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Monday, May 16, 2016

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Crisis: PDP lawmakers meet, to decide Sheriff’s fate

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FG moves to avert economy shut down …holds crucial meeting with NLC, TUC today •House convenes special session, meets Kachikwu

ObiOra ifOh, abiOdun nejO, GeOrGe Opara, OjO Oyewamide and ubOnG ukpOnG

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ederal Government yesterday reached out to the leadership of labour unions and allies with a view to averting nationwide strike over the new pump price of fuel.

A meeting with the unions has been scheduled today, even as pressure is mounting on leadCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

L-R: President, Trade Union Congress, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama; President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba; Deputy President NLC, Comrade Peters Adeyemi and former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Comrade Dipo Fashina, during a press briefing to announce the commencement of industrial action nationwide and mass protest against the removal of fuel subsidy in Abuja, at the weekend.

PHOTO ROTIMI OSASONA

Guber poll: Ondo APC P.14 delegates reject zoning

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Monday, May 16, 2016

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FG moves to avert economy shut down CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ers of the various labour movements to shelve the strike and join hands with government in deregulation the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

National Executive Councils of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, its sister union, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and some civil society groups, had at the weekend, after an emergency meeting, gave the Federal Government four days ultimatum within which to revert to the old price of N86.50k or face an indefinite nationwide strike.

The unions had urged Nigerians to stockpile sufficient food that would last as long as the strike subsists, insisting that the total action being planned would lead to shutdown of banks, sea and airports, government and private offices as well as markets.

Our correspondent learnt yesterday that the Federal Government had made overtures to labour with a view to dissuading them from pressing on with the strike.

A reliable source confirmed to our correspondent that agents of the Federal Government had been bombarding keys labour leaders with frantic calls with a view to wooing them to shelve the planned strike.

He however, said leaders stood their ground on pressing on with the total shut down of the economy.

In a terse response to our correspondent inquiries, the source wrote: “Government has asked for a meeting tomorrow (today), but that does not change our plans. Our demands are quite clear.”

Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachukwu is to face the House of Representatives today in a special session.

Our correspondent in Abuja, learnt that his summon by the lawmakers was in connection to the new fuel pump price regime.

Having been on one week recess to enable Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers attend their party’s congresses, the House, it was learnt could not wait for its normal sitting day, which commence on Tuesdays, so it decided to hold the special session in view of the turn of events in the country.

The sitting, it was learnt, was billed to commence by noon.

Pressure is, however, mounting on labour unions to shelve the proposed strike as it may not achieve any result.

A coalition of civil society organisations said NLC and TUC should shelve the proposed nationwide strike and collaborate with the government.

This call was contained in a statement signed by Executive Director, Conscience Nigeria, Mr. Tosin Adeyanju, for the group in Abuja yesterday.

He listed some members of the collation supporting deregulation of the oil sector as Stand up Nigeria, Centre for Leadership Development, CPALD, National Youth Council of Nigeria and Arise Nigeria.

Adeyanju said embarking on strike would do more harm than good to the economy.

“We all know the implication that will arise as a result of this sudden change.

“We must endure this phase in other for our country to survive these present economic realities that are very obvious.

“We equally appeal on the NLC and other civil society colleagues to shelve the proposed nationwide strike and engage the government.

“We want NLC to engage government on the need to create immediate palliatives to cushion the effect of this policy instead of worsening the already bad economy of the country.

“If our country is shut down as proposed, billions of naira will be lost and the country will suffer for it in

L-R: Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai; Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari: Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, at the meeting on Agric Action Plan for the North West governments...in Kaduna, yesterday. the long run,” Adeyanju said.

He said that no fewer than 20 CSOs were in support of the bold step of the Federal Government to fully deregulate the oil sector.

According to Adeyanju, the new phase of deregulation championed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu was worthy of commendation after many years of monumental corruption in subsidy regime.

“No nation can move forward without liberalisation or deregulation of its critical economic sector like ours as it was done in the telecommunication sector,” he added.

Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ACCI, in its reaction to the planned strike said the move would be detrimental to the economy.

President of ACCI, Mr Tony Ejinkeonye, in a statement said the economy should not be made to suffer any more knocks.

“That is why we are asking labour and indeed all Nigerians to support the government at this time.

“We in ACCI, made it clear over the years that it’s impossible for government to continue subsidy payments on petrol,” the ACCI president said.

Retired Anglican Bishop of Akure Dioceses, Rt. Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi, also appealed to the unions to shelve their strike.

Gbonigi also urged them to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to see the policy through.

The cleric noted that subsidy removal was long overdue and that Nigerians should commend the

present administration for having the courage to take the bold step.

Gbonigi, who is the Chairman of Yoruba Unity Forum, YUF, stated this at the weekend in Akure, Ondo State capital, during the public presentation of two books written by Oye Agunbiade.

He, however, said Federal Government should explain to Nigerians whether the policy is full or partial deregulation.

He called on labour leaders to exercise patience with the development and embrace negotiations that would lead to better reforms in the oil and gas industry.

The retired Bishop said the Federal Government should find ways of explaining the policy to Nigerians and why the step was necessary.

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, in its own reaction warned Nigerians not to be deceived again by organised labour over increase in pump price of petrol.

CNPP, in a statement jointly signed yesterday by its National Chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, equally urged Nigerians not to trust the labour unions as they have been compromised, saying that the planned strike won’t last beyond Friday.

“What the labour unions are doing now by calling for a strike was what they did in 2012 during the ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protests in response to similar increase in the pump price of petrol under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The labour unions later

Nationwide power crisis looms, as big debtors default CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

such as transformers, prepaid meters and world class services, their ability to deliver on these expectations had been constrained by fund shortages, occasioned by huge indebtedness and government’s inability to implement the power tariff structure.

Confirming the mass disconnection yesterday, Executive Director, Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors, ANED, Sunday Oduntan, said for now, all historic debtors, including residential, commercial, industrial and government establishments across the

three tiers of government would have to find alternative means of electricity supply until the debt issue is resolved.

A breakdown of the debt profile as at last calculation indicated that government establishments, including the military and security agencies alone owed the DISCOs some N93bn.

The figure comprises N39.1bn pre-privatisation of electricity assets and N39.5bn post privatisation.

Also computed is the outstanding interest of N15bn, which the Bulk Trader charges DISCOs for late payment of their electric-

ity bills, a situation that occurred as a result of nonsettlement of electricity bills as at when due.

A further analysis of the indebtedness showed that government establishments, comprising ministries, departments, military formations, security agencies owe each distribution company as follows; Abuja DISCO N18.6bn, Eko DISCO, N8.6bn, Kaduna, N8.2bn, Enugu, N7.2bn, Ibadan DISCO, N6.8bn, Ikeja DISCO, N5.9bn, Port Harcourt DISCO, N6.8bn, Benin DISCO, N5.8bn, Jos DISCO, N6.5bn, Yola DISCO, N2.4bn and Kano DISCO, N1.2bn.

To demonstrate the seriousness of the debt issue and its implications for their operations, the DISCOs had two weeks ago, placed advertorials in national newspapers where all historic debtors were given deadlines within which to pay their debts or have their supply disconnected.

Oduntan said his member-companies had to carry out their threat when it became obvious that there was no sign from the affected debtors that they were ready to offset the debt.

He said: “Although we appreciate the efforts of the

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, but the stark reality is that there is nothing concrete to hold on to. “No allowance for MDAs debt to DISCOs in the budget, even though we started discussion before the budget was passed.

“The indebtedness has become so huge that we are truly troubled about how the government would resolve this without a budgetary allocation.

“Our position is that this indebtedness is killing us; it is seriously impacting negatively on the entire value CONTINUED ON PAGE 3>>

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Monday, May 16, 2016

Good Health

IVF: No law yet in Nigeria on pregnancy with dead man’s sperm …can be performed here, expert says FrankaOsakwe

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onceiving a baby with sperm extracted from a dead man (post humously) is an IVF innovation that is gradually gaining popularity elsewhere in the world. Through this procedure, young men, who died suddenly without fathering a baby, have a chance to conceive, from 0-48 hours after being dead.

A recent case was that of a healthy baby boy born after doctors in Australia used sperm taken two days after the father had died from a fatal motor bike injury for In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedure.

The wife of the deceased had opted for the procedure after her husband died without a chance to father a child.

Doctors had described it as a ‘most extraordinary case’, due to the length of time the sperm survived after the man’s death. Previously the longest time recorded for sperm taken posthumously that produced a healthy baby was 30 hours – 18 hours less than in this case.

IVF expert Steve Robson, an associate professor at the Australian National University medical school, said there had been fears sperm taken after death could

have its DNA damaged, but this case had shown this did not occur.

In fact, the woman had become pregnant at the first attempt, and now has a healthy baby boy.

A similar case is that of a Texan mother, Missy Evans, who gained media attention in 2009 for her attempts to use her deceased son Nikolas’s sperm to create a child. She later won permission to harvest Nikolas’s sperm, and sought and found willing surrogates in several countries.

According to Robson, the sperm extraction could be done through a process known as postmortem sperm retrieval.

“There are several main ways that sperm are harvested, including needle extraction. As the name suggests, this method involves inserting a needle into the testis and drawing out some sperm. It’s often used in live patients but because minimizing invasiveness does not matter in dead people, doctors tend to use other methods in post-mortem.

One of these approaches is to extract the testis or epididymis surgically. As the epididymis is where sperm go to mature, this tissue is a popular target. The doctor surgically removes the epididymis and milks it or otherwise separates the sperm from the tissue. Alternatively, the epididymis

or a piece of testicular tissue can be frozen whole.

A fourth option is rectal probe ejaculation, also known as electroejaculation. The doctor inserts a conductive probe into the man’s anus until it is next to the prostate.

A jolt of electricity causes a muscle contraction that stimulates ejaculation of sperm through the usual channels”, he said.

However, there are varying controversies regarding the ethics of post mortem sperm retrieval.

For instance, The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s position is that post-mortem sperm requests should be granted only to surviving spouses or life partners and that there must be a grief period prior to the sperm’s

DID YOU KNOW?

Poor sleep can make you fat

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t’s not just food intake that affects weight loss. Recent study suggests that poor or lack of sleep may lead to slow metabolism and is linked to getting fat or worsening obesity and cardiovascular diseases.

The report which had about 439,933 participants, suggests that there’s a link between insufficient sleep and obesity.

The findings showed that between the participants, the “morning” people eat better and healthier as compared to night owls. “The findings showed a stronger link between sleep and sedentary behavior than between sleep and physical activity”, said Freda Patterson, Assistant Professor at the Behavioral Health and Nutrition at University of Delaware.

According to the study, even the active individuals who tend to get sedentary at night, instead of sleeping, were vulnerable to gaining weight. “We are starting to learn that even in people who are physically active and meet the physical activity recommendations, if they’re highly sedentary, then they still have a fair bit of vulnerability to poor health.”

Because of this, the next step to their study will be focused on improving sleep. They are yet to prove that sleeping can improve metabolism and alleviates

the chance of obesity. Patterson was quoted saying “If we improve on sleep, can we improve subsequent health behaviors or not?”

But getting fat is not the only problem caused by poor sleeping habits. Other research said that not getting enough sleep affects the cholesterol level. Thus there’s a link between heart diseases and lack of sleep.

A related study from the University of Helsinki found out that poor sleep increases rates of cardiovascular diseases.

“Sleep disorders are very closely related to the presence of cardiovascular diseases. However, until now there has not been a population based cohort study examining the impact of sleep disorders on the development of a heart attack or stroke”, the researchers said.

use. Other opinions and legal rulings vary, according to countries.

In Israel, implied consent suffices — a deceased man need not have left a written document but his widow just has to say that she believes he would give consent were he alive to do so. The government may even provide financial assistance: state health insurance will pay for as many IVF cycles as needed to produce two babies.

As for the rights of posthumously created children, after a 2007 court battle any child produced is considered the deceased man’s legal heir.

Some fertility clinics in the U.S. and elsewhere refuse to perform a post-mortem extraction if the person requesting is anyone other

than the man’s wife or committed partner, unless he has left written instructions that state otherwise.

France, Germany, Sweden and Canada are among the countries that prohibit posthumous sperm retrieval. In the United Kingdom, it is not allowed unless the man has given prior written consent.

In the mid-1990s, the case of Diane Blood brought the issue into the public eye there. Diane and her husband Stephen had already begun trying for a family when Stephen died suddenly from meningitis. At first the courts in UK denied Diane’s request to have children using Stephen’s sperm, saying its collection had been illegal. But after appeal, she won the right to send the sperm outside the UK so she could undergo insemination in a more permissive country. Diane eventually gave birth to two boys with her husband’s sperm.

Here in Nigeria, investigation reveals that this procedure has never been done. According to Prof. OladapoAshiru, a renowned IVF expert, such procedures can only be done with legal approval and consent.

“However, a more acceptable procedure is extracting the sperm while the man is alive and using it to make babies after the man is dead”, he said.

Meat consumption raises mortality rates

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review of large-scale studies involving more than 1.5 million people found all-cause mortality is higher for those who eat meat, particularly red or processed meat, on a daily basis. Conducted by physicians from Mayo Clinic in Arizona, “Is Meat Killing Us?” was published recently in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

The authors analyzed six studies that evaluated the effects of meat and vegetarian diets on mortality with a goal of giving primary care physicians evidence-based guidance about whether they should discourage patients from eating meat. Their recommendation: physicians should advise patients to limit animal products when possible and consume more plants than meat.

“This data reinforces what we have known for so long -- your diet has great potential to harm or heal,” said Brookshield Laurent, DO, assistant professor of family medicine and clinical sciences at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. “This clinicalbased evidence can assist physicians in counselling patients about the important role diet plays, leading to improved preventive care, a key consideration in the osteopathic philosophy of medicine.”

While findings for U.S. and European populations differed somewhat, the data found the steepest rise in mortality at the smallest increases of intake of total red meat. That 2014 study followed more than one million people over 5.5 to 28 years and considered the association of processed meat (such as bacon, sausage, salami, hot dogs and ham), as well as unprocessed red meat (including uncured, unsalted beef, pork, lamb or game).

A 2014 meta-analysis examined associations with mortality from cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease.

In that study of more than 1.5 million people, researchers found only processed meat significantly increase the risk for all-cause mortality.

Combined, the findings of these studies are statistically significant in their similarity, the reviewers noted.

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Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Crisis: PDP lawmakers meet, to decide Sheriff’s fate …chairman apologises to aggrieved PDP stakeholders ObiOra ifOh ABUJA

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awmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Senate and House of Representatives will meet today to deliberate on the crisis rocking the party, including the fate of its National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff.

The crisis is already threatening the forthcoming national convention of the party.

A statement, jointly signed by Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and his House of Representatives’ counterpart, Leo Ogor, disclosed that the joint meeting of the lawmakers would hold at the House of Representatives complex, Abuja.

According to the conveners of the joint session, the sole agenda of the meeting would be the review of the state of the party against the backdrop of the forthcoming national convention.

In another development, the Reform Group of the party has urged the National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, to reach out to aggrieved groups over zoning formula.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Ariyo-Dare Atoye, the Co-Convener of the PDP Reform Group in Abuja yesterday.

The group also urged Sheriff to make whatever sacrifice that was necessary to salvage the party in the interest of all.

It said that PDP should

not be destroyed, adding that posterity will be kind to Sheriff if he put the party back on track.

The statement said that the group was deeply saddened over two avoidable painful developments that had thrown PDP into a serious dilemma and an intractable crisis.

“We are saddened by the infamous decision of some persons in the South-West to betray the zone and throw away the national chairmanship slot.

“We are also not happy with the inability of the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, to stand firm on his committee’s adopted report.

“We wish to remind those who sold away the political right of the South-West on the chairmanship slot that what goes around comes around,” the statement said.

The group said they had expected party leaders, including Ekweremadu, to resist every attempt to jettison his report.

“We cannot wholeheartedly blame Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff for accepting to serve and refusing to quit at this moment because he was approached to lead the party,’’ the statement added.

Meanwhile, Modu Sheriff has apologised to aggrieved stakeholders of the party over statements credited to him by his personal aides and associates.

Sheriff, who gave the apology at a media brief-

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) and President Francois Hollande of France during official reception for Hollande for the Regional Security Summit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, at the weekend.

ing in Jalingo, Taraba State yesterday, said “as a well cultured and astute politician, I would never make any comment that would ridicule the party.”

He added that it was not in his character to join issues with highly respected elders of the party, noting that he never authorised any of his aides or political associates to react to issues raised by aggrieved elders of the party.

Sheriff said the aggrieved members of the party reserved the right to complain about issues affecting the party, which they considered inimical to the progress of the PDP. He, therefore, urged any aggrieved member to bury the hatchet and join

hands with the present leadership to rebuild the party and restore the confidence of Nigerians in it.

He also noted that PDP as the main opposition party in the country could not afford to have a divided house and appealed to members to work for the unity of the

scuttled the action by purportedly entering into an agreement with the then government on behalf of Nigerians and ended up fixing the pump price of petrol at N97.00 per litre.

“Nigerians must be beware that the planned strike scheduled for Wednesday won’t last beyond Friday as the labour leaders have been compromised and are using the call as a ploy to deceive the masses,” CNPP said.

Meanwhile, students of tertiary institutions said

they would shut down all public and private institutions of higher learning in Ekiti State tomorrow to protest the hike in price of petrol which they described as insensitive and oppressive.

The students under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, said the action was to compel the Federal Government to revert the pump price of petrol from N145 to N87 per litre.

NANS Ekiti Axis Chairman, Shina Awopeju, said in a statement in Ado Ekiti

that the increment was illtimed, obnoxious, cruel, wicked, insensitive and brazenly oppressive.

Awopetu said: “The unwarranted increase would exacerbate the level of inflation in the already debased economy and exert untold hardship on poor Nigerians.

“Everybody appreciates the fact that when the price of petrol goes up, the transport cost will go higher.

This has been the case even when the increase is only marginal.

“The negative impact

earnest, adding that the party could not afford to remain divided if the desired goal was to be achieved.

He said: “Under our leadership and the support and encouragement of stakeholders and supporters, PDP will definitely bounce back in 2019.”

Nationwide power crisis looms CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

chain in the power sector equation.

“Don’t forget that only 25 per cent of this debt actually belongs to DISCOs, the rest are for other companies in the value chain – generating companies, the bulk trader, gas suppliers etc.

“So, if you don’t pay and you accumulate debt, what you are looking at is a pos-

FG moves to avert economy shut down CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

party at all times.

He explained that the present leadership was poised to lend a listening ear to all shades of opinions with a view to strengthening it to face the challenges ahead.

He maintained that the battle for 2019 general elections had started in

of the price of petrol going up goes beyond pushing up the transport cost. It is also expected to raise the cost of producing goods and services, in particular, the prices of goods, clothing and other necessities of life will go up and this will affect the poor Nigerians, of which Nigerian students constitute over 80 per cent.

“We are going to shut down the campuses all over the federation and re-enact the Occupy Nigeria Protest against the removal of subsidy from petroleum products this week.”

sible total collapse of the entire power sector.

“That is what we seek to avert by this action. We need this fund to energise the power sector; to ensure electricity supply and to grow the sector.”

The ANED boss, however, made it clear that the current mass disconnection was not an exercise targeted at MDAs but all historic debtors.

He lamented that the operations of all distribution companies were hampered by the huge indebtedness of the historic debtors.

Energy analysts noted that unless this funding crisis is resolved through prompt payment of the huge indebtedness and the implementation of the new power sector tariff structure, the nation’s hope of improving power supply may remain a mirage.

Realising the enormity of the financial challenges the DISCOs are facing, Fashola, had few weeks ago urged them to divest 60 per cent shares in the utilities in order to access more liquidity.

The suggestion has, however, been roundly rejected by energy experts most of who contended that the privatisation agreement the discos entered into with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, was emphatic that no investor will be allowed to sell beyond 5 per cent of their shares in the first five years.

According to industry analysts, what government should do is to promptly pay the huge indebtedness of the MDAs so that the DISCOs could access fund for their operations.

The experts also urged the Federal Government to pursue its plan to secure N309bn Bond to finance the shortfall in the Nigerian electricity market.

Oduntan, who agreed with the experts, harped on the need for adequate funding of the sector.

He explained that in addition to immediately ensuring that the MDA’s indebtedness to the sector are settled forthwith, the Federal Government should also pursue the bond.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, May 16, 2016

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Monday, May 16, 2016

NEWS

L-R: Head, Pharma Sales/Marketing, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr. Chikwuka Chukutem; Head, Corporate Marketing, Mr. Eugine Olewuenyi and Finance Controller, Mr. Ayodeji Aboderin, during the presentation of the Award for High Quality and Safety in Pharmaceuticals to May & Baker Nigeria Plc, at the 2016 Commerce and Industry in Lagos, at the weekend.

Winners of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneur Developments Inter-Platoon Debate, Mr Michael Obiaju, Mr Oyewole Samuel, Director, Business Development, Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Tonia Shoyele and Assistant Director, NYSC Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, during the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneur Developments Inter-Platoon Debate in Abuja at the weekend. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Head, Wealth Marketing, Stanbic IBTC Plc, Dapo Martins; Winner, 2016 Nigerian Stock Exchange Corporate (NSE) Challenge, Mr. Paul Alabi and Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Oscar Onyema, at the 2016 NSE Corporate Challenge in Lagos at the weekend.

L-R: Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas; Head, Product Marketing, Information Technology and Mobile, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu; Ace Photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi and Musician/Samsung Ambassador, Banky W, at a Private Viewing to start off the Samsung and Rele Gallery’s #TechMeetsArtNG initiative “What’s Cooking”, a Culinary Art and Photography Exhibition, at the Rele Gallery, Onikan, at the weekend.

National News

Planned strike triggers panic fuel buying nationwide Udeme AkpAn And Chidi UgwU

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lan by organised labour to embark on nationwide strike from Wednesday to mount pressure on government to backpedal on its fuel subsidy removal has triggered panic buying in Abuja and other parts of the country.

A survey showed that long queues, which disappeared from filling stations soon after fuel subsidy was removed, has started appearing at many filling stations again.

For instance, the queues, which started to gather in many parts of Abuja on Saturday, became unduly long yesterday evening as peopled rushed to buy the product for use this week.

Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, attributed the persisting fuel

queues in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to the impending strike by labour.

President of IPMAN, Chief Obasi Lawson disclosed in a telephone interview that the current queue is a result of fears by motorists, who do not want to be caught unawares by the strike, come Wednesday.

He said: “You know NLC and TUC threatened to shut down the country on Wednesday. The persisting queues may have resulted from motorists, who have engaged in panic buying to avoid being caught up in the strike.”

Lawson, however urged Nigerians to be patient and allow the forces of demand and supply to force down the pump price of PMS. In Lagos, queues were not noticed in the metropolis, but in the out-

skirts, including Ikorodu and Ibefun.

The development was also noticed in Kaduna.

Spokesman of Tanker

Drivers Association, Mr. Abdul Abdulkadir said in a telephone interview that fuel queues had not been completely eliminated in

Kaduna State.

He said many people still spend some time before they can get fuel to buy at the filling stations.

Investigations showed that labour leaders used the weekend to strategise on the ways and means of staging the planned strike.

Oil exploration causes environmental warming in Nigeria – NGO

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ealth of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), said oil exploration by multinational companies was a major contributor to environmental warming and climate change effects in Nigeria.

Coordinator of the organisation, Mr. Nnimo Bassey, stated this yesterday at an environmental awareness campaign tagged “Break Free 2016” in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State.

He said exploitation of crude oil and flaring of gas had destroyed the ecosystem thereby causing environmental warming in the country.

“We can break free from fossil fuel; we cannot keep on burning fossil fuel and the oil companies knew many years ago that oil extraction causes

global warming,” Bassey said.

He said the spread of chemical in the ocean during oil spills had affected fishing activities in the parts of the country.

According to him, the polluted water has affected the quality and quantity of fish in the ocean.

“It is happening in 15 countries around the world; everybody is saying the use of crude oil, the use of crude, the use of gas is destroying the planet.

“It makes the planet to change, everywhere is hot; it is because when oil is burning, it pollutes the air as the weather is changing,” Bassey said.

He alleged that a scientific study sponsored by a multinational in the area had proved that oil exploration was detrimental to human health and the environment.

“They paid scientists to hide the information so that they can make profits in dollars now that the information is coming out in the USA,” Bassey alleged.

He called on the multinational companies to leave the oil in the soil, saying that 80 per cent of the chemical kept in the soil had polluted the ocean.

Also speaking, Executive Director, Peace Point Action, PPA, Mr. Umo Isua-Ikoh, said residents of oil-bearing communities were suffering from respiratory and skin diseases.

Ikoh attributed the situation to breathing of poisonous gases emitted into the air through oil exploration and extraction activities in the area.

He said the objective of the awareness campaign was to stop the impunity committed

in the Niger Delta by the oil multinational companies.

He said oil and gas companies were sacrificing peoples’ lives and future of children “at the altar of profit’’ and that governments in the country had “unfortunately, become their bedfellows.”

He claimed that though Akwa Ibom had been the highest oil producing state in Nigeria, it had the worst socioeconomic indicators in the Niger Delta.

According to him, oil wealth does not directly translate to wealth and sustainable development for the people.

“The truth is that oil and gas exploration and production has left in its wake only environmental disaster, time bomb, poverty, disease and conflict in the region,” Ikoh said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Monday, May 16, 2016

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Liberalisation of downstream sector: Ex-Venezuelan Energy Minister lauds FG Chidi UgwU AbujA

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ormer Venezuelan Minister of Mines and Energy, Dr. Alirio Parra, has described the decision of the Federal Government to liberalise the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry as historic and smart.

This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad, in Abuja

yesterday.

According to the statement, Parra, who is also a member of the global oil industry outfit, CWC Group stated at a forum in Abuja over the weekend that the liberalisation of the downstream sector in the country is a bold testament to the fact that oil is a market driven commodity.

“One really important change in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria is the decision by the Federal Government to open the domestic market for competition. I am not necessarily talking about

the elimination of subsidy, but opening the market, is a statement that oil is market driven and that with time, it is going to be to the benefit of Nigeria, and to all Nigerians,” he said.

According to Parra, the opening of the market will in no time encourage more players to bring in petrol

which would eventually lead to a new era of competitive pricing.

It is envisaged that the liberalisation of the downstream sector will among other benefits, ensure market stability and improve fuel supply situation through private sector participation that will eventu-

ally lead to the reduction in hoarding, smuggling and diversion of petrol.

The new price regime is projected to stabilise price at the actual product price as well as encourage investments in both refining and retail aspects of the downstream business.

Parra also endorsed

the nomination of former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo by the Federal Government as Nigeria’s candidate for the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.

Militancy: Don’t quit, DHQ tells oil firms

...says militants’ threat’s empty

UbOng UKpOng AbujA

T

he Defence Headquarters, DHQ yesterday, told oil firms not to be scared of the Niger Delta militants and quit operations, dismissing the two weeks ultimatum as empty threats.

Director of Defence Information, DDI, BrigadierGeneral Rabe Abubakar, who spoke to National Mirror in Abuja, declared that; “Niger Delta is part and parcel of Nigeria and shall remain so forever.”

This is coming about four days after the Niger Delta avengers issued two weeks ultimatum for oil firms to vacate the region.

The group which had claimed responsibilities for recent attacks on oil installations in the region had ordered oil firms to shut down operations in view of the imminent attacks.

The group, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, had warned that failure to comply with the directive will be bloody, boasting that the military lacked the power to prevent it from striking.

However, the DHQ said that “they are dreaming”, stressing that “you can’t ask anybody to leave any part of Nigeria.”

Warning that nobody should leave the area because of the empty threats, the Defence Spokesman said that everyone is free to stay anywhere in Nigeria.

He said since the region is part of Nigeria, there is no plans by the Nigerian military to allow any militant group to take hold of any part thereof to exercise control.

“We are not moved at all by their threat, it means nothing to us. We are not moved at all,” the military declared.

L-R: Registrar, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Bello Kankarofi; President, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) Mr. David Okeme; Minister of Information and Cultrue, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and G.M Marketing UAC, Mrs. Johan Ihekwabe, at the AVAN Marketers Conference in Lagos at the weekend. PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

We’ll use creative industry to diversify Nigeria’s economy–NCAC

N

ational Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, said it would use the creative industry to assist the present administration in the country in its drive to diversify the economy. Director-General of the council, Mrs Dayo Keshi,

NCAA commences new regulations for airlines from July 1 OlUsegUn KOiKi

I

n a bid for the nation’s airline sub-sector to conform to the global standards and practices, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has said that the new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, Nig.CARs, promulgated in December, 2015, would take effect from 1st July, 2016.

NCAA said the reviewed Nig.CARs was to ensure a completion of the annexes.

NCAA said in the new regulation, provisions had been made for economic and consumer protection regulations, which were hitherto not incorporated in the 2009 edition.

A statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said the directive on the new regulation was contained in a circular with the reference number: NCAA/DG/ AOL/21/16/01 sent to all airline operators in April, 2016.

Adurogboye hinted that also included in the new regulation was the review of standardised operational procedures, implementation and enforcement in the industry.

He said all these had been done in conformity with the Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPs, as contained in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention.

He declared that all air-

line operators were already in possession of the copies of the new regulations, stressing that the interregnum between April and the commencement date was a permissible transitional period.

He insisted that during this time, all stakeholders are expected to acquaint themselves with the contents therein for seamless implementation.

He added: “The process of review was set in motion to align Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, Nig.CARs, with recent International Civil Aviation Organisations, ICAO, amendments and industry observations received by the authority.

made this know in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Sunday in Abuja.

Keshi said that ongoing Photographic Exhibition in Abuja, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture in conjunction with National Gallery of Arts and NCAC, was in tandem with the government’s ``change’’ agenda.

She said the theme of the exhibition ``Political Development of Nigeria: the Change Mantra’’ was to highlight the mission of the present government, which centred on economic diversification. ``It is also making us to work even in unfamiliar terrain to make sure that the shortfall in oil will engineer a strong economy based on the diversification into other areas. ``The creative industry definitely will be a good answer to what President Mu-

hammadu Buhari’s leadership is all about,’’ she said.

According to Keshi, the photographic exhibition is a remarkable initiative which showcases pictures of the country’s past and present political leaders. ``Pictorial exhibition has more impact; people might not take time finishing a book, but they can spend shorter time like 20 or 30 minutes at most, going through history of almost a century through pictures. ``I think the pictures are very graphic; it is a good initiative by the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture. ``I hope that the public will seize the advantage of it being on till month-end to come in and go through Nigeria’s history as it is shown in pictures. ``I am also hoping that school children will be brought here in batches to go through this exhibition,’’

she said.

Keshi also said that the exhibition was not organised to showcase pictures of past and present political leaders’ but also arts and craft.

She said, ``on the outside, we also have the craft exhibition; the craft exhibition is standing there representing the essence of creative industry in the development and diversification of the economy. ``The craft exhibition depicts crafts from different states in Nigeria and all of them are hand-made. ``It takes an artist a number of days, weeks and months to produce a craft, but when it comes out, it becomes a unique piece. ``This is because it is not machine-made; so, it is a way for us to showcase that this sector has a lot to offer, especially in the economic diversification of our dear country, Nigeria’’.

8

South West

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

EFCC invites rights' group over alleged diversion of LG funds bOladale bamiGbOla OSOGBO

I

ndications emerged yesterday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may have commenced investigation into allegations of diversion of local government funds by the Osun State government.

An Osun-based rights' group, Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State, CSCEOS, in a statement issued in Osogbo yesterday disclosed that the EFCC has invited it to clarify issues raised in its letters where it accused the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, of diverting local government funds.

According to a statement

signed by the group's chairman, Comrade Sulaimon Alimi, the Ibadan zonal office of the anti-graft agency, sent an invitation to him to appear before it on May 17, 2016 for further clarifications of the matter.

It would be recalled that the rights group had written to President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the anti-graft agency, calling for investigation into how funds due to the 30 local government areas in the state are disbursed.

It also demanded the stoppage of release of local government councils’ monthly allocations to the state through Governor Aregbesola.

The EFCC invitation letter

reads: “This is to acknowledge receipt of your petition dated 4th April, 2016, captioned ‘Report of Illegal Diversion of 30 Local Governments’ Monthly Allocations by the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola: Why Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State, CSCEOS, is calling for investigation and stoppage of Releasing of Local Government Monthly Allocations to Osun State through Mr. Rauf Aregbesola’ and to inform you that investigation has commenced.

“In view of the above, you are hereby requested to report to EFCC Zonal Office at No.16 Rev’d Oyebode Crescent, Iyaganku, Ibadan, G.R.A., Ibadan for an inter-

view with the undersigned through the Head Team B, on the 17th May, 2016, at 10am prompt. You may wish to contact the office through 08098877321 for further clarification.”

But reacting to the development, the director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, applauded the move by the anti-graft body, saying it would put an end to unnecessary accusation of the governor on local government funds.

Okanlawon in a statement issues in Osogbo yesterday evening said: “My attention has been drawn to invitation purportedly sent to Suleiman Adeniyi by the EFCC to come forward over his group's alle-

L-R: President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry,(LCCI) Chief (Mrs.) Nike Akande; Consular General, Brazilian Embassy, Maria Figueirodo; recipient/ Acting MD/CEO, Bank of Industry, Mr. Waheed Olagunju and Divisional Head, Large Scale Industry, B.O.I Mr. Joseph Babatunde, during the LCCI Commerce and Industry Award in Lagos, at the PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI weekend.

N838m unpaid loan: First Bank urges court to wind up Omatek Computers GbenGa OGunbufunmi

I

n a bid to recover a loan of N838,337,562.69, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, has filed a winding up petition against Omatek Computers Limited, a company dealing in computer and computer accessories.

In the wind up petition filed by a Lagos lawyer, Barrister Ade Oyebanji, on behalf of First Bank, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, it was alleged that Omatek Computers Limited between May 20, 2014 and November

12, 2015, applied for and was granted various types of credit facilities amounting to N743,224,440.

The claimant said the loan granted to the company was guaranteed by (Dr.) Mrs. Florence Seriki, the director and chief executive of the company who issued personal a guarantee, while Omatek Ventures Plc and Omatek Ventures Distribution Limited, both sister companies, issued a corporate guarantee.

The claimant averred that the company has defied the terms of the loans which has exceeded the time frame for its repayment as stipulated in

the offer letter.

The total outstanding indebtedness of Omatek Computers to the bank as at January 31, 2016 was N838,337,562.69 and the amount continues to accrue interest on daily basis, the bank said.

The petitioner said it had written several letters to the company requesting for the liquidation of the due and unpaid debt, while the guarantors were also written asking them for repayment of the facilities they guaranteed, but that the company, while admitting its indebtedness, had always cited

constraints and challenging market conditions as cause of inability to meet its obligation.

“The petitioner has made several demands on the company to pay its debt but the company has been unable to pay its debts because it is insolvent.’’

Consequently, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, has asked the court, that in the circumstances, it is just and equitable that the Omatek Company be wound up by the court under the provisions of the Company and Allied Matters Act, cap C20, Laws of the Federation 2004.

gation of diversion of local government funds in Osun.

"This is a welcome development as perhaps this will put an end to frivolous activities of the likes of Thai group and their cohorts in the trade of making allegations that they can substantiate.

“The Osun example in local government funds administration is a study in transparency and accountability.

"Perhaps, it is only in Osun that the governor introduced Heads of Local Gov-

ernment Administrations, HLAs, to the monthly allocation meeting. The HLAs have full knowledge of how much is received and other allied information. A governor with a plan to divert funds would not bring such a novel addition to the way funds are administered.

"Have these petitioners checked out Osun’s record of payment of council salaries and pensions and compared it with what obtains in many other states of the federation?

Oke-Are alumni to honour Catholic priest

A

luncheon to honour Catholic priests who are ex students of St. Theresa's Catholic Minor Seminary, Oke-Are, ibadan is scheduled to hold in Lagos at St. Agnes Catholic Church Maryland.

The event put together by the alumni association of the Seminary known as Oke-Are Seminary Old Boys Association of Nigeria (OSOBAN) is expected to have prominent Catholic priests like the Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos as Chief host, while His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie and Most Rev. Dr.Felix Alaba Job, the Emeritus Archbishop of Ibadan Catholic diocese and eight other priests of OkeAre extraction receive honours for their 50th priestly ordination anniversary.

The association will also honour ex students of the Seminary who returned to the Seminary as heads of the school administration as Rectors. Among these are late Bishop Anthony Sanusi of Ijebu-Ode diocese, Archbishop Job, late Msgr A.K Silva, and Msgr Jerome Oduntan. Others are Rev. Fr. Patrick Obayomi, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Nwachukwu and the current Rector Rev. Fr. Peter Onabamiro.

The luncheon which has Sir Steve Bamidele Omojafor OON, Group Chairman, STB MCCANN, West Africa as chairman will also host Sir J.I.A. Arumemi IkhideJohnson KSG CON and Chief M.O Koleoso as Special Guests of honour while Messrs Evaristus Jibola Kuyoro and Patrick Sessi as special guests.

The luncheon which is billed to commence at 1.00pm

on Thursday May 19, is aimed at bringing together the two categories of the Seminary graduates for the purpose of forging a common front in order to support the training of Catholic priests.

To add colour to the programme a novelty of matchmaking is planned as an aspect of the event. A priest member is expected to pick a draw from among non priest members and they become friends and relate on all matters concerning the association and the alma mater.

Reiterating this aspect of the programme, the OSOBAN President, Mr.Segun Ogunade stated that the coming together of all old boys of the Oke-Are Seminary would create the avenue for all old boys to contribute to the training priests which cost has hit the rooftop.

On the matchmaking, Ogunade said, "it is aimed at making the association more vibrant and cohesive and eventually achieve the goal of forging mutually beneficial relationship that the Catholic Church and the larger society would reap bountifully from.

The association according to the president has sensitised members both at home and in the diaspora to the need to give back to the school that made them whatever they are today.

In this regard the association will confer a life time achievement award on a member Ambassador Joe Keshi OON the vice chairman of UBA Plc, for his contributions to the society.

In furtherance of the objectives of the luncheon, the association will raise funds in support of the training of priests in some Major Seminaries in the days ahead.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Monday, May 16, 2016

9

John Hopkins Hospital, ABUAD explore partnership on medical education abiOdun nejO ADO EKITI

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elegation of United States-based world's leading medical facility, John Hopkins Hospital, has said that Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD, has the potential to rewrite the myth of African inadequacy.

Leader of the delegation, Dr Timothy Amukele, who said research and scholarship are the hallmarks of great institutions, added that

ABUAD has the potentials to be a leader in scholarship".

Amukele, who spoke during a visit of the hospital's team to ABUAD to explore possibilities of establishing relationship between John Hopkins Hospital and ABUAD Teaching Hospital, ABUADTH, presented a range of collaborative options from which the university can choose from for the partnership.

The delegation leader, who established similarities between the founder of the hospital, the late John Hop-

kins and ABUAD Founder, Aare Afe Babalola, in the areas of establishment of university, hospital and charity, said; "it is very amazing for one person (Babalola) to do this".

The team said it would report its findings in ABUAD to the authorities of John Hopkins Hospital in furtherance of the proposed collaboration between the two institutions.

John Hopkins Hospital, which is the best medical facility in the world, has presence in 30 countries.

Babalola, who said the

visit of the hospital team had brightened ABUAD, said: "Your coming here is a great lesson which will make us change our attitude. What we have learnt from you will be extended beyond Nigeria.

From what we have learnt from you, ABUAD will now go beyond Nigeria".

Babalola said the university was exploring the "possibility of having a centre of excellence in ABUADTH; and possibility of allowing John Hopkins Hospital's personnel to work with ABUADTH

so that we can learn from them. This will naturally stop Nigerians from going abroad for medical treatment".

He said ABUAD was also, through the collaboration, looking at the possibility of being assisted by way of medical equipment and others that can aid the university; and use of drones for transporting blood and

Domestic violence traceable to dysfunctional family background —Ambode

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Clearing of the site of the collapsed building at ultra-modern Itoku Olori, Abeokuta, yesterday.

Buhari tasked over corruption in tertiary institutions Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

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non-political group, the Accountability Vanguard of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, yesterday, called on President Muhammudu Buhari, to beam the searchlight of the fight against corruption on tertiary institutions.

The group in a statement issued yesterday by its National President, Pastor Theophilus Aremu, said the tertiary institutions are the root of every corrupt practices in the country.

While condemning recent media reports on numerous allegations against academia across the country, he urged the president to tackle political vampires alongside those he described as academic gluttons.

The group which has aca-

demia from selected universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country, admonished President Buhari to act on the numerous allegations of corruption perpetrated by some senior Professors, especially vice-chancellors and provost of some of Federal Government owned institutions and seven others on which the Minister of Education early in the year set up panels of investigation.

According to Aremu, there were allegations of fraudulent promotion of some professors and manipulation of high-level appointments at these schools where students pay prostitutes to sleep with their lecturers to earn marks.

He said abuse of offices such as manipulation of appointment of successors in office, manipulation of appointment and promotion processes in favour of rela-

tions, old secondary school mates and cronies perpetuated by some of the vice chancellors are unacceptable and irritating, calling on President Buhari as the Visitor to intervene by investigating these allegations with appropriate sanctions as a matter of urgency to curb such fraudulent practices.

He then enjoined President Buhari to abide by his promise to release names of treasury looters on 29 May 2016,and to also address the rots and pending matters in our tertiary institutions, stating that doing otherwise, the current attitude of business as usual in these institutions will continue unchecked.

other essential equipment to ABUADTH, although ABUAD is planning a Helipad in the Teaching Hospital Complex," he said.

Provost, ABUAD College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Olurotimi Sanya, said the university hoped to partner John Hopkins Hospital in a way that we can access both their human and material resources.

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday identified dysfunctional family background as one of the major reasons for rising cases of domestic violence, just as he advocated the need for parents to imbibe in their wards the virtues of honesty, respect, morality, good neighborliness, peace and love.

Governor Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House at the Family Day celebration hosted by the state government in commemoration of the International Family Day, also said a lot of acts of terror and violence that have ruptured global peace and security could be traced to the absence of strong family ties, and as such parents must spend time with their children no matter how difficult it may be.

The governor described the family as the smallest, but most important unit of the society, saying things can only go right in the country if first addressed in the family.

He said: "Most of the recorded incidences of domes-

tic violence are as a result of dysfunctional family backgrounds. Our traditional family cohesion and bond has been weakened due to daily life challenges of trying to make ends meet.

"We must, as a matter of urgency, in spite of the demanding pace of life pause and find time to reconnect with our families. Our families need us; our children need us. The family always provides emotional support in times of need. We have family members in need of emotional, physical and moral support. The support and encouragement given to a family member today can prevent a violent act of terror or suicide tomorrow."

Speaking on the essence of the international celebration which was designated by the United Nations, Ambode said, everyone was born into a family and that the most important moments of people's lives have taken place in the family, saying it was for that reason that the international body places a lot of emphasis on the family as a key factor in human relations.

LAUTECH doctors appeal to Ajimobi over unpaid salaries Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

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edical doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors,ARD, have appealed to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State to help address the issue of their five months unpaid salaries.

The association made the appeal in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Seb Oiwoh, and made available to journalists in Ibadan yesterday.

He said the salary drought is causing lots of distractions to its members, thereby hindering the delivery of sound healthcare services to the people.

He said: “We appeal to the governor to use his fatherly disposition to look into the matter in further-

ance to the previously stated appeals in our letters to his Excellency. We equally appeal to the well-meaning Nigeria, policy makers, legislators and traditional rulers to wade in, to ensure that our patients are not denied healthcare".

ARD stated further that the last time its members, which included resident doctors and house officers collected salaries in the face of unrelenting responsibilities was November 2015.

“Our members have been on indefinite withdrawal of services since April 25 in a bid to ensure full healthcare of our patients devoid of hitches from the aforementioned encumbrances.

This followed an initial five day warning strike following expiration of several ultimate running over six months with management not having seen to it even just before and after the warning strike,” Oiwoh said.

10

South East

Monday, May 16, 2016

Enugu absolves gov’s aide of alleged investigation on current activities EmmanuEl EzEh ENUGU

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nugu State government said on Saturday that its attention has been drawn to a media report alleging that a senior special adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Special Duties was quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for embezzlement of over N200 million.

In a statement by senior special assistant to the governor on media, Mr. Louis Amoke, stated:

"In order to put the records straight, which is the hallmark of this administration, government wished to state as follows: “That Pastor Sam Iyiogwe, is not a senior special adviser to the Enugu State government on special duties as was reported.

“That he is one of the senior special assistants that were appointed in March this year by the state government and to the best of our knowledge, he has not handled any financial transaction

of the government other than receiving his monthly salary.

“That he was elected two-term chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state which started on January 4, 2012 during the past administration of Governor Sullivan Chime and ended on January 4, 2016.

“That the allegations leveled against him have to do with his stewardship during his tenure as chairman of the council and have nothing to do with his current appoint-

ment in the present administration.

“That we are not unmindful of the resolve by a few persons to attempt to distract the government, but we remain focused bearing in mind the goodwill the state government enjoys from the people.

“That the state government will remain committed to zero tolerance for corruption and continue to support the EFCC and other related agencies in their fight against corruption in the country."

Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano (m), unveiling the plaque during the foundation laying of Chimedie Museum in Onitsha, Anambra State. With him are Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe (r), and other participants.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Ihiagwa-Nekede Poly road collapsing’ Chris njoku OWERRI

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hiagwa-Nekede road in Imo State is fast deteriorating as motorists and commuters, including students have cried out for help over its potholes road that have made the all-important road a nightmare for them.

The residents who include students of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, said the link road between these institutions that was constructed last year has completely fallen apart as the raining season sets in.

“Nearly all the roads, including the ones Governor Rochas Okorochas built last year have fallen apart. This is creating misery not only for motorists who are frequently visiting mechanics, but also helpless residents and students of the two federal institutions in the area who are just coping with the recent increase in fuel price,” they said.

One of the motorists, Cypril Mba, advised Governor Okorocha not to shift priority from creating factories, and build and rehabilitate roads to facilitate movement.

While reminding the gov-

Flood devastates farms, property worth millions of naira in Ebonyi aliuna Godwin

Lack of guiding principle in business bane of corruption Chris njoku OWERRI

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resident of Rotary International, Mrs. Rekha Shietty, said corruption exists in the world today because people in the business world have no guiding principles.

Speaking yesterday in Owerri, Imo State capital, at the end of the annual District Conference 9140 DISCON 2016 which started last Thursday, Mrs. Shietty said any country where businesses are done without a guiding motto would always be infested by corruption.

She said corruption has been responsible for all the illnesses, diseases, inadequate water, bad good roads

and other problems experienced in the world today.

“Corruption exists because those in the business world do not have a guiding motto. It takes two hands to clap; those who take and those who give are all corrupt, but if you are a good rotarian you will not like to participate in anything that will lead to corruption; in Rotary we practice dignity in business.

“Our guiding principles have always been the foundation upon which our values and tradition stand. The FourWay Test - Is it the truth: is it fair to all concerned; will it build a better friendship and will it benefit all?. If all concerned practice these principles there will be less corruption in the world,” she stated.

Shietty expressed joy that despite all the challenges, Rotary has been contributing to humanity through its foundation, ensuring that the earth remains a better place to live.

According to her, Rotary, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, WHO, has spent about $11.5 billion to fight polio worldwide since the outbreak of the disease, adding that Nigeria which is one of the beneficiaries would soon be declared a polio-free country.

The Rotary president, who said that African Rotary has 52 countries participating in the rotary movement, disclosed that only two countries, Afghanistan

and Pakistan have polio, adding that Rotary has been serving humanity since past 111 years in almost every area of mankind’s needs.

She also disclosed that Rotary International now has a population of 1.2 million rotarians in 200 countries in 34,000 rotary clubs.

Also speaking, its immediate past South South and South East District governor, D.G. Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, said DISCON 2016 with the theme, ‘Year Passion is Your Gift,’ is a celebration of excellent years of success. She said 11 states and 132 clubs that make up the South East and South South geopolitical zone participated in the event.

ernor that there is urgent need to repair the roads in the state, he particularly mentioned the IhiagwaNekede road, leading to the Federal Poly, Nekede and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO. “Imo State government should give urgent attention to these deplorable roads in the state, so as to reduce the number of accidents and deaths on them,” the motorists said.

Also some of the students complained bitterly that the road, starting from Naze junction, off Owerri-Aba road, has been in a state of disrepair for many months without attracting government attention.

According to them “it appears that both the state and federal governments are taking our peaceful nature for weakness, because we know that this insensitivity to people’s plight in the East cannot be tolerated by our colleagues in the West and North,” they stated.

According to some of the residents, the condition of the roads has negatively influenced economic growth in the community.

Other residents noted that several attempts made to call the attention of the state government to rescue the people have yielded no positive results.

ABAKALIKI

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t was a disastrous weekend in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State as flood wreaked havoc on farmers and some landlords whose houses are near waterways.

Properties worth millions of Naria were destroyed in the devastating flood.

The unfortunate flood followed a heavy down pour on Saturday night which rained almost throughout the night in Abakaliki. It was said to be the first of its kind this year in the state.

Although, as at the time of filing this report there was no record of death of any person, the level of destruction to farm lands was very high as most of them and houses were submerged by water.

It was gathered that the flood also destroyed some schools, including a garden belonging to a former governor of the state located along Onwe road, Abakaliki.

Early hours of yesterday, some major roads and bridges linking the state capital and some communities were rendered impassable as they were submerged by flood, causing road users to park their vehicles and wait until the water abated.

Other areas submerged by the flood include the Azuiyiokwu bridge, Odinukwe/hatchery bridge and Nwofe/Agbaja bridge, among others.

All effort to reach the state chairman of NEMA, Mr. Ephram Ononye, as at the time of filing this report proved abortive as his mobile lines were not reachable.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Monday, May 16, 2016

11

PENGASSAN urges FG to tackle militancy in Niger Delta

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Cross section of the newly elected officers of PDP South-South at the 2016 PDP South -South Zonal Congress in Port Harcourt Saturday.

Police rescue kidnapped Urhobo Youth President General

… arrest four suspects Nosa akeNzua ASABA

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elta State Police Command in the early hours of Saturday rescued the kidnapped Urhobo Youth President General, Mr. Anthony Ovie.

According a source very close to the police command, on 13th of May, Policemen from Abraka Division, Anti- Kidnapping Squad and some selected vigilante members while acting on police intelligence report from Abraka division, trailed and arrested one Paul

Udi and one other suspect (name unknown) at Eku town, who gave useful information that led to the rescue of the President General unhurt in a forest along Eku/Abraka road.

The President General who has been reunited with members of his family could not be reached for comment as at the time of filing this report.

It was also gathered that the police have earlier arrested two other suspects in connection with the crime, who gave useful information that

led to the arrest of the other two.

In a related development, due to complaints of incessant house breaking and robbery attacks on hostels, lock-up shops and other public places, the police in Abraka have also arrested the chairman of the vigilante group in the area Mr. Dele Oritsedare.

This arrest was as a result of proactive steps by the Police through intelligence gathering and useful information from some of the repentant members of the vigilante group namely, Ochuko Robberts and Arhiriere Onos.

According to our source, who pleaded anonymity, the duo submitted themselves to the police when the heat from intensive police investigations becomes hot. They confessed that the arrested chairman has consistently been sending them (vigilante members) to break into hostels, lockup shops and market as a means of compelling their victims to pay their vigilante levies.

The chairman, who confessed to the crime, has been transferred to DCIB at the state headquarters in Asaba for further investigation and prosecution.

Kidnapping: Igbo traders to close shops in C’River RichaRd Ndoma CALABAR

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raders of Igbo extraction doing business within Calabar metropolis and its environs yesterday, said they were going to closed down their shops for two days as their own way of protesting against the spate of kidnapping of Igbo people doing business in Cross River State.

The Igbo traders, who spoke under the aegis of Igbo Unity Forum, IUF, are worried at the rising wave of kidnapping which they claimed was targeted at them to extort money in the form of ransom running into millions of naira at gun

point by dare devil gunmen.

National Mirror however, learnt that about 33 of such incidences which had occurred had traders of Igbo extraction as victims of the evil kidnappers.

The victims mostly Igbo traders who sell electrical materials, building materials, spare parts, bakery and cosmetics have been kidnapped and hundreds of millions paid as ransom to the abductors to get them released.

Speaking on the issue, Coordinator for Igbo Unity Forum, Mazi Okechukwu Ebubedike, stated that the decision of the Igbos to shut down their business premises for at least two days in Calabar metropolis, was arrived at after ex-

tensive deliberation at an emergency meeting of the various stakeholders and town unions of Igbo extraction to register their grievances due to the ugly trend.

Ebubedike, who doubles as Chairman of the Igbo professionals residing in Cross River State, maintained that over 33 sons and daughters of Igbo origin have been taken captive in the last one year with their loved ones made to pay hundreds of millions of naira as ransom to have their abducted brother or kinsmen release.

The coordinator said that most of the victims pay between N5million and N30million as ransom to secure their release from the

kidnappers’ den even when injuries had been inflicted on them.

The coordinator, accused the Cross River State Government of paying deaf ear to the plight of Ndi Igbo residing in Calabar metropolis with regard to this issue of kidnapping, alleging that most Igbo have been subjected to undue treatment and harassment by these bandits and miscreants even when they pay their taxes and other levies as at when due to the coffers of Cross River State Government and called on both Cross River State Government and the Commissioner of Police Mr. Henry Fadairo, to live up to their expectation before issues run out of hand.

etroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has urged the Federal Government to tackle the resurgence of militancy and oil pipelines vandalism in the Niger Delta.

The president of the Association, Mr Francis Olabode-Johnson, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Calabar.

According to him, the current fight against pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in the region has not recorded the desired success and needed to be intensified as the act has continued.

He said the country had continued to lose huge revenue owing to the bombing of oil pipelines by militants, stressing that ``I am calling on the Federal Government to effectively check the

activities of militants and pipelines vandals in the Niger Delta region.

“Nigeria is losing a large percentage of its revenue due to the activities of the militants.

“I want government and the multinational oil companies to use modern technologies in checking pipelines vandalism and crude oil theft.’’

The PENGASSAN boss added that modern technologies should be used in such a way that vandals could not access.

“We also expect the managers of these pipelines to imbibe the culture of regular maintenance while government lives up to its responsibility of providing security to these national asset,” he said.

Olabode-Johnson appealed to the security agencies protecting the pipelines to be more resolute in carrying out the assignment.

16,000 persons living with HIV, AIDS in Edo –Official

P

roject Manager, Edo State Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDs (EDO-SACA), Dr Marietu Binkola, yesterday said 16,000 people in the state were living with HIV virus.

Binkola made this known at a forum to mark the 2016 International Aids Candle Light Memorial held in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

The International Aids Candlelight Memorial is celebrated to remember all those who had died of HIV and AIDS. During the ceremony, names of the deceased are usually read out by a cross section of communities, families and partners.

“We have about 16,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in Edo State.

“The state government is committed to the funding of HIV and AIDs and to see that this figure is reduced to the barest minimum,” she said.

Binkola said that articulated vehicles parks were considered some of the “hot spots” where drivers engaged in high act of immorality, adding that the agency would intensify campaign on the disease.

She said billboards on HIV would be sited at every of such parks in the state to further sensitise people on the scourge.

“All kinds of people stand at disadvantage on the question of HIV and AIDS; so, what we do is we sensitize, we distribute condoms.

“HIV testing and counselling is free and we teach them how to use it and use it properly,” she said.

Binkola called for attitudinal change towards the disease and advised the public to stop discrimination against those living with the disease in order to reduce its spread.

Earlier, Dr Bright Oniovokukor, Coordinator, Civil Society for HIV/AIDs in Nigeria (CISHAN), Edo chapter, said the forum would bring renewed international attention to the importance of safer sex.

Oniovokukor said that the forum would also send positive message to young, sexually active people that using condoms consistently was necessary in averting contacting the disease.

The coordinator said that there was need for governments and relevant agencies to intensify awareness on the disease.

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North

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Deregulation should be full-blown – NOGASA Marcus FatunMole AbujA

S

ecretary, Board of Trustees, Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria, NOGASA, Chief Eddy Nwosu, has urged the Federal Government to allow “full-blown” deregulation of the nation’s oil sector.

Nwosu said this in Abuja yesterday in his reaction to the removal of subsidy on fuel products by the Federal Government.

He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu, for their efforts towards transforming the oil and gas industry in

the country.

He said:” The removal of subsidy is eminent, but we are worried about the price benchmark of N145 per litre. The removal of subsidy should be full blown to promote effective competition in the oil and gas sector. PPPRA regulating the importation of petroleum through their template is regulation in a deregulated sector.

Also, we implore the Federal Government to repair as a matter of urgency the existing oil refineries and create an enabling environment for investors to build new refineries.

“These outlined factors, driven by demand and sup-

ply will determine the price and ultimately ease the suffering of Nigerians. He urged oil and gas suppliers to go about their normal business as the Federal Government of Nigeria is making conscious efforts to reorganise the sector,” he added.

The Federal Government had last week, through Kachukwu, announced the withdrawal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit,

PMS, popularly known as petrol, and announced a new price of N145 from initial N86.50. The action sparked off protests, and also provoked applause from various section of the society.

The Joint National Executive Council, NEC, of The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior

Staff Association, PENGASSAN, last Friday supported the subsidy removal.

They however, asked government to take bold steps to review the minimum wage for labour, and that proceeds from the sector should be used to better the lots of people in the country.

But, leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, at a briefing last Saturday gave the Federal Gov-

ernment till tomorrow to revert to old price of N86.50 or face a total shutdown of the nation’s economy from Wednesday.

Similarly, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, said it expects to meet with government, latest by Wednesday to help it know whether to join forces with other unions and civil society groups in the country to protest the hike.

‘Capitalise on oil glut to diversify the economy’

P

resident, Dangote Group Aliko Dangote, has advised Nigerians to encourage governments at all levels to implement reforms that will help in achieving a more diversified economy.

He said that the current reality prevailing in the international oil market provides the best opportunity for the nation to diversify the economy, leveraging on the agriculture sector.

Dangote, who made this disclosure at the just concluded Katsina State Investment & Economic Summit, specifically wants the state governors to take advantage of the prevailing situation, just as the Federal Government has commenced process of diversification at the national level “I believe this is the best period in the history of our country to actually diversify our economy, rather than seeing the current happenings from a negative perspective “It was under this same kind of situation that countries like Brazil, transformed their economies, and today they have become one of the leading economies in the world.

“We are lucky that the glut we are talking about only affects the oil sector, and does not affect commodities which we have the capacity to export in the agriculture sector” he noted.

Accordingly, Dangote stated that since the north-

ern part of the country, has vast potentials in the field of agriculture, state governments in the region must put more practical efforts to transform the sector.

“For them to maximum the available resources to address the issue of poverty, and particularly, the high level of unemployment prevailing in the region, they must put in place policies that can attract investors within and outside the country,” he said.

Dangote revealed his intention to create over 200,000 new jobs through some of his investments in the agric sector in the northern part of the country between now and 2018.

According to him, the Dangote Group has commenced the production of rice in Jigawa at competitive price, as part of the national quest to be self- sufficient in rice production.

“Dangote Group is working to increase yield of rice per hectare from the present 1.4 to maximum 2 tonnes per hectare in Jigawa State. “ Already a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, has been signed by the Dangote Group to produce rice in Jigawa on a rice value chain, from planting to retaining, the company will be cultivating 16,000 hectares, and as well as develop an out-grower scheme using the same technology, and the same arrangement to produce another 16,000 hectares,” he pointed out.

Members of the Nigeria Bar Association on a road waik during a Sensitisation of the NBA Kaduna State Branch 2016 Law Week in Kaduna, yesterday.

Return to negotiation table, Nasarawa varsity’s VC urges ASUU

V

ice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Mohammed Akaro-Mainoma, has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, chapter in the institution to return to the negotiation table in order to end its lingering strike.

Akaro-Mainoma made the appeal on Sunday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, NAN in Keffi, saying negotiation with government would help in ending the strike and restoring normalcy in the institution.

Members of Nasarawa

State University chapter of ASUU had on March 7 embarked on an indefinite strike to press home several demands.

The demands include payment of allowances owed to them by the management of the institution and a review of the university law to conform to the 2003 Act as obtained in other public universities.

The union is also seeking action on the promotion guideline, which they claim is ambiguous, and wants tax relief for its members among others issues.

Akaro-Mainoma said that there was need to end the prolonged strike in the interest of peace and the overall development of the education sector.

“The government is doing everything humanly possible to improve on the welfare of the staff of the institution as well to improve on the standard of education in the state,’’ he said.

According to him, the strike is unfortunate and has affected the academic activities of the institution, the socio-economic development of the university and the state at

large negatively.

Akaro-Mainoma called on members of the union to reach an understanding with the government in the interest of the students.

He described members of the union as hardworking and dedicated, urging them not to relent in their efforts toward improving the standard of education in the state.

The Vice Chancellor said he would continue to promote positive programmes that would improve the standard of living of the staff and students of the institution.

Ganduje promises judicious use of IGR

K

ano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, said he would ensure that internally generated revenue was used for the development of the state.

He made the promise while presenting letters of appointment to staff engaged

by Technical Advisers on Improvement of IGR and Consultants conducting Biometric Data Capture in Kano on Sunday.

The governor said that the government would finance part of the 2016 recurrent expenditure and 2017 with internally revenue.

“Whatever we collect as taxes will be used judiciously for the development of the state.

“The state needs to stand on its feet instead of depending on something not reliable,” he said.

He explained that the state

decided to look inward for improved revenue in reaction to the economic situation in the country.

“We will very soon lay a solid foundation for some projects to be tagged Tax Aid Projects for people to see how the revenue collected are used,’’ Ganduje said.

According to him, the state government would soon establish a special department in the Revenue Board that

would be charged with the responsibility of revenues in ministries, departments and agencies.

He said the measure became necessary in order to ensure accountability and transparency in the collection of revenue in the state The governor called on members of the public to cooperate with the revenue collectors to achieve the desired objective.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Nosa akeNzua ASABA

F

ormer Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta State, Elder Emmanuel Ogidi has emerged the SouthSouth Zonal Chairman of the party in an election, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and his Rivers State counterpart, Chief Nyesom Wike described as peaceful and acceptable to all stakeholders.

It would be recalled that Elder Ogidi was the Delta state chairman of PDP when the party won the 2007 governorship elections and he takes over the zonal Chairmanship position from another Deltan, Dr. Cairo Ojougbou.

Governor Okowa who led the Delta State delegates to vote at the zonal congress which was held at the ObiWali International Conference Centre, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State last Saturday said, “what you saw today was expected, peaceful and acceptable elections by all

A

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Politics

Okowa, Wike laud PDP delegates ... as Ogidi becomes S/S Zonal Chairman

party men and women because, the South -South zone is the stronghold of the PDP.” “All the PDP Governors from the zone are here, all the delegates are here, there is no dispute, there is no rancour, we are a family and we shall continue to strengthen this party to take it to the next level,” the Governor said.

Governor Wike who spoke on behalf of the Governors at the congress, commended the delegates for their matured disposition and commitment to the growth of the party.

He expressed confidence that party was on the part of irreversible progress while Elder Ogidi on behalf of the Committee said that the party’s fortune will get a boost as a result of the peaceful congress, adding that it

Salvador emerges Lagos PDP Chairman, calls for unity former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Moshood Salvador who was elected the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State last Friday has called on members to unite in order to make appreciable impact in future elections in the state .

Hecalled on members of the party to work as a united force to defeat the APC in subsequent elections.

Salvador and other members of the new state executives were unanimously elected at the state congress of the party held in Ikeja, Lagos.

Aside Salvador, those who emerged at the congress include Prince Muiz Shodipe (Secretary), Chief Ola Apena (Deputy chairman), Mr Taofik Gani (publicity secretary), Taiwo Kuye (Organising secretary), and Princess Olateru Olagbebi (Woman leader).

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The new state chairman while speaking with journalists promised to settle differences among aggrieved members and instill discipline within the party.

He also pledged to make discipline his topmost priority.

Salvador said “I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all leaders of our party especially Chief Olabode George. I thank members for standing against division within the party.”

“Today, a new era is on ground and I want to appeal to all aggrieved members to work together for the progress of our party”, he said Salvador who was a House of Representatives member on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, said “we have ample opportunity to defeat the APC. We all have a responsibility to make this party great, let us therefore work together to make this party

was important for the party to recapture Edo State in the forthcoming governorship elections.

The Minority Leader of the Upper Legislative Chamber, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Minority Leader of House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor, and the immediate past zonal Chair-

man of the party, Dr. Cairo Ojougbou, among others spoke at the occasion where they charged members of the party in the zone to remain intact as the zone remains a rallying point for the PDP to win in the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory in the 2019 elections.

Other Governors present at the Congress were that of Akwa Ibom - Mr Emmanuel Udom; Bayelsa - Seriake Dickson and Cross Rivers State - Prof. Benedict Ayade The Deputy Governors from the South -South geopolitical zone and all the delegates from the states including their recently elected

state party chairmen were all present at the congress.

Another Deltan, Mrs Tessy Ese Torru emerged as the Zonal Woman Leader, while Hon. Bayelayefa Dibekeme from Bayelsa State clinched the position of zonal secretary and Mrs Justina Emeh from a Rivers State was elected as Treasurer.

Left; Publicity Secretary, Lagos PDP, Mr. Taofeek Gani, former National Secretary of PDP, Dr. Remi Akintoye-Rhodes, former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, new chairman of Lagos PDP, Hon. Moshood Adegoke Salvador and outgoing Chairman, Capt. Olatunji Shelle, during the Lagos State PDP Congress held last Friday, at State Sectariat, GRA, Ikeja-Lagos.

CNPP urges Ali to seek redeployment from Defence adeola Tukuru ABUJA

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he Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP yesterday demanded that the country’s Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali should seek redeployment to another ministry if he is not comfortable working with the current military service chiefs.

The umbrella body for political parties in the country said it was important that the minister took this action of sending himself out of his current position as this is not the best time to politicise the security system of the country.

CNPP in a statement issued in Abuja urged President Muhammadu Buhari

to graciously accede once the defence minister puts in such request.

The statement by CNPP’s Secretary-General, Willy Ezugwu, expressed concern that the minister’s meddlesomeness showed that there is an undeclared issue between him and the service chiefs and that such frosty relationship had been in part responsible for the poor response to the activities of Boko Haram in the past.

CNPP’s statement, which was apparently in reaction to the committee recently set up by the minister, said: “The international cohesion of the military and the independence to rely on its own command structure has never been violated even during peace time so it is alarming that a minister of

defence will now deliberately take actions that can unsettle the situation at a time when troops are engaged in full blown war.

“While we recognise the constitutional provision that allows the president to delegate powers to ministers, what Alhaji Dan Ali did is clearly beyond his approvedl limit and should only have come from Mr President directly.

“But for the minister to have launched straight from inactivity into this destructive mode portrays grave dangers that can only be neutralised by his departure from the post.

“Mr President should not have any sentimental attachment to retaining him in that portfolio since he can be deployed to another minis-

try where he would be more comfortable and be able to meaningfully contribute to nation building.

“Mr President should consider swapping Alhaji Dan Ali with the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, for greater efficiency.

“A further indicator that the incumbent defence minister may find another ministry more fulfilling is the limited intervention from him so far in shielding the military services from constant harassment from international NGOs in the course of carrying out their duties.

He has also been, possibly unwittingly, making statements that tend to give powers to insurgents against the military operations,” the conference noted.

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Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Edo 2016: Esele cautions delegates over plot to sell votes

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ll Progressives Congress, APC gover norship aspirant in Edo State, Comrade Peter Esele has called on the delegates to the party’s primary ahead of the gubernatorial election scheduled for September 2016 to resist the temptation of selling their votes to those he termed ‘’ Deep Pocket’ aspirant so as to guarantee the future of the party and the state .

The former President, Trade Union Congress, TUC who made this assertion when he met with delegates from Unhumwode/ Orhionmwon local government areas of the State said only the delegates alone can determine who becomes Edo State Governor . ‘’For me I don’t need to be Governor to survive but I need to be Governor to make life better for Edo people.

The destiny of Edo State is in your hands. I don’t think I have the deepest pocket but I have the deepest imagination, a desire to make life better. My content value is the

highest of all the aspirants’’.

He said his administration will focus on agriculture, culture and education adding that what the state needs is somebody that will improve on Governor Oshiomhole’s laudable legacies.

Esele who noted that Nigeria currently account for 1.7% of oil palm consumption in the world from 43% and a total average of 30% internal consumption but had to rely on over 70% importation promised to create jobs and make the product a source of alternative economy’s mainstay in the three senatorial districts of the State He also promised to empower women through a micro- finance minimum interest loan on yearly basis when elected as Governor come September.

Besides making indigenous Edo languages compulsory in school curriculum, he said his government will equally introduce skill acquisition that will run alongside with formal education and re-introduce teachers training programme.

Delta Speaker congratulates Ogidi

T

he Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya has described the elected National Vice Chairman, SouthSouth of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Emmanuel Ogidi as “a dependable leader and an affable gentleman”.

Igbuya, who spoke on Saturday at Obi Wali Centre, venue of the party’s zonal congress, urged the new chairman to increase the base of the party in the zone.

“I consider it remarkable that another Deltan is occupying this position. I am confident that those values which inspired the members to elect you will be maintained and even surpassed” he said.

He called on the new chairman to engage party faithful in new and exciting ways.

“I am sure that with your impeccable credentials, you stand in a good position to discharge the burden of the new office and take the zone to new heights. The September governorship election in Edo State is another occasion to prove to ourselves that we can do it. We also need to start planning for electoral

success in 2019” he advised Igbuya, a trusted politician in Delta State, asked the chairman to ensure that his words and actions promote peace and harmony.

“You have a huge task ahead” Pledging support to Ogidi in his new assignment, Igbuya said “I shall provide all the necessary support you may require for the success of your tenure as National Vice Chairman, SouthSouth”.

“I wish you God’s help in yet another phase of your

Cross section of delegates at the PDP North Central Zonal Congress in Abuja at the weekend.

Guber poll: Ondo APC delegates reject zoning OjO Oyewamide AKURE

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ot less than 1,003 All Progressives Congress, APC delegates in Ondo state have cautioned the leadership of the party against zoning its governorship ticket to any of the senatorial district of the state.

The delegates took a swipe at an alleged rumour that the party ticket would be zoned to a particular senatorial district by the APC national secretariat.

They noted that apart from the fact that zoning was alien to APC constitution, doing that three months to the primaries would be inconsiderate since aspirants

had expended millions of naira, time and energy campaigns across the state.

“We call on the national leaders of our party to totally reject the call for zoning by some lazy politicians who are forever looking for unfair advantage,” they said.

The APC delegates loyal to Hon. Bola Ilori took the decision during a meeting at the weekend in Ondo city.

The meeting, which had in attendance one-third of APC delegates from 12 local government areas across the three senatorial districts of the state, resolved to adopt the banner of Sunshine Crusaders as a rallying movement for pursuing the next gubernatorial election in the state.

Kaduna public preaching regulation bill, plot to Islamize Nigeria —Cleric RObeRt awOkuse

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he Senior Pastor, Liberation City Christian Ministry, Pastor Chris Okafor has noted that the Kaduna public preaching regulation bill is a clear-cut plot to islamize the country saying the state in question is “obviously the flagship for the script to be fully acted out.”

The cleric reiterated his

PHOTO:NAN

take on the development, stating unequivocally that Kaduna State was only a test run saying if the bill is allowed to sail through, other northern states of the federation would soon adopt the law.

Okafor’s reaction was hinged on the proposed law by the Kaduna State government to bar public preachers without a license, stating that the bill is inimical to Christians in the country.

“How can Governor Nasir el-Rufai convince Christians in the country and the international community that the bill is not a wellplanned agenda to Islamise Kaduna State”, Okafor said.

He noted that the move

by Governor el-Rufai is a clear violation of the Nigerian Constitution, especially the section which harps on the freedom of association and worship of every Nigerian void of impediments.

The pro-Bola Ilori group affirmed its belief in free, fair and credible primaries as a vehicle for clinching the gubernatorial seat in the state, warning all aspirants to shun all forms of unfair tactics.

The political group passed a vote of confidence in the executive of the party as presently constituted across the state and endorsed their usage as delegates for the gubernatorial primaries.

A communique read by the Ose Local Government Area Woman Leader, Mrs Adejoro Lydia, said: “It is our firm conviction that only an aspirant that has what it takes to challenge and win Dr Mimiko’s candidate of the PDP at the general election will get the backing of this group for the APC ticket.

“We also like to use this opportunity to commend the new entrants into APC Ondo state, which have shunned the call for new congresses to elect delegates for the gubernatorial primaries or full blown congress in the person of Rt. Hon Victor Olabintan, Chief Olusola Oke and Hon. Derin Adesida.

“We commend the listed aspirants who rather than fight for selfish interest to promote rancorous electoral processes have through a joint press statement offered to abide by the existing party structure they met on

ground.

“With due consideration for the temperament of our people, or even the chaos that will greet such unthinkable exercises at this critical time, and the consequential impact it will have on our party’s fragile unity in Ondo state, no genuine lover of the party can propose any form of open Congress for now.”

“We as active participants and stakeholders in the party, gauging the current mood of the party, wish to alert whoever it may concern that any attempt to zone the aspirations of the gubernatorial hopefuls to any part of the Ondo state at this point will lead to unmitigated crisis.

“The interest of the party supersedes the interest of any aspirant, and since we are going to need the entire state to vote in the general election; we say let the entire state delegates decide who they want. They are representatives of the entire state members of the party.

“Whoever cannot convince just three thousand delegates within the party about his popularity would certainly find it difficult convincing the over four million residents of Ondo state. We say no to zoning.”

The position was also supported by Senators Ajayi Borrofice and Ayo Akinyelure, who were personally in attendance at the meeting.

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Monday, May 16, 2016

15

Of Nigeria’s hedonistic unionists BoBson GBinije

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n the pre-independence struggles to free Nigeria from the manacles of our colonialists, trade unionists constituted the integral arrowhead of the struggle for freedom and liberty in Nigeria. The Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) formed in 1934 by the collective efforts of J.C. Vaughn, Ernest Ikoli, H.O. Davies, and Samuel Akinsanya; the Nigerian Students’ Union (NSU) now National Association Nigeria Students (NANS), and the Nigeria Railway Workers’ Union (NRWU) led by inimitable Pa. Michael Imoudu etc, were deep in the struggle for independence.

Later, unionists like Hassan Sumonu, Tunji Otegbeye, Frank kokori, Pascal Bafyau, Adams Oshiomhole, etc came to the limelight. The Nigerian socio-economic and political history is laudably replete with the positive escapades of our unionists to entrench workers welfare into the cerebral crackpot of Nigeria’s leaders. This must be commended, because it laid the foundational equipoise on which Nigeria’s minimal development is based today.

But, unionism in the later part of post-independence Nigeria has been fraught with maniacal corruption, prevarication, pusillanimity, doublespeak and the unionists have become Government’s Area Boys (GAB), apologies to FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI. The top echelons of most union’s administrative hierarchy are government sponsored candidates and representatives, which explains

why the unions are riled by the ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tone’ syndrome.

NUPENG and PENGASSAN took millions of Nigerians out on a massive strike action against “oil subsidy” in 2012. They unilaterally called off the strike action without consulting and compensating Nigerians, who lost loved ones during the strike action.

It later turned out to be a splendiferous histrionics as the subsidy dividends were hijacked by the party hierarchs and faceless politicians and their surrogates, after the politician unionists have been ‘settled’.

What a shame! And because of their Laodicean albatross the Federal Government is now working out plans to sell our oil refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Eleme.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other bodies like NUT, NMA, NBA, JOHESU and NANS etc, have become mercantile stooges and mercenary hirelings cocooned in the throes of governments’ circuitry and subterfuge. There are no state of the art hospitals in Nigeria, no justice; no roads, no water, no houses, no drugs in our hospitals and no security. Yet, our unionists claim to be fighting for the flotsams and jetsam in Nigeria.

What an unprecedented Lie! Unionists’ major weapons are dialogue and strikes. Apart from ASUU, virtually all our trade unions’ executives are in the payroll of federal and state governments.

Their secretariats are in most cases built by government agents and with government funds. How can unionists be junketing and

unionism in The

laTer parT of posT-

independence nigeria has been fraughT wiTh maniacal corrupTion…

hobnobbing with our corrupt leaders and still be expected to defend the rights of the workers and citizenry at large?

In his historical speech, essayist Samuel Compere posited that “show me the country that has no strikes and I’ll show you the country in which there is no liberty”. Our unionists are versed in the methodology of threatening strike action to seek governments’ face. But, as soon as they are ‘settled’ they abandon the proposed strike. What a shame!

William Pitt in his House of Commons speech in 1783 said: “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.

It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves” and was corroborated by John Philpot Curran in his 1790 speech that ‘the condition upon which God hath given liberty to men is eternal vigilance; which condition if he breaks, servitude is at once the consequences of his crime, and the punishment of his guilt”. Unionism is not about gallivanting. It is a patriotic sacrifice for the uplifting of the welfare, liberty and freedom of the workers and the people.

Nigerian children and the threat of measles Rasak MusBau

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ver the years, measles has remained one of the most deadly infectious diseases known to man.

Globally, it is a leading cause of death among children. In Africa, about 13 million cases and 650,000 deaths occur annually, with sub-Saharan region having the highest morbidity and mortality.

In Nigeria with over 160 million people, measles is the fifth leading cause of under-five child mortality and 50 percent of deaths of all vaccine preventable diseases in the country. Measles infection and mortality was found to occur all year round irrespective of whether it was rainy or dry season, reinforcing measles endemicity in this part of West Africa.

Despite the efforts of governments, WHO and United Nations International Children Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) measles-reduction strategy, and the partnership of other international organizations supporting measles reduction, certain states have continued to face recurrent epidemics. What is worrisome to health authorities in the country and should be of serious concern to everyone is that the measles virus can spread in a person four days before the onset of the telltale rash, making people with the virus to become contagious ever before they are actually aware that they have measles. Another fact that makes measles virus really scary is that it can live on surfaces for up to two hours; and in

The measles virus

could TheoreTically be wiped off The face of The planeT, never To infecT anoTher human again an unimmunized population one person with measles can infect 12 to 18 others.

A person with measles can cough in a room, and - if you are unvaccinated hours later, you could catch the virus from the droplets in the air that they left behind. This accounts for why everybody must be a change agent and social mobilizer propagating measles immunization rather than being merely contended after getting our own children vaccinated.

According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the horrible mathematics of measles looks like this: one out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia; one in 1,000 will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain); and one or two in 1,000 children will die. The optimal age for infantile measles vaccination is an important health issue since maternal antibodies may neutralize the vaccine antigen before a specific immune response develops. Delaying vaccination, on the other hand, may increase the risk of complicated disease.

Getting only one dose of the vaccine instead of the recommended two also seems to increase people’s chances of getting measles if they are ever exposed.

However, as a child approaches 14 years of age, incidence of measles reduces to 0 percent, confirming WHO’s position that measles is a childhood problem and of huge concern in developing nations such as Nigeria.

With a vaccine, measles is prevented through the combination of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) shot. Immunity from the vaccine lasts for decades.

The vaccine is known to be extremely safe and very effective. It contains a live but weakened version of the virus, and it causes the immune system to produce antibodies against the virus. Should you be exposed to actual measles, those antibodies will then fire up to protect you against the disease.

The measles virus could theoretically be wiped off the face of the planet, never to infect another human again. That is because it fits the profile of diseases that can be eradicated. People, and not animals, are the only carriers of the virus, so eradication wouldn’t require killing off an entire animal species.

Steps being taken in Lagos State to eradicate the disease include promotion of exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first six months, routine immunization of children and putting measures in place to ensure that the schedule is completed by the child’s first birthday (measles vaccine at 9 months), ensuring the administration of Vitamin A from the age of six months for mothers that register in the health facilities.

Fortunately, a 5-day measles immunization follow up campaign was scheduled to

Corrupt unionists have made and relegated unionism in Nigeria to an object of mere antiquarian curiosity and de-radicalized as an instrument of brummagem placebo.

The sweeping changes in European and global politics and the gigantic development of the system of modern industrial capitalism have made Nigerian unionism a Mephistophelean espousal and pedagogical trivialization of fundamental and ethical unionism. Ethical unionism has become dissipated, deracinated and exorcised through the instrumentality of psychotic corruption amongst Nigerian unionists. We have ‘egunje unionists’, mercenaries and ‘owambe unionism’ in Nigeria. The Dubai Jamboree and revelry by the executives and some members of NLC is a glaringly shameful case in point. What a shame?

Finally, let our Nigerian unionists enter a new phase of unionism that shuns corruption and prebendalistic graft. Some of our unionists are very corrupt that is why Nigeria is still underdeveloped and suffers from leadership impunity. They must heed the admonition of Henrik Ibsen that “you should never put on your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom of truth”; and this is substantiated by Thomas Jefferson when he said “the trees of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots. It is its natural manure”.

Enough of hogwash unionism. Let us now agree with Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels that “the workers have nothing to lose, but their chains. They have the world to gain, workers of the world unite!”

hold nationwide early this year to give all children age 9 months to five years vaccine against measles irrespective of their immunization status. In Lagos State, the measles follow-up campaign took place in all Primary Health Care Centres across the state and other designated posts such as markets, bales houses, schools, churches, mosques etc. On the part of care givers, it should be known that child survival is not by accident. As such, everyone should avail of this opportunity to immunize against measles.

For governments across the country, more budgetary provision should be made for measles vaccination efforts so that infrastructures will be in place that will also serve as a framework for other vaccine-preventable disease interventions, as the health institutions are weak at the primary and secondary levels, especially in remote and rural areas.

Maintenance of cold chain for vaccines should also be a priority. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) at various camps in the country should also be covered by states where such exist.

Musbau is of the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs.

Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

16

Editorial

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Monday, May 16, 2016

All the Facts, All the Sides A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, CFR n PUBLISHER

SUNDAY OLAJIDE n MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON n ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI n SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN n SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA n COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE n EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR OBIORA IFOH n ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

FRSC and new driver’s licence extortion

F

or the umpteenth time, our thinking is that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) needs to be called to order. Four years ago, the outfit’s excesses were reined in by a Lagos Federal High Court which ruled that the new number plates it introduced were unconstitutional. Two years on, it is puzzling that the FRSC, a body set up to superintend road safety nationwide, is still busying itself more as a money-making machine for itself and, perhaps, the Federal Government, when it is not able to determine as yet the convincing reasons for road accidents in the country, other than blaming over-speeding and fake tyres for every fatal accident the nation has witnessed of late.

When Mr. James Enojo Ocholi, the former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, his wife and son perished in a ghastly auto crash on the Kaduna-Abuja highway last March, the FRSC blamed it on over-speeding, under-inflated tyre-burst and Ocholi’s purportedly inexperienced driver. The road safety agency also blamed over-speeding for the accident that claimed the lives of six Ekiti State medical doctors last month at Doka, on the Abuja –Kaduna highway.

But a survivor of the accident, Dr. Ekundare Folu, who is also the Chairman of the National

Association of Government and General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), debunked the claim. Dr. Folu said: “The comment credited to the Sector Head of Operations, Deputy Corps Commander, Salisu Galadunci, of the FRSC is very unfortunate. This is an FRSC that got to scene of the accident more than 40 minutes after the accident. This is an FRSC that were reluctant to take us to the hospital, claiming they don’t have fuel, and didn’t budget (for fuel) until one of the injured promised to buy fuel for them.

The Deputy Corps Commander was not at the scene of the accident”. Had Dr. Folu not survived the crash to unleash this truth, the general impression would have been that the FRSC was on ground and had all the facts about the accident.

The main function of the FRSC, as clearly stated on its portal on the internet, include: making the highway safe for motorists and other road users.

But for reasons best known to it, the establishment is devoting more attention to designing and producing driver’s license and vehicle number plates at very prohibitive costs to ordinary Nigerians, and smiling to the banks, but has been ignoring its core job of maintaining road

How can a seriousminded nation

tolerate tHe money making gluttony of tHe

frsc and its

pencHant for tHe cosmetics of road safety…?

safety. Its junior officers on the highways are also busy embarrassing hapless women ferrying tomatoes and other food stuff from rural areas to urban centres allegedly with the remote intention of extorting money from the poor women; that is if they have not perfected the act already.

The latest ploy of the agency now led by Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, the FRSC Corps Marshal, is the dubious variation of the validity period of driver’s license from three to five years. A three-year license will cost N6,000; and that of five years costs as much as N10,000. Oyeyemi claims the agency’s latest extortion plot was part of the issues discussed by the Joint Tax Board at the end of its recent 134th meeting in Kano to relieve the stress of drivers that go through hell in the process of renewing their licences.

But it is common knowledge that the FRSC, apart from estab-

ON THIS DAY May 16, 1975 Junko Tabei, a Japanese mountain-climber, became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Mount Everest is the Earth’s highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level; and the 5th tallest mountain measured from the centre of the Earth. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

May 16, 1997 Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of Zaire, fled the country. Mobutu (born Joseph-Desiré Mobutu; October 14, 1930 – September 7, 1997) was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which he, Mobutu, renamed Zaire in 1971) from 1965 to 1997. He formed an authoritarian regime, amassed vast personal wealth and attempted to purge the country of all colonial cultural influence.

lishing more ‘capturing centres’, has done little or nothing to save the process of procuring driver’s licence from assaults by touts, most of who front for its corrupt officials. Even some of its officials allegedly act as agents for the procurement of driver’s licence. We believe the moneymaking digression of the FRSC, perhaps more than anything else, is the main reason its very senior officials sit back in their offices and merely guess about the cause of road accidents in the country instead of squaring up to the main charge of the agency, which is ensuring road safety.

This is unacceptable. How can a serious-minded nation tolerate the money making gluttony of the FRSC and its penchant for the cosmetics of road safety, like the beautification of number plates and churning out of flashy driver’s licenses? The Federal Government should put a stop to this rubbish.

State governments have a concurrent responsibility to license drivers and register vehicles in their domains to buoy internally generated revenue. But they don’t because they have their eyes on FG handouts. Yet most state governors pose as champions of true federalism and defendants of same. This is quite disgusting.

x May 16, 2005 Kuwait permitted women’s suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote. The country’s women were thus allowed to vote for the first time and run in parliamentary and local elections. Four years later, four female candidates won parliamentary seats in a general election.

The parliament had ended in deadlock on May 2 when 29 members abstained and only 29 voted for it, leaving the legislation just shy of the 33 votes needed.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Monday, May 16, 2016

9

John Hopkins Hospital, ABUAD explore partnership on medical education abiOdun nejO ADO EKITI

D

elegation of United States-based world's leading medical facility, John Hopkins Hospital, has said that Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD, has the potential to rewrite the myth of African inadequacy.

Leader of the delegation, Dr Timothy Amukele, who said research and scholarship are the hallmarks of great institutions, added that

ABUAD has the potentials to be a leader in scholarship".

Amukele, who spoke during a visit of the hospital's team to ABUAD to explore possibilities of establishing relationship between John Hopkins Hospital and ABUAD Teaching Hospital, ABUADTH, presented a range of collaborative options from which the university can choose from for the partnership.

The delegation leader, who established similarities between the founder of the hospital, the late John Hop-

kins and ABUAD Founder, Aare Afe Babalola, in the areas of establishment of university, hospital and charity, said; "it is very amazing for one person (Babalola) to do this".

The team said it would report its findings in ABUAD to the authorities of John Hopkins Hospital in furtherance of the proposed collaboration between the two institutions.

John Hopkins Hospital, which is the best medical facility in the world, has presence in 30 countries.

Babalola, who said the

visit of the hospital team had brightened ABUAD, said: "Your coming here is a great lesson which will make us change our attitude. What we have learnt from you will be extended beyond Nigeria.

From what we have learnt from you, ABUAD will now go beyond Nigeria".

Babalola said the university was exploring the "possibility of having a centre of excellence in ABUADTH; and possibility of allowing John Hopkins Hospital's personnel to work with ABUADTH

so that we can learn from them. This will naturally stop Nigerians from going abroad for medical treatment".

He said ABUAD was also, through the collaboration, looking at the possibility of being assisted by way of medical equipment and others that can aid the university; and use of drones for transporting blood and

Domestic violence traceable to dysfunctional family background —Ambode

L

Clearing of the site of the collapsed building at ultra-modern Itoku Olori, Abeokuta, yesterday.

Buhari tasked over corruption in tertiary institutions Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

A

non-political group, the Accountability Vanguard of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, yesterday, called on President Muhammudu Buhari, to beam the searchlight of the fight against corruption on tertiary institutions.

The group in a statement issued yesterday by its National President, Pastor Theophilus Aremu, said the tertiary institutions are the root of every corrupt practices in the country.

While condemning recent media reports on numerous allegations against academia across the country, he urged the president to tackle political vampires alongside those he described as academic gluttons.

The group which has aca-

demia from selected universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country, admonished President Buhari to act on the numerous allegations of corruption perpetrated by some senior Professors, especially vice-chancellors and provost of some of Federal Government owned institutions and seven others on which the Minister of Education early in the year set up panels of investigation.

According to Aremu, there were allegations of fraudulent promotion of some professors and manipulation of high-level appointments at these schools where students pay prostitutes to sleep with their lecturers to earn marks.

He said abuse of offices such as manipulation of appointment of successors in office, manipulation of appointment and promotion processes in favour of rela-

tions, old secondary school mates and cronies perpetuated by some of the vice chancellors are unacceptable and irritating, calling on President Buhari as the Visitor to intervene by investigating these allegations with appropriate sanctions as a matter of urgency to curb such fraudulent practices.

He then enjoined President Buhari to abide by his promise to release names of treasury looters on 29 May 2016,and to also address the rots and pending matters in our tertiary institutions, stating that doing otherwise, the current attitude of business as usual in these institutions will continue unchecked.

other essential equipment to ABUADTH, although ABUAD is planning a Helipad in the Teaching Hospital Complex," he said.

Provost, ABUAD College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Olurotimi Sanya, said the university hoped to partner John Hopkins Hospital in a way that we can access both their human and material resources.

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday identified dysfunctional family background as one of the major reasons for rising cases of domestic violence, just as he advocated the need for parents to imbibe in their wards the virtues of honesty, respect, morality, good neighborliness, peace and love.

Governor Ambode, who spoke at the Lagos House at the Family Day celebration hosted by the state government in commemoration of the International Family Day, also said a lot of acts of terror and violence that have ruptured global peace and security could be traced to the absence of strong family ties, and as such parents must spend time with their children no matter how difficult it may be.

The governor described the family as the smallest, but most important unit of the society, saying things can only go right in the country if first addressed in the family.

He said: "Most of the recorded incidences of domes-

tic violence are as a result of dysfunctional family backgrounds. Our traditional family cohesion and bond has been weakened due to daily life challenges of trying to make ends meet.

"We must, as a matter of urgency, in spite of the demanding pace of life pause and find time to reconnect with our families. Our families need us; our children need us. The family always provides emotional support in times of need. We have family members in need of emotional, physical and moral support. The support and encouragement given to a family member today can prevent a violent act of terror or suicide tomorrow."

Speaking on the essence of the international celebration which was designated by the United Nations, Ambode said, everyone was born into a family and that the most important moments of people's lives have taken place in the family, saying it was for that reason that the international body places a lot of emphasis on the family as a key factor in human relations.

LAUTECH doctors appeal to Ajimobi over unpaid salaries Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

M

edical doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors,ARD, have appealed to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State to help address the issue of their five months unpaid salaries.

The association made the appeal in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Seb Oiwoh, and made available to journalists in Ibadan yesterday.

He said the salary drought is causing lots of distractions to its members, thereby hindering the delivery of sound healthcare services to the people.

He said: “We appeal to the governor to use his fatherly disposition to look into the matter in further-

ance to the previously stated appeals in our letters to his Excellency. We equally appeal to the well-meaning Nigeria, policy makers, legislators and traditional rulers to wade in, to ensure that our patients are not denied healthcare".

ARD stated further that the last time its members, which included resident doctors and house officers collected salaries in the face of unrelenting responsibilities was November 2015.

“Our members have been on indefinite withdrawal of services since April 25 in a bid to ensure full healthcare of our patients devoid of hitches from the aforementioned encumbrances.

This followed an initial five day warning strike following expiration of several ultimate running over six months with management not having seen to it even just before and after the warning strike,” Oiwoh said.

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Physician-turned corporate icon

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Cover

Assessing implications of EFCC, CBN’s clampdown for financial system stability

The on-going investigations of some Deposit Money Banks by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN seem to have divided stakeholders over whether such raids would improve or worsen the sector’s stability. Udo Onyeka reports

T

here is disquiet in the banking industry over the clampdown on banks

by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, even as there are speculations that the apex bank and the anti graft agency have widen their probe.

According to a source close to the EFCC, “ there was the need to extend the investigations in the banking sector due to some revelations made by some of the operators and in line with the anti corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the needful steps must be taken.”

Also the need to extend the probe to other lenders in the

sector may unearth some unethical and corrupt practices.

For instance there is unconfirmed report that the EFCC is currently looking at a leading tier one bank and focusing on the lender’s alleged role in laundering over $1bn for the Office of National Security Adviser during the tenure of Colonel Sambo Dasuki, who is facing charges for allegedly moving billons of dollars of security funds into private hands.

In fact the invitation and questioning of First Bank Limited, Executive Director, Dauda Lawal last week end confirmed the extension of investigations into alleged illegal transactions by the country’s banks.

Lawal was questioned about sums allegedly distributed by a former minister of petroleum, and is cooperating fully with the agency, FBN said in a statement Friday on the Nigerian Stock Exchange website.

The questioning of the FBN director brings to four the number of Nigerian lenders whose officials have been interrogated by the anti-graft agency since last week over alleged illegal dealings. Fidelity Bank Plc appointed Mohammed Balarabe as acting head on May 3 after the agency arrested.

The probe has however been interpreters differently by stakeholders, while some see it as a welcomed development; others say that it is ca-

pable of sending wrong signal to the banking populace.

Before the inviting Lawal, the EFCC had arrested Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo, Managing Director, Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe and Sterling Bank Managinger Director, Yemi Adeola.

Okonkwo, was arrested alongside some other staff of the bank for allegedly receiving $115m in cash from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

According to informed sources, Alison-Madueke was said to have deposited the $115m in the Bank as preparations commenced for the 2015 presidential election.

She was said to have invited

Okonkwo to Abuja, where she briefed him on the deal.

Okonkwo allegedly accepted to receive the money into the Bank’s coffers despite the fact that Alison-Madueke did not have an account with Fidelity Bank Plc. The discovery was said to have been made by the EFCC when its operatives were probing how officials of the Inde-

Continued on pg A4 UDO ONYEKA, EDITOR BUSINESS COURAGE udonyeka@gmail.com c

Global Media Mirror Limited

A4 20

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Monday, May 16, 2016

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Cover Continued from pg A3

Adeosun

Emefiele

wife.

It was also alleged thatFBN may have helped launder funds for Madueke, Omokore, and Aluko,which led to EFCC officials allegedly inviting a former CEO of the bank, Bisi Onasanya, for questioning.

In all these a major sin of the banks was the lenders had allegedly failed to report these transactions to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, as required by the law.

Under the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act, BOFIA and Money Laundering Act, banks are mandated to report unusual transactions to the NFIU. Fidelity Bank has been insisting that the transaction was duly reported to the appropriate agencies, as required by law, but it is left for the outcome of the probe to confirm such claim.

According to a shareholder, Kazeem Sanyaolu, investigating banks especially when there is allegation of fraudulent practices such as money laundering is a good move but the noise about EFCC raid on banks is capable of negatively affecting the industry. Many investors were panicked by such information and their fears affected the transaction at the Exchange.

‘

For instance two days after the news of the arrest of Fidelity Bank CEO filtered in the lender’s stock market price fell by 5.98 per cent to close at N1.10 per share. The same happened to other banks that are under investigation.

A Lagos based financial analyst who pleads anonymity said the anti graft if care was taken would do severe damage to the banking industry with its approach to investigating financial transactions, adding that there should be some element of decorum and discretion in the way the EFFCC is going about its investigations.

A bank customer said he was worried how the EFCC leak information to the media even before an individual is put on trial and “people would assume you are guilty even before judgment begins”, he said.

He pointed EFCC’s actions could discourage customers especially those who would want to lodge sizeable deposits with banks, “many people would begin to think twice before”, he said.

However to douse the tension in the banking industry, the CBN, said the on-going investigation of certain financial transactions in some banks by law enforcement authorities were aimed at strengthen the finan-

The CBN would like to reiterate that financial system stability remains a priority and therefore assures customers and stakeholders that it would not allow the banking system to be used as a conduit for any illicit transactions

‘

pendent National Electoral Commission in Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom States allegedly received N675.1m.

The money was said to have been given to the INEC officials a day or two before the election and the source of the money was traced to Fidelity Bank Plc. Okonkwo was said to have confessed that he was indeed invited to a meeting by AlisonMadueke as preparations for the 2015 election began and that the former Minister told him that some companies would deposit some funds in his bank.

He said Alison-Madueke then told him she would give him further instructions on how the funds would be disbursed.

After the meeting, four companies made cash deposits into Fidelity Bank Plc.The were Auctus Integrated, which deposited $17,884,000; Northern Belt Gas Company, which made a deposit of $60m; Midwestern Oil and Gas, $9.5m; and Leno Laitan Adesanya, $1.85m.

Okonkwo was said to have received $26m in cash himself.

Alison-Madueke’s son, Ugonna Madueke, was said to have become the go-between after the cash deposits were made.

Ugonna allegedly supplied the names of the beneficiaries of the funds.

“The EFCC has released Wigwe and Adeola after the CEOs returned billions of naira they had illicitly acquired from political slush funds during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Adeola was released after he deposited a payment of N5bn. According to one of our sources, the money returned by Mr. Adeola was in partial restitution for a transaction of $88m he received from Nigeria’s former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke. He is expected to pay back a total of N17bn to the recovery accounts of the Nigerian treasury”, SaharaReporters said.

Also Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe has been released after EFCC agents raided the bank headquarters in Lagos.

According to SaharaReporters “EFCC investigators said Zenith Bank had illicitly transferred the $5m to Access Bank from a slush fund arranged by Ms. Alison-Madueke. The case of Access Bank it was alleged was also linked to oil businessmen Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko, now a fugitive. Between them, both men are suspected to have stolen more than $6bn from oil proceeds that should have accrued to the Nigerian government treasury.

According to an EFCC source, the two oil businessmen’s link at Access Bank was an executive director, Angela Ebagua, who is said to be Omokore’s

Magu

cial sector and the economy.

The apex bank in statement yesterday signed by Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor said that the banking public and indeed the general need not be afraid of the exercise as all the banks would continue to do their normal businesses and meet all their obligations.

The CBN said it was fully aware and indeed a part of the on-going investigations of certain financial transactions in some banks by law enforcement authorities, noting that it is also carrying out its own special examinations and investigations to ascertain the veracity of some allegations, as well as the extent and persons that may be involved in such activities.

“The Bank would like to reiterate that financial system stability remains a priority and therefore assures customers and stakeholders that it would not allow the banking system to be used as a conduit for any illicit transactions.

“Some of these investigations are routine and only relate to isolated transactions, therefore it is important to state that the safety and soundness of the Nigerian banking industry remain strong”, the CBN said.

The banks were not left out in assuring their customers and general public that all was well.

In a statement Fidelity Bank reassures all its stakeholders, including “over 400,000 shareholders and 3.4 million customers, of its continued seamless services.”

Sterling Bank has also assured its customers and other stakeholders that it remained committed to upholding the highest tenets of corporate governance and was cooperating with law

enforcement officials in their ongoing investigations.

In its explanation to customers and the general public Access Bank said that the EFCC officials visited the bank on May 6, 2016 to investigate a specific transaction involving a customer of the bank in the normal course of business.

The visit, according to the bank, came without any form of earlier notification or invitation to the bank.

The bank said that the officials informed the bank that they were investigating some transactions and sought the bank’s cooperation.

The officials, according to the bank, met with the Group Managing Director and the Bank’s Chief Compliance Officer who provided the needed information and documents.

“Thereafter, the Group Managing Director was requested to accompany them to their office to further their investigation, which he willingly acceded to. Following the resolution of the underlying issues, he was allowed to leave the commission’s office on the same day.

We have observed the wideranging speculations in the media connecting the visits of the commission to various personalities. We would like to state emphatically for the benefit of our stakeholders that the bank has absolutely no link, interaction or relationship whatsoever with any of the personalities stated in the media reports.

As a bank, we shall continue to operate in line with the highest level of professionalism, consistently seeking best practices, and hereby wish to re-assure our esteemed stakeholders that the bank remains committed to its strategic goals and objectives,” it said.

BC

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Monday, April 16, 2016

A5 21

News Nigeria oil output slumps on attack of Exxon pipeline

N

igeria’s oil production has dropped again as a third major crude-export facility was disrupted, this time by accidental damage rather than militant attacks.

Exxon Mobil Corp. has declared force majeure -- a legal clause that allows it to stop deliveries without breaching contracts -- on shipments of Qua Iboe, the company said in a statement Friday. The Bonny Light and Forcados oil grades were already disrupted following militant attacks. The three facilities ship more than 700,000 barrels a day.

“We expected more supply disruptions out of Nigeria this week, but the pace of new supply problems from that country beats our expectations,” Olivier Jakob, managing director of consultant Petromatrix GmbH, said in a note.

Production may not be much above 1 million barrels a day, he said.

A resurgence in militant attacks in Nigeria’s oil-producing region has cut output by as much as 600,000 barrels a day to 1.4 million a day and “massively diminished” the nation’s income, Emmanuel Kachikwu, Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum, said Thursday in a broadcast on Lagos-based Channels Television, before the disruption to Qua Iboe. An armed group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers later warned of more attacks to come.

Brent crude has risen 5 percent this week to $47.64 a barrel as of 1:43 p.m. in London as supply halts in Nigeria, wildfires in Canada’s oil-sands region and declining U.S. output combined to curb a global surplus.

The international benchmark has risen more than 70 percent since hitting a 12-year low in January.

Attacks on oil infrastructure

Kachikwu

·L – R: Chairman, AXAMansard Insurance Plc, Mr. Victor Gbolade Osibodu; CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Mr Oscar N. Onyema and Director/CEO, AXA Middle East & Africa, Mr. Jad Ariss, at the Closing Gong Ceremony at the NSE recently. caused Nigerian production to drop to 1.69 million barrels a day last month, the lowest in 20 years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The nation’s output hasn’t fallen as low as 1.4 million barrels a day on a monthly-average basis since 1989, the data show. The supply reduction is compounding economic problems caused by the slump in crude prices.

A subsea pipeline linked to Qua Iboe was damaged by a drilling rig, Exxon said Thursday, without giving an impact on shipments. Royal Dutch Shell Plc declared force majeure on exports of Bonny Light crude Wednesday following the discovery of a leak on the Nembe Creek Trunk Line.

Long-term prospects for Africa remain intact - RenCap Udo Onyeka

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hief Executive Officer, Renaissance Capital, RenCap, Nigeria, Temi Popoola,has said that despite a tough year for global emerging markets, long-term prospects for Africa remain intact.

Popoola who made this known at Renaissance Capital 7th Annual Pan-Africa Conference in Lagos, Nigeria last week said in recent years, we have seen several success stories. “Rwanda and Ethiopia’s economic indicators have improved approaching the IMF’s Inclusive Growth status, and Cote d’Ivoire is now the fastest growing market in Africa.

We expect that Africa’s economy will reach $29trn by 2050, which is larger than the combined GDP of the US and the Eurozone in 2012. “Fundamental changes in Africa’s economies are ongoing and we are strong believers in the region’s potential”, he said.

Further he said “fundamental changes can happen, usually quite slowly. However narratives are re-written much more quickly. What Nigeria needed was genuine fundamental change, and I believe this is taking place,” Popoola said.

Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Capital, Igor Vayn, who opened the conference, said “We are very pleased to see sustained interest from investors and corporates in our annual pan-African conference.

“Year after year, this event proves to be a success, contributing to investment activity in the region. Renaissance Capital is committed to strengthening its presence in Africa and facilitating further development of the continent, “he said.

During the conference, Renaissance Capital’s appointment as Lead Transaction Adviser for Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) rights issue was announced at $290m. This is the largest equity capital raise in East Africa in eight years and the largest equity capital raise in SSA in two years, the firm said in a statement.

stakeholders with a view to feeling their pulse.

Acting president of the Nigerian Shipowners Association, NISA, Mr. Aminu Umar, while speaking at the forum, observed that the protection of the interest of the indigenous ship owners and promotion of local shipping constitute more than 50 per cent of the core functions and mandate of the agency.

According to him, the rest of the functions and responsibilities of the agency revolve around its flag state and port state regulation, arguing that time has come for the agency to close ranks with indigenous ship owners in order to boost indigenous tonnage.

He noted that NIMASA in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Transport and other relevant agencies of the government must synergise to create an enabling environment for the indigenous operators to acquire ships and by so doing boost indigenous tonnage.

It was gathered that the demise of the Nigerian National Shipping Line NNSL which at a

Stakeholders chart new course for NIMASA Francis Ezem

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takeholders in the nation’s shipping industry have charted a new course for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, saying that the hallmark of any shipping nation such as Nigeria is ownership of substantial indigenous tonnage.

The agency had last week, organised a stakeholders’ forum with the theme: “Repositioning the Maritime Industry for greater Impacts”, which was designed to rub minds with the critical

point in time had over 40 ships on its fleet has led to a serious depletion of the indigenous fleet with the attendant influx of foreign owned ships that now dominate shipping activities to the detriment of the indigenous operators.

Founding chairman of the former Indigenous Shipowners Association ISAN, transformed into NISA, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, who also spoke at the event, called on the Director General of NIMASA to evolve strategies that would enhance indigenous participation in shipping activities in the country now dominated by foreigners through the ownership if vessels..

Jolapamo, who has variously been described as the doyen of the nation’s shipping industry, argued that ownership of vessels is the heartbeat of shipping activities and therefore enjoined the agency to promote vessel acquisition among Nigerian shipping companies.

According to him, as an import-dependent nation and sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world, Nigeria has sufficient cargo, arguing that government has not done enough in terms of encouraging Nigerian shipping companies to acquire ships.

Most stakeholders have argued that the country’s current high unemployment level would be reduced to the barest minimum if the indigenous shipping firms are assisted to acquire vessels to enable them participate in lifting the nation’s huge imports and export products including crude oil.

It was gathered that one of the greatest obstacle to the acquisition of indigenously owned ships remains the high lending interest rates charged by banks, which is between 22 and 24 per cent while foreign ship owners access similar facilities at less than three per cent interest rate.

NIMASA had said recently that it is working on a three-year medium term plan that is expected to restructure its operations and also provide a roadmap for the growth and development of the nation’s shipping industry.

Director General of the agency, Dr. Dkuku Peterside, who spoke recently in Lagos, admitted that there has been an information gap between the stakeholders and the agency, especially in terms of its regulatory activities..

According to him, this informed the decision of the agency to evolve a medium term plan, which would also be in the form of a three-year business development plan covering 2016-2019.

Oando begins development of mini LNG project Umar

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ando Gas & Power Limited “OGP”, the foremost indigenous developer and provider of gas and power

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Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News solutions, and a fully-owned entity of Oando PLC, has commenced development of a mini Liquefied Natural Gas ,LNG, facility through its Transit Gas Nigeria Limited “TGNL,” subsidiary in Ajaokuta, Kogi State.

The pioneering liquefaction plant is primarily directed towards fulfilling the gas supply requirement for captive power plants, embedded generation, and industrial clusters in the Northern region, as well as stranded customers in the South. Off-takers, particularly, power plants and industrial customers who currently utilise liquid fuels such as diesel and LPFO, will be able to lower energy costs by up to 40 per cent, while significantly decreasing carbon emissions.

Commenting, OGP CEO, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya said: “The establishment of the Ajaokuta mini LNG project is in firm alignment with our mid-to-long term gas conversion strategy. This venture further emphasises our push to broaden our asset portfolio and strengthen our market play within the gas sector; and by providing the gas advantage, we will help spur the development of self-sustaining industrial clusters to bolster the country’s socio- economic growth.

LNG is a viable provisional solution and an industry gamechanger for the development of gas markets ahead of the actualisation of a far-reaching nationwide gas pipeline network as stipulated by the Nigerian Gas Master Plan.”

The modular nature of mini LNG projects require minimal infrastructure development, thus substantially reducing design complexity, and the time and cost attributable to traditional gas pipeline development.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Capital, Igor Vayn; former Minister of National Planning and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman; Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko and Chief Executive Officer (Nigeria), Renaissance Capital, Temitope Popoola at Renaissance Capital’s 7Th Annual Pan-Africa 1:1 Investor Conference neld in Lagos, recently.

He stated this while receiving the newly appointed Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, Mr Rizwan Kadri, in his office in Lagos.

Dunoma described SAHCOL as a critical stakeholder in the aviation sector, and has assured him of his continuous support.

Earlier, the Managing Director of SAHCOL, Kadri said he is on a familiarisation visit aimed at strengthening the cordial working relationship between the two organisations.

Kadri also extended an invitation to the FAAN boss for a facility tour of the Ultra Modern Warehouse of the organization which has improved its capacity for service delivery.

The Managing Director who was accompanied by his senior management team promised to contribute his quota to the growth of the aviation sector.

TCN signs agreement on 265MW spinning reserves

T Osunsanya

FAAN MD assures stakeholders of improved business environment

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he Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Engr Saleh Dunoma has assured Stakeholders in the aviation industry of improved business environment for the mutual benefit of all concerned.

he management of Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN and the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, are currently working on a contractual agreement by which NIPP plants would provide about 265MW of Spinning Reserves.

The reason for the agreement, according to the General Manager, Communication and Public Relations, NDPHC, Mr. Yakubu Lawal, is to facilitate grid responsiveness during swings and disturbances on the transmission network.

In statement on the relevance of the NIPPs, after 10 years of conception, Lawal stated that the provision of spinning reserve and other ancillary services are being practiced all over the world and Nigeria now largely relies on NIPP plants to provide

the service.

According to Lawal contrary to allegation of non-relevance, the NIPP is definitely not a failed project.

The NPDHC has over 2,000MW of generation capacity readily available for deployment as soon as vandalized gas processing projects are completed by the associated nominated gas suppliers thus presenting the best opportunity for the rapid improvement of power supply.

“In the area of power generation, eight of the 10 power plants in the NIPP portfolio, along with associated gas transmission metering/receiving infrastructure projects to support commercial operation, have been commissioned and connected to the national grid contributing over 2000MW of energy daily.

While it is a fact that power generation is often disrupted by acts of vandalism on gas pipelines and transmission lines, the NDPHC does not offer such incidences as excuses” he said.

According to him, The NDPHC has continued to operate these power plants in the interest of the Nigerian economy, despite undesirable security challenges and an accumulated debt of over N94bn owed it by the electricity market, that’s definitely more than a tangible contribution to the nation’s supply of electricity.

‘Multidimensional action needed to grow Africa’s insurance sector’

Kadri

resident, African Insurance Organisation, AIO, Mrs. Lamia Ben Mahmoud has lamented that Africa’s share of global insurance premium remains low at 1.4 per cent.

She added that penetration remained low with a premium/ gross domestic product, GDP, ratio not exceeding one per cent in some countries.

This is below the average rate of 2.7 per cent recorded in 2014 for the entire continent, she added.

Delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the 43rd Conference and General As-

He stated further that many of the NIPP power plants on the national grid also provide ancillary services in support of system operations, a contribution critical for stabilizing the national grid.

Imminently completed ones include 225MW Omoku, 338MW Egbema and 530mw 2nd Phase Alaoji.

Lawal further said, “The NDPHC assets are truly the backbone of the nation’s power infrastructure. The completed power plants have been operated with private sector orientation and supported by Long Term Service Agreements, LTSA, in line with international best practice”.

Under condition of transmission and gas challenge, the profitability of the plants is constrained but these are short term developmental challenges which the NDPHC is working to mitigate by divestment to the private sector either as privatised entities or under practical Operations and Maintenance, O&M, contracts.

sembly holding in Marrakech, Morocco, she said Africa’s share of the global insurance market is 1.1 per cent for Non-Life insurance business and 1.8 per cent for Life Business, adding that this is a demonstration of the enormous growth potential within the African insurance industry, an indicator that the market is still largely untapped.

In order to insure Africa’s future, she said insurers all over the continent must devise strategies aimed at facing the numerous challenges today.

According to her, within the past decade, the continent has been hit by some major challenges which have to a large extent hampered economic growth and affected the insurance sector tremendously.

She said: “I am referring to the recent drop in fuel prices, in fact, the price per barrel in January 2016 stood at approximately a quarter of its market value two years ago, and at the lowest point since 2003.”

On the list of challenges, she identified cyber criminality, political instability, and insecurity with new waves of terrorist attacks, climate change and food security challenges.

“We still suffer from a shortage of skilled and experienced insurance professionals. As a result, large and complex risks are not retained within Africa but are ceded to foreign insurance markets because specialist risk management capabilities and high quality security are not sufficiently available. This leads to premium flight which threatens the viability of the domestic insurance industry.

Moreover, there is still wide spread ignorance on the benefits of insurance. Added to this list is an acute insufficiency of product differentiation.

“We emphasise in this area on the need to strengthen the diversification of training in scientific and technical issues by leveraging new tools and instruments imposed by the development of technology to ensure greater communication of their knowledge and know-how. BC

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Mrs. Lamia Ben Mahmoud

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

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Companies & Markets

Total partners TATA Africa Services on lubricants sale Stories by Udo Onyeka

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ne of the major operators in Nigeria’s downstream oil industry, Total Nigeria Plc signed an after-market partnership agreement with Tata Africa Services Nigeria limited.

Under the partnership, Total would supply its high performance TOTAL branded lubricants to TATA. This partnership reinforces the global partnership agreement signed between Total Lubricants and Tata motors in Mumbai, India in September 2015. Total will support the Tata Motors service network and its customers to provide latest generation lubri-

cants to enhance performance of Tata Motors Commercial vehicles.

The networks will receive access to high performance TOTAL Quartz automotive lubricants that will exceedingly suit all Tata’s equipment specification.

Included in the agreement is a full program to provide technical training, marketing support tools and lubricant analysis services to Tata network for equipment monitoring. Tata’s customers will definitely benefit from this partnership by having access to original equipment manufacturer specified lubricant.

Managing Director, Total Nigeria Plc, Alexis Vovk, was very pleased with the partnership as

this provides a channel for OEMs like Tata to have access to genuine TOTAL Lubricants and world class technical and marketing support.

“Satisfying our unique customer needs is very important to Total, which is why Total is dedicated to continuous investment in research and innovation. This dedication has lead to the development of over 400 unique Industry applications that are tailor made to suit a wide range of Industrial Lubricant needs.

Total Nigeria Plc is glad to be partnering with TATA Africa Services ,Nigeria, Limitedand look forward to a fruitful relationship.” BC

Alexis Vovk

Ecobank supports youth engagement through sports

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anaging Director, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Charles Kie has stated that Ecobank is positioned to partner sporting events with regional appeal that create opportunities for Africans to converged on healthy competitive basis.

According to Kie, the bank whose vision is to build a world-class pan-African Bank and contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa, sees sports as fulcrum for this integration.

The Ecobank boss who was special guest at the 4th Okpekpe International 10 km Road race in Edo State, said the decision for Ecobank to support the competition was in line with its corporate social responsibility, CSR, direction, which emphasises empowerment and positive engagement of the youth population.

“Our decision to support the Okpekpe race for the third year

running is one of the several ways of supporting sports development across the continent. We are impressed with the participation of international athletes across the continent. We will continue to be associated with this initiative,” he said.

He noted that the choice of Ecobank Rapid Transfer as the official money transfer for the competition was because of its global recognition, “explaining that the product is an innovative money transfer services available within Nigeria and countries in Africa where Ecobank is present. The service was conceived out of the need to provide quick, convenient, accessible, and reliable money transfer facility for our retail and wholesale customers and non-customers of the bank”.

While urging the participants to avail themselves of the opportunities provided by the Bank, Kie further said “the

Charles Kie product allows you to send and receive money across Nigeria and to also receive money from over 30 countries and others where Ecobank has its footprint.”

This is just as the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole

and President, Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, described Ecobank’s consistent support for Okpekpe Road Race as commendable, urging other corporate organizations to emulate the bank.

Two Kenyans, Simon Cheprot and Polline Wanjiku Njeru won this year’s Okpekpe Race in the male and female categories respectively. They went home with $15,000 prize money each after finishing in a record time of 29min: 48sec and 33min: 53sec respectively.

The silver medals went to Ismail Juma Ballet of Tanzania who finished in a record time of 29min: 50sec and Esther Ndiema of Kenya in 33min: 55sec with prize money of $10,000 each. The third position went to Timothy Toroitich of Uganda at 29min: 54sec; and Buzunesh Gutalshor of Ethiopia who finished in 33min: 58sec with a BC prize money of $7,000 each.

Rwanda partners MasterCard on cashless economy

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he Government of Rwanda last week-end announced a collaboration with MasterCard to fast-track the country’s move to include 90 percent of its citizens in the financial mainstream, as set out in its Vision 2020 strategy.

In a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed by the CEO, Rwanda Development Board and Cabinet Member, Francis Gatare, and President of Middle East and Africa for MasterCard, Raghu Malhotra, Rwanda will promote the move to a cashless economy by collaborating on numerous initiatives.

These solutions include, the digitisation of school fees and national healthcare claim payments, providing an online payment gateway for Rwanda Online, contributing to the creation of a common mobile banking platform, and contributing to the effective management of spending activities across borders.

Speaking at the announcement Gatare said, “We are confident that Rwanda’s partnership with MasterCard will be beneficial to the country and its citizens as we are implementing our vision of becoming a knowledge based serviceoriented economy. I believe

this can only be achieved as we embrace the fourth industrial revolution.”

Malhotra remarked that the Government of Rwanda shares the commitment of MasterCard to realizing a world beyond cash. He said. “Our global reach and local experience makes MasterCard a perfect partner to help Rwanda meet its Vision 2020 strategy.

Rwanda is a key market in East Africa for MasterCard and today’s announcement marks an important milestone in driving financial inclusion, not just in the country but in the region and Africa as a whole.”

According to the World Bank’s

Global Findex 2014, two billion people globally do not have access to formal financial services. In Rwanda, 42 percent of adults own a financial account, whether formal or informal.

Rwanda’s Vision 2020 aims for 70 percent financial inclusion by 2017 and 90 percent by 2020. Building on the company’s approach to develop partnerships with governments, NGOs and local businesses, MasterCard and the Rwandan government will address common challenges faced by poor and often remote populations, such as the lack of formal identification and financial illiteracy. BC

Airtel assures customers of automated services

Isaiah Erhiawarien

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elecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has assured its customers that it will continue to provide automated customer services to every subscriber on its network.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya who made pledge at the commissioning of its Expo Centre, on Victoria Island, Lagos, a fully automated service hub, said that it is a strategic drive to empower telecoms consumers.

He said that the one-stop touch-point, which is the flagship service centre of the Telecommunications Company in Nigeria bears eloquent testimony to the company’s resolve and commitment to exceptional customer service delivery, noting that the touch-point is fully automated and specifically designed to offer exciting service experience to telecoms consumers.

According to him, Airtel is keenly interested in not just offering telecoms consumers the best connection but it is also passionate about expanding its service footprints to serve Nigerians better.

“As we increase our footprints in Lagos, we bring with it our rich history and culture of great service experience to the delight of our customers, especially those within this community and the environs.

“Indeed, as we open the doors of this world class showroom to the public today, customers will experience world class touch that will help optimize our rich range of unique offerings and services in data, voice, bill payment, query resolution and general enquiries,” he said.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Olufemi Odubiyi, who performed the official commissioning of the Airtel Expo Centre, commended the company for its innovativeness, quality standard and excellence in delivering top quality services to Nigerians.

He described Airtel as a foremost telecoms company synonymous with first in innovation.

“I urge the management of Airtel Nigeria to keep up this momentum,” he said.

The new expo centre offers free Wi-Fi to customers; it has a specially designed play area for kids as well as a VIP corner for high Value customers on the Airtel network.

The ultramodern service centre also has dedicated spots provided for Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs, such as Samsung, Tecno, Huawei and iPhone to display their products. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Brand Watch

Telcos to deepen brand equity through social media Stories by David Audu

S

ince the advent of social media, giving access to millions of people to exchange messages, pictures and data, it has also become a veritable marketing opportunities for brands to expose their products and services. No doubt within the last five years social media sites have grown tremendously, with no less than over a hundres sites and still counting. Among the popular social media sites are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Linkdin, Google+,YouTube, Flickr weChat, to mention just a few.

While some offer special services, some are general in nature, thus giving brands oppportunity to leverage on their reach to deepen affinity with customers.

While some brands, in the quest to deepen market reach, have resorted to the use of social media to communicate and create awareness for their products

and services, others have entered into a more business relationship in form of partnership to provide services with added consumer benefits.

This is where one of Nigeria telecommunication firm, Airtel Nigeria, is exploring and has taken advantage of the social media space to go a step further by partnering with a popular brand, Facebook, to extend reach.

Though, seemingly hiding under a social cause, Airtel, during a recent launch of a partnership with Facebook in Lagos, said it is partnering with Facebook to bring basic internet services to Nigerians. It also added that its mission is to lure Nigerians to the internet, but doing so with an attractive offer- free facebook browsing for those who will otherwise not subscribe.

Facebook today, estimates that its connectivity efforts, which include Free Basics, have brought more than 25 million people on-

line who would not be otherwise.

Managing Director of Airtel Africa, Christian de Faria, speaking on the partnership said, the firm is pleased to take this big step forward in our partnership with Facebook, bringing more people online in Africa’s most populous country and helping to further narrow the digital divide.

“This builds on our vision of using our widespread 3G network to help improve lives and communities by empowering them with access to digital content and services that are tailored to their needs.”

Also commenting on the development, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said the partnership marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s drive towards deepening digital connectivity and enhancing mobile broadband access for millions of Nigerians in line with the key objective of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan, NBBP.

Firm introduces rebranded soya milk

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ruit juice manufacturer, Chi Lilmited said its health drink, Hollandia Soya milk, has returned to the shelves and also sporting a new look.

Speaking on the new launch, Chi Limited’s Managing Director, Mr. Deepanjan Roy said that as is well known that health is one of the biggest motivating factors in consumers’ decision making process, so the company has also decided to give consumers a healthy soya drink that has absolutely no cholesterol leading to a healthy heart and active life.

“This is clearly amplified on the pack, which features a strong blue colour combination and an assortment of small icons that typify various sporting activities that connect with the health conscious consumers. The pack is really unique; it comes in two sizes; the 1 litre pack and the smaller 315ml pack, which has prismatic shape making it great for carrying about just the right amount of Hollandia Soya Milk to stay active after strenuous activity.

Roy said market insight show

that the milk brand is widely known and loved for its nutritious and health benefits apart from delicious taste and smooth texture.

A statement from the company noted that the new Hollandia Soya Milk is now endorsed by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, NSN, as a rich source of Calcium and Vitamin A, adding that it also comes with no cholesterol.

“Naturally, Soya based foods or drinks help lower cholesterol levels in the body.

“With ‘No Cholesterol’ in Hol-

Saidat Alausa

R Ogunsanya “It is our belief that this partnership, the first of its kind in Nigeria, will create a plethora of opportunities for millions of Nigerians, empowering them to connect to their dreams, realize their full potentials, and succeed in their professional and personal endeavours.” BC

landia Soya milk, it helps avoid further cholesterol build-up and keeps heart healthy. This is great news for teeming health conscious Nigerians!

“Hollandia Soya Milk also offers Protein Power, Calcium and Vitamin C & D.It appeals to every Nigerian who is health conscious and desires active lifestyle and a healthy heart.

Roy said the Milk can be bought nationwide in hypermarkets, supermarkets, neighborhood stores, roadside kiosks and Chi Shoppes across Nigeria. BC

Konga.com supports e-commerce in Nigeria

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igeria’s online mall, Konga.com, has expressed commitment to deepen e-commerce and trade in Africa by supporting and empowering Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSME, Chief Executive Officer of Konga Online Shopping Limited, Shola Adekoya, stated this during its first MSME fair held in Lagos recently.

The fair in partnership with Lagos State government, Adekoya said focuses on indigenous and local manufacturers and producers and was aimed at promoting made in Nigeria products.

He said as the world is changing and humans have also moved over the years from subsistence farming to trade by barter and now in the age of technology which is moving very fast.

“This Fair is in line with Konga’s mission to be the engine of trade and commerce in Africa by empowering indigenous MSME’s

to reach a wider market across the nation”.

He said Konga is poised to help MSMEs match with the fast changing technology by providing platforms that showcases their products to the entire world with just a click.

“Konga is providing a platform for MSMEs to sell, a payment solution that their business needs and logistics solution that moves their goods all over the country.”

Earlier, while declaring the Fair open, Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by the Sate Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, expressed the state government’s appreciation for the support that Konga brings to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the State.

While acknowledging the importance of MSMEs to the Nigerian economy, she said of the over 3,000,000 micro enterprises and over 11,000 SMEs, Lagos accounted for the largest concen-

Adekoya tration in Nigeria.

Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, lauded the support of Konga, stating that the partnership with Konga will see to the listing of

RB unveils Dettol multisurface cleaner

exhibitors on Konga platform for market access and global visibility as the fair would also foster quality comparison and innovative improvements among participating exhibitors for local and international competitiveness.

The MSME Exclusive Fair is to reiterate the ‘buynaija’ mentality as it promotes small scale production for economic growth and employment generation for all Nigerians.”

In her remark, the Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, Mayowa Adebayo said apart from Konga providing market access to exhibitors at this Fair, we made it more impactful and all-encompassing through the daily empowerment clinics where they were taught on how to sell, promote their products, use new media to extend their reach and prizes were presented to exhibitors who distinguished themselves during the various organized sessions.” BC

eckitt Benkiser, manufacturers of Dettol soap, recently introduced a new Dettol Multi Surface Cleaner into Nigeria market, which the company said provides better cleaning and kill germs in addition to providing an all-day fragrance.

The new product was introduced with a national Dettol Clean Naija campaign, initiated as a public awareness campaign to attract the attention of Nigerians to the problem of germs and best hygiene practices.

Speaking at the final cleaning event at the National Stadium, Lagos, the General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr. Rahul Murgai stated that the campaign reinforces the desires by all to provide healthy lives to the ones we love and care, giving a complete protection against germs.

“This involves a process of cultivating best hygiene practices in Personal Care such as proper hand washing and body wash habits, as well as Surface Cleaning in our homes. This is why the Dettol Multi-Surface Cleaner has been introduced into Nigeria, to provide a true hygiene based ecosystem for the families.”

Also speaking at the event, the Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Mr. Silivrili stated that 80 percent of hygiene related illness are acquired at home, but noted however that while cleaning the surfaces, most Nigerians have been using sub optimal solutions like detergents which does not kill germs or bleach which does not properly remove stains, and therefore compromising on all-day fragrance.”

According to Silivrili, the Dettol Clean Naija Campaign would not have been completed without the cleaning of the National Stadium- a great edifice in Nigeria’s Centre of Excellence as a demonstration of our commitment to eradicating germs and keeping Nigeria clean”.

While commending RB, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris represented by the Assistant Director for Health Education, Mrs. Olubunmi Ilawole stated that RB has over the years been known for quality homecare and hygiene products and applauded the organisation on the launch of an innovative and effective product that is timely and affordable by all.

For the campaign, the Dettol Clean Naija team went to city by city cleaning key national establishments chosen via digital voting by Nigerians. BC

Sifiso-Dabengwa

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

Nigeria ahead of South Africa, Kenya, others in online shopping Isaiah Erhiawarien

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he 2016 Broll Shopper Segmentation Report has revealed that Nigerians do more online shopping than any African country.

The report, which showed that Nigerians are taking full advantage of online portal to do their shopping indicated that leaving South Africans and Kenyans behind in online shopping spree.

According to the Broll Shopper Segmentation Report 2016 Volume 1, 64 per cent of online shoppers in the region are Nigerians and make purchase online more often than any country saying that 83 percent are regularly using the shopping centre app for specials and/or product searches.

While commenting on the report, Divisional Director for Research, Broll Property Group, Elaine Wilson, said that online shopping is mostly dominated by a growing young internet savvy generation, who are price conscious and can easily do their research online to compare prices and deals.

She said that although 58 percent of those surveyed prefer traditional shopping, 78 percent believe they will shop more online in future.

Wilson observed that Nigerian consumers are experienced shoppers who are organised and shop from a list as well as compare prices.

According to her, Abuja shoppers are window shoppers who look for bargains and always buy the same brands while those in Lagos are experienced shoppers who plan their shopping trips and they also regard themselves as smart shoppers, reveals the report.

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s part efforts towards enhancing electronic payment for sport enthusiasts during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Visa has promised to deploy 4000 POS terminals across key Olympic venues, as well as 11 ATMs in partnership with Bradesco.

It has also promised to create and manage the entire payment system infrastructure and network throughout all venues including stadiums, press centers, point-of-sale (POS), the Olympic Village and Olympic Superstores.

The company is a statement said that it will extend the value of its sponsorship to Olympic Games host cities, facilitating the development and advancement of payment infrastructure in those markets.

with Esther Ozue (ozueesther@nationalmirroronline.net) 08059234648 (sms only)

How to remotely access your files I

know many people will be travelling this season; as professionals and business people, having remote access to your computer or files from anywhere means you never need to worry again about forgetting an important file. However, to be able to do this correctly, here are few tips that will help you to remotely access your files or computer with minimal fuss from anyway as long as you have an internet connection.

Adebayo Shittu “Nigerian consumers are very sophisticated and are used to shopping internationally particularly in the UK, US, South Africa and Dubai and they regularly compare product ranges and prices for the best deals both locally and internationally,” said Chief Executive Officer, Broll Nigeria, Bolaji Edu. Compared to Kenya and South Africa, Nigeria as a whole has a very limited number of leisure opportunities that the whole family can enjoy. Visiting a secure shopping centre where consumers can shop, eat, socialise and watch a movie is a good option especially during the rainy season, explains Edu. Of those surveyed, 92 percent said trading hours are inadequate and would ideally like to see shopping centres trade from 7am to 10pm.

Edu said that many consumers work long hours and

by the time they finish work and sit through traffic trying to get to the shops, many will be closed for trade for the day, therefore with current opening hours (9am to 9pm), it is often difficult for many shoppers.

“It is possible that the inadequate shopping centre trading hours have helped the growth in e-commerce and the need for shoppers to plan their shopping trips and what they would spend on each of these trips.”

He noted that over the last 10 years, the retail sector in Nigeria has grown and now there is approximately 290,000m2 of retail space centred in the main commercial cities of Abuja and Lagos.

“Despite this growth and coupled with new mall developments, retail remains under provided for in Nigeria compared to other African countries with similar GDP per capita”, he added. BC

Visa to deploy 4000 PoS for 2016 Olympic Games Isaiah Erhiawarien

Technotalk

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Visa will also introduce acceptance of new technologies and innovation throughout Rio, focusing on new ways to pay including payment wearables and mobile phones letting fans swipe, tap, dip or click to pay in Rio. Executive Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Jim McCarthy, at Visa Inc, said that “Visa has always stood for universal acceptance and the most secure and fast way to pay across merchants, borders and currencies. As we prepare for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Visa is transforming the way fans pay, giving them choice in how they want to pay for anything, anytime and everywhere.”

Visa projects that Brazil will host are an estimated 400,000500,000 international visitors during the month of August, based on trends observed in

recent summer editions of the Olympics.

Visa data points to 2016 inbound travel to Brazil increasing by an estimated 1.2 million travelers for the year, compared to the 2010-2015 average, primarily due to preparations for the Olympics Games.

During the London 2012 Olympic Games, spending averaged $1,830 per traveler, which was twice as much per visit than regular tourists to the United Kingdom in 2012.

“This data speaks of the increase in commerce generated through the Olympic Games.

More than 200 nations, 10,000 athletes, their families, friends and fans are expected to gather in Rio this summer to enjoy this truly global celebration of sports and athletics. Visa is excited to be part of their journey”, said McCarthy. BC

Use remote access or remote desktop Apps One of the simplest ways to remotely access your computer is to use one of the many free or subscription-based programs that set up the connection for you. These programs allow you log into your home computer from a Web browser on the remote computer like a workstation at the office and even from an app on a mobile device like a smartphone or the iPad. With this, you can work on your home computer as if you were sitting in front of it.

The most popular remote access programs include: LogMeIn: offers both a free version that works with Windows PCs and Macs for remote desktop control as well as a Pro version that also enables file transfers, and remote printing.

GoToMyPC: is a subscription-based service. It offers similar advanced features, like drag-and-drop file transfer.

UltraVNC: is a free, very configurable program that uses VNC (Virtual Network Computing) technology for remote desktop sharing. It offers many advanced features like special graphics drivers, encryption plugins, and Windows authentication, but can be more complex to configure.

Share files with a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device If you don’t need to remotely control or manage your home computer and just want to be able to access shared files over the Internet, you can use a NAS device to do so.

These storage devices are mini file servers that you connect to your home network, usually via Ethernet cable to your home router. NAS devices are great for file sharing and backups for multiple computers, and they typically offer remote file access via FTP or even your Web browser, depending on the device Add an external hard drive to your home router Adding an external hard drive to your existing (or a new) home router enables file sharing, that is if your router is Netgear WNDR3700 Router with a “ReadyShare” feature for sharing a USB storage device over the network and via FTP. The Linksys Dual-Band WRT600N is a similar router with network storage capabilities.

Online backup and syncing services For remotely accessing files from anywhere without having to set up any hardware, you can use cloud computing services, specifically online backup and file syncing Web apps. An online backup service provides storage of your files and also allows you to download individual files from a Web browser or mobile app. They are also additional options for low-cost backup, including using your Webmail or Web hosting service to store files online and these can also give you remote access to your files.

Dedicated file syncing services and applications are specifically designed to always keep your most important documents with you or accessible wherever you go.

Set up your own home server if you don’t want to use a third-party solution and would rather set up your own VPN and server, both Apple Mac OS Server and Windows Home Server make home or small business networking and remote access easy. This option is the most expensive and time-consuming to set up, but offers you the most control.

Finally, remote access is a great alternative to carrying exBC BC ternal drives and prevents you from losing or corrupting data.

BC

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Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

Physician-turned corporate icon His achievements and current status did not come on a platter of gold. It is a testimony to what the human spirit can achieve with hard work, dedication, tolerance and a sense of professionalism. He is one of the triumvirates that established the highly successful Eko Hospital. However, beyond his brilliance in the medical practice, he is also an avid entrepreneur and investor with unquenchable passion for enterprise development and investment. This is the story of Dr. Sonny Folorunsho Kuku, a physician-turned corporate icon.

O

lorogun Sonny Folorunsho Kuku’s credentials as a physician are quite intimidating. But while he remains a reference to excellence in medical practice, he is also an avid entrepreneur and investor, with strong passion for enterprise development and investment.

In both his primary calling, medicine, and his hobby - in-

vestment, Kuku holds many unequalled firsts and for many decades, has been the quintessential example of the symbiotic relations between medicine and financial security. In 1984, he led the transformation of the Eko Hospital into a distinct corporate entity with the incorporation of Ekocorp.

A decade later, Ekocorp made history as the first medical com-

pany to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE and as at last Thursday, May 31, Ekocorp Plc has a market value of about N2.7bn selling at N5.05 per share.

Besides Ekocorp, Kuku also has a long-standing interest in the financial services sector. He had served on the board of the defunct Midas Merchant Bank and currently, he chairs the

board of Midas Stockbrokers Limited.

With his growing profile as an investment-savvy physician, Kuku was appointed to the board of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, the Nigerian subsidiary of the panAfrican bank holding company, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), in 2004. In March 2010, Kuku was elected to chair the multinational 14-member

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board of Ecobank Nigeria, at the completion of the terms of John Odeyemi, another industry icon.

Kuku, who recently retired from the Board after over 11 years, five of which was as Chairman. He is one of the founding members of the Ecobank Group.

Under his tenure as Chairman of the Board, the Bank made remarkable progress in growing its market share by rising from the number 13 industry position in 2010 to Number six in 2015.

He is leaving the Board on a solid footing as one of the leading banks in Nigeria.

Besides his major equity stake in Ekocorp, another public proof of Kuku’s investment prowess is his shareholding in Ecobank Nigeria. He is believed to hold the second largest equity stake among the directors with his shareholdings more than 167 per cent above the entire direct and indirect shareholdings of other directors, excluding the director with the largest shareholding.

As a former board member of Clina-Immunoassay Lab and Total Health Trust Ltd, Kuku, no doubt, has demonstrated that healthy body and soul need not only medical prescriptions, but also the assurance of financial security that comes with building nest eggs that stream in incomes irrespective of physical presence or absence.

A consultant physician and endocrinologist, Kuku is the first African Master of the American College of Physicians; the first recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of Lagos; Ambassador of Goodwill Award of the City of Freetown and the first and only physician to list the shares of a hospital in Nigeria.

A long-standing trustee and distinguished fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, president and trustee of the West African College of Physicians, President of Pan African Diabetes Study Group, past Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities and Committee of Chairman of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Chairman, University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Dr Kuku was conferred with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in 2003 by the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was also the Chairman of the Human Capital Policy Commission of the Nigerian Economics Summit Group.

A native of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, South West Nigeria, Kuku was born on January 3, 1944 in Jos, present day Plateau State capital. He had his elementary education at three different schools, starting with St. Paul’s School, Jos, St. Patrick’s School, Yaba and later at the Salvation Army School, Ebute-Metta, La-

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Kuku

young Kuku never had any serious thoughts about not going back home. “First, I knew and felt that my country needed me more than the developed countries like the U.S. I also knew that in my country, I would be a first class citizen and be more relevant,” he had reasoned then.

So, with this well-guided patriotic zeal, Kuku took the plunge and returned home without any job offer in 1975, but determined to find work. “My gamble paid off because our dynamic military ruler at that time was an avid newspaper reader who saw a satirical article about me in a newspaper describing me as a man over-qualified to be employed. Employment came a few days later. It is very unlikely that the President of the U.S. would be in a position to invite me, a Nigerian, in such circumstances and offer me a job if I was still in the U.S. This immediately justified one of the reasons I insisted on coming back home despite the fact that jobs and life were rosier abroad,” he said.

Back in Nigeria, the young Kuku was confronted with what turned out to be his first shock: the paucity of the salary and the backwardness of the infrastructure and quality of living. Kuku discovered to his chagrin that he was over qualified for the job he was offered and his training was too high-powered for the kind of laboratories or funds available.

However, not minding the challenges, he decided to put to use, whatever part of his training that was applicable rather than continuing his research into the molecular nature of hormones like thyrotrophin, glucaton, etc.

“I set up a small reference endocrine laboratory that made measurement of hormones available to the whole country for the first time. From the laboratory, I was able to study basic things like normal hormone levels in the African and in pathological states like infertility leading to seminal work affecting lives of a vast number of people and evolutionising treatment. I probably might have broken the atom if I

‘

Today, the hospital has grown in leaps and bounds, with two fullfledged hospitals located at Ikeja and Surulere in Lagos.

The Ikeja facility is a private teaching hospital of 130 beds and state of the equipment.

It is a tertiary institution with a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic equipment

‘

gos between 1949-1956. He was at the famous King’s College, Lagos from 1957-1963 for his secondary education.

Kuku studied in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, University Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York, and Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and Hammersmith Hospital, University of London University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, U.S.A. (1968-1969) After graduating, he won a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1971 to study at the famous Royal Post-graduate Medical School (Hammersmith Hospital) University of London. Within three years, he added a couple of more feathers to his already spectacular cap. He obtained a PhD in addition to becoming a member of the Royal College of Physicians. Prior to this time, in 1968, he had been awarded a B.Sc (Hons) in Medical Biochemistry by the University of Lagos in conjunction with the University of Rochester, New York. In 1972, he received a M.Sc in Clinical pathology.

After his academic pursuit in New York, Dr. Kuku lectured at the University of Chicago School Of Medicine where he was a Senior Fellow until 1976, when he returned home. He continued his lecturing career in the University Of Lagos College of Medicine where he rose to be Senior Lecturer within the year. In 1986, he was honoured with the coveted Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London, and the following year, took a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Lagos by thesis.

In 1968, while at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York on a one-year pre-doctoral Fellowship, the young Kuku was exposed to a fascinating and rewarding experience that he decided, there and then that he must return to the U.S for his residency training. This was however not to be, as he found himself at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, where he completed the MRCP, PhD programme in 1974. In October 1974, he was invited back home to Nigeria to take a Faculty position.

During his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago School Of Medicine, the whole world virtually opened for Dr.Kuku. As he admitted in a recent interview, “With my training and qualifications, job offers from all nooks and crannies came to me. The temptation to stay and make a career in the US, as was becoming fashionable at that time, was very great particularly since all my attempts at securing a suitable position at home did not meet with any measure of success.” But then, despite the temptation of the good fortunes in the U.S, the

Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

remained in the U.S (chance almost nil) but I doubt if my work would have touched so many lives! I have also, building on experience gained from the U.S, set up a tertiary hospital in the private sector, the only one to be quoted in the Nigerian Stock Exchange,” he said.

He worked as Consultant Physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) until 1977 when he formally pulled out of public service to join Mercy Specialist Clinic.

As told by those familiar with his story, three years after returning to Nigeria, Kuku re-united with two of his professional colleagues, Eneli and Obiora, who have been friends since their days in College of Medicine, University of Lagos. After he pulled out of public service, the trio moved their services to Mercy Specialist Clinic, Lagos, which incidentally became the springboard through which what is today referred to as one of the best private specialists hospital in Nigeria, Eko Hospital was established.

About five years after joining Mercy Hospitals, Kuku, the late Alexander Chuma Ayodele Eneli and Augustine Amechi Obiora floated Eko Hospital, an acronym formed from the first letters of the founder’s surnames in alphabetical order i.e. “E” for ENELI, “K” for KUKU and “O” for OBIORA. From a four-bed capacity clinic situated at Ebute-Meta, Lagos in 1977, the company has grown into a multi-service and multi-location hospital with operations in Ikeja, Ikoyi, Central Lagos, Surulere, etc. to cover the entire Lagos area.

In 1988, a Management Agreement was signed between Eko Hospital, Ikeja Ltd and the Eko Hospital Limited whereby Eko Hospital Limited, was to manage Eko Hospital, Ikeja Limited. This arrangement further culminated into the sales of all assets and liabilities of Eko Hospital Ikeja Limited to Eko Hospital Limited. In compliance with the Companied and Allied Matter Decree 1990, the company, by a special resolution passed in 1991 was re-registered as a Public Limited Liability Company (PLC), by a Board resolution in 1994 and approved at the Annual General Meeting; the Eko Hospital Plc was changed to Ekocorp Plc. Today, the hospital has grown in leaps and bounds, with two full-fledged hospitals located at Ikeja and Surulere in Lagos.

The Ikeja facility is a private teaching hospital of 130 beds and state of the equipment. It is a tertiary institution with a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic equipment. The Surulere hospital is a 40-bed secondary healthcare facility. A third hospital is currently under construction at the new Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

A diagnostic centre and clinic is operational in Ikoyi area of Lagos. The philosophy of the

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multi-hospital group is to provide excellent medical care at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Today, the hospital has undergone significant transformation, as it is the only publicly quoted hospital business in Nigeria Stock Exchange under the auspices of the name Ekocorp Plc. The company enjoys tremendous goodwill and occupies an enviable position as a market leader in private hospital market sector.

Affiliated to Olabisi Onabanjo University as a training centre for clinical students of the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, Eko Hospital is one of the largest, best equipped and recognised medical institutions in the country and it has good patronage to show for it. Moreover, it is one of the few private hospitals recognised by the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council to train house officers (newly qualified doctors) and the only private hospital recognised by the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College to train general practice resident doctors for Parts I and II fellowships.

Its facilities are used by graduate and post-graduate trainees, house officers and interns accredited by the Nigerian PostGraduate Medical College, Nigerian Medical and Dental Council and the Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Radiotherapy and Medical Laboratory Science Councils of Nigeria.

With its first-class equipment in the various fields of Medicine – Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Ophthalmology, Electro Encephalography (EEG), Endoscopy, CT-Scanning, Radio-diagnosis, Radiotherapy and Effective Investigative Laboratory, patients are assured of quality primary, secondary and tertiary health care services.

Other services such as a Diabetes/Endocrinology Centre, Comprehensive Health Screening, Fertility and Pain Management and Rehabilitation Centre at the Ikeja head office also testifies to the hospital’s leadership in the Nigerian private health sector as it is with its extensive database of Health Maintenance Organisations, HMOs and unparalleled National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, accreditation.

Kuku is the chairman, board of Senior Citizens Care Foundation, SCCF, a registered NonGovernmental Organization, that sees into the fast growing global aging issues and actively involved in the welfare of older persons. The foundation, whose vision is the preservation of the joy and values of the older generation, synergizes with international organizations in finding a lasting solution to the problems facing this aging class. It engages in research on ageing issues and welfare, medical care of aged person, senior citizens empowerment programme and organising health exercises among others.BC

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

Making it big with snail, grasscutter farming - Abdulazeez A trained accountant, Ismail Abdulazeez, MD/CEO of Thy Snail and Grasscutter Farms belongs to the class of Nigerians living out their entrepreneurial dreams. After several years running after white collar jobs, Abdulazeez retraced his steps to pursue his passion in farming. Today, almost from a hopeless situation, he has turned from an employee to an employer, playing big in the snail and grasscutter farming business

By Adejuwon Osunnuyi

B

orn about 38 years ago, Ismail Abdulazeez’s major dream, was to become a successful chartered accountant and perhaps, work in banks or some of the big organisations. Though he didn’t come from a well to do family, he pursued his ambition with uncommon vigour. However, as he trudged on in life, Abdulazeez’s perception, changed. His pursuit of accounting profession was no longer solely to become a chartered accountant working in banks or big corporations, but to use the knowledge as a means to an end.

As a child, he had passion for agriculture, having been involved in subsistence farming with his parents. He was said to have developed so much interest in farming that he had vowed that no matter how much academic certificate he obtains, he would still be a big farmer.

“When we were still young, I do subsistence farming, planting maize and some other things just to sustain the family and since then, I used to tell myself that I will do my own farming the way the Oyinbo (Europeans) do their own farming,” he recounts in an encounter with Business Courage.

Abdulazeez

To some extent, Abdulazeez now seem to be living his dream as he is fully into agriculture, after a brief spell in the corporate world.

A trained accountant, Abdulazeez started his working career as an accounts clerk with Micom Cables and Wires Ltd in 1997. After the completion of his ATS 1 and 2 exams, he moved on to join Dohagro Allied Ltd, a rice and sugar distributing company, as an accounts officer, where he worked for just six months. Thereafter, he joined Wale Adeleke & Co (Chartered Accountants), an auditing firm, as an audit trainee between 1998 and 1999 but the urge to be his own boss made him to resign his appointment.

After leaving Wale Adeleke &Co, Abdulazeez, along with his wife decided to run a Nursery and Primary School from a rented apartment. After some time, he decided to further his education and left his wife to run the school. However, few months after the school started, the landlord gave the school a quit notice. “We had to leave the place when the owner said he wanted to make use of the place. We left almost in tears. We had to call parents that we could no longer continue with the management of the school,” he said. That

abruptly ended his dream of being an entrepreneur.

Somehow, Abdulazeez found his way back into the labour market as he later joined Samcas Oil Mill, a palm kernel oil manufacturing firm in 2000.

But six months after, he was again out of Samcas, and again, back to the school project he was forced to abandon. This time, however, it was in his own house at Ewupe Ijaniye Village, Sango Otta, Ogun State.

Incidentally, it was at that point that the journey into his dream job of being a big time farmer started to materialise.

“Being a new site, we started seeing snails here and there, and I started picking them. So, I decided to check the articles on snail farming I have been keeping and in one of the articles, I came across the name of one man called Mr. Bright. I traced him and attended some of his seminars. After the trainings, I did my own research and started my own farms. As God would have it, everything started flourishing.”

For him, market for his snails was never a problem as there were ready-made markets with “Many people coming to me to buy snails.” However, an awry experience he had with a customer who deposited

some money for the snails but couldn’t get his order on the appointed date spurred him into thinking about how to enlarge the business. “The experience I had when I had just started made me to have a rethink.

Then, we didn’t have enough space, but somebody deposited some money for me to supply some snails but somehow, I was unable to meet the demand.

When the man came, he started shouting at me, making a lot of noise and threatening me.

That experience put more pressure on us to do everything that needed to be done in order to make sure that we are able to meet up with supply,” he said.

Abdulazeez said that snails are not something you have to beg people to buy, stressing that, once you have it, you just have to have rest of mind.

“When someone comes and he doesn’t buy maybe as a result of price, but be rest assured that somebody else would still come to buy,” he noted. Besides, he says that the demand for snail is usually higher than the supply thus making the market potential of snail inexhaustible locally and internationally.

According to him, snail farming has been adjudged to be one of the most lucrative farming venture presently with far less capital investment and bountiful returns. It has lower risk compared to other livestock farming, while virtually every part of snail is of vital use in food, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and fishing industries, noting that snail is an export commodity, which has value next to gold in overseas countries While snail farming requires small capital he says the running cost is very low. With a start-up capital of N100,000, Abdulazeez believes one can generate as much as N1 million in just one year. “You can conveniently earn income a thousand fold higher than your present earning. You can keep your present job and do this on part time since it doesn’t require much time. This is a real export market that earns foreign revenue without you running from pillar to post. This is not fiction but factual. No stress, no time consuming, no odour, no noise and no irritation,” he said.

With as little as N50, 000, he says one can go into snail business but noted that it requires training. The need for training, he said, stems from the fact that, though there are snails around available to be picked, they (the

snails) have species. “Many people see snails here and there.

Some people take it as meat.

But quite a number don’t know how to go about rearing them.

This is made worse because snails, which belong to the family of animal called Mollusca, is a hermaphrodite. It has both the female and male sexual organs; so one cannot really distinguish between the male and female specie of it,” he explained.

In Nigeria, he said, there are about 17 species, but only three of them are very profitable for business and they are Ashatina Mulica, Ashatina Ashatina and Ashatina Maginata.

To the Thy Snail farm boss, many of those into snail farming business are mostly unwilling to let others know about the farming methodology. He regretted that the techniques are often shrouded in secrecy but noted that, snail farming is as easy as ABC. The only thing the snails may constantly demand for is attention and care.

“They hardly fall sick. You don’t have to buy their food and you may not have to spend much to create an abode for them. The beauty of it all is that, the snails reproduce rapidly. They are capable of producing hundreds of eggs, which hatch into snails. It is now possible to produce one million snails worth more than N5 million twice a year. This, he said are made possible because of the availability of very highly prolific Achatina Achatina species of snails, which lay 200-400 in one batch 2-3 times a year.”

Having conquered the snail business as it were, Abudlazeez had also plunged into grasscutters raring business. Like he did when he started the snail business, Abdulazeez said he went as far as Ghana, Republic of Benin and Ivory Coast to see how they set up standard grasscutters farms.

Grasscutters (a rodent family), like many rodent species, he noted, have been and continued to be a delicacy in a number of countries, in Latin America, Africa and Asia where markets exist for a wide variety of rodent species and grasscutters are often preferred over other sources of meat. The vast majority of these animals are still gathered from the wild and several species have been hunted so extensively that they are now extinct. And this, he said, offers small-scale farmers, investors, businessmen and all those with wealth-mind set, an economic incentive for raising grasscutters in captivity. BC

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Monday, May 16, 2016

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs KLINIC

With Mamora Victor

Mamora is a system thinker and advisor whose belief and activator leadership strengths are directed towards improving workers perspective for city and enterprise development.

e-mail: olusegunmamora@gmail.com

I

often share my personal story of how I struggled to pay for my first year university education tuition fee but through an idea I did.

Late 1990s, I needed fund for my university academic pursuit and couldn’t get this from anywhere. From the early year 1999, I began to invest my time in learning by going into public library to read and sometime study at home. I was investing an average of six hours daily to research, read and study in diverse areas.

Towards the last quarter of that year all I had was knowledge. Therefore I decided to work with a small size company in the city of Ijebu ode south west Nigeria as a volunteer because I didn’t have any prove of technical skill or certificate to negotiate salary. Within four month of my active presence I introduced some strategic decision into the business system and the consequence was increase in company revenue. This influenced the decision of the managing director to retain me. He offered me appointment with salary and flexibility to attend school. One year down the line the company recorded about 150% revenue increase and added quality corporate clients.

Dear friend, the most reliable capital is intangible. For entrepreneur, your most important capital is within you and your workers. I mean the potential and perspective your team brings into the venture. The most reliable capital for business expansion is the idea that attract investors fund. This is how powerful and influential intangibles resources can be.

Maybe I should say that real capital is portable; it is knowledge. So when you hear that ideas rule the world, it simply means those who have the intangible assets will always rule the world. The consequence is that if you don’t in-

vest in knowledge, you stand to lose your physical assets with time.

Let me share with you a recognisable pattern that also drives the banking system all over the world. It is called “Matthew Syndrome.” This is stated below as: “For to everyone who has, more will be given, he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”

The reality is that those who deposit money into the bank have a lot of influence on what those who borrow pay back as interest. The money depositor must always take from what borrowers earn. This comes in form of interest paid to bank on borrowed funds with which bank pays interest to the depositor. When borrower can’t pay back, his asset is taken and auctioned in order to meet the demand and expectation of the depositor.

This same syndrome is applicable to any venture. If an entrepreneur doesn’t have knowledge and updated knowledge he or she stand to lose even what he or she has, both money and physical asset to a competitor who does.

‘

Most reliable business capital Business performance is not so much about the time of entry, although an advantage; it is so much about the quality of workers perspective and knowledge processes. If the perspectives of workers are improper, although a top brand, it will drop down.

When I read the year 2013 published result of banks in Nigeria, it simply reflects the same recognizable pattern.

The oldest banks don’t always have the best performance. As a matter of fact, late entrants into the business have better results and sometimes double the performances of the older ones.

Business performance is not so much about the time of entry, although an advantage; it is so much about the quality of workers perspective and knowledge processes.

If the perspectives of workers are improper, although a top brand, it will drop down.

When the first becomes last and last becomes first, it is because of the shift in com-

‘

BUSINESS

petitive tool. Usually, it is the knowledge that shifts.

Knowledge is a competitive tool. When an organization becomes less competitive, this can be grossly attributed to a fundamental shift in knowledge. My emphasis is for you and your team to place premium value on intangible assets, especially knowledge, thereby building your organization into a learning system.

Briefly, I will like to mention some other intangible assets that are your reliable capitals for business growth and expansion.

Relationships: the experienced I shared earlier was founded on good relationship.

Motivational Business Quotes

I

t’s through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we’ve always mapped our path at Dell. There’s always an opportunity to make a difference. – Michael Dell If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours. – Ray Kroc Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating. – Denis Waitley Management is nothing more than motivating other people. – Le Iacocca Motivation is the art of getting people

to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers.

The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question. – Peter Drucker Why did I want to win? Because I didn’t want to lose! – Max Schmelling To succeed in business, to reach the top, an individual must know all it is possible to know about that business. – J. Paul Getty To win without risk is to triumph without glory. – Pierre Corneille BC

It was a friend who referred me to the Managing Director of the company I worked with.

My friend persuaded him of my character and reasons to give me a chance in his corporation despite my lack of relevant qualification. What value do you place on your relationships with team members, customer, suppliers and partners? No doubt, I have made mistakes with relationship that cost me something.

I have learned from them and am now determined to put serious value on relationship. It is an asset that can be converted.

Communication skill: entrepreneur will always pitch to commit investors’ interest and acquire marketing opportunities. Conversation with your team should be kept simple, and targeted at motivating them to act in a profitable direction.

Patience: this is also known as staying power. If an entrepreneur and team don’t recognise the value of staying power when the business is going through circles of development, discouragement may set in. This if unchecked may lead to many abandon projects and ventures.

Time: As earlier illustrated, time is a convertible asset. I remember my days in library where I exchange 6 hours every day for the knowledge of different authors and eventually was able to apply the knowledge on the job I got.

Time is a reliable asset that can be converted.

Dear entrepreneur, I will encourage you to focus on many intangible capital around you because they are convertible and reliable for your business expansion goal this year.

What you focus on influences your habit and affects performance. I believe your business performance will go up.

Cheer up and be courageous!

BC

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Commerce & Industry

Africa braces challenges to achieve industrial revolution Udo Onyeka

T

he debate on industrialisation and how Africa can lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution was the climax of the second day of the World Economic Forum on Africa, taking place in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali last week end Addressing the opening plenary on Africa’s Fourth Industrial Revolution, President, African Development Bank, AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina reiterated the importance of energy. “Africa cannot industrialise; it cannot be competitive unless we solve the energy problem, he noted, adding that “Today, 645 million people have no access to electricity in Africa.”

Lack of affordable and reliable access to lighting and power inhibits businesses from growing, new jobs from being created or provision of critical services.

Adesina said the Bank would invest $12.5bn in five years to boost the continent’s energy capacity. In addition to energy, the Fourth Industrial Revolution requires internet access. However internet penetration on the continent is still low.

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, which has been cited as one of the countries with the highest internet penetration rate in Africa outlined the na-

tion’s efforts to embrace ICT for growth. “We have 4,500km of fibre optic cable running across the country, and wide 3G mobile coverage. We want to avail internet for all,” he said. “We have also invested in institutions that will empower people to use the internet.

But ICT alone, Kagame said, cannot transform the continent.

It has to be backed by financial technology which guarantees deep efficient capital markets that will invest in infrastructure to achieve the much needed development.

He underlined the importance of development that is centred on people, which he described as ‘people technology’. “Development is more than money and policies. It is about people, cultivating good politics that demand accountability and results from leaders, and protects stability and security,” Kagame stressed.

The gender equality question in industrial revolution came into sharp focus. Graça Machel, Founder of the Foundation for Community Development regretted that the past three revolutions had left women, who are the majority population, behind. “No meaningful development, whether political, economic, business, can occur in Africa when you cut

out more than half its population,” she said. In addition, she highlighted the urgent need for women friendly infrastructure and technology, as well as revolutionising the educational system, if the continent is to take a lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Similarly, Dominic Barton, the Global Managing Director for McKinsey & Company pointed out the need for an education system that prepares the young generation with the relevant skills necessary for industry now and into the future. “We need to move away from the four-year qualification program.

We can train people with high school education for four to six week programs in technology to be ready for the market, and link them to employers. Let us do it here and get the millions of youth out of joblessness,” said Barton.

To address youth unemployment, the AfDB has designed Jobs for Youth in Africa, JfYA, strategy, aimed at increasing direct and indirect employment. This is expected to reduce poverty, inequality, as well as economic and conflict driven migration, increasing social cohesion and political stability.

“The future of our young people does not belong at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies

Francis Suberu

M Adesina

in us tapping their talents and putting our resources to support them,” emphasised Adesina.

The JfYA will see the Bank invest $5 billion over the next ten years and create 25 million new jobs. These investments are expected to create opportunities for 50 million young people through skills development, and job creation in Agriculture, Industry and ICT. The approach is expected to generate over $30bn in income gains for Africa in the next ten years. BC

Recare, Diamond Bank partner to reward card holders Isaiah Erhiawarien

A

s part of efforts to provide hair and scalp care solution to Nigerian women, Recare Limited, owners of Natures Gentle Touch has gone into partnership with Diamond Bank to reward customers with discounts.

Flagging off the campaign in Lagos, Recare Manager, Chijioke Anaele said that the discount partnership will run for 6 months.

Anaele noted that “within this period, customers who used Diamond Bank cards to purchase products at www.naturesgentletouch.com/shop would enjoy an instant 15 percent discount on all products purchased using the discount code Amazingwoman15”.

This partnership would provide an opportunity for women to achieve a healthy natural hair with the availability of Natures Gentle Touch range of products, proven to solve various hair challenges at a discount.

“We understand every woman’s wish to achieve her set beauty goals and are continually seeking for ways to meet them,” he emphasised.

Head, Corporate Communications of Diamond Bank, Ayona Trimnell, , stated that the partnership with Recare is not just to enhance only the beauty of the woman but also to boost their purchasing power while making payments with the Bank’s cards.

“Diamond Bank believes in the wealth and wellbeing of women. We are helping to make the total woman by providing payment options that enhances their lifestyle without tinkering with their individuality”, Ayona said.

According to Ayona, Diamond Bank has stamped its feet as the leading bank with the most digital innovations in Nigeria. Its Mobile App is the first to record over a million users in the financial services sub-sector with 1.3 million customers downloading, register-

Awolowo

ing and being active users of the service.

“It is the first bank in Africa to launch the fingerprint recognition feature on its Diamond Mobile App, a fingerprint reader that allows users of the Mobile

MTN launches SME value pack

App an easy and seamless login to their accounts by simply recognising and identifying their individual fingerprints.

“The Bank is also the first to introduce the Magic Cash, an app that works with the mobile phone; it is a no-cheque, nowithdrawal slip and no-debit card financial transaction that gives customers easy access to draw cash from any of the bank’s ATMs anytime”, she said.

The bank also is the first to introduce the Diamond Y’ello account, in partnership with the mobile telecommunications giant, MTN. It is a fully mobile hybrid account that offers the over 55 million subscribers on MTN Nigeria network a fusion of financial services and telecoms incentives.

Anaele said that the discount also extends to customers who pay for products purchased at Natures Gentle Touch Hair Institute in Victoria Island, Lagos using their Diamond Bank debit cards.

BC

TN Business has launched a new SME-tailored solution called MTN SME Value Pack. This is a complete business-enabling solution that comes with an MTN Business-branded Internet router, an MTN Business-branded desk phone, a professional email account, data bundle, voice call minutes and bulk SMS – all in one package.

Amina Oyagbola, MTN Executive, said, “This new solution is an unbeatable choice for smart businesses. It is specially designed to make a huge difference in the way SMEs work. With this solution, growing businesses will have easy and convenient access to all the necessary tools they need to succeed. This also reaffirms our commitment towards SMEs and our recognition of the critical role they play in every economy both in development and job creation.”

Speaking further, Oyagbola noted that MTN SME Value Pack is in consonance with the MTN vision of leading the delivery of a bold, new digital world to its customers, of which SMEs are an integral part.

Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, General Manager, Enterprise Marketing, MTN Nigeria, also lauded the benefits of MTN SME Value Pack, saying, “We believe that this solution will help SMEs achieve greater productivity easily, while enhancing their business profile. MTN SME Value Pack, which can be purchased at any MTN store, comes in two bundle options from which SMEs can conveniently choose, with the assurance of getting real value.”

The launch of MTN SME Value Pack follows the recent launch of The Marketplace and MTN Business Cloud Services, all geared towards enabling and inspiring the millions of members of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN,-recognised for SME growth.

BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

Stock market last week

A15 31

The NSE All-share and NSE-30 indices Week ended May 13, 2016

A

turnover of 1.826 billion shares worth N14.468bn in 20,058 deals were traded last week by investors on the floor of The Exchange in contrast to a total of 910.659 million shares valued at N6.409bn that exchanged hands the previous week in 15,023 deals.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.471 billion shares valued at N10.686bn traded in 11,038 deals; thus contributing 80.58 per cent and 73.86 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

The Conglomerates Industry followed with 187.026 million shares worth N313.287m in 1,545 deals. The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 74.728 million shares worth N2.054bn in 3,633 deals.

Trading in the Top Three Equities namely – Ecobank Transnational Inc. Plc, Access Bank Plc and FBN Holdings Plc.(measured by volume) accounted for 682.553 million shares worth N6.787bn in 2,916 deals, contributing 37.38 per cent and 46.91 per cent to the total equity turn-

NSE trading hall

over volume and value respectively.

ETPs Also traded during the week were a total of 382,448 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N10.288 million executed in 43 deals, compared with a total of 6,837 units valued at N16.316 million transacted the previous week in 25 deals.

Bonds A total of 8,033 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N8.923 million were traded in six deals compared to a total of 23,903 units of Federal Government valued at N28.385 million transacted the previous week in seven deals.

Index movement The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 2.88 per cent and 2.92 per cent to close the week at 26,441.03 and N9.099 trillion respectively.

Similarly, all other Indices finished higher during the week, with the exception of the NSE Industrial Goods Index that declined by 1.15 per cent.

Summary of price changes Fifty-four equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than 40 equities of the previous week. Seventeen equities depreciated in price, lower than 25 equities of the previous week, while 118 equities remained unchanged lower than 124 equities of the previous week.

Market Indicators for Week Ended 13-05-16 All-Share Index 23,686.67 points Market Capitalization 8,202,992,197,106.91

BC

NASD WEEKLY MARKET SUMMARY-WEEK 3 Equity Report The Unlisted Security Index (USI) and the Market Capitalisation appreciated by 0.40% to close the week. The USI closed at 666.09 points as against the previous close of 665.83 points. The Market Capitalisation closed at ₦394.90 billion as against the previous close of ₦394.77 billion. The USI is calculated using the total Market Capitalisation approach.

Volume traded rose by 215.13% from 3.47 million units to 10.93 million units while the total value of shares traded also rose by 235.61% from ₦33.52 million to ₦112.51 million in 55 deals. Three (3) securities (CSCS, WAMCO and NDEP) were traded out of the 24 securities admitted to trade on the NASD OTC market.

22-Jan-16

1200.00

NASD Unlisted Securities Index

1000.00

800.00

600.00

400.00

200.00

21-01

14-01

07-01

31-12

24-12

17-12

10-12

03-12

26-11

19-11

12-11

05-11

29-10

22-10

15-10

08-10

01-10

24-09

17-09

10-09

03-09

27-08

20-08

13-08

06-08

30-07

23-07

16-07

09-07

02-07

25-06

18-06

11-06

04-06

28-05

21-05

14-05

07-05

30-04

23-04

16-04

09-04

02-04

0.00

Base date: April 1, 2015 = 1000

NASD MARKET STATISTICS WEEK 3 Unlisted Securities Index (USI-Pure Price)

TOTAL VALUE TRADED (₦)

WEEK 2 Change

666.09

% Change

USI

%change

0.26

h

0.04

15-Jan-16

665.83

394.77

0.13

h

0.03

18-Jan-16

665.83

0.00%

10,933,520

3,469,568

7,463,952.00

h

215.13

19-Jan-16

666.51

0.10%

112,511,615.69

33,524,367.60

78,987,248.09

h

235.61

20-Jan-16

666.51

0.00%

7.00

h

14.58

21-Jan-16

669.46

0.44%

(25.00)

22-Jan-16

666.09

-0.50%

NUMBER OF DEALS

55

48

3

4

21

20

NUMBER OF TRADED STOCKS NUMBER OF UNTRADED STOCKS

665.83

DATE

394.90

MARKET CAPITALIZATION (₦ 'BILLION) TOTAL VOLUME TRADED

UNLISTED SECURITIES INDEX

(1.00) i

OUTSTANDING OFFERS & BIDS GAINER(S) SECURITY CODE

CLOSE PRICE ( ₦ )

Central Securities Clearing System Plc

SYMBOL

P CLOSE ( ₦ )

5.60

CHANGE

5.57

%CHANGE 0.03 h

TOP 5 TRADED SECURITIES BY VOLUME SECURITY

TRADES

0.54

VALUE ( ₦ )

LAST BID PRICE (₦)

VOLUME OFFERED

LAST OFFER PRICE (₦)

SDACORN

416,800

0.35

SDAFRILAND

245,000

2.60

SDARMPROP

542,080

2.16

SDCAPDBETO

12,974

68.00

90,000

6.60

10,000

139.33

SDCSCSPLC

VOLUME

VOLUME BIDDED

SDDUFIL

200,000

5.55

1,000,000

9.00

10,000

117.55

CENTRAL SECURITIES CLEARING SYSTEM PLC

41

10,561,267.00

61,026,900.69

SDFCWAMCO

FRIESLAND CAMPINA WAMCO NIGERIA PLC

11

311,253.00

44,456,515.00

SDFOODCPT

999,000

0.75

3

61,000.00

7,028,200.00

SDGEFLUID

997,000

0.47

NIGER DELTA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION PLC

SDIGIPLC SDNDEP

20,369,500

0.12

50,000

127.30

SDPARTNER

1,070,300

0.72

SDRSOURCE

933,200

0.48

Disclaimer SDTRUSTMB This document is provided for information purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or otherwise deal in any security mentioned herein.

Kindly consult your NASD registered Participating Institution before making any decision on the OTC Market.

242,840

0.69

A16 32

Business Courage

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

2016 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S

Adejuwon Osunnuyi

M

ercedes-AMG’s C 63 S super-sedan arrived at ABDC 2016 with the weight of high expectations on its pumped-up shoulders. But the combination of too-firm suspension and light-switch power delivery dealt it a blow in judging which no amount of horsepower was unable to redress. This might be a super fast and furious mid-size mus-

cle car, but that doesn’t mean it ticks all the driver’s car boxes…

In its review, motoring.com says the 2016 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is brutally powerful and wickedly quick, as it is more sledge-hammer than scalpel.

A throttle pedal that felt full of notches and a power delivery that was more light-switch than rheostat, combined with overly firm circuit-orientated suspension to make the AMG intimidating and at times al-

most unpredictable on Tasmania’s challenging road surfaces.

On the track, the Benz was supercar-fast but kept even us racers absolutely on our toes.

Wheel spin is only ever a flex of the foot away.

On the road the brittle suspension response, lack of compliance and power-down grip, and sharp but uncommunicative steering, made it challenging to drive quickly with any feeling of surety – even when

the route was well known, well surfaced and dry.

The 375kW/700Nm twinturbo 4.0-litre V8 is one of the world’s best engines and dominates the C 63 S. Indeed, the heart of the car is almost the whole story – and it shouldn’t be. To be a great driver’s car there needs to be connection and communication, and the C 63 S doesn’t deliver this.

Priced from $154,510, only the Porsche and Jaguar are

more expensive in this company. There’s plenty of kit for the money and from an appearance standpoint all but one or two of the testers gave the interior and exterior design and appearance thumbs up.

But this C 63 S didn’t exhibit the vault-like build quality most of us expect from Mercedes and Affalterbach. In fact, the opposite — eight of the 13 testers made notes about rattles, squeaks and groan in the C 63 S cabin. BC

Nissan to take over Mitsubishi

J

ust weeks after the Mitsubishi fuel economy scandal was exposed by its engineers, Nissan has thrown a $3 billion lifeline to the smaller embattled Japanese car-maker.

With the new deal, Nissan Motor Co (NMC) will control Mitsubishi Motors Corp (MMC) under a “far-reaching strategic alliance” to include purchasing, common vehicle platforms, technology-sharing, joint manufacturing and growth markets, said the two companies today.

The CEOs of both companies reportedly met with their respective boards to sign the “basic agreement” in Tokyo over the weekend.

The alliance agreement, to be formalised by May 25, will see Nissan become Mitsubishi Motors’ largest shareholder by taking a controlling 34 per cent equity stake for 237 billion yen.

Under the terms of the transaction, Japan’s second-largest car-maker will purchase 506.6 million newly-issued MMC shares for 468.52 yen per share — the volume weighted average price between April 21 and May 11.

That covers the three weeks since the public outing of Mitsubishi’s systematic fuel con-

sumption cheating — which dates back 25 years to 1991 — during which time MMC’s stock price has plummeted 43 per cent.

The deal is subject to Japanese regulatory approvals and agreement by MMC shareholders within the Mitsubishi Group who currently have the largest stake holding in the company.

They include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corp and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, which together own 34 per cent of MMC and bailed out the company previously in 2004.

“MMC and Nissan expect Mit-

subishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ to maintain a significant collective ownership stake in Mitsubishi Motors, and to support the strategic alliance,” said the companies.

Expected to close by the end of the year, the deal would give Nissan a bigger stake in Mitsubishi than its 15 per cent holding in Renault, its alliance partner for 17 years. In turn, Renault holds a 43.4 per cent stake in Nissan.

“On closing, MMC will propose Nissan nominees as board directors in proportion to Nis-

san’s voting rights, including a Nissan nominee to become Chairman of the Board,” said the joint statement.

While Nissan also has stakes in or signed partnerships with Daimler and AvtoVaz, Mitsubishi has supplied Nissan with mini ‘kei’ cars in Japan for the past five years.

It was this partnership that led to the exposure of Mitsubishi’s falsifying of vehicle fuel consumption tests, which so far embroils 13 Japanese domestic models including the RVR (sold as the ASX in Australia).

According to Automotive News, the cheating came to light after Nissan discovered irregularities in fuel economy figures when engineers from both companies sat down to develop the next-generation of the minicars.

Mitsubishi and Nissan minicar sales, which comprise 40 per cent of the Japanese market, have been halted until Mitsubishi determines compensation.

It’s not yet clear whether Mitsubishi vehicles outside Japan are affected by the rigged emissions testing procedures, however, some analysts say the bill to fix and compensation kei-car owners alone will run into billions.

While both companies will now be liable for those costs, both stand to gain from the partnership, even if both brands are known more in Australia for their SUV and LCV models.

Apart from “target shared cost savings” from joint vehicle technologies and manufacturing, Nissan will contribute corporate governance and management expertise to help Mitsubishi restore public trust in its brand.

Along with a big cash injection, Mitsubishi could also gain a raft of desperately needed products, especially in the US and Australia, where there’s no sign of a replacement for the Lancer — the oldest model in the nation’s largest segment.

While Nissan stands to gain by supplying vehicles to Mitsubishi and accessing its more successful sales network in southeast Asia, the two companies could also reduce costs and improve economies of scale by working together on pickups, electric cars and autonomous vehicles.

“This is a breakthrough transaction and a win-win for both Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors,” said Nissan chief executive and president Carlos BC Ghosn.

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

33

Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

‘’I think we did our best to maintain the tradition of discipline, the tradition of diligence at the Supreme Court’’-

- Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria

xx

S’Court Bench not for judges with civil service mentality —Sowemimo 34

Speaker of the House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara

AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN)

Why five Adelabu supporters were convicted 37

13,000 suspects flee after jumping bail 38

Death penalty may not deter kidnapping —Yusuf Ali, other SANs Some members of the National Assembly have recently proposed a bill seeking to prescribe death penalty for kidnappers in the country just as lawyers argued that the recipe for kidnapping is beyond the law writes WALE IGBINTADE.

T

he issue of capital punishment in Nigeria has generated lots of controversies.

This method of punishment which includes hanging, shooting and stoning is imposed on those found guilty of committing crimes ranging from murder, terrorism-related offenses, rape, robbery, kidnapping, treason, and mutiny.

Just recently the Senate resolved to add to the list by enacting a bill that would make provisions for death penalty as the punishment for anyone caught in the act of kidnapping.

The resolution followed the adoption of a report by the Joint Committee on Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence presented by its Chairman, Senator Abu Ibrahim.

The Senate had on November 19, 2015, asked the committee to engage the Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase, and

The soluTion To kidnapping is more Than jusT The law. There are socio- economic issues ThaT musT be addressed. From experience, armed robbery has been aTTracTing deaTh penalTy From The ‘70s, yeT we sTill have armed robbers.

Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Mamman Daura, on recurrent cases of kidnapping and hostage taking, and recommend its findings to the chamber.

In his contribution, Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, noted that kidnapping became popular after former Anambra State Governor and incumbent Minister of Labour and Employ-

ment, Dr. Chris Ngige, was kidnapped in 2002.

Speaking on the bill, Yusuf Ali SAN said ‘’ the solution to kidnapping is more than just the law.

There are socio- economic issues that must be addressed. From experience, armed robbery has been attracting death penalty from the 70s, yet we still have armed robbers. So, we need to address our socio- economic problems, such as

unemployment, inequity, the gap between the rich and the poor these are serious issues we must address.

In his opinion, Chief Yemi Okulaja SAN, said ‘’in America they still kill and in China they still kill. All our laws are taken from the Holy Books, you can always trace the origin of all the laws we have from the Bible. So, CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

34

Law & Justice

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

S’Court Bench not for judges with

Seyi Sowemimo, is an urbane lawyer with 38 years’ post-call experience and he is also the Secretary, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria. In this interview with WALE IGBINTADE, he speaks on the proposed appointment of senior lawyers to the Supreme Court, the forthcoming NBA election and a number of other issues. Excerpts:

A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Muhammadu Lawal Uwais recently justified why senior advocates should not be appointed straight to the apex court. What is your take on this?

Well, I find that reasoning quite strange that anyone will say that a person who has attained the rank of a senior advocate lacks requisite qualifications to be on the Bench. I really don’t appreciate that way of thinking.

It is a known fact that in England the crème of the high court judges are appointed from the ranks of Queen’s Counsel and King’s Counsel in the earlier days. So, I don’t see how someone will now say there are some integrity issues. You even find that those appointed into the Bench, who have gone through the civil service have so much allegations of corruption against them from the lowest to the highest court.

So, what sort of integrity issues are we talking about? Even at the level of Supreme Court some people have made allegations against them. I don’t see how coming through a civil service structure can be a guarantee for judges not being opened to favours, I don’t see the correlation. I think until we begin to appoint people from outside government structure, we will continue to have the problem we are having with our judiciary. We will continue to operate our judiciary like the civil service. We need to do things differently; I don’t recall that Justice Augustine Nnamani went through some civil service structure before he became Justice of the Supreme Court.

Appointing people from the practising Bar has worked in other jurisdictions. So, I don’t see why it should be different here.

We have a President who also seems to be dissatisfied with the state of our judiciary and who people think may take dramatic steps by introduction of some senior practitioners from the bar. If we have been doing something over the years and we have become dissatisfied with it why not try a different situation? They have tried it in Canada and they have done it in the United States of America.

They bring somebody from outside the rank of justices and made him the Chief Justice and take him away from the internal politics of the Supreme Court whereby once a person becomes Chief Justice of the Federation all other justices then to toe to his seniority and are not independent as they ought to be.

Nigerian is just a country whereby you have people who believe so much in doing things in line with civil service procedure.

Why should people on the Supreme Court Bench be frightened about people coming

Sowemimo

I thInk untIl we begIn to appoInt people from outsIde government structure, we wIll contInue to have the problem we are havIng wIth our judIcIary. from the outside? Your greatest asset lies in your intellect.

Many of these judges have queued up on the Bench over the years, will it be fair for a senior advocate who from private practice to be appointed as the CJN ahead of them?

Many of these people went to the Bench because they didn’t have much of a choice.

How many lawyers today having thriving practice will accept Bench appointment? It was in early 60s that it used to happen. But, most of the people you have today got unto the Bench because they don’t have much in terms of practice. Some, because they have applied for silk for years and were not given, they see the Bench as a viable alternative.

This is not somebody’s inheritance where you say you have queued for many years; it is totally a disingenuous argument. Is that how we want to populate our Supreme Court? We want our Supreme Court to be populated by a lot of diversity and lots of robust intellectualism not people who have civil service mentality.

Many have been in the Supreme Court without getting to the position of the CJN, it is political in nature. There is nothing that says the occupant must be appointed by seniority. You could even pick the lowest justice and make him the Chief Justice. We cannot have a situation where people have positioned themselves on ethic grounds for that position.

It takes time before one could master the art of writing judgements. So, how will a senior advocate cope at the Supreme Court level?

There is nothing to writing judgement, no exceptional skill that is required. If you are a senior advocate, it then means you have been able to know the pros and cons of arguments presented by both sides. So, by your training you will know how to balance the evidence. In fact, it’s having practical knowledge in practice that aids your ability on the Bench.

Judges that come from the practicing Bar are far better than those that come from the civil service structure. So, I don’t think there is anything in writing judgement that is so

unique. Until, Elias became the Chief Justice of Nigeria, he was not a judge, would you then say that he was not in a position to write good judgements? .

The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) recently warned the Federal Government and its agencies to ensure that its anti-corruption battle is fought within the ambit of the rule of law devoid of abuses of the fundamental rights of Nigerians. How will you react to this ?

I don’t think that comment is fair, people saying that seems to have misunderstood the statement we issued. The important thrust of our statement is that, we’re wholly supportive of the government in its anti-corruption crusade but we want them to observe due process. That is the only reasonable position for any lawyer to take. There is a risk that if they don’t do that, they will undermine the credibility of the process itself. I don’t think there is anything in our statement that shows we are trying to protect some people. Even in that statement, we made it clear that we are not going to support any member of the body that runs afoul of the law. We do not intend to shield anybody, nothing in our statement suggest that the government anti-corruption fight is not appreciated.

There is no doubt that some of your colleagues are on the Bench, but is it wrong for you to assist them financially when necessary?

Personally, I don’t interact with any of my colleagues who are on the Bench. I don’t recall any social interaction with them. Of course,

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, May 16, 2016

civil service mentality —Sowemimo

if we meet at any function we probably greet but to go to their chambers or their homes to visit them, I can’t even recall in the past 20 years that I have done so. Speaking for myself that has not been my experience. Even, I have colleagues who are at the Supreme Court; I don’t even remember their names. People tell me some of our colleagues at the law school are now Justices of the Supreme Court. Until they tell me, I don’t even remember, so, the question of following up does not even arise.

But, in any event it is even wrong to foster any close interaction with any judge because there is bound to be that integrity issue. Even if there is a judge that you want to assist, you must make sure that it’s not a judge you have a case before. If I had a blood brother who was on the Bench, I will say of necessity, we will interact and have close family relations, but if it’s a judge that we are not related any of such of assistance could be misinterpreted.

What I will say is that one should avoid it except there was a way of making disclosure of facts. Honestly, I can’t really explain how a lawyer assisting a judicial officer will not be misinterpreted, especially if that lawyer has cases before the judge. So, it is better not to engage in that kind of interaction.

How do you see the decision of the National Judicial Council to compulsorily retire Justices Idris Evuti Oluyinka Gbajabiamila for misconduct?

I believe that if any judge has been found guilty of misconduct, especially one which bothers on corruption then such judge should be sanctioned and when necessary be prosecuted for it. But, where there is no indication of corruption but as a result of failure to act diligently such as lateness in delivering of judgement, in such a case giving a warning might be sufficient. What makes the case of Justice Gbajabiamila troubling is that they said the judgement has been outstanding for about 22 months. Again, that he issued approval for execution when there was a motion for stay of execution in his file.

Certainly, his actions in those regards are questionable. You can’t blame the NJC for sanctioning him. But personally, my own knowledge of him, and what people say about him is that he is not ordinarily a corrupt judge. He seems to have reputation for being quite honest but the default in writing judgement for so long certainly brought about the

sort of sanction he has obtained. However, I think it’s worth reviewing what he has done, if there is no element of corruption involved.

They should look at his past records. Judges are supposed to submit periodical returns to indicate how they are discharging their duties. If a judge has a record of not being able to live up to the requirement and he is always in default in delivering judgements, I think, there should have been warnings given to that judge and if persisted the removal will be justified.

In the case of that Justice Evuti, I do not know him enough, but if there is evidence of age falsification against a judge, that sort of thing is unpardonable. He should be out of the place and be prosecuted.

Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN has described the verdict of Supreme Court judgement on Rivers State election petition as shocking. Do you share his view?.

It is because people feel the introduction of Card Readers’ ought to have played a role in the outcome of that decision. For the apex court to now ignore the contributions of these recording machines and say you rely on the manual process is what has bewildered a lot of people. From what I read in the newspapers on Rivers State election, even a lot of International observers have cause to attest to the fact that the election was marred by violence and malpractices. Again, giving the decision of the Appeal Court, one would have expected that the Supreme Court would uphold the decision of the Appeal Court, but it didn’t happen. But, the criticism of Sagay is quite in order. The decision of the Supreme Court was quite shocking to several people but the Supreme Court is the final authority and they are entitled by the basis of the facts before them to reach the decision they made.

But also people are entitled to make fair comments on the matter.

A lawyer has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to declare sections 221 and 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act illegal. Do you agree?

Well, I am wholly in support of those provisions because the issue of stay of proceedings in criminal trials has been the cause of delays. We have criminal trials being on for years on interlocutory objections only for the matter to be sent back after several years. I think these provisions are in order;

35

Sowemimo

If any judge has been found guIlty of mIsconduct, especIally one whIch bothers on corruptIon then such judge should be sanctIoned and when necessary be prosecuted for It. we all need to adjust and try to conduct cases in the framework of that law. It is intended to remove that abuse of delay and if that is the case we should applaud these reforms.

What about the constitutional right of appeal enshrined in the constitution?

It doesn’t mean you cannot appeal, all we are saying is that interlocutory appeals will be taken along with the outcome of the final judgement. They are not saying you cannot appeal but that while you are appealing that should not stop trial from going on. Otherwise, we will have a situation whereby if that appeal lasts for two, or three years, the trial at the high court will stop. By the time you come back from the Appeal Court you will find that the witnesses are no longer there or you have succeeded in affecting the morale of the prosecution or the witnesses.

If you look at the dockets of the court these days, many judges handle more than 20 cases daily. How can this be reduced?

I think the solution to that is to appoint more judges and seasoned advocates. When you appoint judges from the practising Bar they are likely to be quite seasoned and able to deal with cases with greater dispatch than appointing people who do not have the experience in litigation work. So, the solution is appointing more judges, and more of them from the practising Bar. We should also encourage our judges to work more diligently, sit on time and work till late and sit regularly. Then, I don’t see why we should not be able to cope with the volume of cases filed in courts.

Are you comfortable with the remunera-

tion of judges?

Well, what judges are earning now is a great improvement over what used to be the position in those days particularly in Lagos State. Even in those days we have highly committed and dedicated judges who were passionate about their work and who did not go to the Bench because of money but for sense of fulfillment and duty. I am for improvement in the salaries of judges but I don’t think the problem only lies with the salaries of judges. There should be some reciprocity on the part of judges. They should be more committed to their work.

What are your expectations in the forthcoming NBA election?

I am happy about the fact that it is not going to be delegates’ affairs but universal suffrage. In terms of democratic principle, I think that should be applauded. So, I am looking forward to a keen election and the election will be on merit and not arranged.

We all know that whoever is coming in is by popular vote and not by selection or a stagemanaged outcome. It is a good thing.

Two leading aspirants for the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief J. K. Gadzama (SAN) and Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) have made their intentions known on how to move the Bar forward. Which of the two do you think is most qualified?

I think they both qualify for the position of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association. They are both senior advocates and well respected. I think any of them will make a very good President .

36

Law & Justice

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘FG should address socio-economic issues, create jobs’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 if you kill you should be able to pay the penalty. You have deprived a man of his life, so why should your life be saved? But, over time, we have had human rights activists and they have been the ones coming out with all these modifications. In America, it is a State by State basis, if you go to a State like Texas, once you commit a crime and you are sentenced and on the death roll, you will eventually be killed. I believe death penalty should be allowed to stay because this punishment is to serve as a deterrent so that when you know that you stand the risk of losing your life you will sit-up. Especially in our country where impunity has been institutionalised, I believe death penalty should still be part of our law. Justice is not a one- way traffic. If a man kills and human rights activists are saying he should not be killed. We should look at justice to the victims too.

Mr. Norrison Quakers, SAN said ‘’my take on this is that we should go beyond just kidnapping and include official corruption and criminal breach of trust incorporating politically exposed persons, who loot and plunder our common wealth and inheritance by virtue of their political off.

The irony of our situation is that some of the legislators are former chief executive officers of states. Can these persons enact a law that will prejudice their interest?

Ponder on this.

In his view the Chairman, League of Human Rights Lawyers (LHRL), Jiti Ogunye, said ‘’have capital punishment stopped armed robbery? It has not. It is wrong to assume that severity of punishment including the ultimate penalty, will act as deterrent to commission of crimes. It has no historical foundation, it has no jurispru-

former NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN)

Chief Mike Ozekhome ,SAN

The Toughening of law againsT kidnapping alone will noT dissuade prospecTive kidnappers from

kidnapping. if you wanT To check kidnapping you need To check The

raTe of unemploymenT, and equip The law enforcemenT agencies.

dential foundation, it has no foundation in real life. So, in our jurisdiction, since the end of the Civil war and the promulgation of the Robbery and Firearms Decree and the establishment of the Robbery and Fire-

Bar

Jokes

Lawyer’s son

The lawyer’s son wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, so he went to law school and graduated with honours.

Then he went home to join his father’s firm.

At the end of his first day at work, he rushed into his father’s office and said, “Father, father! In one day I broke the Smith case that you’ve been working on for so long!”

His father yelled, “You idiot! We’ve been living on the funding of that case for 10 years!”

Too young to die

A lawyer dies and goes to Heaven. “There must be a mistake,” the lawyer argues. “I’m too young to die. I’m only 55.”

“Fifty-five?” says Saint Peter. “No, according to out calculations, you’re 82.” “How’d you get that?” the lawyer asks.

Answers St. Peter, “We added up your time sheets.”

Fair Trial

A judge enters the courtroom, strikes the gavel and says, “Before I begin this trial, I have an announcement to make. The lawyer for the defence has paid me $15,000 to swing the case his way. The lawyer for the plaintiff has paid me $10,000 to swing the case her way. In order to make this a fair trial, I am returning $5,000 to the defence.”

My daddy is a lawyer

While two families were waiting in line to see the Wash-

arm have not stopped armed robbery. ‘’Tribunal throughout the entire military period before that tribunal were abolished went civil rule returned to Nigeria and the execution of armed robbers at bar

ington Monument, their two five-year-old boys were getting acquainted.

“My name is Joshua. What’s yours?” asked the first boy.

“Adam,” replied the second.

“My daddy is a doctor. What does your daddy do for a living?” asked Joshua.

Adam proudly replied, “My daddy is a lawyer.”

“Honest?” asked Joshua.

“No, just the regular kind,” replied Adam

Injustice in Hell

A man died and was taken to his place of eternal torment by the devil.

As he passed sulphurous pits and shrieking sinners, he saw a man he recognized as a lawyer snuggling up to a beautiful woman.

‘That’s unfair!’ he cried. ‘I have to roast for all eternity, and that lawyer gets to spend it with a beautiful woman.’

‘Shut up,’ barked the devil, jabbing the man with his pitchfork.

‘Who are you to question that woman’s punishment?’

Robbed Lawyers

Two lawyers are in a bank, when, suddenly, armed robbers burst in. While several of the robbers take the money from the tellers, others line the customers, including the lawyers, up against a wall, and proceed to take their wallets, watches, etc. While this is going on lawyer number one jams something in lawyer number two’s hand.

Without looking down, lawyer number two whispers, “What is this?” to which lawyer number one replies, “It’s that $50 I owe you.”

Alimony

“Mr. Johns, I have reviewed this case very carefully,” the divorce court judge said, “and I’ve decided to give your wife $275 a week.”

“That’s very fair, your honour,” the husband said. “And every now and then I’ll try to send her a few bucks myself.”

Culled from Active Jokes, C.C Jokes.com and Lawyers’ Jokes.

beach in various places all over the country, armed robbery has not stopped. The toughening of law against kidnapping alone will not dissuade prospective kidnappers from kidnapping. Those who commit crime believe that they can escape. So, curtailing crimes is not just a crime and punishment issue it is more important the law and order issue and a socio- economic justice issue. If you want to check kidnapping you need to check the rate of unemployment, and equip the law enforcement agencies.

In his view, Mr. Wale Adesokan said ‘’my own view is that, it not the severity of the penalty to an offence that curbs the offence but the mere certainty of been caught. So, it is more important for us to look at our criminal justice system, equip our law enforcement agencies with equipment and right orientation. So that when someone commits an offence he knows that the possibility of been caught is very high.

When the Criminal Justice procedure is set in motion, it is possible to quickly conclude criminal matters. He delay in concluding criminal matters is a major clog in the discouragement of criminal activities.

If it is such that will reform our criminal justice and ensure that criminal matters are concluded between nine months and one year, things will improve drastically. ‘’So it is a combination of improving the law enforcement capacity so those criminals are caught when they commit criminal acts and also when they are taken to court, the law are reformed such that can be concluded within one year. Those are the two things that will curb any criminal activity including kidnapping and not the severity of the punishment. No matter the severity of the punishment if people think they can get away with it they will continue’’.

LEGAL TIPS Legal Effects of Memorandum and Articles of Association Memorandum and Articles of Association are public documents. They are inter-linked and require to be registered for the formation of a company. The memorandum and articles, when registered, bind a company and the members there of to the same extent as if they had been signed by the company and each member. * Members to the company: The memorandum and the articles constitute a binding contract between the members and the company the effect of this is that each member is bound to the company as if each member has actually signed the memorandum and the articles. * Company to the members:

Bar

A company is bound to the individual members in terms of their ordinary rights as members, only accordance with the provisions in the memorandum and the articles. A member can obtain an injunction restraining the company from doing an ultra vires act. * Members inter se: As between the members inter se the memorandum and the articles constitute a contract between them and are also binding on each member as against the other or others. Such a contact can, however, be enforced through the medium of the company.

Written by Francis Famoroti, Head, Judiciary. We welcome feedback and reactions from readers via our e-mail: nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

Jokes

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, May 16, 2016

37

Why five Adelabu supporters were convicted FAMOUS CASES

A

lhaji Adegoke Adelabu was a politician and frontline member of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (N.C.N.C) in the country in the first republic.

Reputed for his masterly command of English language, he was known to have imported into the nation’s political lexicon the expression ‘’Peculiar mess’’, which some people, especially the illiterates often called ‘’Penkelemesi’’.

Unfortunately, Adelabu, the charismatic politician, was killed in a motor accident on March 28, 1958.

Some of his supporters in Ibadan and its environs believed that he was killed by their political opponents. They therefore decided to avenge his death on members of the AG led

by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

According to the evidence adduced in the Ibadan High Court in the old Western region and accepted by the trial judge, ‘’on March 28, 1958 between 10.00 and 11 a.m, a group of N.CN.C members, numbering about 60, approached Arulogun village in Ibadan shouting their party slogans.’’

They were said to have been armed with guns, cutlasses, axes and cudgels. They went into the market and attacked two men, Salawu Aboderin and one Napoléon. The latter subsequently died of the injuries he received at the hands of the crowd.

Aboderin ran into his house and locked himself up in a room. The crowd chased him there and set fire to his house. When he could not bear the suffocation caused by the smoke from the fire, he jumped down from the ceiling and ran. The crowd caught hold of him, beat and cut him with cutlasses and cudgels and only left him when they thought that he was dead. He did not however die, but later recovered from his injuries.

After they left Aboderin’s house, they went to Oshuntoki’s house which was nearby and attacked him. His left hand was completely severed from his body and as he ran they chased him and inflicted more wounds on him with cutlasses. Oshuntoki ran into the house of one Alfa, where he fell down and died.

Ten members of the N.C.N.C were subsequently charged with Oshuntoki’s murder. At the conclusion of the trial, four of them were acquitted and dischargedwhile six others were found guilty of the offence.

The court eventually held that it was not in dispute that a crowd of N.CN.C members attacked and killed the deceased.

In finding them guilty, the judge relied on Section 8 of the Criminal Code to the effect that ‘’where two or more persons form a common intention to prosecute an unlawful purpose in conjunction with one another, and in the prosecution of such purpose an offence is committed of such a nature that its commission was a probable consequence of the prosecution of such purpose, each of them is deemed to have committed the offence.’’

Shortly after the demise of late First Republic politician, Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu fiftyeight years ago in Ibadan, the Old Western Region, some of his followers decided to avenge his death by killing a member of the defunct Action Group (AG), Gbadamosi Oshuntoki. Five members of the N.C. N.C were subsequently tried and found guilty of the murder. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary writes.

The late Adelabu

The late Chief Awolowo, defunct AG leader

Reputed foR his masteRly command of english language, adelabu was known to have impoRted into the nation’s political lexicon the expRession ‘’peculiaR mess’’, which some people, especially the illiteRates often called “penkelemesi’’ Those found guilty are, Jimo Amoo, Bakare Adeyanju, Amusa Aremu, Karimu Alao, Bandele Ajagbe and Faleti Disu.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, the men lodged an appeal against their convictions at the Federal Supreme Court.

The panel of jurists who sat on the appeal included, Justices Abbott, Brett, and Mbanefo.

Delivering judgement, the Federal Supreme Court said it could not be disputed that there was evidence from which the inference could be drawn that those who constituted the crowd that invaded Arulogun village on March 28, 1958, had a common purpose.

Part of the judgement reads, ‘’They were members of the same party and their motive was to avenge the death of their leader.

They were armed with lethal weapons and attacked and wounded or killed their opponents at sight. ‘’According to the 6th prosecution witness, Layiwola Ajagbe, when the crowd arrived at the village they said ‘’Kill everybody in the village’’. The 5th prosecution witness, Adebanjo Orekoya, who was himself attacked and wounded, said that as he ran he heard some members of the crowd shout ‘’ Papa Ijebu is not dead-bring his head’’. ‘’ The defence has not suggested any other reason for the behaviour of the crowd.

Indeed, appellants’ counsel in the court below opened his final address by saying that the illiterate members of the N.C.N.C wrongly believed that Adelabu, a leader of N.C.N.C, was murdered by his political opponents and after they had conspired to do so and in that belief began to attack their political opponents.’’

The federal Supreme Court said anybody who knew the purpose of such a crowd and joined it could not escape responsibility for its criminal action.

In the words of the court, the crowd in the present case having formed a common design to attack and kill members of the AG, their political opponents, any member who joined it with full knowledge of the common intention was equally guilty of murder of the deceased who was killed in the attack.

It saidthe trial judge did not, therefore, misdirect himself on the law when he held that ‘’anybody who joined in this hostile crowd with that knowledge was as guilty as the actual perpetrator of the crime.’’

The court, however, said from the testimonies before it, and having disregarded the evidence of the first prosecution witness, there was no other evidence to connect the sixth appellant, (Faleti Disu) with the crowd that killed the deceased. ‘’He was not mentioned by any of the other witnesses.’’ It added.

According to the federal supreme court,

‘’there is, however, overwhelming evidence that the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th appellants were not only amongst the crowd, but were also armed. Each of them was identified by at least two witnesses as being amongst the crowd that descended on the village and attacked and killed the deceased. ‘’ It noted that at the hearing of the appeal, the appellants’’ counsel, Mr. M. Agbaje, referred to two crowds and that being so, the members of one crowd could not be held responsible for what the other crowd did.

The federal supreme court said on a careful examination of the evidence, it was clear that the appellants were identified as being amongst the crowd that attacked the village at the time and place in question and that some members of that crowd in fact killed the deceased.

The federal justices said ‘’The crowds if in fact they were two, were composed of members of N.C.N.C, their purpose was the sameto attack their opponents- and they were operating in the same village at the same time.’’

The jurists said on that evidence, the court could be justified in presuming that it was one crowd that split into two.

The Supreme Court said ‘’be that as it may, it is clear from the evidence that the appellants were in the same crowd.’’ ‘‘This is borne out in the evidence of the 2nd and 4thappellants as witnesses who identified the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th same crowd; the 5th prosecution witness who saw the 2nd and 5th appellants as being in the same crowd; the 9th prosecution witness who saw the 3rd and 4th appellants in the same crowd and the 10th prosecution witness who identified the 4th and 5th appellants as being in the same crowd.’’

The federal Supreme Court contended that these witnesses were talking of the crowd that killed the deceased.

38

Law & Justice

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13,000 suspects flee after jumping bail

Indian S’Court raps three state govts for failing to declare drought

S

upreme Court of India has ordered fresh directives to Centre regarding the assessment of drought in the nation.

It has also instructed the Union government to take a list of measures at the earliest to tackle the alarming situation in parched regions. The apex court further lashed out at the state governments of Gujarat, Haryana and Bihar for failing to declare drought in the respective regions despite a significant amount of their population reeling under water scarcity.

Court has instructed Centre to revise its manual on dealing with droughts. It ordered the Union government to take matters in their own hands if the states fail to provide aid to their population which is suffering from drought. Farmers’ suicide, stress and migration factors should be taken into account while declaring drought in the state. The assessment of these factors should be undertaken at the earliest, the bench said.

While Gujarat had declared the drought after the apex court took up the matter, Haryana and Bihar are yet to announce the relief measure.

The petition in the case was

NEW DELHI

India Prime Minister, Narendra Modi filed by civil activists’ group Swaraj Abhiyan.

In a five-fold relief demanded by Swaraj Abhiyan, they had urged the judiciary to issue directives which would force states to issue drought in a time-bound banner, waive off loans of farmers whose crops have been spoiled in the droughthit regions, cattle fodder be provided at absolutely subsidized rates, implementation of Food Security Act, along with additional 2 kg of lentils.

The PIL also demanded an effective mid-day meal policy where the children are either provided with a glass of toned milk or an egg in addition to the food which is offered. They sought the midday meal to be facilitated by schools even during the summer vacation.

Man faces trial after killing son in SUV car USA

T

he trial of a Georgian man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot SUV to die will be moved, the judge has said, granting a defence request to hold it elsewhere because pretrial publicity has caused potential jurors to form strong opinions about the case.

Associated Press reports that defence attorneys argued it had become impossible for Justin Ross Harris to get a fair trial in Cobb County.

Harris, 35, faces charges including murder in the June 18, 2014, death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper.

Police have said the boy died after spending about seven hours in the SUV on a day when Atlanta-area temperatures reached at least into the high 80s.

“This courtroom has not

been a place of mild opinions,” Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley said, describing three weeks of questioning of potential jurors.

She noted the “emotionality” of potential juror comments, with one of them saying Harris should rot in hell, another calling him a pervert and one saying he deserves the death penalty, which prosecutors aren’t seeking.

There was no immediate indication where the trial will be moved. Staley said she, the court administrator and attorneys will work together on that decision.

“While we’re certainly disappointed, we understand and respect the court’s ruling,” Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds said in an emailed statement.

T

here are 387 arrest warrants, issued by the courts, outstanding in Hertfordshire – among 13,492 nationally.

Thousands of suspected and convicted criminals who skipped court bail while facing charges including murder, child sex offences and rape are on the run.

Figures obtained by the BBC show more than 13,000 people are subject to outstanding arrest warrants in England, with the oldest dating back to 1980.

Victim Support”s David Padgett said people fear justice would not be done.

According to BBC News, The Home Office said it was

UNITED KINGDOM

British Prime Minister, David Cameron

up to individual police forces to monitor outstanding warrants.

Figures were supplied following Freedom of Information requests to all 39 police forces in England. The BBC asked for details of arrest warrants issued via the courts due to suspects not attending hearings.

There are more than 1,800 outstanding arrest warrants issued from court in the Met Police area.

There are 13,492 known warrants outstanding, although nine forces refused to provide details or did not reply to our request.

Of those forces who did reply, The Metropolitan Po-

lice had the highest number of outstanding warrants with 1,835. Greater Manchester, West Midlands and West Yorkshire police also had more than 1,000 each.

The oldest outstanding warrant came from West Yorkshire Police and is more than 35 years old. It relates to a man accused of violently attacking a police constable in 1980.

The force says it has made a “continuous effort to find the defendant,” including checks at his home address and with credit reference agencies, the Passport Office, NHS, DVLA, benefits agencies and Interpol.

I am tired of STIs, woman tells court

A

Harare woman has approached the Civil Court seeking a protection order, while also pleading with the court to evict her husband from their matrimonial home, saying she was tired of consistently getting treated of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) she contracted from her promiscuous husband.

According to Newsday, Diana Nyamukasa made the application seeking an order against Steward Chitate, whom she accused of having been promiscuous throughout the couple’s nine-year cohabitation period.

The court heard the two

ZIMBABWE

started cohabiting in 2007, but were always having fights over Chitate’s promiscuity.

“Since I started staying with him as my husband he has been infecting me with STIs time and again and I am tired of paying medical bills,” Nyamukasa said.

Nyamukasa informed the court that she recently told Chitate she no longer loved him and should leave her house, but Chitate was forcibly staying without assisting her financially.

“He tells me that he intends to live off me because I am his prostitute,” Nyamu-

Zimbabwean President, Mr. Robert Mugabe kasa said.

In his response, Chitate counter-accused Nyamukasa of bringing STIs into their home.

“I am not the one who infected her with STIs because

I don’t feel any pain on my private parts,” he said.

The court further heard that the couple’s problems began recently when Nyamukasa started sleeping on the floor saying she was performing some spiritual rituals.

“The reason she came to court today is because I confronted her on why she no longer wanted to share the bed with me saying she had been told to do so at church,” Chitate said.

The presiding magistrate, Barbara Mateko, granted the protection order in Nyamukasa’s favour and advised her to seek legal advice on how to evict Chitate.

Ministry of Defence faces legal claims over malaria drug

A

group of military personnel are seeking damages from the British Ministry of Defence over an anti-malarial drug they say has caused mental health problems.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell says it has formally notified the MoD of several claims after being contacted by about 30 serving and former members of the armed forces about its use of Lariam.

BBC News says side effects of the drug can include anxiety, depression and nightmares.

The MoD has said it is only prescribed after an individual risk assessment.

Mitchell said its case comes after MPs on the Defence Select Committee were made aware of claims the drug may have been used “outside of manufacturers” guidelines”.

UNITED KINGDOM

It said it was representing male and female clients who had served with the Army and other branches of the armed forces.

Kevin Timms, from the law firm, said: “Through our work we have seen first-hand the devastating effects that Lariam has had on the lives of service personnel and their families.

“We are now investigating the legal case on their behalf and in some cases have already formally notified the MoD of the intention to bring legal action.”

Lariam is the brand name for mefloquine, a once-a-week anti-malarial tablet licensed for sale in 42 countries worldwide.

It is among a number of different anti-malarial drugs used by the Minis-

try of Defence, and as of September last year made up 1.2% of its military”s anti-malarial stocks.

Lariam”s manufacturer Roche advises patients and healthcare professionals to follow the advice it provides.

Among those represented

by Irwin Mitchell is former Drum Major Sergeant Daniel Swain, 36, from Ely in Cambridgeshire.

He says he suffered from anger issues after taking Lariam in Iraq in 2006, and had an “outof-body experience” when he took the drug four years later while training troops in Afghanistan.

Another former soldier, Ade Jerry, 33, from Berkshire, who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, says he felt low and developed symptoms of depression after taking Lariam in 2008 in Afghanistan.

Although he thought this

was down to being away from friends and family, the symptoms persisted when he took the drug when he was deployed again in 2011.

Timms said: “He has told us that he was given no information prior to taking Lariam and neither did he undergo any mental or physical health assessment.

“On both occasions in which he was prescribed Lariam, he was handed the drug while on parade and told that it was an anti-malaria tablet… but was given no information about the risks associated with the drugs.”

In response to a written question from the Defence Select Committee, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in September last year that the MoD complies with national guidelines on malaria prevention, issued by Public Health England.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, May 16, 2016 2016

39

Legal Issues in Regulating E-Commerce Sub-sector Regulation of the e-commeRce

Ayokunle Akinpelu

T

he advancement of internet technology in the twenty-first century has transformed the world from a global village to a global spot. Internet technology has changed mode of communication, transformed traditional modes of business transactions and radically reshaped the commerce of nations around the global. This immense transformation has brought the world to a spot; nevertheless, it has raised new challenges of regulations and legislation. Particularly interesting is the integration between technology, commerce and law.

Prescription of law is essential for the guidance of the society; this can be achieved by either promulgating laws to curb conducts or promulgating laws for social engineering. Laws promulgated to curb conducts, lay emphasis on sanctions and penalties; while laws promulgated for social engineering, lay emphasis on building of institutions with little emphasis on restrictions. Unfortunately, while law lives in the relics of time, commerce is severely affected by technological turbulence. The technological turbulence on the e-commerce subsector places immense pressure on law to respond by either curbing conducts or engineering societal changes.

Nigeria has certainly benefitted from this new global order of e-commerce transactions and has witnessed exponential development of certain industries through the adaptation of the technology. However, the regulation of the e-commerce subsector has practically been left to the architecture of the internet and the ingenuity of the investors and technopreneurs, without any precise focal law to govern transactions and business behaviours on the internet. The regulation of the e-commerce subsector of the Nigeria’s commerce is fundamental to the national and economic development of the country. Regulation of this subsector ensures that key players are properly guided as to the required ethics; consumers are assured of a regulated service, while government generates the needed revenue to invest in the economy. It is obvious that the regulation of the e-commerce subsector by the traditional laws of the offline community is fundamentally inadequate to deal with issues that are on the rise in the e-commerce subsector. Protection of consumers from

WAle igbintAde

A

group, Human Right Law and Services (HURILAWS) has stressed the need to amend the Electoral Act 2010 and the 1999 Constitution so as to facilitate more transparent and credible future elections in Nigeria.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the group’s Senior Legal Programme Officer, Collins Okeke stated that Section 137 of the Electoral Act needed to be amended not to limit petition to only political parties but to permit individual electorate to also file petitions.

He also advocated for the amendment of Section 285 of the Constitution and Section 134 of the Electoral Act to provide exceptions to the elec-

subsectoR especially as to the pRotection of consumeRs cannot be effectively achieved by placing supeRvisoRy duties on a council. exploitation and an unregulated electronic banking system; and legal status of companies providing traditional services by technology are issues that must be addressed by a proper regulatory framework.

The principal legal framework for consumer protection in Nigeria is over two decades old, the Nigerian Consumer Protection Council Act, 1992 Cap C25 Laws of the Federation 2004. The thrust of this legal framework is the provision of a council to act as a mediator, negotiator and a conciliator between consumers and service providers. Despite, the merit of the Act, it is undisputedly clear that the Act cannot meet the challenges of e-commerce transactions. Regulation of the e-commerce subsector especially as to the protection of consumers cannot be effectively achieved by placing supervisory duties on a council.

Consumer protection in the e-commerce subsector should place a duty on the service provider to provide services in accordance with the provisions of the law. In Europe, the Electronic Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC and the Consumer Rights’ Directive 2011/83/ EU which are the principal legislations on electronic commerce, places duties on the service provider that specifies the intended level of protection. In providing protection for consumers, the law must make concrete rules to govern commercial communication, formation of online contracts, liabilities of internet intermediaries and distance and/or off- premises contracts.

In providing concrete regulations within these subject matters, emphasis should be upon the service providers to provide their services in line with the requirement of the law. Thus, consumers are better assured of their rights in cases of breach, the Consumer

Protection Council can then act as an arbitrary tribunal for persons who opt for the alternative dispute resolution mechanism and also as law enforcers. In ensuring that the rules are clear, consumers who hitherto have been jittery of the service delivery of the e-commerce providers would be more open to transacting with the e-commerce service providers, as their rights are now easily ascertainable and no more within the wills and caprices of the service providers or the architecture of the internet.

Core of e-commerce transactions are carried out with the involvement of the various financial institutions. By the nature of e-commerce transactions, these financial institutions have taken up roles as intermediaries, who now provide services beyond traditional financial services. These financial institutions should become liable for the losses recorded by a consumer arising from the improper functioning of their technologies.

Contracts drawn up by financial institutions to exempt obligations for the malfunctioning of technological induced losses should be strongly regulated by the law. These financial institutions should be liable not just because they make revenues from such transactions but because they also have the wherewithal to prevent losses to the consumers. Intermediary liability is becoming a universal concept around the globe as technology has created new intermediaries who can help protect consumers through their business models, L’Oréal SA and Others v eBay International AG and Others C-324/09.

In regulating the e-commerce subsector care must be taken to ensure that the emphasis is not only on contracts concluded by the internet but all contracts concluded by the

use of electronic devices. The validity of a contract within the e-commerce subsector must be clearly defined and the conditions must be ascertainable. As a guide, it would be advisable that confirmation of contractual terms be required to be sent to the offeree before the consummation of the contract.

Hence, the basic requirement of offer and acceptance as applicable in offline contractual transaction becomes offer, acceptance and confirmation in e-commerce contracts. The failure of conforming to the requirement of confirmation could be the unenforceability of the contract in the court.

While progress has been achieved in the Evidence Act 2011 Cap E14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 with regards admissibility of electronic generated evidence, this in itself cannot achieve the intended drive for a regulated e-commerce economy. Therefore, the Electronic Commerce (Provision of Legal Recognition) Bill 2011 must be passed into the law. The passage of the bill would give validity and lend stronger credence to e-commerce contracts while also ensuring that contracts are better governed by the instrumentality of the law and not by the architectural form of the internet. It is advisable that before the passage of the “Electronic Commerce (Provision of Legal Recognition) Bill 2011” a position is taken as regard arising liabilities from the hacking of any certificate authority who verifies electronic signatures.

This would ensure adequate protection is provided for the consumers.

Finally, the courts must be adequately equipped and ensure that this budding subsector is adequately protected by proactively applying the inadequate laws of offline contractual transactions. The courts must read the spirit of the law in interpreting the various applicable laws which governs offline transactions but are being transposed into the e-commerce subsector as the law would never be ahead of technology. The court is saddled with the responsibility of bringing the law up to date with e-commerce transactions. The tripods of government must therefore work together with the sole aim of regulating the e-commerce economy in order to achieve economic development and ensure a minimal level of certainty for e-commerce contractual transactions and also the protection of the consumers.

Akinpelu, a Nigerian lawyer writes from Netherlands.

HURILAWS calls for amendment of Electoral Act

tion petition time line.

Okeke stated that while it may be admitted that the 2015 general elections produced better outputs than previous elections in Nigeria, there remain critical issues that needed urgent attention.

He stated that amendment of the Electoral Act will streamline and strictly regulate the process of nomination of candidates during party primaries, including limiting the quantum of nomination fees payable by prospective candidates.

Okeke stated that this will reduce the spate of pre-election disputes/litigations, and curtail the undue monetisation of politics in Nigeria.

He said “the Electoral Act and pos-

sibly the Constitution need to be amended to incorporate and recognize the use of the Card Reader during accreditation of voters, and for Card Reader reports to be recognized as part of admissible evidence in proof of electoral malpractices such as over-voting”.

“Amendment to be effected on the extant laws to merge accreditation and voting process on Election Day. This will expedite the election process and significantly curb the incidence of over-voting and other electoral malpractices”.

He added that “days should not be counted where there is a stay of proceedings, and for days to start counting afresh where there is an

order for de novo hearing of an election petition.” ‘’However, Tribunals may also be empowered to consider and summarily dismiss in Chambers frivolous petitions and petitions on issues already being canvassed in another petition or which should be more appropriately canvassed by a party to the election’’.

“INEC to ensure that Card Readers deployed for are pre-tested, of the highest quality and user friendly. And to train permanent and ad-hoc staff for election day work well ahead of the elections. ‘’Previous judgments of Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court on election matters should be

made available to election Tribunals and Court of Appeal members and Justices to make for consistency in judicial pronouncements on electoral disputes’’.

“Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 134 of the Electoral Act need to be amended to provide exceptions to the election petition timelines, e.g., for days to stop counting where there is a stay of proceedings, and for days to start counting afresh where there is an order for de novo hearing of an election petition. ‘’The Electoral Act, especially section 137, needs to be amended to afford locus standi to the electorates to bring election petitions. “

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror It seems to me the time has come for us to re-examine the legal and constitutional framework for policing in Nigeria.

– SPEAKER HOUSE OF REPS, HON. YAKUBU DOGARA

I spent my money on prostitutes –Suspect Patience ogbo

O

peratives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Lagos State Police Command, at the weekend, arrested two suspected pickpockets operating at Maryland and Mile 12 areas of the state.

The suspects, Taoreed Ashimiyu, 24, and Kayode Jolaade, 34, were arrested after they allegedly removed three phones from commuters in different BRT buses.

One of the suspects, Taoreed, who hails from Yemetu, Alawada in Oyo State, said that he spent the proceeds from stealing on prostitutes.

“I have not spent a dime from my proceeds in stealing on anything tangible. I womanized a lot and I spent my money on both young and old ladies. I smoked indian-hemp and drink all sort of hard drinks”, he said.

Taoreed revealed that before his arrest, he had removed two mobile phones from commuters during a rush at the Maryland

bus-stop, adding that his third attempt led to his arrest.

In his confessional statement to the Police, he explained, “My accomplice caused my arrest today. Before he joined me at Maryland, I had stolen two phones successfully.

But when he came around, we had to be moving in pair. People who had known him in the area were monitoring us, unknown to us.

“I went for another victim from whom I removed money from his pocket. But I never knew

the pupils who saw us together have started monitoring me too.

“The pupils after monitoring our operations for some time started chasing me, I took to my heels but they caught up with me and started beating me. I managed to escape from them and ran to join moving Bus Rapid Transport, he narrated.

He continued that “As I was attempting to board, a guy at the entrance was trying to assist me in getting into the bus. In the process of helping me, I dipped my hand in his pocket and removed his phone, and jumped down but he didn’t know I had equally re-

moved his phone.

“As I jumped down, the pupils continued chasing me. I tried to cross the expressway but unfortunately for me I was knocked down by a truck. People thought I was dead, my unconsciousness on the highway has caused traffic, I opened my eyes to see RRS men, who arrested me”, he added.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said that the two suspects have been charged to court for prosecution.

First lady declares open 2016 biennial national conference Francis suberu

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The victims Adeniyi Olaewe, and Ojo Yekini

Two men raise alarm over threat to their lives Dare akogun

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wo men, Adeniyi Olaewe, 32, and Ojo Yekini, 30, have raised the alarm following an attempt to snuff lives out of them by unknown gunmen.

The duo, who spoke to reporters at the Emergency and Accident Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), at the weekend, narrated how they escaped death by whiskers last week when a group of men in a Sport Utility Vehicle laid an ambush for them at Lakowe village in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos.

He said: “I am in serious pains. I find it difficult to raise my right hands. The doctors told me that I have to bear with the pains depending when they will extract bullets lodged on the right side of my chest.”

Narrating how the incident happened Olaewe said: “On May 2 around 10pm, we were taking food to our colleagues working at a site in Lakowe Village in

Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos. I was in company of two of my colleagues and I was the one who drove.

“The driver of the vehicle deliberately drove towards us as I tried to swerve the vehicle to another direction, the other vehicle moved closer.

“Before I could find out what the problem was, the next thing I heard was sporadic gunshots and I was hit by bullets. I managed to run out of the vehicle, yet the shooter persisted. After they left, we called our boss on the phone and described the spot where we hid to him.

“By the time they arrived, I was so weak because I had lost so much blood. They took us to Elemero Police Division where we lodged complaint and got police report.

“After we got the police report, we were taken to a private hospital and we were given referral letter to LUTH. I sustained gunshot wounds at four different places; I was shot in the chest

and my two hands, he stated.

On his part, Yekini said he was hit by bullets in four different parts of his body.

He said: “I could hear someone shouting ‘Femi don’t pursue them again, leave them alone.

We heard their conversation and I know Femi and am ready to confront him.”

irst lady of Lagos State Mrs Bolanle Ambode has declared opened the 2016 biennial national conference of the association of lady pharmacist (ALPS) tagged Eko 2016 with the Theme the lady pharmacist in strategic National development.

The event which attracted various professional female pharmacists across the country was held last week at the prestigious Airport hotel, Lagos.

In a paper titled: The Lady Pharmacist in Strategic National Development, by the first lady, Mrs Bolanle Ambode represented by the wife of the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mrs Arinola Oluwo stated that she is highly impressed with the association community outreach programs which include sensitization on health issues like screening for certain cancer especially those that affected women, HIV, Hepa-

titis and other diseases.

Other sensitive programs the association has embarked on includes creating awareness and training in areas such as public health education, career counseling, Drug Abuse, Education and organizing moral campaigns for student.

Speaking with news men, Olowo stated that its gives her joy and enthusiasm that women are excelling in professions that are highly specialized and considered complex which pharmacy is one of such field adding that Lagos state Government will do everything possible to support the Association “because I can see women excelling”, Oluwo stated.

According to the National President of Association of lady Pharmacists (ALPS) Hadjia Zainab Sherif express her profound gratitude to the Wife of the Governor, Mrs Bonlale Ambode for her tremendous support towards achieving the association goals as she seek to continue to enjoy more of her support.

NURTW factions clash in Lagos Island, seeks chairman’s removal Dare akogun

A

major crisis was averted following a protest by members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Oyebanji branch, against its chairman Mustapha Adekunle (aka Seego), over the weekend.

The protest could have led to a bloody clash between two livid factions if not for the timely intervention of the security operatives, who have been informed

earlier of the planned protest.

Speaking to our correspondent, an aggrieved member of the union simply known as Daramola, said for over eight years the chairman has been tormenting traders and union workers in Oyebanji area through numerous levies which are not been remitted to the union account.

He said, “Seego must go, for eight years we have continued to suffer under him. He parades himself as a god and even when we petitioned the Lagos state Commissioner of police, Gover-

nor Akinwunmi Ambode and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu about his antecedents in the area, he said he has good a relationship with all of them and no one can remove him,”he added.

Another protester Moses Babalakin said “We have written letters had gone to the Area commander, Lion Building Lagos Island, CP Federal SARS Adeniji Adele Rd, Lagos, CP Lagos State Police Command, DPO Adeniji Adele Divisional Headquarters, Chairman Lagos State NURTW, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

I honestly think Donald Trump deserves our respect for making it through the US election primaries as he has done.

–BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, DAVID CAMERON

Protesters bag jail terms in Egypt

WORLD BULLETIN

Uganda: Besigye gets treason charge

AfolAbi GAmbAri

WITH AGENCY REPORT

Main opposition leader in Uganda, Kizza Besigye, has been charged with treason.

Besigye was the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in the country’s recent general election, which Museveni won by a landslide.

He insisted he was the rightful winner of the polls, but Uganda’s top court upheld the official result.

“We have been informed by police today that Besigye appeared in court in Moroto and was charged with treason,” his lawyer, Erias Lukwago, said yesterday.

Besigye was arrested on Wednesday in downtown Kampala and flown to Moroto, where he has been in custody ever since.

It follows a series of arrests of the opposition leader during the election campaign.

A

uthorities in Egypt have sentenced 51 people to two years each in prison for protesting against a decision last month to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

There were 33 defendants present in the Cairo courtroom yesterday to hear the verdicts, while the rest were out on bail.

Family and friends of the defendants cried in shock outside the courthouse, according to local reports The decision to hand over the islands to Saudi Arabia, which sparked a backlash among many Egyptians, was made by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi during a rare visit by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, during which the Saudi monarch announced plans for aid and investment in Egypt.

Critics said Sisi sold the uninhabited islands, Tiran and Sanafir, in return for the investments.

But the Egyptian government

ISIS bombs Iraq gas plant File copy of Egyptian protesters shouting anti-President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi slogans in Cairo last month maintains that the islands always belonged to Saudi Arabia, and were only being looked after by Egypt since the 1950s.

Both secular and Islamist activists called for people to demonstrate against the transfer of the islands.

‘How Mandela was arrested in 1962’

A

report claimed yesterday that the arrest of late South African icon, Nelson Mandela, in 1962 came as a result of a tip-off from an agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The reports said the revelations were based on an interview with ex-CIA agent Donald Rickard shortly before he died.

Mandela, who served 27 years

in jail for resisting white minority rule before being released in 1990, was subsequently elected as South Africa’s first black president.

According to the report, the interview appeared to confirm long-held suspicions that Mandela was being trailed by the CIA. It is expected to put pressure on the CIA to release documents about its involvement in Man-

dela’s arrest and support for the apartheid government, although it has resisted previous calls for their disclosure.

Rickard, who died earlier this year, was never formally associated with the CIA but worked as a diplomat in South Africa before retiring in the late 70s.

The interview was conducted

by British film director John Irvin, who has made a film, Mandela’s Gun, about his brief

Former ministers flay ‘sexual harassment’

S

eventeen women who have served as ministers in France said yesterday that they will no longer be silent about sexual harassment in politics.

Former French culture minister Fleur Pellerin was among the signatories

All 17 signatories to the declaration are current or former ministers.

Among them is Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund and France’s former finance minister.

On Monday, the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Denis Baupin, resigned over sexual harassment claims, which he denied.

“Like all women who have entered spheres that up until then were exclusively male, we have had to fight against sexism,” the statement said.

“You cannot tell a woman, whatever her status, or whether she is an employee, a student, homeless, a housewife or a politician: ‘Apart from her great breasts, what is she like?’ You can’t tell her, in a sleazy tone: ‘Your skirt is too long, it needs to be shortened’ or ‘Do you wear a G-string?’”

“Women must be allowed to work, be out in the street, take transport without having to be subject to comments or wandering hands. We shouldn’t have to say it again and again. We shouldn’t have to write this declaration.”

In the declaration, the women

Police dispersed the protests in April, arresting dozens of people, many of whom were later charged with participation in illegal rallies. career as an armed rebel, the report said.

The late Nelson Mandela during his trial in 1964 call for a toughening of the law against sexual harassment, as well as specialist desks set up in police stations to deal with such complaints.

Examples of some of the sexual harassment suffered by the women are also given in the article.

It explains that Fleur Pellerin, who was culture minister in Francois Hollande’s Socialist government from 2014 until this February this year, rarely suffered harassment until she was appointed to office.

After her first appointment in government, she was asked by a male journalist if she was given the job “because you are a beautiful woman”.

The Islamic State (ISIS) group yesterday staged a suicide attack on a gas factory near Baghdad in which 14 people were killed and 20 wounded, Iraqi officials said yesterday.

The assault began when three car bombs exploded at the gate of the plant in Taji, north of the capital.

Six men wearing explosive belts rushed in and blew up gas tanks, before security forces won back the facility.

ISIS, which controls large parts of western and northern Iraq, has stepped up attacks in Baghdad recently.

It has claimed the latest incident, which began after dawn at the Taji facility, 20km (12 miles) north of Baghdad.

A fireball shot up into the air as the three gas tanks were blown up by the militants.

Those killed in the blasts are reported to include workers as well as members of the security forces.

Suicide bomber kills Yemenis A suicide attack claimed by the socalled Islamic State group yesterday killed at least 25 people in southern Yemen.

Officials said the bomber detonated his explosives outside a police base in the port city of Mukalla, killing recruits as they queued up outside the building.

Islamic State’s jihadist rival, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), was forced out of Mukalla last month by a Saudi-led military coalition.

The conflict in Yemen has displaced 2 million people since 2011.

Hospitals in Mukalla were also treating at least 25 people wounded in the attack, according to reports.

The bombing is the second such attack in Mukalla claimed by ISIS since AQAP’s withdrawal from the city.

The group claimed a suicide car bomb attack on soldiers last week.

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North

Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Katsina to get dams in 34 council areas James DanJuma KATSINA

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Traditional birth attendants in Zamfara State at a five-day training on modern skills at Gusau Local Government Secretariat yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

My arrest by EFCC has no political undertone, says Shekarau

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ormer Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said his arrest and detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has no political undertone.

Shekarau who was also a former Governor of Kano State, made the remark while addressing a news conference in Kano yesterday.

He said: “What happened to me could happen to anybody and it was only godly for me to accept my fate, good or bad.”

He, however, insisted that he was ready to spend the next 10 years in the commission’s custody to prove his innocence.

“I am not suspecting any political undertone in my arrest but rather regard it as an act of God

to test my faith.

“I was told that one of the beneficiaries of the N950m in question implicated me; that I was given N25m as my share of the money but could not state where, how and when,” he said.

Shekarau, who thanked Kano people and other Nigerians for standing by him, said he was not suspecting anybody behind

his ordeal.

It would be recalled that the former minister was arrested by EFCC last Thursday over alleged sharing of N950m campaign funds in his house at Mundubawa in Kano metropolis.

He was alleged to have collected N25m as his own share of the money and consequently quizzed by the commission.

aDeola Tukuru

ing with the Borno State government on how PRRI could assist in rehabilitating and empowering IDPs in various skill acquisition schemes in the state.

Ode gave this assurance when he visited various resettlement camps hosting internally displaced persons, IDPs, and the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, in Borno State.

In a statement issued in Abuja, he explained that the PRRI is an NGO

set up to empower victims of insurgency in the North East, particularly IDPs whose houses were destroyed as a result of Boko Haram’s deadly activities, and those in Benue and Taraba states who also suffered similar fate due to communal clashes.

According to him, the essence of PRRI campaign is to assist people who were once displaced by Boko Haram and whose communities have been

liberated from the terrorists by the Nigerian military to live a normal life.

The PRRI boss who was once a former minister of the Niger Delta lauded the Nigerian military for clearing and liberating all communities once held by insurgents in the North East, adding that with its interventions, life would be more meaningful to the people at the IDP centres who wish to go back to their respective communities.

of the region on agric action plan in Kaduna yesterday, Tambuwal said working together would ensure access to finance and improvement of infrastructure that would support the sector.

The meeting, coordinated by the Usman Bugaje-led Arewa Research and Development Project, ARDP, had presentations from the Cen-

tral Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Sassakawa Global 2000 and the Nigerian Export and Import Bank.

Tambuwal said the North West has competitive advantage in key areas and would seek to exploit it for the development of the region and its people.

Governors Tambuwal, Aminu Masari of Katsina,

Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, the host governor, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, and deputy governor of Zamfara, Ibrahim Wakkala, attended the meeting.

They were joined by their commissioners of agriculture, permanent secretaries and directors of agricultural services.

PRRI assures of readiness to empower IDPs ABUJA

P

eace Rehabilitation and Reconciliation Initiatives, PRRI, a non-governmental organisation, yesterday expressed readiness to support and empower victims of insurgency who are willing to go back to their liberated communities.

Executive secretary of PRRI, Dr. Sam Ode, also assured of partner-

Why northern govts are prioritising agric –Tambuwal

C

loser collaboration among all stakeholders and regional integration are key ingredients for the expansion and sustenance of agricultural activities in the North West geo-political zone of the country, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has said.

Speaking during a high level meeting of governors

ams are to be constructed in all the 34 council areas of Katsina State to boost irrigation farming and related activities.

The state governor, Aminu Masari, stated this when he received teams of the World Bank and Trimix Project of the federal Ministry of Water Resources.

Masari said increase in population has made it imperative to engage in irrigation or dry season farming to feed the people.

He said one way to ensure this is to build dams in all the council areas for irrigation purposes which would make food readily available.

The governor said the construction of the dams is capable of providing 120,000 jobs for peasant farmers across the state.

He said the state in the past as a province, had it so good with agriculture, especially through irrigation.

With agriculture, he said the native authority was sponsoring schools, native police, prison officials and even contributed money to government at the centre.

Masari said with better technology, the state government would be able to give needed attention to dry season farming in the state.

He said the state government would make con-

certed effort to diversify its economic base and stop its over-dependence on resources from federal allocation.

The task team leader from the World Bank, Mr. David Casanova, told Governor Masari that the bank would assist eight states in the North to execute irrigation activities.

Casanova listed the states as Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Adamawa and Gombe.

He said the World Bank would support sorghum production through irrigation in Zobe dam in the state.

Task team leader of Trimix Project, Mr. Peter Manjuk, said the Federal Government had approached the World Bank on ways to enhance dry season farming in the country.

He lamented that earlier attempts on irrigation failed to produce tangible results.

He however said the bank is providing $500 million, while the Federal Government is contributing eight per cent of the amount to boost dry season farming this year in selected states.

Mr. Peter said a holistic project plan has been produced by the federal Ministry of Water Resources on infrastructural development for managing irrigation to cover 40,000 hectares as against the 20,000 hectares done last year.

... to prosecute tractors beneficiaries James DanJuma KATSINA

K

atsina State government is considering prosecuting some public figures who benefited from the distribution of 340 publicowned tractors during the Ibrahim Shehu Shema-led administration.

The tractors bought at hundreds of millions of naira and owned by the council areas, were reportedly distributed to public figures that had the listening ears of then state government.

Speaking on the issue, the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abdulakdir Zakka, called on beneficiaries of the tractors to immediately return them to government.

Zakka said failure to do so might lead to possible prosecution, as the tractors were public and not private property.

He also said the distribution of the tractors to the beneficiaries by the former governor is illegal because they were not his personal property.

PROBATE This is to notify the general public that a judicial certificate has been conferred on the executor the power to administer the Estate belonging to the deceased below.

Name of the deceased: MR. OGUOMA MICHAEL (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS MR. OGUOMA EMEKA MICHAEL) ADMINISTRATORS: 1. MRS. SERAH OGUOMA. 2. MISS DEBORAH OGUOMA. ADDRESS: NO. 1 OYEDELE STREET, LIASU ROAD, IKOTUN-EGBE, LAGOS, LAGOS STATE (For all of them). General public and Authorities Concerned should take note.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Enyeama wins Europa ticket with Lille

FIFA President, Infantino, to visit Nigeria F

and a massive footballing nation that should help with the new FIFA leadership’s drive to truly develop the game. He is excited about our various capacity-building and youth development programs and that is why he is coming to watch the NFF/

Zenith Bank Championship finals.

“He sees a lot of potentials and dynamism in the current NFF leadership and says he would love to work with the NFF for the general development of the game.”

Sport

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (l) with NFF President Amaju Pinnick (second left), Ivorian FA boss Sidy Diallo and former African Player of the Year, Samuel Eto’o Fils at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City.

Infantino took office after winning election at an extraordinary general congress in Zurich on 26th February 2016.

At the recently concluded FIFA Congress in Mexico City, the world

body appointed Senegalese Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, 54, as its first-ever woman Secretary General. The multi-lingual Samoura, who spent 21 years working for the United Nations, will take office next month.

Eagles, Luxembourg clash moved

T Salisu Yusuf

43

I am looking forward to the forthcoming Olympics and if I am invited, I will do my best to make a meaningful contribution – Iwobi

47

ollowing a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City, the president of football’s world governing body, Gianni Infantino, has promised to visit Nigeria.

NFF President, Pinnick, who told thenff.com at the weekend said the date of the visit will be communicated in a number of days.

During the visit, Infantino will pay a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), attend the finals of the NFF/Zenith Bank Future Eagles Championship, have an evening with Corporate Nigeria and also have an interactive session with African FA Presidents who will also be in Nigeria to receive him.

Pinnick said: “The FIFA President says Nigeria is a big country

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

he international friendly match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the national team of Luxembourg has been brought forward by 24 hours.

A letter to the NFF by the Football Association of Luxembourg on explained that the match earlier scheduled for June 1 had to be moved forward by a day as a result of a cycling tour in Luxembourg.

“The change in date will not in

any way affect our programme. The entire contingent will move to Luxembourg from Rouen in France, where we will play Mali on May 27.

“We will still have three days to train for the match against Luxembourg,” said Eagles’ team administrator, Enebi Achor, to thenff.com.

The match in Luxembourg will take place on Tuesday, May 31 at the Josy Barthel Stadium in the country’s capital city.

Achor also confirm to thenff.com that a number of technical and ad-

ministrative officials have now been issued with the Schengen visas to enable them to enter the two countries for the matches.

The NFF has also submitted fresh applications for those who were earlier denied.

The Super Eagles will play Mali’s Les Aiglons in Rouen on May 27 and play Luxembourg on May 31 as part of preparations for the first matches of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifying series to be played later in the year.

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Monday, May 16, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OTUYOYE OYINDAMOLA BOSE, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUSANWO OYINDAMOLA BOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Oluwasuyi:l formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluwasuyi Funmilayo Christianah now wish we to be known and addressed as Mrs Fajemilua Temitope Funmilayo,all former documents remain valid,Fidelity bank and the general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Onajobi Oluwakemi Folasade, now wish to be Known and addressed as Mrs. Adenuga Oluwakemi Folasade. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Nwachukwu Chienyem Blessing, now wish to known and addressed as Odunwa Chienyem Blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AKINYEMI OLUKEMI JOHN , now wish to be known an addressed as OLORUNDA OLUKEMI JOHN. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AKAOSE CHUKWUEMEKA BONIFACE, now wish to be known and addressed as OSITADIMMA CHUKWUEMEKA FRANCIS. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that the name MRS OMOWAYE TINA OSARIEMEN is still the same person as OMOWAYE TAIWO OLUFUNMILAYO. Any document that has any of the above names refers to the same person. Any authority concern and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and adressed as MR. RAJI DARE KASIM. Now wish to be known and addressed as PASTOR RAJI DARE DANIEL. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NWATU: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NWATU NDIDIAMAKA NWANNE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NNAMANI NDIDIAMAKA PATIENCE. All former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

ADDITIONAL OF NAME

That I was formerly known and addressed as CHIDIEBERE FELIX that I now wish to add IYIDA to my former name that I now wish to be known and as CHIDIEBERE FELIX IYIDA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly ADELEKE GRACE ADEDUNNI now wish to be known, called and addressed as COKER GRACE ADEDUNNI. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Paul Ekoyo Nwekoyo now wish to be known and addressed as Nwanchor Romanus Paul. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

known and addressed as ODEKUNLE ABIOLA OLUBUKOLA, Now wish to be known and addressed as EZEKIEL ABIOLA OLUBUKOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly MRS ADEBAYO TINUADE OMOLADE now Mrs AKANDE TINUADE OMOLADE ALL Former Documents Remain Valid GENERAL public note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that Omotoso Bunmi is the same person as Oladipupo Bunmi,that henceforth wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oladipupo Bunmi.. all former documents remain valid,general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Olufemi Olushola Folakemi now wish to known and addressed as Olushola Fatoki.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Afeez Rafiu, now wish to known and addressed as Afeez Wahab Alade. Born on 26th day of September 1983. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ANIEDI EJIM DAVID , now wish to be known an addressed as GIFT DAVID ANNAH. All documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly I formerly known and addressed as QUADRI KABIRU, Now wish to be known and addressed as MR KADIRI KABIRU TUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

AKINLOYE : Formerly known and addressed as AKINLOYE AKINTUNDE ANTHONY now wish to be known and addressed as AKINRINLADE AKINTUNDE ANTHONY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to certify and confirm that ADEPOJU BLESSING BUNMI is one and same person as AJAYI BUNMI BOSE. Henceforth wish to be addressed as ADEPOJU BLESSING BUNMI. All former documents remain valid. HERITAGE BANK, FIDELITY BANK and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OMIMI: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OMIMI OHAMA BASSEY, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OBEI OHAMA FELIX. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ANI: I, formerly known and addressed as ANI SOLOMON OGBONNA, now wish to be known and addressed as ANI DESTINY OGBONNA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATIO OF NAME

This is to confirm that EMEKA CHIDUBEM JOHN is the same and one person as EMEKA OSUOFOR JOHN now wish to be known, called, and addressed as EMEKA CHIDUBEM JOHN. Also, my correct date of birth is 19th May, 1984. Eco Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adewumi Mary Adebanke now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olayori Mary Adebanke. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as ROSE OSAS SAMUEL, Now wish to be known and addressed as ROSE OSAS ENATAMA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY MISS OYEDOKUN DORCAS MOMILARA NOW MRS AJANI DORCAS MOMILARA ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID LAUTECH TEACHING HOSPITAL OGBOMOSO AND GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I Jimoh Funke Felicia, am the same person as Jimoh funke faith, henceforth i wish to be known and addressed as Jimoh funke felicia faith. All former documents remain valid.General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Agbetoye Adebimpe Shakirat, now wish to known and addressed as Salami Shakirat Adebimpe. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Damisa Jimoh Abdulrahman now wish to known and addressed as Damisa Abdulrahman.

All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as TOURIMBUS lmoh CHINEMERE , now wish to be known an addressed as EZEHIMO TORIBUS CHINEMELU. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

known and addressed as ODEKUNLE ABIOLA OLUBUKOLA, Now wish to be known and addressed as EZEKIEL ABIOLA OLUBUKOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME/CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH

This is to inform the general public that I NWEFURU FRANCIS is one and same person bearing NWEFURU FRANCIS NWALI and my correct date of birth is 7-5-1969. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OKO: I, formerly known and addressed as OKO ELIZABETH CYNTHIA, now wish to be known and addressed as OKO CHIDIMMA CYNTHIA. All former documents remain valid. UBA Banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ONOJA: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONOJA ROSELINE NWAKAEGO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS UGWU ROSELINE NWAKAEGO. All former documents remain valid. IMT ENUGU and general public should please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

ONOH: I, formerly known and addressed as ONOH SUNDAY JUSTICE, now wish to be known and addressed as NWORIE SUNDAY JUSTICE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Olulade Ridwan now wish to be known and addressed as Ololade Ridwan.All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Soge Aderonke Oyindamola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olalekan Aderonke Oyindamola. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as EMETOM IFEOMA STELLA, Now wish to be known and addressed as OKORO IFEOMA STELLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY IBIKUNLE BOSUN NOW IBITUNDE TUBOSUN ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID U. B. A PLC, G.T.B PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that NOFIU TAWA VICTORIA ADETUTU, I am the same person bearing NOFIU TAWA AND NOFIU VICTORIA ADETUTU. All former documents bearing my names remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Eze malachy Emeka, now wish to be Known and addressed as Eze Clement Emeka. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Faseun Ibijoke Grace, now wish to known and addressed as Oyewole Ibijoke Grace. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as NWACHUKWU CHIDOZIE POLYCARP , now wish to be known an addressed as NWACHUKWU CHIDOZIE GREGORY. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as ROSE OSAS SAMUEL, Now wish to be known and addressed as ROSE OSAS ENATAMA. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly Known and Addressed As CHRISSTOPHER CHINAZITO OZORI from Eco bank, now wish to be known and Addressed as NWOSU CHINAZITE MALACHI on my BVN, All former document Remain Valid. general should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NNAEMEKA: I, formerly known and addressed as EZECHUKWU LIVINUS NNAEMEKA, now wish to be known and addressed as EZECHUKWU LIVINUS NGWUJA. All former documents remain valid. First Banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHIME: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHIME LETICIA OGOCHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CHIME LETICIA OGOCHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. University of Nigeria Nsukka and general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm and certify that UGWU FRIDAY, EKENE EMMANUEL OKOH and UGWU CHIJIOKE KENNEDY refer to one and the same person, now wish to be known and addressed as UGWU CHIJIOKE KENNEDY. All former documents bearing the 3 names remain valid. Banks and General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly Oni Agnes Olufunmilayo now Akinfiresoye Agnes Olufunmilayo. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly Known and addressed as Miss Ajide Oluwaseun Dupe now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olorunmola Oluwaseun Dupe. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as KELVIN NJOKU AZARA, Now wish to be known and addressed as KELVIN NJOKU ONYEBUCHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY OLANREWAJU JOHNSON OLAJIDE AND ADELOWO JOHNSON OLAJIDE NOW ADELOWO OLAJIDE ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID ECO BANK PLC, ACCESS BANK PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AGBAJE BLESSING OLUWAMAYOWA, now wish to be Known and addressed as EKUNDAYO BLESSING OLUWAMAYOWA. All other document remaining valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Inah Ubi Jealousy, now wish to known and addressed as Ubi Inah Ubi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as CHIMEZIE EVANS CHIMEZIE , now wish to be known an addressed as CHIMEZIE EVANS PIUS. All documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OGUNJIMI BUSAYO RACHAEL, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OLAWALE BUSAYO RACHAEL. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as HELEN PETER OKON, now wish to known and addressed as HELEN MARTINS UDOFIA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as MISALI OZIGI GODWIN, now wish to be known and addressed as ISAH ABUBAKAR. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank plc and General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

NGWU: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NGWU CHRISTIANA OGECHUKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS LINUS-AGU CHRISTIANA OGECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm and certify that EKEANYANWU KENNETH UZOAMAKA CHIMAKPULAMOGWO and EKEANYANWU KENNETH CHIMAKPULAMOGWO refer to one and the same person, now wish to be known and addressed as EKEANYANWU KENNETH CHIMAKPULAMOGWO. All former documents bearing the 2 names remain valid. General public please take note.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to notify the general public of loss of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) belonging to Mr. Forster Chijioke Reg. as 40/40/1083 in respect of Land situated at Plot 11 Ugwu Ugbene Community Estate Extension, Abakpa Nike, Enugu, got lost. All effort to trace it proved abortive. If found please contact Ministry of Land, Enugu.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as John Kenny now wish to be known and addressed as John Mekwa. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Anifowose Abosede Basirat now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oladipupo Ekerin Abosede Basirat. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

HUSSAINI: Formerly known as HUSSAINI ABUBAKAR and now wish to be known and addressed as HUSSAINI ABUBAKAR DOHO. All former documents remain valid. Guaranty Trust Bank and General public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as TITILOPE ZAINAB OGOCHUKWU PALMER now wish to be known and addressed as TITILOPE ZAINAB OMORUYI. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Oduguwa Boladele Eniola, now wish to be Known and addressed as Mrs. Soyombo Boladele Eniola.

All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Iwe Peter Okechukwu Obienetusi, now wish to known and addressed as Iweadiwobi Peter Okechukwu Obienetusi. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.A CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as IVU TERNA EDWAED , now wish to be known an addressed as IVU TYONONGU EDWARD. All documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as ONWUASOANYA UDOKA, now wish to be known and addressed as ONWUASOANYA EUGENE UDOKA. All former valid documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

TUKI : Formerly known and addressed as TUKI BOSE now wish to be known and addressed as ADELEKE BADIRAT OYELADUN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as ADEDARA FUNKE. Now wish to be known and addressed as ADEDARA BUNMI MERCY. All former documents remain valid.

Union Bank Plc. and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OLISANEKWU: I, formerly known and addressed as OLISANEKWU CLETUS UGOCHUKWU,now wish to be known and addressed as OLISANEKWU CLETUS UJU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I hereby confirm to the general public that NWADU EMMANUEL CHINWEIKE is one and the same person as NWADU EMMANUEL ILOSONNA. All former documents bearing the above names are mine and remain valid. GTBank Plc and general public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly MISS DADA OLUWADAMILOLA OLAMIPOSI now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS OYEKANMI OLUWADAMILOLA OLAMIPOSI. All former documents remain valid.

National Orientation Agency Ondo State Directorate, National headqurters Abuja and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Adejare Mojisola Janet now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Afolabi Monisola Mariam.

All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly I formerly known and addressed as QUADRI KABIRU, Now wish to be known and addressed as MR KADIRI KABIRU TUNDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

JONAH: Formerly known and addressed as JONAH AROME, now wish to be called and addressed as JONAH AROME NOAH ALEX . All former documents remain valid.

First Bank Plc and General public please take note.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net CHANGE OF NAME

SALAWU: FORMERLY KNOWN AND CALLED SALAWU HABIBAT IDOWU, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED SALAWU AJINETU IDOWU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GT BANK PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

That on my GTBank account, my name appears as FLORENCE NWANUSUKE and on my BVN documents, it appears as NWANUSIKE FLORENCE OSAMAI. That I confirmed herewith that FLORENCE NWANUSUKE is the one and same person as NWANUSIKE FLORENCE OSAMAI. All documents bearing both names are mine and remain valid. General public and Authorities Concerned take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known as Salawudeen Muniru now wishes to be addressed as Salawudeen Muniru Adetoro. All former documents bearing the names; Salawudeen Muniru Bolarinwa, Salawudeen Muniru and Adetoro Munirudeen remain valid. General public should take note.

KOBA: FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS HAUWA HAKI KOBA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KULU HAKI KOBA. ALL MY RELEVANTDOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. FIRST BANK AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Peter Charity Ihuoma now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ukabi Charity Ihuoma. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FALEYIMU: Formerly known and addressed as FALEYIMU OLAWANDE DORCAS now wish to be known and addressed as AFARIOGUN OLUFUNMILAYO REBBECA. All former documents remain valid. WEMA Bank and the general public take note CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ATOLAGBE BARAKAT FOLASHADE NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JIMOH BARAKAT FOLASHADE ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as EMETOM IFEOMA STELLA, Now wish to be known and addressed as OKORO IFEOMA STELLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

I, MARTINS OYEBIYI, that I am the same person bearing OYEBIYI MARTINS SHAYO. All document bearing these name remain valid. Zenith Bank , Premium Pension Ltd and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

EZEUGHA: Formerly known and addressed as MISS EZEUGHA NWAKAEGO FLOURENCE now wish to be known and addressed as MISS EZEUGHA NWAKAEGO BLESSING. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Kuyoro Olayinka now wish to be known and addressed as Adepoju Olayinka.All former documents remain valid.SKYE BANK and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

PETER: Formerly known and addressed as PETER UGAGU, now wish to be known and addressed as AUGUSTINE OBI. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ABUBAKAR: Formerly known and addressed as ABUBAKAR USMAN ABDULLAHI now wish to be known and addressed as ABUBAKAR USMAN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as CHIMEZIE EVANS CHIMEZIE , now wish to be known an addressed as CHIMEZIE EVANS PIUS. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

45

Monday, May 16, 2016

Formerly known and addressed as Imani Mercy Mariam now wish to be known and addressed as Imani Aanuoluwapo Mary.All former documents remain valid,Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as KELVIN NJOKU AZARA, Now wish to be known and addressed as KELVIN NJOKU ONYEBUCHI. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that Osuji Linus Ogueri Philip, Linus Ogueri Osuji and Philip Linus Osuji is one and the same person as Osuji Linus Ogueri Philip. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

BAYOMI: Formerly known and addressed as ABAYOMI ASHABI SUKURAT now wish to be known and addressed as GBAMGBALA SHUKURAT OLAIDE. My correct date of birth is 09/12/1989 as against 27/12/1995.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formally known and addressed as Miss Mokobia Happiness Chilota, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ochocha Happiness Chilota, Former documents remain valid.

General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as IVU TERNA EDWAED , now wish to be known an addressed as IVU TYONONGU EDWARD. All documents remain valid.

General public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHANGE OF NAME

GIMBA: Formerly known and addressed as DANIEL GIMBA GALADIMA, now wish to be known and addressed as YUNUSA MICAH GIMBA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FELICIA: formerly known and addressed as MRS FELICIA WAGHRE IRMIYA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MRS FELICIA AHOLA. ALL MY RELEVANT DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. FIRST BANK PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME

PECULIAR: Formerly known and addressed as OLAYINKA PECULIAR AJAYI now wish to be known and addressed as YINKA PECULIAR NWANKWO. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and the General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunleye Fadewe Hannah now wish to be addressed and called as Mrs Okotie Folasade Hannah. All former documents remain valid, Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) and general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, MARTINS OYEBIYI, that I am the same person bearing OYEBIYI MARTINS SHAYO. All document bearing these name remain valid. Zenith Bank , Premium Pension Ltd and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

This is to confirm that Osuji Linus Ogueri Philip, Linus Ogueri Osuji and Philip Linus Osuji is one and the same person as Osuji Linus Ogueri Philip. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

EZEUGHA: Formerly known and addressed as MISS EZEUGHA NWAKAEGO FLOURENCE now wish to be known and addressed as MISS EZEUGHA NWAKAEGO BLESSING. All former documents remain valid.

General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Kuyoro Olayinka now wish to be known and addressed as Adepoju Olayinka.All former documents remain valid. SKYE BANK and general public take note.

ABAYOMI: Formerly known and addressed as ABAYOMI ASHABI SUKURAT now wish to be known and addressed as GBAMGBALA SHUKURAT OLAIDE. My correct date of birth is 09/12/1989 as against 27/12/1995. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OGBONNA CHIBUZOR GABRIEL now which to be known as OGBONNA CHIBUZOR AYO.All former documents remain valid.Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunleye Fadewe Hannah now wish to be addressed and called as Mrs Okotie Folasade Hannah. All former documents remain valid, Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS IFEBUCHE CHARITY ODOH, now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. OMEYE IFEBUCHE CHARITY. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and called Benjamin Arichoke, now wish to be known and address as Benjamin Femi Arichoke. All former documents remain valid, the general public please note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and called Suleiman Bashir Gbenga, now wish to be known and address as Jimoh Sherif.All former documents remain valid, the general Public please note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

YINUSA AYOMIDE WAHEED SAME PERSON AS ADEGBOLA AYOMIDE WAHEED NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEGBOLA AYOMIDE WAHEED. DOCUMENTS BEARING FORMER NAMES REMAIN VALID.GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AISHAT MISBAHU , now wish to be known an addressed as AISHA MUSBAHU AHMED OMOWNMI. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

OLUKOYA MARY YEWANDE SAME PERSON AS OLUKOYA MARY BUSOLA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLUKOYA MARY BUSOLA. DOCUMENTS BEARING FORMER NAMES REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AKINYEMI OLUKEMI JOHN , now wish to be known an addressed as OLORUNDA OLUKEMI JOHN. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as NWACHUKWU CHIDOZIE POLYCARP , now wish to be known an addressed as NWACHUKWU CHIDOZIE GREGORY. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OGUNJIMI BUSAYO RACHAEL, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OLAWALE BUSAYO RACHAEL. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHANGE OF NAME

AMINA: FORMERLY KNOWN AND CALLED AMINA ABUBAKAR NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED AMINA ANAVAMI ABUBAKAR. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ZENITH BANK PLC / FIRST BANK PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLY CALLED AND ADDRESED AS DOMINIC ODEY OGAR, BUT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN, CALLED AND ADDRESED AS MR. ODEY PAUL OKWE. ALL DOCUMENT BEARING MY FORMER NAMES REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD PLEASE TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and called Benjamin Arichoke, now wish to be known and address as Benjamin Femi Arichoke. All former documents remain valid, the general public please note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

YINUSA AYOMIDE WAHEED SAME PERSON AS ADEGBOLA AYOMIDE WAHEED NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADEGBOLA AYOMIDE WAHEED. DOCUMENTS BEARING FORMER NAMES REMAIN VALID.GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formally known and addressed as Miss Mokobia Happiness Chilota, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ochocha Happiness Chilota, Former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

That on my GTBank account, my name appears as FLORENCE NWANUSUKE and on my BVN documents, it appears as NWANUSIKE FLORENCE OSAMAI. That I confirmed herewith that FLORENCE NWANUSUKE is the one and same person as NWANUSIKE FLORENCE OSAMAI. All documents bearing both names are mine and remain valid.

General public and Authorities Concerned take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

MUHAMMED: I MUHAMMED AWALL ALIYU AND MUHAMMED ABDUL ALIYU BELONGS TO ONE PERSON NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED MUHAMMED ALIYU MUDDY. ALL FORMER DOCUMENT REMAIN VALID. ZENITH BANK PLC /ACCESS BANK PLC AND GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS IFEBUCHE CHARITY ODOH, now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. OMEYE IFEBUCHE CHARITY. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and called Suleiman Bashir Gbenga, now wish to be known and address as Jimoh Sherif.All former documents remain valid, the general Public please note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

OLUKOYA MARY YEWANDE SAME PERSON AS OLUKOYA MARY BUSOLA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OLUKOYA MARY BUSOLA. DOCUMENTS BEARING FORMER NAMES REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AISHAT MISBAHU , now wish to be known an addressed as AISHA MUSBAHU AHMED OMOWNMI. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Peter Charity Ihuoma now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ukabi Charity Ihuoma. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and the general public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known as Salawudeen Muniru now wishes to be addressed as Salawudeen Muniru Adetoro. All former documents bearing the names; Salawudeen Muniru Bolarinwa, Salawudeen Muniru and Adetoro Munirudeen remain valid. General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ATOLAGBE BARAKAT FOLASHADE NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS JIMOH BARAKAT FOLASHADE ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ANIEDI EJIM DAVID , now wish to be known an addressed as GIFT DAVID ANNAH. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FALEYIMU: Formerly known and addressed as FALEYIMU OLAWANDE DORCAS now wish to be known and addressed as AFARIOGUN OLUFUNMILAYO REBBECA. All former documents remain valid. WEMA Bank and the general public take note CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Imani Mercy Mariam now wish to be known and addressed as Imani Aanuoluwapo Mary.All former documents remain valid,Banks and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as TOURIMBUS lmoh CHINEMERE , now wish to be known an addressed as EZEHIMO TORIBUS CHINEMELU. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known as ONWUASOANYA UDOKA, now wish to be known and addressed as ONWUASOANYA EUGENE UDOKA. All former valid documents remain valid.

General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as AKAOSE CHUKWUEMEKA BONIFACE, now wish to be known and addressed as OSITADIMMA CHUKWUEMEKA FRANCIS. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

REHOBOTH APOSTOLIC EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

OKE-IBUKUN INSPIRATION MARVELOUS LAND MINISTRY

JOSIAH FUTURE HOPE EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

This is to inform the general public that the above named church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), for registration under Part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The Trustees are : 1. Pastor Okungbure Benjamin Adeola 2. Mrs. Okungbure Busayo Anike Esther 3. Mr. Ajuwon Samson Eyitayo 4. Adekojo Samuel Adebimpe 5. Oyetayo John 6. Otegbeye Solomon Adeyemi Aims and Objectives: a. To preach and teach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ b. To build believers in Christ up for the Lord’s Second Coming c. To promote evangelism among all people Any objection objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commissionn Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and allied Matters Act of 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE 1.OYEKOLA GIDEON ADEREMI 2 OMOLOLA ADEYINKA ABIODUN 3 BUKOLA OMOLOLA 4 OKEDIJI GABRIEL 5 OYEKOLA FLORENCE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1. To preach the undiluted word of God to the whole world 2. To win all lost souls for Christ through material and spiritual salvation.

3. To provide assistance to the poor, widows, widowers, orphans, prisoners, oppressed, refugees and any charity project.

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

This is to inform the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and allied Matters Act of 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE 1.MS TREASURE FUNMILAYO JOSIAH 2.MR. ALEXANDER OLAITAN LAWAL 3 MR. MICHAEL DAMISOLA T’OLAOLUWA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE. 1 To provide economic empowerment to young girls, indigent women and men 2 To provide basic educational support programmes to less privileged children and adult.

3 To provide humanitarian aid to the indigent and internally displaced persons

SIGNED: THE TRUSTEES

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

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

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

Sports

46

Thursday, March 5, 2015 Monday, May 16, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I want to stay at Chelsea –Terry C

aptain John Terry told Chelsea’s fans he wanted to stay at the club during an emotional address following their 1-1 draw with Premier League champions Leicester City on Sunday.

Terry, 35, announced in January that he would be leaving at the end of the season due to the club’s failure to offer him a new contract.

But Chelsea performed a U-turn by announcing that Terry has been offered a new one-year deal and while he stopped short of saying that

he would accept it, he suggested that he saw his immediate future at Stamford Bridge.

“We all want the same thing,” Terry told fans during an on-pitch speech. “I’ve said that. I want to stay.

The club knows that, the fans know that.”

Terry has made 703 appearances for Chelsea, putting him third in the club’s all-time list, and is their most successful captain, having won four league titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League during his 18

Guardiola plans raid on Arsenal’s stars

Guardiola

I

ncoming Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has identified Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez as possible summer arrivals at Ettihad.

Guardiola wants to beef up his

midfield options ahead of a possible title win next season, and wants Arsene Wenger’s men.

Wilshere has done enough to warrant a call up to Roy Hogson’s squad to the Euro 2016 but has struggled to maintain fitness throughout the season.

Sanchez, 27, has had his future in doubt following the shock of not winning the title in a surprising season that saw Leicester City emerge winners.

He is also reportedly bulking at Arsenal’s offer of £160,000-a-week contract and reports in Spain say he could be persuaded to move to the blue side of Manchester.

Guardiola signed the Chilean international from Udinese in 2012 while he was manager of Barcelona, at a time when City were also chasing after his signature.

years in the first team.

The former England captain missed Chelsea’s last two games of the season through suspension, but he was present at Stamford Bridge

on Sunday as fans chanted “John Terry, we want you to stay!” and held up signs showing “26”, his squad number.

‘Mourinho is good enough for United’

J

ose Mourinho must be considered as a candidate to replace Louis van Gaal if he is sacked as Manchester United manager, says Rio Ferdinand.

Van Gaal’s future at Old Trafford remains shrouded in doubt with fans and ex-players alike growing frustrated by United’s inconsistent form this season.

The Dutchman’s tenure may hinge on making the Premier League top four and winning the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace next weekend.

Even if he does achieve those targets it remains to be seen if United stick with Van Gaal - who has stated he expects to be in charge next season - with speculation continuing to suggest they will approach Mourinho.

The Portuguese has been out of work since being sacked by Chel-

Mourinho

sea in December, and some have raised concerns as to whether he would be a good fit for United.

But club legend Ferdinand believes it would be foolhardy to not consider the ex-Real Madrid coach.

“Listen, if the club decide Louis van Gaal isn’t the man anymore and Jose Mourinho is in the market, he has to be considered,” he told BBC.

Arteta, Rosicky to leave Arsenal

A

rsenal captain Mikel Arteta and fellow midfielder Tomas Rosicky will leave the Premier League club when their contracts expire this summer.

Arteta, 34, joined the club in 2011 and made 150 appearances, scoring 17 goals.

Rosicky, 35, signed in 2006 and was given an award for 246 appearances and 10 years of service before the Gunners’ final-day win over Aston Villa.

Manager Arsene Wenger described the pair as “two exceptional players and influences in the dressing room”.

Spaniard Arteta and Rosicky of the Czech Republic leave Arsenal with two FA Cup medals, won in 2014 and 2015.

Arteta, who signed from Everton for £10m, thought he had scored on his farewell but his late strike in the 4-0 win over Villa on Sunday was given as a Mark Bunn own goal.

He was then seen crying after the final whistle.

In his match programme notes, Arteta said that failing to win the Premier League was “not good enough for this club”.

Tottenham’s 5-1 defeat by Newcastle meant the Gunners leapfrogged their north London rivals to finish second in the table, but they have not won the title since 2004.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

, May4,16, 2016 ThursdayMonday September 2014

47

Glo to ‘Dream Team’ ‘You have what it takes to make Nigeria proud’

N

igeria’s U-23 national team and Africa U-23 champions, ‘Dream Team’ have been advised to prepare very hard for the football event at the forthcoming 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil.

Enyeama wins Europa ticket with Lille L

ille booked a place in Europe’s second tier club competition after a stunning 1-0 win over Saint-Étienne on the final day of the 2015/16 season.

An Antonio ‘Éder’ Lopes penalty on 41 minutes sealed the win for Les Douges at Stade Geoffroy-

Nigerian referees, others for FIFA elite programme

E

Guichard (Saint-Ètienne).

The win means Lille became one of France’s two qualifiers for next season’s Uefa Europa League (Nice is the other side that qualified) as they finished in fifth place on the log with 60 points from 38 matches.

Enyeama, who played all 90 minutes of Saturday’s game against

Saint-Ètienne, was an integral member of the Lille side all season.

He participated in 35 of Lille’s 38 league games, missing the other three as a result of suspension.

Enyeama kept 17 clean sheets in the league this season with only PSG’s Kevin Trapp posting a better return of 18 clean sheets.

many of these girls are also breadwinners for their families.

“To do that, we need to sit down, talk about what is wrong with the game and find workable ways to make things better.”

She praised FIFA President Gianni Infantino for his initiatives in reshaping football “It was a good experience intact ingenuity him. He has some bright ideas to move football forward and I

believe that with everyone’s support, he will make things better.”

Mia Hamm and Luis Figo were appointed as the player representatives in the FIFA Council, and AkideUdoh said they would be great representatives “Mia and Luis have the full support of all of us as our representatives on the FIFA Council and I have no doubt in my mind that they will

Women’s football deserves more, says Akide–Udoh

N

igeria legend Mercy Akide-Udoh says women’s football worldwide, and especially on the African continent deserves greater attention and investment.

Akide-Udoh was one of the legends of the game, and the only former African woman player, invited

by FIFA to attend the General Assembly in Mexico in order to help chart a new course for football, and the Nigeria super star said women have been given short shrift for too long “Girls train as hard as the men, play as hard as the men but women footballers are treated like second class citizens, especially in Africa.

That needs to change,” Akide-Udoh said.

“The girls must be treated with respect, they must be paid as well as the men, and they must have proper domestic competitions to play in.

“It is very important for sponsors to invest in women’s football as

L-R Mia Hamm, Mercy Akide-Udoh, Renate Lingor, Gianni Infantino, Sissi, Sarah Walsh, Sun Wen in the dressing room before exhibition match at FIFA Annnual General Assembly in Mexico

xcited at the various c ap a c i t y - e n h a n c i n g programs of the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) particularly for referees, world football –governing body, FIFA, has approved another elite programme for the country.

More than 230 Nigerian referees, instructors and assessors will be involved in this year’s FIFA Member Association Elite programme taking place between 16th and 20th May 2016 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Fresh, confirmed to thenff.com at the weekend that all arrangements have been concluded for the international programme that will involve Nigeria’s 20 men and women FIFA referees, 17 elite National referees, 95 National referee assessors, 65 National physical fitness instructors and 35 non –FIFA women referees.

Head of the NFF Referees Unit and Secretary of the NFF Referees Committee, Sani Zubair, explained that the team of four FIFA instructors will be led by the Regional Development Officer, Carlos Henriques.

The FIFA instructors will be supported by highly –respected Nigerian instructors Linus Mba, Calistus Chukwujekwu, Felicia Okonji, Aminu Mohammed, Abraham Zakowi, Emmanuel Imiere, Dr. Oladipo and Emmanuel Obafemi.

Telecommunication Company, Globacom made the call in a press statement on Sunday in Lagos. It urged the team to work hard towards making Nigeria and Africa proud in the competition, adding that the Dream Team’s participation at the Olympics is another opportunity for Nigeria to make a bold statement at the world football stage.

Globacom called on Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to strengthen the boys’ preparedness by organising a series of friendly matches for the team to bring the best out of them and generally keep them in shape.

The company stressed that the team has the advantage of having in the squad many players who had been playing together in different agegrade competitions.

Globacom also advised the technical crew of the team to go for the fittest and most talented players in the squad, thus ensuring that the first eleven of the team as well as the bench are the best we can assemble.

“If we put our best foot forward, we can withstand any opposition right from the first match,” Glo added.

The dream team will play in Group B along with Sweden, Colombia and Japan at the 2016 Olympics games taking place in Rio, Brazil between 5th and 21st August, 2016.

The dream team emerged victorious at the African U-23 Nations Cup in Senegal in 2015 and qualified with Algeria and South Africa to represent Africa at the football event of 2016 Olympics.

Man Utd, Bournemouth match called off over security threat

A

controlled explosion was carried out at Old Trafford after Manchester United’s final Premier League match of the season against Bournemouth was called off.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that bomb disposal experts had dealt with a suspicious item that had been discovered inside the ‘north west quadrant’ of the stadium before the scheduled 3.00pm kick-off on Sunday.

Initially, the evacuation concerned just two sides of the ground - the Stretford End and the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand - with the rest of the stadium filling up as normal 40 minutes before kick-off.

At around 2.40pm, an announcement was made for security personnel to invoke ‘Operation Red Code’ but at that stage, fans in the South Stand and East Stand where the visiting Bournemouth supporters were seated - were un-

affected.

A short time later, United officials confirmed police were investigating after ‘a suspect package was found in the north west quadrant’ of the ground before an official tannoy announcement confirmed the match was off ‘because of a security alert’.

Some two hours after the stadium had been cleared, Greater Manchester Police announced in a statement on Twitter: “A con-

trolled explosion has just been carried out within the stadium by bomb disposal experts at Old Trafford.”

There is also no indication yet as to when the game will be played, but the Premier League has said it will be played ‘’as soon as practically possible”. United - who harboured Champions League ambitions before kick-off - are involved in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on Saturday, May 21.

Siasia

WORLD RECORD

Most pierced man Vol. 06 No. 1370 Monday, May 16, 2016

Evil days are here again

N150

The most pierced man is Rolf Buchholz, from Dortmund, Germany, who had 453 piercings, including 158 around his lips, as of August 5 2010.

O

n this column last January 25, I asked rhetorically ‘Is Nigeria about to be mired in another debilitating implosion in the Niger Delta region?’ The context in which the question was raised had foreboding ingredients of ‘war’ in the making – resurgence of unbridled militancy in the region announced itself in the bombing of oil infrastructure by outlaws resolved to test the might of the Federal Government.

And President Muhammadu Buhari.

In January when I raised the cautionary yellow flag with the said piece titled ‘Again, the die is cast’, my prognosis was conjectural. But about four months after, the likelihood of a deadly confrontation between the Nigerian military and the harbingers of the new terror in the region, the Niger Delta Avengers, is real. Only Providence will prevent the Niger Delta region from

HeartBeat Callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (sms only) anthonykila@mail.com being turned into a theatre of internecine war with the two belligerent parties having now crossed the Rubicon!

The narrative of how is a familiar one.

Buhari as a presidential candidate promised to be hard on corruption in the build up to the 2015 general election; he has not disappointed since his inauguration. In Nigeria under his charge, the multi-layered corruption industry has been stripped of its coverings. It is the day of reckoning for the guilty. Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, the Nigerian state has said, has corruption case to answer. As one of the biggest Niger Deltan warlords, he wants to be treated not as a mere mortal.

The official account is that he has chosen to confront the state, using his underworld networks. However, Tompolo has distanced himself from the raging ‘war’. I do not think many Nigerian believe him.

The militants underscored their latest resolve to “crumble the (Nigerian) economy” in coordinated hit jobs targeted at oil facilities in the region. They have substantially achieved their objective because right now Nigeria’s oil production has reportedly dipped to an all time low of 1.7 million bpd, the first time since 1994. They further raised the stake last Monday night when they made direct hit at the military in Bayelsa State, resulting in the death of three soldiers who are members of Operation Pulo Shield, the Joint Military Task Force set up to protect oil infrastructure in the region.

At this time of serious nAtionAl triAl, mAny would hAve wished

BuhAri were to Be A dove, very meek And pAtient Generally, discerning Nigerians should shudder at this state of affair. Their nation was just barely recovering from Boko Haram’s senseless confrontation against it when the South East imploded into ogre of violence orchestrated by both the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The ‘Fulani herdsmen’ have also unsettled the security balance of the country through murderous activities. And now the Niger Delta militants wahala, a very daunting one for the political leadership that is grappling with severe socio-economic and political pressures unleashed by a bitchy economy.

Specifically, I wonder if the entire people of the South South region are comfortable with the development. I, as a Niger Deltan, feel appalled by the impunity and audacity of our youths that are increasingly turning themselves into outlaws. Could we be victims of social amnesia and so easily forget the price of such past engagements?

It must be understood that war is an

expensive business, financially and human resources wise. We as a people seem to have forgotten the price of the 30 month civil war fought between July 1967 and January 1970. Boko Haram-Nigeria confrontation of the last six years should have also driven home a similar message. So is Odi. The social opportunity cost of war should be a factor in all calculations when decisions are to be made on issues of socioeconomic and political relations in this country. Nigeria is today mobilizing over a trillion naira to rebuild the North East. Calculate the social opportunity cost of that decision.

At this time of serious national trial, many would have wished Buhari were to be a dove, very meek and patient. The humiliation from the unfolding ugly scenario targeted at him personally and his office would have been easy to accept as the price of leadership. Many would also wish his hawkish temperament would be sedated by the likely aggravations arising from the escalation of the crisis. Now is his defining moment to prove he is a big hearted leader ready to make huge sacrifice in the interest of the country. Men and women of goodwill should prevail on him to moderate his options to deescalate the crisis.

Threat of the deployment of military force or the actual deployment of military force is not known to have addressed global security concerns. Dialogue has always proven to be the most efficacious last resort tool. It took the dovish predisposition of the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to broker the truce that ended the limited war in the Niger Delta. Yar’Adua’s preferred dialogue option made possible appeasement and then peace in the region in particular and the country in general.

President Buhari makes no pretence of his hawkish predisposition to governance.

He should be prevailed upon to try dialogue, a negotiation tool that would stop bloodletting and economic brigandage in the Niger Delta region.

Let ALL Nigerians NOW join forces to save their country!

Sport Extra

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Murray beats Djokovic, wins Rome Masters

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ndy Murray has claimed the biggest clay court title of his career, beating world No 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final of the Rome Masters.

The Scot celebrated his 29th birthday by winning 6-3 6-3 on Sunday, becoming the first British player since 1931 to win the tournament in Italy, just seven days ahead of the French

Open.

In a contest lasting 96 minutes, Murray broke serve three times while saving three break points against him - all in the second set.

The key for Murray was winning 82 per cent of points on first serve, as Djokovic lost for just the fifth time in nine months.

Only one week ago, the

Serb had beaten Murray in the final of the Madrid Masters, but Sunday’s win will give the British No 1 a huge boost going into the second grand slam of the season in Paris.

Djokovic & Murray Emenike

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