as the first commercial airline to oper-

ate into the Bayelsa Airport.

“We commend Gov. Dickson for this great project aimed at opening Bayelsa up for rapid industrial and economic development.

“Since we commenced commercial flight operations over four years ago, Air Peace has greatly contributed to the development of cities and states we operate into.

“We have no doubt that the Bayelsa International Airport will provide us an opportunity to support the efforts of Bayelsa Government to develop the state. “It is indeed a new dawn for the people and residents of Bayelsa,” she said in a statement by the airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwara.

Marriott hotel coming to Wildlight, new town under construction NDLEA holds training for Air Peace crew

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NEW development in Nassau County called Wildlight will feature a modern-style, upscale Marriott-branded hotel with a full range of services and wellness options.

The hotel will feature more than 60,000 square feet and 105 guest rooms along with amenities such as a 24-hour market, business center, fire pit, and pool area.

The hotel is being developed by Impact Properties. Construction is expected to begin by late-2019 with completion planned for 2020.

“We are delighted to bring one of Marriott’s powerful brand names to Wildlight,” said Impact Properties Executive VP Kish Kanji. “Partnering with Marriott on this project will enable us to deliver a truly unique guest experience for visitors and residents of Northeast Florida.

Impact Properties, a Tampabased full-service investment, operating and development company, will develop, own and manage the hotel at Wildlight.

Impact has been a leading operator of major national franchise brands in the hotel, restaurant, and retail industries for the past 30 years and currently owns 57 locations across the Southeast with an

additional 16 locations under development.

About Wildlight Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture, and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life.

The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with businesses, shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of connecting trails and pathways intended to promote a walkable community and healthy lifestyle.

Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes throughout 260 acres, approximately. In addition, the community will have approximately 350 acres of permanently preserved open space.

Wildlight offers comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living located 20 miles north of Jacksonville and just east of Interstate-95 on A1A. There is easy access to both Amelia Island and Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust.

T

HE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has urged Air Peace crew to consider their role in exposing drug couriers as a commitment to saving lives.

Speaking during an eight-day training for the airline’s cabin crew members, which opened last weekend in Lagos, the agency warned that those involved in drug peddling risked killing themselves or being executed if caught in some countries

of the world with harsh anti-drug laws.

The training is part of the sensitisation programme for the carrier’s crew in preparation for the airline’s international flight operations billed to launch soon.

Air Peace plans to fly to Dubai, Sharjah, London, Houston, Johannesburg, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai, among other international destinations.

Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel

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ONG Kong’s Ocean Park finally welcomed its first hotel since opening more than four decades ago.

Prudence Lui checks into this much-anticipated property with her teenage daughter, and finds a destination that enthrals all ages Location Nothing beats its location. The property stands right next to the entrance of Ocean Park and a stone’s throw from the eponymous MTR station. As footbridges connect Ocean Park Station

to the hotel, there are no traffic worries as it took me less than five minutes to walk the distance.

Since the MTR connection to the south side of Hong Kong Island debuted few years ago, it offers visitors additional means of access other than traditional buses. Travelling time from Admiralty Station to the park now takes only four minutes.

The hotel is also located close to hiking and jogging trails that lead through some of the Hong Kong’s finest coastline and country parks.

She therefore, urged the flying public and the business community to take advantage of this wonderful facility to break new grounds and their business and leisure interests.

The chief operating officer said the airline’s 50-seater Embraer 145 jet, piloted by Capt. Crosby Otobo and his crew, took off on Thursday from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos at 2.50 p.m.

According to the statement, the aircraft landed on the 3.5-kilometre runway of the Bayelsa International Airport at 3.35 p.m. It said the flight was welcomed by a crowd of overjoyed top personalities from the state and with a water guard salute by men of the Fire Service Department in the airport.

The carrier recently operated demonstration flights to Port Harcourt, Kano, Freetown, Dakar, Johannesburg and Sharjah as part of the requirements for induction of the Boeing 777 aircraft it plans to deploy for its long-haul services.

Speaking during the training, NDLEA’s three-man team comprising principal staff officer, Administration and Logistics, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, Mr. Abbas Abdullahi, Target and Intelligence Analyst, Mr. Akan Francis Inam and staff officer, Evidence Collection/Exhibit Keeping, Mr. Okwunjor Edache, said drug couriers were daily devising new means of beating the system.

The team, however, said the antidrug agency was always a step ahead of the drug peddlers, who were frequently being exposed by NDLEA operatives.

They urged Air Peace crew to be calm and cautious in observing passengers, saying drug couriers always left a trail.

The NDLEA operatives warned the airline’s crew not to trust anyone and desist from making assumptions, saying drug peddlers could put up deceptive appearance to escape being exposed.

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

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44

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

NEWS

Buhari not above the law, say CSOs Cont’d from page 2

President’s death order has no constitutional and legal basis, strictly, except in active war situation (i.e. battle-field related deaths), the maximum penalty prescribed for offenders of ballot box snatching, on judicial conviction, is two years imprisonment.

No law or part of the Constitution also empowers Mr. President to take away the life of another or threat of same, except in active war situation; without completeness of judicial process. Mr. President’s death order, therefore, is a height of executive desperation, intimidation and daftness and shortsightedness on democratic principles and constitutional provisions. On the part of the Nigerian Army, we are not surprised because they have already earned

In reprisal attack, Indian hemp farmers kill four NDLEA officials in Ondo

notoriety around the world as heinous atrocity crimes perpetrators.

“Further, we are deeply concerned that while Mr. President is busy dishing out shoot-at-sight or death order, millions of ballot papers and result sheets have irretrievably gone missing in the dead of the night across the country, courtesy of agents of his ruling party and surrogate party agents and their INEC conspirators. INEC, on its part, has also refused to speak out or be open with concrete measures and assurances.

All the ballot papers and result sheets sent out for the botched poll of last Saturday should have been and must be declared invalid and replaced with fresh ones from the Commission’s reserve vaults at CBN and marked with new codes or biometrics. These should have been the case in accordance with existing conventions and precedents.”

The SBCHRO’s statement concluded: ‘’Conversely, millions of these ballot papers and result sheets have not only been reported missing but most likely thumb printed and filled in hotel rooms and other hidden locations for the ruling party. In Anambra State, we have it on closed and good authority that ballot papers and result sheets were thumb printed and filled in different parts of the State in hidden locations including Ogbaru area of the State in the late night of last Friday few hours before the announcement of the sudden shift in the poll.

“The thumb printers were reportedly linked to the ruling party in the State in its desperation to rig in favour of Mr. President.

The State has also reportedly received a promissory note of N10b from the Presidency given to it recently as part of federal road reconstruction refunds to the State;

out of which half of the said sum is set aside to be squandered in vote buying for Mr. President and the State legislators contesting under its ruling party.

“In Enugu West, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has also cried out, saying that the ballot papers and result sheets for the Senatorial District have gone missing since last Friday. Reports from across the country concerning millions of missing ballot papers and result sheets are also in torrents, with INEC and its Chairman looking the other side, in addition to the Commission’s refusal to tell Nigerians the number of citizens with PVCs across the country for the 2019 polls and their State by State and geopolitical zonal breakdown. Nigerians and international observers must shine their eyes and say no to Mr. President’s latest crude and diversionary tactics.”

F

our operatives of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been killed in Ondo State.

The killing, which is suspected to be a reprisal attack, was carried out last Sunday at a checkpoint mounted by the officials of the agency.

The attack occurred at Sobe -Ifon Road in Ose Local Government Area of the state during which only one official escaped death.

It was gathered that the attackers had arrived the checkpoint in a motorcycle with their AK 4 rifles hidden in their native clothes.

On reaching the checkpoint, they were said to have taken the unsuspecting NDLEA men unawares when they withdrew their rifles from under the native wears and opened on the anti-drug agents killing four of them instantly while one escaped with bullet wounds.

The attackers who were suspected to be Indian hemp farmers also carted the rifles belonging to the NDLEA operatives while setting their Toyota Hilux patrol van on fire as they escaped, in what was clearly a reprisal attack.

The deceased officers were identified as Mohammed lliyasu, Abduljalad Mohammed, Wellington Emmanuel and Magaji Aliu.

It was gathered that the bodies of the NDLEA officials were discovered on the roadside by farmers in the area.

Sources said the NDLEA operatives had sometime ago raided Indian hemp farms during which farmers lost millions of naira worth of drugs.

The sad incident was confirmed by the NDLEA Commander in Ondo State, Mr. Haruna Dagara, who said the killings were intentional.

•Buhari

INEC has no genuine reason to postpone the election - SNPM

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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outhern Nigeria Peoples Mandate (SNPM) has described the postponement of last Saturday’s elections as an indication that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacked the capacity to conduct a transparent election that will the Nigeria to the next level.

President of the Mandate, Augustine Chukwudum who reacted to the postponement in a press statement issued yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra state, wondered why INEC waited till few hours to the election before announcing the postponement.

According to SNPM, “We will not and we will never accept any excuse given by INEC

Chairman for the postponement. The only option left is for him to resign because his action has shown that he is not in control of affairs. This man told Nigerians six months ago that INEC is prepared and that he will conduct the best election in the world”.

He queried: “Does this man know the problems he has created for people who have serious engagements on February 23 that the election was shifted to?”

“Some people has wedding or burial ceremonies to attend on February 23 and if I may ask, how are they going to cope with it as this kind of rubbish kept reoccuring in this country?. People who commit this kind of rubbish

were allowed to go scot free in the past and that is why it continued to reoccur but this time around we are demanding that if federal government does not actually have any hand in the postponement saga, INEC Chairman, Prof.

Mahmud Yakubu be arrested and sent to jail for electoral genocide so that nobody will try it again”.

“We also call on President Buhari to give INEC free hand in the conduct of the election on February 23 and March 9, just as we also call on every eligible voters to come out and vote for candidates of their choice, so as to elect credible leaders that will pilot the nation’s affairs for the next four years”.

I perceive election postponement as APC’s ulterior motive – Bishop Udeh

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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eneral Overseer of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministries, Incorporated (a.k.a, By Fire By Fire), Nnewi, Anambra State, Bishop Abraham Chris Udeh has said that he perceived last Saturday’s postponement of the presidential and national assembly elections in the country, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an ulterior motive harbored by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.

He stated that since INEC alone has no powers to do that, the postponement must have been authorized by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, aimed at allowing the fake ballot papers to go into the areas they are expected to reach for the planned rigging of the elections by the APC. Bishop Udeh in an SMS sent to newsmen in Onitsha, yesterday, however appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and allow the election to take place this coming Saturday as according to him, “You can fool the people for some time but you can’t fool them all the time”.

He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to resign now and go home to rest, having failed Nigerians in all aspects of his administration, as well as going by what the masses are saying and proving concerning his lack lustre approach to governance which made Nigerians no longer happy with his modus operandi.

“My question is why not conduct this election in a free and fair manner, with the fear of God and hand over power to Alhaji Atiku Abybakar, go home, rest and become an elder statesman. Buhari claims to be hail and hearty for now but after the election and if he succeeds in manipulating himself into the seat of power again, he will proceed to medical treatment abroad, leaving the administration to his kinsmen to continue milking the nation dry”.

“He should remember that God is in heaven watching everything and God has just told me in a dream that Buhari will no longer continue as president and that is why I am advising him to steer clear of the office of the presidency or else they will see God’s anger in action since APC government has been noted for its nepotism, killings, starvation and above all Islamization of the nation but I will continue to pray God to forbid such bad things”.

45

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

SPORTS

Lack of developmental programme bane of our football – Bosso

•Says ‘that’s why our youth players fizzle out’ Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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ORMER national Under-20 coach, Laban Bosso, has given reasons why Nigerian youth players do not make the much expected progress after dazzling at the youth level.

According to the former Niger Tornadoes sweat merchant, the reason the players do not make progress as expected is because the country does not have football developmental programme. He explained that instead of graduating youth players from one stage to the next level, the country prefers to discard each group of her youth team because of the believe that the country is blessed with abundant football talents saying it shouldn’t be so.

The former FC IfeanyiUba technical adviser said there should synergy among the age grade teams that will enable the U-17team to graduate to U-20 team and from there to the U-23 team from where they will graduate to the main team.

On the Flying Eagles performance at the just concluded Africa Youth Championship (AYC) in Niger Republic, Boss said they did well since they were able to qualify the country to the World Cup even as he called for adequate preparations for the global football championship.

“I am happy that you have brought up this issue of why our youth players do not do well or fizzle out after dazzling at the youth level.

“To answer your question, I would want to take back Memory Lane. In

1997, we took some group young players to Portugal for the Meridian Cup. I was assistant coach to Coach Fanny Amun.

“We went to that championship with the like of Rabiu Afolabi, Ifeanyi Udeze among others. We won that championship and you wouldn’t believe it that none of these talents was called to the national team. It is unbelievable but it is true. This type of thing cannot happen in any other place.

“We saw what this group of players did at ‘Nigeria 99’. They did very well at that FIFA U-20 World Cup which we played host to. And despite what they did at ‘Nigeria 99’, how many were able to make to the National team, May be two or three.

“The truth of the matter is that in Nigeria, we do not have that developmental programme whereby youth players graduate from one youth team to the next level like it is done elsewhere.

“Youth players supposed to graduate say from the U-17 team to U-20 and from there to the U-23 and finally end up at the main team.

“There should be synergy among the various youth teams to enable players migrate from one youth team to the next and finally at senior national team,” Bosso explained.

Speaking further, the former El-Kanemi coach said: “The reason why those at the helm of affairs of our football do not deem it necessary to adopt a simple developmental football programme is because of the belief that the country is endowed with abundant football talents.

•Flying Eagles in training session.

“Of course no denies the fact that the country is blessed with football talents but if we must make the desired impact as expected of us at the continental and global stage, there is need for those at the home of affairs to take a second look at getting us a developmental football programme.

“If we can have a culture of developmental football programme or culture, the issue of our youth

players fizzling out when the world is looking forward for them to blossom will be history,” Boss declared.

On the way forward for the Flying Eagles Boss said: “The first thing is that the Flying Eagles did well at the AYC no matter how anybody looks at it. They did well by qualifying us to the World Cup and that is key.

“All we need now is to get good players to fortify the team to enable them get us the type of result that

Nothing special about our group opponents – Oshoala

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UPER Falcons’ and Barcelona Ladies’ striker, Assist Oshoala has declared that there is nothing special about Nigeria’s group opponents at FIFA Women World Cup that will take place in France this summer.

It is recalled that 9th time African Champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria are paired against hosts, France, Korea Republic and Norway for their group stage matches when hostilities start in June in France but the Nigerian goal poacher says there is nothing to be afraid of about their opponents.

According to her she has already admonished her national teammates not to worry about their group opponents as there is nothing special about them after all any team that qualified for the World Cup is a champion from their continent and as a result it is all about the competition of champions against Champions.

In her words: “I told my teammates that no-one that qualifies for the World Cup is a pushover. They are definitely among Champions of their own continents.

“It is champion against champion.

The group is open but it is a very quality one,” she said.

“There is no doubt that Coach Thomas Dennerby has enough time to assemble a formidable team before the tournament kicks off in France in June.

“It may not be easy for him not having us together for a while,” she explains.

Meanwhile, Oshoala has continued to shine in her new club, Barcelona Ladies as she struck twice in her club’s shock home defeat to Sporting Have.

The 24 year old Lagos born striker; arrived Barcelona on transfer deadline from her Chinese club and scored in her debut.

With her brace in their home defeat in her second appearance for her side, it means the Nigerian has scored three goals in two games which has automatically forced her into the first team set up at her new club, The Barcelona Ladies.

The Barcelona Ladies suffered their first home defeat this season but Nigerian international gave a good ac- •Asisat Oshoala in action for Barcelona Ladies. count of herself.

Saudi Crown Prince denies seeking to buy Manchester United

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AUDI Arabia’s crown Prince has denied seeking to buy English Premier League (EPL) clubside, Manchester United, the kingdom’s media minister said on Monday.

While denying reports to that effect, the Minister, Turki al-Shabanah, added that there had only been a meeting with the Saudi wealth fund regarding sponsorship.

Reports that Mohammed Bin

Salman intends to buy the club are “completely false”, Shabanah, wrote on social network Twitter.

He was reacting to reports that the crown prince had sought to tempt the Glazer family to cede control of the club.

“Manchester United held a meeting with PIF Saudi to discuss (a) sponsorship opportunity,” Shabanah said, adding that no deal ma-

terialised.

On Sunday, the British newspaper, the Sun, said the crown prince was in a £3.8-billion ($4.9-billion) take-over bid for one of football’s most popular clubs. The paper said a bid was first submitted in October.

It added that the fallout from the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s embassy in Istanbul however put the “skids” on a potential offer.

we all are praying for.

“Again, there must be a link between the age grade teams and the Super Eagles. I think if we can get that done, we are almost there,” Boss enthused.

Pro Basketball League set to hold in Africa

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HE National Basketball Association and the International Basketball Federation are to launch a professional league in Africa in January 2020. The Basketball Africa League (BAL) will feature 12 teams from at least six African countries.

FIBA Africa’s executive director, Alphonse Bile, said the league will help players compete in the “best possible environment”. Charlotte Hornets’ Bismack Biyombo is one of 13 African players in the NBA. Bile said: “The implementation of this league is vital to our young upand-coming players in Africa as it gives them something to take aim at.”

FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis added: “It’s a huge joy to see our partnership with the NBA enter unchartered territory as we work together for the first time to maximise the potential of professional basketball in Africa.”

Former US president Barack Obama has backed the plans, while NBA legend Michael Jordan, who is now the Charlotte Hornets chairman, was at the launch event in North Carolina.

The NBA and FIBA will conduct qualification tournaments to identify which teams from several African countries, including Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, can compete in the league.

No more than two teams from the same country will be eligible to play in the league.

The NBA has seen 80 current and former players from Africa or with family links to the continent compete, including Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria and Dikembe Mutombo from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

46

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

SPORTS

CAF Confed Cup: Away draw excites Aguda Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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ODWIN Aguda, one of the reliable Enugu Rangers’ players has expressed delight over his Club’s away draw again CS Sfaxien in faraway Tunisia in their second group game of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup competition.

Aguda made feelings known while reacting to his side’s away draw in their Confederation Cup competition second group match last week.

It is recalled that Enough Rangers are yet to loss a match in their continental campaign after eight matches.

It is noted that after Pape Ousmane Sane slammed the ball from four yard in the 73 minute for the equalizer with the home side already ahead in the 71 minute Courtesy of Ala Marzougui.

The Flying Antelope will this week face Eto du Sahel in their 3rd and 4th match of the campaign on the 24th in Tunisia while the return leg will take place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe nicknamed The Cathedral

by Enugu fans on the 3rd of next month.

Meanwhile, the coach of the country’s flag bearer in this year CAF Champions League, Solomon Ogbeide has alleged that some in-

auspicious individual sort after his lads to fix last Tuesday’s CAF Champions League match against Raja Casablanca.

It is recalled that the Nigerian representatives against all odds, held their hosts to a goalless draw at the Taieb Mhiri Stadium.

However, it is recalled that Loving Stars were beaten 0-1at their Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium home ground by Wydad of Morocco in their first leg encounter. With the result, the Benue State Government financed side are defeated in Morocco, it means that are kissing the competition bye as they will not be able to qualify for the next stage of the tournament which the quarterfinals of the tournament which will definitely put the North African in a better chance to progress to the next stage or round of the competition.

“One person tried to bribe my player before the game,” Ogbeide began.

“It is a shame that there are still such things right there in Africa and football on the continent. It’s so corrupt.

Ogbeide assured that they will not allow such a thing just go like that rather he assured the country they are definitely going to file a report to Confederation of African Football over the matter.

Man City must win Champions League to be among elite – Gundogan

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ANCHESTER City must win the Champions League to be considered one of Europe’s elite clubs, midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has said.

City have won the Premier League three times since the Abu Dhabi United Group bought them in 2008, but have never gone past the semi-final stage of Europe’s premier club competition.

“If you want to be in the international elite … you need to clinch this trophy,” Gundogan told UEFA.com ahead of Wednesday’s last 16 tie at Schalke.

“I think that, if we were to win it someday, the club would enter a new era, the same level as Real (Madrid), Barca, Bayern or Juventus, clubs that are maybe a step above us.

“Maybe not in the way they play football, but as a club at least.”

City were knocked out in the last 16 three times in the last five seasons, while their only semi-final appearance came in 2016,

•Walkter

when they were knocked out by Real Madrid 1-0 on aggregate.

“We’ve experienced a lot in the Champions League in recent years, not all of it positive, of course. We should’ve won it at least once,” Gundogan added.

“The biggest low was probably being knocked out by Liverpool last season. For that reason, the motivation to go far in this competition is huge and I think we have the quality required.”

•Godwin Aguda in action for Enugu Rangers against CS Sfaxien in faraway Tunisia in CAF Confederation Cup.

Mikel nicknamed Roll Royce by Boro fans

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OLLOWING the remarkable performance of Super Eagles’ Captain since his short term contract with English Championship side, Middlesbrough, the delighted championship fans have risen in the praise of the former Chelsea Star by nicknaming him ‘Rose Royce’ in appreciation of his five star performances for the club.

The Nigerian international even got more accolades after Boro beat Blackburn Rovers away 1-0 on Sunday; he was widely commended for the feat.

Boro are now 5th on the table,

Lagos Media Marathon open for all – Oshundun

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HAIRMAN of the Lagos State Branch of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Debo Oshundun, has declared that the upcoming Lagos Media Marathon scheduled for May 1 is not exclusive to only journalists.

Speaking at the weekend in Lagos, Oshundun who is the Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee said the Lagos Media Marathon though being spearheaded by journalists was opened to every member of the public to participate and have fun.

He explained that just like there is the Aviation Marathon in Singapore that is organised by stakeholders in the aviation industry but its open to every runner and Comrade Marathon organised by miners in South Africa and participation is usually for everybody.

The Lagos Media Marathon is a 10km and 5km road race that is open to participants outside the media industry.

“It is necessary we make this clarification because some erroneously think that the Lagos Media Marathon is only for journalists, it is for everybody, every-

body across Nigeria and beyond are all welcomed to be part of the race” the Lagos SWAN chairman stated.

“The only difference is that while journalists and students will not be paying any registration fees, other members of the general public will be paying a token of N3, 000 to participate in the Lagos Media Marathon” According to Oshundun, with the N3, 000 registration fee, participants are guaranteed a quality goodie bag, quality running kits as well as medal among other things.

Oshundun also announced that the registration for the Lagos Media Marathon will officially take off on Friday, March 1.

“The registration will begin on March 1st on our website lagosmediamarathon.com where people can pay and be entered immediately. Physical forms will also be made available at various centers that would be announced soon,” he added.

Already, organisers have stated that they are expecting over 30,000 runners in this inaugural edition of the Lagos Media Marathon.

with 54 points, with ambition to return to the Premier League in summer.

“Having John Obi Mikel is a cheat code in the Championship no midfielder can touch him”, said Ryan a Boro fan.

“In a season of terrible transfer windows, John Obi Mikel looks like an insanely good bit of business.

What a player,” noted another fan, Neil Grainger.

Another fan named as Ian Smith tweeted: “Rightly or wrongly, Pulis (the coach) gets some stick for us being unable to bring players in, but by that rule he deserves some high praise for convincing Mikel to come to The Boro.

“What an absolute class player he is, almost embarrassingly better than those around him today.”

“To the untrained eye, Mikel Jon Obi (cheers lads @boro) looks like a lazy bastard who doesn’t break sweat. After a while you realise he’s just a million miles better than everyone else and doesn’t need to,” wrote Barry Cellnet.

No wonder, the kids and the fans are singing about Mikel, now called the African Zidane, forgetting that the original Zinedine Zidane, though French, has Algerian-African blood in his veins.

Mikel who is 31 years old, started playing in Europe in 2004 with the Norwegian Club Lyn. From there, he became a coveted player by both Manchester United and Chelsea, but ended up with Chelsea where he spent 11 years, from 2006. He left to join the Chinese club, Tianjin TEDA between 2017-2018. He returned to England to play for Middlesbrough in January, invited by Coach Tony Pulis.

It is recalled that Mikel left his Chinese club Changchun Yatai in December to pitch his tent with English Championship side, Middlesbourough in January in a short contract.

Giving insight on his decision to return to England despite the desire of his side to retain his services with huge pay, Mikel said the need to be with his family is who are based in England was the primary factor as he cannot continue to stay away from them.

Speaking further, the Eagles’ captain said he enjoyed his stay in China and as a result there is no iota of truth that probably he was finding life difficult in the oriental country where many big names in football are now trooping to probably for their retirement benefits. The Oracle Today Sports can only wish Mikel success in his football career.

•John Obi-Mikel in action for his new club, Middlesbrough.

47

The Oracle Today Wednesday February 27, 2019

SPORTS Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

M

ORE accolades are still pouring in for the Coach Paul Aigbogun for his side qualification for the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Under-20 World Cup which Poland will be playing host to later in the year.

The latest applauds is coming from former international goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph. According to the Lagos State born former international goalkeeper, his position concerning the Flying Eagles’ participation at the just concluded Africa Youth Championship otherwise referred to as Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations is that they did well saying the fact that Flying Eagles qualified the country to the World Cup is something to cheer about despite not winning the championship as most Nigerian expected.

According to him the reason he is commending the Flying Eagles is because they secured for the country one of the four slots for the continent as Nigeria’s Flag will be hoisted in Poland when hostilities begin.

“It is true that the Flying Eagles did not win the championship as expected by most Nigerians but the most important thing is that they were in the process qualified us to the World Cup which the primary target.

“They qualified us to the World

W/Cup ticket: Dosu applauds Flying Eagles Cup which means that Nigeria’s Flag will be hoisted in Poland when hostilities start which is important to Nigeria and Nigerians.

“Overall, I think they did well though it would have been better had they won the championship but at the same time we have the World Cup ticket in our kitty,” Dosu explained.

Meanwhile, most Nigerians have carpeted the Flying Eagles not just because they did not win the championship as expected of them but were poor throughout the championship even as all of them were unanimous in calling adequate preparations before the championship in Poland.

There is no gain emphasizing the fact that the Flying Eagles were placed fourth at the just-concluded AYC which held in Niger Republic as they were even denied the bronze medal of the competition

by Amajitas of South Africa, who defeated them via penalties.

Mali, however, defeated Senegal also via penalties to emerge the champions of this year’s Africa Youth Championship. This means that apart from securing the World Cup ticket, Nigeria would have returned without anything.

•Dosun Joseph •Flying Eagles of Nigeria (inset: Dosun Joseph)

Lawal thumps up F/Eagles despite not winning AYC

F

ORMER Super Eagles utility player, Garbage ‘Chindo’ Lawal has commended the Flying Eagles for their good outing at the just concluded Africa U-20 Cup of Nations Championship which held in Niger Republic.

According to the former international, the coach Paul Aigbogun tutored lads did well by qualifying us for the FIFA World Cup but used the opportunity to say that there was need for adequate preparations by the team before the World Cup proper because the World Cup is a different ballgame since it is the convergence of the world best teams.

“I believe the coach has said it when he declared that the main thing is to qualify for the World Cup. And nevertheless, every player or team wants to win a championship or World Cup. “So, the players did their best but the most important thing is that they qualified for the World Cup or the tournament.

“I believe that anybody can win penalty because when it comes to penalties, it is a game of chance or luck as the case may be.

“At the moment, now that the AYC is over, all that we need to do now that we are back home is to prepare adequately for the World Cup. “I am saying this because there is no tournament that is easy. Just take a look at what happened in Niger Republic and you will agree with me that there is tournament that is easy even here in Africa not to talk of at the world stage.

“That is why we have to go back to the drawing board and ensure that we prepare very well for

the tournament,” Lawal admonished.

Continuing the former general manager of Kaduna United said: “I still maintain that we should prepare very well for the global tournament particularly after our experience at Africa Youth Championship.

“We booted out at the semifinal stage via penalty shootout which no fault of anybody because anybody can win penalty.

“Of course we learn with every game and every day,” Lawal declared.

M

N

ATIONAL team’s General Coordinator, Patrick Pascal, has revealed that talent and form will not be enough for any player to make the final squad for the African Cup of Nations slated for Egypt later in the year.

Pascal made this revelation while speaking with sportswriters saying Super Eagles players must demonstrate high level of good conduct and commitment to make the final cut for the tournament.

He said the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Coach Gernot Rohr had prioritised the competition and were leaving no stone unturned to ensure a successful outing.

Joshua’s Madison Square Garden bout shatters pre-sale record

A

NTHONY Joshua‘s heavyweight world title fight with Jarrell Miller has shattered the Madison Square Garden record for highest-grossing pre-sale of a boxing event, though the arena did not reveal the figure.

Joshua will defend his WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO crowns against Miller on June 1 in New York, with the fight being broadcast live on DAZN in the US and on

Sky Sports Box Office in the UK. Tickets go on general sale on StubHub at midday on Tuesday, February 19 following today’s presale for Match-room Fight Pass members, and fans hoping to get the chance to see Joshua lock horns with the ‘Big Baby’ will need to move quickly to purchase tickets.

Tickets range from £80 to just under £2,000.

excel at the Mundial.

“To have a good tournament and avoid another embarrassing outing, the girls deserve to compete against the very best in the women’s game to get themselves ready,” AkideUdoh told BBC Sport.

“Other countries going to the World Cup are playing friendlies, but we are not, which is not a good sign.

“I have always said that Nigeria must start showing that we deserve to be at the World Cup and stop being contented with just participating since 1991,” she said.

Akide-Udoh, who is currently the coach of the Regent University women’s team in the United States

said the Falcons must improve tactically if they are to make any meaningful progress in France where they have been drawn in Group A alongside 2019 hosts France, Norway and South Korea. She said: “We have a lot of work to do defensively and also in our ball possession.

“Obviously, we are strong physically but we’re deficient in the tactical aspects of the game and this has hindered the team’s progress in bigger competitions.

“Preparation is also key to enable the coach time to work extensively with the squad and correct some of the problems noticed at the last African championship.

Akide-Udoh calls for adequate preparations for Super Falcons ERCY Akide-Udoh, former Falcons’ striker has called for adequate preparations for the Nigeria Women team, the Super Falcons for the Women World Cup that will take place in June in France this year.

According to her preparations for the FIFA Women World Cup must be a top priority if the Super Falcons were to avoid early elimination from the tournament.

Akide-Udoh, a former African Footballer of the Year, who played at the quarterfinals of the Women World Cup in 1999, warns that the senior female national team needs more friendly matches for them to

Only players of good character can make AFCON – Pascal

“We know that AJ is a huge box office hit in the UK but to break the pre-sale record at the iconic Madison Square Garden is astounding,” said promoter Eddie Hearn.

“We are building a huge event on June 1 and we look forward to the all the build-up beginning with next Tuesdays press conference in New York.”

“We are thrilled with the early excitement for tickets,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Marquee Events..

“Anthony Joshua versus Jarrell Miller will be an epic event at Madison Square Garden and we encourage fans to purchase tickets now because this fight will sell out.”

•Anthony Joshua and Jarrell Miller

“The coach has always emphasised that he has a team not individuals in Eagles; he wants all the players in his team to play regularly for their clubs and come and fight for shirt in the squad. However, a good form is not enough, we want to see your conduct, we want to see your commitment and that is why we are certainly going to have more than 23 players for the camping so that all of those who tick all the criteria we are looking for will make the final cut,” he said.

“We are playing against Egypt not Mo Salah; we had played several games without our key players but nobody will remember that because this is a national team. With or without Mo Salah the Eagles will go out there and do well.

“The two matches are very important to us because the next FIFA free window is the last before the summer and we have to take the Seychelles and Egypt games very seriously,” he added.

The former Eagles defender also praised the move of two of Nigerian key players Mikel Obi and Odion Ighalo during the transfer window.

He said Mikel chased happiness to Middlesbrough while Ighalo joined another big Chinese club Shehua Shanghai to ensure playing time.

“The most important thing for people at Mikel’s level is happiness; money can’t motivate him again because he has it. So, Mikel returning England with a Championship side is because he wanted happiness and he is getting it with the way he has been performing for the team.

WEDNESDAY February 27, 2019

The

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48

racle Today

VOX POPULI SACRUM

ISSN: 2545-5869

The root of all crimes T

he evil things people do ostensibly to make money have continued to multiply in this country. Everyone should be worried about young people, especially those from the south-east and southsouth of Nigeria.

Criminals of all kinds will forever stand condemned: cybercriminals who steal women’s pants or turn ritual murderers at the prompting of an evil spiritualist, boys who rape grandmothers and great-grandmothers to satisfy the condition for a money-making ritual, armed robbers, hired killers, kidnappers, terrorists, and thieves.

I attribute this explosion in crime partly to those I often refer to as the original 419 fraudsters. They are the major source of all crimes, and they have refused to die out. 419 is not a recent phenomenon, as many erroneously believe. In every generation, from time immemorial, there have been fraudsters that hide behind religion to steal, rape and kill fellow human beings.

Every tribe has a name for such people.

In Igbo they are generally called dibia.

But they are different from herbalists – those who prepare medicines with leaves, roots and barks of trees.

There are species of dibia whose names in English are not familiar: Some foretell the future for a fee (fortune tellers? seers? prophets?). Some make sacrifices on behalf of their victims (diviners? occult priests?). Some claim to cure all ailments by incantation or strange concoctions (spiritual healers? magicians?)

Whatever names they are called, they are the original 419ers – the root of all crimes, people who make money off the fears of the ignorant. Some of them were, perhaps, the founders of several religious sects that dot our neighbourhoods today. Definitely, they constitute the membership of all secret societies – the fly-by-night bats, the witches and wizards, the great pythons that turn human beings during the day to decide the fate of nations!

The 419ers will not abandon their trade because it’s profitable during hard times. I once lived in the same neighbourhood with a family whose business was barely surviving. Suddenly, the man’s wife converted their shop to a “prayer house”, and, within a few months, the family was swimming in money. Among her clients were AIDS and cancer patients. She could “reveal” the sources of all ailments: a motherin-law who poisoned her grandchild’s food, a brother who left a charm on the farm, a child witch or ogbanje who was born to die young. There was always a crowd inside and outside the shop every evening.

Like hard drugs, such 419ers are the

GUEST COLUMNIST Aniebo

Nwamu

• Cybercrime

catalysts for many crimes that bedevil Nigeria today. Armed robbers and political thugs constantly seek out dibia to get “bulletproof” into their blood or skin. They assume that, with the “bulletproof” or odeshi bought for as much as N50, 000, they would become immune to bullets from soldiers and policemen. Several corpses of robbers killed in the south-east have been found with odeshi marks.

Jobless and frustrated young men go into crime because they are emboldened by drugs and charms. I say so because few people would waste human blood and still retain their sanity. It takes madness for a human being to hunt for fellow human beings. Remove all dibia and hemp or cocaine from the country today and three-quarters of armed robbery and assassination cases would disappear.

But who would dare to attack Nigerian crimes at their roots? Our security operatives are always chasing shadows,

leaving the substance untouched. There is hardly any Nigerian community or street where hemp is not consumed.

And the sellers are known. Even some security agents patronise them. NDLEA has offices nationwide, yet its men don’t see hemp farms everywhere or those destroying kids with the drug in almost every hamlet.

Similarly, secret cults are everywhere, not just on university campuses. Though the Nigerian constitution outlaws all secret societies, we have seldom witnessed a raid on any. The noise made about Okija shrine a few years ago has since died down; many other towns in Igbo-land have more or less “powerful” shrines that still harbour human skulls.

Are the security agents not aware of this? Or are they also afraid?

The continued existence of these fetishes more than 150 years after the coming of western education and civilisation is an indication of the black man’s stupidity. Could it be responsible

for our lagging in science and technology?

The white man engages in “wizardry” in order to make aircraft, television, computer and electricity that make life comfortable; the black man’s witchcraft enables him to kill and destroy.

Even when there is an opportunity to put charms to good uses, our leaders and their law enforcement agents bungle it. Eighteen years ago, for instance, the Bakassi Boys of the south-east kept criminals at bay by murdering confessed criminals at public places. Soon, there was an uproar against the “crude method” of fighting crimes and Bakassi was dismantled. The criminals have returned with vengeance, leading to the era of kidnappers, suicide bombers and rapists. Had Bakassi been replicated in the south-west (OPC is there but is not quite like Bakassi) and in the north, maybe the armed robbers, terrorists and kidnappers of today would have been busy on their farms. Likely, all the security challenges we are facing today would never have reared their ugly heads.

I regard Bakassi as a good crimefighting outfit, but not because of the charms it allegedly used to detect criminals. I know the “charm” was actually the confidential information they received from people. They confirmed the information they received before moving against the criminals who often confessed before they were butchered at marketplaces or in the streets.

In those days, people of questionable character avoided returning to the southeast. Today, it’s the upright people that avoid their homelands in the east for fear of kidnappers. Even at Christmas, many Igbo people now choose to live virtually in exile.

Criminals may have won a battle that started a long time ago. By destroying the country’s education system, they ensured that morality was no longer taught in schools. Then, gradually, certain crimes (including cheating at exams and election rigging) had to be accepted as normal. People of questionable character – who cheated to pass their exams – became teachers!

In today’s Nigeria, thieves and robbers are celebrated – and decorated with national honours and chieftaincy titles.

The new generations have been taught that hard work and honesty don’t pay.

The outcome of all this is what we are seeing today. And the worst is yet to come. Little wonder somebody said, “If education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Truly, ignorance is very costly. I pity my compatriots.

•Nwamu, book editor and writer, is the CEO of Eyeway.ng. +234-8054100220 (SMS/WhatsApp only)

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.