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Jonathan, Buhari meet again

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...President-elect to be conducted round Villa later

Military hits brickwall over Chibok girls —Investigation Vol. 5 No. 19

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Saturday, April 25, 2015

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Says Sambisa operation not about girls

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, meets President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

27 supplementary elections hold in 11 states P. 8

Affected areas witness massive police deployment Prince arrested for armed robbery Sealxk T

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100 arousing facts about sex (2)

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Sweet Sensation worker bags 266 years jail term for theft O

luremi Olayinka, a female staff of popular eatery, Sweet Sensation, was on Wednesday convicted and sentenced to 266 years imprisonment by Justice A. A. Akinyemi of Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta for stealing N8 million belonging to her employer.

The offence is contrary to sections 390(6)(7)(8), 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 29, Laws of Ogun State.

The court found the convict guilty on all the 34 count charges. Olayinka was sentenced to seven years on each of 30 counts and 14 years on the remaining four charges.

The sentences are to run concurrently. Additionally, Justice Akinyemi ordered her to return the money she stole in restitution to her victim.

Olayinka was arraigned before Justice Akinyemi on May 13, 2014 following a petition alleging that she stole the sum of N8 million, which she received on behalf of her employer.

When the convict was confronted with the allegation, she admitted the crime only for her to dramatically plead not guilty upon arraignment. In the course of trial, the EFCC presented four witnesses and tendered 16 exhibits to prove the case against the convict.

Chibuike Edeh:

Alive

Sebastine Ebhuomhan ome Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Edo State staged a protest on Friday through the streets of Benin City over the alleged cold blooded killing of a Protea Hotel staff, Mr. Chibuike Edeh.

According to the protesting rights activists who carried different placards and sang mournful songs, officials of the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, under the leadership of Mr Samuel Damilola Adegbuyi and the management of Protea Hotel in Benin City, a building that is located just a stone throw from the Edo Commissioner of Police’s office, were yet to satisfactorily explain how the late Edeh died in their custody 40 days ago.

In the protest that terminated at the premises of the hotel after stopping at the gates of the command, the protesters particularly accused the hotel management of refusing to pay condolence visitation to the bereaved family after conniving with the police.

They also accused the hotel management of refusing to declare the amount of money the late staff saved with the management as retirement savings before his death.

Leader of the protesters and Chairman of Central Working Committee of Edo Civil Society Organization,

Drug offence: 4 Nigerians, other convicts to die in Indonesia today

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foreign embassy official on Friday in Jakarta, said on condition of anonymity that Indonesia has concluded arrangements to execute several foreign drug convicts on Saturday, including four Nigerians.

The official said some diplomats of the countries of the affected convicts have been requested to travel to Nusakambangan, the prison island off Java where the inmates are to be executed.

A government official also said on condition of anonymity that authorities have ordered preparations for the execution of 10 death-row inmates, including two Australians that have been the subject of a high-profile campaign for clemency.

April 25, 2015

CSOs insist Edo police, hotel management killed staff

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Olayinka

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tony Spontana, spokesman for the Attorney General’s office, confirmed that a letter, issued on Thursday by a deputy attorney general, told prosecutors to “prepare for and carry out the executions.

“It’s not a letter of notification to the convicts”, he said.

He said convicts are typically notified of their executions three days in advance.

Spontana said the 10 inmates would all be executed at the same time. He said the other drug inmates facing execution are four from Nigeria, and one each from Indonesia, the Philippines and Brazil.

Spontana said one convict, Martin Aderson, first identified by officials as Ghanaian, was actually from Nigeria.

•Dying in hospital

Comrade Theophilus Ibodeme, asked, “Forty days down the line, our questions have not changed. It is: why was Chibuike killed by the police? On whose instruction and for what purpose was he killed?

“Where were the IPOs when Chibuike was allegedly knocked down by a vehicle? Where were the IPOs when a Good Samaritan rushed him to hospital? Forty days gone by, Protea Hotel where Chibuike worked until his death has failed, neglected and refused to call on Edeh’s family simply because they know the content of their conspiratorial alliance with the killers of Chibuike Edeh. This madness must stop.”

The protesters therefore gave Edo State Police Command and the hotel management seven days to speak up on the dastardly murder or face the consequence of more mass action. They demanded the following: that the Investigating Police Officers be held accountable for the death of late Chibuike Edeh; that the Chief Security Officer of Proteat Hotel be invited immediately and thoroughly investigated for culpability in the murder; and that the management of Protea Hotel within the next seven days declare the retirement savings of the late Chibuike Edeh in its custody and, thereafter, adequately compensate his family for his loss.

In an earlier explanation that failed to satisfy curiosity, the hotel management said it nabbed Chibuike for allegedly stealing N48, 000 and handed him to police for detention and appropriate action. The police claimed that Chibuike was knocked down by a vehicle as he made to run away during investigation and added that the said vehicle dragged him for some distance after which a Good Samaritan rushed him to hospital, where he died during treatment.

But it later emerged, according to a spokesman of the protesters, Comrade Kola Edokpayi, that the late Chibuike Edeh had a certain undisclosed amount of money which the hotel management often deducts from the salary of their staffs as “retirement savings,” said to be in excess of the alleged stolen money. The matter has split the leadership of the CSOs in Edo State into two factions, one of which is said to be supporting the police for alleged pecuniary benefits and which leaders, according to Edokpayi, were allegedly suspended on Thursday for “financial misappropriation” after a meeting of the Central Working Committee held at the EdoCivil Society Organization office.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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April 25, 2015

Xenophobia: Why Nigerians are targets in South Africa Protest in Lagos.

What is xenophobia? The definition is very simple: Behind South Africa’s facade of economic prosperity, wealth distribution disparity in the country leaves too many indigenes disgruntled and envious of prospering immigrants who come into the country better equipped to earn a living and prosper, writes NICK UWERU.

There was no South Africa until Africans came to help. What they had was a region annexed to British, robed in apartheid. We heard their cries and agonies.

If South Africa doesn’t want us anymore, then it must be missing apartheid. We hope they find it —Adekoya Boladale, Political Scientist.

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n more ways than drawing attention to South Africa’s apartheid past and the attendant racial discrimination that once made the country a pariah nation, Adekoya Boladale (quoted above), may have hinted at the root of the recurring attacks on immigrants in South Africa and why Nigerians may end up as the principal target of the wave of violence.

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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Nigerians are principal targets of xenophobic attacks’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

An immigrant being attacked in South Africa

In the last three weeks, the former apartheid enclave has been a theatre of racial violence. Indigenous blacks have set upon immigrants, beating, maiming and killing them all in a bid to, according to the aggressors, rid South Africa of blacks threatening to take over their homeland. Nigerians, a significant population among the immigrants in South Africa have not been spared either.

In fact, as many believe, Nigerians are principal targets of the xenophobes. Apart from attacks on them, businesses belonging to Nigerians have been ruined while their properties are looted and carted away by youths, adults, women and children of South Africans.

South African police authority appeared overwhelmed in the matter. This is because as much as the actions and violence has attracted condemnation worldwide, there are growing indications that the xenophobic attack may well have stemmed from deep resentment popular within a significant population of South Africans.

Known leaders and political figures have been reported to have made hate speeches against immigrants.

Even so, ordinary South Africans are now emboldened to free encourage the orgy of violence on social media.

For instance, while the world has continued to condemn the killing of innocent foreigners in South Africa, a lady identified as Wendy Ledwaba, on Wednesday, took to social media to celebrate the ongoing violent xenophobic attacks in the country.

She particularly singled out Nigerians as targets for the attack. She expressed her hatred for Nigerians living in South Africa. “I don’t care what you say. I’ve lived amongst Nigerians. My best friend is married to a Nigerian. They are heartless. They don’t care how they get the money and they think they are untouchable.

“Even the Zimbabweans and Congolese I know hate Nigerians. Deny it all you want but you and I know that the good Nigerians are only a handful. If these attacks were directed only at the Nigerians I don’t even feel an ounce of hurt because I’ve witnessed all around the pain and chaos they’ve caused,” Ledwaba said.

Ledwaba’s comment is not new. While there has been intermittent xenophobic attack on foreigners, especially blacks, in South Africa, there has been the general

Indigenes armed with matchetes

I don’t care what you say. I’ve lived amongst Nigerians. My best friend is married to a Nigerian. They are

heartless. They don’t care how they get the money and they think they are untouchable impression that Nigerians are hated more and are singled out for brutal attacks by indigenes in the country.

Xenophobia, or intolerance of foreigners, has been a recurring decimal since the fall of apartheid regime in South Africa. While the blacks in the country wrestled apartheid with assistance from other countries in Africa, the majority of the blacks had their eyes fixed firmly on an Eldorado that would hand the country’s wealth to the black population.

But with the fall of apartheid, globalisation and other economic dynamics for which the average black South African is not equipped for, the indigenous population found that they cannot cope with the avalanche of well equipped foreigners swarming their country.

As a result, intermittent anti foreigner riots break out in the country since 1994. There have been reasons adduced for these sudden attacks. For some economists, job cuts and economic hardship are often the precursors of the attacks. For some others, envy of the more prosperous immigrants in their midst often bring about envy. In a country where struggles against perceived oppression is long ingrained, indigent indigenes often need little persuasion to attack the more illustrious visitors in their midst.

These views may well be apt given South Africa’s economic and labour market profile. For example, South Africa, second largest economy behind Nigeria, runs a mixed economy. That is, apart from allowing a free ownership of the factors production, there are direct government participation as an employer of labour and running corporations that provide essential services.

With a huge GDP per capita, the expectation is that there would be enough prosperity within the populace.

However, South Africa is still burdened by a relatively high rate of poverty and unemployment, and is also ranked in the top 10 countries in the world for income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient.

The reason for this is that unlike most of the world’s poor countries, South Africa does not have a thriving informal economy. To some estimates, only 15 percent of South African jobs are in the informal sector, compared with around half in Brazil, Nigeria and India and nearly three-quarters in Indonesia. Indeed, this observation may well be the primal cause of frustration among South Africans. As explained by economists, the informal sector has easy entry, meaning anyone who wishes to join the sector can find some sort of work which will result in cash earnings.

It may also have a lack of stable employer-employee relationships, a small scale of operations, and skills gained outside of a formal education. Workers who participate in the informal economy are typically classified as employed. The type of work that makes up the informal economy is diverse, particularly in terms of capital invested, technology used, and income generated.

The spectrum ranges from self-employment or unpaid family labour to street vendors, shoe shiners, and junk collectors. On the higher end of the spectrum are uppertier informal activities such as small-scale service or manufacturing businesses, which have more limited entry.

The upper-tier informal activities have higher setup costs, which might include complicated licensing regulations, and irregular hours of operation. However, CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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April 25, 2015

‘Nigerians are objects of envy in other African countries’ Ambassador Okechukwu Nwadiator Emuchay, ex consul general, South Africa, says that Nigerians are not hated in South Africa but are objects of envy of indolent host communities.

There has always been this perception that South Africans don’t like Nigerians how true is this?

Thank God you used the word perception. Perception is just imaginary not real.

The world is now a global village, as you have it here so you have it South Africa. As you have Nigerians in South African so you have them here in our country. There are over 170 companies and business owned

by South Africa in Nigeria. You have MTN you have Multichoice, etc, all in our country. In the aviation sector, the Jo’burg/ Lagos route is one of the most lucrative in the world for both Arik and South African Airways. There is a lot of traffic for business people, tourists, so many. Now all these are indications that all is well, that the respect is mutual. Everybody stands to benefit, that is the ultimate goal.

Over the years, too, there has been this perception that Nigeria’s foreign policy does not primarily benefit its citizens. Nigerians are subjects of hostilities in different countries. We are seen as big brother in Africa so we invest money, time and blood in making Africa peaceful. Despite these sacrifices, business environments in these countries are hostile to Nigerians.

Again, perception. One out of every five black man in the world is a Nigerian. With a combination of history and geography we have a responsibility. When South Africa was an apartheid nation, Nigeria was

designed by Nigerians.

But especially in areas where Nigeria has helped restore peace, one would expect that the country would initiate such policies that could help its citizens take advantage of business opportunities in such countries like the US did in Iraq.

Well that is already happening. Nigeria currently controls the spare parts market in Angola. Don’t forget, Nigeria contributed immensely in seeing to the return of peace to that country. Now our nationals control 80 per cent of the spare parts business in the country; same in Liberia, same in Sierra Leone. Our banks are moving into these countries. The trends are there. Our business people are moving in and taking advantages of the opportunities being opened to them. Our business personnel are all in the West Coast, in Togo, Ghana, in Ivory Coast and so on.

Emuchay a frontline state against it. We were chairman of the committee against apartheid until it collapsed. We had South Africa relief fund. The civil servants contributed to that. We had to do that. History, geography combined to foist that responsibility on us.

We also played a leading role in Angola, we did in Namibia, we did it in Zimbabwe.

You know the role ECOMOG played. That was the first time in the history of peace keeping that a country will spare head the restoration of peace in another country.

Now we have Nigerians in different parts of the world. In fact, there is a saying now that anywhere you go and don’t find a Nigerian, just pack your suitcase and leave. So there is no country that its citizens do not

have brushes with the law. Our citizens in Diaspora are hard working, but you have a fraction that has brushes with the law. It is normal. If our nurses and doctors pull out of South Africa, there health sector will collapse; same will happen in academics if Nigerians pull out. We have no less than a minimum of 15 professors in all South African Universities. If they pull out, their tertiary institution will be in distress. You find Nigerians in every field of endeavour.

You remember where Nigeria played its last group match in 2010 in Durban? The stadium was designed by a Nigerian, Professor Adebayo. He is an architecture master craftsman. What of the underground train line from the airport in Pretoria? They were

What would you say has been the achievement of President Goodluck Jonathan in terms of foreign policy enunciation and implementation?

Foreign policy essentially is a reflection of the domestic policy. As you are well aware, Mr President came out from the outset with his Transformation Agenda with the key factors in power, agriculture employment foreign policy is all about bread and butter; bringing food to the tables of our nationals. In that process, we have to make friends for Nigeria so that we can have access to their market. We also have to create the channel for other nationals to come into our country to do business. Nigeria is a huge market. We are the gateway of the West African sub-region.

So the essence of foreign policy is to attract awareness to these realities in Nigeria. As you are aware, the rebranding of our GDP made us number one in Africa as far as economic size, topping South Africa.

‘50 Nigerians have lost valuables, businesses’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

most workers in the informal sector, even those who are self-employed or wage workers, do not have access to secure work, benefits, welfare protection, or representation. With near non-existence of this sector after the fall of apartheid, the implication is that many South Africans may not have been equipped for eking out a living when there are no regular paying jobs in government office or with a private company.

The clearest indication of this problem in South Africa was the creation of government’s Black Economic Empowerment policies. This official affirmative action policy saw to a rise in black economic wealth and an emerging black middle class in South Africa. But some economists like Neva Makgetla, lead economist for research and information at the Development Bank of

Southern Africa, say that the policy is not sustainable.

Some of the problems associated with the policy include state ownership and interference, which impose high barriers to entry in many areas.

Also, restrictive labour regulations have contributed to the unemployment malaise. Indeed, these may well explain the root of the xenophobic resentments against immigrants whose countries have robust informal sector like Nigeria. With massive GDP, Nigeria’s informal sector is believed to capture as much as 70 per cent of the country’s economic activities. With most of these not captured and hence do not enjoy privileges such loans, infrastructural supports, ready markets and so on, the South African economy may just prove so much of blessing, away from Nigeria.

The attacks since the last three weeks had come fast and furiously, killing and maiming foreigners while dispossessing them of their properties.

Former Anambra state Governor, Dr Peter Obi, while in South AFrica earlier in the week, paid a visit to the Nigerian community in South Africa. At the reception held for him in the country, the former governor was apprised of the casualty and loss figures after the xenophobic attacks began.

Collated records by the Nigerian community shows that 50 Nigerians have so far lost their businesses and valuables since these attacks began. Nigeria’s Consul General in South Africa, Ambassador Uche AjuluOkeke, said on Wednesday that eight Nigerians have so CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘S/Africans ill-equipped for jobs in informal sector’

Anti-xenophobia protest in Benin

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

far indicated interest to return home due to xenophobic attacks.

Ajulu-Okeke told the newsmen in Johannesburg, South Africa that the Nigerian mission was already working with them to facilitate their journey back home.

“I am working with eight Nigerians who have indicated interest to go home.

“They are presently at the deportation holding facility at Limbola, South Africa.” The Consul General said the mission held a meeting with leaders of the Nigerian Union in the nine provinces of South Africa. She said: “The meeting was successful.

“Victims of the attacks came with wounds, including machete and gunshot wounds.

“They narrated how they were attacked and brought pictures. “We took note of all that. “The mission asked all the provincial chairmen of the union to collate all information reported,” the envoy said.

Ajulu-Okeke said the report would be sent to the Federal Government for further action, adding that the mission and the union worked out a vigilance defence mechanism to protect Nigerians.

She also said the attacks had reduced and that Nigerians were asked to be vigilant inspite of the current development.

But Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, believes that the figure of those affected is more than those quoted by the high commission and therefore urged federal government to urgently drag the South African government before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to seek effective remedies, including adequate compensation, for Nigerian victims of the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

According to the executive director, SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, Several Nigerians have been attacked and have lost more than 21 million Rand (N21million) in the ongoing xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“This is unacceptable as it clearly violates the obligations of South Africa under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. These serious human rights abuses call for strong and decisive action from our government,” said Mumini.

The group argued that Both South Africa and Nigeria have ratified the African Charter. “If President Goodluck Jonathan is to side with the victims and ensure that they

receive adequate compensation he has to immediately instruct the Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke, SAN to urgently file an inter-state communication before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” the organization stated.

Across Nigeria, protest has broken out with the civil societies such SERAP, taking the lead. Currently, federal government is unders pressure to recall its envoy to South Africa. Even so, lawmakers at the House of Assembly say that they would target South Africa’s interest in the country in retaliation.

This pressures may well be justified given that xenophobic attacks in South Africa did not just start.

SERAP, for instance accuses South African authorities of failure to strongly speak out against xenophobic attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable.

“This in turn has continued to amplify the negative impact and the feeling of fear and vulnerability of Nigerian community in South Africa. Such a failure to act also sends a message of impunity to those who commit such crimes. An expectation of impunity can contribute to an escalation of such attacks. And this is exactly why our government must act decisively to stop this trend,” the organization added.

But South African authorities insist that they have not been folding their hands in the face of these violent attacks. Rather, claim that Nigerians have rather overblown the magnitude of the crisis. This much, Sam Monaisa, the embattled country’s Consul-General in Nigeria said after shutting down the mission temporarily for fear of reprisal attacks in Nigeria. While addressing the South African Business Forum, Monaisa said that closure is to allow for calm Although the situation in Durban has calmed down, he was concerned about the Nigerians that were being repatriated. Monaisa accused Nigerians of “using the social media to blow an already tensed situation in South Africa out of proportion and stoking emotions”. He said this was why Nigerians now believe their compatriots were being killed daily in South Africa.

Also appealing for calm, Alice Puoane, acting chief executive officer, Brand South Africa, assured that the country as a whole condemn acts of xenophobia in its entirety. “We assure all our partners in the continent that South Africa stands firmly against all intolerances such as racism, xenophobia, homophobia and sexism. As such security forces are hard at work around the clock to

protect vulnerable communities in the country.

“The country remains true to its founding ethos that any problems or issues of concern by South African citizens must be resolved peacefully and through dialogue.

“We are one Africa bound by many areas of commonalities and our spirit of Ubuntu -- I am because you are -- will prevail even under the trying circumstances.

Brand South Africa assures our partners that South Africans are generally not xenophobic; this is attested to by the high number of foreign nationals who have been successfully integrated into communities all over our country, in towns, cities and villages,” Puoane said.

Also, some business concerns owned by South Africans have also pleaded to Nigerians to halt any plans of reprisals for what is happening in South Africa.

For instance, after protest in Benin, Edo State, MTN, a leading telecommunication company owned by South Africans warned of the consequences of shutting down the company. MTN Nigeria says that 6,000 Nigerians will lose their jobs if MTN is made to leave Nigeria. Head of Communications MTN, Mr Wale Goodluck, said that there are only 12 expatriates working for the company in Nigeria compared to a workforce of 6,000 Nigerians.

“So if people go ahead with their threats to attack our facilities, what that means is that we may be forced to close down the business in Nigeria and about 6,000 Nigerians that make up 99 percent of our workforce will be unemployed.

“So if people go ahead with their threats to attack our facilities, what that means is that we may be forced to close down the business in Nigeria and about 6,000 Nigerians that make up 99 per cent of our workforce will be unemployed.

Then, when you look at our support chain, we have about 500,000 Nigerians gainfully employed. So, boycotting our services simply means destroying so many other Nigerian businesses and making over 500,000 other Nigerians to lose their jobs.

“This business supports a lot of businesses across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Many of the businesses that are affiliated to South Africa are in the retail space, supporting the growth of Nigeria and employing so many Nigerians.

“We see no revenge of Xenophobia and we commend the role the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa has played; at least there has been no fatality on the part of any Nigerian,” he said.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NATIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

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Military hits brickwall over Chibok girls —Investigation

Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

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he Nigerian military is said to be at crossroads over the whereabouts of the over 200 girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, who have been in the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents since April 14, 2014.

Saturday Mirror’s investigation shows clearly that the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, does not know the whereabouts of the girls.

The military is, according to a source, is however not ready to own up.

A top military source at the DHQ confided in our correspondent in Abuja that the planned military offensive to Sambisa forest,

•Says Sambisa forest operations not about the girls Borno State, was basically to ensure that all Nigerian territories taken by Boko Haram are recovered and handed over by President Goodluck Jonathan on May 29, to the in-coming administration of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, under General Muhammadu Buhari as President.

The source said that the military was not interested in talking about the Chibok girls in their operations, which would ensure that all citizens found captive in the course of the operations shall be rescued and reunited with their families.

It said upon such rescue, the government might go ahead to determine which of them were part of the Chibok girls or not, as this would not be the military’s business.

The top military officer, who expressed disappointment over the way the issue of Chibok girls was politicised, said that after the recovery and handover of all territories on May 29, the military would not relent in supporting the new administration to find and rescue the Chibok girls.

Although it attempted blaming the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh for

announcing that the military knew where the girls were, it however said that it was not untrue as troops had rescued so many people including women and girls since the operation in the North East, but could not determine which among them were part of the Chibok girls.

The source said as it stood, it was very unthinkable that the military would come up to say otherwise, rather, it would continue in keeping high the hope of those agitating for the release of Chibok girls and ignoring several other innocent Nigerians that are being rescued on a

continuous basis.

Stressing that a lot of water has passed under the bridge in the course of the girls’ abduction, the source said Nigerians would soon come to know the truth and realities about the Chibok girls after May 29.

“Are the terrorists stupid to have kept that number of girls in that forest at one place for over this one year? How are they being fed, clothed and taken care of ? In fact the CDS shouldn’t have made that comment that we know where they are. Now we are at crossroads, we cannot take back our words, rather, we have to continue to raise the hope of the people that we are monitoring

their movements.

“We have carried out serious and sufficient operations that should have by now ensured the return of the girls. Now our last effort is the Sambisa forest operation. We hope that some of them are there and we will rescue them, because as it stands now, it is unthinkable that they are there in that forest”, the source said.

Saturday Mirror’s earlier investigations had shown that the girls were not even in the country.

However, the DHQ has continued to insist that they knew where the girls were and closely keeping tab with their movernment on 24 hours basis.

Speakership: Why APC shouldn’t ignore South-South —Group

Wole Oladimeji Abuja

A Head, European Delegation, Mr. Michel Arrion and Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman (right), signing financial agreement for the 11th European Development Fund Support to strengthen community-based psychosocial and protection services for children and adolescents in Borno, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Jonathan, Buhari meet again •To set a date to conduct Buhari round the Villa

Rotimi Fadeyi Abuja

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resident Goodluck Jonathan is to conduct Presidentelect, General Muhammadu Buhari, round the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Jonathan disclosed this yesterday when he met behind closed door with Buhari at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

They had earlier met on Friday April 3, shortly after the presidential election of March 28 in which Buhari defeated Jonathan to emerge winner in the poll.

Buhari was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by the chairman of All Progressives Party (APC), Chief John Oyegun, and former Chief of Army Staff, General Abdulrahman Dambazau.

He drove into the Presi-

dential Villa at about 3p.m and was received by Jonathan after which they went into the closed door meeting.

Speaking with State House Correspondents after the meeting which lasted about 35 minutes, Jonathan said, “we will take a date when the president will come and I will show him round the State House but today is not for that. Today is to continue with our

conversation. So, we don’t need to worry the president, we don’t need to worry the president”, he said.

When asked how fruitful the conversation was, Jonathan said, “you can see that we are smiling, it was a fruitful one.”

“We are discussing for the interest of the country”, Jonathan added When asked for comment, Buhari simply said, “the president said it all.”

s the All Progressive Congress (APC) meets on the zoning of key leadership offices in the National Assembly, an advocacy group, the Coalition for Justice and Fairness (CJF) has warned the party on the dangers of excluding the South-South geo-political zone from its zoning formula.

The group lays emphasis on the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

With the incoming APC administration already having the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari from the North West and the vice president-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo from the SouthWest, CJF said it would be wrong for the party to zone the National Assembly leadership to the Northern and South West.

According to the group, by implication, the SouthSouth and South-East geopolitical zones are excluded from the current arrange-

ment.

CJF, in a statement signed by its convener, Muraina Ahmed, warned that the exclusion of the zones would negate the federal character principle enunciated in section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution.

The statement reads: “For the records, the APC as the majority party has the conventional privilege to zone the offices of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The naughty issue that will test APC’s abhorrence of impunity, which was one of the major reasons Nigerians voted for the party, is the zoning of the listed leadership offices in the National Assembly.

“To be fair, there are extenuating circumstances that may hamper the even spread of legislative offices enumerated above to all the six zones in Nigeria. For instance, the South-East has no APC senator at all and has not produced any ranking APC member of the House of Representatives.”

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NATIONAL NEWS

Omeiza Ajayi

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he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness to conduct 27 supplementary elections across 11 states today.

This was contained in a document released by the commission in Abuja.

The elections are: three Governorship Supplementary; one Senatorial District Supplementary; one Federal Constituency Supplementary, and 22 State Constituency Supplementary.

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he warm atmosphere between the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, and the two leading unions in the country’s aviation industry may be torn apart over accusation of wrongful dismissal of the company’s union leaders.

The Acting Secretary Generals of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, Comrades Olayinka Abioye, and Captain Tarnongu, respectively, in a joint signed statement alleged that the company had sacked four leaders of unions in its establishment due to agitation for improved welfare packages for workers.

The unions’ leaders gave the names of the affected staff as Comrades Aminu S. Kolawole, Chairman and Lawson Imotto, Secretary both of ATSSSAN while those of NUATE are Comrades Chukwu Jude, Chairman and Kingsley Ejiogu, Secretary were relieved of their OnDuty Cards, ODCs. According to the unions, the affected staff were told to report to the office of the General Manager, Human Resources where their photographs were to be taken by the company’s photographer for placement in the newspapers while the Airport Police Command were formally

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

27 supplementary elections hold in 11 states *As affected areas witness massive police deployment

Prominent among the elections scheduled are the supplementary governorship elections for Abia, Imo and Taraba states.

Also, in Abia State, the election will take place in nine local government areas, namely: Aba North,

Unions, SAHCOL at war over dismissed executives Olusegun Koiki

April 25, 2015

invited to effect their arrests simply for refusing to sign letters of dismissals prepared against them for undisclosed offences.

The unions further alleged that as at the moment, one of the union leaders had been arrested and taken to unknown destinations while others who did not have their ODCs on them went to their respective beats to bring their cards.

Aba South, Ikwuano, Ohiafia, Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Umuahia North, Umuahia South and Umunneochi.

Two hundred and seventy six polling units are involved in the election and 179,224 registered voters are expected to vote.

In Imo State, the election will take place in four local government areas, namely: Isiala Mbano, Isu, Oguta and Ikeduru.

Two hundred and fifty six polling units are involved in the election and 1,44,715 registered voters are expected to vote in the election.

In Taraba State, the election will take place in ten local government areas, namely: Bali Zing, Takum, Yorro, Donga, Wukari, Ussa, Karim Lamido, Kurmi and Jalingo.

One hundred and fifty nine polling units are involved and 127,125 registered voters are expected to exercise their franchise.

States where other

forms of supplementary elections (Senatorial District, Federal Constituency and State Constituency) will take place tomorrow are: Akwa Ibom, Corss River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Niger and Kogi.

Overall, 2,029 polling units are involved and 1,258,362 registered voters are expected to take part in the elections.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to ensure adequate security, the acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon E. Arase, has ordered restriction on vehicular movements in local government areas of Abia, Delta, Imo, Kogi and Taraba States where rerun of the ongoing general elections are scheduled to take place.

The restriction will be in place between the hours of 8am to 5pm.

“This restriction of vehicular movements order affects movements in and out of the areas where the rerun elections are to take

World Bank approves $500m to improve Nigeria’s healthcare services Tola Akinmutimi

T

he World Bank Group yesterday announced the approval of $500 million International Development Association (IDA) credit to improve maternal, child, and nutrition health services for women and children in Nigeria.

The Bank’s Board of Directors which approved the credit at the end of its meeting on Thursday stated that the new development financing would help in improving access to higher quality health services, the new development financing will help Nigeria to achieve its “Saving One Million Lives (SOML) Initiative.”

The initiative was launched by the Federal Ministry of Health in October 2012 to save the lives of the more than 900,000 women and children who die every year in Nigeria from largely preventable causes.

According to the bank, “Saving One Million Lives” is a bold response from the Nigerian government to improve the health of the country’s mothers and children so they can survive illness and thrive.

A Lead Health Specialist and Task Team Leader for the new project, Benjamin Loevinsohn, noted further that the programme would, in turn, also contribute to the social and economic devel-

opment of Africa’s largest economy.

The bank noted that Nigeria accounted for 14 per cent of all annual maternal deaths worldwide, second only to India at 17 per cent as well as 13 per cent of all global deaths of children under the age of five years, again second only to India at 21 per cent.

It also clarified that to address the challenge of its 900,000 maternal and child deaths, the SOML Initiative focused on increasing the use of highimpact reproductive and child health and nutrition interventions; improving the quality of these services; and strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems and measurement data.

place, except for ambulances, fire service trucks and others on essential duties.

Consequently, travelers and citizens who intend to ply roads within those hours are advised to take alternative routes”, the police said in a statement.

The IGP also warned government officials and political office holders not to go to polling Units with uniformed orderlies or aides, while persons who have no business with voting must not be found within 300 metres of a polling unit.

The Police High Command has also put adequate security measures in place by the deployments of additional senior officers to supervise security of elections in the states.

In Abia State, One Deputy Inspector-General of Police, One Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Two Commissioners of Police will be in place.

For Imo State, there will be one Assistant Inspector-

General of Police and three Commissioners of Police.

As for Taraba State, there will be two Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and two Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Meanwhile, citizens are enjoined to remain vigilant and report all suspicious movements or dealings to appropriate Police Authority.

The IGP has also sent a serious note of warning to all officers involved in the re-run elections in Abia, Imo, Kogi, Delta and Taraba states to conduct themselves in line with established Standard Operational Guidelines.

While reminding officers to be above board and maintain the highest level of professionalism for which the Force has been widely commended both locally and internationally, the IGP warned that severe disciplinary sanctions would be meted out to any deviant officer who breaches the code of conduct.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NATIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

Unpaid subsidy: Oil marketers threaten to stop importation

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he Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) on Friday threat-

ened to stop the importation of petroleum products over yet-to-bepaid N256 billion subsidy

claim by the federal government.

The Executive Secretary of MOMAN, Mr.

Obafemi Olawore made the disclosure at a news conference in Lagos.

Olawore said that the

R-L: President Goodluck Jonathan, President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun (extreem left) at the Villa during a visit to the Presidency, recently.

US declares war on malaria drugs counterfeiters in Nigeria Approves N2m bounty for informants

Marcus Fatunmole ABUJA

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he United States of America yesterday declared war on malaria drugs counterfeiters in Nigeria, as it placed a $10,000 reward, about N2 million, for whoever provides useful information that could lead to arrest of perpetrators of illegal distribution of stolen or falsified antimalaria medications in the country.

Ambassador of the US to Nigeria, James Entwistle, made the declaration in Abuja, in commemoration of this year’s World Malaria Day and World Intellectual Property Day. The two events are commemorated globally today and tomorrow, respectively.

According to Entwistle, counterfeit malaria

drugs worsen malaria burden and suppress the ability of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry to develop, innovate, and create jobs.

Hence, he pleaded that Nigerians must be vigilant in reporting incidents of stolen or counterfeit medicines to relevant authorities.

“Today, on behalf of the US government, I would like to announce the launch of the ‘Make a Difference’ hotline and reward programme.

We are offering up to $10,000 – approximately two million – to anyone who reports information concerning the illegal distribution of stolen or falsified anti-malaria medication in Nigeria.

“The ‘Make a Difference’ programme will also inform the public about the dangers of using falsified and stolen

medications, including how to avoid such medicines. Nigerians can make a difference in their communities by reporting individuals involved in the manufacturing, distribution, or sale of these illicit and dangerous products.

“If you have information on these networks, please call the toll free hotline at 07080601816. Or, you can send an email to MADMalariaHotline@usaid.gov. All information will be kept confidential, but if you want to collect a reward, we will need to know who you are,” he said.

Globally, more than 1,000 children still die from malaria daily.

In Nigeria, the disease remains widespread, and with transmission throughout the year, Entwistle said. He maintained that most people in the country were at risk

of being infected.

He explained that US funding for malaria in Nigeria had increased from over $60million to $75million in the last four years.

“Fighting malaria not only saves lives, but also directly supports the achievement of broader development goals. That is why malaria prevention and control remain a major US foreign assistance objective,” he said, adding that the US government’s investment in heath in Nigeria is its largest, globally.

He further informed that the number of global malaria cases decreased from approximately 174 million to 163 million between 2000 and 2013.

“During the same period”, he stressed, “the estimated malaria death rate for children under five decreased by 58 per cent in Africa.”

last time the government paid marketers N100 billion subsidy claim was in February and it was paid in Sovereign Debt Note (SDN).

He said that the postdated note would mature at the end of April.

The secretary-general said that before the N100 billion SDN was issued, the government was indebted to the tune of N315.8 billion. ``But if you deduct the N100 billion from the N315.8 billion, you will have 215.8 billion. ``Besides, the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) had earlier approved Batches T and U for last quarter of 2014 for payment which amounted to N30.5billion. ``In 2015, we also have Batches A and B for the products imported by MOMAN which has been approved by PPPRA but had not been paid. ``This also amounted to N9.7 billion. So the money put together is N256 billion,” he said.

The secretary-general said that the unpaid subsidy had really affected the marketers from expanding their businesses.

9

Olawore said that the association’s fear was that the 2015 budget as passed by the House of Representative did not capture subsidy payment. ``If government is saying we should stop importation of petroleum or no more subsidies, they should please pay for what the association members had supplied. ``Right now, it is getting to a halt because we are bleeding; our suppliers are on us to pay for products supplied. ``As at April 22, what we have in our depots at Apapa will only last for three and half days, which shows that our members are finding it hard to bring in products. ``Our banks here are not even helping the situation because it has not been easy to access loan from them,” he said.

He urged the federal government to pay the claim so that marketers could continue with the importation and avoid scarcity of the products.

He added that NNPC could not import the products alone because presently MOMAN imports about 40 per cent of the nation’s consumption.

1,116 Lagos teenagers counselled on drug abuse, gangsterism Francis Suberu

N

o fewer than 1,116 public schools students in Lagos have been counselled on drug abuse and gangsterism in the last one year by the Lagos State government in order to manage and adjust bad behaviours among students in the state.

This was made known yesterday during the yearly ministerial press briefing of the Ministry of Sports and Social Development, addressed by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. Adesegun Oshinyimika, on be-

half of the Commissioner for Sport, Enitan Oshodi.

The counselling which was done under the School Social Service Unit of the ministry equally counselled about 1,754 public school students on truancy; 7,464 on sex education and abuse; 6,470 for abscondment/teenage pregnancy.

Those counselled for anti-social activities were 2,399 while four pupils were counselled for sexual abuse.

According to Dr. Adesegun, the social service unit is responsible for providing services that can strengthen homes, schools and community.

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NATIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

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Reps commend ICPC over recovery of stolen N1 bn from ministry

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he House of Re presentatives Committee on Environment on Thursday expressed delight in the effective approach by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) towards the recovery of N924,989,776.89 stolen from the account of the Federal Ministry Of Environment.

The committee, ac-

cording to a statement issued by ICPC media consultant, Mr. Folu Olamiti, gave the commendation during a meeting with the ICPC team led by its chairman, Barr.

Ekpo Nta; Ministry of Environment led by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Nana Mede, and operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The committee chairman, now a Senator-elect,

10,600 graduates for UNILAG convocation

Hon. Uche Ekwunife, and all the committee members were full of praises for ICPC for the successful investigation and full recovery, in record time, of the N925 million fraudulently transferred from the account of the Federal Ministry of Environment by fraudsters.

She, however, requested the ICPC to ensure the return of the money it recovered from the alleged fraudsters into the account of the Ministry of Environment.

Earlier on, Barr. Ekpo Nta, while briefing the committee, recounted how ICPC acted on a phone call and written petition dated 1st December 2014, both from the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environment in respect of a fraudulent transfer of N924, 989,776.89 from the ministry’s account into different accounts by fraudsters who had hacked into the ministry’s accounting system.

Mr. Nta extolled the

Permanent Secretary for her prompt action which was crucial to the successful recovery of the monies, arrests and arraignment of the suspects.

Mr. Nta revealed that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) also started investigation into the case based on a petition it received from the First City Merchant Bank (FCMB).

However, based on a request by the Permanent Secretary of the

Fed. Ministry, EFCC later transferred it’s preliminary investigation report and some arrested suspects to ICPC in line with inter-agency collaboration.

He further stated that ICPC had since arrested and arraigned in court suspects, including Mr. Adeolu Adeyanju, who allegedly masterminded the transfers and lodged N465, 193, 460.06 out of the stolen sums into his Detwinz Global Ltd bank account .

…125 bag First Class

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he Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon Bello, on Friday, said that 125 of its 10,600 graduating students for the 2014 session had finished in the First Class Division.

Bello said at the convocation media briefing in Lagos that the event for the award of degrees, higher degrees, Diploma, certificates and prizes, would hold from April 27 to April 30.

He said that 1,664 of the students bagged the Second Class Upper Division while 2,827 were in the Second Class Lower Division.

Bello said that 963 others would be graduating in the Third Class Division; 90 with Pass degrees while 167 others would be under the unclassified degrees in Medicine and Pharmacy. ``I am also proud to announce Mr. Korede Akinpelu of the Department of Chemical Engineering as the best graduating student of the university with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.96. ``Mr Sedan Shittu of the Department of Finance is the second best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.91,” he said.

Bello said the institution would also be graduating 103 Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.Ds.), 4,330 with Masters’ degrees and 331 with Postgraduate Diplomas from its School of Postgraduate Studies.

He said that Dr. Isaac Akpan, with the thesis entitled: `` Processing and Charac-

terisation of Selected Biodegradable Fibre-PLA Composites,’’ emerged the best Doctorate student.

The vice-chancellor reemphasised UNILAG’s resolve to continue to produce quality first class graduates capable of competing favourably with their counterparts in any part of the world.

He said that the university had continued to witness appropriate growth and development in all facets, particularly in infrastructure and academic leadership.

L-R: Registrar, University of Lagos, Dr. Taiwo Ipaye; Vice Chancellor: Prof. Rahamon Bello and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services Prof. Duro oni, during news conference in Lagos, yesterday.

…TUC condemns attack on Nigerians Ezekiel Titus BAUCHI

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rade Union Congress (TUC) has condemned the on-going attack on Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in Durban, South Africa by black South Africans.

The Chairman, Bauchi State chapter of the union, Comrade Mohammed Usuman Misau, made the position of the union known on Friday while briefing newsmen in Bauchi.

He said that xenophobia and racism are unacceptable in Africa and

therefore be rejected and condemned in its totality.

He appealed to religious leaders to preach against such act because it is capable of disrupting the peace and harmony that has long been existing among the people of the two countries.

“If such things should

happen, it should not be within the African continent where we need one another,” he said.

He called on presidents of African countries to rise up and stem the tide.

Comrade Misau who recalled that Nigeria and other African countries played vital roles in the

liberation of South Africa from the claws of apartheid in the past, said he saw no reason for the attack on foreigners.

He called on the federal government to expedite action to ensure safety of lives and properties of Nigerians living in South Africa.

Police arrest 3 for fraud, impersonation, forgery in FCT

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he Police in the FCT have arrested three suspects in connection with fraud, impersonation and forgery, a statement has said.

The statement, signed by the spokesman of the command, ASP Anjuguri Manzah, on Friday, said one of the suspects was arrested for defrauding

unsuspecting members of the public of N5 million.

It said the suspect, who resides in Keffi, Nasarawa State, duped members of the public of the money with ``a promise to offer them employment in Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). ``The suspect is helping the police in their

investigations. Members of the public are advised to always use the appropriate channel when seeking government employment’’, it said.

The statement added that the suspect arrested in connection with impersonation had been presenting himself to the public as

``the Comptroller-General of Immigration.’’

It said the suspect ``signs and collects approved land allocation documents from FCDA.” ``The suspect is assisting the police in their investigations and will be arraigned in court as soon as investigations are concluded’’, it said.

On impersonation, the statement said a female suspect, who operates a business centre, conspired with a fake policewoman earlier apprehended by the command, to forge police identity card, had been arrested.

It said the suspect was arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

REGIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

11

SOUTH WEST

Fashola tasks editors on political discourse zz As Guild of Editors pay courtesy visit Francis Suberu

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agos State governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), yesterday urged editors in the country to always set agenda for political discussions that will guide future election campaigns.

Fashola, while receiving the Guild of Editors in his Alausa office on Friday, said future elections would be more peaceful and free of tension, if they are actually focused on national burning issues.

The governor added that with issues oriented campaigns and elections, even the children would freely participate in future election campaigns and town hall meetings.

Reminiscing on the last general elections, Fashola said year 2014 and last few months were quite eventful for the country, giving the election threats and ten-

Boladale Bamigboye Osogbo.

C

oalition of civil society groups in Osun state has called on the federal government to immediately commence evacuation of Nigerians, following “slow response from South African authorities to halt the spread of xenophobic attacks”.

This call is coming as a human rights activist, Charles Adeyemi, decried what he calls “wickedness of South Africans against other Africans residing in their country”.

Adeyemi, in a press statement, issued in Osogbo yesterday, queried: “Is looting of shops belonging to the foreigners living in South Africa also part of xenophobia?

“Are the hooligans stronger than the entire South African Security forces?

Here in Nigeria, South African companies like Gotv,DSTV, MTN and others are still operating unhindered while our brothers living in that country are being attacked and victimized. This must stop”.

Meanwhile, Osun Civil Societies Coalition, in a press statement, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ismaeel Uthman, said federal government should not wait till a Nigerian living in South Africa is killed before it starts the evacuation of Nigerians.

sion that engulfed the whole country.

He said though the country was turned back from the brink, almost at the precipice, “I wish it will not happen again.”

According to Fashola, “Though, there is no nation without conflicts, but I think in all that has happened, one thing was missing in this election; we didn’t see our children there.

“One question i’ve continued to ask myself is that if this is about the future, why do not our children come to the campaigns or the town hall meetings?

We don’t we have sessions where school-children on excursion begin to get involved? How many parents can allow the children to come, given the atmosphere that we’ve created? Yet, we say this is about tomorrow?

“This is one of the issues we all must reflect on, and I hope that it will manifest itself even in your relations.

You (editors) know better than all of us; what the issues are. And we expect that you will tackle, as well as confine the candidates who are seeking to lead and see who best articulate the issues,” he said.

The governor added that he disagreed with popular school of thought that argued during the election that there was no difference among the contending parties.

“I disagree with that

and vehemently so. I can argue for a whole year and give you 101 reasons why the parties are different. I hear some people say that ‘nobody is talking about issues’. But security was an issue, corruption, economy were all issues. What do we

want to talk about again, if those ones are not issues?

“So, we need to raise the bar in political discussion in order to douse the tension, which has been about people who really don’t want political discussions to be about issues.

Governor Babatunde fashola (3rd left); President, Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina (2nd left), General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Ighure(4th right), and others, during the guild of editors visit to Governors Fashola in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Xenophobia: Civil societies, rights activist want Nigerians evacuated from South Africa The group described the allowance being proposed by the federal government

to be given to Nigeria nationals in South Africa because of the xenophobia

attack as a misplacement of priority.

It added that the priority

of the federal government is to get Nigerians in South Africa out of the country

as soon as possible before they were attacked.

Synagogue Church did not tamper with beams of the collapsed building, says witness Matthew Irinoye

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witness from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), and Deputy President of the Nigerian Institute of Engineers, Oreoluwa Fadayomi, yesterday informed a Lagos State Coroners Court Ikeja, that he has no evidence that the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), tampered with the beams of the collapsed guest house belonging to the church.

The Coroner’s Inquest, presided over by Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe was inaugurated by the Lagos State Government under the state Coroner’s System Law No.7 of 2007 to investigate the cause and circumstances resulting in the death of 166 people following the building collapse of September 12, 2014, and bring its findings and recommendations to the appropriate au-

thorities.

While being cross-examined by lawyer to SCOAN, the witness argued that due to the heavy security presence at the scene of the collapsed guest house, he felt there was no need to give further instruction to the church as to ensuring that other parts of the collapsed guest house was not tampered with.

Meanwhile, an explosives expert and researcher, Mr. Biedomo Paul Iguniwei in compliance with the directive of Chief Magistrate Komolafe tendered a research paper as an addendum to his earlier deposition before the court.

According to the research paper, Iguniwei said that the collapsed guest house was caused by an infrasonic weapon fired at the church by the aircraft that hovered over the building. The researcher who argued as baseless the position of the Lagos State government which

tends to support structural defect as cause of the collapse building, maintained that scientific evidence coupled with the CCTV footage of the collapse building,

suggest that the building collapsed due to high energy infrasound absorption.

According to him, “The Lagos State Government has been pushing the reason for

the collapse to be due to foundational/structural defects to poor construction standards used by the church engineers to construct the building while the church has alluded the collapse to am terror attack/sabotage by explosives and controlled demolition.

Glo re-launches ‘Bounce’, offers 11k per second for calls

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otal telecommunications solutions provider, Globacom, has re-launched Glo Bounce, a product specifically designed to help the young and the young-at-heart to enjoy seamless and affordable communication.

The greatly improved Bounce was re-introduced to the public at a media conference held last Friday at the Mike Adenuga Towers Head Office of Globacom in Lagos.

According to Globacom’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Ashok Israni, who un-

veiled the product together with two other exciting offers, the re-launched Glo Bounce was re-designed to suit the active, trend-setting life-styles of the young and young-at-heart.

According to Israni, Glo Bounce allows subscribers who sign up to the plan to call each other at a heavily discounted rate of 11 kobo per second.

The product also has a feature tagged ‘Campus Zone’ which enables subscribers to call other lines at the rate of 11 kobo per second once activated.

In addition, they will get 15MB free for every recharge of N200 and above.

They also get unlimited, free SMS with the offer.

To get on the Bounce platform, subscribers are requested to dial *170*4#.

To opt for Campus Zone, they are required to dial *170*9#.

Subscribers on Glo Bounce also have an option of migrating to Generation G to enjoy 200 percent bonus airtime on every recharge of N500 and above; 100 percent bonus on recharges of N200; and 50 percent bonus

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REGIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NORTH

Plateau poll: Pwajok files petition at Tribunal to unseat Lalong James Abraham Jos

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overnorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 11 general election in Plateau state, Senator Gyang Pwajok yesterday, petitioned the Election Tribunal in Jos challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Barr Simon Lalong.

Also, the National Assembly/Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal has filed motions for petitions against the election of Governor Jonah Jang as senator from Plateau North in the March 28 National Assembly poll, as well as elections of two of his former commissioners as House of Representatives members: Engr Solomon Maren for the Bokkos\Mangu Federal Constituency and Barr Edward Pwajok for Jos South\Jos East Federal Constituency.

The NASS & State Houses of Assembly Tribunal

for Plateau State which is headed by Justice Lanre Akeredolu, similarly received a motion for a petition against the election of General Jeremiah Useni as senator to represent Plateau South Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly.

The Governorship and National Assembly\Legislative Houses Election Petition tribunals which both held their inaugural sessions at the High Court complex yesterday, gave rulings on applications from petitioners to serve their respondents and for orders on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to produce electoral documents and materials for inspection to enable them file their petitions, and most of the applications were duly granted.

The Tribunal which has Justice Candide Johnson as chairman, formally received a motion of exparte presented by counsel to Senator Pwajok,, Charles Obishai (SAN) who sought and got relief

to obtain documents and materials in INEC’s custody to enable him present his client’s petition against the declaration of Simon Lalong as winner of the April 11 election in Plateau State.

Also, at the NASS\State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal, counsel to the APC, Garba Pwaul (SAN) presented exparte

motions seeking access to electoral materials for prosecution of petitions in some APC cases, including the one between Mrs Eunice Ayisa Sambo (APC senatorial candidate) vs Jonah David Jang (PDP), Gabriel Nkup Tsenyen (APC House of Assembly candidate) vs John Bull Tyemlong Shekarau (PDP);

Irene Din(APC House of Reps candidate) Vs Solomon Maren (PDP); and Yakubu Shuaibu Gumshar (APC House of Reps candidate) Vs Timothy Golu (PDP).

Similarly, Barr Bon Shaluun Ngyou who represented Senator John Shagaya (APC) in the John Nanzip Shagaya Vs General Jeremiah Tim-

but Useni case obtained the tribunal’s leave to service the respondents and to obtain from INEC such electoral materials as the petitioner would need to present and prosecute his petition.

After the inaugural sessions, the two tribunals adjourned till Monday, April 27, for further hearings on the petitions.

President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari (M) flanked by Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim (L) and National Chairman, Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’iqamatis Sunnah, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau (R) when JIBWIS paid a courtesy visit to the President-elect in his office in Abuja on Thursday.

Top govt officials in last minute assets looting in Kaduna • As rights group demands freezing of council accounts A za Msue Kaduna

A rights group, Kaduna Human Rights Association, has petitioned the outgoing Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero over an alleged last minute assets looting by senior government officials in collaboration with some civil servants.

Saturday Mirror authoritatively gathered that outgoing governor and his top appointees including commissioners, advisers and civil servants have being involved in alleged sharing of state government properties to themselves and their cronies before May 29 hand over date.

Governor Yero of Peoples Democratic Party PDP, was defeated Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress, APC in a landslide victory.

The group, in a petition, dated 23 April, 2015,

signed by its Executive Director, Barrister Sadau Garba and made available to Saturday Mirror also demanded suspension of the issuance of Kaduna State statutory rights of occupancy and the freezing of the accounts of the 23 local government councils.

The petition reads in part: “The information at our disposal revealed that some Kaduna State government officials are currently going into some government landed properties within the state with the sole aim of acquiring carved out plots of land to themselves and

some selected individuals before the expiration of the tenure of the present regime. Some of the affected properties are No. 6 Wurno Road, GRA Kaduna; the Eid Ground located along Maje-Park Road, Zaria, to mention but a few.

“Sir, going by the provi-

sion of the Land Use Act, you are expected to superintend and to hold in trust all lands within the state and more particularly to protect and preserve public lands in the state.”

On the mismanagement of local government funds in the state, the group in the petition said: “The information we received regarding

the operations of the 23 local government council joint accounts in the state is worrisome. These local government area councils are presently under the control of illegal contraptions called caretaker committees that are not recognized by our laws, and supervised by the Ministry for Local Governments.

7 prison inmates regain freedom, 11 others granted bail in Kogi Wale Ibrahim Lokoja

No fewer than 7 prison inmates have been granted unconditional release, while 11 others were released on bail by the Kogi State Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah as part of efforts to decongest Nigeria Prisons.

The lucky inmates who breathed the air of free-

dom have been incarcerated for over five months and are facing criminal trials at the various courts in the state, but had their cases reviewed by the State Chief Judge during this year’s annual prison visit to decongest Koton- Karfe Federal prison in Kogi state yesterday.

In a related development, another set of 11 Prison inmates were also granted conditional

bail with costs ranging from N5,000, N10,000and N25,000 with sureties pending the outcome of investigation of their culpability of various offences charged against then after case files were reviewed.

In some cases, it was learnt that the facts are not corresponding with the First Information Report FIR or the Charge sheet brought before the

courts, thereby creating a lot of confusion and stalling the smooth trials for over five or six months without taking accused persons to Court.

While reviewing 105 case files of inmates, Justice Ajanah explained that presumption of innocence of an accused person must always be taken into consideration in administration of criminal justice until contrary is

proven, adding that accused person should not be detained more than necessary as investigations must be completed before accused persons are charged to courts.

The Chief Judge stated that Prison visit is not just a visit to decongest alone , stressing that it is aimed at looking at the condition and the welfare of the inmates there.

Politics

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April 25, 2015

13

Factors that may shape Buhari’s cabinet list Lekan Adejuwon

I

t is no longer news that Daura, the country home of President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), has become a Mecca of sort to hordes of political jobbers, consultants and those eagerly seeking appointments in the yet to be inaugurated All Progressives Congress, APC, government, come May 29. What may, however, shock many unsuspected watchers of political trends is that a big disappointment awaits anyone who feels it is going to be business as usual.

The body language of the President-elect rightly suggested that a Pharaoh that knows not Joseph is in court.

Giving credence to the intense pressure mounted on the incoming Buhari’s government, fiery cleric, Head Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare, said his phone lines had been bombarded by applications from many of his associates.

Bakare, who was the running mate to Buhari in the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, said, “You don’t know how many applications are in my phone. I am not the VicePresident; I am not looking for a job. They said ‘we know General Buhari listens to you; if I cannot get Minister of Works, maybe I will get Minister of Aviation’.

He however cautioned the President-elect to beware of people he described as ‘vultures’ from ruining his proposed cabinet.

His words: “The vultures are now going round and round. If he does not have quality people around him, then they will put round pegs in square holes and within two years, we are back to square one.”

Although APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in a recent media chat, hinted that the incoming administration was aware of the enormous responsibility set before it and that it could not wait till May 29 before it hit the ground running, he also made it explicitly clear that the government could not be railroaded into taking rash decisions especially in the choice of cabinet list.

Worried by the spate of defections to the APC by many chieftains of the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP, following the party’s defeat last month, the President-elect had frowned at the move warning that any new ‘decampee’ should perish the thought of being offered a ministerial appointment in the new APC government.

This paradigm shift may have put to a halt a scenario which last year, produced the likes of Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano State and former presidential candidate of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party ANPP, in 2011 becoming Minister of Education after dumping APC for the ruling PDP. Factoring on this development, many have argued that the incoming administration is not likely to toe the line of the outgoing PDP government where government appointments are shared on the basis of party patronage and compensation.

In a related development, rumours have been making the round that contrary to expectations, the incoming administration would not run an over bloated cabinet list but opt for a lean cabinet ostensibly to cut overhead in governance.

Following the alleged plans to reduce the exorbitant cost of governance in Nigeria, President-elect is reportedly considering reducing the number of ministers in the Federal Executive Council.

This was part of the cost-saving proposals which Buhari presented to his party’s National Working Committee (NWC) last week.

A high-ranking member of the APC NWC had reportedly revealed that the proposal includes streamlining the

Buhari

ministries and parastatals.

Buhari, known for his legendary frugal lifestyle is believed to have mooted the idea to justify the claim that the country is in dire need of genuine change from the past ways of doing things.

However, this is not to undermine the fact that the incoming government is aware of the critical election promises which it intends to fulfill in the area of security, economy, power and the fight against corruption To this end, it has been speculated that the proposed cabinet list would employ the services of experienced technocrats with high level of professional competence to run the government in the next four years which might be a complete departure from the norm.

With less than six weeks left to the inauguration of General Muhammadu Buhari’s government, speculation about the new cabinet deepens.

For instance, a Lagos-based media outfit last Monday, reported that the next Federal Executive Council might be formed by Nigerians who are not only ruled by the desire to reinstate the dream of the countries founding fathers, but also share the austere lifestyle of the president-elect.

Many names have been peddled as likely members of the proposed cabinet list, but it appears the Presidentelect may take a cursory look at singlehandedly appointing seasoned technocrats and administrator in critical sectors such as the economy, security and anti graft as the major kernels of his campaign promises to Nigerians.

In the area of security and the menace of Boko Haram, Buhari is said to be on the lookout for crack military and security experts who would stem the tide of insurgency in the North East. As a former military Head of State, it is believed that his knowledge of the nitty-gritty of war and peace will come handy.

Buhari has consistently hinged his campaign promises on fighting corruption which he says is the bane of under-development ravaging in the country since the past 16 years of PDP rule.

The President-elect had, in a recent interview, decried

the lack of accountability in governance. His words: “I think the worst thing is the lack of accountability and the terrible budgetary system. Imagine that over 90 per cent of Nigerian budget is on recurrent. How can you sustain development in a country like Nigeria with only about 10 per cent of your income? Things just have to change.

“There must be more money available for infrastructure, for investment in getting the factories back, employment and getting goods and services for the population. I think the sins of PDP will be coming out for several years to come.”

From the look of things, this appears to be one area where Buhari may be given a free hand to appoint his own man because of the importance of the assignment.

However, some names have been penciled in as “must” in the proposed APC-led government on account of their contribution to the success of Buhari’s campaign and by extension, his eventual victory on March 28.

On this category is the outgoing governor of Rivers State and Director-General of Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Amaechi, a former PDP governor before his defection in 2013, is believed to have mobilised a massive war chest towards the funding of Buhari’s robust campaign and hence is said to be deserving of a visible cabinet position in the next government.

The Rivers State governor will also fit in as a mouth piece of the South-South geo-political zone which appears to have lost out in the current power equation in the just concluded general election by voting massively for the PDP which lost power at the centre.

In this category can also be found the likes of the outgoing governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Dr Kayode Fayemi, immediate past Ekiti State governor and Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, who contested the APC presidential primary with Buhari.

Unconfirmed reports from several social and regular media have also indicated that the President-elect is considering the likes of former ministers of Petroluem and Finance, Prof. Tam David-West and Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu as favorites’ of the new government.

It was gathered that while the President-elect is not going to stand against the APC that won him the Presidency, he has resolved to pick technocrats and those he trusts to run his most important ministries.

“It’s the President-elect’s personal wish to return former Nigeria’s oil Minister, David West to the Petroleum Ministry” said a source.

However, in a move that suggested that the proposed Buhari cabinet list would be a complete departure from the past, the APC has indicated plans to ratify the list.

This was disclosed in a media interview last week by a leading member of legacy party and former governor of old Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who said, the APC would be guided by the constitution.

Onu said the APC was a party which was determined to do things differently to ensure that Nigerians get value from government.

He said, “In forming government, you have to make consultations with the party. We are a party of change, we are a party that is looking forward to building a Nigeria that many of the problems we have today will be solved, and we can’t do things the way they were done before; knowing that the way they were done before didn’t give the results that were desired.”

As the nation waits with bated breath for the much desired change come May 29, not a few hope and pray like Pastor Bakare in his message commemorating his 60th birthday that “May the good Lord surround the Presidentelect with men and women of goodwill, great intellectual capacity,

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POLITICS

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Why we voted against our party in Plateau –Tapgun Former governor of Plateau State, Sir Fidelis Tapgun, is a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party. A former ambassador to Kenya and governorship aspirant of the party during the just concluded general election, he speaks in this interview with JAMES ABRAHAM on the conduct of the election, the problem with PDP that led to its poor performance among other issues. Excerpts:

A

s a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, how do you feel over the poor performance of the party during the last general election?

We are all lamenting the situation, I must tell you the truth. We are lamenting because the party has been destroyed by people who do not know the philosophy of the party when it was formed. Until the party goes back to its first love, it will continue to drift.

At what point did things begin to fall apart in PDP? The governors are the number one problems of the party. They hijacked the party and made it their property. That is the beginning of the failure of the PDP. Mr. President who ought to have stopped that from happening, unfortunately, looked the other way and allowed them to behave as if they were imperial majesties in their respective states. So, they drove everybody away and refused to allow input from the people in the governance of affairs, including who should contest election. So, people got fed up. Until the party goes back to the original foundation to say that the party belongs to the people and not individuals, there cannot be an improvement.

It is painful, especially for us, that are the foundation members. There is nothing that has not been done in the past couple of years to get the party reform, but the governors frustrated such moves. If you remember, when President Yar’Adua came in, he inaugurated the Alex Ekwueme-led Reconciliation Committee.

I was a member of that committee and we went round the country and came up with a powerful recommendation on how the party could return to its past glory.

We submitted our report and part of it is that the ownership of the party should belong to the people themselves. How do you do that? We discovered that over time, people have not subscribing to the party again. You don’t even know who is a member of the party and who is not .You just go to the ward and people’s names are listed. In that report, we said that people should subscribe to the party and own it. If you come to register, you pay certain amount and you would be issued with a card that is regularised monthly or yearly and through that, the party can raise fund to finance its activities from the local government and state levels so that they can cut themselves off from depending on Governors. Those reports are still lying at the shelves of the party at the national headquarters without

the office. But, I know the number one will be to unite the people of the state.

That should be given priority attention because as it is, we are so divided to the extent that getting the people back together should be given topmost priority. Once there is peace and the people can move freely in the state, life can come back to normal again.

Don’t you think there will be a fresh crisis within your party after May 29 following the possible effort to reform it as you have promised?

One thing I will tell you is that when we get there, we will see what will happen.

implementation. So, until we go back to those original ideals, we will continue to have problems.

Are those the reasons you worked against your party and supported the APC governorship candidate, Barrister Simon Lalong?

I think the PDP in the state worked against itself during the election. The victory of the opposition was something everyone saw coming because of the enormous damage which the PDP has suffered internally. I think that was what happened in this case and unfortunately, when we sounded the alert of the impending defeat of the party, nobody listened to us until it happened and that was rather unfortunate. However, we are prepared to reform the PDP in Plateau State. I cannot deny that we contributed to making the opposition APC win the election in Plateau State because my party, the PDP, failed in the first place to zone the governorship to the Southern part of the state. That is the greatest error they made and since they did that, we knew the game was up for them in the state. Fortunately for APC, they zoned theirs to the South. So, naturally, APC became the attraction because that is the wish of the people. Our resolve to support the APC was not something we hid from anybody. It wasn’t anything we did behind the scene. We openly said we were going to work against the PDP in Plateau State. We said we were going to remain in PDP to do that and we did it to the end. So, the success of the APC in Plateau is a product of PDP’s support and we are not ashamed to say it. We did it just to drive the point that if you are in power, you should do well and not relegate the people to the background, otherwise, you will be kicked out.

The grouse is believed to be between the PDP aspirants against the governor. How come it affected President Jonathan’s electoral fortunes during the last election in Plateau State?

The problem in Plateau wouldn’t have affected President Goodluck Jonathan in terms of votes if he was not as a collaborator of (Governor) Jonah Jang’s misdeeds in the state. That was his sin and we told him in various ways. Instead of correcting him (the governor), he refused to do anything about it. I remember when we met with him about two days to the presidential election, whatever that is happening to him in the state was a transferred anger

Tapgun

from Jang to him because he appeared to have supported Jang in everything he had done. The governor killed the state and Mr. President appeared to have given approval which is bad and that would affect his election in the state. That was what we told him to his face. He doubted us the first time because after he met with the governor, they abandoned us.

He did not call us until two days to the election - Eight of us, the governorship aspirants, under the party’s platform. He told us that well, from every information that he had received, the governor had been telling him lies, that PDP was not going to win election in Plateau. He asked us what could be done to save the situation; that we should go and work for him. We said thank you sir, since you have accepted, you have vindicated us.

We also told him that it was already too late. That was two days to the presidential election. We told him that we will guarantee the votes from the eight of us present but we could not assure him the votes of the people at home because it was already too late to go and talk to anybody. The issue with Jang had been hanging for too long without him doing anything about it; that is why we said he was an accomplice. We have a saying that the bird that caused rain, the rain will also beat it. That was what happened to Mr. President in Plateau State during the just concluded election.

Do you think the APC administration will perform better than the PDP? We are waiting for the inauguration on May 29.

What do you think should be the priority of the incoming APC government in Plateau?

I don’t want to set agenda for the incoming APC administration in the state because the Governor-elect and his Deputy were once aspirants and I believe they would have had their priorities when they were campaigning to come to

Do you support the call for the resignation of the party’s national chairman after the abysmal performance of the party during the last election?

I think those calling for his ouster meant well for the party in dire need of repositioning. And I am sure if it were to be in a sane society, judging from the poor performance of the party under his leadership, he wouldn’t have waited for people to begin to put pressure before he does the right thing.

Do you foresee the party bouncing back in the nearest future?

I can tell you that PDP will bounce back in due course. Some of us who are founding members of the party are still there. Some other members have defected to other parties but that is not politics because we should have principles as politicians. Yes, it is true that our party did not do well in the previous election but the scenario thrown up by the election has equally provided another opportunity for the party to go back to the drawing board to be able to correct whatever mistake that has been done and be able to prepare adequately ahead of next election. For me, that is the way forward and not to jump ship. For us who are the founding members of the party, we cannot abandon the party at this trying period. One thing is that those who brought the party to this sorry state are those who didn’t know the philosophy of the party. They lack the basic knowledge and principle upon which the party was founded. That is why they just came in, grabbed power and stole public fund in the belief that with money, they would always have their way without recourse to the people. That is the missing point.

Instead of being a party for the people, PDP suddenly turned into a president’s party, governors’ party and local government chairmen’s party. That is how the party was operated against the goals and objectives it set out to achieve which eventually led to its present mess.

But if you look all over the country, people are still there in the party and they are determined that the party must bounce back. I am quite sure that PDP will not die because we are ready to rebuild it so that it will be a strong opposition to the APC. And if the APC is not able to meet the people’s expectation, we will waste no time to fill the gap. Here in Plateau State, we are prepared to reform the party in line with its original set goals.

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April 25, 2015

Talking

Politics

‘This election was lost because of Jonathan, not because of APC’ — Lagos State PDP senatorial candidate for Alimoso Senatorial District Lagos, Segun Adewale

‘Jonathan ‘ll hand over “T on May 29, not 28’

—Information Minister, Patricia Akwashiki, recounts her earlier claim that the President will hand over on May 28

“O

nly the inaugural dinner will hold on May 28. 28th May is not the date for handover, 29th May is for handover and Democracy Day.” “The President is still the President till 29th May when the President-elect will take over”.

“I have to make a little clarification because some people thought I said May 28 would be the handover date. I never said that.

“I said May 28 will be the last day that we will have our handing over briefs by ministries and parastatals.

“I said from the 28th of this month to that date has been given to departments and ministries to submit their hand over notes.

“I remember somebody asked if there

would be no vacuum if there is handover on May 28 and I replied that there will be no handing over on May 28.

“Handing over and inauguration will hold on May 29. The President is not handing over power on May 28, he is handing over power on May 29”.

he main reason we lost the election had to do with Jonathan. He made PDP lose the election. Jonathan ruined our party. He is my leader but he is not sincere; he’s selfish. I am saying it the way it is. We had Obasanjo from the South in power for eight years. Jonathan did two years of Yar’Adua and then four years of his own. Obasanjo and co told Jonathan that he could not continue and that power had to go back to the North so that they too could hold it a little, and allow it keep rotating.

“But our president refused saying he wanted to do extra. Ok no problem. But this election was lost because of Jonathan and not because APC was strong. The difference between PDP and APC was not up to 3million votes and that is not significant compared to what happened in 2011 where we had almost 11million votes difference. “’To me Jonathan was not my hero in the election because he made everyone

‘It’s not going to be tea party for Buhari’ — Senator Olusola Saraki, former governor of Kwara State

‘PDP’s defeat was God-sent, self-inflicted’ — Senator Ndoma Egba, Senate Majority Leader reminisces on the defeat of his party, the PDP

“T

he party that is coming into power at the federal level survived as opposition for 16 years. Even though what has happened

to PDP is a self-inflicted situation, we should see what has happened as a Godsent avenue to recreate the PDP to be owned by members of the party and not by barons.

Mental laziness breeds impunity and impunity breeds arrogance and every situation reinforces itself. If you have small impunity today if you don’t do anything about it, the impunity would grow and if you have small arrogance today and you don’t do anything about it, it would re-enforce itself by growing so the PDP is paying a price for our own conduct and this is a God sent opportunity for us to wake up and think and I also hope that the APC will learn from what has befallen PDP.

‘Jonathan will not contest 2019 presidential election’

­ Chief Ebenezer Babatope, former Transport Minister and PDP chieftain, — dismisses claim that President Jonathan will contest in 2019

“A

lthough, the people of the South-South have the right to present a candidate for the election, I’m sure the President will not contest; He will lead us to fight against the All Progressives Congress.”

“The President has set himself apart as a great Nigerian leader, who is committed to seeing Nigeria blossom into a great democracy. He has laid a solid foundation for the nation’s democracy and he would forever be remembered.”

“The President will not contest the 2019 presidential election. The PDP will look for a strong Hausa/Fulani presidential candidate to contest against Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

“We have a strong presence in the SouthSouth, South-East and we have two governors in the South-West. We are going to slug it out together in the North in 2019. We are going to flush out the APC in 2019 because we are going to correct our mistakes and take back the central government.”

stranded because of his own selfish ambition. My view may be different from the party and they may want to sanction me, but, that is my own conclusion. Jonathan made us lose the election. He should have stepped back for the North to have power again a little and let it rotate. I appreciate the fact that the South-south has the oil but why we have the principle of rotation is that power would rotate between the South and North”.

“I

think the President-elect has emphasized the issue of integrity and capacity. You have heard what I just talked about the

challenges ahead. It is not going to be a tea party. There is work to be done “We have the mess to clean up. We have expectation also to meet for all the people that have gone around on change slogan. To expect the immediate result, we must have people that hit the ground running and be able to perform.

“The issue now is to balance between the political expectation of people who have supported the political party win and also on performance. It is clear that with the kind of mandate we have been given, we must ensure we perform and we succeed so that we do not run into the same problem like PDP.”

‘PDP scared of being opposition party’ ­—APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

“W

e don’t blame them as they have neither the capacity nor the commitment to be in op-position. “A party that stood for nothing but looting and rent collection will naturally be afraid of being in opposition, where there is nothing to loot or rent to collect.’’

“APC advised the PDP to understand that it is not by repeating obvious lies that an opposition party can be ef¬fective, but by being creative, knowledgeable, resourceful and above all, credible. It is not by cheap blackmail, but being resilient.

“This is why we wish to ex¬tend to the National Working Committee of the PDP a free orientation, just as we have offered the party’s spokes¬man, a free crash course on how to be an opposition party spokesman.

The theme of the orientation for the PDP NWC members will be ‘transiting from the ruling party to an op¬position party’.

“In the first instance, there is no substi-

tute for experi¬ence. Also, we believe that democracy will be deepened only when there is cooperation between the governing party and the opposition, hence the offer,’’

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Living

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

April 25, 2015

17

Maids from hell

House helps appear to be a necessary evil, especially for most career women. But with increasing cases of house helps with ulterior motives infiltrating homes, how can mothers, fathers and the family at large protect themselves from harm, JULIET UMEH asked experts.

I

t was a big relief last week not only for the family of Leke Orekoya, but all Nigerians, when news of the release of the three Orekoya boys made the rounds. For Mr. and Mrs. Orekoya, it was eight days of grueling agony after a nanny recruited through OLX, an online sales portal, abducted their children.

Fummilayo Adeyemi, (better known as Mary Akinloye) the fake nanny who kidnapped the children from the SurulereLagos abode of the Orekoyas, infiltrated the home with a false name. Throughout the eight days of drama after the news of the kids kidnap became public, the Orekoyas and the concerned public were on tenterhooks. Though Adeyemi was apprehended by crack detectives to the eternal relief of the parents of the kids and the public, there are still questions and indeed bafflement as to how the kidnapper gained access to the Orekoya home.

It also raises further worries on just how safe the home front is when left in the hands of hired maids The Orekoyas posted a request for a maid on OLX, saying they needed a nanny for their children. Adeyemi was said to have contacted the family and was employed immediately, perhaps, without due diligence.

Sadly, barely 24 hours of resuming duty in Orekoya house, the nanny abducted three out of four of their children – Aderomola (11 months), Adedamola (4 years) and Demola (6 years). It was alleged that the evil nanny then requested N15m ransom initially from the family.

The ransom was reduced to N13m after much appeal by the victims’ mother.

Still, the Orekoyas couldn’t come up with the hefty sum. The beleaguered parents appealed for help. Some amount of money changed hands and the kids were released to their parents. But if the kidnappers thought that was the end of the matter, they were wrong. The police moved in, and the rest, as they say, is now history.

Sad as the story is, it’s not the first of its kind. Indeed, it’s not the first kidnap saga involving OLX. The first known case

was in December 2014, when Rapheal and Michael Esharegan were kidnapped in their home in Magodo area of Lagos State. However, further confessions by Adeyemi had it that she was also responsible for that evil act.

In a similar scenario, Precious George, 21-year-old University of Port Harcourt undergraduate, revealed to Saturday Mirror, her mother’s own tale of evil house helps. The incident, according to George, took place within 24 hours the maids resumed for ‘duty.’

Says George, “My mother and my aunt got two ladies, one for my aunt and the other for my sister last month. After a brief interview with them, they told my mother that they wanted to work to raise money to take their senior secondary certificate exam.

“The maids slept in my aunt’s house the day they came. The following morning, while my mother visited my aunt, these ladies made away with my aunt’s money in hard currency, her gold jewelry, her international passport with valid British and American visas and many other valuables.

“Unfortunately, there was no real scrutiny before their employment was finalized, just like the case of Orekoyas. A man brought them from Benin Republic.

How my mother and aunt got the man’s contact, I still don’t know. But he claims to run an ‘agency.’ After the maids completed their evil mission, my mother called the man, but all the three numbers he gave had been switched off. The police said these people are a cartel that goes around stealing people’s properties. The case has been reported but we can only hope that something comes out of it,” she lamented.

As maid hire is not peculiar to Nigeria, its attendant hazards too are not restricted to the country as homes in other African countries suffer from bad maids.

In a development in Kenya, a newly employed maid identified as Grace Mwikali Mwema, has been arrested by the Kenyan police after she was caught on camera CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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LIVING

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Housemaids are necessary evil’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

breastfeeding her boss’s nine- month-old baby last week.

In the video which was aired on Kenya’s Nairobi news, the nanny, who is a mother of a three month old child herself, was seen offering her breasts to the baby who sucked for a few seconds and then refused to continue. Seeing that the child was no longer cooperating, the house help dropped the child to play.

Luckily for her employer, she had installed a nanny camera in her home to monitor the maid who was employed just two days before the incident. According to the mother, when Mwema was confronted, she first claimed that the baby was the one playing with her breast. She later admitted her guilt when she was told that she was filmed doing the unnatural act.

Most career women say combining home chores with office duties makes it a necessity to hire maids. Those who advocate for house help readily mention the various advantages a woman gets from having a helping hand. Some of them say the woman needs help if she does not want to collapse from fatigue and stress.

But the recent bitter experiences of Mrs. Orekoya and others may serve as lessons and eye openers to parents, especially working mothers, on the dangers of hiring house maids.

It is clear that people are not going to stop hiring maids because of what happened to the Orekoyas. So what are the necessary things parents should put in place to ensure their kids are safe whether in or out of their environment especially when employing a total stranger into their home?

Dr Oni Bamikole Fagbohungbe, a psychologist, who is also a senior lecturer in the department of social science at the University of Lagos, believes that the problem of the Orekoyas stemmed from their use of an online portal to hire a maid in the first place.

Dr Fagbohungbe expressed worry over the upsurge of evils perpetrated via the Internet. Citing the example of the late Cynthia Osokogu, the young student who was killed in July 2012 by her Facebook friends, he said the case of the Orekoya kids just illustrates the other side of the coin of technology.

In the same vein, Ambrose Madu, a Lagos resident, who is also a father, feels that the decision of the Orekoyas to hire a maid via Internet was irresponsible. “I am happy for the family, especially the little kids. Suffice to say though, that the parents have exhibited gross irresponsibility. They employed a maid via the Internet, without due checks or referencing, and within 24 hours, left her alone with the kids.”

Still in the same vein, Iyabo Oluwole, a mother of three, said: “My first reaction when the news of the kids’ freedom came was to be happy for the kids and also to thank God Almighty. But candidly, I’m so upset with Mrs. Orekoya. It is either we don’t listen or we have nonchalant attitude. A similar incident was reported some time ago and a lot of people condemned the act of recruiting house help through that OLX site. Of course, that isn’t the primary reason why that site was created. So, due diligence cannot be relegated to the background. I understand the need to be financially independent and also contribute by form of assisting our spouses, but that should be worked out between the husband and wife without affecting the children.”

Dr Faghohungbe submits that while utilizing information technology to the fullest, we should not also forget the other side of coin. We shouldn’t pay attention to the good side alone. “Parents, in the quest of survival, are beginning to surrender their parental responsibility to house helps and many children are damaged by house helps. Parents hardly have time for their children. Even in the midst of these daily demands and requirements, you must be able to exercise

Orekoya kids

control over your home. You must still be able to make time out to balance your home,” the psychologist counselled.

Mrs. Doyin Hammeed, a civil servant, also advised that mothers should have time for their children, give them good food so that their immune system can fight any disease, be observant of their children and the environment, and then out of their busy schedule create time for their children instead of delegating these duties to housemaids. “Thank God that the government is building facilities where working mothers can keep their children to give them easy access to breast-feeding. If you must still employ house help, pray hard and commit the children into the hands of God,” Hammeed said.

Chinwe Obi, also a civil servant with three kids, said: “These house helps are like a necessary evil. I remember a particular time I vowed not to have one again. The reason was that the last one I had made away with some of my personal belongings. But when the heat got so intense at home, I was always tired, busy and had little time to sleep, being a working mother and wife. My attention

was always taken by my work and children and communication between my husband and I broke down. I came to the realisation that I was no superwoman. I, therefore, got another house help. Now, everything is back to normal. I am always strong and ready for my husband because someone is always around to assist with chores. Working mothers have no choice. They need these maids. They should be prayerful and vigilant any time they want to engage their services. Besides, even if we decide not to use maids, there are still other ways the enemy can get to us if we do not make God our shield and protector,” she advised.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, also advised parents and guardians not to be in a hurry to employ house helps without doing background checks on them. He advised that when hiring domestic staff, people should try and involve the police.

“What we’ve found most disturbing about the elite is that they employ people they don’t know,” Aderanti said. Nigerians need to always submit the names of potential domestic staff to the police for background checks prior to hiring them.

Working mothers have no choice. They need these maids.

They should be prayerful and vigilant any time they want to engage their services. Besides, even if we decide not to use

maids, there are still other ways the enemy can get to us if we do not make God our shield

Fummilayo Adeyemi, (better known as Mary Akinloye)

and protector

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LIVING

April 25, 2015

19

Is another flooding disaster on the way?

Jamata covered by surging water in 2012

Despite early seasonal rainfall prediction coupled with lessons from the devastation wrought by flood in 2012, communities lying in flood prone areas in Lokoja, a confluence town are hardly ever perturbed by the possibility of a recurrence of such disaster, writes NICK UWERU

H

is highness, Shehu Ibrahim, the chief of Edeha-Egba, a riverside community in Kotonkarfi, Lokoja Kogi State, sat on a cane chair outside his home at the edge of the river early that morning.

He does so now on daily basis since the wet season began. His rheumy gaze can see little despite being aided by thick lenses. But he has an acute sense of smell. His subjects say that he could tell the different water levels from just the smell coming from River Niger, the body of water on whose bank his village nestles.

Speaking through Idirisu Moham-

med, a cousin and farmer in the area who speaks passable pidgin, Ibrahim explains that the water level in the river is unusually high for this time of the year. “Another flood is coming,” he said, sombrely. “I wish to join my ancestors so as not see what happened the last time,” old Ibrahim said, referring to the major flooding incident of 2012, some three years ago.

Ibrahim delayed a little when the flooding began that year. That tardiness nearly proved fatal as surging waters from the River Niger swamped his home and compound.

He was rescued by a canoe which

took him all the way to Lokoja, over water that has never crossed its boundary as far back as the chief could remember. His entire community of over 300 residents was devastated. A community that produces 3, 000 bags of rice was sacked entirely as its people escaped to high grounds.

Nobody died though on account of repeated warnings from radio and TV by government.

Ibrahim now worries anytime he feels that the water levels are higher than normal. “And we still hear periodic warnings from government,” said a worried. But he explained that

if the disaster happens again his people will still be caught off guard.

“Government asks us to leave our ancestral home but go to where,” asked a disturbed Ibrahim, rhetorically.

There was plan to move the entire community to Kotonkarfi where the native authority had initially planned to give Edeha-Egba land to rebuild their community. But the move hit a snag when land feud from among the indigenes continued to stall the plan.

In the words of Usman Yakubu, second in command to Ibrahim, residents CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

20

LIVING

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Flood prone communities have no where else to go’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 of Edeha-Egba will continue to go and come back to their homes as the surging water allows. “This is what we have resigned ourselves to,” he added.

Yakubu may have spoken eloquently of the plans of other communities along the flood planes in Kogi State to stay put regardless of the dangers. “It will take more than water to chase me away from here,” said Yusuf Salami, with finality, turning his attention to the ongoing reconstruction of what may pass for a duplex when viewed from outside. He is a resident of Jamata, a settlement across River Niger, from Edeha-Egba, at the western end of the Muritala Mohammed Bridge, Lokoja. Almost a year ago before the flood, the house was just a bungalow.

But overnight the house and every other building within the vicinity were submerged by onrushing water from the River Niger. Salami escaped with his family only because he heeded the warnings from radio that the flood was coming. But since he has nowhere else to go and no succour has come from government, Salami has resorted to fortifying the house against the possibility of another rampaging flood.

To avert being trapped in the house by water, he has raised the basement of his house so that in the event that there is another flooding, he and his family could stay at the upper part of the building until help comes. “In any case, nobody can say for certain that there will be heavy flooding this year,” Salami added, philosophically.

A random count in Jamata readily establishes that Salami is not the only property owner in the area who is either rebuilding or have reconstructed his homes after the flooding of 2012. On the estimate, no less than 15 new or refurbished structures have sprung up.

Explaining this trend, Yakubu, who has also noticed the trend in EdehaEgba says: “The people feel that help is coming from nowhere government who ask us to move to highland have given us no alternative. The people are building enduring structures against the flood. When it comes, they simply hope to escape to higher ground and comeback after the water subsides,” said Yakubu.

But how enduring these buildings might be after last year flood is in serious doubt. There are indications that the flooding may have caused sink holes in the grounds of the flood planes. This is why, as observed, houses in the area that appeared to be newly built are seen to have cracks in them.

In Okumi, a settlement of Agatu, a tribe that migrated from Benue State, the residents are double jeopardy.

They were not only sacked from their original home by the surging of River

Another flood is coming. I wish to join my ancestors so as not see what happened the last time

—His Highness, Shehu Ibrahim Niger during the flooding incident, the Agatus cannot return to their place anymore because the state government has seized their land for its Accelerated Rice Project, ARP. As part of its agriculture transformation program, Governor Idris Wada began an economic initiative to empower an estimated 4, 700 farmers in the production of quick yield rice farming.

Ironically, the Agatu’s known as land tillers and whose activities forms a major bulwark in subsistence and small scale farming across the middle belt of Nigeria were shut out of the program. Not only that. Their rice farms that yields, combined, an average of 500 bags of rice per annum, where taken away. Though relocated to higher grounds across the expressway in Lokoja, the Agatu’s now leave in houses made from raffia and palm leaves. “Since the flooding, we have been left to fend for ourselves. We have no farms to go to, our children are playing all around as you can see.

We have no money to send them to school,” explained Umaru Eloyi, spokesman for the community. He equally added that they have heard it on the radio that flooding may still happen again like it did in 2012. “But where does government want us to go?”

Being a confluence town where the two great rivers, Niger and Benue, meet in their onward journey to the Atlantic Ocean, Lokoja took a massive hit in 2012 during a major flooding

that struck the country between July and October that year.

Between the periods there was a massive rainfall. But flooding incident happened majorly as result of a poorly managed onrush of water from Lake Nyos in Cameroon, North East of Nigeria after Camerounian authorities released excess water from its Lagdo Reservoir with short notice to the Nigerian authority.

Much of the North east of the country is however saved from inundation from the lake by the Lagdo Reservoir, a hydro-electric dam built in the Northern Province of Cameroun. The dam is 308 meters long, 40 meters in height and nine meters thick. Principally a hydro-electricity dam, the facility also allows for the irrigation of 15, 000 hectares of crops downstream.

Lagdo Dam covers an area of 586 square kilometer, south of the Camerounian city of Garoua on River Benue. Sharing border with Borno, Adamawa and Taraba, states in Nigeria, the primary outflow of the Dam is River Benue, second largest river in the country. The river takes its course from the Adamawa Plateau in the Camerouns and flows through the lowlands of Adamawa, Taraba, and Benue before meeting River Niger in Lokoja.

With the North of Cameroun more prone to rainfall than in Nigeria, Lagdo dam had filled to capacity and was in imminent danger of collapse.

Such an occurrence could have proven tragic for both countries. It would have resulted in destruction of such vital

infrastructure for the Cameroonians.

Worse still for Nigeria, the entire low planes from Adamawa Plateau down to Kogi State would have been swept away by an estimated 883 million gallons of water from the River Benue.

By Nigeria’s water resources management plan, a buffer dam should have been in Kashambila, a remote border area in Taraba to act as first receiver of the body of waters. But that project has not been completed over the years. Apart from the Kashambila Dam, there was supposed to be seven others, gently terracing down the valley from Taraba down to Lokoja, all to control the flow of water down south of the country.

In the course of the flooding in 2012, Kogi and Adamawa took the worst hit. Of the 7.7 million people affected by the flood as estimated by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, 633, 690 of them are in Kogi State, says the state government.

Though another 18, 000 people were reported injured from the over 27 states affected, Kogi says the casualty figure in the state is minimal, even so the death toll.

But the situation in the riverside settlements in Lokoja, its environs and in other flood planes across the country is cause for much worry. For this year, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, had in its annual Seasonal Rainfall Prediction, SRP, forecast a heavier rainfall and more likely-hood of flooding in the country than was experienced in 2012.

NIMET’s SRP, especially after the flooding incident of that year, has become a major advisory on weather forecast for not only the aviation industry, but also farmers, construction companies and many other outdoor projects.

Though federal government, international donor organizations and individuals have made spirited efforts at assuaging the pain of loss of the victims of the flood, relief materials and funds meant to rehabilitate the communities appear not to have reached them. The president made a release of N17 billion to provide succour for the flood victims.

In sharing the money, N13 billion was paid out to the affected states who were categorized into groups A to D, according to the degree of devastation.

Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Delta, Bayelsa and Anambra were in category A and got N500 million each. In B, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Taraba, Cross River, Edo, Lagos and Imo, got N400 million each.

In C, Kwara, Katsina, Gombe, Ogun, Ondo, Ebonyi, Abia and Rivers, got N300 million each. Catigory D states included Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Yobe, Enugu, Ekiti, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Borno and the FCT. They got N250 million each.

Entervaganza

The Saturday Mirror Magazine

m i h C

a d n a am

l r i g 0 0 1 e m i ... t

Relationships Sex talk Should your spouse have access to your text messages?

P.33

100 arousing facts about sex (2) P.32

Fashion

Precious corals P.28

22

ENTERVAGANZA

April 25 , 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

It took me eleven years to overcome stage fright —Ladi Emeruwa

Celebr ity

Ladi Emeruwa is a London-based Nigerian actor who has the distinct honour of being the first Black man to play the popular character, Hamlet, created by the great playwright, William Shakespeare. Currently playing Hamlet in a world tour which began last year and will end next year, the tour berthed in Nigeria last month and OSEYIZA OOGBODO used the opportunity to speak with Ladi.

How do you feel being a part of this Hamlet world tour?

It’s an incredible opportunity for me.

This is my first production with the organizers, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and they have given me the chance to visit different countries of the world. On top of that, I’m back to my own country. It means the world to me. I really hope that, particularly this afternoon when there will be students coming for the show, they will be inspired by the fact that as a Nigerian, you can do this. What really got me interested in Shakespeare and theatre generally was when I saw in 2009 an actor called Adetomiwa Edun play Romeo at the Globe and I remember thinking that wow, this is another Nigerian like me playing the lead role in a performance at the Globe. That made me feel that I can definitely do this.

As a Nigerian who is doing something positive internationally, how does that make you feel because in most places, our image is that of writing the so-called ‘Nigeria letters’?

I think our image is highly more nuanced than that, but I think we do have that image of scamming. I think it does help promote another opinion about who we are and what we are.

Were you involved in any stage play here in Nigeria before you left for England?

I didn’t do any. Just a school play.

So how did you achieve making acting your source of livelihood?

When I went to England, the first year I was there I saw this play at the school I was. They did a pantomime, Aladdin and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1999, and I loved it. I said this is incredible. But it took me a while to build the confidence, to actually put myself on stage.

But over the course of, I guess, 11 years, I finally built the courage to say yes, I can actually do this for a living.

it by chance. In fact, I was here right at the MUSON Centre watching Kakadu: The Musical and I needed to get back to the UK to see my agent and talk about it. So I e-mailed the casting director at The Globe; I recorded myself doing a speech of one of Shakespeare’s plays and sent it to them. I was thinking this was not going to fly and the next thing was, “we will see you on Wednesday”. So I frantically had to learn a couple of speeches in the play, went in on a Wednesday and did it.

They liked it and invited me again the following week to meet the other director because there is a co-director in the play. So I came in the next week, did it for him that Wednesday, and that evening they offered it to me.

in

the middle.

There is t h e

Have you taken Hamlet to any country where there was a conflict, Kiev for instance and you felt agitated?

When we went to Kiev, it was before they were in this level of conflict; it was the day before the election. The guy who is now president and the mayor were in the audience the day before they were elected. And it was very peaceful, very hopeful. It’s very sad to see the country descend into what it has.

How was the experience in Sudan?

Sudan, Venezuela and Somalia are places that are tough. Of course, there is a threat, but we were very well on top of things. The British Council, the Home Office; these people advise us very carefully, and if any country was into deep trouble, they would never put us there. Everywhere we have been, we have been incredibly welcomed, particularly those places people were afraid to come. They bent over more than backwards to try and make sure we had the best experience. be-

Ham-

•Emeruwa

You trained as a lawyer.

Yes, I went to university, studied law but decided I wanted to be an actor.

Did you audition for this role or you were just selected?

I auditioned. I actually found out about

let is a very long play; is this production the full one?

There are three versions of the play that exist. One is about four and a half hours; one version is about two and a half hours and another version is somewhere

is essentially taking the of that play and taking the best from each one to make this, I would say, robust, dynamic and very clear play.

lief that there was a version in Shakespeare’s time that was used to tour countries around the world. That’s the two and a half hours version. But there are few inconsistencies in that version; there are lots of wrong lines. So what we have done

How have you been keeping up your energy level with the trip?

It’s a challenge, but luckily enough two of us are playing ‘Hamlet’. Normally, we alternate every show, but because we are in Nigeria, I’m doing it. But normally, we all alternate parts, we get days to rest.

We do get time to recover. It’s a challenge because sometimes you do an 18-hour bus journey and the next day you have to perform. The travelling is brilliant; every two days we are on the road. But I think when you see things like this, the level of excitement, you see the students who sit six hours in a bus to come and see this play, there is no way you cannot be excited and energised.

Have you said farewell to law?

Yes, I think so.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

23

April 25, 2015

Mo’ Cheddah runs to Olamide for salvation

Upcoming artist blasts DJ Neptune

‘You DJs don’t support good music’ A

Mo’ Cheddah and Olamide

O

ne-time in-demand singer who is now struggling for visibility, Mo’ Cheddah, has taken another step in her bid to salvage her ever-dwindling career.

She has released a new song, Bad, and she featured highly-in-demand rapper, Olamide, on it, so Bad can attain commercial success sooner than later.

If Bad will do that, even with Olamide on it, is however another point for conjecture, as Mo’ Cheddah’s recent releases were given whatever attention they got because of her past success.

n upcoming artist has taken a swipe at DJ Neptune, saying, “Neptune, you don’t know what good music is and you don’t promote good music.”

The artist, who prefers to remain anonymous, because he’s afraid there might be backlash on his fledgling career because Neptune is one of the top DJs in the country, said he’s coming down hard on Neptune because of his recent comment that Nigerian music lacks content.

“I’m very angry that Neptune could have said something like that, because he should know better. He survives on Nigerian musicians, yet he feels he can just open his mouth anyhow and insult us.”

Obviously angry, the artist continued that “it’s the DJs, Neptune included, working against the proper growth of the music industry. In America, people sing what they like and feel about and are therefore able to have the so-called content Neptune is talking about.

“The case is however different in Nigeria. If you sing a sensible song and take it to Neptune and other DJs, they’ll tell you it’s dancehall people want, that people just want to dance, and for that sort of music, you don’t need to put any serious message. Yet the same Neptune who is one of those promoting senseless music can still turn around and say Nigerian music

not settle him but makes good music tries to give him his CD, will he even collect it, how much more play it? Wouldn’t he rather prefer senseless music made by someone who can give him money?”

And in conclusion,

lacks content.

“Without Nigerian musicians, where would he be? As a DJ, all he does is play music made by musicians. In other words, he feeds off the sweat of musicians, so he shouldn’t insult them. But I’m not surprised that he can speak like a parasite that feeds off its host and eventually destroys it, as most DJs now see them-

•Neptune

selves as gods because they are the ones who play the music we make.

“Now, Neptune has complained about our music lacking content. But does he play good music? When an upcoming artist who can-

the artist said, “No DJ has any right to to diss any musician. They should only advice musicians because they are the ones actually surviving on musicians, not the other way round.”

Five years after Dagrin

‘He might not be as popular if he was still alive’ J

•Dagrin

ust like yesterday, the news of the death of promising rapper, Dagrin, filtered around and shocked the whole nation.

Just as shockingly, that day is now five years ago, meaning Dagrin has now been dead five years officially this week as he died on April 22, 2010.

And in remembrance of the Pon Pon Pon rapper, many entertainment personalities have been speaking on what he meant to them, how he inspired them, how he turned the industry around and all that.

And adding his voice to the Dagrin dis-

cussion, entertainment analyst, Saucy Gezzle, “How I wish Dagrin was still alive today, to know how relevant he would really be. Not speaking ill of the dead, but if he was still alive, he might just not be as popular as he is in death right now.

“This industry is a fickle one and entertainers come and go so fast that if Dagrin was still alive, the intense competition he would be facing might have affected his current rating. But he died in his prime and when the ovation was loudest and he has therefore become a legend.

God grant him eternal rest.”

24

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

E-NEWS

‘Time magazine 100 influential people list is an insult to Nigeria’ A concerned Nigerian, Debbie Ariyo, OBE, reviews the controversial Time magazine 100 influential people in the world list which came out this month and states that it’s a disservice to the universe.

F

or the first time in history, four Nigerians made it onto the prestigious Time Magazine 100 most influential people list.

Nigeria’s President-elect Muhammadu Buhari; arrowhead of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, Dr Oby Ezekwesili; awardwinning Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and curiously, Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram.

To be on this list is no mean feat. In the past top achievers like the late President Mandela, The Dalai Lama and other important contributors to positive life on earth have been so recognised. As a Nigerian, it is indeed pleasing to see the Presidentelect, Chimamanda and Dr Ezeikwesili recognised this way.

Even though I did not support his campaign for Presidency, there is no denying that General Buhari is a huge inspiration to many Nigerians. Having run for office in each of the last four Presidential elections since 2003, the fact that he was successful at the last attempt is of huge significance to many Nigerians who are wont to ascribe ‘spiritual’ meanings to the most mundane of occurrences.

Again, the doggedness of Ezekwesili and the leadership role she has played in highlighting the issue of the missing Chibok girls is also worthy of inspiration.

On her own part, Chimamanda has been a great export of Nigeria on the international scene. A prolific writer, she commands respect across the globe for the brilliance and versatility of her work.

I believe these three recognitions are well deserved and should be celebrated.

They are the sort of positive icons we need across Nigeria, Africa and the black race to motivate and inspire our children and young people to achieve and develop. What is confusing though is to see these noble names on the same list as that of Shekau.

It’s baffling to see the name of the one person responsible for total carnage, death and destruction across the landscape of Nigeria over the past six years or so equally on the Time magazine list. That Shekau – bloodthirsty terrorist and butcher of children and women is named as an influential personality of the year by Time is an insult to the 15,000 men, women and children killed by this man and his gang of terrorists across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

We of course must not forget the over 2 million people who have been displaced across Nigeria and in neighbouring coun-

Buhari

tries by Shekau’s nefarious activities and all those maimed and orphaned by him and his group. How influential can Shekau be regarded by the multitudes of children and students killed by Boko Haram?

Ranging from the July 6th, 2013 attack at Mamudo Government Secondary School in Yobe where at least 41 children and one teacher were killed; to the September 29th, 2013 Gujiba College massacre where suspected gunmen entered the male dormitory in the College of Agriculture in Gujiba, Yobe State and killed at least 44 students and teachers; the Baga massacre of April 19th to 20th, 2013 in Borno State where over 228 people were murdered as well as the first major onslaught on March 8th, 2010 in the Dogo Nahawa in Plateau State where more than 500 villagers including several children were killed in cold blood.

There were also other attacks carried out on churches and markets with high children casualty. Which of these victims dead or alive would regard Shekau as ‘influential?’ Whether negative or positive, the word ‘influential’ cannot and should not be used to describe a terrorist and a mass murderer.

The irony of this recognition is not lost on me. Shekau, responsible for the abduction of over 200 girls from their school on the night of April 14th, 2014 is recognised – in the same vein and by the same body equally recognising the key person who has been responsible for highlighting the case of the girls – the Chibok girls – Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili.

The key question is: “Why couldn’t Time recognise the Chibok girls themselves on its influential list?” Their plight is well known and recognised all over the world.

Thousands of people have called for their release; girls across the world expressed concern for their suffering, including Ma-

The cover of t he Time edition that has the latest 100 list

Ezekwesili

Adichie

lala who was also recognised on the list.

Having a major terrorist recognised as an ‘Influential Person of the Year’ is one of the best ways to encourage young people into terrorism.

What Time has unwittingly done is to turn Shekau into a matyr. If he wasn’t so recognised before, he is now a hero to other terrorists and potential terrorists around the world. This Time recognition, in my view, is a major disservice to the entire universe. I do not know what inspired

the Time to so award and recognise the one person who has done so much damage – but I am sure many will agree – he is not the sort of influential person we want in Nigeria. This man should be found, arrested and indicted for crimes against humanity. He should be prosecuted and jailed for the rest of his life for the evil he has perpetrated on Nigeria and Nigerians. In Nigeria, we do not and can never recognise nor accept him as our ‘influential person of the year.’

The scourge of music piracy (2) Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

E-NEWS

April 25, 2015

25

Continued from last week

A

nother artist who recently opined that radio stations are more of a hindrance than a help to the Nigerian music industry is Michelle singer, Etcetera. While Phemz is an upcoming artist, and it might be felt that he is speaking out of frustration, Etcetera has attained recognition and success, yet he also feels the way Phemz does about piracy.

In an explosive article he wrote in his column in Punch newspaper (an article which was so explosive that at least two popular radio on-air personalities, Cool FM’s Freeze and Beat FM’s Olisa Adibua, were so bitter about it that they lashed out at Etcetera publicly but were berated by the public who said Etcetera was saying the truth), he went as far as saying that due to the radio stations’ attitude of playing the music of majorly those who can grease their palms, piracy continues to thrive.

According to him, people don’t like to listen to radio again in the country because it’s boring listening to radio as the same music of musicians who settle them financially is played over and over again at the expense of better music by new musicians who cannot settle them.

Without mincing words, he thanked and praised the pirates for pirating Nigerian music, saying they were promoting new music and new musicians to Nigerian audiences thereby.

Also speaking on the issue, Ori Owo singer, Tillaman, made a disclosure that further sheds light on why piracy is really thriving in the country.

“I was forced to patronise pirates to make my songs popular,” he told E-News. “When you can’t beat them, you have to join them. And the trend I met in the industry is that people promote their music through pirates to achieve certain results and if you want to achieve those results, then you have to patronise pirates too.”

Reacting to the issue, a top radio presenter with one of the radio stations in Ikeja, Lagos, and who prefers his name not to be in print, said piracy is an explosive issue that is difficult to wade into because some prominent people are feeding fat from it so they are the ones pulling the strings that is making it thrive.

He admitted that it’s quite true that some DJs assist pirates in producing pirated CDs. But he kicked against Phemz’s claims that radio stations don’t like to play Nigerian music. He countered that they play lots of Nigerian music but that the bulk of Nigerian music is not up to required standards and members of the public sometimes call them and complain over some Nigerian songs they play.

On the issue of playing only Nigerian music on Nigerian radio stations, he said it wasn’t such a bad idea, but he doesn’t see that happening in Nigeria due to many reasons, one of which is that it seems undemocratic.

He concluded that “if Nigerian musicians say their songs are not being played abroad, that is a message to them to make songs that are up to world standard.”

When E-News visited the popular Alaba Market, Lagos which is regarded as the headquarters of piracy, the scenario there was shocking. Pirates were selling their pirate CDs in full view and alongside genuine CD sellers.

An Alaba insider who spoke with this reporter also on the condition of anonymity defended the pirates,

Adibua

Etcetera

Freeze

Tillaman

saying, “Piracy came about from necessity. People come here asking for certain songs that are not in the market and that demand metamorphosed into musicians themselves coming here to beg that the ‘so-called’ pirates should put their music in pirated CDs. So would you still call that piracy, a situation where artists are even paying pirates to pirate their songs?

“There is no successful artist in Nigeria today whose success is not as a result of pirates’ support. Most artists don’t have the necessary finance to promote their music on radio and TV. But with a fraction of what they would spend for radio, TV promotion, they blow

through Alaba mixtapes, and even when they’ve blown, they keep coming back because they know Alaba promo is the best that gets them everywhere within a very short time.

“Alaba mixtapes are so good for musicians that you’ll see some of them singing songs to praise pirates in thanks for what they’ve done for their careers. I know the general feeling is that people say piracy is not good, but the musicians come to the pirates themselves and sign forms and contracts to have their songs pirated, so what do people have to say about that?”

Concluded

26

April 25, 2015

Chris Ihidero writes Buhari

‘Don’t consider unnecessary financial aid for Nollywood’

L

ife is truly a case of different strokes for different folks. While some believe that government is not doing enough to support, aid, fund the movie sector, a filmmaker, Chris Ihidero, has come out to advice Nigeria’s next President, General Muhammadu Buhari, that he shouldn’t consider frivolous claims for financial support from Nollywood.

Succinctly, Ihidero pointed out to Buhari that “please don’t give Nollywood money. Let me clarify sir. PLEASE DON’T GIVE US MONEY TO MAKE COMMERCIAL FILMS. Sorry to write in caps sir but I needed to do that so those who may want to misconstrue my words can see clearly.

“Your predecessor, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, did a lot for the industry.

Let’s give a man his due. He recognised the industry’s contribution to the nation’s GDP. He made funds available through the Bank of Industry, NEXIM Bank and the Project Act Nollywood project.

“Some of those funds have led to the creation and expansion of cinema chains like FilmHouse Cinemas, as well as Gabosky’s G-Media platform for DVD distribution. It was the right thing to do and it should be commended. My grouse is how some of these funds have been spent on training and film funding.

“Nollywood was born as a commercial film industry. People made films to make money, to return investment and make a

profit if possible. At its birth, practitioners mortgaged homes, sold their cars, invested their house rents and children’s school fees, risked lives and limbs to birth and build an industry. And what’s happening now? A rent-seeking mentality has descended on the industry like evil spirit and it’s eating away its soul. Sadly, your predecessor encouraged this mentality too. You need to stop it sir before it ruins one of the best things to ever happen to Nigeria.”

Want to read more of Ihidero’s pragmatic, shocking and surprising opinion on government’s funding of Nollywood?

Then catch up with his column, Chris Ihidero Unedited, at thenet.ng.

War against piracy gets hotter

Afolayan and Gabosky during the protest Ihidero

Ufuoma Ejeonobor turns 34 P

Ejeonobor

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

retty actress and model, Ufuoma Ejeonobor, is a year older. She turned thirty-four during the week on Thursday and unsurprisingly, she took to social media to gush about her joy at seeing another year on earth.

“Perhaps I had a wicked childhood, perhaps I had a terrible youth, but somewhere in my wicked miserable past, there must have been a moment of truth. My treasure and priority, who can compare to you? The Lord of my life, my way maker.

“My heart is filled with gratitude. My tears are happy ones. Many planned for today but didn’t live to see it. It pleased you that I enter a new year surrounded by so much love. I’m just an ordinary girl with an ordinary heart, still you love me.

“Oghene, mi yeruwe,” she concluded in her native language.

L

ife for entertainment pirates might just not be the same again since movie producer, actor and director Kunle Afolayan’s outburst over the endemic issue some three weeks ago. Kunle’s outburst came on the back of the fact that his latest movie, October 1, which he went through so much physical, emotional and financial stress to produce, was being threatened to be released by pirates.

Amd after his outburst which was steeped in tribalism, another notable entertainment personality, Yemi Sodimu, took it upon himself to start seizing copies of pirated movies he sees on sale. He did so for at least one day and proudly flaunted the resultant pictures from his feat online.

Sodimu hasn’t stopped at that however. This week, he organized a walk against piracy and several entertainers, including Kunle, as well as Kehinde Bankole and Gabosky, joined him to register their displeasure at it.

Is this the beginning of the final revolt against piracy?

Some people are surely wishing it is.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

27

April 25, 2015

StyGlleam and

with Yemisi Adeniran

by

a k i s o w A t e g Brid

uts and lines, c n a le c nce, y, first gla ymmetr s t a A , . s s e n hap cko lady odern s orward ction be f e m ll n o e c v io h lo a s o ik fa e who man wh et Awos at the or thos very wo rgeted s, Bridg e n a t r ig o s r f e a d f to be adapted intricate can be n seems t io a t h c orking t t. e ll s o e n for w the c r momen l piec io a a h t e s s v a e f le r y ho ok t of r st women w loser lo h stree e ience he ig iv r t h e a p e e x r but a c id e s c sh, rov to t’s styli s well a ection p a a ll h o t n s c e t g m n e in o a h h w T l w ble clot fessiona afforda r and pro o f

d e sic ne have ba classic. ble and a t r o f m co

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(080378011

58) ydiran@

yahoo.com

28

STYLE & GLAM

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fashion

Precious cora

Fashion

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

April 25, 2015

n frenzy

als

n frenzy

D

o you wonder why the Igbo-speaking people love to wear coral beads especially the red ones? Just listen to this. ‘It goes beyond the outstanding beauty it adds any day to its wearer, coral is said to attract love and prosperity, and promote creativity and optimism. Emotionally, coral is also believed to bring inner peace, strength, and understanding of purpose, so, we cannot but use it at all our occasions,’ says Mrs Janet Ogbonia, an indigine of Anambra State. Originally, coral is known to be used as a gem since pre-historic times. It is calcium carbonate with a trace of carotene. Its colour ranges from white to red but the red type is mostly used at ceremonies and especially among the Igbo-speaking people. And they come in all shapes, sizes, colours and finishes to suit your specific taste.

The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durability and intensely coloured trait.

But for that chic and glam look, relish with a bigger and more folds of them and you will be stunned at the number of nods you will get from people around.

STYLE & GLAM

29

Fashion Guest

30

STYLE & GLAM

April 25 , 2015

‘Fashionable ladies hide their figure faults’

8 surprising addictions

Although Olasumbo Lovely’s childhood ambition was to become an accountant later in life, she ended up as a fashion designer. Liking it still, she advised young ladies to always come to terms with their situations. “Life is not always the way we expect, what we are supposed to do especially as young girls is to face the challenges and gladly take the best life is willing to give us at a particular time,” she told YEMISI ADENIRAN in this interview.

C

What informs your choice of work or was this what you have always loved to be?

As a child, I dreamt of becoming an accountant and be in the corporate world.

Unfortunately, fate had something contrary and today I am a fashion designer. I lost my parents very early in life and the families I lived with then, couldn’t afford a university education for me, so, I couldn’t have this dream fulfilled. Along the line, I decided to learn a vocation which now ended up to be a fashion designing. I just discovered that I had a passion for it and I just ventured into it. Since I have been into it, I must tell you that there has been no regret.

How has the journey been?

At the initial stage, it was rough but you know because it was what I love to do, I could endure all the stress. Like I said, it was not what I wanted but when what I desired was not available, I decided to settle for what was available. That’s one lesson I would like ladies in my shoes to learn. Life comes in different folds, there

are times when we get what we desire and there are other times when we don’t.

What we should do is to have a positive disposition to life. That way, we will be able to live our lives and make the best out of the worst.

How do you view fashion as an individual?

It is what an individual call it. If you are naturally ugly and you refuse to accept the fact and live positively, you will be surprised that you will appear more beautiful than those that people naturally view as beautiful. It is in the sense you put it. I don’t see the negative aspect of life and I wish everyone will see it that way. If you view yourself as being beautiful, you will see at least one special thing God has endowed you with, and if you will be sensible with what you choose to wear, your faulty side will not be seen by others. As for me, I am a choosy dresser, I don’t just wear anything. Really, I love to wear things that will stand me out of any crowd, no matter the number of the fashionable people present.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ell phones, social media, sex, chocolate, gambling…What is it you feel like you are addicted to?

And why do you feel you can’t live without these things?

Smartphones You can’t quit it, can you? You keep it with you all the time and check it every few minutes. You work too much because you can’t turn it off even during the weekend. You ignore the people you are having dinner with to catch a text or a post from someone miles away. There’s not a lot of research yet, but scientists are looking into whether or not your favorite gadget is turning you into a digital junkie.

Coffee Did you know caffeine is a drug? As soon as you’re awake, you want it. You’re on edge without it. Withdrawal from it takes 7-10 days. Coffee abuse isn’t an official disorder, but doctors report widespread misuse -- thanks in part to energy drinks. If you don’t overdo it, your habit is harmless.

Chocolate and other sweets Sometimes you just have to have it.

And you may not be able to stop. Don’t feel bad -- foods high in carbs, fats, and sugar can affect your brain just like drugs do. Jonesing for an occasional milkshake doesn’t mean you’re hooked. But your sweet tooth can get out of control and lead to other health problems.

Shopping We’ve all bought something we don’t really need. If it happens a lot, what you’re really looking for might be some dopamine, the feel-good-chemical for your brain. It could also mean you have impulse-control problems or anxiety issues. Hit the stores or the one-click online purchase button too often and it can cause financial, legal, and social problems.

Gambling Millions of people have this problem.

Whether you do it in person or online, at slot machines or the poker table, that rush provides your brain a hit of dopamine and makes you happy -- for a while.

But if lady luck isn’t with you, too much betting can wreak havoc on your finances, job, and family life.

Exercise A good workout can help you get over addictions - as long as you don’t become hooked on the activity itself. Exercise helps your brain learn, which can speed recovery.

But you have to be able to say “no” to that endorphin-fueled runner’s high if you’re ill or injured. Plus, a new habit you start while working out may be harder to shake.

Social Media Do you spend so much time on Facebook and Twitter you feel like you’re addicted?

New studies show that you might be among the growing percentage of social media users who really are hooked. The random pace of posts affects your brain the same way that cocaine does. Sharing details about yourself with others also creates a rush of positive feelings that leaves you wanting more.

Sex Can’t stop having sex or looking at porn?

Are you doing it more, enjoying it less, and risking too much to get it? Maybe you have a strong sex drive. But there could be more going on. It’s not an official addiction, but there is a thing called hypersexual disorder. If you have it, your brain may be wired like that of someone with a drug or gambling problem.

How does addiction start?

Anything that alters your mood can become addictive. It begins as self-medication to help you manage pain. The reward you get when you see that text message pop up, find the perfect pair of shoes or roll a lucky seven makes you want more. That becomes something you can’t live without.

Are all addictions the same?

Is addiction to shopping or texting the same as being hooked on drugs or alcohol? We know these things can affect your brain in many of the same ways. But experts don’t yet agree about how far those similarities go. If you feel you have a habit that’s out of control, talk to your doctor or a therapist. Do something really fast!

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

31

April 25, 2015

Male Essentials

08036961187

with Oseyiza Oogbodo kingseiza@gmail.com

5 great high-low combinations

F

ashion’s shift towards the streets is understandably concerning for the man who’s spent half a decade cultivating his tailoring collection. But just because Alexander Wang and Christopher Shannon have turned the runways on to the joys of looking like you’ve either just left a rave or the gym, that doesn’t mean you need to send those double-monks and three-pieces to storage.

High-low, or up-down, dressing is the art of combining your formal and casual clothing in a way that strips the former of its stuffiness, and the latter of its lackadaisical appearance. But striking the right balance is tough. For every Justin Timberlake, accessorising a perfectly cut two-button with white leather trainers, there’s an Ed Sheeran, looking like he turned up late to a family wedding and had to wear his dad’s spare suit with the Air Jordans he wore on the train.

Avoid making the same mistake by following our guidelines, which will ensure your style’s up-down, not down and out.

1. Trainers and tailoring This seemingly simple combination too often veers towards looking like a salesman who changed into his comfy shoes for the commute home. Firstly, the suit; it should fit like a glove – smart shoes can play down extra material, but trainers won’t – and you should steer clear of anything that’s too out there. The sneakers are enough of a state-

ment without adding in bold Etro checks or a neon paisley pocket square.

The same rules apply to your footwear.

Keep technical trainers in your kitbag; this is where you want to unleash those monochrome leather sneakers you dropped half a month’s rent on. White should be your default option – a pair of Stan Smiths will sit happily beneath anything from your formal black tailoring to your everyday navy suit.

Playing with colour and fabric is a more advanced move and as with your formal shoes, should offer a contrast in texture.

Try suede with flannel, or canvas with linen to keep your skin breathing when the sun starts shining. Just make sure you invest in some fabric protector to keep what’s on your feet looking box fresh; beaten up Converse and a skinny suit is a little too midnoughties indie front man.

Yet most importantly, you need to wear this combination with rock-solid confidence. Lose the socks, roll the cuffs, go tieless – just do it with a sense of swagger to show people that you know the rules, you just don’t follow them.

2. Suits and T-shirts There’s a reason this is the uniform for most fashion designers; it lets you show off both your wardrobe nous and the fact that you don’t have a boss demanding you follow his buttoned-up dress code. Again, opting for timeless, neutral suiting is advisable here and will win you the benefit of the

doubt if you don’t quite nail the fit or colour matching.

Monochrome should be your first step on the collar-less road – a grey suit and white tee is a tough thing to mess up – but as your confidence grows you should start experimenting with colours and patterns.

It’s best to keep the eye-catching stuff to your base layer (i.e. T-shirt), as there’s less of it on display, and stick to classic crew necks over anything that plunges towards your navel. You’re not at a Miami pool party now – which is also why, on no occasion, should you be tempted to tuck your tee into your suit trousers.

As an advanced move, try a longline version for a smarter take on reverse layering, or even a baseball shirt, like we saw on the Tiger of Sweden SS15 runways. Just don’t be tempted to add the cap as well.

3. Blazers and shorts Despite the short suit’s increasing prevalence, calves out tailoring isn’t for everyone. Or, really, anyone who isn’t sipping an espresso and preparing to step back astride their scooter.

Non-matching shorts and blazer separates, on the other hand, are much easier to pull off and will produce outfits that hint at the Mediterranean – even if you’re barbecuing beneath increasingly angry skies.

Nailing your choice of shorts is key: on or below your knee and you look like you’re on safari; too high up your thigh and, well,

you’re wearing short shorts. And even a bespoke Italian blazer won’t salvage your look.

You also want to avoid looking too matchy-matchy. Cream shorts and a navy blazer will draw the eye to your torso, not your pins, and make your legs appear more tanned. On which note, if you haven’t recently been away on holiday and your skin is looking a little pasty, a bit of fake tan or bronzer pre-unveiling will hide a multitude of sins.

Continues next week

Sexual issues & solutions

Amazing facts about penis size (I)

I

’d like to start a series on some facts about the penis size.Many men have a very wrong idea about their penis sizes. Penis shapes also varies with individual , but we are going to take a critical look at some facts you need to know about your penis.

1. To keep your penis in shape to need to regularly have erections. Without regular erection, penile tissue can become elastic and shrink, making the penis shorter with about 1 to 2cm. to maintain a healthy tone, the smooth muscle of the penis must be periodically nourished by oxygen which is made available by the rush of blood that engorges the penis and makes it erect.

Hi,im a 65 year old diabetic man suffering from serious weak erection, I got a set of Vimax and Gingko tea from you some weeks back and I must confess that my erection is now better despite my age and I’ve also noticed my diabetis level has drastically reduced and I feel better.. I learnt from a friend that Rhino 7 is also good, do you have Rhino 7? Should I continue with Vimax or use Rhino 7? Olisa Hello Olisa, im so happy to learn that Vimax with the Gingko tea really worked for you, I will advise you stick to it cos it works well with your system, Rhino 7 is also good for strong erection for diabetics, but Vimax works better for diabetic and cardioparthy patients without any side effect as it is herbal and takes effect in less than 30 minutes of usage,while the Gingkp tea helps reduce, diabetes, hypertension and blood lipids, Im a 49 year old circumsized woman who never experience orgasm unless i get serious foreplay from my partner. I was told that rabbit vibrator could do the job of stimulating me to orgasm, cos its not everytime that he’s ready for foreplay and I really want to enjoy having sex with him, pls kindly advise me- Bola Dear Bola, Just to let you know that clitoris is not the only erogenous zone of a woman, your nipples, the inner g-spot just at the entrance of vagina,the back of your ear are some of the erogenous zones that can turn you on.

Yes rabbit vibrators such as Moonlight pearl, dolphin pearl, Remore control dazzling dolphin, ultimate rabbit pearl to mention but a few would do the work of enabling orgasm in you and will serve you for foreplay

before the main sex.

I have a very serious case of premature ejaculation which is very embarrassing. Hardly can I penetrate for 4 minutes before ejaculating and to go for second round is not even possible pls kindly help me- Chuma Like I use to say , premature ejaculatoin arises from so many causes like stress, alcoholism, smoking to mention but a few; check the nature of your work and if it’s a bit tasking, I’l advise you try to relax before having sex with your partner and also herbal supplement like Vimax pills will help you last long and it totally corrects premature ejacuation and also allows you go for more that 2 rounds if you want, so you can go for it and may combine with delay cream like stay erect or Delay condoms or Delay sprays with Cockrings helps a man last longer.

I want to enlarge my penis but I would like to know how enlargement occurs and what ican use to make it happen – Chuks Penis enlargement sure happens and this is how; in the penis we have some empty spaces and also the penile tissues which increases or expands anytime blood flows in during erection especially if you have used enhancement like pills or creams; if this blood is pumped into the tissues, it enlarges further to hold more blood and thats when enlargement occurs. To achive this purpose , you can use Vigrx plus with either Plump cream, Max-width , plump cream or penis pump to mention but a few. And like I use to say, you habe to stay on anyone you are taking for at least three months if you want any good result.

I have a serious case of menstrual disorder and I have never gotten pregnant in my lifeand im about 39 uears of age, sonebody recommended the Sheep placenta supplement with Cleanshield and gingko tea, how effective are these two and I need to know if I can get the from you. Linda.

These are all we can take for this week. Adults who needs any of these aphrodisiacs can cal 08034666358, 07059294782 or place your order at www.viewden.com.

For further enquiries,send an email to us at: vieweden@yahoo.com, viewden@ymail.com.

Kemi Fawole (MD )

VIEWDEN PRODUCTS (RANGE OF LOVE PRODUCTS)

32

April 25, 2015

Relatio

Angle

Male

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jide animashaun 08034710902 jidemashaun@yahoo.com

Should your spouse have acc W

What for?

hether you like it or not, allowing your spouse to read your text messages with or without your permission in most cases is really unhealthy for the relationship. She may find out things you really don’t want her to know like maybe you have a harmless crush on someone else and while this crush may be harmless, she’ll definitely be reading unnecessary meanings into it. It may just be private or personal stuffs that she doesn’t need to know, but now she would because most people do not really stop at reading only the stuffs you ask them to read.

Many of us find it tempting to check up on what a spouse is up to. And at times demand to check through their text messages or email accounts. Some of us will not even bother to ask but we will take the liberty without asking and getting permission to do so. But we all have a right to privacy and independence in a relationship. This is a privacy to have our own thoughts, secret fantasies, private jokes, personal space, and our own communication with friends and family. No one likes the feeling that someone’s always looking over our shoulder or can do so at any time since it’s expected of that person to do so. It feels invasive and it damages trust. The desire to snoop and spy can come from a lot of issues like curiosity, being worried about a spouse cheating on you, the desire to control a spouse and to know every move they make, wanting to make a spouse feel nervous and powerless, like they’re being watched so that they can conform to our expectations.

I think it is more of a respect issue really. If you start reading your spouse’s text messages, you may have to start asking unnecessary questions about why certain things are happening in a particular way? Or if there is a problem going on that may bother on trust issue, this may become overblown unnecessarily.

From both sides I would question why one would even want to read one’s spouse’s text messages, and why the other would want to hide

them. But regardless, it is good if we respect our spouses and allow them privacy. Just because we are married doesn’t mean we have to give up a sense of privacy. Being honest and open about it would probably diffuse the issue. Just make sure that a little privacy is all that is desired...and not something else. So far this has worked for my wife and I in a relationship which started as just friendship that has spanned over two decades and we are still counting. I have no desire to read her text messages or other forms of private communications when I don’t even have enough time to read my own.

My wife and I value our vulnerability a lot and therefore have what we can call an “open book” policy with each other. However, we sometimes will just look through each other’s text messages and emails but with permission when a discussion may arise which needs clarifications through a text message. Trust is one of the core values in our relationship, so we don’t feel the need to check up on anything in the other’s phone with or without the other person’s permission. But it is indeed convenient to be able to access it in case we need to access information urgently that is on each other’s phone. Our relationship is such that it is easy for us to discuss things we need to know without sneaking to check out each other’s text messages.

If she’s still in love with you and has no intention of leaving you, does she really need to have her heart broken over a minor stuff she may pick up while reading your text messages or through snooping? Also, if she feels upset about what she finds and wants to talk to you about it, she’ll have to tell you how she found out and this won’t help both of you to have a trusting relationship. This may then feel justifiable to her in snooping more on you. Whether you allow her to read your text messages with your permission or not and she does find something or not, it’s a no-win situation for your relationship. Allowing your spouse to read your text messages isn’t just healthy if you ask me.

SEX TALK

This column is x-rated

100 arousing facts about sex An overwhelming majority of sexual partners have only skimpy knowledge of what truly turns each other on. Would you like to change this? You can do so by upping your sex knowledge!

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

36. Almost a third of all women over 80 years of age still have sex with their spouse or boyfriend.

37. The earth could be re-populated to its current level using the number of sperm that could fit into an aspirin capsule.

38. A chicken egg could accommodate the number of female ova necessary to repopulate the earth to its present numbers.

39. During sexual intercourse, in addition to the genitals and breasts, the inner nose also swells.

40. During erection, a smaller flaccid penis tends to have a greater percentage increase than a larger flaccid penis.

41. A teaspoon of semen contains approximately 5 calories.

42. Sex burns off an average of about 100 calories per session.

43. On average, from two to five million sperm are released each time a man ejaculates.

44. During any given period, women who read romance novels have a tendency to have twice as many lovers as those who don’t.

45. For both men and women, the heart rate

averages 140 beats per minute at the point of orgasm.

46. The average woman will have sex more than 3,000 times over the course of her reproductive years.

47. Most men under 40 years of age can achieve an erection in less than 10 seconds.

48.Women consider penis size the ninth most important feature for a man, while men rate it much more highly, in third place.

49. When a man ejaculates, the initial spurt travels at 28 miles per hour – faster than the world record for the 100m sprint, which currently stands at 22.9 miles per hour.

50. In one hour, the average sperm can swim seven inches.

51. With nothing in its path, a penis can shoot semen anywhere from 12 to 24 inches.

52. The longest erect penis on record was 13 inches. The smallest was 1cm.

53. The average adult testicle contains enough sperm to measure a quarter of a mile laid out end to end.

54. For 75% of men, ejaculation occurs within 3 minutes of penetration.

55. During an average man’s lifetime, he will ejaculate approximately 17 litres of semen, which amounts to about half a trillion sperm.

56. The testes increase in size by 50% when a man is sexually aroused.

57. 1 in 50 people claim to have had sex in

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

RELATIONSHIPS

April 25, 2015

onships

Female

33

Angle

JACQUI IWU 08165049669 email: amiicaregroup@aol.com

cess to your text messages?

L

This column is x-rated an aeroplane.

58. 15% of adults have had sexual intercourse at work.

59. 41% of men would like to have sex more frequently. Only 29% of women share this urge.

60. 65. 5% of adults have sex once a day.

20% have sex 3 - 4 times per week.

61. Every time they engage in oral sex with their partner, 30% of women swallow.

62. When sexually aroused, 60% of men get erect nipples.

63. Half of single women have sex by the third date.

64. Women over 40 years of age are more likely to masturbate than any other group.

65. There’s a direct link between how often a man has sex and his life expectancy.

66. According to experts, sex is about 10 times more effective as a tranquilliser than Valium.

67. Sex can relieve a headache – it releases the tension which restricts blood vessels in the brain.

68. 44% of women find it impossible to enjoy sex with a man who is not their intellectual equal. Just 31% of men share this problem.

69. At any given time, 25% of people are daydreaming about sex.

70. According to studies, the larger a man’s testicles, the more likely he is to stray.

71. It takes two tablespoons of blood to get the average man’s penis erect.

72. During their lifetime, the average

This column is x-rated driver will have sex in their car six times.

73. The clitoris contains twice as many nerve fibres as the penis – an amazing 8,000.

74. One in five women living with their boyfriend has more than one sexual partner.

75. Besides humans, chimpanzees and dolphins are the only animals that have sex for pleasure.

76. It tends to be easier for women to orgasm during ovulation than at any other time in their cycle.

77. The size of the vagina decreases by 30% as orgasm becomes imminent.

78. While giving birth, some women have been known to experience orgasm.

79. Inside the female body, sperm cells can survive for up to nine days.

80. For up to 70% of women, simultaneous direct stimulation of the clitoris during intercourse is essential for them to reach orgasm.

81. Over 30% of men suffer from premature ejaculation. 10% of men are affected by erectile dysfunction.

82. It’s possible to relieve depression through masturbation.

83. The longer a man’s ring finger is compared to his index finger, the more testosterone he has.

84. The average aroused vagina is 4 inches long – shorter than the average erect penis, which measures in at 6 inches.

CONTINUES NEXT WEEK

Relationship killer!

ast time we talked about couples having a joint privacy and the consequences.

Today’s gist is some kind of a follow up to that topic so that lovers or couples whose jobs are to invade each other’s privacy and creating chaos in their relationship understand their mistakes.

To be honest, it’s good we are focusing on one huge factor that keeps creating rubbles and killing lots of relationships--- phone manners!

Since the windmill of GSM in Nigeria, the use of mobile phone is for anybody who can afford it. The sad story is that the use of moblie phones have also destroyed lots of marriages and relationships due to poor phone manners /attitudes of the users.

For the love of God, a mobile phone should be a private property of the owner..strictly private and no one else no matter who you are or how you are related to the owner must use it without the owner’s permission. You have no right to be checking through your wife/husband’s or lover’s phone to read the text messages. Absoulutely no right!! Not because, he/she is hiding something but for your own safety and peace of mind from misunderstanding certain issues.

Just like the example i used in the last topic i wrote on joint privacy, there are text messages you your self get from people you do not even know and it will be appauling to allow anyone else see such messages not to talk of your loved one. Those of us that write for the public and have our numbers made open here, there are text messages i get at times, i feel like turning invisible, appearing where the Psycho who sent the message is and slapping the crap out of him...it is always a ‘he’.

Men!! They sent all kinds of erotic stupid text that you wonder, and ask—is this person sane? So if in the process, i have a male partner who always snoop around getting hold of such messages, sorry.... the bubble will burst!! He might start reading stupid meanings.

Meanwhile, i know absolutely no shit about who the idiot that sent

the message is. Such act of going through my phone stuff, could ruin a good relationship.

Why would you as a wife go through your husband text messages? Do you not know that there are women who stalk your husband and would want to kick you out? Meanwhile, your husband is not interested, has been trying to avoid such women but such women hardly give up easily. So in one of such seasons when this madness of some mad woman stalking your husband, you decided to go through his text messages and see such stupid messages, are you sure you could handle this? Can you?

The man involved could get angry because you are getting angry for something he knows nothing about, and before you know it, cracks will start to develop in your relationship. Your husband could be one of those men who feels you have no right to touch his phone in the first place and reading his messages, and secondly for accusing him wrongly. Some men can really send a woman packing for this attitude. What happened? Bad phone manners!!!

How would you explain to people that your marriage ended because you were reading your husband’s text messages? Is it really worth it? Meanwhile the text messages meant nothing to the man because he had no love affairs with the sender and your marriage has ended!

Okay, let us also look the other side where your husband is actually having a love affair, why would you read his text messages? It is just raving up your blood pressure for something you cannot handle.

Oh..sure...there are men who will boldly tell you, it is their statutory right to have a mistress. So you will now be creating stress for your self, making your your self angry by wanting to know what he discusses with the mistress? Cut the crap woman and have your peace!!

Why allowing your self to be worked up? Keep your phone manners private and avoid certain ugly situations that could ruin your entire life.

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Woman

‘Women are three times stronger than men’ For sultry actress, Aishat Abimbola, a.k.a Omoge Campus, business is business. “Once I am on the screen, I am a different person. I believe it is wrong to mix pleasure with business,” she tells YEMISI ADENIRAN in this close up.

You are always acting tough in movies. Is is a pointer to your real person?

It is not so. I am neither a tough or a difficult person. But, as you might have known and observed, since my major breakthrough after ‘Omoge Campus’, I have always come across producers and my colleagues as an actress who can handle tough roles like the one I have handled. In actual fact, if you have followed me well, you would have observed too that I have acted other soft roles. And that is how it is with other actors and actresses which is why many always conclude that the roles represent the characters of these people. It is not true. What happens is whenever we are given roles, the expected thing is that we give it the best shot ever or how else could we have proven ourselves.

So, once you acted it well, other people would have penciled you down as the best person that can handle such roles. It does not mean that we won’t be able to handle others. That is why we are called actors.

What do you do to have your voice sound like that of real area boys like you have done on many movies?

I just put myself in the mood. We all come across them one time or the other

and once I have a script to act like one, I just put on my acting cap and do like one of them.

That does not make me an area girl. As far as I am concerned, whenever there is work to do, I just put myself in the mood.

Once I am on the screen, I am a different person. I believe it is wrong to mix pleasure wit business. Business is business while pleasure is pleasure.

Has this cause any rift with the area boys?

No rift but of course Area boys don’t let me be whenever they set their eyes on my.

On my part, I have a way of settling them.

What your beauty secret?

I do not have anything spectacular as beauty secret. I love to look good but I do little makeup and that is only when neces-

sary. I don’t sleep with make up on. I try as much as I can to avoid carbonated drinks; I engage in little exercise, consume fruits and vegetables and strive very hard to get enough sleep though this is a very tough task to achieve.

What do you think has been your selling point?

I think God has just been on my side.

He has deposited attributes that has made desirable and I praise Him for that. My height, looks and all has worked for me, they are still working.

Do you do other things aside acting?

Aside acting, I’m a caterer. I also make ankara bags, shoes and accessories. I sell bedspreads and duvets and also do Compere jobs at wedding receptions and events.

You lost your mum as a young girl. What fond memories of her would you like to share?

She was a loving but very strict woman. She was also a very generous woman who would go out of her way to please

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April 25, 2015

I will advise parents, fathers especially, to avoid polygamy as much as possible.

It is unhealthy not only for the kids but for the wives and even the husbands. and put a smile on anyone’s face. She wouldn’t tolerate any act of indiscipline and spared none of us when it was time to use the rod on us. She was the one who taught me never to stay late outside.

There was this day that I went out with my brother and came home late because it rained and we had to hide somewhere for it to subside. By the time we got home, it was late. She beat the hell out of me that day that I cannot but remember to get home before 7pm even after she has died. She had warned me never to be out of the house later than 7pm before.

She was a good woman and it’s so painful that she is not around now to share my happy moments with me.

How was growing up without her?

Painful and rough but I thank God that all has ended well. You see, when a woman especially dies in this part of the country, many people will come to sympathise with the widower and the children. They will come and offer to care for the children one by one saying the man will not be able to oversee the children as a man and that the children need to be with a woman. Everyone around will see them as being kind but at the end of the day, they turn to something else when no one sees them. This was what happened to me after my mother’s death.

I had to live with some aunties who said they were going to take care of me but ended up maltreating me. It slowed my education dwon, caused me to be married late and you know all those set back.

But what would I do? If my mum had not died, it wouldn’t have been o. Besides, my father who allowed them had custody of me did not know they would treat me badly. All the same, I believe it was all pre-planned by God and I thank Him for all things because He said in all things, we should praise Him. Besides, if I had not been taken to the North, I wouldn’t have been able to speak the language today. There is a reason for anything no matter how terrible the experience is.

All things, like the bible says, work for good for those who love God How did you get into the world of acting?

I will say it is simply by God’s design. Right from my childhood days, I had been in love with the profession although I did not know how to go about it. I think I grew up being an entertainer although quite unconsciously. I was always a member of one cultural group or the other and would disturb my class mates with one drama act or the other.

But as God would have it, one way or the other, I ended up as an actress even when I studied a different course entirely.

To whom do you owe your first role?

I owe my first role and act to Antar Laniyan. From afar, I saw him as an unfriendly person even though I love his movies, so, I kept my distance. But one day, I walked up to him and told him I wanted to act, Only God knows where the courage came from because ordinarily, I wouldn’t have done that because I am a very shy person. There was one cast we were waiting for that day.

When this cast did not show up, I walked up to him to allow me fill in the gap When I told him my desire, he gave me that scornful look and asked defiantly if I had acted before. I did not allow his action to discourage me and answered him in the affirmation. He asked where and I told him that I have acted in the church and in my schools before. I was auditioned introduced to Wale Adenuga. That was all, the rest, like they usually say, is now a history. I was given the role of a philanthropist; which to me was a big one. Since then, I have been on.

Who do you blame for the unsteady homes of Nigerian actresses?

I won’t blame anyone in particular but I will stress it here that broken homes is not a delight of anyone, be you an actress or any profession. I will implore couples to always take their time to understand each other, their weaknesses, strength, likes and dislikes. They should learn to give each other the benefit of doubt and allow God to come first in their lives. If this will be done, more homes will stay intact. Broken homes are not peculiar to entertainers alone, it is a general problem in Nigeria and even the world generally.

With your experience as a child, what advice do you give parents?

I will advise parents, fathers especially, to avoid delving into polygamy as much as possible. It is dangerous, unhealthy not only on the kids but to the wives and even the husbands, the father as well. I will also advise parents to also desist from keeping or giving out their children to stay with relatives. It does not always have a good effect on those children. My prayer is that women live long enough to cater well for their children. Premature death of parents, mothers particularly usually brings pain on the children.

What do you say to those passing through some of the plights you went through as a child?

I pray for them that God will see them through. I advise them not to lose focus on their dreams in life. They should be prayerful and be closer to God. You seem to be hooked on lip-liners. Why? I just love it. It is one fashion item that enhances my beauty and that is why I have become so glued to it. And it is not only me, a lot of ladies are into it and it is usually good on them.

What advice do you have for women?

I advise that they strive hard to be relevant in whatever they do. Women from all indications are stronger than men and we should prove this by not acting weak on any assignment given us. We are three times stronger and better than men. If men are succeeding in what they do, why not we? After all, what men can do we can also do even better.

Keeping ABREAST US Senate confirms first black woman as attorney general after FIVE-MONTH delay!

Lynch

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he U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to approve Loretta Lynch as President Barack Obama’s next attorney general, ending a five-month deadlock that made Lynch wait longer for confirmation than the last seven attorneys general combined.

President Barack Obama said in a statement that “America will be better off ’ having Lynch as its next top cop.

“She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent, and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform. Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure, and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law.”

Lynch has awaited confirmation since November when Obama, a fellow Harvard Law School graduate, nominated her.

After winning November’s midterm elections, Republicans asked the Democratic-led Senate not to shove a vote on Lynch down their throats. In a show of good faith, Democrats acquiesced and let the clock run out on their leadership in the Senate.

Her nomination was backed by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12-8 on February 26, 2015. But her confirmation languished over an impasse in the Republican-led Senate on an unrelated bill meant to protect human trafficking victims.

Democrats had balked at an anti-

abortion provision included in that bill, and Senate Majority Leader McConnell put a hold on all business until that issue was resolved.

A bipartisan agreement was reached earlier this week, and as a result the process to consider Lynch was allowed to move forward.

Lynch has said she aims to smooth relations with Congress. As attorney general, her earliest tests will likely include handling civil rights cases stemming from deadly altercations between police and unarmed black men in several U.S. cities. The Justice Department has said it will look into bringing civil rights charges over the death of a Baltimore man who died after sustaining a spinal cord injury while in police custody.

Lynch will also inherit major financial cases involving allegations that some of the world’s largest banks helped clients evade U.S. taxes and manipulated the currency markets.

An accomplished career prosecutor, Lynch has twice served as U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, New York, most recently since 2010.

Her office there handled more terrorism prosecutions than most other offices in the United States. For two years, she also led a committee that advised the attorney general on policy.

At a Senate confirmation hearing on January 28, 2015, Lynch said that her top priorities would include fighting terrorist threats and cyber crime, and improving relations between law enforcement and minority communities.

Parenting

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression

10 ways to help your baby learn to walk to bend her knees to return to a sitting position. This is a critical step in learning to walk and can also help her to avoid falling in a way that can hurt her.

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hough it is true that most children will start walking on their own, kids have to learn to walk and won’t walk unless given the opportunity to do so. There are several things you can do to help your child learn to walk a bit earlier.

make sure you are right next to her when she’s in the jumper.

Jumpers encourage leg strength and confidence, and also help your child learn that when she moves her legs in a certain way her whole body will move.

A word of caution: jumpers should be used sparingly.

Don’t use a walker Walkers pose numerous safety threats, even though they can be fun to babies. Walkers are so risky and have resulted in so many injuries. And, despite their name, a walker can actually cause your child to take longer to learn how to walk.

Your child may not learn that she can support herself with her feet, and steps taken in a walker don’t move your child forward, so it’s harder for your child to make the connection between taking steps and moving forward. If you want your child to walk early, don’t use a walker.

Encourage strong back muscles Though we often think of walking as primarily involving the legs, the most important muscles we use when we walk are our back muscles. You can encourage strong back muscles from birth by giving your baby ample time on her stomach. Encourage her to lift her head and neck by showing her interesting objects and making tummy time exciting.

The muscle control she learns during this period can help her develop strong walking skills in a few months.

Try a jumper As an alternative to walkers, jumpers are top notch, though they can be dangerous if your child is left unsupervised, so

Practice muscle control while sitting Encouraging your baby to stack and reach for things while she’s sitting up can help her develop the coordination and muscle

control that will ultimately help her begin walking.

Practice coordination while crawling Crawling teaches your child to move his arms and legs at the same time, which is an important skill to have when he first begins walking. Encourage your child’s efforts at crawling by encouraging her to crawl across the room and even reach for things when crawling.

Let him push something When your baby is able to stand

up, try giving her a light stool or box that won’t collapse but is light enough to push. He’ll feel safe balancing on it but is likely to take a few steps forward pushing the object. Be sure to be there to catch him in case of any falls or missteps.

Tiny Feet

Encourage independence Encourage this by allowing your child to explore her environment from a young age..

Go barefoot Bare feet can grip surfaces more easily and shoes are foreign objects that can distract kids from walking.

Provide soft surfaces Your child won’t be tripped by moving rugs and can easily grip the carpet with her feet.

Practice pulling up When babies start cruising and trying to walk, they love pulling up on surfaces. Show her how

NAME: Erioluwa Ola

BORN TO: Mr. and Mrs. Ola AGE: 8 days old BIRTH WEIGHT: 3.5 kg Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com

ParentingUpdate Is my baby normal?

Pimples, whiteheads, rashes and dots A baby’s skin is soft -- but it’s not always unblemished! Most of the bumps and red spots aren’t anything to be worried about and will go away. White bumps on the nose, chin, or cheeks are very common. So is baby acne. Both usually clear up on their own. And red spots on your baby’s belly that look like bites are also pretty common and go away in a week or two. A red, pimply rash in neck folds or behind the ears -- places where skin is moist -- could be prickly heat. It may even have a coarse, sandpaper feel. Wash the skin gently with plain cool water and pat -- don’t rub -- dry. If you are worried about any rash

or if your child is sick or has a fever, see your pediatrician. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Patches on baby’s head No one knows for sure what causes cradle cap -- flaky skin that looks like dandruff or yellow, crusty patches on a baby’s head. But many newborns have it. It may also show up on a baby’s ears, eyebrows, eyelids, or even underarms. It’s not contagious and probably won’t bother your little one. If it bothers you, you can gently massage your baby’s scalp with your fingers, shampoo more often (be sure to rinse away all shampoo), and brush your baby’s scalp with a very soft brush.

But s/he’s got a pointy head!

No doubt your little one is a PERFECT angel -- but s/he may not look the part at first. If you had a vaginal birth, the bones of your baby’s head shifted and overlapped so s/he could pass through the birth canal. That tends to make for a pointy, coneshaped head. No need to worry

-- the baby’s head will get more rounded in about a week. Babies delivered buttocks first or feet first, or by cesarean section, may not have elongated heads.

It’s also common for babies to have some swelling and bruising toward the top of the back of their heads, or a lump on one side of the head caused by blood

collecting under the scalp.

There’s usually nothing to worry about -- your baby’s brain is fine. But if it seems large, it’s a good idea to have your doctors check it.

Baby’s losing weight Babies will lose 6 to 8 ounces during the first week, and babies that weighed more at birth may lose even more. When they start to gain weight, expect them to gain 4 to 7 ounces a week for the first few weeks, then about 1 pound or slightly more a month for the first 6 months. Babies are born with enough fluid and fat to keep them going until they get into a regular feeding routine. Check with your doctor if you have concerns.

To be continued next week

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

LIVING

April 25, 2015

Innocent abductor

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Parents may need to be more vigilant with their children as kidnappers employ online medium to lure unsuspecting minors into abduction to the eternal anguish of parents. The case of Henrietta Otobo, who took care of the Orekoya kids while they were in the den of their abductors without knowing the evil that was going on around her aptly illustrates this, writes PATIENCE OGBO.

Mr. Anthony Otobo

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motions ran high that Thursday morning at the Lagos State Police Command when the police handed over Henrietta Otobo, a girl abducted by a kidnap ring to her parents.

Otobo was a victim of kidnappers ring ran by the arrested fake nanny, Fumilayo Adeyemi, who allegedly kidnapped the Orekoya boys in the Surulere area of the state.

Adeyemi used a false name, Mary Akinloye, to deceive the Orekoyas, when she posed as a nanny but later kidnapped the boys barely 24 hours after her employment. Her gang contacted the children’s family for a ransom of N15million.

Otobo, however, was rescued after the police arrested Adeyemi at the Shasha area of the state. Following investigation, the police discovered that the girl was also a victim of the kidnappers, and had been in gang’s custody since November 2014.

Otobo, while speaking with journalists, stated that she was lured by the gang from her home in Edo State when she applied for a job on a website.

She said, “I just finished secondary school and I wanted to be on my own.

I wanted to earn money for myself and not depend on anyone so I went online to check for a job.

“I went to the OLX website and I saw

Henrietta

a job offer for a maid. I called the number they gave for interested persons to reach them. The person that answered told me to come over to Lagos. I did not tell my parents because I did not want them to discourage me.

“I want to become an actress and I felt my parents would not support me and this also made me to leave my home.

When I came to the house of my employers in Lagos, they took my phone and I could not call my parents to tell them where I was.

“The family I stayed with treated me well and I was shown love and care but they did not allow me to reach out to anyone. I did not know that the family I worked for were operating a kidnapping ring and I was their victim.

“It was after my madam (Mrs Adeyemi) was arrested and I was nabbed along side with her that I got to know that the family I worked for are kidnappers and the children I was taking care of were their victims”.

Reacting to the rescue of his daughter, Harrietta’s father Mr. Anthony Otobo, an accountant, said he and his family are overwhelmed with joy.

“On November 12th 2014, I was sleeping in my room at about 4 am in my home in Edo State when my son came to inform me that my daughter, Henrietta, was missing. Henrietta is the last born

Mrs. Otobo

of my five children. We went out to look for her and checked everywhere but she was nowhere to be found.

“We were confused. After our search did not yield any result, we went to report to the police and we went into prayers waiting on God to bring her home.

“However, on April 14, I saw Harrietta’s picture in the papers and I went to inform the police about it.

“The police in Edo State got in contact with the police in Lagos and we came to Lagos. I found out that the police have rescued my daughter from a kidnapping ring. She never told me she wanted to be an actress. She told me that she wants to become an accountant like me so I don’t know where the actress thing came from.

“I will support her if she wants to be an actress. I don’t see anything wrong in acting. I can’t really say why she ran away from home but my family and I are happy to have her back. I will be more dedicated to her and I will monitor her and her movements.

“I will check her phones and ensure that she does not fall victim to such gang again. I will help her focus on her education. Also I will take her for spiritual deliverance. Probably a spiritual force is behind her behaviour. I am grateful to the police for rescuing her. They did a

great job.

Harrietta’s mother also expressed appreciation to the police for rescuing her daughter.

“My daughter had all the love she needs in our home. We love her dearly and she has a special place in our hearts being the last child. She did not lack anything. We gave her love but something went wrong. We have been in anguish since she left home. Thank God she is back home “We appreciate all what the police did to save her from the den of kidnappers,” said the father.

The Lagos state police spokes person DSP Kenneth Nwosu who handed the girl over to her parents on behalf of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, stated that the Command is committed to ridding the state of kidnappers and other criminals.

He said “This rescue is sequel to our investigation of the nanny who kidnapped the Orekoya boys. We achieved another result by the liberation of Harrietta Onome Otobo from this gang.

Two children were rescued from the gang last year. The three Oreyoka’s boys and now Harrietta have been liberated from this gang. We are on the trail of the other members of this gang and they will be arrested soon,” Nwosu said.

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘He won’t let me remarry after he has done so’

• Anytime he sees me with men, he would harass me and tear my clothes. He has remarried now and so allow me do same —Wife • I am not preventing her from marrying anybody, but she has to take care of my daughter in her care. I learnt the girl is no more going to school and she sniffs tobacco —Husband

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‘My wife wants to commit suicide’

• He met me as a virgin and promised not to have another woman besides me —Wife Stories by: Muda Oyeniran

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r Bayode Olaonipekun has told the Iyana Ipaja Customary how his wife, Rita Olanipekun nearly took her life with a knife over unwarranted jealousy “I found with a knife in their room in a suspicious manner and called the attention of our landlord and when she was asked why she was holding a knife, the she told us that she wanted to use the knife to kill herself”, the petitioner said According to the petitioner, the respondent has been behaving in a strange manner lately. “She would come to the sitting room where the petitioner was sleeping

at 12midnight to carry iron, knowing full well that it was the street off day from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

This act always made me to be suspicious of her because she might use the iron to harm him” “She is very stubborn; once she has determined to do something nobody could change her mind.

On many occasions if she has decided not to allow me go out or receive calls he dared not try it because it will lead to bigger problem. Even if the family tries to call her she will not listen to them her decision is final” In her testimony in court, respondent accused the petitioner of betrayal. She explained: “when he took me to his home town in Idoani at Ondo state to introduced

me to his family members, on our way back, a lady named Okechi started calling him which nearly led to quarrel in the taxi on getting home, the lady came to our house and introduce me as his fiancé and the lady as his ex girl friend” According to her, the development led to quarrel between her and the petitioner adding that she was by saddened by the incident because the petitioner met her as a virgin and promise not to have another woman besides her and when he escorted Okechi out she seized the opportunity to kill herself with a knife fortunately the petition came back on time and forcefully retrieved the knife from her. She denied ever harming him with iron.

‘My husband spends all his money on Alhaja Afusat’ •

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No, I have financial difficulties— Husband

42 year-old man, Mr. Adeshina Alao has told the Iyana Ipaja Customary Court that the major reason why he beats his 29 year-old wife, Mrs. Tamurat Alao is because she always prevent him from correcting and instilling discipline in their children whenever they go wrong Adeshina who was responding to an allegation of wife battering and irresponsibility brought against him by his wife also said that he did not chose to be irresponsible to his wife and their five children saying it was due to the financial difficulties facing him.

According to him, the commercial motorcycle (Okada) he was

using to make money has been taken away from him because he was yet to complete payment for the machine. In order to make ends meet and to discharge my responsibilities to my family, I have started work as a security man last month but I am yet to be paid salary because I was told that the person who would sign cheque for payment had an accident.

But in her testimony in court, the petitioner, Tamurat faulted Adeshina’s claim insisting that his motorcycle was not taken from him. “He is still working with the machine. I saw him with the Okada when he was buying bread recently. He also went with the Okada to

our first child’s school recently and he gave her N200” She said the major problem with the respondent was that he was an affair with another woman known as Alhaja Afusat within their neighbourhood saying that was what was responsible for his financial crisis.

In her remarks, the court president, Mrs. Salewa Banjoko admonished the respondent to be alive to his responsibilities of providing for his family saying it was unfair on his part to allow his wife and five children to suffer. She ordered the respondent to give the petitioner substantial amount as soon as he received his salary

33 year-old woman, Mrs. Mariam Lawal of No 21, Akintoye street, Ijaiye Ojokoro has approached the Agege Customary court seeking the dissolution of her union with her 34 year-old estranged husband, Mr. Nurudeen Lawal who resides at No 33, Balogun Ilawe street, Dopemu, over allegations of constant harassment and assault.

According to Mariam, the duo have stopped living together as husband and wife more than seven years ago adding however that the respondent, Nurudeen always harasses her whenever they met especially if she was with a man.

“Since we separated seven years ago, he has been harassing me anytime he sees me with men.

He would insult me and tear my cloth. He has remarried now and he doesn’t want me to get married”, Mariam added Aside this, the petitioner accused the respondent of sending anonymous text messages to her using different phone numbers.

“Whenever I call the number, I will hear his voice and he would quickly end the call. The last one he sent, he wrote that that the wages of sin was death and also rained several curses on me”, she explained

However in his testimony in court, the respondent denied sending such text messages to the petitioner adding that he did not at any time harass her.

According to him, his major grouse with the petitioner was her non-challant attitude to the welfare of their daughter, Halimat, who is in her care. “We separated five years ago, but she does not care for my daughter staying with her. When she came to spend her holiday with me recently, I had to take care to the hospital and I know how much I spent on her medical bill. I am not preventing her from marrying anybody, but she has to take care of my daughter in her care.

I learnt the girl is no more going to school and she sniffs tobacco because she stays more with her maternal grandmother” But in a swift reaction, the petitioner said the girl was well taken care of and that she did attend normal school.

In his remarks, the court president, Mr. P. A. Williams ordered the petitioner to bring Halimat to the court within a week adding that she should also produce documented evidence from her school which would truly shows that she attends normal school.

He thereafter adjourned the suit to May 25, 2015 for judgment

‘My wife lives a wayward life’

• I am now a laughing stock in the neighbourhood because of her, our children are also feeling the heat of her behaviour among their peers —Husband • I am tired of him — Wife

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ne Muniru Adisa, 43, on Monday dragged his wife, Sherifa Adisa, before a Grade C Customary Court, sitting in Iseyin, Oyo State, over allegation of infidelity.

Adisa, told the court that the 10-year-old marriage had produced four children.

Adisa alleged that his wife’s behaviour towards him and the children changed when he could no longer provide for the family because he lost his job.

“She resolved to live a wayward life because of my inability to provide for the family. ``I am now a laughing stock in the neighbourhood because of

her, our children are also feeling the heat of her behaviour among their peers,`` he said.

Adisa said that all efforts to persuade his wife to change her attitude yielded no result.

Sherifa described the allegations as “baseless and worthless,” adding that Muniru has been very irresponsible and uncaring.

She, however, consented to the dissolution, saying that she was also tired of the marriage.

In his ruling, the president of the court, Chief Raimi Oyegbenle, urged families of the couple to do everything possible to resolve the dispute and report back to the court. (NAN)

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

DIVORCE COURT

April 25, 2015

‘She aborted my baby’ A man, Ugochukwu Anyanwu, on Friday pleaded with an Ojo Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his five-year -old marriage over alleged infidelity by his wife.

Anyanwu told the court that his wife, Emmacule,was having extra marital affairs with several men.

“The trouble is too much; she has gone to the extent of bringing one of the men into my house on the pretence that he is her brother,” he said.

He claimed that his wife had been relating with the man on Facebook. ``I have all their conversations; I can no longer love such

• •

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The trouble is too much; she has gone to the extent of bringing one of the men into my house on the pretence that he is her brother ­­—Husband All that my husband is claiming is not true; I still love my husband and my marriage; I do not want to destroy the life of my children —Wife

an adulterous woman,’’ he submitted.

He added that the wife was fond of destroying household items. ``In fact, a terrible incident is that she has removed a two months old pregnancy,” he said.

He told the court that the marriage was blessed with two boys and one girl, but should not continue because of his wife’s attitude.

“I am asking for divorce be-

cause this marriage is already broken down and replaced with lack of love and threat to life,” he said.

Responding, 27-year-old Emmacule told the court that she had never slept with any man apart from her husband.

She said that she would want to continue with the marriage but would want to have the custody of her children if her husband insisted on divorce.

“All that my husband is

claiming is not true; I still love my husband and my marriage; I do not want to destroy the life of my children.

“My problem is that my husband does not respect me as a wife; he locks and beats me up, and in trying to defend myself, properties are destroyed,” she submitted.

She said she lost the pregnancy to a fight with her husband when he brought another lady into their house.

The Court President, Mr Ha-

keem Oyekan, appealed to the parties to go and make efforts to reconcile because of their children.

“The court does not encourage divorce; we are here to make peace where possible; the woman should try and meet the parents for intervention, if she loves the marriage,” he said.

He directed the man to provide a decent accommodation for his wife to avoid threat to life.

‘She does not give me rest of mind’ •

I give him due respect .—Wife

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38-year-old man, Victor Ilesanmi on Monday approached an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court, seeking dissolution of his 8-year-old marriage to his wife, Omobola, over allegation of threat to life, disrespect, among others.

Victor listed other reasons for seeking the dissolution of the marriage to include: `` lack of rest of mind and lack of care for their only child.’’

He also said that he was responsible for house chores and doubt if his wife can ever change.

Omobola,35, however, de-

nied all the allegations leveled against her, saying she ``gives her husband due respect.’’

She said when she delivered her child through caesarian operation; her family was responsible for the welfare of the child.

Omobola said she was responsible for the child’s upbringing and the payment of school fees.

She told the court that her husband was not a responsible man, because he does not stay at home, and not bothered about the welfare of the child.

‘He beats me anytime I ask for housekeeping allowance’

A

housewife, Idayat Alimi, urged a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve her 11-year-old marriage to Mosuru Alimi, alleging that her husband is irresponsible.

Idayat, a trader, who resides at Adegbolu Com-

pound, Medina area of Ibadan, said that her husband never bought foodstuff in the house for the family.

She said ``my husband always buys only his food from outside whenever he is coming to the house. ``Anytime I ask him for

food or anything, he beats me and abuses me in a song. ``We got married in 2003 and I have two children for him – Halimat, 11 years old and Abdulsalam , five years old.’’

She told the court that she had been responsible for the feeding of the children and

paying their school fees.

Idayat said that she took the children to a private school before she parked out from Alimi’s house. ``My husband has withdrawn my first born, Halimat, from me and took her to a public school. ``I pray the court to dis-

solve the marriage and grant me custody of the children.’’

However, the presiding president of the court, Ademola Odunade, said ``the court cannot dissolve the marriage now since your husband is not in court.’’

(NAN)

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People

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

April 25, 2015

Taofick Okoya

In a world of dolls

W

hen Taofick Okoya couldn’t find a black doll in the shops as a gift for his niece, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

In 2007, Okoya, 43, created his own doll that Nigerian girls could identify with by recreating their skin colour and style. He outsourced manufacturing of doll parts to China, assembled them onshore and added a twist – traditional Nigerian costumes. The doll line is now so successful that it is outselling Barbie, the legendary fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc..

Says Okoya, “I happen to be the kind of person that doesn’t enjoy complaining and criticizing without taking any action. So I researched making a doll that Nigerian girls could identify with: one with their skin color and traditional African fashion.

“It became a frontline project for me due to the resistance the dolls received because of their color and outfits from most children and distributors.

“I spent about two years campaigning on the importance and benefits of dolls in the African likeness. During that process, I realised greater social issues such as low self esteem, which led to the passion to make a change in the coming generation. It’s been a tough journey but one I have enjoyed.”

The doll, which is called Queens of Africa, comes with traditional outfits and accessories, and costs around N1, 300.

The special edition goes for N3, 500. The cheaper ‘Naija Princesses’ sell for N500

Queens

Okoya

to N1, 000 apiece. Okoya makes a profit margin of about one third.

Okoya’s dolls are now so popular that he is selling up to 9,000 units a month.

And the Queens of Africa aren’t just selling in Nigeria. Thanks to the doll’s online presence, customers are coming from as far as America, Brazil and Europe.

There’s, however, a twist with the US market. Okoya says, “I have been told that our products will not make mainline stores in the United States as it will be seen as a specialist product. As such, it will be limited to specialist stores in certain areas. I am looking to prove them wrong.”

Okoya’s mission is to make the Queens of Africa a symbol of hope, trust, and

confidence by promoting African history, culture, and fashion. He also looks to promote strong feminine ideals, like love, peace and endurance. And one person he really hopes the dolls will have a positive impact on is his daughter, who, he explains, once wished she was white.

Says Okoya, “I have a daughter, Azeezah, whom I named one of the dolls after. As her father, I wanted the best for her and to teach her to become a confident, responsible adult. I quickly realised that my direct influence on her development was about 40 percent and the remaining 60 percent was from her surroundings, i.e., her toys, TV, friends, etc. These were mostly subliminal and had a longer lasting impact on her that was somewhat out of my control. Even though we live in Nigeria, there was a lot of Western influence, which might have been responsible for her wishing

Naija Princesses

she was white. It made me aware that I needed to make her proud and happy being a black African girl, and not limit it to her alone as this was a common trend amongst the younger generation. The Queens of Africa became a platform to achieve this.

“The power of toys and play tools cannot be underestimated. It could be a greater influencer than we realise. I have had to tweak the looks of the dolls to get acceptance as we needed the sales to sustain the project. As our sales and acceptance grow, we are becoming more confident, and this will reflect in our next and subsequent collection’’.

Even though Okoya’s dolls are meant to “subconsciously promote African heritage,” he has had to sell slim dolls for brand acceptance. He expresses his frustration about this: “What is really frustrating is the generalisation that Africans all have to look a certain way or be a certain color. That is stereotyping. There are slim Africans, plus-size Africans, dark Africans, fair skinned Africans, flat-nosed Africans, and pointed-nosed Africans. We will do our best to represent as much of the diversity of Africans but surely not all at once. Some people have critiqued us quite harshly from an ignorant standpoint, forgetting we are relatively quite young. The responsibility to represent Africa in a doll or product is not an easy task. Our diversity is one of our greatest attributes.”

And where is the bubbly entrepreneur taking his dolls next? ‘‘I am looking to go global. We are hoping to release songs with positive lyrics, a TV series with encouraging storylines, and get the dolls on all major shelves around the world!”

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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April 25, 2015

Let’s talk about teenage pregnancy Doctor Talabi has answers to your health questions

Write him today at prettyprevent@gmail.com or text 09099346165 (sms only pls)

I

n our weekly interactions,opportunities such as this one will arise ,where all we do is share real life stories of previous happenings and about decisions people made concerning their health.

Not only that, we are also going to talk about consequences of those decisions.The purpose of this is to learn from these experiences,first to ensure that we don’t fall into similar situations and also to ensure that when we do, our steps are the best there could be in such circumstances.

The Story: Mr and Mrs X brought their 15yr old daughter Susan(not real name ) to the clinic. She was their only child.

According to them, Susan has been having a persistent upper abdominal pain for about two weeks. She had been seen previously in another hospital,where she was diagnosed of peptic ulcer disease(PUD). She was then placed on the standard regimen for the treatment of PUD including measures to take care of common complications such as secondary infection. But her symptoms only improved slightly, while abdominal pains and vomiting persisted. The vomiting was especially distressing,and has prevented her most times from eating and doing her normal daily activities.

She has not been able to go to school within the two weeks in question. So they brought her for further treatments and a second opinion. Thorough history taking revealed nothing extraordinary,aside that she was having pains, followed by vomiting, poor appetite but no fever.

Questions about the last menstrual period revealed that her last menses was just two weeks ago around the time the symptoms started. This was corroborated by the mum,though both of them agreed that the period was somehow irregular. Because she seemed not to have responded to the conventional treatment administered on her at the previous hospital, a decision was taken to run laboratory tests for her. One of the dilemma that arose in the course of this ,was whether to include pregnancy test as part of her investigations or not. This is because pregnancy is one of the factors that agravate an existing PUD, especially as another common factor; infection was ruled out initially due to the absence of fever.But the mum was emphatic about her having seen her last period and in fact sounded offended at the suggestion of anything to the contrary. To her,

the only virgin that she knew who got pregnant was Holy Mary and she didn’t think her daughter would be the next in line for immaculate conception.But the decision was taken anyways to go ahead and conduct the pregancy test with a proviso that if it came out negative the hospital will pay for it.

Lo and behold,the pregnany test came out positive! It showed clearly that Susan was very pregnant. The next question is how come? Here is a girl who has never had sexual intercourse in her life! Could the test be wrong! A private session was sought with Susan away from her parents and it was then she opened up. She knew she was pregnant all along but didnt know she would be discovered. At that time she was about 10 weeks gone.According to her, she was going to have an abortion the following week.She had already identified the facility where it was going to be done and was only saving up for the procedure.She was about collecting the last chunk of money to carry out the abortion from her unknowing parents. And wait for this bombshell! This was not the first time she was going to terminate a pregnancy!

Even now that the bubble has burst, she was yet unrelenting. To keep her secret ,she offered the doctors the amount she has saved so far so that they can keep sealed lips and not tell the parents. She can always raise some more from her parents. She only needed to give them a beautiful tale and they are bound to give her the pay, she is the only child remember!

When her request was turned down and she was advised to inform her mum,the mother was aghast. How possible? Who impregnated you? When did it happen? Where? So many questions if you ask me, but the answers came in quick succession too.As to who, it was a school mate, a year her senior and as to how. Well she didn’t give the detail,but

said it happened on occasions when mum and dad who were ardent church goers left her at home alone for hours on end.

The mother cried and felt dissapointed.

She concluded that Susan was going to have the baby. She can always go back to school if it was her wish. Of course she wasn’t going to allow her only child have an abortion, what if something happened to her ?she would have lost in two ways.

Imagine losing an only child and a grand child.

Then Dad came, he was no less sad, but had a different opinion. First he promised us he was going to kill the boy that impregnated his daughter and even described how he was going to do it. After killing him, he would have to ensure the pregnancy is terminated. Being a respected elder in the church and very prominent amongst his people,there was no way he was going to allow his only child disgrace him by having a child without a proper talk-of-the-town wedding. We will abort it! No we wouldn’t abort it!, we will abort it! No we wouldn’t, then became the song. In the midst of these an appropriate medical advise was given. All the while, Susan was staring at her parents like two naughty chilren and actually asked with an unusual boldness why they were fighting now when all along they abandoned her at home alone. She came across as an only child who in the midst of all the fuss and over pampering became very lonely. She seemed to be enjoying the attention she was now getting and definitely was’nt remorseful.

To cut the long story short, the family left with a decision to go and have a family jaw jaw and then come back intimating us of their decision.

The Lessons: From the story, I am sure a lot of questions have arisen, bringing with them many lessons to be learnt Who was at fault, Susan, her mum or her dad?

Could it have been because Susan was over pampered as an only child?

Which is more important, Susan’s health or her education?

Now that daddy wants an abortion and mummy doesn’t,what should be the best decision in the circumstances?

Dear readers, your contributions and suggestions are hereby sought on this case. If you have any thing to share, kindly send your opinion to prettyprevent @ gmail.com or text 09099346165. And others can learn from your opinion.

But while making your contributions, bear in mind the importance of Susan completing her education, the problems associated with teenage pregnancy, the fact that Susan is an only child, the reputationof the parents in the church and society at large etc.

Conclusion: Subsequently, events unfolded as follows: uDad couldnt bear to think of the possible disgrace uDad took Susan secretly to a ‘’Doctor’’ for an abortion uThree days after the procedure, complications set in uSusan began to bleed uncontrollably I will leave the rest of what happened to the imagination of readers.

You can chat with a doctor FREE at www.prettyhealthcare.com.ng. every Wednesdays and Fridays(4-8pm)

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Visit exotic rock painting of Birnin Kudu

B

irnin Kudu, a town that lies in the South of Jigawa State, may appear rustic with little attraction as far as tourism, but within the ancient town is the famous rock painting that tells stories of the people in the earliest of times.

Birnin Kudu is noted for the presence of these rocks. The different paintings are eloquent information on the styles of the early settlers in the area.

Birnin Kudu town is best known as the site of Dutsen Habude, a cave containing Neolithic paintings of cattle (which bear strong resemblance to some found in the central Sahara) and rock gongs believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

These drawings are said to

be among the oldest drawings in Nigeria. The first group of paintings on the hill known as Dutsen Mesa is only about a hundred feet from the old motor road and even closer to the pedestrian path.

A masonry wall surmounted by mesh screen has been built by government to prevent the paintings from being touched.

The paintings, four main styles and four sub-styles are exclusively of domestic cattle with the exception of a single enigmatic drawing which may possibly be a sketch plan of a cattle Kraal. Two main types of cattle are pictured; a long bodied, long-legged humpless breed with long spreading or converging some-times lyreshaped horns and a short

thick-bodied, short horned humpless breed.

Tentatively, they have been identified as hamitic long-

horn, which is now extinct in Nigeria. It is believed that this hamitic stock left its mark on the characteristic long-horned Zebu cattle, also known as Muturu.

The paintings probably belong to the period of transition from Neolithic to the

Metal age. Within a hundred feet of Dutsen Mesa, there have been discoveries of more than ten groups of rock gongs, which are huge natural exfoliations of rock, which rest or are wedged in a position favourable to the production of musical notes.

Have a unique experience with enchanting Hills of Benue T

he hills are near Gboko, in Benue State.

They are one of the most fascinating tourist spots in Nigeria and feature some of the country’s most beautiful nature and scenery.

Benue state shares a

boundary with Cameroon and is located in Nigeria’s middle belt. Industry in Benue is dominated by agriculture because of its fertile land; over 70 percent of Nigeria’s soya beans are produced here.

The area is best known for it’s collection of unique hills with some of the best known locations being the Bassa Hills, renowned for their spectacular scenery, the Swern Hills renowned for their history and the Ushongo Hills which are an ideal tourist destination because of the fantastic weather they enjoy.

A hilly enchantment

Be spellbound by eerie tunnels of Long Juju Shrine

A

rochukwu is a famous tourist destination with the cave of the famous long juju oracle as a particular attraction. Located in Abia State, South East of the country, the cave is made up of dark kilometre-long series of tunnels.

The site is still primarily a religious one, and only secondly a tourist attraction.

Some deeply unpleasant but

mysterious features include the Throne of Judgement, where Chukwu, the Great God, would decide on the fate of a person, the Tunnel of Disappearance, and the Red River, which would turn coloured when a person was killed.

The cave is believed to hold the long metal pipe through which the gods speak to the people. A traditional religionist

would find the oracle quite an attraction. It is, first and foremost, a religious centre with a well-laid down administrative structure headed by a Chief Priest.

A long time ago, when West Africa was broken into many different kingdoms, Ibinu Ukabi or the Long Juju Shrine, was used to judge the perpetrators of crimes. In the kingdom of Arochukwu, those at trial would enter the temple complex, and wander through it, ready to face the judgment of Chukwu (God). It acted like

a court, mediating the society of the old kingdom.

In the 15th Century, European powers started the slave trade, and West African

Long Juju Shrine

middlemen used it to their advantage. Those condemned were not killed inside the shrine, but were secretly sold on into slavery.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

April 25, 2015

LEISURE

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the Civil Service

Enugu legislature freezes ENSUBEB’s accounts

T

he Enugu State House of Assembly has frozen the accounts of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board in the banks for alleged financial recklessness.

The lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion moved during plenary session on Thursday to that effect. They told the Universal Basic Education Board to stop further release of funds to ENSUBEB Chairman, Nneka Onuorah, pending investigations by the House.

The lawmakers also invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the chairman by two members of the board. In the petition submitted by the board members, Prof. Ikenna Chukwu (Permanent member 1) and Dr T.E. Ayogu (Permanent member IV), they alleged that Onuorah awarded contracts for the construction and renovation of schools

without the approval of the board.

Chukwu and Ayogu said: “She awarded contract for the construction of seats, tables for primary schools at the cost of N199 million without the approval of the board. “Not all of them have been supplied but the total contract sum has been paid to the contractor.

“She also awarded contracts for the supply of white boards without board’s approval and engaged in unjustifiable transfer of ENSUBEB core staff to other places.

“She appointed people who neither took exam nor attended interview for appointment as Education Secretaries in Development Centres, neglecting geographical spread in appointment.”

Other allegations were that the chairman purchased computers worth N2.5 million without approval of the board, compelled primary school teachers to purchase computers through a vendor with the cost being deducted from their salaries.

They also said the chair-

man awarded contract for the computerization of teachers’ bio-data at N10 million, which she inflated to N14 million. The petitioners informed the lawmakers

that they were not part of the document the chairman presented to the lawmakers during her interrogation as she ran the board as a sole administrator.

The House ordered the chairman to discontinue with all contracts till the assembly concluded its investigation. The House Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, said: “The rule of law was not followed in awarding the contracts, hence the investigation.

“It is disrespect to this honourable House when one is running a government in-

stitution as a private business.” On the non-release of their over-head cost, the state Accountant General, Paschal Okolie, attributed it to the dwindling oil price, which reduced the state’s share of the federation account.

The House, however, directed him to provide the state’s financial statement from the first quarter of 2015, including its share of the Federation Account, the Internally Generated Revenue and how they were disbursed, by Monday.

Left to right: MTN Ambassador and popular Nigerian Artist, Dr. Sid; Winner of MTN Season of Surprises/ Surprise your Professor, Professor Anthony Ologhobo, department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan and the General Manager, Regional Operations, Lagos/ South-West, MTN Nigeria, Mrs. Fehintola Mustapha during the presentation of a brand new Car, KIA RIO to professor Anthony Ologhobo at the University of Ibadan on Thursday.

PENGASSAN condemns xenophobic attacks in South Africa

T

he Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has condemned the xenophobic attacks on migrants in South Africa.

In a statement signed

by PENGASSAN’s National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Emmanuel Ojugbana in Abuja, the association urged the country’s government to take urgent measures to end the attacks on foreigners.

The oil workers union demanded that the South African government should ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime that led to the death of many foreigners

were brought to book.

It said that the report was disturbing, adding that there was no justification for the act.

“There should be no basis to justify any xenophobic act in South

Africa, which the world is greatly admiring as a model in the handling of multiracial state status.

“By our divergent background and orientation, the process of interrelating and building consen-

sus is key for harmonization of conflicting views and standpoints. ``Conflicts and disputes are sometimes inevitable, but must be managed in a manner that lives, properties and interests would

not be put in jeopardy.

“The South African Government on its part, must ensure that the xenophobic act is expediently and permanently apprehended and never should it happen again.

Workers’ union get factional leadership in Kaduna

T

wo parallel leaderships have emerged after the election of new officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State.

It was gathered that the workers held two separate congresses on Thursday in Kaduna in which each faction elected its leaders.

Incumbent NLC state Chairman, Adamu Ango,

was re-elected in the election conducted at Gamji Park in Kaduna, during which 1, 500 delegates participated.

Ango’s faction is backed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Waba.

Also elected were James Friday as Vice Chairman 1, Bulus Chiroma, Vice Chairman 2, and Emmanuel Wudiri as Treasurer.

The rest are Shehu Salihu and Abdullahi Oshiame as Auditor 1 and 2, while Zainab Umar and Ladi Musa were elected exofficio members.

In a separate election by the Comrade Joe Ajaero faction of the NLC, conducted at the Textile Labour House, Kaduna, Ephriam James was elected state NLC chairman.

Also elected are Shuaibu Sani and Danladi Yahya as Vice Chairman 1 and 2 respectively.

Others are Adamu Danladi, Treasurer; Collins Bulus, Internal Auditor 1; Achison Shekarau, Internal Auditor 2 and Mbat Jocab, ex-officio.

It was also learnt that 200 delegate from 24 affiliate labour bodies took part in the election. (NAN)

“All steps and actions required to pacify and appease the affected countries and their nationals must be followed with strong assurances of our joint faith and with due regards for our strong ties and bonds as non-discriminatory black race.

“Strict adherence to the rule of law and due process must be followed and exhausted in dealing with our unresolved differences. ``Culprits must be brought to book to demonstrate to the world that there is no complicity on the part of the South African Government,” the statement said.

Sport

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

April 25, 2015

45

Coaches to Keshi: Learn from your past mistakes

•Onigbinde, others tell him to avoid arrogance Ifeanyi Eduzor

F

ollowing last Tuesday’s renewal of the contract of Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, football stakeholders in Nigeria have been speaking on their expectations from him now that the standoff between the coach and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has finally ended.

Keshi has been re-appointed as Nigeria coach on a two-year contract after 10 months of uncertainty over his future with the Super Eagles.

The 53-year-old signed the contract in Abuja following days of speculations over the decision of the NFF to hand him the job. His previous contract ended after the World Cup in Brazil, where he took Nigeria to the second round as the Eagles lost to France in Brasilia.

Keshi’s new contract is expected to last till 2017 and would be determined by success or otherwise in the AFCON qualifiers and the tournament in Gabon.

Speaking on the contract, former Super Eagles Coach, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, noted that though the extension of his contract came late, but the decision of the football house to re-engage him is a welcome development especially now that other countries are preparing for AFCON 2017 qualifiers.

According to him, now that Keshi and the NFF have settled their differences, there is the need for both parties to respect the terms of the contract even, as he advised Keshi to learn from his mistakes and build a more solid Super Eagles which every Nigerian will be proud of.

“I am very happy that the issue of Keshi’s contract has been settled because it will enable him concentrate on the task ahead which is qualifying Nigeria for the 2017 AFCON finals in Gabon as well as the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“Having studied the terms of the contract and put pen to papers, I expect Keshi to avoid those things that made him fail to qualify Nigeria for the last Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea. He should ensure he uses the best players that can give him the

desired result and avoid using sentiments in team selection,” Onigbinde advised.

“There is no justification in inviting players from such countries as Laos, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and China whose league is not as strong as Nigeria’s league when we have a lot of good players in the local scene who are doing very well and are eager to make history when they wear the country’s national colours.”

Speaking in the same vein, one time Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer, Joe

Erico, admonished Keshi to live above board, concentrate efforts on discovering players from the Nigerian local league and avoid a situation where untested players are given first team shirts in important matches.

“Keshi’s third time as national team coach is a welcome development because it shows that our football administrators have confidence in indigenous coaches. It is true that as a human being he might have some shortfalls but the most important thing is for him not to allow those shortfalls affect his sense of football judgment.

“I want to see him looking inwards and take the issue of discovering players in our local league more serious because some of those players are national team materials. There is also the need for him to avoid arrogance and develop a good human resources management to be able to manage the players effectively in his third spill at the national team.”

Erico while expressing confidence that, he has learnt his lessons noted that there is the need for both the coach and the NFF to permanently bury their differences so as to move Nigerian football forward.

President General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu La-

dipo, noted that the return of Keshi is capable of ushering in a new beginning for the team once Keshi is prepared to have a cordial working relationship with the technical Committee of NFF and the entire board members and avoid making h i s employers believe that he is uncontrollable since no employer will l i k e

Keshi

his employee to be dictating things for him, even as he cautioned against highhandedness by both parties.

“We at the Supporters Club have been looking forward to the renewal of Keshi’s contract to enable the team concentrate in their preparations for the various qualifying matches that have been lined up by both FIFA and CAF. “As the two have finally agreed on a contract, I hope he will avoid all those things that made the football house reluctant to renew his contract. We want him to do a soul searching and ruminate on all those pitfalls that made NFF to be reluctant in re- engaging him as that is the only way he can see through his two year contract,” Ladipo said.

On the issue of Keshi insisting on the replacement of his erstwhile assistant, D a n i e l Amokachi, Lad i p o stated t h a t Keshi’s decision

should be respected because he knows whom he wants to work with to achieve results since he is the one to be blamed for the team’s failure.

Some ex-internationals such as Friday Ekpo, Yisa Sofoluwe, Tajudeen Disu and Henry Nwosu told Saturday Mirror in a telephone interview that they expect Keshi to build on his 2013 AFCON success and bring back the confidence of Nigerians on not only his coaching abilities but the entire team.

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April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

MirrorGolf With Pius Anakali

Torrance to tee it up in PGA seniors

R

yder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance will be among the star names teeing up at this year’s ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship at Close House.

It signals a return to the tournament for Torrance, who is seeking to win the title for a third time after capturing it in 2005 and 2006.

The 61 year old Scot, who has won 11 Senior and 21 European Tour titles during a glittering career, will be one of the players to watch at the four day championship, which is being staged at the highly-rated Close House, near Newcastle, from June 11-14.

The Championship, which boasts a £260,000 prize fund, will be played over the 6,813 yard par 71 Lee Westwood Colt course, ranked in the UK’s top 100 by Golf Monthly, and designed as

a tribute to iconic English golf course architect Harry Colt.

Torrance said: “The PGA Championship is one of our biggest events on the schedule so I look forward to playing in it.

“It’s a new venue which comes very highly rated and it would be great to win it for a third time at a third venue.”

Close House, which has agreed to stage the tournament for three years, is looking forward to hosting the prestigious event as well as welcoming some of the biggest names in senior golf.

“To stage a top ranking tournament of this magnitude for the first time confirms an exciting period in our development and is testament to everyone connected with Close House and shows how far we have come since opening less than four years ago,” said owner Graham Wylie.

Tiger to play Memorial says Nicklaus

J

ack Nicklaus said during a long talk with Tiger Woods at the Masters two weeks ago, Woods revealed his plans to play the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide.

“He said, ‘See you in May. I’ll be at the Memorial,’ “Nicklaus said Wednesday while talking to local reporters at a fundraising event at Ohio State.

Woods, who returned to action at the Masters following an eightweek break from competition, has not yet announced his schedule.

The Memorial is scheduled for June 4-7 at Muirfield Village.

Woods did not qualify for next week’s World Golf Championships-Cadillac Match Play.

In addition to the Memorial

Woods

schedule, Nicklaus said the two spoke about a variety of topics.

“He’s been struggling,” Nicklaus said. “We talked a little bit about that, but we talked more about his kids and events that are going on and we talked a little bit about what he’s been doing working on his preparation. I’ve said many times, he’ll be fine.”

While Woods plans to be at Muirfield Village, current Official World Golf Ranking No. 1 Rory McIlroy won’t be. He is playing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and hosting this year’s Irish Open at Royal County Down in the two weeks leading into the Memorial Tournament and has told Nicklaus that he won’t be able to play in this year’s event.

y a d i l o h n o l l o r r a C e f i w t n a n g e r p h t i w

S

he is due to give birth in nine weeks and Billi Mucklow shared a touching image of her enjoying one last holiday with her fiancé Andy Carroll, before the baby is born.

Taking to her Instagram account, the former Towie star shared a picture of the pair standing in the sea in Dubai, as footballer Andy caressed her blossoming bump.

While Billi, 26, looked incredible in a bikini, her doting man, also 26, went shirtless as they spent time together topping up their tan.

She captioned the image with the words: ‘Before two becomes three,’ as they prepare to welcome the new addition to their family.

The couple have since returned home to the UK, with Billi sharing the picture on the social networking site on Thursday as she reminisced about their sunshine break.

Making the most of a little quality time together, the couple embarked on a two-week babymoon.

She’s been one of the most stylish pregnant celebs of the year, and it’s partly down to Billi Mucklow’s refusal to wear maternity clothes for most of the time. Such a contrast to the majority of pregnant celebs.

Carroll and fiancé Mucklow

The former TOWIE babe stunned in a simple yet chic black dress featuring a dotty printed collar from one of our favourite high street stores., In another photo shared on the site, Billi can be seen gently cradling her baby bump in front of Dubai’s famous Burj Al Arab hotel.

She looked incredible in a purple bikini which had a hot pink trim as she gazed down at her baby bump.

Billi broke the news of her pregnancy on Christmas Day by donning a festive jumper with

the words ‘making my little pudding’ in an Instagram snap with West Ham United footballer Andy.

The England international already has two children; a daughter Emilie Rose aged four, and a two-year-old son Lucas.

Meanwhile, Billi has been excitedly posting about all the new things she has been buying for her baby.

On Thursday she wrote: ‘Love all the beautiful traditional baby clothes from @rafaandreenie can’t wait to get my bubba dressed up!’

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

April 25, 2015

NPFL winner to pocket N80 million

T

he League Management Company (LMC) has announced the winners of this season’s league will smile home with a much-improved cumulative sum of 80 million Naira.

LMC chairman Shehu Dikko made the disclosure to AfricanFootball.com Dikko said, “The winners of the league would be going home with as much as 80 million Naira at the end of the season. This a well above 200 percent increase from what is presently obtainable.

“We have ensured a system that the clubs get regular release of funds due to them from the LMC and by the end of the season

Dikko

the club who win the league would have got a cumulative of both cash and kind worth 80 million Naira, while the team who are relegated would get about 55 million Naira.”

He continued, “The winners of the league on final day of action

will pocket 30 million Naira and you know what that means. You would agree with me that the incentives we have introduced are already making impact.

“We give teams who get away win 250,000 Naira, away draw 100,000 Naira and even reward teams for fans turn out. Today, you can see teams are winning matches away from home and I am sure more would come.”

This season, the Nigeria premier league has already recorded five away wins in the last two rounds of matches with Enyimba, Giwa, Wikki Tourists, Heartland and Abia Warriors all taking maximum points on the road.

Etisalat U-15 tourney: NSSF denies disquilifying Lagos Ifeanyi Eduzor

O

rganizers of the ongoing maiden edition of Etisalat U-15 football competition, Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) has denied reports in some sections of the media that it deliberately screened out five students of Green field School, Lagos from participating in the competition insisting that it took the decision in order to ensure that only players who are not more than 15 years participate in the competition.

Five players of Green Field School Lagos were disqualified from participating in the championship by the screening committee of the NSSF on the grounds that they were above the stipulated age which prompted the school’s coach to withdraw his team from the tournament after losing his first two matches, claiming that the disqualified students were not over-aged and that the action was a deliberate attempt to deny the school victory in the tournament.

National President of NSSF, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammad told Saturday Mirror that the screening was done according to the laid down rules of the body even as he stated that there was no petition from the affected school appealing against the decision of the committee noting that it was not only players from Lagos that were screened out, assuring that the momentum would be maintained till the final match.

“It is unfortunate that some sections of the media reported that Lagos state was disqualified from the championship. The story is not true because the after those students were screened out, the school still went ahead to play two matches which they lost but only decided not to honour the third match which led to their being walked over by their next opponent which is the normal practice all over the world.

City locked in talk with Ejike

R

eports say that City are locked in talks with the intermediary representing Gee-Lec Football Academy starlet, Chidera Ejike.

The Citizens have been in pursuit of the attacking midfielder since February after failing to land the signature of Tottenham Hotspur trainee Musa Yahaya the previous year.

It has emerged that Ejike’s representative, Babawo Mohammed, has flown to the United Kingdom to thrash out the

final details of a preliminary contract with Manchester City officials.

The 16-year-old and his manager are hopeful that the deal will be sealed before the start of the Under 17 World Cup in October.

It would make economic sense for the English Premier League club to snap him up as soon as possible with the teenager’s transfer fee expected to rise if he’s selected to represent the Golden Eaglets in Chile.

Mikel plays down Southampton link

T

he stories claiming that John Obi Mikel will form part of the deal that will see Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin move to Stamford Bridge in the summer are wide of the mark.

The Nigeria international has been heavily tipped to leave Chelsea in the last few seasons, with the likes of Monaco, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Schalke 04 genuinely interested in his signature.

According to Mikel, he is happy to be a Chelsea player and is not even thinking about his fu-

ture until the end of this season. ‘’All what you are reading about Mikel is paper talk, and for now he is happy in Chelsea,’’ the defensive midfielder’s intermediary said. ‘’Mikel is not talking about him staying or leaving Chelsea until after the season.’’

Obi Mikel joined Chelsea in June 2006 from Norwegian club Lyn Oslo after a protracted dispute with Manchester United.

The recently turned 28-yearold has 26 months left on his current contract with the Londoners.

Glo League Update With Paul Erewuba

Tourists, Heartland, others seek consolidation

W

ith five games played so far in the Globacom Premier League, Nigerian bookmakers seem to have halted their predictions for the direction the title might go as no team at the moment can be taken as underdog going by what transpired on Wednesday at the different centres.

League leaders, Heartland, and defending Champions, Kano Pillars, saw their run of victories truncated, even as Lobi Stars streak of draws magic wand was rubbished by Gabros at the end of Match Day 5 of the league midweek.

On the other hand, Giwa FC continued their impressive run with a 4-0 annihilation of struggling Akwa United and Abia Warriors were the superior side in the game against the Naze Millionaires, piping their host 1-0 at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.

In Lafia, Nasarawa United made sure Pillars joined the teams that had tasted defeat as a brace from Esosa Igbinoba made the consolatory strike by Pillars’ Rabiu Ali of no effect to the contest for the three maximum points at stake. Enyimba rediscovered their form as last season’s top scorer, Mfon Udoh, scored to avenge their last season’s defeat in this same fixture.

Shooting Stars also joined the wagon of first time winners hitting Kwara United 2-0.

No doubt, attention would now be focused on Giwa and Wikki Tourists as they contend for the league leadership and attempt to consolidate in tomorrow’s Match Day 6 encounter. Giwa will be guests of Lobi

Kingsley Sokari

Stars, while Sunshine Stars of Akure will host Wikki Tourists of Bauchi.

However, Heartland who are currently sitting on the third position are not ruled out of the leadership tussle. With nine points, Heartland will be guests’ of Warri Wolves and a win could see them climbing back to the summit, if the other two fail.

Heartland’s new recruits have quickly adapted among themselves and for head coach of Heartland, Erasmus Onuh, the sky is their limit this season.

Midweek Results FC Taraba

0-1

Enyimba

Heartland

0-1

Abia Warriors

Gabros

2-0

Lobi Stars

Giwa

4-0

Akwa United

El-Kanemi

1-0

Sunshine

3SC

2-0

Kwara Utd

Wikki

1-0

Warri Wolves

Dolphins

1-0

Rangers

Nasarawa Utd 2-1

Kano Pillars

Cerebral Palsy football seminar kicks off in Lagos Ifeanyi Eduzor

A

Obi

47

seminar aimed at promoting cerebral Palsy football among people with disability in the country kicked off yesterday at the Media Centre of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The four day coaching/technical workshop which is being handled by two experts from Netherlands and Spain; Rene Jurrius and Raul Reina is aimed at teaching Nigerians the rudiments of the game as well as ensuring that

the sport which was first introduced in the country in 2012 is popularized in the country.

Speaking at the seminar, the Chief instructor, Rene Jurrius noted that he is happy that Nigeria is one of the forty countries all over the world that has embraced the game even as he stated that the country joining South Africa, Tunisia, Ghana and Sierra Leone as Africa’s only countries where the game is played will be a big boost to the development of the game which is designed for people with cerebral patsy and other disabilities.

48

SPORT

April 25, 2015

Champions League

Juve playing Madrid

‘monsters’ in UCL — Nedved J

uventus will be playing “monsters” after the Champions League semifinal draw paired them with titleholders Real Madrid, club director Pavel Nedved said after the draw was made.

Former Juve and Czech Republic star Nedved, whose club are regarded by many pundits as the weakest of the final four, said the tie would be “amazing” for the fans.

The first leg takes place at the Juventus Stadium early next month, with the return at the Bernabeu a week later.

“It’s going to be amazing for the fans and for us, and we want to take our chances in these two games,” Nedved told Sky Sport Italia.

“Let’s say there’s still a long way to go.

We’re up against monsters in the semifinals, but you can’t make predictions.

“I’m convinced we will play two great games and then we’ll see if we get into the final. We’ve come to the semis and we don’t want to stop here.”

Juventus players celebrate after a draw in Monaco sealed their place in the last four. The former midfielder warned: “It was always going to be difficult, whoever we got. I don’t think there are any advantages or disadvantages.

uis Enrique is relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against Pep Guardiola when the former Barcelona coach faces the Catalan giants for the first time in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Guardiola’s Bayern side will travel to Camp Nou for the first leg on May 6 before taking on the Liga leaders at the Allianz Arena six days later in what promises to be an enthralling tie.

The 44-year-old spent 11 years in the Barca first-team squad as a player, which included winning the European Cup in 1992, and is a former team-mate of Luis Enrique.

Guardiola returned to manage the club in 2008 and, in his first season, guided Barca to the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, courtesy of a 2-0 final win over Manchester United in Rome.

Two years later Guardiola lifted the iconic trophy once more, and again it was United who were beaten, 3-1 at Wembley in a stunning display.

There will be no room for sentiment when the Bayern head coach attempts to deny his friend Luis Enrique a Champions League title in his first season in charge and the current Barca coach is looking forward to the challenge.

Arsenal Vs Chelsea Mourinho not concerned with Fabregas reception

A

s Cesc Fabregas prepares to make his first return to Arsenal, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is not concerned about his midfielder ahead of Sunday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Fabregas left Arsenal in 2011 for Barcelona, before returning to the Premier League ahead of this season with Mourinho’s side.

Many are expecting the Spain international to be given a hostile welcome, but Mourinho says Fabregas will cope with any potential vitriol.

“I’m not worried about that,” he said. “Frank Lampard played at Stamford Bridge without any kind of problems and with a good reception.

“I don’t see a reason for Fabregas to not have the same at the Emirates, but if he has some bad reactions I think he’s more than ready.”

Fabregas opted to join Chelsea over Arsenal when he left Barca, with the latter reportedly declining their offer of first refusal on the player.

“I know why he chose Chelsea, but I don’t know why he didn’t choose Arsenal,” Mourinho said.

“I can only speak about us and what we promised him and what he promised us.

“He’s doing everything we need from him, adapting to many different roles. He’s doing every job the team needs. For me, he’s made a fantastic contribution and had a fantastic season for us.

Inter owner fuels Toure’s speculation

Tevez

Enrique welcomes Guardiola reunion L

Coloccini eyes Argentina recall

N

ewcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini is hoping an improvement in his club form can earn him a recall to the Argentina squad. The defender currently has 39 caps for his country but has not featured for the Albiceleste since September 2013, missing out on a place at last year’s World Cup. Coloccini admits he would love to play for his country again and says he is planning to keep his head down and hopefully wait for the call from Gerardo Martino.

“I hope to do well with my club and if I’m called, I’m called,” he said.

E

rick Thohir has talked up the prospect of Inter signing unsettled Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.

Inter coach Mancini was in charge of City when they signed Toure, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium following a season in which his form has been called into question.

Paris Saint-Germain and Inter have both been mooted as potential destinations for the Ivory Coast captain, with Mancini claiming last month that Toure wants to reunite with him at San Siro.

And Inter president Thohir told Corriere della Sera: “We like him and we’re sure that Mancini would know how to make the most of his talents.

“He has a contract with City, but in the market you never know what can happen.”

Turning his attention to the rumours striker Mauro Icardi could leave Inter to join Premier League leaders Chelsea, Thohir added: “We won’t sell Icardi, he’s one of our most important players.

“Often money can cause problems, but not for him as he has his head firmly on his shoulders. We are working towards an agreement for a contract renewal, it’s important that he stays with us.”

EPL fixtures Soton

v Tottenham

Burnley

v Leicester

C/Palace

v Hull

Newcastle v Swansea QPR

v West Ham

Stoke

v Sunderland

West Brom v Liverpool Enrique

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Man City v Aston Villa

Toure

Crime Watch

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

49

April 25, 2015

The four suspects paraded by police

Prince, three others nabbed for robbing commercial motorcyclists Patience Ogbo

F

our men are in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command, for allegedly waylaying and robbing commercial motorcycle riders in Lagos state.

The four men identified as Emmanuel Olutade, Lukman Tiamiyu and Wasiu Sikiru and Oladimeji Orisan were arrested after the SARS operatives laid ambush for them in their hideout at Ishawo area of Lagos state following complaints to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Mr. Kayode Aderanti that a gang was snatching motorcycles and money from riders at gunpoint in the area .

Following the arrest of the suspects, it

was discovered to the shock of the residents that the gang leader is the son of a traditional ruler of Ishawo, Olademeji, a 24 year old man.

The police said the gang had stolen more than 20 motorcycles in the area as the suspects operate during the early hour of the day and late at night while they recovered two pistols and 25 live cartridges from the gang.

The suspects are said to pretend to be passengers. Then they lure the commercial motorcyclists to a secluded area where other gang members would swoop on the commercial motorcyclists to disposes them of cash and other valuables.

Olademeji, however, blamed bad friends for his involvement in crime He said, “As the second son, my father took good care

of me but I dropped out of school in Junior Secondary School 2.

“I later attended a technical college but joined a cult group while in school. I was going out with them to rob and that was where the idea of snatching and reselling motorcycles came.

“I formed my own gang in 2014 when I came back from college. I bought the guns from my cult friends. I belonged to the Eiye confraternity. We went for robberies like twice a week. We have snatched about 30 motorcycles from riders.

“We had a buyer, who we simply called Mallam. He bought most of the bikes at prices ranging from N30, 000 to N70,000. He would usually resell them too. I was arrested by the police in a hideout in Ishawo after they had first apprehended Emmanuel.

My father does not know I am into robbery.

Any time I did not come home, he would call me and advise me to change my ways but I never listened. I was just stubborn.”

Another suspect, Tiamiyu, 27 said., “I was an Indian hemp seller and had also served a jail term in Kirikiri, before I joined the gang .I was staying in the Itupate area of Ikorodu where I sold Indian hemp. Deji Baale (Orisan) usually came to my joint to smoke and that was where I met him. He introduced me to the gang and I started going on robbery operations with them.

“Before joining the gang, I had spent two years at the Kirikiri Medium Prisons from 2009 to 2011. I went with this gang on three occasions, and we also used my place as a hideout.”

Do you have a story for us? Contact 08138773277 or crimewatchmirror@yahoo.com

50

CRIME WATCH

Police investigate man, hoteliers over woman’s mysterious death

H

omicide detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Panti Yaba are investigating a middle age man over the mysterious death of his female lover.

It was gathered that the man whose identity is being withheld by the police on April 4th took a woman identified as Sherifat Oyisiomo to an undisclosed hotel at Ajegunle area of the State but trouble started when the next day, the couple did not come out of their room despite repeated banging on their door.

It was learnt that the hotel attendants forced their way into the room and found the couple lying naked on the ground.

The attendants thereafter invited the police who took the couple to the hospital but Sherifat was not lucky as she was confirmed dead on arrival while her lover was admitted at the intensive unit of the unnamed hospital where he is receiving treatment.

Police sources said the male lover would be monitored to explain what lead to his lover’s untimely death.

Meanwhile, Sherifat’s corpse has been deposited in the Apapa General Hospital morgue for post-mortem.

The source added that the police is also investigating hotel staff over the incident.

Hoodlums invade Radio Benue

U

nidentified persons invaded Radio Benue in the early hours of Tuesday carting away money and other valuable items.

It was gathered that the raid affected the offices of the Director General and Director of Marketing, where N140,000 was stolen. A personal DVD player was also removed from the office of Director of Engineering Services.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Justin Amase, expressed shock over the incident and ordered the strengthening of security, especially around the transmitters. Amase further ordered that a comprehensive report of what happened should be sent to his office immediately and warned that any staff found wanting would be dealt with by the government.

He said the police were expected to carry out thorough investigation and bring the culprits to justice. Amase said adequate measures must be put in place to ensure a smooth handover of power to the incoming administration.

The Divisional Police Officer, ‘B’ Division, Makurdi, Dominic Yonuveh, was at the radio station to assess the extent of damage. Yonuveh said police had commenced investigation into the matter, adding that the two policemen and security man on duty had been taken into custody. He promised to leave no stone unturned in getting the invaders arrested.

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fraudsters forced me into drug trafficking, confesses suspect

A

suspect said he would not have gotten involved in drug trafficking if not for that some suspected fraudsters duped him of his hard earned money.

The suspect, Ojo Sunday Akanmu Olusegun, 59, a timber merchant, said his involvement in drug trafficking was due to financial hardship.

Explaining that he was married and has five kids, Olusegun said: “My problem started in 2013 when I lost N2 million to fraudsters. “I became indebted and had been running from pillar to post without any solution. “A young man introduced me into drug trafficking in order for me to pay my debts.

“Initially, I dismissed the suggestion, but when my condition was not getting better, I decided to take the risk.

“The $10,000 they promised me would have gone a long way in solving my problem. “This is my first time of smuggling drugs.”

Olusegun and Igweibuike Obinna, 47, a Lagos-based electronic dealer, were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos in connection with drug ingestion.

Olusegun was caught during the outward screening of passengers on a Delta Airline flight to New York, United States, while Obinna was nabbed on a Virgin Atlantic flight to London Heathrow.

Obinna said he would have made N1 million from drug trafficking. His words: “I sell electronics at Alaba market in Lagos. I agreed to smuggle drugs because I

Giade

Obinna

would have made a million naira to invest in my business. I also needed money to take care of my family. I am married with two children.”

The NDLEA at the MMIA said preliminary investigation shows that Olusegun ingested 75 wraps of substances that tested positive for heroin, weighing 1.090kg, and Obinna inserted six wraps into his anus and ingested 11 wraps, making a total of 17 wraps of cocaine weighing 335 gramms.

The NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, said the Agency has recorded remarkable success with the drastic reduction in the arrests of drug traffickers smuggling narcotics to the United States and United Kingdom. Giade stated: “This drastic reduction in arrest is due to the extra vigilance and

mutual cooperation among Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom.

We have a feedback mechanism where arrest made on flights from Nigeria to the US and UK is communicated to us.”

NDLEA spokesman, Mitchel Ofoyeju, said: “The last arrest of suspect leaving Nigeria to the United States at the Lagos airport was in May 2012 when one Orji Emeka Christian was apprehended with 1.250kg of heroin. Similarly the last arrest made on Nigeria-United Kingdom route was in October 2014 when one Onyechesi Chidi Christ was found with 25 grammes of cocaine on an Air France flight to Scotland.

In 2013, there was also an arrest of one Uzobude Vitus Uju with 1.815kg of cocaine on a British Airways flight to London.”

NDLEA arrests 40-year-old man attempting to export Indian hemp to China

T

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday apprehended a man, 40, for attempting to transport Indian hemp (Cannabis Sativa) to China.

This is contained in a statement by Mitchel Ofoyeju, Head of Public Affairs of the agency.

According to the statement, the man, a medicine dealer, was apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), with cannabis he ingested.

The statement quoted the NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, as saying

that the man was a serial offender and had been caught several times. ``The suspect specialises in concealing cannabis in foodstuffs for innocent travellers.

“Unfortunately for him, the parcel he sent through the Lagos airport was intercepted.

“While we were investigating this case, he attempted sending another shipment of cannabis at the Enugu airport where he was apprehended,’’ it said.

The statement said that the Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, had assured

members of the public that the agency would bring traffickers to book. ``The NDLEA has an effective drug detecting mechanism at all the airports. ``We shall continue to increase our capacity and send drug barons out of the criminal transaction in drugs. ``Let me assure you that no drug dealer shall go unpunished and we are working hard to address the problem of drug production, trafficking and abuse,’’ it quoted Giade As saying.

The statement said that the suspect would be charged to court soon. (NAN)

Police arrest robber after gang tie up guard to rob residents

D

etectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command are on the manhunt for members of a gang of fleeing armed robbers who allegedly tied up a security man and attempted to rob residents in the state.

It was gathered that the suspected armed robbers numbering about six, stormed Plot 12 Ayetibo Drive, Isheri area in Lagos and in a bid to rob the residents, the suspected armed robbers tied up the security man at-

tached to the gate with a rope after beating him up with dangerous weapon.

Police source stated that neighbours who got wind of the armed robbery attempt hurriedly placed a distress call to the Isheri police station and a team of policemen stormed the house and arrested one of the suspected armed robbers identified as Kazeem Afolabi while others fled.

When contacted over the incident, the Lagos State Police spokesperson DSP Ken-

neth Nwosu confirmed the incident.

He said “On April 4th 2015 policemen attached to the Isheri police station arrested one Kazeem Afolabi at plot 12 Ayetibo drive Isheri. The suspects and others at large tied the security guard with a rope in an attempt to rob the residents. The police are on the trail of the armed robbers. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for thorough investigation”.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police confirm killing of top officer by gunmen

T

he Benue State Police Command has confirmed the killing of Baba Ibrahim, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, by gunmen in KatsinaAla, Benue State on Wednesday.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Austin Ezeani, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Makurdi on Thursday that the police officer was leading a special police task force on cattle rustling in the state.

Ezeani said the task force was inaugurated by the Inspector General of Police to curtail rising cases of cattle rustling in the state.

Ezeani explained that the deceased was attacked at the KatsinaAla cattle market by unknown gunmen who came in a Toyota vehicle with the inscription: “NAND.” He disclosed that the assailants shot six other members of the team who are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Katsina-Ala. He said the command had commenced a systematic raid on criminal hideouts and gun-running syndicates to flush out criminal elements in the state. The police spokesman vowed that the command would ensure that the culprits were arrested and brought to book.

Ezeani also said the command arrested three police officers, including security guards, who were on duty at Radio Benue when hoodlums broke in and carted away valuables.

It would be recalled that hoodlums had in the early hours of Tuesday invaded the Benue State-owned medium and stole money and other valuables.

The PPRO also said the two officers and security guards who were on duty at the Independent National Electoral Commission office in Katsina-Ala on the night the edifice was burnt had been arrested and detained.

Solomon Arase, Acting Inspector General of Police

CRIME WATCH

April 25, 2015

51

Man hacks into bank data base, steals N68b

A

man who allegedly hacked into a second generation bank’s data base stealing a whooping N68,028,000,000 has been charged to court.

The accused, Stephen Omaidu, was arraigned before Justice M. A. Nasir of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja on a two count charge bordering on theft by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Omaidu, in connivance with one Alhaji K. B. Kabiru, Godswill Oyegwa, Ben and Oliver, all at large, allegedly hacked into the server of a second generation bank and transferred the money.

Uwujaren said: “He transferred the money into different accounts for personal gains.” The image maker said the offence is punishable under section 287 of the Penal Code Act. Following his “not guilty” plea, counsel to the EFCC, S. A. Ugwuebgulam, asked the court to fix a date for trial to commence.

However, the defence counsel, Gabri-

Ibrahim Lamorde, EFCC boss

Omaidu

el O. Sanifu, urged the court to admit the accused to bail pending trial, saying the offence is bailable. Ugwuebgulam objected to the application on the ground that the accused had failed to honour the administrative bail terms earlier granted him by the Commission

and could do same if not remanded by the court.

Justice Nasir ordered the accused to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned the case to April 28, 2015 for ruling on the bail application.

Man confesses to duping victim N1m with Facebook A n alleged fraudster believed to have defrauded a victim over N1 million via Facebook, has confessed to the crime.

The accused, Waheed Adeniyi, alias Ibrahim Waziri, allegedly defrauded one Emmanuel Iheanyi Nwogu of N1,010,000 after he posted a fake auction advertorial on Facebook, claiming he had vehicles impounded by the Nigeria Customs Service for sale.

Adeniyi, who was arraigned on April 20, 2015 before Justice B.O Quadri of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, pleaded guilty to the one count charge of fraud.

The charge reads: “That you Waheed Adeniji (alias Ibrahim Waziri), on or about the 3rd February, 2014 at Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N1,010,000:00 only from one Emmanuel Iheanyi Nwogu for the purchase of three cars placed on auction, under the pretence that you are Ibrahim Waziri, a Customs officer and marketing manager of auction sales of the Nigerian Customs Service, a pretext you knew to be false

and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1a) and (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 which is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.” The prosecution counsel, Ramiah Ikhanade, asked for a date to review the fact of the case in view of the plea of the accused. Justice Quadri ordered that the accused person be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter to May 4, 2015.

Adeniyi-

Man, 28, bags 10 months for house breaking, theft

A

Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced a 28-yearold man, Nanfa Sunday, to 10 months imprisonment for housebreaking and theft.

The convict, whose address is unknown, had pleaded guilty to the two-count charge.

The Judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, who handed down the verdict, however, did not give him an option of fine. He said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Idi, had told the court that the accused was arrested on March 25 for the offences.

Idi said the case was reported by a man, Aaron Joshua, a vigilante in Sunshine Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja, at Gwarimpa Police Station.

He said the accused broke into a house in the estate through the window and stole some items including a home theater, a set of cooking pots, electric iron, water heater, feeding bottles, a set of towels and a water jug.

“During investigations all the items were recovered from him.’’ Idi said the offences contravened Sections 288 and 355 of the Penal Code.

52

April 25, 2015

Investment

Profiles with Godwin Uba

ubagodwin@yahoo.com

P

rinting ink is a dispersion distributed as a thin film on such media like paper, glass, boards, films, plastics, foils, textiles, metal cans and so on, either for prints or to make images.

Each kind of medium requires a different type of ink with different formulation. The application of printing ink are various and the demand for inks has been boosted tremendously by the explosion experienced in such userindustries like publishing, textile, packaging (metal cans and cardboards, advertising, pharmaceuticals etc) and the computer world.

The demand continues to demonstrate an upward trend as years go by. Even the very newspaper you are reading has printing ink as an essential input in the course of its production.

The existing producers of printing inks can scarcely satisfy over 60 percent of the local demand and there has continued to be severe pressure on the price to go up.

Massive importation, consequently, continues in spite of the fact that there are profitable opportunities for more factories relying on locally manufactured raw materials to be established.

Machinery And Equipment To produce quality printing inks, there is need for such equipment as triple roll mill, planetary mixer, mixer blades, weighing balances, grinding gauge, proofing kit, molders gauge, storage tanks, various electrical fittings and so on.

Some of the equipment will be imported while the rest will be fabricated locally to reduce investment cost. Space required is only 30 square meters. A bungalow is

08034494437

Break bank with ink production

ideal. Plant production capacities vary and the level compatible with the promoters’ desire and financial ability will be chosen.

The plant highlighted here is ideal for a small-scale venture.

There are opportunities to increase the production capacity to medium and large scale.

Raw Materials The type, quality, nature and quantity of raw materials required are dictated by the type of printing inks the promoter wishes to manufacture.

Different types of ink need different formulations and qualities but generally the main inputs are resins, waxes, dehydrated limestone, solvents, colored and mineral pigments, gums, water, preservatives etc.

To package the finished products, one needs pre-printed plastic or metal cans cello tapes, labels and cardboards boxes.

The raw and packaging materials are 80 percent local in content which makes the project attractive. The remaining 20 percent, though imported, can be sourced from the numerous chemicals marketing companies around.

Solvents and carbon black could be obtained from the NNPC. Production Process The production process of many kinds of ink is the same and involves the mixing of various ingredients in the proportion, grinding the mixture to form a paste with the required chemical and physical properties, thinning the paste already ground into finer dispersions with a solvent thinner in order to produce a ‘ready – mixed’ finished product which is then packed in metal or plastic

Tripple roll mill

Implementation For any interested investor, a comprehensive feasibility studies need to be done, factory premises constructed or acquired, plant and machinery purchased, installed and commissioned for commercial operation.

Dehydrated Limestone

containers.

The project, being technologically intensive, needs to employ highly experienced and skilled relevant line staff in order to ensure quality formulation and high standard of finished goods because any error can lead to product rejection.

Location The project can be established anywhere in the country.

A current survey showed a near absence of such plants in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country. This explains why the printers there have to contend with high cost of printing inks.

There is therefore need for promoters there to establish this project to cater for the needs of the printing, packaging, Computer users and publishing companies around there.

Moulder gauge

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Financial projections and investment analysis From investment projection carried out, the project can be set up with the sum of N10.8 million.

Investment analysis carried out also indicates that projected revenue of N65.2million will be made in the first year of operation. This

Market Potentaility The market for print ink is big, will increase to N85.7million in the third year. This figure will varied and has continued to demalso rise to N100.4million in the onstrate an upward trend. Those fifth year of operation. Net profit who patronize them include priis believed to be in the realm of vate and government presses, 60 percent and above given good publishers of newspapers, magamanagement, availability of raw zines and books, wholesale and retail distributors of printing materials, and so on.

The payback period of the pro- materials and equipment, manuposed project is estimated at two facturers of textiles, plastics and years. The return on investment metal containers, advertising is also very impressive at 62 per- agencies, makers of cardboards, cent within the five years under cement and feed bags, computer consideration all things being warehouses etc. Distribution could be through appointed equal. agents and own depots.

Estimate Of The Project Cost (N) Leased property (varies)

500,000 Machinery and equipment 3,550,600

Standby generator 1,500,000 Motor vehicles 1,550,000 Pre-investment expenses (including feasibility studies) 250,000 Working capital 2,480,000 Office furniture and equipment

145,000

Contingency (to cover cost overruns) 800,000 TOTAL 10,775,600

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

regional news

April 25, 2015

53

SOUTH EAST

Imo re-run election: DIG orders arrest of erring politicians, security aides Chris Njoku, Owerri

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eputy Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Job Doma, yesterday, in Owerri, Imo State capital ordered immediate arrest and prosecution of any security agent caught escorting any important personality, during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly re-run elections scheduled to take place in the 23 local government areas of the state today.

Addressing newsmen yesterday at the state Police Command headquarters, Owerri, the DIG who moved into the state to complement the effort of the Commissioner of Police, stated that he is ready to ensure a violent free election.

He insisted that any security personnel caught violating the order must be arrested and made to face the music.

He said: “Nobody is isolated from the restriction order as they are not sup-

posed to move from one polling unit to another with their aides”.

He warned that the peace accord signed by all political parties is still in force, adding that any politician caught going against the peace accord would be apprehended and prosecuted.

Doma advised all politicians in the state to comply with the directive to only cast their votes at their polling units and go back to their respective homes to avoid the wrath of law.

He further appealed to the politicians and the public not to take the laws into their hands by flaunting the security order, but to abide by it to promote a synergy between the security personnel and the people to ensure peace in the state, maintaining that curfew remains from 8am to 6pm.

The deputy InspectorGeneral warned that the violence, irregularities witnessed during the last April 11 governorship, and March 28, 2015 presidential election would not

Governor Obiano visits Buhari, promises APGA support

T

he Governor of Anambra State and the national leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Friday visited the President-Elect, General Mohammadu Buhari in his Aso Drive residence, Abuja.

Obiano’s visit came when speculations were rife that he was planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA where he was elected.

But speaking to Journalists at the premises of General Buhari, who said that his mission to the president-elect was to congratulate him Willie Obiano said the state and his party will give total support to the in-

coming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari.

Addressing journalists shortly after a congratulatory visit to the President- elect at his Aso Drive residence in Abuja Friday, he said though he does not intend to leave APGA, the state government will give its support and cooperation to the APC government at the centre just as it did to the out-going PDP administration.

Obiano who was by a gleefully looking Presidentelect, said their discussion during the meeting centered on requests of the people of the South East to be carried along in sensitive appointments and projects execution particularly the building of the Second Niger Bridge.

be tolerated during today’s (Saturday) election.

Doma, who was accompanied by three other Assistant InspectorsGeneral also deployed to the state, commended the continued cooperation of other sister agen-

cies- Army, Immigration, NSCDC, DSS, and NDLEA, during the last election, and called for more cooperation to ensure level playing field during the Saturday election.

To those who would

lose in the election, Doma appealed to them to tow the part of President Goodluck Jonathan by congratulating the winners rather than foment trouble during and after the election.

He urged parents

never to allow desperate politicians to use their children as thugs to snatch ballot boxes or thump print on ballot papers, warning that security agencies have been detailed to deal decisively with such miscreant.

The former Governor of Anambra a State, Mr. Peter Obi signing the condolence register at Comrade Uche Chukwumerije’s Abuja residence on Thursday.

Enugu Govt spent N800m on medical equipment, drugs in 8 years —Gov. Chime

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he Enugu State Government says it spent over N800 million for the procurement of drugs and medical equipments in eight years administration of Gov. Sullivan Chime.

Chime who spoke at the 8th State Council on Health Meeting in Enugu on Thursday, said his administration had rehabilitated over 89 health facilities.

Represented by Dr George Eze, Commissioner for Health, Chime said that 34 health facilities and 21 health staff quarters were also constructed to provide adequate security for both staff and patients.

He called on the governor-elect to give the same priority to the health sector and boost the health related Millennium Development Goals. ``Health has remained one of the priority sectors

of the state deriving from the service delivery area of our four-point agenda. ``Our investments in health have no doubt yielded the expected democracy dividends to our people, particularly the women of child bearing age and under five year old children across the state. ``It is my belief that the outcome of the council meeting will provide the stakeholders the opportunity to identify and outline the key health sector development agenda for the incoming administration in the state,’’ he said.

In a goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr Femi Thomas, said the Federal Government had spent N2.8 trillion to guarantee national health.

Thomas said that 96 per cent of Federal Civil Servants, representing over 3.5 million people and

their dependents, were currently beneficiaries of the scheme.

He commended Enugu State government for adopting the scheme, and called on other state governments to key into the programme.

The Enugu State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Onyinye Emefiele, called for improved funding in the health sector for better health care delivery to the people of the state.

Emefiele advocated a compulsory health insurance policy for both income and non-income earners in the country.

Also, the Chief Field Officer, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Mr Charles Nzoki, said the organisation would continue to support the state in the area wide health coverage.

Dr Ngozi Nwosu, South-

East Zonal Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), expressed regrets that Enugu State dropped in the percentage of its immunisation plus coverage in the last quarter.

Nwosu called on the state Ministry of Health to step up efforts toward maintaining the lead in the immunisation programme in the zone.

The Enugu State Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr George Ugwu, called for urgent passage of the antiquackery bill into law to help fight the menace in the profession.

Earlier, in a lecture titled `Public Private Partnership: Concept, Context and Constraints’, an International Consultant, Dr Kachi Chukwuma, said that PPP would encourage competition and improve health care delivery.

54

REGIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SOUTH SOUTH

Onolememen accused of abandoning Benin—Okene—Lokoja Highway Sebastine Ebhuomhan

A

rchitect Mike Onolememen, has come under fire in Edo State forabandoning the Benin—Auchi— Okene—Lokoja—Abuja Highway barely one month after the Presidentelect, General Muhammadu Buhari, defeated the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election on

March 28. The abandonment of the busy interstate highway that provides the only road link road to Abuja and other zones of the country has raised the fears of residents of the state as rainy season approaches Concerned stakeholders have since appealed to Onolememen to quickly bring back the contractors and the workmen and tools to continue the

road construction work, ahead of the terminal date of May 29th 2015.

Some residents who spoke with Saturday Mirror reminded the Minister about his perceived political aspiration to govern Edo State in 2016, which a speedy completion of the road is expected to boost and help to realize.

As at the time of filing this report, neither the Minister nor his Personal Assistant, Mr.Tony Ikpasaja, could be reached on their mobile phones to explain why construction work was stopped from the highway since last month.

But speaking on the matte, Engineer Dennis Orji, Director of Federal

Ministry of Works, Edo State disagreed that the Minister has abandoned the road as being insinuated.

He said they were removed from sites for safety reasons just before the election since some of the workers are expatriates from foreign countries, who had travelled briefly to their country

until after the elections.

Orji said, “It is not true that the contractors have abandoned the road.

No contractor can abandon his contract with Federal Government just like that without writing to inform the government. Once the election is over, they will return to sites,” he explained.

C’River Council Chairmen pledge cooperation with Gov-elect Richard Ndoma Calabar

E

ighteen local government chairmen under the aegis of the Forum of Cross River State Local Government yesterday, resolved that they have concluded arrangement to build a strong tie with Cross River State Governor-elect, Prof.

Benedict Ayade,to enable them embark on aggressive development of rural communities.

Speaking in an interview with journalists, Chairman for the forum, Hon. Mike Usibe, who spoke instead of other chairmen of councils in Calabar, stated that they have the conviction that with strong collaboration and cooperation with the incoming administration, the state was going to witness unusual transformation in all the sectors of economy.

Usibe however congratulated the governor-elect for his landslide victory at the April 11, polls, adding that his victory was a proof that he was the right candidate accepted by the people to take the coveted position as governor.

He stressed that with

the 18 council chairmen as members of the Peoples’ Democratic, (PDP), it was obvious that the party was actually rooted in the state, especially at the grassroots level as demonstrated in the just-concluded elections in which Ayade recorded landslide victory.

He said the forum is optimistic that the governor-elect, who he noted had vast experience in the various, will bring it to bear in the governance of the state.

He said, “The PDP was able to maintain leadership at all levels in the state because of the quality product that the party has always marketed to the people and we all know that every good product receives good pricing and is usually been purchased by the buyers.

So our candidate was valued very highly by the electorate who therefore, purchased him with their votes. “On our part, we have resolved to partner with the executive to ensure that the rural communities are not only further transformed but that the dividends of democracy touch the populace for enhanced better standard of living,” he stated.

INEC Supervisory Commissioner for Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom, Mrs Iremiren Thelma (left) presenting certificate of return to Rivers State Governor-elect, Mr. Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt, recently. PHOTO: NAN

Autopsy report indicts police over death of 23-year-old orphan in C’River Richard Ndoma Calabar

Facts emerged on Thursday in Calabar, that late Stanley Etim, who was arrested by police officers of the D5 of the State investigation Department SCID Diamond Hill Calabar, was beaten to death by the police.

According to a death certificate and autopsy result issued by the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital UCTH to the deceased family and signed by one pathologist, Irabor Godstime Isi on April 22, 2015 with a signature of witness, Omoruyi Kenneth of the Department of Histopathology.

The death certificate revealed that the deceased, who died on February 6, 2015, died from consequence of extensive blunt head and limb (lower/up-

per limb) injuries.

According to a medical certificate which bears serial N0.2700 with cause of death stated that the 23year old Stanley Etim an orphan, died as a result of torture he received from his tormentors.

On interrogation, one of the Consultant Pathologist Prof. .Imabong Ekanem said “I am only a physician and not a lawyer.

“I am only a doctor charged with the responsibility of doing my part and allowing others to do theirs. Pathologists tell you what they find, they wouldn`t cook up anything which is not available to us. “ They tell you what they find, that is why the experts must be given opportunity to do their work and I think what they had done is a good thing”.

But counsels to the de-

ceased family. Barrister Okpara and Barrister James Ibor maintained that the body of the deceased had internal bleeding below the skin.

“The body was tore open before us, there was no evidence of gunshot as alleged by some persons but there were brushes on his leg, thigh and his head” “The hand had severe injuries because the only cause of death could have been the aggregate of the beatings which perhaps traumatised the deceased.

“All other organs were in perfect condition before his death as revealed by the medical death certificate.

Barrister James Ibor, who also doubles as a Principal Counsel, Basic Rights said criminal prosecution is the job of the state adding that they are going to encourage

the Ministry of Justice to take over the case file so as to commence prosecution of the murderers.

“According to him, “We are going to encourage the Ministry of Justice to take over prosecution, to take over the file of the murder.

“We are also contemplating filing a civil suit against those police officers who abducted late Stanley Etim from his work place because everything points to the fact that after they have abducted him from his work place in the name of arrest, they got him well beaten to death! So we intend to sue them civilly.

“We do not intend to sue the Nigerian Police.

We would sue the perpetrators civilly, but we expect the Nigerian Police to hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

April 25, 2015

British police arrest 14-year-old on terror charges

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ne of the youngest suspects yet has been arrested on terror-related charges in England.

A 14-year-old boy was taken into custody after encouraging an attack on an Australian parade honoring the war dead and urging the beheading of “someone in Australia,” Deborah Walsh, deputy head of counter terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement Thursday.

The teenager was taken into custody April 2 after UK’s Greater Manchester police examined electronic devices and discovered

communications between the teen and a man in Australia, police said in a statement.

The teenager, arrested in Blackburn, Lancashire, was not named “because of legal reasons,” the statement said. He was charged with two counts of inciting another person to commit an act of terrorism overseas and will appear in Westminster Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

He was communicating with suspects in Operation Rising, an Australian law enforcement operation that apprehended several men suspected

of planning terrorist actions, police in Victoria, Australia, said on the department website.

Those acts of terror were planned for Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps Day) on Friday, the centennial of the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I, police said “The first allegation is that, between 15 and 26 March 2015, the defendant incited another person to commit an act of terrorism, namely to carry out an attack at an ANZAC parade in Australia with the aim of killing and/or causing serious

injury to people,” Walsh said. “The second allegation is that on 18 March 2015, the defendant incited another person to behead someone in Australia.”

Australian law enforcement officers arrested several people last weekend in Operation Rising.

Tuesday, Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police charged Sevdet Ramdan Besim with conspiracy to commit acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts.

Authorities have not named the person with whom the 14-year-old in Britain was communicating.

South Korea uncovers northern rival’s hacking codes

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n March 20, 2013, a cyberattack brought chaos to several banks and media outlets in South Korea.

Then more ominously on December 23 last year, computers at the country’s nuclear operator were breached. Again cybercrime was suspected.

The source of these attacks? North Korea. And South Korean investigators say they have proof -- the actual malicious codes used in the attacks. They shared this data with CNN. The 2013 attack, known as “Dark Seoul,” paralyzed an estimated 48,000 computers at a number of major banks and broadcasters, disrupting network systems and wiping their hard disks clean.

“It would try to delete essentially all your files... then restart the system. You would come back up and nothing would be there,” Joshua James, a digital forensic expert, told CNN. “If it infected more financial systems, it could have deleted all financial data in Korea. I mean, it is dangerous,” the visiting

professor at Chuncheon’s Hallym University added.

Live footage of the breaches showed computer screens at the media companies completely down, while bank customers were unable to make withdrawals, or transfer money online.

“Dark Seoul” happened shortly after the North Korean government announced it would end the armistice agreement that brought the three-year Korean War to an end in July 1953 amid growing tensions with its neighbor.

The latest high-profile digital incursion, in December, attempted to steal data from South Korea’s nuclear operator, including plant blueprints and personnel information. Though investigators said no critical data was stolen, the attack raised serious concerns about the safety and security of the 23 nuclear power plants it runs.

The attack itself was described by James as a “spearfishing” exercise where unsuspecting victims -- retired and current employees of the nuclear operator -- were prompted to open up a disguised document in their email.

Ferguson: Michael Brown’s family sues

T ISIS militants stoning an alleged gay couple to death in Homs province

Teenager returned to Mexico from United States after identity mistake

I

t’s a case of mistaken identity that reached international proportions.

A 14-year-old girl was returned to Mexico from Texas on Wednesday after DNA tests showed she’s not related to a woman who claimed the teenager was her daughter.

Mexican federal police seized Alondra Luna Nuñez on Friday in the colonial city of Guanajuato, in central Mexico, believing she was the daughter of a Mexican national living in Houston.

Several videos show the moment the girl was taken

out of her middle school.

In the footage, Alondra appears terrified, screaming at the top of her lungs and desperately trying to free herself from officers who are dragging her out of the building.

After a struggle that lasted several minutes, the 14-year-old was put inside a federal police truck that sped away as witnesses, including the teenager’s aunt, watched and recorded.

According to Mexican authorities, the woman in Houston claimed in a 2007 petition that her daughter had been illegally taken to

Mexico by her biological father without her consent.

According to a statement from the Mexican Foreign Ministry, the woman had recently traveled to Guanajuato and seen her daughter there.

“Derived on this information ... and in compliance with international law ... the judge in charge of the case asked Interpol to intervene to make the girl appear at a hearing in which the court would confirm her identity,” the statement said.

But what happened next puzzled both Alondra’s family and Mexican public

opinion: The teenager was sent to the United States before her identify was positively confirmed.

Once in Houston, and with questions about her identity being raised by the girl’s biological parents, the Mexican Consulate in that city ordered DNA testing. The results confirmed that Alondra is not the daughter of the Houston woman.

“I will have my girl at home. We hope she’s OK. We are taking action on the matter,” Alondra’s mother -- Susana Nuñez -- told Milenio Television. “They stole my child.”

55

he family of Michael Brown has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Ferguson under Missouri’s “wrongful death statute,” family attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement Thursday.

The suit seeks $75,000 in damages, in addition to attorney fees.

Brown’s parents attended a news conference in front of the St. Louis County Courthouse after the suit was filed. His mother, Lesley McSpadden, who wore a red hoodie bearing her son’s likeness, and his father, Mike Brown Sr., wearing a St. Louis Cardinals snapback and a hoodie that said, “Mike Brown chosen for change,” did not speak, allowing attorneys Anthony Gray and Crump to address reporters.

In addition to the city, the suit also names Officer Darren Wilson, whose fatal shooting of Brown has been ruled justified, and former police Chief Thomas Jackson, who resigned last month.

Wilson “unjustifiably shot and killed (Brown), using an unnecessary and unreasonable amount (of) force in violation of (Brown’s)

constitutionally guaranteed right to life,” the lawsuit states.

The suit further accuses Wilson of “destroying evidence and interfering with the investigation” -- and a former supervisor, his fiancee, of turning a blind eye -- by washing blood off his hands and bagging the gun he used to shoot Brown.

Jackson is included because he “maintained general supervision” of Wilson and “was also responsible for his hiring, training and retention,” the lawsuit states.

Many of the allegations in the suit dispute the findings of the shooting investigation. Namely, the suit omits the claim that Brown and Wilson struggled over Wilson’s gun, and it states as fact the now disputed claim that Brown had his hands up in surrender when he was killed.

Gray said he does not believe in the local or federal investigations that cleared Brown, and he took aim at the prosecutor who presented the case to a grand jury, saying that his presentation of evidence was “critical” to Wilson’s exoneration.

Quote

of

the

day

The absence of a provision for fuel subsidy in the 2015 Appropriation Act is a booby trap for the incoming administration of the President-elect.

— Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Opeyemi Bamidele, in a statement on Thursday.

Saturday, April 25, 2015. www.nationnationalmirroronline.net

Paul Geroski on New Markets (3)

T

he author took time to explain the driver of the new technology and where it comes from. The background to the understanding of market reactions and the evolution theory is to put in proper perspective the understanding of market reaction to new discovery at the evolution stage and the transformation to the mass market of the products that evolve over time. The key point to note here is the slow pace of market reaction at the initial stage of evolution and the heavy activities clustering around the evolved market at a later stage. What will explain the initial lack of reaction to the evolution of the internet, for instance, in the early 60s?

Who could possibly have imagined the rate of clustering of activities now on the internet compared to what obtained in 1960 when the internet first evolved as ARPANET or in the 1970s when it was improved and called NSFNET? Compare to 2015 when the internet is now used to do electronic banking, book and pay for airline tickets and make hotel reservations!

The issue here is not about the internet but the people or stakeholders that cluster around it. This propels invitation of different operators; from the computer framework producer to the software developer. And what will happen to the internet tomorrow will depend on the understanding of the present time.

What push or pull activities around the evolution of the markets? The author answered this question in Chapter Two of the book as he took on some technology propelled markets in a clear discussion of the root of their evolution.

To Geroski, the clustering of activities around the market arising from the evolution is simply driven by innovation.

The demand pull and the supply push were not “accidental.” There is one story to tell in respect of one technology or the other. He cited the story of how television came to development from evolution and acknowledged the indisputable fact of the development being driven by technology. Even when it can be argued that the discovery of the technology of television was a matter of luck that was “accidental,” what perhaps drives it from evolution to date is the supply and demand driven by innovation. If the evolution of television was accidental, it was certainly not the case when we talk

CFR

Book Review

Book Title: The Evolution of New Markets Author: Paul Geroski Publisher: University of Oxford Press Reviewer: Jimoh Ibrahim. CFR. Post graduate student of Strategy and Innovation, Said Business School, University of Oxford. of some products like Post-its, Viagra, and Aspartame. The author maintained that the evolution of those products was driven by “research programmes designed to produce something entirely different.”

In accident cases, at least the investigation of the accident involves asking questions from the people at the scene of the accident as to how the accident occurred and why. And economists maintain that it takes at least two people to make such accident happen in respect of a product; the buyer and the seller. The investigation of such an accident in the market requires some empirical study of the innovation happening around here, for demand, according to the author, “If effective, can pull the new innovation out of the laboratory and on to the market, since a new technology is developed to meet new demands (and will certainly not be successful if it does not).” And it is expected that those who are responsible for the development will be guided by those needs.

Supply, on the other hand, may “push” another set of innovations to the market. This could be that science is making new discoveries or entrepreneurs are

making ‘best of judgement’ on what the customer wants. The author, no doubt, (except for the explanation expected of a teacher) agrees that emergence of new technology involves both demand and supply influences.

On the demand side, for instance, demand is an important driver of innovation. It is also clear that successful innovations are successful because there is a demand for goods and services which embody them. And this must mean that, at the very least, demand is an important driver of innovation. For innovations that are produced and brought to the market, and are not successful (most new products are a failure), it is hard to argue that they were demand driven.

Innovation can also emerge by wrong demand. It is not that such products were driven by demand or that they were the wrong response to the right demand! The author’s argument as to the role of demand in innovation is driven home by the significant distinction he made between “inchoate and articulate demand.” A demand that stimulates some set of innovation activity that leads to the creation of new markets is inchoate demand, while articulate or specific demand is in rela-

tion to one product from which innovation emerges. What will pull demand, in summary, is not far from our desire for long and quality life from the creation of man.

The author also explains where articulate or specific demand that propelled innovation has been noticed on Page 30 of the book. For instance, he cited the specific demand for reduced mortality rate, cure for leprosy, and gout, better artificial limbs or hearing aids etc. The author queried that if indeed demand were truly the driver of innovation, why have most of the advances in medical science occurred in the last 50-100 years? Why is demand innovation driver arriving very late if demand is driven by innovation? He wondered why a great monarch like Henry VIII was not using conference telephoning at that time!

If demand did not pull innovation, it is clear, at the very least, that in these cases, the need for inchoate demand established priorities for innovators and innovation to concentrate on. To the author, there appears to be a good debate as to what drives innovation on one hand and the generic belief that innovation is driven by demand. The other view that it is technology that drives innovation and demand is better explained by the author in posing the query as to why many of our demands hang on for such a long time without it being met until science develops such technology that drives the demand and the innovation. The delay is simply explained by the slow development of science and technology to produce those goods and services which will meet those needs.

This view can better be expanded by saying that even if the demand is there, as there was the need for teleconferencing in the days of King Henry VIII, unless science and technology develop very fast to meet those needs, the much needed innovation cannot be found. So to the author, it is science and technology first before demand and innovation or that demand and innovation will be in abeyance if they exist until the technology to drive the need is in place. Or at best, it might be impossible to drive demand and innovation if there is no science and technology. Such established constrains might be responsible for the delay in much needed innovation. And the pull of demand is often limited by constraints as there are no technologies to “push” from the supply side.

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