48 hours to Supplementary election: Bayelsa Speaker’s home bombed Ï 9M& Ɨƈ ƐƏƈƄƑƐƆ Ɔ ƈƐƈƒƆ ƌ ƐƆƏƈ Ƌ è ƗƆƍƋ ƕ Ƣ M Ɛƈ Ƌ ƌƌƈ ƈ ƆƏ Akam James, Yenagoa
ÎÎÎBarely 48 hours to the supple-
mentary election in seven Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, suspected thugs on Thursday wreaked
havoc on the country home of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Konbowei Benson in Koro-
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kosei community of Southern Ijaw Continued on page 6
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016 VOL. 2. NO. 19
GAINERS
LOSERS
NSE GAINERS AND LOSERS AS AT 7th January 2016.
DANGCEM
153.43
159.98
6.55%
ETRANZACT
3.04
3.19
0.15%
SEPLAT
203.1
OKOMUOIL
31.48
33
1.52%
FIDSON
2.59
2.7
0.11%
7UP
188.89 185.26
^ƏƆƋƑƗƆ Ɛ ƌ ƏƆ ƏƏƆ Ɛ ë
196.07 -7.03% -3.63%
N150
NB
116
113
-3%
ZENITHBANK
13.86
13.4
-0.46%
EFCC boss visits Aso Rock
Egena Egena, Abuja & Andrew Orolua, ƄƑƉ
ÎÎÎActing
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday ostensibly to confer with President Muhammadu Buhari. Magu arrived at the villa at about 3.15pm in company of his police orderly. Dressed in a dark brown suit, a white shirt and a bow tie, the EFCC chairman was clutching an office flat file inscribed with Continued on page 6
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Wasiu gL1 Ayinde Marshal: It’s my duty to keep Fuji music alive
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Ï zƆôƋƋ ƐƏƈƊƆ Ƅ Ƌ ƅƆ ƄƆƐƓƆƆ ƑƄ ƈƗƕ ƏƆƌ ƒ Ƌè y j ƈ ƅƏƆ Ɔ – Senate g12
2
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
3
Politics Page Three Æ s Editorial Checking outbreak of Lassa fever
A
s Nigerians are facing the daily grind of poverty and a parlous economy, the country may soon find itself in the grips of another lurking danger. That danger is no other than Lassa fever. Even though the disease has not attained a life-threatening dimension to the population, it would be foolhardy for the authorities to dismiss the danger posed by Lassa fever with a wave of the hand. That is why we are raising the alarm now. Just two weeks ago, there were reported cases of Lassa fever outbreaks in Kano and Taraba states. Two days ago, another case of Lassa fever outbreak was reported in Rivers State claiming the lives of a nursing mother and her two-week-old baby. According to the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, “the government is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the state, even as contact tracing and sensitisation of healthcare providers have begun to address the disease”. Before then, the Director, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, admitted that five cases and three deaths were recorded from preliminary reports in Kano and Taraba states. More ominously, Prof. Nasidi described the fatality rate as high. Due to the danger posed by the disease, drugs and other supplies have been dispatched to the affected states to help manage the outbreak. Medical experts have described Lassa fever as an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of one to four week’s duration that occurs in West Africa. They posit that it is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or fecal matter. According to a fact sheet from the WHO, “Person-to-person infections and labo-
ratory transmission can also occur, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevention and control measures. Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and parts of Nigeria,while the incubation period ranges from six to 21 days. Moreover, onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise. After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow. In severe cases facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop, while protein may be noted in the urine, even as death usually occurs within 14 days of onset in fatal cases. Incidentally, this is not the first time Nigeria would be witnessing an outbreak of Lassa fever. In 2012, there were 397 suspected cases of the disease in Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Edo, Ondo, Rivers, Anambra and Lagos states, with 40 fatalities. Ironically, the virus was discovered in 1969, in Lassa, Plateau State when two nurses in the town died mysteriously. It was later found that the disease is transmitted by rodents, specifically multimammate mice that is ubiquitous in human households and eaten as a delicacy in some areas. We are therefore calling on the health authorities to mount widespread sensitisation campaign on the dangers posed by rodents and the need to keep them out of homes and food supplies. It is also pertinent to stress the need in maintaining personal hygiene, disposing of garbage properly, and keeping cats. Moreover, Family members should always be careful to avoid contact with blood and body fluids while caring for sick persons.
Lagarde’s visit: In whose interest? Segun Adio
ÏÏÏChristine
Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is an amiable woman, who also looks as though she is very bothered with the pitiable state of third world nations. Her four-day visit to Nigeria was indeed full of excitements and expectations from Nigerians. While here, the French economist gave her candid and sincere advise to Nigerian officials that were expected to bring the country back from the present socio-economic doldrums. She also, knowingly or otherwise, hit Nigerians below the belt with
some of her recommendations. Imagine the IMF boss prompting federal lawmakers to increase tax burden on Nigerians. She reminded us that ours was the lowest value added tax in West African sub-region. Of course, Ms. Lagarde’s in-depth knowledge of Literature was displayed when she quoted copiously from two Nigerian famous writers, Chinua Achebe and Ben Okri (though it is not clear if she has ever read any piece from them). She expressed great optimism that Nigeria would rise again. She also promised that a team from her office would soon be in Nigeria to help scrutinise our economic policies. Some Nigerians may say ‘No’ to her advice on broadening tax system,
Words On Marble :
but any right-thinking person would commend her for the bold statements on blocking leakages. Ms. Lagarde was also point blank when she warned the Federal Government against foreign loans to finance the economy, while she also told Nigerians not to expect immediate improvement of the economy amid fall in the price of crude oil. In all, there is always reasons for caution anytime an IMF boss choose to visit a country, and this would be Ms. Lagarde’s second visit to Nigeria in four years. IMF’s advice, it had been established world over, are always laced with painful conditionality. As such, the entire economic blueprint should not be left wholly to be determined by them.
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Okey Ndibe
Akinwunmi Adesina
Onyeka Onwenu
“The one thing the president—or the executive arm of government— shouldn’t do is to hijack the function of the court. Nor should the president and his cohorts be at liberty to decide which verdicts he would obey, and which disregard”.
“Africa must not only feed itself, Africa must have a higher level of ambition and actually feed the world because we have got the potential to do that”.
“Being a woman is not a setback but a push up because nobody can limit a woman when she’s determined.”
44
Daily Times Nigeria Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016 Friday, November 13, 2015
‘PEACE ADVANTAGE’ Frequent Flyer Program
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Osun traditional council tussle laid to rest as Owa Obokun concedes to Ooni Sodiq Adekunle Osogbo
ÏÏÏThere
was palpable fear and a mild drama on Wednesday when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II arrived at a meeting of the Osun Traditional Council. The meeting, our correspondent, learnt was the first the Ooni would be having with the traditional rulers and the maiden meeting for 2016. It was learnt that some of the traditional rulers had begun to nurse fear when the Owa Obokun of
Ijeshaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran almost kick-started the meeting without Ooni’s presence. It would be recalled that barely one week to the official presentation of staff and instrument of office to the 41-year-old Ooni Ogunwusi, when the Owa, while briefing the press at the end of the Obas, monthly meeting in Osogbo, said his councils’ members had unanimously appointed him the substantive hairman of the state traditional council of Obas. Oba Aromolaran acted as the chairman of the state
council of Obas after the demise of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, on July 28, 2015. Our correspondent learnt that at the commencement of the meeting, the Owa sat in the position expected to be occupied by the Ooni. “When the Ooni arrived, the atmosphere changed. His aides brought a personal white chair for him. That really made him special and his comportment was royal, “one of the monarchs told the Daily Times’ correspondent. Narrating how the pro-
ceedings went during the meeting, another traditional ruler said, tension only reduced when the Owa introduced himself as the deputy. “When the Acting Chairman was introducing himself, he said he was the Deputy Chairman. It means he recognised the head,” the monarch said. While speaking to our correspondent, the Onigbaye of Igbaiyeland, OdoOtin Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty, Oba Joseph Okunola-Oni, said protocol was followed during the meeting.
An internally displaced woman with her twins at the Wasa settlement of Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDPs) during the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara’s visit to distribute relief materials in Abuja… on Thursday.
MOSOP refutes leadership crisis The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has said that there is no leadership crisis rocking the organisation as had been reported in the media. “We would like to make it clear that the 2015 MOSOP elections have been concluded at all levels – from the chapters, to the kingdoms, affiliates and the national offices. We are, indeed, shocked by some misguided and mischievous statements credited to one Legborsi Esaen claiming he chaired an electoral committee which saw the emergence of one “Chief Mike Nwidobie” as president of MOSOP, the group said. It further stated that
“Legborsi Esaen and his collaborators acted in extreme naivety. First, they erred even in the spelling of the names of the two contestants. For record purposes, the contestants to the MOSOP presidency for the 2015 elections were Legborsi Saro-Pyagbara and Chief Mike LubeNwidobie and not Legborsi Pyagbara and Chief Mike Nwidobie as Esaen claimed in his statement. The misrepresentation of the two contestants clearly depicts the fraud in Essaen’s intent and actions. Indeed, Legborsi Esaen and his collaborators are very confused. “Secondly, Legborsi Esaen, as many of his
collaborators may not know, is currently serving a suspension in MOSOP for gross misconduct and under no circumstance will MOSOP appoint a suspended officer to chair its electoral committee.” The video of the elections conducted on December 30, 2015 under the chairmanship of Prince Biira at the Peace and Freedom Centre, Bori, it said would be made available to the public subsequently, adding that “We challenge Esaen to produce, at least, a still photograph of himself presiding over the MOSOP elections. Indeed, the actions of Legborsi Esaen and Mike Lube-Nwidobie
represents the unfortunate and very ugly side of our story. However, MOSOP said that it denounced the actions of Mike LubeNwidobie and Legborsi Esaen. It said that those who aspired to lead the Ogoni at the highest levels should not be symbols of a depreciated value system, adding that “We expect high standards of integrity from aspiring leaders especially within MOSOP and urge Chief Mike LubeNwidobie, Legborsi Esaen and their collaborators to retrace their steps and join in the progressive match towards a better Ogoni under the leadership of Mr. Saro-Pyagbara.
5 News
Plateau govt tasks donors to redeem pledges to armed forces Chijioke Kingsley Jos
ÏÏÏThe
Plateau State Government, on Thursday, commenced the annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day with the launch of an appeal fund for the Armed Forces Emblem aimed at raising resources to assist in addressing the challenges faced by the widows and other family members of the Nigeria Army. On the occasion, the Commander of the Joint Military Task Force deployed to restore peace on the Plateau, code name Operation Safe Haven (OPSH),
Two die in Ogun auto crash Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta
ÏÏÏTwo
people were on Thursday confirmed dead while two others were seriously injured in an early morning accident which occurred at the Ota tollgate in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. It was gathered that the
Major General Tagbo Ude, enjoined donors, comprising members of the Plateau State Government and other individuals, to ensure that they redeemed their pledges. In the words of Ude, “it is a common practice every year for us to gather and make pledges for our fallen heroes, but most people who pledge don’t redeem their pledges. We are aware that the pledges made last year have not been fully collected. So, I urge us to endeavour to redeem our pledges, so that we can effectively archive the aims and objective of the annual event”, he said. accident happened when two trailers had a head-on collision and killed two of their occupants. It was gathered that the accident which occurred at the ever busy AbeokutaLagos expressway was as a result of brake failure by one of the vehicles. The two vehicles involved were one MACK truck with registration number, Lagos KJA 93 XJ and another DAF truck LXD 355 XJ. Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were seen trying to salvage the situation which caused a traffic gridlock along the area.
FG begins direct payment of ex-militants’ stipends
Buhari
ÏÏÏThe
Federal Government said it had started the direct payment of three months arrears of stipends owed former Niger Delta militants. The Chief of Staff to the Office of the Special Adviser to the President and Co-ordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Dedis Abel (retd.), who disclosed this
on Thursday, promised that the Federal Government would, henceforth, be paying the former agitators directly. Speaking during the launch of the direct payment system in Port Harcourt, Abel said the era of paying ex-militants their stipends through their leaders was over. He pointed out that the current step taken by government became necessary following reports of complicity and shortchanging of the ex-fighters by their leaders. Abel explained that some of the former militants were paid as low as N20, 000 as against the N65, 000 monthly stipends earmarked for each of them.
News 6
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Prelude to more arrests: Magu visits Aso Rock Continued from page 1 EFCC logo in his right hand. He spent less than 10 minutes in the president’s office. It was not likely that he was able to see the president who was inaugurating the National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC) at about the same time that the EFCC boss came in. State House correspondents struggled to get a word from him on the purpose of his visit when he emerged from the President’s office but he turned them down, saying: “not now, not now.” Magu’s visit came less than 24 hours after he reportedly said that more
influential Nigerians will be arrested soon as EFCC continues to investigate the alleged corruption that took place in the last administration. “More influential Nigerians are on the radar of the EFCC and, in the coming weeks, they would have their day in court and Nigerians will be kept fully abreast of the results of the commission’s investigations,” Magu reportedly said on Wednesday at a meeting with media practitioners. Magu’s visit to the Villa also came barely 24 hours after the EFCC’s arrest of a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress
(APC) and former Military Administrator of Kaduna state, Brig. Gen. Lawal Ja’afaru Isa, who is also considered to be President Buhari’s political ally. Isa is the first chieftain of the APC to be arrested by the EFCC since the beginning of a sweeping probe into the alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase by officials of the immediate-past administration. He was also a one-time governorship candidate in Kano state of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) founded by Buhari, and is a close friend of the embattled former National Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki. Isa was arrested at his Abuja residence located at Ajayi Crowther street, Asokoro. Investigators believe the retired soldier received over N100million from Mr. Dasuki. It was gathered that operatives of the anti-graft commission invaded his residence around 9pm, and then whisked him away a few minutes later. It is gathered that the retired brigadier general, was invited last week to appear before the commission on Wednesday, January 6,to clear the air on “some questionable receipts” from the former NSA.
Rather than honouring the invitation, sources said, Mr. Isa wrote a letter to the EFCC through his lawyer, seeking a postponement of his appearance date on the grounds of death of a relative. Apparently dissatisfied with his excuse, the EFCC however arrested him to clarify the “questionable receipts”. Meanwhile, the Federal High court in Abuja on Thursday admitted former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed and his son, Bello Abba Mohammed to bail for N300 million each and two sureties each in like sum. Trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed announced the bail conditions while ruling on the defendants bail applications. He said one of the sureties for Dr. Bello must be a director in the federal civil service or in any federal Agency. While one of the sureties for Abba must be a grade level 12 officer in the public service. Each of the sureties, the judge added must have land-
ed property in Abuja worth N300milion and swear to an affidavit of means that is verifiable by the court deputy chief registrar. Justice Mohammed also ordered that Dr. Bello and his son Abba to deposit their travelling international passports with the court. He further ordered that Abba who was on Tuesday remanded in Kuje prison custody should be returned to same prisons until he fulfills the bail conditions. The judge also ordered that the 3rd defendant, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed be returned to Abuja clinic where he is recuperating after a surgery under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police until he meets the terms of the bail. Bello Abba Mohammed, Bam projects and Properties Ltd and Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed are facing four count charges of laundering, criminal breach of trust, concealment and conversion of N300 million meant for purchase of arms into private company bank account. Both accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
INEC to conduct 78 re-run elections in 2016 Former PDP National Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Haliru (on wheel chair), after he was granted bail at the Federal High Court, in Abuja… on Thursday. Photo: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.
48 hours to Supplementary election: Bayelsa Speaker’s home bombed Continued from page 1 Local Government Area of the state with improvised explosives suspected to be dynamite. The development is coming on the heels of the commencement of distribution of sensitive election materials for Saturday’s supplementary poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as the deployment of three National Commissioners to supervise the election in the affected areas in the state. The bombing of the country home of the Speaker of
the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, which occurred at about 4am on Thursday, is however one of the series of attacks recorded between the loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the Saturday’s re-run election in Southern Ijaw and other 101 units of Ekeremor, Nembe, Yenagoa, Ogbia and Sagbama Local Government Areas of the state. The Speaker, Kombowei Benson, while confirming the incident on Thursday on a live telephone programme, accused the APC
of hiring thugs that attacked his house. According to report, though no life was lost, as the Speaker’s family was still in the state capital, however, the explosives suspected to be dynamite caused huge damaged to the building. Confirming the incident, Benson said he got wind of the development around 4am when he received calls from his home town about the attack on his country home. “I was asleep in my house here in Yenagoa and around 4am, my wife’s phone rang
and a message was sent to us that they have gone to dynamite my house. “It is not something unexpected because they have always been promising to attack, to kill or assassinate me or my family members. “During the last election, about fourteen persons of my community and family members were kidnapped and taken to Ologbobiri and assaulted. They have decided this time again to do the worse and they have started with my building. They went there and plantContinued on page 12
ÎÎÎThe
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to conduct 78 re-run elections in 2016, the commission said on Thursday in Abuja, in its daily bulletin. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the re-run elections will hold across the country, based on verdicts issued by the Court of Appeal. “Most of the court verdicts were given in December 2015, while a few others were ordered in November 2015, and are expected to hold within 90 days or 60 days as ordered by the Appellate Court. “A breakdown of the elections indicates that the Commission will conduct 10 Senatorial elections, 12 State Constituency elections and 37 State Assembly elections. “Others are 17 Federal Constituency elections and 2 Governorship re-run elec-
tions, subject to the verdict of the Supreme Court,” the bulletin said. The details of the elections show that 38 elections, including that of governorship would be conducted in Rivers state. It also shown that eight elections, all on state constituency, would be conducted in Abia state. The details also revealed that one rerun elections would be held in Adamawa state, while seven, including governorship election, would be conducted in Akwa-Ibom state. One election each would also be conducted in Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Benue states, as well as two in Gombe state. The details also shown that four elections would be conducted in Imo state, six in Kogi, and three each in Plateau and Taraba.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Share, Tsaragi crisis: Group rejects gov’s judicial commission Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin
ÏÏÏThe Elders of Tsaragi communi-
ty in the Edu Local Government Area of Kwara state has passed vote of no confidence and trust on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s Judicial Commission of Enquiry, stressing that they have instituted court action to challenge the governor’s decision. The group, in a speech read by Dr. Abdullahi Idris and assisted by the Wali of Tsaragi, Alhaji Muhammed Haruna, at the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, alleged that the governor was bias in the composition
of the commission. According to him, “In the light of the one-sided disposition openly displayed by Governor Ahmed, the Nupes of Tsaragi community have no reason whatsoever to participate in another inquiry more so when the recommendations of all the previous commissions/panels on the crisis which have been adopted by the government of Kwara state have not been implemented. “ Following the recent outbreak of communal crisis between Tsaragi and Share, the attention of Tsaragi community was drawn to yet another constitution of Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the
issues that led to the crisis and proffer solutions. “It is important to recap that the Federal Government of Nigeria, following the states and local government’s creation of 1976, constituted Justice Mammal Nasir’s Boundary Adjustment Commission. “It visited the two communities and its recommendations were accepted by the federal government. A white paper was issued on the report by the Kwara state government. “In 1995/96, the federal government again set up Justice Mbanefo panel. The panel visited Kwara state and at its public sitting, Share community requested the panel to review
Mamman Nasir Commission’s recommendations.” The group, however, stressed that, “There have been four Commissions on Share /Tsaragi Boundary Dispute since 1975 Justice Mamman Nasir’s report, all of which were rejected. Having failed to achieve their mission through lawful means, Share community resorted to the use of force, sometimes, by invading Nupe villages with armed youths and ordering the villagers to leave or admit being part of Share District in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara state. These act of lawlessness on the part of Share youths, led to the recent crisis.
DPR shut 6 filling stations in Ogun Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuta
ÏÏÏThe Department of Petroleum
Resources (DPR), on Thursday, sealedoff not less than six filling stations selling fuel above official price in Ogun state. DPR, who carried out the acts in conjunction with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC also sealed those hoarding the product. Some of the affected stations include Amour Petroleum, Saquad Oil, Rab Engineering, Arolat, SAF petroleum and Muyad Nigeria Ltd. Though the officials of the DPR declined comment, the head of the delegation, Mr. Mohammed Umar noted that the exercise is a usual routine. Speaking with journalists however, Mr. Kareem Olanrewaju, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NSCDC said the exercise was borne out of the several tip-off and outcry by members of the public. He confirmed the closure of the affected filling stations and said that reopening it is subject to compliance by the management of the stations. He said the team had visited no fewer than 15 filling stations and six were sealed, just as two of them were compelled to dispense freely to motorists and residents.
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun
7 News
Lagos govt terminates BRT franchise from Mile 12-CMS corridor Benjamin Omoike
ÏÏÏThe
Lagos state government has directed the relocation of the operations of the 1st BRT Cooperative run by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council, from Mile 12 to CMS Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor with immediate effect. The termination of the franchise agreement with the operator is sequel to breaches of the BRT operations Service Level Agreement (SLA) it signed with the state government, despite years of discussions and engagement to ensure the SLA was adhered to. Though the SLA requires a onemonth notice prior to its termination, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), custodian of the agreement, had indeed given a threemonth notice, which the operator failed to honour. Lagos state government’s decision, which was communicated to the operator on Wednesday, was premised on the inability of the operator to offer good public transport services to commuters on the BRT corridor. This had led to incessant complaints by members of the public over poor services provided by the operator and the deployment of vehicles adjudged to be unsafe for use by the commuting public.
Edo commences recruitment of 5,000 teachers
ÏÏÏThe Edo state government has L-R: Deputy governorship candidate of APC in Bayelsa State, Elder Willson Igiri; Governorship candidate, Timiperi Sylva, state chairman of the party, Tiwei Orumigha, during a news conference on Southern Ijaw re-run governorship election, in Yenagoa… on Wednesday.
Ogun may penalise parents for students’ absenteeism in schools Abiodun Taiwo Abeokuya
ÏÏÏAs public schools in Ogun
state will be resuming for second term next week, the Ogun state government has said that it might consider the introduction of shift system in its public primary and secondary schools in the state. The government also said the parents will now be held responsible for any pupils or students that report late to schools. This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Education,
Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, in an interview with a private radio station, Rockcity FM. The Commissioner said that parents would henceforth be penalised for pupils/students absenteeism. She said government would monitor the movement of pupils and students and deal with parents whose child is not in school during the academic session. Speaking on shift system, Mrs. Mujota said the development became necessary so as to address the challenge of Umar
classroom congestion in public schools in the state, due to free education policy which was one of the cardinal programmes of the Senator Ibikunle Amosunled administration. The Commissioner said stakeholders in the education industry would be consulted before implementing the proposed system. She admitted that the standard classroom situation in the country, is ratio 1: 40, saying the idea of shift system would be extensively discussed at the ministry meeting.
commenced the process of recruiting 5,000 teachers for its public primary and secondary schools, Mr. Gideon Obakhan, the state’s Commissioner for Education, has said. Obakhan, who made this known on Thursday while speaking with newsmen, said 50 science and special teachers had already been recruited for those with special needs. According to him, induction and orientation programmes have been organised for the teachers. ``They have concluded this and they are being posted out to different schools in the state ``We are also going to start the process of the employment of 3,000 teachers within a short while. We have carried out an analysis to that effect. ``Our long term plan is to have about 5,000 teachers before the end of 2016. ``We are still doing an analysis to be sure we are getting efficiency. `` Because of the separation of senior secondary and junior secondary schools, there have been some requests for teachers. ``We need to do some analysis to know the exact number that we need now but we know that there have been some complaints about teachers in some schools,’’ he said.
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Politics
Æs
BAYELSA RERUN: Tension as military, DIG, AIG, 5,000 personnel deployed for security Stories by Akinjide Akintola Barely 24 hours to the supplementary polls in Bayelsa State, tension is at an all-time high in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area where the election is holding as the two major political parties fielding candidates are poised to outdo one another. However, the Military, Police and other security agencies have beefed up security by deploying men and materials to prevent a re-occurrence of the December 5, 2015 episode which led to the cancellation of the election held in the area. Already, the police authorities have banned movement of people from and outside the state before and during the polls. As at Wednesday, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, who deployed a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) to supervise security arrangements assured that adequate security logistics and manpower have been strategically deployed to achieve a conducive electioneering atmosphere. The DIG will be assisted by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police and three Commissioners of Police
Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that despite the parlous state of its economy, the state government is planning to spend as much as over half a billion naira on new official vehicles for some political office holders. The Party in a statement issued in Osogbo by Diran Odeyemi, its spokesperson, explained that Governor Rauf Aregbesola had allegedly directed that each of the 3-member committee running the 30 local government areas and Modakeke Area Council of the state should take away their current official vehicles as parting gifts. The opposition party strongly condemned the idea of purchasing over 119 new vehicles at a time like this when workers salaries have not been regular and despite the “economic quagmire, the state is enmeshed in” at the mo-
IGP Arase
Olonisakin
(CPs). Besides, over 5,000 conventional policemen have also been deployed for the election duty. A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole: said: “the Police have commenced extensive security operations in the state,
including the deployment of plainclothes detectives and surveillance helicopters for aerial patrols, while gunboats and speed boats will complement the Police Marine Unit to convey security personnel and election materials to riverine communities.
Aregbesola plans to buy N.5billion vehicles, PDP alleges ment. Besides, the party also accused the governor of deliberately creating avenues to waste the meagre resources accruing to the state by ordering that appointed local government officials, who have been in office in the last five years take away their official vehicles. “We have done the calculations of the number of vehicles that will be taken away and we arrived at 93 vehicles. We have also been informed that 26 members of the State House of Assembly will be getting new cars, likewise members of Aregbesola’s yet to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Aregbesola
Mahmud
“Armed personnel from Police Mobile Force, Special Protection Unit, as well as Counter Terrorism Unit of the Force, are on ground to support the ongoing security operations in the state. “In the same vein, the IG has also placed an order banning movements in and out of the local government areas where elections will hold with effect from 6am to 6pm on January 9, 2016. “However, persons on essential duties such as ambulance service providers, INEC officials on-duty, security men, accredited election monitors/observers, accredited journalists, etc are not affected by this order. While expressing his regrets over the inconveniences that road users and the general public may suffer as a result of this restriction, the IGP appeals for the understanding and cooperation of the entire citizenry, as the restriction is essentially to ensure the effective security of citizens, election officials and materials, adding that it is a strategy to curtail the influx and movement of undesirable and criminal elements in and out of the affected Local Government Areas before and during the election. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
9 Politics
OLUBADAN CHIEFTAINCY CRISIS: Ibadan elders praise Ajimobi’s humility Members of the Ibadan Progressives Union (IPU) have said that the humility and deference exhibited by the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, which ledi to the amicable and timely resolution of the Olubadan chieftaincy promotion dispute as exemplary of great leaders. The IPU President, Pastor Johnson Adeniji, who led others members of the union on what he called a ‘thank-you visit’ to the Governor’s Office, on Thursday , said the elders were indebted to the governor for his understanding and honour done to them. By deferring to the elders, who converged on the residence of the President of the Ibadan Elders’ Forum, Ambassador Olusola Saanu, to resolve the crisis he said that Ajimobi had proved to be a listening leader. Adeniji said: “For those who knew the tension that had enveloped the city during
the disagreement, you will appreciate the need to come and thank the governor for not allowing the matter to escalate beyond manageable proportion. “We consider the governor’s decision to approve the promotion of the high chiefs in spite of the valid issues raised as a mark of great honour and respect for the venerated stool of the Olubadan. As an elder, the governor is one of us and he has demonstrated this. “It is a minor misunderstanding based on procedural error, but thank God we have resolved it amicably. The governor deserves our commendation for showing great understanding and large heartedness. Lessons have been learnt.” By giving his nod to the promotion of the high chiefs while the necessary paper works are being perfected, he said it was a mark of honour for the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, the IPU
Bayelsa rerun: Tension as military, DIG, AIG, 5,000 personnel deployed for security CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
The IGP also appealed to law abiding citizens not to be afraid of the massive security but to come out en masse to exercise their civic right, as the Police, assisted by other security agencies, have mapped out plans to ensure that persons who are out to cast their votes, do so without fear of molestation from any quarter. They are advised to shun violence and all forms of thuggery, as the full weight of the law will take its course on anyone apprehended. It would be recalled that since Monday, the major political parties and their candidates in tomorrow’s election Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been beating the war drums, with the opposition PDP alleging that the ruling APC had perfected plans
to use security agencies and INEC to rig the election in its favour warning that its members would use all legitimate actions at their disposal to resist such action. But the APC replied that it was aware of the antics of the PDP of instigating violence, and called on security agents to be on the alert to nip such act in the bud.
Ajimobi
and especially for the IEF that brokered the truce meeting. Reacting to the elders’ visit, the governor said he was humbled by their openness in calling a spade a spade, which, he said, played a major role in his decision to let the sleeping dog lie. The governor said that he was an apostle of peace and orderliness, adding that the intervention by the elders doused the tension, which he said would not have occurred in the first place if due process had been followed. Ajimobi said: “It was a ploy
by the devil to truncate the peace we have laboured to enthrone in Oyo State. Thank God that the devil did not have its way. The devil may turn the table against you even when you took the right decision at times. “Our baba, the Olubadan is a member of the IPU; I’m also a member of the IPU. It was a good thing that the elders through the platforms of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, the IPU, the IEF waded into the matter. “I’m happy that the elders spoke the truth. If the guilty admits to his guilt, there
is no point prolonging the matter. Since they have admitted their mistakes, to err is human and to forgive is divine. We have forgiven them”, he said. As the chief security officer of the state, the governor said part of his sacred duties was to guarantee and ensure peace, security and the obedience to the rule of law, without which he said anarchy would reign supreme. He added that the state had no tradition of impunity, but a tradition of maintenance of the rule of law, which he pledged to uphold.
Aregbesola plans to buy N.5billion vehicles, PDP alleges CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Arase
Olubadan
be constituted State Executive Council. “It is relevant to state here that members of last State Cabinet dissolved over one year ago never returned their official vehicles. Going by his plans, Governor Aregbesola intends to create additional LCDA without conducting local government election. “The new set of people will also be given new vehicles, which means that at least, three new vehicles will be
bought for each of the 30 local government areas and Modakeke Area Official,” the party said. According to the party, excluding those vehicles that will be given to members of the yet to be formed State Executive Council, the state will be buying 119 new vehicles that may cost up to half a billion naira. “It will surprise the whole world that the state that could not pay a meagre N18, 000 minimum wage to less than 20, 000 workers will be spending so much in purchasing vehicles
for some already over-fed party boys,” the PDP said. It then urged every concerned Nigerian to come to the aid of Osun State by pleading its case before God to free it from the g rip of a reckless gover nment. Ef forts to get the governor’s spokesman, Semiu Okanlawon and the APC’s state director of publicity, Kunle Oyatomi to react proved abortive as calls and text messages to their phones were not acknowledged.
Politics 10 Umeh Kalu There have been series of comments and reactions from various political divides, interested parties and the general public over the decision of the 5-man Appeal panel that presided over the Appeal filed by Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) against the victory of Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at both the April 2015 polls and at the Election Petition Tribunal which sat in Umuahia. The recent Court of Appeal judgment which upturned Dr. Ikpeazu’s victory naturally should elicit a lot of attention, considering the upset occasioned by that judgment in the scheme of things in Abia State. While some comments on the judgment bother on its propriety or otherwise, others bother on suggestions that the incumbent Governor should vacate his seat for the Court of Appeal declared winner immediately. There are further suggestions and/or speculations that the Chief Judge of Abia State and/ or the President of the Customary Court of Appeal have been approached to swear – in Alex Otti of APGA as Governor of the State in line with the said Court of Appeal judgment. I consider it proper as the Chief Law officer of the State to educate and/or proffer an opin-
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Appeal Court judgment on Abia: Matters arising
Ikpeazu
Justice Mahmoud
Otti
ion on the legal issues that have been thrown up and presently dominating public discourse in the State and our Nation as it relates to the Judgment in issue. Let me without heed, state that the propriety or otherwise of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal
is a matter specifically reserved by statute for the Apex Court of the land i.e the Supreme Court. This however does not preclude lawyers who are seized of the facts of the case from making comments as it suits their fancy. However, such comments I dare
say are merely academic, as only the Supreme Court has the power to evaluate the judgment and come to a final decision on the matter which decision would be made known to the public within Sixty (60) days from the day of the Court of Appeal judgment.
The other issue of swearing in Alex Otti of APGA bothers in the realm of clownishness and comedy. Our country Nigeria is a Nation State with full blown democracy which is characterized by laws and regulations guiding or regulating the affairs of State. All matters and issues relating to the conduct of elections in our country including Abia State are regulated by statutes; the relevant statutes in this case are the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). Election matters for the Governorship are statutorily handled by Three tiers of Courts i.e Election Petition Tribunal consisting of a panel of Three Judges, The Election Appeal Tribunal consisting of Five Justices of the Court of Appeal and finally the Supreme Court where a panel of Seven Justices of that apex Court will have a final say. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Rivers PDP: APC lacks visionary economic policies Chairman, Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Felix Obuah, has called on the citizens of the state to resist the seemingly visionless economic policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC). According to him, Rivers citizens must be prepared to resist a visionless APC that has improvished them and destroyed the economy. Besides, he also criticized the increase in electricity tariffs as announced by the APC Federal Government through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, describing the new power tariff regime as a further means of bringing hardship and suffering on Rivers electricity consumers and indeed all Nigerians, in the absence of affordable and available petroleum products. In the statement signed by Jerry Needam, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity condemned the decision of the Commission and by extension the federal government for the
wrong timing and the excruciating pains on Nigerians who voted in anticipation of positive change but are now struggling to survive the effects of bad economic policies and actions of the APC administration at the centre. Considering the plight of innocent Rivers consumers in this circumstance, the PDP is of the view that the Federal government should take urgent and effective steps in addressing the dwindling economic situation and poverty that is growing across the country so as to cushion the resultant effects of such increment in electricity power tariffs. While sympathizing with Rivers people, he called on them to resist bad economic policies of the APC)by speaking out and be prepared to resist a visionless APC that has improvished them and destroyed the economy. He urged the NERC to reconsider its decision, particularly its implementation at this period when the economy appears to have collapsed under the cur-
Wike rent APC government at the centre, and when good governance has become an illusion in the country. According to him, within a few months of the live of Buhari administration, petroleum products have been consistently scarce while the available one is sold exorbitantly, prices of food items and other con-
Amaechi sumables rising astronomically, transport fare becoming unbearable, while essential service now a mirage in the country. This, the PDP is unacceptable as it negates the very essence of government. He also condemned the inability of the APC led Federal Government to release money meant for states from
the Federation Account in December, which affected the payment of workers salaries before Christmas and New Year. He claimed that the APC lacked vision and sound economic policies to drive Nigeria successfully, and urged Rivers People to shun the APC and all its candidates.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
11 Politics
2016-2020 development plan: FG unveils strategic committee The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has inaugurated the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) for the finalization of the first phase of the development of the Medium Term Successor Strategic Plan (MTSS 2016 – 2020) Members of the TWG include Directors and relevant officials of the Ministry and its Parastatals, which includes: Nigerian Institute of Social & Economic Research (NISER), Centre for Management Development (CMD) and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Inaugurating the committee, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Fatima Nana Mede, reminded the group that the task before them was to ensure the actualization of the five years plan in line with the mandate of the ministry. She noted that the tenure of the immediate past medium term plan of Nigerian, tagged National Implementation Plan (NIP) , 2010 – 2013, ended in 2013, thus making it necessary for the ministry to develop a successor plan. “As you are aware, the development of the National Development Plan is the core mandate of the Ministry of Budget
Udoma & National Planning which is expected to drive the change agenda of the present Administration.” “Experience has shown that the implementation of credible medium term plan is critical to the success of any country, adding that that several emerging nation are adopting development plans as basis for improving their economies”, she added. She disclosed out that the
Osinbajo process for developing the successor strategic plan has commenced over the past eight weeks with the officials of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning working closely with other MDAs, in reviewing the past plans and macroeconomic framework and the identification of key policies and strategic programmes to feed into the 2016 Budget. According to her, four ma-
Adeosun jor areas will be covered by the technical teams in the exercise, namely; updating the draft report on the review of the immediate past plan, 2010-2013; review of the draft macroeconomic framework, in the light of the oil price shocks and recent developments in the global economy; development of narratives guiding the policy thrust and strategic programmes for the plan; and stakeholders review
and validation of the revised report on the immediate past plan, the revised macroeconomic framework for the medium term plan and narratives guiding the policy thrust and strategic programmes for the plan. Mede however, charged the staff of the ministry to rise up to the new challenges and be alive with global developmental strategies, arguing that they cannot afford to be docile in the spirit of change.
Appeal Court judgment on Abia: Matters arising CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
The case between Otti of APGA and Ikpeazu of PDP has only been attended to at the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal; the final decision of the Supreme Court on the matter still being awaited. Dr. Ikpeazu who is presently the occupier of the seat of Governor of Abia State has a statutory period of 14 days from the day of the judgment of the Court of Appeal to file his appeal at the Supreme Court. Furthermore, Section 143 (1) & (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) avails the incumbent occupier of the seat – in this case Ikpeazu – 21 days to file an appeal, and, within this period of 21 days the occupant statutorily remains in office notwithstanding the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal or any
Ikpeazu Court including the Court of Appeal. For emphasis and clarity, it may be apt to reproduce the provisions of the aforementioned Sections of the Electoral Act: Section 143
(1) – “ If the Election Tribunal or the Court, as the case may be, determines that a candidate returned as elected was not validly elected, then if notice of appeal against that decision is given within 21 days from the date of the decision, the candidate returned as elected shall, notwithstanding the contrary decision of the Election Tribunal or Court, remain in Office pending the determination of the appeal”. (2) – “ If the Election Tribunal or the Court, as the case may be, determines that a candidate returned as elected was not validly elected, the candidate returned as elected shall, notwithstanding the contrary decision of the Election Tribunal or the Court, remain in office pending the expiration of the period of 21days within which an Appeal may be brought”.
From the unequivocal provisions of the Electoral Act, it is very clear that despite the Court of Appeal judgment declaring Otti elected, Ikpeazu remains the Governor of this state pending the exercise of his right of appeal as provided and thereafter until the Supreme Court gives a final verdict on his appeal. The speculation of swearing in Otti on the strength of the Court of Appeal judgment is not only without precedent but equally a violation of the laws of our country. Any contemplation or attempt by any person or persons including any judicial officer to swear in Otti is both an invitation of anarchy to Abia State and an act of treasonable felony attracting severe sanctions in law. Dr. Ikpeazu remains the
duly elected Governor of Abia State and can only be removed through the due process of the law and not by any means unknown to the laws of this country as being speculated. Abia State is not the only state where election results have been upturned by our courts but the elected occupiers of such political office or offices remain on seat until the final decision of the last court statutorily empowered to determine cases emanating from the election. Citizens of Abia State and the general public are therefore advised to take heed of the considered legal opinion proffered herein, remain law abiding and go about their legitimate business whilst awaiting the final decision of the Supreme Court in the matter of the governorship seat of our state.
News 12
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
We’ll strike balance between subsidy removal, VAT increase - Senate ÎÎÎThe
Senate on Thursday said it would not take any decision on oil subsidy that would aggravate the suffering of Nigerians. Spokesperson of the Senate, Sen. Aliyu Sabi, stated this in an interview with
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Sabi said that the upper chamber had not taken a decision on removal of subsidy, adding that the chamber would not support any move that would put further pres-
sure on Nigerians. ``As much as I will say, the senate has not come up with a position on that (subsidy removal); if you we are going to remove subsidy or increase Value Added Tax (TAX), we must strike a bal-
ance. ``We cannot be putting too much pressure on the masses. The masses are in pains right now and we are surely going to do things that will ease that pain,’’ he said. Sabi said that subsidy
in itself was not injurious because even the advanced countries provided subsidies to make life bearable for their citizens. He, however, said that the major problem with subsidy implementation in the country was corruption. ``If we can deal with corruption for instance, what stops us from making sure that we look at the entire management framework of the subsidy?’’ On oil benchmark, the senate spokesman said the
red chamber would note the advice by Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF) when considering the 2016 Appropriation Bill. He said that the lawmakers would give priority to the consideration of the bill when they return from recess. He said that with emphasis on non-oil revenue and the political will to block leakages, the nation’s economy would rebound.
We’ll reposition Science, Technology to uplift our quality of life - Buhari ÎÎÎPresident Muhammadu
Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left) being decorated by the state’s Chairman of Nigeria Legion, Engr. George O. Amalu on the occasion of the launch of 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration and Emblems Appeal Week at the Okpara Square, Enugu … on Thursday.
48 hours to Supplementary election: Bayelsa Speaker’s home bombed Continued from page 6 ed dynamite and then it was a big explosion and a lot of places in the building got damaged.” Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said it had commenced distribution of sensitive election materials for Saturday’s supplementary poll in the state. The Commission’s Public Affairs Officer in the state, Mr. Timidi Wariowei, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yenagoa. Wariowei said the Commission received the sensitive materials on Wednesday and distribution had commenced in Ekeremor Local Government Area on Thursday. He added that ``all the materials are now in our custody; the materials include bal-
lot papers and result sheets. ``On the distribution process, we intend to dispatch that of Southern-Ijaw Local Government Area early morning of Saturday. ``You know that the real focus is the Southern-Ijaw and we do not want what happened on December 5, 2015 to repeat itself in that area. ``INEC is prepared to conduct free, fair and credible election for the betterment of the people. ``We have over 100 polling units in the state to conduct the election and SouthernIjaw; so, we are ready to conduct credible and acceptable election.’’ On the use of ad hoc staff, Wariowei said the Commission resolved to use some of them that participated in the December 5 gubernatorial election in the state. He, however, added that
some of the ad hoc staff had been changed, especially for the Southern-Ijaw, stressing that efforts were made to ensure that the election was conducted freely. He said ``INEC is on top of the game. On security, we have been working with security agencies because without them, we cannot conduct the election. ``We have been collaborating with the Police and Army to ensure peaceful election in Bayelsa.’’ Also, INEC on Thursday said it would be deploying three of its National Commissioners to supervise Saturday supplementary governorship election in Bayelsa State. INEC Deputy Director of Publicity, Mr. Nick Dazang, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Dazang added that the
commission would also deploy a technical team to each ward where the election would be conducted. ``The technical team would be deployed to intervene in situations where there are technical challenges as regards the use of card readers,” Dazang said. He said that no fewer than 834 ad hoc staff, comprising of four staff in each of the 431 polling units, would also be deployed to conduct the election. Dazang said that election would be conducted in 425 polling units (PUs) and five voting points in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state. Besides, he said that the supplementary election would also hold in 101 PUs in three other local government areas of the state where election were cancelled.
Buhari has said that his administration will reposition Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as a national priority to guarantee sustainability, high standard of living and quality of life for Nigerians. The president, who stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the maiden meeting of the National Research and Innovation Council (NIRC), said Federal Government would fast-track industrial and economic development through the STI. According to him, his administration’s determination to secure the nation, grow the economy, create jobs and fight crime can best be achieved through the promotion of science and technology. ``I am aware that Nigeria must accord high priority to Science and Technology if it must take it rightful place among the leading economies in the modern world. ``Nigeria’s vision of becoming one of the twenty largest economies in the world by the year 2020 is only attainable when Science, Technology and Innovation are fully integrated into our national socio-economic development process. ``That process will now be fast tracked with the coming on board of this Council. ``I wish to assure this Council of my determination and commitment to
ensure that as a nation, we will invest appropriately in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in order to guarantee our competitiveness both continentally and globally. ``Our goal to secure our nation, grow our economy, create jobs and fight crime can best be achieved if we embrace science and technology,’’ he said. The president expressed the hope that the nation’s research and innovation output would be measured by number of Intellectual Property such as patents granted and not only by the number of articles published in scholarly journals. According to him, by this action, Nigeria will become a centre of discoveries, inventions and innovation in all fields of science and technology. ``Before long we should be in a position to produce Nobel Laureates in the sciences.’’ President Buhari noted that government structure of the NRIC provided for the establishment of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). He said the committee, consisting of technocrats from the various relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the Organized Private Sector (OPS), was meant to ensure full implementation of resolutions of the NRIC.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8 2016
Nigeria needs global effort to tackle problem of IDPs – Dogara Henry Omunu, Abuja
ÎÎÎThe Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, has declared that Nigeria required global initiative to tackle the problem of internally displaced persons from the north-east region, following the deadly attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect. Dogara made this known, on Thursday, in Abuja, when he led a delegation of the House to donate foodstuff and other essential items to internally displaced persons (IDPs)
camps in Wasa, located in the Apo District of Abuja. He disclosed that as part of efforts to galvanise and mobilise global efforts to solve the problem confronting the IDPs, the leadership of the House would address a selected audience at Chatham House, London, to speak on the issue. He said that “the issue of the IDPs is a global problem that needs a global solution” and promised to use his position to address some of them experienced by the IDPs, so as to bring succour to the victims.
He commended the Buhari administration for showing concern for the plight of the displaced persons and the security challenges confronting the north-east region, especially in his appointment of prominent sons and daughters from there to handle the rehabilitation efforts. According to him, the government must ensure that it not only provided succour to the IDPs but quickly bring the insurgency to an end and return the displaced persons to their homes. While expressing the belief
that the violence being perpetuated by the Boko Haram sect in the affected states of the north-east would soon be brought under control by the military, he added that it would be ill-advised for government to forcefully send the people back to their homes when the level of violence hadn’t been brought under control by the military. “The problem confronting the north-east is being championed in the House and the Senate and, very soon, the bill to address the challenges facing the region will be passed
into law. We believe the issue of the IDPs cannot be resolved through mere policies of government, but through legislation so that any administration in power will continue to address the plight of the people of the north-east and not stopping the implementation of the law as this will mean such a government will contend with the National Assembly”, he added.
Edo APC urged to provide level playing field for guber aspirants Titus Akhigbe, Benin
ÎÎÎThe Chairman of
U.S. Defence Attaché to Nigeria Col. Patrick Doyle giving remarks during the hand-over ceremony of 24 Mine-Resistant Armor-Protected (MRAP) vehicles to Nigeria’s military authorities in Lagos… on Thursday. Photo: U.S. Consulate General Lagos.
Metuh’s family to EFCC: Charge our son to court or release him Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
ÎÎÎThe family of
the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, who is currently being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has raised the alarm over the health and safety of their son. It has, consequently, called on the EFCC to either charge Metuh to court or release him without any further delay. Metuh was arrested on Tuesday morning in his Abuja residence and whisked away to the Commission’s head office in Abuja. The family, in a statement
by Chief Gilbert Metuh, for and on behalf of The ObiEzeani- Nnewi, pointed out that their biggest concern, for now, was the health and safety of their son (Olisa), who even before his arrest had alerted the nation about various threats to his life. The family stated that their position was based mainly on the refusal of their son to eat in the EFCC detention following fears of intentions to poison him. According to the statement, “The Metuh family – the Obi-Ezeani-Nnewi – has noted with grave concern the continued incarceration of our Diokpa and spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olisa Metuh
(Ugochidebelu Nnewi), since his arrest on Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). “Whereas, the charges for which Chief Metuh is being detained for over 48 hours now (as at Thursday) have not been formally made known to the family and the general public, we have noted some sensational publications in a section of the media claiming that our son collected the sum of N1.4 billion from the arms deal cash and has been collecting N4 million monthly as stipend from the Office of the former National Security Adviser. “We have confronted our son with these allegations
and he assured us that they were completely false. However, he acknowledged that in the course of his duties as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, the then leader of the party and president of the country directed him to carry out some urgent national assignments relating to his office, which the former president duly funded and which he duly carried out to the satisfaction of the former president. “The family, therefore, views the publications bandying the figure of N1.4 billion and alleged collection of N4 million stipend from the Office of the NSA as deliberate blackmail aimed at inflaming public sentiments against our son.
Oredo Local Government Council in Edo State, Mr. Osaro Obaze, has asked the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to provide a level playing field for all gubernatorial aspirants vying for the ticket, to avoid the mistake of the immediate past. He said this was because Edo of 2016 cannot be regarded as Edo of 2008. He also urged the party to shun endorsement and imposition of favoured aspirants by a god-father, as such a move was capable of causing grave political consequences. At a press conference in Benin City, Obaze said, “a proper primary election must be conducted to ensure that the candidate that will emerge will enjoy 70% - 80% general acceptance by the party followers in particular and appeal to the electorate in general. “For the avoidance of doubts, let me remind our leaders of the danger of one person playing the role of god-fatherism and trying to impose a candidate against the wishes of the member of the party”. He said that “This is against the recent events in last year Presidential and National Assembly Election in which the party suffered huge loses as a result of wrongful imposition of candidates in Ovia Federal Constituency, i.e. Osahon vs Charity Amayamvbo”.
Ajimobi
Politicians urged to be open to electorate Akor Ejumene, Abuja
ÎÎÎPolitical
office holders have been advised to put a stop to the practice of deceiving the people to gain undue political advantage by making promises or taking decisions that are not in tune with the current economic reality in the country occasioned by the dwindling oil revenue. An aspirant for the House of Representatives in the 2015 general election on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Olayinka Oladimeji Segelu, gave the advice in a statement issued in Abuja. He was reacting to the appointment of 43 legislative aides by the lawmaker representing his constituency, Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Temitope Olatoye a.k.a. Sugar.
US-Africa Business Relations holds summit Tom Okpe, Abuja
ÎÎÎThe Corporate Council on
Africa, the premier organisation devoted to US-Africa business relations, will hold the US-Africa Business Summit at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February. According to a statement signed by Mr. Ridwan Sorunke, the spokesman of the Corporate Council on Africa, the summit would be attended by African Heads of State, and over 1,000 government and private sector representatives. Speakers from Nigeria would include, Peter Amangbo, CEO of Zenith Bank PLC, Oscar N. Onyema, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Austin Avuru, CEO of SEPLAT Petroleum and Ndidi Nwuneli, Co-founder, AACE Foods.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
SAMUEL OMOTOSO
H
ear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 6:4-7). The title “family altar” simply means family Bible study and devotion time. Every Christian family should have such a wonderful experience daily. It is amazing how few families really take this earnestly and practice this regularly. It is the best assurance to have Christian children with good moral standards that do not drift through the teen years, to have a family that has a witness for Christ in the community, and to have a family that takes the church seriously and enjoys going to all the services. It is well to remember the great command that the Lord gave not only to Israel as quoted above but also to all of us . In a relay race, a large part of the training was concerned with handing off the baton. The idea was to run as fast as you could to the next runner on your team. His job was to meet you about fifteen yards before the hand-off and run with you, being careful to match your pace exactly. In this way, you didn’t have to stop to hand him the baton; you could continue the race without losing momentum. If everything went smoothly, the baton was passed from one hand to the next and the race progressed. The handoff was the single most important part of the race. Not that it was that difficult, mind you; it just led to the worst of consequences if it wasn’t managed properly. The running part was easy. You simply did your best and that was that. But the handoff had to be conducted with care, if not it costs your team precious time and probably the race as well. Likewise in marriage, the main priority was how well is the passing of the parent’s faith to their children. Like a runner in a relay race, no one wanted to stumble. The consequences of doing so were more than any of us wanted to consider. But as a practical matter, how do we pass on our faith to our children? How do we successfully hand off our faith to the next generation
15 Opinion
MARRIAGE CLINIC –PART VII
Significant roles of prayer altar in marriage so that they can continue the race and do their part to advance the Christian mission? No doubt, there are a variety of ways. But I would suggest that one of the main ones is the practice of family prayer otherwise known as family aitar. The Kingdom of God is the central reality of life. It takes precedence over every other commitment, over every other primacy. But that Kingdom is not some unearthly, faraway place. No, it is absolutely manifested in the life of the Church. In other words, if you want to experience the certainty of the Kingdom, look at the Church which is the principal portrait of that Kingdom. But if this is true, of what significance is the Christian home? Does it have a role in Christ’s Kingdom building? The Church was a portrait of the home. I was convinced that the Christian home was the central institution of society and everything else even the Church was secondary. This is far more than some mysterious theological point. It has important ramifications for our family life and especially for how we raise our children. Amazingly, this idea actually makes the home more important. Parents, like priests in the Church, have a responsibility to shepherd the flock assigned to their charge (I Peter 5:1-4). And as parents, we must relive our roles as domestic priests and our corresponding responsibility to pass on our faith to our children. There are, of course, many more matches between the Church and the home, but space permits me to mention just one: the uniqueness of the altar. The primary responsibility of a priest is to officiate at the altar. Similarly, the family altar should be the central features of every Christian home . The family altar is the primary place where we pass on to our children the “baton” of our faith. But if this is true, what are some practical ways in which we can focus our family’s activities on prayer? This special place of prayer does not have to be decorative, but it does have to be distinctive. Remember, it is a place where the family carries out its most vital activities: prayer, the reading of the word of God, and the announcing of important events in the life of the family right in their living room. Suitable time for family altar: When is the right time to gather at the family altar? Anytime, of course. The family include father, mother and children who gather
at least twice a day for corporate prayer: morning and evening. Purpose of family altar: Morning prayer gives us an opportunity to appreciate God for His eyes that neither sleep nor slumber and bring our needs and concerns to God before we embark on the day’s activities. It also helps each person “set his mind on the things above” (Colossians 3:1) where he can address the bustle and anxieties of the day from a spiritual frame of reference. Evening prayer, on the other hand, is an opportunity to appraise the day, to confess where we have failed, and to give thanks to God where we have succeeded. Other purposes of the family altar include: To reverence God’s Word, grow esteem for it, and to live by it. James says, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Home is a good place to practice the counsel, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). In these days when we have put God’s word out of our schools, we need to put it back in our homes and teach our children from it. To establish the family in the faith, personal convictions, and doctrine. Children and young people need convictions to stand up against their peers. They must understand their faith and know something of good Bible doctrine so they know what they believe and why. The home makes a good Bible school where the children can be grounded as they face the humanistic philosophy of life. To pray and intercede for others such as the pastor, missionaries, sick folk, unsaved loved ones, the neighbors, fellow believers in need, the church, our nation, the shutins, those who are in trial or going through persecutions. Children who can learn to pray openly at home will have no problem praying publicly in the church weekly prayer meetings . To worship God together and learn more of His ways. What could be a better purpose. Children should learn to worship God in their early years that they might have respect for Him in the later years. They need to learn how to regard Him and to realize that He is
the Creator, Holy, and to be honored in all that we say and do. O pray over family problems and needs, burdens the children may have, and that they may have confidence in the God that answers prayer in the everyday things of life. All the members of the family have personal needs. It would be good if they could learn to share them openly and take them before the Lord together. There are school needs, boy and girl friend problems, problems with play mates, character problems such as timidity and fears of all kinds, questions about amusements, finances. Teenagers have deep needs and hate to express them for fear of being misunderstood or embarrassed. Their problems are big problems to them and must be considered. Mom and Dad have needs of all kinds. Financial needs, Dad’s work needs, the car, moving, and all kinds of things can be prayed through with God. All the family need to know they can have trust in Him and that He will hear and answer prayer. Duration of the family altar: Prayer during these two times doesn’t have to be lengthy; ten to fifteen minutes is generally adequate. The important thing is to be consistent. It’s far better to spend five minutes a day every day praying together than to spend fifteen or twenty minutes praying a couple of times of week. The general principle is to become faithful in little before we stretch ourselves and our family to become faithful in much ( Luke 16:10). There are, of course, other times to pray. Whenever there is a special need in the family it’s a good practice to stop what we’re doing and gather for a few moments at the family altar. In like manner, whenever something especially good happens, it’s a good idea to stop and give thanks. These times of unprompted prayer are wonderful tools for communicating to our children the reality of God’s presence and His involvement in our lives. Point of Prayer at the family altar: Once you’ve selected the appropriate time and place, you still have one important decision left to make: what to pray at the family altar. For many people this is the most difficult. Fortunately, there are a variety of resources available to help us. Devotional prayer books can be obtained from a variety of Conventional publishing houses. Regardless of which one you use, try to get a copy for each member of your family. This will encourage everyone’s participation and give
you, as the leader, the option of calling on various members of the family to lead in certain prayers. When using a prayer book, it all depend on the situation at hand,it is not necessary to say every prayer nor is it necessary to “stick to the writing.” If you’re just starting out or if your children are small (and their attention spans short), One final note: prayer was never intended to be an epilogue or speech. In genuine prayer God speaks to us, and we speak to Him. Both are necessary for discourse. But how does God speak to us? Are we to expect an audible voice? Generally, God speaks to us through the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Thus, Bible reading should be an integral part of our family worship. God specifically charges parents to have His Word upon their hearts and then to pass it on to their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). What better context for Bible reading than as we are gathered together as a family for the purpose of prayer. In conclusion, let me give you three brief tips, items that will go a long way toward making your family’s experience at the family altar a meaningful one. Avoid Long prayers at start. You can’t run a marathon without training and neither can you engage in long prayers without training yourself in the short ones. Be mindful of children’s attention spans. Yes, it’s good to stretch them, but don’t break them! The last thing you want is for prayer to be something your children dread. Again, it’s far better to keep it brief and meaningful than to frustrate your children - and ultimately yourself by reading long drawn-out prayers. Remember, the Publican was justified with a very short prayer: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” And the thief on the cross entered Paradise with one sentence: “Remember me, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom.” Allow everyone participation. Although you will be tempted, don’t insist on doing everything yourself. Make sure everyone has a book (even the little ones that can’t read), and let your children lead some of the prayers. If they can read, let them read the Scripture lessons. If you follow this principle, you’ll find that they look forward to prayer and, little by little, begin to own it as their prayer. I earnestly pray that the presence of God shall not depart from your home in Jesus name. Pastor Omotoso can be reached on 08029531853 or send an email to onwardforchrist2015@gmail.com.
16
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Features
17
Æs
Owonifari market, after the demolition.
It started like a replay of former Governor Raji Fashola’s espionage on the East side of the popular Mosafejo market at Oshodi in 2009 when bulldozers sneaked on unsuspecting security men and squatters in the market and pulled down shops, stalls and whatever stands in the name of trading. So it happened again about midnight on Wednesday at the popular electrical/ electronic market also known as Owonifari market by Ground Zero at Oshodi. Lagos workers and early morning traders all got the shock of their lives as they beheld a hail of smoke and dust where the market has been traditionally for over 40 years. All through the night, Daily Times gathered that officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Monitoring and Enforcement Unit had been busy in their task of leveling the market for some five hours. Another contingent of a combined team of sternlooking policemen and officials of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) arrived the scene around 5.00 am Thursday morning, followed by a fresh batch of demolition team confirming Lagos State government’s resolve to recover the ground to pave way for a better Lagos
Pandemonium, tears and agony greet Ambode’s demolition of Oshodi For the second time in six years, traders in the popular Oshodi Market have been jolted by the government of Lagos State as overriding public interest has caused them all their lives investments. Our features team, OLABIMPE OYETUBO; ISMAILA OGUNTADE; BABAJIDE OKEOWO, report. Mega City status. The environment was cordoned off immediately and the area demarcated with red and white tapes, while caterpillars ruthlessly brought down the stalls and remnants of structures that survived the night invasion. Daily Times team which arrived the military atmosphere was greeted by battle ready enforcement team; Black Maria vans were on ground to warn anyone who dares the task force team.
Like a General deciding to carve a niche for himself, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode personally supervised the leveling and burning of the entire site in the early hours of Thursday morning (yesterday). The Governor who arrived the scene about 7.30 in the morning was accompanied by the Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Adejare, officials of KAI, more police men and some other top government officials. Traders at the market were
seen lamenting and weeping in disbelief at the place that once represented their entire life labour and future being destroyed before their eyes. A large number of sympathisers who were both enjoying and absorbing the scene with some gathered on top of the pedestrian bridge and adjoining roads nearby, watching as the exercise continued. Spectators debated the destruction at dawn; a section believe government must have
given notice to the traders before descending in this magnitude. Others argued that the traders should have been allowed to evacuate their wares before bulldozing the market. Like a General deciding to carve a niche for himself, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode personally supervised the leveling and burning of the entire site in the early hours of Thursday morning (yesterday). The Governor was accompanied by the Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Adejare, officials of KAI, more police and some other top government officials. A statement from the office of the Commissioner for the
Continued on page 18
Features 18
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Are we not Nigerians? Is this government not trying to promote crime? — Victims Continued from page 17 environment stated that “The Lagos State Government has shut the Owonifari Market in the Oshodi area and relocated affected traders and shop owners to a newly built Isopakodowo Market in the Bolade area also in Oshodi. The government has also started the fencing off of the road set back on Agege Motor Road from the Ilupeju end of Oshodi to the PWD/Ikeja GRA area. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde on Tuesday said the move was geared towards the need to sanitise and beautify the Oshodi area and bring transformation in particular to the Owonifari area as well as the entire bus stop terminal which had been constituting a menace and an eyesore in the locality. Ayorinde said the Owonifari area will be transformed into an ultramodern bus terminal with new bus shelters that are befitting of a structured park in a mega city. He added that the yorinde said, “The ongoing fencing off and beautification of the road set back from Ilupeju bypass to PWD/Ikeja GRA and stretch to the Agege/ Pen Cinema area. “Lagosians should expect from this transformation exercise a new Oshodi that will be sane and safe, and where both traders and commuters will be pleased to visit and trade. The traders being relocated have been properly allocated shops within the Isopaakodowo Market. The demolition of some structures in the area is in the best interest of the people who should expect a world-class bus terminal there.” The commissioner reiterated Gov Akinwunmi Ambode’s commitment to bringing development to every area of the state. He urged the residents, local authority and other stakeholders, to cooperate with the government in achieving the vision of making the 2016 budget work for Lagosians. Daily Times team spoke some of the affected traders some of who have been trading in the market for decades. Mr. Emeka Ndukwe, a victim of the Owonifari market in Oshodi area of Lagos State, who sells LCD in the market in
Part of the market after demolition.
Lagos State Government is being deliberately wicked. This is a form of retaliation from the government of Ambode against the Igbo because the Igbos did not vote for him during the last election so he is doing this to repay us. Ambode proved this to be true because he led the team that came for the demolition himself – Okafor who lost millions to the demolition. block F5, said the government gave them only one week notice to vacate the market and move to the new building located at
Reduced to rubble
Bolade. “But we have been having dialogue with officials of the state government since, so it was a surprise to us to see officials of Lagos government who sneaked into the market overnight and sealed up the market while no further directive as to what we should do. That was the night of December 31st 2015. “The executives of the market union unanimously agreed to meet Governor Ambode himself to dialogue on the way out, but just see what they have done to our livelihood, they burnt everything we have laboured and lived for yesterday.” Emeka said that he had been in the market for well over
eight years, right from when he has been serving his master before he graduated to the be independent on his own. He put his loss to over N800,000 worth of goods to the demolition and destruction. “Many members of my family both in Lagos and in the village are fed from this business. “The new shop government claims to have provided cannot accommodate even half of the over 6,000 traders here, and then the worse thing is that the price they demand for the shops is not affordable.” Emeka appealed to the His Exellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to save the soul of the traders in Owonifari
Market. For Ajah Amos, the incident will always remain indelible in his mind as it was a rude awakening to him and the demolition came as a shock. Lamenting his woes, he said government only gave them two weeks’ notice to pack out of the market and immediately they got the notice. “We sought to dialogue with the government; we were asked to come back so we could get the feedback from the government only for us to wake up this morning to find the market levelled to the ground.”
Continued on page 19
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
19 Features
Most of us have been displaced for life — Union leader
Victim
Continued from page 18 Another trader who gave his name as Amos Ajah told our correspondents he owned 3 shops in the market and was paying rent in the region of a N1 million on the three shops. “My shops were fully stocked with electronic goods. My life went with that demolition and burning of my goods; life will never be the same again.” Amos who doubles as the coordinator of the Christian Fellowship Association of the market sees the issue of the demolition as a great setback and a terrible New Year gift from the government. He disclosed that the new shops provided by the government is well out of the reach of poor common traders as a shop goes for over N1 million. “Now that they have burnt everything I own, how am I going to raise money to rent that kind of shop?” he asked no one in particular. Besides the high cost of the shop, Amos revealed that the shops are so small and is not conducive for traders. Above all that, the market complex in question is still a subject of litigation between a family and the state government. “I am afraid of falling victim a second
time. Even if we are able to raise that kind of money to rent the shop, who knows after paying for this shop and the court rules either way in the case before it, what becomes of me? “Apart from this, the building is in a dilapidated state and might collapse soon; is our lives not worth anything to the government? Is this the change that we voted for? “This is very wicked and I want to tell you that if the crime rate in the country is 50% before this incident, I am telling you that it will sky rocket to about 100%; are we not Nigerians? It is said that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop, is this government trying to promote crime?” he asked. The embittered man sent a plea to the state government: “I am pleading with the government to come to our aid as I have lost all hope and the future is bleak for me. I am a father of five children with dependents who look up to me; how am I going to fulfil my obligations to my wife, pay my children’s school fees and take care of my aged parents in the village?”, he asked while struggling to hold back tears. John Okafor, another trader caught in the destruction looked forlorn and was seen muttering to himself. The grief on
I am afraid of falling victim a second time. Even if we are able to raise that kind of money to rent the shop, who knows after paying for this shop and the court rules either way in the case before it, what becomes of me? Apart from this, the building is in a dilapidated state and might collapse soon; is our lives not worth anything to the government? Is this the change that we voted for? – Okafor
his face is palpable and he paints the picture of a man whose whole world has crashed. Okafor who managed to tell Daily Times that he was the former Chairman of Task Force of the market accused the state government of being deliberately wicked; he pointed out that the action is a form of retaliation against the Igbos for not supporting Ambode. “This is a form of retaliation from the government of Ambode against the Igbo. He felt because the Igbos did not vote for him during the last elections, so he is doing this to repay us,” he said. He said this is evident because Ambode himself led the team that came for the demolition exercise. Speaking on the loss he has incurred, he said his loss is in the region of many millions. Okafor said life does not hold any meaning to him anymore. “Where do I want to start from? I have been in that market since 1978 and I have been consistent in paying my taxes and relevant dues to the relevant authorities. I have lost everything, I have a wife and three children; how do I take care of them?”, he lamented. “The only possession I have left in this world is this
Continued on page 20
Features 20
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Traders watch as the market is demolished.
Another victim
Most of us have been displaced for life — Trader Continued from page 19 only handset that I am holding,” he wept. Meanwhile the government after announcing the relocation of the traders to a newly built Isopakodowo market stalls at Bolade area in the popular commercial and transit nerve centre, denied that the complex is subject to litigation. A top official of the Governor’s team who spoke in confidence said Lagos State Government owns the land and is at liberty to use any part of its territory on account of overriding public interest. Daily Times crew also observed the fencing off of the set back on Agege Motor Road that stretches from Ilupeju end of Oshodi all the way to the PWD/Ikeja GRA end of the area. It would be recalled that Owonifari Market has been in existence in that location for over 40 years. This is the second time in six years that the state government will be carrying out major redevelopment work at the Oshodi bus stop. Babatunde Fashola, Governor
Ambode’s predecessor was lauded for clearing the popular bus stop of street traders and miscreants,
easing the traffic gridlock in the area back in 2009. However, the area soon degenerated into what it used to
be as street traders and urchins returned, posing serious threat to lives and property in the area. The bus stop is a hot bed of
The new shops provided by the government are well out of the reach of common traders as a shop goes for over N1 million. Beside the high cost, the shops are so small and are not conducive for traders. Above all that, the market complex in question is still a subject of litigation between a family and the state government – Victim clashes between rival gangs and cult groups. There is apprehension in the envisaged reaction from the home government of the Igbo traders who have petitioned their state governor to intervene on their behalf. “Most of us have been displaced for life,”, an executive of the market union told Daily Times, “If we don’t get help, I don’t know what will become of us and our families.”
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
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ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION
ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION
SIGNED: BARR. SULE ONALO ATOKOLO SOLICITOR
SIGNED: OKHAE UTOMIEKHALE ERIC SOLICITOR
EQUALS INITIATIVE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990 TRUSTEES: 1.MENIRU HAMILTON CHIDOZIE. 2.ANIKWEM LOVINA CHINASA. 3.NWANGWU CHINASA ROSEMARY. 4.ONOVO SYLVESTER NNAMDI. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES . TO FIGHT THE SPREAD OF MALARIA, TUBERCULOSIS OTHER DISEASES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED” SECRETARY
FOUNTAIN OF TREASURES MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL
HILL CITY FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH INTERNATIONAL
PROCLAIM FORTH CHRISTIAN CENTER
The general public is hereby notified that the above named non-governmental organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, for registration as an incorporated trustee under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap. C-20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
This is to inform the general public that the above named CHURCH has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990
THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.
THE TRUSTEES ARE: i). GRACE MACAULAY AKPAN -PRESIDENT ii). EVANGELIST GABRIEL FRANCIS IBOKABASI III). GRACE ASUQUO EDET IV). IME OKU EKPA V). PASTOR BASSEY BASSEY
THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR ABU ADEKUNLE STEPHEN 2. PASTOR SAM ADEBOWALE 3. PASTOR (MRS) ABU BAMIDELE HELEN 4. PASTOR GEFU ANTHONY
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES i. To win souls to Christ through evangelism ii. Touching hearts, changing lives iii. To preach the gospel of Christ to all nations. (iv). Reaching out to lost souls through the word of God Any objection to this registration should be addressed to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. SIGNED: PRESIDENT
THE LAND OF GRACE CHURCH ALADURA NEW JERUSALEM This is to inform the General Public that the above named Church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. NAMES OF TRUSTEES ARE 1. OSHUN ADETOKUNBO LUKMAN 2. ARANSIOLA DORCAS MOROUNM THE AIM & OBJECTIVE IS :1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 Days from the date of this Publication. SIGN: SECRETARY
LIFT AFRICA YOUTH INTERVENTION FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Acts 1990. The Trustees are:1. Rev. Samson Oluniyi 2. Mrs. Mope Abudu 4. Mr. Pascal Migisha 6. Mr. Kwabena Boateng
3. 5. 7.
Mr. Adeolu Ogunsanya Mr. Kunle Lawal Mr. Babatunde Adejumobi
The Aims and Objectives are:1.To use inspirational words as a tool of influence to bring out in-built greatness in African youth. 2. To build proper leadership through Mentorship of young generation of Africa to enhance their potential for the development of Africa continent. 3. To build a unifying Youth structure for African Youth Leaders through good communication and networking in the development of their Communities. Any objection to the registration of the above named foundation should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission within 28 days of this publication. Signed by :Babatunde Adejumobi
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: TRUSTEES
TRUSTESS 1. ROTIMI IWAYEMI 2. FUNMILOLA IWAYEMI 3. OLAJIDE OKEWOLE 4. SEGUN OGUNDIPE 5. FOLAKE ALIBALOYE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD 2. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 3. TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD FOR GOD 4. TO SET THE CAPTIVE FREE, THROUGH THE WORD GOD 5. TO RESTORE HOPE AND STRENGTH TO THE SICK, BROKEN HEARTED AND THE FRUSTRATED 6. TO RAISE PEOPLE FOR THE WORKS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY
PILLAR OF REDEEMER’S MISSION INTERNATIONAL
UNIQUE MEMBERS OF UNITY CLUB
The general public is hereby informed that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.
The General Public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.
THE TUSTEES ARE:1. OPATOLA FEMI ADEYEMI 2. OPATOLA ADENIKE ELIZABETH 3.OPATOLA MAYOWA ADEDAMOLA 4.SAMUEL OLUMIDE GBENGA 5.SAMUEL ABIMBOLA OLUWAYEMISI 6.OLABAYO SAMSON IDOWU 7.ALADESULU AJAYI YINUSA 8. ALADESULU JOHANAH ADETOLA
TRUSTEES 1. NWEZE IKECHUKWU JUDE 2. EGWUONWU NNAMDI ALEX 3. UTAZI OKECHUKWU ANTHONY 4. UDEWULU CHUKWUEMEKA CALI 5. MADUABIN RAPHAEL CHUKS 6. UGWU OSITA JAMES
THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1.To preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus christ 2.To propagate the word of God.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.To promote the spirit of oneness and brotherhood among members. 2.To encourage members to assist one another financially and morally while engaging in their various businesses and other endeavours. 3.To create and share ideas together and further implement same by carrying out projects and various positive achievements
Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Cresent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.
Signed by:- PASTOR FEMI ADEYEMI.
Signed: Secretary
THE THRONE OF GOD’S GLORY & SALVATION INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH. This is to inform the general public that the above named “MINISTRY” has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1 of 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) ABIODUN ONIFADE .G - President/Founder. (2) ONIFADE OLUYEMISI STELLA - Vice President. (3) DAVID AKIOLA IDOWU.- Sect/ Evangelist. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES (1) To preach the true gospel of our lord Jesus Christ. (2) To conduct deliverance sessions and pray fervently to ensure healing takes place.
AL- FALLAH BENEFICIENT FOUNDATION The General Public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Shonekan Ismail Olajide (chairman) 2. Shonekan Khadijah Adeola (secretary) 3. Adebisi Mustapha Seyi (PRO) THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1. Training. 2. Project. 3. Empowerment. 4. Campaign. 5. Agroprenuer
Any Objection(s) to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, PMB 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.
Signed by: TRUSTEES.
Signed by:SECRETARY
22 Public Notice THE NEW GLORY POWER ASSEMBLY INTERNATIONAL The General Public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE:1 PASTOR SAMUEL OMON ISERAMEIYA - Chairman/Senior Pastor. 2 MRS ,LOVETH IZEHI ISERAMEIYA - Member. 3. MR, DANIEL AJAYI -Secretary 4. PAATOR JOHN INOFE - Treasurer. 5. PASTOR PHILIP ABIMBOLA - Member. THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:1 Preaching the gospel and power of His glory. 2. To evangelize and win souls. 3. To bring healing and deliverance to the oppressed. 4. To engage in open and indoor crusade. 5. To establish institution of social welfare and charity. 6. To use communication Media ( Print, Electronic etc) to disseminate the gospel. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
DOXA-SOMA MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL (A.K.A THE GLORIOUS BODY MINISTRY) The General Public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. Joseph Baiyekusi 2. Christine Baiyekusi 3. Tunde Elesin 4. Olawale Olayiwola THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE IS: To Preach & Publish the efficacy of Unity in the Body of Christ Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication. Signed by:Olawale Olayiwola
Signed by:- SECRETARY
ALL UNITED SOCIAL-BROTHERS & FRIENDS CLUB OF NIGERIA The general public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. NDEKA HENRY UCHE Chairman 2. UKOMADU CHIDOZIE JOHNPASCAL General Secretary 3. IHEAKAM KELECHI Member 4. OKAFOR JOHNKINGSLEY EMMANUEL Member AIMS AND OBJECTIVE; . Activities of membership organization, . Social networking services. . To promote peace and unity among members . To promote and foster mutual beneficial relationship among members.
JOHN OGWAI CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION NOTICE is hereby given to the general public that the above-named Foundation has applied for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, No 1, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. John Ehimikhuai Aigboje Ogwai-President/Founder 2. Dr. Ofunre Eboreime - Vice President 3. Mrs. Anne Nwaka - Member 4. Mrs. June OnorheApanpa - Member 5. Mrs. Idowu – Obolo Ololade Olubunmi - Member 6. Unwana James Ubom - Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To carry out Christian discipleship. 2. To develop practical godly love and support by way of giving bursaries and scholarship to poor but deserving students. 3. To engage in charitable activities. 4. To do all things whatsoever necessary or convenient in carrying out the work of the Foundation in the furtherance of the purpose of which the Foundation is formed. 5. To encourage and assist any person, body or organisation with identical or complimentary aims and objectives.
ALLI BIN ABI TALIB CHARITABLE FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part ‘’C’’ Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. JAMIU ABDULYEKIN SOLADOYE 2. ADEMOLA DAUD AMUSAT 3. BASHIR ABDUL GANIY ONILOGBO Aims and Objectives: 1. To propagate the religion of Islam. 2. To assist in the construction of mosque, borehole and water for the needy. 3. To assist the widows, orphans and the less priviledge people in the society. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty eight (28)days of this publication SIGNED: TRUSTEES
THE BOAA FOUNDATION The above-named organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, No 1, 1990. TRUSTEES 1. Mohammed Musbahu Ibrahim – President 2. Ishaq Ibrahim Usman - Member 3. Abdulrashid Ibrahim Usman Yerima – Member 4. Halimatu Sadiya Ibrahim – Member/ Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FOUNDATION 1. TO PROMOTE SCHOLARSHIP BY CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND ORGANISING SEMINARS, SYMPOSIA AND LECTURES IN ALL AREAS OF HUMAN ENDEAVOURS. 2. TO ACT AS AN INDEPENDENT NON-SECTARIAN BODY FREE TO PURSUE SCHOLARLY TEACHINGS UNENCUMBERED BY DOGMA, IDEOLOGY AND LIMITATION. 3. TO PROMOTE THE DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE, TRADITION AND CULTURE BY WAY OF BOOKS, REPORTS, HANDBILLS, TRACTS, ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND OTHERWISE. 4. TO PROMOTE PHILANTROPY WITH A VIEW TO CARRYING OUR PROGRAMMES BENEFICIAL TO THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WELLBEIGN OF PEOPLE IN GENERAL. Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED:-
Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Pot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28days of this publication.
Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, P.M.B 198, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.
SIGN: TRUSTEES
SIGNED: U. J. UBOM ESQ.
HALIMATU SADIYA IBRAHIM SECRETARY
OGHENE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE
THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S WORD INTERNATIONAL MIRACLE MINISTRY
MIND RENEWING CHRISTIAN CENTRE INTERNATIONAL
Notice is hereby given to the general public that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.
This is to inform the general public that the above named Ministry has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990
This is to inform the general public that the above named Ministry has applied for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990
THE TRUSTEES ARE:1. EDITH WILLIAMS – PRESIDENT 2. EDUZOR CHUKWUNONSO MABEL – SECRETARY 3. BENEH BEATRICE CHINELO – ASST. SECRETARY 4. PEACE OLUNWA ENE – TREASURER 5. DORIS NWANNEKA AGU – PUBLICITY SECRETARY 6. IFEOMA CHINELO ENE – ASST. PUBLICITY SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To play a keynote of social, welfare, health, Education and community service. 2. To reach out to Orphanages and prison visitation, homeless, field trips, health and job workshop. Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja within 28 days of the publication. SIGNED:BARRISTER BLESSING ENE
FEEDING THE HUNGRY, NEEDY AND LESS PRIVILEGE INITIATIVE This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies And Allied Matters Act 1990. . TRUSTEES ARE 1. Akintoye Babalola. 2. Morenike Akinlua, AIM AND OBJECTIVE 1. To cater for the less privileged in the society. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off AguyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED ; ELAKHE JOE
THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. Mrs. Modupe Elizabeth Ajanaku - Chairman 2. Mr. Shola Elijah Oyeleke 3. Mr. Ajanaku Rotimi Ayotunji 4. Mrs. Abimbola Adejuwon 5. Mr. Kazeem Juctice Ganiyu 6. Mrs. Maureen Magdalene Akande 7. Mrs. Mary Johnson 8. Mrs. Tope Naomi Adekunle 9. Mr. Godwin Onyebuchi Micheal 10. Mr. Gbenga Joshua Olufowobi AIM AND OBJECTIVE : To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. SIGNED: SECRETARY
The TRUSTEES are (1) AISEKHABHOMO SUNDAY EHIMEN (2) ADEMULE OLUWATOYIN ABIODUN (3) JOWEIGHA PERE ENI (4) JOHN OGAH SUNDAY (5) ADEMULE DAVID OLUWASHINA (6) COLE OLAMILEKAN BABAJIDE AIMS & OBJECTIVES (I) To preach the Gospel of Christ for the Renewal of mankind (ii) To promote godliness and Biblical doctrines Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. ANNOUNCER:- Pastor Sunday Ehimen
GOD’S CAMP COVENANT MINISTRY
CHRIST TREASURE CENTRE
This is to inform the General Public that the above named Church has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.
This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied for Registration to the Corporate Affairs Commission under Part “C” of the Companies And Allied Matters Act 1990.
THE TRUSTEES ARE : 1. OLAMIDE FELIX JOSHUA 2. DOYIN-BELLO YETUNDE ADEOLA (SECRETARY) 3. OMOSUNLE MONDAY OLUWASEYIFUNMI 4. ODUNUKAN OLADAPO OLUSOGA.
TRUSTEES 1. Aladenusi temitope samuel. - President 2. Aladenusi oluwabusola Elizabeth 3. Ofla EmekaIdika. 4. Ajibade Gabriel olalekan. _ secretary 5. AWomuti. AdeyiikaAyokunnu
AIM AND OBJECTIVE : To preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs commission, plot 420, Tigris crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street Maitama Abuja within 28 Days from the date of this Publication. SIGN: SECRETARY
AIM AND OBJECTIVE 1. To spread gospel of christjesus Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off AguyiIronsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication Signed: BusilAgunwa. NBA/IND/17328 15 jere street Garki II, Abuja
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 VAMED PHARMACEUTICALS INDUSTRIES LTD RC N0. 623381
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 VAMED BIO-MEDICAL EQUIPMENTS & MAINTENANCE LTD RC N0. 614804
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 VAMED HEALTHCARE CONSUMABLES LTD RC N0. 614793
NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 468(1) & (2) of CAMA 2004 that a meeting of the above-named company will be held at the registered address of the company at 92B, Buchanam Close, Wuse II, Abuja at 10:00am on the 8th February, 2016.
NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 468(1) & (2) of CAMA 2004 that a meeting of the above-named company will be held at the registered address of the company at 92B, Buchanam Close, Wuse II, Abuja at 10:00am on the 8th February, 2016.
NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 468(1) & (2) of CAMA 2004 that a meeting of the above-named company will be held at the registered address of the company at 92B, Buchanam Close, Wuse II, Abuja at 10:00am on the 8th February, 2016.
AGENDA: a) To lay before the meeting, the account of the winding up of the company and give any explanation thereof. b) To consider any other business that may be related to the winding up of the company.
AGENDA: a) To lay before the meeting, the account of the winding up of the company and give any explanation thereof. b) To consider any other business that may be related to the winding up of the company.
AGENDA: a) To lay before the meeting, the account of the winding up of the company and give any explanation thereof. b) To consider any other business that may be related to the winding up of the company.
SIGNED MOBOLA BADA & ASSOCIATES Liquidator
SIGNED
MOBOLA BADA & ASSOCIATES Liquidator
SIGNED MOBOLA BADA & ASSOCIATES Liquidator
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
23 News
Death threat: Imo labour leaders apologise to Okorocha over false alarm Val Okara, Owerri
ÏÏÏThe
leaders of organised labour, in Imo State, on Thursday, tendered an apology to Governor Rochas Okorocha over false allegation of death and kidnap threat against them by the state government. Daily Times reports that labour leaders in the state had raised an alarm over their safety and that of their immediate fam-
ily members, alleging that the State Government was plotting to kidnap them for prevailing on the state civil servants from signing an undertaking form issued to them by the government. At a meeting at Government House, in Owerri, with Okorocha, the State Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the Department of State Security Services (DSS), it was denied that their personal safety was not
under any threat from the state government. According to them, they fabricated the allegation to give the workers the impression that they were being haunted by the state government. The Chairman the State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Austin Chilakpu, who had earlier reported that he does not stay in his home any more after his driver was abducted by gunmen who
stormed his home in a government vehicle, on a cross examination by the security Chiefs, denied that no such incident happened. He therefore, apologised to Okorocha to forgive the union leaders and allow peace to reign. Okorocha who was visibly angry over by the development, threatened to probe the matter to bring those behind the plot to ridicule his administration to book.
He said, “I will take this matter seriously because you people have made me look like a kidnapper. Some of them said that they were no longer sleeping in their homes because they were receiving text messages that they will be killed because they were working against the state government. But, today even those that said that their drivers were kidnapped came out to deny it. They were just out to tarnish my image”.
Gunmen kill businessman in Ebonyi
Enugu timber dealers hail passage of laws
Jacob Ogodo, Abakaliki
ÏÏÏThe Timber Traders
ÏÏÏA front line business
man in Amasiri, Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi State has been killed by gunmen. It was gathered that hoodlums numbering four robbed a warehouse in the area before proceeding to the shop of the businessman and shot him. The businessman was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. A resident of the area, Amadi Clement, told our correspondent that the hoodlums shot sporadically to scare people before they commenced operation. He added that the Afikpo Divisional Police Command was contacted and a team of policemen stormed the area, but that the robbers had shot someone and robbed a warehouse before their arrival. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP George Okafor, who confirmed the incident dismissed the claim that the hoodlums robbed warehouse and other shops, adding that a team of policemen from the Area Command and safer highway repelled robbery attack on some shops in the area. He said one person was shot by the hoodlums and that the victim died on the way to hospital.
Moses Oyediran, Enugu Association in Nsukka, Enugu State, has described the recent passage of the law prohibiting sale of timber and timber products outside the local- government-approved market for timber dealers in the area as historic for their members. Its Chairman, Chief Mike Ugwunaeze, while
explaining to the Daily Times applauded the new law passed by Nsukka legislative council and said that he was optimistic that the law would stop indiscriminate setting up of timber sheds in Nsukka Local Government Area. “The legislation will compel all the erring timber dealers in all the unapproved areas to move to the timber shed approved for us by government located on Enugu road, opposite Fen Park junction,
Nsukka. Ugwunaeze, in company of members of the association, said that they were happy with the law, promising to support the government in ensuring that his colleagues adhere to the law. “As at now, there are government unapproved timber sheds in IbeagwaAni, Obukpa, Ede-Oballa, among others, but if this law is implemented it will bring dealers of timber and timber products to
one place. “All the members of Nsukka Timber Association supports this new law in its entirety”, he said Daily Times recalled that at the plenary of the Nsukka legislative council, the leader, Hon. Celestine Ogbu, said the new law would make it an offence for anybody to set up timber shed in other parts of the council area outside government-approved timber shed. Ogbu stressed that the
KUYE ADETOLA
MRS LINDA AILOYOMO BELLO ASEKOME
MRS. CHINOMSO CHAMBERLNY
I formerly known and addressed as ILESANIMI EDWARD BABATUNDE, now wish to be known and called EDWARD BOLATUNDE MATHEW. All former document remain valid. The general public take note.
I formerly known and addressed as OGUNMEKAN ADETOLA, now wish to be known and called KUYE ADETOLA. All former document remain valid. The general public take note.
I FORMERLY MISS LINDA AILOYOMO BELLO NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS LINDA AILOYOMO BELLO ASEKOME. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.
I formerly known and addressed as CHINOMSO OKAFOR, now wish to be known and called MRS. CHINOMSO CHAMBERLNY. All former document remain valid. The general public take note.
ARIKAWE CHRISTIANA TITILOPE
EDWARD BLESSING ARINOLA
MRS. CHIBUZOR JULIET RICKETTS
OPEOLUWA DAMILOLA FASHINA
I formerly known and addressed as IKUJENIYA CHRISTIANA TITILOPE, now wish to be known and called ARIKAWE CHRISTIANA TITILOPE. All former document remain valid. The general public take note.
I formerly known and addressed as BELLO SHALEWA ARINOLA, now wish to be known and called EDWARD BLESSING ARINOLA. All former document remain valid. The general public take note.
I, formerly known as MS. CHIBUZOR JULIET UZUAKPUNDU, now wish to be addressed as MRS. CHIBUZOR JULIET RICKETTS. All documents bearing my maiden name remain valid. The public should take note.
I formerly known and addressed as OPEOLUWA DAMILOLA OLANREWAJU, now wish to be known and called OPEOLUWA DAMILOLA FASHINA. All former document remain valid. The general public take note.
EDWARD BOLATUNDE MATHEW
PUBLIC NOTICE
BOSEDE ATINUKE BENSON
MISS. ARIJE RONKE ELIZABETH
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 VAMED HOSPITAL PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT LTD RC N0. 614810
I formally known as OKEOWO SILIFAT ATINUKE now wishes to be addressed as BOSEDE ATINUKE BENSON. All Former documents still remain valid. Attention general public.
I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS. ARIJE IYABO RONKE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS. ARIJE RONKE ELIZABETH. FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.
NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 468(1) & (2) of CAMA 2004 that a meeting of the above-named company will be held at the registered address of the company at 92B, Buchanam Close, Wuse II, Abuja at 10:00am on the 8th February, 2016. AGENDA: a) To lay before the meeting, the account of the winding up of the company and give any explanation thereof. b) To consider any other business that may be related to the winding up of the company. SIGNED MOBOLA BADA & ASSOCIATES Liquidator
RITA NKECHI ISRAEL
CHANGE OF NAME
I Formerly known as Rita Nkechi Nwaka, now wish to be known and address as RITA NKECHI ISRAEL. All former document remains valid. The general public should please take note.
AGU: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AGU PATIENCE CHIDOZIE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ABANOKWU PATIENCE CHIDOZIE. All documents bearing my former name remain valid. General public take note.
Gov. Okorocha
P’ Harcourt Airport ready soon –FAAN boss Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
ÏÏÏThe
Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engineer Saleh Dunoma, has said that work at the Port Harcourt International Airport was going on according to plan. Speaking to aviation journalists in his office on the pace of work in the aviation sector, Dunoma said work was on going at various airports across the country but that of Port Harcourt was faster. He said the terminal would be completed before the end of the year, adding that “work on the terminals have gone far, especially Port Harcourt, followed by Kano, Abuja and Lagos.” Dunoma advised passengers to bear with FAAN as a result of the inconvenience being encountered due to work on the site adding that they would soon start enjoying the services of FAAN. Police arrest hunter over Ekiti robbery The police in Ekiti State have arrested one person in connection with the gun attack that occurred in Aramoko Ekiti leading to the death of a commercial driver, Mr. Femi Philips. Spokesman for the police in the state, Mr. Alberto
News 24
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Weapons were found in bunker at Owonifari market – Lagos govt Benjamin Omoike
ÎÎÎFollowing the demolition
on Tuesday of Owonifari Market within the notorious loop of Oshodi, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos state, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, while defending the action of the state government, said that Oshodi deserves sanity and safety just as any other part of the metropolis. Fielding questions from journalists at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, in Ikeja, on Thursday, Ayorinde said government will not be blackmailed or coerced by any group of persons in her quest to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the Lagos. The
Commissioner said all necessary steps were taken and due consultations were made to ensure that the entire process did not run foul of the law. He said security of lives and property was of utmost importance to the government and even though he wouldn’t want to divulge more than he should, especially regarding security and intelligence matters, he could authoritatively say that weapons were found hidden in an underground bunker at the market. This he said, was one major reason the government decided to take the bull by the horn. To further emphasise the level of empathy and magnanimity of the governor towards the displaced traders,
he said they were being given shops at the newly-built ultramodern Isopakodowo Market in Bolade-Oshodi at a monthly give away price of N5, 000. Ayorinde, who revealed this at a joint press briefing addressed by the state’s ministries of Information and Strategy, the Environment, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Office of Civic Engagement, said this alternative market stall can conveniently accommodate over 600 shops and hundreds of kee clamps. Giving a further background, the Commissioner said: “A few of them expressed certain misgivings but largely
they felt that if their interest would be accommodated within the Isopakodowo Market, that they were willing and ready to move and on our part, we said that the discussion should be ongoing particularly regarding how much they would pay for each store within that market. “After that, on Monday, December 21, 2015, Governor Ambode went on a tour of that market area, particularly at Isopakodowo in company of a few members of the Exco. Again, we met with the leadership of the market where it was eventually agreed, based on the proposition by the leadership that what they were willing to pay for each shop at Isopakodowo was N5, 000.
Saraki compensates victims of communal clash in Ilorin
Saraki
Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin
ÎÎÎThe Senate Pesident, Dr.
Bukola Saraki, on Thursday in Ilorin, gave out N2, 650,000 compensation to victims of last year’s fracas at Agbarere and Ita Ajia whose vehicles were destroyed by the hoodlums, who invaded the quarters and inflicted damage on their property. The Director General of Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) constituency office, Hon. Abdulwahab Issa, who personally handed over the money, said that N50, 000
was approved to be given to each of the 28 victims at Ita Ajia and 25 at Agbarere whose vehicles were affected. He recalled that when the incident occurred on April 25, 2015 during which five houses were burnt at Agbarere, Dr. Saraki sent N500, 000 for the rehabilitation of each house while he gave another N1, 500 to them when he personally visited the scene about a fortnight later. At Ita Ajia, he sent N500, 000 for the rehabilitation of the damaged building and like sum when he visited. Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Funsho Issa, the Chief of staff to Chairman of Ilorin East Local Government which essentially suffered the brunt, thanked the President of the Senate for the gesture and prayed God to continue to assist him also.
Nigerian activist alleges death threat in UK ÎÎÎA
L-R: Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Monammed; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammed Buhari at the Inauguration of National Research and Innovation Council in Abuja… on Thursday.
Edo govt denies owing workers’ salaries
Titus Akhigbe, Benin
ÎÎÎEdo
state government has reiterated that no worker in the state is owed salary, saying that December salary was paid before Christmas day. Reacting to the coalitions of tertiary institutions workers who protested round some major streets in Benin demanding for their five months salaries owed them by the Edo state government, the state Commissioner for Education, Gideon Obakhan said the state government does not owe any of its works force, in-
cluding workers of the state owned tertiary institutions. Obakhan, who stated this on Thursday while interacting with some journalists on the issues, said Edo state government is one of the few states in Nigeria today that have been able to pay salaries up to date. “The issue with the coalition of tertiary institutions union is between them and their management. Every month the state government gives subvention to these institutions and they are expected to also generate revenue internally to be able to run the schools.
“I think it is either misunderstanding of how these institutions are run on the part of the coalitions, or people are just trying to be mischievous. “It is untrue that the ministry have not waded into the crisis between the union and their management. We have series of meetings in my office where they appeal for support and bailout and in December last year, close to the Christmas period, the governor, in order to reduce the pressure on the workers who were saying the schools have not paid them, approved a bailout for them
which was paid to the institutions. “I have received messages from these institutions that they have received same and have also paid their workers. “Like I said earlier, their agitation could be due to the misunderstanding on how the processes works or people just want to be mischievous for political reasons. “I cannot rely on hearsay or act based on what I heard from one party. When I get the responses from management of these institutions, I would decide on the next line of action to take” Obakhan said.
London-based Nigerian political activist, Prof. Alexia Thomas has raised the alarmed over threats to her life, even as she is calling on the British government to protect her from being exterminated. Prof. Thomas is the Chairman of The Commonwealth Liberation Party and Chieftain (TCLP), a UK-based political party, and a frontline advocate for the emancipation of Commonwealth citizens in the European
nation. She also a Chieftain of the Commonwealth Alliance Treaty Commission. For the latest move against her, the female activist may have gone underground and in hiding. In a release made available to journalists in London, Tuesday, the female activist alleged that some agents of unknown persons suspected to be hired assailants have been sending threatening messages to her, while she is being trailed round the country.
Low turnout mars Niger PDP LGA campaign flag off Pita Chikwem, Minna
ÎÎÎThe Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) campaign flag off in Niger state recorded a low turnout, just as there was hostility from Nigerlites who were chanting ‘Bamu so’ (we don’t want). The campaign rally, which took place in Kontagora on Thursday was greeted with poor turnout from residents of the local government area and party members from across the state.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the poor turnout was not unconnected with the level of under development in the state caused by the PDP led administration for the past 16 years. It would be recalled that the APC on Tuesday had its flag off campaign in Minna and led by the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, where he told his supporters to vote in APC candidates and ensure PDP remains out of power.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
25 Opinion
The examples of goodness
ÏÏÏ Until she won the 2015 Caine Prize for African Writing, Namwali Serpell enjoyed relative obscurity at her Associate Professorship position at Berkeley, California. If the Caine Prize didn’t thrust her into the African and global limelights, beyond the inhabited borders of the literati and the bitter spaces of critics, her hand of giving and her golden heart of love certainly brought her fame and great renown. Today, Serpell, Zambian, is not only famous for the prowess of her art, the brilliance of her fiction, and for the genius of her prose but also now well renowned for reconnecting the vessels of humanity to the blood that binds us, for sharing joys with others-a labour of love, for humanizing compassion and kindness, for denying the self the pleasure of enjoying the fruit at the hands of labour, and for providing a stellar example to a world that has long grown greedy and selfish, a world complicated by the problem of ME, MYSELF and I. The world shouldn’t be greedy and selfish. The world shouldn’t be problematized by ME, MYSELF and I, by the spirit of the self, by the ubiquitous wraith-that which conquers the human habitation,
which inhabits our communal space, and foists upon it greed, lust and that constant question of what’s in it for me- by the phantom culture that inhibits fellowship and bond, love and affection, WE and US, and makes blood lighter and water thicker. The world shouldn’t be so! Sadly, it is the world we live in. There are those who reject the self-seeking ways of the world, who reject the notion of exalting the will of the self above the collective will, the individual will above the communal will, and who seek the moral aspect of the self- the selfless aspect that promotes the true ideal of “give, and it shall be given unto you... for with the same measure it shall be measured unto you”. Still, there are those who object to Ayn Rand’s description of selfishness as a moral virtue and of the selfish person as a “selfrespecting, self-supporting human being who neither sacrifices others to himself nor sacrifices himself to others”. Serpell is one of those objectors, a conscientious one at that, I must stress. That sense of objection didn’t escape her one moment last year when she decided to share her $15,000 Caine Prize money with
stood in front of their television sets and cheered her to victory. She certainly wouldn’t have forgotten those who cupped their faces because they were too frightened to watch the television. She would have remembered friends at the Free House in Berkeley she owed a pint of lager or two. She chose to forget them. She remembered the kindred of the writing fraternity. This is the Serpell example: to share our possessions with humanity is to gift love to all men and women!
Namwali Serpell
other writers ( Masande Ntshanga, FT Kola, Elnathan John and Segun Afolabi) who made the shortlist of the Caine Prize. This is what she told the British Broadcasting Corporation in July, 2015: “I wanted to change the structure of the prize. It is very awkward to be placed in this position of competition with other writers you respect immensely and you feel yourself put in a sort of American idol or racehorse situation when actually, you all want yo support each other”. Bless her. No naked person offers his nakedness as a gift to the world. Sharing the prize money is an “act of mutiny”, she rebelliously stated at the time. Serpell is wrong. Sharing, an intricate aspect of giving, is an act of kind-
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ness, of love and of compassion. This is more so when one considers the fact that no writer, including Segun Afolabi, the 2005 winner, ever found it expedient to share their prize money with other writers, so that other winners could share their prize money with others at another time, at least going by the information available in the public space. All of this would have happened: Serpell would have walked away with her prize money, like other prize-winners before her. In her moment of glory, she would have remembered those nights she toiled alone with her short story. She would have remembered her grandparents who eke out their livelihood in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. She would have remembered friends in downtown Lusaka who
Enter Josephine Ugwu, who many folks don’t know was only a week and a half ago named by the highly regarded online youth platform, Ynaija, as its ‘Person of the Year. Ugwu, a cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was performing her routine duties on the 23rd day of January, 2015 at the arrival lounge of the airport when she found a bag lying unattended to on the concourse. She narrates her story: “That particular day I was doing morning shift. As I was cleaning, I saw the bag on the floor where passengers were waiting. Around 7:20pm when I closed and was about to leave I saw the bag again still in the same position. I told passengers there to take note of the bag so they will not forget. The passengers said it did not belong to them. So, I had to take the bag to the security point. The security men then opened it and counted the money”. The recovered bag contained foreign currencies of different denominations,
when converted topped a little over twelve million naira. The example of Ugwu sheds light on the goodness of humanity. While it fulfills the moral ideal that out of the goodness of the heart comes good, goodness, comes righteousness, comes love and kindness, so that the good heart can go on living forever, it also extols the best in us and restores faith in our much maligned humanity. The other example of Ugwu is that which makes the aspiration of the second stanza of the national anthem real and profound. That she, like many others, sought the God of Creation to direct her noble cause, in love and honesty to grow, could forever live just and true with her conscience isn’t lost here. Ugwu could have shunned the piety of the writer of the anthem. She would have betrayed her conscience by bolting far away with the bag into the anonymity of the Lagos suburbia without a trace. She didn’t. She did the noble thing by returning the bag to its grateful owner. Can anything good come out of our country? Come and see countless Good Samaritans-poor folks, unsung and unnoticed, who, tempted by their conditions to hide lost and found items away to improve their lives, don’t yield to temptation, so that mercy will continually follow them. They are thankful for their good and unblemished lives-at least. Can anything good come out of our country? Meet Josephine Ugwu, “in whom there is no deceit”!
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Art Review
Æs
Master of uli art, Uche Okeke recedes to ancestors Agozino Agozino
The Late Okeke
An era ended in Nigerian visual arts community last Monday morning following the newsbreak of the death of frontline contemporary Nigerian artist, and very socio-cultural member of Zaria Art Society, Professor Uche Okeke . His death in his hometown Nimo Anambra State, came as a curtain-call to his over four decade work as painter, lecturer and mentor to young artists in Nigeria and several parts of the world. Okeke, along with Bruce Onobrakpeya, Demas Nwoko and Yusuf Grillo, led the struggle that metamorphosed into Zaria Art Society in Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology (now Ahmadu Bello University) Zaria, passed on Monday after a protracted struggle against stroke. He dedicated his faculties to giving voice to Nigerian visual arts culminating in his several art exhibitions in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Okeke’s early work ranged from pen and ink portraits, to figures rendered in pen and ink and based upon Igbo tales, to a series of images rendered in gouache that were published in Tales of Land of Death (1971). He created images of Igbo spirits, mythic figures, and masqueraders in various media. A scene from Chinua Achebe’s famous novel Things Fall Apart was illustrated by Okeke in oil paint, as was a scene of Igbo women demonstrating during the 1929 Aba Riots in southeastern Nigeria. The man who through the peak period of his career, 1960s through late 1990s produced great art works appears to have left the world in fulfillment, notwithstanding his long battle with debilitating stroke. He died on early hours of Monday, January 4, at his home tome Nimo Anambra State. Mourning his passage, members of the Nigerian arts community recall the rare contributions he made as an pinter and mentor to younger artists. Some also cite his contribution in the Zaria art movement struggle among other legacies he left behind. Born in 1933, in Nimo, Okeke
Okeke’s early work ranged from pen and ink portraits, to figures rendered in pen and ink and based upon Igbo tales, to a series of images rendered in gouache that were published in Tales of Land of Death (1971) with the aid of Prof. Chike Aniakor and others developed the art program at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from 1970, at the end of the Biafran War until 1985. Okeke’s curiosity about his own culture was whetted by Igbo tales told by his mother and sister, by his secondary school education in the Igbo land, and later by the discovery that his mother had been an uli artist. Attending the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology (now Ahmadu Bello University) at Zaria from 1958 to 1961, Okeke and other art students fought against formal British artistic training and the work of earlier contemporary artists in Nigeria, arguing instead for the ‘natural synthesis’ of indigenous elements with topical issues. He founded the Asele Institute, a cultural center now located at his residence in Nimo, which houses an art library and a collection of contemporary Nigerian art. Drawing strongly on the rich linear qualities of uli, Okeke thoughtfully uses Igbo cultural materials in a positive, forwardlooking manner rather than a nostalgic way. He sees the state of development of contemporary art in Nigeria as related to the country’s condition in general, and he has done much to call attention to the importance of art to the life of the nation.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
27
Art Review
Oladejo
An artist with a mission
He does not just believe that art is a divine calling; he uses art to bring people to God. Agozino Agozino Although many artists boast of their academic qualifications when it comes to art, but he admits he was like the biblical Zerubbabel, who thinks it is not by power nor strength but by God. And today, God has made him accomplish what other have not done. Victor Oladejo, a multitalented artist, who believes in standing out in the crowd, is a good story any day. The chief executive of Dejak Artistique, by 7Up bustop, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, holds the view that an artist should first seek the call of God and all other things will follow. For many years, Oladejo, who will take you round his outdoor gallery explaining every bit of the works, is a reference point, because his works blend architecture with fine arts. He is an expert in turning ordinary buildings into castles and spectacular monuments. Recently, the brain behind the Lagos State Artists in Beautification Projects, which helped in the transformaction of Lagos under the former Governor Raji Fashola Mega-City beautification exercise, Oladejo describes himself as copying nobody but listening to God for inspiration and direction. He is the brain behind the turn-around of the Oshodi Heritage Park, located in Mile 2 Road end of the Oshodi. In his outdoor gallery, called Dejak Artistique, located around Mobolaji Johnson Avenue, Ikosi Road Junction, opposite 7up Bottling Company, Ikeja, the artist displays an array of sculptured pieces, paintings
and water fountain creations, made of stone that jostles visitors. The artworks attract a clan of clients, comprising the mighty and the low, who, regularly, visit for sight-seeing or commissions. He disclosed to Daily Times how his art making venture started even when some critics thought he was wasting his time. It is like a grace to grace story which can serve as lesson to younger artists. “The secret is that I am playing a role scripted by God. I seek the will of God to fulfill my passion. It was like a calling to me. I did not just jump into it . I had a clear vision from the beginning. I was shown stone in a revelation and since then I have been using stone as a major part of my works. Fountain works have been in vogue before my involvement in art, Waterfalls have also been in vogue . But since I started back in 1984, till today, I have done more than 3960 waterfalls and Fountain projects in many parts of the country. All of these are made of stones. I pray before I lay my hand on any work. And I have received favours, ” Oladejo disclosed. Aside his Monumental Exhibition Garden, which often catches the attention of many travellers, Oladejo’s has also added another feather, with a new ultra-modern hotel completed in Ikosi Ketu Lagos. The masterpieces which boast of imposing art gallery and facilities will soon serve as venue for art events. On its own, it is spectacle to behold with busts, murals, metal works and miniatures. If there is anything that keeps
Oladejo’s aspiration strong as an artist, it is his basic belief that anyone who calls himself an artist must be able to have his inspiration. This mission actually sees him through to the top of the radar. He notes that it is often those artists who fail to do this that tend not to last in the career. Oladejo believed that every artist must keep faith with his own inspirations even when patronage was not forthcoming. Buttressing this with his personal experience, he said: “My case is not that of someone who saw what other people are doing and went after it. Rather, I can liken my walking in this path which, to me has been successful, to the case of the first artist in the Bible, Bezaleel. I wanted to be discouraged when some people refused to accept sculpture. But I read my Bible and in Exodus I saw how God ordained Bezaleel and my inspiration was strengthened. Go to the Bible and you will see that there are many artists in the Bible but check the story of Bezaleel”. From a humble background, Oladejo, who goes to studio and locations on his four-wheel drives somehow believes he has a divine ordination for the field he is engaged in. “My life is a script written by God, in which I am acting. It is a miracle because I did not have a role model when I started. I found myself in a system, which I had to develop, spiritually. I had difficult situations and I endured. The reason is because I was guided by two powerful inspirations, goodness and mercy. Since then, I have
been meeting with goodness, and up till today, I have never lacked”, said the well built black skinned artist. He informed that just through art works, Dejak Artistique had reached many places, but, he emphasised that the outfit sees art as something that goes beyond the conventional painting, sculpture and the mainstream art genres or art business methods. The firm’s work, he explained, comprises upgrading the environment. The aspect of the landscape it engages in is holistic and involves horticultural landscaping as well as the erection of artistic monuments and other art works. It also engages in waterfalls and fountain beautification, tombstone and sculptures. The art turf had not been always rosy for the Ondo man. But he recalled that even at the toughest times of his career, rather than look at other sources, he totally obeyed his spirit. In fact, he said that success understands the spirit of obedience. As he noted, when he received the call to do art, he obeyed. “It is not because I saw people doing art and succeeding or whatever”, he said. To him, the terrain of art business today is very different to what it was some years back. He noted that when he started, the level of art appreciation was low, but, today things have changed. “I came into arts when the level of arts appreciation was very low. To art lovers and intending artists then, things were hard. Not many were, really, ready to be artists because people did not really see artists as doing well. To those who, actually, were into art, they had a lot of challenges”, he reminisced. Oladejo hails from Ondo town in Ondo State. He had his primary and secondary education in Ondo. It was upon coming to Lagos that he had his tertiary education to study Marketing. He talks of his study of Marketing and how the lack of fulfillment in that venture led to other things that, eventually, dovetailed into fine arts. His many collectors include Pastor Tunde Bakare, Admiral Akin Aduwo (rtd.), Alhaji Femi Bakri, Chief ‘Layi Amoje. His works include the ‘Eyo’ and Oba Adeniji Adele sculpture in Lagos among others.
Onobi not injured, he’s only off form - Official
O
Onobi
ne of the players tipped to shine for Nigeria at the 2016 CHAN, Paul Onobi, has not suffered an injury, but was hauled off from a warmup game against Angola because he is struggling to hit form, a team official has revealed. Sunshine Stars midfielder Onobi, who made the headlines
when he not only benched Chelsea star Mikel Obi in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Swaziland, but posted a fivestar display in the Eagles midfield, was replaced by
coach Sunday Oliseh after just 35 minutes against Angola. The match report posted on the NFF official website said Onobi picked up a knock.
Ighalo will not join Man United – Deeney g 30
Page 28
N
igeria goalkeeper, Dele Alampasu, has said he hopes to play more games in the new year after he debuted for Portuguese club Feirense in a 1-0 win over hosts Famalicao in a League Cup game. Alampasu was heroic for his team as he made no less than four point-blank saves and kept a clean sheet to emerge as man of the match. He said he was thrilled to make his bow in Portugal. “I know at some point it will happen because
Friday, January 8, 2016
Abia Warriors
I have been doing well in training. I am looking forward to more games in 2016,” he said. His representative, Olusola Orelaja, said the young shot stopper will now get a decent run at his Portuguese club. “It was not a surprise to us because he has been doing well both in training and friendly matches. Even he (Alampasu) could not believe it, though he knew his chance was fast approaching,”Orelaja said. “He will push the first-choice goalkeeper.”
resume training MIKE OTANWA
Alampasu shines in bebut match in Portugal Oliseh and Eagles players
Nigeria not ready for CHAN yet
-Oliseh MIKE OTANWA
N
igeria Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh has admitted his team are not yet ready for the 2016 CHAN after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola in a warm-up match in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles ‘B’ team took the lead from the penalty spot after 84 minutes through experienced Nigeria league campaigner Bartholomew Ibenegbu, before CHAN-bound Angola drew level four minutes later. “I am happy with the way they played,
Alampasu
but we’re not yet ready for CHAN,” admitted Oliseh, who faces his first major test in charge of Nigeria at the tournament reserved for players who feature in their home leagues. The coach said his team have had to cope with Injuries and high altitude. “We played the game without strikers because our two top strikers (Tunde Adeneji and Chisom Chikatara) are injured and we also have to get used to the high altitude,” he explained. Nigeria finished third on their CHAN debut two years ago in South Africa. Officials said the Eagles will observe a rest day today before they resume training in Pretoria the following day. They play another warmup match against Cote d’Ivoire on Monday.
A
bia Warriors FC have resumed training for the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League season after observing the Christmas and New Year holidays granted the players by the technical crew. Addressing the players, Coach Kennedy Boboye said everybody should brace up for the challenges ahead as Abia Warriors have a target to meet at the end of the season. The new season is expected to kickoff at the end of January. Abia Warriors Chairman, Emeka Inyama, who watched the training session with members of his Board, reminded the players and their coaches of the need to work very hard in order to meet the club’s target of winning the league for the first time or at least picking a continental ticket at the end of the season.
FIFA
ranking: N retain 66thigeria spot
N
igeria’s Super Eagles fortune remains unchanged on the latest Fifa ranking on Thursday same as December 2015. The three-time African champions maintained its unimpressive 66th in the world as well as shocking 14th position in Africa. The country’s fortune may experience a leap in February ranking should the Super Eagles team B go ahead to excel at the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Kigali, Rwanda. Nigeria will confront Africa’s two best ranked countries, Tunisia and Guinea in CHAN Group C qualification race. West African neighbours, Ivory Coast retained its 19th best African ranking in the world and number one in the continent while Algeria kept the second spot same as Ghana, Cape Verde Island, Tunisia and Senegal in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth position respectively. In the world Belgium kept the first position followed by the South American heavy weights, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Portugal, Colombia, England and Austria in that order.
Friday, January 8, 2016
EXTRATIME
Onisiwo joins FC Mainz
G
erman Bundesliga club Mainz 05 have completed the signing of Karim Onisiwo on a free transfer. The Austria-born forward of Nigerian descent penned the three-and-a-half-year contract that will keep him at the Coface Arena until the summer of 2019. The former SV Mattersburg attacker scored 20 league goals in just 51 appearances for the Austrian side, making him a hot prospect in Europe and his transfer to a bigger league inevitable. Standing at an imposing 188cm, Onisiwo is a physical specimen who can play either as a winger or a striker. The 23-year-old Austrian attacker joins Nigerian International, Leon Balogun, at the German side.
Onisiwo
29
s ’ r a k a b u b A Death: More condolence
messages pouring in NFF
M
ore condolence messages have poured in following the murder on Wednesday of NFF’s Head of Protocol, Ibrahim Abubakar. Abubakar was killed by unknown gunmen in his house in Kado Estate, Gwarinpa, Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday, and buried in Kaduna the same day according to Islamic rites. NFF 2nd Vice President Shehu Dikko, who was at the NFF Secretariat on Thursday morning, described the late Abubakar as an epitome of energy and resourcefulness. “He was a very dedicated officer
who did his job with all his energy. The NFF will miss him greatly,” Dikko stated. “This is a tragic incident that troubles the mind greatly. ‘Ibro’was such a gentleman, so easy –going that one continues to wonder who he could have offended. “It is heart-breaking anytime I think about it. May his soul rest in peace,” NFF Executive Committee member, Barr. Chris Green, said on Thursday. Another NFF Executive Committee member, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, also wondered how the meek and hardworking Abubakar could have offended anyone. “The news of the death of Ibrahim Abubakar is devastating. This is one
There’s hope for physically challenged sportsmen
- Adekunle
FCT-FA- condolence visit person I know who never shied away from any work, never shirked any responsibility and did his job day and night with gusto. “I am very disturbed at the nature of his death. I pray that nothing of such happens again in Nigeria football,” said Chief Anyansi-Agwu. Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi, yet another member of the NFF Executive Committee, lamented the
Edidiong ibanga
T
he assistant coach of disabled shot-put team, Joseph Adekunle has given an insight on believing and hoping that physically challenged people can do well in their respective games. He made this assertion at the Lagos national stadium, on Wednesday during a training session. “I train mostly dwarfs, am fully aware of their potentials and weakness”. I see no much difference between them and the others. They equally put in their best like others, and with determination and focus
slain of the diligent officer. “It is most unfortunate. The death of Ibrahim Abubakar, and the nature of death, is a tragedy. I have known the young man for sometime now and I have always known him to be a gentleman. “It is a very sad situation. I pray for the repose of his gentle soul,” said Otunba Dele-Ajayi.
they have the chance of arriving at the same destination, he said. He added that the organizers of such sport often neglect their functions apparently because of the economic situation in the country, saying the Olympic Games was supposed to have been held two years ago but was postponed. Things of this category does not really promote the interest of the game. Speaking on the general challenge he said, “Its revolves around finance, stating that there are insufficient fund to finance the team and to lift it from its present level to the international level.”
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Friday, January 8, 2016
EXTRATIME Weekend fixtures
Alli
Klopp to blame for injuries
– Allardyce
deserves England starting shirt - Wilkins
S
underland manager, Sam Allardyce, has blamed Jurgen Klopp’s tactics for Liverpool’s current injury crisis. Liverpool’s 1-0 win in the first leg of their Capital One Cup match at Stoke on Tuesday was marred by injuries to Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren. Reds midfielder Adam Lallana said manager Klopp’s training regime is not to blame for the spate of hamstring problems at the club. Luis Suarez has been a key figure in Liverpool’s title charge this season. But Allardyce, who recently called Klopp a “soft German,” said in The Times: “That is him [Klopp] asking his players to play a high-tempo pressing game from the top end. “It’s great that the players have been able to carry it out but I think it [fatigue] has kicked in now.”
S
Alli
Loan failure:
Ojo
returns to Liverpool Klopp
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igerian-born forward Sheyi Ojo has headed back to Liverpool after he struggled to impress while on loan at English Championship side Wolves. The 18-year-old Ojo made 19 appearances for Wolves, scoring three goals. He could be back on squad of the injury-hit Liverpool for today’s FA Cup tie against Exeter City, so too Tiago Ilori, whose father is also Nigerian. Ilori has had his loan at Aston Villa cancelled after suffering niggling injuries. Liverpool need him in the heart of the defence Arfa as centre-halves Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren are all injured.
Coutinho, P Lovren to miss United game
hilippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren have been ruled out of Liverpool’s crunch Premier League meetings with Arsenal and Manchester United. The pair limped off with hamstring injuries during Tuesday’s 1-0 Capital One Cup semifinal first-leg win at Stoke City. Reds manager Jurgen Klopp
purs new sensation, Dele Alli, deserves to be handed a starting shirt by England at the Euros in the summer, according to ex-international Ray Wilkins. Wilkins won 84 caps with ‘The Three Lions’ and he has been most impressed with what Nigerian-born Alli has produced on his debut season in the English Premier League. The former MK Dons star has scored five goals in 18 appearances for Spurs, who are fourth on the EPL table. The 19-year-old Alli has won four caps and scored a goal for England and he is now in strong contention to make the final cut to the Euros in France in June with Wilkins even picking him in his starting XI for England at the tournament. “Alli will be an exceptional player, he brings energy and great technique, he can finish, always on the move as well as being of a bit of a character,” remarked Wilkins, a reliable midfielder in his playing days.
Sat Jan. 9, 2016 Ligue 1 Oly/ Lyonnais v Troyes 17: 00 Angers v Caen 20: 00 Monaco v G/Ajaccio 20: 00 Montpellier v Bordeaux 20: 00 Reims v Toulouse 20: 00 Rennes v Lorient 20: 00 Serie A Carpi v Udinese 15: 00 Fiorentina v Lazio 18: 00 Roma v Milan 20: 45 La Liga Barcelona v Granada 16: 00 Getafe v Real Betis 18: 15 Sevilla v Athletic 18: 15 Real Madrid v Deportivo 20: 30 Levante v R/Vallecano 22: 05 Sun Jan. 10, 2016 Ligue 1 Nantes v Saint-Éti. 14: 00 Lille v Nice 17: 00 Olympique M. v Guingamp 21: 00 Serie A Internazionale v Sassuolo 12: 30 Atalanta v Genoa 15: 00 Bologna v Chievo 15: 00 Frosinone v Napoli 15: 00 Hellas Verona v Palermo 15: 00 Torino v Empoli 15: 00 Sampdoria v Juventus 20: 45 La Liga Villarreal v S/Gijón 12: 00 Real Sociedad v Valencia 16: 00 Eibar v Espanyol 18: 15 Las Palmas v Málaga 18: 15 Celta de Vigo v Atl/Madrid20: 30 World - Friendlies Finland v Sweden 15: 45 Rwanda v Congo DR 14: 30 Uganda v Gabon 17: 00
Ighalo
won’t join Man United – Deeney
W
atford captain Troy Deeney is adamant his strike partner Odion Ighalo is going nowhere -following a report that the Nigerian said his dream was to join Manchester United. Deeney believes Ighalo will stay at Vicarage Road and is convinced Watford’s manager, Quique Sanchez Flores, and owners, the Pozzo family, would not allow Ighalo to be sold in this window. A report in The Sun quoted Ighalo, who scored more goals than any other player in England’s top-four divisions in 2015, as saying
has confirmed neither will be fit in time for the home clashes with the Gunners on Jan. 13 and United on January 17. Before that, the pair will also miss Friday’s FA Cup third-round tie away to Exeter City. To compound Lovren’s absence, fellow centre-back Kolo Toure, who finished the
game at Stoke with cramp, will also be unavailable, leaving the German with no fit central defenders in his firstteam squad. Luis Suarez has been a key figure in Liverpool’s title charge this season. Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel were already battling knee and hamstring problems respectively.
Ighalo
“playing at Old Trafford has always been a dream.” Deeney said that Ighalo, a boyhood United fan, was talking hypothetically when discussing a move to United. “I think his comments [about United] were taken out of context a little bit,” Deeney said. “He isn’t going to leave in January. The manager and the owner have made that clear -- I have just seen him on the school run and he is in no rush to go anywhere any time soon.” Gab Marcotti scoffs at rumours that Chelsea would trade Eden Hazard for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale.
Coutinho
Friday, January 8, 2016
EXTRATIME
Pioli
Bastia
test for PSG as Lyon open new ground
slams United target And
P
aris Saint-Germain will hope the winter break has not removed any of their sharpness as the runaway Ligue 1 leaders welcome Bastia to the Parc des Princes today (Friday). PSG sat an enormous 19 points clear of the chasing pack at the season’s mid-way stage as they set a new record points tally for the first half of the campaign in France. Laurent Blanc’s side have not lost domestically since March last year and few will give Bastia a chance of ending that statistic in the capital, where Paris have been especially strong. The Corsicans sit just three points clear of the relegation zone but they have lost just one of their last six games, while PSG laboured to a 1-0 victory against fourth-tier minnows Wasquehal in the French Cup last weekend. “It was one of our most difficult matches this season. Different qualities are required to win games like these,” said Paris goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, who is a fitness doubt for this weekend, although Kevin Trapp is likely to start in goal with the Italian being tipped to leave the club this month. The return to fitness of Javier Pastore means Blanc has a near fully-fit squad to choose from now and the likes of Angel di Maria, Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva are set to return here after being rested last weekend.
L
erson
azio coach, Stefano Pioli, has slammed star forward Felipe Anderson amid speculation the Brazilian is awaiting a bonus payment before quitting the Serie A club for Manchester United this month. Anderson inspired Lazio in the second half of last season to a third-place finish in Serie A, but outside interest in his services has coincided with a lull in his performances for the capital side this term. Reports in England say United are set to table an offer of £36.9
million to lure Anderson to Old Trafford, although Anderson is said to be hanging on to make sure he receives the bonus payment that has been promised to him as part of his buyout clause. In the meantime, Anderson continues to disappoint Lazio and their fans. Pioli substituted the 22-year-old at halftime of a scoreless stalemate with promoted Carpi at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, and later questioned Anderson’s contribution. “I believe he can do a lot more. I know it and he knows it,” Pioli told media after the game.”
Olayinka
Olayinka adapts to life at Gent
K
AA Gent new signing Peter Olayinka is getting into his groove at the Belgian champions after making a winter move from Albanian side KF Skënderbeu Korçë. The 20-year-old Nigerian was added to the Gent side who already have Nigerian international Moses Simon in their ranks. Olayinka told Belgian football website voetbalkrant.com that he has settled in nicely and is happy with the help given to him by Simon and Ghanaian defender Nana Asare. “I knew Moses (Simon) before I got here, at least not personally. But now he is my brother here,” Olayinka said. “Asare also takes care of any African newcomer. He is not a brother, Nana is my daddy.” Olayinka also spoke about his experience with the team and what he hopes to achieve with the Buffaloes.
Suarez faces ban for ‘waste of space’ jibe
B
Vardy Anderson
arcelona striker, Luis Suarez, faces a ban of up to three Copa del Rey matches after being cited in the referee’s report for calling Espanyol players “a waste of space” at the end of a heated Catalan derby. Barca won the first leg of the Copa de Rey last-16 tie between the sides 4-1 on Wednesday as Espanyol had two players sent-off and were lucky to escape
further punishment as goalkeeper Pau Lopez’s violent stamp on Lionel Messi went unseen. However, it is Suarez, who was also booked for a clash with Lopez, who is expected to receive a one to three-game Cup ban for sparking a brawl in the tunnel after the game that security personnel had to break up.
n o s e y e l Al
s ’ e n a Zid ainst debut ag Deportivo
A
Zidane
31
ll eyes will be on new Real Madrid coach, Zinedine Zidane, and on how he delivers his brand of attacking football spearheaded by the ‘BBC’ in his first match in charge against Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga on Saturday. So far the quietly-spoken Frenchman has given little indication of the way
he plans to breathe new life into a side that boasts plenty of talent but failed to perform in big games under former coach Rafa Benitez. “The idea is to play with the three of them,” Zidane said as he explained the roles of top-notch forwards Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, known in Spain as the ‘BBC’. “It is important to see attractive football
and that is the line I will look to go down. Attacking and balanced.” Benitez was never able to win over the dressing room with his studious approach following the departure of the more easy-going Italian Carlo Ancelotti in the close season. Fans and the media also criticised the Spaniard for being too defensive and Zidane will now need his three leading performers to show more willingness to track back. Real’s attacking trident are as prolific with league goals as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez at Barcelona but it is in other facets to their play that the difference shows. Both trios have hit 35 La Liga goals this season but the perception is that Real’s players have been less willing to defend.
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fRidaY, JanuaRY 8, 2016
VOL. 2. NO.19
Price: n150
s ’ r a k a b u b A Death: More condolence
Alli
messages pouring in NFF
g 30
deserves England starting shirt - Wilkins
g 29
n e h m i s O Glo-CAF Youth wins
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e h t f o r e y a l P Year
igeria teenage striker, Victor Osimhen, on Thursday was adjudged Youth Player of the Year at the 2015 GloCAF Awards Gala held in Abuja. Osimhen fended off opposition from compatriot Kelechi Nwakali, Malian duo Adama Traore and Samuel Diarra and Yaw Yeboah of Ghana for the award presented to best teenage footballer on the continent. The prize served a big surprise for the lanky striker who celebrated his 17th birthday barely nine days ago. The youth prodigy wowed the world with
his eye-popping performance at the FIFA U-17 World Chile last October, scoring 10 goals to emerge top scorer and as well picking the Silver Ball (Second Best Player) as Nigeria cruised to victory. He becomes the second Nigerian to win the award after Kelechi Iheanacho last year. His prize was presented to him by CAF Executive Committee member, Amadou Diakite. In other categories, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire were named Women’s National Team of the Year and Men’s National Team
of the Year 2015. Cameroon headlined their category that included Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, following an impressive outing on their maiden appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada last June. In the Men’s category, African champions Cote d’Ivoire beat Ghana, Mali U-17, Nigeria U-17 and Nigeria U-23 to the prize. Frenchman Herve Renard was also named Coach of the Year for the second time. The 47-year old who guided Cote d’Ivoire to the title at the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of
Life and ‘crimes’ of Luis Suarez
L
uis Suarez has never been far from controversy throughout his career and is again in the headlines after an angry confrontation with a number of Espanyol players during Barcelona’s 4-1 win on Wednesday. Luis Enrique’s side ran out comfortable winners in the Copa del Rey, with Espanyol reduced to nine men during the defeat. Reports have since suggested that
Suarez waited in the tunnel at Camp Nou in order to goad his counterparts, having been involved in an angry exchange with Papakouli Diop that led to the Senegal international receiving a red card. After his latest indiscretion Goal has taken a look at previous incidents that have blotted Suarez’s copybook... ‘THE HAND OF GOD’ In the final minute of an absorbing contest, Dominic Adiyiah looked set to make Ghana the first African nation
to reach a World Cup semi-final. However, Suarez handled his effort on the line, was sent off and Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent penalty. Suarez was far from the first player to take a red card for his team in such circumstances, but his jubilant celebrations following Uruguay’s success in the shootout that followed left a bitter taste, while he later claimed that his intervention was as important as Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” against England.
Suarez above and inset
Nations in Equatorial Guinea was adjudged the best in his category amongst shortlists such as Baye Ba (Mali U-17), Patrice Carteron (TP Mazembe), Faouzi Benzarti (Etoile du Sahel) and Emmanuel Amunike (Nigeria U-17). Renard, who received the prize for the first time after guiding Zambia to a similar feat in 2012, was presented with his award by CAF Executive Committee member, Adoum Djibrine at the 2015 GloCAF Awards Gala on Thursday, 7 January 2016 in Abuja.
Business Times Daily Times Nigeria
Soros warns on global capital market crisis Page B6
Olufemi Samuel, Abuja Nigerian Senate has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to relax its strict foreign exchange policy as it is doing more harm to the economy than good. Senate President Bukola Saraki during a meeting with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, Christine Lagarde said small businesses especially, are being made to suffer unnecessarily. He called on the apex bank to introduce a more flexible foreign exchange regime and reduce the present restrictions on the autonomous market which does not allow business men to bring in foreign exchange or utilise what they have in their accounts. The Senate President had
Manufacturing slips into recession Page B2
Nigeria 2016 outlook: Walking a tight rope — Vetiva report Page B7
Senate urges CBN to relax forex policy equally canvass a similar view at a private meeting with CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele during which he implored him to consider the effects of the present forex regime on small businesses which are dying following evaporating crude oil revenue. Saraki also told Lagarde that “The IMF should support our CBN to bring in low interest loans to SMEs. We need to encourage entrepreneurs and make most of our new gradu-
ates job creators rather than job seekers. This is an area where we need the financial support and technical assistance of the IMF.” He explained that his office has received numerous complaints from small business owners, complaining that their businesses are being threatened by the huge bottlenecks now involved in doing business. “As legislators, we play an important role in making our people understand IMF’s advice,
policy trade-offs, consultations and other engagements, so that ownership, transparency and accountability are brought to bear on economic policy choices. “The Nigerian legislature strongly believes that having a collaborative working relationship with the Executive Branch of government brings development closer to the people. “Since the advent of the new administration, we have worked closely to stabilize the economy CONTINUED ON PAGE B2
IFC, others invest $67m in Hygeia Friday Atufe International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group in collaboration with IFHA-II Cooperatief, a private equity fund focused on investing in the healthcare sector in Sub-Saharan Africa and others yesterday invested $66.8 million in Hygeia Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s leading private healthcare company. The other investors are Swiss Re, a reinsurance company and CIEL Healthcare Africa Limited, a pan-African healthcare company. IFC said in a statement that the new investment was aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure and increase access to quality healthcare services in Nigeria, adding that in addition to providing capital, the partnership will increase and broaden the technical expertise at Hygeia and ensure global best practices through the involvement of Ciel Healthcare Africa. Ciel is working in association with Fortis, a leading integrated healthcare delivery service provider in India. Through this project, Hygeia will have the capacity to reach more than two million patients over the seven-year inCONTINUED ON PAGE B2
Friday, January 8, 2016
L-R: Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; American Ambassador to Nigeria , Mr James Entwistle; and Minister of State for Solid Minerals, Hon Abubakar Bwari; during a meeting with the minister in Abuja…on Thursday.
MTN pledges to use Visafone acquisition to boost broadband quality Tony Nwakaegho Management of leading ICT Company in Nigeria, MTN, has announced the completion of the acquisition of Visafone with a pledge to continue improving the quality of broadband services for its subscribers. According to MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, the acquisition which seeks to leverage resources for service enhancement is also reflective of our concerted efforts to deepen the growth and roll out of broadband services across the country in support of the National Broadband Plan for the benefit of Nigerians. Visafone is one of the leading CDMA/ICT companies in Nigeria offering a number of services including voice, high speed data (3G), internet and other Value Added Services (VAS). Visafone also provides business solutions to small and medium sized companies and corporate organisations in Nigeria. Oyagbola said, “We are committed to exploring avenues for meeting our customers’ increasing data needs in line with our vision ‘to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers.’ CONTINUED ON PAGE B2
Customs Service generates N903b revenue, charges newly promoted DCGs Babajide Okeowo Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Hameed Ali has said the service collected N903 billion in 2015 out of a target of N954 billion. Ali, who stated this in a chat with journalists after the decoration of newly promoted senior Customs officers in Abuja, noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s policy on importation of 41 items denied the agency its targeted revenue collection.
The CG also decorated six newly promoted Deputy Comptrollers-General and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General. According to him, “If we had added that to what we have generated, it would have surpassed what we have. That is the downside of why we were not able to meet the target in 2015,” he said Ali expressed hope that the service would surpass its 2016 target in view of the tools already put in place by the management, added: “I hope also that government will
once again look at those policies and see how they can be finetuned.” Ali also charged members of the new Management of Nigeria Customs Service to re-dedicate themselves to hardwork and commitment to nation building through efficient and effective service delivery. The CGC gave this charge after the decoration of 14 new members of management at the Customs headquarters. While congratulatCONTINUED ON PAGE B2
Ali
Business News B2 Senate urges CBN to relax forex policy
CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1
and steady the fiscal environment. This, we have indeed demonstrated by the speedy passage of the Medium Term Expenditure Frame Work (MTEF) and recently in the postponement of our recess in order to receive President Muhammadu Buhari to present the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
“The purpose of our Legislative Agenda is to enable us focus our lawmaking in areas that will help create jobs, expand our infrastructure base and make our economy work for the benefit and happiness of the majority of our people. “Pivotal to the attainment of this overarching objective is the state of the Nigerian business
MTN pledges to use Visafone acquisition to boost broadband quality CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1
Seized bags of rice
Seized goods: Customs Service yet to invite us— CHRSJ Babajide Okeowo Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman has disclosed that they are yet to receive any formal invitation from the authority of the Federal Operation Zone “A” Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over its petition on the alleged seizure of some Madein-Nigeria goods illegally seized from one Mr. Chinedu Ekeze. Comrade Sulaiman while reacting to the media report of the Zone “A” Customs spokesperson, Mr. Uche Ejesieme that there would be meeting with the rights group yesterday (Wednesday January 6th, 2016) by coming forward with their evidences against the Unit officers of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), insisting that Mr. Chinedu Ekeze never alleged making any payment to the officers of the Customs Service but made payment on the goods in question to the Idiroko branches of the WEMA bank and Diamond bank accounts of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) respectively. The CHRSJ boss added that it alleged in the Petition Letter that the Federal Operation Zone “A” Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) seized the goods in question after the payment
of the stipulated Custom levies on the goods which include; 660 pieces of 10kg Bags of Rice, 100 pieces of 25kg Bags of Rice, 8 cartoons of Kings Vegetable Oil, 5 Cartons of Turkey Vegetable Oil and 5 Cartons of Knorr Maggi Cube as contained in the vehicle Steyr Truck with Registration Number: XT 270 BEN. His words: “It is a surprise that the Zone “A” Customs spokesperson, Mr. Uche Ejesieme is still living in the past by maintaining that the money was paid to fake Customs Official. CHRSJ is not referring to any official collecting exercise duty by hand from Mr. Chinedu Ekeze, so the issue of impersonators did not arise on the issue at all, it is just diversionary tactics from Zone “A” Customs spokesperson, Mr. Uche Ejesieme. “It seems Zone “A” Customs spokesperson, Mr. Uche Ejesieme does not know the bone of contention on the matter but we will like to refer Zone “A” Customs spokesperson, Mr. Uche Ejesieme to the Appeal Letter dated 4th of December, 2015 which was signed by Mr. Chinedu Ekeze and received by the office of Comptroller of the Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Federal Operation Unit at the same date, precisely,4th of December,2015 so as to give him better insight into the subject matter, instead of beating around the bush on the matter”.
As we work to maximize our data capabilities towards achieving broadband of international quality, our objective is to ensure that Nigerians experience a boost in the quality of broadband internet services translating to the much needed enhanced data speeds and value to enhance personal and business productivity.” Speaking further, she said, “The acquisition of Visafone highlights MTN’s commitment to Nigeria. More capacity will facilitate enhanced product/service offerings and experience in the data space to the delight of our valued customers. Voice is still King. However, data is becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives and our energies are focused on enhancing data and internet services to the benefit of our customers and the country at large.” When contacted, MTN Nigeria neither denied nor confirmed calls or text message sent to Funso Aina of MTN Corporate Affairs to ascertain the fate of the Visafone staff. MTN is Nigeria’s largest mobile operator with a subscriber base of 62.5 million and market share of 41.5 percent as of the end of September, according to figures from the NCC. At the same date, Nigeria’s total mobile subscriber base stood at 150.5 million, including GSM and CDMA users, but excluding fixed wireless. CDMA operator Visafone is a minnow by comparison with just 2.03 million customers, but it does have something that could prove useful to MTN: spectrum. Lagos-based Visafone was formed in June 2007 by Nigerian businessman Jim Ovia, but the firm has faced increasing competition from more popular GSMbased services.
environment. In collaboration with major stakeholders, the 8th Senate is presently signing a memorandum of understanding on Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for Better Business Environment Project, a National Assembly business and investment roundtable initiative, with developmental organizations,” the Senate President said.
Saraki
IFC, others invest $67m in Hygeia CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1
vestment period. Fola Laoye, Chairperson of the Board of Hygeia Nigeria Limited, said, “As Nigeria’s foremost and leading private integrated healthcare services provider, Hygeia is consistently seeking ways to improve and expand our offerings so that we can offer more Nigerians world class services at affordable rates and help to reverse the growing trend to travel abroad for care. “IFC and IFHA, our long term partners, are working with us to achieve our aim of closing the gap of quality healthcare service delivery in Nigeria. We are excited to bring on board reputable new partners like Swiss Re and Ciel Healthcare Africa. We thank the Satya team for their support and commitment during a very important time of development for Hygeia.” Hygeia operates a network of two hospitals and three clinics under the Lagoon Hospitals brand and a health maintenance organization, Hygeia HMO. It is expanding its operations by upgrading and increasing capacity at existing hospitals, including its management information system, and creating a new tertiary care hospital. The investment will allow Hygeia
to expand its service offering in healthcare services and the HMO to allow greater access to quality healthcare in Nigeria. Eme Essien, IFC Country Manager for Nigeria said, “IFC is committed to financing integrated healthcare networks to help increase access to quality healthcare. More people will get better access to quality and cost effective healthcare in Nigeria.” “IFHA-II believes that we have a strong consortium of partners in place to help realize growth at Hygeia. Nigeria is a key market for IFHA-II and through our investment in Hygeia we will be able to expand access to quality healthcare across the country,” said Max Coppoolse, the Managing Partner of IFHA-II. Hygeia HMO aims to consolidate its leadership position with its investment in world class information technology infrastructure that automates processes, ensures operational efficiencies and improves customer interface. “Satya is proud of the role it has played in Hygeia’s growth and the value it has helped create. We would like to thank our partners the Elebute family and the entire Hygeia team for their dedication and hard work over the last six years.
Customs Service generates N903b revenue, charges newly promoted DCGs CONTINUED FROM PAGE B1
ing them, he expressed happiness that the newly decorated officers were appointed purely based on merit devoid of lobbying and any external influence. The ceremony which marked formal constitution of a new management for the service, brought on board six Deputy Comptrollers-General namely: Suleiman Idris, Ukaigwe Paul, Umar Iya, Ugo Daniel, Warikoru Austin and Adeyemo Grace. Also decorated were eight Assistant Comptrollers-General following a restructuring process that led to the retirement of some members of the former management of the service.
To the new team the CGC said “We must deliver on our mandate and work towards making 2016 the best year in the Nigeria Customs Service.” Responding on behalf of the newly promoted Officers, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in-charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Service, Idris Suleiman expressed gratitude to God for providing the type of leadership in the nation and the NCS in particular. He said with a leadership that leads by example as exemplified by the CGC, it becomes easy for well-meaning subordinates to key in and work towards the achievement of the Service mandate.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Stories by Motolani Oseni Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFFI), has debunked the union’s awareness about the planned massive job cut in Nigeria banks. The President, ASSBIFFI, Sunday Salako, denied the union’s knowledge about the looming mass sacks in the banking sector in an interview with Daily Times. He said: “We are not aware of that and we don’t want to even speculate that to the hearing of our employers, so that it doesn’t get to their heads.” According to him, we understand that Nigeria is under a tight economic condition right now but we also believe that this is not an economic situation that is expected to last longer than necessary because good time would come again. “We cannot say because the hard time comes, you have to do away with people you were using when the economy was very good. “We are not aware of anyone that has done that because retrenching a large number of members of staff is not what anyone can do in secret, no matter how hard you try to hide it people will cry out,” he explained. There are indications that
Operators harp on sustainable policies NIBOR as @ Jan. 7, 2016 Tenor
Rate (%)
Change (%)
O/N
2
0.50 ?
1M
8.293
-0.13 ?
3M
9.4643
-0.36 ?
6M
11.1696
-0.11 ?
B3 Money Market
ASSBIFFI debunks massive sack in Nigeria banks
From left: Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State discussing with the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, when he paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja... on Thursday..
some bank workers will lose their jobs in 2016 following costcutting measures on Zero Commission on Turnover (CoT), Treasury Single Account (TSA) and a whole lot of issues which are being introduced by the banks in order to mitigate the effects of some regulatory policies on their profitability.
Since the era of the global financial crisis in the mid-2008 and the special audit test carried out on banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the banking sector has witnessed a chain of job losses estimated at more than 20,000 by industry watchers. President Muhammadu Buhari’s order for the implemen-
tation of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been fingered as a likely cause of these layoffs with analysts predicting that more will happen this year. Mr. Bismarck Rewane, Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), has predicted in his firm’s pro-
Speaking exclusively with Daily Times in Lagos, Managing Director/CEO, Leadpath Investment Limited, Dr. Adedapo Olalekan, has said recent initiatives by the government have sought to open up prospective areas that could guarantee more activities and expand the economic space. He noted that widespread reforms, largely hinged on privatization and deregulation, have been implemented in various sectors including agriculture, SMEs and manufacturing, among others. According to Olalekan it is imperative that these initiatives are sustained considering the volatile nature of the energy market
and the implications for government revenue, foreign exchange reserves and the value of the Naira. Consequently, the dwindling crude oil price has its adverse implications for Nigeria’s economic management, since oil receipts are the major source of revenue for the economy. The trend also has implications for some sensitive economic indicators such as, revenue, sovereign risk, foreign exchange reserves, sovereign wealth fund, and budget implementations. For instance, the nation’s foreign reserves have fallen by
$112m in five days to $28.960bn; the latest figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have shown. The loss, recorded between December 31 and January 6, was the biggest in Nigeria’s reserves since the CBN implemented the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN) in the forex trading. In just one day (January 4 – January 5), the data showed that the nation lost $20m, dropping from $28.978m to $28.958m. The external reserves declined by 15.79 per cent yearon-year to about $29.070bn on
CBN Exchange Rates
External Reserves Date
Gross
Liquid
Blocked
9/16/14
39,606,843,071
38,592,833,574
1,014,009,497
39,565,744,101
38,551,228,766
1,014,515,335
39,543,253,964
38,527,542,101
1,015,711,863
39,557,870,211
38,541,638,129
1,016,232,082
39,573,156,011
38,556,265,204
1,016,890,807
39,593,357,770
38,576,310,794
1,017,046,976
Date
Currency
Buying(NGN)
Central(NGN)
Selling(NGN)
2.56%
1/7/16
US DOLLAR
196
196.5
197
9/15/14
POUNDS STERLING
287.238
287.9708
288.7035
2.56%
EURO
210.8176
211.3554
211.8932
9/12/14
SWISS FRANC
194.2325
194.728
195.2235
2.57%
YEN
1.6554
1.6596
1.6639
9/11/14
CFA
0.3056
0.3156
0.3256
2.57%
WAUA
270.7026
271.3931
272.0837
9/10/14
YUAN/RENMINBI
29.9086
29.9854
30.0621
2.57%
RIYAL
52.204
52.3372
52.4704
9/9/14
DANISH KRONA
28.2592
28.3313
28.4034
2.57%
%
jection for 2016, that deposit money banks (DMBs) might soon commence massive staff retrenchment. He also stated that state governments would retrench a significant number of workers in the first quarter of this year, adding that there will be massive civil works and construction (of roads, bridges, railways) in 2016 (and) oil prices will recover to $55pb by Q2’2016.” Rewane further forecast that, the benchmark interest rate-the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) will be reduced to 10 percent per annum while the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) to 15 percent.” According to him, accommodative monetary policy- lower interest rate and increase liquidity-and expansionary fiscal policy- bailout payment and N6 trillion proposed budget will reflate the economy. Other predictions made by the FDC boss include that, “Inflation will spike to 11per cent in Q1’2016 before falling to 9per cent in Q3’2016; official rate of the naira will depreciate to N220/$ (and) parallel market rate will appreciate to N235/$.”
December 31, 2015, compared to $34.52bn a year ago, according to data from the CBN. Meanwhile, the Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, had in a meeting with the economic management team of Nigeria in Abuja recently, stressed the need for flexibility with monetary policies in order not to deplete the reserves. She said, “We believe that with very clear primary ambition to support the poorer people of Nigeria, there could be added flexibility in the monetary policy, particularly if as we think the price of oil is likely to be low for longer (period). “The occurrences should not deplete the reserves of the country, simply because of being seemingly rigid. I’m not suggesting that rigidity be totally removed, but some form of flexibility would help.” Lagarde also said, “A nation’s foreign reserves are usually an indication of the health of its international trade, with import-dependent countries often disadvantaged in their current account balance as a result of forex expenditure outstripping income.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
B4 Industry
Dangote Cement to raise production capacity to 51mmt yearly
Dangote
Stories by Charles Okonji Dangote cement, the biggest cement manufacturer in Africa and one of the world’s largest producers of cement, has reviled that the company would expand its production capacity to the tune of 51 million metric tonnes per annum before the end
‘Global economy has been down in the last six months’ ÏMƆ ƄƍƆ Ƒ ƍ Ƅ ƆƎ A manufacturer has stated that the global economy has been stagnant in the last six months but the case of Nigeria is worse, especially because of its dependent on the oil revenue. Managing Director, Blend Tech, Ltd, Abimbolu Babatunde, who stated this yesterday in an interview with our reporter, noted that the Nigerian economy has been down because the country did not prepare for the problem it is now facing. He added, “This is why we could not absorb the shock when there was persistent fall in the global oil price. That is why the Nigerian economy has been stagnant throughout 2015.” He said that the stock capacity and capacity utilisation for all manufacturers for the year 2015 would be the least among the other year except for Dangote who
of 2017. This was made known by the group in its company analysis made available to the press, which states that the company would continue to expand production capacity yearly, with a target output of 51 million metric tonnes per annum by year 2017.
has built capacity due to its size. “A lot of activities closed down in the previous year, especially in the in the chemical manufacturing sector. The foreign exchange is high, and it is very difficult for us to import raw materials, and our raw materials are mainly chemicals. Our refineries are not working and the Eleme Petrochemicals is in bad shape, so this makes it difficult for us to source our raw materials locally.” “Cement continued to do well because the industry and government prepared better for it, the major raw material is always at the site where the company is located, so it becomes lot more easier, why the food industry is doing well is that there is always a very high demand for food, and they cannot meet the demand.” “But for paint industry, it did not go well with house paint, even when we import the raw materials with an expensive forex and production cost, the market is not booming and people are not buying. It is very bad with the industrial paint producers, low patronage coupled with high cost of production. It could be recalled that the paint used in painting ASOROC Villa when it was build was imported, hence compounding the woes of local manufacturers,” he noted.
According to the analysis, the quest for productivity expansion gave rise to the establishment of new cement plants across Africa, as it is only way to actualise this goal. Dangote cement sales volume increased by 24 per cent in nine months in 2015 as volumes from Senegal, Cameroun, Ethiopia and Zambia helped offset the decrease in volumes in Nigeria as a result of enhanced expansion that led to increased output from the plants mentioned earlier. According to the analysis due to the capacity expansion initiative, Dangote group, signed a contract valued at $4.34 billion with a Chinese firm, Sinoma International Engineering Co. Ltd, for the construction of 11 new plants, 10 of which will be located in Africa and one in Nepal in Asia. “When completed, the new projects are expected to add 25
million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) to the company’s existing capacity that stands at 46 mmtpa. Both companies signed the deal in Lagos in the presence of some of the Ambassadors of the African countries where the projects would be sited,” the group said in the analysis. “The company’s South and East Africa region sold almost 2.3 metric tonnes of cement in the first nine months of 2015 against over 423 kilo tonnes sold in the same period of the previous year, while the increase represents 17.3 per cent of all group volumes sold over the nine month of 2015,” the group stated. According to the reports from Dangote Cement the new plants opened in Africa made significant advancement in terms of growth in sales volumes as the company reported a sales volume of about 2.3mmt of cement in its South Africa and East Af-
rican region for the first nine month of 2015, compared to 423kt sold in the corresponding period representing an increase of 443.74 per cent while this figure presents 17.3 per cent of total group volumes sold for the nine month period in 2015. “Its entry into Ethiopia market with its 0.5mmt plant is also believed to be making as we believe its high grade 32.5 and 42.5 grade cements produced at lower costs than its competitors will give the company an edge in the market place. The company also stated its intention to build a second line in Ethiopia given its success of its new plant. “Similar success story was also reported in its Zambian plant which kicked off in June 2015 with output rising quickly to 65 per cent on a monthly basis and Dangote aims to double its capacity in the near future,” the group said.
Manufacturing slips into recession Ï1#^ ƅ ƉƉ Ǝ Ơü Ɔ _Ơ ƅ ƼƞƟƾ Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said the Nigerian manufacturing sector has gone into recession, because it has shown continuous decline for three successive quarters in 2015. LCC also said the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the corresponding period shown persistent drop from 6.23 per cent in 2014 to 2.84 per cent in 2015. Muda Yusuf, Director-General, LCCI, who stated this in a statement made available to the press noted that, “Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falls to 2.84 percent in the third quarter of 2015, compared to 6.23 per cent in the same period in 2014. In fact, sectors such as manufacturing and the services slipped into recession after recording successive declines over the last three quarters in 2015.” He said “The targeted N300 billion by the Nigerian banks to boost lending to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and the agriculture sector in
Yusuf
2016 will boost SMEs development and employment and thus increases non-oil export.” “The insurance industry will remain largely underpenetrated with insurance density at about 0.225 per cent. Therefore, significant change in this industry with respect to growth and penetration remains bleak even as the sector is still highly fragmented. The declining GDP is also expected to strain, to a large extend, the performance of this industry.”
“Subsidy arrears payment and end of subsidy regime likely to result in improved market efficiency and profitability as downstream sector players explore pricing dynamics to boost investment. The expected deregulation in the downstream sub-sector will be a game changer.” “With the declining trend of global oil price and its attendant impact on government revenue and foreign reserves, general business outlook will remain tense. Implications on cost of and access to credit will be undesirable. Businesses, especially those with high forex exposure, will continue to face challenges of meeting foreign obligations to suppliers and partners. This will also impact contractual trust and integrity. Risk of default in financial obligations in both public and private sectors will be high as macro-economic conditions and cash flow remains tight.” According to him, throughout the year, Nigeria has increasingly drifted into economic and financial crises following series of adverse developments in the international oil market.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
B5 Real sector digest ENTERPRISE STROKES:
Don’t cloak your ideas Stories by Siaka Momoh
L-R: Gov. Muhammed Abubakar of Bauchi State (R), presenting the 2016 budget to the Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Mr. Kawuwa Dhamina, in Bauchi... on Wednesday
Nigeria 2016 outlook: Walking a tight rope — Vetiva report The year 2016 will continue with the major themes that typified the last year; expectations of a gradual hike in interest rate in the U.S., continued slowdown in China’s growth, a still fragile Euro area and low commodity prices, Vetiva latest report on the Nigerian economy has stated. According to the report, “Nigeria will need to answer tough questions - would the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continue to draw down on foreign reserves or allow a further adjustment in the exchange rate? Would the government handsoff unproductive fuel subsidies that cost the country billions of dollars each year? Could new insurgency risk arise from the recent conflict between the Shia Muslim sect and the Nigerian Army? It is against this backdrop we proceed into the year.” Expansionary 2016 budget underlined with execution risk? The Nigerian government has proposed a N6.1 trillion ($31
billion) expenditure budget for 2016 in a move to boost growth and tackle challenges facing the economy. The budget, premised on $38/bbl oil price and oil production of 2.2 mbpd projects net revenue of N3.86 trillion, resulting in a deficit of N2.2 trillion (2.16% of GDP). The sub break down of non-oil revenue shows revenue from CIT, VAT, Customs and Levies up by 90%, 84%, 41% and 405% respectively from 2015 estimates. This, according to the report, suggests the government expects significant improvement in the business environment, consumption as well as an ability to expand collections in probably Nigeria’s most economically challenging position since the mid-1980s. Key economic indicators mirror challenges Vetiva forecasts real GDP growth of 4.5% y/y in 2016, higher than our 3.8% estimate for 2015 as it views the supply shocks that resulted in the sharp moderation in 2015
growth as transient. It It argues: “Nonetheless, the fundamental risks to growth as highlighted since the start of the oil price collapse remain relevant as consumption expenditure remains restrained by lower oil exports and risk of a further devaluation in the currency. Markets continue to price a further adjustment for the Naira, with the 12-month forward at NGN/USD 266. Without a significant improvement in the current account position, we see a potential for an adjustment in the official rate to NGN/USD 220 by the end of 2016. We estimate headline inflation to average 9.8% y/y, breaching the 10% mark by July before falling back into single digit in Q4’16. Given the softness in growth and the Government’s fiscal objectives, we think the MPC will move towards further reduction in the policy rate in 2016; we pencil 100bps reduction in the MPR through 2016 to 10%.”
The young man thought he had something unique. He thought he had an exclusive business idea and so wouldn’t want anyone have the very important details. He therefore decided to render a superficial brief on it. What was this idea? It is building with treated wood, processed timber instead of concrete. He was part of one of the groups at the Federal Government’s YouWin selection and training session which held at the Pan African University, Lekki, Lagos. I was part of the group. I took him on and tried to make him see the wisdom in opening up fully. Some other participants in the group did same but he wouldn’t bulge. I then decided to throw it open to the full house at question time. And that did it. His position was torn to shreds by Peter Bamkole, the entrepreneurship training icon and director at EDC (Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan African University). He made him, and others who might be in the same camp with him, know the following basic points: • A good idea becomes better when you share it with others; • Why? Because there may be a flaw in it that somebody will help you spot and correct; • No idea is exclusive because for every one idea you have there are 10 other people somewhere who have it also, and there are 10 others who are already running with the idea; • Hoarding ideas is primitive. Anyone hoarding ideas is in the mould of our forefathers who hoarded ideas and died with them; if you hoard ideas you will die with them; • If the idea is yours, you will fly with it. Good message, isn’t it? Our young aspiring entrepreneur and many others at the gathering must have been richly enlightened. We are learning - we learn everyday; every moment, since learning is cumulative. For the avoidance of doubt, I researched the thinking of some other sources on the subject. Techdirt has a lot to offer. It argues that this is a point that we’ve been making for years (and often highlighting the research that proves this), but innovation and good ideas tend not to come from the proverbial “spark of genius.” It notes study after study has shown that it is almost never the case. “Almost all good ideas come
from people building on the works of others, with a minor tweak here or there, or a random decision based on a suggestion from someone new, after an idea percolates for months or years. The more open systems are to sharing ideas and spreading information and allowing those collisions to happen, the more likely that new good ideas and new innovations occur. That’s why it’s so harmful that today’s intellectual property systems are built on the false assumption that innovation really does happen through that “spark of genius”.” It points out that entrepreneur and author Steven Johnson “is about to come out with a new book on this particular topic, Where Good Ideas Come From and has been writing and speaking about some of what’s in the book - which highlights these same points. People have been submitting both his recent TED talk and his recent WSJ piece that makes these points clear”. What Johnson says: The key thing is to allow those hunches to connect with other people’s hunches. That’s what often happens. You have half of an idea and someone else has the other half, and if you’re in the right environment, they turn into something larger than the sum of their parts (You can see that this aligns with Peter Bamkole’s stand on the subject). So, in a sense, we often talk about the value of protecting intellectual property. You know, building barricades, having secretive R&D labs, patenting everything that we have, so that those ideas will ‘remain valuable’ and people will be incentivised to come up with more ideas. But I think there’s a case to be made that we should spend at least as much time, if not more, valuing the premise of connecting ideas and not just protecting them. (Hear that?) In the WSJ piece, according to Techdirt, he highlights an example of this in action as follows: Earlier this year, Nike announced a new Web-based marketplace it calls the GreenXchange, where it has publicly released more than 400 of its patents that involve environmentally friendly materials or technologies. The marketplace is a kind of hybrid of commercial self-interest and civic good. This makes it possible for outside firms to improve on those innovations; creating new value that Nike might ultimately be able to put to use itself in its own products.
Siaka Momoh is a media consultant and publisher Realsectordigest.com and can be reached via siakamomoh@yahoo.com; 08061396410
Capital Market B6
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Soros warns on global capital market crisis Azubike Nnadozie Renowned Billionaire and financier, George Soros is warning of an impending financial markets crisis as investors around the world were roiled by turmoil in China trade for the second time this week. Global markets are facing a crisis and investors need to be very cautious, George Soros told an economic forum in Sri Lanka on Thursday. “China is struggling to find a new growth model and its currency devaluation is transferring problems to the rest of the world, Soros said in Colombo. A return to positive interest rates is a challenge for the developing world,” he said, adding that the current environment has similarities to 2008. Global currency, stock and commodity markets are under fire in the first week of the new year, with a sinking yuan adding to concern about the strength of
China’s economy as it shifts away from investment and manufacturing toward consumption and services. Almost $2.5 trillion was wiped from the value of global equities this year through Wednesday, and losses deepened in Asia on Thursday as a plunge in Chinese equities halted trade for the rest of the day. “China has a major adjustment problem,” Soros said. “I would say it amounts to a crisis. When I look at the financial markets there is a serious challenge which reminds me of the crisis we had in 2008.” Soros has warned of a 2008-like catastrophe before. On a panel in Washington in September 2011, he said the Greece-born European debt crunch was “more serious than the crisis of 2008.” Soros, whose hedge-fund firm gained about 20 percent a year on average from 1969 to 2011, has a net worth of about $27.3 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He began his ca-
reer in New York City in the 1950s and gained a reputation for his investing prowess in 1992 by netting $1 billion with a bet that the U.K. would be forced to devalue the pound. Measures of volatility are surging this year. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, known as the fear gauge or the VIX, is up 13 percent. The Nikkei Stock Average Volatility Index, which measures the cost of protection on Japanese shares, has climbed 43 percent in 2016 and a Merrill Lynch index of anticipated price swings in Treasury bonds rose 5.7 percent. China’s Communist Party has pledged to increase the yuan’s convertibility by 2020 and to gradually dismantle capital controls. Weakness in the world’s secondlargest economy remains even after the People’s Bank of China has cut interest rates to record lows and authorities pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy.
Gwarzo, DG SEC
Stock market report Vitafoam Stock market records first posts appreciation in new year 43% drop in net profit Appreciation recorded in the share price of Dangote Cement lifted the equity market into positive territory yesterday. It was also the first price movement in the new year. The equity market recorded only six gainers as The NSE ASI appreciated by 0.31 percent to 27,266.18 points while Yearto-date (YTD), the NSE ASI has depreciated by 4.80 percent. Other gainers yesterday were: Okomu Oil, E-tranzact, Fidson, Vono Products and Learn Africa. Similarly, the market capitalization appreciated by 0.31 percent to close at N9.38trillion, compared with the depreciation of 3.28 percent recorded in the previous day to close at N9.35 trillion. The total value of stocks traded on the floors of The NSE yesterday was N1.66bn, up by
11.92 percent from N1.48 billion traded the previous day. The total volume of stocks traded was 166.39mn in 2,917 deals. The three most actively traded stocks were: GT Bank (26.07mn), Access Bank (24.27mn) and UBA (22.36mn). The most actively traded sectors were: Financial Services (142.54mn), Consumer Goods (8.41mn) and Conglomerates (5.76mn).
Onyema, CEO, NSE
Summary of trading activities on NSE on January 7, 2015
ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE MARKET CAP
27,266.18 2,917.00 166,390,459.00 1,657,721,232.67 9,377,349,119,785.87
Vitafoam Nigeria Plc has reported a group profit after tax of N249.051 million for the financial year ended September 30, 2015 as against a net profit of N435.6 million posted for the corresponding period of 2014, representing a drop of 42.8 percent. The financial report of the group submitted to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed a gross revenue of N17.186 billion for 2015 compared with N16.713 billion in 2014. The result was significantly impacted by finance costs which rose from N804.8 million in 2014 to N1.015 billion in 2015, representing an increase of 26.1 percent. Other items that adversely affected the result were administrative expenses which rose to N3.8 billion in 2015 from N3.2 billion in 2014 and cost of sales
SEC Committee summons BGL Securities, others Azubike Nnadozie
Adeniyi, MD Vitafoam
which inched up to N11.753 in 2015 from N11.316 billion. But despite the drop in net profit, the directors have recommended a gross dividend of N245.7 million, translating to a dividend per share of 25 kobo per share. The dividend is subject to shareholders approval and withholding tax. If the dividend is approved at the annual general meeting of the company, the dividend will be paid on March 14, 2016 to members whose names appear in the register of members at the close of business on February 12, 2016.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has invited BGL Securities Limited, BGL Assets Management Limited and their sponsored individuals to appear before the SEC Administrative Proceedings Committee (SEC APC). According to a statement signed by the SEC management, this follows the receipt of ten (10) new complaints, with total monetary value of over N2.9 billion, against them, received between 20th May, 2015 and 10th November 2015 from various investors. It stated that the investors had alleged several violations of the Investments and Securities Act 2007, SEC Rules and Regulations as well as the Code of Conduct for Capital Market Operators including, amongst others which include performance of a capital market function without due registration, promoting and marketing products not registered by the Commission, failure/refusal to resolve clients’ complaints, failure to file statutory returns and furnishing the Commission with false and misleading information.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
B7 Capital Market
NSE DAILY ACTIVITY SUMMARY ( EQUITIES) 07-01-2016
Entrepreneurship B8
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Remedy recession through entrepreneurial governance (3) ‘‘With the foregoing Nigeria is far from any form of recession if we can get our arts together. As a highly informal economy, recession is hard to get on us because most activities and revenues are not accounted for and isn’t within the banking and official system, and this is one of the reasons managing money supply in Nigeria is a tough call.’’ Nwaodu Chukwuemeka On our discussions that started two weeks ago on how entrepreneurship skills in governance mixed with innovation and creativity can jump start the economy leveraging on our advantages and acquisition of the right knowledge, we continue by stating that since we are not an export based economy yet, it will be to our best interest to begin to perfect our international trade, economic participation and dominance within the confines of our comfortable zones of the West African sub-region. Because in most of the West African sub-region the Nigeria business presence is very high, our currency also is being exchanged for the local and other international currencies, they are even used for purchases therein. We can begin to dominate these areas with our competitive advantages and enlarge our markets to these frontiers for all our products, increasing the scope and limits of our supply, as it enlarges our productive capacity (this is by way of taking advantage of the ECOWAS protocol of free movement of goods and persons within the region). Most importantly if we can satisfy our local consumption with local indigenous made products and services, we will never have to worry about the fall in the price of our commodities in the international market. Because we will be meeting our
Chukwuemeka
Enelamah, Minister of Trade and Industry
local needs ourselves, being the ones making these products therefore we would be providing enough employment for our teeming populace, hence we would be very low on poverty index as a nation. With these we would have to worry less about foreign exchange, because we may not need to use them after all, since we are making very little imports. Then both our foreign reserve and the sovereign wealth fund would be preserved. Leaving us a prosperous, progressive and inclusive strong nation, where all would have a sense of belonging and be happy to make their own contributions. On the foreign exchange management, a thought has to be spared for the supply side management, aside the demand side that we have all along been engaged in. If we can encourage the import side of foreign exchange through FDIs and receipts from external transactions of various organisa-
tions like the NNPC, NLG, and other companies with offshore branches and businesses, like the banks, telecommunications companies and the diaspora funds, If we can encourage them to bring in their funds into the economy themselves through the open market, then there would be enough foreign exchange to cover our needs in that area, and there would not be any need to be drawing from our national reserves and defending the Naira with our earnings. The salient point of indigenous economic participation is a thing that must be looked into, a situation where the major drivers of the economy is operated by foreign organisations and practitioners is not acceptable, if we our desire is to get the best out our economic potentials. In the oil and gas sector it is baffling that all the lucrative ancillary services are operated by foreign interest like, insurance, legal services, logistics (haulage of the crude oil and gas to
the international markets and destinations, and many more. None of these are handled by the locals or is the transactions domiciled locally, to at least benefit the system. And these are where the real money is in the industry. The same is happening in the maritime industry even with the Cabotage law, almost all the cargo vessels are foreign, the same goes for their insurance, legal services and so on, there are very minimal local contributions in this industry, no wonder the economy cannot feel the impact of this huge industry and the activities that go on there, except in the custom receipts and so on, but in the real business of the maritime industry, we are not there yet. For Nigeria to get out of her economic situation, she must engage all her potentials fully and they include all that we have been enumerated above and more. The issue of capital market participation of conglomerates is a thing that must be looked into, because some of these organisations make most of their money here but go to list in the stock markets of their nations of origin; thereby denying our populace the opportunity of benefiting from their reported activities in Nigeria through the capital market. There is the issue of their CSR and consumer rights, is it not natural that Nigeria being the place they make most of their income, that their investments in CSR be in this nation, rather what do we get, they sponsor from football clubs, adopt hospitals and schools back home, but substitute CSR with promotions in Nigeria, and go on to rake in more money from us instead of giving back. To get back on our feet as a country, we must consider seriously the issue of non-commodity based revenues like taxes, most developed countries live on taxes rather than commodities based receipts. Because it is more guaranteed, accountable and makes the citizenry to easily connect with the nation and governance, know-
ing that it runs on the sweat of their browse. Corporate taxes is one thing I know that if we can access them efficiently from all corporations and organisations running activities in Nigeria, we might as well step down oil receipts to the background. But to what extent the organisations pay their taxes in Nigeria is a thing yet to unravel, especially in the oil and gas industry, the maritime and so on. If we can get them to pay then our worries are taken care of by half. The second leg is the income and property taxes, although we would need a veritable identification system to run a system can will accrue all these, but in the mean time we can be innovative to get things done for now to get by, while we wait for a more sustainable and enduring ideal version when we have the identity system sorted out. With the foregoing Nigeria is far from any form of recession if we can get our arts together. As a highly informal economy, recession is hard to get on us because most activities and revenues are not accounted for and isn’t within the banking and official system, and this is one of the reasons managing money supply in Nigeria is a tough call. We have about thirty two million active bank accounts in Nigeria, in a country of one hundred and seventy million people, and about a hundred million adults. It is easy to see with this, the level of financial exclusion in the country, and to imagine the humongous level of funds in the informal market; monies with the traders (in their shops and at homes for businesses and personal use), monies with the currency traders and the neighbourhood traditional savings vendors (the ISUSU vendors), and the ordinary people. With all these and the precautions that we have extensively discussed in this article, we as a nation will not only come out of this economic situation, but we will rise to take our rightful position as the arrow head of the African market and the black world.
Nwaodu Chukwuemeka, is a consultant with IDEAS Exchange Consulting, Lagos. He can be reached at nwaodu.lawrence@hotmail.co.uk (07066375847).
Life &
TIMES
Friday, January 8, 2016
Wasiu
Ayinde Marshal
King of Fuji music
L2,3
P
Interview L2
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
It is my duty to keep Fuji music alive – Wasiu Ayinde Marshal
That veteran Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, better known as K1 De Ultimate, is an avowed promoter of Fuji music is not in doubt, having traveled far and wide, representing the country by projecting our rich cultural heritage through indigenous music, Fuji, to the world at large. Presently on a world tour, the Ijebu Ode, Ogun State born musician opens up to Life & Times in this exclusive interview, taking us through his life’s journey and opening up on his passion for music. Isaac Oguntoye
Life&
T E A M
You’re one of the few who has contributed to the development of the Nigerian Entertainment industry. What would you say has been the secret of your success? First and foremost, you must know what you’re doing. Ask yourself what you think you can contribute to the development of your country and not what the nation wants to give to you.
I give glory to God that in the last 44 years, I’ve been able to put my life into building the Nigerian entertainment industry. I’m happy as a proud Nigerian to say yes I’ve contributed immensely well to this industry. On the other hand, Daily Times Newspaper has greatly affected the life of someone like me because former Lagos Weekend, an arm of Daily
Movie & Music Correspondent Mutiat Alli
Times establishment, was where we used to run to, to be featured in on any of their weekend spots. So Lagos Weekend and by extension, Daily Times newspaper, built us and developed us to what we are today. You are known to be constantly rebranding. The last name you came up with is ‘K1 Unusual’. How did you come about that name?
Society Correspondent Isaac Oguntoye
Photography Quadri Olowolagba
For a business or a brand to succeed, you must keep rebranding. The only way you can stay afloat in business is when you keep to the principles and the rules of that game and rebranding is one of them. First, you need to understand that the word ‘Unusual’ means something out of the ordinary. And anyone who witnessed or attended the K1 live unusual concert last year, will truly understand what I mean by ‘K1 Unusual’ because I try as much as possible to bridge the gap between the older and new generation artistes. Having been so long in the game, how are you able to impact on the younger generation with your brand of music? My 44 years on stage is enough proof or reason for the younger ones or would be Fuji musicians to learn or take a cue from. Music is a gift and it deals with feelings which has to be expressed. I learnt from people who did this before me so my advice to the younger ones is to learn from the day before yesterday, yesterday and today to make a good tomorrow for themselves. With that, people can learn from them as well. The Fuji classical that I play today is an improvement on what I met. It’s an improvement because we discovered that good music is always full of varieties. When you listen to good music, you can discover so many things from it. So, my track record and what I’ve been able to do with Fuji music is enough to impact on or help improve the way younger ones want to play their music. Some Fuji musicians are currently deviating to Hip-hop music, and one wonders what will become of the Fuji music in the nearest future? The future of Fuji music is still very much intact and going higher. What I want to do is to go back to my albums both the old and the new and create something different from them. In every of my composition, I tried as much as possible to go in-depth with lyrics and sounds. In Fuji music, you can’t just drum; the drumming must have meaning. When my drummers drum, they must say something and most of the things they say through drums are cultural. When I sing, I try as much as possible to eulogize the rich cultural values of our people, I try to project the true richness of the African culture, the Yoruba heritage to be precise. So, going hip-hop could as well be seen as a trend but it be better if they don’t lose their originality. I have many albums to buttress that. In the hip-hop genre of music, there are reality shows that help discover new talents like Project Fame. How are you grooming younger ones who intend to take up Fuji Music as a career? That is the reason why I came up with Fuji Repete. Fuji Repete is my baby. It is a company established to discover talents and showcase them to the world. The company is duly registered and under it we have Festival of Song, where I go in-depth, to
Graphics Sunday O. Emmanuel
the locals, to bring out the very best among them. We discovered those that have vast knowledge about our art and culture. All these gave birth to the K1 Live Unusual concert. We did one last year and we are doing another this year and a lot of expositions would be made. We’re going to do it in such a way that there would be a conference where selected speakers will come to speak. They will talk about the richness of our culture and heritage; the uniqueness of Yoruba in a colony called Nigeria and the reason why the Benin people do not joke with Yoruba as a language. A lot will be exposed in the Festival of Song. You can’t even begin to imagine the total package. What do you think needs to be done to make sure our indigenous music does not go into extinction? I have a two year old daughter, Anjolaoluwa and I make it point of duty to speak the serious hardcore Yoruba to her. What am I doing? I’m teaching her because when she gets to school, she will be taught to speak in the western language. Let me leave the school to do that while I take up the responsibility of her upbringing and its totality. You will be surprised when the two year old girl wants to greet you in the morning and says ‘Ekaro ma, Aijirebi?’ Meaning ‘Good morning, hope you woke up healthy’. You will be surprised because a thirty year old man of these days doesn’t even know how to say ‘Ekaroo, Aijirebi?’ except a locale. That is part of how the language can be preserved. She was born in America and she is proud to always say that she is a proud Nigerian-American. You know what that means? We always say to her, “You are a proud Nigerian American because Nigeria is your heritage, that is where your fore bearers are from.” So, she appreciates where she was born and she appreciates where people that gave birth to her comes from. You can now imagine if she remains on that path when she grows up. I pray the Almighty God will spare my life to see her through different stages of life. I would want to see her get into the higher institution and taking up Yoruba language as a subject. Later in life she would present herself as a grown up American with a distinction in Yoruba language. So, I also don’t want to lose the heritage, I don’t want Yoruba language to die and I tell you something, no matter how I try to ‘Funkify’ or classify my brand of music, I won’t take that Fuji off it and the lesson to be learnt about the Yoruba culture through my music will keep increasing. No matter the advancement I want to bring into my music, Yoruba and our cultural heritage will take 75 per cent. We should separate our local music from the foreign music. I want to tell the younger ones who want to go into music not to lose it. Look at 9ice, I like 9ice because he uses the richness of Yoruba language in his music likewise Olamide too who laces his Continued on
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
L3 Interview
The future of Fuji music is intact Continued from L2 rap music with a lot of Yoruba language, both slangs and the deep language. They are the future and if they are doing it that way, it shows that it is not going to die. Who exactly is Wasiu Ayinde Marshal? My name is Olasukanmi Marshal popularly called and addressed by my stage name, K1 Da Ultimate. I have been playing music for over 44years. I started as an Ajiwere Ajisari (Fuji music). I started learning music from the age of 8 before going professional at 15 and ever since then, I have been living on music all my life on a day to day basis. I’ve gone through the rudiments of music: I have been learning at the feet of late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister for many years and I did not gain freedom until he died, that was when I was able to come forward to say that I want to project all the lessons that I learnt under him to the world. Yes! He might have gone but he still lives in me and I should serve as a good example to others. I have over 86 long playing albums to my credit and several other releases both local and international. I’ve played on many world stages, I’ve gone far and wide, I’ve represented Nigeria on the international scene and I’ve carried the banner of this great country high and proud. Most people believe you have achieved all that he can ever achieve. Would you say you have achieved your target in life? When you are still living, you cannot achieve everything. For instance, the former President that just left the office for the newest president to take over, one might say because constitutionally, he has served and left, that means he has achieved everything. Immediately he left the office, the first thing he would do is to search through his mind and think of other things he can do because there are many ways you can serve the people without being elected. So, as an artiste, it is my duty to see that the future of Fuji music and the music in general is well pursued and focus on the necessary things that is needed. It is our responsibility. Whatever you do, keep it up because what a good man does lives long after he is dead. 44years on stage is not a joke, you must have faced some challenges. How were you able to tackle those challenges and overcome them? Some people will tell you they play music as a part time job while some would tell you they just play it for the fun of it. I don’t play it as part time job or just for the fun of it, I play music as a real business and it is an in born talent that I have developed over time. It gives me great joy and pleasure to see myself doing things that I truly love and still love doing. So, I don’t see most of the challenges as a challenge because I love what I’m doing. Has there been any point in time
that you thought of quitting the profession? No! There is always a reason behind every challenge. What you just need to do is to lean back and think of how to re-strategize to be able to face the challenges ahead of you. It is when you face challenges and overcome them that you can call yourself a man. You are never a man when you let any issue, no matter how high or little the challenge is, make you to detour. If you allow that, you are defeated. So, I don’t want to see myself being defeated. I face the challenges, not with stupidity but with serious vigor in me to get it solved. And if I’m able to overcome, my name will be mentioned as someone who saw, fought and conquered. It hasn’t been by my might. I give thanks to Almighty God. Some of your children have taken up music as a career. How did you react to their decision to do so? I never felt anything different from the way my parents felt when I wanted to go into music. Unfortunately, people don’t know my background. Before my mother got married to my father she was a singer. She had a group where they performed together, even though her parents then didn’t want her to play music. What they did was to marry her off with the hope that if she decides to continue singing, she would only do so at the instance of her husband. My mother will be 97 years old in October, she is still living. So, you can now imagine when she was like 20yrs old, over seventy something years ago, how she must have felt when I took up music. So I inherited that from her. The blood runs in me. As a matter of
fact, when my children started showing interest in music, they were like six and I said wow! Six children telling you they want to go into music at the same time. I took a cue from Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Fela gave birth to Femi, Seun and Yeni. I also took a cue from Ebenezer Obey and many good entertainment families whose children are doing well in the entertainment industry. If this is the will of God then I should clap for myself and feel proud about it. We are building an empire. What are you currently working on? The country is just settling down for governance after the general elections and we give thanks to Almighty God that this country did not disintegrate because the fear everybody had was, the fear of the unknown. We have a new government now and entertainment is peaking. I expect the next five months to be a solid one and that is when entertainment will surely be at its best. You can imagine from now till December and to the first quarter of the next year, there will be so many activities. In what ways do you think the new government can make the entertainment industry more viable? The number one thing we expect from this nation to do for its citizens is security. When there is security, people can go out unmolested, unhindered. They can go about their businesses, their normal life and sleep with their two eyes closed. They should provide us with infrastructures. With that, you will see that the Nigerian entertainment industry will reach its zenith. Record making will run the way it is supposed to be run and people will go out to enjoy themselves. Fun spots will keep coming
up. We can only get this through the provision of infrastructures and security. Not only in entertainment, when we have security and infrastructures, other sectors will function well and things will turn around. Is it true that you are a lover of books? I am a lover of many books. In my house, there are books everywhere I like to stock up on knowledge. I like to read about things around me and about people to be able to rediscover myself. You recently opened a new office in the Lekki area of Lagos for your music business. Was there a need for that? The office is for an entirely different project, B & G, an arm of my business empire. The office that deals with my music project is located at Amuwo Odofin. I have different offices for different businesses. We’ve seen several entertainers who try to run other business but ended up not making a success of it. What do you think is responsible for this and what can be done about it? Like I said earlier on, if you want to do anything, try and put in your best because what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. You ask yourself, what do you want to do? Why am I doing this? In the Amuwo Odofin office, I have lieutenants who assist me because a tree does not make a forest. I have managing directors for the band who take charge of running the day to day affairs of the band. I have someone who runs Fuji Repete, a purely Fuji events business, for me. What you need is good hands. You must designate responsibilities, you let other people bring their ideas into what you are doing. With that, you will see that there are a lot of dedicated people around that will manage your affair for you. Nothing has been heard about the Fuji Music Association of Nigeria (FUMAN). What is currently happening to the Aassociation? FUMAN, an association of Fuji musicians was duly registered in Nigeria. Moruf Ololade is the president of FUMAN. He took over from Saka Orobo after his tenure elapsed. As the patron of the association, my own is to meet them and ask them if they have need of anything. The association is working. It is the collective responsibility of every Fuji singer to be focused towards having a working association. I will only do mine, if you do yours and everybody has their hands on deck and see things working, definitely it will work for good. FUMAN has come to stay. When I established FUMAN, what it stood for was unity of everybody and that is our motto. How do you find time to relax? If I am at home, you either see me in my pool or in the gym. The most important thing is that, I take my time to rest. I love travelling and swimming. Most of the places I travel to are places that I can have access to
some good things of life. I work when it is necessary for me and I rest when it is necessary for me as well. Some say you are a good cook. How true is this? I cook every day. I’m a very good cook. I was trained for it. I give thanks to my mother, she taught me that. She trained me to be able to take care of my younger ones. Whenever my mother is not around maybe away on business, I was always the one in charge. My mother had and still has so much confidence in me. You are known to be a car freak. Which is your favourite? My life these days has gone beyond just a particular kind of automobile. I can ride anything. Nigerian roads these days are not too good and motor able. If you have a Rolls Royce and you are living at Oshodi, you will know understand better. I’m not keen these days about automobile. Who are your favourite designers? I have many that I patronize. They love me so much that they keep supplying me loads of materials. As a matter of fact, I enjoy tremendous support and service from them, both the new and the old designers. Where is your favourite vacation spot? I love a lot of places. I either go to Malta, Miami, Florida, Bahamas or Puerto-rico. I have a lot of places that I can go to. I’m a traveler like I said. I know where I can catch the best of fun around the world. I love water, so I like to go to places surrounded by the sea. What advice will you give to an up and coming Fuji singer for instance who wants to take it up as a career? My advice for the young ones is to be focused. Take to that principle: ask yourself, what do you want to do? When you have an answer to it, endeavour to do it well because like I said, what is worth doing is worth doing well. It is for your own benefit and for your own good not for any other person. If you sleep early, you wake up early. It serves no other person but you because you would have gained enough strength to do whatever you want to do. You’re known to be very close to the ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. How would you describe his kind of person? Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my leader is a great man and a blessing to many generations before and after him. What I know he stands for and my knowledge of what he does and the way he feels about people is that after Mahatma Ghandi, the great Obafemi Awolowo, then you can talk about Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of his love for his people and his love for the rule-of-law. Bola Tinubu is not just business minded, he loves to groom and develop people. He has developed people who are today great managers of resources.
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Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
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Society Gists L6
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
Isaac Oguntoye
‘I see a strong plot to poison Bukola Saraki’ – Pro Joshua Iginla Bro. Joshua Iginla has released series of shocking predictions for 2016 for individuals, nations and continents. Noted for his microscopic predictions, he warned the president, senate president and a host of others on the dangers ahead in 2016. He specifically warned the senate President, Bukola Saraki to watch and pray because there will be an attempt to poison him. “The Senate president should pray because there will be an attempt over his life. I see a strong plot to remove him and a strong plot to poison him”, he said. He also cautioned the president to be cautious as he is surrounded by Judases who are hell bent in betraying him. “The president should pray because there will be an attempt over his life. I see serious health issue. He should pray to finish his tenure. There are a lot of Judases around Mr President. I see a plot to poison
Pro Joshua Iginla him. He should pray to finish it. He should take good care of himself and spend more time to watch the enemies that are around him than those afar. That’s the message for the president. There are Judases around him and are ready to finish their assignments. He should watch his house because the enemy is too close than he thinks”. However, in the midst of all, he claimed that his administration will
Following the court case between the Lagos State government and the spiritual leader of Synagogue Church of All Nations, Pastor T.B Joshua over the collapsed building at Synagogue Church which claimed many lives, Lord Mayor of Igbo in Lagos, Chief Soronnadi Nwabueze Ezebuiro has urged the Pentecostal Family Ministry, (PFM) and the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) to support one of their own. Soronnadi who is the President General of Pan African Congress in a media chat frowned at the seeming non-challant attitude of other Christian family over the is-
sue saying the families should form an alliance in resolving the issue. According to him, the Lagos State government is doing what it ought to do by prosecuting the defendant in the court of law but pleaded with them to temper justice with mercy. “We are pleading with PFM, CAN and Lagos State government to temper justice wit mercy, we are ready and pleading that the case should be settled out of court. I have never seen anybody wins case against the government as instead, they will keep on adjourning the case”, he said.
do well and that Nigeria will rise again. “The government of Buhari will do well but due to too much enemies than friends, it will slow down the wheel of progress and tension will rise up in several areas. But that will not stop the result the government will have. Nigeria will rise again and the future of Nigeria will be restored. And her image in dignity shall be restored”, he stressed.
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi visits Aregbesola
Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi
Soronnadi explains why PFM, CAN, T.B Joshua must form alliance
The Ooni of Ife and Arole Oodua, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II kicked off his thank you visits with a courtesy call on the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola last Wednesday at the Governor’s office, Osogbo. The visit provided avenue for the Kabiyesi to express his profound appreciation for his support to Ile-Ife right from the transition of Ooni Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II to the subsequent installation of Ooni Ogunwusi capped with a befitting ceremony of presentation of staff and instrument of office organised by the state government under the leadership of Governor Aregbesola. On his entourage are 16 members of Ife traditional council known as Agba Ife led by Lowa of Ife, Oba J.O Ijadola, Isoro chiefs (chief priest) led by Obadio of Ife, Oba Ifarotimi Faloba, executive members of Ife Development Board led by its President, Professor
Muib Opeloye, executive members of Ife Action Council led by its President Mr. Oriire Awowoyin, Great Ife Movement led by its President, Barrister Femi Oyeyinka and many others. The visit enabled the monarch unravel for the umpteenth time, his resolve to give succour to the children of Oduduwa worldwide as well as his populist plans for the society at large. In the process, Governor Aregbesola emerged as an unbiased, God fearing and respecter of wishes of the people. Even though it is very rare in this part of the world for a state government not to influence a kingship process to favour a preferred candidate, but to the surprise of many, Aregbesola refused to interfere with the process, but accepted the choice of the kingmakers with the official announcement of the Ooni-elect and heavily supported the coronation activities materially and financially. This accounted for the ‘thank you visit.
T.B. Joshua
Okoya’s Company, Eleganza rewards staff The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of one of Nigeria’s largest conglomerates, Eleganza Group, Chief Rasaq Akanni Okoya has held an end of the year party for staff. At the party some members of the staff were rewarded for their contributions towards the growth of the company. The amiable man of many parts, Alhaji Okoya and his lovely wife, Chief (Mrs.) Shade Okoya was also part of the success story. Eleganza is an household name for quality products and services manufactured, distributed and retailed locally and internationally. With the recent revamp of the industries named “Eleganza Industrial City”, they have increased their capacity and further improved their quality to meet the growing demands
Rasaq Okoya for their products. Now it makes even more sense for their clients to buy their coolers, luggage boxes, diapers, plastic chairs, hair threads, footwear and so on locally. This is saving people the high cost of foreign importation, giving their clients a competitive advantage and increasing their profits.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
L7 Society Gists
Help for the needy: Kwara, Rotary International bankroll cleft surgery for 100 children The Kwara State government in collaboration with the Rotary International club will bankroll cleft surgery for 100 children in the state. Mike Omotosho Foundation and the Alliance for Smiles based in the United States of America are also co- sponsors of the programme.
The surgery would commence on January 10, 2016 at the General Hospital, Ilorin. A team of 17 volunteers comprising doctors, nurses and other paramedics will arrive Nigeria from USA, Canada and Australia on January 8 for the exercise.
A statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara State capital by the Rotary International District Governor in Nigeria, Dr Mike Omotosho, said the cleft lip and palate reformatory surgery would be performed by a team of surgeons from the United States of America, Australia and their Nigerian counterparts.
Holistic Beauty berths with new products In a bid to fight Rashes, Eczema, Black heads, Stretch marks and Scars, Dark knuckles, Sun burns, Liver spots, Acne, Pimples, Milia, Hyper pigmentation and other skin infections, Holistic Beauty, an organic skincare company has berthed with a natural product that will provide a solution. As the secret of beauty lies in mother nature, this has been captured in their products. According to the prime mover of the company, “Our products are 100% natural, organic and Paraben free; they are derived botanically from the finest ingredients from around the world. These products are crafted to give your skin that extra deep cleansing, moisturising and toning it needs. It penetrates into the layers of the skin to stimulate cell growth, providing it with natural nourishment and rids the skin of dead cells without stripping it of its natural oils. Our products are perfect remedy for skin ailments and Scars”.
defects prevalence. The statement stressed the urgent need to invest in children with birth defects and reduce neonatal and under five mortality by providing free surgical care for OFC which opens a new vista for public awareness, prevention and research.
NIGERIANS SHOULD PRAY AGAINST WAR – Dr Chris Okafor Year 2016 has been described as a spiritual and prophetic year, as it will witness a lot of situation. But they that know their God, the Lord will make them do exploits in all ramifications. These are the words of Senior Pastor of Liberation City, Dr Chris Okafor at the cross over services of the church to usher in the New Year. Speaking on the church watchword, ‘The year of Greater Harvest’, the oracle of God said if only the people can obey God, not by convenience but by commandment, the year will
be full of harvest for people that will serve the lord in truth and in spirit. He also gave some powerful prophecies for year 2016. In his words: “Nigerians must come together as one body, we should not allow our ethnic difference create a vacuum that will degenerate to war, because I see war among the various ethnic and religious groups that will leave the country in a bad shape. If Nigerians can come together and talk to God in one voice, the plan of the devil can be averted.”
Bishop Kwakpovwe in World Anointing Service
Who is after Femi Adesina? Following the ongoing anticorruption fight by the federal government, several top personalities have been fingered with arrested and remanded in prison. Some have been invited for questioning while some are still cooling their foot in detention. But what surprised many was the rumour that spread in the corridor of power accusing the Special Adviser to President Muhamamdu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. The rumour mill stated that, the former Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) boss collected N50 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in a further widening of the arms purchase scandal. As a result, some said he has a case to answer while some claimed that
According to the statement, cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. It called for the setting up of birth defects registry across the country, which the organization believed would help in determining Nigeria’s birth
Femi Adesina since the money was given to the Guild and not him, he’s a free man who has his integrity intact. Dasuki, alongside some top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and other former top brass are currently being investigated for allegedly receiving money from the arms deal.
Preparations are in top gear ahead of this year’s Annual World Anointing Night service organised by the lives-changing daily devotional, “Our Daily Manna” publisher, Bishop (Dr.) Chris Kwakpovwe and senior pastor of The Manna Prayer Mountain, Lagos, Nigeria. The programme seen by millions as annual year starter will hold on Friday 29, January 2016 at the expansive Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS in Lagos. The program will conclude a 21-day fasting and prayer, which kicks off on Saturday, January 9. The event is drawing over 800,000 enthusiastic worshippers from various nations across the globe like the U.K., U.S.A., Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Zambia etc. This edition’s theme ‘Jehovah Ebenezer Lord Wipe My Tears’ and Christian over the world are encouraged to bring 12 handkerchiefs (Mantles) which will be used in prophetic prayers. Thus, it is also a night of 12 Prophetic Mantles! According to Bishop (Dr.) Kwakpovwe, “By the grace of God, as usual, the event will be awesome, and there shall be the unusual!
God told me that all kinds of barrenness (physical or spiritual) shall give way! What is supposed to make men or women cry in 2016 will be terminated and there shall be total divine visitation ahead of the year. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and He will show Himself alive again. It is divine mandate to start the year.” Other anointed men of God along with Dr. Chris, and his wife, Ejiro, are expected to minister prophetic words while notable gospel artistes
will be on hand to sing with lots of praying to round up the 21-day fasting and prayer! Speaking on the vision of the devotional booklet, National Coordinator of Our Daily Manna, ODM and wife of the publisher and author of the devotional, Rev. (Mrs.) Ejiro stressed that the ODM booklet is to provide people with daily practical life stories, inspirational Bible expositions, breakthrough prayer points, songs and strong prophetic declarations.
Moses Denayin Oluwaloni and wife, Beatrice during their conjugal blessing at the Assumpta Catholic Church, Falomo, Lagos on December 26, 2015.
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, January 8, 2016
L8 TV guide
Showing on
Showing on
128 SONY MAX Channel
139 M-NET Movie ZONE
12:20
00:55
Fri, 8 Jan | PG13
Fri, 8 Jan | 16VL
‘S1/E9 - The Unknown’. Five participants face their deepest fears. They face snakes, spiders, confinement and medical devices. Will they make it to the end, or will they hit their panic button?
101 M-Net West
00:55 Pompeii 02:45 Step Dogs 04:07 MasterChef Australia 05:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 06:00 Modern Family 06:30 The Blacklist 07:30 NCIS: Los Angeles 08:30 A Monster In Paris 10:30 Two And A Half Men 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 MasterChef Australia 13:00 NCIS: New Orleans 14:00 The Newsroom 15:00 The Fixer 16:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 17:00 2 Broke Girls 17:30 MasterChef Australia 18:30 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 19:30 Arrow 20:30 A Single Shot 22:30 Devil’s Due
154 Africa Magic Family
00:00 Kopa 01:00 Stray Thoughts 02:00 Blue Flame 04:00 Aging Gracefully 05:00 Branded 06:00 2 Sides Of A Coin
120 BBC Entertainment
118 Telemundo
00:30 The Del Monte Dynasty 01:20 The Impostor 02:10 Labour Of Love 03:00 Fearless Heart 03:50 Queen Of Hearts 05:20 The Del Monte Dynasty 06:10 Labour Of Love 07:00 Fearless Heart 07:50 Queen Of Hearts 08:40 Queen Of Hearts 09:30 Forbidden Passions 10:20 Labour Of Love 11:10 Fearless Heart 12:00 Queen Of Hearts 12:50 The Impostor 13:40 Forbidden Passions 14:30 Labour Of Love 15:20 Fearless Heart 16:10 Queen Of Hearts 17:00 The Impostor 17:50 Forbidden Passions 18:40 Labour Of Love 19:30 Fearless Heart 20:20 Queen Of Hearts 21:10 The Impostor 22:00 Forbidden Passions 22:50 Labour Of Love
06:30 Crossed Road 07:00 Comfort Zone 07:30 Star Gist 08:00 Windeck 09:01 The Johnsons 09:30 Tinsel 10:00 The Next President 11:28 Behind The Scenes: The Secret Room 12:00 Seasons Of Life 13:00 The Vacation 14:00 Love And Oil 17:16 2 Sides Of A Coin 17:45 Crossed Road 18:10 Comfort Zone 18:32 Star Gist 19:00 Windeck 20:00 The Johnsons 20:30 Tinsel 21:00 Silent Murder 22:20 Breaking Ranks
Sam Worthington (Avatar) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Losers) star in this thriller. Two detectives hunt a serial killer who dumps his victims’ mutilated bodies in a nearby marsh. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sam Worthington. (2011) Ami Canaan Mann.
155 AfricaMagic World
00:00 Tinsel 00:40 Blackadder II
10:30 Deal Or No Deal
01:11 Top Gear
11:05 My Family
02:04 Above Suspicion
11:35 Hell’s Kitchen USA
02:49 Come Dine With Me
12:25 Top Gear Festival Special: Sydney
03:36 EastEnders
13:25 Come Dine With Me
04:07 Top Gear
14:10 Celebrity MasterChef
05:00 Fool Britannia
15:05 The Weakest Link
05:25 QI
16:00 Casualty
05:55 The Thin Blue Line
17:00 The Chase
06:30 EastEnders
18:00 The Cube
07:00 Antiques Roadshow
19:00 New Tricks
07:50 The Weakest Link
20:00 The Graham Norton Show
08:40 The Chase
21:00 Dragons’ Den
09:25 QI
22:00 Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley!
09:55 Would I Lie To You?
00:30 The African Child 01:00 Star Gist 01:30 Making Of A Mogul 02:00 At Home With Michelle Attoh 03:00 Good Morning Africa 04:00 Channel O: Volt 04:30 Channel O: Volt 05:00 The African Child 05:30 The African Child 06:00 Good Morning Africa 07:00 Star Gist 07:25 Umbara Point 08:30 Living With Trisha 09:25 The African Child 10:00 Good Morning Africa 11:00 Tinsel
161 Mzanzi Magic
11:30 Star Gist 12:00 Music
00:00 Noose Of Gold 00:30 Good Morning Africa 01:40 The Dzigbordi Show 02:30 Good Morning Africa 03:30 Good Morning Africa 04:30 Noose Of Gold 05:00 Good Morning Africa 06:05 Miserable Wealth 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 19:55 Wise Attraction 21:35 Jara 22:05 Series TBA
13:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 14:00 Prem 14:30 Fashion Coast 15:00 Making Of A Mogul 15:30 Coco Bill 15:45 Coco Bill 16:00 The African Child 16:30 Living With Trisha 17:30 Comfort Zone 18:00 At Home With Joselyn Dumas 19:00 Goal Diggerz 19:30 Star Gist 19:55 Umbara Point 21:00 Making Of A Mogul 21:30 Goge Africa 22:00 Living With Trisha