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Gale of defections pushes Nigeria towards one-party state

News

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Office sharing: APC leaders to finalise position on Tuesday www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vol. 5 No. 18

Sunday, April 26, 2015

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1,400 killed as powerful earthquake strikes Nepal

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Tremors felt in India, mountaineers trapped on Everest Media support essential for good governance, says Buhari P.7

Imo re-run: 25 INEC officials nabbed for thumb printing ballot papers

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PASSION

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Sunday April 26, 2015

e

A Lifestyle Magazin

Scenes from the aftermath of a deadly earthquake that hit the mountain kingdom of Nepal yesterday morning

APPLAUSE

Explosion rocks Army barracks in Jos, two soldiers dead ...military says it was an accident News

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‘Women must prepare for times of adversity’ >>27

Ladies who bleach endanger their lives –Kim

Sanitation: 3 killed as hoodlums go on rampage in Ilorin

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, April 26, 2015

What’s new Politics

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Seven Days TALKING POINTS OF THE PAST WEEK APRIL 26, 2015

Mu’azu drums up support for Taraba Boko Haram: Shekau’s silence worries military PDP candidate of Saturday’s run-off election. There are concerns in Ni- in security circle is that the group

Fresh crisis rocks NLC Crisis rocking national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday hit the state chapters of the union, which held parallel congresses across the country.

NLC was factionalised following refusal of Mr. Joe Ajaero of the Nigeria Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) to recognise

Wellness

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INEC ready for Taraba run-off

media briefing in Jalingo.

Makama said all eyes were on the state to see how the supplementary election would be conducted and the commission was doing everything possible to ensure a hitch-free exercise and provide a level playing ground for all candidates.

Owing to the rising incidence of cancer in today’s world, medical experts have advised that we pay due attention to the kind of food we eat. Red or processed meat, food rich in fatty acids are blamed for an increase in colon cancer among younger demographics.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday met with the new Acting Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who replaced Suleiman Abba that was relieved of his post on Tuesday as Inspector General of Police.

Speaking after meeting with the President, Arase told

State House correspondents that he would ensure a level playing ground in the remaining elections in the country, as personnel of the force and materials were being deployed to ensure peaceful election.

Supplementary elections are scheduled for Abia, Taraba and Imo this Saturday.

ACTOR

The Head of Public Communications of Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe, in a statement yesterday indicated that the Council at its last meeting on April 16 directed the Bureau to immediately invite the prequalified bidders that met the benchmark scores of 75 per cent in the evaluation to proceed to the Financial Bid Opening stage.

I go to work to shoot films. My Mondays are always tight. I’m always busy in Lagos.

Tuesday is the same; I go for shooting.

I do have one event or the other to attend, so I take permission from the location to attend the events because being at the location is not a do-or-die. I can easily take permission and later come back. We just mix it up, you know it’s fun too whenever we are in location. I must tell you that acting is fun, having fun while making money. It can be tasking though but we know how to go about it. On Wednesdays, I also create time for church. I go to the Redeemed mid-week service.

I try to fall in love with beautiful girls (laughs). I fall in love on Thursdays because I’m less busy today. Any lady that comes across me, that wants me to love her or that shows interest in me, I try to reciprocate. Life is about fun. That is why those things you see me do in movies, sometimes I act myself. I don’t pretend and that is the fact.

I meet up with my friends in the club. We drink, chat and have small beautiful girls hanging out with us who make us happy.

Let me tell you, we have a short time to live in this world, so you really need to enjoy it (life).

I’m always at one event or the other today. I celebrate with people because you need people around when you are also celebrating anything. For instance, I’m 20 years on the stage.

I’m planning to do something about it. People must come around because I do attend their events.

I go to church today, I don’t miss it. If there is any event later in the day, I try to attend just to unwind.

FG okays privatisation process for BoI, others National Council on Privatisation, NCP, has approved the Financial Bid Opening for transaction advisers for the partial privatisation of the three Development Finance Institutions, DFIs, in the country. The DFIs are the Bank of Agriculture, BoA, Bank of Industry, BoI, and Nigeria Commodity Exchange, NCX, formerly Abuja Securities & Commodity Exchange, ASCE.

auguration committee that would work out plans for the week-long handover activities.

According to him, the two parallel transition committees, which would work independently, would interface for a successful transition. Anyim stated that mandate of the committee was to draw up programmes of activities for the inauguration ceremony, and arrange invitations and accommodation for foreign and local dignitaries.

Hakeem Rahman TUE MON

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Taraba State yesterday said the commission was ready for Saturday’s governorship runoff election in the state. Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, disclosed this during a

Arase visits Jonathan, assures of free, fair run-off

Colon cancer: Why you must watch what you eat

The Joint Transition Committee, JTC, comprising members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and the incoming government of President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday met at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa to ensure smooth handover of power on May 29.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said there were two paral-

WED

Kimberly Soma studies medicine at Babcock University, Ogun State. She is also a female activist. Her friends and fans affectionately call her Kim. In this interview, this diva who has passion for shoes, speaks about why she cherishes being a woman, among others.

May 29: Joint Transition Committee meets, plans week-long event lel transition committee and in-

THU

Ladies who bleach endanger their lives –Kim

the leadership of Ayuba Wabba of the Medical and Health Workers Union (MHWU), who emerged president after its delegates’ congress in Abuja in March.In Kano State, two delegates’ conferences were held, culminating in the election of two chairmen to take charge of the union in the state.

may have been so disarrayed that it no longer has the luxury of issuing threats.

A military source disclosed that since the declaration of the final push against the insurgents in the middle of February, and the directive to clear all terrorists’ camps before the May 29 handover date, troops have been on the lookout for Shekau and other commanders of the sect.

FRI

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geria’s security circle over the whereabouts of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, even as Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has tactically refused to comment on the matter that is currently causing serious apprehension.

The concerns followed the sudden silence from the usually vociferous Shekau, who was given to issuing threats on Tweeter.

Speculation making the rounds

SAT

Passion

“We are here to encourage the people of Taraba to continue with the good work and loyalty for our party, PDP. Everybody knows that Taraba is for PDP and PDP is for Taraba. We have been in charge for the past 16 years.

“I therefore, call on all of you our teeming members and supporters to come for the run-off election in Donga and other affected polling units to cast your votes peacefully so that by the grace of God, we will be declared winner,” he said.

SUN

Nigerians set agenda for Buhari

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship run-off in Taraba State, National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, yesterday paid a solidarity visit to the state with a call on the people to vote for its candidate, Darius Ishaku.

Muazu, who arrived the state in the company of PDP National Working Committee, NWC, members, said the visit was to thank Taraba people for their support for PDP and to also encourage them ahead

*By Adaeze Amos (08023012293)

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

Big Read SUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION APRIL 26, 2015

President Jonathan

General Buhari, President-elect

Gale of defections pushes Nigeria towards one party state In view of the windstorm of defections that has trailed the presidential elections and the overwhelming victory of APC, stakeholders have continued to warn that the trend will lead to the emergence of a one party state. There have also been warnings that such portends great threats for the nation’s democracy, without a strong opposition that may keep the ruling party in check. Ag Head of Investigations, Yemi Olakitan, examines the threats and possibility of a one party state in Nigeria’s democratic expansion.

T

he Fourth Republic was initiated through the 1999 Constitution. During its first elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, recognised only three political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Peoples Party, APP, and the Action for Democracy, AD. Following a Supreme Court

judgment on the case Balarabe Musa v INEC, conditions for registration of political parties were liberalised.

The Supreme Court ruled that INEC acted illegally by imposing conditions that were not known to the constitution for party registration and declared their action illegal. Subsequently, Nigeria’s political space witnessed an

‘WE WANT CREDIBLE, HEALTHY COMPETITION BETWEEN PARTIES’

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unprecedented opening with the emergence of 63 registered political parties by April 2011. Prominent among the new parties are the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Congress for Political Change, CPC, and the People’s Progressive Alliance, PPA).

In addition, many small parties took advantage of the liberalisation of the political space to register parties that have proven to be largely unviable. It appears that some of them were established to access INEC’s funding support or as a fall back mechanism for politician who lose out in power struggles within their parties.

The National Assembly intervened in the matter through Section 78(6) of the 2010 Electoral Act, which provided INEC with the power to de-register any political parties that failed to win any executive and legislative seats in elections. Only ten parties won seats in the 2011 elections. On 18thAugust 2011, INEC de-registered seven parties that did not contest for any election office in the 2011 elections. Two more de-registration exercises were carried out reducing the number of parties from 63 to 25.

Since 1999, Nigeria has operated as a one party domiCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

‘OPPOSITION POLITICIANS SHOULD STAY WHERE THEY ARE NOW’

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The Big Read

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Dominant party system is undemocratic’

Alhaji Shagari

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 nant political system in which the PDP held sway and controlled enormous resources compared to the other parties.

The President of the country has emerged as the leader of the dominant party although a party chairman exists and state governors are the leaders of their party at that level.

The dominant party has therefore evolved to be an expression of executive power. The dominant party and indeed most other parties are mainly controlled by godfathers and barons rather than party members. These parties have networks that are used by the party barons to “deliver” crowds for rallies and party congresses. Indeed, parties tend to treat their members with disdain and utter disrespect. Consequently, the political relationship within the parties is essentially one between patrons and clients and the clients are mobilised on financial religious, ethnic or regional basis.

Traditionally, competition in Nigeria’s party system is very intense within the ruling party and less so between the political parties. This is due to the fact that since 1979, Nigeria has developed the tradition of major blocs of the political elite coalescing into a single political party conceived as a hegemonic party. In elections that are relatively free and fair, namely, the 1959, 1979 and 1999 editions, the parties that had the highest votes, the Northern Peoples’ Congress, the National Party of Nigeria and the Peoples’ Democratic Party respectively failed in their desire to be hegemonic or dominant through the polls.

In the subsequent elections of 1964, 1983 and 2003 respectively, they all abused their incumbency powers to transform themselves into dominant parties. In essence, they used electoral fraud to boost their control of the political process and weaken opposition parties. This has been the reason why competitive party politics has been weak.

The ruling parties have too often controlled the electoral game while the parties in opposition had too narrow a political base and insufficient resources to effectively compete for power.

It is in this context that the emergence of the APC was perceived a potential game changer in the Nigerian party system. This means the cream of the political elite have an alternative platform to realise their ambitions. However, the collapse of PDP means that the nation may be going back to square one. The same problem that led to the formation of APC is now confronting Nigeria with Hurricane APC, particularly, the mass defections of PDP members all over the country. It was thought initially that with the APC, it will now be possible to evolve towards a two party dominant system, a new paradigm that will make alternation of power possible. The United States, which is regarded by many as the global standard for democracy or the most advanced democracy in the word operates a dominant two party arrangement, although other parties exists power is alternated between the democrats and the Republican.

This is because the two parties are formidable and politicians do not defect because they lost elections instead they

Prof. Osinbajo

Chief Obasanjo

SINGLE-PARTY STATES JUSTIFY THEMSELVES THROUGH VARIOUS METHODS.

MOST OFTEN,

PROPONENTS OF A SINGLEPARTY STATE ARGUE THAT THE EXISTENCE OF SEPARATE PARTIES RUNS COUNTER TO NATIONAL

UNITY.

OTHERS ARGUE THAT THE

SINGLE PARTY IS THE VANGUARD

OF THE PEOPLE, AND THEREFORE ITS RIGHT TO RULE CANNOT BE LEGITIMATELY QUESTIONED.

go to the drawing board and prepare for the next elections.

Analysts have criticised the situation. According to reports, in a single-party state only the ruling political party has the right to form the government; all other parties are either outlawed or allowed to take only a limited and controlled participation in elections. Sometimes the term de facto single-party state is used to describe a dominantparty system that, unlike the single-party state, allows (at least nominally) democratic multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning the elections.

Single-party states justify themselves through various methods. Most often, proponents of a single-party state argue that the existence of separate parties runs counter to national unity. Others argue that the single party is the vanguard of the people, and therefore its right to rule cannot be legitimately questioned.

Some single party states only outlaw opposition parties, while allowing subordinate allied parties to exist as part of a permanent coalition such as a popular front. Examples of this are the People’s Republic of China under the United Front, or the National Front in former East Germany.

Investigations reveal that one-party systems often arise from decolonisation because one party has had an overwhelmingly dominant role in liberation or in independence struggles. Single-party states are often, considered to be authoritarian or totalitarian. However, not all authoritarian or totalitarian states operate based on single-party rule. Some, especially absolute monarchies and certain military dictatorships, have made all political parties illegal.

One peculiar example is Cuba, where the role of the Communist Party is enshrined in the constitution, and no party is permitted to campaign or run candidates for election, including the Communist party. Candidates are

elected on an individual referendum basis without formal party involvement, though elected assemblies predominantly consist of members of the dominant party alongside non-affiliated candidates.

The True Whig Party of Liberia is considered the founder of the first single-party state in the world, as despite opposition parties never being outlawed, it completely dominated Liberian politics from 1878 until 1980.

The party was conceived by the original Black American settlers and their descendants who referred to themselves as Americo-Liberians. Initially, its ideology was heavily influenced by that of the Whig Party in the United States.

Over time it developed into a powerful Masonic Order that ruled every aspect of Liberian society for well over a century until it was overthrown in 1980.

In a chat with Nurudeen Adio, a member of the APC based in Lagos, he said, “A one party or dominant party state is not good for Nigeria as it will lead to corruption and abuse of power.’’ According to him, ‘‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is not the fault of APC that it wins a landslide election; it is a problem that the former ruling party is not adequately engineered to perform the role of a formidable opposition party that will help the nation’s democratic development. I hope that PDP will put his acts together and do what is expected.” he said.

Further investigations by Sunday Mirror reveals a wide range of parties that have been cited as being dominant at one time or another, some of them include the Kuomintang in the Republic of China, the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan and Bangladesh Awami League in Bangladesh.

These parties have held sway even when the opposition parties have ideas or more competent candidates for political parties as elections are often won on party loyalties, racial or ethnic affiliations.

According to reports, dominant party system is in opposition to the true meaning of democracy. It is assumed that only a particular conception of representative democracy (in which different parties alternate frequently in power) is valid. The dominant party ‘system’ is restricted to one form of democracy, electoral politics and hostile to popular politics. The assumption in this approach is that other forms of organisation and opposition are of limited importance or a separate matter from the consolidation of their version of democracy.

In a single-party system other parties are banned, but in dominant-party systems other political parties are tolerated, and (in democratic dominant-party systems) operate without overt legal impediment, but do not have a realistic chance of winning; the dominant party genuinely wins the votes of the vast majority of voters every time (or, in authoritarian systems, claims to). Under authoritarian dominant-party systems, which may be referred to as “electoralism” or “soft authoritarianism”, opposition CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Big Read

Sunday, April 26, 2015

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‘We want credible, healthy competition between parties’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 parties are legally allowed to operate, but are too weak or ineffective to seriously challenge power, perhaps through various forms of corruption, constitutional quirks that intentionally undermine the ability for an effective opposition to thrive, institutional and/or organisational conventions that support the status quo, or inherent cultural values averse to change.

In some states, opposition parties are subject to varying degrees of official harassment and lawsuits against the opposition, rules or electoral systems (such as gerrymandering of electoral districts) designed to put them at a disadvantage. In some cases outright electoral fraud keeps the opposition from power. On the other hand, some dominant-party systems occur, at least temporarily, in countries that are widely seen, both by their citizens and outside observers, to be textbook examples of democracy.

In states with ethnic issues, one party may be seen as being the party for an ethnicity or race with the party for the majority ethnic, racial or religious group dominating, such as the African National Congress in South Africa (governing since 1994) has strong support amongst Black South Africans, the Party governed Northern Ireland from its creation in 1921 until 1972 with the support of the Protestant majority.

In the Nigerian case, analysts are worried at the vexation with which the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, was voted out and as an absolute control of power at the centre by the All Progressives Congress, APC, may lead the country to a one party state which they say the nation is not prepared for.

Even before the general election, executive and floor members of the PDP defected en masse to the APC across the states of the federation. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled the country from 1999 to 2007, under the platform of the PDP, publicly tore his party membership card.

And since the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as President-elect, there has been exodus of both the high and the low from the PDP to the APC In Kaduna State alone, days after the PDP lost the presidential election, it was reported that Vice President-elect, Yemi Osinbajo, received over 5,000 members of the PDP said to have defected to APC ahead of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.

In Gombe State, where PDP has held court, Majority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Mamman Alkali, the army of personal assistants and special assistants to Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and sundry members of PDP, before the gubernatorial election, surged into the APC. According to Alhaji Ibrahim Zamfara, a member of the PDP Elders Committee in the state, the crossover became compelling because the state would not be in opposition following the victory of General Buhari.

In Jigawa, former Governor Saminu Turaki, the incumbent deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mahmud Gumel, as well as Senator Muhammad Baban Beta, who represented Jigawa North-West senatorial district from 1999 to 2003 and Senator Muhammad Dudu, who represented the state’s North-East senatorial district from 1999- 2007, all switched camp from PDP to APC. In Kebbi State, House of Representatives member representing Yauri/Shanga/ Ngaski federal constituency, Garba Uba Bullet, and Shuaibu Mungadi, representing Kalgo/Bunza/Birnin Kebbi federal constituency and seven ward chairmen in Yauri Local Government Area all moved from PDP to the APC. Not left out in the defection train was, also the state’s Commissioner of Commerce, Sani Yusuf. Alhaji Hussaini Adamu and Alhaji Zubairu Wazirin Dabai, both gubernatorial aspirants on PDP platform, also dumped the party.

In Kwara State, Senator Gbemi Saraki and former Edo State governor, on the platform of the PDP, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, also all defected to the APC. Senator Saraki, a two time senator on PDP platform on her part revealed that she has found in APC a platform that mirrors the ideals of the Saraki political family, both in content and context, while Osunbor on his part said he

The electorate

A voter

Prof. Jega

discovered that his former party did not have the interest of his Edo people at heart, hence his migration to the APC. Major-General Charles Airhiavbere, PDP’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2012 election in Edo State, and national coordinator of Goodluck to Goodluck Support Group, in this year’s presidential election, waited only eight days after President Jonathan lost the election to switch camp to the rival APC. Airhiavbere revealed that he spent his personal resources on Jonathan’s campaign and did not receive any financial lifeline for all that he did with his support group.

He further disclosed that his decision to defect was as a result of the benefits that would accrue to his state if it remained in the APC that would control power at the centre.

As Airhiavbere left and fused his President Jonathan’s campaign outfit into Edo APC, so also did Castro Ezama of Rebuild Nigeria Initiative, RNI, which campaigned for Jonathan in Cross River State. Ezama said: “Cross River State cannot afford to be in opposition because of the economic challenges facing the state.”

The gale of mass defection rocking the ruling PDP, is now an issue of great concerns to many political analysts in the country. This careless manner of defection has warranted some political pundits to caution that Nigeria may become a one party state if nothing is done to nip the mindless switch in the board.

In a chat with veteran journalist, Chief Bayode Ogunmupe, he said, ‘‘most political parties are organised from the top down, so they tend to reinforce the power of those who already have power at the expense of those they don’t.

A one-party system does not easily allow for dissent from outside the party, and the structure of the party is such that it does not allow for dissent either. So, a one-party system is basically undemocratic, although it may be efficient as a ruling party. It is not good for Nigeria because of our diverse ethnic affiliations. A one party system might be oppressive, to say the least.”

Speaking further, he said, “what PDP members need to do is to come up with creative strategies that will beat APC in the next elections instead of decamping so that Nigeria will not become a one party state.’’

Political scientist and sociologist, Kayode Odumefun, said, “A one party system does not give room for fresh ideas. It is does not give room for change and ensured that the situation remained the same. A one party state gives

no room for competition and does not put the ruling party on its toes because it is the dominant or only party. It cannot accommodate diverse ideas and or diverse interests in a country such as Nigeria. It is antidemocratic and therefore, not good for a nation like ours where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and those in power do not always want to live to give those outside an opportunity.”

Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, worried about the gale of defections to the APC, warned against a one-party system in the country, pointing out that it will not augur well for the political development of the country. “We don’t want a one-party state in the country; we want credible and healthy competition at least between the two major political parties. We must do everything possible to sustain the PDP, so that democracy will be entrenched properly”, Aliyu stated.

“If you recall when the All Progressives Congress came together, I was the first person to say that, that was good for Nigerian democracy because it will put PDP on its feet and the federal sector, not only putting it to its feet but will be reorganised”.

The national chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun has also denounced the current trend of mass defections, explaining, that it was not good for Nigeria’s political development. Oyegun advised those defecting to the winning party to rather form a formidable opposition to enrich the nation’s democracy. “Many opposition party members have defected to APC just because they lost out, that is not good for political development.

“One would have advised that opposition members should stay where they are, and form a formidable opposition”, Oyegun said.

PDP National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, also warned the All Progressives Congress against turning Nigeria to a one party state.

Adeyanju, in a statement in Abuja ahead of the second phase of the elections, pointed out that a one party state was dangerous for the nation’s nascent democracy.

Adeyanju said rather than dumping PDP for the APC because of its brilliant performance in the last elections, “members should go back to the drawing board, put on their thinking caps and plan ahead for future elections, that are what is expected of a good politician, who really wants to serve his or her community”.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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The Big Read

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Opposition politicians should stay where they are’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 According to him, “Our nascent democracy needs strong opposition, which will spur any ruling party to work hard for good governance. Rushing to the APC by PDP members, especially the so-called bigwigs, is not the answer to the current predicament of the PDP and it is dangerous to our nascent democracy. Rather we should come together to review our poor outing and look for a way forward.”

He expressed optimism that if PDP leaders could come together and put their acts together in a proper perspective once again, the party would surely bounce back having being in power for almost 16 years and based on its achievements.

Reports coming from Plateau State, Ondo, Abia, Adamawa, Kwara, Edo states revealed that the party leadership has fallen into disaray. It seems that PDP is not prepared to play its part as an opposition party. Totalitarianism seems to imminent in Nigeria. Analysts say this can only be prevented if PDP rise to the occasion by building a formidable strong opposition from the grassroots.

However, the trend is not new. When Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999, the PDP did not only emerge victorious at the centre but also won more states across the federation. By the next election in 2003, many politicians from other political parties have defected to the PDP, making it easier for it to emerge yet again as Nigeria ruling party, this time winning more seats in all political position across the federation.

The party continued its dominance even up to the 2011 general elections. Though the opposition parties, this time made some remarkable results, it was not until internal crisis rocking the party got to a crescendo in 2013, which saw five PDP governors, several of its National Assembly members, abandoning the party that the onetime ‘almighty’ party, began to experience cracks that would eventually lead to its fall.

The merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was the magic wand the opposition needed to dismantle the most populous political party in Africa.

While PDP held onto Nigeria political power, many of its leaders, members and supporters, never imagined losing grip of political power, at least, not in the next 60 years.

One time PDP National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, once boasted that the PDP will rule the nation for at least 60 years. His position was given more emphasis when First Lady, Patience Jonathan, during electioneering campaign for the reelection of her husband, declared that the PDP will continue to rule Nigeria for the next 60 years.

All that boasting is now history. Like many political analysts are saying, the change mantra of the opposition party and its broom, which many thought could hardly kill cockroaches, had dismantled the political elephant of Nigeria and the largest political party in Africa.

With the tables now turned, APC now controls the centre and 21 states, leaving PDP with 11 and APGA one.

To checkmate this trend, PDP National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, not long ago in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, warned APC against turning Nigeria to a one party state, arguing that a one party state was dangerous for the nation’s nascent democracy.

Adeyanju said rather than dumping PDP for the APC because of its brilliant performance in the last elections, “members should go back to the drawing board, put on their thinking caps and plan ahead of future elections, that is what is expected of a good politician, who really wants to serve his or her community”. He added that Nigeria’s nascent democracy needs strong opposition, which will spur any ruling party to work hard for good governance.

He said: “Rushing to the APC by PDP members, especially the so-called bigwigs, is not the answer to the current predicament of the PDP and it is dangerous to our nascent democracy. Rather we should come together to review our poor outing and look for a way forward.”

He expressed optimism that if PDP leaders could come together and put their acts together in a proper perspective once again, the party would surely bounce back hav-

Asiwaju Tinubu

RUSHING TO THE APC BY PDP MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE SO-CALLED BIGWIGS, IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT OF THE

PDP AND

IT IS DANGEROUS TO OUR NASCENT DEMOCRACY.

RATHER WE SHOULD

COME TOGETHER TO REVIEW OUR POOR OUTING AND LOOK FOR A WAY FORWARD

Olisa Metuh

Lai Mohammed

ing being in power for almost 16 years and based on its achievements.

While it is natural for political parties to seek power and win as many elections as possible, many political analysts believe that a country is often ill-served by the concentration of political power in one party’s hands, regardless of which party holds it.

It is in recognition of this fact that many nations of the world adopt multi-party system of government, or at least a two-party system. It is also in a bid to limit the danger of oneparty system that there are checks and balances in governance.

But as many analysts argue, even with obstacles in place, political leaders frequently run amok when power is concentrated in the hands of one party.

Nigeria political history is abounding with instances.

One of the instances was the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, whose complete federal dominance between October 1, 1979 and December 31, 1983 led to massive corruption among political office holders.

It was on the excuse of NPN being mash with corruption, that on December 31, 1983, the military overthrew the Second Republic and present President-elect, General Buhari, became the military leader of the new government, placing President Shagari under house arrest, jailing several of his cabinet members and exiling others.

When democratic rule returned to the country in 1999, we again experienced the consequences of unchecked one-party dominance. From 1999-2014, PDP controlled National Assembly and Aso Rock, the seat of the Federal Government.

At the height of its power, following the 2003 elections, PDP had a 76-seat Senate majority out of the 109 senators and above 221-seat House majority out of 360. Some party leaders got carried away and pursued policies that grew their own power at the expense of Nigerian poor masses.

Their unlimited power led to runaway spending, an explosion in obscenely wasteful and parochial earmarks, a lack of transparency, and once again corruption continued unabated.

Good numbers of political analysts argue that in the absence of a viable option, APC which sought political power so they could implement change they claim to stand for, since they will now control Senate, House of Representative and the presidency, may just like PDP abuse power.

In the just concluded election, voters understandably upset with PDP excesses, gave the APC the presidency along with complete and expanded control of National Assembly.

Analysts say, unchecked power pushes parties to excess regardless of which party is in power. It is an inherent part of both human nature and the nature of government.

The danger is that with complete one-party dominance, much damage will be done before the next electoral self-correction.

But PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metu, bemoaning the membership hemorrhage that has hit the party since President Jonathan took a beating from Buhari in the March 28 presidential election, disclosed that the defection typhoon, sweeping through the PDP is not just an expression of the inclination in the average Nigerian politician to align with any side where his bread would be buttered, but a fall out of an orchestrated headhunt of PDP members by the victorious APC. He said: “Reports reaching the PDP leadership from across the country show that the APC has been desperately seeking ways to destabilise our ranks and weaken our formations by approaching some senior members of our National Executive Committee, NEC, with phantom promises and threats, ostensibly to use them to inject crisis in our fold and pave way for our elected members to cross over to APC.” Though Metu believes that the continuous loss of its members is as result of systematic wooing from the APC, good number of political analysts feel that survivalist’s politics elicited the exodus, arguing that what PDP members are better accustomed to since 1999, is being part of power management at the centre and its accruals, and not opposition politics.

Apart from the PDP, the Labour Party, LP, has expressed dismay over the exodus of PDP members to the victorious APC. In a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Kayode Ajulo, LP cautioned PDP members to temper their attraction to the APC with moderation or end up leaving the country at the mercy of the ills of one party state.

It wondered why APC, which prided itself as party of progressives threw its gates open to the same politicians it has all along denounced as the locusts of the Nigerian state. Aside the dominance of the APC in the next National Assembly, the on-going defection of PDP members to the APC, will ensure that the APC ends up having lame opposition to contend with. And this, like many analysts say, will be unhealthy for the country’s nascent democracy.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

National News

Sunday, April 26, 2015

7

1,400 killed as earthquake strikes Nepal A

Tremors felt in India, mountaineers trapped on Everest

powerful earthquake struck Nepal and sent tremors through northern India yesterday, killing more than 1,400 people, toppling a 19th-century tower in the capital Kathmandu and touching off a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest.

According to Reuters, there were reports of devastation in outlying, isolated mountainous areas after the midday quake of magnitude 7.9, Nepal’s worst in 81 years, centered 50 miles (80 km) east of the second city, Pokhara.

As fears grew of a humanitarian disaster in the impoverished Himalayan nation of 28 million, an overwhelmed government appealed for foreign help.

India was first to respond by sending in military aircraft with medical equipment and relief teams.

A police official said the death toll in Nepal alone had reached 1,130, more

than half of them in the Kathmandu Valley. A further 36 fatalities were reported in northern India, 12 in Chinese Tibet and four in Bangladesh.

The quake was more destructive for being shallow, toppling buildings, opening gaping cracks in roads and sending people scurrying into the open as aftershocks rattled their damaged homes.

Indian tourist Devyani Pant was in a Kathmandu coffee shop with friends when “suddenly the tables started trembling and paintings on the wall fell on the ground.

“I screamed and rushed outside,” she told Reuters by telephone from the capital, where at least 300 people died.

“We are now collecting bodies and rushing the injured to the ambulance. We are being forced to pile several bodies one above the

other to fit them in.”

An Indian army mountaineering team found 18 bodies on Mount Everest, where an avalanche unleashed by the earthquake swept through the base camp, where more than 1,000 climbers had gathered at the start of the climbing season.

Choti Sherpa, who works at the Everest Summiteers Association, was unable to call her family and colleagues on the mountain.

“Everyone is trying to contact each other, but we can’t,” she said. “We are all very worried.”

A second tourism official, Mohan Krishna Sapkota, said it was “hard to even assess what the death toll and the extent of damage” around Everest could be.

“The trekkers are scattered all around the base camp and some had even trekked further up. It is almost impossible to get in

touch with anyone.”

Around 300,000 foreign tourists were estimated to be in various parts of Nepal for the spring trekking and climbing season in the Himalayas, and officials were overwhelmed by calls from concerned friends and relatives.

Nepal, sandwiched between India and China, has had its share of natural disasters. Its worst earthquake in 1934 killed more than 8,500 people.

Political instability does little to boost Nepal’s resilience; it has still not upgraded its weather forecasting system despite being surprised by unseasonal blizzards last autumn that killed 32 in the Annapurna massif.

In 2001, Nepal burst into global headlines when the crown prince, Dipendra, gunned down 10 members of his family, including his father, King Birendra Shah, before killing himself.

A Maoist rebellion subsequently transformed the kingdom into a republican democracy and abolished the monarchy altogether in 2008. A new constitution has yet to be agreed, however.

“This earthquake is the nightmare scenario,” said Ian Kelman of the UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction in London.

“The country has ... suffered terrible conflicts, poor governance, and heart-wrenching poverty, all of which created and perpetuated the vulnerability which has been devastatingly exposed during the shaking.”

Among the Kathmandu landmarks destroyed by the quake was the 60-metrehigh (100-foot) Dharahara Tower, built in 1832 for the queen of Nepal, with a viewing balcony that had been open to visitors for the last 10 years.

A jagged stump just 10

meters high was all that was left of the lighthouselike structure. As bodies were pulled out of the ruins, a policeman said up to 200 people had been trapped inside.

At the main hospital in Kathmandu, volunteers formed human chains to clear the way for ambulances to bring in the injured.

Across the city, rescuers scrabbled through the rubble of destroyed buildings, among them ancient, wooden Hindu temples.

“I can see three bodies of monks trapped in the debris of a collapsed building near a monastery,” said Pant, the tourist. “We are trying to pull the bodies out and look for anyone who is trapped.”

The Everest avalanches, first reported by climbers, raised fears for those on the world’s loftiest peak a year after a massive snowslide killed 16 Nepali guides just above base camp.

Two soldiers killed as explosion rocks Army barracks in Jos JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

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n explosion, which went off at the headquarters of 3 Armoured Division, Maxwell khobe Cantonment in Jos, Plateau State has left two soldiers dead while another soldier sustained serious injuries National Mirror gathered that the explosion was heard in the cantonment around 11 am from a section where troops were working to transport unserviceable ammunition in the barracks for disposal when the ammunition exploded killing the two soldiers and injuring another.

Deputy Director, Army Public Relations officer of the Division, Col. Texas Chukwu, who confirmed the incident in a statement yesterday said: “I want to use this medium to state that this cantonment was not under attack or attacked by the insurgents.

There is an ongoing demolition exercise, which started on Wednesday,20th April 2015 to terminate on the 4th May,2015.

“The public were informed in the media. The

explosion heard in the cantonment was from an accident that occurred while troops authorised to destroy unserviceable ammunition exploded in the process of being moved to the demolition site.

“The explosion did not affect the cantonment or the neighbouring communities. Unfortunately, two soldiers lost their lives and one sustained injury. Normalcy has since returned to the area”, Chukwu stated.

Confirming the unfortunate incident in a statement yesterday, in Abuja, the Nigerian Army through its Acting Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, indicated that the explosion was not caused by the enemy but bad ammunition that were been transported by troops to the bush for destruction.

By this, the Army has allayed fears of any attack in Jos, Plateu state after the explosion which caused serious security scare.

The Army described the explosion as an accident stressing that there was no reason for panic in the state.

Former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon; President Goodluck Jonathan; President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife, Helen, during the Presidential Prayer Breakfast at the Presidential PHOTO: NAN Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

Media collaboration essential for good governance, says Buhari FRANCIS SUBERU

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resident-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Saturday called on the nation’s media to partner with his government in its quest to provide qualitative leadership; saying media collaboration is essential to good governance.

Buhari who made the call at the 2015 Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors ,(NGE) held in Lagos, paid glowing tributes to the nation’s media, saying its vibrancy is not in doubt.

The newly elected president who was represented at the conference by the Vice –President –elect Professor Yemi Osinbajo affirmed that the Nigerian press played a key role in bringing about the present change in the nation’s leadership and other spheres that would be evidenced soon in the country.

He said,” the work of the press is not over. The incoming administration would like the press to continue its role of watchmen and women, aggregating the views and positions of the people on national

issues and presenting these as lucidly as possible through publication and other channels to the government to guide it in the onerous task of providing good governance for our people.

“Nigeria is a huge country and no government can be able to know all that is happening across the length and breadth of the country without assistance of the media which has an impressive national reach.”

Harping on the importance of the media or press in modern democracies, he added that,” it is important

to mention that the press in Nigeria, and indeed in many countries influence millions of people daily as most people make it a habit to read a newspaper or listen to newspaper reviews every morning before setting out for the days’ business.

“And for many people including government officials, the reports contained in newspapers or the editorial opinions of some of the influential newspapers remain at the back of their minds and influence the basis of discussion and debate among government officials.

CONTD ON PAGE 8

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News

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Office sharing: APC leaders to finalise position Tuesday OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

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he leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC will this Tuesday finalise the office sharing formula ahead of the May

29 inauguration of the General Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The President-elect, General Buhari had last week intervened in what could have been a major crisis in the party over which zone

takes what office.

The crisis according to a source who was at the three day marathon meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja last week emanated when some clique in the National Ex-

ecutive Council appeared to favour individuals rather than the zones.

The most controversial position sought after is the senate presidency. The former governor of Benue and Kwara States, Akume and

L-R: Deputy Corps Marshal, Administration, Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Chidi Nwachukwu; FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi and Deputy Corps Marshal, Operations Mr. Abu Adie, during the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC First Quarter Strategy Review Session with Zonal and Sector Commanders in Abuja at the weekend.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Sanitation: 3 killed as hoodlums go on rampage in Ilorin WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

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he monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ilorin, Kwara State capital yesterday turned bloody as hoodlums invaded two mobile courts sitting at different locations disrupting proceedings.

Three people have reportedly killed in the upheaval that followed the miscreants’ attacks but police confirmed only two at the press time yesterday.

One persons was also said to have received gun wounds and currently receiving treatment in the hospital while shops, houses and properties worth several millions of naira were set ablaze by the hoodlums protesting the enforcement of restriction law during the exercise by security agents. .

About eight of the suspected hoodlums armed with dangerous objects allegedly invaded a court session at Oja-Oba area. So also was the scenario at Ipata mobile court where some youths protesting closure of road threw the court into a state of confusion.

The situation forced the court’s presiding judge and sanitation officers to flee the scene for fear of being attacked.

According to eye witnesses, trouble started when a police man arrested a motorcyclist for flouting the restriction order on during the hours of the sanitation exercise around Oja-Oba area.

The motorcyclist, it was gathered was one of the ‘boys’ of the leaders of a gang popularly known as ‘Ariyo’.

It was gathered the rider told the policeman that the ‘okada’ belongs to Ariyo, a plea which the policeman reportedly turned down saying no one was above the law.

Infuriated by the action of the policeman, he reportedly mobilised his gang members themselves, destroying every property at sight and setting ablaze shops in Oja-oba and people in the vicinity began to scamper for safety.

The hoodlums including some ladies reportedly shot into the air, brandishing various dangerous weapons and throwing missiles including broken tiles and bottles to their targets.

The rampaging hoodlums, according to eye witnesses, used clay pots to cover their heads to protect themselves from being shelled while they unleash terror on the community.

In the middle of the crisis, men of the state fire service department were drafted to put off the raging fire of various properties set ablaze.

It was learnt that the fracas got worsen due to the absence of armed security personnel when it started.

At Ipata, some health personnel, said to be carrying out immunisation exercise

in various households in the metropolis, were said to have been stopped by the task force attached to the mobile court sitting in the area even after properly identifying themselves.

Bukola Saraki are deep into the contest and have polarised the party leadership.

However, on the directives of the President-elect, Buhari, the party mandated the Coordinator of the North Central Zone and Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura to coordinate the selection and ensure a rancor free process, which will not result to any crisis in the North Central.

According to our source, “The private residence of Governor Al-Makura in Maitama was practically taken over by the officer seeking senators including Akume, Saraki and several other leaders since Monday.

“I can tell you that the North Central will produce a consensus candidate for the office of the senate president as the party has given them up till this Tuesday to table their choice before the enlarged house.”

The party it was noted threatened to take away the senate presidency slot from the North Central if they are not able to agree on a consensus candidate.

A serving senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, who met with some members of the APC National Working Committee last week said that the

North East will be waiting in wing should the North Central fail to reach a consensus.

While canvassing for the ceding of the Senate Presidency to the North East, Senator Ndume argued that the zone not only bled heavily under insurgency attack but also were resilient as opposition under the Peoples Democratic Party’s government.

He also said that though he is not desperate for the top position but he is well qualified to hold any position in Nigeria.

He said, “You see, the North East has produced the second largest vote for APC during the last election and like I said, if you are looking for people that will be consistent for the being in opposition all this while, Borno and Yobe in particular have been consistent in opposition. Now that the power has shifted from the former majority party, PDP to the opposition and we happened to be there, that is no reason why it shouldn’t come to us.

“Secondly, we are the most devastated in terms of the level of insurgency and marginalisation during this political dispensation.

Thirdly, the North East consists part of the poorest region on earth according to the United Nations human development indices.

Media collaboration essential for good governance, says Buhari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

“There is no modern society or government that can neglect the press or can function without a vibrant media. It is for this reason that most government agencies, ministries and departments as well as the Presidency or Office of the Prime Minister have press offices manned by media specialists and communication officers.

“Also in democracies, we are yet to see a political party that does not employ the services of journalists and media experts nor can any political party or individual seek power or mandate from the people without utilizing the services of media experts and journalists.

“In fact, it has become the norm, judging from our own 2015 national elections, that committed and knowledgeable media team comprising a seasoned and well-informed journalist under a good leader influences the difference between victory and defeat.”

According to him, this

is so because for much of the election period, it is the press that the electorates listen to, and seek out to know the difference between the political parties and form their opinion about which party to vote for.

“Thus, the press plays a very important role in all modern states and es-

pecially in democracies.

And as more and more states strive towards improving popular participation in government, the role of the press can only but expand thereby conferring more influence and responsibility on the Editors and their Guilds or association.

“It is instructive and

delightful to note that this year’s meeting of the Guild is coming so soon after a major political event in our country and in which the press including the radio and television played a critical role. This was the 2015 elections for which reason all sorts of predictions and doomsday scenarios were bandied about.

World’s first malaria vaccine moves closer to use in Africa

T

he world’s first malaria vaccine, produced

by GlaxoSmithKline, could be approved by international regulators for use in Africa from October.

The final trial data showed that the shoe, called RTS, S offered partial protection for children for up to four years.

It will be the first licensed human vaccine against a parasitic disease, and could help prevent millions of cases of malaria, which currently kills more than 600,000 people a year.

Experts have long hoped scientists would be able to develop an effective malaria vaccine, and researchers

at the British drug maker, GSK, have been working on RTS, S for 30 years.

Earlier trial data releases in 2011 and 2012 dampened the hopes that this shot would be the final answer to wiping out malaria.

Then, it showed it only reduced episodes of malaria in babies aged six weeks to 12 weeks by 27 per cent, and by around 46 per cent in children aged five to 17 months.

But the final stage follow-up data published in the Lancet journal showed that vaccinated children continued to be protected four years on, though at a declining rate - an impor-

tant factor, given the prevalence of the disease and rates of protection were stronger with a booster shot.

“In spite of the falling efficacy over time, there is still a clear benefit from RTS,S,” said Brian Greenwood, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who worked on the study.

He said an average 1,363 cases of clinical malaria were prevented over four years for every 1,000 children vaccinated, or 1,774 cases with a booster shot.

“The children would normally be expected to have had several cases of infection over that period.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Sunday April 26, 2015

9

Jonathan urges sacrifice by Nigerian leaders for nation’s interest ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged Nigerian leaders to make sacrifice for the interest, progress and development of the nation.

Jonathan, who spoke at the fifth Presidential Prayer Breakfast held at the old Banquet Hall of

the Presidential Villa, said a successful leader must be ready to make sacrifice.

The outgoing President noted that for those who have the privilege to lead at any level, such leader must make the required sacrifice to be successful in leadership.

He said that prayer was very important in nation building, stressing that

Nigeria would overcome the challenges presently facing it.

“For us to build Nigeria, we need prayers; we have challenges, every other nations have problems but we shall overcome the challenges”, Jonathan said.

He stated that he was happy about the turnout at the event, saying that he had expected a low

attendance considering the fact that his administration is winding up to hand over to a new government.

He commended former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and the former Head of Interim National Government, ING, Chief Ernest Shonekan, who were present on the occasion for their exemplary leadership

style.

Jonathan urged past and current leaders in the country in whatever position of leadership in the country to emulate them in order to have a strong and united nation.

According to him, Gowon and Shonekan had been regular at many events during his administration, saying that if all leaders show that level of patriotism, the country would be a better place.

The President said he thanked God and Nigerians for giving him the opportunity to serve for 16 years, stressing that he would continue to do his best for the country.

Jonathan said: “I have to thank God and Nigerians for the privilege

and opportunity given to me this past 16 years.

I served my state as Governor and Deputy Governor for eight years in Government House, Yenagoa and I came here to the State House, Abuja and served the country as Vice-President and President; that is a reasonable length of time.

“So I have to thank God because if God did not want, it wouldn’t have happened and I thank Nigerians for the support for me within this period, I will continue to do my best as I am gradually joining Yakubu Gowon and Ernest Shonekan.”

The Bible lesson at the event was taken from Philippians Chapter 2 verse 1-11 and was read

by Gowon.

Polls: Heavy security deployment, low turnout in Ekiti ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

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Traffic on Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi road at Kugbo caused by an accident involving an articulated vehicle, which fell across the road, yesterday.

One dies in Kogi supplementary election WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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t least one person has been shot dead during the supplementary election, which held yesterday in six constituencies in Kogi State The election was marred by violence in some parts of the state.

It was gathered that the situation became unmanageable as the exercise took a violent dimension in Anyigba Okura constituency of Dekina LGA. Sunday Mirror learnt that youths loyal to the PDP and APC engaged themselves in a battle of wits by shooting sporadically leaving one

dead, while several others sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds.

The shooting was said to have started at about 8.30 p.m. on Friday and was intended to instill fear in the minds of the electorate so as to discourage a large turnout of voters.

One of the PDP candidates, Mr. Alhassan Ogwu, explained that the deceased, Ibrahim Yakubu Oyibo, 26, was his cousin and was with him in the house when the suspected gunmen numbering about 10 on motorcycles stormed his residence.

“They were shooting sporadically at the building, which lasted for hours and they killed Oyibo on the

spot,” he said.

Ogwu alleged that a ‘powerful’ woman politician, who is a strong supporter of his opponent, Hassan Abdullahi, of the APC was the mastermind of the attack.

He lamented that the attackers were shouting slogans as “change is inevitable, away with PDP and Alhassan Agwu” and continued to shoot intermittently for hours before the arrival of mobile policemen on patrol came to dislodge them.

He added that the deceased had been buried according to Muslim rites while the wounded were treated in an unidentified clinic.

While reacting to allega-

tion, the media officer of the APC candidate, Hassan Abdullahi Bewa , Mr. John Makolo, stated that he was ignorant of the incidence, saying if it had occurred at all, he should be able to name those who shot his cousin.

He added that his principal was very busy with the election and would not be ready to trade words with him, calling him to stop crying foul when there was none.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Shola Adebayo, who confirmed the incident, said no arrest had been made, but said investigations had cbegun.

he supplementary election to conclude the House of Assembly poll for Ilejemeje Constituency in Ekiti State, which held yesterday witnessed a heavy security deployment and voter apathy.

The April 11 House of Assembly election in the constituency was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following ballot snatching and hijack of electoral materials.

To prevent a repeat of the ugly trend during the supplementary election, the Police Commissioner, Mr Joshua Ibine, deployed large number of policemen in the 22 units in Eda Oniyo, Iludun and Iye Ekiti, headquarters of the Council, where the election took place.

Men of the Nigerian Army were also sighted on the roads in the Ileje-

meje Council area just as personnel of the State Security Services (SSS) were at hand to ensure law and order.

Only a few people came out to vote in the supplementary election adjudged by stakeholders as peaceful contrary to the scenario that played out on April 11.

In the constituency, the PDP candidate, Mrs Cecelia Dada, slugged it out with her APC counterpart, Hon Segun Erinle, who is the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency.

A senator-elect PDP chieftain in the council, Hon Duro Faseyi, and a former Commissioner, Hon Segun Akinwumni, hailed INEC and the security agencies for their preparations.

Faseyi stated that the large number of security personnel would certainly curtail the activities of poll riggers, who disrupted the the polls on April 11.

Benue SME owners raise the alarm over alleged diversion of funds HENRY IYORKASE

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ver 500 prospective beneficiaries of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises development fund under the Central Bank in conjunction with Benue State

Government are crying out over their inability to benefit from the scheme in the state.

The scheme is a Federal Government programme, in partnership with the state government towards encouraging men and women entrepreneurs as well as

cooperative societies, nongovernmental organisations and those living with disability to grow the business by accessing cheap funds.

However, investigations indicate that N2.1bn was earmarked to the state for her allottees out of which N1.1bn was earlier released in Feb-

ruary for disbursement to the beneficiaries in the state.

Sunday Mirror sources disclosed that the funds were channelled through the office of Special aAviser to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund, Mrs. Esther Iyange,

for onward transfer to the chairman of the disbursement committee, Hon. Terngu Tsegba.

However, there have been claims of alleged diversion of the funds to political cronies.

Speaking on the development, a would-be beneficiary,

who spoke to Sunday Mirror on condition of anonymity, hinted that most of them were denied access to the loan but the instruction was that 60 per cent of the money should be given to women who own stores at the market with a view to enhancing their business.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

10

Interview ENCOUNTER WITH A NEWS MAKER APRIL 26, 2015

We’ll pursue a policy of industrialisation –Ortom Benue State Governor-elect, Dr. Samuel Ortom, in this no holds barred interview with journalists bares his mind on intrigues which characterised the just-concluded general elections in the state. The former Minister of State for Trade and Investment also gives an insight into how he proved skeptics wrong in securing victory. HENRY IYORKASE was there.

Can you share with us your feelings and observations on the conduct of the just concluded elections, which saw your emergence as winner viz a viz your opponents on the other divide?

Well let me say generally that I want to first and foremost appreciate God for hearing our prayers and disgracing the pessimists who had predicted that the elections were going to be marred by violence and it was not going to be free and fair, but at the same I do appreciate their fears as a result of the fear that was created by desperate politicians who were out to win by all costs.

People had sent signals that anyone who stood on their way they were going to eliminate such a person. But this came to pass. Prior to the elections there were sporadic gunshots in Makurdi, Vandeikya, Logo, Katsina-Ala in Kwande, Konshisha and the rest.

Sending signals that people should be careful, all these were strategies to put fear into the people and those who tried to resist them were shot at and killed some sustained injuries are in the hospitals as I am talking to you now, but we thank God for his intervention at the end of the day, the elections were peaceful, free and fair, but I have always told people that for us who are Christians, a man receives nothing except it is given to him by God, John 3:27 and so power belongs to God and he giveth it to whoever he wills again as Ecclesiastes – 9:11 says the battle is not for the swift nor for the strongest nor the race for the fastest runner nor success for men of wisdom or understanding but everything comes by time and chance as the Lord willeth so it is what God decides that matters.

I stand here as an example, nobody believed I was going to be the candidate of APC in December and no one also believed that I was going to win this election, but God had designed that it should be me. I do remember that throughout the electioneering campaign, I told the people that I was going to rule with the fear of God and this translate to truthfulness, equity, fairness, justice, transparency, accountability, selflessness integrity, integration reconciliation, forgiveness and peace. And so when we are united as a people then we can have development.

Ortom

Can we take a peep into your blueprint, how is it likely to appear like for the next four years?

For me as the governor of the people as soon, as I am sworn in the first thing I would do is to reconcile the people because people are heavily divided along sectional lines and this is not helping the state, we can do better. I am also very conversant with the challenges in the state today having been a grass root man, having passed through the local government to the state and then the federal level and having a background of a grass root politician and also having a stint in the administration of Local Government state and federal level and also most importantly at this particular time as someone with the private sector background, I think that God has adequately prepared me for the task that ahead of us in the state. I have told people and they have accepted that

for me to be governor of Benue state, I will promote excellence above mediocrity and sycophancy so that we can excel. We will seek to promote talents to compliment what the state is doing. We will seek to professionalise; we will seek to ensure that those who excel are given attention. Support and the enabling environment and with this we will be able to tap various talents that we have in Benue state. For instance in sports, if government provides the enabling environment, in all the 23 local governments, I can assure you that we will fish a lot of talents that are wasting and lying idle in the villages, bring them up and support them. For me, I know that government does not have the capacity to contain the number of graduates that we have in the streets today. We are going to look outside the box to see how we can partner with the organised private sector heavily to industrialise the state so that our primary products can

be processed to add value to them and then s old for average farmer to have something to take home at the end of the day. We shall massively encourage micro small and medium scale enterprises so that the two can give our people the opportunity of providing jobs for themselves and even others and also creating wealth we shall also encourage investment activities into our state. All government can do is provide the enabling environment for the private sector to come in and of course worldwide that is what is obtained. And then with industries coming up government can generate revenue internally to cater for basic amenities one of the things I have always said it that when you rule with the fear of God corruption will be eliminated to its barest minimum. I believe that If we eliminate corruption, we should have enough resources to take care of teachers and workers salaries and pensioners because if you talk of government not being able to pay and see what government operatives are doing in terms of personal things. It sends a wrong signal all together that something is wrong because if you can’t pay why are you building mansions all over the place and so for us as a government we are going to set the standard and I am going to take the lead as governor of Benue State to ensure that we are selfless in services to the people, because a worker deserves his wages.

What can you do to mitigate the issue of cumulative salary arrears of civil servants, who have been indebted by the outgoing administration in the state?

You know today I am governor elect.

I am yet to take over; I am yet to look at the pulse and actual challenges that we have. I am yet to know the actual mount that is outstanding to be paid so it is a difficult question now but the assurance I can give is that I have the confidence of the people, I have told them and by the grace of God they can confirm to me that yes, it is difficult to find a man of his words in the game of politics but they are confident with me as a child of God, as a born again Christian, who is standing by the throne, who is ready to do everything with the fear of God. And so, whatever it will take and whatever I find we will put them on the table. I have given my word that I will be transparent and I will let the people know. And I will give account too and all that I am doing is going t o be selfless. I believe that once people know exactly that I am not doing anything short change them and there are facts they will also accept with me and we shall reason together but until I have the facts then with specifics on how to handle it. But I can assure you that this is not first time. As a local government chairman I was able to do it. And as a governor of Benue State I will do it for the entire state.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

11

Politics PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES APRIL 26, 2015

Who succeeds Oshiomhole in 2016?

P 12, 53

WE DO NOT KNOW THE REASON FOR THE SACK OF THE IMMEDIATE PAST IGP, BUT WE HAVE READ, JUST LIKE OTHER NIGERIANS, THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE UNCONNECTED WITH THE ROLE HE EITHER PLAYED

OR DID NOT PLAY IN THE LAST GENERAL ELECTIONS.

–APC NATIONAL PUBLICITY SECRETARY, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED.

Nigerians set agenda for Buhari

‘Nigeria needs restructuring to move forward’

P 52

Briefly

S’West presidential Contact Committee calls for PDP restructuring

T

he Presidential Contact Committee of South West Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has called for total restructuring and re-engineering of the party.

The committee led by former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, consisted of Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Dr. Olu Alabi, Chief Yinka Omilani, Chief Femi Kila, Chief Bisi Omoyeni, Dr. Saka Balogun, Chief Bode Mustafa, Chief Joju Fadairo, among others.

The committee’s resolution was arrived at after a meeting of members which took place in Lagos at the weekend just as the committee commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his maturity, statesmanship, sacrifice and selfless service which it said had engendered and strengthened the present peace in the nation today. .The Committee resolved that the President should instruct the present Party managers to call the National Caucus, the BOT and the NEC meetings so as to allow a thorough re-examination of the current challenges the Party is confronting now.

It further eschews the resort to violence and undemocratic means by a minority clique in Ekiti and equally counsels that violence does not augur well for anyone.

APC Diaspora congratulates Buhari, Osinbajo

T

Buhari

AYO ESAN

A

s we approach May 29 when the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, will formally take the mantle of leadership, people who had received his promise of change during the campaign are already setting an agenda for his government.

Buhari has maintained that the issue of youth unemployment, insecurity, revamping of the economy and tackling issue of corruption will be given priority attention.

But former Governor of Kaduna State and a social crusader, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has urged Nigerians

Osinbajo

not to expect any magic from Buhari when he assumes office. He said people should not expect much from the Buhari administration because, according to him, the change he and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, promised during the electioneering was cosmetic and not realistic.

“My expectations from Buhari are not very much because the change they promised was cosmetic. It is not qualitative. It is just a mere change from PDP one to PDP two. There is no qualitative change at all. The vision remains the same; there is no even change in the style.

“However, the fact that the election took place is a good thing. Also, the

acceptance of defeat by the president means Nigerians can shame those imperialists who were forecasting on the end of Nigeria after the 2015 election,” he said.

Renowned constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, urged the incoming government to focus on short and medium-term goals, which he said if strictly adhered to and well-implemented would help Nigeria attain a level of acceptable development. He identified three key areas - security, economy and the fight against corruption - as ones that must receive the urgent attention of the government.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

he All Progressives Congress, APC, Canada chapter, has congratulated the party’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice-President elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on their victory during the March 28 Presidential election describing the victory as ‘the birth of a new dawn in Nigeria’.

The party stated this in a statement made available to Sunday Mirror and jointly signed by Dr Kayode Alesh, APC Diaspora National chairman, Canada and Mr Olusegun Ilupeju, the National Secretary.

It said: “This victory definitely births the brightness of a new dawn for our great country, Nigeria and the beginning of a new foundation that would usher in prosperity, hope, security and pride to all Nigerians.

The party lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, for the introduction of Card Reader smart card with a view to ensuring that the election is free, fair and credible.

12

Politics

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Who succeeds Oshiomho

…Central gets Speaker; North, Deputy; South, Go

E

do State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, is a man that is very aware of the fact that one of the hallmarks of good leadership is a smooth succession plan.

As the countdown to the 2016 governorship election in the state begins from May 29, Oshiomhole, who many Edo people still regard as a messiah, is leaving no stone unturned to put the state in safe hands when he completes his two terms totalling eight years of governance and hands over the reins of power in November 2016.

Barring any unforeseen circumstance between now and May 29 when the newly elected 24 state lawmakers would be sworn in at the Chief Anthony Enahoro Complex, Sunday Mirror can authoritatively reveal that Hon. Tiger Victor Sabor Edoror of Esan Central, a re-elected lawmaker and current Deputy Speaker, would be unveiled as the next Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly by the state ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The zoning of the position of Speaker by the APC to Edo Central Political District, according to its leaders, is a decision that was taken long before now as

BUT ONE ISSUE THAT IS AS CLEAR,

UNAMBIGUOUS AND DECIDED AS DAYLIGHT, IS THAT THE GAME OF WHO SUCCEEDS

GOVERNOR OSHIOMHOLE EVEN IN THE PDP HAS CHANGED AND TAKEN A HIGHER GEAR, NO THANKS TO THE RESULTS OF THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTION IN EDO STATE. our correspondent reliably gathered but which depended upon the re-election of a ranking lawmaker of the district in the April 11 state assembly election.

Particularly, the party’s decision to zone the position of Speaker to Edo Central District led to the defection of Edoror in January 2014 from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC long before the crisis that the PDP precipitated to consume and hijack the assembly solely for the impeachment

of Governor Oshiomhole. As a prelude to the governor’s smooth succession plan, the assembly wasted no time in electing Edoror as the Deputy Speaker.

As part of the bargain, our correspondent authoritatively gathered that Edo North Political District, which would have been offered the position of Deputy Speaker had the governorship election taken place last week as it was the case in some other states, would be content, for now, with the position of Majority Lead-

stand for an election as President of this country or a northerner staying in Akwa Ibom and stand for election there.

But now, our voting pattern shows that there is so much voting along tribal or religious lines and I don’t think that is good for this country. After about 50 years of Nigerian independence, we still have not evolved a Nigerian nation.

Therefore, we have to restructure the country and whoever is the president or governor must help us to evolve a Nigerian na¬tion. You do not think that because you are first of all a Yoruba before you are a Nigerian, because you are an Igbo before you are a Nigerian, a Hausa before you are a Nigeria, but to be a Nigerian first.

Babalola also urged Buhari to fulfil his promise to wipe out corruption, saying everyone must help the government to wipe it out.

“If you don’t give, of course, the other per¬son won’t accept. Corruption takes two people, you give, the other person takes. So, I appreciate the fact that General Buhari said that he was going to wipe it out, but it is not enough to talk about wiping it out, it is a matter of we, and of the individual,” he said.

National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations, NACOMYO, challenged the incoming Buhari-led administration to evolve an equitable and viable government that reflects the common yearnings, fears and aspirations of the citizenry.

The organisation urged the government to pay special attention to how

to tackle violence, ethnic and religious conflicts, “endemic corruption”, social and economic challenges bedeviling the country.

Besides, the organisation would like Buhari’s new government to run an “all inclusive government, ensuring fair and balance representation in the scheme of things”.

The group’s National President, Alhaji Kamal’deen Akintunde, appealed to Nigerians to “sustain the commitment, dedication and steadfastness in pursuing other salient national issues”.

National Coordinator of the pan -Yoruba group, Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Otunba Gani Adams, said Nigerians voted

Oshiom mholle

er, leaving the largest zone, Edo South Political District, to produce the Deputy Speaker next month as well as the APC governorship candidate for next year’s governorship election with the support of a running mate from Edo North Political District.

Based on this simple but complex political calculation for 2016, Hon. Elizabeth Ativie, a

Nigerians set agenda CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

“They should focus on security, the economy and the fight against corruption. They should also focus on middleterm things like infrastructure, building new refineries so that we don’t have to import petroleum products in a country that produces petroleum; taking care of our roads, electricity and other infrastructure, and also education and health.

“In the long term, he should have a development plan, a programme which could be a five-year term or ten-year development plan which we have to follow and at the end of it, we can just go on until we achieve an acceptable level of development,” he said Prominent legal luminary and educationist, Aare Afe Baba¬lola, SAN, believes sincerely that what this coun¬try needs at this time is peace. He therefore urged Buhari to pay attention to issue of security saying, “The social contract which we all have demanded is that there should be security of property and of lives”.

He also talked about fundamental restructuring of the country.

“I sincerely believe there is a need for urgent fundamental restructuring of the Nigeria constitution. My own belief has always been that Nigeria would become a nation rather than a country of nations. And that the voting pattern would be such that we say you vote for the Nigerian nation where I for example, a Yoruba, can work in Borno and

Fa aseh hun

for Buhari based on his promises.

“People see him as honest; they see him as a disciplined man and someone that will not encourage corruption.

I think his antecedents will work in his favour. Apart from the large votes from the North, you can see that most Yoruba voted for him and most Nigerians abroad sensitised the people for him on the internet because they want this country to move forward as most of

them want to come home. He urged him to fulfil all that he had promised the citizens.

“I think one of the promises was that he will make sure he brings transparency into governance. I will encourage him to intensify more effort on that. Two, he said he would reduce corruption. Three, he will give free education, free health and also promised to reduce the pump price of petroleum products to N30 per litre. He said so in one of his campaigns. If he can even reduce it to N50 per li-

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Man in the News Former IGP Suleiman Abba:

Casualty of spiteful politics AYO ESAN

I

n a move that confounded most Nigerians, President Goodluck Jonathan last Tuesday sacked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba.

He replaced him with Mr. Solomon Arase, a Deputy Inspector-General, DIG, in an acting capacity.

The action, which was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, did not state reasons for the removal.

Abba’s sack came less than a year after he took over from the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

The terse statement read: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, of his appointment and duties with immediate effect.

“President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect.’’

Mr. Arase was until his new appointment the head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

The Acting I-G holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Law, and a bachelor’s and master’s in Political Science and Strategic Studies. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.

However, newspapers were awash the following day, Wednesday, with reasons why Abba was sacked by Jonathan.

Sources said Abba incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.

Abba, it was learnt, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

It was also gathered that on learning that the IG had defied the order of the Presidency by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise

the governorship elections, an official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State, or face the consequences. The source said the Presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba.

The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunsha-

kin was a formidable police officer who he described as a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of his new assignment.

It was further gathered that although Abba reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin

from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt on the election day, the Presidency did not forgive him for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly.

Abba’s presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1 was believed to have convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and thus moved quickly against him.

It would also be recalled the role played by Abba when he withdrew the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, immediately he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, received condemnation from many Nigerians.

His action then drew the flak of eminent Nigerians who felt he was overzealous in carrying out his official duty.

The 56-year-old Abba, who was the 17th Indigenous Inspector General, handed over to his successor, Mr Solomon Arase, last Wednesday. He was appointed acting Inspector General on August 1, 2014 following the retirement of his predecessor, Abubakar, after 35 years of service. He was subsequently confirmed substantive IGP on November 4, 2014.

Abba was, until that appointment, an Assistant Inspector General, AIG, in charge of Zone 7 Command, a position he held since May 25, 2012. He was also Aide-De-Camp, ADC, to the wife of former military ruler, Maryam Abacha.

With his removal, Abba will proceed on a forced withdrawal, four years before he attains retirement age.

He enlisted in the Nigeria Police as Cadet Inspector on December 31, 1984 and is expected to be due for retirement on March 22, 2019.

As mixed reactions continue to greet Abba’s sudden removal, a frontline lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, has hailed the development. The lawyer in a letter entitled ‘Illegal Policing of the Republic’, lambasted the IGP for involving in partisan politics.

The new IGP who hails from Gwaram local council of Jigawa State attended several management and security courses within and outside Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos. He is known for his vast experience in criminal investigation, intelligenceled policing and crime-fighting operations

Opinion

14

Sunday April 26, 2015

Uncensored U nc

Sheriff S Folarin

E-mail: sheffie2004@yahoo.co.uk 08094217972 (SMS only)

W

hen a white man hates a black man, he throws banana at him; but when a black man hates a fellow black man, he kills him. Ironical? Well, life is full of ironies or paradoxes so much that only life itself can understand what the cacophony of mysteries is all about. Now consider this: when a white man hates a fellow white man, he implicates him in a criminal case or could simply embark on an adventure of serial killing, with the delusional pride and belief that he can take out entire members of a community, gender or group. We have heard stories of white women on a killing spree, with children as target and victims, slashing their throats one after the other, cutting them to pieces and flushing the body parts of each of them down the toilet!

We have also heard stories of mysterious persons like Jack the Ripper of modern England centuries before now, and all sorts of other cases, whose stock in trade is wiping out a hated people. Do you describe that as just another case of one-man madness and not strictly the xenophobia unfolding in South Africa? The world is full of madness and in fact, every one of us is mad in some ways. It takes madness, for instance, to wish a healthy man dead and advertise his obituary in national newspapers even when it is obvious the ‘dead man’ is much alive. It is madness for a Fulani to kill an entire family of five overnight only because his cattle are missing or are endangered in a strange land where he is allowed by the host community to graze. Was it not madness for a group of people to emerge somewhere in the remote areas of the Northeast and resolve to Islamize the whole of Nigeria of about 170 million people or kill all of them if they resists?

Safety Tips with

Jonas Agwu

Email: j.agwu@Ofrsc.gov.ng Tel: -8033026491, 8077690055

D

aily, I receive calls from motorists seeking clarification or pouring out venom on either our patrol teams, or on operatives of other agencies for arresting them ‘’unjustly’’ for number plate infractions. Last week, I equally received similar calls from two close friends on issues bordering on the same number plate.

The first call I received, was from EXPENSIVE; one of the popular On Air Personalities (OAP) with WAZOBIA FM in Abuja.

The call, according to him, was to pour out his worry like a good number of motorists on issues regarding the number plate and enforcement. In a very angry tone, he reeled out his frustration and confusion over the arrest of their vehicle by operatives of one of the agencies in Abuja.

Their offence, according to the arresting officer, was that a private company vehicle meant for conveying staff with WAZOBIA

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The xenophobia in all of us What is xenophobia? Sociologists have not clearly placed it in their lexicon. But they say it is the incomprehensible contempt a people have towards another one that lives within the former’s clan. The term, “xenophobia” is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “deep-rooted, irrational hatred towards foreigners” and Webster Dictionary describes it as an unreasonable fear or hatred of the unfamiliar. In some quarters, xenophobia is simply a dislike or prejudice against people from other countries. From all these definitions, there is a common currency: madness! Xenophobia simply means “madness”: the word “incomprehensible” or “unreasonable/irrational” that keeps appearing in those definitions make the meaning of xenophobia even clearer: madness!!

Those South Africans protesting against African foreigners in their country; stoning, burning and stabbing them to death are simply expressing their human nature: madness. They and their king want all foreigners who are smarter and more educated and who “take their jobs” out of their country or get killed. And so, the attack, looting of shops and cutting down of the innocents persist. The crime of the victims is simply because they are black without a South African tag around their identity.

While that handful of Zulus- a people of great history and heritage with one of the most sophisticated pre-colonial political organizations under the great Shaka- have condescended to exhibit the madness in man.

Also, the acts of the Hausa-Fulani in Nigeria in 1966 must not be easily forgotten. They had for a very long time, greatly despised the people of Eastern extraction, quietly envying them for their industriousness and hating them too for “taking over” their businesses and jobs in the North. So, the countercoup of July 1966 only offered a veritable platform to exterminate all the Igbo people in that region. The Igbos were maimed, humiliated, raped, killed and shops were looted. They were even waylaid in Markudi as they fled to their Eastern

abode, but the ethnic supremacists caught up with them and killed them, throwing their bodies into the River Benue. Those Easterners were simply considered as foreigners in Hausaland, who had come to reap where they had not sown.

In Sudan, Omar El-Bashir has been alleged to have been the mastermind of the hundreds of thousands of death of Christian and black Sudanese in Western Darfur and Southern Sudan before the separation and independence of the latter. Blacks and Christians in Sudan are regarded as strangers and have never been spared in the last couple of decades. We will not forget in a hurry the 100-day massacre in 1994 of about one million people in Rwanda. It was a long story. The Hutus after independence went on a vengeful mission to exterminate the Tutsis who, under the Belgian colonialists, had enjoyed unusual patronage and collaboration with the whites. Between 1961 and 1975, there were attempts to embark on genocide. But things went awry in 1994 as the Hutu ethnic supremacists in collaboration with the army and French allies, went on a murderous rage and eliminated almost a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus, with the belief that they were strangers in Rwanda.

Watching those savage acts of Zulus and others in Mzansi on television for the past four weeks, therefore, brings back the memories and the images, in a crystal clear way, of past Hutu barbarism. But the Zulus are not alone in this. We all, as established, are involved. When the Oba of Lagos (like the King of Zululand) cursed the Igbos weeks ago and reminded them that they were strangers who would perish in the Lagos Lagoon if they would not do his political bidding, he was exhibiting another form of xenophobia. When a man in a place of work wishes another man dead or sets him up for destruction, simply because he feels threatened by his superior quality, this is another form of xenophobia. It is only when men see each other as strangers that they can hate to the extent of wishing one another dead or destroyed. And xenophobia is the expres-

sion of hate based on perceived threats posed by a stranger.

Xenophobia is a product of perennial failure, cowardice and a weapon of the weak. The South African people must rise above this level and the good people of that country must resist it.

The police has shown obvious partisanship in this matter, allowing looters raid foreigners’ shops and burn houses, cars as well as burn some of the foreigners to death. Indeed, if one considers the scorecard of the South African police in the last five years (Marikaner miners’ killings four years ago, tying and dragging of a Mozambican taxi driver to death two years ago, some sex acts on YouTube weeks ago by a couple in police uniform, and the recent complicity in the xenophobic attacks), one can be tempted to sum up that the South African police is cruel, incompetent, unprofessional, irresponsible and xenophobic! By these persistent acts, they seem far worse than their Nigerian counterparts.

However, they can do better; so can the Zuma administration, which is known for verbal scornful attacks on neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe and has been accused several times, of encouraging xenophobia. Africans should not attack South Africans in their countries; we cannot afford to return barbarism for barbarism. Africans can fight this ‘war’ diplomatically and as for a South African hegemony on the continent, it is clear that Mzansi cannot provide that leadership. It is evidently not cut out for it. The role Nigeria played for years, welcoming and helping other Africans, including South Africans for whom some of our forebears conceded their scholarship to school freely in Nigerian universities during the apartheid years, can never be replicated or occupied by South Africa.

A xenophobe cannot lead others!

• Dr. Folarin, an Associate Professor, is the immediate past Head of Department of Political Science and International Relations, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.

Drivers and the number plate infraction

inscribed by the side was carrying a private number plate instead of a commercial number plate. He wondered why a private company vehicle used for transporting staff and not goods should be required to carry a commercial number plate? Jonas, he said politely, I think you should come over and explain this to my listeners The second call was from a female motorist over the arrest of their truck by FRSC for number plate violation. Like EXPENSIVE, she could not understand why the arrest when all the necessary papers such as police extract and court affidavit required after the loss of one of the number plate was tendered to the patrol team. In the words of her supervisor, ‘we have the covering note (police report and court affidavit) for the missing rear plastic number plate of the truck. These two are not the only complain over the issue of number plate or even the drivers licence.

There are those who will cry foul when arrested for either driving with no number plate, or for driving with a plastic or defaced number plate among others. I am, however, constrained to relay just the two for a start and to try to provide answers on these issues hoping that we can learn from this and guard ourselves against future arrest or like my

friends would capture it,’’ embarrassment’’ from FRSC personnel or any other enforcement agency.

Since I am not a lawyer, I will be guided by the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations 2012 to bore you a bit as i do not intend to paraphrase the Regulations but to produce it as it is contained therein to avoid the hammer of any learned fellow .

But before I attempt the issues raised here or any other, let me first shed light on what the National Road Traffic Regulations in Part VI titled, VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER requires from motorists. Section 36 states that All private and commercial vehicles shall as from the commencement of these Regulations have on them Vehicle Identification Number Plates which shall -Be carried by the motor vehicle on two plates which shall conform to the requirements of these regulations; and the number plate shall be fixed-in such a manner that each is not easily detachable; and in an upright position or within 15 degrees of such position.

The Regulations states in Section 37- (1) that The Identification Number Plates carried by a motor vehicle or articulated vehicle shall be displayed on two plates for a motor vehicle and three plates for an articulated

vehicle and shall conform as to lettering, numbering and otherwise with the provision set out in figures 1-11 of schedule 5 to these regulations.

The number plates shall in respect of a motor vehicle be fixed, one on the front of the vehicle and the other at the centre or on the off side of the rear of the vehicle or as may be provided by the manufacturer.In respect of a trailer, be fixed one on the front of the vehicle and two at the rear of the trailer in an upright position.c. A motorcycle, one plate shall be fixed in front and one at the rear with the plate having white background but blue lettering for private green lettering for the Federal, State or Local Government, black lettering for the Armed Forces, Paramilitary Service and red lettering for commercial, so that every letter or figure on the plate is upright and easily distinguishable in the case of the front plate from behind.

Continued next week •Agwu, an Assistant Corps Marshal, is Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone 7HQ of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

15

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wellness YOUR HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES April 26, 2015

Colon cancer: Why you must watch what you eat TITILOPE MORAKINYO

O

wing to the rising incidence of cancer in today’s world, medical experts have advised that we pay due attention to the kind of food we eat.

Red or processed meat, food rich in fatty acids are blamed for an increase in colon cancer among younger demographics.

Colon cancer can also be referred to as colorectal cancer or rectal cancer, it has been a disease of the older people but research shows that patient’s under the age 50 are seeing a rise in numbers.

According to experts, the incidence rates of colorectal cancer in those aged 20 to 49 increased 1.5per cent a year in men and 1.6 percent a year in woman between 1992 -2005.

Experts said rising levels of obesity and changes in diet towards more processed meat, less milk over the past decades might have contributed to the increase in colorectal cancer among populace.

In an interview with Sunday Mirror a medical practitioner with Life font Hospital, Igando, Lagos, Dr Tayo Akinkunmi defines cancer of the colon as a life threatening medical condition which has become prevalent in the country which result to a change in diet. “Colorectal cancer starts in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum (end of the colon) depending on where they start.

Dietary content has been revealed to be central in the cause of the cancer, while food intake plays an important role in having the cancer of the colon which is linked to a highfat, low-fiber diet and high intake of red meat.

It is believed that people do not get enough fiber are prone to the disease and the cancer takes its course by staying longer in the colon, releases toxins and affect the cells which start transforming leads to cancer or colon polyps which are gentle”. He explained

Dr Akinkunmi revealed that “colon cancer has become more frequent in African

Fruits prevent cancer

countries most especially in Nigeria as it is the fourth or fifth leading cause of cancer in terms of frequency. The risk of having the disease includes people who are older than 60 years of age, African American or Eastern European descent, those who eat a lot of red or processed meats, people who are obese, alcoholics and diabetic patients, colorectal polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, family history of colon cancer or a personal history of breast cancer. Some inherited diseases also increase the risk of developing colon cancer”.

He said: “ Signs and symptoms of colon cancer includes a change in the bowel habits, diarrhea or constipation, a change in the consistency of stool, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, persistent

abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain, feeling the bowel doesn’t empty completely, weakness or fatigue and unexplained weight loss.

“When a sufferer observes blood in the stool or a persistent change in bowel habits, patients should make an appointment with the doctor. He gave ways of diagnosis as it includes going through a fecal blood test where samples of stool are taken to a laboratory for detection of blood, colon cancer can almost always be recognized by colonoscopy in its earliest and most curable stages, patients men and woman age 50 and older who have family history of such problems, are advised to go for colon cancer screening as they are at higher risk and need earlier

screening. Another is a Barium Enema like an x-ray of the intestine where image of the intestine could be seen and tumors on the wall of the intestine”, he stressed.

On the treatment, he said: “Changing ones diet and lifestyle is important as medical research suggests that low-fat and high-fiber diets may reduces the risk of colon cancer.

“Surgery and chemotherapy are the most common treatment of cancer of the colon depending on the stage and how early it was detected during surgery, early detection prevention and proper diet are very important, avoid constipation, regular physical activities, foods that have roughages and lot of water are likely to reduce the occurrence of colon cancer.

His words: “Radiation therapy is sometimes used for colon cancer. It is usually used in combination with chemotherapy for patients with rectal cancer as it has spread to the liver, treatment directed at the liver can be used which includes burning the cancer, delivering chemotherapy or radiation directly into the liver and freezing the cancer” NSAID drugs such aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen; celecoxib may help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer as it can also increase the risk of bleeding and heart problems, health care provider prescribe and explain the risks and benefits of the medicines so as to prevent colorectal.

HEALTH NEWS

3.2 million Nigerians live with HIV, Society claims WHO launches African Vaccination Week The Society for Family Health says more than 3.2 million Nigerians are still living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Mr. Bright Ekweremadu, the Managing Director of the society, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a forum to mark the end of Enhancing Nigeria’s Response (ENR) to HIV and AIDS programme.

He solicited realistic programmes to fight the vi-

rus, insisting that with the prevalent rate, much had to be done to tackle the menace. “There have been tremendous improvements in addressing and halting the HIV and AIDS burden in Nigeria, there is still a lot to be done especially in regard to expanding access to services,’’ he said.

According to Ekweremadu, the ENR is one of Nigeria’s largest HIV/AIDS grants. “ENR was funded

by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to promote sexual reproductive health and HIV reduction in Nigeria. ‘Its goal was to also contribute to reducing the spread of HIV epidemic and mitigating the impact of AIDS in Nigeria”, he added.

He said the ENR programme was a six year programme inaugurated in 2009 with a focus on eight high prevalence states.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Thursday launched the African Vaccination Week (AVW) in Lusaka, Zambia, under the theme ‘’Vaccination, a gift for life.’’

According to the WHO’s, website, the event marks the commencement of week-long immunisation activities from April 24 to April 30 across all 47 countries in the WHO African Region.

“Immunisation is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions but

many children and adults still do not have access to many life-saving vaccines.“It is estimated that about three million children under the age of five years die each year in the African Region and a significant number of these deaths could be prevented by receiving immunisation,’’ the WHO said.

The global world body noted that the AVW was designed to strengthen public awareness and demand for immunisation by communities, improve access for high-risk populations

and isolated areas in the region, and added that the campaign would provide an opportunity to increase demand and utilisation for other lifesaving interventions particularly those targeting women under five.

“Countries and stakeholders must raise the awareness of vaccine-preventable diseases, address barriers to vaccination, and make sustained investments to strengthen health systems and achieve universal immunization by 2020,’’ WHO said.

16

& Faces Events

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday APRIL 26, 2015

Echoes of Nigerian Entertainment Conference VICTOR UDOH

T

he third edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference which was organised by the Black House Media and Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) took place last Wednesday. The event which was held at the Ocean View Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos has come and gone, but the memory will linger.

Celebrities from all walks of life stormed the event. They include Sound Sultan, MI, Zainab Balogun, Emmanuel Ikubese, Kemi Adetiba, Lamboginny and Loose Kaynon. Others are Mc Abbey, Toke Makinwa, Yaw, DJ Lambom and Ruby Gyang, among others.

Bez

DJ Lambo

Emmanuel Ikubese

Kemi Adetiba

Lamboginny

Loose Kaynon

Mc Abbey

MI

Mr 2Kay

Olorisupalgal

Ruby Gyang

Sound Sultan

Toke Makinwa

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

A PUBLICATION OF GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LTD BARRISTER JIMOH IBRAHIM, CFR  PUBLISHER All the Facts, All the Sides

SUNDAY OLAJIDE  MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO SEYI FASUGBA  DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI  SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN  SUNDAY EDITOR BEN MEMULETIWON  GENERAL EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA  COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE  EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE  ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN  ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Recurring Mediterranean crossing carnage

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he drowning of about 800 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea about 96 kilometers off the Libyan coast and 193 kilometers south of the Italian island of Lampedusa on April 19 is unarguably the worst disaster yet involving African and Arab migrants being smuggled into Europe. It is the boldest statement ever on the imperative of the serious world paying more humanitarian attention to the tragedy in parts of Africa, the Middle East and other regions of the world, where life has become short, brutish and nasty. It is also an incontestable fact that the failure of leadership in these two regions, as in other similar regions, a development that has led to acute privations of the good things that make life meaningful, is the reason for thousands of people fleeing the regions year in year out.

We believe the hundreds of deaths would have been an avoidable tragedy if the political leaderships in Africa and the Middle East have lived up to their responsibilities as leaders in the true sense of the word and their counterparts in Europe have demonstrated enough sensibility to the excruciating circumstances that impel desperate Homo sapiens from the backwater countries of the world to seek better existence in the well humane environment that Europe offers.

The Sunday April 19 disaster is yet the latest in a series of incidents that have this year alone claimed the lives of more than 1,600 immigrants trying to get to Europe. The first was in February when about 300 migrants lost their lives off the coast of Libya as the four dinghies used for the deadly voyage got into trouble. This was soon followed on April 12 when 400 people drowned, again off Libya after their vessel capsized. In September 2014 about

300 illegal migrants drowned off Malta when the smugglers rammed their boat after its occupants refused to move to a smaller one. And in October 2013, more than 360 people, mostly Eritreans and Somalis, drowned when their boat sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The series of drowning are merely a symptom of a much bigger problem: the unquenchable attempt at escape of people from poor and badly run countries to rich and developed ones despite the deployment of sophisticated surveillance technology and other barriers, including death by drowning. Africa and the Middle East exemplify this tendency. It is a tendency fueled by harsh realities in the migrants’ home countries. Last year, a record 170,000 people, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), made the perilous crossing through the Mediterranean to Italy. In the week before the latest tragedy, migrant boats were reported to have carried 13,500 people into Italian waters.

There is no end to this wrestling with death because the deadly Mediterranean crossings are fueled by forces beyond the illegal migrants’ control. War in Syria and South Sudan; strife in West Africa and Central Africa; terror in Somalia; insurgency in Libya and Nigeria, and dehumanizing dictatorship in Eritrea are some of the reasons why the trip through the Mediterranean Sea has become a deadly alternative.

Solving the problem might be far from straightforward, but it demands a multi-pronged approach extending across international borders. Top on the list of the required strategies will be a realistic and sincere effort to bring prosperity to the developing world, the epicenter of such illegal migrations across inter-

national borders. This will require making governments in these countries responsive and responsible.

Particularly in Africa, the African Union needs to set the machinery in motion for the enforcement of political best practices that will be high on transparency and clean leadership in the member countries. When this is achieved, the rich world needs to come up with a Marshal Plan that will inject massive funds into the poor countries to grow their economies. When a modicum of comfortable existence is assured at home, the incentives for migration to Europe, the Americas and rich parts of Asia will cease to exist.

Complementing the above will be the imperative of creating political stability in Libya, and to a very large extent, in Somalia. The civil war in Libya has led to the creation of two parallel governments in the North African country; and some of the provinces are infested with the warlord syndrome. So, addressing the illegal immigrant challenge has become problematic. The situation is not helped by the fact that there are no foreign embassies in the country for now. This unwholesomeness has spurred a reign of impunity, where all manners of shenanigans including smuggling of illegal immigrants to Europe thrive.

The above are long term measures. In the short run, the European Union has the moral responsibility of supporting Italy, the direct victim of the migrant surge, in addressing the huge challenge of policing Europe’s Mediterranean coastline.

Last year, Italy’s Mare Nostrum marine rescue programme saved the lives of 130,000 people. May be some of the recent deaths would have been avoided if the programme had not been stopped for lack of funds.

Reminiscences APRIL 26 IN HISTORY 1986: Nuclear disaster hits Ukraine An explosion and fire at the No. 4 reactor of Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine resulted in a nuclear meltdown sending radioactivity into the atmosphere.

1927: 150,000 homeless over Mississippi flooding The Mississippi has now made over 150,000 homeless due to flooding and in states as far away as Illinois, in the United States, the government is to blow up dykes to relieve the flooding in New Orleans.

1927: China attacking foreign ships Following a series of attacks by China on foreign ships approaching Chinese waters, three British warships have attacked and disabled a number of Chinese gun batteries thought to be attacking both British and American shipping in the area.

1949: Russia blockades Berlin Talks were underway to end the blockade imposed by Russia on Berlin with a meeting of Foreign Council Ministers and diplomats 1972: Anti-Vietnam war protests in U.S. Students protesting the continued war in Vietnam caused some damage at Columbia University in New York and the University of Pennsylvania. In many other parts of the country, protests were at military installations over the war.

1975: Britain votes to leave EEC In the run up to the national referendum on June 5, 1975, the British Labour Party votes by almost 2-1 to leave the European Economic Community, EEC. 1984: Reagan visits China President Ronald Reagan has arrived in China for a six-day visit, the first by an American president since Richard Nixon in 1972.

1989: Tornado kills 1,300 in Bangladesh A deadly tornado destroys all structures in an area of 2.3 sq miles in Saturia, Bangladesh leaving 80,000 homeless and a reported death toll of 1,300 making it one of the most deadly tornadoes in modern times.

2002: German student on shooting rampage An expelled student (Robert Steinhäuser) went on a shooting rampage at the Johann Gutenberg Gymnasium in Erfurt, Germany, killing 13 teachers, two students and a police officer before taking his own life.

2005: Syrian troops leave Lebanon Following pressure from the United Nations since the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister earlier in the year, Syria has announced that all of its military forces have left Lebanon in line with United Nations demands. This ends nearly 30 years of Syrian troops deployed in Lebanon.

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Praise Worship E-mail:yemiolakitan@gmail.com

E-mail:cossyodi@yahoo.com

EDIFYING GOD

QUOTE Recognise that God has His finger prints on each day. Praisers look for God’s finger prints each day with their praise. Praise-centred people look out for reasons to praise God. – David Oyedepo

Sunday April 26, 2015

The road to heaven, by Pastor Muoka 24

The mission of the modern church 42

HHow ow to overcom oove vercome come cco o e trrooubles, tro ub ubles,

by Pr by PProphet rrophet oophe ophet pphet ph hett Olorunttit m Oloruntim Olorunt milehin ilehin ilehi h 41

Combining Christianity with ritual sacrifices

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Vineyard

Briefly ISC holds confab

Celebration

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he on-going 2015 Kingdom Invasion Conference of the Incorruptible Seed Church tagged “Occupy till I come” which began on April 20, 2015 ends today from 6-8pm at 5, Jubilee (CMD Road, Magodo Phase II, Beside (Treasured Beginnings School), Lagos.

Ministers on parade at the conference include Chintuk Isaku, Nathaniel, Bassey, Wordlife Choir, RCCG (Kings Court), Victoria Island, Lagos, Iheanyi Ejiogu of Liberty House, Lekki, Lagos and Vikky Oreaze of Neville Assembly (Kaduna).

The hosts, Keji and Jibike Ajayi had earlier assured attendees of divine visitation as they prayed that joy and happiness will be their portion, now and forever more.

Sunday April 26, 2015

Ogbomoso hosts SuperFest Conference

Holy Ghost crusade at Praise Chapel

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he annual Holy Ghost Crusade of Tehillah House of Praise & Worship a.k.a Praise Chapel with headquarters at Makogi ,Magboro, Ogun State will hold from May 1-2, 2015 from 4pm-6pm daily while the thanks-giving service will hold on Sunday May 3rd from 9am – 10am.

This year’s crusade and 4th edition is scheduled for Daluwon phase 2 Busstop, Mowe, Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The host minister, Evang. (Mrs.) Dorcas Aseinde while urging all to attend assured them of total healing and deliverance and positive turn around in every area of their lives.

Good Ground Church organises community outreach

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head of its 2015 community outreach, the Good Ground Church is organizing a 3-day crusade for the Shomolu community.

The programme tagged “Shomolu for Christ 2015” will hold from April 30-May 2, 2015 starting from 5pm daily at Shoyinka Open Space, off Shiro Street, Fadeyi Busstop in Shomolu area of Lagos State.

Speaking on behalf of the host, Apostle Soji John, Mrs. Sola John explained that the idea behind the crusade is to bring about an atmosphere for change adding that through the outreach they intend to give back to people in the community, irrespective of religion or tribe.

Pastor Dorcas Asehinde

L-R: Rev Segun Babalola, Pastor Niyi Adelaja, Rev (Mrs) Janet Onaolapo and Rev Owolabi.

T

he ancient city of Ogbomoso, Oyo State played host to clerics in and outside Nigeria as they gathered for a day’s international ministers’ conference organised recently by Kola Onaolapo World Outreach Ministry of Abundant Life Gospel Church.

The conference tagged “Ogbomoso Super Fest Ministers’ Conference” which took place at Sabo Baptist Church premises, had in attendance the General Overseer of Abundant Life Gospel Church and Executive Director of SuperFest Conferences International and main speaker on the occasion, Rev (Mrs.) Janet Olaolapo, and other notable men of God including the crème-de-la -crème in the Christian circles within and around Ogbomoso.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of Ogbomoso Christian Ministers’ Fellowship, OCMF, Rev Segun Babalola, commended the organisers for bringing the conference to Ogbomoso, while he urged the speaker to be free to ventilate the mind of God for the land of Ogbomoso, as the people were quite willing to receive the word of God. In her message, titled: “Knowing the Lord” with text taken from the book of Daniel 11:32, Rev Janet Onaolapo testified to glory of God and how He (God) has helped in the spread of the gospel of His Kingdom after the demise of the convener, Bishop Kola Onaolapo, noting that the conference over time, has been experiencing monumental growth and unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Onaolapo also enumerated the importance of Christians knowing the Lord

and benefits that awaits them at the end.

“As believers, our lives must be filled with the strength of the Lord.

When we have a good knowledge of the Lord and know Him intimately, our lives will experience a spiritual turn around and vitality”, she explained.

She further explained that one fundamental thing people need to possess to do exploits, is to have a close relationship with heaven, adding that when this is missing, it would be absolutely difficult and impossible to change our world for God. She pointed out that many are called Christians today but they have no evidence of doing exploits.

“You would see many people going with big titles and great names, yet they can’t provide any evidence of knowing the Lord or having a relationship with Him, rather, all that you see in them is their spiritual dryness and fruitless living. If we have true knowledge of the Lord in prayer, holiness, obedience and righteousness, with close intimacy with the Lord, it is going to be floodgates to supernatural exploits all the way for us”, she maintained.

Quoting the book of 2 Timothy 2:1920, she explained that God already knows those who serve Him and are his own adding that when you know the Lord and He knows you, your life will be free of iniquities.

In conclusion, the reverend added that exploits are notable miracles

and unprecedented happenings that should be made manifest in the lives of genuine believers on daily basis.

In his remarks, the Oyo State SuperFest coordinator, Rev Owolabi, explained that the vision and focus of SuperFest International Conference is to impact men of God with the word of God; train church workers on faithfulness and loyalty to their Pastors; for interaction among clerics from within and outside the country and also to assist sincere and devoted missionaries serving in remote places in the nation.

“This conference equally empowers participants for life and living through vocational training and financial support. Let me use this opportunity to inform you all that SuperFest 2015 International Conference is also coming up at Lagos from August 7 -14, 2015 at Abundant Life Gospel Church Headquarters, Agege, with contingents coming from all over the world. We would see men of God like Apostle Mike Francen (USA), Rev Segun Johnson from Liberty Church, London, Bishop David Adeoye, Baltimore M.D.USA., Apostle O. S. A. Aiyemo, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, and Rev Janet Onaolapo among other clerics would be ministering”, he added.

Other dignitaries that graced the event included the host minister, Rev Dr. Tayo Adeyanju, PFN District Chairman, Ogbomoso, Rev Dr. Paul Siyanbola, Rev (Dr) Samuel Aremu, Former Chairman Reinhard Bonnke Crusade, Ogbomoso, and Pastor Adeniyi Adelaja, Chairman Planning Committee, SuperFest Ogbomoso among others.

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From the Pulpit 21

Sunday April 26, 2015

The power of revelation Miracle Arena with Bishop

C

Theo Ugochukwu

hristianity is about revelation, for our God is unsearchable. The knowledge about God is unlimited. He is a God of no beginning and no ending. No man can understand God in totality. Moses worked with God to an extent that he (Moses) began to see the beauty of God and understand how powerful and unsearchable God is that he requested to God “That I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight”. Ex. 33:13c, the power of revelation makes Christianity not to be a religion. It (Christianity) is about God revealing Himself to you each passing day, for you to understand Him the more, you need to follow Him personally, the more you grow in personal relationship with God, the more the revelations you get from Him. There are things revelation does in our Christian lives.

Revelation helps you to prepare well in advance. You may sleep and get up with a dream on what is about to happen. It means God is showing you something you should prepare for.

Prov.29:18a says that “where there is no vision, the people perish…” In the land of Egypt, Pharaoh had a dream, it was the grace of God upon Joseph, the slave boy that gave Pharaoh the interpretation of the dream, it was also the grace of God

upon Joseph that helped the nation of Egypt to prepare well ahead of time against the impending famine that engulfed the entire region. Through this revelation and proper planning the rest of the nations depended on Egypt for sustenance. Egypt as a nation became wealthy and great because they perceived ahead of time. You can be lifted through the power of revelation.

Revelation can separate you from the rest of the crowd. If there was no revelation about the future famine and the subsequent proper planning, the entire region would have been swept away by famine. Revelation can help you prepare ahead of time against the destruction of the wicked.

I got a revelation concerning one of the deacons in my church. I saw him in the revelation driving across a traffic light in top speed when it was showing red.

I sent him a text message to read Psalm 12:70 and pray against death by accident. After three days, he was driving on a top speed and the brake failed, and he found himself trying to maneuver in order not to kill anyone.

He couldn’t control the car but he found himself inside a filling station with the fuel tankers and an underground tank all filled with fuel. He finally hit the car on the wall within the filling station. His car damaged beyond repair, but he came out of the wreckage alive, unhurt and was able to avoid damaging other properties. Nobody was injured or killed. He was saved by the prayer ahead of time.

A leader of a church, a pastor must be a man that can see spiritually, a man of vision that has the power of

revelations. “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch”.

(Matt.15:14). He/she (A leader or pastor of a church) must pray to God for power of revelation, to protect the flock under his care. It is also dangerous for one to stay in a spiritually blind church and or a church that does not take prayer seriously.

On one of the Sunday services, I was to minister, the service has been on and I walked into the church auditorium, looking straight on my seat, I saw Satan sitting down on my chair, looking straight at him, he turned his back on me and what I saw written clearly at the back if its head was “MR. DEATH”. I stopped every other proceeding and told the church the revelation. We went into serious prayers against the spirit of death.

After the church service, I was driving home with one of our pastors, on the way we saw wreckage of fatal multiple accidents, as we began to lament on the loss of life in that accident, the phone of the pastor rang and the person on the other line informed him that his wife and the sister were involved in accident and his attention needed at the hospital. In the hospital, we saw dead bodies and seriously injured people as a result of the same accident.

However, after a long waiting, the wife and the sister whom were part of the accident came into the waiting room without any injury on them.

Actually, Satan came that faithful day to steal and to kill but thank God for the revelation.

This is the benefit of the power of revelation. It helps us to see the

danger and cancel it in advance before it happens. If this was not revealed, I would have lost two members of my ministry that were under my care that fateful day.

Revelation gives you insight on things not yet seen. You need to have confidence on the man of God and the church where you are worshiping. You need a deeper understanding of the pastor and the ministry where you are worshipping for you to have confidence and conviction of what you are doing. Native doctors and con men are now opening churches. It is not every place of worship that is a church of God. Do not move because of the crowd but move by revelation.

Have a personal understanding of God. Grow from being part of multitude to being a disciple.

Members of the multitude follow the movement of the crowd but a disciple and who will be a disciple desires revelation and knowledge as he sees the signs and wonders.

Child of God, desire revelation a s you see the signs and wonders to know the ground where you are standing. A disciple wants to •For more information, contact: Bishop Theo Ugochukwu – General Overseer, Miracle Assembly Bible Church, a.k.a. The City of Joy, 80, Ajose Street, Mende, Maryland, Lagos; Tel: 08033461482.

Email: bishopgracemiracle@ ymail.com

News

Archbishop Ademowo announces mother’s death

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he Diocesan Bishop of Lagos and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Most Reverend (Dr.) E. Adebola Ademowo has announced the death of his mother, Chief Mrs. Caroline Abosede Ademowo, nee Awonubi, who died on April 14, 2015 at the age of 85.

According to information made available to Sunday Mirror by the Diocesan Communicator, the Venerable Seyi Pirisola, the late Mama Ademowo will be buried on Wednesday May 13 in Lagos.

“By the grace of God, our mother, grandmother and great grandmother who died a devoted Christian will be committed to mother earth. We love her, but God loves her more; she would continue to be dear in our hearts as we would remember her for her good and motherly works. I pray that the Lord grant her eternal rest in His bosom”, prayed archbishop Ademowo.

The cleric also enjoined Nigerians and Christians in particular to draw

The late Mama Ademowo

closer to God and live their lives as if every waking day were their last day on earth because they do not know the moment the owner of their lives will come calling, so that when that time does come, they would not be found wanting.

Speaking on the funeral arrangement, Venerable Pirisola revealed that the Christian wakekeep of the deceased will come up on Tuesday May 12 at 5pm at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square while the funeral service will be held on Wednesday May 13 at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos.

Mismanagement destroys destinies –Gbeleyi

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he Senior Pastor of Zion Christian Centre, Ibala Road, Ilesa, Osun State, Rev Israel Ibunkun Gbeleyi, has affirmed that mismanagement can cause chaos and sorrows, and eventually debar Christians from reaching their inimitable heights and fulfill their God-given potentials in life.

He made this declaration during the 60th birthday thanksgiving service and book launch of Rev Debo Adeyemo, the President and Senior Pastor of House To House Prayer Ministries Incorporated, (a.k.a.

Praise Chapel).

In his message titled, “You are a manager of God’s resources” taken from Genesis 2:5, Rev Gbeleyi submitted that anywhere there was mismanagement, the resultant effect would be chaos and truncation of destinies. He added that mismanagement also brings about war, sorrow, premature death and total destruction of potential and resources.

To buttress his point, the cleric went ahead to give instances of people

in the Bible who tolerated mismanagement and ended up with failure.

“Ahab, Eli, Samson and David could not manage their homes effectively and resulted in monumental sorrow and chaos in their families and ministries.

David managed men and soldiers but failed in the home front. In the case of Nigeria, mismanagement of resources by relevant authorities and administrations has plunged the nation into this state of hopelessness, directionless and wanton destruction of lives and potentials”, he stated.

He further stated that God is a good manager, and for anyone to succeed in life and ministry they should be able to manage their finances, time, talent, temperament, taste and interest in godly ways.

He concluded by praying for people, asking God to grant them the grace and ability of good management noting that people with low sense of management will find it hard to succeed in life and their ministry.

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Combining Christianity S

acrifice can be defined as the act of offering something to a deity in propitiation or homage, especially the ritual slaughter of an animal or a person in a religious ceremony as an offering to please a god. It is also the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone.

In the Old Testament, there were records of instances where sacrifices were performed by the people to appease or show appreciation to God. Abel, Abraham, Moses and a host of other servants of God engaged in this practice either to beg for pardon, thank God or show appreciation for favours He granted them.

In those days, men of God sacrificed animals and birds to offer prayers either to cure and heal people of their ailments or to help them out of unfavourable and tough situations. These they do after consultation with God in prayer who in turn, reveals to His messenger what animal should be killed and he (messenger) in turn, tells the person in question to make available animals such as duck, ram or even goat to offer as sacrifice, and the moment this is done, the ailing person receives healing.

The coming of Christ and Christianity so to say brought an end to the offering of ritual based sacrifices for solution to problems and atonement for sins as Christ as was recorded in the New Testament, sacrificed His life on the cross to save the whole world.

But this notwithstanding, Christians today, still find themselves in dilemma as some of them when faced with problems or situations, which they believe arose from past act(s) either self-caused or emanating from their family, have cause to go to back to their roots, usually their ancestral homes to perform some recommended rituals/sacrifice to bring to an end the problem, which resulted from the acts.

However, Pastor Phillip Adeniyi of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Faith Tarbanacle, Surulere, Lagos insists that the Bible does not support Christians to involve themselves in performing ritual-based sacrifices.

“It is not Biblical for Christians to be involved in such acts, and I am surprised that some pastors could actually be in support of such a thing. Anybody who calls himself a Christian should not even make any attempt or dream of going to carry out this fetish sacrifices because the price Christ has paid for our transgression is enough to cleanse us of our sin; all we need to do is just to apply the sacrifice appropriately i.e. that which Christ carried out for us by dying on the cross to the thing(s) that demand or require sacrifice from you”, he explained.

For those who claim that they want to wash off a curse or curses placed on them, the cleric said this could be solved depending on who placed it.

Worshippers

In the Christian religion, devotees have been taught of the person of Jesus Christ, how He came to earth, started His ministry and eventually died on the cross to save the world from sin. This singular sacrificial act of Jesus for Christians is presumed to have taken off the burden sin and its repercussions off them, but amazingly, some still believe in using fetish ways to solve their problems, Odinaka Uruakpa examines this as she brings the views of clerics on the issue.

“If the curse was placed upon an individual by his biological parents, it is always strong and binding. A higher authority will need to cancel it; there are things like rules and principles in the Bible through which anyone who did something that led to their parent or guardian to curse them.

“If such person realizes himself and becomes a born again Christian, the authority of a spiritual father is higher than that of the biological father or mother; if the parent in question is not alive for the person to appease them by offering them gifts, and mind you, this is not ritual. You can get gifts and give to your dad or mum whom you have offended, and ask for forgiveness and prayer from them, this prayer which will come in a great fold, will negate the curse(s) that have been placed on you.

If the aggrieved parent is unapproachable and adamant to the child’s plea, a spiritual father can cancel such curse.

“On the other hand, in the case of a priest of a shrine where Christians went for village crusade who challenged them and they exchanged words, if he (fetish priest) decides to place a curse on the people, such a curse cannot stand, even if it does, another spiritual power and higher authority in the body of Christ can cancel it. So going to make any sacrifice to a shrine to cancel a curse or agreeing to do things like bathing in a river is not Biblical and as the saying goes, one would be using Pe-

IT IS NOT BIBLICAL FOR CHRISTIANS TO BE INVOLVED IN SUCH ACTS, AND I AM SURPRISED THAT SOME PASTORS COULD ACTUALLY BE IN SUPPORT OF SUCH A THING.

ter to rob Paul and doing this would lead to some evil things been transferred into the person’s body”, he further explained .

In the case of inces,t which may have led the people involved to experience some loses, Pastor Adeniyi revealed that there are things that can be done on the spiritual level.

Since it is a case of people of same blood going into an act which they shouldn’t have in the first place, by using the scripture that says ‘every hand writing written against us have been nailed to the cross’, we can use this scripture to cancel any repercussion resulting from this because once the death of Christ has nailed those things to the cross, it is not supposed to work against the people involved; so they can stand on that to claim their freedom from such curse and it is important that both parties are truly repentant of their acts”, he admonished.

In his contribution, the General Overseer of Word of Life, Igbala Ti Christi, Lagos, Primate I.O. Oyelowo, said Christians need to go for deliverance when they encounter problems which have been revealed to occur as result of things they had done in the past which they had

not sought repentance for.

“When Christians are confronted with such problems caused by things they had done in the past, all they need do is seek deliverance as they need to go to their place of worship and intimate their Pastor who in turn would take them through spiritual cleansing via the word of God and other spiritual exercises needed for total removal of the curse or ill luck trailing them, rather than their being led blindly into going for one fetish ritual or the other.

In my own church, we use candle, water and oil and read the necessary scriptures for deliverance from such problems. I don’t know how other churches do theirs, but for any pastor to encourage any of his member who is facing problems caused by a curse cast on them or ill luck from past acts, the pastor has done nothing but add sorcery into his ministry and he is also practicing what is called syncretism which means that he is combining two religions together. It is so common these days to see pastors practicing this, but for me, and what I understand from my Bible, which says whatever you believe in, hold unto it, until He comes

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Sunday April 26, 2015

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with ritual sacrifices

A worshipper

back; so I hold my say until the second coming of Jesus Christ, moreover, the Bible says we should not judge, so for now, I cannot judge’, he added.

The General Overseer of World Soul Winning Ministry, Pastor Moses Ojo, defined sacrifice as that thing, which one does that touches not only the person’s heart but also that of the person it is been done for and would surely yield results.

“The Bible states that is anything too big for God, is there anything God cannot do? God created all things for His own purpose and pleasure. The people that are going to meet for sacrifice, what power are they going to use, who are they going to consult?

When we talk about sacrifice, it comes in two ways; there is the positive sacrifice and the negative one. The negative one is that which is made to the devil in agreement that one would give one thing or the other to the devil if he does what the person wants, and when this is granted, the person would pay the price he promised. Here what the person is looking to get determines the sacrifice he or she would perform; some use human being while some use animals like cows and goats, depending on the agreement.

“This kind of sacrifice is negative and not of God. The positive sacrifice is the one we give to God, for instance in Genesis chapter 22, when God called Abraham to over his son, Isaac as sacrifice to Him (God). When Abraham got to the place where he was to perform the sacrifice with Isaac, his son asked “Father, everything is ready, but where

is the lamb, and Abraham answered that the Lord would provide and he carried the boy at 13years of age to sacrifice him on the altar and immediately God stopped him saying “Don’t touch that boy” and He gave Abraham a lamb to sacrifice. Since that day, the promise that God made to Abraham that He would make him a father of all nations, God carried out everything because that was a positive sacrifice.

Hannah also did a positive sacrifice when she asked God for a son promising to give the child back to God and as soon as Samuel, the son God gave her grew up, she gave him up to work for God. Positive sacrifices can come in different ways; some people may decide to give God their first income and others may give up one pleasure or the other to serve God’, he stated.

He admonished any Christians or ministers who had found themselves in positions where they had to carry out sacrifices to the devil which he termed negative to go back to God and ask forgiveness so that “He can get you out of that”.

“If people seek to get freedom from perceived problems, all they need do is go to God in Prayer and they must do this with clean heart, God is after the heart and I assure that no matter the kind of sin you have committed in the past, if you go to Him with a clean heart, He is ready to redeem you and revert whatever had gone amiss in your life. In the case of incest, all the parties involved need do is to confess their sin and look for a minister of God to pray for them and by the grace of God, they would be totally free and

would continue to live normal and progressive lives”, he assured.

According to Pastor Caleb Ayanele of Ascenion Power Ministry, Lagos, there is no greater sacrifice than that which Jesus performed when He gave His life up in atonement for sin.

“If Jesus Christ gave Himself up as the sacrificial lamb and died for our sins, then what is it that would warrant any Christian and supposed follower of Christ to involve himself in fetish acts where he goes to perform rituals or sacrifice to appease a lesser God or person all in the name of seeking solution to perceived problems? I don’t know why a Christian would sink so low as to allow anybody, be it a pastor or relative to goad and confuse him into believing that his problems came as a result of some past sin which he or his parents committed in the village and if certain rituals or sacrifices are not performed, then those problems would persist; this is one of the lies and ways the devil and his agents uses

in controlling some weak Christians.

If somebody is still in the dark and is going through this kind of situation and getting such advice, that is a different matter, but for a Christian to fall into such trap, that person needs to be checked because he cannot claim to be a Christian and yet be cajoled into carrying fetish acts. As Christians, we are expected to take all our problems to God in prayer. If there are some tough problems we believe are there because of things we have done in the past and you believe you cannot combat it all alone, then turn to your pastor or any minister of God to assist and guide you on how to break this perceived yoke through prayer and other spiritual activities that are there for you to observe as a Christian” he admonished.

He advised those who are in the habit of patronising two-faced pastors who aside the Christian faith have other things they rely on for protection to desist from such acts.

IN THE CASE OF INCEST, ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED NEED DO IS TO CONFESS THEIR SIN

GOD TO PRAY FOR THEM AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THEY WOULD

AND LOOK FOR A MINISTER OF

BE TOTALLY FREE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO LIVE NORMAL AND PROGRESSIVE LIVES.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

24

From the

Pulpit Sunday April 26, 2015

The road to heaven, by Pastor Muoka General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, in this piece, explains how to make heaven. Excerpts:

I

saiah 35:8-10 says, “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.”

Beloved, it is expected that whoever that wishes to embark on a journey must first know the route to his destination because in the absence of that, such person may not get to his or her desired destination, and all roads will look like right way.

The same is pertinent to any person who wishes to be in heaven at the end of this earthly journey. But unfortunately many people including religious leaders in this generation do not bother to know the road to the Kingdom of heaven, and as a result made a ship wreck of their journey, because they followed the wrong way- the sinful way, the way of pleasure, the way of reveling and banqueting.

Such people love the things of this world which unfortunately will not be buried with them. They would watch home videos and other worldly television programs for many hours even the whole day but would detest listening to sermon for only an hour. They will hate to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit for few minutes. Such people want to attend social gathering and merry making but could not spare few seconds to search the Scripture. No wonder the Bible says the road is a narrow way.

Matt. 7:13-14 says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”.

There are but two ways in which the race of mankind can travel, the one narrow, that leads to life and salvation and the other broad and wide, which leads to hell and destruction. But because of the difficulties in the way to salvation, and the easiness of the way to hell and destruction, only few walk in the one, but so many in the other. Our Lord Jesus Christ here compares the way to life to an entrance through a gate. The words straight, and strait, have very different meanings. The word straight means not crooked, very wide, smooth,

and open, many thronged on it and it is the way to death. The way to death is broad. Multitudes are in it. It is the great highway in which men go. They fall into it easily, and without effort go without thought. If they wish to leave that, and go by the narrow gate, it would require effort and thought, so they considered it very inconvenient to follow. You may go in at this gate with all your lusts about you; it gives no check to appetites or passions.

It does not care whether you are on micro skimpy skirt or clothe that flaunts your breast. It does not care about the number of rings on your fingers and toes or quality cum quantity of jewels you put on. It does not matter whether your hair style is made up of human hairs or lion skins, or whether the attachments on your head stretch to your legs or stop at the neck, or whether you are rich or poor, what matters is that your name is not in the book of life and therefore you are condemned.

That is why you are on this broad way y and that is why there is a large company on this way.

The strait road on the otherr hand which is the way to heaven is pent up, narrow, difficult to be entered. It is constricted, close, and not obviously entered. It is not the great highway that men tread. Few go there. The few on this way are seen travelling travellin ng in solitude and singusingu ularity.

Heaven is not forr the carefree person neither is it a place for the halfhearted, but, it is a prepared place for the prepared people. It doess not matter how rich h and generous you u are to the people, or how regular you are in the house of God, or how many days and weeks you ob-

served fast, or what your position is in the house of God. What matters is your relationship with your Creator, thus, the qualification is righteousness and holiness in Christ Jesus. You must be able to deny self, keep the body under control from riotous life, and mortify corruptions if you are to be on the way to heaven. You must be able to resist daily temptations and go through much tribulation. You must watch in all things, walk with care, and ignore all the difficulties that attend to your faith, put off evil habits and part with old companions that entice you with sins.

Nothing sinful or unclean enters the road, including whatever that works abomination, or makes a lie, or he who turns the grace of God into lasciviousness, or he that gives heed to false prophecy and dreamers, or holds and propagates false doctrines but the road is meant for only y they y that are writin the Lamb’s ten i book of b ok bo life

who are saved from their sin.

Rev. 21: 8 says, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”.

The fearful, such that for fear of suffering disowned Jesus, and rejected the grace of God that has come to mankind. The unbelievers, such as have sat under the dispensation of the gospel, but have rejected our Lord Jesus Christ, and have refused to come unto Him that they might have life.

Those that do not believe the great work of God in The Lord’s Chosen shall never be found on the road to heaven. Also, the abominable, such as live in the practice of sins against nature, sodomy, lesbianism, homosexuals, and such uncleanness as renders them abominable in the sight of God and man. The abominable included those women that put on men’s clothes and vice versa as stated in the Holy Book of the Bible.

Deut. 22: 5 says, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God”. Women that wear trousers or any of the men’s clothes whether they consent to the fact or not shall have no business being on the road to heaven. Heaven is not meant for such people. Also, the murderers, such as destroy either the soul, body, or good name, of their neighbours, especially persecutors; the whore and her followers, who are drunk with the blood of the saints, the abortionists and those that assist in such heinous crime shall not be found on the road to heaven. The whoremongers of all sorts, sorts, both spiritual and corporal, particularly u arly such as are guilty of uncleanness ul in in a matrimonial state; the fornicators, adulterers adulterers and prostitutes are not candidates didates of heaven and thus cannot be allowed allowed on the road to heaven. If such are are your cases, you are on the broad way way that leads to destruction.

The sorcerers, such as exercise witchcraft, witchcraft, consult with the devil and his human agents such as the seer, marabout and trade with familiar spirits shall not tread on the road to heaven. The idolaters of all sorts and kinds, such as worship false gods, or the true God after a false false manner; covetous persons, who make make the world their god; and sensual persons, persons, who make their belly their god shall not be found on this narrow way because they cannot be accommodated on the strait way to heaven. All liars, those which wh w hich lie with the lip, and talk falsely; those that lie in their t eir lives, as th all hyp-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 41 Pastor Muoka

PASSION

25

Sunday April 26, 2015

A Lifestyle Magazine

APPLAUSE

‘Women must prepare for times of adversity’ >>27

Ladies who bleach endanger their lives –Kim

>>26

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Passion

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ladies who bleach endanger their lives –Kim Kimberly Soma studies medicine at Babcock University. She is also a female activist.

Her friends and fans affectionately call her Kim. In this interview with Adaeze Amos, this diva who has passion for shoes, speaks about why she cherishes being a woman, among others.

How do you feel being a woman?

I’m happy to be a woman in a man’s world. Being a woman is not easy because we are expected to think like a man, act like a lady, love like a wife and mother, run our homes properly and work like a horse, which most women are doing and it’s amazing. Women are unique because of how we are able to juggle a lot of things. My mum does that a lot with ease. I must say she inspires me a lot; she is a very strong woman and she brought me and my siblings up well. Therefore, I’m proud to be a woman and wouldn’t change my gender for anything.

What do you do to look good?

To look good may not be everything; it involves the right attitude, lifestyle, tips and tricks. To look good, I eat right, get enough exercise to stay in

shape because it’s the perfect way to start and every other thing can be complementary. I take my bath at least twice a day, drink plenty of water, which not only helps you lose weight but helps your skin glow. I don’t wear a make-up to bed. Also, I steer clear of carbonated drinks, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. They shouldn’t be substitute for water. To complement it, I use body lotion and cosmetics that suit my skin and won’t cause any irritation.

What is the style you won’t be seen wearing?

I won’t be seen wearing clothes that are bigger than my body. They not only make you look like you borrowed them but would make you look shabby. Maxi gowns and skirts are not bad, but wear the ones that complement your figure. You also wouldn’t catch me doing the colourblocking thing. It’s one trend most ladies have embraced but one should know how to get it right always. I personally don’t consider it trendy, so you would never find me in an outfit like that. I love to combine my colours perfectly.

Can you define your style?

My style is a combination of simple, classy and sexy but super comfortable. I follow trends but not to the core because I like to stand out even while wearing the clothes in vogue.

What is the common fashion blunder obvious in our women?

As I said earlier, the colour-blocking thing is a trend that so many ladies have embraced, but some seem to blow it out of proportion, making them look like clowns. If you want to colour-block, you just have to get it right.

As a medical student, why did you opt for that course?

Growing up, I have always been quite curious about the human body, how and why it functions in certain ways and stuffs like that.

I think doing my course has helped me figure these things out in a way. To be frank, I love the course I’m studying. If I’m asked to choose again I’d opt for the same course. Many have asked this same question, why did I choose something else because as a woman that I wouldn’t be able to be a medical doctor and handle a family life and all sorts. But I told them gender shouldn’t be a barrier, it shouldn’t stop you from doing something you have passion for. Although, medicine used to be a male-dominated course, I’m proud and happy to see women opting for it and they are successfully running their home fronts, which is not easy.

But nothing good comes easy.

What are the things most ladies do to look good that you think could be harmful to their health?

So many ladies now wash their skin which increases the

risk of skin cancer. A large percentage of ladies, for lack of any other way to ruin their lives, have decided that bleaching their skin is the only way to look beautiful. What they don’t know or seem to be ignoring is the dangerous side effects these things cause. Some use creams not prescribed by dermatologists but picked up in one shop or the other and mixed by untrained persons. Some don’t even know the content of the mixed creams they use. These products can cause a lot of side effects like thinning of the skin, uneven skin colour, redness, intense irritation and so on. I advise that you love your own skin colour be it light-skinned or dark. Get good lotion/cream that suits your skin type and eat well-nourished food and you will see how radiating and beautiful your skin would be.

What’s your philosophy of life?

I base my life philosophy on this quote by C.S. Lewis which says, “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny”. I believe nothing good in life comes easy, life is going to knock you left and right, but it’s only preparing you for a brighter future. You just have to brace up and work towards it.

What are the fashion blunders you have committed?

I once wore a zebra-printed top on a leopard- printed skirt. I felt nothing was wrong with it initially until a friend corrected and told me it was a fashion blunder to wear print on print. I learned from my mistake and I don’t think I would commit such a blunder again.

Who are the Nigerian celebrities you admire and why?

The Nigerian celebrity I admire is Genevieve Nnaji.

She is a lady who came from a simple background to being a super star and is still holding her grounds in the industry. She is beautiful, intelligent, classy and very successful, which are qualities I think every lady should have.

Aside from her, I also admire such ladies as Chimamanda, Emem Isong and Mercy Johnson.

What do you have passion for?

Aside from reading Medicine in the University, I love to sketch. It’s something I have always loved doing and have passion for and, hopefully, I would love to pursue later in future.

What puts you off people?

People who talk a lot even when it’s not necessary without giving you listening ears. They always have something to say but don’t want to listen. This pisses me off the more when a man doing it. I’m also put off by very dirty people with very poor hygiene. I don’t think I can be really close to people like that.

How do you think the world would look like without fashion?

I think life would be boring. Fashion in a w a y makes you happier and a more confident person. I believe fashion is like art, it’s everywhere and we can’t exist without art because it makes our world pop. So, we can’t exist without fashion.

When you are down, what do you do to derive your inspiration?

Music is one other thing we can’t do without. When I’m down, listening to music helps me a lot. It helps me relax and let go. I can squeeze in a little dancing when I feel like, and it helps.

What lesson has life taught you?

Life has taught me to be humble, because you never know where help may come from. It might be from the person you least expected. It has also taught me never to be judgemental, because while you are pointing one finger at a person, four others are pointing back at you.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Applause

27

Also to never compare myself to others. Everyone has their race to run, no one ends up the same. Today might be your turn to shine and tomorrow might be mine.

What really thrills you most about life?

I think waking up every day and having every part of me intact and functioning fine. Having my family and friends all hale and hearty. It is something I look forward to everyday. So many people drop dead every day, and if I get to experience life everyday like this, I consider it a blessing and I’m so grateful to God for that blessing.

Do you have regrets about anything?

As human beings, we all have regrets, be it large or small. I have regrets too. Maybe, I didn’t do something right and I regret and wish I did it a certain way and all that. So yes, I have a few regrets of my own.

What is your worst fear in life?

My worst fear would be going through life and ending up as a failure. Being a failure is something I have a phobia for. I wouldn’t want to work hard for something and end up failing to accomplish it no matter how little the task may be. People would always reckon with success and never failure and I think I’m one of those people.

What fashion accessory forms a larger part of your wardrobe?

I think shoes. My mum loves shoes so I think I got that from her. A good footwear has a way of spicing up your outfit be it heels, snickers, sandals, or a fancy slipper.

I don’t think anybody can do without them.

Being a breast cancer awareness agent, can you reach out to ladies on how to identify lumps and what to do?

I think girls/women should know how to run self examinations on themselves. They should run their fingers on their breasts every morning. You start by looking at yourself in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your hands across your neck. Here are what you look out for: unusual size, shape and colour of the breast, redness soreness, rash or swelling, inverted nipples. Also, raise your arms and look for same changes. Look for discharge from the nipples. Also, feel both breasts in circular motion from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen while lying down and while standing, feel your armpits and be sure you cover the whole breast. Feel both breasts for lumps. If you notice anything disturbing or alarming, see you doctor for confirmation. Finding the lumps early can help to prevent the cancer from spreading.

I think that more awareness programmes should be created to help women and young girls who don’t know what it is all about to be aware, get themselves checked and get early treatment so as to reduce the mortality rate of women with breast cancer. It is very important.

‘Women must prepare for times of adversity’ ADAEZE AMOS

A

yo Yemisi Jaiyeola is the CEO, Serendipity House Nigeria and God’s Wives International. In her Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos residence, this woman who has refused to lose focus in life spoke about the journey of life with zeal.

“I’m a woman of many parts. I used to be a wife. I’m now a widow and, be that as it may, I still get involved in everything that has to do with women. Apart from being the CEO of Serendipity House Nigeria and God’s Wives International, which is strictly for widows, I have at present initiated another organisation which is Women in Money which financially educates African women. I have branches of this all over Africa,” she said.

Before she spoke about other areas of life which affect women directly or indirectly, Mrs Jaiyeola reminded women of something they should always remember in life.

“Every woman must prepare for the time of adversity.

Whether there is something tangible in your hand now, remember there will be a time it would not be there. Even if you are married to a very rich man, know that the man may not be there forever. What I always like to teach women in my initiatives is what I titled ‘What is in your handbag’. Every woman carries a handbag: big, bold and beautiful handbag. But when you look into their bags, you discover that they don’t have more than N100 in those big bags. What I’m trying to say invariably is that most women are poor, they don’t have money of their own.

They think if they have a man, he would provide everything.

It’s a pity that over 75 per cent of women reason this way and it is a big blunder. Yes, the blunder that blinds and makes them believe that as far as men in their lives are alive, they won’t have problems. That is a big lie!” she counselled.

Lady Jaiyeola gives reasons to buttress her point.

“Women date men who dump them. They marry and bear children for men who later leave them with nothing. They are alone to themselves, sleeping by the roadsides, squatting with friends, going back to their mothers’ house and things like that.

We should stop being over dependent on men. Can you imagine, a lady once told me that her husband married a second wife because he said he is African and is entitled to that? But that what pains her more is that she was asked to leave the house, her matrimonial home. She doesn’t have a father or mother; she is squatting with a friend now; how sad! So, I think some men appear to women looking like angels but they are honestly demons. But they fake their looks as if they are angels because they want their women to feel that they are being visited by angels just to have their way. The moment they have their way, everything is gone. Men have a way of getting back all that they have given to women. Even in marriage, for instance, a man

who used to give his wife N100,000 in a month now starts giving N25,000 every month; he is taking back what he gave the woman. Before you know it, the money is reduced to N10,000 per month and he is slipping away gradually and you don’t know,” she stressed.

What exactly is the way out of this situation? “I want women to be financially empowered, that is the way out. I say this not because I’m very rich but I’m sounding this way because I have had my own experiences. I have had my own losses. My advice to women is that we should be educated and be able to network with ourselves more. It’s bad that a lot of things happen to women and they run away from themselves. We are made the same way, every feature in another woman is seen in the next. So, let’s network together, let’s see where we can help ourselves,” she advised.

Mrs Jaiyeola indeed has lived what she preaches.

“Well, I have been doing that. For instance, in my initiatives, I have women who help others to start their little businesses.

We get money from rich women. That is what we have been doing. Women shouldn’t be their own worse enemies for goodness sake. Maybe we should educate those women who want to make themselves enemies of women that what you think you are enjoying now may not be there for you forever. It is good to come down from your high horse and help a woman that is down. She may be the one that would help you later. Women should be educated to help one another and if we don’t do it, who would do it for us? The men are back-stabbing us, dumping and cheating us. They have treated us with disdain, so why can’t women come together!” she bemoaned.

Another thing that pains this widow is that it is difficult to inspire some women.

“A lot of women don’t have inspired minds. Their minds are not empowered. They are not receptive to dreaming big. They think that one room apartment where they are is okay for them as long as 10 people can lie down there. The Bible says that we should enlarge our coast to the left and to the right. So, how does this apply to a Christian woman who is living poorer every day? What I want women to know is that they can live better.

Some people have been living in a rented house for 27 years or more. Invariably, if you are in a position of a poor woman and things are not changing for you, you should seek counsel,” she urged.

But how about women who pray to have rich men who would rescue them from such tight situations?

“Such women have no financial plans. My husband left N3,600 in his wallet before he died. He was a loved man but he with poor finance plan. Since he died, I have touched and used a lot of money. This is important. If you have a good financial plan, you can always push your problems aside. We shouldn’t rely on our men to do everything,” she said.

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

GROWING UP with

Aunty Titi

Hello children, How are you? I believe you are getting more involved in your studies. Please, do not relent, as you all know that learning is better than silver and gold. We have some interesting, informative and educative articles for you this week.

Porcupine

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

RIDDLES AND JOKES

A horse is on a 24-foot chain and wants an apple that is 26 feet away. How can the horse get to the apple?

Answer: The horse can get to the apple easily because the chain is not attached to anything.

What goes through towns and over hills but never moves?

Answer: A road.

What has 88 keys but cannot open a single door?

Answer: A piano.

What has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps, can run but never walks, and has a bank but no money?

Answer: A river.

What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?

Answer: A person - as a baby you crawl on four legs; as an adult you walk on two legs, and when you are older you use a walking stick, so you walk on three legs.

What starts with “P” and ends with “E” and has more than 1,000 letters?

Answer: A post office What is something you will never see again?

Answer: Yesterday.

NATURAL WONDER OF THE WORLD

Angel Falls, Venezuela

T

he porcupine is the prickliest of rodents, though its Latin name means “quill pig”. The word ‘porcupine’ means ‘one who rises up in anger. There are about two dozen porcupine species, and all boast a coat of needle-like quills to give predators a sharp reminder that this animal is no easy meal. Some quills, like those of Africa’s crested porcupine, are nearly a foot (30 centimeters) long. The porcupine raises its sharp quills when threatened. The quills of baby porcupines are soft at birth but harden within an hour. Porcupines have soft hair, but on their back, sides, and tail it is usually mixed with sharp quills. They usually live on the ground and can inhabit deserts, grasslands and forests and their lifespan is 18 years.

Porcupines are herbivores, eating mainly salt rich plants, tree leaves, grass and ferns and have the ability to swim as its quills are hollow and buoyant. Porcupines cannot throw their quills and are active primarily at night. Their vision is poor, but they have an excellent sense of smell. The quills have sharp tips and over-

lapping scales or barbs that make them difficult to remove once they are stuck in another animal’s skin. Porcupines grow new quills to replace the ones they lose and the male porcupine helps the female in taking care of the young and may have 30,000 or more quills.

Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about 25–36 long, with an 8–10 in (20–25 cm) long tail weighing (5.4–15.9 kg), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come in various shades of brown, gray, and the unusual white.

Porcupines are only occasionally eaten in western culture, but are very popular in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, where the prominent use of them as a food source has contributed to significant declines in their populations.

However, the quills are used for traditional decorative clothing. For example, their guard hairs are used in the creation of the Native American “porky roach” headdress. The main quills may be dyed, and then applied in combination with thread to embellish leather accessories such as knife sheaths and leather bags.

BRAIN TEASERS

Friday, Sam and Lucky went to a restaurant to eat lunch. After eating lunch, they paid the bill. But Sam and Lucky did not pay the bill, so who did?

Answer: Their friend Friday did.

A monkey, a squirrel, and a bird were racing to the top of a coconut tree. Who will get the banana first, the monkey, the squirrel, or the bird?

Answer: None of them, because you cannot get a banana from a coconut tree.

A

ngel Falls is the world’s highest free-falling, freshwater waterfall at 979 meters (3,212 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela. The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground the water is banged by the strong winds and turned into mist. The base of the falls feeds into the Churun River, an offshoot of the Carrao River.

ANIMAL SEARCH Find and circle all the animals below. They could be found in any direction.

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Duck

Frog

Elephant

Crocodile

Dolphin

Gorilla

Mouse

Tiger

Rabbit

Rat

Lion

lizard

Dog

Monkey

Camel

Children, you can send your contributions and pictures through this email address jokkyisland@yahoo.com or call telephone number: 08050324794

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

29

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Dude Style

victorudoh804@yahoo.com 07067124302

Igos: I am fashion-conscious Iledia Grandball Omoro aka Igos studied Computer Engineering but his passion for showbiz is unparalleled. This comedian cum event consultant opens up to Victor Udoh his passion for comedy, radio presentation and more. Excerpts: Though you started with the likes of Basketmouth, you seem to have dropped off the radar?

I want to correct an impression; some of my colleagues such as Alibaba, ‘I go die’, Basketmouth among others, are my seniors in the business, hence I call them senior colleagues. Some of them started from Warri; while they were doing comedy as professionals, I was doing mine as a hobby. I wouldn’t say we are on the same page in the business. However, I am willing to learn from them.

Life is not all about competition, but what you can deliver as a person. I made several attempts to perform in ‘Night of a thousand laughs’, but it wasn’t possible. But the time came and I was invited to perform, and I did my best.

How do you combine standup comedy with radio presentation?

In the West, when you tell people you do two or more jobs, they see it as nothing. But in Nigeria, the development makes people look at you as if you don’t know what you want. Here, one job for now cannot cater for your needs; you need more than one.

Again, for me, showbiz is all-encompassing.

Broadcasting has been my passion and I am not surprised doing it now, while comedy is inborn.

Moreover, in Nigeria when you do two jobs, people will say you are suffering, but I don’t see it that way.

For a comedian you need a platform, and working as an on-air personality, that is a huge platform for me. I need it to support my career aspirations.

I also see it as a platform to reach out to my fans.

Those who are unable to watch me doing standup can listen to me on radio, etc.

You have been in the business for long, what is your staying power?

My staying power, as a Christian, is the grace of God. It is not by my power. If not for God I would have faded away. Another thing that keeps me going is the passion I have for the business. Whether you are paid or not, passion will always give you satisfaction. Though having money is a big plus, this keeps one going. I also like being challenged, and I am not afraid of failure.

What is your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement is having a good and God-fearing family, and also making people happy. About my investments, I have one or two, but I don’t want to talk about this now. It’s a private thing.

What is your philosophy of life?

It is that there is no limit to what you can achieve; and whatsoever you sow, you will reap.

If you really want to be successful, you have to be prepared. There is no shortcut to success; you have to really work for it, and I believe in hard work.

Have you ever been embarrassed on stage?

If you have never been embarrassed in your ca-

reer, I don’t think that is the right career for you. It happened early in my comedy career when I liked to use vulgar words, because of the set of comedians I rolled with.

In a show you can do dirty jokes but in a corporate event, you can’t. The first time I anchored a corporate event, I was doing dirty jokes; the organisers and the guests weren’t happy with me.

I felt very bad. Now, you can’t catch me doing a dirty joke.

Have you a mentor?

I used to follow the likes of Chris Tucker, Martin Laurence and Eddie Murphy. Back home, I follow the likes of Alibaba, because he understands the business of comedy.

What do you like wearing when going on stage?

I like corporate dressing because of the brand I portray. I like wearing suit or Niger Delta (traditional) attire; once in a while, I wear jeans, jacket and snickers. However, I am a simple person. I am too fashion-conscious.

What clothes can you not be seen putting on?

It will be very difficult for me to wear a singlet on stage, because I am a slim boy and cannot afford to show my six pack (laughs).

What fashion item pisses you off?

I don’t really have problem with what people wear because I believe you wear what is comfortable on you.

For me, as long as it makes sense, I am okay with it.

Where do you see the entertainment industry in the next five years?

I foresee a well-organised industry; I see greater involvement by the government in the industry like never before. I also see the world turning to Africa, especially Nigeria for solution in the entertainment industry. I see a lot of foreign celebrities coming to work with us. I see billionaires in this industry, the way we have the likes of Dangote and others.

&

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Weddings Engagements You have a story to tell us about your wedding/engagement, or your new born baby.

You can call this line 08050324794

CELEBRATING THE JOY IN MARITAL BLISS APRIL 26, 2015

Pageantry as Oyefolari n weds Agnieszka TITILOPE MORAKINYO

T

he solemnisation of the wedding between Oyefolarin Diya, the son of former Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya, rtd, and his wife Agniezka was undeniably an occasion ensconced in grandeur with prominent and notable personalities present.

Family members, friends and well-wishers were glamorously dressed in tomato red and blue, which were the colours of the day. The wedding, which took place at the United African Methodist Evangelical Church, Abule Oja, Yaba, was followed immediately by a grand reception at the Ten Degrees Events Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Spiritual Head of the church, Rt. Revd Zaccheus Sanyaolu (JP) was in attendance. He advised the couple to cultivate the fear of God with transparency, honesty and respect

for elders and avoid bad peers.

To this end, the cleric enjoined the newlywed to foster love and concern to each other and to dutifully avoid any parental, societal incursion or influence in their married life.

He also congratulated the parents of the couple on the sterling qualities of their children and charged other parents and guardians to emulate them. He charged Nigerians against

incessant condemnation of their leaders, but to rather pray for God’s guidance to positively lead them at all times”.

It was an event marked with sophistication and lovely display of romance from the couple, as Agniezka dazzled everyone in her simple, yet striking native attire which comprised a cream blouse, mixed cream, gold wrapper and headgear. She matched

her look with a gold clutch purse, shoes and accessories. The groom complemented his bride in his cream and gold native attire.

The couple thrilled all with their unique dance steps. Invited guests were treated to sumptuous meals and drinks. They also went home with various souvenirs distributed by family members, friends and loved ones of the couple.

Davis is my ideal man –Omobolanle

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he families of Olorode and Oluwagbemiro played host to a large number of friends and well-wishers as they marked the coming together of Omobolanle and Davis Oluwagbemiro who exchanged marital vows at the RCCG Amazing Grace Assembly, Mowe, Ogun State recently.

Their church blessing, which took place at the aforementioned venue, was conducted by pastors from the Redeemed Christian Church of God of which the couple are members.

After the ceremony, guests were treated to a grand reception in another section at the RCCG Youth Centre. The reception venue was beautifully decorated with drapes; guests were gorgeously dressed in their peach and royal blue aso ebi

colour.

According to the bride, they met in the church two years ago.

The groom, a pastor was apparently impressed with her zeal to work for God at a

conference organised to enlighten the youth at Owode back then which formed the foundation of their friendship which grew into a romantic relationship and finally blossomed into marriage.

Omobolanle got endeared to her darling because of his selflessness. “He is God-fearing, my ideal man, humble, disciplined, caring and above all has the fear of God,” she revealed.

Davis appreciates Bolanle for her simplicity, kindness, humility, respect and God-fearing.

He is convinced he made the right choice.

The bride is an indigene of Omu Ijebu, Ogun State while the groom hails from Kogi State. There was no dull moment as the musician rendered melodious tunes to add swag to the event.

BABIES OF THE WEEK

Daniel Oyindamola Olanrewaju

D

aniel Oyindamola Olanrewaju was delivered at the Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos to Kehinde and David Olanrewaju. He was delivered at exactly 2:30 a.m. and weighed 4kg at birth.

What did Kehinde crave for during the pregnancy?

“I ate a lot of fruits but my normal diet remained the same. Pregnant woman all over the world are generally associated with either vomiting or spitting. I vomited foods throughout my own pregnancy, nothing irritated me” she explained On the bodily changes, she said, “I had a slight body change as I just add-

ed weight and my stomach did not pro-

trude much even till the delivery date.

M a n y people did not even know that I was pregnant. I did not have a swol- len feet nor added much weight and size as many women do”.

What do Daniel’s parents love about their son?

According to the father, he has been a blessing and a great source of joy.

He said: “Daniel is a miracle child, surviving in the mother’s belly after facing challenges. We love him so much and he has been our chief source of joy till date.

Demilade Derrick Ogungbesan

O

l u w a demilade Der rick Ogungbesan was born at Bishop Awe Medical Centre, Abaranje, L a g o s to Olayemi and Hannah Ogungbesan.

He was d e l iv ered at 6.45 p.m. and weighed 3.5kg.

On what the mother Hannah craved for during the pregnancy she said; “I desired yam and egg, fried rice, ice cream and fruit, especially orange and watermelon. During this period, I drank a lot of water.

“There were no obvious physical body changes aside from my big stomach and round nose but I looked more beautiful, radiant and full of life. To God be the glory, my deliv-

ery was normal as I did not experience any trauma” Hann a h r e vealed.

“During the pregnancy, nothing irritated me but I got angry easily,” she recalled.

What do Demilade’s parents love most about him? Everything is lovely about him; he is cute, hairy and smiles a lot but when he is hungry he disturbs,” the mother explained.

What do Demilade’s parents want him to become in future? “We want the grace of God to take care of that; we just want God to protect him for us and other things will take its place,” said the father.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

What to wear ‌to a leopard skin-print bash APRIL 26, 2015

ADAEZE AMOS

S

kin print attires are so loved by ladies that some even choose this trend for their bash or event. This is true, especially leopard skin prints. Maybe, because they are timeless, unique, classy and outstanding.

It is usually specified on the invitation cards of such a bash so that those invited can dress accordingly.

If you are getting set for this kind of event, take a closer look at what these style icons wear on this page.

It’s either you slip into a skin-print dress and accessorise with colours like red, orange, purple, nude, blue, pink and white, among others or opt for a plain dress and accessorise with skin prints. Check out these divas on this page.

Perfect Cut

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African Look Brighten up your traditional attire with rich ornaments ADAEZE AMOS

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our African style may appear incomplete when you leave your neck bare, especially when your blouse gives you room to adorn your neck with beads.

There is no need to beat about the bush looking for styles of beads necklace and earrings for this Sunday’s African-oriented event. Check out those on this page and make your choice.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Style aficio

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, April 26, 2015

onados dazzle more in bold colours ADAEZE AMOS

H

ave you noticed that bright colours are not ready to bow out of fashion? And style enthusiasts love to slip into sweet shades that have the tendency of turning dull moods around. Check out how the ladies on this page splash their styles.

Bright colour trends are also seen in dudes’ wardrobes.

This then means that the days are gone when you think that red accessories on yellow dress will blind the eye. The trend now is the brighter your colours, the better.

Perfect Cut

33

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L

OVE

TALK

Sunday, April 26, 2015

with Yemisi

Adeniran

Some bold steps women must take henceforth!

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Heart-throb ...Find your soul mate here

Send text only to 08023012293

In need of a serious relationship/marriage Yomi is my name. I’m 26 years old and I’m into computer business. I need a Christian or a Muslim woman of any tribe, not less than 24 years old, for a relationship –07034209977.

My name is Femi, 26. I live at Surulere, Lagos. I work as a computer engineer. I need a loving and caring lady for a relationship –08138457156.

I’m Eric, 28, and I live in Abuja. I want a lady that can actually pet me. She should be light-skinned, 5.6ft tall, an OND holder –08167826798.

Ugochukwu is my name. I’m a medical officer, light-complexioned, slender and Igbo. I need a beautiful working-class lady between 25 and 33 years old for a relationship –07034800302.

I’m Christopher, single and 44 years old. I’m 5.11 ft tall from Ondo State. I’m God-fearing, open-minded and passionate.

I want a woman between28 and 40 years old –08035739277.

My name is Williams, 20 years old. I need a lady of between 18 and 19 years old for a relationship –08165470507.

I am Luxury, a medical doctor from Anambra State living in Enugu. I need a sexy, pretty and educated Christian lady for marriage –07034617994.

My name is Barry, 26 years old, from Lagos. I live at Surulere, Lagos. I’m a computer engineer. I’m dark, tall, caring and loving. I need a God-fearing, fat or slim lady between 23 and 28 years old for a serious relationship –08052434255.

My name is Shola; I’m 32, a Yoruba guy. I want a woman between 30 and 35 years old who can settle down with me –08062365425.

I’m Joseph, from Ondo State. I’m light-skinned and tall. I’m looking for a sugar mummy –07038245617.

I’m Sam Sunday, 40 years old. I need someone serious to be my wife. She should be from age 28 –08096985708, 08067808771.

Models

S

ex is one sweet experience that both men and women enjoy, especially, when it is carried out in the right atmosphere and with the right partner; someone one really loves and indeed has passion for.

Often times, the amount of excitement one gets from it is usually informed by the amount of freedom and creativity any of the partner is able to come up with. The contribution of each of the partners makes what the activities are –whether exciting or repulsive.

However pleasurable the activities may be, there are some actions that may reduce the extent of the excitement. These actions may come in form of words, action or even inaction. To begin to list them is to begin an endless exercise. But for the sake of real fun, the following initiative must be considered by women; after all, we all claim to be in an era of change: Get the condoms yourself. Making condom his responsibility: Many women who are sexually active and prefer that their husbands use condom often consider the provision of the material the sole responsibility of the man. No. It should not be so. He doesn’t have absolute responsibility over that. Nothing, for instance, stops the woman from going to the store to procure a packet and keep it at home for the husband. And if you think that will make you look like a whore, then, stop having sex.

Remove your clothes while he watches: Romantic it can be to have your man remove your clothes, especially, if he is doing it in a very special way. But atimes, you need to give him a helping hand. Help him remove that bra (that is likely to give him a headache) and allow him access to your breasts if that is what he wants. So, thinking that helping him to do that will be acting strangely is a mistake which you need to correct.

Stop being shy: Some are shy and they prefer to undress in the dark. Oh, but you are denying the man something he would want to see and feel good about.

Don’t undress yourself and dive under the covers. Rather, undress yourself and let him appreciate the dashing

you. You may dim the lights if you can stand the bright light.

Take your place on him: There is no law that says the man should always be at the top. Woman, take over and not let your man alone do all the work. It makes sex quite exciting, as you are able to direct the affairs the way you really want and would want him to do it.

Try and touch him too: It is wrong to leave the touching to him alone. Rest or lean on him, make him feel hot and yearn for it, after all, he is your property. It is wrong to think that only you, the woman wants to be touched.

Running your fingers around or down the right places will certainly make him enjoy the pleasure of sex and get eager to come around you more often than before.

Like you, he has stomach, he has shoulders and he has thighs too among other sensitive parts of the body.

Touch them and don’t concentrate only on his manhood.

See sex as mere fun: I had mentioned it at different times on this page that sex should not be taken like some serious work or routine. It is fun if handled well; it can be made playfully. You could do it and knock down the table clock you have beside your bed; it could make you even tumble down from the bed. The fun that can arise from it can be endless, only if you don’t make it a too serious and boring exercise.

Clean up well before the act: Much as sex is spontaneous, it is necessary that you clean up if you are somehow dirty and smell a little. For instance, if a mouth action is to take place, it would be out of place not to have your mouth washed.

While it is always sweet to have your man cuddle you after the whole fun, it is not going to be out of place to warm up or crawl up to him after the fun to enjoy some warmth from him. It is no big deal to make the necessary move you think will give you the best pleasure.

Remember, friends, you have just one life to live and you need to catch as much fun as you can. So, enjoy yourself now that you are able and quite fit.

I’m Prince Adetunji, 42 years old. I’m educated, working, cute and need a wife that is pretty, educated, working or who is into business and God-fearing that is ready to settle down –08056584297.

My name is Victor, 25 years old. I live in Lagos. I need a sugar mummy between 38 and 40 years old that can take good care of me –07060784430.

Mary is my name. I’m 20 years old. I need a God-fearing Christian guy that is 5.7ft tall, between 25 and 30 years old for a serious relationship that would lead to marriage. He should be a working-class that lives in Lagos –08181557210.

My name is Michael. I’m cool, caring and romantic. I’m unemployed. I want a loving, caring, sexy and beautiful sugar mummy below 60 years old for a serious relationship –08032297762.

I’m Kunle, 43, living in Ibadan. I want a romantic relationship with a lady who is between 42 years and 50 years old.

She should be living in Lagos or Ibadan –08050709034.

My name is Paul, 50, and I’m from Akwa Ibom State. I’m a businessman. I need a lady between 25 and 40 years old for marriage –07030809667.

I’m Oyinloye. I need a rich man between 50 and above.

He must be living in Lagos. He could be a sugar daddy, I wouldn’t mind –08146466215.

I’m Dennis by name and I’m 25 years old. I’m live in Abuja and I’m working. I need a lady, between 20 and 23 years old, for a relationship that could lead to marriage –09030465717.

I’m Sunday, dark, 35 years old and 6ft tall. I’m a civil servant from Ondo State. I need a God-fearing, working-class lady from any part of the world, between 25 and 32 years old –07031151927.

My name is Agbamue Samson, 27 years and I’m a working-class. I need a sugar mummy that is between 30 and 40 years old –08061540752.

I’m Michael, a graduate and I’m gentle. I need a romantic, mature and understanding sugar mummy for a serious relationship –09037415634.

Gabby is my name, 45, a media officer in Makurdi. I need a mature lady of 55 years and above for companionship –08178717095.

I’m Alex, 29 years old and I live in Abuja. I’m fair in complexion and need a sugar mummy who is 38 years for a relationship –08061500561.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

Pregnancy Talk with

Naughtiest Thing The naughtiest thing I’ve ever done

Adaeze Amos 08023012293 (SMS ONLY)

Genevieve Fadeh

Vital things to note when pregnant H

ave you seen the result of your pregnancy test? If it is positive, congratulations! But when the excitement is over, you may be wondering what you need to do next.

Here are the most important things to put on your list: Calculate your due date Most women out of excitement start wondering when they would carry their bundle of joy. Don’t bother to calculate with a pencil and paper, make good use of date calculator. Not only will it tell you the date you’ll be looking forward to deliver, but it will also give you a personalised calendar that shows when you’ll hear your baby’s heartbeat, find out your baby’s sex, and more. But if you don’t have this calculator and you want to know when you are due, your doctor will tell you.

Choose a prenatal caregiver/ doctor You’ll be seeing a lot of your obstetrician, family physician, or midwife over the coming months, so it’s important to find a good match…someone you can confide in and tell how you will, your bodily changes and all what not.

I broke my mum’s flower pot and lied

W

Prime your body A healthy lifestyle is always important – but when you’re living for two, it’s that much more vital. So make sure you’re getting enough folic acid based on your doctor’s prescription. Don’t wait to be reminded of your prenatal vitamins.

Eat healthy and have enough sleep.

Avoid the pregnancy no-nos Remember that some things are actually harmful during pregnancy and should be avoided. These include some kind of foods, drinks and medications.

That is why you need to get your doctor’s permission in everything you want to do including some things you may think mundane. Talk to your doctor to find out more about what you may personally need to steer clear of.

Be prepared for early pregnancy symptoms Not every pregnancy symptom will happen to every woman, but educating yourself ahead of time can prevent you from being blindsided. You might experience early morning vomiting which is known as nausea, jawdropping fatigue, odd food cravings, sore breasts and maddeningly frequent bathroom trips.

Decide when to announce your pregnancy This should be your personal decision when to share your good news. Some women wait until after the first trimester, while others announce it from the get-go.

Some wait to tell their co-workers or boss to avoid “separate treatment” at work, while others want their workplace buds to understand why they’re a little green around the gills. .

You’re probably already expecting the amazing changes in your body Aside from your tummy getting bigger and your nipples becoming subtle, there are other body changes in store that you may not know about. Be on the lookout for things like thicker hair, darkened skin and breakouts – then, later swollen ankles, stretch marks and varicose veins. You might notice other body and beauty changes, too. Pregnancy affects every woman differently, but knowing what might happen can help you take your particular physical changes in stride.

hen I was growing up, I was indeed rascally and my mum never spared the rod. So, there was this fanciful flower pot she bought for herself. It was precious to her and she warned me and my siblings to avoid going close to it because she would deal with whosoever carelessly breaks it.

We had her warnings at the back of our minds until one day that I ran out luck.

I didn’t know what I was doing and I mistakenly stretched my hands to the table where mum placed her precious flower verse and the thing crashed into pieces on the floor. My heart skipped and what came into my mind was how she would lash me with her cane. I knew no amount of pleading would stop her from doing what she knew best.

See what I did. I quickly rubbed my hands with wet sand and slimy mud that I got from her garden at the back of our house. I also rubbed on my face and jaw as well. I lied to her that I had been busy working on her garden, tending her flowers and when I came into the living room to drink water, the slimy mud on my leg got me landing on the floor forcefully. I lied that I nearly broke my tooth had I not held the table that had her flower vase. Oh! she pitied me that day. You need to have seen how she was moved with pity and asked if the pieces of the vase didn’t injure me. In my mind, I was just laughing.

Fadeh is a beauty queen, the current ‘Miss Global Nigeria’.

–ADAEZE AMOS

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

African salad (Abacha) TITILAYO MORAKINYO

A

frican salad is a delicious Nigerian meal that is native to Ndigbo. It is very popular in the South-East.

Abacha as it is fondly called by Ndigbo is one of the most popular evening desserts as it serves best as kola to visitors. Candidly, there are villages in the South-East that only offer ugba or abacha to visitors and, indeed, these guests have come to love and desire the delicious delicacy.

The abacha salad is a by-product of cassava; there is a lot of processes involved in obtaining and preparing it.

How to prepare Wash the cassava tubers thoroughly and boil along with water for 20 to 30 minutes; then pill to remove the brown outer layer, and cut to tiny bits.

The sliced cassava is then soaked in water for 18 hours or more. The last thing to do would be to wash thoroughly with clean water. Store in an air-tight seal. Dried cassava chips can last more than a year if stored in an air-tight dry environment.

Here are the ingredients that are needed for preparing abacha salad, whether you are within or outside Nigeria. Some of them are extremely required while a few are optional.

Ingredients Six to eight cups of abacha.

Ehu, three seeds (optional).

One to two cups Of ugba (ukpaka) Half cup of crayfish One to two cubes of maggi or knorr cube.

About 10cl of palm oil.

Edible-powdered potash (one teaspoon).

Salt and pfive garden eggs (optional).

Utazi leaf (optional).

Garden egg leaves.

Meat, dry fish or stockfish (optional).

How to prepare Heat or soak the dry Abacha in boiled water for about three minutes, then sieve and keep on a separate bowl.

Blend the crayfish and slice onions, garden egg leaves. It is advisable to dissolve the powdered potash in about five centiliter of clean water; this is a trick you employ to easily filter unwanted solid materials that are often embedded in potash.

Filter the dissolved potash into a mortar or pot leaving out the residue.

Add about 10cl of palm oil and stir to form a yellowish paste (ncha, as addressed by Ndigbo). This is the first part of making abacha. Add the ground crayfish and pepper; stir, then add the ground ehu.

Add the ugba to the mixture and stir, then add the abacha and salt. It is advisable to heat, just a few seconds before you use so it doesn’t get cold, as most people prefer it to be a bit warm.

Stir the whole combination and you are almost through with the preparation.

The garden eggs, leaves and onions are used mostly to spice up or for decoration purpose and not added during preparation but while dishing out.

They are often sliced and kept aside in different plates or bowls, then added while individual plates are dished out; this also goes for the meat or fish used.

Taste the combination in the mortar or pot, if it is as tasty as you desire. You may also want to turn on the cooker and heat for a few minutes if it is not as warm as you wish.

Serve with the meat and also add the garden eggs (sliced) and leaves to individual plate. Most people in the rural centres like to take African salad with palm wine. Therefore, get a bottle of palm wine or your favourite soft drink to enjoy this food.

Burgundy wine VICTOR UDOH

B

urgundy wine is made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saone River, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here—commonly referred to as “Burgundies”—are dry red wines made from Pinot noir grapes and white wines made from Chardonnay grapes.

Red and white wines are also made from other grape varieties, such as Gamay and Aligoté, respectively. Small amounts of rosé and sparkling wines are also produced in the region. Chardonnay-dominated Chablis and Gamay-dominated Beaujolais are formally part of the Burgundy wine region, but wines from those sub regions are usually referred to by their own names rather than as “Burgundy wines”.

Burgundy has a higher number of appellations d’origine contrôlée (AOCs) than any other French region, and is often seen as the most terroir-conscious of the French wine regions. The various Burgundy AOCs are classified from carefully delineated Grand Cru vineyards down to more non-specific regional appellations. The practice of delineating vineyards by their terroir in Burgundy goes back to medieval times, when various monasteries played a key role in developing the Burgundy wine industry.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Growing Up

Sunday, April 26, 2015

POP

37

WHO INVENTED WHAT? Rachel Zimmerman: Creator of the Blissymbol Printer

DO YOU KNOW THAT? Do you know why we shake hands x

T

he most common physical way to greet people around the world is now the handshake, it is commonly done after a meeting, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, expressing gratitude, or completing an agreement. It’s become so ever-present that one may never have thought about why people shake hands. The history of the handshake dates back to the 5th century B.C. in Greece.

It was a symbol of peace, showing that neither person was carrying a weapon. During the Roman era, the handshake was actually more of an arm grab. It involved grabbing each other’s forearms to check that neither man had a knife hidden up his sleeve.

WORDS ON MARBLE Only surround yourself with people who will lift you higher.

–Oprah Winfrey

TONGUE TWISTER

How many cookies could A good cook cook If a good cook Could cook cookies?

A good cook could Cook as much cookies As a good cook Who could cook cookies?

R

achel Zimmerman was born in Ontario, Canada in 1972. She grew up an inquisitive young girl, with a role model of a mother. Linda Zimmerman was the founder and president of her own software company and gave Rachel inspiration to enter the field of technology.

She was a young girl that liked girl scouts and science. The turning point in her life came when in the sixth grade, while researching Keller and Braille; she stumbled across a book on Blissymbols.

With the idea of a science fair coming soon, she dove into everything about the system Blissymbols, communication system for the severely disabled, and decided to research other methods to improve its accessibility. It was then, at the science fair at the age of 12, that she created the Blissymbol printer.

This new device used a software programme to enable those using Blissymbol language to “talk” to each other and perform all the other types of communication through the computer. Until then the user needed another person to translate the symbols they would point out.

With the new printer, she developed a tap pad that enabled the person to simply touch the board and the software would do the translating, transmitting the output in the language of the user’s choice onto a computer screen. When she initially presented the concept at a science

fair, it received a silver medal and she went on to compete in the World Exhibition of Achievement of Young Inventors.

The Blissymbols printer also ended up winning a silver medal at the Canadawide contest. Rachel Zimmerman, along with her forward-thinking invention were showcased when they won an YTV Television Youth Achievement Award.

Rachel continues her passion for the sciences.

Rachel Zimmerman went on to study physics and space studies in college and now works for The Planetary Society in California, where she teaches people about space exploration. She is interested in combining space technology with assistive intelligence. Her goal is to take NASA innovations and tailor them to fit the needs of people with disabilities. To date, she works on better forms of communications for the disabled.

JOKES

Patient and doctor dialogue A man lost consciousness and woke up two hours later in a hospital after a car accident. Then the following dialogue took place between him and the doctor.

Patient: “I am in a hospital. Why am I in here?”

Doctor: “You had an accident involving a car.”

Patient: “Really, so what happened?”

Doctor: “Well, I have some good and bad news for you. Which would you like to hear first?”

Patient: “Well, the bad news first, doc.”

Doctor: “Your legs were injured so badly that we had to amputate both of them.”

Patient: “Oh God, that is terrible. Alright, what is the good news?”

Doctor: “There is a male patient in the next ward who made a very good offer to buy your slippers.”

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Movies & Music

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

& usic M Movies With Victor Udoh 07067124302 e-mail: victorudoh804@yahoo.com

Davido reveals risks he took as upcoming artiste

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avido is arguably Nigeria’s biggest young artist and has gone from strength to strength since making his debut in 2011. He recently sat down for an interview where he revealed that despite his comfortable background, achieving success was not straightforward for him.

Born David Adeleke, the last of five children, Davido revealed that his desire to pursue a career in music did not fly with his dad, moreso because leaving school at the time for an unsure career was a huge risk. According to him, it was the grace of God that made him successful even beyond his own expectations.

He summed up his advice for upcoming artistes and fans this way: “You don’t need to do it because somebody else is doing it. You need to love what you’re doing and know that that’s what you have a passion for.”

Dagrin

Kefee

Dagrin, Goldie, others honoured at Nigerian Entertainment Conference

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t was a shower of honours and encomiums for some of the nation’s top showbiz talents, who had passed on over the past five years at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held last Wednesday at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Among those that was remembered are much-loved Nollywood actor Muna Obiekwe, singer and TV star, Susan Filani aka Goldie, renowned movie producer, Amaka Igwe, rapper, Olaitan Oladapo aka Dagrin, Kannywood actor, Dan Ibro, and acting legend Justus Esiri. Others who were remembered include fashion designer, Oluremi Dorcas Osholake aka Remi Lagos; Margaret-Mary Joseph aka Zara Gretti; prolific actor, Enebeli Ebeluwa; singer, Kefee, Don Momoh and actors Sam Loco Efe, Peter Eneh, and Francis Agu. Others who were also recognized are actresses Bisi Komolafe and Ashley Nwosu; Yoruba movie actor Ishola Durojaiye aka Ahmed Alasari; Nigerian music icon, Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju aka Fatai Rolling Dollar, street music symbol, Olufemi Mayomi aka Father U-Turn, actor Tony Umole, movie producer Collins Ifeanyichukwu, rapper

Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince release Suite 99

Davido

Orezi shares story of struggle to succeed as artiste

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amous for his singles ‘Rihanna’, ‘You Garrit’ and ‘Shoki’, Orezi is an artiste who is in high demand with his songs enjoying heavy radio and TV airplay. He recently sat down for an interview where he revealed that his ascent to the top of the mu-

F

ollowing on the heels of Summer Time, the lead single that marked the return of Jesse Jagz to the label, is a hot new track titled Suite 99, another Star Music App exclusive!

The song features Jesse Jagz and Ice Prince trading fiery hot rap bars and singing on an infectiously sweet Reggaeinfused, HipHop instrumental reminiscent of one’s favorites tunes from the late 90s – early 2000s.

This is surely one for the clubs, the ladies and every fan of Hip Hop and dancehall.

Obiajulu Kenneth Nwaozor aka MC Loph, comedian John Chijioke aka CD John and music icon, Christy Essien Igbokwe.

The annual Nigerian Entertainment Conference, organised by Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) is a discussion and agenda-setting forum for the entertainment industry in Nigeria and since its inception in 2013, it has become the premier location for all internal and external conversations in the industry.

This year’s edition themed is “Buying and Selling Nigerian Entertainment…and Everything in Between” and it brought together several important personalities from across the many fields within the entertainment industry such as EbonyLife CEO, Mo Abudu, veteran actress, Joke Silva, Iroko TV founder, Jason Njoku, pop superstar Davido, founder of NotJustOk, Demola Ogundele, music producer Shizzi, fashion designer Mai Atafo, Quilox Club owner Shina Peller and actress Ini Edo. Apart from honoring departed entertainers, living Nigerian entertainers was also awarded in recognition of their contribution to the Nigerian Entertainment Industry.

Jagz

Orezi

sic industry was not without several bumps.

He revealed that at a time, when he was pitching his music around Lagos, people used to reject his songs and mock him. In his words, “I would take my CD to different labels in Lagos and they would be like “You no dey hear wetin people dey sing? Na wetin people dey sing be this one?!”

And they would insult me. I felt the music was good but for some reason they were not connecting to me.”

Going further, he disclosed that ‘Rihanna’ was the song that changed his life as it got him some widespread recognition finally, after which ‘Shoki’ gave him his overall breakthrough.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kemi Lala-Akindoju plays new role in Mildred Okwo’s Surulere

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emi Lala-Akindoju, talented actress and CEO of Make It Happen Productions, is set to feature as an ‘Old Woman’ in Mildred Okwo’s new movie Surulere.

The actress, who was the major act in Tunde Kelani’s ‘Dazzling Mirage’ where she played the role of a talented beautiful lady living with sickle cell disorder, shows her versatility as an actress as she takes on the role of an “old woman” in the yet to be released Surulere.

‘I am an actor who loves her job and opportunity to bring different characters to life makes it even more exciting’ said Lala when talking about how the role was developed.

The movie was produced by Rita Dominic, directed by Mildred Okwo and would be released later this year.

lala

Movies & Music

Sunday, April 26, 2015

About Kemi Lala Akindoju Kemi Lala Akindoju is a World Economic Forum Global shaper, thespian, producer and drama teacher. The youngest person to ever produce the international play, V. Monologues, Lala Akindoju cut her teeth as a stage actor appearing in over 70 productions since 2005. Lala is a talent scout who has created several new stars with her Open Mic Theatre and has professionally consulted for MTV, Ndani TV, amongst others in the area of talent. She has also consulted for several art projects with the British Council, the iRep film Festival, Woman Rising festival amongst others.

In 2010 she won the award for Actor of the Year at The Future Awards Africa and was recently selected for the International Visitors Leadership programme by the United States Public Affairs Section.

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Bovi opens up on pain before hitting limelight

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tand-up act Bovi is undoubtedly in the A-list of the Nigerian comedy scene. Having worked with the biggest names in Nigerian entertainment as well as international acts like Wyclef Jean and Ja-Rule, he is widely recognized as one of Nigeria’s finest comedians.

During a recent interview, Bovi revealed that his sojourn to the top of the comedy circuit in Nigeria was far from easy. He revealed that upon moving to Lagos, he squatted with an uncle who himself was squatting with a colleague. He went on to reveal that after taking up comedy as his career, he was billed to perform at a big comedy show in 2008, but upon getting to the venue he was told that he was not on the bill and he was not allowed to perform despite begging. The heartbreaking experience he said moved him to tears.

Going further, he stated that he is thankful for having achieved the success he has achieved and he urged everyone aspiring to success to never give up. In his words, “One thing people fail to realise is that they can achieve fame from their passion. It doesn’t have to be entertainment. I was tenacious, I was steadfast, I was hopeful and I was focused and I think that is what they need.”

Kunle Afolayan leads solidarity walk against piracy

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ovie maker, Kunle Afolayan is a furious man. Why not? His movie, October 1st was pirated against all odds. There was a report that Kunle Afolayan and Gabriel Okoye in charge of the movie distribution were alerted ahead by pirates that the movie would be pirated and released last week and they did!

In respect, the Phone Swap and Figurine director led other entertainment industry practitioners to the streets of Lagos on a peaceful protest.

Present at the protest were Uncle Tunde Kelani, Iyabo Ojo, Prince Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, Adeniyi Johnson, Saidi Muhammed (Funny Mallam), Yemi Shodimu, Tunji Bamishigbin, Aremu Afolayan, Yemi Solade, Kehinde Bankole, Goriola Hassan, Sukanmi Omobolanle, Yomi Fashlanso, Abbey Lanre, Dotun Taylor, Yomi Fabiyi, Buga amongst others.

The peaceful protest which commenced at exactly 9 am began at the Ikeja through Awolowo way, down to the Lagos State House of Assembly and the state’s government office in Alausa, Ikeja. The entertainers took it as a point of duty in the cause of the protest to enlighten the public on how to identify the original copies from the pirated ones.

In a sharp contrast, there was a low turn -out of entertainers especially members of Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN who are majorly actors from the South Eastern region. This was the aftermath of Afolayan’s outburst corroborated by Gabosky (Gabriel Okoye) that 99.9 per cent of the vicious pirates are Igbos. Ibinabo Fiberesima, AGN president and AY were scheduled to be part of the protest but there were conspicuously missing.

Considering the numbers of celebrities in the movie industry, the protest against piracy should have witnessed a tumultuous crowd, the turnout was not good enough.

Kunle Afolayan stated, “It is so dishearten to see that you pump in so much money into production and somebody somewhere gets the copy from God known’s where, duplicate it and starts selling. We need both public and the government support to stop this fight, we cannot take laws into our hands and that is why we are doing this peaceful protest.”

Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola was present to receive the artistes and he promised to look into the matter while requesting that they form a committee to be chaired by Tunde Kelani.

Kelani disclosed that the pirate has taken it all from him as his entire movie collections have been pirated making him loose at both end. Kelani, who is of the view that the government should do more in showing support on this because they are fighting for.

Adebayo Salami in the same vein was of the view that the punishment for piracy is not good enough as the same punishment for severe crimes such as armed robbery, narcotic, kidnappers should be equivalent to them.

Despite the fact that Ayo Makun’s 30 days in Atlanta was pirated, he was missing at the peaceful protest and people begin to wonder why such actor was not in attendance as his work was part of the subject matter of the walk.

Afolayan

Bovi

Chinwetala Agu, Ebube Nwagbo star in new movie

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new movie titled Adaobi My Love has just been shot. The movie is one of the movies that pitched delectable actress Ebube Nwagbo in a comic role against veteran actor Chinwetala Agu The new Nollywood release, directed by Chidi Anyawu, also stars Ebube Nwagbo, Chiwetalu Agu, Walter Anga, among others. The movie was shot in Enugu.

Chinwetala Agu has featured in countless of movies and has become the toast of movie producers having gained a reputation as a method actor.

Ebube Nwagbo, a star actress in her own right has shot her own debut movie titled, Smile Again.

Nwagbo

40

Lessons of Life

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ADAEZE AMOS Adanneamos@gmail.com 08023012293 (sms only)

TRUE LIFE STORY ON MATTERS OF THE HEART APRIL 26, 2015

‘I deeply regret marrying Humphrey’ Paulina and Humphrey got married despite all odds. She saw the signs that should have prevented her from the marriage to the man she described as ill-tempered. It was after having two children for him that it dawned on her that she made a mistake of her life.

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“

eople who knew Humphrey advised me not to marry him because of his hot temper. They said he had a huge problem controlling himself when he was angry and would fight anyone who provoked him not caring if it was in the public. Aside from that, they also said that he was arrogant and autocratic. His words were like laws that must be obeyed.

I heard all sorts of negative things from his friends who spilled all these because they pitied me. But I married him and ignored all that they told me. I noticed his anger but he never touched me. Rather, he would prefer to tear his window blinds, break flower verse or anything he laid hands on,” Paulina said in a low tone.

One other person that advised not to marry Humphrey, even before her wedding was Elizabeth her mum.

“My mother had a special gift of studying someone within a short space of time. I could remember when I brought Humphrey home for my parents to see; my father, a jolly good fellow was busy telling him how he loved to smoke pipe and special tobacco and why it is better than cigarettes.

But my mum was busy studying him even as he responded to my dad’s discussions. When he left after spending some time with my parents, my mother called me into her room and spoke to me at length. She started by telling me that Humphrey would not be a perfect husband for me. At that, I snapped reminding her that there was no perfect husband anywhere, and that I would marry him.

“She didn’t stop talking even when I got angrier. She continued and mentioned same vices Humphrey’s friends talked to me about. My mother pointed out that he looked like someone controlled by his temper aside from being arrogant.

“Any man who is highly temperamental can beat his wife when he is provoked. Be careful my daughter’ She added that I would abscond from him some years after marriage. “Paulina my daughter, a fly that refuses to hearken to advice follows a corpse into the grave. Leave him now, the right man would come. I was able to study this man and I’m sure of what I’m saying. What an elderly woman sees while sitting down, you won’t be able to see even if you climb an iroko tree,’ she said, holding her ears.

“But I refused to listen to my mother and followed my heart;” she said.

What really deafened Paulina’s ears

A model

over every advice she got concerning marrying Humphrey was his good looks.

“Humphrey had all that I was looking out for in a man. All the qualities of my dream man are in him; mere looking at his physical package. But the problem was that he lacked manners, he never knew how to pamper a lady but he was ready to give you what you need to run his home - food allowance in particular. So, I believed with time he would change. He wasn’t stingy with money. He was ready to buy me whatever I pointed at if he had the money

and that was what mattered most to me. I married him, jettisoning all that I heard. It was just a few years after marriage that I realised that all that mattered most wasn’t just money. I found out that Humphrey was the type that would shout me down not caring who was watching. I started noticing that all that my mother warned me concerning him was just manifesting bit by bit. I regretted not listening to her. I couldn’t even complained to her or open up to her because she would blame me. I decided to be enduring it and dying in silence.

This continued until eight years when I was really tired of enduring.

I first complained to her secretly. She asked me if I was no longer in love.

That was her first question to me because that was what I told her when she complained about Humphrey. I told her I was in love with him and would never listen to anyone who was ready to dissuade me from marrying him.

But when I noticed some other sides of him, I couldn’t stay with him after having two kids for him. *To be continued.

Dear Amanda, RESPONSES Re: ‘My fiancé’ may jilt me over my dark past’

You must have beenderstood brilliant and the truth. Tell him you did it tomarsave your why you wentto into have it in the firstgraduated

Dear Veronica, I will advise you to tell Patrick your fiancé about her past and what led to it. lf he indeed truly loves you and believes your story, I assure you he will even join you to bring the manager to book or to his senses. He would make him stop harassing you unnecessarily. lf that didn’t work, report Mr. Nelson to law enforcement agents and also government officials in charge of pubs. No matter the threats of Mr. Nelson, please don’t go back to it.

07083698578.

place. Just to save your mum, poor you.

MS from Ikorodu 08022207109

mum from death. There is no problem about that, he would understand.

Lucky James, Warri, Delta State.

08062119056.

ried at the age of 22. Unfortunately, you lost your pregVeronica, First, I want to congratulate you on rescuing your mother from the ugly grips of death. Please Aunty veronica, go ahead and explain to Patrick. Open up, narrate to him everything that happened in tears and how you regret doing it. God will bless you my sister, I can feel it that Patrick is your future husband. Meanwhile, forget about Nelson’s threat. God knows your mind my sister.

Timothy Bulus.

Kaduna.

08079338146.

nancy, which you had four months after your wedding due Veronica, Be bold and tell Patrick about your past and what led to it. lf he truly loves you and believes your story, he would even join you to bring the manager to his senses in order to stop his harassment. lf that didn’t work, then report Mr. Nelson to enforcement agents and also the government officials in charge of pubs. No matter the threats of Mr. Nelson, Cynthia should not go back and l am sure she will overcome. As a believer, continue to pray and it will be well with you.

Mrs. Adesina 08103101548.

to the shock of your husband’s death. You unexpectedly

entered into another relationship with Greg, shortly after

Dear Veronica, I’m very sorry for the sudden death of your dad. I don’t have much to say. My advice to you is to open up to your fiancé so that Mr. Nelson can be dealt with. He shouldn’t be allowed to blackmail you by posting your pub video to the net where everybody would see it including your would-be in-laws. Don’t allow that. I un-

his death. You regrettably failed to keep to your mother’s Veronica, Since you didn’t sleep with any man, you should open up to Patrick and tell him

advice not to make love to, live with him or show you were

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the Pulpit

Sunday April 26, 2015

41

How to overcome troubles, by Prophet Oloruntimilehin General Overseer of Omnipotence Mission of God, Prophet Joshua Daramola Oloruntimilehin, in this admonition, explains how to overcome troubles. Excerpts:

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here are lots of things that are troubling people. People know they are being troubled but they do not know what is particularly wrong with them. At times what is troubling a person would not allow him or her to sleep. If he or she sleeps that thing would not give the person rest of mind. This trouble would not make a person comfortable.

Some people would say ay nothing is wrong with them but they hey are troubled. For instance, a lady was enjoying herself in a social party. y. In fact, she claimed to be the best dancer at the party. People at the party ty saw her to be a trouble – free lady because ecause of the way and manner she was dancing. She caught the attention of other ther guests.

Later on, she was informed rmed that her sick child had died. She cried, threw her wrapper and head tie away. She came to the party while her husband and child were sick. She pretended as if nothing was wrong with h her.

Similarly, a 70-year-old d woman was narrating a story to some me people and at certain intervals, she would breathe.

Then they asked her why hy the breathing at intervals. She answered wered that for 7 months she had been looking ooking for her second daughter. Imagine, e, she was telling the story as if nothing ng was wrong with her.

Brethren, many people le are sitting down walking about with troubled mind. Some people are thinking hinking about the education of their children, and that their debt would not ot lead to police case. Some people keep secrets that they do not want to leak eak out. They would pray that God should ould cover up their secrets. What they are re praying for must have been sinful act..

Many people both rich and poor are

facing problems that make them breath intermittently when they ponder on their problems. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was confronted with problems; his brothers sold him into slavery, he was imprisoned for the offence he did not commit. But God had been supporting pp g Joseph in all his troubles. God blessed him and all that concern him. Genesis 39:2 &5 says, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered and lived in the house of his Egyptian master”.

Verse 5 says, “…The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph”.

The blessing of the Lord was everything Potiphar had.

The Lord that supported Joseph during his tribulation shall support all trouble – minded people in the name of Jesus.

Similarly, Hannah had troubled mind because she could not bear children for her husband despite the love her husband had for her. I Samuel 1:15 says, “…Hannah replied, I am a woman who is deeply troubled…”

Hannah committed her problem into the hand of God and promised to give the child back to God if she could bear a child. God granted her request.

God that turned Hannah’s problem to joy will turn peoples’ problem to joy in the name of Jesus.

Some people keep aside their problems in the d a y

time but in the night they take over their problems again. Laughing does not mean people will not hiss. A woman that lost her husband in the morning could still laugh in the night. In same vein, a man that his wife dies would still laugh before night period.

People that lose loved o n e s

would not cry unstoppably. But what happens is that bereaved people cry intermittently when he or she thinks about the lost person.

People are confronted with heavy burden which brings about sickness, depression and discomfort to their lives. p But David was confronted with heavy warfare. burden of facing Goliath in warfare He pronounced that the burden was not says, his but God’s own. I Samuel 17:45 says “David said to the Philistine, you came against me with sword and spear and javelin but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of dethe armies of Israel whom you have de fied”. Eventually, David conquered the heavy burden and he was uplifted after he won the battle. confrontBrethren, the battle that is confront ing you is for God not you because it’s God that will overcome the battle for you. People who are troubled need to commit their troubles to God because 14:1, the Bible says in the book of John 14:1 troubled.

“Do not let your heart be troubled Trust in God and trust in me”. Jesus was confronting his disciples and made them to understand that they should put their trust in Him and God. I pray our heavy burdens will be surmounted in Jesus name.

•For more enquiries call: call 08023020108, 08058110288; 08058110288 facebook.com/pastoroloruntimiletoroloruntimile hin

Prophet Oloruntimilehin

‘The road to heaven’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

ocrites do, whose practice gives their profession the lie; those who are the inventors of the doctrine of lies, which is no better than the doctrine of devils; all these, shall have their way on the broad way thronged by multitudes that leads to hell fire which burns with fire and brimstone, that is, in exquisite torments, and everlasting.

Behold the above are God’s martial law which will be executed upon cowards and renegades, whose fear makes them revolt from Christ in time of danger. All the fainthearted who refused to embrace the grace of God and accept Christ as the Lord and personal Saviour will endure to lie in a lake of fire and brimstone for disowning Him. Whoever lives in the habitual practice of any known sin, without converting from it unto God, is certainly in a state of damnation.

Anybody who wants to really make heaven at last must follow the road, for there is no other road that leads to heaven except the way of holiness. The Bible made us to understand that the ways of God are not our ways. And if any man wants to be in heaven but refuses to follow the way of holiness and decides to go on his own way,

that man will get to his own destination and not to heaven.

The way to heaven is unambiguously described by the Holy Bible. And all that aspire to be there at last are to renounce the devil and all his works, to give up the pomp and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh, to keep God’s holy word and commandments and to walk in the same all the days of their life. For this is the road to heaven.

Heb. 12: 14- 17 says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled 16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears”.

If a person follows holiness, though he may not have peace, but he shall be in heaven and shall see God provided he pursues peace. Those aspiring to be on the road to heaven must be of peaceable as

well as of virtuous conduct devoid of any sin. A disposition of seeking peace with all, is eminently suited unto the doctrine and grace of the gospel. But a froward spirit, ready for strife and contention, who is easily provoked, and who retains long a sense of anger, is directly contrary to the spirit and temper of the gospel and thus shall not be found on the way to heaven.

Gal. 5: 20- 21 says, “Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”.

Those that indulge in any of the sin above cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven nor is it desirable that they should.

What would heaven be if filled up with adulterers, and fornicators, and idolaters, with the proud and envious, and with murderers and drunkards? To call such a place heaven, would be an abuse of the word. No one could wish to dwell there; and such men cannot enter into heaven. We should rejoice that such men cannot be admitted to heaven. We should rejoice that there is one world

where these vices cannot be seen, a world of perfect and eternal purity which is heaven.

Beloved, you that is reading this message kindly consider if you are among those on the road to heaven or are you expecting an eternal glory while living in sin? If so, you will be fearfully disappointed. Presuming on the mercy of God is as ruinous as deriding of His grace. For where God gives power both to will and to do, the individual should work out his own salvation with fear and trembling if he wishes to be on the narrow way that leads to heaven.

Matt. 6: 33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.

If you desire to be allowed to walk on the way that leads to heaven, your must first seek and promote the kingdom of God in this world, so that you can secure the permission to walk through the strait way to the kingdom of glory in the next. It is only on this premise that heaven shall be added in measure. So whatever challenges of life you are having now it is of no consequence to compare with the blessing of being in heaven at the end of this life.

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From the Pulpit Learn with Kunle

Macaulay

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Email: profkunlemacaulay@ yahoo.com (08023032698, sms pls)

e all come into this world without education. We consciously know nothing at birth. Everything we know came through a process of education through other people teaching us.

This world is full of knowledge and the knowledge is increasing at an alarming rate, yet this knowledge or education is not eliminating hate, crime, war, environmental destruction and strained relationships.

Nearly 6000 years of the existence of man, human history has proved that man on his own is not capable morally or spiritually to rule the earth. It is true that man has in some way progressed in science and technology but he is still powerless in preventing war, bloodshed and human misery.

The reports after both elections of March 28 and April 11, 2015 did confirm that there were problems including killing of people in some parts of Nigeria.

This proves that man’s nature must be changed. Our ways of thinking and acting, our habits, our desires must be brought into harmony with God’s own nature.

We must turn from our selfish ways and live the way of out going concern for others. No Nigerian deserves to die for the cause of election. Every Nigerian has right to vote according to his conscience.

God has assigned humanity to earth.

Desti Destiny Hour with Pastor Femi

Lanre-Oke

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ast week we looked at time as the most important resource man has with the ability to create other resources if managed well. We concluded by saying that the lifetime of a man is divided into phases into which he must invest time to master however many in life have squandered their time not knowing what phases of life they were in and what was expected of them each time.. What then is the solution to this menace of wasting time, spending time instead of investing it?

1 Chronicles 12:32 Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; The men of Issachar had a good report; they understood the times, they knew what Israel should do at every point in time. They did not just understand the times but also timing and although few, they were the leaders of the people of Israel. They understood the power of time and know what to do per time. I call the richest, the most influential and most fulfilled people on earth- Managers of

Sunday April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The mission of the modern church “The heaven even the heavens are Lord’s, but the earth He has given to the children of men” Ps. 115:16. God has placed us here in Nigeria.

We are Nigerians and Nigeria belongs to us all. Nigerians have right to live and work anywhere in the country. Jesus said to his disciples before he left, “I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” Jn. 14:23. The church is to prepare a spirit – filled and obedient community for the arrival of Jesus Christ.

The church as a character building institution has the largest spiritual responsibility for educating the nation.

Christianity does not mean teaching people to know what they do not know, encouraging them to become famous or wealthy but it means teaching them to behave as they do not behave.

It teaches values. Through adequate and quality Christian teaching, the nation will not only be healthy and successful but it will be decent, strong and good.

It is essential for a nation to develop scientifically, politically, technologically and economically but first and more basic is moral education for living which gives meaning and direction to all we do.

It is the organizing principle that puts all other knowledge in true perspective. The word of God may seem foolish and not in our best interest, that is the reason why it must be carefully and continually taught and learned.

Pastors and Christian leaders must insist on preaching and teaching the truth because it is the only system of educa-

tion with a single true value system that will apply to all the people of the world and Nigeria in particular. The Word of God is not for Christians alone but for all people of the world.

It is a new system of education that teaches the answers to the basic questions of life.

Who are we? What is our purpose in life? What is our obligation to our fellow man? How are we to arrange our lives to find the greatest happiness and success for ourselves, our families, and our neighbours? .How can peace be maintained among nations?

Essayist Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784) once said “The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things – the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit and to prefer the good and the genuine to bad and the counterfeit”.

The decline in spiritual decency and morality afflicting our society today cannot be blamed on the government alone but on all Nigerians especially parents, teachers, traditional leaders, community leaders and religious leaders. The book of Proverbs says “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people”.

Nigeria is strong and can be made stronger if church leaders can be bold enough to teach the truth and if we Nigerians can appreciate that we are the strength of this country.

This country is not immune from the problems that have brought down great nations and empires in the past. If it happens, we shall have no one to blame but

ourselves. Nigerians especially Christians must provide conducive environment for the government to operate.

Remember Jesus once said, “You have heard that it was said, you should love your neighbour and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies bless those who cause you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who persecute you” Matt 5:43-44. This in fact, is the only way to spread love, genuine love devoid of all selfishness.

Christian leaders must stop discouraging Christians from participating in politics.

The world, both sacred and secular belongs to God. Christian professionals – engineers, medical doctors, lawyers, teachers, surveyors, must be part of the government while Christian organizations like Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Association of Christian Theologians (ACTS) must not hesitate to correct or praise the government when necessary.

These organizations must be prepared to lead spiritually and not compromise to do evil.

Christianity is not a religion that separates believers of Jesus Christ from the rest of the world but one that has the message of Jesus to the world for transformation and reformation.

•Prof. Kunle Macaulay is the Director of Studies of United Bible University, Lagos. Phone: 0802 – 303 – 2698; email : profkunlemacaulay@yahoo.com; Twitter. com/Kunle Macaulay1

Time – man’s greatest resource (2) time, creators of wealth. In every generation gone even in the present one, only men who understood the value of time and applied its principles stood out and hit the hallmark of success. And this was observed in every area of human endeavor. Isaac Newton devoted time scientific developments; mathematicians, economists, the greatest philosophers that ever lived invested time in what they believed. . Bill Gates among others spent time thinking and developing his ideas and became a success.

Men who God has used over the ages were men who understood that you don’t get anything or become anything without being cooked and baked in the oven of heaven; they understood that you need quality time in God’s presence, studying His words, praying and listening to Him. They understood that as a man for God, you need time around Him before His tangibility which is needed to impact the world can rub off on you. Why do people who don’t know God do well? Time is a universal currency, if you can pay the price, you can get the prize. For everything under the heavens there is a time and a season - when you spend time on something you’re good at, you become better and when you spend time on something you are not good at, you become good.

Considering these people, some of them even had reasons why they should have folded their hands and done nothing

at crucial junctions in their lives; Benjamin Carson was first a dullard who was not going to amount to anything until he was forced to start reading by his Mom; Smith Wigglesworth was not a learned man but he’s still impacting his generation till today decades after he has passed on.

Michael Jordan at a point in his life was deemed too short to play basketball at a certain level but he went ahead and became a mega star in the same sport.

Sir, while you keep complaining on what you lack, time is passing by and the phases of your life are being carried over into other time spaces.

Stop complaining about those things you call handicaps in your life, they may exist because God wants you to spend time developing them to become your strongest points. The truth is this, whatever you think you have mastered, you cannot become better at it, it is only the things you know that you don’t know and you spend time to know that makes you outstanding.

Moses spent time tending to sheep and God gave him a nation to tend to, Joseph spent time attending to the needs of prisoners and became a Prime Minister to attend to the needs of the country. David invested time in the wilderness to attend to sheep and God gave him a nation to also tend to.

Sir, where you are today is a direct result on what you had invested your time

on yesterday and where you will be tomorrow will be a direct result of what you are spending your time on today.

Anywhere you find yourself now, invest time and get better at what you are doing keeping watch for other opportunities that your life time will bring your way and then dive into them and your tomorrow will surely be greater than today in Jesus name. Next week we shall look at what aligning with God does in ensuring that we do not miss the necessary phases of our lives. Till then stay blessed.

If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus, the process is simple: • Believe in your heart that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself.

• Believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary paying the price for your sins and rose from the dead the third day to establish your victory • Confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and saviour.

• Repent of all sins before the Lord and forsake them.

• Welcome into God’s family.

Please locate a bible believing church and share you new birth experience with the church leaders.

•For further prayer & counseling, Please contact: Pastor Femi Lanre-Oke, Jesus Praise Evangelical Ministries International, Plot A22 Power Crescent, Arab road, Kubwa. Abuja, +2348030752799, +2348053695097, Email: femi_lanre01@yahoo.co.uk

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Priesthood House with Pastor Bola

T

Bello

here is similarity between the call of Abram and the call of the Church.

Abram was called out of his kindred and was bounded in covenant with God like a wife married to her husband. The peculiarity of any covenant is the union which the covenant offers between they that are in covenant. When God cut a covenant with Abram, the union was activated for an exchange. It was an exchange of Abram liability for God’s credibility, and an exchange of God’s command for Abram obedience unto the instruction of the Father God.

This is the same thing with the covenant between the Church and Christ.

To cut covenant with someone is to confederate with one another. CHURCH, as Abram was called out by God, so Church is called out for a covenant with Christ in marriage (2 Cor. 11:2). When Abram was called in Gen 12:1-2 to separate from his father’s house, it was with the promise and God assurance of blessing.

Without hesitation, Abram departed to an unknown land.

There were three major components of the agreement between Abram and God before Abram departed. Abram must vacate from the affinity of polytheism and idolatry of the land. He must also set off from his kinsmen and move on to a separate place where he will start a new race. He must advance to a strange land which God will later show to him. In the consequent of his obedience, God would in turn make him great, make him a patriarch of the newly establish nation and Abram would become a blessing to the whole earth.

These three blessings could be grouped into two; the temporal blessing and the spiritual blessing. The temporal repre-

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Sunday April 26, 2015

Church as God designed it - The blessedness of the church (1) sent the greatness of Abram, his influence and possession of the things temporal while the spiritual blessing consist of him becoming the dispenser or distributor of the blessing of God to the entirety of the earth from generation to generation infinitum.

Therefore, Abram departed and was re-christened as Abraham (Gen. 17:5).

This new name was not just a reflection of God promises to Abraham but also indicate the obedience of faith which Abraham had hitherto shown to the call.

It was needful to reinforce the call with covenant hence God entered into an everlasting covenant with Abraham - the promise of eternal and continual existence of the seed of Abraham called Church (Gen. 17:7). Church is rendered by the word Ecclesia the called out one. The meaning of the word would thus seem to be, in the New Testament, the whole company of God’s elects, those whom he has called to be his people under the new dispensation, as he did to Abraham of old. Such is the signification in one of the two instances in which Christ uses the word Church in the Gospels.

In Mathew 16:18, the word Church was used by Christ and it implies in various context an assembly, or congregation of people specifically called out for the purpose of legislation and execution, but most importantly to fight in a battle (Gen 49:6) They are basically known in the New Testament order as “chosen people” or elect of God. Mathew 12:18 says of ecclesia in this way; “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well-pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles”. This is primarily as it would have become Israel in her ideal state but with generic interpretation on the Church of Christ the elect of God who should show

the judgment of God to the entire earth in all spectrum of operations. The difference between the Ecclesia and the world is the divine capacity, ability and divine representation that enables him to judge, rule and execute judgment against the earth.

The implication is absolute control, absolute dominion and absolute leadership but not with the mindset of the earthly systems but with the things of God which are not known to the earth but made manifest to the Church (Eph. 3:10).

For Church to remain in track, and for her to be able to execute her mandate here on earth, Church was charged thus; (Isa. 51:2); “Look unto Abraham your father and unto Sarah that bare you; for I called him alone; and blessed him and increased him”. The watch of the Church is basically two important personnel. The first one is Abraham, an example of God’s calling and the second one is Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham in natural descent (Heb. 12:2).

Abraham was called when he was not an epic person, not known or heard amongst nations but became an ode or epic person from generation to generation. He was a barren, unproductive and at his best, a husband without a child. This was the picture of Abraham when he was separated, consecrated and chosen of God. However, Abraham, in his walk of faith, became a Patriarch, lord and father of many nations through obedience to God’s calling.

Abraham inherited the promise land the fulfillment of the temporal blessing of God but most importantly became an inheritance of God the eternal fulfillment of God’s promise. God is not only the God of Abraham of Hebrew, but also the God of Abraham who lives forever more. If God could multiply the barren Abraham, much more would God multiply and enlarge the Church, when Church walk in obedience as Abraham was obedient to God.

The blessing of the Church hinged on obedience to God’s instruction and his will here on earth. The blessing of Church transcends the temporal, though the manifestation of such is essential but not in any form equal with the spiritual.

What God bestows upon the Church as blessing is more than what the earth could handle. Church is God’s oracle. What Church has is lively oracle and the world will still seek out for the Church to solve difficult problem for the earth. Acts 7:38; says; “This is he, that was in the Church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received the lively oracles to give unto us. The respectability of the assembly called the Church is to modestly declare the counsel of God, the things of God, the project of God to the earth so that earth should be governed as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10). Undoubtedly, if the Church, who has the Spirit of God, declares only what the Spirit declares, the earth will be rid of decadent, corruption, criminality and indecent lifestyles of men.

Oracle is the voice of God to the earth.

It occurs only in the innermost place where the secret of the earth are being unearthed to mortal men for adjudication. It is the voice of supplication of saints unto God where God in responses proffer answers to the anguish of the earth. Church is God’s oracle and the earlier we assume such roles the better for the earth. An experience of face to face discourse with God is now vital like Moses of old. The Church shall anchor the voice of God on the earth and the earth shall be renewed.

This is the blessing and the design of the Church.

•Pastor Bola Bello – The Priesthood House, bolabelo@gmail.com 08033704564

The

Chorister’s World

People should encourage choristers –Adebambo Olalekan FOLASHADE OGUNTADE

A

debambo Olamilekan Adeola is a choir master at the Celestial Church of Christ Testimony Parish Egan Igando, Lagos and a gospel singer and he is fondly called Halleluiah by his church members and fans. According to him, he joined the choir at the age of 12 and since then has not looked back.

Speaking on that experience, he said: ‘‘I know that I have the gift and the anointing and I identified with it early that it is my ministry and calling;I love singing a lot.’’

Adeola grew up in Ijebu, Ogun State, he attended Queen Maris College and he is a student of Moshood Abiola Polythenic Ogun State.

I was appointed the choir master of the church about three years ago because of my dedication to the choir ministry. I just love praising God and worshiping him,’’ he said.

He however said that his second love is evangelism. ‘‘I love evangelism too. I love to win souls for the Lord Jesus.

“We have a very active prayer ministry in my church and the prayer department was inviting me to come and join them but that

is not my ministry.

It is very important to indentify one’s ministry and calling and to stay there. God does not want a jack of all trades, master of none in the house of God. This best way to be effective.’’

On how he had been able to combine his commitments in church with his academic pursuits, he said: ‘‘I manage my time and education well by putting God first. That’s what the Bible says we should do. We should seek God’s kingdom first and every other things will fall in place.’’

Speaking on what the church should do to build the choir ministry, Olalekan said

Adeola

‘‘The church should encourage the choir by speaking to them. They should give them adequate and regular training because that way the choir will be developed and they will serve the church better. Such training should be focused on voice, music compositions, musical instruments and the word of God. Such training will equip the choir immensely and will lead to church growth thereby fulfilling the Great Commission.’’

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From the Pulpit

T The voice of wisdom o

with Dr. David

Oyedepo

L

ast week, I showed you a number of things that in what is in weapon of praise. Apart from that, we discussed the virtues of praise warfare, and I listed some of them for clarity of purpose.

As I conclude this teaching for the month of April this week, we shall continue from where we stopped last week.

Remember that God created us in spite of our challenges to praise Him. The Bible authenticates this truth in the Book of Isaiah 43:21 which says: This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Also, 1 Peter 2:9 says: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. God expects us to always praise Him because He brought us out darkness into His marvelous light!

Recognize that praise is not what you do when things are working and go-

Let’s go

BIBLE with Favour

Tioluwani Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

M

a, l want to ask as a woman who married without her bride price been paid but if the husband want to have sex with her she doesn’t happy about it because she heard it from the man of God that such couple are swimming in sin. Ma, l don’t want to go to hell, if l leave him nko, because he is not ready. Thank you Ma. As seen in our study of African customary marriages had a very important place in the sealing of a marriage relationship. Dowry was a form of economic compensation to the bride’s parents for their loss of their daughter. More important, dowry was the legal exchange which validated a marriage and confirmed the consent of both parents of the bride and bridegroom. Without the payment of dowry no marriage was recognized as valid.

Traditionally, dowry was a token of love and appreciation to the parents of the bride. Dowry was meant to show how serious the young man was with his request to marry her.

However Dowry is Sanctioned by Scripture: The fact that Scripture nowhere condemns payment of dowry but instead contains examples of God’s people exchanging dowry for marriage, demonstrates that God’s Word does not condemn dowry but implicitly supports its legitimacy a) The Genesis 24 story of Abraham’s

Sunday April 26, 2015

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Experiencing the wonders of praise! (4) ing well for you. Praise is a sacrifice -- a continuous sacrifice to God (Heb. 13:15).

The Bible enjoins us to praise God continually, when things are working for us and when things are not working (Psalm 24:1). The true worth of your praise is when things are not working for you.

Think of Job! He lost all he had. Despite these calamities, Job worshipped God (Job 1:14-20). So, stop asking where God is! In everything, give God thanks (1 Thess. 5:18). Give God thanks for all things (Ephesians 5:20).

Recognize that God has His finger prints on each day. Praisers look for God’s finger prints each day with their praise. Praise-centred people look out for reasons to praise God. Remember that God can heal any disease. It should not be circumstances around you that determine what you should say (Colossians 1:27). If God took a slave like Joseph and made him a Prime Minister in Egypt, He too, can do it for you. However, it will happen for you, if you glorify and praise God from your heart, your circumstances notwithstanding.

Why Must We Praise God? Praise is where God dwells (Palm 22:3). When you praise God, He inhabits

your praise.

Praise is the spiritual medium by which we transfer the battles of our lives to the Almighty God (2 Chronicles 20:17). When you praise God, He comes to be with you (Ex. 14:13-14). Note that Jehoshaphat and his subjects transferred the battle to God via praise. Then God set ambushments against their enemies and they were all smitten (2 Chronicles 20:15-24)!

Praise provokes supernatural promotion (Habakkuk. 3:17-19).

Praise provokes divine health (Proverbs 17:22). Joy releases your muscles.

Joy increases your resistance to pain.

Joy puts away death far away from you (Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 12:3 & Joel 1:12).

So, don’t let the enemy steal your joy from you.

Praise provokes delivery of answers to your prayer.

Note that when you pray, you recharge the power base. When you praise, you discharge the devil. When you give thanks to God, you take charge! For instance, when Jesus gave thanks, He said, “Lazarus come out,” and he that was dead came back to life (John 11:4344). As you are praising God, you must be saying what you want to see!

Friend, the praise that is accept-

able to God is the one from His children.

Are you a child of God? Being a child of God entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you are set for it, please pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.

Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” I will be with you next month, if Jesus tarries! This is your year of Heaven On Earth!

Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books — Understanding The Power Of Praise and The Wonders Of Praise.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively.

•I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

Dowry is optional for Christians chief servant taking a trip in search of a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac (see especially verse 10 [Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor], 22 [When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels], and 53 [Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother]) (b) The story of Jacob in Gen 29, especially verse 18 (Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel” ) and 20 (So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her) (c) Hamor requests Jacob’s sons for Dinah as a wife for his son Shechem in Gen 34:12 (Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me.

Only give me the girl as my wife.”) (d) Exod 22: 16, 17 (“If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins) (e) Saul sets the bride price for David to marry his daughter Michal in 1 Sam 18:25 (Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistines.

In the Bible there are only stories of dowry, but no teaching that dowry should be paid. Dowry is not really essential for a Christian marriage in Africa today. In fact, African cultures are changing and many families do not demand dowry for their daughters to be married.

Many times the bridegroom may give gifts to his bride’s parents to show his appreciation but this is not dowry, technically speaking.

The payment of dowry was traditionally an essential part of every legitimate marriage but with the passing of time and changing of customs, dowry should not be considered essential for every Christian marriage today. Dowry is optional with each family. One the otherhand, Care must be taken to avoid the love of money, to avoid the danger of greed. it is easy for a legitimate exchange of gifts to degenerate into greed for more money (Luke 12:15-21 ; Colossians 3:2, 5, 6; I John 2:15-17), for when dowry becomes too expensive, then it is wrong. Greed often sets in.

All that been said, I want you to know; Firstly, that in our culture, in this part of the world that you are, it is seen as compulsory for dowry to be paid, which not been done is regarded as a taboo. Why then must you do contrary. Doing contrary is you knowing what to do and not doing it, which can easily speak against you.

Secondly, from testimonies of those that had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ (Heaven Returnees) it was clearly stated that God is not happy with those that didn’t pay for their wife’s dowry. E.g. “Jesus said we all have the time

now to repent .When many saw Christ, they were asking for just one minute to repent, but Jesus made them know that, repentance is only on earth .I also saw another man counting money in heaven.

I asked the man why he was counting money and he answered that he was going to pay his wife’s dowry.

I was surprised .Dowry? So a man can find himself in hell because of not paying his wife’s dowry ?Jesus then showed me a scripture that backs this in Deuteronomy 9 22-29.The Lord also said the husband must not put his wife away or vice verses.” ( Back From Heaven With a Message From the Lord Jesus Christ to the World By Evangelist Margret Osasumwen Amure).

I wouldn’t advise you to leave your husband, for that is another sin on its own. The Bible says in Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” It is not difficult for God to speak to his heart and push Him to do the right thing.

All you need to do is to pray more than before, seeking the face of God for God’s intervention. He is the one that created your husband, He is the only one that can easily handle him.

Start praying, and if you’ve been praying before continue and put in more intensity, God will surely answer and turn everything around in your favour.

•You can send in your QUESTIONS and the Holy Spirit will be set to give you the ANSWERS. Barr. (Mrs.) Favour Tioluwani Tel: 08050272259 or 07062738213. Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

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From the Pulpit

Sunday April 26, 2015

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Feasting at God’s table

here is a divine table prepared by God for all His children. This table appears as a parcel that contains redemption package. God’s table presages the provision of God for you to live a glorious and fulfilled life. This could mean a particular position you ought to attain in life. It can also be a business enterprise which requires you to invest. God’s table could me different things to different people, but what is certain is the fact that, you have a provision that God has predestined for you.

God’s table is a solution arena. It is a point where people meet destiny. On God’s table everything you look for is there. People are crying because they don’t listen to God. The invitation to God’s Table is in answering salvation’s call. If you fail to heed the call to God’s table, you will be outside God’s table crying of hunger. The feast on God’s table quenches the hunger of human needs.

Little will one wonder why the Psalmist could boldly say: “You prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” (Psalm. 23: 5-6) Everything your heart is looking for is on God’s table. God’s table have been prepared before you came into this world.

I am glad to let you know that God has table for your life. This table, according to God’s design, was aimed at settling your bills. What we shall become in life has been planned by God before we were born; so all we need to do is to seek God in order to find out what He has prepared for us on His table. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) (NIV) There are limits devil has set to what you get from the Lord’s table and devices devil has put together to even prevent you from partaking in it altogether. Despite the monstrous attack of the devil against God’s table for your life, hear what God has to tell you: “And in this mountain will the Lord of armies make for all peoples a feast of good things, a feast of wines long stored, of good things sweet

Bishop Opayinka

to the taste, of wines long kept and tested. And in this mountain he will put an end to the shade covering the face of all peoples, and the veil which is stretched over all nations,” (Isaiah 25: 6-7).

If you want to be what God wants you to be and fulfil your destiny here on earth, the first thing you need to know as a child of destiny is for you to realise that there is a table for you. This table is guarded by angels and protected by heavenly security operatives, what we called the Host of Heaven. Whoever has access to this table through salvation in Christ also enjoys this high profiled security.

For instance, the presence of flower attracts pollinating insects.

Those insects may come uninvited.

This is akin to what happens in the spirit realm between the attack of the devil and the children of God that feast at the table

of the master. The devil may launch attack on you to hamper you from enjoying inheritance in Christ. That was exactly what Lazarus experienced when he slept.

The devil saw that, there was a table prepared for him in John 12 but he, the devil had to interpose his existence in John 11. Thanks to Jesus for His intervention.

These were the things he said. Then after this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m leaving to wake him up.” (John 11: 11). You can imagine the forces of death that went ahead of Lazarus, captured him and killed him before his manifestation. Someone else could have taken Lazarus seat but Jesus Christ fought for him.

Things we must do to feast at God’s table 1.

Establish A Connection With

God Through Salvation: When you are connected to God through your obedience to His leading by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour as well as doing what His words say, you will be able to access all that God has provided for you (Psalm 23: 1-2). The Lord has prepared for us what we make our life comfortable; all we need to do is to discover the location where He has prepared your allocation. God’s allocation for mankind is the redemption that His son, Jesus wrought for mankind. Isaac, the son of Papa Abraham enjoyed this connection with God when there was a severe famine in the land. The told Isaac not to go to Egypt- a place seems to be the best option for him at the time of famine (Gen 26: 2-5).

2.

Listening to God’s word: We need the word of God to sustain our blessing. God’s blessings are coded in His word. The food we eat on God’s table is the inheritance we have in Christ. Listen to God’s word build your faith which is needed to receive anything from God. Your faith is like a vehicle that carries you to where your provisions are located and God’s word is what faith feeds on. To feed fat on God’s table is to feed more on God’s word. We should listen to God’s word or message every day (Joshua 1: 8).

3.

Aggressive Prayer: You are connected to the divine provision for your life when you ask the right questions through a God oriented pathway, prayer.

We were told to ask so that our joy will be full. Anything you ask God in the name of Jesus, it shall be done unto you. We should ask God to connect us to our destiny helpers, money and success (Matthew 7:7). You don’t need to struggle all your days, position yourself at the table of the Lord and enjoy the blessings the Lord has prepared for you. People, who pray well, eat well. Only praying lips eat with boldness.

Bishop Joshua Kolawole Opayinka is the presiding Bishop of •Glorious Tabernacle International located Behind Ondo State Cultural Centre, Akure, Ondo State capital.

Share your testimonies and prayer points with me at: O8060297831 joshuakolawoleo@yahoo.com

News

PCCAN congratulates Buhari

…as the Bishops pray for peaceful transition

R

ising from their monthly meeting held at Endtime Believers’ Ministry Inc. Lagos, the Pentecostal Commonwealth Christian Association of Nigeria Bishops, PCCAN issued a communiqué to congratulate the President-Elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the 28th March, 2015 presidential election and also to commend President Goodluck Jonathan for his spirit of sportsmanship in conceding defeat thereby sparing Nigeri-

ans from unnecessary crisis which would have claimed so many lives.

The Bishops urged the Presidentelect to watch out for fair-weather politicians who are migrating to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from their various political parties because of their personal interests.

They urged him to be cautious in choosing his team noting that what Nigerians are yearning for is real, posi-

tive change in all spheres of its national life.

They listed the priorities of the people to include steady power-supply, availability of pre-paid meters, employment, functional refineries, security of lives and properties and the curbing corruptions at all levels.

Offering prayers for peaceful transition as well as the success of the new

regime, the group pleaded with citizens to co-operate with the incoming government, to take the country to its rightful position in the comity of nations.

Present at the meeting were Bishop Charles Anselm, Bishop Peter Atelegwu, Bishop Bernard Ojemeni, Bishop Paul Oriaku, Bishop Friday Emenyonu, Bishop Theophilus Ugochukwu, Bishop Friday Adiele and Bishop Tony Nwogu.

From the Pulpit

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Sunday April 26, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

“When God steps in” Albert Einstein once announced:

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“

here are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other

is as though everything is a miracle.”

Wayne W. Dyer echoes my support for this: “I am realistic – I expect miracles.” Frederick Buechner in The Alphabet of Grace defines a miracle as “when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A miracle is when one plus one equals a thousand.” I say a miracle occurs “when God steps in!”

When God steps in miracles happen.

When God steps in darkness turns into light as in the creation story of Genesis 1.

The world was dark, void, and without form when God stepped in with the words of creation. “For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast!” (Ps 33:9).

When God steps in losses turn into profits. The widow of Zarephat would agree because her bin of flour was not used up nor did the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sent rain after about three years because she believed and obeyed the word of the Lord through Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16).

Similarly, the ministerial widow enjoyed divine provision when God stepped into her insurmountable mountain of financial debt. Oil flowed into her empty vessels, enough to settle every debt (2 Kings 4:1-7).

Indeed, when God steps in, lack turns into provision and abundance. When God steps in, rejection turns into acceptance as in David’s story. Even his parents were not

expecting him to be a candidate for the anointing for kingship requested by Prophet Samuel for a Jesse son. They forgot David in the wilderness with his few sheep while the selection process was ongoing (1 Sam 16:1-13). The resulting jealousy made life treacherous for David as God prepared him for the throne through dangerous twists and turns. God stepped in and David eventually possessed his possessions (Obadiah 17), reigning over the whole territory of Israel, after being anointed three separate times (1Sam 16:13; 2 Sam 2:4; 5:3). “So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him” (2Sam 5:10).

So when God steps in, people who dislike you will have a changed attitude in school, at work, among family friends and elsewhere. Those who laughed at you will laugh with you when God steps in! When God steps in failures into successes.

God stepped into Jabez’s streak of failures and pain and granted him his requests. God blessed him, enlarged his coast, and kept him from all evil. When God stepped in, Jabez, a man of sorrow, became more honorable than his brothers (1 Chron 4:9-10)! When God steps in, ashes turn into beauty, mourning into joy, and exchanges our spirit of heaviness with garment of praise (Isa 61:3).

When God steps in your faith becomes sight. When God steps in, you shall receive divine guidance. Your life will stop going round and round in aimless and endless futile circles.

When God steps in, you receive divine revelations of inspired, brilliant innovative ideas for your profession, business, or for where ever your passion lies. Your perceptions and discernment are sharpened and conditions will shift in your favor.

When God steps in, your heaven-sent help will show up. Out of the blue, people

you do not know will cross your path to help and support you. A man who had been sick for thirty-eight (38) years was at the pool of Bethesda for a very long time (John 5). He was hopeless, hapless, helpless, miserable, and friendless until Jesus stepped in! Jesus’ inquiry was: “Do you want to be made well?”

(John 5:6). Jesus stepped into his situation and made him well. What doctors said was a hopeless situation will receive a miraculous cure that shall baffle experts. A barren person becomes a mother or father of many children. When God steps in, an addict will find the power to overcome their addictions and a person at the brink of suicide suddenly realizes that there is a lot to live for.

The mad man at Gadara was left for dead. He was housing a legion of demonic spirits, living in tombs, bound with chains and shackles, naked, and hopelessly lost.

When Jesus stepped in, the man was found “sitting and clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15).

When God steps in you will receive the inner strength to carry on in spite of all of life’s challenges, knowing confidently that: “nothing in God’s control, can ever get out of control!” You will press on undefeated.

As Shannon L. Alder puts it: “You will face your greatest opposition when you are closest to your biggest miracle.”

When Sennacherib, King of Assyria, came to Judah against King Hezekiah, it was a hopeless mismatch for the people of God. Hezekiah prayed and cried out to the Lord. “Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement saying, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude

that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah” (2 Chron 32:6-8). In response to Hezekiah’s prayers, God stepped in! God destroyed the Assyrian army and Sennacherib “returned shamefaced to his own land” where his own children “struck him down with the sword there” (2 Chron 32:21). The Lord shall step in to destroy your enemies in Jesus’ name!

This is what happens when God steps in! Notice how the presence of God changed the rating of the enemies. They stop being rated by the strength of their arms while the children of God become rated by the strength of their God. God took over the battle, strengthens His children and gives them rest (2 Chron. 32:8).

When God steps in, He raises a standard against the flood of the enemy (Isa 59:19). When God steps in, He fills our mouths with laughter and singing (Psa 126:1-2). When God steps in, He makes His servants to become dreaded and feared by their enemies (Exod 23:27). When God steps in, He makes us sing a song of irreversible deliverance and perpetual victory (Psa 40:3).

Rejoice today! God has stepped into your situation! Amen! Tunde Ojewole, Ph.D., is the Babcock University Pastor in charge: Division of Spiritual Life.

Get your copy of his newly released book: GOD’S •FOOTPRINTS. For enquiries, contact: ojewolea@babcock.edu.ng or call/ SMS 08058299434/08060376577.

Answers To 19/4/15 Quiz 1. Christ lives in me- Gal 2:19-20.

2. Ephesus 3. Liberty (freedom). 2 Cor 3:17.

Our quiz continues next week.

Overcoming the spirit of fear Prophet Lai Bamidele, General Overseer of Christ Glorious End-time Evangelical Ministry, AbuleEgba, Lagos, in this exhortation, teaches on the need to be skilful. Excerpts:

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hen you exercise fear in anything you do in life, you end up a failure. When you are gripped with the spirit of fear, you are liable to failure.

The opposite of fear is faith What do we mean by fear? Fear is a survival mechanism, and it usually occurs in response to a specific negative stimulus let me put it this way about 70% of Christians all over the world are living in constant fear of one thing or the other in other words they are struggling with the spirit of fear on daily basis.

Fear send his victim to captivity, and renders him helpless and hopeless. Fear is controlled by spirit and the spirit of fear has an ability to manipulate a man’s life A fearful man will always think negatively.

The spirit of fear makes a man look inferior in the midst of his colleagues. I can again describe fear as a fake experience that is appearing real. God has not created us to exercise the spirit of fear.

As a Christian you have the ability to control and influence what happen to you per time if you can deal with fear.

Rom 8: 11-17 when you exercise fear, then you experience failure. Fear is a product of the Garden of Eden experience. Satan the devil originated fear in the Garden of Eden when he deceived eve and Adam to forbidden fruit.

Man’s disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden made to be afraid of God’s voice and his

divine presence.

Gen 3: 1-11- the spirit of fear came to the world through the devil and it has succeeded in injecting the mentality into man’s human nature. The plague of fear is worse than the plague of any disease, no matter how deadly or incurable the disease may be fear is satanic, fear is demonic and fear is deadly.

Deut 30: 15- 19- says “ I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that thou and thy seed may live.

In the book of job 3: 25 –the man called job said, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me”. Fear enter into a man’s life through the occurrence of an event, it can also be sent out by you decision to live a fear free life all through a man’s life.

Listen to me, your decision to live without fear in life is important because indecision is a graveyard to good intentions. The devil is not a friend of a child of god, and the only weapon he can use to gain access to your life is the weapon of fear.

II Corth 2:11 says lest Satan get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of the enemy. Fear does not attract good things to the life of a believer.

What goes on in your mind is very impor-

tant because it determines what happens around you. You are a product of your thought your fearful thought in your mind bring evil things into your mind set fear closes a man’s mind to great ideas that can transform his world.

No good thing ever comes the way of a fearful man. A lady I know who is overage for marriage. She is 40yrs plus was coming to my church for counseling, one day she attended our revival programme. When I made an alter call of the women that are believing God for the fruit of the womb, the quickly jumped out and I was amazed because the person that is not married but is coming out for people that are married but had no issue yet. Did you know after about a year when I prayed with her she got a man they wedded after her wedding, she waited for about 3yrs before she could conceive, did you know why she was a bit delayed in conception after her wedding, it was all because before she got her husband she was already carrying the spirit of menopause because of her age. What she eventually fear came upon her. When you exercise fear you end up a failure. There is no good thing that often comes the way of a fearful man, even when good is coming he will be afraid to embrace it because of fear of responsibility. You must learn to exercise boldness in everything you do in life. Let me give you a brief illustration of what happened to me around December

Pastor Bamidele

ending last year. I was on board from London to Lagos with my wife. The moment our flight crossed the high sea after Paris, our aircraft enter a terrible turbulence that it was as if we almost crash landed. Three times in the same flight we had that terrible experience that my I was gripped with the spirit of fear, more over these incident is happening just about 5days after the air Asia crashed on the high sea last year December, when I was about travelling in February initially the fear was still in me that whenever there is a slight turbulence the devil will be ministering all manner of negative thought to my heart until I pray and cast the spirit out and I come out of the spirit of fear.

•Pastor Moses Alu; The Bride Assembly, Odofin Park Estate, OshodiApapa Expressway, Ijesha Bus stop 08033524903 : Email: pastormosesalu@yahoo.com

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Bride’s voice with Pastor Moses

Alu

I wish Conclude the message titled He Cares today.

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raise the Lord. It was Pastor Thomas that came to blame because the officer was not allowed by law to do so. So this testimony is not just made up. I have entered serious situations that I thought I will not survive even as an unbeliever, but these all happened in order for God to fulfill His ordained purpose for my life. He was the one guiding me.

The day my job ended in the Air Force, I was arrested over whatever they said happened and I was imagining myself; a popu-

Endtime Revelation with Bishop Bernard

B

Ojemeni (JP)

rethren, in today’s write up we are going to look into what the Holy Bible teaches concerning Heaven and Hell Fire. In the account Jesus gave us in Luke 16:19 – 31, it was not a parable as many people would want us to believe, it is a true story of what happened to two sets of people who lived on earth.

One was a child of God, though he was poor and a beggar. But he had the fear of God and was known by God. No wonder Jesus gave us his name - Lazarus. In John 9:3 Jesus said the good shepherd calls his sheep by name, God will call you by your name if you are a child of God. The rich man in the story did not know God. He is not a child of God and that is why Jesus referred to him as a certain rich man. This man lived in pleasure of sin. God was not in his program whatever he likes, he does because he has no regard for God. It is true that God created everybody but everybody is not a child of God. Lucifer who became Satan was created by God. Since Jesus Christ came into the world and died on the cross of Calvary for nearly 2000 years, the criterion for anyone to be a child of God is by believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died on the cross to save you and then you receive Him into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour. This is for people of all races including the original people of God – the nation of Israel.

Without Jesus Christ in your life today, you are on the side with the certain rich man who died and found himself in hell fire.

When he was on earth, he had every opportunity to do good and help others Lazarus a child of God who was poor and his body full of saves came to seek help from the rich man just food to eat but he failed to help him instead his dog would be licking Lazarus sores and one day death came knocking at the door of Lazarus and as he died he was carried by an angel to Abraham’s bosom – a place of rest for the righteous ones.

It is also referred to as Paradise, (Luke 23:42-43) the abode of the saints for now until the fullness of time when those in Paradise will be ushered into New Heaven and New Earth. Revelation chapters 21 and 22.

And those in hell fire will be ushered into

From the Pulpit

Sunday April 26, 2015

lar man like me; a famous officer like me, so this is how my life will be rubbished. I was the one that drove my car to the office and my service pistol was in the car.

So I told the Air Force Police Officers that came to arrest me that I wanted to pick something from the car. What I was trying to do was to go and get my pistol and blow off my head. I felt I should die than face the humiliation. How can the whole world hear that this is what happened to Alu? And each time I told them I wanted to get something from the car, that they should follow me to pick it, they will tell me to let them know where it is and they will bring it. I used every trick but none worked.

I didn’t know they were protecting me from dying.

By now, my wife would have been a widow or would have remarried. It was later when some people came to visit me that I

He cares (11) told them about the service pistol; that they should go into my car and pick it and sign it in with the Air Force because if somebody else picks it, it will become another serious case. In any case, I would have shot myself but the Lord prevented it.

And I didn’t know that God was moving me from the Nigerian Air Force to the Air Force of the heavenly forces. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I am a General of the Army of the Lord. God repackaged my life; he will repackage your life too. Somebody here.

He will repackage your marriage; your business will be repacked; your ministry will be repackaged in the name of Jesus Christ.

Let us stand up. He cares! Never give up hope. Life is a mixture of ups and downs.

Yu may be down now but you not remain

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there forever. God will lift you up tomorrow and each time God lifts you up, you become better than you were.

The later end of Job was better than his beginning and so shall it be for every one of us because He cares.

Yes, He cares. And I am speaking to people who care for him. That is why we are here to take our problems to Him and with this understanding, any problem we take to Him; He will certainly sort us out.

Be ready for a great testimony. Lift up your right hand to heaven and sing with me; Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives All fear is gone Because I know He holds my future My life is worthy a living Because He lives.

The reality of heaven and hell fire

Bishop Bernard Chukwuma Mbamalu Ojemeni, General Superintendent of Endtime Believers’ Ministry Inc, in this piece, gives an insight into the New World Order. Excerpts: the lake of fire and both is for ever. Revelation 20:10 – 15.

When Lazarus died, there was no mention of burial. His body could have been abandoned to rotten on earth but the angel of God carried his spirit man to Paradise.

When the rich man died, the body was buried in what is commonly known as befitting burial among the rich while his spirit man was cast into hell – fire where he was in torment in flames of fire when he looked up he saw Lazarus resting in the bosom of Abraham and cried out to Abraham.

He said father Abraham send Lazarus to come and dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue for he is tormented in the flames of fire of hell. Abraham answered him that he enjoyed sin and now he is tormented there is a gulf between them and so the request was not possible and besides Lazarus is resting and does not have to do any job as such. That is a big lesson for the Roman Catholics who are asking Virgin Mary to pray for them.

There is no such assignment for Mary in Paradise Jesus is our mediator who is interceding for us before His father in the 3rd Heaven. The Virgin Mary and other saints are in a different location and have no such access to the father.

It is only Jesus. That is why even moulding the statute or image of Virgin Mary or any of the saints dead or alive and bowing down to them is a negation of the teachings of the Bible. Exodus 20:4-5. And when the rich man saw that his case is over, he started to plead for his five brothers who are still on earth, that somebody or people should be sent to earth from Paradise to warn his brothers concerning the life of sin they are living, the need for them to repent so that they will not end up in hell-fire.

The reply father Abraham gave to him is that they have Moses and the prophets let them listen to them. In other words, they have preachers and teachers of the word of God, they should listen to and repent, otherwise they will meet him in hell-fire when they die.

Abraham also said that even if people are sent from the dead, the brothers will still not believe. From this discussion we learn that there is consciousness in people’s lives after death.

The rich man still remembers his five brothers he left behind and knows the type of life they were living together before he

left them and knows that if they continue with the same life style they will also come to hell-fire when they die and he does not want it.

The same thing is applicable to many people still living on earth. Some of our loved ones who have died and are in hellfire are feeling the same way the rich man felt.

They do not want us to come and suffer what they are suffering in hell-fire. And then what are we doing to avoid going to hell-fire and adding more sorrow to them.

Please my brethren, let every one of us from today repent totally and surrender our live to Christ and fight against sin with every part of blood. SIN is defined as Simple Instruction Neglected.

The simple instruction God gave to human beings in this dispensation is to give your life to Christ and many people are still holding unto their religion which does not save. Only Jesus can save. If today you are still living in any kind of sin, repent and give your life to Christ.

Taking a look at the fact about hell fire, the Russian scientists when digging a 9-mile hole to the earth’s crust heard human scream, and they said “could this be the Bible’s hell” Dr. Azzakov, was the director of the project. John Bunyan was conducted to hell by an angel of God. He was told not to be afraid because God will secure him.

The residents of hell fire are undergoing terrible pains. And what pains them most is the word “forever”. And every one was blaming himself in their hopeless and helpless state. They were regretting choosing short and momentary pleasure of sin at the expense of total damnation of their souls in hell. Their eternal state is fixed forever.

Too late to make a change. Hebrews 11:2426; 1Timothy 5:6; 1Corinthians 6:9; Romans 6:16; Revelation 22:14-15; Revelation 21:8; Isaiah 5:14; Psalm 9:17;Mark 9:43-48; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 14:9-12; Isaiah 66:22; Isaiah 28:15. Somebody said why was I made with an immortal soul and yet should take so little care of it: Proverbs 1:24-28 – comes to mind.

The residents of hell lost 2 vital things; 1. The presence of God, the ever blessed God. The company of saints and angels. 2.

Heaven, the seat of blessedness. And a gulf separating them from those in paradise.

Luke 16:19-31. They undergo a lot of tor-

ments, in different ways. All the afflictions of humanity on earth are like a mosquito bite compared to the torture. The fire is so violent that all the waters on earth cannot quench it. The torment, the misery is ceaseless.

The tormenting devils (worms) are merciless. Isaiah 14:17; John 10:10; Mark 9:43.

An inhabitant of hell said if all the diseases, pains, sickness, problems troubles of the entire world are laid upon him, he will prefer to carry all than to stay a second in hell.

As one resident was complaining, a tormenting demon asked him to stop complaining that salvation was offered unto him and he rejected and so why complaining that he has more reason to complain because they were not given a 2nd chance….

A mermaid spirit from River Niger once told a brother like that. If the brother was not strong she would have drawn him to the water. Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape….

The resident of hell told the devil that though he had no Saviour offered to him but there was no tempter. He the devil caused his problem because he was the tempter and the devil asked him why did he not resist him. You know the Bible says resist the devil and he will flee... And besides he was carrying out his assignment or his ministry. John 10:10. Why did you not follow the Saviour? It is because you loved us and followed our instruction or commandment.

Roman 6:16. If you walked or worked with us why not also be with us in our eternal home of everlasting punishment.

And so the cry in hell is had-I-known.

The demon said you were told that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom to devour yet you allowed it. 1 Peter 5:8. He said several times when the preachers were preaching to him that they were afraid that he will repent and follow them as many people escaped them. And later they discover he still worked with them. And so it is reasonable that they pay him wages. For more information concerning I invite to come and worship with us in our Holy Ghost Service every Sunday at 9am in our ENDTIME Cathedral in the address below: •For further information, contact us at: Endtime Believers’ Ministry Inc.16/18, Johnson Street, off Kajola Street, Yakoyo, Lagos. Tel: 08023261219, 09095268897, 08036116881; Email: bishop.bernard@yahoo.com

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From the Pulpit

Hour of Change with Primate

Oyelowo

I

“ n the Sunday mirror of March, 2015, the first part of this series was published. Today we are going to continue to continue from where we stopped. If we can follow God’s instructions whole heartedly, we have a lot of benefits to derive from him. Apostles Paul in his letter to the Romans 7:14-29 says:’’ I do not understand what I do what I do not want to do, for what I want to do I do not do but what I hate to do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me, that is, my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do not good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do; not want to do, it is no longer who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.’’

How can somebody who sincerely fears God has courage to like his neighbor without a just cause. ‘’Therefore do not let sin reign

Chapel of Holiness and Testimony with Pastor K. I.

M

Bona

ajority of our today’s Christians do not really understand their divine obligation. There is a measure of grace God has given to everyone of us to help us become profitable in our faith. Sad enough, countless number of our today’s Christians are either not aware of it, or are negligent about it. However it is the pivot on which our rewards rotates. In 2nd Corinthians 6: 1 ”We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” The reward of every child of God is measured according to how he is able to manage the grace God has given him. That was why Apostle Paul admonishing Corinthians Christians urged them to reject receiving the grace of God in vain.

What is grace?

The word grace can be explained in these ways 1) Grace can be commonly defined as underserved acceptance and love received from another 2) It is an unmerited favour granted by a person to another person 3) Biblically divine grace is an unmerited favour of God in providing salvation through his only begotten son to the condemned world.

4) It is a special endowment by God on them that believe giving them special strength to do those things which they were not able to do before; through the working power of the Holy Spirit.

5) Grace is divine provision for the edification of the body of Christ, such as the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. These grace is given to us to help build the body of Christ strongly, waiting for the coming of the master. Such gifts as: a) Word of wisdom ( b ) Word of knowledge (c) Faith (d) Healing (e) Working of miracles (f) Prophecy

Sunday Mirror Sunday April 26, 2015 www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fear of the Lord and benefits in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires’’. Romans 6:12. My advice to you this morning is to orientate yourself toward fearing him. What are the benefits derivable in fearing him.

God will teach him the way he chooses ‘’who is the man that fears the Lord) Him shall he teach in the way he chooses’.

(Psalm 103:7), Psalm 25:12, 32:8). It got to a stage in the onward journey of the nations of Israel to the Promised Land, the Moses the leader refused to go further when he sensed that the presence of God was not felt in the midst of the congregation. It was not until God promised his presence that he decided to proceed on the journey. ‘’My presence shall be with you and I will give you rest’’. (Exod. 33:14) The secret of God is revealed ‘’The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him, and he will show him his covenant’’. (Psalm 25:14). When Nebuchadnezzar hand a puzzling dream, none of the magicians in his country could interpret it. Daniel and his three friends sought the mind of God concerning the matter; it was vividly revealed to them and they had no problem interpreting the dream which secured them promotion. (Daniel 2:27-49)

He who fears God lacks nothing ‘’Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:9-10) (Psalm 37:25). When there was famine in Israel Elijah was instructed to go and stay with a widow of zarephath. The woman had no means of survival because her expectation was to die with her son after taking the little she had. However, God in his infinite mercy, showed his wonder as the woman, her son and her guest did not lack anything for the period for the famine lasted. (1 Kings 17:7-16). Jesus Christ fed five thousand souls with five loaves of bread and two pieces of fishes. (Matt. 6:32-44) Blessing will be his portion ‘’Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways’’. Psalm 128:1 when there was famine in Gerar , Isaac was instructed to stay there and planted, surprisingly, he reaped a hundredfold in the midst of famine (Genesis 26:12-13) Priviledge to eat the fruit of your labour ‘’You will eat the fruit of your labour’’.

Psalm 128:2.it is not every believer that has the privilege of eating from his labour. So, whoever is so endowed with honour to eat

the fruit of his labour should thank his star.’’ I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on man; God gives a man wealth, possessions and honour, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stronger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless and grievous evil.’’ (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12) (Eccl 5:18-20; 6:3-6). I declare that untimely death will not deprive you to eat from the fruit of your labour nor illness. As for the married woman, I prophesy that when success and prosperity manifest in your respective matrimonial homes, you will not be displaced in Jesus name, Amen.

Your wife will not become barren ‘’Your wife be like a fruitful wine within your house’’. (Psalm 128:3). This verse does not ‘’wives’’ but ‘’wife’’. It also says ‘’within’’ not ‘’without’’. I pray that those woman who are currently experiencing bareness will have their matrix opened and before the year runs out, you will be celebrated.

•You can contact us at: The Word of Life, Agbo Igbala Ti Kiish Aladura Church 70 Patey street Lagos State. Tel: 07040517413

Respecting the grace you have (g) Discerning of spirits (h) Divers types of tongues (i) Interpretation of tongues All there gifts are different measures of grace God has given to them that love him to prosper in his work here on earth.

6) Grace is measures of physical blessing and divine visitation God has gracious lavished on his children - Eph. 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace - Phil. 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches is glory by Christ Jesus.”

Having been redeemed by his blood shed at the Cross of Calvary, he freely displayed the riches of his grace by giving us all that we have today, according to our several needs and abilities. Such grace are: a) Whom we are today; such as the personality we carry, the honour and the respect we receive b) Our different body built. Our height, shape and body complexion c) The material acquisition: such as houses, cars, companies, landed properties and thing like these d) Our different families number of children. Whether you have or is still expecting e) Finally our wives and our husbands.

All these are grace in different dimensions. That is the reason why, the word of God admonished us to give thanks to God in all things and always. This is because there is nothing we have, be it spiritual gift or material blessing that is not the free work of grace of God. I did not talk about what the theologians refers as common grace. Such grace as, the rainy season, dry season, harmattan season, and any other seasons of the year. Including the free air, the water, the mountains, hills and other vegetation.

Beloveth everything we have on this earth is the free gift of grace. This God who has shown us great mercy by providing all these to us may all glory and praise go to him in

Jesus name.

To respect, the grace we have is to identify the value of love God has in us by making us who we are. It is also to honour and appreciate the Holy Spirit God has deposited in us working out the purpose of God in our lives. To do this you must be mindful of who you are in these manners. a) You must realize that your life has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Your body, soul and spirit have been purchased by the Blood of Jesus. You are not living for yourself any more, but you are living for Jesus who has given you his own life at the Cross of Calvary that you may have his. b) You must know that you are unique and different from others 2nd Corinthians 6:17-18 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean, thing and I will receive you. And will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty” c) You must reorganize your personality in Christ. You must be prepared not to do anything that will lower your respect as a child of God. d) You must be willing to run away from anything that does not glorify God. Such as your lifestyle, dressing style, hobby, habit character, attitude and your behaviour. e) Every child of God carries a special grace. Being aware of this, you must avoid any thing that will corrupt, or defile your soul or body. Such as drinking of alcoholic, drug addict, cigarette smoking, fornication, adultery, halotry, prostitution, masturbating, homosexuality or lesbianism f) You must be mindful of where you are always found, where you always go, the kind of people you always relate with, the kind of work you do, or the kind of business you engage yourself with.

g) You must be careful, how you manage your home, so that it will reflect the image of a good Christian home. h) You must always ask yourself how does my daily life influence my neighbourhood. What product do I sell as character?

This is very very essential to any child of God willing and sincerely wishing to respect the grace God has given him/her.

Jesus at one time in His earthily ministry, asked his disciples who do people say I am?

He asked to know the quality of impact his daily live was making on his environment, whether it was positive or negative. Any child of God, living his or her life as, if he / she is in his/her own world is not reflecting the light of the gospel. Such a one cannot please God. For example, when you dress, without caring what people may say about your dressing, whether they will praise God for your life, or mock God and Christianity as a faith, then you have no regard to the grace you carry. I stop here, to continue next week, remain blessed in Jesus name.

TESTIMONY AUTOMATIC EMPLOYMENT I came to this church few months ago, I came crying and weeping. I was then sacked from where I was working. I am a widow. I sustain my family with that job. So when I was sacked, it seemed to me as if the world has ended. The man of God told me that God will give me another job. I just said amen.

He gave me prayer which I did. Just last two weeks, he called me and told me he saw me giving testimony of a new job. The following week I was called for interview, among all that came for that job, I was the only one taken. It is an administrative job. Brethren, God has wiped away my tears, praise the Lord!

Sis. Ola ADDRESS: Pastor Kingson I. Bona General Overseer Chapel of Holiness and Testimonies Ministries No. 6, David Egbetuyi Street, Fagbile Estate, Ijegun-Ikotun, Lagos.

08023404926, 08038206508 www.chapelofholiness.org

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Civil Service

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Institute tasks Buhari on National Transport Policy

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L-R: Permanent Secretary, office of sports, Lagos Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development, Mr. Sewedo Whenu; Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and Permanent Secretary, Office of Youth and Social Development, Dr Adesegun Oshunyimika,during a news conference on the activities of the ministry in Lagos, on Friday .

Ministry commends Jonathan for signing Bio-safety Bill into law

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he Federal Ministry of Environment has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Bio-safety Bill into Law. Mr. Rufus Ebegba, the Deputy Director, Bio-safety and Head of Bio-safety Unit in the ministry, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). ``This is a very great opportunity for Nigeria and I want to thank the President, Commander-in-Chief, (Goodluck Jonathan) and Honourable Minister and

all the stakeholders. ``I also want to commend the National Assembly members for passing the Bill at this crucial time when the country is trying to diversify into other sectors of economy apart from oil sector.`` NAN reports that Jonathan signed the bill into law on April 20.

According to Ebegba, the use of modern biotechnology would strengthen the economy and boost prosperity in the country with the opening of new frontiers for businesses.

He said, ``The President’s

assent to the bill is very timely in view of the fact that sister African countries have taken this path.’’

Ebegba said the law would enable Nigeria to domesticate its Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and prevent it from perpetually serving as a dumping ground for GMOs that could have adverse effect on the environment and human health.

The deputy director listed other benefits of the bill to include ``determining in advance when hazards to human health and natural

systems will result if any particular GMO is released into the environment and ensuring the prevention of such hazards.`` Reacting, Mr. Taye Akinyemi, the Director, of Press in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, described the signing of the bill into law by the President as a right step in the right direction.

Akinyemi said that the absence of a bio-safety law in the country could discourage foreign investors and thus lead to the loss of foreign exchange.

NIS to check activities of job scammers

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he Nigeria Immigration Service has said it would take stringent measures to check the activities of scammers that were swindling unsuspecting job seekers of large sums of money.

Mr. Gboyega Fola-Kayode, Special Assistant to the Comptroller-General of the service, Mr. David Parradang, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend in Abuja.

Fola-Kayode, who spoke for the comptroller-general, was reacting to a case of job scam reported by one of the 2015 recruitment applicants.

He said Parradang condemned the incident, saying that a lot of Nigerians had been swindled of large sums of money by scammers with promise of fake employment into various agencies and parastatals of government. “ We are fully aware that job scammers are every-

where waiting for an opportunity to swindle unsuspecting, naïve and desperate job seekers.

“This is why we clearly stated when we advertised various openings for job placement into the service that no applicant seeking employment should offer money to anyone.

“We clearly stated that the employment process is free and applicants should endeavor to abide by the rules and follow due pro-

cess,” Parradang said.

NAN reports that shortlisted applicants were required to sit for a five-day Computer-Based Test (CBT) at various computer centers across the country.

The test which commenced on April 20, ended on April 24.

They were asked to answer 20 questions in English Language; 10 questions in current affairs; 10 questions in mathematics and 10 questions in logical reasoning.

he Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) on Friday urged the President-elect, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that a robust national transport policy is put in place in the country.

Retired Maj.-Gen. Umar Usman, the National President of CILT, Nigeria made this plea during the institute’s Fellows and Corporate Members’ Forum in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Usman said that a robust transport policy would promote growth in the industry and enhance economic development.

“We have a problem; in a situation where a country has no national transport policy, this is a challenge.

“We urge the incoming administration to ensure that first and foremost, Nigeria has a robust national transport policy.

“The moment the nation has a transport policy, all the problems associated with transport infrastructure will be addressed.

“Unfortunately, today in the country, roads are carrying far beyond their capacity and that is why we have dilapidated roads all over.

“The rail that is supposed to carry the weight off the roads is still epileptic because what we have is a narrow gauge.

“What this country needs today is a wide gauge that can be able to carry more and travel a longer distance.

“And of course issues that have to do with integration should be looked into. We do not have an integrated system.

We need an integrated transport system,’’ he said.

Usman urged the new

government to have right people in the right places to perform maximally.

Prof. Kayode Oyesiku, the Deputy National President of CILT, in an interview with newsmen, rated the nation below 25 per cent in logistics and transport system.

“If we are to rate our transport and logistics on a scale of 100, we are somewhere between 20 and 25 and the reason for this is very obvious.

“First is the state of our infrastructure, particularly the lack of inter-modality of movement of goods and services.

“Nigeria is still absolutely dominated by road, which should not be and across the world it has not always been.

“The second problem is the extent of professionalism.

“There is no council of registration of those who can practice transport in Nigeria, there is no bill that has actually been approved that can foster the growth and development of the profession,’’ Oyesiku said.

He said that the 7th National Assembly had not passed the bill that was sponsored by the institute.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Dunoma Saleh, the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that effective transport system had the capacity to move the economy of any country. “ In Nigeria, and as could be seen in other countries, the place of logistics and transport in the economy of any country is always at the centre-point of the economic template of that country.

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Business

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FRESH BUSINESS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Sunday April 26, 2015

NACCIMA seeks new infrastructure investments ... says deficit hampers Nigeria’s export competitiveness ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

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igerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, has lamented that unavailability of infrastructure has continued hampering Nigeria’s competitive capacity in the exportation of finished goods instead of raw materials, which it has kept supplying other countries.

It said the country did not provide enabling environment for the producers to add value to raw materials, thereby ended up exporting the raw materials.

While reviewing the nation’s economy in the past four years, and setting agenda for the incoming administration at the weekend, the Acting National President of the associa-

tion, Chief Bassey Edem, said the statistics garnered from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, revealed that Nigeria’s merchandise trade is currently valued at N6.29trn.

He explained that interest rate currently hovered between 18 and 28 per depending on the profile of the firms is too high for any productive venture and has negative effect on the global competitiveness of Nigerian firms and their products with their foreign counterparts.

He said the inflation rate, which increased from 7.9 per cent as at December 2014 to 8.5 per cent as at date (reported figure from CBN), was triggered by the austerity measures put in place by the Federal Government due to dwindling revenue from the Crude Oil

which served as the major foreign exchange source of revenue.

He also said that the country’s GDP rate hung between 6.7 per cent and 7.4 per cent over the period 2012 to 2015, against the Federal Government projection of 11.7 per cent for the same period, due to inclement business environment.

Speaking on the unfavourable status of Nigeria’s external reserve, the NACCIMA boss said, “It is worrisome that within the last four months the country’s external reserve has gone down by 30 per cent from $42.9 billion in January 2014 to $29.79 billion in April 2015. The implication of this is that there has been speculative pressure on the naira, which may encourage further tightening of monetary policy.

He also commented on

timing of budget saying the focus of the Federal Government proposal in the budget was to make practical impact in the areas that matter most to the Nigerian populace. He however maintained that there has been consistent delay in budgetary process in the past years, which has its implication on proper planning by government MDAs and business operators, whose plans and projects were dependent on the annual budget.

Edem said other basic economic fundamentals have been unstable in the last four years due to policy inconsistency, which has serious implications on the progress of the real sector of the Nigerian economy.

Meanwhile, he said the way forward for the nation’s economic development was based on real eco-

nomic diversification.

According to him, “Diversifying the Nigerian’s economy from over-dependence on crude oil has been described as the only strategy to effectively resuscitate and bring stability to the economy of our nation.

It is urgent and of great priority for the incoming government to intensify the diversification of Nigeria’s economy and avoid the negative consequences of volatile oil prices.

“Government needs to work assiduously towards making the required investment that would boost the growth of other non-oil sectors, such as, agriculture, manufacturing, solid mineral development and transport, which hold greater prospect of yielding huge revenue to the economy if properly harnessed.”

He appealed to the Na-

tional Assembly and Federal Government to hasten up the process of passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, as earlier promised, while charging the Government to overhaul the existing refineries and encourage building of new ones, most especially modular ones all around the country to enable the country increase her refining capacity for local consumption.

He said the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, pegged at 13 per cent was worrisome and affected credit availability and liquidity creation from the commercial banks, adding that it has continued to exact monetary shocks on the economy, thereby negatively influencing the level of investment in the country and endangering the ailing industries.

Countdown to Marketing Summit begins

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s preparations for the second National Marketing Summit gather momentum, brands and creative agencies are strategically positioning for active involvement in the all important industry event.

Specifically, leading brands cutting across different segments have identified with the summit while agencies are also positioning to make the industry conversation resonate by contributing actively and meaningfully to the summit.

It will be recalled that the National Marketing Summit & Brands Advertising Excellence Award being organised

by Marketing Edge magazine, has been slated for 5th April, 2015 at Civic Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to the organisers, the summit will be chaired by former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.

The theme of the summit is “A New Roadmap for Marketing in the Age of Global Oil Glut & Nigeria Advertising in A Generational Shift”. The issues will be addressed by Dr. Jo-

sef Bel-Molokwu, a senior Faculty Member of Pan African University of the School of Media and Communications and Mr. Lanre Adisa, Managing Director of Noah’s Ark respectively.

A statement signed by the Publisher/CEO of Marketing Edge, a leading brands and marketing magazine, Mr. John Ajayi, said the industry response to the forthcoming summit has been quite encouraging, noting that all necessary things are being done to ensure that it is a worthwhile conversation that will further galvanize the sector for higher productivity.

“With a fresh atmosphere of relief and change in the country, we need to proactively engage marketing and advertising industry for more profitability and preeminent both for players, investors and the national economy”, Ajayi posited.

“So far, we are quite happy with the responses we are getting as regard participation, sponsorship and support. It is sure we shall have a worthwhile industry conversation and there will be takeaways”.

L-R: Head Regional Commercial, Airtel Nigeria, Charles Bassey; Zonal Business Regional Trader/Activations Manager, Peter Mbuba; Area Business Manager Lagos North, Yetunde Okaro and Manager, Lagos north Adekunle Adegboyega, during the Airtel Smart Connect roadshow at Ota, Ogun State yesterday.

Skye Bank partners IFC on SME business JOHNSON OKANLAWON

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s part of its effort to strengthen its Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, operations, Skye Bank has gone into a consultancy partnership with the International Finance Corporation, IFC, to evolve an effective lending framework for medium, small and medium enterprises.

A statement from the

bank on Friday said the objective of the partnership is to produce a new lending framework for SMEs that de-emphasises reliability on collateral by focusing primarily on evaluating business viability.

On the partnership, it added, when a business passes the viability test, the bank can consider non traditional collateral options outside real estate to

reduce the difficulty faced by business owners in their bid to secure credit facilities from banks.

According to the statement, the bank has also concluded plans to stop charging commission on turnover on all retail current accounts, well ahead of the deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The statement quoted the bank’s Head of Re-

tail Banking Group,Mrs. Nkolika Okoli, as saying that the bank’s new retail strategy has necessitated a shift from its previous product led to a more segment led approach.

She said, “The business focus would henceforth concentrate more on customers and less on products using unique value propositions built around the needs of each customer segment.”

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

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‘Nigeria needs restructuring to move forward’ Otunba Gani Adams is the National Coordinator of the pan –Yoruba Group, the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC. In this interview with journalists he speaks on the last general elections and the expectations from Buhari government among other issues of national interest. AYO ESAN brings the excerpts: Election has come and gone, what is your own assessment of the exercise?

Well, there are a lot of shortcomings regarding the elections in terms of PVCs shortage which we complained about and which political parties also complained about.

Also, there were some irregularities.

Even there were complaints concerning security agents that some of them took sides during the elections. There were a lot of complaints about state elections as to the way the INEC handled them. I know that by next month, Nigerian lawyers would be busy to challenge the results of the elections.

But notwithstanding, I took it as somebody who is not involved in full partisan politics. I see it as a challenge to us in future elections and at the same time I must tell Nigerians that when a group comes out and says that certain issues are wrong in the system, you must take it serious.

When we came out with a protest against the poor distribution of PVCs, that there was shortage of PVCs especially in the South, even PDP as a party did not take us serious.

APC took us as another opposition party after the PDP. Also, the issue of underage, and thirdly the issue of voting centers, which saw many of them being created in the North and you will agree with me that after the elections, all these complaints reflected in the outcome of the elections.

You will see that the voting figures we saw in the South West weres so low compared to the population of people of South West. You can imagine that the number of people that voted in the presidential election in Ogun State was not even up to 500,000 and the people that registered in Ogun State were about 1.35million.

In Ondo State, the number of people that voted was not even up to 700,000. In Ekiti, the number of people that voted was not up to 350,000. Oyo State have the largest votes, the total vote of Oyo was not up to one million while the number of people that registered in the state was about 2.5 million, both figures for PDP and APC were just between 800,000 and 900,000.

What do you think was responsible for that poor outing?

It was as a result of poor distribution of PVCs and you will realize that state like Zamfara, the APC brought like 900,000 votes and with the PDP, they brought over one million votes.

In Katsina, it was about 1.4 million votes. In Kano, APC votes together with PDP were about 2.4 million, more than the total number of votes generated in Lagos. The total number of registered voters in Lagos was about six million while Kano was four million. That was what we showed or demonstrated in our

Adams

I WOULD ADVISE THE PRESIDENT-ELECT THAT HE SHOULD NOT THROW AWAY THE

GOOD THINGS THAT PRESIDENT JONATHAN

DID. MOST OF THE COUNTRIES ABROAD, NO

MATTER THE CHANGE OF PARTY, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THE SPIRIT OF CONTINUITY.

peaceful protest and they twisted it as if it was a violent protest, it was not.

I think it is a lesson for us in the future.

We will not because something is not in our interest and try to twist a position of an organisation that wants sanity in the society, especially in our electoral process.

By and large I would commend the two candidates. I would commend General Muhammadu Buhari for being a dogged fighter, for having the spirit that one day he will become president of this country.

I will thank the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding victory even before the final results rolled in and the formal declaration of winner of the election. This is because President Goodluck Jonathan saved this country from unnecessary crisis after the election. Assuming

he raised any issue about the irregularities that happened during the elections, Nigeria may not be the same as we have it today.

So, although we are not politicians, but we have learnt a lot in these elections, we have learnt a lot about the process, we have gained a lot during the elections and post elections.

Some of your fears were that if Jonathan was not re-elected, the recommendations or what you achieved at the Confab, would die a natural death with Buhari being there, so what is your advice to him now?

Well, I think the main cardinal point of campaign of General Muhammadu Buhari is change. And one of the reasons why Nigerians voted for him is because they wanted change and the slogan

change came from President Barrack Obama during his first term while he was campaigning for votes. He let the Americans realise that they needed a fresh blood in politics.

Moreover for the President-elect to achieve proper change in Nigeria, Nigeria needs to be restructured. If there is no change in structure, if there is no true federalism in Nigeria, it would be very, very difficult to achieve transparency.

I have listened to the comments of the President-elect and with the two statements he made as part of the promises he made to Nigerians was that those who would work with him, including the governors, ministers, special advisers and the permanent secretaries must declare their assets in the court of law. I think this is part of ingredients of transparency and accountability.

Secondly, he also said that the pensions paid to former governors would be reviewed which a welcome idea is too. And if he did not include the recommendations of the National Conference in his programmes, I think there is no way the president-elect can have a total change because it is very, very important that this country have to be restructured.

If Nigeria is not being restructured, definitely we may not witness peace and tranquility. Nigeria is a nation within a nation, we need to review our existence, we need to review the corporate existence of this country, not by breaking up Nigeria; we need to review it on the basis of restructuring.

I would advise the president-elect that he should not throw away the good things that President Jonathan did. Most of the countries abroad, no matter the change of party, there will always be the spirit of continuity. It is only in Nigeria that when a government comes into power, it will abandon what its predecessors did and would start another policy afresh. It is a waste of money and waste of time in governance.

The issue of National Conference is not the idea of President Jonathan; it was the people’s will. It is what over 500 people sat down to agree on in period of four months and they came up with resolutions that would enable this country to move forward and to give us a new Nigeria.

Election has come and gone. Many Nigerians knew that you identified with President Goodluck Jonathan during the election. What will be your relationship with the new government?

Identifying with a party or candidate that lost during the last election does not mean you are not a Nigerian. You and I have the right to vote for a party of our choice. We have about 58 political parties and we had 14 presidential candidates.

Definitely I would vote for one out of 14.

Not voting for Buhari or not supporting Buhari during the election does not mean Buhari should be my enemy or I should be Buhari’s enemy. Either I like it or not by May 29, he will the president of Nigeria and I will be one of his citizens.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

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ole in 2016?

overnor

Odig gie-O Oye egun n

re-elected female lawmaker from Uhunmwode Constituency and Hon. Bright Osayande, who is also a re-elected lawmaker from Ovia North East II, might slug it out for the position of Deputy Speaker even as Hon. Kabiru Adjoto of Akoko Edo Constituency I might not be opposed for the position of Majority Leader.

While the list of possible aspirants for APC’s

governorship ticket for the 2016 governorship election keeps increasing daily with new entrants, those who are known to have been on the list before now are busy strategising daily on how to nick it with little or no serious opposition.

They are led by the current Deputy Governor, Dr Pius Egberanmwen Odubu; the Commissioner for Works, Barrister Osarodion Ogie; the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr. Francis Evbuomwan; the Chairman of Edo State Economic Team and boardroom guru, Dr. Godwin Obaseki; a former Minister of State for Works and defector, who has made no light of his aspiration, Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi; as well as another defector and former governorship candidate of the PDP in 2012, General Charles Airhiavbere (retired).

The APC list is expected to grow even more with the anticipated entry of the outgoing Minority Whip of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Samson Osagie and the Chief of Staff to Governor Oshiomhole, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon and others who have not shown any intention to aspire under APC as at now.

While the ability and capacity of Governor Oshiomhole to spring a last minute surprise that may see him and other APC leaders swinging support to a relatively unknown aspirant beside the ones

listed above cannot be understated, the obviously smooth plan Oshiomhole is making is being predicted to make issues much more difficult for the PDP, which might be forced to turn to Edo South Political District too for its governorship flag bearer, and invariably, either one of its elected five House of Representatives members or one of its elected two Senators as its governorship flag bearer in 2016, if it decides not to grant the wish of its chieftain and former Secretary to Edo State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who recently reassured of his continued PDP membership.

It might be recalled that Mr. Mathew Urhoghide, a pharmacist and Chief Clifford Ordia, an engineer were elected as Edo South and Edo Central Senators, respectively.

On the other hand, Mr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonnayinma, Miss Omosede Igbinedion, Mr. Segius Ogun Osasochea and Chief Joe Edionwele were elected into the Federal House of Representatives Constituencies of Oredo, Ikpoba Okha/Egor, Ovia, Esan North East/Esan South East and Esan West/Esan Central/Egueben, respectively.

The PDP list also includes Edo PDP Chairman, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, who is limited by virtue of his district and

for Buhari

Musa

tre it is something”, he said.

“You know the time President Jonathan started losing his good image was when he increased the pump price of fuel about three years ago. President Buhari has to be careful of his advisers on fuel issues. Why Nigerians did not criticise the late President Umaru Yar’Adua while in government was that for almost two years he didn’t increase the fuel price with one naira. When he got to power he even reduced it and so nobody said any bad

Sagay y

thing against him. People are hungry for change; if he comes to power and he fails to produce the change Nigerians are expecting, they will hate him within two years. Even the governors should make sure the wishes of the people prevail”, Adams further said.

The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT urged Gen Buhari to give priority to the education sector, especially the welfare and status of

teachers. NUT national president and secretary general, Michael Olukoya and Ikpe Obong respectively, said the education sector required drastic change and turnaround.

The duo in a statement said, “The Nigeria Union of Teachers and entire teachers in Nigeria felicitate with

outsiders as the former Edo Commissioner in NDDC Board, Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and Edo State SURE-P boss and former Deputy Governor, Chief Lucky Imasuen.

But one issue that is as clear, unambiguous and decided as daylight, is that the game of who succeeds Governor Oshiomhole even in the PDP has changed and taken a higher gear, no thanks to the results of the 2015 general election in Edo State.

So, whichever political district the PDP eventually goes to, the fact is that the chances of its former front runner and Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, of either picking the PDP ticket or winning the next governorship on the PDP platform is very low, right now, after the crushing defeat of the PDP by the APC at the national and state government levels in 2015.

Indeed, whether Oshiomhole gives away any clue about who would succeed him in 2016 or not, which the good people of Edo State are patiently observing to find out anyway, political commentators and pundits are insisting that the 2016 politics have already begun at individual and party levels.

They maintained, therefore, that only time and tide will tell who succeeds Oshiomhole.

you on your success at the just-concluded March 28 presidential election. The NUT is particularly happy that you are coming on board to make a difference in the governance of our country, Nigeria.

“The fact that you continually profess to change the circumstances of Nigeria, if given the opportunity, gives us hope that Nigeria is at the verge of rapid development and signals the beginning of the journey of our country towards an enviable future, as you have eventually been given the opportunity you craved for. If there is any sector in Nigeria that needs a drastic change and turnaround, the education sector is the one, particularly the remuneration, welfare and status of teachers.

You can therefore understand the excitement of the teachers over the emergence of a President of change. You remain the last hope of teachers, for if you as a person known for action coupled with your avowed resolve to ensure equity, justice and fairness to all Nigerians would fail to raise the status of teachers and that of the education industry of our country, then no one else will do it.

“Your abundant experiences as a former Military Head of State, an apostle of War Against Indiscipline, WAI, governor, minister, member of the Federal Executive Council, Head of the PTF, etc, place you in a most advantageous pedestal to deliver on the mandate of the electorate of our nation.

Founder of OPC, Dr Fredrick Fasehun, on his part called on Buhari to exploit the chance given to him by Nigerians to prove himself.

“It is an opportunity for him to demonstrate that serpents do leave their skin behind and put on a new one. Nigerians have given him this opportunity to prove himself.

Fasehun urged him to foster unity by ensuring that he did not demonstrate his interest to a group but to all Nigerians.

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Being in opposition does not mean being enemy of the state –Wole Oke Hon. Oluwole Busayo Oke, the rep-elect for Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2003. He was re-elected in 2007 and was made chairman, House Committee on Defense. He is returning to the Green Chamber for the third term on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In a chat with newsmen shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return, he clarified the kind of opposition the APC should expect from the PDP in the next four years. BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA brings excerpts.

As a key stakeholder in the affairs of the country, what are your expectations from the incoming government?

Well Nigerians have begun watching whether the new government to be formed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the next few weeks will fulfill all its electoral promises to the citizenry. We can only wait and see how things will turn out. However, expectations from the incoming administration are very high and I believe those leaders that will emerge recognise that fact.

What are things Nigerians should expect from the new government to be led

by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari?

Don’t forget that the party that will form the new government has manifestoes; they went to the 36 states of the federation, made electoral promises both in written, in prints, online; on social media. Nigerians are watching to ensure that they fulfill the electoral promises.

Don’t forget that if Nigeria get better, it is not only APC members that will enjoy it, all of us collectively will benefit from it.

There are fears that PDP, having been in government for so long, may find life outside government very difficult. What kind of opposition should Nigerians expect from the PDP? Being in government for so long does not mean PDP may not be able to cope as an opposition party. PDP will force the new ruling party to be on its toes to ensure that all electoral promises of APC are delivered. But let me add that, being in opposition does not mean being an enemy of the state or being an enemy of the government. Our opposition will be con-

ensure that they discharge their duties constitutionally. At the end of the day, every Nigerian will benefit from the governance.

For conceding defeat, President Jonathan is being praised by Nigerians. What is your take on this singular act?

I want to commend the outgoing President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for being patriotic enough to accept defeat. This has reposed confidence of international investors in Nigeria economy. His action will continue to be a positive reference point for other African leaders. With his action, he has also contributed, in no small measure to the advancement of democracy in the country and African continent at large.

What positive effect will Jonathan’s action bring on our economy, taking into cognisance high poverty level in the country presently?

The crux of the conduct of the outgoing President, who behaved very patriotically and like a true democrat, as earlier stated, has reposed confidence in international investors and they are trooping to Nigeria. It has shown and portrayed Nigeria as a mature nation politically. He should be commended for enhancing the conduct of democracy in the country.

Oke

structive and not destructive. The country will surely benefit from the way we will handle our criticism of government.

In specific terms, how will PDP conduct

its business in the next four years?

Our duty is to form a shadow government in line with International democratic practices and to hold the majority party to its electoral promises and to

Prominent leaders of PDP have been leaving the party in large number since it lost to APC at the centre. What is your take?

It is very irresponsible. Though those leaving PDP have their fundamental human rights to join any party of their choice, but to me, if the APC people had defected to PDP in the last 16 years, would they be where they are today? These people laboured, they toiled day and night for 16 years, they strategise to capture power and because they have captured power, you, now being members of PDP suddenly jump to APC. It is bad. You heard what the President-Elect said, you heard what the National Chairman of APC has said, that all sinners are allowed to come to the church but they would not allow them to go to pulpits.

It is a clear message.

‘Nigeria needs restructuring to move forward’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52

So definitely we have to move Nigeria forward. He must not nurse bitterness against those who did not support him because he will be ruling those who were against him during the election and those that supported him.

So are you saying you don’t have any regret for supporting Jonathan?

No. Not at all. At the age of 45 years I will be stupid enough to say I regret supporting Jonathan. Before we decided to support Jonathan, we weighed the pros and cons and we x-rayed our relationship with him. And again it wasn’t a singlehanded decision but the National Coordinating Council decided it That is why when I saw some parasites issuing statement against me we laughed at them. It is

not a decision that came from Gani Adams, it was a joint decision by all the structure of the OPC. We took the decision to the grassroots. About a week to the presidential election, we called all the zonal leaders and the executive from Lagos State. We also called representatives of the 36 states.

We met in a hall at Amuwo Odofin and we made our position known and they all agreed with us. It was a unanimous decision by the entire organisation.

Now that Buhari has won the election people are asking what will happen to the pipeline protection contract?

The contract issue is not an issue. I believe Buhari is a mature person that will not be so vindictive to the extent that because we didn’t support him during the election he will work against us concerning the contract. The most important

thing is for us to reduce the activities of the vandals who tap our commonwealth unnecessarily and in a criminal way.

That is the most important thing to Buhari. Because the more we are able to curb their activities the more gain for the country and the more money to run the government. So if he introduce sentiment to it and did not allow us to do our job, then he wouldn’t have money to do free education , free health and one meal for students per day.

Let me also appeal to the Inspector General of Police, to withdraw the police from certain place along the pipeline. Although there is no way we can do it without involving the police but let us apply to the police to give us support men to do the job. Those who are on the spots now, the NNPC had written to the Inspector General of Police to withdraw them from

the pipeline but they refused. And with their refusal the vandals still penetrate the place on the pipeline. Our integrity is at stake as many Nigerians are aware that this contract has been given to Otunba Gani Adams’ faction of OPC, or Fasehun’s faction of OPC or a certain group in the Niger-Delta. As a matter of fact the names of the companies were published by one major newspaper. We don’t want a situation where at the end of the day , Nigerians will blame us that the job given to us was not carried out well. So I am appealing as we are not ready to confront the police because we have good relationship with them. We had a contract paper that the contract has been given to us since the middle of last month, but police has refused to leave the place which we are to protect especially on the Arepo and Atlas Cove areas.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Interview

Sunday, April 26, 2015

55

Ndigbo not political enough to put all their eggs in one basket –Galadima Engr. Buba Galadima, a former National Secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, and a member of the Board of Trustees, BOT, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in this interview with Group Politics Editor, OBIORA IFOH, advises APC national leadership to be just in sharing of offices, especially in the National Assembly. Excerpts: What is your view on the party’s position on sharing of offices, especially the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives?

Well, I don’t have a very strict and stringent view on this issue about where the Senate President goes. But my thinking is that there are two positions in the National Assembly-the Speaker and the Senate President. Incidentally, the President is from the North, a Moslem, the Vice-President is from the South, a Christian. For us to consolidate the new found alliance and unity in the country, my thinking is that if the Senate Presidency, in the wisdom of the party, is zoned to the North, it should go to Northern Christian so that we consolidate this unity in this part of the country. And if the Speakership is zoned to the South, my view is that since the Vice –President is a Christian from the South, it should be a Muslim. But if it is in reverse position and Speakership comes to the North, It must go to the Northern Christian. If the Senate Presidency goes to the South, it should go to the Southern Moslem.

With this, we will have a smooth take off and all these issues of religion that PDP has capitalized on, would have been nailed completely. You see, the issue is not about winning of the election, the issue is about sharing of the booty. We must be just and we must use our brains in order to carry every Nigerian along. If we don’t do that, the next election is just around the corner.

Talking about Senate President, we know there are two strong contenders who come from the North Central Zone. One is former Governor and current Senator, George Akume, a Christian from Benue. The other is also a former Governor and current Senator Bukola Saraki, a Moslem from Kwara State. People are beginning to look at the contributions of each of them and when you look at their contributions, some people are placing Saraki above Akume in terms of who contributed more to the gains of the party generally. What is your view concerning these two men?

You see, I want to accept the fact that both of them contributed to the development of the party. I also want to believe that even Saraki as a member of the Senate, conceded the Senate Minority leadership to Akume in 2011. So he, Akume is their leader and by extension, if you are promoting anybody, you promote the leader, unless of course he has gotten a lot of deficiencies that are so apparent . And the issue is that you also look at history and you look at unity.

Akume happens to come from the second largest ethnic group in Northern Nigeria. Then when you look at Bukola Saraki, he has to be one of two things. If he is a Yoruba man, there is a Yoruba VicePresident. If he is a Fulani man, there is

ing this argument.

But we gathered that some of the SouthEast Senators –Elect have been making moves to defect to the APC? Why? They can’t eat their cake and have it. Then we are promoting discension. We don’t need to.

So what you are saying is that if some of them defect to APC, they can’t get something?

They cannot be barred from holding any position but definitely not the Senate Presidency obviously, it is not possible.

Other people will reason that if what you are saying applies, the entire South-East will be out of Buhari’s government?

It is not by design. It is by choice. It is by their choice. May be they have eaten enough in the PDP Government that they don’t need to, after all they sacrificed the Presidency on a platter of gold, for the next 60 years. It is by choice.

Now, people are already developing this fear that the country may end up in a one party state, going by the gale of defections I don’t see it that way because even within a governing party, there are discensions . But can you be sure that most of my party men share my view on this? It may not be.

Galadima

MY THINKING IS THAT IF THE SENATE PRESIDENCY, IN THE WISDOM OF THE PARTY, IS ZONED TO THE NORTH, IT SHOULD GO TO NORTHERN CHRISTIAN SO THAT WE CONSOLIDATE THIS UNITY IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. AND IF THE SPEAKERSHIP IS ZONED TO THE SOUTH, MY VIEW IS THAT SINCE THE VICE –PRESIDENT IS A CHRISTIAN FROM THE SOUTH, IT SHOULD BE A MUSLIM. a Fulani President. So that automatically knocks his interest out. We have to unify the peoples of this country. We must give everybody a sense of belonging.

If it is contribution, then I should have been the President or the Vice-President. It is not how much kobo somebody contributed. Mind you, that Akume seized government from an incumbent governor. That is not a simple feat.

You also said that if the Senate Presidency is zoned to the South, it has to be a South-

ern Moslem. Do you have any member of the party from the South who is a Moslem Senator-Elect?

There are several of them.

You mean those from South-West?

Yes, there are several of them. You are the one talking about contribution. If the South-West plus Edo, brought in 25% from seven states, it is unfortunate that my friends from Igboland were not politicians enough and they put all their eggs in one basket, if not, we wouldn’t have been mak-

We almost had the same thing in the PDP? Well, that is what I am telling you, that even within the governing party, there could be differences of opinions. There are people who would stand for principle and speak on the basis of principles, rather than on personal interest.

Well, you are not one of the National officers of the party but I know you are strategically placed in the party. But when I speak, people will listen. So I cannot be discarded.

So what will be your advice to the party leadership with regards to these defections?

I have already told you, I have already told you about defections. You said if somebody defects secretly, cant you make him Senate President? And I told you “no”. Not that strategic position. It is by choice that some of us are in this opposition, including yourself. Yes, it is by choice.

Your advice is that the other people should remain in opposition?

Yes. It will serve them better, to become resilient and persevere as we were, one day it will come their way.

There is this disturbing rumour that massive looting is going on in the Ministries, parastatals and agencies.?

I don’t think they are looting any more.

They are trying to make up their books. Actually, go and find out, all abandoned sites across Nigeria, people have mobilized and they are already working because they don’t want to be caught pants down. Let me tell you, as small as Abuja Environmental Agency, they have not been working for the past one year but you suddenly see them now on the streets, collecting garbage.

56

News

Sunday April 26, 2015

Voter apathy mars Delta Central re-run election THEOPHILUS ONOJEGHEN WARRI

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esterday’s re-run election for Delta Central Senatorial District in Delta State was characterised by voters’ apathy as there was generally poor turnout.

In the eight local government areas visited, Sunday Mirror observed that the electorate stayed away from the elections which was also generally peaceful in the affected wards and units.

Electoral materials arrived most polling stations at about 7:30am while accreditation commenced in most places around 8:20am.

In Uvwie council Area, there was low turnout when

our correspondent visited Ekpan Ward 9 unit 8, 9 and 10, while in Ekpan 10 unit 8, the polling station was visibly empty except as only INEC officials were present .

The situation was not different in Effurun also in Uvwie council area. Most places visited, INEC officials lamented the poor turnout saying only few persons have been accredited.

In Ughelli North, Okpe, Sapele, Ethiope East and West Local Government Areas, it was not different as residents defiled the restriction of movement order to attend to their personal needs.

Some electorates at Abraka Unit 7 Ward 2 could not cast their votes after they were told that voting has

closed with result collation in progress at about 1:15pm.

Labour Party agent, Mr. Philip Ogodo alleged that voters were being induced with N500 to vote for one of the political parties participating at Unit 1 and 2 in Oviore Ward 5.

There were also reported cases of multiple thumb printing at various units in the Ward according to a cross section of electorates in the area.

However, there were movements as well as ceremonial activities in the three local government areas visited despite the restriction of movement in the area. Traders were seen selling at Ughelli main market, Effurun and Sapele markets.

Abia supplementary polls record appreciable voter turnout

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aturday’s governorship and state assembly supplementary elections in Abia State witnessed an appreciable turnout of voters in Umuahia and its environs.

The exercise commenced around 8.30 a.m. with the arrival of electoral officers and materials at some of the polling centres in the area.

Accreditation of voters started at about 9 a.m. at Units 006 and 007 Ibeku East, situated at Isieke Community Primary School, Umuahia, while the exercise commenced at about 8.30 at units 004

and 005 at Lagoro Ubakala Primary School, Apunmiri.

Card readers were deployed in the accreditation process and were reportedly functional, taking an average of two to three minutes to accredit a voter.

Some of the voters expressed satisfaction with the process of accreditation, describing it as faster than in the general elections.

There were, however, reports of pockets of violence in some of the wards, including Mbom in Umuahia North Local Government Area, where

thugs allegedly attacked eligible voters.

An agent of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr Obinna Abariukwu, told NAN on telephone that thugs invaded Isieke ward.

He said that an unidentified voter, who was wounded by the thugs, had been rushed to a hospital through the intervention of the security agents at the centre.

The police could not be reached for confirmation as the Commissioner, Mr Joshak Habila, and the Abia command’s spokesman, Mr Ezekiel Onyeke, did not pick their calls.

OPC passes vote of confidence on Fasehun AYO ESAN

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he Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, has passed a vote-of-confidence on its Founder and President, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, while confirming that there was no crisis rocking the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation.

OPC also distanced itself from Fasehun’s purported expulsion by a dissident group, which claimed to have appointed new leaders to run affairs.

Dismissing Fasehun’s recently reported removal as “a joke taken too far,” OPC Publicity Secretary, Prince Sylvester Eweka, said Dr. Fasehun remained not only the Founder but the substantive President of OPC worldwide.

The Publicity Secretary, who made these clarifications at the weekend, while giving the highlights of recent meetings of OPC leaders at Century Hotel, Isolo, Lagos, said plans at denigrating the leader was a concoction of troublemakers who were bent on treading the path of perdition.

Eweka recalled that the group had last year expelled leaders of the renegade group, including: Comrade Dare Adesope (former Secretary), Alhaji Taofiq Aderemi (Organising Secretary) and Comrade Olusola Ajayi Edward (Publicity Secretary).

“These are people who should have shown signs of remorse in order to be readmitted into the organisation. But it is a pity that

they have gone beyond the bounds of decency and they have no place in any congregation of sane and decent people,” OPC said.

Eweka denied that the OPC Founder was a sittight leader. “Dr. Fasehun has in his usual modest character severally offered to step down and confer the mantle on younger elements in OPC, but we his followers have always turned down such a prospect. It is the organisation that decided that it is in its own corporate interest to retain this elder statesman and eminent Nigerian in the driving seat,” Eweka said. “Even then, he has put succession machinery in motion. But these renegades have no role in the future of OPC or its leadership, ever.”

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SMExtra

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STORIES THAT TOUCH YOU Sunday April 26, 2015

Narrow Escape: Bank driver recounts ordeal in hands of dare-devil robbers OBASOLUYI TELEWA

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New Police Acting IG, Solomon Arase

“ thought I had passed on when the cutlass pierced my head but I thank God that I am still alive”. These were the words of Mr. James Abutu, a driver with a commercial bank, who was attacked by some armed robbers in Lagos penultimate weekend.

Abutu, in his 30s, hails from Opoga village, Okpowa Local Government Area of Benue State and is now thanking his stars for not being dispatched to an early grave.

The incident took place in Ogudu in Lagos East Senatorial District last Thursday as residents were starting to regain a sense of normalcy following bloody clashes by political thugs during the April 11 elections that left at least one person dead.

An eyewitness account said very early in the morning of the fateful day, the people watched in disbelief and dismay as a young man with blood soaked head and cloth was being rushed to a nearby hospital for revival having survived an armed robbery attack in the area.

“At first we thought the people that promised a reprisal attack following the unfortunate killings of the past week had come back”.

It was to your tent oh Israel, when the news broke out that another person had been struck in the neighbourhood. No one wanted to die or be caught up in the middle of the situation. However, some bold resadents went to investigate and ascertained the true state of things before people started to come out of hiding, the eye witness who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity stated when Sunday Mirror visited the scene.

During a chat with Sunday Mirror on the hospital bed in Lagos following the armed attack, the young driver with a new generation bank told with our correspondent on how he survived the blood-thirsty armed bandits, who thought they could easily disposes him of the company car without being challenge in spite the guns and cutlasses they were welding.

Narrating his ordeal, James said: “Early in the morning of April 16,2015, that was around 4.50am, I set out for my office. As usual after coming out of the

Abutu, with plastered head

street that I am staying, I drove to Buhari gate to wait for my boss beside the road.

At that time it was still quiet everywhere.

As a driver with a new generation bank it is our usual practice to arrive office with our boss very early for the day’s work before customers start coming at 8am.

As I sat inside the car suddenly, two men burst out from nowhere and demanded for the car keys .

I asked them ‘wetin happen? Na you get the car key’. Then they started dragging the keys with me. In the process my telephone fell, and one of them brought out a gun. He pointed the gun at me to surrender the key. I rushed the one holding the gun with blows and both gun and the man fell apart.

“Having overcome the one with gun and sensing further danger, the second man brought out a cutlass and started cutting my head with it.

He also cut my hand. When the blood started gushing out uncontrollably, I collapsed and became unconscious. I col-

lapsed and knew nothing again until I got to the hospital where I was attended to. I was told that the first hospital I was rushed to rejected me as a result of the degree of blood and deep cut.

As soon as I recovered, I reported the case at the Ogudu Police Headquarters, The Police have come to see me and to assess the situation”, he disclosed to Sunday Mirror on his sick bed. “My happiness is that they did not carry the car away because they could not locate the car keys.”

According to James, he may not have been so unlucky if he had taken off from his base in Lagos, where he rented an apartment. “It is because of the traffic gridlock on the Ikorodu road that I decided to put up with my cousin in Ogudu. At weekends, I go back to Ikorodu only to come back on Sundays for the week’s job”, he explained .

According to the victim’s cousin, Eneje Jacob, “When they called me that early morning that my brother had col-

lapsed and had been rushed to the hospital, I was shivering because I never envisage that such a thing could happen to him that day. When I got to him he could not recognise me but I thank God that he is fast recovering now”, he told our correspondent. He however called on government to beef up security in the area both day and night to avoid further occurrence, he added.

Sunday Mirror investigations reveal that incidence of robbery attacks in the area has been on the increase in recent times. According to a victim of such attacks, Prophet Adekunle Adenuga, popularly called TJ , “one early morning this year, we were at the bus stop in the area to board a cab to Ketu. Suddenly a car appeared, coming from the Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge. As I flagged down the car and it stopped, one of the occupants from the rear jumped out with gun and asked me to raise my hand and surrender all with me.

We were two going to Ketu but the second person was sitting on a barricade as I moved closer to the coming cab to negotiate the fare. We were coming from a nearby church after a vigil. As soon as the criminals caught up with me, I became dumbfounded because I did not bargain for that as my friend took off.

He did not bother to wait for me nor assist me. “They said, your money if you move I shoot you “. One thing that surprised me most was that he ran past the nearby church having been overwhelmed with fear.

“That day, the robbers collected my money, telephones and other things with me. Apart from the two of us some women going to Mile 12 to buy market were also ransacked before they sped off. But they did not harm me. The area should be closely monitored by the security agencies, especially during the wee hours of the day”,he stated.

Efforts by Sunday Mirror to get comments from the image maker of the Nigeria Police in Lagos, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu proved abortive at the time of filing this report.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North News

Sunday April 26, 2015

58

Police confirm killing of man, 28, in tussle over girlfriend

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he police in Nasarawa State yesterday confirmed the killing of one Yusuf Salihu, 28, by another man in an apparent tussle over a girlfriend in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

ASP Ismaila Umar-Noman, the state Police Public Relations Officer, con-

firmed the incident when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

“We received information on April 22, that some youths in Akwanga mobilised themselves with cutlasses, knives, among others, to revenge the death of Mr. Yusuf Salihu, who was allegedly stabbed to

death by Mr. Alias Sadam on misunderstanding over a girlfriend.

“We quickly sent our officers to the area to investigate what was happening and on reaching there, our men discovered that one Mr Yusuf Salihu was stabbed at his back with a knife by one Mr. Alias Sadam and he died on the

spot.

“The police have already commenced investigation in to the matter as the suspect is on the run.

“I want to assure the family and the members of the public that the police will do everything human possibly to bring the culprit to book,’’ he said.

Umar-Noman said that

the police had since released the body of the deceased to the family for burial.

He also said that normalcy had returned to the area and urged the public to always give vital information to the police in the interest of peace.

He warned youths against taking laws in to

their hand and advised the public to report their grievances to the appropriate authority for necessary action rather than engaging in violence.

Also speaking, the uncle to the deceased, Mr. Tanimu Haruna, also confirmed the incident and appealed to the police to apprehend the suspect.

FRSC returns N400,000 cash to accident victim’s family A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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L-R: Representative of the National President, Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Prince Billy Gillis-Harry; Kaduna State Commisioner for Finance, Alhaji Aliyu Samaila; Galadima Zazzau, Alhaji Nuhu Aliyu; representative of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Ezenwanne Benjamin and President, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr. Abdul-Alimi Bello, during the opening ceremony of the 36th Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Katsina gets transition committee JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

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atsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema has at the weekend, inaugurated a 15-member transition committee in preparation for the May 29 handover.

The inauguration comes three days after the governor-elect, Aminu Bello Masari had set up a 19-member committee that would interface with that of state government.

While incoming admin-

istration is All Progressive Congress, APC, the present state government is Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The state government’s committee, chaired by Secretary to the State Government, Muntari Katsina was given six terms of reference by the state governor.

Shema called on committee to prepare a balanced sheet position as at May 29, and prepare lists and sum totals of major contracted liabilities.

He also called on them to prepare lists of ongoing contracts and direct labour projects within estimated costs and period of completion.

In addition, he asked them to proffer other recommendation for successful transition from current administration to incoming one.

The governor said committee was at liberty to co-opt persons that would assist in its assignment, even as he commended people in the state for

their support during his almost eight-year tenure.

He however called on people in the state to extend similar gesture to incoming administration to allow for smooth flow of governance.

The committee chairman, Katsina, assured the governor of a thorough job that would allow for free transition from outgoing to incoming administration.

The committee has till May 25 to submit its report.

Ex-Gov Audu still APC leader in Kogi, says group WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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ollowing the power tussle which has been rocking the hierarchy of All Progressive Congress APC in Kogi State, a group under the aegis of Confluence for Change has disclosed that Prince Abubakar Audu is still the leader of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Kogi state.

While speaking to the newsmen in Lokoja, the

leader of the group, Isah Ibrahim, stated that Audu has remains a rallying point for the APC not only in Kogi state but North Central Zone.

The group was reacting to a publication in the newspapers that Kogi APC elders had reject ex-governor Audu, arguing that the reaction became necessary to put the records straight and allowing the public to know the true position of things.

The leader lamented one

Alhaji Isah Omolori, whom the story was credited to, is not a member of the APC, describing him as a cannon folder for some disgruntled elements bent on causing disaffection in APC. “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to sound it to the hearing of doubting Thomas’s that the leadership of Prince Abubakar Audu in Kogi State is incontrovertible. His leadership acceptance transcend the shores of Kogi state as

critical stakeholders of the APC in north central zone seen his as rallying point,” he said.

The group added the fake APC elders are nothing but burden on the party, calling on the leadership of the APC at national level and the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of antics of self-seeking people who have nothing to offer the party and the country than mischief and rancour.

he Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, RS 1.15 Sabon Tasha, Unit Command has returned a huge sum of money recovered from an accident victim, late Mufutau Alao Salami, to his family just as it called on motorists to avoid dangerous driving.

Presenting the money and properties recovered from the victim’s vehicle to the family at Malaban Rido, Kaduna, Unit Commander, ACC Muhammad Ogoshi, said it was the culture of the corps to return anything found with accident victim to his or her family adding that FRSC officials do not tamper with accident victims properties.

Ogoshi explained that the victim, whose vehicle loaded with cartons of beer, was on his way from Air Force Mammy market to beer depot in Sabo Tasha along New Kaduna road when the accident oc-

curred and he died on the spot before FRSC operatives arrived at the scene to rescue him.

He said that FRSC patrol team which promptly came to the accident scene removed the victim’s corpse and took it to the Saint Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna.

Ogoshi added that his men recovered that the sum of N419,290 and other properties and handover to the relatives of the deceased. The deceased wife, Mrs. Binta Salami, received the money and properties on behalf of her family. It is the culture of FRSC; we don’t play with accident properties and money. We are very conscious of that. We don’t receive bribe too”.

He said the cause of the accident may be over speeding or loss of control stressing that the ban planed on commercial motor cyclists known as Okada in Kaduna state has reduced accident cases to minimal.

Many state-sponsored weddings collapse in Sokoto –Official

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o fewer than 20 out of the 125 marriages contracted and sponsored by the Sokoto State government in January, 2014, had collapsed, an official has disclosed.

Alhaji Aliyu KowfarRini, the Chairman of the state’s Sunnah Marriage Mediation Council, the organiser of the marriage, disclosed this in Sokoto yesterday while commenting on the current state of the marriages.

He told news men that the state government had in January, 2014 spent over N 30m in sponsoring the mass marriages of 125 couples.

“The state government

paid the dowries and provided all the wedding clothes and materials for both the 125 grooms and 125 brides.

“Out of these marriages, 20 had since collapsed leading to divorces, sequel to mainly unemployment and other problems such as incompatibility of the couples,’’ he added.

Kofar-Rini also said that the council was now working round the clock to ensure that the remaining 105 mass marriages were saved from failure.

The chairman also said that the council had concluded arrangements for the conduct of the second phase of such marriages among 250 couples.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South News

Sunday, April 26, 2015

59

Don’t appoint politicians with questionable character, Buhari told OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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s Nigerians await the inauguration of a new government at the centre, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State, Chief Richard Kpodo, has urged the President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, not to appoint politicians with

questionable character and those not cleared of corrupt charges into his cabinet.

He warned that any politician who has corrupt charges to answer in any of the existing anti-corruption agencies has no business in the new government as any wrong appointment made may send the wrong signal about his administration.

Kpodo, who served as the Bayelsa chairman of the defunct New PDP and security adviser to the Bayelsa Government during the tenure of Governor Timipre Sylva, said though the zero tolerance status of the Presidentelect is known to Nigerians, there was the need to tread carefully and verify the status of any proposed political appointee.

Speaking in Yenagoa, during an interactive session with the media, he noted that the APC and Buhari must stand by the campaign promises made on the zero tolerance to corruption by appointing technocrats and credible politicians devoid of sentiments and corrupt past.

His words: “The people of Bayelsa State want the President-elect to stand by

his words and ensure that the battle against corruption starts with the choice of persons appointed into his cabinet. We believe in him due to his records and antecedents. The support base built during the campaign was based on the promise to tackle corruption head-on. We believe he is the man for the job.

“The promise to eradicate corruption from all sectors of the economy must start with the proposed appointments to be made into cabinet or on the Transition Committee. We want him to tread carefully and not appoint politicians with questionable character into his cabinet. He should not appoint those known to have cases to answer before the anti-corruption agencies.

People to be appointed

into his cabinet must be those with decent character and not phonies.”

Kpodo noted that the President-elect should not allow himself to be hoodwinked by claims of some politicians of being a former governor and state party leader as a yardstick for political appointments.

“Most of these persons have defrauded their state chapters of the APC and failed to deliver in terms of votes. They have been involved in fund diversion and should not be appointed.

“Bayelsa people are ready to work closely with Buhari.

But the state structure of the party must be reviewed to allow for proper planning and takeover of the State Government House come 2016”, he reiterated.

Imo re-run: 25 INEC officials nabbed for thumb printing ballot papers CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

N New ambulances and hospital complex inaugurated by the Minister of State for Health, Chief Fidelis Nwankwo, at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki on Friday.

PDP ready for challenge of being opposition -Fadahunshi BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

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member of elder caucus of Peoples Democratic Party, in Osun State, Prince Francis Fadahunshi, yesterday said rather than continue to mourn its losses in the last general election, the PDP was poised for challenge of being in opposition.

This is just as he debunked insinuations that he had dumped the party on which platform he ran for the senatorial seat of Osun East District in the

last national assembly poll.

Fadahunshi, who is presently challenging the declaration of the incumbent lawmaker representing the district, Senator Jide Omoworare, as the winner of the election, before the tribunal, said despite his strong position about the incidents that led to the loss of PDP in the last presidential poll, he remained committed to the party.

Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo at the weekend, the former Customs boss, warned the All

Progressives Congress, APC, never to trust anyone that leaves PDP for the party after the loss of President Jonathan to Gen. Buhari.

“These kinds of characters are the elements that wanted to destroy PDP, but it cannot be worse than this for the party. We are going to survive it and these characters now moving to APC, I see them doing same thing they did in PDP there, if the party should allow them”, he said.

Regarding his pending case before the tribunal, Fadahunshi said, “Apart

from the court of law that will adjudicate on the matter, court of conscience and public opinion will also judge those involved in circumventing the wishes of people of Ife/ Ijesa Senatorial District to have a better deal in the Senate.

“But I assure them, justice in this matter can only be delayed but it will never be denied. I urge people of the senatorial district not to renege in their support and to remain peaceful and law abiding, as we all await for favourable outing at the tribunal.”

ot fewer than 25 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC were yesterday arrested in various polling booths in Oru East Local Government Areas of Imo State during supplementary governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Although the police authorities in the state could not confirm this when contacted on telephone, Sunday Mirror reliably gathered that the officials were nabbed while thumping printing ballot papers in the private homes of some chieftains of political parties participating in the exercise while others were also arrested for snatching of ballot boxes.

Also arrested were fake INEC officials, who posed as Returning Officers at the Collation Centre.

The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mike Igini, who was among the INEC team deployed for the election, who made the arrest, said that the

INEC officials were arrested at Umumma primary school Ward 10 Polling Unit 008, Polling Unit 003 and three others.

“Myself accompanied by the Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commissioner Police have arrested poll officials in Oru East involved in mass thumb printing and are now taken to Owerri” He said that upon his suspicion he saw an imposter who claimed to be lNEC staff without proof acting as a presiding officer and he ordered for his arrest.

Also responding, the Imo State REC, Dr. Gabriel Ada, confirmed the incident when contacted on phone, said that the Electoral officer EO in charge of Oru East has already briefed him of the arrest.

Meanwhile, the election was relatively peaceful and orderly in the various units visited as election materials arrived on time while accreditation of voters commenced as early as 8.30 to 9am.There was an low turnout of voters at some of the polling units visited at Oru East LGA.

Former Reps canvasses commercialisation of govt corporations RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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ormer House of Reps member that represented Calabar Municipality/Odukpani federal Constituency, Eturbom Nya Asuquo, at the weekend charged the incoming administration of Gen. Mu-

hammadu Buhari and that of Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River State not to toe the line of previous administrations where government investments were sold out to private individuals under the guise of privatisation policy.

Asuquo gave the advice in an interactive forum

with Sunday Mirror at his palace in Calabar. He called for a reversal of the privatisation policy which, according to him, was exploitative and capable of impoverishing the ‘common man’, adding that the privatisation of government-owned enterprises was only favourable to the rich, thereby making

them super rich.

The former lawmaker canvassed for the commercialisation of governmentowned businesses so as to help the economy of the state and that of the federal government experience tremendous turnaround.

Asuquo, who is now a monarch in Nassarawa

community on the outskirts of Calabar metropolis, solicited a paradigm shift in favour of the poor instead of embarking on outright sale of government investments, a policy which the former don criticised in its entirety.

The Nassarawa monarch urged the incoming admin-

istrations, particularly the administration of the president-elect and that of governor of Cross River State to factor their policies in a manner that employment opportunity would be generated so as to drastically reduce the huge unemployment, which has bedevilled the nation in recent times.

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Mou hits back at Wenger’s jibe P. 63

April 26, 2015

Mayweather Vs Pacquiao

Who wins fight of the century?

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or more than five years, fans and boxing experts alike have been talking about a potential fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. The undefeated boxer was the underdog when it looked like the fighters might meet in 2010, but Mayweather is now the clear favorite, according to Bovada.lv.

Who will come out on top in possibly the biggest fight of all time?

The two sides agreed to fight in February, and a contract with the MGM Grand was finally signed on Wednesday. Tickets went on sale Thursday afternoon, and one of the biggest sporting events in recent memory is getting closer and closer. When Mayweather and Pacquiao finally meet in the ring on May 2 at the MGM Grand, all kinds of pay-per-view and revenue records will be broken.

Mayweather, 38, and Pacquiao, 36, are no longer as good as they were at their peaks. But the two boxers have yet to reach the twilight of their careers, and they are still the best the sport has to offer. There hasn’t been a boxer that’s been able to challenge Mayweather’s perfect record in quite some time. Since Jose Luis Castillo almost beat Mayweather 13 years ago, Mayweather has essentially breezed to 47-0. Oscar De La Hoya lost to Mayweather in a split decision, but there’s no question that Mayweather got the better of his opponent. Even in

Mayweather’s majority decision victory over Marcos Maidana that was much closer than many expected, the champ pulled away in the later rounds and was the better fighter. Four months later, Mayweather dominated Maidana in their rematch.

It appeared that Pacquiao might be slipping about three years ago. However, his split decision loss to Timothy Bradley should have never been scored a loss for PacMan, and he bounced back from his knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012. Pacquiao has been dominant in his last three fights, winning on all nine judges’ scorecards.

Against Chris Algieri in November, he recorded six knockdowns, arguably winning every round.

If anyone has a chance to finally defeat Mayweather, it’s Pacquiao. The Filipino is a hard puncher, the likes of which Mayweather isn’t accustomed to facing. Being a southpaw could give Mayweather some trouble, in addition to his aggressive fighting style.

Pacquiao might be able to land more punches on Mayweather than most of his previous opponents, but Mayweather is still the best defensive fighter in the sport. Despite what Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach says, he still has the speed to avoid getting hit for the majority of his fights.

When Mayweather is at his best,

there’s not a fighter that can beat him.

Canelo Alvarez was considered to be the biggest threat to Mayweather’s perfect record in years. As the anticipation caused the fight to become the most profitable in boxing history, Mayweather put on a clinic, getting the better of his opponent round after round.

Much of the sports world is hoping to see Mayweather lose. Mayweather’s runins with the law have made him unlikeable to a large portion of the public, and the perception that he ducked a fight with

Pacquiao makes him easy to root against.

But a victory for Pacquiao isn’t as likely as it would have been a few years ago.

While Pacquiao’s punches might have more of an effect on Mayweather than what he experienced in his last few fights, Pacquiao is no longer in the prime of his career, and he could have a hard time landing enough power punches on Mayweather to get the decision. The fight should be competitive and go 12 rounds, with Mayweather coming out in a fairly comfortable decision.

Tickets sold out in seconds

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he few tickets made available to the public for the Fight of the Century between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao next month sold out less than a minute after going on general sale, nine days before the Las Vegas showdown.

Within minutes of the sale, tickets to the bout began appearing on websites for as much as $141,000 (£94,000) reports the BBC. The most expensive tickets to the fight next Saturday have a face value of $10,000.

The cheapest tickets cost $1,500 (£1,000) and the most expensive are valued at $10,000 (£6,660). However, the face value of the ticket is no indication of its worth. “Seats are expected to change hands for around £60,000 on the black market,”, explains the Daily Telegraph.

The two camps have already started releasing some of their ticket allocations to brokers and they have been attracting huge bids. Sky says two of the $10,000 tickets were sold on the internet for more than $100,000 on Wednesday.

Predictions Thomas Hearns: Floyd Mayweather George Foreman: Manny Pacquiao Betting Odds: Mayweather -210.

Pacquiao +170 Prediction: Mayweather by unanimous decision

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Sunday April 26, 2015

Keshi can’t control player’s lack of game time

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ith most Super Eagles players either failing to get regular playing time for their clubs or failing to sign for top clubs, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has stated it is not in his power to determine how the club careers of the players will go.

It hasn’t been the best of times for most Super Eagles players as most of them struggle to play regularly for their clubs, even when playing for less fancied sides, and Keshi acknowledges the issue, but says he cannot do anything about it.

“I can’t control their performanc-

Keshi

es for their clubs or how often they play,” he says. “It is a personal thing, it’s about personal excellence and it depends on the individual.

“If you think you have to work harder to become better, it is left to

you as the player, I cannot control that.

“Although I talk to them one on one if I think they are not doing well on enough for their clubs but it is not my job to be on their neck everyday about it.

“They’re all adults, they’re professionals and they should live up to a professional level and that is it,” he stated.

A good number of the current Super Eagles players have recently struggled to gain regular playing time for their clubs, with only a handful of them playing week in, week out for their clubs.

Imo wins etisalat U-15 championship IFEANYI EDUZOR

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overnment Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State has emerged winners of the maiden edition of etisalat U-15 national football competition.

In an entertaining finals decided at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island, Lagos, the school defeated hard fighting Government Model Secondary School, Bida, Niger State by 4-2 to emerge winners of the championship to cart away a giant trophy and N2million.

In the third place match decided

at the same venue, Winners College, Akure, Ondo State defeated Washington Memorial Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State by 13-12 penalties after their game ended 2-2 at regulation time while, Nnamdi Tochukwu of Government Secondary School , Owerri emerged as the most valuable player of the championship.

Presenting the trophy to the winning school, Chief Marketing Officer of Etisalat, Francesco Angelo noted that the company decided to sponsor the competition as its contribution towards development of grassroots football in the country even as he commended all the players and officials for the spirit of sportsmanship exhibited throughout

the duration of the tournament.

In his remarks, President of Nigeria School Sports Federation, organizers of the tournament commended the company for sponsoring the championship noting that the Federation through its strict screening process ensured that only players who are 15 years and below participated in the tournament.

Winner of the championship got N2million with each of the players receiving scholarship worth N50,000 each while the runners-up got N1million naira and N30,000 scholarship for each of the players with the third placed team getting N750,000 and N20, 000 scholarship for each of the players.

Lawal: Eagles must develop a pattern of play

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ormer Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal has stated that the team must now develop a pattern of play that will be the country’s trademark, in the aftermath of Stephen Keshi’s reappointment as the Super Eagles coach.

Lawal says there has to be a structure in the way the team plays, which according to him, should be a departure from the ‘frustrating’ way they currently play.

“We need to have a pattern of play, a style,” he said.

“The last games they have played have been frustrating so they need to build a pattern.

“The last few games we have played have been nothing to write home about to be honest. It has been difficult defining the way they have tried to play.

“But at this point, we need to have a

system and a pattern that we play that should be encouraging and that we can all relate to,” he said.

The former Levski Sofia of Bulgaria midfielder however that it is not a criticism of Keshi, but just an expectation of any coach that handles the team.

“It is not about Keshi now, it’s about the team. Whoever is in charge must develop a pattern of play that is pleasing and encouraging, whether it is Keshi or not.”

Meanwhile, one of the clause in Keshi’s contract also states that he must play a brand of football that will ‘make the country proud’.

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he 9th edition of the annual Central Bank of Nigeria Junior Tennis championship ended yesterday at the Lagos Tennis Club, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Director Corporate Communications of the apex bank, Ibrahim Muazu noted that the increase in the number of participants at the championship is an indication that the tournament will continue to produce talented players for the country.

According to him, since the commencement of the championship which involves players from 10- 18 years about nine years ago, it has pro-

duced players that later graduated to the senior team with a promise that the bank will continue to support the development of tennis as part of its social responsibility function.

In his own remarks, Director of International Tennis Academy, Godwin Kienka noted that the championship apart from becoming a house hold name in the country has also contributed greatly in encouraging Nigerian youths to start learning the rudiments of the game at a very young age even as he promised that next year’s edition will witness an improvement from previous editions.

Meanwhile, Iye Ohoya emerged as the winner of the U-10 girl’s category with Serena Teluwo emerging as the runner- up while Danile Agbeleye won the boy’s version with Fortune

Knockout IFEANYI Eduzor with

08055829770 ifeduz24@yahoo.com

Mayweather/Pacquiao fight record tickets’ sell out

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loyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s fight sold out within minutes and tickets immediately appeared on websites for as much as $141,000.

Only 1,000 tickets were made available to the public for the fight on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The remaining 15,500 seats will go to fighters, sponsors and promoters.

The cheapest ticket for the bout cost $1,500, rising to about $7,500.

Tickets for the fighters’ weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena go on sale on Friday, with all funds raised

going to charity.

The contest between the two has been set since February, but a ticket contract was only finalized this week.

Ticketmaster’s website stated no tickets were available only minutes after they went on sale American Mayweather, 38, and Filipino Pacquiao, 36, are considered two of the best fighters of their generation and the bout, which has been in the pipeline for five years, is set to generate $250m.

Mayweather has won all 47 of his fights, 26 by knockout, while Pacquiao has a record of 57 wins, five losses and two draws.

Klitschko targets 25 title defenses

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orld heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko says he plans to rewrite the record books by having 25 straight title defenses.

The Ukrainian has 17 consecutive title defenses ranking third behind Larry Holmes with 19 and Joe Louis with 25 straight wins at the top.

“As long as I have the motivation and health, I’ll do it. I don’t feel old, or bad, or slow.” said

the confident champion.

According to him, his plans now are to create a record as the boxer with the highest number of defenses which he says he hope to achieve in no distant time.

“I am working hard to emulate Joe Louis who set a world record by defending the heavyweight title 25 times and I hope that with good health and adequate training, I can achieve that record.

Lawal

CBN junior tennis tourney ends in Lagos IFEANYI EDUZOR

61

Joseph as the runner-up. In the U-12 boy’s category, David Dawariye beat other players to emerge winner with Fortune Joseph taking the second position.

Also In the girl’s U-14, Marylove Edwards proved too strong for other players leaving the second position to Timipre Maxwell just as Gabriel Friday and Mathew Abamu emerged the first and second best players in the boy’s category in a match described as the star match of the championship.

At the end of the weeklong competition, 18 year old Chris Bulus emerged as the most outstanding player in the boy’s category while 14 year old Temipre Maxwell was adjudged the best player in the girl’s category.

: Wladimir Klitschko (L) knocks down Kubrat Pulev during their IBF heavyweight boxing title fight

Khan to give up on Mayweather

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t’s looking increasingly likely that former two time light welterweight champion, Amir Khan (30-3, 19ko), who fights American Chris Algieri (20-1, 8ko) in New York on May 29th will have to give up on his dream of fighting Floyd Mayweather, a fight he has been chasing for the better part of two and a half years.

Mayweather has stated equivocally that whether he wins or loses on May 2nd, his last fight will be in September.

“My last fight will be in September. I don’t know who I will fight in September, but I can’t be overlooking anyone” This is obviously a blow to Khan, who after the Algieri fight will observe a period of fasting during the Islamic festival of Ramadan. This ends mid-July in 2015 and Khan is well known for needing plenty of time to train and recover after the fast, ostensibly leaving him too little time for his dream bout with Mayweather in September.

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t n e l l e c x e n a e v a h ‘I p i h s n o i t a l e r g n i k r o w with my

’ s e s s o b

On Tuesday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reappointed Stephen Keshi as head coach of the Super Eagles until for another two years. He was first appointed as coach of the Nigeria national team in 2011.

The former Mali and Togo national team trainer sat down with supersport.com shortly after he signed the contract to discuss his project as head coach of the three-time African champions.

Supersport.com: Congratulations “Big Boss” on finally signing the contract. You must be relieved.

Stephen Keshi: Relieved is not the word.

I will rather say I am just looking forward to starting work immediately. Like you know, the 2017 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers is around the corner and our first match is on June 13 against Chad. I recall signing a similar contract in 2011 and I remember everything vividly. I want to thank everyone especially the media who came out massively to be a part of the unveiling ceremony in Abuja on such short notice.

Supersport.com: Your predecessor, Samson Siasia was sacked for failing to guide Nigeria to a place at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Many say you should have suffered a similar fate after failing to guide the Super Eagles to a place at the 2015 Afcon.

Stephen Keshi: You need to understand that the circumstances and conditions that Siasia worked under were completely different from what I faced.

At that time (period of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers), Nigerian football was dogged by a lot of drama and infighting. There were so many issues relating to what faction would lead the NFF and these things hampered our preparations. We were told of different elections and different NFF presidents and board members. The players were aware of what was going on and it affected them psychologically. These ultimately affected the results posted on the pitch.

When everything was going on smoothly ear-lier, I qualified Niigeria for the World ld Cup and won the Afcon title in 2013 without any kind of problems. roblems.

I also had to work rk without a formal contract. Things ngs are however very different now w and with the current spirit I have seen so far from the NFF, I am sure we will do well.

Supersport.com: The NFF is surprisingly quiet on the composition of your backroom staff but there are rumours that you asked for your former number er two, Daniel Amokachi not to be e re-appointed.

Stephen Keshi: I read about the speculations. The e truth is that I cannot hire or fire any coach. That is the duty of the NFF and the best I can do is to give my point of view when recommendations ations are made.

Supersport.com: What were your recommendations on Amokachi?

Stephen Keshi:: I can’t tell you that. There are certain things that are confidential between een a head coach and his employers. The NFF will always ask my opinion about members mbers of my backroom staff because I am m the one that will work with them ultimately ately. However, the final decision on who gets fired or hired rests with the NFF and not me.

Supersport.com: Speaking about the NFF, are you comfortable ble working with the present members of the executive committee?

Stephen Keshi:: I really don’t understand this question……why on……why should I not be comfortable working orking with them?

Supersport.com: Because you were sacked by the same me board midway through Nigeria’s 2015 Afcon qualifying campaign?

Stephen Keshi: Point of correction….I wasn’t sacked. You u cannot sack a man that ontract with you. At that does not have a contract point, I did not have ave a contract with the NFF. I was merely y asked to step aside for someone else (Amodu modu Shuaibu) to continue. And I honestly y don’t believe there was any malice in thatt decision. If there was, the same NFF would uld not have offered me a new contract. The he NFF only took a deci-

Keshi

sion which they believed was right for Nigerian football at that time, and I respect that. I have an excellent working relationship with my bosses.

Supersport.com: Public opinion over the NFF’s decision to hand you a new contract is divided.

Do you think you face a difficult task proving yourself to your doubters?

Keshi: Stephen (Laughs). No. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.

I know what I can do. Listen I understand Nigerians are unhappy that the team did not qualify for the last Afcon and are not playing well. I take responsibility and I apologize. The truth is we must learn from the past to have a better future.

Nigerians must know that this is not Stephen Keshi’s Super Eagles but their Super Eagles. The team belongs to everyone and Nigerians tomust come to ogether, forgive mis-

takes of past the move and This is a on. Thi new era and must all we mus together to work togeth form a great grea Suagain. per Eagles aga Supersport.com: Supersport.com made What mistakes m stint during you first sti would you work on coraround? recting this time aro Initially, Stephen Keshi: In followed I had a plan and I fol that plan. Everything was going on well and we ended up winning the 2013 Afcon title. We also qualified ffor the 2014 Fifa World Cup but then things began to change. There and it afwas a lot of interference an fected everything we were doing. things are The good thing is that thin very different now and I am sure we will do well. confident are Supersport.com: How confiden picking a you of Nigeria’s chances pickin Group op2017 Afcon ticket ahead of Grou ponents, Chad, Tanzania and Egypt Egy Stephen Keshi: I have always taken things one step at a time. We W will prosecute the game against Chad first. After that, we can worry about Tanzania and Egypt.

Egypt

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Sunday April 26, 2015

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LvG fears De Gea’s Man Utd exit

D Mourinho

Mou hits back at Wenger’s jibe

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helsea manager Jose Mourinho contends that Arsene Wenger is not his rival and is only a manager of a good team in the same area.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hit back at Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and defended his team’s tactics ahead of their trip to Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Mourinho and Wenger have been part of a long-running rivalry that has extended over the past 11 years, with sparring between the duo before, d u r i n g and after matches, c ap t u r i n g headlines along the way.

avid de Gea has a lucrative contract in front of him. And his hesitance to sign has his manager fearing the worst.

Louis van Gaal has admitted he is worried that David de Gea’s delay in signing the lucrative new contract Manchester United have offered him means he is likely to reject it.

Real Madrid target De Gea’s current deal expires in 2016 and United risk either losing the goalkeeper on a free transfer next summer or being forced to sell him this year to prevent an £18 million buy departing without

compensation.

The Manchester club are keen to keep the Spain international but manager Van Gaal realises he is powerless to prevent De Gea from spurning their generous offer.

“It takes a long time now,” Van Gaal said in a news conference. “So ... it can always happen. I am not the boss. I want him to stay. The player is the boss he can say yes or no. You will have to ask David de Gea not me. He has to sign. We have offered him a lot of money.”

De Gea

Bernabeu return, a possibility for Pogba M

Pogba

Arsenal could not have afforded Eden

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rsene Wenger has “no big regrets” over Arsenal’s failure to sign Eden Hazard before his switch to Chelsea, saying: “It was not feasible for us financially.”

Hazard had been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal after making the breakthrough at Lille, but ultimately Chelsea won the battle to sign the Belgian, who had also attracted interest from both Manchester clubs, in the summer of 2012.

Chelsea paid a reported £32 million for Hazard’s signature, on a deal said to be worth around £150,000-a-week, and Wenger said that was not possible for his club at that stage.

assimiliano Allegri is hopeful of having star midfielder Paul Pogba available for the second leg of Juventus’ UEFA Champions League semi-final at Real Madrid on May 13.

France international Pogba missed Juve’s quarter-final triumph over Monaco after suffering a hamstring injury in the second leg of his club’s last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Sunday’s Derby della Mole at Torino, Juve boss Allegri said: “We are doing everything possible to have him back for the second leg of the semi-final.” The return of Pogba, who has frequently been linked with moves to several clubs including Real, would be a significant boost for Juve as they aim to progress at the expense of the reigning European champions.

Allegri acknowledged the size of the task facing his side, adding: “We’ll be playing against the European champions, a galactic team.”

Victory over Torino will put the Serie A holders on the brink of a fourth successive title - and a first under Allegri, who revealed Patrice Evra will not be available on Sunday.

“It’s difficult to play against Torino, we can’t underestimate this one at all,” added the former Milan coach.

No Messi, no Barca claims ex-Bayern ´keeper Pfaff

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ormer Bayern Munich goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff questioned whether Barcelona can reach the UEFA Champions League final if Lionel Messi does not play well.

Barcelona were drawn against Bayern in the Champions League semi-finals on Friday, with the Bavarians’ coach Pep Guardiola set to face his former club in a competitive fixture for the first time since moving to Germany.

Bayern stormed into the last-four with a 6-1 second-leg demolition of Porto on Tuesday to claim a 7-4 aggregate victory, while Barca cruised past Paris Saint-Germain 5-1.

Pfaff, who played for Bayern between 1982 and 1988, reckons the German club have the edge on Barca in terms of depth.

“Barcelona is a great team but I believe the collective Bayern Munich is much stronger,” the Belgian said.

“If at Barcelona Messi doesn’t have a good day, half of the team isn’t good. The striker can be good but if the last pass doesn’t come it’s difficult.

“I think the whole team of Bayern Munich, from the goalkeeper to any other player can combine very well.”

Barca will host the first leg and, while Pfaff does not deny that Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez make up one of the most dangerous attacks in world football, the 61-year-old is confident Bayern can match the Catalan club across 180 minutes.

“Yes, this is a difficult game. And this is of course a very big game,” he said.

“To play in Barcelona against Neymar, Messi and Suarez; with these three strikers the defence of Bayern Munich has to stay very concentrated.

“But the game is about two lots of 90 minutes. And so I think that Bayern Munich will go through.

Giggs

Van Gaal tips Giggs as his successor

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anchester United boss Louis van Gaal believes his assistant Ryan Giggs has all the necessary qualities to be his successor at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal signed a three-year deal at United following last year’s World Cup, and looks set to return the club to the UEFA Champions League following their nightmare 2013-14 season under David Moyes.

N I G E R I A

N493m

Vol. 5 No. 18

Sunday April 26, 2015

Back Page

Comment E-mail:

nwaunah@yahoo.com Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Dean, School of Languages and General Studies, The Premier University of Sao Tome and Principe

with Jim Unah

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fundamental characteristic of political leadership in a democratic society is the capacity to create adequate opportunities for human activities of all kinds. This is so because democracy, wherever and whenever it is properly practiced, is a people-friendly and people-centric government in which the yearnings and aspirations of majority of the citizens are afforded outlets for expression and fulfillment. Democracy allows freedom of political association and participation and guarantees fundamental rights of the people. It promotes the creative and competitive spirit of man that in turn elevates society to higher consciousness and attainments.

It is for this that those who would be leaders in a democratic society should demonstrate a capacity to provide adequate opportunities for human transactions of all sorts; failure which the clamor for change of leadership becomes inevitable. Opportunities are chances or favorable conditions, afforded by the state that enables individuals to pursue their dreams and personal

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I N

F I G U R E S

- Money the Nigeria Erosion and watershed Management project NEWMAP N150 paid for compensation for Erosion project.

F

- The amount Lagos State raked in from land transactions in 2014.

Leadership and opportunities

projects that lead to self-fulfillment and collective happiness.

People desire basic needs—food, clothing and shelter—and social amenities— water, electricity, and healthcare. And as man’s daily economic transactions require mobility from one place to another, he also desires adequate means of transportation.

People desire to have knowledge and information and the empowerment that comes from education. People desire to acquire skills through training that equips them to adjust or fit properly in society. People desire to work and earn a living when they have qualified and been certificated to perform certain functions and operations.

It is the task of democratic leadership to provide the basic infrastructures that enables the fulfillment of these needs. Where there is leadership failure to respond concretely to these needs the call for change becomes strident, and sometimes people go berserk to bring the change about.

Democratic leadership is essentially two-fold—executive and legislative. Both are elected by the people in a representative democracy. However, while all the members of the legislative assemblies are elected, only the chief executives—the President, Governors and local council Chairpersons—are directly elected by popular ballot. Subordinate executives such as Ministers, Commissioners, DirectorsGeneral, etc are appointed by chief executives following constitutionally laid down

procedures. There are checks and balances to prevent abuse of power by either arm of government. There are legislative oversight functions over the executive.

Conflicts of laws and disputes arising from the exercise of constitutional powers by the legislative and executive arms of government are resolved by the judicial arm of government, even as the press— the fourth Estate of the Realm—plays the role of a watchdog and whistle-blower; all of which are designed to ensure that what the law stipulates governs, rather than the arbitrary rule or collusion of those who exercise the powers of the state. And the net result of this is to ensure that democratic leadership results in the creation of opportunities for the citizens to pursue their enlightened self-interests, failure which society degenerates into a Hobbesian state of nature which directly undercuts the spirit and letter of the social contract from which men elected, hypothetically, to enter into civil society.

Lack of opportunities stifles creativity and freedom and push men into frustration and hopelessness that find outlets in criminality and socially disruptive behaviors. The kidnapping spree, hostage taking, and daredevil armed robbery making the rounds in our society including the senseless carnage of the fundamentalist insurgents are eloquent examples of the sort of acts that arise from denied opportunities.

Thus, democratic leadership without a ca-

Kpakor wants support for Eagles coach ormer BCC Lions captain, Moses Kpako, is hopeful that the Super Eagles will reclaim their right place on the podium of African football if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Stephen Keshi work in harmony.

Kpakor was reacting to the decision by the NFF to hand Keshi a new two-year deal even after the much publicised fallout between the former Togo coach and the football authorities in Nigeria.

The Benue-born former Super Eagles player is of the opinion that despite all that has transpired; the Eagles can still fly high if lessons of episodes past have been learnt.

“Stephen (Keshi) is my friend and I’m happy he has got the job despite everything that has happened,” he told supersport.com in Makurdi.

N27bn

“A lot of water has passed under the bridge and I’m sure that for them to come to an agreement means both parties must have seen the light from both sides.

“Keshi is a good coach, but a good coach cannot succeed without the support of the federation. Both parties need to bury the hatchet. Nigerian

football is bigger than all of them and they have to make sure that they are in one accord moving forward.”

The one-time Golden Eaglets coach also stated that Keshi has to be given the free hand to select his team considering the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will start in June.

Kpakor feels the NFF should be on top of things as the Eagles get ready to start their Afcon 2017 qualifying challenge in June against Chad.

“I felt really sad that we didn’t qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations this year in Equatorial Guinea,” the Benue State University graduate said.

pacity to create opportunities promotes socially disruptive tendencies and the uproar for change.

Now, there can be no adequate opportunities where there is abuse of power by the executive arm of government or where there is a collusion of legislative and executive magistrates to short-circuit due process and shortchange the people. This happens when public officers collude to loot the treasury; when contracts are awarded for capital projects that are not executed even where the funds have been disbursed; the conversion of public wealth into private property, and outright daily stealing of public funds. Thus, when the tsunami of change erupts, as it did in the March-April general elections in Nigeria, a huge proportion of executive and legislative functionaries of state are swept away by angry electorate.

The point of interest here is that democratic leadership and adequate opportunities are structurally interconnected. The two go hand in hand. The one cannot go without the other. Democratic leadership without adequate opportunities is a freak, a monster, a conspiracy against the people, and a journey to self destruction.

Consequently, the newly elected public officers from the President to the local government functionaries are well advised to make a difference and restore public confidence in democratic governance.

Who wins fight of the century?

P. 60

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