Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi Femi Makinde, Osogbo A Magistrate Court, sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has issued a bench warrant against the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Adewale Akanbi, following the monarch’s refusal to appear in court in a case instituted by the Oluwo of Iwo Oke, Oba Kadiri Adeoye. The implication of the bench warrant, according to lawyers, is that the monarch should be arrested and brought before the court at its next adjourned sitting. Although Oba Akanbi was represented in court on Tuesday by his counsel, Mr. Olaide Yekeen, Magistrate Olusola Aluko issued the bench warrant despite the application for a stay of proceeding, notice of preliminary objection and a notice of appeal filed before the court. Oba Akanbi, the paramount ruler of Iwoland, was dragged before the court by the Oluwo of Iwo Oke, for alleged criminal offences. The magistrate had, at the last sitting of the court on December 2, threatened to issue a bench warrant on the monarch if he refused to appear in court on Tuesday (yesterday). Counsel for Oba Akanbi had told the court that his client had several applications before the court, adding that the notice of preliminary objection, which bordered on competence and jurisdiction of the court, should be heard first before the substantive application. He said Section 19 (1) of the Magistrate Court Laws highlighted the jurisdiction of the court, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. “When there is an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court, such application should be taken first. We are vehemently and seriously challenging the competence and jurisdiction of this court and our applications should be taken first,” he said. But counsel for the applicant, Soji Oyetayo, in his submission, told the court that the court made an order which the Oluwo had refused to comply with. He stated that the applications, filed by the first respondent (the Oluwo) could not stop the order of the court that the monarch should appear before it. “I urge the court to jettison the applications. They have to obey the earlier order of the court. The first respondent should be in court today but he is not in a flagrant disobedience of the court order,” he said. The magistrate, in his ruling, agreed with the respondent (the Oluwo) on the issue of jurisdiction, but said the notice of appeal was not ripe. He said, “The court mandated the first respondent to appear in court. He has violated the court order of the last adjourned date. I hereby issue a bench warrant against him.” The counsel for Oluwo, while speaking with journalists on the court premises, said the applications for a stay of proceedings, notice of appeal and application on the jurisdiction of the court, ought to have been heard first before the magistrate issued the bench warrant. Yekeen stated that the authorities he cited during the hearing should suffice, adding that even in a case of contempt of court, the court should hear such objections first. He argued that the order was made in error. Yekeen added, “As it is, what we have is that we are following the due process of the law and we believe that the law should be and grow and it should be allowed to follow the due process. “If a doctor makes a mistake, the mistake is buried six feet under the ground but if a lawyer or a judge makes a mistake, the mistake will be inherited by generations unborn. That is what we have today.” --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as unfit to fight corruption because it is “an irresponsible and corrupt organisation.” The governor, who commended the judiciary for standing firm against the “EFCC’s tyranny,” said the way and manner the commission had been going about shopping for court orders against Nigerians should concern lovers of the rule of law in the country. He said this in reaction to the Monday’s Federal High Court, Abuja, judgment ordering the EFCC to release all his properties that were attached based on the order of the court made on July 20 and August 2. Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said, “It is the height of irresponsibility and fraud for the EFCC to have approached Justice Okon Abang for a similar order and concealed the fact that the order obtained from Justice Dimgba elapsed on September 3 and had failed to approach the same court for an extension. “The EFCC and its corrupt elements fraudulently approached Justice Abang, …and the same EFCC has even moved to the Federal High Court, Akure in search of another order, ostensibly because they have realised that the judge in the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti won’t play ball.” --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi PETER DADA A Professor of Humanities from the University of Texas, United States of America, Prof. Toyin Falola, has called on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi and the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, not to allow the historical issue of Moremi to cause disaffection between them. “I will write to the two monarchs. They should leave politics out of this matter (Moremi). They should leave the matter for the academics.” He decried the low level of socio-economic development of Yoruba coastal communities in spite of abundant natural resources in the region when compared with other parts of the country. Other participants who spoke at the conference however noted that for the situation in Yorubaland to improve, there was the need for the government at all levels to pay more attention to the provision of education, employment and basic amenities such as good roads, potable water and health facilities for the people of the coastal communities. In his remarks, the Provost of the college, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, stated that the conference was organised as part of efforts by his administration to promote intellectual development and enhance human capacity in the institution. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says arrangements have been concluded to have an interaction with owners of Computer Based Test centres in the country ahead of the 2017 UTME. The board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made the disclosure in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos. According to the statement, the meeting which comes up on Tuesday at the University of Lagos is to fine tune all areas of challenges geared towards conducting a hitch-free examination in 2017. It said that the meeting would determine the number of centres to be used for the 2017 all CBT Unified Tertiary Matriculation Board exercise. “These are centres that must have a minimum of 250 and above terminals (computers). “We will not hesitate to disqualify any centre that falls short of the requirements,’’ the statement said. “We will equally not compromise on the selection of these centres as they will fully be responsible for our registration and examinations and other related responsibilities that they will be saddled with from time to time as we introduce new measures.’’ The statement said that the board would commence the sale of application forms soon and urged prospective candidates not to patronise any self-acclaimed agent as the board had not and would not appoint any. It urged candidates to always visit the board’s website for information. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was ready to roll out Lake Rice on December 15 to residents at N13,000 per 50 kg towards the Yuletide celebrations. The Special Adviser on Food Security to Governor Akinwumi Ambode, Mr. Sanni Okanlawan, made the disclosure in Lagos during the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry National Agriculture Stakeholders Summit. Okanlawan said that sales of the rice would be made at all the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in the state to ensure proper distribution. He said, “Lake Rice is the acronym of both Lagos and Kebbi States joint product which will be out to the public on December 15 at the rate of N13,000 per 50kg bag as it is already subsidised by the government. “To make it more available, the rice will be sold at the 57 LGAs and LCDAs for easy accessibility and to guard against unwanted persons diverting the product. “The state government has put in place a committee that will ensure that Lagosians have the best Christmas celebration, that is why we are offering the wholesome and well packaged rice.” The special adviser also said that the state had established a Department of Agribusiness, an Agriculture Trust Fund and Commodity Exchange Market to be set up soon. The government’s efforts were in alignment with the Federal Government’s diversification drive from a mono-economy to agriculture. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

English Premier League result on Wednesday: Southampton 1 (van Dikj 2) Tottenham 4 (Alli 19, 87, Kane 52, Son Heung-min 85) Tuesday Liverpool 4 (Lallana 35, Firmino 44, Imbula 59-og, Sturridge 70) Stoke City 1 (Walters 12) Monday Arsenal 1 (Giroud 86) West Brom 0 Burnley 1 (Gray 81) Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 3 (Pedro 24, 90+3, Hazard 49-pen) Bournemouth 0 Hull 0 Manchester City 3 (Toure 72-pen, Iheanacho 78, Davies 90+4-og) Leicester 0 Everton 2 (Mirallas 51, Lukaku 90+1) Manchester United 3 (Blind 39, Ibrahimovic 82, Mkhitaryan 86) Sunderland 1 (Borini 90+1) Swansea 1 (Llorente 89) West Ham 4 (Ayew 13, Reid 50, Antonio 78, Carroll 90) Watford 1 (Deeney 71-pen) Crystal Palace 1 (Cabaye 26) --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Oil prices resumed their rise Thursday and held above the $50 barrier following OPEC’s decision to carry out its first output cut in eight years. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at a meeting in Vienna on Wednesday agreed on specific targets to enact a preliminary deal struck in September designed to ease a global crude supply glut and boost prices. Many analysts had expected the producers’ cartel to fail to reach a deal as major players like Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia remained divided ahead of the meeting. Crude futures prices surged more than 10 percent immediately after the OPEC deal. At 0630 GMT Thursday, after a brief dip in early Asian trade, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for January delivery was up 70 cents or 1.42 percent at $50.14, while Brent crude for February was 81 cents or 1.6 percent higher at $52.65. “Not only had hopes of higher prices been realised, the reputation of the OPEC has also been salvaged, prompting the surge,” said Jingyi Pan, market strategist at IG in Singapore. “Sceptics have now placed their focus on the implementation of the OPEC deal where Saudi Arabia will be shouldering the bulk of the cut.” The 14-member OPEC agreed to lower its monthly output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to 32.5 million bpd from January 1. Qatar’s Energy Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada said non-member Russia committed to reducing its output by 300,000 bpd, half of a hoped-for 600,000 bpd reduction from outside the organisation. Prices had fallen to near 13-year lows of below $30 a barrel in February from peaks of more than $100 in June 2014 largely due to an oversupplied market outpacing demand --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Dr. Muritala Awodun (Executive Chairman, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service) Increasing Value Added Tax is going to be hard on people now. It will hit hard on people’s disposable income because inflation has already eaten deep into people’s income and then the devaluation of the naira has more or less reduced the real income of people; things are very difficult now for Nigerians. So, if they increase VAT, it means people will have to spend more. It is obvious from this perspective that this is not the time to increase VAT. The option to take is the one that will take us out of recession. If you have money and that money does not have value, such a situation is not palatable. I think attention should be focused on increasing the productive capacity of the nation. Also, government should ensure that other forms of taxes are collected and money remitted to the federal treasury. Government should intensify efforts at recovering all collections and all arrears should be duly remitted to the Federal Government’s coffers. Ms. Folashade Omowanle (An entrepreneur) I am totally against it. It can pose a serious threat to those of us that run online business. How exactly is an average citizen supposed to do business when every avenue to thrive is being threatened? I think the Federal Government should reconsider its stance on increasing Value Added Tax. The prices of goods and services will shoot up for businesses to make up for the proposed VAT increase and other charges the government intends to introduce. How would stressing already weary Nigerians with more bills benefit the government? They are toying with a showdown. You can only push people for so long. Mr. Tunde Salman (Executive Director, Grassroots Development and Advocacy Centre) The Federal Government should not increase Value Added Tax. Considering the hardship and high cost of living in Nigeria, the government should think of how to expand the tax base. There are many people who are within the tax net but are not currently captured or even paying tax. These are the people that the government should adopt strategies to ensure that they start paying. Let those who are not within the tax system be included. This means there should be better tax administration but not to increase VAT at this time. Even now, many people are calling for tax holiday or tax reliefs for many sectors of the economy to enable them to have more resources to stimulate the economy. The major strategy of the government should be how to stimulate the economy. People are already kicking against government’s intention to increase telecoms tax, so, how would one think of increasing VAT? Mr. Bamidele Ayemibo (Lead consultant, 3T Impex Trade Academy) We pay a huge amount every month as an organisation and I will not support an increase in Value Added Tax. We pay over N100,000 on VAT monthly. Currently, in Nigeria, less than 20 per cent of business organisation pay VAT. Instead of discouraging people that currently pay, what I expect the government to do is to go after non-paying organisations. The government has given everyone Tax Identification Number, which means the government can know the companies doing business and monitor those that are not paying. Increasing VAT will make those of us paying feel stupid, whereas some people are not paying and nothing is being done about it. I am not in support on increased VAT at all. The government should devise a means using the TIN, to go after the companies which are currently doing business and paying nothing to the government. Mr. Sola Adeyiga (An industrialist) It is important for business organisations to understand the concept of VAT. They must understand products on which VAT is paid, VAT input and output as well as its computation. Increasing VAT will increase prices generally in the country. VAT is paid by the final consumer. I am a businessman and I produce polythene. If I buy my raw materials, I pay VAT. If I turn the raw materials around to the final product, I add VAT. There is the VAT input which I pay on the materials and the VAT output which I add to the finished goods. The net between the VAT output and input is what I pay to the government. Eventually, I am not the one paying the VAT, the final consumers pay the VAT. In a situation where there is inflation and cost of living is very high, increasing taxes is not the way to go because it increases all costs across board. Although Nigeria has the lowest VAT rate in the world, if we want to be at par with other countries, we must also consider the situation of the economy. There is recession and it is difficult to get raw materials and power supply is epileptic. This is not the time to add hardship to the already bad situation. Mrs. Oyetoun Ibrahim-Akinwale (Director-General, Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture) I do not think it is right for the Federal Government to increase VAT now. The cost of doing business is high already. Do they want to make it higher? The extra cost of production, because of the increase in VAT, will still fall on the consumers. An increase in VAT will lead to an increase in production cost and commodities will be more expensive. If the cost of production is higher, it will definitely lead to an increase in the prices of commodities, leading to lower patronage. This will reduce the turnover and the profit of producers. So, it will worsen unemployment as producers cannot employ more hands and may even downsize. The disadvantages of increasing VAT far outweigh the advantages. On the side of consumers, it will affect them as prices of things will go up and they do not have as much money as before to spend on commodities given the inflation and the low value of the naira. Presently, people cannot buy things and poverty is rife in towns and villages. If the government increases the VAT, the cost of things will go up and purchasing power of the people will be reduced, there will be unemployment and there will be increased hardship. This is not the right time to increase VAT. Gbolahan Bilewu (Assistant Director, Corporate Services, The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria) I would have only advocated an increase in the Value Added Tax base (bringing more taxpayers into the VAT net) as against an increase in VAT rate. However, in the light of global trend, it has become imperative for our government to harmonise Nigeria’s VAT rate with what obtains within the ECOWAS region. To this end, I will fully support moving gradually away from direct to indirect taxes. VAT, as a consumption or class tax, would only be payable on consumable goods and services. Records have shown that the compliant rate of direct taxes is higher than that of indirect taxes because its collection processes are easier and with minimal or no cost. However, it is advisable that this VAT rate increase should be compensated with palliatives for the taxpayers, such as a reduction in the current rate of personal income tax and other direct tax rates. Equally, since “taxation with representation” is also a global trend, government should ensure that stakeholders buy into the VAT rate increase by widespread enlightenment campaign to foster high rate of compliance. Finally, Section 4 of the VAT Act should be amended by the National Assembly to reflect the change so as to avoid any controversy. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Greg Odogwu The visit of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Right to the new Board Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Victor Ndoma-Egba, last Tuesday in Abuja, may have shown a strong signal that the new chairman is actually set to change the NDDC story. Since the new board and management of the commission were inaugurated three weeks ago, I have waited with baited breath to see whether a new order would emerge or it would be business as usual. The image of the NDDC is so battered that one cannot even start to imagine how the intervention agency can be said to have been founded exclusively for the development of a resource-‘cursed’ region. In the Niger Delta, poverty is endemic. For the 15 years of its existence, NDDC has proved to be a fiscal siphon for the elite. The roads are said to be build, yet there is no road. The boreholes are signed off as completed, and the people continue to drink contaminated water. Number of jobs created is bandied, yet the youths are idol. There can be no better description of the abysmal state of things than the one given by Ndoma-Egba himself at his swearing in ceremony. “Out there, I must say it very frankly, the image of the NDDC is that of a contract awarding silos, a contract awarding factory. I went to see a very senior brother the other day and he referred to me as the Chairman of the other stock exchange and I said to him, which stock exchange, Sir? He said people trade in the NDDC contracts the same way they trade in shares. I don’t think that was a very edifying remark.” The new chairman then promised “to change the song, to change the narrative” of the NDDC. He said the new leadership of the commission would refocus the organisation and drive a rebranding process that would ensure that they became more innovative and efficient. However, knowing the true nature of the problem of the Niger Delta, I waited to see the strategy that the chairman would deploy to accomplish this new vision. I told myself that his first public utterance and/or assignment as the new Board Chairman would give a definite pointer to his policy thrust. Call it a hunch, but I knew that leaders often betray their most guarded strategies in their moments of “busy-ness”. Evidence abounds of Nigerian leaders who betrayed their policy directions while asked innocent questions in neutral environments. All it takes is just a matter of patiently waiting and carefully watching. Just like a Freudian slip, it usually happens. Then, last Tuesday, the chairman had his first public function as he received the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, a quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and collective rights throughout the African continent as well as interpreting the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and considering individual complaints of violations of the Charter. The leader of the delegation was Mrs Lucy Asuagbor, who is the commissioner in charge of Uganda, Nigeria, Benin, Rwanda and Malawi. According to the commissioner, the ACHPR’s visit was routine, in their duty to protect and promote human rights on the continent. She said they were in Nigeria to evaluate compliance, and to engage the authorities. She noted that because of the environmental issues in the Niger Delta, they wanted to talk to the authorities and see what plans they had. The team stated that it wanted to ensure there were effective complaints and access to justice mechanisms in the region; and that the system entrenched internationally accepted standard operations. The meeting was closed to the media, but when they came out to talk to the press, Ndoma-Egba laconically stated, “Environment has an impact on human rights. The NDDC is about the environment. The commission holds the government to standards. We have just been inaugurated and so we are in the process of stock-taking. We are still being briefed but one assurance I want to give is that we will be telling a new story in the Niger Delta region. We envisage a region that is fully developed and integrated with an economy of its own. The key thing is judicious use of what is available.” Now I am thinking, perhaps, Ndoma-Egba is trying to tell us that environmental justice will be a major focus of his NDDC administration; and, that energy-efficiency is going to be given its due attention; and then, that the envisaged “new NDDC” shall have the people in mind, more than vested interests. If the former Senate Leader would actually take this route, then we can be rest assured that “fresh air” has come for the Niger Delta. The environment is not an abstract entity. It has a soul of its own. In the region, her soul is ripped apart daily, and stamped upon by leaders who have sworn to protect the plagued people of the region. This is majorly because the NDDC has a totally different philosophy of development. It never recognises that development is not just about erecting schools, roads and hospitals. It is about social and environmental justice. And because it has missed this point, it is now fraught with abandoned projects. I remember a conversation I once had with the renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana. He said that the bulk of the complaints he got as a human rights lawyer was on environmental rights abuse, which are mostly from the Niger Delta region laden with environmental degradation and pollution. He said that from experience, he now deployed the strategy of using the human rights window instead of the normal legal structures of the land. This is because the country’s judicial system is so poor that a case filed via the courts can go on for more than 25 years, in this way effectively denying the poor Nigerians justice. When I asked him what Nigerians who found themselves treated unfairly in matters of the environment should do, he simply advised that they should take their grievances to the Human Rights Commission because Article 24 of the African Charter has a provision that covers that. When I consulted the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter), the following is what I saw under Article 24: “All peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactory environment favourable to their development.” Chapter 1 Article 21, also states: “All peoples shall freely dispose of their wealth and natural resources. The free disposal of wealth and natural resources shall be exercised without prejudice to the obligation of promoting international economic cooperation based on mutual respect, equitable exchange and principles of international law.” This is where the ACHPR intervention comes in. The NDDC should find a way to dovetail its operations and projects towards environmental justice. Development is not only in infrastructure; it could also be in capacity building, and in ensuring that the right mechanisms are established to address the existing and emerging environmental concerns. It is my hope that the intelligence, experience and vast resources already demonstrated by Ndoma-Egba in service to his people should be deployed for this onerous task ahead. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Newly appointed Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral James Oluwole (left) and other officers The Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral James Oluwole, has warned soldiers against extorting money from motorists at checkpoints. Oluwole gave this warning at the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command in Calabar, Cross River State during a sensitisation campaign for members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria on value system and re-orientation. Oluwole, who was represented by the Chief Staff Officer of the command, Rear Admiral Obi Ofodile, said the army was bent on bringing back the core value of discipline among its officers and men. He said the campaign was organised by the Defence Headquarters to achieve accountability, transparency and dedication to service with a view to complementing ‘the change mantra of the present administration. According to Oluwole, the objective of the orientation is to instil discipline, attitudinal change, patriotism, bring back the value systems and ensure dedication to service. He warned military personnel to desist from collecting money from motorists along the highways, adding that anyone caught in the act would be disciplined. He said the duty of soldiers on the highways was to provide security for motorists and not to extort money from them. “If anyone extorts money from motorists along the highway and the matter is brought to the notice of the authorities of the Armed Forces, that matter will be dealt with decisively. “We will not condone that because we all know the basic expectations in the Armed Forces; what you are supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do. Collecting money from motorists is a very dirty thing and we will not condone that. “Mr. President has launched the ‘change begins with me, campaign to correct many things that have gone wrong. The campaign is to restore our values in the workplace,” he said. The Commander, 13 Brigade Nigeria Army, Calabar, Brig-Gen. Bulama Biu, also said the military had imbibed the ‘change mantra’ of the present administration. Biu said the Armed Forces were ready to deliver the dividends of security to the populace, adding that the present administration attached top priority to issues of security. One of the facilitators of the workshop, Maj-Gen. O.S Adeosun (retd.), said the workshop was organised to build a bridge between the military and the government. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Okwor Only 24, Kenneth Okwor is an adjunct lecturer of Corporate Law and Practice at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, and a Templars Law Firm Associate. In this interview, he tells KEMI LANRE-AREMU, about his love for the legal profession and some of his career milestones What schools did you attend? I attended the University of Jos where I obtained a Bachelor of Law degree; and for my vocational and professional training, I attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus. I graduated with a Second Class Upper Honours from the University of Jos, and First Class Honours from the Nigerian Law School. I graduated top of my class at the Nigerian Law School, winning several awards and prizes. What is your work history? Presently, I am employed as an Associate at Templars and I am also an Adjunct Lecturer of Corporate Law and Practice at the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School. What are your job responsibilities? At Templars, I sit primarily in the finance practice area and we basically advise clients on matters relating to banking, capital markets, mergers, acquisitions and other forms of external and internal restructuring options, project finance and other financing and refinancing structures, and general advisory services on corporate and finance matters. At the Law School, I teach Corporate Law and Practice. Did you set out to become a lawyer or you had other professions in mind? I actually wanted to study Literature in English. However, when it was time to fill the form that would enable me sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Law was the first choice. Why the sudden change of mind? I do not think the decision was actuated by any altruistic feeling or by a desire to define a path for my life. Honestly, it was really about gaining admission to the university to study a prestigious course. However, when I began to study Law, I saw that I could be more and I could do more. The study of Law exposed me to deeper issues that have gone a long way in defining who I am today and what I represent. What are your areas of speciality? I am specialising in corporate law and finance as my core areas. For me, these areas are niche areas of practice both in Nigeria and across the world and I believe that on account of my love for corporate law and all that concerns it, I would be able to learn, grow, and contribute my quota in developing the jurisprudence in these areas. You graduated with second class upper honours from the University of Jos and a first class from the Nigerian Law School. How did you achieve these feats? Like I always say, it was all a function of God’s grace and hard work. Studies at the university are quite different from studies at the Law School. The approach is very different as the university emphasises substantive law and it is usually very theoretical, while the Law School teaches practical law. Even though the Law School keeps an eye out for substantive law, its emphasis is on the practical application of these laws. Therefore, if properly utilised, the knowledge gained from the university can play a key role in facilitating success at the Bar Exams. At the university, I was diligent and hard-working, and only missed classes when they conflicted with mock trials. Why I placed more emphasis on the mock trials was because they taught me to contextualise the knowledge gained in class and taught me how they would operate in practical reality. At the Law School, I was also diligent and hard-working. The Law School’s calendar was, and still is, properly structured such that it was perfectly possible to actively participate in the law clinic and the mock trials without missing any class, and this contributed in making the difference. Can you recollect your first time in court? Of course I can. It was June 6 this year. My superiors at Templars insisted that I go alone. I was scared and spent the entire weekend studying the file and rehearsing the court’s language in front of my mirror. It was a defamation suit and we were the counsel representing the claimant. In court that morning, I was nervous but the longer I waited, the more relaxed I became because I noticed that the court’s procedure was not significantly different from the mock trials I had experienced in my undergraduate and Law School days. When my matter was called, I got up and successfully did the needful. Who and what have impacted your legal career so far? I am an academic and a practitioner and I have mentors in both aspects of my professional life. Albert Einstein is reputed to have observed that he saw far only because he had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of giants. My case is not different from his. My life and my story is a product of mentorship, with my parents being my first and foremost mentors. They inspire me and consistently encourage me to do more. After my parents, Mrs. Adetoun Adebiyi, the Deputy Director General and Head of Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School is one woman who believes that there is nothing I cannot achieve. Next on the list are my academic fathers and mentors: His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Prof. Nnamdi Aduba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge SAN (the one I watch from a distance), Prof.Dakas CJ Dakas SAN, Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, Prof. Shaakaa, Mr. Alimi, Mrs.Odukoya, Mrs. Egbe, Mr.Ogbuanya, Mr. Sam Oguche, Mr.Udemezue, Mrs. James, and my best friend as far as international law is concerned – Mr. Matthias Zechariah. These persons have, whether actively or passively, consistently spurred me to aim for more. As a practitioner, Mr. Chike Obianwu tops the list of those I work hard to be like and I learn from him daily. Working with him and Desmond Ogba has made me commercially aware, has changed the way I think, and given me deeper insights into the practical application of legal principles and the provision of ‘A’ grade services to clients. All these persons have had positive impacts on my legal career and have contributed in pushing me this far in my very young career. I mean, I only became a year old at the Bar on December 16, 2016. What key skills and qualities must one possess to become a successful solicitor/barrister? Humility, hard work, diligence, high moral and ethical standards, commercial awareness, reliability, a sound knowledge of the law, continuous professional development, and of course, paying clients! What do you think are the most important characteristics and abilities for any person’s success? At the risk of sounding ecclesiastic, grace is a necessary tool for success in whatever we do. In addition to grace, anyone who wants to attain success must merge humility with hard work, smart work, diligent work, and excellent work. Having said that, I must state that I would typically not advice anyone to pursue success alone. I advocate excellence and if I am permitted to quote Ranchoddas of the 3 Idiots, “pursue excellence and success will pursue you pants down.” How did you arrive at the decision to become an Adjunct Lecturer at the Nigerian Law School? I have always wanted to teach and I developed that dream while I was a sophomore at the University of Jos. However, the opportunity to teach came when I least expected it and at a level that is best left to imagination. In my eyes, the Law School is a sacred institution reserved only for superior legal minds and I did not permit myself to dream of teaching at the Law School because I did not know that I had the requisite superior mind. Consequently, when Mrs. Adebiyi invited me to be her adjunct lecturer, I was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief. How do you relate with your students considering your young age? That has been a challenge – a major challenge actually. I started out by being very friendly with them, but trust students, they started abusing it. Then I switched and became strict, and they said I was proud. Even elderly students consistently try to use the age factor against me. But by and large, God has kept me through. I try to be very friendly with them, but I draw lines where necessary. What is your ultimate career goal? To develop the jurisprudence in the theory and practice of corporate law and finance in Nigeria as a scholar and as a practitioner, to fight for a vibrant Nigerian Bar that is made up of lawyers who are driven by a positive sense of ethics and high professional conduct, to fight for the protection of human rights (particularly the rights of internally displaced persons), to make positive impacts on legal education pre-call and mandatory continuing professional development post-call. These are at the vanguard of the career I am building. In between all that you do, what other things interest you? Classical music! They always bring peace with them. I also love to watch law-related television series. Arts and nature also interest me. Besides these, I lead a very boring life! How do you achieve a work life balance? Truthfully, I do not. In between church, Templars, the Law School, and my personal efforts towards self-development, I have no extra time to myself. Right now, the prospects of a work life balance for me is utopian. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has said he has received a promise from the parents from Dutch-born ADO Den Haag defender Tyronne Ebuehi he will honour his invite to play for the Super Eagles. Ebuehi was invited for last month’s World Cup qualifier against Algeria, but he rejected the invitation, saying he wanted to focus on his club career. “The parents told me that he would come if we invite him again,” Rohr was quoted by AfricanFootball.com as saying on Thursday. “The player from Holland told me yes, but in the last moment he told me no.” Rohr wanted Ebuehi to play at right-bach, which has seen four players featuring in that role in the team’s last three matches – Musa Mohammed, Wilfred Ndidi, Kenneth Omeruo and Shehu Abdullahi. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Lead tablets have been found to be 2,000 years old (Picture: Cascade) An ancient set of lead tablets showing the earliest portrait of Jesus Christ have proved to be around 2,000 years old, according to experts. The metal ‘pages’, held together like a ring binder, were found in Jordan in around 2008 and make reference to Christ and his disciples. The lead has been analysed and the words and symbols translated and experts say the tablets date from within a few years of Jesus’ ministry. And what they reveal could be enlightening not only for Christians, but also Jews and Muslims. The tablets suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but restoring a thousand year old tradition from the time of King David. And the God he worshipped was both male and female. The lead has been analysed and the words and symbols translated (Picture: Cascade) Central to the books is the idea that Christ promoted worship in Solomon’s Temple where the very face of God was believed to be seen – and this is where the episode with the moneylenders in the Bible came from. One of the books bears resemblance to how the Book of Revelations is described as it has seven seals. The books are known as codices – types of bound manuscripts distinct from scrolls – and among them is an image of Jesus himself. Authors David and Jennifer Elkington have been campaigning since 2009 for the codices to be recognised and protected but say evangelical Christians are trying to brand them fakes. They were apparently discovered by Hassan Saeda, an Israeli Bedouin, who according to some reports was given them by his grandfather, and by others that he discovered them in a flood. David Elkington, 54, of Gloucestershire, says he is now trying to prevent the codices from being sold on the black market. In 2011 Elkington announced their discovery on BBC News and the world’s press followed it up. But a number of scholars came forward to brand them fakes, most without ever seeing the codices. But now tests Prof Roger Webb and Prof Chris Jeynes at the University of Surrey’s Nodus Laboratory at the Ion Beam Centre, confirm that a codex, leant to the Elkingtons by the Department of Antiquities in Amman for testing, is compatible with a comparative sample of ancient Roman lead unearthed from an excavation site in Dorset. Further crystallisation analysis indicates that the codex is likely to be between 1800-2000 years old. Although Christ is referred to outside of the Gospels, for example by the Roman writer Tacitus, these would be the earliest and only Hebrew-Christian documents in existence – and linguistic and metallurgical analysis now suggests they are. Analysis of the script by scholars has confirmed that the language of the codices is Paleo-Hebrew. The codices are covered in eight-pointed stars, symbolic of the coming of the messiah, and they mention the name of Jesus. They also contain the names of apostles James, Peter and John. According to the Elkingtons the books suggest Christ was part of a Hebrew sect dating back 1,000 years to King David, who worshipped in the Temple of Solomon and believed in a male-female God. In the Bible Jesus is referred to as a ‘tekton’ which is usually translated as ‘carpenter’ but actually means a skilled craftsman and could refer to the skill of producing such works in metal. In traditional Christian icons he is often shown carrying a sealed book – a codex. Elkington said: ‘Jesus was seeking to restore the Temple. To put back that which had been lost in the reforms that came before his time. ‘Dr Hugh Schonfield, one of the most eminent authorities ever to work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, predicted that a metal book would be found: as he recognized that one had been described in a scroll called The Damascus Document – a description that fits precisely one of the codices. ‘His conclusion was that Christianity was based within the Hebrew Temple. Dr Schonfield, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, also described himself as a Jewish-Christian, a view that he held because of his work on the scrolls. ‘A part of the older tradition of the Temple was the Divine Feminine – known to Christians as the Holy Spirit. Jesus had women involved in his ministry. ‘At the height of his ministry, the gospels tell us that Jesus challenged the moneychangers in the temple. ‘The codices appear to reveal what happened afterwards – a chapter missing from the gospels. It would appear that Christianity was founded upon what Jesus did in the temple: a place where many Jews believed God actually resided. ‘Jesus went into the Temple to renew a covenant with God.’ If the codices are genuine, as the metal and writing suggests they are, they provide new insight into the life of Christ. While the codices do not contradict any of the established narrative they place greater emphasis on the physical temple, of the belief in the divine feminine and in Christ’s role in protecting a lineage of Hebrews rather than being the founder of his own movement. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Patrick Osueke Former Nigeria midfielder, Waheed Akanni, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation to focus on grassroots football in the country. Akanni, who was at the 2016 COPA Lagos Beach Soccer Tournament, told our correspondent that poor administration was responsible for the problems facing football in the country. “A lot of things have been said about the sports minister, which is not right; Solomon Dalung is not the minister of football but the minster of sport. That is why we get negative answers when we push certain issues to him forgetting that he is not a football minster but the sports minister,” he said. “I think we should go back to our drawing board because most of the problems we are facing now are as a result of our neglect of the grassroots. We have failed to pay attention to our grassroots football. “The NFF should create a viable grassroots department, I understand the technical development wants good results at the highest level but grassroots football is very important because the coaches will discover players.” --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

The Argentina captain could pocket an astronomical sum should he choose to join Manuel Pellegrini in the Super League, although he is currently in talks over a new Barcelona deal. A Chinese Super League club will try and hijack Lionel Messi's contract negotiations with Barcelona with a stunning offer worth half a billion euros, according to AS. The Argentine is currently in talks over extending his deal at the Camp Nou, which he has called home since the age of 13. Hebei China Fortune, however, are mulling over a bid that would be hard to refuse. Reports suggest the club currently coached by Manuel Pellegrini could offer a five-year contract to the star, who would receive an incredible €100 million per term. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Marshal-Idio Winner of the third edition of The Next Titan Season 3, Marvis Marshal-Idio, has said that she is, more than ever, ready to make an impact in the business world. The graduate of architecture from the University of Uyo, who also holds a second degree in Interior Designs from the Florence Designs Academy in Italy, beat three other finalists during the grand finale of pitching done in Lagos to win the contest. For this feat, the star prizes – N5m provided by star sponsor, Heritage Bank and a Ford car from another sponsor, Coscharis – will go to her. Speaking after the event, Marshal-Idilo said, “I now have what I need, and the sky is my limit with new energy, new strength, and new focus. Just watch out.” Although the other finalists, Ronald Ajiboye,Victoria Mamza and Sunday Ewolabi paraded some ideas that cut across different sectors, her idea, which dazzled the Next Titan judges, is built on creativity. She wants to turn trash into beautiful furniture. The judges, who are seasoned entrepreneurs, are Mr. Kyari Bukar, Mr. Tonye Cole, Mr. Chris Parkes and Mrs. Lilian Olubi. According to the organisers, Bravopoints International formerly Ficomms International Ltd, the Season 3 received over 15,000 entries from young and aspiring entrepreneurs from different parts of the country. The opening ceremony/premiere evening of the show witnessed a large turnout of people at the Oriental Hotel, as everyone was eager to see the unveiling of the qualified 16 contestants who had made it into the House to compete for the 10 weeks competition reality show for the grand prize of N5m and a brand new car. The Executive Producer of The Next Titan, Mr. Mide Kunle-Akinlaja; and officials of the sponsors, including Mrs. Orhi Ogba of Heritage Bank, expressed delight at the success of the project which, they said, aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirits of young Nigerians. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

L-R: Amanda Star, Travis Jay, Nadia Jay & Candace Nigeria’s foremost entertainment radio station, Beat FM emerged the radio station of the year at the just concluded Urban Music Award (UMA) in London. The Beat London (103.6) was nominated alongside 6 other radio station like BBC1 extra and Capital extra at the Urban Music Award (UMA) in London. The award is one of a kind as it reflects one of the most diverse and exciting years for British and International music talent. The station also recently received awards for the Best Radio and the Best Online Radio Show, which was won by Beat FM presenter– Amanda Star at the UK entertainment awards. The Beat 99.9 FM, Nigeria also won the prestigious award for “Best Use of Social Media Radio Station” at the second edition of the Nigeria Technology Award. The station edged out three other radio stations to clinch the award in the “Telecoms Categories”. Speaking on the various awards, General Manager, Megalectrics, Deji Awokoya says, “there is no doubt THE Beat FM is doing great work and these awards justify the impact we’re making both on the local and international scene in just a short while with he rebranding of Bang Radio to THE BEAT London. It is worth celebrating because this is just the beginning for us as we continue to position ourselves as a global brand”. The radio station is highly centered on the entertainment industry and its goal is to satisfy listeners’ through quality programming. The Beat 103.6FM London, opened for business earlier this year after a rebranding from what was formerly called Bang Radio and is aimed at projecting not just the vibrant UK music genres but also Nigerian Music popularly referred to as Afrobeats, Afropop, other african and carribean music genres to the UK Population and beyond. Since the Beat FM Brand launched in Nigeria in 2008, it has grown organically and rapidly over the years with major impact in the entertainment industry. The Beat FM London is the first on the brand’s international platform band. Amanda Star and Nadia Jae --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

The Chile international is hoping for a deal worth £250,000 a week to stay at the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners are yet to make a satisfactory counter-offer. Alexis Sanchez remains a long way away from extending his Arsenal contract after the club's offer fell well short of expectations, according to the Mirror. The Chilean was reportedly offered a deal worth £180,000 a week, a substantial improvement on his current contract which expires in 2018. Alexis, however, is determined to hold out for £250,000, and with talks stuck at an impasse, a resolution is not expected until the coming summer. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Recently, Drake and Jennifer Lopez‘s relationship rumours have been flying about, but no one could confirm if they were true. However, we do not need any confirmation as both of them have posted an Instagram picture on their official pages respectively, showing them snuggling together, looking like a couple newly smitten with each other. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

We already know Beyonce is one of the greatest performers in the world. But when the company she founded and runs decided to have a Christmas party, the employees sure didn’t expect her to show up and perform for them. After the employees of the company had watched a screening of the singer’s visual album, Lemonade, the singer took to the stage to serenade them exclusively, accompanied by a band. Now, don’t you wish you worked for Beyonce? --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Business mogul and former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Jimoh Ibrahim has come after the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode again. A tweet fight broke out between Ibrahim and Fani-Kayode shortly after the Appeal Court set aside the High Court judgement that returned Eyitayo Jegede as the PDP candidate in Saturday’s November 26 governorship election in Ondo State. After congratulating Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu for polling the highest number of votes in the election in a tweet, he accompanied it with another one lashing out at the former minister. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Airbus said Wednesday it has delivered the first A380 superjumbo to Dubai’s Emirates airline, equipped with a Rolls Royce-made engine. “The first A380 with a Rolls Royce engine has been delivered to Emirates Airline,” a spokesman for the aerospace giant said. In April 2015, Airbus selected Rolls Royce for the lucrative deal to provide the engines for 50 of its A380s that was worth a record at the time of $9.2 billion (8.8 billion euros). The first delivery came a day after Airbus said it was postponing for a year the planned delivery of 12 A380 jets. The delay was linked to the airline’s wish to purchase the finest Rolls Royce engines, an informed source said. “We continue to work closely with Airbus and Emirates Airline to satisfy their requests,” a Rolls Royce spokesman told AFP on Wednesday. Emirates, the biggest client for superjumbos, took delivery of its A380 in November and has ordered 142 in total. A380s with the Rolls Royce motor are already being operated by other airlines such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines. AFP --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

In my own view, no amount is too much or too little to be invested in the agric sector but it depends on the utilisation of such funds. Even if N1tn is voted for agriculture and it is not well utilised, the money will amount to nothing. I have no problem with the amount in the budgetary allocation this year but let it be utilised judiciously. I can see that this government is making efforts in this direction. N92bn budgetary allocation is not a joke and it can make a huge impact in the sector if the amount is judiciously spent. The money should get to the farmers because the problem we have been having is that money allocated to agric before usually does not leave Abuja but this will make a great impact if the amount gets to the farmers. My view now is that government should focus on value addition because that is where the money in agriculture is. Money is not on the farm but in value addition. We produce enough food to feed everyone in Nigeria but we lose a large chunk of if due to post harvest loss. We must invest in food processing and value addition to have enough food for local consumption and even for export. We produce so much but we lose the food as well. For example, five tubers of yam are being sold for less than N3,000; famers have to sell everything at the same time because they cannot preserve them. So, I want a large part of the fund to be invested in food processing and value addition because that is where the real money is. •Prof. Labode Popoola (Vice-Chancellor, Osun State University) The amount (N92bn) budgeted for the agricultural sector by the Federal Government in the 2017 budget is grossly inadequate for a country that is largely agrarian in nature and seeking to diversify its economy by taking advantage of the vast opportunities in the agricultural sector. I wonder what percentage of the total budget the money would represent. The truth of the matter is that peasant farmers will still continue to struggle to feed Nigerians and I believe that the percentage can be increased because it is grossly inadequate considering the depression Nigerians are going through now. I can imagine a situation where each local government in Nigeria prepares 1,000 hectares of land for farmers to use. If you multiply that by all the local government areas in Nigeria, it is a huge investment. Nigerian farmers are not carried along by the government before coming out with agricultural policies. In such a situation, those policies cannot work. Nigerian farmers don’t get the required financial support from the government. The policy on rice and wheat production is selective. What about other cash and food crops that Nigeria can produce? Are we going to eat rice and wheat alone? Some years back, Nigeria was the third largest producer of cocoa but today, we are no longer reckoned with in that area. I wonder how we want to practise mechanised farming with such a ridiculous amount. The tractors bought by state governments were given to politicians who hired them to farmers at huge amounts that farmers cannot afford. In Oyo State, a tractor is given out at N20,000 for a day. How many farmers can afford that? Farmers are using labourers who use cutlasses and hoes to cultivate the land. How many hectares of land can you prepare with cutlasses and hoes? Nigeria must consider cluster farming where large farmlands are prepared by the government and given to farmers in groups in each local government. When they harvest, government buys the crops from them through produce board. This is what is done in Asia where we buy our rice. The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo established a marketing board in the western region that has now been scrapped with no replacement. I know several farmers who call me regularly that they have hectares of farmland with mature crops waiting to be harvested. Government should establish a board that will assist these farmers in the marketing of their produce. •Chief Olatunji Bandele (Secretary of Agbekoya Farmers Union in Nigeria) For what we need to resuscitate agriculture, that N92bn is too small. In the situation we have found ourselves now, agriculture should be the first priority sector in the budget. It should be a sector that should give us what we are looking for. We have the land, good weather, large population and the potential for employment in agriculture is very high. So, I thought that the government would have looked at all the potential and invested in it. If you look at our cocoa, it could be processed to chocolate. We have many raw materials from agriculture that could be processed and even serve our industries as further raw materials. The investment is not just to produce but to also process. •Prof. Job Atteh (A specialist in Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin) It (N92bn) is not enough to ensure diversification. All along, the nation has been operating on a mono-economy – oil. But as it is now, the oil is no longer selling in the world market, so there is the need for us to diversify our resources. Going by the normal requirement, every country is supposed to earmark 10 per cent of her total budget for agriculture. By the time you look at that rate, the budgeted amount is even lower than 10 per cent of the total budget. The issue now is, would the budgeted amount be managed well? Is it not going to be managed by some of these politicians who would embezzle part of the money? Even if some of the money is allocated to farmers as incentives to mobilise them or subsidise and provide fertilisers, it will be better. Some of the allocated funds do not get to farmers. That is where we have been having problems in this country. We have people who will get these funds on behalf of farmers but divert them into their personal coffers. To ensure diversification as a nation, we have to be serious. We have to be up and doing. All hands must be on deck. We must face the reality. Corruption must end in all ramifications. There must be monitoring organisations to follow up the implementation of financial allocations and disbursements. There should be a prudent management of available resources to boost agricultural development. •Dr. Salau Abdulganiyu (Lecturer Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Services, College of Agriculture, Kwara State University) The N92bn budgeted for the agric sector cannot ensure the needed diversification of the sector because it is grossly inadequate. There’s no gainsaying the fact that agriculture is critical to the development of the country. In the first instance, all the materials used by industries are derived basically from agriculture. Many of the industries depend on agricultural products to survive. As far as I am concerned, that amount is too small if we are serious about really developing the economy. If we are really serious about diversification into agriculture, agriculture should get much more than that amount. I don’t think there is anybody who does not eat. That shows you the kind of importance that should be given to agriculture. Food is so important. Without food, there is nothing anybody can do. Without food, there is no life. If the country is really serious about turning the economy around, we need to pump more money into agriculture. Agriculture, science and technology are vital to the nation’s development. But even scientists need food to be able to think well. It is only those who take balanced diet that will not fall sick. •Mr. Segun Dasaolu (Ogun State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria) Considering the current economic recession and shortage of funds, I think N92bn, if effectively and judiciously put in the right place, will get Nigerians an encouraging result. The economy is presently in a bad shape. So, we can manage that (N92bn) for now. The entire funds must be put into the agricultural sector. If not for the recession, I will say that the amount is too small and will not be able to move us from a mono-economy to a diversified economy. Agriculture can actually become the mainstay of the Nigerian economy as against the current reliance on petroleum products. For now, we have to make do with what we have and I am calling on those that will manage the funds for the development of the agricultural sector to make a judicious use of what is available. Nigerians can guarantee this by being vigilant and ask those in position of power to be transparent and do the needful by managing the resources at their disposal well. The only way we can make them to do the needful is to keep an eye on them and ensure that the N92bn does not go into private pockets. • Mr. Anyakwe Nsirimovu, (Executive Director, Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law) The budget was anchored on pulling the economy out of recession and stagflation as well as taking the path of self-sustainable growth. What is important is not the budgetary amount set aside for funding agriculture. We need to focus on the policies that support backward and forward integration and seek to make agriculture a business rather than just for self-sufficiency. The National Bureau of Statistics data has shown that the contribution of agriculture to nominal GDP, for example, has grown higher than it was. This, however, needs to be complemented by walking the talk in ensuring the 2017 budget fiscal stimulus is implemented as much as possible. •Mr. Rislanudeen Mohammed (Former Managing Director, Unity Bank Plc) --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Divorce A 55-year-old trader, Mrs. Saidat Abu, on Thursday told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos that her husband impregnated her younger sister on two occasions. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Saidat spoke while responding to a suit filed by her husband, Momodu, alleging threats to his life and seeking a divorce. Saidat said, “My husband had an affair with my sister, he impregnated her and aborted the pregnancy on two occasions. I decided not to fight him in order to save my marriage.” The mother of two also described her husband as a callous man. She said, “My husband took me to a hospital and connived with the doctor to remove my womb. “Who will marry me now after my husband has removed my womb? Please do not grant his request,” she said. Momodu, a 60-year-old businessman, had approached the court to end his 33-year-old marriage over his wife’s alleged fetish act. The petitioner urged the court to terminate the marriage, saying he was fed up. The court’s President, Mr. Adegboyega Omilola, after listening to the couple, adjourned the case till February 7, 2017. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Around 350 people have come forward to say they were sexually abused as children by youth football coaches in Britain, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said on Thursday. The scale of the abuse began to emerge last week after a string of ex-footballers, including England internationals, told of the ordeals inflicted upon them by coaches. “We are working closely with the Football Association to ensure that the response to this significant and growing number of victims, at all levels of football, is co-ordinated effectively,” said Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the NPCC’s lead for child protection. The NPCC said a “significant” amount of calls had been made to police after the former players came forward to speak out about the abuse they suffered as children. The BBC said the NPCC’s figures were based on existing investigations as well as a new helpline set up by British charity the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The NSPCC said the helpline had received 860 calls in its first week, enabling it to refer 60 cases to police or social services within three days of the hotline launching. That was more than triple the number of referrals made in the first three days of the helpline set up for victims of Jimmy Savile, a serial paedophile and late BBC television presenter. The hotline is supported by England’s Football Association and backed by England captain Wayne Rooney, who is an NSPCC ambassador. Bailey encouraged anyone with information about child abuse in football to come forward. “We continue to encourage those who have been the victim of child sexual abuse to report it, regardless of how long ago the abuse may have taken place,” he said. Fifteen police forces across Britain are investigating cases that have made daily headlines in the country over the past two weeks. FA chief executive Martin Glenn said on Thursday he does not believe child abuse within British football has been covered up. “It will help uncover some issues that can’t happen again, but do I think there has been a cover-up? I doubt it,” said Glenn, whose organisation has established an internal review of the allegations. – Chelsea investigation – The scale of the abuse began to emerge after ex-footballers Andy Woodward, Steve Walters and Paul Stewart revealed last week the abuse they suffered at the hands of youth football coaches. Convicted child molester Barry Bennell has been accused by several footballers of abusing them when he worked for Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City and Stoke City across three decades beginning in the 1970s. He is the target of five separate police investigations and on Tuesday was charged with eight counts of child abuse, prosecutors said. Former Newcastle United player David Eatock is the latest player to speak out about his suffering. Now 40, he said he had been a victim of former youth coach George Ormond, who was sentenced to six years in jail in 2002 for offences committed over almost 25 years. “One of the more difficult parts for me is that I wasn’t as young as some of the others,” Eatock told the Guardian newspaper. “I was 18 when I got to know George Ormond. I can still remember the look on his face, how terrifying it was, and how his eyes were possessed.” He added: “I’m just glad Andy Woodward, by speaking out, has given me the strength to do this because I never would have otherwise. It has been like a knot in my brain and I’m now trying to pick apart that knot.” Premier League leaders Chelsea have opened an investigation after newspaper claims they bought the silence of a former player who said he was abused by a scout at the club during the 1970s. Glenn said the FA would come down hard on any club found to have hushed up reports of abuse. “FA chairman Greg Clarke is committed to a full review, shining a torch on what has happened in the past in football,” he told a press conference at Wembley to unveil new England manager Gareth Southgate. “If there has been evidence of hushing up, when it’s our turn to apply the rules we absolutely will, regardless of the size of club.” --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

The striker has signed for Shanghai Shenhua in a massive deal but is being tipped to only enjoy a short stay in the Far East before heading home Carlos Tevez could return to Boca Juniors as early as next year, according to President of Argentina Mauricio Macri. Tevez & the biggest China transfers The 32-year-old striker has agreed to join Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua in a deal that will makes him the highest-paid player in world football. Tevez only returned to his boyhood club last year but will now head to China where he is set to earn an estimated salary of £32 million-a-year. Macri, a former chairman of Boca Juniors, says he understands why the 32-year-old has made the decision to leave the club but is hopeful his stay in the Far East may be short-lived. “Tevez's sale to Chinese football will improve the relationship between both countries,” he told Radio Mitre . “As a selfish Boca fan I didn't want him to go, but I know that he needed to. “I love Carlitos. I told him he had to come back from Europe. I understand him now: his treatment here wore him down. He needed to take a rest and live in peace again. “Boca is very demanding, very invasive. And Carlitos needs his space. I think what he's done is a good thing. Eight months will fly by, maybe we will have him back next year.” Tevez is no stranger to high-profile transfers, having made the shock move to West Ham, along with Javier Mascherano in 2006. before swapping Manchester United for City in 2009. The striker also enjoyed two years at Juventus, winning two Serie A titles, before returning to Boca Juniors in 2015 and winning a league and cup double in his first season back. The new Shenhua recruit will join up with former Premier League stars Demba Ba and Obafemi Martin in Gus Poyet’s side. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Treatment for HIV and AIDS has progressed massively, but sadly our attitudes have yet to catch up. Being ignorant is not only stigmatising and harmful for those who live with HIV but it can also put your or your partner’s health at risk. I have OCD and an element of my illness is severe health anxiety. This means I can get really overwhelmed with obsessive thoughts about health and, in particular, the fear of catching HIV. In a bid to understand the illness better, I spoke to my friend Tom, who is HIV positive, and it has really helped open my eyes. In all honestly, it’s made me realise just how much I have been influenced by society’s negative portrayal of HIV and AIDS. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one. So, here are seven myths that need debunking right now. 1. Only gay men get HIV Gay and bisexual men are disproportionately affected by HIV, but HIV is not a ‘gay disease’. There are thousands of heterosexual men and women living with HIV in the UK. This means that you should be using protecting and regularly getting tested, whoever you want to get naked with. Ignorance may feel like bliss, but HIV couldn’t give a s*** about your sexual preference. 2. You can get HIV through kissing HIV is not transmitted via every day contact. And you can’t get HIV through using the same cooking utensils as someone living with HIV. In fact, there are only a few very specific ways through which HIV transmission can occur in the UK: Having sex with someone without a condom Sharing injecting equipment. 3. You can get HIV by standing on used, discarded needles It’s quite a niche concept since you’re unlikely to be trotting around barefoot with used needles scattered on the floor. But hey, this article is about myth-busting, not judging how you spend your weekend. Just FYI, HIV does not live outside of the body for longer than a few minutes at most. 4. It is easy to contract HIV by having sex with someone who is HIV positive When used properly, condoms work extremely well at preventing HIV. Anti-retroviral treatment now means that most people in the UK who are living with HIV and are having treatment have an ‘undetectable viral load’. Not only does this indicate that the person’s HIV is under control, it also means that it is almost impossible to transmit the virus to their partners during sex. Which is pretty amazing really. You may have heard of ‘PrEP’. It’s a major game changer for HIV prevention because those who are at risk of contracting HIV can take it and it is almost 100% effective at preventing HIV. Unfortunately, PrEP is currently not available in the UK on the NHS. Which feels very ‘being gay is a lifestyle choice’ if you ask me. 5. If you have been exposed to HIV there is nothing you can do Most people are unaware that if you think you might have recently been exposed to HIV, you can take something called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can prevent you from contracting the virus. You can access PEP at any sexual health clinic or A&E department. 6. HIV is a death sentence HIV treatment is now extremely effective at keeping people healthy and well. If you are diagnosed and start treatment within good time, you have the same life expectancy as someone who does not have HIV. Having HIV is not the same as having AIDS. Put simply, HIV is a virus. AIDS is a condition caused by HIV. You can have HIV without developing AIDS, and many people live for years with HIV without ever developing AIDS. 7. If you have HIV, you cannot have children HIV treatment can now be used to prevent HIV transmission from occurring between mother and child. It means that a couple, where one or both are HIV positive, can now conceive and give birth to perfectly healthy HIV-negative children. For more information on HIV and AIDS visit nat.org.uk --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Dayo Adeyeye OLUSOLA FABIYI and JOHN ALECHENU The national leadership of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday alleged that the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress was planning to burn the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state. Spokesperson for the Makarfi-led PDP, Dayo Adeyeye, who stated this in a statement, said the party was reliably informed that some APC members were planning to destroy the documents used for the September 28 governorship election in the state. Adeyeye said the revelations that allegedly emanated from the office of INEC jolted the APC representatives. He said, “At the INEC office on Wednesday, the APC representatives demonstrated readiness to carry out their threat by assaulting the INEC personnel in the presence of some of our members and other people, who saved the situation. “It is hopeless for members of a political party that claims to have won the election to resort to an unruly aggression in such an exercise.” However, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, denied the allegation. He said, “This is not an issue to trade words with the PDP about. It is not everything we should play politics with. “If they have any evidence about any person trying to commit arson, which by our laws is a crime, they should report such a person to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. They will be helping to prevent a crime from being committed. It is not appropriate to make wild allegations all in the name of politics.” --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

On Thursday, December 15, pop singer, 2Baba finally met his oldest female fan, Mrs Rukayat Shobanjo. The very excited old woman, who was brought to the venue of the Buy N Win promo by her grandson, happily knocked knuckles with 2Baba as she finally got to meet Mr Senator in person. 2Baba was no less excited as he greeted her all smiles and cheerful. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Federal Government to adopt an “aggressive policy” to recover looted funds and stop asking for loans. Falana said this on the side line of an event to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day organised by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Thursday. He said, “People have stolen our money, why are you begging them to return it? We need to fight them and collect the money; we do not need loans that will mortgage the future of our country. “The government is asking for a loan of $29.6 billion and we have more than that to recover.” He called on the U.S Government to intervene and also urged anti-graft agencies to enhance cooperation to ensure the recovery of such funds. He said that the Federal Government’s current plan to recover stolen loots of past administrations would not get the country out of its economic crisis. He said, “For instance, $458 million has been forfeited in the U.S.; Nigeria has filed an application before the High Court in Jersey where the money was traced to. “But the U.S. Government has filed an objection to the release of the money to the government of Nigeria, claiming the money should be paid to the U.S Government to be managed for Nigeria. “We also have some money to collect from the Swiss Government; the Swiss Government is illegally saying that they are not going to release this money unless the World Bank is ready to supervise the management of the fund.” “Unfortunately, the government (Nigeria) is not challenging such violations of our sovereign rights as a nation. “Unless the Federal Government is prepared to adopt an aggressive policy against western governments and their very corrupt financial institutions, we are not going to come out of this mess.” He said that the Federal Government’s request for loans would be detrimental to the future of the country. Falana further called on Nigeria media to join the campaign of the return of the country’s looted wealth. He said, “The Financial Times Magazine of the UK wrote an editorial asking the UK Government to release not less than one billion pounds instead of giving us aid; the Nigerian media should join the campaign.” --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Twitter user @Princess_Jacki_ is an Olamide fan who was dissatisfied with the OLIC3 event that she attended and wrote a few words about it. We have reproduced the entire text below. ‘Yesterday was OLIC, I never thought I’d say this, but it was zero. Security was zero; organization was zero as well. Firstly, porous security. Anyone, I mean anyone, could literally walk through the gates of Eko hotel. I swear, I didn’t sight one metal detector. People walked in and out as they liked. I’m sure every Nigerian right now is 150% aware of terrorist attacks and the need for security to be tops at all times especially at social gatherings. Some people said there were dogs. Excuse you, someone could walk in and just start shooting and these people won’t have cared if they died! Security is major key. Anything could’ve happened TBH. Then to the ‘disorganization’. A lot of people didn’t have tickets; it was no one’s fault. A lot of people ended up getting regular tickets for 15k or more, and VIP for about 30k or 40k – also no one’s fault. After getting tickets the next thing is to queue up to get tags to get in, and trust me the queue was long ASF. After a while, at about 10 or 11 p.m, they said tags were finished but we needed to hold on a little because they went to get more. From 11 p.m to 2 a.m a lot of people were outside waiting for tags. These people had tickets but were deprived of what they had paid for, because of the inability for the organizers of OLIC to be effective. It’s just like going to the cinema and more tickets are sold than the number of seats. How dumb can that be? What stopped them from producing tags equivalent to the number of tickets they sold? Eventually people got really angry. A concert slated for 7 p.m and they were left out till 2 a.m! The guys at the gate, bouncers or whoever, weren’t even making situations better. They were so rude, saying stuff like they don’t know why we were still waiting that the tags were finished, and there’s no space in the hall anymore. There were no fights but they released tear gas on us and used tasers on a few people. No like FML despite this economic shit going on. People went out of their way to be there for the concert and this is what they get??? You think it’s so easy to hustle up 5k, 10k, 20k etc? Or you think people don’t have better stuff doing with their money than watching a bunch of musicians perform? Things got emotional ASF yoooo – people were crying. That’s how deep it was. This isn’t for Olamide alone. All artistes need to get their shit together and learn to treat your fans with more respect and love, because without us you’re nothing. I’m the wildest Olamide fan, but even if they have 10 OLICs after this, I don’t think I’d want to be there. Because it looks like he’s started doing stuff for the rich lads alone, and we’re sorry we can’t afford the gold, silver and platinum. If you were there for this event and you had fun to its peak – congratulations. But I didn’t. Olamide, I think you owe a lot of fans an apology, because a lot of people wasted their money and time. God bless. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Meek Mill's about to haul it in for headlining a New Year's Eve party in Miami ... and the amount of 0s on his paycheck is right up there with some of rap's biggest acts. Sources close to Meek tell us ... he's getting $200k to perform at Dream Nightclub in South Beach, plus $20k to partially cover expenses. Not too shabby for a guy whose career seems to be on a never-ending roller coaster. We're told Meek will also be lubricated with spirits -- 10 bottles of Ace of Spades, 5 bottles of Moet Nectar Rosé and some Hennessy and tequila to boot. Varsity Lifestyle Group is throwing the bash, and tickets to ring in the new year with the rapper are $60 for chicks, $109 for dudes, with VIP packages ranging from around $4k to $10k. It's scheduled to rage 'til 5 AM. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Chad Johnson was straight fire during a lecture at the University of Florida Thursday morning -- blazing up a cigar in the middle of class ... despite the fact it's a non-smoking campus!! The ex-NFL star was the guest speaker at a sports media class on the UF campus -- and cracked jokes about all sorts of stuff ... including his ever-changing last name. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

Isheri Oshun area Photo: File Samson Folarin Some gunmen, who have been terrorising residents of Isheri Oshun area of Lagos State, have again abducted two residents of the area. PUNCH Metro learnt that the assailants, who wore military camouflage, stormed Charles Nawbawgu Street on Tuesday and whisked away the two residents, identified as Lawyer and one Baba Amira, an executive member of the community development association. Our correspondent learnt that the gunmen attacked the community after releasing three residents they had earlier abducted. PUNCH Metro had reported that three residents of Ever Winning Avenue, including two landlords, were whisked away by the gunmen. It was learnt that undisclosed sums of money were collected for the trio before they were eventually released. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the gunmen returned around 8pm on Tuesday. He said, “They were dressed in military camouflage. They actually targeted the CDA chairman, who had taken his family away. They were leaving the man’s house when they saw Baba Amirat on the way and they took him. “They also abducted Lawyer, who was parking his car on his premises. The two men have been abducted. This has increased the fear in the community. We reported to the police at the Isheri-Oshun division and the police have been patrolling the area, but that has not allayed our fear.” Another resident urged the government to intervene quickly in the situation, calling for military bombardment of the creeks in the area. “We believe it is only the military that can confront these people because they have superior firepower. They are heavily armed and the police cannot confront them. We cannot continue like this. They just released the three people they abducted after collecting different sums of money from their families. We are wondering who will be the next,” he added. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police had no record of the incident. “I don’t have such a report, please,” she said. --Roluyo Hammed contributed reporting.

Rapper Kanye West has been discharged from UCLA Medical Center after spending a week in the facility where he was hospitalised for exhaustion and sleep deprivation. According to TMZ, “Kanye is at home with his wife, Kim Kardashian and their kids. We’re told he left the hospital under the care of Kim, and his personal physician, Dr. Michael Farzam who called 911 the day Kanye was admitted”. “He is home, getting some rest,” a source close to West confirms to PEOPLE. “Kanye is at home with Kim and the kids. He seems okay and happy to be home. Kim’s family is visiting,” another source close to the family tells PEOPLE. “Kanye will continue to receive treatment and help with how to cope with stress. He needs to learn how to better balance his work and family life,” the source added. --Roluyo Hammed and Rabiu Wasiu contributed reporting.

There was pandemonium in the Liverpool, Apapa area of Lagos on Thursday after an irate mob lynched a commander of the Lagos State Transport Management Agency, Mr. Bakare Olatunji. It was learnt that Olatunji, who was the zonal head of the agency in the Apapa area, had led a team of officials to the area in a patrol van to arrest erring motorists at about 11am. PUNCH Metro gathered that tanker drivers, who parked their vehicles on the road fled on sighting the enforcement agents. The LASTMA van was said to have ran into an assistant driver (motor boy) while he struggled to escape arrest. The boy, whose name had yet to be ascertained, was reportedly sleeping by the roadside. He died on the spot. Angered by the boy’s death, his friends were said to have regrouped and went on the rampage, killing Olatunji in the process. A mechanic in the area, Uthman Salau, said another LASTMA official was injured, while others fled the scene. He said, “The drivers were relaxing around 10.30am when they saw a LASTMA van approaching. They felt the officials had come to arrest them for parking vehicles indiscriminately. So, they ran away. A motor boy, who was sleeping beside a tanker, was woken up by the commotion. Before he could escape from the spot, the LASTMA van hit him and he died instantly. “One of the drivers, who saw the boy lying in a pool of blood, called his colleagues and they stormed the scene with cutlasses, bottles and all sorts of weapons. The officials fled with the van except their team leader (Olatunji). They stabbed him to death.” However, an eyewitness, who gave his name only as Issa, said the operatives had flagged down a motorist, who refused to stop, adding that the agency’s van knocked down the boy as they gave the driver a chase. “LASTMA agents are fond of extorting money from motorists on roads around here. Their leader waited behind after his men had fled, thinking that he could pacify the angry youth. But he was not lucky. They killed him,” he said. A driver, who did not disclose his name, said he got to the scene after Olatunji had been killed. “I am not sure whether the LASTMA officials were chasing somebody or not. What I learnt was that the boy was killed by their van, which sparked off the protest and the eventual killing of one of the officials,” he added. A LASTMA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his colleagues had been under fire for lax enforcement which made them to intensify operations in the area. He said, “Ordinarily, they would not have gone for operations in that area. However, two weeks ago, the management was angry that we have not performed to expectation in terms of enforcement. Each zone was asked to generate N12m by December 19. So, we are under pressure to deliver. That is the reality we are battling with.” LASTMA spokesperson, Mahmud Hassan, said investigation had commenced to ascertain the cause of the incident. He, however, refuted the claim that the agency was mandated to generate revenue. He said, “I can confirm his (Olatunji’s) death. We are still investigating and I will get back to you. The Lagos State Government did not set up LASTMA as a revenue generation agency. We are there to provide services to the good people of the state. So, we are not after generating revenue. What we are after is safety on Lagos roads and our men are professional. That is our primary duty and responsibility and that is what we have been doing day and night. “No target is given to anybody. We are not compelled under any circumstance to meet certain target at a particular time of the month or year.” The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, in a text message, said the case was under investigation. Punch