Nigeria Escape FIFA’s Ban, As FG Recognises Pinnick As NFF Boss

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August 20, 2018

By Akinwale Kasali

For the umpteenth time in less than a decade, Nigeria has escaped FIFA’s dangling hammer for power tussle by the Nigeria Football federation, NFF.

The leadership tussle between Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa can be traced back to the Goodluck Jonathan administration, before it escalated few months back, forcing FIFA to wield the big stick on the NFF.

he Presidency on Monday said it recognised the Amaju Pinnick-led executives of the Nigerian Football Federation as the authentic executives of the federation.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a message he posted on his Twitter handle, @akandeoj.

Akande said the Federal Government had already conveyed its position to the world football governing body, FIFA.

He said the government would continue to work with stakeholders to resolve the federation’s dispute in due time.

He added that the government is upholding NFF’s treaty obligations to FIFA.

Akande wrote, “The FG has already conveyed to FIFA its firm position recognising Amaju Pinnick-led NFF as the current and only NFF executive.

“Government will also continue to work with all relevant stakeholders involved to resolve the dispute in a timely manner.

“The Federal Government is upholding NFF treaty obligations to FIFA.”

Over the weekend, the Presidency was bent on quashing the impending ban, the Federal Government had reportedly contacted FIFA over the weekend assuring it that Amaju Pinnick and his executives were in charge of football affairs in the country.

Sources told KweséESPN that the government sent a letter to FIFA concerning the faction that was in charge of football in the country.

The report also said the government assured FIFA that football in the country was being run, and would continue to be run — in full compliance with FIFA Statutes.

2019: Saraki’s Entrance To The Race Sparks Alignments, Realignments

By

Uche Mbah

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August 20, 2018

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The race for 2019 became interesting recently when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, confirmed his interest in the Presidential Race to a German medium, Bloomberg. -believing he can make the difference, Saraki is now busy consolidating his newly found position as the National Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. And this has changed permutations.

This Magazine has earlier in the year noted that Saraki’s imminent declaration for the Presidency has already got the front-line contender, Atiku Abubakar, twirling his suspenders into a knot. In an earlier converse with Atiku, which was said to have taken place in Saudi Arabia, Atiku was said to have officially told Saraki about his ambition, seeking his support. Though Saraki was non committal, he did not out-rightly show his support.

Then came the buildup to the National Assembly siege, an event that did enough to shore up the popularity ratio of the Senate president. After the siege and the subsequent international and local outcry, Saraki held what he called a world Press conference, a masterstroke statement on the openness of the national Assembly. Then he went on consultation spree. First, he went to consult with Ibrahim Babangida, former military dictator, who is reputed to still have enormous influence on the political terrain. He was said to still have lots of loyalists within the army. Saraki spent hours with him in a closed door meeting in what was described as final consultations before declaration. Shortly after that, he hosted the chairmen of 35 political parties. Officially, they came to commiserate with him on the siege at the National Assembly, but this Magazine was reliably informed that the meeting was also to solicit support from them in his quest for the Presidency. Recall that the political parties has signed a pact to support one political party for the Presidency in their bid to unseat the incumbent, and that, in reaction, INEC decided to open the registration doors to more political parties, bringing the number to 91.

The next port of call was former president Obasanjo. The closed door meeting was said to have centered on his presidential ambition. Analysts believe that Obasanjo, suffused with the messiah complex, would never support a Yoruba presidency not wanting a competitor in that regard. The nearest to him was Ernest Shonekan, the interim president. This was also behind his reason for not wanting to support Moshood Abiola, the assumed winner of the election of June 12 1993.

Obasanjo is said to be comfortable with the presidency of Bukola Saraki. His thinking is that his current profile, if sustained, could be a plus for him. After the consultations, the indirect campaign started rolling in from Doyin Okupe, Obasanjo former spokesperson.

Meanwhile, his entrance into the race has sparked of a flurry of activities. The tentative favorite of the PDP inner caucus, Aminu Tambuwal. He is no longer too sure of the ticket. He has been meeting with Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Saminu Turaki to forge a common front. Atiku is particularly piqued that Saraki came from nowhere to become the party leader. Atiku was said to have presented the fact of political spread as the reason why they should rally round him for the elections.

Atiku’s position may not be far from the truth. In fact, one of the contenders was said to be worse than Buhari in tribalism and Islamic fundamentalism. To buttress this, sources close to the Northern Elders forum cited an incident that happened under the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. It was alleged that over eighty Boko Haram members were arrested. A number of Northern elders, including this aspirant, met Jonathan and demanded that the terrorists be unconditionally released.When the president was not heeding them, the particular aspirant insisted that if that is not done, the killing of Southerners will begin in earnest in the North. Jonathan later relesed them. “Today, the same person is crisscrossing everywhere as the champion of one Nigeria, and a lover of all Nigerians”, the source disclosed.

Whether the alliance will be consolidated remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Bukola Saraki is leveraging on the euphoria. Recently, he took some senators to Akwa Ibom state to reassre the Governor that they are behind him. It was rumored that the governor may be overwhelmed by the pressures coming from the APC hierarchy. He went there with the newly appointed minority leader, Biodun Olujimi, who was selected as replacement and partly to assuage the Southwest in the senate. And despite the pressure from the APC chairman that he must resign, he has not budged.

Meanwhile, it has been the fear of the APC hierarchy that it will come to this. It is believed that the fight against him has been to reduce his political stature.B

That, according to analysts, has been behind Oshiomholes desperation to impeach him. It was gathered that Oshiomhole had vowed that before Buhari comes back he would have removed Saraki. It was gathered that most of the funding for the impeachment saga came from the so caaled returned Abacha loot and millennium development agencies. Their last attempt resulted in the sack of Lawan Daura, the former Department of State Services, DSS, boss. With the return of Buhari, there has been serious Pressures on Buhari to sack the National Security adviser, Monguno, who has not been in terms with Daura, and recall Daura. Since the sack of Daura, there has been no direct statement from Buhari on the issue.

Customs Mulls Promotion of Officers

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Bayo Bernard

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August 20, 2018

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Comptroller Jibrin, others on list

By Bayo Bernard

Feelers have emerged recently that the management of the Hameed Ali -led Nigerian Customs Service, NCS will soon promote some senior officers. The development came barely one month after over 70 controllers were redeployed to new formations, by the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali.

Some officers affected in the shake-up are yet to recover from the shock, the magazine was told, particularly those who felt they were redeployed for political reasons.

Some comptrollers affected in the shake are Abubakar Bashir who moves from Port-Harcourt II (Onne) to Apapa; Musa Jibrin from Apapa to Human Resources Development department Abuja; Sa’idu Galadima from Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Port-Harcourt Area II (Onne) while Mohammed Aliyu of Seme Command has been directed to swap positions with Mohammed Garba of Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’,

On the other hand, some officers disclosed that they were happy with the development as it was an opportunity to move up in the promotion ladder of the NCS. Their thought may be in line with suggestions that the NCS management will soon promote some senior officers.

The last time the NCS promoted officers was in May this year when Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) confirmed the promotion of 1,997 senior officers to various ranks.

The promotion coincided with appointments of four members of NCS management headed by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.

The magazine learned that some officers from the ranks of controllers are already overdue for promotion. The yardsticks for the promotion of officers, the magazine was told are, cumulative scores of annual evaluation, written examination, oral interview, seniority and availability of vacancies.

It was learned that some controllers are already qualified on the basis of seniority and may be elevated to the rank of ACG soon.

One of those that have been penciled down for promotion to ACG, the magazine learned, is Comptroller Jibrin Musa, the outgoing Area controller of Apapa Area 1 custom command.

Comptroller Musa has been moved to Human Resources at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.

One of the controllers redeployed recently told the magazine that most of them are surprised that the promotion of Comptroller Musa had yet to be announced. “We all call him Oga Musa because he’s senior to many of us. Apart from that, he has done well in Apapa as Area Controller. I can assure you that the CGC is happy with what he has been able to do in Apapa, particularly in the area of revenue generation for the federal government,” the source, who’s among 70 officers redeployed, recently told the magazine yesterday.

“Oga Musa was posted to Human Resources to go and rest ,“the controller who spoke in confidence to The Source said.

However, a source in NCS headquarters Abuja, told the magazine that those qualified for promotion will be elevated to their new ranks soon, but was not specific whether it will happen before the end of the year.

In his response to the issue, Attah told the magazine that there are parameters to promoting officers in NCS, adding that those who have distinguished themselves will not be denied promotion

How Buhari Forced Saraki To Join The Presidential Race

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Steve Ubana

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August 20, 2018

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By Stephen Ubanna

President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, may have known that Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara state and now Senate President, has a Presidential ambition. It was therefore not surprising why he decided to frustrate his leadership of the Senate from the out-set to whittle down his powers and popularity in order to force him to drop the ambition and support his re-election bid .

Buhari, according to party sources, fears that with the rising profile of Saraki in the party and the National Assembly may pose a threat to his re-election bid and therefore was ready to employ the services of Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector general of Police, Lawal Daura, a former Director General, Department of State Security, DSS among others to witch hunt him. He got it wrong as Saraki outsmarted him in the political game.

Instead of the President and his security Chieftains achieving their plot to force Saraki to submission, it had a backlash effect on the APC government as it strengthened his resolve to unseat Buhari in the 2019 Presidential election.

As a prelude to contesting the Presidential election, he was forced to decamp to the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP which was a big loss to the APC. The fallout was the plot by the APC leadership and the DSS at the instance of Buhari to remove him as the Senate President or force him to resign.

Saraki had turned a trenchant critic of the Buhari Administration because of their strained relationship as he continuously urge Nigerians to rise up to defend their hard won Democracy , describing Buhari as a” dictator and a non democrat”. He may have played into Saraki’s hand by some of his actions, considered anti-democratic by the lawmakers.

Take for instance the case of Ibrahim Magu, a Commissioner of Police and his nomination for the position of Chairman of the Economic and financial Crime Commission, EFCC, which was turned down by the Senate acting secret security reports by the DSS on him .

But the president had snubbed the Senate to still retain him as acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency through Executive Orders. More worrisome was the refusal to pay Lawmakers their Constituency allowance which run into billions of naira yearly. He was said to have told the lawmakers to build into the yearly capital projects earmarked for execution for budgetary allocation. The Lawwmakers did not find it funny as they wanted the allowance paid to them. This is because previous Lawmakers had enjoyed the benefit from past presidents without going cap in hand begging for it.

Saraki may have alluded to this in a lecture delivered to the 26 participants at the Nigeria Defense College, NDC,, entitled, ”Separation of Powers and National Security: an Appraisal’. He had said that the full adherence to the Principles of Separation of Powers was crucial to the survival of democracy, good governance and enhanced national security. The Senate President fumed that a situation where people , particular Buhari and political appointees, frown at the actions taken by the Legislature in the course of discharging its Constitutional responsibility negates the Principle of Separation of powers and the Rule of law.

**Bukola Saraki: Joins the PDP presidential race.**

Saraki did not mince words when he said: ”this is the case in the Nigerian Democratic experiment”. The recent siege of the National Assembly complex on the orders of the sacked Daura, the former DDSS boss, who was said to have been working assiduously for Buhari, may have provided ammunition for the Senate President to hit hard at Buhari and the cabal in the Presidency. ”People who seek control at all costs, by whatever means, never minding the injury to democratic norms”, do not deserve to be given another opportunity to rule the country, insisting that ”this is not the kind of democracy Nigeria has bargained for”.

Jerry Rawlings, a Flt. Lt. and former President of Ghana had said that ”Nigerians are in love with their Oppressors” and therefore it is difficult for the youths to grab power in Nigeria. Saraki, who claimed to be worth N6 tn may belong to this class of oppressors but still consider him a new breed politician out to displace the old politicians who had ruined the economy and caused much havoc to the country.

Given his resolve to contest the 2019 Presidential election, the Kwara state born politician was said to have been making Consultations both locally and internationally to drum up support. At the last World Cup fiesta in Russia, he was said to have disclosed his presidential ambition to Putin, the Russian President, who was impressed by the decision. He was said to have been given the opportunity to address the Senate in his capacity as the Nigeria Senate President, thus raising his international profile. Back home, he had reached out to former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, a former military president as part of his nation -wide consultations.

His rising local and international profile may have forced Doyin Okupe, a Medical Doctor and former Presidential Spookeperson to pressure him to ”leverage on it and contest the 2019 Presidential election”. Okupe had told those that care to listen that, ” apart from Buhari, the next most visible and notable politician in the country today was Saraki and he would do himself a great favour if he steps into the ring and run for President” This is because of his pedigree: exposure and experience, he had said.

The Presidential Spokesman was not interested on the party platform he may want to contest the Presidential election if he declares his interest but urging him to do so and leave the rest for the foot soldiers who would do the work for him. He may have spoken the mind of Obasanjo, who was happy to receive him in his Presidential library where they discussed on a wide of socio-economic issues facing Nigeria and his Presidential ambition. Saraki stopped short of calling for his support. there are indications that if he fails to clinch the PDP ticket, Obasanjo may lure him to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, a party sponsored by him , to contest the Presidential election in 2019.

Many believe that the amiable Senate President had been nursing the Presidential ambition from the time he was the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, to rule Nigeria. He was awaiting for an opportunity to test his political skill when he lost out in 2015 . The opportunity came in 2015,when he outsmarted Buhari and the then APC party leadership to maneuver his way to be become the Senate President.

It was a big blow to the President who felt betrayed that a Senator elected on the Party platform teamed up with the opposition to go against the wish of the party. Saraki may have proved to Buhari that he was not his political match as he penetrated the ranks of his security network and was getting first hand information on the government security plans to remove him and Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President and install Lawan and Senator Godswill Akabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom who had decamped to APC as President and Deputy Senate President respectively to prepare the ground for his adoption at the party national Convention as the sole Presidential Candidate. The plot failed which may have forced him to bow to pressures both within and outside the National Assembly declare his interest in contesting the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the PDP.

He may have taken a cue from Buhari who speaks to the foreign media on major policies of his Administration to speak to Bloomberg, a German based Newspaper of his plan to contest the 2019 Presidential election on Wednesday, August 15, 2018, thus putting to an end speculations about his Presidential ambition.

A party source told the Magazine that he would have remained in APC to slug it out with Buhari at the party Convention but he knew that with the likes of Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state as party Chairman and Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state as party national leader, he has no chance of dislodging Buhari at the party Convention. ”I am consulting and actively considering it”, he had told Bllomberg. Not many people were surprised at his declaration of interest on the 2019 Presidential election because of the support of the lawmakers.

It would be recalled that in defecting to the opposition PDP, Saraki had told to his supporters that ”if he decides to run for the Presidential race, It would be on the platform of the PDP”, but says that the first hurdle for him is to win the party’s ticket during the primary election in October, 2018.

He has every reason to worry because there are other formidable Candidates who have been criss-crossing the nooks and crannies to drum up support from the state governors and the party delegates. They are Saminu Turaki and Rabiu Kwankwanso, both former governors of Zamfara and Kano states respectively, Aminu Tambuwal and hassan Dankwambo, incumbent governors of Sokoto and Gombe states respectively. Also in the race on the platform of the PDP is Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and the Turaki of Adamawa.

Saraki, according to party sources may have Saminu Turaki, who has the support of Babangida, Kwakwanso and Dankwambo to contend with. This is because Atiku, described in party circles as a very formidable Candidate may be out of it because of the forces against him.

Infact, Obasanjo had made it clear to those that care to listen that ”God will not forgive him if he should support Atiku, a former Vice President. This may have made the coast clear for Saraki and Kwankwaso described as most qualified and prepared to rule the country for the office of the President. Many believe that the battle for the PDP Presidential ticket is a straight fight between Saraki and Kwakwanso.

Political analysts believe that whoever clinches the PDP ticket may get sympathy votes because of Buhari’s endless trip to the United Kingdom, UK, on medical vacation. ”We are aware that the President was faced by serious challenges of health and thus being held captive by a cabal that runs Nigeria for their personal interest”, Tambuwal had said.

They noted that there could have been a repeat of what happened in the last Ekiti state governorship election in the 2019 Presidential election if Daura, the DSS boss had not been fired by Yemi Osinbajo on the approval of Buhari over his unilateral decision to lay a siege on the National Assembly complex which was an embarrassment to the government.

Saraki said that much ”security agencies are actively getting involved in the politics”, stressing that ” they could still use security agencies for elections”. He is optimistic that whoever clinches the PDP ticket on its October Convention stand the chances of winning the 2019 general election , because the party had learnt its lesson from the loss in 2015”, Presidential election just as the APC had not learnt any lesson from their victory.

FOU: Officers Pledge Loyalty To Comptroller Mohammed

By

Steve Ubana

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August 17, 2018

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By Spehen Ubanna

Officers and men of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, had pledged their loyalty to Mohammed Aliyu, a former Comptroller, Seme Command and now Comptroller of the Command. The officers and men of the Command made the pledge amidst appeals by the Muhammed Uba Garba, a former Comptroller of the Command , now redeployed to Seme Command in the recent shake up in the Service that affected 70 Comptrollers. Appealing to the officers to extend the same level of Cooperation given to him in his one year and two months at the helm of affairs at the Command, he said it is the only sure way to enable him to succeed in the Command anti-smuggling war.

The Customs Comptroller advised the officers to be open to their new boss, described as being” very transparent” to enjoy his support, . He was said to have told Mohammed, the FOU, Zone A, Comptroller that the standard of anti-smuggling operations at the Command had been raised very high and must not be allowed to go down. Hameed Ali, a retired Colonel and Comptroller , Nigeria Customs Service was said to have given the Command four commendation letters under Muhammed , the former Area Comptroller.

The Customs Comptroller who had mobilised his management team had welcome the FOU, Zone A, new Customs boss to the premises by showing him some of the seizures made by the Command on Friday, August 17, 2018. The seizures include a 738 kg of pangolin scales valued at about N158. 08 million, with a Duty Paid Value of , DPV, of N175.7 billion.

The pangolin seizure shown to him was said to be the fifth to be made by Sule Mutalib an Assistant Comptroller and head of the Command warehouse operation team between last year and now. Usman Jibrin, the minister of Environment, accompanied by Juan Carlous, Legal Adviser of the Geneva, Switzerland based Convention on International Trade on endangered Species , CITES, of wild flora, was said to have been impressed with the pangolin seizures when he saw it at the Command warehouse last May . An elated Jibrin had urged the Customs Comptroller and his officers not to relent in smoking out the pangolin dealers because of its contravention of the CITES policy which prohibits the export of pangolin scales and elephant tusks.

As a prelude to his exit from the Command to Seme, his new base he had given commendation letters to four outstanding officers for their contribution to spectacular seizures in the Command. One of them was Muttalib, who was recognised for his pangolin scale and elephant tusks seizures with his team. Riks Lura, a Chief Superintendent of Customs and the Command head of Operations and Lagos Roving team was also given a commendation letter for his contribution to anti-smuggling operations in the Command, particular interception of such dangerous drugs as tramadol and Codein Cough syrups which had been banned by the Federal government from being imported into the country .

Officers who spoke to the Magazine disclosed that by singling out the four senior officers for commendation in the presence of the new Comptroller of the Command, would have warmed them into his heart and othersseen as not being hard working. They noted that giving Commendation letter to the four officers would polarise the Command and dampen the enthusiasm of the officers except Mohammed moves in fast to douse the tension created by it and reassure the officers of providing a level playing field for all the patrol and Surveillance teams including the Checkpoints officers to excel.

Eyewitness account disclosed that at the Command Board room, where Muhammed, the former Comptroller of the Command had handed over a prepared handover document to his successor, he had vacated his official Seat for him to take over the proceedings of the day.

He was said to have also handed over the Comptroller’s official ceremonial barrette to him and collected his own in return. The officers and Journalists who spoke had poured encomiums on the duo for their outstanding performance in their respective Commands. It would be recalled that Ali had visited the Command more than any other Customs Comptroller General to see for himself the spectacular seizures made, particular, exotic vehicles instead of waiting for reports on such seizures.

mohammed may have put a smile on the face of the officers when he vowed to defend those who do not compromise their position but do the right thing. ”I am simple but would not entertain gossips”, he had declared. This is a warning to sycophants to be careful .

Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu: Takes Over At FOU, Zone A.

He further said that though he would run an open office, any officer who do no not have any official matter to discuss with him have no basis coming to see him”. The former Seme Customs Comptroller also have a word of advice for his predecessor now at Seme Command: please don’t Compromise. Stand firm in your actions to earn your respect”.

Describing Seme as a smaller Command compared to FOU, Zone A, which jurisdiction covers the 16 Customs formation in the south west geo-political region, says it is mighty, as all eyes in the Abidjan corridor in the West African sub-region are on it as the busiest border in the region. This is because of the volume cargoes that pass through it yearly.

Perhaps, one project dear to Mohammed’s heart which he was said to have pleaded with Muhammed, his successor to show interest and complete was the perimeter fencing of the Customs land at Seme which had reached advanced stage of completion.

But those who knew the new Seme Customs Comptroller said there is nothing the kebbi state born Comptroller of FOU, Zone A, Command, would request from his colleague to do that would not done even at his own inconvenience because of their close relationship.

They are optimistic that Muhammed would complete the project as requested by his colleague. The duo were said to have retired to the Comptroller’s office for a close -door meeting after officially taking over from his predecessor.

As a prelude to the change of baton at FOU, Zone A, Mohammed , his successor, had handed over the reins of power to him at Seme Command on Thursday, August 16, 2018, under the full glare of other security agencies personnel at the land border. A police officer who spoke to the Magazine said if it was possible to stop his redeployment to FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, they could have done it because ,” he was very good”.

The Magazine learnt that there was an incident on the day of the handover at Seme Command over a dead body on the road which was brought to the attention of the former Comptroller but he tactfully shifted the case to his successor to take action on it. Muhammed was said to have declined to do so, ,insisting that since the former Comptroller was still around, he must not shift the responsibility to him. It could not be ascertained who eventually solved the problem.

Not bothered by such an ugly incident, the former anti-smuggling Czar of FOU, Zone A, has said to have sent a warning signals to smugglers in the Seme axis to turn a new leaf or be ready to face the wrath of the Law . He was said to have also warned importers with their agents who indulge in fraudulent activities with their Customs collaborators to shortchange the government to change or be exposed as the revenue target set for the Command must be met.

Many believe that one thing that could work in favour of the new Seme Customs boss was his understanding of French,an international language, spoken in Republic of Benin and other countries in in the sun-region. Moreso, he may not be treated as a new person to the country’s Ambassador to Republic of Benin, as the duo, both the former and the incumbent Comptroller , at the invitation of the Ambassador were at the Embassy last year to rub mind with him.

The close rapour between officials of the Seme Customs Command and officials of the Embassy speaks volume. This evident at a recent meeting chaired by the Ambasador at Cotonu, Capital of Republic of Benin. The Ambassador was said to have asked the former Seme Comptroller to stand in for him as chairman of the meeting when he stepped out. The Beninese officials at the meeting never protested as they followed the proceedings to the end . Maritime analysts see it as a good starting point for Muhammed, the new Seme Customs boss.

Trump, Obama, Others Pour Accolades On Aretha Franklin

By

Akinwale Kasali

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August 16, 2018

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American President Donald Trump and two of his predecessors, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have joined the world in paying tributes to the late singer, Aretha Franklin, who died on Thitsday aged 76 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

US President Donald Trump paid tribute to music icon Aretha Franklin upon her death Thursday as “a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice.”

“She will be missed!” he tweeted of the legendary singer, who died at home in Detroit at age 76.

Barack Obama on Thursday paid tribute to the late “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, praising her “unmatched musicianship” that he said “helped define the American experience.”

“Every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine,” the former US president said in a statement. “In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade — our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. She helped us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful, more human.”

“And sometimes she helped us just forget about everything else and dance.”

Bill and Hillary Clinton wrote, “Hillary and I mourn the loss of our friend Aretha Franklin, one of America’s greatest national treasures,” said the former US president in a joint statement with his wife, the former secretary of state. “For more than 50 years, she stirred our souls. She was elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry.”

Here are other top tributes to the “Queen of Soul”:

Barbra Streisand

“It’s difficult to conceive of a world without her. Not only was she a uniquely brilliant singer, but her commitment to civil rights made an indelible impact on the world,” the singer and actress tweeted.

Patti LaBelle

“I am deeply saddened about the passing of the Queen of Soul and my sister in song, Aretha Franklin,” the singer who also gained fame in the golden era of soul, disco and R&B. “Today the world has experienced a tremendous loss. Aretha was a rare treasure whose unmatched musical genius helped craft the soundtrack to the lives of so many.”

Diana Ross

“I’m sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit Aretha Franklin,” the acclaimed singer tweeted.

John Legend

“Salute to the Queen. The greatest vocalist I’ve ever known,” the pop star tweeted.

Paul McCartney

“Let’s all take a moment to give thanks for the beautiful life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of our souls, who inspired us all for many many years. She will be missed but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever. Love Paul,” the Beatles legend tweeted.

Elton John

“The whole world will miss her but will always rejoice in her remarkable legacy. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen. #RIPArethaFranklin,” tweeted the pop superstar.

Bette Midler

“The greatest voice in American popular music has been stilled. Our beloved #ArethaFranklin has gone. For me, she was a musical lighthouse, guiding and inspiring with every note. I loved her so and love her still. Goodbye, Queen of Soul,” the singer and actress tweeted.

Jesse Jackson

“Earth has lost a lot of music today,” civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said on local television. “She never stopped serving. She never stopped caring. She never stopped sharing. We thank her so much. We miss her already so much.”

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

“The ever-reigning Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is an iconic symbol of black pride whose music touched so many hearts and souls,” tweeted the rights organization. “We know Aretha’s legacy will live on.”

Al Sharpton

“Deeply saddened by the passing of a beloved friend and queen/warrior Aretha Franklin,” tweeted the civil rights activist. “Her contributions are legendary both personally and societally. We hope you take a pause today to remember the life of a beautiful soul.”

Maxine Waters

“One of the greatest voices of all time has been silenced,” tweeted the California congresswoman. “My dear friend Aretha Franklin has passed. Even though her music will live on forever, the sound, the voice, and the inspiration of the Queen of Soul can never be matched. Farewell, Aretha.

It may be the most rousing feminist anthem ever, but “Respect” — the song that made Aretha Franklin the “Queen of Soul” — was actually written about a man demanding a break from his wife.

Franklin’s genius was to turn the song — and the traditional values it espoused — on their head by some deft changes to the lyrics and by adding the stirring “R – E – S – P – E – C – T” chorus.

In so doing, she made Otis Redding’s 1965 lament of an exhausted working man demanding some slack from his woman into a rallying call for downtrodden African American women.

Rolling Stone magazine put her version in the top five greatest songs of all time, saying Franklin was a “woman calling an end to the exhaustion and sacrifice of a raw deal with scorching sexual authority.”

And even Redding — who wrote other such timeless classics like “Dock of the Bay” and “Try a Little Tenderness” — acknowledged within months of Franklin’s recording that the song belonged to her.

His biographer Mark Ribowsky said that at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival in California, Redding joked to the crowd, saying: “This next song is a song that a girl took away from me.”

Five months later, the “King of Soul” died in a plane crash aged just 26.

Franklin was an almost unknown gospel singer from Detroit when she went into the studio to record “Respect” with her sisters Erma and Carolyn.

She speeded the song up and cooked up the provocative high-tempo “Sock it to me” refrain, producer Jerry Wexler later recalled in his autobiography, “Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music.”

“The fervour in Aretha’s voice demanded that respect,” he wrote.

But American musicologist Professor Victoria Malawey told AFP that Franklin’s take on the song was far more than a jazzed up cover version.

A new soul
She insisted that Franklin changed “the song so radically… that I would argue she re-authored it.

“It was not just her altering of the lyrics, or changing the point of view of the song from a male one to that of a woman, she also gave it an entirely new energy and soul,” the pop music specialist added.

Malawey, chair of music at Macalester College in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, credits Franklin with turning the song into an anthem for both the feminist and civil rights movement in the late 1960s.

“Not only did she add the R-E-S-P-E-C-T chorus, but her remaking of the song gives it a whole different empowerment message, both sexually and politically.

“In my opinion, the extent of her re-authoring grants her status as owner of the song, and makes it a whole new sonic experience. That is why multiple social movements have claimed Franklin’s ‘Respect’ as theirs” over the past half-century, she said.

The hit won Franklin the first two of her 18 Grammy awards, and went on to feature in more than 30 major films including “Platoon”, “The Blues Brothers”, “Mystic Pizza” and “Forrest Gump”.

Malawey said that Franklin, the daughter of a Baptist minister, always denied that there were sexual overtones to the lyrics she added.

Sexual empowerment
But Wexler begged to differ. “More respect also involved sexual attention of the highest order. What else would ‘Sock it to me’ mean?” he said.

Others who knew her said she was drawing from her tumultuous marriage at the time.

“Whatever the intention, people have taken a definite female sexual empowerment message from the song,” Malawey said.

“There is a long tradition of black female performers allowing for a variety of meanings from their lyrics to assert their sexuality. You see this right down to Beyonce.”

But Malawey said it was Franklin’s “voice, and the power and soul she gives the song, which has inspired and empowered so many people.

“It is something beyond lyrics or the melody that really moves us and that is all to do with Aretha Franklin’s own vocal delivery. That is what has made the song so powerful, so lasting and so relevant today.”

Franklin, the music icon, legendary singer and “Queen of Soul” loved by millions whose history-making career spanned six decades, died on Thursday, her longtime publicist announced. She was 76.

She influenced generations of female singers with unforgettable hits including “Respect” (1967), “Natural Woman” (1968) and “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968). She passed away at home in Detroit from advanced pancreatic cancer.

The multiple Grammy winner cemented her place in US music history with a powerful, bell-clear voice that stretched over four octaves. In a career crossing generations, her hits spanned soul and R&B, to gospel and pop.

Franklin passed away at 9:50 am (1350 GMT) surrounded by her family and loved ones, her family said in a statement issued by her publicist.

“It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aretha Louise Franklin, the Queen of Soul,” the statement said.

“In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart.

“We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.”

Funeral arrangements would be announced in the coming days, the family added, thanking fans around the world for their “incredible outpouring of love” since it first emerged earlier this week that she was gravely ill.

“We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

The 18-time Grammy award winner inspired multiple singers during her five-decade career from pop diva Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston, to Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and the late Amy Winehouse.

‘National treasure’
The Recording Academy called Franklin “an incomparable artist” and “one of the most profound voices in music” whose “distinctive sound, unforgettable recordings, and giving spirit will continue to be celebrated worldwide.”

In 1987, she became the first woman ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine put her at the top of its list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, male or female.

She sang at the inaugurations of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, singing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” at the investiture of the country’s first African-American head of state.

US President Donald Trump paid tribute to Franklin on Twitter as “a great woman, with a wonderful gift from God, her voice. She will be missed!””

Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, on Thursday hailed her as “one of America’s greatest national treasures.”

“For more than 50 years, she stirred our souls. She was elegant, graceful, and utterly uncompromising in her artistry,” the former first couple said.

Singers and musicians quickly flooded social media in mourning her passing, which came on the same day that fellow US music giant Elvis Presley died at his home in Memphis, the city where Franklin was born, 41 years ago.

Paul McCartney‏ called Franklin an inspiration and “the Queen of our souls.”

“She will be missed but the memory of her greatness as a musician and a fine human being will live with us forever,” he tweeted.

“I’m sitting in prayer for the wonderful golden spirit Aretha Franklin,” wrote Diana Ross.

‘Peerless’
Singer Annie Lennox called Franklin “simply peerless.”

“She has reigned supreme, and will always be held in the highest firmament of stars as the most exceptional vocalist, performer and recording artist the world has ever been privileged to witness,” Lennox tweeted.

“Salute to the Queen. The greatest vocalist I’ve ever known,” tweeted John Legend.

Franklin — who was widely known by only her first name, in true diva style — rose from singing gospel in her father’s church to regularly topping rhythm and blues and pop charts in the 1960s and 1970s.

Other than “Respect,” her powerful cover of the Otis Redding tune that became a feminist anthem and her calling card, Franklin had dozens of Top 40 singles, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Other hits include “Day Dreaming” (1972), “Jump to It” (1982), “Freeway of Love” (1985), and “A Rose Is Still A Rose” (1998). A 1986 duet with George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” hit number one in several countries.

Franklin’s declining health was first disclosed on the Showbiz 411 website late Sunday by Roger Friedman, a reporter and family friend.

The Detroit News later reported that she was in hospice care, as artists from across the musical spectrum offered well wishes to the singer who lived in Detroit — the Motor City, home of Motown — most of her life.

In 2005, Franklin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest award for an American civilian — by then-president George W. Bush.

In 2010, she suffered serious health problems, but continued to perform until late last year, singing last in November 2017 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York. That same year, Detroit named a street after her.

UN Exposes FG Over Dapchi Girls Release

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Akinwale Kasali

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August 16, 2018

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By Akinwale Kasali

The United Nations has exposed the Federal Government over the release of the Dapchi girls that were abducted months back.

UN disclosed that the FG paid a huge ransom to Boko Haram for the release of the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls in March 2018.

The government had denied reports that it paid millions of Euros for the release of the girls, noting that the hostages were released in exchange for detained Boko Haram commanders.

But the UN report stated that ransom from abductions, donations from charity groups and the cash economy were fueling the bloody activities of the Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Basin region.

These were contained in the 22nd Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, pursuant to resolution 2368 (2017) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and associated individuals and entities.

The report said the number of doctrinally based non-governmental organisations sending funds to local terrorist groups was growing, and Member States were concerned that radicalisation was increasing the threat level in the Sahel.

The report, which was submitted to the Security Council Committee said, “Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have had a similar impact in their areas of control, including the Lake Chad basin.

“The predominance in the region of the cash economy, without controls, is conducive to terrorist groups funded by extortion, charitable donations, smuggling, remittances and kidnapping.”

It added, “In Nigeria, 111 schoolgirls from the town of Dapchi were kidnapped on 18 February, 2018 and released by ISWAP on 21 March in exchange for a large ransom payment.”

The report was signed by Edmund Fitton-Brown, Coordinator, Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team and Kairat Umarov, Chair, Security Council Committee.

The UN Security Council committee on al Qaeda sanctions blacklisted and imposed sanctions on the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in 2014 after the insurgents kidnapped more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls.

The designation, which came into effect after no objections were raised by the Security Council’s 15 members, subjected Boko Haram to UN sanctions, including an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban.

NEC Move To Decentralise Police Operations Due To Insecurity

By

Akinwale Kasali

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August 16, 2018

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The National Economic Council presided over by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday commenced the process that may eventually lead to the decentralisation of the operations of the Nigerian Police Force as one of the ways to tackle insecurity in the county.

The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the council’s meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The council which is chaired by Osinbajo has all state governors and relevant ministers as members.

Monguno said the council would set up a committee to achieve its goals of decentralising the police.

He said the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, would head the committee that will have representatives from the six geopolitical zones of the country as members.

“The council (NEC) decided that a committee would be set up with representation from each of the geo-political zone to be chaired the IGP so that we find ways of decentralising police operations so that there will be greater access to information and handling this (security) situation will be easier rather than a centralised and cumbersome approach,” he said.

He said the decision to set up the committee was reached after he, on behalf of the nation’s security agencies, briefed council members on the general overview of the security situation in the country.

He said with the increasingly asymmetric nature of the nation’s security threats, he stressed the need to deal with the problems collectively.

Monguno admitted that the nation’s security challenges cannot be completely tackled within a short period.

He however expressed the belief that collaboration among the tiers of government would go a long way in addressing the challenges.

Falconet Bows Out

By

Akinwale Kasali

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August 16, 2018

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By Akinwale Kasali

The hope of the Falconets of Nigeria to progress beyond the quarter finals stage of the Under-20 FIFA World was dashed earlier today by the Spaniards Under-20 Women national team who defeated the gallant Falconets of Nigeria 2-1.

The Nigeria’s Under-20 Women’s team crashed out of the ongoing Women’s World Cup in France having conceded two first half goals, before Peace Efih responded with a goal in the second half of the encounter.

All efforts by the Nigerian girls to equalised was dashed as the Spainish defense was equal to the task foiling all the attacks of the Falconets to book a place in the semi final of the competition.

The Falconets progressed to the quarterfinal after a draw, loss and win in their three group stage games while, Spain finished comfortably of their group after two wins and a draw.

The game started at a high pace with both sides creating chances until the Spanish side seized control of the encounter with their consistent penetrative passing of the ball from side to side working the Falconets up and down the pitch.

Spain eventually broke the deadlock in the encounter when Aitana Bonmatí Conca converted a penalty in the 13th minute.

Falconets star player Rasheedat Ajibade tried to make things happen but her shot was saved as Spain continued the possession based high pressure game.

Spain scored their second goal of the game just before the referee blew the whistle for the half, the Falconets tried to get into the game at the start of the second half, creating chances only to be stopped impressively by the Spanish.

The Falconets could not get an equalising goal to force the game to extra time as they crashed out of the competition.

The Falconets defeat means that they have been eliminated from the competition while Spain progress to the semifinals where they will face the winners of the France vs Japan quarterfinal fixture

Prior to the match, Golden Eaglets Coach Manu Garba was optimistic of the Falconets’ capability to beat their Spaniard counterparts in the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women World Cup in France. Garba, who expressed the optimism on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview said the Falconets had worked well for glory in the World Cup which they were determined to achieve.

Ikeja ‘Notorious’ Electricity Distribution Company

By

Oji Odu

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August 15, 2018

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By Oji Odu

No month or year passes without Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) being enmeshed in one form of controversy or another. To electricity consumers under it, the name of the company is now synonymous with ‘Notorious’, because of its myriads of illegalities employed to rip them off of their hard earned money without commensurate services.
Worse still, it seems the electricity company is above the law. Because IKEDC has allegedly been treated with kid gloves by the authorities, the company has continued to ignore and refuse to obey government directives, including sanctions. But both the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Civil Society Groups and electricity consumers would have none of this. They have never relented in calling them to order at various times, even in the midst of threat.
PROTESTING electricity workers had over the weekend suspended the picketing of the headquarters of IKEDC, which crippled and paralyzed operations of the distribution company for three days with the switching off of electricity supply to the zone. The suspension followed an agreement between the management of IKEDC and leaders of NUEE, who led the assault on the company alongside allied unions.
The aggrieved workers had last Wednesday stormed the premises of IKEDC and barricaded the office, accusing the management of unfair labour practices including arbitrary dismissal of over 500 workers, poor welfare, uneven salary structure, adoption of anti-labour policies and frustration of the implementation of condition of service among others.
They called for an immediate review of the privatisation of the power sector. They claimed that since the takeover of the sector by the private sector, and despite the huge amount of money invested by government in the last five years to help them improve the sector, the power situation across the country had worsened.

Addressing the protesters, General Secretary of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, regretted the maltreatment of workers by the IKEDC had lingered for over two years without moves by the company to make consideration for conducive working conditions. He further regretted that a joint committee that was convened to address their concerns following the layoff of over 200 workers in 2016 was dissolved by IKEDC which replied by sacking more workers despite court ruling that the statusquo be maintained.
“We have for over two years been writing letters, meeting with them but they don’t want to agree. The sack of workers is usually premised on non-productivity and the mode for assessment of the staff is not known. When, you give a staff target to make N100 million and there is no power supply in that area, will the people pay? If you give a staff a target of N150 million and you don’t have transformer there and there is no power supply to them, they will not pay and he or she will be termed as failure. They want workers to force people to pay for what they did not use,” he said.
However, in his reaction, Head, Corporate Communications of IKEDC, Felix Ofulue, questioned the motive for the picketing which he described as self-serving. “When NUEE chooses to cripple socio-economic activities of over a million households, for issues that can be resolved through dialogue, one then wonders if the motives are as selfless as they claim. How do you plunge a country’s commercial nerve center into darkness because of a few of your members who have been separated from the business for cogent reasons? It is really appalling. It’s an abuse of privilege to picket.
“Imagine that our employees in Alausa Injection Sub Station were chased out of the facility by the Union and they had to shut down nine Feeders that supply power to Ikeja and its environs on safety grounds. This has resulted in an immediate blackout for at least 3000 customers…,” he said.
In April 2016, the Magazine recalls that Civil Society Groups, in collaboration with the Citizens’ Access to Electricity Initiatives (CATEIN), continued the picketing of IKEDC following that by organised labour in March same year over lingering power outages and the sack of 400 workers. The groups barricaded the company’s office in Lagos, asking the company to address the contending issues.
The picketing was, however, suspended after the IKEDC reached an agreement with the National Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to set up a committee to monitor its performance appraisal and competency assessment process. Joseph Emmanuel, CATEIN’s General Secretary, told the Magazine that the protest was to register their displeasure over poor service delivery in electricity supply across the country.
According to Emmanuel, the protest was to sensitise Nigerians against injustice in electricity service delivery, as well as the case of the sacked workers. He said that the distribution companies should be able to provide meters to measure electricity consumption.
“But this is not so. Rather, the companies smile to the banks at the expense of Nigerians. The businesses of workers in the informal sector have all been shut. We cannot continue this way,’’ he lamented, stating that the group would continue to mount pressure on all the distribution companies in the country, until adequate electricity supply was provided.
But in his reaction, Head, Public Communications of IKEDC, said that the company pulled out of the negotiation because it was not progressing as the issues raised by the civil society groups were not peculiar to the company because were national issues. He, however, gave an assurance that the company would soon resume discussion with the unions, to find lasting solutions on the problems, which they have failed.
Since the power assets were handed over to the new investors on November 1, 2013, some of the DISCOs have demonstrated lack of capacity to run these assets. This led the Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola advise that: “—those DISCOs who cannot run the business must be honest with themselves and begin to look for options either to raise capitals, to get more strategic partners in or to do whatever they consider appropriate within the framework of their contract in order to get on with this job.”
But rather than explore other funding and operational options, the DISCOs have resorted to manufacturing and employing more dubious means to rip-off their consumers through exorbitant estimated billings, concealment of their financial books from NERC, blackmailing government and flouting market rules.
The NERC has responded with appropriate sanctions against erring Discos on several instances of such breaches.
For instance, for refusing to provide customers with prepaid meters, IKEDC was the first DISCO to be sanctioned by NERC to the tune of N131.4 million for the company’s “flagrant breaches” of the Credited Advance Payment on Metering Initiative (CAPMI), an initiative of NERC to assist the companies close the wide metering gap.
NERC had also fined Benin and Port Harcourt electricity distribution companies N6.220 million over failure to comply with the decisions of Forum Offices rulings in complaints filed by their respective customers. Ibadan, Ikeja, Port Harcourt and Enugu DISCOs were fined millions of Naira for breaching the terms and conditions of their licences and the provisions of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, while Port Harcourt and Enugu Discos were sanctioned for their failure to submit quarterly reports on their key performance indicators. Ibadan and Ikeja were also fined over failure to attend to customers’ complaints severally referred to them.
Despite NERC’s sanctions, IKEDC and some other Discos have continued to flout the market rules by extorting customers through exorbitant estimated bills. It is however ironical that while Eko DISCO has embarked on massive rollout of free prepaid meters to its customers, Ikeja Disco, which operates under the same market, has been dragging feet on it while blackmailing both the consumers and government. This is after it suspended the provision of prepaid meters, citing high cost of forex.
In a chat with Kemi Banjo who operates a cold room at the Mile 12 area of Lagos, she said: “ I don’t sympathise with any of them, whether the workers that were sacked or their employers. The are both criminals, birds of the same feather.
“ They are ripping the electricity consumers off with their crazy and estimated bills without providing us with adequate light. The most annoying is the arrogance of these DISCOs officials, when they come to disconnect people who are managing to service the bills ranging from N8,000 to N20,000 monthly. One of the Managers on one of such occasions asked me when I was coming to pay a balance of N10,000 after I had paid N10,000.”
With the bill on outlawing estimated billing in the pipeline which will force the DISCOs to embark on massive prepaid metering of their customers, and threat by the DISCOs to descend their hammer on consumers through massive disconnection, only time will tell if this DISCO notorierity and arrogance will continue.