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Vol. 5 No. 31

Sunday, August 9, 2015

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Ex-military chiefs lobby Buhari for ministerial posts ...President intensies search for ‘clean hands ’

Lawyer accuses chief registrar of forging judgement

Kano Emir, Sanusi, tipped as 2015 Amirul Hajj

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The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye (right), his wife, Foluke and others during the church ’s 63rd Annual Convention at the Redemption Camp, Mowe, Ogun State at the weekend.

FG angry at deportation of 12,000 Nigerian refugees

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Pirates kill 4 soldiers, policeman in Bayelsa waterways attack

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What ’s new Politics

Seven Days TALKING POINTS OF THE PAST WEEK

Passion

Mimiko ’s govt stinks with corruption –Olanusi Impeached deputy governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, has alleged that the incumbent Olusegun Mimiko administration in the state stinks to high heavens with entrenched corruption. Consequently, the former deputy governor disclosed that he had petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

I love to flaunt my boobs –Anu

New helmsmen for NNPC, NCC

If I wasn ’t an actress, I would have built an empire of my own and become a boss. I would have owned my own business/company and run the affairs of the whole thing.

Wellness

with details of the sleazes that not only had taken place but continued in the Mimiko administration. This was just as the EFCC has invited and quizzed the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Jumoke Akindele; Majority Leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu and Clerk of the House, Bode Adeyelu.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Dr. Kachikwu, who was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon-Mobil (Africa), is to take over from Dr. Joseph Thlama

Dawha. Dr. Kachikwu hails from Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State. He is a First Class Graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law School. The new NNPC Chief Executive also has Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School.

Over 200 feared dead in latest migrant sea tragedy

Why Hepatitis B is a silent killer –Medics Medical experts affirm that Hepatitis B is a silent epidemic affecting the health of many Nigerians. They worry, nonetheless, that the ailment has attracted very little attention from the government and the people. The word hepatitis comes from the ancient Greek expression ‘hepar ’ (root word hepat) meaning “liver ’ ’, and in Latin (an ancient Italian language) which means inflammation.

Hopes faded of finding survivors of the latest Mediterranean boat tragedy, in which an estimated 200 migrants drowned, yesterday as rescue ships were called to the aid of more migrant boats in the same area. Vessels from the Italian and Irish navies and humanitarian agency Medecins sans Frontiers

(MSF) saved more than 370 people from a capsized boat thought to be carrying up to 600 on Wednesday, the Italian coast guard said. They recovered 25 bodies but found no more survivors after scouring the waters overnight. Italian vessels continued to search the area on Thursday, a coastguard spokesman said.

N1.17bn withdrawal: Reps probe Okonjo-Iweala House of Representatives has set up an-hoc committee to investigate allegations that the Ministry of Finance under former Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, withdrew over N1.17 billion from the Account of Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, without approval. The motion for enquiry into the allegation was sponsored

by Hon Musa Sarkin Adar (APCSokoto), and passed after a very short debate. In the motion, Adar told the House that “on March 11, 2015, the Federal Ministry of Finance caused the account of Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority to be credited with the sum of N1.17 billion for execution of capital projects in 2014 budget.

Ebonyi State House of Assembly yesterday constituted 22 standing committees to enable the House oversee projects in the state. Speaker of the House, Hon Francis Nwifuru announced the committees during the House plenary. The 22 standing committees include Education; Water Resources and Public Petition, Security and Conflict Resolution, headed by the Minority Leader of the House, Hon Maria Udenwachi, represent-

ing. Afikpo North- East state constituency. Others are: Works and Transport; Agriculture and Natural Resources and Rules and Business headed by the House Leader, Hon Joseph Nwaobashi, representing Ezza North-East state constituency. The Chief Whip, Hon. Chike Ogiji, representing Ikwo South is in charge of Information and state Orientation Committee.

Obiano charges APGA new leadership on national polity All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, national leader and chairman Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Willie Obiano, has charged the new national leadership of the party, led by Chief Dr. Victor Ikechuckwu Oye, to rise to the onerous task of rapidly leading APGA to a pride of place in national political and social landscape as a leading party for national unity and prosperity of the people of Nigeria. In a communiqué issued at the end of the just concluded national retreat of the party in Abuja, the Anambra State governor also charged APGA leaders at all levels to provide critical and viable alternative to major political parties in Nigeria, that have failed to deliver on the dreams and aspiration of Nigerians for peace, security and development.

APGA National Chairman, Dr. Oye, outlined APGA ’s vision, mission and mandate in the coming years, charging the national, regional and state leaders of the party to unite and work hard to ensure APGA filled the yawning gap in the nation ’s polity. Dr. Oye also outlined the plans for the growth of APGA and its administration at all levels, to provide a strong, cohesive political movement that would move Nigeria truly forward in the foreseeable future. APGA held a two-day retreat on strategic leadership for all its national and state officials to prepare them for the serious task of transforming APGA into a first choice party for the rapid development of Nigeria.

Kenny Olusola CEO TWIN GIST ON-LINE-MAGAZINE

THU WED TUE MON

President Muhammadu Buhari during the campaign that led to his election promised Nigerians that one of his cardinal programmes would be the fight against corruption.

Timothy Okon, (Exploration and Production), who also doubles as Coordinator Corporate Planning and Strategy; and Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba (Engineering and Technology). Others are, Dr. David Ige (Gas and Power); Ms. Aisha Abdurrahman (Commercial and Investment); Dr. Dan Efebo (Corporate Services); Mr. Ian Udoh (Refining and Petrochemicals); and Dr. Attahiru Yusuf (Business Development).

FRI

Buhari anti-corruption war gathers steam

The Federal Government yesterday approved the retirement of all eight Group Executive Directors, GEDs, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, with immediate effect. A statement issued by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division Ohi Alegbe named the affected GED ’s as, Mr. Bernard Otti, (Finance and Accounts); Dr.

Ebonyi House constitutes 22 committees to oversee projects

SUN SAT

Heads roll in NNPC as Kachikwu res 8 GEDs

August 9, 2015

When I wake up in the morning, I pray to God, do my physical exercise for 30 minutes after which I leave for my studio which doubles as my office. As a trained journalist, I go out to the field to gather news for publication in my news website. I devote time to record for my artistes in my studio today. Thursdays are for recording as well. This is what keeps me busy. I do it till late in the night. I do recording till the evening, thereafter I leave for social events in Lagos in order to cover their programmes. Today is when my two-in-one trait is manifested. Music producer in the day, when I am in the studio and journalist in the evening/ night when I go out to cover events. Saturday is usually busy for me. I work and attend events in the evening. I go to church. That is where I draw my strength from. I anchor my faith in God. After that, I could hang out with friends in the evening or attend events if need be. *By Adaeze Amos (08023012293)

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

Big Read SUNDAY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION August 9, 2015

Online migration:

Mixed grill for traditional media Mainstream journalism or traditional journalism has been put on its toes since the emergence of online media and social media which have given birth to citizen journalism effectively taking away control of information flow from professional journalists. PAUL OMO OBADAN reports on the challenges facing the mainstream media and strategies required to maintain its relevance to the new generation of consumers.

hen the late nationalist Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe founded the West African Pilot on November 22, 1937, he never in his wildest dreams thought that supply of information would become an

‘ONLY TECH-SAVVY JOURNALISTS WILL SURVIVE’

all comers game that it is today thanks to the ascendancy of the internet and ubiquity of social media. Zik, as he was fondly called, was the editor of the defunct newspaper from 1937 to 1947, stealing the vast audiences of Nigeria Daily Times with his paper’s vi-

vacious blend of politics and gossip. Azikiwe, regarded as the father of print journalism in Nigeria for his work at the West African Pilot, went on to become the first indigenous GovernorGeneral of Nigeria and later, President of Nigeria. Today, the emergence of internet as a new medium has put to risk the survival of the traditional media. The internet provided a platform where stories can be told from multiple platforms and has inevitably triggered the debate over the continued relevance of television, newspapers and radio in the long term. Has the Internet come to replace the traditional mainstream media? This is a question that is being asked in newsrooms by nervous journalists, media owners, academics and tech firms with the sudden realisation that the media has evolved over the years with technological advancements.

‘NEWS CONSUMERS NOW GENERATING NEWS’ 6

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The Big Read

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Only tech-savvy journalists will surviveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Nnamdi Azikiwe

Ted Iwere

Nduka Obaigbena

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Digitalization of the news production, transmission and circulation process has posed a major challenge to the journalism profession. The older media are also facing serious risk with the emergence of the internet. The internet provided a multiple platform for storytelling. You can via the internet read scripts, listen to audio and watch visuals. This however makes some observers to conclude that the end has come for newspaper, radio and television. It also indicated that only journalists with multiple skills stand the chance of coping with the new realities. The internet has made the world smaller for journalists to explore. This wonderful technology has also made research on various subject matters readily available. This has created new markets and forms of journalism where journalists specialize and work as online journalists, content managers or editors for particular websites. Bloggers have also become very influential in shaping public opinion, something that journalists had almost monopolised for eons. New generation smart phones that are becoming more affordable has further fuelled a demand for online news by an increasing tech savvy audience and the potential market for it is rising steadily. Today social media has become one of the most powerful sources of news updates through various platforms. This has made the extent to which news consumers rely on social media to evolve rapidly globally. This has resulted in a shift towards reading on emails, smart phones, and other electronic devices

Sam Amuka

BASED ON THE FACT THAT ONLINE MEDIA ARE UBIQUITOUSLY ACCESSIBLE AND WITH

THEIR

INTERACTIVE NATURE, ONLINE FORUMS HAVE BECOME SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND INTERACTION

NIGERIANS AND OTHER PEOPLES OF THE GLOBE. AMONGST

rather than print media. Based on the fact that online media are ubiquitously accessible and with its interactive nature, online forums have become sources of information and interaction amongst Nigerians and other peoples of the globe. Hence, as the internet changes the face of communication, journalists are beginning to have a new way of packaging and disseminating news to the public. Newspapers have for the past decade decried the decline in circulation as web visits continue to increase, making the future of newspaper journalism an uncertainty. The changes that online journalism has brought in the Nigerian media landscape as its presence is mostly felt by the traditional media. Hence, the traditional media instead of being displaced by online journalism is being forced to converge with the new media to sustain its operation.

A trend of this nature has consequently had a baneful effect on the print media, and paradoxically, a positive one on online journalism and e-news. The migration of newspapers and television outfits to the web has been consequently accompanied with that of its readership and viewership respectively. However, much as this poses a dilemma, it has jolted journalists and media organisations into the realization that being technologically savvy is the only sure means of remaining relevant in an increasingly changing and competitive journalism, and a good number of them are stepping up to the challenge. The migration of major newspaper outfits in the country to the internet reaffirms this. A few newspapers already run an online editions which avails readers (both local and Diaspora) the opportunity to access news stories, and connect with a social network to access and respond to news feeds through their mobile service. It also features opinion polls that aids in the reception of feedback from its readers. Some other news outfits go further to accord to its readers the liberty to upload reports, photos and videos of current newsworthy events within their vicinity. All these developments in the online media vividly portray the commitment of the online press and media practitioners towards a sustainable growth and efficacy of online journalism in Nigeria. This, considered from a futuristic viewpoint indubitably guarantees a high prospect of survival, longevity, and success of online journalism in NigeCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

The Big Read

Sunday, August 9, 2015

‘The world has moved and we have to move alongside’ The Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, spoke to Sunday Mirror on the changing fortunes of the mainstream media vis-a-vis online media.

Why is that when they do it here, they get away with it, but it can happen in other countries? And so if it cannot happen in other countries, we should know that it is just that the political will is not there. Because if they are not making money, why are they still in business. You see huge pages of adverts, copy sales, and at the end of the day, people are not paid. Who is deceiving who?

What is your opinion that the future of journalism world over lies in the online? There is media convergence right now. There is a role reversal now; it is the digital media that comes first now, because that is where they break news first. That is the new media platform. Almost all the stories we read, before we wake up, they have been posted to our phones and people on the go, get news and all that. Your children and my children will not buy newspapers. I can take a bet on that. Their phones and tablets will be their newspapers. We also know that in this era of new media, we have an audience that also develops content. They are working well in tandem with current global trends. If the traditional media do not step up, they would be threatened. But if they step up in terms of their news production, news analysis, restructuring of the newsroom, retooling man power development, I think they can all go together. In the developed country where we got all these new technology from, they still do the print version.

The ones not getting adverts, what do you think they are not doing right? It is content. If you have the right content, you have more distribution, people can read. If you are online, the number of clicks …there are things that drive media buying. The fact that you have one thing that has no quality, not reader friendly, it has no reach, the content is poor, and all that. And you expect advertisers to patronise you. Advertisers expecting that if they put an advert in your paper, let it reach their target. And the content is what attracts audience. So if you are not, why should I place my advert there? It is like ROI. Return on investment. Advertising is about targeting nowadays, they do more of target marketing and if you don’t have what it takes, re-strategise.

Some media houses find it difficult to pay salaries, why is this so? I think we are not being realistic. A worker is entitled to his or pays. It is more of an attitudinal thing. If the will is there people can be paid because there are media organizations that are paying. They get advert, they get copy sales and all that. When somebody gives you a job and says that is your meal ticket, they promote unethical activities in the media industry. But I think it is part of professionalism. It is part of what the professional groups should fight for. I keep telling journalists that they fight for everybody other person except themselves. All trade unions, when they go on strike and do cer-

THE NEW MEDIA IS BOTH A THREAT AND A BLESSING. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MEDIA CONVERGENCE.

THE MEDIA

ORGANISATIONS THAT HAVE THE

PRINT AND THE ONLINE VERSION,

ONCE THERE IS A BREAKING NEWS, THEY CAN POST.

tain things, the media people write and talk about them but when here it happens to them, they don’t want to talk about it. So, it is the culture of silence that is the bane. We are all living in denial of what is real.

How much of a threat is the new media to the traditional media? The new media is both a threat and a blessing. We are talking about media convergence. The media organizations that have the print and the online version, once there is a breaking news, they can post, so the following day, it keeps people …but if you don’t have both forms and you have not properly retooled, you have not retrained, then it becomes a threat. Any organisation that wants to be competitive in this era, time and age, Must as much as possible step up to the billings because that is where the world is going and they should stop leaving in denial. The truth is that the world as moved and we have to move alongside. So if you trained in the analogue age, please go and retrain, it is a call for action. Employers should be willing to retrain their staff and the staff themselves should be willing to embark on self development.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 ria. However, only a handful have the fully imbibed the online fraternity and are at a risk of being left behind. “If you don’t have onlne editions, then you are still living in the 19th century” According to Dr. Ismail Ibrahim, senior lecturer in the department of Mass communication, University of Lagos, if you don’t have online editions, then you are still living in the 19th century. He said: “You must have online version, and your online must be active, must be social media friendly. You should have your Twitter; you should have your Facebook. If you are not doing that, then you are operating in a completely different world. Channels Television, a predominantly news television station, in addition to its live transmission, produces original news videos as well as offering links to YouTube videos. It also maintains presence on Facebook and Twitter, gives “Breaking News” through email alerts to subscribers, conducts “opinion polls” and gives Weather Reports. Wazobia Fm and Cool Fm, which are both independent radio stations, have their audio programmes streamed live. Their audiences can click, download and listen to these programmes. In addition, Cool Fm

produces original videos, has a photo Gallery titled “Cool photos”, online games titled “Cool Games”, and maintains presence on Facebook and Twitter. Other features on its website include an opinion poll site titled “Football Polls” and a “Weather Forecast Site. Television stations in Nigeria are not left out as a large number of them maintain presence on the web, where they transmit live programmes”. He said the social media as well as online media have actually changed the media landscape in the country. “One would look at it as a kind of threat and some would look at it as an opportunity depending on the way you look at it. For example, if you pick a newspaper like Punch. I don’t know the circulation figure of Punch at the moment, but maybe because of the advent of internet, the print version has gone down to perhaps less than a 100,000 copies per day. But if you look at the Twitter followers of Punch, we have more than 345,000 followers. So that means more than 345,000 followers also have access to Punch online. Not to talk of those who are not on Twitter, but read Punch online. To me, it is both ways; both an opportunity and as well as a challenge. And it is only those that are able to actually latch on those opportunities that will sur-

vive. “Some people are also talking about the fact that there is gradual decline in the revenue from adverts because of this. But again, most of those papers now have online version and they are attracting huge amount of revenue from their online platforms. I think it is not a threat; it is more like an opportunity. When you have the content, we cannot say that the advent of social media and online media is actually taking away the traditional influence of the mainstream media I will give you two examples. Again Channels Television, the ‘There is God o’ phenomenon , is a story that Channels actually broke. But if you ask me how many people watched that initial telecast on Channels, I am not sure they are up to N50,000 people that watched it. It was transferred to YouTube, and more than one million people watched it. So it was now amplified by the social media and exposed to more than one million viewers. So it is more of opportunity and how do you take advantage of the opportunity. Again, in terms of news gathering, yes, it could be a threat. It has also empowered some people that are not seasoned journalists. But again, they have credibility challenge. A lot CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

The Big Read

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘News consumers now generating news’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 of people don’t actually believe them until those stories are actually validated by the mainstream journalists. So to me, it is a win, win situation for the mainstream journalists, it depends on how you understand and embrace the opportunities that come with those new technologies and how you adapt to those new realities. So it is more of the media convergence, media coming together in one pool”. He spoke more on the attributes of online journalism. “Online journalism also known as digital journalism is a contemporary form of journalism where editorial content is distributed via the internet as opposed to publishing via printer broadcast. “Online journalism allows for connection and discussion at levels that print does not offer on its own. People can comment on articles and start discussion boards to discuss articles. Before the internet, spontaneous discussion between readers who had never met was impossible. The process of discussing a news item is a big portion of what makes for online journalism. People add to the story and connect with other people who want to discuss the topic. “Online journalism creates an opportunity for niche audiences allowing people to have more options as to what to view and read. It opens new ways of storytelling; through the technical components of the medium, online journalists can provide a variety of media, such as audio, video and digital photography. Digital journalism represents a revolution of how news is consumed by society. Online sources are able to provide quick, efficient, and accurate reporting of breaking news in a matter of seconds, providing society with a synopsis of events as they occur. The speed in which a story can be posted can affect the accuracy of the reporting in a way that doesn’t usually happen in print journalism”. “The process by which computerisation or digitalisation impacted upon the media of the 21st century has moved on many fronts and at different speeds. Another landmark in the era of online journalism has been the ability of the media to harness the potential of World Wide Web (www) among other services provided by the net. These are internet sites where people interact freely, sharing and discussing information about their lives, using a multimedia mix of personal words, pictures, videos and audio. Using these sites, individuals and groups create and exchange content and engage in person-to-person conversations. They are in many forms including blogs and microblogs, social networks, wikis, social bookmarking, tagging and news, writing humanities, digital storytelling and scrapbooking and data, image and video sharing etc. Some of the well known sites include Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Flicker amongst others”. The online buzz was buttressed last week at a book launch to celebrate The Vanguard publisher, Sam Amuka at 80. Media organizations that failed to embrace changing methods of handling news contents could be consumed by the onslaught from social media In his lecture, the Managing Director of Independent Newspapers Limited, Mr. Ted Iwere, said the Nigerian print media must reinvent itself to survive threats from social media. Iwere called on media managers to urgently restructure newsrooms and reporting in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by technology. According to him, the internet is both a threat and a blessing to traditional media. He said media organisations that fail to embrace changing methods of handling news contents could be consumed by the onslaught from social media.

THE ONLINE AUDIENCE HAS THE MEANS TO BECOME AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE CREATION AND DISSEMINATION OF NEWS AND INFORMATION According to him, the role of a reporter has changed from traditional reporting to news analysis. Editors and reporters, he said, must retrain in digital methods and tools to remain relevant to modern new demands. The old “print first, digital second” should be reversed if traditional media must remain relevant, Iwere said. He argued that media organisations could not continue to treat their websites as alternative platforms. The question, he said, was whether traditional media could make sufficient money from online presence. He said it was possible for media organisations to remain commercially viable if they separated “commodity news” from “premium news.” While online “commodity news” could remain free, he suggested, “premium” content should be monetised. Though not everybody in a society has access to the internet to assess the news (because of digital divide), the presence of mobile phones has made it possible for journalists to gather news even where especially those who use their phones as mobile internet and send stories which in turn readers have access to. Expatiating further, he point out that journalism today finds itself at a rare moment in history where, for the first time, its hegemony as gatekeeper of the news is threatened by not just new technology and competitors but potentially by the audience it serves. “Armed with easy-to-use web publishing tools, always on connections and increasingly powerful mobile devices, the online audience has the means to become an active participant in the creation and dissemination of news and information; and it’s doing just that on the internet. The internet as a medium for news is maturing with every major news event, online media evolve. While news sites have become more responsive and better able to handle the growing demands of readers and viewers, online communities and personal news and information sites are particularly becoming increasingly diverse and playing important role that, until recently, has operated without significant notice from the traditional media.

Waheed Odusile

“When people are online, they are looking for much more information and that makes journalists provide more information on the subject matter. An online version can provide more information and in some cases, provide video clips and a series of pictures unlike the print version which has limited pages.” Few media houses are making substantial financial gains online Speaking more on the subject, Derwin Johnson, a former American journalist with CNN and ABC News, recently in a lecture, told Nigerian students that the future of journalism is online and on mobile devices. Johnson, who was a former Middle East, Bureau Chief, for both CNN and ABC News headquarters in Beirut Lebanon and Cairo, Egypt said that media outfits that do not have online presence will not survive in the 21st century. He noted that traditional media houses are losing audiences to online platforms and the global trend is likely to increase in the coming years. He argued that with 20 per cent of Nigerians now on the internet and that an increased bandwidth in the country will trigger rapid changes in the way Nigerians communicate and access information. “Media houses that are not available here, will not survive,” Johnson said brandishing a mobile phone. He recognised that at the moment very few media houses are making substantial financial gains online, but added: “someone is going to figure out how to change that.”

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NEWS

Sunday August 9, 2015

Retired military chiefs lobby Buhari for ministerial posts OMEIZA AJAYI

ollowing President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to form his cabinet until later in September, some retired top brass of the military and the police have reportedly held the president “hostage”, making entreaties for them to be included in the cabinet.

Already, peeved by the lack of readily-available “clean hands” among the political class, the president is said to be seriously considering forming his cabinet or making some crucial appointments from a pool retired eggheads in the military. A security source in Abuja had told Sunday Mirror that many of the

Enugu begins design of rural based economic policy DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

he Enugu State Government has commenced design for a rural based economic and industrial development policy as a measure for curbing chronic underdevelopment in the rural communities.

The Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Poverty Reduction, Mr. Obinna Mbaeke, made the disclosure while unfolding the new government’s road map for poverty reduction in the state in a meeting with staff of the ministry. Mbaeke identified poverty as one of the challenges ravaging rural communities because of near absence of basic amenities and huge infrastructure deficiencies. He noted that government’s attention had been drawn to the issue and promised that the state government was determined to expand the rural economy. Mbaeke pointed out that macro and micro

industrial interventions and other poverty alleviation measures would be established in rural areas to reduce rural-urban migration. The commissioner also said that the ministry was studying the challenges in accessing state government loan in various micro finance banks meant for small and medium enterprises with a view to making it reliable. Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Anthony Ogbu, explained that a lot of interaction had been done in the three senatorial districts to ascertain the challenges and way forward. Ogbu called on the people to avail themselves of the opportunity in cuing into some of the ministry’s economic programmes. Some directors in the ministry expressed the determination of the staff in driving the policy to a logical conclusion. The staff were also advised to be proactive in meeting the demand of the day.

Association honours Buhari’s media aide, NAN boss

arewa Old Boys Association, BOBA, class 1971, yesterday honoured Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to President on Media and Alhaji Lawal Ado, Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. Others honoured by the association include Malam Balarabe Abbas, Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Malam Salisu Abdullahi, Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State and Malam Usman Kabir, a serving Comptroller of Customs Speaking at the occasion held at the old dining hall, Barewa College, Zaria, the Chairman of the association, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, congrat-

ulated the awardees for their contribution to the nation’s progress. “We assembled in this hall for posting into various classes of form one 44 years ago, and that was the genesis of our various endeavours in life. “Little did anyone know that these gentlemen we are honouring today shall grow and become not only the talk of the town, but personalities loved, respected and admired by every well-meaning Nigerian.“I will also like to extend special apology to other members, who had since attained higher position of responsibilities in their chosen careers, but were not honoured, a very big sorry for that,” he said.

names that were earlier slated for ministerial positions had to be dropped as they failed security clearance. He specifically mentioned “one former governor in the southwest” who he said security operatives discovered that he mismanaged his state’s finances. Prodded to name some of the retired military top brass that might be part of the cabinet, the source declined but said many of them have continued to pay nocturnal visits to the Presidential Villa ostensibly to brighten their chances. “These are people that he (the president) knows very well. His experience in the political terrain does not make him to

trust many of these politicians, but the retired military men are people he has known for decades. “While he may be able to leverage on his contacts in the North to make some appointments, the same cannot be said of the South where he has little political contacts. So, don’t be surprised when many of his appointees from the South are people with military, police or intelligence background”, he said. Sunday Mirror recalls that at the twilight of the administration of Dr Ade Abolurin as Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, many serving and retired military men had also lobbied to be appointed as head of

the asset-safety agency. Aside their regular visits to the villa, many of them have been reportedly sighted in Buhari’s home state of Katsina, trying to enlist the support of some influential traditional rulers in the state. President Buhari had in a Washington Post article that coincided with his visit to the US said it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound judgment for him to have formed his cabinet immediately he was inaugurated on May 29. “When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full

cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim. “In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the Presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place. “I cannot stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried out correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct leadership of the military and security services before we fully take the fight to Boko Haram”, he had written.

L-R: Ambassador of Philipine to Nigeria, Mr Jose Cabrera Iii; Ambassador of Vietnam to Nigeria, Mr Hoang Ngoc Ho; Ambassador of Indonesia to Nigeria, Mr Harry Purwanto; Ambassador of Malaysia to Nigeria, Mr Lim Juay Jin, and Ambassador of Thailand to Nigeria, Mr Chailert Unsomboon, at the Indonesian National Day in Abuja, yesterday.

FG angry at deportation of 12,000 Nigerian refugees LIVINUS MENEDI YOLA

he Director-General, National Emergency Agency, Alhaji Sani Sidi, has expressed dissatisfaction with deportation of over 12,000 Nigerians by the Cameroonian government, regretting that hasty deportation of the country’s nationals had subjected them to inhuman conditions.

Sidi expressed his displeasure in a chat with newsmen in Yola after his visit to Mubi over the weekend to assess the condition of the deportees, a majority of whom are IDPs.

Sidi was accompanied by the deputy Governor of Borno Ibrahim Zanna, who conveyed the readiness of the Borno state government to evacuate the IDPs back to Maiduguri. The NEMA boss, who expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the IDPs, blamed the condition on the hasty manner in which their Cameroonian counterpart repatriated the IDPs, without given them the any prior notice of their action. The result of which he said has subjected many of the returnees to inhuman conditions that “I am not

happy about”. According to him, “Frankly speaking I am not happy with what we met in Mubi. These are people who were hastily repatriated with any prior notice. Therefore I am not happy with this development but I want to assure you that once the security agencies conclude with the screening they will be evacuated into the camps already designated to receive them.” Obviously, disappointed by the actions of the Cameroonian authorities, Sidi who could not hide his exasperation over the

mistreatment being meted out to Nigerians took the UNHCR officials to task on the matter. He complained to the UNHCR officials that were Nigeria the one perpetrating the same actions of the Cameroonian, the organisation would have descended had on the country, yet it has chosen to keep mum over the actions of the Cameroonian government. Before leaving Yola yesterday the DG NEMA said the Nigeria government would continue to fend for all returnees and all the IDPs in its camps located in the North East.

NEWS

Sunday August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ooni: Remains moved to Obatala Shrine …Aregbesola recalls last contact with late monarch

BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

he remains of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, has been moved to another shrine within the palace called Ile Ase, it

was learnt yesterday.

The body, said to have laid in Ile’gbo all the while, palace sources said was moved to Ile Ase, also called Obatala Shrine. While in Ile ‘gbo, the remains, it was reliably

JAMB wants private sector to establish CBT centres in schools

he Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said that corporate organisations and individuals should invest in the provision of ICT in schools to promote e-learning platform in the country.

A director of the board, Alhaji Kamaldeen Oladeji, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Lagos. According to him, it is more profitable to have the facility in learning environments at all levels of education to enhance ICT skills in students. “We want to call on individuals and corporate bodies to join hands with government to establish ICT centres in all our schools - secondary schools, universities, polytechnics and monotechnics. “This can be achieved as a form of Public/Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement that will allow for a perpetual utilisation of the facilities for teach-

ing, learning and research. “It will also assist in facilitating computerbased mode of examinations for the various exam bodies as well as increase the ICT knowledge of the candidates,’’ he said. Oladeji said JAMB in collaboration with some states had succeeded in establishing such centres for the successful conduct of its first-ever ComputerBased Tests. He explained that in establishing such centres a minimum of 250 functional desktop computer systems or laptops with 25 backups should be considered. According to him, small spaces with a minimum length of 26 inches and comfortable seat for each system should be provided by private businessmen to complement government’s effort. Oladeji suggested a backup for power supply for a centre with at least 250 workstations.

They also disclosed that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the crime. State command’s spokesperson, DSP Patricia Amadin, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that a staff member of De-Star Metal Company, Odonla in Ikorodu, with others still at large were involved in the nefarious activity. She said the Divisional Police Officer at Sagamu Road Station at Ikorodu got a tip-off of the kidnap and swung into action. “A man simply identi-

fied as Timothy, 35, an old employee of the company, had planned with three other men to kidnap an Indian national working in the company in order to demand a ransom from the company. “Immediately the report was received, the DPO swung into action and began investigations to get the details. “On August 6, police detectives from the station visited the company and Timothy was arrested.” Amadin said the suspect had made some useful statements to the police on the kidnap bid. The spokesperson said a manhunt had been launched for the fleeing members of the gang.

announcement of Oba Sijuade’s passage this week. Meanwhile, the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has described as “touching” his last moment with the Ooni, Oba Sijuade. Aregbesola, who disclosed this at the parliamentary session held to mark the 50th birthday of the Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, in Osogbo, said his last communication with the monarch was through an SMS Oba Sijuade sent to him. Though Aregbesola maintained that in Yo-

rubaland monarchs do not die, he however assured that the content of the text message will be shared with the people of the state at the appropriate time. He described the Speaker, Hon. Salaam, as dedicated and deserving of all the prayers and encomiums being showered on, saying Osun at its stage needs quality leaders in position of leadership to reach its peak. “The effective leadership we have provided in this state with the massive delivery of people-oriented programmes could not

have been without the appropriate cooperation of the House under the Speaker. “It is therefore pertinent to note that the Speaker has been a major factor in the delivery of good governance and this we are optimistic will continue,” Aregbesola said. While commending Salam for given the House efficient leadership by passing quality laws, he also charged the lawmakers to continue to work towards ensuring harmonious relationship with other arms of government.

L-R: Former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande; APC National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu; Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simeon Lalong; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, during the funeral Service in honour of late Deaconess Elizabeth Mamora, mother of Senator Olorunimbe Mamora at the First Baptist Church, Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State...yesterday.

Ambode tasks NUJ to change face of journalism AYO ESAN

Police foil kidnap of Indian national in Lagos, nab suspect he Police said in Lagos yesterday that they have foiled an attempt to kidnap an Indian national at Ikorodu.

gathered, was preserved, through traditional means and with its movement to ‘Ile Ase’, more traditional rites are said to have been performed on the body. Meanwhile, tension was relatively high within Ife metropolis yesterday, as residents discussed the implications the formal announcement of Oba Sijuade’s death would have on commercial activities in the town. Some residents of the town, in chats with Sunday Mirror, said they were preparing for restrictions that may occur, as the town await formal

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged the newly electedPresident of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr. Waheed Odusile, and the executives of Lagos State Council to work assiduously to improve on the standard of the profession in Nigeria during a meeting with the governor at the weekend.

Speaking at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, the Governor, who congratulated Odusile on his success at the keenly contested election in Abuja few weeks ago, said it was time to justify the confidence of those who voted for him by improving the lot of members of the union. He emphasised the need for them to utilise the strength of the social media as a platform for repositioning journalism for dy-

namism and a tool to build a virile and strong nation. He said, “In this modern day of social media, we need to start to look at what social media means to our journalists and national development”. “We should be able to look at that area and see how we can improve on the curriculum of the Institute of Journalism and other communication schools where we can start integrating the good side of social media with journalism and development in the best interest of the nation”. He said no political leadership can thrive without the support of journalists as its role in the polity could not be over emphasized. “I congratulate Lagos state for producing the president of the NUJ after a long silence in the last 21 years. I am committed to supporting the NUJ, I also want to let you know that

what we have in our hands now is to come together and build a viral nation” he said. Governor Ambode who said he was not against constructive criticism, sought the co-operation of journalists in the task of a safer and more prosperous Lagos, charging the NUJ President to ensure that he uses his good office to transform the landscape of journalism in Nigeria. “I believe strongly that NUJ and journalists have that platform to assist me, so I will and I do welcome constructive criticism, because they will spur me on to be at alert to do those things that I cannot see 360 degrees, I expect that in this relationship, we would do everything to make Lagos become a safer place, a more prosperous place and a cleaner place, the mantra that we’ve always preached about change should also

guide our journey”, he said. Earlier, the President of NUJ, Waheed Odusile, said the team was on the visit to pay homage to the Governor since his victory at the election two weeks ago. He said the Union was ready to partner and support his government, adding that the change mantra the All Progressives Congress, APC, preaches is one they have resolved toidentify with. He appealed to the governor to help weed out quacks and fake journalist out of the profession, adding that the association will need the support of governmentespecially lawmakers in form of legislation. ”We need law to flush out quackery from our profession; we need your support to make a law to make quackery a thing of the past in our profession. We want to focus on professionalism”, Odusile said.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Pirates kill 4 soldiers, policeman in Bayelsa waterways attack UBONG UKPONG WITH AGENCY REPORTS

he Bayelsa Police Command said yesterday that four soldiers and a policeman were killed in an attack on Nembe waterways in Bayelsa State by armed gunmen, suspected to be pirates. The command ’s spokes-

man, Mr. Asinim Butswat, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Yenagoa that the Joint Task Force, JTF, base at Nembe came under attack on Friday ’s night. “On August 7, 2015, at about 11:30 p.m., four speedboats loaded with gunmen, suspected to be sea pirates attacked the Joint Task Force JTF base, at Nembe Water Front, in

Nembe LGA. “They killed four soldiers and one policeman. The gunmen carted away two HP guns and other arms from the base. “A combined team of the JTF, Marine Police and the Navy are combing the creeks to recover the arms and arrest the culprits, ” Butswat said. When contacted, Lt.Col. Isa Ado, Media Coor-

dinator of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, confirmed that the attack by suspected sea pirates on JTF. Ado, however, said that the casualty figures and loss of arms and ammunitions were yet to be ascertained. The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, also yesterday, confirmed the attack in its location at Nembe Jetty,

near Ogolomabiri Community in Bayelsa State. A statement by its Director of Defence Information, DDI, Colonel Abubakar Rabe, said that suspected oil bunkerers attacked the location, even as it said that troops have commenced trailing the perpetrators, vowing to apprehend them. “The incident is being investigated and the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD has moved into action to apprehend the perpetrators of these unpatriotic and callous attacks. “The military will deal

decisively with anybody or group involved in this and similar acts of attacks or sabotage on the nation ’s economy, ” Rabe said. Citizens in the affected community were advised to go about their normal business activities, as the military solicited their cooperation by given timely information to the military or any other security agencies to avert future occurrence of this ugly incidence. The DHQ also reiterated its commitment to ensuring the protection of lives and property of innocent citizens nationwide.

COAS tasks NMS graduands to be good ambassadors A ZA MSUE KADUNA

C L-R: FRSC Unit Commander in Onitsha, Mr. Anthony Metta; Anambra FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Sunday Ajayi; Leader of Onitsha Youth Movement, Chief Eselu Bosah, and Unit Commander in Ihiala, Mr. Frank Agbakoba, during ‘Operation Scorpion ’, in Onitsha, Anambra yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Lawyer accuses chief registrar of forging judgement SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

legal practitioner has accused the Chief Registrar of the High Court of Justice of Kebbi State of criminally forging a judgement of the Court of Appeal of Sokoto Division in order to fraudulently obtain his client ’s money. According to Barrister Olayiwola Afolabi, the Principal Partner of Benin-based Olayiwola Afolabi & Co, Abubakar Siddiq Bello, the Chief Registrar criminally forged a Judgment Order of the appellate court that did not exist to reverse an existing judgement of the High Court of Justice of Kebbi State in the case of Faluyi O. Charles & Others vs Nigeria Union of Teachers of Kebbi State in Suit No: KB/HC/ M86/2006. In the originating suit instituted over teachers ’ check-off dues at the Kebbi State High Court, NUT, the appellant, lost to the

respondents, Mr. Charles Faluyi of the Board of Trustees of Conference of Secondary School Tutors and seven others. However, trouble began for Mr. Bello on Tuesday, May 26, when he allegedly secretly wrote to set aside the judgement on the letterhead of his office, signed and sent same to the Head of Service of Kebbi State Government in Birnin Kebbi with copies to the Chairman of Joint Negotiating Council of Kebbi State, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress of Kebbi State and the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers of Kebbi State. The letter that was attached to the purported sealed Appeal Court judgement directed: “Now therefore, in compliance with the judgement of the Court of Appeal Sokoto Division, it is hereby ordered as follows: That henceforth, all check-off dues of secondary school teachers in Kebbi State be paid directly into the bank

account of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Kebbi State with effect from June 2015; That all checkoff dues from the salaries of secondary school teachers deducted and kept in the custody of Nigeria Labour Congress, Kebbi State and Trade Union Congress, Kebbi State i.e. Joint Negotiating Council, Kebbi State be remitted to the Registry of this honourable court with immediate effect. ” As a consequence of his counter-directive, Bello received a draft cheque of N29 million as remittance to his Registry before it was quickly retrieved by the Kebbi State Government ’s Establishment, Pension & Training Department in a letter signed by the Director of Labour and Productivity, Idris Sauwa on July 9. The state government department retrieved the cheque after the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal in Sokoto State replied that Mr. Bello ’s letter was “a counter-directive ”

since there was no such judgement and communicated the same to Mr. Afolabi that “should the Chief Registrar fail to retract the purported letter, you are at liberty to direct your complaint against the Chief Registrar to the appropriate disciplinary authority ”. Following up on the matter, Afolabi has since petitioned the President of Court of Appeal and the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He has also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and the Chief Judge of Kebbi State. According to Afolabi, a rights defender, there is an overriding national need and interest for them to properly investigate the Chief Registrar of Kebbi State High Court in order to stop the rot at the top level of Nigeria ’s judiciary. He added that Bello, in his opinion, was not fit to hold his exalted position.

hief of Army Staff, Major General Yusuf Burutai, has called on the passing out boys of the Nigerian Military School, NMS, Zaria to continue to be the symbol of pride to the Nigerian Army and the country at large. Gen. Burutai, who made the call during the 57th passing out parade of the Nigerian Military School, Zaria said the school since its establishment has been contributing to the manpower need of the Nigerian Army. The army chief, who was represented by Chief of Army Administration, Major General A. B. Abubakar, described this year ’s Passing Out Parade, POP, as excel-

lent considering the skills displayed by the boys. The army boss charged the passing out boys to make discipline their watch word and be good ambassadors of the NMS and Nigerian Army. Burutai commended the NMS Commandant, Brig. Gen. J. A. Fayehun, management and staff for a job well done by inculcating good training and discipline in the boys. The NMS, which came into being on May 20, 1954 with initial intake off of 30 boys known as ‘First Platoon ’ however passed out 295 boys this year with expansion of infrastructure and massive renovation of old structures under Brig. Gen. JA Fayehun, Commandant, who is also an ex-boy of NMS.

Kano Emir, Sanusi tipped as 2015 Amirul Hajj

arring any unexpected changes, President Muhammad Buhari will appoint Kano Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, as the amirul hajj and leader of the Federal Government delegation to the 2015 pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, reliable sources said yesterday. Palace sources told our correspondent in confidence that the Emir was notified of the development when he recently visited the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he met with the President. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa ’ad Abubakar III, had previously held that position for several years. It was not clear as at

press time why he was dropped for the Emir of Kano. The sources said the Emir is held in high esteem following his record at the CBN which ended abruptly when he revealed that the NNPC was withholding billions of dollars in crude oil revenue due to the Federal Government, a revelation that endeared him to the now ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The last time the Emir of Kano was amirul hajj was during the military regime of the late dictator, General Sani Abacha, in the 1990s, when he appointed now deceased Emir Ado Bayero to the role.

Interview

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ENCOUNTER WITH A NEWS MAKER AUGUST 9, 2015

Buhari will have difculty catching treasury looters –Ogunlewe Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe is a former minister of Works and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In this interview with Ayo Esan and Obasoluyi Telewa, he suggests ways the Buhari government can tame corruption, among other issues. Excerpts: Despite the spirited efforts made by your party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to retain power at the centre and also win the governorship election in Lagos State during the last election, it lost out on the two fronts. How is your party taking the defeat? Well, it was mixed feelings. Maybe it was God ’s intervention because after 16 years of the PDP at the helm of affairs in this country, I believe we needed a new dispensation, somebody else to come in and possibly do things differently from the way PDP did it. The personality of President Muhammadu Buhari really assisted the All Progressives Congress, APC, because he has contested the election for about three times before he could win the last one. On all occasions, he got over 10 million votes. He was recording very massive votes before the recent one that shot him to power. In 2011 alone, he recorded over 12 million votes, he has the structure, he formed the party in less than three months, so one could see that this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that someone wished to do something for the country, God has given the opportunity to him. All the other ones were invited to join the race, to come and participate. He is the only person in Nigeria who has the intention of governing this country. It ’s a mixed blessing for PDP and blessing for Nigeria. Let ’s see how he translates the opportunity to improving the lives of the people. Despite your professed bigness in Africa, what is your take as APC has been able to dislodge PDP from the system? No, the defeat came because of President Buhari. Take Buhari out of APC you will find out that there would be no APC. It is so easy to defeat them and this is what we are going to see in 2019 when he is not contesting. Take for example, the activities of those in the

sary. This is the time they should insist on party supremacy. In terms of how to strengthen the secretariat of the party to prepare the policies of the party just as the late sage and Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was doing, just as the former Lagos governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande was doing. Before Jakande came to power, I was in Lagos State government service at that time and everything he needed to do in terms of the number of classrooms he was to construct, the teachers he must employ, housing deficit, the number of houses to be built, the health centres he must build, were in the document submitted to him. So it was not for any commissioner or minister to determine the policy thrust of the party. If they don ’t do so now, it means they are going to surrender all their authority to a technocrat who is going to be there when the people will be asking questions as to the promises made during the campaigns. He wasn ’t there during the campaigns, he doesn ’t know about politics, so it will be to the APC ’s detriment to allow technocrats take over their responsibility. They will derail the party, so they must be careful. With the rough start by those in the National Assembly, would you say they are prepared for governance? What does this portend for the country? They can still rediscover themselves if they put their houses in order.

Ogunlewe

BUHARI IS VERY MUCH ON COURSE. HE HAS TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL INTO THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST. UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM, MOST PEOPLE THAT SUPPORTED HIM TO VICTORY ARE PART OF THE CORRUPTION HE IS TALKING ABOUT National Assembly, the President must be careful not to fall into the PDP situation. You know PDP as a political party and did not believe in manifesto. It did not believe in preparing to execute specific projects and policies. And it is the same situation APC wants to fall into

now. They must be careful. They made so much noise about the appointment of ministers. Ministers are not supposed to determine policy for the party. This is the time APC as a political party must insist on party supremacy. All the fighting they were engaged in was unneces-

PDP members are still shocked at the loss of the election to APC, especially in Lagos, do you suspect foul play at the election? It was glaring that the activities of the then Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, was questionable. There was ethnic cleansing. That was what accounted majorly for the loss. You know by ethnic cleansing, Jega insisted deliberately and made sure that non-Yoruba speaking people did not get voters card. 50 per cent of them did not get till today. In a Ward in Oshodi/Isolo,35,000 registered voters could not get PVC cards. Out of the total 5.9 million voters in Lagos State, just a little over 2 million voters got PVC card to vote. So it was deliberate to deny Lagos PDP of victory because APC and Jega believed that most nonindigenes would vote for Jonathan and CONTINUED ON PAGE 55

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Jonathan ’s regime was a disaster –Rev. Moses Iloh P 12 & 53

Politics PROVIDING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO ISSUES AUGUST 9, 2015

Govts fail because they bite more than they can chew –Okoya

P 13

I DON ’T KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO WILL STAND UP AND SAY HE LIKES CORRUPTION TO THRIVE. OR SOMEBODY WHO WILL STAND UP AND SAY WE DON ’T NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO RESTORE PEACE, THAT IS TO DEFEAT THE INSURGENCY

–APC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, CHIEF JOHN ODIGIE-OYEGUN SPEAKING ON PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ’S PROGRAMME FOR THE COUNTRY

Buhari anti-corruption war gathers steam

Briefly Osun, National Assembly lawmakers parley

sun State lawmakers under the aegis of Osun Legislators ’ Forum are to converge on Osogbo tomorrow to chart the way forward for the state. Tagged ‘Stakeholders ’ Conference, ’ State and National Assembly ’ members are expected to participate in the one-day summit. Rep. Ayo Omidiran (Irewole/Ayedade/Isokan) told newsmen on Saturday in Osogbo that the conference was a form of intervention in the polity. According to her, the summit is expected to proffer solutions to the challenges facing the state. The lawmaker said the conference which would be an interactive session was a necessary platform to exchange ideas between the people and those in authority. ``The conference will present opportunity for all stakeholders to hear from the horse ’s mouth. ``The governor (Mr Rauf Aregbesola) will explain in clear terms and language during his submission at the conference what happened and also lay all his cards on the table. ” Omidiran said the outcome of the conference would be presented to the state government for necessary action.

‘Solution to Boko Haram lies within ’

Buhari

AYO ESAN

resident Muhammadu Buhari during the campaign that led to his election promised Nigerians that one of his cardinal programmes would be the fight against corruption. Many also perceived Buhari as incorruptible and having noted that corruption has permeated all facets of the nation ’s life they voted for him. He was seen as somebody who can fight corruption and they believe that

Larmode

his government would be a departure from the past administration. His antecedents as a military ruler whose regime was known for discipline also buoyed Nigerians confidence. It is based on the expectations of Nigerians that former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, reminded, General Muham¬madu Buhari immediately after his election that Nigerians will not accept excuses from his government following his repeated promise that he will launch an unwaver¬ing war against

corruption upon assumption of office. Chief Essien, who served as House of Representatives committee chairman on anti-corruption, national ethics and values between 2003 and 2007, said General Buhari won because he told Nigeri¬ans he would tackle corrup¬tion and fight other ills in the society. He said “Nigerians voted for a new Federal Government because of the compelling messages of change General Buhari and his party preached CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

n All Progressives Congress, APC, Chieftain in Lagos state, Mr. Kaoli Olusanya ,has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to look inwards in his effort at tackling the Boko Haram insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country. Kaoli, a two term Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives in Lagos State, made the declaration in Lagos at the weekend. According to him, ”the solution to Boko Haram insurgency lies within urging President Buhari to look inwards to tackle the menace. “The problem we have in the North east is more than what people would think because it is multifaceted and we will need a multi-facet approach and strategy to bring it down, he disclosed. The former Commissioner said that over there, there is the problem of ideological indoctrination where people have been brainwashed. He stressed that there is also the problem of an enlarged army of unemployed and unskilled youth who are just there and have nothing to do. He also listed the problems of poor education and that of nationhood, so it is multifaceted, he argued.

Politics

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Jonathan ’s regime was a dis Pastor of Soul Winning Church and President of Ecclectic Network, Rev. Moses Iloh, in this interview with Ayo Esan, assesses President Muhammadu Buhari ’s activities in government since May 29 and says he is on the right track. How would you assess President Muhammadu Buhari ’s government since the inauguration on May 29? He is being constructive and watching his steps, I think his performance since May 29 that he came to power shows high level of wisdom and intelligence. Though Nigerians will like to rush him out but I think he is sufficiently experienced and he is going step by step and I am very impressed with the way he is handling the problems of Nigeria. The problems in the country are enormous and if he tries to run through them, they may run him out. I think the way he is going about it shows maturity and he is making an effort to be near thorough.

worked for you for six months and you didn ’t pay them salaries? But the governors have their allowances; I think it should not just be brushed aside. It is not a matter of given them money to pay workers, no. There should be investigation as to why they were not paid. If they were not paid, what happened? Was there no money given to the governors? We should let the public know. This issue should be taken seriously, for families to work for 11 months, some nine months and others six months without pay should not be swept under the carpet at all. We want to know the reason so that the present government would not make the same mistake again.

He inherited a bad economy as almost 22 states had been unable to pay workers but he has released some bailout money, how do you see such bailout and the economy left behind by former president Goodluck Jonathan? Jonathan ’s regime was a disaster. For people to owe salaries for such a long time is also bad. It is not enough to give them money to pay, it should be investigated. Governors, Permanent Secretaries or whoever are responsible should be punished for people there to know that you can ’t get away with things like this. How do you explain that the civil servants

Buhari has also said he would probe people in the last government, especially the Ministers who he accused of stashing away Nigeria ’s money. What is your position on this? Doing that is very important. But what I will really like to see is that the President should talk less on what he is going to do and begin to do it. Let us get up one morning and hear what he is doing. But giving us information that he is going to do something should stop. Nigeria is a very dangerous place and it must be understood that of all the people who are behind him both in APC and the PDP, only five per cent really approve of him. So

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN

it is important for him to begin to do and not give notice of what he intends to do. So far we know that his intentions are right. Boko Haram insurgency has been on for years now. How do you think we can get out of this problem? Boko Haram insurgency is becoming a mystery. Now we are hearing that they are being funded from oil money that was stolen. We also hear that to stop them you have to get the people funding them. What it means is that the Boko Haram fighters are Nigerians and that the problem is from Nigeria. It is not going to be easy to find out who the fellows are because the police seem unreliable, the army is now supposed to be also involved in some kind of things with soldiers telling the people the plan of the Nigerian Army. So the whole thing is full of fraud and a mystery. I don ’t really know what can be done, only God can solve it. But so far, it is heart-rending when you think of the number of innocent people who have been killed and who are being killed. Let the Nigerian Army get well equipped and let them go out with the support of the neighbouring countries. Let them go out and stop this nonsense. But this is not the time to waste in investigating, we may investigate in future. This is the time to go in full force.

THAT THE CIVIL SERVANTS WORKED FOR YOU FOR SIX MONTHS AND YOU DIDN ’T

PAY THEM SALARIES? BUT THE GOVERNORS HAVE THEIR ALLOWANCES; I THINK IT SHOULD NOT JUST BE BRUSHED ASIDE

The ruling party, APC, is just coming out of crisis over the election of the principal officers of the national assembly. How do you see such early crisis in the party and don ’t you think it would disturb the implementation of the change programme of the Buhari administration? The most unfortunate thing is that the foundation of this 8th national assembly is fraudulent. The foundation is corrupt, and I know that no corrupt tree can yield a good fruit. I do not see a pleasant tomorrow for the politics of Nigeria with the crop of people who are there now. The way they

Buhari anti-corruption wa CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

across the country. Nigerians believe in the President-elect and would not accept any excuse under any guise, especially in service delivery, poverty alleviation, job creation, youth empow¬erment, power supply and security of life and property, ” “For Nigeria to exit the in¬famous position it has earned among the most corrupt na¬tions on earth, the Buhari administration must be pre¬pared to live above board in its public and private conduct, exhibiting a lead¬ership that abhors even the slightest inclination of graft and indiscipline. He urged him to appoint only people with high integrity and patriotism into public of¬fices. According to him, Buhari must “avoid pitfalls of the PDP which invited people to ‘come and chop ’; initiate systematic, deliberate and sustained poli¬cies that encourage good gov¬ernance, rule of law and due process; launch a national anti-corruption and ethical rebirth campaign and set up brigades at federal, state and local gov¬ernment levels, ” . Since assumed power, though Buhari has not instituted any new mechanism towards fighting corruption in the coun-

NIGERIANS BELIEVE IN THE PRESIDENTELECT AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY EXCUSE UNDER ANY GUISE, ESPECIALLY IN SERVICE DELIVERY, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, JOB

CREATION, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, POWER SUPPLY AND SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY

try but his body language has shown clearly that he abhors corruption. Also the anti-graft agency especially the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has woken up from its slumber with the prosecution of five former governors former governors - Sule Lamido of Jigawa State; Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State , Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State and Timpire Sylva of Bayelsa State - for corruption in various courts. Buhari also raised the hope of Nigerians on the anti-corruption war during his visit to the United States last month when he vowed to retrieve all the money

stolen by ministers who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan. During the tour, he confirmed that there was evidence of massive looting and stealing of Nigeria ’s crude oil by some government office holders saying the former ministers ’ names are being compiled by relevant agencies for possible prosecution. He vowed that his administration would trace the accounts of individuals who stashed away ill-gotten oil money, freeze such accounts recover the loot and prosecute the culprits. “As soon as possible, we will approach those countries to freeze such accounts,

Nta

prosecute the culprits and return the monies to Nigeria. “The amount involved is mind-boggling. Some former ministers were selling about one million barrels of oil per day. I assure you that we will trace and repatriate such money and

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Govts fail because they bite more than they can chew –Okoya Mr. Reuben Okoya is the immediate past Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC. The former Commissioner, Special Projects in Bayelsa State recently indicate his interest to take over Creek Haven from incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson, under the PDP platform. He spoke with OSAHON JULIUS, in Yenagoa on ranging issues in the state and why he wants to run for the governorship. Excerpts: What informed your decision to run for the governorship position in your state? I have been a part of Bayelsa since it came into civilian regime. I later went into private practice in 2007 as a registered Architect in America, UK and Nigeria. I am a development person. Then in 2011 when Jonathan became the President, he invited me to Abuja, to help him manage the city of Abuja. For those of you who know how the FCT was, the president is actually the Governor of Abuja, but by virtue of his busy schedule, he delegates those powers to a minister, and that is how the FCT minister came on board, so I was called by the president to help him manage the city, and by that reason I oversaw the entire development in Abuja. We approved plans and make sure that the master plans were sacrosanct; we make sure that the master plan was implemented properly. We make sure that the city was developed according to the master plan. I was actually the Abuja Developmental Management Council, a kind of a mayor, and as a city manager, I also oversaw the Abuja Environmental Protection Board which was in charge of environmental sanitation in the entire city. I also took charge of all the parks and gardens in Abuja, and the FCT Fire service management agency. Every time there was a bomb blast in Abuja, we are the first persons to be there to make sure that people were evacuated and fire service employed to quench the fire. Also the facility management was under our care to care of street lights and intact any facility that needed to be taken care of, and of course, when Jonathan ’s government ended, my job ended, and I looked at myself and said I should come back to the state having acquired all these experiences especially in development, I decided to come and transfer the experiences I had to develop Bayelsa. Abuja does not belong to Abuja, but after service you come back unlike some politicians who after serving they stayed back in Abuja. But I want to bring my experience to Bayelsa. In summary am here to serve Bayelsans in any capacity that I can, but in this case, I want to do it in the highest level to be able to develop the state. We are called the glory of all lands, but when you look around, sometimes you don ’t see the glory. To become a governor of a state, one should understand the peculiar problem, what in your mind are the peculiar problems in Bayelsa? I agree that over 70 per cent of surface area in Bayelsa is water, and we have problems of developing the state in

Oko oya

LET ME SAY THIS VERY DISTINCTLY, POLITICS IS NOT A DO OR DIE AFFAIR, AND THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS FOR TWO TENURES WHICH IS NOT A MUST, AND DOING ONE

TENURE DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU SECOND TENURE

terms of structures. Rainy seasons lasts for seven months or there about depending, but a couple of years ago, we had a devastating flood that actually consumed some homes, so we have problems of rain and environment which poses problems to development unlike in Abuja. In Bayelsa, you have to excavate before you sand fill, so you spend a lot of money in foundation. So we have that problem of developing Bayelsa state infra structurally. But these problems are surmountable, and we can do it, you know we are not much educated as we should be, and you know education is the key to success. I took a ride a couple of years ago

to Nembe, and I was flabbergasted, no chairs, no structures. The problems are many. It takes focus, proper direction, dedication and carrying people along to help you solve the problems. No man is an Island and as a leader you must get lieutenants that must help you work. What is your economic blueprint as the state is a mono-economy, how do you hope to diversify? When I was Commissioner of Special Projects and I was doing buildings, the Governors that I worked for, hardly come to my site because they had confidence in me, so I know how to go about

the problems. Another problem we have is the lack of private industry in Bayelsa which really affects the IGR and all that. It is all over the world that if you build a good city, investors will com, if you build a good Bayelsa, investors will come, tourists will come. Investors find investment destinations by themselves, and tourists find theirs by themselves. If you go to Dubai, nobody is calling on investors to come and invest. We must deal with first things first, we must have good roads, schools, private hospitals and primary care facilities to treat malarias, dysentery and simple diabetes. When the necessary things are taken care of first, then the investors will come by themselves. There are a lot of things that government does today which is a waste of money, time and energy. Bayelsa deserves the best, so coming on board; I will give them the best. Contesting against a sitting Governor in Bayelsa, do you have the structures to go into the party primaries? Let me say this very distinctly, politics is not a do or die affair, and the constitution allows for two tenures which is not a must, and doing one tenure does not guarantee you second tenure. Nobody is perfect, however people say politics is a game, and I believe that if you are a serving Governor and you want to go for second term, you ought to work for it, you ought to convince your party and the people that you want to go for it. If somebody decides to compete with you in an election, it doesn ’t mean he is your enemy, it will be a check on you. The reason why presidential election has two tenures is that if you are not performing well, somebody else or another party will be given the opportunity to take over. Now, Nigeria adopted Presidential system for a purpose, to make sure that Governors, Senators, House of Reps members and Assembly members ate in check. There are some systems that have one tenure of six years, so if someone decides to run election against you, it doesn ’t mean that the person hates you, but for you to buckle up. In Bayelsa, we have had four governors, Alamieyeseigha finished his first tenure, and his second tenure was caught short before Jonathan took over. Then Sylva took over and did not get his second tenure because somebody felt he should run against him, and he won. Was it criminal to run against him, of course not, If Dickson wants to run for a second tenure, he is free to run, as a true democrat. Two tenures do not mean you are guaranteed the two tenures, you are only guaranteed for the current one you are running. The issue really for me is for us to change our mind set. Talking about structures, the party structures belong to the parties and not to individuals that is why there are party primaries, and the delegates vote for who they want. Structures simply means to talk to people and convince your delegates to vote for you because of one reason or the other. We must train ourselves to know that politics is not do or die. If you partake in it, either you win or lose. Jonathan ran and conceded, in Ekiti State, Fayemi ran and conceded. That is good for democracy. What are those things the current adCONTINUED ON PAGE 54

Opinion

Sunday August 9, 2015

Uncensored U nc

Sheriff S Folarin

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

n contemporary society, profit-oriented business organisations are not only persuaded but compelled to give back to the immediate community in which they operate. The act of investing in the social and human development of the immediate host and beyond is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR is thus a factor for internal soul-searching for companies or organisations, which encourages corporate self-regulation. By CSR, the business initiates policies and projects that are within the purview of the national and international laws or norms for the furtherance of the good and interest of the community and its people. Naturally, CSR has the goal of embracing corporate actions to engender positive impact on the stakeholders, such as consumers, employees, investors and community members. CSR initiatives could, among other things, be provision or rehabilitation of basic social and physical infrastructures, offer of employment and job opportunities to members of the host community, environment-friendly conduct or initiatives, and award of bursaries and scholarships to indigent and/or best students. An organisation that makes so much money from their host community, state and country is, by law and by right of the people, expected to fulfill some or all of these obligations. Such gestures are not optional because the hosts have not only provided land and market for them, but have also guaranteed security of operation by agreement to have them operate within their domain. Without such cooperation of the hosts, there would be no organisation let alone operation or profit-making in the first place. These

Safety Tips with

Jonas Agwu

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

Continued from last week To ensure its regular consumption, FRSC, apart from astronomically increasing costs of driver’s license also reduced life span of a new driver’s license from five years to two years. Cost of vehicle registration was also more than double. All these were not the purpose of establishing FRSC. Till today, the function of FRSC is solely to limit speed and reduce accidents on Nigerian roads. I served in the government which enacted FRSC. I am, therefore speaking with authority. As the FRSC abandoned its duty of controlling speed limit to reduce fatal accidents on our highways, in place of collecting revenues accruable to seven hundred and seventy-four local government in the country, order disappeared from our highways to allow mad drivers, killing innocent Nigerians. What happened to the patrolling FRSC vehicles of those days limiting the speed of following vehicles to one hundred kilometers per hour? If Marshal Boboye can return the patrols to lead all vehicles on the highways, that will be the beginning of once again reducing the rate of fatal accidents on our roads. Chief Marshal Oyeyemi himself should occasionally join the traffic in mufti and unmarked vehicle to check

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Lafarge, others and ‘Corporate Social Irresponsibility’ are the expectations of the oil companies in the Niger Delta, the cement factories, bottling companies, breweries, textile factories, beverage companies, and the likes. Incidentally, for us in Nigeria, reverse is the case as the oil companies not only fleece their host communities and country of their fortunes, but also run aground their physical and human environment by pollutants and mismanagement of the earth as well as exploitation of all the resources with little or no physical or material development to show for it. These acts of ecocide and undue taking of advantage have gone on for years without government paying attention to the real issues of CSR, as government officials are either in a collaboration o collusion with the oil companies with whom they share stakes, thus turning blind eye to the criminal acts of these organizations; or simply play down the ecocide or grave acts of oil spillage and gas flaring that have killed agricultural and marine life and instead, pursue tangential issues of stationing troops to check militancy or oil theft. In the case of road and bridge making companies, they simply construct defective roads and bridges across Nigeria and leave out the part of the contract that requires periodic turn-around maintenance of the facilities. The roads in particular begin to expire shortly after their construction, as it is in the case of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway and several others in that category that have virtually collapsed. While the big companies have continually taken undue advantage of the government complicity and haplessness of the people arising from it, smaller companies owned by Asians have become monsters towards their own hosts, who are the source of their market and profit. Chinese, Indian and Lebanese companies do not give a damn about their legitimate commitments. They not only short-change their hosts, but also brutally confront them with harsh measures, such as messing up their environment, defiling their female (single or married) employees and having a zero disposition to welfare concerns of their staff. Reports have had it over the years that there is a culture of casualization

of Nigerians to whom they should be obligated based on the principle of CSR. There are no legal bounds to the contractual engagement of the Nigerian employees in these Asian companies and once the Asian owners have settled the government at the state and municipal levels, ‘taken care’ of the traditional rulers and labour leaders, a cycle persists, of exploitation and brutalization of the employees as well as blind eye to CSR commitments. Some years ago, it was reported that a Chinese company in Lagos in the habit of locking up overnight, of all its factory workers on night shift, encountered a fatal experience when an explosion led to a fire outbreak that consumed over 250 Nigerian staff because they had no escape route. The case lasted only for as long as it was reported. The Chinese company has since been back in operation. Dana Air that crashed one of its planes in Lagos some years ago had not completed its obligations to most of the hundreds of passengers that lost their lives in that fatal incident before it got its license restored and got back to the Nigerian airspace to continue profit-making business. A major stimulant for this subject is the Ewekoro part of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, which has collapsed because of the industrial activities of the Lafarge cement company. In 1994 when I first used that road, the then Ewekoro Cement Factory side of the road was the most durable part of the yet-to-be constructed expressway. The indigenous company at the time used concretes to strengthen the road because of the heavy duty trucks and machines that used it 24/7. When it was still WAPCO as at 2004 when I used the road again and Julius Berger had (defectively) reworked the road as an expressway, the company still ensured the durability of their portion of the stretch, which used to be pleasure ride on that very portion. But Lafarge, Asian, took over and shortly after that, the road collapsed. The aesthetics and durability of that portion have been reduced to minus zero. For five years, this has been the case and no local government, state or federal government is holding Lafarge accountable for

the mess and despoliation of a fine heritage and legacy. While the Lafarge company is expanding daily in structure, operations and profit, the road is getting worse, creating delays, traffic jam and breakdown of vehicles. My conclusion is that Lafarge is an irresponsible company that has violated all known laws and principles of CSR. It has destroyed the major passage with impunity and boldly ignores, five years after, any institution or agency of the land that should compel it to be responsible. Unfortunately, Dangote, an indigenous consortium, falls into this category of companies that act irresponsibly in their host communities. There have been too many cases of Dangote cement, textile and sugar companies’ trucks and trailers that constitute road gridlock and traffic jam in metropolitan places and that kill members of host communities like in the case of Ibese (Ogun State) sometime last year. The Ogere portion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and several other places the heavy duty vehicles now ply and park were at some points dead-ends for vehicular movement. Today, most of the major highways are blocked and damaged by Dangote companies’ vehicles and yet, the Dangote Group is unconcerned, nor is the Ministry of Transport at all levels, agencies and law enforcement agencies at any level or traditional council of host communities and states is holding Dangote accountable. The irresponsible acts of these foreign and indigenous companies have gone way over the top. They are acts of reckless abandon, impunity and defiance to the Nigerian State. It is part of the national life that requires government attention and change. The current administration should act proactively to wake and clean up the agencies responsible for the checks and balances in CSR to be alive to their tasks. Nigeria cannot continue to be the docile and foolish cow from which all will milk at will and yet be taken to the slab for slaughter.

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

My thoughts on FRSC past and present (2) if his men are really limiting speed on our highways.’’ Although I could not separate the issues of speed control from other issues, I wish to dwell more on the real issue that triggered my attention-the need to bring back mobile speed control which his piece says is the sole purpose of FRSC.I wish to place the record straight by stating that from the beginning, the FRSC as established by CAP 141 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 was charged with the responsibility for preventing and minimizing road crashes. The responsibilities ere further broken down as contained in subsection( a-i);in section f,FRSC is charged with determining and enforcing speed limits for all categories of roads and vehicles while in section 4,members of the Corps have the power to arrest and prosecute offenders reasonably suspected to have committed various offences contained in au,including( h),being on the road without a valid vehicle license or identification mark being displayed, and in being on the road without the driver thereof being in possession of a valid driving license or any other license or permit required by law. The amendment that followed this Law still under the military administration in 1992 expanded the functions of the Corps to include functions relating to designing drivers’ license, determining from time to time, the requirement to be satisfied by an applicant for a driver’s license, designing vehicle plate identification number and controlling the use of speed limiting devices among others. What the cited CAP 141 now amended as FRSC Establishment Act,2007 shows is that

even before the advent of civilian administration, FRSC powers had been fine-tuned to meet the reality of the time in keeping with best practice. I must repeat here that FRSC has never been a revenue generating outfit. However, FRSC is empowered to issue tickets as deterrent to offenders who pay fines that end up in the Federation account. Booking of offenders is therefore an indication of the Corps enforcement activities as fine collection is tangential to the core issues of road safety education, engineering and enforcement. As for the issue of prices for driver licensees, it must be stated again that the Joint Tax Board made up of Chairmen of all the States Board of Internal Revenue have the exclusive preserve of fixing these prices and not FRSC.In addition, the validity for drivers license is three years and not two years. I promised to cite some initiatives which has gotten nods from the World Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa among others but there is no doubt that in 27years, FRSC has not totally eradicated road crashes but the number of deaths arising from crashes in Nigeria has consistently gone down from 25,792 crashes in 1988 with 9077 deaths to 6269 crashes with about 4260 deaths in 2012.Data collection that used to be an annual ritual has turned in to a daily activity using the technology platform developed, turning it into one of the Wide Area Network (WAN) in the public sector while data collection that used to be an annual ritual has turned into a daily activity using the technology platform developed. Besides these, the number of ambulances available to FRSC for rescue activities has grown from about 17 in 2007 to about 64 in 2013, out of which a carefully

orchestrated plan to deploy them at about 28 kilometers on critical highways of ambulances, named Zebra has been deployed. Road Safety studies have been incorporated by the National Council of Education and approved by FEC, and today, primary and secondary school pupils would be availed of an educational strategy that would lead to a culture change in the future. The absence of regulatory framework for many facets of the road safety sector has been addressed by the introduction of standard school bus adopted by the National Council of Education, introduction of a driving school certificate that has led to the certification of 344 schools, creating employment for instructors and currently has about 48,000 students in driving schools around the country, while a national call center, with a toll-free number 122, has aided better improved response time The Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme, which is designed to regulate the activities of fleet owners and leading to certification and grading of fleet owners in Nigeria has remained a reference point in Africa.Meanwhile, the West African Road Safety Organization, which has Nigeria as President has adopted Nigeria Driver’s License and Vehicle registration standards while Sierra Leone is seeking technical support from the FRSC to set up its own lead agency.

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

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Man in the News Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, NNPC Group Managing Director

Set to clean the rot in the conglomerate AYO ESAN

resident Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday sacked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Group Managing Director, Dr. Joseph Dawha and appointed Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu in his place. Kachikwu on Wednesday assumed duty as the Chief Executive of the Corporation at a brief handover ceremony held at the NNPC Towers, Abuja. Until his appointment, he was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon Mobil (Africa). The NNPC ’s new helmsman has expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Dawha, while pledging to work assiduously in achieving the president ’s growth aspiration for the oil and gas industry. The sack of Dawha and the appointment of Kachikwu may not have come to many as a surprise because President Buhari had promised to beam his searchlight on the NNPC, which has a reputation for high level of corruption and gross mismanagement. Indeed, Buhari, before his inauguration as the President, promised to carry out an overhaul of the corporation ’s activities, just as he promised to bring all culprits to book. The new GMD is taking over the affairs of the troubled and highly corrupt organisation at a time the global oil industry is grappling with low crude oil prices. Buhari met with Chairman/MD Exxonmobil Nigeria, Mr. Nolan O ’Neal and Dr. Kachuikwu last Tuesday while Mr. Kachikwu, has assumed duty as the Chief Executive of the oil corporation after a brief handover ceremony held at the NNPC Towers to mark the assumption of office. As part of the cleansing of the corporation, the Federal Government has approved the retirement of all eight Group Executive Directors (GED) of the conglomerate, in a sweeping move expected to affect more senior executives of the state-run oil company over the next one week. The affected GEDs, whose retirement was with immediate effect, include Mr. Bernard Otti, GED Finance and Accounts; Dr. Timothy Okon, acting GED Exploration and Production, who also doubled as Coordinator Corporate Planning and Strategy; Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba, GED Engineering and Technology; and Dr. David Ige, GED Gas and Power. Others are Ms. Aisha Abdurrahman, GED Commercial and Invest-

ment; Dr. Dan Efebo, GED Corporate Services; Mr. Ian Udoh, GED Refining and Petrochemicals; and Dr. Attahiru Yusuf, GED Business Development. The new GMD personally conveyed the government ’s decision to retire the eight GEDs to them just as he expressed the government ’s gratitude for their services to the corporation and wished them success in their future endeavours. In addition to the removal of the GEDs of NNPC, the number of directorates in the corporation was also said to have been slashed from eight to four. The new directorates and those who will head them are: Refining and

Engineering - Dr. M. K Baru; Exploration and Production - Dennis Nnamdi; Commercial and Investment - Bankole Komolafe; and Finance- Isiaka AbdulRazak. Explaining the rationale for pruning the number of directorates, it was gathered that Kachikwu took the decision as a cost cutting measure in the face of dwindling oil revenue and is aimed at introducing efficiency in the organisation. “It is a cost-cutting measure brought on by dwindling oil revenue. Besides, the GMD wants to introduce efficiency as most of the directorates were set up around the personalities who headed

them and they were duplicating one another ’s functions, ” a source said. The task before the new GMD is to clean up NNPC with the immediate sack of its executive management team, some of its group general managers and CEOs of its subsidiaries. Their removal, it is believed, would hopefully pave the way for the appointment of a new management team from within and outside the corporation which would be responsible for NNPC ’s transformation into a lean, efficient, financially independent and transparent entity. The task before Kachikwu includes cleaning up of the corporation ’s system of corrupt elements; recover all stolen crude oil funds; work with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Directorate of State Service (DSS) to trace and recover stolen oil cash; review the structure of the NNPC to compete globally; give targets to all subsidiaries, put in place performance benchmarks and fix all refineries, which must work at optimal level, “even if it means using expatriates in the interim ”. How he would be able to achieve these tasks within a short time looks daunting but it is believed he has the capacity and the support of the Federal Government in his assignment. Nigerians are also desirous of a quick fixing of the NNPC and the new GMD must satisfy their yearning for change. Kachikwu is a first-class graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law School. He also holds a master ’s and doctorate degrees in Law from Harvard Law School. He started his working career with the Nigerian/ American Merchant Bank Limited (NAMBL), under the chairmanship of Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida. Having worked with NAMBL for about seven months, Kachikwu proceeded to work with TEXACO Nigeria Limited where he served as the General Manager, Legal, Upstream and Downstream. From TEXACO Limited, he later moved to ExxonMobil (Africa), where he was appointed the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of the §§§company An expert in Petroleum Law and Practice, Dr Kachikwu was in 2013 crowned the Odogwu-designate of Onicha-Ugbo by the Obi of Onicha Ugbo, Agbogidi Chukwumalieze 1. The ceremony tagged ‘Ida Nzu ’ took place at the Ezechime Palace, of the Obi of Onicha-Ugbo.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wellness YOUR HEALTH AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES August 9, 2015

Why Hepatitis B is a silent killer –Medics TITILOPE MORAKINYO

edical experts affirm that Hepatitis B is a silent epidemic affecting the health of many Nigerians. They worry, nonetheless, that the ailment has attracted very little attention from the government and the people. The word hepatitis comes from the ancient Greek expression ‘hepar ’ (root word hepat) meaning “liver ’ ’, and in Latin (an ancient Italian language) which means inflammation. One type is viral hepatitis which occurs in acute or chronic forms. The most common causes are the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D, and Hepatitis E. Nevertheless, Hepatitis B and C are the most chronic and the leading cause of death among the five viruses. Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) which affects the liver and can cause both acute and chronic infections. Many people have no symptoms during the initial infection while some develop a rapid onset of sickness with vomiting, yellow skin, feeling tired, dark urine and abdominal pain. Often these symptoms last a few weeks and rarely does the initial infection result in death. It may take 30 to 180 days for symptoms to begin. In those who get infected around the time of birth, 90 per cent develop chronic hepatitis B while less than 10 per cent of those infected after the age of five do. Recent statistics indicate that not less than 23 million Nigerians are estimated to be infected with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), making the country one of those with the highest incidence of HBV infection in the world. The virus is transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids and infection around the time of birth. It also comes from contact with other people ’s blood during childhood and his is the most frequent method by which hepatitis B is acquired. Also intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse are the most frequent routes of infection while other risk factors include working in healthcare, blood transfusions,

Hepatitis B infected eye

dialysis, living with an infected person, travelling in countries where the infection rate is high, and living in an institution. Nevertheless, tattooing and acupuncture led to a significant number of cases in the 1980s, and this has become less common with improved sterility. The hepatitis B viruses cannot be spread by holding hands, sharing eating utensils, kissing, hugging, coughing, sneezing, or breastfeeding. It can be diagnosed 30 to 60 days after exposure while diagnosis is typically by testing the blood for parts of the virus and for antibodies against the virus. Five known hepatitis viruses are A, B, C, D and E. The infection has however been preventable by vaccination since 1982. In an interview with Sunday Mirror, a

HEALTH NEWS

Fidson urges action against hepatitis

oncerned about the prevalence of hepatitis and the alarming rate of the infection in the country, Fidson Healthcare Plc has called on Nigerians to embark on a nationwide preventive action against the menace. Coming on the heels of the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, the leading pharmaceutical company advised Nigerians to prevent viral hepatitis infection by getting tested, vaccinated and seeking adequate treatment for the string of viruses known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, which affect millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic liver diseases. The company made this call following

various media reports on statistics credited to the Federal Ministry of Health, which states that over 20 million Nigerians are presently infected with the Hepatitis virus. This figure represents a substantial percentage of the 400 million people reportedly living with hepatitis B and C worldwide, according to WHO reports, which also state that 1.4 million people die due to these infections every year. Fidson ’s Marketing Manager, Mr Friday Enaholo, said this report is very alarming, as it shows that on the average, one out of every 12 Nigerians is infected with the Hepatitis virus. “This data is worrisome and calls for national preventive actions that should involve every Nigerian, ” he stated.

medical practitioner with Graceville hospital, Maryland, Lagos, Dr Abiola Dada, said, “Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection and a major global health problem. ” He explained that while concerned experts grumble about the fact that although the infection causes chronic liver disease, it has received little or no attention in Nigeria, thereby making it a major public health hazard. Most experts noted that Hepatitis B is a silent disease, which can infect people for many years without clear manifestation or symptoms and can be epidemic in nature, as those infected are often unaware of their health condition and can unknowingly pass the virus to others through their blood and bodily fluids.

On the signs and symptoms of the disease, ranging from mild to severe, medics say they usually appear about one to four months after someone has been infected. They include abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weakness and fatigue, yellowing of the skin and eyes-turned white (jaundice). Dr Dada however explained that if the causes are sexual contact, you may become infected if you had unprotected sex with an infected partner whose blood, saliva, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body. Sharing of needles, as it is easily transmitted through needles and syringes contaminated with infected blood puts a patient at a high risk of hepatitis B. Also accidental needle stick is a concern for health care workers and anyone else who comes in contact with human blood. Mother to child pregnant women infected with hepatitis B can pass the virus to their babies during childbirth. However, the newborn can be vaccinated to avoid getting infected in almost all cases. “When a sufferer has been exposed to hepatitis B virus, it is better you get a medical attention immediately. And when a patient has not been vaccinated or not sure whether he ’s been vaccinated, receiving an injection of hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of coming in contact with the virus may help protect him from developing hepatitis B, ” he emphasised. Antiviral medications can help fight the virus and slow its ability to damage the liver, and the Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A), also a liver transplant, may be an option, he maintained. Dr Dada advised that women should consult their doctor about being tested for hepatitis B during pregnancy or want to become pregnant. His words: “Also, those infected with the disease should reduce the rate of transmission by making sex safer. Tell your partner you have the infection; advise him or her to be tested for the virus and talk about the risk of transmitting it. Use a new latex condom every time you have sex, but remember that condoms reduce but don ’t eliminate the risk. Don ’t share implements. If you use IV drugs, never share needles and syringes. And don ’t share razor blades or toothbrushes, which may carry traces of infected blood. ”

WHO chooses Ondo, Akure as research centres

orld Health Organisation, WHO, has chosen Mother and Child Hospitals in Akure and Ondo as research centres for child and maternal healthcare delivery. The Head of the Reproductive Health and Research of WHO, Dr Femi Oladapo, made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, in his office in Akure. Oladapo said the research was aimed at improving on the quality of care for women in labour. The WHO representative, who noted that the international health organisation was looking forward to creating better tools for

labour monitoring, added that results from the mother and child hospitals had been ` ’so far impressive ’. Mimiko thanked the body for the recognition and promised to partner with WHO to enhance health delivery in Ondo. The governor, who attributed the achievements to the commitment and dedication of the state ’s health workers, commended them and encouraged them to sustain the tempo. Speaking with newsmen after the visit, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, said that Mother and Child Hospital, Ondo had been selected as affiliated institution by two American universities.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, August 9, 2015

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 DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Buhari and the 2014 national confab report

s is wont to happen in a plural polity where interest projection and protection is the rule rather than the exception, implementation of the report of the National Constitutional Conference held between March and August 2014 has polarised the nation along the North-South divide with the former opposed to its implementation and the latter angling for it. While this is going on, there are strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari might not be disposed towards the implementation of the report of an exercise his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) shunned, alleging it was sprung on Nigerians as part of former President Goodluck Jonathan ’s strategy to win his reelection bid. This newspaper calls on all stakeholders to maintain an open mind in deciding the utility value of the report. President Buhari might hold both the yam and the knife on the issue, but what he eventually decides will attest to the quality of his statecraft.

It will be recalled that former President Jonathan, in his October 1, 2013 Independence Anniversary broadcast, stated he would convene a National Constitutional Conference to enable Nigerians address their long accumulated fears, disappointments, aspirations and hopes. While many Nigerians hailed the initiative, some others sneered at it. Undaunted, President Jonathan set up the machinery for the confab take-off, got 494 delegates assembled, and formally inaugurated the conference on March 17, 2014. The Justice Idris Kutigi-led National Conference submitted its report to him in August 2014. Last March, the Federal Executive Council approved the final report of the National Conference as a step towards the implementation of its recommendations. And on May 27, President Jonathan submitted the Conference Report to the 7th National Assembly; and the following day, the confab report was part of the handing over notes he submitted to his successor. That was how far he could go with the project he initiated. More than two months after the inauguration of his presidency, Alhaji Buhari ’s silence on the position of his government to an exercise that cost the nation close to N10 billion has spurred sustained pressures to make him make a public declaration on the issue. We see his silence as injurious to the political health of the nation. This is particularly against the backdrop of the strident opposition mounted by Arewa Consul-

tative Forum (ACF), the North ’s foremost socio-cultural group. Recently, the group ’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhamma Ibrahim, in a statement issued in Kaduna said President Buhari would not implement the confab recommendations because doing so would further under-develop a region already economically disadvantaged. In sharp contrast, the Yoruba and Igbo apex socio-cultural groups, Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo respectively – Arewa Consultative Forum ’s parallel in the South-West and South-East – joined by National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Lower Niger Congress (LNC) and Pro National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), had variously called on President Buhari to expedite

SOME FAR-REACHING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CONFAB INCLUDE REMOVAL OF IMMUNITY HITHERTO ENJOYED

BY PRESIDENT, VICE-

PRESIDENT, GOVERNORS AND THEIR DEPUTY;

PREFERENCE FOR PARTTIME LEGISLATIVE DUTIES AT ALL TIERS OF GOVERNMENT; POWER

ROTATION AMONG THE SIX GEO-POLITICAL

ZONES; ENTRENCHMENT OF FULL BLOWN FISCAL

FEDERALISM; CREATION OF MORE STATES; AND REDUCTION OF FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT ’S ALLOCATION TO 42.5 PER CENT, ETC.

action on the implementation of the 2014 conference report. They see the implementation as the only way to move the nation forward. Evidently, these manifest contestations by the nation ’s variegated ethnic nationalities and sub nationalities on issues that encroach on their core interests admittedly show that Nigeria is still work in progress more than 100 years of existence as a nation. This explains why post civil war Nigeria has had four constitutional conferences till date. The first was the 1978 Constituent Assembly put together by General Olusegun Obasanjo to review the report of the Chief Rotimi William-led Constitution Drafting Committee appointed in October 1975 by the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed; the 1995 National Constitutional Conference constituted by the late General Sani Abacha; the 2005 National Political Reform Conference constituted by Chief Obasanjo; and the 2014 National Constitutional Conference. All these exercises that cost the nation huge resources and time are strong expressions of our resolve as a people to perfect the grundnorm that will define our shared existence and determine how far we can go with the pursuit of our common interest and common fate as a nation. That we have not made the much desired progress is due to the fact that national interests are subsumed under the various geopolitical interests. On this particular matter, President Jonathan might have been the initiator, but definitely, the conference report is not meant for his personal consumption; rather it serves to advance the cause of nation building. The conference approved over 600 resolutions dealing with issues of law, policy and constitutional amendments, among others. Some far-reaching recommendations of the confab include removal of immunity hitherto enjoyed by president, vice-president, governors and their deputy; preference for part-time legislative duties at all tiers of government; power rotation among the six geo-political zones; entrenchment of full blown fiscal federalism; creation of more states; and reduction of Federal Government ’s allocation to 42.5 per cent, etc. We believe that among the recommendations are positive ones that should be fashioned into our new constitutional framework that will form the basis for a new Nigeria. The challenge before President Buhari is to live above ethnic particularism.

Reminiscences AUGUST 9 IN HISTORY 1969: U.S. - Actress Sharon Tate found murdered Five people, including actress Sharon Tate, were found murdered in the wealthy Bel Air suburb of the city of Los Angeles, California. Cult leader Charles Manson and several of his followers were later convicted of the killings. 1902: England - Edward VII crowned Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria, was crowned as the new King of England. 1936: Germany - Jesse Owens wins 4th gold Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal as part of the U.S. 4X100 metre relay team having already won the 100 metres, the 200 metres, the long jump at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. 1945: Japan - Atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki The United States dropped its second atomic bomb killing more than 70,000 people in Nagasaki, Japan. The first bomb had been dropped three days earlier on Hiroshima. Six days later on, Japan announced its surrender effectively ending World War II. Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on September 2. 1967: American helicopters attack Vietnamese In Vietnam, a company of American helicopters attacked a North Vietnamese military tunnel and exchanged heavy fire. Three U.S. helicopters were shot down and two hit in the Song Re valley, some 330 miles from Saigon. 1974: Gerald Ford becomes U.S. president Gerald Ford becomes the 38th president of the United States after the Watergate affair and President Richard Nixon ’s resignation. 1979: UK - Brighton opens nudist beach Brighton on the south coast becomes the first major resort in Britain to officially set aside a 200-yard stretch of its beach for nudists. The nudist beach will be open to the public for next summer. 1987: Col. Gadhafi marries 3rd wife Italian sources claim that Col. Moanmmar Gadhafi, president of Libya tied the knot. His bride who is a daughter of oil baron Adnan Khashoggi, was 25 years old and named Nabila. This is Gadhafi ’s third marriage and it is not certain whether or not he is divorced from wife number two.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

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Praise Worship E-mail:cossyodi@yahoo.com G-mail: ranke2015@gmail.com

EDIFYING GOD Sunday August 9, 2015

The wisdom of the wise (2) 24

Christianity is not another religion 42

QUOTE We must understand that the returns that accrue to us via spiritual stewardship are incomparable and are supernaturally paid. This is what makes spiritual stewardship the most profitable venture in the world. Bishop David Oyedepo

Obtai OObta Obt btai bta tai GGod God’s odd’’ss mmee by Pro Pro Olorunt Ol Olo Oloruntimil orunttimi

Prosperity Gospel:

Serving God or mammon 22 & 23

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Vineyard

Briefly

PFAVI holds prayer for Nigeria

Celebration

entecostal Fire Anointing Vineyard Incorporated is set to hold its annual seven days prayer and fasting for Nigeria tagged: “Nigeria will excel in a resounding joy and thanksgiving” scheduled to commence on Monday, 17th August - Sunday, 23rd from 6 to 8am daily. The host minister, Pastor A.G. Olusoga, also known as Vessel online, said with prayer points, the ministry is thanking God for answered prayers over Nigeria adding that the devil and his agents have been shamed. “Our stability must be rebuilt, corruption must die and Nigeria will excel in resounding joy and thanksgiving to God”, he said.

FARIM celebrates founder’s birthday

Sunday August 9, 2015

Cleric calls for more support for the needy

ising from the revival programme to mark the birthday of the general Overseer/Presiding Pastor of the Freedom Foundation Apostolic Revival International Ministry, Prophet Sam Ojo Omoloju Jesu (Prophet with proof) activities will continue at FARIM City/Camp beside Caleb University, along Ijebu-Ode Road, Imota Ikorodu, Lagos where FARIM branches will converge for grand finale of the celebration from August 7-9, 2015. Other activities lined up for the event include free medical care, eye tests, free eye glasses, visit to orphanage homes, youth seminar, marriage counseling, musical concert and thanksgiving and cutting of birthday cake. According to a statement from the board of Pastorate/Elders, this year’s event is a special one geared towards pay-back gestures for the community.

Oku n’ere ere’ holds change programme

ll is set for the Friday vigil at Holy City Gospel Ministry also known as City of Light located at Pipeline Road, Cele Bus stop, Alagbole-Ojodu-Akute Road, Lagos.

The programme tagged, “My change has come” which began yesterday will continue on 14– 21 and 28 August as the grand finale will hold on September 4, 2015. According to the host, Prophet Joshua Ibe ‘Oku N’ere Ere’, God has promised to change lives for good, adding that attendees lives will not remain the same. He revealed that God visited him in the realm of Spirit and assured him that the change he has been waiting for has come. “The Holy Spirit is on ground to establish change; for those in health problems, academic, finance, marital problems will receive solution, salvation, transformation of destines, healing, breakthrough and prophetic releases, as anointed men such as Prophet Joseph Alu, Apostle Charles Okafor, Evang. Ugochukwu Obi, Prophet Obinah and Pastor Marvis Orji will be on hand to minister”, he revealed.

The celebrant Dr. Chris Ekeh and the Great Ambassadors group at the Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice

JULIET UMEH

eneral Overseer of World and Spirit Assembly, Lagos, Pastor Chris Eke has called on clerics as well as celebrities in the country to extend a hand of kindness to children with special needs by visiting and celebrating special occasions with them rather than lavishing and showcasing their wealth on frivolities.

Eke, who made this appeal during his 40th birthday celebration at Heart of Gold children hospice recently in Lagos spent quality time in the home, which houses a number of abandoned, orphaned and sick those suffering from ailments such as congenital abnormalities, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, autism among others in the company of some Nollywood celebrities. According to the cleric, it is time people who are financially blessed stopped lavishing and showcasing their wealth on unnecessary things and learn how to extend hands of kindness to the needy and less privilege in the society.

While in the house, Pastor Eke pledged money, food items and clothing, which he said will be for the upkeep and maintenance of these children suffering from various degrees of deformity. On the reason he decided to celebrate his birthday with the children, Eke said: ‘’God has been so faithful to me and this being my 40th year on earth is worth celebrating, there is no better place to celebrate than with these little ones whom God has given to us to care for. Again, looking back in life, what I have gone through and God’s mercy upon me, I have cause to celebrate today and give God the glory.” While commending the efforts of the staff of the home, Eke said the experience he had with the children was one he would keep dear to his heart, adding that for him, it had triggered a deeper commitment to God and mankind. The Pastor, who also made a call to the Kirikiri Maximum Security prison revealed that he is a product of grace who started off as a wheel barrow

pusher, scavenger, and God has brought him to where he is today. “I have come to realise that even if one is not of a noble birth, when the grace of God locates them, it takes them to higher grounds beyond human reckoning. If God campaigns for you, men will surely vote for you, I have seen it all in my life”, he insisted. Some of the Nollywood stars present on the occasion include Chinyere Winifred, Amaechi Muonagor among others who all broke out in tears at the plight of the special children. “This visit has opened my eyes as I am devastated, I saw so many beautiful children and cannot understand why they have to suffer so much pain. What got to me more was that in spite their illness, they were still happy and excited, ready to play, eat and smile when you get close to them. I must also say that I was very impressed with how neat they all looked and how their nannies and care-givers spoon-fed and take care of them”, said Chinyere Winifred. On the reason why he chose

to come with Nollywood stars and some of his church members, Eke said: ‘’These celebrities have the kind of heart that I have and same with my team members known as the great ambassadors; they support my vision which is to transform lives; they come with me wherever I go”, he revealed. According Mrs. Lara Adedoyin, founder of the Heart of Gold Children Hospice, the home which was built by former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola still needs support to provide the much needed learning and playing resources needed to help in the delivery of qualitative service required for the benefit of the children. “Heart of Gold services are provided free of charge, so we depend entirely on the generosity of individuals, organisations and corporate bodies for revenue and capital projects”, said Adedoyin. She also revealed that the home came into being in fulfillment of her vow to God whom she gave glory God for giving her the opportunity of taking care of these special children.

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Miracle Arena with Bishop

Theo Ugochukwu

From the Pulpit 21

Sunday August 9, 2015

‘God will use their evil intentions to advance you’

ometimes God the Omnipotent Redeemer uses suffering and the evil intentions of your enemies to advance you for good. An instance in Philippians Chapter 1:12-13 recorded Paul’s account saying “But I want you to know, brethren that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard”. Apostle Paul was actually suffering unjustly in a Roman prison when he wrote this letter to the Church at Philippi, and he writes the Philippians and says to them, “… Don’t worry about me and all that I am going through rather rejoice, because my suffering is actually turning out for the furtherance of the gospel”. Those who lied against him and got him into prison thought they have succeeded in caging the spreading of the gospel. His enemies and those who hated him joined in spreading the gospel, so that Paul would be punished the more in prison. But Paul saw it that what he was not able to accomplish when he was free, is now spreading like fire even as he was being kept in prison.

In God’s eyes sometimes, He will raise a man or woman to go through the desert of life, master it so that he or she could lea his/her generation to the Promised Land. Are you facing some challenges or difficulties right now, almost at the verge of giving up? I want to announce to you, there may be people whom you love and have been praying for, that may be drawn to God as a result of seeing you walk with the Lord through the valley you are in. This is one of the more reasons that God allows challenges and difficulties in order to advance your destiny or the gospel. I prophesy to you right now that your life is under God’s construction. That situation is not your destination. It is only a process to your destiny. Stop seeing those challenges and difficulties as permanent situation in your life. Joseph survived it, you too survive it. Gen. 37:25-28 says “So when Joseph came to his brethrens, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colours that he wore and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty and there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat, and looking up the saw a Caravan of Ishmaelite coming from Gilead, with their camels bear-

ing gum, balm and myrrh on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Medianite traders passed by and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelite for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt”. Joseph went through a lot in the hands of his own brothers. They mocked him, ridiculed him and even sold him as a slave, thereby ignorantly helping to transport him to the land of his destination. Today, your life may not speak volume; it may seem abandoned and forsaken, just hold on for God is constructing something special and very great. It may tarry, but it shall surely speak. When it will come to pass, all eyes shall see the manifestation of the glory of the Lord revealed in your life. When God revealed Joseph’s glory, check out what the Bible said {Gen.45:3} “And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph, is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed at his presence. Glory be to God. The man they tore his coat, put in the pit and later sold as a slave, the Bible recorded that “They were dis-

mayed” when God’s glory appeared at the end of all the challenges, trials and the mockery of men and women, they would be dismayed. God has a good and wonderful plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 says “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). God’s thought towards you is to bring out the best in you. He wants to give you a future that will be the envy of many nations. Today, I declare your present situation is not your destination. You will overcome the situation. I wait convincingly for the day of your decoration. Make sure I am invited. I love this God! Till next week, remain blessed and uncommonly favored this week. •For more information, contact: Bishop Theo Ugochukwu – General Overseer, Miracle Assembly Bible Church, a.k.a. The City of Joy, 80, Ajose Street, Mende, Maryland, Lagos; Tel: 08033461482. Email: bishopgracemiracle@ ymail.com

News Martins commends Buhari

…as Archbishop celebrates third installation anniversary ODINAKA URUAKPA

he Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. (Dr.) Adewale Martins has commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his attempt to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the mind boggling sums of money carted away by corrupt public officers to foreign nations.

Martins, who made this commendation on the occasion of his third year anniversary as Bishop of Lagos and unveiling of the Catholic Agora, a private Catholic social media held at recently at Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos, noted that if the war against corruption is to be won, then, every effort must be made to identify the location of all ill-gotten wealth as well as penalize those found guilty. “It is not enough to jail people, it is even more important to assure reparation by paying back such ill-gotten wealth to the coffers of the nation”, he reiterated. The Archbishop, while applauding President Buhari for making the country’s position on same sex union clear during his visit to the United States of America, commended members of the National Assembly for finally putting their house in order, as he advised them

to present common positions for the wellbeing of every Nigerian. He also called on the governors of the various states in the nation to be prudent in the management of their states’ resources as well as diversify their revenue generation drives. “It is a known fact that virtually all states of the federation is blessed with exportable natural resources.

The time has therefore come for these states to wake up and begin to make more efforts to be self-reliant rather than going to Abuja every month cap in hand for their allocation”, he admonished. The cleric made a plea for clemency and reconsideration as well as possible re-absorption of the soldiers who were court-marshaled last year for refusing to obey their superiors’

orders. He also appealed to citizens to support president Buhari’s cautious approach in appointing ministers and other government officials, adding that he believes that when the list finally comes out, those chosen would meet not only the federal character of the nation, but all other factors that call for balancing given the situation of the nation.

Liberation Church empowers 150 youths JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he General Overseer of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries, Dr Chris Okafor has reaffirmed the church’s commitment to empower Nigerians through the Chris Okafor Humanitarian Foundation Initiatives.

While distributing cash gifts of N50, 000 each to the 150 graduates of the skills acquisition programme organised by the foundation, he stated that the Lord assisted the foundation to

pursue and achieve various goals, win more souls for God’s kingdom within and outside the country, organise several life-changing programmes, empower youths through its diverse initiatives as well as become worthy ambassadors of Christ. According to him, the empowerment programme is aimed at reducing the number of worshippers who come to ask for welfare and assistance from the church, as it is also geared at making them become self-reliant. He said: “We began this

liberation skills acquisition programme to ensure that we not only preach to people to be born again, but also impact their lives positively by empowering them to do something worthwhile for themselves. He continued: “In most cases, people come to the church for alms, food and help in one way or the other, but we decided that giving them something to make money for themselves will reduce that.” Okafor, who said that with their hard work, they are ex-

pected to return with good reports, expressed optimism that the empowered worshipers would prosper and make profits in their respective businesses. The cleric urged the beneficiaries to put their efforts into whatever they have chosen to do and urged them to endeavour to pass on to others the empowerment skill they had received. The church also used the occasion to give out 13 cars to some of its members claimed to be deserving of the gesture.

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Prosperity Gospel: Serving P

rosperity theology sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, or the gospel of success is a Christian religious doctrine that claims that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will increase one’s material wealth. Based on non-traditional interpretations of the Bible, often with emphasis on the teaching in the book of Malachi, the doctrine views the Bible as a contract between God and humans; propounding that if humans have faith in God, He would deliver His promises of security and prosperity. Confessing these promises to be true is perceived as an act of faith, which God will honour. The doctrine emphasises the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God’s will for His people to be happy. The atonement i.e. reconciliation with God, is interpreted to include the alleviation of sickness and poverty viewed as curses to be broken by faith. This is believed to be achieved through visualisation and positive confession, and is often taught in mechanical and contractual terms. According to Wikipedia, though commentators have linked the origins of prosperity theology to the New Thought Movement, NTM, which began in the 1800s it was not until the Healing Revivals of the 1950s that prosperity theology first came to prominence. The teaching, which figured prominently in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000 through televangelism, was adopted by influential leaders in the Charismatic Movement and promoted by Christian missionaries throughout the world, led to the establishment of mega-churches. These churches typically set aside extended time to teach about giving and request donations from the congregation, encouraging positive speech and faith. Prosperity churches often teach about financial responsibility, though Prosperity theology has been criticized by leaders in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, as well as other Christian denominations. These leaders maintain that it is irresponsible, misleading, promotes idolatry, and is contrary to the scriptures. Some critics have proposed that prosperity theology cultivates authoritarian organisations, with the leaders controlling the lives of the adherents. Frequently quoted verses to back prosperity gospel include Malachi 3:10, “Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord all-powerful” … “I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need. Matthew 25:14– 30; the Parable of the talents, John 10:10 among others. For Pastor Pius Irabor, who vehemently spoke against the tenets of the gospel of wealth, as opposed to the true biblical teaching, prosperity gospel

Between money and cross of Christ

Some Christians believe that it is anti-Christian and even unholy for any Christian to live with the object of accumulating wealth, but over the years, however, the message being preached in some of the largest churches in the world has changed. Indeed, a new gospel; prosperity gospel is being taught to many congregations today. This message teaches that God wants believers to be physically healthy, materially wealthy, and personally happy; but, many still don’t seem to support this message. ODINAKA URUAKPA speaks to clerics to get their views on this teaching. encourages the believer to use God, instead of teaching believers how to make themselves available for God’s use. “The advocates of prosperity gospel also known as the Word of Faith are only interested in teaching the believer how to use God, whereas the truth of biblical Christianity is just the opposite; God uses the believer. Word of Faith or prosperity theology sees the Holy Spirit as a power to be put to use for whatever the believer wills. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person who enables the believer to do God’s will. The prosperity gospel movement closely resembles some of the destructive greed sects that infiltrated the early church. Paul and the other apostles were not accommodating to or conciliatory with the false teachers who propagated such heresy. They identified them as dangerous false teachers and urged Christians to avoid them. In 1 Timothy 6:5, 9-11, Paul warned Timothy about such people whom he referred to as men of corrupt mind who supposed godliness was a means of gain and their desire for riches was a trap that brought them into ruin and destruction”, he said. Nwaru further said that the pursuit of wealth is a dangerous path for Christians and one which God warns about. “God warns us in 1 Timothy verse 10, which states ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people,

THE ADVOCATES OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL ALSO KNOWN AS THE WORD OF FAITH ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN TEACHING THE BELIEVER HOW

GOD, WHEREAS THE TRUTH OF BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY IS JUST THE OPPOSITE; GOD USES THE BELIEVER. WORD OF FAITH OR PROSPERITY THEOLOGY SEES THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A POWER TO USE

TO BE PUT TO USE FOR WHATEVER THE BELIEVER WILLS.

THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON WHO ENABLES THE BELIEVER TO DO GOD’S WILL. eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grieves.’ If riches were a reasonable goal for the godly, Jesus would have pursued it, but He did not, preferring instead to have no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20) and teaching His disciples to do the same. It should also be remembered that the only disciple concerned with wealth was Judas and we all know how he ended up. In Ephesians 5:5, Paul told the people that covetousness is idolatry as he instructed the Ephesians to avoid anyone who brought a message of immorality or covetousness in verses six to seven”, he explained. According to the cleric, prosperity

teaching prohibits God from working on His own, meaning that God is not Lord of all because He cannot work until we release Him to do so. “Faith, according to the Word of Faith doctrine, is not submissive trust in God; faith is a formula by which we manipulate the spiritual laws that prosperity teachers believe govern the universe. As the name Word of Faith implies, this movement teaches that faith is a matter of what we say more than whom we trust or what truths we embrace and affirm in our hearts. A favourite term in the Word of Faith movement is ‘positive confession’ which refers to the teaching that words themselves have creative power.

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Sunday August 9, 2015

God or mammon Word of Faith teachers claim that what you say, determines everything that happens to you. Your confessions, especially the favours you demand of God, must all be stated positively and without wavering; then God is required to answer. Thus, God’s ability to bless us supposedly hangs on our faith. James 4:13-16 clearly contradicts this teaching; it states, ‘You who say, today or tomorrow, we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.’ “Far from speaking things into existence in the future, we do not even know what tomorrow will bring or even whether we will be alive. Instead of stressing the importance of wealth, the Bible warns against pursuing it. Believers, especially leaders in the church are told in 1 Timothy 3:3 to be free from the love of money because the love of money leads to all kinds of evil. Jesus warned in the gospel of Luke for us to watch out and be on guard against all kinds of greed because ‘a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ In sharp contrast to the prosperity teaching’s emphasis on gaining money and possessions in this life, Jesus instructs in Matthew 6:19, ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.’ The irreconcilable contradiction between prosperity teaching and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is best summed up in the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24, ‘You cannot serve both God and money’, he submitted. In his submission, the Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, there is nothing wrong for people to preach as long as what they preach would bring salvation and lead Christians back to God the father. “This message called prosperity gospel has been ascribed many names, such as the name it and claim it gospel, the blab it and grab it gospel, the health and wealth gospel and positive confession theology. When Jesus Christ multiplied five fish and two loaves to feed the multitude of people who had come to listen to His preaching what happened the next day, the people came again seeking Him and when He saw them, He warned them saying ‘Rather than seek for perishable things, seek for something lasting; he who comes to me will never go hungry.’ Jesus was not talking of bread nor wine, but His own body and blood that with His body, believers will never go hungry and with His blood, they will never go thirsty; he encourages them to seek the kingdom. When He (Jesus) was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, one of the temptations was for Him to turn stone into bread, but He replied that man does not live on bread alone,

TODAY IN OUR COUNTRY, THERE ARE CHURCHES YOU GO TO AND YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED THAT THE PASTOR WOULD UNCEREMONIOUSLY ASK PEOPLE TO COME DONATE MONEY FOR ONE PROJECT OR THE OTHER WORTH BILLIONS OF NAIRA AND PEOPLE ACTUALLY RESPOND TO THIS CALL.

but on every word that comes from God. He made it very clear that His kingdom is not of this world, but in the hereafter”, he submitted. He said prosperity teaching in Nigeria mostly borders on greed and love of money on the part of the advocates, adding that it is a dubious form of preaching because it contradicts the gospel of salvation. “Just like I said earlier, ordinarily, one should be able to preach on anything; if you follow God too, you will prosper, but this prosperity is not in terms of primitive acquisition; getting money here and there. Christ Himself said man does not live by bread alone when He was asked to change stone to bread and the people rushing to see Christ were not rushing to pray or receive salvation; they were rushing to go and eat and He told them off because He wanted them to pursue things that last”, he said. You do not give what you don’t have. Is it not from same people who are begging for money themselves that one expects to give so much? For anyone to preach that the more you give, the more you receive would be asking for the impossible and at the same time making things difficult for these people. You do not give what you don’t have and God is not there dispensing the pennies for you. Work enough and you would get some money and blessings, but where you don’t work, what kind of blessing do you expect, so work and pray and do not allow anyone or preaching to push you into doing evil all in the name

A preacher

of meeting up. Also speaking against prosperity preaching in churches, Pastor Folarin Adebola, Pastor in charge of Freedom Christian Miracle Assembly, Surulere, Lagos said with the way people respond to calls to donate money for multi-billion naira projects in churches, there is no doubt that many of them would be into shady deals. “Today in our country, there are churches you go to and you would be surprised that the pastor would unceremoniously ask people to come donate money for one project or the other worth billions of naira and people actually respond to this call. Some of them give billions of naira; where do they get such huge amount? I am sure there is no way someone without a criminal record

can afford such a donation”, he noted. Adebola said that Jesus Christ never cajoled people to make unwarranted donations to the church, adding that it is most inappropriate because there is nowhere the progenitor of such a faith did such a thing. “These pastors who are fond of discussing financial miracles never discuss or try to sort the financial misfortunes of their members and how to help them out by creating employment rather they keep asking them to bring on the assurance that the more they give, the more they receive. Some of these people may be tempted to put their hands in dirty businesses just to give; it is only lopsided ministries that cajole people to bring what they have to the church,” he added.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

From the

Pulpit Sunday August 9, 2015

The wisdom of the wise (2) General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, in this piece, explains requirements for divine visitation. Excerpts:

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 t h i s wis-

Pastor Muoka

dom 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 churchassemblies 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 tr trample underfoot the grace of God, We have, iin that case, rejected Christ, the only sacrifice ffor sin and there may not be forgiveness agai again. Some people have the habit that every tim time they come to church they will be confessin confessing a particular sin. I want to let you know the Bible said he that committed sin is of the dev devil, for whoever is born of God does not comm commit sin for the seed of God remains in him, fo for he cannot sin because he is born of God an and whoever that continues in sin is not of Go God. So if yo you are among those that sin willfully and believ believe they will always be forgiven, you have goof goofed. That is why many are suffering, and noth nothing works for you, and when they die, they g go to hell, but it shall never be your portion. Hebrew 10:27-31 says, “But a certain fearful lookin looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, whic which shall devour the adversaries. He that despi despised Moses’ law died without mercy tw or three witnesses:Of how much under two sorer pun punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy w , who hath trodden underfoot the Son o of God, and hath counted the blood of the c covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done desp unto the Spirit of grace? For we spite k 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 knowled of the truth, and upon convicedge tion of its truth, and sense of its power, have ta taken upon us the public profession of Christi Christianity: After we have dedicated ourselves to Christ in baptism, and joined our-

selves 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 because 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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 41

PASSION

A Lifestyle Magazine

APPLAUSE

‘I speak for women going through domestic violence’ >>27

I love to flaunt my boobs – Anu Sosanya >>26

Sunday August 9, 2015

Passion

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘I love to flaunt my boobs’ Legendary Anu Sosanya is an actress and movie producer. She came into the industry in 2004 and graduated from Jide Kosoko training school in 2009. In this interview with ADAEZE AMOS, she speaks about life as a movie goddess, among others. If you were not an actress, what else would you have loved to be? If I wasn’t an actress, I would have built an empire of my own and become a boss. I would have owned my own business/company and run the whole thing. Can you name some of the movies you have starred? They are numerous. I may not be able to remember all off hand but let me mention some that I can remember now. They are ‘Tofunmi’, ‘Boseye Korinilumi’, ‘The Bond’ (Edidi) and ‘Ojuse’. Others are ‘Majemu’, ‘Olalekan Irawo’ and so on. I also do TV series.

Which of them shot you into the limelight? My own production ‘The Bond’ (Edidi) did. People like the movie because there is a story behind it which almost everyone knows about. The movie was also very challenging not because of the role I played but because of the production. A lot happened in the production but to God be the glory the movie came out and it was awesome! Do you have any regrets being an actress? I don’t have regrets because it’s what I chose to be. Though my career rubs off on my privacy, I still try to have my solitude somehow. How do you keep fame from getting into your head? I always remember that I’m nothing without God, that what I have now, a lot of people already had more and they are gone. I always remember what my mother told me about being pompous. She said pride always goes before destruction and that if I want to go far in life I should always be respectful. Also, just as my big sisters in the industry usually say, especially Opeyemi Aiyeola who said that people would fade away for others to t come but what you become of yourself will help you to still be there when your time has gone. Then Dayo Amusa another senior colleague also said to me that ‘being a star is nothing but how you live happily with yourself and others’. All these that I have heard do guide me and I have them at the bottom of my heart. Can you bare it all in a movie if the script says so? In as much as the fact that one needs to hearken to the script as an actress, I don’t think I

would be daring enough to bare it all. There is a special way nude scenes are shot. Professionally, you don’t show nakedness, but it can be done in such a way that the viewers’ imagination would be left wandering. Viewers would be made to believe the person actually bared it all. If acting nude in a movie doesn’t demand my being naked, why not? If it can be handled professional, I will interpret the role and make it look real. I like to make things real. Also, remember that when it comes to Nolllywood, especially Yoruba movies, our culture frowns at nude roles or having sex in a movie. Have you done a nude role before? Let me start by saying that those who do it don’t do it real, it’s just make-believe. I have also done same but to a limit. Trust me, I have never taken off my clothes before the camera and I would never do it. What parts of your body do you like to flaunt? I love to flaunt my lips, skin and boobs. My lips are so soft and kissable because I always treat it right. My skin is soft too and I’m still pampering my boobs. I have got no big boobs but I know how to handle them well. Is there any crazy thing a male fan ever did to you? I was out on an occasion and he asked me if he could give me a peck, but to my surprise he carried me and kissed me on my lips. I was embarrassed! Tell us the qualities of your ideal man. He must have a big heart. What I mean by a big heart is that he should love me so much. He should be someone who has a sense of humour. My ideal man should be tall but that is not very important to me. Happiness is what matters most to me. I also like a man I can trust, someone I can be so open-minded with that I won’t have to hide anything from.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Applause

Sunday, August 9, 2015

What is your philosophy of life? My philosophy is never to live someone else’s life, but live your life. I’m aspiring to be my own hero. What did you do right to avoid the pains of heartbreak when you had it? I just consoled myself that it wasn’t meant to be.

‘I speak for women going through domestic violence’

Can you define your style? My style revolves round my mood and I love simple creative and comfortable attires. Why did you choose crucifix tattoo design which dots your arm? I was just so passionate about having a tattoo and I needed something I would not regret later. So, I opted for a sign of the cross.

Aside from the crucifix sign on your arm, do you have tattoo elsewhere on your body? Yes, I have on my neck and another on the hidden part of me. Did you ever wish you didn’t have it? Sometimes, yes I wish I didn’t have it. My advice to anyone who hasn’t had one but longs to have it is not to have any. You are more beautiful without it. Just give it sometime, the urge will go away.

ADAEZE AMOS

merica-based On-Air-Personality (OAP), actress, script-writer, compere, red carpet and talk show host, Olufunke Mercy Tanimola aka Mercy Flawless, is indeed an affable personality. She is one of the Nigerian ladies flying the country’s flag proudly in Texas, Dallas where she lives. And she does this by promoting up-and-coming Nigerian artistes in the United States. “I get thrilled by giving up-and-coming acts the opportunity to be heard. First and foremost, my radio programme is mostly for Nigerians in the Diaspora. I make my listeners feel at home by bringing them trending stories from home, and I generally promote Nigerian-based artistes on the show via phone interviews. I also participate in Nigerian events in the states and I share the moments on my social media pages,” she said. This diva, who sees herself as a voice for every woman going through domestic violence, was born in Lagos State. She first studied Mass Communication at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, before she studied Theatre Arts at the University of Benin. She later left for Dallas County Community College where she is studying Associate in Art. She said she passionately hates do-

mestic violence. Hence, she can’t stand it. “I have zero tolerance for domestic violence, so I made it my duty to make myself a voice for every woman going through domestic violence. I also encourage the broken-hearted to stay strong,” she revealed. Mercy Flawless doesn’t think women should be under the men folk just because of their sex. She believes they are capable. “I believe in what a man can do, a woman can do even better. Good enough, men in the western world have realised this. They know the importance of women, little wonder they treat us right. Over here in the states, a man wouldn’t mind being in the kitchen with his wife and helping to prepare meals. Most men do laundering for their women without attaching any importance to it. But back home in Nigeria, people would say such men are under serious spell or under the influence of voodoo or charm. Some might even say such a man is under a curse. Everything here in the states is totally different from how people think back home,” she explained. To some Nigerian women who are being battered by their husbands, Mercy Flawless has some words. “If he hits you once, he would do that again. So, don’t wait for the second mistake to happen before you run as fast as your legs can carry you. It is better to be a

living and happy spinster than a battered corpse. Women should learn to see the red flag fast in relationships,” she counselled. Mercy Flawless has never regretted being a woman. “I have never regretted being a woman. Women are the most interesting and beautiful creatures on earth. It feels good to be a woman, especially now that we have lots of women at the helm of affairs, making important decisions in the world,” she said. What books does she read? “I love to read inspirational books because aside from getting inspired by my late mum’s prayers and words of advice, I’m also inspired by romance novels that I read. I also love to read the Bible because it makes me yearn more for God’s presence and teachings. It also strengthens my faith at lowest point,” she said. Her philosophy of life is, ‘Do good always and good will come back to you’. Though she is still a young lady, she has been able to learn some things from life. “Life has taught me to be strong and courageous on the battlefield of existence. Life has also taught me to believe in myself and strive to be successful without bringing someone else down. I have as well learned to have special hatred for lairs because they can’t be trusted. “I can’t stand people that lie. It’s a big no for me. My close friends can attest to this. I hate liars,” she emphasised.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

GROWING UP with

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Aunty Titi

Hello children, How are you enjoying your holiday? You should use

this period to help your parents at home; it should not be a time for only play. Also, ensure that you read your books.

There are interesting stories, jokes and other articles for you this week. Please don ’t forget to send in your questions and observations.

ANIMAL FACTS

Once upon a time

Three sons and a bundle of sticks

The Pigeon • The pigeon is the world ’s oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago. • Noah ’s dove was a pigeon. The bird ’s message of subsiding waters, and thus new beginnings and hope, lent the pigeon its role as Bird of Peace. • Pigeon droppings were once considered a semi-precious commodity. In ancient Egypt it was highly prized manure, and for centuries in England pigeon feces were declared property of the Crown. • Pigeons are athletes of the highest caliber:. • Pigeon racing is an internationally popular sport that can count the Queen of England among its enthusiasts. Winning birds can bring home millions of dollars in prize money and fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction. • Pigeons don ’t nest in trees, but prefer nesting on rocky ledges (although a window ledge will do just fine). They mate for

life. • Pigeons populate every continent on Earth, with the exception of Antarctica. In America alone, you ’ll find them in the arid deserts of Arizona and the frigid climes of Alaska. Pigeons do not migrate but rather adapt to their chosen location year-round. • Pigeons are now routinely poisoned, and tormented with caustic gels and electrical devices. Tens of thousands are poached and sold to gun clubs for use as live practice. •The pigeon ’s eyes function much better with stationary images and therefore as the pigeon takes a step forward the head is temporarily left behind. The next step jerks the head forward again and so on. This allows the bird to correctly orient itself. • Pigeons have flown in many wars, including both WWI & WWII. They have saved countless lives. • Pigeons are the only bird in the world that do not have to lift their head to swallow water.

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

nce upon a time, an old man lived with his three sons in a village. All his three sons were hard workers. Still, none of them agree with each other and quarrelled all the time. The old man tried a lot to unite them but he failed. While the villagers surprised at their hard work and efforts, they also made fun of them on their fights. Months passed by and the old man fell sick. He talked to his sons to stay united, but none of his sons heard his words. So, he decided to teach them a practical lesson so that they can shed off their differences and stay united. The old man called as his sons. He told them, ‘I will give you bundle of sticks. Separate each sticks and you will have to break each stick into pieces of two. The one who breaks the sticks quickly will be rewarded more. ’ All sons agreed. The old man gave a bundle of 10 sticks to everyone of them and asked to break it into pieces. All the sons broke the sticks into pieces in minutes.

And again they started to quarrel among themselves as who came first. The old man said, ‘Dear sons, the game is not over. Now I will give another bundle of sticks to all of you. You will have to break the sticks as a bundle, not as separate sticks. ’ The sons agreed and began to break the bundle of sticks. Unfortunately, they cannot break the bundle. They tried very hard but failed to complete the task. All sons said to father about their failure. The old man replied, ‘Dear sons, see you can easily break the single sticks into pieces, but you were not able to break the bundle! The sticks were same. So, if you stay united, nobody can make any harm to you. If you quarrel every time with your brothers, anyone can easily defeat you. I request you to stay united. ’ The three sons understood the power of unity and promised their father that whatever may be the problem, they would all stay together. Moral: Unity is strength

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Dude Style

victorudoh804@yahoo.com 07067124302

‘AY, Mudi spurred my growth in fashion’ Warri boy, Yomi Casual, speaks about his growth in fashion designing and how his closeness with AY has helped him to achieve success in the industry. He opens up to VICTOR UDOH in this no-holds-barred interview. Excerpts: Why did you venture into fashion designing? Fashion designing was never really my thing; I didn’t want to be a fashion designer. It was a mistake that has become a blessing. I studied fashion designing at College of Technology, Auchi Polytechnic. I was supposed to study Fine and Applied Art, but my elder sister while obtaining my JAMB forms mistakenly filled fashion. That was how I began my journey into the fashion world. As a proper Warri boy, studying fashion was a shame because it is believed that it is meant for girls or unserious minds. People choose disciplines with prestige such as medicine, law and engineering. Mine took me to Auchi Poly to study fashion. How was your growing up like? I am the last child in a family of seven, so growing up was good and fun as I was treated nicely by all. Following the proliferation of fashion designers, how are you able to break even and even carve a niche for yourself? I believe whatever one wants to do in life must be done with focus. One has to study, make consultations and get a mentor in that direction to gain broad knowledge of one’s desire. I met my mentor early when starting off. When I moved to Lagos through the influence of AY, I saw an outfit in his wardrobe that stunned me. He told me one of the most revered fashion designers in Nigeria, Mudi, designed it, and that though it was very expensive, he wasn’t billed for it. This was in 2006 and the outfit was about N50,000. I was shocked that a native attire could cost so much. He said he knew I could do better, which informed my invitation to Lagos, and that spurred me into action. In Warri (Delta State), I worked as a Personal Assistant and was doing well, which made me neglect fashion. I later studied Mudi and saw how well he uses celebrities to promote his work. I started branding with AY and began to meet other celebs with AY as my backbone. When I told them that I was responsible for AY’s wardrobe, they gave me a trial. So, it was easy for me to climb the ladder to fame.

form through him. In 2008, I was the only designer in Lagos that had his advert on all local TV stations even on DSTV, so that international audience seeing my work on him were convinced that I must be good; that really helped me. What inspires your creativity, your concept which distinguishes you? I have never bought designs. Of course, many people have called me on several occasions to tell me they have nice designs which will suit ve been me but I declined. All the designs I have oncepts. doing since I started this job are my concepts. ple say I get inspiration online. Although people ign, I nobody is the owner of a particular design, nkly, have been inspired by Mudi’s work. Frankly a lot of designers, I too, go online to scout for eck concepts. I go to Indian websites to check on’t for designs to get a concept or two. I don’t copy; I do what my clients want and thatt is where sketching comes in handy, and I do it nt, I well. Once they describe what they want, ns to sketch it. We try to do some modifications come up with something nice. e? If not fashion, what would you have done? I am a very creative person; outside fashion, I can do so many things. Presently, I am into ior designwhich is interior ing which ke ey. I am done on a low key dessigner. also a stage designer. th he AY Most of the shows a r e gned designed by me. o do s e t I also ing designh is which car g. fitting. re these Are n inborn or ed alongside learned your fashion? As I said, I wass supd to posed y study Fine and Ap-

What was your biggest challenge getting to this height? While starting out, female clients usually complained about the fittings and at some point, it became frustrating and I was discouraged. But I told myself I would persevere. There were times they would say you are not good. I appreciate customers are right because I understand customer service. When you visit customers at their places, some would ask you to stay outside for a security man to join you. This went on for a while but today the rest is history.

plied Art, so I have ys always liked gs things l i k e this. I paint as well.

How do you feel branding your own brother, AY? I feel good. As a designer you are your first model. AY is my brother and he did not have a choice. I keep telling him thank you. When I moved to Lagos, I worked in his company but I asked him not to pay me because if he did, I would be very comfortable. I was doing most of the work there; all I needed was to have a plat-

hat What do you advise people who find mselves themselves in career paths other than their pre-

ferred choice? First, you must gain knowledge of the field you desire. Same goes for all potential designers; it doesn’t mean you must be the one sewing. A lot of designers abroad are not the one sewing; they are just the brains behind the designs. Without them the company cannot function. Whenever I am not around, I feel something is missing in my work. So it is imperative that every fashion designer knows how to sketch and that is one of t h e easiest ways to convince your client that you know your job. A l s o , don’t go into the business b e cause of money; money will definitel y

come. I f

you are very good in what you do, money will find you. How do you give back to the society? I have a team of vibrant young staff, with the oldest aged about 27 years. They pool ideas from the streets. They are young designers and can relate with youths. I inspire many of these young designers because most famous designers are not accessible, so they find solace in me which they appreciate. And this idea really yields results. What is that fashion stuff you can never be found in? I don’t wear pants but I do boxers. Would you agree that Nigerians don’t dress well? People are dynamic. They dress according to their choice. That is why you see some people sometimes dressing crazy. What is your take on colour blocking? While it doesn’t go down well with some people, others could be keen in it, especially those with the swag. If a gentleman wears colour blocking, he would look very funny. But if another person like Uti Nwachukwu wears it, it would look fine on him. It may also look stupid on someone like Desmond Elliot. What is your philosophy of life? I live my life according to the Bible. I believe that if I don’t achieve my objectives today, tomorrow would take care of itself.

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Weddings Engagements You have a story to tell us about your wedding/engagement, or your new born baby. You can call this line 08050324794

CELEBRATING THE JOY IN MARITAL BLISS

Love found in the Church

AUGUST 9, 2015

BABIES OF THE WEEK

TITILOPE MORAKINYO

s Blessing and Gideon were joined in Holy Matrimony, the families of Akpan and Yobo played a host to a large number of family members, friends and well wishers from far and near who came to rejoice with their daughter and son recently. The lovebirds who met in a church service at the New Life International Mission, Liverpool, United Kingdom were certain that their relationship which later led to marriage was a proof that it was ordained by God. It was an emotional moment when the groom broke into tears as he saw his heartthrob Blessing coming down the aisle, but of course it was a joyful day of festivities, complete with romantic moments including a horse and carriage ride, releasing doves, and ending in their names lit up in flames! Recalling how he met, Blessing said was asked to pass a message to Gideon for his brother. They went on to become very good friends who looked out for each other, and grew together in love and faith. On the proposal, the couple revealed that after a certain period of “praying and waiting on the Lord ”, Gideon proposed to Blessing at her 21st birthday

Ayodele Habib Sulaiman

dinner on November 9, 2013 at Matou Pan Asian Restaurant in Liverpool, UK with friends and family. It was a huge surprise for Blessing and she gladly said “Yes ”! The couple adviced the singles on relationship tips. “Searching for Mr or Mrs Right. Don ’t sweat ‘experimenting and experiencing ’ why am I tempted? God doesn ’t do trial and error. Wait for God ’s specific one for you rather than trying out generic options. Read through God ’s word, meditate and get wisdom and

understanding to discern the ideal attributes to look out for, rather than outward appearance of potential suitors. Hide your heart in God ’s word and Mr Right will find it there. Destinies aren ’t by chance. God has called us, predestined us, He ’s justified us and glorified us. It ’s scripted even before we ’re conceived in our mother ’s womb. It means not even our dear lovely mum can manipulate this. We must move out of our comfort zone to locate who we truly are in Christ and pursue our purpose wholeheartedly ”.

Coscharis CEO ’s son ties the knot with Temitope Odutola

t was undeniably a society wedding as big personalities were present. Ladies who attended were glamorously dressed in champagne, blush and teal which was the colour of the day. The church wedding, which took place at the Chapel of the Healing Cross, Idi-Araba, and was followed immediately by a grand reception at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos. The founder and CEO of Coscharis Motors and family of Odutola were filled with joy as their son and daughter, Cosmos Maduka Junior and Temitope Odutola tied the knot recently as the lovebirds had dated for many years. The couple ’s entrance in a red Jaguar F Type Limited Edition was one to remember. They played the newlywed game, and had fun times with their friends and family.

It was a fun filled day as well as prominent and esteemed guests were

present to witness the event and to celebrate with the families.

r. and Mrs. Sulaiman of No. 5 Ajose Street, Odunlade Shomolu, Lagos named their newborn boy Ayodele Habib. Baby Ayodele weighed 2.91kg at birth and was born in Palmgrove community health centre in Lagos. His mother described her period of pregnancy as stress-free. The only stress she experienced was during her final trimester and this was in the form of occasional tiredness and dizziness. She however explained that her delivery was stressful and that at a point, she feared that she

would deliver through operation. Nonetheless, after much effort from the doctor and midwife, she had her baby naturally. On what she enjoyed eating while pregnant, she said rice and beans. She reacted to any oily food during the period. What does she love about her baby? She said the fact that he sleeps well at night gives her time to also sleep. The Sulaimans wish for their son to be successful in whatever legitimate he chooses to do when he grows up.

Damilola Adejuwon

aby Damilola Adejuwon was born at the New Testament Clinic at Okitipupa, Ondo State. His mother, Mrs. Alice Adejuwon, a trader explained how she felt during her pregnancy period. The body changes she experienced included backache, heartburn, swollen hands and feet. She said she enjoyed eating the local soup of the Apo people which was made from blended vegetable. According to her, she loved eating this soup, especially because of its medicinal values. She disclosed that her baby was named ‘Bidemi ’ because he was born at a time when his father was

not around; he was away at work. Bidemi is described by his mother as calm and he sleeps well. On what she would love for him to become in future; she said she would want him to be a banker.

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What to wear …to a glamorous event AUGUST 9, 2015

ADAEZE AMOS

f today is that Sunday you ’ve been longing for because you are scheduled for a glamorous outing but do not have in mind what to wear, check out what these two ladies are donning on this page. Toolz and Lady Polodee were dressed this way to such an outing. And they looked dashing on the red carpet! Try such outfit and ensure you blend your colours well.

Perfect Cut

African Look Style enthusiasts still dazzle in African print fishtail dresses ADAEZE AMOS

ishtail dresses are enduring in the fashion world. They remain the rave of the he moment, especially in thrilling events and on red carpets. African prints are also so good fabrics that can be used to design this particular style because they are tenender and can easily flow behind you. Take a closer look at the style icons on this page. Have you seen that there is no style yle this 100 per cent cotton fabric canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be used for? Just try it out!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

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Being fashionable

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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Perfect Cut

shouldn’t make you go bankrupt ADAEZE AMOS

ashio is good, no doubt! It helps you regain self confidence and speaks ashion peaks volumes even when are silent. you a People weigh you on the basis of your appearance - how you are dressed. But this does not Pe mean yo you should go borrowing to be fashionable. Put differently, fashion ion shouldn’t make you go bankrupt. bankrup In oth other words, it is not proper to go for dresses or fashion accessories ories you know you can’tt afford. M Most women are guilty of this. You m may wonder why this writer chose this topic. A celebrity, an n actress of the Yoruba movie ge genre to be specific, was disgraced on the red carpet of an event vent recently. The diva (names w withheld) bought a gold necklace from someone and promised to pay soon. She failed to fulfil h her promise. The sseller of the gold jewellery stormed the event having got cluess the debtor would attend. A And she waited until she stepped on the red carpet. Just as she he was about to st strike poses for paparazzi, the lady pounced on her demanding ng for her money . It took the intervention of some collegues for the whole situation mo to t be calmed. All in the name of fashion!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

OVE

TALK

with Yemisi

Adeniran

Something to be considered:

As a man, have you ever wondered what sex means to a woman in a relationship?

hether we like it or not, the meaning of sex varies from person to person. Everyone has his own experience and value of sex, and what it represents to him or her in a relationship. It is an emotional connection, trust and friendship that is absolutely essential for any meaningful and lasting relationship. It is also one thing that can make a loyal bond to any one person more than friendship? Sex is an extremely important physical and emotional element of any romantic relationship. In other words, sex has the ability to greatly im-

pact a couple ’s relationship based on the meanings that are placed on sex. While these meanings definitely vary from person to person, and couple to couple, there are a few common things that sex represents for a woman in a relationship. 1. It shows a woman that you love her When you take your time working your way around every nook that makes your woman shiver, kiss all her favorite spots, and make sure she ’s fully satisfied, there is no better way of making a woman know that she ’s absolutely loved and cared for. 2. It shows a wom-

an you are attracted to her When you ’re having regular sex in a relationship, it shows a woman you are attracted to her, and that you think she is sexy, and desirable. If you aren ’t having sex with your lady, she is most likely feeling like the most unattractive woman alive. Nothing makes a woman doubt herself (body wise) more than being sexually rejected by her partner! 3. It is passion Sex is passion. It makes a woman feel loved and beautiful if you want her as much as she wants you in your relationship.

4. It is a trusted connection between two people The difference between a one-night-stand and sex in a relationship is that you share a deep connection with your partner, something you don ’t usually find after a heavy night of drinking. And because of such a connection, sex is something that must be shared between both partners, not taken from either one. 5. It is fun Of course, sex means fun for women in a relationship. Sex is not a chore to women. The age-old myth that women don ’t like sex as much as men is complete

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rubbish. Many women are extremely sexual beings that love to have fun and feel the immense gratification that comes along with amazing sex. 6. It is pleasure Pleasure is self-explanatory really. Sex for women in a relationship means pleasure. That can range from full out multiple O ’s or just an awesome romp that leaves a lady feeling good and giddy. You should find out what exactly creates the most enjoyable and pleasing sex for your lady, and make it happen, over and over! Overall, sex is many things So, sex does not mean just one thing to a woman in a relationship. It can mean many things, maybe even more than have been mentioned here. But broadly, sex comes

down to represent three

Models

main things – love, a connection, and pleasure! Sex does mean different things to different people, but these values are the most basic. They are what most women find sex to mean in a relationship. But if As a couple you are not experiencing real intimacy and fun that should accompany sex in your relationship, something must be wrong somewhere. You then need to sit down and re-examine what you are having with your partner.

Sexual solutions and love products for adults

ello everybody. For years, we have written repeatedly about a variety of products that can aid human sexual functions and improve relationships as well. So a few weeks ago, we decided to do a survey and find out how people feel about products they have used. Were they poor, just okay or very satisfying? Of course some people did not respond. Not everybody feels comfortable talking about their sex life which is understandable. But some were kind enough to write us which was very helpful. This is some of what they had to say: At 64 years of age, I wasn ’t too sure if it was safe for me to use any of these products I read about. I am not the trusting type. Last year I started losing my erection and it kept getting worse so I had to take a chance. Your customer service gave me good assurances and your wife explained the different aphrodisiacs to me. I bought Magic Mike tablets. So far, it has been okay. I use it twice a week and each time I want intercourse, I get a firm erection that gets the job done. So I am satisfied – Mr Okereke The first time I bought from you, I got the Max Desire supplement. Frankly, I wasn ’t all that impressed. I got it because I had problems getting in the mood for sex which caused a lot of friction between me and my husband. I am 47 years old. I don ’t know but some days I felt horny and eager for intimacy but at other days, it was as if I wasn ’t taking anything at all. Months later, I called to discuss things with your people and they recommended Kangaroo for me. It was hands down the best. It made me so horny. I thought about sex every day and

each time I did, I get so wet. I would take one capsule and feel like this for days. It was as if my body wasn ’t mine because I had never felt that way before – Lola Three years ago, I bought a penis enlargement pump from you. My penis was about five inches long. I had wanted one of those instant enlargement creams but you advised me to take a penis pump if I wanted something with permanent results. I used it for a while. At first, I would use the pump and get bigger instantly but only for a few hours. It will go back to my usual size after a while. But I kept using it. I never noticed any changes until my girlfriend was giving me oral one day and kept saying, ‘this is too big ’. That was when I knew the enlargement was working – Bernard I have been using the Extreme Tri Twister vibrator I bought now and there are no problems. I never had any doubts. My problem has always been men. The ones I have been with can ’t satisfy me or give me an orgasm but with a vibrator, it is so easy. Remember not to use my real name for this thing you are doing – Samantha I am a Cockring man. I have never felt comfortable taking drugs. Whenever I want to impress and last longer, I just wear my Cockring. As always, when I ejaculate, I am still hard and erect to keep on going and my woman does not complain so life is good – Kenneth I bought your Encounter Orgasm gel for my wife. She is not available to comment but as far as I know she is not complaining. This is the third time I have bought it for her – Chinedu You people are behaving like MTN now. Only phone companies call to ask

if you are satisfied with their services. I have bought many things from you. I like the movies especially and Magic Mike erection drug. My wife buys your lingerie. We are fine and thanks for asking – Kayode I used your cream for premature ejaculation many years ago. I don ’t like applying it when a woman is waiting for me to come to bed. That is my only complaint but it helped me so I use it when I need to - Yusuf That is all we have space for now. You are welcome to call us when you have any questions and we will also appreciate feedback on the products you have bought. As usual, the names of people mentioned here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/ novelties can

call 08171912551 or 08027901621 for help or visit www.zeevirtualmedia. com. Zee Virtual Media delivers all over Nigeria. For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.comUche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Pregnancy Talk

Naughtiest Thing

with

The naughtiest thing I ’ve ever done

Adaeze Amos

Little Giant

߾ࠆ߾ࠀࠁ߾߿ࠀࠀࠇࠁ ߶ࠡࠛࠡ ࠝࠜࠚࠧ߷

Why your appetite increases as your tummy gets bigger

‘I raised my hand in class for questions I didn ’t know the answer ’

eavi l y pregn a n t Roseleen is always seen eating one thing or the other. She had noticed that even as her tummy kept increasing, her appetite was also growing and she wondered why. At times, she eats so much that her friends would mock her, asking her why she eats heavily even when it seems there is no space in her tummy to accommodate the food. She would simply laugh it off because she knows she is often deeply hungry. The question, therefore, is what causes the increase of one ’s appetite even as one ’s tummy gets bigger. Medics have said that the hunger that often starts around week 17 is due to your baby growing and more nourishment, and the tot is sending that message to you loud and clear. So, in this case, don ’t ignore your hunger. Those pregnancy hunger pangs may be the special way your body and baby are telling you they need more nourishment. Remember you require 350 more calories per day in the second trimester and about 500 more daily toward the end of pregnancy.

A l s o, take enough water to avoid constipation. Remember your body is busy making a baby and you will need more liquids than ever. Aim for at least eight cups per day and more if you are sweating much. Ensure you eat good, balanced diet that would douse your hunger and fill your stomach. It is better you eat frequently. Endeavour to spread out your meals to prevent eating much at any one sitting. When you eat too much at a time, there is the tendency of feeling overstuffed, especially as your baby gets bigger and there is not much extra space in your belly. Extra stuffing may make you get bloated, gives you heartburn and makes you gas often. You may have your fruits in your handbag in case hunger pangs strike. Avoid carrying non-nutritious fast foods. Do not stay completely away from your favourite food. Remember not to gain too much fat. Still take your light daily exercises seriously. That would help you burn some excess calories.

he naughtiest thing I have ever done occurred when I was in secondary school. I was always playing pranks on my teachers then. At that time, we had a particular teacher who would ask questions and she would ignore students that raised their hands. She felt those students knew the answers and would therefore look for those who didn ’t raise their hands, who could be hiding their faces behind other students. Aware of this, I used to raise my hand once she asked any question in the class, especially if I didn ’t know it. That was my own way of hiding so that she would ignore me. But one day I wasn ’t lucky. I was called up to answer her question since I was the first to raise my hand. When she pointed at me with all confidence that I would answer it, I stood up immediately and mumbled incoherently in a low voice. She couldn ’t hear me because my classmates knew what I was doing. They would laugh and the noise of their laughter wouldn ’t allow her hear me clearly. And she would assume I answered correctly because I was an outstanding student already. This I continued to do and teachers never caught me. They rather innocuously asked my fellow students to stop laughing so that they could hear me correctly. Usually, after my folly, I would ask very pertinent questions and the teachers would ask everyone to clap for me. They were all very fond of me. •Innocent Adulugba aka Little Giant is a comedian. He hails from Idoma in Benue State but lives in Lagos.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

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Ofe Nsala

fe Nsala also known as white soup, is very popular in the eastern part of Nigeria, the Igbo’s and some part of the south-south are very familiar with white soup and pounded yam, The Igbo’s refer to white soup as ofe nsala. Nsala soup is also called white soup simply because it is the only soup that doesn’t require the use of red oil.

Ingredients Uziza Leaf (a bunch) Utazi Leaf (a handful) Meat of choice (chicken, beef, turkey) Crayfish Fresh pepper Dried Fish Head of stock fish (medium size Pounded yam (thickener) Seasoning cubes Salt and pepper to taste Snails (optional) Method Parboil the meat with ingredients, cook for about 15 minutes before adding water. Then cook till the meat is tender

enough for consumption. Blend the cray fish cook and pound about 1.5 kg of yam, normally, cocoa yam is the favorable thickener for most soups of this kind the only exception is when you are make nsala soup, pounded yam is used. Wash the dried fish/stock fish with hot water to soften the fish for easy washing and to remove sands and impurities Add more water to the meat on fire (when it is tender enough for consumption) add water depending on the quantity of thickener and the available ingredients. Add the washed dried fish, crayfish, stock fish cook for about ten minutes before adding the pounded yam Allow the pounded yam to dissolve (about 10 to 15 minutes) before adding the snail, Uziza leave / Utazi leave Allow to boil for another five minutes and you just made a delicious nsala soup You can serve with Eba, Semo, wheat or Fufu.

Clare Valley wine

he roots of the Clare Valley’s winemaking history have been growing for more than 150 years, making it one of Australia’s oldest wine-producing regions. The unique combination of geography, geology and climate results in terroir that is perfect for producing world-class wine. And it’s little wonder that our forefathers chose this little corner of South Australia to stake their name upon. With five separate sub-regions – including Auburn, our home – the Clare Valley is an expanse of sweeping gullies and rolling hills. During the grapes’ growing season, the days are warm and the nights are cool. It’s

this diurnal temperature range – from as much as 40 degrees C in the day, to only 5 degrees C at night, along with the character-forming ‘terra rossa’ soil which makes the Clare Valley equally favourable for producing superb Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz and has also seen the region’s Riesling acclaimed as some of the best in the world. The Clare Valley plays a vital role in the quality of our winemaking. It’s essential to everything, from the way the grapes develop on the vine, to the taste and colour of the wine, making our vineyard much more than just a plot of land, but a great place to call home.

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POP

WHO INVENTED WHAT? Compton created electric kettle

The first electric kettle is thought to have been invented by Compton and Co. in 1891. Inventors struggled with creating an efficient electric kettle until 1922 when a kettle with an internal heating element was invented by the Swan Company.

Jelly footwear The rainy season is a time when you really do not want any of your precious clothing to get wet and spoilt. Your shoe is the most important part of your wardrobe that you don ’t want spoilt. What better way to protect those shoes than to wear cute jelly foot wears that will not get spoilt. There are various types of jelly foot wears out there depending on which you would love and prefer. Enjoy the look below.

DID YOU KNOW?

QUOTE “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”

TONGUE TWISTER

RIDDLES

– Dr. Seuss

JOKE

Q. How do you fix a broken tomato? A. Tomato paste! Q. Why did the banana go to the doctor? A. Because it wasn ’t peeling well. Q. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? A. A clock! Q. What is the easiest way to double your money? A. Put it in front of the mirror of course! Q. What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive? A. A glove. Q. What has to be broken before you can use it? A. An egg. Q. What has a neck but no head? A. A bottle. Q. What gets wetter as it dries? A. A towel. Q. What goes up and doesn ’t come back down? A. Your age. Q. What belongs to you but is used more by others? A. Your name.

FAIRY PUZZLE

Jelly Sandal

• The largest flower in the world, the rafflesia arnoldi, weighs 7 kg (15 pounds) and grows only on the Sumatra and Borneo islands of Indonesia. • The oldest living thing on earth is a flowering shrub called the creosote bush, found in the Mojave Desert. • The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that still survives. • During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies.

One-one was a race horse. Two-two was one too. One-one won one race.

YOUNG FASHION

Jelly Sandal

Growing Up

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Movies & Music

Sunday, August 9, 2015

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

Niyola stuns in all white for Fayrouz L’original finale

ME singer, Niyol Niyola, has got everything we like: a great voice, super dress sense and yes, fantastic body, one she knows how to work! She brought her A A-game to the Fayrouz L’Original finale recently as she looked radiant radian in a white sheer cropped top and skirt as designed by Apri April by Kunbi. choice of pearl earrings, bangles and a silver The ch clutch purse just nailed the look.

Essiet

Niyola

Apple Spinners thrills fans at Firewood

he stage g is set for s fast-rising g music outfit, Apple Spinners Band, to entertain fans ans and other music lovers rs during a show slated for today oday at Firewood Lounge and nd Bar, a newly opned celebrity elebrity hangout located along long the ever popular Commercial Avenue in Sabo, abo, Yaba, Lagos. Leader of the band, Prince Oluwajoba Ojatunwase, unwase, said having signed igned a partnership pact

Spinners

a few weeks ago, with the management of the cosy rende rendezvous led by a Lagos businessman simply called Ladi, his h band has been performing there live every Sunday. He added that the turnout of fans and other fun fu seekers has been quite impressive. This Sunday’s, Sunday he says, promises to be fun-filled.

Victor Essiet and Mandators to showcase reggae concert in Nov

nfazed by the irregularities that accompanied the maiden edition of the Africa Meets Reggae concert held last year at the National Stadium, Victor Essiet and the Mandators crew hope to showcase its second edition. The second annual Africa Meets Reggae and World International Festival is to be held on November 27 and 28 in Lagos, and it would be showcasing the top names in reggae, world music in Africa and around the globe. The festival will start with a symposium on November19 ith the theme, ‘The role of music in modern contemporary Nigeria’. The main show tagged ‘The executive show’ will take place at Ember creek (the beautiful ocean venue) at 32, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. The second show is tagged ‘The People’s Show’ and it will take place at the Hockey Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Essiet also mentions that Africa Meets Reggae will launch her first quarterly music academy this month. “It will interest you to know that Africa Meets Reggae will launch her first quarterly music academy in August 2015. This academy is aimed at nurturing young and raw talents, helping groups, bands and upcoming artistes prepare, develop and enhance performing skills and general music business. This year’s festival lineups will be announced later,” he said. Africa Meets Reggae has been an annual event in Los Angeles, USA, under Echodelic Music and Dub Club Production. The festival has always had in attendance world renowned reggae artistes yearly. But the African version (franchise) berth on the platform of Mystic Records USA/Nigeria, a recording and production company is being anchored by Victor Essiet of the Mandators. This year’s theme is ‘Voice to the Voiceless’, with world and internationally recognised and local artistes in attendance. The concert comes in two parts with audience segregation in order to satisfy and cater for all lovers of reggae and world music in Nigeria and neighbouring West African states. There will be indoor event before the outdoor. He said that the outdoor will be without restriction to attendance while all minors must be accompanied by adults. “The Africa Meets Reggae is a platform that preaches peace, love and unity through music. The show is not exclusively for reggae artistes only as artistes from other genre whose messages are in line with are theme are welcome. The event hosted by Russell Gerlach of Foundation Artistes, Tom Chasteen of Echodelic Music and Dub club in Los Angeles for the past years is here to stay in Nigeria through Mystic Records USA/Nigeria. “Reggae music is a powerful instrument of change and since Victor Essiet’s time in America over the last decade, the message and music had greatly faded. Victor Essiet’s mission is to re-establish reggae and its message to prominence in Nigeria and the whole of Africa. “The festival will give reggae and world music new exposure and awareness to fans worldwide. I urge everyone to come and celebrate reggae and world music with the living legends and the present reggae artistes of today as the music returns to motherland Africa,” he urged.

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Movies & Music

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Austin Faani unveils Dare to Dream talent quest

Queen

Kelani’s online TV goes live

elebrated filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, has joined the growing band of online television owners with rich African cultural-themed content for viewers globally. The new online platform, which was launched recently, is web-based and optimum on all mobile devices. The video channel is designed to offer viewers of all ages a refreshing viewing experience of past and current works of the award-winning film director and other cultural themed contents from different owners across Africa and

the Diaspora. The platform also offers viewers, business owners, private or corporate organisations the opportunity to advertise and promote their brands. “It is an attempt to respond to the yearnings of our teeming fans of rich African themed contents on the go. Distributing films or other contents physically are becoming increasingly difficult, revenues are lost on a daily basis and content owners are at the mercy of the menacing activities of pirates. I think it is just natu-

he long-awaited project to provide a platform for upcoming actors to hit the apogee of their career and talent has been unveiled by Nollywood star and director, Austin Faani, who promised to give the winners a remarkable prize of three years movie contract and many more in the industry. Actress Chacha Eke’s husband, Faani, announced to the press the first edition of ‘Dare’ to dream talent quest which will kick off between October and November vember and televised on all the major TV stations nationwide ide to bring his passion to revolutionise Nollywood industry y under his company Glitteratti Iconic media Limited. In a statement made available to the press, Faani said, “Glitteratti Iconic media is on a thorough hunt unt for raw, unharnessed, undiscovered fresh motion picture ure acts and talents. Without restrictions on age and gender der, this is a quest devoid of inter-tribal/racial preferences, s, nepotism, favoritism or mediocrity of any sort, but a platform form based entirely on merit and pure talent.” Among famous Nollywood stars who stand and as the ambassadors to the projects include, Chacha Eke Faani, Queen Nwaokoye, Ken Erics, Jnr Pope, Emmanuel manuel Ehummadu, Mike Godson, Chelsea Eze, Zubby Michael and Walter Anga. According to Faani, “Dare to dream is not a competition but a movement of change and a recruitment itment of new/fresh acts into the movie industry. At the he end of eight weeks extensive nationwide auditions, s, successful finalists will be signed into a three-year ar active movie making contract under Glitterati Iconic onic Media Ltd label. They will be highly projected and featured in hit movies and evidently announced d to the world for the talent they possess.”

ral, expedient and sensible to take contents closer to the consumers on demand and in terms that suit all the parties involved. Research has shown that with a simple mobile device, online TV viewers can watch any content online without scruples,” Kelani said There will be a wide range of genre, including movies, high quality drama, interviews and documentaries that focus on issues mainstream media fails to cover adequately. Besides Kelani’s titles such as Oleku, Agogo Ewo, Saworoide, Thunder-

However, registration is ongoing as the talent director, Faani, disclosed that the auditions have started in seven venues: Abuja, Makurdi, Calabar, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Benin and across the country to bring it closer wherever ambitious actors-in-making live. Faani, who has been directing scriptwriting and producing for 13 years in the make-believe industry, expressed optimism project would end the exploitation of that the by fraudulent people who cla claim yo u t h s t o help upcoming artistes. core His words: “These c professionals are bold b and patriotic enough to beckon on fellow you youths to pursue their dreams drea usplating an advantaged p form which they never ne had. Several platforms platfor have come up and duped du amtheir bitious youths of th funds, wasted their time and twisted their th dreams. drea

bolt ( Magun), Narrow Path, ath, Campus Queen and Maami, mi, his latest experience with ith ‘filmed play’, Yeepa, an adaptation of Prof. Femi Ososofisan’s classic play, Yeepa pa Solarin Nbo will be on the he play list. Coming to esteemed d lovers of the new channell is Amos Tutuola’s ‘Palm-wine Drinkards’. As the new online destination for African cultural themed contents, Kelani urged all other content owners to o get on board.

3pple set for the top

deosun Adeyemi Akinola whose stage name is 3pple is an upcoming artiste with a lot of dream. The diminutive Abeokuta Ogun State-born artiste whose single track, ‘Fly High, Kokoko, Ileke, Tolongo’, received a lot of ovation has restated his dream that he will be a name to be reckoned with in Nigeria music industry. “My dream is simple, I want to be among the best in the industry if not the best, and by God’s grace, it will be a dream come true.

Kelani

3pple

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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Lessons of Life TRUE LIFE STORY ON MATTERS OF THE HEART

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

‘I can ’t leave Darlington because of superstition ’ (2) In need of a serious relationship/marriage I ’m Gbenga, 43. I need a God-fearing lady who is residing in Ibafo. And she should be between the age of 30-35 for marriage. Let her call me on 08152011938. Samuel is my name. I ’m up and coming artiste. I live in Lagos and I need a sugar mummy who can sponsor my career. 07086447436 or 09093928456 Olaniyi is my name. I ’m 24 years old. I need a dark complexioned lady who is God-fearing. 09093683508. My name is Simon, 50 and working with CIHP as PHE. I have two daughters but I ’m single for now. I need a HIV positive woman from any tribe and she should be between 25-50 years old. 08137349551. Alao, 38 single and based in Lagos. I need a single religious Yoruba Muslim girl. She should be below 30 for marriage. 08170141833. I ’m Gowon, 37. I need a woman that can spend on me and be my sugar mummy. 07030447884. Alex, 33, from Lagos. I ’m in need of a working class lady or a sugar mummy for fun and connections. 08039419799. I ’m Olalekan. I live in Lagos. I need a Yoruba girl between 21-25 for serious relationship that can lead in marriage. 08170084818 or 08031825660.

A model

When Celina and Darlington made up their minds to get married, Darlington came to Celina ’s parents and made his intention known. But he was asked to tarry awhile.

elina ’s mother had to travel from Lagos to Isiala Mbano in Imo State to Darlington ’s village to make enquiries about him and his family. “When she got to Darlington ’s village, it wasn ’t difficult for her to trace his compound because his family was well known. She didn ’t go to the family so that it wouldn ’t look as if her intention was to force him to marry her. “Mama said she quickly made friends with some market women she saw going to their village market square. She chatted and followed them to the market where she patronised them by buying some dried fish and snails. She had to sit with them for a while and in the process asked the woman she bought fish from about the family of Darlington Uba. The woman told her everything about the family, ” she said. Celina ’s mother opened up to the fish seller and told her that one of the sons of

the family was getting set to marry her daughter. That was when she noticed a frown on her face. “Nwanyi ibem (my fellow woman) hmm. I will tell you the truth about that family. You see, I have six daughters who are not yet married and I hope when they start getting married and I go out to make same enquiry, I would see who would attend to me and tell me the truth. So, I will tell you not hiding anything from you. The family is good. When it comes to being successful, they are indeed successful. Didn ’t you see some big houses in that compound when you entered? ” “I didn ’t even enter inside because it is not proper. I didn ’t want to appear as if I was begging them to marry my daughter. ” “Okay you are right. The only problem that family has is that their wives usually die, especially their first wives; it is the second ones that live. Uba ’s sons are having such problem. Darlington is Uba ’s fifth son who is not yet married. Let your daughter ask him what happened to his elder brothers ’ first wives. The first son lost his wife in child birth, it was another

lady he married two years later that is his wife up till now. And they have been married for more than 10 years. This also happened to the rest of his brothers except Darlington because he is not yet married. We all know in this village that it is this problem that Uba ’s family had been confronted with right from the days of yore. They said the problem started from their ancestors …because it is a family curse. This is all I have to tell you. This then implies that if he should marry your daughter, she would die. It is the second lady he would marry later that would survive, ” she revealed. Celina ’s mother was shell-shocked and confirmed from another trader who was listening to their conversation. “With the information I got from my mother, I asked Darlington questions. He didn ’t hide anything from me. He said what my mum heard was true and that he too had been seriously disturbed with the curse. He said he didn ’t want to tell me at first because he was afraid of losing me the way he lost some other ladies he wanted to marry … that they left him for fear

of being killed by whatsoever power in my native compound. He assured me that it would not affect me because I was prayerful enough, ” she said. “But that has not doused my fears. I know I ’m prayerful but I ’m afraid. How can I be married immediately and I would be faced with spiritual battles I know nothing about? My parents have advised me not to marry Darlington for the fear of dying prematurely but, honestly, I love him. “Another thing Darlington suggested to me was to live with him, have kids with him and avoid getting married. That by so doing, the power would not strike me. But how could I do that? It is a taboo in my family to have kids out of wedlock. If I should do that, Darlington traditionally would not claim them. The children would bear my father ’s name because no bride price was paid. I ’m indeed in difficult situation right now, ” she said, her voice emotion-laden. •Readers, what do you think Celina should do, marry Darlington or leave him? Your advice is kindly needed.

I ’m Femi, I live in Lagos. I ’m 34 years old and I ’m a Christian. I need a bornagain Christian for a serious relationship. 08035668293 I ’m Bankole, 40. I need a good lady for a wife who is sincere and hard working. 08138345723. My name is Wale, a businessman, 38, I live in Lagos. I need a busty and caring sugar mummy between the ages of 45-60. 08023601903. Rolake is my name. I ’m 32 and I ’m residing in Abuja. I need a nice, caring, responsible and employed man for a relationship. 08050544365. Bimpe, 33, resides in Abuja. I need a caring man who has a job for a serious relationship. 08106685905. My name is Angela, 20, tall, dark and slim. I ’m good looking. I need a good friend. 08103859211. Adedeji is my name, 50, a widower, businessman. I need a lady for a serious relationship -08076409971. I ’m Alhaji Taju, 57, CEO, Multi Media Co based in Lagos. I need a rich, sexy, busty and moderate-sized sugar mummy between 50 and 56 years old living in Lagos or Ota -07058574844. My name is Bimbo. I live in Lagos. I am 39 years old and a Christian. I need a born-again Christian, graduate with a good job between 40 and 45 years old, dark and tall, very good on bed for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage -07040936959. My name is Henry, 33. I need a lady for relationship -08060018369. Uche is my name. I deal in telephone parts and recharge cards. I ’m 27 years old. I need a good wife -08028922937. My name is Emmanuel, from Cross River State. I ’m a vendor and I live in Enugu. I need a good wife who can bear twins -08073507667. Prince is my name from Enugu. I need a sexy, slim lady for a relationship -08074600653. Big Ocean is my name, 25, and a footballer. I need a good wife -08053405437. Ade is my name, a university graduate. I also need a graduate and workingclass lady to settle down with. She has to be a Yoruba lady between 30 and 37 years old -08074600653. My name is Sammy, 25 years old. I live in Lagos. I want a sugar mummy for fun and connection, not for money –07065075990. I am Jide, from Lagos. I am 36 years old and single. I need a sugar mummy that is ready to love me –08024921464. My name is Clem, based in Lagos. I need a sugar mummy –07086426368. My name is Sam, 23 years old, I need a caring sugar mummy who is rich and beautiful. – 08034529842

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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From the Pulpit

Sunday August 9, 2015

Obtaining God’s mercy, by Prophet Oloruntimilehin T he faces of many people are yearning and asking for the mercy of God but not all the people that request for mercy receive it. This is based on what the scripture says in Exodus 33:19 “…I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion”.

The above God’s expression is so powerful and implies that a person’s request for mercy does not guarantee his or her receipt of God’s mercy. Many blind people were before Jesus Christ but the one that was shown mercy and the sight restored was recorded in the Bible. Mark 10:46 – 52 says, “And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way”. Similarly, many barren women existed but the ones shown mercy and who bore children were recorded in the scripture. A lot of people were with problems but few that received the mercy of God were saved. All these people could be saved but which

General Overseer of Omnipotence Mission of God, Prophet Joshua Daramola Oloruntimilehin, in this admonition, harps on the mercy of God. Excerpts:

husband and she die, then their calling and soul was ready to receive mercy? The soul existence would be in vain. These are the must be firstly prepared to receive mercy kind of people God shows mercy on because before he or she could be shown mercy. The they always think about tomorrow or the Bible says in Mathew 7:7, “Ask and it shall future. I pray God will show us mercy in the be given to you, seek and you will find, name of Jesus. knock and the door will be opened to you”. If God shows you mercy, then you have gotIn the same vein, the Bible says you ask ten everything. Anyone that receives God’s but it was not given to you because if you mercy mercy y, also the y is exreceive, e, you would ou d use itt for o the t e lust ust of o tended to the the flesh esh (James 4:3). The two Bible verses chilencourage urage and discourage people from requesting ting from God. These two statements are working but then who could God have mercy y on? Who deserves the mercy of God? What work do people do to warrant the mercy of God? Who are people that can receive ve God’s mercy? There here are some people that have pure heart, t, they do not jealous, they bless and embrace race good things. These kinds of people le prevent the destruction of good things gs to happen no matter the physical and financial involvement. They would go extra a miles to mend things. Imagine Sarah, sisterr and wife of Abraham, left all the affluence ce to follow Abraham on his journey. She did not discontinue the journey with her husband despite the problems they encountered untered in their journey. In t h e course se of the journey, she discovers vers that the house of wealth could be destroyed oyed if there is no o child for them. m. She had he been crying for child bearing but to o no av a i l . So if Prophet Oloruntimilehin her

dren, wife and husband. He or she does not need to worry about anything because the mercy of God is following him or her and such a person is satisfied and contented. How many women can think the same way as Sarah who gave her maid servant to her husband if she could through her have her own child? It is not common to find such women because they do not want their husbands to have another wife who might bear them a child till the end of their life (Genesis 16, 17, 18). The maidservant, Hagar, was not a compassionate woman; she wanted to dominate the husband alone. She had forgotten the woman that invited her to be part of the family. Hagar was unpleasant and intolerant with Sarah. Then Sarah ill-treated her and she fled from her mistress. It was the angel of the Lord that instructed her to return to her mistress and be submissive. On her return, Sarah accepted her. Based on all the thinking and deeds of Sarah, God showed her mercy and she had her own son called Isaac. Sarah had portrayed a woman with love and compassion. Brethren, some people are suffering now but they are not supposed to suffer. Another person’s suffering is being suffered by another person. Some people are suffering because of their country or town. I pray you will not suffer another person’s suffering in Jesus name. •For further enquiries call: 08023020108, 08058110288, 08023991354. www.facebook.com/pastoroloruntimilehin.

‘The wisdom of the wise’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 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. And when he thought he had arrived then the Lord required his soul from him. This is a proof that, a man’s wealth cannot preserve his life when God requires it, much

less to save his soul. And if wealth cannot save a man’s life, why should men endanger their lives, to get or increase wealth? And this wealth cannot last longer than his life, for the ownership of wealth changes hand as soon as he dies. So, since these things shall not be ours, when we are gone, and we will not know whose they shall be after we are gone; whether they shall fall into the hand of an enemy or a stranger, a wise man or a fool, why then do we foolishly chase the things of this world to the detriment of our soul. Luke 17:26-27 says, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” As in the days of Noah they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; that is, wholly given up to sin and wickedness, and did not know, the floods was coming, until it swept them away so it shall be for this generation. The same sin will be prevailing before the destruction of this present world except we repent. A wise man is he that will take serious the teaching of this message, applied it to himself, repent from his sin and surrender to Jesus. This is the wisdom that matters.

The General Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, Pastor Mouka (l) in a handshake with The Governor of Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

From the Pulpit Learn with Kunle

Macaulay

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

hristianity, which is the faith of onethird of human race, established over two thousand years ago is considered the religion of the followers of Jesus Christ. In Nigeria, there is no room for vibrant faith. Nigeria is a secular nation. Oxford Dictionary defines secular as concerned with the affairs of this world, worldly, not sacred, not monastic or ecclesiastical, temporal, profane, skeptical of spiritual truth or opposed to religious education.

God and his words are not acknowledged or obeyed by the governmentsFederal, State and Local. While media refrains from criticizing Christianity, comedians find it very easy to blaspheme Christians and their leaders every night on television. Governments believe that Christianity should be kept secret and private and that Christians should not be involved in politics or issues like abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality. It is true today that Christian leaders concentrate on preaching the Word of God to individuals and making Christianity a private or personal organization. When you observe the activities of church today, it gives the impression that Jesus and the Bible are irrelevant to the modern world and many church leaders make the story of Jesus unattractive and unintelligible. God is interested in people and in relationships. He created man who disobeyed him. Sin, wrongdoing and violence came into the world while the population of man grew. The world became divided into different languages, creeds, systems of beliefs and morality. After Adam the first man on earth failed, things became very bad that God decided to destroy all he created except Noah and his family that were righteous. Abraham, a descendant of Shem be-

Desti Destiny Hour with Pastor Femi

Lanre-Oke

am here today to tell you that God wants you to leave the category of a struggler to the category of a blessed man. A struggler who continuously labours to get the little he can lay his hands on will be a stingy person whose only mindset is to acquire more. However, a blessed man is blessed in order to become a blessing. Abraham was chosen of God and blessed in order to become the pioneer of God’s blessings for the kingdom of God on the earth.

When God blesses you and turns you into a blessing, He ensures that nothing fails around you. What do I mean by that? The blessings of God make a man rich and ensures the absence of sorrow according to Proverbs 8:22. Look around you today and you will see successful men who are daily sacrificing valuables in order to rake in achievements. Men who have traded their conscience, their integrity and have re-sorted to dubious means just to be tagged ‘successful’. Women who have sold their bodies and their dignity in order to amount to something. We celebrate a lot of people today but some of these people will re-

Sunday August 9, 2015

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Christianity is not another religion came the ancestor of the Hebrew (Jewish) nation Gen 17;5. He lived a life of remarkable faith and was known as the friend of God 2 Chro 20:7. Abraham and his descendants were chosen by God to bless all the nations of the world. The descendants of Abraham were called Jews by non-Jews. Old Testament of the Bible is the history of these people. These Hebrews eventually found themselves in Egypt and became slaves. After many decades God used Moses to lead these Hebrews who had grown in population out of Egypt. On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments – the written Laws to make then a nation called Israel. These laws from a merciful God who cares for his people are divine instructions when applied to human situations, things go well rationally, healthily, spiritually and in many other respects. Israel created temple worship and ceremony which became the symbol of their unity. The coming of Jesus disempowered temple religion of the Jews. Historians tell us that temple worship gave a character to the Jewish faith and brought them in touch with their religious leaders. Early Christians confirmed that Christianity is better than sacrifice of animals for sin, temple worship and living under the law. The purpose of God is that people should have their right place with him and one another. The whole New Testament books are about the birth, life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ and the mission of the church. The whole world has been affected by the life of Jesus and his message. Many attempts have been made to disprove the virgin birth and the miraculous life of Jesus. Modern scholasticism with its modernity and liberalism has also attempted to discredit the Scriptures historically and geographically. Jesus did not come to introduce religion but to reconcile man to God and create a relationship between man and God. He claimed to be the Son of God who brought redemption through his

blood on the cross. His intention is to impart a new Spirit and a new heart for a new beginning. 1 Cor 5:17 The New Testament books especially the Gospels were written by the disciples or followers of Jesus Christ. History has proved that Jesus is the founder of Christianity. Rabbinical writing confirmed that Jesus came to add to the laws, heal the sick in his name and that he must die on the cross for the sin of the man. Great Christian writers likeTacitus, Suetonius and Pliny confirmed that Jesus was the founder of Christianity. Fortunately, nobody including the enemies of Christianity had never denied that Jesus was born, lived and died in Palestine or that he performed unexplainable miracles. The teaching and miracles performed by Jesus were seen as a threat to the religious system of the Jews. The fact remains that the Jews knew that Jesus was the Messaih from God, they had the Scriptures, they witnessed the miracles performed by him and for over three years they listened to his provoking teaching but they rejected him and his theology because it offended their traditions and ceremonies. They saw Jesus going around violating their tradition and ceremony purposefully. Jesus knew the plan of God from creation especially after the first man disobeyed God. He knew why God chose an individual (Adam), a family (Noah’s) and then the man called Abraham who was to bless a nation called Israel and through his descendants all nations of the world will be blessed. He also understood why God gave the laws, prophets, priests and kings. He knew that all these are temporary works but the Word of God is eternal and unchanging. He knew that the Jews were the protectors of orthodoxy and the nation’s values. He was therefore not surprised that they were actually opponents of the Holy Spirit. Jesus confirmed that he had come to fulfill the law and not to disempower it. Paul told the Colossians, ‘’My counsel for

you is simple and straightforward: just go ahead with what you have been given. You received Christ Jesus the master: now live him. You are deeply rooted in him. You are well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you have been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it. And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty traditions of spirit beings But that is not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, the fullness comes together for you too. His power extends over everything.’’ Col 2:7-10 It is important to realize that ‘’tradition’’ is back. Nearly all churches in Nigeria have traditional approach to worship, teaching and ministry—the stand – up and kneel down approach, a strict start time and strict finish time. The modern church has moved back into a new form of law, legislation and legalism. It is more than an entertainment theatre where pleasure – loving people rush to at every service day. The fact is that religious people and religious churches remove themselves from reality. The first church life took place in homes and not special buildings, led by people in regular clothes not dog collars and special vestments. Christianity is a matter of the heart and a relationship with God and people. It is not another religion. •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

The secret of a blessed man (1) fuse to make known to you the un-necessary sacrifices they have made in order to be celebrated. The question at this point therefore is this – we all want to be successful; do you want to be a success in your own way and by your own means or do you want to be successful by being blessed of the Lord? I know the majority of the answers will be through blessings, however, our actions on a daily basis will actually reveal the path we are taking in order to become a blessing. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will most definitely direct your path Proverbs 3:5. You have affirmed that you want to be blessed of God in order to become a success but do you know that trusting in the Lord is one of the secrets to be blessed? Do you know that the moment you put up an ‘I can do it, I can calculate it, I can panel-beat it, I know a shortcut’ attitude, you disqualify yourself from being blessed? God wants to bless you; He wants to showcase the fullness of His riches through your life but you limit His performance in your life when you go your own way. Therefore, a secret to being blessed isa wholesome trust in the Lord. No attachments, no additions; make God your confidant, make Him your complete dependence, alternatives are not allowed. God must be your one and only choice. Say to yourself whatever God will not do for me; may I

never get it done. It is sad to see that children of God are behaving like children of this world, Jesus gave a parable in Luke 16 and commented in verse 8 that that the children of this world in their generation are wiser than the children of light, in order words, they know how to go about life and get things done in their favour, the dubious way, the wicked way and the cunning way but a child of God will only be a blessing in God’s own way However, the children of these world are carried away by the lusts of their hearts and by the things they chase after because their own devices kicks against the principle of trust in God and are therefore not qualified for His blessings. That is why when a man who is given to his own devices succeeds in one way and one aspect of his life, he remains a failure in the other areas. A man who is a successful business may be a failure in his health and his home. If he succeeds in his health, his children may be riffraff. Wholesome success, all round success and achievement in life is a function of the blessings of God that makes rich and adds no sorrow. How do I ensure that I remain under the cover of the blessings of God? Let there be a complete dependency on God. Sir/ma, the bible says whatever we do, we must do in the name of Jesus according to Colossians 3:17

and remember that our entire essence and purpose for living is to the glory of God. It is therefore important to note this cardinal rule; whatever decisions you want to take in life, if you cannot pray about it in Jesus name, then it is not worth your time. Whatever plans you have for your future, as long as cannot discuss it with God in prayers then it is dubious. This is the true test of trusting God. A man who trusts God will not take any step without a word from God. God is committed to blessing you only when you are committed to following His set path for you. This becomes key in your life because, for you to fulfill destiny, you must be blessed and for you to be blessed you must walk on God’s path for your life and you cannot access His path for your life without a daily and continuous dependence on Him. This is a secret of a man that is blessed of God; daily he puts his trust in God. Next week by the grace of God, we shall dwell on biblical examples of those who were blessed and became a blessing by having absolute trust in God. Remain blessed in Jesus name. •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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Voice of Salvation with Pastor Toyin

Adesuji

elcome to the voice of salvation column. This week, we will examine keys to manifestation of expectations. Dictionary wise, expectation is the act or state of expecting: anticipation [in expectation of what would happen]. Simply put, expectation is a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen. Psalm 62 vs. 5 says “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” Romans 8 vs. 19 states “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Proverbs 23 vs. 18 says “For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” Prophetic nuggets 1. Blood of Jesus, destroy whatever is destroying my expectations in Jesus name. 2. Wickedness of the wicked be wasted by fire now in Jesus name. 3. Blood of Jesus, speak and fight for my expectations in Jesus name. 4. Fresh oil, anoint my expectations for manifestation in Jesus name. Succinctly, expectation is synonymous to anticipation, or a pointer of looking forward to something good. Expectation is a booster to manifestation. It is a catalyst and a primer of your expected end. Expectation is the womb that gives birth to your dream.

The Bride’s voice with Pastor Moses

Alu

he shedding of the blood of Jesus remitted my sins, so you demon wife, you demon husband, you shrine holding captive any member of my family, we are free from your hold. This is the boldness that knowledge gives you. So the deliverance here is for believers who are under the blood of Jesus Christ. And Satan is saying we are serving God in vain, but we will tell him that there is a blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel. The enemy dealt with Abel and his blood was crying before God for vengeance. The blood of Jesus also cries in heaven for our vengeance. That blood is still speaking now! Blessed be the name of Lord. That is why Jesus Christ is our advocate. Why? He is now the High Priest, sitting on the mercy seat interceding for us., reminding the Father why He must deliver us and reminding the devil as our advocate, why he no longer has power over us. Don’t be a religious person but a revelated Christian so that no fear comes near you because the powers behind us are too much. Elisha had to plead with God to open the eyes of his carnal servant Gehazi. This happened when the Syrian army surrounded and came to pick the prophet. The young man saw the heavy arsenal all around and started crying, master, we are finished. But Elisha came out and said, they that are for us are greater than those against us. The Bible says angels of God encampeth round about them that fear God. Hebrews 1:14 says ‘Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Elisha knew the

Sunday August 9, 2015

Manifestation of expectation Principally, for expectation to manifest, you must reckon with the truth that faith brings expectations while lack of it does kill expectation. For an instance, Abraham’s faith brought his expectation to manifestation. The bible states in Romans 4 v 19 that Abraham did not consider his body dead at old age or the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Abraham was not only blessed with Isaac but also very rich in all things. Keys to manifestation of expectations 1. BE EXPECTANT - Of a truth, expectation precedes manifestation. Proverbs 23 vs. 18 “For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” Life application- Jabez expectation was to be an honorable person. And his expectation cancelled the name sorrow, which is from the most miserable to the most honorable. 2. Participate in your expectation - The connection between your expectation and manifestation is participation. As a matter of fact, manifestation of expectation is an equation of divinity plus humanity. Life application- Joseph’s dream became a reality when he participated in his expectation (Genesis 37 vs. 11). Expect the right thing and participate and it shall surely manifest. 3. Live your expectation - one of the ways to live your expectation is to behave what you believe. Proverbs 10 vs. 28 says “ The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.” In a nutshell, live your expectation because your lifestyle must manifest with your expectation. 4. Speak your expectation - Frankly speaking, to speak right is to live right and it is what you speak that determines what you shall pick. Proverbs 18 vs. 21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they

that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” With the word of your mouth, you can change your world. Life application- The woman with the issue of blood confessed her expectation and it was made manifest. Read Luke 8 vs. 43-48. In life, it is what you sound that God will sign. 5. Sow seed ahead of your expectationA popular parlance says “if it is seedful, it must be fruitful.” Learn to give according to your expectation because great seed attracts great harvest. Life application- Observe critically what Solomon did in the book of 1st Kings 3 vs. 1-13; Christianity is a reality; sow seed by faith and your faith will get you there in Jesus name. 6. Act your expectation - They say action speaks louder than voice. In this regard, it is one thing to speak your expectation; it is another thing to act it. Don’t just prophesy by faith, but act it by faith. Outspokenly, it is your action that boosts your faith. Life application- The book of Acts 3 vs. 1-9 is a pointer to FAITH IN ACTION. Remember; if you think it, you will see it and if you see it, you can become it. However, act your expectation and manifestation shall follow in Jesus name. 7. Be an addict of the word of god- The only ability that can never fail is the word of God. John 1 vs. 1 established the sovereignty, supremacy and the efficacy of the word of God. Of a truth, nothing does wonders like the word of God (read Genesis1) LIFE APPLICATION- It takes only the word of God to bring to pass or into manifestation the things of the word. Read 1st Corinthians 2 vs. 9, Romans 8 vs. 19. The book of Matthew 24 vs. 35 says “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” The word of God works won-

ders in life. Speak your expectation rooted in God’s word and it shall come to pass in Jesus name. Finally, with these seven keys, there shall be a divine manifestation of your expectations in Jesus name. PRAYERS 1. Whatever is destroying my expectations, catch fire and burn into ashes IJN 2. Blood of Jesus, destroy evil expectation concerning me IJN 3. By the power in the blood of Jesus, I decree my expectation shall manifest IJN 4. Anointing to act my expectation, come upon me now IJN 5. My mouth, speak goodness by fire IJN 6. As I sow, my seed shall be fruitful glorious IJN 7. Holy Ghost, empower me to participate in my expectation IJN Your spiritual growth is so paramount to us. We love to be in touch with you if you have been blessed through this message. In case you have some spiritual needs, we would like to be identified with you so as to keep praying for you and possibly be of help to you in your spiritual growth. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the SALVATION INTL PRAYER CHRISTIAN CHURCH. We hold two services on Sundays: 1st service - 7.20am and 2nd service - 9.30am

•Please write and share your testimony with us through: Salvation point publication P.O. Box 9526, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria Or Salvation International Prayer Christian Church136, Isawo Road, Agric, Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria. Phone: 09091431316 Email: info@ salvationinternationalng.org www. Salvationinternationalng.org

There is a balm in Gilead ministry of angels. Angels of god with chariots of fire surrounded Elisha and Gehazi’s compound. All the Syrian soldiers were behind, so they will have to pass through those chariots of fire before they can get to Elisha. They that be for us are more than those that be for them. The Bible says our life is hid with Christ in God. It therefore follows that before you can get me, you will have to first tear God, tear Christ and see me. Ephesians 2 says ‘A hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ And when you are in Christ, no weapon of the enemy fashioned against you shall prosper. No force is strong enough to make that arrow reach me where I am seated. This is a revelation the Bible says they will surely gather, but because that gathering is not of God, they will scatter. These are promises for you and me. Study your Bible. Grow and don’t be a baby Christian. God fights for His people. I am talking about spiritual warfare because somebody here, the problem you are going through, if you had known the person responsible, I am sure by now it would have been over. You would have looked for what he/she is doing against you and you would have scattered it. You could have sued him. But even if you have been seeing a particular person in your dream doing evil to you, there is nothing you can do because there is no provision in the law to take somebody like that to court. You can’t tell a Judge that somebody tied your business, your children, your finance, etc; that you normally see him sleeping with you in your dream; that he shot an arrow and it hit you leading to the wound on your leg. The judge will ask you to produce evidence and witnesses, the bullets, etc. The problems we have are not physical. That is why the Bible says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.

Amen. We are the only ones hat change the battle plans. Christian fight their battles with their eyes closed. We fight our ballets on our knees with our eyes closed because it is not a physical battle. That is why we close our eyes. Is there anybody here that is not under the blood of Jesus Christ? If you are not, your deliverance can never be permanent. Is there anybody here that has not been baptized? It is for people like you that we came with Tuesday Shiloh where we baptized people. And those who cannot come here on Tuesday by the reason of their work, they let us know, we fill the pool and even baptize them on Sundays. Praise the Lord. Baptism is so important to ensure lasting deliverance. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Some of you came to the Bride Assembly on receiving personal revelations. In fact, you were told to see me. So when they come here, they expect me to lay hands on them and the demons will start manifesting. They may start rolling on the ground with demons talking to me through them. But what we have here is higher than that. True deliverance is in the Bible. They overcome by the blood of the lamb. They did not overcome by an announcing that made the demons confess. Sure the demons must confess, leave you and never to come back. That is the lasting deliverance. Then I am conducing deliverance on a person and I tell the demon to go, it will not go because I commanded it to go. This is because the demons will obey and leave you but will wait for you outside. Most deliverance ministers carry people half way and dump them. Deliverance is not total until you bring the person under the blood. That is why when you come here and you tell me God asked me to pray for you, I will tell you to wait in the auditorium first. There is something you need to er for

your deliverance and that is why God directed you to me. It is not for me to shout fire because anybody can do that but it is not everybody that knows true deliverance which is in the Bible. If there is anybody here that is not baptized, you are not saved! Mark chapter 16:16 says, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. If you are not baptized, you are not saved no matter what anointing is around you and testimonies that follows you. That is why marine kingdom has infested churches with possessed men and women taking advantage of their ignorance and messing up people’s lives. Be baptized and this is for your own good and not for me. I don’t have any headquarters where I report to so that depending on how many people I baptized, I will be promoted. Whatever I teach you is for your own good. It is my responsibility and that is my calling, to get the people saved. I have made my consecration and I have my wedding garment on. If I die today, I will make heaven and if you doubt it, when we reach heaven, look for me and you will see me there. If you come before God under this understanding, demons will not stay but they will run out. This is because the right they have over you has been taken. So if a demon tells you to pay N1, 500 it paid a price to your mother, that demon is only trying you because Satan knows that once you are for Christ, you are no longer indebted to him. Yours is to tell Satan, it is written; he who the son of man sets free is free indeed. He will know you know your rights and you know the Bible. •Pastor Moses Alu; The Bride Assembly, Odofin Park Estate, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Ijesha Bus stop 08033524903 : Email: pastormosesalu@yahoo.com

From the Pulpit

T The voice o of wisdom

with Dr. David

Oyedepo

piritual stewardship, which entails serving God and the interest of His Kingdom, is key to all that life will ever demand. This is because serving God does not only pay, but it pays the best, pays supernaturally and offers incomparable returns. Remember, the Bible says: If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures (Job 36:11; see also Matthew 6:33; Exodus 23:25-26). It is also important to know that serving God is a covenant. For instance, Abraham, a servant of God, served God faithfully. As a result, generations after him benefited from his service. Remember, God swore to him that in his (Abraham’s) seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Furthermore, we understand from scriptures that serving God also means the fear of God, which guarantees our access to generational blessings. As it is written: …Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever (Psalms 112:1-3). “Feareth the Lord” in the above scripture connotes serving God. When God spoke to the

Priesthood House with Pastor Bola

A “

Bello

nd in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

In this dream of Nebuchadnezzar, a dream of an image of a man with a head of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron and feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Dan. 2:31-43), was an appearance of the colossal image which was a terrible one. Not only on the account of its greatness and its metallic splendor, but because it represents the world powers of fearful import and dreadful manifestation to the people of God – the Israelites. While the scholars and theologians agreed that the image shown was the representation of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greco-Macedonian and Roman empires, the depictions of these ancient rulers are still vivid in operations and in conduct even in the present world order. The major intention of the world orders is to wear out and conform the Church to the mould of the world until the church loses its own distinct identity. Laws and pronouncements that are hostile to the spread of the gospel of the kingdom are on the increase. The gay right law under the leadership of President Obama of the United State of America was not only aimed to promote uncleanness and to change the truth of God into a lie, but significantly a direct affront to the Church from preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and thus restrain her from fulfilling her Godgiven mandate to evangelize the nations with the message of the kingdom. It is an opera-

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Accessing next levels through spiritual stewardship! devil about Job, He said: …Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?(Job 1:8). The Bible records that: Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? (Job 1:9). Therefore, Psalms 112:1-3 can read thus: Blessed is the man that “serves” the Lord and delight greatly in God’s commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: his generation shall be blessed.Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness shall endureth forever. That is how serving God positions us into realms of abundance forever. But, what is Spiritual Stewardship? Spiritual Stewardship simply means engaging in spiritual investments towards the advancement and enlargement of the Kingdom of God (Job 36:11). What are the Avenues for Spiritual Stewardship? • Prayers: This involves praying for the salvation of souls and their establishment. We also pray for the Word of God to have a free course in every service and for signs and wonders to be experienced. Furthermore, we pray for the needs of co-believers to be met, Galatians 6:2). • Reaching out to the lost: From scriptures, we understand that every believer is an ambassador of Christ and as such, he/ she is ordained to reconcile lost souls back to God(2 Corinthians 5:20). Therefore, we must

go forth, bearing the reproach for Christ, as we reach out to lost souls in love and with passion. To be ashamed of Christ is to have Him turn His back on us (Hebrew 13:13; Mark 8:38; Romans 1:16). We must understand that the returns that accrue to us via spiritual stewardship are incomparable and are supernaturally paid. This is what makes spiritual stewardship the most profitable venture in the world. What, then, are the returns accrued to us in Spiritual Stewardship? • Divine Favour: Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory (Psalms 102:13-16; see also Hebrews 12:22-24). “Zion” here means the church of the Living God. This helps us to understand that when we become committed to the building, growth and expansion of God’s church, we are entitled to divine favour in return (Hebrews 6:10; Psalms 30:5). • Divine Honour: In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince (Proverbs 14:28; see also 1 Samuel 2:30). • Abundant Life: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew

6:33; see also Job 36:11). • Longevity: There is no service in the world that guarantees long life, except Kingdom stewardship. The Bible says: …Ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. …The number of thy days I (God) will fulfil (Exodus 23:25-26; see also Psalms 91:16). Friend, are you born again? 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: Wisdom that Works, Walking in Wisdom, All you need to have all your needs met, Winning Wisdom and Excellency of Wisdom. I will continue this teaching next week. I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively. •I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww. org

Church as God designed it – The burden of the kingdom and the throne of Christ on earth (6) tion of great winds with enormous phenomenon and a tool to weaken the gospel of Christ so that satanic operations will become the norm and standard across the globe. Daniel 7:2 “Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.” The winds of heaven striving against the great sea are the conflict between the ideal of heaven as oppose to the operation of the earth. However, since wind is stronger than the sea, so is the message of the kingdom is stronger than the kingdom of the earth. Though a Great War is looming upon the True Church, the True Church will surely overcome its foe and will not conform again to the trend and fashions of the world. Strange and dreadful things are taking place in our days. The ISIS, the Boko Haram, the Al Shabab and the other terrorists groups are some of the weapons of Satan, not only against humanity but most importantly against the kingdom of God. The good news however, is that, the message of the kingdom shall break in pieces and consume anti Christ both within and outside the Church. This is the Messianic order – the effective manifestation of God’s reign. It is an establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah, the anointed one through the activities of the Church (Eph.3:10). Messiah is the liberator and redeemer of all mankind and he will set up His kingdom here on earth. As I mentioned in the last edition of this write up, the beginning of that kingdom was with the arrival of Jesus Christ, when He pronounced the Kingdom of God is come to us (Matt.4:17). Again, the instruction of Paul to the Corinthian Church is timely for the present Church to align. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption (1Cor.15:50). The assertion of Paul is that, the

human characterization does not have capacity and inclination for God’s kingdom. Flesh is governed by five senses. There is need for human environment to be governed by divine law, before he can inherit the kingdom. In other words, the Christian community must come to a place of death and nail herself to the cross before she can be involved in the kingdom life. In his message to the disciples, Jesus warned them that, though the disciples were in the world but they were not of the world (Jn.16 &17). This concept will help us to live differently from the world and it will unveil the characterization of the kingdom of heaven to the world. The manifest end of this race is to show Christ in our conducts rather than in the glory of the world. We must acknowledge the difficulty in living the kingdom life as mortal beings but it is made possible through the grace of Christ. The kingdom of God is both literal and spiritual. The literal aspect of the kingdom is in the manner of our conducts and attitude different from the world. The explanation of Daniel was instructive enough for us to conceive. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever, this is the futuristic aspect of it. We prepare for the kingdom by living according to the rules of the kingdom. The process begins with salvation, being born again. To be born again is not a ritual roll call where multitude heed a salvation call but without showing remorse for their sins (Matt.3:5,6). This attitude is similar to what John said in his sermon to the Jews, “Bring forth the fruit worthy of repentance”. People claim to be born again without the fruits of repentance. It’s not a mere outward ritual but it is about genuine brokenness and remorsefulness based on a conviction by the Holy Spirit for living wrongly against the Laws of God. Also, baptism is not the

lowering of people into a pond or flowing water or a swimming pool but it is to be immersed with the teaching of the kingdom. Baptism is about initiation into the kingdom. You initiate people with a message. You bring them into the covenant through the word of righteousness. When the disciples of John were baptized with the doctrines of John, they knew and followed no other message apart from John’s. When the followers of Christ were baptized with the message of Christ, they were called Christians. This is the meaning of baptism. Baptism is not a ritual; it denotes death to the world and being raised into another life. It culminates in a change from human characterization to Godly nature. Romans 6:3 says “know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. This is a further instruction and a guide about Christian profession. It is an emphasis on the objective of baptism, and the need for us to renounce the works of flesh in its totality. Our baptism has a great resemblance to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. As Jesus Christ was dead to the world when he lived in the world, so we are to be dead to the world and to be alive in Christ. Before the LORD was crucified on the cross, he was already crucified to the world (Jn.14:30). The illustration is the same. Kill your fleshly passions to the world and let not the things of the world become your major appeal. Our major thrust is to seek for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. This is the design of the Church.

•Pastor Bola Bello – The Priesthood House, bolabelo@gmail.com 08033704564

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From the Pulpit

Sunday August 9, 2015

Let God be seen in you And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. Genesis 39:3

oseph did not introduce himself to his master and the entire household of his master before they knew that God was with him. He did not tell the people he met in his master’s house that he was “BornAgain-Joseph” as some of us would have probably done, but they still saw God with him. God was with Him and it was obvious to everyone that saw him. Your intimacy with God is just like a perfume; people do not need to ask before they know whether or not it exists. A man who carries God on his inside does not need to broadcast it before people get to know about it. Every good relationship with God is always selfannounced.

One of the actions of divine lifting is to ensure that you secure God’s presence by being born gain through your faith in Christ. Your relationship with God begins when you give your life to Him. This relationship is further strengthened by your readiness to engage yourself in spiritual activities through strategic personal bible studies, devoted personal prayer life and prayer time and other spiritual activities that are capable of building your spirit man. That is the thing that will differentiate you from other people in your vicinity. It will make you to stand out amongst your equals and mark you out as the true representative of heaven. Live a life that pleases God.

Bishop Opayinka

You do not need to compromise your integrity when you desire promotion or success in life. Joseph had the opportunity to sin against God and perhaps do whatever he liked but he never did those evil things even though the people that he was living with did not know him. He did not hide his identity even though he was in a strange land because he knew that there was no other way other than God’s way before he could be lifted up. He had the opportunity of sleeping with female slaves in the house of his masters since he was in charge. He could have done that as a mere pride of a young man since no one knew him to be a covenant child with a destined vision. But Bro. Joseph did not do all of those evil things. He had the opportunity of getting involved in what you might call secret sins, but he jettisoned those opportunities. His love for God buffered him against the lust of the flesh. Allow God to be seen both in your actions and inactions. Let men smell God through your actions and expressions. You do not need to compromise your integrity to be lift-

ed. Be faithful at your place of work. Be faithful to everyone around you. You do not need to be involved in sending wrong messages to people and probably inflating the price of your commodity before God will lift you up. You do not need to sleep with your boss and even your co-workers before you could be promoted. You do not need to forge signature to get money. You do not need to falsify your age to be employed. You do not need to practice 419 to be rich. Stop taking what does not belong to you because it is only God that can ever make you successful and sustains you and not the other way round. Any man that is in intimate relationship with God will only live at the top because God is not the God of the bottom. As a Minister of the gospel, I have seen people asking God to help them preach more. They do ask God to increase their preaching and teaching grace. I had also prayed the same prayer before until I realized and discovered this golden secret. God wants to promote you far beyond your desires but He wants you to show his principles in your daily living not as a prerequisite but as a show of your love for a close intimacy with Him. A preacher that wants God to increase the level of his preaching and teaching’s life, should endeavour to first dedicate more of his time to bible studies and prayer. God would first want you to increase your time of fellowship with Him before taking you to a new level of operation. God wants you to grow more in love towards your church members by displaying true sense of a good shepherd to them before He increases the numerical strength of your church. God will increase the way you sing if only you have more time with Him in the place of fellowship. God will give you more business ideas and increase your administrative dexterity, if only you have more time with Him as well as having more time in acquiring

more training within the circle of your chosen careers. People who want God to be seen in them are people who have taken their time to prepare. A good number of people that enjoyed divine lifting in the bible days were people that prepared ahead of time. David was busy taking care of his father’s flocks when the Prophet Samuel came to ordain him. He was at the place of preparation when others were present at the ordination ceremony. A man of preparation is not always found in the crowd. A man that is conscious of preparation is always found at the place of preparation. God saw that, if David could take care of his father’s flocks without bringing negative reports home, he would be able to shepherd over His people. David learnt shepherd-hood not on the throne of kingship but on the field while taking care of his father’s sheep. No throne is prepared for an unprepared man. In the same vein, the Disciples of Christ were involved in doing one or two things before Christ called them into the ministry. It requires a fisher to become a fisher of men. Those people were professionals in their various fields. They were pre-prepared before He called them into a ship for further preparations through discipleship. You are the light of the world if you are a child of God. You are to show forth the praises of your father to the people in darkness. Let God be seen in you so that praises will ascend unto Him through your life. See you next week as we journey to the throne together. Bishop Joshua KolawoleOpayinka is the presiding Bishop of Glorious Tabernacle International located Behind Ondo State Cultural Centre, Akure, Ondo State capital. Share your testimonies and prayer points with me at: O8060297831 joshuakolawoleo@ yahoo.com

Running away from fair weather friends that can derail you Prophet Lai Bamidele, General Overseer of Christ Glorious End-time Evangelical Church, Abule-Egba, Lagos, in this sermon, teaches on the forces of wickedness. Excerpts:

t is the company you keep that determines how far you go in life. Association is a killer when you relate with the wrong set of people you are bound to fail in life. It is the kind of association that you keep that determines as the kind of life that you live. Your association determines the level of your success, if you make a man that has no future ambition as a friend, you too will never succeed. Look at it in the circular world the rich relates and moves with the rich, while the poor will always relate with the poor, and share their poor idea together. When you relate with a man that is going nowhere to go in life. Your association will either set you up or bring you down. In the book of Proverb 12:20 the bible says “He that walketh with the wise, shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed. If you look at what happened in the life Ammon, i.e. David’s son, he has the greatest opportunity to sit on his father’s throne but can you imagine he died when he was suppose not to because of bad relationship. Ammon lost his life because of the bad friend’s he kept. Listen to me, when you do the wrong thing per time, you will naturally bear the consequences every wrong thing done by a man. It was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, that misled to lay on her step sister i.e. Tamar, Ammon shared what was in his mind with Jonadab, instead of Jonadab to discourage and even schooled him over the thought of Ammon, he encouraged him to go ahead and faint sickness so as he can use that as an excuse to lure the sister. When follow a wrong

advice and neighbor, it is obvious you will bear the consequences of your wrong doings alone. If you look at the book of II Samuel 13:1-25, If you look at the bible analysis of that wicked man called Jonadab, the bible recorded that Jonadab was a very subtle man. In every journey of life there are friends and there are friends. If you are a child of God, there are people you don’t need in your life, any attempt for you to go with them will derail and derail the journey of your life. There are so many “fear weather friends”, these are friends that are only interested in what they will get or that they will benefit from you. Such friends even when you are heading to the ditch, they will only encourage you to go ahead, until the person enter the child, they then turn back from there. The moment you are faced with one issue or the other you will not see them, some of them will even disown you. They are friends when things are good i.e when you are doing well is life, but the moment you’re having some challenges they ran away from you. In the book of Genesis 3:1-5 the bible says that the serpent was non subtle than the woman, “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the Lord had made, and he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, ye shall not garden……. verse 4 says “And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die, for God doth known that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open, and she shall be as Gods, Knowing good and Evil. Remember the word of God 10:8 that “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, and whoso breaketh a hedge, serpent shall bite him”.

Even in the church of God not every church goes is born again. If you have a brother in the church who is a fornicator and you are making friends with him on her, you too you will soon start fornicating. When you keep the company of a 419 or a dupe, you will soon start duping people all about. According to a Yoruba adage that says “The sheep that relates with a dog, will eat feaces”. Who you relate or associate with determines how far you go in the Journey of your life. Remember another adage that says “Evil communication corrupt good manner. Ammon died a useless death, all because he took a wrong counsel. When you take a wrong step, you will bear the consequences of your steps you took. When Ammon followed the counsel of his evil friend he bear the consequences of his wrong decision he made. In every journey of life whatever will disconnect you from God, it is better you disconnect yourself from it. Any friend, association or company that you keep that will always discourage you from going to god or discourage you from things that will promote the kingdom of God, it is better you run away from it. In the book of Psl 1:1-3 says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. If you see any man that moves or relate with people that matters, people that they can learn one or two things from, such people you see them on top. Few years ago when I gave my life to Christ, there is this particular lady that I loved so much, that I found it difficult

Pastor Bamidele

to live. Any time I made up my mind to live, something will tell me “don’t live her, keep the company small more, but one day the spirit of God came upon me that my son, there is nothing you do in the secret that am not seeing in the open, as at that time I told my pastor then that I have dissociated myself from the lady, as at that time I was a brother in the church and they reported the matter to my Pastor, even when I know am still in the relationship I told my Pastor I’ve severe my relationship with her, until one night the spirit of God spoke to me that my son you claim you are a child of God, and you lied to your Pastor and lied to everybody, I am the Lord your God, I see your nakedness more than you see yourself, return unto me and I will return unto you, if you claim you love me, whatever I hate out of your love for me you should be able to drop it. You cannot either serve God or you serve the devil. May the Lord help us IJN. “Once again evil communication corrupts good manner. From that they that the spirit of God spoke to me I instantly terminated the relationship till today Amen. Move and relate with Godly Friends. •For counselling, contact: Pst_lai@yahoo. com.

From the Pulpit Chapel of Holiness and Testimony with Pastor K. I.

Bona Continued from topic 7

Examples of those who have lost their garden of glory are: 7. Those young men and young women who were jailed abroad because they were found guilty of carrying cocaine 8. Those young ladies who cannot conceive because of the numerousity of abortions, they committed when they were single 9. Those top government functionaries whose political careers were stopped and their license withdrawn, because they were found guilty of corruption and money laundering. If you are involved in any of the above mentioned examples, which began from topic seven. Do not be afraid just return back to God with a broken and penitent heart. I have that trust in God that as a merciful God, he would have mercy on you and raise your dead glory back to life, as he raised Lazarus in Jesus name. TYPES OF EVIL FAMILY ALTARS Among others there are four outstanding evil family altars that has been causing devastation in the life and careers of countless people all over the world. These altars are: a) Paternal evil altar Judges 6:25-26 b) Maternal evil altar 1st Kings 22:51-53 c) Marriage evil altar 1st Kings 11:1,2,4 d) Personal evil altar 1st Kings 12:28-29 Paternal evil altar The word paternal means from one fathers’ lineage. His genes, his relatives, or his father’s family. When we say, an altar is evil, and it is paternal, what we are saying is that the evil altar in question, is from one’s genes, or father’s lineage. It is not a thing of story that a lot of people, particularly in the West Coast of Africa, have had their destinies hazarded battered and destroyed by forces of their family altar. Notwithstanding whether such person is born again or not. In fact those that suffer attack most from these evil family altars are those who are born again in our Lord Jesus Christ. Not as if their new faith is unable to deliver them, but they ignorantly neglected to deal with powers emanating from their corrupt foundations. That they repented and got born again only affected change in their spirit, soul and body. This change is only in their characters, behaviours, attitudes and habits which influences their social life signifying that they have separated themselves out of the worldly life style. However, they are still who they are because

Sunday August 9, 2015

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Breaking the powers of evil family altar (8) they still retain their names, surnames and foundations. This explains to us why in Genesis chapter 12, when God called Abraham, he commanded him to go out of his father’s house to the place he would show him. God himself conducting deliverance on Abraham. Genesis chapter 12:1 “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.” Remember, this instruction was given to Abraham, after he had answered God’s call and accepted to follow him. God who knows the importance of deliverance in the life of his children, commanded Abraham to get out of his father’s house, to another place he would show him. This is the function of destroying the old foundation in one’s life and laying another in Christ Jesus – Psalm 11:3 “If the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do”. This Biblical statement means if the foundation of a believer is corrupted, what would he/she do. He/ she would lay a new foundation. The Bible says, there no other foundation, a child of God can develop from except on the foundation which God himself had led in Christ Jesus. It is only on this foundation a true Christian can build his/ her Christian faith without dissimulation. 1st Corinthians 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Christ Jesus” When a born again child of God fails to destroy the father’s evil foundation which he inherited, it means he/she is attempting to build on another foundation which is not Christ. Surely such person would have crisis. In Judges Chapter 6:25-26 “And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him. Take thy father’s young bullock even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it” And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down” Gideon was a seed of Abraham an Israelite. In our present age, it means Gideon was already born again a rapturable child of God. Yet, God gave him a specific instruction to throw down his father’s altar, before he can embark on what he was commissioned. God did not handle, the presence of the powers of evil altar in Gideon’s family with a wave of hand neither did he neglect the fact that these demons are also powers. May be you are among those who do not believe in personal deliverance and family liberation, while you are still going through a lot of unexplainable challenges of life. The remote cause could be the power of your father’s evil altar. Submit yourselves for deliverance today and try to conduct family liberation, you would notice that the situation would change. Before

you conduct family liberation you must be sure you are born again redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Which was why God commanded Gideon to use a seven years old bullock to throw down the altar of his father. Maternal evil altar The word maternal means mother’s side. Maternal evil altar means that this altar is pertaining to the mother’s family. It means it is traceable to the mother’s lineage. It has characteristics relating to the mother’s genes. In other word maternal evil altar, is the altar of one’s mother’s lineage which powers are victimizing the person. Deliverance cases has revealed to us that sometimes people suffer not necessarily from the powers of their evil paternal altars, but that of maternal. Some of these wicked demons do follow the women into their husband houses to torment them. In the days of our father’s and mother’s I have heard stories where the father of the woman would. Conveniently handover the god or goddess of the family to their marrying daughters to guide them in their husband houses. It does not only affect the women folk, but also the men. Have you done liberation in your father house?, without positive result, try to do it in your mother’s house and watch the effect; it will have on your life. Powers from the evil altar of the mother’s house, are more subtle and complicated to deal with. Meaning that they are not easily dictated. They have many hidden corners. A lot of men, who are married have accused their wives of having witchcraft spirit without knowing that the remote cause of their problems are coming from their mother’s lineage. In Kings 22:51-53 “Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father and in the ways of his mother, and in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin. For he served Baal and worshipped him and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel according to all that his father has done.” From the scripture quoted above, Ahaziah the son of Ahab reigned in Israel for only two years. His destiny was caught short, because of the manipulations of the powers of his maternal evil altar. Although Ahaziah, had his father’s altar attacking him, but it was the maternal evil altar powers that caused a lot of sudden misfortunes in his life. A complete account of the life of Ahaziah shows that he was under serious bondage by powers of his mother’s house. They are wicked demons whose target is to destroy souls in hell fire. The mother of Ahaziah was Jezebel, the daughter of Eth Baal king of the Zidonians. The Bible told us that Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that

was in Samaria; He later fell sick and died. His kingdom, life and throne suddenly dropped and broke. Beloveth, what has the enemy broken in your life? Is it your career, business, profession, marriage and or health? The problem Ahaziah had, when he lived was hardness of heart. He refused to repent and seek the face of the God of his fathers, which was why he ended up so disgracefully. Thank God that you still have grace today. Turn to our Lord Jesus, the God of mercy, confess your sins and forsake them, then go in for the family liberation, deliverance shall surely be yours in Jesus name. Marriage evil altar Most young men and women, who have successfully done family liberation in their respective families, might marry and still discover that their marriages have been subjected to powers of evil altar. They might begin to wonder the source of this evil altar. For anyone to know the source of this evil altar, he/she has to sincerely answer this deliverance questions, such as: a) Was your marriage conducted on any of the pagan’s market day? b) Who was the person that blessed your marriage on the day you did you traditional marriage? c) Did the person pour hot drink on the ground giving praise to the gods of the land, while committing your marriage to their care? d) Which dancers group, graced the occasion, was it cultural group, age grade, or Atilogwu dancers group e) Did you pay money to rain makers to hold the rain that day? Testimonies Moving object disappeared For a month now, I have always felt this movement on my face. I do feel it. I know when it moves. In the night when I feel the movement, I would be restless, I will not sleep. I have taken drugs, prescribed for me, but there was no relieve. I was thinking of what to do, as the movement on my face was increasing and affecting my body systems. Then I decided to see the man of God. He gave me prayer points and directed a minister to pray for me. Brethren that was how the movement disappeared till today, praise the Lord! Sis. Chidimma ADDRESS: Pastor Kingson I. Bona General Overseer Chapel of Holiness and Testimonies Ministries No. 6, David Egbetuyi street, Fagbile Estate, Ijegun-Ikotun, Lagos 08023404926, 08038206508 Website – wwwchapelofholiness.org

Photo News Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. (Dr.) Adewale Martins (sitting) launch the first privately-owned Catholic social media, the Catholic Agora recently in Lagos, as others look on

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Endtime Revelation with Bishop Bernard

Ojemeni (JP)

he time of second coming of Jesus Christ, Phase 2 will be after the end of great tribulation. Jesus Christ spoke about it in Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” During the great tribulation the Jews will suffer so much in the hands of the anti-Christ having severed their cordial relationship with him at the end of the first 31/2 years by refusing to worship and to offer sacrifices to him in the rebuilt temple. As a matter of fact the anti-Christ and his soldiers will capture 2/3 of the land of Israel and it is going to be a trying time for the Jews. That is why Jesus Christ asked them to pray that their time of anti-Christ persecution will not be in winter because of cold or on the Sabbath day because it limits their movement of escape from the anti-Christ’s onslaught. Matthew 24:20-28. The false prophets and false Christ will want to capitalize on the sufferings of the Jews at that Christ has come and that He is here or there. They will come up with great signs and wonders to the point that if care is not taken the very elects among the Jews will be deceived. In Matthew 24:27-28. “He told them that His coming will be so sudden like lightening. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together.” Brethren, the phase 2 of second coming of Christ does not need any sign to observe. It is just, immediately after the great tribulation. Jesus Christ will appear in the Heaven to come down to the earth for the judgment of nations. In the phase 1 of His second coming, the rapture, there is a sign to observe. That is why in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-14, we are

From the Pulpit

Sunday August 9, 2015

The second coming of Jesus Christ, phase 2 Bishop Bernard Chukwuma Mbamalu Ojemeni, General Superintendent of Endtime Believers’ Ministry Inc, in this piece, gives an insight into the New World Order. Excerpts: told that it will not take us unawareness. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” Jesus Christ said as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the second coming phase 1 – rapture. Matthew 24:37-41. Noah knew when the flood would come because God told him seven days before it even started. Genesis 7:1, 7, 10 “1And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. 7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. 10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.” The then world ended in Noah’s 600 years. But ours will end in 6000 years man’s 6000 years earth lease. Genesis 7:6 “And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.” 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed

the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” God worked for 6 days and His 6 days are man’s 6,000 years earth lease. The one day He rested i.e the 7th day is also the 1000 years millennial reign of Christ i.e. 7,000th year before the commencement of the New Heaven and Earth. Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Jesus Christ also said His second coming, phase 1, rapture will be like the time of Lot. Luke 17:2830 “ Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” Lot equally knew. It did not take him unawares. In fact, the angel of the Lord asked him to go and inform his relations and he went and told them but they did not believe. And so they knew but because of their unbelief they perished. Lot’s wife knew but because of her disobedience she turned to a pillar of salt. When we travelled to Israel, we went to the spot where Lot’s wife was standing as a pillar of salt. You will see a woman standing and the whole of her body is salt. I tasted it and I tell you it is true. The word of God is real and is true. Everything you are reading in my write-up is nothing but the 1

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truth. Let us take a look at the table below The table contains the number of years in series 6 and it is from 1 – 14. The number 6 stands for influence of Satan in this context number of man and work. But in the context under review it stands for the influence of Satan. The number 1 in God’s numerology stands for unity while 14 stands for salvation or deliverance. In 1957 the organization that will produce the anti-Christ came together in unity, 6 of them. And in the 6th year of their formation, in 1962 the anti-Christ was believed to be born with constellation of stars in a circle form. And so when you see stars in circle form among the nations you will be able to know the genesis. The Europe Union adopted stars in a circle form as their symbol in 1987. It was during the Babangida era that I saw for the first time stars in circle form on the floor of the council of states meeting. It could be that is when we joined the New World Order, the transition to democratic rule, the democracy we are practicing today. The anti-Christ graduated as a man of 6.6.6. in 1998. The No 3 stands for resurrection in God’s numerology and so when you multiply 666 by 3 i.e. 666 x 3 = 1998. And ever since he has been in the world and cannot be revealed in his time because the rapture has not taken place. And if we are to go by the deadline we have when man’s 6000 years will elapse in 2040 A.D. it them means he will be 71 years of age when he will be signing the 7-year peace treaty with Israel and her Arab neighbours in 2033 A.D. the beginning of the last 7 years to the end of this present world system. The Church of Jesus Christ just has few years to put herself in order. We need to wake 1962 up and go for souls. Our priority now should no longer be the mundane things. 1968 Time is already against us to cover 1974 the ground that is still uncultivated. This 1980 is the time for the 11th hour workers in 1986 God’s vineyard to commence action. The revival we are eagerly anticipating must 1992 start now. It is wrong to wait until the 1998 last sign before the rapture which is the 2004 supernatural destruction of Russia and her allies as they invade Israel. 2010 •For further information, 2016 contact us at: Endtime Believ2022 ers’ Ministry Inc.16/18, Johnson 2028 Street, off Kajola Street, Yakoyo, Lagos. Tel: 08023261219, 2034 09095268897, 08036116881; Email: 2040 bishop.bernard@yahoo.com

News

Nigerian Christians charged to embrace small scale businesses EBERE NDUKWU

anaging Director/Chief Executive Officer, Quest Advisory Services Limited, Lagos, Mr. Bayo Rotimi, has called on Nigerian Christians and other members of the society to embrace small and micro scale businesses saying that future of Nigeria’s economy lies in businesses of such. He made the assertion recently while delivering a paper titled: “Doing Business in an Austerity and Post-Election Economy: Challenges and Opportunities,” during the 2015 Annual Business Seminar of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, FGBMFI, South West District 4 Lagos. While encouraging members of the fellowship and other participants at the event to engage in small and micro scale business-

es, Rotimi said that small and medium scale enterprises must rise up again if Nigerian economy must survive the present economic recession. He decried Nigeria’s overdependence on oil, which according to him contributes only a paltry 11 per cent of the country’s total the Gross Domestic Product, GDP. He condemned Nigeria’s total dependence on crude oil, when it cannot give an accurate account of how much barrels of crude oil is produced per day because, according to him, the bulk of crude oil production is in the hands of multi-national companies. In his comment, the Coordinator of the District, Mr. Clifford Onyeje, described the seminar as a great idea, packaged to help entrepreneurs meet the challenges of the country’s economy. He called on participants to take ever topic during the seminar serious and try to put them into action saying: “We have testi-

monies by our members whose businesses have performed excellently well because they attended the seminar in the past. We have people who have started new businesses and those who have gone into agriculture such as fishery, poultry and so on because of the knowledge they got from the seminar. There are others who have been able to restructure their businesses in such a way to attract bank loans and credits based on the teaching that they received from the seminar.” Also speaking, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni reiterated the invaluable role Nigeria played to dismantle the infamous apartheid regime in South Africa, adding that Nigeria mobilised the international community to prosecute the struggle. He described the event as an opportunity for South African leaders and their Nigeria counterparts to work together to towards re-

generation of both countries. Chairman of the Seminar Committee, Tom Ogboi, described the seminar as an opportunity for members to build capacity to run businesses and also to network with organisations that can provide financing for their project. He said it would also strengthen the economy of their members so they could also fund the evangelistic work. “The work of FGBMFI is to win men back to God; to talk about Jesus Christ and draw men to Him. That requires a lot of programmes all over the world and you also need money to mount these programmes. It is also the members that fund the programmes; so if members are financially empowered and buoyant, they will be able to fund as many programmes as possible. “The more our members are financially empowered, the better we will be able to run our various evangelistic programmes.”

From the Pulpit

Let’s go

BIBLE with Favour

Tioluwani

Email: letsgobible@gmail.com

ne day as l was sitting in my office, the end of the day bell of the nursery and primary school beside me rang. I saw parents coming in to pick their kids, among them a woman who came in to pick her daughter. As she was coming back, holding on to her daughter’s basket of cooler and flask, her daughter was joyfully running along in front of her. Suddenly she fell into the mud dirtying all her uniform. The mother though shouted on her, immediately carried her to the school water tap, cleaned her up, changed her clothes before taking her home.

For some minutes l was ruminating on the scene when l had an understanding which l will like to share with you. Isaiah 66:13 says, “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted....” You are the little girl jumping up and down joyfully. Why, because according to Psalms 105:43, “....he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:” As children of the most high you are created to exhibit joy and praises of God. Esther 8:16, “The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.” That is why no matter what happens to you as you move

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Pull yourself out of the mud along in this Christian race, don’t complain, don’t murmur receive it all with joy for the Bible in Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” However, in the process of great joy, it is possible unknowingly you find yourself in the mud. God is always ready to pick you, clean you and put on you another garment. But there are some issues here:1. Some fell into the mud and kept on playing in it, enjoying it. Even when they try to pull them out, they start crying and shouting that they should be left alone to enjoy the mud, and not to upset them the more they are allowed. 2. Some when inside the mud, will start crying, having self pity. When they want to take them out they believe they just can’t come out, not ready to cooperate and getting tired of them, they will leave them in the mud. Having self pity and condemnation of themselves. Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 3. Some when inside the mud, no matter the cry or shout, even when they are screaming at the top of their voices they have no one to help them. Even those around them are not ready to help them out, mainly because they are disconnected

from the main helper. 4. Some are been helped out of the mud but left without been cleaned up, because they didn’t want it. 5. Some are helped out of the mud, washed but no garment to change them into, thereby they had no choice than to still go about with the old cloth. Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” 6. Lastly some who fell into the mud are been helped out of it, washed and clothed anew. When we talk about mud, we are talking about those things that are messy, dirty, filthy and bad. That is, things such as sin, wrong behaviors, wrong habits and immorality. The sadden aspect is that when God is stretching forth His hand to pull you out of the mud, many are not ready. The main point is that He wants to get you back home safe and clean. Yes, you knowingly or mistakenly got yourself involved in pre-marital sex or abortion or robbery or immoral act etc. God is set to pick you up. Psalms 104:31, “The glory of the Lord

shall endure forever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.” No matter the number of abortion you’ve done, no matter your deep involvement in lesbianism, masturbation etc if you are ready to raise up your two hands, telling Him here am l, am ready, pick me up, He will surely do it. Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” 1 John 1:9-10, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” You have fallen into the mud of fornication, adultery, abortion or wrong marriage etc, God can bring you out, just give him the chance to do it and He will change your story, restore you back with great glory and honour. •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

Like father like son

ow often we have heard the phrase: “Like father, like son!”

How true is that? I am reminded of the Chinese proverb: “Tiger father begets tiger son.” Good fathers make good sons. Terri Guillemets correctly notes: “Every son quotes his father, in words and in deeds.” Epictetus, a first century AD Greek sage and Stoic philosopher remarked: “Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.” All of these reflect what the good Book teaches. Abraham was the recipient of some amazing promises from the Lord (Gen 12): “I will make you a great nation” ; “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed”; and “To your descendants I will give this land.” And, as we discover in Genesis 26:1–6, God’s intention all along was to pass those promises along to, and bring them to fulfillment through, Isaac. In Genesis 26:12–22, we see Isaac beginning to lay hold on some of the land that was promised to his father. Like father, like son. Abraham was a believer. Wherever Abraham went, he built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord (Gen 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18; 22:9). And each time he did, it was a reminder to himself, and his God, that he needed forgiveness. He needed a blood sacrifice that would atone for his sins. And he called on the Lord to

forgive him. Isaac imitated his father’s faith. And so it is no surprise that we find Isaac, having grown up with a father like that, doing the same thing in Genesis 26:23-25. Isaac had learned from his dad to go to the Lord in faith, seeking and finding forgiveness for sin and rest for his conscience. Like father, like son. Isaac also inherited his father’s sin nature. There was constant bickering in Abraham’s family. Everyone knew that Isaac, and not Ishmael, was the favorite. So we are little surprised when we learn (25:19– 34) that Isaac and Rebekah governed their home the same way—choosing favorites (25:28). At least it is clear that for Isaac, there is little doubt he learned this from his own parents! Like father, like son! As we worked through Abraham’s life in chapters 12–23, we saw his sin nature on display in various other ways, too. Probably the most memorable was his putting his wife in a position of compromise in order to protect his own back in chapter 12. He did the same thin in chapter 20! And here in 26:7–11, we remember that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Isaac passed his wife off as his sister and sold her to a foreign king to protect his own back. And he probably didn’t think up this cowardly solution on his own. Though he had not been born when his father had pulled the same stunt, he had probably heard about it. And now, when put in a pinch, he resorted to the same tactic as his dad to save his own neck—like father, like son! The lesson here is that, as parents, we can pass down horrible habits of sin to our

children. Not only do they inherit a sin nature from Mom and Dad, but they often also pick up, by dint of their environment, their parents’ specific sin habits. And while we magnify the fact that Jesus can redeem children from the “futile way of life inherited from their forefathers” (1 Peter 1:18), we do not minimize the fact that sin patterns often pass through the generations —particularly as children grow up and have families of their own. So there is strong caution in the tale of Abraham and Isaac. When do we start to influence our sons? From conception of course! Love and care can be shown even to the unborn fetus. Please, do not wait to make your son a great man – make him a great boy. Start now. Walter M. Schirra, Sr. said it well: “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.” Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher of the late 19th century, posited:“What was silent in the father speaks in the son, and often I found in the son the unveiled secret of the father.” Here is a very powerful poem written by Dorothy Knolte that no doubt you have heard, but very appropriate at this time to share: “Children learn what they observe. If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn and be judgmental. If children live with hostility, they learn to be angry and fight. If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy and withdrawn. If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty. If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient. If children live

with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate. If children live with fairness, they learn justice. If children live with security, they learn to have faith. If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. If children live with acceptance and friendship, they learn to find love in the world.” Let all the fathers wake up to their duties. The future of our world lies in our hands. If we do not like the men we see today, we should ask their fathers what they did wrong in raising them. Like father, like son. It was true then, and it is still true today. The challenge is for all fathers to follow Jesus Christ as closely as possible. Then their sons would have the best example to follow. So help us God. Tunde Ojewole, Ph.D., is the Babcock University Pastor in charge: Division of Spiritual Life. Get your copy of his newly released book: GOD’S FOOTPRINTS. For enquiries, contact: ojewolea@babcock.edu.ng or call/SMS 08058299434/08060376577. Pastor Agape S. DOMINIC, District Leader, Rivers West Conference of Seventhday Adventist Church (SDA), Ahoada East Local Govt Area (AELGA), Rivers State & Media Relations Manager to Associate Vice President/ University Pastor, (Dr. Tunde A. Ojewole), Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. Cell Phones: +2348034602813/+2348050401747. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST...Phil 4:13

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Business FRESH BUSINESS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Sunday August 9, 2015

Oil services companies offer fracking services on credit

usiness is so tough for oilfield giants Schlumberger NV and Halliburton Co that they have come up with a new sales pitch for crude producers halting work in the worst downturn in years. It amounts to this: “frack now and pay later”. The moves by the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 oil services companies show how they are scrambling to book sales of new technologies to customers short of cash after a 60 percent slide in crude to $45 a barrel. In some cases, they are willing to take on the role of traditional lenders, like

banks, which have grown reluctant to lend since the price drop that began last summer, or act like producers by taking what are essentially stakes in wells, a Reuters reports said at the weekend. At Halliburton, some of the capital to finance the sales will come from $500 million in backing from asset manager BlackRock, part of a wave of alternative finance pouring into the energy industry that one Houston lawyer said on Thursday allows companies to “keep the engine running.” When its second-quarter net profit tumbled by more than half a billion dollars to

just $54 million, Halliburton’s Chief Executive Dave Lesar told analysts the company needed to find new revenue. The BlackRock money, he said, would allow Halliburton to “look at additional ways of doing business with our customers, different business models, push beyond where we have been today.” Halliburton declined to provide additional details, including how many customers it has for its financing program, citing confidential dealings with clients. Schlumberger has said it has eight onshore refracking clients in North America.

Another variant, which Halliburton has considered and Schlumberger has pushed, is one in which the companies cover up-front costs for a producer and then get a piece of a well’s performance. The services companies have made these special offers to producers in a bid to roll out the new business line of refracking, in which existing wells are worked over to lift output. Halliburton and Schlumberger tout refracking as a cheap way of adding barrels because it avoids drilling new wells, which can cost several million dollars each.

L-R: Convener, 1000 Leaders Meeting, Nsikak Daniel; President, WhiteHouse Group, Dr. Austine Avwero Eruotor and Guest, Mr. Oworinde Oyebanji, during a press conference on the state of the Tour PR Group in Nigeria, yesterday.

Access Bank, GMT introduce FLOWS solution to to boost international trade ABOLAJI ADEBAYO

ccess Bank Plc, in collaboration with GMT Limited, a logistics service provider, has introduced a new solution to ease the snags associated with importation/ exportation trades in Nigeria in term of finance, freight, cargo clearance, warehousing and transportation. With the new business scheme, which is branded FLOWS – Finance and Logistics Worldwide Scheme, the bank would provide financial support while the GMT provides the logistics support to the business operators especial the small and medium enterprises, SMEs for faster, safe, cheaper and convenient importation service. Speaking at the launching of the scheme yesterday, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said the two compa-

nies came up with the scheme in order to drive the growth of SMEs as a way of developing the economy of the nation. Wigwe, who noted the enormous opportunity abound in the SMEs subsector and the central role financial sector in the growth and development of the economy, said Access Bank recognised such role, hence, it stood to provide a wide range of demand-driven financial services including supporting the financing needs of the SME sector. He said further that they have put up strategies to safeguard the SMEs under the FLOWS scheme even when there is difficulty in the foreign exchange market. He said: “As part of our contribution towards the attainment of this goal, the Bank in partnership with GMT, the foremost integrated logistics service provider in Sub-Sahara Africa came together to birth the reason we are here today – FLOWS. FLOWS is a unique combi-

nation of import finance and logistics services targeted at importers of non-perishable, fast moving and unrestricted goods. You will agree with me that when two World class companies like Access Bank and GMT come together, the result can only be top notch. “The platform promises to deliver an end-to-end cost efficient management of the entire import process which reduces the total lead time of a typical importation transaction. We are very aware that the importation process can be very hectic due to several factors that we are all familiar with and we have decided to bear this burden on behalf of our clients.” The bank boss noted that approximately 96 per cent of Nigerian businesses are SMEs compared to 97 per cent in Asian countries, 53 per cent in the US and 65 per cent in Europe. He declared that SME Industry represented about 90 per cent of the manufacturing/ industrial sector

in terms of number of enterprises, while they contributed approximately one per cent GDP compared to 40 per cent in Asian countries and 50 per cent in the US and Europe. Despite being recognised as one of the key drivers of economic growth by virtue of their contribution to employment and wealth creation; income generation as well as their strategic linkages with large companies across economic clusters, Wigwe said the SME sector in Nigeria faced a number of problems, including limited access to finance from formal sources. He therefore he informed that serving the SME segment would provide huge opportunity of achieving economic development and growth across Africa, considering its criticality to the economy, saying that the bank was well positioned to providing the necessary support through deliberate focus and commitment of resources towards its growth.

One way to refrack involves injecting tiny rubbercoated balls and reactive fluids that can later dissolve in a well to seal off existing fissures in rock. This boosts pressure. Then, new cracks in rock that release oil are created with pressurised frack slurry of sand, water and chemicals. It is not yet clear how much business refracking will generate. Oilfield services analyst Angie Sedita at the Swiss bank UBS said in a note to clients that refracking will “not be enough of a demand driver” in 2016 and will take time to make inroads. Two prominent shale producers, EOG Resources Inc and Anadarko Petroleum Corp, have both said refracking technology needs improvement. Others, including Chesapeake Energy Corp and Devon Energy Corp have said they have been refracking and are happy with the results. Devon said this week it

has refracked 1,000 wells over the years in North Texas and indicated it has no plans to tap unusual financing from a service company. A few dozen wells have been refracked twice and the company said it is working on newer generation refracking methods for its large inventory of wells. “We’ve got a great opportunity there and we’re continuing to prosecute that on our own,” Tony Vaughn, Devon’s executive vice president for exploration and production said on Wednesday. Schlumberger Chief Executive Paul Kibsgaard has acknowledged producers might be unwilling to give up output from a well they think will be lucrative, and instead choose a traditional services contract. “It’s just a reflection of do they want to capture more of the value themselves or would they like to outsource all the risk and potentially much more of the upside to us?,” he said on the company’s July results call.

CRBAN-Aiyetoro Lagos drags Eko Electricity to court

he Coalition of Residents and Businesses Association of Nigeria, CRBAN, Aiyetoro Chapter, has decided to drag the Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc to court over EKEDP’s unsatisfactory service. In a letter signed by Otunba Frank Omaboe, Francis Iyonmana and Jide Akinboyede, addressed to the CEO, EKEDP, and made available to Sunday Mirror, CRBAN-Aiyetoro told EKEDP that “we have decided to take you to court following your company’s failure to meet our demands or respond to our several letters of complaints.” Speaking with Sunday Mirror, CRBAN spokesman, Iyonmana said: “We are tired of EKEDP’s terrible provision of electricity to us residents and businesses in the Aiyetoro, Idowu Randle, Humuani, Ramlat Timson, Adebola Ojomu, Martins, Victor Olaiya, Idahosa, Babalola, Basiyi, Adeo-

mo-Olubiyi, Shittu Oridota, Brown, Somosu, Irone and environs of Aguda, Surulere, Lagos. “So we wrote them on April 16th to complaint about their poor service but they never replied. We then sent follow-up letters on April 23rd and June 3rd and still got no response. In light of their refusal, we have resolved to take them to court so they can meet our demands of total cancellation of those imposed debts, which are the accumulation of previous estimated billings and giving us pre-paid meters that will prevent crazy billing, illegal disconnection of electricity and other such atrocities.” The letter was also copied to the Area Commander, Area C; the DPO, Soloki Police Station, Aguda; HRH Oba S.A. Osunbade, Olugbon of Olugbon Land; Pastor Tunde Bakare, Convener, Save Nigeria Group; and the CDA, Aiyetoro Community.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

We ’re ready for Indian investors –Ambode

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the weekend received the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Ajjanpor Ghanashyan, where he reaffirmed his administration ’s commitment to strengthen trade relationship with investors from the country. The governor, who received Ghanashyan in his office at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, assured of his administration ’s determination to further strengthen the trade with the country, adding that, he has created an Office of the Overseas Affairs and Investment, which under his supervision, to make

the state more investorfriendly and safer. “We have established Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, so that we can strengthen bi-lateral relationship. We need more investors to come into Lagos so that we can create employment and grow our GDP. Whatever it is you think we can do to increase investors from India, we are ready to talk, ” he said. The Governor expressed his appreciation to the visitors saying that Lagos could draw inspiration from India as a modern democracy and from the way the economy was conducted despite its huge

population. He assured the High Commissioner that the state is ready to expand its frontiers to accommodate investors willing to set up their businesses in the state. “We are in dire need of a platform that allows for food security since this would further towards making robust achievement at transforming the lives of residents of the state, improve the economy of the State, increase the internally generated revenue, IGR, and translate to further employment opportunities for our unemployed youths ” the Governor said.

Governor Ambode listed software technology, manufacturing as well as Agro and Agro-allied sectors as possible areas where such bi-lateral relations could be strengthened, assuring them that the state is safe, conducive and investor-friendly to accommodate new businesses and investors willing to partner with Lagos. Earlier, High Commissioner of India, Mr. Ajjanpor Ghanashyan, expressed the willingness of his country to partner with Lagos as it is the economic hub and capital of Nigeria as well as home to many India investments.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

4,026 pilgrims to perform 2015 hajj from Zamfara

he Secretary to Zamfara State Government, Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi, said yesterday in Gusau that 4,026 pilgrims from the state would perform the 2015 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Shinkafi, who is also the secretary to the 22- member committee on hajj in the state, disclosed this to newsmen, shortly after the first meeting of the committee. He noted that the outcome of the meeting included extension of local governments ’ hajj seats from 3,378 to 3,498. Shinkafi said the decision was arrived at after complaints were received from the local government chairmen. “The meeting also discussed the arrangements on how the intending pilgrims are to be taken to Saudi Arabia, which will be carried out through eight flights based on local governments. “Also, Zamfara pilgrims are the first to be airlifted from the country when the exercise commences, ” he

said. According to him, the first flight will take off on Aug.18 and the last one is expected on Aug. 29. He said that the work of the committee was to ensure welfare of the pilgrims and to ensure successful conduct of the hajj. Gov. Alhaji Abdul ’aziz Yari, had had on Friday inaugurated a 22-member hajj committee to handle the 2015 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Chairman of the committee and Zamfara Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala, who inaugurated the committee in Gusau, charged members to work toward a successful exercise. He said that the committee was expected to assist pilgrims, and cautioned them against seeing the exercise as an avenue to pursue worldly things, “The governor was very careful in the selection of members because he expects them to use their knowledge to improve the conduct of the exercise, ’ ’ he said.

32,000 candidates for Unilag ’s post-UTME, says ofcial

L-R : A member representing Suleja/Tafa/Gurara Federal constituency, Hon. Lado Suleja; Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; Majority Leader, Federal House of Representative, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and representative of Lagos State Governor, Permanent Secretary Office of Civic Engagement, Mrs. Adebunmi Adekanye, during a reception for Gbajabiamila in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

NDLEA, Police, sensitise youths on drug, sexual abuse AYO ESAN

ouths in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State were sensitized on the danger of drug and sexual abuse by the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the Nigeria Police at a programme organized by a Non-Govern-

mental Organisation, NGO, the Youths of All Nations Empowerment Association in Lagos at weekend. The activity which was organized as part of this year International Youths Day featured lecture and interactive session by the NDLEA officials and Police for youths of the local government. Delivering the lecture, the NDLEA official, Mrs.

Stella Nwoke, highlighted the effects of drug and drug trafficking, the consequence of drug abuse as well as showing clips of various ways through which people hide drugs when they were caught by NDLEA officials . She counseled the youths to stay away from drugs saying the consequence is always unpalatable. The Lagos State Commissioner of Police who

was represented by Superintendent of Police, Oguntona Rotimi also warned the youths against sexual abuse saying the law enforcement agents will deal with anybody caught in such act according to the law of the land. He said though the rate of sexual abuse is on the increase but warned that the police are determined to curtail the activities.

ore than 32,000 candidates will write the 2015 post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) into the University of Lagos, according to the institution ’s Deputy Registrar (Information), Mr. Olagoke Oke. The examination is scheduled to hold from August 12 to August 14. Oke told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday that the figure was close to four times the 9,000 that was initially posted to the institution by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. NAN reports that JAMB in collaboration with some

public universities had agreed to raise the bar of the cut-off marks of their institutions from 200 to 250 for the various courses. The development had generated an outrage among candidates, their parents and other stakeholders, who called on Federal Government to intervene. The decision was later reversed after consultations between the Prof. Dibu Ojerinde-led JAMB and the Federal Government. Oke said: “I want to say that all logistics toward a smooth conduct of this examination are fully in place.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Opinion

Sunday August 9, 2015

Global Entrepreneurship Summit: How Nigeria can benefit JULIET CHUKKAS-ONAEKO

or observers and professionals in the country and within the continent alike, the recently concluded 6th Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, which was declared open by the President of the United States of America, Mr. Barrack Obama, reflects a new dawn for Nigeria, Africa and millions of its young and aspiring entrepreneurs.

However, worthy of great importance is to understand that as fertilizer is to the enhanced and improved production of bountiful harvest of crops; so also is the acquisition of skills, particularly technical and vocational skills to the making of true and sustainable entrepreneurs that can identify industrial needs, meet manpower for development requirement and become job and wealth creators. Launched by President Obama in 2009, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit aims to bring together, young, budding entrepreneurs and investors from across Africa and around the world, for them to showcase their innovative projects, exchange new ideas, and in doing so, spur economic opportunity and growth within and outside their regions. This latest summit, coming on the heels of the vastly acclaimed and successful visit of President Muhammadu Buhari, (GCFR) to the United States of America, is a positive signal to the rest of the world that Africa, nay Nigeria’s time to blossom economically and industrially has arrived. So, in agreeing with President Barrack Obama as he consistently identifies entrepreneurship amongst young people as representing the future of not only Africa, but of the world, the question that becomes imperative

to ask would be how Nigeria with its mega youth population and position as the undisputed economic leader on the continent can benefit from the outcome of these summits. Firstly, aspiring young entrepreneurs must know that the Global Entrepreneurship Summit has already pledged over five billion dollars to upcoming young entrepreneurs in Africa and around the world in the last six years. More than four billion dollars was pledged in 2014 alone. Secondly, if smaller and lesser endowed countries like Morocco, Cote d Ivoire and Senegal have already benefited from the establishment of an academy by Carmaker; Volvo, for 140 entrepreneurs; coupled with the fact that the academy will also focus on the maintenance of industrial and commercial equipment, then why not Nigeria? Bringing into consideration, the warm and cordial relationship that currently exists between the United States of America and Nigeria, particularly when viewed in the light of President Buhari’s recent visit, Nigeria, it can be rightly predicted, can and should be able to receive even more extensive support, both from the United States Agency for International Development and the United States Department of State’s Global Entrepreneurship Programme to help the nation’s young entrepreneurs start and grow businesses through start-up competitions, awareness events and mentoring. Nigeria, can also through the global entrepreneurship programme, benefit from the floodgates of American investments that will be expected to flow into the country. The global entrepreneurship summit can connect the country’s emerging entrepreneurs with leaders from business, international organizations and governments looking to support them from around the world.

It is on record that since 2009 when the United States of America came on board as one of the major anchors of the summit, the programme has successfully helped young and established entrepreneurs throughout the Muslim world to generate more than 80 million dollars in revenue for their companies through its Global Innovation and Science and Technology initiative, (GIST). Nigeria, with its huge population of young, educated, mobile and urbane Muslims, can also benefit from the “GIST” initiative in ways that will help produce young job creators, curb insecurity and empower women and children in the country. It is noteworthy that over $3.2 billion was recently put aside to support micro, smalland medium-sized enterprises, while another 80 million dollars was mobilized in private capital for startup accelerators in the developing world, particularly Africa, through development financing institutions and programmes. Nigeria can be part of the countries that can access this funding. It is my candid belief that accessing this funding by the nation’s young entrepreneurs will go a long way in achieving President Mohammadu Buhari’s objective of addressing the challenges of youth unemployment in a sustainable manner. According to the American President, “Entrepreneurship creates new jobs and new businesses, new ways to deliver basic services, new ways of seeing the world — it’s the spark of prosperity. It helps citizens stand up for their rights and push back against corruption. Entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that can all too often fill the void when young people don’t see a future for themselves”.

I strongly believe that entrepreneurship, added with technical and vocational skills, and effectively blended with the restless and innovative Nigerian spirit, can provide ownership and self-determination, as opposed to simply being dependent on somebody else for livelihood and future. Entrepreneurship can, and will brings down barriers between communities and cultures, and can builds bridges that help everyone take on common challenges together, because one thing entrepreneurs, irrespective of tribe, religion and nationality understand is, is that they don’t have to look a certain way, or be of a certain faith, or have a certain last name in order to have a good idea. Lamentably though, it is hard sometimes to get the trainings and the skills required to run a business as professionally as it needs to be in this competitive world, It is even harder to tap into the networks and mentoring that can mean the difference between a venture taking off and one that fails. It that light, the Federal Government must be commended for its focus and commitment towards the acquisition of technical and vocational training by Nigeria’s youths, using the interventionist agency of the Industrial Training Fund, (ITF). Committed towards creating entrepreneurs and job and wealth creators, the ITF has successfully expanded and deepened its training programmes; successfully matched skills with existing opportunities and is on the verge of completing a national skills survey that will identify specific and general areas of skills requirements required by the country’s industrial sector. Dr. (Mrs.) Chukkas-Onaeko is the Director General/Chief Executive of Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

That Senate’s visit to Maiduguri ADIKWU SAMUEL EBO

resident of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has viewed peace as a priceless commodity that should be guarded meticulously and jealously. He said anger, hatred, jealousy and lack of the spirit of forgiveness is luggage too expensive for us to travel with in a journey for effective leadership.

Our country is richly blessed with abundant resources which are yet to be properly harnessed and the only panacea to utilise these resources is through peaceful dialogue as nothing thrives in a precarious environment. The end of war is devastation, hunger, penury and squalor. In several appraisal of the state of our economy, most of the projecting factors identified as cankerworm eating and infesting our resources are high level of corruption which manifests in revenue leakages, brigandage, high crime rate, dastardly activities of insurgents and terrorists. Top ranking among these factors is the menace of insurgence as it is rated as the most devastating because of its havoc and its effects make the entire country unfriendly to local and international investors. The carnage impedes all functions of government, undermining the effectiveness of the legislative process. Let’s reason together. Which productive activity would ever take place in an atmosphere of insecurity and wanton destruction of lives and property? The impact of insurgence has frustrated many government policies and programmes. In Abuja, for instance, some of the streets are being barricaded, thereby restricting access to the certain areas. Places of worship, both churches and mosques, have become danger

zones. This menace which is more pronounced in the North East has turned most women to widows, children to orphans and property owners to paupers living in camps. The main source of concern and challenge is our inability to clearly diagnose what motivates or inspires the perpetrators of this evil acts to continually inflict violence on innocent citizens. What is really their motive? Their actions do not spare any dignitary or segment of the society. The bombing, which started like child’s play has turned to a full-scale war which has paralysed all aspects of life, particularly in the North eastern part of the country. Enormous resources, which ought to be ploughed into projects aimed at bringing about economic transformation and improved standard of living for the people are being channeled to combat this crime. It is on this premise that President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired General, a vibrant combatant and war strategist promised Nigerians during his inaugural speech that he will end the insurgence. President Buhari described the activities of Boko Haram as that of a mindless, godless group which does not have anything to do with Islam. He wondered how it is possible for a true Muslim to take an action which leads to the death of many other Muslims and nonMuslims and he is shouting the name of Allah while perpetrating the evil act. Reading from the same page and concept, Dr. Saraki, the President of the Senate, a consummate team player and a patriotic leader, whose agenda is focused on the welfare of Nigerians has since his assumption of office joined the cohesive team with President Buhari to put a stop to these dastard acts. Also involved in the plan to stop Boko Haram at all cost and enthrone peace in the North east are the other 107 senators. Incidentally Borno

Central has no senator now due to the death of the man elected into that office before the Inauguration Day. The Senators resolved to show more interest and play active part in resolving the crisis. The Senate President always feels deeply pained for the people who have lost their comfort zone due to the on-going mayhem. He is more saddened by the refugee status that some Nigerians now have, even in their fatherland due to no fault of theirs. The economy of these areas has been damaged. The social life has been destroyed. Politics has become a game of death as elected representatives cannot relate with their constituents due to the violent situation. It is for these reasons that the Eighth Senate in the first week of the resumption of plenary deliberated on the plight of the people of the North East zone. The debate was extensive and intensive. As a result of the importance of the issue, all Senators who indicated interest in speaking was given a chance. Surprisingly, the Senator representing Yobe State, Ahmed Lawan was the only one from the State who did not utter a word. Many felt that by his action, he was carrying his grievance over the contest for leadership position too far, even to the detriment of his constituents. The Senators therefore resolved to send a delegation to be led by the Senate President to Maiduguri for a firsttime assessment of the situation on ground ,to empathise with the people, to commend those who have been providing leadership in spite of the difficult situation, be it political, military and traditional and again to let the people know that the rest of Nigeria has not forgotten them, that the senate is fully with them during these difficult times. Dr. Saraki, ever so passionate about the peo-

ple, decided to take the bull by the horn and lead other Senators to see things for themselves. It was a gesture which has won the Senate and its leadership many admirers. Many people were so happy with the senators as a result of this move. The information by the Governor of Borno State that it was the first time in six years that the crisis has begun that the Senate or any representation from the National Assembly will deem it fit to identify with the plight of the people by visiting the area testifies to the level of appreciation attached to the move by the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly. Saraki’s message to the IDPs that the Senate would do all in its power to ensure that normalcy returns to the State and the zone resonated well with the people, particularly as he said that, “the Eighth Senate has made Security and welfare of our people a number one priority in our agenda.” This high-power delegation is quite historic and unprecedented. This also clearly shows that the President of the Senate is a leader with a difference. He is proactive and a statesman. As Nigerians voted for and clamoured for change, they also want to see things done differently in all areas of our life. With the visit to Maiduguri by a delegation led by the Senate President and another one led to Yola by his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, the legislators have proved that they want to do things differently. Instead of staying in Abuja to pontificate and legislate in abstraction, the Senators have demonstrated that wherever anything concerning the interest of Nigeria is at stake, they will be at the centre of action. They will be present to offer their shoulders to Nigerians to cry on, in period of adversity as well as offer their back for backslapping in period of celebrations. Adikwu writes from Abuja

Politics

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Buhari should extend probe to governors OBASOLUYI TELEWA

chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Chief Willy Akinlude, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his probe to governors that squandered federal allocation meant for their States and local governments,and not only the ministers that served under former President Goodluck Jonathan. He said limiting the probe to only the Ministers would be seen by the people as being a selective. Akinlude, a two-term chairman of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos, made the declaration in Lagos at the weekend. His said: “The corruption Mr. President is fighting should not be limited to exPresident Jonathan ’s ministers alone but should be extended to the state governors that squandered both state and local government allocation during the Jonathan administration so that his approach won ’t be seen as selective ”. The former publicity secretary of the Lagos PDP also believes that the PDP will come back strong in 2019,insisting that if not for the PDP members that defected to the opposition APC, the PDP would have still been in power. “Without the Peoples Democratic Party, members that defected from the party to APC, the PDP would have still remained in power by now. We are coming back in a very big way and we are going to win the Presidency because the party is still very strong all over the country “. “We are very good sportsmen and women, we are taking the challenge, we are facing it squarely. We are restructuring after our spade work and other things, by the time we bounce back definitely things will work out very fine

Applicants at the 2015 Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, yesterday.

Newly registered DPC to eld candidates in Kogi guber election

he newly registered Democratic Peoples ’ Congress, DPC, says it will field candidates to contest governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states. The elections are scheduled to hold on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, respectively. This resolution formed part of the communique issued at the end of its in-

augural National Executive Committee (NEC), meeting held in Abuja. The communiqué signed by the DPC National Chairman, Rev. Olusegun Peters, showed that primaries to decide candidates for the Kogi and Bayelsa seats would be held on Sept. 12 and Sept. 28, respectively. ``The NEC resolved that our great party

for us subsequently ”, he maintained.. On the style adopted by President Buhari, ,he said, “we have seen some military antics being played right now. Almost 12 appoint-

ments have been made from the North and only three from the South, all those things cannot work out well as it seems that there is a hidden agenda here and there. ”

Group backs Buhari ’s marching order on audit queries PAUL OBADAN

he Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has commended President Muhammadu Buhari ’s move towards tackling administrative and bureaucratic corruption in government. This came on the heels of an order that was contained in a statement made available to journalists by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that all audit queries be answered within 24 hours. The President also directed the Auditor General of the Federation to resolve all outstanding audit queries within the next 30 days; an order that followed the President ’s displeasure over the practice in which audit queries remained unanswered for long periods, sometimes running into years, under previous administrations. The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Comrade Debo Adeniran, commended Buhari for living to his billing and for being proactive on his administration ’s

war against corruption at all levels of government. “The President has proven to be a man that can be decisive when the occasion demands for it; it ’s beginning to show that his promise to confront corruption headlong is not just a mere political gimmick ”. Adeniran said. “Since it has been discovered that the very bulk of corrupt tendencies and execution start from the civil service and more often than not, corrupt politicians have been known to have received informal training or tutelage from top civil servants who have perfected the act of corruption. As technocrats, these top civil servants are well versed in the administration and management of accounting records, an advantage many use to perfect the art of doctoring and altering of records. They know not only how to perpetrate corrupt act but are also experts in concealing it. “So by tradition, they train elected and appointed political office holders on how to perpetrate corruption and cover their tracks. That is why when you hear of massive

looting taking place in a particular section of governance by a minister or Head of a parastatal, one begins to wonder how such massive looting could have been made possible without the active connivance of these elements in the civil service because they are the ones responsible for the day-to-day operations and record-keeping. “We have also discovered that in most cases appointments to the ministries or parastatals come as a way of patronage to party faithfuls and not essentially on merit. So, in most cases, ministers appointed are strangers to the terrain; as such, many of them are being exposed to avenues that facilitate corrupt practices. It is these career civil servants that provide the in-house trainings; not only trainings to administer but also trainings to steal. They remain the engine-room of official corruption in government ”, Adeniran said. He said President Buhari ’s directive is quite in order saying “Audit queries are not supposed to be kept in archives or in suspense but are to be responded to immediately.

shall field candidates to contest the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections. ``NEC also urged credible Nigerians, who desired to contest these elections on the platform of the DPC to obtain the party ’s nomination form for a fee of N5 million, ’ ’ the communiqué stated. It said that the sale of nomination forms for Kogi State governorship would start from Aug. 12, while the nomination form for Bayelsa governorship poll would be on sale from from Sept. 1. ’ ’ The party resolved to strengthen its structures in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, and directed state chapters to embark on massive sensitisation and mobilisation of new members. The DPC also resolved to uphold internal democracy at all levels in its determination to be ``the third force ’ ’ in Nigeria ’s political equation. The party also declared its resolve to partner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ensure free, credible, transparent and acceptable elections in the country. “NEC also urged INEC to improve on electronic voting system as obtainable in most democracies around the world. “This will eliminate electoral malpractices, and violence that have characterised elections in Nigeria since independence in 1960, ’ ’ the communiqué stated. The party appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider patriotic citizens outside the ruling All Progressives Congress for appointment as ministers and heads of federal government agencies in line with the federal character principle. The DPC urged Buhari to intensify the war against corruption by strengthening the EFCC, ICPC, the Police and the Judiciary to ensure speedy trial of persons suspected to have looted the nation ’s treasury.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Sunday, August 9, 2015

saster –Rev. Moses Iloh tainly they needed a silent indepth investigation so that they can quickly round up the culprits. There is danger to have the two houses leadership based on corruption and suspicion. I think it is dangerous. For me, they could hinder the President if he is not careful. Something should be done quickly to investigate and deal with the matter quickly.

Iloh h

have put them in the leadership, there is indiscipline, corruption that the police are looking into. The foundation of that house is rotten and I think it portends danger for

Nigeria. I can foresee a problem coming. They have a hidden agenda that is dangerous, and I don ’t know how the President will handle it but cer-

How do we progress as a nation? What the President needs to do now, I know he is trying to be careful about appointing Ministers, but he should begin to do certain things that will make Nigeria to feel that there is a tomorrow. He is not God and so he cannot do everything. When we talk about change in Nigeria, Buhari cannot change anything, Nigerians are responsible for the change. Those who call themselves Christians should begin to behave like Christ. Those who call themselves Muslims should behave like Allah want them to do. People should begin to behave appropriately. Let the change start from individuals. So for Nigerians to now take responsibility for change, the President has to begin to do something. One of the things he should be able to do if we have a settled House of Reps and Senate is to quickly pass a bill that if a man wants to get a job, you should remove the question of tribe, religion, state, local government; all you should put there is nationality. The second is, the President should do something about unemployment.

We don ’t expect government to employ people as such but there must be something you can establish that would interest investors. I know that finding the best people to be ministers is taking a long time. What he has to do now is to take some people that are better. Whoever he can get as minister, he has to move. Why I support what he is doing is that no dirty water can wash any dirty thing clean. If he gets dirty ministers they would steal. But there must be some people on the borderline. What I recommend for the President to do now is to establish a bureau that will investigate the background of good people. Because in Nigeria no matter how good you are, if you don ’t know these big thieves, if you don ’t know them to lobby through for you, you cannot get anything good. Whoever thinks he is good, let him send his/her CV to that bureau. Let the bureau secretly or silently investigate such people. If you found them right, call and give them job. What advice do you have for the electorate? The media should let Nigerians know that there is a policy or habit of recalling those you voted for. Let the press educate them on this. Can you imagine people fighting and beating themselves up in this assembly already? When you elect people and you find out that they are not doing the right thing, recall them; that is democracy. That would make whoever is elected to be afraid.

ar gathers steam A LOT OF DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE INTEGRITY OF NIGERIA WITH INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS ALREADY COMPROMISED

Osin nbajjo

use the documents to prosecute the culprits. A lot of damage has been done to the integrity of Nigeria with individuals and institutions already compromised. ” He recalled that during his period as Federal Commissioner for Petroleum under a

military regime, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had only two traceable accounts before paying oil proceeds into the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He also confirmed that some leaders of developed nations across the World, where such stolen monies were being kept, had been contacted to assist Nigeria to freeze such dubious accounts., noting: “We are now looking for evidence of shipping some of our crude, their destinations and where and which accounts they were paid into and in which country. We have started getting documents where some of the senior people in government, former ministers, some of who had as many as five accounts into which they paid stolen oil monies.

“I assure you that whichever documents we are able to get and subsequently trace the sale of the crude or transfer of money from Ministries, Departments, Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) we will seek the cooperation of those countries to return those monies to federation accounts. And we will use those documents to arrest those people and prosecute them. This, I promise Nigerians. ’ ’ As a follow up to this, Buhari last week sacked the former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Joseph Thlama Dawha and replaced him with Dr Emmanuel Ike Kachikwu . Kachiukwu later announced the sack of s eight Group Executive Directors in what is seen as a cleansing of a corrupt- stricken Corporation.

The anti-corruption war is also being imbibed by many Federal Government parastatals For instance the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, Dr. Mas ’udu Kazaure, has tasked educational all institutions in the country to buy into the President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration fight to rid the country of all forms of corrupt practices. Kazaure, said NBTE has been partnering with both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the ICPC in the areas of fighting financial and non-financial corruption within the polytechnic system and inculcating change in the value system. Many Nigerians believe that it is too early to assess the Buhari ’s administration ’s fight against corruption but they believe that he is on the right path. To them slow and steady win the race and they believe that if he continue the way he is going his fight against corruption may be a success. Lagos Human Right activist and lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo is of the opinion that it is too early to begin to assess the anti-corruption drive of Buhari. CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

Politics

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Govts fail because they bite more than they can chew ’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

ministration is not doing right which you think you are going to correct if elected into office? I would look at the state budget critically and only undertake those things we know we would be able to do. The reason why most governments fail is that they bite more than they can chew, you are building this road, that road, structures just to answer name that you are embarking on projects, and again you have political patronage, and before you know you have given out contracts worth N100billion when you have N10billion budget. As an individual you would not get yourself involved in what you can ’t finish, simply cut your coat according to your size. I will be able to look at the budget critically and ensure that the projects I tackle are the projects I can finish in no time. There has been so many abandoned projects, as an Architect, if elected, are you going to complete them or you are going to embark on your own? I don ’t believe in abandoned projects. When I worked as a Commissioner, I never abandoned any projects; we look at projects carefully without bias and tackle them frontally. We will embark on projects that are meaningful, that can impact on people and we can finish on time and hand over for people to use. The projects are not just going to be handled by me but by specialists, by people who know what they are doing. You

PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SURVIVAL, RELEVANCE, TO CONTRIBUTE AND PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIVING. AN AVERAGE CIVIL SERVANT IS LOOKING FOR THE CAPACITY TO TAKE CARE OF HIS CHILDREN AND SOME DAY OWN A HOME

cannot bring somebody who don ’t have advantage in infrastructure to manage infrastructure, or somebody who is not versed in agriculture to manage agriculture. I know what it means to put round pegs in round holes. States that are doing well are doing so because of dedication and they know what they are doing. The Tower Hotel and other projects like the 350 bed hospital that have been lying unfinished will be finished in my time. It ’s very simple because that is what I have been doing for a living in the past 30 years. That Tower Hotels is a project I know I will finish within 18 months if I become the governor. I know everything about the project as an Architect. If you ask me anything about law and the judicial system in Bayelsa state, I may not be able to get it right, but if you ask me about projects, it ’s nothing to me; it ’s like telling a journalist to write a story.

What Bayelsa needs today is infrastructural and human capital development, and they can be done concurrently. How are you going to manage Bayelsa politicians? My temperament is very cool. I don ’t talk too much but I have a capacity to listen and take advice from the right people, not from the wrong people, and I know how to manage people properly. People are looking for survival, relevance, to contribute and people are looking for a better living. An average civil servant is looking for the capacity to take care of his children and some day own a home. People are looking for independence, and Bayelsa is one of the richest states in this country. If you take the FAC allocation and the IGR and you take it to per capital income, take it with that ratio with our population, you will know

that Bayelsa is the richest. Prudent management is the key word, and one of the things I must do is to build a new Yenagoa city. Abuja is conceived by somebody, if we can have such built on the crude on our soil, with all the social amenities like water, light good infrastructures, Bayelsa will become the real glory of all lands. How are you going to tackle the issue of security? Security is very important and it comes with stability, if you look at society where there is good security, you find out that people don ’t go about killing each other. When you come to a society where young men are employed and not killing each other, you find out that society has some level of stability. One of the most secured countries on the world is Netherlands, and the country has about 2.3 per cent unemployment rate. There is absolute increase in crime level when the employment is low, and security here doesn ’t necessarily mean armed robbers and kidnappers, but young men walking in the night, looking for where to steal phones and other minor things. But if there are activities in the state in terms of programmes and buildings, you see young men engaged in one thing or the other, and make little money, then he will think differently. If you drop three billion naira into the Bayelsa economy every month, people will smile and economic activities on the state will boost.

‘Buhari anti-corruption war gathers steam ’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53

He however said that there are no legal encumbrances to actualizing the fight against corruption and that the anti-corruption of Buhari is achievable. But the PDP senators alleged biases in the Buhari administration ’s war against corruption. The PDP senators particularly accused the administration of partisanship in the anti-graft war with allegations that security agencies were coercing election officials to rewrite reports in some states to the favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The allegations were immediately rebuffed by the President who vowed that the unfolding war against corruption would not be tempered by media blitz of a witch-hunt against political interests as he affirmed that only the guilty should have reason to fear. The PDP caucus in the Senate had alleged that the Department of State Security was coercing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to be conscripted into plots to undermine the election of PDP officials in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia States. But this assertion dismissed by All Progressives Congress, APC, spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who said that only the guilty have something to fear about the Buhari administration.

THERE IS NOTHING THAT THE DSS IS DOING THAT IT IS NOT EMPOWERED TO DO. WE WANT TO STATE CLEARLY THAT THE APC IS NOT USING ANY AGENCY OF GOVERNMENT TO INTIMIDATE OR WITCH-HUNT ANYBODY

He said: “Unfortunately for the PDP they have been used to a reign of impunity where court orders are not obeyed. After the years of impunity especially in the last six years, PDP has forgotten that a government will come and that it will keep strictly to the rule of law. The truth of the matter is that it is the PDP in collusion with some INEC officials in Rivers State and at the headquarters of INEC that have been trying to frustrate the APC ’s petition in Rivers State. “They have serially disobeyed the rulings of the tribunal and their game plan is to frustrate every step along the way so that the 180 days would have expired. It was in realisation of this that the APC in Rivers State wrote a petition to both the police and the DSS asking

them to intervene to ensure that tribunal orders are obeyed and what the PDP did was to misinform the public about victimisation by the DSS. “There is nothing that the DSS is doing that it is not empowered to do. We want to state clearly that the APC is not using any agency of government to intimidate or witch-hunt anybody. Like we always say, it is only those who are guilty that have anything to fear, ” the APC spokesman said. The allegation was also dismissed by Senator Dino Melaye who said the DSS was merely doing its work just as he said Buhari ’s fight against corruption had not tilted towards one direction to suggest he was witch-hunting select people.

He said during the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan, the DSS was reduced to an arm of PDP, where officials were sent to hound members of opposition parties Buhari also speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, also rebutted the accusation of the PDP Senate caucus, saying that it was natural for the guilty to be afraid. He stated that the anti-graft war which was one of the cardinal objectives of the administration would increasingly pick momentum irrespective of the threats against it. “It is only the guilty that can be afraid. If anybody is not guilty, they should not be afraid. This President will not witch-hunt anybody. But if anyone has a skeleton in his cupboard, he has every right to be afraid. “If they don ’t have skeletons in their cupboard, they have no cause to be afraid but anybody that has any skeleton in his cupboard has every right to be afraid. “The war against corruption is one of the cardinal objectives of this administration and the war will not hold on because some people are afraid. “The war will continue no matter whose ox is gored. So, if anybody has skeleton in his cupboard, yes, he has a right to be afraid but the war is not targeted at anybody ”, Adesina said.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Interview

Sunday, August 9, 2015

‘PDP will return to power in 2019 ’ other voters ’ card it will be useless. It will never be easy to manage our election system. Now that there is no national ID card, it is free for all, creating avenues for massive rigging.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Agbaje, it was ethnic cleansing. After that, they now rigged the election. They have started the problem with the people again: okada riders, traders, they are arresting them now, they are pulling down their stalls. It is the same old story but we will get the mandate back. There is no problem about that. PDP made inroad into the House of Representatives and state House of Assembly in Lagos. How is the party building on these achievements? We are doing a lot to consolidate on those achievements. Now that we are planning our congress, we must choose people that have passion for the party... people that are knowledgeable about how to run a political party, and show interest to lead the party. Don ’t just go and bring somebody that is not interested because he is your candidate and you want to install him, that would be a mistake. Anyone interested in being the state Chairman of the party should come out and campaign to the members and tell them how he wants to run the party. It is good to have qualified people to run the party so as to build on this victory. Before the election, there was a sparkle of unity in Lagos PDP, now that the election has been won and lost, how united is the Lagos PDP? We are as united as we can, you know there can ’t be complete unity anywhere but we are still trying not to destroy the current unity. In anything in life there is competition but I pray such competition should not destroy the party. Would you say that President Buhari is on the right course given that after two months on the saddle, ministers are not yet in place? He is very much on course. He has to be careful not to fall into the mistakes of the past. Unfortunately for him, most people that supported him to victory are part of the corruption he is talking about. How does he now cope with them when the first thing he is talking about is to fight corruption and he flew in their private jets to campaign. He did not question them, they put him in the best hotel during campaign .They made all the necessary financial input into the campaign, nobody talked about the source of the money. Now he is realising what to do with these people. He has to settle them first before fighting corruption. First, he cannot fight corruption with the people surrounding him. They are Mr. Corruption so what does he do? I pity the man. He is a lone ranger in the midst of corrupt people, so he must be careful so that they won ’t gang up against him. In the past, PDP had about five governors in the southwest, now they have two, how do you feel as one of the leaders of the party? It is our fault. It was as a result of mismanagement by our leaders. There was no leader that could manage the victory

Ogunlewe

MINISTERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DETERMINE POLICY FOR THE PARTY. THIS IS THE TIME APC AS A POLITICAL PARTY MUST INSIST ON PARTY SUPREMACY. ALL THE FIGHTING THEY WERE ENGAGED IN WAS UNNECESSARY

properly and we lost out. Imagine in Oyo State, how could we have lost there? If you add all the votes of PDP people, it is more than that of APC. If you add the votes of Ladoja, Alao- Akala and Seyi Makinde together with our own candidate, Teslim Folarin, it is more than that of APC. So it was PDP defeating itself, the same in Lagos State. The fifth columnist in PDP in Lagos State colluded with the opposition to deny us victory. When ex-president Goodluck Jonathan appointed Prof. Attahiru Jega as INEC Chairman, the APC didn ’t raise an eyebrow. Now that President Buhari appointed Mrs Aminat Zakari as acting head of INEC, the PDP are crying foul. What ’s your position on this? They should cry more, so that the woman would not conduct the election because no transparency would come from her. The woman can never be fair to PDP. If we had followed the Justice Uwai ’s recommendation, we would have

lessened all these things. We are just like deaf people. How can you stage an election without National Identity Card? All over the world, the first thing they do is for people to have National Identity Card so that we can know these voters. The PVC are sold easily. It was available for sale because there was nobody to collect them. The government must make sure that before the election every Nigeria must have Identity Card. In America, Britain, they make sure the day you are born, you have a number. So this issue of rigging would have been reduced or eliminated because you know you must produce your National Identity Card as well as your voter card. You can duplicate voter card but you cannot duplicate National Identity Card. And all will be scrutinised as you approach the desk at the election. They would punch it, your national identity card and voter card would be there. So they would know the voters. If you now put more, if you thumbprint

What is the best way for President Buhari to fight corruption since he said former ministers under ex-president Jonathan will be probed during his visit to America? All over the world, there is corruption. It is not new, how they curtail it is what we should practise. When I was on the scene, we visited Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India and Thailand to see how they were able to curtail corrupt practises and it ’s so easy. It is just by law, leave all these people, the money will be collected freely. Just pass a law that every Nigerian must fill a tax form between January and March. Once you collect it, you make sure everything you have you must include. The property you have, the money you have in the bank you must include it every year. You put it in the system, if you forget to include any property, the property is gone. If you forget to put any money, it is gone. Then you will be asked questions that all the money you have put in, where do you get them from and it is going to be for everybody. It is the system that would identify corruption. Once you do these and the information is in the system, it will come out. By the time you do it in three years, everyone will be afraid. If you have stolen money, no problem you have six billion in an account in London, they have recorded it, you now pay 90 per cent tax on it, that is all. The more you earn, the more you pay so the capacity to steal would be reduced, but now it is after they have stolen you started chasing them. You curb stealing through your institutions, your laws so that people that are stealing these money, must pay tax that is 90 per cent of what you have stolen. So why am I stealing the money? But now they don ’t even know how much everybody has but it is difficult to do this because those people that will pass the law are also part of the stealing. So chasing people that have stolen our money will not solve the problem because they have the money to bribe the system. You have stolen N25bn and you are taking to a Judge that earns N1m every month and you have promised that judge N1bn. That is why it is not possible to jail all these rich people. But you can prevent it by institution, by law, so that if you steal and you think you will be richer, the more you have, the more you pay, nobody is going to steal again. The ones they are doing now, they are just chasing shadows. Give him a form to fill and they did it before under this Buhari when he took over, he just changed the currency so all money everybody holds in the bank was gone. So everybody now started using new money. Everybody was at zero level so all money you have in the bank you cannot convert to new currency. What do you do? So there are some ways President Buhari can do and catch thieves by taking them to court, harassing the man on the pages of newspapers is just momentary because they will get over it.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

STORIES THAT TOUCH YOU Sunday August 9, 2015

The late Ogunbanjo

Mrs. Ogunbanjo

How my husband died with his dream –Ex-councillor’s wife OBASOLUYI TELEWA

hree days before my husband died, he called me, “Imole please call a pastor to pray for me, I do not understand the way I am feeling. These people would not just leave me alone”. These were the words of sobriety and pity that came from Mrs. Jumoke Ogunbanjo, wife of the former Kosofe Local Government councillor who met his untimely death in a generator fire incidence penultimate week, when Sunday Mirror visited the home of the deceased at Ojuleru street, Oworonshoki, Lagos, at the weekend.

The atmosphere was calm, the wife, children other relatives and those that came to register their condolences could not still come to terms that their once beloved, Mr. Olu Ogunbanjo, a 54-year old politician, is gone to the great beyond. Ogunbanjo has since been buried at Mowe, Ibafo,area of Ogun state, without realizing his ambition of becoming a second term councillor. Tragedy struck recently in Oworonshoki area of Lagos State, when a generator fire razed his music shop located on Olabode Aluko Street. Sunday Mirror learnt that Ogunbanjo ,who served in Kosofe Local Government as councillor between 2003 and 2007 died at the General Hospital, Gbagada, from burns from the fire disaster. The fire was said to have burnt him on the arms and thighs before being rushed to the hospital where he eventually died.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, confirmed the story. Cases of people dying as a result of generator fire explosion and fumes from generator have been on the increase since the generator revolution took centre stage in the country, following the poor power supply that has become characteristic of Nigeria as a nation. Recently, the publisher of a Lagos based soft-sell magazine, Mr. Dada Eriye died in similar circumstances. Several other lives across the country have also lost as a result of generator related incidents. Penultimate week, on July 30, 2015, Emeyal community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was thrown into serious mourning as a result of the death of three persons from generator fumes and fire outbreak. The family of three, a man, wife and a child were reported dead after inhaling fumes from generator. Narrating her situation to Sunday Mirror, the wife, Jumoke, disclosed that her husband’s death was shocking and unexpected because, he trekked to the hospital at Gbagada himself that fateful day after the incidence. He was even there for almost a week looking lively. No one knew he could die that way She stated that, at the hospital, family, friends and party members supported them greatly to make sure all was well with him. The family members also did

their best to save his life but all turned to nothing One Mr.Razak, who said he came from Abuja, also tried his best to make sure he did not die. According to her, “At the hospital, he ate, chatted and even came down from the bed and sat with us on the chair for those period that we were at the hospital. That Wednesday he was to give up, he rested his head on my chest and started praying for me”, she told Sunday Mirror, at their apartment in Lagos. Recalling her last moment with him, she said, “When his heart was breathing fast and his condition became unstable, I called the doctor who said he needed oxygen. Whereas after he had said that prayer, he was already gone. “The doctor said we needed to buy some drugs for treatment again, they said we needed those drugs for the laboratory tests. All these they were doing in order not to arouse any suspicion from me that he was already dead. Some of my family members used style to lure me out of his presence. They said my father wanted to see me so as to hand over some money to me. I told them I had been with him since and there was no way I could leave him like that. After much pestering, I left for my father’s house and it was there they finally broke the news that my husband was dead He was buried the following day. Narrating the pathetic situation the

family has been thrown into following his sudden demise, she stated, “Our first born is into aluminium business, the second born is a 200 level university student of National Open University, Abeokuta, Ogun state ,while the third born is a secondary school student (SS2)..There is no money again for the upkeep of the children, even his shop located on Aluko Street has been razed, none of his equipment and other materials was spared by the inferno that gutted the shop and unfortunately took his life, I have to start all over again, she lamented. According to her, “Though I believe there is nothing God cannot do but being a past member of the local council I am appealing to our governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, the leadership of the party, the All Progressives Congress and other spirited individuals to assist me in seeing the children through their university education .The little business am doing cannot sustain all of us now that our bread winner is gone”, she bemoaned. She described her husband as loving and caring, a man that could not hurt a fly. Despite the fact that It took me 11 and half years to have my first child for him, yet he did not send me away unlike some men. He was down to earth; he will be greatly missed by us all. “Even though I have nothing against anyone regarding my husband’s death, for all our actions on earth God will judge us all because one thing I noticed was that when it was about three days before he died, he asked me”, Imole, help me call a pastor, I don’t know how I am feeling. I called a pastor and he responded with alacrity. At that that time, he was saying, please leave me alone, what did I do to you people. When the pastor called, he spoke to the pastor himself about the situation with him at that moment but he did not survive it.. What saddened his family members was his inability to live his dream. He wanted to re-contest in his Ward at Oworonshoki as Councillor in the next local government election .He he has even been tipped for the position by the party hierarchy in the area. Jumoke added that he even assured her of his support for her pilgrimage to Mecca by the grace of Almighty Allah, once he gets to power, but now that dream has turned into a mirage, she further lamented. His 21-year old daughter, Mosun, a 200 level university student of National Open University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, disclosed to Sunday Mirror, that she felt so sad missing her father at this crucial period of her education and her sibling. “I felt so sad for his death, I saw him a day before he died. He was unable to talk to me, he was just looking at me, To continue with my education and that of my younger one now is in the hands of God,” she said in a low tone.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sunday, August 9, 2015

North

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

800,000 women affected by VVF annually in Nigeria -UNFPA

he United Nations Fund for Population Activities, UNFPA, yesterday said about 800,000 women suffered from Vesico Vaginal Fistula, VVF, annually in Nigeria. The Country Represen-

tative of the fund in Nigeria, Ms Ratidzai Ndhlovu, disclosed this at the graduation of 100 rehabilitated women living with obstetric Fistula in Sokoto. Represented by Dr Audu Alayande, Assistant Country Representative, Repro-

ductive Health, Ndhlovu said one in every 10 women suffered from this condition following childbirth. Ndhlovu, who donated assorted empowerment materials worth N2.3 million to the graduands, said most women who devel-

oped fistula had probably given birth at home with no assistance from skilled birth attendant. “For this group of women, everyday, they must cope with the foul smell emanating from their leaking urine and faeces, ’ ’ she

added. She lamented that most of the affected women often lose their babies following childbirth process. “In the same vein, these women down with VVF were often abandoned by their husbands, stigmatized by families and communities, and later ostracized. ’ ’ She said the graduands had received two-month training in sewing and knitting, petty trading and grinding machine operations, among others. She said the items given to them would help them to be productive and useful to

themselves. “This gesture is aimed at helping their reintegration process back into the society and reduce their stigmatization, ’ ’ Ndhlovu said. The Permanent Secretary, state ministry for Women and Children Affairs, Alhaji Suleiman Sarkin-Fulani, commended UNFPA for the gesture. Sarkin-Fulani said the state government had staffed and equipped Maryam Abacha Hospital, which hosts VVF Centre to enable it take care of its patients.

Donor cautions against diversion of relief items meant for IDPs INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

Former Kogi State Governor Abubakar Audu during his declaration of intention to run for the 2015 Gubernatorial Polls under the flag of the APC in Lokoja, Kogi State, yesterday.

Retired Yobe police commissioner recalls turbulent week WILLIAMS ATTAH GOMBE

he immediate past Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, Mr. Mark Danladi, has appreciated God for seeing him through a turbulent week before retirement last Friday. Recounting his traumatic last week in the Police Force at a special thanksgiving service at Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in his native town, Cham, Balanga local council of Gombe State to mark his retirement from the Nigerian Police, Mark stated that he never knew he would come out alive when a trigger-happy soldier went

on shooting spree behind his window last Tuesday. Thanking God for his survival, Danladi said: “My last week in service was eventful and I was thinking of how it will finally end. At about 7:30 a.m. last Tuesday, I started hearing gunshots directly behind my window at the Presidential Lodge and I had to immediately lie flat on the ground and was only lucky to have escaped bullets. ” According to him, soon after, he learnt that an angry soldier killed a fellow soldier (a Warrant Officer) and thereafter took over an armoured tank and started shooting sporadically with the intention to burn everywhere.

The former Police Commissioner stated that it was at that point that news was all over, especially in the media that Damaturu was under siege of Boko Haram. He said after confirming the true situation, he called the Police IG to disabuse his mind about news already making the rounds. Mark said the culprit was arrested the next day and went further to recount some of the high points of his career. He said one of such was when the Boko Haram militants encircled Damaturu town twice during attacks, in one of which they came with their leader with the intention to install him at the Government House.

“Our gallant anti-terrorist policemen and soldiers fought and killed a lot of them and sent away the few that escaped ”. In an interview with Sunday Mirror after the thanksgiving service, Danladi said he had no regrets serving the nation for 35 years as he put in his best for his fatherland. He called for support and cooperation from the public to security agents ,especially in fighting insurgents in the northeastern part of the country. Danladi said the Police under the current Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, is fully inspired to provide better security for Nigeria.

Katsina bye-election records low turnout

he Katsina Central Federal Constituency bye-election held yesterday recorded low turnout of voters as a few electorate came out to vote. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, which monitored the election reports that most of the electorate went about their normal business activities while the election lasted. NAN observed that there was also no enforcement of restriction of

movements of vehicles within the metropolis. In Wakilin-Kudu, Kangiwa, Sabuwar-unguwa, Garama, ATC polling units, where there were over 400 registered voters, less than 100 voters were accredited to vote. Election materials were distributed to polling units in good time in all the units visited, while there was also adequate security to prevent any possible breakdown of law

and order. The few electorate that went to the polling units conducted themselves in orderly manner. Voting began at 1 p.m. in almost of the polling units visited. Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, cast his vote at about 2 p.m. at Wakilin-Kudu polling unit. Yakubu expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election and expressed hope that the APC

would win the election. The deputy governor also expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the election. The state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri also expressed dissatisfaction with the low turnout of voters during the election. Majigiri, however, said that he was impressed with the security measures taken in the polling units.

Maiduguri-bor n educationist and international businesswoman based in France, Dr. Asama ’u Maijidda, yesterday appealed to those who were in the habit of diverting relief materials meant for the upkeep of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in various camps in Borno State to desist from such acts. Maijidda, who spoke to journalists on Sunday at Barwee Hotel in Maiduguri on her mission to the troubled state, insisted that posterity will judge anyone who engaged in denying IDPs their rights. She warned that anyone who is charged with responsibility of taking care of victims of insurgency must desist from diversion of food items

donated to IDPs, as doing so would continue to inflict severe hardship to the already traumatised victims and their families. Maijidda, who returned to Maiduguri from France after 10 years, said she left the state in 2005 when Ali Modu Sheriff ’s administration was barely three years old, but regretted the circumstances Borno and the North-East sub-region found itself with deadly activities of insurgents that had claimed about 15,000 lives with 1.5 million people displaced from their homes. She also regretted that a lot of donations were made by the people in the Diaspora to complement efforts of the government in assisting IDPs, but unfortunately, she realised that most of the items donated went into wrong hands.

Gunmen attack Plateau village, kill 4 persons JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

n attack carried out by gunmen in the early hours of yesterday at Rakung village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State has left four people dead. The gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen were said to have stormed the community and started shooting, which led to the death of

the victims. It was gathered that the incident which caught the villagers unawares happened at about 12 30 a.m. Bitrus Doro, the transition committee chairman of Barkin Ladi local government, confirmed the incidence to our correspondent on phone. He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of the dastardly act to serve as a deterrent to others.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Protest in PH, as policeman kills bus driver DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

he killing of a bus driver by a policeman at the Wimpey Junction axis of Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital has sparked off a protest there.

Details of the incident which occurred on Friday, at about 12:30 p.m. was not clear, but it was learnt that the bus driver identified as David Legbara and a Police Sergeant, James Imhalu, were engaged in an argument. In the process, the po-

liceman, who was on a stop-and-search duty brought out his gun and shot the bus driver dead. The incident had sparked off spontaneous protest from drivers, sympathisers and some members of the public, who saw the action of the police-

man as wicked and unjustifiable. The protest, which started at Ikwerre Road, spilled to major highways and caused traffic gridlock and hardship to members of the public. Commenting on the incident yesterday, the State

Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, said the deceased was killed “in clearly unacceptable and avoidable circumstance ”. Ezike further said the killer cop has been disarmed, arrested and detained, saying, “I ordered full scale investigation into the circumstances and ramifications of this painful incident. “I sympathise with the family of the deceased. The protests yesterday and today appear to have been hijacked by hoodlums and cultists as entreaties for peace fell on deaf ears. Two wrongs cannot make a right. “I, therefore, appeal to the deceased family, the

National Union of Road Transport Workers, Drivers ’ Union, and, indeed, parents and guardians to calm frayed nerves and allow peace to reign, ” the commissioner pleaded. Meanwhile, the state Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has declared that the trigger-happy policeman will face justice. Addressing thousands of protesters at Mile 4 Market Junction yesterday, Wike said the days of impunity are gone. He appealed to the protesters to leave the roads and allow normalcy to return to the suburb, saying that the unarmed person, who was killed would not die in vain.

C ’River Election Tribunal adjourns LP candidate ’s petition RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhaji Waheed Odusile (left) with the Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, during a visit to the Governor in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday.

C ’River: Religious leaders disassociate themselves from protest RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

eligious leaders in Obubra Local Council of Cross River State have disassociated themselves from last week ’s protest staged by some youths purported to be against Council Chairman, Dr. Kerian Mfam, even as the religious leaders threatened to institute legal suit against the protesters. The threat followed allegations/reports in some dailies that the religious leaders in the area participated in a protest to show their grievances against a plot by council boss to seek for a second term in office when local government elections begins next year alleging that they are not being carried along by the

council boss. Speaking to journalists in Ovunum Community, Branch Chairman for Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Obubra branch, Rev. Emmanuel Tabershima, and his Islamic counterpart, Alhaji Lawal Ibrahim Isa, maintained that the religious leaders could not have participated in the protest given the fact that the council chairman is a friend to all. The clerics claimed that such Allegation was ridiculous and absurd, adding that the council chairman had not offended them or shirked away from his responsibility to deserve such kind of maltreatment. “We don ’t know these youths; we have no business with them. Why would we participate in a

strike that is anti-chairman when we are always carried along by the chairman? Dr. Mfam had always attended our programmes when we invited him to the church, ” the CAN chairman said. The Moslem leader averred that the council chairman had been instrumental to the success of the Sallah festival, adding that he had always carried them along and called for caution from the protesting youth so as not to incur the wrath of Allah. The religious leaders averred that as far as they were concerned, no protest issue was included in any agenda of their meetings and warned that no one should henceforth include their names in matters of such nature without their consent otherwise appro-

priate sanctions would be meted out to the erring group. Also reacting on the issue, the Public Relations Officer, PRO, for Obubra branch of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Mr. Stanley Ovat said, “We disassociate ourselves from the stage-managed protest and disown this group of youths for going on the rampage without seeking the consent of the youth exco. “We don`t know these youths who we learnt carried out the protest purported to be against the council chairman, we know that they were sponsored by some disgruntled elements aspiring to take over from our council chairman, this is totally unacceptable, ” the PRO said.

he National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Calabar has adjourned the hearing of a petition brought before it by the Labour Party senatorial candidate, Prince Otu against Chief Gershom Bassey to August 10. The adjournment was sequel to a series of claim and counter claims made by the petitioner and first and second respondents. Otu, a Labour Party candidate had filed a petition challenging the election victory of Senator Gershom Bassey of the PDP for the Southern Senatorial District of the state while Edem, a former Deputy Speaker in the state House of Assembly is up against Apostle Essien Ekpenyong Ayi also of the PDP for the Bakassi/ Akpabuyo /Calabar South Federal Constituency. The matter was adjourned after a cross examination of Otu and the forensic expert, Dr. Vincent Okarr of Bode Foren-

sic Technology. The tribunal had also rejected an application to expunge some statements of the petitioner ’s (Otu) witnesses, stating that the attempt was premature as it adjudicates on the substance or otherwise of the petition. Counsel for the petitioners, Otu and the Labour Party, Essien Andrew, while raising a point of law against the appeal, had argued that the ruling of the tribunal conformed to the provisions of the first schedule of the Electoral Act of 2010 as amended. The three-member Court of Appeal presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba, in a lead judgement delivered by Justice H. A. Barka, upheld the submission of learned counsel in favour of the tribunal and the petitioners. Under cross examination, the forensic expert in his report said there were 21, 782 cases of multiple thumb-printing in favour of the PDP, adding that no results of multiple thumbprinting was recorded for the LP.

1,000 delegates to attend Osun stakeholders ’ conference BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

o fewer than 1, 000 delegates are expected to attend a one-day stakeholders ’ conference being organised by the Osun State Legisla-

tors ’ Forum, a body for national and state assembly members from Osun State. At the conference, myriads challenges facing the state would be deliberated upon with solutions preferred. Briefing newsmen in

Osogbo on the conference, spokesperson of the organisers, Hon. Ayo Omidiran, representing Irewole/ Isokan/Ayedaade Federal Constituency, said the conference slated for Monday, will be non-partisan and will afford participants

the opportunity to make recommendations on how to improve on the current economic challenges. According to her, invitations have been sent to all former governors, their deputies and all former national and state as-

sembly members. The lawmaker added that royal fathers, pressure groups, artisans and religious leaders were also invited for the conference which she said would afford Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the opportu-

nity to explain how state ’s resources have been managed under his watch. Omidiran added that the summit would produce a communiqué that would contain practicable solutions to problems facing the state.

Sport S port

Sport

Germany’s success in Brazil is reward for ssuffering – Thierry P. 62

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‘Ghana studying Super Eagles, other friendlies’

KEEPING YOU ABREAST OF SPORTING NEWS AUGUST 9, 2015

P. 61

Eagles Keeper: Enyeama gets new challengers PIUS ANAKALI

ith September 5 Nations Cup qualifier match against Taifa Stars of Tanzania gathering momentum, the newly-appointed Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh knows what is at stake. The need to reengineer Super Eagles for better performance and delivering victory to Nigerians is uppermost. But with the lack of quality players still an issue, the Coach seems focused on the goal keeping area with his publicly declared interest in Jonathan Ligali and Carl Ikeme, the duo whom he says will give the current number-one, 2014 Brazil World Cup fourth best keeper, Vincent Enyeama a good fight. Bringing them, Oliseh says, will make the goal post safer. Though the keepers are not known to many Super Eagles fans, but have been active in football for a while. Born in 1986, in the UK, Ikeme currently keeps the goal post for Wolverhampton Wanderers. And despite his English birthplace, he has chosen to represent Nigeria at international level. Over the years, the keeper has continued to make steady progress, coming from Wanderers’ academy before making the first team squad in their 2003–04 Premier League season. Though the promotion was main-

ly because of an injury to first choice keeper, he has managed to remain consistent. But the need to cement his number position has made him explore loan agreements in the past, moving Accrington Stanley at time before returning to the preferred position. But his real break came in 2005 in a 5–1 win over Chester City in the League Cup. Although often on the bench, he had to wait until August 2006 for his first league appearance for the club when he appeared as a late substitute in a 1–0 win over Luton Town. He was to suffer a knee injury during the 2006–07 season and had to undergo surgery, which kept him out of contention until late 2007. After recovering, he was an unused substitute and only employed in reserve team fixtures. It was not until September 2008 that he got his chance to return to Wolves’ first team after regular keeper Wayne Hennessey was suspended. Impressive on the post, he enjoyed his longest run of games in a Wolves shirt until injury ruled him out again for the remainder of the season. After series of loan spell, Ikeme started the 2012– 13 season as Wolves’ first choice goalkeeper in the Championship following injuries to Wayne Hennessey and Dorus de Vries; he maintained his place in the first team when the latter returned in September 2012.

In March 2013 he conceded a bizarre own goal during a league game against Bristol City, when he allowed a David Davis backpass to go between his legs and roll over the line. Ikeme was substituted at half time, and it was later confirmed that he had broken his hand during the interval by punching a tactics board in the dressing room in frustration at the incident. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the season, which ended in relegation to League One. Given the opportunity, Ikeme has promised to do all he came to help the Super Eagles excel in all its matches. While his preference to play for Nigeria might be a welcome development Ikeme will have to compete with another upcoming goal kingpin in Jonathan Ligali. Born in 1991,Ligali started playing at age of 7 and joined local side SC Jacou (Hérault). He later joined Montpellier at age of 11 and has played regularly with the team of under 18s and the reserve team. He was promoted to the Montpellier first team before the beginning of the 2009–10 season and given the squad number 30-shirt and officially made his professional debut in a league match against Lyon in 2012. The coming of Ligali to the national side will be an added advantage, said Oliseh.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday August 9, 2015

‘Ghana studying Super Eagles, other friendlies’ T he Ghana FA maintains it is yet to confirm a friendly opponent for the Black Stars for the Fifa date of friendlies in September. Neighbours Nigeria are reportedly strongly lobbying for a date with coach Avram Grant’s men in London while last month, Chile claimed reaching an agreement with Ghana through its national team assistant coach Sergio Santin. Santin leaked the yet to be made official plan in an interview with Uruguay’s Radio Sport 890 where he said, “we have panned two games before the [October/November 2018 World Cup] qualifiers with USA and Ghana as well.” Peru plan to play the United States Men’s National Team in Washington on September 4 before moving to New York where they claim to play Ghana on September 8. But the Ghana FA Executive Committee member and management chief of the Black Stars, George Afriyie has swat aside reports of any

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AAG: Okorodudu assures on good outing

E Super Eagles player Mikel Obi in action against Ghana four years ago during the Africa Cup of Nations

agreement yet. ”We have received a lot of requests for that international date,” he said. ”It is possible those requests from Nigeria and Peru are part of the many that we have received but I can’t mention any country’s name. That may fuel speculations. “We will have to wait until a decision is made then we make the official announcement,” Afriyie added.

Supersport.com understands that the Ghana FA decision makers will next Monday, be meeting with the Black Stars managers over plans for the next Afcon 2017 qualifier away to Rwanda and a possible decision on Ghana’s international friendly opponents on September 8. The Black Stars are scheduled to face Rwanda in the Afcon qualifiers in Kigali on September 4

x Olympian Jeremiah Okorodudu has expressed optimism that the country’s boxing team to the forthcoming All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville will surpass their record at the 2011 Games held in Maputo, Mozambique. Okorodudu who is the assistant coach of the boxing team preparing for the Games told knockout that the plan of the technical crew is to surpass the three silver and one bronze medal won in Maputo

four years ago positing that the boxers invited to camp are capable of winning many medals for the country at the Games. “Our training at the Brai Ayonote Gym of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos has been fantastic and the 26 boxers in camp are responding well to training. “Members of the technical crew are aware of the expectations of Nigerians from the boxing team and that is why we are putting in our best to ensure that the pugilists did not disappoint us in Brazzaville.

Akpoborie hails Airtel as Port Harcourt Regional tourney ends

x-Super Eagles player and technical adviser to teams at the Port Harcourt Airtel Regional Championship, Jonathan Akpoborie, has hailed the company for sponsoring the Airtel Rising Stars U-17 football tournament, as a platform to discover youths with football talents and helping them to achieve their dreams. Akpoborie gave this commendation at Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt during the closing ceremony of the ARS Season 5 tournament. While commending Airtel on the tour-

nament, he said the competition has revealed that Nigeria is abundantly blessed with football talents even as he stated that players need discipline and support in order to achieve their professional dreams. “The most important thing at this level is player’s discipline and good coaches to nurture them because some players who eventually become top football stars were lucky to meet someone who guided them well. According to him, there is need for government at all levels to be

committed to sports development positing that it is the only way the country’s sports can develop.

Nigeria’s Muideen Akanji ( L ) representing the country at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games

Ex-Super Eagles players , Jonathan Akpoborie (L) and Etim Esin (R) with two of the outstanding players identified at the Port Harcourt Regional Championship, Precious Akpan (2nd left) and Abeeb Aliu (2nd right) at Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.

AAG: Danjuma invites 35 Falcon players to camp

nterim Coach of Super Falcons Chris Danjuma has invited a total of 35 players to camp in preparation for the Women’s Football tournament of next month’s 11th All-Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville. Onome Ebi, Francisca Ordega, Halimat Ayinde, Esther Sunday and Josephine Chukwunonye who all missed last Sunday’s defeat in Equatorial Guinea which meant ouster from the 2016 Olympics race have been called again, but injured star forward Asisat Oshoala is left out. Osinachi Ohale, Ngozi Ebere,

Desire Oparanozie, Ngozi Okobi and Evelyn Nwabuoku, who were at the FIFA World Cup in Canada in June, are joined by junior internationals Yetunde Adeboyejo, Chinaza Uchendu and Chinwendu Ihezuo. Also invited are; Namchi Jeriam, Kemi Fatueyi, Tochukwu Oluehi, Sandra Chichi, Charity John, Joy Jegede, Mariam Ibrahim, Ngozi Ebere, Onyinyechukwu Okere , Alaba Adenusi , Charity Uchebe and Josephine Chukwunonye. Others are, Anam Imo, Gladys Akpa, Alheri Jummai Ayuba, Lilian Tule, Amaka Enzor, Osare-

noma Igbinovia, Blessing Edoho, Yetunde Adeboyejo, Chinaza Uchendu, Gloria Ogbonna, Amarachi Okoronkwo, Sarah Nnodim, Mercy Amanze and Chinwendu Ihezuo. All the players are to report at the Serob Legacy Hotel, Abuja on Monday, August 10 with their international passports and training kits. The Super Falcons will play host Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire in Group A of the Women’s Football Tournament of the All-Africa Games. Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana and Egypt are in Group B.

the girls attend the competition which is expected to be a very notable point of exposure to them. “The U-17 girls Championship is coming up in Tanzania between 17th and 24th of August and they are been called to camp immediately. They are going to be in camp for the next 3 weeks in preparation for the championship. Nigeria is going to face countries like Namibia, Thailand and Tanzania.

ormer twotime welterweight world champion, Andre Berto ( 30-3, 23 KOs) said he will prove bookmakers wrong when he faces boxing superstar and poundforpound champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. ( 480, 26KOs) on September 12 . Mayweather, this week announced that the former champion will be his next opponent ending speculations on whether he will face Amir Khan or not. Speaking on the fight

which has been slated for the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Berto stated that he is the only boxer that will give Mayweather a run for his money noting that he has the killer punches to end his dominance of the welterweight division. Berto, who represented Haiti in the 2004 Athens Olympics, won his first world title by beating Miguel Rodriguez. He later won the WBC welterweight title in 2008 and became champion a second time winning the IBF welterweight title with a fifth round technical knockout over Jan Zaveck.

Efe targets national team call-up

pcoming striker, Obam Efe Levin is hopeful he can help the country’s national teams win laurels if given the chance to prove his mettle. “My greatest desire now is to play for the national team “It’s a wonderful invitation for hence I am begging the our girls and we cannot wait to be handlers to please invite me for trial. there. We are going to do every“I believe a trial will convince thing possible to make sure that them because I am very sure those girls attend the competi- that I will come out in flying tion. It’s going to be a wonderful colours beyond any doubt. ‘In fact I wish to become experience for them”, he added. one of the best players in the Meanwhile, the national U-15 world in the very near future, female Cricket championship that is why I am eager to wear is also expected to come up next the national team colour as a week in Abuja and the players are stepping stone to achieve sucalso expected to start camping im- cess”, the lanky player who is over six feet tall stated. mediately. According to the Abarowei

U-17 female cricket team to battle Thailand, others in Tanzania

he Nigeria national U-17 female cricket team will be confronting their counterparts from Thailand, Namibia and Tanzania in an international Cricket tourney billed to hold in Tanzania on August 17. President, Nigeria Cricket federation, Emeka Onyeama, told Sunday Mirror that the girls are to resume camping in earnest in preparations for the tournament which is just two weeks away. He stated that the association is doing everything possible to ensure that

Berto vows to dethrone Mayweather

Fc of Ikotun player, his ambition is to become the first Nigerian to win the FIFA World best player award in the near future. “ As a player, my target is to be among the best in the world and probably become the first Nigerian to win the ‘World Footballer of the Year Award’ and I am working very hard to achieve this objective”, he concluded.

Efe

Sport

SundayAugust 9, 2015

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

After a hugely successful playing career spanning two decades, Thierry Henry decided it was finally time to hang up his boots last December. Having defended the colours of, among others, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls, and won a European and world title with France, the 37-year old now spends his time analysing the game he loves while preparing for a future career in coaching. Thiery revealed to FIFA.com on the learning curve involved in becoming a coach.

xxx

: y r r e i Th

s ’ y n a m r Ge success s i l i z a r B in r o f d r a rew suffering FIFA.com: Although you won a vast array of trophies and accolades, the Ballon d’Or eluded you, despite being among the ten finalists from 2000 to 2006 and twice being in the top three. How do you feel about that award now? When you play football, your goal is to win team honours. You strive for that and only when your team

on a an nd you’ve y has wo won and made an outstanding contribucan n iindividual ndiv nd tion can awards follow. I never won the Ball Ba lllon n d’Or d’’O Or but b I picked up other individual accoBallon la ade dess that thatt were wer very rewarding. However, that was lades n ver my ne y objective obje never as I was always thinking about ll i h collective honours. That said, I personally value the long career I had at the highest level. For me, that is like a title. A good example of the importance of the collective might be the Germany side Joachim Low guided to the world title in Brazil. What strikes you most about that team? It’s an extraordinary generation of players and

one that has left its mark in the history of football. Just the way they defeated Brazil would entitle them to their place in footballing lore, but then they went on to become world champions. It was the culmination of a long process that was founded on past defeats. When they lost the Final at Korea/Japan 2002, they realised that major changes were needed. They then reached the World Cup semis in 2006 and later the final of EURO 2008… Can you elaborate a bit more on that process? It’s curious, because with the France national team, we experienced it in reverse. First we had the triumphs, then the bad times. This generation of German players learned more, in the sense that they lost, suffered, lost again but eventually learned. Their success is the reward for all that suffering; for never giving up and for continuing to try until they finally won. That generation of players, with people like Philipp Lahm, who was there right from the start, really deserved it. What was your impression of the football at Brazil 2014? I think we definitely saw something new: Manuel Neuer changed what we perceive as the job of a goalkeeper. The role had already evolved when keepers were prohibited from picking up back-passes, but the person who has really revolutionised the position is Neuer. We’ve seen formations with a lot of people high up the pitch, but we’d never seen a goalkeeper play so far from his goal. Johan Cruyff’s Ajax side also had keepers who passed the ball a lot but never from level with the defenders. With Neuer, it’s like you always have an extra man. That change also owes much to the freedom he’s been given by his coach, but Neuer can do it as he’s a truly great goalkeeper. He always stays composed when making his passes, he’s like a genuine libero. That role really emerged in the 80s and 90s but now Neuer is the new libero. That’s what amazed everyone at that World Cup, and now all keepers will start to play like him. Moving further upfield to a position you know well, would you rather have Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Well, I played with Leo, so you can guess my answer. I have enormous respect for Cristiano who has managed to remain at the highest level for many years – and by that I mean at an extraordinarily high level. It’s one thing to have a single great season, but to maintain it for so many years is something else. I don’t think we fully realise just what these guys are achieving.

So, while huge respect goes to Ronaldo, having played with Messi and shared extraordinary moments with him, both in victory and defeat, it has to be Leo. When you arrived at Barça in 2007, was it already obvious to you that Messi was really special? He would have been only 20 then…? It was obvious to everyone, right from the start, and you didn’t have to be an expert to see it. From the very first training session I had with him, what struck me was his desire to head for goal and score. He’d get the ball and that would be his sole focus. Leo was, and still is, special. There are no superlatives that haven’t already been used to describe him. We should be happy that we’re able to watch him play. One day he’ll leave it all behind and football will miss him dearly, so we should enjoy him while we can. Although you’re now working as a football analyst on TV, have you considered going into coaching? Yes, for sure but I have to go step by step. First I have to get my coaching licence, because it’s one thing knowing about football but something else entirely being able to pass that knowledge to the players and handle their egos. I have a lot to learn but, as an occupation, it would be interesting. You mentioned players’ egos. Is dealing with that the hardest part of coaching? No I don’t think so. When you’re a player, you do your training and you go home. When you’re a coach, you need to arrive first, prepare your training and you always have something to worry about. You’re thinking, how can I get that injured player fit again or how can I break this run of bad results? Problems end up at your door. You might have a squad member complaining about not getting enough playing time, while you’re trying to focus on the next fixture with the press on your back for going three games without a win. You have to be able to handle all that, which isn’t easy, so that’s why you need to take your time and educate yourself. Finally, of all the coaches you’ve worked with, who have you learned most from? I learned from all of them, the good and the bad. People always talk about the good years, but the truth is that you learn even more when things aren’t going well. People try to forget those difficult times but I think the opposite: you have to remember them so as to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them.

Sunday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sunday August 9, 2015

eal Madrid will make a £25million bid for David de Gea this week and expect to have him at the club for the start of the season, meaning Manchester United will have to re-ignite their interest in Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen. With De Gea sitting in the stands alongside Victor Valdes and Anders Lindegaard during United’s opening game of the season and the Spanish club convinced that Van Gaal wants to sell the player, the only obstacle remains the tough negotiating stance of United’s executive director Ed Woodward. Real Madrid director general Jose Angel Sanchez and the player’s agent Jorge Mendes, who also has close ties to United, are working on the transfer and staff at Real Madrid have been told to prepare to have De Gea in place for the opening game of the season in two weeks’ time.

Madrid to bid £25m for de Gea C

PL cannot attract Messi and Muller, says Mourinho

helsea boss Jose Mourinho admits it is difficult for the Premier League to attract world-class stars such as Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller unless they want to leave their clubs. The Stamford Bridge boss signed a new four-year deal with the Premier League champions on Friday, but believes that Bayern Munich, Barcelona and his former club Real Madrid hold a unique place in world football.

de Gea

Wenger: Pressure not as great as before

Verratti: PSG hope Ibrahimovic will stay

rsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the pressure of trying to qualify for the UEFA Champions League is far greater than challenging for Premier League honours. Wenger are considered defending champions Chelsea’s biggest threat this season, after last week’s Community Shield victory at Wembley and acquisition of goalkeeper Petr Cech. However, the Frenchman is not feeling any added pressure to deliver the club’s first league title since 2004, pointing to his previous experience of trying to reach the top four following the relocation from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium. “We had much more pressure before when I knew I had at least to be in the top four and we had not necessarily the potential to do it,” said Wenger.

Rakitic: Barca not yet ready for new season I

aris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti hopes Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains at the club, amid interest from elsewhere. Ibrahimovic is in the final year of his PSG contract and has been linked with a return to Milan, as well as Galatasaray and Manchester United, while the Sweden captain harbours ambitions of playing in MLS. Ibrahimovic

van Rakitic is hoping Barcelona can open their season with another title triumph against Sevilla but admits the team are not yet “100 per cent ready”. Barca take on Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup in Tbilisi on Tuesday in the traditional curtain-raiser to the European season. Luis Enrique’s men have struggled in pre-season, losing three of four International Champions Cup matches before seeing off Roma in the Gamper Trophy in midweek, but Rakitic remains optimistic the Champions League winners will see off his former club. “I’m very excited,” he

said at a press conference on Saturday turday. “There’s nothing nicer than n starting a season on with a title. “I am a huge Sevilla fan but not in this game, I give all I have to Barca. And we want to cono tinue making king history on the way to winning all six titles. “Maybe we are not 100 per cent ready, but we can win the first title and there are no excuses.”

Rakitic

N I G E R I A

N137bn

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Sunday AUGUST 9, 2015

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Comment E-mail:

nwaunah@yahoo.com Jim Unah is Professor of Philosophy, University of Lagos.

with Jim Unah

ur recent comment here ended with questions why bank customers form the habit of operating several accounts within one bank and a number of other accounts in other competing commercial banks. Why indeed would an individual need to operate several accounts with a number of commercial banks, instead of operating just one account or just remaining a customer of just one commercial bank? This combined, double-barreled question is as dumb and stupid as the problem created by the way the banks treat reference forms for introduction or attestation supplied by the banks where customers wish to open new accounts. The banks say it is the regulator(s) requirement that a new customer or an intending customer of a bank should solicit referrals from old bank customers, as an insurance against dubious characters flooding the banks and creating security issues for depositors’ funds in their custody. In a host of such reference forms, it is usually printed in bold red ink that “It is extremely risky to referee or act as a guarantor for anybody you cannot vouch for his or her conduct.” This is a precautionary measure intended, I suppose, to create an ambience

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N150

amount Nigeria needs to revive Textile industry.

I N

F I G U R E S

N54m

- The sum Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) offered as reward for 108 first-class students who are members of the church.

Still on bank customers referees

of safety for the banks to relate freely with their customers. You do not have to be peeping suspiciously through the rim of your glasses at you customers all the time. All this is well taken; but that still does not answer the question why individuals open and operate several bank accounts both within and outside the initial commercial bank of choice. This is important because an understanding of why this happens will enable the banks to appreciate their error in the handling of bank customers’ reference forms and, hopefully, assist them to make amends before the problem begins to attract loud and embarrassing public outcry. Now among the many reasons why individuals open and operate several bank accounts are (i) employers requirement when signing up for a new job (ii) requirement of due diligence and due process when doing business with an agency of state (ii) demand by the individual commercial banks on their customers to create new accounts through new products intended to expand their depositors base and swell their balance sheet, and (iv) the desire of the bank customers themselves to spread their risks when the original commercial bank of choice is threading on dangerous grounds in such a way as to jeopardize their deposits. This is how it happens: you are completing a staff profile form in a new place of work and you are required to open a salary account in a particular bank often different from your old bank before securing the new job. Can anyone tell his employer that he would not open a new bank account different from his old bank account because he

fears he might not get acceptable referees, and hope to be taken seriously by the new work-place? Unfortunately, since most of the people he would approach to act as guarantors or referees are from his old bank, the referee forms are normally deviously shut down by the officers of his old bank for fear they might lose him to the new bank; unconcerned by the fact that it is a requirement of the customer’s new place of work. Even the commercial banks which grudge their customers their right to good referrals to other banks do create all sorts of new products requiring the existing customers to open new accounts such as Current account if the customer had only Savings account; Domiciliary account if the customer in question already had both Current and Savings account or a U-care child education account for the children, et cetera. These normally require that the customer complete reference forms for attestation or introduction depending on the bank in question. Even at this level of intra-bank diversification or is it proliferation of accounts, referees or guarantors could be sourced from within or outside the bank. If references are shut down on account of the fact that the bank customer already had existing account, how could the banks ever sell the new products that they inundate their customers with on a daily basis? Finally, you have a situation in which some bank customers desire to open new accounts in different banks to spread their risk in the event of bank failure; thus, avoiding a situation where all the eggs are carelessly kept in one basket. What is wrong

EVEN THE COMMERCIAL BANKS WHICH GRUDGE THEIR CUSTOMERS THEIR RIGHT TO GOOD REFERRALS TO OTHER BANKS DO CREATE ALL SORTS OF NEW PRODUCTS REQUIRING THE EXISTING CUSTOMERS TO OPEN NEW ACCOUNTS SUCH AS CURRENT ACCOUNT IF

THE CUSTOMER HAD ONLY

SAVINGS ACCOUNT; DOMICILIARY ACCOUNT IF THE CUSTOMER IN QUESTION

ALREADY HAD BOTH CURRENT AND SAVINGS AC-

COUNT OR A U-CARE CHILD EDUCATION ACCOUNT FOR

THE CHILDREN, ET CETERA. with that? If a commercial bank is reckless with depositors funds and some customers become apprehensive of what might happen to their deposits and decide to open and operate accounts in other banks, is that why they should be frustrated by the banks? This misunderstanding amongst the commercial banks which look like witchcraft against the bank customers surely calls for the intervention of the regulator to halt decisively.

Amuneke upbeat as Eaglets draw Chile, Croatia, USA

olden Eaglets Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke is upbeat about his team’s chances to defend their FIFA U-17 World Cup despite being drawn against host Chile, Croatia and USA in the group phase. The official draw was conducted by FIFA Event Manager; Jaime Yarza on Thursday night (early Friday in Nigeria) at the iconic Centro de las Artes (Art Centre) 660 in Santiago, Chile and Amuneke reckoned that his team’s chances are bright. “The draw is a welcome development because we had been waiting anxiously for

long to know about the teams we are going to meet and it is interesting that we are in the same group with the host team, Chile,” admitted the former African Footballer of

the Year. “I think our group like the rest is not an easy one and we were not expecting anything less. As such, we must be ready to play any team af-

ter all, we are the defending champions.” Incidentally, four-time record champions, Golden Eaglets would have the honour of playing the opening match

of the tournament against “Team USA” on October 17 at the 47,000 capacity Estadio Nacional Martinez Pradanos in Santiago. “We know there won’t be any easy game for us and we have to redouble our efforts and continue to prepare well since we know now our group phase opponents.

Premier League Results

Man United 1 - 0 Tottenham Bournemouth 0 - 1 Aston Villa Everton 2 - 2 Watford Leicester City 4 - 2 Sunderland Norwich 1 - 3 Crystal Palace Chelsea 2-2 Swansea City

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