Afenifere to Fulani herdsmen: dƐ ƍ ƅ ƐƐƋƆ ƏƆ Əƈ ƈ ƏƑƄ Ƌ Ɨ ‘Tosin Ajuwon, ƊƑƏƆ
ÎÎÎYoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere,
on Tuesday, demanded the stoppage of nomadic cattle rearing in the South West region of the country.
The group said it believed Fulani herdsmen would no longer be tolerated in any part of Yoruba land after what happened to dailytimesng
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the former Secretary of the Government of Continued on page 6 www.facebook.com/dailytimesngr https://twitter.com/DailyTimesNGR
N150
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 VOL. 1. NO.200
GAINERS
LOSERS
NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 28th September 2015.
NESTLE
859.7
39.70
4.62%
NB
146.04
5.97
4.09%
SEPLAT
249.9
-5.10
-2.04%
UNILEVER
45.13
-0.87
-1.93%
FO
250
10.01
4.00%
UACN
31.5
1.50
4.76%
JBERGER 41.88
-2.20
-5.25%
ZENITHBANK
17.52
-0.59
-3.37%
Saraki: I won’t quit as Senate President
Ï Ƥƿ dƆ Ɛ Ə ƍ ƒ ƐƆ Ƈ ƅ ƇƈƗƆ ƅƆ ƈƌ Ï d ƕ è dƆ ƐƆ ƕƆƐ Ɛ ƏƆƅƆƈƒƆ ƌƈ ƈ ƐƆƏƈ Ƌ Ƌƈ Ɛ Olufemi Samuel, ƄƑƉ
ÎÎÎPersons
expecting the Senate
President, Senator Bukola Saraki, to resign on account of his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tri-
bunal (CCT) in Abuja over alleged false declaration of assets will have to wait till eternity.
This is because the Senate President on Tuesday said resigning would amount to allowing external
forces to have their way. Continued on page 6
Gé`ë ^ƏƆ ƈƗƆ Ɛ LƑ ƌƌ ƗƑ Ƒ Əƈì dƆƅƏƆƐ Əƕé1Ɔ ƆƏ Ƌ Ƈ n ƈƐƆƗ M Ɛƈ ænMçè LƏê Eƈéƌ Ɨ ^ƏƆ ƈƗƆ Ɛ Ƈ n ƈƐƆƗ dƐ ƐƆ è ƏƏ ƅƊ RƄ ƌ Ɨ Ɛ ƆƏ ƗƑƏƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƣRƐ Ɔ ƈ Ƈ Ɛ Ɔ ƑƌƌƈƐ ƈ MƆƓ ƏƊČ jƑƆ Ɨ ƕ
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Hajj stampede: Õƿ Mƈ ƆƏƈ ƗƆ Ɨè ƾƿƿ ƌƈ ƈ g12
2
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
www.cbn.gov.ng www.cbn.gov.ng
In furtherance of the transparency and full disclosure stance of the Central bank of Nigeria, the Monetary Policy Committee has decided that henceforth the lending rates obtainable in all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) be made public to guide business decisions. Consequently, find below the applicable rates for each of the DMBs as at September 25, 2015. The rates will also be available on the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Deposit Rate
S/N
NAME OF BANK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Access Bank Citi Bank Nigeria Diamond Bank Ecobank Nigeria FCMB Fidelity Bank First Bank of Nigeria Heritage Bank Guaranty Trust Bank Keystone Bank Ltd Skye Bank Stanbic IBTC Bank Standard Chartered Bank Sterling Bank Union Bank
16 17 18 19
United Bank for Africa Unity Bank Wema Bank Zenith Bank
S/N
NAME OF BANK
Average Deposit and Lending Rates as at September 25, 2015 Lending Rate
Demand Savings Time Agriculture Mining & Quarrying Oil & Gas Manufacturing Real Estate & Const Deposit Deposit Deposit Ave.Int Ave.Int Ave.Int Rate Rate Rate Prime Max. Prime Max. Prime Max. Prime Max. Prime 0.08 3.90 11.34 5.00 25.00 13.00 25.00 5.00 25.00 7.00 2.52 3.90 10.34 17.00 21.00 17.00 21.00 17.00 21.00 17.00 21.00 17.00 1.07 3.90 10.20 14.00 22.00 17.00 25.00 17.00 25.00 17.00 25.00 17.00 0.01 3.90 9.97 19.00 24.00 21.00 24.00 15.00 28.00 19.00 24.00 19.00 0.90 3.60 12.25 6.00 27.00 17.50 27.00 17.50 26.00 7.00 26.50 17.50 2.00 3.90 10.50 6.00 28.00 19.00 28.00 19.00 28.00 19.00 28.00 19.00 3.60 11.35 9.00 24.00 20.00 27.00 20.00 27.00 20.00 27.00 20.00 3.99 11.48 24.00 28.00 24.00 28.00 24.00 28.00 24.00 28.00 24.00 1.20 3.60 9.74 17.00 24.00 15.00 27.00 13.50 27.00 14.00 27.00 13.00 0.32 1.45 7.85 n/a n/a 19.00 30.00 19.00 30.00 19.00 30.00 19.00 3.60 10.48 14.00 14.00 28.00 31.00 28.00 31.00 28.00 31.00 28.00 0.01 3.98 9.94 5.50 28.00 16.00 27.00 16.00 27.00 12.50 27.00 16.00 3.90 14.00 17.00 18.00 17.00 18.00 15.00 16.00 17.00 20.00 16.00 1.25 3.90 8.11 7.00 26.00 21.00 28.00 21.00 28.00 21.00 28.00 21.00 0.50 3.90 8.03 26.50 26.50 26.50 28.50 26.50 28.50 26.50 28.50 26.50 0.01 0.75 1.55 0.50
Demand Deposit Ave.Int Rate
3.90 3.60 3.96 3.60
11.61 3.5-11.00 11.02 9.00
Deposit Rate Savings Time Deposit Deposit Ave.Int Ave.Int Rate Rate
1 2 3 4
Access Bank Citi Bank Nigeria Diamond Bank Ecobank Nigeria
0.08 2.52 1.07 0.01
3.90 3.90 3.90 3.90
11.34 10.34 10.20 9.97
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
FCMB Fidelity Bank First Bank of Nigeria Heritage Bank Guaranty Trust Bank Keystone Bank Ltd Skye Bank Stanbic IBTC Bank Standard Chartered Bank Sterling Bank Union Bank United Bank for Africa
0.90 2.00 1.20 0.32 0.01 1.25 0.50 0.01
3.60 3.90 3.60 3.99 3.60 1.45 3.60 3.98 3.90 3.90 3.90 3.90
12.25 10.50 11.35 11.48 9.74 7.85 10.48 9.94 14.00 8.11 8.03 11.61
0.75 1.55 0.50
3.60 3.96 3.60
17 Unity Bank 18 Wema Bank 19 Zenith Bank
3.5-11.00 11.02 9.00
7.00 24.00 9.00 18.00
25.00 30.00 26.00 19.00
24.00 24.00 18.00
29.00 30.00 23.00
19.00 24.00 27.00 18.00
29.00 30.00 27.00 24.00
19.00 24.00 27.00 18.00
29.00 30.00 27.00 24.50
24.00 24.00 27.00 18.00
Lending Rate Mortgage
General Comm.
Transp. & Comm.
Govt.
Fin. & Ins.
Prime 12.00 17.00 17.00 21.00
Max. 29.00 21.00 26.00 28.00
Prime 14.00 17.00 14.00
Max. 28.00 25.00 26.75
Prime 7.00 17.00 17.00 21.00
Max. 28.00 21.00 25.00 28.00
Prime 15.00 17.00 17.00 21.00
Max. 25.00 21.00 25.00 28.00
Prime 13.50 17.00 15.00
17.50 19.00 20.00 24.00 12.00 21.00 28.00 13.75 17.00 21.00 26.50 24.00
30.00 28.00 27.00 28.00 29.00 30.00 31.00 28.00 18.00 28.00 29.00 29.00
17.50 19.00 20.00 24.00 15.00 19.00 28.00 16.00 18.00 21.00 26.50 24.00
19.95 28.00 22.00 28.00 27.00 30.00 31.00 26.00 18.00 30.00 28.50 29.00
17.50 19.00 20.00 24.00 14.50 19.00 28.00 16.00 16.00 21.00 26.50 19.00
26.00 28.00 27.00 28.00 27.00 30.00 31.00 27.00 19.00 30.00 28.50 29.00
17.50 19.00 20.00 24.00 20.00 21.00 28.00 13.75 18.00 21.00 26.50 19.00
27.00 28.00 27.00 28.00 27.00 30.00 31.00 27.00 18.00 28.00 28.50 29.00
17.50 19.00 19.00 24.00 17.00 21.00 28.00 14.00 16.00 21.00 26.50 24.00
24.00 27.00 18.00
30.00 28.00 27.00
24.00 27.00 18.00
30.00 27.00 23.00
24.00 27.00 18.00
30.00 29.00 25.00
24.00 27.00 18.00
30.00 27.00 24.00
24.00 18.00
These are the interest rates banks charge the public on loans and advances. It reflects the cost of borrowings and also includes all charges and commissions levied by banks. (Signed) Management
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
3
Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Trailers and Lagos traffic menace
A
nyone seeking for definition of hell should as well look on Lagos roads, especially the OshodiApapa Expressway. That stretch of highway has been taken over by trailers and other articulated vehicles, which have succeeded in creating one of the most chaotic traffic gridlock ever in the Lagos metropolis. Unfortunately, the government agencies responsible for traffic administration in the state are looking helpless and overwhelmed. Investigations reveal that the high volume of traffic on the roads is as result of the suspension of the 10-day strike by trailer drivers who were protesting the ban on their movement by the state government. Matters are not helped by fact that the drivers are becoming more brazen by the day while parking their vehicles indiscriminately on the roads thereby impeding the smooth flow of vehicular traffic. Consequently, commuters are now subjected to trekking long distances before getting alternative means of transportation to their respective places of work and home, even as other drivers now spend long hours trapped in the harrowing traffic snarl. We vehemently condemn the action of these trailer drivers in taking over the highways and turning them into vehicle parks without due regard to traffic rules and regulations. In the same vein, it is pertinent to call on the state and federal authorities to live up their responsibility of making the roads safe for other commuters by clearing the obstructions posed by these vehicles. People are beginning to ask what is responsible for the present state of affairs given that not too long ago, the state government embarked on massive road construction, opening of inner roads, enactment of traffic law, introduction of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and traffic lights in some areas notorious for traffic gridlock and empowerment of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to arrest and impose fines on erring drivers.
However, observers point to the growing indiscipline among motorists, even as others see corruption on the part of government officials who enforce traffic and environmental laws as the culprits. Other human activities that complicate the traffic situation in the state include driving against traffic, making illegal U-turn, using reverse drive to cover long distance in order to beat traffic jam and disobeying traffic lights and other road ordnances. It is time the government takes another look at its traffic regulation strategies in order to employ more creative ways of dealing with this monster. We suggest that the government through its Public Works Corporation (PWC) embark on the immediate rehabilitation of damaged roads in the state, especially in this rainy season when most of them are in an alarming state of disrepairs. There is a growing need to evolve an integrated approach to public transportation, which entails the simultaneous use of road, rail and water, as means to effectively addressing traffic jam in the state. With more than 5 million cars and 300,000 commercial vehicles, Lagos has an average of 327 vehicles per kilometre of roads. This scenario makes it imperative to vigorously pursue alternative mode of transportation for mass transit. Nevertheless, road widening should be embarked upon to reduce traffic congestion, even when it is thought to be expensive and may provide only modest congestion reduction benefits at the long run. However, large amount of additional capacity would be needed to reduce urban traffic congestion. In addition, the engineering design of the roads should also take into consideration pedestrian walkways, zebra crossing, and pedestrian crossing as well as appropriate parking design standard. Lastly, we advocate that progress on the Lagos light rail project be speeded up, as this will reduce road congestion, it would greatly ease commuting and end the perennial curse of traffic gridlock.
Publisher/Editor in Chief
Group Managing Director
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Noel Anosike
Group Managing Editor
Chief Operating Officer
Editor
GM Operations
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Ifeanyi Emefu 08086296714 Ifeoluwa Isijiola 08054934941 Konnie Agu 09033765031
Adebayo Idowu gmops@dailytimes.com.ng
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Segun Adio
ÎÎÎFollowing the deci- sion
of President Muham- madu Buahri and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to make public details of their assets, Nigerians expected that other public officers, particularly gov- ernors and other persons elected on the platform of the All Progressives Con- gress (APC) would follow suit. This expectation has however failed to materialise as no APC governor till date has followed the example of Mr. President and his vice. Even in the National Assembly, only two members, Senator Shehu Sani and
Sani Zorro, a member of the House of Representatives, are the only federal legislators known to have made public details of their assets so far. The APC governors hinged their refusal to follow the example of Mr. President and his vice on the premise that the constitution did not make it compulsory for them to declare their assets publicly. Though the APC governors have the constitution on their side with regards to declaration of assets, not a few see their refusal to follow the example set by Mr. President and his vice as sign that most of them do not truly believe in the change mantra of the Buhari-administration. Fact is that many of the
Words On Marble :
governors elected on the APC platform like their counterparts in other parties cannot in clear con- science claim they are clean. But if truly the APC governors believe in the change mantra of the APC- led administration of Pres- ident Buhari, then, why is it difficult for them to fol- low the Buhari and Osin- bajo example? Not a few Nigerians believe that public declaration of assets will serve as a yardstick to evaluate public officers, governors inclusive at the end of their tenure. Many also believe that the embracing of the Buhari and Osin- bajo example by APC gov- ernors will show that they truly believe in the change the APC promised Nigeri- ans.
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Pope Francis
“Without peace and love, no nation unites and no nation attains greatness in an atmosphere of disunity, singing discordant tunes.”
“When a bomb goes off in Potiskum or in a market in Maiduguri or Gombe, it does not ask if you are a Christian or a Muslim, it does not. It never asks if you are Yoruba or Ibo, or Hausa.
“The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.”
4
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
5 News
ISIS: Buhari urges world leaders Secession not a better option for to look beyond military solution Nigeria –Amosun Egena Egena, Abuja
ÏÏÏ
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, said that better results would be achieved in the global war against Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and violent extremism if the threat was addressed from the source. Accordingly, he posited that the fundamentals of good governance and stoppage of illicit financial flow from countries with weak anti-theft structures to others parts should not be ignored.
Buhari made this assertion while addressing a forum of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the theme: “Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism.” According to the Nigerian leader, anything that would constitute any form of attraction for young people to join such nihilistic organisations should be utterly discouraged by leaders, so that their recruitment source could easily be cut off. He said: “Nigeria notes with satisfaction the efforts
of the United Nations and the rest of the international community to contain ISIL. We certainly need to do more. We need to take military action combined with effective border security, intelligence collection and sharing, and vigorous policing action. “These alone may not suffice, but they can certainly stem the tide and reverse the process of recruitment, movement and effective operation of foreign terrorist fighters and their associated radical extremists. In order to put in place the critical com-
ponents of an effective approach to countering ISIL and eventually defeating it, we must address the threat from the source. “We must find a way to prevent young people from turning to terror in the first place. And the young people that turn to violent extremism do not exist in a vacuum; they are often part of the communities and families and are lured into the fold of barbaric and nihilistic organisations, somehow, through a misguided appeal to their worst fears, expectations and apparent frustrations.
L-R:Group Chief Strategy Officer, Dangote Group Dr. Abdu Mukhtar; former President of the United States, Bill Clinton; Executive Director, Dangote Group, Halima Aliko-Dangote, at the Clinton Global Citizens Award Ceremony in New York… on Monday.
Remi Oladoye, Ibadan
ÏÏÏ
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Tuesday warned ethnic militia against embarking on activities culpable to dividing the country along ethnic line. Amosun noted that though the country had passed through several crises culpable of dividing it, ethnic militia should not use the current challenges confronting the country as an excuse to set the country ablaze. Speaking in Ibadan at the Pre-Independence lecture organised by the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) on the theme: “Nigeria @ 55: The Pains, The Gains, The Prospects,” Amosun who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, advised Nigerians to turn the fortune of the country around with the use of the available human and material resources. He said various ethnic based organisations, Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Movement
for the Acyualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Arewa to stop inciting Nigeria of possible break up. He said that a lot could still be done to overturn the challenges and chart a way forward. “A lot can still be done to overcome the present challenges, what we need to do is to strengthen our institutions, so as to perform without fear and favour. I must say that the way Nigeria overcome the challenges of civil war has demonstrated that Nigerians are resilient and resolute people. “Nigerians in the diaspora are doing well and are exceeding in governance, education, health, international organisations and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The present campaign against corruption must be emulated by all; we must personalise it, from house to house, and from office to office.” Amosun ,who renewed his call to diversify the economy, implored the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to look beyond oil and find ways of generating more money from the proceeds of agriculture, industry, manufacturing, mining and tourism.
‘N60bn govt shares missing under ex-Gov Suswam’
Niger govt abandons victims of Oyo CAN Chairman dies Allawa cattle rustlers attack a source closed to the
Freddie Adamgbe,
Saka Bolaji,
Makurdi
ÏÏÏ
The Justice Elizabeth Kpojime Commission of Inquiry into the sale of Benue State shares of public companies during the immediate past administration of Governor Gabriel Suswam, on Tuesday, received shocking revelation by the General Manager of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Mrs. Bridget Sheidu. Mrs. Sheidu, who appeared before the panel sitting on Tuesday at High
Court 4, Makurdi, the state capital, denied any knowledge of who mandated the sales of the about N60 billion worth of Benue State shares under the company’s watch. She informed the panel that ‘’ up to August 2015 shares of BIPC were illegally sold by stockbrokers who did not identify the person who mandated the sales and where the proceeds went. The then Commissioner of Finance provided two separate accounts for proceeds from sale of shares to be remitted to’’.
Minna
ÏÏÏ
Over one week after the people of Allawa village was attacked, Niger State Government is yet to pay sympathy visit or care about the injured undergoing treatment and other victims who suffered from the attack. A visit to the general hospital Minna attested to the claims of the victims, who are presently undergoing treatment there as they were left in the hands of the Emir
of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruk Bahago, in whose domain the incident occurred. Senator David Umaru representing Niger East Senatorial District, on Tuesday, paid a sympathy visit to the victims. Umaru, who spoke to journalists after the visit said the attack was barbaric. “It is very unfortunate and we are lucky that they survived.” He prayed for the souls of those who died and quick recovery of the injured.
ÏÏÏ
Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), situated at Adamasingba, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was, on Tuesday, thrown into confusion due to the sudden death of the District Co-ordinating Council (DCC) Superintendent of the Church and the Chairman of the Oyo State Chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Olabisi. Though, the information about the deceased was still sketchy as at the time of filing in this report,
church disclosed that the late man of God was about 70 years old. It was wailing uncontrollably at the church, when the news was broken with some of the members expressing disbelief. Olabisi, who was serving his second term as the state chairman of CAN was re-elected early this year at an election held at the state secretariat of the association in Ijokodo, Ibadan. Olabisi is survived by a wife and children.
News 6
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
I won’t quit as Senate President, says Saraki Continued from page 1 This is even as 84 Senators on Tuesday passed a vote of confidence Saraki notwithstanding his ordeals with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Saraki also disclosed that the Senate was yet to receive the list of ministerial nominees from President Muhammadu Buhari, contrary to speculations. The Senate President, who was addressing his colleagues at the resumption of plenary after six weeks recess, said he would not be a party to subversion of separation of powers as en-
shrined in nation’s constitution. He said: “Distinguished Senators, I believe you have all followed with keen interest, my trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. I shall avoid discussing the details of that case here for obvious reasons. “Meanwhile, I wish to reiterate my remarks before the Tribunal, that I have no iota of doubt that I am on trial today because I am the president of the Nigerian Senate, against the wishes of some powerful individuals outside this Chambers. “But what is clear to me also, is that the laws of Ni-
geria, and the rules of the National Assembly give consideration only to the wishes and desires of those of you who are here today as members of the Senate, to elect as you wish, one of your peers as President of the Senate. “This, in your wisdom, is what you have done by electing me to be the first among all of you who are my equals. The laws of Nigeria do not give any consideration to any other forces outside the Senate in the election of its President. “And to yield the ground on this note is to be complicit in the subversion of democracy and its core principles of
separation of powers as enshrined in our constitution. “Too many people have fought and died for the democracy that we enjoy today. We would not be honouring them and their memories if we allow the sad chapters of our history to continue to repeat themselves like a bad curse. “As for me, I am prepared to do my duty in defence of our democracy and in safeguarding the independence of the National Assembly. My duty, as I see it, is to do justice and honour to the memory of those who have paid even higher prices to give us this democracy and this constitu-
tion. “Primarily as a Senator of the Federal Republic and as Senate President, I owe it to this Senate to stand strong in the face of relentless persecution. “I invite all of you to stand with me to defend this Senate and preserve its sanctity. Ultimately, our legacies would not be defined by how long we stay here and in whatever position; but by what we did with this great opportunity that our people have given us by the grace of Almighty God.” Meanwhile, the tension that has been building in the Senate for some days calmed down dramatically on Tuesday as 84 Senators passed a vote of confidence Saraki. It would be the second time since the 8th Senate resumed sitting that Senators will pass vote of Confidence on Saraki and the entire leadership of the upper chamber.
Saraki had a week ago been arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on allegation of falsifying the assets he declared before the CCB, amid apprehension that his colleagues may prevent him from presiding over the Senate affairs today (Tuesday)on that ground. There have also been speculations that some Senators had met with plot to push for Saraki’s impeachment on the basis of the 13-count allegations the CCB levelled against him. The vote of confidence on Saraki by the Senators has, however, laid to rest speculations about plans to remove, as the vote of confidence on him enjoyed a speedy passage. With the resumption of the Senate for legislative business, it was obvious that majority of Senators were Continued on page 12
Gamaliel Onosode dies at 82 Ï Ƒ Əƈè ƕ ƊƑè ƐƈƊƑè Ɛ ƆƏ ƌ ƑƏ Lateef Ibrahim, Bureau Chief, and Egena Egena, Abuja
ÎÎÎRenowned administra-
Ogun State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun (right) in handshake with the outgoing Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, during the presentation of the meritorious service award to Adekunle at the Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta... on Tuesday
Stop nomadic cattle rearing in S’West – Afenifere Continued from page 1 the Federation, SGF, Chief Olu Falae. The former SGF was abducted by a suspected herdsmen last week on his Ilado farm in Akure Local Government Area of Ondo State. In a communique issued after its monthly meeting at the Akure residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere lamented the insecurity in the state. The communique, read by Afenifere Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, described Falae’s abduction as
an insult to the Yoruba people, their culture and values. The group urged the Federal Government to implement report of the 2014 national conference, saying the issue of nomadic cattle rearing had been addressed by the conference. Afenifere said: “After an exhaustive deliberation on the state of the nation, especially the security situation, the following communique was adopted by the meeting. “Meeting decried the worsening and frightening state insecurity in the country as relate to the relentless
blood-letting by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, and the wave of unchecked kidnapping going on in the country. “A special focus was paid on the recent abduction of one of our revered leaders in Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae, also a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and a former presidential candidate, while on his farm. “Meeting described this as scandalous, gory and chilling the harrowing experience of the 77-year-old statesman man in the hands of vandals and miscreants.
“Meeting did not consider it as a mere coincidence that Chief Olu Falae, for two to three years before his adoption, has had running battles with the Fulani herdsmen on the very farm where he was abducted. “The last of such experience was about two months earlier, when the Fulani herdsmen entered his maize farm and destroyed it and Chief Falae pursued the matter with the police and grudgingly accepted half of what the police said they Continued on page 12
tor, technocrat and boardroom guru, Chief Gamaliel Onosode, has died at the age of 82. The death of Onosode was confirmed in a statement on Tuesday by his family. The technocrat, the statement said, died in the early hours of Tuesday. The deceased, who equally ventured into politics briefly during his lifetime, was born on May 22, 1933, in Sapele, Delta State. He attended Government College, Ughelli (then known as Government Middle School) in 1947. Onoside later won multiple scholarships to study at the University of Ibadan (then known as University College Ibadan) where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Classics in 1957, after which he made a successful switch into the world of banking and business management. He began his career as a management trainee at the
Commonwealth Development Corporation before he was appointed, in 1962, the General Manager of the Nigeria Housing Development Society (now Federal Mortgage Bank). Onosode later resigned from that position after his ambitious plan to incorporate savings services into the mortgage institution was turned down. Between 1973 and 1979, Onosode served as Chairman and Chief Executive of NAL Bank Plc. A native of Ekigbo in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Onosode was founder of Good News Baptist Church, a church which he began in his sitting room in 1984. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday extended condolences to the family of Mr. Gamaliel Onosode. Buhari, in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, described Onosode as a “foremost administrator and technocrat, a colossus in the Nigeria’s private sector who also had a distinguished career in public service.”
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
FG to reduce poverty with investments in agric –Osibanjo Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo
ÏÏÏ As a means to end poverty in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said it was collaborating with seven states for the development of agriculture in the country. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this at the seventh convocation of Redeemer University, Ede, Osun State. Though he did not mention the affected poverty dominated states, the Vice
President insisted that the Federal Government was committed to improving the economy of Nigeria through development of agriculture. He added that government was making frank efforts at ensuring the establishment of technology pact with some developed countries on the processes of the agricultural products. His words: “the technology pact will be designed with power and internet to do business without the
cost of petrol or diesel. Over two third of Nigerians are extremely poor. Agriculture is they key to our economic plan and we are committed to bringing to Nigerians a self sufficient rice, cassava, cashew and several others crops.” He restated the federal government’s determination to solve the problem of power in Nigeria, stating: “We will ensure regular power supply, open up industries and help the Small and Medium Scale
Entreprises to give young people interested in technology and business, to have a platform to operate from.” The VP, who also insisted that the present administration was committed to defeating the scourge of corruption, added that “with damage and wastage of resources that corruption has done to our nation, we agreed with President Muhammadu Buhari that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us.”
2015: Dangote wins double International awards ÏÏÏ For his unparalleled
contributions to the development of the human society in Africa and world over, the business mogul and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has been honored with this year’s Clinton Global Citizen Award for leadership in private sector. Amid pomp, the Africa’s richest man held aloft the award bestowed on him, by the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) which was hosted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton during a colourful dinner event in New York. The event boasted of global audience
Tribunal affirms Sumonu’s election in Oyo Remi Oladoye, Ibadan
ÏÏÏ
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan, on Tuesday, affirmed the election of Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonnu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as senator representing Oyo central senatorial district of the state. The petitioner, Chief Oyebisi Ilaka of Accord Party, had petitioned the tribunal to remove the former speaker of the state assembly and declare him the winner instead. He had sought five reliefs based on massive rigging, over-voting, illegal thumb printing, non-compliance
with electoral acts and allegation of holding dual citizenship against Sen. Sunmonu but the tribunal struck out everything on the ground that it lacks merit. In a unanimous judgement, which lasted over three hours, tribunal chairman, Justice J.G Abundaga dismissed the petition by Ilaka on the ground that the petitioner failed to present substantial evidence to support his petition. According to the Abundaga, the petitioner failed to bring any evidence to back his claim on dual citizenship while the first respondent brought two witnesses to testify that she is an Indigene of Oyo town.
Delta Speaker tasks Seplat on employment, roads, others Hussenat Ohize
ÏÏÏ The management of
Seplat has been urged to work towards the development of communities in Sapele Local Government. Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Monday Igbuya, who gave the advice in Asaba while addressing a delegation of Seplat to the State House of Assembly observed that the attitude of some companies had posed a cog in the wheel of progress of the local government. The speaker told the management to have a
change of attitude in dealing with matters relating to roads, employment of Okpe indigenes and job security expressed sadness about the level of unemployment of youths in the local government, adding that he was baffled at the news of the dismissal of Okpe people and employment of foreigners by the organisation. Showing his annoyance, he urged local and foreign organisations to join government in the rural modernisation package by repairing bad roads in areas where they operate.
7 News
Lagos State Governor, Mr.Akinwunmi Ambode (right); presenting a state plaque to the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr. John Kennedy Opara during his courtesy visit to the Governor, at the Lagos House, Ikeja… recently.
including political leaders, business community and other honorees chosen based on their innovative approaches, and on the demonstrated results and sustainability of their work. In the same vein, Dangote Cement won the Business of the Year Award at the African Business Awards ceremony on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The judging panel applauded Dangote Cement for its continued drive to develop new tailored products, gain market share and expand its activities throughout the continent. The CGI said it recognized the Mr. Dangote’s exemplary and selfless dedication to a better life by positively impacting the lives of people globally through numerous philanthropic initiatives implemented through the Dangote Foundation. Bill Clinton, who presented the award to the daughter of the business magnate, Halima, who represented him, said Aliko has raised the bar of philanthropy by an African, which is worthy of emulation. He eulogized the pubic spirit virtue of Dangote and urged him to continue to contribute the development of human kind so that the world would be a better place for all where poverty and hunger would be reduced to the barest minimum.
Appeal Court orders retrial of Okigwe constituency seat petition ÏÏÏ
The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Tuesday set aside the decision of the Imo State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal which struck out the petition of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) for Okigwe State Constituency, in the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly election, Chief Okey Uduh against the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Acho Ihim.
Uduh had challenged the election of Ihim of the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging electoral irregularities and malpractices during the election. But, the tribunal dismissed Uduh’s petition for non-compliance with “Paragraph 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2000 as amended”. However, in a ruling, the Appeal Court held that the tribunal was wrong in striking out Uduh’s petition on the grounds of technicali-
ties, instead of substantial justice and therefore, remitted the case to the tribunal for “trial on merit’’. Speaking with journalists, counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Anaele Ogujiofor hailed the ruling for meeting the standard of justice. His words: “We went to the court to complain that the tribunal erred in law in granting the application of the third respondent (INEC) to dismiss our petition. “That the tribunal was
wrong in their holding that the petition did not meet the standard required in law. That paragraph 18 upon which the tribunal predicated the judgment was a rule of law, but our opponents decided to use it as a quick kill which was wrong. “Happily the court has decided in our favour, so we are returning to the tribunal. What the law is looking at now is substantial justice where the grievances of the petitioner will be ventilated”.
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Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Politics
Æs
Why PDP will retain Kogi, Bayelsa – Jibrin, BOT Secretary Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT), Sen. Walid Jibrin, has given reasons why the party would win the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections slated for November and December respectively. Jibrin who made the predic-
tion in his Nasarawa country home while fielding questions from newsmen said his party would win with ‘clear margin’. In the two states currently under the control of the PDP, the party has re-elected the serving governors for another term of four years for what it termed superlative performance in their
Jibrin, BOT Secretary
first term. In Kogi, Captain Idris Wada is the party’s choice while in Bayelsa, Mr. Seriake Dickson is flying the banner of the party at the polls. While speaking ahead of the polls and other sundry issues affecting the PDP, he said that the party was working tirelessly to win the Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, Kogi and Bayelsa gubernatorial elections, respectively. “I want to let you know that the PDP has done a lot in fighting poverty, unemployment and
youth restiveness, as well as promoting peace in the country. “In spite of the defeat our great party PDP suffered during the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly election, the party would bounce back and will win all positions in future elections. “We have gone to Kogi and Bayelsa in respect of their governorship elections; with what we have seen on ground, PDP will win Kogi and Bayelsa guCONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Why Buhari must not appoint Fashola Minister – Debo Adeniran Comrade Debo Adeniran is the Executive Chairman of Campaign Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL). In this interview with AGOZINO AGOZINO at his Ijaye, Lagos office, the whistle blower and activist reveals why he is campaigning against the immediate former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola and other issues. Excerpts: There are allegations that CACOL is being sponsored by some people to attack former Governor Babatunde Fashola for political reasons? No. It is not true. We have members; Our members finance any public function of CACOL. If you’re a member, you’re not expected to take anything from CACOL for whatever reason. And it is not compulsory for you to participate in all our programmes. If we are going outside Lagos, for instance, you must be prepared to contribute your own transport fare, feeding and accommodation. Each time we protest in places like Abuja or Port Harcourt, we use our members on the ground more. Those who can come from other parts of the country do that on their own. We have slept at motor parks in Abuja; we have slept at the NLC House. Even when the hall was not open, we slept at the lobby. My daughter and I have slept in front of Banex Plaza till daybreak before when we couldn’t reach one of our members who had promised to provide accommodation for us.
Buhari
Fashola
Adeniran
Tinubu
Some of our colleagues have slept at the reception hall of the secretariat of the National Conscience Party before. So this just symbolizes how we run our programmes. What do we buy with money that somebody needs to give us?
We have intellectuals among us who put our statements together. We have those who do our leg work. Before Okada was banned in Lagos, we had several riders who were ready to disperse our letters with minimum amount. Since
okada has gone out of fashion, we have reverted to the use of internet facilities and text messages. So basically, we don’t spend much. And we don’t have staffers in our secretariat. The secretariat is the headquarters of First Faculty Ven-
tures. It is this firm that houses CACOL and other similar CSOs. That is why we could look at anybody, eyeball to eyeball and say who are you? There is nobody we CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Our pay is peanuts – Lagos Lawmaker, Tunde Buraımoh Hon. Tunde Buraimoh ıs a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Kosofe Constituency 2. A one-tıme chaırman of Kosofe Local Government Council, he speaks wıth ALADE TASMA on what he described as peoples’ misconceptions about legislators’ pay and negatıve comments against them aside other issues. Excerpts: Not much has been heard about you after leaving office as Chairman of Kosofe Local Government about 14 or 15 years ago, would it be safe to say you have been in political oblivion
only to suddenly emerge a member of the Lagos 8th Assembly? It depends on where you are coming from and how you look at it. I have been around in my constituency and I have been with
my people. But the problem is; when you are not in public office, it is very difficult for the people to know much about you. This has not really affected me. I had been relevant to my people even before I
became a local government chairman. This is not the first time that I would contest election; when you are not in public office, you won’t CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
9 Politics
We warned Lagosians against Fashola in 2007 – Debo Adeniran CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
cannot call their bluff in this country, starting from former President Olusegun Obasanjo. CACOL officially started on May 29, 2007, the day we carried Obasanjo’s regime coffin, calling it the end of administration of death. All along Nigerians cried for the kind of difficulty they experienced in living and doing business in that regime. So when he left, we said we would not allow any government to rule us by the nose the way Obasanjo did again. But people wonder why CACOL is raising all these allegations aboutFashola now? We have started since 2009; as a matter of fact, we have started since 2007, because we actually campaigned against Fashola’s emergence as Governor of Lagos State. It is just that we didn’t go to the podium to do the campaign. We told anybody who cared to listen to us that Fashola might not be the governor Lagos State needed. It was not because of his political leanings or whatever but because of his capacity to snub members of the public which we experienced when he was Chief of Staff to his predecessor, Bola Tinubu. We noticed his snobbishness a
PDP can never die, will change Nigeria – Jubrin CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
CACOL boss, Debo Adeniran couple of times when our mentor, Beko Ransome Kuti had to see the Chief of Staff to get an appointment with the governor. That appointment was never given. At the time, we wanted to complain to the governor about some things happening in the state but he shut us out. We let it go and we didn’t have any encounter with him till he became the governor and started behaving like he was the one who constituted the people. We complained about him to some people
Fashola but they pleaded for time that we should give him some time to settle down. And when he started planting flowers, we had the opportunity of addressing a gathering at a function attended by government functionaries. After praising the government for its efforts to immortalise people like Gani Fawehinmi, we raised the question- at what cost? We also asked him to immortalise people like Beko, Alao Aka-Bashorun, the late Awojobi. But they didn’t like it when we
asked at what cost? Later, around January 2010, the True Face of Lagos came out with damning allegations about how Fashola had been misappropriating Lagos State funds. It claimed that contracts that had been earlier awarded were re-awarded at inflated prices, immorally. That there were contracts that had been awarded to Deux, owned by Owolafe, through which money was allegedly beCONTINUED ON PAGE 10
bernatorial election with clear margin. “If anybody will say that PDP will die, I want to tell you and the world that PDP will not and will never die,’’ he said. According to him, the PDP will continue to exist, saying “we will win all positions in future election”. Jibrin also said that the party was already working tirelessly to win the presidential election in 2019, adding that the PDP will change Nigeria positively when it regained office. The scribe said the BOT and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), elected members and other stakeholders were working hard to strengthen and unite the PDP for the good of the country. Jibrin called on the party supporters and Nigerians to be law abiding, respect constituted authority and not allow themselves to be used by selfish individuals to cause division in the country.
Let the legislature be part time to save cost – Hon. Tunde Buraimoh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
have the platform to be known. You have been seen as one of the best ın the Lagos 8th Assembly. Was thıs why party faıthful ın your constıtuency gave you the mandate to represent them at the expense of former member and majorıty leader of the House ın the 7th Assembly Hon. Ajıbayo Adeyeye whom you “dethroned” to emerge the party candıdate even when your constıtuents knew they would be loosıng the opportunıty of havıng a Prıncıpal offıcer of the House from the constıtuency as you could not be made a principal officer being a first term lawmaker? I would not subscribe to the word: ”dethrone” of the former majority leader of the House, Hon. Ajibayo Adeyeye. He is a fine gentleman and a friend of mine; though I senior him in politics,
he is my friend. At the same time, our democracy is still nascent, we should explore others. If he had done it for eight years, another person should be given a chance. Kosofe is a basket of brains, apart from Adeyeye and I, we have many vibrant people in the local government and we are just lucky for this. ...Even when we have somebody that is coming for the fourth term in Kosofe Constituency 1? ... That is a peculiar one because he has other roles to play here. We donated him to the Lagos State House of Assembly, we need him to stabilise the system here. We just have to take our eyes off him. He is not working for Kosofe Local Government alone, but he is working for the state as a whole. In the buıld up to the emergence of the leadership of the 8th Assembly in the state, we were made to understand that the first term lawmakers played very important roles
Hon. Tunde Buraimoh usıng theır numerıcal strength to shape the dırectıon of the leadershıp that eventually emerged. Can you let us into the roles you played? I played no role because, when I read the rules of the House, it was stated there that only rank-
ing members could aspire into the leadership positions of the House, which is contrary to the constitution of the country. The constitution says that membership of the House of Assembly shall elect one of them as the Speaker and elect one of them as the Deputy Speaker. So if the constitution says that, legality and morality are different. The constitution allows you to contest, but it does not allow you to win. Did you call the attention of your member colleagues to this constıtutıonal provısıon? I didn’t have to call their attention to it. Of course, you would contest, but you would not win. I am beyond grandstanding or all kinds of scheming. I could have contested as I would not have been bound by the rules of the House, I would have used the constitution. But the truth is that you would contest and you would not win. The rule of the House is made for some conveniences, for some
structures and administrative balances or else it would have been a kind of Banana Republic, where everybody could do anything. I am a first term member today, I would not be a first term member tomorrow. Laws are made for men and not men for law. Laws can be made at times to make things easier. I didn’t play any role, it was a consensus, we all agreed on somebody. So, we didn’t have to vote at all. You have been a player at the executive arm of government as a local government chairman, now you are in the legislative arm of government. Do you want to juxtapose the two? They are very distinct and different; I am just trying to adjust to the system here. As an executive, I used to implement my thought and I would convince others to believe in what I wanted to do. As a local government chairman, I was doing a kind of agenda setting CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Politics 10
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tinubu is not our sponsor, we are investigating him too, Adeniran CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
ing siphoned out of Lagos State coffers. We published an advert complaining about this in the PM News, which was the newspaper we could afford to run the advert in. That was in 2010 and there was no response from any quarters. All the damning allegations raised by the True Face of Lagos advertorial were also summarised in our advert but nobody came out to counteract what we published. We didn’t stop there. So I’m telling you that our agitations for accountability in Lagos State didn’t start now. It only climaxed now. So when people talk about being sponsored because they are trying to stop him from becoming a minister, I have told you that this is not the first time we would campaign against the gentleman. Even for him to become the Lagos State Governor in the first instance, we protested against it. We also protested against his coming back for a second term in office but our protest didn’t hold water. In the wisdom of Lagosians, they thought that Fashola was the best person to be their governor. But that the majority has their way doesn’t stop the minority from having their say. We keep on having our say. We believed in the maxim espoused by the late legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi, that says: ‘stand on what
Adeniran is right, even if you are standing alone’. We were wondering if the Lagos public didn’t see what we saw. We went round to confirm the claims made by the True Face of Lagos and saw that several of the projects it named had not been executed to the level that it could serve Lagosians. We thought that we could be wrong, so we put a conference together, called open parliament in 2010. We brought in five representatives from each of the then 20 local governments. The representatives from 19 of them
Tinubu made it but the others missed their way to the venue. They gave testimonies of government presence in their various local governments; it was tales of woes. This was in 2010. We thought maybe they were being sentimental and looked at issues from our own lenses, so we administered questionnaires in the hall. It was the same. About 75 per cent were dissatisfied with the way Lagos State was being run, particularly when it came to the capital side of the budget. We were not satisfied, so we took the question-
naires to the local governmentsabout 2,000 for each of them. We still have raw scores which we can show to you if you like. It was the same result. We monitored radio stations, television stations, newspapers and the internet; everything didn’t say the gentleman was governing Lagos right. Then we wondered where the accolade for him came from? We realised that Lagos State money was not being spent on Lagos. We summarised everything in the books we put together. We did everything and in-
cluded photographs of dilapidated schools, roads and terrible state of BRT buses in the state. All these buses are bad already and what they promised was that no passenger would stay at the bus stop for more than 15 minutes but by the time we published the books, passengers were already waiting at the bus stops for over one hour. And the BRT lanes had become death traps and the scheme’s drivers had no choice than to join other motorists on the roads, compounding the traffic situation. If you look around, you will discover that most Lagos roads are in a bad shape. Instead of resurfacing them, they only patch them up. And the drainages are too shallow and narrow for the state, which means serious flooding. And the former governor (Fashola) was fond of saying that they were flash floods. But if flash floods are occurring annually and consuming lives and property, then it behooves on the government to fix the problem. Go to Ikeja, Wempco/Ogba, around 1004, Awolowo Road, Ikeja, Shogunle, Herbert Macauley, Yaba, they are always flooded when it rains. And the flooding didn’t start yesterday; the situation has been like that for a long time. You disagree with the records of performance Fashola CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Our pay is peanuts – Tunde Buraımoh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
and I used conviction and persuasion to make people believe in me. But now, I am participating in debates, arguments and articulation and others. Majority might not be right, but they would have their way, the minority would only have their say. Which one do you find more challenging? It is quite challenging here, I won’t lie. Would you subscribe to pay slash for legislators, especially in Lagos? Well, the salary of legislators here is not exorbitant or attractive unless you are trying to grandstand. The pay of the legislator here is pittance. I am a lawyer of about 27 years and I am being paid a salary of between N500,000 and
N600,000 monthly or so. It is not enough to pay my bills. If you talk about pay slash, then you should allow me to do other jobs. I cannot be a full time worker here and you are giving me something that is not enough to take care of my family for a month. I cannot do any other work except farming. If the people feel that the salaries we earn is much, they should look at the cost of the election. You pay about a million naira to your party to buy form to contest the primaries and pay almost the same amount to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collect a form and you keep spending money till you win. As a local government chairman, I started with a salary of about N300,000 and N100,000 securıty vote whıch I have to retire at the end of the month. I am not talking of those at
Ambode
the National Assembly, but those of us in the state assemblies are not earning much to generate furore. Even if it is without salaries, those who want to serve would still contest. Like I said, when I was not in a public office, it was not that I was not making money, but I was not as visible. It is a matter of what you want you to be. It depends on my choice, people should stop unnecessary agitation. I have earned some money here and I know how much I earned, and anybody who has a contrary fact should come forward to say I earn more. I am a lawyer by profession and if I am practising my profession, I know what I would be earning in a day on a brief. So, if I can drop all that and I have to feed my family, what do you want me to do? It ıs about grandstanding, you cannot compare what a president is earning to
what a legislator is earning. Don’t forget that what is accruable to the president is totally different. The president is fed, I am not fed. The president is a 73 year old man, he doesn’t have to pay children school fees and he is accomplished. I still have school fees to pay. I cannot do any other work, if I do, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) would arrest me and I have to send my children to school or should my children become illiterates. Let the people sit down and look at the constitution. If they get here, they would demand for more than what I am earning, they can say anything they want to say. If you want to talk, base it on practicability and statistical analyses. May be because of envy or jealousy, you just say anything you like. We can CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
11 Politics
Why Buhari must not appoint Fashola Minister CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
has in the public eye. Do you know he won several awards as one of the best governors in the country? Fashola was a media hero. I wouldn’t know what the media saw on him that made them paint him in glowing colours. It is not only Fashola that we campaigned not to be appointed minister. We campaigned against Stella Oduah that she should not be returned as minister. We campaigned against Alison-Madueke, we campaigned against Adoke, Andoaka and several other people like that. But why Fashola now, there is Rotimi Amaechi, who is also being touted as likely to be nominated minister? He’s the one that we have studied in-depth and he is the only one among those we believe carried out inhuman governance that is parading self in the corridors of power. We have evidence against him that he didn’t spend Lagos State money on the needs of Lagosians. He’s the only one that we know tried to sabotage the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act. He is the only one who wrote to us to say that the Act is not applicable to Lagos State. He is the one we know who was so arrogant and said he would sack all the state doctors over agitations for the consolidated medical salary scale. He shut down the Lagos State University and didn’t care about the future of the students. That is wickedness. So we know that if he finds himself in the President’s cabinet, he might initiate the repealing of the FOI Act, which we are asking the National Assembly to upgrade to have inbuilt mechanism for adjudication in cases of those who are aggrieved by the implementation of the law. We believe that Fashola didn’t like the law at all. Lagos State was the centre of activities that led to the promulgation of the FOI Act. Before Fashola came, Lagos
State then contributed to the efforts made by civil society organizations to ensure that the bill became a law. Why will it be Lagos that will undermine the law? If you don’t puncture the fake accolade he wore in Lagos, he will take that garb to the cabinet. And everybody will still be looking at him from that prism that he was the best governor Nigeria ever had. They would think he was frugal and prudent and not that he was a plague on Lagosians. The taxi drivers would tell you that Fashola made them pay eight different dues to run their taxis. A car they could have bought for over N1.4m was sold to them at N4m and they had to pay within a short period. If they didn’t pay, government had a technology to shut it down and they would not get any compensation. What kind of governance is that? Governance of punishment! If we allow him to go to the federal cabinet and not puncture this garment of grandstanding that he is carrying about, we will be the ones to suffer the jeopardy, just like we suffered by not mustering enough support to stop him from returning for a second term in office as the Lagos State Governor. So it is not because we enjoy what we are doing, it is because we want to safeguard the future of our children. We don’t want to be enslaved by a civilian regime. In the eight years Fashola was governor, we were in bondage. We paid for everything. If your vehicle was unfortunate to be faulty on the road, the Lagos State Traffic Management authority will tow your vehicle and you will pay through your nose. If you are caught hawking, they don’t only confiscate your wares, they arrest and put you in a Black Maria and none of your family members will know that you are there until the very evening when they will take you to a kangaroo court. They presume you guilty and then you are taken to Badagry prison. Most of the time, relatives of those that are convicted will not know
Fashola where their people are until someone tells them that he has been taken to prison. It is wickedness. That is not the way government should run. Government should run with human face and where human face is lacking, wickedness comes in. Are you looking at former heads of state too? We started from Obasanjo, we submitted our petition against him in November and December 2007 to the EFCC and the ICPC respectively in open protest march. We have protested in Lagos and Abuja and all over the country. We are being frustrated but we are not deterred. We go at a pace that our resources- human and material can take us. That is why we are saying, we will be glad if these people that some people claim are sponsoring actually come forward to sponsor us. We don’t mind if anyone of them sponsors us, what we will mind is for them to determine what we utilise the sponsorship on. If somebody wants to sponsor us to Rivers State for instance, we won’t mind. Sponsor us there, give us the allegations, we find out what is in the books, what is on the ground, compile and do our comparison. So basically, it is because of lack of sponsorship or resources that is preventing us
from going to the other states. And when we have reasons to complain about the other states, we do that. Go and do your findings. Check our website, google us and you will see that we have at one time or the other complained. Occasions are that when we know that what people have alleged are mere administration lapses, we don’t engage in that. If we know it is a campaign of calumny, we also don’t engage in that. But what we see that it is worth engaging in it, we will not back down until we have done our best. We may not succeed in getting prosecution from anti-corruption agencies, but we will put it on record that while the issue generated up to a certain level, this is what we did. That is why we document our findings, activities and all our actions. You should know that it is the same system that is exchanging baton between itself. What about Tinubu? Will you be willing to go after him also as he is allegedly sponsoring this campaign against Fashola? It’s not about being willing; look at these pamphlets we distributed during our protest in March 2015, asking the same Tinubu to defend the allegations leveled against him by a documentary on some television station- the AIT. We told Tinubu that going to court is an escapist strategy that any fool can go to court and get an injunction against such propaganda, come out and defend it. Defend it by stating your own side of the story and the public can be the judge. So it is no big deal. But the truth is this, the allegations leveled against him; we have not found them against him. We have investigated them. We are telling people who have concrete evidence against him to come to us. So if anyone says we didn’t do something against Tinubu, he’s just giving us a bad name to hang us. So how do react to people who say you are being sponsored by him to go after Fashola? That is why I told you that they
are making unfounded allegations. I have not seen Tinubu for four or five years. I saw him when we were investigating cases against Lagos State. We met at the Airport Hotel; we told him that this was the allegation against him, that he was the one behind the profligacy that was embedded in governance in Lagos State as headed by Fashola. He gave us an appointment and we made the appointment. But we could not move forward because we didn’t have concrete evidence as I told you. We cannot go to any site and take photographs that this belongs to Tinubu because we don’t have proof that it belongs to him. It was when we started administering questionnaires about Fashola, it was after we had made an advertorial in the PM News that we started on the ground study of budgetary implementation in Lagos State. There is nothing to advertise about Tinubu because we didn’t find anything on the ground that confirms the allegation. When you go to any of these companies that are listed there, you will find the names of other people there. So what do you do? Do you insist that this must be Tinubu’s name by proxy? If you saw what we did about Obasanjo; he used his influence to raise N6bn with which he built what he calls Obasanjo Library. The library is supposed to belong to Nigeria. When he was coming to government, he said he didn’t have up to N20,000 in his account. But today, he sits on top of a multibillion naira estate; university, secondary school, farms, and the rest of them. Section 7 (b) of EFCC act gives them power to probe into the dealings of anybody suspected to be living above his regular income. We told the agency to apply that and probe Obasanjo for accumulating that wealth because we calculated his salary. If for the 70 years he has lived, if he had been earning N3m monthly without spending out of it. In a year, it would have been N36m.
Let the legislature be part time to save cost – Hon. Tunde Buraimoh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
even make the job part time or reduce the number of people here. If you say democracy is expensive, try autocracy. If you say the people are many and that they are stealing your money, juxtapose it with just one person ruling all alone. We know what Sani Abacha did, what Mobutu Sese Seko and others did, when they were ruling. As a Nigerian, am I not entitled to the coun-
try’s money or am I not entitled to be paid for the job I am doing? They say legislators don’t do much, but everyday we are here working, we go to check what the executive is doing through oversight functions because we are the watchdogs on the executive. ...But people say the legislators have commercialised oversight functions, what is your take on thıs? That is speculative, it is not hap-
Buraimoh
pening here. People only imagine things. I don’t base my things on imaginations saying that is what they do. We have a lot of dirty minds around you know. I don’t see myself going to people to demand for money like an area boy. If you do that, you are degradıng yourself. You expect me to go to people and start asking them for money anyhow, you would leave the office one day now and you have children, who bear your name. Imag-
ine if my son or daughter becomes somebody tomorrow, they would say his or her father used to do this or that. We have to be mindful of our names. You don’t know where your children would be tomorrow. It is just like a policeman, who comes to you and harasses you, if you give him money, you are not happy. You would curse him and tell people that he has done something bad to you. I am not in that category.
News 12
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tension, confusion in Bayelsa APC over fresh primary
I won’t quit as Senate President – Saraki
Akam James, Yenagoa
prepared to save the Senate President from moments of embarrassments even as an attempt by a Senator, Kabiru Marafa, to cause commotion during Tuesday’s plenary melted off instantly. The plenary had hardly taken off when Senator David Umaru raised a point of Order to move a motion passing vote of confidence on Saraki and other Principal officials of the Senate. Senator Umaru in his motion said Senators had noted with dismay the attempt and continued interference in the internal affairs of the Senate by those he described as detractors with media propaganda against the upper chamber and its leadership. He said the attempts by detractors of the Senate had caused unwarranted embar-
ÎÎÎTension
seems to be brewing with signs of confusion on Tuesday in the fold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State over the delay in the conduct of the re-scheduled Governorship primary ordered by the National Working Committee of the party in the state. The APC National Working Committee had on Monday resolved to suspend the disputed Governorship primary held last week in a controversial circumstance and won by the former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, and ordered a re-run between the 29th and 30th of
September, 2015. Daily Times visits to the State Secretariat of the party along the Yenagoa/Mbiama road showed that most of the delegates, aspirants and party faithful were confused over the conduct of fresh primaries. While some of the worried party supporters blamed the Media and the camp of the former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, of scuttling the disputed election earlier conducted, others expressed concern over the non-conduct of the fresh primary ahead of the September 30 deadline of the party.
Our correspondent also observed that the venue of the re-scheduled election was taken over by non-indigenes of the Igbo extraction to celebrate their day, an occasion that has never happened in the venue before. It was learnt that the state governor ordered that they use the venue so as to distract the election. Investigations by Daily Times showed that some members of the panel were scared of moving to Bayelsa State to conduct the ordered fresh governorship primaries due to the alleged attack on the election presiding officer of the earlier botched primary in the state. Some Governorship aspi-
rants, who pleaded anonymity, said though the party is determined to conduct a free and fair primary, the National Election Panel to be led by a Governor, shows concern on security of their lives. Already, the delay in the conduct of the ordered Governorship primary has thrown up cases of alleged mass cloning of Voters Cards and International Passports with backdated issuance dates. ‘’I think the state party exco is already hijacking the process again, people are currently cloning voter cards and others at the residence of one of Sylva’s cronies who styles himself an aspirant.”
Continued from page 6
rassment on the person of the Senate President and its leadership. He said the 8th Senate would not allow itself to be distracted, deterred or succumb to ‘cheap blackmail in the course of carrying out its constitutional responsibilities by any individual or group of people under any pretence or guise for personal political interest. However, the Senate unanimously endorsed Umaru’s motion of confidence on Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the entire Senate Leadership as presently constituted. The Senate, therefore, called on innocent Nigerians, groups and political associations not to allow themselves to be used by any person or persons to harass, intimidate or blackmail the Senate and its leadership.
‘Stop nomadic cattle rearing in Yorubaland’ Continued from page 6
Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi (2nd left) flanked by Inspector General of Police Mr. Solomon Arase (2nd right); Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade (left) and Mr. Ismael Olalekan-Alli during the courtesy visit to the Governor’s office…. on Tuesday
Hajj stampede: 64 Nigerians dead, 244 missing Monday Agu Jr.
ÎÎÎThe National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Tuesday said 10 more corpses of deceased Nigerian pilgrims had been identified, bringing the number of pilgrims who died at Mina stampede to 64. The Commission also disclosed that 244 pilgrims had been officially declared missing. Uba Mana, NAHCON’s Director of Public affairs, made the disclosure in Abuja while updating journalists on latest developments on the stampede in Mina which killed over 717 pilgrims. Mana said 71 pilgrims
were injured as against the 61 pilgrims earlier announced by the commission. He said of the 64 deceased pilgrims, 46 were transported to Saudi Arabia by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies and 18 by private tour operators. Mana also said that 12 of the 71 injured pilgrims were transported to Saudi Arabia by tour operators and 59 by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies. He listed the states of the deceased as Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, Jigawa, FCT, Cross Rivers, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers Sokoto, Yobe, Taraba,
and Zamfara. Meanwhile following the motion moved by Senator representing Lagos East, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa, on the Hajj stampede, the Senate on Tuesday resolved to set up a committee to investigate the causes of the incidence. The Red Chamber, which took the decision at its resumption of plenary after a long recess, said it would hold public hearing to forestall recurrence of the incident. The lawmakers urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to coordinate with Saudi authorities to determine the actual number of affected Nigeri-
ans and to ensure adequate compensation. Sen. Gbenga Ashafa (APCLagos East), who just returned from the Hajj, said that the Nigerian casualty figure would have been more but for the effort of the medical teams of the Nigerian contingencies to the pilgrimage. He insisted that the Saudi authorities should be blamed for the stampede as they did not do enough to avert it. According to Ashafa, only one exit gate out of 10 that were provided was opened, and this forced those who should have used the exit gate to resort to using the entrance gate.
should pay as compensation. “The Fulani elements coming out to abduct him two months after is presumably a vengeance mission for justice that he pursued against the invasion of his farm and the destruction of his handiwork. Meeting recalled that for years, farmers in Yoruba land have been expressing what Chief Falae was going through in the hands of this nomadic cattle rearers. “You will recall that in year 2000 in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State, the Fulani herdsmen and farmers had a major clash which led to a strong delegation of Arewa Consultative Forum to storm the office of Lam Adesina in a rowdy and angry manner on behalf of the Fulani nomads. “Meeting also noted that the 2014 national conference, to which Chief Olu Falae led the Yoruba delegation, extensively discussed this matter of nomadic cattle rearing and the conference resolved that it should be stopped and that instead we should have ranches for cattle business.” “Afenifere demands the immediate arrest and prosecution of the abductors of
Falae. “Chief Falae sustained deep cut on his hands from matchet cuts from these Fulani herdsmen. Those cuts are not on Chief Falae’s hands alone. So, they are deep cuts on the soul of Nigeria and those cuts would not heal until justice is done. Until this Fulani herdsmen are arrested and prosecuted, the wounds will not heal,” it said. “While we await the arrest of the criminals, we also want nomadic cattle rearing to stop in Yoruba land. Yoruba people go to any part of the country to trade, no record or history that Yoruba will go anywhere to destroy the business or space of their hosts. What we cannot do to others, let nobody do to us. “We also demand that nomadic cattle rearing should be stopped in every state of Yoruba land, as we believe now that after what has happened to Chief Falae, our people would not tolerate such thing in any part of Yoruba land. “We also demand the implementation of the 2014 national conference report because that report has dealt with this matter.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
13 International Burkinabe soldiers barricades Presidential guard camp ÏÏÏ
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, left, points to Afghanistan’s acting Defense Minister Masoom Stanikzai, sitting, during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 29, 2015.
Afghan forces fight to retake Kunduz from Taliban ÏÏÏ
Afghanistan’s national security forces, backed by U.S. airstrikes, launched a counteroffensive against the Taliban Tuesday to retake control of the northern city of Kunduz, the first major city the insurgents have captured since being ousted from power in 2001. Both sides made conflicting claims about the fighting and death toll. Health officials said, since the fighting began, local hospitals have recorded 16 dead and nearly 200 wounded in the fighting, but gave no other details.
The Afghan defense ministry said its security forces, including commando units, began attacking Taliban positions early Tuesday in their bid to enter Kunduz, population 300,000. The defense ministry said U.S. planes also bombed insurgents at the ministry’s request. NATO spokesman Colonel Brian Tribus confirmed the airstrike was carried out, and said the strike was done “to eliminate a threat to coalition and Afghan forces” around Kunduz.
President Ashraf Ghani told reporters in Kabul that national forces have made quick advances, retaking control of several buildings, including a newly built police station and the city’s prison. Ghani, who marked his first anniversary in office Tuesday, said that airstrikes have inflicted heavy casualties on the opposition, insisting Taliban insurgents are using residents in Kunduz as “human shields.” He urged his nation to trust Afghan troops and not give in to “fear and
terror.” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a statement emailed to VOA, said the insurgents remain in firm control of the city and are consolidating positions to defend Kunduz. The Associated Press reported Taliban gunmen patrolled Kunduz streets Tuesday, setting up checkpoints, searching for government loyalists and sealing off exit routes for anyone trying to leave the city. Taliban insurgents overran the Afghan city of Kunduz Monday in a surprise multipronged offensive.
CAR leader pleads for calm as unrest escalates ÏÏÏ The Central African
Republic’s president appealed for calm on Tuesday as the United Nations reported 36 people dead and almost 30 000 displaced in three days of bloodshed terrorising the capital Bangui. “We fear that the violence that we’re seeing in Bangui is a return to the dark days of late 2013 and 2014, when thousands were killed and tens of thousands had to flee their homes,” the UN refugee agency spokesperson Leo Dobbs told reporters. At least 36 people had died in the last three days
and 27 400 fled their homes, the UN said. Announcing she was cutting short a visit to the United Nations to return home, interim President Catherine Samba Panza said in a message broadcast on national radio: “I appeal to you my compatriots for calm. I ask you to return to your homes.” “I know that when I speak to you, you listen,” she added. In Bangui, shots continued to ring out even after the 05:00 GMT lifting of a dusk-to-dawn curfew, following a night of sporadic shooting as security forces
sought to repel looters, an AFP correspondent said. With barricades blocking traffic, the heart of Bangui stood largely empty as French and UN peacekeepers from the Minusca force patrolled key areas. Minusca has denied reports that its troops killed three people and injured others after opening fire on a crowd of several hundred demonstrators heading towards the presidency to demand Samba Panza’s resignation. But it pledged to look into the allegations. The 10 000-strong peacekeeping force is already facing 17
damaging accusations of sex abuse. French troops, who number around 1 000, face separate sex abuse allegations. Across the city, streets were deserted as people stayed at home for fear of fresh fighting and to avoid attacks by looters, with only an occasional taxi visible, an AFP correspondent said. Overnight, shooting erupted as security forces tried to stop looters from attacking the premises of several humanitarian organisations which had been evacuated for security reasons, a military source told AFP.
Burkina Faso’s army has blocked roads around the presidential guard’s camp in the capital, a day after it said the guard is refusing to disarm following a failed coup. Journalist Emilie Iob, reporting for VOA in Ouagadougou, says she witnessed soldiers erecting barricades Tuesday on several streets leading to the camp, and turning cars and pedestrians away. She says there was no gunfire and residents of the capital remain calm. Burkina Faso’s transitional government of-
ficially disbanded the guard, known as the RSP, on Friday. The RSP agreed to disarm as part of a deal last week to end the coup attempt; but, on Monday, RSP members asked for guarantees of safety for themselves and their families before handing over their weapons. RSP members launched the coup attempt September 16, unhappy the transitional government barred supporters of former president Blaise Compaore from running in upcoming elections.
Homosexuality contrary to our values, Mugabe tells UN
ÏÏÏ
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has once again come out in the open to tell the West that his country will not accept homosexuality, telling the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday: “We are not gays.” Addressing what he called the “new” human rights agenda being pushed by the West and referring specifically to the issue of homosexuality, Mugabe, who is also the current African Union (AU) chair, said: “We reject attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to
our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. We are not gays”. Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe and Mugabe, 91, has in previous years made headlines after he told gay people to go to “hell”. He also stated that those of homosexual orientation were lower than “pigs, goats and birds”. Last year, the nonagenarian made headlines after he said gay rights were not human rights, adding Zimbabwe would never let children grow up thinking that there was an alternative to the God-prescribed marriage system.
Libya coastguard rescues at least 346 migrants ÏÏÏ
The Libyan coastguard said it rescued 346 migrants on Tuesday, almost 100 of them women and children, crammed onto rubber boats and stranded off the country’s coast. Three boats were intercepted around 10 nautical miles off Garabulli and Ghot el-Rommane, east of Tripoli, said coastguard officer Mohamad Jannane, who took part in the operation. He said the migrants, who had been trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, were shuttled in a three-hour operation to a naval base in Tripoli
before being transferred to reception centres. “The rescue operation was carried out between 01:00 and 04:00 in the morning because our boats are small and they were overloaded,” the officer said. He said that 34 women and four children were among 230 migrants in two of the boats, while the third was carrying 116 migrants, among them 54 women and two children. Libya has for years been a stepping stone for migrants - mostly from subSaharan Africa but also Syria and other Middle Eastern countries - seeking to travel to Europe.
News 14
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Amosun vs Isiaka: Violence as supporters clash at tribunal Abiodun Taiwo, Abeokuta
ÎÎÎThe Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Tuesday, ended on a very violent note, as party supporters attacked one another shortly after the Chairman of the three man panel, Justice Henry Olusiyi, reserved judgment on the case. Counsels, party faithful and journalists, who were inside the court had to wait inside, when the whole of the court premises was turned to a battle field in the watchful eye of the security operatives, who were over-
whelmed by the hoodlums. Some strange faces, including young ladies believed to be political thugs invaded the court with canes and started beating observers who were not allowed to enter the crowded court room. Security operatives had earlier in the morning prevented many party members from overcrowding the court room since they couldn’t secure seats in the main hall. Many people were injured as security operatives including men of the Department of State Service and Nigeria Police led by a Dep-
uty Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Makwashi, had to intervene to rescue the situation which persisted for more than an hour. Earlier, counsels to the parties adopted their final written addresses and were allowed to address the court, while respondents also replied on point of law. Leading the address, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, (3rd respondent), Olusina Sofola (SAN), urged the court to strike out all grounds of the petition except two, saying the grounds run afoul of Section
138 of the Electoral Act and, as such, incompetent. Sofola told the court that the reliefs sought in the substantive petition were inconsistent and that the only option for the court was to throw out the whole petition. Counsel to the 2nd respondent, George Oyeniyi, who also prayed the court to dismiss the evidence of PW9 (Benjamin Ibikunle) for being an interested party also informed the court that the petitioners had abandoned their reliefs in the substantive petition by coming up with other reliefs in the final written address.
While telling the court that the case was hopeless, Oyeniyi explained that the initial prayers focused on declaration as a winner while calling for a rerun in the written address. Counsel to the 1st respondent, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), also explained that what the petitioners were attempting to do was to amend the substantive petition through the back door. Fagbemi explained that the petition was like an undertaker’s address, adding that the bundle of documents before the court remained unspoken to and that PW9 was an abysmal failure.
He added that the petition was designed to fail and should be held as such. Responding to all submissions, Counsel to the petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), said ordering a rerun was a consequential order, which the court was enjoined to do even when petitioners didn’t ask for such. He said, “Final submission is for your Lordships to allow the petition and make a declaration that the 1st respondent was not validly elected on the ground that he didn’t score the majority of lawful votes cast and that the election was conducted in a manner that is not compliant with the electoral law.”
Medical doctor threatens legal action against Plateau govt Chijioke Kingsley, Jos
ÎÎÎA
L-R: Members House of Representatives, Hon. Taofeek Adaranijo; Hon. Mr. Pally Iriase; Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi; and Hon. Bamidele Samson during the resumption of members of National Assembly in Abuja… on Tuesday
Police not aware of ransom payment by Falae family, says IGP Andrew Orolua, Abuja
ÎÎÎThe
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, said, on Tuesday, that the Nigeria Police was unaware that Chief Olu Falae, who was released by his abductors last week paid a ransom. Chief said on Monday that his family paid ransom. A statement issued by the Force headquarters, on Tuesday, said that the office of the Inspector-General of Police had been inundated with enquires on claim by Falae and his family that a ransom was paid to his abductors, who eventually released him on September 24 after he spent three in captive.
Denouncing Falae claim the statement said that “as a law enforcement agency guided by rule of law and professional ethics, we do, not under any circumstance, encourage the payment of ransom to kidnappers or other criminals as it is tantamount to rewarding crime and motivating other criminals to follow that path. “The Police was not in any way privy to any arrangement that would have led to payment of ransom by the elder statesman or his family. For the respected Chief to declare that he paid a ransom for his release is therefore, a demotivating news.” It said that their approach was a professional response to what they saw as a crime
against a respected national personality known to embrace peace and who had dedicated most of his valuable life to selfless service of our nation. “The Police, under the leadership of the InspectorGeneral of Police, deployed a unique intelligence and operational capabilities including Police helicopters for aerial surveillance. Our intelligence and operational teams comprising Intelligence Response Team (a special anti-kidnapping unit), Conventional and Mobile Policemen were deployed for rescue operation,” the Police said. They followed the path from the point of kidnapping at his farm at Ilado, along Ig-
batoro Road in Akure, Ondo State and trailed the hoodlums through bushes to Owo in Ondo State. “In the process, we were able to identify the major actors and currently high level Police activities are being emplaced to apprehend and bring them to justice. As professionals, it is our conviction that the unprecedented and massive deployment of Police resources and men to support search and rescue operations put pressure on the criminals to release the elder statesman. This is much so that history has shown that even where ransom is proven to have been paid the life or safe return of a kidnap victim may not be guaranteed,” the Police said.
medical doctor, Mr. Femi Ale, has threatened to take legal action against the Plateau State Government and members of its committee that investigated the procurement of medical equipment for the new Government House Clinic. Ale who was also the former physician of former Governor Jonah Jang, made the threat in a letter he sent to the governor of the state dated September 2, 2015. Ale, in the letter written by his Counsel Ahamd S. Garba, esq, said their client have appeared before the committee more than twice and responded to questions
on the issue at stake and had supplied relevant documents to justify his assertions. The letter which was made available to journalists, said: “Our client became confused, disturbed and highly embarrassed with the unfair, unjust, unfounded and unjustifiable remarks of the chairman of the committee on the matter when the committee was submitting its report to the Government. “The chairman of the committee specifically alleged that his committee discovered some ‘falsehood and lack of transparency’, in the handling of the contract”, adding that the allegation was “unfounded.”
PUBLIC NOTICE FOR CHANGE OF TRUSTEES/AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION OF BODIJA ESTATES AND ENVIRONS MUSLIM COMMUNITY IBADAN The generalpublic hereby notified that the above named Muslim Community has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for Change of Trustees/Amendment of Constitution under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Cap 59 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 1990. OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ALHAJI ABDUL AZEEZ ARISEKOLA ALAO - Removed 2. ALHAJI (BAALE) RASHEED ADENIYI ADESOKAN - Retained 3. PROFESSOR LATEEF A. SALAKO - Retained 4. PROFESSOR RAUF A. SOBULO - Removed NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ALHAJI (CHIEF) LASISI BELLO GIWA - Newly Appointed 2. ALHAJI ZAKARIYAU ADISA OWOLABI AKINWALE - Newly Appointed 3. ALHAJA SILIFAT SOBULO - Newly Appointed 4. ALHAJA FATIMA ADEDOLAPO DELE - Newly Appointed The aims and objectives of Muslim community remain the same. The community takes this decision pursuant to provision of Article 10(b) of the Constitution of Bodija Estates and Environs Muslim Community 2009. Signed: Chairman. Signed: Secretary
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
15 Opinion
Saraki’s Case: The Inside Story
T
axpayers funds are being wasted on trying to remove a perceived political ‘non-conformist’ like Saraki by hook or by crook
Bashir Akanbi
- without adherence to the book (i.e. the Nigerian Constitution).”* – Bashir Akanbi Over the past few days, the Nigerian polity has been heated up by media reports about the moves of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), to arrest the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for failure to show up for his arraignment on charges that emanate from his 2003 asset declaration form. Although the news reports have trickled in from every news agency in the country, there is an inside story that nobody is talking about. This is that inside story. It is very unfortunate that politics in Nigeria’s today can widely be described as an unholy game of personality defamation, political infighting and heavy media onslaughts on perceived political obstructers. This is the primary reason why many politicians have controlling interests in many Nigerian media houses. For example, Bola Ahmed Tinubu owns The Nation newspaper. He also owns a controlling interest in The Punch, and has been rumored to be the primary funder of Omoyele Sowore’s
Sahara TV station – a subsidiary of Sahara Reporters. Additionally, Tinubu is the owner of TV Continental (TVC). It is for this reason, that since Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s emergence as Senate President, and Tinubu’s vow not to recognize his emergence, that The Nation, The Punch, and Sahara Reporters have gone on coordinated onslaughts against the Senate President. Over the past two months, Sahara Reporters and The Nation have gone as far as publishing a fake copy of Saraki’s passport in an effort to disparage him. The Nation has also been skewing the news to make their reader’s believe that there has been turmoil in the Upper Legislative Chambers. While The Punch, has served as a reinforce of The Nation’s news, publishing op-eds from virtual unknowns (perhaps writers writing under pseudonyms) that are aimed at tarnishing Saraki’s reputation amongst the populace. It goes without saying that the power of the media is the power over the masses. Needless to say, this development is unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy. Given the fact that the news can be skewed, twisted and colored as a politician wants, doesn’t this mean that the news that Nigerian have been receiving from Sahara Reporters, The Punch, and The Nation are not infact
news, but “Tall Tales According to Bola Ahmed Tinubu.” It is a pity that these Tinubu-tales are now bestsellers, however, many Nigerians are beginning to wake up and realize that not all that you read or hear in many of these newspapers is the truth. What is equally disturbing, and must be checked at once in the best interest of Nigeria’s democracy, and in order to ensure that certain individuals do not have undue influence over the matters of our national affairs is the fact that TVC, The Nation, The Punch, and Sahara Reporters have been shown to be collaborating with anti-Saraki forces in the government to bring him to public ridicule. For example, on Wednesday, the story that Saraki had a case to answer with the Code of Conduct Bureau broke first on Sahara Reporters on the evening of Tuesday, September 16th. Immediately, The Nation and Punch followed suit. This was in spite of the fact that by the next day, the individual that the case was about, Dr. Saraki, had not even been served with the court papers and processes. How did they find out a full 24 hours before the defendant was served? Surely, there must be some “snitches” in the on a vendetta mission that are colluding with these news organizations. If the aforementioned point is not strong enough, then ask yourself: “How did Sahara Reporters get
access to the charge sheet against Saraki when Saraki had not yet been served?” Nigerians are not foolish. What is happening right now, is comparable to what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did to Aminu Tambuwal after his emergence as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, without his party’s support. What is happening now, is that the APC, Buhari, and Tinubu, are working overtime to attempt to remove Saraki at all costs. This is even more apparent when you look at the timing of everything. Buhari promised that his ministerial list would be out by September, however, the list is not yet out. I spoke to a South Eastern Senator yesterday, who told me that Saraki’s current plight is rudimentary politics. He explained that Buhari is clearly trying to make Saraki either resign, or accept his nominees for Ministers without a proper vetting process. Nigerians have noticed that nominees like Babatunde Fowler, who was appointed to head the Federal Inland Revenue Service on Tinubu’s recommendation, has started work, despite needing to be confirmed by the Senate. At the end of the day, it is clear that the former dictator turned converted democrat, is trying to convert the principles of democracy to suit his unholy alliance with his friend from the South West.
Migrants surge and the ISIS Connection
T
Iyoha John Darlington
here has been an influx of refugees and migrants across the Old World to Western Europe partly from crisis-ridden regions of the Dark Continent. The ongoing crisis from war-torn Syria compounded the problem, as Europe unavoidably has to open her doors to fleeing Syrians. While the influx of refugees into Europe continues, concern is being expressed by many that Muslims refugees from Syria are a threat to Europe Christian heritage. Migrants from Africa are none other than the onesdriven away from their homelands by bad governance. The exodus is still ongoing;they only seek to make it to Europe from sub-Saharan Africa across the fiery Sahara Desert. The overcrowded rickety boats on which they make the sea journey are often sub-standard and, therefore, incapable of withstanding the strong sea currents. Many lives have perished at sea and as of December 2014 over 3,419 migrants, did not make it to the shores according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) records. In Syria, the country has been
fighting a civil war at great human costs that has almost brought the country to its knees. The death toll in the Syrian conflict has risen to well more than 210,060 with many more lives on the line. Europe has never witnessed such influx of migrants thus compelling member states to voice concerns on how to cope with the refugees that have been forced out of their homelands. More worrisome is the suggestion of a quota system of relocation, which appears an open invitation to economic migrants. This might spell great danger in the end. In a recent summit in Brussels, it was agreed that Special Reception Centres be set up for migrants in Italy and Greece before the end of November. This, however, is a gesture of goodwill bythe continent’s leaders. In the UNHCR General Provisions, Article 1 subsection 2 says a person who is in the danger of losing his life could seek protection outside the country of origin. As a result of events occurring before 1 January 1951 and owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country
of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such of such events, is unable or, owing to Such fear, is unwilling to return to it’’ Hence, the conditions for which refugees fleeing Syria appear in harmony with the contents of this clause. There is nothing wrong with extending hospitality to these displaced persons. Conversely, ISIS reportedly threatened to release a huge wave of migrants to cause chaos in Italy and the rest of Europe through hiding among refugees. Only a forth night ago, ISIS jihadists from Syria raised and hoisted their flag in Germany to the consternation of everyone. One of the ISIS jihadists in Libya was reported to have pointed at the centre of Europe and declared ‘’by thegrace of Allah we will conquer Rome’’. It is a thousand pities such outlandish remark and threat could be made against a country which has shown rare display of magnanimity; in fact whose shores have been invaded by migrants from north Africa and war-torn Syria. Sources say not one of these
refugees from Syria has been allowed into any of the Arab Gulf States. Thus, where is their feeling of brotherhood and friendship? Or is it that the Gulf States are too poor to be turned to? I do not think so. Not one of these refugees has been allowed to seek refuge in the oil-rich of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but we see and hear the ISIS jihadists threatening to unleash terror in Western Europe. The war in Syria must stop. Inaction will only enhance the ongoing catastrophe in that country and these could spell more dangers to Europe. A peaceful and stable Syria will halt the movement ofrefugees and put the activities of ISIS who hide among them in check.Rogue states that back the Assad regime should be sanctioned and the UN must ensure that suchsanctions are fully implemented by member states. This brings into focus the tacit support being given to Assad by Moscow under President Putin. The world must not be held to ransom by the the Kremlin which has been arming the notorious Assad regime.
16
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Daily Times Times Nigeria Daily Wednesday, September 30, 2015 Tuesday, August 18,
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OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS DTN COMPLEX LATEEF JAKANDE ROAD, AGINDIGBI, IKEJA, LAGOS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 44 ADETOKNBO ADEMOLA CRESCENT WUSE 2, ABUJA
News 22
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Igbo youths rally for Saraki, Ekweremadu Henry Omunu, Abuja
ÏÏÏ The Ohanaeze Ndi-
Igbo Youth Movement (ONYM) on Tuesday in Abuja staged a rally in support of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. Speaking at the rally, President of the group, Mr Uche Nnadi said that the youths decided to stage the rally to the National Assembly to protest the use of the government”s anticorruption for personal and political vendetta war
by hawks within the corridors of power. “This despair is caused by the fact that the anticorruption war which Nigeria in general and Igbo youths have keyed into is being misused by few political elites to fight their political war. “We must state categorically that it is an act of corruption to use the anticorruption war for party politics and political benefits”, Nnadi said. He faulted the trial of Senator Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, say-
ing that the senate president was being persecuted because he allowed an Igbo man to be elected Deputy Senate President. According to Nnadi, the trial of the Senate President by the code of conduct Tribunal is in contravention of section 3(d) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, adding that “the same Chairman of the Tribunal, Mr Danladi Umar ruled in favour of the principle in section 3(d) on November 30, 2011 in the case brought against former Lagos State gover-
nor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. “The same man today is insisting on trying the Senate President. We know that Mr. Umar cannot overrule himself. Otherwise, why all this political tension when the man has not been found guilty. “Our law still upholds that a man is presumed innocent until he is found guilty”, he said, urging the tribunal to quash the charges against the Senate President and discharge him as according to him, the trial was quickly contrived to force him out of office.
SON moves to curb adulteration, counterfeiting Lara Adejoro
ÏÏÏ
In efforts to curb adulterated, counterfeited and sub-standard products in Nigeria, four new logos have been launched in defence of quality products. Speaking at the launch of the logos presented by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to stakeholders recently, the Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu, said the war against adulterated, counterfeited and sub-standard products in Nigeria is actually getting complex.
FG to partner China on Agric Tom Okpe, Abuja
ÏÏÏ
Group photograph of the Judges of Enugu State Judiciary during the valedictory court session in honour of Hon. Justice Louis Ogbonna Okereke (middle) at the Judiciary headquarters Enugu… on Tuesday
Atiku identifies Nigeria’s greatest challenge Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
ÏÏÏ Former Vice Presi-
dent and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has identified nation-building as the greatest challenge facing the country at the moment, pointing out that Nigerians still need to improve the way they relate to one another. He declared that the task before the people now is to work for national unity and peace in the land to lay the foundation for nationbuilding. The former Vice President, in a statement released by his Media Office in Abuja on Tuesday, said: “Nigerians deserve a pat on the back for their success
and perseverance in preserving the country since independence despite the stresses and strains of nationhood”. He was optimistic that unity and peace would be much easier to attain if leaders at all levels allow justice and fair play to govern their actions. According to him, when people believe in the fairness of their leaders, they would be ready to do everything within their power to protect their fatherland adding that there is the urgent need for the people to begin to see themselves first as Nigerians, rather than one ethnic group or the other. Stating that the future of the country lies in its ability to achieve unity and peace, the Turaki Adama-
wa urges all those in leadership positions to show good example to their followers. He congratulated Nigerians on the occasion of the nation’s 55th independence anniversary. The Turaki Adamawa reminds Nigerians that this year’s celebration is significant because it coincides with a rare change of government when an opposition party took over power through a democratic, free and fair election. Having succeeded in deepening our democracy by making possible a peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another, says Atiku, the task before the people now is to work for national unity and peace in the land to lay the foundation for
nation-building. The former Vice President identifies nationbuilding as the greatest challenge facing the country at this present time because Nigerians still need to improve the way they relate to one another. He added that there is the urgent need for the people to begin to see themselves first as Nigerians, rather than one ethnic group or the other stating that the future of the country lies in its ability to achieve unity and peace and urged all those in leadership positions to show good example to their followers. He added that unity and peace would be much easier to attain if leaders at all levels allow justice and fair play to govern their actions.
“Even as we are recording results and huge successes, SON must go the whole hog to stop fakers and counterfeiters,” Odumodu said, adding that the four logos represent part of our efforts to provide comfortable cover to all members of the nation’s business community. He said, “the new logos on Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS), are marks of quality and Nigeria Quality awards.”
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has stated its readiness to partner with the Chinese government in area of agricultural development. Speaking while receiving the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie at the Ministry Headquarters in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Architect Sonny Echono thanked the Chinese government for their support in the past saying, ”The developmental model of China is best for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda to
commercial agriculture”, adding “Nigeria is working to improve her milling capacity in rice and cassava, to reduce the current demand and supply”. He stated that Nigeria needs support in the establishment of ranches, poultry and textile industry thereby calling on Chinese investors to come and invest in the sectors, identifying infrastructural development as another sector Chinese investors will be interested in, adding: “ Nigeria is working hard towards increasing productivity, hence the need to develop the Staple Crops Processing Zones” (SCPZs).
Mabogunje advocates review of Presidential system Remi Oladoye, Ibadan
ÏÏÏ
Renown emeritus Professor Akin Mabogunje has stressed the need for a review the current presidential system of government which he said is expensive and encourages corruption. The octogenarian said this at his lecture as guest speaker at the 58th anniversary of self government of Western Nigeria with the topic “Awo legacy and challenges of political leadership and governance in present day Nigeria” held at Premier Hotel, Ibadan. “For Nigeria itself , it would be necessary to revisit the costly presidential system of government which we are presently saddled.
The issue of ensuring that a presidential candidate is voted for by the whole nation and not just one constituency in the country as a parliamentary system of government is incontestable”, stressed. While calling for adoption of semi presidential system which combines both presidential and parliamentary system of government, Prof. Mabogunje said: “this reduces costs of governance, provides for a prime minister and minister chosen from among members of the legislatures, enhance party discipline and ensures that the party in power properly projects and strives to actualize its vision for the growth and development of the country.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Court separates pastor from wife 15 years after
Tosin Ajuwon Akure
ÏÏÏA customary court, sitting
in Akure, has separated the 15-year-old union of one Pastor Tunde Adekunle with his wife, Mrs. Agbeke over allegations of public nagging by the latter. Pastor Adekunle, a founder of the Christ Living Church in Owo, Ondo State, narrated how her wife had turn him into a laughing stock in the street and place of worship. The petitioner said the scars on his body were caused by the incessant fisticuffs between him and his wife. “There was no more affection existing in our marriage again,” Pastor Adekunle told the court. He added that his wife was a
disgrace to his pastoral calling and ministry and recounted how the latter once tore his cloth into shreds in front of the congregation right inside the church. Daily Times gathered that the marriage was blessed with four children. Mrs. Agbeke denied the allegations, but agreed to part with the petitioner in the interest of peace. The President of the court, Mrs. Olayinka Falodun, said the evidence tabled before the court by the two parties indicated that there was no more affection existing in the union. She said that since the plaintiff had confessed to his inability to perform his marital responsibility the marriage should be dissolved.
23 News
FUNAI hosts community, threatens showdown with govt Jacob Mbam Abakaliki
ÏÏÏThe
host community of the Federal University NdufuAlike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has threatened to shut down the institution over the inability of the government to compensate the owners of the land where it is situated. Chairman of Governing Council of the University, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, disclosed this, on Tuesday, when he led the board members on a courtesy call on Governor
Dave Umahi. He noted that 439 hectares of land where the university was located was acquired by the state government in 2010, surveyed and the documents handed over to the university, but that compensation had not been paid to the original owners making them to threaten the university with a closure. “The land owners are living together with the students in the university, which is unhealthy for academic activities. We are, therefore, appealing that government should expedite action in compensating the land owners to further so-
lidify the cordial relationship between our young university and its landlords, and especially to enable them vacate the premises,” Onwuegbu, said. Umahi promised to dialogue with the host community to resolve the matter. He directed the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Chief Sunday Inyima, to visit the university and find out the details of the land acquired by the government with a view to compensating the owners and that the compensation would be gradual, since government had no money to pay the land owners at once.
Adamawa moves to enroll all children in school Wale Akintunde Yola
ÏÏÏModalities to ensure that
all children of school age in Adamawa State are enrolled in schools, in order to safeguard their future. The State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Kaletapwa Farauta, disclosed this during a press conference heralding the inauguration of the enrollment drive, in Yola, on Tuesday. She said that the state government was set to do everything humanly possible to ensure the success of the programme. She posited that educated children would never serve as willing tools in the hands of unscru-
Hussenat Ohize
ÏÏÏThe
EducationUSA Advising Center of the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos would hold its 16th Annual College and Career Fair in Lagos, on Monday, October 5, at Dansol High School, Agidingbi, Ikeja, and on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at the MUSON Centre. The event, with the theme “Exploring Opportunities in Higher Education”, is open to all interested persons. Students with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results and a minimum of five credits are particularly encouraged to attend. The EducationUSA Center provides information to residents of Nigeria interested in tertiary study in the United States, and works closely with students who have the requisite academic qual-
pulous elements that may want to incinerate the polity for their selfish gains. Farauta added that the northern parts of the state bedeviled by Boko Haram insurgency as well as crisis in girl-child education, would be given priority in the enrollment drive, as educating the girl-child was educating the world. However, she admonished the people to exercise patience with the government, noting that the educational reforms being introduced by the present administration could not lead to the total rejuvenation of the sector immediately in view of the long neglect the sector had suffered.
US Consulate holds college career fair ifications. EducationUSA offers a feebased membership programme that counsels members on appropriate schools for their course of study, and provides tutorial materials for standardised tests, visa orientations, and pre-departure sessions. EducationUSA Advisors help undergraduate and graduate students to improve upon their chances of admission to U.S. institutions. Student-members enjoy access to EducationUSA advisors, library resources, and computers.
A cross-section of members of Ohaneze Ndigbo group in collaboration with Civil Society of Nigeria protesting against the on-going trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the National Assembly gate in Abuja… on Tuesday
Fayose’s teachers’ governor, says Ekiti NUT Gbenga Sodeinde Ado Ekiti
ÏÏÏThe
Nigeria Union of Teachers, Ekiti State Chapter, on Tuesday, described Governor Ayo Fayose as “Teachers’ Governor and father of teachers” because of the concern, care, respect, recognition and honour he and his government had for teachers. The NUT particularly praised Fayose for his administration’s intent at sole-financing of the 2015 World Teachers’ Day slated for October 5, which come under the theme: “Empowering Teachers –Building Sustainable Society.” It has also exonerated Fayose of blame over the exclusion of retirees’ pension from being defrayed with the N9.6 billion fed-
eral government bailout funds. Addressing newsmen in AdoEkiti to comemorate the World Teachers’ Day commencing on Friday, the NUT Chairman in Ekiti, Com. Samuel Akosile, expressed optimism that all the outstanding benefits of the pensioners would be paid by the present government. The Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), released the money to Ekiti, last week, to pay outstanding salaries and allowances, but the payment of gratuities and outstanding allowances of pensioners were not captured in the payment, which had angered the retirees. Akosile said he was pleased with Fayose’s proposal that three tutors-general and one Headmaster-General would be ap-
pointed on the World Teachers’ Day, which would further boost the morale of his colleagues and dedication to teaching. “Governor Fayose is not that kind of a governor that will punish pensioners unjustly. You would remember that the governor applied for N29.6 billion bailout from CBN, but only N9.6 billion was released to the state. “If pensioners are not captured in the payment, I know the governor will soon find solution to it. The governor, by action and deed, has shown that he loves teachers, both active and retired ones. “As much as I am not comfortable with the fact that our retired members may not benefit now, I am very optimistic that that the issue will be addressed very soon,” Akosile said.
News 24
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Plateau, Benue, Bauchi electricity consumers fume over planned price hike Chijioke Kingsley, Jos
ÎÎÎElectricity
consumers, in Plateau, Benue, Bauchi and Gombe states, have expressed displeasure that despite appeals for improved output before increase in tariff, the Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, (JED) was still bent on implementing the new tariff system. They made known their feelings during a session organised by JED, on Tues-
day, in Jos, the Plateau State capital, to unveil the proposed ten-year tariff plan which is to span from 2016 to 2026. They said there was still inadequate power supply, as well as other sundry issues, which the company had not addressed, and so the planned increase was unacceptable. However, the Managing Director/CEO of JED Plc, Mr. Ibrahim Hashim, appealed to the consumers to
bear with the company as it could not unilaterally increase tariff, but was ready to listen to consumers’ complaints and suggestions. He further told the consumers that “The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) regulates tariffs through a tariff methodology known as the MultiYear Tariff Order (MYTO), a 15-year tariff path. “This undergoes major reviews every five years and
two minor reviews every year; usually in June and December. The production and distribution of electricity is one of the most challenging, complicated and capital-intensive industrial processes in the world. Issues like interest rate, exchange rate, cost of gas, cost of doing business and other sundry issues necessitate the request for a tariff review, since the last major review in 2012. This tariff
will enable us to recover the cost of power, make investment in the network, repair and or replace the old and obsolete equipment in the network.”
He appealed to the consumers to be calm, as meetings with stakeholders were ongoing before a final decision would be taken on the issue.
Ekiti tribunal: Olujimi floors Adeniyi Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti
ÎÎÎThe Election Petitions
Tribunal, sitting in AdoEkiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Tuesday, affirmed the victory of the Senator representing Ekiti South, Senator Biodun Olujimi, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ) member representing Ekiti South Senatorial District. The tribunal, which also threw out the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Chief Tony Adeniyi, for lacking merit, also ruled that the evidence before it that Olujimi was not in the employ of NCC was “iron cast and rock solid.” The 1st petitioner (Ad-
eniyi) also claimed that Olujimi did not resign from office as board member of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) within the time allowed by law before the conduct of the election. In the judgment delivered by a member of the three-man panel, Justice P.A. Obayi, the tribunal held that Olujimi was not a public officer in the employ of the Federal Government as claimed by Adeniyi. The tribunal ruled that “Olujimi is a non-executive member of the NCC board on part-time basis was not employed in the public service of the federation” as earlier claimed by the 1st petitioner.
PSN holds lecture in Kano L-R: Group Director and Advisor, African Industries, Richhpal Singh; Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Remi Ogunmefun; Group Executive Director, African Industries, Uche Iwuamadi and Chief Executive Officer, Steel Business, Sanjay Kumar during the media parley on the challenges facing the Iron manufacturing companies in Nigeria, held in Lagos… on Tuesday
Ikpeazu reads riot act to vandals of public utilities in Abia ÎÎÎGovernor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has called on those vandalising public utilities to desist from the nefarious activities or face the full weight of the law. Ikpeazu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, said that the concerted efforts of his administration to improve upon the welfare of Abians by restoring public utilities was being sabotaged by some unscrupulous elements, who had been vandalising the newly installed facilities for streetlights on the Ahia Eke Road and IBB Way in Umuahia. The statement said that
the vandals had been carting away the electric cables installed by the contractors handling the electrification project, Kanel International Limited. “Government has gone ahead to replace these cables and other facilities and re-energised the street
lights for the second time. But these vandals and their colluding agents, who have been sabotaging the genuine efforts of the government and thereby dragging the state backward, are hereby warned to desist from their criminal activities or face the full weight of the law,”
the statement read. Ikpeazu, therefore, called on residents of the areas to partner with government in protecting guiding the utilities, which were meant to serve the people by apprehending such culprits and handing them over to the law enforcement agencies.
Yakubu Salisu
ÎÎÎThe
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Kano branch, on Tuesday, joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s International Pharmacists Day themed: “Pharmacists as a trusted partner in health care delivery.” During the public lecture organised at Royal Tropicana hotel the key speaker, Pham. Ahmad Ibrahim Yakasai (FPSN) opined that every pharmacist must learn to be a professional in his activities and must avoid anything that could tarnish the image of the association, since the pharmacist played a significant role in
the healthcare delivery of the society he found himself. He also stated that there was a need for every pharmacist in the state, and nation at large, to adapt to the rapid changes experienced in the field and human society at large. He said the world was dynamic and in order to make the field standard, there must be positive changes on the part of the pharmacists to keep the association alive and current. According to him, among some problems experienced by the PSN included insufficient funds, inadequate manpower, as well as insufficient communication between the doctors and the pharmacists.
Ondo confirms three dead, seven missing in Saudi Arabia stampede ’Tosin Ajuwon, Akure
ÎÎÎThe Ondo State Govern-
ment, on Tuesday, confirmed the death of three pilgrims from the state contingent to
Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. The Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, made the confirmation in a statement issued in Akure, the state capital.
Over 700 persons had lost their lives in the stampede that occurred last week in Saudi Arabia. Akinmade said seven out of the pilgrims were still missing
among the state contingent. He noted that government was unhappy, because many other Nigerians across the country also lost their lives in the sad incidence.
He said the state government was saddened by the loss and the best it could do was by sending words of condolence to families of the dead across the country.
Features Æ s
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
25
Oil refinery
Suggests additional modules to the existing units of refineries to increase their refining capacities
Diversifying the economy is easier said than done — Engr. Bart Nwibe
Port Harcourt based oil and gas consultant, Engr. Bart Nwibe has commended the transparency and accountability drive sweeping through the petroleum sector in the nation. In this exclusive interview with Daily Times in Awka recently, Nwibe added his voice with stakeholders to chart a way forward in the ongoing reorganisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC among other matters. NKIRU NWAGBO reports from the Anambra State capital. Engr Bart Nwibe is not alone in heaving a sigh of relief over the serious restructuring and sanitizing sweeping through the petroleum and gas sector. He not only welcomes the development, Nwibe told Daily Times the move would most certainly instill accountability and transparency into the system. His reasons are many: “We all know the pedestal that NNPC occupies and the corporate image of the NNPC in that in the last ten years or so, the Corporation has been at its lowest ebb. As a matter of urgency, there is the need to re-position NNPC in order to make it a profit making or-
Nwibe
ganisation. I believe the probe or re-organisation is the beginning of the process of making NNPC a better company. “NNPC before now has lost tracks as a result of political interference and misplacement of priorities resulting in square pegs being forced in round holes. People got positions and appointments that they do not deserve and that was to the peril of the organisation. When you look at most of the appointments they all became nepotistic and more of jobs to settle political loyalists.
“Also NNPC witnessed a lot of government interference and policies made and those executed became an issue to score political point to the detriment of the NNPC and by extension, the economy. We also had a high level of inefficiency in the system and the body was almost moribund.” Delighted that the change of guards and new appointments in that sector were long overdue, the stakeholder said it is necessary that tested professionals are brought in to re-position the Company.
“After we achieve after that, the Management of NNPC should be allowed to run the company, unlike what happened in the immediate past where approvals were so cumbersome that some bids for critical services sometimes took over three years to get final approval. But with the appointment of the new Group Managing Director, Dr Ibe Kachukwu, it is hoped that he would bring his huge experience into the system and also fast track the reorganisation as well as fine tune the business culture and processes of the NNPC.” Nwibe exuded confidence that the very experienced GMD understands the workings of the oil sector and believes that he would bring his background to positively impact in the strategic business culture of the NNPC. This, he said, would go a long way in replicating the success stories that we see in other national oil companies like in Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. He stated key reasons why: “Refined and transparent processes will eliminate cronyism and attendant corruption which had eaten deep into the fabrics of the establishment. “A good example would be the increase we shall derive in our foreign exchange earnings in the area of oil and gas which has not
been encouraging in the immediate past, despite the unprecedented boom we saw in the industry. All Nigerians should pray that the new GMD succeeds as the failure of NNPC would mean the failure of the nation’s economy.” Perfunctory refineries and subsidy If our refineries are working in full capacity, the issue of fuel subsidy will not come into the picture in the first place. And if we do not spend so much to import refined petroleum products, the pressure on the Naira will be much less. So as the NNPC re-organisation is ongoing, it will be necessary for the refining business to sit up and be alive to its business responsibilities. “The new administration should develop plans to add additional modules to the existing units of the refineries to increase their refining capacities. Also, the refineries turn-around-maintenance should be handled by proper and fit engineering companies. Whoever that runs the refinery should have the responsibility of awarding the contracts necessary to keep the plants running. You can’t maintain efficiency when someone at Abuja must approve for a welding repair to be done on critical equipment. “I am not saying there should CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
Features 26
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Importing refined products distorts our economy ‘‘You can’t maintain efficiency when someone at Abuja must approve for a welding repair to be done on critical equipment. The people managing the refineries should be given greater freedom to make decisions to ensure that the refinery is not shut down for lack of spares or repair of critical equipment because approval from Abuja is delayed. This is common sense for any successful business.’’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
be no control or checks and balances, I am proposing that the people managing the refineries should be given greater freedom to make decisions to ensure that the refinery is not shut down for lack of spares or repair of critical equipment because approval from Abuja is delayed. This is common sense for any successful business.” Allocation of oil blocks The idea of shipping crude offshore for refining and the process of oil blocks awards is shrouded in secrecy and this is the bane of corruption in the system. These processes must be transparent and auditable. We do not need to guess or we shall end up believing what we hear from the grapevines and read in social media. Strangers who do not have passion for the business get these opportunities and at the end, they only use the easy money to fly in private jets. At the end, critical investments in exploration and increase in reserves are not made. This distortion is detrimental to the Oil and Gas businesses and ultimately to the disadvantage of our economy. I support a wholesome probe of these allocations and awards and all those found culpable as a result of these corrupt practices should face the law so that
it will serve as a deterrent to future practitioners. Cases of inefficiency need to be investigated and processes put in place to nip further re-occurrence in the bud. Mr. President, as you know, is not new to the oil sector; he has been a Minister for Petroleum, he served as Chairman of the then Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) in the past, so he is at home with what he is doing. President Buhari is a strong willed person and is a stickler to discipline and due process, so what he is doing is good for the country’s economy at large. Buhari fighting a vendetta war? I disagree with those who claim that the probe in the oil sector is aimed at witch hunting enemies and political opponents. You do not expect him to conclude that all is well and at the end Nigerians would turn around to accuse him of non performance. Nigerians know that Mr. President has integrity and it only needs such a man to turn things around, so those that are going to work with him would certainly work and serve with commitment, being mindful of the fact that the man at the helm of affairs would not take kindly to compromising standards. The fear would also make them seat up at all times. Those who see it as witch hunt-
Refinery
ing must have skeletons in their cupboards and they are afraid of being exposed. A lot of impunity took place in the past and President Buhari is here to redress the matter. If you do not have anything to hide, why are you afraid? I also do not believe that he is going to spend the entire four years carrying out probes on all sectors of the economy. The probe, when concluded would even correct some of those gray areas and his job would have been half done. Over dependence on oil and gas bane of economy? I do not call it over dependence. In life, you must depend on what you have in abundance. Some people talk about the agricultural sector and I welcome the idea of diversifying the economy, but this is easier said than done. Investing in agriculture is good for our economy; but it is easier for Nigeria to reap from her massive investments in oil and gas, then the benefits can be used to develop
agricultural and other sectors. On the other hand, developing the agricultural sector of the economy will take time; maybe up to four or five years to come on stream before we see any meaningful impact. And while this development and associated investment is happening, there will be no visible benefit to the man on the street. So the President must balance all these to ensure he continues to enjoy the goodwill of ordinary Nigerians. If I were on that seat, my immediate focus will be to put an end to importing refined products into Nigeria as it distorts our economy. And the way to end petroleum products imports is to allow NNPC and her subsidiaries to run like profit making corporations. If in-house these refineries cannot be efficiently run, we can get foreign companies to run our refiners and share profit with them instead of using our money to import refined products. We
can employ the model that the NNPC and the international oil companies are using in exploration and production of crude oil and gas through the Joint Venture and Production Sharing Contracts. Such contracts can be replicated in the refining business and I believe it will be beneficial to Nigeria at the end of the day. We need to get people that know how to run the refineries and do business with them. You can call it quasi-privatisation but that’s the way to stem corruption. So back to your question of over-dependence in oil, I believe that it is when we can efficiently manage our oil and gas business and we are reaping maximally from our investments in the oil sector that we can comfortably go into agriculture. Because we need to invest a lot of money into agriculture and as our people say, it is not fashionable to put our two hands into the mouth at the same time.
JUST HUMAN
11.05 a.m. Makoko mum at home with nine children. Photo God’s Covenant Snr/078
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
EXTRATIME
OMERUO Awaits scan EXXONMOBIL, result of NBA, AFRICARE Hamstring CELEBRATE POWER Injury
E
agles defender Kenneth Omeruo is waiting on results of a scan on his hamstring injury to ascertain the severity of the injury and whether he will be available for next month’s series of friendlies. The injury forced Omeruo out of a Turkish league game for Kasimpasa against Rizespor on Monday night after just nine minutes. A source close to the player informed AfricanFootball.com: “Kenneth suffered a hamstring injury and he will now do a scan to determine how serious the injury is.” Omeruo, who is on loan from English Premier League champions Chelsea, has been listed by Nigeria for friendly matches against DR Congo and Cameroon in Belgium next month. Nigeria face DRC on October 8 in Antwerp and three days later, they battle Cameroon in Brussels. The matches are aimed at preparing them for 2018 World Cup qualifiers against either Djibouti or Swaziland in November.
Omeruo
FORWARD INITIATIVE
Andrew Ekejiuba
E
xxonMobil, National Basketball Association (NBA) and Africare celebrated the second year of the Power Forward pilot program, a youth engagement initiative that uses basketball to develop health literacy and life skills among Nigerian youths, on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at National Stadium, Abuja. Power Forward began in November 2013 and has been implemented in 10 secondary schools in Abuja. Former Nigerian NBA and WNBA players Obinna Ekezie, Olumide Oyedeji and Mactabene Amachree attended the day-long event, which featured four schools playing in final games for boys and girls, public health teaching and recognition of standout students in the program, as well as aerial dunking performances by the Atlanta Hawks Sky Squad. In conjunction with the basketball activities, bed nets were distributed and malaria rapid diagnostic tests were administered to those in attendance. Power Forward, which will continue through December 2015, teaches health literacy and life skills such as leadership, respect and personal responsibility through basketball and other programming to positively impact Nigerian secondary school students. Nigerian native and NBA Africa Ambassador Hakeem Olajuwon, fellow countryman and former NBA player Obinna Ekezie, and three-time WNBA Champion Swin Cash attended the inaugural event. Also, WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike and Oyedeji attended the launch of the second season, which was held at the Model Secondary School in Maitama in Abuja last May. Speaking at the event, Nolan O’Neal, Chairman and Managing Director, ExxonMobil Upstream in Nigeria said: “The Power
GOLDEN EAGLETS CAN MAKE IT TWO IN A ROW L-R : Olumide Oyedeji ( former NBA player and captain of the Nigerian Basketball Team), Goroh Alhamdu (Deputy Director Co-Curricular from Secondary School Board), Chenfa Dombin (Senior Director of Program Operations and Youth empowerment, Africare), Dr Mohammed Aliyu (Group Medical Director, ExxonMobil Affiliates in Nigeria), Anadou Gallo Fall (NBA Vice President & Managing Director Africa), Mactabene Amachree (first Nigerian to play in the WNBA), Mustapha Sulaiman, NBBF board member and Obinna Ekezie (NBA Legend).
Forward program provides young Nigerians with the opportunity to develop important life skills through an innovative communitybased program. The skills acquired through this initiative will stay with these youth throughout their lives and enable them to make a positive difference wherever they are.” Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa revealed that they were excited to be celebrating yet another successful season of Power Forward and to have Obinna, Olumide and Mactabene with them for the special occasion was exciting. Oyedeji, former NBA player and 2015 Afrobasket champion said: “I was fortunate to be at the launch of this season with Chiney in Abuja, and seeing the children’s engagement and passion for the program and their performances on and off the court was unforgettable. I cannot wait to interact with the youth once again.” Also reacting, Tijjani Umar, President, Nigeria Basketball Federation affirmed that Power Forward is a great example of how sport can enable positive social change among youth. He added that with its success so far, he is confident that the program will continue developing future leaders for many years to come. Chenfa Dombin, Senior Director, Program Operations and Youth Empowerment, Africare stressed that: “The life skills and public health awareness acquired and developed by the youth involved in Power Forward will remain with them throughout their lives and will be critical to their future success. Africare is committed to supporting the development of Nigeria’s leaders of tomorrow, starting today using innovative youth development initiatives like Power Forward.”
MOSES, IGHALO IN RACE FOR EPL AWARD
N
igeria stars Victor Moses and Odion Ighalo are among five players nominated for the September edition of the English Premier League’s African Player of the Month. “Africans hit the ground running in the Premier League in August, and although Andre Ayew won it, many performances by Africans were worthy of note and mention. This month has not been different,” said awards director ‘Tunde
Adelakun. Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez from Algeria makes a return to the top performers chart this month. Joining Mahrez, who has netted five goals this season, only bettered by his club mate Jamie Vardy, are West Ham’s Victor Moses, Watford’s Odion Ighalo, Sebastian Bassong from Norwich and Mame Biram Diouf from Stoke City. “We have a shortlist of five players this
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month, because we have not been able to separate our players in terms of brilliance this month. The standard has been that high” Adelakun added. The statement goes on to applaud the impact of all Africans in the Leagues worldwide this far, stating that “if our guys continue this way, and can take this kind of form into international football, Africa should be world beaters in football very soon”.
– Amuneke Stories by Mike Otanwa
N
igeria U-17 coach Emmanuel Amuneke says that it is the Golden Eaglets’ ambition to retain the U-17 World Cup at the 2015 edition which kicks off in Chile in less than three weeks’ time. Nigeria are the defending champions of the age group World Cup and Amuneke believes the current generation can claim the trophy for a second successive time. “Our target is to go there and retain the title we won two years ago,” Amuneke said. “It is normal that we expect to win it because we are defending champions. “We have been training hard and pre-
paring the boys for the tournament and gradually they are taking shape so we hope we will go there and win.” Amuneke, a member of Nigeria’s coaching staff at the 2013 U-17 World Cup in the UAE, admits his side will face some challenges along the way. “It won’t be easy to be honest because the other teams that have qualified also only have one thing in mind, which is to win the title as well, which is why it won’t be easy,” Amuneke added. Nigeria’s first match is e against the United States of America in Santiago on October 17. They will also face hosts Chile and Croatia in Group A.
Amuneke
SALAMI LEADS CHAN EAGLES TO PORT HARCOURT
Salami
S
uper Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has released a list of 19 home –based players led by Gbolahan Salami to start a training camp in Port Harcourt on Monday, ahead of a CHAN final qualifying fixture against Burkina Faso next month. The only fresh call-up from the training camp prior to the AFCON qualifier in Tanzania is Enugu Rangers Osas Okoro, who was scouted by Eagles assistant coach Jean Francois Loscuito at the weekend.
Top joint-scorer in the on-going Nigeria Professional Football League Tunde Adeniji, is joined by Warri Wolves’ ace Gbolahan Salami, Solomon Kwambe, Idris Aloma, Usman Mohammed, Ezekiel Bassey and Bature Yaro. There are also goalkeepers David Obiazor and Okemute Odah, defenders Kalu Orji and Jamiu Alimi, former junior international midfielder Ifeanyi Mathew and forwards Dayo Ojo and Godwin Obaje. However, it is left to be seen if the match against Burkina Faso will be played on October 18 after media reports said it has been moved due to a military coup in Burkina Faso. All the invited players are expected to report in Port Harcourt on Monday, 4th October, ahead of the first leg clash with the Etalons at the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium on Sunday, 18th October. The return leg comes up in Ouagadougou on Sunday, 25th October. All six home–based professionals who will be in Belgium with the full senior squad for the two international friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon, on 8th and 11th October respectively, will join the 19 players on their return to the country on Monday, 12thOctober.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
EXTRATIME
INTERVIEW
F O OT B A L L ENABLED M E TO S E E T H E WO R L D
– RUMMENIGGE
After so many years in the shadow of Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is now the figurehead of Bayern Munich. Roland Zorn interviewed the retired world-class striker, on his 60th birthday, to discuss why he was never jealous of Messrs Beckenbauer and Hoeness during his playing career, his marriage to Bayern Munich and the demands on the modern-day footballer.
K
arl-Heinz, you turn 60 on 25 September, having now spent more than 34 years with Germany’s most successful club as a world-class player, vice-president and, since 2002, as chairman of Bayern München AG’s executive board. Do you ever marvel at this seemingly inseparable partnership? Good fortune is part and parcel of life. When Bayern Munich called us at home and asked me if I could imagine playing for a club that was already internationally renowned at that point, it gave my mother a wonderful shock. When, as a 19-year-old in 1974, I moved from Westphalian amateur side Borussia Lippstadt to Munich for a transfer fee of 17,500 Deutschmark, I sensed that this was my big opportunity. As for my second career as one of Bayern’s foremost representatives, I can only say that I had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve tried to use the chances I’ve been given after hanging up my boots to serve the club as decisively as a striker in front of the opposition’s goal. You were known for being quite shy during your first year as a Bayern player. That’s not all that surprising when you start your career at 19 in a team of global
Looking at the titles you have won, it seems impossible to argue with that assessment... My time as a player was wonderful, primarily because being a professional always gives you the chance to make an impact. My experiences overseas at the end of my career were also very helpful, particularly at Inter Milan but also at Servette. The years I spent away from Munich inspired me for life. I’m still benefiting from that experience in my second career, as my colleagues and I need to ensure that financial conditions are right and that the club is being led in a sound and responsible way.
role as chairman of the European Club Association in particular. How did this come about? Football has enabled me to see the whole world, and in this sport, as in many other lines of work, it’s extremely important to have a network. To do that, you have to get out and about a lot and enjoy travelling. You’re constantly seeing and learning something new and establishing connections with people who may be able to help you one day. I did a huge amount of travelling while serving as Bayern Munich vice-president between 1991 and 2002, partly to better understand other clubs such as Ajax, Manchester United or Real Madrid. In doing so, I was able to constantly develop in the slipstream of our then-president Franz Beckenbauer and general manager Uli Hoeness, and I made the most of this opportunity. Back then you could still jump in at the deep end with a lifebelt, whereas in today’s world, where everything you do or fail to do is followed pretty closely by the public, you have to take that leap without any such protection.
You have been regarded as Bayern’s ‘foreign minister’ for some time now, due to your strong international connections and your
As the heart and soul of Bayern for so many years, local hero Beckenbauer and Swabian Hoeness were always more
stars and luminaries such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Sepp Maier or Uli Hoeness, who had just been crowned world champions in Munich. What then gave you that all-important boost on your journey to becoming a world-class striker? The good Lord gave me talent and, after a brief phase of settling in, I felt a duty to make something decent of it. My professional career progressed smoothly after that.
popular than you and constantly seemed to be the main attraction. Did that ever bother you? I’m not someone who gets jealous. In any case, Franz’s charm and his Bavarian manner are unparalleled, and my friend Uli was always our club’s guiding light. Everyone gets the attention they deserve. As a somewhat less emotional Westphalian, it was always a joy and an extremely pleasant experience to work alongside both of them. You captained West Germany on 51 occasions, pulling on the armband at a young age just as you did for your club. Is this experience still useful now that you are leading a club with 258,000 members – more than any other team in the world – and annual revenues of 540 million euro? Undoubtedly. Anyone given such responsibility must also act responsibly and do all they can for the good of this great club. Here at Bayern we also have good people and extremely solid hierarchies. Our club has been set up extremely well, and everyone knows what is required of them. There has also been consistent and rapid growth at this world-class club. We have seen some breathtaking increases in both members and revenues in the past. Whenever that happens,
we have to take care to ensure that everything stays healthy and that we can handle those heady heights without gasping for breath. Failing that, someone has to be there to bring you back down to earth, because when you’re flying high you always need someone who lets you have the odd rough landing. Having married your childhood sweetheart Martina and as the father of five grown-up children, have you changed with age? I’ve got a more relaxed attitude towards my grandchildren than I had towards my own children. I generally try to be as laid-back as possible about everything that comes my way. Would you have preferred to be a professional footballer in the current era? I’ve never asked myself that question. I only know that the sport moves faster now than it did during the best years of my career. I once told our captain Philipp Lahm: “You’re better professionals now than we used to be – far more serious and intense.” These days there are far greater demands on players in every respect. Although they earn much more than we did in those days, they’ve got to do far more to earn it.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
EXTRATIME
Cricket
Tigers Tests Still In Limbo After Dhaka Talks
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ustralia’s Test tour to Bangladesh is only days away, but the trip is still in limbo as Cricket Australia have recalled their delegates from Dhaka after meeting with Bangladesh security and intelligence officials. After a ‘credible threat’ to Australian and other western interests was reported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, CA opted to postpone the tour, and met with officials in Dhaka on Monday. Said CA representatives, including head of security Sean Carroll and team manager Gavin Dovey, have now left the Asian nation, and CA say the situation is still up in the air as their fears were not calmed. A CA spokesperson said: “Following Monday’s meetings, our Head of Security, team manager
and team security manager are on their way home from Bangladesh for further meetings with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and to brief our Board, Management and players on the situation.” Meanwhile, Great Britain and Canada’s foreign offices have upgraded their advice to their citizens in Bangladesh, with the UK saying: “UK officials have been advised to limit attendance at events where westerners may gather. You should be particularly vigilant at this time.” But Bangladesh cricket officials are insistent that all will be well, and have named their squad for the first Test already. It’s due to start on 9 October, and BCB president Nazmul Hassan is sure the matches will go ahead as planned.
FORMULA ONE:
SUZUKA REALLY DISAPPOINTING FOR WILLIAMS-SMEDLEY
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illiams’ head of p e r f o r m a n c e engineering Rob Smedley has said he is deeply disappointed with how the Japanese Grand Prix turned out for the team. “Not our best race. Not by a long shot. A lot of things we need to think about and improve upon. Without going into a great deal of details we didn’t operate particularly well. “The car was a little bit slower than what we thought it would be going into the race - we’re talking small margins, but it’s enough that we weren’t actually quicker than Ferrari but a couple of tenths slower. “Overall I think it was a really disappointing day for the team.”
Boxing
Early in the race, Valtteri Bottas was running in third place behind Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, but as the afternoon went on he found himself demoted to fifth after being passed on track by Nico Rosberg and jumped in the second round of pit stops by Kimi Raikkonen. “We made the right decision with the first stop with Valtteri, pitting him to try to retain the position ahead of Rosberg. That was good, made them think a little bit,” said Smedley. “Rosberg actually passed Valtteri on track even though strategy-wise we’d put him out in front. The pace of the car compared to the Mercedes allowed Rosberg to get past on track and then we had Raikkonen who was sat behind.
Golf
SPIETH’S
Caddie Strikes It Rich In 2015
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aking bunkers for Jordan Spieth pays off for caddie Michael Greller, who rakes in more than $2 million for the PGA Tour season just ended. When Jordan Spieth finished the richest single season in golf history by pocketing the $10 million bonus that goes to the winner of the FedExCup, his caddie also cashed in. Estimates of what Michael Greller, a former elementary school teacher, earned during the Summer of Spieth come in at something north of $2.3 million — some $1.8 million more than Tiger Woods netted in another
V
ictoria Azarenka’s season of bad fortune continued on Tuesday at the Wuhan Open, Azarenka’s first tournament since losing to Halep in the US Open quarterfinals. She sustained a thigh injury during practice the day before her first match and finally hit the pain barrier in the second round, retiring down 6-4, 1-0 to Johanna Konta. “I don’t know if it was the right [decision] to play that long because I started feeling it right in the beginning of the match and obviously in the first match,” Azarenka said. “I wanted to try my best, especially for the fans. They were out there cheering so hard. It was just difficult to just walk away from the court. “But coming in a little bit not healthy, it’s not easy definitely. But it’s the end of the year. It’s been a tough year. I just need to push a little bit more through.” The last 20 months have been tough for Azarenka. Sidelined for nearly four months last year with
Spieth’s
forgettable season for the former world No. 1. Going by PGA Tour caddies’ standard incomes, according to Golf Digest, Greller would have banked five percent of his boss’ prize money for each cut made, seven percent for a top-10 finish, and 10 percent for a win. Spieth won five times in 25 tour starts in 2015 — the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Tour Championship,
the Valspar Championship, and the John Deere Classic — and tallied 10 more top-10 results. Spieth’s winnings from those tourneys equaled $12 million and put him at the top of the tour money list. Adding unofficial earnings from winning the Hero World Challenge ($1 million) and the FedEx Cup jackpot comes out to more than $23 million.
Tennis
Azarenka
AZARENKA’S
Injury Woes Continue a foot injury, all eyes were on the two-time Australian Open champion as the 2015 season began. Many
expected to see the former No.1 steadily make her way back into the Top 10.
Singh To Face Whiting On Pro Debut
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Singh
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ndian boxing sensation Vijender Singh will face Sonny Whiting on his highly anticipated professional debut on Saturday 10th October at the Manchester Arena, England. Singh will start his career on the huge double world title card headlined by Terry Flanagan’s defence of his WBO World Lightweight title against Diego Magdaleno and Liam Smith facing John Thompson for the WBO World SuperWelterweight Championship, live and exclusive on BoxNation.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics Bronze Medallist begins his career in the hotly contested middleweight division and will do a four times three minute round bout as he makes the transition from amateur to professional codes. Singh, 30, has taken himself away from his home in Bhiwani, a state in Haryana, and based himself in Manchester to train for this fight under renown coach Lee Beard and has been training alongside stable mates Jack Catterall, Adrian Gonzalez and Jimmy Kelly, who all feature in championship title action on the
show. Despite being India’s most successful amateur boxer in history and winning a multitude of titles, including Silver at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games; Bronze at the 2006 Asian Games, 2009 World Amateur Championships and 2010 Commonwealth Games; Gold at the 2010 Asian Games, and rated the world’s number one middleweight in 2009, Singh knows that he has to start again in the pros as he looks to make history and become his nation’s first ever pro world champion boxer.
30
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
EXTRATIME
EXTRATIME
Transfers…Transfers…Transfers…
I never made a transfer request says
ROONEY
M
anchester United captain Wayne Rooney has denied handing in a transfer request in 2013, although he admits he did discuss a potential exit with Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney came close to leaving United in October 2010 and Ferguson has alleged that the England striker also asked to leave the club two years ago. Rooney sat out Ferguson’s final two games as United manager, but in a new documentary, he says that he never explicitly asked to leave Old Trafford. “I went in to see him (Ferguson) and just said, ‘If you are not going to play me, it might be better for me to move on,’” Rooney says in Wayne Rooney:
The Man Behind The Goals, which will be broadcast by the BBC next week. “Then, all of a sudden, it was all over the press that I had put a transfer request in, which I never did. I don’t know what happened and why that came out that way.” Rooney, 29, admits that his relationship with Ferguson was occasionally strained, but describes the Scot, who is now a United director, as “the best manager of all time”. Other revelations in the documentary include an admission that the burly striker wooed his wife Coleen, who is pregnant with their third child, by writing her poetry during the early days of their relationship.
GYAN Pleased with
Shanghai start
G
hana international striker Asamoah Gyan is pleased with his instant impact at his new Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG. The Black Stars captain scored on his official Shanghai debut against Tianjin Teda in July, and he has since went on to hit the back of the net four times in seven league games. However, the 29-year-old frontman, who is out nursing an injury at the moment, revealed that he had encountered different challenges. “I have been through different challenges before getting into the Chinese League,” Gyan said. “I remember I scored on my debut when I was with Sunderland. So that is how I used to psyche myself,” the former Sunderland player continued. “I remember when I was on the bench I just psyched myself that this is
another opportunity to showcase myself to the people. “I think this is a good start and I am very happy because for a striker it is important to start on a good note to build up confidence.”
Uzoenyi
UZOENYI’S
High Wages Scare Clubs
M
amelodi Sundowns ace Ejike Uzoenyi has attracted interests from within South Africa and beyond, but the major stumbling block has been the high wages the Nigeria forward commands at the PSL club. Sources said he is one of the highest earners at the PSL club, but refused to put a figure to this salary. A top source informed AfricanFootball.com:”Ejike is on one of the highest wages at Sundowns and still has a number of years to run on his contract at the club. “There have been a lot of interests on the player
Cameroon’s N’Jie Hails Spurs Boss
N Gyan
from clubs in South Africa and outside, but for most of them the big consideration is the player’s salary, it is one of the highest at Sundowns.” Sundowns are yet to decide on Uzoenyi, who has not been registered for the PSL this season after a debut season which was hampered by a long-term injury. The former Enugu Rangers star, who was the MVP at last year’s CHAN in south Africa, is still training with ‘The Brazilians’ after two major injuries including a groin complaint that needed surgery.
ew Tottenham Hotspur forward Clinton N’Jie has revealed that his manager Mauricio Pochettino helped him adjust to life at the English Premier League side. The Cameroon international joined Tottenham from French giants Olympique Lyonnais during the recent transfer window following a successful season in the Ligue 1. “It had been two months and a few weeks and I did not know the competition, so obviously I lacked rhythm,” N’Jie
said. N’Jie, who arrived at the White Hart Lane injured, stated that the Argentine manager supported him during his time in the sidelines. “In my head, it was not going very well. Before arriving I was injured in Lyon. I arrive, I get hurt. I started to ask myself questions. But the coach talked to me and reassured me,” he concluded. The 22-year-old attacker came on as a substitute and grabbed an assist as Tottenham hammered Manchester City 4-1 in a league game on Saturday.
N’jie
RONALDINHO QUITS FLUMINENSE AFTER TWO MONTHS
F
ormer Brazil midfielder Ronaldinho has left Fluminense after spending just over two months and playing only nine games for the Rio de Janeiro club. The 35-year-old had struggled to get match fit, failed to score a goal and produced only flashes of the talent that made him one of the world’s top players when he was in his early twenties.
Fluminense said that they had agreed to part company with Ronaldinho in an “amicable manner and by mutual agreement”. “From the initial contact with the directors, the player and his representative treated the club with professionalism and respect,” added Fluminense in a statement. Ronaldinho was a World Cup winner with Brazil and was voted
the World Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006 but his career has slid downhill since then, a decline blamed partly on his partying lifestyle. He left Flamengo in acrimonious circumstances in 2012, then moved to Atletico Mineiro where he showed glimpses of his old self and helped them win the Libertadores Cup in 2013. He spent the 2014-15 season
at Mexican club Queretaro before leaving in June. He has played intermittently for Brazil over the last few years and was left out of the squads for the World Cup in 2010 and the Copa America the following year. After missing a penalty in a friendly against England, his last international appearance was in a friendly against Chile two years ago.
Ronaldinho
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
31 Opinion
Make a joyful noise AURORA With
O’Yemi Afolabi ÎÎÎSwinging
70s, that period when Motown Records was the sound of music on radio and at parties. Before then we did the ‘Twist and Shout’, we also danced the ‘Madison Steps’. ‘I got sunshine on a cloudy day .....’ the line from ‘My Girl’ by the late Otis Redding introduced me to soul music. Tamla Records founded by Berry Gordy in 1959 became Motown Records. He signed on mostly black artistes who began a musical revolution that broke down all barriers, cultural, racial, musical and so on. Swinging 70s of the bell-bottom trousers, the Afro hair worn by boys and girls and the soul music which debuted as negro spirituals in the Church but went on to take over the entertainment industry globally. Out of Ebony magazine we learnt about how the artistes sang in their local Church choir before they were head-hunted - Uncle Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder who rose above their challenges to become great architects of soulful songs. Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Lady of soul - Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, the Empress of soul - Gladys Knight and the Pips and several of
the artistes that signed on the Motown label seemed to have started singing in their local churches before stardom came calling. Some of them, like Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, even had pastor fathers. Whitney Houston, who came well after that group, sang in Church and so did her mother, Cissy Houston, and her aunt, Dionne Warwick, who sang the original version of the classic song, ‘The Greatest Love of All’. Donna Summer of ‘I Love To Love You Baby’ fame started in the world before she went through her ‘on-the-road-to-Damascus’ moment and decided to sing only for the Lord. Aled Jones (MBE), the famous Welsh singer, was a soloist in Bangor Cathedral Choir, Bangor in Wales before he shot to fame in 1985 with ‘Walking in the Air’ at age 12. Songs and recitals in church and mosque seem to awaken the potentials of our young men and women. There’s a huge influence of Islam on Fuji music. Our Fuji artistes started off by singing the ‘Rara’, songs to wake up the faithful during Ramadan. Among the rank and file of our entertainment industry are artistes
who were first members of their church choir e.g. stars like the energetic Gabriel Amanyi, whose stage name is Terry G. Their talent was discovered and groomed in the white-garment churches such as Celestial Church of Christ and Cherubim & Seraphim Church. Isaac Kehinde Dairo (I.K. Dairo), the man with the accordion who left us with many classical tunes such as ‘Angelina’ and who also gave the world, Paul Play Dairo, was called ‘Baba Aladura’. Not because he sang gospel songs but because he belonged to the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, a whiterobe African indigenous church founded by Moses Orimolade Ajaguunmokadi as a praying band. Orimolade’s evangelical and missionary journey started from Ikare in the then Western Nigeria and spread throughout the region before finally reaching Lagos in July 1924. Other indigenous African churches are Christ Apostolic Church founded by Joseph Ayo Babalola in Ilesa circa 1930 and the Celestial Church of Christ founded in 1947 by Samuel Bléhou Joseph Oshoffa in Porto Novo, Republic of Bénin. The Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church recently celebrated their 90th anniversary which they capped with a musical concert. Among artistes lined up for this concert were Lanre Teriba, Akpororo Midnight Crew and The Seraph Brands.
W E A T H E R ABUJA 30 |22 °C 86 |72 °F
KADUNA 31 |21 °C 87 |69 °F
ONITSHA
LAGOS
29 |22 °C 85 |72 °F
28 |23 °C 82 |74 °F
IBADAN Low 22°C High 32°C
LOKOJA 30 |23 °C 86 |73 °F
Don Jazzy
The biggie on the list was Commander Ebenezer Obey. It would have been a big surprise if his name was missing! Because Ebenezer Obey is now a soldier of Christ - he’s a Commander in the Christ’s Army. A top brass among the adherents, said that the church was ‘at the forefront of creating musicians and inspiring many…’ In fact, the Church is believed to have trained and launched great musicians such as Prince Adekunle and the Afro Juju creator, Sir Shina Peters. There’s a gallery of photos in the newspaper. I thought one was out of place in this gallery. It was the photo of Michael Collins Enebeli aka Don Jazzy (DJ). I first heard Don Jazzy’s name when a young friend phoned to ask what ‘illuminati’ meant. She said that her son had mentioned that DJ was an ‘il-
luminati’. Illuminati, plural of illuminatus means to be ‘enlightened’ and is a name said to be given to several groups both real and fictitious. What made a young boy use that big word? The mother claimed her son and his friends heard that since all DJ’s projects turned out well, he must be an ‘illuminati’. There are those out there who don’t equate success with hard work. I’m not holding brief for DJ. But if all he touches turns to gold, then it’ll be more of hard work, consistency and reading the mood of the society. He promoted a lot of artistes who are now tops. Up and coming artistes swarm around him like bees. More recently Johnnie Walker named him their Joy Ambassador for their ‘Joy Will Take You Further’ campaign. They also would have recognized ‘the personal progress’ he
achieved ‘on his walk to success’. Sorry I digress. Where was I before I was.. Yes, the C & S concert attended by Don Jazzy who also brought along Korede Bello. Don Jazzy seems to love controversies. Not long ago the social media was awash with the vexation of the ‘born-again’ brothers and sisters with a Pentecostal church for inviting Korede Bello to sing ‘GodWin’ in one of its parishes. You’d ask what beef they had with the song when it was all about Papa God and his mercy? They had no palaver with the song. The artiste was their ‘headache’. He’s a moslem. And so what? Aren’t we all from Papa God? The members of that church didn’t think so. It was reported that Don Jazzy ‘participated in the singing and prayers’. Anyway after the clapping of hands, shaking and moving of bodies, DJ got on stage with Korede Bello. The duo belted out ‘GodWin’. Not yet done with being on stage with his new signee, DJ grabbed a guitar which he started strumming. The crowd roared, danced and also sang along. Oh What A Night! A church member who might have seen Don Jazzy grow in the C & S mentioned that DJ learnt to play all instruments when he attended the church ‘as a youth’. DJ himself said he grew in the church and rose to become an evangelist. As an evangelist he’s been anointed to spread the ‘good news’ and also to ‘make a joyful noise’. GodWin.
R E P O R T KANO 34 |22 °C 93 |71 °F
JOSS Low 21°C High 27°C
P/HARCOURT 28 |22 °C 82 |71 °F
CALABAR 28 |22 °C 83 |72 °F
ENUGU 30 |22 °C 86 |72 °F
WARRI 27 |23 °C 80 |73 °F
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
VOL. 1. NO. 200
Price: N150
I never made transfer request says
ROONEY
M
anchester United have a “realistic” chance of winning the Champions League by 2017, says manager Louis van Gaal. Dutchman Van Gaal, 64, replaced David Moyes as manager on a three-year deal in 2014, and finished fourth in the Premier League last season. United last won the Champions League in 2008, and lost in the final in 2009 and 2011. “Reaching the final is also an aim and winning the final, you need a little bit of luck,” said Van Gaal. Van Gaal, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 and came runner-up with Bayern Munich in 2010, added: “It is not only quality [but luck, too], and I think Manchester United knows and remembers that fantastically when they won the Champions League in 1999.
Pg.30
Championship Result BATE Borisov 3 - 2 Roma Barcelona 2 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen Arsenal 2 - 3 Olympiakos Bayern Munich 5 - 0 Dinamo Zagreb FC Porto 2 - 1 Chelsea Maccabi Tel Aviv 0 - 2 Dynamo Kyiv Lyon 0 - 1 Valencia Zenit St. Petersburg 2 - 1 Gent
MAN UNITED CAN WIN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
– LVG
FIFA Ethics Committee hands Warner lifetime ban
F
IFA has banned former vice-president Jack Warner for life from all football related activities at national and international level. The decision was taken by the FIFA Ethics Committee, chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert. The ban was handed to Warner on the basis of investigations carried out by the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee following its report on the inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. According to a FIFA statement, Warner was found to have committed “many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official in different high-ranking and influential positions at FIFA and CONCACAF”. The statement continued: “In his positions as a football official, he was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes.”
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Business Times Æ s
B1
Residential mortgage: PenCom gives guidelines to pension contributors Isaac Agber
L-R. Deputy National President, Ex-officio Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Alhaji Remi Bello; National President NACCIMA Chief Bassy Edem; Director-General, NACCIMA, Barr. Emmanuel Cobham; National Vice President, NACCIMA, Arc. Thomas Awagu and Honourary Life Vice President, NACCIMA, Dr. (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande, during NACCIMA media brief on state of the nation, in Lagos...on Tuesday.
Double digit interest rate bane of industrial growth — NACCIMA Charles Okonji
The Nigerian Assocition of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has called on the Muhammadu Buhari’s led government to lower the interest rate as it was a prerequisite to industrial development. Chief Bassey E. O. Edem, national president, (NACCIMA) made this call on Tuesday at the association’s headquarters in Lagos while briefing the press on the state of the nation’s economy. “The interest rate which still hovers between 17% and 28% is a major challenge to the business community and this may continue as long as the Central Bank of Nigeria retain its MPR at 13%. We counsel that the Federal Government revisit and consider the need to bring down the rate to a single digit, which will automatically force down the lending rate in the banks.” “The effort by government to stimulate the real sector of the economy may be in futility if the current trend in lending rate continues, and impede the ability of manufacturers, entrepreneurs and indeed the real sector to access fund for operation as well as for expansion.” “The state of the economy as at the end of middle of September
2015 revealed that the economic growth of our country has not performed as well as expected. Realistically, contrary to wide spread expectations, the economy has been sluggish and this is due to the fact that the major policy thrusts of the government which are expected to drive the economy are yet to be put in place to meet the utmost expectations of the business community/private sector operators.” He stated. Bassey noted that one major factor that has also accounted for the sluggishness of the economy was the electioneering activities that took the better part of the first half of the year adding that settling down into office and pursuing of the business of governance by the new administration coupled with the dwindling oil resources has prevented government at all levels from fulfilling their basic capital and recurrent expenditure obligations. He stressed that it was important to note that what an average Nigerian desires at the moment is for the ‘Change’ they voted for to be translated into a significant positive impact on the real sector and the economy in general. “The national president stated; “Exchange Rate, hovers between N196 - N197 to the US as at September 18 2015 per the US Dollar; as against N165 - N170 per US Dol-
lar obtained in the second half of 2014 in the official market.” “In the parallel market it hovers between N225 - N230 per US Dollar within the same period as against N180 - N190 per dollar in the corresponding period in 2014. Inflation Rate increased steadily and peaked at 9.3 per cent in August as against 8.0 per cent for the same period in 2014.” “GDP Growth Rate figure for second quarter of 2015 was 2.35 per cent which lower by 1.61 per cent of the figure achieved in the preceding quarter; At the same time, External Reserves, decreased from US$31.20 billion at the end of the July 2015 to US$30.63billion as at September 18,2015; Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) remains unchanged at 13 per cent but Interest rate, maintained a double digit, hovering around 17 per cent and 28 per cent as against a single digit rate expected by business operators.” Within the period under consideration, Capacity utilization in the real sector, continued to hover around 45%, showing huge unutilized capacities. Meanwhile, the Real Sector: still grapples with high interest rate, insufficient power and energy supply, and efficient infrastructure that could make it assume its position as the engine of economic growth.
“Although there has been noticeable improvement in Electricity supply in the country in recent time, this however cannot obscure the fact that the targets of power generation and supply envisaged under the privatization arrangement have not been met, four years after its introduction.” “The Administration of President Mohammadu Buhari needs to bring fresh perspective and impetus to ensure rapid expansion of the power sector, so that the energy being generated can conveniently meet the needs of the manufacturing sector while reducing their reliance on alternative sources of energy at exhorbitant cost.” “While we bask on the achievement so far recorded in the power sector, we wish to reiterate the need for the Federal and State Governments to explore the utilization of alternative and renewable energy sources for power generation such as solar, coal, wind and hydro to overcome the challenges of power supply so that we can together achieve the target of not less than 20,000MW in the medium term as no meaningful progress can be made in the effort to diversify the economy if the fight to stabilize power supply is not won and stable power supply achieved.” He said.
The Pension Reform Act 2014 has expanded the benefits of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), providing opportunity for contributors (workers) in the scheme to withdraw from their retirement savings (RSA) towards equity contribution for payment of residential mortgage. The industry regulator, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) has released a draft guideline to enable take-off of the scheme, while stakeholders make contributions that would result in final guidelines. One of the guidelines for eligible RSA holdersrequires that they shall use the proceeds of the mortgage loan to purchase either a single-family home or an apartment in a multi-unit building, which must be owneroccupied.The title to the property must have a fully perfected title and free from any encumbrance. The regulators expect that the property shall have comprehensive insurance policy in the name of the borrower, to cover the replacement or reinstatement cost of the property. The insurance policy must note the RSA Fund as one of the first loss payees, to cover the equity contribution released by the PFA. The valuation of the property to be purchased with the mortgage loan shall be carried out by a licensed, independent valuer who is a member in good standing with the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors &Valuers (NIESV) and must carry Professional Indemnity Insurance with an insurance company licensed and in good standing with National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). PenCom also requires that the mortgage loan shall be a minimum amount of N1.5 million, maximum of N50 million.The tenor of the mortgage loan shall be for a minimum of 5years and maximum of 20years. It was recommended that the interest rate on the mortgage loan shall be at a fixed rate for its whole duration. Other eligibility criteria were also given for Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) and Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).
Aviation B2
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
FAAN boss commends work progress at Kano airport Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Engr. Saleh Dunoma, has expressed delight over the level of work at the new international terminal at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. Dunoma made this known when he paid a working visit to the airport to supervise the ongoing construction work of the new international terminal. It would be recalled that the Federal Government has embarked on an ambitious project of constructing five new international terminals at the nation’s five international airports
From left, the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo representing the Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, cuts the tape to formally commission the multi-million naira nahco aviance Warehouse at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. With her are Chairman of the Company, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah, national coordinator of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Chief Sunny Nwosu; Director, Hajia Hadiza Mohammed; Enugu State Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Ogbu Nwobodo and Director, Faruk Umar.
NAMA adds 6 new ICAO regional routes The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has completed safety assessment and design of six ICAO approved PBN regional routes that will enhance regional connectivity within the AFI region. These routes include a new airway linking Nairobi in Kenya direct to Abuja in Nigeria (UT475); another linking Bangui in Central African Republic (CAR) direct to Tamale in Ghana (UT458) and a Europe
direct route from Abuja in Nigeria to Tamaransset in Algeria (UT416). Others are an international route from Garoa in Cameroun to Niamey in Niger Republic through Kano in Nigeria (UT459); Lagos Nigeria direct to Guiney Conakry (467) and Oxilo in Cameroun direct to Lagos in Nigeria (UT457). According to the Managing Director, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, these new routes which
shall become operational on the AIRAC date of 15th October 2015 have been published worldwide through the Nigerian AIP Supplement issued by NAMA. While counting the gains of the new regional routes to include enhanced airspace capacity utilization and reduced flight times, Engr. Abdulsalam expressed confidence that these new routes would also boost regional integration, co-operation and trade within the sub-region.
CANSO, ACI launch aviation noise reduction initiative The Airports Council International (ACI) and Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) have collaborated to launch a new initiative to help reduce noise pollution from aviation. They two days ago published: “Managing the Impacts of Aviation Noise”, a best practice guide for reducing aviation noise, especially for communities near airports. The initiative is to be rolled out to airports and air traffic management organisations across the globe. Jeff Poole, Director General, CANSO, said: “The aviation industry has achieved substantial and measurable reductions in noise over the last 50 years through a mixture of airframe and engine technology and op-
erational efforts. “But the problem still exists and we must make every effort to mitigate the impact of aviation noise for people on the ground, especially those living around airports. This excellent publication provides airport operators, air navigation service providers (ANSP) and other aviation stakeholders with the tools to take further action on this vital issue for our industry. “Key to our success in reducing noise is partnership and joint action among airports, airlines and air traffic management, engaging with local communities, to deliver measurable results. “We are now rolling this initiative out to CANSO Members through the aid of regional expert champions and through workshops at CANSO regional
conferences, as well as other global and regional events”. “Managing the Impacts of Aviation Noise” examines the challenge of aviation noise and describes methods that airport operators and ANSPs can use to manage and reduce its impact. It reviews four current approaches for managing noise: reducing noise at the source; land use planning; noise-reducing operational procedures; and operating restrictions. Operational procedures include techniques such as tailored arrivals, continuous descent operations, arrival or departure path alternation and managing thrust. The noise mitigation measures described in the guide can be collaboratively implemented by ANSPs, airports and aircraft operators.
including Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu. Engr Dunoma, while on this follow-up to the Permanent Secretary’s earlier working tour to the airport, noted that this laudable project was undertaken to increase the capacity of the affected airports while positioning them to be able to deliver efficient services at world-class standards, in order to maintain best practices as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO. He assured the general public that FAAN would continue to upgrade the facilities at the nation’s airports to ensure security, safety and comfort of all airport users.
Independence Day: British Airways slashes fare by 28% British Airways said it has reduced its airfare by 28 per cent for Nigerian air travellers to mark the forthcoming 55th independence anniversary. The airline stated that the discount fare was available for all its guests travelling from Nigeria to United Kingdom, European countries, United States of America, USA, and other select destinations across the world. The airline hinted that the discount fare is available on its World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and the award-winning Club World cabins for outbound travel from Nigeria between Friday, September 18, 2015 and Sunday, November 29, 2015, adding that the selling period was from Friday, September 18, 2015 to Friday, September, 25, 2015. Commenting on the promo fare, the Regional Commercial Manager, West Africa, British Airways, Mr. Kola Olayinka, disclosed that fares to London for the celebration start from $425 in World Traveller, $1,055 in World Traveller plus and $2,855 in Club World for flights to UK respectively. Olayinka added
Olayinka
that flights to Europe and other destinations start from $525 in World Traveller cabin. He declared that the fares were available from both Abuja and Lagos and are exclusive of all taxes, fees, charges and surcharges and subject to availability, maintaining that the discounted fares still come with all the benefits of flying with a full-service carrier. He said “This offer has once again underscored the fact that, the customer is always at the heart of our business at British Airways. The discounted fares are in line with our strong market focus of being pro-actively responsive to customers’ needs, and highlight another example of British Airways’ commitment to offering more value for money for its teeming Nigerian customers. “Congratulations to Nigeria at 55. We all need a strong Nigeria, Africa and the World needs a strong and prosperous Nigeria to continue contributing her quota in the committee of Nations.”
· Exhibitions
· International partnerships
· Seminars
· Products’ launch
· Raffle draw
· Entertainment
· Discount sales
. Meet Regulators
Nigerian Shippers Council to build B4 Truck Transit Park P
2015 ABUJA
Chamber of Commerce & Industy International Trade Fair Digest
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Abuja Int’l Trade Fair now to end October 5 ABUCCIMA to partner NDIC on credit B5 administration and finance –Imomoh P
Sights from 10th Abuja International Trade Fair B6 P
FOR ADVERT LISTINGS IN ABUJA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR DIGEST Call: 07064933209, 08054934941
B4
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Abuja Int’l Trade Fair now to end Oct 5 Stories by Matthew Dadiya, Abuja The ongoing 10th Abuja International Trade Fair slated to end by Friday, October 2, 2015 has been extended to Monday October 5, 2015. The Vice President Legal, of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr Emeke Obegolu made this known during an interview with Daily times at the Chamber Secretariat on Tuesday in Abuja. He said that the exten-
sion became very necessary due to demand by many exhibitors to enable them to make good sale of their products and services. According to him, this 2015 trade fair has been a success but in every success, there is always room for improvement. “The Chamber will look at some of the areas that need to be improved upon and will definitely do so. We will continue make the necessary improvement those aspects that had been observed.” On the number of Banks
that participated at the 2015 fair, the VP Legal, said the Chamber only invited few banks that offer related service to the theme of the 10th anniversary trade fair which is “Entrepreneurship as a Panacea for Economic Growth.” Obegolu noted that among the banks in the country, only Zenith and Jaiz Bank that provide the kind of services that relate to the theme of the 10th anniversary fair, adding that though Zenith bank was hitherto seen as bourgeoisie’s bank but today is at the Trade fair of-
fering it services to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Also, Jaiz bank is a non interest bank, so we are happy to have them here, it is very encouraging.” He appealed to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari that appropriate incentives that will encourage and boost the activities of the SMEs be further strengthen. “SMEs are the veritable tools that can be used to boost and improve the nation’s economy. We also urge government to give
Nigerian Shippers Council to build Truck Transit Park Nigerian Shippers Council has concluded plans to commence construction of what they call Truck Transit Park to be located at the ‘busy transit corridors’ across the country. The Chief Information Officer, Mr. Moses Abere who stated this at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair further explained that the transit park will include hospitals, auto mechanic workshops and accommodations to take care of the truck drivers and their vehicle. This according to him is aimed at controlling and minimizing the high rate of truck mishap in the nation’s road, add-
ing that fatigue, stress, sleeplessness is part of the identified causes of the road truck carnage hence the need to take care of the root causes. “This Truck Transit Park was conceptualized to offer truck drivers opportunity to catch some sleep and freshen up after long distance of driving at night. It also offers them an opportunity for treatment as hospitals to take care of their health needs is also included. This is in addition to auto mechanic workshop that will examine and service the trucks before they proceed on their journey. Hotels where they can check in
to sleep for some hours before continuing their journey will equally be provided. The transit parks will be one of its types in Africa.” He further explained that the agency is also embarking on a construction of Inland Destination Ports to lessen the burden of going to Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt or Calaba by exporters to clear their goods. Abere noted that this ports will be constructed in areas where there is no deep sea to assist exporters from such areas, adding that their containers will be delivered to them at the port of their choice.
NDIC Extols Abuja Chamber of Commerce for 10th Anniversary Fair Whether they led a company or a country, history’s best leaders understood the importance of providing the motivation and direction to achieve larger goals. This exactly was the perception of Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, the Managing Director of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) towards the President and executive members of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday at the NDIC Special Day. Ibrahim who was represented by the Deputy Director Insurance and
Surveillance, Mr Stanley Babalola Balogun commended the Chamber for what he described as ‘remarkable achievement’ in organising the 10th edition of the Abuja International Trade Fair. He said that the NDIC was proud to align itself with those noble objectives which were also in line with its mandate and operational activities. According to him, the theme of the fair ‘Entrepreneurship as a Panacea for Economic Growth’ falls within the change mantra of the Federal Government of
ACCI International Trade Fair Digest
Nigeria towards the diversification of the Nigerian economy. Balogun noted that the Trade fair objectives were to drive greater business opportunities, promote financial empowerment and selfreliance, open up new avenues for industria development and most importantly improve the quality of life of Nigerians. He said while NDIC’s participation at the fair provides a unique platform for public awareness on the benefits and limitations of Deposit
Insurance Scheme (DIS) in Nigeria, it was also an avenue to showcase the landmark achievements of the Corporation in the last 26 years of its existence. “The NDIC’s mission is to protect bank depositors and contribute to the stability of the financial system through deposit guarantee, banking supervision, failure and bank liquidation. The prompt payment of insured sum is primarily to reduce the impact of bank failure and build public confidence,” the deputy director added.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
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ABUCCIMA to partner NDIC on credit administration and finance — Imomoh Stories by Augustine Okezie, Abuja The Vice president Finance of the Abuja chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Osi Imomoh has said that the Chamber and the Nigeria deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) will partner in the area of credit administration and management to ensure a healthy financial growth and development of MSMEs.
Osi Imomoh who made the observation at NDIC day during the ongoing 10th Abuja international trade fair said that if credit administration is not properly managed and properly structured by MSMEs, It could turn credit into a restraining factor. He said’ We all know the implications of a high interest rate structure, abstract classification of non performing credit and administrative
recall of credit especially without regard to business cycles etc. More collaborative effort between regulators/supervisors, the banks and our chamber will do the economy a lot of good’’ Mr. Imomoh who spoke on the topic’’ the interface between NDIC and the chamber of commerce’’ recalled that the establishment of NDIC at the end of the 80’s corresponded with the twilight of the decade when the fo-
cus of business was predominantly on Quality. According to him, ’’the next decade, the 90’s witnessed a shift in attention to re-engineering and NDIC lived up to its mandate in a profound way as it became the dominant supervisory agency in the country at the time’’. He further commended the contributions made by NDIC in exploring the interface between it and the Chamber recalling that the financial agency
insures bank deposits that are owned predominantly by members of the chamber of commerce and that banks pay the premium on its behalf. He said “This is an indirect relationship or simply the banks are between us and NDIC. So whatever NDIC does with the banks, it does for our sake yet interactions between us are highly limited. This is an area that deserves more attention for better targeting and
precision with respect to micro/macro prudential, financial and economic objective’’. “We will like to see more activity in the area of restructuring/turnaround and technical assistance extended beyond first line (banks)to the underlying institutions (our chamber) for the reinforcement of safety and soundness in financial institutions since this is the ultimate objective of NDIC’’.
Trade fair designed to promote Nigeria’s Economic growth – Al-Mutaba The second deputy president Abuja chamber of commerce and industry, Alhaji Abubakar Al-Mutaba has said that some of the attendants benefits of the on-going international trade fair is the promotion of accelerated development of Nigeria’s commerce and industry, ensure direct attention to the role of private sector to the nation’s economy, promote strong revitalization and diversification of our economy by supporting the non oil exports and the Provision of access to resource and technology development. Alhaji Mutaba who made the above disclosure
yesterday in Abuja as part of activities marking the special NHIS day commended the health care agency for its health benefit packages and other services it has rendered to Nigerians. He said of note was the agencies intervention especially in the areas of access to eye examination and care, prescription of drugs for pharmaceutical care and diagnostic tests as contained in the National essential Drugs list and Diagnostic test list, as well as other out-patient care including necessary consumables. He said’ I would require your consent to use this
opportunity to commend the assiduous efforts of the National Health Insurance Scheme in ensuring access to good health for Nigerians and thus supporting the growth of our National economy as we are all aware that this hard work has yielded tremendous results since its establishment in 2004. Our chamber’s relationship with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is quite exceptional as majority of our members are NHIS subscribers’’ The Deputy President of the Chamber of Commerce further urged NHIS to improve on the quality of services it renders
to Nigerians insisting’’ there are complaints of inadequate service delivery which I call on the management to take expeditious actions so as to ensure smooth service delivery not only to our members but Nigerians in general’’. The head, Media and Public Relations, Mr. Ayo Osinlu while replying on behalf of the general manger, marketing assured the Nigerian public of improved quality services and called for increased patronage of its services .There were traditional dances and other side attractions to mark the NHIS day at the fair.
ACCI International Trade Fair Digest
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Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
S I G H T S F R O M DAY 12
ACCI International Trade Fair Digest
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
B7 Insurance
Stakeholders hopeful of gains from 2015 ‘Africa Special’ WPS
Anohu-Amazu
Isaac Agber Africa is set to have another special edition of the World Pensions Summit 2015, scheduled to take place in Abuja between 5th and 6th of October. Expectations of stakeholders in the pensions industry are that all deliberations will be in consonance with the theme of the summit – Building Sustainable Pensions System in Africa – as world economy drivers are being tipped to imbibe the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Mrs. ChineloAnohu-Amazu, the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) disclosed that this year’s edition will introduce the ‘African Pension Awards’ by PenCom, which is set to be the main highlight of the summit. The DG hinted on the details of the summit while launching the commission’s new logo in Lagos. She said the summit will focus on entrenching enduring pension systems across Africa, by emphasizing pension funds as an avenue towards addressing the huge infrastructure deficit in the continent. It would also attract experts from around the world in investment, infrastructure financing, real estate and other pension-related fields. According to Anohu-Amazu, the experts in the areas of pensions
and investment would provide insights on global developments in pensions. The ‘Africa Special’ edition will provide a platform for pension stakeholders in Africa to build stronger relationships and exchange ideas, as well as provide pension professionals with an opportunity to network and share their experiences on global developments in the administration of pensions. This African Pension Awards is designed to recognize excellence, achievement and commitment to the development of the African pension industry, in order to promote good and innovative practices in administration. It will give priority to the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) amongst African countries. The scheme aims to create an opportunity for African countries to evaluate the progress made in the development of their respective pension industries, and foster a positive local and global perception of the African pension industry. “The award categories are Governance, Pension Coverage, and Socio-economic Impact. They are meant to recognize innovation and outstanding achievements recorded by African countries in the governance of their pension systems, including their efforts at widening the coverage of their CPSs, and
their deployment of pension funds towards economic development and the promotion of robust financial system,” said Anohu-Amazu. What to expect at the summit At the summit, a number of issues will be addressed, and these include the introduction of high level regional reports on the advancement of pension systems within the regions. This concept seeks to highlight developments within the pension space in Africa, improvements recorded in the pension industries based on the inaugural edition of the Summit, and the quality of services rendered by administrators and regulators of pension in their jurisdictions. Other issues, sub-themed “Reforms and developments in African pension systems (regional reports) and global developments in pension systems;’’ “The real deal: Structuring pension investments for sustainability’’ and “Expanding investment frontiers for pension funds’’ would equally be addressed. Also, Africa’s underachievement in the area of micro pension plans, as noted by the PenCom DG, would be discussed. She emphasized on the need to redress the situation by emulating the advances made in China and Kenya. Harry Smorenberg, Founder and Chairman of the World Pension Summit, stated that “Africa’s growth story, particularly in Nigeria, its largest economy, has been well documented. But with such growth comes a responsibility, expectation and opportunity to leverage capital growth, using pension funds as an instrument for further economic and social development.” The World Pension Summit was first organized in 2010. It is the platform ‘for and by pension professionals’, and the only truly global learning and networking experience. Its mission is to offer a global platform to pension experts to learn from innovative ideas and new strategies, discuss the future of pensions with global thought leaders, and get fresh perspectives on how to achieve sustainable pension provision. About the World Pension Summit The World Pension Summit (WPS) is the only platform ‘for and by’ Pension Professionals,
exchanging knowledge and innovative ideas on how to secure sufficient pension provision. It is an annual gathering of over 400 professionals from over 40 countries coming together to exchange expertise and best practices to promote essential development in social security, innovation and pensions. The focus is majorly on cutting-edge developments and innovation in pensions; covering a broad range of areas such as Asset management, Investments, Pension Fund Management, Scheme Developments, Ageing, Health Care for the Elderly, Social Security, Social Innovation and Communications. The WPS was founded in 2010 with its inaugural and all other successive editions holding in the Netherlands. The unique blend of people broadens horizons and the many in-depth discussions give food for thought and inspiration for new ideas. As Harry Smorenberg, chairman of the World Pension Summit puts it, “The WPS is the place to exchange key developments and solutions and learn from each other”. Pension industry in Nigeria Prior to the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004, pension schemes in Nigeria had been bedevilled by many problems. The Public Service operated an unfunded Defined Benefits Scheme and the payment of retirement benefits were budgeted annually. The annual budgetary allocation for pension was often one of the most vulnerable items in budget implementation in the light of resource constraints. In many cases, even where budgetary provisions were made, inadequate and untimely release of funds resulted in delays and accumulation of arrears of payment of pension rights. It was obvious therefore that the Defined Benefits Scheme could not be sustained. In the private sector on the other hand, many employees were not covered by any pension scheme and many of the private sector schemes were not funded. Indeed, by June 2004 when the pension reforms commenced, pension coverage in the private sector was estimated at 1.3 percent only. Besides, where the schemes were funded, the management of the pension funds was full of malpractices
between the fund managers and the Trustees of the pension funds. This scenario necessitated a re-think of pension administration in Nigeria by the administration of President OlusegunObasanjo. Accordingly, Federal Government initiated a pension reform in order to address and eliminate the problems associated with pension schemes in the country. The outcome of the reform was the enactment into law of the Pension Reform Act 2004, which was repealed by signing into law of Pension Reform Act 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan to address necessary administrative and operational shortcomings. In a 10 year period, the pension industry in Nigeria has experienced phenomenal growth from a deficit of 2 trillion naira in 2003 to a pension fund asset over N5trillion as at August 2015. The huge pool of fund that the contributory scheme has put together is a firm backing to the economy; and a testimony to the hard work and diligent service of PenCom’s management and staff under the able leadership of the Director General, Chinelo Anohu-Amazu. PenCom has been able to develop a unique contributory system that has pension administration and custodianship intertwined. Duly licensed Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) open Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) for employees, invest and manage the pension funds in a manner as the Commission may from time to time prescribe after diligent research, maintain books of accounts on all transactions relating to the pension funds managed by it, provide regular information to the employees or beneficiaries and pay retirement benefits to employees. The Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) are responsible for the custodian of the pension fund assets. The employer sends the contributions directly to the PFC, who notifies the National Data Bank (at Pencom) and the PFA of the receipt of the contribution, and the PFA subsequently credits the RSA of the employee. The transactions of 21 pension fund administrators (PFAs) and 4 PFCs are constantly regulated on daily basis by the Commission.
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Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
FiiRO Mandate Æ s
Industrial profile on cassava starch production Traditionally, wet cassava starch is produced by cassava processors either as a direct product or as a byproduct resulting from cassava processing into other products such as Gari, Fufu e.t.c. One of the factors that are responsible for the high post-harvest loss for cassava is the inadequacy of the traditional processing method to convert cassava into less perishable products such as cassava starch. To address this issue and make cassava starch readily available in the form useful in the industries the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) has developed and perfected the process technology for production of cassava starch useful for various applications in the user industries. In Nigeria, the prospect for mechanized cassava processing is very high. This technology is available for transfer to interested entrepreneurs through the Institute’s technology transfer and entrepreneurship development training programmes. The Institute is also involved in contract production of Cassava Starch Flour through its cassava processing catalytic plant at Owode, Ogun State for interested entrepreneurs. MARKET INFORMATION There is high demand for cassava starch in Nigeria. User industries include textile, pharmaceuticals, oil drilling, paper and packaging, gum and adhesives, chemical and household products manufacturing, battery, drinks and beverages, foods and so on. The desire to conserve foreign exchange and reduce import dependency is the driving force for demand for cassava starch especially as it regards to its partial substitution for corn starch in user industries. The national demand for cassava starch could in excess of 500,000 tonnes/annum. The current domestic production capacity to meet the estimated demand for cassava starch is less than 20%. The current price/tonne of cassava starch ranges between N150,000.00 – N200,000.00. RAW MATERIAL The only raw material for production of cassava starch is fresh cassava root. Cassava is grown in virtually all the thirty-six (36) states in Nigeria and Nigeria has been rated the highest producer of cassava in
Pre-production Expenses N2,267,220.00 Contingencies N1,609,282.50 TOTAL N33,794,932.50 AVERAGE PRODUCTION COST = N 113,840.00 PROFITABILITY INDICES Return on Investment (Year 1) 81.4% Return on Equity (Year 1) 158.5% Net Profit to Sales 15.7% Gross Profit to Sales 22.4% Profitability Index 3.6 Breakeven Point (Year 1) 39.6% Payback Period 1.2 Years Net Present Value @ 25% N31,952,060.00
the world with production estimate of over 50 million metric tons annually. This implies that sourcing cassava for the proposed project will not be a difficult thing. MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT The major equipment for production of Cassava starch are: - Hammer Mill Grater - Starch Extractor - Sedimentation Tank - Homogenizer - Hydraulic Press - Granulator - Flash Dryer - Hammer Mill with Cyclone - Packaging Machine FIIRO has designed and fabricated complete process line machinery and equipment for Cassava starch production. This is available at micro, small and medium scales. The Institute can also deliver the complete process line on turn-key basis within eight weeks of commissioning by the investor/entrepreneur. The cost however, depends on the capacity which could vary from 1T/day to 4/ Ton/day. PRODUCTION PROCESS The basic processes involved
in the production of cassava starch from cassava roots are: Sorting, Weighing, Peeling, Grating, Extracting, Sedimentation, Dewatering Granulating, Drying, Milling and Packaging.
These consist of the production, administrative/account and marketing personnel. About fifty (50) personnel are required for the project take off. TOTAL INITIAL CAPITAL INVESTMENT
LABOUR REQUIREMENT For efficient operation of this venture, both skilled and unskilled personnel are required.
Initial Fixed Capital N24,316,360.00 Initial Working Capital N5,602,070.00
Cassava Processing Plant
SERVICES AVAILABLE AT FIIRO 1. Technology Transfer Training on Cassava Starch production. 2. Installation of production Machinery and Equipment. 3. Preparation of Bankable Feasibility Report/Business Plan on Cassava Starch. 4. Quality Control Services 5. Technical Assistance Services (including machinery and equipment installation, commissioning and personnel training on installed plant).
FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT: The Director-General/ CEO, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) 2, FIIRO Road, Cappa Bus Stop, Oshodi, P.M.B. 21023, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Website: http://www.fiiro. gov.ng E-mail Address: info@ fiiro.gov.ng, technoentrepreneurship@fiiro.gov.ng. deleoyeku8@yahoo.co.uk, bukkyadesegha@yahoo.com Telephone: +234-70-33493395, +234-80-3801-0362, +23480-2365-3752.
Life&
Times Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Elvi
Kiopouroglou Nigeria is fast growing on e-commerce L2
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Interview L2
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Elvi Kiopouroglou
Not all expensive shoes are good ones Mutiat Alli In a world where good shoes make every fashion statement in outings, Elvi Kiopouroglou, CEO myshoe.ng is one of the fastest growing shoe lines in Nigeria capable of quality products, service and delivery. Cornered at the viewing partying of her online shore store, the charming CEO revealed her love for good shoes, what prompted the business idea and how excited she is going online via www.myshoe.ng. Excerpts: How will you describe your first shot in the shoe line business? Personally, I love shoes and it is very disappointing that my love for shoes makes people think that to look good, you must break the bank before you could buy shoes and I disagree because not all expensive shoes are good shoes or structured shoes. Sometimes they hurt, you can’t walk in expensive shoes all the time and even the cheap shoes don’t even give you any guarantee. In essence, I try as much as possible to let people know that I can get them good shoes and structured; you don’t have to walk like you are on crutches, you have to walk properly hence; women have to stand tall and men have to look good as well.
Life &
T E A M
Considering the fact that we have several shoe platforms, what distinguishes yours from others? Ours is authentic, even though they are brands and regardless of that also, we go for structures; we will even like you to do a research.
Research other shoe stores and then come back to our shoe store and you would tell us the difference, we don’t want to rubbish anybody but our clients know us. How affordable are your shoes? Our shoes are affordable because being affordable is relative, you know it depends on you, I don’t want to limit you, I want you to see by yourself. For how long have you been in this business? I have been selling shoe for about six years and we just got online about eight months ago. What has been the reception from your client? Initially, Nigeria has been a very difficult country for online comers, but we have other online stores that have helped small business like us survive, it has given people faith in online business. So now, Nigeria is becoming a fast growing on line, e-commerce is improving in Nigeria which is a good thing which has greatly benefited us, and the cashless policy has helped us because now people can pay for their stuff online without worrying and going to bank to make withdrawals. What has been some of the challenges you faced in the cause of setting up your business line? Yes, definitely there were one or two challenges; we used to have some stores and being based in Lagos and most of the problems we have with our costumers was traffic; Lagos traffic because we were based in Lekki first, and then we moved to Victoria Island and the
Music Correspondent Akintayo Opeoluwani
Movie Correspondent Mutiat Alli
traffic in these areas are very difficult. Our customer base is actually very wild, actually outside Lagos. We have Abuja, Port Harcourt and other states out of Lagos and we tried the online platform and it was very good and so we have enlarged our on line base and we are really focused on that. Any plan of expansion to other states? Yes! We are planning on it but right now online business doesn’t come easy, because you have to give the people the right perception; you cannot correct a wrong impression and so because you are online, everything about us takes so much work and we have to advertise without nagging people about it, it takes so much work, people think it is easy but you know it is not and we have to take very high expensive picture. How do you intend to get your products sellable to those in the rural area? Yes actually, we use a delivery system which is supposed to be two working days delivery; but sometimes we make it one, no matter where you are. People in Ondo State, Ibadan we make deliveries sometimes, it is next day delivery, in Abuja, we don’t tell you it is next day delivery because we know how Nigeria is, sometimes, things just go wrong, but usually, it is next day delivery. We don’t emphasise on that, in case there is a delayed flight but usually is always 24 hours delivery. At the official launching today, what has been the array of
Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye
comments from potential clients present? We need our client to come and see us physically, because at first when we were online people used to say how do I know you are not a scam? How do I know you are not 419? We can’t find you on Google maps and it was a big issue for us because we were not as big as all the other big on line brands; so we like to do this parties so we can take pictures of our clients; we have a lot of celebrity clients we also have a lot of consumers that are not celebrities, we take these pictures and we put them on our website and it keeps us in the media and it lets people trust us more. We like to meet our clients, we like to party everybody, so we like to party with our consumers it also helps us inform our future customers.
Six years down the line, have you had any complaint from consumers and how have you been able to solve it? We have had complaints from customers in brands that we introduce, we get our shoes from authentic sources, but some brands that are fairly new in the market, sometimes we have problems like factory relative problems, it is not because of us, it is because of the brand but because of out of 100 shoes, one went wrong and things like that. We do return polices; it is not our fault, it is not their fault, and we take full responsibility for any errors and we speak to our suppliers and they swap for us but sometimes that is why we try to sell and provide brands that are known and trusted; so we don’t like to do first time brands.
Talking about celebrities, who are the top celebrities in Nigeria that appreciate your brand? I think you should hang around till the end of the event to see who would come.
When growing up, do you ever thought you were going to go in this line of business? Actually, I like fashion and love to look good at all times. As for the business, I was not really thinking of going this big into it but as God wants it, here I am doing pretty well.
In few years to come, where do we see my shoes.ng? My shoes.ng would still be online because been online has helped us and moved us to so many levels, we would still be on line but we would be at every bodies fingertip; it would be the name that you must go to if you want to get good shoes in Nigeria, it doesn’t have to be expensive, we are bridging the gaps for you, we would expand in other ways and these events helps us to understand, to know our consumers, and try to get feedback complains and try to improve on knowing them.
Photography Quadri Olowolagba
Graphics Luke Utomi
How much of your shoes do you wear? All my shoes. I wear a lot of my shoes, sometime if I want to test a product and am not used to that designer, I use myself to test the designer; I have to wear it first, understand it first in order to know how, I would market it and would know if it is good for my market because apart from being stylish; the Nigeria woman needs a lot of comfort you shouldn’t wear your shoes and suffer.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
L3Global fashion and beauty news
Mutiat Alli
Adepoju launches Resort 2016 –‘A Floral Dream’ collection
Pop singer, Rihanna steps out in mesh dress Singer, Rihanna flaunts her lean and sexy body in a mesh outfit for a night in town. The talented entertainer wore a clingy mesh dress in a dark shade of green with sexy black under pant
on display. The pop singer who had a sold out concert in Brazil rocked this outfit for a night out in Rio and she paired her outfit with a pair of loafers.
Talented fashionista, Funke Adepoju has unveiled some of her 2016 collections tagged the ‘floral dream’ collections, a female brand made up of petal detailed pieces and laser cut fabrics in bright colours that oozes out elegance and simplicity. According to the artistic brand director “This collection was born out of my floral obsession merged with my love for unique fabrics to create pieces that speak to the Funke Adepoju woman who is glamorous without being intrusive”.
Kendall
Kendall goes boyish in new vogue Paris issue Fast rising model Kendall Jenner fronts a boyish look for the editorial shoot for Vogue Paris’ 95th anniversary issue. The reality star and model takes on a tomboy inspired fall looks for the predominant black and white shoot. She was transformed from her usual sexy looks for the feature wearing suspenders on pants, boots, and hat posing like a boy.
Steel gear for store launch
Dolce & Gabbana launches luxury brand lipstick
Sexy Steel Known for his elegant style and poise, Musician, Actor cum Fashion designer, Abbey Abuede fondly known as Sexy steel having made several fashion statements on top celebrities has
hinted that preparations are in top gear towards the official store launch of his clothing ‘ Stitches and Needles’ in a date that will be made available to the general public soon.
Funke Adepoju
Dolce & Gabbana has unveiled lip colour ‘Sophia Loren N°1’ as a tribute to iconic eighty one year old actress Sophia Loren with a campaign featuring the ageless beauty. The Italian luxury brand revealed the launch of the lipstick in the iconic actress’ name is a way of appreciating the actress (who is also Italian) who is an icon on the big screen. The actress was styled in a black lace dress wearing jewelry from Dolce & Gabbana and flawless pink tone make up look. Her hair is coiffed old Hollywood style as she poses with the new line of lipstick showing off her ageless features.
Fashion & Style L4 Mutiat Alli A black dress is an evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. The “little black dress” is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers who believe it is a “rule of fashion” that every woman should own. Elegant black dress can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. For example, a black dress worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime, business wear, or with more ornate jewellery and accessories for evening. It can be worn with ballat flats, gladiator’s shoes and court shoe pump.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Black Black Affairs:
Having a cocktail to attend?
dress does it all
Mercy Aigbe-Gentry
Eniola Badmus
Yemi Alade
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
L5 Fashion & Style
Genevieve Nnaji
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
Joselyn Dumas
Bimbo Thomas
Rita Dominic
Yvonne Nelson
Fashion & Style L6
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Abaya
Look hot in
Omobolaji Afolabi
Abaya gowns combine elegance and fashion in a decent manner. It gives you that graceful and elegant impression when wearing it. Abaya gowns can be worn on different kind of body shape as it cover most up of the womanly details in a fashionable and stylish manner. People have this sensation that Abaya gowns are mostly worn to mosques and are just for the Muslim; if you combine Abaya gown with the correct fashion accessories you would look stylishly gorgeous in a decent manner.
Ways to look good in Abaya gown:
• Choose your exact size: when picking your
Mercy Aigbe-Gentry
Abaya gown make sure it is your appropriate size that is not to small not to big because naturally Abaya gowns are free underneath so when the gown is too free it loses its style. • Reduce accessory: Abaya gown should not be combined with too many accessory like belts, elaborate necklace, big size earrings, all these accessory can be used but must not be over stressed • Fancy shoes or sandals: when thinking of Abaya gowns the next thing is the shoes or the sandal to be worn with it because its compliment the gown in a stylish manner; long Abaya gowns should not be worn without high heels shoe because it gives the gown the freedom of balance its reduce the dirtiness at the tip of the gown while short Abaya gown would go beautiful with a fancy sandals. • The wrong colors: This can hurt your appearance, making you look pale and drab. Like for example, not all reds flatter everyone. Blue-toned reds such as burgundy looks better on cool-toned women compared to warm complexions. Tomato red looks stunning on golden/peachy complexions with dark or warm golden. • Make up: make up’s backs your facial expression and since Abaya gown has a lot of details your make up should be simple and elegant.
Care for that low cut?
Hussenat Ohize Low Hair Cut is gaining popularity among Nigerian women for various reasons; while some see it as the style in vogue others take to it as a matter of convenience. Rocking a nicely carved low cut brings confidence to your entire look and makes you stand out. Unlike others who spends several hours in salon, low haircuts is that distinctive look that requires less time to style as all needed is a regular trim and necessary treatments to give it that deserving smell. Rocking low cut hairstyle can be achieved in different shapes from Bald style to Jerry Curls and a host of others.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
L7 Fashion & Style
Glorify that look with gladiator sandals Babalola Oluwaseun Gladiator sandals are very fashionable as it blends with any outfit; gladiator sandals are basically a reinvented version of flat sandals that comes in different design and textures as it can be rocked on hot top, short dress, silky short, statement clutch, pant and trousers. Basic rules of matching those gladiator sandals include; • Firstly remember that gladiator sandals can make your feet look wide and your legs look short if they have too many straps. • Secondly, consider your leg and foot shape when purchasing a pair, and also consider your own shape when wearing them. For example, avoid swamping short, chubby legs in heavy, kneehigh gladiator sandals and wear chunkier styles with pants, rather than skirts or dresses.
Types of gladiator sandals • Ankle high gladiators Flat gladiators that stop or wrap around the ankle look good on most women, If you have full or wide legs choose ankle gladiators in nude colors that are similar to your skin tone to make your legs look slimmer and longer.
• Knee high or Mid calf shoes Medium or mid calf gladiator sandals also look perfect and nice on ladies , when wearing this always think about the balance of the entire look gladiator heels goes with miniskirts, mini-dresses, or short shorts that allow the length of the sandal to shine. Also pair these sandals with pieces that have simple colors such as black, white, or other single color outfit with minimum details, so that the eye-attention will focus more on your gladiator sandals.
Experience the Coconut oil magic Olajide Ifedolapo Coconut oil is famous throughout the world not only as an edible oil and hair tonic, but also as excellent massage oil and smoothened for the skin. It is essential for healthy skin growth, repair of wear & tears on the skin, keeping skin smooth and protecting against cracking. Above all, coconut oil prevents premature aging and wrinkling of the skin, since it has good antioxidant properties. The best property of coconut oil that makes it so beneficial for beautifying the skin is that it does not become rancid. When applied on the skin, it can work for a longer time, unlike many other oils. Coconut oil as skin care agent
includes: Lip Gel: Cracks in lips can be a source of worry, discomfort, and embarrassment. Coconut oil comes as an ideal alternative in such cases. It acts quickly and even if it goes in your stomach, it will only give you additional benefits. Skin softener: Most of individuals apply several creams and lotions for skin softening, especially the skin of the face and hands. Coconut oil is a great skin softener and helps you do away with dry and hard skin conditions. Coconut oil is also good for hardened and cracked feet, which may happen due to excessive cold or strenuous work while standing on your feet. Makeup Remover: Coconut oil can
also be used as makeup removal. This is not common, but women have begun using it for removing the makeup on the face and eyes, without worrying about the harsh chemicals of other removers getting into delicate or sensitive areas.
Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 30, 2015
L8 Television Showing on
Showing on
125 FOX Channel
107 M-Net Movie Romance
02:10
02:15
Wed, 23 Sep | 13SL
Wed, 23 Sep | 16SNL
‘S3/E4 - Full Moon Fever’. Bobby falls for Travis’ photography professor, but Travis refuses to introduce them. Laurie falls for a guy she’s never met when she begins a romance via Twitter.
In this introspective film, a young man has everything one could possibly want, but still isn’t happy. When he meets a woman from his past, he wonders if she is the missing piece. Rachael Taylor, Josh Lawson. (2012) Rob Sitch.
101 M-Net West
118 Telemundo
120 BBC Entertainment
128 SONY MAX
00:00 New Worlds 01:00 Time Of Death 02:05 Hours 04:00 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 The Goldbergs 06:30 Mysteries Of Laura 07:30 Grey’s Anatomy 08:30 Stranded In Paradise 10:30 Mike & Molly 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 NCIS: Los Angeles 14:00 Elementary 15:00 Chicago Fire 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 The Middle 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Modern Family 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 The Blacklist 20:30 CSI: Cyber 21:30 NCIS: Los Angeles 22:30 Gotham 23:00 Twelve Monkeys
00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Part Of Me 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Part Of Me 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 The Impostor 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Part Of Me 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Part Of Me 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Part Of Me 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love 23:05 QI 23:35 Top Gear
00:20 Most Shocking 01:10 Kenny vs Spenny 11:00 My Family
01:40 Freakshow
00:25 The Weakest Link
11:30 Hell’s Kitchen USA
02:10 Poorman’s Bikini Beach
01:15 Silent Witness
12:20 Top Gear
02:40 Upload With Shaquille O’Neal
02:10 Total Wipeout UK
13:15 Come Dine With Me
03:10 Hip Hop Squares
03:05 EastEnders
14:15 Hell’s Kitchen USA
03:40 Most Shocking
03:35 QI
15:05 The Weakest Link
04:30 South Beach Tow
04:05 Top Gear
16:00 EastEnders
05:00 Criss Angel Mindfreak
05:00 Spy
16:30 Deal Or No Deal
05:30 Exposed
05:25 QI
17:10 The Cube
05:55 Exposed
06:00 The Thin Blue Line
18:00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
06:20 Video Zonkers
06:30 EastEnders
19:00 Dragons’ Den
06:45 Repo Games
07:00 Antiques Roadshow
20:05 Top Gear
07:10 World’s Wildest Police Videos
07:55 The Weakest Link
21:05 Hell’s Kitchen USA
08:45 The Cube 09:30 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
22:10 Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow
08:10 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol
10:20 Deal Or No Deal
23:45 So You Think You’d Survive?
155 AfricaMagic World
154 Africa Magic Family
00:00 Tinsel 00:30 Living With Trisha 01:30 Family Ties 02:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Music Block 05:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Evanescent 08:35 Living With Trisha 09:25 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa
11:00 Tinsel 11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music Block 13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 14:00 Prem 14:30 Jara 15:00 Family Ties 15:30 At Home With Michelle Attoh 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 Meet The Adebanjos 18:30 Jane And Abel 19:00 Tinsel 19:30 Star Gist 20:00 Airtel Touching Lives 20:35 Evanescent 22:00 Tyme Out With Tee-A 23:35 53 Extra
00:05 Noose Of Gold 00:35 Good Morning Africa 01:40 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Prem 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:00 Johnbull And Rosekate 08:35 Prem
09:00 Good Morning Africa 10:00 So Wrong So Wright 10:30 So Wrong So Wright 11:00 Lies That Bind 11:30 Lies That Bind 12:00 Jara 12:30 Jara 13:00 Series TBA 14:00 53 Extra 14:30 53 Extra 15:00 Kakibe Ki 15:30 Noose Of Gold 16:00 Foot Print 16:30 Lies That Bind 17:00 Lies That Bind 17:30 Star Gist 18:00 Star Gist 18:30 Star Gist 19:00 Prem 19:30 So Wrong So Wright 20:00 Market Sellers 22:25 Series TBA 23:30 The Tracker
09:10 South Beach Tow 09:40 Most Shocking 10:40 Most Shocking 11:40 Video Zonkers 12:10 Repo Games 12:40 World’s Wildest Police Videos 13:40 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 14:40 South Beach Tow 15:10 Exposed 15:40 Criss Angel Mindfreak 16:10 1000 Ways To Die 16:40 Video Zonkers 17:05 Repo Games 17:30 World’s Wildest Police Videos 18:30 South Beach Tow 19:00 Disorderly Conduct: Video On Patrol 20:00 Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne 20:30 Impractical Jokers 21:00 Freakshow 21:30 Poorman’s Bikini Beach 22:00 Kenny vs Spenny 22:30 Tool Academy 23:20 The Real