The 20-year-old midfielder missed Nigeria’s opening game, a 6-1 thrashing of Tahiti, due to a knee injury, but Keshi had expressed optimism he would be fit in time for Thursday’s crucial Group B clash with Uruguay.

However, he has now suggested that the Lazio player, who remained in Nigeria for treatment, will be spared the trip to Brazil in order to keep him fresh for World Cup qualifying matches later in the year.

“Up to now, we don’t know. I’m not sure if he’s coming,” Keshi said during Wednesday’s pre-game press conference at Salvador’s Arena Fonte Nova.

“We’re not too much in haste. We have three very important World Cup games in September, October and November.

“Those are more important for us, although of course the Confederations Cup is good for us too. We don’t want to push him too much. We want to let him be ready.”

Keshi was reluctant to comment on the demonstrations that have swept Brazil since the start of the tournament, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to protest against mass transit price increases and what they allege is the improper allocation of public funds.

“I think whatever the public are doing is something related to politics and other stuff,” he said.

“We keep football apart from politics. I don’t think it’s something to take the concentration away from football. In Nigeria we try to keep both separate.”

Thursday’s game will go a long way towards determining which of the two sides reach the semi-finals alongside likely group winners Spain, who beat Uruguay 2-1 in their opening match.

Oscar Tabarez’s Uruguay boast the attacking might of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan, who is poised to win his 100th cap.

Keshi described the game as a “final”, but he also said that he was not unduly troubled by the prospect of facing the 2011 Copa America winners.

“What I’m most worried about is my team,” he said.

“If they can play to the tactical plan that we’re working on and concentrate for 95 minutes, then we’ll be fine, no problem.”

On reports that Uruguay will play with a three-man defence, Keshi said: “What Uruguay are doing is Uruguay’s plan. I will have my own plan for Nigeria and we’ll see what happens.”

Nnamdi Felix/ Abuja

Embattled former Chairman of Nigeria’s House of Representatives’ Adhoc committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan and the Secretary of the Committee, Boniface Emenalo on Wednesday urged an Abuja High Court to stay further proceedings in their bribery trial pending their appeal over the court’s refusal to quash the charge.

Last month, the court had refused to quash the seven count charge slammed against the two lawmakers by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The duo were accused of receiving $620, 000 from businessman, Femi Otedola, as an inducement to influence the report of the committee in favour of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited.

Their lawyer, Mr Rickey Tarfa, a senior advocate of Nigeria, informed the court that they have filed a notice of appeal challenging the court’s ruling over their application seeking to quash the charge preferred against his clients.

He told the court that the notice of appeal was filed on the 6th of June alongside an application seeking for stay of proceedings in the matter pending the hearing and determination of their appeal. The application, according to the senior advocate, was brought pursuant to the provisions of sections 6(6)(a) and (b) praying for an order of the court staying further proceeding in the charge with reference number FCT/HC/CR/76/2013 pending the determination of their appeal.

Farouk Lawan: trying to stall case

He argued that the stay of proceedings is necessary so as not to overreach the outcome of their appeal.

In his opposition to the aplication for stay of proceedings in the matter, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, also a senior advocate of Nigeria, contended that the application filed by the accused persons are contrived to stall their trial and urged the court to refuse it.

“This application is frivolous, vexatious and contrived to stall the prosecution of the accused persons”

He further added that stay of proceedings is a grave and serious fundamental interuption of the right of the prosecution to prove the criminal conduct of the accused persons and urged the court not to impose a stay of proceedings, especially when the accused persons have failed to demonstrate any special and exceptional circumstance for such stay to be granted.

He also argued that the onus is open the accused persons to show why the request for stay of proceedings should be granted in their supporting affidavit to that application but which they failed to discharge.

“By the nature of the charge and the status of the accused persons as well as the national policies on trial of corruption cases, there is no fact in their affidavit to indicate that a grant of stay of proceedings will serve the interest of justice and nothing also suggest that the accused persons will suffer any prejudice or legal disability or incapacity if the application uis refused. They are not in custody and their resources to prosecute their appeal is not inhibited in any way. I urge this court not to exercise its discretion in favour of these accused persons who have not shown in any way that the res, the subject matter of their trial, will be affected or destroyed if the application is not granted” Awomolo argued.

Thereafter, the presiding judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, adjourned till the 10th of July, 2013, to deliver his ruling on the motion.

Lawan and Emenalo were alleged to have violated the provisions of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission Act.

Count one of the charge reads:

“That you, Farouk Lawan (M) and Mr. Emenalo Boniface (M) sometime in April 2012 or thereabouts in Abuja within the Federal Capital Territory under the jurisdiction of this honourable court did while acting in the course of your official duties as Chairman and Secretary (respectively) of House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime conspired between yourselves and with each other to corruptly obtain the sum of $3,000,000 for yourselves from Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, as inducement to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from the House of Representatives AdHoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime’s Report and did cause the House to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from the said list and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 26(1)(c) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under section 8(1) of the same Act.”

In count two, Lawan was accused of corruptly asking for $3,000,000 from Otedola with the intention of favouring the businessman in the report of the adhoc committee, an offence punishable under section 8(1) of the same Act.

In count three, Lawan was said to have corruptly agreed to accept the $3,000,000, while count four of the charge indicated that he obtained $500,000 from Otedola.

In the same vein, count five accused Emenalo of asking for$3,000,000 for himself from Otedola as a bribe, an offence punishable under section 8(1) of the ICPC 2000 Act.

The prosecution alleged in count six that Emenalo was offered bribe by Otedola but he failed to report the offer to any officer of the ICPC, an offence contrary to section 23(1) of the ICPC Act, 2000, and punishable under section 23(3) of the same 2000 ICPC Act.

In count seven, Emenalo was equally accused of receiving $120,000 from Otedola .

Brazil superstar Neymar scored one goal and set up the other to give hosts Brazil a 2-0 win over Mexico in their Group A game and a place in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in Fortaleza on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old took his tally to 13 goals in his last 15 games for his country with a superb left-footed volley early in the first-half, and then produced a brilliant shimmy between two Mexican defenders in second-half stoppage time to set up Jo for the second goal.

The Brazilian national football team poses before the start of the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Group A football match against Japan, at the National Stadium in Brasilia on June 15, 2013. (First row, L-R) Forward Oscar, defender Dani Alves, defender Marcelo, midfielder Paulinho, forward Neymar and midfielder Luiz Gustavo. (Standing, L-R) Goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defender David Luiz, forward Fred, forward Hulk and defender Thiago Silva. AFP

While Brazil progress to the semis, Mexico’s hopes hang by a thread after two defeats as Japan, who lost 3-0 to Brazil in their opener, must beat Euro 2012 finalists Italy later on Wednesday to give them any hope of reaching the last four.

Brazil play Italy in their final group match in Salvador on Saturday.

Tomorrow, Nigeria will play against Uruguay, while Euro and world champions, Spain will take on minnows Tahiti, in the second group.

Nigeria’s military on Wednesday banned the use of satellite phones in Borno state after cutting mobile phone service, further isolating the area after a series of fresh attacks.

The military claimed in announcing the ban that Islamist extremist group Boko Haram had used satellite phones to plan attacks on schools.

The insurgents have attacked two schools in the northeast this week, leaving at least 16 students and two teachers dead.

“Therefore, effective from 19 June 2013, the (military) imposes a ban on the use and sale of Thuraya phones and accessories, including Thuraya recharge cards in Borno state,” said a statement from Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa.

Thuraya is a popular brand of satellite phones.

“Anyone seen with Thuraya phones, recharge cards and accessories will be arrested,” the statement said.

It was unclear whether the ban would also apply to journalists, who have used satellite phones to communicate when visiting the region, where the military launched a sweeping offensive on May 15.

The announcement applied to Borno state, the hardest hit in the region, and it was unclear if it would be extended.

The military has claimed it has pushed out the insurgents with its offensive, but a series of attacks in recent days have raised questions over whether the gains were only temporary.

On Sunday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on a secondary school in Damaturu in Yobe state, killing seven students and two teachers.

Two of the attackers were also killed, said the army.

On Monday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, suspected Islamists shot dead nine students as they sat an exam in a private school.

Brigadier Olukolade: says Boko Haram looking for soft targets

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military said Wednesday that it has arrested eight of the suspected insurgents who launched deadly attacks on the schools.

“Eight of the terrorists who perpetrated the mayhem during the weekend have been apprehended at the outskirt of Maiduguri,” the spokesman of the defence headquarters, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said in a statement.

The statement said the insurgents’ recent attack “on soft targets” was a way of seeking attention and acts of desperation.

It said that special forces have boosted mop up, cordon and search operations to ensure an end to the insurgency in those affected states.

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

A criminal charge slammed against four Lebanese arrested in connection with an illegal arms cache discovered in Kano, Northern Nigeria, was on Wednesday struck out by Chief Magistrate Muyiwa Oyeyepo of Karu Magistrate Court in Abuja.

The Department of State Security, SSS, had filed the charge on 5 June following the arrest of the Lebanese in connection with the unlawful importation and possession of the large cache of prohibited firearms and other weapons of mass destruction discovered at a residence in Kano.

Lebanese terror suspects: discharged and re-arrested

The suspects include the co-owner of popular Amigo Supermarket at the Wuse 2 District of Abuja metropolis, Mustapha Fawaz. Others are Abdalah Thaini, Talal Roda and Kossay Nourdin.

The prosecutor, Mr. Cliff Osagie, had applied for the withdrawal of the First Investigation Report upon which the charge was predicated on the grounds that further investigations conducted on the illegal importation of the firearms showed that the scope and magnitude of the offence is beyond what the magistrate court can adequately handle.

“The accused persons were remanded based on the charge in the FIR but investigation has progressed extensively and facts that appear in the course of investigation are clearly related to offences which are outside the jurisdiction of this court” the SSS lawyer told the court.

While striking out the charge, Chief Magistrate Oyeyipo averred, “Having listened to the oral application of the prosecuting counsel and the submission of the defence counsel, I hereby grant as prayed that the charge filed on the basis of First Information Report, FIR, on June 5, 2013 is hereby struck out”.

Having struck out the charge, the court also discharged the preliminary objection filed by the suspects’ lawyer

Mr. Osagie thereafter applied that the FIR file of the accused persons be returned to the SSS, adding that the case file has been forwarded to the Attorney General of the Federation for further action on the matter.

Any hope of walking away from the court as free men after their charge had been struck out was quickly erased as the suspects were arrested and bundled into a waiting Peugeot Expert with Abuja registration BWR 245 AJ under heavy security.

The SSS had alleged that the Lebanese are members of Hezbollah military wing in Lebanon.

Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, former deputy governor of Lagos state has been declared wanted by the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), in Lagos, over an alleged fraud of N130 million.

Mrs Ngozi Isintume-Agu, DSP, spokesperson of the unit said in a statement that Sinatu was wanted along with her son, Samson Ojikutu, who is now in the United States of America.

“We are investigating a case of obtaining the sum of N130 million by false representation perpetrated by one Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu and her son Mr Samson Ojikutu.

Sinatu Ojikutu: wanted for fraud in Lagos

“Upon a petition from the DIG ‘D’ Department to the Commissioner of Police SFU, the petitioner alleged that in September, 2011, the suspects conspired and sold a parcel of land at Plot 24, Block 4, situated at Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos for the sum of N130 million.

“The petitioner claimed he paid the said amount into the former deputy governor’s account with the Union Bank in tranches. He further stated that after payment, he requested for title document.

“Alhaja Ojikutu procured an affidavit of support to back her fraudulent claim, a police crime extract and a publication in the Vanguard Newspaper of 18th October 2011, all purporting to evidence loss of the original documents of title to the land.

“The petitioner believed her because of her personality as a former deputy governor of Lagos State.

“The bubble busted when the complainant commenced development on the land and was on the verge of completion when the real owner of the land surfaced.

“It was discovered that the land the suspect sold does not belong to her. She actually sold Plot 23, Block 4, while Plot 24, Block 4, already has a property on it. Investigation revealed that the land she sold belong to one Mr Afolabi.

“It was also discovered that Plot 24, Block 4, which actually belonged to late Samson Adebisi Ojikutu Snr., the suspect’s husband, who died in 2008, was sold by him in 1995, and the suspect was a life witness and appended her signature to the sale of the land.

“The suspect further perpetrated the crime by alleging that the original C of O to the property was missing and swore an affidavit which enabled her obtain a Police Report and Memorandum of Loss.

“She also put up an advert in newspapers that the original C of O was lost, whereas the original C of O was with the Hallmark Homes, the buyer of the property, “ Isintumen-Agu said.

“The suspect and her son were parties to the sale of the land and both signed the agreement given to the complainant and obtained the sum of N130 million from him.

“She admitted the crime but confessed that it was a genuine mistake of plot identification. She refunded the sum of N50 million to the complainant and promised to refund the balance as soon as she disposed her two properties she put up for sale.

“She also confessed that she had injected the complainant’s money in her business. She equally made an undertaking for payment plan drawn between September, 2012 and November 2012, but defaulted due to lack of fund, “ the spokesperson said.

Isintumen-Agu said that the suspect was not ready to pay the balance of the money, adding that she had jumped police bail and had been elusive.

She said that the unit was putting in frantic efforts for the re-arrest of the former deputy governor, calling those with useful information about her to report to the Commissioner of Police, SFU.

The cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which has been in force in Lagos since last year, has now been extended to Abuja, the Federal capital and five other states, with effect from 1 July.

The states affected are Abia, Anambra, Kano, Ogun and Rivers States effective July 1, 2013.

The GTB in a notice to customers said policy aims at reducing the amount of physical cash circulating in the economy, and encouraging more electronic-based transactions such as the payments for goods and services and the transfer of money across borders.

Sanusi Lamido, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor

With the policy, banks will no longer offer cash-in-transit lodgment and cash evacuation services to customers or merchants. Third party cheques above N150,000 shall no longer be eligible for encashment over the counter. The value for such cheques, above N150,000 shall only be received through lodgments into customer’s account.

Individual account holders, with cash deposits and withdrawals in excess of N500,000, will pay a service charge of three per cent on withdrawals and 2 per cent on deposits.

Corporate account holders, which record daily withdrawals and deposits in excess of N3,000,000 in cash, shall pay a surcharge of 5
per cent on withdrawals and 3 per cent on deposits.

JETHRO IBILEKE/Benin

The Nigerian police in Benin City, are working hard to recover the corpse of a retired police Inspector, 82-year-old Samuel Ekhoruyimwen Ajayi who was buried alive but some hoodlums in Oghobaghase village of Ewudu community in Ovia North-East local government area of Edo State over land dispute.

The victim who was also head of Oghobaghase village, was said to have been invited to preside over the settlement of a dispute in his domain when he was allegedly waylaid and captured by some youths of Ewudu Village.

His sudden disappearance on Friday, 10 May, prompted his children in Benin City to inform the police who thereafter declared him missing after 24 hours of futile effort to locate him.

Commenting on the dastardly act, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, zone ‘5’ Benin City, Mr. Hashimu Argungu stated that following intelligent reports, undercover agents led by Sergeant Isaiah Osivwemu, arrested Osamudiamen Uwaila at Ewudu community.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration), Zone 5, Mr. Dave Akinremi who addressed journalists on the incident in Benin, revealed that Police undercover in Benin, led by Sergeant Isaiah Osivwemu led to the arrest of the prime suspect, Osamudiamen Uwaila of Ewudu community, whose confessional statements led to the arrest of seven others, including the Chief Priest of Ovia Deity in Ewudu community, 78-year-old Stephen Oviawe.

Akinyemi further disclosed that two village heads and six youths have also been arrested in connection with the murder.

Police authorities however disclosed that efforts to recover the body of the retired Police Inspector proved futile as other suspects now at large went and removed the corpse from the grave before policemen were led there by one of the suspects.

The prime suspect, 28-year-old Osamudiamen Uwaila, who confessed to the crime, said he connived with others now on the run to capture the victim on the road to his village and took him to an already dug grave in the forest of Ewudu community where they buried him alive after beating him to stupor.

He said they plotted to kill Mr. Samuel Ajayi because of the role he played in a land dispute between Ewudu and Orogun communities some years ago.

Osamudiamen, however denied knowledge of what transpired thereafter as he left the scene immediately, adding that one of his partners in crime now at large, informed him that their victim’s corpse was later relocated to shield their misdeed.

The Chief Priest, Pa Stephen Oviawe who led investigators and a team of police pathologists to the evil forest on 12 June, where they searched for the grave where they reburied the remains without success, stated that he led some elders and youths of Ewudu to perform spiritual cleansing of the land shortly after the murder. He also confessed that he accompanied the group that transferred the body to another grave in the forest at night.

According to the police, the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Unfortunately, some police cadets are still facing hard times despite the fact that the dilapidated buildings and infrastructures are almost completed at the college.

On 13 January, 2013, Jonathan paid an unscheduled visit to the college to ascertain the level of the unspeakable rot in the college as reported by Channels Television and he quickly issued a four-month ultimatum to the Nigerian Army Corps Engineers to carry out total renovation of the dilapidated buildings and infrastructures in the college.

When P.MNEWS visited the college recently, many of the hostel blocks were being renovated. The old roofs, windows and doors of all the buildings have been dismantled and were being replaced with aluminum roofing sheets and sliding windows.

The old police college structure

A cadet, who pleaded anonymity, told P.M.NEWS Metro that since the renovation works began in the college, life has become difficult for him and his colleagues as many of them have been rendered homeless and are squatting with friends or sleeping under trees.

“I want to tell you that some of us are still sleeping under trees. None of us is staying in the renovated building for now because the engineers who are working on the building are yet to complete the work. We heard that the engineers will hand over the renovated building to the Nigeria Police very soon before it can be used,” he said.

Another cadet, who spoke to our reporters, said that life is still unbearable for some cadets at the college. He disclosed that despite the visit of President Goodluck in January to the college, their condition of living has not really changed for good.

“I am one of the cadet officers who came to Lagos for recruitment but unfortunately we were not allowed to stay in the hostel because of the renovations. It is sad that some of us are still squatting with friends while some of us who don’t have family in Lagos sleep under trees, ‘he said.

Some of the officers who spoke to our reporters said they want the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, to urge the engineers to finish the work on time so that the cadets can return to the hostel as soon as possible.

“I think they are almost through with this project and we are expecting the day the hostel will be opened for use. We are happy that government came to renovate the buildings for us but we want to return to our base so that life will be better for us,” said one of the junior officers.

It is not only the cadet officers that are facing difficult time at the college, some market women also complained about poor patronage of customers since the renovation of the college.

A wife of a police officer, who refused to mention her name, told P.M.NEWS Metro there is slight drop in sales in the area since the renovation began.

She said there is poor patronage because many of their customers are cadets, who have not returned to their hostel because of the ongoing renovation in the college.

She added that what contributed to the poor sales is the directive given by the wife of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Umar Manko that the market should close as early as 7pm instead of 10pm that it used to close.  This, she said, has adverse effect on their sales.

“Of course we are not selling the way we used to sell before. We normally closed around 10 pm in the past but now things have changed and it really had adverse effect on sales. We are using this opportunity to appeal to Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar and Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, to look into our plight,” said one of the officers’ wives.

•The newly renovated hostel inside the Police College which was commissioned by Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Dairu Abubakar. Photo: Ayodeji Dedeigbo

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, the Inspector-General of Police, Abubakar and  the Commander, Army Corps Of Engineer, Major General Funso Owonibi, disclosed that the renovation work was 95% completed, revealing that work would be completed and handed over to the police very soon.

Owonibi clarified that only one building was pulled down while renovation work was carried out on others.

Areas renovated, according to him, included the toilets, bathrooms, residential units, cafeteria, and dormitories among others. The hostels, according to him, were fitted with fans, louvers  were changed to slide windows and roofs replaced.

“There was a building that has structural defect and a new one was built. Furniture items like beds and wardrobes were built for trainees. We fixed 2000 beds. But we exceeded the initial specification where we felt it was appropriate. We sank five boreholes and rehabilitated three,” Owonibi said.

In his own comment, Prof. Monye explained that the purpose of his visit was to inspect the level of work done so far.

“The president visited here on 13 January, when it was in a terrible state and he committed to fixing it. What is interesting is not just that he has fixed it but with the speed with which he has fixed it. What we have done is to explore our internal resources using the expertise of the Nigerian Army Corps Of  Engineers and they have demonstrated their capacity without any doubt. So, we are very excited about that.

“I feel good because if you go right inside the hall, you will see the pictures before and the pictures after. And if you are a Nigerian, you can’t but feel good. Something very fundamental has happened, as this is the first time in over 30years that this place is getting a face lift. This shows that the president’s transformation agenda is working,” Prof Monye stated.

Lamenting the poor maintenance culture of Nigerians, he however assured that funds would be made available annually for the maintenance of the college, with a view to preventing it from returning to its former state.

Although he admitted that the college might not be like those  in the western world, he expressed optimism that with the current measure taken by the president, it would reach the standard.

Former member of Remedies, Eedris Abdulkareem, is back. The rapper has just released three new singles. The first of the new songs is Fela. The song, a fast tempo rap with a lot of saxophone and horns, hit you hard. It is a bitter reality track dedicated to the late Abami Eda, with lyrics citing some still relevant issues in the society which Fela talked about. Afrobeat star, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti was featured in the song.

The second track, Shekere, features rap star, Vector, and Midi of Jukebox. It is a party track which is laced with flow like the Waka Wiki MC that Eedris is known for. While the third track, New Edo, is more of a project song in reference to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo State.

All the songs already released are enjoying more downloads online. Fela and Shekere were produced by Soso Beat, while New Edo is produced by Nasty Bit.

Eedris has been off and on the music scene. He told P.M.NEWS Showbiz Trends  a couple of months ago that he was in the studio working hard on some songs that will re-establish his presence on the Nigerian hip-hop scene.

Davido’s gangster video, Gobe is number one for the second week running on the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10.

The upbeat hit with its entertaining video continues to fill dance floors across the nation.

Settled in at number 2 is  Asiko by Darey, featuring Ice Prince and Jozi while Kcee’s Limpopo moves into the number 3 slot (up two places from number 5). Other movers and shakers this week include Wande Cole – up two places to number 7 with The Kick. Wizkid’s Azonto  maintains  number 6, while Iyanya’s Sexy Mam” moves up one slot from 6 to 5.

Flavour’s Chinny is this week’s only new entry at number 10, while chart regular 2Face is in the number 8 position for the third week running with Dance Floor.  Former number one Banky W’s Yes/No made a rapid exit, leaving the Top 10 altogether.

Lynxxx’s Eziokwu featuring Ikechukwu, Phyno and Illbliss stays at number 4 while D’Prince’s Goody Bag perches at number 9.

Every week, the Official Naija Top 10 is put together by an elite panel of judges comprising of Nigerian broadcasters, music specialists and tastemakers, working with MTV Base to pick the winners and losers in the week’s chart.

On the panel are Onos Ovueraye (Bella Naija.com), DJ Humility (Rhythm FM), DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Xclusive (Cool FM), Big

Time (Rhythm FM), DJ Caise (The Beat FM), Toolz (The Beat FM) and Osagie Alonge (Nigerian Entertainment Today).

In the Top 10 studio to dissect this week’s chart and  share the latest music news is Rhythm 93.7 FM’s  OAP Onome Oyaide as the celebrity guest joining show host, Ehis.

The new channels, M-Net Movies Zones and SuperSport Select 2, are the latest additions to GOtv Plus which also includes news, kids, lifestyle and music programming. They are collaborations from African contents giants M-Net and Supersport.

Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa, General Manager, GOtv said the pay TV platform is committed to ensuring that their audiences are provided with value and rich content, as well focused on being a market leader.

“We all love a good story. Whether it is a game or a film, we all have our favourite characters and we want to see them shine. It is emotional, watching a goal being scored or seeing a touching movie scene. So with these two new channels we are saying to GOtv Plus subscribers, here are more stories to make you happy and keep you entertained,” Amkpa said.

M-Net Movies Zone is destined to become a popular viewing choice among fast growing GOtv Plus audiences. The channel has also conveniently scheduled family movies during the day, with comedies and romance scheduled at night. There will be six new movies released every week on the channel.

SuperSport Select 2 is the sister channel to the already very popular SuperSport Select.  While the original Select channel will continue to screen African football; live games from the EPL, UEFA Champions League and Italian football; as well as delayed Spanish and Bundesliga games; plus other FIFA/CAF football, the new channel is to  provide more to that.

•Uruguay’s Diego Forlar

Dynamo Kiev striker, Brown Ideye may start for Nigeria against Uruguay after his team-mates struggled to convert chances against Tahiti.

•Mikel Obi of Nigeria

While Nigeria thumped the French Polynesians 6-1 in the FIFA Confederations Cup on Monday, Head Coach, Stephen Keshi looked less than impressed after watching his side waste a number of goal-scoring opportunities in Belo Horizonte.

Of the three forwards Keshi selected against Tahiti, only Nnamdi Oduamadi hit the back of the net, with the 22-year-old AC Milan winger, who spent last season on loan at Serie B club Varese, striking a hat-trick.

Keshi’s other two forwards, Anthony Ujah of Mainz, who was loaned out to Cologne last season, and CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa failed to score against the Tahitian amateurs.

Ideye, who scored 17 goals in 28 matches for Dynamo in the past season, was a shock omission from Nigeria’s opening match of the Confederations Cup and with the likes of Chelsea’s Victor Moses and Ikechukwu Uche of Villarreal not in Brazil the Ukrainian-based striker is arguably the highest-profile forward available to Keshi.

Oduamadi scored twice in 16 games for Varese last season, while Ujah (13 in 28) and Musa (11 in 28) fared better in front of goal for their clubs.

Nigeria will wrap up a spot in the Confederations Cup semi-finals with a victory over Uruguay, who lost 2-1 to Spain on Sunday.

Spain had 71 percent possession against Uruguay and took 16 shots to six in Recife but Uruguayan head coach Oscar Tabarez would have reminded his team that they still went close to taking a point off the world champions.

Luis Suarez’s stunning free-kick in the 88th minute dragged Uruguay within a goal of Spain, although an equaliser would have been undeserved.

Tabarez will need to get more out of Napoli striker Edinson Cavani against Nigeria, after the 26-year-old was rarely sighted versus Spain.

If Cavani and Suarez can click, they will most likely give Nigeria’s back four plenty of grief in Bahia.

Nigeria have only kept one clean sheet in their past five games, despite not having lost since May last year when Peru overcame the Africans 1-0 in Lima.

Meanwhile, Keshi has pleaded with his players to be more ruthless in front of goal after a string of missed chances.

Despite the heavy margin of victory  the Eagles wasted a number of opportunities when one-on-one with the South Pacific Islanders’ goalkeeper, Xavier Simin.

The victory leaves the African champions top of Group B, however, and Keshi insists that he is pleased with the team’s performance ahead of their game with Uruguay.

“We had some chances, they needed to bury the goals,” he told reporters after the match. “When you play a game like this you tend to give the opposition team the confidence to come back.

“They scored their goal and reacted a little bit. I’m happy with how we did and we’ll see how we get on against Uruguay.”

Support in Belo Horizonte was largely in favour of their Oceanic opposition and Nigerian goals were not celebrated with much fervour, but Keshi dismissed this as having an effect on his players at the Mineirao.

“Most of the supporters are Tahitians or came out to boost their morale which is normal,” he added. “As a professional player you don’t need to worry about that.”

Following their clash with Uruguay on Thursday, Nigeria will face a final group game against Spain on Sunday.

Noted track and field coach, Stephen Francis ranks Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt as the best sprinter in history but believes that the double Olympic champion and world record holder has seen his best days.

Asked to name the top three sprinters in track and field history, Francis named Bolt and Bobby Hayes, the 1964 100m Olympic champion-turned-NFL wide receiver as the joint best, with the 1936 sprint double champion Jesse Owens making it in third spot on his list.

However, guided by Bolt’s inability to test his 9.58 100m and 19.19 200m world records since they were established in 2009 and, perhaps to a lesser extent, his start to the 2013 season.  Francis said, “It’s obvious that Bolt is declining, that’s what the figures say, and so I am going with the figures. The figures appear to say that he peaked in 2009. He has not been able to go back to 9.58 yet, and until he does that, I have to assume that he is declining, but that does not mean that he is not the best but I guess there is only so long that you can stay at that level.”

After his performances at the IAAF World Championships in 2009, where he posted those world record marks, Bolt shortened his 2010 season after persistent injury problems and recorded best times of 9.82 100m and 19.56 200m.

In 2011, his season bests were 9.76 and 19.40, while last year he managed 9.63 and 19.32, in the 100m and 200m respectively.

So far this year, Bolt who actually lost to Justin Gatlin in Oslo a few weeks ago, has recorded times of 9.95 and 19.79. But despite Bolt closing out his seasons with times that rank among the fastest ever recorded, Francis is sticking to his theory. Francis made it clear, however, that he is not questioning Bolt’s dominance.

“Relative to the people in their time, the best will have to be Bobby Hayes and Usain Bolt, mainly because they have been able to beat the people who they run against by such wide margins,” said Francis.

“Even though Bolt is probably declining at the moment, he is still a good distance ahead of everyone else; and Bobby Hayes in his time, there was no real competition, so I would say those two are the best,” Francis added.

Francis is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in history and has trained the likes of Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Melaine Walker, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Kaliese Spencer, Shericka Jackson and a cadre of other top international stars at his Kingston-based MVP Track Club.

New manager, David Moyes takes his team to south Wales on 17 August, before the returning Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea visit to Old Trafford the following weekend.

A match at Liverpool follows for United on 31 August.

Mourinho’s men kick off their campaign with a match against newly-promoted Hull at Stamford Bridge, while there are also home games for fellow Champions League hopefuls, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Manuel Pellegrini’s reign as City boss starts with a home match against Newcastle, who confirmed Joe Kinnear as their Director of football Tuesday. Arsenal are at home to Aston Villa.

The north-London clash is the start of a testing opening to the season for Villa, who have a home match against Liverpool and a trip to Chelsea in their following two games.

Crystal Palace’s first game back in the top flight is against Tottenham at Selhurst Park. Cardiff, who are Championship winners last season start their campaign at West Ham then have home games against Manchester City and Everton.

Roberto Martinez’s first competitive match as Everton manager is at Norwich, while Merseyside rivals, Liverpool start with a home game against Mark Hughes’ Stoke.

Elsewhere, Paolo Di Canio’s Sunderland start with a home match against Fulham, while West Brom face Southampton at the Hawthorns.

Hull’s fans will relish their festive programme, with Manchester United heading to the KC Stadium on Boxing Day, while Manchester City against Liverpool is another tasty-looking 26 December encounter.

The season wraps up on 11 May, with three of the expected title chasers finishing on the road. Chelsea head to Cardiff, Manchester United go to Southampton and Arsenal are at Norwich, with Manchester City at home to West Ham.

That had been the hallmark of Deepwater since they debuted in the Nigerian Basketball League in 2008.

Coached by Lateef Erinfolami, a former national men’s team player and owned by First Deepwater Discovery Limited, headed by Engineer Babatunde Babalola, Deepwater came from behind to dethrone former champions, First Bank, to win the league title every year since the summer of 2009.

A feat that had rescinded clubs like former multiple champions, First Bank of Lagos, Sunshine Angels of Akure, Customs of Lagos and the Nigeria Immigration teams to the background.

To get to the final of this year’s edition of the league, the coach Erinfolami tutored-side maintained an unbeaten run in the first and second phases of the league held in Abuja and Asaba, Delta State respectively.

That feat qualified Deepwater for the final 8 playoffs that was held from 3-15 June, in Lagos.

Playing against hard fighting teams like IGP Queens, Plateau Rocks, FCT Angels and Coal City Queens, the defending champions were undefeated in the playoffs, contrary to critics’ stand that the final eight playoffs would pose stiffer challenge to the team.

In the semi-final, Deepwater out dunked Sunshine Angels by 80-46 points, a team that finished second  in group-B, while First Bank, surprisingly, lost against Dolphins 58-62 in the second semi-final.

Deepwater led by their guard, Magdalene Ukato, dominated play right from the first jump ball to run into a 24-12 lead over Dolphins in the first quarter.

The second and third quarter belonged to the Dolphins team, marshalled by their enterprising captain, Funmilola Akintan, they led in both quarters to keep scores close 55-52 points going into the last quarter.

But with inspiration coming from the Deepwater’s supporters inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium,Surulere Lagos, southwest, Nigeria, the three time defending champions of the league relied on their wealth of experience to overcome Dolphins’challenge in the last few seconds of the fourth quarter winning 82-74 points and became champions for the fourth successive season.

The two finalists, Deepwater and Dolphing will represent Nigeria at the African Club Championship holding later in the year.

—Bamidele Olowosagba

The performance of Nigeria at FIFA organised football competition shows that  the country has abundant  talents but unfortunately the Nigerian Female League is yet to get sponsor  since 1991  that the country too k part in her first ever FIFA Women World Cup held in China.

In the past, players from Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea featured for various clubs in Nigeria but today many of them have since left because  the League has been running without any sponsor, Banyana Banyana celebrated 20 years of participation in international female football.

In two decades, the team has achieved several milestones including, qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games, finishing as runners up at the African Women’s Championship three times and being the first South African national football team to beat Nigeria in an international game.

The South African Female League has secured a sponsorship deal with Sasol.Dumisani Mbokane; Sponsorship Specialist at Sasol said his company is pleased to identify with Bayana Bayana and South African women football.

“As an organisation we are proud to be associated with the positive developments in South African women’s football. This support for women is part of our endorsement of the government policy on gender equity and women empowerment. We are pleased with the team’s progress in the last four years of our partnership and we trust that women’s football will grow in leaps and bounds,” he said.

If the South Africa Women League can get sponsor, Nigeria with her football pedigree on the continent and the world should be able to secure a sponsorship deal with an organisation so that Nigeria female football will attract foreign players, spectatorship and television rights like what is obtainable in other well organised league.

The failure to secure a sponsorship deal is gradually affecting the performance of the senior national team. Super Falcons were bundled out by South Africa in the semi-final of the last Africa Women Championship held in Equatorial Guinea.

Cameroon also denied Nigeria a place at the London 2012 Olympic Games female football event. Presently, Nigeria Football Federation NFF is yet to appoint new coach for the senior national team after Kadiri Ikhana was sacked for his poor performance at the last Africa Women Championship.

Stakeholders who spoke to P.M.NEWS Sports said lack of sponsorship in the league will draw the country back. Some of them said Nigeria female football is static and if care is not taken the six time Africa Champions will begin to lose her position on the Africa continent. Paul Hamilton, former Super Falcons’ Head Coach said that the stability of the league had a direct relationship with the results of the female national teams in international tournaments.

The coach, who decried the slow pace of development in female football in Nigeria attributed it to lack of sponsorship, however, commended the players for their performance in in  to    ternational tournaments in 2012

Hamilton noted that the inability of some league matches to hold, as at when due, was due to the failure of some teams to show up, stressing that they lacked sponsors.

“In short, I praise the girls who play the women’s league because I do not know the source of their strength. At the moment they do not have sponsors. Their appearance at international matches itself is worth celebrating because the league has not received the needed support,” he said.

In her own remark, the Nigeria Women League Board, led by Chief Dilichukwu Onyedinma, has called on all stakeholders of women football in the country to come together as a united front to save the game in the country.

She made clarion call last month in Abuja at the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, FCT chapter’s monthly sports forum.

Onyedinma noted that the major problem facing the women football league is that of inadequate funding by way of sponsorship. She also assured corporate sponsors who embrace the Women League in the country of adequate mileage.

“The Women Football League is one that needs to be nurtured and developed because it remains the pool where materials are selected for the National Women Teams in the country.

“Also, it provides job opportunities for thousands of youths and helps to keep our young ladies off the street and away from social vices.But it’s sad that despite the success which the Nigeria Women National Teams have achieved through the women league, we still don’t have corporate sponsors.” She said.

—Sunday Akintoye

Most dieters try to control overeating by the use of willpower. I know because I’ve tried it myself.

My mother was a marvelous cook, and often before visiting her I would decide I was not going to break my dietary routine. I would try to envision myself refusing all the freshly baked pies, muffins, and breads. In my mind, I repeated over and over, “I will not overeat.”

As soon as I stepped inside the house, I would smell a freshly baked pie.  My mind told me, “yum! You’ve had that before.” My emotions said, “You like that kind of pie, and your mother made it just for you.” My will would try to respond with “I shouldn’t eat any.”

My willpower usually worked until I sat down at the table with my mother. Then she would say, “Come on, help me finish this up. It will never be better than now!” “Have another piece; you eat like a mouse.” “You can diet when you get back home; enjoy yourself while you are here on vacation.”

That’s when I discovered that willpower is not enough. It takes more than will power to stop that kind of temptation. What is  the remedy? It takes courage to adopt a new lifestyle and sustain it.

A Little Change Could Help

The  pastries actually convert very quickly to sugar. In fact if you put a piece of white bread in your mouth for a few minutes, you will notice a sweet taste. The starch is converted to glucose. Yes your white bread is fortified with important vitamins and minerals, such as iron and folic acid and contain a little fraction of protein and  fiber . But for the most part, refined carbohydrates are sweet nothings.

Have you ever mixed a little water into a big bowl of white flour? What do you get? Paste! And that is what too many biscuits and processed foods are becoming in your digestive tract. It may sound extreme but they are junk foods.

So in  order to save my myself from overeating  junk food when I am on vacation, I decided to always get some fruits and vegetables such that even when I unavoidably indulge, I can always take my fruits and vegetable which are rich in fibre. It takes plenty of courage to start something new and stick to it.

In centuries past, the base of people’s diet looked much different than today. It contains large amounts of fibre, the most neglected elements of Nigerian diet. The average person only gets about ten to fifteen grams of fibre per day. We need an absolute minimum of thirty grams. The best sources are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and especially beans. As a rule of thumb, an average serving of fruits or veggies contains about two to four grams. That means you will need the equivalent of ten servings to meet your minimum fibre requirement.

Some of the best sources of fibre are corn, beans, and legumes at five to seven grams per half cup! Also remember that it is very important to increase your water intake as you increase your fibre.

Many cultures with diets that are high in fibre (up to 50 or more grams per day) have very low rates of heart disease and cancer. Fibre is essential for good health and has been linked to the prevention of many other diseases as well.

A recent journal  of Medical Association, read that  of 65000 women ages 40-65, a diet high in sugar and low in fibre more than doubles a woman’s risk of developing Type 11 (adult onset) diabetes over a diet low in sugar and high in fiber.

So what is fibre? It is the indigestible part of plant food and there are two kinds- soluble and insoluble. Think of the soluble fibre as a sponge that soaks up fluid and excess dietary fat as it travels through the digestive tract.

Imagine the insoluble fibre like a scrub brush cleaning up the walls of your intestines as it travels the miles and miles of it’s journey. Fibre absorbs large quantities of water in your digestive tract. That’s one of the reasons it keeps food moving through at a healthy rate.

Fibre is not just for regularity. It also helps notch up your energy, and that’s because it slows the release of  carbohydrate into your bloodstream, thus steadying your blood sugar. Let me give you an example. If you drink a glass of orange juice, the fructose (or natural fruit sugar) in the juice would quickly move into your bloodstream and your blood sugar would rise. That will give you an immediate boost of energy. But the downside is that it also falls as quickly as it rose. Within a short period of time your energy is waning. You’re much better off eating an orange.

Fibre is a key to weight control. Stabilise your blood sugar throughout the day by including fiber in every meal or snack. Over time, you will be amazed at your energy level. You will probably have less sugar craving as well. And because fibre passes through the digestive system intact , not all it’s  calories stay with the body.

Fibre-rich foods typically take a longer time to eat than fatty foods, thereby providing sufficient time for satiety to be attained and overeating to be avoided. High-fibre foods also contain mass, which fills the stomach, producing a “stick to the ribs” feeling-a psychological benefit. And there are many other benefits you get from  fibre, these includes:

•Decrease in fat absorption.

•Stabilises blood sugar

•Promotes digestion

•Fills you up

•Lowers blood pressure

•Lowers serum cholesterol

•Helps prevent digestive diseases

•Promotes regularity

• Contributes to bowel cleansing.

Lastly, look for situations to be active. Take several daily 10-15 minute brisk walks and increase your activity by doing things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. This serves to increase your calorie burn even more. People who are consistently on the go can add 20% to their energy expenditure over the day

The secret to permanent weight loss is training your body to be a more efficient calorie-burning engine by maximizing your metabolism.  Be courageous.

By Lajuwon Lasisi

The mentality of the IMF experts on Nigerian economy is always to deflate the already devaluated Nigerian currency and to increase the already hyper-inflationary pressure on capital goods, due to their insistent deficient, and foolish propositions, on how Nigerian economy should be run.  This time around, IMF would like the government to remove the remaining oil subsidy to turn around the country’s economy.

This is unacceptable economic propaganda stunt, because there is nothing like fuel subsidy on the part of Nigerian people. It was the delusive way the oil business is being run by the Federal Government organ, NNPC, that led to the speculative removal of the so-called fuel subsidy, by increasing the fuel pump price. This was done in order for the Nigerian populace to pay for the lapses of the government business organ, NNPC, with the connivance of some people that mattered in Babangida’s government, which saw to it that the existing  refineries were denied Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) necessary to keep them running. These were the people NNPC gave the contracts to import petroleum products for Nigerian domestic use, apart from some independent petroleum marketers.

So from the era of Babangida junta down to Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan regimes, Nigerians are being programmed to pay for the costly ineptitude of NNPC, nay, the governments, through what they call fuel subsidy. Only Yar’Adua’s government refused to increase pump price of fuel by a dime. Even when his predecessor, Obasanjo, forced him to increase pump price by N5, two months later, he reverted to the old price of N65 from Obasanjo’s imposition of N70.

But to our surprise, President Ebele Jonathan, came in January, 2012 to increase the pump price to N97 from N65 with a proviso to use the fuel subsidy to provide necessary infrastructure to improve our economy, only to come round in February of the same year to announce to the nation that his earlier promise of January could not be met, because, NNPC had paid a chunk of the fuel subsidy to some  oil marketers by default, according to the Federal Minister of Finance , Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, even though the EFCC has swung into action to prosecute these  oil subsidy looters. For your information, the amount of money paid out to these notorious and national economic saboteurs within a month of increase, was about N1.3 trillion or so. The Kano-born petrel of House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, and another colleague of his, Boniface Emenalo, get themselves entangled in the $620,000 bribery scandal trap set for them by Femi Otedola, the son of the former governor  of Lagos State. Lawan’s committee were asked to investigate the fraudulent oil marketers who used some NNPC officials to steal or pilfer oil subsidy fund, without supplying the products.

And this is what the IMF, by inference, is encouraging the Jonathan government to do, by removing the remaining fuel subsidy to increase the pump price, so that the fuel subsidy rogues could get a bigger opportunity to steal fuel subsidy funds, whereas there is no time that pump price increase would not have multiple side effects on inflationary aspects of our economy. Obasanjo increased pump price 12 times which brought confusion into the economic enterprises of Nigerians, in terms of inflation, which left most Nigerians more impoverished. The only thing Obasanjo could have gained from these increases is that his name ought to have entered the Guinness Book of Records, as the only head of state that increased the pump price of petrol 12 times in the 8 years he was in power as the civilian president.

Nevertheless, as far as Nigerian economy is concerned, IMF has never given a purposeful and good advice. Rather, it is always a subjective proposition which usually reduces the value of our currency before devaluation. For instance, in 1986, during the inception of Babangida’s regime, the IMF enforced the recommendation of its Breton Commission in some of the developing economies of the world, including Nigeria, to devalue their currencies for better development, without corresponding guidelines, or economic indices to follow, before devaluation of their currencies was carried out. In the economies of advanced countries certain economic indicators definitely show the reasons for devaluation of their currencies, and which would last for a short period of time, in the developing economies such may last several years; resulting in further impoverishment of the affected countries, through consistent devaluation which always reduce their currencies to ordinary paper. It is only few developing countries that refused to be cowed down that are doing fine today.

In the case of Nigeria, Babangida’s government acceded sheepishly and stupidly (hook, line and sinker), to devalue the strong Naira currency, which remained strong and highly acceptable throughout West African countries. And 27 years later, the Naira continues to lack necessary purchasing power of which it was known before devaluation in 1986.  Ghana, one of the victims of IMF currency devaluation deceit rediscovered herself in 2007 and revalued the Cedi to about 10 Cedi to one dollar. And since 2007, Ghana’s economy has been transformed to a masterpiece of envy and adoration.

President Obama of USA visited Ghana which he described as bastion of a stable economy, with good democratic government, before flying to Kenya, his father’s country.

Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, also made a feeble, but defective pronouncement to revalue the Naira in August 2008, because, according to him, Nigerian economy was doing well, and N1.25 was to exchange for $1.0. However, this was not allowed to be, because he was asked to suspend his proposal, two weeks later by his principal.

But we thank God that the present CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido, also confirmed that Nigerian economy is doing well, what remains is for him to announce that N1.0 should exchange for $1.0 in order to bring our economy back to where it was in 1986. We started this revaluation campaign since 2002. The pronouncement of N1 to $1 will only act as a shocker to the treasury looters, who have stashed away Naira in foreign currency, in foreign banks, while  the Nigerian economy will spring back buoyantly to  take up its rightful place  in the world economic  development. As long as no known economic indicator was used (except the black market value of N3 to $1) to determine the Naira devaluation in 1986, CBN, as represented by Lamido Sanusi Lamido, has no other means, or better option than to announce the new value of N1 to $1, Anything short of this is continuation of economic strangulation of the already worthless Nigerian currency which will continue to deteriorate in value, if it were not pegged at about N165 per $1.

This is an indication that Nigerian currency is designed, or earmarked for internal, or domestic use only, unlike the advance economic currencies of the world, which are endowed with necessary economic indices or parameter, to devalue or revalue their currencies.

Sanusi should therefore be advised to note that “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune, omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures”. (Shakespeare)

Sanusi should be told that the words of the elders are words of wisdom, and to be conscious to do the right thing now, so that  the unborn generation  of Nigerians would  regard him as the CBN governor that restored our currency to its enviable value before the 1986 destructive devaluation.

•Lasisi wrote from Lagos. Email: lajuwonlasisi@ymail.com

By Tayo Ogunbiyi

Nigerians bear a lot of burden. Perhaps, they could, at best, be referred to as ‘beasts of burden’. In various parts of the country, major highways are becoming impassable. Some Nigerians live in places that do not dignify the human race as recently reflected in a documentary which a major news-based TV station in the country did on some of the satellite settlements in Abuja. Many die avoidable deaths in painful but preventable circumstances. Often, security agents that are paid to protect them inexplicably turn against them. Poor Nigerians! They are virtually short changed on all fronts. Even GSM service providers are not left out in this grand conspiracy to add to their already heavy yoke as they are usually charged for calls they don’t make in a service that has become quite disruptive.

Currently, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, saddled with the responsibility of providing electricity to homes across the country, is taking undue advantage of the burden bearing capacity of the average Nigerian through its indiscriminately high tariff. In recent time, Nigerians have had to grapple with the weight of PHCN unbelievably soaring bills. Ironically, the current state of power supply across the country remains unsatisfactory. In the particular part of the country where I reside, popularly referred to as ‘New Lagos’, the current position of public electricity leaves much to desire. Yet, officials of PHCN regularly come around with crazy bills and with sheer impunity and arrogance threatening fire and brimstone if you dare argue with them.

Many people have come to believe that the bills that most electricity consumers in the country are confronted with are based on estimation (as opposed to charges on actual power consumed), leading to haphazard figures posted on the bills served on monthly basis. Most consumers are at a loss in respect of the actual understanding of the workings of the PHCN as far as billings are concerned. In recent times, electricity consumers in residential buildings had bills as high as over N24,900, excluding VAT, slammed on them in a month. Considering the irregular nature of power in the country in addition to the fact that most consumers still spend enormous amount of money to power and maintain their respective generating sets on a monthly basis, the current billing pattern of PHCN is difficult to understand.

To underscore the erratic nature of the current PHCN billing system, a friend recently revealed that a particular apartment that was locked up for three months in his neighborhood, with no occupants within same period and invariably no consumption of power, regularly received crazy bills from PHCN for the three months it was abdicated! The marketers of PHCN have been fingered to be responsible for the anomaly in the company’s billing system. It is being argued that most PHCN marketers, in a bid to meet their monthly targets simply allot unbelievable figures on consumers’ bills. In most cases, they don’t even bother to pick the readings on the meters before coming up with the so-called bills.

Sometime ago, when PHCN came up with the idea of pre-paid meters, most consumers were relieved that it would help curb the exploitative tendencies of the organisation. This is quite understandable coming from the background of recent experience with GSM operators’ pre-paid billing system which emancipated Nigerians from the grip of comatose NITEL. However, the difficulty in obtaining pre-paid meters has dampened the expectations of Nigerians. It is, indeed, being insinuated in some quarters that the scarcity of pre-paid meters is not unconnected to the grand conspiracy of certain unscrupulous PHCN officials to sabotage the process so that the old, fraudulent order could continue unhindered.

It is quite unfortunate that Nigerians have, over the years, continued to bear the burden of PHCN inefficiency. This is not good enough. Our people have been taken for a ride for too long. If a public corporation like PHCN, which is being funded with tax payers’ money, could continue to milk the people unchecked, then we have no moral right to complain when some third rated firms from foreign countries short change us through the provision of poor services and fake products.

For years, successive governments in the country have failed to decisively tackle the rot in the power sector despite investing huge amount of money as intervention fund for the sector. Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in January 14, 2008, disclosed that Nigerian spent a massive sum of $10 billion on the power sector between 1999 and 2007 without any corresponding stability in the power situation.  Consumers have continued to pay for services not enjoyed. Despite its transformation from National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) into Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) with added establishment of 18 companies consisting six generation companies, one transmission company and 11 distribution companies, constant power supply has continued to be a mirage across the country. Yet, less endowed countries in the West African sub-region have been able to overcome their power challenge.

Appropriate government agencies should look into the current PHCN billing trend with a view to saving the people from the perceived fraudulent activities of some PHCN officials. It is bad enough that power is not yet stable in the country. It is, however, unacceptable that the people should continue to pay for services not rendered. The time is ripe for the billing mechanism of PHCN to be properly reviewed in order to redress all its inherent lopsidedness and the attendant fraud. Efforts should be made to seriously scrutinise the activities of the so-called PHCN marketers who are at the centre of the whole issue. Those that are culpable should be made to face the consequence of their actions.

Equally, there is need for government and other stakeholders in the power sector to explore other sources of power aside from hydropower. Efforts should be made, in this respect, to seek collaboration and cooperation of countries that are already making successful use of alternative power sources.

Perhaps more important, the federal government should step up its restructuring agenda in the power sector. With the enormous human and natural resources at the disposal of the country, stabilizing the power sector should not pose such a great challenge. The centrality of the power sector to the overall performance of the nation’s economy calls for a more robust approach in tackling challenges associated with the sector.

•Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.