The Lagos Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has signed into law Life Imprisonment or death penalty for the offence of Kidnap and forceful extortion in Lagos State as he signs into law the state kidnapping prohibition bill, 2016.
The law provides for death penalty for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody, and life imprisonment for the act of kidnapping.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Lagos State House of Assembly passed the bill on January 5.
The governor said that the law was enacted to address key issues bordering on security.
He said that kidnapping had become a major threat to the safety of residents and, therefore, required decisive action by the government.
“This law imposes a penalty of life imprisonment for kidnapping for ransom.
“The law stipulates that, where a victim dies in the course of kidnapping, the suspect is liable on conviction to death.
“Security is of utmost importance to our administration, and we are confident that this law will serve as a deterrent to anybody, who may desire to engage in this wicked act within the boundaries of Lagos State.
“Our justice system will be required to execute this law in absolute and make sure that any criminal caught faces the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Based on this, it is very likely, George Evans gets a life imprisonment or death penalty sentence.
Strong indications emerged on Wednesday that consortium of 13 banks, involved in Etisalat Nigeria’s 1.2 billion dollars loan is seeking the Federal Government’s intervention to investigate the management.
A management source close to the banks told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the banks want the government, through the EFCC, to wade into the matter, by investigating what the company did with the loan.
The source alleged that the loans were siphoned and needed to be investigated by the EFCC, noting, there was no proof of what the company did with the loan.
He said that the affected banks had rolled out a lot of viable options to Etisalat for the loan to be restructured, but was rejected by the company.
The source said that the banks were not into telecommunications and had no intention of running Etisalat.
“All we want is to recover the loans; we cannot write off the loans as being demanded by Etisalat, because the company is viable,” the source stated.
The source said that telecom company wanted the banks to write off the loan as non-performing, which was rejected because the company was doing well.
According to the source, the company wants injection of new capital, and this has been suggested to the majority shareholder.
The source said the government should investigate the matter with all seriousness, to dig out the truth.
NAN reports that UAE’s Etisalat on June 20 said that it had been instructed to transfer its 45 per cent stake in Etisalat Nigeria to a loan trustee.
Etisalat said it had been notified to transfer its stake by June 23. It said the stake had a carrying value of zero on its books.
NAN reports that in the last three months, Etisalat Nigeria had been in talks with the consortium of banks, to restructure a 1.2 billion-dollar loan, after missing repayments.
The loan is a seven-year facility, agreed with 13 banks in 2013, to refinance a 650 million dollar-loan, and fund expansion of the telecommunications network.
Although the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stepped into the fray to prevent a takeover by the banks, those discussions failed to produce an agreement on restructuring the debt. (NAN)
Prof. Lenrie Aina, the National Librarian, says that Nigeria is not rated among the most reading countries in the world.
Aina, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, National Library of Nigeria, said this in Enugu on Wednesday at the Readership Promotion Campaign (RPC).
He said that a recent study on the most reading countries in the world showed that Nigeria was not mentioned in the ranking while Egypt and South Africa were among the first 30 countries rated.
“Leading world nations pride themselves on their promotion of reading.
“They see a high level of literacy as a major source of their competitiveness and social maturity.
“The absence of a widespread culture of reading in the case of Nigeria acts as an effective barrier to our development and international competitiveness.’’
Aina said that it was against the background that the National Library embarked on an intensive readership promotion campaign across the country to encourage reading among Nigerians as well as to identify obstacles inhibiting reading and proffer solutions.
He appealed to teachers to encourage pupils and students to read and urged parents to make books available to their children.
In a message to the event, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State said that his administration was doing everything possible to promote reading culture in schools.
Ugwuanyi, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uchenna Ezeh, said that the government had reintroduced reading clubs in secondary schools while renovating schools and providing instructional materials.
“We are in a knowledge propelled economy and through reading, you gain information about your environment.’’
The governor pledged to partner with groups that would promote reading culture in the state.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Frank Ndubuisi, decried the deplorable condition of many libraries across the country and called for government’s urgent attention.
While commending the National Library for reviving the campaign, Ndubuisi, an Educationist, also advocated for the introduction of e-library that would stand the test of time.
Other speakers at the event, including an octogenarian writer, Dr Rose Chukwuemeka-Ike, and the President, Coal City Literary Forum, Dr Adaobi Nwoye, also emphasised the need to promote reading culture among youths.
According to Ike, reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
The event featured reading competition and spelling bees by some secondary schools in the state.
Agency Report>>> The Public Prosecutor’s office of Madrid filed a lawsuit against Jose Mourinho on Tuesday accusing him of defrauding the Spanish Taxman of 3.3 million euros (3.7 million dollars) during his time as Real Madrid coach.
Mourinho, who is now Manchester United manager, is accused of using a corporate structure to hide image rights earnings from the taxman in 2011 and 2012.
The Portuguese coach became a Spanish tax resident in 2010 when he joined Real Madrid but is accused of failing to declare image rights earnings to Spanish tax authorities.
A judge will now decide if the case goes to court.
Spanish tax authorities believe Mourinho used an image rights company based in the British Virgin Islands that was part of a chain of companies including two in Ireland linked to Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes.
“The corporate structure was used by the accused in order to make the benefits derived from image rights opaque,” the prosecutor said in a statement.
The accusation against Mourinho comes a week after Spain’s Public Prosecutor accused Cristiano Ronaldo, another of Mendes’ clients, of defrauding Spain’s tax office of 14.7 million euros.
Ronaldo has been summonsed to appear in court in Madrid on July 31 as part of the investigation.
He is due to play for Real Madrid against Barcelona in a friendly in Miami on July 29.
But will have to attend court just outside of Madrid on the morning of the July 31 just 30 hours after the scheduled El Clasico.
Ronaldo has hired law firm Baker McKenzie and his defence will be based on contesting the proportion of his image rights earnings that were made outside of Spain meaning he was not obliged to declare them in Spain.
Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi was given a 21-month sentence last year, which he is unlikely to serve, for having defrauded the national purse of 4.1 million euros of undeclared image rights earnings.
In Spain, sentences of under two years are normally suspended.
Mourinho and Ronaldo are among seven clients of Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes who have been investigated for possible tax fraud. The list includes Ricardo Carvalho, Angel Di Maria, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao and Radamel Falcao.
The worldwide commercial aviation industry would need an extra 255,000 pilots by 2027 to sustain its rapid growth according to a 10-year forecast published by training company CAE Inc.
More than half of the required pilots have not yet begun training, the report adds, storing up potential problems as the industry braces for an increase in passenger air traffic that is expected to double the size of the commercial air transport industry in the next 20 years.
“Rapid fleet expansion and high pilot retirement rates create a further need to develop 180,000 first officers into new airline captains, more than in any previous decade,’’ said the report by CAE, which trains pilots for airlines around the world.
“The shortage of pilots is a problem today, there’s demand today, so people need to start building a strategy with us or other professional academies to be able to build that pipeline,’’ Nick Leontidis, CAE’s Group President for civil aviation training solutions told journalists at the Paris Airshow on Tuesday.
To meet demand, Leontidis said CAE would seek to grow its own training academy business, rather than make acquisitions.
Pilot unions in the United States have said low wages and limited benefits for entry-level positions are deterring a new generation of potential aviators from pursuing the career.
In the United States, training requirements also are a hurdle for many would-be pilots.
The United States is the only country to require co-pilots to have at least 1,500 flight hours unless they have experience flying planes in the military or are graduates of certain specialised programs.
According to the U.N.’s aviation agency, which sets global standards typically adopted by regulators from its 191-member countries, it takes a minimum of about 250 hours to obtain a commercial pilot license for work as a co-pilot.
By contrast, 1,500 hours is the minimum required to become a captain under norms set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the U.N. agency that supports the development of global aviation.
While the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration previously had followed ICAO norms, the 1,500-hour requirement for co-pilots was imposed following the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, a regional jet, in 2009 that killed 50 people.
The 1,500-hour mandate is supported by pilots’ unions as a way to improve air safety.
However, regional airlines and some aviation experts said that the tougher standard does not make flying any safer and has exacerbated the pilot shortage by making the training process longer and costly
The Capital NG>>> A consortium of banks, led by Access Bank PLC and other Nigerian and foreign banks, has taken over the management of Etisalat Nigeria, effective June 15.
The take-over followed the collapse of the effort by Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services, EMTS, promoted by-one time Chairman, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Hakeem Bello-Osagie, to reach agreement with the banks on debt restructuring plan in the protracted $1.72 billion (about N541.8 billion) debt impasse.
However, EMTS Holding BV, established in the Netherlands, has up to June 23 to complete the transfer of 100 percent of the company’s shares in Etisalat to the United Capital Trustees Limited, the legal representative of the consortium of banks.
Etisalat Group, the parent company of Etisalat Nigeria, announced the takeover on Tuesday in a filing to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate.
The filing in letter No. Ho/GCFO/152/85 dated June 20, 2017 signed by Etisalat Group Chief Financial Officer, Serkan Okandan, said efforts by EMTS to restructure the repayment of the syndicated loan by a consortium of banks to Etisalat Nigeria collapsed.
“Further to our announcement dated 12 February, 2017, Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC, “Etisalat Group” would like to inform you that Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited “EMTS” (“the company), established in Nigeria and an associate of Etisalat Group with effective ownership of 45% and 25% ordinary and preference shares respectively, defaulted on a facility agreement with a syndicate of Nigerian banks (“EMTS Lenders”).
“Subsequently, discussions between EMTS and the EMTS Lenders did not produce an agreement on a debt restructuring plan.
“Accordingly, the Company received a default and security Enforcement Notice on 9 June 2017 requesting EMTS Holding BV (EMTS BV) established in the Netherlands, and through which Etisalat Group holds its interest in the company) requiring EMTS BV to transfer 100% of its shares in the company to the United Capital Trustees Limited (the Security Trustee”) of the EMTS Lenders by 15 June 2017.
“Subsequently the EMTS Lenders extened the deadline for the share transfer to 5.00 pm Lagos time on 23 June 2017,” the filing said.
Etisalat has been under pressure since 2016, follow the demand notice for the recovery of a $1.72 billion (about N541.8 billion) loan facility it obtained from a consortium of banks in 2015.
The loan, which involved a foreign-backed guaranty bond, was for the mobile telephone operator to finance a major network rehabilitation and expansion of its operational base in Nigeria.
Unable to meet its debt servicing obligations agreed since 2016, the consortium, prodded by their foreign partners, threaten to take over the company and its assets across the country.
But, the intervention of the telecom sector regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, and its financial sector counterpart, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, succeeded in persuading the banks to rethink their threat and give Etisalat a chance to renegotiate the loan’s repayment schedule.
Late last week, PREMIUM TIMES reported exclusively that Etisalat was sinking deeper into more trouble, as Mubadala, its majority shareholder, representing Etisalat of UAE, was on the verge of pulling out following irreconcilable differences concerning the loan issue.
Lady of substance and respected society lady, Mrs Kemi Adeniji-Adeogun has been handed the chieftaincy title of Yeye Oge of Owode-Ota by the Onitetiku of Owode-Ota, Oba Wasiu Ogungbayi.
Ogun West News understands the chieftaincy title offered the woman about town came on the heels of her unprecedented contributions to social and cultural development of the town and that of Awori land in general.
The official conferment of the traditional honour is slated for July and it has been heard from close associates of the new ‘chief mrs’ that “she is planning a talk of the town ceremony.” Those in the know informed us that plans are already in top gear for an event described to be a show stopper.
In another vein, the school teacher has also been appointed as member of the Advisory Council of Atan/Iju/Ilogbo LCDA. The swearing in ceremony of her new appointment took place in Abeokuta on the 30th of April, 2017.
Whispering words from political circles indicate the appointment was meant to intimate the school teacher with political affairs as those in the know insist and alleged there are plans by the society woman to contest for a political post come 2019.
“Though we don’t know the post she will be vying for but we understand she’s likely to contest for a top post in the 2019 general elections.” A source hinted Ogun West News.
But Mrs Adeogun in a phone chat with Ogun West News said the rumor being peddle around about her intention to contest in 2019 general elections is ‘humbug’ and ‘baseless’.
She said “The rumor is humbug and baseless because I have no intention of contesting and I did not tell anybody I want to contest for any post in 2019 general elections. It is mischief makers at work trying to stir up unnecessary hullabaloo in the polity with my name.
“The rumor peddlers are only chasing mirage as their intentions with their rumors can never be attained. It is not a crime to contest for political posts but it is spinelessness of any politician to hide behind the door and play on another person’s popularity to achieve political goal. It is nonsensical to be going about and telling people lie and meaningless tales on what does not exist.”
The respected society lady also confirmed her appointment by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and her conferment as the Yeye Oge of Owode-Ota by Oba Wasiu Ogungbayi, the Onitetiku of Owode-Ota.
“Yes, I have been picked as the next Yeye Oge of Owode-Ota land and likewise I have just been appointed with others in my constituency as members of Atan, Ilogbo, Iju LCDA Advisory Council. It is a welcome development and an opportunity to serve the people and my community in my capacity.” She stated
Chief Mrs Kemi Adeogun is one of the respected daughters of the late Ogun State APC chairman and chieftain, Late Chief Rokeeb Adeniji. She is married to a popular retired school principal and hotelier, Mr Adeogun.
The Punch NG>>>The Homeowners’ Charter, an initiative of the Ogun State Government to ease the process of obtaining
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun
building documents, has been marred by irregularities, subscribers have alleged.
Some subscribers to the scheme also alleged that government officials have turned it into a money-making venture by requesting to be paid before carrying out thier duty.
The Homeowners’ Charter was inaugurated by Governor Ibikunle Amosun in 2013 as an intervention to ease the process of obtaining building approvals from the state’s planning authority.
The initiative aimed at helping homeowners to obtain Certificates of Occupancy within nine months and at discounted rates of about 75 per cent if they apply within six weeks, has, however, been generating controversies in the last two years.
Although the state government has issued a few thousand documents since the process began, many subscribers whose houses have been assessed over one year ago, have yet to get their Cs-of-O, while others are still awaiting for assessment almost two years after application.
A subscriber, Mrs. Adetoun Adebayo, said she applied in 2013, paid about N86,000 for her three-bedroom house in Ota the following year, but had yet to receive her C-of-O or any form of communication from the state government.
Adebayo said she recently parted with N10,000, which was given to an official to help fast-track the process.
“My file was found somewhere where many others were stacked. We were told we would get our documents after eight months but it is almost three years since I made the payment, which was done in three instalments and nothing has been done,” she said.
Another subscriber alleged that many files had been left for students on industrial training with the state government to handle.
“I don’t think the governor will be able to sign all the documents before his tenure expires,” the subscriber said.
A subscriber in Mowe area of the state, Mr. Ibrahim Onifade, said he paid N210, 000 in 2016 after his house was assessed.
According to him, when he visited the Bureau of Lands in Abeokuta, he was told he could only complain after nine months.
“It is 17 months since I visited Abeokuta, no communications whatsoever from anywhere,” he said.
Onifade, who described the initiative as a good intention by the government, however, said it was beginning to look fraudulent, adding that after the end of the Amosun administration in 2019, a new governor might not be interested in continuing with the scheme.
Some subscribers have also alleged that there are disparities in the fees charged by the state after inspection.
A subscriber, Mr. Akin Olaniyi, told our correspondent that he was asked to pay N285,000 on his three-bedroom house within 30 days, while his neighbour paid N110, 000 for the same kind of building in three instalments.
He said he submitted his application but was only given a bill two years later, after he had given an official some money.
A civil servant, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said Amosun meant well for the state when he introduced the programme but that the number of people who applied was more than envisaged.
According to him, after the closing date, many civil servants were bribed to bring in more applications by subscribers, making the process cumbersome.
A surveyor who has knowledge of the process, said there had been reports of bribery but no one had been caught or prosecuted.
“The government is aware that people were extorting subscribers, but it has not been established. When the work load became too much, contractors were employed to help out, maybe that was when the problem started,” the surveyor said.
Efforts to get the state government to react to the development proved abortive as the Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, did not respond to our correspondent’s text message or pick calls made to her mobile telephone.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr. Rotimi Durojaiye, referred our correspondent to the Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mr. Biyi Ismail, who did not pick calls and also failed to respond to a text message sent to his mobile telephone.
Former Plateau Governor, Joshua Dariye, on Monday begged an FCT High Court in Gudu to adjourn his trial over alleged N1.1 billion scam on medical grounds.
Dariye, who is facing a 21-count charge of money laundering and diversion of state ecological fund to the tune of N1.162 billion, prayed the court for adjournment to enable him travel abroad for eye treatment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on March 20, 2017, Dariye’s former counsel, Mr Garba Pwul (SAN) withdrew officially from further representation.
Pwul was the third lawyer to pull out from the Dariye’s matter.
The Dariye’s appeal was contained in a letter he brought to court dated June 14, 2017 and signed by him.
In the letter, Dariye said: “It will be recalled that I had notified this Honourable Court and your Lordship of my travail with my right eye that led to eye surgery.
“I underwent two surgeries on the 11 April, 2017 and the 30th May 2017 respectively.’’
He begged the court to release his international passport to enable him attend to his eye problem outside the country.
The Judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko directed the former governor to make his application officially through a motion by his counsel.
Banjoko also said that the request may be granted on conditions that the counsel would handle the case on a day to day basis.
The court fixed Sept. 18 for hearing of the motion. NAN
Prince Abiodun Akande Akinboyede was born at Ota on the 29th day of December in the 70s into the Ijemo Isoloshi Royal Family of Ota. His father, late Alhaji (Chief) Adio Abubakar Akinsola Akinboyede was an elder stateman, a man of many firsts in his lifetime achieving the herculean feat of being the first Lawyer in Awori Land, the first Commissioner for works in Ogun State among others and his mother Alhaja Soburat Olabowale Akinboyede, nee Deinde, a very devout Muslim, a successful teacher and educationist.
Abiodun was the last son and the 6th child of his father. His parent’s love for education set him off early to a life characterized by many landmark successes.
Aside from being born into a royal linage, Prince Abiodun’s rare charisma and aura set him aside in the committee of princes and princesses of Aworiland.
Like his late father, Prince Abiodun is well ahead of his peers achieving ground breaking feats early in life and placing enviable foot prints on sands of time.
He started school early at a tender age of 2 at St Benedeth Nursery and Primary School Abeokuta through Tunwase Nursery and Primary School Ikeja to Iganmode Nursery and primary school, Igbala Ota, before completing his primary school education at the African Church Primary School Ota.
He later proceeded to Nawair ud deen Grammar School Obantoko Abeokuta between 1983 and 1988. After completion of his secondary education, this charismatic Awori Prince then secured admission to the prestigious University of Abuja to study Law in 1990, a program he completed in December 1995.
He went further in December 1996 and graduated as the 3rd best student from the Nigerian Law School, a notable achievement which was much-admired by Awori sons and daughters home and abroad.
Omo Oba Akinboyede as popularly known afterwards participated in the mandatory one year National Youth service program in 1997 and immediately returned to school for a Master’s degree in Law
This time he attended the prestigious University of Lagos for a Master’s degree, despite finishing with a distinction in 1998 and an option to do his PHD immediately, Prince Abiodun Akinboyede opted to start work.
Prince Abiodun Akinboyede
It was gathered that his first stint was with Chevron Nigeria, having been recommended by Authur Anderson Limited as part of the placement program by the Nigerian Law School for the first 10 best students; his father however was not moved with avalanche of mouthwatering offers falling on the laps of Prince Abiodun from reputable local and international companies as he insisted that the young prince pick a gown and join him at the bar to practice Law.
Unequivocally, he joined his father’s chambers in 1999, following periods of pupillage at F.A Ajayi & Co and Aina, Njoku and Olusunmade and also a few months at Zmirage Multimedia Limited.
From the chambers in Ota and Lagos, Abiodun set about the task of improving the chambers his father built through sheer hard work and commitment, he set up the Abuja office of the firm and went ahead to give the firm an international edge. His unblemished records still remain a cynosure of young and aspiring lawyers.
In 2006, he was engaged as the Legal Adviser/ Government liaison personnel by Willbros Nigeria Limited, a responsibility that he handled with great zeal. This job availed him the opportunity to provide employment opportunity for over 200 Awori youths and residents in Ota and its environs.
Through his involvement and his undying commitment to the development of Awori land propelled his agitation for laudable social responsibility projects from Willbros Nigeria Limited. The company and owners of the project succumbed to Prince Abiodun’s pressure and provided befitting social responsibility targeted projects which include building blocks of classrooms and clinics around the host communities.
His relentless devotion for the development of his people and Awori land further dragged him to politics and as a brave young man full of confidence, he aspired to become a distinguish Senator of the Federal Republic. In 2011, Prince Abiodun secured a senatorial candidate ticket under the defunct CPC to represent Ogun West at the red chamber after turbulence primaries with heavy weights. Though, he lost in the general election but his attempt and efforts was applauded by his kinsmen.
After losing in the election, Prince Abiodun was again engaged by Willbros international to assist in a lawsuit in London, his contributions led to the eventual out of Court settlement of the 1-billion-dollar lawsuit in 2013. Since then, the Awori prince has become an influential figure home and abroad.
It was also gathered that the Ijemo-Isoloshi born prince do volunteers time and expertise to his community without restraint. He did represented his community at the Justice Sonoiki Panel of enquiry in 2005, the justice Okuboyejo and Oshidipe panels of enquiries among various such fronts aimed at ensuring the full emancipation of the people of Ota and Awori in general.
Those who are very close to this charming Ota Prince described him as a “level headed, humble and down to earth person, a dedicated father of two lovely children, an ardent family man and a compassionate representative of his people.”
More findings revealed that Prince Abiodun is a quiet and selfless philanthropist who gives assistance to indigenes and non-indigenes on issues of education periodically and his practice is characterized by his knack for giving free legal services, (A situation he learnt to accept in the early part of his practice within his community as most clients will tell him that his father does not collect money for helping his people, so no one expects the son to either) and since then, ”he maintains that he will continue to offer free legal services and advice to sons and daughters of Ota and other climes.”
An Awori royal chieftain also added that “Barrister Abiodun Akinboyede loves his people and always believed that what you make of our home is what you enjoy from it.”
His Achievements
Omo Oba Abiodun Akinboyede is a multifaceted business man, one who understands the Nigerian business landscape, having lost and learnt that losing is a prerequisite for attaining success. He is the CEO of two fledging companies, the Managing Partner of Adio Akinboyede & COMPANY Law Offices.
He is the Bamofin of Isheri Olofin. He had a brief sojourn into the politics of his community also, ushered into the thick of politics in 1999 and appointed the chairman of the National Youth Alliance under the PDP. He moved to the CPC and contested for the Ogun West Senatorial seat in the same year, coming a distant 4th with 5212 votes. His goal has always been to be a part of the solution to the Awori problems and Nigerian at large. A goal he believes will one day be matched with an opportunity.
He has lots of investments within Ota and he enjoys life with his family and friends at every opportunity he has
ement source close to the banks told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the banks want the government, through the EFCC, to wade into the matter, by investigating what the company did with the loan.
Agency Report>>> The Public Prosecutor’s office of Madrid filed a lawsuit against Jose Mourinho on Tuesday accusing him of defrauding the Spanish Taxman of 3.3 million euros (3.7 million dollars) during his time as Real Madrid coach.
>> A consortium of banks, led by Access Bank PLC and other Nigerian and foreign banks, has taken over the management of Etisalat Nigeria, effective June 15.
s facing a 21-count charge of money laundering and diversion of state ecological fund to the tune of N1.162 billion, prayed the court for adjournment to enable him travel abroad for eye treatment.
