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Vol. 5 No. 27

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Boko Haram:

Top Story Gunmen kidnap Rivers varsity Vice Chancellor

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News Kashamu not exonerated by UK courts —FG

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Saturday, June 20, 2015

Stay away, DHQ warns Amnesty International Says interference threatening its operations ‘Military never engaged in mass murder’

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President Muhammadu Buhari chatting with Emir of Daura H.R.H. Umar Farouk Umar during his courtesy visit on June 19th 2015 (Story and more pix on Page 8).

Saraki, four senators in closeddoor meeting with Obasanjo

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NASS ready to make necessary sacrifices –Senate President

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12 shocking sex facts

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Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

Gunmen kidnap Rivers varsity VC

the public to ignore the said story.

“These individuals who go by various aliases on social media and on some other media platforms, have continued to feed unsuspecting members of the public with lies about the state.”

It said the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Uche Ezeh, had debunked the story.

The commissioner also said that the false report published by a national daily had been retracted and the organisation apologised having found it to be untrue.

Dennis Naku, Port Harcourt

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nknown gunmen have abducted the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State-owned Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Prof. Rosemund Green-Osahogulu.

Green-Osahogulu was on her way home after the close of work on Thursday evening when she was abducted.

It was gathered that the academic had left the university and was around the Aker Base area of Rumuolumeni in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area, when the gunmen swooped on her.

The gunmen, it was gathered had trailed her from the institution’s main campus at Rumuolumeni and overtook her vehicle and went for her.

Despite some resistance from her security operatives attached to her, the hoodlums overpowered them and reportedly shot sporadically into the air to scare away people, picked her and sped off with the speed of light.

The abduction is coming barely 24 hours after Governor Nyesom Wike dissolved all the boards of state-owned tertiary institutions in the state.

Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Ahmad Mohammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the kidnap, but said no arrest has been made.

Mohammad said, “The command is

Police extortion: Okada riders’ protest ground Akure • Commercial riders allege brutality • Police mum on allegation Ojo Oyewamide

Prof. Rosemund Green-Osahogulu.

aware of her kidnap. Our men have swang into action to ensure that she is rescued unhurt and to apprehend the suspects.” alse, thereby urging the public to ignore the story.

This was conveyed in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mary Nwogu in Awka on Thursday.

It described the reports circulating mostly in the social media over the closure

of the said restaurant selling human flesh in the state by the Nigeria Police as false and malicious.

It said the report was part of a wider smear campaign by anti-democratic forces and enemies of progress attempting to sabotage the infrastructural and social development in the state.

Nwogu said in the statement: The government, having investigated the story and found same to be false, hereby urges

Cannabis dealer convicted twice in two days • ‘There’s need to end his menace’

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notorious cannabis dealer in Lagos has bagged two court sentences in two days at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos. The 30 yearold convict Mr. Afiz Isah, also known as Agama, who resides at Iketuga Street, Meiran, Lagos was sentenced to eight and half years in all.

He was first sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for dealing in 29kg of dried weed that tested positive for cannabis by Justice C. J. Aneke on Monday June 15, 2015. Two days later, on Wednesday June 17, 2015 his matter was brought before Justice Okon Abang over unlawfully dealing in 3.9kg of cannabis and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.

NDLEA prosecutor Mr. Jeremiah Aernan informed the court that the accused was not a first offender as he was sentenced two days earlier by another court for dealing in cannabis. “We confirmed that Afiz sold cannabis to a female drug trafficker, Toyin Raimi, before police apprehended him at Atubaje Street Agege, Lagos and transferred him to NDLEA,” Jeremiah stated.

On his part, the convict pleaded guilty and begged for forgiveness. “I want the court to forgive me and have mercy on

me. I am married with children and I want to be with my family. I have made up my mind not to sell cannabis again. If you forgive me I will go back to my village in Kwara State to farm,” Afiz pleaded.

Not satisfied with his appeal, Justice Abang, in his ruling, said that the convict did not deserve mercy. According to him, “I have gone through the facts of the case and it was clear that the accused distributed cannabis to some dealers within the State. I will therefore put an end to his menace and save the society from further damage resulting from his criminal activities. He is hereby sentenced to seven (7) years imprisonment”.

Preliminary investigation by the NDLEA indicated that a female drug trafficker by name Toyin Raimi was arrested with 29kg of cannabis by NDLEA officers in Lagos. While her case was being investigated, she indicted one Afiz Isah as her supplier.

Coincidentally, police transferred Afiz Isah with 3.9kg of cannabis to the Agency.

Afiz was eventually charged separately for supplying Toyin cannabis as well as the 3.9kg found on him.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that punish-

Isah

ment for drug traffickers should be commensurate with the offence. “It is important for drug traffickers to be taken out of circulation for a reasonable time to discourage others who may be tempted to smuggle drugs” Giade stated.

Akure

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ommercial motorcyclists, yesterday, marched into the streets of Akure, Ondo state capital, to protest alleged extortion by men of the state police command.

The demonstration lasted several hours, paralyzing social and economic activities at Oke-Ijebu/Plaza area of the city, before it was brought under control by the police.

The protesters alleged that some policemen, yesterday, morning assaulted one of them, leaving bloody wounds all over his body, because he refused to give them money.

The unit leader, Oluwaseun Adesina, alleged that the policemen from ‘A’ and Ijapo Police Divisions, were fond of extorting members of the association close to N150, 000, everyday.

He said: “On a daily basis, the police from ‘A’ and ‘Ijapo’ police stations will seize our motorcycles and take them to the station for just no cause. Whether your particulars are correct and up to date or not, the policemen will extort from us amounts of money ranging from N1,000, N2, 500 and N5, 000 as the case may be before our motorcycles are released to us.

“This is what we go through here in Ijomu, Oke-Ijebu, Alagbaka and Ijapo Estates everyday at the hands of these policemen.

Some of them will dress in mufti, either on duty or not, just to make sure that they make life unbearable for us.”

“This has been going on for months now.

Whenever we complain, they will arrest us and take our motorcycle to their stations.

We decided to protest against the police because enough is enough and this extortion must stop.”

Another protester, Anifowose Temitope, disclosed that over 40 motorcycles were being seized from them every day by the policemen just for the purpose of collecting N2, 000 for each of them.

Lamenting the situation, Anifowose said: “There are no jobs for us. Okada business is our only source of livelihood. But the police won’t allow us to rest.”

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, Wole Ogodo, was unavailable for comment as at the time of filing this report.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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June 20, 2015

Food and drug safety: Are we losing the battle?

When low life expectancy in Nigeria comes up for mention in policy development circuits, indices such as poverty, poor health facilities and lack of basic amenities come up as likely causes. The growing concerns over food and drug safety, seen as clear and present danger to the well being of the average man on the streets who walks into a confectionery only to pick up expired food items; or to a pharmacy, only to be handed a faked drug, hardly ever makes the list, writes NICK UWERU.

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he freshly downsized young man from Chocolate Royal, a big time confectionary, located in Victoria Island, Lagos, sauntered into the corporate headquarters of Business Eye, an economic intelligence reporting weekly magazine.

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June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Many eateries feed public with expired food’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

That was sometime in 2007. He had a grouse against his former employer who laid him off. Presenting empty paper packs of what appeared to be chocolate and orange beverages but labelled and tagged in what appeared to be Arabic, the aggrieved whistle blower claimed that Chocolate Royal is in the habit of importing expired product with which it prepares food for its teeming customers.

From the expiry date of the packets, the product it bore before being emptied had expired and hence not fit for consumption.

But the aggrieved former worker insisted that he helped prepared its content for some of the delicacies served at Chocolate Royal.

“Our protests to the Lebanese manager fell on deaf ear. In fact, we were laid off on the pretext of rationalisation because we chose to protest the use of expired products to feed Nigerians,” the whistle blower reportedly stated at the time.

But this was no frivolous offense. Chocolate Royal is a company reputable for playing host to top Nigerian and foreign echelons, including governors, legislators, managing directors, artistes and others for close to two decades. Its proprietor, Amin Mousselli, a Lebanese business man is no less connected. Apart from being head of far bigger group, AIM, Mousselli paraded a fleet of media houses like Cool FM at the time.

His media chain has since expanded into WAZOBI FM and Television. But the snag with the allegation made by his former employer was that the evidence adduced by the former employer was purely circumstantial. It was also fraught with unclear motive. What was provided as evidence was already tampered with because there was no way of ascertaining whether the paper packs came from Chocolate Royal.

Then there was the problem of the motive of the whistle blower: was the informer lashing out at his employer for downsizing him or was he genuinely motivated out of concern for the public?

There were efforts to ascertain the veracity of the claim, however, from the company. Chocolate Royal not only stonewalled the visiting journalists but also ‘lawyered up’. The confectionaries sent a team of lawyers to the Ikoyi office of the magazine, warning them off the premises and business of Chocolate Royal. The newsmagazine backed off.

The incident only made a footnote in some newspaper reporting, where the company had come out to pledge that its products are wholesome and urged the public to continue to patronize it. But then, the thing about nemesis is that it can be tenacious. In this instance, it waited some eight years to catch up with Chocolate Royal. A reporter (name hidden for security reasons), picked

Okereke

Mousselli

up the scent of what the whistle blower hinted at in 2007. Hitting similar brick wall, the journalist tipped of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC. As a result, the agency carefully mapped out a sting operation, one secretively planned that it caught the management of Chocolate Royal off guard.

First, a combined team of NAFDAC officials stormed Etim Iyang Crescent headquarters of Chocolat Royal Victorial Island, VI Lagos, at exactly 12:15pm that Tuesday afternoon with some mobile police officers.

The invading party were at first resisted vehemently by some senior staff of the confectionary company. Chiefly, a director of finance of the company, a certain Idowu Adebayo, and others stoutly refused the officials entry.

The atmosphere was charged. The company’s bouncers engaged the NAFDAC officials in a brawl, forcing the mobile police officers to apply force and made some arrests. Not done, the management of the company tried another ploy. The management of the eatery brought in mobile police officers from the nearest police command hoping to counteract the armed officials attached to the NAFDAC team. But the ranking superintendent of Police who led the NAFDAC police team ordered them stand down.

While the contest was going on, the staffers of the eatery cleverly evacuated most of the incriminating product from the Chokolate Royale outfit. After that, Deputy Group MD of AIM group, Tatiana Moussali Nouri, asked the staff to cooperate. She led the officials round the premises, opening stores and cold rooms, which they were able to evacuate as the melee was on. But

the NAFDAC officials came fully prepared for such eventuality.

The NAFDAC officials took inventories of the expired products discovered inside the freezers, kitchen and some bars upstairs and urged the management to sign the papers, while every cold room in sight was sealed to prevent the management access for more evacuation.

Pretending to have concluded inspection, they asked the Chocolat Royal management to report to the NAFDAC office the next day. NAFDAC swiftly moved to Moussalli’s Karimu Kotun residence where the first two 40ft secret illegal cold rooms were discovered. The outfit was filled with fake, unregistered and expired food products.

Worse still, it was built on top of sewage.

But the NAFDAC officials could not access the illegal facility without some troubles. On getting to the apartment, the foreign national security guards and other domestic staff unleashed dogs on the NAFDAC officials and refused to open the main gate leading to the building. This forced NAFDAC officials to put a call across to the Director of Investigation and Enforcement of the Agency, Kingsley Ejiofor, who immediately stormed the scene.

Ejiofor ordered the officials to break the gate and shoot the dogs if the security guards refused to chain them. When finally the gate was forced opened and the guards subdued, the cooks voluntarily opened the two cold rooms where the entire products in stock were discovered to have expired, many as far back as 2004, with maggots’ found in some.

At the end of the evacuation, two buses and two Hilux pick-up vans filled with the fake and expired products worth over N500

million, all imported, were evacuated from the Karimu Ikotun residence of Moussali alone.

On interrogation, the jittery cooks, who identified themselves as John Gbokasa and another David, from Benin Republic, confirmed to NAFDAC officials that the house belongs to Moussali and that the fake, unregistered and expired food products found inside the two cold rooms were for Chocolat Royal.

“I know that the products have expired.

Some, 2004, 2006, 2009, but I am a cook and I take instruction from my boss,” David said.

“Anytime they need some products to prepare edibles at Chocolat Royal, they come here with van and mine is to give them key to take whatever they want and after they finish taking the items, they will return the key to me,” John added.

They however begged the NAFDAC officials not to arrest them but wait until their boss, Moussalli, who at the time, absconded and still at large, or the wife who they claimed was out of the country, to return.

The NAFDAC officials, however, turned down their plea and arrested the two who during interrogation at the Apapa office of the Agency gave vital information to NAFDAC. From there, the NAFDAC Director and the entire team stormed the Etim Iyang Crescent headquarters of Chocolat Royal at about 6:15pm for the second time with the aim not only to break into the cold rooms at the place, but also arrest Tatiana and the staff who had earlier wilfully obstructed NAFDAC officials from performing their duty.

However, only Adebayo had not taken to his heels as the others, including Moussalli’s daughter. Except for some few products purchased in the local markets in Nigeria, all the imported products inside the cold rooms had expired.

The expired products, which filled two Hilux pick-up vans were estimated to be worth N500 million. After the evacuation the entire building was sealed. Reacting to the incident after the operation, Ejiofor said NAFDAC had in its custody six persons in connection with the incident, adding that they were arrested for intentionally obstructing NAFDAC officials while on official duty.

“The suspects will be interrogated, while the food products will be sampled and taken to the laboratory for analysis, where the labels and contents will be properly analysed and at the end of the day when the reports are out, that will determine the next line of action,” Ejiofor said.

The NAFDAC director further said that the food and confectionary outlet will continue to remain closed to allow for proper CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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June 20, 2015

‘Nigerians must help us check food and drug fakers’ Paul Orhii, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, says that the public must assist his agency in fighting for safe food and drug in the country.

So far, how serious is the case of Chocolat Royal your agency caught using fake items to make food and sell to the public?

We have seized the contaminated products and we are going to investigate to ascertain how big the problem is. If there are more products that are yet to be evacuated and seized, we would not hesitate to do so. As you can see, the products are not registered. Not only that they are not registered, they have equally expired. Some are not even written in English language, so they could not have been registered.

Apart from the fact that they are expired, they attempt in some cases to revalidate them by putting new dates on the products.

All these are offences that we want to prosecute them for. So we would first do our investigation to find out how big the problem is. We know that they are bringing in unregistered products and were using them. Unfortunately, some of these products are expired as long as 2004, 2006 and 2009 and we caught them in the

process of using some of these expired products. So after investigation, then we would begin the prosecution.

Fakers and distributors of expired food and drugs are reputed to be powerful and well connected.

What do you do if you come under pressure to soft pedal on critical matters or investigation?

No we usually have a procedure that we follow: they have a lawyer that has been coming to meet with us. We showed him what the problem is and from there the court process will take places.

It is certain that the use of expired and unregistered products to prepare consumables for members of the public is a common practice among food and confectionary outlets. What do you intend to do to curb this?

Every person into the production of food stuffs and confectionaries must use NAFDAC approved products that are not expired. We are going to demand from them also their clearance

Orhii

documents, how they clear their goods through the ports because obviously the products were imported and from there we would see. If they were cleared, what quantities were cleared? Where were they taken? Where is their distribution list? We thank vigilant Nigerians who come to report such things to us. Like I said, we have a reward system.

Anybody who gives us useful information, a tip that leads to

this kind of operation that might have saved millions of Nigerian lives, you know many people patronise these places and so many lives were at stake but by seizing these products those lives have been saved. I think we shall find a way to reward people who come forward with this kind of information that helps in saving the health of Nigerians as appreciation from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

With the big burst recorded with Chocolat Royal, what does it really say of your efforts of containing fakers and peddlers of expired food items?

We have been checkmating all this outlets. We have been doing random visitation to their offices. We even have a post market surveillance directorate whose job is just to go round and visit some of these eateries randomly.

We have inspection team that goes out randomly.

All we are going to do now is to strengthen what we already have in place. We want to ensure that they are using, observing good practices and of course ensure that the products they use for the production of food are of good quality. But we rely more on Nigerians who are vigilant, see these things and report to us because there is no way we can get all the information without the assistance from the members of the public.

If you notice the way we discovered some of these things in the few months, these are hidden in residential areas. There is no way that you can even suspect that products like that would be there. But yet they are there. So we believe that good Nigerians should come forward with useful information.

‘Fakers are rich, highly connected’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 investigation.

“They will be investigated by the Federal Taskforce on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, and at the end of investigation, files submitted will be reviewed and after evaluation, we would send them to our legal department and we will be advised on what to do by the legal and if we have enough facts, then we will now proceed for prosecution,” he added.

But reacting to the siege on its company, the management of Chocolat Royal the following day, presented the invasion of its premises by NAFDAC as a normal routine check. They also denied ever using the expired products discovered to prepare consumables for their customers, but stated that the expired food products were discovered in their “cupboard”.

The statement also said the expired products found in Moussalli’s house were

discovered in the house of one of the directors of the company.

“The items found were never used in preparing food or confectionaries. As corporate citizens, we will work with NAFDAC to ensure that these issues are promptly resolved and any breaches if any are remedied,” the statement read.

For Paul Orhii, Director General, DG, NAFDAC, the incident at Chocolat Royal perfectly underscores the battle his agencies has been waging in ensuring that unsafe foods are not sold to Nigerian battles.

Like in the case of perpetrators of this dastardly act are often well connected and normally involves international collaborations.

For instance, Moussalli, the Lebanese businessman is highly connected man in the country. Apart from owning chains of businesses, the Lebanese is a recipient of national honorary award like OFR. Taking down a man with such clout in Nigeria is not an easy task. Trading in expired prod-

ucts and faking like in the case of of Moussalli takes an international connection to countries where these items are produced.

In these countries, there are normally strict standards that not only compels manufactures to put both expiry date and sell by dates on their products. By expiry dates, it is meant that the products are no longer fit for consumption. Sell by date means that the product should be off shelf and shouldn’t be sold to consumers. While these products do not pose immediate dangers to the consumer, the admonition is that the product be taken off shelf. Normally in countries like the US, these products are donated as charity to soup kitchens where free food is provided for indigents.

But for unscrupulous businessmen, these products given for free at departmental stores for free are obtained. In the case of Mousselli, he ships them in large quantities to Nigeria. These products are then cleared at the wharf and offloaded inside the two cold rooms at his Karimu Ko-

tun residence, Victoria Island, from where they are then transferred to Chocolat Royal headquarters and then used to prepare ice creams, chocolates, beverages and pastries for members of the public.

At the end of the double operations at Chocolate Royal which lasted for nine hours, imported fake, unregistered and expired food products worth over N1 billion stocked in these illegal cold rooms were evacuated in six Hilux vans and buses with which NAFDAC stormed the place with.

Speaking on this development, Orhii believes that other confectioners may be involved in the dangerous racket.

“We have been checkmating all this outlets. We have been doing random visitation to their offices. We even have a post market surveillance directorate whose job is just to go round and visit some of these eateries randomly. We have inspection team that goes out randomly,” explained Orhii.

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June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘FG must encourage whistle blowers’

Some expired foods found at a popular confectionery

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 He added, “all we are going to do now is to strengthen what we already have in place. We want to ensure that they are using, observing good practices and of course ensure that the products they use for the production of food are of good quality. But we rely more on Nigerians who are vigilant, see these things and report to us because there is no way we can get all the information without the assistance from the members of the public.

“If you notice the way we discovered some of these things, these are hidden in residential areas. There is no way that you can even suspect that products like that would be there. But yet they are there. So we believe that good Nigerians should come forward with useful information,” the NAFDAC DG said.

Indeed it is in the interest of the public that more whistle blowers report on possible faking or selling of expired food items in public. Investigation carried out has shown that minimum of 5,000 Nigerians and foreign nationals patronise the three Chocolat Royal outlets at 267A Etim Iyang Crescent, Shoprite and Lekki. Explaining the dangers in consuming faked or expired food items, Bassey Richards, a medical doctor, said that such unhealthy food products can cause food poisoning and very dangerous especially to pregnant women and infants.

“Eating expired food products will likely lead to food poisoning. Food poisoning could manifest as diarrhoea and vomiting that can last for weeks, lead to fever and in some extreme cases to death.

“When it has to do with foods prepared with fruits such as nuts, apples and grapes, growth known as mycotoxins can occur, which can cause itchiness, diarrhoea, vomiting and dizziness. It is not advisable to eat expired food products,” he said.

But the dangers in faking and selling of

Orhii at a recent bust of a food faking depot

expired products are not restricted to food items alone. A more dangerous aspect of this crime is drug faking. For NAFDAC, for instance, apprehending Kenneth Okereke, a suspected drug counterfeiter and distributor of fake drugs is a matter of utmost urgency if its current war on fakers must be sustained.

Okereke is owner of three warehouses located at 3, Ameze street in Shangisha area state, Okunowo Street in Ikosi-Ketu area directly behind a Nursey School and Bello street in Oluwalogbon area of Ketu respectively, all in Lagos. Rather being houses for storing legitimate goods and merchandize, the storehouses are factories for mass producing fake drugs meant to be infiltrated into the country’s drug distribution networks.

In the warehouses were over 15 container loads of fake drugs, valued at N1 billion.

According to the agency, some of the drugs found in the places include Tarivid 200mg tablet, Augmetin tablet, Proviron, Novasc, glucophage, GSK hologram, halfan, ciprotab amongst others.

Also discovered as part of the tools of trade in the warehouse are date and batch coding machines used in the revalidation of expired medicines.

But Okereke could not be apprehended by the agency and a team of police officers who stormed his hide out to have arrested.

As gathered, the faker opened fire, shooting at the police officer. The police, realizing that the place was a residential area held back from engaging the suspect.

Okereke, seizing on the lapse escaped in his vehicle, nearly running a police officer over. But Orhii, director general, DG, NAFDAC, believes that the discovery of the merchandize of death was a remarkable feat by his men. For him, it demonstrates the agency’s final push towards achieving the presidential declaration of zero tolerance for fake drugs.

Okereke, is now on the wanted list of

NAFDAC. ““The counterfeiter is on the run, but efforts are on to get him arrested.

We hereby declare him wanted and implore members of the public with any useful information that may lead to his arrest to get in touch with the nearest NAFDAC formation, the police or other security outfits,” stated Orhii.

The NAFDAC DG stated that the actions of counterfeiters amount to declaring war on the country. This is because their actions lead to colossal loss of lives.

But Okereke’s haul was not the only bust it made recently. NAFDAC recently intercepted a large package containing fake printed packaging materials of injection at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The bust led to the discovery of packaging materials E-MAL a-b Arteether injection 150mg/2ml, a brand registered by Fidson Healthcare Ltd, imported into the country by crime ring who specializes in the illicit business. Orhii said that the labeled and packaging materials have fake Mobile Authentication System, MAS, code, date markings, batch numbers and NRN already inscribed on them.

He noted that preliminary investigation revealed that the materials were imported from India and may have been imported with intent to fake the original brand. The agency was spooked after the market authorization holder of the original brand, Fidson Healthcare Plc, denied any knowledge of such import.

The agency also intercepted and made seizure of a 4X40ft and 1X20ft containers filled with various unregistered and suspected fake drugs, in October 2014. According to the DG, the discovery of the containers at the APM Terminal in Lagos was possible as a result of the cooperation of Nigeria Custom Service, Apapa Area Terminal Command and the APM Terminal Operators.

He disclosed that the agency is work-

ing with the Department of State Security Service, who are training its officers on surveillance, saying that the training is already yielding results as they are making discoveries of different tactics used by these criminals. Orhii advised drug manufacturers to be on the lookout for any of their products being faked and report it to the agency.

Fake drugs have serious health implications. When patients are denied access to quality medicines, there could be treatment failures and deaths; increased hospital admissions; drug resistance; increased cost of controlling diseases; increased expenses; human suffering; loss of confidence in the health care system and increased burden health management.

Drug counterfeiters target medicines that are used in high volume for managing diseases of public health, such as anti-malaria medications, anti-biotics, anti-hypertensives, anti-diabetic agents and lifestyle drugs.

NAFDAC seeks to improve on the law against drug faking. It has since championed the move to have stiffer penalty for drug counterfeiting. It has proposed a review of the law against it to provide for life sentence, confiscation of offenders’ assets and forfeiture of such assets.

The new law also seeks to compensate victims of fake drugs where the product is found to be the proximate cause of severe bodily injury, and to make counterfeiting a non-bailable offence. When passed, also, it will contain a whistle-blower clause.

The Federal Executive Council is said to have already reviewed the draft and will soon pass it as Executive Bill to the National Assembly for enactment.

“While such measure might not bring back lost lives, it is certainly going to be more effective than the existing laughable law of 15 years maximum jail term or N500, 000 option of fine which is merely a slap on the wrist of offenders,” Orhii said.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ubong Ukpong ABUJA

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he Defence Headquarters, DHQ, yesterday, declared that the interferences of the Amnesty International, AI, in the ongoing war to end Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, were threatening its operations, and has therefore asked it to stay away from the scene.

Also, the DHQ questioned the interests and integrity of the foreign body and its reports.

In what appeared like drawing the battle-line with the AI at a press briefing at the Army Headquarters, AHQ, in Abuja, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said that the military had co-operated and tolerated the AI enough, but regretted that the group was pursuing some agenda, which were not in the interests of the country and its military.

The CDS, who was represented by the Chief of Administration, Army, Maj-Gen. Adamu Baba Abubakar, said that due

NATIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

Boko Haram: Stay away, DHQ warns Amnesty International *Says interference threatening its operations *’Military never engaged in mass murder’ to the AI’s incriminating reports, the military had in the course of forensic investigations, withdrawn troops from the frontline for questioning, but the action gave the insurgents an edge over the military in the war.

The military chief disclosed that the military high command had done all it could to appeal to the conscience of the AI, to show some balance in its (AI) reportage of human rights issues in the war, but the group had maintained a grandstanding and extremists posture against the military.

Said the DHQ: “It will be recalled that upon the written request from Am-

nesty International to the military to comment on the allegations, the military promptly commenced investigations into the allegations.

“Consequently, several investigations on these allegations are ongoing.

Some investigators have turned in their preliminary reports, which have been acted upon. Some of the investigations could not be concluded due to the inaccessibility of the terrain due to the activities of Boko Haram terrorists.

“Similarly the Defence Headquarters set up 2 Joint Investigation Teams (JIT) to investigate, screen and categorise suspected insurgents in detention.

Out of the 504 suspects screened prima facie cases was established against 350 suspects and were recommended for trial at the Federal High Court, their case files were forwarded to the office of the Attorney- General and Ministry of Justice.

“Additionally, Code of Conduct for troops in the North East and other Internal Operations and Rules of Engagement clearly spelt out guidelines for troops. Therefore the Nigerian military does not in any way condone indiscipline or breach of such regulations, let alone wanton killing or destruction. The Nigerian military collaborate with the

L-R: Senator Ahmed Yerima, Senate President Bukola Saraki Senator, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Danjuma Goje, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, after a closed-door meeting with the former president, yesterday.

International Committee of the Red Cross on training of personnel on laws of armed conflict and humanitarian law regularly.

“The preliminary investigation reports submitted have resulted in the release of some under-aged detainees, women and children from some military holding facilities. Sequel to the report of the investigation panel, 42 detainees were handed over to Borno State government on Thursday 6th November 2014 and another set of 124 persons were also handed over to the state government on 8th November 2014 respectively. You may recall that the released persons were assisted with a token financial assistant of N100,000.00 each by the military. The living condition of the detainees was improved upon with the decongestion of holding facilities.

“The Nigerian Senate and the National Human Rights Commission have also conducted independent investigations on allegations of human rights violation against the Nigerian military. It is worthy to note that Human Rights Watch on some occasions had to recant its allegations of human rights abuses by the Nigerian military after thorough investigations.

“The military requested Amnesty International to provide a member for the investigation panel to look into the allegations but the invitation was not honored by Amnesty International.

“The essence of offering Amnesty International membership of the investigation panel was to guarantee fairness and justice while proving to the world that the military has nothing to hide or cover up. The office of Attorney General of the Federation was also carried along in all the investigations.

“The military is still conducting investigations on Amnesty International allegations. In the course of forensic investigations, the withdrawal of troops from the frontline for investigation tends to dampen the morale of soldiers and distract ongoing operations against insurgents.

This is one reason why the understanding of Amnesty International would be worth the while.

“Amnesty International wrote a 5-Point questionnaire to the Nigerian military in November 2014 alleged extra judicial killing of some group of people by the military. The military responded to the 5 point questionnaire immediately and in December, precisely 23 December 2014.

“Amnesty International sent another 37-point questionnaire to the Nigerian military which was answered, e-mail and hard copy was delivered to Amnesty International Headquarters in London on 23 December 2014. If the military had anything to hide it would not have responded to the 37 questions and others especially in the light of the constraints of timing.”

FG gets N4.3trn to fortify power transmission

Chidi Ugwu ABUJA

T

he Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali, has said that the power sector is set to rake in N4.3 trillion as grants to strengthen the transmission system.

Igali gave the hint yesterday while inaugurating members of Steering Committee for the feasibility study on enhancing voca-

tional training delivery for the power in the country.

He stated that while the sector expects 170 million Euros (about N3979000000) from Agency Francaise Development (AFD), $200 million (about N383474347) is being expected from a Japanese development partner, JICA. When converted the total amount all of which would be used to strengthen the nation’s transmission system amounted to

N4,362,474,347.

“At the level of transmissions, two organisations are partnering with us; from AFD we are expecting 170 million Euros. That is going into transmission, and also $200 million from JICA, a Japanese development agency” he said.

On the inauguration of the steering committee, Igali noted that “AFD is preparing a package of funding for NAPTIN.” “But, before the funding,

there is a need to develop a strategic plan to prepare NAPTIN to be in a position to use the money. The money has been given to CPCS of Canada, to be able to undertake a holistic study where NAPTIN will be in five years time 2015 to 2019.

A plan that will show where NAPTIN will be, so the idea now is, come up with a proper study and give NAPTIN various scenario, and possibilities to stand on its own and not always depend on government cap in hand

waiting for allocation to come”.

He noted that one of the pillars of the power sector reform is building a sector that is knowledge-driven.

According to the Perm Sec, “it was considered that if we are going to move from a government-controlled to a private sector dominated then we must have some thresholds of standards of human capacity. That is why NAPTIN was established and it has over the years proved to be

7

a veritable tool that given the resources skills for the sector. With respect to what NAPTIN will get it is after the completion of the study we would be able to know.

NAPTIN campus is almost ready. But how much money would come is after the study.”

The Director General of NAPTIN, Engr. Rueben Okeke, said the whole initiative is to ensure that credible workforce is provided for the sector.

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NATIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

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N8bn currency fraud: Five bankers get bail, 10 others denied Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

P

rayers for bail of five bankers currently standing trial alongside 17 others involved in the N8bn mutilated currency fraud were yesterday answered by a Federal High Court II sitting in Ibadan.

The presiding judge, Justice Olayinka Faaji, in an almost two hours ruling over applications for bail by the counsel‎ to the accused bankers and counter applications by the counsel to the prosecutor, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), held that the cases against the accused were weighty especially if the account

balance and property allegedly acquired from the fraud were anything to go by.

While agreeing with EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), that the suspects were in possession of large sums of money in excess of their legitimate earnings, he pointed out that some of them had bank account balance running into several millions of naira which was a far cry from what they earned as staffers or contract staff they claimed to be.

He said notwithstanding that all the 15 accused persons standing trial before him‎ had during pre-trial sessions pleaded not guilty to all the charges of false pretence, abuse

of office, intent to defraud, tricking of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) among others, they all had cases to answer.

The judge held that by their individual and collective activities while the fraud were going on, they had severally increased the value of money in circulation thereby committing economic crimes with its attendant rise in inflation.

The four cases expeditiously decided yesterday were FHC/IB/31c/2015 comprising eight bankers; FHC/IB/32c/2015 comprising six bankers; FHC/ IB/33c/2015 comprising five bankers and FHC/ IB/34c/2015 which also comprised five bankers.

The names of CBN

staff; Kolawole Babalola, Toogun Kayode Philips and Olaniran Muniru Adeola featured in all the four cases alongside other bankers from some commercial banks like First Bank Plc., Ecobank, Sterling, Wema Bank among others.

However, Justice Faji who ordered all the eight bankers in the first case remanded in Agodi prison having refused their bail application in view of the weighty nature and evidence before the court, agreed to the bail of the 6th defendant in the second case, Ademola Ebenezer Adewale.

Others granted bail are the 4th and 5th defendants in the case three; Kehinde Fadokun and Olutunde Si-

juade.

The two others who benefited from the discretionary power of the judge are the 4th and 5th defendants in case four, Ajunwa Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide.

The judge in granting them bail, held that there was no strong evidence against the 6th defendant, Ademola Ebenezer Adewale, to deny him bail in 32c/15 and similarly in 33c/15, no strong case against the fourth and fifth accused persons, Kehinde Fadokun and Olutunde Sijuade.

He said, “The other criteria of nature of charge and severity of punishment however apply. I am of the view that 4th and 5th defendants are also border-line cases and deserve that the court lean

in favour of their liberty.

I therefore granted bail to the 4th and 5th in 34c/15, Ajuwon Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide.”

The judge then adjourned the case to June 26 for trial.

Among those denied bail were three CBN staff who were earlier on Monday visited with the same fate by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court one.

They are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru Adeola and Toogun Kayode Philips.

Other seven are Isiq Akano (a.k.a. Isiaka), Ayodele Festus Adeyemi, Oyebamiji Hakeem, Ayodeji Aleshe, Ajiwe Sunday Adegoke, Oni Ademola Dolapo and Afolabi Esther Olunike.

Kashamu not exonerated

by UK courts -FG

*Appeals against restraining order Wale Igbintade

T President Muhammadu Buhari and governor of Kano Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje arrive the palace of Emir of Daura, HRH Umar Farouk Umar on a courtesy visit led by a young prince yesterday.

Buhari bestowed with Daura traditional title ...felicitates with Ibitola Williams at 100 James Danjuma KATSINA

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has yesterday been bestowed the traditional title of Bayajidda II by the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk.

The ceremony which was performed at the emir’s palace in the ancient city of Daura, Katsina State, saw several important dignitaries in attendance.

The traditional title of Bayajidda II is in recognition of the president’s

famed stance in championing the interests of the masses.

It is derived from the name of the first male king or emir of the ancient city, who was famous for killing a dreaded snake at the Kusugu well over 1,000 years ago.

During the coronation, the emir also gave the president a sword and a horse, with assurance that the emirate would support his policies and programmes for a better Nigeria.

The emir however called for more prayers for the

peace and unity of the country, as well as success for the Buhari-led administration.

In a brief remark, the president thanked the emir for the title, and called on people to support democracy to enable it succeed in the country.

Meanwhile, Buhari has felicitated with Mama Eunice Ibilola Williams on her 100th birthday today.

A statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari joined Mama

Williams’ family and friends in rejoicing with her on the happy occasion of her attainment of the very rare age of 100 years.

As they celebrate with Mama Williams, popularly known as “Mama Palm Church”, the President urged them to give thanks to God for her very fulfilled life of commendable service to her family and society in various capacities, and for blessing her with the great privilege of living gracefully on earth for 100 years.

he Federal Government yesterday faulted the claim that two United Kingdom Courts exonerated the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, of illicit drug crime, insisting that the claim was not only untrue, but misleading.

Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in a contempt charge filed by Kashamu over alleged disobedience of court order, Emeka Ngige (SAN), said the claim was definitely aimed at achieving sinister motive.

Speaking with newsmen at the Federal High Court in Lagos after the matter was adjourned, Ngige said contrary to widespread belief, Kashamu was not exonerated by the British courts.

According to Ngige, Kashamu was not tried in the United Kingdom over the drug crime, but only faced extradition proceedings.

“You see, that is the misleading aspect of the

whole thing. Kashamu was not tried before the British Courts. He only went through extradition proceeding and the extradition application failed based on the fact before the court.

“Now, that does not and cannot constitute a bar on further extradition proceeding or trial for drug crime in any other country or other court,” Ngige clarified.

It also emerged on Friday that the Federal Government has appealed the judgement delivered by Justice Okon Abang on May 27, 2015 upholding the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Kashamu.

The government also appealed another order issued on June 8, 2015 by Justice Ibrahim Buba also of the Federal High Court in Lagos restraining the Federal Government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) from taking further steps on Kashamu’s extradition to the United States pending the hearing and determination of his contempt application against AGF and NDLEA boss.

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NATIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

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Saraki, four senators in closed-door meeting with Obasanjo *NASS ready to make necessary sacrifices –Senate President Femi Oyeweso, ABEOKUTA

T

he Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday held a closed-door meeting with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at his Presidential Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Saraki arrived Obasanjo’s home in Abeokuta at exactly 9: 10 a.m. and was accompanied by four other serving senators which included Andy Uba (Anambra), Tayo Alaso Adura (Osun), former governors of Gombe and Zamfara states - Danjuma Goje and Ahmed Sanni Yerima.

Others who accompanied the Senate President to the closed-door meeting with Obasanjo are former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former factional chairman of the then New

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

Upon arrival, the Senate President and members of his entourage however, headed straight into the closed-door meeting with the former president which ended at about 11: 10 a.m.

Addressing journalists immediately after emerging from the meeting, Saraki, who described Obasanjo as a father to all, said himself and other members of his entourage were in Abeokuta to pay homage to the former president, get his blessings as well as tap from his wealth of experience on matters of national importance.

“I am here with some of my colleagues. Since I have been the Senate President, as one of our fathers, the former president, we are here to pay our homage to him; to seek his advice, to get his blessing and also to consult. ‎We all know

President Obasanjo’s value to this country and we are here to tap from his wisdom and that knowledge and that experience,” he said.

It would be recalled that there was crisis in the National Assembly following the emergence of former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, as Senate President as opposed to the position of his party, APC, which had anointed Senator Ahmed Lawan.

He pleaded that members of the APC Senators Unity Forum, the senators of Like Minds and other such caucuses in the Senate should collapse their structures and form a united, progres-

sive front that will work with the new leadership of the red chamber in the overall interest of the Nigerian people.

He further stated: “We have to realise that the hopes of Nigerians are high.

The new government has amassed a lot of political capital, having been elected as a result of the massive build-up of goodwill for our various candidates in the elections and the stark disenchantment with the previous administration.

T

he senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Gbenga Ashafa, has urged his colleagues elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to close ranks and settle down to work for the sake of the country.

Ashafa made this statement in reaction to the effect of the fallout of the inauguration of the 8th Senate and the election of its key officers on the legislative body.

Party working to end crisis —APC Chair

T

he National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, has assured that the party is working around the clock to resolve the crisis that has rocked it in recent times, to pave the way for the party to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians. ‘’The party has reached out to all interested parties, and when the National Assembly resumes next week, Nigerians will see one harmonious, happy APC fam-

ily,’’ Chief Oyegun said in a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday. ‘’We owe it to our party, our teeming members and supporters and indeed all Nigerians who reposed so much confidence in us by voting us into office to quickly put the unfortunate incidents of the recent past behind us and forge ahead,’’ he said.

In the meantime, the APC Chairman has risen to the defence of the party’s National Publicity Secre-

allowances of the federal legislators, the Senate President said National Assembly members were also very sensitive to the prevailing

situations in the country and that they were ready to abide by and make any sacrifice that will make the country to move forward.

L-R: Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki observing Juma’at Prayer at Ilorin Central Mosque..........Friday.

Unite for Nigeria’s sake, Ashafa urges APC lawmakers Oseyiza Oogbodo

Commenting on whether his leadership of the National Assembly would support calls for the downward review of salaries and

tary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is being vilified in his home state of Kwara for signing the statement conveying the party’s reaction to the election of the National Assembly leadership on June 9th.

Chief Oyegun said Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s statement was issued with the knowledge and consent of the party, hence it would be wrong for anyone to make him a sacrificial lamb for carrying out his party responsibilities.

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NATIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

50,000 Nigerians refugees in Cameroun, Chad, others ­—FG Adeola Tukuru ABUJA

F

ederal Commissioner for Refugees in National Commission for Refugees Migrants and internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria, Hadiza Kangiwa Sani, yesterday revealed that there are approxi-

mately 50,000 Nigerians residing as refugees in Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and beyond as a result of the conflict in the North-East.

Hadiza, who gave this revelation during a press conference yesterday in Abuja in commemoration of the World Refugee Day in collaboration with the United Nations High

Commission Refugee (UNHCR), said the Government of Nigeria as signatory to both the 1951 UN Convention on Refuges and its 1967 protocol as well as the 1969 OAU convention continues to be committed to the principles of International Protection towards refugees and asylum seekers.

She further explained that recognising the increasing similarities in the migratory processes for refugees and migrants and the growing difficulty in separating between forced and economy growth, the government of Nigeria had come up with the National Migration Policy.

“The policy was recently passed with the aim of addressing the many challenges of migration while hoping to harness other positive aspects of migration to develop,” she said.

The commissioner, however, explained that the programme with the theme “Displaced persons ordinary people living through extraordinary times” was celebrated to eliminate all the horrific violence from the countries and community, being the main reason of people’s displacement and

formation of refugee.

“The World Refugee Day is celebrated to remind people about the urgent need to resolve conflicts which forced lots of families to leave their homes and go to another place to save their life.”

“The courage and strength of refugees and displaced persons is an inspiration to all of us. That is why again today we are gathered to express our solidarity to the displaced of this world on the occasion of the World Refugee Day,” she said.

Group gives ICPC ultimatum on petition against Nexim Director Adeola Tukuru ABUJA

A L-R: Chairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P), Mr. Ishaya Akau; Director-General National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri and Sure-P convener on Culture and Tourism, Mr. Chike Okogwu, during the NOA Dg’s visit to Sure-P Chairman in Abuja, yesterday.

Sickle cell: Why we can’t prohibit ‘AS’ persons from marrying –FG *Says over 150,000 children are born annually with the disease in Nigeria *Over 40 million Nigerians have sickle cell trait

Marcus Fatunmole ABUJA

T

he federal government yesterday said it would be difficult to enact a law prohibiting persons with “AS” genotype from marrying each other, as a means of controlling the condition.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, stated this in Abuja at a briefing commemorating this year’s Sickle Cell Day. Awute described illegalizing matrimony between persons of the genetic makeup as “illegalizing act of love.”

He also said that over 150,000 children are born annually with sickle cell disease in the country; and that

majority of them die before the age of five years.

Besides, the ministry’s boss stated that over 40 million Nigerians have sickle cell trait.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder of haemoglobin which results from the inheritance of mutant haemoglobin genes from both parents.

An individual who inherits the mutant haemoglobin gene from only one parent has the sickle cell trait and is often referred to as a carrier.

The condition has been known to cause frequent sickness for carriers and results in their untimely death if not well managed.

Fielding questions from journalists on whether law

could be enacted to stop “AS” persons in the country from marrying each other, thereby reducing the possibility of the existence of the condition, Awute said: “Ours is a democracy. That is the first thing to know.

And, then, you find out before people talk about marriage, they are already into a relationship. Then, love comes in, and love is blind.

“That is why we do not want to have that type of confrontational approach.

And, we believe very strongly that people who marry and later see this complication in their children are usually unaware of what will be the associated consequences of that marriage.”

He said sensitisation of the public on the implica-

tions of marriage between “AS” people would yield desired results, as he pledged government would give it the speed it deserves.

Awute stressed that sickle cell disease “affects nearly 100 million people in the world and it is responsible for over 50% of deaths in those with the most severe form of the disease. In Nigeria, over 150,000 children are born annually with sickle cell disease and majority of them die before the age of five years. Mortalities arising from complications of sickle cell disease occur mostly in children under five year, adolescents and pregnant women. It is also estimated that over 40 million Nigerians have the sickle cell trait.”

civil society group, the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency has given the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, (ICPC), one week to act on a petition submitted to it or face protest.

The group threatened to mobilise its members to occupy the office.

The group, yesterday led various groups of protesters to the ICPC headquarters in Abuja to protest against the appointment of an Executive Director in the

Nigerian Import Export Bank, NEXIM, Mrs. Folake Itohan Salami.

In an open letter presented to the Head of Administrative Services of the ICPC, Nathan Bako, the group said it was compelled as advocates of the masses to take the step in response to the global and national moral consensus to free the nation from corrupt persons.

It had last week submitted a petition to the ICPC calling for the investigation of the appointment and activities of Mrs. Salami which they claim is undeserving.

Ramadan: Glo introduces Adhan service

T

o enable Muslim faithful to get maximum spiritual value from the holy month of Ramadan, Total ICT solutions provider, Globacom, has designed a Caller Ring Back Tune tagged “Glo Adhan” that alerts Muslims about prayer times.

The company said Glo Adhan alerts anybody who calls the telephone number of a subscriber ten minutes before and ten minutes after the five mandatory prayer times in a day.

The alert service will come in handy to remind the Muslim faithful of the praying time, thereby helping many of them who are engaged in very busy schedules.

“It is compulsory for Muslims to pray five times daily in line with Salat, one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting and regular daily prayers would increase the grace of Allah upon the faithful,” Globacom observed in a statement.

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REGIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

11

South WEST

Ambode reiterates commitment to primary health care

L

agos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, hosted a delegation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where he assured on the readiness of the State to support the new integrated health delivery programme of the Foundation as part of measures to improve access to Primary healthcare for Lagosians.

The Governor who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja, said that the present administration is opening its door of partnership as his government’s main focus is to bring healthcare delivery to the people at a minimal cost.

“We are willing and ready to support the new integrated health delivery programme that the foundation wants to put on the table. In Lagos here, you already have a willing partner because our main focus is bring healthcare delivery to the people with the minimal cost and dwindling financial revenue for the country which obviously is going to affect Lagos state”.

“No matter how much we do on our budgetary provisions, we also need complimentary efforts from Multilateral Agencies and Donors. And even private sector stakeholders to deliver health service to our people”, the Governor said in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna.

The Governor recalled

… Hosts Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that it was part of his electioneering promise to bring governance back to the communities and make life easier for the people saying the partnership with the Foundation speaks much to the need for community governance.

He said the dream of the present administration is to have village health worker in every nook and cranny of Lagos that would render service to the people 24 hours a day and seven days in a week.

“You would also notice that the nexus of health delivery in Lagos is that no matter how much we try we know that several other people from other places will continue to barge on us. So we must continue to take advantage of the partnerships that we can muster to be able to touch the lives of our people”.

“Part of our own vision is that whatever it is that we have on ground now, we must involve and integrate our Local Government Health Management system into it so that we can all work as a team to improve upon what we actually have as health care service delivery now”.

“We look forward to a situation where in almost every ward and neighbourhood in Lagos State, we have a Primary Health Care centre that provides healthcare service to our people round the clock.

We are ready to create the platform to allow this pro-

gramme to be successful”, Governor Ambode said.

The Governor said his government is also committed to ensuring that whatever is needed to be used as Key Performance Indicators to improve on the management of health care delivery would be employed.

Earlier, the Deputy Di-

rector, Integrated Delivery Global Development of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Carlos Cuellar who led the team, said they were in Lagos to discuss provision of healthcare to the poor and how to improve access.

He added that they intended to introduce the Bill and Melinda Gates Foun-

Ado Ekiti

A

chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr Segun Osinkolu, has advised the Southwest caucus of the party to refrain from being used against APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, by some people outside the zone to achieve their egocentric

motives.

Osinkolu, a former APC senatorial aspirant who described Tinubu as the party’s benefactor, said it was a gross political miscalculation and misdirected act of vengeance, for some bigwigs in the party to see the supremacy battle in the National Assembly as an opportunity to decimate the APC national leader even at the party expense.

The APC leader said

ticipate in future partnerships.

He said the Foundation is also keen on addressing the financial barriers to access to healthcare as well as involve the private sector and review performance indicators that would ensure that the performance of the centres are moved to a higher level.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), his Deputy, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule (2nd left), Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello (left), the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu II (left) and the Chief Imam of Lagos, Alhaji Akinola Garuba (2nd right) during a Special Thanksgiving Jumat at the Lagos Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday.

Ramadan: Pray for our new leaders, Martins enjoins Muslims T he Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, on Friday urged Muslims to use the Ra-

madan period to pray for the country’s new leadership.

Martins, in his message on Ramadan, urged

Outsiders out to destroy Tinubu, says APC chieftain Abiodun Nejo

dation to strengthen Primary Health Care Centres in Lagos and determine the willingness of Lagos to participate in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State and the Foundation.

He said the Gates Foundation intends to obtain a letter of intent from the State Government to par-

in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday that the supremacy battle which culminated in the election of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Hon Yakubu Dogara as House of Representatives Speaker was very unfortunate and disturbing.

“We are not against the leaderships of Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara in the National Assembly. They are leaders

of our party who deserve to hold any position of their choice as guaranteed by the constitution.

“But we frown at the way some of these leaders have been painting our Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu in bad light.

They craftily painted the entire power struggle to mean a struggle between the APC and Tinubu.

This is bad politics and we condemn such in its entirety.

Muslim faithful to pray that God would give the leaders the much needed wisdom, vision and political will to move Nigeria forward.

According to him, there is the need for all to seek the face of God in this trying period in the nation’s history. ``There is no doubt that our country is going through very hard times.

But there are still many reasons to thank God. ``I urge you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for the continuous peace and unity of this country, because without peace, there can be no progress. ``We also need to pray for our leaders that God would grant them the

requisite wisdom to lead us on the right path,’’ Martins said.

He called on the faithful to use the period to work together with people of other faith toward partnering with the new administration to rebuild the country.

The cleric said that the period was an opportunity to reflect on the love of God for humanity, and the need for all to live in peace, irrespective of creed or religious differences.

He said there was the need for all to join hands with government to put a lasting end to insecurity in the land, particularly in the North-East region of the country. (NAN)

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REGIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

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NORTH

Correct us if we are going wrong, El-Rufai tells CAN, JNI

A za Msue Kaduna

K

aduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday, told officials of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, to correct the new administration if they are going wrong in the course of governing the state.

El-Rufai, who stated this when officials of CAN and JNI Kaduna State Chapter paid him separate courtesy calls at Government House, asked religious leaders and clerics to continue praying for them as the present administration inherited a very difficult situation The governor informed CAN delegation thus; “We are determined to ensure that this state goes back to its former status and we believe that the key to that is to govern all the people

of the state as equals. I have heard your complain and I will get back to you” “We need prayers, the country is in great danger.

The country needs divine intervention and only God can help us. Pray for us and our President.

The key to peaceful coexistence is justice and equality for every citizen” El-Rufai said.

On the return of missionary schools to original owners, El-Rufai said it was something that came up during the campaigns, adding that a committee comprising both sides would be set up to look into it In his speech, the state CAN Chairman, Bishop George Dodo, urged the governor to take a look at the report of the Kaduna State Peace and Reconciliation Committee which was submitted on January 2013 with a view to see how it could eradicate con-

stant crisis in the state.

Bishop Dodo called for restoration of sanity, discipline and moral standard through

the education sector. “ we are still crying out for the return of schools that were forcefully taken away by the government

in the early 70s.The poor quality of education that we are witnessing today, is the harvest of the bad advice.

“Courage is needed to not only return these

schools to the rightful owners, but also to provide monthly allocation for maintenance and salaries. We pray God to show you the way and how to provide the resources”

Women waitng to consult the Doctor during a medical outreach as part of activities to mark the 2015 Ogidi day celebration at Ogidi, Ijumu Local Government area of Kogi state, yesterday.

Nigerian brewery spends N100 million on education in the North more to support the stu- centre, which includes dent in their academic halls, laboratories and Kaduna cum social cultural up- Librararies. he Nigerian Brew- bringing this is why today “ We are now going ery yesterday said we have come with hun- back to the government it spent over N100m dreds of books, writing through the Ministry on revamping the educa- materials and teaching of Education to inform tional structures in the materials to support the them of our efforts beNorth as part of its Corpo- school, this class room cause a school like this, rate Social Responsibility. block was also built by the Speaking at Govern- Nigerian Brewery and toment Secondary School, day we shall also repaint Makera, Kaduna South it to give it a new look’’ Local Government Area, He also applauded the Brewery Manager, the effort of the village Mr. Adebolu Obawole, head of Down Quarters maintained that, ‘’Brew a community for painstakWilliams Attah Gombe better world programme ingly making concerted is an initiative of Heinek- efforts to bring final year ith the comen worldwide in sup- examinations center to mencement of port OF sustainability the school. the holy month of the environment in of Ramadan on Thursday, Responding on behalf the national body of the the area of water and en- of the Parent TeachJama’atu Nasril Islam ergy conservation among ers’ Association, Alothers, this year’s focus is haji Danjuma Musa, (JNI) has began the distribution of assorted food on education so that the stressed that ‘’we have items to 1,200 Internally children can learn effec- written to the ministry Displaced Persons (IDP’s) tively for a better future” and they have given us taking refuge in Gombe O b a w o l e criteria for providing State as a result of insursaid:”Teachers must do the school with WAEC gent’s activities in the

A za Msue,

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deserves a WAEC center” Also speaking, the Vice principal academics of the school, Mrs. Esther S. Andrew, thanked the Nigerian Brewery for their show of support for education urging other companies to emulate them.

Bishop Dodo lamented poor road networks in some of the communities, saying that some of the communities cannot be accessed giving rise to some of the attacks: “Even if the roads are graded, it will go a long

way in improving their lives. We have continued to hear complaints from some of our members on the issuance and renewal of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), especially for lands to build places of worship

Jama’atu Nasril Islam presents food items to 1,200 IDP’s in Gombe

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North-East.

The National Vice-President of the body and Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubkar Shehu Abubakar while flagging-off the distribution at his palace, said the gesture was to assist the less privileged especially the IDPs living in the State According to the Emir, a high powered committee had already completed its assignment of identifying beneficiaries and issued

accreditation cards to the expected beneficiaries while he called on those who could not benefit from the distribution to exercise patienc He said “We received 1, 200 Bags of rice and vegetable oil from the national headquarters of JNI for the less privileged people and we immediately set a committee to identify those who are supposed to benefit from the gesture”

He said those to benefit from the distribution are 252 IDP’s from Akko, 120 from Funakaye, 520 from Gombe, 110 from Nafada, 105 from Kwami and 85 from Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Areas.

Gombe State Secretary of the JNI, Alhaji Sale Danburam, also called on those who could not benefit from the gesture to be patient as they would be considered first when next batch of the items arrive.

Politics

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

13

Grappling with APC’s uneasy calm

Lekan Adejuwon

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ith the temporary cessation of hostilities in the heavily polarized ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly penultimate week, many have raised concerns about the “peace of the graveyard” now in the mega party.

The current state of affairs in the APC was however not unconnected with the two week’s recess approved by National Assembly members where it is expected that ample time would have been provided for the warring camps either to go back to the trenches for fresh onslaught or sheath their swords with a view to putting their house in order.

But it remains to be seen if some APC leaders would ever get over the event of June 9 National Assembly show down in a hurry.

That the APC is divided more by the ding dong affair culminating in the emergence of National Assembly leadership was clearly manifested last Monday at a media briefing by one of the anti-Saraki lawmakers and the immediate past governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso.

The newly elected senator took a swipe at the party which he accused of leading the party astray “It is sad that the party did not get it right. It is unfortunate and I can tell you categorically that the party (APC) is divided, but it is not too late to correct many things and that is what I think the party should be doing right now,” he said.

Continuing, the former Minister of Defence said; “The party gave ample opportunity to Bukola group and they used it effectively. They used the advantages that came to them as a result of the mistakes of the party.”

Kwakwanso, who is said to be eyeing the 2019 presidential seat like the current Senate President, is believed to be licking the wounds of Saraki’s alleged back-stabbing, He did not particularly highlight those corrective measures to be put in place by his party, but the message of his postulations was delivered in another forum by supporters of APC preferred candidate for the post of Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan.

According to the spokesman of the group, Senator Kabir Marafa (APC Zamfara), the only panacea for “truce and peace building” in the party is the immediate resignation of Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to allow a senator from the Lawan camp to emerge, adding that the election that brought Senator Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President was irregular.

“We demand that Senator Ike Ekweremadu must resign his position because he needed at least 55 senators to emerge as senate deputy president.

“Ekweremadu is a lawyer and an experienced lawmaker. He knows he is not qualified to win the election with 54 votes.”

His view was corroborated with those of a group of senators loyal to former Lagos State governor and national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, under the aegis of the “Unity Group”.

The group not only demanded for Ekweremadu’s resignation, but also called for full scale investigation into the decision of the Clerk of the National Assembly to conduct the election when he was aware that the president had summoned them to a meeting.

Expectedly, the PDP senators who were the ultimate beneficiaries of the APC alleged bungled process have dismissed the call for the immediate resignation of Ekweremadu vowing to resist what it called “any unconstitutional or illegal” means by the APC senators to remove their member as a principal officer.

According to Senator Abiodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti), “No back-door arrangement could remove him (Ekeremadu).”

She said, “The APC senators should stop making such

Oyegun

demands because it is an effort in futility. How do they think that they could ask someone who won an election overwhelmingly among his colleagues to resign in order to satisfy some interests in their party?”

The former deputy governor of Ekiti State, however, proposed two options; either to pursue the case in court or commence impeachment move.

“They should not say that at all; if they have any issues within their party, they should go and sort themselves out or go to court or better still, commence impeachment process,’’ she quipped.

It would be recalled that the APC had earlier given its nod to Saraki’s election in a statement issued three days after the election of the Senate President.

According to Chief John Odigie Oyegun, the party’s national chairman; “Of course, he, (Saraki) has been duly elected by his colleagues. We have a reality and we must live with it,” adding that the party had come to grapple with its own fair share of challenges, the APC chairman assured that “this too shall pass away”.

But in a dramatic twist suggestive of the obvious fact that the APC is not genuinely committed to the peace deal, Oyegun in addition, said the party would not prevail on the aggrieved senators not to pursue the matter in the court.

His words: “People say they are going to court which is their right, but as a party, we are looking at everything and we are coming out strong.”

His submission was a sharp contrast to the position of the party two days earlier which it communicated through the party National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, who had insisted that the party would apply sanctions through due process. “The party has made it clear that it is not happy with the outcome of the election.”

He said the erring members will be sent a letter notifying them of their misconduct and then given an opportunity to respond.

As the cacophony of ironies in the troubled APC rages,

one of the members of the National Working Committee of the party, Timi Frank, has called for the resignation of Oyegun on Tuesday.

He said the chairman and leadership of the party should resign having embarked on “embarrassing mock election that never had the blessings of the entire party’s leadership which ridiculed the party”.

But for Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, the infighting within the APC is needless.

He stated this in his official twitter handle during the week wondering why there should be crisis when the Senate had elected an APC senator as the Senate President.

He, however, urged the senators to close ranks and put their house in order as division within their ranks would make them fritter away the goodwill they garnered during the recent election.

“Why should the APC senators kill themselves for positions when they are all pursuing the agenda of change? I thought whoever is there (Senate President) would fulfill it.

“It amounts to a betrayal of Nigerians for the APC senators to fritter away the enormous goodwill at the polls because of infighting for positions.”

From the look of things, all hopes are now on President Muhammadu Buhari who was visibly worried at the infighting within the party and may have instituted a move to rescue APC from the self-imposed crisis.

Buhari had shortly after returning to the country from an Africa Union Summit in South Africa last Tuesday met behind closed doors at his Aso Drive residence with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some notable APC leaders where he instructed that the APC must not only overcome the disappointment over the National Assembly leadership elections but move on as a united political party.

Buhari was said to have mandated Atiku and others present at the meeting to use their influence to ensure that all aggrieved parties sheath their swords.

In a related development, APC governors during the week had also made move to intervene in the protracted crisis in the party.

Chairman of APC Governors Forum and Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who briefed the media after a marathon meeting in Abuja during the week, assured the nation that the lingering crisis rocking the ruling party will soon be resolved.

“The APC governors have congratulated the leadership of the National Assembly.

“We are aware that the process attracted a lot of disagreement here and there, but we, the governors of the party have resolved to embark on a peace process to make sure that we return as members of one family we have always been.

“We have also discussed to strengthen our party as this is the party that brought change and that change must stand. We are assuring Nigerians that we will remain focused and address some of the issues.”

There are indications that the party would have no option than to sink their differences even as attention is being shifted to the seeming lack of preparation of the party to meet the huge expectations of many Nigerians three weeks after the inauguration of an APC-led government.

Speaking to newsmen, the embattled APC chairman said there is need to recognise the newly elected National Assembly leaders and reconcile all members so that the government will not be crippled “All the party has decided to do is to reunify as quickly as possible our members in both chambers of the National Assembly under the existing realities, every other thing will follow suit.

“All other things will have to wait because if for instance, the president says he wants to present his list of ministerial nominees to the Senate, we would not want a situation where the Senate will be divided.”

Realising the effect of the cracks in the party’s ranks, Oyegun hinted that APC was gradually mending the cracks in the party to prevent what he called further intra party squabbles.

Whether his party’s warring factions would yield to the wise counsel is the pertinent question waiting for answer.

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POLITICS

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Saraki’s alignment with opposition treacherous –Kunle Oluomo Prince Olakunle Oluomo is the Deputy Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly representing Ifo1 Constituency. The two-term lawmaker, in this interview with LEKAN ADEJUWON, x-rays the recent controversy that trailed the election of the Senate President and Speaker in the National Assembly, the role played by the opposition, PDP, and other issues. Excerpts:

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he emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President is a big blow to the ruling Al Progressives Congress. While the party’s initial reaction was to sanction the senator, it all of a sudden made a U-turn and agreed to endorse Saraki’s leadership.

What in your opinion as a lawmaker was responsible for this volte face?

I am one of those who believe in party supremacy even though on the floor of the House as lawmakers we are independent.

We have the right to elect our leaders, but this notwithstanding, respect should be given to the opinion of the party; but as a political party that believes in the principle of real democracy if such a thing happens it’s just natural that we let the matter be put at rest just like that since that is the wish of the people concerned. The only constraint that I disagree with is allowing an election to hold when the opponents are not around? It is morally wrong. The rule of the House says when you want to elect principal officers, all members must be present. So, if you know you have the number, why not wait? Why the hurry? Look at the case of Gbajabiamila; he was defeated by 8 votes and he agreed. Even when they offered him the post of Deputy Speaker, he said no. This is because an election was conducted and he lost the election.

This means the principle of democracy has come to play and it is the beauty of it.

But in this case, your opponent was not around. At most, you could have allowed the man to be present during the exercise and if he lost, I am sure he would have taken the result in good faith. That is the treacherous part of it. Why the hurry?

You raised the issue of party supremacy. This brings a lot of moral questions in the whole issue. Now the party is a platform through which all political officer holders get to power.

Do you think the issue of party supremacy in terms of disciplining erring members is adhered to in this circumstance?

I have just told you that it is true that our party can say this is what it wants but if dictates of time allows another thing coming to play, a party that is democratic in nature will have to accept the agreement and I have just used the example of the House of Reps when party says this our own idea but when they got to the floor they know that the floor is not for the party, the floor is for the lawmakers which include our party and other political parties. If people there in their own wisdom think this is the way they want to go as reflected in the election of their principal officers, that is democracy and I have no qualms about that.

But some have argued that the intrigues that played out in the Senate last week was borne out of selfish ambition of some desperate politicians leading to the election of Ike Ekweremadu, an opposition member, as the Deputy Senate President ,which has never happened before in history?

I want to say that the will to become Sen-

ate President on bargaining with the opposition is in excess. It has gone too far. It was at the detriment of the party. Just because you want a position and you sell yourself to the opposition! I think that is not good for decent democracy and even the opposition itself is eager to be part of the team at all cost. How can they on their own play the role of an opposition? It shows desperation at the level of the person that wants to be the Senate President at all cost and the at the level of the other party, it shows that its members don’t want to see themselves as the opposition, and that is treacherous.

They should have allowed normal process to take place. If I were in the PDP, I would have loved to remain a vibrant opposition.

I will not even want to be part of leadership of the House and give the ruling party what it takes; just the way APC gave them a run for the money as the opposition. But because of “Chop I Chop” politics, they just want to be part of it whether their principle is the same with our own or not.

For me that is very wrong.

Again, the views have been expressed in various quarters that the National Assembly brouhaha was the fall out of the cohabitation of strange bed fellows coming together in the name of a mega party. What is your view?

Let me just tell you that the truth of the matter is that we are growing as a democratic nation. These are part of things we need to be experiencing before we get to where we are going. There is no perfect democracy anywhere in the world. Even America that is the bastion of democracy has never had 100 per cent perfect democracy. So, it’s one of those things that one has to experience in a democracy. Normally a party cannot do it alone, you need other interests to get to where you are going and that is why in politics, no permanent friends and no permanent enemies.

We must realize also that APC as a party, before we were able to get to where we are, some people of like minds who have the same ideas with us, had to leave their party, PDP, to join us before we achieved our goal. So, it should be expected.

Some have argued that Buhari’s neutral disposition to the National Assembly issue was what saved the day.

Do you agree?

I give kudos to him. That is truly the mark of a true leader. That is a president that can be relied upon. When they were fighting here and there, he stood out refusing to take sides. That is honour and integrity. When the fallout of the National Assembly now came, the president simply came out of his shell to appeal to both sides saying if things happen this way, let us forget the past and forge ahead. That is Mr. President for you. Another president could have said, no, I will not take it, bring down the roof until I have my way. But the truth there is that we are not here for positions. We are here to serve our country. This should not be a setback for us.

Whether Mr. A. is the Senate President or

Oluomo

Mr B is the leader of National Assembly should not be the issue. The truth is that Nigerians want developmental change.

As long as I am concerned, this should be paramount in our mind. Other issues are secondary.

Back to Ogun State, you (House of Assembly) had a very rosy relationship with Governor Amosun during the first term of his administration. From the past experience, talking about previous government, the romance was short-lived, especially in the second term when lots of personal ambition and power play manifest. What is your take on this?

I disagree with the notion that a romance don’t always last. It depends on where you were coming from and what you want to achieve for your community.

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not say you should go and fight your governor. It’s rather a give and take thing. They call it checks and balances. It is to complement one and another. It is not about infighting or muscle-flexing but about working together to get the dividends of democracy to the people. So, I am looking for a more robust relationship between us and the executive. That is the way I look at it.

As for the sad experience of the last assembly, I don’t think we are going to witness that this time around. Thank God our party had 17 out of 26 members. PDP had 9. Even the leaders of PDP told their members in a public gathering that any bill that will bring development to the state must be supported. And we know that we are not going to introduce any bill which

we know cannot bring development to the state. This means it is one house.

How about the insinuations that the Amosun administration has embarked on a number of costly projects which the dwindling oil revenue and huge drop in federal allocation may hinder their completion?

Let me just assure you that APC-led federal government will find the formula to improve the economy. We will block all the loopholes, make sure that all the states that are owing workers salaries are assisted one way or the other to pay their outstanding debts and when the loopholes are blocked and the crude oil sales are adequately accounted for, then the economy will come back to its normal position. Then the states too will look at ways to generate funds internally after all, the elections are over now and everybody is going to face the job of governance. President Buhari has started well by cutting down the salary of even, himself and his vice. The National Assembly too will join as a way of saving money for developmental purposes.

As the newly elected Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, how do you see yourself in the area of making laws that will be beneficial to the people of Ogun State?

For your information, I don’t see anything special in the office of Deputy Speaker. I remain myself but committed to the service of the people to make sure that bills that are beneficial to the generality of the people are passed. So, the office of the Deputy Speaker is just an appointment to assist Mr. Speaker in the performance of his functions. It has not changed me as person.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

15

June 20, 2015

‘PDP’s call for Buhari’s Talking resignation, product Politics of deliberate mischief’ ‘PDP not behind calls for —Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC National Publicity Secretary Buhari’s resignation’

“A

t 72, the Buhari persona has not changed. He remains the simple, honest, incorrupt¬ible patriot he has always been.

“And because Nigeri¬ans earnestly desired change, that was why they voted for him overwhelmingly at the general elections in March, this year. All the virtues and values of the Buhari persona will be deployed into gov¬ernance in the weeks and months ahead.

‘’What President Buhari was saying, which was lost on those who issued that je¬june statement, is that only his love and passion for the country could have made him, at his age, to come out of retirement to seek the of¬fice of President, over 30 years after he presided over the affairs of the country.

“For 16 years, Nigerians gave the PDP the benefit of the doubt to move the coun¬try forward, but instead, the party put Nigeria in reverse gear at a high speed, spin¬ning it towards a doomsday that wasonly averted when Nigerians showed the PDP the red card. This is what necessitated President Bu¬hari to continuously seek the country’s highest political office, so he can help put the country on a forward march again. Nothing else matters, not for him the excitement of an office he previously held and the quest for personal ac¬complishment.

“If the country had been well managed, President Buhari will not at 72 be crisscrossing the world, seeking solutions to Nigeria’s problems.”

‘Buhari, not too old to rule’ —Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President

“A

s the saying goes, ‘old wines are tastier’ and the President Buhari we have today is a man, like old wine, that has got tastier.

At 72, yes, he can’t be called a youth, but he has in quantum the wisdom, the patience, temperance and forbearance that age brings. And all these virtues he has brought to the Presidency, to make a differ¬ence in our national life.

“The President assured the Nigerian community in South Africa that his admin¬istration will make a positive impact on the country. And that he would do”.

—Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on recent National Assembly election

“I

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he attention of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press statement by a group parading as PDP Media Watchdog and purporting to be working within and in the interest of our great party.

“This group is absolutely unknown to the PDP and has no connection whatsoever with our party at any level, neither is the content of their statement a reflection of the position or stance of the party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our great party has not authorised this group to use its name, acronym or logo to issue statements or make public pronouncements on any matter and we caution those behind them to henceforth desist from such immediately.

“The PDP therefore distances itself from the embarrassing statement by this group wherein it called on Presi-

dent Muhammadu Buhari to resign and went ahead to use offensive and denigrating language on the person and office of the president of our great country.”

‘I’ll donate my allowance to Osun workers’

—Senator Ben Murray Bruce representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District pledges to donate his wardrobe allowance to Osun workers

“I

‘I could’ve been the senate President’ am one of the senior senators by any standard today in this coun¬try, but because of the consideration of the fact that Buhari is from the North West and I am from Kano, I didn’t aspire to be Senate President. We

—Olisa Metuh, PDP National Publicity Secretary dissociates the party from ‘PDP Media Watch dog’

have to be considerate.

“It is not like you will just come by all means and take it, whether it favours your own name or it favours the party or not. All these things must be respected by the party and members and I believe that it is something that will bring the members back together and have good understanding.

“What complicated the whole matter is that more than 50 per cent of Bukola supporters are in PDP. If you take the condition of the position of Senate President, I do not know the percentage one would give and, there¬fore, it becomes more difficult really and the implication of all these now is that very soon, the leadership of the senate will start “Tambuwalising” the party and, of course, the government as we have seen in 2011.

, Ben Murray Bruce, will not sit down idly, while my fellow citizens die because salaries have not been paid. As a first step, I am immediately donating my wardrobe allowance to unpaid workers in Osun State and widows in my Constituency “We are starting in Osun, but we will not end there. I will do as much to help workers who’ve not been paid in other states.”.

“I call on all my friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook to donate non perishable food items for these our brothers in need. As soon as my wardrobe allowance is paid, I will divide it into two. Half will be publicly given to the NLC Chairman Osun.”

‘I did not become Speaker because of 2019’

— Hon Yakubu Dogara Speaker of the House of Representatives

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he crisis being perceived by a section of people in the APC is not a crisis, but simply a conflict of ideas because we are not perfect as we are all products of imperfection.

“We are here to work and we don’t have any reason to fail. We can’t fail.

“That’s why I picked holes in the ambition of those who have their eyes fixed on 2019. We didn’t get here because of 2019. If we do the right things and the people see results, 2019 will take care of itself. “ We can’t fail because we are here to bring change,”

16

June 20, 2015

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Living

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

17

Giving a dog a bad name to…eat it!

China’s famous Dog Meat Festival comes up tomorrow. A cherished tradition among local residents, highlights of the festival include eating a dog meat hotpot (read pepper soup) and drinking strong liquor. Does that sound familiar? It turns out that dog meat is eaten, not only in Nigeria, but in many other countries of the world, such as South Korea, North Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Ghana, Liberia, Vietnam, India, Phillipines, and Switzerland among many others. It’s a small world afterall!

Dog a la carte

In Cambodia

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he mysterious death of five people at Woji, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State after eating dog meat from a popular inn in the area caused untold tension in the community, as people have begun to question the eating of dog meat.

Alleged to have been cooked by one

In Vietnam

In South Korea

Friday Dickson, popularly called Etiaba, residents of the community say Etiaba has been in the area for a long time, running an inn where he cooks only dog meat on MiniWoji Road at Woji Town. Etiaba has since fled the community, but lovers of dog meat swear that nothing can separate them from their delicacy.

Dog meat festival in China

In far-away China, activists are calling for a boycott of this year’s Yulin Dog Meat Festival, where thousands of dogs are slaughtered and eaten in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

It is estimated that around 10,000 dogs were killed and eaten at last year’s Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

Ahead of this year’s event, due to take place tomorrow, activists across the globe have been calling for a halt to the event, with over $20,000 (£11,900) raised by one campaign to help rescue dogs and track those illegally capturing and killing the CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

18

LIVING

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Dog meat is also known as fragrant meat’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Child crying over lost pet in China

Lemongrass dog recipe (From Asia) Dog-meat-festival-in-Yulin-China

animals.

But determined residents have begun killing and eating dogs early in celebration of the summer solstice in a bid to avoid protests by animal rights campaigners.

Some residents of the southern Chinese city of Yulin started gathering last weekend and eating dog meat and lychees to celebrate the longest day of the year, ahead of Saturday’s actual solstice.

The locals want to avoid protests which have in recent years seen the festival, slaughterhouses and markets selling dogs targeted as part of a social media campaign and ongoing online petition against the practice.

A report in China Daily notes that the dog meat festival in southern China involves eating a meat hotpot and drinking strong liquor – and that it is a cherished tradition among local residents.

However, activists including celebrities, lawyers and food safety experts are calling for an end to the practice. Chinese pop stars Chen Kuna and Yang Mi have supported campaigns against the festival.

An animal rights lawyer in Beijing said that official claims that all dogs are bred by local dog farmers is false. An Xiang said, according to research, there are no such farms and that all dogs are abducted from the streets.

Another risk factor highlighted is poor food safety. Liu Lang, director of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association, said butchers slaughtering the dogs are at risk of rabies, while the meat is not properly quarantined or inspected, increasing the chance of food safety problems. Remember Woji?

The Duo Duo Animal Welfare Project, based in California, has raised $21,920 in its campaign titled ‘Stop the YuLin Dog Meat Festival.’

“Our goal is to put an end to the brutal annual dog meat festival in YuLin, China,” it said. The money will be used to hire local investigators to track the illegal abduc-

tion of dogs, raise awareness of the trade through schools and hiring of legal teams in China to push for the banning of the festival,” a statement by the group says.

However, local residents (very much like Woji residents and residents of other communities where dog meat is a delicacy) say animal rights activists should not interfere with the festival. One local told ‘China Daily’: “It is our tradition and our right to eat dog meat. If we are cruel and brutal, what about those who eat pork, beef and chicken?”

An opinion piece in the Global Times said that banning the festival outright will not work due to the widespread participation. It said, instead, authorities should work to implement stricter regulations to improve safety and welfare.

“Since there are no specific laws and traditional culture cannot be forcibly abandoned, the local government should shift their attention to a more feasible approach.

“If the tradition is difficult to remove in a short period of time, the authorities need to initiate and carry out more strict rules regulating local restaurants, especially food hygiene. There must be harsh measures to ensure the source of the dog meat is legal and safe. A crackdown on stealing domestic and stray dogs must be imposed,” the article advised.

In the same vein, dog meat dealers at the Ushafa Bridge in Bwari, Abuja, say that media reports about people who die from consuming dog meat will not deter them from doing their business.

One of the dealers, Mr Naboth Zachariah, told newsmen that he has never received any complaint from his customers since he started his dog meat business in 2013.

Zachariah, who hails from Kaduna State, says although the story of the five people who died in Woji generated anxiety and apprehension among people in the community, he is bent on continuing with the business.

Acquire two pounds of dog meat. Try to ensure that it is from a medium-sized dog.

The breed does not matter, unless you have certain preferences.

Mince four 3-feet stalks of fresh lemongrass. (Alternatively, use an 8 oz. package of frozen minced lemongrass.)

Mix the minced lemongrass with three tablespoons of any seasoning of your choice and two teaspoons of lime juice.

Chop the dog meat into 1-inch pieces. Add the lemongrass marinade and stir. Leave the mixture refrigerated overnight.

Either sauté, steam, or grill the meat. A recommended way to cook this dish is to skewer the meat chunks and roast it in a rotisserie oven.

Serve with rice or bread.

He says, “The story is not affecting me.

People buy dog meat every time. They said the deaths may have been caused by the Ogogoro they drank with it. I think that is what killed them. So, it is not that dog meat normally does any harm, because I have been selling it here for a while and nobody has ever complained to me about sickness.

I buy dogs, kill them and sell the meat every day. Sometimes, we sell up to five dogs every day.”

In South Korea alone, it is estimated that 2.5 million dogs are eaten every year.

Millions more are eaten in many countries around the world, including Vietnam, Thailand, Timor, Tonga, Phillipines, North Korea, Japan, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Ghana, Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon.

Between 10 and 20 million dogs per year are believed to be killed for consumption in China where dog meat is sometimes called “fragrant meat” (香肉 xiāng ròu) or “mutton of the earth” (地羊dì yáng) in Mandarin Chinese. It is common to find dog meat served in restaurants in Southern China, where dogs are specially raised on farms.

According to the Chinese medical encyclopedia, Bonchogangmog, written by Lee, Si-Jin in 1578 during the Myeong dynasty and Korean medical encyclopedia, Dongeuibogam, written by a famous Korean medical doctor, Her Joon, in 1613 during the Chosun dynasty, the medical effectiveness of dog meat is described as follows: “The character of dog meat is warm with a salty and sour taste.

It comforts the digestive systems, such as small and large intestines, strengthens our stomach, supplements marrow to warm our knees and waist, and raises vigor to make men virile when bodies are fatigued and damaged. It can help keep bodies healthy, and circulate the blood smoothly.

In quality, yellow furred dog is best, followed by black furred dog, and finally white furred dog. Yellow furred dog is good for men and black furred dog for women.

As dog meat emits heat, one who suffers from fever shouldn’t eat dog meat.

Also as garlic emits heat, eating dog meat with garlic heightens heat excessively.

So eating dog meat with garlic is not CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

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LIVING

June 20, 2015

19

‘There are food safety concerns is the crème de la with dog meat’ ‘Dog crème of all meat!’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

“Dog is a delicacy in China, it’s not an everyday meat like chicken or pork – it’s a fragrant meat that’s enjoyed on special occasions with friends and possibly beer. Dog meat should be eaten with respect.

“Dog soup, braised dog, dog stew, stir fried dog and dog meat hot pot are all typical and common Chinese dishes.

“It’s a red meat, quite fatty, and extremely fragrant. Take a cross between beef and mutton, add extra meaty flavoring, and you’ve got the taste of dog.

“The braised dog I ate was cooked in a clay pot along with huge cloves of garlic and chillies, it was mildly spiced

with a splash of soy sauce and I detected a hint of cinnamon or anise in the mix.

“Braised on high heat in the clay pot, the dog was cooked so the chunks of meat were extremely tender and slipped right off the bone.

“If Kobe beef is the superlative beef of the world, dog is the crème de la crème of all meat!

“It was so tasty and delicious that if it wasn’t for the “psychological thought of eating dog”, everyone would probably love it.

“After eating dog meat, beef tastes flavourless. (Culled from www.thoughtcatalogue.com)

Dog meat cooking in China

good. Roasting dog meat can cause diabetes. “ Dog meat contains high-quality protein. When dog meat is boiled, its fiber becomes loose, which is good for digestion.

So eating pork in summer season sometimes causes digestive problems, but dog meat doesn’t do any harm, and its fat can be digested several times more easily than beef. The fat contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acid with little cholesterol, which is preventive for high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis.”

According to another literature on dog meat, “Mencius, the philosopher, talked about dog meat as being an edible, dietary meat. Historical records have also shown how in times of food scarcities (as in wartime situations) dogs could also be eaten as an emergency food source.

“Dog bone is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties, while dog penis and testes are believed to increase virility and cure impotence. A number of Asian classical medical texts also recommend dog meat to fortify the spirit and aid in recovery from illness, classifying dog meat as a medicine as well as a food. It is still common today for doctors to recommend dog meat to patients who have undergone surgery because of its perceived curative effects.

“In contrast to China and Vietnam where dog meat is most popular during the winter months as it is believed to have ‘warming effects,’ in South Korea, dog meat is considered to have ‘cooling effects’, and is more commonly consumed during the summer months, particularly during the boknal or ‘bok’ days - the three hottest days of the summer - when dog meat soup

(boshintang) is favoured.”

The reasons given by lovers of dog meat in these countries are not far from those given by Nigerians who relish dog meat.

They insist that it is medicinal and protects against spiritual attacks!

However, whilst there is no scientific evidence to support any of these claims, over recent years, there has been growing awareness of, and concern for human health risks, which are linked to all stages of dog meat processing. For example, research shows that sourcing, farming, transporting, slaughtering and consumption of dogs can assist in the transmission of cholera, trichinellosis and rabies.

The method of sourcing dogs for meat varies in different countries. However, when dogs for meat are taken from the streets (stolen/unwanted pets or unowned strays) there is the risk of rabies.

In most countries, rabies is endemic within the dog population and dogs collected from the streets are of unknown disease and vaccination status. Despite this, no checks are carried out, so dogs infected with rabies will inevitably be taken with others and killed for their meat. The large-scale trade in and movement of such dogs undertaken for this industry permits the rapid and wide-ranging dispersal of rabies and other diseases, such as cholera and trichinellosis.

In 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted the trade in dogs for human consumption as a contributing factor to the spread of rabies in Indonesia, due to the trade encouraging these animals from various sources to be transported between islands. The long-distance transport of large numbers of dogs killed for their meat

has also been linked to outbreaks of rabies in China and Vietnam.

Large-scale dog farms are common in South Korea and China, with some housing thousands of dogs. These are mostly unregulated and there are no or few enforced recommendations for dog farm management, such as measures for disease control, provision of suitable animal feed, disposal of waste etc. According to food safety experts, such premises provide optimal conditions for microbes to proliferate: biologically weakened and vulnerable dogs are susceptible to acquiring microbial infections, especially if they are also in a disordered social situation and living in unhygienic conditions with close contact. Furthermore, because of the stressful and cramped farming conditions, dogs frequently fight, enhancing the opportunity for disease transmission.

During the slaughtering process, rabies can be passed to humans in several ways: Dogs butchered for meat are often highly stressed and are more likely to bite and scratch handlers, potentially passing on this fatal disease. Rabies can spread through the contamination of unrecognised cuts or abrasions on skin as infected carcasses are handled. Individuals slaughtering dogs can also transmit the virus to themselves if they touch their eyes or lips while having traces of the dog’s fluids on their hands.

Several recent outbreaks of cholera in Vietnam have been directly linked to the production and consumption of dog meat.

For example, in 2008 there was an outbreak of the disease in northern Vietnam, which prompted a study to identify risk factors for cholera contraction. The research concluded that the consumption of dog meat, and items served with the meat, were strongly

associated with the spread of cholera.

Trichinella is a zoonotic parasite which causes trichinellosis in humans. In China, trichinellosis has become the most important food-borne parasitic zoonosis, and dog meat consumption has been correlated with eight outbreaks. Similarly in Thailand, the incidence of Trichinella larvae found in dog meat in the areas favouring consumption of the meat is considered to be an upcoming major public health problem.

On dog farms, large numbers of dogs are living in close confinement, under stressful conditions, and are usually being fed insufficient, poor quality food. These factors result in increased levels of infectious disease and high mortality rates. In an effort to try to control the spread of disease and maximise productivity, there is evidence of farmers resorting to the indiscriminate overuse of antibiotics and vaccines.

Such excessive antibiotic use in farm animals is common and leads to increased levels of antibiotic resistance, which can have negative consequences for both animal health and welfare (as diseases become untreatable) and for human health (when antibiotic-resistant bacteria are transferred from animals to humans). Experts say resistant salmonella and campylobacter involved in human disease are predominantly spread through foods. Highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli have recently emerged in farm animals in many countries, and can be transmitted to humans.

More than enough food for thought for those who swear by dog meat!

20

LIVING

June 20, 2015

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How I escaped death in the hands of Boko Haram zVictim z narrates ordeal zWife, z kids still missing zReceives z strange phone calls

Persons displaced by Boko Haram

Oluwasegun

Muda Oyeniran

T

he problem of Boko Haram insurgency in the northeastern part of Nigeria especially in Borno state has become a major issue which has shaken the Nigeria nation to its very foundation as well as threatening its existence. The problem has attained an international dimension with many world leaders pledging their support to Nigeria to help her overcome her travail.

Since the beginning of the insurgency, thousands of lives have been lost with manydeclared missing. In a telephone conversation with Saturday Mirror, an Ogun state born artist who resides in Borno state narrates how he narrowly escaped death in the hands of the notoriousterror group. He tells his story: My name is Balogun Oluwasegun from Ogun state but resides in Borno state Lassa Town, Askira-Uba Local Government Area in Borno state and working with Jimisegs Nigeria Limited. As an artist, we do always get jobs in churches and mosques all around the area.

But on February 17, 2015, I was on my way to enter into the church audi-

killed. Many members who attended the church service were also injured People were shouting and screaming and I never want to see what was happening but because my family was in the church for the women Bible classes.

As I was trying to see a way of seeing what was happening but I could not while trying to see what I can do three guys came out of the auditorium one of them was seriously wounded with gunshot injuries, and while trying to rescue him he fell down and told us that it was one Musa that shot at him. but the other guy got the message in which it was later the guy was telling us about the Musa he was saying but torium for two reasons: to deliver a job died while trying to tell us this.

Because of this development, fear for them and see my wife and the children because it was on Tuesday and gripped me and with the situation of this Tuesday is for women Bible classes my leg I can’t run, so I quickly thought of what to do and the best for me was and she always go with my kids.

While coming through the back to hide because I can’t run.

To avoid being victim of the indoor that led to the church auditorium (as I did not take the main entrance surgence, I quickly ran into church for security reasons), I heard sporadic choir’s room and covered myself with clothes and the drums, as I hid myself, gunshots.

They shot through the window of I was hearing this gunmen speaking the church, and many people were in their language and shouting Allau Akbar about 20 minutes after I did not

I quickly ran into the church choir’s room and covered myself with clothes and drums. As I hid, I was hearing these gunmen speaking in their language and shouting Allau Akbar. About 20 minutes later, I did not hear them again

hear them again and no gun shots.

With the hope that they have gone, I came out from my hiding, but to my surprise I saw people that had been slaughtered and killed littering the ground, and despite the fear of being attacked that is in me, I still remained resolute that I must get to my destination because of my family that were in the church.

But while I was trying to take them out of the church, I saw the two other guys who are also devotees of the church also coming out from the hideout but one of them was seriously injured too but managed to narrate to me that the guy that died knows one of the gun men which his name is Musa.

While describing the said Musa to me, I realized I know him too, and said Musa was the one that shot him about 15 minutes after people started coming out of the church, to my greatest surprise I did not see my wife and my kids only to be told later by eye witnesses around that the armed men had kidnapped some people, and since then I have not being myself.

I have reported the matter to the policemen that came to the scene and they promised to do all things within their power to get them rescued.

The matter was reported at a nearby police station, but to my surprised, since February20, 2015, which is four days after the attack on the church, I learnt that a friend called John was also killed in a hospital by the insurgents.

With this report, I was shocked; in fact this is what I can describe as the ‘greatest shock’ of my life.

Also, on February 22, 2015, six days the third guy too was killed by this same Boko Haram group, and meanwhile I came to my senses that we are four that left alive that day.

Since then I have been receiving strange phone calls threatening my life

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ENTERVAGANZA

June 20 , 2015

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Celebrity

Love is the answer to Nigeria’s problems—Imanse

So if this doesn’t work out the way you planned, would you go back to your banking job in the US? There is no going back. We are here. We are doing this. Will do mainstream music as long as I can, then who knows what next? Judge talent shows, coach other artists, talk shows. The entertainment industry here is going to keep growing. There is so much to do, so much to plug in to.

Imanse is one of the many Nigerians who’ve returned to the country from their overseas bases to fit back into Nigeria’s sectors. In Imanse’s case, music is the sector she’s trying to make a headway in.

She told OSEYIZA OOGBODO that she will rule the music industry in the nearest future.

What’s the focus of your music?

My focus is on love. You know they say ‘love is the greatest,’ ‘love makes the world go round’ and all that. Well, love seems to cover everything. Within its context, you will find everything else. Love for family, friends of both sexes, God, country and other people. It’s not just portraying or lamenting about what is going on in the society that’s important, but also what we can do about it and I think love is the answer. Love is a verb. It’s proactive.

At what point did you decide to take up music?

It was way before I actually did. I thought about it and talked about it for like three years but I couldn’t work up the courage to do it. It took me time to find the guts to eventually make the move.

What happened to your guts? They failed you?

Not really. It was a question of how you explain it to the people around you.

It wouldn’t make complete sense to them considering how they’ve trained me and what they expected of me.

You were in the US. Why are you doing music in Nigeria and not in the US? Well, I’ve always been fascinated with Nigerian music and wanted to be part of it … and I couldn’t be part of it from there.

What fascinates you about Nigerian music?

I love our sound. I love the fact that we are growing as an industry. I have been following things here for a while and then finally decided the time was right. It was like ‘now or never!’

So you have been enjoying the industry?

Enjoying? I enjoy what I’m doing, the process, the lessons, the friendships, but I’m not sure one can say they are ‘enjoying’ the industry till one reaches a certain level of success as an artist.

Has there been any kind of pressure?

There is pressure to do the kind of music that is popular. Pressure to play it safe and conform to what everyone else is doing, not doing love songs and expressing yourself. A lot of pressure to go ‘commercial.’ You know when they are doing the big shows, they don’t usually call those who are pouring their hearts out talking about love and all.

•Imanse

But does it make sense leaving the stability of the US for Nigeria?

It’s not just me. A lot of other people have taken that risk at so many different levels. They left better conditions than the one I was in to come back home. The thing is, you can’t come back home with a double mind, with a soft mind. You have to be all in to be just to stand a chance.

So you came back with a plan, saved up all you needed and all that?

No, I don’t have like all the money and everything, but slowly and surely we’ll get there. A lot of people, who start this journey, whether abroad or here, don’t start with everything. If you’re going to be something, you will be.

So you believe in destiny?

Of course.

Which Nigerian musicians have inspired you the most?

Asa. First and foremost. I remember when her first album came out. It’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard in a long time. They were playing it everywhere.

Barbecues, bars, lounges. Another thing I heard that got me was 2face’s African Queen which was the soundtrack to the movie, Phat Girlz. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Then of course there is Fela.

The boldness of his messages, his craftsmanship, the rawness of his sound, the

afrocentricity of the whole thing. That’s why he’s celebrated worldwide. A true voice of Africa. Apart from these three, almost everyone here inspires me. Their pure resilience, work rate, belief, their outputs, just amazing. Tiwa Savage, Flavour, Omawunmi. What they have done here helped inspire me to come back.

Are there people you would like to work with?

Definitely. I would love to do a duet with Patoranking. He simply has so much soul.

Asa and 2face of course. Flavour too.

So what is different about what you are bringing to the table? Anything distinct about your music?

I like to fuse genres. My first song is a fusion of afrobeat and soul. The next song is a fusion of R & B and highlife. I like to fuse. I love to create. As long as I can be creative and successfully do that, one day Nigeria will ‘recognise.’

You feel you have what it takes to blow here?

Of course. Of course. I recognise the fact that a lot of people are out there trying and some are succeeding more than others. I recognise that life offers no guarantees, but I strongly believe that if you work very hard and focus on improving the quality of your output, there’s nothing that can hold you back.

How have you been taking it?

I think I’m taking it well. I understand that it isn’t an overnight thing. I know nothing comes easy. Some people, it takes eight songs before they get their hit. Some take ten years. So I think I’m doing OK so far.

How are you coping with male fans and admirers?

Male admirers? They admire you.

There is nothing you can do about that.

No bad encounters?

Nothing out of the ordinary really. As a woman you learn to respect yourself and appreciate them. There is no wahala there.

Since you’ve come back, have you had any memorable experience? Is there any experience that stands out?

Let’s talk about the fuel scarcity! That was a memorable experience! There was so much I had to do. Photo shoot, recordings, but we couldn’t do anything. No movement. It was scary on the Sunday because no one was selling. Felt like a war zone. Like there was some kind of zombie apocalypse.

So do you feel like running back to the US? No. I’m not going give up that easily. I know people who have run back to the States after two months after selling all they had to come back to Nigeria but there’s no going back for me.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

23

June 20, 2015

Project Fame West Africa auditions begin with major innovation

T

he award-winning music talent discovery and grooming competition, Project Fame West Africa, is back for an eighth straight season.

Looking for raw talents, the annual show will commence auditions on today in some of West Africa’s major cities and rest the auditions in Lagos on July 3rd and 4th.

This year, thousands of young talents will fight to get into the prestigious Project Fame Academy, where superstars are made, to be tutored by the best in the music and entertainment industry.

For this season, a major innovation that encourages participation from the comfort of one’s home has been introduced.

According to Olumide Akinlabi, spokesperson of Ultima Limited, producer of the show, aspiring contestants can simply “dial 5900 from their mobile phone (MTN

Line Only) and follow the voice prompt to record their audio audition for 45 seconds.”

Akinlabi stated that after this, the applicant will receive a notification PIN number within 24 hours, which will be used to register online.

Previous superstars that have graduated from the ‘Fame Academy’ include Iyanya, whose Kukere, with the famous Etighi dance, won the best pop single at the The Headies 2012; Mike Anyasodo, who by virtue of his Fine Fine Lady video won best R & B video at the SoundCity Music Video Awards 2010; Kesse Frimpong, who was voted the Ghanaian best male vocalist of the year 2012; and of course the Kedike crooner, Chidinma, who won the best female act in West Africa at the prestigious Kora Awards 2012.

Chidinma

Iyanya

BET Africa Award Olu Maintain seeks music generates debate salvation

T

he nominees of one of the most-sought-after awards for African musicians have been announced.

The award itself is the best international act, Africa category, of the Black Entertainment Television Awards which holds in America, and African musicians are falling over themselves trying to win the category because they believe it bestows true international prestige on them.

So far, D’Banj and 2face, Wizkid and Sarkodie, Ice Prince and Davido can lay claim to have won it since 2011, with D’Banja and 2face co-winners, Wizkid and Sarkodie joint winners as well, and Ice Prince and Davido solo win-

ners.

Davido won it last year and this year, those nominated are Wizkid and Yemi Alade representing Nigeria, Stone Bwoy and Sarkodie representing Ghana, AKA and The Soil representing South Africa, Sauti Sol for Kenya and Fally Ipupa for DR Congo.

The nominees’ identities have of course led to a lot of debates.

Will it be a Nigerian musician winning again or will it be Wizkid and Sarkodie co-winning again?

Will a female winner finally emerge?

Questions, questions that will be answered next week Sunday, June 28th when the awards ceremony holds at the Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California.

… hopes 2face magic will rub off on him … Victor Uwaifo’s too

Olu

2face

t’s no longer news that since the unprecedented success of his monster hit, Yahoozee, Olu Maintain has been struggling to record another hit track.

Though he’s released several songs and even big budget mu-

sic videos since Yahoozee, he’s still floundering.

Right now, though, he has released another song, Cinderella, and he featured 2face on it, obviously hoping that 2face’s magic touch will rub off on it to make it successful.

I Alade

Wizkid

Uwaifo

And taking extra precaution, he sampled past highlife hits by great musicians that include Victor Uwaifo on it as well.

So will Cinderella ride, fly to success based on Olu’s strategy of featuring and copying truly successful musicians.

24

June 20, 2015

CLASSICAL LYRICS

E-NEWS

Janelia explains absence … I’m battling

Wish Me Well Artist: : Timi Dakolo

Verse 1 I pack my bags I’m leaving town I bought one way ticket I ain’t coming back It’s goodbye friends and goodbye folks I’m heading for the city And that’s my home Hmm hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

intimate personal attacks

Chorus And goodbye mama Please don’t cry

P

romising music artist, Janelia, whose songs, Sexy Nana and Bakassi, are doing relatively well, has explained why she has been silent for some time now.

According to her: “Sorry you have not heard from me in a while. I have been focused on composing and recording songs for my new EP album and just finished working on it a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s titled Triumph, after the first song on the album, and I decided to name it Triumph because despite several setbacks in my music career and personal attacks from those even closest to me, by the special grace of the Almighty God, I always scale through with flying colours and triumph over the enemies. (Shame on them. Lol.)” Continuing, she said, “The song, Triumph, continues to encourage and minister to me almost as though it was not I who wrote it but a force greater than me speaking through me. One day in our home studio, after Femi Sanya and I had finished mixing the song and we were getting ready to send it off to my

See I can’t stay Don’t ask me why I gat no money Just hopes and dreams I’m gonna find my destiny I heard about life Life in the city Janelia

publisher for mastering and distribution, I was taking a final quality-check listen to it and later started meditating with it playing in the background.

“All of a sudden, I got moved into tears and cried very intensely in the middle of my meditation; not out of sadness but rather, joy. Joy because as I was listening and meditating to Triumph, it dawned on me that after so many years of labouring towards a major goal in my life and failing at it over and over again, just a few days prior to this incident I had reached a breakthrough.

“However, at the time I wrote this song and recorded it, the breakthrough had not

Moelogo asks a big question

O

n the back of the success of his single, My Sweetie, which was championed and playlisted by MTV UK, BBC 1Xtra, Bang Radio and Channel AKA among other tastemakers, Island Records afrobeats star and recently announced 2015 NEA nominee, Moelogo, is proud to debut his brand new single, Do You Love Me, as premiered on Beat FM, BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra.

Produced by prolific hitmaker, Maleek Berry, DYLM is an infectious jam tailor made for the summertime. Laced with a melodious bassline, lush drum patterns and Berry’s trademark key-

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

board arrangements, this record sees Moelogo beautifully showcasing his buttery smooth and captivating vocals, with the lyrical dexterity to match, as he lays it all down for his leading lady.

With a string of backto-back-to-back hits already below his belt, from his breakthrough hit Pangolo to the instant classic The Baddest featuring renowned British rapper Giggs, to last year’s fan favourite, My Sweetie, Moelogo’s recent nomination, by the NEA for Diaspora Artist of the Year, comes as no surprise.

So is this the peak year of Moelogo?

Let’s wait and see.

Moelogo

even begun to surface. The making of this song was a spiritual experience for me because I was going through the routine challenges. However, I spoke/sang with a vision and my vision became a self-fulfilling prophecy or better yet, a God-fulfilling prophecy.

“The challenges led to a breakthrough, and my cry in the studio that day was a triumphant expression. We must not forget how powerful the words we speak into the universe are. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ John 1:1. Per the words in the chorus of this song, ‘After failure comes success and after success comes triumph, triumph, triumph, triumph.’”

So that’s where all the dreams come true I’m gonna work hard in the city So wish me well Wish me well Verse 2 I’m gonna be a famous Super star I’m gonna drive a big ol’ fancy car And fly my own plane All across this world And when the time is right, I’ll find myself a girl Chorus I heard about life Life in the city So that’s where on and dream come true I’m gonna work hard in the city So wish me well Wish me well Hmm hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo I heard about life, in the city So that’s where on dreams come true I’m gonna work hard in the city So wish me well Wish me well I heard about life in the city That’s where on my dreams come true I’m gonna work hard And when i get there So wish me well Wish me well

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

E-NEWS

June 20, 2015

25

Onyeka Nwelue defends Linda Ikeji Award-winning writer, Onyeka Nwelue, in this piece, writes about celebrated blogger, Linda Ikeji, and it’s best to read it to understand what he’s trying to say.

L

inda Ikeji is the most powerful blogger in Africa.

And the richest! While this may not be earthshattering breaking news, as most of us already know or at least probably have an idea about, it is still heart-warming to know that a regular Nigerian girl (yes, she is quite regular) can drag herself from virtually nothing to reach the apex of the blogosphere. It is a truly inspiring tale of rags to riches.

It is also not news that a lot of people dislike Linda Ikeji. They read her blog, they swear by the Gospel of Linda Ikeji Blog, but they dislike her.

They dislike her under the usual banner of “there is nothing this person is doing that should make her better than I am.” But she is better than most people because she is different from most people. Linda Ikeji is not some air-headed young lady that leisurely eavesdrops on conversations of the celebrities and the upper class and then shares it with the internet. Linda Ikeji takes blogging more seriously than some medical doctors take medical study. From what I observed when I met her, Linda Ikeji obsesses over her blog like it were piece of art. She dedicates herself so passionately to it that it may seem the blog is a child she nurtures. In a sense, that blog is a child that has grown into a very handsome man.

She told me a story of how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie had left where she sat and came to her, as a fan, to greet her. “I love what you are doing. I love your blog. My name is Chimamanda Adichie,” she had said to Linda. Linda told me she screamed. She had also nurtured ambitions of meeting Adichie. Now they met, and she didn’t have to jump through any hoops for it to happen.

“Linda Ikeji is a snub.” “Linda Ikeji is this.” “Linda Ikeji is that.” We all have our opinions and perspectives of her. “Linda Ikeji loves money.” Some of us think that, too.

I met Linda Ikeji for the first time at the then Club 10. I was introduced to her by a friend, Ifeanyi Dike. She didn’t snub me. Years later, she could not remember that we met.

Second time, we had agreed to meet at Eko Hotel. We chatted for over 2 hours and went home. She offered to buy me food. I was there when her two smashing sisters – Laura and Sandra – came. I left with a different understanding. It is not her fault that you don’t like her.

Some of us can’t deal!

Nigerian writers don’t like Linda Ikeji. Why? Are they disgruntled? What is their problem? Can I safely say I was part of the group that secretly despised her for no reason?

We were angry, because we didn’t understand how she could be doing almost same work as us and then, had effrontery to buy a Range Rover. Some would have said ‘men’ give Miss Ikeji money. I had heard different things about how she makes money.

In Paris, I came closer. I saw. I shook my head. I wept for the world that will never ever meet Linda and continue to judge her from afar. Life is not fair.

One particular evening, in her hotel room, at Hilton,

one of the most expensive hotels in Paris , Linda almost grabbed my hair in uncontrolled anxiety, because a post she had made on her blog had disappeared. I didn’t quite understand what the fuss was about, but I picked something: this lady is obsessed with her work and she knows what she is doing. She never plays with her source of income.

Linda loves her readers!

She claims she doesn’t care – Linda cares too much! She cares too much for everything!

Looking back now, in that room, I could say, Linda may not have a very social life, but she has a beautiful life – she has the greatest sisters. They support her. They help her. They share in her joy. And sadness too.

Do I have her permission to share this story? I am not sure. But she shares a lot of things she is not supposed to, and that is part of her appeal.

I’m borrowing a leaf from her playbook.

As she told me, on a certain evening, a f t e r retur ning from one of her numerous shopping sprees, she said: “On my 30th birthday, I had N800 left in my account. I Ikeji spoke to God.” Linda’s story is like a fairy tale, I tell you. It is like, but it is not. She has had her fair share of turmoil, troubles and hustles. She has faced crushing rejection. She went round Lagos looking for sponsors. Some of those she sought for sponsorships in their offices can’t have access to her anymore. Somehow, she disagrees with my assertions that this is vendetta. She is driven by the will to pay back many people, to succeed.

I kept asking myself questions about Linda as we went to the mall to shop. I followed her everywhere.

I wanted to understand her very well. Would there be a room to ask her questions? Linda is this, Linda is that! Sorry, Linda is not all these things we have cooked up in our heads because the Linda Ikeji I spent enough time with in Paris is: hardworking, gentle, reserved, careful with words, pays attention to details and doesn’t eat much. She likes chocolate!

I had seen her jump from beneath her duvet and run straight to her blog in the middle of the night.

Just to blog! She is disciplined and hardworking!

Linda is the richest African woman I have met under 40. I have seen! But they are for my eyes, only.

I could not stop myself from writing that line!

Now, let me get back to the writers.

Linda Ikeji did not just appear from nowhere. Like the rest of us, she had been struggling in the dark city of Lagos, until her wheel of samsara turned. Her tough days prepared her for this glory.

When I started chatting with her via WhatsApp, her profile status said and still says: “I’d Rather Be Self Made.” This will sound funny, but she doesn’t allow people do anything for her. I mustered the courage and asked her to attend the Nollywood Week Paris; saying we would pay for her flight and before I could even add another thing, she asked for the date and said she would love to come, but she would not want us to pay for her. Her honesty and modesty could make you fall in love with her. She said: “Hey. Would love to come.

Never been to Paris.

Me and my sisters.

I’ll take care of the expenses.

F l i g h t , hotel, etc.”

I paused.

T h i s doesn’t happen. She continued, “I don’t travel alone. I hate it.

I will take care of myself. I kinda like luxury living when I travel. So, 5 star!”

She booked her first class flight ticket. She booked herself into Hilton. Linda and her sisters, Laura and Sandra, came to Paris!

She shared intimate stories with me and encouraged me to find that one thing that makes me happy, that will also give me money. It is impossible to hang out with Linda and leave without feeling something has been added to your life.

While Sandra and Laura were shying away from eating Nigerian food, Linda wanted it. The last one, I goofed, I got back late with the food and she was not happy, but she ate little and said: “Onyeka, are you not going to eat?” I was going to say no, but then I remembered she had eaten from the plate with those magical fingers, so I said, “I want to eat.”

I took the food and I ate from the same plate where Linda ate from and now, I’m hoping some mystery has been added to my life, too!

Thank you, Linda, for not being what they told me and what I had thought. Thank you ... for your realness.

26

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mo Abudu snags Jega T

V talk girl, Mo Abudu, has taken another major step in her career as a TV host, producer and executive by snagging Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega for his first interview since his retirement as Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The invitation-only event holds today with some of Nigeria’s best and brightest professionals in a conversation tagged Afternoon Tea with Professor Attahiru Jega.

Nigerians will remember Jega for his full and unrivalled commitment to free and fair elections during the just concluded 2015 General Elections.

Abudu will anchor the conversation in which invited guests are encouraged to come with one out-of-the-box, beyond-the-usual question for the respected Professor.

All Nigerians are invited to participate in the conversation by tuning into Abudu’s EbonyLife TV at 12.30pm.

Seyi Shay begs for votes Abudu

Jega

Nizzy and Omeiza entice Rashida

T

Seyi Shay

op Nigerian songstress Seyi Shay has picked up two nominations at the MAMAs 2015 happening in South Africa next month.

The Jangilover crooner has been nominated in two major categories, best female, and video of the year for her single with Wizkid, Crazy.

Shay finally receives global and continental recognition as she makes headway in African music’s biggest night for the first time with nominations in two major categories.

She also gets to rub shoulders with the biggest names in African music; the likes of Wizkid, Davido, Diamond Platnumz, Mi Casa, Sauti Soul and Uhuru who will all be in attendance hoping to pick up a win in their different nominated categories.

Shay has been pitched against Davido, Riki Rick, Bebe Cool and Prime Circle for the video of the year award and she tussle with Yemi Alade, Bucie, Vanessa Mdee and Busiswa for the best female award.

Immediately after the nominations were announced, Shay reacted thus: “I thank the Almighty God for this platform to express my talents. I also thank YOU my fans and friends for your support and your belief. I could not do this without you and I can’t win without you.

Let’s make Africa proud! I need your votes! I won’t let you down. Love, SS.”

Nizzy

N

ot waiting for the dust to settle on his recently released No Way which is currently on heavy rotation on BBC 1Xtra, MTV Base Africa, SoundCity TV, Wazobia FM, Hip TV, and Bang Radio among leading afrobeats radio and TV tastemakers, UK-based Nigerian afropop/afrobeats artist and musician Nizzy, has dropped a new single, Rashida.

Taken from his forthcoming debut mixtape, The Accurate Volume 1.0, Rashida is produced

by Omeiza who has previously worked with the likes of Wande

Coal, Ezi Emela and Dizzy VC. And on Rashida, Nizzy goes really lyrically about his lady love, singing that “for the street, na me the leader, but for mi house, na you be my teacher.”

Excellently fusing together the best of afrobeats and dancehall music, Nizzy and Omeiza have come together beautifully on this monster record, following their first working collaboration on Dizzy VC’s 2014 hit song, Ashewo, which featured Nizzy and was produced by Omeiza, and both of them take it up a real notch with Rashida.

s e c e i p c i t f o s e j a M

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

StyGlleam and

with Yemisi Adeniran

(08037801158) ydiran@yahoo.com

is only think it d y n a m hile ner behin nista. W e Nigerian desig the io h s a f or every s, even llison, th ht place y work f Funmi A il ig a r , d calls this k e o h a lo t d t tha indee ity at nder she e o v iv is t w ie is a a s h e le e c r t r a c u it feat high res. It id. L fit to u a f t ly t s o u a ir o e e g h f h c d r s u e u o t le ,� heir ma at g yo r fit girls in t your size s the fe . “With s r e elebratin ears a skimpy o w e e t n t a ie t r v fi a b e y d m le r e ntra u no ew tics that e that c when on lektra is of a co e princess in yo ion as on heavenly aesthe t c e h I t ll l o t e c u b o e the la rich and ill bring ribed th fabric w has desc s the beautiful, l d e e b lu la a v e least ty.. Th t expres n Majes lours tha o c d n collectio a s f fabric display o stures. po majestic

C

27

28

STYLE & GLAM

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Show some skin

Fashion

I

f you love to appear sweet, you definitely will be friendly with lacy and sequined dresses. They don’t just make you sparkle in any crowd, they equally make your beholders stay glued as they look with a faint idea of your skin that these fabrics give. Exactly why lacy and sequined stuffs will remain a girl’s delight anytime. But wait a minute; you must make it a point of duty to elevate your skin colour any time you choose to wear one. With any of these materials you must surely show some part of your skin which means, your skin must glow always. But this is no big deal, just engage a beautician for some skin treatment and you will glow all the way. Whether sewn in a long bodice, a simple fit and flare shape or just a beautiful frock, lace and sequined outfits will make your day any day.

Fashion

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

n frenzy

n frenzy

June 20, 2015

STYLE & GLAM

29

Fashion Guest

30

STYLE & GLAM

‘I love to flaunt my curves’ Titilayo Kayode popularly called Queen is the Managing Director of Pink Dove Modelling Agency located in Ikeja area of Lagos state. In this interview, she told YEMISI ADENIRAN some of the challenges of the modelling profession and the need to flaunt what you have decently.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the Northern part of Nigeria, Kaduna state precisely and childhood was fun for me. Although I lost my father at a tender age of three, I grew up among people who love me. Looking back in retrospect, I always thank God for the kind of family I have. I did not for once felt the absence of my father because of the genuine love I was shown from childhood. And my mother is indeed the best mother in the world; she is the type anyone would pray to have.

Where did you school?

I schooled in partly in Kaduna and currently in Yabatech studying business administration HND. What are you into at the moment and how did you get there?

Am into modelling and I have a modelling agency that I run. I also provide models for musical videos and hair exhibition and fashion shows. I started about three years ago when I ran into a friend who is into modelling.

That sparked up my interest and I decided that I was going into the business. What I now do is called modelling management.

When you started off as a model, how did your mother react to it?

Initially, she was sceptical but after a while and she saw the passion in me for it, she let me be and here I am today.

How will you describe the challenges of the career?

There are lots of challenges to the career. A lot of people tend to look at models as prostitutes while others simply believe that it is a career that exposes one to promiscuity. Even within the circle of the profession, you see all sorts. Some will want to sleep with you before they could give you modelling jobs but I always believe that it is all about who the person is. You don’t have to sleep with people to get jobs. Good

products will always speak for itself.

Who is your role model?

I do not have a role model. I don’t walk with other people’s clock; I prefer to always follow my heart. All I want to be is an independent woman of substance that will have a global impact and recognition for the good works I would have done.

What does style mean to you?

Style to me, is what makes me comfortable and what I feel comfortable wearing.

What is the essence of wearing something that one is not comfortable in? Style is not a do or die affair, it is all about comfort What fashion accessory can you not do without?

I dare not go out without my rings. I love rings a lot.

What about the beauty accessory you find indispensable?

I cannot do without my lipstick. I love lipsticks a lot especially the bright colour ones. My favourite lipstick colour is tomato.

What is the craziest fashion goof you have ever made?

My craziest fashion goof was the day I wore a long jean skirt and a pack shirt with an off colour tie cover- shoe on a covered shoe to a club. I just noticed that people were laughing at me everywhere I went.

What is your take on flaunting what you have?

It is good to flaunt but with a sense of decency. My curve, for me is my asset and for that I am very grateful to God for, for the way God has created me. I love to flaunt my curves and that is why I love wearing fitted dresses and skirts. I wear more of dresses and skirts than trousers and jeans.

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

11 surprising health benefits of sleep

S

leep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, and can benefit your heart, weight, mind, and more.

Here are some health benefits researchers have discovered about a good night’s sleep.

Improve memory: Your mind is surprisingly busy while you snooze. During sleep, you can strengthen memories or “practice” skills learned while you were awake through a process called consolidation. If you are trying to learn something, whether it’s physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice. But something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better.

Live longer?: Too much or too little sleep is associated with a shorter lifespan—although it’s not clear if it’s a cause or effect. (Illnesses may affect sleep patterns too.). In a 2010 study of women ages 50 to 79, more deaths occurred in women who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours of sleep per night.

Sleep affects quality of life. Many things that we take for granted are affected by sleep. If you sleep better, you can certainly live better.

Curb inflammation: Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and premature aging. Research indicates that people who get less sleep— six or fewer hours a night—have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins than those who get more.

Spur creativity: Get a good night’s sleep before getting out the easel and paintbrushes or the pen and paper. In addition to consolidating memories, or making them stronger, your brain appears to reorganise and restructure them, which may result in more creativity as well.

Be a winner: If you’re an athlete, there may be one simple way to improve your performance. A Stanford University study found that college football players who tried to sleep at least 10 hours a night for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time and had less daytime fatigue and more stamina. The results of this study reflect previous findings seen in tennis players and swimmers.

Improve academic performance: Children between the ages of 10 and 16 who have sleep disorders breathing and interrupted breathing during sleep are more likely to have problems with attention and learning, according to a 2010 study in the journal Sleep. In another study, college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did. If you’re trying to meet a deadline, you’re willing to sacrifice sleep, but it’s severe and reoccurring sleep deprivation that clearly impairs learning.

Sharpen attention: Kids don’t react the same way to sleep deprivation as adults do. Whereas adults get sleepy, kids tend to get hyperactive. A 2009 study

in the journal ‘Pediatrics’ found that children ages seven and eight who got less than about eight hours of sleep a night were more likely to be hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive.

Have a healthy weight: If you are thinking about going on a diet, you might want to plan an earlier bedtime too. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat—56% of their weight loss— than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass. (They shed similar amounts of total weight regardless of sleep). Dieters in the study also felt more hungry when they got less sleep. Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain. When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite.

Lower stress: When it comes to our health, stress and sleep are nearly one and the same—and both can affect cardiovascular health. Sleep can definitely reduce levels of stress, and with that, people can have better control of their blood pressure.

It’s also believed that sleep effects cholesterol levels, which plays a significant role in heart disease.

Avoid accidents: Experts say that being tired accounts for the highest number of fatal single-car run-off-the-road crashes due to the driver’s performance—even more than alcohol! Sleepiness is grossly underrated as a problem by most people, but the cost to society is enormous. Sleeplessness affects reaction time and decision making.

Insufficient sleep for just one night can be as detrimental to your driving ability as having an alcoholic drink.

Avoid depression: Sleeping well means more to our overall well-being than simply avoiding irritability. A lack of sleep can contribute to depression. A good night’s sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety. You get more emotional stability with good sleep. If you deprived of sleep during the week, sleep cannot necessarily be made up during the weekend. If you sleep more on the weekends, you simply aren’t sleeping enough in the week. It’s all about finding a balance.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

31

June 20, 2015

Male Essentials

u o Y

08036961187

with Oseyiza Oogbodo kingseiza@gmail.com

need a backpack E

very man must have at least one backpack. It is definitely an essential item without which a man is not com plete.

It’s extremely useful because it is compatible with both formal and casual wear and it can store all the documents and odds and ends that you will need when out of the house or office.

It’s very convenient because unlike the briefcase that you have to lug around with your hand, you just sling the backpack over your shoulder and forg et it there as it can’t strain your back the way a briefcase will strain your wrist.

But don’t buy just any backpack. They come in several designs and types so buy the best and most fashionable of them. Kanye West for instance has one

by Louis Vuitton, one of the best bag makers in the world.

Davido and Ludacris also have theirs, so what are you waiting for?

How to dress properly to the gym (2) O Continued from last week nce again, when the time comes to choose, keep it simple by minimizing the amount of colours in your gym outfit. If you only have one pair of shorts, make sure its colour is neutral so that it can easily match most of your T-shirts and sneakers.

Great fabrics for shorts are a mix of cotton with spandex or polyester. These stretch materials make the shorts fit perfectly, offer great support and look great too.

Whatever shorts you decide to wear to the gym, just remember to keep your bathing suits for the pool and your jean shorts for gardening or painting the house.

Stay on track of things For days when you’re working your upper body, wear track trousers; they’re stylish, extremely comfortable and designed for intense wear and tear from training. When they are worn with trendy running shoes, the right track trousers can be worn as everyday casual wear. Once again, keep the colours to a minimum and opt for a straight cut.

Stay away from track pants with a narrow finish, because they won’t fall well on your running shoes. Track pants come in every style and colour, so

just pick a pair that will easily match the rest of your training gear. Recommended colours are black, gray and navy blue, as they blend nicely with most colours and aren’t likely to get stained or dirty.

If you want trendier track pants, look for drawstrings in the waistband and/ or around your ankles. Other neat accessories are zippers, buttons and different pockets. Thicker and modern fabrics such as nylon will give your track pants more durability while adding to your trendy look.

All sporting good manufacturers carry a line of track pants, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a pair. Apart from your sneakers, track pants will probably be the most expensive item so be ready to spend a little more for them.

Running for your life A whole article could be devoted to choosing great-looking sneakers.

Again, simplicity and comfort are key.

Minimize the amount of colours and flashiness, and buy shoes that will serve their purpose. If you are a runner, don’t buy DKNY running shoes just because they look good. Instead, opt for running shoes that are specifically designed for running.

Just remember that a great way to look stylish is to match and combine the right colours, which of course, should

be kept to a minimum. Now get your stylish butt to the gym!

CONCLUDED.

32

June 20, 2015

Male

H

Love is not a gender thing

mmm…most people especially women act as if love or rather the act of falling in love is a gender thing. They behave as if men are heartless or our heart is made of stone and we can’t feel anything. This is why this may be one of the most commonly asked questions by women of all ages. Do men honestly fall in love? For me, I do have a very different take on what love is and how individuals should act while being in love and what is not love, but for the sake of answering this question, I’ll use the word “Love” to mean romantic attraction and sexual chemistry between a man and a woman though loving and being in love goes beyond romantic attraction and expression or sexual chemistry with me.

What is funny is that the way both genders fall in love is different but a lot of women expects the stereotypical way that they know of by them as the only way to fall in love and anyone who doesn’t conform to that way can never know how to fall in love or what love truly means. Unknown to a majority of women, men fall in love at first sight even more frequently than women do. While within the first fifteen seconds of meeting someone for the very first time, a woman would have decided sub-consciously if she will give a guy a chance for him to try to make her fall in love with him or not, in the same amount of time, a man will decide if he loves how a woman looks or not.

It is based on his visual reassurances that a man will most likely unconsciously make his decisions of falling in love and it doesn’t take much conviction unlike a woman who has to be proven to in so many ways to trust a man’s intentions. If a man is not physically attracted to you, trying to make him “fall in love” with you is really like trying to wake up a dead horse because you’ll only be seeing what you alone want to see and believe. And lest we forget, men don’t lie about that, they will always let you know they find you attractive and will be very plain and straight-forward too about it.

Most women believe because most men come out with the truth on how they fell in love with their

Relatio

Angle

Jide animashaun 08034710902 jidemashaun@yahoo.com

partner it cannot be real love. But come to think of it, don’t we all love having a partner we can all show to our friends like prized gifts from God? It is really double standards on the part of women to say that because men’s loving starts from visuals, then it can’t be real love. I for one will not want to be with a woman who apart from intellectually stimulating my mind will not visually stimulate my eyes. And yes I know that this may not be really fair to those women who may not be visually attractive to me. But the truth is that it’s because they weren’t visually attractive to me in the first instance that made me not to fall in love with them or with every woman I see on the streets or I meet regularly. It is basically the same with women who will use emotional and present or future financial viability safety as an unconscious or conscious reason for falling in love with their partner. And let’s not delude ourselves here without being able to face the truth, every woman must either be sure of her man being able to satisfy her emotional, psychological or emotional needs before she can commit herself to that man.

In conclusion, a man will stay in love with a woman because of the way she makes him feel starting from what he saw. It’s different for each man, depending on his needs. A guy who feels good being in charge will respond to a more docile female, while a guy who hates making decisions will go for a bossy girl. If he needs to feel like crap, he’ll end up with a woman who will do him the favour of dealing him a load of it.

Does he need to feel superior?

He’ll hold out for the insecure mouse. It’s about how HE feels when he’s with her. But in all we really are not different. For if a man is getting his emotional needs met, a woman will look, sound, and smell like a queen.

He won’t necessarily get what he deserves, but he’ll get what he needs, whether he realizes it or not. Relationships work when partners recognize the emotional forces that brought them together and are both willing to work on themselves and the union.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Do men hones

SEX TALK

This column is x-rated

12 shocking sex facts

W

illiam Masters and Virginia Johnson became famous for the groundbreaking sex research they conducted at Washington University in St. Louis in the 1950s and 1960s—so famous, in fact, that Showtime decided to turn their story into a new drama series, Masters of Sex. Masters and Johnson’s discoveries changed the way we think about sex and about women’s sexuality in particular.

Their studies showed that women were capable of multiple orgasms, among other things. These were revolutionary ideas the time, but new research about women and sex has revealed some facts that would shock even Masters and Johnson. Here’s the latest on sex research from Dr. Eden Fromberg and Naomi Wolf ’s most recent book, Vagina: A New Biography.

1. Cycles of light affect our fertility Women used to menstruate during the new moon (when it’s dark at night) and ovulate during a full moon (when it’s light). Now, in a world full of artificial lighting and bright screens, women are not as in tune with the connection between their biology and nature. Some have tried

“lunaception,” altering the lights in their bedrooms based on the moon lighting to change their ovulation.

2. Women can get pregnant five to eight days after having sex Studies have shown that some sperm can live in the cervical mucus crypt before the egg is actually fertilized for anywhere from five to eight days after sex.

3. Wearing high heels can negatively affect a woman’s orgasm Certain high-end shoe brands developed the arch in their high-heeled shoes to approximate the arch in a woman’s pelvis when she is having an orgasm. The heels create a contraction in the pelvic floor, which is problematic because the pelvic floor then cannot contract further during orgasm. “An orgasm is usually like going from zero to 60,” explains Fromberg. “If you’re already at 55 [from wearing heels], you’re not going to have a full experience.”

4. Orgasms can make women more creative Studies have shown that orgasms can make women more confident, productive and creative. And it’s a feedback loop— women achieve fuller orgasms when they

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

RELATIONSHIPS

June 20, 2015

onships

stly fall in love?

W

This column is x-rated are being creative.

5. Birth control pills dampen the libido Any hormonal contraception has that psychological side effect. Sometimes women even have trouble conceiving once they’re off the pill because while they may have been attracted to their partner on the pill, they’re not actually compatible with each other biochemically without the extra hormones.

6. Sitting in chairs can arouse women Pudendal nerves, underneath the buttocks and the sitting bones, feed arousal tissues (in the vagina, clitoris, anus, etc.).

Sitting in a certain kind of chair pressing on the pudendal nerves in a certain way can lead to sexual arousal.

7. …But it can also dampen their orgasms On the other hand, sitting in chairs for most of the day shortens the pelvic floor and psoas muscles—muscles which are essential to a full-body orgasm. When these muscles are tight from sitting too much, women find it harder to achieve a great orgasm.

8. Women have three erogenous zones The clitoris, the G Spot, AND the opening of the cervix. Some argue nipples be-

This column is x-rated long on that list too.

9. Nerve endings are distributed differently in every woman’s vagina Each woman is unique in that her nerve endings are distributed in her genitalia differently than anyone else.

That means every woman needs to employ slightly different methods to achieve orgasm.

10. The pulsations a woman feels during orgasm are actually her uterus trying to gather sperm Round ligaments that end in the labia majora “rock the uterus back and forth during orgasm so that the cervix has the opportunity to potentially scoop semen up that may have pooled in the back of the vagina to enhance fertility,” says Fromberg.

11. Being well hydrated leads to better orgasms Because the body is mostly fluid, being hydrated enhances people’s ability to achieve orgasm.

12. All woman can achieve orgasm Almost no woman was born unable to achieve an orgasm. “Women have the innate machinery programmed to have orgasms,” Fromberg explains.

“But not everybody learns how to use that machinery well.”

Female

33

Angle

JACQUI IWU 08165049669 email: amiicaregroup@aol.com

Not really

hat a question huh?

While typing this topic i was tempeted to say ‘’NO’’ but i thought about it deeply and as i continue to type, i still feel a kind of whizzy about this sensitive question. Saying ‘yes’ either will not satisfy me seeing all the silly games men play with women in the romance and marriage department of life. So do not box me into a corner to choose or else i will go for a ‘NO’. Am jinxed with this topic...aren’t i.....???? so what i will do here is just to spill exactly how i feel about the whole love stuff regarding our own present generation. Yea ..sure...you do not expect me to use the cave men generation to relate to this ...afterall..i never met any of them huh? I am just going to use the generation i met in my own life time to deal with this brain hack of a question today. By the way, if you still feel strongly about this topic or my take on it, join our Saturday Breakfast meeting in Abuja and be part of our ‘’MeetGreet’’ forum. Here you will have opportunity to share your opinion on a whole lot of issues like this one Let’s roll!!!!!!

Loving someone could be described in so many ways. Again people love for different reasons.

Now focusing on men and asking if they really love honestly brings to the point of how men conduct themselves these days when they are attarcted to a woman. Most men actually cannot differenciate between crush/love/lust. How can you meet a woman today, in two days time you are talking of sleeping with her and having sex? What is this? In the process of your ranting, you will say- ‘’i love you’’ more than hundered times just to see if the woman will fall for your tricks. Yes, it is a trick because for you to actually love someone honestly, you must have to court/date that person to get to know her very well. Again i do not believe honest love is instant. Love at first sight?

Crap!! Bullshit!!!! Maybe in the olden days but not these days as we talk! Honest love has a lot to do with appreaciating both the good and bad sides of a person so how can you meet a woman for the first time and you stupidly blurt out the

words- i love you? You do not even know if she is a mermaid, a ghost for crying out loud...what do you know of someone you just met for you to say...i love you? Like i said earlier, my answer for today’s topic keeps leading to a NO answer but for the sake of few men...just few men.... i will put in a fight for them.

There are still some men but veryvery few who can comfortably love a woman in all honesty. When you see and meet such men, you will be asking where they come from.... if they are actually humans or angels from heaven. These men are interested in having you around them and sharing life issues with you and you can hardly hear them bother or ask you for sex till after a long time they have been seeing you. They are concerned about your welfare and always willing to sacrifice to make you happy to their own detriment. The last thing they will do is to make you sad or fool you. Such men are evn afraid to kiss you or make stupid sexual moves in your early stages of relationship. Their love goes deeper than the erotic love...they just love who you are....your entire being and are just satisfied seeing you...hearing your voice. Damn.... how many men are like this these days? How many? Just few of them around and you do not find them easily. The type of men you see everywhere are all those crude ones who are confusing themselves with love/crush/lust and looking for women to put into romantic coma without any care in the world. If you are not willing to give in to their sexual demands, their stupid love song, you are history! So you see folks....we have more men who crush than love.

They crush honestly but hardly love honestly. If you still feel am not making sense here, tell me the reason why a man meets a woman today and all he desires for the next few days is sex? Is this honest love? Those few men who still love honestly have actaully saved all the lust male sharks from my bullet today or else most of you who fall into this category would have swore! So i urge you good guys to keep being decent and loving.... some of us out here still appreciate your honesty.

34

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Woman

‘We must understand principles of successful marriage’

What would you say informed the setting up of your non-governmental organisation, Power in the Word Ministry?

Basically, the reason for setting it up is to impart to people, the knowledge that will enable them live highly successful lives.

We discover that so many people suffer for

lack of knowledge in terms of health and finance. We give empowerment. We do it in a variety of ways; primarily we organise teaching seminars on a quarterly basis to bring the needed knowledge in the areas of marriage, parenting, health, finance, Christian living, and education and so on

and so forth. We are also into publishing; that is, Christian education. When people read, they discover knowledge. I write Christian books aside my area of discipline as a lecturer. I also organise seminars.

They have their advantages. While books go beyond the shores of Nigeria, seminars

Dr. (Mrs.) Jumoke Mekiliuwa is the founder of a non-governmental organisation, Power in the Word Ministry. She is also a lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Akoka, Lagos.

In this interview with YEMISI ADENIRAN, she speaks on what informed the setting up of the organisation and what has made her marriage of over two decades endure. Excerpts: are restricted. However, we record tapes to help people have insight into what we are talking about.

How many books have you published and

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June 20, 2015

If you have a husband that does not feel threatened by your success, a man who buys into your vision, then, you should count yourself lucky because you really won’t have any problem.

what are their titles?

I’ve written about seven books. They include: “It’s not hard to be a woman”; “Insight into praise and worship”; “Men of like passions”; “ Winning on the race of life”; “Get down from the throne” and “The nine steps to success in life”.

What are the targets of your seminars?

We have everyone as our target audience because our focus is health and finance. We have a session on natural well-being; we have two sections targeted at two categories of people: women waiting on the Lord for the fruit of the womb; this includes men too. We address the issue of infertility.

There are consultants on hand to attend to the needs of those present at the seminar.

There are also people with cardio vascular problems. What we actually plan to do like I said earlier is to bring more awareness about heart problems. For instance, there are many executives who don’t know much about the heart or even those who know don’t pay any attention to it.

For how long have you been publishing and organising seminars?

I’ve been into publishing since about 12 years ago. The seminar aspect took off just three years ago and it is going on well. We are actually trying to explore the benefit of the presence of power in the written and spoken words.

What would you advise the government to do for youths?

The society generally should assist to empower youths. This include the government at all levels, NGOs, corporate organisations as well as meaningful individuals who have achieved and have reached a level of success to empower them economically and mentor them well.

Please tell us how long have you been married and how you met your husband?

I got married in 1994. That was some two years after I started lecturing, having finished my bachelor’s degree in 1986. I got my Masters in 1991 and started my PhD in 2009.

I met my husband at a wedding. He was the best man and I was the chief bride’s maid.

We soon got talking and became attracted to each other. The rest is now a story as they always say.

What attracted you to your husband and how would you describe the journey so far?

The attraction was his temperament.

He came across as a refined gentleman.

But primarily, we were brought together because we were, and still are born –again Christians. With God, the journey has been good; that is not to say the journey has been without its challenges, there had been challenges, but God has been good. We have been through several phases of life and we hope to sail through more as they come by the special grace of God. How easy would you say working and playing the role of the woman at home has been?

I won’t tell you it has been easy. Balancing one’s career with the home front is a huge task, especially, in a society such as ours.

However, when you realise that whatever

you have is from God, then you won’t have any problem. If you have a husband that does not feel threatened by your success, a man who buys into your vision, then, you should count yourself lucky because you really won’t have any problem. My husband has been supportive; he bought into my vision and I bless God for that. I don’t joke with my home. I believe that if you have lost it at the home front, you have lost it all. With his support, while I was doing my PhD degree, I was able to also do my bachelor’s degree in Theology. It was not easy, but I thank God for his help. It takes a lot of wisdom and organisational skills to do all together. When you are able to get your priorities right by placing the family first, you won’t have problems. You must also be responsible not to give excuses of the home for not performing your duties at your work place. God has helped me in that wise.

What would you say is responsible for increase in the number of broken homes these days?

The reality is that the marriage institution has come under several attacks since the time of Adam and Eve. The breaking up we have now is alarming indeed.

I think we have lost focus on some of the things that make marriage work. From my counselling with people, and personal meditations, I have discovered that we have lost endurance, patience and tolerance. The reality is that in the past, people were encouraged to endure and stay on in their marriages, but these days, people advise you to leave if you cannot cope because you have one life to live. They tell you that you need to be happy. It is true that one needs to be happy but we must be ready to play well our parts. If only we will be more patient and more understanding, we would have long lasting marriages. We must be ready to make sacrifices; we must take our time to understand the psychological reason for the other person’s way of behaviour.

We need wisdom, knowledge and understanding to make marriages successful. We must have that portion of the Bible that says “through wisdom, a house is built, through understanding, it is established and by knowledge, the chambers are filled.” Everything is not just about material things; we must know that whatever stress one is passing though, is seasonal; it is a phase that will pass. Marriage goes beyond the physical and material things.

I once had my own grumble when my husband was engrossed with his job but I endured and that is why we could move forward till today. We must discover the principles that make a marriage work, not just about he has a good job, so, we should marry and when he loses the job, the marriage is over. Or, she is beautiful, so, I will marry her and when she has added some weight because of childbirth, the love gets sour. We must cultivate the principles of genuine love, endurance, patience, tolerance, wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Keeping ABREAST

Oxford University set to appoint first female Vice Chancellor in 800 years!

T he University of Oxford is set to appoint its first female vicechancellor since its records began nearly 800 years ago. Professor Louise Richardson has been nominated for the university’s most senior office.

Richardson, currently the principal and vice-chancellor of St Andrews University, is an expert on the growth of terrorist movements. She held a succession of high-profile positions at Harvard until she was appointed to lead St Andrews in 2009.

Students and staff hailed the nomination as a momentous event in Oxford’s history. Richardson, 56, says she hopes her nomination will inspire current and potential female undergraduates.

“I look forward to the day when a woman being appointed isn’t in itself news,” Richardson says. “Unfortunately, academia like most professions is pyramid-shaped – the higher up you go the fewer women there are.”

Born in County Waterford, Ireland, Richardson read history at Trinity College, Dublin, as an undergraduate, before postgraduate study at UCLA and a doctorate at Harvard.

Richardson says her priorities will be maintaining Oxford’s stellar reputation as one of the world’s top research and teaching universities, and that balancing the university’s admissions procedures was part of that effort.

“This has been a priority for me at St Andrews, where we have dramatically increased the proportion of poor kids we accept,” Richardson says.

“My parents did not go to college, most of my siblings did not go to college. The trajectory of my life has been made possible by education. So I am utterly committed to others having the same opportunity I have had.”

The second of seven siblings, Richardson was born in 1958 and later moved to the US to study international relations.

Her research on terrorism and its causes culminated in her acclaimed 2006 book titled ‘What Terrorists Want,’ which has been described by ‘The New York Times’ as an “essential primer on terrorism and how to tackle it.”

Richardson’s appointment to a seven-year term as vice-chancellor is subject to approval by the university’s congregation, after which she will take over from Prof Andrew Hamilton at the end of the year.

Professor Louise Richardson

“Appointing a woman is a historic moment for Oxford but appointing this woman is a huge investment in our future as well,” said Josephine Quinn, vice-provost of Worcester College.

Anna Bradshaw, Oxford University student union’s vice-president for women, said she had been impressed

by Richardson after meeting her last week.

“I found her receptive and well informed, with strong views and committed to working for gender equality,” Bradshaw said.

“This is part of broad changes that need to be made to Oxford’s fabric, to make it a 21st-century institution.”

Chris Patten, the university’s chancellor, said in a statement that Richardson’s “distinguished record both as an educational leader and as an outstanding scholar provides an excellent basis for her to lead Oxford in the coming years”.

Cambridge appointed its first female vice-chancellor in 2003, when Dame Alison Richard took the post.

For Richardson, it is not the first time she has filled a historic role. At St Andrews, she was not only the first female vice-chancellor in 600 years but also the first Roman Catholic.

Richardson’s parents still live in Tramore on Ireland’s southern coast, where she grew up and went to a convent school. “I think they are delighted and proud,” she said.

Oxford’s exact foundation is shrouded in uncertainty but the first recorded vice-chancellor was in 1230, according to the Encyclopaedia of Oxford.

Parenting

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June 20, 2015

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

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hile growing up nearly all children are tempted to acquire objects which do not belong to them. Till a certain age when children have not developed a concept of personal boundaries or moral values, they may take the things that they desire.

Once the personal boundaries and a sense of moral values are in place, the stealing stops. However, there are some children who develop a psychological disorder called Kleptomania. The meaning of kleptomania is compulsive stealing and it belongs to the family of ‘impulse-control disorders.’ Often considered a rare diagnosis limited to women, the incidence and prevalence of kleptomania in children and adolescents is rising these days.

Children suffering from kleptomania experience strong impulses to steal objects. The objects stolen are usually not costly ones and tend to be of little use to the child. The child can often have an easy access to the object by lawful means.

In fact a parent or teacher may be surprised at the choice of object and it may appear senseless that why the child stole it.

I have seen parents expressing their shock that had the child asked for it; they would have simply given it to him or her.

The impulse to steal is extremely strong and the child cannot

resist it no matter how hard he or she tries. There is a loss of control and some children experience it as an automatic act. Before the act of stealing, an extreme tension builds up in the mind and the body and when the act is carried out the child usually experiences pleasure and relief. The child usually carries out the stealing act alone and it is a carefully guarded secret.

A kleptomaniac is not a criminal but suffers from a psychological disorder. Children suffering from kleptomania develop uncomfortable feelings of shame, guilt and fear. They live in a dread of being caught and feel ashamed and guilty that they are engaging repeatedly in a ‘bad activity.’ In case the child is caught he or she feels all the more ashamed, guilty and helpless as harsh corrective measures are imposed.

Causes of Kleptomania The causes of kleptomania have not been fully understood but preliminary research and clinical experience suggests an interaction of psychological, environmental and biological factors.

•Inside the brain of a kleptomaniac: A decrease in the availability of neurotransmitter serotonin in brain has been associated with a tendency toward risk taking behaviors. Serotonin regulates emotions and

mood of a person. There may also be an increase in the level of dopamine which produces feelings of pleasure and reinforces the stealing.

•Stolen object as a symbol for something else: In many cases of kleptomania, although the stolen object initially seems very bizarre, in course of psychological treatment, it is known that the object stands as a symbol for something else. Usually, a child has some deep wishes which he or she is scared to acknowledge and suppresses. The stolen object fulfills these wishes in a symbolic and complicated manner.

•Coping with deprivation or loss: Children suffering from kleptomania have often experienced a real or imagined deprivation or loss and both the act of stealing and stolen object help them deny and cope with this painful sense. The stolen object has a deep symbolic significance in relation to the trauma.

Treatment of Kleptomania In the treatment of kleptomania both parents and psychologist need to collaborate.

•Parents who discover that their children are kleptomaniac experience shock, rage and grief. During this time it is important to keep in mind that their child is not a criminal but is suffering from a disorder.

Blaming or ridiculing the child is simply going to worsen the

problem. While they need to set limits for the child, the perspective should center on trying to understand what makes the child steal? What symbolic value the stolen object may have for the child? What psychological functions is the act of stealing performing for the child? An engagement with these questions will elucidate

Tiny Feet

NAME: Emmanuel Akin-Johnson BORN TO: Mr and Mrs Akin-Johnson AGE: 3 months old BIRTH WEIGHT: 3.6 kg Have you just had a baby? Send a picture of your bundle of joy to mirrorbabies@gmail.com

‘It’s my ParentingUpdate wedding too!’ zz4-year-old flower girl thinks she’s the bride and A steals kiss

Tennessee couple (USA) expecting to be the only ones puckering up behind the camera on their wedding day got a surprise when the 4-year-old flower girl stole a kiss of her own.

As Michelle Hall and Anthony Palmer geared up to become husband and wife on June 13, the bride’s 4-year-old daughter, Anderson, was sure the big day was about her.

“She was calling herself the bride the whole day,” photographer Leah Bullard says of the little girl,

noting her ‘bubbly’ personality.

So, when the photographer arranged the bridal party for photos, telling the bride and groom to kiss, Anderson, naturally, thought the photographer was referring to her.

The 4-year-old leaned in and kissed the ring bearer, a

the complexities of seemingly bizarre behavior and the ways to cope with it.

•Psychoanalytical treatment focusing on underlying causes of kleptomania leads to a reduction in symptoms besides improving the selfconcept, relationship patterns and coping skills of the child.

small boy she called ‘Ikey,’ as her mother and Palmer shared a kiss of their own.

“That was my wedding too!” the gutsy fouryear-old says. “Guess what! When mama kissed, Ikey and I kissed! I was trying to get Ikey to kiss me.”

Bullard said the bridal party erupted in laughter at the little girl’s display. And when she attempted to get another shot -- without the kids’ kiss -- the little girl ‘really went for it,’ planting another kiss on little Ikey’s lips!

People

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June 20, 2015

37

The king who has 100 wives and 500 children

zz Abumbi II, the 11th Fon of the Bafut region in Cameroon, became king after the death of his father zz Local tradition means the king inherited all of his father’s wives, meaning that Abumbi II now has close to 100 queens gion, for 47 years. to choose. He may have “inherited” 72

Abumbi II

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bumbi II, Fon of the Bafut region in Cameroon has close to 100 wives after inheriting his late father’s queens as his own.

He became the 11th king of Bafut after the death of his father in 1968. Polygamy is legal in Cameroon and it is tradition in rural areas for men to marry more than one woman, with no limit on how many wives one man can take.

But as is custom, when a king dies, his successor inherits all of his wives. So Abumbi now has around 100 wives, having been passed 72 from his father. He has taken on over 500 children from all of his wives.

Queen Constance, Abumbi’s third wife, says, “Behind every successful man must be a very successful, staunch woman.

“Our tradition has it that when you are king, the elderly wives remain to hand down the tradition to the younger wives, and also to teach the new king the tradition, because the king had been a prince, not a king.”

Abumbi’s queens are not mere chattels. They are often well spoken, speaking several languages and are accomplished in education.

“My role is to blend them, to find the way forward so my subjects can enjoy the fruits of development and modernity without destroying their culture.

Without a culture, you are not a human being, you are an animal. And therefore the chieftaincy institution is the guarantor of our culture.”

Polygamy is often met with criticism in the West. But when Soni Methu, presenter for CNN’s Inside Africa met Fon Abumbi II and his queens, she had a change of heart, noting that there was more to the practice than meets the Western eye.

“I understand that we might be quick to judge the lifestyle of the kings, but just like in the United Kingdom, African kingdoms and kings are bound to a rich culture and history. Practices like inheritance of all your father’s wives is nothing but a moral obligation,” she said.

She also observed that many of these royals are highly accomplished. On meeting the queens of Fon Ndofua Zofia II of Babungo, one of Cameroon’s youngest traditional rulers, Methu also said, “All his young wives, forced on him by tradition, spoke fluent English in a French-speaking region and were great marketers.”

It is this seeming contradiction that makes life in the Fondom fascinating and confusing. Are they stuck in the past or keeping pace with the present?

Fon Zofoa III doesn’t think you have

“The queens have a great role to play in the Fondom,” says Prince Nickson, also of Bafut, noting that it is up to these women behind the man to shape him in his kingly role.

The practice of polygamy is one that is often challenged in Cameroon, as there are fewer polygamous marriages now than ever before. But despite this, King Abumbi says it is his job to preserve the culture of his people and their local traditions and that his wives are very important to him.

The practice of polygamy is being challenged not just by changing values, the spread of the Christian faith, the growing appeal of the western way of life but also the rising costs of having large families. It is against this backdrop that Cameroon’s traditional rulers must walk the fine line between two often conflicting cultures.

“During colonialism other values came in, of governance, different from the traditional values we had and therefore there is this constant conflict between the traditional values and modern western values,” admits Fon Abumbi II, who has ruled Bafut, the largest Fondom in the re- Old queen

wives and more than 500 children after his father’s death, but he considers himself a very modern king.

“To run a kingdom nowadays in this era, you must be educated, because things are moving very fast. Like they say, education is light, ignorance is darkness.”

The traditional role of the Fon is to control external relations of the area, as well as internal governance. He is also in charge of justice and offer sacrifices to his ancestors in a spiritual role.

The palace of the Fon of Bafut, called Ntoh, is a major tourist attraction and is listed as one of the world’s most endangered sites.

Bafut is a town, Fondom in the northwest part of the country. It’s also in the works to become an eco-city. This region of Cameroon has preserved its traditional structure, and Abumbi (and his 100 wives) is its leader, working together with local councils.

Before the Europeans hit their shores, the Fons were independent.

They were subjected to German, then French or British, rule after World War I. Bafut fell under British rule until independence in 1961, and now is subject to the Cameroon government. The Fondom remains semi-autonomous, the Fon is the local ruler, and he has jurisdiction over his ancestral land. And he’s not just a figure-head either; he has seats on many national boards.

New queen

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June 20, 2015

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‘Husband wants 30-year marriage dissolved over adultery’

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‘She is bad market’

• Because she saw my desperation for a male child, which she gave me, she

threatens to tell my wife and disgrace me in my church whenever we have any misunderstanding. Honestly, she is a bad market —Husband • After delivery, he stopped making love to me and because of this, I

suspected that he had finished with me, I took a bold step, went to his

house with my son and introduced myself to his wife — Mistress Stories by: Muda Oyeniran

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33-year-old trader, RonkeOnomade, has pleaded with an Alagbado Customary Court to dissolve her three years old relationship with a pastor Timothy Mustapha.

The plaintiff, who lives at 68, Taobana Street, Omiata Bus Stop, Agbelekale, Abule Egba, a suburb of Lagos, told the court that she was never married to the pastor but had a son for him.

“I met pastor three years ago when my husband and I had a misunderstanding and threw me out of the house, he tried to settle the dispute but my husband insisted that he won’t take me back.

“When pastor knew that where I was staying was not conducive, he secured a better apartment for me and always come visiting.

“He told me that all effort for him and his wife to get a son proved abortive and that he wants me to give him a son, after much persuasion from him, I agreed,” she said.

Ronke told the court that she had a son for pastor but he didn’t introduce her to his people nor does his wife knows her relationship with him not to talk of knowing that he has a son.

“I always disturb him of tak-

ing me to his family and introducing me to his wife but he would tell me that he will do that some day.

“After delivery, he stopped making love to me and because of this I suspected that he had finished with me, I took a bold step, went to his house with my son, mother and sister and introduced myself to his wife.

“His wife told me that she will handle the situation, pastor told me that i should allow my son to be with him for some days and I agreed and since then till now, he hasn’t brought him back,” she said.

Ronke told the court that her son has spent a month with pastor without seeing his brake light.

“I want my son back, he is just two years and four months old, he needs me and i need him, please help me take my son from him,” she said.

While responding, Pastor Timothy Mustapha, 53, told the court that Ronke is not a good product but a mistake he ever made.

“Because she saw my desperation for a male child whom she gave me, she threatens to tell my wife and to disgrace me in my church whenever we have any misunderstanding.

“Honestly, she is a bad market, she collects money from me at will, and she brings her friends to the house I secured for her and run their expenses from my

purse.

“I only slept with her once and that was what produced, the son she had for me, her character is so bad that she fought her neighbours because of N10,” he said.

Pastor told the court that Ronke’s mother asked him to sponsor her to Mecca, buy a bus for her eldest son and also build a house for Ronke.

“The plan Ronke has for me is nothing but destruction, I asked myself that if I have been spending my money like this that I would not have savings.

“She once slapped me, cut my chin that I fell on the chair, my legal wife has never done before,” he said.

Pastor told the court that Ronke, he sister and mother came to his church to disgrace him but his wife who knew about the issue for the first time handled it with understanding and asked them to come to the house.

“Ronke’s mother said that I should take my son, she said that I should not tie her daughter down with the son and I have taken my son, so how do I go wrong,” he said.

Pastor said that Ronke is never my wife and can never be; she does not bear my name and can never bear it.

The Court President, Mr Olubode Sekoni told the parties to maintain the peace and adjourned the case for further hearing.

60-year-old husband, Mr.Abdullahi Saka has prayed a Customary Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, to dissolve his 30-year-old marriage to Mrs Iyadun Abdullahi, for allegedly committing adultery.

Saka told the court that apart from committing adultery, his wife was frequently fighting him and some of their neighbours.

He said that the 30-year-old marriage had produced two males and two females, who are now grown up.

Counsel to the petitioner, Mr Ajibade Abubakar, told the

court that neither Mrs Iyadun Saka nor her counsel had appeared in court since their first appearance in 2011.

Ajibade said that the estranged wife had since returned all her husband’s property in her possession, “which shows that she is no longer interested in the marriage’’.

The Court’s President, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, ruled that there was nothing the Court could do now since the defendant was absent or not present in the Court at the time of its sitting.

He adjourned the case to Oct. 28 for further hearing. (NAN)

‘He disgraces me in public’

• She always starves me of food —Husband

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50-year-old housewife, Mrs Abeke Olowolafe has approached an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court seeking dissolution of her 32-year-old marriage to her husband, James.

Abeke is seeking the dissolution on grounds of public assault and blackmailing, telling the court that her husband always disgraced her in public, calling her various unprintable names.

She said that her husband usually referred to her as a promiscuous woman dating different men.

Abeke, a mother of three, said there was a particular day her husband told her to lie-down on bed to know whether she had sex with another man.

She told the court that she had been responsible for the children’s upkeep and her husband had not been supportive.

According to her, whenever she had sex with her husband, she always had stomach disorder which usually resulted in her seeking medical attention.

But the respondent, James, (56) told the court that his wife always starved him of food when they were together before they separated.

He said there was a particular night she received a man’s call that she said was her friend’s husband but later caught him with her.

James said he had been taking care of the children and took a loan to enable her to start her own business.

He said he was forced to take a second wife because of Abeke’s behavior.

After hearing from both parties, the President of the Court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede adjourned the case for judgment. (NAN)

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DIVORCE COURT

June 20, 2015

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‘He beat me and threw me inside gutter while pregnant’

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lalekan Ishola of 126, Railway line, Agege has sought the dissolution of his 9year marriage to 30 yearold Adenike who bore him 4 girls. His claims range from her being strong willed, not listening to him and being temperamental. He told the court how she used a kitchen knife on him, if he dare caution her she takes a harder object

My wife is so temperamental and she told me whenever she is angry she really doesn’t know what she is doing anymore. She once used the cover of generator tank to hit me on the head; she thereafter took to other harmful objects ‘’On new year’s eve last year, we had a fight which made her use soft drink bottle on me twice, that did not do her wish and she took a scissor, threatening she would stab me on the side. Knife was the next thing she took; we fought outside such that neighbours were looking at us.

I had to run for dear life as her brother went to bring soldiers to beat me up, someone hinted me of that and I had to leave home, that was how I left my home till that December 31 till date. I want custody of my kids and a divorce; Adenike, a nurse on the other hand said she is still interested in him but if he says otherwise, no qualms. She told the court of how she never knew her husband is a smoker and a drunk. He drinks to stupor and vomits on his body, he is often arrested by the police because of his waywardness. He was once caught with Indian hemp and arrested.

He beats me mercilessly if I dare correct him, I was 3 months pregnant when he beat me and threw me inside the gutter, and it was in a bid to free myself that I used the generator tank cover on his head.

He would lock me out with the kids; lock my shop where I sell drugs and drinks. He would accuse me of being made love to by the co –tenants in my shop, often harass my customers and fight me yet he doesn’t pay his kids school fees I pay their fees, feed them as well. The last 2 kids are twins, they are 2 yrs and have started school but he refused to buy

• She is too temperamental —Husband them school uniform, they wear mufti since last year they started. When his troubles became too much on my mind, I mistakenly washed the recharge cards I was selling in water when washing clothes, on that December 31, he beat me as if he would kill me, that

was why I took my circumcision scissors and threatened to stab him, it injured me as well. It was my brother who witnessed the terrible beating that went to bring soldiers to deal with him; he owes house rent but has refused to pay as he has left home for us. He is

equally owing school fees, he only paid 20, 000 out of the outstanding debt when we were coming to court.

He should find where we live, feed his kids and pay school fees if not interested in the union anymore. So says mother of 4 girls namely

Halima(8), Fareeda(4) and a twins(2 years each).

The Court President, Mr. P.A Williams ordered that Lekan must pay 20,000 to his wife as kids’ upkeep since he has not given them a dime since December. He must pay it before the adjourned date, otherwise he would be charged for contempt of court which means imprisonment with no fine.

‘My wife beats me mercilessly’

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n Osogbo grade 3 Customary Court has dissolved a 17 year marriage of one Asimiyu Oladosu over frequent beating by the wife.

Oladosu told the court that his wife, Kehinde, was fond of beating him whenever he returns from church or outings.

He said the marriage was blessed with three children but he could no longer bear his wife’s attitude.

“I am tired of this marriage due to frequent beating by my wife as well as her nagging nature. She does not go to church and whenever I go to church or vigil, she will not

• “I am tired of this marriage due to frequent beating by my wife —Husband • I still love my husband and I want the matter to be settled amicably. I don’t want to leave him and I promise that I will never beat him again —Wife allow me into the house and if she does, she beats me mercilessly. Based on these facts, I want the court to dissolve this union,” he said.

The wife, admitted that she usually beat her husband, adding that she did that under the influence of what she called an “unknown spirit.”

Kehinde, who cried profusely, prayed the court to settle the matter amicably, adding

that she still loves her husband.

“What my husband said was true. I always beat him but I do not know what usually comes over me whenever I do that. I still love my husband and I want the matter to be settled amicably. I don’t want to leave him and I promise that I will never beat him again,” the wife said.

The President of the court,

Mrs Temilade Agboola, pleaded on behalf of the woman and asked the man to forgive her.

But Oladosu refused and maintained that he preferred divorce.

Agboola said that since the husband wanted a divorce, there was nothing the court could do but to grant the request.

She dissolved the marriage and ordered that the wife should take custody of the three children.

Agboola also ordered Oladosu to give a monthly upkeep of N9, 000 for the children. (NAN

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PEOPLE

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

James Umekwe:

Giving back to the people James Ogbuka Umekwe, Nigerian born US-based engineer, has been rendering selfless medical service to communities in Abia State since 2012.

He has been doing this with different teams of medical experts from the United States. He speaks on why he is passionate about improving the living standard of Nigerians through his clinic, provision of boreholes and an agricultural programme

Juliet Umeh

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hat motivated you into the services you have been rendering to people?

I know that health care system in Nigeria is seen as the privileged right of the rich and the wealthy, that is why I decided to set up a medical centre in Ozu Abam, Arochukwu Local Government Area, “Upon This Rock Medical Center,” where people living in Abia State can be treated. The project started in December 2012, then I brought to Nigeria a team of about 12 experts from the United States and some of them were doctors, nurses, medical students who were in their final year. That was when the hospital “Upon This Rock Medical Center” was inaugurated. We were able to do a lot of surgeries. We took care of about 55 operations, hyena, fibroids, and glaucoma, just name it. We saw about 1,700 patients on that particular mission, so we did that for two weeks and went back to the US. In May/June 2013, we came back again with about a team of 10 experts; three of them were medical students, four nurses and three doctors. We did the same thing and had more than 55 surgeries. We saw more than 1,400 patients.

Interestingly, from December 26, 2013 to January 14, 2014, we worked with a team of nine medical personnel; two medical doctors, nurses and medical students. We had 64 surgeries and we saw over 1,400, patients. We had our fourth medical mission from March ending to April 8, 2014 and the seven man- team comprised a surgeon who is

very good in vascular surgery; one neuropsychiatric, two nurses, two surgeons and one paramedic, who works with California Medical Service. The paramedic is well trained and he is also an instructor. So he conducted emergency medical response training to a team of medical doctors from FMC’s doctors in Umuahia on April 3 and 4.

How were you able to achieve all these?

We have the support of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Umuahia.

Its director, Dr Abali Chukwu, is my good friend. The first time we came in 2012, he gave us the FMC theatre, so that was where we did all the major surgeries. We went to FMC with 13 patients, four of them were children for hernia and six women for fibroids and we had two with tumour and one had disfiguration of his legs.

How are your fees at the centre?

The first mission we did in 2012 was totally free. Then, we realize that anything free doesn’t have valued as such.

So we decided to charge N200.00 only for a card and all our surgeries across board costs N7,000, no matter the degree of the condition of the patient, so that is what we have done. We had a case where the same surgery that we would have done while we were here, but because it was the time for us to leave, we couldn’t see the patients and we sent them to the FMC, where they were charged N70, 000.00 for the same operation we would have charged N7, 000.00. So we just put that little money to attach value to it.

Who are the financiers of these projects?

To be honest with you, I put down the seed money. Nobody gave me money to build the hospital; I built it with my own money. The help that I got was from the organization that provided medical supplies which we used. The organization is in the US, they gave me medical equipment and supplies that we are using.

That was the lady who said, “If you build a clinic, I will help you”. So after building the clinic, she supplied the medical equipment that we are using. The doctors are the ones responsible for their fares.

Is there political undertone to these gestures?

There is political undertone. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I never wanted to be involved in politics. I built the hos-

Umekwe

pital on my private land. I try as much as possible to stay away from politics. The Ogbuka Umekwe Hope Foundation is a fully registered non-government organization. The foundation is registered in Abuja and Upon This Rock is operating under the foundation.

How do you take care of the medical centre while in US? It’s very tough to have a permanent doctor to live in a rural community and that is the problem. But, we engaged a doctor who came from Southern Sudan and stayed in Nigeria and took care of patients. He made his first visit on Monday, March 31, 2014. He came with his wife and worked for some time and went back to get some things and then come back, but because of the war in Sudan, he was unable to come right away. Right now, we are having doctors from FMC that come whenever we schedule surgeries. We also have doctors from FMC that help us in diabetic related cases. Presently, we are actively looking for a doctor to employ permanently until the Sudanese doctor comes back.

How has the hospital fared?

The hospital has been doing very well.

A lot of things are happening. We have just received new equipment to receive full anaesthesia so that we can have full

operation/full surgery because we have been doing local anaesthesia. We have two anaesthesia machines now. Also, we are adding a new building, a 5000 square feet building to the existing hospital. In this new building, we are going to have two theatres for surgical operation. We are also going to have a dental section. We are going to have a full functional laboratory, an X-ray section and equipment sections. We are just waiting for the completion of the building. Hopefully, by the end of the year, we will be able to dedicate the extended clinic that is mainly in honour of a girl that was killed by a drunk driver in California, US, Kristina Chesterman.

So the clinic will be called Kristina Chesterman Memorial Clinic. So we are going to work hand-in-hand. It is going to be Kristina Chesterman and Upon This Rock Medical Centre. We are going to bring some level of synergy between the two clinics. Another project we are doing is called Aqua-ponic. It is an agricultural project. We had two men that came from California to build the aqua-ponic. They built it in my compound, using fish ponds to grow plants. They started that project, completed it and the plants have started growing. The plants include: cucumbers, tomatoes and so on. The fishes are growing. This coming December, the team will be coming back and we want to make some additional planting.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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June 20, 2015

Doctor Talabi has answers to your health questions

Write him today at prettyprevent@gmail.com or text 09099346165 (sms only pls)

Health lessons ... from real people

I

t is yet another time for us to share those real life stories from which lessons could be learnt. Remember it is just for us to learn one or two lessons!

The Story: Mr. and Mrs. Charles (not real name) came to the clinic one early morning.

The husband has been having a terrible headache which has been on for almost a week. He has had such symptoms in the past, but after swallowing some pain medications, he was relieved somewhat. But this time around, not only did the headache persist; he was also finding it difficult to sleep and was beginning to feel dizzy, hence the journey to the hospital. Upon presentation, Mr. Charles blood pressure (BP) measured 220/120mmhg.That was high by all standards, especially when you consider that a normal BP is one that is less than or equal to 140/90mmhg. He was lucky to have made it to the hospital on his two feet. Several scenarios could have occurred. First he could have come down with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) also known as stroke. It could be the type that would paralyze his limbs or the one that would burst a big vessel in his brain leading to unconsciousness, irrational behavior or even death. If he was lucky to have escaped that, there are other, no less serious scenarios: cardiac arrest, pulmonary oedema etc. In short, Mr. Charles was a walking miracle.

The situation was explained to him, and he was told that he would have to be placed on observation at the hospital for a few hours. To bring down the blood pressure, while watching out for tell tale signs that would signal the extent of damage to various organs in his body. But he would have none of that.

He rejected the possibility of being hypertensive at his age (he was in his late thirties).According to him, no one in his family is known to have such an illness, though he admitted his dad suddenly

collapsed and died few years ago, but it was assumed his enemies must have gotten rid of him diabolically since he retired early to his village against the advice of his immediate family members . In addition to that, Mr. Charles stated that he was a practicing Christian and didn’t believe any affliction will come his way.

Explanations were offered as to the relative frequency of high BP in people his age nowadays. He was further assured that hypertension is by no means a disease reserved only for sinners; rather, family history, lifestyle, diet, and some organic diseases play significant roles in whether or not an individual will go on to develop it.

He refused admission and asked to be given drugs instead, in order to relief the disturbing headache which was his main concern . Not only that, he had to leave immediately for work as his boss will be expecting him. Mrs. Charles, who hitherto had watched silently while the encounter went on, now joined in entreating her husband to stay and get well, arguing that he has to be alive and well to function optimally at work, but we all failed to convince him. So he left.

Few minutes later, he was brought back, barely conscious. He had collapsed on his way out of the hospital.

This time around it wasn’t his decision whether to be admitted or not.

The now very agitated wife begged that everything should be done to keep her husband alive. Thankfully, he pulled through with all his senses intact, but his cooperation only lasted while he was unconscious. On getting out of coma, Mr. Charles’ first demand was to leave immediately for work. He said, he was really important to his boss and

if he didn’t go to work even for a day, a lot of things will be affected. He barely waited long enough to feel better and then asked to be discharged. As the final say about his own health lies with him, he was asked to sign, indicating his decision to be discharged against medical advice, which he did. The wife was deeply disturbed and she didn’t hide it.

She railed on top of her voices and insisted that the husband should stay for his treatment and not bring ‘wahala ‘on her head. Anyways, the couple eventually left and was never seen again.

The Lessons: Perhaps the first thing to learn here is the need for regular medical checks.

If Mr. Charles had been checking his BP regularly as part of general medical check, he would have known his state before it got aggravated.

Closely related to this is the erroneous notion that we cannot develop a disease simply because our ancestors did not have them. Bearing in mind the sharp contrast between our diet and theirs, our highly polluted environment compared to theirs, we basically live in an entirely different world.

Now to the big question, which is really more important? Our health or work? Knowing that we need our work as a source of livelihood to take care of our health amongst other needs but at the same time knowing for sure that a sick person cannot work.

Furthermore, as events later unfolded, is there a role the wife would have

played in convincing the husband or in ensuring his health is given a priority?

Conclusion: About eight months afterwards, a call came in from Mrs. Charles. She was no longer in Lagos. In fact, at that material time she was alone; locked up in a room in her husband’s family house in the village. Her sin was that, she was suspected of being responsible for the death of her husband who just passed on after collapsing at work. To prove her innocence she had to be literally imprisoned ,with her head shaved and forced to drink some concoctions. If she survived, then she could be cleared of complicity in her husband’s death.

According to her, the experience was harrowing. Curiously, she sounded more guilty than angry. Her calling us was more to find out if there was more she could have done to avert her husband’s death rather than reporting her husband’s relatives. She seemed determined and ready to go to any length in proving her innocence.

Consolations were offered Mrs. Charles and she was advised on the availability of organizations that help widows in her shoes and protect them from harmful cultural practices.

Really really sad. What an end to a boisterous life and a budding marriage!

Dear Readers, your contributions are highly welcome. To share your thoughts, you can email prettyprevent @gmail.com or text 09099346165 and others can learn from your opinion.

Dear Mirror Doctor Good day sir, Mirror doctor, please sir I have a serious infection. Please will you do me a favour to get the name of the drugs .I will be happy if you can do it for me. Thank you sir.

George, from (08180………….95)

Lagos

Dear George, I will be glad to help, but I need to know the exact infection you

have as there are several. It is only then we can begin to talk of medications to tackle it. You can email me at www.prettyprevent@ gmail.com or chat with me at the web address below. In the alterna-

tive, you can visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

You can chat with a doctor FREE at www.prettyhealthcare.com.ng. every Wednesdays and Fridays (4-8pm)

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June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oguta: Ancient in landmarks, rich in history!

Oguta-Motel-Top-View

O

guta, an ancient town, South East of Nigeria, nestles on the east bank of Oguta Lake. It was one of the first territories used by the British to advance into the Igbo hinterland. It is divided into two townships separated by its popular lake: Oguta 1 and Oguta 2.

Today, Oguta is better known for its resort hotel, challenging Scottish-designed golf course and home of commercial fishing. It has huge oil and Gas deposit known as the Goden Belt. Oguta is also known for its rich culture and wealth.

Fish, yam and cassava are just some of the staples in an average Oguta person’s diet.

Neighbouring towns include Izombe (an oil and gas settlement), Akri, Nkwesi, Nnebukwu, Orsu-Obodo, Egwe, and Egbuoma, border town with Anambra State. Oguta 2 is home to Donguarella, an Italian Catholic outreach project for handicapped children.

Some notable sons and daughters of Oguta Amaeshi include late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa- Former Chief Justice of the Federation, Senator Arthur Nzeribe- Politician,

Charles Oputa- Singer, Alban Nwapa- Singer, Late Lambert Adindu-Uzoka- Businessman and Philantropist, Late Flora Nwapa- Author and Publisher.

Present day Oguta settled during the 18th century as a nomadic tribe of Beni Stock who lived with the Obeagwa ,Amaozua and Obuta people.

They were basically farmers but also engaged in the lucrative palm oil trade and eventually attracted the Royal Niger Company (RNC) in the area.

Oguta observes three traditional festivals: Agugu Achina, Owu Achina, Omerife festivals

as well as Easter,Christmas and New Year. The societies are based on age group having its own dances and masquerades.

Tradition says that “Mammy water” (Water goddess) Exists in the Oguta Lake and most of the populace believes in the existence and effectiveness of such spirit. There are two cult shrines owned by the Oguta People.

One of the standing traditions of Oguta people is that old women of the town, over sixty years may ferry people across the Lake.

Oguta is made up of Oguta 1, the traditional centre of the town, situated at the East Bank of the lake; Oguta II, on the South Bank of the lake, Housing the UAC, SCOA and other European Trading firms as well as Aro Quarters, Kalabari beach and so on.

While Oguta III is on the North bank Of the Lake and is separated from Oguta1 by the Okposha Inlet. Oguta III offers a pleasing view of Oguta Blue Lake, as it is called or Ogbuide.

It is the second largest fresh water in Nigeria after Lake Chad. No brine, no smarting

in the eyes and no harmful creatures. It is surrounded with ever –green environs of the poetic beauty and can be regarded as the premiere tourist attraction of the state.

In 1973, permission was granted by the East Central to Messer’s Ibru and VaughanRichard, Architect and planners for the Oguta Lake Resort Project of the entire Area was made conscious of its involvement with the Resort Industry.

Oguta Lake and Golf Resort was established about 40 years ago by the colonial rulers as their exclusive “get away” spot. During the Nigeria-Biafra civil war of 1967-1970, the Biafran’s built a bunker with a tunnel that runs under the lake connecting both banks of the lake, this is preserved today as it’s an important part of Oguta Lake’s history and still attracts a lot of visitors.

Presently the Resort has an holiday complex which includes, A Golf Course with 18 standard international holes.

Relic of war (mini bunker) constructed by the defunct Biafran Navy during Civic war, Natural confluence of Oguta Lake and Urashi River, Cruise boat services, Golf Club Bar House/Oguta Lake Motel for refreshment, lodging and feeding as well as Mini-children recreation park. .

Oguta Lake

Oguta Lake Boat

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

LEISURE

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June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the Civil Service NNPC restates commitment to global safety practices

T

he Managing Director of NNPC Retail Ltd, Mr Chris Osarumwense, on Friday implored all its retail outlets and owners of affiliate stations nationwide to main-

tain a high safety culture, in line with international best practices.

Osarumwense gave the plea at the commissioning of the NNPC Standard Service Station at Auchi, headquarters of the Etsako-West Local

Government Area of Edo. ``NNPC Retail is established to ensure availability of unadulterated petroleum products. ``And I implore the retail filling station owners to ensure the safety of staff, customers and the general public in all their operations,’’ he said.

Osarumwense said that NNPC Retail Ltd is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation saddled with the responsibility of retailing petroleum products across the country.

He said that the firm had constructed 580 NNPC stations across the country.

The NNPC retail MD,

however, assured Nigerians of adequate supply of petroleum products nationwide.

He called on Nigerians to key into the use of liquefied petroleum gas as domestic fuel for cooking, describing it as a safer and cleaner fuel for cooking.

The Otaru of Auchi, Haliru Momoh, who com-

missioned the station, commended the NNPC management for bringing the station to the area.

Momoh said that the construction of the NNPC station was timely, due to the high increase in the sale of petroleum products by other filling stations in the area.

(NAN)

Osun: Foundation, Nasfat donate food stuff to Osun workers

Boladale Bamigboye

F

a d a h u n s h i Foundation, yesterday donated food stuffs to workers in Osun East Senatorial District of the state.

At brief events held in Ile Ife and Ilesa, the food items were handed to officials of Nigeria Union of Teachers, who would distribute among their members.

Former deputy speaker of Osun state House of Assembly, Mr. Ropo Oyewole, while delivering the food items that include 50 bags of rice and 20 bags of garri, said the gesture was in the spirit of Ramadan and to cushion effect of nonpayment of salaries in the state.

Oyewole said the founder of the foundation, Prince Francis Fadahunshi empathised with the workers and urged them to remain law abiding, assuring to continue to render assistance whenever such is needed.

Speaking in similar vein, former chairman of Obokun local government, Otunba Sunday Ojo-Williams, said the Fadahunshi also intended to expand the scope of activities of the foundation by offering more qualified people

scholarships and job placements.

He called for calm regarding delay in salaries of workers, urging Fadahunshi’s supporters to remain law abiding, even in the face of provocation.

In a related development, Nasrul Lahi-l-Fathi Society of Nigeria, Osogbo branch has donated food items worth million of naira to its members.

Presenting the items in Osogbo, the Osogbo branch chairman of the society, Alhaji Abudul Rasheed Adeyemo, said the kind gesture was aimed at assisting Muslims in the spirit of Ramadan.

Alhaji Adeyemo, who said the society was committed to the promotion of the welfare of members and non members in the state,noted that Nasfat had mapped out charity programmes particularly during the Ramadan period to enhance standard of living of civil servants during the period.

The chairman decried the high rate of poverty in the country, saying government must look inward to address economic challenge facing Nigerians.

L-R: Consulate Haematologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Adewumi Adediran; National Director/CEO, Sickle Cell Foundation, Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsete; Chairman Sickle Cell Foundation, Profesor Olu Akinyanju; Air Line Staff, Caverton Airline, Ms Joy Okebalama; representative permanent Secretary of the ministry, Director, Diseases Control Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Eniola Erinosho, at the commemoration of world sickle cell day, held in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

Commission apologises to Nigerians over inability to switch to digital television

T

he National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has apologised to Nigerians for its inability to switchover from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) on the June 17 international deadline.

This is contained in a statement signed by the commission’s Director, Public Affairs, Alhaji Awwalu Salihu in Abuja.

June 17 was an international deadline set for switching over to digital terrestrial television.

The statement however assured Nigerians that disappointing as it might be, it was not without a fairly good shot at success.

According to the commission, it has been working actively since 2006 to put all the building blocks of the transition in place.

``The journey would have been completed if funding had been available. ``It is important however to state that the journey toward Digital Terrestrial Television has already started. ``At the moment, Nigeria has reached about 20 per cent penetration of the 26 million TV Households (TVHH) in the country,’’ it said.

The statement said that the commission had worked with DigiTeam Nigeria, to harmonise the minimum standards for Set-top-boxes and the transmission standards for all member states of the ECOWAS. ``It is noteworthy that the main penalty that Nigeria will face consequently is that analogue signals will receive no protection in the event of interference from

digital signals from our neighbours. `` We have also completed the frequency re-planning, successfully done the coordination with our neighbours and have selected a second signal distributor,’’ the statement said.

It further said that it had licensed a free view signals aggregator and had also selected 11 successful companies to manufacture set-top boxes in Nigeria. ‘’The commission had also put in place an EPG/ STB control system to protect the investment of the local Set-top-box manufacturers. `` Our goal is to enable the evolution of a digital television ecosystem that not only transforms television and broadcasting in general. `` But also able to help

bridge the digital divide, create jobs and grow our national economy,’’ it said.

The statement further assured Nigerians that it would only switch off analogue signals when majority of Nigerians could receive digital signals.

The commission promised to conclude the final stages of the switchover within 18 months as soon as funds were available.

These final stages include: the acquisition and local production of the Set-top-boxes, relocation of MMDS operators, buyback of obsolete analogue transmitters and massive publicity.

The commission thanked stakeholders for their cooperation in the ‘’arduous’’ journey, and appealed to Nigerians for their understanding.

Sport

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

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Brazil’s striker, Judivan ( L) and Serbian Adrija Zivkovk getting set to lead their team’s attack in today’s final clash in Auckland.

FIFA U-20 W/Cup Final

Serbia dare Brazil in Auckland

Ifeanyi Eduzor

E

merging European football power house, Serbia, will today in New Zealand face their biggest challenge at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World cup when they confront five time champions, Brazil, in the final of the 20th edition of the championship.

The final slated for the North Harbour Stadium, Auckland which will be played two hours after two West African countries, Senegal and Mali, square up in the third place match at the same venue, will see the South East European nation who proved book makers wrong by qualifying for the final for the first time, show that their continued improvement in the championship was no fluke.

The team which announced their arrival in the competition with a 2-0 win over Mali in their second group match after losing 1-0 to Uruguay in their opening game followed it up with another 2-0 bashing of Mexico before sending fellow Europeans, Hungary, home with a 2-1 win in the round

of 16.

They also went ahead to beat USA 6-5 on penalties in the quarter- finals before recording a 2-1 victory over Mali in the semifinals.

Five-time U-20 world champions, Brazil, on their own part began their title chase on a winning note against the Flying Eagles of Nigeria and improved in every game but had to reach the semi-final after edging Uruguay and Portugal on penalties in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

As they target a sixth title, the Coach

Rogerio Micale’s side who recorded an emphatic 5-0 victory over Senegal enroute to today’s final will be building their attack on Judivan who has been in fine form for the Selecao, scoring two goals in the championship. There is also Gabriel Jesus, who will most likely win the midfield battle against the Europeans.

Serbia on the other hand will be going into today’s game as massive underdogs and will be aiming to upstage the team strongly tipped to lift this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup In order to achieve this and win their first

Past Winners of FIFA U-20 World Cup

1977 — Soviet Union 1979 — ­ Argentina 1981 — ­ West Germany 1983 — ­ Brazil 1985 — ­ Brazil 1987 — ­ Yugoslavia 1989 — ­ Portugal 1991 — ­ Portugal 1993 — ­ Brazil 1995 — ­ Argentina

1997 ­— Argentina 1999 ­— Spain 2001 ­— Argentina 2003 ­— Brazil 2005 ­— Argentina 2007 ­— Argentina 2009 ­— Ghana 2011 ­— Brazil 2013 ­— France 2015 ­— ???

major international football silverware since the breakup of former Yugoslavia, the Coach Veljko Paunovic led team will be depending on striker, Adrija Zivkovic, their youngest player, Ivan Saponjic who scored a dramatic extra-time winner against Mali to set up the final against Brazil.

It was not the first time the Partizan Belgrade attacker has come to his team’s rescue, as he also scored one and created another in their last 16 clash with Hungary, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in extra time. In both matches, the 17-year-old came off the bench to devastating effect and has established a reputation as the player to watch in today’s epic making finals.

While, many people are already tipping Brazil to win today’s final considering that their opponent would not maintain their whirlwind start, having already played two leg- sapping ties in the last one week, others believe that the Serbians are capable of preventing the South Americans from joining Argentina as a sixth time winner of the competition considering their determination, football artistry and defence which has made them the new bride of football fans in New Zealand.

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June 20, 2015

Hernandez frustrated by Madrid loan deal

M

anchester United striker Javier Hernandez admits his season-long loan at Real Madrid was “massively frustrating”.

The Mexican was shipped out to Madrid last summer after he was deemed surplus to requirement by newly-appointed United manager Louis van Gaal.

However, after a bright start to life with the then-European champions, he went on to make just 13 starts in all competitions for Los Blancos before Real opted not to make his deal at the Santiago Bernabeu permanent at the end of the season.

His most important contribution during the campaign came in the

Hernandez

Champions League quarter-finals when his late strike against city rivals Atletico Madrid sealed Real’s passage into the last four.

And, while claiming that moment provided him with relief amid the frustration that had built up since the start of his loan deal, Hernandez’s lasting memory of his time in the Spanish capital was one of frustration.

“The goal against Atletico was a relief because it was a difficult year with very few opportunities,” he told Spanish sports daily AS. “It was a release. I had to warm the bench a lot.

“My time in Madrid was massively frustrating because I did not feel important.”

Chelsea confirm Kakuta’s exit C helsea has reached an agreement with Sevilla over the permanent transfer of Gael Kakuta, the club has confirmed.

Kakuta spent last season on loan at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga where he made 35 appearances, scoring five goals.

But he found first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge harder to come by, playing just 16 games for Chelsea from 2009, five of which were starts.

“We thank Gael for his service and wish him well for the future,” a club statement read.

Kakuta moved to Stamford Bridge from Lens in 2007 and en-

joyed a fine first season at the club, finishing as top scorer for the youth team and being named Academy Scholar of the Year.

He made his first team debut in November 2009, coming on as a second-half substitute in a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and featured 12 times during the 2010/11 campaign as Chelsea finished runners-up to Manchester United.

Loan spells with Fulham and Bolton Wanderers followed, before the winger moved to Europe, enjoying productive periods with Dijon and Vitesse Arnhem.

Dortmund not given up hope on Gundogan

B

orussia Dortmund has not given up hope of convincing reported Manchester United target Ilkay Gundogan to extend his stay at the club.

The Germany international, who is out of contract next summer, has turned down Dortmund’s offer of an extension, fuelling rumours he could leave as early as this summer.

Gundogan

Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester City have also been linked with the 24-year-old, but his future could still be at the Westfalenstadion, according to the Bundesliga club’s general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke.

“Maybe there is still a chance that he has a rethink,” he told German newspaper WAZ. “We are in talks and Ilkay is a decent lad.”

Gundogan joined Dortmund from Nurnberg in 2011 and has made 117 appearances for the Westphalian side, scoring 12 goals.

Injury restricted him to 23 appearances last season and ruled him out of Germany’s World Cup-winning campaign last summer.

Kakuta

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kjaer reveals Liverpool snub

F

ormer Lille centre-back Simon Kjaer has revealed he opted for a move to Fenerbahce over Liverpool because he wants to win trophies.

The Denmark international snubbed re- Kjaer ported interest from Brendan Rodgers’ side in favour of a move to Turkey, where he signed a four-year deal on Wednesday.

His performances for Lille had seen him linked with a summer move to Merseyside; a move which Kjaer admitted would have pleased his family.

“It’s not a secret that my family love Liverpool, and a move to Liverpool would make them happy,” he told French newspaper Le Figaro.

Tabanou completes Swansea move

S

wansea has completed the signing of leftback Franck Tabanou from St Etienne on a three-year deal.

Tabanou, who has represented France at U-21 level 12 times, is believed to have cost around £3.5m, and becomes Swansea’s second signing of the summer, following the capture of forward Andre Ayew from Marseille.

The defender has been on Swansea boss Garry Monk’s target list for some time, and he nearly joined the club in the January transfer window.

Tabanou, 26, began his career at Toulouse, scoring 15 goals in 138 games, before joining St Etienne in 2013.

He scored four goals for St Etienne in 65 appearances He played in the Europa League and helped St Etienne to the French Cup semi-finals last season.

“Swansea is a very good Premier League club and I believe it’s the right move forward for me at this stage of my career,” he told the club’s website. “I wanted to come to Swansea because I believe we are the perfect match.

Tabanou

Kane flattered

by Man U interest Harry Kane admits it’s flattering to be linked with a move to Manchester United but the striker is looking forward to starting the new season at Spurs.

Kane took the Premier League by storm last season as he scored 21 goals and was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year in a breakthrough campaign.

After scoring 30 goals in all competitions for Tottenham, as well as scoring just two minutes into his England debut, reports have linked the striker with Manchester United.

Kane, who signed a new five year contract in February, is aware of the

reports but insists he sees his future at White Hart Lane.

He said: “Of course I have been watching the reports and have seen the interest.

“But I am happy at Spurs and I look forward to the future with Spurs.

I have seen there is interest but that’s all I know.

It is flattering for other clubs to maybe be interested.”

Asked if it would be difficult to resist the lure of a ‘big club’ move, he said: “Tottenham is a big club and that’s how people have got to see it. I’m at a big club now and enjoying my football looking forward to next season at White Hart Lane.

Kane

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June 20 , 2015

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MirrorGolf With Pius Anakali

Tel: 08023367071

Odoh wins Memorial Cup

W

aking from a slow start, Andrew Oche Odoh prove he’s still a force to be reckoned with, in the professional golf circle with his emergence as winner of the 2015 edition of the annual Memorial Cup; a tournament put in place in honour of the late wife of Dibu Ojerinde, Dr. Olusola Ojerinde.

The weeklong competition held at the St Mark Golf and Country Club in Otukpo, Benue state last weekend.

To come top in the keenly contested event, Odoh grossed a score of 7-over par, total 295 winning by 2-shoots, leaving tournament favourites, Emos Korblah in

the second position.

Odoh started his round with an opening 73, shot a second day score of 74, carded unimpressive score of 78 on the third day before his closing 2-under par 70 to secure victory.

Korblah who was widely tipped to come top in the competition following his victory in Asaba weeks back closed with 72-for 9-over the course par, while Air Assault resident professional, Mike Ubi was further down on the leaderboard

by I-shot.

Ubi closed with a 72.

The champion, Odoh is currently preparing to take his chances at the coming British Open.

US Open: McIlroy happy to avoid hype

R

ory McIlroy believes he is in a better frame of mind heading into the second major of the season at the US Open.

The 26-year-old world number one says he could not escape the “hype” at the Masters in April as he attempted to complete a career Grand Slam.

“It has been nice not to have all the attention on me. I felt that is what it was at Augusta and I couldn’t get away from it,” McIlroy said.

He finished a best-ever fourth behind winner Jordan Spieth at the Masters.

McIlroy, whose first major win was the US Open in 2011, is hungry to repeat that triumph after a

s y o j n e a r e r r e H h t i w k a e r b d n e i girlfr A

two-week break from the game.

“I will be disappointed if I do not win a major this year,” added the Northern Irishman. “My seasons now are based on major wins.

“I have won three times this year which is great, and lead the world rankings.”

Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the Royal County Down Golf Club - a tournament he was hosting McIlroy followed up a victory at the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina with backto-back missed cuts at the PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Irish Open in May. “Volatility in golf is actually a good thing,” said McIlroy,

McDowell ready to be a major man again

M

anchester United midfielder Ander Herrera is definitely on course to start making a splash in the Premier League despite having a slow start to life in England.

The 25-year-old is currently in Ibiza with his girlfriend Isabel Collado, and took some time out from soaking up the rays on the golden sand to go for a quick paddle with his significant other and even had time for an underwater photo with a friend.

Herrera, who joined United from Athletic Bilbao last summer, made nine appearances for the Red Devils before the start of the New Year, but became increasingly involved in their charge for Champions League qualification.

Herrera revealed that he was tempted to Old Trafford by the

impressive long term plan at the club The Spaniard revealed his desire to fight for a regular place in Louis van Gaal’s side, and why he picked a move to the 20-time English champions as they experience a challenging period of ‘transition’.

‘I came to Manchester United because they’re a fantastic club who actually have an exciting long-term plan, and I want to be a part of that,’ he told Elite Sport.

‘I signed a contract for a number of seasons and I’ve just started. My desire is to be an important player for the club. I’m not thinking about anything other than succeeding at United.’

Despite the Reds earning a place in Europe’s elite after failing a season ago, Herrera refuses

to admit United are back to their best.

‘Joining United was a big step in my career and I knew there would be many challenges ahead, something which motivates me both as a player and a person. It has been a complicated season for the club, like a transition, because we start with a new manager and lots of new players.

‘We’ve still got lots of work ahead of us at a group level, but I think we’ve shown examples that we can be competitive.

‘I’m very happy in Manchester. It’s a great city and a really impressive club. People should come to visit the city one day.

Obviously I miss my friends and family sometimes so when I return to Spain, I spend as much time as I can with them.’

s the man who sparked Europe’s recent run of success in the US Open Championship, Graeme McDowell knows exactly what it takes to win this most demanding of Majors.

The Ulsterman’s victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 2010 heralded the start of an unprecedented period of European dominance, with his compatriot Rory McIlroy (2011), Englishman Justin Rose (2013) and Martin Kaymer (2014) all subsequently following in his footsteps.

Speaking ahead of his tenth appearance in the US Open, McDowell’s pride in leading the European charge across the Atlantic was selfevident.

He said: “I was the first European in 40 years to win the US Open, and now we’ve had four winners in the past five years. It’s tough to put your finger on exactly why it’s

happened that way but I think we Europeans are becoming so much more comfortable on this side of the Atlantic, with so many more playing opportunities here in the WGCs and the Majors.

“So I think it’s a comfort factor, and getting familiar with the golf courses over here. Going through a purple patch has been great, it was a lot of fun to lead that charge and I would love to continue the roll this week.”

McDowell

48

SPORT

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Players’ Status Committee slams N5 million fine on 3SC

T

Super Falcons’ striker, Ngozi Okobi (M) struggling for ball possession with Swedish players at the World Cup

Canada 2015: Peters blames NFF for Falcons’ poor outing Joel Ajayi Abuja

F

ollowing the crashing out of the Super Falcons from the on-going FIFA Women World Cup in Canada, former Assistant Secretary General, Technical, James Peters has blamed Nigeria Football Federation for not giving the team adequate technical backup staff ahead of the tournament.

Speaking on the poor performance of the team, Peters wondered why a senior national team should be allowed to take part in a world cup with only

three technical officials.

While admitting that the team boosts of talented players, Peters who is an experienced female coach argued that only sound technical backup staff would have achieved desired result.

According to him, “We can’t do things differently and expect good result. Football has gone scientific and must be treated as such. Why will anyone blame the team’s coach. A single coach cannot see or know everything.

“It is practically the duties of sound technical backup staff to assist in making sure that

things work out well. During the last Women U-20 World Cup, Nigeria got to the final because there were other technical officials including myself who assisted in making sure some loopholes were plucked.

“Even in this tournament, Nigeria found itself in a tough group and if you watch those on the bench of their opponents, you will see quality coaches who see what the head coach may not see before, during and after every match. “Until we do the right thing, we will continue to go round and round.” he explained.

Igali assures on All Africa Games Ifeanyi Eduzor

P

resident of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali says that the recent performance by Nigerian wrestlers at the just concluded African championship in Cairo, Egypt will spur the athletes to go for medal haul at the forthcoming All African Games in Congo Brazzaville.

Nigerian wrestlers at the Cairo championship won a total of eight medals in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman style and Igalli believes that they will surpass that record in Brazzaville.

He told Saturday Mirror

Igali

that with the result, Nigerian wrestlers have shown improvement in their training and confidence, noting that Nigerians should expect results like this at the All Africa Games slated for September in Congo Brazzaville and the World Champi-

onships also coming up in the same month.

‘I am very optimistic that with the performance of our wrestlers in Egypt, Nigeria will be going for medal haul at the All Africa Games.

“The athletes have shown that they are among the best in the continent and with the type of confidence they exhibited at the championship, we would be able to present up to 10 Wrestlers for the Olympic Games in Rio de Jeniero next year, from the expected performance of these wrestlers at the World Championships which would serve as the Olympic Qualifiers”, he concluded.

AAG: Weightlifting Federation to hold trials in July

L

awrence Iquaibom, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) said the Federation would begin open trials in July ahead of the 2015 AllAfrica Games (AAG) slated for September 4-19 in Brazzaville, Congo.

Iquaibom told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in

Abuja that the trials scheduled for Ibadan would help identify good athletes to represent the country at the AAG. ``Since the National Sports Commission (NSC) was yet to call for camping ahead of the AAG, we (Federation) decided to hold the trials.

“The essence of the trials is for us to get the best weightlifters

ahead of the AAG. ``So, by the time we begin the camping proper, we would already have athletes who will be going into camp,’’ Iquaibom said.

He also said the Federation had started sending letters to states to invite their players for the trials, adding that the Federation was yet to conclude preparations for the trials.

he Players’ Status Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has ordered Nigeria Professional Football League club, Shooting Stars of Ibadan, to pay the sum of Five Million Naira (N5, 000,000) to fellow elite division side, Sunshine Stars FC on or before July 19, concerning the case of player Ajani Ibrahim.

At its meeting in Abuja, the committee headed by NFF Executive Committee member Babagana Kalli found that Ajani Ibrahim, who has a valid contract with Sunshine Stars of Akure, absconded from the latter’s camp.

Though the committee, at an earlier sitting of April 15, had advised Shooting Stars to open up negotiations with Sunshine Stars over the player, the negotiation/ discussion was fruitless.

In its ruling, the committee ordered that the said sum of Five Million Naira (N5, 000,000) as transfer fee on the player should be paid to an account to be made available by the Akure based club.

It also ruled that Sunshine Stars shall be entitled to 20 per cent of future sale of the player or the sum of Three Million Naira (N3, 000,000) as buy-out clause in lieu of the 20 per cent future sale.

Shooting Stars Sports Club must also, by Monday next week, pay the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000) to the Players’ Status Committee for the illegal approach on Ajani Ibrahim, and the player himself must by the same date, pay the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000) to the committee for absconding from Sunshine Stars FC camp.

Farah denies doping allegation

D

ouble Olympic and world champion Mo Farah insisted yesterday that he had never taken performance-enhancing drugs amid allegations that his coach had practiced doping techniques on American training partner Galen Rupp.

“I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs in my life and I never will,” said Farah, who skipped an outing over 1500m at the Birmingham Diamond League earlier this month to return to the United States to confront Coach Alberto Salazar over doping allegations.

“Over the course of my career I have taken hundreds of drugs tests and every single one has been negative,” the Somali-born

Farah

Briton said in a statement.

“I’ve fully explained the only two tests in my career that I have ever missed, which the authorities understood, and there was never any suggestion that these were anything more than simple mistakes,” Farah said.

Sports For All set for ‘Yoga’ day

N

igeria will on Sunday 21st June, 2015 join the rest of the world in celebration of the world Yoga day which will take place in over 3,000 locations across the Globe.

With over Hundred cities in the United States, Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe fully involved in the exercise, an estimate of five million people will roll out their Yoga mats as part of the fun to mark the event which has found resonance in the heart of everyone.

For Nigeria, the programme that is part of the Sports For All Nigeria Initiative is being organized in partnership with Nigeria Olympic Committee and Sewa International will take place at the National Stadium Surulere Lagos from 7:30 am – 9:30 am.

President of Sports For All Commission, Prince Henry Amike who made this known in Lagos said the programme is go-

ing to be Unique since it is the first of its kind in the country. He appealed to Nigerians to make the best use of this opportunity by turning out in large numbers for the event.

Mr. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of living Foundation in his contribution, said yoga has been in existence for over 5,000 years and is meant for a healthy and happy lifestyle hence their desire to make it a household name in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel has commended the Yoga initiators for identifying and partnering with the Nigeria Olympic Committee through the Sports For All Commission even as he appealed to other corporate organization to emulate the living art founder Ravi Shankar by coming to partner with Nigeria Olympic Committee.

50

CRIME WATCH

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Beninoise cooks drug family in attempt to steal money, jewellery Patience Ogbo

R

obbery suspects have different methods of dispossessing their victims of cash and other belongings but for two Beninoise cooks, using what is least expected like food to rob people was something novel and has since got law enforcement officers baffled.

The suspect, Victor Hounkpe from Benin Republic was employed as a cooks but his sinister plot to rob his boss has landed him in police custody.

According to the police, Hounkpe allegedly drugged his boss in the Lekki area of Lagos in April in order to have free access to his rooms to steal jewelleries and cash.

The suspect, however relied on an accomplice, David Amusu to carry out the dastardly act.

The police said Victor had barely lived with his employer, one Omowunmi Fadojutimi, for two weeks when he allegedly attempted to kill Mrs. Fadojutimi, her husband and two domestic workers with over-dose of a drug.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, while parading the suspect, gave a graphic picture of how Victor allegedly attempted to kill the victims. He said, “Wednesday, April 22, 2015, Hounkpe was reportedly instructed to prepare vegetable soup by his unsuspecting boss. But he reportedly sprayed the substance into the soup and served everyone.

“Trouble started for the family after Fadojutimi’s husband, Mr Nwogu Chinaka, developed severe stomach ache and reportedly collapsed. While his distraught wife was rushing him to a nearby hospital

Victor and Hounkpe

amidst severe pains, she reportedly started feeling severe pains in the stomach, resulting in her collapsing in front of the hospital’s gate.

“Shortly after, two domestic staff said to have eaten the vegetable soup were also rushed to same hospital, where it was discovered that their food had been poisoned.

While doctors were battling to save the lives of the victims, it was discovered that Hounkpe had sneaked out of the house.

The suspect was arrested following a petition by Fadojutimi over the incident.

The police boss further stated, “Effort made to arrest him proved abortive until he was eventually arrested through investigation and deployment of advanced technology. During interrogation, he

confessed to have put some substances in the food served and further confessed that Amusu, the former cook who recommended him to the complainant gave him the substance and directed him on how to administer it. He admitted that their intention was to gain unfettered access into the inner rooms and rob the complainant after they must have passed out,” the police said.

Reacting to the allegation, Hounkpe said he went with the plan to drug his boss so he can get some money to return to Benin Republic to start a better life.

He said “It was Amasu the former cook that deceived me into this crime. He promised me a part of the loot from the robbery. My role was to drug the family

and open the door for David Amusu and other members of the robbery gang. Yes , I put the substance ten tablets of Super Appetite into their food and it was given to me by David. He told me the drug was sleeping tablet and that it would put them all to sleep so that they would gain easy access into the house. But I took to my heels when the gate man told me that the doctors said the cause of their ailment was food poisoning,” Honkpe confessed.

The suspect according to Aderanti would be charged to court for conspiracy and attempted murder, advising members of the public to avail themselves of the services of the command in profiling domestic assistance before employing them.

her behalf for a possible solution to her problemHe said: “The accused said he got a revelation from God for her and collected N13,000 from the complainant on the pretext of praying and fasting on her behalf for a possible solution to her problem.

“She became uncomfortable when the accused told her to come for a vigil

and decided to inform a relation who also worships at MFM church.

“They informed the church and upon investigation it was discovered that the accused is a fake pastor.

“The MFM church management alerted the police, who arrested the accused.”

According to Aigbokim, the offences

contravene Sections 78, 285 and 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 312 prescribes 15 years imprisonment for false pretences, while Section 285 provides a three-year jail term for stealing.

The case was adjourned to June 23 for facts and sentence.

A

Hunter shoots friends over debt

MFM ‘pastor’ remanded in Lagos prison for collecting N13,000 to fast for victim Y aba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday remanded a man, David Praise-Diri, who impersonated a pastor of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, at Ikoyi Prisons.

The Chief Magistrate, Bola FolarinWilliams, gave the ruling after the accused pleaded guilty to the offences.

The accused, Praise-Diri, whose address is not provided, is facing a threecount charge of impersonation, obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Benedict Aigbokhim, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 3 at Toyin Street, Ikeja.

Aigbokim said the accused approached the complainant, Itohan, along Toyin Street, and introduced himself as a pastor of the MFM. He said: “The accused said he got a revelation from God for her and collected N13,000 from the complainant on the pretext of praying and fasting on

hunter in Uhumuode Local Government Area of Igbanke, Edo State has reportedly shot dead his colleague whom he was owing in the bush where they both went hunting.

The murder suspect whose identity was withheld is currently facing interrogation at the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID alongside another friend, simply identified as Osagie who is not a hunter.

Romanus Omorotiomwan, a hunter, was said to have been shot in the shoulder by his hunter friend who went to fetch him

in his house with motorcycle last Monday.

The 52-year-old who was popularly called Roman reportedly left with the suspect who later picked up Osagie on their way to the hunting ground.

But that was the last time his pregnant wife would see him alive. The other time he saw him, it was his lifeless body with deep bullet hole in his shoulder.

Report has it that Roman was shot dead by his friend whom he lent some money

and had refused all entreaties to pay off the debt. It was even gathered that they once had serious fight over it.

Sources said the murder suspect had directed Osagie to stay back somewhere while he and Roman went further in the bush only for Osagie to hear gunshot.

It was gathered that the suspect rushed back to Osagie to break the news of Roman’s death claiming he(Roman) committed suicide.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

Scottish parents say Nigerian gang blackmailed son to death

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Scottish couple has accused suspected Nigerian gang of being behind their son’s death after the teenager took his own life following threats by cyber blackmailers to make go viral his nude picture.

Gerard and Teresa Hughes said their 17-year-old son Ronan (pictured), from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, committed suicide after learning that the faceless criminals hounding him had followed through with a threat to send the images to one of his Facebook friends unless he paid them £3,300.

The heartbroken parents have also criticised the police’s response after they reported the blackmail plot three days before Ronan’s death, Daily Mail reports.

The couple said their ‘quiet, happy-golucky’ son had been tricked into sending images on a social network site after receiving pictures of a girl.

Mrs Hughes said her son, a pupil at St Joseph’s Grammar School in Donaghmore, told her about his situation three days before he died.

‘He came to me and said “I’m in trouble here”‘, she said in an interview with the Irish News daily newspaper.

‘He gave me his phone. They were looking for more than £3,000 for an image he had posted and told him they were going to show it to all his friends.

‘They had sent him a list of all his Facebook friends. He texted them back to say “but I’m only 17.”‘ Mr Hughes said he took his son to a police station at Dungannon, but claims there were only one officer on duty and they were told there was ‘not a lot he could do’.

‘I knew Ronan was looking for help and I told him (the officer) that my son wanted is for these images not to be posted,’ he told the paper.

‘He told us that he couldn’t guarantee that. For Ronan, it was totally dismissive.

‘If the police had given Ronan reassurance and said “we’ll contact IT experts,

Court sentences two to jail for illegal possession of arms in Minna

A

Ronan

we’ll close this down, we’ll stop that”, Ronan would still be here today.

‘That’s why he came to us. He wanted help.’

The couple brought their son back to the police station the next day and spent several hours with officers but said they did not hear anything back.

Mrs Hughes said on the day of his death

Ronan called her to say a friend had contacted him to say she had received a link containing images, but that she had not opened them.

Mr Hughes left work early to go home amid concerns how his son might react.

When he arrived he found notes on the kitchen table and then discovered his son’s body in a field behind their home.

—Alleges fornication as reason for torture

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51

Minna High Court on Tuesday convicted two middle aged men – Sani Abacha IIiyasu and Abubakar – to one year imprisonment without option of fine over illegal possession of firearms in Niger State.

The two were arrested and detained at Kagara prison for being in possession of illegal firms arms without license.

The prosecuting police officer told the Chief judge that the two suspects were arrested with AK47 rifle with 12 rounds of live ammunition and detained in the prison since June 2014.

According to him, the offence contravenes Section 27, sub-section 1A of the fire arms Act caption F28 Laws of the Federation 2004.

Delivering the judgement, the Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, said their sentences are to run concurrently since the day the two suspects were brought to the prisons.

Justice Abubakar wondered why the two suspects were detained without conviction base on the time of detention.

Also at the Kotangora Prison, eight awaiting trail sus[ects had their cases reviewed by the Chief Judge, who ordered three other suspects with land matter who were detained to be granted bail.

Pastor in police custody for inserting coke bottle in wife’s private part

white garment pastor simply identified as Solomon is undergoing interrogation at the Owutu police station over allegation that he connived with his mother and brothers to inflict grievous injury on his wife Sukura.

According to residents in Ikorodu where the incident happened,the pastor with his siblings allegedly poured ground pepper in Sukura’s virgina and inserted a Coca-Cola bottle into her over allegation that she committed adultery and had the effrontery to fight her mother-in-law.

Residents said the grievous harm has

Crime Watch

caused Sukura to run mad.

“Pastor Solomon runs a white garment church in his house. He lives there with his family including his wife and mother.

He has been married to Sukura for a long time but she has not given birth. Trouble started when Sukura came home and she was asked where she had been.

“We learnt that her in laws confronted her and alleged that she was rude to her mother-inlaw. From what we heard, her husband and her in laws poured pepper and inserted a Coca-cola bottle into her virgina. They said she has a lover. We later

learnt that Sukura ran made as a result of the torture she received. Her family came and took her away and they reported the case to the Owutu police station”.

When contacted over the incident, the Spokes person for the Lagos State Police Command, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident. He said “Owutu is handling a case with such allegations amidst denials and accusations from both parties. Investigations are on to ascertain what actually happened and whoever is found to have acted violently will be dealt with according to our relevant laws”.

Teacher, 30, docked for abuse of 11-year-old student

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30-year-old teacher, Terhemba Hon, was on Tuesday arraigned in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, for allegedly fingering his 11-year-old female student, name withheld.

Hon, a staff of Ikyor Victory College, Iber in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State, is charged before a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court.

He is facing a charge of gross indecency punishable under Section 286 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Terzungwe Kajo, told the court that the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi from the Divisional Police Headquarters at Tse-Agberagba, via a letter, for discreet investigation.

According to the letter, the father of the victim, Ageva Gbaden, had first reported the matter at the Tse-Agberagba Police Station on February 9.

The complainant told the police that the accused had called his daughter, a JSS 1 student, into the staff room, locked the door and forcefully fingered her against her will.

However, when the case came up for mention, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.

June 20, 2015

52

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Make money from ink

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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 user-industries 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 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

Storage

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.

Rolling Mixing Machine

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 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.

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 op-

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

eration. This will increase to N85.7million in the third year.

This figure will also rise to N100.4million in the fifth year of operation. Net profit is believed to be in the realm of 60 percent and above given good management, availability of raw materials, and so on.

The payback period of the proposed project is estimated at two years. The return on investment is also very impressive at 62 percent within the five years under consideration all things being equal.

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.

Market Potentaility The market for print ink is big, varied and has continued to demonstrate an upward trend.

Those who patronize them include private and government presses, publishers of newspapers, magazines and books, wholesale and retail distributors of printing materials and equipment, manufacturers of textiles, plastics and metal containers, advertising agencies, makers of cardboards, cement and feed bags, computer warehouses etc. Distribution could be through appointed agents and own depots.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

REGIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

53

South EAST

Imo legislature adopts motion to recover ground rents, levies from oil companies I

mo legislature adopts motion to recover ground rents, levies from oil companies The Imo House of Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution urging Gov. Rochas Okorocha to direct oil companies to pay arrears of ground rent and levies owed to the State.

The ``Motion to demand immediate payment of arrears of all land rents, royalties and statutory levies by oil companies’’, was moved by Mr Uzoma Ezediaro (APC Oguta).

Ezediaro stated that the oil companies domiciled had been occupying millions of hectares in the state since 1978.

He said the said oil companies had not paid ground rents in accordance with the Land Use Act. Ezediaro stated that land owners in the state with Certificates of Occupancy paid ground rents and called for the companies to do same.

He said failure to pay such levies by the compa-

nies amounted to economic sabotage.

Ezediaro said the governor should direct the Chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue to mandate all such companies to clear their debts.

He also called on the revenue boss to ensure regular payment of the statutory fees when due.

The legislator called for an ad hoc committee of members of the House to monitor the recovery and regular payment of all the required fees.

Mr Donatus Onuigwe (APC-Oru West), said the companies should be made to pay accumulated interests.

Mr Mike Iheanetu, (PDP-Aboh Mbaise), said the oil companies tapped from the resources of the state while they paid tax where their headquarters are located.

Iheanetu stated that youths from the oil producing areas of the state had been denied the benefits of the Amnesty Programme of the Federal

Government.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Iheanacho Ihim (APC-Okigwe), also said the governor should direct the Chairman of BIR to mandate all oil companies to clear backlog of all statutory levies.

Ihim said BIR should ensure the regular payment of all statutory fees when due.

Imo police arraign 13 cultists in court Chris Njoku Owerri

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L-R: Secretary, International Youth Council, Mr. Abdus-Sabur Oliyide; Chairman, Comrade Jeskaya Okorie and Director, Entertainment and SocioCultural Committee, Comrade Ihuoma Celestine, during a news conference on the forthcoming International Youth Conference in Abuja, on Thursday. PHOTO: NAN

He also approved the inauguration of an ad hoc committee of the house to monitor the recovery and regular payments of all required fees.

The speaker named nine-member Monitoring Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr Uzoma Ezediaro (APCOguta) for the payments.

mo State Police Command yesterday arraigned in a Magistrate Court 1, Owerri 13 of 24 cult members arrested in a bush around the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO while they converged to hold their national initiation conference on Monday.

The cultists, aged between 22 and 29 were charged for conspiring with another to belong to a secret cult, Black Axe confraternity which was

said to be against public interest and morality an offence punishable under the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria with three years jail term.

They however pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The Magistrate, Mrs. V. V Isiguzo granted the accused bail based on the plea of the defense counsels but however announced that only a level 12 civil servant residing within jurisdiction would be allowed as the condition for the bail.

The case was adjourned to July 27 for further hearing.

You’re selfish, South East APC tells Ekweremadu T he Deputy Senate President and leading member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, has come under attack by the South East zonal leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress ,APC, over comments credited to him in which he boasted that with his emergence as the deputy senate president, the South- East has been accommodated fully in the power distribution of the party.

Commenting on the issue, yesterday, National -Vice Chairman of APC in the South East, Hon. Emma Enukwu, told journalists that Senator Ekweremadu was not qualified to speak on the power distribution

policy of the ruling party because he is an outsider when it comes to the internal affairs of the party.

He asserted that such comments credited to the Deputy Senate President only suggest that he is a selfish man who will like to be the only shining star from the region. Eneukwu reminded Ekweremadu that both of them hail from same Enugu State .He also noted that Ekweremadu only came to his present position by default after the failure of the leaders of the APC to quickly harmonize on the positions of the National Assembly.

He also advised his party, the APC, to be wary of the likes of Ekewremadu whom he said have been planted in his present posi-

tion by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to destabilize the efforts of his party to consolidate and to ensure that come 2019 that there will be real elections in the South East as against what he described as the effort of the past administration to use the security agencies to write results to suit their purpose.

According to Eneukwu,“Ekweremadu should know that he is an outsider in the affairs of the APC, when they were in power, the APC never suggested to their party how to zone or distribute offices and positions, it was an entirely PDP affair, so he has no right whatsoever to suggest to our party what to do.

“The issue is that the

Deputy Senate President wants to remain the only cock that crows in the South East. He has been in government for the past 12 years without any impact on the region he always rides on to positions. He became the deputy Senate president through the back door because the APC (members) were divided on who becomes the Senate President but that should not give him the leverage now to suggest anything to the APC. “I am quite aware that in the last election, PDP did everything humanly possible to manipulate the elections in the South East.

There was no election in the South East, they wrote results and they succeeded in doing that because all

the political apparatus, all the governors, the deputy senate president, the ministers were all from the PDP and so they were able to use the security agencies to bring in the electoral officials into a place where they wrote results. Now that they are going to play the role of an opposition, he is finding it difficult because he knows that in 2019 it will be very difficult for them to write results again. But he is fighting very hard to ensure that no high office is located to any other person in Igbo land, he wants to be the highest Igbo man in power so that he could use his position again to manipulate the results of the South East and that is why he said what he said and I am very happy

that the President is aware that Sen. Ekweremadu is not a member of the APC and so cannot determine how positions will be distributed by the party.”

Enukwu further added that what Ekweremadu and the PDP are trying to do is to create an erroneous impression that the South East zone is for the PDP whereas he knows that the region is fast embracing the APC because they have seen that the ..party that will truly liberate and develop the people.

He therefore posited that the APC must not be deceived into denying the South East their due in the affairs of the party which he insisted they have contributed much to build and nurture.

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REGIONAL NEWS

June 20, 2015

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SOUTH SOUTH

Bayelsa APC affirms expulsion of two of its leaders

Osahon Julius Yenagoa

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he Bayelsa state chapter of the All Progressive Party (APC), yesterday, affirms the expulsion of two of its members, Richard Kpodo and Sunday Oputu, as

well as the suspension of seven others for alleged anti-party activities.

Addressing newsmen yesterday, in Yenagoa, the state party chairman, Tiwei Orunimighe, said the decision by the State Working Committee to expel the two party leader

was final and in line with the party’s constitution.

He however said those suspended according to party guidelines were free to appeal their suspension under the recently constituted adhoc committee set up by the party, to be led by

Barrister Peres Peretu.

While welcoming new members to the party, the state party chairman reiterated the party’s determination to take over power in the state from the opposition party, PDP, calling on new members to follow the

party guidelines by going to their wards to register their desire to be card carrying members of the APC. He said, “I have told Bayelsans and everyone that cares to listen that PDP has shut its doors against Bayelsans and this will be the only platform to rally round each other to provide a leader that will give answers to our

problems in terms of development.”

Orunmighe, also stated that party will follow strictly; the guidelines, constitution and ideologies of the party as exemplified by the leaders of the party at the national levels, saying that adoption of candidates for elective position will not be allowed when the time comes.

...as Jonathan’s kinsmen reject Dickson’s second term bid Osahon Julius Yenagoa

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n a related development, despite appeal by former President Godluck Jonathan to party leaders in the state to work with the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson, his kinsmen from Ogbia, Local Government Area, at the weekend, rose from a crucial meeting and resolved to work against the second term bid of the state governor.

The group, who met under the aegis of Ogbia Joint Initiative (ODJI) also denied a statement endorsing Dickson which was credited to Jonathan.

Recalled that Jonathan had in one of the meetings held in his country home Otuoke, to resolve the crisis rocking the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged party members to support Dickson.

But the kinsmen in a communiqué after the meeting said: “The ODJI commends Dr. Goodluck for being a statesman but advised him not to involve himself with the politics of endorsing failed politicians”, calling on the people of the state to see the forthcoming election as a common sense revolution.

In the communique signed by ODJI President, Rev. Godstime Godson and Secretary, Mr. David Inengite, they accused

Dickson of marginalization, claiming that the current government sited no project in their area.

They advised the people to participate fully in voting out the current administration insisting that they would no longer cast their votes for a candidate with a track record of non-performance.

They listed barriers for Dickson’s re-election as numerous abandoned projects, high level of deception by state officials, lack of developmental ideas and inability to create employment opportunities.

Others, according to the group, are the anti-student stance of the governor, non-friendly policies against civil servants and the alienation of the masses from governance.

A copy of the communique which was issued in Yenagoa yesterday said in part: “ODJI also sympathizes with the students on the delay of their bursary payment.”

It urges them to prepare their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) against the forthcoming election and ensure that they vote out bad leaders.

“The ODJI resolved that Ogbia people will vote out non performing administrations, saying that since the inception of the current government, no tangible project has been sited in the area.

It expressed shock that

L-R: Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel; Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, retired Rear Adm. John Jonah, cuting a tape to inaugurate the permanent site of Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta, yesterday.

even the Imiringi Gas Turbine Station that Ogbia once enjoyed under the past government have also been grounded for over three years.

“Finally, the ODJI said the level of disrespect for elders of the state is becoming alarming and call on the elders of the state to unite forces in ensuring the delivery of a credible candidate for the sake of posterity. It advises the elders to put the interest of the state first and engrave their names in the annals of history.

“The ODJI also congratulates His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Mohammadu Buhari on his successful election and sweating-in. ‘‘It also pledges its commitment to supporting his administration and thank the former president for accepting defeat and ensuring a peaceful transition due to the relationship between the North and the Ijaws.”

Implement relevant aspects of Confab report, Anglican Bishop charges Buhari Richard Ndoma

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he Bishop of Calabar Diocese of Anglican Communion, Right Rev. Tunde Adeleye, on Friday, charged the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari not to abandon report of the just concluded National Confab which was organized by his predecessor but to look into certain aspect of the report for implementation.

Adeleye gave the charge while fielding questions from journalists on the ‘State of the Nation’ in Calabar, stressing that the entire report of the confab cannot be completely discarded because certain aspect of the confab report might be useful

to Nigeria if carefully implemented according to recommendations.

“Please implement those aspects of the confab report that you know would be useful to the good people of Nigeria irrespective of party affiliations or tribal origin” The cleric said.

On the implementation of programmes and policies of government in order of priority, the clergy said that what Buhari needed to put at the front burner were issues pertaining to employment, electricity, good health care delivery system and issues that border on security should be taken into consideration.

“I think Buhari may need to put at the front burner issues pertaining

to employment. “ You are aware that some young people had graduated from school at first degree level and decided to proceed further to pursue Masters Degree programmes because of lack of jobs without anyone noticing any change and perhaps begin to pursue PHD programmes just because they have no jobs” Adeleye said.

He however urged state governors to look inward in their respective states and tackle those critical issues that needed to be tackled accordingly so as to continue where their predecessors had stopped and encouraged them to exploit certain areas like agriculture so as to turn around the fortunes of their states instead of over capitalizing on oil.

Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

June 20, 2015

Plane stowaway found dead on roof

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stowaway who is believed to have clung on to a plane has fallen to his death, while another is in hospital.

The two men are believed to have been clinging to a British Airways flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow.

The victim was found on the roof of notonthehighstreet.com’s headquarters on Kew Road, Richmond, at about 09:35 BST on Thursday. Police said his death was being treated as unexplained.

The man who was injured is in a critical condition in hospital.

The Met Police said it could not confirm if the

two cases were linked.

In a statement, the force said: “At this time there is no evidence to link the death to the discovery of a stowaway in the undercarriage of a plane at Heathrow Airport; however this is one line of enquiry into identifying the deceased and the circumstances of his death.”

The surviving man, who is believed to be aged 24, was found in the undercarriage of the plane at about 08:20 BST and taken to a west London hospital.

Officers believe they know his identity but are awaiting confirmation.

The 8,000 miles

(12,875km) journey from South Africa to the UK usually takes about 11 hours.

In a statement, British Airways said: “We are working with the Metropolitan Police and the authorities in Johannesburg to establish the facts surrounding this very rare case.”

Notonthehighstreet. com said the incident was “unrelated to the business or its team members and added the company was “co-operating with the ongoing police enquiry”.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out on the dead man, who has not yet been identified.

Officers said enquiries are ongoing into how long his body had been on the roof.

There have been other cases where stowaways have fallen to their deaths in London after smuggling themselves onto planes and hiding in landing gear.

In September 2012, Jose Matada, 26, died after falling from the undercarriage of a flight from Angola to Heathrow on to a street in Mortlake, west London.

An inquest heard he may have survived freezing temperatures of up to minus 60C (-76F) for most of the 12-hour flight, but it was believed he was “dead or nearly dead” by the time he hit the ground.

ussia has protested to the Belgian ambassador over the seizure of Russian state assets in Belgium - a move triggered by a court ruling over the now-defunct Yukos oil firm.

The ambassador was told that the asset seizure was “an openly hostile act” that “crudely violates the recognised norms of international law”.

Last year a court told Russia to pay Yukos shareholders $50bn (£32bn) in compensation, after Yukos’s break-up.

A Russian state firm took over Yukos.

Last July an international arbitration court in The Hague said Russian officials had manipulated the legal system to bankrupt Yukos, and jail its boss, the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

France has also seized Russian state accounts in about 40 banks, along with eight or nine buildings, AFP news agency reports.

In a statement on Facebook, Mr Khodorkovsky, who spent 10 years in detention in Russia, expressed joy at the asset seizures.

“I am not a beneficiary in this process as the partners redeemed my share back in 2004. But

this does not prevent me from sincerely rejoicing, as a Russian citizen, at what is happening now.

“This is a symbolic moment for our country,” he said, calling it “a signal that theft will not escape punishment, no matter how all-powerful the thief was”.

A Russian foreign ministry statement (in Russian) said Russia demanded that Belgium reverse its asset seizure. If no such action was taken,

Russia warned, it would consider “appropriate reciprocal measures” against the Belgian embassy and unnamed Belgian officials.

Earlier, Russia’s Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev ruled out any compensation for Yukos shareholders. Their interests are now represented by a Gibraltar-registered holding company, GML. Russia is appealing against the court ruling

of last July, Mr Ulyukayev said.

The asset seizures in Belgium and France also affect Russian media, including TASS news agency and state broadcaster VGTRK, Russian media report.

GML manager Tim Osborne was quoted in French media as saying similar legal action was being taken against Russian state assets in the UK and US.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

55

Charleston shooting suspect, Dylann Storm Roof, holds court papers in his cuffed hands as a police officer holds him by a chain

Russian fury at Belgium asset seizure Charleston R shooting suspect charged T Sisters split to cross Syria border

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hree Bradford sisters and their nine children split into two groups to cross the border into Syria, an Islamic State smuggler has told the BBC. The smuggler in charge of some of IS’s border operations said the first group went early on Wednesday and the second on Thursday.

Sisters Khadija, Sugra and Zohra Dawood and their children went missing after travelling to Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, two of their husbands made an emotional appeal for them to return.

Akhtar Iqbal and Mohammed Shoaib said they “could not live”

without their families and begged them to come home.

Their lawyer Balaal Khan said they were shocked to hear that the women had entered Syria and urged the police to corroborate the smuggler’s information.

BBC Middle East correspondent Paul Wood, who is on the TurkishSyrian border, said he had spoken to the smuggler who confirmed the crossing.

“If what he says is true, it clears up the main ambiguity of this story whether the sisters were really heading for the socalled Islamic State, or some other part of Syria, controlled by some other

armed group,” said our correspondent.

He said the information came up during a casual conversation with the smuggler, who is known to be an IS member, but when asked for an interview about the incident he asked for money which the BBC refused.

The information also fits with the news that one of the sisters, Zohra, sent a message to her family that she was inside Syria but she did not say exactly where.

The North East Counter Terrorism Unit said it was “continuing to make extensive enquiries” in order to try to bring the women and children home.

he man suspected of shooting dead nine people at an African-American church in Charleston has been charged with nine counts of murder and one weapons possession charge, police say.

Suspect Dylann Roof, 21, is due to make his first court appearance on Friday.

Police are treating the killings at the Emanuel AME Church on Wednesday evening as a hate crime.

He was arrested on Thursday more than 200 miles away in North Carolina and flown back to South Carolina.

On Friday morning South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said Mr Roof should face execution.

“We will absolutely want him to have the death penalty,” she told NBC News.

Mr Roof ’s first court hearing is set for 14:00 local time (17:00 GMT), but it is likely he will appear via a video feed and not in person.

The victims of the shooting on Wednesday night included a state senator.

Charleston officials are planning a prayer vigil for Friday evening.

Danish opposition wins election

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enmark’s opposition parties have beaten the governing coalition after a close general election.

The centre-right group led by ex-PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen beat Prime Minister Helle ThorningSchmidt’s centre-left coalition, although her party is the largest.

Ms Thorning-Schmidt has now stood down as Social Democratic Party leader.

The right-wing, anti-immigration Danish People’s Party will become the sec-

ond-largest in parliament.

With almost all votes counted, the centre-right bloc led by Mr Rasmussen had secured the 90 seats needed to form a government in the 179-seat parliament.

Turnout was 85.8%, the interior ministry said.

Talks are due to begin soon on forming a cabinet, which correspondents say could take weeks.

Mr Rasmussen wrote on Facebook that “difficult negotiations lie ahead.”

The DPP’s leader Kristian Thulesen Dahl had previously poured cold water on the idea of going into government (in Danish).

Quote

of

the

day

Political consciousness started in Bauchi. Even Aminu Kano was a disciple of one of our leaders in Bauchi. And for me, I think God has decided to compensate Bauchi for the sacrifices some of its sons have made for the country. — Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, while saying his emergence as Speaker is a compensation for Bauchi people for the sacrifices of Tafawa Balewa and other Bauchi indigenes for Nigeria.

Saturday, June 20, 2015. www.nationnationalmirroronline.net

A tribute to the Lord Jesus Christ

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veryone must have said THANK YOU JESUS more times than they can remember.

If we all know how it all started, we shall definitely have more reason to say THANK YOU JESUS. I took time to study God in greater detail some few years ago.

Before then, I only gave thanks to the “unknown,” more so in the village, when we were asked to say Amen to the one we did not know. Sometimes, we were even asked to say THANK YOU by commandment or military fiat.

For me personally, the situation was so terrible when we spent time with my grandfather (my mum’s father, Pa Olatuja of blessed memory). He usually used his bell to wake us up by 5am in the morning for prayers. We all proceeded to say Amen.

To whom the prayer was said, we did not know and who accepted our Amen, we also did not know.

The situation in the village was so horrible, such that when we went to the primary school in the morning, the first assignment in the assembly was to say the Lord’s Prayer. Many of us cannot recite the Lord’s Prayer correctly even today.

(Pause a while and recite the Lord’s Prayer ………) now score yourself.

The Lord’s Prayer Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

There is nothing as interesting as the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. What makes it uniquely interesting is the fact that his birth and coming was predicted at least 1,500 years before the event.

It was in Genesis, the very beginning of the Bible, that Moses predicted the coming of Jesus and from which tribe Jesus will come.

The prediction about the coming of Jesus by Moses was confirmed 1,500 years later, in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew.

This is so, because the Old Testament was written 1,500 years before the books of the New Testament.

Moses specifically predicted the birth of Jesus in the book of Genesis 49 (10)

CFR

There is nothing as interesting as the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. What makes it uniquely interesting is the fact that his birth and coming was predicted at least

1,500 years before the event

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until silo come: and unto him shall the gathering of people be.

This prediction about the coming of was clear and precise with definite expectations that: “Unto him (Jesus) shall the gathering of people be”. Till today the gathering of people is about Jesus; until he comes again we shall continue to gather in his name.

This prediction was also precise, that Jesus will come from the tribe of Judah.

In the Old Testament book of Micah, the Apostle was even more specific about the birth of Jesus. Micah 5 (2) But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata though thou be little among thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose going forth have been from old to everlasting Those predictions about the coming of Jesus in Genesis and Micah in the Old Testament were confirmed in the book of New Testament specifically, in Matthew 2 (1). Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah in the day of Herod the king. Behold, there came wise men from the east of Jerusalem The Saviour did not just come; his birth was predicted from the very beginning of creation by Almighty God, the owner of the universe. In Bethlehem where he was born to the tribe of Judah as predicted by

Moses, there were more than two thousand villages and towns.

Today there is no guessing the fact that the Saviour was predicted to be born in Bethlehem and that he would come from the tribe of Judah. Indeed as foretold, he was born there. Indeed, the seventeen major events that happened to Jesus were much predicted before they occurred, at least 1,500 years before his birth as evidenced in the Old Testament and thereafter confirmed in the New Testament. For the avoidance of doubt, we shall look into three more of such events, on this occasion.

First, the event that Jesus will be betrayed by his friend: This event was predicted by David in the book of Psalms long before Jesus was born. Psalm 41 (9) Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me This prediction of David made before Jesus was born came to pass as was confirmed in the book of (New Testament) Matthew 26 (47-48) And while he (Jesus) yet spike, lo, Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priest and elders of the people. Now he betrayed him, gives a sign, saying whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast.

There is nothing left in history to show

beyond any shadow of doubt that indeed a Messiah was born, and that an unusual king of glory’s coming was planned and prepared for by the Creator. The second event is that Jesus would be sold for thirty pieces of silver. This was predicted in the book of Zachariah.

This book was written before the birth of Jesus. What is astonishing about it is the accuracy and specificity of the precise amount Jesus would be sold for even before he was born. Thirty pieces of silver! Zachariah 11 (12) And I said to them, if ye think good give us the price: and if not forebear. So they waited for the price, thirty pieces of silver.

The prediction about the selling of Jesus in Zachariah was confirmed so in the book of Matthew. Matthew 26 (15) And Judas Iscariot said unto them what will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?

Thirty pieces of silver. What is it that can leave anyone in doubt about a clear prediction made 500 years in advance stating the exact amount of silver that a betrayer would be given in exchange for his friend.

The third event that Jesus would be silenced before his accusers was predicted in the book of Isaiah.

It was prophesied that the Messiah will be prosecuted, persecuted and afflicted but opened not his mouth. Isaiah50 (7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth Most people would have doubts about this prediction, because it is unlikely that an accused person accused of a crime he did not commit will not open up his defense before a presiding judge. When he was given an opportunity to defend himself before judgment he remained absolutely silent.

The prediction came to pass and it was confirmed in Matthew 27 (12-14) And he was accused by the chief priest and elders he answered nothing, then said Pilate unto him, heardest thou not how many things they witness against thee, and he answered him to never a word so much that the governor marveled .

(The remaining fourteen major events predicted about Jesus will be discussed in my next major tribute to be published later).

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

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