SATURDAY 29TH DECEMBER 2018 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Presidency: Dangote Not a Member of APC Presidential Campaign Council Buhari kicks off reelection bid, unveils Campaign Council Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Okon Bassey in Uyo The Presidency yesterday night clarified the status of the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, named under the sub-head (Advisory

Members) in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), unveiled yesterday, saying that Dangote “is not a member” of the APC PCC. A statement by the President’s Media Adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina

said it had become imperative to further clarify the status of Dangote, to avoid misconception. Also yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, formally launched the campaign for his re-election with a promise to

focus on security, economy and corruption if re-elected. Adesina, in the statement clarifying the status of Dangote, said: “Africa's richest man, not being a card-carrying member of APC, cannot, and is not member of the PCC. He is also a member

of the Peace Committee, and thus cannot be in a partisan campaign council.” Buhari, who began his reelection bid with the South-South Presidential campaign, held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State,

praised his administration for fulfilling his promise in 2015 to improve the nation’s security, economy and fight corruption. He stated that when he became president, about 17 local governments in Borno Continued on page 6

Army Launches Operation Python Dance III to Check Election Violence Page 52 Saturday 29 December, 2018 Vol 23. No 8655

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Buhari Endorses Abiodun Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja In what appeared to be a technical knockout for Adekunle Akinlade, the anointed candidate of Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Abuja, threw his weight behind Prince Dapo Abiodun as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state. In expression of his public endorsement for Abiodun, Buhari raised the hand of the APC candidate in his office in the Presidential Villa, promising

Shehu Shagari

Continued on page 6

Nigeria’s First Elected President Dies at 93 Charles Ajunwa, Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna The curtain fell on the Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died yesterday at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness. His death was confirmed by his grandson and President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCNI), Bello Shagari. “I regret to announce the death of my grandfather, H.E Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died right now after a brief illness at the National Hospital, Abuja", he said on his tweeter handle. In a swift reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari described the demise of the Shagari as the departure of a patriot whose life of service and humility was widely acknowledged Family members, relatives and

some presidency officials were sighted at the National Hospital as at yesterday evening, making arrangements for the movement of the late president's remains. Shagari was President of Nigeria under the then ruling party, National Party of Nigeria (NPN) from 1979 to 1983. He was the only president who was handed over power by the military led by the then Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo. He was later overthrown by the same military junta led by then Major General Muhammadu Buhari. Shagari served as the first and only President of Nigeria's Second Republic (1979–1983), after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo's military government. Shagari also served seven times in ag ministerial or cabinet post as a federal minister and federal

THIS IS OUR MAN... L-R: Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; APC Gubernatorial Candidate in Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun; and President Muhammadu Buhari when the duo paid the president a visit at Aso Villa, where Abiodun was endorsed by Buhari… yesterday.

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PAGE SIX NIGERIAâ€™S FIRST ELECTED PRESIDENT DIES AT 93 commissioner from 1958â€“1975. He was made the Turaki of the Fula Sokoto Caliphate in 1962 by the Sultan of Sokoto, Siddiq Abubakar III. Turaki means an officer at court, in this case, referring to the sultan's court at the palace of Sokoto. In addition, he also holds the chieftaincy titles of the Ochiebuzo of Ogbaland, the Ezediale of A ouch and the Baba Korede of Ado Ekiti. He worked as a teacher for a brief period before entering politics in 1951 and in 1954 was elected to the federal House of Representatives. Shagari was born in 1925 in the northern Shagari village founded by his great-grandfather, Ahmadu Rufa'i, who was also the Village Head, and took the name Shagari as his family name. His father's name is Aliyu and his mother's name is Mariamu. His name, Usman, means "companion". He was raised in a polygamous family and was the sixth child born into the family. Prior to becoming Magajin Shagari ( magajin means village head), Aliyu, Shehu's father was a farmer, trader and herder. However, due to traditional rites that prevented rulers from participating in business, Aliyu relinquished some of his trading interest when he became the Magaji, or village head, of Shagari village. Aliyu died five years after Shehu's birth, and Shehu's elder brother, Bello, briefly took on his father's mantle as Magajin Shagari. Shagari started his education in a Quranic school and then went to live with relatives at a nearby town, where from

1931-1935 he attended Yabo elementary school. In 1936-1940, he went to Sokoto for middle school, and then from 1941-1944 he attended Kaduna College. Teaching career Between 1944 and 1952, Shehu Shagari matriculated at the Teachers Training College, in Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria. From 1953-1958, Shagari got a job as a visiting teacher at Sokoto Province. He was also a member of the Federal Scholarship Board from 1954-1958.

Political career Shehu Usman Shagari entered politics in 1951 when he became the secretary of the Northern Peopleâ€™s Congress in Sokoto, Nigeria, a position he held until 1956. In 1954, Shehu Shagari was elected into his first public office as a member of the federal House of Representative for Sokoto West. In 1958, Shagari was appointed as parliamentary secretary (he left the post in 1959) to the Nigerian Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and that year he also served as the Federal Minister for Commerce and Industries. From 1959-1960, Shagari was redeployed to the Ministry for Economic Development, as the Federal Minister for Economic Development. In 1960-1962, he was moved to the Pensions Ministry as the Federal Minister for Pensions. From 1962-1965, Shagari was made the Federal Minister for Internal Affairs. From 1965 up until the first military coup in January 1966, Shagari was the Federal Minister for Works.

In 1967 he was appointed as the secretary for Sokoto province education development fund. From 1968-1969, Shagari was given a state position in the North Western State as commissioner for establishments. After the Nigerian civil war, from 1970-1971, Shagari was appointed by the military Head of State General Yakubu Gowon as the federal commissioner for economic development, rehabilitation and reconstruction. From 1971-75 he served as the Federal Commissioner ( position now called minister) of Finance. During his tenure as the commissioner of finance for Nigeria, Shagari was also a governor for the World Bank and a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) committee of 20. In 1978, Shagari was a founding member of the National Peopleâ€™s Party. In 1979 Shagari was chosen by the party as the presidential candidate for the general election that year, which he won becoming the president and head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Shagari won the 1979 election with the help of his campaign manager, Umaru Dikko (now late). The campaign had the support of many prominent politicians in the North and among southern minorities. The party's motto was "One Nation, One Destiny" and was seen as the party best representing Nigeria's diversity. He ran for a second four-year term in 1983 and won the general election. However, on December 31, 1983, Shagari was overthrown by Major General Muhammadu Buhari. President Buhari last night described the demise of the

Shagari as the departure of a patriot whose life of service and humility was widely acknowledged. According to a statement by the president's spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, the president said he received the news of Shagari's transition with sadness. He was quoted as saying, â€œOn behalf of my family, the government and the people of Nigeria, it is with immense sadness that I received the news of the passing away of the First Executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari which event happened Friday in Abuja.â€? Furthermore, Adesina said Buhari recalled part of the birthday message he (Buhari) sent to the deceased last February, quoting him as saying in the message, â€œwe are enthralled and regaled with the many years of unequalled patriotism, sacrifices and contributions to national development. More specifically, we celebrate the role modelling qualities of integrity, diligence and humility that have been the hallmark of your visionary leadership.â€? The president was also quoted as saying, â€œNigerians held him in the highest esteem even when he was out of office until his demise and will forever miss his wise counsel.â€? On his part, former military president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida described Shagari as a " Democratic and bridge builder."

bold statement that his unalloyed loyalty to his party and his unflinching support for all APC candidates in all the states of the federation were incontrovertible. Osoba said, "First of all, I want to wish the president a successful election and 2019 will be a defining year by the grace of God for the president who has always won all the elections which the former Ambassador said sometimes ago. "Secondly, we have come to present out candidate in Ogun State, the candidate of the president, the candidate of APC and the president has raised his hand and told the world that his candidate in Ogun State is Prince Dapo Abiodun and that he has no other candidate. His party in Ogun State is APC. He has no other party in Nigeria other than APC.

"He has assured us that he will personally come to Ogun State to formally present Prince Dapo Abiodun as his candidate and he assured us that is clearing the air of any ambiguity whatsoever of any name dropping, any blackmail, any misinformation that anybody may be peddling, that in all elections throughout Nigeria, not just in Ogun State, people must vote for APC and no other party." In his own briefing, Abiodun said the president left no one in doubt that he (Abiodun) was not only the candidate of APC in Ogun State but also his (president) personal candidate, pointing out that an endorsement of that magnitude could not have come at a better time. Abiodun who said he was gladdened by the president's endorsement, added that it was a clear signal to Akinlade, his

Babangida said the deceased was also a detribalised Nigerian. In the message which he

personally signed, General Babangida extolled the virtues of the first civilian president in the second republic saying, "Shehu Shagari was a great patriotic leader and an accomplished gentleman, at first a teacher, an administrator, a technocrat and an honest decent unassuming simple Nigerian Leader. "He will be remembered for his tolerance and politics of peace without bitterness. President Shehu Shagari was a nationalist who never showed any discrimination due to ethnicity or religion and was a very dependable bridge builder" Babangida added in the statement. In his tribute, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described Shagari as a man of peace, who dedicated the greater part of his life to the service of the fatherland. Saraki, in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by his Media Adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, noted that Shagari would be remembered for his immense contributions to the political and socio-economic development of the country as well as his peaceful disposition. â€œMy family and I join the entire nation to mourn the passing of former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who led our nation during the Second Republic. He was a quintessential public servant; having served in seven cabinet positions and as a legislator. He was the first elected President who was Chief Executive of the country. He dedicated his best years in the service of our nation and its people and will be dearly missed.

â€œHe was a man who worked for the unity of Nigeria and stabilised the country during the 50 months of the Second Republic despite the challenges of the then new presidential system of government operated by the country. Since his exit from power, he has remained a silent beacon of strength for the countryâ€?, the Senate President stated.

Jonathan: Shagari Was a Nation Builder Former President Goodluck Jonathan described Shagari as a nation builder who cemented a good relationship between the North and South. Jonathan stated this in a tribute to the nation's first executive President, noting that Shagari was a patriot who placed service to humanity and fatherland above personal interest. He said: â€œLate President Shagari was a very nice man with a clean heart. As a President he was humble, sincere and selfless in service. He was in deed a true democrat who left no one in doubt about his loyalty to his country, love for peace, desire for unity and vision for a greater Nigeria. â€œShagari was an exceptional leader and exemplary statesman whose modesty, commitment to common good and deep sense of patriotism will continue to inspire many generations of Nigerians. He will be remembered as a teacher, parliamentarian and President whose model of service was anchored on diligence, broad-mindedness and humility.â€?

BUHARI ENDORSES ABIODUN to visit Ogun State to formally present Abiodun as his only recognised and authentic governorship candidate in the state. Briefing journalists after accompanying Abiodun to the meeting with Buhari in the State House, former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, said Buhari's formal endorsement of Abiodun yesterday put to rest the hithertho blackmail apparently by Amosun, his protege, Akinlade and members of their new found Allied Peoples Movement (APM) that the president was backing Akinlade against Abiodun, his party's candidate. Ironically, Amosun and APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, had on Monday, presented to the president, the party's letter of adoption of Buhari as its presidential candidate, and thus fueling

insinuations that the president had thrown his weight behind Amosun's alleged anti-party activities with APM as well as his controversial candidate. Both Amosun and the National Chairman of APC, had been at loggerheads since October following the refusal of the latter to field the candidate of Amosun as the party's governorship candidate in Ogun State. The irreconcilable differences between the duo forced Amosun to enter into a romance with APM, a hitherto unknown political party, to which he had moved his political structure from APC in support of Akinlade as the APM governorship candidate. But Osoba in his briefing, disclosed that by declaring his open support for Abiodun, the president was only making a

godfather and his APM which he alleged had been using the name and photographs of Buhari to score cheap political points in Ogun State to now beat a retreat, describing their action hitherto as illegal. "I want to first of all thank Mr. President for clearing the air as our leader has said and reaffirmed that he is the APC candidate for president and I, Prince Dapo Abiodun, I am the APC gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State and I am his candidate. "Naturally, APC is his party and there is no any other gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State except me. I think that affirmation could not have come at a better time when there is a lot of ambiguity, when people have attempted falsehood and other kinds of misinformation.

"So, I am very elated, very reassured that the president has stood by the party and stood by me and I believe that this matter will finally be put to rest and all those that are trying to gain by using the presidentâ€™s picture on their posters, on their vehicles will finally begin to remove it because it is actually illegal for you to be putting the presidential candidate of another party on the face of the poster of another party. "It is an attempt to confuse and misinform the public. I believe that after today, that will be put to rest and everybody will know that in Ogun State, the only party to vote for is APC from the presidential election, to gubernatorial, to senatorial to House of Representatives and the House of Assembly," Abiodun stated.

(North), Senator George Akume, Vice chairman (South), Senator Ken Nnamani, and Director General, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi. Also with Dangote and Otedola in the special advisory committee to Mr. President are Vice President Osinbajo; Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader); Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (Leader of the House); and APC Party National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The Deputy Director General (Operations) is Senator A.O. Mamora; Deputy Director General (Coordination) is Arch. Waziri Bulama and there are two people in the position of Secretary- Adamu Adamu and Dele Alake. The Zonal Directors are: North-west, Senator Aliyu M. Wamakko; North-east, Senator Muhâ€™d Ali Ndume;

North-central, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; South-west, Sola Oke, SAN; South-east, Sharon Ikeazor; and South-south, Senator Godswill Akpabio. There are 13 Directorates, having Dr. Mahmoud Mohammed as Director, Buhari Support Groups; Festus Keyamo, SAN, Director, Strategic Communications with Abike Dabiri- Erewa as Deputy Director. Hadiza Bala Usman is Director, Contact and Mobilisation; with Victor Eboigre as Deputy Director South and Senator Bashir Nalado, Deputy Director North. The Director, Election Planning & Monitoring is Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. With him are Deputy Director I- Baba Kura Abba Jato; and Deputy Director II-Chief Emani Ayiri. Director, Logistics is Dr. Pius Odubu; with him are Deputy Director, Senator Umanah Umanah; and Deputy Director II, Nasiru Danu.

PRESIDENCY: DANGOTE NOT A MEMBER OF APC PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COUNCIL and Yobe States were under sieged by Boko Haram but that presently, the Boko Haram was not physically in any of these local governments. The President also stated that before now bombings were rampant in churches, mosques, market and motor parks in the northern part of the country but such was no more the case. Speaking on the economy, the President said over 60 per cent of the nationâ€™s population consists of young people, saying his administration would eventually achieve food security with the ban on the importation of rice and support to farmers. According to the President, at an appropriate time, Nigerians would be informed on how much had been recovered from the looters of the nationâ€™s treasury and those involved, stressing that his administration

would continue to do everything to protect the country from being destroyed. The National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole lauded the President for starting the presidential campaign in the South-South zone, saying the people of the region really appreciate the honour. The APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the rally as a very successful one as the stadium was filled to capacity to endorse continuity of hope and development. He called on Nigerians to re-elect President Buhari, saying APC government gives the nation hope and has diversified the economy. The Akwa Ibom State APC Chairman, Iniobong Okopido praised the national leadership of the party for the confidence

reposed in the state to host the beginning of the South-South presidential campaign. He said the state and indeed other South-south states were ready to vote for the APC come 2019 and lauded Presidential Buhari for the numerous appointments extended to the state. The high point of the rally was presentation of flags of the party to governorship candidates of Akwa Ibom, Obong Nsima Ekere; Cross River, Senator John Owan-Enoh; Delta State, Great Ovedje Ogboru; and Rivers State, Chief Tonye Cole. The Presidential rally was attended by APC governors across the country, led by the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, National Assembly members, members of the national working committee of the party and members of the Federal Executive Council, among others.

Also yesterday, the president unveiled the members of his Presidential Campaign Council and appointed the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu as his co-chairman. Also appointed in a Special Advisory Committee, are billionaire President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, while Babatunde Fashola, Gen. A. Dambazzau, Nuhu Ribadu, Hadiza Bala Usman head directorates. The full list of members of the APC PCC for the 2019 elections, include: President Muhammadu Buhari as chairman; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is co-chairman, while the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole are deputy chairmen. Others are, Vice chairman

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Zamfara Under the Servitude of Bandits

s at press time, tears were still flowing in Magami village, in Maradun Local Government in Zamfara State where rampaging bandits killed scores of people nine days ago. The tears of many will evidently never dry, with most households losing their bread winners. Few weeks back, the bandits attacked three communities in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of the same state, killing 25 people. The poorly equipped and poorly motivated military responded hours after the bandits had gone. Birnin Magaji is the hometown of our phony Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali (rtd). Most of the villages in Birnin Magaji LGA such as Ballaka, Tsalle, Gidan Kare, Katsinawa, Garin Boka and Garin kaka had been deserted due to repeated attacks by the bandits. Residents are taking refuge at the council headquarters and in other places in the state. Dogon Maje, a village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State was also attacked about the same time asBirnin Magaji. Bandits struck in this agrarian settlement, operated for hours, killing scores of innocent people. Homes were destroyed and animals stolen from the hapless villagers. Rayyahi, a son of one of the victims, Ibrahim Kuryan-Madaro said his father was killed by the bandits who severed his head. He said one of the bandits called him on his fatherâ€™s phone to tell him â€œwe have just killed your father, come to Dogon Maje tomorrow and take his corpseâ€?. A combined team of mobile police and Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) arrived hours after the bandits left Dogon Maje. Not even one of the bandits has been arrested by security agents. The situation in Zamfara State is hopeless, with the bandits roaming unhindered in many local governments.Tsafe, Zurmi, Shankafi, Maradun, Maru and Birnin Magaji LGAs are the most affected. In these LGAs, armed bandits and cattle rustlers slaughter scores of people daily. Security agents have failed the people. They often arrive after the bandits must have crushed people and departed. Days after the Magami village massacre, the Police Command in Zamfara issued a statement, saying it had deployed another unit to the village, comprising Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) and the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS). It was all razzmatazz. They are yet to arrest any of the bandits that sacked Magami village. The killings in Zamfara in the last two years are frightening. Hundreds of innocent people have been sent to early graves by these terrorists. The truth that must be told is that the bandits have apparently overpowered our security agents. Recall that few weeks back, 18 policemen, who were part of a police anti-rustling team deployed in the troubled state, were killed in an ambush by the bandits. The police

Yari

had to struggle to recover bodies of the dead patriots. What a country! Frustrated residents of Tsafe LG staged a protest last Monday over the incessant killings in their villages. Security agents responded by pummeling the protesters. A federal government delegation, led by Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, was in Gusau on Wednesday for an on-the-spot assessment of the activities of the bandits and ended with the usual rhetoric: â€œThis administration will continue to go to any length to protect the lives and properties of the citizens because any single innocent life lost has a devastating effect on the nation and is unacceptable.â€™â€™ All motion, no movement. This is not the first time the traumatised people of Zamfara State will be told this kind of story. It is also a big shame that the Nigerian Air Forceâ€™s newly-built base in Zamfara, established to curtail attacks by bandits, failed to respond to any of the outbreaks. Violence and killings have continued while the Air Force base looks the other way. The National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Ugwumadu, was apt when he remarked: â€œSection 15, 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution imposed a primary responsibility on them (FG) to secure the lives and property of Nigerians. The wanton killings in Zamfara are a direct assault to Section 33 of the constitution which guarantees rights to life and liberty.â€? Governor Abdul-Azziz Yari has not helped matters in his state. The other day, he said he was resigning as the Chief Security Officer of the state out of frustration because of the failure of the federal government to curb the killings. Has this in

any way stopped the killings? This governor is evidently a joker. He is hardly in the state despite the crisis. You will regularly find this governor in Abuja, London or Dubai. That was why elder statesman, Saidu Dansadau, petitioned Buhari in 2016, asking him to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State. Back then, Dansadua remarked: â€œThe governor hardly stays in the state as he prefers to travel all over the world at the expense of the state resources and safety of the people. All matters of state that require action are kept waiting until he returns to the state. Consequently, intelligence and security reports are kept in abeyance.â€? Yari has not changed one bit. As at press time, the Zamfara governor was on vacation abroad, leaving â€˜acting deputy governor,â€™ Sanusi Rikij, to battle the mess. How can a governor go on vacation when his state is on fire? Yariâ€™s leadership is laced with pride. He is also perceived as inept and vindictive. The Zamfara debacle is one big mess and a big slight on the Buhari government that came into office with a promise to end terrorism within months. Rather than end violence, the situation continues to depreciate. The attacks have continued despite the deployment of thousands of security officials to the state. Our security agents are ill-equipped and ill-motivated. This is why hundreds of people have been killed by bandits in Zamfara State since 2016. This is also why Boko Haram attacks have persisted in the North-east. Just on Tuesday, our soldiers ran into an ambush by Boko Haram on Damaturu-Maiduguri Road. Our gallant troops fought courageously to extricate themselves from the ambush but gloomily, 13 military and a policeman, including an officer lost their lives. Also this week, Boko Haram fighters attacked a military formation in Kukareta, Damaturu Local Government Area of Yobe. The casualty figure is still a closely-guided secret. The point I am making with these narratives is that sub-standard equipment and poor motivation have hindered the ability of our security agents to effectively tackle insurgency and banditry across the country. Our soldiers have been fighting literally with bare hands, yet, they canâ€™t access the approved $1 billion for equipment. The impact has been devastating. Eight months down the line, and days after Metele attack by Boko Haran that claimed the lives of scores of soldiers, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai, confessed and informed a bewildered country that the Nigerian Army was yet to receive any fund or equipment purchased from the fund. Recall that the approval for the money was given after a meeting of the National Economic Council in Abuja in April 2018. Things have just got to change in the real sense of it. Buhari must act very fast to change this narrative.

This Overzealous EFCC The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission often creates unnecessary scenes. The EFCC always wants to be seen working. The most recent was the childish confiscation of $2.8 million at the Enugu Airport, which the anti-graft agency claimed was laundered funds. Officials of Bankers Warehouse Limited, that moved the currency on behalf of Union Bank, were paraded like common criminals, even after showing necessary identity cards. The arrested staff also told the EFCC operatives that transporting the money through courier was not only legitimate, but also a normal business operation. Rather than double check, it was ignored. The Head of Operations of Bankers Warehouse, Lawrence Ijebor, further wrote the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Adebisi Shonubi, stating that the two men, paraded by the EFCC as suspected

money launderers, were staff of the company, on official CIT (Cash in Transit) movement, covered by a letter of authority issued by Union Bank. According to the company, the men were paraded and detained despite identifying themselves as employees of Bankers Warehouse with the identity cards. Union Bank also admitted ownership of the intercepted money and denied wrongdoing, saying the practice was standard in the banking industry and its contractors were licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Yet, EFCC is still grandstanding that it had seized laundered money. It has even gone to court, asking for permanent forfeiture of money whose ownership is not in doubt. We have had enough of these shenanigans by the EFCC. They should concentrate on the terrifying sleaze in the likes of NNPC and NPA.

Magu

Buhari

Buhariâ€™s Relatives as New Billionaires? I thought that by now, President Buhariâ€™s media team would have reacted to allegations that the President has been illegitimately enriching some of his relatives. A spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Partyâ€™s presidential campaign, Buba Galadima, made the allegation on Wednesday on a television programme. I am shocked that there has been no reaction, four days after. Galadima declared that some individuals close to Buhari, who were poor in 2015 when Buhari assumed ofďŹ ce, had somehow become owners of choice houses in the Presidentâ€™s hometown of Daura, Katsina State. â€œThe President has not shown any sign of integrity. Several of Buhariâ€™s relatives have become signiďŹ cantly wealthier in the time he has been president. I canâ€™t see any integrity whatsoever on the side of Mr. President. Which integrity? Somebody who condones corrupt people around him? We know of his relatives. We know of his friends who were bankrupt before 2015. â€œWe know of his relatives who took N2,000 transport money from us to go to Kaduna. Today, they are multibillionaires. They have assets all over the world. They have estates all over the world. I can show anybody that wants to know. So, the issue of integrity with this government is not an issue. Go to Daura GRA. When you go there, all the houses that make you feel as if you are in Dubai, London or Beirut were built by whom? To whom do those properties belong? â€œSo, please, I donâ€™t want any All Progressives Congress man to talk to me about integrity. This should be the last time anybody engaging me in a debate would talk about integrity; I will take them to the marketplace,â€? said Galadima. These are weighty accusations. Many are earnestly waiting for Buhariâ€™s response to these allegations.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

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Yobo and Adaeze: Savouring Matrimony It’s been a tradition for the fun loving Joseph Yobo and his wife, Adaeze to post Christmas family photos, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

very year after their marriage, on the eve of 2010, Nigeria’s ex-international football star, Joseph Yobo and his beautiful wife Adaeze have made it a tradition to post family photos during Christmas holiday. The Yobo’s as usual took to social media to release their annual Christmas photos and card with delight to the excitement of their fans and friends as they wished them a happy Christmas and New Year celebration. The adorable couple will be nine years in marriage a couple of days from now and are blessed with three children; two boys – Joey and Jayden - and a girl - Laxine. The Everton Legend’s wife is an ex-beauty queen - the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2008. The erstwhile captain of Super Eagles had arrived Nigeria during the summer of 2009 to stay awhile when he met the Anambra beauty. He would then spend the whole holiday back home after falling in love with her. According to Adaeze, “We met at an event in Abuja and it might have been love at first sight, though I had not noticed it. I did not know that it was something that would go far. I never thought I’d be married when I did. I was not then into the boyfriend thing. I was still discovering myself. But in the course of our phone chats, it was as if we had known

each other for a long time. He left Nigeria and came back and overstayed this time and we were together. About a month after that, he started talking about marriage. He said he was serious and that he really loved me. “I was already in love with him, so I thought about it and realised I had nothing to lose. I told him if he was serious, he needed to come see my mum. Two weeks after the discussion, he came to see my mum. Joseph and I both immediately agreed on having a baby. Because we thought if I got pregnant, everyone would know that we were serious about getting married. He left for the UK and I was always going to the hospital every other time to find out if I was pregnant. Eventually I called him to tell him the good news, and on hearing the news, he told me he was getting me the next flight to Liverpool. “Then we started planning for the wedding...but agreed to do a small wedding because there was no time to plan a big one. We had the wedding and a little ceremony and Joe left immediately the next day for the nation’s cup. Being a wife and mother at my age (21) was a bit difficult at first, especially for my husband. But fortunately he had so much patience and I have gotten loads of advice on how to go about it all, and when I put

them to practice, they work. At the rate at which we are going and by God’s grace, it’s going to be much better than how beautiful it is now.” The union truly can be said to have seen both celebrity couple grow in beauty and strength amidst differences as there is, according to the saying, no perfect marriage. Once there was a report about the bride’s mother (Abigail Igwe) meddling in Yobo and Adaeze’s affair which was regarded as unhealthy as it caught the attention of the press and public following her incessant visit to the Turkish home of the lovebirds who had married barely three months after they met. Then there was the case of the alleged Yobo’s mistress calling out his wife on Instagram shortly after Adaeze posted a picture and the lady dropped a comment accusing Yobo of frolicking with other women while his wife is unaware. Another was Adaeze Yobo revealing that she once had a fight with her husband and to spite him the more, decided to get a tattoo knowing Yobo’s disgust for such art works. To her, she got a tattoo of a Brazilian cartoon character alongside the name of their first baby and when her husband saw it, it dragged their fight for extra more days.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

SUPERSATURDAY

CDQ in the Hands of Semi-nude Model Perhaps, in a bid to romance creativity, Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf, aka CDQ, took a photo of himself with a semi-nude model to a whole new level, by using it to wish his followers a merry Christmas. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

igerian indigenous rap artiste and songwriter, Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf, popularly called CDQ, is known for his lyrically lewd lines and coded lingos. The street musician who is notorious for his vulgar languages, perhaps in a bid to romance creativity, took to a whole new level with a semi-nude model when he shared photos of himself with the nearly naked woman to wish his followers a merry Christmas. In one of the photos, the rapper sat on a chair while the lady, clad only in G-string panties leaned against him. Her cleavage visible by the sides in the photo and so was her bare butt with the rapper’s hand ﬁrmly grabbing it as he looked straight into the camera. Sharing the now controversial photo on his Instagram page, the rapper wrote, “Merry Xmas guys Woss Wobi Mami Santa is here.” Since the photo went viral, it has been generating a lot of mixed reactions. While many fans of CDQ have condemned his

recent photo, controversial On-Air-Personality, Daddy Freeze seems to agree with him. According to him, ‘sorry to burst your bubble but this picture is actually a perfect depiction of Christmas. Mixing Christ with the idolatry and harlotry of Christmas is even worse than the nudity displayed in the above picture’. While some social media users have condemned the photo to be in bad taste, a good number fantasised with the photo as evidenced in their comments. CDQ’s Christmas photo could be a stunt to push his recent album ‘Ibile Mugabe’.CDQ started music professionally in 2008 as a back-up singer for the late Da Grin before rapping in English language with M.I. In 2013, he signed a recording contract with Masterkraft’s General Records after winning a rap battle at the weekly Industry Nite in December 2012. In 2014, he released his breakthrough single titled “Indomie” which featured vocals from Olamide while the remix of the song featured Davido. The Masterkraft-produced song brought CDQ’s career to limelight and further earned him two nominations at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and a

nomination in the Best Street-Hop Artist category at The Headies 2015. His debut studio album titled Quality, CDQ enlisted the service of Wizkid with whom he released “Nowo E Soke” as a lead single off the album. The music video for the song was directed by Unlimited L.A and went on to win the Best Afro Hip Hop Video category at the 2016 edition of the Nigeria Music Video Awards. On 16 August 2016, he unveiled the cover art for the album before it was released through General Records on 22 August to positive critical reviews. On 11 November 2016, he launched his own record label N.S.N.S, a short-form for No Struggle No Success Entertainment. On 1 Feb 2017, he dropped his ﬁrst ofﬁcial single under the platform titled ‘ Say Baba ‘ which was produced by Jay Pizzle. CDQ’s latest album released November 16 2018 also has production touches from MasterKraft and DJ Maphorisa. Titled ‘Ibile Mugabe’, it features Nigerian superstars including Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Reminisce and Davido.

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COMMENTARY

AFCON 2019: ANOTHER OWN GOAL BY CAF Ayodele Okunfolami argues that the decision to strip Cameroon of the hosting right is unfair

gypt and South Africa are the only countries that met Confederation of African Footballâ€™s December 14, 2018 deadline to show interest in hosting the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2019. The decision on who wins the hosting rights is expected to come up on January 9, 2019. This is going to be barely six months to the event in June. The decision to host arose when Cameroon was stripped of the hosting rights after it was originally awarded in 2014. CAF had claimed that Cameroonâ€™s unpreparedness and the insecurity arising from the Boko haram insurgency and the Anglophone separatists group were reasons it denied the country from hosting AFCON 2019. I think CAFâ€™s decision is unfair. Taking the contentious issue of security for instance, what measure of insecurity is enough to withdraw the hosting rights from a candidate that had been awarded and how close to the tournament can this decision be made? Bigger events like the Summer Olympics in Munich 1972 and Atlanta 1996 are remembered for massacres of Jews and bomb blast during the respective games, yet they werenâ€™t considered unsafe to host future events. Even AFCON 2010 staged in Angola witnessed a terrorist attack on the Togo national team bus while on its way to the competition by a Cabinda separatist group similar to the Bamenda separatist group in Cameroon. Then, Togo pulled out against CAFâ€™s insistence. If CAF could demand Togo to partake in an event that they feared for their lives and encouraged other nations to stay behind, why use insecurity as an excuse to strip Cameroon of the event? However, which African nation is safe? Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon are battling Boko Haram insurgents. Libya remains without a central government after Gaddafi. Kenya and Somalia are battling Al-Shabaab. West Africa is battling ISIS. Central African Republic is still on fire. The Congo wars have never really ceased. The same goes to Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. Separatist groups abound in Angola, Cameroon, Morocco and South Sudan just to mention a few. Elections spark violence in African nations, so triggering the insecurity clause will mean AFCONs will be taking place outside the continent. I didnâ€™t even mention Ebola. In fact, sports governing bodies often refuse to move tournaments from previously rostered venues over security or political issues to make a statement that sport is a unifying tool that transcends unhealthy differences. Enter Cameroonâ€™s unpreparedness. When Cameroon was granted AFCON 2019, the event was a 16-team event to be played in the traditional months of January-February. All of a sudden CAFâ€™s new leadership felt that Africaâ€™s football showpiece be expanded to 24 teams and moved to June-July to align with the European football offseason. Nothing is wrong with expanding AFCON, but why the immediacy considering that qualifiers had already begun for a 16-team event? That is akin to changing the rules of the match in the middle of the match. This same argument and suspicion goes to FIFAâ€™s plan of expanding the 2022 World Cup to 48 after awarding Qatar on a 32-team platform. So Cameroon is now made to change plans. More matches, more hotels, more stadia, more ground workers and they will now have to consider the rains. Yes, the rains. Because Europe is increasingly becoming the hub of football, more and more tier one players gravitate there to ply their trade. This means that for AFCON to showcase its finest, participating nations have to call up Europe-based professionals. For this reason, there is usually an exodus of African players during the midseason to participate in AFCON. This irritates European club sides because

JUNE-JULY IS THE PEAK OF THE RAINY SEASON IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. COMPELLING PROSPECTING AFCON HOSTS TO BUILD ROOFED ARENAS TO AVOID SHIFTING MATCHES DUE TO RAINS IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES

they are made to do without their best legs during the weeks of the competition and worse if the players return with injuries. This has made CAF tinker with the scheduling of AFCON over time. Older ones can recall it used to be in March-April before it stabilised at January-February which I believe is the best compromise. Besides being in the African dry season, it also corresponds with when most European leagues take a brief winter break. However, these European football oligarchs have cornered CAF into an unforced foul of moving AFCON to the European summer. Did CAF consider that AFCON will now have to muscle TV time with the oldest international football competition Copa America (South Americaâ€™s Nationsâ€™ Cup)? Did they also ponder that the June-July date clashes with FIFA Confederations Cup, a competition for continental champions? Does it mean the African champions would have just few weeks or days to prepare for that event? With preseason friendlies becoming progressively essential and the expanding International Champions Cup, the problem of clubs releasing players for AFCON will not go away just like that. African players will be doing all to secure their shirts and transfers will be on at that time. June-July is the peak of the rainy season in sub-Saharan Africa. Compelling prospecting AFCON hosts to build roofed arenas to avoid shifting matches due to rains is practically impossible for African countries. Besides, football festivals like AFCON are not narrowed to the field of play. There are several other out-of-field events and drizzles will dampen the excitement of the event. Except CAF is saying AFCONs will only be hosted in North Africa and Southern Africa which is apartheid. Boca Juniors and River Plate just played the finals of Copa Libertadores (South Americaâ€™s Champions league) in November while Son Heung-min will be leaving Tottenham Hotspur for three weeks in January like other Asian footballers to captain South Korea in the 2019 Asian Cup. So what is the big deal about aligning with the European calendar? What is most important is that there is orderliness in schedules. Actually, the angst expressed by European clubs when there is a flight of African players in January publicizes AFCON. Asking Cameroon to now host the 2021 edition does not break the ice on the farrago of chaos created. Will Cote dâ€™Ivoire that was initially handed 2021 and Guinea 2023 now prepare for 2023 and 2025? Shouldnâ€™t Egypt or South Africa be given right of first refusal after losing the 2019 bid? Aligning with European football calendar is not what Africa needs, it is aligning with European football character. Africa canâ€™t continue to run football with a national team bias, it is club football that is the soul of the game. Creating parallel AFCON for homebased players or the obsolete staging of the event every other year has only left African football behind. A quadrennial AFCON like other continents in my opinion will be a better deal. This will not only give prospective hosts more time to prepare but also reduce the number of low-ranked teams that drop out in the middle of the qualifiers. Also the duplicated African Nations Championship (biennial nationsâ€™ cup for home-based players) should be dropped so that CAF and its affiliates can invest in local leagues which are the tributaries that supply national teams. This way the best of Africa will be in the continent and would not continue to be tossed to and fro by Europe. Okunfolami wrote from Festac, Lagos

TAKEAWAY FROM THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE Peter Obi, the PDP vice-presidential candidate, acquitted himself well, writes Chidiebere Nwobodo

reatness is nothing but repeated excellence. The Vice- Presidential debate might have come and gone, but it engraved an indelible impression on my mind and that of so many Nigerians. The ďŹ ercest and strategic battle of 21st century is not that of weapons and physical strength, but contestation of ideas. The major takeaway from the debate is that: The richest person on earth is not one whose material worth is in the hundreds of billions of dollars, but an enigmatic out-of-box thinker, with proven ocean of innovative ideas and myriad of tested practical solutions. Peter Obi is the bomb! If presidential election will be held todayâ€”strictly using performance at the debate as a yardstick, Peter Obi has already won the election for Atiku Abubakar, because propaganda will always collapse in the face of truth, while facts will trounce conjectures and fallacies. Opinion is free but facts are sacred. The lifespan of a propaganda is shorter than falsehood. Competence is like a light of candle in the dark tunnel of cluelessness and insufferable failures. It can be likened to mature pregnancy that cannot be hidden. That was the message at the debate. Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi has demystified governance. He inadvertently told any Nigerian yearning for quality and visionary leadership that running government effectively and efficiently, is not rocket scienceâ€”that even hitherto sophisticated rocket

science has been unwound by technological advancement in recent years. Obi was able to demonstrate in practical terms, that he is not contesting election to grab raw power, but to use it for the common good of all. He towered above and outshined every other vice-presidential candidates on the podium including Prof Yemi Osinbajo. Peter Obi exposed Osinbajoâ€™s policy formulation shallowness, and elevated himself as a practical economist, at the expense and chagrin of rabble-rousing theorist, who was caught in his own web of stale and worn-out narratives. Throughout the debate, Peter Obi maintained the same tempo he started with. He was calm, confident and firmly in control of his body language. He never for once overshot his time, unlike Osinbajo who had to be stopped by the moderator on several occasions. Obi displayed high level of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. He was decent, direct-tothe-point, focused as a bullet. He was consistent with his solution-professing message. He never digressedâ€”not even once. He did not fall for the temptation of mudslinging as leading opposition vice-presidential candidate. He countered the fallacies of the rudderless regime with statistics and figures. He essentially reduced the debate to a lecture room; where he was giving the APC administration a crash course on how-not-torun-an-economy. Obi talked like an apolitical renowned economist from the private sector, Osinbajo got stuck with the blame game while

the debate lasted. When Osinbajo slipped into â€œPDP 16 years of lootâ€? propaganda, Obi stayed on the issues. He left Nigerians to puncture the overused phrase of excuses. While Osinbajo was fixating on the â€œlocust years of the PDPâ€?; as if Nigeria gained her independence in 1999 and not 1960, he lost focus and became clueless on the stage like the APC government he serves. He got to the deadend of grandstanding; propaganda failed him. The cluelessness of the government, especially on economy, was laid bare before Nigerians to see. Peter seized the moment and took him to the cleaners. He effortlessly upgraded the intellectual discourse, to the extent that Osinbajo looked mercilessly beaten like a chick abandoned by its mother hen in a stormy rain. What he reeled out as achievements of President Buhari administration, were the same unverifiable, prejudiced and propagandistic scripts started by Lai Mohammed, which has been recycled by the Buhari Media Center to the boredom of Nigerians. When Osinbajo regressed into the past of buck-passing, Obi did not only stay on today, but rolled out trajectory to tomorrowâ€™s prosperity. Progressivism is not just a word. Obi is the real progressive-minded leader the nation yearns for. Waziri Atiku Abubakar has an asset as running mate. Peter Obi is like a deep sea of great ideasâ€”he has the vision, road map on how to Get Nigeria Working Again. He is only

asking for the electoral mandate to transform Nigeria, because vision without mandate is hallucination. If this nation must leapfrog out of its doldrums of economic quagmire and begin her journey towards greatness, Atiku/Obi ticket is the answer. The leadership of the APC is jittery that Peter Obi has brought so much credibility, competence, vision, acceptability and purposefulness to the PDP presidential ticket. Thereâ€™s morbid fear in the ruling party now that Peter Obiâ€™s outstanding performance might have won many Nigerians to the side of Atiku Abubakar campaign, thereby putting President Buhariâ€™s reelection campaign in serious jeopardy. The party has contracted many economic and political analysts who will be featuring on Channels TV shows to discredit Obi. Some writers have also been hired to spin a lot of stories against Peter Obi in the coming weeks. Peter Obi has turned out to be the nemesis of the APC. The more he is maligned and vilified, the better Nigerians get to notice the trail-blazing qualities he is made of. The APC has run out of ideas on how to curtain rising popularity of Peter Obi. They have been beaten to their own game. One million battalions of spin doctors and propagandists cannot make Nigerians reinforce failure again. Never again! The motivation and strong willpower to get Nigeria working gain is more formidable than the attacks and last kick of a dying horse. Nwobodo wrote from Abuja

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INSIGHT

Merry Christmas

Todayâ€™s Nigeria in Facts and Figures

here has been a lot of talk over recent weeks about that state of Nigeria as we head towards these historic elections. Some people are claiming that crisis is imminent. Others believe that crisis is already here. As a researcher and a typically Nigerian sceptic, I believe it is time to let the numbers answer this question. No bias, no tendentious reporting or mendacious analysis; just some hard and fast numbers. Letâ€™s start with unemployment, a matter close to all our hearts. We all have that basic dream of sustaining our families, or just earning a living in a respectable job. Despite what our president says, no, we are not lazy, nor do we believe oil will make us all rich (those managing that sector have been showing us that for years!). We just want to work hard and earn an honest living. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in January 2015, Nigeriaâ€™s youth unemployment rate was 11.7%. This is not even that high, similar to some countries in Europe. However since the APC came into power, this has all changed. By the end of 2017 reports showed we had reached 33.1%. A staggering increase in such a short amount of time. Meanwhile poverty rates are putting Nigeria on the map. Unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. We now have the most number of poor people in the world. Incredibly we have even overtaken India, a poor country of over one billion people. Today we have 87 million Nigerians, according to The World Poverty Clock, now living in extreme poverty. Not hungry. Not quite poor. But extreme poverty. In a country with such wealth, one has no choice but to send an accusatory finger in the direction of the government. What about some other basics? Clean water for example. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), conducted by our own government in 2016/17, demonstrates that approximately 40 per cent of households (about 69 million people), do not have any access to clean water sources. This is no campaign propaganda, these are government figures. However, what many people missed in this survey was something much darker. That same report also showed that â€œ90.8% of household members drank water contaminated to some degree by E coli bacteria, whether their water came from improved water sources or unimproved ones (such as tanker trucks and unprotected wells).â€? And what about violence? We feel it. We see it. But what do the numbers say? A recent Amnesty International report showed that over 3,600 Nigerians were killed just this year in herdsmen violence. â€œThe Nigerian authorities have failed to prosecute those who have committed crimes,â€? wrote Osai Ojigho, director of Amnesty International Nigeria. â€œPeople are grieving on both sides of the conflict but feel that the only way you can get attention is with violence. So the cycle continues.â€? The government has simply failed to deal with this violence, and all supposed efforts have just the situation worse for all.

Meanwhile, while our president has repeatedly claimed to have defeated Boko Haram, it is clear they are still on the rampage. In the last decade, according to the Council of Foreign Relations, a respected think-tank, we have seen over 35,000 deaths, over two million displaced people, and hundreds of thousands of Nigerians seeking refuge. And the terrorists are far from defeated. This week, in Borno State, Boko Haram attacked villages and military bases, burned down more than 300 hectares of rice plantations, and massacred our soldiers. President Buhariâ€™s claim in 2015 that we had â€œtechnically won the warâ€? on Boko Haram was delusional at best, misleading at worst. And then of course, there is corruption. The World Economic Forum gave Nigeria a pathetic 27/100, whereby 100 is completely corruption free, and zero is complete and utter corruption. Clearly we are at the wrong end of the league table. But a figure which should scare all of us hungry, jobless, struggling Nigerians is the magic â€œ50 billionâ€? figure which our own Vice President declared Nigeria is losing to corruption every single year. This figure he announced at the eighth Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa (ACA). Check it, read it and weep. Crisis is not imminent, crisis is here. Victoria Abuto, Abuja

Amosun and Ogun Central Election

or a senatorial campaign ďŹ‚ag-off, it was by any standard a mammoth crowd. It would seem many party supporters from across the Ogun Central Senatorial District preferred to listen to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2019 elections, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, from the Panseke pedestrian bridge, which they had turned to a bivouac for the duration of the rally. I spoke to some of the party men on the Panseke foot bridge, which overlooks the Ibara Bridge constructed by the Amosun administration, the first by any state government since the creation of Ogun State in 1976. A good number of them had equally been attracted to attend the Amosun campaign rally with the prospects of first-hand experience on the pedestrian bridge, believed by many to be

T H E SAT U R DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKU MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATIONâ€™S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

one of the longest in Africa. Panseke in Abeokuta is a hub of business cum commercial activities. The once old and tiny road leading to the gates of top-notch banks in the state capital has now been modernised and expanded to meet the sights and sounds of a business district. Several roads criss-cross Panseke and itâ€™s like the gateway to Moshood Abiola University of Technology. The need for safety of lives informed the construction of the pedestrian bridge by the present government. Like the other projects by the Amosun government, it was built to taste and visitors to Panseke cannot but be pleasantly amazed by such a safety masterpiece. The business-minded governor only acceded to the use of the grounds that once housed a post office after receiving assurances that the rally would not disrupt business activities. As it turned out, the Amosun Senatorial Campaign Flag-off was one of the most disciplined and best organised in the annals of the state. What is left to be said by a governor whose sterling performance in office has already made a loud statement? Even the blind can see the landmark projects. Amosun has never lost an election. He won the senatorial election in 2003. He is still believed to be the winner of the 2007 governorship poll in Ogun State - although he accepted the judicial verdict in good faith. He won the governorship race in 2011 and repeated the feat in 2015. The people of Ogun Central Senatorial District have already made a choice. And that will be revealed come February, 2019. They will reward sterling achievements. Opeyemi Soyombo, Abeokuta

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ë¾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

SHEHU SHAGARI 1925 - 2018...SHEHU SHAGARI 1925 - 2018...

John F Kennedy and a young Shehu Shagari in Washington D.C. in 1961

Shagari with former Prime Minister of UK, Margaret Thatcher

Shehu Shagari as a teacher in his early life

Shagari as President in 1979

Shagari (3rd right) with former Heads of State at his 90th birthday

5 ) * 4 % ": t SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2018

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

SHEHU SHAGARI 1925 - 2018...SHEHU SHAGARI 1925 - 2018...

We’ve Lost a Sage, Democrat, Says Ekweremadu

Immortalise Him, Says Former Kogi Governor

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed deep grief over the passing on of the Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Ekweremadu described the death as “a heavy loss to the nation”, noting that the late politician was a “sage, democrat, and statesman”. Writing on his social media handles @ iamekweremadu, the Senator said: “I received with a heavy heart the news of the passing on the Second Republic President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. “He was a democrat by nature, orientation, and conviction. He was a patriot per excellence, a detribalised elder statesman, bridge-builder,

Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja

servant-leader, and an epitome of humility, who served the nation and humanity most creditably. In and out of office, Alhaji Shagari clothed the Office of the President with decorum and social grace”. Senator Ekweremadu said although the late elder statesman lived to a ripe age of 93, “his wealth of experience and treasury of wisdom would still have been most invaluable in our quest to build the Nigeria of our dreams”. “I, therefore, send heartfelt condolences to his family, the Government and good people of Sokoto State, President Muhammadu Buhari, and the nation over this irreparable loss. May God grant his soul eternal repose”, he concluded.

His Death an Irreparable Loss, Says Alani Bankole Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Chief Alani Bankole, has described the demise of the Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as an irreparable loss to Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. Chief Bankole who was the former National Chairman of ANPP in a telephone conversation with THISDAY, said late Shagari was a leader and leader of leaders. “Alhaji Shehu Shagari was my boss. He appointed me as the Supervising Director for South-west Federal Mortgage Bank. He was democrat par excellence, a believer in the entity called Nigeria. He believed in party supremacy.

“As the pioneer in the presidential system of government, his performance has been in the interest of probity, honesty and a true Nigerian. He exhibited a sense of responsibility as a democratic leader. For him, the whole country was his constituency. He was a great advocate of politics without bitterness. He was a leader and leader of leaders. “I want to condole his family, the Nigerian Government and the Nigerian people, the Sokoto State Government and the people of Sokoto, the Sultan of Sokoto for this irreparable loss to Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. May Allah grant his soul into Aljanafridaua.

He Was an Urbane Politician, Says Obi Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi has described the death of the former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as a national loss. Obi said that Shagari’s efforts towards the progress of Nigeria through policies such as “Green Revolution” should spur younger

politicians to always work for the good and progress of the country. Describing Shagari as an urbane, humble, polished and tolerant politician, Obi called on Nigerians to emulate his life of service, patriotism and devotion to ennobling values.

Tambuwal, Wamakko Mourn Onuminya Innocent , Sokoto inSokoto

The Governor of Sokoto State Rt Hon Aminu Waziri has expressed sadness and shock over the death of former President Shehu Shagari who passed on Wednesday evening at National Hospital Abuja. Tambnuwal said he visited at hospital yesterday but later to hear that the old man had passed on . .Tambuwal who said the elder statesman’s death was a great loss to the state and the country at Large prayed Almighty Allah to forgive him his wrong deeds and grant him eternal rest On his part the senator representing Sokoto North senatorial district and former governor

of Sokoto State, Aliyu Margartakada Wamakko described Shagari death as big loss saying he would be missed by his wisdom and fatherly advice. He urged the family to take Solace in Almighty Allah saying that the elder statesman lived a fulfilled live. When our correspondent visited his house at Sama road Sokoto, preparations were in top gear for the burial as his remains which will arrive Sokoto this morning . Some of the family member who declined speaking to newsmen said according to Islamic culture they would not comment till after the burial. Shagari died on Friday at the age of 93 at National Hospital Abuja.

Former governor of Kogi State, Chief Clarence Olafemi has called on the federal government to immortalise Alhaji Shehu Shagari as the former president of Nigeria. He described his death of the former President as painful exit of a great leader who was determined to move the nation forward. Speaking with our correspondent, Chief Olafemi said the nation would miss him greatly. He added that late Alhaji Shagari was a

leader that other politicians should emulate. He called on the people of Sokoto State to bear his loss, adding that the nation will not forget him. According to him, the late Nigerian President was about to bring development to the country through his dream to make Ajaokuta Iron and Steel work before his administration was truncated by the military junta. He called on the federal government to immortalize and put his name in gold for his effort to move the country forward.

He Was an Exceptional Public Oﬃcer , Says Amosun Laleye Dipo in Minna

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has mourned the death of Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, describing him as an exceptional public servant and statesman. The governor, in a condolence message, said the death of Shagari, which occured at the National Hospital, Abuja, yesterday, after a brief illness, at the age of 93, was a huge loss to Nigeria. “I join Nigerians to mourn the death of former President Shehu Shagari GCFR, who indeed served our nation meritoriously and zealously. “The deceased distinguished himself at a

devoted public officer, when he served as federal minister and commissioner between 1958 and 1975. He lived a fulfilled life and noted as an exceptional pubilc servant and statesman. “His foray into politics saw him being elected as the president of our nation, between October 1, 1979 and December 31, 1983. Though his tenure was cut short by a military coup, it should be acknowledged, to his credit, that he bore no grudge over the subsequent challenges, but rose above them and continued to offer his service for the growth of the nation”, Amosun added. The governor prayed that Allah will forgive his sins and grant his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Tinubu Commiserates with Family Laleye Dipo in Minna

Former Lagos governor and All Progressives Congress national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has described Second Republic President Shehu Shagari who died yesterday at 93 as a statesman, patriot and political stabilizer who served the country well in different capacities. He said Shagari who entered politics in 1951 served the country in different capacities and served well. In a statement last night by his Media Office signed by Tunde Rahman, Asiwaju Tinubu said: “Former President Shehu Shagari was a statesman, patriot and stabilizer who believed in and worked for the unity of this country. “He served Nigeria in different capacities -administrator, provincial secretary, House of Representatives member, minister in several ministries and president- and in each capacity he did excellently well. He contributed his quota to the growth and development of the country. “He particularly helped in advancing our democracy. President Shagari had the temperament for good leadership. He was a decent man. “In the Second Republic, as the first executive president, his was a moderating voice, a stabilising factor. Even within the defunct NPN, with all its

reputation, he was of a different type. He wore integrity on his collar like a badge of honour. “His background as a school teacher, his maturity and moderation helped to mould his politics. He was true and pure. He was humble and humane. He led a Spartan way of life. He was modest and unpretentious. Truthful and sincere. He was generally a good man. “He saw the good qualities of his political opponent, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he gifted him the highest honor in the land, the GCFR award. “Although we never wish our elders leave us, it is nonetheless pleasing that President Shagari left us at an advanced age. My condolences to his family and associates. Our prayer is that Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah Fridaus. May He also grant the family the strength to live without him and to carry on with President Shagari’s legacies of commitment to national unity and excellence in service. “I commiserate with Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the government and people of Sokoto State. I commiserate with the Muslim Ulamma in Nigeria and the world. May our country be blessed with more of people like President Shagari”.

Plus

Funke Akindele Relishing Twin Boys GLOBAL SOCCER FAIRGROUND FASHION FILE SHOWBIZFLAIR

Chilly B

I Might Not Be an Exclusive Dancer, But When I Dance, People Stare, Get Lost

pg. 29 pg. 36 pg. 42 pg. 45

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

PLUS

I Might Not Be an Exclusive Dancer, But When I Dance, People Stare, Get Lost Abou a fortnight ago, fast rising About actress, rapper and dancer, Amadi actr Gift Chinyere (Chilly B), was the soft trending news. She had granted an interview to a weekend gra ttabloid a in which she made public her experience with lesbians. he It became a major sell-out in entertainment circuit and spread e like wildﬁre online as major blogs and online soft sells milled on it. The sexy and curvaceous entertainer who packs ﬂair for rrapping and dancing reveals more about her career, relationship and ab marriage, in one-on-one with marriag Ferdina Ferdinand Ekechukwu

e response was er sslow in coming like it was deliberli aate to circumvent aany question she wasn’t comfortw aable with. From her tone, it appears h need to gain my she would first ne would need to exconfidence. I wou plain to her some questions in the course of the chat. So I had assured Amadi Gift Chinye Chinyere aka Chilly B interest her to feel free that it would intere some harmless but and respond to som interesting questions. healthy and interes ‘harmless but “I like the sound ‘h acknowledged. healthy’,” she ackn She had earlier had h an interview which went viral. The T weekend paper had led the sstory with her lesbian encounter. She S would further tell this reporter the th most expensive of the gifts she had received from a lesbian was a car gift which she re-

turned. “How can you gift someone a gift with so many conditions attached to it?” She asked rhetorically. She must have this special body that appeals to bisexuals and lesbians. Not really. “Nothing special… I just have a great personality. I know I am a very loving person, great smile and kind so anyone I come in contact with after having several conversations will get attracted to my person.” Most of them she meets at events or lounge when she goes out with friends. “Maybe my dance moves attracts them ohhhh. I didn’t mention I might not be an exclusive dancer but trust me when I dance you can stare and get lost,” she said laughing. But in all she wasn’t really worried by that though. Chilly B was born in Cameroon and bred in Mafoluku Oshodi. Her father is from Ebonyi State, while her mother from Oron in Cross River State. Earlier before the

DECEMBER 29 , 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

PLUS

When God gives you something, it comes with happiness, no sorrows ensuing conversation, she had been in the market trying to get stuffs; her experience worsened afterwards, battling with traffic and having a dead phone that left her incommunicado for hours. She has had to contend with traffic like every other person living on the Island. “If you remember, I told you I was in the market, battling with traffic for hours and having a dead phone make life super frustrating,” she confessed. Few days later, she would be at a pool party already booked for and wasn’t feeling too well for it. It is not uncommon experience. “I am sick, I thought I could manage, it’s not going down well with me, hospitalised today. I don’t know why all this is happening this period. “Now I may have to make refunds and I have spent the cash and some on costumes,” she opened up. She seems to be not in tune with certain hooks required of a budding talent like her, such that is often acquired by having a manager to pull through especially with her being a gifted act. But “The one I have I ain’t feeling him but still holding on till I get a better one,” she stated without a slightest betrayal. One thing she has going for her is the sensual pictures and lewd contents she posts online which gladdens her soul and makes her feel very good, a plus to her growing social media followers and her fans. Chilly B is an actress and a rap artiste, though endeared to the music part of her. With just a little over five years in acting for her was through acquiring a degree. “I read Theatre and Performing Arts in school. So, I had always acted even from school,” she recalled. She has featured in quite a couple of movies. Her film credits include Cross Instincts, Estate Runs, Bed Desires and Kidnapped. “If I had acted in all the offers I get this year alone would have been more than 15 films,” she

averred, that “I will choose my rap music over acting any day.” Unlike most budding acts of her age, experience and exposure in the industry, she claimed to have had no unpleasant or pejorative encounter from movie producers or directors. In a way, she always let them know that she is more of a singer. “I always let them know that I am a rapper not an actress and that acting is only a side love. Just so they know in case any producer or director feels he can act funny.” Having had to act in one set alongside her major five favourite actors in a sub lead role happened to be the high point of her hustle yet for the young actress. “The best moment was when I acted alongside my five favouite actors all in one set and I happened to play a sub lead role in the movie Itoro The House Girl. Annie Idibia, Moyo Lawal, Amanda Ebiye, and Halima Abubakar.” Like a very good girl, her seeming innocence as a budding actress reflects in her response that any role that has to do with kissing is a No and turn off. “I can’t imagine myself kissing another person, never.” Maybe with a good pay to it she might have a rethink. On her relationship and ideal man, the super curvaceous star sums it up in one word noble. “He must be very noble.” For the fast rising actress has got no fears regarding marriage. “When God gives you something it comes with happiness and added no sorrows. So, God gave me the perfect person suitable for me. I’m not sleeping here. I have called him to come get me,” referring to her fiancée. “He has sorted my hospital bill.”

How can you gift someone a gift with so many conditions attached to it, She asked rhetorically. She must have this special body that appeals to bisexuals and lesbians. Not really. “Nothing special… I just have a great personality. I know I am a very loving person, great smile and kind so anyone I come in contact with after having several conversations will get attracted to my person

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€

PLUS

Funke Akindele Relishing Twin Boys Star actress, Funke Akindeleâ€™s baby birth story is a testimony as she welcomes a set of twin boys with hubby Abdulrasheed Bello. Ferdinand Ekechukwu reports

ÍşÎ Ëœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€ Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

PLUS Relishing Twin Boys

he news was rife and joyous. The kind that heartened human emotions and interests that popular Nollywood actress Funke Akindele (Jenifa) and her hubby, Abdulrasheed Bello (JJC Skillz) have welcomed a set of twin boys. The couple welcomed their bundles of joy in a US hospital in Los Angeles. Funkeâ€™s sister was the first to break the news. It was ethereal in a way, such thatâ€™s been long coming though, paved by premonitions, prayers and prophesies that both couple would welcome twins. â€œAmen, amen, amen, God I receive your wonderful news in praise. To God be the glory you will be called a mother by your beautiful miraculous twins @funkejenifaakindele my queen and wonderful mother of my children to be.â€? That was how hubby, rapper JJC Skillz enthused in an Instagram post sometime in 2017. Though, the singer had revealed that the twin genes run in his family, being that his elder sisters are twins, he would however give reason for the post: â€œMy post on Instagram about my wife having twins was a prophecy from Olowogbogboro. Nathaniel Bassey, a gospel singer and minister, came online and he had the prophecy, so I just tapped into it. If you look at my tweet, you would see what I wrote, I said I heard this news where he gave a big testimony, he gathered people around to pray for my wife and he said that he had a vision that she would have twins and that he will be invited to the naming ceremony next year. I received the good news and I pray it comes to pass.â€? The actressâ€™ twin baby story is a testimony of some sort. Before now there had been a pawn prophecy that the graduate of law would remain childless. That was shortly after the effervescent actress lost her pregnancy reported to be twins. A Lagos-based pastor, Olagorioye Faleyimu who has been the butt of jokes since the news, had predicted that the Scene One Film Production owner may not have children of her own, and might end up with another broken home. The so called prophet also warned her husband, JJC Skillz to pray so as to overcome the spiritual issue of women always leaving him. So one can imagine the torrent of congratulatory messages that flooded the recipientsâ€™ social media accounts on Instagram mostly from celebrity friends, fans and family of the artistes few hours after, and almost overran the good news. @Mo ABudu â€œThis is a real season of joy and happiness for us all. It is with the utmost pleasure, excitement and all glory of our Lord that we share in the good news on the birth of our bundles of joy â€“ the baby boy twins of our darling Funke Akindele and her husband @jjcskillz. I am already on the queue to be godmother. God be praised. We ask that God continues to bless them, protect them and favour them greatly now and always.â€? @AyMakun â€œThank you Jesus for the most wonderful Christmas gift. You have proven yourself again to the world and to my lovely family @funkejenifaakindele and Jjc Skillz. What a bundle of joy! Here comes double the fun, double the joy, double the diapers, and double the noise! We

Akindele with hubby

give you all the glory. Congratulations family.â€? @Basketmouth â€œJust like chin chin, Chop 1, chop 2. Congratulations Funke Akindeleand Jjc Skillz.â€? @FathiaWilliams â€œGod has finally done it. My joy knows no bounds. Congratulations to Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz. I am so happy for you. You are indeed blessed. Iya Ibeji. May good news never cease in your home. I am so happy for you.â€?@ MercyAigbe â€œBest news of the year! Jehovah overdo â€ŚTwins. To God be all the glory!Congrats Funke Akindele and Jjc Skillz on the arrival of your twins! Iya Ibeji mo ba e yoâ€?. @RitaDominic â€œSuch beautiful news this Yuletide season! Congratulations to Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz on the birth of your twin boys! May God surround your household with his love and blessings! @EniolaBadmus â€œMama na two boys. I could not break this news since yesterday because I was super mega happy. Funke Akindele bringing up twins is definitely going to be challenging but I bet your experience is going to be amazing simply because you will be the most caring, loving and nurturing parents the world has ever seen. Congratulations.â€? @ToyinAbraham â€œIâ€™m super happy for you Aunty Funke and Jjc, Iâ€™m excited Iya ibeji. This is huge news, Iâ€™m happy and I bless God for you. God bless you.â€? @Lilianesoro â€œWhen God said he will perfect all that concerns us! This is a perfect way to testify that

his words can and will never return to him void. Congratulations Sis and Brotherly. God bless and keep yâ€™all in peace, love and good health.â€? @Nathaniel Bassey â€œWho is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Lamentation 3:37. If God says yes, No Man can say no, but even if they say no, their no cannot stop his yes! As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country (Proverbs 25:25). Congrats to @funkejenifaakindele & @jjcskillz on the arrival of the twins. Indeed God makes things beautiful in His own time. May they grow in Wisdom, Stature and in Favour with God and Man.â€? Lending some credibility to the story, the talented actress wrote in her Instagram story, â€œThank you Lord. Oluwa e tobi (God is great), I am now being called a new name.â€? They are the coupleâ€™s first children since they tied the knot in a private wedding in the United Kingdom in 2016. Both entertainment couple had â€˜intellectual babiesâ€™ shooting the raved Jenifaâ€™s Dairy and â€˜Industreetâ€™, a joint project. At 41, the culturally rooted Funke Akindele has not failed, which is one of her greatest fears in life. The other is poverty. The Jenifa Dairy lead cast has been in the industry for close to two decades and has steadily climbed the ladder of success to be an icon in the industry is scared of failing and scared of poverty.

Before now there had been a pawn prophecy that the graduate of law would remain childless. That was shortly after the eďŹ€ervescent actress lost her pregnancy reported to be twins. A Lagosbased pastor, Olagorioye Faleyimu who has been the butt of jokes since the news, had predicted that the Scene One Film Production owner may not have children of her own, and might end up with another broken home. The so called prophet also warned her husband, JJC Skillz to pray so as to overcome the spiritual issue of women always leaving him

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€

Fashion File

King of Judah Collection Bigbenkilani Spring Summer Collection â€˜19

DECEMBER 29, 2018 Ëž THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

FASHION FILE

King of Judah

The Creative Director of the Luxury Menswear Brand, KilaniEebenezer has debut a new collection, the collection inspiration revolves around the evolution of an ancient king that has power over every other king that has been in existence and that will ever be, He is the sovereign King, he has power to rule, dominate reign, kill animals and humans in his kingdom His power has influence his style as a king by using animals like lion, wild cat, human skull as a symbol of power and greatness. The collection snyc traditional aesthetics with modern elements. Bigbenkilani SSâ€™19 depict high fashion and creativity with latest designs of crystal gold embellishment on the suit, animal print, floral print, human skull print, sequin fabric, and Ankara fabrics are used to create classic bespoke suit for a modern man. Stylish tuxedo pants were recreated with side crystal gold embellishment, floral print and high waist band pants. Who is the king of Judah? The Lord strong and mighty, the lion of tribe of judah is His name.

Ëœ Ëž DECEMBER 29, 2018

VINTAGE

Dilapidated structures from neglect dot the entire school (Inset) Governor Obaseki

Neglect, Decadence of 55-Yr-Old School Draw Tears, Anger of Old Students Godwin IďŹ jeh

t was planned as a mere sight-seeing visit and an attempt to reunite with teachers and students of the school, years after many of them left. The journey was prompted by recent inquiries by old students about the school, its academic activities in particular but it turned out one of grief and anger for the visiting old students and all others that have been privileged to see the recorded pictures of the awful state of the school from the visit. They never anticipated that the once lush and edifying structures of the about 55-year old erstwhile Church Mission Society (CMS) Anglican School would have gone under so fast to become such a gory sight. The extensive classroom blocks, an administrative block that seated the principal, vice principal and the bursaâ€™s offices, staff rooms, a modern female hostel block, a best equipped science laboratory in the whole of Edo North, staff living quarters, two giant male hostel blocks and a rock solid refectory built at the take off the school in 1964 are all now history and the sites taken over by unimaginable thick forests. Nothing anymore to tell the past of Edeki (Anglican) Grammar School, Otuo, but collapsed and decadent structures, depicting years of neglect by past governments, particularly those of civil administration in the State since 1999. Barrister Kehinde Uadia Imoohi, one of the visiting old students, was short of words to capture their find but managed to volunteer: â€œIt was unbelievable, I left the school Juneâ€™ 1978, I couldnâ€™t believe anymore that it was the same school I attended, all the buildings have collapsed, what are just there now are two recently constructed classroom blocks that are serving both the junior and senior secondary schools, there is nothing left of its past to tell its history. How could this have happened to a school that have over the years produced such great people that have contributed immensely in all areas of life to the development of our great State and country at large, how can a school acquired by government from the Anglican Mission suffer so much neglect over the years to result in this monumental infrastructural and academic decadence? Well, thank God for MTN, as we are told, that have to provide

the school with some 500 desks and benches after one of its students won its promo. The students at a point had to pay N2, 000 each to provide desks and benches for themselves, otherwise, they wonâ€™t even have seats to sit in the classrooms today. The teachers lack good chairs and tables, some sit on chairs with broken legs while some of the chairs are supported with objects to allow for use, the school had been badly neglected, the situation canâ€™t continue this way, if it is to remain in existence, we will do everything possible and work with Government to salvage the situation.â€? Another member in the entourage, Mr. Stephen Isikpoje, added in regret: â€œWe donâ€™t know who to blame for this, the entire premises is overgrown with weeds, the once expansive sports field has been swallowed up by a thick forest as part of the vast proportion of the school premises that is now covered by bush, and land grabbers are having a field day on the school land. The perimeter fencing has given way and private buildings have sprouted in the school premises, taking the positions of its collapsed buildings, including the former science lab. The school has virtually lost all its prized possessions that used to make us very proud of it, itâ€™s really sad.â€? As recent as the 1980s when many of them graduated from the school, everything about it was perfect and it stood out among the many in the area in all fields- academics, sports and what have you, but today, it is not it anymore. Formerly known as Anglican Grammar School, Otuo, in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, before it was renamed Edeki Grammar School in 1973, when it was taken over by Government from the CMS, the then all male school, which was also turned into a male and female (mixed) school the same year, brimmed with a student population attracted from across the state. The teachers were celebrated and first class and they included expatriates, ranging from Ghanaians, Indians to Pakistanis, who taught the physical sciences and mathematics, graduate teachers from the South East and other parts of the country, who took great delight in teaching and demonstrated so much commitment to the profession. It is not same anymore, apart from the fact that the school population has dwindled drastically, due partly to decayed infrastructure, the school cannot boast of any seasoned teacher anymore.

An independent opinion in the school had confided that there are now just two government official teachers in the school and two National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members. The embarrassing situation, as it has been in the recent years, is understandably being cushioned by the complementary efforts of private individuals, all old students, in the schoolâ€™s hosting community, who have taken it upon themselves to engage and pay teachers to teach in the school. â€œBut for that, I can tell you that academic work would have long been history here as there would have been no teachers to engage students in many of the subjects, no new teachers are posted here anymore,â€? the source lamented, urging the old students to work on government to refocus its attention on the school, post able and qualified teachers to the place and, if possible, restore its boarding system to make admissions into the school once again attractive to non-indigenes. The non-attraction of the school to non-indigenes anymore and good as the recruitment of private teachers for it by individuals to ameliorate the effect of poor staffing by government is, they have unfortunately both made the school population (teachers and students) all virtually indigenes of the host community and itâ€™s dialect almost now the language of communication in the school. The source described the development as worrisome, pointing out that it was hampering the general academic performance of students. As disturbing as the situation appears to be, the old students are, however, enthralled by the move of the State Government as disclosed by Governor Godwin Obaseki recently to commence the rehabilitation of public schools in the State and by an official of the Government, who equally confided in them that a mini-stadium proposed for Owan East Local Government Area has been slated for siting in the school. While appealing to the Governor to kindly ensure that the school is included among those to be refurbished and pleaded as well that he upholds the location of the mini-stadium in the school, the old students pledged to do everything possible within their powers, including partnering with the State Government to reverse the sliding fortunes of the school, just as their external wing pledged to immediately donate two heavy duty mowers to the school to halt the invading bush.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

POLITY The Truth About Our New Airport Terminals Sani Tureta

uccess, an English proverb goes, has many fathers while failure is an orphan. Nothing exemplifies and illustrates this saying more than the euphoria that attended the commissioning of the new terminal at Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State by President Mohammadu Buhari on October 25, 2018. Abuja was also agog with frenzy as President Buhari, once again, mounted the rostrum to commission the ultra-modern terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja on Thursday December 20. To be sure, the commissioning of these ultra-modern airport terminals or any other worthwhile project by government functionaries is a thing of tremendous joy, especially when such projects are not white elephant ventures executed with the prime and sole objective of collecting kick-backs from contractors and subsequently abandoning same to the wild elements soon after commissioning. No, far from it, these terminals are commendable projects, especially given the hitherto parlous state of aviation infrastructure in Nigeria. Surely, there is good reason to celebrate, and President Buhari is leading the orchestra. However, it is curious, if not outright ludicrous for a president who has made it a daily routine not only to distance himself and his administration from anything and everything connected to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, but also to cast unforgiving aspersions on the former regime to be dancing, unashamedly, naked on the ‘tombstones’ of that administration! It is unbelievable for a president who, in the over three and a half years on the saddle, seems to have seen nothing good in the former Jonathan administration to be so effusive with celebration while commissioning the airport terminals. One would have thought that in his true character of disparaging anything and everything Jonathan, Buhari would not be seen a million miles near a project conceived, and which construction was actually started by his nemesis. At the least, one would have thought that Buhari would have sent a low level cabinet minister to perform the commissioning ceremony, if only to spare himself the risk of being further tarnished by the Jonathan ‘black brush’! But no, since success has many fathers, not even a puritan Buhari could resist the allure of claiming underserved parentage of a baby conceived illegitimately by a prostitute mother. And as if this was not confounding enough, the President could not summon the courage and modesty to give perfunctory acknowledgement, not to talk of giving kudos and commendation to those who, unlike the clueless functionaries of his administration, had the vision to embark on a rarely traveled path of conceptualising projects in the aviation sector that have today transformed the landscape of the sector. Media reports of the event, however, did not give an indication of any acknowledgement and kudos by Buhari to the Jonathan regime, especially to the then aviation Minister, Senator Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, who single-handedly orchestrated the largest, simultaneous rehabilitation of all 22 federally owned airports, and the construction of five brand new International terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu. I take the liberty to quote a report of the event on the 25th of October with the headline “Buhari Commissions Port Harcourt Int. Airport”, wherein it stated: “As part of the infrastructure renewal programmes, the construction of the four new international terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano airports was embarked upon by the Federal government with a view to modernising the aging airport infrastructure to meet global aviation standards and improve service delivery in

Oduah

tandem with best international practices. “Today’s commissioning is an example of government’s deliberate policy to sustain the development of infrastructure for economic growth in all geo-political zones of the country”. Nowhere in this report was any mention, talk less of commendation for Oduah as the brain-child of this project, or of President Jonathan who gave the Minister the platform to transform her vision into reality. Similarly an online publication reported the same event without any mention of Jonathan or Oduah. In its report of October 25th, the online publication stated that “while commending the people of the South-south region and airport users for their patience during the period of construction, he (Buhari) also praised the efforts of the federal ministry of Transportation, particularly Aviation, the Chinese government and the China Exim Bank for their financial support and the various roles they played leading to successful completion of this project. I also want to say well done to the contractor, Messrs CCECC for timely service delivery”. It can be seen clearly that the President was very deliberate in picking those he wanted for particular mention, it was no happenstance! All good and fine to be effusive with thanks and gratitude to the aforementioned stakeholders, only that conspicuous in its very bold relief was the deliberate ‘ommission’ of Jonathan, Oduah or any other functionary of that administration. I do not want to believe that there was a conspiracy by all the reporters who covered that event to blackout any mention of Jonathan

and Oduah. The President simply did not want to honour the duo and their role in the project, and by so doing he not only belittled himself, but also dishonoured his legacy. It may have been politically correct to tow that ignominious route, but it sure chipped away at his stature as a statesman. In fact, he lost a great opportunity to show magnanimity in the ‘victory lap’ and statesmanship. To be sure, what further diminished him was the fact that Nigerians at home and in the diaspora are not only aware that the airport terminals he just commissioned, and the ones to be commissioned in the near future were conceptualised by the Jonathan administration and supervised by Oduah, but also that they (Nigerians) expected him to accord them a prominent mention at the event. In fact, many are of the opinion that Oduah, if not Jonathan, ought to have been invited to the ceremony, and given a minute or two to be part of the victory lap for her pet project as then Aviation minister. For those who might not be very familiar with the history of the projects, it may serve useful purpose here to state that Oduah, after conceptualising the projects, accompanied President Jonathan and other cabinet ministers on economic and infrastructure shuttle diplomacy to China in July 2013 and several other occasions to seek loans at single didgits interest rate, with a large dose of moratorium for infrastructural development projects. The four new international airport terminals in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano are veritable products of that venture where a $500 million loan was secured from the China Exim Bank, with the approval of the Chinese government. The government of Nigeria is providing a counterpart funding of $100 million for the projects. But not satisfied with the four mentioned above, Oduah championed the construction of a new ultra – modern terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International airport, Enugu which is fully funded by the federal government. Perhaps, it needs to be mentioned that by the time the Jonathan administration handed the reins of power to President Buhari and the APC government in May 2015, construction work at the five international terminals had reached over 50 per cent completion. It is sadly a testament to the irredeemably slow character of the Buhari regime that almost four years down the line, only two of the five have been completed! This is also not talking about the simultaneous rehabilitation and reconstruction of all 22 federally owned airports by the Oduah led aviation ministry, a majority of which were completed, commissioned and put to use before the end of that administration in 2015. Regrettably, the few, which completion was at 90 per cent as at May 29th, 2015 have been abandoned and left at the same state ever since. Also sad is the fact that the highly commendable Aerotropolis and Cargo terminals projects conceptualised and started by Oduah have similarly been abandoned by this APC-led government. So, as President Buhari rolls out the drums, and goes about commissioning the new international terminals, it bears mentioning that the new face of the aviation sector that everyone is relishing today not only owes its birth to former President Jonathan, and former Aviation Minister, Senator Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, but more poignantly has so many unsung heroes and heroines, and no concerted attempts by the Buhari/ APC-led government can obliterate that fact. Finally, it is trite to reiterate that although success has many fathers, failure is an orphan. Jamshed Wadia, one time Director, Digital Marketing at Intel Asia Pacific, however, admonishes us “not to worry, as there is always a DNA test available”. That DNA test has Jonathan and Oduah’s imprints boldly written all over the new face of aviation in Nigeria today. Sadly though, they remain the unsung heroes and heroines of the reinvigorated Nigerian aviation sector. Tureta, an economist, is based in Abuja

Group Celebrates 2018 Izu-Uche Custom in Ohaﬁa Justina Uzo

cores are basking in the praise of their kith and kin, who have come from all walks of life to rejoice and celebrate with them, at a ceremony to mark their rite of passage in Akanu Ohafia today.

Today, the ‘D’ day, Izu-Uche celebrants will share camaraderie with their colleagues for having an opportunity for stocktaking and thanksgiving, anchored on a successful first half of life. The custom of Izu-uche, Igba-ota, Omu or Igba-uche age-grades, as it is referred to by the four clans of 26 villages/towns in Ohafia, South-East Nigeria, is a very significant milestone in the life of an adult male and female in Ohafia. The age-grade institution in Ohafia is a system which organizes citizens of an area into groups whose age differences range from one to three years. The system forms a major basis for community development. A special day like Izu-Uche is a life-time event comparable to becoming an elder citizen in a society. It is therefore an opportunity

for members of Oka-Omea and Okezia age grades ‘noo- ogo’ (special outing) to reflect upon questions of how and why. The likes of Group Managing Director of LUBCON, Chief Emele Kalu Onwunta, former Aviation Marketing Chief of Mobil Oil Nigeria, Mr. Sam Okpanku, Prof. Silva Ezema Kalu, United States- based, Mr. Okey Iweogu, Engineer Udo Okoro Udo, Mr Goddy Obasi, Mr. Awa Uduma, Mrs. Uchanma Idika Uduma, Mr. Ezekiel Odo Uchendu of both Okezia and Okeaome age grades, among other celebrants, are considered wise men and women for they met all kinds of requirements from the community. The celebration, which began since December 27, has enabled them to display part of their achievements, their contribution to the community by what they have collectively undertaken to develop the village/town. The celebrants normally give the community, through self-help projects, amenities such as road, hospital, hall, or something that at least the community acknowledges as one of the things that they need. Okezia age grade, it is understood, will present a town hall to Akanu- Ohafia during this

celebration. At Izu-Uche, the celebrants have to show they are able to provide the kind of thing that sustains the culture and tradition of the people. In return, they are excused from so many levies placed on the younger age grades. They are allowed some liberties, and they can sit around. Basically, they have to provide judgement, security and some kind of counsel to the younger ones who are in the active age grades within the community. The celebrants, whose ages are usually from about 64 to 68 years, take pride in being a part of that contribution to economic and socio-development of their community after selecting and executing a project before the ceremony. To share the joy in being able to attain that age, they invite friends and associates who may present gifts of all kinds in the village square where food and drinks are served. A former Minister of Finance, Chief Kalu Idika Kalu said even though the Izu-Uche celebrants are officially acknowledged as joining the body of the elders, “they are not tired”, as they can still contribute immensely to the various groups or society they find themselves outside.

Okpanku

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

POLITY

Atiku’s Policy Document of Growth If properly implement, observers feel that recently launched policy document titled ‘Let’s Get Nigeria Working Again,’ by the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is what the country needs to be on the path of development, Ugo Aliogo writes

ince the former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar won the party’s ticket to contest the 2019 election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency has been seriously unsettled. More unsettling perhaps was Atiku’s policy document titled: ‘Let’s Get Nigeria Working Again,’ recently launched. Atiku listed human capital development, job creation, poverty eradication and infrastructure development as the corner stones of his economic policy, if elected president. In the 63-page document which has been a reference point lately, the PDP flag bearer said his broad mission is to unite and secure the country by building a strong, resilient and prosperous modern economy that would work for Nigerians’ needs. Specifically, he said his target would be to create three million jobs annually, just as he disclosed that he would re-launch the National Open Apprenticeship Programme (NOAP) and ensure speedy passage of the National Research and Innovation Fund Bill. He added that his vision is to deliver an affordable and easily accessible transportation system that would be fully integrated across the length the breadth of Nigeria. He also criticised President Buhari’s next level manifesto as vague, saying his economic agenda would include promoting economic diversification, He stated, “Poverty does not simply have one solution; rather it requires the concerted application of many solutions. Nigeria has vast natural resources, but our challenge remains harnessing these resources for the greatest good.” According to him, “There would be deliberate efforts to increase access to electricity for Nigerians, including those in rural areas. My vision is to ensure that Nigeria’s economy is responsive to the challenges of the 21st century knowledge economy by keeping the amazingly dynamic technological pace. I will like to see a country where our people live and work in an environment that guarantees the highest level of social empowerment.” The former vice president stressed that Nigeria could surpass its growth expectations beyond its dreams, adding that he would ensure an increased inflow of foreign direct investment to a maximum of 2.5 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025. He said he would work towards achieving the lowest corporate income tax rate in Africa; strengthen credit guarantee initiatives of infra-credit, by substantially increasing its capital base and lower transaction costs; amongst others. According to him, his pledge to Nigerians is that “we can get

Atiku’s policy document is a product of very wide, painstaking and productive consultations with Nigerians from all walks of live, critical stakeholders and development partners in key sectors, in the overall determination to chart a new course for our nation. The policy document foretells a new dawn as it articulates practical solutions and answers to the myriad of economic, social and political challenges facing our nation and sets out all-inclusive templates for national rejuvenation, cohesion, protection of human rights and democratic tenets, wealth creation, transparency and elimination of corruption in governance

Atiku

Nigeria working again.” Atiku said his mission would be to reinforce Nigeria’s unity by promoting the spirit of co-operation and consensus, especially in a society “that is as complex and as heterogeneous as Nigeria;” establishing a strong effective democratic government that secures Nigerians and provides opportunities for them to realise their full potentials, allows greater autonomy for the federating units and gives each region in the country a sense of belonging. He pointed out that despite the country’s vast resources, Nigeria has failed to deliver the development and living standards expected in the country. “Nigeria’s under-performance is attributable largely to the many economic and political structural fault lines that limits its ability to sustain growth, create jobs and achieve real poverty reduction. Nigeria needs a unity that is transparently and collectively negotiated and agreed upon. We need to restructure our polity,” he added. Atiku pointed out that while economic growth in Nigeria has remained slow and uninspiring, the economy has remained undiversified, uncompetitive and foreign investments has continued to decline. In addition, he stated in the policy document that Nigeria is in a precarious fiscal position, has a fragile financial system, poor exchange rate management system as well as regional disparities. He said his administration would promote agri-business by collaborating with the states; promote the manufacturing sector to achieve increased manufacturing output from nine per cent, to 30 per cent of GDP by 2025. Similarly, Atiku disclosed plan to support micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs), saying Nigeria has a vibrant informal sector with nearly 40 million MSMEs employing 60 million people or 84 per cent of the labour force; promote the oil and gas sector by among other things, expanding the oil and gas reserves and boost upstream and downstream production. He said if elected, he would build a knowledge-based economy and establish a technology support programme to be funded by a Diaspora bond. The PDP presidential candidate said his administration, if elected, would increase Nigeria’s export base and the country’s market in Africa; sign-off the African Free Trade Continental Agreement (AfCFTA), which the Buhari government has failed to sign; engage the organised private sector to identify how best to harness the benefits of the Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA); promote public-private partnerships, among others. In the area of anti-corruption and rule of law, Atiku said he would champion institutional reforms of anti-corruption agencies and strengthen them to be more effective, retool Nigeria’s foreign policy instruments as well as reactivate meaningful registration at birth as a way of reducing crime and protect Nigerians. He spoke about security, “Our national security is multidimensional. It has gone beyond armed defence to include

protection of democratic and constitutional values like food security, peace, human, political and economic security. Resolving the unfair access to democratic dividends to reduce internal armed conflicts, insurgencies, crimes and militancy.” To many observers, Atiku’s policy document is what the country needs right now to get it working again. They believe that if properly implemented, it will not only set Nigeria on the path of development but peace It is no longer news that President Buhari’s approval rating has taken a plunge in the last three years that he has been in office, which informs the belief by political pundits that a run against the president in 2019 posses no political risk. Various polls and public opinion have returned a damning verdict on President Buhari’s stewardship, with their results and opinions showing that over the last three years the president’s job performance rating has taken a downward turn for the worse, plummeting from his highest rating of 78 per cent and 80 per cent recorded in September and October 2015, to 37 per cent recorded in August 2016 and more recently to 39 per cent respectively. In more specific terms, the average approval rating of the president in 2018 stands below average at 39.6 per cent; with his latest rating of May 2018 at 41 per cent. He did poorly in all areas of assessment. So if 2018 holds the truth for 2019, a wellgrounded candidate like Atiku can confront the president with possibility of electoral good show. There is no gainsaying the fact that the former vice president has been the most prepared Nigerian to steer the ship of state in the last decade. However he hasn’t been able to actualise his ambition because of the disposition of some detractors who feel threatened by the rich credentials that he brings to the table. Furthermore, governance is not about making pretences to integrity or about some shadowy fight against graft. It has little to do with age. It has more to do with competence, sensitivity and responsiveness to the plights of the governed. In and out of public offices, the Wazirin Adamawa exemplifies excellence. His mission, as contained in his acceptance speech in Port Harcourt has a huge trunk to do with making Nigeria a better place for all. Many Nigerians believe that his standpoint on the vexed issues on restructuring and fiscal federalism are timely wake up call, and will form a major part of the issues that will shape campaigns for the nation’s most coveted political position in 2019. Being that a man of Atiku’s standing was the one canvassing for ‘resource control’ made a lot of difference within the context of power alignments. He has consistently argued that, Nigeria as currently constituted as an entity is rooted in corruption, impunity and injustice and thus must be reconstituted. According to him, political and civic leaders from across the country must come together, discuss, negotiate and make the necessary compromises and sacrifices needed to restructure our federation to make the nation a stronger, more united, productive, and competitive country. His contention is that there is a flaw in the country’s constitution which was why there is a recurring cry of marginalization from every section of the country. Atiku believes that no section of Nigeria can claim correctly that its people are better served by the current structure of our federation. He has since challenged those who against restructuring the country’s federal system as it currently stands, to show an example of countries that are functioning well with a structure such as Nigeria. Whatever one’s arguments are, restructuring will shape the way Nigerians will vote during the Nigeria’s next presidential election. Atiku’s blueprint for Nigeria is by far his strongest weapon. The rich manifesto addresses all the challenges currently confronting the country. From defence and security, through job creation, education and infrastructure to poverty alleviation and power, no document from any presidential candidate in the history of Nigeria come close to Atiku’s manifesto in terms of concept, content and creativity. Reacting to the document, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, it represented the quest of Nigerians for a new leadership and a better life in the country. He said policy document offered solutions and practical direction for delivery in all sectors. “Atiku’s policy document is a product of very wide, painstaking and productive consultations with Nigerians from all walks of live, critical stakeholders and development partners in key sectors, in the overall determination to chart a new course for our nation. The policy document foretells a new dawn as it articulates practical solutions and answers to the myriad of economic, social and political challenges facing our nation and sets out all-inclusive templates for national rejuvenation, cohesion, protection of human rights and democratic tenets, wealth creation, transparency and elimination of corruption in governance.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

POLITY Number of Nigeria’s Tech Entrepreneurs Grew in 2018, Says Nwoye Benneth Oghifo

igeria’s growing number of startup tech entrepreneurs peaked this year, attracting funds from local and foreign investors, the Founder of Tech Circle, Oo Nwoye has said. Nwoye stated this at a hangout he convened for tech entrepreneurs in Lagos to celebrate what he described as the commendable growth in the number of tech entrepreneurs in the country. Nwoye and other stakeholders also stated that Nigeria’s startup culture and support network is helping a lot of youths to establish businesses that would give a further boost to Nigeria’s economy. The hangout, which brought together organisations, individuals that support entrepreneurship and small businesses, was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the nation’s entrepreneurship eco system. Nigeria’s entrepreneurial space has massive potential, and start-ups are recording their biggest successes, said Nwoye and that “the year has been quite phenomenal and supportive for tech entrepreneurs.” He said “So much money came in this year for young tech companies, as valuations skyrocketed for some startups,” and that during the year, young startups attracted outside talent and investors. “Great entrepreneurs were about to raise more than $300,000 this year from foreign investors,” and “Paystack is a great example of success.” According to him, “Nigeria’s technology entrepreneurs are striving to turn fresh ideas into commercially-viable businesses. While many start-ups still target consumers or businesses, others are working at the frontier between the private and public sectors, often seeking to do well by doing good.” There are efforts to help promising companies with the attention and financial backing they need, he said and that international investors in Nigeria tech companies recognised that these are great entrepreneurs building

great businesses. He said tech collaborations are happening everywhere in Nigeria with government support, tech expertise and strong business networks, adding that in Lagos, which he said had created an investor-friendly ecosystem that presents the gateway to global success. He said Lagos has witnessed the birth of new software startups and that buildings now house co-working spaces and incubators, adding that Lagos gets the edge when business bases are chosen, “in particular due to its good quality of life and the business opportunities that it offers.” He said there are a lot of programmes that focused on translating innovations in technology into market-based entrepreneurial opportunities, and that the high concentration of tech startups and talent in Lagos had placed it as foremost destination for venture capital funding. He said global tech investors were drawn to Lagos for its strengths in developing the latest cutting-edge technologies, with funding going into fast-growing sectors such as agric tech and Fintech. Nigerian payment startups, based in Lagos are facilitating online transactions in key African economies and getting validation with global payment giants, he said. Nwoye said, “Other states in the country have taken a broader focus on developing the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem, which consists of a wide variety of stakeholders, activities and organisations that support the creation and growth of small business.” A member of the Presidential Technology and Creativity Advisory Council, Mr. Kola Aina said Nigeria was gradually becoming a major tech hub in terms of start-ups generation and entrepreneurs’ preferred location for launching new projects. Aina has lead investment in about 28 companies including payments company, Paystack; connectivity company, Tizeti; healthcare company; MDaaS and agric-tech company, Thrive Agric. According to him, entrepreneurial venture creation is an extremely powerful economic development engine. He said promoting technology based entrepreneurship holds potential, and needs to be encouraged to ensure that Nigeria remains at

L-R: Strategic Programme Manager, Developers and Startups, Facebook, Chimdi Aneke; and Nwoye, during a hangout for tech startups in Lagos… recently

the forefront of global tech-business leadership. The Programme Manager, Developer Ecosystem, Google, Aniedi Udo-Obong said investments in Nigerian companies have grown steadily over the past one year, pointing to a relative improvement of the investment ecosystem and a huge amount of money available to invest in startups. He said Nigerian start-ups are not only well received in their respective states but also abroad is shown by the international funds that are investing in Nigerian startups. Nigerian tech industry has already established a foothold in the world of e-commerce, for example, with the successes recorded in fintech, he said and that a lot of young Nigerians were joining global and local companies, starting their own ventures, building the next generation of tech leaders. He said there were a number of coding boot camps dotting the country to provide a steady flow of fresh talent, and that Google was now promoting events to bring local developers together to solve real social problems. Udo-Obong said Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State was becoming one of the strongest

entrepreneurial cities through a renewed spirit of collaboration, community and leadership. According to the Convener, Startup South, Uche Aniche, they have brought up hundreds of entrepreneurs, leaders and visionaries, which has resulted in new ideas, digital connectivity, tech advancements and innovative entrepreneurs. He said, “Startup South started in 2015 as an annual startup conference for startup founders, investors and the general public in the south-south and south-east of Nigeria. Over 5000 participants have been reached and engaged since inception.” He said a number of the world’s leading technology companies have demonstrated their long-term commitment to investing in Nigeria. “With unbeatable blend of talent, creativity and access to finance, the nation’s eco system will continue to go from strength to strength and to generate jobs, investment and world-leading technology for years to come. “High-tech talent is a key driver of the wealth and competitiveness. I am happy that a lot of startups founders are emerging from places outside Lagos.”

PHOTO NEWS

L-R: Managing Director/CEO Eximia Realty Company Limited, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran; Founder, BrandLee,Omole Imosemi and Country Manager, OCP Africa, Caleb Usoh, at the Eﬀective Negotiation Skills Book-based Workshop organised by BrandLee Learning and Development Academy, held at the Radisson Blue in Lagos

L-R: Special Guest, Chief Mrs. Fatimo Tinubu; Sponsor/Service Chairperson, Ikeja Pearl Lions Club District 404 B2, Lioness Patience Uyi Erhaffon; widow, Mrs. Adeola David and 2nd Vice Chairperson, Ikeja Pearl Lions Club, Lion ess Nkoli Ogunbi-Johnson, at the presentation of Christmas gifts to 50 indigent widows held at Karnel Park, Surulere, Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

L-R: Deputy CEO, Dubai Exports,Muhammad Ali AlKamal; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, TradeandInvestment,LagosState,GaniyuRufai;MD/CEO,BankofIndustry,OlukayodePitan;UnitedArabEmirates Ambassador to Nigeria,Mr. Fahad AlTaffaq and Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry,Mr.Ulvmoen Knut, at the LCCI-Dubai B2B Session in Lagos

L-R: Executive Director, Rejevenee/main sponsors of the event, Lilian Ama-Aluko; Ambassador, Queen Moremi Ajasoso/House of Oduduwa, Princess Aderonke Ademiluyi and CEO, YellowDot Limited, Olubukola Bolarinde, during the stage production of Moremi the Musical, at Terra Kulture, Lagos...recently

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

MARKET PLACE with Omolabake Fasogbon... 08155131874

Employee Relations manager, Total Nigeria PLC, Akade Patrick; Compensation and Beneﬁt manager, Mrs Uche Igwe; Winner of the 2018 Total Nigeria PLC Children end of the year party competition, Akade Enoch Aleosho and Welfare Manager of the company, Mrs Abiodun Duke, during the 2018 Total Nigeria PLC Children end of the year party in Lagos recently

L:R: Board Secretary, Bunmi Adedayo Foundation, Mrs Odunoluwa Longe; Member, Board of Directors,BAF, Dr Fowoke Akinleye; Host Education Secretary, Surulere LGEA, Mrs Yetunde Fatoke ; Chairman ,Board of Trustees, BAF, Mrs Olayinka Adedayo; Projects Director,Aliko Dangote Foundation,Mr Zakari Momodu; Patron,BAF, Mr Adekunle Adedayo and Chairman, Board Of Directors,BAF, Mr Babatunde Akinleye during the graduation ceremony of teachers trained and sponsored by the Foundation in Lagos recently

Total Fetes Children at End of Year Party To connect more with employees and their immediate family members, Total Nigeria Plc, has organised a special end of the year party for children of its workers. The colourful party held amidst fun and fanfare, presented an opportunity for kids from different background to know each other. The company explained that the initiative was part of its strategies to make its work environment more conducive and flexible, such that would boost employers- workers relationship, in the overall interest of the company and customers. Speaking at the reception, Total Nigeria Plc’s Employee Relations Manager, Akade Patrick, reiterated that the initiative was specifically created for staff and children to get to know each other in a relaxed manner, away from the formal atmosphere at work. He said: “This is also a way of appreciating

our children who have sacrificed a lot to keep the homestead while parents are away to work; more importantly, to encourage friendly relationship and strengthen bond among families present”. Stressing he company’s commitment to sustain the initiative, he added: “Total was established in January 1956, I joined the company 29 years ago and I met the programme on ground, that shows how far the initiative has gone. We plan to continue with it as long as Total remains in Nigeria, the feedback has been quite impressive and there is no better way to get the best of one’s employees than to make them happy, which is what we doing today”. The highpoint of the event was the presentation of prizes to winners of quiz competition that was organised to send forth children of 11 years of age , as they are no longer

permitted to participate in the yearly get together. Akade disclosed further that the event was strictly for children between ages 0- 10, while children 11 and above were officially restricted from the party. “We would not want to dismiss the 11 years among them without celebrating them, so we decided to send them forth with memorial gift. That was how we came about the quiz competition idea where we reward best three children that emerged victoriously,” he said. In his word, overall winner of the competition, Akade Enoch, said: “I’m indeed happy to have emerged the overall winner .it was a test to examine our knowledge of where our parents work, as soon as I realised I will be participating, I’ve been pulling all stops to make sure I emerge the winner. I’m grateful to Total for this gift.”

Foundation Raises Stake in Education, Graduates 185Teachers No fewer than 185 teachers has been graduated by the Bunmi Adedayo Foundation (BAF), in its capacity building programme meant to improve the quality of education both in teaching and learning. This, according to the organisation was in part fulfillment of its objectives to enhance quality education in public primary schools in Lagos State and Nigeria at large. BAF was established in in honour of the late Bunmi Adedayo, a former Executive Director at Tastee Fried Chicken, to sustain his legacy on building and improving children’s lives, hence , BAF concentration on primary school children. Chairman, Board of Director of the Foundation, Mr. Babatunde Akinleye stated that the foundation was on a mission to reverse the negative ratings and poor conditions of primary education in the

country. The World Bank in a recent report stated that 80 per cent of Nigerian Children could not read and write after primary school while over four per cent of teachers in the classroom were not qualified. In saving this situation, Akinleye said: “We are determined to make our children have access to quality education, hence our intervention in areas of capacity building for teachers,infrastructural development and educational facilities and equipment, amongst others. “Today we are graduating not less than 185 primary school teachers who have been through our rigorous training in the last one year, over 300 teachers participated in the training, but we have carefully selected 185 of them who met our graduation requirements.” He noted that the foundation targets primary

school education in order to strengthen children’s foundation, hence, its intervention in teachers who are entrusted with the care of the children. Akinleye, also the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon. Oluremi Ganiyu Sopeyin, commended the Foundation for honouring the teachers in a colourful graduation ceremony, which he said would further motivate the teachers to deliver better. He noted that the Foundation was a worthy partner who had genuinely proven its commitment to support government in lifting the education sector. He congratulated the graduating teachers and urged them to make good use of the opportunity by being exemplary in their pursuit. Akinleye also added that BAF has so far adopted five schools since inception and its target was to support over 1,050 teachers in the next two years.

Esopos SMEs App Makes Google Play Trending List Esoposos POS application from Madesoftlogic has made it to the Google Play Store trending apps list. The app is a free cloud based Point of Sale, POS, software and social marketplace solution made for retailers, wholesalers, service providers and other businesses in Nigeria. Since it launched some months back, the SMEs solution has been receiving positive reviews for its features and ease of use, hence its latest feat. The trending list highlights apps that are growing faster than Google Play can predict. The aim of the list is to help users get a quick overview of the most popular apps in the play store a 30 day moving window. Every app has a predicted growth rate at Google Play and if an app performs better than predicted, it makes to the trending list. A lot of metrics determine the visibility of any app on Google Play. These metrics measured by Google include number of installs, uninstalls and length of install which depends on the time the app was used before actually getting uninstalled by users. Other yardsticks are recent installs, app rating and reviews by users on Google plus, number of app updates. These metrics help to determine app ranking and status on Play Store. Commenting on this achievement, Madesoftlogic’s CEO, Mrs. Faith Imade, said: “We are glad to see business owners embrace our solutions for business growth. Apart from helping users monitor their businesses in real time from any location, Esopos also has the marketplace feature which gives retailers an opportunity to connect with other businesses within their location for greater efficiency. The beauty of this solution is that it works across all platforms from mobile phone to tablets and laptops, so users do not have to worry power supply to do their business.”

VoguePay CEO Bags Online Zidora Extends Operations to e-commerce, Launches Platform Payment Leadership Award Zidora Group, a service delivery company has extended its footprint in the market with its entrance in the e- commerce space. Announcing its latest, www.arigo.com. ng, the company noted that the move represented a boost of the Nigerian fast growing and competitive e-commerce sector. It stated further that the latest provided for an online meeting point for buyers and sellers to get the best deals. Providing more details on the platform, Chief Executive Officer of the group, Dr. Arinze Fortune Madueke, explained that the idea was thought of to improve shoppers and sellers’ experience online. “We want to create a point where everything is possible, a place where you showcase what you have for the world to see. Most times, you find people who

have something to sell very urgently but you don’t know how to go about it or where to locate the would-be buyer. “There are lots of people who desire that exact thing you want to dispose but reaching them most times is a challenge, hence we want to solve that problem. Our plan is to bring these people together, basically helping people meet at the point of their need. We offer special services of getting you anything you want,’ he said. He further pointed out that the goal of the business was to set up a robust e-commerce platform that would serve as a one- stop digital hub and cater for all human needs. “We will strive digitally to connect all persons, entities, companies and business into one global market through our innovative system,” he concluded.

The Chief Executive Officer of VoguePay, Michael Femi Simeon, has won the ‘Payment Personality Leader of the Year’ at African Prize for Leadership Awards. The award initiative, supported by Forbes Africa and New Economic Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), celebrates national icons with proven track records in business, governance and social advocacy. Receiving the award, the CEO dedicated the honour to the over 85,000 global businesses that relied on the platform to carry out their online transactions. He added that the organisation had been able to attain the fastest growing fintech company in West Africa that has not raised external capital, as a result of clients continued patronage. Commenting further, Michael remarked that the company’s entrance into the

payment landscape in 2012 , heralded fintech revolution in Nigeria, which saw over 17,000 SMEs took their business online for the first time ,at no cost. On how to enhance performance in the sector, Michael advised: “It is important that both fintech startups and banks collaborate and not to see the other as threat, this is necessary to unlock value for millennials. “Of note is the need for proactive regulations which will call out innovations. For example, open banking and sandbox program will enable fintechs to launch bank-grade financial products that can position Nigeria’s financial services sector to global significance”. As part of its expansion plans, Michael disclosed that the company was set to launch its digital financial services platform in collaboration with partner banks, by Q1, 2019.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ë¾ APRIL 24, 2011

GLOBAL SOCCER A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

Kenneth Omeruo Leganes New Hero?

29.12.2018

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€

GLOBAL SOCCER

Kenneth Omeruo Leganes New Hero?

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations may still be six months away but Nigerian national team Manager, Gernot Rohr is already hoping that some of the Super Eagles players would maintain their scintillating performances till the summer when the AFCON kicks oďŹ€. Leganes of Spain defender, Kenneth Omeruo is one of such players the German-born tactician is hoping he keeps his form. Last weekend the Chelsea loanee put up a man of the match performance in his clubâ€™s 1-1 draw against La Liga title contender, Sevilla, which is still enjoying a wave review in Spain

uper Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo has continued to impress on loan at Spanish side Leganes from Chelsea. The Nigerian played in the 1-1 draw with Sevilla last weekend and was given the man of the match award rating in Spanish paper AS. The underdog side defended superbly against title-chasing Seville, but conceded in the final minute, with Omeruo putting in 52 touches and 87 per cent pass accuracy.

The Nigerian defender at the heart of everything as this plucky Leganes side are now unbeaten in eight games and itâ€™s based on the rock-solid defence that the Omeruo is part of. The 25-year-old has featured 10 times for the modest side â€“ starting nine of those. Omeruo has been described as one of the best centre-backs in Spain, maybe also across Europeâ€™s top leagues. Omeruo who is on loan from Chelsea has made four previous moves in search of first-team football and topsy-turvy

as his journey has been the Nigerian is showing great adaptability and the stats prove he is heading up. The 25-year-old joined the Spanish side in August, his seventh loan move away from the English Premier League club Chelsea since he joined them in 2012. The Super Eagle defender was substituted in the 69th minute on his first League start due to injury but insisted that will not dampen his joy of playing in one of the best leagues in the world. â€œRight now Iâ€™m fulfilling my dream of playing in La Liga, itâ€™s amazing and

different. It was a frustrating start due to my work permit issue, but after playing in two big La Liga games I must say things are finally looking up,â€? Omeruo told BBC Sport. â€œIâ€™ve been playing away from England in Turkey for a while and every time I always craved for a visible league where people can watch me. â€œLuckily, after the World Cup where I had two good games, I got more options and I chose La Liga where everyone can watch me, and so far itâ€™s been a perfect decision for me.â€?

DECEMBER 29, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

GLOBAL SOCCER

Omeruo, who is yet to play a competitive game for Chelsea where he has a deal until 2020, spent a second spell at Turkish side Kasımpasa last season. A 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria, he has also been loaned to Dutch side ADO Den Haag, Middlesbrough in England for two seasons and another Turkish side Alanyaspor. Back in 2017, he admitted he may have to leave Chelsea in his quest for first-team football on a regular basis. He now conceded his dreams of playing in England’s top flight with the Blues could be over as he looks to continue in Spain and hopefully earn a permanent move to Leganes. “Right now I’m fulfilling my dream of playing in La Liga, it’s amazing and different,” he added. “Leganes have an option to sign me permanently and I would like to give everything to stay in the league. I’ve played in the English championship, I’ve gotten a feel of that but La Liga is very good. If I end up playing for Chelsea someday fine because it is one of the biggest teams in the world and they have the highest fan

base in Nigeria. “I would love to play for them, even if it’s just a game, but right now I am very happy with my life here in Spain.” Omeruo can play at centre-back or right-back and is regarded as one of the continent’s best young defenders. His 41 caps for the Super Eagles also include appearances at the Confederations Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, head coach of the Super Eagles, Rohr has expressed his delight over Omeruo’s recent form in the Spanish League. “I am really impressed with his performances,” Rohr stated, adding, “playing against a team like Sevilla and he was able to stay defensively focused and consistent shows his great quality as a defender.” An obviously excited Rohr observed that Omeruo’s performance was a good development for the Eagles and also for his Spanish team as well. “We hope he continues in that manner and for me that gives a stiff competition in the first line of the Super Eagles.” Fascinating enough, Omeruo who could have been given the chance to play

in the Premier League by his parent club is doing a better job than David Luiz. Another interesting comparison is the Nigerian’s numbers alongside Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk. Only two years older, Van Dijk is the toast of many and has been regarded this season as possibly the best central defender in the game… but hold up. The Dutchman has made 18 league appearances for the Reds a total of 1585 minutes; 734 more than Omeruo, but the latter has made more tackles (1.1 – 1.6) and more interceptions (1.1 – 1.4) in only 9 games for Leganes. Van Dijk edges the Nigerian only slightly in blocks (0.6 – 0.5), Omeruo having more dribbles (0.1) to Van Dijk’s none per Whoscored.com. However, overall both Van Dijk (7.46) and Luiz (7.22) are rated higher than Omeruo (6.77), obviously for the number of league games, but the young Chelsea loanee has shown he deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe. He was the only player among the three at the 2018 FIFA World Cup as the Netherlands did not qualify and Luiz was

ignored outright by Brazil’s head coach Tite. Another season in that upward trajectory Omeruo could find himself in some very star-studded circles.

G LO B A L S O C C E R ASSISTANT EDITOR KUNLE ADEWALE WAHAB AKINTUNDE THISDAY ON SATURDAY EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE DEPUTY EDITOR CHIKA AMANZE-NWACHUKWU THISDAY NEWSPAPERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€

GLOBAL SOCCER Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă’ Ă‹Ă?ĂžĂ?

*This will be the 227th meeting between Liverpool and Arsenal in all competitions, with Liverpool winning 86 of the previous 226 and Arsenal 79 (61 draws). In their Premier League history, these teams have scored 149 goals amongst themselves, something surpassed by only four other team pairs (Arsenal-Everton, Liverpool-Spurs, Chelsea-Spurs, and Arsenal-Spurs). *Last five visits to Anfield have not yielded a victory for Arsenal (D2 L3) and they have conceded two or more goals in each of those five games. In fact, Liverpool are unbeaten in seven games against Arsenal in all competitions (W3 D4). *Arsenal have scored more goals from outside the box than any other Premier League side this season (9), while Liverpool are the only side that have not conceded from outside the box. That is not surprising, given that Jurgen Kloppâ€™s men have conceded just seven goals in 19 league games and a clean sheet today will be a top-flight record for fewest goals after 20 games. *Arsenal are not at their best when facing the league leaders away from home. The Gunners have won just one of their last 12 Premier League away games against sides starting the day at the top of the table (2-1 vs Chelsea in November 2008), losing the last six such games in a row by an aggregate score of 2-17.

Can Arsenal Scuttle Liverpool Title Ambition? Having established a six-point lead over second place Tottenham and with defending champions- Manchester City losing two successive matches, Liverpool fans now believe more than ever they can win the Premier League for the ďŹ rst time this season. However, against an Arsenal side that is desperate for a top-four place, the Reds have a game in their hands today in spite of being favourites on paper and form

iverpool will be looking to take another step towards the Premier League title when they face Arsenal at Anfield in their final match of 2018 today. The Reds sit six points clear at the top of the table with half of the season gone, while opponents Arsenal are in fifth place, two points adrift of the Champions League spots. Only three teams in Premier League history have reached the halfway stage of a season without losing a single game, and each of them has gone on to win the title. Liverpool have now joined that exclusive list courtesy of a dominant 4-0 win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day - a result which made it eight successive Premier League victories in a run which stretches back to their last match against Arsenal. Just as significant as their own form has been the unexpected slump from Manchester City, though, with back-to-back defeats for Pep Guardiolaâ€™s side leaving the defending champions seven points adrift of Jurgen Kloppâ€™s pace-setters. Tottenham Hotspur are now Liverpoolâ€™s closest challengers, but the Reds still enjoy a six-point lead over second place and may be thankful of that cushion ahead of a crucial double-header against Arsenal and Man City either side of the New Year.

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GLOBAL SOCCER Premiership Table

Team Liverpool Man City Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Man Utd Wolves Everton West Ham Watford Bournemouth Leicester Brighton Newcastle Crystal Palace CardiďŹ€ Southampton Burnley HuddersďŹ eld

P 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

GD 32 38 15 21 14 0 0 2 0 -2 -3 0 -4 -8 -9 -16 -16 -18 -18

Pts 48 44 39 37 34 26 25 24 24 24 23 22 21 16 15 14 12 12 10

Premiership TODAY

Brighton Fulham Leicester Tottenham Watford Liverpool

v v v v v v

Everton HuddersďŹ eld CardiďŹ€ City Wolves Newcastle Arsenal

15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00 17:30

SUNDAY

Crystal Palace v Burnley v Southampton v Man Utd v

Chelsea 12:00 West Ham 14:15 Man City 14:15 Bournemouth 16:30

Hot Shot NAME

CLUB

GOALS

Aubameyang

Arsenal

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

Harry Kane

Tottenham

Eden Hazard

Chelsea

Raheem Sterling

Man City

Richarlison

Everton

Sergio AgĂźero

Man City

Callum Wilson

Bâ€™mouth

Glenn Murray

Brighton

Anthony Martial

Man Utd

Glenn Murray

Brighton

Son

Tottenham

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Fulham

Danny Ings

Southampton 7

Sadio ManĂŠ

Liverpool

Head to Head A victory today would bring a perfect end to what has been a memorable 2018 for Liverpool and they will be hoping that even greater things are to come in 2019 as they bid for a first league title since 1990. Klopp will be the first to tell his side that there is still a long way to go if they are to achieve that feat, but the signs are certainly promising heading into the New Year and should Liverpool enjoy an identical second half of the campaign then they would even surpass Man Cityâ€™s 100-point tally from last season. The Merseysiders are 16 points better off than the same stage of the 2017-18 campaign and have also scored two more goals - despite the impression that their attack has not been as free-flowing this term - but it is their defensive record which has separated them from the rest so far. So often their downfall in past title challenges, Liverpool conceded just seven goals during the opening half of the campaign and should they keep a clean sheet today then they would set a new record for fewest goals conceded after 20 games of a topflight English season. Liverpoolâ€™s fixtures with Arsenal are so often laden with goals, but the Reds have conceded only twice in the league at Anfield all season, while Man City are the

only team to have taken points off Kloppâ€™s side on home turf too. It is now 30 Premier League games since Liverpool tasted defeat at home - their best run since a 31-game streak which ended in August 2009 - and they are also unbeaten in their last 20 matches in December across all competitions, winning each of the last nine. Continuing that run today would take Liverpool one step closer to Premier League glory, although Manchester City have proved just how quickly things can change at the top should Kloppâ€™s side take their eye off the ball. Arsenalâ€™s improvement this season has not quite been as drastic as Liverpoolâ€™s, but there has been definite movement in the right direction from Unai Emeryâ€™s side. The Gunners are four points better off than at the halfway stage of 2017-18, but still, sit outside the Champions League places with two points separating them from fourth-placed Chelsea. That gap opened up on Boxing Day as Arsenal only managed a 1-1 at Brighton and Hove Albion, making it just one win in their last four games since seeing their 22-match unbeaten streak come to an end. Arsenal remains very much in the race for a top-four spot, though, and securing a return to the Champions League next season would make for a successful first year at the helm for Emery. There are costly elements which continue to

linger on from the Arsene Wenger regime, though, and one of those is Arsenalâ€™s poor record away to their top-six rivals. It is almost three years since the Gunners last won such a game, losing 12 and drawing seven of their last 19 trips to face one of the established top six. Arsenal have also won just one of their last 12 away league games against teams starting the day top of the table, including six successive defeats by an aggregate scoreline of 17-2. One area where Arsenal have already shown notable improvement is away from home; Emeryâ€™s side amassed only 16 points on the road throughout the 2017-18 campaign, but they have already accrued 15 this season. However, the Gunners will travel to Anfield without a win in their last three away games and with just one victory from their last five - a run which stretches back to October. Emeryâ€™s side are also yet to keep a Premier League clean sheet on the road this term, conceding 16 goals from their nine matches. A trip to face a Liverpool team which has scored three or more goals in four of their last five games is a daunting proposition, then, but Arsenal were one of only three teams to avoid defeat against the leaders during the first half of the season and may take some encouragement from the fact that they were the last side to take points off todayâ€™s hosts.

18-11-03

Arsenal

1-1 Liverpool

17-12-22

Arsenal

3-3 Liverpool

17-08-27

Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal

17-03-04

Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal

16-08-14

Arsenal

16-01-13

Liverpool 3-3 Arsenal

15-08-24

Arsenal

0-0 Liverpool

15-04-04

Arsenal

4-1 Liverpool

14-12-21

Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

14-02-08

Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal

13-11-02

Arsenal

2-0 Liverpool

13-01-30

Arsenal

2-2 Liverpool

12-09-02

Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal

12-03-03

Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal

11-08-20

Arsenal

0-2 Liverpool

11-04-17

Arsenal

1-1 Liverpool

10-08-15

Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal

3-4 Liverpool

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€

GLOBAL SOCCER

r a

Saka

Bukayo Saka

Nigeriaâ€™s Newest Arsenal Prodigy Since Nwankwo Kanuâ€™s debut for Arsenal in the â€˜90s after moving from Inter Milan, Nigeria players have been trying to hold their own with the North London side. Alex Iwobi is presently commanding a regular shirt at the Emirate and only last week, another Nigerian, Bukayo Saka, had a feel of ďŹ rst team play with the Gunners

ast Thursday, 17-year-old Bukayo Saka got his maiden foray with the senior squad, stepping off the bench against Vorskla in the Europa League. The speedy winger has turned heads with consistent performances for the U-23s this season and won a penalty in the recent Checkatrade Trophy match against Forest Green Rovers after beating more than four defenders with a skillful run. â€œToday Saka also played with a good performance, with a very big personality and we were speaking at half-time,â€? Emery said about the winger who has contributed to 11 goals for the youth teams this season, which works out as a goal every 79.5 minutes. â€?They were tryingâ€Ś his personality is very important for us to continue trying to go 1v1 and break lines with his quality. â€?He played with a very big personality and sometimes with a very good performance. Itâ€™s very important for his confidence and for us also, because we can look at this player and see the quality to help us.â€? Born and raised in London, Saka is of Nigerian descent and has represented England at youth level where he cur-

rently plays for the U-19s. He recently scored just three minutes into his debut in a 4-0 win over Moldova, finishing Stephen Walkerâ€™s through ball to score the third goal for England. A direct, tricky left winger who is one of the youngest players in the U-23 set-up, Saka remains highly regarded by his coaches at Hale End and there is a growing belief that he could be close to making more first-team appearances if his performances continue on the same level for the youth teams. â€œBukayo is a great talent and played very, very well today,â€? Gunners youth coach Freddie Ljungberg told Arsenal Player after the 4-0 win over Liverpool in September. â€œWeâ€™ve given him 15 minutes here and 20 minutes there to help him get used to the tempo, the speed and strength of opponents, and heâ€™s taken it in his stride. Heâ€™s just going to get better and better, keep his head down and keep on working.â€? Saka turned down Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Watford to sign for Arsenal as a child. He impressed supporters in his full debut at the Emirates Stadium against Qarabag in the Europa League with an energetic and exciting performance,

even if he admitted afterward he shouldâ€™ve scored at the end. Even though many Arsenal fans probably hadnâ€™t even heard of the youngster before this season, heâ€™s been around the club for eight years now, joining as a nine-year-old. The winger explained that when he first signed, he had offers from plenty of other London clubs, but turned them all down. â€œI had invitations from Spurs, Chelsea, Fulham and Watford but the only choice was Arsenal,â€? said Saka. â€œI enjoyed the way that Arsenal played so the choice was easy for me. â€œI trained at Hale End and signed when I was nine years old. Receiving a scholarship and then signing a professional contract a couple of months ago and playing for the first-team has made this year very special already.â€? Saka has consistently found himself fast-tracked to higher levels throughout his time with the Arsenal academy. Reaching the U-23s before he turned 17 was impressive enough, with all the competition at that level at the moment. Now heâ€™s in contention for the firstteam squad. It says a lot about Sakaâ€™s talent that he was eligible to play in the FA Youth

Cup last Wednesday, a competition for U-18s, yet he started for the senior side the next day instead. As in, hype aside, how soon might we expect him to make an impact on the first team, or start appearing on the bench, at the very least? It is amazing how clear the road ahead is for Saka. There is no one in his way. Not a soul. Maybe Alex Iwobi, but Iwobi is a creative midfielder with a specific skill set and can be rotated around. Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are both there as well, but their diminishing value and Emeryâ€™s push towards youth couldnâ€™t favour Saka any more than it already is. Saka brings something no one else currently provides on the first team. He brings the ability to shake defenders with ease. And while we have yet to see how he would handle the added pressure of Premier League opposition, itâ€™s safe to say that he doesnâ€™t shy away from the spotlight. All things considered, itâ€™s a bit hasty to expect his impact to be felt this season. Not even Reiss Nelson could manage that, though if Saka continues on the trajectory that heâ€™s on, Nelson may be playing second fiddle before long.

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GLOBAL SOCCER

Obafemi

Michael Obafemi A New Saint is Born

Michael Obafemi breaks Premier League record after scoring his ďŹ rst senior goal helping Southampton to a 3-1 Premier League win over HuddersďŹ eld Town last weekend

orn in Dublin to Nigerian parents, Obafemi recently represented Ireland but could still switch allegiance to his fatherland. The 18-year-old slid in a Nathan Redmond cross to secure all three points for the Saints in the 71st minute thus becoming the youngest Saint player to net in Englandâ€™s top division. Obafemi thanked team-mate Nathan Redmond for his help on and off the pitch after becoming Southamptonâ€™s youngest ever Premier League goalscorer. He is also now the youngest Irish scorer in Premier League history. The 18-year-old, who joined Saints from Leyton Orient in 2016, marked his fifth Premier League appearance by tucking away Redmondâ€™s cutback six minutes after coming off the bench to seal a 3-1 victory over Huddersfield. He told the clubâ€™s website: â€œIt was surreal and Iâ€™m thankful to Redders for giving me the assist. I should have scored two or three more but Iâ€™m just delighted to have got my first goal. â€œI wanted to get the previous chance out of my head straightaway because I knew myself it should have gone in the back of the net. I knew another one would come and Iâ€™m glad I put it away when it did.

â€œJust before I came on, the manager said to make sure I run and do the basics before anything else and the goal will come. All the lads on the bench were saying just show what I can do and that the rest would fall into place. This is the first step in my career. Iâ€™ve come a long way since my debut against Tottenham and Iâ€™m thankful for everyone who has believed in me.â€? Obafemi made his Premier League debut against Tottenham in January and was given the first start by Mark Hughes in the previous managerâ€™s final game against Manchester United earlier this month. He impressed before being forced off by a hamstring injury and this was his first appearance since. New manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has now won two of his first three games in charge, and Obafemi praised the impact of the Austrian as well as winger Redmond, who was the stand-out player on the pitch at the John Smithâ€™s Stadium. â€œHeâ€™s changed the whole system,â€? the teenager said of Hasenhuttl. â€œYou can see we are a lot more aggressive and direct and playing higher up the pitch. It suits us and itâ€™s getting us results. â€œOn the pitch, Redders is a close friend of mine and heâ€™s always giving me ad-

vice before games and even off the pitch as well, making sure I stay grounded. â€œThis is the first step in my career. Iâ€™ve come a long way since my debut against Tottenham and Iâ€™m thankful for everyone who has believed in me and got me back into this position.â€? The Southampton manager was pleased with his young Irish striker, although might have had a hat-trick in the 25-minute he was on the pitch: â€œHis speed gives us a little bit more opportunity,â€? said Hasenhuttl. â€œHe had two or three more chances. â€œIâ€™m happy for him. Heâ€™s a cool guy, he has quality and I think after his injury coming back with the goal is perfect for him.â€? Meanwhile, new Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy is hoping that rising star is a Robbie Keane in the making. While the teenager could have bagged a hat-trick, his milestone moment comes just a month after making his Ireland debut in the Nations League draw away to Denmark. That just happened to be Martin Oâ€™Neillâ€™s last game in charge of the boy in green but it tied Obafemi to Ireland as it was a competitive match. Ireland have struggled for goals ever since record-scorer Keane retired but

Obafemi is certainly showing flashes of potential. McCarthy said on Sunday: â€œIâ€™m delighted and Iâ€™m going to go watch him. Martin played him on his last game and gave him a cap. There was a bit of criticism about it and I was on the TV saying â€˜hold onâ€™. â€œIt might turn out that Michael Obafemi turns out to be the next Robbie Keane and we should all be lauding Martin for giving him his cap. â€œNow here he is playing in the Premier League and scoring goals. He looks like he deserves it now. Itâ€™s to my benefit and ultimately to the Republic of Irelandâ€™s benefit. â€œIâ€™m never too unhappy when I have people who can run, who are quick and can run in behind and he looks like he can stretch defences.â€? Obafemi admitted the goal was â€˜surrealâ€™ but knows he should have bagged a hat-trick as the Saints maintained their hot-streak under Ralph HasenhĂźttl. He has relished the opportunities to come his way this season after six Premier League appearances and another in the League Cup. Standing at 5ft 7in tall, Obafemi is diminutive in height but he makes up for it in energy, pace and strength.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

FAIRGROUND with

2face, Ay, Tiwa Savage, Others Bond with Neighbours at Haven Homes Christmas Party

AZUKA OGUJIUBA

azuka.ogujiuba@thisdaylive.com

ichmond Gate Estate by Haven Homes in Lekki is rightfully best described as the ‘Beverley Hills’ in Lagos. Neighbours at the estate in Lekki, built by a Nigerian leading Lifestyle connoisseur, Haven Homes, held their Estate Christmas party in Lagos recently. The annual event was organised by the estate’s residents to promote friendship amongst residents. The chairman of the Residents Association, Mr. Afolabi Oke explained to our reporters that in an estate where many residents are top celebrities and VIPs who have excelled in renowned fields, it was important to create a night of music, jokes and entertainment to crown the year. The grand event was anchored by MC Pencil and performances were led by celebrity co-residents like 2face, Ay Comedian, Dr Sid, Tiwa Savage, Banky W among others. Tiwa Savage had thrilled her neighbors’ kids at the children’s party held earlier on in the day. Speaking at the event, Managing Director Haven Homes, Tayo Sonuga, disclosed that the company’s goal was to create a luxurious, peaceful and safe environment where celebs, VIPs, expatriates and other influential members of the society could live peacefully and cohabit peaceably with their neighbors. That is what we have currently at Richmond Gate Estate. He also added that, "our estates are designed to give comfort that is devoid of status but is also very affordable by all who desire the serene atmosphere all round." Sonuga further revealed that Haven Homes was the developer that pioneered the spectacular contemporary designs that have now dotted the capital’s landscape. ‘We specialise in creating homes that model after the rich, luxurious, western aristocratic homes previously only seen in movies, very obvious reason why our celebrities are at home here with Haven Homes’ Sonuga said. Ayo Makun, aka Ay comedian, who recently moved into his second home he bought within Richmond Gate Estate noted that his heart knows no bound sitting and chatting with his neighbours in an environment that was homely without rattling and bustling after working hard all day. He enjoined more Nigerians to come join the train as they were building an inclusive environment that will impact individual and contribute to economic and social development. 2Face, aka 2Baba was also present with his lovely wife, Annie. 2Face couldn’t find words to describe his peace and joy for having found such a tranquil and friendly estate to live with his family. Banky W confirmed he had joined the growing list of celebrities finding haven at Richmond Gate Estate and he also used the occasion to enjoin the residents of the need to come out and vote with their consciences at the forthcoming general elections in 2019. Haven Homes is the Real Estate subsidiary of Haven Global Resources Ltd, a firm registered as a limited liability company in Nigeria and have been building affordable luxury residential homes since 2006 and have since won multiple awards.

Richmond Gate Estates Residents sharing Fun

L-R: Chief Executive Oﬃcer, Haven Homes Limited, Tayo Sonuga; Ace Comedian AY; Actor Annie Idibia; Chairman, Estate Residents' Association, Afolabi Bankole; Musical artiste Banky W; Musical artiste Dr. Sid; Lanre Tella; GM Haven Homes, Ufuoma Ilesanmi, and husband, Seyi Ilesanmi, at the Christmas Party organised by the developers of Richmond Gate Estate for the residents… recently

Annie Idibia Shares Moment with Vivian Olowu Babajide Olowu, Ome Oko, Ufuoma Ilesanmi and Busola, Powergen CEO

2Face, Ufuoma Ilesanmi, Tayo Sonuga and Banky W sharing the thrill

Cross Section of Richmond Gate Estate Residents at the All Black Xmas Party

Exco Chairman, Afolabi Oke thrills residents with Jazz band member

Tiwa Savage dances Shakushaku with neighbours' kids at the Richmond Gate Estate children's Xmas party

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

FAIRGROUND

Omnicom Solutions Celebrates Decade

mnicom Solutions Limited, last weekend, celebrated 10 years of exceptional service delivery which started as a telecom service provider in 2008 in the Lanre Olaniyan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO’s) modest apartment in Lagos. All he had was borrowed equipment with big dreams that many described as crazy.

However, 10 years down the line, that little crazy idea has become one of the biggest players in Nigeria’s telecom industry providing jobs for close to 500 persons. It was a night of glitz, glamour, music, comedy, good food and wine on Friday, December 7, 2018 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. In his welcome address, the CEO of Omnicom Solutions, Lanre Olaniyan attributed all the Omnicom successes to God and his team of partners and staff. He recalled how banks turned him down and it seemed all forces worked against his dream in the beginning. “When we started, we were one of the first local companies to offer the primary business we offer today, and it was difficult convincing the clients about our competences. It took us putting everything we’ve got to get here and I am particularly happy because getting here means we can go beyond here,” he said. Several other awards were given out, an array of stand-up comedians was also on hand to spice up the event, while the DJ reeled out the best of Nigerian hits to the delight of the guests. Speaking to the media at the event, Olaniyan admitted that the Nigerian economy was indeed tough for entrepreneurs with paucity

of funds, scarcity of skilled personnel were some of the challenges the company faced. From a man who has seen many ideas fail before they were born, there had to be a word

for whoever emerges as the next president of Nigeria in the 2019 elections. Speaking on what Omnicom has become known for, Olaniyan said, “Ours is specialised services

for the operators and vendors. So, we don’t work with everybody, but we work in the background to make sure that your network works.

Adediwura Blarkgold Toyin Abraham, Joke Silva, Beverly Naya Endorsed by FM Best Bargain Set to Feature in “2 Weeks In Lagos”

opular and celebrated yoruba actress, Adediwura Blarkgold was recently signed by Fm Best Bargain Nigeria as their new brand ambassador. Adediwura's deal with the departmental store is secured on a one year deal which spans to the end of next year. According to her, " It was a great offer and an awesome way to end the year and I would also be representing and promoting the company wherever I go and work on the growth of the company. "

FM Best Bargain is a Departmental Store consisting of furniture and fittings Home appliances, Children’s world , Body care shop, house hold items , groceries and toiletries , cosmetics Items and a lot more. Alhaja Afolake Jamiu, the CEO of is a successful international business woman of repute; her quest for success and expansion of the business has seen her travel far and near to Turkey, United Kingdom, China, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and the United States of America among others.

Toyin Abraham, Joke Silva, Beverly Naya and others

Adediwura Blarkgold and Alhaja Afolake Jamiu

Award winning filmmaker Kathryn Fasega is set to produce an unusual love story in Lagos Nigeria which features prominent Nigerian actors like Joke Silva, Jide Kosoko, Tina Mba, Beverly Naya, Toyin Abraham, Shaffy Bello, Fathia Williams, Mawuli Gavor, Tina Mba and many more. Speaking at a press conference recently, Kathryn announced that her new movie, “Two Weeks in Lagos” is currently in production. She expressed her joy for the opportunity to direct such an enthralling and stereotypechanging love story which is also faith-based. “It’s a love story and also a faith based story. It’s a story about a young couple that goes through a lot of challenges” She stated. They talk about my country in a negative perspective. I am doing this to change that narrative. It’s also a love story with a difference because of the characters involved. They are two characters with strong ethics who know exactly what they want”, she added. Actors- Toyin Abraham, Mawuli Gavor,

Joke Silva, Beverly Naya, were also present at the press conference to share their unique experiences during filming and the lessons gained from being part of such an unconventional movie. Toyin Abraham said “This is my first time working on a faith based project/Christian film and it has been a lovely experience. The characters have been amazing and it has been fun all the way, the director is very calm and flows with everybody. I love the story, simple and nice”. Kathryn Fasega is a Canadian-based filmmaker, who is known internationally for her award winning movie, “Treacherous Heart”, which she directed in 2012 and has won several awards outside Africa such as Best Drama in Diaspora at the African Oscars in North Carolina, USA 2012 and Favorite Director African Oscars, Washington DC USA. She is also a member of the Calgary Society of I dependent Filmmakers (CSIF) as well as Women in Film and Television Alberta (WIFTA), and has won the award for the Global Woman Vision Award Calgary, in June 2012. The movie, “Two weeks in Lagos”, is set to be released in 2019.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

AUTO How to Drive With Badly Maintained Trucks

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Rolls-Royce Cullinan is ‘Prestigious Luxury SUV of The Year’ Stories by Bennett Oghifo

he Rolls-Royce Cullinan was named ‘Prestigious Luxury SUV of the Year’ at the 2018 ArabWheels Awards ceremony. The annual event celebrates the latest in automotive design, technology, performance, and luxury. Held at Dubai’s Meydan Hotel on 14th November 2018, the glamourous awards show featured vehicles by some of the most influential, historic and best-loved carmakers. The world’s first super-luxury SUV and the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce’s ‘Effortless, Everywhere’ driving and lifestyle ethos, Cullinan is an uncompromised, thoroughly luxurious all-terrain vehicle that is completely unlike anything the world has ever seen. Cullinan was the outright winner in its category, impressing the judges with its innovative technology, unparalleled luxury

and incredible, industry-leading power and performance. Rami Joudi, Regional PR and Communications Manager at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East, Africa and India, said: “This is the first award for Rolls-Royce Cullinan and I believe there will be many more to come. “I feel very privileged to receive the ‘Prestigious Luxury SUV of the Year’ award on behalf of all my colleagues at the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Goodwood and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East and Africa regional office. “This award goes to the 500 engineers and highly-skilled people who worked on Cullinan, the Rolls-Royce of SUVs.” Issam Eid, Editor-in-Chief, ArabWheels magazine, said: “ArabWheels Awards is much more than just handing over a trophy at a glamourous event every November. It’s a long assignment that is intended to inform potential car buyers about the vehicles that should appear on their shortlists. Notably, it

also gives consumers a 50 percent say in the results via our online voting process. Another 50 percent is for our judging panel whose jurors ensure the integrity and credibility of the awards but also serve as an important resource for the industry with a focus on excellence and innovation on a regional scale. The main goal was to achieve a balance between consumers and expert motoring journalists. Cullinan represents a milestone in the development of the world’s most luxurious automotive marque and aligns Rolls-Royce with a new market of discerning automobile customers in the UAE and the region who demand refinement, superb comfort and offroad capability. Quintessentially Rolls-Royce, Cullinan’s ‘Architecture of Luxury’ is based around superlative engineering that creates an environment of immersive luxury with driver and passengers experiencing power and performance through a smooth and silent ride that can tackle any terrain.

ecently, there was a serious crash in Mpumalanga involving a truck. As many motorists plan to head to holiday destinations in the coming weeks, it is important for motorists to do what they can to not endanger themselves or the truck drivers when sharing the roads with them. Initial reports, however, suggested a lack of maintenance was partially to blame for the Mpumalanga crash. What can you as a driver do if companies are not maintaining their trucks? The managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says there are many things you can do to reduce the risk you face when sharing the road with trucks in need of maintenance. “The key, is to be aware. Look at the trucks around you and the condition they appear to be in. Every time you spot a truck that appears to be a bit derelict, drive with even more caution than you normally would. “Do not linger around these trucks. If moving away from them requires you to overtake, ensure you have plenty of space and time to do this. Never take a risk when overtaking a truck that appears to be neglected. Avoid overtaking the truck on a downhill as this is where their brakes are most likely to fail. Follow these tips, as well as your instincts, to reduce your risk on the road. Rather arrive 30 minutes late than not at all,” says Herbert. It is important for car drivers to also be aware that the challenges truck drivers face are very different to theirs. “The weight and size of a truck as well as the different loads means they need more time to get going, stop or slow down. Below are some additional tips on how to share the road safely and courteously with truck drivers these holidays: Leave large spaces between your car and the truck. This will help you avoid one of their many and much larger blind spots. The blind spots are in front or close to their bumper, close behind the truck as well as in certain spots beside the truck. If you can see the driver in the side mirror, they can see you. Never pull directly in front of a truck or in a small gap between a truck and another vehicle. A medium-sized truck can take 40% longer to stop than a car. When overtaking, do not just check if there is a gap but check the length of the truck before you go. Also give yourself more than enough time so if the truck is longer than expected you have extra time. Pay extra caution to trucks carrying abnormal loads. If a truck is in the left lane in a double turning lane, do not drive next to it. Once they make the turn, this space closes up. The driver left that space for a reason.

Visitors to Have Virtual Drive in BMW Vision iNEXT at CES 2019

tthisyear’sConsumerElectronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the BMW Group will showcase the future of driving pleasure and the potential of digital connectivity in a variety of different ways. From January 8-11 2019, visitors will have their first chance to take a virtual drive in the BMW Vision iNEXT, accompanied by the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the BMW Group will showcase the future of driving pleasure and the potential of digital connectivity in a variety of different ways. From January 8-11 2019, visitors will have their first chance to take a virtual drive in the BMW Vision iNEXT, accompanied by the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. In this way, the BMW Group is underlining its innovative capabilities in the fields of design, automated driving, connectivity, electrification, and services (D+ACES), which are all defined as key areas of future activity in its corporate strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT. The vision vehicle will be displayed alongside a sophisticated mixed-reality installation that, for the first time, provides a virtual and immersive impression of what it is like to drive autonomously, emission-free, and fully connected in the BMW Vision iNEXT. To begin the simulation, the BMW Intelligent

PersonalAssistant suggests an agenda for the day and plans the activities for the trip perfectly. With virtual reality goggles and a specially-designed spatial concept, visitors are able to immerse themselves in this virtual world: Initially, they drive the BMW Vision iNEXT themselves, but the vehicle soon takes over the driving function. In autonomous “Ease” mode, the driver interacts with the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which makes suggestions and controls various digital services for the driver – from videoconferencing, to shopping, to smart home functions. With its ground-breaking technology for highly automated driving, intelligent connectivity, and innovative display control concepts, the BMW Vision iNEXT showcases totally new ways to utilize driving time. Visitors can explore the fundamental design principle referred to as “Shy Tech” – discretely integrated technology that only becomes visible when needed – directly, thanks to two further exhibits outside the vehicle. The interior of the BMW Vision iNEXT is designed as a mobile environment that enhances quality of life. This “Favorite Space” answers the question: “What will cars look like when they no longer have to be driven by a person, but still can be?” The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant marks the dawn of a new era for the BMW brand, using natural language for interaction with the vehicle

BMW Vision iNEXT

and to access functions. In the new BMW X5 visitors can check out the functions that will be available for new models from March 2019, along with selected future capabilities of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

The personal assistant is also an integral part of the stand concept. It welcomes visitors at the entrance to the stand and guides them to the center of the exhibition through sound and light experiences.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

AUTO

Hyundai Motor Reveals World’s First Smart Fingerprint Technology to Vehicles Stories by Bennett Oghifo

yundai Motor Company announced the world’s first smart fingerprint technology that allows drivers to not only unlock doors but also start the vehicle. Hyundai plans to implement the technology initially in Santa Fe SUV model that is to be released in select markets on the first quarter of 2019. To unlock the vehicle, the driver need to place a finger on the sensor located on the door handle. The encrypted fingerprint information will be identified and delivered to the fingerprint controller inside the vehicle. The driver can also easily start the vehicle by touching the ignition that is also equipped with a fingerprint scanning sensor. The technology also provides a customized driving environment. Matching information of driver preference with fingerprint data, the vehicle automatically adjusts seating positions, connected car features, and side-view mirror angles according to the driver. “In the future, Hyundai Motor plans to further expand the application of the technology to allow the adjustment of temperature, steering wheel position, and many other features which will be tailored to driver’s preferences” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of Research & Development Division of the Hyundai Motor Company. “This will ultimately offer quality driving experience to each and every Hyundai customer.” Hyundai also addressed the security issues on the smart fingerprint technology. With capacitance recognition, which detects differentials in the electricity level in various

Hyundai plans to implement the technology initially in Santa Fe SUV model in ﬁrst quarter of 2019

parts of the fingertip, the fingerprint technology efficiently prevents forgeries and faked fingerprints. The technology’s chance of misrecognizing other person’s finger print as the driver’s is only 1 in 50,000 making it five times more effective than conventional

vehicle keys, including smart keys. Moreover, through real-time learning of fingerprints supported by ‘dynamic update’ system, the fingerprint system can continually improve its success rate. Hyundai will apply the fingerprint technol-

ogy in select markets and gradually expand to the other markets. Hyundai Motor also plans to continue to implement other customizable technologies to vehicle lineup, to strengthen technological leadership in the future mobility market.

New Mercedes-Benz G 350 d, Point of Entry to G-Class

he first vehicles of the new GClass have been conquering the world’s off-road trails since June. Powerful, comfortable, and superior, the cross-country vehicle convinces with performance, safety, modern assistance systems and excellent handling. According to the automaker’s statement recently, “The powertrain line-up is now being expanded with an efficient diesel variant. The new G 350 d (fuel consumption, combined: 9.8-9.6 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 259-252 g/km)[1] boasts an output like never before. The models will be available to order starting in January 2019 and will arrive in dealerships in spring. As a result, the G-Class model range now offers buyers a choice between the G 500 (fuel consumption, combined: 12.1-11.5 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions: 276-263 g/km), the AMG G 63 (fuel consumption, combined: 13.1 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions: 299 g/km) and the new G 350 d. “The new OM 656 diesel engine will also set standards in the G-Class in terms of performance – both on and off the road. “Our goal was to increase the performance” while reducing the consumption and improving the noise characteristics at the same time”, stresses Ola Källenius, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development on the Daimler Board of Management.” The characteristics of the top-notch engine include the stepped-bowl combustion process, two-stage exhaust turbocharging, as well as the use of CAMTRONIC variable valve timing. This heats up the exhaust system without driving up fuel consumption. The further advanced NANOSLIDE® cylinder wall coating also reduces friction losses in the piston/cylinder wall system and reduces fuel consumption. As powerful and superior as never before The new in-line six-cylinder diesel makes the icon the most efficient “G” so far. It produces an output of 210 kW (286 hp) and with a peak torque of 600 Newton metres between 1200 and 3200 rpm is as powerful as never before. The new six-cylinder diesel engine is designed to comply with future emissions legislation (RDE – Real Driving Emissions). All components relevant for efficient emissions reduction are installed directly at the engine. This contributes to faster effectiveness of the catalytic converter and the diesel particulate filter. Thanks to the

New Mercedes-Benz G 350 d

integral technology approach comprising the new stepped-bowl combustion process, dynamic multi-path exhaust gas recirculation and near-engine emission control system, further reduced consumption figures with low emissions are possible. Thanks to the near-engine insulated configuration, the emission control system has little heat loss and ideal operating conditions. The most eﬃcient G of all time Thanks to further enhanced emission control technologies, the powerful six-cylinder unit from the modern OM 656 engine family remains below all of the emission limits of the current Euro 6d-TEMP standard even in

demanding driving situations and environmental conditions. This is achieved with an additional selective catalytic reduction (SCR) converter with an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) in the exhaust tract of the GLE. The SCR catalyst (Selective Catalytic Reduction) reduces the nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust gas. To this end, AdBlue®, an aqueous urea solution, is fed into the system. It chemically converts the nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas, thus releasing ammonia, which reduces up to 80 percent of the nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water in the downstream SCR catalytic converter. The filler neck for the AdBlue® is integrated into the external tank recess of

the vehicle, which makes straightforward filling at the fuel pump possible. In ECO drive mode, the gliding function helps to save additional fuel. When the driver’s foot leaves the accelerator pedal, the transmission’s clutch disengages. This reduces the engine speed to idling level, and the driving resistance is reduced by the compression and frictional forces of the engine while coasting. The G-Class “glides”, using its own, current kinetic energy for a certain distance. It rolls for a measurably longer distance than when coasting. This results in further fuel savings. The clutch is re-engaged as soon as the driver operates the accelerator or brake pedal.

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DECEMBER 29, 2018 Ë¾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

PERSPECTIVE RevampingAkwaIbomState’sEconomy:TheNsimaEkereModel Eseme Eyiboh

kwa Ibom State is unarguably one states in Nigeria with the prospect of economic fortune. With its about five million population matched with the enviable status of the highest oil-and-gasproducing state in Nigeria, economic prosperity should be the lot of the people and the state. But socio-economic matrices of the state do not correlate with the abundance of natural mineral, agricultural and aquaculture resources. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 1.8 million of Akwa Ibom’s 3.3 million economically active population is unemployed. That means, more than half of the working population in the state is out of work. With such an unusually high degree of joblessness and the attendant poverty, the state has the second highest unemployment rate in Nigeria. This is an antithesis of the ambitious start the state had under Governors Obong Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio. Growth, Opportunities and development in Akwa Ibom State have been in doldrums since May 2015. Transforming the state into the economic powerhouse that it should be, that is a challenge the incumbent leadership have not demonstrated a capability and capacity to tackle. As we enter the last 60 days of intense politicking before the 2019 elections, none among the various contenders for the governorship seat in Akwa Ibom has presented a well-articulated manifesto as Nsima Udo Ekere, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party. Ekere, a cutting-edge character and reform minded asset manager currently, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), cannot be mistaken for just another politician seeking to capture the exalted office of the chief executive of the state. Neither should his declaration - “it is time to get our state back on track,” be taken in vain. He is a man who knows what to do to turn around a critical situation. Aside from building successful businesses, his cogent national and international experiences in real estate, urban and regional planning and construction are in areas critical to the resuscitation of the Akwa Ibom economy. Ekere served briefly as Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State between May 2011 and October 2012. He was for five years, from 2007 to 2012, the executive chairman of the Akwa Ibom Investment and Industrial Promotion Council AKIIPOC, the state’s investment agency. He has chaired simultaneously, the Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency and Ibom Power Company - the state’s independent power generating company. That put him in a pole position as the best candidate for the job at the Government House in Uyo. The plan he unveiled recently is concise and convincing. “The strategic focus of my administration will be to build a better tomorrow filled with opportunities for all Akwa Ibom people,” he said. In a simple sentence, that is building and sustaining a state of economic prosperity. Ekere has made this the first of the Five Pillars of Change he is advocating. His vision, recently unveiled, is founded on policies and programmes aimed at creating jobs and opportunities and

Ekere promoting and propelling private enterprises to build industries and businesses. His strategy focuses on reflating the economy in the short term via a smorgasbord of direct job creation initiatives and initiation and implementation of local content requirements in all government activities. He has planned to tackle mass unemployment and poverty with a “quick impact action” in the first three to six months, driven by massive public works to reflate the economy and stimulate job creation in a way that “put money in the pockets of artisans, suppliers, and contractors.” Overall, the gamut of the policies and programmes aims to create 400,000 direct and indirect jobs every year. Aprogramme of conditional cash transfers of N5, 000 to the extremely poor, N5, 000 to orphans, N100, 000 per delivery for multiple birth mothers and N5, 000 for the physically challenged is also embedded in the plan. His plan to domesticate key Federal Government economic programmes namely MSME Clinic, the Bank of Industry-sponsored GEEP project, Anchor Borrowers Programme, and NIRSAL is an action that will further broaden the scope of economic empowerment for the state and its indigene. And this, shows his quality as an astute administrator and cutting edge character. The longer-term strategy he outlined showed a bold approach to purposeful development. For instance, the launch of a N20 billion fund to raise a critical mass of transformative entrepreneurs

(TEs), about 6,000 every year who would be empowered to stimulate the economy and create no less than 120,000 jobs. The initiative will be complemented with a vortex of skill acquisition programmes and funding that will allow them to function and be productive. This is a realistic way of shrinking the unemployment pool and growing the private sector. His plan to establish an Enterprise Development Fund, seeded with five billion naira annually to provide collateral-free, singledigit loans to SMEs, can hardly be faulted, neither his proposal to restructure and recapitalise AKICORP with N50 billion and use it as a vehicle to attract investment into the state. An aspect of the plan that shows him as a leader with foresight is his plan to diversify the state’s economy to make it less susceptible to the pitfalls of petrodollar economy. Using a slew of agricultural initiatives as a job-creation vehicle that engages young people is at the same time “killing two birds with one stone” as the initiative will be driving the state towards self-sufficiency in food production. One of such initiatives is the Graduate Farmers Scheme that will promote the participation of 500 youths from each of the 31 local government areas. The scheme is conceived to engage an average of 15,500 individual every year as farmers and extension agents. And to demonstrate leadership by example, the government will lead the way by setting up three model Songhai Farms in the state while the launch of Community Farming Initiatives (CFIs) in three key areas of fishing development, food crop production and cash crop development will complete an elaborate agricultural plan. Aparticular objective is to make Akwa Ibom a top rice-growing state in Nigeria and a state with massive oil palm production. And with a Commodities Trading Cooperatives (CTC) “to promote and manage trades in export commodities like palm produce, rubber, cassava value chain, rice and aquaculture,” Akwa Ibom will be armed with an armada of agricultural plan that will ensure its economic future. Ekere is not attempting to reinvent the wheel; as shown by his plan for resuscitating the economy, he has simply tweaked a tested blueprint that produced results for the Asian tigers. The economic plan he unveiled has a human face,his promise to address all outstanding pensions, gratuities, local government workers’ salaries, primary school teacher’s entitlements and allowances. In totality, the action plans of his agenda are pragmatic and are designed to drive growth and opportunities in a way that address the state’s critical economic challenges. Can Ekere deliver the goods? He has a track record. Upon his appointment in 2016 as managing director of nddc, he took over a commission that seemed to be jinxed with mediocrity. The 4-Rs Strategy he conceived worked like a magic wand and in two years, everyone agreed the NDDC had never been that effective. It won him public accolades and a back-to-back garlands of The Sun and Daily Telegraph Public Service Awards in 2017 and 2018. His agenda is a workable roadmap for the economic prosperity of Akwa Ibom State. AKWADESERVES THE BEST! Hon Eseme Eyiboh is the erstwhile spokesperson of the House of Representatives and current Chairman, Cross River Basin Development Authority.

Giving Succour to Victims of Diabetes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

he glow of her spotless skin can ignite the sight of a blind man. Shy but simple and stylish in appearance, she exudes humility and humanity. Despite being one of the most beautiful faces in the Nigerian entertainment industry, Ogechi ‘Shirley’ Igwe, as much as possible, keeps a low profile even having successfully stayed for years as a commercial model for a popular cosmetic brand before venturing into acting and movie production. So it was not surprising as she walked in unidentified at Seven Seasons Fashion Lounge on Admiralty Way, Lekki Lagos on a Sunday evening to support the 10th anniversary of Fashion for Life, a female clothing line own by her friend. The event had attracted top female personalities from the media and entertainment sector, including Helen Prest-Ajayi, Adesuwa Onyenekwe, Monalisa Chinda, Chioma Ude of AFRIFF and the famous sisters – Obukome, Gloria and Elvina Ibru. As Shirley paced through to join other guests seated at the showroom, there was exchange of eye contacts. In an informal setting, she would strut the run way that evening along with eleven other female guests from different fields of art as part of activities for the night, amidst music, glitz and fashion. One had actually expected to hear from the Nollywood actress post production of her movie ‘Middle of Nowhere’, which was slated to premiere early this year. It was not out of place to ask her about the project. She revealed that she sold it to an online firm. “I sold it to an online firm in America so whichever way they chose to promote the film is left to them.” At the moment she’s in “Hook, Line & Sinker,” a drama series airing on Africa

Magic. A pretty face and enthralling personality, she had just recently embarked on a humanitarian project closed to her heart. The light skin actress has just launched a foundation to fight the scourge of diabetes, especially the indigents who cannot afford the treatment of the incurable ailment. She was indirectly a victim of diabetes having lost her mum, dad and lately, her aunt to the ailment. It then touches her heart to so help victims of diabetes through the Daughters of Love Foundation (DLF). She disclosed that “Very soon we shall embark on awareness in rural areas, starting from Imo State.” During the launch of the foundation which had coincided with World Diabetes Day 2018, the screen diva who was the Chief Protocol Officer to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, had chronicled her personal experience. In her words, “Having lost my mother at the age of 13, and father 2014 and most recently my aunt, to the cold hands of diabetes, I can only but relate to the pains patients and families of patients go through, throughout the duration of this deadly disease. It saddens my heart that our society does little or nothing for this cause, and we, as individuals take it for granted. “A few people close to me know how passionate I am about helping, and I feel strongly that diabetes care is a cause very much worth supporting, therefore I have founded Daughter’s ’s of Love Foundation (DFL) to help alleviate human suffering related to diabetes, and it’s complications among those least able to with stand the burden of the disease. Indian medical mission offers free outreach in Anambra. “DLF aims to create programs and projects that will be of assistance to diabetic patients, as well as widows/widowers in other to promote physical and emotional well-being in

Shirley community / rural developments through financial assistance, provision of healthcare assistance, entrepreneurship for the down trodden, conducting outings for awareness and to educate the underprivileged on the implications of the disease.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Í°ÍˇËœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

EXPRESSION

MEDIAGAFFES

Marching Orders, Not Order

EBERE WABARA

â€œF

G has no grouse with Ondo electorateâ€? FG has no grouse about (not with)â€Ś â€œBuhari issues marching order to cement producersâ€? Truth and Reason: marching orders. â€œSalute to a great leader and distinguish political icon @ 78â€? For the sake of linguistic sanity: distinguished political icon. â€œLASAAâ€™s double standardsâ€? (DAILY INDEPENDENT Headline, December 16) Fixed expression: double standard. â€œâ€Śat the burial of his late wifeâ€Śyesterdayâ€? Please, dear reader, tell me, what is â€œlateâ€? doing here? This is inexcusable! Could he have buried his wife alive? â€œThis is crucial because our steps have been faulty from the onset (outset).â€? The next four blunders are from SATURDAY TRIBUNE of December 15: â€œâ€Śthe noise pollution that accompany (accompanies) the use and subsequent rise in the level of stress.â€? â€œI am usually on (in) my farm and I donâ€™t think youâ€Ś.â€? â€œHe spoke on Supersports about his achievements and experiences on the saddle of CAF Champions League second roundâ€Ś.â€? SATURDAY Sports: in the saddle. â€œâ€Śhas commended the board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) over (for) the successful organization of the first round of the league season.â€? â€œBill Gates: The billionaire with unparallel love for the less privilegedâ€? Exceptional philanthropy: unparalleled love. â€œUNIBEN alumni commends INECâ€? UNIBEN alumni commend, but UNIBEN

alumni association commends. No muddle. â€œSometimes (sometime) ago, twenty-three wise men met atâ€Ś.â€? â€œAs police beams (beam) searchlight on some formal groups, associations and organizations.â€? â€œIn his sermon at the occasion.â€Śâ€? Get it right: on the occasion. â€œIn 1996, ASUU, apart from demanding for the reviewâ€Śâ€? Military and varsity education: delete â€˜forâ€™ in the interest of grammatical orderliness. â€œThe Yorubas like I said on this platform last Friday.â€Śâ€? This way: The Yoruba, as (not like) I said, on this platform last Fridayâ€Ś. â€œâ€Śthe good foundation laid for take-off and hopefully with what we have read and saw (seen) in the mediaâ€Ś.â€? â€œHe sacked the Shonekan administration and assumed the reign of power as Head of State.â€? Get it right: reins of government. â€œThey like parading themselves in stateof-the-art cars, leaving (living) in mansions and dictating the economy (how?) of the country with their loots (loot).â€? Do we resort to vernacular, in the light of the foregoing morphological tragedies? â€œThrown into panic, the driver of my vehicle managed to find a save (safe) haven from the portion of the road lawfully meant for Abujabound motorist (motorists).â€? â€œâ€Śtalkless of (let alone) those actually chased into them by the escorts of the â€˜bigâ€™ men.â€? â€œWe urge that investigations be launched into the circumstances that led to the embarrassment and ask that those involved be brought to book to forestall a re-occurrence.â€? Let us foreclose a recurrence of â€˜Eze-Goes-toSchoolâ€™ blunders.

â€œThe last but not the least isâ€Ś.â€? An extra: the last but not least. That is the correct expression. â€œShe is an alumnus of the popularâ€Ś.â€? Standard style: alumna. The next six blunders are from the sports pages of the Saturday Newspaper: â€œFlying Eagles (Eaglesâ€™) sloppy play bothered (bordered) on the fact that.â€Śâ€? â€œI seized the opportunity (sic) to congratulate him for (on/upon) the very great successes at the recent polls.â€Śâ€? â€œâ€Śthe smallish player was the life wire (sic) of the Flying Eaglesâ€Ś.â€? Nigeria â€™99: livewire. â€œThe screening of the prospective footballers continued with the captain playing the role of the ball boy, perhaps with the believe that.â€Śâ€? Change â€˜believeâ€™ to â€˜beliefâ€™. â€œPresident Muhammadu Buhari has joined the bandwagon of progress.â€? Progressive English: climb or jump (not join) on/aboard the bandwagon. â€œToday, the Whitemanâ€™s problem has been fully entrenched in the dark continent, especially south of the Sahara.â€? Standard expression: on the Dark Continent â€œAbia police warns (warn) on tinted windscreenâ€? â€œ3 state-own industries to begin production soonâ€? This way: state-owned industries. â€œDrivers of luxurious (luxury) buses are not so often stopped or extorted.â€? â€œSuch accusation levelled on (against/at) the FRSC is, however, an exception rather than the rule.â€? â€œ...the commission was poised to enforce all road violations.â€? This is sheer linguistic monstrosity! Perhaps, it is only in Nigeriaâ€” where anything is plausible and possibleâ€”that violations (instead of laws and regulations) can be enforced.

Ă’Ă™ Ă“Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ăœ Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ĂžĂ’Ă? Ă?Ă‹Ăœ ÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ ËŁ

e have come to the last week of the year - a period that foists on us a mood of reflection and restitution. Many of us view the year in all its negative glory - bemoaning missed opportunities, failed attempts, and certain prognoses gone awry. Some of us see the year through the tinted veneer of the positive - fuelling our sense of optimism by looking at the half-filled cup of achievements, near accomplishments, certain improvements, and such vitamins of hope and future prosperity. So, let us reflect at this yearâ€™s tailspin. Of course, the last six months, and the next six fittingly represent Nigeriaâ€™s election year. The predominant issue, the substance of our disagreements and public deliberations is the politics and permutations of 2019 Elections. Most supporters of the leading candidates are impervious to reason and vision of the other - each set and settled on the irreversible uselessness of their main opponent. However, the only reason remotely worth considering is outright withdrawal from the race! Asking official â€œtalking-headsâ€? of President Muhammadu Buhari to provide highlights of their principalâ€™s tenure will cause a major hindrance... the volume of his achievements, and therefore the urgent irresponsibility of not returning him to office... shall be so overwhelming, and will inevitably remind us that more were achieved in barely a quarter of 16 years, with less revenue! Similarly, in spite of not being in power for the past 11 years, it will not deter the remarkably resilient talking-shop of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from piling on us the staggering accomplishments of the Wazirin Adamawa. Many have accused the Nigerian media, I believe rightly, of pandering to the contextual dynamics that the only viable political contestation for the number one job should be between the candidates of All Progressivesâ€™ Congress, APC and Peopleâ€™s Democratic Party, PDP. I suspect the capacity and vision of some of the less-supported contenders (any where from 30 to 77, depending on current exigency) are not injurious to the prosperity of the nation. In fact, a few of them may bring into the office refined unpredictability, pragmatic judgement and extraordinary occasion to galvanise the youth and ignite a sense of self-belief and patriotism in long-marginalised Nigerians. These virtues have been sorely missing, and that has reduced us to near beggerly shadow of a once illustrous promise. Yet, all these niceties are in the realm of dream-like contemplation when you inspect the credentials and proposals of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, and to some extent, Tope Fasua and Fela Durotoye. I do not yet know how to process the candidature of Omoyele Sowore, Prof. Jerry Gana (or is it Donald Duke?) and Revd Chris Okotie. So, let us attempt an objective reflection on the promises and performance of the 76-year old incumbent who is still bent on a second term. Remarkably, Buhari made several personalised (and

therefore covenanted) promises in 2014...a template that makes it very easy to evaluate his performance dispassionately, four years after. After all, a man can only be judged by the evidence of his own statements. Here are some of his foundational quotes, (internet never forgets), especially those impacting on the way we practise politics and governance: â€œI, Muhammadu Buhari, believe that our politics is broken. Our nation urgently needs fundamental political reform and improvement in governance, more transparency and accountable (sic). If you nominate me in December, 2014 and elect me in February 2015, my administration will: â€œInitiate action to amend the Nigerian Constitution with a view to DEVOLVING POWERS, duties, and responsibilities to states in order to ENTRENCH TRUE FEDERALISM and the Federal spirit (emphasis mine); â€œPrevent the abuse and misuse of Executive, Legislative and Public offices, through greater accountability, transparency, strict, and implementable anti-corruption laws, through strengthening and sanitising the EFCC and ICPC as independent entities; â€œAmend the Constitution to remove immunity from prosecution for elected officers in criminal cases; â€œRequire full disclosure in media outlets, of all government contracts over N100m prior to award and during implementation at regular intervals; â€œReform and Strengthen the Justice System for efficient administration and dispensation of justice with the creation of special courts for accelerated hearing of corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism and similar cases of national importance; â€œAmend the Constitution to require Local governments to publish their meeting minutes, service performance data, and items of spending over N10m. â€œI will urgently secure the territorial integrity of the nation. I will never leave the defence of the nation in the hands of Hunters, Children, and Civilian JTF through the following: â€œEstablish a well trained, adequately equipped and goals driven Serious Crime Squad to combat insurgencies, kidnapping, armed robbery, ethno-religious and communal clashes, nationwide; â€œConsult and amend the Constitution to enable States and Local Governments to create city, Local government and State Policing systems, base(d) on the resources available at each levels, to address the peculiar needs of each community. I will therefore work with the National Assembly to set and revised (sic), when needed, boundaries of operations, for Federal, State, and Local government policing units, through new Criminal Justice legislation to replace the Criminal Code, the Penal Code and the Police Act. â€œBring permanent peace and solution to the insurgency issues in the North-East; the Niger Delta; and other conflict prone states and areas... â€œInitiate policies to ensure that Nigerians are free to live and work in any part of the country by REMOVING STATE OF ORIGIN, tribe, ethnic and religious affiliations from documentation requirements in our identification of citizens and replace these with STATE OF RESIDENCE and fashion out the

ewabara@yahoo.com, 08055001948

â€œAdebanjo had been involved in a ghastly motor accident that claimed the lives of over five people almost immediately along (on) the popular Ibadan-Lagos expressway.â€? When lives are lost in any vehicular mishap, it is a fatal (not ghastly) accident. â€œSome few years later after I had almost forgotten about the Navyâ€Ś.â€? â€˜Someâ€™ and â€˜fewâ€™ cannot co-function. â€œSo when this new uniform group was set up in 1988 by the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida administration, I have (had) no doubt in my mind (where else?) that this would certainly work because of the calibre of people behind it.â€? â€œPeople in power in this country atimes (at times) amuse me by theirâ€Ś.â€? It is not everything that is in the dictionary that is correct at all times because of language dynamism. It is for this reason that the dictionary and other reference books are continually revised. So, donâ€™t go about dogmatically chestthumping that you have an infallible authority when reacting to etymological issues published in this column. You need to do a lot of researchbased rationalization informed by voracious reading if you crave purity in communication. That is the only way to go for sticklers. â€œThey, in turn, could be able to carry out their legitimate duties to their customers.â€? Either: could or would be able. â€˜Could be ableâ€™ is offensive. â€œSome people who have axe (an axe) to grind against (with) NIJ and its management.â€? â€œThat is one thing that is not so easy to come by at the Ogba campus of the NIJâ€? Get it right:

COUNTERPOINT BY

FEMI

AKINTUNDE-JOHNSON e-mail: fajalive1@gmail.com mobile phone: (08182223348 - SMS Only)

appropriate minimal qualification for obtaining such a STATE OF RESIDENCY, nation-wide. (My emphasis). â€œMake our economy one of the fastest growing emerging economies in the world with a real GDP growth averaging at least 10-12% annually... â€œAs at 1999, Nigerian rate of unemployment stood at about 8%, today it is estimated from official statistics to be close to 30%. I will embark on vocational training, entrepreneurial and skills acquisition scheme for graduates along with the creation of Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019. A Small and Medium Enterprises Development Commission will be created for this purpose... â€œBalance the Nigerian economy across regions by the creation of 6 Regional Economic Development Agencies (REDAs) to act as sub-regional hubs in order to promote healthy regional competitiveness; â€œPut in place a N300bn Regional Growth Fund with an average of N50bn in each geo-political region; to be managed by the REDAs, to encourage private sector enterprise and to support places currently reliant only on the public sector, to migrate to a private sector reality; â€œCreate an additional middle-class of at least 4 million new home owners by 2019 by enacting a national mortgage single digit interest rates for purchase of owner occupier houses as well as review the collateral qualification to make funding for home ownership easier, with a 15 to 30 year mortgage terms. â€œCreate a Social Welfare Program of at least Five Thousand Naira (N5000) that will cater for the 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens upon the demonstration of childrenâ€™s enrolment in school and evidence of immunisation to help promote family stability. â€œProvide allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for Twelve (12) months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programme.â€? End of quotes. Now, a disclaimer: Just as I have deliberately enlisted some critical pledges of PMB, I have also excused others because of space constraints. Of course, it may be valid that the president has fulfilled some of those left out, and perhaps some above (kindly do your own research, and satisfy your curiousity, and civic responsibility). My closing assignment today is to call your attention to focus on observable performances (or lack) as a barometer for establishing if Mohammadu Buhari is worthy of being your Man of the (Election) Year, 2019. Reflect and vote wisely...the only consideration is your well-being, and that of the nation nothing else really matters. NEXT: What exactly speaks to Atiku Abubakarâ€™s pedigree and ambition? Can he truly be your man of the year 2019?!

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

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Bodurin Sasore’s ‘God Calling’ Makes History OLAMIDE JASANYA I Dream About Being the First Person to Sell Ice to Eskimos pg. 48

Topless Naomi Campbell pg. 50

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

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Bodurin Sasore’s ‘God Calling’ Makes History Preceding its cinema entry nationwide with over 10 million views of its teaser since its release in November, as well as a feature on CNN African Voices, make ‘God Calling’ the movie to watch this holiday season, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Sasore

or many ardent watchers of Nollywood films, faith based genre is not a regular item to be found on the movie menu. Reason being it’s element of preachy substance that leaves such production oftentimes drab. So one can imagine the excitement that accompanies the teaser and then the trailer of ‘God Calling’, making it one of the last seven movies released in the month of December, including Heaven on My Mind, Chief Daddy, Power of 1, Kasala, Knockout Blessing and Up North. The teaser, which was released in November, garnered over 10 million views from several countries, as well as, a feature on CNN African Voices as one of the movies to look forward to during the Yuletide celebrations. God Calling chronicles the life of Sade (the central character played by Zainab Balogun) who suffers a personal tragedy of drug addiction and spiritually taken on a journey of self-discovery and faith, which transforms the lives of those around her. God Calling shines a spotlight on modern-day spirituality by imaginatively exploring what it might look like for Abraham or Prophet Elijah to be Nigerian in 2018, and have to contend with disbelief as well as modern-day realities such as smartphones, and social media in what it would

look like should your caller ID say, ‘God Calling’ and sets you on an roller coaster of what to expect from the movie. From the stable of Hearts in Motion Studios, God Calling explores faith, hope, healing, and hearing from God; it made cinema entry nationwide penultimate Friday. At a time when the moral and ethical standards of our society are being heavily influenced by entertainment and the church is seen to be struggling to be part of the conversation among young people, the inspirational movie looks at family and faith through the lens of an unconventional encounter with God in this modern age. Written and directed by Bodurin ‘BB’ Sasore, who is known for his works Before 30, the television series about the pressures of marriage especial for women and the supernatural, farcical comedy Banana Island Ghost, one of the biggest Nollywood movies of 2017. Like Banana Island Ghost, BB Sasore’s topics in God Calling are daring and experimental, depicting his range as a director. The movie stars such big names as Onyeka Onwenu, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nkem Owoh (Osuofia), Tina Mba, alongside Ademola Adedoyin, Patrick Diabuah, Eku Edewor,Bikiya Graham Douglas and singer, ChiDynma D’Voice...and the lead cast Zainab Balogun and a host of others. Just a little about the lead actress, Zainab

Balogun, a British-Nigerian model, actress and television presenter, is having it all good acting and winning fans since making major expose in the Wedding Party movies and then in Royal Hibiscus. Sasore revealed that for the film project to come into fruition, he had to collaborate with like minds who believe the Nigerian film industry remains a dominant player within the arts and entertainment sector and needs to be increasingly supported as one of the country’s largest non-oil exports. With a long list of seventy crew members, the production has the backing of executive producers - Ibukun Awosika, Derin Adeyokunnu, Yomi Jemibewon, Patricia Jemibewon, Uzo Nwagwu, Chijioke Uwaegbute, Karibi Fubara, ZeeZee Ihe-Okuneye, Olalekan Olude, Opeyemi Awoyemi, Dolapo Awosika, Enyi Omeruah, and Chioma ‘Chigul’ Omeruah. On his inspiration for the movie, the filmmaker considered how the world is looking to our continent for original stories, and how the Bible is filled with the most original stories that we each experience in our own way every day. “It led me to think of how religion would adapt to time and geography, and this is what birthed God Calling. I think our film industry has so much potential but lacks the infrastructure and resources to compete globally. I believe the

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR Bodurin Sasore’s ‘God Calling’ Makes History

faith-based genre could do for Nollywood what martial arts did for Oriental Asia, or romance did for India.” Further on the nature of faith-based stories, the movie cost, cast and crew members, of God Calling, Sasore explains: “At Nemsia Films, we decided that the faith-based genre was one we wanted to work in as it seemed underserved - at least on this scale (cinema, big budget, big actors, etc). We started Heart in Motion (HIM) Pictures so we could effectively create infrastructure and content for this genre. The next task was coming up with a project that would be unapologetically faith-based, but have a broad appeal. “In developing ‘God Calling’ I thought about the reality of purpose in every person’s life. It made me think of the prophets in the Bible and what a modern day Elijah or Abraham would look like. What if she was a woman? What if she lived in Lagos? What if God used modern day technology to talk to her? And here we are. People are passionate about religion, and Nigerians are no exception. You might argue that we are even more passionate. This means there is slight level of faith, inspiration, redemption, etc to our storytelling. “We are a little less nuanced about good and evil, and we don’t love grey areas. There indeed are others who have made many faith-based films over the past few decades, and they have become an institution in the space. However, ‘God Calling’ is on a scale larger than any the industry has seen so far. Basically all of pre- production, between writing five drafts of the script, full casting, location scouting, VFX underwater & green-screen tests, etc all took just under four months. “Working with the veterans was completely unexplainable. You go in with expectations based on who you think they are and what they will bring to the set, and then you realise you are nowhere close. I was especially fortunate to have the most gracious actors on set, even with the biggest stars. RMD was always early, sometimes arriving even before crew. Onyeka Onwenu was the most pleasant woman ever. “A true ‘mother hen’, she gave the entire crew gifts on her last day. Nkem Owoh is a special talent; he knew everyone’s lines and would give you variations of every choice in each scene. Tina Mba I have worked with on all my productions, and she’s an amazing actress. They all worked with me on their choices and took direction which was so inspiring. They were

Nkem Owoh (Osuoﬁa) and Onyeka Onwenu

Zainab Balogun

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR OLAMIDE JASANYA

I Dream of Being the First to Sell Ice to Eskimos Olamide Jasanya is a storyteller, event planner, PR expert and lots more. He has grown himself to a man of great repute and hangs outstanding achievements on his shoulder. Jasanya talks to Tosin Clegg about how he skillfully helps clients manage their image for productivity year, I am quite optimistic the industry will enjoy massive attention. The first quarter is the election period and with that comes the need for a lot of storytelling and other related services. Besides that, 2019 will see the birth of more daring campaigns and strategies, and this will be largely inspired by the need to meet the yearnings of consumers, who will most likely grow exponentially. Also, I see virtual intelligence coming to play and strongly too and this will also be in a bid to create memorable experiences for consumers—that is speaking to experiential marketing. Customers will want to experience first-hand what it is you are selling before making decisions and virtual intelligence will come in handy.

I like to describe myself as a storyteller urrently, my storytelling is channelled through my work as a corporate and marketing communications professional. I work in the areas of strategic marketing, event planning and management, public relations, and brand management. Besides work and my other interests, I am a real fun bag, I like to think, although I would choose my couch over an outing except, of course, the trio of Asa, John Legend and Chris Daughtry are performing.

I grew up in a closely-knit family My parents, teachers that they are, were disciplinarians who would not condone any form of indolence. I learnt quite a lot from them, especially the importance of being people-oriented, which is something I treasure to date. It comes in handy as it helps me better understand and meet clients’ and consumers’ needs.

I like to think the future is now And that’s because now is really all that we have, so rather than go on about what I will do in five years, I will tell you what I did already, what I am doing and will do today that will guarantee tomorrow or as it is being called; ‘the future’ will be bright. People, who know me, know I have a thing for knowledge and I have these past years pursued it actively. Essentially, all of these are so I can better add value to organisations, brand and clients I work with. I am presently partnering with an e-learning platform, Virtual Tutors, where I teach Brand Management. The videos have been recorded and will be available by end of January 2019 and I am looking forward to other possible meaningful partnerships across various sectors. I am also writing a book on the travails of women who have suffered domestic violence and marginalisation. It should be ready before my 28th birthday, hopefully. It looks like there’s a lot on my table, but I am enjoying the process, learning to take it one step at a time, excelling at my present responsibilities while positioning myself for bigger challenges.

I studied Dramatic Arts at the Obafemi Awolowo University I majored in Playwriting. Honestly, I thought I would end up in Nollywood but somewhere along the line, I fell in love with suits, ties, and cute briefcases then later presentation and strategy—till I finally discovered Marketing Communications was the way to fuse my skills. Since then, I have continued to develop capacity, taking relevant courses and certifications. Now, all I dream about is brands, marketing and, perhaps, being the first person to sell ice to Eskimos. I hope nobody beats me to it. I started out as a journalist with Nigerian Entertainment Today The job was quite tasking as I was a young school leaver and Osagie Alonge, who was my direct boss, and Ayeni Adekunle, the owner of the company, were no-nonsense individuals. I was stretched thin, but I’m really grateful for how it turned out. Working with them helped me better understand the techniques of storytelling, presentation, interviews and, of course, gave me access to VIP events where I met with a number of celebrities, some of whom I still have relationships with. From there, I developed an interest in Public Relations and, expectedly, Black House Media was my first point of call. Thereafter, I joined Brooks and Blake, and later Red Media Africa. In the over seven years I have practiced, I have worked with fantastic colleagues and together we have created magic for several clients, notable of which are Unilever Nigeria Plc, GSK Nigeria Plc, Access Bank Plc, Suntory Beverage and Foods Nigeria Limited and product brands like Star Lager Beer, Gulder, Heineken, Guinness, Sensodyne, Knorr, Pepsodent, Mamador, Olympic and several others. With hindsight, I am grateful I started out as a journalist. The knowledge I gained back then helped me immensely. It got me by-lines on websites like Pulse, Bella Naija, 360nobs, and BrandCrunch where I cur-

Jasanya

rently run a column, BrandTalkWithLamide, where I share my two cents on happenings and trends in the industry. It also helped me to be able to put together sales-driving and reputation-enhancing collaterals for clients. The industry so far this year To say the industry fared well this year is describing it modestly, I think my colleagues and I did an amazing job this year. A lot of creativity was brought to fore despite the limited budgets and other unpalatable

factors. This fact is evident in some of the ads that graced our TV screens, billboards etc., in the stories that splattered our dailies, the partnerships that emerged, and the general outlook of the industry. I am not the only one who thinks so—over 50 per cent of the respondents in the 2018 Nigeria’s PR Report think so too. The energy this year was amazing So was the creativity and it can only get better. With regard to the projection for next

I do not subscribe to the concept of role models But I have a few people I admire, and whose inputs have helped my career tremendously. I have been blessed to work under the supervision of some of the most amazing individuals whose ability to tell exciting stories amaze me always. Taiwo Ogunwumi, Executive Director of Brooks and Blake, remains one of my favourites; he is always available to listen to my ideas. Ayeni Adekunle’s strides and his belief in possibility remind me there is a lot more to be done and more importantly that everything is possible. Damilola Owolabi, the Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Lumos Nigeria is another person I appreciate and regularly bounce ideas off, same for Tunde Asekun, Account Director at Dijo Communications. Tunde Success Osideko, HR Manager at MTN Nigeria, knows how to help me calm the storm and see clearly, same as Chude Jideonwo who is more of a friend than a boss. I have several close allies in the industry and the strength in their energy pushed me to keep developing my craft.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Tosin Clegg 07062816737 e-mail: tosinclegg@hotmail.com

MY STORY

Gists LAGOS URBAN FASHION SHOW 2018 RECORDS BIG SUCCESS The Lagos Urban Fashion Show 2018, which is Africa’s first streetwear show, took place recently at the Admiralty Conference Centre, Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos. The second edition of the show had 16 established and emerging streetwear designers showcase their collections to dignitaries, celebrities, fashion editors, fashion buyers, retailers, the media, fashion enthusiast, trendsetters and the consumers. The LUFS 2018 commenced with an exhibition and the runway show followed with 16 designers showcasing their collections, and these are; Koko By Khloe, On Point Clothing, Twentieth September Wears By Ruggedman, Drik, Modfet, TM Wears, Wade, Mud House, Nk’od By Makadel, Bughe Urban, Sade, GMT Apparel, Poshie Do 2, Siil Clothings, Nine & Bandages Clothing. The show also had runway showcase from sponsors, such as the Lush Hair Showcase (Styled by HighD Tosin), The Sweet Red Collection; Inspired By The Carlo Rossi Sweet Red Wine (Designed by Ell Fashion Empire) and the Vouchernet (MOBitooT) runway showcase. The major aim of the Lagos Urban Fashion Show is to promote street wear designers and culture and also to create an avenue for designers to commercialise their creativity. The night of the show was for runway presentations, musical performance, creative networking, collaboration opportunities and setting of new fashion trends. In attendance were various celebrities such as Koko of the Big Brother Nigeria 2017 as she walked the Runway Showcase of Lush Hair Nigeria and Ehiz of MTV Base, as he walked the DRIK Runway Showcase.

ASH

My Music is Soulful RnB with a Feel of Afro Vibe Abdul Sammir Hamman, better known as Ash, is one of those rare artistes that appeals to all ages, genres and tastes. He treads the fine line between cutting-edge verve and all-encompassing appeal, embracing pop and hip-hop whilst retaining his R&B roots. Ash tells Tosin Clegg he has a new movie that will hit the screens next year, and about his talent agency

LIL BABY, LOTTO BOYZ, KODJO FUNDS HEADLINE BEAT 99.9FM XMAS CONCERT The Beat FM Christmas concert returned this year with a dazzling array of both local and international stars, which made the concert live up to its billing as the most anticipated yuletide concert of the year in Lagos. The 2018 edition, which is the third coming after the phenomenal success of the 2015 and 2016 editions, was indeed bigger and better than previous editions. The headliners for the 2018 Beat FM Christmas concert were UK acts; Lotto Boyz and Kodjo Funds, as well as American rapper; Lil’ Baby. Performances by top Nigerian acts; Kizz Daniel, Mr. Eazi, Peruzzi, Teni The Entertainer, Johnny Drille, Ajebutter 22, Boj , Runtown and many others graced the event. The event took place at the Balmoral Event Centre of the Federal Place Hotel and was indeed a mega blast. The performances of the foreign acts was indeed a big one for several young Nigerians living abroad who were home for the holidays and seeing their favourite acts live in their home country.

ho is Ash? Ash is a fountain of talent, a true star, with tremendous performing abilities. With Ash, there is bound to be a revolution. Stay awake, stay tuned, its Immaqul’8, Ash.

What kind of music do you do? My music is different especially my new material... well I’ll say not the typical Naija afro pop. It’s more soulful RnB with a feel of the Afro vibe as its mature and sexy side. Music is Life, it’s a universal language, music is spiritual, music is me. Tell us about your discography? My 2007 single “I`m sorry” reached No 7 on MTV Arabia`s World Chart and my debut album “ASH HAMMAN” (2011) was the bestselling album in the Middle East and North Africa (2013 ) and also one of the Top 10 Highest selling Albums in the UAE ever. What are your current projects and plans for 2019? Currently, I’m working on a movie called “Seven” as an Executive Producer and the movie stars, Richard Mofe Damijo, Tayo Shobowale, Daddy Showkey and more. It will be out in 2019. I’m also starting a talent agency, running my label IMQ Immaqul8 Entertainment and still offering corporate services, branding and more.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER t DECEMBER 29, 2018

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Topless Naomi Campbell Naomi Campbell sets pulses racing as she posed topless for her first ever beauty campaign, leaving many in the beauty world to conclude it’s evidence that more work is necessary for the iconic fashion supermodel, writes Ferdinand Ekechukwu

trange as it has been that supermodel Naomi Campbell, never had a contract to front for any makeup brand until now beggars belief, given that she has been a constant on countless magazine covers and major runways for nearly 30 years. Despite her decades-long career, the fact that she’s regarded as one of the most enduring and prolific supermodels of all time, makes this a significant milestone. For the first time ever in her illustrious career, Naomi Campbell was just officially crowned the new face of NARS Cosmetics. Naomi Campbell, 48, stripped off for a smoldering photo-shoot for NARS. The supermodel, who has been announced as the new face of NARS’ Spring 2019 campaign, set pulses racing as she posed up a storm while going topless. For one of the shoots, she had on just a pair of black briefs and gladiator sandals. Her hair managed to protect her pudenda but she still flashed a hint of cleavage. In another photo, Naomi put on an equally racy display as she slipped into a maxi dress with high slits on the sidethat came too close to her great triangle, which drew attention to her legs and crotch. The iconic fashion personality is one of the best-known models in the world—and certainly the best-known black model, a feat widely acknowledged. “Naomi is a living icon and brings such strong personality to the camera. She and I are like family. I have known her since the very beginning of her career. From the start, I have admired her, her beauty, and her style,” noted François Nars, the company’s founder, who also photographed Naomi for the brand. “Very excited to be the new face of NARS Cosmetics,” Campbell wrote announcing the news to her 6.1 million Instagram followers. “Shot by my dear friend François Nars.” The supermodel, activist, and actress being enlisted to lend her beauty to the brand leaves many in the beauty world to conclude that she’s only now getting her first beauty campaign in 2018 is evidence that more work

Campbell

is necessary. Especially that Time declared in 1998, the end of the supermodel era. The Chinese-Jamaican descent is one of the original supermodels who rose to international superstardom in the 80’s and 90s, breaking barriers ever since among many firsts. In 1987, she appeared on the cover of British Vogue, as the publication’s first black cover girl since 1966. In 1988, she became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue, after her friend

and mentor, designer Yves St. Laurent, threatened to withdraw his advertising from the magazine for refusing black models on its cover. The following year, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue, which marked the first time a black model graced the front of the September magazine, traditionally the year’s biggest and most important issue. Naomi has been vocal about the fact

that she’s been discriminated against as a woman of colour especially when it comes to beauty contracts on multiple occasions. In May 2017, Naomi revealed that regardless of her status in the industry, she still experienced colorism, which she believed was the reason she was never asked to front a beauty campaign. “I’ve never done one for anyone. People say, ‘Oh, you’ve got beautiful skin’, and yet I’ve never done one.”

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž DECEMBER 29, 2018

NEWS

Ă?ĂĄĂ? ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™Ăœ Ahamefula Ogbu 08116759810 (Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚš Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– ahamefula.ogbu@thisdaylive.com

OUR STANDARD BEAR ER... President Muhammadu Buhari displaying symbol of authority to run as Presidential candidate of APC at the flag off his campaign in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State...yesterday

Police ConďŹ rm Barricade of Dino Melayeâ€™s House, Insist He Must Surrender Ahamefula Ogbu Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Adedayo Akinwale Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă”Ă‹

The Nigeria Police yesterday confirmed that they had actually barricaded Senator Dino Melayeâ€™s house, insisting that he must surrender or they continue the siege emplaced to take him in for trial over alleged attempted culpable homicide. A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood explained that they needed him to face trial for the alleged shooting one Sergeant Danjuma Saliu while on duty on July 19, 2018 in Kogi State. However, a statement earlier issued by the besieged Senator raised the alarm that the police

had surrounded his house with the intention to plant guns and turning round to accuse him of misdemeanor. His party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also issued a statement alleging that the ruling party was deploying the police as agents of the state to harangue their members for allegedly booing President Muhammadu Buhari during his budget presentation to the joint chambers earlier in the month. According to the PPRO, â€œThe Police operatives currently in the residence of Senator Dino Melaye are to effect his arrest to answer to the case of attempted culpable homicide on the shooting of a Police Officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu,

attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State. â€œThe above offence was committed by Senator Dino Melaye and his armed thugs in Kogi State on the 19th July, 2018 when they shot and wounded a police officer, Sgt. Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force (PMF) while on duty at a stop and search point along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State. The Police Officer is yet to recover from the gunshot injury he sustained during the attack and still under intensive medical care. â€œThe Police investigators have written the Clerk of the National Assembly for Senator

Atiku: Iâ€™ll End Zamfara Killings within 30 Days of My Swearing-in Nigeria being plagued with overwhelming negative change disheartening- Group Adedayo Akinwale Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă”Ă‹

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has promised to end the blood bath in Zamfara State within 30 days of his swearing-in as president of Nigeria in 2019. He lamented that President Muhammadu Buhari was desperate to protect the political power of his party when he sent a combined team of 30,000 policemen to Osun and Ekiti states during the gubernatorial election, but found it difficult to do same to protect the lives of the people of Zamfara. The former vice president made the promise to halt the flow of blood in Zamfara in a video message posted on his verified Facebook page on Friday. Atiku stated, â€œI am following all you (Zamfarans) have been going through in the hands of bandits who steal, kill and destroy your properties. â€œMy heart bleeds for you

and I urge you all to accept my prayer that the Almighty Allah will bring an end to your sufferings. â€œI am contesting for the office of the president of Nigeria. I am assuring you that if you, the good people of Zamfara, elect me as President on February 16, 2019 within a month of my swearingin, I will send a combined force of 30,000 soldiers and policemen to stay in Zamfara and make sure that the bandits you see today, you will see no more. â€œWhen election took place in Ekiti and Osun states, President Buhari sent 30,000 policemen there. I want to assure you that it is more important for me to secure your lives and properties than for me to secure political power for my party,â€? he assured. Meanwhile, a pro-Atiku group, the Promoters/Hunters Forum, has said that it was disheartening to witness Nigeria being plagued with overwhelming negative changes and uncertainties under the present administration. It stressed that the nation

needed a surgical rescue operation to salvage it from its numerous and rising socioeconomic challenges. The National Coordinator of the forum, Mallam Misbahu Shuaibu, as part of the strategies to woo voters for the presidential candidate of the Peopleâ€™s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi, the PDP launched the forum yesterday in Abuja. Speaking at the event which also witnessed the inauguration of the 36 states and FCT coordinators, he noted that their targets were the youths and those at the grassroots, who are the majority of being victims of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Shuaibu said, â€œThe problems of poverty, unemployment, divisiveness and insecurity have gradually debased us to an unthinkable level of inhumanity. We therefore need a surgical rescue operation to salvage the country and place it on the part of progress and workability.

Dino Melaye to report at Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja for him to answer to these offences against him under investigation in Kogi State Police Command but he has bluntly refused to report himself to the Police. â€œThe Police operatives will continue to be in wait at the residence of Senator Dino Melaye until he surrenders himself for arrest. The offence for which Senator Dino Melaye is being investigated is capital in nature and not compoundable. â€œThe Force will not tolerate attack on his personnel by any individual no matter how highly placed. The law must take its course. â€œMembers of the public will be kept informed on further

development in the investigation of the matter.â€? Spokesman of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, said Melaye had a few days ago raised the alarm over plot by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to forcefully arrest him and inject him with poisonous substances due to his outspokenness against the misrule, corruption and infractions of the Buhari administration He rejected the â€œgestapo-like attackâ€? on Melaye residence and demanded that the invading security official vacate the premises immediately. Ologbodiyan said that the invasion was part of the larger machination by the Buhari Presidency to use state ap-

paratus of power, particularly the police under IGP Idris to harass, intimidate and clamp down on opposition members in a bid to create fear and subjugate the opposition ahead of the 2019 general elections. According to him, â€œIt is therefore devious of the Nigeria Police, which had distanced itself from the plot, to turn round to invade Senator Melayeâ€™s residence held hostage and beat up his domestic aides.â€? The PDP therefore cautioned the Buhari Presidency to desist from such provocative acts as such cannot bend the resolve by Nigerians to replace him with the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as their next President, come February 16, 2018.

Borno Governor Calls Emergency Security Meeting over Renewed Boko Haram Attacks Michael Olugbode Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă“ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“

Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima has summoned an emergency extraordinary security meeting in Maiduguri to address the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in the state. The meeting is scheduled for Monday where heads of security establishments, leadership of the Civilian JTF and hunters, traditional rulers, Borno elders, the three Senators and 10 members of House of Representatives representing the state at the National Assembly, the 28 members of the State House of Assembly are expected. Also, selected chairmen and commissioners from local government areas affected by recent attacks, leadership of the University of Maiduguri and selected tertiary institutions, chairmen of the state chapters of the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, National Council of Women Societies and the Nigerian

Legion are to attend. The governor, in a statement on Friday by his spokesman, Isa Gusau, said the meeting would be held at 4p.m. at the Government House in Maiduguri. The statement revealed that â€œduring the meeting, participants will review the situation in view of recent developments, make suggestions and come up with a resolution that will in writing be delivered to President Buhari by a delegation, as soon as possible while the state government and other institutions that may be concerned by some aspects of the resolutions, will take necessary and immediate actions.â€? The statement read: â€œIn the meantime, Governor Kashim Shettima has continually approved government measures to support the fight against the insurgents and to contain humanitarian needs of fellow citizens who are unfortunately affected by recent attacks. It said the governor commiserates with all victims,

and assured the people of the state that his administration is employing every available means to compliment the efforts of the federal government. The statement recalled that Governor Kashim Shettima had on different occasions, including in recent weeks, met with President Muhammadu Buhari and other security stakeholders over matters of security in Borno State and that the President had regularly showed â€œhis empathy, commitment and determination to end the Boko Haram crisis in order to create enabling environment for the aggressive rebuilding of destroyed communities, rehabilitation and resettlement of victims which the Borno government has been carrying since 2015.â€? It added that â€œthousands of displaced victims from 14 local government areas were, without compulsion, returned to safe and rebuilt communities in which all key public services like water installations, hospitals, schools and livelihoods were restored.â€?

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ ËœÍşÍ¸ÍšÎ€

NEWSXTRA

In Brief â€˜Baro Port Dredging 85% Completedâ€™

ThedredgingoftheBaroPortinNigerStatewhichwasstartedbytheadministration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is now 85% completed. NigerstateCommissionerforTransportAlhajiIbrahimMohammedPantiwho disclosedthiswhilebriefingnewsmenonFridaysaidfinishingtoucheswere alreadybeingputtotheworkaheadofitsplannedinaugurationearlynextyearby PresidentMuhammaduBuhari.HesaidNigerStatehadcontributedimmensely to ensure the completion of the project adding that the General Manager of theNationalInlandWaterwaysAuthority,SenatorOlorunnimbeMamorahad applaudedthesupportofthestategovernmenttowardstherealisationofthe project. Describing it â€œas a huge capital projectâ€? Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Panti said thecompletionand commissioningtheBaro port dredgingwould impactpositivelyonthesocio-economiclivesofthepeopleofthestate.Hesaid governmenthadcompletedarrangementstoboostroadtransportationinthe statewiththeprocurementof100vehiclesfortheStateTransportauthority, pointingoutthat50ofthevehicleswouldbedeliveredbeforetheendofJanuary 2019.SimilarlytheCommissionerdisclosedthataspartofeffortstoreduce casualtiesonthewaterways,governmenthadpurchased3000lifejacketsto be used by boat travelers. He said wearing of life jackets by this category of travelerswouldsoonbemadecompulsoryinthestatebecausealawtogive it legal backinghad beensent to thehouseof assembly.

Nnamani Eulogises Ugwuanyi on Governance

PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE ... L-R: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ofor Chukwuegbo; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Council Chairman, Hon. Sunday Ugwu and former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani ,cutting the tape to inaugurate the Amechi Uwani Town Union Centre in Enugu South Local Government Area

Army Launches Operation Python Dance III to Checkmate ElectionViolence Buratai says it would be conducted simultaneously across the country Kingsley Nwezeh Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;Ă”Ă‹

The Nigerian Army yesterday launched â€œOperation Python Dance IIIâ€? which it said was designed to checkmate violent groups and ethnic militia, to ensure a successful 2019 election. It said such groups could perpetrate large scale violence before, during and after the 2019 elections.Part of the mandate of the operation, the Army said was also to tackle security challenges and ensure â€œmaintenance of law and orderâ€? in the country ahead of the elections. Flagging off the exercise in Maiduguri, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yusuf Buratai, said the operation conducted earlier as â€œOperation Egwu Eke 1 and II â€œwas successful in tackling security

challenges in the South-eastern part of the country. â€œEgwu eke is an Igbo phrase meaning python dance. â€˜Egwu Eke IIIâ€™ is significant because for the first time, it will be conducted simultaneously across the country. â€œIt is also a reassurance of the resolve of the Nigerian Army and indeed the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria as well as other security agencies to ensure that law and order is maintained as we approach the forthcoming 2019 General Electionsâ€?, he said. Buratai maintained that â€œthe Nigerian Army will continue to conduct internal security operations in combating criminality and other security challenges in the country, in line with its constitutional mandate of providing military aid to civil authority.

â€œAs the build up to the 2019 general elections gathers momentum, an upsurge of security challenges such as stockpiling of arms by criminal groups, formation of ethnic militias and violence induced by political activities has been observed. â€œThese challenges coupled with other security threats across the country such as terrorism, militancy, kidnapping and banditry portend that dissident groups and criminal elements could cash in on the situation to perpetrate large scale violence before, during and after the 2019 general elections. â€œDrawing from the my vision â€˜to have a Professionally Responsive NA in the Discharge of its Constitutional Rolesâ€™, the NA troops need to be prepared and equipped with requisite skills in order to

professionally and effectively respond to these challenges and security threats in collaboration with Nigerian Police and other para-military organisationâ€?. The army chief said the exercise would be conducted in the six geo-political zones. â€œThe successes recorded so far in all conducted Nigerian Army level exercises is fulfilling both training and operations objectives of the Nigerian Army. â€œ I also believe Exercise EGWU EKE III with its mandate of combating the upsurge of security challenges as we approach the 2019 General Elections will be a successâ€?, he said, noting that the operation â€œwill be conducted across the six geopolitical zones of the country from January 1 to February 28, 2019,â€? he concluded.

FormerPresidentoftheSenate,SenatorKenNnamanihasdescribedGovernor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State as not only a true friend of his community, AmechiUwani,EnuguSouthLocalGovernmentArea,butalsoâ€œoneofusâ€?who had always supported his people in so many ways. Senator Nnamani spoke duringtheinaugurationoftherebuiltAmechiUwaniTownUnionCentre,which wascompletedwiththeN5millionfirsttrancheofN10millionearmarkedby Gov.Ugwuanyiâ€™sforeverycommunityinthestatetoexecuteprioritydevelopmentprojectoftheirchoice.Theelderstatesman,whothankedGov.Ugwuanyi for finding time to identify with them despite his tight schedule this festive season,declared:â€œWerememberthosewhorememberusâ€?. SenatorNnamani addedthatâ€œagoodproductmarketsitselfâ€?anddisclosedthatâ€œwhenthetime comes, I will say where our people belongâ€?. He commended the community for utilizing the state governmentâ€™s grant to complete the project, pointing outthatâ€œeverybodyishappyacrossthestateâ€?becauseoftheexistingpeace and good governance.

Nigeriaâ€™s Manufacturing Index Growth

TheCentralBankofNigeriaâ€™s(CBN)ManufacturingPurchasingManagersâ€™Index (PMI) stood at 61.1 index points in December, indicating an expansion in the manufacturing sector for the twenty-first consecutive months month. The indexgrewatafasterratewhencomparedtotheindexinthepreviousmonth. Thirteenofthe14subsectorssurveyedreportedgrowthinthereviewmonth inthefollowingorder:transportationequipment;furniture&relatedproducts; printing&relatedsupportactivities;textile,apparel,leather&footwear;plastics & rubber products; chemical & pharmaceutical products; food, beverage & tobaccoproducts;non-metallicmineralproducts;paperproducts;fabricated metalproducts;cement;electricalequipment;andpetroleum&coalproducts. However,onthedownside,theprimarymetalsubsectorrecordeddeclineinthe reviewperiod.Also,thecompositePMIforthenon-manufacturingsectorstood at62.3pointsinDecember2018,indicatingexpansionintheNon-manufacturing PMI for the twentieth consecutive months. On Non-Manufacturing the PMI Report states that the index grew at a faster rate when compared to that in November 2018. All the 17 surveyed subsectors recorded growth in the following order: repair, maintenance/washing of motor vehicles; information & communication; water supply, sewage & waste management; wholesale/ retailtrade;professional,scientific,&technicalservices;accommodation& food services; arts, entertainment & recreation; electricity, gas, steam & air conditioningsupply;utilities;finance&insurance;agriculture;transportation& warehousing;educationalservices;construction;realestaterental&leasing; management of companies;healthcare& social assistance.

Congolese Model, Dorcas Wins Miss Africa 2018 Crown

Anambra Police Rescue 2 Catholic Bakassi Development Commission Priests Kidnapped on Christmas Eve TheMemberrepresentingAkpabuyo/Bakassi/CalabarSouthFederalCon-

Bassey Inyang Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĂŒĂ‹Ăœ

David-Chyddy Eleke Ă“Ă˜ ĂĄĂ•Ă‹

A 24 years old, Dorcas Kasindes model from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has emerged as Miss Africa 2018, and lucky winner $25,000, and a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) prize. Dorcas emerged winner, Thursday night, from a pack of 25 models, among whom is 24 years old Nigerian model, Chiamaka Goodness Nnemeka, a student of Food Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who emerged 1st Runner-up; and 23years old Gladys Kayumba, a Statistics student from Zambia who emerged 2nd runner-up. The contestants for the coveted Miss Africa Crown were drawn from South-Africa, Nigeria, Somalia, Ghana, Tunisia, and other African countries. Dorcas, in her post victory speech, enjoined those she contested against to view the crown she won as that belonging to every African woman. â€œI believe in myself so much, Iâ€™m an outgoing, fun loving young

woman with philanthropistâ€™s heart. I believe that there is more happiness to give than to receive,â€? the new African Queen said. Docars, gave a hint of what she would do with her money, saying â€œI will give a certain percentage of my money to Kulisha Foundation, Mihigo Foundation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has the same vision as me and to other associations around the continent that has the same goal.â€? Speaking at the event on the theme: â€œAfricanism: Changing the Narratives of African History, and Showcasing the Rich African Heritageâ€?, the Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, said it was time for Africa and Africans to take their rightful place in History and the world Affairs. â€œAfricanism is the reality, it is time for Africa to lead .We used to be seen the last continent but our stories are changing. And they are changing because they have shown extra ordinary commitment and attitude.

The police in Anambra State have rescued two Catholic priests, who were kidnapped on Christmas Eve by unidentified gunmen at Umueze Anam, Anambra East local government area. The priests, Rev Fr. Peter Nwachukwu, parish priest of St Theresaâ€™s Parish Umueze-Anam and Rev Fr. Cajetan Apeh who is his Assistant were rescued on the evening of 27th December, three days after they were kidnapped. The Anambra State Police Command stated that the rescue was made possible by men of the command, working with sister security agencies. Spokesperson of the command, SP Haruna Mohammed said the team deployed modern technology and aerial surveillance as a result of difficult terrain to track the hideout of the kidnappers. Mohammed said in a press release that, â€œPolice special teams comprising of FSARS, PMF, Counter Terrorism, Special Anti-cult units in conjunction with other

Sister agencies and the Vigilante group had mounted an intensive search and rescue operations for the priests since the incident took place. â€œWith the aid of a Modern technology and aerial Surveillance due to difficult terrain, the abductors were forced to abandon their victims at about 6:45pm of 27/12/2018. â€œThe Victims, Rev Fr. Peter Nwachukwu ,parish priest of St Theresaâ€™s Parish Umueze-Anam and Rev Fr Cajetan Apeh who is the Assistant priest are now in stable condition and have since reunited with their religious congregation.â€? â€œIt is worthy to note that safety of the victims is the ultimate priority of the Police in this situation. Consequently, effort is being intensified to apprehend perpetrators of this heinous crime in order to bring them to Justice.â€? The state police Commissioner, CP Garba Baba Umar reassures Anambra residents of their safety during the yuletide period and beyond.

stituencyintheHouseofRepresentatives,Mr.EssienAyi,wantstheFederal GovernmenttoestablishaBakassiDevelopmentCommission(BDC),forthe properresettlementofthedisplacedpeopleofBakassipeninsula,whichwas cededtoCamerounin2008.Thelawmakerwhostatedthiswhileaddressing membersofhispartythePDPinCalabar,wherehecommissionedhiscampaign office yesterday, ahead of the 2019 general elections , said he was currently workingtowardsthepassingofabillintheNationalAssemblyfortheestablishmentofacommissionfortheBakassipeople.AyiwhohasbeenintheHouse of Representatives since 2003, said the bill envisages the establishment of aBDC,whichwouldhavealifespanof10years,withinwhichperiodthepeople wouldhavebeenproperlyresettledinanewabodethatwouldbedeveloped for themwithsocio-economicinfrastructurethat suitstheir lifestyle.â€œ

More Winners Named in GLOIN60SECONDS

Globacom has named another seven winners in its ongoing online talent contest, called GLOIN60SECONDS. The winners emerged in the second stage of the competition.They include Doyinsola Hazfeezah Salau (Skit/ Comedy) from Ikeja, Lagos, Chinaza Ezeani (Skit/Comedy) from Enugu, Chinazom Ngini (Music) from Surulere, Lagos, and Onyekachi Madubuike (Skit/Comedy)fromAbuja.OthersareEchikodiliPatienceOkonkwo(Music/ Rap) from Enugu, Olaide Ayode Daniel (Skit) from Ibadan, Oyo State, and Gift Joseph (Skit/ Comedy) from Delta State. In total, 14 winners have emerged in the competition where a total of 56 winners are expected to emerge winners. According to a press release from Globacom, earlier winners included Precious Nwakama (dance) and Ayo Oyindamola Daniel (dance), from Surulere, Lagos, Nina Joy David (music) from Port Harcourt and Odey Daniel (dance) from Calabar. Others are Damilola Joshua (rap music) from Ibadan, Tobenna Aniegboka (skit/magic) from Enugu and Amarachi Oguh (music) from Abuja. â€œThe contestants stand to win N4.8 million in cash prizes in the challenge which runs via social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for eight week,â€? according to Globacom.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 29, 2018

NEWSXTRA

NLNG Train 7 Project Threatened as Shareholders Shelve Investment Decision Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

There are strong indications that the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited’s expansion project may experience further setbacks as shareholders failed to take a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the much publicised $12 billion Train 7 project earlier scheduled for this month without giving a new timeline within which the project would be actualised. The implication of this is that the management of the company could not proceed with the expansion project, which has been on the drawing board for more than 10 years. It is also feared that given that there is no new date being designated for the FID, the company’s aspiration to grow its production capacity to 30 mtpa from 22 metric tonnes per annum of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to make Nigeria the 3rd World largest gas exporter, may not be actualised anytime soon. The shareholders of the company had fixed December 2018 for the FID on the new eight million tonnes per annum (MTPA) LNG Train-7 plant, with the duo of Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Managing Director of NLNG, Tony Attah, emphatically stating that the FID would not be affected by potential vagaries of Nigeria’s 2019 general election. Kachikwu had stated that Nigeria’s 2019 elections would not interfere with the company’s expansion plan, and that whatever happened at the polls, the FID on Train-7 as well as its construction would go ahead. “Nigeria LNG is always being insulated from politics, it doesn’t matter who is in government or what election purposes are on. They’ve always been a well-run company, independent, strong shareholders, strong board, strong management, in many ways I think

this island is insulated from the shenanigans of party politics and all that. “The Train-7 is fantastic but that’s not a good history after nearly 30 years of operation. I think the first meeting I had with the board, I told them Train-7 is no longer going to be an illusion”, Kachikwu said. Speaking in the same vein, Attah gave a firm assurance that the 2019 general election in Nigeria will not derail the plans for Train-7. “Essentially we are giving it everything we have. We’ve got the best supports now, the shareholders have approved that we can go for it. We are ready and believe it is time for Train-7”. However, indications that the NLNG expansion project may remain a mirage first emerged when the FID was not taken after the Board of Directors of NLNG, in 2017 gave an earlier approval for the FID, on the Train 7 project. Attah, had confirmed the board approval in Abuja, during the send-off and welcome ceremony for out-going General Manager, Human Resources of NLNG, Mr. Peter Odjoji and the newlyappointed General Manager, Mrs. Eucharia Ezeani, respectively. Aside the Train 7 project, two other major gas projects – Olokola Liquefied Natural Gas (OKLNG), and Brass LNG, conceived almost two decades ago, to increase Nigeria’s share of the global liquefied gas market, have been stalled as their FIDs are yet to be taken despite gulping, billions of dollars. The OK LNG project was stalled because the multinational oil companies (BG, Shell and Chevron) withdrew from the project. Similarly, the Brass LNG project, which was designed to produce 10 million metric tonnes per annum, was stalled, after some of the partners withdrew from the project. NLNG shareholders– the

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Shell, Total and Eni, had in July signed the frontend engineering design (FEED) contract for the much awaited NLNG Train- 7 project, in line with its goal of increasing LNG production from 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) to 30 MTPA. The contract, which was sealed in London, was awarded to B7 JV Consortium and SCD JV Consortium. B7 JV Consortium comprises American company KBR Inc.,Technip of France and Japan Gas Corporation, (the joint venture partners that built the existing six trains) and SCD JV Consortium, made up of Saipem of Italy, Japan’s Chiyoda and Daewoo of South Korea. Another indication that the project might encounter hitches emerged when it was discovered after the London signing, that B7 JV Consortium and SCD JV Consortium, the two consortia that clinched the $4.3billion contracts for the FEED of the Train-7 project were the same companies involved in the $182 million bribe-for - contract scandal that rocked the Nigerian oil and gas sector in 2007. This was exclusively reported by THISDAY. The development had elicited reactions from oil and gas industry stakeholders, who said that “it portends danger to a sector that is already corrupt-ridden.” But justifying the deal, a spokesman of the NLNG, Mr. Andy Odeh said despite the bribery scandal, the consortia are still carrying on businesses in various countries of the world uninhibited. He said that NLNG was at liberty to engage their services, having obtained regulatory approval from relevant government agencies for the project. Odeh said: “The two consortia for the Train-7 FEED - SCDJV and B7JV are joint venture partners that comprise existing legal entities, duly registered and currently

carrying on business in various countries of the world uninhibited including Nigeria and are eminently qualified to undertake the required job scope. “NLNG was therefore at liberty to engage the services of the consortia, having qualified after duly participating in a process that underwent regulatory scrutiny and obtained due approval from all concerned government agencies”, he posited. B7 JV Consortium comprises American company KBR Inc.,Technip of France and Japan Gas Corporation, and SCD JV Consortium is made up of Saipem of Italy, Japan’s Chiyoda and Daewoo of South Korea. The US Department of Justice and the Nigerian Government during investigations, discovered that the joint venture team of Technip-Coflexip, Snamprogetti, Halliburton KBR and JGC Corporation, known as TSKJ, KBR Inc.,Technip of France, Japan Gas Corporation, KBR Inc., and Siapem, paid $182million in bribes to Nigerian government officials to secure the initial $6 billion contracts for the construction of the NLNG’s liquefied natural gas facilities on Bonny Island between 1995 and 2004. Consequently, consortia collectively paid more than $1.5 billion in fines between 2009 and 2012 to settle criminal and civil FCPA charges brought against them by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Jack Stanley, who was KBR CEO between 1995 and 2004, had confessed that he paid the $182 million in bribes to Nigerian government officials, to win four contracts to build the NLNG’s liquefied natural gas facilities on Bonny Island, Nigeria worth more than $6 billion. Also, a former KBR manager in the U.K., Wojciech Chodan, pleaded guilty in December 2010 to one count of

Nigeria Needs Economic Re-engineering, Says Obi The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has said that what Nigeria needed now was a team with a firm understanding of global economic realities to plan the re-engineering of the country along those realities. Obi, who was speaking yesterday at Isuofia in the House of Chief Ozomma Uba during the stakeholders meeting

of Aguata people, assured that Atiku/Obi candidacy had the requisite knowledge to turn the economy around, create jobs and tackle unemployment, which, according to him, was the root of many crimes in the country. Speaking during the event, the Managing Director of Pokobros Nig Ltd and a renowned industrialist, Chief Paul Okonkwo, said that the election of Atiku and

Obi would mark the beginning of Nigeria’s economic rebirth, going by their antecedent of wealth creation and sound management of resources. Recalling Obi’s tenure as the governor of Anambra State, Chief Okonkwo said: “Obi’s era marked the awakening of industrialisation in the state. As an industrialist, we interacted with him on regular basis, he understood what the

sector needed and gave it 100 per cent support. We are optimistic that he will do more for Nigeria if he eventually becomes the Vice President.” Other prominent stakeholders from Aguata who were present include Chief Godwin Okafor, the MD of Winco Foam; Chief Uche Obiakor, Chief Patrick Ifionu; Chief Emma Nwafor, among others.

Abdulrazaq RemainsValid Kwara APC’s Guber Candidate, Insists Lai Mohammed Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Minister of Information and Culture and Kwara State leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq remained the valid candidate of the APC in Kwara State. He however dismissed the rumour that his election in the party’s primaries had been quashed by a Kwara court. The Minister confirmed this to newsmen in Ilorin on Friday evening after meeting with the state executives of the party to assess the level of preparations for the 2019 elections. He urged Kwarans to discountenance the rumour making the rounds that the recent judgement

of an Ilorin High Court invalidated the candidacy of Alhaji Abdulrazaq. According to him, “I read the court judgement and there is nowhere in the judgement that spoke about our candidate not being the valid candidate. “Of course we have already appealed the judgement for other reasons but as of today our candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, remains the authentic candidate of the party and that is the situation today with INEC,” Alhaji Mohammed” He described the rumour as the handiwork of the dissolved party executives, who were working extra time to spread falsehood. “The ‘Shaku-Shaku’ faction of the APC in Kwara State will try everything and we hear they

are saying everywhere that INEC has disqualified Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. No! It’s absolutely false. “There is only one candidate of the APC and that candidate is Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and as we speak today he is in Uyo with Mr. President to launch the presidential campaign of the party,” the Minister said. He also dismissed the allegation that he deliberately sponsored the live coverage of the annual meeting of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Union on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in order to embarrass the Emir. Alhaji Mohammed distanced himself from the allegation, saying he was not even aware that the event would hold.

He blamed the PDP in Kwara State for the rumour, noting that the party (PDP) had been circulating false stories about him in recent times in order to pitch him against the Ilorin Emirate. “The PDP in Kwara State is in panic mode. They are in total disarray. They know they have lost this (forthcoming) election so they have resorted to blackmail and outright lies. How could I have arranged a live coverage for a programme I was not even aware was taking place. “It’s a lie. I was not aware there was a meeting so how could I arrange the (live) coverage. I challenge anybody who has any proof to come out and say that I was responsible for the live coverage,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

conspiracy to violate the FCPA. Following the guilty plea, KBR and Halliburton paid $579 million in 2009 to resolve criminal and civil FCPA charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The DOJ concern stemmed from revelation that some foreign oil companies and their contractors made illegal payments to high government officials in Nigeria to secure ‘juicy’ oil and gas contracts. Technip, in 2010, also paid $338 million, JGC paid $218.8 million in 2011. The other partner, Snamprogetti, paid $365 million in 2010 to U.S. enforcement agencies for FCPA offenses. In 2016, the sixth criminal section of the Italian High Court turned down Saipem’s appeal against the February 2015 sentence of the second criminal section of the Milan Court of Appeal, which concerned offences alleged to have been committed in Nigeria by Snamprogetti Netherlands BV in connection with the activities of the TSKJ Consortium. The High Court refused Saipem’s appeal against the Appeal Court’s sentence, which had upheld the ruling of the fourth criminal section of the Court of Milan, which in July 2013 ordered the Company to pay €600,000, as well as the confiscation of the deposit of €24,530,580, in connection with offences covered by Italian Legislative Decree 231/2001 for which the Company is alleged to

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MISS PATRICIA OMOMAYOWA ILORI, now wish to be known as MRS PATRICIA OMOMAYOWA SAMUEL ONAH. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as CHIKWENDU NKECHI NCHEKWUBE, now wish to be known as OKOLI NKECHI NCHEKWUBE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

be responsible. This deposit was paid by Snamprogetti Netherlands BV to the Milan Public Prosecutor’s office in February 2011. TSKJ consortium was awarded the EPC contract for Trains 1 and 2 and the necessary site infrastructure in December 1995. The first two trains started up in August 1999 and February 2000 respectively. Train 3 with LPG recovery a facility was awarded to TSKJ in March 1999 and was completed in 2002, while Trains 4, 5 and 6, were completed in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. At the signing ceremony in London, which witnessed the commemoration of repayment of $5.45 billion shareholders loan for the existing six trains, Attah had revealed that the company was shopping for about $7 billion from the global financial markets to expand its operations. He explained that the loans being sought would cover the cost of construction of Train-7 and investment in the upstream gas sector in Nigeria that will ensure the sustainability of feedgas supply to the existing six trains and the seventh train. NNPC holds a 49% stake in NLNG, Shell, 25.6%, Total, 15% and Eni, 10.4%.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as ADESHINA ADEOLA OMOTUNRAYO, now wish to be known as ADESHINA WALIYAT ADEOLA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formerly known and addressed as ILYAS AMINAT ABIDEMI, now wish to be known as ILYASADEWUYI AMINAT ABIDEMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. I formerly known and addressed as DEBORAH OGORCHUKWU KANU now wish to be known as DEBBIE OGORCHUKWU BEECROFT. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as UANKEIN PRECIOUS OKORO, now wish to be known and addressed as UANZEKIN BIANCA OSAS and my DoB was wrongly entered as 19th November 1985 instead of 19th November 1987. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as BELLO SADIAT AYOBAMI, now wish to be known as KOLAWOLE SADIAT AYOBAMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

This is to notify the general public that YAKASSAI AMINU BALA and MUSTAPHA AMINU YAKASSAI is the same person and one person. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as ELIZABETH EGAZI, now wish to be known and addressed as BASSEY ELIZABETH EGAZI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT This is to inform the general public of the loss of Original Letter of Offer,Right of Occupancy for Plot MF 13 within Dape district File No. MFCT/ LA/MISC 9692,dated 12/08/2018 bearing Jimbut Nissi Enterprise Limited belonging to Finbong Nathaniel Lar. All efforts made to trace the said documents proved abortive. If found, kindly return to the nearest Police Station, Authorities Concerned and the general public should please take note.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

SPORTS XTRA

Dalung threatens to jail Pinnick

Former Arsenal Chairman, Peter Hill with Asene Wenger

Dalung Threatens to Jail Pinnick over World Cup Money The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has again threatened officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to retire World Cup money or risk going to jail over the sum of N1.6 billion allegedly released to Amaju Pinnick to cover its expenditure up to the quarterfinals of the Russia 2018 World Cup. An online Sports medium Sports247.com reported that the inability of the NFF to retire

the amount long after Russia 2018 World Cup ended in July has raised questions about the credibility of NFF financial spending. The Super Eagles crashed out in the group stage following a 2-1 defeat to Argentina. With the NFF said to owe its workers five months salaries, the Sports Minister is insisting that government would not release more funds to the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF until it duly accounts for

the N1.6 billion granted them for the 2018 World Cup. The report quoted the NFF Secretary General, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, confirming that they were yet to communicate to the Sports Ministry on how the World Cup cash was spent. Sports247.com further stated that the NFF tried to outsmart the Sports Minister by putting up a two-page advert in a national newspaper to announce its audited accounts for the

outgoing year, an action which did not go well with top officials of the Sports Ministry. The NFF was said to have used the outstanding funds from the Russia 2018 World Cup to finance Nigeriaâ€™s participation at the recent FIFAU-20 Womenâ€™s World Cup in France, as well as Golden Eaglets campaign at the zonal qualifiers in Niger for the 2019 U-17 AFCON without seeking clearance from the sports ministry.

Former Arsenal Chairman, Hill-Wood Dies at 82

ormer Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has died at the age of 82, the football club have announced. He joined the north London sideâ€™s board in 1962 and was chairman from 1982 to 2013, presiding over title-winning eras under manager George Graham and later Arsene Wenger. Mr Hill-Wood was also instrumental in the formation of the Premier League and oversawArsenalâ€™s move from its historic Highbury ground to the Emirates stadium in

2006. His involvement in the club continued a long family tradition with both his grandfather Sir Samuel Hill-Wood and father Denis Hill-Wood having previously served as chairman. Peter Hill-Wood remained in his position after selling shares to Stan Kroenke, the current owner, but was forced to step down through ill health five years ago. The club said in a statement: â€œPeter and his familyâ€™s influence on the club cannot be understated, but at this most

difficult time for his family and friends, it is Peter the man who we remember with great fondness. â€œOur thoughts are with his wife Sally and his children Sarah, Julian and Charles.â€? Former Arsenal and France forward Thierry Henry tweeted: â€œVery sad to hear the passing of Peter Hill-Wood today. Many fond memories of him from my time. @Arsenal and I wish his family and friends great strength over this difficult time. #RIP.â€? Former Arsenal and England defender Lee Dixon

tweeted â€œRIP Mr Chairmanâ€? as did Cesc Fabregas, the former Arsenal player who is now at Chelsea. In 1986, Mr Hill-Wood oversaw the appointment of George Graham, who went on to lead the club to two league titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the European Cup Winnersâ€™ Cup. Adecade later, he was still at the helm when the club hired Arsene Wenger to manage the side - an appointment that was to transform both the club and the wider game in England.

Onyekuru Eyes Nigeriaâ€™s AFCON 2019 Squad Galatasaray of Turkey attacker, Henry Onyekuru has admitted that part of his targets for next year is to make Nigeriaâ€™s squad to the Africa Cup of Nations. While pointing out that he wants to continue scoring great goals for his club in the

Turkish Super Lig, Onyekuru stressed that he also wants to be at AFCON 2019 and help make Nigerians proud. Onyekuru said he was delighted to hit a brace last Sunday and a good way to end the year on a high, but says his next target

is to make Nigeriaâ€™s 2019AFCON team and winning the soccer showpiece. He confessed: â€œIt feels good ending the year with a brace and most of all getting the three points at home for the club and fans. â€œThe national team is also

there for me. Part of my target, if not number one, is to make the team, and then make Nigerians proud. â€œThe target still remains the same: try to score as many goals as I can and also help the team achieve its goals.â€?

Serena Lauds WTA over Pregnancy Rule Change Serena Williams has lauded new changes to the â€˜Special Rankingâ€™ rule which have been introduced by the WTAfor 2019. The 37-year-old American who gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017 and returned to the circuit in March 2018 - believes the changes will encourage more players to take a break from the Tour to have children then come back to resume their careers. Under the new rules, returning mothers who have a special ranking that would earn them a seeded position can be drawn as an â€˜additional seedâ€™ at tournaments, meaning they would

not be able to face a seed in the opening round of a tournament. The change also ensures that no seed will get bumped as a result of a returning mother given a protected seeding. Williams, along with other mothers on Tour such as former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, had been advocating for such rule changes that would ease the transition back for players following the birth of their children. â€œI think itâ€™s great,â€? Williams said of the new rule changes during a press conference inAbu Dhabi ahead of an exhibition match against her sister Venus

on Thursday. â€œWomen that are younger can go out there and have kids and not have to worry about it and not have to wait till the twilight of their years to have children and I think itâ€™s a really great rule. â€œI think having gone through the experience myself really opened my eyes up to me and, â€˜Would have I done it sooner had there been different rule changes?â€™ I donâ€™t know. But now that there is an opportunity, people donâ€™t have to ask that question anymore. â€œI think itâ€™s a great rule change. I think it is a lot. But I feel like itâ€™s just something thatâ€™s

Serena with her baby

always going to be there and be special and â€˜â€™m happy that they did it.â€?

Murray Brushes oďŹ€ Retirement Talk, Says Focus is on Improving Andy Murray has said he has no regrets about not walking away from tennis despite missing 11 months of the year with a hip injury. The three-time Grand Slam champion was speaking ahead of his return to the sport at the season-opening Brisbane International, which gets underway at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Monday. Murray, who won the Brisbane title in 2012 and 2013 enters the tournament with a world ranking of 256. The 31-year-old Scot had intended to play in Brisbane at the beginning of 2018 but was forced to withdraw on the eve of the tournament with a hip injury. He had surgery soon after, which kept him out of the game for much of the year. â€œYou want to go out on your own terms,â€? he said when asked about a possible retirement. â€œIf I decided to stop six months ago, having not played or gotten back to a level where I can compete again, I would have looked back and regretted that. â€œI owed it to myself to give myself the best possible shot to get back to a level I was happy with. I am able to compete at a high level, but I have to back it up a few days in a row. Thatâ€™s the challenge.â€? Murray was limited to just six tournaments in 2018, with his best result a quarter-ďŹ nals appearance in Washington in August. â€œThere are still things that I want to achieve,â€? he said. â€œWhether I am capable of that I donâ€™t really know.â€? The Brisbane tournament features world No 1 Rafael Nadal, Japanese star Kei Nishikori and defending champion Nick Kyrgios.

Nadal Aims to be Perfectly Fit at Australian Open

Rafael Nadal is conďŹ dent he can be ďŹ t for the Australian Open as he chases an 18th Grand Slam title. A right knee injury forced Nadal to retire from his US Open semi-ďŹ nal in early September - his last competitive match. The 32-year-old Spaniard then had ankle surgery at the start of November to tackle the issue. Asked Thursday to assess his ďŹ tness level out of 10, Nadal said: â€œI donâ€™t know. I am not that good with numbers. â€œI started about two weeks ago and I am taking small steps forward. I am making sure I am moving forward and itâ€™s not a step backwards. I know I have time to be ready for Melbourne at 100 per cent.â€? Nadal, who won his 17th Grand Slam at the French Open in June, said he was happy with his progress but â€œstill wants to prove himself in competitionsâ€?. The Australian Open starts on January 14.

DECEMBER 29, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

SPORTS XTRA

Joshua Mocks Wilder as Rumours over Next Fight Swirl Joshua was in talks to face Wilder earlier this year but his team was unable to hash out a deal with the American’s representatives before the WBA ordered the Watford native to face Alexander Povetkin. The WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight king is keen on a unification bout with ‘The Bronze Bomber’, but the Alabama native currently has his sights set on a rematch with Tyson Fury. Although Fury is seem-

ingly in pole position to fight Wilder next, the 33-year-old is still at the forefront of Joshua’s mind. So much so that he took the time to mock his fellow Olympian during a recent interview with DAZN. “I think it’s important for a manager or promoter to educate his student,” ‘AJ’ said when asked about the worst advice a fighter can receive from a promoter. “This is what you’re going to do, this is how you’re going to get on.’ The better the

student does, the better the manager or promoter looks. “I think with Mike Tyson, the people that were around him around if they had not tried to steal then people would have still been eating till this day.” Seconds later, Joshua put on an American accent and once again said: “Till this day. Till this day.” Joshua’s repetition of ‘till this day’ was a reference to an interview Wilder conducted before his fight with Fury, during which

he screamed the phrase at a journalist. While further discussing Mike Tyson’s plight, in particular, the loss of his millions, Joshua revealed he wants his opponents to be taken care of financially when they fight him. And he seemingly hinted that a rematch with Dillian Whyte could be on the cards. “That’s why I would fight Dillian (Whyte) because I would rather break bread with him,” he continued. “That’s my countryman.

We’ve had issues since the amateurs. “So if anyone’s going to eat, it should be him. I understand where I was, I understand everyone’s got to eat. “But I just think they should be realistic as well.” Joshua, 29, is next scheduled to fight on April 13 at Wembley. At this moment in time, the Olympic gold medalist doesn’t have an opponent for his next outing at home at English football, the

Joshua

venue for his unforgettable 2017 victory over Wladimir Klitschko.

Solskjaer Charges Sanchez, Lukaku to Step up their Game

Sarri with Hazard

Sarri Charges Chelsea to Decide Hazard’s Future Maurizio Sarri has urged Eden Hazard and Chelsea to come to an agreement over his future and end speculation that he will leave Stamford Bridge. Hazard has a year and a half remaining on his Chelsea contract andhas openly discussed pursuing what he described as a “dream” move to Real Madrid. The forward said after the Blues’ 2-1 win at Watford on Wednesday that he wanted to hold on until the end of the

season to make a decision on his future but Sarri does not want to wait. He said: “I think we have to solve the problem. If we want to plan the future, we have to solve this problem. “I don’t know (what Hazard is thinking), but I think that it’s time to decide.” However, Sarri said speaking to Hazard about his future was outside of his remit, explaining: “I have not the power to do this.

“I am the coach. I want to speak to him only about the position on the pitch.” Hazard is Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 12 goals from 22matches, and is currently on course to beat his record tally for the club which was 19 goals in the 2014/15 season. Sarri is not surprised by the Belgian’s improved goal-scoring form, however, saying: “I was really confident because he is a great player, one of the most

important of Chelsea’s history. So I was really confident that he was able to score more.” Hazard has been deployed as a false nine in Chelsea’s last four Premier League matches despite his insistence that he prefers to play as a winger on the left of the Blues’ attack. Sarri is determined to keep playing the 27-year-old in a more central role, though, adding: “I am very happy with him in this role.

Jaap Stam to Coach Nigerian Defender Dutch Eredivisie club PEC Zwolle yesterday confirmed that Manchester United hero Jaap Stam has been appointed as the new coach of the club with immediate effect. Stam, who played 67 times for the Netherlands before hanging up his boots, replaces

dismissed John van ‘t Schip. Nigeria-eligible defender Kingsley Ehizibue is a key player at PEC Zwolle and has worn the captain’s armband in several games this season. The 23-year-old made his 100th appearance for PEC Zwolle in the Dutch topflight

against Heracles Almelo on October 27, 2018, roughly four years after he was handed his professional debut. He was one of the players considered for the then problematic Super Eagles right-back position before the Nigerian Federation

convinced Ola Aina, Brian Idowu and Tyronne Ebuehi to commit their international future to the three-time African champions. Stam previously managed Super Eagles winger Sone Aluko at Championship club Reading.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku must step up and take their chances for Manchester United as they near a return to full fitness. Both players have been underwhelming for United so far this season, with Lukaku scoring just six times in all competitions, while Sanchez has found the net just four times since moving to Old Trafford in January. Paul Pogba was another player who was struggling under previousmanager Jose Mourinho and found himself relegated to the bench during the latter stages of the Portuguese’s reign. However, he has been revitalised under Solskjaer and although he rejected suggestions he is responsible for the midfielder’s improved form, the Norwegian urged Sanchez and Lukaku to follow Pogba’s lead. “I cannot do anything for their performances on the pitch. Paul has done it himself. The players have done the performances,” Solskjaer said ahead of United’s match against Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports. “I’m here to help them, guide them on the path, and then it’s up to them to do it on the pitch. “I don’t agree I’ve done that with Paul, and I can do that with Romelu and Alexis. It’s up to them when they get a chance. That’s the name of the game when you’re a footballer. You’ve got to do it yourself. “Yes, you want help from your manager and your team-mates. I give them some guidelines. There’s been loads of talk about freedom of expression, but that’s how I’ve always been as a manager. “You can’t tell all the players what to do. They are here for a reason - they are good players. It’s up to them to use their imagination, creativity and enjoy playing for this club because that is the best time of your life. It’s not a bad time being a manager either, for a little while.” Solskjaer also had praise for Antonio Valencia, another player who had fallen out of favour under Mourinho and confirmed he will remain club captain during the caretaker manager’s reign at Old Trafford. He said: “Antonio is the captain. When he is properly fit and playing, he will wear the armband. “He’s going through a couple of tough sessions to get him ready for the busy period. There are not many better right backs going forward.” Meanwhile, Solskjaer confirmed Chris Smalling would likely miss United’s next three matches with a foot injury.

Three Premier League Teams Battle for Nigerian Prodigy Three Premier League clubs are set to battle it out with Arsenal to sign Nigeria U-15 international Lateef Omidiji Jnr. Manchester United, Manchester City and Crystal Palace are now in the running to sign the Eagles centre-forward. City have long been on the trail of Omidiji and had sent him an invitation to train and check out the club’s facilities but Feyenoord, his past club, pulled the plug on any potential deal. The Eagles are seriously interested in signing the highly-rated striker and have invited him to train in January after the break while United have reached out as well. Things have changed as he’ll be free to go anywhere at no cost as from next season. Feyenoord had wanted to commit Omidiji to a professional deal but he refused to sign it as he was not comfortable with the terms, so he had to leave the club. A proposed transfer to Ajax Amsterdam and PSV broke down because the KNVB blocked the move after Feyenoord accused their Eredivisie rivals of attempting to tap up the player.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

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MISSILE

Obaseki on BEDC “President Buhari should without delay, revoke the license of BEDC and rescue Edo residents from the crappy service being delivered to our people who are harassed by BEDC to pay for electricity that it did not supply.” -Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State decrying the services of Benin Electricity Distribution Company.

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Shagari, Dangote, Otedola And Too Many Matters

ellow Nigerians, this is one of those weeks when what you never planned decides to jam what you already planned. I had planned to write on my encounter with one of the youngest Presidential aspirants, Fela Durotoye, who visited me at home recently with his very creative wife, Tara. We spent some quality time together and I’m sure we were all able to gain better insight about the Nigerian political vista from that encounter. I had cause to speak to Fela again after I got wind of some situations affecting his campaign. I was able to give him some more tips on how to forge ahead with his campaign and not get disillusioned. We’ve come a long way together as Ife boys, though much younger than me, but he’s always felt totally at home with me on anything concerning him and his wife. He calls his wife my baby and she’s playing a very pivotal role in this campaign. It is through her that I’m able to track and measure Fela’s progress. Anyway, as I sat down to write yesterday in the tranquil city of Accra, Ghana, I received an incredible “breaking news” from a friend. “Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola have been named as prominent members of the Buhari Presidential campaign team”, he shouted. WHAT, I exclaimed. This drama is getting too much and too hot to handle, I mused. Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, released a comprehensive list of its political campaign team and the news was designed to send shivers down the spines of opposition parties. I was not very surprised at their idea of muscle-flexing. This is the season when every political party needs to show its influence and advertise its powerful supporters as a way of intimidating its opponents. My shock came from the mention of two of Nigeria’s biggest brands and very popular entrepreneurs. There is nothing new about businessmen going into politics. But I’m not sure if Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola are members of APC, and at what point they joined the party. Indeed, I seriously doubt it. What was more, I was worried about the possibility of these two men with immense exposure to international commerce becoming politically exposed and endangered men instantly. It has not been possible, as at the time of writing this, to ascertain that they were contacted prior to the announcement and if they actually accepted to serve in whatever capacity as Buhari’s campaigners. My personal opinion is that APC should have spared these men the agony and anguish of being dragged into Nigeria’s political brouhaha with attendant risks of a heavy backlash and collateral damages. If they both are friends and financial supporters of President Buhari, their privacy should have been protected and preserved, unless of course they volunteered their services. What the APC did yesterday was to play its biggest card so early and too soon. My opinion is that it is absolutely unnecessary and that even if these men accepted the offer under veiled threats or real coercion, it still won’t wish away or wash off the concomitant embarrassment and public odium. No government should treat its precious assets in this manner. There is no doubt that businessmen can be mentioned as donors and contributors to political campaigns. This happens all over the world and indeed, these businessmen also sometimes write in support of those parties. What shouldn’t happen,

Shagari

Dangote

if they are not members of a political party, is to coral or railroad them into that party’s campaign team simply because that party is the ruling party! These are not normal times. The political situation in Nigeria has been too tense. I was still ruminating over how to respond to this Aliko/Otedola controversy when I received another bombshell, that Nigeria’s President in the Second Republic, Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari has just passed on to the great beyond. Once confirmed, I quickly tweeted a condolence message to his family. I was 19 years old when he became President on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria. I was an undergraduate student at the University of Ife in 1979 and was old enough to follow the chaotic fallout from that election which turned out to be a major contest between Shagari and the famous political sage and erudite lawyer, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. I will never forget the court case that ensued about the legal interpretation of the mathematical calculation of what constitutes the two thirds of all the States of the Federation at the time. According to the results of that monumental election released by the Federal Electoral Commission, popularly known then as FEDECO, Shagari had garnered 5,688,857 votes nationally while Awolowo scored 4,916,651 votes. The argument ensued that Shagari had not met the technically complicated Constitutional requirement of needing to have 25% of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of all the 19 States. Although he did not contest the total figures, but rather relied on technicality, Awolowo vehemently rejected the victory purportedly recorded by Shagari and prayed the courts to jettison the decision of the Election Tribunal that had given victory to Shagari. The case which went all the way to the Supreme Court would go down as one of the most tempestuous cases in the entire legal history of Nigeria. The biggest mathematical problem arose when Chief Awolowo insisted that a State was single entity which could not be factionalised and as such, Shagari needed to have won the mandatory 25% in 13 States and not in the fabricated twelve and two-third States as rigorously argued by Shagari’s lawyer, Chief Richard Osuolale Akinjide (SAN) who eventually won the case on September 26, 1979. At the Supreme Court, the case was presided over by Justice Atanda Fatai-Williams who was flanked by Justices Irikefe, Bello, Idigbe,

Obaseki, Uwais and Esho. Days later, Shagari was promptly sworn in, but the controversy raged on, almost endlessly and still does amongst academics to this day. Shagari thus became Nigeria’s first Executive President. Four years on, Shagari’s government was already enmeshed in reckless profligacy and humongous resources were frittered away. The climax came for that government in 1983 when Shagari and his magicians, supported by the then Inspector General of Police, Sunday Adewusi, won elections in even impossible places in what was termed “land slide” and “moon slide.” All complaints were ignored, and it seemed the politicians could really not be bothered. The consequences of their folly in believing they were invincible manifested itself about three months later when the military struck in a coup d’etat on December 31, 1983, and Muhammadu Buhari was soon announced as the new Head of State. Buhari’s government wasted no time in ordering the arrests of virtually all key actors in politics. His detractors claimed that he was more benevolent to the Northern politicians, in the punishments meted to these politicians and that those from the southern parts of the country suffered the most. Whatever, the truth and motives may be, Buhari and his able lieutenant, Tunde Idiagbon, declared a

massive war against corruption and indiscipline. Shagari was kept under house arrest while his deputy, Vice President Alex Ekwueme, who died earlier this year was hauled into Kirikiri Maximum Prison without any cogent justification. A very audacious attempt was made to cargo Umaru Dikko, one of the most powerful Shagari Ministers back to Nigeria from London in a coffin but Dikko was lucky as an alarm went out before he could be air-lifted. It is a strange coincidence that Shagari was toppled at the tail end of December 1983 and he died yesterday towards the tail end of December 2018. Interestingly, President Buhari flagged off his re-election campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, yesterday. It would be interesting to read what Buhari would have to say about a man he once overthrew in a military coup. There was other news that broke yesterday. A picture came from the Presidential villa, in Abuja, that President Buhari has finally endorsed his Party’s Governorship candidate. I watched as the President and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, raised up the hands of oil baron, Dapo Abiodun, the candidate officially recognised by APC in a show of recognition of this noble, illustrious and industrious candidate. For the records, the incumbent Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had strongly asserted that he would not recognise Dapo Abiodun as he won through a kangaroo arrangement with highly placed party apparatchik. Indeed, prior to this event, Amosun had tried hard to sell his anointed candidate, Abiodun Akinlade, who is now running on the platform of another party. As if this was not bizarre enough, another photograph flew in from the direction of Akwa Ibom where the President started his campaign and sat next to Governor Amosun on the Presidential jet back to Abuja. It appeared like a power show between the various camps of Amosun, Adams Oshiomhole, Tinubu and Abiodun, the quartet that are embroiled in this war of attrition between old friends. It is not known how substantial Chief Osoba’s role has been in this dizzying saga. But Ogun State seems to be setting new records in political conundrum.

STOP PRESS

Just as I was about reaching the end of this week’s article, another news flew in on Dangote. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser issued what is obviously a disclaimer on the appearance of Aliko Dangote on the Presidential Campaign Council. According to Adesina: “It has become imperative to further clarify the status of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, named under the sub-head ADVISORY MEMBERS in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council announced on Friday, December 28, 2018. Africa’s richest man, not being a cardcarrying member of APC, cannot, and is not member of the PCC. He is also a member of the Peace Committee, and thus cannot be in a partisan campaign council.” Adesina was silent on the fate of Aliko’s friend, Femi Otedola. The APC government needs to do more homework before publishing

names anyhow. This type of expensive joke could have been avoided if they were not in a hurry to name-drop those names that were published yesterday. This was a massive own goal which could have reverberations and repercussions not just on the political scene, but in local and international business circles. There were reports that many of those names included in the list heard about their roles on social media. I think it is grossly unfair and totally unfortunate to drag people’s hard-earned reputation in the mud in order to score political points. I do not envy some of the people mentioned. But at least, most of them are politicians and it may be being on the campaign team will help resurrect some dying and dead political careers! What this team will do to the fortunes of the APC is another matter. As always, time will tell!

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