Dtn 27 1 16

Metuh’s trial: Court admits letters, e-payment schedule as exhibits

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe Federal High Court

sitting in Abuja on Tuesday

admitted as exhibits three separate letters between the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the

controversial N400 million payment to the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, by former National Security Ad-

viser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

Also admitted along with the letters were attachments including an e-payment schedule from the Office of

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the National Security Adviser to the Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) authorising the Continued on page 12

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N150

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 32

GAINERS

LOSERS

NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 26th January 2016.

7UP

190

196

6%

PZ

20.25

21

0.75%

UNILEVER

41.09

CADBURY

14.48

15.92

1.34%

JBERGER

42

43.1

1.1%

NESTLE

725.01 708.85

39.04

-2.05%

NB

102.8

101.64

-1.16%

-16.16%

STANBIC

13.3

13

-0.3%

Budget gets knocks at Senate, House of Reps Ï Tinubu’s wife writes it off as anti-women, warns of revolt Ï It contravenes Fiscal Responsibility Act, breaches Constitution, say Reps Ï Rep faults provision of N10b as consultancy fees for two Ministries

Olufemi Samuel, Henry Omunu, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

N6.08trillion 2016 Continued on page 6

FG, states, LGAs share N387.771b as Dec. g 14 allocation Kogi: Wada drops appeal of verdict on Bello’sg12 swearing-in

CBN retains lending gB 1 rates at 11 per cent

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose (left) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a ‘handshake’ with his Osun State counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during a courtesy visit to Aregbesola at the Governor’s Lodge, Osogbo… on Tuesday.

Ï Armsgate: We’ve recovered N54.8b so far –FG

g6

I’m glad I learnt the hard way

–Bimbo Thomasg L 1

2

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Page Three Æ s

3

Editorial States and Contributory Pension Scheme

U

nless something is urgently done, the implementation of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014, may soon hit the rocks following the unwillingness of some state governments to pay up their contributions. According to sources, states such as Cross Rivers, Osun, Kebbi, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti and Niger are no longer contributing to the scheme, while Imo, Sokoto, Lagos, Abia, Rivers, Bauchi, Edo and Plateau states are believed to be stalling on its implementation.

The situation is threatened by the fact that deductions from workers’ salaries are no more remitted due to the financial constraints facing some states. Many have made no contributions since the inception of the old Pension Reform Act, 2004.

It would be recalled that the PRA makes it mandatory for employers to contribute 7.5 per cent of workers’ monthly emolument into their Retirement Saving Accounts (RSA), while the latter will contribute the same. The history of the Nigerian Pensions administration dates back to the 1950s. The Pension Reforms Act of 2004 brought into limelight, the new scheme, defined as contributory, unlike the old one that was defined as benefits.

For that, the new scheme is seen as better than the old one,since it is expected to help remedy the deficiencies and inadequacies prevalent in the old. It is a fact that the contributory pension scheme is aimed at helping people save and plan for their retirement to avoid old age poverty and dependency.

More so, the scheme was to address the huge unsustainable pension deficit estimated at about two

trillion naira, which characterised the former Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) Pension Scheme.

Moreover, the contributory pension scheme is expected to have multiplier effect on workers attitude towards retirement, commitment to duty, and labour retention as well as attitude towards corruption especially in the civil or public service.

This is because the uncertainty of receiving pension and gratuity after retirement was largely responsible for high labour turnover in the civil service. Before now, the provoking thought of facing life after retirement creates psychological and emotional stress in workers, especially those approaching retirement age.

While retirement remains luxury in developed countries, in Nigeria workers are always afraid of financial insecurity after years of work.

Sadly, workers who are in the payroll of government cannot fend for themselves not to talk of when they are retired. We are therefore scandalised by the decision of some state governments to withhold their own part of the contribution.

The defaulting states should not be allowed to hold the pension agency to ransom. It is sad that while top government functionaries are enjoying munificent benefits and emoluments irrespective of the state of their states’ finances, those of the workers are being sacrificed on the altar of expediency. We are aware that the PRA makes room for sanctions by empowering the National Pension Commission to institute criminal proceedings against employers for persistent refusal to remit pension contributions subject to the fiat of the Attorney General of the Federation. The agency must explore this legal option speedily.

Daily/ Online Editor Biodun Durojaiye Deputy Editor/Southern Bureau Chief Sam Nzeh Deputy Editor/Northern Bureau Chief Lateef Ibrahim

Group News Editor Segun Adio Politics Editor Akintola Akinjide Business Editor Friday Atufe Head, Graphics/Design King Ododoru

Group Managing Director Noel Anosike

ÏÏÏExpectedly,

the sack of no fewer than 3,000 workers by the Governor Rochas Okorocha-led administration in Imo State recently, has attracted condemnation from several quarters since it was made public.

At present the state is headed towards a major labour crisis with the treat of full scale strike to protest the action.

Just on Friday, a factional leader of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, said that the Imo State Government must recall the affected workers within 14 days or face the wrath of labour.

The labour chief said if the government failed to take any decision at the expiration of the ultimatum,

labour would ensure that there would be no electricity supply in the state.

He said: “We will ensure that there will be no light, tanker drivers will not supply fuel, while shops and banks will not be opened for business.”

Ajaero warned that if the government failed to recall the workers and continued intimidating them without paying their salary arrears, the congress would shut the state.

The threat by Ajaero comes on the heels of condemnation of the action by the Okorocha-led administration.

Last Sunday, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, described the action as “most reckless, insensitive and completely lacking in economic sense”.

“There is no doubt that the Nigerian economy is facing a downturn as a result of dwindling oil revenue but

Group Executive Commercial/ Business Developement Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08086296714 Head Finance/Shared services Simpa Ajayi

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the solution is not arbitrary disengagement of workers and scrapping of key parastatals, such as the Hospital Management Board, Imo Water Corporation, Imo State Investment Promotion Agency, Imo State Library Board, Agricultural Development Programme and others”, Ihedioha said.

No doubt, many states, Imo inclusive are presently finding it difficult to meet obligations to their workers in view of the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account, the major source of funding for their activities, and consequently have embarked on some cost saving measures.

However, in view of the condemnations trailing the action and the wider effects the action will have on the economy of the state, Gov. Okorocha should have a rethink by recalling the sacked workers.

This is necessary to spare the state from the effects of a prolonged labour unrest and its concomitant effects.

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Sack of workers: Will Okorocha budge?

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“If Buhari wants to leave a creditable legacy come 2019, he should retool the bureaucracy.”

“Nigeria can and will survive in spite of current economic challenges.”

“The magician and the politician have much in common: they both have to draw our attention away from what they are really doing.”

4

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Asaba, Birnin Kebbi, Calabar

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Nigeria welcomes US support on security, devt — Buhari Egena Egena, Abuja

ÎÎÎ

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday in Abuja, said that his administration would continue to welcome the support and understanding of the United States as it strived to achieve greater internal security and socio-economic progress in Nigeria.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said in a statement that Buhari stated this while receiving a delegation, led by the United States Secretary of Commerce, Ms. Penny Pritzker at the Presidential Villa.

According to him, Pres-

ident Buhari applauded ongoing American collaboration with his administration on security and developmental issues.

“I remain grateful for the reception accorded me and my team when we visited the United States at the invitation of President Obama.

“We discussed security, corruption, infrastructure, and many other issues.

“We thank America for sending experts to train our troops and providing hardware for our military because we must first stabilise the country before we can move it forward,” the President told the delegation which included

the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, and three others.

The statement also quoted Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was said to be at the meeting as saying that although Nigeria is currently faced with serious challenges, it was also a time of great opportunities for the country.

He said: “It’s time to diversify our economy from oil. We’ve always talked about it, but never got round to doing it. The opportunity has come now.

We have all it takes to be an agricultural nation. We also have solid minerals and we must develop our infrastructure in order to

aid business.”

The statement also noted that Ms. Pritzker told President Buhari that she was in Nigeria with 10 leading American business men and women, at the prompting of President Obama.

“The purpose is to better understand the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Nigeria.

Our team is very optimistic about your government’s commitment to security, good governance, fighting corruption, having reliable and regular regulatory policies.

“All these make us optimistic about working together. We are not here to sell policies, but to partner with you”, she said.

5 News

Hijab: Nigerian Muslim women decry stigmatisation Benjamin Omoike

ÎÎÎNigerian Muslims have

lamented the stigmatization and harassment of women who wear Hijab across the country. This lamentation was made on Tuesday in Lagos by the national Amirah of Al-Mu’minaat Organisation, Hajia Nimatullah Abdullateef.

Speaking at a press conference to herald the forthcoming World Hijab Day, Abdullateef said Muslim women were worried by the way the Nigerian army harassed women within and outside conflict zones, just because they wore hijab, which is a symbol of the Muslim faith.

Hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest, which is particularly worn by some Muslim women beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family.

According to her, many Muslim women remembered with painful nostalgia the incidents of harassment, persecution, emotional and psychological anguish hijabi-wearing women had suffered in Nigeria in recent times; especially after President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that the government might consider a ban on hijab if terrorists continue to use hijabis to bomb innocent Nigerians.

Army boss commends teachers, ex-pupils of Command schools ÎÎÎThe

General Officer Commanding, 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.Gen. Isidore Edet, in Lagos on Tuesday, commended expupils for their contribution to the development of the Command Children School.

The GOC gave the commendation while giving his remarks at the Golden Jubilee of the Command Children’s School at Ann Baracks, Sabo-Yaba in Lagos. ``This is a historic occasion and I am happy to be here to welcome all the expupils of the school that

have distinguished themselves in various careers. ``I believe it is the mental strength, that is, the philosophy of the values of hardwork, self-discipline and integrity that has been the underlying philosophy of education in this school. ``It is these same values that have the underpinnings of the success of the students that passed through this school. ``So, I want to congratulate you individually and collectively for your achievement in your different fields of endeavour.

Buhari off to Kenya, Ethiopia Egena Egena Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari (right) in a handshake with US Secretary for Commerce, Penny Pritzker during the courtesy visit of the US envoy to Presidential Villa, Abuja… on Tuesday. With them is, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Tinubu assures Awori in Lagos of fair-play Kayode Adelowokan

ÎÎÎ The national leader

of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, assured the Awori Indigenous Forum (AIF), a socio-political group, mainly made up of the Awori people in Lagos of all-inclusive governance.

The group during a peaceful protest at Tinubu’s residence in Lagos, said no indigene of the

land had been elected or appointed into any political office or position such as Chairman of the Council, Secretary to the Local Government, Executive Secretary of the Local Government, Supervisory Councilor, State House of Assembly and Federal House of Representatives in the LGA or LCDAs in the past 20 years.

Tinubu, who was on his way out, called for the leader of the group and requested for the let-

ter they brought to press home their needs, however, promised to look into the matter with a view to getting back to them.

Alhaji Oyebola Onikoro, Chief Imam of Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos, and Hon. Akintola Kamarudeen Balogun, a leader of the Awori indigenes in Ikeja division, both said it was time for the party to allow indigenes govern Lagos state.

They said the Aworis in

Ikeja, Kosofe, Ojodu, Oshodi and others have been politically marginalised for the past 20 years.

The duo noted that early attempts made in the past to call the attention of stakeholders to this anomaly yielded no result, adding that a protest was made to Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2002, while he was governor of Lagos state, and they were advised and assured that the issue would be looked into and resolved.

ÎÎÎ President Muhamma-

du Buhari will leave Abuja today on a three-day state visit to Kenya.

He is also scheduled to be in Addis Ababa on Friday to participate in the African Union (AU) summit.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the statement, on arrival in Kenya, President Buhari will join his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta and other dignitaries at a memorial service for Kenyan soldiers who were killed by Al-Shabaab in Somalia on January 15.

“After the memorial service in Eldoret, President Buhari will proceed to Nairobi for bilateral talks

Kenyatta on Thursday with Kenyan government officials led by President Kenyatta.

“Before the conclusion of his visit, President Buhari and President Kenyatta will jointly preside over a KenyaNigeria Business Forum in Nairobi,” the statement added.

It also noted that the President’s entourage to Kenya will include the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Industry, Trade and Investment.

`` able you sho with sho tion `` wan ex-p for mad re-e libr aug said

News 6

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Budget gets knocks at Senate, House of Reps

Continued from page 1

Budget being debated by the National Assembly received more knocks on Tuesday at the Senate and the House of Representative.

At the Senate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central) who is wife of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), described it as antiwomen.

Senator Tinubu’s comments came just as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) law-

makers in the House of Representatives delivered more knocks to the 2016 Appropriation Bill, declaring that the N6.08 trillion budget contains major inconsistencies, even as the the bill scaled the second reading in the House.

Tinubu who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, lamented that the allocation of N4billion for the Ministry of Women Affairs in the budget, describing it as inadequate She said sum voted for the Ministry of Women Affairs is barely sufficient, warning

that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari may begin to face the wrath of Nigerian women if no improvement is made on the allocation.

Tinubu reminded members of the ruling party how it depended on the support of women to win election with promises of attending to their needs in its manifesto only to now turn around to abandon the women with paltry budgetary allocation to them.

“This budget as far as its allocations for the Nigerian

women are concerned , is not telling anything and not making any promises and must be critically reviewed at committee level”, she averred.

Speaking further she said, “It is not in tune with the saying that when we educate the girl-child we have educated the entire nation. The APC in its manifesto mentioned that there is need for an all-encompassing empowerment programme for Nigerian women, such comprehensive empowerment requires fund which should be included in

L-R: Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO (FCW), Rahul Colaco; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Civic Engagement, Kehinde Joseph; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Adeniji Kazeem; Business Group Supply Chain Director, Royal FrieslandCampina, David Chatard and Corporate Affairs Director, (FCW), Ore Famurewa during the commissioning of the company’s multi-billion Naira finished goods warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos… on Tuesday.

PHOTO: BOLAJI OLASUNKANMI.

the budget for implementation.

The Senator further said: “I am just laying this case on behalf of the Nigerian women, that this is not going to go well. It is as if we have been used during the campaign and we said this is a government of change that the change mantra is supposed to change things across board…

“On behalf of the Nigerian woman, am making their case today that this budget is not telling anything and not making any promises, so when they get to the committee level we should have a way to amend this budget so that it would meet all the needs that the Nigerian women are still expecting.”

Another Senator, Samuel Anyanwu ( (PDP Imo East) expressed disappointment with the budget, describing it as a walking corpse going by its deficiencies in projections and allocations.

Anyanwu kicked against the plan by the government to propel the 2016 budget with over N2trillion deficit and amid resolve to fund it also with huge borrowing.

He therefore called for downward review of the entire budget profile.

On the other hand, the Deputy Chief Whip, Francis Alimekhena ( APC Edo North), described the budget as a budget of hope.

According to him, the downward trend in the price of oil in the international market would not affect the

budget’s estimates as projected since there are other alternatives to be made in raising revenues for its funding.

At the House of Representative, the arrow head of the anti-budget lawmakers, House Minority Leader, Rep. Leo Ogor, described the budget as incomplete, declaring that the N6.08 trillion estimate contained in the budget and the figures contained in the breakdown do not tally as the total amount when properly computed is N6.03 trillion.

Rep. Ogor added that the budget further contravenes Section 21 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which requires that the budget and expenditure profile of the 31 major federal agencies, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) be attached to the main document.

At this point, House Majority Leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila raised a point of order and asserted that the constitution supersedes the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which is an Act of the National Assembly.

The constitution, Gbajabiamila added, requires the president to lay the budget estimates before the National Assembly, a provision he said the president had complied with.

In his contribution to the budget debate, Rep. Ossai Continued on page 12

Armsgate: We’ve recovered N54.8b so far –FG

Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

ÎÎÎThe

Federal Government on Tuesday disclosed that about N54.8 billion has so far been recovered from some of the people being investigated and prosecuted over the $2.1 billion arms purchase deal now popularly referred to as Armsgate or Dasukigate.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the disclosure while answering questions from Journalists in Abuja.

The Minister, who did not disclose the identities of those who refunded the said amount of money, also lamented that majority of those being investigated

Ï Says corruption fighting back over corruption in the country are already fighting back in a hard and dirty manner.

Speaking on the amount that has been refunded, Alhaji Mohammed said, “what so far has been recovered from those being prosecuted in respect of Dasukigate is about N54.8billion”.

Prominent among those being investigated and prosecuted by the federal government in respect of the $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal are: Colonel Sambo Dasuki, rtd, the National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan; Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed, Chairman,

Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and his son; Chief Tony Anenih, former BOT Chairman of PDP; Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder and owner of DAAR Communications (owners of AIT and Raypower Radio); Chief Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of PDP; as well an APC chieftain, Brigadier General Jafar Isa, rtd.

Alhaji Mohammed, in his speech, entitled, “Corruption Is Fighting Back”, revealed that sponsored articles have started appearing in the newspapers and in the social media.

He said, “well, I can tell you today that corruption is

already fighting back, and it is fighting hard and dirty.

“Sponsored articles have started appearing in the newspapers and in the Social Media, while ‘Talking Heads’ have started making the rounds in the electronic media, all deriding the fight against corruption as well as this Administration.

“Not stopping there, they have been creating distractions by sponsoring articles in both local and international media to deride the Administration’s policies generally, tag the President a budding dictator and even write off his 2016 budget.

“We know that the sole purpose of these attacks is

to distract attention from the war on corruption.

“It is saddening that some otherwise credible voices have unwittingly allowed themselves to be railroaded into the bandwagon of procorruption orchestra. They engage sophistry to try to rally Nigerians against the anti-corruption battle.

“One hack writer even said the disclosure that 55 Nigerians allegedly stole 1.34 trillion Naira between 2006 and 2013 did not trigger any anger among Nigerians! A disclosure that made the front page in over a dozen Nigerian newspapers, played widely in the international media and attracted the attention of the world’s most powerful country and global finan-

cial institutions cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand.

“Also, one of those who benefitted from the Dasukigate even had the temerity to deride the anti-corruption war as ‘selective’, when in saner climes, he should have been so ashamed of himself that he would have apologized to the nation and hunkered down...for good.

“These sponsored attacks are not about to stop. In fact, they will become more intense and more coordinated in the days ahead. But the good news is that we are winning the war. Nigerians are now talking more about corruption. Nigerians are now counting the cost of corruption to their lives”, he said.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Okowa calls for education curriculum review Monday Osayande

How Dariye diverted N204m to own coy, by witness

Asaba

The Economic and FinanÏÏÏDelta State governor, Dr. If- ÏÏÏ cial Crimes Commission (EFCC), eanyi Okowa, has called on stakeholders in the education sector to come up with a template for aligning the school’s curriculum to the needs of the society for continuous improvement in the standard of education in Nigeria.

Speaking at a 2-day Education Summit in Asaba, where stakeholders drawn from across the nation are meeting to x-ray the current falling standard in the education sector, Okowa said revising the education curriculum was critical to enhance the quality and relevance of education for the benefit of all children, while learning.

7 News

on Tuesday, presented more evidence against a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, who is being prosecuted on a 23-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds, before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory, High Court, Gudu, Abuja.

In addition to being accused of siphoning about N1.2 billion ecological fund meant for the state, Dariye is also alleged to have diverted about N204 million meant for the state treasury to Ebenezer Ratnen Ventures (ERV) – a com-

pany he owned.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the EFCC witness, Musa Sunday, a detective with the EFCC, gave details of how money meant for the Plateau State Government account was diverted to ERV. Sunday told the court that in the course of investigations into several cheque slips recovered from the then Lion Bank (now Diamond Bank), it was discovered that there were several questionable in-flows into the account of ERV. Further probe into the account, according to Sunday, revealed that the source of the funds was the Plateau State Government,

Dariye

but for no services rendered.

Presenting the certified photocopies of various bank drafts in court to prove the fraudulent transfers, Sunday, said: “In the course of our investigations,

we found out that the origin of the various money credited to Ebenezer Ratnen Ventures with Diamond Bank (then Lion Bank), was from the office of the state’s Accountant General.”

Counsel to Dariye, G. S. Pwul (SAN), raised an objection to the admissibility of the photocopies of the bank drafts raised from the cheques, but his objection was overruled by Justice Banjoko, and the documents were accepted as exhibits.

Specifically, Sunday, said that the office of the state’s Accountant General issued Lion Bank cheques to All States Trust Bank, which were cleared into the account of ERV.

Why Seriki House can’t be Olubadan now – Ajimobi Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (left) in a handshake with the Director Hybrid Solutions, Mr. Marcio Maros; with them are, MD/CEO, Power Generation and Integrated Energy Solution, Mr. Semiu Odeyinka and Mr. Alabi Olaoluwa during the courtesy visit to the Senate President in Abuja… on Tuesday.

Time’ll tell if PDP is dead or not – Fayose Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo

ÏÏÏGovernor

Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has said that only time would tell whether the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was dead or not.

He said this during a visit to his counterpart in Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday, in Osogbo.

Fayose said this when he was quizzed on the reason for his visitation to the All Progressives Congress Governor.

He explained that his meeting with Aregbesola was to seek a path for the unity of the Yoruba

nation.

When asked if he was going to quit PDP soon, he said, “I won’t quit but time will tell if PDP is dead or not.”

According to him, there was a need for State Governors to collectively address the nation’s dwindling economic fortunes.

He added that “the visit of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi to the Alaafin of Oyo, more than a week ago, sent a strong signal on a need for unity and co-operation”.

He also said that “Governors should look beyond political parties and politics for proper development of the region – by

tapping from available opportunities in agriculture to reduce economic problem in the states.”

On his part, Aregbesola emphasised the necessity to create economic bond that would rescue people from level of poverty and live a dignified life.

“Since oil has lost its pre-eminence as the biggest source of revenue for the country, there is a need to shift attention to agriculture. Governors in the southwestern part of Nigeria have concluded plans to reposition Oodua Investment Company Limited conglomerate as the engine room of Yoruba economy,” he added.

Egena Egena Abuja

ÏÏÏAs the controversy over suc-

cession to the Olubadan throne rages, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, on Tuesday, explained why the Seriki ruling house could succeed the late Oba Samuel Odugade as Olubadan.

Though it is believed that the succession plan to the respected throne at any time had been worked out in such a way to stem needless disputes, the Seriki ruling house, through Chief Adebayo Oyediji, has insisted that it was their turn to ascend the throne.

The king-makers are, however, said to be in favour of Chief Saliu Adetunji as the next Olubadan.

Speaking with State House correspondents, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Ajimobi explained that even if Chief Oyediji were to be a Seriki, he could only be promoted to Ekerin if there was a vacancy.

Ajimobi narrated the history of the emergence of the Seriki and concluded that they were totally out of contention to the traditional tool at the moment.

He said: “The beauty of the Olubadan institution makes it unique in the whole of Nigeria.

It is the only institution where we know the next 20 or 50 obas. We don’t fight for it. Every house can produce an Olubadan, including my house.

Godwin Okadigbo Akaolisa is dead ÏÏÏThe

death has been announced of Prince Godwin Okadigbo Akaolisa of Uruagu, Nnewi, Anambra State, after a brief illness. He was aged 83 years.

A retired police officer, Prince Akaolisa was a community leader of repute and dedicated Christian.

He is survived by wife and children among whom is, Uche Akolisa, Life Editor, Business Hallmark newspaper.

Burial ceremony is as follows: February 18, 2016: Christian wake-keep begins with a Mass at his residence at Nnenna Road (Edibros Road), Uruagu, Nnewi, Anambra State at 5.30pm.

February 19, 2016: Body leaves

Late Akaolisa

Nnewi Diocesan Hospital Mortuary, Akwudo, Otolo, Nnewi by 7a.m. for a brief lying-in-state at his compound.

A Requiem Mass at St. Louis Catholic Church, Nwafor-Uruagu, Nnewi, at 10 a.m. Interment follows immediately at his residence at 3, Nnenna Road, Uruagu, Nnewi.

8

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Politics

Æs

$200bn stolen cash, properties kept in Dubai — Shehu Sani Stories by Akinjide Akintola and Femi Fasipe

Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, as well as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Shehu Sani has alleged that over $200 billion have been stashed away in cash and properties by corrupt Nigerians in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in the last 20 years.

Sani, who was answering questions from reporters after women supporters from his political ward paid him a solidarity visit at one of his campaign offices in Kaduna over his face off with Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-rufai, warned that any corrupt person warming to President Muhammadu Buhari for cover would be exposed, investigated and prosecuted.

According to Sani (APC, Kaduna Central Zone) over $200 billion was being stashed away in the United Arab Emirates, (UAE), specifically, its global financial hub, Dubai, by corrupt Nigerians.

It would be recalled that President Buhari, last week in UAE, signed a “Judicial Agreements on Extradition,

Sanni

Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters, and Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal and Commercial Matters, which includes the recovery and repatriation of

Magu

stolen wealth.”

The agreement may not be unconnected with the large amount of stolen CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Economic challenges: APC plans 3-day Policy Dialogue Confab The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has announced that the party was planning a three-day policy dialogue in the wake of the current economic challenges facing the country.

According to him, the forum tentatively scheduled for March 2016, will bring together party leaders, government and relevant stakeholders to exchange ideas and proffer solutions to guide the country out of the challenges facing the country, particular the economy.

He announced this in Abuja on Tuesday

while speaking with newsmen.

He also called on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru to give priority to the completion of the East-West Road project in the Niger Delta region when he received in audience the minister on a courtesy visit to the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

The APC National Chairman decried that despite huge funds sunk into the EastWest Road by successive administrations since 2006, the 338km dual carriage road, which traverses towns in Bayelsa, Rivers, CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Oyegun

Osunbor

Oshiomhole

Edo 2016: I remain the best candidate to succeed Oshiomhole — Prof Osunbor Ahead of this year’s governorship election in Edo State, former governor of the state and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, has said that he remains the aspirant to beat in the party.

Speaking with newsmen in Benin, he said the assertion that only a Bini man can win the forthcoming governorship election in the state was wrong, adding that he remains the best aspirant of the party to succeed Governor Adams Oshiomhole and, therefore, deserves to be supported by all the leaders.

He urged delegates of the party to be wary of aspirants whose only credential is money, stressing the need for them to cast their votes based on the credentials and track records of the aspirants and not how rich they are or the geographical zone they hail from.

Osunbor is one of the APC governorship aspirants and hails from Edo Central senatorial zone of the state.

The Prof. of Law and former Senator explained that he decided to remain calm over his ambition all along in order to respect the instruction by Governor Oshiomhole that governorship aspirants must not distract his developmental projects.

Noting that he has respect for all other aspirants of the party, Prof Osunbor said he considered himself the most suitable candidate, adding that the belief that only a Bini (Edo South) candidate can win the election had been proved wrong in the past, notably in 2012 when a non-Bini man defeated a Bini man with a wide margin.

He said: “I am not unmindful of arguments about which senatorial zone’s turn it is to produce the next governor. I believe that this is a legitimate issue to raise in order to ensure fairness, equity and justice amongst the component parts of the state, Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North.

Nevertheless, I want to be assessed based on my antecedents and record of performance rather than simply on arguments based on zoning,” he stated.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

9 Politics

$200bn stolen cash, Why LGs are under-developed properties kept in — Revenue Committee boss Dubai — Shehu Sani CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

money from Nigeria stashed away in the Arab country.

He said: “Corrupt Nigerians have stashed unbelievable amount of monies in Dubai alone in the name of estates acquisition, purchase of exotic houses and business partnership in the last 16 years.

Some have stashed raw cash.

This is why the US, and Europe are making conditions for laundering of money into their countries very difficult.

“These crooks have now found it conducive to use the Middle East and South East Asia as their destinations.

They use names of their cronies, family members and friends to siphon public funds out of Nigeria.

“Some of them are APC members, who had their political upbringing in the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

“Sooner than later those who are parading themselves as Buhari’s friends, but are corrupt, will be interrogated, prosecuted because the President does not know friend or relation as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.

“It was based on the information on the quantity and quality of the assets of corrupt Nigerians, that President Buhari had to sign that agreement with UAE at Abu Dhabi. I can tell you that it was a smart and patriotic move.

“Let me advise the President to steer clear of hypocrites, because it is better to live with an enemy than hypocrite because hypocrite derives joy

Sani

from stabbing one’s back.

“Over $200 billion Dollars are stashed away from Nigeria to Dubai alone. This may the monies stolen since in the past 20 years. I am not talking about estates and bonds and other securities bought with Nigeria stolen money.

“Buhari is going to recover all these monies and assets with the help of UAE. “If you notice now, since the agreement, some of the corrupt persons are now rushing to Dubai to effect changes in the ownerships of the ill-gotten assets. But, they are just wasting their time. ”President Buhari needs the support of all Nigerians to wipe out corruption from the country. The President is on rescue mission. He needs our support.

“We cannot sit down idly and watch people sabotage Buhari, and I can tell you that since Buhari went to Dubai, there were three attempts to sabotage Buhari’s government.

“The first one was that they planted a story in newspapers that there was crisis in Buhari’s government because he went to Dubai; “The second one was that they planted fake lists of Nigerians that have property in Dubai, while we were waiting for the original list of those who have houses in Dubai.

And the third one was to sponsor foreign media to discredit Buhari’s economic policies”, he said.

Earlier, leader of the women group, Hajiya Azumi Madugu, hailed Sani as friend of the poor and an enemy of oppression.

Magu

Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Committee of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Hon. Peter Ajayi said that many local governments are under-developed because of lack of proper internal revenue mobilization strategies.

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee at the council headquarters, Ajayi, a journalist said one of the major problems faced by local governments in Nigeria is their inability to source adequate internal revenue apart from allocation from federal and state governments.

According to him, Ejigbo LCDA is not an exemption, pointing out that such problems are cogs in the wheel for the smooth running of local government administration but assured that having acquired exceptional cognate experiences as Supervisor for revenue generation, Consultant on revenue generation coupled with the political willpower garnered over the years before becoming Committee Chairman on Revenue, these problems are surmountable.

“Our duty is setting an enviable standard by putting the appropriate and effective machinery in place for easy realization of our objectives and goals. In the course of our duty, we will leave no stone unturned to convince this gov-

ernment that its efforts at constituting this revenue committee are justifiable.

He disclosed that as Supervisor for Market and Revenue Generation, with the support of former Council Treasurer and all revenue officers, they were able to increase revenue generation of the LCDA by more than 300% in 2012, adding: “Collectively, we can do it much better again. I hereby call on members of this committee and entire stakeholders in the Ejigbo project to join hands with me to do it again”.

Describing the appointment as a call to duty, he said he believes in the capacity of the entire members of the newly constituted committee, saying it does not “have any reason not to deliver on our mandate, and adequately too. We are going to champion the course of making revenue generation a collective responsibility in this community. Ejigbo is made up of good, responsible and government-friendly people. As a committee, we are going to partner with them.

“The governments of Lagos State and Ejigbo LCDA have created an enabling and business friendly environment.

With good roads, development of infrastructural facilities and social amenities, our community has become more attractive to business owners.

Paying of taxes can no longer

be an option. It does not call for negotiation. It is our right and our civic duty. The good people of Ejigbo community have always cooperated and partnered with the government through prompt payment of dues and taxes. Our job is to retain and sustain this alluring relationship. As done in the past, Ejigbo community will make the government proud again”, he said.

Praising the members of the Executive Committee of the council, for the trust and confidence reposed in him, he commended the Executive Secretary of the council area, Barr Jaiye Alabi for putting the interest of the government above personal matters and preferring merit and competence to just political patronages.

“Not minding our perceived radical differences, you supported my nomination and defended my course. Barr Alabi believes in my competence and by implication, he believes in me. In our present day politics, it is evident that our leaders now believe in competence as well as loyalty”, he said adding: “With this mindset, I make bold to pledge my loyalty to our leaders and this government and at the same time promise to prove my competence beyond expectations most importantly and especially, in the area of revenue generation”.

Economic challenges: APC plans 3-day Policy Dialogue Confab CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta states remain uncompleted.

He said: “You have one of the most challenging and strategic assignment as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. The Niger Delta is an area that had been steeped in unrest. You must ensure that the unrest does not arise again.

“You have the East-West Road which is a major challenge. It will be a significant achievement for this administration if the project is completed. The project will go a long way in assuring the region that this government is working in their interest”, he said.

The contract for the construc-

tion of the East-West Road was first awarded in 2006. The road was initially divided into four sections, but late 2014, a fifth section was added to it, covering Oron to Calabar in Cross River State.

Responding, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru said the ministry under his watch was poised to contribute to the achievement of the party’s Change Agenda for the country and also bringing sustainable development to the Niger Delta area.

The minister promised to give priority to the completion of the East-West road.

Oyegun

Politics 10 On the economy?

Our party is very aware of the hardships that the mis-governance of the last 16 years has plunged this country. We are very aware of the hard and tough times that a lot of Nigerians are going through. Apart from the party, let me also say that it is the main concern of Mr. president; he is fully aware of the tough times that people are going through. And I want to give the assurance that everything is being done to better the economy and ameliorate the deprivation that people are going through.

I think that many Nigerians understand why things are the way they are and that the Buhari administration has inherited a prostrate economy.

Not just that, nobody envisaged that there will be a near total collapse of the price of crude, and when you juxtapose that with our consumption habit, when we tend import everything in quantity from toothpicks to the choicest champagne, all these products do put pressure on the foreign exchange stock of the nation and all of these have given rise to all the issues that are being dealt with by the president’s team.

But one needs to emphasise that as a nation, we got used to excessive consumption. We are not a producing nation.

Virtually everything we have is imported; there is even a joke that some of our elites order pizza and such other things all the way from London. So, all these things come from the same stock of foreign exchange that we have and they are quickly depleting giving the collapse of crude oil.

We have to turn from a consuming nation to a producing nation. We consume, because oil was there at a hundred plus naira per barrel, so money was all over the place but that is no longer the situation and so we must have to adjust to the new reality as a people and as a nation.

The president inherited a collapsed economy. You cannot start rebuilding a collapsed economy without clearing the debris and what we are doing today, is clearing the debris and at the same time; because when we listen to the radio, they say that all that is being done is war against corruption, but at the same time, the work of rebuilding and reconstruction of the Nigerian economy is rapidly in progress and I want to assure you that there will be plenty of successes in the next few

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Bad economy: Buhari doing everything to reduce hardship — Odigie-Oyegun National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in an interactive session with journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja spoke on several important issues in the polity including the ongoing crusade against corruption by the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Excerpts:

Buhari months.

But I keep underscoring this that there is no quick fix, there is no automatic solution but the projects are being concluded and things will get better in the next few months.

The party is aware and very conscious and sympathetic, but it is a situation we did not create, it is a situation the government is managing but the good news is that there will be smiles tomorrow but we must be able to put up with current deprivation which has become inevitable.

On the party’s Anambra Central Senatorial candidacy?

It has long ceased to be an issue because the party, after due process of our constitutional requirements had been followed, the process threw up Barr Sharon Ikeazor as the candidate for the party in that election and that is an issue that has since been decided.

I don’t understand this rather excessive concern of

Oyegun respected Senator Uche Ekwenife, she is a loyal party member, she went through the processes, it is in the constitution of the party to have procedures, screening processes, primary committees all of these are there.

It happened that there were two ladies of stature vying for that position, she has just come into the party straight into the process of nomination. Whether it was in the party’s constitution to disqualify her? Of course it is there, otherwise, we won’t have procedures, screening and appeal committees; it just happened that she was just coming into the party and those who processed the nomination had their score chart and we have a cutoff mark of 51 percent and she happens to score less than, that is it.

On Kogi State deputy governorship?

All I can say also is as a party, we are prepared for every

contingencies in the Kogi situation. So, whatever happens in the next few hours, we are ready for it, there is no question and doubt about that. I am not to pre-empt what may happen, that is for the legal authorities. I don’t want to go into the details of what is likely going to happen, that is still between INEC and legal authorities.

On party funding?

There has been this talk in the media but that goes to tell you that just like the economy, the party too is suffering from the stresses and strains of funding just like every institution in our polity. That also goes to tell you that we are not a party that withdraws money from security votes or from any government agency. We are working on plans to raise money from within the memberships. That plan has matured and will soon put it into operation. I saw reports that we have written to the presi-

dent to rescue the party. That is not part of his national duties and he has no intention because there are no funds from which he can draw from.

The party has to come up with fresh and innovative ways as to how to raise resources for its operations and that, we have done. The plan is ready and will go into operation in the next one month or two.

On the alleged ‘missing’ budget?

I will want to say here that the issue about the budget was totally overplayed, the budget was never missing, the main document was totally intact and when the President presented the budget, given the nature of the load of work they have to do and in the circumstances at which they were done, there were likely to be a few corrections to be made in this process, and all Mr. President effected were the necessary corrections at this point in time and there may still be more corrections as the process continues in the House of Assembly. I just see the criticisms surrounding the budget as one by the opposition to take a bash at the government, what happened is nothing more than suggested corrections to the addendum to the budget that had earlier been presented.

On mass defections to the APC? It is freedom of association and I think everybody is free to join. The essential fabric of APC is strong enough to withstand any attempt by anyone to undermine it from within.

In any case, you cannot join the APC without subscribing to its goals and objectives and when you join the party today, you do not expect to take over reign of power because there are people there already, you still have to prove yourself CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Ondo APC divided on LG polls

‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure

Ahead of the April 23, local government elections in Ondo State, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) appears divided on whether to take part or boycott the exercise even as the state electoral body affirmed its preparedness to go ahead with the polls.

While the leadership of the party in the state wants the opposition party to boycott the polls as it sees it as a ploy by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig itself into office in all the local governments in the state, the other group that is agitating participation in the polls said there was need to checkmate the PDP by taking part in the elections.

Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), Prof.

Olugbenga Ige reiterated that there was no going back on the date fixed for the polls while speaking on Monday at a stakeholders meeting held at the commission’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital, with representatives of various political parties in the state participating in the forthcoming local government election.

Ige, who explained that the state electoral umpire was committed to conducting a credible poll, free of rancor, said all stakeholders in the election process must join hands with the commission to carry-out a successful exercise.

At the meeting, which was attended by 27 political parties excluding the APC, representatives of the parties made several inputs and specifically

Mimiko

Kekemeke

advised the state electoral body to shun all forms of bias and favoritism preparatory for the coming LG election.

But the opposition APC, whose representatives were absent at the meeting, said it has yet to make any decision regarding its participation in the local government councils election.

The party’s Director of Publicity and Media, Mr. Steve Otaloro, said in statement issued in Akure, the party was still consulting its Central Working Committee at the national level whether to participate or not following mem-

bers agitation at a leadership consultative forum held at the state capital.

Mr. Otaloro averred that no decision had been taken yet by the party whether to participate or not in the local government election.

He noted that although the party’s participation or otherwise has been thoroughly discussed at the State Executive Committee but the conclusion reached by the members was that the LG was a sham set to trap the APC. “The conclusion reached was that the election is a sham meant to trap

11 Politics our party by Dr. Mimiko, who often boasted of capability of springing surprises and initiating political intrigues to checkmate our party’s rising profile and popularity in the state.

“We will, however, still require the decision of our party’s Central Working Committee at the National level to take another look at some of the reasons advanced by members of our party at the Leadership Consultative Forum held in Akure before reaching a final decision on the exercise.

“It is also pertinent to know that there is a subsisting case on the matter at the Supreme Court by the aggrieved elected chairmen under the late Dr Olusegun Agagu’s administration, while Govenor Olusegun Mimiko terminated their tenure abruptly on his assumption of office in 2009.

“Therefore, conducting a new election before judgment is delivered could amount to illegality, while the entire process might just be an exercise in futility in case the Supreme Court rules in favour of the plaintiff ”, he said.

Moreover, the state chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, had earlier said during the Leaders’ Consultative meeting penultimate week that the party lacked confidence in the ODIEC leadership vowing that its members would not participate in the election.

The Daily Times, however, gathered that the decision of the party chairman almost divided the party with some of its chieftains agitating for participation in the election, a wish believed to be against the position of the party’s leaders.

Bad economy: Buhari doing everything to reduce hardship — Odigie-Oyegun CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

that you’re loyal and reliable member of the party. You cannot just come and become a leader of the party in one day, you have to earn your way to become trusted with leadership and control. You cannot transfer your status in the party you were coming from into APC because when you come, you are meeting people who are occupying the leadership positions.

On constitution of party’s BOT? There is no issue surrounding that, its just that there has been so much to do and the president wants to personally participate in it, a date has been scheduled for all organs of the party to meet.

Buhari

Oyegun

On alleged ‘selective’ anticorruption fight?

I don’t know where to start,

but I feel it’s a judicial matter and the party absolutely has no role on the matter. People

give this impression that this government does nothing other than probe of corrupt officials but as I said earlier, a lot is happening that will bring cheers to Nigerians in the next few months. People say it is only PDP that this government is probing but for 16 years, PDP was in control, are you going to come and arrest me in Benin over contract issues when I was not in any way near government? Let me say this clearly, if we want to clean this country, then we must be serious about it. Wherever the train goes, we must be ready to go there, all these attempt to divert attention from the reality will not just work.

The mere fact that the current leader is investigating what

happened before his time is a clear indication that he is unlikely to repeat the same mistake as the next government will investigate the current administration too. We must be ready to put up with the inconveniences and moral decadence this administration is trying to get the country out of. When people start to make diversionary statements, I just laugh because this is not the time for this, we are investigating yesterday, let tomorrow investigate us, that is how this country will get out of this rot.

On whether ex-president Goodluck Jonathan should be called for questioning It is not my job, it is the job of EFCC. Wherever the train leads to, so be it.

News 12

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Metuh’s trial: Court admits letters, e-payment schedule as exhibits Continued from page 1 controller (CBN) to credit the account of the beneficiaries with various sums including Destra Investment Ltd which

received N400m.

Testifying on Tuesday before Justice Okon Abang, the third prosecution witness, Mr. Bali M. Ndam, a civil servant with ONSA

Kogi: Wada drops appeal of verdict on Bello’s swearing-in

Ï1Ə Ƒƍ ƗƆ ƈƆ Ɔ Ɨ Ə ƈ & ƄƑ Ƒ ƗƆƍê ƒ Peter Fowoyo

ÎÎÎKogi

State Governor, Captain Idris Wada (rtd) on Tuesday backed down from earlier plan to appeal the Mondayruling of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja which struck out two motions seeking interlocutory injunction to stop the inauguration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Wednesday (today) as the new governor of the state.

Chairman of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Halima Mohammed had in her rulingon Monday dismissed the motions, saying that though the tribunal has jurisdiction contrary to insinuations, the motions were not contained in the original petitions.

She explained that if the court granted the motions filled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party, it will definitely affect the life of the original case before the court.

Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel to Gov. Idris Wada, who disclosed the decision not to appeal the ruling by the election tribunal to our correspondent on phone, said the governor rather instructed his legal

team to concentrate on the case before the election tribunal.

He said: “My client has backed down from the appeal because he felt we should concentrate on the tribunal otherwise, we were ready to go and file the appeal this (Tuesday) morning. It is a gray area of the law that we believe only the court pronouncement can lay the matter to rest once and for all.”

Meanwhile, Kogi East Coordinators of Yahaya Bello Campaign Organisation, have denied nominating Mr. Gowon Egbunu as replacement for Hon. James Faleke as the incoming deputy governor of the state.

The coordinators told a news conference in Lokoja on Tuesday that their purported endorsement of Egbunu as reported by a section of the media (not the Daily Times) was a fraud and that their signatures were forged.

Their spokesman, Mr. Paul Enema, said he and his colleagues did not hold any meeting to nominate Egbunu, let alone issuing a communiqué to the media. ``Gowon Egbunu is strange to us. We don’t know him, we did not hold any meeting talk less of issuing a statement to the press’’, Enema emphasised.

said that 78 companies and individuals made up the list of those who were paid huge sums of money without contract award or approval.

The witness, who served as the legal adviser to the NSA and had worked under four other National Security Advisers, said that following the discovery of the payments discrepancy, the current National Security Adviser, Major General M. Mongunu (rtd), on November 28, 2015 forwarded a letter to the chairman of EFCC titled, “Payments to companies with no contract award none approvals”.

Ndam said that EFCC reply to NSA letter dated Jan-

uary 13, 2016 demanded for e-payment mandate of the companies and individuals involved.

He said that the ONSA’s response to EFCC request is the letter dated January 14, 2016 with e-payment schedule attached. Upon their admission as exhibits, the letters dated 28/11/2015, 14/1/2016 and 13/1/2016 were marked as exhibits (a) (b) and (c) respectively.

Before admitting the exhibits, the trial judge, Justice Abang had overruled the objection raised by the defence counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN).

Ikpeazu (SAN) had argued that the letters were inadmissible on the ground

that the witness was not the author and the fact that same witness had described the title of letter dated November 28, 2015 as “Payment of contract without award” instead of its correct caption “Payments to companies with no contract award none approvals”.

Defence counsel also submitted that the letter with e-payment attachment was inadmissible as he described it as computer generated document that must certify the provision of section 84 of Evidence Act that deals with electronic generated document.

In his submission, the Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, urged the court

to discountenance Ikpeazu’s submission on the ground that the letters were public document.

Ruling on the counsels submission, Justice Abang said that staff of ONSA can tender the document or the letter which he has knowledge of it. He noted that EFCC, ONSA, Police and CBN are government establishments serving the objective of the Federal Government, adding that the letter does not require certification.

Justice Abang also ruled that the attachments are annexures, adding that once the letters are admitted, it must go with them.

The trial continues today.

L-R: Region 2 Chairperson, Lions Club, Mrs. Olakusibe Etti-Williams; District Governor, Lions Club, District 404B-2 Nigeria, Dr. Christine Funke Adebajo; Lisa of Oregun land, Chief Moruf Alani and Chairman, Council of Chiefs of Oregun land, Chief Michael Adegoke, during the commissioning of a new borehole donated by Oregun Lion Club held at Ikeja, Lagos…on Tuesday.

PHOTO: OLAWALE ROTIMI

Budget gets knocks at Senate, House of Reps Continued from page 6 Nicholas Ossai (Delta-PDP), said that the budget contains constitutional breaches, as agencies outside the three bodies listed for statutory transfer of funds, were included in the budget.

“The National Assembly, the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the only ones constitutionally allowed to draw from statutory funding. But, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the minis-

try of transport were included”, Ossai said.

The lawmaker added that the implementation of the budget is already being threatened with the $38 per crude oil barrel benchmark, whereas the price of crude oil in the global market has already fallen as low as $27 per barrel.

Attempts by Gbajabiamila to stop Ossai by raising a point of order was over ruled by the Speaker who allowed the PDP lawmaker to continue, while APC members heckled him in a bid to dis-

rupt his presentation and critique of the budget.

Another lawmaker, Rep. Linus Okorie (Ebonyi-PDP) alleged that there is “embedded corruption of up to N330 billion in the budget”, just as he said the budget was hurriedly prepared.

He cited consultancy fees in the allocations to the ministries of finance, power and housing amounting to N20billion and the more than a billion excess allocation in the overhead budget of the Presidency respectively as some inconsistencies in the

budget.

According to Rep. Tajudeen Yusuf (Kogi-PDP), the N2.3 trillion deficit in the budget which is to be financed through borrowing is huge and should therefore, be used for capital projects as required by law.

“The stock market is down; ordinarily that is where we should have gone to borrow. But confidence is low. Investors cannot come in because most policies are not in place,” he said.

Similarly, Rep. Ogoshi Onawo (Nassarawa-PDP)

described the budget as an “over-ambitious one made to impress the public,” in the face of dwindling prices of crude oil and a flailing economy.

In his ruling, Speaker Yakubu Dogara assured lawmakers with misgivings about the budget that all imperfections contained in the Appropriation Bill will be corrected, before its transformation into an Act. “As we put these estimates into the bill that will finally be passed into law, my appeal is that the interest of the peo-

ple be put first”, Dogara said.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the House has adjourned plenary for two weeks to enable the various committees of the lower chamber commence deliberation on the budget.

At the Senate, debate on general principles of the budget will end on Wednesday, as Senators are set to pass it for Second Reading during which Ministries and Departments would be facing different Committees of the Senate to defend their allocations.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

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News 14

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Lagos bans parties, social function in public schools ÎÎÎ

The Lagos state government, on Tuesday, said it would no longer allow social functions and parties in public schools, just as owners of private schools across the state have been warned to comply with rules and regulations guid-

Zaria massacre:

Shi’ite group releases 705 names, photos of ‘missing members’ ÎÎÎThe Islamic Movement

of Nigeria popularly called Shi’ites, has released 705 names and photographs of people it said are its members missing since December 12 and 13, 2015, when soldiers carried out raids on the sect’s bases in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The raids took place after members of the sect barricaded a road, stopping the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai.

The Army said it used force as the blockade was an attempt on Buratai’s life.

The Shi’a group denies attacking Buratai.

After killing a sizeable number of the sect’s members, the Army, witnesses said, returned to the Hussainiyyah base of the Shi’ites, as well as the resident of group’s leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, in Gyellesu, also in Zaria.

ing their operations.

The deputy governor of the state, Mrs. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who disclosed this while briefing the newsmen on the strategic focus of the present administration on education for 2016, said the governor had directed that schools should no longer be used for social functions.

She said: “The governor has directed that schools will no longer be used for social activities any longer.

We want to implore members of the public to report any school that violates this directive and we would ensure that defaulting schools are sanctioned accordingly.”

Adebule, who also oversees the Ministry of Education, said the state government was putting a

searchlight on the standard of education in the private schools, saying it will no longer be business as usual for such schools that undermine best practices.

She said as a first step, the government will engage with private school owners and proprietors to intimate them on the action plan of the present administration towards improving the standard of education, saying that though government is willing to partner with private schools, they must also be willing to adhere strictly to the acceptable standard.

“Much as private schools are partners in the sector, we would not fold our hands and watch the standard flopped. Some schools even operate without registering with the government. We want to urge such schools to

do the right thing or government will have no choice but to do what it has to do,” she said.

Earlier, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, while giving a detailed presentation on the policy thrust of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration for the education sector, said the state government intends to construct the biggest digital library.

He said the government was already at the planning stage of the library, while the actual establishment of the project would commence in the next quarter of the year.

He said the state government will build 10 new model schools with state of the art facilities, while two new technical colleges

will be built in the course of the year in areas where such facilities are urgently needed.

On the Ibile Tablets, Bank Olemoh said 324,000 tablets to Senior Secondary School students, adding that plans have been concluded to register all students in both public and private schools in the state under the Lagos State Student Personal Administration Number (LASPIN) project in order to aid proper planning.

On the free meal in schools project, he said the state government is currently perfecting its framework for the eventual take off, saying that the project is expected to, on one hand, enhance the learning capacity of the pupils, and on the other, boost the economy of the state.

ÎÎÎThe Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), on Tuesday, distributed a total sum of N387.771 billion to Federal, States and Local Governments for the month of December 2015 inclusive

Titilope Joseph

ÎÎÎOne

Adetuyi Adewunmi, has been charged before a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl.

The suspect, who was said to have committed the offence sometime in March, 2014 was arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye on one count charge bothering on the defilement of a minor, an offence which is contrary to the law of Lagos state.

Details of the charge brought against the accused are as follows: That you; Adetuyi Adewunmi, defiled one 13-year-old Maria Tajudeen on March 17th, 2014, at Oyelola Street, Anifowose, Ikeja, Lagos .

However, when the statement of offence was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the state, Afeez Owokoniran informed the court of the prosecution’s readiness for the take up the case. He further told the court that they have their witnesses ready and therefore asked for a date for trial.

Shonekan commends Gov. Lalong’s leadership style Chijioke Kingsley, Jos

ÎÎÎ

A cross section of the Awori Indigenous Forum (AIF) during a peaceful protest over continuous marginalisation of the Aworis in Lagos… on Tuesday.

FG, states, LGAs share N387.771b as Dec. allocation Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

Man docked for rape of minor

of Value Added Tax (VAT).

Giving the breakdown of the revenue allocated, Chairperson of FAAC and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, in Abu-

ja. said that the gross statutory revenue of N315.019 billion received for the month of December was higher than the N297.540billion received in the previous month by N17.569billion.

He disclosed that for the month of December 2015,

the gross revenue accrued from VAT was N62.071 billion as against N61.181 billion distributed in the preceding month resulting in an increase of N0.890 billion. Out this, 4 per cent cost of collection was deducted accordingly.

Buhari

The former Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, has commended Governor Simon Lalong for running all inclusive government in Plateau state.

Shonekan stated this at the funeral of his late brother, Dr. Raphael Olajide Shonekan, held in Jos at the Methodist Cathedral Church.

Speaking at the funeral service, Shonekan implored the Yorubas in the country not to partake in violence but to live in peace with both the government and the various ethnic groups in Nigeria, urging them to take a cue from Governor Lalong.

In his words: “I believe in unity and the indivisibility of this country and urged the Yorubas to be law abiding because, democracy can only succeed in an atmosphere of peace.”

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

15 Opinion

Itse Sagay: Browbeating the judiciary to save APC

I Nkem Ikenegbu

n future, historians will be plodding through mountains of documents, searching for how and why Nigerians came to this sordid pass. In the course of search, a document will hold a prime and pivotal place.

That document is the interview Professor Itse Sagay granted, ‘The Saturday Telegraph’. It ran: “I doubt if the Supreme Court will upturn decisions on Rivers and Akwa Ibom elections”.

First the‘deliberately fixed’ attributions to Sagay, was perhaps demanded by him? According to the intro, ‘’Sagay is a professor of law, a renowned constitutional lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria [SAN]’’…. Yet, despite the correctness of the assertions it is a prudently expurgated CV. To appreciate what happened, imagine someone describing Muhammadu Buhari in his current incarnation, and merely states that he was a General, former military dictator and serial presidential contender and leaving out that he is a sitting president. A careful historian will sense that it is a purposed missing link.

Now, Sagay is currently the head of the Presidential Advisory Com-

mittee against Corruption, (PACC).

Of course PACC is a quasi-autonomous non/governmental quango.

In addition, quangos reached their heights of infamy during the rule of caudillos in Latin American. They were used to debase and corrupt, not just the judiciary, but also all other segments of the society. Therefore, a quango is like an institutional bagman of government. That is while they may exhibit the innocence of not being quangos, are the ‘unseen’ monkey paws that stirs the sorcerer’s pots.

Even if the interviewer did not properly designate Sagay, why did he not do full disclosures, that he is heading a quango?

Moreover, the matter gets interesting. The point is that the judiciary is under intemperate siege, contemning and distrainment by the executive.

However, to get a fuller picture let us quote Ekiti’s Governor, Fayose, in a subject matter that is common knowledge. ‘’I was listening to the president on the television. He said somebody stole and some people are somewhere suffering. Is the president now a law unto himself ? Is he a judge in his own matter?’’

In addition, to aid the presidency, other operatives of the executive and associated departments, have been boasting, threatening and accusing the judiciary that they will soon be

jailed and or dismissed as if the judiciary and judges are their house helps.

Sagay is a head of a quango funded by the APC government. Therefore, what he says can be taken to represent the desires, instructions and threats of the government in matters at issue.

Magisterially Sagay concluded: ‘’So, I would be very surprised if there is any change at the Supreme Court.’’

For any unsophisticated reader, it is all a harmless statement.

However, consider that lawyers since the times of Socrates have taught the use of rhetoric as tools of warfare, to bludgeon, persecute and browbeat, just as an assassin would, with hidden daggers. Therefore, Sagay’s choice of words is cold and deliberate.

Now, Robert Clarke (SAN) is one of the most informed, senior and big-ticket lawyers. Recently, he railed against lawyers, especially senior lawyers, who indulge in speculative propositioning of judgements in matters that are before their justices. “It was not the duty of the bar to canvass or prescribe how the justices will come out with their judgements. In fact, he called on other senior lawyers to close ranks and fight this desecration of the hallowed temple of justice by “areaboy lawyers”, he said.

Sagay, should know that lawyers must not indulge in propositioning or speculating on judgements of the

justices.

Yet, he did exactly that. Now, with Buhari administration’s impulses, statements and body language or odour, against the judiciary, and Sagay’s prudent choice of legal vernaculars, what can be deduced is: that the judgement of the Supreme Court should better favour the government, or the Supreme Court Justices would be in trouble.

In a sense, all these amount to vicious assault on the judiciary, a constitutionally provided and independent arm of government.

In addition, what is their purpose?

It is to enthrone the rule one man and his party. If the judiciary is destroyed by the APC, the opposition and ordinary Nigerians may never get justice, except as determined by the party.

Moreover, if there is no justice, the citizens become chattels and plebians of their new Caesars or Sheriffs.

Therefore, the siege against the judiciary is just to strengthen a party and its government. That is, the judiciary must be sacrificed to empower a party.

However, the judiciary is universal, is for wholesomeness of society.

Our very existence is under threat if we allow demagogues, emerging caudillos and quislings to derail us. If the judiciary is crushed who will defend the common people?

Dr. Ikenegbu writes from Abuja

Criticisms and nation-building

C

Fred Doc Nwaozor

riticism can be defined as the expression of disapproval of someone or something. In the same vein, a critic is one who writes reviews and expresses opinions about books, films, music or any artwork having considered it carefully.

Criticism is simply a matter of flushing out a certain thought or attitude and trying to change it. Thus, criticism ensures that what is accepted as self-evident will no longer be accepted as such. Suffice to say; observance criticism in any society is a matter of making facile gestures or remarks difficult.

Criticisms are veritable recipes in any area of human endeavour. For instance; in Steward-Client relationship, if the client has a criticism to tender, it means he/she wants to give feedback on the services being rendered to him/her, thereby creating an opportunity for the steward to learn more about the person he is working for and how to convert them into a satisfied client member. Same measure is applicable in a TraderCustomer relationship.

Similarly, in business venture, working or collaborating with someone who is patient and able to

receive as well as act on criticism signifies that both parties involved can work towards a better or greater outcome. Furthermore; in movie production, criticism enables the producer to know what his audience actually want.

If one always thinks he is right but does not get feedback from anyone else, he would not know if he is really doing well. Whether you are selling, servicing, performing, or leading, listening and acting on those honest views or reactions will tell you precisely what is good and what could be done better. Perhaps, you can use the information to change your performance, exhibition or product, as the case may be.

In public service, criticism has the tendency of guiding the public servants away from bad practices, and towards good and acceptable ones.

It would enable the said workers to take a step back or have a rethink with a view to making amends where necessary.

The socio-political arena is not left out while discussing the inevitable role of criticism in nation building.

Undoubtedly, a little constructive criticism from the public such as the civil society groups, electorate, religious organisations or what have you, channelled towards the political

office holders can yield the anticipated change in the country or society.

Considering the positive impact of constructive criticism, there is no gain reiterating the fact that it is indeed a welcome gesture or required factor toward the socio-economic development of any nation; hence, ought to be sustained. To this end, there is need for us to acknowledge that the language we use in response to criticism is vitally important.

Whenever criticism is tendered by any concerned individual or group, the recipient is expected to try at all cost to avoid getting into an argument. Instead, they should turn the exchange into a discussion on how to resolve the predicament; such approach would keep the door open for the required change.

Most importantly, criticisms are not meant to be taken personally.

Even if one feels he/she is being criticised unfairly, he should not retaliate with an extreme knee-jerk reaction; such response will worsen the situation. Therefore, it is essential to always remember to not be offended by someone’s remarks even if you think it is a personal attack.

On the other hand; having noted the enormous significance of constructive criticism, there is also a compelling need for the critics to be

mindful at all times when tendering their criticisms. They should know when they are supposed to tender the criticism as well as how it ought to be presented. It is worthy to note that, some critics lack the orientation on when and how to present their criticism; this set of persons invariably tender their contrary opinions as a form of antagonism.

More so, critics are meant to comprehend that criticism is expected to be accompanied by the presumed remedy to the anomaly that is being criticised. Most so-called critics usually end up raising a cloud of dust in the name of criticism. Unequivocally, a criticism that is not tendered with a presumed solution to the problem is simply a mere noise that is intended to cause a pandemonium or controversy rather than addressing the situation at hand.

In view of the aforementioned facts, everyone at all levels including political leaders, followers, craftsmen, traders, businessmen, teachers and public servants, as the case may be, is expected to take criticism seriously regardless of the circumstance in order not to abuse the tool, which has proven beyond any reasonable doubt to be the engine room of any nation-building.

Think about it!

16

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

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Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Education Times Æ s Ex-ASUU president wants FG to resolve dispute with SSANU Former President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, has appealed to the Federal Government to resolve the ongoing dispute with the Senior Staff of Nigeria Universities (SSANU).

Awuzie made the appeal in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

Recall that SSANU on December 24, 2015 began an indefinite strike over plans by the Federal Government to sack more than 2,000 of its members in various public universities nationwide.

SSANU had earlier staged protests in their respective institutions to press their agitation following government’s plans to stop the funding of all the universities’ staff schools. They claimed that a circular by the Federal Ministry of Education, directed vice-chancellors of universities to stop payment of all staff school workers.

According to him, the

L-R: Host, God’s Children Great Talent (GCGT), IK Osakioduwa; one of the coordinators of GCGT, Adenike Ajakaiye; Co-producer, Oh TV, Deborah Oluyemi and GCGT sponsor from Digital Jewels, Mrs. Adedoyin Odunfa, at the official launch of the Season 6 of God’s Children Great Talent in Lagos ... on Tuesday.

Nigerian universities have had a fair share of industrial action in recent times. Awuzie said that the current action by the association might yet destabilise the peaceful

academic environment that currently exist in the system. He said that what the association was asking for was not out of place, since it was an agreement that both

2016 UTME: Sale of forms ends Feb.6, says JAMB Stories by Augustine Okezie, Abuja The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that the sale of 2016 University Matriculation Examination Forms (UTME) is expected to end on the February 6, 2016.

This clarification is coming amidst widespread scarcity of the forms in the Federal Capital Territory occasioned by the hoarding of the forms by cyber cafes and the banks in a brisk effort to make extra gains.

JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, told the Daily Times in an ex-

clusive chat that the examination proper is expected to kickstart later next month. He also expressed the readiness of the board to conduct a hitch free exercise He said: “We are ready for the examination. Even if the examination is to take place tomorrow, we are ready; we are only waiting for candidates to finish their registration.

“We have given them time to do their proper registration and we wouldn’t want to cut that; we will wait for them to conclude and then conduct the examination as arranged.

“We have made adequate arrangements; we have tak-

en into cognisance issue of power, system breakdown and challenges of connectivity of whatever we are using. We have fashioned all these things into our preparation and we are good to go. Whatever it takes, we will finish the examination in March,” he said.

The Daily Times investigations reveal that banks in the FCT no longer sale the UTME forms, as they often claim that they have ran out of stock.

At one the banks in Zuba in Gwagwlada area council, our correspondent was directed on enquiry to a tree outside the bank where he could obtain the form.

parties had reached. ``When I was ASUU president, I know that the primary schools were being funded by the Federal Government. It is not the same as the secondary school. For

the secondary school, that should be an entirely public enterprise. Government is not under any obligation to bankroll the staff of secondary schools. ``But the primary schools should be part of the university because they are young children of staff and it is not advisable to take them outside the university community. `This is what is obtained in the army schools. ``Most of the pupils are children of those officers in-charge of the laboratories and other technical sections of these universities,’’ he said.

He stressed the need for government to appreciate what the striking workers were agitating for.

Awuzie, who was also the former Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University, added that if the strike should continue for more weeks, it would negatively impact on the entire system. ``That is why I am calling on the government to find lasting solutions to the entire issue in order to restore normalcy in the various campuses nationwide.

FCT election: Monarch tasks aspirants on the devt. of education Stories by Augustine Okezie, Abuja The traditional ruler of Kado –Life camp in Abuja municipal area council in the Federal Capital Territory, Etsu Danlami Audu, has appealed to candidates jostling for political offices in the forthcoming area council election in the territory to place priority on the development and growth of the education in the territory Danlami, who made the appeal in his palace while receiving one of the aspirants, Alhaji Adamu Bello, recalled that that the outgoing Chair-

man of the Municipal Council, Mr. Michael Jibah, had performed creditably well during his tenure and urged any successful candidate that emerges to emulate him.

He said:’’ Mr. Michael Jibah had performed creditably; you see Jibah did a lot of things in the area of education, schools, boreholes, road construction, and provided transformer, etc.

The traditional ruler further noted the increased rate of enrolment into schools, urging that adequate policy provision should be made for the teeming youths in the area.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

19 Education Times NOUN as flagship of Distance Learning Education in Nigeria During its recently held 5th convocation ceremony in Abuja, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) graduated 10,653 candidates, demonstrating its leading role in the distance learning education in Nigeria compared to similar institutions in other parts of the world.

AUGUSTINE OKEZIE, who was at the event, takes a critical look at the implications of this leadership role.

President of NYSC / EFCC Anti-Corruption Community Development Service (CDS), Jos, Mr. Ojooluwa Ibiloye, addressing students of Government Secondary School, at a sensitisation lecture on anti-corruption / quiz competition in Jos... recently.

Experts call for entrepreneurial orientation of students Ï Lƅ^ ƆƏ n ƈƒƆƏ ƈƐƕ ƋƗ ƿƐ ƌ ƐƏƈƅƑƋ Ɛƈ ƅƆƏƆƌ ƕ

By Joy Anyim The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Police Mortgage Bank Plc, Mr. Adebola Adeboye, has called for entrepreneurial orientation of students as a way to curb youth unemployment in the country.

He also called on the Federal Government to urgently formulate policy to cater for the teeming population of unemployed youth in the country.

Adeboye made this call while delivering a Pre-Matriculation Lecture at the 4th Matriculation ceremony of McPherson University, Ajebo, Ogun State.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Entrepreneurship: Panacea to Economic Development in Nigeria, Adeboye noted that there was need for thorough orientation of Nigerian youths especially those in universities to embrace entrepreneurship as an alternative measure to dealing with unemployment.

He said: “There is an urgent need to re-orientate Nigerians youth and University students on the need to embrace entrepreneurship and this can be achievable through an entrepreneurial orientation, development and education in Nigerian Universities.

Students should also be ready to learn vocational training from any available skill acquisition centers created by the federal government during their holidays.

“I also recommend that the government considers the provision of initial capital for graduates who have successfully completed

the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with a view to help them finance their entrepreneurial initiatives.

Adeboye, who commended the President Buhari administration’s entrepreneurial plans, opined that the government needed to keep doing more in its drive to keep unemployment low.

He, however, opined that “entrepreneurship education is not for students alone but also for the adults and citizens that are desirous of improved standard of living.

He urged students and youths to embrace entrepreneurship as it will benefit Nigeria, her citizens and Africa at large.

Adeboye, who has authored nearly 10 motivational and entrepreneurial books in nearly 3 decades, reiterated that young entrepreneurs should as at when in school disabuse their minds from ‘white-collar’ job mentality and aspire to be job creators and solution providers. They should position themselves for opportunities and be ready to make use of any available opportunity”.

Similarly, Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adeniyi Agunbiade, in his address during the matriculation cautioned students and graduates to do way with mindset and mentality that could limit their potentials and capacity to begin something new.

Agunbiade said entrepreneurship would assist in the realisation of the institution’s philosophy of producing highly skilled and motivated graduates who would serve as employers of labour.

He revealed that the Institution

would be graduating her first set of students this year, 2016.

Addressing the over one hundred newly admitted students, the VC urged them to see the opportunity as ‘turning points’; and expressed hope that matriculants would justify the golden opportunity of University Education by working very hard.

He however warned that the path to excellence at the University is “through God-guided quality decision, diligence in pursuit, dogged determination to succeed, profound devotion to God and genuine and enthusiastic desire for transparent honesty”.

“The University expects you to bring the very best, intellectually, and morally, out of yourself, and it expects you to place those excellent potentialities in the service of our motherland, Nigeria and the entire larger world”.

The matriculated students were distributed into three Colleges: College of Social and Management Sciences (COSMAS), College of Natural and Applied Sciences (COLNAS) and College of Humanities (COLHUM).

VC added that the University degree was for excellence in character and learning and that his administration would have “zero tolerance for illegal activities”.

The University helmsman urged the matriculating students to keep in mind the fact that the founding fathers of this university and the society at large expect great success from them. This, in his words, means they must keep away from activities inimical to the University values and vision.

Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, blew the historical trumpet that incidentally qualified the widening role NOUN has assumed in open and distance learning education when at the inaugural lecture that preceded the 5th convocation ceremony, he described the ability of the varsity to churn out such a large number of gradaunts as unprecedented, qualifying it to be described as the nation’s ‘’flagship in open and distance learning.’’

Bogoro went further to rally support for the budding tertiary institution maintaining the challenge it has undertaken for itself which entails education without borders and requires huge infrastructural development that enables it confront the myriads of challenges confronting its assigned task.

NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Vincent Tenebe, at the convocation ceremony, also reflected on the issues raised by Bogoro, when he noted that NOUN had achieved its primary mandate of having study centers in all the state capitals across the country.

According to him, the institution will commence the last aspect of its mandate, which is to establish study centers in all the 774 local governments in the next 15 years.

He said the total number of study centers across the country stood at 72 alongside four new research centers.

Prof. Tenebe also appealed to relevant authorities to admit graduates of NOUN into law school as was done in other countries.

In his address, NOUN’s Chancellor, Lawrence Agubuzu, a traditional ruler, said there were 59 open universities in the world, adding that their graduates were not treated differently from graduates of conventional universities.

Agubuzu called on the National Youth Service Corps and the

Nigerian Law School to allow NOUN graduates to participate in their progammes.

NOUN’s 2016 convocation was held for the first time at University Village, Jabi, which was allocated to the institution in 1983.

Commending the efforts of NOUN despite the challenges confronting the institution, President Muhammad Buhari, who was represented by Professor Julius Okojie of the National Universities Commission, reiterated government’s support in strengthening the National Open University of Nigeria to fully achieve its open and distant learning goals of education delivery.

Notable gradaunts at the 5th convocation included former President Olusegun Obasanjo who bagged a Master’s Degree in Theology at the fifth convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Also some prison inmates were amongst the gradaunts. The university’s Director of Media and Information, Dr. Ronke Ogunmakin, did not however provide the actual number of inmates that graduated.

Also amongst the graduants is 52-year-old grandmother of eight, Abdullahi Amina, with first class degree in Islamic studies and the best graduating student, Udo Effiong from the department of Environmental Science and Resource Management who massed cumulative grade points of 4.71.

The Vice Chancellor NOUN, Professor Vincent Tenebe, in his remarks, commended President Buhari’s efforts through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to fast-track the infrastructural development of the institution’s permanent site in Abuja.

He, however, raised an alarm over the perceived discrimination against NOUN graduates from gaining access to other relevant forms of education and national services.

L-R: Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Profesoor, Suleiman Bogoro, Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Vincent Tenebe, Chancellor, NOUN, Igwe Ambassador Lawrence Chikezie Agubuzu and Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, during NOUN 5th Convocation ceremony in Abuja recently.

Education Times 20

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Inside Campus Æ s

Abdul-Azeez Burhan Olaitan, (UNIBEN) Ostensibly, talking about leaders and governance Nigeria is grossly unfortunate. Though blessed with abundant means to prosperity, devil-agents are the ones who rose to leadership positions among us that upon assuming power, they turn themselves into monstrously greedy selfseekers and destroyers of their own land and people.

Governance, said to be a social contract between the elected and the electorate; incorporating sets of rules and laws that govern a society; guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities to every citizen irrespective of his or her economic or social status; and specifying the roles and responsibilities, which require the exhibition of ethical behavior that demand transparency and accountability of citizens and government officials – elected or appointed.

Nevertheless, when the elected indulge in corruption in preference to upholding the social contract, governance fails in its purpose and responsibilities, as has been the sad story with Nigeria. Hence there has been failure of governance in a nation that abundantly flourishes in huge wealth of finest natural and human resources quantifiably measured in comparison with the wealthiest nation on earth.

It is a basic social responsibility of governance to deliver social infrastructural amenities to enhance citizens’ wellbeing and alleviate their standard of life. To deny a people the comfort of life is nothing but a hid-

O ye Nigerians, Cry!

Olaitan

eous crime against humanity and God. On this note, if you join them in saying that cases of Dasuki, Metuh, Dokpesi, Allison-Madueke and every other person who personalised our national cake is a witch-hunt, I have reported you to Ogun (god of iron) and Sango (god of thunder). If I have reported you to Christ, he may forgive you.

What exists in Nigeria I could say, is a government of irresponsibility, and this irresponsibility could not be portrayed more as reflected on state of roads that have become death traps to motorists; dual carriage highways have been turned into singlelanes because motorist avert bad spots, such as the Port Harcourt to Enugu, the Lagos to Benin, and many more. What motorists

see on these roads are occasional patchy works, which are broken soon completed, thereby making the patch work a never-ending activity and financial pipeline of stealing the borrowed monies.

The Nigerian government is concern about how much to borrow and how much to loot through spurious contracts that leave Nigeria pegged in a debt hole. I see a nation where stealing and looting is the main objective of going into politics that even when the treasury has been suckle-dried; they borrow money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, etc, just to steal.

Families, in daily occurrence, lose their loved ones and breadwinners to road accidents and armed robberies on these roads, yet regime after regime remain insensitive to the heartbeat of the suffering of the people. For your conscience, another casualty of a failed state under your watch is that of Doyin Sarah Fagbenro, the 25-year-old Nigerian lady who spent twenty-three of her years in the United Kingdom.

Upon concluding her First and Second Degrees in Law, she decided to return permanently to Nigeria. But Nigeria killed her on the Lekki/Ajah expressway around the Lekki Phase1 some weeks after she returned. She was a great potential.

Let us check through the history of the world, there would have been countries warned frequently and persistently about their impending collapse as

Nigeria is being warned. Both at home and in the Diaspora, very many persons, ranging from statesmen, intellectuals, journalists, diplomats, historians, ordinary people like Donald Trump, etc, so many people with goodwill who are interested in Nigeria’s well-being and success are warning, emphasizing and re-emphasizing that Nigeria could soon disintegrate all in the name of ‘leadership of corruption’. Unhappily, the men and women who guide the Nigeria ship chose to ignore all these warnings. They are determined to continue managing the affairs of their country in their accustomed destructiveways. It looks like a huge and malevolent force had grappled Nigeria in its grip, pushing and pulling Nigeria through an evil whirlwind towards some sort of predetermined cataclysm!

Mahatma Gandhi could not have thought less of Nigerian society in his philosophical mind when he warns against “seven social sins”, namely: politics without principle, wealth without work, commerce without morality, pleasure without ‘conscience, education without character, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice’. According to Gandhi, corruption triumphs where these sins exist. So has been with Nigeria where politicians throw morality to the dogs and cover faces with pig’s shame in competition for who loots more in a system of ‘lootocracy’.

Ondo: 189 pioneer students take oath at Medical varsity ‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure A total of one hundred and eighty-nine students have taken the oath of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) in Ondo State with a promised to squarely face their studies.

The pioneer students took the oath at the opening of the orientation programme held at the Ondo Medical village.

The university is the first medical specialised university in the country and it last week admitted 189 students for courses in Medicine,

Dentistry, Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry.

Speaking, Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Friday Okonofua, explained that the university was prepared to contribute to the training of health professionals needed to amend the present shortfalls in human resources for health in the country.

Okonofua said the university, when fully functional, would offer courses in all health fields, not presently covered by universities in Nigeria.

He said such fields included oc-

cupational therapy, orthotic and prosthetic technology and speech and language therapy.

The university will create a niche for itself in offering postgraduate degrees in health courses to address the present requirements of the National Universities Commission for academic re-orientation in all medical disciplines,” he said.

The UNIMED VC lamented the decline in quality of undergraduate training in medicine and allied courses, attributing the decline to lack of equipment and resources

for training.

He however assured students that UNIMED would strategise to overcome such challenges and deliver world-class graduates.

Also at orientation programme, the Akure-born renowned fiction writer and intellectual, Prof. Kole Omotosho, as well as a former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof.

Bisi Balogun, delivered papers in which they introduced the students to the opportunities and challenges of university education vis-a-vis medical training and practice.

UNIBEN matriculates 5,000 students Eddy Uwoghiren, UNIBEN No fewer than 5,000 students have taken the matriculation oath at the University of Benin.

They took the oath at the 2015/2016 Matriculation ceremony of the institution which held at the Akin Deko Main Auditorium, last Friday.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof.

Faraday Orumwense, who chaired the ceremony, congratulated the students on successful scaling the admission hurdles of the university. He charged them to make their parents proud by graduating in record time with a good class of degree.

While admonishing the students to shun every form of indiscipline, Orumwense stated that the university has zero tolerance for examination malpractice.

He called on them to make use of the facilities available in the institution for their optimum learning.

“My administration as always will continue to institute students’ friendly policies. My new students, I encourage you to promote the good image of UNIBEN and support this administration as we move on to making our university a great one. Whenever you have issues, always sue for dialogue because we are willing to listen to you.”

After the VC’s speech, the Registrar of the institution, Mrs. O.A Oshodin, administered the matriculation oath on the new students and thereafter congratulated them.

The ceremony was attended by top management staff of the university.

Speaking, Sandra Obaruyi, a fresh student in the department of Accounting, said she was grateful to God for witnessing the day which she tagged as one of her best.

Prof. Orumwense

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

What benefits do contributors to defunct NPF/NSITF under Pension Reform Act 2004 have?

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Sarah ODEDE

Why is Nigerian Army denying me my pension? ÏÏÏIt

would be a relief if the TIMESEARCH could help me to contact the Military Pensions Board Office Abuja to know when my pension money would be ready for payment as I have been going on verification exercise every month to buttress my claims of payment.

I last served at 2 Division Ibadan, and after my retirement, I was meant to understand that my pension money would be paid the following month after my retirement from the service of the Nigerian Army.

I was happy when I was informed by my division about the payment of my pension, but to my utmost surprise, the day I called on the Pension Office Abuja, I was told I had to undergo some processes which to them, I was yet to undergo, and for that reason, I could not be paid.

Later, one of the officials I met at the Administrative Department advised me to contact my last unit in order to furnish them on some issues that entails the payment of pensions.

I was not happy at this development that I was told to go

through before I could come for the collection of my pension.

However, based on this information from the Pension Office, I started taking part in the verification exercise but to my greatest surprise, I am yet to be informed about the stage of my pension money if and when it would be ready for collection.

I also have some arrears to claim from the Nigerian Army, and nothing was said about this issue the last time I contacted the Pensions Office. I am afraid if the Army authority is ready to pay retirees this money or not. Please, do not forget to help me find out from the Army Headquarters or the Pension Office to enable me know how to table my complaints with the Military Pensions Office.

Many of my colleagues have benefited from the TIMESEARCH and for this reason, I am pleading with the TIMESEARCH to please help me out too.

Sergeant Kola Onisemo 127 Afin Sagamu, Ogun State At the Military Pensions Board Office, Kubuwa Abuja, the issue of Sergeant Kola Onisemo was taken up with an official who craved ano-

Buratai

nymity on hearing the nature of the complaint.

The official did not hesitate to tell the TIMESEARCH that since the complainant claimed he has been contacting the Pensions Office on monthly basis, what stops him from forwarding his complaint to the Board instead of going through the press.

The complainant was told to contact the Public Relations Department with the following telephone numbers: 07031172384, 08075338283, and 08080916302 when next he calls on the office.

Efforts to make the official comment further on the issue failed.

The complainant was however advised to use the above numbers to contact the Board for further action.

Advising however, the official told the complainant to produce all the necessary information about him while in service to enable the Pensions Office know how to look into its records.

Please, educate me on NDE Vocational Skills Acquisition ÏÏÏI doff my hat for the

TIMESEARCH column for all the risks it has been taken in order to solve the numerous complaints brought to it.

I am grateful to the Daily Times Newspaper for the creation of this wonderful column which has been making life very easy and accessible for many Nigerians like me.

I have a problem I would want the TIMESEARCH to educate me and many other applicants like me in Nigeria.

This issue is on the Vocational Skill Acquisition training of the National Directorate of Em-

ployment (NDE).

I studied Political Science at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and graduated three years ago. Up to the time of writing this letter to the TIMESEARCH, I am yet to know what exactly the National Directorate of Employment meant by the Vocational Skills Acquisition training.

What is the programme all about? I have been reading and hearing so many things from some of its beneficiaries relating to the programme or scheme, but how could one fit in, and what does it take for one to be a beneficiary?

21

I was happy when I discovered the TIMESEARCH page and since then I have been a regular reader and a fan of the page.

Please keep the flag flying and remain blessed for Nigerians.

Danladi Dongo P.O. Box 65431 Sokoto, Sokoto State, The enquiry of Danladi Dongo was tabled before one of the officials of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Headquarters Abuja from where it was revealed to the TIMESEARCH that one the major causes of unemployment is the skills mismatch.

Companies requiring

trained and/or experienced labour have been known to have recruitment problem even though unemployment runs high.

The foregoing aptly justifies the introduction of the National Directorate of Employment’s Skills Acquisition Programme to stem rural urban drift, remedy the inability of the target group to fund their own training and complement the services of the existing training institutions that provide specialised training for industries and other agencies which are too expensive for the unemployed school leavers to earn on their own.

Furthermore, the capacity of such training is limited.

ÏÏÏ

I would like the TIMESEARCH to throw more light on the issue of benefits under the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2004 and the benefit payments since the inception of National Provident Fund/Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Scheme.

From all indications, this enquiry is quite challenging, because many retirees like me who have been monthly contributors to the defunct NPF/ NSITF, before the Pension Reform Act 2004 would no doubt want to know the rationale behind the Pension Reform Act 2004.

Apart from the above, there are many more pressing issues such as wanting to know the NSITF benefit administration before and after the new contributory pension dispensation.

This information is very vital for workers and retirees like me who have been regular and monthly contributors of the above schemes.

So much have been observed since the introduction of the Pension Reform Act 2004 by the Federal Government and to date, many retirees are ignorant of it.

I have been following the publication of the TIMESEARCH column for quite some time and has found it to be very educative and informative.

This I do on weekly basis, so please let me know the benefit once from you by throwing more light on biting issues like this one.

Mr. Abayomi Akewula 63 Grace Street Gbagada Estate, Lagos State At the Social Insurance Trust Fund Abuja, an official who was tracked down as regards the enquiries of Mr. Akewula told the TIMESEARCH that the enquiries were quite surprising because according to the official who craved anonymity, “it must be mentioned that the Pensions Reform Act 2004 has redefined the status and functions of NSITF as an organisation.

Sections 42 and 71 of the PRA 2004 have summarily removed from the purview of NSITF as an organisation,

all such functions as stated above, but enabled it to function as a Social Security outfit, engaged mainly in short term benefits other than Pensions.

However, in accordance with Section 8 of the same law, NSITF still processes Benefit applications from insured members who are exempted from the new Pension Scheme (that is ) members who had three years to retire as at July 2004 when t he Pension Reform Act commenced.

This group was expected to have exited the scheme by June 30, 2007.

This implies that by July 1, 2007, NSITF was expected to completely hands-off the defined Benefit Scheme highlighted above.

It is pertinent to note that members who contributed to the NPF/NSITF schemes have now been grouped into three groups. Viz: Insured members who are already enjoying NSITF Scheme Pension; Insured members who are exempted by Section 8 of the Reform Act 2004, that is, members who statutorily had three years to retire with effect from July 2004; and Insured members whose contributions have been transferred embloc to Turstfund Pensions Plc, the PFA statutorily charged with the responsibility of opening Retirement Savings Account for such members, pending the expiration of the period of five years stipulated in Section 42 (3) of the PFA, 2004 when each of the affected members would be free to select a Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) of his/her choice.

As at March 2007, there were 6, 762 insured members who were already receiving monthly pensions under the NSITF Scheme. About 17,000 others who fall within the group of exempted persons in accordance with Section 8 of the PFA 2004 are still expected to come up for their entitlements under the scheme.

The third group of insured members whose contributions have been transferred to Tustfund are about 1.2 million in number.

Commenting on the benefit payment since the inception of NPF/NSITF Scheme, the official had this to say: “Benefit payments from 1963 to October 2006 when NSITF transferred its Assets and Liabilities to TRUSTFUND Pensions Plc, 2004.

22

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

ZAMAN-LAFIYA-MUKEZO ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the corporate Affairs commission Abuja for registration under the part C of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Alhaji Buda Mani- Chairman 2. Alhaji Abubakar Usman 3. Alhaji Amadu Mamudu 4. Alhaji Musa Abdullahi T. 5. Alhaji Ibrahim Alaje Aims and Objectives: 1. To bring together different traders and business men & women engaged in lawful trading and /or commercial endeavors in and around Kotankowa Market Abule-Egba Lagos Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general corporate affairs commission plot 420 tigris crescent of Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Bar. Adebayo Cole

ASSOCIATION OF GRAINS AND ALLIED PRODUCE FARMERS OF NIGERIA This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration of trustees under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended BOARD OF TRUSTEES 1 HON. MUHAMMED BELLO - CHAIRMAN 2 COL. ABDUL-RAMAN OLAGOKE 3 HON. TAYO AGBAJE 4 ALH. MOSHOOD ADEOTI 5 PRINCE OYEBAMIJI FRANCIS KAYODE 6 ALH. SAGIR AHMED 7 ALHAJA KEHINDE SALAMI 8 HON. MUDASHIRU ADEDIGBA AGBOLUAJE 9. HON. ISIAKA ISAMOTU 10 PASTOR FISAYO ALUKO- OLOKUN - SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1.

To bring together all grains processors in Nigeria for the purpose of synergy.

2.

To create awareness among citizens to engage in agricultural production of grains and other related produce for poultry and eggs for food sustainability and alternative medicine 3. Intensive improvement of community farming and individual approach through training 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 twenty eight (28)days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES

THE GLORY OF GOD INTERNATIONAL CHURCH THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED BODY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustees 1. DEACON ODUNAYO ERIC AKINYELURE 2. ABAYOMI ODUNWO. 3. IGBEKELE ODUNWOLE 4. DR. VICTOR OJO OMOSAYO 5. OLUWASEUN EKUNDAYO AYEBO 6. PETER AKINYELURE. - CHAIRMAN 7. MARGARET AKINYELURE Aim and objective 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. Signed: Trustees

WRIGHT PORTFOLIO FOUNDATION The General Public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. NWOKEJIOBI CONSTANCE NGOZI 2. NWOKEJIOBI CHARLES CHIDIEBERE 3. NWOKEJIOBI MATHIAS OSCAR 4. REV’D CANON CHARLES ENYINNAYA AKUBUIRO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1 To engage youths to become agents of change in society 2 To rehabilitate delinquent youths and reintegrate them into the society 3 To cater for vulnerable youths and children with disabilities 4 To empower youths to advocate their rights by supporting their education.

5 To motivate youths and children to maximize their full human potential.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication SIGNED BY:-SECRETARY

SHIDONEL YOUTH MENTORING FOUNDATION The General Public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

TRUSTEE ARE 1. DOOSHIMA NELLY MBAHON ------- CHAIRMAN 2. CLEMENT TARNNGU MBAHON----------- SECRETARY 3. ROSELINE SHIDOO MBAHON 4. TONY--TOM UZOCHUKWU 5. CHUKWU KALU AIM & OBJECTIVE 1 TO ENLIGHTEEN YOUNG PEOPLE ON HOW TO HANDLE ISSUE 2 TO MENTOR THEN ON PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF LIFE 3 TO ENCOURAGE AND EDUCATE THEM ON SELF DEVELOPMENT Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

MYFRIENDS AND I GLOBAL MINISTRY

DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN LIBERATION HOME

The general public is hereby notified that the above Named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for Registration under the part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ONAYEMI OLUWASEUN OLUWATOSIN 2. ADEBANJO OLUWATOMISIN 3. ONAYEMI OLUWATOSIN OLUWABUSAYO 4. ADETOLA OPEYEMI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To expand the Gospel of good Friendship and love the Lord Jesus Christ preached.

2. To complement Government’s efforts in developing the Nation by uniting citizens for economic empowerment, peace and social stability.

3. To sustain the state of the privileged and empower the less privileged in our society.

4. To encourage our youth in active participation in Leadership.

5. To develop a society with good morals, trust, skills and willingness to serve.

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

This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration of trustees under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to inform the general public about the following Loss of Documents Original certified true copy of the acknowledgment letter of right of occupancy In respect of plot no. 433, file no KT11058 C04 DAPE DISTRICT, ABUJA 2. ORIGINAL RECEIPT OF PAYMENT of N50,000.00 in favour of AGIS paid by ShettimaJauroMoh’d dated 19/03/2009.

(3) Oceanic Bank teller of payment evidence same payment dated same date.

(4) Re-certification and re-issuance of C-OF-O acknowledgement submitted

by Mrs. Ladi B. Balami (then Mrs. Ladi B. Musa). (5) Acceptance of offer of grant of right of occupancy within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja dated 7th March, 2002. (6) Client’s copy of Power of Attorney and Deed of Assignment granted in respect of said plot by Mr. ShettimaJauro Mohammed to Dr. EresiaKudo. (7) Photocopies of all the above documents. (8) Acknowledgement copies of application to register Power of Attorney dated 3rd June, 2015 and letter of application for opening of LETTER OF APPLICATION FOR OPENING OF TEMPORARY RECERTIFICATION FILE IN RESPECT OF FILE NO KT: 11058 COVERING PLOT NO. 433, CO4 DAPE DISTRICT, ABUJA dated 13th January, 2016. All efforts to trace the documents proved abortive Concerned Authorities and the general public should pls take note Signed; Okolie Esther UchechukwuEsq For: I. S. Ojukwu& Co

THE BLESSEDPLACE CHURCH INTERNATIONAL The General Public is hereby notified that the above named CHURCH has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

TRUSTEES 1: Nduka Chukwuemeka Offor Conquer -General Overseer 2: Nduka Ada Conquer - Associate Overseer 3: Ekezie George - Secretary 4: Aliu John Oshoioneya - Fnancial Secretary 5: Omokaro Dora -Treasurer 6: Onyeocha Ijeoma Will - Admin 7: Pere Divine - Member 8: Egbucha Stella Chinyere - member AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To evangelise Jesus Christ to mankind through building of worship and fellowship centers founded on holy bible.

2. To organise crusade, film shows, online services, publishing and broadcasting of Jesus Christ for soul winning.

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

Signed: Secretary

THE TRUSTEES ARE1- PASTOR ILEMOBAYO OLADIPUPO DICKSON 2- PASTOR (MRS) ILEMOBAYO OLUWATOYIN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1 To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ 2 To win souls for Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off AguiyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28)days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES

INDEPENDENT INDUSTRIAL WASTE DEVELOPERS & SCRAP BUYERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA This is to inform the General Public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration of trustees under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 (as amended THE TRUSTEES ARE1. BUSARI NURUDEEN AJAO - PRESIDENT 2. OLOWOOYILE TITILADE - SECRETARY 3. ODEYEMI MICHAEL 4. AMINU ABUBAKAR 5. FAGBENLE MOJISOLA JANET 6. ODUMBONI FUNMILAYO ADUBI 7. IFEDIORA IFEANYI PATRICK AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1 To create more entrepreneurship in the business of waste developing scrap buying 2 To create a marketing place,links and knowledge among waste developers 3 To coordinate independent scrap buyers and exporters nationwide for the purpose of enhancing their advancement

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

Signed: TRUSTEES

GLOBAL REVIVAL GOSPEL MINISTRIES (A.K.A) CHRISTIAN TEACHING CENTRE RC: 8055

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRIES HAS APPLIED FOR THE APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF TRUSTEES TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

Trustees 1. REV. DR. JOHN AKPAMI. - RETAINED 2. REV. JONATHAN AKUSE. - REMOVED 3. REV (MRS) CLARA AKPAMI - APPIONTED 4. BISHOP MICHEAL AKPAMI - RETAINED 5. REV. SAMSON NMODU. - RETAINED 6. REV jOHN DUCHI. - RETAINED Aim and objectives remain the same ANY OBJECTION TO THIS APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF TRUSTEES REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. Signed: BARR. SOLOMON OYAKHILOME

PATRIOTISM RENAISSANCE INITIATIVE

YOUTH-AID GLOBAL NETWORK INITIATIVE

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:(1) SULAIMAN BABATUNDE DAWODU (2) ISMAIL YUSUF OLALEKAN (3) MURITALA KAYODE ORIOLOWO (4) ORGBU IGWE NWEZE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. Developing Patriotic values in citizens 2. Promoting leadership skills in youth 3. Promoting Community Development Projects and Encouraging Volunteerism in Nation Building Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. SANUSI-SHOGA ABOSEDE RISIKAT 2. OBADIMU SOLA 3. OMOWANLE FEMI 4. ADEWUSI BAYO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. To engage youths to become agents of change in society 2. To rehabilitate delinquent youths and reintegrate them into the society 3 . To cater for vulnerable youths and children with disabilities 4. To empower youths to advocate their rights by supporting their education.

5. To motivate youths and children to maximize their full human potential

SIGNED BY:- Sulayman Dawodu Crescent & Co Solicitors 17 Kodesho Street Ikeja Lagos

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication SIGNED BY:- SECRETARY

ZAREPHATH HOUSE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

AKPO EDO FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the corporate Affairs commission, Abuja for change of Trustees under part “C” of the companies and Allied matters Act. Cap 59 Law of the federation of Nigeria 1990.

THE TRUSTEE ARE: 1.PASTOR. EMERUWA IYKE DANIEL -GENERAL OVERSEER. 2.MRS.EMERUWA ANGELA BAMIDELE -ASSISTANT GENERAL OVERSEER. 3.MR.AFOLAYAN ABEL IDOWU -SECRETARY. 4.MRS. ADELUSI CYNTHIA ONYEBUCH -WELFARE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.To preach the gospel is f our Lord Jesus Christ.

2.To win souls to the kingdom of God. 3.To help believers rediscover their purpose on earth.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Foundation is seeking for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Part C., 2004.

TRUSTEES: 1. MOSES IKHARO 5. ISAAC IKHARO 2. RALPH IKHARO 6. DAVID IKHARO 3. LUCKY IKHARO 7. SUNDAY IKHARO 4. ATTAH IKHARO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To assist indigent students with scholarship.

2. To provide educational materials to schools.

3. To assist the less privileged, widows and orphans in the society.

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General. Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B. 198, Matiama, Abuja within 28th days from the date of publication.

Signed: KECHIM MBAEYI (Solicitor)

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B 198 Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: Afolabi Abel Idowu

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

23

Fayose threatens my life, Ekiti monarch alleges Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti

ÏÏÏThe Olukere of

Ikere Ekiti, Oba Ayodele Obasoyin, has cried out over alleged threat by Governor Ayo Fayose-led government to deal with him over the lingering supremacy battle with his rival and Ogoga, Oba Olujimi Adu, on who actually owns the town by history.

The Oba, who accused Fayose of mixing up politics with tradition, warned him of the consequences, saying that it would be wrong for the governor to be politicising the Ikere Ekiti throne because of the fact that he did not support him during the election.

He recalled that, “A couple of weeks ago, Governor Fayose called me to

his office and threatened me that if I gave Ogoga any problem that he would fight me with all the paraphernalia of office, if I should take any action against my rival. The AttorneyGeneral, Barr Owoseeni S. Ajayi, Chief of Staff, Dipo Anisulowo, Commissioner, Kayode Oso, Fayose’s Chief Security Officer and one of his sisters were present at the meeting.”

Olukere who addressed a press conference in Ikere Ekiti, on Tuesday, on the age-long obaship tussle in the kingdom, accused the state government of partiality in the crisis, warning that any attempt to either derecognise him or make him a subservient to Ogoga, would be resisted.

Alluding to the statement allegedly credited to the Deputy-Governor, Dr. Ko-

lapo Olusola, an indigene of the town, at the weekend, who claimed that the only recognised monarch in the town was Ogoga, Oba Obasoyin said that that signalled government’s sinister and clandestine intention to wipe off his stool in history.

Olusola was said to have made the statement, last

Saturday, during the official inauguration of the new Ogoga’s palace, who is a recognised traditional ruler.

Oba Obasoyin, who flaunted Ikere Intelligence Report of 1933, among several other documents – including those written from the local government and Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, to substantiate the

ADISA SAIDAT ABIODUN

CATHERINE FAVOUR OKWUANYI

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss. Adeagbo Saidat Abiodun now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adisa Saidat Abiodun. Former documents remains valid.

General public note.

This is to inform the general public that I known and addressed as CATHERINE CHIZOBAH OKWUANYI and also CATHERINE FAVOUR OKWUANYI. I bear both names and addressed as the same person.

PRECIOUS ENAGBARE

UGOKWE CHIZOBA AGATHA

I, formerly known and addressed as PRECIOUS PAUL OSSAI now wish to be known and addressed as PRECIOUS ENAGBARE. All former documents remains valid.

General public note.

authenticity of his throne, expressed worries that Fayose, who was expected to mediate in the crisis, was allegedly plotting vengeance against him.

He said that the provocative statement had created an atmosphere of tension in the town, saying that he had been taking time to plead with his people to calm

down and allow the court to adjudicate on the matter.

Oba Obasoyin, who was installed in 2014, said the fact that the present government had vehemently failed to respond to three memos he had written to it, advocating that the staff of office be presented to him, further corroborated his claim that it was being sectional.

AJAYI FLORENTINA TOSIN I, formerly known and addressed as Iosa Joy Promise now wish to be known and addressed as Ajayi Florentina Tosin. All former documents remains valid. General public note.

OGBAKA CHRISTOPHER I, formerly known and addressed as Shittu Shamsideen Olorunjeda now wish to be known and addressed as Ogbaka Christopher. All former documents remains valid.

General public note.

ONYINYE OBINNA UKACHUKWU

ADEBAYO SAMSON ADEWOLE

I formerly known and addressed as MISS UMEOKAFOR CHIZOBA AGATHA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS UGOKWE CHIZOBA AGATHA. All former documents remain valid. Community Health Practitioners, Registration Board of Nigeria, First Bank and General public take note.

I, formerly know as Nwadiubu Assumpta Onyinye now wish to be know as Onyinye Obinna Ukachukwu all fomer document remain vaild and general public take note.

I, formerly known as ADEBAYO SAMSON TAIWO now wish to be known and addressed as ADEBAYO SAMSON ADEWOLE. All former document remain valid. General public take note.

THE INSPIRATION OF GOD AND MIRACLES MINISTRY

YUSUF AFUSAT BUKOLA

NNEAMAKA CHLOE ELVIS

AGBOTI SUSAN NNENNA

OLAKUNLE FAKUNMOJU

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED BODY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES 1. PROPHET LAWRENCE ADEBAYO 2. ADEBAYO MERCY OLANIRETI 3. PASTOR OLAYODE ADEMOLA

I, formerly known as AMOSU OLUBUKOLA AFUSAT now wish to be known and addressed as YUSUF AFUSAT BUKOLA. All former document remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known as MRS NNEAMAKA LINDA RAYMOND now wish to be known and addressed as MRS NNEAMAKA CHLOE ELVIS. All former document remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known as ONELE SUSSANH NNENNA now wish to be known and addressed as AGBOTI SUSAN NNENNA. All former document remain valid.

General public take note.

I, formerly known as Jacobs Lolu Olakunle, now wish to be known and addressed as Jacobs Olakunle Fakunmoju.

All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1.

To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to all nation 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 twenty eight (28)days of this publication.

Signed: TRUSTEES

ANN ABU OMOH I, formerly known as ANN OMOH OKOAWO now wish to be known and addressed as ANN ABU OMOH. All former document remain valid. General public take note.

LILIAN EKPO BASSEY I, formerly known as LILIAN JOHN BASSEY BASSEY .M. now wish to be known and addressed as LILIAN EKPO BASSEY. All former document remain valid. General public take note.

FLAMBOYANT SPARKLING SOCIAL CLUB

OOREOFE CARE FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: (1) UZOR OKWUDIRI ERNEST (2) EDE BENJAMIN M. (3) ANI CHIJIOKE ANTHONY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES TO PROMOTE PEACE, UNITY & GOOD WELFARE OF THEIR MEMBERS.

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SIGNED: SECRETARY

HAPPYLIFE BIBLE CHURCH INT’L The general public is hereby notified that the above named non-governmental organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for registration as an incorporated trustee under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C-20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1). UBANI CHIDI GEORGE - PRESIDENT 2) UBANI CHISOM CHIDI 3). NWOGU CAROLINE THELMA OGOLO 4). CHUKWU RUTH ONU AIMS AND OBJECTIVES i). To take the gospel of salvation of our Lord Jesus to all parts of the world and to bring souls into the body of Christ ii). To deliver people from darkness and the bondage of sin, sickness, poverty and every satanic oppression and manipulation iii). To promote religious harmony iv). The promoting of holiness as a way of Christian living v). The quest for salvation as the key to happiness in daily life Any objection to this registration should be addressed 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.

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AVIS IBRAHIM AYO I, formerly known as AVIS AJIMATI AYO now wish to be known and addressed as AVIS IBRAHIM AYO. All former document remain valid. General public take note

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INITIATIVE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT & ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1. (YOSI ANDERSON KESWET) 5. IBRAHIM SALLEH HASSAN 2. REV. FR GOWOK G GABRIEL 6. MAFENG GWALLSON 3. DAVOU BOGOM BAGET 7. THOMAS ABBA DOGO 4. YOP LEAH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ENSURING THE BEST DISPUTE RESOLUTION MEDIANISM ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. JOSHUA ANIKEZE 0803099020

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24

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Ikpeazu inaugurates c’ttee on dry port Sunday Nwakanma Umuahia

ÏÏÏGovernor

L-R: Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Olivier Thiry; Keynote Speaker, Prof. (Mrs) Ngozi Nnam; Head of Marketing, Promasidor, Festus Tettey and Head, Legal PR, Promasidor, Andrew Enahoro at the launch of Promasidor new products at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos… on Tuesday.

Ganduje lauds Kano vehicle office Yakubu Salisu Kano

ÏÏÏThe

Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has applauded the efforts of the state’s vehicle license office for generating N3million monthly as revenue for the state in recent months from

the normal N500, 000 generated monthly by the same office in the past. He attributed the sudden change to the state government’s renewed drive to generate funds internally to address developmental issues.

The governor explained that the state Internal Revenue Service was reorganised to ensure that government not only met its targeted revenue, but, also, discharged its obligations to the citizenry, and that this was just a tip of the iceberg, as government intended to motivate the citizens to pay taxes duly by investing whatever is collected in communal projects.

Robbery suspect bags 8-yr jail for stealing N10, 500 Titilope Joseph

ÏÏÏA

robbery suspect,Tiamiyu Lawal, has been arraigned before a Lagos High court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly stealing a total cash sum of N10,500 belonging to one Riliwan Martins.

Tiamiyu Lawal was arraignged before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye on a two count charge bothering on conspiracy and robbery.

The accused was said to have committed the offence on December 16, 2008, at Ilasamaja, along Apapa-Oshodi expressway, Lagos, when

he robbed one Riliwan Martins of the sum.

The defendant pleaded not guilty before the court when the statement of offence was read to him.

Meanwhile, the defendant has been in the prison custody since 2008, before he was eventually arraigned in court eight years after the incidence took place.

According to the prosecution, the offence was contrary to Section 297 and 295 (2) (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.

The matter has been adjourned to March 22 and 23, 2016 for trial.

Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, on Monday, inaugurated the implementation committee on Inland Dry Port at Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area with a view to fast tracking the realisation of the project.

Inaugurating the committee at the Government House, Umuahia, he said that the exercise had become expedient since his administration was working, vigorously, to open up trade and commerce, in

the interest of the development of the state.

According to him, with the fall in oil price in the global market, the government was thinking of ingenious ways to survive, pointing out that it was important for his government to give serious attention to the dry port project.

He pointed out that those selected in the committee were people with capacity and proven track record, but, however, requested others who were not committee members to come up with contributions that that would help drive the project.

$2.29m scam: EFCC accuses ex-Gov Ohakim’s son of intimidating witness

ÏÏÏAn

unimaginable drama, on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, stalled the cross-examination of prosecution witness, Abu Sule, in the case involving a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, as prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, revealed how the accused’s son, Emeka Ohakim, had allegedly went on the trail of the prosecution witness.

Ohakim is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for allegedly making a cash payment of $2, 290,000.00 for a piece of land at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District,

Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

ÏÏÏThe Kwara State House

of Assembly has approved the request of the State Government to access a loan of N1.5billion from Sterling Bank PLC for the 16 Local Government Councils in the state to augment the payment of October 2015 salary arrears of councils workers and pensioners.

The House equally gave a nod to the State Government to access another loan facility of N1.2billion also from Sterling Bank Plc to fund procurement of official vehicles for its political and public office holders to enhance their per-

Ohakim

otherwise known as No. 60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

Addressing Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, Keyamo said

the PW2, Sule, managing director, Tweenex Consociate H.D. Limited, phoned him about 9.00p.m. on Monday, January 25, 2016, saying that the second son of the defendant, Emeka Ohakim, had gone to his( Sule) office at Asokoro to inquire about his home address from some individuals.

According to Keyamo, Ohakim had allegedly approached three people, whose names he gave simply as Okon (a driver), Akpabor (a driver) and Shola (an architect), for Sule’s home address.

He said: ‘‘We don’t want to distract the court from this trial. But I thought

it goes beyond the issue of counsel-to-counsel, because it touches on the administration of justice and protection of the witness concerned. ‘‘We will apply, at this stage, that a word of caution and concern go out. If it repeats itself, we shall bring appropriate application before the court over the development.”

However, in his response, lead counsel to the defendant, Chris Uche (SAN), expressed shock at what he described as Keyamo’s outburst, saying that the matter should have been discussed at another gathering rather than blowing it in the open.

Kwara Assembly approves Gov’s bank loan request formance.

These approvals followed requests from Governor Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed in separate letters addressed to the Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad, dated 11th and 13th January 2016 and read at the floor of the House by the Deputy-Speaker, Elder Mathew Okedare.

Leading other members in the debate, the Leader of the House, Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke, explained that the approval for the loan facilities became imperative in view of the dwindling revenue al-

location from the Federation Account, adding that the payment of salaries to workers was sacrosanct to make workers perform optimally.

Oyeleke equally explained that the provision of official vehicles was no less necessary to enhance the performance of the political and public office holders.

Other members who contributed to the debate expressed confidence that the loan facility, if judiciously used, would help to address the ongoing industrial dis-

pute by teachers at the basic school level.

However, member representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency Mr. Saheed Popoola and the one representing Kaiama, Kemanji, Wajibe Constituency, Alhaji Ahmed Ibn Mohammed, urged the State Government to look inward by blocking all loop holes and evolve ways of intensifying efforts at improving the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state to address its over-dependence on Federation Account.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

25 Opinion

Our father, the Dog

ÏÏÏ

Somewhere in Bodija, Ibadan, is Sherman’s harem made up of about eight dachshunds (sausage dogs).

Eight years ago, it was only Sherman (the male dog) and Bernie (the bitch) in the house. Now the family has grown. They could have been much more had the madam of the house not given out some of the litters mostly male. The female puppies when grown were also mated by Sherman, the top dog. In the animal kingdom there’s nothing like incest.

A story broke on the social media the morning of 18th January. The whistle-blower asked, ‘Fathers, how many of you go around forcefully kissing your ‘daughter’ on the lips?’

Another victim wrote, ‘let your daughter’s elderly male teacher forcefully kiss her and then we’ll talk about how normal it is’. She finished by saying ‘doing something to someone against his/her will ... is assault.’ What first caught the reader’s attention was the reference to the Predator being a Poet. In the course of the day reaction came from the alleged culprit who having ‘read and heard a lot that has been said about’ how his ‘manner of interaction with some younger

female writers’ within the literary commune ‘has been quite inappropriate’ accepted ‘responsibility for the hurt a writer’s excesses have caused’ then apologised ‘without reservation to all affected’. He then begged for readers’ ‘understanding’. Rubbish! What an easy way out.

The topic trended on the social media the following day. Some tweeps were concerned that this predator hurt ‘vulnerable upcoming female writers’ and suggested that ‘we need to commend these girls’ and not the predator poet who apologised. There was frustration, there was anger towards the literary friends who hailed the poet’s ‘mea culpa’. ‘Some Nigerians!

Some writers! Praising a sexual predator for apologising. He called those girls ‘my daughters’.’ For goodness sake, he was supposed to have been a mentor to his victims - not one, not two, not even three girls.

There are talks that these impressionable girls in their late or early 20s used to swarm around Mr. Poet. A friend suggested that these girls might have been giving out the wrong signals the way they hobnobbed with the poet.

I’d like to assume that they

Dasuki

would have dreamt of fame.

Fame they wanted to get from their sweat and not from bottom power. The girls were reported to have been helped by a support group to pass through this emotional phase in their life. I was proud of these girls who were brave to have decided to take on this popular predator poet who, if life was as fast as our footsteps, was old enough to be their grandfather. One of the victims asks if ‘it’s fair to protect a man who cares nothing ... because of his reputation and his threats’.

The culprit requested to ‘seek a lasting healing for all affected and all concerned’ because it was not his ‘intention to hurt anyone’. Few hours after all the hullabaloo, the voices died down. Next thing one heard

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was that the victims and the predator didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Victims have ‘accepted’ the predator’s apology. The literati have kept mute. There’s a thundering silence in the literary world. Had this sexual predator been a statesman or a politician, the literati would’ve gone on over-drive. So who’s shutting up these girls? And with what?

The rot in the Nigerian polity has infected the Arts.

What a shame! President Buhari’s request for attitudinal change among all Nigerians so that there’d be development of talent, creative mind and great leadership is more relevant to the Arts than any other group. He believes that the hope of a greater future for the nation could be realised

only if we change our ways.

Don’t keep quiet all agencies/groups responsible for protecting the vulnerable young ones against sexual predators be they in the Ivory Tower or in the corridors of power. It’s these girls today, it can be your daughter tomorrow.

We know of ‘stomach infrastructure’ designed and perpetrated by the politicians. What’s the weapon of the literati? Has the stomach infrastructure of the political arena crossed boundaries into the literati sphere? Do these girls know the consequences of what they’ve done? Do they know that the younger ones are disappointed in them and the older ones are even amazed? Support groups were building up outside Nigeria for them already when they made this u-turn. Would they have capitulated if they knew that the whole world would have been on their side were they ready to go the whole hog? So who’s going to take the Nigerian youth serious again? These girls blew a golden opportunity of launching their writing career. Had they stuck to their guns, the fame they dreamed of by hobnobbing with their ‘father’ and his coterie would’ve been had on a platter of gold. Now they remain in our memories as those girls whose ‘Father’ was a dog. We remember them, we remember their ‘Father, The Dog’.

Payback Time?

What did the Sokoto prince have against northerners especially those from Yobe, Adamawa and Borno natives? The Boko Haram attacks have been more heavily felt in these

three states than anywhere else in Nigeria. It was in Chibok, in Borno State, that over 200 teenage girls were ferried away almost two years ago and they are yet to be found - we sincerely hope alive. The Army that supposed to defend the states against Boko Haram was starved of funds. The prince as the National Security Adviser was put in charge of the money budgeted for arms purchase to fight the Boko Haram.

Why not the Minister of Defence? We can’t say. Years before all this happened, the prince’s father was deposed as Emir of Sokoto by a military head of state who was a native of Borno State.

The Emir was deposed and heaven didn’t fall at all. No northern elder or group of elders lifted a finger or voice to speak against this deposition. Is one right to think that the prince is settling scores by diverting the arms fund into an ATM? Could the prince have wanted to avenge the disgrace and embarrassment caused his father? If you think this was far-fetched think of why George W. Bush allegedly started the Iraq War. Save the Naira I agree with the Patriotic Assembly of Aviation Practitioners (PAAP) that ‘foreigners are not going to build Nigeria for us’. I also agree that Nigeria does not owe anyone ‘a duty to keep their economies afloat and their citizens employed at our collective expense’. So ‘Save the Naira, Fly Nigeria, Create Jobs’.

O’Yemi Afolabi can be reached on: oyemiajike@ gmail.com / @oyemiajike

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26

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Features identify persons or group of persons other than security personnel who possessed fire arms during the course of the civil disturbance; identify any external or extraneous factors that led to the disturbance and recommend solution to avert similar disturbance in the future.

Governor Ahmed further emphasised that anyone found culpable would be brought to book, no matter how highly placed.

The governor reminded the people of the state that Kwara is a state of harmony and that unity, peace and love for one another should be paramount in their minds.

While the panels have since settled down to work in other to meet up their deadlines, there are however other factors that may attend the outcome of the findings - especially the issue of trust and the impartiality of the the state government considering the fact that the Governor is an indigene of one of the feuding communities.

The worrisome issue to be considered is the prevarication of the leadership of both communities who prefer protecting the interests of their clans above any peace solution.

Homes destroyed in the 48 hours clash

TSARAGI-SHAARE COMMUNAL CRISIS:

Lasting solution nowhere in sight

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State is at a loss to resolve the crisis between his tribesmen and their opposing neighbours. The story takes a new twist as decisions by two panels of inquiry he set up to make peace have been rejected by the Nupe Tsaragi tribe even before the panels began sitting. AUGUSTINE OKEZIE reports the genesis and the intrigues.

The worst nightmare of local dwellers happened in two warring communities in Kwara State on Saturday, December 19 last year as Shaare, the Igbomina speaking Yoruba town and headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, and their neighbours, the Nupe-Tsaragii tribes folks in Edu Local Government Area locked

horns in fierce battle over shifting of boundary lines.

The black Saturday which started with sporadic shootings of people, killing and maiming of unarmed residents from both sides destroyed houses, shops, places of worship, schools, animals, banks and telecommunication mast in Shaare community.

The embattled security officer

of the state, Governor Ahmed recently hastily constituted two panels of enquiry, tasking them to find lasting solution to the crisis that engulfed parts of the state on Saturday, December 19, 2015 and bring peace to the two warring communities among other things.

The governor also charged them to establish the remote and

immediate causes of the civil disturbance that resulted in the loss of lives and property. The panels are also mandated to ascertain the extent of loss of lives and damage to property and determine the conduct of any person, group of persons or associations that contributed in any way to the violent clashes.

Others are to investigate and

Of trust and distrust A major contending issue on the crisis is the fact that Gov Ahmed who doubles as the adjudicator in the dispute is an indigene of Shaare, one of the two communities.

Expressing fear and distrust of the Tsaragi tribes folks, Dr Abdulkadir Diko, a son of the soil did not mince words on his peoples’ rejection of the governor’s peace overtures.

“We wish to reiterate that the Nupes of Tsaragi community have no confidence in the institution of another Judicial Commission of Inquiry by Governor Ahmed.”

Questioning the governor’s neutrality in the matter, Diko asked, “To what extent can Governor Ahmed who is an indigene of Shaare be impartial in this matter?

“Is it not safe to conclude that Governor Ahmed is behind the current episode going by his recent actions and utterances?’’

“Clearly,” he stressed, “everything points to Governor Ahmed as the stumbling block towards the resolution of the crisis.

“We have observed at meetings

Continued on page 27

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

27 Features

Nupes have no reason to participate in another inquiry — Dr. Diko

convince the law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities why felling of trees around former Native Authority School (now Community Primary School) and UMCA Primary school, both in Shaare had to be matched and greeted with sporadic shooting of people, killing and maiming of unarmed and law abiding Shaare citizens, destructions of houses, shops, places of worship, schools, animals, banks and telecommunication mast in Shaare community.”

Victims of the fracas requested security agencies to arrest the alleged ring leader of Tsaragi terrorist group, one Mohammed Buhari (aka siroko) who on the instruction of their Emir, Etsu tsaragi Abdullah Aliyu kpotuaw, allegedly started the gruesome invasion of Shaare community.

The people of Shaare expressed gratitude to the Government of Kwara State for their quick intervention and the setting of the Administrative panel of enquiry headed by the Emir of Ilorin and the Judiciary panel of enquiry.

Continued from page 26 attended by the Tsaragi community with Governor Ahmed at the Government House, Ilorin, that while addressing sensitive issues, the governor asked all the questions and provided the answers at the same time.

“We have also observed that the Governor asserted that ‘no community owns land’ and threatened land owners to adopt ‘give and take approach’.

“In the light of the one-sided disposition openly displayed by Governor Ahmed, this cannot be the stance of a neutral Governor and Chief Security Officer in sensitive matters like this.’’

“We, the Nupes of Tsaragi community have no reason whatsoever to participate in another inquiry, more so when the recommendations of all the previous commissions/panels on the crisis which have been adopted by the Government of Kwara State have not been implemented.’’

Diko recalled the findings/submissions of four previous peace panels on the Boundary Dispute since 1976 - including the findings by Justice Mohammed Abdulgafar Commission and Justice Mamman Nasir Report - all of which were rejected by Shaare Community and explained that the leadership of his people are apprehensive of the submissions.

“For the same reason we rejected all the above recommendations, the leadership of Nupe Tsaragi are apprehensive of accepting any of the submissions of the present panels.

Pointing accusing fingers on Shaare “The Shaare people have a culture of violence; they have invaded Nupe villages with armed youths several times in the past; they had ordered the villagers to vacate their homes or admit being part of Shaare District in Ifelodun Local Government Area.

“They also instigated the crisis of 19th - 20th December, 2015, so how can we be comfortable with any recommendation that favours them against our people?”

Assurances from the governor Reacting to the skepticism of the Tsaragi people, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the governor, Dr. Muideen Akorede, said the state government will has been transparent and objective

Another evidence of the clash

We wish to reiterate that the Nupes of Tsaragi community have no confidence in the institution of another Judicial Commission of Inquiry by Governor Ahmed. To what extent can Governor Ahmed, an indigene of Shaare, be impartial in this matter?

Is it not safe to assume Ahmed is behind the current episode going by his recent actions and utterances?

– Dr. Diko in the matter and will continue to do so.

“Governor Ahmed did not act as an indigene of Shaare community but as an individual saddled with responsibility to ensure peace and order in the state.

“There is no extra interest here; the governor intervened for

One of the community halls razed

peace to thrive. It’s in the atmosphere of peace that we can have development. The commission of enquiry was meant to find lasting solution to the crisis so that we can sustain our state as State of Harmony.

“It is premature to cast aspersions or doubt on the commission. The right thing is for all parties to make their feelings known at the commission of enquiry and then react after the findings of the commission,” Akorede said.

The Shaare account Spokesman of Shaare Community, Associate Professor Abdul Fatah Jimoh who described Shaare as an Igbomina speaking Yoruba Town and the Headquar-

ters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state, sees Nupe- Tsaragii community in Edu Local Government Area as the aggressor.

The Professor further described the relative peace the people of Shaare now enjoy with the presence of military force in the town, as temporary because residents still live in fear, pains and anguish considering the fact that so many people have lost their beloved ones and properties to gruesome invasion of their community by sponsored Nupe terrorist of Tsaragi.

“The Tsaragi terrorists who invaded Shaare between 19th and 20th December, 2015 may have to justify to the public and

Still a long way to go Peace lovers and stakeholders counsel oneness and love. “Rather than develop cold feet, suspicion and mistrust on the outcome of the submissions by the respective panels, the warring communities should rather sheath their swords and allow all the parties do their work,” a source close to the Emir’s palace told our correspondent.

“All parties should be bold enough to come forward and state their cases in the most objective manner with clear evidences while and abide with whatever verdict the panels will come up with.

“The fact that the Governor comes from one of the communities in question is rather coincidental and should not be construed as favouring any particular side.

“He should be seen as the Chief Security Officer of the state that owes the state adequate protection and guidance irrespective of geographical location,” the source said.

Kwara State government should on her part live above board by being transparent on the matter and must be seen to be transparent. Judgment should be adequately meted out to the guilty to serve as deterrent while compensation in the way of rebuilding destroyed houses and properties is recommended.

Aubameyang not for sale - Dortmund

D

Aubameyang

espite huge interest from big European clubs, Borussia Dortmund insists that they would not sell striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

According to the club’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke is quoted as saying even if a club were to offer €100 million for the African Player of the Year; they would not release

the Gabonese international.

However, before Dortmund’s 3-1 in over Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, former Germany international Lothar Matthaus said that he believes English Premier League clubs will be ready to bid at least €100m for Aubameyang.

However, Watzke told reporters that Aubameyang is not for sale no

matter what bids are made for the Gabon international.

“Even if a high offer would come in now, it would not matter, we will not sell Auba,” Watzke said.

Despite failing to contribute a goal in the win at Gladbach, Auba joined BVB from St Etienne in 2013 and is under contract at the Westfalenstadion until 2020.

g 30

e EnnrsiBqaru ca war against Copa complacency

Page 28

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Sports Editors Guild warns against fresh crisis in Nigerian football ANDREW EKEJIUBA Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalu ng.

T

Golfers

he Nigerian Sports Editors Guild, the umbrella body of

the managers of sports of the country’s media outfits, has urged all stakeholders to steer clear of any ‘action or inaction’ that could bring fresh crisis in the country’s football.

Rising from a meeting at the weekend

Lagos declares

qualify for DOAMF Charity Golf final round ANDREW EKEJIUBA

M

ore than 120 players have qualified to take part in the final round of the 6th edition of the Daniel Ogechi Akujobi Memorial (DOAM) Foundation, billed for Ikoyi Golf Course in Lagos on February 6, 2016.

The players were drawn from the 182-strong field of players that turned up for the qualifier for the main event on January 16, 2016. They will now be drawn alongside guest players to complete the line-up for the one-day Charity event.

Coordinator, Organizing Committee of the tournament, Pat Bassey, said the Foundation is expecting a large turn-out of participants when the final event gets underway.

According to him, “The facility will be put under some pressure with the expected

large turn-out and we are working with the Club management to make sure that the course is put in perfect shape. As a foundation, we are ready in terms of hospitality for all the expected participants and in helping our corporate partners maximize their partnership benefits with the Foundation during the event”. the underscored also Bassey than more t impac to ion intent s Foundation’ the 9,000 beneficiaries it engaged in 2015 with the proceeds of this year’s fund raising.

“We were able to make scholarship award to five indigent orphans and vulnerable children in Lagos state, build a sick bay, which caters for 5,000 kids, in partnership with Diamond Bank for Owerri Township Schools (Primary and Secondary).

We also enabled the Ogun State Ambulance Services to re-kit its fleet with funds we generated in 2015”.

in Lagos, the sports editors condemned the recent meeting reportedly convened

by Sports and Youth Development Minister, Solomon Dalung, where he tried ‘to resolve the purported leadership crisis in Nigerian football.’

In a communiqué signed by the Guild’s President, Tony Ubani, the editors said it was “unfortunate that those saddled with the responsibility of running Nigerian sports are the same people trying to drag the sector back to the dark days by seeking solution to a non-existent crisis.

“We want to believe that the minister was ill-advised and so does not know that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) leadership issue was decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) sitting in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 18, 2015,” the communiqué stated.

The Guild advised any qualified Nigerian desirous of becoming the president of the NFF to wait until the end of the current tenure to actualize his dream.

“We call on all the stakeholders, NSC and ministry officials, and indeed Mr. Chris Giwa, who, as a club owner, is an important part of the Nigerian football family, to join hands with the NFF leadership to develop our football to such a level that generations yet unborn would be proud of,” the Guild said.

Gov. Ambode

Benjamin Omoike

T

hirty-three years after the last edition, the government of Lagos State on Tuesday said it has concluded plans to ensure a hitch-free staging of the February 6 International Marathon.

The Lagos Marathon is expected to be declared open by the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, while the President of International Association of Athletics

readiness for International Marathon Federation (IAAF), Lord Sebastian Coe, with his other counterparts from over six countries are expected to grace the event.

In a joint press briefing by the Ministry of Information and Strategy and the State Sports Commission at the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa, the government assured that everything needed to ensure a successful tournament has been put in place.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said that out

of over 100, 000 forms made available; 12, 000 athletes have already confirmed participation, adding that 60 international participants in the male category have been confirmed, while a total of 20, 000 participants are expected to register.

He also said that 18 out of 20 gold class marathoners in the world have confirmed their participation in the male category, while six gold marathoners in the female category have also confirmed participation.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

EXTRATIME

29

CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016…CHAN 2016 Angry

Oliseh not pleased with state of affairs

N

igeria head coach, Sunday Oliseh has raised an alarm over the current state of affairs with the squad at the ongoing 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.

The Super Eagles were initially unbeaten in the tournament following up an opening day 4-1 win over Niger and with a 1-1 draw with Tunisia on match day two before surrendering 0-1 to Guinea on Tuesday.

In a terse press conference on Tuesday, Oliseh revealed that things are not going according to script behind the scenes.

“To be honest with you, though I am not going to go into details, my boys have been working under extreme duress ever since we got to Rwanda.

“I personally feel like we are driving a car with an empty petrol tank.

“I will not go into details so for that reason, I know that this is just another bit of difficulty that we have to surmount.

“That notwithstanding, the boys are human beings,” he said.

iNsigia n u T er pound silly!

S

Saad Bguir’s brace lifted Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles to a deserved 5-0 win over Niger on Tuesday.

aad Bguir’s brace lifted Tunisia’s Cathage Eagles to a deserved 0-5 drubbing over 10-man Niger in a fast-paced Group C game played at the Regional Stadium in Nyamirambo on Tuesday evening to guarantee a spot in the quarter-final of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The Carthage Eagles started the game like a house on fire and in the fourth minute Bguir fired home with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box past a hapless Soumalia Ayouba in Niger’s goal for the his first goal as Tunisia took the lead 0-1.

Bguir got his brace in the 39th minute with another sharp finish to give Tunisia a deserved 0-2 lead. Captain Ali Maaloul picked out the unmarked Esperance

striker who finished with aplomb, firing into the roof of the net past Ayouba.

The Carthage Eagles continued pilling on pressure which paid off handsomely in the 78th minute when Ahmed Akaichi hit the knockout blow rounding off Niger keeper Ayoube before putting away the ball calmly to give his side a rousing 0-3 lead.

Barely three minutes later Ben Amor hit Tunisia’s fourth goal when he curled the ball beautifully into the top left corner of the net in sublime fashion as Tunisia stood ground against the now demoralised Niger players who were ball watching.

Substitute Essifi Hichem completed Niger’s rout in the 90th minute with a cool finish giving Tunisia their fifth goal in a virtuoso performance that took them to the top of Group A with five points.

Sahle proud of Ibex

despite ouster

E

thiopia Walia Ibex coach Yohannes Sahle has alluded to the fact that he is not disappointed despite going down to Angola 1-2 in the Group B last match.

Sahle sought to explain that by virtue of his team qualifying among the 16 teams was testament enough that his young players had learnt a lot in the competition which had stiff opposition.

“I am not disappointed at all with my players they gave their best and we learnt hard lessons that the first match is always very important in any tournament even if we would have beaten Angola we would still be going home with Cameroun having beaten DR Congo,” he said.

Asked what lessons he would take back home after being eliminated Sahle was forthright.

“I hope everyone at the federation has seen such a tournament of big magnitude needs proper preparations yet we only had nine days and one friendly match. Our opponents

were very prepared playing several friendly matches which gave them an edge over us,” Sahle added.

“The federation has to be organised on how it does it things if at all they want us to compete effectively and not just expecting wins. Yet they have not invested like other serious countries who know the importance of such tournaments.

“In a nutshell we have learned a lot of lessons but again lets remind ourselves Algeria is the no one team in Africa but they did not make it to this tournament.”

Sahle

30

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

EXTRATIME

QUOTE

J

Neymar

Enrique confident Neymar will renew Barca contract

B

arcelona coach Luis Enrique is confident Neymar will sign a new contract. The Brazil forward’s existing deal is due to expire in June 2018 and Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are believed to be keeping a close eye on his situation at Camp Nou. But Luis Enrique expects the 23-yearold to renew his contract with the Spanish and European champions.

Milan deny Galliani wrongdoing

A

C Milan have issued a statement denying any wrongdoing by their chief executive Adriano Galliani after he was approached by the Naples public prosecutor as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion in Italian football. According to widespread reports in the Italian press on Tuesday, Galliani was one of 64 individual suspects spanning 35 clubs from Serie A and Serie B to fall under an investigation named ‘Fuorigioco’ – which translates into English as ‘offside’ – being conducted by the Naples public prosecutor.

Chiellini, Buffon hail Dybala

P

aulo Dybala’s “remarkable” form has drawn high praise from iconic Juventus team-mates Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon. Dybala, 22, joined Juventus from Palermo in June 2015 and has since developed into a key figure at the Serie A champions.

The attacker has already netted 12 goals in 20 Serie A appearances, while setting up eight more, and Chiellini has nothing but praise for his team-mate.

Dybala

uventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has hinted at resting Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala in today’s Coppa Italia encounter with Inter.

France midfielder Pogba and Argentina forward Dybala have been key figures for the reigning Serie A champions this campaign, but Allegri could bench them for the first leg of the semi-final tie in Turin in order to keep his star men fresh.

“Pogba sat out against Udinese, I’ll weigh up his inclusion seeing as Kwadwo Asamoah is in good shape,” Allegri said at a media conference.

“Dybala?

Players don’t have to play every game. It’s important we all reach the end of the season in good shape.”

Midfielder C l a u d i o Marchisio a n d

Kroos

defender Leonardo Bonucci may also be rested, while Sami Khedira and Simone Zaza will not feature.

Allegri ponders r esting

Pogba, Dybala

against Inter

Pogba

e u q i r n E t s n i a g a a c r a B war ns y c n e c a l p m o c a Cop

L

uis Enrique has urged Barcelona to avoid complacency when they take on Athletic Bilbao in today’s Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg at Camp Nou. Barca hold a 2-1 lead from last week’s first leg at San Mames, but coach Luis Enrique insists the tie is not over yet.

“I expect a similar Athletic team as in the first leg.

They will be dangerous,” he told Tuesday’s pre-match media conference.

“We know what to expect and will not take the match lightly. The tie is still wide open and we are aware it will be a difficult match. Our only objectives are to win the game and to play good football.

“Aritz Aduriz’s goal in the first leg does not change anything.

Enrique

“The team is in fine shape, but games like today’s versus Athletic are obviously very intense.”

Barcelona moved top of La Liga at the weekend, thanks to their 2-1 win at Malaga and Atletico Madrid’s 0-0 draw with Sevilla, while Real Madrid also dropped points at Real Betis.

Luis Enrique’s team host Atletico in La Liga on Saturday, but the coach is not looking any further ahead than today.

“All clubs will drop points in La Liga. We are not machines,” he added.

“There will be surprises and clubs will drop points.

We are facing difficult opponents.

“The only key game for now is the one against Athletic. We can think about Atletico later on.”

Kroos: Don’t write off Real Madrid

T

oni Kroos remains optimistic about Real Madrid’s chances of winning La Liga and has warned that the Santiago Bernabeu side should not be written off just yet.

Zinedine Zidane’s men sit third in the table with 44 points from 21 games, having fallen four points behind leaders Barcelona following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Betis, while the Catalans also have a game in hand.

Nevertheless, Kroos has spotted improvements since Zidane replaced Rafa Benitez as coach and hopes they can materialise into a title bid.

“We won’t give up, that would be stupid,” the Germany international told reporters.

“We’ve still got to play Barca and they could be dropping points at other grounds. Obviously the situation isn’t ideal, but things are changing.”

“If you look at our last few performances, we’re playing a lot better.”

Gervinho

quits Roma for China

F

ormer Arsenal winger Gervinho has left Roma to join Chinese Super League new boys Hebei Fortune.

The 28-year-old joined Roma in 2013 and has scored six goals for the Serie A side this season.

However, he has been pictured holding the shirt of newly-promoted Hebei Fortune, who were only formed in 2010, and it is thought the move is worth around £13.7m.

Stephan El Shaarawy, meanwhile, has arrived in Rome for a medical as he looks set to replace the Ivory Coast international.

El Shaarawy spent the first half of the season on loan with Monaco from AC Milan but is poised to sign a deal with Roma until the summer.

The 23-year-old has been capped 17 times by Italy.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

EXTRATIME

F

ormer Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has labelled Diego Costa “a serial cheat” after the controversial Chelsea striker helped Guus Hiddink’s men to victory at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal’s Premier League title bid was dealt a blow as Chelsea left north London with a 1-0 win thanks to Costa’s 23rd-minute strike.

Five minutes before the decisive goal, Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker was sent off for a professional foul on Costa, although replays showed contact between the pair to have been minimal.

Ex-Arsenal chief slams

Costa

Costa another Arsenal centre-back, Gabriel, sent off during a 2-0 win for the reigning champions at Stamford Bridge in September.

Costa received a retrospective three-match ban for a clash with

The Spain international was involved in an altercation that saw

Laurent Koscielny during that match and Hill-Wood is deeply unimpressed by his on-field conduct.

“He is a serial cheat and he gets away with it,” Hill-Wood said. “I think he deliberately ran in front of Mertesacker, who hardly touched him.

“Yet Costa rolls around as if his legs have been cut off. Once the red card’s been shown, he’s suddenly perfectly all right again.

“That’s because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him. There certainly wasn’t soon after when he scored that goal.

“Personally I think the referee should have sent him off for diving. It’s very annoying because to me it is blatant.”

C Emenike

rystal Palace are rivalling West Ham to sign Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike.

The media reported last week that the Hammers had made an offer to take the 28-year-old on loan with the view to a permanent transfer in the summer.

Sources claimed the deal had hit a snag late last week and it is understood that snag is the interest from Palace.

Eagles boss Alan Pardew wants another option up-front and could lose Connor Wickham for three matches after he was charged by the FA with violent conduct.

Emenike, who was of interest to Tottenham several years ago, has been playing on loan in Dubai for Al Ain and Hammers boss Slaven Bilic knows him from his time in charge of Besiktas.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan told reporters last week that the club was interested in a striker who had been playing in a “strange” league.

“We are looking, long-term, for a 20-goal-aseason striker,” he said. “There’s a possibility that a striker will come in on loan in the next seven days, with the option to buy him. “ H e ’ s an overseas striker. If I told you, you wouldn’t believe it. I can’t tell you which league because then you’ll know exactly who it is.

We are signing from a very strange league. But he has played in higher leagues.”

Palace, West Ham battle for

Emenike

Martial destined for United stardom Martial

—Blind

D

aley Blind has backed Manchester United team-mate Anthony Martial to become one of the best strikers in the world.

Martial joined United from Monaco in September, and defender Blind has been impressed by the 20-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 27 appearances for the club.

“If you come with a transfer fee like that and perform like he did in his first game then it is really good for him,” Blind said.

“He is a big talent, he is still young and we cannot forget that. But you can see on the training pitch and even in the matches already how much quality he has.

“If he is working that hard like he is now, improving and improving each week, then he can become a really great striker.”

31

LVG ‘did not offer to resign’

M

anchester United manager Louis van Gaal did not offer to resign following Saturday’s defeat to Southampton, sources at the club have said.

Several newspaper reports claimed Van Gaal tendered his resignation after Charlie Austin’s late header at Old Trafford condemned United to their sixth league defeat of the season and left them five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham.

But James Cooper says no such offer was made and there is no suggestion that Van Gaal will end his tenure in the next 24 hours.

Van Gaal

BRIEFS Newcastle agree Townsend fee

U

nited have been in discussions with Spurs over Townsend for much of January after the 24-yearold fell out of favour at White Hart Lane and reliable sources revealed that he will finalise personal terms and undergo his medical today. Townsend was dropped

by Tottenham for two weeks in November after a bust-up with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner and has not featured for the first team since October 22.

Costa gets Courtois’ backing

C

helsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says striker Diego Costa will continue his goalscoring run after recapturing his form in recent weeks. Costa has been struggling to match a debut season which saw him score 20 goals in 26 appearances in the Londoners’ titlewinning campaign. But the 27-yearold appears to have rediscovered his scoring touch since manager Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho in December, netting six goals in as many appearances, including the only goal of the game in Sunday’s win over Arsenal.

Tottenham confirm Vertonghen injury

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen sustained medial collateral knee ligament damage in his side’s 3-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Vertonghen was substituted 15 minutes from time at Selhurst Park, having fallen awkwardly following a clash with Palace striker Connor Wickham. On Monday, the Football Association charged Wickham with violent conduct in relation to the incident, where he appeared to swing an elbow at Vertonghen.

Published by folio commUNicAtioNS ltD, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja. website: www.dailytimes.com.ng; email: info@dailytimes.com.ng. Tel: 018447948.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

VOL. 2. NO.32

Price: N150

Palace, West Ham for g 31

Emenike

! d a o r e h t f o d n E

Eagleus t

crash o of CHAN, as

, a e n i u G Tunisia advance N

igeria’s Super Eagles lost 0-1 to Guinea’s Syli Nationale on Tuesday to crash out of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.

Tournament top scorer, Chisom Chikatara, an injury doubt before kick-off, was dropped and Sunshine Stars attacker, Tunde Adeniji started in place of the Abia Warriors man.

Guinea, needing an outright victory to stand any chance of further progress to the knockout stages, started the brighter of the two sides.

The Syli Nationale were however denied by consistent poor decision-making in the final third and stoic Nigerian defending.

Nigeria started on the back foot and had

to wait until 19 minutes to muster their first shot on goal, but Chima Akas’ indirect free kick was wild and off target.

Mohammed Usman came close to breaking the deadlock in the 37th minute following a counter attack but his finishing let him down after some good footwork down the right hand channel.

Mohammed, who passed a late fitness test, failed to last the first 45 minutes and was substituted just before half time with Nasarawa United man, Bature Yaro taking his place.

Guinea got their deserved reward for positive play on the stroke of half time with a goal that set the pulses racing.

Exemplary passing between Alseny

Chikatara Camara and Moussa Diawara down the right tore open the Nigerian defence and Ibrahima Sankhon was left the straightforward task of steering into an empty Nigeria goal.

It was no more than they deserved as the Super Eagles were left chasing a game for the first time in the tournament.

Nigeria head coach, Sunday Oliseh knew he had to unleash his most potent attacking weapon and introduced Chikatara soon after the restart.

Bature Yaro’s free kick on 78 minutes was the first real chance the Eagles managed in a second half of few clear cut opportunities.

Guinea came close to extending their lead in the 81st minute but Sankhon’s free kick was handled in exemplary fashion by

Ikechukwu Ezenwa.

Nigeria came even closer in the 86th minute via a Bright Onyedikachi’s volley which was cleared off the line.

Osas fired a long range effort just wide in the 87th minute as the Super Eagles revved up the engine late on.

Sankhon came close to finishing off the game as a contest but dragged an effort wide at the death.

Nigeria finished as the third best side at the 2014 CHAN in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Tunisia advanced in the tournament alongside Guinea after an emphatic 5-0 whitewash of Niger on Tuesday to top Group C with 5 points.

Business Times Daily Times Nigeria

Moody issues BoI Ba3 rating, stable outlook Page B2

Corruption: Massive shake-up looms Page B4 in NCS

VP, Kachikwu shun 50 exhibitors at OWA 2016

Ï d ƏƕƆ ƍ ƂƆ plans to invest more in production

Opeoluwani Akintayo

CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Opeoluwani Akintayo

R-L: Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health; President, Muhammadu Buhari, being instituted as the Grand Patron of Committee Empowering Corporate Philanthropy in Nigeria by former Nigerian High Commissioner to The United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade supported by Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar... recently.

CBN retains lending rate at 11% Motolani oseni As widely forecast by financial experts, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday retained Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 11 percent and also pegged Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 20 percent.

The MPR which is the official lending rate in the country was at 13 percent for nine years before it was reduced to 11 percent at the last MPC meeting in November, 2015.

While rising from its two day Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Tuesday, the apex

Ambode

CBN sells $16b at forex market in six months Page B3

OPEC, Russia to work on cutting oversupply

Ï Ǝ ƈƄ ƉƕƄƍ ƄƎ cold feet As stakeholders gathered yesterday, at the first energy industry event in 2016, Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, were conspicuously absent.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

bank decided to keep its benchmark interest rate at 11 percent and leave the naira exchange rate fixed despite a dive on the parallel market.

Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele announced that there was no change to the official naira rate to the dollar which has come under tremendous pressure due to drying up of vital oil revenues, Nigeria’s lifeline.

He said the 12 members of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep the rate unchanged. The bank also held that the cash reserve ratio for commercial banks be at 20 percent.

Market forces should determine exchange rate, says Ambode

“The committee reiterated its unyielding commitment towards achieving a stable exchange rate regime to ensure more flexibility for sustainable inclusive economic growth in the medium to long term,” he said.

He added that Nigeria was looking at “different scenarios” if the oil price dropped further but did not elaborate.

Emefiele also defended controversial import restrictions for hundreds of goods aimed at preserving the dwindling currency reserves. He said sales for locally produced food such as fish have been rising. “It has been positive,” he said.

Joy Ekeke Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has urged the Central Bank to listen to the various calls by well -meaning Nigerians by clarifying its long term strategy for the market to determined exchange rate policy.

He stated this while delivering his keynote address at the Nigerian Economic Outlook for 2016 organised by the Net-Works Business Club, an exclusive Christian Business Club promoted by Redeemed Christian Church of God (City of David

Emefiele

Parish) with the aim of providing a platform to empower people towards the realization of their business potentials.

The governor, who was represented as the Special Guest at the forum by the Commissioner of Economic Planning & Budget, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade, said the Central Bank should listen to the various calls by well-meaning Nigerians by clarifying its long term strategy for market determined exchange rate policy which he said are genuine and should be addressed as soon as possible.

The governor insisted that,

Senior OPEC and Russian oil industry officials have agreed to talk on how to remedy over supply, while Saudi Arabia has insisted on investing more into production, and to allow the market balance itself.

Speaking in London on Monday, OPEC Secretary General Abdullah al-Badri said other producers should work together with the group to tackle swollen global stockpiles so that prices could recover, essentially reiterating OPEC’s longstanding position that it will only consider cutting output if others pitch in.

Moscow which many thought will be easy to reach a potential output agreement with, has so far refused to cooperate, saying its fields and weather conditions are different from those in the Gulf even as prices below $30 per barrel are way below what its budget needs to break even.

But as its currency collapsed to an all-time low last week and with parliamentary and presidential election looming in the next two CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

contrary to general belief, the current currency crisis was not a Nigerian phenomenon as all developing countries whose growth in the last decade was hinged on commodity boom were going through same problem which include exchange rate depreciation, rising unemployment and shrinking GDP. Ambode expressed confidence in the regime of President Buhari to combat the fiscal failures of the past administration, which, he said, was responsible for the economic downturn “we are experiencing following the CONTINUED ON PAGE B2

Business News B2

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

VP, Kachikwu shun 50 exhibitors at OWA 2016

Market forces should determine exchange rate, says Ambode CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

The duo and other government officials shunned 50 exhibitors in this year’s Offshore West Africa hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.

Shockingly, both the vice president and the minister who were slated to present keynote papers, did not send any representatives to deliver them or represent them.

Both the vice president and the minister were expected to deliver paper on ’positioning for a sustainable future’ in oil and gas industry and the economy.

Meanwhile, the minister of State, Petroleum Resources was in Lagos Monday, a day before the conference kicked off to inspect vandalized pipelines in Arepo area of Lagos but flew back to Abuja same day.

When the minister media was contacted to seek clarification on Kachikwu’s absence, no cogent reason was given.

An official of the conference explained to reporters that the minister contacted them to notify his absence.

However, industry players who were present during the opening ceremony of the conference wondered why the minister was absent.

Some explained that the minister’s presence at the first industry conference in the country was expected to boost their confidence and that of prospective investors in the face of economic downturn.

Others were worried why the minister could give priorities to foreign industry conferences which were expensive at the expense of a conference hosted within the country that is cost effective.

Despite the absence of the vice president and minister of state for petroleum resources, the conference was seen to be a successful one with a record of 50 exhibitors such as international oil companies, IOCs, and oil servicing companies.

Kachikwu

Olaoluwa

Moody issues BoI Ba3 rating, stable outlook Charles Okonji

Bank of Industry (BoI) has been assigned first-time rating of Ba3 by Moody’s Investors Service, an international financial rating institution while affirming the development finance institution’s rating as stable.

According to the agency, the ratings are underpinned by a b2 standalone credit profile and two notches of uplift due to Moody’s government support assumptions.

Moreover, the rating agency explained that Bank of Industry’s b2 standalone profile reflects its robust capital buffers, with equity to assets ratio of 30 per cent as of September 2015; a stable liability structure made up of long-term funding at concessional rates; and the tangible improvements to the bank’s governance and risk positioning in recent years.

In its Global Credit Research report, Moody’s noted that the Bank of Industry’s reported nonperforming loans ratio (NPLs) is relatively low at 4.6 percent as of November 2015 and compares favourably to development bank peers globally.

“Low NPLs are partly explained by the exposures relating to the CBN intervention fund, which are guaranteed by commercial banks and, as such, have generated close to zero NPLs as Bank of Industry exercises the guarantee immediately after any of these loans become delinquent.

“That said, the ratings current-

ly assigned to Bank of Industry take into account our expectation of a higher NPL level (between 5 and 10 per cent of total loans) over the next two years, as we expect asset quality to come under pressure as the bank increases its loan exposure within Nigeria’s challenging operating environment.

“Bank of Industry plans to double its total loan book size over the next four years and to increase its MSME portfolio by 14 times its currently modest size.

This MSME target corresponds to an annual growth rate of 93 per cent, albeit from a very low base (four per cent of total portfolio). Bank of Industry projects that about half of new loans that will be extended in the future will be guaranteed by a commercial bank,” it added.

Commenting on the bank’s credit profile, Moody’s stated that as of September 2015, tangible common equity as a percentage of total assets stood at 30 per cent, up from 26 per cent in 2014, which is substantially stronger than similarly-rated global peers.

“Although we expect Bank of Industry’s capitalization to decline going forward due to its planned loan book growth of about 20 per cent annually, we anticipate that tangible common equity as a percentage of total assets will remain above 20 per cent for the next 12 to 18 months, which will still leave the bank with a robust capital cushion that compares favourably to peers internationally.

crash in the price of crude oil our major source of revenue.”

He, however, noted that the current policy must be time bound to give way for a more sustainable exchange rate policy that would bring confidence back to the system, stressing that any attempt to manage the exchange rates will create further distortions in the system which is like solving one problem while creating others in the process.

He, however, expressed cautious optimism that oil prices would rebound in the medium term as it was not in the interest of most countries for oil prices to fall indefinitely, noting that with rapid decline in exchange rates, some countries that are oil importers are now realizing CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1

years, pressure is rising on Kremlin to protect state revenues and avoid mass public displeasure.

“The practice of filling the market with cheap oil at any cost is wrong — half a year or a year later it could be sold at twice as high,” Leonid Fedun, vice-president of Lukoil, Russia’s second largest oil producer, was quoted as saying.

Last week, the head of Russia’s direct investment fund, Kirill Dmitriyev, who doesn’t oversee Russian oil policies, said at a conference in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos that Russia could one day cooperate with OPEC – not now but when the markets rebalanced – in a year or later.

The comments represent a departure from the previous stance when Russia’s energy ministry has repeatedly said it could talk to OPEC but saw no reason to cut production artificially.

Many Kremlin watchers said

Abdullah al-Badri

that falling oil prices have not paid off as expected.

While commending the Federal Government for towing the line of Lagos State in making efforts to increase its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Ambode emphasised that the most important lesson that must be learnt from the fallen oil prices is the need to diversify our economy by looking inward.

He averred that the solid minerals sector is acknowledged as a viable alternative to oil and gas for foreign exchange earnings, adding that the National Bureau of Statistics has made us to understand that the contribution of solid minerals to the IGR which stood at one percent in 2014 has the potential of increasing to 10 percent by 2020.

OPEC, Russia to work on cutting oversupply a deal would depend unilaterally on the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sees oil as only a small part of the puzzle which also includes dialogue with the West and Saudi Arabia on the war in Syria as well as sanctions on Russia imposed by the West over its actions in Ukraine.

However, Saudi Arabia holds a different stand as the country’s chairman of state oil firm Aramco, Khalid al- Falih, said he is continuing to invest in production despite deep spending cuts across most of the industry, and that markets would likely balance at a “moderate” oil price soon.

“Saudi Arabia is well documented to be the clear lowest cost producer,” he told reporters.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

B3 Money Market

CBN sells $16b at forex market in six months Stories by Motolani Oseni Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it traded a total sum of $15.70 billion at the foreign exchange market as against purchases of $0.58 billion, resulting in a net sale of US$15.12 billion during the halfyear of 2015.

The apex bank disclosed this in its 2015 half year activity report, that the official foreign exchange market transactions were carried out at the Retail Dutch Auction System (DAS) spot until February 18, 2015 and forwards, interventions in the inter-bank foreign exchange market and sales to Bureau De Changes (BDCs).

CBN stated that during the review period, 14 auctions were conducted at the RDAS spot market before its closure, adding that the total amount of foreign exchange offered at the segment stood at US$2.90 billion, while the demand and sales stood at US$8.65 billion and US$3.18 billion, respectively.

Purchases by the Bank amounted to US$0.58 billion.

While explaining the closure of the RDAS segment, the bank noted: “All demand for foreign exchange was channeled to the

L-R: Director General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Lagos, Dr. Gloria Elemo; Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Mr. Bayo Ojulari; SNEPCo Portfolio Manager, Mr. John Eweje; and SNEPCo Communications Manager, Mrs. Sola Abulu, at the Opening Session of the 2016 Offshore West Africa Conference in Lagos on Tuesday. SNEPCo was conferred with the only award of the conference, the Loyalty Award.

inter-bank foreign exchange market. This action by the CBN was a tacit shift in the exchange rate policy to ensure stability and decelerate the depletion of the foreign reserves.”

But in the corresponding period of 2014, 50 auctions were con-

ducted, culminating in US$19.15 billion being offered, while the demand and sales stood at US$23.77 billion and US$17.58 billion, respectively.

However, the bank participated in the inter-bank market by directly intervening and selling to

counter-parties on the basis of customer needs to curtail speculative tendencies and promote exchange rate stability. In that regard, total sales amounted to US$9.42 billion, while purchases stood at US$0.58 billion.

Consequently, the monthly

foreign exchange rate in the segment averaged N194.04/US$ during the review period. On month-by-month basis, the average exchange rate depreciated from N181.78/US$ in January to N197.07/US$ in March, but appreciated to N196.92/US$ in June, 2015. This represented a depreciation of 7.69 per cent between January and the end of the review period.

At the inter-bank market, forwards transactions valued US$1.69 billion at various tenors were carried out. A total of US$1.34 billion was settled while US$1.87 billion remained outstanding at end-June 2015.

The statement pointed that the total sum of $1.75 billion was sold to the BDC segment, in the six months under review at the RDAS spot rate between January and February 2015, and at the IFEM rates when the RDAS was closed. In the corresponding period of 2014, US$3.32 billion was sold at the RDAS rate.

“The low volume of sales in the review period reflected concerted efforts by the CBN to slowdown the depletion of the foreign reserves in the face of dwindling oil receipts”, it stated.

UBA, Elumelu Foundation partner US to enhance entrepreneurship in Africa United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and Tony Elumelu Foundation have partnered with the United States Department of Commerce to host a panel and roundtable discussion between members of the United States (US) Presidential Council on Doing Business In Africa (PCDBIA) including a diverse comNIBOR as @ Jan. 19, 2016 Tenor

Rate (%)

Change (%)

O/N

2.375

1.33 ?

1M

7.6786

-0.14 ?

3M

9.7721

0.29 ?

6M

10.929

0.22 ?

munity of African business owners, so as to enhance entrepreneurship in the region.

In a fact-finding mission, U.S. delegations made up of 11 persons, along with representatives of several U.S. government trade and investment-focused agencies, which was led by the Honourable Penny Pritzker – U.S. Secretary of Commerce, visited Lagos State.

This they said would help their upcoming report to President Obama on how to strengthen commercial engagement between the U.S. and Africa, which will result in mutually-beneficial growth.

CBN Exchange Rates Date

Currency

Buying(NGN)

Central(NGN)

Selling(NGN)

1/18/16

US DOLLAR

196

196.5

197

POUNDS STERLING

280.28

280.995

281.71

EURO

213.5028

214.0475

214.5921

SWISS FRANC

194.9667

195.464

195.9614

YEN

1.6692

1.6735

1.6777

CFA

0.3069

0.3169

0.3269

WAUA

270.4876

271.1776

271.8676

YUAN/RENMINBI

29.7891

29.8655

29.9419

RIYAL

52.243

52.3763

52.5095

DANISH KRONA

28.6002

28.6732

28.7461

SDR

271.166

271.8578

272.5495

This was disclosed in Lagos recently at the event titled: “Unleashing Africa’s Entrepreneurs: Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Empower the Next Generation of Africa’s Business Leaders” brought together American business leaders and Nigerian entrepreneurs to discuss challenges, solutions and innovations in the current African business environment.

The event was designed to allow representatives of the U.S. Government to participate in direct and substantive discussions with Africa’s emerging business leaders – an opportunity to engage in a dialogue that has the potential to influence U.S. foreign policy for Africa.

“President Obama believes, as I do, that the American private sector, working in partnership with the African business community and African entrepreneurs can help address many of the continent’s most pressing challenges, including creating jobs and opportunity for young people across the continent,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “I am proud to lead our Administration’s effort to support and empower aspir-

ing entrepreneurs, both in the United States and across the globe.”

UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu, through his eponymous Foundation, hosted the delegation, and expressed gratitude for the collaborative approach the Council and U.S. Commerce Department is taking in engaging local entrepreneurs as part of their deliberations.

“Too often, well-meaning foreign policy-makers develop strategies to help Africans without actually engaging us,” he said. “In order to effectively help or support people, we should ask them what kind of help they want. So, I thank you for doing that with African businesses.”

For the U.S. Government, this trip begins the Road to GES 2016 – the Global Entrepreneurship Summit; an annual gathering of entrepreneurs at all stages of business development, designed to demonstrate the U.S. Government’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship around the world.

Expressly designed to address the needs of and provide opportunities for the next generation of African entrepreneurs, the

Elumelu

entrepreneurs in attendance included SMEs supported by UBA Plc, UNCTAD’s EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation and those selected for the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) – a 10-year, $100 million commitment by the Tony Elumelu Foundation to empower the next generation of Africa’s entrepreneurs with businesses that have the potential to generate income and jobs for their nations.

Maritime B4

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Corruption: Massive shake-up looms in NCS ÏRƐƄƍ ƽèƞƞƞ ƅƅƆƃƄƍ Ɗ Ɠ ƂƄ ƅƅƄƃƎƄƕ Stories by Babajide Okeowo In the light of the monumental corruption and arbitrary promotion under past leaderships of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), there is widespread panic in the service as there are indications that the Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Alli (Retd) have ordered the de-ranking of over 4000 customs officers.

This is coming at a time senior customs officials are still grappling with the ‘Operation declare your assets’ directive of the CG. The CG had during his maiden tour of Lagos Ports lamented about the arbitrary promotion going on in the service noting that

some of the promotions done in the past were irregular. He had however pledged at the time to review all cases of irregular promotions among officers.

It would be recalled that in the first quarter of 2015 alone, over 4000 customs officers were promoted by the former Comptroller General, Abdullahi Dikko Inde.

The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service; Mr. Wale Adeniyi while denying that no officer have been demoted however confirmed that some officers have been adorning ranks that is not theirs.

“The fact is that some officers have been putting on ranks that that are not commensurate, the anomalies are being corrected by management,” he said.

The development, it was gathered, has made some of the af-

Alli

fected officers to start running helter-skelter with a view to scuttling the exercise while some affected officers have resorted to using their godfathers to stop the management from implementing the decision.

In another development, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has tasked the

ANCLA decries Verstracker’s high subscription rate National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu has called for a review to the N26, 000 monthly subscription fee proposed by VESTRACKER, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform based in Sweden to make it affordable for Nigerian maritime workers. ``We are large in number, due to the large number of freight forwarders in Nigeria, we cannot be compared with that of any country in Africa. ``Nigerian price should be cheaper going by our numerical strength, ’’ Shittu said. According to him, the N26, 000 monthly subscription proposed by the firm is on the high side,” he said.

In a related development, The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello, on Monday urged Nigerian freight forwarders to embrace Information Technology in order to operate in line with international best practices.

Represented by the Director, Commercial Shipping Service

of NSC, Mrs. Dabney ShallHolma at a one-day training programme on ICT organized for freight forwarders by NSC and the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Bello said proper training of the maritime worker will minimize unethical practices. ``If freight forwarders are properly trained, it would minimize unethical practices,’’ he said.

He said that such training would also promote efficiency in service delivery at the ports. ``It is in this light that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council as part of its regulatory mandate, is striving to bring service improvement to the ports. ``In spite of the immense contributions of freight forwarding to the socio-economic development of Nigeria, the standard of practice has been poorly rated. ``This is because the profession has become an all comers’ affair; which is inimical to smooth and efficient clearance of goods in Nigerian Ports.

Public Relations officer of

National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Mr. Stanley Ezenga while full of praises for the organizer of the programme said that freight forwarders had been longing for such a programme. ``With the online software, we can conveniently track consignments and upload the Bill of Lading,’’ Ezenga said.

Shittu

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service; Col. Hameed Ali (Retd) not to limit the asset declaration to only the senior officials, but, to also include the junior officers.

According to the Vice Chairman, Anti-corruption and Transparency Unit of NAGAFF; Comrade Stephen Ibeh, he alleged that some of the junior officers

As maritime journalists all over Africa converged at the Coconut Groove Regency Hotel, Ghana between the 29th and 30th of January, 2016 for the inaugural edition of the Africa Maritime Journalists Conference (AMJOC) 2016, issues pertaining to the growth of the Maritime industry are expected to headline discussions.

Aside members of the maritime media fraternity, other participants expected at the twoday event are maritime industry corporate communication and information officers, advocacy groups, trade and professional associations, non-governmental and civil society groups.

Special guest of honor is Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs. Joyce Bawah Mogtari. Who will give a keynote address on “Maritime Media as Vessel for Africa’s Economic Transformation.”

The conference aim is to set agenda and encourage peer review by maritime institutions in Africa, support research and information exchanges among maritime media practitioners; advocate solidarity and goodwill between the media and all segments of the maritime industry

are even richer than some Customs Area Controllers in service.

“It’s a laudable move by the CGC to ask his officers to declare their assets and I if I have access to him I will advise him to direct junior officers to also declare their assets as well, because so many of the junior officers are even richer than their boss, “ he said.

Maritime policy development tops agenda at AMJOC 2016 will have the Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello in attendance.

Hassan Baba Jauro, NIMASA Ag. DG

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

B5 ICT

NITDA trains people with disabilities on ICT Stories by Tony Nwakaegho National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has commenced the second edition of ICT training for people with disabilities.

The training which started last Monday is aimed at increasing the capacities of about 55 people with physical challenges.

Declaring the training opened, the Ag. Director General of the Agency, Dr. Vincent Olatunji said the objective of the training was to give the special people a sense of belonging in projects and programmes of the agency.

He said, “One of the core objectives of NITDA is to increase human capital development through ICT thereby creating jobs and diversifying the economy.”

He added, “We feel that we cannot be increasing the capacity of the able ones in our society and living the special people like you and this make this training become imperative because in our own little way you are important part of our society.

Cross section of the People With Disabilies, (PWDs) at the ICT training organized by NITDA in Abuja, recently.

“We want you to take the advantage of the training to transform your life. I advise you to have a dream and vision and the government will provide the platform for you to excel,” Olatunji said.

He informed them that they should not see their physical impediments as challenges that might limit the level they could get to in life, adding that, ICT is not a magic and rocket science but a tool they can use to be inde-

pendent of others and attain any level in life.

“We are not only training you on ICT alone, we are going to provide you with working tools and make you entrepreneurs and remember that with one ICT en-

trepreneur we are creating three employees.

Sharing the testimony of the first edition of the training with the trainees, Dr. Olatunji stated that 25 out of the 50 people trained were now fully employed.

He advised them to see the training as a platform to acquire ‘ICT knowledge with a parting gift of becoming independent after the training.

“Olatunji who urged them to make use of the knowledge acquired pleaded with them never to sell their working tools because,” We have mechanism in place to monitor your progress,” he added.

In his remark, the training consultant and the President of Global Hope and Justice for the Less Privileged Incorporation, Mr. Paul Ihekwoaba commended NITDA for sponsoring the training programme for second successive year.

He advised other government agencies and parastatals to emulate NITDA in empowering the physically challenged people in the society.

Minister of ScienceTech, others to brainstorm on sustainable development Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology and Mr. Ben Mellor, head of Nigerian Office, Department for International Development Nigeria (DFiD), are set to lead others to brainstorm on sustainable development during the seventh edition of the thought leadership series, sustainable conversations, billed to hold in Abuja tomorrow.

Dr. Onu will be joined by other discussants among who are Ochapa Ogenyi of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); Dayo George, Corporate Director, Unilever Nigeria; Mr. Yusuf Kazaure, MD and CEO, Galaxy Backbone, and Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, PLAN International.

Sustainable conversations is a thought leadership breakfast series that focuses on the development of key sectors in the country.

This edition, which is dubbed: “Fast-tracking targets through Technology and Education.” is assembled by Nigeria’s most innovative and fastest growing telecommunications company, Etisalat, and renowned Management Consultancy firm, Thistle

Praxis Consulting.

Commenting on Etisalat’s support for the thought leadership series, Ibrahim Dikko, Vice President, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria said “Etisalat is delighted to be at the forefront of initiatives that can contribute to national development at all times. It is a further commitment of our company to being a very critical player in sustainable developments in Nigeria.”

Dikko added that critical sectors in Nigeria such as the education and ICT sectors, like in all developing countries, are too important to be left to the government alone, and noted that they would require strategic interventions from all, including private individuals and corporate organisations.

He reiterated the company’s commitment to Nigeria just as he identified education as a major Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), alongside health and environment. “At Etisalat, we take education very seriously, so much so that presently we have five key interventions all aimed at raising educational excellence in the country.

Ini Onuk, Lead Consultant/

CEO of ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited said the development of the education and technology sector would be the first step towards achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

According to her, education and technological development are two key sectors that can transform the entire continent by 2030 through the attainment of the global goals if well harnessed.

“Education is crucial to the development of any economy while the development of science and technology has been identified as a move towards the development of infrastructure which all African countries need the most. For Africa to achieve the SDGs, sound education policies that will wipe out mass illiteracy and give room for the utilization of the educated for the implementation of the goals, are urgently needed,” she added. The discussions are expected to culminate in a white paper that would be forwarded to relevant organs of government and other stakeholders, while participants would reflect a select list of CEOs, captains of industry, sector professionals and experts, non-profit Institutions as well as the academia.

Shittu

Nigeria to benefit from $15bn ICT investment from Chinese investors The Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu has said that Nigeria was on the threshold of benefiting from $15 billion investment into the country’s information communication technology (ICT) sector by Chinese investors.

Shittu made this remark against the backdrop of his recent trip to China, adding that when invested, the money will facilitate the diversification from the sector into new areas of interest and create over 40 million jobs, especially for the tech savvy youth in the country.

He maintained that the investment would also open and deepen the sector to accelerate its contri-

bution to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“I am happy to announce to you that we are in advance discussion with the Chinese investment communication. They have seen our investment potential and are ready make about $15 billion investment in the ICT sector,” Shittu told stakeholders in Ibadan, Oyo State at a two-day Nigerian communications sector retreat.

It will be recalled that the Minister visited China last week for a conference on space technology, where he marketed Nigeria’s cyberspace and telecommunications sector potential to foreign investors.

Capital Market B6

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Stock Market Report

Stock market index falls by 0.55% The Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index (NSE ASI) and the market capitalization decreased by 0.55 percent while the Year-to-Date return stood at -16.79 percent at the close of trading yesterday.

The All Share Index closed at 23,832.03 against the previous close of 23,963.64 while Market Capitalization closed at N8.196 trillion against previous close of N8.242 trillion. The volume of shares traded decreased by 33.61 percent from 215.184 million to 142.851 million while the total value of stock traded decreased by 21.89 percent from N2.105 billion to N1.644 billion in 3,298 deals.

The Financial Services sector led the activity chart with 107.507 million shares exchanged for N0.676 billion. Consumer Goods came next with 10.176 million shares traded for N0.587 billion, Conglomerates, Oil And Gas, Services sectors followed in that order on the activity chart.

Zenith Bank, GTBank, First Bank Nigeria Holdings Plc, UBA and Access were the most actively traded stocks by volume while Cadbury, A.G Leventis, Seplat, PZ and Oando emerged the highest price gainers on the chart, while Caverton, Glaxosmithkline, Unilever, NAHCO and Cutix topped the losers chart.

Summary of activities on NSE ASI

23,832.03

DEALS VOLUME VALUE CAP

3,298.00 142,851,380.00 1,644,198,787.38 8,196,280,579,327.05

L – R: Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Executive Director, Capital Market, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Mr. Patrick Ilodianya, Managing Director Skye Shelter Fund Plc at the Closing Gong Ceremony at The Exchange ... on Tuesday.

PZ posts 46% drop in net profit Q2 PZ Cussons Plc has announced a 45.92 percent drop in net profit for the second quarter ended November 28, 2015.

The company recorded a profit after tax of N779.452 million on a turnover of N30.620 billion for the second quarter of 2015 compared with a net profit of N1.441billion on a turnover of

31.660 billion for the corresponding period of 2014.

This represents a fall of 45.92 percent in net profit and 3.29 percent in turnover.

The company’s basic earnings per share also dropped by 45.92 percent from 36 kobo in 2014 to 20 kobo in 2015.

PZ is into the marketing and

Diamond Bank, BOC Gases announce board changes Stories by Azubike Nnadozie Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru has resigned from Diamond Bank Plc as an independent non-executive director with effect from October 18, 2015.

The bank disclosed this in a notification sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday.

The statement was signed by Mr. Austin Chima of the bank’s legal division and Okechukwu Oko, an assistant company secretary.

Okauru, a former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) was appointed to the Board of Diamond Bank Plc at its board meeting of July 26, 2012, making her the third woman on the bank’s board The bank had said then that Okauru’s appointment is expected to bring on board her wealth of experience in contributing towards the advancement of Diamond Bank.

Okauru was also the Managing Partner of Compliance

Okauru

Professionals Plc, a firm which supports individuals and organizations to ensure compliance with rules and regulations. She is also a part-time member of the United Nations (UN) Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria (Limited by Guarantee), a family based nongovernmental Organisation geared to community development.

As member of the UN Committee of Experts, Ifueko is the coordinator of the sub-committee on capacity building responsible for identifying and executing capacity building initiatives for deserving revenue authorities and officials. Ifueko also acts as the 2012 Mentorship Chair of the African Women’s Leadership Think Tank (AWLTT).

From May 2004 to April 2012, Ifueko was the first female Executive Chairman of the FIRS and Chairman of the JTB com-

distribution of personal care, electricals, food and nutrition as well as home care products PZ Cussons has come a long way from its early beginnings in 1899.

The company’s strength is underpinned by its core value of talented, motivated people, and a unique CAN DO approach.

prising representatives of all taxing tiers of government in Nigeria. During her tenure, she spearheaded comprehensive tax reforms that led to the development of a national tax policy (for the first time), modification of tax legislation and remarkable improvement in the effectiveness of Tax Administration.

Tax collection in the FIRS, under the leadership of Ifueko Omoigui Okauru grew significantly.

In this same vein, the Managing Director of BOC Gases Nigeria Plc, a member of the Linde Group, Mr. Johann van Rooyan has announced his decision to take higher appointment within the Afrox Group later in the year at an emergency meeting board meeting of the company held on Monday. Subsequently, the board of the company has informed the NSE that the managing director is likely to resign his appointment later in the year, probably in March 2016.

The company secretary of BOC, Mr. G.E. Oriseh said in the statement that, “At the meeting, the results of interviews conducted to appoint a local director were finalised and it was resolved that Mr. Oyedele Oyeniyi Olawale be invited to join the company’s board at the next meeting scheduled for sometime in March 2016.

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

B7 Capital Market

NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 26-01-2016

Aviation B8 Air Côte d’Ivoire takes delivery of third Q400 aircraft

Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Air Côte dIvoire (HF) has taken delivery of its third Bombardier Q400 from the Canadian manufacturer who is expected to deliver a fourth aircraft by the end of April according to signed contract. The delivery marks the first step in the process of renewal and reinforcement of the fleet of Air Côte dIvoire by the end of 2016 which should include nine aircraft.

Negotiations are also ongoing with Airbus for the order of five (5) new aircraft including

three 3 A319s and two A320s.

These new aircraft will gradually replace the equipment operating in rent. They will be equipped with the latest technology and offer exceptional comfort to customers. Air Cote DIvoire currently has eight (8) aircraft composed of four Airbus A319, one Airbus A320 and three new Bombardier Q400s.

The carriers current capital of 25 billion CFA Francs is held by the State of Côte dIvoire (65%), Air France (20%) and Golden Rod (15%).

A further recapitalization of the airline from 25 to 65 billion CFA capital is expected and should be effective before the end of January 2016. BOAD will also enter the capital of Air Côte dIvoire. The company intends to launch another increase to more than 100 billion CFA at the end of 2016 in order to acquire substantial resources to support its development.

HF serves 20 cities to date in West and Central Africa with frequent and direct flights on 70% of its network.

Nimet set to get ISO17025 certification

The ISO 17025 is the standard for which most laboratories must hold accreditation in order to be deemed technically competent being a requirement for testing and calibration laboratories.

The Director-General Nimet, Dr. Anthony Anuforom who disclosed this in Abuja when mem-

bers of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, aeronautical Engineers division led by the President paid him a courtesy visit said, that paucity of funds has forced the agency to diversify .

According to Anuforom, fund has remained a challenge in the organization and there was need

to diversify adding, that the maritime and agricultural sectors will be harnessed to generate money to run the agency.

He explained, that as soon as ISO 17025 certification was achieved for its laboratory, it will be presented to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) for acceptance in other to give credence to the Nimet products.

Anuforom said the certification will allow other countries to patronize Nimet products and will generate fund for the agency.

The Nimet boss noted that technology has done a lot in improving the services of the organization adding that accidents and incident resulting from wind shear has been totally minimized following the installation of equipment across the airports.

Anuforom noted that eleven airport now have the low level wind shear equipments installed as against one at the Abuja airport when he came on board.

He also said that Doppler radars have also been installed in some airport stressing that installation work will commence in other airports as soon as the security situation improved.

He said consistency has enabled the agency to get transformed.

Nigerian carrier, Dana Air has made known series of benefits to reward its customers flying on the Lagos – Accra – Lagos route.

The Chief Commercial Officer of Dana Air, Mr Obi Mbanuzuo, who disclosed this, stated that the offer was also tied to its frequent flyer programme, Dana Miles, which would enable passengers flying on the Accra route earn 4,500 miles extra to fly for free on their next trip.

The rewards, he explained would continue throughout the month of February, 2016 and

that the offer entails that passengers fly with their partner on a round trip on the Lagos – Accra- Lagos route to get 4500 miles.

This, he further explained is equivalent to a free ticket, while those travelling on the business class stand a chance of being upgraded to silver membership, which is the second highest membership level for passengers, who are able to acquire 9,000 miles within one year on their flight with Dana Air and also enjoy the advantage that the program has to offer.

The Chief Commercial Officer of Dana Air stated that the reward was just the airlines’ way of saying thank you to its loyal passengers on the Accra route and to encourage them to spend this year’s valentine in Accra.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Ray Kyles (left) and Deputy Managing Director, Arik Air, Capt. Ado Sanusi during the visit of Kyles to Arik Air Headquarter in Lagos… on Tuesday.

Stories by Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Nimet) is set to get its International Organisation for Standardization ISO 17025 certification for its laboratory to ensure competency.

Dana air rewards passengers on Lagos —Accra route

Aeronautical Engineers charge government on maintenance culture Members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Aeronautical division have charged various government agencies to imbibe the maintenance culture on its equipment to keep the system going.

The president of NSE (aeronautical division) Engr. Bola Bido who gave this charge in Abuja when he led members of the association on a courtesy visit to the director general of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) noted, that lack of maintenance culture was responsible for the folding up of some companies in the country.

Engr. Bido stressed the need for parastatals heads to engage the services of local engineers in the aviation sector to handle all equipment maintenance related issues.

According to Bido with the dwindling resources in the country, there was no way organizations will survive by seeking the services of expertrates where Nigerian engineers were capable of doing the job, adding that “With the dwindling resources, it is necessary to look inwards by challenging our engineers to learn”. “Jobs that can be done by Nigerians should be given to Nigerians in order to encourage them.”

Engr. Bido decried the high rate of ageing workforce in the aviation sector saying, it remained a source of worry to the association and stakeholders. While commending the Nimet boss, Dr Anthony Anuforom for the transformation in the agency, Bido noted that the ICT department of the agency remained a reference point and requested for the integration of Nimet services in Air Traffic management in all the airports to enable all the airlines get its information.

According to him, this is our own way of appreciating our loyal guests who have embraced our unique flight services on the Accra route and to also encourage couples to enjoy their getaway this valentine in the beautiful city of Accra.

Life&

TIMES Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Bimbo

Thomas:

The All-shades-of-brown lover

L2

P

Interview L2

Daily Times Nigeria

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

I’m glad I learnt

y a w d r a h the – Bimbo

Thomas

Big, bold and beautiful are the words that aptly describe Nollywood actress, Bimbo Thomas. The graduate of Creative Arts from the University of Lagos became more popular after her impressive role in actress Funke Akindele’s critically acclaimed movie, Omo Ghetto. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, Bimbo Thomas, who is also the CEO of Bimbally Wine & Liquor, opens up on her love for shades of brown colours, acting and other issues. Enjoy…

Let’s talk about Bimbally Wine store, how has it been like since its official opening?

It’s been great and we are not doing badly. Since its opening, our clientele has increased as we have received a lot of commendation from customers who have had one thing or the other to do with us.

With lots of stress and challenges that your job as an actress portray, how do you find time for your business?

Most times, I am always in our outlet seeing to the affairs of the business if I am not on location or gone on vacation. I have competent staff who can handle the business well. But like it is said, no one handles your business like you do.

Let me take you back a bit, how will you describe your growing up in Obadina area of Lagos, a place regarded as a ghetto?

What a great street! Obadina is place where you can either be made or marred.

But I chose my path, thanks to God and my wonderful parents. I can’t forget the memories of where I was brought to life in a lifetime. The street is full of all kinds of inexplicable beings and happenings. Anyway, I can say it was the survival of the fittest then.

I am glad I learnt the hard way and it made me who I am today to the glory of God.

saw people who had done that before and I made several moves to extract words and actions from their lifestyles. Besides, I was ready for loads of films, in addition to the information I gathered. When it came to the interpretation of the adapted role, it was like a thorn in the flesh. But here I am today, thanking God for the opportunity and inspiration of the act.

What defines your style?

It is inspiration from God. Favorite Shoes: Peep toes\flats Favourite Bag designer: Miu Miu\Chloe Favourite Wrist Watch Designer: LV Favourite Earring (Chandeliers or studs): Chandeliers definitely because I don’t really wear necklace Car: FJ Cruiser Favourite Perfume: I wear several perfumes but I am in love with 212 sexy and Fantasy by Britney Spears.

Favourite Underwear’s: La Zensa and Victoria Secret Favourite Fashion Designer: D&G Favourite Sunglasses: Micheal Kors

Life&

T E A M

How did you prepare yourself for that role in the movie ‘Omo Ghetto’ and to what extent did you go to fit into the role?

Candidly, I went all out, just to get the reality of the role. I visited unimaginable places,

Favourite Drink: Snapp\Lemonade Dinner Wear: Oscardelarenta Favourite Color: All shades of Brown

Entertainment Correspondent Mutiat Alli

Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye

Photography Quadri Olowolagba

Graphics Adebambo Segun

Daily Times Nigeria

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

L3 Global Fashion

Mutiat Alli

Butterscotch unveils new date

Brian Mcknight

Organisers of the 3rd edition of Butterscotch Evenings which was billed to hold late last year have announced that the high octane event will now take place on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at Eko Convention Center at 7pm prompt.

Following years of successfully hosting in Lagos to the most exquisite dining and world class entertainment, Michelangelo Productions is excited to announce that the headline act, Brian McKnight, will be performing alongside Shina Peters, Styl Plus and others.

Butterscotch Evenings is proudly supported by Africamagic, Trace TV, Beat FM, Cool FM, Classic FM, Pernod Ricard, Bellanaija, Onobello, Linda Ikeji, Pulse NG, Daily Times, Genevieve Magazine, Ebonylife TV and Guardian.

MAC launches Lip sticks for valentine kisses Known as the first stage of love, lust is synonymous with the colour red; in particular, red lips. As a result, red lips are apparently more beautiful to look at, that’s why it has been a staple in make-up bags for centuries.

So if you fancy opting for sexy red lips this Valentine’s Day, I suggest you choose any single one of the lovely MAC lippies.

MAC is Nigeria’s top leading cosmetic line that boasts of quality make-up kits every lady is dying to have.

Stephanie Coker

Irina goes naked for new shoot

Irina Shayk

MLD online store to surprise fashion lovers this love season Top online CEO of MLD store, Toyin Sabeet has disclosed exclusively to Life & Times that her several list of clientele will enjoy a whooping price slash this coming love season.

Toyin is a pharmacist turned lover of quality fashion houses top authentic designer wears that ranges from brands with the likes of David Charles, Moschino, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi to mention but few.

According to the CEO, the Valentine day sales includes lingerie’s, perfumes, men’s shirts and ties amongst others as all items sold are 100 percent authentic and verifiable at any top notch brand stores around the world.

debuts hair line

Toyin

Adekunle Gold looking diaper in new shoot

Nigeria’s finest TV host cum MTV Base presenter, Stephanie Coker has unveiled hair line of crotchet braid, Krotchet Kulture. Stephanie made the announcement known via her social media page giving clear cut information on what to expect from her hair line.

The line has a collection of different types of protective styles, a trend the MTV presenter herself loves judging from her kinky twists.

The crotchet collection comes in soft twists and looks good.

Stephaine Coker

Top Russian model who modeled alongside Chris Moore for the sultry campaign shot in black and white chose only a pair of jeans going completely sans any form of clothing on her upper part and a point stripped for the advert.

Luxury brand, Givenchy only recently unveiled the top Russian model currently dating Bradley Cooper as face of the brand.

The models both chose denim bottoms from the brand while posing alternating between snug embraces and intimate postures for the shot.

An excited Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci shared photos -including a naked shot of Shayk with Moore- via his Instagram.

Sex definitely sells as the campaign has continued to trend!

The rising Nigerian music star was spotted dressed in his beautifully designed trademark Adire outfits and just like always, it looked good on him.

Adekunle Gold

L4

Daily Times Nigeria

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Daily Times Nigeria

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

L5

Beauty L6

Daily Times Nigeria

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

walle

Men with

t

are exclusively hot,

what about you?

Men bags or “purses” have been in and out of vogue for years. But lately, they’ve been spotted on men in films and television, as well as being carried by average guys on the street.

Some people still see a slung carryall as being solely for women, while others say it’s just plain convenient for men to stash their sunglasses, iPods, wallets and other modern accessories.

A man is “manly” to the extent that he is able to access the strengths inherent to his gender. A bag (or anything a man has) is “manly” to the extent that it facilitates the man accessing his maleness and emasculating to the extent that it prohibits such access. Men with wallets are exclusively hot and always want to look dashing.

The led-light

trend

Fashion upgrades every single minute and second. Now, there is a latest shoe design being in vogue. So, add the glow of light up shoes to your step for a flashy new stride.

These light up LED shoes are the perfect accessory for the club, a rave party, or just a night out in the town. This shoe is your best choice for footwear for any occasion you want to be noticed at. It has a USB rechargeable port right inside the shoe, so you can wear these for years to

come.

You just have to plug these bad boys into any standard USB port, just like your cell phone, and 2 hours later you’ve got a gorgeous glowing piece of footwear that will outlast you for the night. It stays all night long not just when you stay a step.

Amazingly, it has all white design with rubber soles. This shoe goes with everything you have in your closet. You look light up as you will be looking fresh all night in the club.

Daily Times Nigeria

Spice your

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

look with

tulip wrap

From the runways to the owambe parties, the revolutionised Iro and buba is always a delightful sight. The traditional Iro and buba is no longer regarded as a style reserved for the older folks. It is currently a trendy red carpet look in Nigeria.

Young ladies rock this style in silk, chiffon and velvet materials. The way the Iro and buba is worn has been modernized. No longer is it wound around the waist in a boring style. Iro is now worn as a tulip style wrap, tied in front or at the back.

Here’s how to create the look: 1. Hold both ends of the Iro (wrapper) in each hand.

2. Move the ends to opposing sides such that they are made to overlap each other.

3. Do a twist from one end to the other.

4. Repeat the twist and then, tie in a knot at the back.

5. Tuck in loose ends.

So, rock your Iro and buba and be the trendiest chic on the block! Have fun tweaking your buba into fabulous styles – V-neck, round neck, short sleeves, sleeveless… the list is endless!

Rock your high heels elegantly When it comes to looking stylish, nothing beats a gorgeous pair of high heels. Heels make your legs look longer, your body look slimmer, and your whole outfit just a little more polished. Unfortunately, for many women, they also make your feet hurt something awful!

Thanks to shoe designers’ propensity for pointy toes, spindly heels, and narrow silhouettes for your aching post-heel feet. You should get rid of any shoes that cause any discomfort, the fashionista in you likely finds that hard to comply with. That’s why you need strategies to help you make your high heels work for you, not against you. Below are tips on wearing your high heels comfortably (or at least more comfort).

1.

Buy the right size of shoe.

2.

Stick to round toes.

3.

Don’t go too high.

4.

Tailor your width 5.

Cushion up.

Most importantly, you must know the type of heels that fits the kind of your leg.

If you have large ankles, don’t buy anything with an

ankle strap as it will make your ankles look wider and draw attention. Go for a pump or sling back instead. This will draw attention away from your ankles and make your legs look longer.

If your legs are short, avoid t-strap shoes because they shorten your legs and can make your feet look wider than normal. Similarly, ankle strap shoes aren’t the most flattering. Go for open toed shoes or nude high heels - they make your legs look long and lean.

If you want your legs to look longer, pointy-toed shoes will give you the illusion of extra height.

A warning, though: pointy-toed shoes may be uncomfortable if you have wide feet, so if that’s the case, save them for the special occasions only!

No point in being miserable all night just to look good.

If you have wide feet, roundtoed shoes have a cute vintage look, and can be the most comfortable option for those of us with wider feet. As a bonus, they can make your feet look smaller too.

L7 Fashion

L8 TV guide

Daily Times Nigeria

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Showing on

Showing on

Movies Romance Channel 107

Movies Stars Channel 111

17:02

11:50

Wed, 27 Jan| PG

Wed, 27 Jan| PG 13

I n this heart-warming sequel to hit musical comedy, the sisters call on singer Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg) to help teach music to a group of students whose school is doomed to close.

101 M-Net West

23:30 Agent X 00:36 Zoo 01:30 Whiplash 03:13 Behind The Scenes: Mandela: Long...

05:30 Hollywood's 10 Best 06:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 07:00 MasterChef Australia 08:00 The Goldbergs 08:30 Chicago PD 09:16 Behind The Scenes: Lw Week-End

09:30 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:30 McFarland, USA 12:35 Kevin From Work 13:00 MasterChef Australia 14:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:47 Behind The Scenes: Walking On Sunshine 15:00 Astronaut Wives Club 16:00 Caught On Camera 17:00 Shades Of Blue 18:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:00 The Middle 19:30 MasterChef Australia

152 Africa Magic Epic 00:25 Healthy Snacking 00:35 Rings Of Fire 01:59 The Burning Ring 03:45 Okoro The Prince 05:33 Behind The Scenes: Secret Room 06:01 Market Sellers 08:30 Mama Bomboi: Holy Watch 08:38 Princess Throne 10:06 End Of The Princess Throne 11:15 Seed Of Wealth 13:02 Seed Of Wealth 14:25 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes 15:17 Behind The Scenes: Broken 15:35 The Mastermind 17:25 Africa Rising: Behind The Scenes 18:20 Mama Bomboi: Serious Matter

120 BBC Brit Entertainment

118 Telemundo

23:40 The Face Of Destiny 00:30 Elena's Ghost 01:20 Cruel Love 02:10 For Love And Justice 03:00 The Face Of Destiny 03:50 Fearless Heart 05:20 Elena's Ghost 06:10 Husband For Hire 07:00 The Face Of Destiny 07:50 Fearless Heart 08:40 For Love And Justice 09:30 Cruel Love 10:20 Husband For Hire 11:10 The Face Of Destiny 12:00 Fearless Heart 12:50 For Love And Justice 13:40 Cruel Love 14:30 Husband For Hire 15:20 The Face Of Destiny 16:10 Fearless Heart 17:00 For Love And Justice 17:50 Cruel Love 18:40 Husband For Hire 19:30 The Face Of Destiny 20:20 Fearless Heart 21:10 For Love And Justice 22:00 Cruel Love 22:50 Husband For Hire

18:30 Days Of Sorrow 20:23 My Brother's Wealth 22:20 The Great Servant

L A high- school student takes dance classes to improve his timing when playing soccer. When he starts classes, he falls in love with a girl despite their different backgrounds. Keri Russell, William Ash.(2000)John Forte.

128 SONY MAX

23:00 Most Shocking 23:45 World's Wildest Police Videos 00:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 01:25 Freakshow 23:19 Travel Man

10:15 Ducks Quacks Don't Echo

23:48 The Gadget Man

11:05 Would I Lie To You?

00:15 An Idiot Abroad

11:35 QI

01:02 The Cube

12:10 The Cube

01:49 Police Interceptors

13:00 Top Gear

02:36 The Notorious

14:10 Police Interceptors

03:01 The Notorious

15:00 Undercover Boss USA

03:29 Undercover Boss USA

15:50 Would I Lie To You?

04:12 Pointless

16:25 QI

05:00 The Cube

17:00 Pointless

06:35 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking

05:45 Would I Lie To You?

17:50 TOP Gear

07:25 Video Zonkers

06:15 QI

19:00 Top Gear: The Races

07:50 South Beach Tow

06:50 Police Interceptors

08:15 South Beach Tow

07:40 Top Gear

20:00 Top Gear's Ambitious But Rubbish

08:45 Pointless

21:00 Top Gear

09:35 Undercover Boss USA

22:20 Youngers

155 AfricaMagic World 23:17 Behind The Scenes: Enitan 23:30 Music On Africa Magic 00:35 Star Gist 01:02 Good Morning Africa 02:05 53 Extra 02:45 Star Gist 03:15 Star Gist 03:45 Jara 04:25 Jara 05:00 Goodmorning Africa 06:00 Deal Or No Deal SA 07:00 53 Extra 07:30 Star Gist 08:00 Jara 09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:05 Doctors' Quarters 11:00 Doctors' Quarters 12:00 Deal Or No Deal SA

01:55 Extreme Reality Clips 02:20 Rude Tube 02:45 Sexy Car Wash 03:15 Sexy Car Wash 03:45 Video Zonkers 04:10 South Beach Tow 04:35 South Beach Tow 05:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 05:45 World's Wildest Police Videos

08:40 Most Shocking 09:35 World's Wildest Police Videos 10:30 World's Wildest Police Videos 11:30 Baywatch 12:30 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 13:30 South Beach Tow 14:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 15:00 World's Wildest Police Videos 16:00 Most Shocking

13:00 Music On Africa Magic 13:59 Music On Africa Magic16:00 Star Gist 16:35 Deal Or No Deal Sa 17:25 53 Extra 18:00 Jara 18:30 Tinsel 19:00 Lies That Bind 19:30 Lies That Bind 20:00 Three Some 22:40 Music On Africa Magic

17:00 Top 20 Countdown: Most Shocking 18:00 South Beach Tow 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Baywatch 20:00 Extreme Reality Clips 20:30 Rude Tube 21:00 Rude Tube 21:30 Freakshow 22:00 Sexy Car Wash 22:30 Sexy Car Wash