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News

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Kidnapping: The new criminal enterprise

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We ’ll defeat Boko Haram ideology, says Buhari www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vol. 5 No. 46

Sunday, November 22, 2015

National Mirror Online

@NationalMirror

Deportation racket

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FG asked to probe Nigerian High Commission in UK

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… 500 Nigerians to be illegally repatriated, CLO claims BoI unveils strategies to end youth unemployment

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Appeal Court judge raises alarm over fake judgement

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Voters display their cards during accreditation for Kogi Governorship Election in Ejule-Ala ward, Kogi East ...yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

Kogi governorship election:

INEC gives self pass mark

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•Card reader fails to capture Wada ’s ngerprints

Ekeremor killing: APC commends Police, PDP absolves self P. 44 News

Dec. 5 poll: Bayelsa elders endorse Slyva, Dickson

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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What ’s new Politics

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Task before Buhari ’s cabinet

Seven Days TALKING POINTS OF THE PAST WEEK November 22, 2015

Being a woman has an advantage –Promise Anaroke Wellness

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Causes and prevention of body odour

NAF bombards Sambisa forest Dole.

Air Commodore Amao said in October alone the Air Force carried out over 40 interdiction missions with 80 per cent success, which has greatly degraded the insurgents logistic in Sambisa forest.

The air component commande,r however, admitted that during the operations they lost a colleague, Flight Lieutenant Ebitimi Owei, stressing that the demise of their colleague will not deterred them from their operation, as he died for the unity of the nation, adding that his death will not be in vain.

Nigerian Air Force says the air component of Operation Lafiya Dole is intensifying bombardment of terrorists ’ locations in Sambisa forest and environs to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency that has ravaged the North East for some time now.

The air component commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Commodore Isiaka Amao, who disclosed this yesterday at a media briefing held at Operation Lafiya Dole Media Centre, Maiduguri, said they are intensifying bombardment of Sambisa forest to support the land Army of Operation Lafiya

Senate summons IGP over incessant kidnapping Senate yesterday condemned recurring incidences of kidnappings in the country and commiserated with families of those who have lost dear ones to perpetrators of the dastardly act.

The lawmakers also resolved to invite the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to appear and brief the Senate through the relevant committees on activities of the police targeted at resolution of this security challenge.

The senate in addition urged traditional institutions, religious authorities and all Nigerians to be more vigilant and to participate more actively in the security of the country.

The lawmakers reached these resolutions following the adoption of some recommendations contained in the motion sponsored by Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South) on “The unfortunate recurrence of kidnapping and hostage-taking in Nigeria – a national wake-up call. ”

Buhari sends N465.63bn additional budget to NASS Bromhidrosis or body odour as it is mostly called is a perceived unpleasant smell the bodies give off when bacteria on the skin break down sweat into acids. Body odour usually becomes evident if measures are not taken when a human reaches puberty, that is 14-16 years in females and 15-16 years of age in males.

However, people who are obese or regularly eat spicy foods or those with certain medical conditions such as diabetes are more susceptible to having body odour.

Sweat is virtually odourless to humans, it is the rapid multiplication of bacteria and what they do which eventually cause the unpleasant smell.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday sent a supplementary budget of N465.63bn to the National Assembly for the remaining part of 2015.

The President also seeks the lawmakers ’ nod for additional borrowing of N1.2trn, an upward revision of the new borrowing from N882.1bn (in the 2015 appropriation) to N2.103trn.

The request was contained in two separate letters to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon.

Yakubu Dogara, and read on the floor of both chambers.

Buhari explained that the supplementary budget was necessitated by significant revenue shortfalls due to continuous decline in the price of oil, crude production shortfalls and non-full realization of non oil revenue.

The President also stated that the additional budget was to enable his administration sustain the current progress in addressing security challenges and other important obligations of government.

NEC approves sharing $150m NLG fund to states National Economic Council, NEC, yesterday resolved that $150m out of the $400m Liquified Natural Gas, NLG, fund be shared among states.

This was one of the decisions reached at the NEC meeting attended by state governors and presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola said it was also resolved that $250m out of the LNG dividend be

invested in the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA. According to him, the decision was taken after the council received status update and presentation of 2014 Annual Report of the Governing Council of NSIA He said council also directed the Minister of Finance to constitute an Executive Nomination Committee and work in consultation with NEC to find appropriate persons to take over as board members of NSIA when the current board is dissolved.

Wanted Boko Haram commanders arrested in Yobe Nigerian Army said it had so far arrested three senior members of Boko Haram insurgents on the wanted list in Yobe State.

The Army headquarters recently made public 100 names of some Boko Haram members on its wanted list and urged the public to help the army locate the notorious insurgents.

Briefing the media in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, commandant of the 27th Task Force Brigade, Colonel Dahiru Bako, said

one of the suspects was arrested in Jakusko Local Government Area, while the remaining two were nabbed in Damaturu.

The commander said the current onslaught on the militants within the state and the entire North East was succeeding as major camps of the insurgents have been destroyed and efforts were being made by security forces to move further into their hideouts to ensure full dislodgement.

John Agoha

CEO, AGOHA FASHION HOME

MON

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additional N465.64bn to the 2015 budget, which was also read for the first time same day, with a resolution to take the second reading yesterday, in view of its importance.

Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila had raised a motion to the effect that the Bill for an Act to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, N465, 63bn only, be now read for second reading, with the attendant commencement of debate.

When I wake up on Monday morning and say my prayers, I dash out to the gym. I love to do my workouts first before any other thing. After this, I take my shower, dress up and go to the studio for new songs.

TUE

Passion

House of Representatives was yesterday thrown into a rowdy session over President Muhammadu Buhari ’s N465.64bn supplementary budget bill.

This was as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers traded words over the huge funds provided for fuel subsidy in the bill.

President Buhari had brought a supplementary budget request to the National Assembly on Wednesday, seeking approval for

I map out to watch movies on Tuesday. I ’m in showbiz and I need to be current with the happenings in the showbiz, including movies.

THU WED

a lot of home work before putting together his ‘dream team ’ of 36 ministers.

Speaking at the swearing in of the ministers , Buhari proudly stated that he had done a painstaking work before picking his ministers.

cused Dasuki and others, whose names have not been mentioned of awarding fictitious contracts, which run to billions of naira.

After receiving the report, President Buhari, had ordered the arrest of Dasuki and others for prosecution.

But the embattled former NSA, in a personal letter made available to the media yesterday, said as a former public officer, he worked conscientiously in national interest and thus, did not deserve the kind of attacks and treatments he was getting from the government.

My Wednesdays are almost similar with my Tuesdays. But the difference is that on Wednesdays, I attend mid-week service in my church.

FRI

After waiting patiently for more than five months Nigerians were presented with President Muhammadu Buhari ’s team when he eventually sworn-in his ministers this month.

His speech at the occasion showed that he had done

Embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), yesterday accused the Presidency and the 13-man committee set up to probe procurement of arms and equipment in the armed forces of witchhaunting as well as feeding Nigerians with falsehood.

The committee, which was inaugurated in August

by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe arms procurement from 2007 to date, on Tuesday submitted a preliminary report, which ac-

Reps in rowdy session over Buhari ’s supplementary budget

SUN SAT

$2.9bn arms deal: Dasuki tackles presidency

Today is for visitors or whoever that wants to see me in my office. I do my press interviews on Thursdays. That is when I spend some time to talk about what I do; my new songs.

My weekend normally starts on Fridays. I do new songs. For instance I just did a new song for Nigeria not quite long ago. I attend night clubs if need be where I perform as a musician It is the same as my Friday. I usually prefer to spend it at the beach, where I go to unwind.

I go to church. When I come back, I attend events, if there are.

*By Adaeze Amos (08023012293)

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

Big Read SUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

NOVEMBER 22, 2015

Kidnapping: The new criminal enterprise Criminals are fast discarding carjacking and robbery for a seemingly more lucrative business of kidnapping. Also worrisome is the fact that the gangs of criminals springing up across the country are youthful and intelligent graduates who are being lured into crime by growing unemployment.

PAUL OMO OBADAN writes on this ill wind that blows nobody any good.

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n Monday, Madam Beauty Ogere Siasia, the 72-yearold mother of Nigeria’s ex-international soccer star and current coach of the Under -23 team, Samson Siasia, was kidnapped from her home at Odoni community of Sagama local council of Bayelsa State at about 2 a.m., by three gunmen.

‘KIDNAPPERS RAKE IN BILLIONS’

According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen stormed the home of the woman, dragged her into a waiting motorcycle. Speaking from the U23 team camp in The Gambia, Siasia appealed to the abductors to release his mother.

This gory act underscores the magnitude kidnapping

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has gone in contemporary Nigeria.

With the spate of kidnapping, the government, the society and even the law enforcement agencies seem helpless. Relatives of victims pay through their nose to secure the freedom of their loved ones caught in the net of the hoodlums. The victims no doubt grieve and suffer psychological trauma and the families are thrown into agony of indescribable sorts.

In most cases, kidnap victims are usually locked up with little or no attention paid to their physical needs or hygiene. It has also been found out that treatments meted out to victims vary. Sometimes kidnappers are harsh and hostile to their victims while at times they are courteous and unusually kind.

Generally, people are now jittery and afraid of mixing at social gatherings, schools and even churches, for the fear of being kidnapped.

Statistics has shown that the level of kidnapping in the country is not encouraging at all. No month passes without cases of abduction in the country.

Criminals and unemployed youths, some even graduates CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

‘UNEMPLOYMENT, POOR SECURITY AID CRIME’

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The Big Read

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Kidnappers rake in billions’

Falae

Arase

Akintola

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 have devised ways of making money which is considered less cumbersome but more rewarding.

Behind the kidnapping and abduction that has fast gained ground in every nook and cranny of the country are young, smart and intelligent graduates who are daily being recruited into the dangerous world of crime by the growing unemployment in the country as well as the perceived high returns in the growing “business”. From the North to the East and from the South to the West, the story is the same.

Recent abductions and kidnappings with the whopping amounts of money raked in as ransom by the hoodlums are pointers to the new crime wave. For instance, members of the gang of hoodlums which abducted former Minister of Petroleum and elder statesman, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, recently, were said to have apologised profusely to the old man as they dragged him into their car, insisting they are merely driven by the need for money. They were said to have been paid a whopping N50 million within just 72 hours before they released their victim. The kidnappers claimed that they were graduates and that they did not like what they were doing but had to do it due to lack of jobs.

The most memorable kidnapping incident in Nigeria is the one carried out by the religious insurgency group called Boko Haram, an Islamic Jihadist and terrorist organization based in northeast Nigeria. On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. Till date, the Chibok girls have not been rescued.

Kidnapping was a relatively unknown phenomenon in Nigeria before the agitation for resource control gained ground in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. While the kidnapping in the Niger Delta in the early days appeared to have a communal purpose, what it had become at the time it came to the South East was an occupation, as armed robbers and miscreants simply changed jobs and because of the insular nature of that part of Nigeria, most of the victims were indigenes and “sons and daughters of the soil”, either resident back in the East (usually relatives of very wealthy individuals residing outside of the region) or outside of it but wealthy and doing very well at their vocations, becoming targets when they return home during the holidays, festive periods or personal occasions either of joy or sadness, and the likes. Some of the kidnapped lost their lives even when ransom had been paid, leading to a situation where many of the rich of the region had to disguise themselves when they make journeys back home to their villages, becoming non-committal as to their movements, such that you may see a man now, who tells you he’d be in the village for some days only for you to learn that at the time you saw him, he was on his way back to base (to town, the city or even outside of the country), because no one can be trusted, as it turned out most times (in the few cases that were solved) that close relatives of victims were involved, mostly acting as insiders.

It was the South West of Nigeria that was spared for a long time of this menace. Although, there were just a pocket of kidnappings here and there.

In many parts of the country, kidnapping activities have been fully commercialised and targeted at the rich in the society and their immediate family members.

Hassan

Darlington

Buhari

Saisia

Olu Falae Kidnap Saga The abduction of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, a highly revered personality in the South West, in his farm in Akure, Ondo State on September 14 this year on his birthday; and his

release a few days later underlined the kidnap situation in the country and the increasingly helplessness of security agents in dealing with the menace, especially after it became known that a ransom was paid for his release despite the assertion by the Police Inspector-General to the contrary.

In many parts of the country, kidnapping activities have been fully commercialised and targeted at the rich in the society and their immediate family members. Those involved in these activities are mostly youths who have found kidnapping as a lucrative source of economic enrichment. It is worrisome and disheartening that the kidnappers abduct people at their whims and caprices with impunity. The most painful aspect of it is that most often, these social miscreants beat security agents with ease.

Another gory incident involved the abduction and killing of Dr. Stanley Uche, proprietor of Victory Christian Hospital, Aba, who was murdered in spite of the payment of a N30 million ransom. The story is endless and alarming.

Kidnapping will chase away foreign investment Pastor Darlington Ajitemisan, a Human Rights Activist said the implication of this ugly development on the socioeconomic growth of Nigeria is adverse as many companies and individuals who would have set up industries in the country are now unwilling to do so. “This obviously portends great danger for our country’s developmental prospect as the country is no longer conducive for foreign industrial investment. Foreign investors who would have loved to set up their industries in Nigeria cannot do so as nobody will be willing to take the risk of establishing his business in CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Big Read

Sunday, November 22, 2015

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‘Kidnapping is a form of social revolution’ Dr Ikechukwu Nwadinigwe is a Counseling Psychologist in the Department of Education Foundations, University of Lagos. He sheds more light on the debilitating effect of kidnapping for ransom ravaging the society in this interview with PAUL OMO OBADAN. Kidnapping has taken a wider dimension in Nigeria today as miscreants and even unemployed graduates engage in the dastardly act. Where did we go wrong and how can this tide be stemmed?

The truth is that a lot of people are idle and cannot find a sustainable means of livelihood. Job creation should be attended to adequately to ensure that many people are gainfully employed. Apart from the get-rich-quick syndrome that pervades Nigerian society, many of the youths have taken to kidnapping as a means of livelihood. Nigeria has money that could comfortably take care of some of these pressing issues but misappropriation of public funds is a major threat to Nigeria’s development. Kidnapping for ransom in Nigerian is therefore a kind of social revolution by youths, especially the unemployed ones, who are not satisfied with their socio-economic lot and have decided to take laws into their hands to fight for their own socio-economic development by all means.

There is no gainsaying the fact that high rate of unemployment among the youths in Nigeria is one of the causes of the present situation.

Greed and inordinate ambition to become wealthy even among the employed is another cause. The adverse effect of this ugly development on the socio-economic growth of the country is far reaching as many companies and individuals who would have established industries in the country are now unwilling to do so. The problem therefore demands urgent attention from the Nigerian government and citizenry.

The ugly development of kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria took its root from the activities of the militant youths in the Niger Delta region within the present decade arising from the controversial issue of resource control. The activities of the restive youths is to abduct employees of oil companies, especially the foreigners and then establish contacts with their employers to demand for mouth watering ransoms before the release of their helpless victim. Like a whirlwind, this dastardly act had gradually spread to other parts of the country. Since then the atmosphere had been turbulent and horrendous.

This is a very big social problem which has thrown the entire Nigerian populace to a situation of psychological sickness as people are now jittery and gripped with

The victim’s family members and his close relatives and friends may suffer mental disorders as a result of the psychological trauma they have been subjected to, not to talk of the victim himself.

Nwadinigwe

fear not knowing who will be next victim. Apart from the South South region of the country, the South East has witnessed the highest rate of kidnapping in the country.

What effect does kidnapping have on families of victims and how can they have therapy?

Not only does the situation have a direct anti-development effect, it also has indirect negative effects on development. The victim’s family members and his close relatives and friends may suffer mental disorders as a result of the psychological trauma they have been subjected to, not to talk of the victim himself. At night, when one is meant to enjoy rest after a hectic day’s activity, the victim and those deeply concerned about his fate will not find it easy to sleep and this will definitely affect their overall health and economic productivity the next day.

How can we get out of this logjam of kidnapping?

Why it is difficult to rescue people sometimes is because people are afraid to use the police. The public has to also get the police involved because sometimes the kidnapper frightens them that if they get the police involved they will kill the person.

It is clearly stated in the Nigerian constitution that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people. So I urge the Federal Government and the state governments to tackle this insecurity called kidnapping. Kidnapping under any guise should not be treated with kid gloves. To curb the menace, government has to be fully involved and provide equipment like tracking equipment and cameras to enable the security agencies track kidnappers easily.

It will require the active involvement of all stakeholders in the country – government at the three tiers, the private sector, traditional institutions, religious institutions, opinion/community; everything necessary must be done to significantly improve the economy to provide jobs for the youth.

We must re-examine its economic roadmap to make it production-led. Nigeria has no business with unemployment if the critical economic sectors – textile industry, agriculture etc are working. These are sectors that could employ millions of people if the country stops importation of items it could produce at home, even in commercial quantities. The monster of kidnapping is capable of driving-dry foreign direct investments and make the nation ungovernable.

The police should be well equipped to fight the rising spate of this social vice known as kidnapping. We also need to establish a law that will tackle those who harbour them.

‘Unemployment, poor security aid crime’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 a society where security cannot be guaranteed. Even those who have already established will be forced to withdraw and relocate to other countries where security is ensured,” he said.

A lawyer and social commentator, Taiwo Hassan said mismanagement of the economy was responsible for the rising incidence of kidnapping in the country.

“You hardly find an oil producing nation like Nigeria facing what Nigeria is facing today,” he said. “It is as if we have eaten up the future of the youths and if we don’t care about taking the youths, we are indirectly recruiting them for criminality. Unemployment is rising by the day, every year two batches of NYSC members are recruited and they are coming out to an unemployed market that is so large that in some families we have four graduates that have left NYSC for years and have not gotten jobs.

We have a lot of our graduates going into 419, internet fraud, and other kinds of fraud.

The same country that has rendered them unemployable spends billions of naira everyday on wasteful projects,” he said.

As security situation in the country becomes more worrisome, the respect of Nigeria in the eyes of the international community diminishes.

Though kidnapping is a global business, which is far more developed in places like Mexico and Colombia, Nigeria is fast catching up with the ugly tide. Findings by Sunday Mirror revealed that kidnappers rake in as much as a billion dollars almost every year in Brazil. In Mexico too, it

is serious business as gangs encourage their young members to practice on pets and domestic animals so as to master the game before going for human beings.

Experts say that the inability of the security agencies to address the country’s security challenges during these inauspicious periods raised yet another critical question of threats to the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria as a sovereign state. Therefore, addressing the security challenges in Nigeria ultimately requires not only the causes of threats but also a critical evaluation of the performance of security agencies in handling the situation in Nigeria.

Bad leadership, reason for kidnapping Worried by the spate of the menace, Barrister Tosin Akinde of A. A. Solicitors and Advocate said the level of unemployment in Nigeria is alarming and a good number of young people without means livelihood are becoming more desperate and fast losing hope in the governments’ promises. He said they are becoming easy recruits for kidnapping “trade”, which is fast becoming another social cancer, like terrorism and corruption, which have eaten deep into the fabric of the nation. But more worrisome is the inability of the security agents to quell the menace.

“The capacity of members of the police and other security agencies must now be built to combat this menace, and make the path unattractive to the teeming unemployed youth,” he said. He said that the Federal Government should reorganise the country’s intelligence system and build a capable and more proactive security apparatus in Nigeria.

According to him, “This will add more values in checking incessant bombings, robberies, kidnapping and violent

crimes by hoodlums in the country. There is the need for collective security arrangement by the federal, state and local governments in Nigeria.

This arrangement should produce a committee at village, community, local, state and federal levels with the responsibility of providing sensitive security information for security agencies at their areas of operation. This will ultimately assist in identifying criminals, their sponsors and hideouts in the country,” he said.

Widening gap between the rich and poor Some analysts believe that if government can tackle the distressed economic situation in the country and the widening gap between the rich and the poor things would improve. The gap keeps widening by the day and the average youth has difficulties in seeing legitimate means of earning a decent living. Lots of unemployed youths have taken up kidnapping as a profession since they see it as a money-generating tool.

Sadly, there seems to be no end in sight to the scourge that rakes in hundreds of billions naira in illegally acquired wealth. Many lives have also been lost in the hands of kidnappers.

Sunday Mirror investigation revealed that while some die in the course of the harrowing experiences they are made to go through, some are deliberately executed, either as a result of having become “excess luggage” or when ransom is not forthcoming. Some victims have also paid the ultimate price when kidnappers find out that their families play smart by involving security agents in the ransom process in a bid to arrest them.

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News

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kogi guber: Wada disappointed over malfunctioning card readers …Audu says he ’s sure of victory WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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ogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada, and the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed disappointment as the card reader failed to capture his fingerprint in the process of accreditation for yesterday ’s election.

Wada, who was at the polling unit 01 at Odu Og-

boyaga, his country home for the voting exercise got the shock when card reader could not capture his fingerprint. His wife, whose fingerprints were recognised by the device could not find her name on the voters ’ register.

Sources told Sunday Mirror that the governor ’s polling unit was not supplied with incident form, as it also happened in some polling units at

Ala-Ejule in Ofu local government area of the state.

However, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Prince Abubarka Audu, expressed satisfaction at the process of accreditation and voting exercise.

Audu who spoke with journalists shortly after casting his vote at polling unit 010, Local government Education Authority Primary in Ogbonicha

yesterday, said the turnout was impressive and peaceful.

He explained that despite the peaceful commencement of election, there were pockets of crisis in some polling units, stressing that unconfirmed report has it that some hoodlums hijacked election materials in Onitcha Ego and some other places.

He pointed out that

L-R:, Head of Section, Manpower Development, FRSC, Kingsley Agomoh; President, Association of Certified Driving School Owners of Nigeria, Samuel Olunloyo and Deputy Corps Marshal, Training Standard and Certification, Ademola Lawal, during the two-day training programme for driving school owners and instructors in Abuja, yesterday.

Social workers pledge to help ght insurgency, other vices KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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ocial workers under the aegis of Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW), have assured President Muhammadu Buhari, state governors and other stakeholders of their support in the fight against social menace such as insurgency, kidnapping, terrorism, corruption, robbery, human trafficking and examination malpractices, among others.

This was part of the communiqué issued at the end of the association ’s 31st Annual General Meeting/Annual National Conference in Awka, the Anambra State capital, and made available to journalists in Ibadan yesterday.

The association in the communiqué signed by its National President, Mr. Nathaniel Olawale,

assured that henceforth social workers would be fully involved in providing psychosocial care and support to families, inmates and victims of social vices and social problems such as insurgency, divorce, and rape at hospitals, prisons, rehabilitation centres, Internally Displaced Persons ’ camps, schools and hospitals, among others.

While decrying the increasing rate of social vices in the country, it said these problems are byproducts of social problems, assuring that the only solution was the involvement of social workers at schools, courts, hospitals, prisons, rehabilitation centres, government agencies; National Emergency Management Agency, and National Action Committee on AIDS. “We wish to reiterate the willingness of the Nigeria Association of Social

Workers to partner with President Buhari-led administration in the area of combating social vices such as child abuse, drug addiction, trafficking in person, gangsterism, rape, prostitution, kidnapping, disasters, insurgency and marital conflict, among others, ” it said.

NASoW further maintained that the only way to reduce social vices and social problems in the country is the involvement of more social workers in rehabilitation centres, schools, prisons, agencies and NGOs where professional social workers would be providing psychosocial help to those who need such help.

The association then called for the speedy passage of the bill on professionalisation of social work and the establishment of the Nigeria Council of Social Work which

has passed through the second reading at the 7th National Assembly and awaiting final passage at the current 8th Assembly, which it said would enhance the social work practice and profession in the country.

While urging Nigerians to support the move and prevail on the current House of Representatives in ensuring that the bill scaled through, it called on the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and his colleagues to as a matter of urgency pass the bill into law in the interest of all Nigerians that would be the beneficiaries of the bill.

It also called on social workers in the country to make use of the relevant legislations such as Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, NAPTIP Act and 2003 Child Rights Act in the discharge of their professional duties.

they always organised his polling unit as the best to give impression that all was well, but it always turned out to be wishywashy arrangement all over.

The APC candidate stated that his party was sure of victory, noting that after yesterday ’s election, Kogi would join the change mantra.

He called on the electorate to go about the exercise peacefully.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, voted at unit 2 in Ileteju ward, of Mopamuro LGA at exactly 1.45 p.m.

The deputy governor who commended INEC for the logistic arrangement, said with the report he had got from across the local government areas, efforts must be given to the security agencies, who had made the election peaceful.

Awoniyi reiterated the resolve of the Wada administration, if re-elected, to make the welfare of the people its cardinal point in the state.

Awoniyi commended the people of Mopamuro for their peaceful conduct and optimism in turning out en masse to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the governorship elec-

tion in Kogi.

Its Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr Halilu Pai, expressed the satisfaction in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lokoja, the state capital.

Pai, who spoke shortly after the conclusion of voting, described the election as successful and peaceful.

He attributed the success to the perfect arrangements put in place by the commission in collaboration with critical stakeholders like the parties, security agencies and the civil society organisations.

The resident electoral commissioner also lauded the voters for their positive attitude to the election which, he added, was largely responsible for the successful conduct of the polls.

He said that the preparations for the election were guided by the experiences of the commission in the last general election, saying that the smooth and timely arrival of materials and electoral personnel underscored the success achieved.

Pai said that the collation of the results from the 3,018 polling units at the 239 wards in the state had also commenced, adding that collation at state level would not start earlier than 12 midnight.

We won ’t bombard civilian locations in Sambisa –NAF The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday, assured the people that its ongoing strike mission in Sambisa forest would not affect civilian targets.

Air Commodore Isiaka Amao, Air Component Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, gave this assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

Amao explained that the air force conducted a series of intelligence gathering on the area before embarking on the mission.

According to him, we are on a mission to wipe out the Boko Haram terrorists from their Sambisa forest hideout. ‘ ’We are also aware

that the terrorists usually keep abducted women and children among them; so we carry out series of intelligence-gathering before striking at any target in the hideout. ``We do not carry out strikes in women and children locations because we know that they are innocent persons kept by force by the terrorists. ``Our job is to degrade the terrorists and rescue vulnerable persons forcefully abducted in their hideout, ’ ’ he said.

Amao said that the air force had continued to intensify its effort in support of the ground troops and had conducted no fewer than 40 intervention missions, with over 80 per cent success in the forest.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Sunday, November 22, 2015

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Deportation racket: CLO seeks probe of Nigeria ’s UK High Commission …fears 500 Nigerians to be illegally repatriated NICK UWERU

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ational president, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Igho Akeregha, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently probe the activities of the country ’s London High Commission over the planned deportation of 500 Nigerians from UK on 24, November 2015.

Speaking yesterday at a media briefing Lagos, Akeregha stated that CLO has cause to believe that

most of the Nigerians to be repatriated on Tuesday were victims of underhand dealings of a syndicate allegedly involving corrupt Nigerian immigration officers and foreign collaborators in the UK office of the Nigerian embassy.

“There is a need to draw the attention of President Buhari, the Controller General, CG, Immigration, CG, Customs and other relevant officers at the country ’s entry points to the wicked and noxious plan by authorities in UK and corrupt officials at the

Nigerian High Commission in UK to unlawfully deport some Nigerians on Tuesday 24, 2015, ” said the CLO president.

Though Akherega acknowledges the right of countries to repatriate illegal immigrants causing nuisance within their territory, he pointed out that where such actions are done, due process and transparency should be followed.

CLO says that it is particularly peeved at reports that a certain deputy immigration attaché at the Nigerian High Commis-

sion in London is being allegedly linked to corruption and fraud in the illegal deportation of Nigerians. It was alleged that the officer is believed to cream off the 3, 000 pounds sterling paid on every deportee by the UK authorities as means of ameliorating any sufferings of the deportee. CLO says that the theft of the money is being done with active connivance with some UK officials.

Apart from short changing deportees of their money, the female official (name withheld) is

also accused of going out of her way to lure unwary immigrant in UK into a trap where they are seized and deported straight to Nigeria while she takes the money allotted to the unfortunate individual so repatriated.

“There are instances where immigrants whose papers expired or with minor hitches in their documentation and waiting rectification at the appropriate agencies in UK are made victims, ” added the CLO president.

Sunday Mirror learnt that these activities have

come under intense scrutiny of Alexia Thomas, Chairman of The Commonwealth Liberation Party, TCLP, in the UK. Through his activism, Virgin Atlantic, an international airline owned

by Sir Richard Branson, pulled out of the business of repatriating Nigerians from UK. CLO therefore urges government to, as a matter of urgency; detain any airliner that brings the 500 Nigerians into the country so as to thoroughly investigate the matter.

Amosun denies bailout fund write-off report

O

Pastor WF Kumuyi praying for policemen at Garage Olode, Ife South Region at the ongoing Osun State Liberation crusade. Others are Pastor Biola Adeniran, Osun State Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Deji Adeoye, the Region Overseer of Ife South and Mark Debo Taiwo.

BoI unveils strategies to end youth unemployment BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

T

he management of Bank of Industry, BoI, has explained its to end high unemployment rate, describing the present ratio of the nation ’s unemployed graduates as “artificial ”.

According to the organisation, with the abundant solid mineral deposits, petroleum, arable land suitable for farming and good population, the country should naturally not have challenges providing jobs for her school leavers, bearing in mind the fact that Zambia survives depending on only one mineral, copper.

Speaking during the Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund Capacity Building Programme organised by the Bank of Industry in conjunction with the

National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, the managing director of BoI, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, said the organisation has embarked on aggressive empowerment programme for of 1,000 corp members, who in five years should be employers of labour.

Represented by Mr. Waheed Olagunju, the Executive Director, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises of the BoI at the event held at NYSC Orientation Camp, Ede, Olaoluwa, explained that the organisation was conducting training for 1,000 participants in 7 different venues across the country.

He said those being trained were selected from over 3, 000 that participated in an online business competition.

He added that 144 corps members drawn from Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Oyo,

Ekiti and Ondo states were involved in the training programme, stressing that after their training the participants would submit a bankable business plans that will enable them access up to N2 million loan repayable between 3 to 5 years.

He further explained that the interest rate on the loan is nine per cent positing that effective monitoring mechanism has been put in place to ensure that the programme is successful.

OlaOluwa also opined that the participants would be made to submit their NYSC discharge certificates and provide guarantors, but maintained that the measure put in place was never to punish defaulters, but to ensure seriousness and make the programme a success.

In his remarks, the NYSC Director General, Brig. Gen. Johnson Olawumi, who was represented by Osun state coordinator, Mrs. Regina Iluebbey, commended the BoI for taking practical steps in solving the nation ’s employment challenges facing her youths.

Olawumi said NYSC in its determined efforts to establish rapport with key organisations to fulfill one of its core mandate, extended invitation to many identified stakeholders in entrepreneurship development and industrial growth, posting that one of such was BoI, who he claimed responded positively with a lot of drive to make a mark in the development of youths through some entrepreneurship programmes.

gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has refuted claims that he said the Federal Government will write off the bailout fund extended to states of the federation.

“I was quoted out of context. I never said the Federal government was going to write off the bailout fund, ” Governor Amosun said.

Contrary to reports in some sections of the media, at no point during the opening session of the state Treasury Board meeting for the year 2016 budget held on Friday, November 20, did the governor categorically state that the federal government was going to write off the bailout debt of states.

What happened is that the governor, upon being briefed by the Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, who attended the last National Economic Council meeting held on Thursday, November 19, said states of the federation spoke about challenges they were facing in meeting their obligations towards repayment of their rescheduled loans or bailout fund.

He said in view of this, states requested for some sort of moratorium or outright cancellation of their debts.

Governor Amosun however never said that the federal government has decided to write off the debt or give any sort of moratorium.

36 die in Calabar-Itu road RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

A

bout 36 people have lost their lives between September and November as a result of bad road which caused vehicles to crash along Calabar-Itu federal highway.

Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Cross River State, Comrade Victor Okon disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists shortly after the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cross River State Sector Command flagged off its ember month campaign in

Calabar.

“We lost 36 lives in three months which includes drivers and passengers between Odukpani and Akwa Ibom states. I feel the government have every needed potential to address the bad road situation. We as a union are the ones filling the portholes ”, the CTREAN chairman maintained.

The CTREAN chairman lamented that despite the huge levies collected by the governments of these states for each truck plying the Highways nothing has been done to alleviate the suffering face by its members and the generality of the public.

8

News

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

War against terror: We ’ll defeat Boko Haram ideology, says Buhari JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

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resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said the ideology behind the emergence of Boko Haram must be dealt with if the fight against the terrorists must be won.

The President, who spoke at the graduation ceremony of Course 37 participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State however expressed optimism that the terrorists and their ideology would soon be defeated and consigned to history.

Represented by VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo, the President said, “We are rapidly degrading their defensive and offensive capabilities and their end is near.

“However, the more crucial task confronting us is defeating the false and evil ideology of violent extremism. We need to build the civic capacity to defeat the false and dangerous premises and assumptions of violent extremism.

“Never again should we allow mindless violence inspired by false and evil precepts to threaten our national security.

“Let me call on persons

or groups in the country who have some grievances or dissatisfaction to submit to peaceful and democratic means of expressing themselves. Your right to protest is limited by the right of others to safety and peaceful coexistence. ” As part of his campaign and inauguration promises on May 29, the President charged the Institute to come up with a set of proposals for the comprehensive study of the scourges facing the nation with a view to forestalling future occurrence in the country knowing full well that the institute played a critical role in the application of

strategic policies to the nation ’s growth and development.

He congratulated the 63 participants of Course 37 on their graduation as well as their submitted report on education, entitled: ‘Educational System for Global Competitiveness ’.

The President maintained that the educational system in the Country was in a parlous state.

“We must focus on early child education and equipping our teachers in meeting up with the challenges of the 21st Century as a nation, ” he stated.

Director General of the

Former lawmaker, Prince Ned Nwoko (2nd left), ex-footballer, John Fashanu (2nd right) and others inspecting the proposed site for the Sports UniPHOTO:NAN versity in Idumuje-Ugboko, Delta State yesterday.

Nasarawa to begin construction of N20bn Laa airport Dec

G

ov. Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State yesterday said the state government would launch the construction of a N20 billon cargo airport in Lafia in December.

Al-makura spoke in Lafia during the signing of contract agreement between the state government and a Chinese firm, Tongyi Group Engineering, and representative of HYPAD, the Chinese firm that would finance the project.

“You will recall that about three weeks ago, a Memorandum of Understanding with regard to our commitment to have a befitting cargo airport in Lafia was signed between the state government and

a Chinese company. ‘ ’In line with that MoU, as well as our commitment for the smooth takeoff of the airport, today we are going to sign the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) which is the final stage before the official flag-off of the project, slated for December this year, ’ ’ he said.

Al-makura said the project was necessary because of the benefits the state stands to gain from it, especially in terms of economic boost, revenue generation and job creation.

The governor stated that 75 per cent of the total cost of the project would be financed by Ton-

gyi Group and its financial consultants, leaving the state with only 25 per cent commitment.

Al-makura said the proposed Lafia airport was conceived to reinforce his administration ’s template for the overall development of the state.

He noted that the cargo airport would open access for easy visit of investors who may be interested in taking a look at the state ’s endowment for businesses.

“The proposed airport seeks to unlock the potential that lie in the state to attract investment, and would as well complement the burden at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport being the closest to the Federal Cap-

ital Territory. ’ ’ Al-makura, who explained that funds for meeting the state obligation would be through the Federal Government intervention on infrastructure, noted that repayment would be spread out over a period of six years.

The Chairman of Tongyi Group, Mr Algreen Zhen, expressed confidence that when completed, the airport would add value to the citizens of Nasarawa State and its neighbours.

He expressed confidence that his company would deliver the project in good time, having put in place arrangements for the smooth take-off of the project.

Institute reaffirmed that the implementation of course 37 report on educa-

tion would change the face of Nigeria ’s educational system.

Kogi governorship poll: INEC gives self pass mark •Card reader fails to capture Wada ’s fingerprints

W

ale Ibrahim, Lokoja with agency reports The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said yesterday ’s Kogi governorship election was an improvement on previous exercise conducted in the state.

Deputy Director of Publicity in the commission, Mr. Nick Dazang, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

He said that though there were few challenges with regard to card readers ’ performance in Saturday ’s exercise, security, accreditation and voting processes were successful.

Dazang said that there were some minor challenges of the card readers malfunctioning but disclosed that mechanism were immediately deployed to correct them.

“There was also an incident in Dekina where a ballot box was snatched even when voting had not started.

“There was also one ward, 27, at Anyigba, where ballot and result sheets were torn, otherwise, I think the election went well, ’ ’ he said.

Dazang said that the incidence of violence that was anticipated during the polls was not much when compared with the cases in previous elections in the state.

“In the time past we had situations where our staff were abducted, people were killed.

“There is no incident of violence at that level; we have not heard about anybody ’s death or abduction.

“There is an improvement compared to previous elections in the state which is considered to be volatile, ’ ’ he said.

Dazang added that efficiency of the card reader was above average yesterday as the uses of incident form were negligible.

“There was one particular area in Dekina where our officials were not proficient in the use of card reader and we are investi-

gating what happened.

“Otherwise, I think generally, the election went on well; we have technical teams in all the 239 wards and in all the wards, we have ICT staff moved in to troubleshoot any experienced challenges. ’ ’ He said that the claimed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Gov. Idris Wada that the card reads were not working and that there were inadequate incidence forms at polling units did not correspond with real situation.

“I don ’t think what he said tallies with what we have seen and what we have monitored.

“The card reader was much successful; the incidences where we have that failure were very few, ’ ’ he said.

The deputy director added that in all the cases where there was card reader failure, there were sufficient incident forms.

In the area were ballot box was snatched before the commencement of the election, Dazang said the snatcher wasted his time as it would not affect the election. ``In any case, even if there were ballot papers and he snatched them, the ballot papers cannot be counted when returned. ’ ’ He expressed satisfaction over the election process and said: ``our mission is to always improve on what we have done before and there was improvement in terms of elections held in Kogi state for over time. ``The state is noted for volatility and violence but that violence did not take place. Of course, there were few challenges but not the kind of violence we anticipated. ’ ’ He added that the improvement was a mark of rigorous voter education carried out by INEC and other stakeholders as well as the appreciation of the efforts by voters. ``I think that people have seen the need to do the right thing, ’ ’ he said.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

9

Politics PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES NOVEMBER 22, 2015

Madagali: Living in the shadows of Sambisa P 10 & 38 forest

WE ALWAYS HAD FAITH THAT WITH HIS ACHIEVEMENTS IN LAGOS, FASHOLA WOULD SOMEDAY ATTAIN SERVICE AT A HIGHER LEVEL BUT WE LEAST EXPECTED THAT IT WILL BE IN THE FORM OF BEING OVERFED WITH THREE MAJOR MINISTRIES

Task before Buhari ’s cabinet

AYO ESAN

A

fter waiting patiently for more than five months Nigerians were presented with President Muhammadu Buhari ’s team when he eventually sworn-in his ministers this month. His speech at the occasion showed that he had done a lot of home work before putting together his ‘dream team ’ of 36 ministers.

Speaking at the swearing in of the ministers , Buhari proudly stated that he had done a painstaking work before picking his ministers.

His words; “Since our inauguration on May 29, 2015, the Vice President and I have been mindful of the need to con-

Fashola

stitute a cabinet that will best deliver our expectations of a better country than we inherited. We want to work towards a prosperous nation respected for the right reasons, and whose citizens can hold up their heads anywhere in the world. And we are optimistic that bringing this set of ministers into the service of our country today is a step in the right direction, a timely move towards realizing our positive goals for our country, Buhari sais.

He further said that since he assumed office in May, “I have been mindful of the need to ensure that the appointment of new ministers translates into putting round pegs in round holes while showing sensitivity to our diversity as a people and our various positions as groups of

P 37

Briefly

Group frowns at Bafarawa ’s house invasion by DSS …condemns Presidency ’s arrest order on Dasuki

–DR FREDRICK FASEHUN.

Buhari

Kwara assembly will not be a rubber stamp –AbdulRahman

stakeholders in our country.

“I have also been conscious of the need not to repeat such mistakes of the past where the right people were allocated the wrong portfolios, which translated into their performing poorly to our collective detriment despite their obvious capabilities. Also, I have responded to the counsel to consult as widely as possible, given the need to build a stable and all-inclusive government by reaching across our various ethnic and political divides, Buhari further said.

The swearing-in o f the ministers took place after a two-day retreat put together by the presidency wherein the president and the resource persons gave the new CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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pro-democracy and human rights group, Coalition Against Injustice, CAI, has condemned the reported invasion of the residence of the former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa by the operatives of the Department of Security Service, DSS).

The group, in the same vein also condemned the Presidency ’s arrest order on the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), describing the actions as, “the return of dark days in Nigeria. ” In a statement jointly signed by Isa Tijjani and Yerima Shetima, National Coordinator and National Secretary respectively, the group viewed the two developments as “crass exhibition of dictatorial tendencies and an attempt to return Nigeria to the dark days of the era of Military dictatorship exemplified by the statement emanating from the Presidency directing the arrest of Col. Sambo Dasuki rtd and others by the President. ” According to the statement, no one is sympathetic, backing or shielding those that committed crimes against the nation, but it is worrisome to note that, “such a statement from the President not only smacks element of vindictiveness but already comprises the case even before commencement. ” It wondered whether the Presidency has now assumed the responsibility of arresting people, and thereby usurping the duties agencies like the ICPC, EFCC and the Police, whose responsibility is to arrest and prosecute offenders, ” reminding that, “certainly a court of law and the Presidency cannot arraign anybody. ” While the CAI queried whether those people in question could get a fair trial, it argued that “the statement from the President has foreclosed that, ” concluding that, “events emanating from President Muhammadu Buhari ’s actions have clearly shown that he belongs to himself alone and not to everybody according to his inauguration promise. ” The group also expressed shock over the report of forceful invasion and ransacking of Bafarawa ’s residence by the DSS, suspecting that, “the intention was to snatch his passport and stop him from further travelling outside the country. ” The group now reminded that, “Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa is under a valid subsisting bail from a court of law, ” suspecting that, Bafarawa ’s offence was likely to be his audacity to escort Dasuki to court?

“In the face of the foregoing, we want to be categorical in saying that we will escort Dasuki to court any day he is charged, we will do so to the logical conclusion of the case. We hasten to remind President Buhari, his government and all his state apparatus that what people gave him were their votes and not their liberty. ”

10

Features

Sunday November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Madagali: Living in the shadows of Sambisa forest Since its recapture by Nigerian forces, assisted by local hunters, the people of Madagali in Adamawa State have not been fortunate to enjoy the relative peace enjoyed by their peers in Mubi, Maiha and its nearby neighbour in Michika because of their proximity to Sambisa forest. Livinus Menedi writes on the plight of these resilient people.

Madagali which shares an adjoining border line with Gworza Local Government of Borno State to its South, has had its own share of ill-luck, being the next door neighbour to the vortex of the Jihadist Boko Haram sect, in Gworza, by the Sambisa forest.

The intermittent attacks by the sect indicate that over 30,000 internally displaced persons, who returned, going by reports, have faced even dire consequences settling down since the majority, depend on subsistence farming for their livelihood.

However, in Kirchinga, Gulak, and Shuwa were some residents noted that nearly half of the population, from the area who fled the fighting have returned.

But the minus, however, is the loud chorus of neglect and abandonment, which the locals say appears to be their only lot, as many continue to view the area as “ a no go area ”.

Even though those who have returned to Madagali say peace and tranquility is gradually setting in, they are however, upset with some of their fellows who fled the fighting and have continued to shy away from returning despite some remarkable progress Our reporter who was in Madagali, and spent a night with the locals write on the self help initiative taken in the area, and which may just be the elixir, to make it possible, for residents who fled the insurgency from the area, to feel safe to return back to their homes.

It would be recalled that about seven local government areas in Adamawa fell under control of the dreaded Islamic sect. Five out of the seven councils namely - Mubi North, Mubi South, Maiha, Michika and Madagali are situated on the Northern fringes of the state, with its border lines skirting the boundaries of the republic of Cameroon.

However, the other two, Gombi and Hong local government councils, belonging to the Central Senatorial District, going by political configuration in the state, only suffered minor disruptive activities, since they were quickly recaptured shortly after falling to the sect.

Until early, this year, since the territories in Adamawa where captured in August of 2014, the efforts of troops to retake the conquered territories had proved elusive.

It was therefore not hard at the time to point, and link the up scaled military activities against the insurgents by the erstwhile Goodluck Jonathan administration, especially with the mandate it gave the security agencies to reclaim every captured territory, to the coun-

Hon n. Em mma anue el Ts sam mdu

Mad dagali Local Hunters (Bukarr Jimeta a in Blue e)

THE INTERMITTENT ATTACKS BY THE SECT INDICATE THAT OVER 30,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, WHO RETURNED, GOING BY REPORTS, HAVE FACED EVEN DIRE CONSEQUENCES SETTLING DOWN try ’s upcoming election fixed for the first quarter.

The success recorded translated in the troops reclaiming all towns and communities in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Gombe, after routing the terrorists.

But since March after Madagali was recaptured from the hands of the insurgents, many of the residents who fled the fighting in the area have braved the odds and returned while others remained skeptical about returning, perhaps because of sporadic attacks, unleashed by the sect in the area.

However, Mr. Wajau Hyariju a retired teacher, who said he returned to Gulak in April, lamented, that until the last three Months when over 500 local hunters were mobilised, those who returned could not live outside of Gulak because of intermittent attacks by the sect on soft targets.

Places like Gata, Lemu, Disa, Jaji, Gwubbla, Isgea, Zagore, Kobara, Metiku, Mezou, and Mildo, he said were among the worst hit by sporadic attacks waged

by Boko Haram sect on hapless residents who had returned.

This however Wajau said, used to be the trend before stakeholders in the area led by the lawmaker, representing the council in state legislature Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu, together with other stakeholders contributed to fund about 500 local hunters, charged with the task of protecting vulnerable communities in the area from further attacks.

He said although remarkable progress has been made since the arrival of local hunters to the area in August, he however noted that misinformation about the true security situation in the area had continued to hamper the return of many of the residents whom he described as being “ influential ”.

Perhaps the greatest disservice the

ominous cloud of insecurity has caused the people of Madagali, Wajau said, is the revision of over N690 million worth of road contracts which the current leadership in the state led by Sen. Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow, capitalised upon, and diverted to the state capital.

The roads contract, which already has been funded through a bond payment by erstwhile administration of Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri, was meant for the construction and rehabilitation of roads between Madagali and Michika, but this was not to be however, as new administration citing security concerns in the area, instead used its discretionary powers to fund the construction roads rather in the state capital.

The retired teacher, who enumerated some of the challenges encountered by returnees, said “none of them will tell you that they can ’t sleep with both eyes closes ”.

Lamenting the neglect of the area by state government, he said, since April when he moved in with his family to Gulak, the headquarters of Madagali local government, he has not witnessed any assistance from any agency of government to the area.

He observed that most residents who have returned and who are staying in Gulak, Barkkin Dutse and Sabon Gari area of Madagali are forced to travel 25-30 km, to Michika to get medical care every time their children or relations took ill.

He said he is perturbed that Madagali has continued to be overlooked by the government and even aid agencies, which should ordinarily help bring relief to the area but, have also shied away, from doing so.

Findings by Sunday Mirror, revealed that the people of Madagali are gradually finding peace again. Perhaps, notable in

fuelling the pervading air of safety, is the salutary effort of the civilian JTF, who complimenting the effort of the military have also been able to liberate some communities and villages, from the grip of the insurgents which they use as hideout to disrupt the peace in the area by picking on soft targets to cause mayhem.

Another interesting find, is that the resident of Madagali, urgently require, access to clean portable drinking water since the armed conflict resulted in the destruction and destruction of the power infrastructure, which has hampered the functioning of the boreholes.

There ’s also the urgent need to get hospitals and medical centres opened as they are currently still shut, even though the member representing the area in the state assembly Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu said there ’s a subsisting directive urging health workers in the council who have been living in Yola the state capital to relocate and reopen the Madagali General Hospital.

The lawmaker, who decried the state government neglect of his constituents, shed light on why he had to stamp his feet on the ground to ensure that a vigilante force was set up to safe guard the area from sporadic attacks.

He noted that because Madagali shared a common boundary with Sambisa forest, the increased military operations ongoing in the area, was bound to have a collateral effect on the area, adding that it was only natural to expect that as troops try to achieve the December deadline set for them to rid the North East of insurgency, and pummel the hot bed of insurgents in the Sambisa forest, most of the insurgents escaping from their den will obviously pose a threat to the civil populace.

The result, he added is that some of the insurgents, who are lucky to have escaped, are the ones who now ransack remote communities in search of food and shelter.

He however, said the development had taken its toll on food supply in the area since many of the locals now feel unsafe to go to their farms for fear of their personal safety.

“Our people are running short of food supply, you know food which is a necessity remains the greatest need of the people of Madagali for now, ” he said.

“As I speak to you there has not been any intervention by the state government. We have not seen and we have not CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

11

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Man in the News Mr. Nnamdi Kanu

Revivalist of separatist agenda AYO ESAN

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ast month, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the direc¬tor of the so-called Radio Biafra was arrested in a Lagos hotel but until then only a few people knew about him and the group that he leads the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which claims it is interested in the actual¬isation of a separate home state for the Igbo.

The once obscure group has however come to national limelight and its activities after the arrest of Kanu, the key of which is “Release Nnamdi Kanu ” protests have been staged across the South East and South South regions of the country.

Kanu was reportedly arrested a few hours after he arrived the country and members of the IPOB have marched in the streets of Port Harcourt, Aba, Asaba, Enugu, Awka and other cities, to register their anger over his detention. The surprise to Nigerians is how Kanu who lives outside the country in far away London could have such mass followership in Nigeria such that IPOB is already becoming a movement..

Last Wednesday, the Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Abuja ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to produce Kanu, who is also the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB before it tomorrow (Monday).

The Chief Magistrate, Shauibu Usman gave the order following the absence of the accused in court when the trial was to commence last Wednesday.

The Chief Magistrate said that he noted that the DSS had refused to bring Kanu to court for the second time despite another an order he made on October 23 to that effect.

He ordered the agency to bring the accused person before the court unfailingly on November 23 to answer criminal charges that were prescribed against him by the Federal Government.

He maintained that no trial can continue in a criminal case without the presence of the accused, saying that the only condition that can make a court to excuse the absence of an accused has not come up.

The decision of the magistrate is not unconnected with a claim by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Moses Idakwo, that the accused person was not brought to court because ordinary application challenging the jurisdiction of the magistrate court to continue the trial was slated for hearing.

Idakwo had told the court that as soon as the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court has been resolved, the DSS would now produce the accused by

the court.

But the Chief Magistrate opposed the submission of Idakwo and reminded the prosecutor that on October 23, he made an order that the accused must at all times be brought to court throughout the trial.

Another drama that ensued in the court apart from the absence of the accused in court that stalled the trial is the conflict between two legal practitioners, Mr. Gabriel Egbule and Vincent Ezechukwu Obete who engaged themselves in war of words in the open court on the issue of which side is the authentic lawyer to the accused person.

Egbule, who first announced his appearance for the accused person, informed the court that he represented the accused person on October 19 when he was first arraigned and that he was ready to continue to defend the accused person.

He produced a letter he claimed was written to him by the next of kin of the accused person appointing him as lawyer to the accused person.

But Vincent Obete also produced a letter from the IPOB, signed by its deputy director, Alphonsus Mefor, appointing him as lawyer.

Besides, Obete also produced another letter, dated October 16 from the father of the accused person, Eze Kanu of Afara-

Ukwu kingdom, also appointing him as a counsel to defend his son.

Usman, who intervened in the issue, said on October 19 when Kanu was brought before him, the accused told the court that he had no lawyer prompting Mr. Gabriel Egbule to fill the gap.

He, however, told the two lawyers that the accused person would tomorrow determine his own lawyer.

Kanu is undergoing trial on criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society and criminal intimidation contrary to Section 97, 97B and 397 of the penal code.

The fact of the case, according to DSS report was that the accused formed an unlawful society with the purpose of bringing into being a Republic of Biafra.

He was alleged to have proclaimed himself as the leader of the Republic of Biafra and established a radio of Biafra.

Kanu was also alleged to have appointed himself Commander of the Loyal Forces of Biafra and was broadcasting to the whole world the dire consequences the government and people of Nigeria will suffer should they attempt to hinder the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra.

The trial has been fixed for November 23.

Nnamdi Kanu, had about three years ago, set up Radio Biafra to advance the

cause of his group, which has been agitating for the resurrection of the defunct separatist Republic of Biafra.

He was the London Coordinator of Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra MASSOB, a group led by Ralph Uwazurike.

Following a dis¬agreement with Uwazurike, he formed another group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. Kanu, who was born at the peak of the Nigeria-Biafra war attended Government College, Umuahia, Abia State and later University of Nigeria, Nsukka before trav¬elling to London to continue his university education.

While explaining his reason for setting up Radio Biafra, Kanu said, it is to set a largely misin¬formed public free from the twin evil of tyrannical rule of a cabal of ill-educated and institutionally corrupt men and women and the sponsored sectarian killings directed against Christian Southerners living in Northern Nigeria by terrorists op¬erating in the name of Islam.

He also said that, the radio will serve to articulate a solution to the plight of impoverished and confused Igbo families abandoned by their leaders in Northern Nigeria to a fate worse than those endured by black slaves in plantations in the Americas.

Radio Biafra, he stressed, “will use and deploy every available resource to cam¬paign for the rights of all oppressed indigenous peoples of Southern Nigeria to determine how they wish to structure their societies and live their lives.

“The radio would broadcast debates on issues of national and international importance affecting the lives and rights of the indigenous peoples of Biafra and indeed indigenous people of all ethnic persuasions in Nigeria ”, he explained..

Radio Biafra also known as Voice of Biafra, is a radio station that was originally founded by the government of the Republic of Biafra, but is currently operated by Kanu. Believed to have had its first transmission before the Nigeria – Biafra war, the radio station was instrumental in the broadcast of speeches and propaganda by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to the people of the Republic of Biafra.

Based in the United Kingdom, Radio Biafra transmits via the internet and short¬wave broadcast targeted majorly around Eastern Nigeria. It claims to be “broad¬casting the ideology of freedom of the Biafra people ”.

On July 14, 2015, federal authorities said the radio station has been jammed because it did not have a broadcast licence from the Nigeria Broadcasting Com¬mission.

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Wellness YOUR HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES November 22, 2015

Causes and prevention of body odour

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romhid r o sis or body odour as it is mostly called is a perceived unpleasant smell the bodies give off when bacteria on the skin break down sweat into acids. Body odour usually becomes evident if measures are not taken when a human reaches puberty, that is 1416 years in females and 15-16 years of age in males.

However, people who are obese or regularly eat spicy foods or those with certain medical conditions such as diabetes are more susceptible to having body odour.

Sweat is virtually odourless to humans, it is the rapid multiplication of bacteria and what they do which eventually cause the unpleasant smell.

Body odour is most likely to occur in the feet, groin, armpits, genitals, pubic hair, belly button, anus, behind the ears and on the skin. It is present in animals and can have a specific smell to the individual, especially dogs, pigs and other animals, while in human each person unique body odour can be influenced by diet, gender, health and medication.

There are two types of acids present in the body when an individual has an

odour.

Propio n i c acid i s

c o m monly found in sweat, while the bacteria break amino acids down into propionic acid. It lives in the ducts of the sebaceous glands of adult and adolescent in human, the other isovaleric acid is another source of odour as a result of actions of the bacteria.

There are three – four million sweat glands on the human body, but the skin has two main types of sweat glands which are eccrine and apocrine glands.

Eccrine glands are spread across the skin and regulate body temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when you get hot apocrine glands – which are mainly found in hairy areas of the body, such as the armpits and genital; apocrine glands develop during puberty and re-

lease s c e n t e d chemicals called pheromones.

Sweat produced by the eccrine glands is usually odourless, although it can smell if bacteria start to break it down. It can also take on an offensive odour if you consume certain food and drink, such as garlic, spices and alcohol, as well as some types of medication, such as antidepressants.

However, it ’s the apocrine glands that are mainly responsible for body odour, because the sweat they produce contains high levels of protein, which bacteria find easy to break down.

People who sweat excessively from their apocrine glands, or have a lot of bacteria on their skin, tend to have worse odour.

Who gets body odour?

Anyone who has reached puberty (when the apocrine sweat glands develop) can produce odour. Men are more likely to have odour, because they tend to sweat more than women.

Things that can make body odour worse include: Being overweight, eating rich or spicy foods and certain medical conditions such as diabetes.

Managing body odour: The best way to avoid getting body odour is to keep areas of your body that are prone to sweating clean and free of bacteria. Use soap to wash every day, paying particular attention to the areas that produce the most sweat, such as your armpits, genital and feet.

Washing removes sweat and reduces the number of bacteria on your skin.

Changing and washing your clothes regularly will also help. Using an antiperspirant or deodorant daily will help prevent the odour. Antiperspirants work by reducing the amount of sweat your body produces.

Regularly shaving your armpits can also help reduce odour. The hair in your armpits traps sweat and odour, providing ideal conditions for bacteria to multiply. In very severe cases of body odour, surgery or treatment with botulinum toxin may be possible options.

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EDIFYING GOD SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2015

The wisdom of the wise 16

QUOTE

We must, therefore, place ourselves on a daily dose of the Word. That means, the Word of God must be our medication every day. As we do so, it shall be health to our flesh because God’s nature is immune to sickness.

Bishop David Oyedepo

Let God take control of your affairs 17

The modernism in the modern Christianity 32

Miracles in Christianity

14 & 15

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Cover

Sunday November 22, 2015

Miracles in

A

miracle is a divine operation that transcends what is normally perceived as natural law; which cannot be explained by any natural basis.

According to American religious writer, Wayne Jackson, a miracle is an event which the forces of nature including the natural powers of man cannot produce by themselves, and which must, therefore, be referred to a supernatural agency.

Though miracles come in different forms these days, many of the miracles which were recorded in the Bible are placed in several categories. First of all, are the supernatural acts of creation were certain creation activities were accomplished by the word of God as recorded in Hebrews 11:3 and Psalm 33:9 as God merely spoke things into creation.

This type of divine action as claimed by some religious writers is not being duplicated today, since the creation process of the material universe was concluded at the end of the initial week of earth’s history (Genesis 2:1-2).

There were also miracles, which involved a temporary and localised suspension of laws regulating nature. This can be seen in the instance when Jesus calmed a ferocious storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27), and, on another occasion, he walked upon the waters of the lake (John 6:16-21).

Jesus, and afterwards His disciples, performed signs and wonders, which involved healing of the physical body.

The blind were made to see and the lame walked. Jesus also demonstrated divine power over death when He raised Lazarus from death four days after he (Lazarus )had been buried (John 11:43-44), and, of course, the resurrection of Christ Himself, which is the very foundation of the Christian system.

These days, people use the term ‘miracle’ rather frequently, not at all in a scriptural sense. For this reason it is difficult to identify the miracles and distinguish such from a natural phenomenon. Some school of thought argue that if people knew what to look for in certifying the miraculous, they surely would be aware that supernatural deeds are not being performed in this age.

Looking at what is obtainable in terms of miracles today; some may begin to wonder the design of those miracles, which were described so dramatically in the Bible and how those who demonstrated these signs came to possess them? We may even wonder further, if the Bible contains any information as to whether miraculous displays would be perpetual, i.e., until the end of time, or whether they were to be confined to a relatively brief span of history? Finally, if genuine miracles are not a part of today’s world, just how does one explain the feats which are flaunted by so-called modern faith-healers?

Reacting to the issue, Director of Studies, United Bible University, Ojodu, Ogun State, Professor Kunle Macaulay claimed that whether God performs miracles or not, Christians believe in God, adding that any Christian that says he is looking for miracle, is not a sincere Christian.

“When we talk of miracle, we are talking of healing, magic is miracle too; magic is caused by knowledge; by skills by magicians. To perform magic, you

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The congregation

Miracles which are perceived to be the seal of divine mission were some of the acts that Jesus the Christ used as proof of his divine mission. Jesus as was recorded in scriptures, commandeered His disciples to also perform miracles as proof that they were messengers of God. In these modern times too, many messengers of God are wont to performing miracles, which some people perceive as magic since the supernatural feats of Christ and His disciples were meant for their time. ODINAKA URUAKPA speaks to clerics to get their view on the issue. must study or learn it but miracle is quite different; I want to call it Christian miracle. Christian miracle is as a matter of fact is not meant for Christian at all because whether God performs miracle or not, Christians believe in God. Christians don’t need miracles to believe in God. Miracles can be performed to convince non-believers that God is capable of doing special thing like miracle, so any Christian that says he is looking for miracle, is not a sincere or good Christian because with or without miracles we know God is capable.

Nowadays, miracles are performed at evangelistic programmes to convince people that God is still very much available and this shouldn’t be the case”, he claimed.

On the authenticity of the miracles being performed today by ministers of God, Macaulay said: “There are more herbalists and magicians in churches today; there are more magicians today than sincere Christian leaders; I must confess and that is why everybody is looking for miracles. Christian doesn’t look for miracles; a good Christian doesn’t look for miracles; it is not part of Christianity. Miracles are performed to convince people so that they can believe more; not Christians. A Christian believes already so they don’t need any miracle. But today, we have more unbelievers in churches than believers. Be-

When we talk of miracle, we are talking of healing, magic is miracle too; magic is caused by knowledge; by skills by magicians. To perform magic, you must study or learn it but miracle is quite

different;

I want to call it Christian miracle.

lievers are people who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and keep to the rules of Christianity; they love, they obey, but unbelievers are looking for miracles for selfish purposes. These days the church allows unbelievers to come into the membership of the church, which is very wrong because membership of the church is actually meant for those who are saved, those who have become Christians i.e. those who have accepted Jesus Christ and they have the presence of Holy Spirit in them. Those are Christians, but if you go to churches today, I am not exaggerating, 90 per cent of members are not Christians. They just go to church for one reason or the other and this is why some Pastors want to perform miracles to impress people; You don’t need to perform miracles, all you need to do is preach the word of God and the Holy Spirit will minister unto the people and they will be

convinced that the word of God is true.

That is all what you need as a Pastor; you don’t need to perform miracles; you don’t need to restore a lame man; you don’t need to open the eyes of the blind man to convince people.”

When asked whether miraculous displays would be perpetual or confined to a relatively brief span of history, the theologian said: “Miracles will continue to happen as long as we are waiting for Jesus Christ to come. Miracle like I said earlier, is not about raising a lame man or opening the eyes of a blind man, miracles happens when something good or unique happens, when I speak to you and I am able to persuade you; that is a miracle. If doesn’t meet that. Miracle has to be something that people would see. They are spiritual miracles. For instance, you don’t believe in something and you just suddenly see yourself believing in it; that is a miracle

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Cover

Sunday November 22, 2015

15

Christianity

or you stay in your house and suddenly start having an idea of how to carry out something that you have struggled to do for a long time; that is your miracle. Miracle is not about raising the dead. Miracle is about God performing something special, unexplainable is your life. All that you see people doing is magic, those are people who have studied magic and who come out to exhibit it.”

For Rev. Fr. Paschal Obioma, Director of Catholic Apostolate, Abbi, Delta State, the difference between miracle and magic is that miracle is done by the power of God, while magic is done through man’s power.

“Miracle is done by the power of God, but magic is done by man’s power. The difference is that for miracle to take place, the spirit of the person has to be involved; miracle comes because of somebody’s faith. Magic works whether you have faith or not and that is what is happening in many churches in these days or what is called churches because I don’t see some of these places as churches, but magic centers. The people who run these centers do magic for people whom they gather to come see what would happen there which is magic that they do by their own power.

When we talk of miracle, it is a supernatural act of God and not magical acts carried out by people and they claim they have performed a miracle.

These magicians and their fake acts or powers are not new to the world. In the Old Testament, during the time of Moses, when God sent him (Moses) to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, we read of the example of magicians in Pharaoh’s palace whom he called to use their magic against the wonders God performed through Moses and we know what became of them and the snakes they invoked which were consumed by the single snake made from Moses’ rod. This is to show that their

magical powers were inferior and won’t last. People who patronise these magicians need to realise that it is the faith that would determine the supernatural miracle of God in their life.

This is proven by the son of God, Jesus Christ whom during His time of earth after healing people of their ailments, would say ‘go, your faith has healed you or your faith has made you well.’

The woman with the issue of blood, the leper, everybody who received miracle from Jesus, did that because they believed. These and other instances of healing came about because of the people’s faith”, he claimed.

On the supposed feat of these miracle workers and the possibility of them being used by God to perform genuine miracles, Obioma said: “They are not working any miracle, they are doing magic. Nobody who does miracle knows that he does it himself. What any genuine minister of God does is to pray for people and if God does the miracle, you thank God, but not when people tell you to come and see the wonders God is doing, that is not it at all.”

On genuine miracles being confined to the time of Christ and His disciples alone, the priest said: “Miracles are not confined to any particular period of time. When people want God to do things for them, they prayed towards this even from the time of the Old Testament and it is still the same till date.

Miracles have been happening and they will keep happening till the coming of Christ. But, we cannot control God when we need supernatural intervention like that; it is when and how God wants to do it that he does it. Our own is to pray and then, God answers our prayer; He may not answer it the way we want, God answers our prayer in His own way and His way would always be favourable to us.”

There is nowhere in the Bible New or Old Testament of a record of a divine spokesman arguing for the validity of

miracles.

No logical scheme is needed to establish such a case.

According to Pastor Afolarin Adebola of Freedom Christian Miracle Assembly, there is nowhere in the Bible that the validity of miracles were argued, adding that people only tried to attribute the power to a given source like the case of Jesus in Matthew 12:24.

“There is nowhere in the Bible New or Old Testament of a record of a divine spokesman arguing for the validity of miracles. No logical scheme is needed to establish such a case. Miracles either happen, or they don’t. When Jesus performed signs, even his enemies did not deny the effect of such; they merely attempted to attribute his power to some other source. In same vein, the leaders of the Jewish community did not doubt that Peter and John had performed a notable miracle when they healed the lame man at the temple; rather, they sought to mute the sign’s impact by threats of violence.

But the important thing to consider is if anything being done today of such compelling nature elicits this type of reaction?” he asked.

On the motive of modern faith-healers concerning miracle, Adebola said: “In biblical times, miracles always had a worthy motive. Signs were not done for the purpose of personal aggrandizement.

Though Jesus’ miracles established the validity of his claim of being the Son of God, that designation was not assumed

out of personal interest. Rather, the documented claim was motivated by a love for man’s salvation. Those performing wonders in the first century did not do so for the purpose of enhancing themselves financially unlike the wealthy faithhealers of today. As a general rule, the miracles of the Bible era were done in the presence of a multitude of credible witnesses even hostile observers. When the Lord multiplied the loaves and fishes, possibly some ten thousand or more people were present. Truly, the signs validating Christianity were not done in a corner as stated in Acts 26:26.”

On the authenticity of signs and wonders of these faith-healers, he said: “In the New Testament, one never reads such statements as ‘Paul prayed for him, and within three weeks he was cured.’ Yet, such testimonies are common among the devotees of modern charlatans. True miracles must be subject to the sense of perception.

The water that Jesus turned into wine could be tasted as recorded in John 2:9.

Also in John 20:27, we were told that Thomas could feel the prints in the hands of the resurrected Christ and in Luke 22:51, the restored ear of the high priest’s servant could be seen.

The wonders of the Bible were objective demonstrations, not subjective speculations.”

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From the

Pulpit Sunday November 22, 2015

The wisdom of the wise (2) General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, in this piece, explains how to make heaven. Excerpts:

H

ebrew 10:24-25 says, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Proverbs 8:5, 14 says, “O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Verse 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength”.

Beloved, the core reason for the word of God is to educate mankind on who the True God is, what He requires of man, and above all to know Jesus Christ whom He sent, and for what end He was sent. Understanding this Truth is the wisdom that matters, and this is the wisdom that God wishes that everyone should have.

If we are to inculcate this wisdom in our lives, we must understand that God is to be worshipped solemnly and publicly, for such worship is an open demonstration of where we belonged and stand for. Public worship pleases Him most, and He accepts it as the best.

It is the manner of some Christians to forsake the public assemblies or feel ashamed carrying Bible and preaching the gospel.

Some imbibed this negative attitude of faith out of sloth and negligence, others out of fear and persecution. But such negative attitude is a disgrace to the body of Christ and foolishness to those that abide by it. This is because Christian assemblies are the life, the food, and nourishment of our souls as a result forsaking of church-assemblies is a sign of backsliding.

The manners of those that go to church only on Sundays or do not go at all are discouragement to the believer. Many people, who heard the Lord is coming soon and are yet remain far from the Lord are not Christians and if you are one of them the Lord is warning you to draw closer, because the wisdom you thought you possessed that is keeping you away from the Lord is the wisdom of the world and may ruin you.

Hearing of rapture or that the Lord is coming soon is enough to spur us into drawing nearer to God and seeking first His Kingdom.

We should know that we should be more committed now than before in order to escape His wrath. Thus, we should be in all the fellowship, stay more hours, and when the Pastor says the service is over, we should use the opportunity to meditate and pray-in the sermon and ensure we are going home with something because that is preparing our soul for the journey to heaven.

It is not wise to come to church late or leave the presence of the Lord in haste after prayer meeting or service and not too late to come to church. We must know what is good and what is bad, and must

avoid committing willful sin that may not be forgiven. Many people have become too familiar with God, and the only thing they understand in their relationship with God is that one could sin and come back and say I am sorry because God is merciful. As a result they continue in immorality and keep saying God is merciful, and will forgive. All they know about God is that He is merciful, but do not understand that God hates sin.

They don’t know that when one sins willfully, there will be no forgiveness again because he has by that action despised the son of God that died for him.

Hebrew 10:26 says, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” Willful sin is bad it is evil. If we deliberately, for fear of persecution or from any other motive trample underfoot the grace of God, We have, in that case, rejected Christ, the only sacrifice for sin and there may not be forgiveness again. Some people have the habit that every time they come to church they will be confessing a particular sin. I want to let you know the Bible said he that committed sin is of the devil, for whoever is born of God does not commit sin for the seed of God remains in him, for he cannot sin because he is born of God and whoever that continues in sin is not of God. So if you are among those that sin willfully and believe they will always be forgiven, you have goofed. That is why many are suffering, and nothing works for you, and when they die, they go to hell, but it shall never be your portion.

Hebrew 10:27-31 says, “But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath

counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” After we have received the knowledge of the truth, and upon conviction of its truth, and sense of its power, have taken upon us the public profession of Christianity: After we have dedicated ourselves to Christ in baptism, and joined ourselves unto the body of His church: After all this, if we continue in sin, either for fear of suffering, or love of this present world, we shall be exposed to an unimaginable and inevitable condemnation.

Sometimes people boast nobody can query them but the Lord said it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God, why, because our God is a consuming fire. So, if you are among those proud men and women in the church, who don’t care who will judge them, I want to let you know the Lord will judge His people and if you are found guilty you will not go scot free, if the rapture comes, you will miss it and if you die before the day of the trumpet, you will hear the voice, ‘depart from me you that walks iniquity, I never knew you’.

What God will judge is iniquity, His pronouncement will be, ‘you that walks iniquity’, not because you are in the church, a leader or preach and cast out the devil, if you have iniquity He will pronounce you guilty by saying, ‘you that walks iniquity I never know you’. So you must ensure you don’t play with the grace of God, or you are a willful sinner and then claim to be born again. That is not wisdom. The true wisdom is the wisdom that makes you to know the fierce judgment of God, know what is good and do it and keep away from all appearance of evil.

We all should know that every year we are adding to our years, if someone is eighty years last year, he will be eighty one this year, if he is seventy five; he will be seventy six. So as his age is increasing so also he is getting closer to his grave.

And if that is the case, no-one should play with his life. There are people that listened to me last year but today, they are no more. Some people jubilated be-

Pastor Muoka

cause they have seen a New Year and thus declared the year would bring them riches but forgetting that there is no wisdom in such declaration. They are happy to have entered the New Year but have forgotten it was God’s offer of opportunity to prepare for rapture or death. They are gladly anticipating making so much money, building houses, buying cars and probable getting married. But they forget they can die anytime and go to hell. My prayer is that you who is reading this message will not make the mistake others have made.

Romans 13:11- 14 says, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

Beloved, our salvations, redemption, the day of rapture, the day we are departing this world is closer and than we expected, therefore, let us live our life in agreement with the word of God. Whatever you are doing now should be part of your preparation to eternity whether in heaven or hell fire. You must stay away from all appearance of evil, put off the work of darkness and every form of unrighteousness.

If you are among those people that think they are wise because they can defend their Church. Let it be known to you that church will never take you to heaven, but righteousness and holiness will, for without righteousness no eye shall see the Lord. If you are among those defending their title or position in the society, you should know that is not what matters on the side of the Lord, rather that is the wisdom of the world.

Many people in the Church who thought they are wise perceive every year as a year of making money, doing their own pleasure, business, etc and think they will live forever on earth, such wisdom is very dangerous. There was a rich man in the Bible who thought like that and the Bible said that that night the Lord said to him, ‘thou fool this night I will take your soul’ what then will be of those thing, he wasted his years for. There is no wisdom in this. My prayer for you is to have the right wisdom of ensuring that nothing is standing between you and God. Luke 12:16-21 says, “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” This is about somebody that is after the things of this world and not the care of his soul. He is not rich towards God but only thinking about the things of this world.

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From the Pulpit

Sunday November 22, 2015

17

Let God take control of your affairs

General Overseer of Omnipotence Mission of God, Prophet Joshua Daramola Oloruntimilehin, in this admonition, explains how to lead a meaningful life. Excerpts:

M

any people want to take care of themselves and want to do their own wish instead of allowing God who created them, who is protecting them, guiding them, and providing for them to direct their lives. Some people do not give God the opportunity to take control of their affairs. These people always fail to seek for what are in tune with their destiny. Consequently they opt for what could cause downfall or untimely death for them.

Brethren, I implore you to be patient to receive what you deserve from God. Some people embark on or do something which they are not destined to do and they do these things but they like doing them. For instance someone is not destined or supposed to wear red coloured clothes, he or she continues wearing it because he or she loves it, or sees people wearing it and find it befitting and want to imitate those that are wearing it. These people fail to inquire from their creators. In the same manner people at particular age brackets eat foods, take drinks that are injurious to their body system. They take these foods and drinks because they are sweet and palatable whereas these foods and drinks cause sickness that can lead to untimely death. Why is it that people do not like truth? People do not allow God to direct and control the journey of their life. It is their own will that they allow to prevail. This has led to downfall of people and disaster for some people. For instance, some people do not permit God to choose the kind of spouse they want for them. In the long run they make wrong choice which may destroy their marital life. Prospective wives look for men that are very handsome and rich believing they will be loving and caring. In the same vein, prospective

Destiny Hour with Pastor Femi

W

Lanre-Oke

elcome to the last day in the 5th month of 2015; we have spoken at length on Kingdom stewardship and harvest and I believe that God is helping you to make the choice of standing for Him. Today we need to take a look at a final straw that ensures bountiful harvest for Kingdom stewardship.

The harvest for the work done is lost or not fully recovered because the sickle for complete harvest is missing in the life of God’s children. We are working for the kingdom of God quite alright; you are a sanctuary keeper, you manage crowd, you intercede and minister to the unsaved and in fact you are an usher among many other responsibilities.

The harvest is incomplete or delayed because of the joy factor in receiving your

husbands look for spinsters that are pretty, light-complexioned and with good body statistics. Both prospective husbands and wives do not ask God the kind of would-be spouse to marry. A man may be destined to marry a lady with tribal mark on her face but eventually wed a lady with spotless and smooth face whom may be attractive to other men that are rich, wealthy and powerful than the husband.

Any of these men may be interested and want to have the woman, and then he starts plotting how to achieve his desire. He can employ any method either to charm the woman to love him or eliminate the husband. The elimination can be through as-

sassination or placing ‘thunderbolt’ on the woman so that when the husband makes love to her he will die. But if the husband initially marries the lady with tribal mark, she would not be attractive to men; the couple would live their life devoid of trouble end exter nal aggressors. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us how to pray i . e . T h e L o r d ’ s Prayer Matthew 6 vs10 ‘………

your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’. The question is who is doing the will of God? Some people are destined to do the will of God by winning souls for God instead they seek for money throughout their life which they do not get. Parents are created to nurture their children to a level where the children become prosper and responsible in the society but some parents neglect their children in pursuit of their own business or work thereby the principalities of this world to snatch the children’s glory. Eventually the children become useless, not-well-to-do so when the parent grow old and retires, the children will be able to cater for the parent.

Jesus Christ always involves God in whatever he wanted to do. When he wanted to raise up Lazarus from the dead, he firstly acknowledged God performed the miracle.

John 11 vs 41 ‘………..Father, I thank you that you have heard me, I knew that you always hear me……..’ Brethren, invite God into your work, family so that he can direct, and guide in His own way. Do not allow your will to prevail over that of the Lord. Even Jesus never allowed his own will to prevail over that of God. Matthew 26 vs 39 ‘……..

My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as your will…’ Finally all the things people do, do they do them in the way of the Lord? If not, that is why they always fall sick, lack many things. Let the will of God prevail in our life.

Prophet Oloruntimilehin

Joy as the Sickle of Kingdom Harvest

reward. The most important ingredient needed to ensure your speedy and bountiful harvest is joy. Let’s briefly look at three components of joy as a sickle for kingdom harvest: 1. The joy of the Lord brings strength for the harvest; Nehemiah 8: 10 then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

When you lack joy, you are unable to bring in the harvest; you have laboured, cried and sweated to sow the seedlings and water them but the final stage can only be drawn to you in your expression of Joy. And a woman of God will always say that if you are joyful it will show; you will express it on your face, your heart and mouth will pick up songs of gratitude to the Lord.

The strength needed to draw from God can only be supplied when you are joyful so stop complaining. Many peo-

ple go before God and instead of thanking Him and placing their requests, they decide to complain about the things they have not seen yet and this attitude gives the enemy a legal access to your harvest.

If the sickle for harvest is missing, it will only mean that the fruits will remain on the tree for so long and after a while it begins to decay. God is not to blame when you don’t see what He has promised because once God says a thing, it is established, however, you are lacking the necessary strength to pull the harvest to you.

So begin to express joy today.

2.

Joy is required to draw the benefits of salvation; draw to quench the thirst of your soul Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.Isaiah 12:2-3 Psalm 23: 2 says, ‘He leadeth me beside the still waters and restoreth my soul’; another aspect of harvest is the quenching of the thirsting and the longing of

your soul. God is in the business of satisfying you by ensuring that you are beside the waters but without Joy, this harvest is not accessible; joy is an embodiment of the rope and container you will need to draw waters from the well that will ensure you are satisfied.

Sir, the Holy Spirit in you is enough to make available to you the harvest God has promised you. But you cannot get anything from Him without joy.

Stop being grumpy, stop complaining and start praising God. 3.

The fruits and the harvest are affected once joy is not present; The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. Joel 1:12

•For further prayer & counseling, Please contact: Pastor Femi Lanre-Oke, Jesus Praise Evangelical Ministries International, Plot A22 Power Crescent, Arab road, Kubwa. Abuja, +2348030752799, +2348053695097, Email: femi_lanre01@yahoo.co.uk

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

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

SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR OBIORA IFOH AG ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Terror in France: Yet, another affront on the world

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bout 10 months after the last January 7 attack on the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical weekly newspaper by Islamic terrorists, which claimed 11 lives and wounded 11 others, terrorism on a more horrific of scales made its presence again in the French capital penultimate Friday. The serial attacks masterminded by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) jihadists wreaked staggering triple-digit death toll and wounded over 350 people, some critically.

The scale and devastation of the Paris attacks suggest a major operation; and it is almost certain that the jihadists were working with many internal collaborators in France. According to media accounts, the attacks began at the Stade de France during a match between the national soccer teams of France and Germany. Other attacks at two restaurants, Le Petit Cambodge and Le Carillon, left bodies scattered in the street. There was gunfire also at La Belle Equipe, a cafe in the hip Marais neighbourhood, and at a shopping mall in Les Halles, the city ’s historical centre and an important tourist district.

The deadliest of all was at the Bataclan concert hall.

For the November 13 attacks in France and all other terrorist attacks elsewhere across the globe, especially the 9/11 strikes in the United States of America, the unmistaken fact is that the goal is similar: to coerce the rest of the sane world. The post 9/11 world has been forced to accept the reality that a concerted globalised counterterrorism has become a top-line priority because international terrorism is not only becoming pervasive and ruthless, it is also continuously mutating. As since it is apparent that it is reinventing itself to make it more lethal and invincible, the rest of the world must think outside the box and conceptualize the most appropriate strategic enforcement framework that should meet all manifesting challenges, if the world must triumph over global terroism.

While we join peoples of good conscience all over the world in condemning these latest attacks, we enjoin the international community to be more

THE SUCCESSFUL PENETRATION OF

FRANCE ’S INTERNAL SECURITY SYSTEM

BY ISLAMIC STATE CALLS FOR MORE INTERNAL VIGILANCE

BY NATIONS ’ SECURITY WORKFORCE AND EVEN THE CIVIL POPULATION

determined than ever before in its resolve to fight international terrorism.

The world must realise that it is engaged in global conflict with a barbarous and devious enemy that relishes in violence. With all current attention now focused on the terror acts by ISIS in Paris, it is possible for the world to forget that the group is not the only terrorist organisation engaged in killing innocent civilians. It is imperative, therefore, that the activities of Al-Qaeda, Al Shabaab and Boko Haram must be constant engaged in a global discourse meant to find lasting solution to the scourge of international terrorism and the evil it represents.

The world has lived with different genres of terrorism and terrorists.

Once, individual state actors in the Arab world used to be the major global concerns; thereafter lethal organizations like Al Qaeda replaced them; today it is the Islamic State. Particularly, by the group ’s unconscionable and rapacious destabilization acts across the globe, it has ceased to be a regional problem confined to its “caliphate ” in Iraq and Syria. It has morphed into a confirmed international terror threat.

With the lethality of the globalised Islamic terror network becoming a

hydra-headed phenomenon, the appro approhydra headed phenomenon priate world response must be a total commitment to its annihilation. The greatest impediment to this, however, is a world divided by hegemonic power play. The European Union, USA, Russia and China need to engage themselves in a no-holds-barred talk to find common ground for cooperation against this evil. It is gratifying to note that President Obama, Russia ’s President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders found time to engage in strategies to confront the evil at the Group 20 Summit, which held in Antalya, Turkey between November 15 and 16.

The successful penetration of France ’s internal security system by Islamic State calls for more internal vigilance by nations ’ security workforce and even the civil population.

Particularly for many African countries constantly under the paroxysms of ethno-religious contestations, the political leaderships must move to build platforms for the promotion of ethno-religious harmony. As the experience in Nigeria, where the militant Islamic Boko Haram sect has been waging senseless war against the state since the past six years has shown, the cost of counter-terrorism drive far exceeds what it would have taken to address the issues that have given vent to the raging terror war in the country.

One odd revelation from the November 13 terror strikes in France is the promptness with which world leaders appropriately responded such developments in the developed parts of the world. Their responses are not only limited to expression of solidarity, they are followed by pledges of logistic support. Discriminations such as these have had telling effects on the psyche of citizens of the less developed parts of the world. This was evident in Nigeria, where some Nigerians questioned the manifest empathies of their compatriots to the French tragedy.

Even in spite of this, this newspaper shares the sentiments expressed by President Obama, when in reaction to the Paris attacks, said: “This is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share ”. He could not have put it better.

Reminiscences NOVEMBER 22 IN HISTORY 1963: President Kennedy assassinated President John F. Kennedy is assassinated when he is shot by a sniper while riding in a motorcade through downtown Dallas. In film shown around the world Jackie Kennedy was seen cradle her dying husband as the limousine sped to the emergency room at Parkland Hospital. Lee Harvey Oswold was later arrested for the murder but is shot shortly after by nightclub owner, Jack Ruby.

1935: Storm hits Italy, 10 killed A terrible storm hit Southern Italy. Nine persons were killed in the Catanzaro location and houses collapsed. Ten people were killed in San Bruno, and another man was drowned in a flooded street in Messina.

1944: World War II - Japanese war ship sunk A small Japanese war ship was blown up at the Brunet naval base. Along with that, a fairly-large warship was struck within four days by American forces.

1972: Vietnam shoots down U.S. bomber The United States loses its first B-52 when the eight engine bomber is brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile near Vinh.

1977: Concord begins flights to U.S. Scheduled service from Paris and London to New York ’s John F. Kennedy Airport begins following the ban on Concord due to citizen protest over sonic booms flying into JFK is lifted.

1986: Mike Tyson becomes youngest heavyweight champion Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history with a second round knockout win over Trevor Berbick.

1990: Margaret Thatcher resigns Margaret Thatcher is forced to stand down as prime minister of Great Britain.

Just 24 hrs earlier she had won the first round of elections for leader of the party but her own Cabinet refused to back her in a second round of leadership elections forcing her to resign.

PASSION

25 19

A Lifestyle Magazine

Sunday November 22, 2015

APPLAUSE

‘I worked hard because I hated poverty’ >>21

>>20

Being a woman has been an advantage – Promise Anaroke >>20

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Passion

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Being a woman has been an advantage –Promise Anaroke Mrs Promise Anaroke is a woman of many parts. She is the current public relations officer of Nigerian Women International Shipping and Transport Association (NISTA) as well a member of many professional bodies. Recently, she contested to represent Oji River in the Enugu State House of Assembly. In this interview with ADAEZE AMOS, she says her gender has never been a limitation to her, among others.

You contested for Enugu State House of Assembly where you represented the people of Oji River even at this time when some women are still shying away from politics. What gave you the boldness to opt for this? Why were you not scared?

The boldness came from the zeal, the urge to give something positive to my people, the boldness to give my people the best.

This wasn’t really difficult because when you love your people, you would love to do things for them, irrespective of the stress you have to go through.

are doing a lot of things that are non political but they are still reaching out to women. When you have reached out to one woman, it means you have reached out to five people because she would talk to her husband, children and close friends.

You are in politics, you are the operations manager of Aulic Nigeria Limited, founder, Federation of Enugu Women Association, how do you combine your duties as a wife and mother with these?

Honestly, doing two things at the same time doesn’t come easy. But it comes easier when you have the support of your husband and your family. Because when you are having problem, there is always somebody that would be of help. With the support of my husband and my family, everything flows well.

It’s tasking really! If anybody tells you it’s easy, that it’s a bed of roses, she is not telling the truth. The joy of it is that once you are into it and you are doing things positively, your face would be glowing.

Were you not scared as it is believed in some quarters that politics is a dirty and dangerous game?

I was not scared at all at any point in time but, yes, people were asking me why I would opt for that, being a woman and all that. But I continued, not even considering myself as doing anything extraordinary. I have seen so many other women going into politics and so many of them did well. Some might not have done as expected but the fact that they were bold enough, they gave it their shot and they came out well and were not scared about it matters a lot. But if you get scared, somebody must have to do the job. So in my own case, I did not nurse any Is there any way your sex as a woman has limited you in life? fear at all.

As a matter of fact, no! In the sense that I respect the menfolk a lot. As my culture or where I come from, it is ideal What then is your worst fear in life? for you to respect men. If you respect somebody, the person What I’m scared of is the anger of God. That is the only thing tends to respect you back. When I get in the midst of men, I I’m really jittery of. I believe that every problem has a solution don’t want to tell them that I’m doing what they are doing. I but you need to really figure out what that solution is. But you would first and foremost give them their due respect. When don’t have any solution for the anger of God except going back you show a man that you are in charge, he would make things to Him and beg for forgiveness. You must have to understand it difficult for you. I have not had any issue with men because is the anger of God before you would think of going back.

I respect them and they give me support. You start having problem when you begin to rub shoulders with them and For women who have what it takes to run for one elective posi- that doesn’t help. But when you respect them, when you have tion or the other in politics but are ignorant of how to start, can a problem, they would help you out. you reach out to them?

To answer your question, I have not in any way been limitI have already spoken to as many as I could. ed because I’m a woman. I don’t like to flaunt woman isBut how be it, you must not belong to a politisues so that it doesn’t seem as if we are weak. I love cal party for you to know that you can come women who do things and do it strong. That is out and serve your people. You can start what I believe in. I don’t believe that women from where you are, your community, are weak. I’m not invalid, so why should your immediate environment. Talk anybody treat me with kid ’gloves. to the women there, tell them that they can make this society a better There is this perception place to be and then you begin to that good marriage let them know that they are very and politics necessary in the society. And don’t work tothat they could touch people’s gether, that lives positively and once you one must touch one person’s life posigive way tively, it gives you joy and you to the want to touch two people’s other. lives. Before you know it, you How would start going out. It’s is your not compulsory you must marcome out and run one riage elective position sucor the other cessful in politics. even as A lot of a politiwomcian? e n What are you doing right?

You learn from women who are qualified to learn from. I mean

those who are also happily married. I know that my big time mentor, who is also happily married, who can’t do anything without her thinking about her husband is Dr. (Mrs.) Kema Chikwe. I do learn from her because she is somebody who is positive and right. But when you learn from those who don’t care about what the society says or what people think about them, that is when you have problem. That is why I’m succeeding in what I do even as my marriage succeeds.

You handled so many leadership positions which have to do with women in one way or the other. Can you tell some areas where women are lagging behind?

Let me say it is information. Women lack information.

Most of them, if you permit me to say, are not well informed.

This is one of the biggest shortcomings women have. And because they are not well informed, they tend to make mistakes that ought to have been avoided.

As the coordinator (PDP) E-Women Network, Lagos chapter, how have you been developing young professional women politically for future leadership?

I have spoken to some fresh graduates a n d young professionals.

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

It’s just to tell them to get interested in politics.

We all can’t keep running away from politics.

If we keep running away, someone would have to do the job. We keep saying that the men did this and they did that, it’s because some of us are not politically inclined. If you get to know about what is happening around you, it gives you a broader knowledge and you can contribute meaningfully when discussions on that comes up. It lets you get involved, and if you are more involved, you begin to get positive and you contribute better.

What are your duties as the National Welfare Officer, Igbo Youth Congress, an apex body that unifies the socio-cultural and political activities of Ndigbo? And how do you feel when you come across Igbo children not being able to communicate in their language?

That is where I doff my hat for the Yoruba.

Even abroad, Yoruba parents would give their children Yoruba names. You cannot take them away from their culture. But the Igbo, it’s so bad that even our names, you won’t trace where they come from. You see some Igbo bearing such names as Promise and Davidson.

This is nonsense! You may think the person is from Niger Delta. Some Igbo families won’t teach their children such a simple word as bia (come). This is not fair.

But then, that is not the only duty of Igbo Youth Congress. It’s about remolding their habits, attitudes, so that you come out in the society and you behave well and people would reckon with you.

The Igbo should come back to the basics. Let’s come home and know that being Igbo is an honour. There is nowhere you won’t find an Igbo man. So, wherever you find yourself as an Igbo person, know that you are an ambassador of this small race - behave well. Integrity should be your watchword.

Applause

21

‘I worked hard because I hated poverty’ Adaeze Amos

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V presenter and actress Ifu Ennada’s early stage in life wasn’t rosy. The Abia State-born celebrity grew up in Lagos but poverty drove home her parents twice. A go-getter, this first daughter in a family of six kept working hard to help herself and her family. . “My family moved out of Lagos to the village twice when I was younger, no thanks to hardship,” she recalled.

This multi-talented media and entertainment personality said unequivocally that this is her best year so far. She said if you are trying to lose hope because you are finding life difficult and your parents are not helping either owing to poverty, you should persevere.

“Don’t lose hope. I was once in such a situation but today, I hum a different tune. I just launched my website and YouTube channel this month. The website is an online community with facets in fitness, health, fashion, beauty, gospel, lifestyle and news updates. The YouTube channel includes fitness/workout, beauty shows and several other weekly shows which would make a debut on the channel. It’s been a long time coming and I’m excited about this project.

“It’ll allow me share my creativity in every facet of life, just like when I was working fulltime as a TV producer. I wouldn’t forget to mention here that Le’ venue Group, a real estate company helped to bring this project to life. It’s good to have someone believe in your dreams and even go the extra mile to bring it to life. That is what the group is doing for me. And it is not just an ordinary real estate company. They’re on a mission to make housing affordable to everyone regardless of the size of their pocket. You can own a lovely home with a small amount as N10,000 a month,” she said excitedly.

For this young lady, 2015 has indeed favoured her as she puts her past into consideration.

“For me, this year (2015) can be said to be my best so far as I was able to record several successes, including playing the lead female in the feature film, ‘O Town’, a gangster thriller written and directed by multiple award-winning director, CJ Fiery Obasi. That was a big deal for me. I feel honoured working with CJ Obasi and everyone on ‘O Town’. I keep saying it loud that CJ Obasi is a young director whose works are already break-

ing records and getting great international recognition. For me there’s no better way to make a debut in film than working with one of the great minds in the industry. ‘O Town’ was premiered on 9th and 12th November at Afriff 2015,” she said.

Though Ennada had a difficult early stage, she ultimately went to school.

“I graduated from Olabisi Onabanjo University where I studied computer science. I then went on to study business management and entrepreneurial skills at National Open University of Nigeria. It wasn’t all rosy at the early stage of my life. My family moved out of Lagos to the village twice when I was younger, no thanks to hardship. But I grew up mostly in Lagos. I got my first job as a front desk officer at age 17. I grew up with very limited access to basic necessities of life.

But because I hated poverty, I worked harder to support my family. At age 16, I won a dance competition organised by Bobo Milk Drink at the Lagos international show. At 19, I got a job as a TV presenter and reporter with GoldMyne TV where I also presented Video Wheels, Hitz and Mingle. I also learned on the job how to create and produce contents which attracted sponsors for the company. Creating contents came easy for me since I loved exploring my creative mind. Then in 2012 and 2013 I moved over to Dynamix International where I worked as a fulltime producer. The media outfit is a producer of Dynamix on TV, a weekly TV show and Dynamix Awards which I produced during my time there. I also contributed to their monthly magazine, Dynamix Magazine, in the capacity of a lifestyle editor,” she recalled.

After spending over one year with Dynamix International, in the second quarter of 2013, “I answered to my calling in acting when my first audition landed me a lead role as Tina Eze in hit TV series, Emerald. It was Emerald that shot me into the limelight. Filming two seasons of Emerald lasted over a year and took a huge chunk of my time, but it was all for the best as I started getting recognition from influential producers and directors within and outside the country. I have made significant appearances in hit TV soaps like Tinsel, MTV Base Shuga and Desperate Housewives Africa.

In the third quarter of 2015, I became the star of HM Travel and Tours, a comedy series exclusive to Ebony Life TV where I played the role of Mfon. The soap airs three times a week on the station,” she emphasised.

Opinion

22

Sunday November 22, 2015

Uncensored

Sheriff Folarin

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

I

do not envy Mr. Solomon Dalong, the new Minister of Youths and Sports, who, from all indications, is saddled with the herculean task of restoring sanity to the ministry and gratifying a country of 170 million crazy sports lovers.

Naturally, sports should stand alone as a ministry because of the importance of that sector to Nigeria; and because of the enormity of things to be done as a result of the backlog of unfixed problems. “Youths” could have been added to Labour and Employment because they sync more, than with sports.

However, Dalong’s sports and youths assignments will require much to be done. Thank goodness the man knows this, as he seems to be squaring up mentally and physically by his trademark safari suit and red beret, which give him the appearance of a military or paramilitary officer. He looks every inch a man on a special mission. Yes, he is!

The Nigerian sports sector is dominated by football. Like oil in the economic sector, football gets all the attention and when football fails Nigeria or Nigeria fails in football, there are more heartaches to contend with because succor is not found in all other sports, which have been relegated to the background. The new minister’s duty will be to bring up the other games to the level of football through the promotion of same

Safety Tips with

Jonas Agwu

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

W

hen I set out to write on the current topic; The Penalty Point System, I did not expect positive reactions from readers simply because very few are excited about being arrested. I however, did expect some readers to find the topic timely since the focus was to guide motorists on relevant traffic offences and penalty. My joy therefore knew no bounds when one of my writers complained that I left out overloading which to him is a serious offence.

In his text, he said, ‘’you left out overloading of goods and passengers think it should attract a fine’’.

Today I wish to conclude on these offences even though I fear that I might end up not treating some others. This is why I am using this medium to please with my editor to allow me run this piece for another week to ensure that everything about traffic infractions as contained in the notice of offence booklets which I referred to last week is fully exhausted. My first focus for this week is on corporate offences that relates to companies such as construction companies and hospitals.

This is because quite often these two constitute hindrances to out operations. For some years running, hospital who should complement our rescue efforts often frustrate our rescue team by rejection road traffic crash victims on flimsy excuse such as the absence of beds victims and in some cases they insist on the payment of specified sums before the admission of the victims.

Although there is a measure of improve-

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Dalong and the many expectations from the grassroots to international levels, throwing of incentives into the games and having well structured service and post-service plans for athletes and the sportsmen and women, as well as building facilities or developing the existing ones to international standards and entrenching a solid maintenance culture in the sector for the preservation of all of the sports facilities in the country.

Talking about sports facilities’ building, rehabilitation and maintenance, the first task before Dalong will be fixing the National Stadium at Surulere in Lagos. This was Nigeria’s finest and biggest sports edifice before now. It hosted the finals of the 1980 AfCON, which Nigeria won; hosted the FIFA Under 20 World Cup and the FIFA Under 17 World Cup finals in 1999 and 2009 respectively. The National Stadium hosted many topflight league, FA or Federation games and Grade A international soccer friendlies. Until recently, it made Lagos the hub of football and sports activities in the country. The main bowl was known by all of Africa as the Eagles’ Den, where Lions, Elephants, Hawks and Squirrels, among other ‘animals’ from the continent were devoured.

But the stadium is in comatose.

The seats are damaged or removed; anachronistic scoreboard spoilt; the pitch and field around overgrown with grass or weed; the walls of the stands and paths to the rooms and offices as well as the changing rooms fungi-infested; and every corner of the field and open spaces littered with human faeces. The stadium, which is a huge embarrassment to Nigeria as it gives it a tag of a country that cannot maintain capital-intensive infrastructure, epitomizes the Nigerian dilemma of habitually abandoning multi-billion naira projects and allowing such abandonment to be a major source of national waste. Dalong should be

the change-agent and not go the way of his predecessors, who believed more in building new structures, such as the National Stadium in Abuja and leaving state governments to build bigger, better and instituting good maintenance plans for stadiums, while leaving existing national edifices to rot away. He should build new ones and protect/ preserve the existing ones. This is the hallmark of a responsible leader.

The new minister should learn from the grave mistakes of his immediate predecessor, who, by dipping his fingers in the appointment of national team coaches and in the crisis rocking the football federation, got not only his fingers burnt, but also setting the sports arena on fire. Like his name, ‘Solomon’ connotes, Dalong should apply wisdom in his chores and be prudent in his dealings with associations and their internal politics.

It is gratifying to note that he said the old regime of ‘use and dump’ of athletes, footballers and officials is gone and that adequate incentives for active service and great retirement or postservice plans await all of those who serve the country in their fields of sports.

This is an area past administrators either never thought of or did not get it right. This had led to the loss of a deluge of super stars who had written Nigeria’s name in gold- Sam Okwaraji, Muda Lawal, Rashidi Yekini, Thompson Oliha, Coach Yemi Tella, to mention but few. Yekini, reportedly sick emotionally, was abandoned in his dire straits, which consumed his dear life. Sam Okwaraji died in active service at the National Stadium because the NFA was only interested in ‘using’ any available super star to qualify for the 1990 World Cup, and not in determining their state of health before engaging their service. And today, Okwaraji is mentioned only in private circles, of friends and family members, and not

in the national football circuit. Muda Lawal, the forebear of Maradona, at the time of his unexpected death, had been distanced by the NFA from national life and condemned to the obscure serenity of Ibadan football fraternity.

For Dalong to recognize this disservice of the past, it is commendable; and to promise to put a stop to it, he deserves all the support and attention in making this a reality. Another area he has to look into is the succession plans in the national teams and preparations for major sports tournaments. We have been a country that goes to slumber before championships only to wake up slowly three-four days to the event and assemble a team to go and ‘do the nation proud’. This had cost us dearly and made us, on many occasions, to look like a big-for-nothing country. Smaller nations whip our butts in matches; we crash out of events, and at Olympics and other tournaments, we struggle, wobble or fumble to occupy ignoble positions on the medals table.

Succession plans for the senior national teams (male and female) had been zero until Bolaji Abdullahi came in as minister of sports. He tried to inject something novel that could change the fortunes of the country’s sports.

Members of the victorious Golden Eaglets in 2013 moved to the Flying Eagles; same for the Falconets, who formed the bulwark of the Falcons.

After setting that up, he exited the ministry and a poor successor pulled down the football house. Dalong should revisit Abdullah’s approach and also see to it that Nigeria is a much prepared country for any sports event, competitive or friendly.

Sheriff Folarin (PhD), an Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, writes from Sango Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Penalty point system-a must read for drivers (2) ment in this direction, there are still some bottlenecks and that is why I have chosen to start with the medical personnel/hospital rejection of road crash victim which carries no points with a fine N50, 000. It refers to Hospital or Medical personnel refusal to accept and administer treatment on Road Crash survivors or accept corpse(s) of victim(s).

The next is inadequate construction warning sign. This equally has no point but carries a fine of N50, 000.It refers to failure of a road construction company to provide adequate warning and/or directional/ diversion signs at road repairs or road construction sites. The last corporate offence is construction area speed limit violation which carries 3 points and a fine of N3, 000. It refers to the failure to adhere to speed limits posted at construction sites and it is applicable to Construction companies Let me now focus on the offences that affect you as a motorist. The first is assaulting marshal on duty which carries 10 points and attracts a fine of /N10, 000.

This offence refers to manhandling a Road Marshal in the course of his lawful duties. This offence may attract prosecution in a law court. I must emphasize that even though some operatives sometimes constitute themselves to nuisance which we condemn and punish when reported, it is not an excuse for you to manhandle that Marshal simply because you are a retired wrestler or boxer from your village.

Another offence is attempting to corrupt marshal on duty which carries 10 points and a fine /N10, 000.This offence refers to Offering bribe (monetary or material) to Road Marshal(s) by traffic offender(s) in order to pervert the course of justice. This offence may attract prosecution in a court of law.

Caution sign violation is often ridi-

culed by motorists as just caution sign yet the absence of this in the event of a broken down vehicle has claimed lives. It carries 3 points and a fine of N3, 000. It refers to failure to display the C-caution sign at the front and the rear of the vehicle in the case of a broken down vehicle. In addition, failure to put in place red light at the rear of the vehicle at night.

The offence referred to as do not move violation carries 2 points and a fine N2, 000.It refers to driving a vehicle on which ‘DO not move’ sticker has been pasted indicating that the vehicle’s movement has been restricted. Examples of vehicle(s) on which ‘do not move’ sticker may be pasted are; a rickety vehicle, Vehicle waiting towing and a Vehicle suspected to be stolen. I am sure that over 50percent of motorists must have been pulled over for the DRIVER’S LIcence violation which carries 10points and a fine N10, 000.This offence refers to driving without being in physical possession of a valid Driver’s License for the category of vehicle being driven. For the purpose of this piece, I think it is appropriate to once again refresh our minds on the various classes of Driver’s License which are as follows:-Class A - Motorcycle, Class B - Motor vehicle of less than 3 tones gross weight other than motorcycle, taxi, stage carriage or omnibus. Class C – Motor vehicle of less than 3 tones gross weight, other than motorcycle. Class D – Motor vehicle other than motorcycle, taxi, stage carriage or omnibus but excluding an articulated vehicle or vehicle drawing a trailer, agricultural machines and tractors and earth moving vehicles. Class E – Motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, articulated vehicle, agricultural machines, tractors and earth moving vehicles. Other categories are Class F – Agricultural machines and tractors, Class G – Earth moving vehicles and Class J – Special, for physically handi-

capped persons.

As we approach this year’s end of year festivities, driving under alchohol/drug influence which carries 5 points and N5, 000 will obviously be on the increase. This offence refers to driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other psychotropic substance. Tyre violation is a major headache as some motorists indulge of managing tyres in the name of their financial situation. It is common to see drivers driving with worn out tyres or without spare tyre .This carries 3 points and a fine of N3, 000 while mechanically deficient vehicle carries 5 points and a fine of N5, 000.It refers to being on the highway with a mechanically deficient vehicle, such as emits dark fumes that impair vision, driving a vehicle with bent chassis, driving a damaged vehicle, etc.

This offence may attract prosecution and may have to be validated with a vehicle inspection report before a court trial.

Operating a vehicle with forged documents carries 10 point and a fine of N20, 000.

It refers to driving while being in the possession of forged or fake driver’s license or vehicle registration documents while number plate violation carries 3 points and a fine of N3, 000.This offence refers to driving a vehicle without Number Plates, use of fake Number Plates, covering the Number Plates, using mutilated Number plates, expired Number Plates or failure to display Number Plates appropriately. The last traffic offence is obstructing marshal on duty which carries 2 points and a fine of N2, 000.It refers to interference and willful disruption/obstruction of Road Marshal while carrying out his lawful duty.

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

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Opinion

Sunday November 22, 2015

Teachers and the society

Tunde Olofintila

J

ust recently, Nigeria joined its peers all over the world to roll out the drums to celebrate teachers, who to all intents and purpose, constitute the engine room through which society overcome ignorance and disease, conquer poverty and the environment as well as overcome tribalism and extremism among others.

With the up-beat global celebration of teachers, there can be no better time to x-ray the place and import of teachers in the society than now.

The questions then arise as to who is a teacher and who is a teacher properly so called? There are so many definitions/descriptions of a teacher: For example, a parent is a teacher to his children because he inculcates the virtues of morality, discipline, industry, humility and respect for constituted authorities in them. Equally, coaches in different vocations teach their apprentices the nitty-gritty of their trade. This is the same way the clergyman teaches his congregation.

But then, there are good, average and bad teachers. It is not however everybody that holds a University degree that is ipso facto a good teacher. In the colonial days, teachers were catego-

rized as CD, C, CA and A. Colleges were established for the training of teachers.

Nevertheless it may still be said that the first factor in the making of a good teacher is a requisite qualification.

This is why there are several academic programs designed towards the production of teachers.

Many Universities in Nigeria today offer degree programs in Education while some are out-rightly designated as Universities of Education.

However the making of a teacher does not and cannot end at mere acquisition of academic degrees: constant training and retraining of teachers must of necessity follow. Teachers must constantly acquaint themselves with modern teaching methods so that they don’t disseminate ignorance and half knowledge to their students, thereby producing a bunch of unemployable graduates.

A teacher, after all can only teach what he knows and in a manner in which he knows how best to.

Haven said this, who then is a teacher properly so called? He/she is that person trained in the art of teaching, especially in the art of imparting knowledge in students in different schools starting from primary to tertiary institutions. Among those who teach in formal schools today are two categories: those who are gifted, who find teaching interesting and there-

fore love it and radiate it and those who fortuitously find themselves in teaching because they could not find any other form of employment.

That brings one to the issue of teachers properly so called: teachers properly so called must have quality education, must be masters of the Subject Matter, must be interested in the art of teaching, not seeing it as means of making ends meet and must also be able to arouse the interest of their students.

Other qualities of teachers properly so called are that they must be able to keep students awake during the duration of their class, keep a Register for attendance, prepare their lesson notes in advance and give advance notice of the Subject Matter to enable their students prepare ahead and do some research.

They must also be timeous in class, must be firm, fair, frank and friendly, must be able to use modern teaching equipment, including the Interactive Boards and all forms of ICT platforms, must be audible, confident, affectionate and approachable and above all, they must be disciplined.

As was the practice in those days, they must be well-dressed and clean, keep records of what they do, be original and innovative, be cooperative and collaborative and move with trends as well as give assignments to their stu-

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dents It is all these parameters put together that qualify teachers to be described as teachers properly so called and above all, it is only by being teachers so properly called that they will be able to stand in their position to change the face of education in Nigeria, entrench quality and functional education and restore the lost glory of education in Nigeria.

For this to happen however, the Federal Government must make deliberate efforts to comply with UNESCO’s recommendation of devoting 26% of the country’s yearly budget allocation to education and put teaching under essential services like the Army, Police, Fire Service and Water Corporation and make it a punishable offence for them to go on strike.

After all, whenever children are in school, their teachers automatically become in loco parentis. And standing in the position of parents for these children should ordinarily deactivate them from going on strike because no reasonable father/mother goes on strike against his/her own children the same way the shepherd, the clergy, does not abandon his sheep (church) for pecuniary reasons.

Olofintila wrote from Lagos.

Whither the Nigerian economic direction Abdul Razak Odunlade

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t is not in doubt that Nigeria is in crucial economic times. Any keen observer must therefore be concerned about the prospects of Lagos State which controls the largest share of the Nigerian economy. Lagos is, in many ways, the nation’s gateway to global business.

On a general note, the economic situation in the country has clearly worsened over the last few years for a variety of reasons. First is the decline in crude oil prices from $120 per barrel in June 2014 to the current $48 per barrel, which invariably has exposed the weakened structure of the Nigerian economy. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, GDP growth slowed to 2.35% as at this year’s second quarter, compared to the 6.54% in the corresponding period in 2014.

The violence and acts of terror in the NorthEast part of Nigeria has also created an unprecedented instability, without forgetting the concerns relating to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which also added to the uncertainty in the country.

These issues have resulted in, amongst many things, the funding crisis among the State governments, from which, remarkably, Lagos has been spared. Consumer demand is weakening according to our retailers and this suggests that we may not return to high single digit growth quickly, let alone the double figures that we desire.

This current downturn just adds to the existing problems of inadequate power supply, poor infrastructure, more than half of the population living in poverty and significant levels of unemployment. The effects of the crisis are being felt at all levels of society but as is often the case, it is the poorest that are particularly vulnerable.

However, Lagos appears to be enjoying the presence of a strong private sector which is poised to consolidate the state’s clear edge over others especially in the key areas of job creation and thereby allow hundreds of thousands of young graduates and youths to enjoy brighter future prospects.

It is pertinent to stress that while it is not the

role of government to create employment directly - especially in a country like Nigeria with a small tax base and reduced oil receipts, there is still much that the government can do.

The first important consideration, therefore, is the need to make Nigeria more competitive.

The cost of doing business in Nigeria is high. We often think we are a low cost economy because wages are low but the truth is that businesses here face very high costs. The most obvious high input cost is power where manufacturers and other businesses have to pay twice the rate per kilowatt hour than the grid in order to provide the continuous power they need. There are other high costs too relating to infrastructure which means logistics are incredibly difficult for business. Even our wage costs are deceptive because we have low productivity.

Foreign investors have a choice and if we don’t measure up, the investment and jobs will simply go elsewhere. Similarly our companies struggle to export with a high cost base - and if the Naira is strong this makes exports still less competitive.

Another issue is that of our currency. The Naira has been under pressure since the oil price collapsed and has already suffered a 25% devaluation. The Black Market rates are suggesting a further devaluation could take place and that business is difficult to do at the official rate. This is causing problems for any company that deals with the world beyond Nigeria - not just foreign companies. And new investors will not buy into the country if they fear a sudden devaluation. It makes sense for them to wait.

Business leaders are saying that we cannot delay the inevitable and unnecessary pain is being caused in the meantime.

Equally important is the need to do something about the ease of doing business in Nigeria. The World Bank ranks Nigeria at 170th in its index. This is not good enough for a country with our level of ambition and expectation.

This is another factor weakening our competitiveness. In some crucial areas we are even worse –for example, on registration of property, we rank 185th. This is one of a number of areas where Lagos must revolutionize the current po-

sition through an ambitious investment in a new digital land administration system.

We need bold moves like this to make a difference. It will pay for itself in extra land taxes and very quickly too.

And then there is the issue of security. The perception of our country is tarnished by terrorist attacks and violent crimes. The public sector has a non-negotiable duty to protect its people and government must not tolerate unacceptable behaviour.

Yet, we can glean from some foreign investors that Nigeria appears to be adopting an attitude which is too insular and protectionist. But opinions from other local producers favour protectionist policies such as tariffs and banning the importation of some products.

However, in some cases rather than protecting local industry it can protect inefficiency, poor quality and high prices which create a significant cost for us all as consumers. Trade barriers are usually met with more trade barriers from neighboring countries, thereby increasing everyone’s costs.

What then should government do differently? We need the investors to come into our country. This will create jobs and wealth at all levels of the economy and all over the country.

In the longer term we have a range of areas in which to invest to help drive the economy.

The obvious ones, of course, are: more reliable power supply and the need to reduce the chronic traffic problems by investing in the transport system. Then concerted efforts must be made to lower the current interest rates.

The average lender borrows at interest rates of upwards of 20% per annum, which really is not sustainable.

The recent introduction of the Treasury Single Account by the Federal Government and some states like Lagos is a step in the right direction.

We need to institute economic policies that engender an all-inclusive growth. An estimated 70% of Nigerians, 125million people, live below the poverty line. This is an important consideration for any economic activities to be instituted by the managers of the Nigerian

economy.

We must applaud and support the President’s drive to end corruption which has a corrosive effect on business at all levels. It is a critical weakness that makes it hard for everyone to do business in Nigeria.

Equally we must not forget the long term drivers. Our youth is our future. Our demographics are seen as favourable as we have an increasing proportion of the population at working age and a smaller dependent population. We must invest in our youth - their education, their health and improve the security of the society in which they live so they are ready for the opportunities on offer.

However, we cannot only invest in the long term. While we must be far sighted, we must also brave and take action now where we can.

We must think globally and start now to build our capability to compete globally. We must listen to what business leaders are saying about our economic policies including our attempts to protect our indigenous producers and our currency. Some are saying the negative side effects of these policies are worse than the ills they are meant to cure. We must listen and look at the big picture and take such views into account. Fundamentally we should look out to the rest of the world and compete with it - not look inward. We have the biggest population and the largest economy in Africa.

Having risen to the initial challenge of traffic management occasion apparently by the heavy downpour and recalcitrant officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Governor Akinwunmi Ambode must now work with his new cabinet to fulfill his recent promise to take action in the short term to improve security, further reduce traffic congestion and work with the private sector to create jobs. The desirable quick-wins are to improve the lives of citizens while at the same time investing for Lagos and Nigeria of the future.

•Dr Odunlade, a Public Affairs Analyst, lives in Lagos

Perfect Cut

24

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Provocative African Look Peplum tops now trendier on pants Adaeze Amos

T

oday’s ladies now prefer to wear African print peplum tops on pants. They look trendier in them. If you have an Ankara peplum top which you usually wear in skirts, you may opt to change your look by trying it on denim or viscose pants.

Accessorise well by bearing your colours in mind. Also, ensure that your waistline is intact, so as to show off your shape and curve and look sexy. Check out these fashionistas on this page.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Perfect Cut

mullet styles not ideal for the church Adaeze Amos

M

ullet style which became grand in the fashion world three years ago is still being worn by style aficionados. The dress which has its rear longer than the front is worn by both slender and plump ladies.

But if the front view is far above the knee, almost revealing your thighs, it then becomes provocative and shouldn’t be worn to church. It then becomes good for musical stage.

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Sunday, Nevember 22, 2015

Dude Style

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net victorudoh804@yahoo.com 07067124302

‘I can’t wear African print fabrics’

Kennedy Amarhese aka Evangelist Loquacious is a stand-up comedian. This Computer Engineering graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State is also a master of ceremony and hilarious comedian. In this interview with VICTOR UDOH, he unveils what stands him out in the comedy world. Excerpts: What do you enjoy most as a comedian?

One of the things I really enjoy most is seeing my audience laugh endlessly at my performance. I feel fulfilled and I give thanks to God. Another thing is to see myself smiling to the bank, it gives me joy. Moreover, I enjoy helping people build their talents thereby adding value to lives.

Who in Nigeria are you aspiring to be like in comedy?

I look forward to being like the popular comedian ‘AY’. He is very creative with his jokes. Of course I seriously admire’ I go die’ or ‘Gandoki’. These are comedians that inspire me. I also want to be confident and energetic like Gordons and very humble like the Holy Mallam’ What unforgettable lesson has life taught you?

Life has taught me never to give up even if the beginning is not pleasant.

If where you are coming from is nothing to be compared with your dreams, don’t give up!

Just keep pushing till you get there.

Given the quality of talents on the local scene, how do you intend to stand out from the rest?

I have already done that by being identified as a gospel comedian, which is the reason for being called Evangelist Loquacious. Gospel simply means good news; I have come to give the good news through comedy.

How was your growing up?

If my growing up was a CD, I would never wish to rewind and play it again.

My growing up almost makes me feel I can’t get to where I am today. It was hell on earth. I had to struggle through school; I dropped out along the way and later became an apprentice. I ended up as a houseboy. It wasn’t easy going through all this alone, but today I have every reason to appreciate God. I must confess, I have left where I used to be, today they are all history.

What exactly do you think gives you an edge over others?

I believe it is my unique style of comedy, especially when I compose joke recitations using the 66 books of the Bible. Since then, I never had a better yesterday.

Now that you have been married for some years, how would you compare it to when you were single?

There is a difference! It commands

more respect being married than single. It rently working on my marriage counselling gives me more value and honour business- comedy CD volume 2. I am also working on wise. my musical single entitled, Original, which is currently trending on the social media.

What thrills you How do you see the entertainment about your profesindustry in the next five years? sion?

Entertainment, especially comedy gets What thrills me is the confidence and stronger year by year. Nigerians are taktrust I have in God ing the shows seriously. Before the next five which I have before years, gospel comedy that I represent will be all over the world. The materials are availclimbing any stage. able; I just need a push and endorsements How do you think from corporate organisations. life would have been How would you describe your dress sense? without comedy?

Life would h a v e been too political without comedy.

There would h av e been no laught e r but so

much h a tred, a n g e r for no good reasoning. I thank God that when a comedian has some things bothering him, he still makes people laugh on stage.

What kind of books do you read?

I read inspirational or motivational books.

Are there projects you are having at hand?

I am cur-

Simply corporate!

What is that fashion item you can never be caught in?

I can never be caught in African print fabrics. They make me lose confidence on stage.

Have you been embarrassed on stage before?

Though I have heard so much about it, sincerely, I haven’t experienced it before.

Maybe it’s because I restrict myself to the type of places I go to perform. Anywhere I find myself; I see it as the last opportunity and I always put in my best.

You reportedly travelled to Dubai recently to anchor an event, how was the experience like?

It was wonderful. I love the warm reception they gave to me. Moreover, I see my career moving internationally.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

27

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Pregnancy Talk

Naughtiest Thing

with

The naughtiest thing I ’ve ever done

Adaeze Amos

Queen Siaka Nimat

߾ࠆ߾ࠀࠁ߾߿ࠀࠀࠇࠁ ߶ࠡࠛࠡ ࠝࠜࠚࠧ߷

Health benets of walnuts during pregnancy A

re you pregnant and you are good in looking the other side when you see walnuts?

You are not being fair to yourself. Guess why?

Walnuts are plant-based form of omega-3 fatty acids which doctors have affirmed you need in this condition. Walnuts have more omega-3 fatty acids, especially alpha-linolenic acids, than other nuts.

Omega-3 fats help in the development of the baby ’s nervous system, vision, concentration, understanding of words, and overall intelligence quotient (IQ) as they get older.

It can also prevent the baby from having asthma and eczema. In just 1/4 cup of walnuts, about a handful, you get almost 100% of your daily needs for omega-3 fatty acids. If you doubt this, ask your doctor.

In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are simply packed with tons of healthful nutrients that will nourish your body and encourage the health and development of your growing baby.

The main walnut nutrients are calcium, potassium, vitamin B, fibre and magnesium, all of which can help prevent the blood from clotting too much, and improve your overall blood flow.

Walnuts help prevent pregnancy-related hypertension, low birth weight, post-partum depression, and protects your blood vessels.

In addition, vitamin E from gamma-tocopherol (rather than the common alpha-tocopherol) helps the body to rid itself of harmful free radicals.

Walnuts contain important anti-inflammatory phytonutrients and antioxidants, even some that are found nowhere else in nature. These phyto-

nutrients help your circulatory system and blood vessels to perform at peak levels, which improves

cardiovascular and heart health. This also helps push out the bad cholesterol in your body, lower-

ing your total cholesterol level and reducing your risk of developing heart disease, even if you eat only a few walnuts each day.

Other Health Benefits of Walnuts: • The antioxidants in walnuts help to develop bones and collagen, in both you and your growing baby.

• They help prevent and treat metabolic disorders, diabetes, cancer, weight loss, and numerous other illnesses.

• They have melatonin in them, which helps to regulate sleep cycles and adjustment to the light and dark.

• Another benefit of walnuts is that they help promote memory and cognitive response, so they help your baby ’s developing brain.

Because walnuts have a large amount of oil in them, they will spoil easily, so you should not keep them at room temperature. You store them in your refrigerator for up to six months, and any extra can stay in the freezer for up to a year.

To take advantage of all of these health benefits of walnuts, keep little portions of them in your handbag and desk, so when you need a little protein boost, it ’s ready for you.

‘I contested in a pageant without my dad ’s consent ’

The naughtiest thing I have ever done was going for a beauty pageant without telling my father.

It was the recent Miss Curvy Nigeria Beauty pageant which took place in October.

I see it as naughty because of my upbringing. Right from the time I was a child, my siblings and I never stepped out of the house without the consent of our parents, especially our dad who was and still is a great disciplinarian.

On the night of the pageant, I really longed

to attend but I knew that if I had told my dad, he would not have allowed me to go. He would think it is like some other pageants where scanty things such as bikinis are worn. I therefore took my things and left without his consent.

Thankfully, it ’s not that kind of pageant where you wear bikini and parade before the audience and judges.

•Nimat is the current Miss Curvy Nigeria Tourism.

-ADAEZE AMOS

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Movies & Music

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

& usic M Movies With Victor Udoh 07067124302 e-mail: victorudoh804@yahoo.com

I

Dekunle Gold

African celebs storm Lagos for AFRIMA

t was an exceptional night for African music, culture, entertainment, fashion and music lovers across the world as the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, in partnership with the African Union held the 2015 edition on Sunday, November 15 at the Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos.

In addition to the many scintillating performances from the five regions of Africa as led by joint rendition of Paul Simon’s ‘Diamond on the soles of her shoes’ by Cobhams and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, there were surprises and emotions at this year’s award ceremony. Some of this year’s big winners who went home with the priceless 23.9 Karat gold-plated AFRIMA trophy are Charlotte Dipanda from Cameroon who went home with three awards; Album of the Year, Best Female in Central Africa, and Best Artiste in African Contemporary. Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania also won Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Artiste in Eastern Africa. One of the high points of the award ceremony was the honour bestowed on the former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Africa Pillar of Arts and Culture and AFRIMA legendary award to the Ladysmith Black Mambazo for still staying strong after five decades.

African artistes who recorded their names on the award winners’ list are Vanessa Mdee (TSA), Yemi Alade (NIG), AKA (SA), Stanley Enow (CAM), Flavour (NIG), Tsedenia (ETH), Darey (NIG), M’vula (ANG), Olamide (NIG), Wiyaala (GHA), Adekunle Gold (NIG), Kiss Daniel (NIG), Jose Chameleone (UGA), Praiz (NIG) ,among others.

Omoni Oboli bags Nollywood entertainment person of the year

F

Omoni

or Omoni Oboli, 2015 is turning out to be the year of outstanding and mind-blowing achievements, especially after she was announced as Nollywood/entertainment personality of the year 2015 by The Sun newspaper. She takes over from popular music producer, Don Jazzy, who won in 2014 and she signed ambassadorial deal with popular family dairy, Nunu milk, a few days ago.

Oboli’s stellar performance in ‘The Figurine’, ‘Render to Caesar’ and ‘Anchor Baby’ established her as one of the most talented actresses in Nigeria’s movie industry.

In 2014, she had released her first directorial debut ‘Being Mrs Elliot’ and it was widely considered as the game changer in the Nollywood industry. To top that, the movie did exceedingly well at the cinemas.

It was a massive hit in film houses throughout the last quarter of 2014. The movie which starred Omoni alongside AY, Majid Michel, Lepacious Bose, Uru Eke, Seun Akindele, among others earned rave reviews from industry professionals and top media practitioners.

Don Jazzy, Asa, others for Future Awards

Don Jazzy

A

frica’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa has announced the ambassadors for the 10th anniversary – a stellar cast of past winners of the awards across business, development, governance and the creative industries.

The 10 selected ambassadors are international recording artiste, Bukonla ‘Asa’ Elemide (Nigeria), music producer Michel ‘Don Jazzy’ Ajere (Nigeria), beauty entrepreneur Tara Fela Durotoye (Nigeria), founder of LEAP Africa Ndidi Nwuneli (Nigeria), agriculture entrepreneur Nnaemeka Ikeguonu (Nigeria), activist Sangu Delle (Ghana), power entrepreneur Patrick Ngowi (Tanzania), singer Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania), change-maker Fogblanbenchi Lily Harity (Cameroon), and lawmaker Oramait Alengoil (Uganda).

“These 10 African icons have been selected from across East, West and Southern Africa because they represent the essence of TFAA,” says Sean Obedih, a member of the awards Central Working Committee based in Ghana.

“They speak to the best that Africa has, but more importantly their lives work have inspired millions to take charge of their destinies and to get involved in rebuilding their communities and their countries. There are no better ambassadors than these to drive our #AfricaNeedsYou message as we celebrate 10 years of the awards and prepare for 10 more years of impact.”

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Movies & Music

Sunday, November 22, 2015

29

Nelson Jombo drops ‘Espionage’ N

Jombo

‘Rivers Between’ set for release

T

op Nollywood personalities gathered for another block-buster movie entitled, ‘Rivers Between’ which was packaged by Beehay Media Concepts Limited. It is expected to premiere in 2016 before it starts screening in cinemas across the country.

It’s produced by fast-rising Nollywood actress, Bose Alao Omotoyossi, wife of the Nigerian-born Beninese soccer star, Rasak Omotoyossi and directed by Chris

Eneaji.

The movie stars Ibinabo Fiberesima, Segun Arinze, Akin Lewis, Don Patrik, Tolu Awobiyi, Foluke Daramola, Belinda Effah and many more.

The film is a story of two countries in Africa (The Republic of Belenda and the Republic of Libertoire) fighting over a piece of land in a town called Baini, which bonds them together as neighbours.

Meanwhile, the presidents of the two

countries have been using all leverages but to no avail due to the help of a patriots between them. And the first lady of the Republic of Belenda is in sizzling romance with the Libertoire’s president, which makes the rivalry more tedious.

Rivers Between, a story that portrays love, trust, betrayal and blood, was scripted by Gbenga Adesanya and shot within Lekki-Epe metropolitan area of Lagos State.

elson Jombo, the brother of renowned Nollywood actress, Uche Jombo is out with a suspense-packed and thrilling movie entitled, ‘Espionage’.

It is an action-packed spy flick complemented with top-notch acting. The cast includes Alex Ekubo, Uru Eke, Kenneth Okoli, Laurel Je, among others. The movie was directed by ace director, Uzee Madubugwu.

‘Espionage’ is the story of Grace (Uru Eke), the best undercover agent at JFCC because she gets the mission done. Now she is going under cover again as a writer for two wealthy brothers (Alex Ekubo and Kenneth Okoli) involved in cyber-crime, money laundering and murder.

In the midst of the operation, she gets intimate with one of the brothers and this might turn out to be her greatest undoing. Will her feelings for one of the brothers cloud her judgement? Will Grace use this new found intimacy to get her mission accomplished? These are some of the questions that would be answered as the movie hits cinemas across the nation.

According to Madubugwu, the film is tasking than other works he had directed. He confessed that “excellence was my driving force when I was directing the film. I want people to watch a very well done movie, that’s why we paid attention to the smallest of details”.

Vanessa Mdee wins big at AFRIMA!

Azonto, Alanta brighten Glo’s Dance with Peter

T

he excitement on Glo-sponsored Dance with Peter reality TV show continued on Saturday with a focus on ‘Afrobeat Street Challenge’ featuring trending African street dance steps such as Azonto, Alanta, Skelewu, Galala, Sekem and Shakiti. The housemates were given the task of performing the dance steps, choosing any African music.

The 15 remaining dancers in the academy were tutored by the three judges comprising dance choreographer Don Flexx, dance queen Kaffy and Peter Okoye of PSquare. Team Flexx was made up of MX, Yemi, Kevin, T-Rubber, Nekky and G-Extreme; Team Kaffy had Paulette, Messiah, Julius Faktah and Amazing Amy, while Team Peter comprised C-Fly, Miracle, Tee Jay, Da Octopus and Bobby Blankson.

While Miracle performed Toofan’s Gweta and May D’s Ibadi, MX performed JJC’s Motiwa and Da Octopus performed Konga’s Kabaka. Other contestants who performed were Teejay who did Omawumi’s Somori, GExtreme who performed Lil Keshi’s Gbese, C-Fly who did Cabo Snoop’s Prakatatumba and Nekky who performed PSquare and Awilo’s Enemy Solo. The rest were Messiah who did DJ Spinall’s Excuse me, T-Rubber who performed Koffi Olomide’s Eta Major, Kelvin who did DJ Arafat’s Chebele, Julius Faktah who performed Toofan’s Orobo and Amazing Amy who did Almok’s Gweta.

Burna Boy who was the guest judge on the show was stunned by the dexterity and theatrics of the housemates who battled to

remain in the academy which have become even more competitive. He said he was particularly impressed by MX’s ability to switch dance steps and transit with ease.

“That was really good MX, how did you do that. I’m really impressed, keep it up,” he enthused.

Don Flexx who was not very impressed

by Tee Jay’s outing advised her to pay more attention to her body movements and rhythm. “When you began your performance, I was enthusiastic that you would sail through, but you dropped your energy right at the middle and lost concentration.

You also need to watch your movements,” he advised the contestant.

The three judges gave a standing ovation to Da Octopus’ performance. Peter who described his outing as mind-blowing advised him to sustain his energy up to the end.

“You blew my mind Da Octopus, but you need to maintain that energy with which you performed tonight,” he counseled.

It was however the end of the road for Paulette, Yemi and Bobby Blankson who were put on probation in the last edition.

They had the lowest number of votes from the public and were consequently evicted from the academy. While Peter Okoye expressed enthusiasm that the evicted housemates had the potentials of becoming great dancers and living out their dreams, Kaffy encouraged them to remain focused, dogged and pursue their dreams as she had been greatly inspired by their determination to succeed.

Viewers and members of the audience who won prizes in the voting and Trivia

games were presented with their prizes. The prizes included iPhones, Glo Mifi, Modems, recharge cards and cash.

Those who missed the interesting episode last night can watch the repeat on African Independent Television (AIT) on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Dance with Peter also runs on MTV Base on Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The company advised the public to vote for their preferred contestant by sending his or her code to 55518 at the cost of N50 per SMS. Those up for eviction are MX (518), Miracle (526), Messiah (528), Tee Jay (516) and Nekky (530).

Vanessa

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it-maker Vanessa Mdee, aka Vee Money, for the second year running wins an All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) in Lagos. This time for the Best African Pop song. The accolade was for last year’s hater responding track Hawajui and comes after last year’s win for Best East African Female Artiste. Vee Money was up against talents Wande Coal, Ycee, Don Bigg, Meezo L Fadly, DJ Fadly and Toofan.

Vanessa also performed at the awards show alongside Waje and Victoria Kimani who were later joined by Diamond Platnumz when singing the inspirational song Strong Girl.

Later this month, she will be performing at what has been dubbed as the biggest concert in Africa this year at the African Music Concert on the 21st of November in Johannesburg, South Africa. The concert will feature beat banging artist such as Wizkid, Davido, Flavour, Burna Boy, AKA, Cashtime, Casper Nyovest, Roberto and Bucie to name a few.

Vanessa is a multi-time Kilimanjaro Tanzania Music Award winner and recipient of the All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) Best East African Artiste 2014, African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) Best East African Female Act 2015.

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Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Lessons of Life TRUE LIFE STORY ON MATTERS OF THE HEART

ADAEZE AMOS Adanneamos@gmail.com 08023012293 (sms only)

‘How would I forgive a hubby that wished me dead! ’(2)

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hen Laurencia ’s illness was getting worse, her mother came to Lagos to see her.

“Three of us (myself, my younger sister Rosa, and my mother) were having vigils every night. Praying and pleading to God to save my life.

My three children were in school.

Two in the university and the last one in secondary school was in boarding school. But they were calling regularly to find out how I was fairing. But Adolphus, their father (my husband) was busy with his business and Naomi his confidential secretary. He made Naomi ’s place his safe haven. He said his house was crowded with my people just because of my mother ’s presence and my sister. We didn ’t allow his attitude disturb or distract us.

We continued praying until God revealed to me in a dream that my ailment wasn ’t cervical cancer as my doctor said. Though what was happening to me presented signs of cervical cancer but it was not. So, I intensified prayers and something strange happened. ” It was Laurencia that realized the efficacy of their night prayers and even pleaded with her husband to join them once in a while, “but he loved his sleep because he used to leave home early in the morning for work and needed all the rest before morning. So, I stopped bothering him. At a time my mother and my younger sister became tired, but I persisted.

I chose to be sleeping in day and turned nights as the times for spiritual warfare. On the 21st night of my vigil, I was shown in a trance that I needed to get some sand from my husband ’s compound in the village. Something that would serve as a point of contact from there. I told my husband that I was sending Rosa my sister to village so that she could start tidying up things. So that when we eventually traveled home, the whole place wouldn ’t be in total mess. He looked at me with pity in his eyes and nodded thinking that I was also getting prepared for death, ” she said.

Rosa travelled home to Uturu village, in Abia state and did as her sister instructed her. “She pretended to be tiding up the house and in the process scooped some sand which she wrapped in a paper and brought back to La-

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A model

gos. She came home after two days and reports came from Adolphus ’ step mother, his late father ’s first wife, that Rosa ignored where she was supposed to pay adequate attention to and concentrated on the premises. I ignored her complaints, at least Rosa brought back some sand from the compound as I told her. Even when Adolphus was complaining that she came back just after two days, I didn ’t allow that bother me. The very thing I needed for prayers, she brought it . So, I commenced with my vigils. I used the sand as a point of contact to return every evil thing done to me by anybody from that compound. I prayed according to my pastor ’s directives.

On the third night, he came to join us in prayers. That very night was hot because he prayed as he never prayed before and we all chorused amen. He insisted that my husband should join us and that one who loved to pretend to the man of God as if he cared about me, hurried and joined us. After the

prayer, my pastor said that something strange would happen soon.

He told me that my problem was over and honestly I felt great relief.

The blood issue I was having dried up, I felt it and I started regaining my strength. I stopped taking my drugs which were not even effective in the first place, ” she stressed.

Two days after the sand prayers with the pastor, Adolphus came home from office with some shocking news. “He said he had a call when he was in his office from a relative who told him that his father ’s first wife had been acting funny of late. That she had been seeing some apparitions. And that she pleaded for Adolphus to come home with his wife. My husband ignored the message because the woman ’s sons were up and doing. He wondered what his coming home with his wife Laurencia would do for her. So, we all ignored the message until the first son of the woman put a call to my husband, ” she enthused.

To be continued

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NOTICE: Please note that we don ’t do personal connections outside this column. Calls to connect privately are not allowed. Just send an SMS or email and we ’ll get your request published. The request is published on first come first served basis. Thank you!

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31

Sunday November 22, 2015

Hour of Change with Primate I.O

Oyelowo

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rain up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it’’ (proverbs 22:6)

Correct thy son and he shall give the rest, yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul’’ (proverbs 29:17) The happening in this country is worrisome. Cases of kidnappings are rampant, sexual immorality is no more news nowadays as father has sexual intercourse with his daughter, son engages in immoral exercise with his father’s wife (Micah7:5) ‘’it is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much named among the gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife’’ (1 cor. 5:1). Boko Haram insurgencyhas become a matter of serious concern for well meaning Nigerians in the past five years or there about.

What then is the cause of this malaise? The answer is very simple: none teaching of moral values in many homes today, in the school, been it primary or secondary. As shown in the above Bible verses the responsibility of giving moral instruction rests squarely on parents,

Chapel of Holiness and Testimony with Pastor K. I.

Bona continued from last week

The child of God must be in christ

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eing in Christ is not being a member of any Pentecostal church. Rather it means living a redeemed life in Christ.

A redeemed life in Christ is a regenerated life.

A regenerated life is a new creature. A new creature is born again. You see that born again takes a process. In 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” The old things which were passed away were the curses, spells, enchantments, old ways of life in sin, old characters, behaviours and the yoke of the penalties of the sins of our fathers. Behold all things are become new in Christ. Now we are in Christ all things have become new because Christ has abolished all the old things against us on the Cross of Calvary. In 1st John 3:1 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”

Praise God! Dear child of God, the Bible says that you and I are sons of God. Glory and praise be to God forever and ever in Jesus name.

The child of God must not walk after flesh A child of God walking in the flesh, is a child of God living a life of worldiness. A life of worldiness is a life lived in fashion, cosmetics, politics, power, superstitious, custom, culture and or traditions. Any child of God who walks in the flesh have not laid a new foundation. He/she is still operating in

Importance of teaching moral values in the society

but it is unfortunate that many contemporary parents do not know what is called moral values, not to talk of inculcating it on their children. The adage which says’’ he who lacks manner cannot teach moral is absolutely correct in this respect.

The teaching of moral law started in the gardens of Eden when Adam was commanded not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The implication was well stated. (Genesis 2:17) This is contrary to the intention of God when he created the earth. His will for Adam and his future generations yet unborn was for them to have all round peace.

In essence the Almighty God decreed that there should be light aimed at over shadowing darkness which was in place by then (Genesis 1:16).

What then is morality? It is recognition of the difference between good and evil.

Respect for and obedience to the rules of right conduct. It can be summarized as follows; Do not do anything that will harm your neighbor or don’t put your interest above that of the larger society.

It also states that you should not do anything that can endanger your life. Our Lord Jesus Christ thought us to do unto others as we would want them to do unto us (Matthew 9:12, Luke 6:31).

Our respective homes are the primary units where moral values should be

taught and practiced. If this responsibility is faithfully performed, our home will be peaceful and secure which will have profound positive effect in the society in which will live. Failure to do this will spell doom which is what is being experienced on a daily basis in the country.

What are the moral laws that should be thought by the parents to their children?

The holy Bible contains moral law that should not only be practiced, but also be taught to their children. The last six commandments are to regulate our relationship with each other or one another as members of the community (Exodus 20:1217). It is failure on the part of the parents to teach these moral values that is responsible for various from of chaos in the country today.

What differentiate human beings from animals are moral values. Therefore the chaos we experience now can be attributed to the past. It is also undisputable that the moral values a person follows define his personality.

When I was young, my parents taught us four basic moral values, though they were neither unlettered nor belonged to any of the two major religions in the country. What were they? They were 1. Abstinence from sexual immorality, 2. Prohibiton from animal strangulation un-necessarily

3. Abstinence from taking alcohol as this is very injurious to one’s health and 4. Prohibition from gambling. According to them, it could wreck somebody. That teaching is relevant today as it was then.

Observing moral values the following advantages: 1, it provides security to members of the society as each member refrains himself from doing what can cause harm to his neighbor(s) 2, It ensures stabilities in the society 3, Teaching of moral values ameliorates harmful conduct in the society 4, It fosters trust which is very necessary for rapid growth and development 5, It promotes cooperation to achieve goals and objectives of the society 6, It enables members of the community to live together and improve the condition under which they live.

7, It promotes peace which allows everybody to serve his God without any from of molestation 8, Serving God under a conducive atmosphere engenders and increase happiness and joy.

Till then shalom!

•You can contact us at: The Word of Life, Agbo Igbala Ti Kristi Aladura Church 70 Patey street Lagos State. Tel: 07040517413

Familiar spirits (3) the old foundations of his/her father’s believes, cultures, customs and traditions. He/ she cannot prevail over the familiar spirit.

They must accuse him/her. They must prevail over such person. Powers of the familiar spirits must stop them. However what did the Bible told us in Psalm 11:3 “ If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The word destroyed means defiled. In other words, if the foundations be defiled what shall the righteous do? The righteous shall lay a new foundation in Christ Jesus. He should lay the new foundation of the family on Christ Jesus who is the rock of our salvation. This can only be done through personal deliverance and family liberation.

How familiar spirits operate Familiar spirits as we already know are a wing of marine spirit who operates from the water against the comfort, peace and success of human race. They operate in two ways. a) They possess and manipulate b) They oppress and manipulate How they possess and manipulate 1) They use the faces of old school mates, friends, family members, old co-tenants and sometimes even the face of your husband or wife or children to control and manipulate you; in your dreams.

2) Through forming a close relationship with a person or with a demon, they possess.

3) Through visions, or dreams or hearing of voices, they gain entrance into one’s life and control him/her.

4) They transform as the Holy Spirit in some of the lives of, these prophets and prophetess, prophesying through them, seeing visions and dreams. In 2nd Corinthians 11:14-15 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” You are therefore warned to be care-

ful from the deceptions of most of these prophets and prophetess, who operates in many prayer houses around our localities.

5) They possess by giving a person, gifts of dreams, visions or specific signs of any impending danger. Beloveth, if you are not yet born again while exhibiting these types of gifts or the likes you are already possessed by the powers of familiar spirits 6) They possess through contact with the dead by apparition, this is highly illusionary and very deceptive.

7) Those who belong to Ogboni society have contact with familiar spirit and are possessed.

8) All witches and wizards had contacts with familiar spirit and are all possessed.

9) Those who consult witch doctors, and native doctor had contacts with familiar spirits and are all possessed 10) They possess their victims through watching of pornographic cartons, corruptive literature books and novels 11) Watching of corrupt films, horror films, such as Dracula etc.

12) Children playing with toys such as lions, snakes, crocodile, lizards, or toys made in human shapes man or woman gets in contact with familiar spirits and are possessed 13) Familiar spirit easily possess youths who engage in fornication who are filthy in their minds and spirits and those who abuse their flesh 14) Married men and women who engage in the friendship of this world, and adulterers, adulteresses are their easy targets. In the book of James 4: 4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

15) They possess their victims through feeding them with different types of foods and drinks in the dreams 16) Those whose families has foundational idolatry possess familiar spirits 17) They possess their victims through watching of movies 18) Those who engage in dances of worldly music attract familiar spirits 19) They possess their victims through sexual contact in the dream 20) They possess the minds and thoughts of their victims and fill it with a lot of negativity which affect their brain and causes insanity. These often happens to young women, after giving birth.

How they oppress and manipulate The oppression of the familiar spirits has not much difference from those they possess.

For most commonly it is those they possessed they oppress. There are occasions when they oppress those, who are not under their possession. To be oppressed by the power of darkness is to be attacked, pursued, and afflicted by them. While to be possessed by the powers of darkness is to be manipulated and used by them to achieve their wicked objectives. These are few, of the many ways familiar spirits can oppress and manipulates their victims.

1) They oppress their victims by making them to see their dead relatives in the dreams. Sometimes relating with them so closely without remembering they were dead.

In other times even eating with them. May be seeing them sick in the dreams, and out of sympathy trying to assist them without knowing they were dead. All these are symptoms of the oppression of familiar spirits 2) Being pursued in your dreams by dead relatives or dragging something with them. It is a sign that you are under familiar spirits oppression Continued next week

32

From the Pulpit Learn with Kunle

Macaulay

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Email: profkunlemacaulay@ yahoo.com (08023032698, sms pls)

verything is becoming “modern”. Fashion, entertainment, education, even life-style have been modernized. If you are not part of the modern life, you are considered “old fashion”. Christians and their leaders have also seen the need to be part of modern life. The music in the church, the decoration of the church especially the altar, the way Christians dress specially to church for Sunday service and the preaching and preaching styles of Christian leaders have been fashioned to portray modernism.

My main purpose of writing this topic is that I do not want my reader to be ignorant of the works of modernism in our mist and moreover, I want to encourage you to avoid modernism and have nothing to do with modernist or his teaching. Modernism is the spread of anti-Christian teaching. John said, 7 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men and women who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son.10 If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting”II John 1:7-10.

What many people do not know is that modernism is a fallen state with its God – dis-honouring, self –serving and sin – dominated character. The damage modernism is doing to intellectual scholarship and to Christianity of our generation is enormous.

It finds its way into the pulpits and theological colleges from which is able to paralyze Christian churches, cause lawlessness to the command and Christian principles and destroying regard for authority. Modernism no doubt has found its way into the pulpits and it is largely in control of many mega- church-

Sunday November 22, 2015

The modernism in the modern Christianity es where there is a mixture of modernism and Christianity. Liberally educated pastors with unintellectual integrity fill the modern churches and teach from their pulpits heresy. It is unfortunate that the cause of lower moral and spiritual standards is traceable to the present day so-called scholarship called increased knowledge that denies most of the revelational facts in the Bible. Intellectual modernism is fallacy developed out of shallow thinking and lack of spiritual discernment.

The Bible is the only authority of a Christian. It is appealed to and consulted in all manners of Christian life. It is authoritative and indispensable to Christianity. Christians believe that the Bible gives them information about everything in life but the analysis of modern biblical scholarship leaves many people in doubt as to whether the Bible can give information about everything. It is unfortunate that education or knowledge that leads to modernism is from Satan to deceive man and to contradict the true knowledge of the Bible. God is not the source of sin; he neither commits nor wills nor prompts it James 1:13. The aim of modernism is exposed by Christian scholarship. Modernism is the child of Satan. Here the bible passage reveals where modernism belongs “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a lair and the father of lies” Jn. 8:44.

It is my desire to condemn modernism as a theologian and bible teacher. I have decided to point out that modernism is the enemy of biblical Christianity because it denies the full inspiration and infallibility of the Word of God. It treats the Bible as a religious literature containing error and it is unworthy and unreliable. Modernism is completely out to damage the Word of God. It denies the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and the substitutionary atonement of Jesus on the Cross.

Advanced modernist rejects the Lordship of Jesus Christ and does not believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ while modernism teaches the deity of all mankind, teaching

on sin, salvation, holiness and the second coming of Jesus Christ are ruled out of its belief. The reasonableness of any idea does not make it genuine until it is confirmed by the authority of the Bible.

My observation is that modernism is weaving a number of pagan philosophies with the opinions of the apostate Judaism regarding Christ and cleverly adding a few of our Lord’s teachings; presenting the whole as a product of modern scholarship and enlightened Christianity. Modernism confesses Christianity but denies its power.

The facticity and the revelation of the Bible have come under considerable pressure.

The Bible warned, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths” II Tim. 4:3-4.Modernists are educated, they know the truth but are spiritually disobedient and arrogant.

There are many members of secret cult accepting leadership position in the church and who intentionally introduce and teach mysterious practices of the cults hereby introducing paganism into Christianity. They suffer from spiritual astigmatism. They are egoistical and unteachable. Their thinking is confused. They must be avoided as they hastily and speedily exhibit their mark of ignorance and semi-knowledge.

I personally see modernism as an instrument of Satan to promote his will and distabilize religious knowledge. Modernism employs biblical revelation but attaches its own meaning to it to deceive undiscerning people that it is preaching the true gospel.

History of Satan is known to many people and by now his technique is understood. His intention is to make believers disobey the Word of God and disconnect every believer from the source of excellent knowledge and power, so, he tells lies and deceives. Satan is promoting rebellion against the authority of God, teaching false doctrines through modernism. It is assumed that God is out of fashion and humanism is becoming popular. Modernists are developers and promoters of humanism. Modernism tries to

Destined for the top

Miracle Arena with Bishop

P

Theo Ugochukwu

roverbs 24:10 says “If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small”. Greatness is an aspiration of every person from the day you were born you have deep and profound desire to become somebody in life. Hear you me, there is no mistake as greatness the mistake of giving up as a result of adversity. It gives the enemy the opportunity to mock and laugh at you.

You cannot afford to quit or give up at a time like this. It is regrettable to quit when your success is almost at your finger tips. The word of God encourages us to keep looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith. {Heb. 12:2}.

Whenever there is continuous commitment in our world with Him, there will

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be no room for the seed of discouragement to take root in our hearts. A couple dedicated their first child in our ministry on the 27th of September, this year after waiting upon the Lord for 19 good years, and according to them, they have visited so many places, and did not quit searching. If they had stopped praying to God, the bundle of joy would have eluded them.

Sometimes, we are made to go through situations that are parts of God’s preparation on the journey to greatness. Our destination is far more important to our able and dynamic God than the situation we are currently going through, because your arrival will surely be celebrated. This scripture quickens me in pursuit of my vision. {Ex. 15:19} The enemy has said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils, my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will drew my sword, and my hand shall destroy them”.

When you hear all these, you must not quit because the enemy is relentless, he chases you until he overtakes you and eventually takes all that belongs to you. Hear me child of God, you must never give up. For any

trial, test or temptation you overcome, there is a promotion for you. It qualifies you to get to the next level. Job was a typical example, and all he had vanished. His health, children, and his friends misrepresented him. Job was a misunderstood man, because he was going through his wilderness experience, just because poverty and affliction has taken hold of him, but at the end, the Lord added a new glory to his life, {Job 42:1-16}.

Let us look at Job 42:11-12, “Then all his brothers, all his sisters and all those who had been his acquaintances before came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job; then his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yokes of oxen and one thousand female donkeys.

I prophesy today, your new dawn has come. You cannot remain the same again.

God has stepped into your situation. I see

present the gospel in an acceptable form of modern scholarship. This is why all Christian leaders must attend accredited Bible Colleges, churches must revive the sleeping Sunday Schools and Christians must study Bible diligently and accept its words as the final authority from God. The competition created by church denominationalism has given modernism the opportunity to penetrate into almost all the Christian congregations in Nigeria and to spread its message. Paul advised Timothy, “Oh, Timothy, don’t fail to do these things that God entrusted to you. Keep out of foolish arguments with those who boast of their “knowledge” and thus prove their lack of it” I Timothy 6:20. This message is important today as Satan has dressed himself with the knowledge meant to distort the message of God and get Christians out of tract with the message of redemption and restoration.

It is essential for true Christians to discern all forms of the so-called new morality and scholarship – the permissive way and set themselves against it.

God does not permit anything that is satanic. Modern pastors are deceitful. They use the Word of God to manipulate the minds of people, encouraging them to live a life that is ungodly, teaching heresy and competing with the world instead of “coming out of the world”.

Modern Christians are deep in the things of the world because they see prosperity as a thing to grasp and affluence as the only life of the righteous. Modernism is not a cult or an organization that people can join, it is the word coined by Satan and his agents to make people belong to the things of the present world. Modernism is defined by Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary as “modern practice or character or something of modern origin”. It is clear here that the Word of God and the practices of Christian religion cannot be modernized.

•Prof. Kunle Macaulay is the Director of Studies of United Bible University, Lagos. Phone: 0802 – 303 – 2698; email : profkunlemacaulay@yahoo.com; Twitter. com/Kunle Macaulay1

a wave of glory taking place in your life. Hear me child of God, don’t give up. It does not matter the name you are being called now. God is set to do something new in your life, marriage, business and ministry in the mighty name of Jesus. The dedication of the couple came with laughter and celebration. They threw big party and a lot of people came to celebrate with them, nineteen years of tears and mocking came to an end. In the same way, the God of miracle will grant you that heart desire of yours and give you joy at the end.

I know by the reason of the anointing, YOU WILL SURELY GET THERE, AMEN! •For more information, contact: Bishop Theo Ugochukwu – General Overseer, Miracle Assembly Bible Church, a.k.a. The City of Joy, 80, Ajose Street, Mende, Maryland, Lagos; Tel: 08033461482.

Email: bishopgracemiracle@ ymail.com

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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From the Pulpit

Sunday November 22, 2015

33

The flow of the streams of gladness

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.A Song for Alamoth.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

(Psalms 46:1-5).

The flow of the streams of joy that brings gladness is as a result of the conditions that follow the presence of God in a life. From verse 1 -3, there may be occurrence of many things that can bring sorrow and threatening our existence; but all those will not matter because of the provisions of God for you. You may be going through difficulties and your very existence may be challenged. But I want you to know that, the presence of God with you only means that you will come out on top. Verse 5 says, that city(you) shall not be moved; God shall help her (you), just at the break of dawn. Do you know what it means when God said that he was going to help you? Considered those people who had received the help of God, think about their end; people like Joshua, Daniel, Paul, Peter and many others too numerous to mention, they were not put to shame; the situations they found themselves did not overcome them. This shall be your own case also; you shall surely overcome by the help of the Lord.

These streams of gladness make you a Joy of many generations. These streams carry so many blessings and the flowing of the streams is going to affect your business, family and academic for good.

Everything that is dead in your life will come alive by the flowing of these streams

Bishop Opayinka

of gladness to your life. These streams of gladness make you unstoppable, and place you in a place where no man expects. Your life will know no more famine; for these streams end shortage of things that make life joyful and pleasurable. 17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together, 20 That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.(Isaiah 41:17-20).

There is a desire in the heart of God that in every season your inheritance should

manifest and God more often announces this season through His prophets. When God decides by prophecy to do something in your life, that things is what will make you live a fulfil life and when you reject it, the enemy will sit upon your inheritance. God cannot do anything through His prophecy without you cooperating with Him. These streams make glad the city of God, and you are the city of God that must be made glad by these streams.

Conditions for the these streams to flow to a life There are some few things that you should know for you to enjoy the flow of these streams. I want you to understand some few symbolic things from this verse.

The river in this verse represents the Spirit of God and the streams mean those benefits that come from the connection to God through His spirit. The connection to this river is your obedience to the Spirit of God. You are the city of God that should naturally receive the benefits of these streams. The

conditions to fulfil include: Obedience to God: A disobedient child cannot receive the flow of these streams to his/her life. You channelize the blessings of these streams to your life, family, business and everything thing pertaining to your life through obedience. Every act of disobedience cut you away from this river.

Humility: Every river flows from high land to low land; for you to receive the blessings of these streams, you must be at the low land side before the Lord. It is imperative for you to humble yourselves before the Lord for the river to flow towards you. 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4: 6&10).

Sanctification: Your consecration before the Lord is absolutely important to receive the flow of the Spirit towards your life. We are the city of God that must be kept clean from every form of spiritual contamination. Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. (Isaiah 52:1) And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. (Isaiah 1:26).

You can keep the streams flowing continuously to your life by your continual investment in the kingdom of God. Invest your life, time, business, attitude, marriage, career and everything that has do with you into God’s kingdom. And you will begin to see the flowing of an ending gladness in your life.

Bishop Joshua K. Opayinka Glorious Tabernacle International, Behind Adegbemile Cultural Centre, Akure, Ondo State.

08060297831 glorioustabernacle@gmail.com

News

Cleric prays for economic restoration ...as TLCCRM holds hope for the needy

T

he General Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Muoka has assured Nigerians that God would meet their needs and bind their broken hearts, as well as restore the political and economic terrain in the country.

Speaking ahead of the church’s annual end of the year programme, tagged “Hope for the needy”, Muoka claimed that many people, who are disappointed, disillusioned and disoriented during the year look-up to God for restoration concerning their lives at the end of the year.

“God as in the days of old has consistently shown His presence and endorsement for this religious program through diverse signs and wonders which He has wrought in the life of His people. It is a known fact that all who attended in the past have one thing or the other to share with friends and family.

There are numerous testimonies that have reverberated of which the recipients are ever eager to let others hear what the Lord

has done in their life”, he claimed.

The cleric further assured that the fate of the citizens of Nigeria will never remain the same after the ministry embarks of its twoday programme to take the problems of the nation and citizens to God in prayer.

“God will give us new hope as He promised to give His people in Isaiah 43: 19, which states; ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert’ God will do wonders in the lives of His people sufficient enough to demonstrate that the Almighty God has the interest of this nation and people at heart. Greater wonders shall be wrought on men’s souls because by His word and Spirit those that are physically or spiritually blind will see or be enlightened, those that are deaf to the call of God will be made to hear. We have been assured of all these in Isaiah 35: 5- 6 states: ‘Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert’; all these shall be the portion of all who come seeking divine intervention in their lives this period”, he prayed.

Muoka also assured that the mark of hopelessness that has dominated the mind of citizens all through the year will end after the crusade. He added that hope will be rekindled in the area of business, health, education and other spheres in the nation, as all will experience peace and joy at this period of the nation’s life.

“When God saw the hopelessness of the people He created and how they were wallowing in darkness; suffering one problem or the other, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to redeem man-kind that they might have life in abundance; including all those things which are needful to make life happy. By the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, a thorough heavenly portal is opened for humanity, and thus we have asses to all heavenly blessing which include mercy, grace, salvation, Holy

Ghost baptism, good health, freedom, peace, promotion, joy unspeakable, dominion and above all a privilege for a glorious immortality. However, lack of knowledge of the reason behind His coming is why the people including the children of God are suffering and dying. And that is why hopelessness has pervaded the life of the citizens of this country and world at large. Many people have cut themselves off from the provisions available to us by His coming because of ignorance and thus became destroyed.

Their ignorant exposed them to the devil who offered alternative hope for their need in the area of sickness, diseases, affliction, lacks, disappointment, etc. But comes this crusade, there shall be restoration. God Almighty has demonstrated at every given opportunity that He established the ministry to impart gladness to the needy and bind up the broken hearted and in this forthcoming programme God will re-awaken the nation’s hope so that the years that the political and economic locust has eaten, will be restored”, he submitted.

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From the Pulpit

The voice of wisdom

with Dr. David

Oyedepo

W

hen we began this teaching last week, we discovered from scripture that the vision of God for everyone in the Kingdom is packaged in the Bible, as we saw in this life of Jesus and John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; Luke 4:18-19; see also Hebrews 10:5-7; Isaiah 29:11-12). We also recognized that the Bible is God’s mirror that shows us who we are and what redemption has made of us (James 1:22-25). Furthermore, we examine the following as our worth in redemption from the mirror of the Bible: “Our lineage has changed,” “We are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, far above the realms of torture and torments of life” and “To live in health and vitality.” This week, we shall conclude this teaching by exploring in details our covenant access to health and vitality in redemption.

First, we must understand that by redemption, we are entitled to health and vitality. This is because Jesus Christ is not only the Saviour of our soul but our body also (Ephesians 5:23).

Concerning the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, the Bible records: Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years (Deuteronomy 8:4). …and there was not one feeble person among their tribes (Psalms 105:37).

According to scriptures, every redeemed child of God is a spiritual Israelite and that entitles us to the same order of health and vitality the Israelites enjoyed in the wilderness (Exodus 15:26; Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 3:29).

Moreover, as ambassadors of Christ, divine

Let’s go

BIBLE with Favour

A

Tioluwani Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

t least 60 per cent of married couples will experience infidelity at some point in their marriage. All kinds of reasons exist for this, where couples experience periods of sustained stress, exhaustion, or separation due to family needs or career obligations.

Husbands and wives don’t feel satisfied with each other or deeply connected. People endure longstanding dullness or even deadness in their relationships.

Men and women wrestle with boredom, loneliness or unmet needs. Life feels tedious and hard, and a titillating experience beckons.

Causes of infidelity 1. Foundation:Within Christian circles, where strict monogamy is publicly lauded, our private sexual ethics have nonetheless become clouded. Let’s consider the porn factor.

Many have grown up in a culture where the average age for children to be first exposed to pornography has crept younger and younger (today it’s at age 11). By secondary school, 90 per cent of boys are regularly viewing porn. Additionally, an internal poll among University students revealed one in five females says she is addicted to pornography. Therefore for married couples where one or both people bring into the relationship a past experience with porn, sex often becomes

Sunday November 22, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Catching a Vision of Our Worth in Redemption! (2) health is our portion and we understand from scripture that a faithful ambassador is entitled to healthy living (Proverbs 13:17).

But, who is an ambassador? An ambassador is one who is involved in reconciling the world to God. As it is written: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

As we engage in soul-winning and interceding for souls to be saved, with zeal and zest, we are renewing our health insurance with God and His integrity is committed to keep us fit so we can keep bearing fruits (Exodus 23:25-26; John 15:2; Ephesians 6:6).

Therefore, for sustainable health and vitality, we must: • Live on the Word: It is written: My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22).

The Word is the principal balm in Gilead and nothing rejuvenates like revelation from the Word of God. Also, the Word of God is the source of real joy. As it is written: Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16).

We must, therefore, place ourselves on a daily dose of the Word. That means, the Word of God must be our medication every day. As we do so, it shall be health to our flesh because God’s nature is immune to sickness. Thus, the more addicted we are to the Word, the healthier we live (Job 33:21-25; 2 Peter 1:4).

• Engage the mystery of the Communion: The Communion is God’s toast for our total health. From scripture, we understand that

the life of the flesh is in the blood. Thus, as we partake of Jesus’ Blood via the Communion, we imbibe His life, which empowers us to live like Him (John 6:48-58; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).

• Engage the mystery of the anointing oil: The anointing oil contains healing, health and wholeness virtues. When Jesus called His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases. That power represents the oil. The Bible records that: And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them (Mark 6:13; see also Mark 6:7).

That means the anointing oil contains healing virtues that keep our bodies healthy and strong. Also, inside the oil lies the Spirit of the Lord in a mystery. David was anointed with oil and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day. The Bible says: But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Romans 8:11; see also Isaiah 10:27; Matthew 3:11-12).

The oil also contains quickening forces, ordained to keep the organs of our bodies in perfect condition (Luke 3:16-17).

• Keep speaking right: Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs 18:21; see also Psalms 81:10-14).

When we are filled with the Word, we speak right words naturally, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).

• Rejoice in the Lord always: Apostle Paul admonished, Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:16).

It is also written: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the

bones (Proverbs 17:22; see also Proverbs 18:14).

Maintaining the joy of the Lord in our lives is key to healthy living. We must understand that until the devil tampers with our joy, we cannot be afflicted. Therefore, the more joyful we are, the healthier we live.

We must recognize that God sends us Apostles and Prophets to open the seal of the Word to us by the Holy Ghost, so we can see into God’s plan and purpose for our lives as contained in His Book. Therefore, I decree the eyes of your understanding to be opened to see your worth in redemption as contained in the mirror of the Word, in Jesus’ name!

Are you born again? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord? If you haven’t, you can do so as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner.

Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” For further reading, please get my books: All You Need To Have All Your Needs Met, Exploring The Riches Of Redemption, Understanding Your Covenant Rights and Possessing Your Possession.

I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. respectively.

I know this teaching has blessed you.

Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww. org

What lures people (Christians) into infidelity? (1) something other than a beautiful thing.

A struggle with porn kept the couple from having sex, only to either lead to estrangement within the marriage or to one person looking outside the marriage for sexual fulfillment in the arms of someone else or toward the continued use of porn. Meaning that we have to take cognisance of the root problem.

2. Lack of mentor:These are women who either didn’t grow up with a dad in the home or never had a healthy relationship with their father or stepfather. They’ve never had a male mentor, So there is a huge hole in most of these women’s hearts. A man comes along—many times an older man—and begins listening to them, and before they know it, they just cave.

Also one can say that about 50 percent of this married demographic are children of divorce. “They haven’t seen a model or a practice of healthy, lasting marriages set before them,” They believe that, “If it gets bad, you cut and run.”

They also carry with them attachment injuries from a mom or dad who abandoned them or broke up the family. These injuries demonstrate themselves in a marriage in three ways—the spouse either becomes too clingy, too cautious (afraid to get too close because they might get hurt), or too chaotic (too restless to be tied down or commit long-term).

Instead of learning to stoke the fires of healthy sexual tension (flirting, teasing, and enjoying the slow build-up that leads

to fulfilling sex), these couples are coming into marriage with a past mindset that said: Sex is about hopping into bed as soon as possible.

This might never happen again, so I better take advantage of it right now. So sex within marriage quickly becomes a chore.

3. Social media:- Social media has also flung open the door wide to the ease in which people can engage in emotional affairs. That old infatuations can be instantly triggered through connecting with past boyfriends or girlfriends. “Those former experiences and feelings are still stored in the brain.” “A man might see a woman on Facebook that he liked in college. It doesn’t matter if she’s put on 80 pounds.

It’s the memory she generates. He desires connection with her.”

4. An Unexpected Instinct:- A woman now 57, says the life she led with her husband after they first married in their mid-twenties seemed picturesque. At that time, they both had great jobs, a beautiful home, and money for anything they desired. Yet she felt empty. “I didn’t really feel like I knew my husband,” she recalls.

“I didn’t feel like I knew his heart. I was lonely and dying inside.”

She thought having children might be the answer, after which the couple had twin girls. “I was okay for a little while; then that gnawing hole in my heart returned,” she says, When the twins were 16 months old, l traveled for work, then got connected with a male colleague whom

l’d known for a long time before. l and my colleague talked late into the night and he asked her to breakfast the next morning before the meeting concluded. “Of course I replied no,” she says. “But somehow I found myself at the table with him the following morning. I felt really connected to him. I flew home on a Friday and found myself thinking over the weekend, I can’t wait to get back to the office on Monday to talk on the phone to this guy.” They began communicating regularly over the phone.

A month later, the two met at a hotel and slept together.

While this lady’s actions were shocking to her, they fit a pattern of what often unfolds during an adulterous affair. “The vast majority of affairs—I’d say 95 per cent—occur without planning or intent,” Harley says.

Affairs usually start with a friendship.

You find yourself attracted to another person, not necessarily sexually. You just like the person. You get along really well.

Then one thing leads to another and eventually you develop an attraction and the affair becomes sexual. We have an instinct to sexually connect. And our instincts will lead us into a whole lot of trouble if we don’t take extraordinary precautions.

Continued next week •You can send in your QUESTIONS and the Holy Spirit will be set to give you the ANSWERS. Barr. (Mrs.) Favour Tioluwani Tel: 08050272259 or 07062738213. Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the Pulpit 35

Sunday November 22, 2015

‘Clergymen should earn a living through work’ Could you tell the level of your board’s preparedness towards the forthcoming Christian pilgrimage to Israel?

We are at a level of screening for those who were not able to attend our first screening exercise; we fixed today as the second and perhaps the last screening exercise. After this one, we will apply for our visa and we will have to wait for about ten days within which the approval would be given. Then in the approval, we will now see which day or date that is approved for us when we will depart Nigeria.

Are you satisfied with the number of Christian pilgrims been sponsored by the Nasarawa state government for this year’s holy journey?

Actually, with the situation on the ground in Nigeria; when you go to someone and you ask for assistance, whatever is given to you our people say “a gifted horse must not be looked at in the mouth”. We are full of praises, we are full of great happiness, we are full of joy that despite the economic difficulties our state is able to approve a total number of 100 pilgrims for sponsorship. What is obtainable now is for the Christians, whose religion the government is supporting, which ordinarily going by section 10 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, it is not the duty of the government; it is not the duty of any state to shoulder such a responsibility.

But government came in to assist those who though may be very rich spiritually but materially are very poor. So whatever the number that government is able to give today in the face of lack of payment of workers’ salaries and the need or the quest for the provision of amenities or infrastructures.

It is not only the religion alone. If it is religion and we are very sincere, religion should be left with the individual because it is their personal commitment to serving their God. it is not the responsibility of government to force me to be a Christian and to also say go to Jerusalem.

However, where government comes in, the effort of the government should be appreciated and we should pray for the government to have more resources to even put more efforts. Some may say why should we waste our money sponsoring activities that belong to Muslims or the Christians, yet government has to come. By coming in, government is identifying with her people. And for government coming in, it shows that government is interested in the peaceful coexistence of the entire citizens in addition to helping the citizen to pray for good things to happen.

The Bride’s voice with Pastor Moses

T

Alu

he next thing was to design a cloth; it was in the church I first heard of the cloth they called shawarma. Do you know shawarma?

Okay, they called it spaghetti. Okay you know spaghetti. You know the food called spaghetti?

So you can now imagine when they called that cloth spaghetti. You know what spaghetti is?

I grew up with women because I am the only son of my mother, so I knew how women were dressing. Every woman then had simi. Today, do women still wear simi?

It is Satan that has been dropping it small, small. They removed simi but people didn’t know why they were removing it. It was because a time was going to come when he (Satan) will tell them not to wear the one that will cover their stomach. It was the devil that was the source of this nakedness! And there are Ahab’s prophets

Barrister Clement Odeh Magaji is Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board. In this interview with Sunday Mirror, he speaks on the preparedness of the welfare board towards the forthcoming Christian pilgrimage to Israel and other salient Christian religious issues. IGBAWASE UKUMBA brings the excerpts.

Magaji

You had once spoken at a forum about vocational skills and agricultural benefits to be benefited by Nasarawa pilgrims as they travel to the holy land this year, could you elaborate on that?

I said this year’s pilgrimage is a pilgrimage with a difference. In the first place, this has not happened in Nigeria that a state governor who is a Muslim decided to say all the allottees should be clergymen in addition to assisting the Christian Religion Knowledge, CRK, teachers. First, it is a challenge to this group of people. Why has the governor decided to say only people of our caliber should travel?. That is the biggest challenge. Secondly, it is going to be a pilgrimage where pilgrims would be exposed to skills.

There are different trades and different skills; we want to make the pilgrims acquire some skills, acquire some knowledge so that as they are coming back home, they are coming transferred technology, knowledge, transferred

skills.

We are going to take them to places like agricultural projects. Israel is very richly endowed. What are those type of things they do that they produce food in abundance and even export? Do we have such facilities that will support these agricultural projects? Is there anything involved apart from mere cultivation of such things that we are taking from them?

Our land even without the application of manure fertilizer, is very fertile. There are virgin lands today in Nigeria, and in particular Nasarawa state, but rather than going back to farm we are busy hunting or pursuing one contract or the other that is not forth coming; and coupled with government begging cap in hand today for bailout, I thinkit will be illogical for us to abandon agriculture.

See, Israel is very rich, but let’s begin to carry our people to import some ideas agriculturally there. Go to see a large restaurant giving rooms to more than hundred people that are working and earning their living.

Can we use our N80,000 as Pilgrim Travelling Allowance, PTA, and form societies or associations; let’s give ourselves a trial for one, two, three years we are on our way to becoming a modern Dangote.

So these are some of the ideas we conceived and see that let’s try to practicalise them so that out of ten or fourteen days that we will be in Israel, seven days will be for holy sites and seven day will be visitation to some of these centres. More so that the pastors and reverends should desist from organising their church goers to go and farm for them. They should learn how to farm like St. Paul. Reverends should work; don’t go to the church every time and say widow’s mite.

When the widows pay their mite, do you visit them? You don’t visit them, you only visit rich people because the rich people will give you money to build your church. What is the essence of building the church that we are fighting one another. So let them go and follow people from house to house and make peace so that there will be peace. This is the greatest challenge in Nigeria that we are going to have when we come back and Nasarawa state is not in peace, we will hold the pastors, the reverends, the CRK teachers responsible.

It is a trial, let them try. As they are going, it is not going to be Mr. Peter is from Eggon, Mr. Clement is from Gwandara. It is we are from the same family. In God’s family, no discrimination. That is the test that the governor has given them. So they should live up to expectation and make sure they bring the difference to Nasarawa state with this visitation.

Has any of the clergymen turned down the government offer to travel for this year’s holy pilgrimage?

As for this year, no I have not heard that.

Nobody complained when the forms were distributed. Not to my knowledge. If I am lying, they should come and prove me wrong.

The spirit of delusion (8)

that keep telling these women, they will go to heaven! It doesn’t matter.

A preacher will read the Bible, especially Deut. 25; 5 and tells you it doesn’t matter, that a woman can wear trousers. But in this part of the world, trousers are worn by men and not women. And I always ask, why are men not wearing skirts? Why is it women that are always wearing trousers?

Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Who is encouraging the women?

Preachers of course! Preachers will continue o preach it until a woman will leave her house and going to church where they will tell her to raise her hands in worship to the Lord: she will look into her wardrobe, the cloth she will select and wear is the one that is sleeveless . Why would a woman; a proper Christian woman, a decent lady want men to see her underwear? And a man of God is saying, you look pretty. You are a beautiful woman. And you don’t know that the same spirit that was on Ahab’s prophet has come again. The spirit to delude those who have refused to listen to the truth, so that all of the will go to hell!

That is the mystery, brethren, so when we talk here, we are not out of fashion. We are not outdated. We know the truth. We know what the Bible says. And when we speak to our sisters like this, it is because we love you.

We want to see you in the rapture. You cannot come here and we deceive you. You have come here so that your eyes will be opened. That is the truth. They told you. It doesn’t matter but it matters!

Now, pastors are divorcing their wives and marrying other women. And there are preachers that are encouraging it, SAYING It doesn’t matter. Very soon, men will begin to divorce their wives in those churches and talking new wives. Why? It doesn’t matter and preachers officiate at these wedding!

Spirit of delusion! Recently, a sister that used to worship here.

Whom I have not seen for sometime (because they changed to another church) that claims to know more than we do visited me.

And she brought her wedding card to intimate me of her marriage. She told me they were going to wed in the court. I said, why

court, is your husband an unbeliever? She told me the husband was a believer; that he was worshipping in Bride assembly before he moved,. As I was looking at her: I was not vision or revelation and this I told the people I have discussed the matter with. I saw that she was pregnant. I just thought in my heart, you are inviting me for your wedding and you are pregnant. I asked her, I hope you are okay?

And she said, yes. I told her. But your body change o! (You are looking different) She told me. Na school cause am (She told me it is her school that caused it). I said this school that you went that your body changed like this. I like that kind of school.

Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. A pregnant woman! The pregnancy was evident and that sister was a popular sister in this church; known by everybody. She has left the church and on her wedding day, all the people that left here were there and hailing her, our sister. Even one of them that left here preached at the wedding, stating how wonderful the sister is: how blessed the brother was to get such a wonderful Christian sister.

36

From the Pulpit

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday November 22, 2015

Priorities in life (1)

L

ife is filled with choices. Your fulfillment in life is based on how you prioritise your choices. If you do not establish your priorities, other people will control your life with their own priorities.

To prioritise is to list or rate or do things or projects or goals in order of their importance, significance, superiority, preference, and merit. These get done based on how they fit into your overall short-term or longterm goals. It allocates rights and urgency to things based on their limited supply or time limit or expected result.

A farmer ran this classified ad in the Quay County Sun: “Farmer with 160 irrigated acres wants marriage-minded woman with a tractor. When replying, please send picture of the tractor.” Obviously, this farmer’s priority is mechanised farming rather than true love. Any suitor who does not realise this is in for the shock of her life!

A woman was sitting next to an empty seat during an international game final in a packed-full stadium. A man asked the woman about the empty seat. The woman explained, “It was my husband’s . . . but he died.” The man said to her, “I’m surprised that another relative or friend didn’t jump at the chance to take his seat.”

She answered, “I don’t understand it either. But, they all decided on going to his funeral instead.” This woman’s priority was the game over and above eulogizing her husband and giving him final respect.

No doubt, such choices from her might be responsible for the man’s death!

In the classic story of Esau and Jacob, Esau was a free-ranging hunter with a taste for wild game while Jacob was more thorough, calculative, calm, homely and future-oriented. “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!

I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright” (Gen 25:2934).

What a tragedy! Esau despised his birthright. Esau ate his future. Esau drank his destiny. Esau despised his heritage. Jacob was a strategic planner, future-oriented, tomorrow-focused settled and nurturing person with deep single focus on life. Esau was plan-less, itinerant, multiple-focused, present-focused, now-generation person.

While Jacob nurtured what he got, Esau killed and ate all what he obtained.

Esau shunned his position. He disposed himself of his inheritance. Esau loathed his legacy. He expended his entitlement.

Esau mortgaged his title. He shunned his privilege. Esau sold his rights. He detested trophy. Esau swallowed his ownership. He derided his diamond. He gulped his gold.

Esau consumed his seed and excreted his harvest before it was sown. Esau spent his youthful energy on nonentity. “It is better to fail at something that would ultimately succeed than to succeed at something that

would ultimately fail!”

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in two’s for the day.

That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of a 200-pound deer. The other hunters asked, “Where’s Bob?” The lone man said, “Oh, he had a stroke of some kind, he’s a couple of miles back up the trail.” The other hunters were shocked and asked why he left Bob laying there to carry the deer instead.

“It was a tough call,” the hunter said, “but I figured no one was going to steal Bob.” What a friend in need! Food was more important than people! The priority of such selfish souls is to use people because they love things!

The best way to live a Christian life is to find out God’s priorities and make them yours. GOD’S PRIORITIES is His Kingdom. Similarly, you must seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first HIS kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt 6:31-34).

Doing the will of God must be your prime priority. Determine to always fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Seek first the kingdom of God, not your own kingdom.

Make God your number one Priority. Not your education. Not your business. Not your opinion or public opinion. Not your popularity. I struggled for years with the call into full-time ministry. When I yielded on August 26, 1986, I was in the final year

of my first degree in Estate Management at University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). That was 29 years ago.

I have not had one moment of regrets! It pays to serve Jesus!

Another priority for a true believer is praising God. “In all things give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18). “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psa 150:6).

Paul and Silas made giving thanks as their priority even in the despicable Philippian jail; hence God made delivering them His priority (Acts). Daniel made giving thanks as his priority at the risk of his life and position in Babylon; God also made his miraculous deliverance from the lion’s den His top priority.

To be on track, our priorities should parallel Jesus’ priorities. Jesus prioritized spending time alone with God in prayer.

“In the morning before the sun was up, Jesus went to a place where He could be alone. He prayed there” (Mark 1:35).

Prayer priority would streamline your priorities and panel beat yours into the God’s priorities. Prayerlessness is powerlessness and disorganization. Having the wrong priorities in your life is like buttoning your coat incorrectly. If you get that first button wrong, all the others line up according to that misplaced first one. In the same way, when you get the first button right, all the others will line up where they are designed to be.

Tunde Ojewole, PhD, is the Babcock University Pastor in charge: Division of Spiritual Life. Get your copy of the newly released book: GOD’S FOOTPRINTS. For enquiries, contact: ojewolea@babcock.edu.ng or call/SMS 08058299434/08060376577.

Pride, the greatest enemy of a colourful destiny

Prophet Lai Bamidele, General Overseer of Christ Glorious End-time Evangelical Ministry, AbuleEgba, Lagos, in this exhortation, teaches on praise to God. Excerpts:

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ride is the greatest undoing of a colourful destiny. Pride does not set up. Pride only bring down. Every time you see yourself as the only one around or the only one who can do it know very well within you that you are already self destroying yourself. No one has a monopoly for God’s gift, no one has a monopoly for a particular office or position, when you pride yourself before your maker, your only digging yourselves grave.

It is pride that makes a child of god to lose contact with God. The moment you lose contact with God, your fall from grace to grass is inevitable. Luke 10: 18 says “ and he said unto them. I behold Satan as lightening fall from heaven. Saul was the first king chosen by God in Israel asked. Israel asked Samuel the prophet for a king that will rule over them like other nations. The children of Israel forgot that there is an original plan of God for them; they forgot that they are not just ordinary people, God has his master plans for them. They forgot that there is a mark of God upon them.

The children of Israel decided to compare themselves with other nations around, them they forgot that they are peculiar people. When you compare yourself with others if care is not taken you end up the way ended up. They left their God’s covenant over them for others.

When you compare yourself with your pairs you end up like your peers. Remember even if you are born the same day from the same womb, you have different master plan before your maker.

Samuel told God about the cries of the. Children of Israel that they said they want a king like others. God answered them and gave them a king like the other nation. It is your decision that determined what you want in life. It is the express way to either your success or your failure stop impressing people, stop pleasing men at the detriment of pleasing God. God appointed Saul, God is not too concerned about the beginning of a man, he is only interested in a man’s end.

God gave the Israelites Saul as a king into them in his anger and he took him away in his wrath. It was Saul’s pride that brought Saul down from the peak to the bottom part of life.

In the book of 1Sam 8:18, the bible says “And ye shall cry out in that day, because of your king which ye have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day, Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel and they said Nay, but we will have a King over us, that we may also be like other nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles, and Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, Harken unto their voice, and make them a king in Saul, and Samuel said unto the men of Israel, go ye every man unto his city. God loves a good finisher. It is not how you started that matters, but how you end it. God loves a man that finishes well while Satan hates people that people that finished well. I decree concerning everyone reading

through this message today no matter how you started, one thing am fully convinced of is that in all your journey in lie, your beginning might be rough, but your end will be great. In the book of 1samuel 9vs3 the bible says “The ass of Kush the father of Saul were lost, and Kush said to Saul his son. Take now one of the servant with thee, and arise go seek the asses”.

The same Saul that started without direction, when he got is Saul he ate in the same table with Samuel, and he got more than what he bargained for. The original plans of God are that Saul will one day be a ruler. When Saul who was picked as nothing got to the position of authority he forget how he started, he could not listen to his prophet again because of disobedience and pride.

Once you see an iota of pride in a man’s life, the next place is that person is heading for a crash.

You can be called and anointed, but when pride comes you are only beginning the journey of yourself destruction I.e you down.

Saul self destroyed himself at a time he was not listening to God, but he was listening to what men says- Every time you abandon his instructions you will be embraced by then devil for your destruction. In the book of 1samuel 13vs11. And Samuel said, what hast thou done? And Saul said, because I saw that the people were scattered from me and that thou why comest not within the days appointed, and that the philistines gathered themselves together at mishmash.

Pastor Bamidele

When Saul went looking for his father ass he was a humble and obedient child but the moment he became arrogant that he cannot wait for the prophet Saul felt he has gathered enough power to take up the responsibility of his prophets. He felt he has gathered enough strength, because Samuel did not come on time, he gathered the people, and decided to offer a burnt sacrifice unto the Lord, within the audacity to refer to or wait for his prophet, he usurp the power of his mentor, and he was self destroyed Saul forgot that in the story of success you don’t look down on your mentor, whoever must have said is that he doesn’t regard whoever must have anointed him. He had no regard for Samuel again.

•Pastor Moses Alu; The Bride Assembly, Odofin Park Estate, OshodiApapa Expressway, Ijesha Bus stop 08033524903 : Email: pastormosesalu@yahoo.com

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Politics

Sunday November 22, 2015

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Kwara assembly will not be a rubber stamp –AbdulRahman senior members. As I speak with you, I have not seen or notice any intimidation from the principal officers.

Hon. Abdulrafiu AbdulRahman is currently representing Ilorin North West State Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly. He recently had a chat with journalists and said that though no other party except the All Progressives Congress, APC, is represented in the State Assembly yet, the House has been performing its oversight functions effectively. He also speaks about other issues relating to the state and his constituency. AYO ESAN brings the excerpts: Since June 2015 the 8th Assembly was inaugurated, how are you fairing in legislative business?

First and foremost, I glorify the Almighty Allah for counting me among the people that will formulate policies for the state. As a lawmaker, it is a challenging assignment but to God be the glory, we have successful and hitch-free election with a good leadership in the House. So, the experience has been okay for me.

It has been observed that you have initiated many bills in just few months that you have been in the house. What gave you the impetus?

I have been in politics for a long period of time and to the glory of God, from 1999 to 2002, I was a councillor for my ward; Ojuekun/Sarumi ward at Ilorin West Local government Legislative Council. During that time, I sought other inductions apart from the government organized ones. I used to approach senior colleagues especially Hon. Yahaya Oloriegbe and Hon. Rasak Mahmud in the state House of Assembly for tutelage because of my sensitive position as the Majority Leader of the Legislative Council then. I had very little legislative experience then and that was exactly the time I developed interest in legislative process.

As a first timer in the legislature, what are those factors that gave you an edge over your predecessor at the poll?

As a matter of principle, I have always avoided comparing. What actually matters is this, as I have said earlier, it is one thing to be appointed or elected, it is another thing to be ready to serve people and it is another thing to be encouraged. We are so lucky in this state because we have a successful and hitch-free election. Besides, even before the election we had meetings with our leader, Senator Bukola Saraki who encouraged us to work harder to get the peoples ’ mandate.

What factors gave you victory at the poll?

Everything is to the glory of God.

AbdulRahman

AS A FIRST TIMER, YOU MUST RESPECT EXPERIENCED AND OLDER COLLEAGUES BECAUSE I ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGE

EXPERIENCE AND SENIORITY. WE ALL BELIEVE THAT ALL THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS

OF THE HOUSE ARE OUR SENIORS. THEY ARE

SIX IN NUMBER. WE NEVER FLEXED MUSCLES WITH THEM Politics has actually come to stay and things are no longer business as usual.

First and foremost, our party leader who is now the Senate President said from the beginning that he was not going to impose candidates. He, therefore, directed all political aspirants to go to their constituencies to flex their muscles. I mean the electorate knows the worth of each aspirant. I am not saying, I am the best, but I was given the opportunity to serve them. Many of the politicians and the voters knew what my efforts were in my constituency over the years in recent past. So, with the help of God, I was able to have an edge over others with less effort.

How were you able to navigate your way

among regular faces in the Assembly?

Where there is cooperation, things work out well. There is also a Yoruba adage that “a figure 19 that refuses to associate with figure one will find it impossible to become 20 ”. Another significant thing is that as a first timer, you must respect experienced and older colleagues because I always acknowledge experience and seniority.

We all believe that all the principal officers of the House are our seniors.

They are six in number. We never flexed muscles with them.

Honestly, they have always been there for us. You know legislation is about lobbying and when you have motions or bills to move, you need to lobby other members especially the

Let us talk about your recent bill on the proliferation of filling stations in Ilorin metropolis, indeed Kwara State; what gave you the encouragement in view of the sensitive nature of the bill regarding highly placed people involved in the establishment of fuel stations?

You see, I don ’t have any money to give to my people but I am ready to serve them. My utmost concern is to initiate policies that will better their lots. This was what propelled me to initiate the bill more so that I observed that many filing stations are springing up within the residential areas, the trend that could be injurious to the people in an event of fire outbreak at fuel stations.

I know this because I live in the midst of my people and I saw the indiscriminate manner in which these fuel stations are constructed. I have always been praying that one day I would be privileged to influence government policies with a view to making life comfortable for my people. Recently, I read media reports to the effect that about 250 people were consumed by fire occasioned by explosion from a filling station in Ghana. The victims of this sad occurrence included women, children and other people. As much as possible, we are not praying for such in Kwara or Nigeria. Another germane issue is that those who own the filling station do not come here. The erroneous belief is that about 90 per cent of these fuel stations are owned by politicians.

But the truth of the matter is that only infinitesimal number of the stations is owned by politicians. Of course, during the process of establishing these fuel stations, the owners run to politicians to influence one thing or the other. But I can authoritatively confirm to you that 90 per cent of the stations are not owned by politicians. Another factor that influenced my initiation of the bill is that I was once a board member of the Kwara State Town Planning Authority. I raised this issue of proliferation of fuel stations in the state especially the state capital in one of our board meetings. From there, I got to know that there was no formal approval for many of these stations. We are not attacking or targeting some people as being erroneously believed in some quarters. So, I want to reiterate that the urge to serve our people diligently and prevent avoidable death informed our decision on the bill.

What is the challenge on this?

Everybody must do his own business without let or hindrance. But it must not be to detriment of lives of other people. This is the more reason why we must sanction some people for contravening the state government law on establishment of fuel stations.

There is embargo on establishment of fuel stations in Kwara State since 2008 and the embargo has not been lifted.

That aspect of the law must be looked into thoroughly, secondly, is the principle of equity. We discovered that since 2008 till date, some people have been given approval to establish fuel CONT ’D ON PAGE 38

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Politics

Sunday November 22, 2015

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‘Living in the shadows of Sambisa forest ’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

heard anything about these funds. Because nobody has come to their aid except Red Cross, the UNHCR and other aid agencies, ” Tsamdu added.

Hence, to curtail the upsurge of sporadic attacks on villages and communities sharing borderline with Sambisa, he said, stakeholders in the area, decided on raising a counter-insurgency force of over 500 local hunters and vigilante to act as a bulwark against further attacks by the insurgents and also liberate communities which the insurgents have captured.

He also said the upkeep of the force which enjoins harmonious partnership with the military, has continued to be footed by the stakeholders because the Adamawa state government has not been forthcoming with funding.

Bukar Jimeta, is the leader of the over 500 vigilante force guarding Madagali villages and environs, from the rapacious attacks of insurgents who cross over from their hideout in Sambisa forest to unleash mayhem on communities located in heartlands of Madagali in Adamawa state.

Bukar ’s who mission is to rid Mad-

agali land of any vestiges of Boko Haram fighters and their sympathizers and also defend remote communities such as Grata, Lemu, Disa, Jaji Gubbla, Isgea, Zagore and Gobara, which lay close to Sambisa forest from attacks, said since August when he and his men were called for this mission, over 500 insurgents have been killed while over 800 women and children were also rescued.

He also revealed that in Gatar and Lemu, were his men battled with the insurgents, before liberating the towns after fierce fighting, with the insurgents whom they routed, they were able to rescue about 570 women and children from both towns alone.

In the course of the mission, he said that they have trekked to Gobara, a town he noted was just less than 10 kilometre away from entering the forest of Sambisa, stressing that the only reason they didn ’t proceed into Sambisa forest was due to lack of mobility.

But he however, has not jettisoned the possibility of going into Sambisa forest, despite his obvious constraint, as he noted that the journey to Gobara always takes them a night fall going by foot.

The amazing thing about, Bukar Jimeta, whom his lieutenants, often prefer

Pastor Mamaki Local Hunter

to call in the Hausa language ‘Sarkin Mutuwa ’ meaning the ‘ Commander of Death ’ is their mysterious claim that he can hand pick bombs and that no bomb can ever detonate where he is.

So, I asked him if it was true what his

men said about him, and the reputation he has carved for himself as the “Commander of death ”, as he is renowned to catch the insurgents with bare hands without firing a shot.

And true to his depiction, Bukar, brandishing a AK 47 he confiscated from the insurgents, as part of his prized spoils of war. “No bomb can detonate wherever we are ”, he boasted.

He went further to explain with a queer look on his face, and eyes that appeared glazed, and suddenly with a wry smile on his face, he boasted that he has once dug out fourlandmines with his bare hands, retorting to the question.

“There was this operation we embarked on with the military and we encountered five land mines. I removed four of them and asked the soldiers to proceed.

The insurgents who spotted us even fired a rocket launcher, it failed to explode were I was not nor did it imperil us, ” he proudly said.

He said his ultimate goal is to be able to enter Sambisa forest, adding that, if he did, the place would fall to him.

“We don ’t have the necessary logistics; otherwise we would have gone into Sambisa forest and liberated it.

‘Kwara assembly will not be a rubber stamp ’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

stations. It means there is selected justice. What is good for the goose should also be good for the gander. Is it because some people have godfathers while other did not have? We discovered that within the same street and few metres to one another, some stations were approved. Everybody has rights and these rights must be protected. For whatever we do, we must put the fear of God in it.

Another thing is that we wanted to guard against citing of fuel stations inside family compound because of the dangers inherent in it to guard against fire outbreak. Besides we want to guide against enmity among family members. This is because there is always bad blood among family members on the ownership of lands sold for establishment of fuel station.

How will you react to the notion that Kwara State House of Assembly is a rubberstamp?

No; no; no! Kwara State House of Assembly is not a rubberstamp at all, you see, on the issue of social and public harassment and extortion of our people by the Police; I moved a motion against it because it is seriously affecting our people. I received a lot of calls from our people especially my constituents because my lines are opened to the public; the nefarious activities were grossly recorded at the Adeta roundabout linking Adewole and AlHiqma University and these roads are economically important because they lead to two major markets; two major estates; they lead to our University; they lead to the Muslim pilgrimage board and other institutions. You can imagine the situation when Policemen come early morning when workers are going to their offices and in the evening when they are returning home to start to extort and harass them; we picked it up and fortunately, we have a

ANOTHER THING IS THAT WE WANTED TO GUARD AGAINST CITING OF FUEL STATIONS INSIDE FAMILY COMPOUND BECAUSE OF THE DANGERS INHERENT IN IT

beautiful leadership in the House; as a matter of fact, all members contributed positively even the mover of the motion couldn ’t speak much before all other members relieved him of his intent. The Commissioner of Police and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area were officially summoned to defend these. Before they were summoned, the commissioner had taken an action that impressed all Kwarans including the lawmakers. We received a lot of accolades and commendation letters that encouraged me to move another motion for prompt response to the resolution of the House.

How comfortable are you people with committee sharing by the Speaker?

You see, we don ’t have minority in the House, we are a one-party House yet, we are not rubberstamp; we attend to petitions promptly to the admiration of all and sundry. My brother, we simply have a robust House and enviable deliberations in our hallow chamber. I assure you, we have not had any reason to doubt our oneness and efficacy of our Speaker.

How best have you been carrying along the youths that gave you major percentage of your votes at election and gave you huge support during your campaign?

I was a member of the Kwara State University governing council. I represented the youths and I belong to many youth organisations. I am acquainted with the problems of the youths; by this I believe I should be able to give out my best to the youths; to elevate them. During my campaign, I organised a forum with the representatives of the youth development associations in my constituency, we rubbed minds together where I assured them of my patronage and loyalty. Immediately we assumed office, i realised the enormous problems we have in the state, especially the paucity of funds, things were not okay at all, but rather than lament, I sourced for fund and established a free internet centre where the youth will come to access. Don ’t forget that we have tactically assuaged their likely problems in checking results; registration and other things like internet job searching free-of-charge. I also set up a free computer training which we grouped into zones – free three months training. We now have the permission of local governments to use primary schools because we want to avoid a situation where parents pay extra money on their wards.

These are all we have done, couple with our legislative duties.

But have you recorded any case of inter-

net fraud in any of your centres?

Thanks a lot for that question, you see, when we were about starting that project, we considered that loophole too, that is why we pasted it on our notice board, a strong warning that we don ’t encourage ‘yahoo-yahoo ’, we even added a legal consequence of it should we catch any recalcitrant user of our free gesture and when I was visiting the youths in all the wards, I emphasised this also. To God be the glory, we have not recorded any flouting of the order or directive.

You are aware that in Nigeria here, legislators have taken over executive functions by providing education for people, building projects and other executive duties rather than limit themselves to legislating; what is your concern here?

We are all aware that projects ought to be part of executive duties that is why in the process of budget preparation you have to participate because we have to know which area of your constituency is actually catered for.

It will be a thing of joy to know that a larger part of your constituency is taken care of in a particular budget so that your constituents will hail you. Again, it is normal to contribute your widow ’s mite to constituent ’s need, but I know that as a politician, we just have to be patient with our people, if we have we should be our brothers ’ keeper but if we don ’t have we should take our time to explain and importantly convince them.

How often do you visit and relate with your constituents?

Let me tell you the obvious that I am a local person; I live among them, as a matter of fact, I just woke up from them this morning. Look around very well, you will see that this place we are conducting this session is my liaison office and you can see one or two people milling around; they are my constituents.

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Politics

Sunday November 22, 2015

39

Task before Buhari ’s cabinet CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

ministers the agenda of the government.

As the ministers have just resumed duties in their respective ministries, Nigerians have expressed divergent views on the allocation of portfolios to the ministers despite the assurance by Buhari that they are round pegs in round holes.

First they commended the president for reducing the number of ministries to 24 in line with the fiscal demands of the Nigerian situation, and for yielding to the public clamour against appointing ministers without portfolios as all the ministers were assigned portfolios in different capacities.

To Nigerians, the 36-member- cabinet are the ones that will convert the APC administration ’s mantra of change into reality.

President Buhari himself put it succinctly : “We are optimistic that bringing this set of ministers into the service of our country today is a step in the right direction, a timely move towards realising our positive goals for our country. ” The critics of Buhari ’s government however have raised the question of how much of round pegs in round holes these ministers are. They wondered why for instance a professor of curriculum development is being made a junior minister of education, while the senior minister is an accountant? Or where a known development actor in the international civil society is sent to the solid minerals ministry. They have also wondered why one man is saddled with a collapse of the power, energy, and works ministries in one ministry.

Looking at the task before the new ministers, Nigerians realised that they are coming on board at a critical period in Nigeria history.

First the country is currently experiencing challenges in the economic sector occasioned by continuous drop in international oil prices . Oil has remained Nigeria major foreign exchange earner. Oil prices have dropped drastically by 60 per cent, from the about 100 dollars per dollar in 2014 to some 40 dollars per barrel currently. The resultant effect of this is that there is less and less money for all tiers of government.

Thus the mainstay of the economy is less than $50 a barrel in the international market, making it difficult for governments in the country to meet their obligations to citizens.

With a battered economy almost on the verge of recession, highlighting a Gross Domestic Product, GDP that has nose-dived from a steady growth of seven per cent for over a decade to about 2% presently; rising unemployment estimated at about 40%; an inflation rate that is approaching double digits at about 9.4 percent; huge losses of national income and productivity indices that have sunk to an all time low, all is certainly not well with Nigeria at the moment.

There is also the security challenges that has threatened the border of the country in the North Eastern part of the country as well as incessant cases of armed robbery and kidnapping. This security problem has also swayed for-

Faye emi

Ama aech hi

Moh ham mme ed

Ade eosu un

Ade ewolle

Ngig ge

eign investors from making Nigeria their point of destination.

The ministers need to know that despite the eoncomy and security challenges, the expectations of Nigerians are definitely at an almost all time high, and they won ’t have the patience but will soon begin to judge the APC government by the performance of its ministers.

With the change the APC promised Nigerians will not take anything less than instant success and progress for the country . If the change promised however turns out to be a ruse, it will be largely due to the failure of the ministers in living up to their expectations of being perfect round pegs in round holes.

Political commentators are of the opinion that with the present ‘dream team ’ of President Buhari, it seems about time for Nigeria to return to a national strategic vision.

It would also be important to have clear monitoring and tracking devises for both the government and citizens to know the pace and direction of progress The task before the new cabinet is

therefore its ability to deliver the most dividends with the least resources as well as restore order, discipline into governance. This requires that they be committed to true service with no room for looting, misappropriation or misapplication of funds. And of course, they should lead by example.

President Buhari was quite aware of this when he said: “ With the inauguration of ministers, our government shall continue more decisively to implement its policies in respect of the economy and in other areas. While working hard to maximise revenue from oil in the face of a sharp decline in the price for the commodity, we are determined to diversify the economy in agriculture to enhance employment and explore solid minerals as a major revenue earner.

The primary aim is to achieve selfsufficiency in the production of such staples as rice and wheat and to become a major consumer and exporter of both items as well as solid minerals. We intend to pursue policies that will generate massive employment for millions of our

youth.

‘We shall also continue with greater determination and focus to pursue our goal of ensuring improved security for our country and its citizens, and without letting up on our fight against corruption. Our commitment to defeat Boko Haram and all the threats it constitutes remains as strong as ever. So is our resolve to root out vices such as kidnapping and neutralise the various forms of criminalities that threaten the social peace of Nigerians.

While recognizing the challenges we face and the need to surmount them, let us not fail to note the progress we have made in the short life of this government, as an indication of how much better we can do as a people driven by patriotism and a common resolve to do things right ”, Buhari said.

Buhari has also charged the ministers to proceed to work speedily and do their utmost to justify the confidence placed in them not only by their conduct but also by their performance in their various positions.

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STORIES THAT TOUCH YOU Sunday, November 22, 2015

Massacre in Mali: •How Al-Qaeda terrorists murdered 27 people in luxury hotel •Victims speak of day of terror •U.S., French special forces rout killers

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t lleastt 27 b bodies di found f d dead d d inside i id hoh tel as US Special Forces take out two and rescue terrified survivors after storming building Radison Blu hotel under attack by jihadists armed with AK-47s and hand grenades in Malian capital of Bamako Up to 10 gunmen have taken dozens of hostages inside the Radisson hotel while 80 people have escaped unharmed Gunmen spoke in English and tested hostages ’ knowledge of the Koran before allowing Muslim hostages to leave Pentagon confirms that all 22 American nationals were rescued and unhurt following the hotel crisis US Special Forces led elite operation to clear the building one floor at a time amid deadly hostage crisis At least 27 people have been killed including a Belgian diplomat and a French national and the US embassy have urged American nationals to ‘shelter in place ’ from attack Armed jihadists have killed at least 27 people in a deadly shooting rampage after taking 170 hostages at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali.

Automatic weapons fire was heard on the seventh floor of the 190-room hotel, where it was thought as many as 10 militants roamed through the building, looking for guests and members of staff.

At least two of the extremists have been killed, and all the remaining hostages have since been freed - although operations are on-going.

Among the victims were Belgian diplomat Geoffrey Dieudonne and a French national, with the initial death toll likely to rise.

All 22 American nationals were rescued unharmed but 12 bodies have been found in the hotel ’s basement and a further 15 victims were discovered on the second floor by rescuers.

Three of the gunmen have been killed while the remaining terrorists have taken up positions on the hotel ’s roof as rescue forces, led by US Special Forces, try to finish off the gunmen. The al-Qaeda affiliated group Al-Mourabitoun, based in northern Mali, have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The extremist group split two years ago from al-Qaida ’s North Africa branch and is led by Moktar Belmoktar. The group said it wanted fighters freed from Mali ’s prisons and for attacks against northern Malians to stop.

The jihadist group, known as the Mourabitounes, was formed in 2013 after Belmoktar left al Qaeda in the Islamic

Radisson BLu Hotel

A badly injured survivour being carried from the hotel.

Malian special forces lead hostage survivor out of the hotel.

Maghreb and fused with a Malian militant group. The statement issued on Friday said the Mourabitounes had attacked in coordination with the ‘Sahara Emirate ’ affiliated with al Qaeda.

Several witnesses have claimed that the gunmen entered through the gates of the hotel in a car with a diplomatic number plate before opening fire with AK-47s and throwing grenades inside the building. The gunmen were also speaking to the hostages in English, according to one who was freed.

‘I heard them say in English ‘Did you load it?, Let ’s go ’, ’ revealed Guinean singer Sekouba ‘Bambino ’ Diabate, who was rescued by Malian security forces.

Mr. Diabate added: ‘I wasn ’t able to see them because in these kinds of situations it ’s hard. I woke up with the sounds of gunshots and for me, it was just small bandits who came in the hotel to claim something.

After 20 or 30 minutes, I realized these are not just petty criminals. ’ The hotel ’s head of security, Seydou Dembele, said two private security guards had been shot in the legs in the early stages of the assault.

‘We saw two of the attackers. One was wearing a balaclava. The other was blackskinned. They forced the first barrier, ’ Dembele told Reuters.

Within minutes of the assault, police and then soldiers had surrounded the hotel and were blocking roads leading into the neighbourhood.

Belgian diplomat Dieudonne was among two Malians and one French national who were confirmed dead following the siege.

Mr Dieudonne, an official with the parliament of Belgium ’s French-speaking community, had been in Mali for a convention when he was killed in shocking terror attack.

‘Mr Dieudonne, with other foreign colleagues, was in Mali to give a seminar for Malian parliamentarians. At this stage the exact circumstances of his tragic death are not yet known, ’ the Brussels-based parliament said.

At least 27 bodies were counted by one UN peacekeeper as Mali ’s security minister confirmed the gunmen are holding no more hostages.

Two workers for Turkish Airlines and

six Chinese nationals are thought to be among the missing hostages.

Twelve members of the Air France crew have been released from the hotel following a raid by Malian special forces while five other Turkish Airlines employees have managed to escape from the hotel, Turkish officials confirmed.

‘The whole of the Air France team is now in a safe place, ’ an Air France statement said, indicating it was in ‘constant contact ’ with its team of two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

US Special Forces have reportedly been assisting with the rescue operation to clear the building of hostages and take out the armed jihadis.

The French intelligence service has also been providing invaluable logistical support for the operation and have confirmed they have dispatched a unit of special forces to Bamako.

‘Our special forces have freed hostages and 30 others were able to escape on their own. We have sealed all the exit points of the hotel, so be assured none of the hostage takers will be able to escape, ’ security minister Salif Traore told AFP. A spokesman for the ministry added: ‘A group of Islamist gunmen involved in the storming of a luxury hotel in Mali ’s capital, Bamako, continued to hold out against security forces on Friday even after the evacuation of all civilians from the building. ’ ‘The attackers no longer have hostages.

They are dug in in the upper floors. They are alone with the Malian special forces who are trying to dislodge them, ’ spokesman Amadou Sangho said.

The Rezidor Hotel Group, the company which owns the hotel, released a statement, ‘extending our deep sympathy to the families ’.

‘I want to express my deep personal concern for all of the guests and employees affected by the terrible events which are happening today at the Radisson Blu Bamako Hotel in Mali, ’ said company chief executive Wolfgang M Neumann.

‘I speak on behalf of the entire Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in extending our deep sympathy to the families, colleagues and friends of all those touched by today ’s events. ’ ‘We have established dedicated phone lines to support the families of guests and employees, as well as a media enquiry line, ’ it added.

The US embassy in Bamako urged embassy staff to seek cover from the attack, tweeting that all Americans in Mali should ‘shelter in place ’.

Malian Special Forces have been seen outside the hotel and are assessing the situation while France ’s national security service have confirmed that about 40 members of the French National Gendarmerie Intervention Group are en route to Bamako.

A spokesman for the service said they are heading from two different units of special police forces trained for emergency situations. British Special Forces are in Mali and also expected to head towards Bamako to help with the terror operation.

Michael Skapoullis, who escaped the besieged hotel today, told the BBC: ‘We live in a complex near the Radisson hotel. Every day I go to the [Radisson] gym from 6 to 8 in the morning.

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

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MTN, Etisalat violate porting process time, says NCC

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he Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, yesterday said that MTN Nigeria, Globacom and Etisalat violated the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) process time obligations in the third quarter of 2015.

The commission made

this known in its “2015 3Q Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Report ”, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The regulatory body said to address the increasing cases of port request rejections, it had resolved to monitor oper-

ators and take appropriate actions.

“Consequent upon the above, series of compliance checks were carried out regarding timer violations by donor operators with respect to `validation and deactivation responses ’, which have timelines of two

hours and an hour respectively, ’ ’ the commission said.

It said that during the compliance check in the quarter, it was observed that there was a timer deactivation violation

by Etisalat, regarding a Corporate Port request of over 63 lines belong-

L-R:Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Special Advisers to the Minister, Mr Segun Adeyemi and Director-General of National Orientation Agency, Mr Mike Omeri, at a meeting with the Minister and Directors of National Orientation Agency in Abuja on Friday.

Anxiety grips Benue civil servants over indiscriminate sack HENRY IYORKASE

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he mass exodus of sack of top government functionaries as well as middle cadre officers in Benue State is generating serious ripples even as conscientious efforts are being intensified to inject new blood into the public sector.

The recent purge by Governor Samuel Ortom- led administration of top government functionaries such as Director, General Services and Administration, DGSA ’s across the 23 local government councils along with treasurers and cashiers numbering 69 has sent shockwave across the state secretariat.

Sunday Mirror investigations revealed that

the Exco met midweek and announced the retirement of 10 permanent secretaries and redeployed one back to the Federal service where he was seconded to serve in the last administration.

Also the immediate past Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission in the state, Comrade Richard Gbande, alleged to have been terminated from his statutory duties midway into the second tenure, is protesting the treatment meted to him and vowed to seek redress at the National Industrial Court in the state for wrong termination. “ I was unjustly sacked, even if for anything else the office the commission is bound by constitution which stipulates eight

year tenure but quite unfortunately my case is pathetic as I was booted out with recourse to rule of law ” Gbande lamented.

In an interview with Sunday Mirror, a legal expert, Mr. Simon Orkuma, said most of the dismissals carried out by the Benue State Government in recent times did not follow due process.

The legal luminary averred that it is wrongful for any top government functionary to abruptly disengage civil servants without due recourse to the constitution emphasising that there were clear violations in some of the dismissals being carried out maybe perhaps for ulterior motives.

Meanwhile others who share similar fate are keeping sealed lips over

their fate except that some of them are silently bemoaning their unceremonial exit from office adding that the new administration had some preconceived feelings to effect changes and replace their surrogates.

Commenting on the development, the state chairman of Conference for All Nigerian Political Parties CNPP Mr. Baba Agan dismissed the insinuation making its round that people were victimized in the termination of appointments on political grounds.

Agan reiterated that “people are just making issues out of nothing, frankly speaking most of the civil servants being relieved of their job had exhausted their usefulness in public service.

ing to Neoconde Energy Limited.

NCC said that the company had initiated a corporate port out request from Etisalat to Airtel on Aug. 7, 2015 at 9.13a.m., but was partially completed as at 1.52p.m. on the same day.

As a result, these 63 subscribers were unable to receive calls from Etisalat ’s network, ’ ’ it noted.

The commission also said that a timer deactivation violation was noticed from MTN, regarding a Corporate Port request of over 109 lines belonging to Nigerian Breweries Plc. According to NCC, the company initiated a corporate port out request from MTN to Glo via lead MSISDN: 07036735494 on Aug. 11, 2015 at 1.20p.m., but was partially completed as at 11.22a.m. on Aug. 14, 2015.

“As a result, these subscribers were not able to

receive calls from MTN subscribers.

“In the same vein, a timer validation violation by MTN regarding four individual Port requests from MSISDNs: 08139382308, 08143810152, 08135485305 and 08162108093.

“MTN breached the timer of two hours for validation of four port requests from the NPC as stated in the MNP Business Rules, ’ ’ it added.

The telecoms umpire said that a timer validation violation was observed from Globacom, regarding 11 individuals and one corporate Port request.

NCC said that Glo had breached the two hours allowable for validation of six port requests from the NPC, as stated in the MNP Business Rules.

It said that Globacom validated one of these port requests over nine hours after receipt from the MNP administrator.

We ’ve trained 13,000 professionals, says NCAT Rector

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he Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, yesterday said it had trained no fewer than 13,000 Nigerian and foreign professionals since its establishment in 1964.

NCAT Rector, Capt. Samuel Caulcrick, said this at the maiden NCAT Alumni Association (NCATAA) lecture in Lagos.

Caulcrick said that those trained include Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Aeronautical Engineers, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, and other relevant non-professionals in the industry.

He regretted that one fundamental issue that was having a debilitating effect in the industry was the high cost of training aviation professionals.

The rector said urgent steps must be taken to make aviation training one that any willing and quali-

fied Nigerian could access and not an exclusive elitist field available for the rich alone.

He said that NCAT ’s robust efforts were aimed at building capacity for the sector, to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the new generation of aviation professionals.

“From a modest beginning, we have grown to an enviable status as an aviation training centre of excellence.

“Our position as the most comprehensive Civil Aviation training centre in Africa is not challenged as we maintain the core professional areas such as Flying, Aircraft Maintenance and Air Traffic Management.

“Others are Air Traffic Safety Electronic Engineering and Aviation Management, all co-located on the Zaria campus, ” he said.

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Business

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FRESH BUSINESS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Sunday November 22, 2015

Block makers support Dangote Cement’s N300m promo …as promo targets two millionaires daily

David Audu

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resident of Block Makers Association of Nigeria, Chief Rashidi Adebowale has assured the management of Dangote Cement that his association is

solidly behind the company in its efforts at enriching 3,783 of its customers and make two Nigerians millionaires daily.

Speaking in Lagos, Adebowale said Dangote Cement’s management has proved to be truly Nigerian with the introduction of the

best grade of cement and also the decision to enhance the standard of living of its distributors’ and customers.

According to him: “We are very grateful as an Association to the Management of Dangote Cement for this mega promo. I am very optimistic our members will benefit from

this promo. Giving out N300 million at this time of the year is really gratifying. We are happy. We have also instructed our members across the country to aggressively patronize Dangote Cement so as to benefit from the Promo.”

In the same vein, the Chairman of the Lagos Branch of

Kano, a new haven for investors –Ganduje Abolaji Adebayo

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he Kano State Government has declared the new investment opportunity abound in the state for the private investors to leverage on. It stated that the state, being the leader in the area of commerce and trade the trans-Sahara trade era, is the biggest economic center in the North and one of the biggest in the country.

Speaking during Kano Special Day at the just-concluded

Lagos International Trade Fair, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje explained that the state has been putting resource together to create the required enabling environment for all investments to thrive, while it has started opening its frontier for domestic and international investors.

According to him, the huge investment in education and agricultural sector embarked upon by the state is in line with the provision of qualitative and competency-based education with increased agricultur-

al productivity. He said that the combined efforts would lead to self employment and provision of raw materials for the sustenance of Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs. Ganduje, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Work and Housing, Alhaji Shehu Haruna, declared that Kano State has the greatest share of the nation’s unemployment, being the most populous state. He explained that based on that ugly situation, the state has been devising various means through which its

capital projects would be linked to investments and tailored to towards achieving greater socio-economic development that could lead to massive jobs creation. The governor, who noted that the country is currently faced with global challenges whose solution lies in the number of job created, believed that the was a need to address the issue of unemployment by initiating various programmes as well as paying adequate attention to the root causes of the economic problems facing the nation as a whole.

L-R: Cadbury Finance Director, Mrs. Yimika Adeboye; Head, Corporate and Government Affairs Mr. Bala Yesufu, (3rd left); Managing Director, Mr. Roy Naaman (4th left)’ Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; Company Secretary/Chief Counsel, Cadbury, Mrs. Fola Akande; Manufacturing Director, Mr. Nasir Malik, and others, during a courtesy visit by the Cadbury Nigeria Leadership Team to the governor... recently

Research institute plans N30m tomato factory for Katsina A za

msue KADUNA

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he National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, has said it will construct a tomato factory worth over N30 million at Batagarawa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

NARICT’s Head of Procurement, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar stated this in an interview shortly after a bid opening and examination for the construction of the factory building and tomato paste production plant

held at the institute in Zaria.

Abubakar, while assuring that the Federal Government had already approved the money for the project, said that when completed it would attract the attention of government at all levels to queue-in for the technology.

He added that about four companies bided for the construction with a figure of N15,006,596, while only one company bided for fabrication with figure of N15,067,500.

He said: “What we have just witnessed, that is tender

opening of a tomato project is a project of NARICT, a technology of NARICT, it is the institute that has the technical know-how.

“He said technology is yet to be out but we are trying to see how we can sell the project out.

This is a constituency project for Charanchi/Batagarawa federal constituency.

“The member representing the area was here and he wants us to sell the idea to Nigeria and beyond so that other people can come in and buy the technology from NARICT but he wants

the project cited in Katsina,” he said.

“The companies included; Mhasmad Nig. Ltd. with N14,885,094:00, completion period of two months and Dovoco Enterprise Ltd. with N17,510,010:00, completion period of four months.

“Others are Amsactech Homes and Property Ltd. with N16,406,699, completion period of three and half months and Muib Global Resources Ltd. with N21,730,224, completion period of three months. Zacap was the only company who bided for the fabrication for N14,925,500.

the Association, Alhaji Okunola Abegunde also praised the Management of Dangote Cement with an assurance that with active participation of its members, the promo will be a huge success.

The promo, which will last for three months will produce two millionaires per day as two prizes of one million naira each will be won daily for 90 days by 180 lucky winners for the duration of the promo while a whopping N30 million will be won by a lucky winner every month.

Explaining details of the promo, Dangote Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Oare Ojeikere said: “To be part of the promo, all it requires is for the customer to buy a bag of cement and cut out the token at top right of bag. Five tokens will make one entry in the draw. Each entry of 5 tokens must be attached to a piece of paper with the participant’s name, phone number and address, placed in a sealed envelope and dropped off at a designated Drop Centre.”

He further revealed that 400 Dangote locations and all Access Bank branches nationwide, will function as Drop Centres for the entries.

He further assured the customers that the management of Dangote Cement will continue to look for new ways of enhancing their value as the level of acceptability of its products remains unprecedented in the history of Cement business

in Nigeria.

Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with three plants in Nigeria and recently opened factories in Ethiopia, Zambia, South Africa, Senegal and Cameroon. It is a fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer with production capacity of 29.25Mta in Nigeria. Its Obajana plant in Kogi state, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 13.25Mta of capacity across four lines. The Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12Mta. The Gboko plant in Benue state has 4Mta. It would be recalled that the company for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 recorded a turnover of N365.5 billion, a 17.8 per cent increase over its corresponding year’s figure.

The company, in the same period exported 3.7 million metric tonnes of cement to neighboring countries. The export underscores the fact that Nigeria is now self-sufficient in cement production.

The Chief Executive of the company, Onne Van der Weijde while presenting the result said: “I am pleased to report that sales from outside Nigeria have contributed nearly 29 per cent of volumes so far this year and 39 per cent in the third quarter, which demonstrates that we are diversifying successfully and quickly gaining market shares in new countries.”

AgroNigeria set to host agriculture awards Abolaji Adebayo

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erdure Vision Limited, publishers of AgroNigeria Magazine has put everything in place to hold the second edition of Nigeria Agriculture Awards, NAA, as a way of contributing to the development of agricultural sector.

The Nigeria Agriculture Awards, NAA, an annual event powered by AgroNigeria is aimed at recognising and rewarding men, women, businesses and institutions who have contributed to Nigeria’s re-emergence as a veritable force in agriculture.

The publishers of the Magazine would be hosting

the dinner/awards night on Wednesday, November 25th, 2015 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

This year, the Central Committee of the NAA has designed 15 award categories, which include: Achievement in Agriculture, Nagropreneur of the Year, Agric Bank of the Year, Agro-Brand of the Year, Agro-Innovator of the Year, Agro-Journalist of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Agriculture Destination of the Year, Agro-Investor of the Year, Development Partner of the Year, R&D Award, Input Company of the Year, Agro Ambassador of the Year, Agro Commissioner of the Year and Farmer of the Year Awards.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

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Kebbi Appeal Court President raises alarm over alleged fraud JOHN EKAH KEBBI

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he President of Appeal Court, Kebbi State, Justice Zainab Bukkachuwa, has raised an alarm over an alleged criminal attempt by a Chief Registrar to fraudulently obtain N29 million through a concocted judgment.

Justice Bukkachuwa in a formal complaint filed with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohamud Mohammed and Chief Judge of Kebbi State, Justice Ibrahim Bala Mairiga asked for a swift investigation of the matter, which involves the chief Registrar of Kebbi State High court, Abubakar Siddig Bello.

The letter with refer-

ence number PCA/Sokoto/Vol.11 dated 15th September 2015 and titled “Urgent need to investigate this clandestine scheming and appropriately sanction all those involved ”, requested the state judiciary to immediately investigate and punish all erring officials.

The letter reads in part: “I wish to draw your attention to the attached

petition written by Olayiwola Afolabi Esq. of Olayiwola Afolabi & Co. against the Chief Registrar of Kebbi State High court, Abubakar Saddiq Bello with respect to an order issued and signed by him in the case of Faluyi O. Charles & Ors. V NUT Kebbi state (suit No. KB/HC/M86/2006) after the matter had been heard in the Sokoto division of

the Court of Appeal (Appeal No. CA/S/48/2010) and judgment entered on 19/5/2015 allowing the appeal and setting aside the decision of the Kebbi State High court.

“I urge your leadership to use your good office in ensuring that the matter is fully investigated and proper steps taken to forestall future occurrences.

“Please find attached copies of the petition, the judgment of court of Appeal, Sokoto Division as well as the said order.

Do accept my warmest regards. ” The petition is related to an attempt by certain litigants to obtain a fake judgement of court ij order to pervert the course of justice.

JOHN EKAH

in Lagos but quickly said it should not be the yardsticks for the marketers to make life unbearable to motorists and commuters in the state.

Makera said any marketer caught diverting or hoarding petroleum products would be sanctioned and fined accordingly, adding that any marketer found selling above government approved price would also be penalized according to the law.

He said the DPR is working round the clock to ensure the availability of the product in the three states under its operational control.

Makera also said DPR has sealed six petroleum stations in Sokoto for selling above official price and hoarding. The stations are Sadonso, Imad Shades, Alfijir, ABCO and Malami Sabo.

Sokoto DPR warns marketers, seals six stations

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L-R: Commander, Training and Doctrine Command, Finance and Admin, Col. John S. Sura; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Global Analytics Consulting UK/Nigeria, Mr. Tope Fasua; Commander, TRADOC, Nigeria Army, Maj. Gen. Mobolaji Koleoso; Faculty Member, Global Analytics Consulting UK/Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Osobe and Acting Director of Training, TRADOC NA, Col. Franklin D. Babatunde, at TRADOC capacity building on “mindful leadership and emotional intelligence: Towards ending insurgency ” in Minna, Niger State, recently.

Biafra: APC chieftain appeals for Igbo elders ’ intervention IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Nasarawa State, Hon Joseph Kaura yesterday appealed to elders and elite of the Igbo nation to educate their youths on the benefits of living together in the Nigerian entity.

Kaura, who is a former chairman of Karu Local Government Area of the state, stated this during a chat with Sunday Mirror

in Karu, headquarters of the local government area, even as he cautioned the protesting youths against what he described as “the destruction of Igbo name in the good book of Nigeria. ” He said: “I wish to call on those youths, who allowed themselves to be used by persons that never wish our country well rather than to breaching the peace of the nation, to think twice and rescind in their action to allow the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to en-

trench the change mantra he brought into the country.

The APC chieftain continued by advising the protesting youths to trade the path of peace towards a one united Nigeria.

According to him, : “Though those youths are being sponsored by some people who believed by doing so government would be intimidated and it would be their way of livelihood but such people should know that the government of the day has come with a change mantra, not only

in the implementation of programmes and policies, but also on human beings who had lost their thinking and sense of behaviour to reverse back to normal way of doing things. ” Kaura, who stressed that Nigeria is bigger than any individual or group, aligned himself with a statement made by a Nigerian elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, that “Nigeria belongs to all of us ”, and warned that no individual or group can intimidate the government of the day.

Niger: 312 Christians to perform pilgrimage in Israel PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA.

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t least 312 Christian Pilgrims from Niger State have been screened to perform the 2015 pilgrimage to Israel from the first week of next (December).

Speaking, the Director, Christian Pilgrimage Niger state Pilgrims Welfare Commission, Mrs. Sarah Gana said the pilgrimage is the spillover of the 2014 trip to the Holy Land.

According to her, out of the total of 312, 298 of

the pilgrims ought to have performed the pilgrimage in 2014 under the Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu led administration, of which the current administration gave approval for them to travel, even as 14 persons paid for this years ’.

Gana also said a total of four pilgrims that participated in the screening of last year for the journey death shortly after.

She advised the state pilgrims to be not only good ambassadors of Niger State, but the nation as a whole by shunning

acts capable of tarnishing the image of the country, adding that adequate measures have been taken to ensure every pilgrim returns after the exercise.

“This is because, in 2013, two pilgrims from Anambra state, who performed the pilgrimage with the Niger state pilgrims absconded. We don ’t want that to happen again, so steps have been taken to prevent that. ” Mrs. Gana then thanked the state government for providing the logistics for the back log

of last years ’ pilgrims, across the 25 local governments of the state to travel for the religious exercise, saying, while some were 100 per cent sponsored by government, others paid between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of the fee.

Some of the pilgrims expressed joy at the development thanking the state government for making funds available for the journey, which, they said has given them a sense of belonging and trust in the administration.

he Operations Controller of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Mohammed Mekera, has warned petroleum marketers against arbitrary hoarding and diversion of petroleum product meant for the State.

He made this warning while speaking to journalists on the acute shortage and scarcity of petroleum in Sokoto recently.

Makera said, the warning became imperative considering the manner some petroleum marketers are trying to create artificial scarcity of the product in the state, which he said DPR would not tolerate. He blamed the recent scarcity of the product in Sokoto on the drastic reduction in supply from NNPC Depots

Zamfara gov, Yari calls for peace, unity among Nigerians JOHN EKAH

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he Executive Governor of Zamfara State His Excellency Governor Abdulaziz Yari has called for peace, unity and equitable co-existence among the different segments of the Nigerian populace.

He made this appeal at a special prayers in Government House to mark the Islamic New Year, 1439 after the Hijra of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makka to Madina according to a statement issued by his chief of staff, Alhaji Abdulkareem Tsafe made available in Gusau.

“As the religion that is built on peace, it is mandatory to all Muslims to continue to preach the virtues of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by being good to

all ”, the governor said.

He noted that it was the collective prayers of Nigeria ’s that made possible a smooth transition and handover of government from a ruling party to an opposition party.

He urged politicians at all levels to set aside party affiliations and differences since elections were now over and endeavour to justify the confidence Nigerian electorates reposed in those elected by ensuring peace, security, economic growth and fairness to all ”.

While congratulating the Muslim community for witnessing another Islamic year starting from October 14th 2015, Governor Yari urged all terror groups and criminal groups to lay down their arms and join the well-meaning Nigerians for nation building.

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South

Sunday, November 22, 2015

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Ekeremor killing: APC commends Police as PDP absolves self from incident OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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he Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State has commended the State Police Command for the timely arrest of the suspect allegedly responsible for the killing of an APC member from Oweigbene

community in Ekeremor LGA. This is as the Dickson Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday denied any complicity in the alleged attack on members of the APC in Ekeremor, which led to the death of Mr. Andrew June.

Mr. June was hacked to death last Wednesday while returning from Ekeremor town after attending

the APC gubernatorial campaign along with others who also suffered various degrees of injuries.

A statement from Nathan Egba, the spokesman for the Sylya-Igiri Campaign Organisation, said one Promise Meshak, who was said to be responsible for the hacking to death of Mr. June is now at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) section of the Bayelsa State Police

Command.

The statement added that 17 others including the mastermind of the attack and a chieftain of the PDP, Chief Alex Ekiotenne, are being grilled by a crack team of policemen.

Confirming the arrest in a telephone chat, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said it was true that some persons including one Mr. Promise Meshak, were presently

L-R: Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari; Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and mother of the groom/former Lagos State deputy governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, during her son ’s wedding ceremony in Lagos, yesterday.

Bayelsa elders endorse Slyva, Dickson OSAHON JULIUS YENAGOA

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ne week after endorsing incumbent Governor Dickson for a second term, elders in Bayelsa State, under the aegis of Bayelsa Council of Elders (BCE), yesterday gave their blessing and endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Timipre Sylva.

Though the elders through the Chairman of the council, Francis Doupola, clarified that though some members were partisan politicians, the BCE as an institution was not partisan.

He said the council is a father figure to all, stressing that the interest of the council was to foster unity among Bayelsa people irrespective of political affiliations.

“Irrespective of the party you belong, Bayelsa is one. We are brothers and

sisters. The group is made up of special people. As an institution, we are not partisan - we are a father figure to all, ” he stressed.

Yesterday ’s endorsement of Sylva by the elders came barely one week after the council also gave their blessing to the incumbent governor, Dickson, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Present at the meeting yesterday, which was held half way before the elders demanded that the journalists present at the meeting leave them, were Chairman, BCE, Chief Francis Doupola and Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, Chief Alfred DieteSpiff.

Others are His Royal Highness, King Agara Mozi, King Joshua Igbugburu, Dr. Amba Ambaowei, Chief Douglas Naingba, among others.

Briefing journalists

after the closed doors meeting with Sylva, DieteSpiff, the Amanayabo of Twon-Brass and former military administrator of Rivers State, said they had given Sylva their blessing.

He also called on all the contestants for the governorship to ensure that the upcoming election was free, fair, credible and violence-free.

Diete-Spiff also called for voice vote from the elders in support of their motion to give blessing to Sylva ’s bid, and the elders affirmed their support by shouting ‘ayes ’.

Diete-Spiff stated, “We have told him what we want and as one of our members, we like to give him our blessing. We would like to appeal to all contestants to ensure that there is fair and violencefree election.

“For Sylva, we will like to say God be with you.

Goodluck. We all rejoice with you in your aspira-

tion and we want to ask that all that you promised us here today are kept. ” In his remarks, Sylva said there was no society that could develop without the stabilising influence of the elders, adding that he never believed that the elders are not productive, criticising those who regarded them as unproductive and refused to pay them their pensions and gratuities.

He called on the elders to support his ambition to complete his tenure, saying by doing that, they had ensured justice.

He said supporting the APC would bring more development to the state, noting that as a minority state, Bayelsa needed the support of the centre.

Commenting on the blessing he received from the elders, Sylva said, “It is a good thing that my people accept me and want me back as their governor. ”

in police custody over the Ekeremor incident.

Mr. Egba said the recent violent attack perpetrated by the PDP thugs and arrest of the killer had confirmed the fears of the APC that the PDP was stockpiling arms to cause mayhem in a bid to rig the election.

“Bayelsans and Nigerians can now truly see which of the political parties and candidates are spoiling for war to intimidate and harass APC members. ” The APC and the governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, have commended the police for rising to the occasion to check the excesses of the PDP and their thugs.

The statement urged the police to continue to remain neutral and courageous enough to deal decisively with any group or individual that engages in acts capable of disrupting the election.

“We wish to call on the police to ensure speedy prosecution of those arrested so far to ensure justice is served. ” Chief Egba urged APC supporters and party faithful to remain calm and report all acts of violence

against our members to the Police while continuing to work for the success of the party come December 5 “As a party, we shall stand by the family of the deceased member and all those who were injured in the Ekeremor attack, ” he added.

But in a statement by the Director of Publicity of the Dickson-Jonah organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, of the PDP, said it was unimaginable that its members would be accused of violence much more a murder incident as claimed by the APC which it claimed was a “wicked act ”.

Obuebite said in the statement that the PDP in Bayelsa State is a peace loving party with genuine members and supporters who have over time demonstrated this character and as such it is preposterous for the APC to have claimed that its members attacked or killed any individual.

“It is not in our character to be violent in all our activities. We are known for peace and decency in our campaign of issues and unrelenting crusade for a peaceful, free, fair and credible election, ” he stated.

Amosun commiserates with Olubadan over Kuye ’s death

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gun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has commiserated with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I and the Oyo State traditional council over the death of the Otunba Olubadan of Ibadan land, High Chief Omowale Kuye.

Chief Kuye, who died at his Ikolaba, Ibadan residence, on Thursday, was buried on Friday according to Islamic rites.

Governor Amosun prayed for the repose of the soul of Otunba Kuye.

The Ogun State governor also prayed that God grants the family and the Olubadan-In-Council the fortitude to bear the loss, especially coming two weeks after the death of the Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan land, High Chief Suleiman Omiyale.

The late Kuye who died, aged 87, was third in command to the Olubadan of Ibadan.

Ogun to distribute 1,000 C of O to homeowners

O

gun State Head of Service, Elder Abraham Olusola Adeyemi, will present 1,000 Certificates of Occupancy and Building Plan Approvals to the 10th batch of Homeowners ’ Charter Scheme beneficiaries at the Arcade Ground, State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan,

Abeokuta on November 27.

According to a release issued from the office of the Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, beneficiaries are to come with valid means of identification and photocopy of same. The programme will kick off at 9.00 a.m.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday, November 22, 2015

ATP World Tour: Djokovic beats Nadal in Semi-Finals

PAGE 47

Sport

KEEPING YOU ABREAST OF SPORTING NEWS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2015

We’ll win Fed Cup for Ortom –Imenge

Lobi Stars, Akwa Utd set for Federation Cup final Ifeanyi Eduzor

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he stage is now set for this year’s Federation Cup final which will see two Premiership sides; Lobi Stars and Akwa United going up against each other’s jugular in the finals slated for today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

According to a statement by the NFF, the women’s final, between Sunshine Queens and Bayelsa Queens, will start at the same venue by 1pm, while the men’s final will kick off by 3.30pm.

The championship which has witnessed a lot of transformation since its inception in 1945, has maintained its tradition of springing surprises as many top Premiership sides are often bundled out of the tournament by relatively unknown teams from the lower division, which makes it the most glamorous football competition in the country.

Known as FA cup till 2009 when it was changed to Federation Cup, the competition which began as the Governor’s Cup in 1945, then Challenge Cup in 1959 to Coca Cola FA Cup in 1999 and then Fed-

eration Cup in 2009 has become the most popular football competition in the country and in the past used to draw the biggest crowd with many fans describing it as a tournament of shocks and intrigues.

While Akwa United who managed to escape relegation will be aiming to win their first title in the prestigious tournament, Lobi Stars will be looking for a second title after they won the completion in 2003 and then lost in the finals on two occasions; 2005 and 2012 respectively. Incidentally, it was another team from the south-south zone, Sharks FC, that Lobi beat 2-0 for their only previous triumph.

To get to the finals of this year’s championship, Lobi Stars defeated five-time champions Rangers International of Enugu in one of the semi- final encounters while Akwa United sent Nasarawa United packing to book a place in this year’s final.

Interestingly not only are both teams equally matched, they finished in the bottom half of the Nigeria Premier League table. Interesting, in their first meetings in the Premiership League, Lobi Stars recorded a 2-0 victory over the Uyo based

45

PAGE 46

Past Winners of the Federation Cup

side while the later beat them 1-0 in the reverse fixture which makes today’s encounter very interesting.

In today’s cracker, Lobi will be depending on Super Eagles B defender Samson Gbadebo, Moses Bunde, Anthony Agbaji, Achiv Douglas, Captain Terna Ikpeen and Ukeyima Akombo. Akwa will be looking onto competition top scorer Ubong Friday, the precocious Aniekpeno Udoh, Olewezi Johnson and Namso Edo to cause havoc for their opponent.

In the women’s final, Sunshine Queens will rely heavily on Super Falcons’ goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, Chisom Henry, Chidinma Okoro, Gladys Abasi, Yetunde Aluko and Aminat Yakubu, as well as competition leading scorer Tina Oyateleme.

Bayelsa Queens on the other hand will be relying on Super Falcons’ midfielder Osarenoma Igbinovia, Lilian Cole and the Falconets’ trio of Yetunde Adeboyejo, Joy Bokiri and Sandra Chichi.

Winner of the competition will secure automatic ticket to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup next season.

1970 Lagos ECN 1971 WNDC Ibadan 1972 Bendel Insurance 1974 Enugu Rangers 2-0 1975 Enugu Rangers 1976 Enugu Rangers 1977 Shooting Stars 1978 Bendel Insurance 1979 Shooting Stars 1980 Bendel Insurance 1981 Enugu Rangers 1982 Stationery Stores 1983 Enugu Rangers 1984 Leventis United 1985 Abiola Babes 1986 Leventis United 1987 Abiola Babes 1988 Iwuanyanwu Nationale 1989 BCC Lions 1990: Stationery Stores 1991: El-Kanemi Warriors 1992: El-Kanemi Warriors 1993: BCC Lions 1994: BCC Lions 1995: Shooting Stars 1996: Julius Berger 1997: BCC Lions 1998: Wikki Tourists 1999: Plateau United 2000: Niger Tornadoes 2001: Dolphin 2002: Julius Berger 2003: Lobi Stars 2004: Dolphin 2005: Enyimba 2006: Dolphin 2007: Dolphin 2008: Ocean Boys 2009: Enyimba 2010: Kaduna United 2011: Heartland 2012: Heartland 2013: Enyimba 2014: Enyimba 2015xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Sport

Sunday, November 22, 2015

We’ll win Fed Cup for Ortom –Imenge

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Knockout with

Ifeanyi Eduzor

IFEANYI Eduzor

08055829770 ifeduz24@yahoo.com

African Title: ‘I’m unstoppable,’ Skoro declares

G

eneral Manager of Lobi Stars Football Club of Markurdi, Barnabas Imenge says that the club is poised to win this year’s Federation cup in appreciation of what the Benue State Governor; Samuel Orton is doing to develop the state.

Lobi Stars will this evening at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere meet fellow Premiership side Akwa United in the finals of the 2015 Federation Cup. He told Sunday Mirror yesterday that the team which first won the title in 2003 before emerging runners- up in 2012 is fully prepared not only to lift the prestigious trophy for the second time but book a continental ticket.

“My team is fully prepared for today’s encounter. The Government and people of Benue State are fully behind the team and both the technical crew and the players have resolved they will win the trophy as a mark of appreciation for what Governor Ortom is doing to reposition the state since he assumed office in May this year.

According to the ex- international, Lobi Stars under experienced Coach

W

Lobi Stars players celebrate after winning a match

Justin Tenger and his technical crew has what it takes to win the trophy and they have already mapped out their strategy towards achieving that goal. “ We are not expecting an easy match but you should remember that our coach, Justin Tenger once handled Akwa United and

he understands their antics.

“You will remember that we met twice in the Premier League where we defeated them 2-0 in the first leg but they ran away with a lone goal in the reverse fixture but this time around, they will not escape defeat” Imenge assured.

est African Boxing Union Featherweight champion, Waidi “Skoro” Usman, has declared himself unstoppable by any boxer in his weight division. Skoro, who is billed to take a shot at the African Boxing Union (ABU) title at the GOtv Boxing Night next month, made the declaration in Lagos on Friday.

A gold medalist at the National Sports Festival in 2006, Skoro regards himself as an explosive puncher and methodical boxer. “At this point, I am ready, willing and able to defeat any opponent. I

am a powerful puncher.

I train with boxers in higher weight categories.

If any opponent runs into my punch, he is finished.

I can’t wait for December to come so I can add the ABU title to my list of honours. I want to do it for myself and for Nigeria,” he said.

Skoro boasts an impressive record. “I have come a very long way. As an amateur, I was undefeated. I was three times champion in my weight category at Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Local Government. As a professional, I have had 15 fights and lost just one.

Baraje seeks Cup history with Akwa Utd

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achary Baraje has not minced words about his ambition of becoming the first manager to guide Akwa United to their first major domestic title in Nigeria.

The Promise Keepers are playing in their first-ever final at the Teslim Balogun Stadium today and they go up against Lobi Stars, who are regarded as favourites considering that they have won the Cup competition in the past.

“This team is capable of making history. The players, officials, management and fans have played their part in making sure that we reach this stage of the competition and it is now time for us to write our names in history as the first set of players and coaches to win this competition for the first time.

“There is no doubt that a Cup final will be tough and we know that Lobi Stars will not make it easier for us

just as we are hungry to win this trophy for the first time. I know the Lobi team, as we have played them twice this season and more recently in the last game of the league season. But I am very confident we will win this,” Baraje told supersport.com.

The last time Akwa United came close to winning Federation Cup was two years ago when they reached the last four. But they were stopped in their tracks by Warri Wolves.

Power Lee congratulates Dalong Ifeanyi Eduzor

P

ro Wrestling Africa (PWA) heavyweight champion, Power Lee has congratulated the new Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalong over his appointment, expressing hope that his tenure will witness tremendous development of the country’s sports.

In a statement he issued in Lagos and made available to Sunday Mirror, Power Lee whose real names are Godspower Ikpide expressed hope that Dalong will not limit himself to the development of football like his predecessors but also concentrate on other sports as a way of not only empowering the youths but

checking crime in the society.

The champion while wishing him well in his assignment, informed the Minister that plans are at advanced stage for him to formally present his belt to him in Abuja by January next year as a prelude to his title defence against Angolan Marvelous Buffalo on March 6, 2016.

“I am particularly happy that President Buhari found Dalong worthy to become the Minister of Sports and I want him to use his good offices and develop all sport.

“It is also important to use this medium to inform him about plans to present my title to him in Abuja in January 2016 as part of preparations for my title defence against Marvelous Buffalo of Angola on March 6, 2016:, the statement

concluded.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA), Sesan Olukoya has assured Nigerians that Power Lee is capable of defending his title in March just as he appealed for financial support for the champion to succeed.

U

Robert Ndabai and the chief coach of Yaba College of technology Aliu Yamala among others.

Union fc. took the lead with a 19th minute free kick converted by Nonso Okpala, however the lead did not last long as Chidex Ifejeme drew level for All stars family after dashing Paulinus

Frampton denies Quigg’s knockout claim

C

arl Frampton has rubbished Scott Quigg’s claim that he has been knocked out in recent sparring sessions as they prepare for the world title unification fight in February.

Quigg, 27, made the allegation at the duo’s latest pre-fight news conference in Belfast on Wednesday.

“I know for a fact he has been knocked out in sparring,” Quigg told BBC Sport.

However Frampton, 28, responded: “They are clutching at straws. I’ve never been knocked out in my life.”

Bury’s Quigg, the WBA super-bantamweight champion, will fight IBF champion Frampton in Manchester on 27 February.

After the duo’s verbal sparring in London on Monday and Manchester on Tuesday, it was the turn of the IBF champion’s home city of Belfast to sample the Frampton-Quigg road show. Around 1,000 of Frampton’s friends and fans crammed into the Europa Hotel’s grand ballroom to see the two fighters and their entourages trade the inevitable verbal fisticuffs.

Haye is targeting Joshua, says Hearn

Power Lee

Union FC dents All Stars Family unbeaten record

nion fc. Yaba, last Saturday at psychiatric Hospital play ground, Yaba dented the two year old unbeaten record of all the Stars family fc.

Sururlere with a 3-2 victory. The early morning friendly clash of veterans was hotly contested before a scanty audience which included veteran sports writer

Skoro

Umoh had been brought down inside the 18yards box.

Godson Oguchi and Destiny Ogbu netted the second and third goal for the union fc. While the All stars family second goal was scored by substitute Augustus Ikenwa via spot kick 13 minutes from full time.

M

atchroom Boxing chief, Eddie Hearn has stated his belief that former heavyweight world champion David Haye is returning to the sport to seek out a fight with his unbeaten future star, Anthony Joshua.

Haye this week announced his intention to return to boxing under the tutelage of Carl Frampton trainer, Shane McGuigan,

and has claimed many times over recent months that he intends to get back to top level again in 2016.

Now 35 and not having boxed in over 3 years, Haye will have been keeping a close eye on the heavyweight scene in his absence, a scene that includes WBC champion, Deontay Wilder as the only other bona fide world titlist outside of his former opponent, Klitschko.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Novak Djokovic (L) in a handshake with Rafael Nadal after the match

ATP World Tour: Djokovic beats Nadal in Semi-Finals

N

ovak Djokovic saw off Rafael Nadal with clinical precision to reach the final and stay on track for a fourth straight ATP World Tour Finals title.

Serbia’s world number one eased to a 6-3, 6-3 victory, which brings him level at 23-23 in career meetings with the Spaniard. Djokovic, 28, has now won eight of his last nine matches against Nadal.

Nadal had been the story of the group stage as he racked up three impressive wins and talked about getting back to his best form, while Djokovic had played below his own very lofty standards.

Vardy gets Nistelrooy’s backing

F

ormer Dutch and Manchester United striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy has wished Jamie Vardy well as the Leicester striker chases his Premier League goal scoring record.

Vardy will match the former Manchester United man’s mark of scoring in 10 straight Premier League games if he is on target on his next appearance.

I’m still in love with Man City, says Sturridge

D

aniel Sturridge insists Manchester City is “in his heart”, despite being booed by their supporters every time he returns to the Etihad Stadium.

The Liverpool forward joined City’s Academy as a 13-year-old and played 21 times for the first team before moving to Chelsea when his contract expired in 2009.

In an exclusive interview with Soccer AM’s Tubes, he said: “They’re a big club and have been very successful over the last few years.

“They’ve done a lot for me and my family.

They’re in my heart, regardless of whether the fans boo me or not.

“Of course they will boo, they always do.

They have a perception of me leaving for money, but I feel the opportunity was never there for me.

Costa gives Chelsea first win in four matches

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47

helsea recorded their first win in four Premier League matches as Diego Costa ended a seven-game goal drought to give them victory over Norwich.

The champions came into the game off the back of a three-match losing streak and were frustrated for an hour by a stubborn display from the Canaries.

Bruyne: Mourinho stopped my Dortmund move K evin De Bruyne has revealed an intervention from Jose Mourinho stopped him signing for Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2013.

The Belgium forward’s career would have followed a different path had he moved to Borussia Dortmund, then under Klopp’s control, shortly after Mourinho’s second coming to Chelsea.

Instead he was persuaded to stay at Stamford Bridge, only to start just five times before he was sold to Wolfsburg the following January.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, De Bruyne said: “I had a personal agreement with Klopp. I asked to go because I had a good feeling about Dortmund at the time. He called me, and said ‘You will be the No 1’.

“At the time I thought it was a good decision to go but the manager, Jose Mourinho told me ‘You need to stay and you will get your chance here’. I accepted it and we moved on.”

Dortmund went on to win a second straight Bundesliga title that season, and De Bruyne is backing Klopp to deliver long-term success at Anfield.

Man U earns dramatic win at Vicarage Road

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roy Deeney’s last-gasp own goal handed Manchester United a dramatic 2-1 win over Watford in Saturday’s Premier League clash at Vicarage Road.

Deeney, attempting to keep the ball out on the goal-line, went from hero to villain inside five minutes as he turned Bastian Schweinsteiger’s effort into his own net from an angle moments after equalizing for Watford from the spot.

Memphis Depay scored United’s opener in the 11th minute, turning home Ander Herrera’s cross, before David de Gea pulled off a world-class save to deny Almen Abdi the equalizer in the second half.

Watford equalized with three minutes remaining through Deeney’s penalty after Odion Ighalo was brought down by Marcos Rojo; the first goal United had conceded in nearly 11 hours of football in all competitions.

N I G E R I A I N F I G U R E S - The sum Adams -The amount Oshiomhole pledged President Buhari sent as additional budget to for rebuilding of Dumez Road market N150 NASS

N465.63bn

Vol. 5 No. 46

Sunday, NOVEMBER 22, 2015 www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Comment

E-mail: jimunahlive@gmail.com Jim Unah is Professor of Philosophy, University of Lagos

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with Jim Unah

he resounding success and peaceful conclusion of the 2015 general elections by the erstwhile Professor Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which heralded the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, was the product of rare craftsmanship, “solomonian” wisdom, studied patience and commonsense, on the part of the electoral umpire, and unusual patriotism of the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

INEC ensured balance of power and balance of rigging in its declaration of election results; whilst Jonathan unwittingly provided for his exit from power if majority of voters—from genuine ballots and doctored results—said so.

Given the selective nullification of election results in the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, controlled states by Election Petition Tribunals nation-wide, are the state actors in control—the judiciary inclusive--and the powers-that-be in Aso Rock Vila, ready to throw all that away and deal with the consequences? But are

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Election petition tribunals or the Attahiru Jega wisdom we to suggest by any stretch of the imagination that where the PDP or any other party for that matter had rigged itself back to power in states riddled by mediocre performance such as infrastructure deficits and poor service delivery, that a stolen mandate should not be nullified

by Election Petition Tribunals created by the law to deal with such cases and ensure that justice is served? Absolutely no!

What this goes to say is that in mediating in Nigeria’s electoral matters you invariably find yourself between the rock and the hard place or between the devil and the deep blue sea. The Buhari government can put its foot down, not only in corruption cases but also in all cases of electoral fraud; whether perpetrated in APC states or in PDP controlled states, by ensuring that the INEC releases all documents demanded by all groups of petitioners in equal measure. In past elections where Buhari was not declared winner, virtually all his requests for the production of election materials to substantiate his petitions were not honored because the powers-that-be in Aso Rock allegedly influenced the INEC to ignore him, a matter about which he complained openly and bitterly.

While media reports nation-wide indicated that the 2015 elections were generally peaceful, free and fair, the same reports did not mince words in recording that under-age children in large num-

bers were allowed to vote in some parts of the country, that the administration of the permanent voters card, PVC, and the card readers were not uniformly executed, and that there were subdued cases of doctored election results in jurisdictions where the APC and the PDP had control.

The INEC appeared to have closed its eyes to some of these irregularities to allow peace to reign.

Now for the nullification of election results to be happening selectively, it simply suggests that the ruling party is unduly influencing the INEC in its favor. Were this not to be the case, the nullification would be across board. It suggests that in APC controlled states, INEC did not release all the election materials which ought to reveal the extent of rigging and by whom and all original as well as doctored documents to the tribunals to help the case of the PDP petitioners, while in PDP controlled states all such materials were fully released to the tribunals to help the case of the APC petitioners.

Under the circumstances, only in PDP controlled states would the tribunals find good reason to nullify election results, while in APC controlled states the verdict of INEC would prevail since there would be no adequate evidence for the petition tribunals to rule otherwise.

If this trend is allowed to continue, the APC is likely to use its incumbency power at the Centre to get INEC to de-

FIFA ethics committee wants Blatter, Platini sanctioned

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IFA’s independent ethics committee has ‘requested sanctions’ in its final reports on suspended President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini but will not specify what those sanctions are because of ‘privacy rights’.

The pair are currently under 90-day provisional suspensions ahead of an ethics committee hearing over a £1.3m payment made to Platini by FIFA in 2011.

Blatter and Platini had appeals against their bans dismissed by FIFA’s appeals committee earlier this week and on Friday the latter who wants to stand as Blatter’s replacement in February -took his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

A statement from FIFA’s ethics committee on Satur-

day said the committee’s final reports had been submitted and that sanctions had been called for.

“The investigatory chamber of the independent ethics committee has submitted its final reports containing requests for sanctions

against Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini to the adjudicatory chamber chaired

by Hans-Joachim Eckert,” it read.

clare victory in favor of its candidates in re-run elections. At the end of the day, the nation would be inflicted with a Oneparty state with all the attendant evils associated with it. Political opposition, having been hopelessly and completely crippled, would prove incapable of checking the excesses of the ruling party, and democracy will transform into a most tyrannical form of government in the country. It would now be the dictatorship of a negligible few with the instrument of power masquerading as a popular government. And all the gains of democracy achieved by the Jonathan administration for which the country has received accolades from the international political community would have been consigned into the dustbin of history.

This is not about being sympathetic with the PDP. It is about being concerned about peace and orderly progress in Nigeria. The APC government with Buhari at the helm of affairs can succeed without necessarily crippling the PDP, majority of which have defected to the ruling party, anyway.

My concern is simply this: if you want to open the 2015 electoral can of worms, open it honestly across board, not selectively. Or let the wisdom of Attahiru Jega, in declaring election results in a manner that there would be no unusual uprising that may spark off civil rebellion from unexpected quarters, prevail.

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